| Taka stretched and rolled over as dawn filtered in through the trees. 'Damnit...I do NOT feel like getting up right now,' I thought but I knew the punishment for sleeping in for one of Der's sparring matches. 'He feels like he has to prove something. I already know that he's stronger than me.' Dipping my head in the river I had slept by, I allowed myself a stretch before taking to the sky, black wings beating the predawn air. 'But I have something to prove...something Der can't understand.' Taka frowned as I headed to the clearing that Der and I fought our matches. 'I want to be worthy to him. I want to belong to him...' I stopped in mid air. "Whoa, where did that thought come from?" I muttered to myself, hovering. "I can't want Der in that way...there are plenty of other dragons in his age group who would be more worthy." 'But have you ever seen him with another dragon?' the small voice inside my head asked and I flew on, not wanting to be late. 'Still...it's *Der*!' I thought back that voice as the clearing apporached. 'He'd kill me if he ever thought...' Landing in the clearing, I could see Der sitting calmly on all fours, his white scales looking almost translucent. "You're late," he rumbled and I fought not to wince. "I know." "Why are you late?" 'Because I was thinking about you,' I almost blurted out. 'Goddamnit, I don't know what this IS...this feeling...' "I thought you...might surprise me again," I managed, keeping my golden eyes trained on Der's claws, refusing to meet his eyes. "A trick does not work twice, Taka," Der said softly and began to walk over. I blinked. 'He called me Taka...he never uses my name...not in that tone of voice...' "I have taught you well...there is only one last battle to be fought." A thrill went through my body. As much as I hated to get up, the mention of fighting always managed to light some internal fire inside of me. "What battle is that?" I asked and Der stopped so close I could feel the warm air billowing from his nostrils. "When two dragons train, at the end of the student's training, they are supposed to engage in the Ki-Amon, a battle to determine has the student mastered the teacher," Der explained and I noticed that a different scent was rolling off of his body. A scent that made my muscles tense in apprehension. "So we are to fight the Ki-Amon?" I asked, trying to sound as even as possible. Der shook his head, not even correcting my interruption. 'Something is wrong here...' I thought. "We are to fight the Ki-Amone...a fight between a male and a female..." his voice trailed off and he simply looked at me, blue eyes confused. "Der...talk to me...please." "Taka--" <StevDer, ShaTaka!> a voice called out from the other side of the clearing and Sleeping Panther in his morph bounded out of the forest. <We have to gather the clans as soon as possible. Sayt's army is trying to break out from the Underworld.> Narrowing his eyes, the soft demenor I saw on Der was suddenly gone, replaced with the calculating one he usually wore. "But I thought the barrier that you put up could hold them out for another month or so," he said and I stood there, taking the conversation in. <Sayt has become much more powerful,> Sleeping Panther replied as his pink tongue lolled out of his mouth as he panted. <We have only a week. Two if the second barrier I placed holds. Der, I need you to go find Will and Tasha, bring them back to the house. Taka, you come with me, we have some things to discuss.> "Will do," Der said and with a final look at me, he took off in a rush of wind, leaving me with the Gaurdian of the Tri-World Sphere. "What do you want to discuss, Sleeping Panther?" <A choice that you have to make.> |