Dragons and Witches

CH.28

"Your turn!" Darkon exclaimed standing up.

Argentina didn't even ask, she moved sitting on the swing, and Darkon started to swing it in a surprisingly gentle manner.

"You are very calm for the fact that you know that I am a dragon." He chuckled.

Argentina was far from calm, she was freaking out from the inside. She didn't know why he was telling her that. Was he trusting her with a secret that no one knew of, well she knew that somehow it wasn't secret to Saraya, Eliase and ofcourse the king. and the other thing she was very anxious about, is that he told her to soon kill her after, but that didn't make sense, that didn't prevent her from imagining the worst.

As the swinging continued Darkon began talking, "let me tell you a story, once upon a time, there was a child, hungry, sad and tired. Fighting in his head. This child was saved by the king, the king brought him to the castle and ordered one of his men to raise him as if he was his son. The boy grew up slowly and with everyday passing, features of anonymous creature begain to appear on his body, and he was very aware of it for the longest times, he was scared, lonely and felt left out, until a boy and a girl got him up on his feet. He changed from a grumpy person to a slightly, even mildly happy one, until one time he met someone that looked like him, like the creature he is, so he followed him and to his surprise he saw that person killing someone and eating their flesh..." Darkon didn't stop swinging, following a rythem as Argentina listened.

Flesh? Cool....now add to the list that Dragons eat humans.

No need to panic, no need to panic at all.

Argentina was so silent she felt like she couldn't breathe.

"...breathe Argentina, you will pass out like this." At his chuckle she took a deep breath.

I really couldn't breathe...haha.

"...the boy turned back home, crying and screaming at his father, but his father told him that he was different, he was unique, a blessing from god, and the little kid believed him. So, everyday he would be trained to be stronger, and stronger and stronger...untill he fought with honor. One day, he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, she had a lovely black hair, she killed one of his best friends, so. He swore revenge. And from that moment on, he fought both the lady and the creature that was similar to him." He stopped swinging and chuckled, "...no happy ending for this story."

For some reason Argentina sighed in comfort, she couldn't believe that she always thought that a creature as graceful as a dragon be a danger to her one day. She was more curious about him, but her slight fear stopped her from asking questions.

"...you might think that you did something wrong in that illusion, but, it might be something that you fear inside of you, the illusion holds part of the truth not the whole one." At what he was saying Argentina let go of her bent up tears, she hated herself for two weeks, she was a monster a disgusting creature that killed a child. She thought that she was wrong so, she asked all the kids what kind of nightmares they had and they all said that they were trapped in a scary place, or had spiders crawling on their bodies or even a drowning one. No one of them had killed someone, so she lied about her illusion, she couldn't tell anyone about the disgrace she felt, she killed a child. With no remorse, only Merla caught up to her act and silently held her when she cried at night, or when hugged her when she felt that Argentina was out of it.

Argentina continuously kept crying. And Darkon kept silent. After many minutes of continuous swinging and weeping, Argentina sniffled saying, "...but you didn't deny what I said." Here is the thing with anxiety, it needed contionus conformation that nothing of what we are anxious about will come to us. And that was the case with Argentina, she needed confirmation that the horrible thing she saw was only a terrible dream, that she was not a monster.

Darkon chuckled, "I don't know, it's not for me to know, it's for you to only know. And believe me, no child would be capable of killing, you only fear killing, Argentina." He stopped the swing and whispered above her.

"And I would know if you killed someone." She felt a shiver run her spine, sudden fear engulfed her and before she could respond, Darkon pushed the swing again.

"Now, how did you paint that painting?" He asked again.

Argentina didn't answer immediately, she remembered how after only four days of her encountering the nightmare phase of the illusion, she went to the orphanage again.

Argentina walked in the streets until she reached a familiar gate, she took some personal allowance and purposely wore the badge of the kingdom, indicating that she was a palace official worker. She looked on her shoulder to see Cherie sitting there with a determined look on her face, she brought her fist and hit her hand nodding, making Argentina smile contrary to what she felt in her heart.

Cherie was always with Argentina when she had her illusion, she would always come to her chamber putting a single daisy beside her head, sometimes she would also sit on the table Argentina was having breakfast or dinner at and fall asleep, just the day before Argentina could know that Cherie was the fairy's name, peculiarly the fairy could understand humans and even write in their languages, but humans couldn't understand fairies.

"Nothing will happen, I will just enter the place, look at the photo and run as fast!" Looking at the gate Argentina took a deep breath and sighed, "let's go." And she stepped inside many of the kids she knew didn't even recognise her, as she was covering her hair with a small bonnie, looks like she was only known for her hair then. She walked as if she knew the place, as fast as she could she walked towards the place she wanted to see.

And as she thought it was the painting she painted a while back when she was younger.

And just like she thought, the women in the painting looked eerily similar to the woman who she saw in her illusion, even the child...Argentina gulped and couldn't continue looking, she remembered the scene happening vividly in her mind. Argentina hypervintlated as she could hear that woman's voice as if it was a knightmare come to life, she feel on her knees and puked all that she had before. Then looked up at the creature she most liked. A man covering the woman safely with his wing.

