Dragon Wars: Flames Of Pain (Book 3)

Chapter 43 (Jangras POV) Gather Together

I looked at every one that was around me for just a few moments, as I saw quite a bit of a shocked reaction on a lot of their faces. Most of those were from the dragons that were on my team, as a lot of them seemed to be quite a bit scared to be so close, in such a small area as well, to a dragon such as her stature.
The dragon of course, that had in fact spoken up to me and all of the others that were on my team just a few moments before now, happened to be my mentor, as well as the deputy of the tribe. I mainly new her as my mentor how ever, and that was why it did not scare me nearly as much as every one else.
Though, there were at times that she did kind of freak me out a bit, as she often did not tell me things that I was about to do. Such as the fact that she did not tell me that I was going to be put to a test, such as I very well had been put to quite a hard test in the training today.
I was still a bit in shock, as I was not going to lie, as to the fact that we had still some how came out with a win in the end of all of it. I blinked a few times, as I knew that I should not be too shocked. I knew the best look to have on my face at this moment, was to act like this was normal for me, and I did not have any doubt on my team.
I had a lot of doubt in my team, as I was still quite a bit surprised as to the fact that we had some how managed to even score one point in the first place. Sure, you could say the way that we had done it, might have been a bit cheap, but the last point that we had scored, had in fact very much been real.
I had quite the grin on my face, as I was thinking back on all of it, all at once at the exact same time too. I was happy, and I could tell that so were my team mates, even though many of them had their head down low to the ground, now that they had seen that Socra was with us, and that she had seen all of that played out.
I looked around at all of my team mates for quite a bit of some time, as I saw that none of them had their eyes on her at all, at this very moment in time. Not even Penta, who I would have thought would have been stronger than that, especially after the fact that a couple of years ago, she had made quite a bit of an embarrassment of her self.
I shook my head, as I shook off all of those thoughts at the exact same time as well, as I then looked to the other side of me, to see the dragon that was sitting right beside me, which of course happened to be Nink. To my surprise as well, I saw that he had quite a bit of a smile on his face, at the exact same time as well.
I blinked a few times, as I shook of all of those thoughts at the same time as well. I felt that, even if no one else could see it in him, he was quite a strong dragon, even if he was not physically. He was fast, and he was very smart as well. I was just worried how that would correlate to the fact that he was fighting a massive black dragon.
I sighed a bit, as I then looked away from my friend, and I then looked over to the other side of the clearing, to see the look on the face of Lunk at the same time as well. I would have thought that it would be a bit of a look of shock, but at the same time too, I felt like the look that I saw on his face should not surprise me at all.
It seemed to be a bit of a look of some sort of embarrassment. I was not sure if that were due to the fact that his very well over powered team had just lost in front of our deputy, or if it were due to the fact that he was embarrassed that I now knew the fact that he had been a part in this little test that Socra and my father had clearly pulled on me.
I let out quite a bit of a heavy sigh, as I was not so sure as to what it was that I should do at this very moment in the first place any ways. I shook off all of the other thoughts that had been going through mt head all at once as well, as I then put my focus back on Socra, as I could see her walking over to me from the corner of my eye.
I blinked a few times, as I turned my head over to her, to get my focus on her at the same time too, as I could tell that she was walking right over to me, to speak to me if I had to make a bit of an assumption. I gulped just a little bit, but in the end, I did in fact nod to our deputy, and my mentor who I knew her better by any ways.
She squinted her eyes at me, as she then stopped as soon as she got a few tail lengths away from me. I gulped a bit once again, as by the look that I saw on her face, as it typically was the look that she had when I had done some thing wrong. It confused me quite a bit as well, as I was not sure as to what I might have done wrong in the very first place any ways.
If any thing, now that I had come to think of it, I had not done any thing that might be wrong at all, as what I had done had been insanely impressive, as I was not going to be humble this time. I squinted my eyes at her back as well, as I then tilted my head at the exact same time as well.
Once it seemed that she had seen me do that back at her all at the same time too, she suddenly got rid of that look that I had seen on her face for quite a bit of some time. I sighed a bit, as I was a bit relieved by it, if I was not going to lie to my self. It always seemed to stress me out quite a bit when she acted in that sort of fashion.
