Touched By A Dragon

Chapter 36: At Last

Mike stood up and looked at his sister. 
“The others and probably worried.” He said.
“well, they do think that your dead, ” Kelly put in.
Mike smiled. “This will be fun. What about Pearl?”
Stryker entered the room, he looked exactly like his brother, only his hair was longer.
“She’s fine, just upset that Kelly didn’t tell her about...well, being Kelly. I would be too if I was her. Now you three need to go back to the others, they will be wondering what’s happend to you.” He paused to smile.” I only wish I could be there to see the looks on their faces.” 
“then why don’t you come with us brother?” 
“no thanks, I’ve been away for far too long. There’s a lot for me to do here.” 
Mike smiled.
“So you’ll be here when we get back?”
“Where else would I go?” Stryker joked.
Kelly smiled, watching her two brothers act like family for the first time since they were little.
“Ok, I’ll go get Pearl. Oh, Stryker, how’s Flame healing?” 
Stryker smiled, “he’s doing very well, he can fly but don’t push him too hard, he thinks he’s ready to take on the world but that’s not the case.” 
Mike smiled.
It turns out that while Stryker was testing mike, he was also healing flame. Stryker wasn’t evil, he didn’t hate dragons, he was just sad and scared.
Mike nodded and smiled. 
Kelly laughed, “like dragon, like rider.” 
“What? No. Not true, I totally know when to stop.” 
Kelly laughed but stopped as soon as she realised that Mike was looking at her with a very serious expression.
“Wait, you’re not kidding. Mike you are the King of not knowing when to stop. “
“Ok, name me one time I took it too far.” He replied, annoyed.
“Actually? Mike, all of this.” She flung her arms around, indicating everything.
Mike turned red while Stryker laughed, it was a light, ringing sound that filled the air. His siblings looked at him, shocked. Then it was his turn to blush, he scowled and spoke.
“Yeah, I laughed, get over it but don’t get used to it, it won’t happen again.”
“No it’s fine, Stryker. It’s just that, we haven’t heard you laugh in a very long time. It’s a good sound.” Kelly hurriedly said.
Stryker blushed deeper and pushed two bags into their arms. 
“Go on, get out of here.”
Mike and Kelly laughed,  Mike spoke.
“Ok little brother, seeing as how you want us out of the house so badly, but  first we’ve got to go and get Pearl and tell mother.”
Stryker blushed deeper and nodded, then made his awkward leave into the shared room. 
Kelly giggled and walked to the back yard where their mother was tending the garden, Mike followed her.
Their mother was crouched over a small garden box, her whitening hair was tied back in its usual braid and her old yet strong hands where skillfully trying to cotax the soil into producing something. She heard them approaching and the she looked up, a real smile on her face.
“Hiya kids, I guess you are going back now. Just come back safe ok. Take care of eachother, and for etheryals sake, don’t die.” She said, standing up. 
“Ok ma, I promise never to die without permission.” Mike smiled.
His mother sighed and pulled them both into a tight hug. 
“Just come back alive ok?” She whispered, on the verge of tears. 
“We will ma.” Kelly whispered back.
“Ok then, now take your friend and go. Oh, is your brother going too?”
“No, he doesn't want to go, so he’s staying here but don’t get too nice with him, he’s...weird.” Mike replied.
“No, he’s not ‘weird’, he just needs some motherly love. Now go on, take your friend and go before I change my mind,  the dragons are getting restless.”
“We’ll be back before you know it.” Kelly shouted as she walked back through the door.
“I hope so,” Their mother muttered, turning back to the patch of soil. 
Kelly opened the door and Pearl was sitting up in the bed, look at her with a grouchy expression on her face.  Kelly spoke first, breaking the silence.
“I’m sorry Pearl. I should have told you. I was just afraid of what you would have thought.”
Pearl turned her head up to look at her best friend, tears in her eyes.
“I wouldn’t have thought any less of you. You are my best friend, no matter your name or family.”
Kelly smiled shyly at Pearl. 
“I’m sorry.”
Pearl smiled back stood up, walked over to Kelly and wrapped her arms around her. 
“It’s ok.” She whispered.
Kelly hugged her back then broke the embrace and spoke, tears in her eyes but a smile on her face.
“Let’s get you back to the others...and that cute James,” She nudged Pearl.
Pearl turned scarlet and muttered to the floor before walking into the frount yard and almost being hit in the head with her saddle bag as Stryker flung it at her. She ducked and turned to face him, her face deadly. 
