Breath of Fire

Chapter Thirteen

I blinked blearily when I next woke up, feeling as if a train had just run me over. I was aching all over, worse than after any fight and flight class had ever made me feel and worse than I had felt after my portal trip to the dragon realm. My throat was sore and my vocal chords so damaged I could barely talk, not that I wanted to anyways. I was so torn up about how to feel about the boys having all kissed me. Like, what the fuck. Was that a normal thing here in the dragon realm? I guess different cultures on earth had different societal norms regarding relationships and all that but still...and for all I knew, they only did it to shock my powers back into hiding or because they were horny dragons with nothing better to do. Ugh, stop overthinking everything, before you drive yourself mad!
    I heaved my body out of bed and showered, the warm water helping to revive me. I got ready for school and creeped slowly down the stairs, hoping that the guys had all left early like they normally did. I was in luck, for I found the downstairs empty and I heaved a heavy sigh of relief as I walked over to the kitchen and grabbed two of the green apples that were in the fruit bowl. Despite having almost died, for the umpteenth time, I wasn't feeling very hungry; my stomach still knotting in painful twists as my brain struggled to comprehend the events of yesterday. I was dreading going to class and having everyone stare at me, though I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, the dragons wouldn't realize that the powers surrounding me yesterday had come from me and me alone...
    I was grateful when I realized that I wasn't receiving anything more than the usual stares I got on my way to class and I even managed to smile at Drake as I slid into the chair next to him as the gong rang to single the start of our elemental history class. The professor; Hystyrion, started class immediately after the bell and I leaned forward, eager for something to focus my mind on, other than the incessant flashbacks I was getting of warm lips on mine.
    "Listen up, hatchlings, today we will be going over the history of the race of shapeshifters. They were once a proud race of creatures who ruled over the dragon and the human realms in peace up until the Great War."
    I frowned, guessing what shapeshifter's powers were, but still not understanding something. I raised my hand slowly and waited for the professor to notice me, which he did, with a nod of his head.
    "Sorry, professor. I am a little bit confused. I thought you said that the realm used to be ruled by the descendants of the first four elemental dragons? If that is the case, than how did shapeshifters come to be in power?"
    "Yes, Samantha, I did say that, I'm glad to see that at least someone has been paying attention to my lectures. While it is true that the first four elemental dragon kings learned how to control their elements from their parents, it is a little known fact that their parents were, in fact, shapeshifters. That is how we dragons get our forms, the shapeshifters of old could shift into any creature they desired; but their favorite, was that of a dragon and elf. Back when the world was united as one realm, there was only one hierarchy - the shapeshifter king and queen and their descendants. However, as more and more sub-breeds of creatures came into being, rebelling factions began to arise, wanting to take over. Vampires, goblins, elves, you name it, all wanted to be in control and so they started fighting against the shapeshifters and amongst one another as well. The fighting reached such a level of destruction that the few remaining shapeshifters were forced into hiding for several decades. So the shapeshifter king and queen, hoping to save a dying race, bound their own powers and those of their future descendants so as to remain hidden from the world. They stepped down and let the four dragon kings take rule, trusting that they would take over in the fight for good over evil, which we have. There are still some shapeshifters that remain to this day, but their powers are but a shadow of what they used to be, though still very powerful in their own right." Hystyrion explained.
    "So, what you are saying is that shapeshifters came first and that dragons and all the other creatures that apparently exist are just descendants with varying powers based off of their new genetic lines?" I said, seeking confirmation. It had been hard enough to believe that humans descended from dragons but now I had to wrap my mind around the idea that even dragons and elves and goblins existed and were all descended from even more powerful creatures. Just months ago, I had believed dragons to be the most powerful mythological creatures and before that I hadn't even known they existed. This was a lot for any human mind to grasp a hold of!
    "Yes, that is exactly what I am saying, Samantha," the professor said, giving me one of his rare smiles.
