It took us three hours to escape the city and finally reach the spot The Fenix had told me to take Ronnie too, we quickly changed our clothes and set out on what was a three-week hunt. The Fenix left us instructions on not only where to go next but all the documents we needed on our travels, at each stop there was a set of new documents, clothes, and some supplies to help us reach our next stop. Finally, after what seemed forever (but just really three weeks) we reached the newest camp site. Ronnie told me to stay put and he would send for me once it was safe, I just nodded as I watched him limp off towards the front of the camp. To this day I do not know what was said or how he convinced them to let me in but I am forever grateful.
It was not until night fall on the third day that a young girl no more than ten came running towards me, "Are you Peyton, are you the one who brought the Dragon home?" she asked as soon as she reached me. "Yes, I was the one who brought him home, I couldn't leave him there to be forced to fight his family." I said while trying to hide my nerves. "The Prophet wants to see you after breakfast in the morning, you will be staying in my big sister's tent. Someone will get you for breakfast and then you will be meeting with The Prophet, we would have sent for you earlier but The Dragon collapsed and nobody could get free before now." She said as she grabbed my hand and dragged me towards camp.
When we reached the front of the camp two people who I assumed to be guards stopped us and said, "Star you can't be running off like that, your sister would be heartbroken if you were caught and taken from us." She just stood there with a look of defiance and said, "Nobody was going to get Dragon's savior and The Prophet wants to see her in the morning, I just did what everyone else forgot to do." The guards just laughed at being scolded by a ten-year-old girl and just nodded their heads towards the tent I was going to staying in. I knew at once that there was no go back now, I was to meet the Prophet in the morning and he held my fate in his hands. All I could hope for was that The Dragon or Ronnie as I knew him by, told them something good.
Just as Star was about to lead me into my home for the night, I heard "The Phoenix Rises at Midnight" coming from behind me. Without thinking I said "F.E.A.R shall never rise again from the ashes" it was written on last note from the Fenix, one that was left just for me. It had to be some sort of test and all I could do was hope that I passed, but just as the words were said I could hear footsteps retreating. Star had this look of astonishment on her face, "The Fenix spoke, he actually spoke to you; he hasn't been a Lieutenant long. He became one after we lost Deviant on a run, one of the Priests took him out, it was not that long ago. Six months ago, and ever since he joined us, he has been silent, he doesn't speak to anyone but the Prophet or the other Lieutenants. At first, we were not sure he could even speak, but about close to three months ago he said that the Dragon was coming and he was bringing someone who will become our Justice. Do you think he was talking about you?" she asked as she pulled me into her sister's tent.
I did not know what to say, I was stunned to say the least; it was about three months ago when I got that message from the Fenix. Looking around I could not figure out how he sent it but I honestly could really find myself to care, it was that message that gave me the courage to do what I did. At first, I was just going to break Ronnie out and just have him go by himself but when that message appeared I knew I had to go with him. When I finally brought myself back to reality, I noticed that Star was gone and I was alone in the tent. There was not a bed, only a cot and a blanket, I knew that there was not going to be luxuries like back home and right now it was better than the hard cold ground, Ronnie and I slept on while making the trip here.
It took me till dawn to finally close my eyes, it wasn't because of the cot or the fact I could hear the birds better than I could in the city. No, it was the fact that I was meeting with The Prophet in the morning and all I could think about was if Ronnie were all right or not, when Star said he collapsed my heart went to my throat. If he had told me he was hurting I could have prolonged are stays that the camp spots long enough to go on a medicine run, I would have never let him walk as much as he did either. I had about two hours of sleep before another girl about Star's age came in and woke me.
She was just quiet and shy as Star was, but she did not say anything. She just beckoned me out of the tent, not knowing if I would be allowed to stay or not, I grabbed my pack and followed her to breakfast. When I arrived at the tent where everyone ate breakfast, I noticed five young men not much older than me at the head of the longest table, they had their heads together as if they were talking strategy. I had to catch my breath, walking towards me was Ronnie; he was leaning on a homemade crutch but he was alive.
