Dragonchild

Chapter 3

…And you can't jump the track when the car's on a cable

And life's like an hourglass glued to the table

No one can find the rewind button now

So cradle your head in your hands

Breathe 2 AM

Raven was keeping watch over the young traveler. Feralae had fallen asleep again. She was tossing and turning on the couch. "Feralae, what is in your head?" Raven wondered. She'd be surprised to know exactly what.

Feralae was dreaming again. She was reliving that last car ride. Feralae's mother never told her daughter exactly what she did to cross the Joker. So Feralae was amazed and a little scared when the Batmobile started chasing them. "What the Hell?" Feralae's father demanded. "What could Batman possibly want with us?"

Feralae's mother had a radio in the car, since she worked as an EMT by daylight. "Civilian calling Batmobile. Batmobile do you copy?"

"I do. Listen, you need to get out of there! Joker's put a bomb in the car! As soon as you accelerate it's set to go off!" Batman, for all the confidence ascribed to them, sounded near panic. Feralae figured that he'd had a bad night.

Duel shivered. "Feralae, I'm scared."

Feralae leaned over to give her girlfriend a gentle kiss on the lips. "It's going to be okay Duel, okay?"

The car was starting to speed up. "Batmobile! I've lost control of the car. It's accelerating steadily. The locks won't unlock to let us out either."

Feralae scrabbled at the lock. "Mine's open!" Feralae called.

"Listen Bat, my daughter is the only one who can get out. Take care of her!"

"But momma! Momma what about you?" Feralae, only thirteen at the time, was very attached to her mother.

"I'll be fine Feralae!" Feralae's mother reached over to undo Feralae's belt. "The locking mechanism that he had placed on our car isn't working on your side. I'm sorry, but this is the only way for Dragon Power to live on. You HAVE to go!"

The Batmobile had pulled up next to them now. Batman had the door open and somebody, probably Robin or Nightwing, had taken over driving. Feralae gulped, undid her belt, and opened the door. The car was going impossibly fast now. Feralae told Duel, "I love you! Please survive!"

"I will! I promise!" Feralae made the jump. Instantly strong hands caught her by the waist and tossed her across the car to the second seat. It was a new model, as opposed to the old one that couldn't carry more than one passenger. Feralae didn't know that of course, she was only a kid. Feralae's dragon Nidon arrowed after the car.

The cars were going impossibly fast now. The gauge read over a hundred miles an hour. Suddenly… BOOM! Feralae's mother's car exploded. The flames, broken glass, and metal got in through the open door, and while Batman and Nightwing were armored, Feralae wasn't.

The flames licked at her arms and the broken glass cut at her clothing and body. Feralae screamed. It was all over so fast! Then both cars crashed into a building. Feralae didn't wait for the two Heroes to let her out. She ran to the wrecked car, still burning. The pain was incredible, but her need to get to her mother and Duel was too much. It gave her strength.

"MOTHER!" Feralae screamed. "MOTHER! FATHER! DUEL!"

Feralae's father was already dead from the fire. Duel turned to Feralae weakly. "S…Sorry… koi…" And died. But Feralae's mother had made it, sort of. She was barely hanging on.

Feralae went to her mother, pulling off the car door, not caring how it burned and blistered her hands. "Mo… mother… please don't… don't go…" She whispered softly. Tears wouldn't stop flowing from her eyes.

Feralae's mother, Merika alias Wild Wing smiled weakly. "I'm sorry I could never be there for you Feralae… I knew that I couldn't survive the blast… You are the carrier of Dragon Power now… Take the necklace from my neck… Wear it in good health… this is the only way for Dragon Power to live on… Remember me with… with pride… for I am… I am…" Feralae's mother never told her daughter her secret. She died too soon. Feralae howled in misery, the burns and slashes never bothering her. She never tried to have the scars removed, though she tried her hardest to cover them up.

The medics arrived. They tried to bring her into the ambulance. Feralae screamed and kicked and yelled, trying in vain to get to her mother. "MOMMA! DADDY! DUEL! DON'T LEAVE ME! DON'T LEAVE ME PLEASE! MOMAAAAAAAAAAAA!" She howled into the merciless night.

Feralae woke with a start. She was in an unfamiliar bed. She could hear Raven and Robin talking outside. "That's what Batman said, that the Joker had rigged the car to blow up. Feralae was the only survivor. They took her to the hospital.

"She's got scars on her arms, burn scars on her hands as well." Raven told him. "I saw them when we moved her."

