Of Both Worlds

Chapter 8

Ace's eyes opened and he took in a big deep breath as he welcomed himself back to the real world. He was back in the health hut, he could tell by the familiar ceiling and the silence of being alone. It was bright out, that meant that someone had taken him back to camp and let him sleep through the night, but Ace's mind was buzzing with questions. So Ace threw off the sheets pulled on some shoes and stormed down the stables, and threw the big doors open startling three Talons. 

 "Someone had better start talking." Ace growled. 

Paramonos got to his feet and walked over to Ace. What about? The big wyvern asked.

 "Did you know I was a shifter?" 

Paramonos turned his big head back to look at Saxa and Quirina, both of which got to their feet. That is not an easy question, Talon-Tongue. Quirina said. We've always known you were more connected to our kind than anyone else but...

 "Okay, here's an easier one, who's Melanthios?" Ace didn't know why he was taking such and aggressive stance on the topic, but this was something that was critical for him to know.

Paramonos growled. Tread careful on that topic Talon-Tongue, it is not viewed lightly around here, he is no one to you, nor shall he ever be. 

 "But..."

 End of discussion. Paramonos said flatly. 

 "Why do you hate him?" Ace, enough. "He can't be all that bad!"

 I said enough! 

 "He seemed to care about you!" 

Paramonos froze. What, did you say? Paramonos said slowly icy calm coating his voice as he inched towards Ace. 

Ace started backing up uncomfortably. The talons on the tips of Paramonos's wings seemed more menacing now. Ace looked at Paramonos's two blue eyes in horror. "I mean, he seemed to care about you guys, he asked me to get you all out, and to rehabilitate you..." Ace felt like he was saying all the wrong things.

 When did you talk to him? Ace kept backing away from Paramonos. When did you talk to him? Paramonos asked, his voice louder the second time. Ace felt the door behind him. He groped around for the door handle while Paramonos kept coming nearer. Answer me! 

 "I've got to go." Ace squeaked out as he flung the door open and slammed it behind him.

 ACE! Ace could hear Paramonos banging on the door. That door had kept three Talons in for over a hundred years, hopefully it would still stand after Paramonos' rage.

 Ace turned and ran. Ace ran into Lauren on his way back to main camp. "Ace, good to see you're up and moving around, everyone's been looking for you."

 "Really?"

 "Ha! No, but Sam has been worried and Kaylin has been looking for you too, whether or whether not she admits it. Where have you been?"

 "Talking to the...horses." 

 "Talking to the horses?" Lauren repeated. Ace nodded. "Really?"

 "Yup." 

 Lauren rolled her eyes. "Well okay then. You know at first I thought you were in with the Talons, but that would be..." Lauren and Ace both laughed uneasily. Lauren and Ace stopped when they heard someone scream. They looked at each other and then took off for the person who screamed. 

 Dylan was running through camp a dreadfully familiar forest dragon chasing him. She was toying with him, blocking off paths, making him trip, nipping here, slashing there. "Somebody help!" Dylan cried.