The last chapter was pretty short, so I figured I should post the next one, since it's done. :) So, uh...prepare for the story to get cliché?


Chapter 4/Buddies and Alliances

After a while, the shouts faded away and they were flying in silence. Gao, now less worried about being chased, took a good look at the dragon he was riding on. The dragon's wings looked like sails and they flapped in a powerful motion.

Then, Gao turned his attention to the boy with the rocket boots who was currently flying beside him. The boy had red eyes that reminded Gao of rubies, and his silky long blue hair – how hadn't he noticed its length when they met before? – flowed in a waterfall behind him.

The boy turned his head slightly and met Gao's gaze for a brief second before he turned to face forward again. "Is something wrong? You're staring..." Then he seemed to realize something. "Oh! Um, it's a long story," he said, twisting a lock of his hair.

Gao wasn't exactly sure what he meant, but this boy definitely had a lot of explaining to do. But where to start?

"...What's your name?" he questioned. "I didn't catch it back there."

"Tasuku."

"I'm Gao."

The awkward silence began again, although Gao wasn't sure whether the silence or the conversation had been more awkward. He watched as they soared over the trees of a forest and up toward a range of mountains.

"There." Tasuku finally broke the silence. "That's a place Jack and I found where we can be safe." He pointed to a cave in the mountainside up ahead. The dragon that Gao was riding on nodded its large head.

They landed on the ledge directly outside the cave. Gao tried to slide off the dragon smoothly, but had no idea how to dismount such a large creature and ended up on his back on the hard ground.

"Are you alright?" asked Tasuku. He carefully set Drum down on a patch of moss.

Gao got to his feet quickly. "I'm fine." He looked back at the green dragon he'd just been on, who was currently swinging its tail back and forth. "Does this dragon...belong to you?"

"Tasuku and I have bonded with each other," the creature spoke in a deep voice.

Gao jumped. "It talks?"

"He," Tasuku corrected. "His name is Jack."

Drum talks, and he's a dragon, Gao reminded himself. It's not that weird. Of course, up until now, Gao hadn't been thinking of Drum as a dragon.

"Uh...thank you for saving us," Gao tried. That sounded a lot better in my head, he thought, grimacing.

"Um, yeah," Tasuku replied, looking a bit flustered.

Gao, not knowing what to do, paced back and forth, lay his shoulder bag down on the ground, and fingered his signature jacket, hoping that something would spark a conversation. When no one else spoke, he searched for a topic. "So, how did you meet him...I mean Jack? And how come the police found you out?"

Tasuku stood in silence for a while. "Well, I sort of worked for the police," he finally said.

"Huh?" Gao responded, shocked. "But then...?"

Tasuku turned away, looking out over the cliff. "The police were recruiting kids with a talent to work with dragons...kids who the dragons would never suspect, kids who wouldn't suspect anything..." he closed his eyes. "And they were right. I trusted them easily. I didn't suspect anything. Until the dragons started coming to us hurt, silent...some even disappeared. I realized that whatever was being done to them, it wasn't good. One night, I slipped into the room where they kept Jackknife Dragon – he was my favorite – and talked to him. That was when I found out he could speak."

"He never talked to you before?"

"No. He didn't want to seem different than the other dragons. But through our nightly meetings, I learned that he was part of an organization of dragons, working to protect the world from a great threat."

Gao glanced around. "What sort of threat?"

Tasuku glanced back at Jack. "Not much is known. But the threat is so great that dragons alone can't stop it. Dragons and humans have to work together. So dragons in the organization, like Jack, were searching for humans to bond with."

"And so you and Jack bonded and tried to escape?" Gao guessed.

"Sort of," Tasuku answered. "The plan was to free the other dragons who were trapped there, but we ended up getting caught in the act."

"Which is why you hid in my room," Gao realized.

Tasuku nodded.

Hiding from the police...Suddenly, Gao remembered something important. "Tasuku! What do I do? I have to get home somehow!"

"You can't just go home. Everyone in the police will be after you!"

"I know, but...my parents! And Hanako!"

Tasuku bit his lip. "I'm sorry, but there's no way. Besides, if you're found by the police, your family will end up getting involved in this, too."

Gao looked down at the ground. "You're right...I can't put them in danger," he said softly.

The green dragon nudged Tasuku. "We need to alert the Dragonic Force of these events."

Tasuku nodded. "Right." He paused, then turned to Gao. "Stay put. You should be safe here."

"Shouldn't we stick together?" Gao inquired. "I mean, we're sorta working together, right?"

Tasuku looked away. "Jack and I don't work with anyone."

"But you're helping us," Gao pointed out.

"That's because any dragons and humans who've bonded will help further our cause. This is at most an alliance."

"An...alliance?"

"Yes. We're only associated because we're working for the same cause. We are not 'working together'," explained Tasuku.

"But–" Gao started, but stopped himself when he saw that Tasuku and Jackknife Dragon were already taking to the air.

"Don't go anywhere," Tasuku warned. He and Jack disappeared into the distance.

Gao stared for a while. Just then, he remembered Drum. He hurried over to where Tasuku had put Drum. "Drum! Are you awake?"

Drum sat up. "I've been awake for a while, actually. That sleep powder doesn't last forever, you know!" He gave Gao a big smile.

Gao grinned. "I'm so glad you're okay! Here, tell me how much you heard. I'll fill you in on anything you missed."

"I heard the whole story," Drum replied. "I woke up when that boy was talking about the police, but I, uh, didn't want to interrupt you."

"You? You wouldn't interrupt?" Gao smiled and motioned toward the open box of treats on the ground. "Are you sure it had nothing to do with those snacks you found in my bag?"

"Well, I guess it might have something to do with it," Drum admitted.

"I'll have some, if there's any left. Although, now that I think about it, we should probably save some for the boy and his dragon." Gao sat down. "I don't know what to think of that boy anymore," he sighed.

"Whaddaya mean, kid?" asked Drum.

"Well, before I didn't trust him, because he was running from the police," Gao mused. "But now...we're running from the police. I guess I just know what it's like to be in his shoes, you know?"

Drum's eyes went wide. "You have rocket boots, too?"

"No, I meant...never mind." Gao scooted over closer to Drum. "So what do you think about Tasuku?"

"Tasuku?"

"That's the boy's name," Gao answered. "Anyways, do you trust him?"

Drum considered this. "I'd say yes; he's buddies with a dragon. We dragons don't just choose any old person, you know."

Gao contemplated his response. "So why did you choose me?"

Drum seemed thoughtful. "You had octopus dumplings," he answered, popping another one into his mouth.