She then blinked a few times at me as well, as it seemed to be that she was trying to regain a steady train of some sort of thought at the exact same time too, as if she had some how forgot as to the reason that she had come to this training session, and watched all of us in the very first place any ways.
To be frank, I had not a single clue as to why she might have done that either, as I knew that they had told me that they were going to test me, but I was not so sure as to what the point of this sort of test even was for. It did not seem like she could remember as to what it had been for either.
I sighed a bit, as she stared right at me for a little bit longer, until all of the sudden I saw a bit of a look of some sort of emotion on her face, which told me that she was finally back, and that she was now well aware as to what was going on around us, and as to what it was that she had been thinking of saying to me in the first place too.
After just a few more moments of silence all around me, which kind of was a bit freaky, and a bit cold, as it kind of put some shivers down my spine, she did in fact finally nod back to me. I stared right back at her, as I then waited for her to finally go ahead and speak, which she did in fact do so in the first place after a little bit longer, and I then listened as to what it was that she had to say to me at the exact same time as well.
"Good job Jangra... You taught all of us some thing that we needed to see from you tonight... You are a leader... You just have to put some focus in to it, and do it like this could be the end..." She said to me at first, as I looked at her for just a little bit of some time, as I knew that I had quite the blank look on my face at the exact same time too. I shivered a little bit once again, at first, due to the fact that I realized that I was in fact under a lot of pressure during that time. I then shook my head as well, as I knew that it was now over, and that there was nothing to be freaked out about. I sighed a bit to my self, as I then heard Socra begin to speak up to me, just as she had done before, as I then lifted my head up, to listen as to what it was that she had to say to me in the first place any ways. "Because you never know... A fight could be the end for you, and it will be the end for many others."
She said that to me, but at the last part as well, she said it to all of the others that were with me at this very moment, at the exact same time too. It was clear that she was making sure that they had heard as to what it was that she had said, and whilst this might be a bit of a game, once we were out there, and we were in battle, none of it was a game at all.
I blinked a few times, as I then nodded to Socra, to make sure that she had known that I had heard as to what it was that she had said to me, and to all of the others. I knew that she was right, and like my father told me, 'even if you win a battle, there is far too many lives that you have lost to call it a win'.
I knew that he was very much right when he said that to me at the exact same time as well, as I shivered a bit to even think of those thoughts. It scared me to think on the fact that we were going to lose many more lives, and though there were dragons that I did not ever like all too much in this tribe, I also knew that their lives mattered.
I let out a bit of a soft sigh at the exact same time as well, as I saw that Socra was still staring right back at me. She did nod back to me how ever, which did make me feel a bit better, and a lot more safe. I blinked a few times, as I then made sure that I got my eyes locked on with hers at the same time as well.
She had a bit of a grin on her face for some odd reason or another, which confused me just a bit, as to the fact that I still had my thoughts very much on what it was that she had just said to me a few moments ago. I blinked a few times how ever, as I then shook my head to try and shake off all of those thoughts that were racing through my mind at the same time too.
We were going to lose lives no matter what... We already had lost lives, as that was just the sad part of the nature of war. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, as I did my best once again to do my best to shake off the thoughts. That seemed to do a little bit better at the very least, as I sighed just a little bit, and I then opened my eyes, and I looked right back at Socra once again.
I stared at her for a little bit longer, keeping quite a bit of a blank, and calm and steady look on my face at the same time too, as I was doing my best to hide how I really was feeling at this very moment. I gulped a bit, as I knew that there we a lot of eyes on me right now, as I was in the spot light. I knew that I must stay strong right at this very moment.
I squinted my eyes at Socra, which did not seem to bother her at all this time how ever. I shook off those thoughts at the same time as well how ever, as I knew that it had been nothing but silence all around us for quite a bit of some time now. I knew that I needed to speak, so I nodded to Socra, as she then nodded back to me a lot faster this time as well, as I then all of the sudden then began to speak up to her.
