The Redemption of Maximus

Forgotten -Emily

I am jerked awake by a loud scream that causes me to rise as I cover my ears. I blink around the tent disoriented as I look at Julia. Wait. Tent. Julia. What the hell. As I stare at her in shock she rushes forward and tackles me as she starts to squeeze the life out of me. I quickly hug her back with a chuckle as she starts to shake, and her tears wet me shoulder.

"I'm alright Jules. I'm alright" I say as I pat her on the back and try to reassure her. Her only response is to hug me tighter as there is a commotion at the door to our tent. Slowly other faces start to fill my vision as I see Bernard and Anthony quietly enter. The space in the tent quickly becomes crowded as everyone looks at me with astonished expressions.

I look away from Bernard's heavy gaze. He made no moves to hide the relief at seeing me. Julia finally releases me, and I take a much needed deep breath as I smile at her tear stained face. Reaching forward I wipe the tears form my best friends face.

"Where the hell were you Em? What happened? We searched for you, and it was like you disappeared into thin air? We even had the rangers searching for you. Are you hurt? Did you get lost? Have you eaten---" She babbles on as I interrupt her.

"Jules.....breathe" I tell her with a chuckle as she fires questions at me. As I look at the faces of the leads of our team my head is still confused. I don't even know how I got here. The last thing that I remember is the conversation I was having with Martell. I remember trying to run from him because he was going to kill me. Then I was in Maximus' arms, and everything is blank.

Why am I here? He was supposed to answer all my questions. I was still supposed to hear his side of what happened. He needs to know that he can't keep blaming himself. What happened wasn't his fault. I don't even fear him. He probably thinks that I do after how I responded. We definitely need to have a conversation.

Unless he did this to avoid me? Could that be it? Instead of talking this out like adults he decided to just abracadabra me away from him. I feel as my body starts to shake in a blind fury. How dare he just toss me aside after everything that he has told me. After all that he has made me feel he would just get rid of me as if it all meant nothing.

"Em...Emily" I am suddenly jerked out of my internal ranting by Julia who is now looking at me with a worried expression.

"I'm fine Julia. Truly. I didn't mean to give you all a scare" I assure her as I rise to stand. I look at the other faces in the tent and see that they look at me as if I have grown a second head. Bernard regards me the same as well, however when I meet his gaze it quickly changes. I sigh at the thought of having to deal with him. I eye the exit of the tent and know that in order to leave I am going to have to pass him.

I grab my hiking backpack and put it on my shoulders as I move to exit the tent. As I walk past him he grabs my arm, and I can't help the hiss that leaves my mouth. I jerk away from him in pain as I shout at him. "Don't touch me!" He looks taken aback for a moment and then his signature smirk forms on his face.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were okay, love. See, no harm done. You have no idea how worried we all were that we would never see you again. I just wanted to make sure you were real and not an angel or a figment of my imagination" he say flirtatiously.

I roll my eyes as I move past him and exit the tent. I look around briefly and decide to head in the direction that they wanted us to take for our interviews. I just need to find Maximus. Once I do then everything will be okay.

I start walking and ignore the voices calling out behind me. The mere mention of his name has cause a slight ache in my chest and I rub the spot willing it to go away. Suddenly I am jerked to a stop, and I turn around to see Julia.

"What" I exclaim. I am really starting to get irritated that people keep stopping me. Can't they see that I have somewhere to be? Realizing that I am behaving a bit irrationally as I take in her hurt expression, I soften mines. "Sorry, I just really need to go" I tell her.

"Go, where Em? You were already gone for four days. You haven't given any kind of explanation to where the hell you have been. You act as if you don't even care that we all thought that something terrible had happened to you. Like I didn't think something terrible had happened to you!" she shouts.

"I'm sorry Jules. You're right. There is so much that I want to tell you, but I just don't have the time. I have somewhere that I need to be. I just need you to trust me Jules" I plead with her as I step away once more.

"No, you can't ask that of me. I'm supposed to be your best friend. We don't have any secrets. If you are leaving then you need to take me with you. I can't go through what I have been through the last few days again" she says as her eyes water. I balk at the idea of her tagging along. The dragons don't even trust me. if I bring her with me then they may not give me the answers I need. How can I even talk to Maximus with her around.

"Where I'm going is dangerous Jules. I think you should stay----" I start to say but she interrupts me.

"All the reason more for me to go" she says as she pulls her pack tighter against her. I know how determined she is when she wants something. Knowing that I am not going to ger her to budge I start to lead the way as she trails behind.

"Where do you two think you are going? You both still have a job to do here!" Bernard yells from behind us. My feet pause at his voice as the muscle in my jaw ticks. I have seriously had enough of him acting like he owns us. He sits back as we do all the work and takes most of the credit. Every chance he gets he is flirting with someone instead of doing his job. I have had enough.

"You know what Bernard. You don't own me, and I am so sick and tired of letting you down easy. I don't like you. I don't even like being around you. The amount of times you have asked me out are just plain creepy. You may think that you are god's gift to women, but you are just another sleezy man wanting to help woman by thinking that through you of all people, they could sleep their way to the top. And if this pretty little speech doesn't do it for you, we quit" I tell him.

The look on his face is absolutely priceless as Julia laughs out right next to me. His face is so red he almost looks like a tomato. If his eyebrows could have gone any lower they would be blending in with his eyelashes. With a final smile of satisfaction I turn on my heel and continue walking away.

"I have no idea what has gotten into you these past few days, but I have to say I like the confidence. I have been wanting to rip him a new one for years" she exclaims with a chuckle.

Smiling to myself I have to admit that it felt pretty damn good. At least that is one of the men in my life handled. Now I just have to handle the other. If only it could be so easy. We walk in silence for a bit as we make a dent in the long journey we have to take. The sun is already started to set, and I start to feel my confidence fizzle knowing that I didn't think this through.

We probably should have left camp in the morning. We are going to have to trek through this forest through the night if we will be making it to our destination as fast as possible. I look over to Julia and see that she is lost in thought as she twist one of her dreads around her finger. She is also covered in sweat just as I am. Looking at my robe I suddenly feel grossed out at all the dirt smudges and twigs that stick to me. I have to look a complete and total mess.

I stop for a moment and take off my pack so that I can pull a flashlight out. As I search for it I also take out some of the protein bars and pass one to her. The fatigue that I have been starting to feel on the journey has to be because I haven't eaten much at all today. Once we start walking again I feel the air fill with tension. I take a speak and see that Jules is chewing on her lower lip. I knew that the inquisition was coming sooner or later.

"So, where exactly are we going?" she ask trying to be nonchalant. Any other person would but her peppy tone. However since I have known her for years I can easily hear the worry in it. I truly hope she is prepared to stay in this friendship after this. Cause when I tell her where we are going, I have no idea how she will react. Deciding to just rip off the band aid and get it over with I simply tell her.

"We are going to find my dragon."