"According to the records that Batman sent me she's even been as far from here as Metropolis. She goes from city to city, stays with the local superhero for awhile, helps them with something, and then moves on." Robin explained.

"Considering her background I'm not surprised." Raven said with a sigh. "I'd be wandering too if I'd lost my family like that."

"But maybe she does not have to wander anymore." Starfire put in. "Maybe if we can give her something or someone to believe in, somebody to love and care for, she will stay with us."

Feralae's fingers twitched against the blankets.

"Maybe when she's recovered we can find out what her superpowers are." Suggested Beastboy. "I mean, if she's been able to hold her own helping somebody like Superman then she's got to have REALLY cool powers."

If you only knew. Feralae thought to herself. She hadn't stayed with Batman, even though he'd offered to take her in. And Feralae couldn't bear to stay in Gotham, so she had left on the next train. The next thing that Feralae remembered she was getting off the train in Metropolis, where her aunt and uncle owned a glass/blacksmith shop. She stayed with them for a year, training. She even met the local superhero at one point. It was close to Christmas at that point, and a cold, starry night.

Feralae remembered how surprised Superman had been when a girl flew by that he didn't even know. She'd had dragon wings briefly, but that was before she had mastered the trick of balancing between the Earth's magnetic field as the Chinese Dragons did in order to fly. It was easy when one learned how. But somehow she couldn't totally bring herself to join the fight against evil.

So every time a Super Hero invited her to join him or her she left, going on to the next city, performing, writing, getting published. Feralae would save the world and then move on. Something to believe in? Feralae hadn't had that since Goddess knew how long ago. Kami, or Fate, or Destiny, whoever it was, had a lonely life laid out for Feralae.

That was when Raven came in. "Hey, how are you feeling."

"Tired, but I was dreaming again."

"About what?" Raven asked gently.

"Memories. You were talking about them out there. I was dreaming about my Parent's death. I heard Starfire talking outside. You want to give me something to believe in? I haven't had that since my parent's died." Feralae said bitterly.

Raven placed a hand on Feralae's forehead. "I think your fever's gone down." She flushed slightly, then leaned down to kiss Feralae on the forehead. "Just rest okay? I think that's doing more for you than anything a doctor can do."

"At least I've stopped coughing." Feralae yawned. "But I don't want to dream the memory again."

Raven had shut the door behind her. "My mother used to say, 'sing and it will go away.'" Raven suggested. "If you absolutely PROMISE not to tell the others you heard me, I'll sing for you."

Nidon chirped from his nest in the blankets. Feralae nodded. "Okay."

"Two AM and she calls me cause I'm still awake

'Can you help me unravel my latest mistake

I don't love him, winter just isn't my season…"

Feralae felt herself becoming drowsy. She oddly trusted this Raven, with her pale skin, dark eyes and mysterious manner.

"Yeah we walk through the doors so accusing their eyes

Like they have any right at all to criticize

Hypocrites you're all here for the very same reason"

Feralae closed her eyes, slowly falling asleep.

"Cause you can't jump the track when the cars on a cable

And life's like an hourglass glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button girl

So cradle your head in your hands

And breathe, just breathe, breathe, just breathe."

Feralae was asleep by the time that Raven got to the second verse. And she began to dream.

Feralae had just finished her homework and her chores, including the sorting of cullet glass. The Cullet was where a glassmaker stored all the glass pieces that hadn't come out right. These were melted down and recycled into new glass. But before they could be melted down, cullet had to be sorted into colors, otherwise the pieces they were made into wouldn't come out right. It was now Feralae's favorite time of the day, when the sun went down it would be safe to train without being noticed by either Superman or Supergirl. Feralae had successfully hidden from them for a year, training in secret so that no Super Hero or Heroine would see her and try to enlist her to their cause.

Feralae scooped up the glass fife that her uncle had made for her to use in her spells, as well as the sword and pendant that Feralae had inherited from her mother. She donned her robes over her ordinary clothing and tied it with the cord that Feralae had woven herself. Nidon flew down from his perch in the rafters of the workshop and followed his partner out the door.

Once out Feralae played a tune as she walked, haunting, mournful, like the wind during a storm.

"Dragon of the Night Wind, Sairys!" It was pronounced Sai-ris. "Lord of Air, come to me Dragon Lord!"

A flash of yellow light and the Spirit Ball floated, pushing into Feralae from behind. The Dragon Mage felt her body respond to the presence in her mind by becoming light, nimble. "Welcome." Feralae whispered. "Ready for a night?"