"I will do my best to keep as many of them alive as I possibly can..." I said to her, as I was not so sure if that was really going to be the case. I knew that some of the battles that I was going to get my self in to, the only way that we were going to win, and get to the heart of the other tribe, was to sacrifice a lot of our own lives.
I closed my eyes, as I felt the shivers rush across my body at the exact same time as well, as I did my best to not think too deep on that, even though I knew it to be true any ways. I did not want to think about having to use the lives of my own tribe, just for us to win a simple battle, or a war.
But to be fair, if we lost a bunch of lives to win a war, rather than try to be more soft and careful, than the extended period of time that the war dragged on for, we would only lose more lives. I felt quite a bit sick, to let those thoughts go through my head. They were truthful thoughts how ever, as I knew that I needed to think on it.
I sighed, as I then lifted my head up to Socra at the same time as well, as I expected her to still have her eyes squinted at me, as if she was about to give me a bit of a stern talking to about how what I had said was not realistic at all when it came to the war. I was just trying to prepare for it how ever.
When I opened my eyes how ever as well, I then saw that to my surprise, it was just the opposite as to what it was that I would have expected. I saw that the look on the face of Socra, seemed to be fine, content, and maybe perhaps even a bit happy as to what it was that I had just said to her.
Perhaps that was just to not freak all of the people that were around us right now, out at all. Perhaps I was just over thinking it how ever, as it did not seem to be that I was thinking at all. I sighed just a bit, as I then all of the sudden nodded just a slight bit to my self, as I saw Socra just having her eyes squinted at me.
She seemed to do that for just a little bit longer as well, until she then looked away from me all of the sudden, and she then turned her head back over to all of the tribe that was around us at this very moment in time. I blinked a few times, as I was a bit lost as to what was going on right now in the first place.
I sighed quite a bit, as I then began to look all around me at the exact same time too, to see as to what it was that was going on. I saw that all of the dragons that were with me, or were in the clearing right now, still seemed to have their head a bit down to the ground, as if they might a little bit embarrassed.
I was a bit lost to it, as it seemed like each of them thought that Socra was staring right at them on specific, even though I could tell that she was simply guiding her head around, to slowly look at all of them. I rolled my eyes, as I then shook my head at the same time as well. I suppose that I needed to get used to dragons acting that way when I was around them at some point.
I shook my head, as I did my best to try to shake off all of those thoughts that were going through my head all at once at the same as well, as I then put my focus on the voice of Socra, as I then all of the sudden, finally heard her begin to speak up quite a bit loud, to make sure that all of the dragons around us could hear. I then listened as to what it was that she had to say as well, as I figured that it had to be some thing that had a bit of some importance.
"Alright every one... Stay back here for just a little bit longer... Me and Jangra are going to talk to each other... We are about to start the meeting..." She said to all of the dragons. I looked at all of them for quite some time as well, to see what their reaction would be to it, or if they were even listening as to what it was that she had even said in the very first place any ways. They kept their heads down for quite a bit of some time too, as I did in fact see a few of them lift their head up to nod, to let Socra know that they had heard as to what it was that she had said in the first place. They were quite quick to dip their heads back down to the ground after doing so how ever. I rolled my eyes as well, as I felt like they would never learn, nor never get used to being near a leader either. I blinked a few times at the same time too how ever, as I then heard Socra begin to speak up to all of them once again. I lifted my head back to her, as I then all of the sudden listened as to what it was that she had to say once again. "And do not try to follow us, or you will get in trouble..."
I was not so sure as to why she had to add that last part in, as I was fairly certain that none of them had the intent in trying to follow us any ways, at this very moment at the very least. I also knew that all of the dragons in the tribe did not need to be reminded of that, as I was fairly certain they they knew that already.
I sighed just a little bit how ever, as I did my best to shake off all of those thoughts at the same time as well. I looked at all of the dragons that were around me one last time, to see as to what it was that they might be doing at this very moment, as I saw that to no surprise what so ever, they all had their heads low to the ground.
It was as if all of them had all of the sudden been quick to forget what had just happened a few moments ago. I was sure that Lunk was fine with that of course, as he had made quite a bit of an embarrassment of him self as I was not going to lie. It was clear that he had thought we did not have a chance, and now he looked like a fool.
