Dragon Wars: Flames Of Pain (Book 3)

Chapter 21 (Josephs POV) Let Him Speak

I looked at the man for a few seconds, as at first I felt like I was a bit upset with what he had just said, and how he had just so rudely interrupted all that was going on in the room, but as I began to think about it, I was a bit grateful for him stepping in like that, as I did not want to look like a fool to all of these people that were in the room with me at the current moment.
It was clear that a lot of them had some what high regards for my father, as I saw that a lot of them had their eyes squinted at me, as if all of what we had been speaking on, had been my fault. It made me feel even more upset, at just the thought of all of that.
My father had treated me, and my family like shit, for so many years, and it pissed me off, the fact that all of them seemed to have put a lot of the blame on me. I shook my head though, as I saw that a lot of the people did not seem to care at all, by the small little fight that had erupted.
If you wanted to call it a fight at least, as I saw that many of them had their heads pointed at Travis, and they seemed to be happy as well, that he had stepped in for all of this. I closed my eyes for just a few seconds, as I did my best to regain myself, and try to calm down at the same time too.
I shivered, as it felt like all of the eyes in the room, were all on me as well. I knew that they were not, as I knew that John had told them to not be so hard on me, as I was in fact just 19, and I was not used to this kind of stuff, as no one in my family had ever told me about all of the dragons, and all of that other crazy stuff.
I shook my head though, as I then lifted my head up, and I opened my eyes to see all of the people that were with me in the room at the current moment. To my surprise, I did not see hardly any eyes on me, as most of them had their eyes on John, and Travis thankfully enough for me.
I let out a bit of a soft sigh of relief, as I shook my head, and I then turned my head over to John, as he began to speak up to all of the people that were in the room at the current moment in time. I listened to what it was that he had to say to all of us as well.
"Alright everyone... Calm down now... We are going to talk on what it is that Joseph should say to all of the people that are out there... They want to hear what it is that he has to say, not me... He is the reason that this legion is still alive today." He said to all of us. I looked at him for a few moments, as I then nodded like I saw a lot of others do as well.
I felt like, he was a bit wrong with what he had just said as well though. I felt like, a lot of the reason that we were here, was because a lot of people thought that I could do what it was that my uncle had done. I was still not sure if that were the case though, even though I knew that I should not be thinking that way.
If I did not believe in myself, than I knew that there was no way I was going to be able to use my powers, and my strength. I shook my head though, as I knew that I should not have my thoughts on all of that, at the current moment in time.
I turned my head back over to John, as I waited for him to continue to speak to all of the people that were in the room with me, at the exact moment. I blinked a few times, as I saw that he had his head in a completely different direction as well, as it did not seem like he was going to be speaking at all.
I turned my head, and my eyes over to who it was that he was looking at, as I saw that it was just Travis, who I had to now assume was kind of like the deputy to John. Travis had moved from his spot that he had been at a few seconds ago, as he nodded to John. He then looked at all of the people that were in the tent with us right now, and then he nodded to them as well, as he began to speak to all of us.
"That is the reason that we planned this in the first place, this was not meant to be some sort of squabble feast... Now, I see that you all have your attention on the more important matter, lets get things started..." He said us all. I looked at him for a few moments, as it was now this time, that I saw all of the heads point right over to me.
I gulped, as I just stared at Travis for a bit longer, as I could see all of the people in the room, as they all had their eyes on me right now. I did not want to look at them quite yet though, as I was not sure as to what it was that I should say. Travis then turned his head to me as well, as it was now fully clear that it was me, who was the one that needed to step up.
Travis winked at me for some odd reason, and then he nodded to me, as if he was trying to tell me that all of this was going to be fine, and that there was nothing at all, that I should be worried about, or stressed on. It was easy enough for him to think though, as I was quite sure that he had been doing this for years.
For me, however, I never once had to step up in front of a bunch of people, with all of their eyes on me, as I had to speak to all of them. I did not even have to serve people that I did not know, when I used to work at the bar. This was all new to me, and it was quite a bit scary to be frank.
I was not sure what was up with me though, as I knew that I should not be this way in front of all of these people, as it was not a good first look to all of them. I wish that I could just ask to not be the leader in all of this, but sadly, that was not how things were going to be allowed to go.
If I wanted humans to still live on this planet, than I needed to step up, and be the leader for them. No one else had the powers that I had... I blinked a few times, as I tried to remember what it was that the powers even did to help us in the first place.
I then remembered right away, as it was not hard for me to forget, the fact that I had nightmares every night, of a bunch of black dragons all around me, talking about killing me, as far as it seemed at least half of the time. I shook my head, as I did my best to shake all of that off, at the exact same time as well.
