Chapter 2:

Mistakes

Neftis dashes away with a device with wheels. The priests and priestesses that were waiting for more weapons have to move back as she moves very fast.

- Neftis! Where are you doing?!-

- Come back!-

- Yeah, I know!- she responded to the others as she leaves.

- Neftis!-

- Be right back!- she was about to hid someone but manage to dodge the priestess that was in her way. With her running… her white hair was flying all over the place as the smell of burned wood and the ashes were in the air.

Many dragons surrounded the sheep as they try to get them. Thoth hold a great rope that would trap the dragons so they wouldn't get away.

- Let's get them!-

- Mind yourselves! The devils still have some juice in them!- shouted Thoth as he try to make a dragon summit and make its mouth shut. The hot air was still around them since the adrenaline was all over the priests.

The priests white clothes were getting dirtier and burned by the fire that was on the village and by fighting the dragons. Dark spots were in their skins too as the chaos was still there. The place was illuminate like the sun was in there with them. Neftis keep running until she was far away from the noise, the smell of burned was gone and was replace by a nice tropical smell. The hot air vanish letting a cold breeze touch her snow skin. She stop at the edge of the village and of the island since below it… was the sea in front of her eyes. She start to make the device to appear as a tiny catapult made by her with a giant rope to catch a dragon. Once she was ready she start to focus her sight on the dark sky full with stars.

- Come on. Give me something to shoot at. Give me something to shoot at.- she whisper to the wind as a plead to the gods to hear her.

Then a whistle of terror was heard and she knew that it was the mysterious dragon which make the back of her hair to rise up. Her deep green eyes start to scan the place to see where it was. She start to concentrate to see more clearly and in the deeps of the sky… a dark shadow was covering the stars and make her focus her target to shoot in an instant. The whistle became stronger each passing second until a blast came to the near giant catapult and the dragon pass it. It was just only a second or even more but she manage to see that it was a long dragon like a serpent. She close her eyes as she shoot without knowing were. The force was so great that she let go and fall backwards to the ground as the rope fly away.

She rises up very fast to see and then the cry of the dragon was heard as the rope catch the dragon while it fall to an unknown place of the island. A great smile is on her face as she sees the dragon fall and land.

- I hit. Yes, I hit it! Did anybody see that?- she cheer up as she looks behind her with her arms stretch out with joy not noticing that the Blue Eyes was behind her.

The dragon crash the catapult with its claw. With its white-blue scales and white claws, the loud crash was enough to make her turn very slowly as she saw the dragon.

- Except for you.- she said already sad as the dragon rise it's face with anger in them and went toward her as the great roar resonate in the air.

Thoth heard the roar and then the scream of Neftis as she was running away from the Blue Eyes. He sign at that as he let go and went toward her.

- Do not let them escape!- he order to the others.

- Right!-

Neftis was keeping herself away from the white dragon as the it try to blast her but for some odd reason… she was way faster to get away. She keep herself behind a pillar as the blast came and she just pray to the gods that the beast was away from her. The light appear next to her as she shield herself from the light. Her eyes were huge, her breathing was very fast and heavy. She look to her right as she try to see if the dragon was still there but the dragon move to the other side and was ready to blast her finally. Its sharp teeth were ready to eat her when Thoth came and push the dragon away from her. Both of them were ready for battle. The Blue Eyes was ready to get another blast but when it try to hit Thoth… the light stream was gone and there was nothing more as the dragon see it and was sad. The dragon notice that it was failure to attack now.

- You're all out.-

Then Thoth was hitting the beast with his strong and giant hands. With that the dragon start to back off and then fly away so it wouldn't be capture by him.

(Oh, and there's one more thing you need to know.)

The pillar was burned and fall to the ground as it reveal Neftis and fall down. The pillar let go the torch while it destroy a bridge. Neftis make a face as the same torch almost hurt people, Thoth was shock and then place a hard and cold mask on it's face while he stare at her.

- Sorry, dad.- she apologize while feeling a shame of herself.

The torch was keeping rolling while people let go of the trap that was keeping the dragons down. That give them the opportunity to get free and fly away with the sheep. Neftis's eyes were huge and she didn't know what to say as everyone else was having an angry stare. The sun was finally rising with a hard day for everyone.

- Ok, but I hit a Slifer.- then Thoth hold her and try to pull her away while everyone see everything without saying anything. – It's not like the last few times, dad! I really, actually hit it! You guys were busy. I had a very clear shot. It went down off Raven Point. Let's get a search party out there…-

Siamun only see her with sad eyes as she was explaining everything.

- STOP!- he lets her go and faces her making her be shock and be afraid of him. – Just stop. Every time you step outside, disaster follows. Can you not see that I have bigger problems? Summer is almost here, and I have an entire village to feed!-

- Between you and me, the village could do with a little less feeding, don't you think?- she whisper but everyone manage to hear her since everyone was very silent.

Everyone hold their stomach and start to murmured all over again.

