Dragon Wars: Flames Of Pain (Book 3)

Chapter 33 (Josephs POV) We Believe In You

I looked at all of the people that were in the audience in front of me, as I gulped at the same time as well. I was not used to any of this, and it kind of freaked me out. I was almost tempted to run off in to the dark, and leave every one be. I knew that would make me look to be an even bigger fool how ever, which was the reason that I was so scared to speak up in big crowds such as this one in the first place.
I was always thinking they were laughing at me, thinking I was an idiot, or just thinking low of me. I was not so sure as to why, as all of them knew that I was just a 'kid' as every one liked to say I was, which normally I would be a bit upset about, as I knew that I was 18, and I was an adult, but this was not one of those instances as to where I would be upset by that.
I looked down at the podium that was beneath me, for quite a bit of some time as well, but that really did not make me feel any better at all, as to what it was that I was looking at. All that was, was a reminder that I was in fact talking to a massive group of people at the current moment.
I shook my head, as I knew that I was doing just what it was that I had feared that people would judge me for. That was, being an idiot, and a coward. Some times I felt like a coward to be fair, but I shook those thoughts off at the same time too, as I knew that thinking that would only get me more afraid.
I blinked a few times, as I breathed in heavily, and I then lifted my head up to all of the people that were staring at me right now. To my surprise, no one seemed to be judging me, or laughing at me at all, as most people seemed to be taking this quite a bit serious. It made me feel a lot more relaxed, as I realized that now, too.
I saw the group of people that I had been in the tent with, and I saw that they in fact did have their eyes squinted at me. They had every reason to how ever, as I knew that I was acting like a scared little baby. I looked away from all of them, as I stared in to the crowd, and then I nodded to all of them at the same time as well.
I saw the guy that had spoken up to every one not too long ago as well, as I knew that he too, had made him self look like an idiot to all of them, and while they had been laughing for a few seconds, it did not take all that long for people to give up on that, as they knew that it really was not some thing important, nor was in some thing to dwell on.
The dude still had his eyes squinted at me, but it seemed like he was listening as to what it was that Travis had said for him to do just a few moments ago. It was a bit of a surprise to me as well, as he did not seem to be one of those guys that would listen to what it was that their authoritative figure would say to them.
I looked away from him at the same time too, as I really did not want to be looking at him at all right now. What he had done, was in the past now, and it was time for me to move on from that, rather than to dwell on it, like it was clear that he was doing still.
I then looked around at the crowd once again, as I spotted Uncle staring at me at the same time too, as I saw him nod to me at the same time too. I nodded back to him as well, as I felt just a little bit better, as it seemed like at least one person was on my side right now, as I could see John from the corner of my eye, with his eyes squinted at me, as if he felt like that would make me feel a lot better.
I ignored it, as I then spotted Tom, one of the guys I used to work at, when I was at the bar, as I saw him smiling at me, which at first I thought might be because I was making my self out to be an idiot, but after a few more seconds, I realized that not to be the case at all, as it seemed like he was just happy to see me, and he was hoping for me to do good too.
I looked around at the crowd for a little bit more time, as I blinked a few times, and stared at a few more of the people, as I recognized a lot of the faces, as I had seen them before, even if I really did not go out in public all that often. I could tell at the same time too, that they noticed me as well, as I still saw a bit of some look of shock on their faces.
It felt like a lot of that had to do with they knew me and my family, and they also knew that I was not really the guy that seemed to be much of a leader figure. It did not make me feel any better at those thoughts either, as I was just about to dip my head to the ground once again, until I remembered some thing that John had told me.
"You need to lead these people... They do not care about you looking like an idiot... They care about winning this war, and saving the damn planet!" He had said to me. It had been a lot to take in all at once, as he had said it in a loud tone, that almost seemed like he could have been angry.
It had me taken a back at the time that he had said it, as it kind of scared me, as I usually did my best to try to forget scary things. I was now beginning to realize how ever, that he had not said that to me, with the intent that it would in fact scare me, not with the fact that he had said I was the leader, but also the tone of voice he had used.
He had said it, because he actually did care about humanity, no matter how many times they had done all of us so wrong in the past, he still did not want innocent people to die, because we were too lazy to try to save it. I smiled a little bit for some reason, which I felt like would confuse to crowd quite a bit.
