Hidden

Chapter 88

Emma had nearly fallen asleep on Joel's back when they had approached the last standing academy, new defences created to fight off the growing threat of reborns. The fire dragon easily flew over the large ice wall separating the two sides of the fight, the dark creatures beginning to gather around the academy.

'Emma darling, welcome back.' Aqua cooed from the ground. Joel seemed to pick up on the female dragons presence, flapping his wings faster despite the burning in them. Climbing down the air, Aqua was wandering the back of the building and impatiently watching as the two came closer. Emma's smile faltered when she didn't see David with His dragon, but was happy to see the blue dragon after a short, but exhausting event.

"Aqua, you won't believe what happened! Joel was amazing, creating fire walls across the city, helping me fight off Bailey; and the book-!" Emma quickly slid off of the red dragons bare back with the book tightly in her arms. Aqua was giving Joel a sly grin while watching Emma approach, the action showing off her pearly white fangs to Joel. The ruby dragon seemed to grow warmer by the second, scaly body practically on fire.

Emma paid no notice to the small flirty gesture while she showed Aqua the now unlocked book, it's cover untouched by the hands of time. Asia's bright blue eyes inspected the dark ckver carefully, watching as the dark magic flow though the small veins on the cover. Emma quickly turned the book towards herself and began to open the first page, but Aqua's gentle claw closed the book in Emma's hands. 

"My dear, this is no place to read the book...the wall patrol are looking for you as we speak." With Aqua's statement, Emma's eyes quickly scouted the area surrounding her. Surely enough, there was one person on the wall speaking frantically into a radio, his eyes flickering to the radio, then back at her.

"Then where Aqua? If I don't read this now, then the reborns will come and kill me and take the only possible chance to defeat them." Emma gave the blue dragon a pleading look, her grey eyes sparkling with the light of the sky. Joel shifted uncomfortably in his spot as he watched the two argue, his watchful eye spotting a few riders approach from the sky.

"As much as I like a friendly reunion, I don't think those riders will wait for your decision before they come down." Joel said with panic. Both females turned their heads upwards to the sky, watching the three dragons circle them like vultures. A sense of dread filled Emma as she frantically thought of an escape plan, her mind linking to the largest silver dragon in the land.

Comet was peacfully resting in the stables when he heard Emma's call, and he was more than happy to get some excersise after a long rest. He wasted no time in dashing to the doors and crashing into their pillars, snapping the wood easily that contained the many coloured dragons. With one more shove, the wide doors of the stables opened, and like bats in a sun-lit cave, the dragons quickly exited the dark prison.

Joel spotted the three circling dragons easily, their attention fully on Emma and giving him the gift of surprise. The dragon opened his mouth and allowed the shadows to pour out of his mouth, the misty like substance clinging onto the three other dragons. Filled with a heart-racing panic, the three dragons quickly tumbled into the roof of the academy in an attempt to rid of the shadows.

Joel let out a low rumble of his own, a deep chuckle humoring the dragon. The silver beast gracefully flew down the side of the building to meet up with the girl who had called him.

"Comet." Emma called, hugging the male dragons snout as best she could. The girl was warm compared to Comet, so he easily leaned into the girls touch. After a few seconds, Emma returned a few steps backwards, spacing herself evenly between the three dragons. "I'll be honest, this is a stupid plan, but the reborns can see into my head and find where I am, so hiding in the forest is not the plan. I need you three to assemble as many dragons as you can to protect me as I read the book."

Aqua wasn't a fan of the plan, and was quick to show her distaste with a snort. Emma raised a questioning eyebrow at the dragon, silently asking for an opinion. Aqua was about to speak to the girl on the thought of bringing the dragons together; that it was impossible, but Comet spoke first, his voice shocking nearly everyone that was in the general link.

"Dear, you have the dragons ear whenever you need it. They sworn dedication to your kind many hundreds of thousands of years ago, and will always listen to your command." Comet's deep voice tumbled though the link, power seeping though his words. Emma just stared at the silver dragon and laughed, his wise words taken as a joke.

"That's funny, but really, I can't talk to every dragon that is nearby Comet, you know I lost that ability years ago." Emma saw the familiar flash of an old memory behind her eyes, but quickly pushed it down into the dark depths of her memories. It was only a few seconds before Comet spoke again, his voice sounding of a smooth but raspy river.

"Emma, who's the one able to withhold the curse from taking their mind? Who was the one that faced the truth whilst everyone turned a blind eye? That was you, and magic isn't needed to perform bravery."

"But-" Emma's mouth quickly snapped shut before she could protest, and she felt her cheeks darken with embarrasment. Joel shook his head with a grin showing off his white fangs, and the blue and red dragon just begrudgingly watched the scene unfold; despite of the disturbing fact of Emma's lack of magic talent. 

"Emma, please try." It was Joel's turn to ask, and Emma finally took the request seriously.

"You're kidding right?" The statement went unnoticed, and the dragons waited for Emma to try the massive link. She sighed with defeat, opening her mind and gathering all the stray links that laid around the academy. If the girl really paid attention to the line work, she could see the magic flow though each link like a lifeline, the strings showing off a pale hint of colour that was within the bonded. Gathering the links was easier said than done, but when the links were conected, and as she spoke the first few words, she knew it worked.

"Come find me dear friends, and use your scales to protect me from the weapons the riders use to be rid of me."