The trek to Sonja's pt1

I wake up with a pounding headache. Slowly sitting up, I'm able to feel Pearl sliding off my chest onto my lap. She also has a difficult time waking up. Dre is to my right snoozing away. Maddie is laying at the cave entrance. Sheldon and Olive are no where to be found.

"How's your head?" Maddie asks.

"Killing me." I say trying to stand but my body feels four times its weight. I collapse back onto the floor.

"Easy now." Maddie says getting up.

"Here Ragon, let me-" Pearl tries moving but falls back asleep on my stomach.

"What's going on?" I ask fading in and out of consciousness again.

"You all experienced a lot of magic being thrown around. Sheldon, Olive and I handled it better though. Get some sleep." I could barely hear Maddie before drifting back to darkness.

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Faint whispering wakes me up. Sitting up still with a headache, I don't feel as heavy as earlier. Looking around I see five dragons staring back at me.

"Good morning sleepy head!" Pearl says very loudly in my face.

"Not so loud Pearl." I moan.

"Sorry!" She whispers back.

"Now that you're awake. Lets go pick up that last dragon." Maddie declares while getting up. "Sheldon got you some food. Once you're ready we will head out."

"Alright." I tell her. "Where is that fire dragon?"

"He will be joining us later." Maddie informs me.

Sheldon brings over a leaf with not much on it. She told me getting food up the side of the mountain proved to be difficult. I thanked her over and over for what she did get though, for she didn't have to do this for me.

Once I had my things packed and I have glory stick in my hands again, we followed Maddie. Dre gave me a ride. Sheldon and Olive hopped into the stream the moment we crossed one. While Pearl and Maddie flew overhead.

We made it back to the first camp where the forest dragon buried our fire. Everyone started sniffing around seeing if they could pick up his scent. All I know is I could smell a carcass not too far up wind.

With no luck on the scent we debate on how to call him out. He seemed to be drawn by the fire last time so we decided to build one. Everyone told Dre if he gets a tree it has to be a small one.

Not long after a fire was built, we started to get impatient. My stomach growled so Olive and Sheldon both went fishing. Pearl wouldn't be quiet so Maddie asked her to help find a bush with blue leaves and red thorns. Dre stayed and rested by the fire with me.

Soon I heard rustling of a bush off to my left. Then the rustling got a little closer til the forest dragon snuck out of the thicket. Again he laid down watching me and the fire.

"Hello." I call out to him.

He tilts his head.

"Do you not understand me? The others can and I can understand them." I babble on.

"I-i understand you." He says politely.

"Oh, thats good." I say. I'm not sure how to ask him if he wants to join us since I don't know him well. "Why did you put our fire out last time?"

"Uhhh. You didn't put it out before sleeping. You should put fires out before sleeping so the forest doesn't catch fire." He explains.

I knew that about fires but I also wasn't the one to fall asleep on watch that night. 

"We will put this one out if we can't be here to attend to it." I tell him.

"Thank you." He says.

A very long awkward silence grows between us. I have no idea what to say. Should I make more small talk? Should I just say its fine and ask him to be our friend. 

"It's lonely out here." He says quietly.

"What about family or friends? Are they around here?" I ask.

"No. They were taken. My parents hid me just in time." He lays his head down staring at the fire.

"I'm really sorry to hear that."

"It is what it is. The kingdom has been hunting us for a long while now." He looks sadder.

"Do you know why?" I ask.

"No. No one does. The flying dragons come and if we aren't hidden well they take us. You're different though. Different species of dragons don't travel together well." Sadness fills his eyes and voice at first then curiosity.

"My friends and I want to put an end to the flying dragoms terror. They all have been hurt from the person doing that. The guy orchestrating all that hasn't come after me but I could never stand by and let someone hurt a creature." I tell him. My head starts to hurt again so I rub my forehead.

"Your friends, that little one is loud." He states.

"Pearl? Yea she is lively." I reply.

"That big one is nice. He doesn't talk much." He says.

Dre kinda wakes up at the sound of his name. I place my hand on his head and tell him it's still safe to sleep. He slowly falls back asleep.

"I did talk to that eternal earth dragon before you all went up the mountain. She said she was watching over all of you but now it looks like she told you she was following you." He informs me.

"Maddie? You talked to her?" I ask.

"Yea she stopped me before I could get too close to your camp. She scared me a bit but she just wanted you safe. The few days I have been watching you all, I can tell you're good." His voice is hopeful.

"Well if you want, you can join us. I understand if you don't want to fight Gilton and Tundra but any support will be helpful." 

There! I asked!

He ponders on that for a second. "I would like to join you all but-"

"Yippee!" Pearl shouts as she tackles his head making him tumble in the dirt with her. "I'm so happy yo-"

All we see is his tail slipping into the thicket as he runs off. Dre wakes up from the commotion.

"Way to go, mountain dragon." Sheldon says a little on the mean side.

"How was I supposed to know he is shy?" She shouts back.

"Not everyone is as touchy feely as you are Pearl." Dre says yawning.

"But I just got so excited!" Pearl cries.

"There there." Olive reassures her. "Lets see if Ragon can find him. Hopefully he was just startled and will come back. I remember how lonely it gets when you're on your own."

"I'm sorry Ragon for making more work for you." Pearl pouts a little.

"You're just being you." I pat her on the head. Grabbing glory stick I head into the dark forest.

"I don't like this. It's too dark." I say out loud.

I squat by a tree. Not scared at all. Not one- out the corner of my eye, I see a dragon's face a foot away from my face. I will deny screaming like a child as I leap from my spot. Glory stick is braced between me and the dragon.

"It's just me." Says the forest dragon. He makes his way out of the bush.

"That's a relief." I say relaxing my grip. "I'm sorry Pearl scared you. I won't force you to come back but know we did talk to her and she is sorry."

"I didn't go too far so I did hear that. I just get nervous easy." He grinds a claw into the ground.

"I understand that. I was never popular in school so having to talk or work with anyone in a group project was difficult for me." I reply.

"School?" He questions the word.

"A place people go, to in theory, learn things." I explain.

"Oh. So your kind go somewhere to learn the wisdoms? Your parents don't teach them to you?" He asks.

"My parents passed away so they can't teach me things." I say quietly.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. It was an accident." I turn back towards the camp. "Should we head back to keep the others from worrying?"

"Mmmm, I will follow you." He ducks his head down and tails behind me to camp.

We make it back to everyone gathered around. Sheldon and Olive have quite a few fish stacked on some leaves. Pearl is munching away on a raw one.

"You're back! We heard you scream like a girl out there." Maddie giggles.

"Did not!" I bellow back blushing in my cheeks.

Everyone starts to laugh, even the forest dragon.