Regal Of All

Chapter XV

"You are insane, Kayelana." and "KK, I hate you right now." Were the responses I got once we were safely on the back on the black dragon, he had caught us from our fall, thank goodness.

Lea found it fascinating that was able to communicate with dragons, and Acacia was a bit upset that I hadn't told her or let her talk with him.

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"That's so cool! Have you always been able to talk with them?"

"You shouldn't have kept this kind of thing from me, this is huge!"

"When did you get the necklace? Or, is it not the stone and it's the actual chain that can communicate with the dragons?"

"But then do you feel bad killing these creatures? Since you can talk to them?"

"Or where you born with this power? I want that!"

"Do you have a choice of whether or not to... connect with them?"

"Does this dragon-loving-talking-with power run in your family?"

"Can you talk to and hear the responses from a group of dragons at the same time?"

"Can you bring me to meet the woman that gave you this stone? What was her name... Sarah? Sonia? Or was it Sasha? Please- You. Must. Get. Me. A. Magical. Stone."

"How did you strike a deal with this dragon to help us?"

I tried my best to answer all these questions, and also clearly stated that it was the stone that was magical (the one I'd been wearing at the restaurant before the Games) and I had bought it from the lady Sasha with the rock shop a few years ago. Then, in unison (we are telepathic, I swear) they both said, "Why are you in the Pugnam Games?"

Time to come clean KK, first time in so long. I sighed. "Well..." Or not... "I have my reasons, and they are just, too. We all do, and so long as we don't cause trouble, we are not obligated to share them. I think that is enough." I got blank stares in return.

"So what is his name? This dragon?" Acacia asked.

"Yeah, did you name him yet? Acacia told me you..." Lea's voice drained away into the wind. She looked down at her hands and adjusted her grip on a black scale of his back, we were all lined up in a single file line, holding on for everything we were.

"I did not. I wasn't sure if I was going to. Acacia- what did you say to Lea?" There was a harden cold seriousness to my voice, even I could hear it.

She shrugged, casted a glance downwards then tilted her head up to the sky. "It's nothing."

"That's the worst and most obvious answer to show that your lying. I except better. Tell me, what did you tell Lea- about me?"

She sighed and looked me in the eye. "I simply said that you seem to care for dragons, that it was a bit wired, since you're competing in the Games, which is meant to destroy them. And I may have also mentioned that you name all the ones we kill. You're not exactly what meets the eye, not how you seem."

"Aren't we all? Why should I be the exception?" I spat back, my tone rich with venom.

Acacia eyed me up, and easily said. "I guess not. Anyway, that's all I shared with her. Now, what do you think you'll name him? This dragon, he's a fine one."

I took a breath, breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. "I don't know yet. He's like a friend, not just an ally to us. It will take a few more minutes, and this is a large mountain. And..." my voice faded out into the strong winds.

I realized that the dragon was just circling us around a lump of granite rocks littered by green moss, what's this? I touched the aquamarine gem the hung around my neck and tried to focus on the dragon; I heard the shouting.

Child, girl, can you hear me? Young lady, please look down below at the rocks? Young warrior! Pay attention! He seemed more than impatient with me, I would be too.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! What's at the rocks?" I leaned forward and called out to him.

"What did you say?" Lea asked from the far back, screaming over Acacia's shoulder to me in the front.

Acacia turned around and said. "That's not to us, she talking to the dragon."

"Of course."

What would you like me to do, young lady?

I saw two things bopping around on the rocks below, one was blue the other in red. But the one in red seemed to be stuck under a fallen tree. "Fly down and land nearby, by the rocks. They look like they need help." He did, and the three of us slid off his back, stumbling onto the rough earth.

Lea and Acacia raced over to help; they didn't look like they needed me so I stayed next our ride. I really looked at him for the first time.

A huge dragon of power and strength of black plaited scales dark as a night sky without stars; strong wings that were nearly as long as he was, decorated with a gloss that made them shine beautifully. There were different variations of this creature and I decided that he was of the more slender and fine type but strong nonetheless.His eyes glowed of amber of a warm hearth with golden flecks, I feel that he could see into my soul if he really wanted to. Wow, is all I can think. Words are not enough to describe such a regal and mystical creature of perfected magic.

I allowed my gaze to wander over to the four figures strolling back to us; I felt like laughing. The boy dressed in blue was Tristan and the other in red was Alyn, his face matched the shade of his shirt. Acacia was smiling humorously with delight. The boys' faces had a stunned look of awe and fear as they tip-toed closer while the girls marched right up next to Onyx and I. Lea's hazel eyes flickered of pure happiness for a brief moment, I'm not exactly sure why. Or perhaps it was pride- that would make me even happier.

Tristan began with. "So, where are you ladies heading with a live dragon?"

"To save the Regnum kingdom, of course. What else?" With a flare of sarcasm I bit back.

The corners of his mouth curled up, "Yes, that sounds perfectly rational. I apologize for my-"

"-stupidity! Just like trying to knock out that ol' dragon with the dang tree that landed on me. Do you really think it wouldn't move?" Alyn finished for him.

Al got a shoulder punch for that, "wasn't my fault..." Tristan muttered.

Lea spoke up now, "As for our dragon-friend here, he's a very fine dragon, isn't he? Very-"

"-regal." I finished for her. She smiled. No harm done, I hope.

Acacia added. "His name is-" she held her breath for a pause do I could fill in the blank.

A word popped into my head and my mouth said it aloud, "Onyx."