| No matter what life brings, there is always one thing to remember: Don�t get mad. Get even. -Rules of Life, pg. 42 Part 34 � They�re not made for dragons,� Tiovex reminded me, moving to sit cat-like on the floor. I mimicked his move. � Obviously. Some humans have no consideration for anything not their kind.� � If these seats were also made to accomodate dragons,� Zidane defended the pub, � I don�t think it would be comfortable for the more frequent patrons. The humans.� Tiovex nodded. � You make a good point, Zidane.� � Of course I do.� � Zidane,� Ruby interrupted, � Just who are them two smelly beasts?� I turned to narrow my eyes at her. � Smelly, huh?� � Kiti . . .� Zidane warned. Cooling my jets, I only said, � When I leave a town I have to bathe over and over because I can�t stand the stench of humans.� Tiovex roared with laughter. Zidane even cracked a smile. Ruby fumed. � Ya stupid thing!� � Me? Stupid? I�m not the one with the speaking problem.� Tiovex laid on his back and howled, holding his sides as tears rolled down his cheeks. � Okay, Kiti,� Zidane admonished, � enough.� I snorted and curled my tail around my feet. � Ruby, the empress you were losing the argument to is my mother, Kitiane Dranoc. The emperor on my other side is my recently adopted father and the current ruler of Swiftwing, Tiovex Hariq.� Everyone�s jaw dropped. Ruby pointed at me. � Are ya tellin� me ya was raised by dragons?� � Yeah. Your point?� � Ya . . . Ya don�t act like ya was raised by �em.� � Kiti and Tio are Swiftwing dragons. They�re much more civilized and smarter than the dragons around here.� � Swiftwing?� Blank asked. � Isn�t that just a fairy tale?� � I�ve been there. It�s most certainly not a fairy tale.� � Zidane!� Vanel cried, bursting into the pub. � They�re after me!� Zidane caught her. She was now too big to fit in one hand, but she was still small enough (about the size of a cat) to be cradled in one arm. He did so, letting her legs hang down into the air. � Who? Who�s after you?� [Dragon Hunters!] Just then, the door slammed open. Tiovex and I slowed our breathing and blended into our surroundings, crouching to spring as two men stepped in, holding well-known dragon-killing devices. � Boy!� one called to Zidane, seeing that he held Vanel. � You must know that dragons are dangerous beasts and must be killed.� [You just can�t tell a good dragon from a bad one!] Vanel spat. Zidane held her mouth shut. He smirked at the men, green eyes glittering cruelly. � Dragons are dangerous, you say? They must be killed, huh? I really wish you would pay attention to who you insult.� � What are you talking about?� � Not just anyone can call dragons, moron.� The first man blinked, then pulled back. � Dragonchild!� The second looked at the first. � What?� � A dragonchild!� the first repeated, as if it were a curse. � They were raised by dragons and can call any type from wherever they are!� � How do you know?� � Look at his eyes! Only dragons have green eyes! And he even has a tail!� � Are you afraid yet?� Zidane asked, voice deathly quiet. They nodded frantically. � Good. And what do you think your punishment should be for scaring my daughter here? Death? Life without mobility?� They swallowed nervously, but could say nothing. � Fine then. I will choose for you.� He lifted his arm, pointing at them with a malicious smile. � Go.� Tiovex and I snarled. Our camouflage rippled and disappeared. We snapped and lunged, tearing each one�s right arm open from shoulder to elbow. Then we leapt back and settled beside Zidane again, vanishing under the cover of camouflage once more. The men ran. As soon as they were gone, Zidane started laughing. � Oh that was too good! We have to do that more often!� � But I was scared!� Vanel cried. He scratched behind her ears, still chuckling mirthfully. � I�m sorry, Vanel.� � . . . It�s okay.� They were surprised. � I can�t believe you actually hurt someone, Zidane,� Marcus murmured. Zidane turned to him, � Ah, but I didn�t hurt anyone. I just told Tio and Kiti to �go�. I didn�t say �kill� or �attack�. They acted on their own.� � What if they start trouble?� He shrugged negligently. � What if they do?� � You�ll get in trouble.� � No way. I gave them plenty of time to run. If they had, I would�ve let them go. They chose to stay, so they got their asses kicked. Even if they do try and turn me in, they have no evidence to prove their reason for chasing Vanel. In which case they were terrorizing a young dragon, which is illegal.� � Okay, fine.� Blank grumbled. � But what�s all this about a dragon being your daughter?� � Oh. I met Vanel up in Swiftwing. She came with us when we left, but she was still really young and needed to be fed milk.� He shrugged again, only this time as if the rest of the answer should be obvious. � Since I took the responsibility of feeding her, I kind of became her dad.� He put an arm around my neck and another around Tiovex�s and pulled us so that our heads were squashed together. � We�re one big, happy, adopted dragon family.� � Sweetie-punkin,� Ruby said, � you�re weird.� He let us go and winked. � Wouldn�t be me if I weren�t!� Vivi came in and looked around. � Hey Zidane.� <--Part 33 Part 35--> |