Drakonika (Book 1) (44 page)

“
No, it doesn't. You can pet him if you want.” Magnus said, sounding a little brighter. Somehow, teasing this little lizard brought a smile back to his sad face. Seconds later, Lars joined Belinda and they were both touching the dragon as though he was an animal in a petting zoo.

“
All right... but does it fly?” Elmar asked curiously.

“
Well, I haven't seen him flying but... I believe so.” Magnus said.

Aurora hopped to Magnus and joined the petting zoo. “He's so cute!” She said in a sweet voice, but none of the petting and compliments did not seem to please the dragon at the moment; all he wanted was to get away.

Magnus turned in the direction where Maren and Fjalldís stood silently, remaining deep in their thoughts. “Can you keep him here, Fjalldís?” He said in a concerned tone.

Fjalldís gave him a faint smile and nodded. “Don't worry, we will do everything to get your amulet back.” She said, gazing at him sympathetically.

The dragon slightly tilted his head, as though he wanted to get his ears closer to hear them better.

Maren gave a heavy sigh.

“Don't be sad, Maren... we will talk over the Thought Booster from Valezar. I know it's a bit twitchy, but we know how it works... and it's the only thing that can help us communicate right now.” Magnus said, trying to cheer Maren up, then he looked at Fjalldís again. “Watch him close... He mustn't get out of the house, or he'll fly away. And there would go my only chance to...” He said, but when he realized that Belinda and Aurora did not have the slightest idea about his dragon origin, he changed the end of the sentence. “...to get my magickal amulet back.”

Shortly after that, Magnus gave the dragon to Fjalldís and departed to his home-prison.

Magnus was nowhere to be seen for days. Fjalldís and Maren were trying every day to learn some useful information from the little dragon, but unsuccessfully. Nothing could make him talk. Maren was talking to Magnus over the Thought Booster whenever she got a chance, knowing that the real meaning of his thoughts were always the opposite from what she had heard. Finally, a day had come, when Magnus felt utterly uneasy. He sensed something big was about to happen; and it was something that did not feel right.

XIX. The Unexpected Visitors

It was late afternoon. There was no lecture at that time, so Fjalldís was spending her free time by trying to make the dragon speak. Belinda and Aurora were keeping her company, but they were studying. All three of them were having a comfortable sitting with warm tea by the table, when they heard someone impatiently knocking on the door. Well, at least impatient enough for Belinda and Aurora to look up from their reading.

“
Somebody's knocking on the door,” Belinda said in a uninterested tone, sliding the books contents again. But none of them felt like getting up to answer the visitors.

“
If you know something, you must tell us! Please! It's very important!” Fjalldís demanded, watching the winged lizard changing colours as he walked around the table.

“
I know nothing!” The dragon claimed in a similarly desperate tone. “Now, give me some fruits and vegetables, lots and lots of it...” He said, now sounding a little calmer, as he entangled his long elegant tail around the tea cup, tilted it closer and dipped his thin pink tongue into the tea with almost indecent enthusiasm. “Mmmm... yummy... fruit tea, I see... very good.” He said in a muffled tone, as he closed his eyes delightfully.

“
Hey! That was my tea!” Fjalldís squealed, giving the dragon a rather confused look which was reflecting something like anger mingled with disappointment. The little dragon bulged his golden eyes and flinched back.

“
Oh, oh... was it? Well, it still is, you can't catch any disease from me, I swear!” The dragon stuttered, bobbing on the spot in fear.

Knock, knock, knock!

Belinda slammed her book on the table. “The door!” She said one more time, since the visitors appeared to be growing impatient and she could not leave the table herself because she was sitting in the corner, enclosed with her two friends from both sides.

“
I'll get it,” Aurora said airily, when Fjalldís suddenly understood it would be the best time to hide their little friend, for it was certain that whoever it was knocking on the door, he probably did not see dragons hopping on study tables every day. Despite the dragon's protesting, Fjalldís quickly seized him, stuffed him unceremoniously into a cupboard next to the window and shut the lid. And it was right in time, because Aurora had just opened the door and frankly, she was not pleased by what she saw.

Aurora frowned, but she felt her knees trembling. She thought it was night already, but then she realized it was the black clothes of the six black squad members. Before she could send them away, Darius boldly pulled her to the side and bounded in with all his comrades and Serena.

Belinda leaped to her feet immediately and Fjalldís gaped at them in shock, still leaning to the cupboard.

