Adventures in Summoning

Chapter 14

There was a lot of time to think while riding in the car with Dee and Justin.

I don't know that I'm ever going to understand humans. After spending so many years with them as an enemy, their horrible weapons killing my friends and family, kidnapping our citizens, and raping the lands that they took, I have found that they're not all the same. Granted, I've only had the experience of Justin and his friend Dee, but the way they have treated me has made me think we could be, dare I say it, friends?

They have given me hope, they have given me trust. Once they realized I wasn't a demon, they haven't showed fear, but acted as if they want to be around me. They have laughed with me and shared food, Justin even cooked for me! Is this a normal behavior? How do I reciprocate? Perhaps Justin and Dee are simply different among their race. Certainly, Dee's father showed loathing towards me when we met him, though Justin seemed to indicate it was for the color of my hide, not anything else. That made no sense to me, why would that matter? At the place of learning, most of the people there seemed to be curious but not threatened. Only the one boy with the strange and unwanted mating ritual was anything other than intrigued.

I also haven't seen any of the soldiers with their loud and hurtful weapons. In the past, that was all I've seen, but here on their home planet, so far, they've remained hidden. Perhaps they're all on my world, slaughtering my people. The only weapon I've seen was on Justin's father, but he was certainly no warrior.

Even the human food is wonderful! I think I'm in love with the pizza and the burgers, and I hope I can explain them to the cooks when I get home so that we're able to start making them there as well. I wish I could let Dee and Justin try some of the foods from my home as well, such as the grilled fish with the yarbia fruit that had been my favorite dish when I was just a dragonling.

I wonder if I could make it into a fruit pizza?

The note I found in the cubby was written by the same hand as all the others I'd seen the Oracle write. I had told Justin and Dee that it was a warning, that we were headed into danger, and that was true. But I didn't mention that the warning was for me to protect Justin. How could he be in danger going to his Nana's house? I don't know, but his parents tried to kill him once, so who knows who else might be trying.

I was on edge as soon as we entered the gates, and even more so once we got out of the car. I saw the new girl, Helen, and she obviously was friends with Justin but seemed to be more of a warrior. I could see it in her demeanor and her eyes, though she didn't look to be a danger to us at this point, more of another protector for Justin. I desperately wanted to change my form again to one with wings that I could wrap around Justin to protect him, but I knew he wouldn't approve. I wasn't supposed to reveal my true nature.

Helen led the way, and I followed carefully, memorizing the route, and looking for any ambushes. I didn't like this place, it was too enclosed, and there were too many little alcoves and rooms with closed doors for my liking. Anything could be behind those doors. But the true shock lay when we reached the room to see Justin's Nana, and there was a portrait of her standing with General Talkorn on the wall behind her.

I was most certainly in enemy territory.

I sat in silence, alternating between staring at the picture and studying Justin's Nana as he told her the story of the weekend. Her expressions were that of outrage and worry, and I could tell that were she to be presented with her own children, they might not survive the encounter. Justin was smart, he never mentioned me being the creature summoned, nor that I was a dragon as he told the story. His intelligence impressed me as much as his generosity did.

Even without me talking to him about it, he was being as cautious as I was.

I appreciated the concern.

But his Nana was hiding something. Something big. She may not know where the scroll came from, but she didn't seem surprised that something otherworldly came from the estate.

"Why don't you tell us where your husband is?" I finally asked.

And then he was there, General Talkorn, just like I remembered him. And he was pointing one of those awful weapons at me. I knew I was dead.

But then the most amazing thing happened, Justin jumped in front of me as I heard the explosion from the weapon. I felt him thrown into my lap as he cried out briefly before collapsing, his Nana screaming as she stood to yell at Talkorn.

I stood, cradling his body, and raced out of the room. A second shot rang out and I instinctively ducked, though I never heard it fly by me. I let my body shudder and warp, growing as my wings sprouted from my back and shredding the shirt that Dee had let me borrow. I could hear Helen and Dee calling out to me as they raced to keep up, but nobody was going to catch me. A quick kick and the doors to the house blew off their hinges as I leapt into the air. I needed to get away from Talkorn and see if I could save Justin.

I couldn't go far. I had to balance the safety of getting away from the house with shortening the time flying so I could spend it healing Justin. I couldn't go far without him losing too much blood, it might already be too late. I saw a small pond, and landed near it, laying Justin in the grass on the bank. I turned him over, shredding his shirt so I could see the wound. There was a hole in his back, high on the left side. Blood leaked from him as his heart still slowly beat, and I held out hope that it didn't hit anything valuable in his anatomy.

I laughed mirthlessly at my predicament. No dragon hated the humans more than I, but here I was trying to save one. My mother would scream at me to kill him if she could see me now. I held my hand over his wound and concentrated, feeling the pull of the metal within him. The bullet reacted to my coaxing, and found its way to my hand, and I threw it over my shoulder into the pond.

"I'm so sorry Justin," I murmured softly and slid one of my fingers into the hole in his back. Even with him unconscious, I felt his body stiffen and he groaned involuntarily. My hand glowed a pale white, as I concentrated in my finger. As I slowly withdrew it, the magic knitted organs, blood vessels and finally skin as it left his body. By the time I was done, I was sweating and weak, wishing I had another one of those pizzas to restore some of the energy I had expended.

I heard rapid footsteps and looked up to see Helen and Dee running towards us, sinking to their knees as they reached Justin's body. Dee held his hand as Helen surprisingly handed me a bottle of water and one of those delicious burgers. "Here, eat, you need it," she commanded.

"Thank you," I said gratefully and ate the burger in two bites. It would have been one, but I tried to savor it. It didn't work, I was too hungry. "How did you know?"

"I know a lot of things," she replied with a wink.

My mind reeled as I understood immediately what she meant. "You?" I gasped. "You're the Oracle?" Could it be?

"Yes, me. But I'll explain later. You've done too much in too short a time. Get your rest, you'll be safe here," Helen chuckled lightly.

I nodded wearily, my mind whirling with the new and unexpected knowledge. The food and water helped, but the weariness from expending so much energy healing Justin took its toll. Within moments, I collapsed in the grass next to him. My wing over his body to keep him warm.