The Blue Dragon

Chapter 2

Our new dorm was completely empty with the exception of a dozen of beds, a pair of closets with military uniforms, undergarments, towels and sheets and a shared bathroom, which, to our relief, seemed to have a modern toilet and shower. Not too long after arriving, we picked our beds and fell on them with a sigh. Maurice was sitting with his back leaning against the bedframe, contemplating the wooden walls above him, perhaps thinking about nothing in particular and giving in to the exhaustion. Noon was laying on her belly, hiding her face with her wavy brown hair, trying to maybe hide her emotions from us to protect us from her vulnerability. I, on the other hand, was sitting with my hands on my head, considering our options and getting stressed out. What would become of us? Would one of us be assigned to protect the walls and die? Would we be posted away from each other? Were those creatures so dangerous they could destroy the walls?

– Hey, Fires, stop getting depressed, that won't help us at all – Maurice scolded me, with some reason and sensing the tense atmosphere about me. He was right, if I got paranoid, I wouldn't move from the place I was at the moment. Sometimes they would call me Fires or Phi because I didn't really like my true name.

- Sorry, but I do have some doubts about our situation – I admitted, voicing my anxiety, while finally relaxing against my bedframe – What if we get powers so different that we'll get posted too far away from each other?

- That's a problem for the future – determined Noon, raising her head at last and revealing her shy tears – we must support each other through this and solve our problems together. If we diverge too much, if we analyse this to the point of burnout, we'll get lost in this world and lose each other. That's not what we want. We need to remain together.

- Hear, hear – mouthed Maurice and shaking his head in accordance. Despite seeming the most relaxed, he already had dark circles under his eyes – We can't lose our cool now. We'll get more information tomorrow, and we'll decide what to do with it later, do you agree?

Noon waved a positive gesture, laying again on her bed while cleaning her wet face with the sheets. We were feeling the same sadness, the same longing, and the same worries. Would we run across familiar faces in this world? What kind of dangers would we face? We did not yet know, but we could at least find comfort, strength, and solace in one another.

I remained quiet, since I feared I would burst out in tears the moment I opened my mouth. However, that feeling of existential dread dissolved when Maurice spat out a question to lighten up the mood or simply present all the new possibilities that would maybe unfold on our paths:

- What powers do you think we'll get? I figure you'll get the bestial kind, Phi!

- And why the hell is that? – I laughed, feeling the giggle rising from my spine and relaxing my muscles.

- Because you're oh so intense! Did you realize you could kill that man Stavros with your eyes? – he continued – I feel you'd be the kind of person who'd turn into a huge lioness or even a dragon and destroy all those demons he mentioned.

- Honestly, that'd be great. That way you two wouldn't be in danger – Maurice looked at me with a slightly surprised expression at first and then proceeded to turn it into a resigned smile, as Noon murmured "predictable" under her breath – Well, if what that Stavros guy said is true, if our quirks really do get aligned with our ideals, that'll probably happen.

- Hmm, sure. And what power do you reckon I'll get? – he asked, discarding what I said. Therefore, I replied with a bit of honesty and a strong amount of mockery:

- Well, you're kind of lazy, so you'll get a smaller power that'll activate with a great deal of conditions. Like, you'll be able to turn seeds into precious stones, but only on a full moon.

- First of all – Maurice started, with an offended and playful grin – why on a full moon? I'm not a werewolf! Second of all, you're damn right I'm lazy. And, finally, with that power, I'd be richer than you and laugh on your faces!

- Checkmate – giggled Noon, making her small participation in the conversation.

- Hey, and what powers do you think Noon will get? – he chanted, peaking her curiosity and interest and making her sit and directly look at us.

- Oh, she'll be a healer of some sorts. She has to be, given that she loves taking care of people and giving advice – I suggested, observing how a small smile was blooming on her face.

- You think too highly of me – she whispered, with a depressed gaze on her face. I detested this. I could be dying and in the worst condition in the world, well, worlds, but I absolutely couldn't stand seeing her like that. So, I got up and hugged her, seating on her bed next to her, while signalling Maurice to at least come closer to us. He could be dumb sometimes, but he understood the assignment and came sit on the bed to our right.

- Don't be so humble, Noon, know your worth – he reassured, putting use to his kindness – Look, I even think you could get those mind powers and be like one of those Holy Seers. Not too long after getting our powers, you'll be advising the king and foreseeing which one of us will get richer, me or Fires.

- Obviously, me. I'll get a sugar daddy and surpass you in no time – I blurted, making Noon laugh until the point of shedding tears.

- You never change, idiot. I bet you'll be aiming for the king, no? – Maurice proposes, giggling along with her.

- If he's old and on his deathbed, of course. That would make me the queen if he has no kids – I assumed, with a practical tone – And once I have his court figured out, I'll pair you both with a noble woman and a noble man and give you two high titles and a bunch of assets.

I finished my declaration with a rehearsed dramatic malicious laugh, making them both tear up. At least the mood turned to a more relaxed essence, and we ravelled on these made-up fun scenarios for a few more instants, until Maurice came up with a question that really made sense:

- Hey guys, where do you suppose we appeared here? I mean, did we just come out of nowhere and were in no time cleaning rooms and toilets?

- That... is something I have no answer for – I sighed, still holding Noon in my arms, and gently swinging her as if I was singing her a lullaby.

- We can figure that out tomorrow, don't we have some kind of lecture in the morning? We could ask that to whoever member of the Order gets to teach us – she recommended while slowly closing her eyes, denouncing how tired she was. Therefore, we didn't talk much more after that and decided to go to bed and rest. Noon fell asleep while I was still grabbing her, so I decided to remain next to her. It would also be a way to repel the loneliness and fear that I'd feel on another bed. Maurice seemed to share the same idea, since he stayed on the bed closest to ours as he dozed off with both of his arms pending outside of the bed.

It almost made me smile; the fact that we had all chosen our beds not so many moments ago in a manner that allowed us to have some space and privacy and yet we all curled up in a cocoon-like way made me feel grateful for their presence. The always so hopeful and weird Maurice and ever so gentle and fragile Noon were the reason I was still sane in the first place. Thus, I made a resolution that night: that I would never leave their side and protect them from whatever harm would cross our paths.

"Yikes, you sound like a cheesy shounen protagonist", I thought to myself, since in shounen anime, the main characters would mostly rely on the power of friendship to defeat their enemies. And yet, it was that cliché ideal that provided me with enough security and comfort to drift off into the realm of dreams.