The Dragon's Son

*Chapter 8*

"Huh, from how they talked, I didn't expect the famed Dragon's Son would be illiterate." 

Jack and I were sitting facing one another on my bunk, which was surprisingly more comfortable than I had originally assumed, reading over the Rule of Last Stand. It had been one of the books among those we each received. Jack had joined me after he had initially settled into the bunk on my left, having correctly assumed that my knowledge of the English language was about the same when it came to the written one as well. I had been far from a studious child in my youth. So he had been teaching me as we went over the rules. 

Jack had stopped at the statement though, lifting his head and turning a glare on the speaker despite the statement being more of a surprised thought rather than a jab at me. I glanced towards the speaker as well to find my eyes settling on an older male who stood at about 5'9 with a buzzcut the color of fresh honey. "I am," I hummed in response before Jack could say anything, tilting my head to the side in curiosity, "What of it?" 

Surprise flickered across the male's blue-grey eyes as I responded. The same surprise everyone portrayed when they heard me speak for the first time, Common or Draak. "Don't give him a response, Jake, he's trying to bully you," Marc jumped in with a sigh from where he sat at the desk beneath his bunk. 

"No, if he was I could smell the maliciousness," I bluntly shot back, looking back to the honey blonde. He had unfolded his arms from where he stood leaning against the support of his fellow delta's bunk. "I am well versed in Draak Tongue, both spoken and the written script, but your mundane speak and writing are bulky with too many characters, I felt no need for it as a child so I forwent learning it." 

"How do you speak it so well then?" a girl about Madison's height spoke up with a barely-there accent. Her dark chocolate-colored hair curling in tight springs despite the shortness of it. Her onyx eyes were dripping with curious intelligence. 

I smiled a fanged grin as I ran a hand through the space between my horns, not used to the ebony hair there to be so short, momentarily distracting me before I shook my head. "Dovah lah," I growled lowly, before letting my tongue drop from my mouth. The runes tattooed there now visible to the other recruits. "Dragon magic. These runes allow my mind to learn more quickly than if I was on my own. At least speech. There are, unfortunately, no runes to speed up other learning necessities." 

"Whoa," Madison said, grinning over at me, "What else can you do magic wise, dragon boy?" 

I smiled in amusement at what she called me. "Anything a dragon can do, so can I. At least, to a degree. I was still learning to fly when the transport came and I was carried here. Breathing fire and smoke were one of the first things I learned, right after I learned to crawl," I told her, leaning back against the wall as my eyes slid to one of the windows. The sun had long since set beyond the surrounding mountains. The stars were shining, but dully so compared to my home. I felt a sickness for it, in the second I was left to my thoughts. 

"Can you show us?" Another boy with dirty blonde hair asked almost excitedly. His emerald eyes shining with the hope of a spectacle. I furrowed my brows in thought. So far the rules hadn't denied me any practice of my dragon abilities. Though it had spoken of unsupervised training sessions being against them. 

"Maybe when training begins," I replied, earning a thumbs up from both Marc, Jack, and the ebony-haired girl. This made a twinge of guilt slip in. Jack and the others had already introduced themselves to the Delta team, and I had not. If dad had been here, I would've been scolded for my rudeness, but he wasn't here to admonish me. "Forgive me, it just struck me that I've been unlike myself. My name's Jacob." 

Though disappointment had flashed over some faces, at my introduction they revived. The honey blonde male stepped over, reaching up a hand and a grin, "I'm James Daily, New Hopeian born and raised," he said, making me grin back. The other male saluted me from where he sat, not bothering to climb down from his bunk. 

"Mason Garnes, I'm from farther North near the Frostbacks," he said, making my eyebrows jump in surprise. I knew enough about the war to know that the Frostbacks were struggling with the Shades. They were the smallest and hardest mountains to defend, at least according to dad. Though I also knew from my history lessons, that the men of the Frostbacks were a very formidable force. I would've never realized Mason was one of those same people until I had seen him fight if he hadn't said where he was from. 

The girl about Madison's height smiled as she spoke, "Luna La Rosa, it's a pleasure to finally know your name, Hijo del dragón," I couldn't help the pleasure that curled through me at the new language. I had no idea what she called me, but I wanted to hear her speak in that beautiful tongue again. My reaction must have been very obvious because the others laughed as Luna winked one eye at me. Another mundane thing I didn't know the meaning of. 

"Have you never heard any other languages, Jacob?" A girl with ebony curls cut just beneath her ears asked with amusement dancing in her dark forest-colored eyes. I shook my head no to answer her, making her smile grow wider, "I am Delilah La Bianca, Figlio del Drago." 

I straightened again, making Jack slap my knee as he wheezed in laughter. "Jake, you acting like a transfixed golden retriever!" He laughed, making me tilt my head in confusion. This made the others laugh harder before the last of team Delta took pity on me. 

"Guys, stop teasing him," she giggled as she rose from her desk chair and slipped over to stand beside Mason, lifting a hand to me. She was the same height as Delilah at about 5'4 with cherrywood-colored curls and sea blue eyes. I took her hand, "It's nice to meet you, Jake, I'm Emma Garwood. I look forward to serving with you." 

I smiled at the normal greeting. My eyes slipping over everyone in the barrack, silently thankful for the warm welcome I had received from those I was meant to live with for the next undetermined amount of time. "Zu'u look forward wah serving voth hi pah. It's my pleasure to meet all of you," I responded, keeping my similar statement to Emma's as my own. Though it was no lie. I did look forward to serving alongside them, as long as I may remain here. They were a nice enough group. Hopefully, the rest of my stay would be just as pleasant.