Forewarned (BEING REWRITTEN)

Two Wolverines!

While I walked back with General Landin, I spotted the two girls wearing clean outfits again, walking to the animal barn. “How did they get down?” I whispered, half to myself.

“Swoopers,” General Landin answered in his blunt way. Before I could ask what swoopers was, he was already speaking. “You’re lucky Colonel Piffer didn’t see you with your hands in the air at your descent. You would have been in a heckovalot of trouble.” He grunted.

I shrugged and looked down. I knew I was supposed to feel bad… but I wasn’t.

“I don’t blame ya, son.” General Wolverine mumbled, setting his cigarette to his lips and inhaling lazily. “That first flight.. it’s incredible. And just wait until you ride your own dragon..” he gave a shake of his head, smoke trailing from his nose as if he himself were a dragon.

I was baffled by these words. Somehow it was just weird for the General to be telling me this. I decided to be silent in case he kept talking.

He didn’t, and opened the glass door to his office, his cigarette still smoking even though that was probably against the law.

He sat down slowly on his chair, grunting. “So… how are you liking it here, kid?” he asked, looking at me with that piercing gaze of his.

“I…like it,” I shrugged, running my hand over Caedmon’s forehead.

“Seems like you’re liking it a lot. You’ve achieved more in two weeks than most trained kids can accomplish Freshman year.” General said. “We’ve been keeping an eye on you- you really seemed to have changed. Maybe finding that shadow creature was the best thing that ever happened to ya.”

“Changed? And how would you know what I was like before?” I asked, narrowing my eyes and folding my arms.

He sighed and leaned back, pulling out a drawer and gettinh out a large folder, plopping it onto the table. “Your files… all of them. From every foster home, every little mission you’ve ever had.” He said dryly.

My eyes widened and my fingers slowly crept for the folder before it was slapped away. “None of your business.”

“Of course it’s my business!” I said. “Those are my files! Does it say who my parents are?” The last demand shocked me. I didn’t care about not knowing who my parents were.. right?

When I fell silent, General Landin gave a deep, measured breath as if deciding what to say before slowly lowering his cigarette. “Your parents.. were great people.” Was all he would say.

“Is that all you can tell me?” I feel like someone had shoved a tennis ball down my throat and it was just.. stuck there.

“That’s restricted,” he said, putting his arms over the file.

“They are my parents! Please, I’ve never known them, just tell me!” I heard my voice rising as I stood up slowly, leaning over the desk, eyes narrowed and Caedmon letting out a hiss.

“That’s ENOUGH!” He yelled, so loudly and so suddenly that I sat down hard, stunned.

For the first time, General Landin looked flustered. “Give me the dragon,” he demanded.

I dumbly took Caedmon off me after prying every little claw off my shoulder pad. He squeaked angrily and twisted, his paws trying to grab my hands as I handed him to the General.

General Landin took the little creature in his hands, turning him on his back like he hated. I was about to tell him to stop but shut my mouth into a slim line, my eyes swirling a deep, angry purple.