Whispers of Another World

Chapter 45: Training the Threat

   Amber inhaled sharply as she saw Astrid approach with Dagur, quickly signaling the already hiding dragons to vanish.  The air on the ceiling shimmered as Dewdrop and her mother blended into the colors around them.

   "Hey.  He's all yours."  Astrid said, gesturing to Dagur as he landed but standing in the air.  Alaya gave Astrid a sarcastic, unhopeful smile, and Astrid grinned and waved as Stormfly swooped away.

   For a moment, Alaya and Dagur stood silently, Alaya glancing over his dragon and Dagur shuffling his feet nervously and awkwardly smiling.

   "Alright, let's go,"  Alaya said, mounting Moon.  Don't let him in.  It's just a normal person.  Someone you don't know.  You can have a conversation, but don't let him in.  Don't be scared.  There's no reason to be.

   Somehow, this made Alaya feel worse, but as they lifted into the air and headed for the far side of the island, Alaya felt safer.  No matter how quick of a learner Dagur was, he'd never be able to catch them in the air, and he'd have even worse luck with Dewdrop and Amber being there.

   "So...how you been?"  Dagur asked awkwardly.

   "Fine,"  Alaya said.  Already her voice shook, but not from fear.

   "I'm not gonna hurt you, you know."  Dagur said.

   Alaya laughed.  "You think I'm scared?  We're in the air!  This is our element.  There's nothing you can do to us up here."

   Dagur looked at his dragon, and after a moment, Alaya realized he didn't look at the ground - or at least, when he did, he breezed over it as quickly as possible.

   "Are you scared of the height?"  Alaya asked, sure she was wrong.  Dagur chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck in response.

   "Seriously?  You?  You're Dagur the Deranged, how are you scared of heights?"  Alaya laughed.

   "It's too...well..."  Dagur stammered.

   "If you say high -"  Alaya started.

   "High."  Dagur finished at the same time.

   Alaya gave him a momentary annoyed look, then glanced at her dragon.  What do you say we give him a little lesson in trust?  She asked.

   Moon grinned.  "I thought you'd never ask."  Suddenly, Moon flew straight toward Dagur and knocked him off of his dragon.

   Dagur shrieked, high-pitched and terrified, as he plummeted for the ground.  However, his dragon was plummeting faster.  After the light green Gronkle got far underneath Dagur, he stopped, regaining his balance only to immediately get knocked down further by Dagur's impact.  Finally, the dragon steadied, and looked up at Moon with wide eyes, dilated pupils, and a massive grin.  His large, pink tongue was flopping out, and his tail was wiggling like a puppy's.

   Dagur.  Was still.  Screaming.

   "DAGUR!"  Alaya shouted.  It felt weird, to be shouting at someone as though they were just an annoying acquaintance, despite the fact that just a few months prior he'd been helping someone threaten her.

   That reminded her, she needed to ask him about that.  The 'why' of his change. 

   "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA - what?"  Dagur stopped to ask.

   Alaya gave him an annoyed look.  "Look, he caught you, you're fine.  Your dragon will always catch you."  She rubbed the side of Moon's neck.  "What do you want to train right now?"  She asked.

   "Oh...uh...I don't know."  Dagur said.  "Ariel battle?"

   "Wasn't that Astrid's job?"  Alaya asked.

   "Yeah, she kind of took the opportunity to beat me into the dirt,"  Dagur said.

   Alaya laughed.  "You deserve it.  Alright, first, I want to see what you can do."

   They trained for a couple of hours, weaving and dodging, but it felt nice to be the one that had the most control in a 'combat' situation for once in her life - especially against Dagur.

   When the sun started dipping below the sky, they began to fly back.  For a long moment, Alaya shuffled through her vocabulary, trying to decide how to word her question.  Finally, she decided to say it straight.

   "Why are you here?  Why did you change - if you're changing?"  Alaya asked.

   Dagur blinked in slight surprise for a moment, then chuckled.  "You'd be surprised by what hours upon hours upon hours upon hours upon hours of alone time can do to the mind, body, and soul, Alaya."

   Alaya quirked a brow.  "I know.  That still doesn't answer my question."

   "Well, when you only care about yourself, your actions are easy.  Consequences?"  He laughed.  "Who cares?  When that changes..."

   Alaya nodded.  "Heather?"

   Dagur nodded.

   "How do you deal with that?"  Alaya asked.  "Being brother and sister with someone, but being on opposite sides?"

   Dagur hesitated for a moment, as though realizing something of his own.  "I...didn't deal with it.  I hid.  I changed."  He gestured to his dragon.  "Clearly."

   Alaya felt a shiver run through her.  Although she appreciated him answering her honestly (so she thought), that didn't help her much.  Allen seemed set in his ways - at least until they could change his mind.

   So, basically, pray to Thor that I can change his mind.