"Wow... some deity or other must really be watching over you for two of these to end up in your possession. What are the chances?"
"Tell me about it," replied Peter. "It just seems to be one thing after the other... not in a bad way of course... but I do wonder why it all seems to be happening to me. It's like all that stuff with Manson... why me? I'm scared stiff almost every time I walk down the hallway to open the front door, particularly if I think about it too much."
"I'm sorry Pete. That's really not what I meant to say. You do have a lot of things going on though, don't you?"
"That is something of an understatement, I think you'll find Rich. Anyhow, I feel a whole lot better talking to you about my parents. There are so many unanswered questions... it's all so mysterious. If I knew a little more, I might be able to put it all to the back of my mind... but when even the king can't find out any more than he has, you have to think there's something very dubious about it all."
Richie nodded her agreement.
"Well, perhaps I can help. You've told me enough to get started, with your permission of course, I'll see what I can dig up."
"Really, would you?"
"I can't make any promises Pete, you know that... but I'll do my best and see what I can find out for you."
"I can't begin to tell you just how much that means to me Rich. Thank you."
"You're welcome Pete, and thank you very much for the... gift," she said, smiling, while at the same time putting the alea around her neck, slipping the little ring through the chain's clasp.
"But before we join the others... I have something that I wanted to tell you, in fact the reason for coming to see you tonight." There was a long pause, not quite awkward, just intriguing. Folding her hands together in her lap whilst gazing at the pristine carpet, Richie thought long and hard about what she had to say. Eventually, after only a matter of seconds really, she looked up, straight into Peter's eyes.
"I've ditched Tim! There's no other way to say it. I've done what the council demanded. I didn't want to, but... on consideration, it does seem the only way to move forward. So there!"
Of all the things that he'd been expecting to hear, this was right at the bottom of his list, just below... 'I'm setting up a dragon colony on the moon. I think we can fly there under our own steam. I really think we can make it work.'
"I know it must have been difficult Rich, but I really think it's for the best. Consider Tim's point of view. He'll be growing old, while you will only appear to grow old. I'm sure if he knew he'd never go for that... would he?"
Richie nodded her agreement, two delicate tears sliding effortlessly in and out of the freckles on her cheeks.
"I know," she sniffed. "Anyway... it's done now. So let's just move on."
After a huge hug, both friends parted, about to go back downstairs when Richie stopped and pointed at the bottom of the trunk.
"What's that?"
'Oh crap,' was Peter's first thought, followed swiftly by, 'what to do, what to do?' By now though, it was too late, as Richie's pale, slender hand had already dipped into the trunk and pulled out a much larger object, wrapped in a swathe of old rag. In a blur, Peter swept out his hand as fast as he could in an attempt to grab the object back from his friend. Of course she was too quick for him, moving whatever it was just out of his reach.
"What is it?" she asked again.
Shaking his head, knowing there was no way out now, he knew that he was goingagainst pretty much everything he'd told the king.
'Oh well... here goes.' Stretching out his palm upturned, he whispered,
"Let me show you."
Eyeing him suspiciously, eventually she passed over the object.
"You have to promise not to tell another soul about this, Rich. Not anyone... really! He stood and waited, glaring 'daggers' (... you see what happened there!) at his friend.
"You're serious?"
"Deadly," he replied.
"Okay."
"Say it," he demanded.
"IT!"
Less than amused, he crossed his arms, the object securely hidden beneath them. After the shortest standoff in history, Richie eventually said,
"I promise."
Exhaling, not having realised he'd been holding his breath, part of him was disappointed that she'd said it, hoping that he'd get out of showing her what it was. With nothing else left to do, he laid the object flat on the bed, and started to carefully unwrap it. Having thought there could be nothing left to surprise her, the gasp of disbelief that passed her lips as she recognised what lay amidst the cloth, could almost have blown one of the three little pigs' houses down.
"It... it... it... it... can't be! Can it? Aviva's dagger?"
"It surely is," replied Peter, trying to sound nonchalant, despite the nerves he felt at revealing its existence.
"Did your grandfather leave you this as well?"
He just nodded.
"Phewwww. Your grandfather must have been one hell of a dragon. I'd really like to have met him. Aleas, the Flaming Cross, and now this... I really don't know what to say."
"Imagine how I feel," declared Peter. "The whole world's gone mad."
"I can see how you'd think that. What's the glow surrounding it?" she asked, holding out her hand to touch it.
Abruptly he pulled the dagger out of her reach, much to her disappointment.
"What you can see is a mantra designed to contain the power the laminium radiates. It's soooo strong Rich. It makes you feel... invincible, all powerful, invigorated. It's hard to describe. Anyway, the mantra's there to stop all of that leaking into the surrounding environment. I think prolonged exposure would drive you mad."
"I don't suppose..."
"No!" he replied, before she even had a chance to finish.
"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. It's not that easy to remove the mantra... even temporarily."
"I understand," she replied softly, looking as though she probably didn't. "Anyhow, I don't know about you, but I've had enough adventure for one night. Shall we go and see what they're up to downstairs? Unless of course you've got some fully grown dinosaurs in your wardrobe that you were planning on showing me?"
"No... that pretty much covers it!"
"Thank heavens for that. I don't think even I could take much more. And there was me thinking that YOU would find my news shocking. Role reversal or what?" she laughed. "And don't worry, I'll do what I can to look into your parents for you... It might take a while though."
"I know, and thanks. Are you going to tell Tank and Flash about ending things with Tim?"
"Yes, I'll tell them when we go downstairs if that's okay. I just wanted to tell you first."
"You do realise that it wasn't Tank that told the council about you both?"
"Of course I know it wasn't him. I was just angry about being discovered, and lashed out. Don't worry... I'll apologise."
"Brilliant," added Peter.
By the time the two friends made their way back down into the living room, Tank and Flash had finished watching one programme and were now arguing over which of their favourite football teams would finish higher up the league, as they watched the sports news. It was a surprise to Peter that Flash even had a favourite football team. The ex-Crimson Guard announced that it was a recent development, since he'd become stuck in his human form, doing all he could to brush up on being human, he had discovered that he actually quite liked watching Premiership football, despite the fact that so many of the players were actually dragons. Plumping for a team to support that had fewer dragons than most and because he liked the idea of being called a GOONER, he'd chosen... ARSENAL!