The Dragon Breathers (Re-Vamped)

Chapter Four

It had been two weeks since Cassidy received her mark; in those weeks, she spent most of her time in Axle's basement, learning about the magical realm her kind lived in. For one, the realm was called Agloron; it was a word from an ancient language lost to the people, roughly translating to 'peace.' Cassidy thought that it was pretty ironic. She also found out there were four major kingdoms: Raointean Teine (Dragon-Breathers), Mjesec (Werewolves), Ruhlar Vadisi (Vampires), and Y Noddfa (Faeries). Cassidy also found that ironic.

There were many other magical kinds: giants, water nymphs, ogres, satyrs, Witches, unicorns (surprisingly), and more; however, none of the other kinds were powerful enough to establish a kingdom. Cassidy also began learning about The Eternal War, growing increasingly horrified as she learned about the effects of the war. Cassidy had also been trying to build in magic, developing slight abilities as time passed; Holden told her how Faeries, while extremely magical creatures, usually could only command one specific form of magic. Some Faeries could control one of the elements, speak to animals, control minds, or whatever. Discovering this, Cassidy couldn't wait to find out what her specialty would be.

She was going to meet Grace for lunch at their favorite cafe; she decided to make plans after realizing it had been weeks since she last spoke to her best friend. After the initial text telling Grace she was ok, Cassidy became swept up in learning about Agloron and often forgot to text her friend. Now that she had some time on her hands, she wanted to catch up. Cassidy pulled open the door and walked in, the chimes clinking together above her head. She spotted Grace sitting at their usual window table in the corner.

"Hey, Grace!" Cassidy greeted cheerfully, hugging her friend tightly before sliding into her seat. Adjusting her beanie, Cassidy decided to keep her jacket on since there was a slight draft where they sat.

Grace grinned, looking up from her phone. "Hey, Little Lady. You're right on time. I ordered your usual: a large caramel macchiato with an extra pump of vanilla syrup and a classic reuben sandwich." Cassidy's mouth watered when she heard the description; she chose items off the list randomly once and after tasting it, she ordered the same thing ever since. Cassidy laughed, "I can't wait!"

"I can tell; you're practically frothing at the mouth," Grace teased. She looked down at her phone and frowned, her fingers moving rapidly along the screen. She sighed and placed her phone down. "That was Tyler. He can't make it."

Cassidy shrugged, "That's fine." She ignored the disappointment that welled up inside of her; she was really looking forward to seeing Tyler. She often thought about his charismatic laugh or lame jokes. Grace's name was called and she went over to the pick-up counter. She came back with their drinks and food. "Well," she said as she grabbed her tea. "It'll be just us girls then."

"Can't be mad at that," Cassidy nodded, sipping her drink. "So, what have you been doing? How is Operation: Find a Boyfriend going?"

Grace groaned dejectedly as she picked at her salad. "It's not going at all," she reported. "What is it with the guys in our school? What am I doing wrong?"

"It's those sharp baby blues," Cassidy told her knowingly. She lifted the top bread off the sandwich and sniffed the meat. Her aunt always told her to check her food before putting it in her mouth. Nodding happily, she replaced the slice of bread and took a bite. "They're very intimidating. You look like you could see through a brick wall."

"Is it my fault my mother gifted me with big, blue eyes?" Grace complained, eating a forkful of lettuce. She glared enviously at Cassidy's dimpled cheeks. "Why couldn't I have gotten cheek craters like you?"

Cassidy shrugged and continued to eat her sandwich. A glob of Russian dressing dropped onto Cassidy's jacket sleeve. She grabbed a napkin and wiped off the sauce before taking off her jacket to avoid more mess. "What's that?"