Timeless

Devon

Devon decided dragonflight was terrifying. Yes, the view was amazing and there was a sense of freedom about it. The lack of seatbelts and working windows was not. As Devon watched the river pass below from his spot behind Corvinus, his only thought was: It would have taken half the night to cross that let alone the rest of the hike.
   
Just as the sun appeared from the horizon, Devon thought he saw the glint of scales in the direction they had just come from. The glint solidified over the middle of the river into a golden dragon a little smaller than Jax.
   
Turning back forward, Devon asked Corvinus, “So where to now that I have fucked up the last place as a drop off point?”
   
“I have a place in mind. My return to the orphanage was to get you, anyway. We should land in a few hours.”
   
At Devon's questioning, Corvinus added, “Walking all night has made us tired. It is also best if Jax returns to human form before we get too far.”
   
When they landed and Jax returned to human form, Corvinus tossed him an extra bag. As he pulled clothes out of the bag and began putting them on Corvinus muttered, “At least Kate thought ahead enough to pack extra clothes for him.”
   
Devon, meanwhile had turned crimson. He had not even seen naked guys in gym class while in grade school. Since arriving in this world, he had seen more than he was comfortable with from both men and women.
   
Once Jax was thankfully clothed, they started out to put distance between them and the river.
   
Over the first week of travel, Devon realized he was utterly useless in the wild. There was nothing he could do right and everything, including walking, that he could do wrong. He kind of felt bad for Corvinus and Jax.
   
So far Jax had had to pull him out of thick mud and bushes that had moving vines that liked to snatch up anything moving within 5 feet of them. Corvinus had tried repeatedly to teach Devon how to start fires or what to watch for when foraging.
   
Devon thought about the situation every time he couldn't do something or realized he didn't know what to do in that situation. Devon tended to sulk, a lot.
   
One day while sulking, he thought to himself, This is why I don't go camping. Too much wild, not enough civilization.
   
At just a week into a journey Devon didn't know the duration of, he was always sitting on rocks or dead trees while Jax and Corvinus set up camp and made food.
   
Being used to the luxury of city life, Devon couldn't wait to find a bed of some kind. He was tired of sleeping on dirt or in leaves. He had decided there was a rock that followed him just so it could poke him uncomfortably when he was trying to sleep.
   
Corvinus had mentioned Devon's lack of complaints when he obviously had difficulty in the forest. Devon only told him that his cousin had taught him not to.
   
What he hadn't said was that complaints around his cousin usually ended up with a face in the dirt or a shove down a ridge towards the variety of trees present in the backyard of Maine.
   
Camping had been a complete nightmare. His cousin was about five years younger, but more world-wise it seemed after living near the border of the Yellowstone National forest for the first 6 years. Some journeys into the woods near their camping sites had ended up with Devon lost in the woods while his cousin gallivanted wherever it was she wanted to go. It was like she never got lost.
   
When she was 11, she had taken Devon out in the woods and left him until their parents had sent her back to get him. By that time it was dark.
   
“Devon.”
   
Startled out of his thoughts, Devon fell off the rock he'd been sitting on. Devon could have sworn Jax muttered something under his breath about his inability to sit still properly.
   
This forced relocation hadn't agreed with Jax. He had been moody for days.
   
Corvinus, ignoring the irritable dragon said, “Devon. Food is done.”
   
“Okay.” Getting up, Devon took the stick Corvinus held out to him. It looked like roasted mushrooms and a whole squirrel. Yet another thing Devon couldn't wait for, a real home-cooked meal.
   
After they ate, it was time to sleep. This was one thing Devon had no trouble with. What Devon wasn't aware of was that Corvinus and Jax took turns being the lookout. Each one acknowledged that Devon would die if left alone in the wild. Each one also knew that Devon was somehow very powerful and didn't realize it.
   
When he had grabbed Jax on the bridge, he had used magic to move the resistant dragon forward. That magic had also allowed Jax to shift again. Devon seemed unaware that he had even done it.
   
Before long, Devon began heading out ahead while Corvinus and Jax picked up the campsite, since they wouldn't let him help. At first he didn't go far, but the distance steadily increased. Everyday he'd ask Corvinus which way to go before heading out.
   
When they began following a stream, Devon's lead grew further until there was a day he left the camp before Jax and Corvinus had risen. By this time, they had been travelling for more than three weeks.
   
Devon felt like shit. He hadn't had a decent bath in days. He felt bad for not being more useful. The least he could do was to travel as far ahead as he could because Corvinus and Jax could move faster without him, at least he figured they could. Corvinus never told him what he wanted. Jax seemed to agree with Corvinus and was having his man-period, being aggressive and snappish. By going ahead, Devon hoped to just stay out of their way as much as possible.
   
By midday, Devon's stomach was reminding him he hadn't eaten yet. That made him realize Corvinus and Jax hadn't caught up to him yet, either.
   
Sitting on a rotten log near the stream, Devon decided to wait as long as possible, hoping he hadn't somehow taken a wrong turn. He'd been following the stream upstream like he'd been told to.
   
Observing the land around him and musing over his situation even more, Devon passed an hour sitting on the log. When Corvinus and Jax still hadn't appeared, he stood and began wandering in an ever-widening path near the stream, looking at all the plants to see if he could recognize any of them. When that failed he sat back down.
   
I'll starve out here, he realized. Maybe this is some kind of test like with the roots. Corvinus had given Devon two roots after pointing out the specific ways to tell if a root was edible. One was edible, but the other paralyzed whatever ate it. Devon hadn't learned anything if his incorrect choice said anything. He'd spent an entire day unable to move because of it.
   
Deciding to get a better view, Devon turned and walked into the trees. As he went, he kept the stream in sight at all times.
   
After ten or so minutes of walking, Devon found a tree with low branches that would be easy to climb. It was also tall and strong enough that he would be able to see a good distance. Devon knew it wasn't an evergreen, but he didn't know what it was called. It also looked like there was a vine plant growing up the side.
   
Climbing as high as he could get, he sat on a sturdy-looking branch. Looking around, Devon attempted to spot his companions, but couldn't see them anywhere. Deciding to just head back downstream, he began climbing down.
   
Devon caught himself wishing his cousin was here. Oh hell no. She would have set me up and be sitting, hidden, watching me struggle. I'll head back the way I came. I have to run into them, right?
   
As he went to climb down, his foot slipped as something wrapped around his ankle. Trying to slow his fall, Devon grabbed at branches and the vine on the tree.
   
When his fall was cut short, he realized he had been wrapped up in the vines from the tree from the waist down. He was now suspended 10 feet above the ground.
   
They look like ropes, he thought. Beginning to curse, he realized this must be some kind of trap.
   
Pulling himself upwards, Devon attempted to untie himself. When his hands slipped, he ended up spinning around and swinging wildly.