The Final Storm (Part 3)

They dream of Kittens

Ralem thankfully remembered how to get to Alroy’s little house. He let Aidan down before knocking on the door twice.

            Alroy answered the door, his cheeks almost as red as his hair in merriment. “Ralem! Broot yer nephew t’ah join de party, eh?”

            Ralem’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

            Aidan skirted around the warrior before stopping in the center of the hallway. “Uh…Is Jaydon okay?”

            Ralem pushed the warrior aside. Then his jaw slacked. “Stay here,” he ordered to Aidan. Then he charged into the kitchen.

            Jaydon was sitting on the table, laughing hysterically (something he had never done before). His laugh was almost identical to Ralem’s crazy laugh- a girly high pitch hyena-on-helium sound that didn’t match his body. As Ralem watched, he took another swig of a sloppy mug, spilling it all over his face. Newly formed horns curled from his wavy black hair and a smaller set peeked from where his ears used to be. Two apples were impaled on the ebony horns, and Cahal smashed yet another one on, laughing raucously. Jaydon shook his horns and burped up a flame that nearly set the kitchen cabinets on fire.

Drake was wringing his hands nervously, trying to take away Jaydon’s mug, but Jaydon hissed at him and he shrunk away. “Uh, I think you should stop now,” Drake pleaded, “That is definitely one too many!”

            Then Jaydon saw Ralem and his eyes widened. “Ralem! I missed you so much!” He nearly tackled Ralem to the ground, squeezing almost all the air out of him. With a triumphant smile, he proceeded to lick Ralem’s arm with a forked tongue. “I love you so so so so much!” Jaydon purred, tilting his head so that his horns rubbed Ralem’s head affectionately. Ralem felt the apple juice drip into his hair.

            Cahal laughed harder.

            Ralem glared at them. “Why would you humiliate him like this?”

            Cahal wiped tears from his eyes. “We didn’t know he’d have such a reaction to Dracofructus. You have to admit, though, it’s really funny!”

            Ralem looked at the dragon who was now purring madly, begging for him to scratch his chin. Cat-like green eyes flickered in drunken joy, his thoughts consisting of only three words; I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.

            “This is not funny!” Ralem said with such passion that Cahal almost stopped laughing. “He’s too young to be trashed like this! I can’t believe you would do this to him!”

            “Ralem, let’s go flying,” Jaydon purred, “Come on! It will be fun!” He started running for the front door.

            Ralem caught him by the horns before he could reach the door. Jaydon stopped and turned to face him. “How about we go to the bedroom instead? I’ll scratch your chin if you do.” He shot a meaningful glance at Alroy, who led Ralem and Aidan grudgingly into a room in the attic. Ralem almost dragged Jaydon by one horn to the bedroom, instructing a shocked Aidan to wait outside the door, before throwing his dragon roughly inside. Jaydon’s knees hit the wooden floor with a loud bang and he whimpered, crawling to the water basin on the other side of the room. “I don’t feel so good,” he moaned, before he vomited in the vase.

            When he was done, he leaned exhaustedly against the wall, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

            “Jaydon, you really disappointed me,” Ralem whispered sharply, “I can’t believe you would let them do that to you. Didn’t God give you common sense? Don’t you remember what happened last time?  You’re a representation of me, Jaydon.”  He started pacing. “And now Aidan’s seen you like that and what kind of impression do you think that that will leave on him?”