“
Hey! Get out of here! Nobody invited you...” Belinda cried bravely, but nobody was listening to her. Darius was totally ignoring Aurora and Belinda, as though there were not even there. He slowly came to Fjalldís with a sinister sneer on his face.

“
Darius, what the heck are you doing?” Fjalldís said in a slightly suspicious tone. This was not exactly the way of entering a house that did not belong to them.

“
Nothin'... I just came to see you, do you have a... problem with that?” Darius said in a malicious tone, surveying her with the highest confidence.

Fjalldís felt herself pierced by his sinister glance. “You can't just break into our house!” She scolded him furiously. Somewhere from the front of the room she could hear a malevolent snigger. Aurora flinched back to Belinda in fear.

Darius leaned to Fjalldís even closer. “I don't need your invitation.” He said, insolently gazing into her eyes.

“
Why do you always have to be such a jerk when your comrades are around? What's this all about?” Fjalldís chided again, gathering all her courage to not show any fear.

“
Chill, Fjalldís.” Darius said, this time in a little more serious tone. I  just came to return your book.” He raised his hand and handed the book about cats over to Fjalldís, then looked back directly in her eyes.

“
Well... thanks...” Fjalldís stuttered. She felt quite confused, but in that moment she did not realize it was all too good to be over. She seized the book and held it on her chest.

“
There was also some drawing inside, must have been from a day of  great victory, I guess... so I decided to return that as well, you surely wouldn't like to be without it.” Darius said, his lips curling into a malicious smile again.

Fjalldís felt dazed. “My picture? My picture with Magnus? I was looking everywhere for it!” She beamed, but then she realized that she was still in the same bad company as she was seconds ago.

“Yeah I thought you'd want it, so now you have it back...” Darius said, then leaned to her so close she had to tilt her head away. Fjalldís could feel his calm breath in her hair. “Well... at least what's left of it.” He whispered and straightened his back again.

Fjalldís looked frozen, but her chest rose and fell rapidly as she gazed back into Darius' eyes which appeared utterly cold now, as though he felt highly affronted by something that she had done. Seeing her terrified face, Darius turned away and strode back to his friends in the front of the room. Before they could even leave, Fjalldís set off to the staircase and paused for a moment. She felt as though all her piece and happiness was taken away the very moment when Darius came into their house.

“I hate you!” Fjalldís cried and with tears filling her eyes she rushed into the bedroom upstairs.

“
Ouch,” Darius said airily and along with his friends, he burst in malicious laughter as they headed out.

Belinda bolted forward and flung herself on the door as she slammed them closed behind those hooligans. She remained silent for a while, her heart was still drumming wildly, and it took a moment for them to even believe what had just happened.

Aurora recovered first. “What did he whisper to her?” She said curiously, but her voice was still shaking. As Belinda shrugged, the wooden lid of the cupboard opened, letting a colourful lizard head peek out.

“
He said...: at least what's left of it.” The dragon repeated Darius' last words in a steely voice. Belinda and Aurora exchanged stunned looks.

Darius had torn the picture to pieces.

The black squad was on their way to their house, when Viktor stopped suddenly. “That was great... I just... I just feel great.” He said in a highly contented voice, as he fixed the top of his black shirt. “I think we should visit Serena's house now. There are three little goblins who'd need somebody to teach 'em a good lesson as to who rules these streets!” He shot Rodrick an imperative glance. “Two of them, particularly, ought to know something that we don't... and we're going to find out shortly. Rodrick...” Viktor said in a superior voice, making a slight move with his head in order to send Rodrick forward. If there was anyone capable of fooling those naive girls, it was his red haired comrade; but to his astonishment, Rodrick did not move. “What's wrong with you man? Didn't I just give you an order to go get some information from them? We might need it!” He said fiercely.

Rodrick looked slightly puzzled. “Well yeah... but I don't take orders from you... you're not our leader.” He said flatly. “You're just the same rank in our gang as I am.”

“What?!” Viktor snarled, clenching his fists in anger. “You want to say that I'm just a prank buffoon like you?”

The temper was rising and Darius could feel it was the right time to step between them. “Hey, nobody's a... a prank buffoon or anything,” he said in unbelieving tone. “You guys just calm down... we're a unit, and we're always work like a unit, all right?” He turned his head on Rodrick, then on Viktor. But the one of them who was being angry did not calm down.

“A unit...” Viktor said in a disgusted tone. “Are you kidding? We haven't been doing any of our usual stuff lately, and it's all because of you, cause you've become too softy.” He snarled with undisguised ferocity, pointing his finger right at Darius' chest.

