The Academy: Detective Stories - Part I

Chapter 10. The Father of The Dragon

That night Jackie didn't sleep well. The pictures of the furious reptiles arose before her eyes each time she closed them. When another short anxious dream released her from its embrace, she sat up. A cold sweat covered her face; more than anything, she wanted to refresh her skin in the cold water.

The guys slept near her at the fire, and the eggs were nearby. Theo said they must be kept near the warmth to keep developing until the baby dragons are ready to be born. Elisa was supposed to be on watch now, but she was gone. Where did she go? Jackie was going to freshen up, so she rose and walked to the forest.

The pale-orange forest glowed around her, and the creek bubbled nearby. She found Elisa at the shore, sitting by the streaming water. The full moon hung low above the tree crowns.

Jackie fetched some water from the creek and washed up her face.

"Are you all right?" Elisa asked.

"Yes." She sat nearby on the ground. "And you?"

"I was thinking about this whole dragon journey." Elisa sighed. "All I wanted was to impress my friend from the past. But I put all of us in danger and almost wiped out our future. What kind of person am I?"

"You're an incredible person." Jackie smiled. "I would go to the end of the world with you if you needed me to."

"For real?"

"Why not?" She looked up at the night sky. "Remember the lullaby we sang in the caves? All the stars had been successfully stolen, so now we can get to our guardian job and fix everything that doesn't work well."

"Sounds like a plan." Elisa laughed.

Jackie turned to the river, admiring the beauty of it. "We all risked our lives today. Maybe it's because we can do unbelievable things for people we love."

"What do you mean?" Elisa gave her a perplexed look.

"When you first told us about the wedding, you said you did it for your friend. Then you stole from the most dangerous creatures in this world. You must admire this friend to put yourself in such trouble."

Elisa fixed her hair lock. "All right, it wasn't just a friendship. I was in love before. Maybe that's why I did it - to challenge myself, to prove that I'm worth something. But I became so obsessed... I shall never do this again."

"It's okay." Jackie gave her a sad smile. "We all make mistakes."

"That's true. It took me time, but now I got it. Real love is the ability to let this person be happy, even if it means to be happy without you."

Jackie nodded. "I hope you won't try to ruin the wedding."

"No way." Elisa raised her hand. "I swear, I learned my lesson."

"That's nice to hear." Jackie locked her eyes with hers. "You deserve someone who will love you the way you love them."

Elisa lowered her eyes. "You know, there is a small chance to be loved for me, so I learned how to live without it."

"But Theo –"

"Oh, please don't." She shook her head. "I'm not into him, and I never will be."

"But why?"

Elisa turned to the creek. The water glowed in the moonlight, illuminating her sad face. "Because... you are my friend, and I ask you to."

"Of course, I'm your friend." Jackie agreed. "No questions. I promise."

They sat in silence for a while. Interesting, but Elisa never told her about her past, and Jackie never asked. She was also glad that Elisa didn't bug her with the interrogations.