DRAGON IN THE SHADOWS - 1st book in the cat analysis trilogy

Chapter 12: Midnight... Reborn?

     Peter sat at the table the next day, wondering how he was going to sneak up on The Shadow X without alerting him to his presence. He pondered the thought with confusion, transformed and walked slowly outside to let the cool winter's breeze blow against his hardened scales.
     While he was outside, he decided to check on the dragon.

     When he arrived, he swung the door open swiftly and a jet of purple flame roared against his scales, coating them in a thin layer of a shiny, glass like substance. He shook, attempting to shake it off, but found it stuck too him harder then his Aunt Susan's 'Tiger Tack' glue, which was so strong that it tripled the strength of super glue.
     He stared at the dragon and the dragon stared back, as if she thought it was an improvement.
     Do not worry, it will not hurt you.
     "What, you can talk to me to?!" Peter exclaimed.
     Yes. I am surprised Midnight hasn't told you. He has taught me much, yet I am only 2 and a half days old.
     A dragon can communicate with any other dragon, via an ultimate connection embedded in his or her mind.
     "How do you know so much at such a young age and how are you already speaking?"
     As I have already stated, Midnight has taught me much. As for my ability in speech, a dragon's mind is already matured in speech at the point of hatching, and is fully matured by the time they are 5 weeks old.
     "Oh. I should get inside and have breakfast. If you like, there is a dragonfruit tree just over the hill, about 600 metres from here. They don't have anything to do with dragon food requirements, but they will suffice for a young dragon such as yourself, plus they have a brilliantly sweet flavour," He started to turn away, then said, "I can lead you to them if you like."
     Yes please.
     "Then follow me."
     Peter turned and left the shed, flying south-east and landing, knee deep in snow, in front of a massive green, snow topped tree with orange-yellow fruit, which can be easily mistaken as gold, hanging off of it's branches in great numbers.
     Peter was deeply surprised that the tree had survived this long in a winter so cold that he was forced to stay in his dragon form.
     He pondered the question and remembered that an evergreen tree is a tree that doesn't drop its leaves. But he still wondered why it hadn't yet died in the cold. Every other tree in and around Frostvale had, and he wasn't surprised: Every summer there would reach a maximum temperature of 15 degrees celsius and winter would reach a minimum temperature of -35 degrees celsius.
     Peter decided that it was just a very lucky tree and plucked a fruit from a lower branch. He bit into it and slowly devoured the sweet, luscious fruit, enjoying it's flavour and beauty.
     After a large meal of deliciously satisfying fruit, he sat back and watched the young dragon completely demolish an entire branch of fruit, before walking over to peter and cuddling up against the warm areas underneath his belly.
     Peter watched and waited calmly for a good 20 minutes as the dragon fell asleep against him, then woke him up to deliver him back into the warmth of his shed.
     She flew in and curled up underneath one of the small trees Peter's mother used to grow. She looked at him and began to whine in a sad way that suggested her saying: 'Don't go, please don't go.' Peter turned and hesitated slightly before leaving the shed, closing the door behind him. The dragon stopped whining and Peter, satisfied, began to walk back to the house. He transformed and reached out to turn the doorknob when something blasted him back nearly fifty feet.
     He looked at the door and noticed that there was a green ripple effect carrying all over the house.
It's been shielded by magic, He thought almost immediately, then realized who had done it.
     It couldn't have been Lucinda, for she was still asleep in her bed, and wouldn't have performed magic as soon as she woke, so he instantly blamed The Shadow X.
     He thought about a way to get in, and remembered the secret tunnel in the shed that his father had used to traverse between the shed and the house without having to go out in the weather.
     He ran back to the shed and searched frantically inside while the dragon sat and stared at him curiously. She jumped down and nudged Peter's leg.
     Over there, She said.
     Peter went over in the direction the dragon's snout had pointed  and heaved a large pot plant out of the way.
     There, underneath it was a wooden trap door with a small handle on the right hand side.
     He pulled it and the door creaked clumsily open.
     The dragon nudged him again.
     "Alright, I'm going." He said.
     He jumped in with the dragon closely following. The air grew slightly thinner and a musty scent filled the air.
     Peter walked slowly through the jagged tunnel of uneven earth and began to see light ahead.
     To his dismay, he hit a barrier and was again sent flying backward. He hit his head on a nearby rock and stars began to dance in his vision, threatening to knock him out, but, somehow, he managed to hold on to his consciousness.
     He got up again and the dragon bit his leg. His leg seared with pain, hot blood dripping down his skin, and fought the urge to punch her.