I did not need to worry about them how ever, as I looked at all of them at the same time too, and then I nodded to them as well, keeping that same little smile on my face. I saw many of them nod back to me, which made me feel a lot better, as I was now starting to realize even more, that what John had said had been very true.
I let out a bit of a soft sigh, as I realized that there was still a little bit of a problem with all of this. It was not the fact that I was still afraid, but it was more the fact that I just was not sure what to say. I was trying to figure out what it was that I had planned on saying, but I realized that I actually did not have a plan on what it was that I was going to say to all of these people that were with me.
I did not let my head dip low this time, as I let my mind race as fast as it could, that way I could think of some thing to say to all of them. I wish that I had thought of what it was that I was going to say long before now, but unfortunately enough for me, my brain did not seem to want to comprehend that at the time that I had over the last several days, leading up to this.
I had been too worried about the fact that I was having to speak to a bunch of people, that I had not even thought on what it was that I was going to say in the first place. I blinked a few times as well, as I knew that I was wasting a lot of time, and I could tell that a lot of people were annoyed, as well as tired too.
As I looked around at the crowd one last time, I then spotted the group of the council that I had been with in the tent not too long ago. I blinked a few times as I looked at them at the same time too. It felt like my brain was trying to tell me some thing important about them, but I just could not wrap my head around to what it was that it could be.
As I thought about it for a few seconds, the memory of all of it then seemed to flood back on me all at the same time, as I continued to stare at them with a blank look, which I was sure was not all that good of a look for me. That did not really matter all that much to me, as it hit me all at once.
They had told me, so to say in the shortest terms possible, which was probably the best terms, as I was running low on time at this point. Was that, 'just tell them who you are, what you can do, and what you are going to do.' I blinked once again, as it hit me all at once, as I looked back at the crowd once again.
This was not scary, and there was nothing at all that I should be afraid of right now. This was the most simple of any of the meetings that I would have to do. I knew that I would have a lot harder speeches in the future, as I would have to rally all of these people in to battle some day.
That day was not today how ever, and I knew that my mind should not be focused on that. All this was, was a simple little speech, that would get me ready for other speeches that I would have to give to every one in these legion in the near future. Maybe even the long term future, as I was not sure how long this war was even going to be lasting in the first place.
I was not even sure if we were going to win any ways. I shook off those thoughts from my head how ever, as I knew that those were not the right thoughts that I should be on right now. I blinked just a couple of times, as I then looked at all of them, and I went ahead and begun, as I spoke as loud as possible to them, just as John had said to do, to make sure that every one could hear what it was that I had to say.
He also had told them to be quiet as well, and not make a bunch of noise in the middle of all of too, which made me feel a little bit better, as I knew that I would not have distractions. I let out a little bit of a soft sigh to my self, as I then continued with where it was that I had started off at.
"Hello every one... I am sorry, I am not used to all of this... Talking in front of a large crowd and all..." I said to all of them, as I saw many of them nod, as it was clear that a lot of them did not blame me for the stress, and the anxiety that was coursing through my body, and my veins right now.
That made me feel a whole lot better as well, as I nodded to my self at the same time too. It was exactly what I was hoping for, as it proved the point that John had made to me a little bit earlier, about the fact that he had said that none of them were going to judge me, and they all were thinking, and hoping the same as I was, which was, 'to make sure the dragons paid for what it was that they had done to us.'
At the thought of John as well, I then looked a little bit over to him at the same time as well, to make sure that I could at least see him from the corner of my eye, to make sure that I was doing things okay so far. I saw that John had his eyes squinted at me, which kind of had me a little bit held back still.
It was as if he thought that I was acting like an idiot, and telling me that none of this was a part of the script. I blinked a few times, shaking off all of those thoughts at the same time too. John had told me once, and at least let me know that he was not always right, as he had said to me, 'that is the reason that your uncle made the council.'
He did not realize that I was simply just trying to get my self to calm down, and let every one know that I was not so different than the rest of them. Maybe that was not the best thing how ever, as I began to remember, that I was in fact that dude that had all of these powers that were supposed to save all of us.
