If Only...

Chapter 9- Darrrrrk Magic

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I flew and flew till my wings started to get tingly and slow down. The forest below me was very thick, so I flew lower looking for an opening to land. As I flew closer, I could see a giant dragon on a tall pointy boulder roaring into the thick brush. It was a light sky blue and I think it was the dragon that grabbed Julie before. Grabbed Julie! It's probably roaring at Julie. I flew lower to the trees, sharp branches whipping my dangling feet as I silently flew.

"Come on!" I heard an angry voice yell in the trees. "You wanna a piece of me? Come and get me!"

The dragon roared a high pitched shriek and pawed the rock like a bull about to charge. It threw its head around wildly and spread its wide wings. Then, it smashed its wings down stubbornly on the rock, making a loud booming noise, and snorted so hard, grey smoke came from its nostrils. I landed on a giant tree branch a little ways away from the angry dragon and the loud voice. Julie was somewhere down below and the dragon knew it. It walked closer to the edge of the boulder and jumped down.

"Come on, you smelly reptile!" Julie yelled. The dragon hissed and took a step forward. I could hear the light swishing noises of Julie whipping her sword back and forth. I looked below, feeling like a vulture- all hunched over- and I could just make out a person moving backward through the thick jungle leaves. The blue dragon was advancing and Julie kept on backing up, deeper in the woods. Why call the dragon's attention if you're not going to fight it? Some people just blow my mind how dumb they are.

As I eyed Julie, the blue dragon roared one last time and jumped on Julie's legs, scratching them. I jumped back, as I saw it streak through the woods, causing leaves and small tree branches to sway back and forth. I fell from my branch and landed on the dragon as it grabbed Julie's legs. It swung its head around and snapped at my head. I didn't mean to land on it, but it sure thought I was trying to kill it. Instead, I lifted it up into the trees above, the branches felt like they were wrapping their sharp limbs around my wings, scratching them severely.

The blue dragon was so light compared to me; that must be why it can take such sharp turns in the sky. Its birdlike beak snapped wildly and I dropped it as I flew above the trees. It fell cracking tree limbs and sharp branches pierced its smooth skin. The trees snapped and fell, making a not-so-soft landing for the dragon. It roared and roared, thrashing its head around, but not daring to move its penetrated wings and legs. I landed on the ground below it, the trees blocking out the sun, making it really dark. Julie was on the ground against a tree looking at me. Her legs were bleeding and she seemed in pain.

"Well, you found me." she said as calm as ever. "Where are you going to take me now?"

I couldn't move. My power was draining from me and I looked at Julie as the ground seemed to be getting closer, and I now realized that I was turning into a person again. My energy started to come back to me, as I fell onto the ground as a human.

"Youuuuu." Julie pointed at me and tried to get up. "Oh, no." She backed up against the tree. "I knew there was something wrong with you. I knew it. You're glad no one else knows about it or you'll be dead."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know magic users are banned from your helpless town." I shakily stood up, blinking rapidly, trying to clear my tired mind.

"Not any. Black Magic users will be killed on the spot if they are seen."
I gritted my teeth and tried to hold my anger back. " I don't have Black Magic! Darrrrrk. It's Dark Magic."

"Oh yeah, then why are you so energetic now? You're fueling off of my exhaustion, and" - her voice broke- " and my fear."

"Black Magic is black! That's literally why it's called black magic. I have purple! Pur-ple. Grrr!!"

I couldn't contain my frustration and without meaning to, purple dust shot from my hands and hit a tree, causing little purple licks of flame to catch the whole tree blazing in seconds. I looked at it in shock, as its leaves turned to black ash and embers started to burn in the air. "Come on," I said, and gestured for her to follow me. "If you're going to fight the White Death, then you need to do it somewhere else."

I guess I felt sad now, or maybe I was scared of my power, afraid of scaring Julie away. She couldn't run and could barely keep up with my quick pace. I was going to protect her, I guess. The White Death could easily kill her, kill me. I didn't care.

We were far away from the trapped blue dragon and the trees were spread farther apart, making me feel better. I lied down against a tree and Julie did the same. She stared across at me, without saying anything, a stern look on her face. I broke the silence, "This will be far enough away from that dragon." I thought for a second and then threw her something brown from my coat pocket. "Eat up."

Julie looked at the piece of bread, but did not eat it. "I would never eat that... If we are going to stay together for awhile, then I need to know your name. We both know you don't like being called 'old man', even though it is accurate."

"I may look old, but I'm young at heart." I said, pounding my chest.

"You're avoiding the question."

I wouldn't tell her my real name, it would be too risky and we both don't trust each other enough anyway. "Call me... Grandpa."

"But you're not mine," she argued, crossing her arms.

"I'm old enough to be everyone's in your village. Is that good enough? And I think it would be nicer to call me that than 'old man'."

"Hmph. Fine."

I smiled.