I grinned just a little bit, as I then looked at Lunk, who I saw did not have his head down to the ground unlike many of the others did, but he did have his eyes closed how ever, which I was not so sure if that might be better or worse. I rolled my eyes at the same time as well how ever, as I knew that he should be the last thing that was on my mind.
I heard a very loud cough come from right next to me, which confused me just a bit, as it seemed like it was clear that some one was trying to get my attention. I tilted my head just a bit, as I then turned my head back over to the dragon that had done so in the first place any ways.
I saw that it was Socra, as I knew that it should be of no surprise to me at all, as there was not really any one else that it could have been, that would have done as such at this very moment. I shook off those thoughts how ever, as I blinked a few times, to get my focus on Socra at the exact same time too.
I saw that Socra, just as she had seemed to be doing just a bit earlier, now once again had her eyes squinted at me, as if I was doing some thing that was highly suspicious. I kept my head tilted just a bit, as I really did not have much of a clue as to what might be going on at this very moment.
Suddenly, I then saw Socra shake her head, which seemed to be more meant over to her self, as it was clear to me that she was trying to get my focus on her at the exact same time too. I saw her nod to me, as I blinked a few times, still a little bit lost, as I all of the sudden then nodded right back over to her as well.
She seemed to feel a bit more safe now that I had done so too, as she looked behind her for just a few moments, and she then turned her head back over to me, as I then all of sudden felt like this was the perfect moment for me to speak at the same time too. I did in fact do as such as well, as I saw that she was paying attention to me.
"Are we going back to the camp?" I asked her, as I saw her blink her eyes at me just a few times, at the exact same time too, as if she were a bit shocked as to the fact that I realized as to what she was getting at in the first place. She blinked her eyes a few times, as she let out quite the loud sigh, as she then nodded to me.
I blinked right back at her, as I then nodded back to her, to let her know that she should take the lead for the both of us, as she was the leader between us 2. For the time being at the very least, as I shivered at thought that my father had told me that it might not be the case for all that longer.
I shook off all of those thoughts how ever, as I then thankfully saw that Socra was beginning to walk ahead of us, and back in to the woods, out of the clear section that we had just played a game of capture the branch at. I blinked a few times once again, as I then looked back behind me, and to the sides of me at the same time too.
I was not sure if that was due to the fact that I was worried that for some odd reason or another, one of them was to follow us, or if I was just worried as to the fact that all of them were in fact okay. They all seemed to have their heads dropped a bit low to the ground how ever, just as they had been doing before.
I sighed a bit, as I knew that I needed to get used to that. I blinked a few times as well, as I then shook my head, and I then looked away from all of them. I looked at one dragon in specific, before I did in fact begin to follow Socra, who I saw that she was a fair distance ahead of me up to this point now.
I saw that the dragon was in fact Lunk, to my surprise at the same time as well, as it had seemed like just a bit of some time before all of this, he was just like the rest of the dragons that were around me, as it did not seem like he had a clue, nor did he care what was going on near him.
He just nodded to me how ever, as I was a bit lost as to what it was that he was getting at. I sighed a little bit to my self how ever, as I then shook my head at the same time too, as I did my best to try to shake off all of those thoughts that seemed to be going through my head all at once.
I then looked away from him, as I saw that Socra was getting a bit in to the edge of the clearing, where she was near the woods, and I knew that I needed to catch up to her before I lost her on the way back to camp. I blinked a few times, as I then all of the sudden nodded to my self, as I flew up in the air a bit, and I then flew over to catch up to her.
As I landed beside her, right at the edge of the clearing, I saw her flick her ears a bit, as it let me know that she was well aware as to the fact that she knew that I was now with her as well. I sighed a bit to my self one last time, as I all of the sudden shook off all of the thoughts that had been doing through my head, as I got my focus on what it was that she wanted to speak to me about.
We walked for just a little bit of some time, as I saw that we were going quite a bit in to the woods. I tilted my head at the same time as well, as I was a bit lost as to why she wanted me to come with her, as it did not seem like to me at least how ever, that she wanted to say a single word to me in the first place.
