Page 15 of Drakhana's Secret
It seems like they found something in common in the mutual destruction of the earth clan. The bastards. Destroyed our village and destroyed our foothold in the city.
The dragons waiting where I left them are all counting on going to San Francisco to regroup. What am I supposed to tell them? That because of my arrogance this is all my fault? Un-fucking-acceptable.
I go to the private message boards and find them flooded with news. All the elders who lived in the city are dead. Besides Baba, none of the chief elders in the village survived either. From what I observed, she handed that responsibility over to Sapphire.
Holy fucking hell, we are all totally screwed. I slap my forehead with the side of my fist. Based on what I read on the message boards, the other earth dragons have gone into hiding. The fire and ice clans have been relentless in their pursuit of us.
Then the worst of all possibilities dawns on me. It’s enough to take my legs out from under me. Since I can’t stand for much longer because I no longer feel the ground, I take a seat on the hill.
I’m now the eldest of the city trained force. That means, I’m now the de facto leader of our clan. I don’t need that kind of responsibility right now. Damn Corbin for dying.
Who am I to get us out of this mess? If they found out that I’m the one who got us in this I’d kiss all my credibility. How cruel Fate can be sometimes.
From the very beginning, I’ve wanted to earn my place in my clan. I wanted to prove to the elders that I deserve to be one of them. To have a seat at the table.
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever want to take leadership this way. I curse the most vile, foulest words that I can think of. My grip on my phone is so tight that I can feel the device groaning between my fingers.
Only the knowledge that I still need my phone keeps me from breaking the device. I should have been voted in. There’s no pride in being in charge this way.
It seems to me that even Sapphire feels the same way. She’s thrust into this situation without her ever wanting the leadership this early. When we were younger, we toyed with the idea of “what ifs.”
What if I became the leader of the clan? What if she became one of the elders as well? We would bring the earth dragons back to glory.
As children, we didn’t know what we were talking about or the responsibilities that came with those assertions. Now that our words have become reality, I know that we both feel lost. I’ve done my clan such a great disservice for bringing this catastrophe down upon them.
Traditionally, we have to vote to bring about any action. Any decision that needs to be made should be made by the council of elders. How can we do that if there’s only two of us?
I let out a few more choice curses. In the back of my mind, even if all I want to do is run away, I know that there’s no turning back. I got us into this mess then it’s only right that I get us out of it. Then I will confess my sins.
I owe it to my brethren. They must know what I have done. Of my thoughtlessness and selfishness.
I joined a fight that I wasn’t prepared for. Now the consequences are all biting us in the ass. My decisions caused a shockwave among my clan that none of them deserve.
Taking in several deep breaths to center my reeling mind, I return my attention to my phone. After conducting a quick search, I find that there are still a few very old buildings that belong to the earth clan. These were purchased years ago to become tenant apartments, but nothing really came from the venture.
It most likely passed the notice of the fire and ice clan because the buildings might as well be declared condemned. Since beggars can’t be choosers at this point, these will have to make do to accommodate the remaining dragons from our village. The shame that goes through me at being unable to provide better lodgings for them is like a solid punch in the gut.
How far we have fallen. Practically penniless with nowhere to go but the worst buildings in town. I don’t think this is what our ancestors envisioned for their future generations.
With our living situation taken care of—sort of—I move on to the news. I need to see if there’s any anomalies happening around the city. That is what will tell me the places to avoid in order to escape the notice of the fire and ice clan.
I watch the morning news and the weather comes on. A baffled weatherman reports about several strange pockets of weather happening in and around the city. He also mentions that these phenomena have also been happening in many parts of California.
My first real break of the day. He lists the locations where the strange weather patterns are happening in order for people around that area to be prepared. Moments of intense heat followed by a barrage of hail and cold gusts of wind.
It’s fire and ice fighting each other. People see what they want to see. In this case, it’s strange weather that scientists have no explanations for.
Sometimes, I envy the humans. They are blissfully unaware of what’s really happening around them. Wars are being waged that they have no idea about.
Then again, I can only imagine if they found out. Could that knowledge spell the end of us all? A chill goes down my spine at the thought.
No use in worrying myself over something that isn’t going to happen. I need to focus on my people and how we can all climb out of this deep whole I dug. First, I have to get back to camp and tell them of everything I’ve learned. Then we need to plan how we will enter the city undetected.
I get up and dust myself off. As if that does any good since my clothes are pretty much held together by the dirt clinging to them. I call to my dragon and fly back to camp.
Eleven
Sapphire
