The Fifth Academy - Fantasy Direction / #Wattys2018

Chapter thirteen. The high treason

By Jason, flashback

"Look, Jason, I am sure Diana likes you." Max said softly and moved closer to me. We were siting on the broad dragon's back and flying above the villages and farms of Luxard. They were all glowing and sparkling with thousands multicolor lights of garden's elves and trolls. These magic creatures always helped peasants and craftsmen of Goldstones. The rivers and islands of dark dense forests were quite bright too – mermaids, phoenixes, unicorns and hundreds of other magical creatures were especially active and cheerful at the short summer nights. I was so impressed by the beauty of the scene below, that at first I didn't even notice that Max had said something to me. He waited for my answer a little and then repeated again, this time louder. "You know what? Diana likes you!"

I winced and looked at him, the wind whistled in my ears. The dragon, Rocky had told us several times that his name was Ignis, was moving pretty fast, swaying merrily down and up in rhythm of mighty wing's strokes. His body, covered with tough scales, was warm and quite pleasant to sit on.

"Let me catch this silly oaf! Move faster, Ignis! I will bite his noise off!" grumbled Rocky, sometimes he lifted his fluffy head up and made ultrasonic whistle – he was urging the dragons to fly faster. The skravin was mortally offended than his master forgot him and flew away with the girl. Didn't ever lose your little friend – he would find you and arrange to you a huge scandal! A skravin is much more jealous and dangerous, than the most hysteric and jealous of your girlfriends! Rocky snuffed angrily and was fiercely shaking his whiskers, he continued in the most ominous skravin's squawky voice. "What an impudent treason! Such a sneaky lie! He had promised to pick me up in the Royal garden and we were supposed to fly home together! But no! This drunken oaf had fallen for the girl and totally forgotten about me! His faithful friend! His wise teacher! His constant rescuer and irreplaceable boss!"

"Jason! What's with you?" repeated Max, petting Rocky between his huge ears. "Had you got the last news? She likes you!"

I drowned, trying to understand through drowsiness who was "she" and why "she likes me". No offence, but it was about one o'clock in the night!

"Answer him something, deaf oaf!" cried the skravin with irritation. "Or I will push you down from the dragon!"

"Why do you think, that Diana likes me?" I asked Max seriously, totally ignoring the feeble-minded skravin. I would gladly push him away from the dragon's back, if only he wasn't the driver. I quickly glanced back – another five dragons with my soldiers were flying right after us, strictly following Ignis.

"Of course she likes you, man!" answered Max surely, his big blue eyes looked very sincere and were mirroring all the stars at once. "She didn't kiss you, because she is mad at you. She is mad, because, she is jealous. And guess, when the girls are always jealous? When they are in love! So there is a simple conclusion – she loves you a lot!"

I answered nothing, but a huge goofy grin lit my face. The simple deduction was very reassuring and made me feel thousands time better.

"No girls, no sobbing!" I announced cheerfully and unsheathed the Paladin's sword. My reflection was stupidly grinning at me. Tired green eyes sparkled like stars. "But Diana definitely will be mine, after I have won a victory against Drago and thrown his silly head to our King's feet! Oh, she will kiss me for that and regret all her rude words!"

Nobody agreed or supported me. Suddenly, it became very silent – Rocky had stopped his muttering and even Ignis started to flap her wings more seldom and gentler.

"We are not going to harm Drago!" Max said loudly, he wanted so much for both the skravin and the dragon to hear these words that he even repeated them one more time. "We will harm nobody! Put your sword back, Jason! We are quietly going to steel the Princess and run away home unnoticed before the dawn comes!"