Drake opened his door. Surprisingly, he found it a little littered, with things lying here and there like fallen leaves after a storm. "What happened here? The door is not broken, but apparently someone was here," he muttered to himself filled with curiosity and suspicion.
At that moment, the bathroom door creaked open, swinging with almost theatrical deliberation to allow Xena to step out, her figure lit by the soft light of the room, completely naked. They both froze, staring into each other's eyes, time seeming to stand still.
"What," they screamed in unison, their voices flowing in a harmonious symphony of shock. In an instant, his hands were flying over his face, and he peered through the fingers like some sort of child torn between curiosity and propriety.
Xena crossed her arms over her chest and reddened like newly ripened cherries. "Will you put on some clothes?" he blurted out, his voice betraying his flustered state. Xena sprang from bed with the suddenness of a startled deer, gathered her gown from the floor, and endeavored to dress with as much haste as possible.
A few moments later, Xena sat upon the bed with the air of a queen reclaiming her throne, while Drake stood opposite her with his arms folded and a mask of contained irritation upon his countenance.
The room fell into a strained silence-the type that seemed to vibrate with unstated queries. "How did you get in. Wait, don't tell me you came through the window," Drake finally filled the silence with words, shock lacing his tone. Xena finally looked away, her demeanor akin to that of a child caught stealing cookies. "Yes," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
With his right hand, Drake slapped his forehead; the gesture mixed between frustration and disbelief. "Hmm, so what are you doing here?" he asked while his hands now set on his waist awaited her response.
With one quick motion, Xena leapt up onto her feet, puckered her lips, puffed out her cheeks like a child about to explode, and flashed her eyes in fiery brilliance.
Drake recalled immediately the announcement over the intercom in lecture hall and toned it down quickly. "Oh, sorry. Is that why you disappeared before lunch, telling us something urgent came up?" Xena merely nodded, her breath deflating a bit more.
"Is it not too much, really, for two persons of opposite sex to stay together in one room? And especially here at the academy dormitory," ventured Drake cautiously.
Xena sprang from the bed immediately, fluid and direct movements. "But the school supported it," she objected, as if she had presented an irrefutable argument.
She pointed her right index finger to her chin, her eyes contemplative. "As that is disliked by you at the academy, perhaps I should tell him to get us a room outside the academy," she suggested, and slid towards the window with the grace of a cat about to pounce.
"Never mind, forget it. Fine, we can just share the room," Drake finally said, defeatedly tired. Xena whirled, flashing a great smile-one that shone brighter than the morning sun. With a hop as if in flight like a bird, she leaped onto the bed, her feet kicking in abandon.
Drake crossed his arms, looking at her in amusement and exasperation, as she lay on the bed kicking her legs happily. "Alright, now that we are staying under the same roof, shouldn't you introduce yourself and your relationship with Lena, that big sister of yours?" he asked while his eyebrows slightly arched in curiosity.
Xena lay back, her head propped on her right hand, and let out a very dramatic sigh. "Ahyoooo, fine. My name is Xena, commonly known as the Flame Dragon Monarch," she said with aplomb, an proud ring to her voice.
Memories flooded back instantly of the tales Drake had overheard at the inn of a ladylike figure that razed an entire village to cinder. Xena's voice was softer now. "Xena is just considered our big sister."
Drake's curiosity deepened, and his brow furrowed together. "Which means there are more dragons out there besides you two, right?" he asked, curiosity and a little apprehension threading his voice.
Already lying down, her head upon her arms, Xena nodded lazily. "Yes, there are two more dragons, Zena and Rena," she confirmed.
Drake held his chin with his thumb and index finger, his expression thoughtful. After a few seconds of contemplation, he asked, "How did you find me so easily, and how were you sure it was me?"
Getting no reply, he looked at Xena and realized that she had actually fallen asleep. His mouth parted slightly in surprise as his eyes, wide, listened to her snoring softly-a contrast to her fiery disposition of just moments before. Then the surprise melted into a soft smile. He pulled the blanket over her and tucked her in before pulling out the book he had brought back from the library.
Codex of Essence Sight by Tiberius Victor spoke of a subtle balance of mana and breath. Of the ability that many consider a curse but ultimately can only hope to use as a gift.
Discipline of focus and control over one's own essence allowed the mage to perceive ways of internal energy, the luminous cores of mana or aura, and even the shimmering hues of the elemental affinities. It was a window into the self, promising clarity to those brave enough to gaze inward.
Drake followed the lighted steps to the letter, changing his posture to sit cross-legged. His hands naturally fell onto his lap, clasping near his abdomen. Emulating the heroes of his mother's novels, he threw himself into practice, but his mana pool lay obdurate-a defiant reservoir denying his summons.
Frustration chewed at him, yet he would not back down. The reverse scale in his chest began to stir faintly, responding to his hard-will. It coursed his mana without hindrance, merging with the rhythm of his respiration.
Drake's perception was jerked inward, plunging him into a magnified view of his own body.The complicated works of his interior system appeared when Drake turned around in amazement.
His cells hummed with activity like tireless machines; it was as if he went inside a gigantic factory. In this new world he found himself in, the faint humming of a turbine reached his ears. He looked for the source and found it to be in his heart.
He approached cautiously, observing the great rings revolving around his heart as planets would revolve around a star. As he drew closer, he felt the tingle of a chill from instinctive warning of the colossal power enclosed. Three micro rings spun on their axes, radiating some kind of mysterious glow.
He became fixated on the noise; hence, he plunged deeper into his heart and found a radiant crystal right in the middle, encircled by a faint, spherical mana. The crystal started to glow and pulse as if it wanted to say something.
Drake reached out, his hand trembling with anticipation. But before he could touch it, his consciousness yanked him back into reality. His pupils dilated; thus, his vision blurred, and in the next second, his exhausting self dragged him deep into sleep.
****
The next morning, Drake woke up with a surge of energy coursing through his body. His senses slowly adjusted to the light. Drake attempted to get up, and on doing so found Xena perched upon his stomach, her hands pressed against his chest, channeling mana into him. Her face was serene; intent as if trying to divert a river into dry and arid land.
Carefully, Drake got to his feet, gingerly removing Xena's hands. "What happened?" he asked, placing his palm on his forehead as bits and pieces of the previous night came rushing back to him.
"Your body froze up from a lack of mana, so I decided to share some with you," Xena said, her tone full of concern. Drake felt a slight flush rise to his cheeks as he remembered what had happened. "Thank you," he whispered, truly appreciative.
Xena's face as red as a beet, her gaze fell away. "Don't mention it," she mumbled out now, barely audible. The next instant she launched herself at Drake, her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck. The fire within her was re-lit now. She pressed her chest against his. Her hot breath danced across his ear.
Drake's heart drummed in his chest, and the cacophony of emotions within him caused a noisily chaotic symphony in his mind, torn between embarrassment and admiration. "That is the benefit of living together," she whispered, her voice laced with playfulness.
He cleared his throat and tried to steady himself. "Will you come down so that we can prepare for class?" he asked firmly but softly.
Xena pouted; her lips curving into a reluctant frown. With one fluid motion, she jumped down and began preparing for class while the sparks of earlier antics still hung in the air.