Feralae looked at the setting sun. "Time to go!" She leapt into the air, balencing between the Earth itself and the magnetic field. Her flight was wobbly at first, but slowly evened out. She flew to the top of a building to watch the last of the sun go down over the Metropolis night.

It had been exactly one year since the Joker had murdered her parents. And Batman had still to tell her the reason why he'd gone after them in the first place. Maybe there was no answer. But Feralae sure had a lot of questions.

Feralae heard a soft tap behind her. She whirled, nearly falling. "So, what are you doing here?" The girl Feralae saw before her was about three years older than she was. Her hair was long and blonde and she had odd-looking blue eyes. But what REALLY identified her was her cape and half shirt that had a big red and yellow letter S on it.

Feralae groaned. While the sun was still up, Superman and his protégé could go wherever they pleased, including the tops of buildings. "Enjoying the sunset." Feralae replied at last.

"I don't blame ya'. This has to be the tallest building in metropolis." The girl replied, sitting down next to her.

Nidon, sensing his master's distress, hissed a warning. Nidon behave yourself! Feralae growled at him in dragon speak.

Nidon replied that if she distressed his master then he would certainly NOT behave himself.

She's just curious Nidon. Feralae warned her counterpart.

Nidon replied that curiosity was what killed the Nemean Lion, and if Feralae wanted to keep her secret she'd better leave now.

"So, how long ago did you get here?" Supergirl asked.

"I came here from Gotham exactly a year ago actually." Feralae replied. "I'm staying with my aunt and uncle."

"And all that time Superman and I NEVER noticed you?" Demanded Supergirl.

"I didn't want you to notice me." Feralae replied. "I mostly train at night. That's probably why. You're Supergirl right? I've never gotten to see you and your… ah… mentor in action."

"That's me alright." Said Supergirl cheerfully.

"Listen, mostly I keep to myself, so can you not tell Superman that you saw me?" Feralae asked.

"Why not? A girl that can fly and keeps the company of dragons? How useful is that?"

"The correct term for people like me is a Dragon Mage." Feralae replied. "That's how I'm able to fly, it's nothing a well placed Air Dragon Spell can't accomplish. I can do others too, fire, water, earth, darkness and light. And that's not counting the Dragon Knights as well."

"The who?"

Feralae explained. "There are dragons that live in different landforms. The leaders of these dragons are called Dragon Knights. There are ones for storms and volcanoes and caves and forests and even ones for the planets and the zodiac." Feralae looked out blankly at the sunset. "Will you even be able to get down when the sun goes down?"

"Sure, I can still fly for a little while after the sun's gone down. Just long enough to get down and get somewhere safe to change back to my secret identity. Listen, are you going to be around later?"

"I won't be around. I have to train for a couple hours and then get home by ten tonight. And tomorrow afternoon I have to help my aunt and uncle in the shop." Feralae replied. "I'm one busy girl."

"At least give me your name. It doesn't have to be your real name."

Feralae thought for a moment. Every initiate in her family chose a different ritual name. Feralae spoke suddenly. "My ritual name is Dragonsinger. I guess that could be my fighting name as well, not that I intend to fight anybody." Feralae pulled out her fife again. She began to play a peaceful, serene tune. The glass made an incredibly delicate sound, much more haunting than a metal or plastic instruments.

Feralae waited and sure enough, a few minutes later she heard the whoosh of air. When she turned around Supergirl was gone.

Feralae woke up with a start, she didn't remember much of the time between the accident and arriving in Metropolis. She had started out on her own about a month after the incident. She traveled from city to city, assisting the local superheroes. All the time she gave the name of Dragonsinger.

Feralae to hear the wind still howling outside, the roars of the storm dragons as they frolicked in the gusts of wind, the lighting, the drenching water. Feralae called to them in dragonspeak. Good evening brothers.

Good evening mage. You are well?

On the contrary, I've caught a fever. So I'm stuck inside and cannot join you. Give the Storm Knight my regards.

We will, it is a pleasure young mage.

Raven was asleep in a chair nearby. Feralae took that opportunity to study her. She had a much moreslender frame than Starfire. The pale bluish tint to her skin made her look exotic and the look in her eyes when she was awake gave her a mysterious appeal. It would probably been easy to get Starfire to fall in love with her. But the more hyper of the two Lady Titans was a little much for Feralae. Feralae went for the dark and mysterious types more than she did the hyperactive and naïve. Thus Feralae found herself inevitably attracted to Raven.

Gods, let me have her. I want her so bad…

But the Gods and Dragons were silent. Feralae cursed and turned over in bed. She fell asleep, into another dream.