Fortunately, when he turned Rvan over realized the boy, he could see that he had been badly cut. The fire mentor tore off his jacket and started taring it a part. He quickly instructed Skylar and his protégés to start bandaging Rvan’s wounds. Draco tied Rvan’s arm to a thick branch he had burned off of a tree.
“Draco, what happened to you?” A deep voice came from behind them. Draco’s head flung around. The Earth Mentor stood before them, his wife looking at Gregory’s small cuts on his chest. He had dark skin, similar to his three sons, the earth protèges that stood behind him. Three other earth dragons changed into human form as they landed. The Earth Mentor ran to help attend Rvan, who was staring at nothing with glassy eyes. Draco was starting to panic. The Earth Mentor grabbed out banadges from the inside of his jacket, "I have you covered Draco,” The Earth Mentor said as he lifted Rvan up slightly to help banadage him.
“Ramell?” Draco gasped. “How on earth did you find us?”
“I saw you on the news. I knew you had to be heading for the border if you’re still smart, so I followed the line from you’re safe house to the closest part of the border. And then a saw fire and destruction so…” Ramell explained with a quick smile, as he turned Rvan onto his side. The boy was… worse than Ramell thought. He hadn’t changed his expression except when he first saw him, when the kid was staring at the ice protège. Speaking of, “You know your mother is dead worried for you, Skylar.”
Draco gulped loudly and turned pale at that statement.
“The Council doesn’t suspect she had anything do with this right?” Skylar asked, her breath was a little shaky.
“Not that I know of,” Ramell replied as he looked at Rvan’s ear, soaked in blood. He leaned closer to the boy, “Can you hear me, kid?”
No response. Gosh, what happened to the boy?
Ramell looked at Draco, “Listen, there’s a lot of smoke coming from those crashed fighter jets. The Council’s hounds are after you, and probably us too. We’re going to need to fly,” Ramell glanced down at the kid, “I’m going to guess he won’t be able to shift considering he’s bleeding so much so-“ Ramell stopped when everything seemed to get quiet with the Fire team and Skylar, “What?”
Nula glared at the Earth Mentor. Not that he had done anything wrong, but she saw how Rvan’s eyes changed from glassy to distant. Nula spoke up first, “He doesn’t have a dragon form anymore,” Nula looked at the Earth protèges. “One of you shift, all of us are too tired to carry Rvan,” A lie, but she thought the Earthlings would be less of a target in the case they ran into another set of Council hounds. The eldest of Ramell’s sons, maybe twenty-one, shifted into a sleek brown dragon. Ramell, after correctly setting and bandaging Rvan’s arm, helped hoist Rvan up to the top of Ramell’s eldest son. One of his protèges got out a rope and helped Nula strap Rvan in tight. He was looking at Skylar when the Earth protèges took flight.
And so the Earth dramans brought Skylar, Rvan and the fire dramans to another safe house (deep bellow the ground) that was only a days flight from the border. Draco offered Ramell his sincerest thanks.
Ramell stirred the beans and soup on the stove, “No, no need for thanks, Draco. That Council was full of snarling dictators, all wanting to take away our basic human rights,” Ramell started pouring the food into individual bowls, “It was only a matter of time before someone rebelled,” A smirk at Draco, “Help me set the table?”
“With pleasure.” Draco replied as he pulled a long white cloth over the table.
Ramell’s wife, Ebony, came into the room, with a stack of plates in hand. She kissed Ramell on the cheek before she moved to the table to set out plates.
“It good to see you again, Ebony.” Draco said to her.
“It’s good to see you too, Draco, and speaking of,” A mischievous smile appeared on her face, “Have you been seeing anyone lately? How’d that date I set up for you with Anne go? Hmm?”
Draco cheeks tinted slightly pink, “I -um- it actually never -er- happened,” Draco replied, hastily going to set down forks at the table. Ebony didn’t take none of it, and followed him with her eyebrows raised.
“You should really get out more, Draco. You really should. I know dramans like yourself have long lifespans, but that’s no excuse to not have a love life,” Ebony scolded. Ramell set out steaming hot rolls on the plates and then dinner was ready.
Ramell looked at his amazing wife badgering Draco, “Come on, get him a date later. I’m sure our protèges are hungry.”
“I can go get them.” Draco added, hastily. “We’ll talk later, Ebony.” And by later he meant never.
He started making long strides towards the younger dramans rooms. He knew it would probably be healthy to heed Ebony’s words someday…but he was a wanted fugitive now. That had to be a good enough excuse.
Draco went into the lounge where the protèges waited. He tried to recall the names of the Earth protèges. The eldest son was Kan, the middle was Edwin, the youngest was Clay. The two other protèges of the Earth were Rigel and Emora. The earth protèges were playing card games together, while his fire protèges were looking over the small cuts on their arms and such. Skylar was sitting with Rvan, neither of them speaking. Draco cleared his throat, “Dinner is ready, everyone.”
The earth protèges scrambled up from their card games and went into the kitchen/dining room area. Draco went over to his protèges, “Now, make sure to have impeccable manners, these people are keeping us safe from the Council,” Draco reminded them.
All the protèges went to the large round table. The Earth team was just about to say grace. The Fire team got seated as the earth team thanked God for the food on the table, but Draco noticed how Rvan’s lips moved slightly with the prayer, though he couldn’t hear if Rvan was actually saying it from across the room. Draco bet so, though.
Once they were all seated and ready to eat, Ramell smiled and raised his glass of water, “A toast… to freedom.”
Then, Ramell and his Earth protégés began rapidly slurping down their food. Kan and Edwin spoke to each other as they chewed. The sounds of chewing, slurping and conversation enveloped the room. However, all of the fire dramans ate with silverware and took care to wipe there mouths occasionally. Well, all of the fire dramans with the except of Gregory. Gregory looked like he was in his element as he slurped up his soup and tore apart the other side dishes. Skylar still hadn’t begun eating. With a look of complete horror, she watched the earth dramans tear their food apart. Her mother never allowed her ice protégés to eat like that.
Draco elbowed Skylar. Skylar turned and frowned at him. “What, old man?”
“You’re staring.” He informed through clenched teeth. Gods, he hoped she would stop calling him old man soon.
Skylar narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t. You. Dare. Tell me that is bad manners.” She growled.
Rvan quietly stared at his food. He hadn’t remebered the last time he ate. Rvan glanced at Skylar, who hadn’t touched her food either. He decided he’d wait for her to eat first.
Skylar looked over at Rvan. He wasn’t eating. Was he starving himself? He desperately needed to regain his strength. “Are you going to eat, Rvan?” She asked, breaking the long silence between them.
His eyes met hers and he gave a small smile, “I was waiting for you.”
“Me?” She blinked at him.