Down to Earth~ Sequel to Peter Pan's Dragon Girl

Chapter 16

"So where are you taking us, Elias?" Asks Snow over the winds to the large Dragon below her. They had been flying the entire day, stopping every so often to go to the bathroom and gather food and fresh water when needed. They were always very quick and Elias made sure to keep a hypervigilant lookout for Jabbers or Haggards as they were still marching to the North. And every time they were finished, they crawled silently back on and Reine would balk every time but comply anyway in scaling his sides to sit behind Snow in silence.

"Anywhere they aren't. Is there a place that Jabbers and Haggards naturally avoid? Mountains, lakes, deserts?"

"Any form of water is something they go around like the plague. They can't swim, so they keep a wide berth around large bodies of water like lakes and such." Rattles off Reine absentmindedly. "Why?"

"Because if they weren't going there then they definitely won't now since they're all going in one direction. The closest body of water is on the Canadian border, the Great Lakes, we're going there."

"We can't, that's where the Black Pirates are located." Elias turned his head around enough to look at the dark haired woman with a brightly blue eye.

"Then this trip just got a hell of a lot more fun for me."

"Will you stop looking at us and fly looking forward, you can crash into a tree and kill us all." Elias chuckled and continued flying towards the Great Lakes almost eagerly. He was excited to meet the entirety of the Black Pirates so he can take great pleasure in burning them all where they stood for what they did to Snow and the others in their medicine reconnaissance. The sun started its race for the edge of the world before they reached the Great Lakes. Reine was right, there was a mass of Jabbers but they kept a wide space between themselves and the water's edge. He landed by the shore and made sure everyone slid off where they'll land on the ground between him and the shoreline and not where the Jabbers and Haggards were marching along.

"What are we going to do about the Black Pirates?" Asks Doc as he got help from Charming off the hind leg of Elias to the ground. Once he was sure that everyone was safely on the ground, Elias shrunk back down to his human body, shaking out the tensions of being a Dragon for so long.

"Are you hungry, Elias? I know you haven't eaten since you found us." Snow asks while handing him a half a loaf of bread. He then ripped that in half and handed the other half back for someone else to have. He slowly munched on the bread as the others around him became used to their new surroundings.

"What are we supposed to do for food and shelter?" Wonders Tink out loud as she watched the others meander around pointlessly, they had no tents nor any form of shelter since they were suddenly bombarded with Jabbers at the Base.

"I got you covered on that." Elias mumbles through his mouthful of bread whilst lifting his free hand slightly. "I mean the shelter part, not the food part. I could help with that too if I need to." Snow was on him in a second after he spoke.

"No sir, you are not going anywhere you've been hauling us all around like a pack mule there's no way I'm letting you go around all day without resting." Snow forced him to sit down in the dirt with his bread while the other males scavenged close to the water for edible vegetation and maybe small mammals.

"Okay, jeez! You're just like my mom." Snow sat on the ground across from him like a child waiting for a story.

"What was she like?"

"She is very much like you. She's caring and loving but very opinionated and stubborn. She's very strong too. But physically she's different from you, she has dark hair and dark eyes and a very short temper."

"So she was a lot like you?"

"Yeah, I guess she is." Snow looked confused, why is he talking to her about his mom in the present tense? Isn't she dead like everyone else's are?

"Why do you talk about her in the present tense? Is she not dead?"

"No, of course not. Both my parents are alive."

"Then why are you alone?"

"I got separated from them and haven't been able to find a way home." Snow nodded but still looked a bit jealous that his parents weren't gone like hers were. Elias saw the jealousy in her eyes and reached out to gently cup her cheek with his free hand.

"I'm sorry you lost your family, Snow. But you have a new one with the people around you. Doc and Charming and Red and Tink and everyone."

"But what about you? You're separated from your family, but they'll find you and then... you'll leave me."

"But I'm here now, and I'm not leaving anytime soon." The others returned and they rationed out the food between everyone. Elias waved off his ration, elevating the still unfinished section of the bread to show he had his own food. They ate their dinner in silence to reduce the risk of being caught by the Black Pirates if they happen to be on this particular lake. They would move into the wooded area, but the Jabbers are inside the treeline and they don't want to risk them managing to climb over Elias' body and hurt someone inside the circle.

So instead, Elias returned to his huge, white Dragon self and curled around everyone protectively once again. But this time everyone else was more comfortable with his large body and teeth and scales and claws. He was more of a security and a comfort than a terror and potential danger. They all willingly cuddle to his warm sides and are almost instantly asleep, all except Reine. She sat as a vigilant guard to the crowd.

"Sleepless again, are we? Do I need to lull you to sleep again like I did before, love?" She glared at him when he called her love, but he could see she was beginning to get used to the nickname he gave her.

"I don't need you to sing to me, Elias, I can do that myself."

"Then why aren't you sleeping like everyone else?"

"I guess it's because I feel I need to protect them, even if I can't see over you like you are now. They trust me to keep them alive."

"And you're doing a marvellous job at it. You kept everybody alive even after the Jabbers tore the Base apart. Of they didn't trust you before they really do now." Reine let out a short and unfeeling laugh.

"Except Snow, she still hates me for banishing you from the Base."

"She doesn't hate you."

"Trust me, she does. When you left, she turned to everyone and said we were making the biggest mistake since the first person who caused all this madness. That we were no better than the Black Pirates we despised so much. And she's right, we didn't give you a chance. So, this is me saying I'm sorry for making you leave, I was wrong."

"I'm sorry can you repeat that? I'm a little too tall to hear you." Reine rolls her eyes at his sarcasm.

"You heard me perfectly fine so I'm not repeating myself."

"There's no need to apologize to me, Reine. I would have honestly done the same if I were in your shoes. A strange person comes along out of nowhere, kills these ugly monsters all alone and has little injury to show for it. I completely understand. Given it was a stupid move because I'm the best thing since sliced bread, I understand."

"Nobody has said that little saying in centuries! How old are you, Peter? I mean, Elias."

"I'm about 7,000 years old give or take a few centuries." Reine laughed, oblivious to the fact that he was in fact telling her the truth and leaned back against his ribcage, the warmth coaxing her into a hazy and sleepy state.

"Well, if you're so old, why do you look so normal?"

"Magic, duh." Reine laughed once more and turned on her side to slip towards the land of dreams.

"You are one weird guy, Elias."

"You have no idea, love."