"Peyton, I heard that you didn't get brought into camp until late last night, I am sorry about that. Andy sent word for you to be brought in right away but then I collapsed and shit went downhill from there. When Andy found out that Star went out on her own to retrieve you, he was not happy; they younger children are not supposed to be out of camp after dark, let alone grabbing someone who should have been already in camp. Do not worry Star is not any trouble, she was given permission to miss her classes this morning. Now get some breakfast, you have a long day ahead of you and it starts after you eat." He said as led me to a seat towards the front of the table.
I could see others around me whispering, almost wondering who I am and why I am being seated near their leaders and why Ronnie is paying me more attention than he is the others. Just as I was about to sit down one of the five stood up and spoke "Before we begin breakfast this morning, we have a special guest with us this morning, she is from one of the cities controlled by F.E.A.R and without a single thought of her own safety she brought us back Dragon. We thought he was lost to us as we have lost Deviant, but he was just captured and being held underground in the Leader's Temple. She is to be treated with kindness and will be given her own tent once we have had a chance to talk to her. Now enjoy your breakfast, it is a special treat this morning. We have meat and eggs for the next few days until we move camp again. Also please let Star have her morning to rest, she did a brave thing in bring our guest in last night, she was up late reporting to Prophet and Dragon." He said.
Ronnie who was standing next to me whispered "That's Jinxx or as he is called Mystic, he and the rest of us sometimes speaks for Andy. Andy hardly ever speaks to the rest of the camp unless it is important, he does not do it to be mean or anything, he just does not like to talk a lot. He lost the girl he was supposed to marry before we became the Wild One, she was taken from their wedding and killed because they found out some of us did not believe in the lies F.E.A.R was telling. We all lost someone close to us, I lost my parents, Jinxx his twin sister, C.C his brother, Jake his mom and the new guy Lonny I heard he lost his entire family. They found him in a hollowed out home in one of the cities the F.E.A.R destroyed because they were leaving their control, they do not know how he survived. He doesn't say much not even to Andy, but I heard he spoke to you last night, who knows why he did but he did."
I whispered back, "He's the Fenix, isn't he? He is the one who gave me the courage to leave with you, I was just going to help you escape and return home like I did not have a hand in you escaping but his message gave me the courage to leave with you. I do not know how he found me or even sent me a message I owe my freedom to him. I will do whatever I have to prove that I belong here. I know some of the cites like the back of my hand, my father helped build some of them and he would let me look at the building plans. I can help get the supply runners in and out without being seen, I even know the best time and days to go."
Ronnie just smiled at me and left me to have breakfast, I could see him go to the end where the Mystic was sitting and started talking to who I assumed to be the Prophet. He was even pointing his thumb at me and I could see the Prophet nod his head in agreement about something, but as I was about to grab some water to was my breakfast down, I had a someone sit down next to me. "So, you're the one who brought Dragon home? You do not seem like much, I cannot understand why The Prophet wants you in the camp so bad, you are just spy and that F.E.A.R is going to show up and take us all into their custody. You should leave before they see right through you, you're not going to get whatever your thinking you're going to find here, because the only thing you will find is trouble and hatred." The girl who sat next to me said.
Before I could respond, she was dragged away and I was once again left alone. I did not know what her problem with me was, I just wanted freedom and a real family. Someday someone to love but that was not my current goal, my current goal was to prove that I belonged and I was going to just that no matter what I had to do. I had a feeling that it was going to be a long time before I was trusted but it did not matter one bit, I already had one person knowing that my word could be trusted and that was Ronnie. I should be thinking of him as the Dragon and not his birth name, it seems that they don't use that name for him. I wondered if the Leader knew exactly who he had in his grasp, I had a feeling that if he knew that he had one of the Lieutenants in his basement Ronnie would have been made an example of and made to fight his brothers and family.
I had to shake those thoughts away, Ronnie or Dragon as he was called was safe now and not chained to the wall anymore. He could move around and was able eat without assistance; he was now back with his family and friends and that was good enough for me. When I saw the six of them stand, I knew I had to finish my breakfast quickly so I could get my meeting over with and I could start my journey to prove my worth.