Dragon Wars: Flames Of Pain (Book 3)

Chapter 4 (Jangras PoV) Youre Sorry

I looked at my friend for a few moments, as I was a slight bit confused as to what it was that he had meant by that. I stared at him for just a few moments, as I let him finish off his prey, and once he had done so, I nodded to him, and then I began to speak to him as well.
"I will have to get something to drink too, what is the news?" I asked my friend. I was not too worried about it either, as if there really had been some thing that was important, that I needed to know about, than my father, or Socra would have already told me about it at this point.
He had a bit of a surprised look on his face, which confused me even more than I had been before. Had they said something, without telling me about it first? I shook my head anyways, as I then nodded to Kota, to get him to go ahead and speak. He did so as well.
"People have been saying that we are going to attack the black dragons very soon. Himla has been missing for several days... Have you not heard about it?" He asked me. I looked at him for a few moments, and then I rolled my eyes at the same time too.
I realized what was going on... Someone had been spreading rumors probably, about my father more than likely getting killed. It had not been the first time that it had happened. The last time my father had met the black dragons, everyone was scared that the black dragons had killed him.
I had to admit as well, that for some time, while my father had been gone, I had been very worried about him. Though my mother said that I should not worry, and that the black dragons had changed, that had clearly not been the case.
I shook my head at the same time as well though, as I knew what all of the other dragons did not know. He was gone this time, but he was going to go and meet up with the fellow red dragon leaders at some place, that was supposedly safe as well.
Kota looked at me for a fair amount of time, as he had his eyes squinted at me at the same time as well. He clearly knew that something was up, and that I was not telling him something. I shook my head, as I knew that I had to speak to him, before he got too worried.
I looked back at him, to get him to calm down, and then I nodded to him at the same time too. He looked at me for just a few moments, until he too nodded back at me, for me to go ahead and speak. I did so at the same time as well.
"Look Kota... Nothing happened to Himla... Kota I want you to be the deputy when I take over as leader. I know you don't want it, but I need you, and I trust you." I said to him. He looked at me for just a few moments, as he took in a deep sigh, but he then eventually nodded to me.
I felt a bit bad for telling him that at the same time too. I knew that it was going to be a lot of stress on him, and he had said to my father, that he did not want that. For me, I really did not have a choice, and at the time I probably would have said yes anyways.
I felt like I always needed some sort of bragging right to all of my old friends, but now, looking back on it, I kind of did not want to be the next deputy. It really was a lot to take in, and to make sure that the tribe was safe. If you made the wrong decision, even just once, it could lead to many deaths, and many angry dragons.
Or even the case of my own father, the way that he had been, it was just a few months ago now, but I still could not forget about it. I still had the scar where he had cut me, and burnt me very badly. I shook my head, as I then looked up at my best friend, Kota.
I could tell that Kota did not want to agree on this, but as I saw him look around at the whole tribe that was with him, and look over at his mate for just a bit, he then turned his head back over to me. He stared at me for just a bit, and then he began to speak to me.
"I do not want it... But if I have to, I will take it. Where is Himla then, if you know where he is... The whole tribe is scared to death right now... What is it?" He said to me. I looked at him for a bit, as I knew that this might be a bad idea... At the same time though, he was my best friend, and I had to remember that... I trusted him with my life.
I looked at him for just a few moments, and then I looked around at all of the dragons that were around us, all getting there food too, as it had not taken long for them to empty out the prey pile, that Kotas group had come back to the camp with.
I shook my head, as I knew that it was not where my focus should be at right now. I was really only doing that, just to make sure that there was no dragon that was trying to spy in on our conversation. It was not likely that they would betray us, but if they heard what it was that I said, they would spread it all around camp.
My father had told us to keep it a secret as well, and I felt a bit sick for betraying him, but I knew that I trusted Kota. I shook those thoughts out of my head, as I then looked at my friend, I then nodded to him at the same time as well, and then I began to speak to him.
"Well... He did not want anyone to know... But I trust you Kota. He once said to me, that you trust those that you hold close..." I said to him, but then I stopped at the same time. I felt a bit sick when those words had just come out o my mouth.
I remembered that there was in fact, 2 dragons that I had once trusted. I had lost all of my trust in the both of them, as I had thought that I had been in love with the both of them. Those 2 dragons were Yikla, and Penta. I then began to move back a little from Kota.
Kota looked at me, as I could tell that he was a bit confused as to what it was that was going on with me. I felt a bit scared, and I was not sure who it was that I should trust anymore. He stared at me for a few moments, until he then began to speak to me.
I was very lost in my thoughts right now, as I was not sure what was going on with me at the moment. I felt like I should go inside the cave, and get some sleep, but at the same time, I was not tired. I looked up at my friend, as I realized that he was talking to me, and I nodded to myself, to get myself to pay attention to him.