She traced the wings as she wondered how could she come up with such a beautiful painting.

All thoughts Argentina had were cut as she shook her head and tried to remember how she could come up with this painting, "I don't know, I remember that one day, when they didn't want to let me inside the orphanage building I sat there with the paints I hid well behind some Bush and kept painting in frustration, and before I knew it I came up with this painting, were you astonished because it looked like you?" Argentina asked. At that she heard a mocking laugh, "that dude looked nothing like me, I look more handsome." At that Argentina rolled her eyes.

"I meant that he was similar to you?" Argentina rolled her eyes, not that he can see.

"Hmm, maybe. But, what I found weird is that you knew about dragons, and even the half form at that, imagine my shock!" He shook his head.

"Yeah, I can imagine." She paused before she had the courage to ask.

"So, you are a kind dragon then?" Argentina asked. And after she finished the question her swing abruptly stopped, she turned to see Darkon laughing silently before he began laughing loudly as if what she said was the most funny thing ever.

"Kind...what?" He asked not believing what this kid was saying.

"Oh, dear. This was funny." He swatted an imaginary tear from his eyes as he answered.

"No dragon is kind. I just chose the human's side that's all, do you know what actually more surprising, is that you don't look the least bit afraid...what if I killed you, tortured or ate you?" Humour couldn't leave his eyes.

Well, she thought of all that but,.." if you wanted me dead, you would have killed me a long time ago." She concluded.

"true." He nodded.

“Is it a secret? You being a dragon?” she asked feeling bolder that now she knew he somehow he chose the human's side, but, were there even sides? And why were they fighting dragons in the first place?

“To the humans? Yes, to the castle? No.” He answered casually, Argentina was confused, but before she could question it Darkon beat her to it, “we will tell you kids, soon. That I am a dragon, and you will get used to it. I will even transform in front of you all.” At that Argentina was so astonished but somehow a little excited, a little giddy.“so, I am keeping a secret, right?” she beamed as she asked making Darkon chuckle, “you can keep it for now, but soon it won't be a secret, at least to your friends.” With that Argentina nodded feeling satisfied that most of her questions were answered.

She hopped off of the swing and stood in front of Darkon.

"Any more questions?" With eyes as glowing as his he seemed like he was having fun.

"Actually, one more, is the rumour about the guardians true?" She asked.

Darkon waited for that question, but it was not the time or the place to explain to her the details, "in time you will know, in time you will know, Silver." He posed to her dramatically before walking in front of her.

And as she walked behind him, all what was in her mind.

All that time and Darkon was not wearing a shirt!?

_________________________________________

"ARGENTUNAAAA!" Merla pumped into Argentina once she saw her smiling with Tia as they were walking towards the battle grounds, she jumped on her making Argentina fall on the ground with an oomph.

Tia stood there confused, "Tuna?"

"Well, you and my bestie are always hanging around, so I thought I should do a name mixing, Argentina, and Martina. I think Martina suit us better, Merla and Argentina is way better than Tia and Argentina, and you come from the seas hence the tuna part."

"Mind if you explain all that to her while you are not crushing me." Argentina mumbled from under Merla.

"No, that's your punishment for being sad these days."

"So, being sad is her fault right now?" Tia shook her head folding her arms to her chest, "and my country doesn't have tuna, Jacob's does."

"Whatever, they are all fish." Merla rubbed her face to Argentina making Argentina grumble, but enjoying it in secret.

"They are not merely fish, they are very much amazing." Tia held her ground as she fought with Merla.

Merla stood up suddenly and glared at Tia, " yeah, sure. Tuna." Both Merla and Tia kept fighting on a very trivial unimportant matter making Argentina shake her head and sigh.

"Ladies, Tuna tastes great, and fish are amazing, setting aside that argument. We are supposed to go for Eliase's lesson remember." Jacob came from behind the three Thoamson on his tail.

"Right, right, let's go. “Argentina stood up quickly and started to walk side by side with her new friends

"Hello guys, are you all ready." Eliase said as he came with a full armor wear, the kids looked at him in confusion.

"Today we are going in a picnic." He answered getting enthusiastic. That made the kids even worry more.

"A picnic?" Tia asked.

"Yes, a picnic. We will talk together about something important." He said moving towards a place on the training ground filled with different backpacks. He got a hold of each bag and threw it at each one of them making them stumble as they catch it.

"These are some essentials needed in the picnic." He announced as he started walking, the kids looked at his back weirdly, a backpack and a picnic, that's weird.

They started to walk after him in slow careful steps. As Argentina walked she opened the bag to see what was inside it, she noticed a lot of supplies. Herbal medicine, poison and other potions similar to the one Saraya taught them how to do.

Merla looked at Argentina as she also opened the bag as soon as Eliase gave it to them.

This was not only a picnic, they are going to do even something much more dangerous.