Merge

9 - Getting Answers

I awoke in the room I shared with Maru, lying face up. My head hurt, making the soft lamplight feel like stabs against my skull. My first attempts to move were hindered by chains attached to my wrists and ankles.

    My brain was too muddled to remember the events of the previous night nd the shock of being bound didn't settle in until after a few minutes.

    What is this? I thought.

    A growly voice answered, obviously unwilling to care about my head pains.

    You've been restrained. You used your fire to seriously harm your comrade.

    I what? The memories started to come back, and I suddenly vividly remembered Edwards and her bright feathers going up in flames at my hands.

    How do you know her state? You can't be conscious if I'm not.

    I does not take but a quick glance to see her half consumed by flames, When I said 'seriously injured', I was being optimistic.

    My breath caught, and I shot up in my bed, stars exploding behind my eyes. I grimaced as I yanked at my chains, willing my dragon strength to tear the metal.

    Stop. You are too unstable to be loose in the halls, Caminai growled.
    I stopped, staring at my bound ankles. I was still in my mission suit, but my boots had been removed. My pale skin gave a stark contrast against the black fabric of the suit.

    Unstable. I'm unstable.

    Yes. You're mind can't contain the natural violence of a dragon. It's channelling it through impulse and vicious behaviour.

    But you didn't get angry at all.

    Because it was all getting channelled to your mind. I have considerably fewer emotions then I once did.

    She kept talking, but I suddenly remembered, at the end, when I blacked out.

    You knocked me out, I thought flatly, still processing the thought.

    Caminai stopped talking, and I could feel the tension rise in our mental connection.

    Yes, I did, she finally said, You were getting out of control, letting your emotions get in the way of your actions.
    I wanted so badly to argue, to scream at her that she was wrong to do it.

    But then the flaming image of the parrot girl, her colorful feathers being burned away into ash as the flames travelled across her body, stopped me, and all of the fight went out of me.

    I could have killed someone, I thought.

    I could barely bring myself to even think about it.

    If she's dead, what will I do? I thought to myself.

    But Caminai heard the thought, If she dies, you will become less of a miracle and more of a curse in their eyes.
    My breath caught. A freak among freaks. How would I survive?

    I heard the lock on my door click, and I looked up. It swung open slowly, and the first thing I saw was a pistol pointed in my direction, mounted on a furry orange elbow. A familiar red-haired girl followed it.

    Maru looked in my direction, "You're not going to set me on fire, are you?" she asked.

    I frowned and looked away, unable to look at the girl who was so friendly to me. Not while she was questioning my motives like this.