In Another World As A Dragon - Am I Dreaming?

Chapter 8 - "Dispute"

The next morning... Draiz *yawn*-ed

"Oh, morning, Draiz. Had a good night's rest?" Strazz asked, hoping to start a good conversation, but...

"I don't intend to get all chummy with you humans. Don't act like we're friends." Draiz replied, as he walked away.

"What's with him? All hostile so early in the morning..."

"I guess it can't be helped, since he's still a young dragon after all."

"Oh, morning, Rayla."

"Morning, Strazz. Have you seen Elze around?"

"I think... she went behind the gardens."

"'Kay, thanks."

At the backyard, in the middle of a garden of flowers...

"Elze. There you are."

"Rayla, good morning. Look at these, have you seen any of these flowers before?"

"No... not anything that I'm familiar with..."

"You don't know, right? But of course, they're Easia plants after all. Easia really has an abundance of wildlife."

"I see. You like flowers, right?"

"Yes, I love them. My family owns a garden too, after all." Elze smiled remembering those moments from her memories.

"Your family, huh... I wonder what my family is doing right now. I left them as per request from the grand elder in order to help solve the mystery of the past, but... I still feel homesick at times."

"Yes... we all left our homes for their sake, because no other people accepted this job other than us, which is why we all stepped in and volunteered ourselves instead... say, Rayla... umm... do you think that... what we're doing is...  right?"

"O-of course it is. If it weren't, then everything that what we've done so far would've all been for naught."

"Okay... I trust you, Rayla."

"Thank you, Elze."

A few moments later, an explosion occurred in the front yard of the orphanage. Rayla and Elze rush to the scene to find that a child was bleeding, Frick holding out his hammer, Draiz with his claws and fangs, and the other children, including the orphan keeper, hiding behind Strazz.

"What happened here?" Rayla asked in worry.

"V-V-Vince got hit by that small dragon's lightning." a young girl said, with fear in her eyes, looking like she's about to cry.

"Draiz! Apologize to the boy!" Frick said angrily.

"Why should I? It's his fault for getting in the way." Draiz replied looking more and more beast-like by the minute.

"Exactly what happened here." Rayla asked Strazz.

"Draiz unleashed a massive cloud of thunderstorm. That's when the child got hit by lightning."

"But, why would Draiz do that?"

"He was continuing his training. That was his excuse."

Knowing what happened, Rayla runs towards the out-of-control little dragon and kneels down to Draiz's eye level. "Draiz, tell me. Why did you do that?"

"I don't have to tell you anything." Draiz said looking away.

Rayla grabbed his shoulders. "Draiz, look at me. Look at my eyes and tell me. Why did you do that?" Rayla repeated, putting more emphasis to her question.

"I-I... I have nothing to say to you!" Draiz breaks off from her grip and runs away.

"Draiz!" Frick shouted. "Come back here...!" Rayla stops Frick from giving chase.

"Don't. Leave him be."

"But-..."

Rayla shakes her head. "This is not something we should get involved in. There's obviously a reason why he hates humans so much. And prying any further will only be meddling."

"Guh. If you say so."

"Now, now, come on everyone. Let's get inside. It's lunch time." The old man said trying to put the children at ease.

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Later that night...

"Waah. My stomach is so full, I can't move my body anymore." Frick said lying down sidewards on a couch.

"Keep saying that, and you'll end up sleepy like Arufaz, you know."

"S-say that again, you glasses-creep."

Strazz chuckled, looking all smug at Frick.

"Enough, you two. You're acting like children." Rayla said, cutting in between the two.

"He started it!" both boys said, in perfect sync.

*sigh* "Boys." Rayla said, facepalming.

"I wonder if Draiz is hungry too. He hasn't eaten anything since this morning." Elze said, with a worried expression.

"I wouldn't worry about him, Elze." Frick said."He's probably run off to the forest and caught a small beast or something. It's what monsters do."

"But..."

"........... I'm going out for a walk." Rayla said.

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Outside of the orphanage...

Rayla walks towards where Arufaz was sleeping.

"Arufaz... what would you do in this situation." Rayla said in front of Arufaz's closed eyes.

"If I were you, I'd just sleep it off..."

"Arufaz? You're awake?"

"It's too much of a drag to open my eyes, though... but if you want someone to talk to, I'm all ears....."

"Arufaz..." Rayla moved in closer and started hugged Arufaz's face. "I see you're one of the good ones. You're not like the other magical beasts that would strike me if I got in closer."

"Well, it's maybe because I have no reason to..." eyes still shut closed. "Draiz is just the same..."

"Huh? You... know about what happened this morning?"

"Just like I have no reason to hurt you, Draiz also has no reason to love humans... well, it's a pain to keep talking so I'll just go back to sleep..... zzz's......."

"Arufaz.......... thank you....."

Even though he hasn't been in this world for long, our MC manages to comfort someone else from the doubts on her mind. But will Draiz be able to come back to the group? Or will he maintain apart?

Look forward for the next chapter! "Divided"