I could almost hear John yelling at me through all of my thoughts, and in my head right now, which almost made me want to laugh at the same time too, which I knew for sure would not be a good look, as I thought on what it was that John would be saying to me at the current moment in time.
"What the hell are you doing kid? Get to the point! This was not our plan!" I almost heard him say to me. I turned my eyes just a little bit at the same time too... Not close enough for him to see that I was looking at him, but just a little bit closer to make sure that he had in fact not said that out loud with a bunch of people in the crowd listening.
I realized that he had not said so, as I saw that he still had his eyes squinted at me, just like he had before now. I blinked a few times, as I looked away from him completely now, as I felt like a bit of an idiot, as to the fact of what it was that I had been thinking of him saying to me just a few seconds ago.
I looked back at the full crowd, as I made sure that I could get as many of them as possible in to one full frame, which normally would freak me out a bit, as to the fact that there were so many people staring at me right now, but this time, as I remembered that no one was judging me, it made me feel a lot better to be able to see all of them.
I realized, that I was in fact their leader, just as John had told me more than once about. I had to act like a leader, as I knew that they were all looking up to me too. I let out a little bit of a sigh at the same time as well, as I then began to speak up to them once again, just as loud as I had done before.
"I am Joseph... Just like you, I did not know about dragons before, as I thought that they were simply just stories. I have been told that I have these powers, and I have to believe them, though I do not know what they are yet... I do know one for sure how ever... I see dragons in my dreams, and I can hear them, and they tell me all their plans." I began to say to all of the people that were with me.
I then stopped my self at the same time too, as I was just about to tell them that, 'some of them are good, and some of them are bad,' bringing up the fact that there were the black dragons, that were here to kill the entire human species, and then there were the red dragons, which we had by our side.
I shook my head at the thought of it at the same time too how ever, as I did in fact remember that there was one thing that John had told me. 'Dragons are manipulative, and we don't know if they are on our side... Besides, we need to treat them like kids... Start them off with baby steps.'
It was a bit funny to me the way that he had said it to me, as to the fact that he considered our legion as a bunch of little kids, which I did not blame him for either, as I had seen a lot of them get in to big fights with one another, over the most simple things. It was as if they were too busy fighting each other, to be able to fight the dragons.
I blinked a few times as well, as I also knew that there was really nothing to be laughing about, as I knew first hand, that the dragons were manipulative, and they did in fact like to play mind games with us. Plyma had nearly tricked me in to making a deal with him too, which I had failed to notice, as luckily I had decided not to in the end.
He had told me that he was going have me help them fight off the red dragons, as they were the ones that were bad. I had nearly believed it, until the fact that I had got to talk to the red dragon leader. Plyma was trying to trick me in to meeting him, so that he could kill me.
I would not be able to see the red dragons in my dreams if that were the case, as I had been told, as they were the ones that were not bad, and I was not bad either, so I could not see them in my dreams, if we were on the same side with one another. I gulped at those thoughts as well, as I then got my eyes, and my focus back on the fact that there was a big crowd looking at me at the current moment in time.
At first, I was almost getting back in to the fact that I was afraid as to why there were so many people staring at me right now. That was, until I did in fact remember that we were on the same side, and they were not going to judge me either. I let out a little bit of a soft sigh, as I was about ready to continue on with where it was that I had left off in the first place.
Just as I was about ready to talk how ever, I heard the voice of some lady in the crowd begin to speak up to me. I blinked a few times, as I let out a bit of an annoyed soft sigh this time, and then I turned my head over to the woman, to hear what it was that she had to say to me at the same time too.
"That sounds so cool! I wish I could see dragons in my dreams... I would kill all of them..." She said to me, as I looked at the lady for a few moments, as I almost wanted to laugh at the same time too. I looked at her for a few moments, as I could tell that the woman was a bit younger than me, as I squinted my eyes at her at the same time too.
Woman were only allowed to join the legion if they were 18... This lady did not look 18 to me at all, and while I could congratulate her for wanting to join our cause, I also felt like she might not be fit to do so. As I stared at her for a bit of some time, I could tell that it got in to her head, as she lowered her head to the ground at the same time too.
Who ever let her in to the legion that day must have not been paying attention at all. I rolled my eyes, as I then shook my head at the same time too, as I figured that I should not be too worried about it at this point. I had to assume that the reason that she had joined this legion, was because she had lost family just like every one else.