- This isn't a joke, Neftis!- then he sighed again. – Why can't you follow the simplest orders?-

- I… I… I can't stop myself. I see a dragon and I have to just kill it. You know. It's who I am, dad.- she make a face like trying to make her point.

- You're many things, Neftis. But a dragon killer is not one of them. Get back to the house.- he order her with a calmer voice since the sky was already purple. – Make sure she gets there.- then Siamun was there and hit her head. – I have her mess to clean up.-

Then the other club of teenagers were laughing at her.

- Quiet the performance.- said Mahad.

- I've never seen anyone mess up that badly. That helped.- said Shada with a grim on his face.

- Thank you, thank you. I was trying.- said Neftis as she have her head bow with sadness.

Mana and Mahad were fighting with each other while Seto and Iris watch her with sad expressions. But Iris seem to feel terrible for her. Siamun hurt Shada while he was following Neftis. Shada only laugh a little more while they went to another place.

She was finally walking up in the stairs to reach her house. And at the horizon the orange was seem at the pick of the mountains of the sun rising.

- I really did hit one.-

- Sure, Neftis.-

- He never listens.-

- It runs in the family.-

- And… and… when he does, it's with this disappointed scowl, like someone skimped on meat in his sandwich.- once she was finally in front of her door she turns around to imitate her father. – "Excuse me, barmaid. You brought me the wrong offspring. I ordered an extra-large girl with strong Ba, extra guts and glory on the side. This here, this is a talking fishbone."-

- You're thinking about this wrong. It's not so much what you look like, it's what's inside that he can't stand.- said Siamun while Neftis didn't understand anything.

- Thank you for summing that up.- she was ready to get inside while he stop her.

- Look, the point is, stop trying so hard to be something you're not.-

- I just want to be one of you guys.- she said with her head bow as she enter her home.

Siamun only sigh as he didn't know how to make the girl feel better. And only stare at the door before he turns around and leave.

- If only you knew.- he whisper to himself.

Unknown to him… she got out of her home with the back door and dash toward the forest.

Meanwhile…

Thoth and the rest of the priests and priestesses they were gather to a meeting to discuss some business. In the roof… a golden dragon shape with a sword passing through its body was seem. The place was dark and only telling seem the light of the torches and the while in the sky that show the light of the sun. In a giant table… an old map was seem while everyone was around the table.

- Either we finish them or they'll finish us!- said Thoth.

- Yeah.-

- It's the only way we'll be rid of them. If we find the nest and destroy it, the dragons will leave. They'll find another home!- he took a knife and stamp it on the map were the nest of the dragons is. – One more search before the sand sets in.-

- Those ships never come back.-

- We're Priests. It's an occupational hazard. Now who's with me?- he encourage them.

Everyone keep themselves silent or they were murmuring to themselves.

- Count me out.-

- Today's no good for me.-

- I have to do my axe returns.-

- All right. Those who stay will look after, Neftis.-

Then everyone rise their hands immediately.

- To the ships!-

- I'm with you!-

- That's more like it.-

With that everyone started to leave to prepare for the long journey. Siamun was there drinking when he start to rise up from his seat.

- I'll pack my undies.-

- No, I need you to stay and train some new recruits.-

- Oh, perfect. And, while I'm busy, Neftis can cover the stall. Molten steel, razor-sharp blades, charm the weapons, lots of time to herself. What could possibly go wrong?- Siamun sits down again while Thoth sits right beside him.

- Mmm, What am I going to do with her, Siamun?- he asks as he bows his head.

- Put her in training with the others.-

- No, I'm serious.- asked Thoth very shock to heard that form him.

- So am I.-

- She'd be killed before the first dragon is out of its cage.- Thoth was worried now to lose his precious daughter.

- Oh, you don't know that.- said Siamun not believing what Thoth was saying because he knew Neftis more than him.

- I do know that.-

- No, you don't.-

- I do actually.-

- No you don't.- said Siamun very annoyed by him.

- Listen, you know what she's like.- then Thoth rise up. – From the time she could crawl, she's been… different.- he sighed. – She doesn't listen. She has the attention span of a sparrow. I take her fishing and she goes hunting for devils!-

- Devils exist. They steal your Heka (magic). But only the ones that you use in potions. What's with that?-

- When I was a boy…-

- Here we go.- said Siamun since he heard this story all the time.

- …my father told me to destroy a giant rock with my Ba to summon it and I did. I thought he was crazy, but I didn't question him. And you know what happened?-

- You fainted.-

- My Ba release my Ka who was Phoenix Beast Gairuda. It was so strong that it burned to ashes that rock. It taught me what a Priest could do, Siamun. He c… He could crush any enemy, level forests, tame territories! Even as a boy, I knew what I was, what I had to become. Neftis is not that girl.- he sits back down as he faces Siamun

- You can't stop her, Thoth. You can only prepare her.- that make Thoth to listen more closely. – I know it seems hopeless, but the truth is you won't always be around to protect her. She's going to get out there again. She's probably out there now.- with that Thoth thought about it.