     She nudged him and he realized what she wanted. He transformed and ran up to the rippling barrier. 3 meters before collision, he seemed to teleport through it and ended up on the other side in a heap. The dragon did the exact same thing and followed him as he painfully got up and hobbled into the house.
     The tunnel ended under a floorboard at the end of the passage. Peter climbed out and slowly made his way into Lucinda's bedroom. When he arrived, he found her fast asleep on her bed. Transforming, he shook her vigorously and she sat up, annoyed.
     "What, Peter?"
     "We've got a slight problem. We're stuck in the house. The Shadow X has somehow put a barrier around the house with magic. It can't hold me when I am in my dragon form, but it can still hold you."
     The dragon came into the room and rubbed against Lucinda's leg. She picked her up and put her on her lap.
     "So... it can't be affected by magic?"
     "I don't think so, but I know that for now we are trapped. I think The Shadow X wants me to come out there so he can capture me as well, but I don't think he knows that I am no longer affected by magic, so I have an advantage. I will go out and see."
     "Be careful."
     "I will, but make sure you keep trying to find a weak area in the barrier."
     "I will try." She said and closed her eyes, searching with magic.
     Peter hobbled back down the passage and hopped into the tunnel under the floor. He teleported to the other side of the barrier and climbed out into the shed.
     Peter sat down and waited for the dragon to follow. When the small creature flew out of the tunnel, he transformed into a dragon and followed her out of the shed.
     They quietly snuck around the house and glimpsed The Shadow X standing by a dead tree with his hand extended.
     Peter flew up high and viewed him from above. His magic ceased, but the green ripples still surrounded the house. He had sensed Peter and was glancing up. Peter flew into the clouds so that he would not be visible to anyone but himself.
     He knew it would not hide him for long, but thought that it might make him go unnoticed. At least, that was until he felt something rebounding off of his mind.
     He's using magic! He thought frantically as another half dozen raps rebounded off of his mind. He attempted to fly higher, but found that the magic reached him just as easily as it would have if he was on the ground.
     He decided it was useless, flew down, and landed in front of his sworn enemy while transforming simultaneously. (You see, Peter had developed a skill of using his dragon defences while in human form.)
     "Hello, Peter. I hope you enjoy being part of my army, for you will be soon enough. But first, let's see how your precious Midnight is going." He held out his hand and a holographic image of midnight in clasps, hanging over a golden fire appeared. "You see, I will let him go, if only you will join me and my army, and if not, well, he dies and you will be enclosed in a shadow for the rest of your worthless little life."
     "I will never join you and if Midnight is killed, he will only grow stronger!"
     Peter, surprised by the fact of his physical speech, snarled and bit The Shadow X's arm. His cloak began to grow wet and he cried out in agony.
     He pulled back the cloak and placed a hand on the wound. Peter watched in disgust as the muscle pulled itself back into the arm and skin reformed over it.
     "You see, I am undefeatable, and you will pay for lying to me and for wasting my time." He raised his staff and the black substance shot straight for Peter's face. He didn't bother to dodge them though, for as soon as they touched him they dissolved like sugar in water.
     "No! This isn't possible!"
     "Uh, dragon, high magic resistance."
     "Oh. Well your resistance to me won't stop me from killing your little friend here!"
     The image showed Midnight slowly being lowered into the fire. Flames licked at his fur furiously, and his fur caught fire immediately. The chains kept lowering until the cat was completely engulfed in flames.
     The fire turned red and a went out. The image flickered and was replaced by a black cat.
     "Like I said, Midnight will not die, but you will."
     "I will not!" And he disappeared in thin air.
     "What?" Peter said while transforming and running to Midnight simultaneously.
     EDTD: Emergency Departure Teleportation Device. He must have one in his cloak, but I have no idea how he got it. It costs a fortune these days.
     "So... we go after him?"
     Yes, but he will be prepared for us.
     "Right, so we will need to find a way into his lair from behind."
     Yes.
     "Cool, but with my injuries, it will be a while before I am ready, even if it is healed by magic."
     Rest is what you need. Sleep inside, but stay in your dragon form, for you will heal faster.
     "How?"
     I don't know, it just always worked for me.
     "Oh. Goodnight."
     He walked to the house, majorly puzzled, and found that the barrier had faded away.
     Peter slipped inside, transformed and made his way into his bedroom.
     He sat down on the mat by his bed and nursed his injuries with shaking talons. He stared at the wounds in dismay as the time ticked by.
     He was beginning to feel slightly drowsy and was nearly asleep when he felt a peculiar feeling. He looked down his legs and wings and was amazed to see them closing in front of his eyes.
     When the effects subsided, the wounds had completely disappeared. He lay his head on the mat and closed his eyes, falling into a dreamless slumber.