Dragon's Blood

Chapter Three

        "Are you ready, Akari!?"

"A-Apple, this isn't a good idea...!"

"But what if you're an early fledger?"

"I don't think I am!"

"Apple, you're going to get Akari killed," Delia chided. "This is imbecilic."

"Alright, you don't have to jump. But I will!"

"The stars say you're not an early fledger either, Apple." Delph told him.

Delia shook moisture off of her parasol. "Early fledging is incredibly rare. What makes you so special?"

"What, because I'm a wyvern I don't get access to all the fancy stuff you dragons get? Bite me, Delia." Apple's cheeks puffed out as he pouted.

"That's not what she said, Apple." Akari sighed. "She's just worried that you're going to hurt yourself. Like I am!"

"I'll tell you now there's a high probability that you will die if you jump from here." Delph warned. "Roughly 100%."

Whether it was the statistic or their begging, Akari was relieved to see Apple step back from the ledge.

"It's just water at the bottom," He grumbled. "I don't know what you're all so worried about."

It had been a few days since Akari had joined the clan, and she was already falling into their routine. Apple was energetic and headstrong, and the two of them were a strong alliance against Delia.

Delia seemed dead set on bringing out the "inner beauty" she claimed Akari had, but Akari had never been all that interested in prettying up, so it often ended with her calling Apple to save her. 

Akari was even enjoying sharing a room with Delph, as strange and slightly frightening as he was. He had jars upon jars of some kind of green energy stashed away, and when he told her there were souls inside, it was difficult to tell whether or not he was joking. 

Sometimes she would train with Sanguis- Tetra left it to him to teach her how to use her powers- and while Akari could manipulate her psych energy well enough on its own, she struggled to project it into inanimate objects. More than once, she'd accidentally lobbed a rock at her instructor. 

More than anything, she liked to watch Sanguis use his powers. Even a drop of blood was a powerful weapon, fired at high speeds like a bullet or left like a mine to blow up later.

In larger quantities, it was like a blade, a solid mass that was sharper than she ever could have expected. Tetra had scolded him for using so much later, but Akari was enamored with his strength.

The only one it seemed she couldn't get close to was Tetra. It wasn't for lack of trying; in spite of her feelings, Akari made a genuine effort to get to know the Love Eater Dragon. She tried to help her out around the base, or strike up a conversation, but there was always a wall between them. Apple told her that's just how Tetra was, and not to worry about it. She tended to warm up to the new dragons after a while.

But as Akari and Sanguis spent more and more time together, the farther and farther apart she felt from Tetra.

So she was surprised when the blonde dragon asked her along on a supply run. Sanguis was suspicious, but Tetra had breezily assured him that she held no ill will towards his precious ward. He still made sure to tell Akari that if anything happened he would know, and Tetra had scowled.

        They walked into the town together, and Akari mostly held her breath. There had to have been a reason for this, and she wasn't sure it was good.