“
What are you talking about?” Henry said, casting Viktor a piercing look with his dark eyes. “Didn't you see what he just did back there?” He swung his arm lazily in the direction of Fjalldís' house.

While his friends were trying to defend him, Darius did not say a word.  Suddenly, he felt a strong squirm of discomfort, which did not let him to speak. Viktor had the most tempestuous personality of all of them, but this time he had definitely overreacted.

“Back there?” Victor scoffed. “That was just an act of destructive jealousy when he had found a picture of Fjalldís and Magnus in that book of hers. Nothing truly malevolent, nothing sinister, not even a little devilish... he'll probably want to apologize to her later. He's not worth being our leader, I tell you!”

Giselbert and Serena exchanged puzzled looks, while the others continued their quarrel.

“Oh really?” Henry growled. “And who else would be a better leader for us? Let me guess... you?” He breathed fiercely and let out a taunting snigger.

“
Do you have a better suggestion?” Viktor shot back, as he made a step forward to look Henry directly in the eyes. Danger could be sensed in the air; the two of them did not seem to feel any fear. They could start fighting any minute. And the more when the rest of the black squad recalled what animal shapes they took at one of Aedan's lessons.

Rodrick, although not feeling so brave, took all his courage to defend his friend and jumped in front of Darius, right next to Henry. “Yeah, I do,” he said flatly and gave Viktor a venomous gaze. “Why don't we just keep following Darius? 'Cause
he's
our true leader, not you.”

Viktor gazed back, as he gave a scornful sneer. “I see...” He said, then rounded on Serena and Giselbert. “What's your opinion? Darius or me?” He said in a take it or leave it attitude, but those two did not seem to want to anger any of their friends; they wanted things to be as they always were. Serena's eyes darted downwards and Giselbert mouthed but there was no sound coming out.

“Nothing? I am disappointed...” Viktor said grimly. “Well then, I guess this is where we part. You're just a bunch of losers anyway,” he said shortly, then turned their back on them and as he strode away, he took the first turn in the forbidden streets.

There was a long silence. When Viktor vanished from their sight, Darius clapped his hand on his face and gave a mournful sigh. His fault or not, the times of joy were over and nothing would ever be the same again; their party was broken.

“He'll be back...” Serena said in order to cheer him up, although she knew it was not true. Viktor would never take his decisions back.

“
Well, we've lost Viktor... but there's still five of us... we can't let this bring us to our knees,” Henry said, taking Darius around his shoulders and rounding him in the opposite direction.

“
That's right, we have to stick together now,” Giselbert decided and clenched his fist to stress the seriousness of his words, but Henry gave him a confused look. Why did he not say this in front of Viktor?

Rodrick had an idea. A truly, truly marvellous and astonishing idea. “Would you like to play a few games with the cards?” He said brightly, as he tuned on Darius, but the answer was negative.

“How could I play cards with you? We've lost a member and a dear friend because of me, I don't even deserve your company...” Darius groaned sadly. He looked to be on the verge of tears, so Rodrick he decided to gather all his acting abilities and play a merry chap to cheer him up.

“
Come on, it's not that bad... You are our leader and we don't want anyone else to be our leader, even if you should be all softy and not do too many riots any more. I guess Viktor was on a higher level of malice. But you're doing great too so don't worry about it...” Rodrick said calmly.

“
Yeah, you're doing fine,” Serena agreed and gave him an encouraging smile.

Giselbert brushed a strand of hair off his face. “Well... is it true you did that thing with the picture out of jealousy?” He whispered curiously.

Rodrick knew that was not the best question for this occasion; one reason was that Darius did not feel like answering it right now, another reason was that Darius had ever only consulted these things with Rodrick and nobody else, and the third reason was that he could already see his friend's face turning red.

“
Ehh... why don't we just go play cards?” Darius said in the tone of fake airiness, as though he was hiding something, but he certainly hoped that nobody would ask about it any more. His friends agreed merrily and they disappeared all together behind the door of their house at the street's end.

The lights-out had just fallen along with the dark sky over the town and the door of Magnus' room creaked slightly as Lars with Elmar peeked in. “Magnus? Can we come in? We've brought you some food-” Elmar said carefully, but before they could receive an answer, Lars had bounded in.

“
And to join you in your study,” he said merrily, when he noticed the books thrown in the farthest corner of the room. “Oh...!”