I was about to say some thing to her about it, when she all of the sudden then stopped her self in her tracks. It only got me even more confused than I had been before, as I was not so sure as to what was going on with her, as I was not going to lie, she was quite a bit of a confusing dragon at times as well.
Socra all of the sudden turned her head right back over to me how ever, as she then nodded to me. I nodded back to her as well, as it was clear that she had wanted to get quite a safe distance away from all of the other dragons that had been in that clearing with me, as it did not seem like this was some thing that she wanted them to hear at all.
I did not blame her for it either, as I knew that we had a secret place for a reason, so that no dragons tried to spy on us, like I had once done on Socra and Himla a long time ago. I shook off all of those thoughts how ever, as I knew that I had to get my focus back on right now, as I suddenly heard Socra begin to speak, as I listened as to what it was that she had to say in the very first place to me any ways.
"Jangra... Your father went to go meet with leaders of the other tribes... We are planning on getting ready to fight back as you know already..." She said to me at first, as I blinked a few times, as none of it really surprised me at all, as I knew that was what was going on any ways, as she had said that already. I sighed a bit, as I then nodded to her, to let her know that I was paying attention to her, and that I had heard as to what it was that she had said to me in the first place. She nodded back to me, as she then looked up at the sky for just a moment or so, and then she looked back down to me, as she began to speak up to me once again. I sighed a little bit to my self, but I did in fact listen as to what it was that she had to say to me in the first place any ways. "Your father wants you to go and meet them... He thinks that it might be time to tell them who you are..."
I blinked a few times, as I was quite a bit shocked as to what it was that she had even just said to me in the very first place as well. For one thing, even if my father was one of the greatest dragons to ever live, it was normal for me, as I had known my father through out my entire period of life.
These were going to be other dragons that I had also been told stories about. I shivered a bit, as I was not sure whether or not I should be afraid of them. I knew that many of them that were from the last war, had passed on at this point, but I still could not help but to think, and to be a bit stressed and anxious about it.
As I thought of it more and more at the exact same time as well, I kind of felt like I was a little bit afraid at the exact same time too, as to the fact not that I was scared to meet them due to them being important dragons, but mainly due to the fact that they would know that I was the dragon of destiny.
At this point, I was a bit afraid to trust any dragon, due to the fact as I still had a bit of the memory of what had happened to my brother not all too long ago as well. I still was a bit scared on the fact that I should ever trust Yikla again, as just like many of the other dragons that were in the tribe, I felt like she had a lot of the blame for the death of my brother, and many other dragons as well.
I sighed a bit, as I shook my head at the exact same time too. I looked back up at Socra, as I saw that she still had her eyes locked right in to mine, as if she might perhaps be trying to get in to my thoughts, and perhaps read my mind. I knew that it was impossible how ever, even if I was in fact worried about it as well.
I suppose as well, that there really was nothing for me to be hiding any ways, and Socra always had her eyes squinted on me no matter what the situation was either, as it always felt like she was for some odd reason or another, trying to test me, as it seemed like she might not believe that I was the dragon of destiny.
I shook my head, as it seemed like a lot of dragons had changed their minds about that how ever, after what it was that I had done today. I knew that Socra was always like that, as I was not the only dragon that she did that too. I sighed just a little bit, as I focused my eyes back on her, as I all of the sudden began to remember as to what it was that she had said.
The thought of meeting dragons like those kind of scared me, but at the same time too, I could not help but to kind of be a little bit excited as well. I did my best to hide it from Socra how ever, as I kept a blank look on my face, as I finally then began to nod to her at the exact same time too.
She stared at me for just a little while longer, but how ever, after a little bit more time had seemed to pass, she then nodded back to me, letting me know that it was now finally safe for me to step up and speak to her. I breathed in heavily just a little bit to my self, and I then, did in fact begin to speak right back over to her.
"Alright... I think I am ready for it..." I said to her, as what I had said seemed to be a bit like I was afraid, but the tone of voice did not match that kind of fear, as it seemed like I had quite a bit of a good tone of voice on the way that I had just said that to her, as it seemed to please her quite a bit as well.