"Are you okay Jangra? You don't have to tell me if you do not want... I understand..." He said to me. I stared at him for a few moments, as I was still a bit lost in myself, until it then hit me, as to what it was that he had just said to me.
I felt a bit bad, as I was sure that I had gotten him a bit excited, but I had let him down in the end. I looked at him at the same time though, as I was happy that he understood as well. I then nodded to him, once again, and I began to respond to him.
"Thank you Kota... Its not just that though... If you want to meet me some where secret later, I will tell you... My father is worried about there being traitors in our tribe." I said back to him. He looked at me, as I could tell that he was a bit surprised, but he then nodded back to me.
He turned his head behind him at the same time too. Me and him both saw that his mate was coming over to him right now. He looked back over to me, and then he nodded. I could tell that he had one last thing that he had to say to me, before it was too late.
I nodded back to him quickly as well, so that he could go ahead and say what it was that was in his thoughts, while we still had just a few seconds of having a little bit of some privacy. I listened to what it was that he had to tell me as well.
"Okay Jangra... You just tell me where after we finish our training, and we will get it planned." He said to me. I looked at my friend for just a few moments longer, as I then gave him a bit of a smile, though there was not much for me to be happy about.
I really only did that, just to let him know that I trusted him. We then both turned our heads over to his mate Zati, as she walked up on the both of us. She looked at us a bit confused by the strange looks that were on our faces right now.
I knew that she was a very smart dragon, as I had come to find out, though she did not say a thing about the looks that were on our faces. It was clear that she was smart enough to know that what it was between us, was a bit private as well.
Instead she sat down beside the both of us, as she did not say a word to either of us. It was a bit of some awkward silence for a fair amount of time. I felt like a was beginning to get a bit anxious too, as I then lifted my head up, and I spoke to the both of them.
"Well... You 2 enjoy your time together before we start our training, I am going to get some water... I am thirsty." I said to the both of them, but mainly over to Kota, as it was almost as if it was a bit of a secret message. It was completely true, so I did not feel bad about what I had said.
At the same time though, I felt like I should for some reason, due to the fact that she was not going to be a part of our private meeting tonight. I looked at them for just a few more moments, as I then noticed that they had engaged in to some conversation.
I then looked away, as I began to walk out of camp at the same time as well. I saw some looks from a lot of dragons, as it was clear to me, that Kota was not wrong when he had said that there were a lot of worried dragons right now.
I shook my head, ignoring all of the dragons, as I then headed into the woods, over to a nearby river, that I hoped was not stopped up, due to the fact that we had not got all that much rain as of late. I looked around at the woods, as I knew that though we had been here for a long time, no matter what happened soon, we were not going to be living here much longer.
It was nothing like the old territory that we had lived in, but I had in fact grown a bit fond of the area. Though it did not hold exactly the best memories, it never felt good to leave your home. I shook my head, as I kept on walking into the woods.
I realized at the same moment as well, that I was supposed to meet with Yikla, along with Kota now, tonight. How was I going to do both of them? I shook my head at the same time, as I remembered that Kota had been at the last meeting that I had not been invited to, when we had seen Yikla.
I am sure he would not against the fact that Yikla would be at the meeting with us. Unlike a lot of the tribe, Kota had not lost anyone of much importance to him, when the black dragons had attacked our camp. It made sense as to why he was not as angry as a lot of the others were.
I shook my head once again, as I felt like I should not be trapped in my head, as I was a lot of the days. I felt like I should have at least one day where I had it to myself. I would worry about what was going to happen, when the time came tonight.
I looked in front of me, as I spotted the river that I had been looking for, right in front of me. I sighed, a bit more in just relief, as I then got up close to the river, and then I began to drink out of it, at the same time as well. It made me feel a lot better too.
The food had been good, but I suppose that I had not realized how thirsty I had been either. I kept on lapping up the water, when suddenly I heard a quiet, but high pitched voice from right in front of me. I moved back, quite a bit scared.
I then realized that it was just a small little red dragon. I was more just scared by the fact that I had not realized that there had been a dragon with me this whole time. But it was quite a young dragon, no more than maybe 4 or 5 years old, if I had to take my best guess.
The dragon looked a bit familiar at the same time as well, though I could not understand what it was that looked like that for the life of me. I nodded to the young dragon to go ahead and speak to me as well, as I tried to shake off those thoughts.
The dragon looked a bit scared, and a bit surprised at the same time as well. I knew why too, as a lot of the dragons in the tribe, often looked up to dragons like my father and I. She looked at me for a bit longer, until she then began to gather herself, and her words, I nodded to her, as she then spoke.