I then turned my head to all of them, as I let out a bit of a gulp at the same time as well. I saw that all of the heads in the room were on me, but as I now saw all of them, I then began to realize that it did not scare me as much as a might have thought it would have, just a couple of seconds ago.
I held my ground, as I did not look at a specific person in general, though there was one person that I almost wanted to do it too, but I refused to let this rumble for any longer. I managed to crack a bit of a smile, at all of them, which I could tell surprised them quite a bit.
It was still dead silent in the room for a bit longer, as I still was not sure what it was that I should say. I kind of wished that I had thought all of that through, long before now, but I suppose that I had not thought of that. Not that I would remember I single word of what I had planned on saying any ways.
I heard a bit of a loud cough from the right side of me, as I turned my head over to where I heard it from, and I squinted my eyes at the person, once I had seen that it had been John who had made the obnoxiously loud noise. I understood why he had done it though, as he was trying to tell me that I needed to start speaking.
No one else seemed to notice that fact either, as I just nodded to him, and then I looked back over at all of the others. I then stared directly at my father, which I could tell got in to his head a bit, once again. I did not mean it in the way that he was thinking, but it was more the fact that I was doing it, so that I could ignore the fact that there were at least 15 other people in the room staring at me, at the current moment.
I was not sure how I was going to do this in front of over a thousand people, if I was freaking out this much, over me talking to no less than 20 people. I let out a bit of a soft sigh, as I did my best to get control over myself. I then nodded to all of them, as to no surprise at all, no one did the same back over to me.
I did not let my mind focus on that at all, as I just kept my head held high, like I had been told to do by John, and then I went off of the flow, and what my mind decided was best to say to all of them, which was the exact opposite of what John had told me to do, long before this, as I then began to speak up to all of them.
"I am Joseph... As many of you already know... My uncle, as I have heard stories about him, might very well have been the greatest man alive, both in power, and in the way he treated others." I began to say to all of them, as I blinked a few times, as I saw John from the corner of my eye, as he was staring at me, much like all of the others that were in the room currently.
John nodded to me, as I did not gulp this time, as things seemed to be going okay for the moment, at least. As I then focused my attention to all of the people that were at the table. It seemed like a lot of them were getting bored, which I was not sure if it were do to the fact that I had hesitated on my words, or if it was because I was speaking in a bit of a boring fashion.
I shook my head though, as I knew that I should not be all too worried about all of that. I was letting it get to my head though, as I was not sure what I should say now. I stared for a bit more time, as people were beginning to look away from me, like they had better things to do at the moment.
It made me feel worse, as I knew that it was a time for me to shine, and prove my self to everyone... I had blown it though, and I made my self look like a fool, and just a little kid who was scared to speak up to a couple of people. Could you really blame me though?
I had grown up in a place where I did not get to talk to a lot of people, besides a few of my older friends. My father did not want to me go out that much, even before he had gotten to the way that he had been, for quite some time. So there was not all that much to teach me of how to act in a big public place such as this right now.
I was over exaggerating, and I knew it as well. This was not exactly a public place, so much as it was a private area with not nearly as many people as I was making it out to be. I knew how my brain worked though, as I knew that it was thinking more in to the future, where I was going to have to step up to over a thousand people.
Even with John telling me, that all I had to do, was simply stick to what it was that I had planned on saying, whilst I had been in the tent, talking it through to every one. It still did not make me feel all that much better about all of it. I gulped, as I then lowered my head down to the ground.
I knew it was a bad look, and it would lose a lot of peoples faith in me... It was too late to go back now, as I had already done what I had done. I shivered a bit, as this time, I knew that every one in the room was staring at me for sure.
I wanted to leave all of this, and pretend that none of this was real... I wanted to go back home... Which was not a real place for me any more. I wanted to cry, as I never wanted any of this. I was happy at Pops bar, living out my life there... Why did all of this have to happen?
As I continued to think all of those dark thoughts through my head, that was when I then heard the voice of John, as he began to speak up to all of the people that were in the room at the current moment. I turned my head over to him as well, to hear what it was that he had to say.
"Everyone... He is still young, just give him some time and some sp-" he began to say to all of them, but just as he happened to do so, I heard the voice of Travis, as he stepped over him. It kind of annoyed me as well, as it seemed like for once, John was stepping up for me.
Or perhaps, the more likely reason, was he did not want to make himself look bad to all of the people in this tent, as I was sure that he had hyped me up quite a bit. I shook my head though, as I then looked over at Travis, to hear what it was that he had to say.
"Quiet John... Everyone knows... You need to give him some time... Let him speak..."