She nodded back to me, as I then nodded to her as well. Socra looked at me for just a little bit longer too, until she finally then turned her head back around, and she began to continue with where she had left off from earlier, as I saw her begin to start to walk all the way back to our camp.
I let out quite a bit of a loud sigh of relief at the same time too, which I was worried that she might have heard, but as I looked at her, it seemed that she was either too far away to notice it at all, or she just did not care as to the fact that I had let out such a loud sigh to my self in the first place.
I shook my head, as I felt like I should really not be all too worried about that at all how ever, as I then all of the sudden began to follow in the tracks of Socra, as I then began to go with her, not all too far behind her, as the both of us began to head our way back to camp finally.
I did not want to get too close to her, as I did not really want to talk to her for any longer. I really just wanted to get a clear train of thoughts, so that I was not too freaked out about what it was that she had just now told me, so that I would be okay by the time that we got back to camp, and we started our meeting.
I nodded a little bit to my self, as it seemed to do a fairly good job to me for once, as it really did not seem like it was bothering me for any longer, as I kept quite a big and happy smile on my face at the exact same time too, as I followed quite a bit of some distance behind Socra, as we began to head back to camp.

I blinked a few times, as it felt like the walk on the way through the woods, back to camp, had been a lot longer than the walk that it had taken to get to the clearing, where we had that training exercise. I really had not been paying all that much attention on the way back how ever, so Socra could very well have taken us a different path so that we came in to the camp from a different section.
I shook my head, as I felt like none of that mattered at this very moment, as I then got my focus on the fact that there was a whole lot of people already in the clearing as it was. I wondered if they had even done any training for the day at all, as it seemed like every dragon in the tribe was waiting for us above to small little cliff.
I even saw that Lunks group was already there, meaning that it surely meant that we had taken a different path, as they had been a long distance behind us, and we had not seen all of the dragons fly past us whilst we had been in the woods none the less at the same time either.
I shook my head how ever, as I stared at all of the dragons that were a fair bit aways from me at the same time as well too, as I could hear a lot of voices speaking, as I could tell that many of them were in a bit of some conversation, as many of them were probably wondering as to where it was that our leader was at right now.
I sighed a bit, as I at the very least, knew as to where it was that my father was located right now, but to be fair for all of the others, none of them had a clue about it, and it was clear that a lot of them were worried as well, as it did not seem to take all that much time for the tribe to get used to my father being the leader once again.
I knew that many of them were still not happy with my father, but more the most part how ever, it had seemed like a lot of the tribe had gotten over all of that now, as it was clear that they were all ready to move on in to a new direction, and a new future for the entire tribe.
I sighed a bit, as I was not sure that it was a good future how ever. I shook my head though, as I heard Socra finally begin to step up and speak, breaking the silence between the both of us finally, as I then listened as to what it was that she had to say to me at the same time as well.
"Alright Jangra... You go and let them know that the meeting is about to commence... It seems like most of them are here, but we still need to make sure..." She said to me. I looked at her for just a little bit of some time at first, as I shivered at the thought of what it was that she had just said to me in the first place.
She wanted me to go and tell the tribe that we were about to start the meeting. For some reason I felt a bit afraid to do as such, which I was not so sure as to why that might be so in the first place, as I knew that I had to speak up to the tribe plenty of times, and this was not any thing new to me.
I shook my head, as I still felt like I could not help but to be just a bit afraid in the slightest, as I nodded to my self, as I did my best to tell my self that this was going to be okay, and this was perfectly normal. I blinked a few times, as I then looked back to Socra, and I then nodded to her as well.
Thankfully, she did not have her eyes squinted at me, like she usually did, which made me feel just a little bit better, as I then suddenly began to walk up to the cliff that was on top of the clearing, so that I could step up and speak to all of the dragons that were in the tribe.
I sighed just a little bit, as I saw all of the dragons notice me do as such at the same time too, as the crowd that was below me, soon began to get a little bit silent. I nodded to them a bit thankfully as well, as I then gulped a little bit to my self at the same time as well. I knew that this was my time how ever, as I then began to speak loudly to all of the dragons.
"Every one! We have a meeting! We all need to gather together!"