“So this school is basically for dragons?” I asked as the name“Dragonia” popped into my head.
“More or less,” Sammy said.
“Then why are humans here with you guys?” I remembered what Constance told me, but what the hell did being special have to do with dragons?
“We belong with them, Elena. Everyone who bears the mark is likely to become a Dragonian.” Becky told me the same thing Constance had. “And one day when I ascend, I'll make one of these bitches my own.”
“You need to work harder on your fighting skills.”
“Wait, what do you mean making one of these bitches your own? You're not talking about a dragon, are you?”
“That's what Dragonians do, Elena, we ride them.”
My stomach swirled now that I finally understood what Constance had meant. Images of humans on top of dragons popped into my head. I pushed them away when skies and clouds appeared. I hadn’t thought for one second that being a Dragonian meant riding a dragon.
“Oh shit, Master Longwei didn't mention it?” Becky asked.
I shook my head.
“Urgh! He better make this trip to Elm so worth it.”
“Elena, just breathe, okay, it's not an obligation,” Sammy said.
I took another breath.
“Unless you're part of a dent,” Becky replied, which brought back the worry.
“Becky─”
“What? She could be. Master Longwei said her mark is really dark, Sammy.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“The darker the mark, the more you'll do,” Sammy answered.
I shook my head again. It wasn't what I wanted to hear.
“Relax, deep breaths.” Sammy tried to calm me again. “You mean being part of a dent?”
“Yes.”
“If you're part of one you don't have a choice. You need to claim the dragon you belong with.”
“They'll force you to,” Becky said.
Are they nuts?
“Why?” I sounded hysterical.
“Because a dent is more than just a Rider and a dragon. They are soul mates,” Sammy explained.
“I don't understand.”
“If they're the same sex, they're called a Brother or a Sister Hood, which is the most common
one. If opposite gender, they become partners for life. The bond is unexplainable, but strong,and the kind that lasts forever. Dents are extremely rare.”
“You mean as husband and wife.” My mind locked on the phrase “partners for life”
“Lovers,” Becky said in a singing voice.
Somehow, I managed to blush scarlet in the face of all this craziness.
They both gasped.
“Elena, are you still a virgin?”
“I'm only sixteen, what do you think?”
They looked around nervously.
Becky leaned in to whisper. “Just watch out for Brian. He's a Sun-Blast.”
I look at her; she might as well have spoken French, because I had no idea what a Sun-Blast or who Brian was.
“There, the guy with the red hair. If he knows you're still intact, he'll do whatever he needs to deflower you.” Becky pointed awkwardly at a younger version of George Clooney. Why were they all so damn gorgeous?
“Why would he do that?”
“Sun-Blasts are obsessed with virgins. Humans used to sacrifice maidens to them just so they wouldn’t eat the villagers.”
“What!”
“It doesn't happen anymore. Besides, Master Longwei will cut off his balls if he even thinks about it,” Sammy assured me.
“But he might try to charm your panties off, if you know what I mean.” The picture Becky put into my mind turned my face scarlet once again.
What was it with this girl? She acted as if she was the bearer of bad news and enjoyed it. I got the picture though.
“So basically what you're saying is my life is in danger unless I get laid?”
They looked at me, before bursting into laughter once again at my expense.
“Lucky for you, Brian is the only Sun-Blast here,” Becky finally reassured me.
“So I take the Sun-Blast is red.” I remembered the red dragon, and shuddered as the same eerie feeling crept up my spine.
They both nodded their heads.
“They're fire breathers, like moi.”Sammy pointed at herself and puffed out her chest.“But we're nothing alike. Sun-Blasts can live in volcanoes, and my dad said they're able to handle the sun's heat. They also make their Dragonians rich, making them roll in it, if you get what I'm saying. I think it's the only reason the Dragonians go for a Sun-Blast before claiming a Fire-Tail. Sun-Blasts have built-in radars that constantly track and search for things of value.” Sammy babbled. “The only problem is, they're extremely vile and have bad tempers. A bitch to claim one too.”
“What do you mean by claim one?”
“Claiming is a term we use for the event where a Dragonian tries to break in a dragon. If the Dragonian can't beat the dragon he or she faces, the Dragoniancan try again at a later stage. It's better to wait until you’ve ascended.”
“Ascended?”
“The humans with the mark will gain an extra ability around their seventeenth birthday. Some are later while others could ascend much earlier than expected.”
"But not likely." Sammy interrupted.
I guess she saw the terrified look on my face again.
Becky gave her the eye and carried on as if Sammy had never spoken a word. "Whether you can handle a fire's heat or toxic gas, no one knows. Only then will you know which dragon you can claim."
'A freak you mean.' I sighed. "Is your brother a dragon too?"
"Oh no, girl, erase him from your mind," Becky said.
Before I could protest Sammy spoke. "Yes, my brother's a dragon too, but he's the only one of his kind. He's called a Rubicon. Only one lives at a time otherwise they'd annihilate this world. He's both Metallic and Chromatic which as you might guess causes a lot of problems. The last Rubicon died a thousand years ago and Blake was born nine hundred and eighty-one years later."
“Wait a metal and chrome what?” I asked clearly confused again. It would take me forever to get this all straight.
Thankfully, Becky came to my rescue with one of her dragon crash courses. She explained that the Chromatics were the basic evil dragon, bent on destruction and that sort of thing, but this dark side could be overcome once they were a part of a dent. There were five classes in total; I would have to remember to have her write those down so I could steer clear. The Metallic dragons, like Sammy, were not overcome by their darker desires, and stayed pure. They were generally friendly, helpful, and kind towards humans making them much more welcome.
"But how can he be a Rubicon and you a Fire-Tail?" I think that was what she called herself.
"Um, it's hard to explain."
Disappointment rushed over me, these were the things I needed to know, but it was too much to understand in one hour.
"What can he do?" I asked.
"Everything, from healing broken bones to spitting acid. We'll learn about his Anatomy in the second year."
"So his rider─"
"Blake doesn't have one," Becky interrupted.
"Why not?"
"Because his true Dragonian doesn't exist. Another long story and one we'll tell you about later," Becky said.
"Elena, you're going to be fine." Sammy saw right through me. "The only things you need to know are that magic and dragons exist."
“And that Sammy talks way too much,” Becky chirped.
“Oh shut your trap,” Sammy snapped back playfully.
“You must see her pucker when she's a dragon.”
“This pucker can light your ass on fire, missy.”
I laughed at their playful bickering. It reminded me of Dad, the times when he was normal. A horrible emptiness filled my heart once more.