If I was to question her age out loud, I would be throwing her out of the legion as well, with no where for her to go after she was out. At least she had food with us. I let out a bit of a sigh, as I then looked over to every one that was in the legion at the same time too. I could tell that many of these people agreed with what it was that she had said.
I shook my head at all of them, even though I knew that none of them even knew what I was shaking my head about in the first place. I let out quite a bit of a loud sigh, which I knew was not loud enough for any one to hear at all. I felt almost like I wanted to give up on all of this, as I knew that was going to be brought up.
I was not sure why people could not realize that it was not some thing that I was bragging about at all, as it was not some thing that was fun either, like it seemed to think people thought it was. It kind of got on my nerves, as I almost hoped that they got their wish, and they had to go in to the dreams to see that it was not fun.
I squinted my eyes at the entire crowd, which I could tell got a lot of them on edge at the same time too. I was glad that it did as well, as I felt like I needed to prove a point to them, that none of this was a joke at all. I began to yell out to the crowd, almost louder than I had ever done before, as I saw it had them taken a back by it too, as I began to speak.
"This is not some sort of fun... You all saw the dragons first hand... You think that it is a joke? Seeing all of those creatures every single night... Having them threaten you?" I yelled to all of them, as I saw right away, that it got in to many of their heads, as I saw many of them drop down low to the ground.
It was clear that I had proven my point now, which I was glad about as well, as I did not want people to take the fact that there were dragons amongst us, so lightly. All of the smiles, and happy looks on the faces of the crowd, all seemed to go away as well. Normally I would feel bad about some thing such as that, but it was a point I had needed to prove, that this was not some sort of fun little game.
I looked around for the lady that had spoken to me, not too long ago, to see what she was thinking about now, but it was clear that I had proven my point to her as well, as it looked as if she had done her best to just blend in with the crowd, as she was now no longer to be seen any where.
I rolled my eyes, as I kind of gave up on all of that at this point, as I was fine now that it was clear that the point had been proven to all of them. I blinked a few times as well, as I saw John from the corner of my eye, once again, just as I had seen earlier, which made sense too, as I was in fact the one that every one should looking at right now.
He had a bit of a smile on his face, which made me feel a whole lot better at the same time too, as it let me know that what I had just done, had in fact been the correct move. I did my best to not smile back at him, as I knew that there as a lot of people in the crowd still staring at me, which would surely notice that, and they would not be thinking the same thing as I.
I then looked away from John at the same time too, as I was glad that I was doing well for him, as I knew that a lot of this was him too, and he had done a fairly good job of training me if I must say so my self. Not just physically, which I already felt a lot better in, but also mentally too.
I looked away from John how ever, as I did not want to be staring at him for too long, as I knew that people would in fact notice that. I blinked my eyes a few times, as I heard quiet voices coming from the crowd, which I ignored as well, as I then turned my head behind me, to see Travis staring at me.
Travis did not seem to have the same happy look on his face, as John had, which I was a bit confused as to why, as I thought that I would have been doing a good enough job for him. As soon as he had noticed that I had looked at him how ever, the look on his face changed, as it then turned in to a smile.
I was a little bit confused by it as well, as I blinked a few times, remembering that John had told me some thing once. 'I did not choose Travis as the deputy... The legion council did that... He wants me to fail, so that he can take over as the leader of the legion.' I shook off those thoughts at the same time too, as I knew that it was none of my business.
How ever, I could not help but almost hear Travis speaking to me from in my head, almost as if I had heard John talk to me as well. I was a bit confused by it, as I listened as to what it was that he had to say to me at the same too, as he kept that strange little grin on his face as well.
"God damn it Joseph... Why can't you just fuck this up for me? I can do a way better job that John does at training you." I blinked a few times, as I then looked away from him at the same time as well. As it felt like I might be going crazy, as I dipped my head low to the ground once again, staring down at the podium beneath me.
Was this perhaps some of the powers that John said I would start to learn? I was a bit confused by it too, as I had not been told those powers at all by John. I felt that he might perhaps not have known about them, as my uncle might have wanted to keep it a secret from them, so that he could in fact be able to read in to their thoughts.
