Dragon Racers

Bad Hair Day

"Don't freak out, okay?" Drake stood in front of me with a mirror faced toward his chest. I had only woken up a few hours ago on Drake's couch. He told me that, he thought I was brain dead after pulling the massive splinter out of my head. So, I didn't blame him for screaming his head off and turning three shades lighter than his natural skin tone, when I casually strolled into his kitchen. He fed me, told me Rose was safe in the woods behind his house, and patched up any other open wounds with more fenn. I felt like a mummy when he was finally done with everything.

"I won't freak out, I promise. Just give me the damn mirror." I was a little taken back by my words. Drake was already rubbing off on me. But, at the moment I didn't care. Drake slowly flipped the mirror around and placed it gingerly in my hands. I gasped. My face was swollen from the dark, purple bruises that covered my face, but that wasn't what bothered me. I knew I would have bruises and scrapes. However, I wasn't prepared for part of my hair to be completely singed off.

"I know the bruises are bad, but they will heal. I think we should take you to a doctor for the bigger scratches and check out that head of yours."

"No, no doctors." I shook my head and seethed a little. I put my hand on my wound found it was stitched up well.

"What's your deal? It's not like they're going to know you own a dragon." Drake narrowed his brows and used his hands to emphasize his point.

"Yeah, and how else did I acquire these injuries, Sherlock?"

"I never said, you couldn't say you were attacked by a dragon." Drake smirked thinking his plan was bullet proof.

"First of all, I would never blame anything on Rose that she hadn't done on purpose. Second, given the way you treated my dragon at first sighting, I doubt there are any free roaming dragons. And besides you stitched up my head pretty well, I don't think one is necessary anymore." I stood up slowly. Drake watched me carefully as wobbled across his room. My leg felt sore and I looked down to notice it was stitched up as well.

"My spite toward dragons is a personal matter. However," Drake walked out of the room and came back with a cane. I furrowed my brows. The man was young. On first glance there was no need for him to have one. He handed it to me and I used it immediately. It felt hand made and I took a moment to admire the etches carved into the wood. I mumbled a thank you in slight awe.

"However," He started up again, "I wouldn't be surprised if others shared my ideologies. We may not be near the border, but we're close enough to get a few crazy folk."

"Is that why Rose is hiding?" I could sense she was okay, but it would have made me feel more comfortable if she was with me. Did Drake heal her wounds too?

"Yeah like I said, she's in the woods, behind the house." Drake pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. I nodded.

"Can I go see her?" I said already heading for his front door. I wobbled and almost fell, but my third leg, and a little help from Drake, kept me steady.

"Woah there kid." He said putting me up right. "Take it easy. How 'bout some food first. You know get you're strength up?"

"That depends, Has Rose eaten yet?"

"Yeah I caught a few squirrels for her, while you were asleep." He said still watching me like a new born fawn. "Will that be okay?"

"Fine." I said wobbling toward his kitchen table. "What are we eating?"

"Duck."
*~*~
May screamed. She screamed so loud that the birds flew away from their nests and Gizzard and Brute shuttered with pain echoing in their ears. Then she punched Fang in the chest, then his shoulder and after that his head.

"Would you stop!" Fang grumbled rubbing his sore spots.

"You shit!" May shouted. "Don't you ever scare me like that again." She held onto Gizzard's reigns too tightly and Fang had to pry her fingers because her knuckles started turing white. She wouldn't look at her brother. She knew if she saw him, she wouldn't be able to control the tears from streaming down her face. He was her twin after all. A world without her other half would not be bearable. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and when the two were settled once more they lifted back off the ground. "Did you know they were going to catch you?"

"No." Fang said after a beat. "But I'm sure glad they did." He laughed a little trying to soften the awkwardness. Brute and Gizzard had grabbed him by his shoulders. Their talons definitely broke through his skin and he could feel the blood drip down his back, but at least he was alive. They set him down in a clearing away from anymore strangers and he climbed back onto the saddle.

As they sat their in silence, Fang knew that things were only going to get worse from here on out. He looked at his sister. She was trying to keep it together, but they wouldn't be related if he didn't know she was struggling. Something churned inside his stomach and he knew the feeling wouldn't leave him until the end of their adventure, or his life, which ever came first.

Fang took control of the reigns.

May noticed the change. She always noticed when Fang was growing even before he realized it. Night had fallen and May had slumped against her brother to get some shut eye. When she woke up the sky was still dappled with stars, but Fang looked unfazed. His muscles looked stiff and weary and his eyes were puffed out. He swayed a little as the wind pushed against him and that was her cue to take charge.

"Alright, my turn!" She said pulling on the reigns.

"What no! I got this!" Fang tugged back. The dragons screeched and the twins stopped. They looked at each other. Inspected the other's features, made the same mental notes about how the other looked, and declared simultaneously that a rest stop was in order. They grinned. The twin thing never got old.
*~*~*
"So where did you learn to stitch like that?" I took a bite of the meat in front of me and my heart ached in guilt. I shouldn't be small talking. I should be finding Axel. Poor Axel. What could they be doing to him? Was he even still alive? I squeezed my eyes shut and swallowed. I can't afford to think like that.

"I used to be a medic." Drake pursed his lips together as if, preventing himself from saying anymore.

"What happened?" I asked carefully. If he was a medic for the front lines, he could get in trouble for mentioning his position to a civilian.

"Nothing. I served my time and I just wanted to live the rest of my days alone with my dog." Drake looked over at his dog and tossed him a piece of his dinner. The dog jumped up and caught it easily. I sighed, he wasn't going to tell me the whole truth. "Want to tell me where you were heading, now?"

"Nowhere. I was running away from home. You know, us troubled teens." I said playing with my food rather than eating it. Drake grunted. We were talking in circles and our conversation was slowly dwindling.

"This is stupid. Tell the truth." Drake said and I looked up from my plate to see his eyes boring into my own.

"You first." I said defensively. My brows furrowed just as hard as his had and for a minute we both just stared at each other.

Drake was in mid-bite of chewing his food and his fork was prepared to take another piece of duck, when he decided to play this game with me. He dropped his fork back onto his plate, through his left overs in a dog bowl for his dog, and placed his dish, rather loudly, in the sink. I watched him curiously and a little confused, to be honest, as he bit his nails and rinsed and scrubbed his plate a few times before setting it on the drying rack. Drake then sat back down in front of me. He wiped his wet hands against his pants and clasped his hands with enough force to turn his knuckles white.

"Okay, I'll tell you," He let out a nervous sigh. "But, you have to promise to tell me what you're really doing down here.