“Watch it,” She hissed.
“Oh, a little cat, did someone miss their nap...oh wait. You were asleep for hours... after fainting,” He smirked, eyes flashing.
“Don’t test me boy,” Pearl spat.
“Was that a threat?” Stryker smiled.
“What do you think, boogeyman?”
“Is that the best you got, kitten?”
“Kitten! I’ll show you kitten!” 
Emerald came out of nowhere to stand behind Pearl, crouched into an attack possion and groling, with thick smoke spilling from her mouth.
Stryker scrowled and flicked up his hand. Flame raced upto Stryker but stopped slightly behind him and crouched into the same position as Emerald. Flame started growling and smoke poured from his mouth. Stryker smile and dark orbs started to form in his hands, like giant black snowballs. He relaxed his body and looked her in the eyes.
“Now, what was is exactly that you were going to show me?” He purred, in a steady, velvet voice.
Kelly and Mike ran out of the front room, hearing the growls of the dragons. They both had looks of horror on their faces as they took in the scene.They didn’t dare blink, you could cut the tention with a knife and they both knew how Pearl and Stryker could get, especially when provoked. 
“Pearl, please stop!” Kelly yelled.
“Me? Tell him that, he started it!”
Mike turned to Flame and his brother.
“Stryker, what’s going on here?”
“She annoyed me.” He simply said.
“So you decided to start a fight and blow up mums house?”
The dark orbs vanished.
“N-no?”He muttered.
Mike turned his attention to Flame, who was still growling at Emerald.
“Now, what’s gotten into you?”
He gently placed his hand on Flames snout, Flame shook it off and growled louder.
“W-what? Flame, it’s me, Mike.”
Flame growled louder.
“Ok, ok. I’m backing away.”
Mike held up his hands in a surrendering gesture and backed away. 
“Pearl, can you get Emerald to talk to Flame, out loud please.” He said, more like a statement. 
Pearl nodded.
“Hey girl. Stryker isn’t going to attack me so can you stand down?”
Emerald nodded her head and relaxed, she sat down but cept her gaze locked onto Flame, who was still in a pouncing position.
“That’s the girl. Can you politely ask Flame to relax?”
Emerald nodded and spoke in her usual, posh voice.
“Flame of the knights clan, can you stand down?”
Flame replied in a  dark gravel like voice that was not his own.
“Join me, that’s an order.”
“The dragons of the knights clan no longer obey you,” Emerald scowled, crouched to attack, again.
Mike gasped and his eyes widened in alarm. Mike spoke to his brother, but he kept his eyes on Flame.
“Brother, is this your doing?”
“N-no. This isn’t me.” Stryker replied, shakily.
Mike turned to his brother to see a look of genuin shock and confusion apon his face. Stryker continued speaking.
“If it’s not me then…” He looked at his sister, “Kelly?”
“You think this is me?!” She yelled.
“No, but I was hoping it was. Kell, go and get ma. Mike put up barriers, keep it away from Emerald and stop it from doing anywhere.”
Kelly left, running to the back yard.
“What why? Flame is not an ‘it’, he’s not dangerous.” Mike muttered, in a trance.
Stryker looked his brother in the eyes. 
“That’s not Flame.”
Mike put up the barriers, Stryker reinforced them and Kelly came back, their mother running after her.
“Another one?” She asked.
Stryker nodded.
“Its weaker than the last and its not attacking yet. I recommend getting rid if it now.”
Mrs Huntsman nodded.
“What activated it?”
Stryker blushed.
“A disagreement, don’t ask.”
“Ok then. You know what to do.”
Stryker nodded again and immersed himself, his mother and the caged dragon in thick, swirling black stuff. It covered them completely then it disappeared and they were gone. 
“Do you know what just happened?” Pearl asked Mike and Kelly.
“No, not really.” Kelly sighed. 
“What are we going to do now?” Pearl questioned.
“Well, I can’t go anywhere without Flame. You two should return to the other riders, when you get there tell Justice to send Flame where you are. I’ll find you, I promise.”
Kelly look at her brother.
“But what if you…”
“Kelly, I’ve already died once so I’ll be fine, no one can be that unlucky… Actually, don't jinx me. I’m joking, I’ll be fine. Now go, find the others. I’m sure Emerald knows the way.”
Emerald nodded.
“Good, now go, both of you.”
“I will see you soon brother.”
“Definitely.”
Kelly and Pearl mounted their dragons, attached the saddle bags and left. Mike watched them until they were just dots on the horizon.