I also knew at the same time as well how ever, that John had told me that I might get some powers that my uncle had not had, as well as not get some of the powers that he had. We both had the potential to get those powers as he had told me, but we might not ever be able to live a long enough life to get those powers.
I was a lot more excited about the idea of having powers like that, than I was about seeing dragons in my dreams, as that was one thing that I could say for sure. I shook my head at the same time too as well, as I knew that I should not have my mind on those thoughts, as I looked back at the crowd, remembering as to the fact that they were all staring at me, and waiting for me to speak.
I blinked a few times as well, as I was not even quite sure as to what it was that I should say to them in the first place. I closed my eyes for just a few seconds as I did my best to try to remember as to what it was that had been said to me, whilst I had been in the tent with the council.
I remembered the 3 parts that I had been told... 1st part was to let them know what my name was... The 2nd part was to let them know what it was that I could do, which I had in fact done as well, as it was the only thing that I really knew that I could in fact do in the first place.
Then there was the 3rd part... Which was to tell them what it was that I was going to do. It seemed a lot like it was me just having to hype all of them up, but was that really so much of a bad thing? I blinked just a few times, as I then shook my head, as I began to yell to every one once again, such as I had been doing a few seconds ago.
"What I am going to do... And what I promise to all of you, is that I will, bring back this world, just as it was before... We will win this war, even if it seems like all hopes are against our backs... I just need you guys trust." I said, as I looked at all of the people that were around me at the same time too, as I saw that many of them were a little bit lost on what it was that I had just said.
It for sure was not a good look for me at all, as I had to even admit my self, that what I had said to all of them, had seemed to be quite a bit weak. It was as if I had said it with a bit of fear, like I did not actually believe what it was that I had just said, which to be fair, I was not sure if I did believe in my self.
I still had thoughts that I did not have any sort of powers from time to time, even though I could see the dragons in my dreams, and I had met the dragons that I had seen as well. I blinked just a few times once again, as I dipped my head a bit low to the ground, as I gulped, not sure if I was ready for this.
I was not ready for this at all to be fair, and I did not want any of this either. I wish that I could give my powers over to the lady that had practically said that she wanted the powers. I let out a bit of a soft sigh, as at the same time too, I saw one person in particular, lift them selves up.
I blinked a few times, as once again, it was Tom, the guy that had worked at the counter in the bar. It was clear that he was a brave man, for stepping up to speak to so many people like this, as he did so once again, as he yelled to all of the people that were around him, and I listened to what it was that I had to say at the same time too.
"Joseph... I know you... And I believe in you..." He said to me, and all of the people that were around him as well. It was clear that he was trying to prove a point, while at the same time as well, try to make me feel a whole lot better. It had been a while since I had spoke to Tom, but I some times forgot just how well he knew me.
He was good friends with Pop, and I was sure that Pop had said a whole lot about me to him, on some of the nights that they closed up shop. I looked at Tom, as I smiled at him at the same time too, and I then nodded to him. No one said a word about it, though I saw many people looking at him.
I was grateful for what Tom had done, as it was clear that he had proved a point to every one, that we had to stand up in this together. I blinked a few times how ever, and tilted my head, as I saw one more other person lift them self up, as he began to yell back to every one, just as I had seen Tom do.
I was just so shocked by it, that I was not sure as to what it was that I should do, or what it was that I should even say for that matter as well. I just stared at the man for a few seconds, as I then nodded to him, as I listened to what it was that he had to say, as he yelled loudly to the crowd, just as Tom had done.
"Hell... I believe in you too!" He said, as he looked at all of the people that were around him for just a few moments. I was a little bit shocked by what was going on at the current moment, as I saw him lift his hands up, to make sure that all of the people did the same as he had done.
I saw a couple others do the same as he did, as I heard a few others begin to yell, 'I believe in you too!' I kept that smile on my face, as it suddenly seemed like things were starting to look up for me, as more and more people began to lift them selves up from off of the tables, yelling the same as the others had said.
I was so shocked by what was going on, as it was like nothing that I had ever seen before. At this point, I could see every one lift them selves up, as the began to yell loudly, like this was almost a rally to war, as it felt like, as I listened to what it was that they all had to say to me.
"Joseph! We believe in you!"