    I slumped back in my chair in stunned disbelief. And then I shivered, as I acknowledged the fact that while elves and sprites and all the nice cute creatures existed, it meant that vile monsters like vampires and goblins did as well. That was a terrifying thought. I hoped I never had to run into any of them! But with my luck, I probably would. This definitely called for some serious research. The last thing I wanted was to be caught unawares and unable to defend myself in this strange new realm that I was learning to call home!
    I glanced around the classroom to see the other student's reactions but everyone else seemed to be as bored as ever. As usual, Blair was fast asleep and even Drake didn't seem surprised by the news. I guess dragons were all raised on these stories but I certainly hadn't been!
***
    "Hey, Drake, can I ask you to help me with something?" I asked a few hours later as we sat at our own table eating lunch. Blair had gone off to join her brother but I still couldn't stand to so much as look in the direction of her brother and his friends. Every time I did, I felt as if some invisible bond was drawing me in towards them and it scared the crap out of me.
    "Of course, Sammy! What's up?" Drake said as he cheerfully stuffed his face with food.
    "About what professor Hystyrion said in class earlier, about vampires and goblins and the like existing, I want to prepare myself in case I ever run across any of them and was wondering if you could help me study up and practice learning to fend them off?" I bit my lip nervously, trying not to let on how scared I was of running into such dangerous monsters. Two months into being surrounded by dragons and I still hadn't stopped flinching every time I heard a dragon snarl! What the hell was I supposed to do when faced with a bloodsucker or a grotesque goblin!
    "I'd be more than happy to help, Kaida, but I have to wonder why you don't ask Caspian, Terrance, Elios, or Blaise for help? I thought they were supposed to be your own personal trainers and helping you transition into our realm and getting a grasp of your powers and all that?" He looked up over his sandwich at me curiously as he took another bite.
    "They are, but they have their own classes and studying to do and I'd rather not bother them with anything else," I said with a shrug, covering up the fact that after they had all kissed me, I couldn't stand the idea of spending even more time with them. They were all so insufferably attractive and I couldn't think straight half the time I was around them, and it had taken me years to develop my survival skills on earth and learning to defend myself in this new realm had to take priority over handsome dragons who probably only wanted to claim me as some new treasure for their hoard anyways.
***
    And so began my intensive studying and training. I woke up bright and early in the morning before the sun had even begun to crest over the hills and ran, read up on the kinds of magical creatures out there, or practiced the self defense moves we were learning in fight and flight class. I then had to go through the ordeal of going to classes and suffering the torturous hours with Caspian, Terrance, Elios, and Blaise, who were all getting more and more irritated with me as every day passed and I failed to bring out my magic. I still felt immeasurably drawn to them for some reason, but every day that passed in complete failure during our private sessions, they became more and more agitated and riled up.
    "When are you going to get your head out of the clouds and start taking things seriously, Samantha!" Blaise shouted at me after the end of one particularly dismal training session. "You don't think that we all haven't noticed how much time you spend hanging out with Drake? When are you going to grow up and get your mind off of flirting with some ridiculous first year dragon long enough to realize that there are more important things that matter!" I ignored Blaise as I stalked back towards the house to shower and change, having heard much worse from him over the last few weeks and not in the mood to justify my actions to him or anyone else. I couldn't help feeling like there was some big dark secret that everyone was keeping from me and I didn't like it. I wasn't someone who easily trusted anyone and with every day that went by, I found it harder and harder to trust the four dragons who had saved me that night outside the bar. How could I trust people who didn't trust me back? Not to mention, Blaise; well all four of them really, had all been acting cold and distant every since the day they had kissed me!
    I shook my head frustratedly as I clambered into the shower and washed off layers of sweat and dirt from my body, mentally berating myself for still feeling some sort of connection for the four boys who had taken me in. Don't get me wrong, I was still glad that they had let me move into their spare room, but after the way they had been treating me lately, I couldn't believe I still found them haunting my dreams at night with their soft whispers of pleasure. I'd really like just one night of uninterrupted sleep for once! But every time I closed my eyes, all of their faces would spring to life, teasing and taunting me with wishful thinking of what it would be like to have them fulfill my every desire. It was driving me bat shit crazy!