"Jangra... I want you to know that my brother looks up to you... I hope that you can help save us... I miss my daddy and mommy..." She said to me. I looked at the poor dragon for a few moments, as I felt quite a bit bad for the poor young dragon.
I wondered if her brother had passed away as well, and if she were alone at the moment. I then shook my head, as I knew that my father would not let that happen to a poor young dragon such as this one. I lowered my head to the young dragon, as I felt a bit humble at the same time as well.
Though she was a bit of a young dragon, and I knew that I should not be acting like that, I also knew that I was a bit scared as well. I wonder how many young dragons were looking up to me, such as this one was. I felt a bit sick, as I did not want to let all of then down.
I then lifted my head up to the young dragon at the same time, as I smiled at her, trying to make her feel a bit better. She had lost her mother and her father, she did not need to see nothing but sadness all around her. She smiled a bit back at me, but then she lowered her head to the ground.
I knew that she was a very sad dragon as I could tell. She must have been very close to her parents, if I had to guess. I put my paw up to her head, and I lifted her head up at the same time. I then began to speak back to her, after the long time of silence.
"I will do my best to avenge your parents... I appreciate your trust in me. What is your name young dragon?" I said to the dragon. She looked at me for a few moments, as I saw it put a bit of a smile on her face, just to even hear my voice back to her.
It was not the best made sentence to talk to the young dragon, but at least it was enough to make her feel a bit better. That was all that really mattered in the end I suppose. She kept that smile as well, as she then began to respond to my question.
"My name is Wuplin! Thank you Jangra, I believe in you..." She said to me. I looked at her for just a few moments, as I nodded back to her, keeping that same smile on my face at the same time as well. I was not sure if I really believed in myself, like this dragon said it believed in me.
I shook my head, as I knew that I should not think like that. I was the dragon of destiny, and no matter how many times I kept telling myself that I was not... I knew that I was... My brother had said that I was, in death... And hell, even God had said that I was.
There was not much else to prove that I was at this point. I knew that I had to keep my head up, and I had to believe in myself. I kept my head up to the dragon, as I saw that it had its head down once again. I wanted to lift in up, just as I had before, but something else came in to my thoughts, just before I had the chance to do so.
Wuplin... The name sounded quite familiar, though I was not sure where I remembered the name from in the first place. I shook my head, as I knew that there were bigger things to worry about right now. I needed to head back to camp, before I was late to start my training.
I began to move back a bit, as I remembered that in fact. As I then began to head back to the camp. I then realized that there was a young dragon that was alone, and I was not sure that if it too knew the way back to the camp.
I had to make sure at least, as that was the job of a leader such as I was. I then headed back to the young dragon, that was all alone by the river now. As I sat down beside her. She looked at me for just a few moments, as I saw a bit of a sad smile on her face.
I felt bad for the young dragon, if she was not alone, than what dragon was it, that was in fact taking care of her? They were not doing a very good job clearly, if she was left out here, alone in the woods. Just as I was about to speak to her, to try and cheer her up, I heard the voice of a dragon speaking loudly from the woods.
"Wiplin! Where are you Wiplin! What did I tell you about running off without me! The black dragons will find you!" I heard the voice of a familiar dragon yelling to the young dragon. It now began to all make sense as to why the name of Wiplin sounded so familiar to me...
I spotted the dragon as it was walking through the woods at the same time as well, probably scared to death as to where Wiplin had gone. It was all beginning to make sense to me now. Wiplin did had a brother that was still alive, and I knew just who it was as well.
It was a very old friend of mine... Nink! I lifted my head over to the young dragon that was in front of me. The yell back over to Nink, to let him know that his sister was safe, and that she was over here with me.
"Nink! Wiplin is over here with me!" I yelled back over to Nink. Nink stopped for just a few moments, as I could tell he was trying to find out where my voice had come from. He then turned his head over to where it was that I might be at, and then he began to walk over to us.
Once he got a bit closer to us as well, he then realized who it was that had just spoken to him, as I could tell that he was very embarrassed to see that it was me that had caught his sister that had gone missing. He had his head down low, as he then stopped right in front of me.
I felt a bit bad for my old friend, as I could tell that he was not the same that he used to be. It was not like it was his fault for it though... He did not get to hang out with his friends much, since he had became a cave dragon, and I knew that he was a bit embarrassed about it as well.
He was always a bit nervous to talk to dragons in the first place, and it made sense that he was to me, even if we had been friends at one point. I was going to be the next deputy, and the leader of the tribe, it would kind of scare him to talk to a dragon of my stature.
He turned his head to his sister though, as if I was not even there, and he began to talk to her, making sure that she was listening as well. His sister looked away from me for once, and over to her brother, as he spoke to her.
"Wiplin... What did I tell you about running off! You are lucky that Jangra caught you... Say that you're sorry!"