Chapter 7

Menoly

That morning, when we went down to the first floor, I could tell that Moku and Arishka hadn't slept well. There were rings under their eyes, and Arishka was rubbing her legs. "Something happen on your run?"

Her head shot up, and turned to us. "Yeah, I hurt my leg, but enough about me. What about you? What happened with you last night?"

I looked down at my stomach, which was noticeably larger. "Yeah, about that."

"We know how it happens. I'm guessing you told him then." Moku grinned at us.

"Yeah."

"Good for you."

"Well, I may have a few questions for you, Arishka."

"Then I'll have to answer them for you."

"Thanks."

"Well, when are we off to Menoly's?" Ky asked.

"Whenever Alya feels up to it. Arishka just pulled a muscle, but she should be able to fly. Menoly will heal it."

"Good. I want to make sure we get there before the Zarbor find out Alya's pregnant."

"Why? They would find out anyway." I looked at him over my shoulder.

"Not if I can help it. You're going to stay with Menoly until after you have the egg. You're not risking the Blue Dragon race over a fight." Ky said with a grimace on his face.

"Don't even think I'm staying behind. If I have to follow you guys, I will be going. No Zarbor could take me out with the adrenaline I'll have."

"We'll talk about this later." He turned away, and I grabbed a hold of his arm, and whipped him back to face me.

"When? After I kick your ass, and you're begging me not to hurt you more?"

"You wouldn't dare." He put his face right in mine, and glared.

"Try me." I stood on my tiptoes and glared right back at him.

"Okay, you two, settle down. A stranger would think you hated each others guts. No one needs to get killed over the simple matter of who would kick whose ass. My bets are on Alya though, just to let you know." Moku pointed at me, and Ky broke our glaring contest to turn to him.

"You're a great brother, you know that?"

"I do. That's why my bets are on my adoptive sister. I've seen you fight, man, and she's been to public high school. No doubt she could kick your butt in a heart beat."

"Awww, Moku! That's so sweet." I smiled at him, and turned back to the wet blanket we all know and love. "I'm going to go pack up my brother and adopted son. Anyone who disturbs me will have to answer to my tail."

I turned on my heel, and walked right back up the stairs to my temporary bedroom, and laid down on my bed, holding the egg that contained what may be the last of my kin. I looked down at my stomach, and hoped I would be alive to see it in all its hardened glory. I stared at my ceiling for about thirty minutes before there was a knock on the door. "I said no disturbances!"

"Alya, it's me." Arishka lightly knocked on the door again, and waited patiently as I made my way to the door.

"Sorry about that. I thought you were Ky."

"I know who you thought I was, and I'm sorry you two are fighting. I hate it when Moku tries to protect me from the world, especially when I'm pregnant. But Ky is right. If there is another Dragon War brewing, there is going to be a lot of death."

"That's why I want to be there. I want to make sure that he's alive to see the baby too. If I just sat in a cave and got bigger and bigger, knowing that he was risking his life or may already be dead, I would go insane. I care about him so much, more than I've cared about anyone, ever. It hurts that he doesn't want me to fight by his side."

"He's thinking with his ego, not his brain. I could kick Moku's butt in an instant if he pissed me off. But I let him think that he's the controller of the relationship, all the while playing the puppet master from the sidelines." She wiggled her fingers like she were moving strings, and laughed. "He's wrong, but you are too. He's just trying to protect you. The egg will be born in about two weeks anyway. In that time, there probably won't be any fighting anyway."

"When was the last Dragon War?"

"Eight hundred years ago, before the slaughter of the Blue Dragons. It was over whether or not the Dragons should be able to meddle in one another's affairs."

"And?"

"They agreed that Dragons should not be able to take control of another Dragon's territory, only to help in any matters with the Dragon's permission."

"And how long did it take for them to come to that realization?"

"Ten years."

"If I were to sit in a cave with only Menoly's face to see for ten years, by the time that you guys got back, I would be stark raving mad, and probably chained to a wall."

"We'll try to prevent that. But right now, you need to talk to Ky. He's positively miserable. He's been pacing in Dragon form for the last twenty minutes, and his claws are starting to ruin my floor."

"Go ahead, send him up."

"Okay. Sorry that this is happening so fast."

"I am too."

She began to walk to the door, her black hair twisting around her ankles. "Arishka?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"No problem, sweetie. You're family."

She walked out the door, and I went back to staring at the ceiling. There was a knock on the door about five minutes later, and Ky walked in without my even bothering to open the door. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said. That doesn't mean that I don't mean every word..."

"Ky. No offense, but shut up. I've known you for all of two days, and already I'm in love and pregnant. I should be confused and halfway to insanity, but for some reason, I'm not. I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life, and it's all because of you. Even if you are an egotistical maniac, I love you anyway, and nothing will change that. Unless, of course, you chain me to a wall at Menoly's and don't come back for me for ten years. That may be hard to forgive."

He stopped me with a raise of a single finger and walked over to me. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed me tight up against him. We fit together like we were made for each other, even with my pregnant stomach. That simple fact amazed me. I smiled up at him, and he kissed me. "I guess that means I'm forgiven?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Not even close."

"Okay, listen to me. I'm not sitting around, twiddling my thumbs while you get to go out and have all the fun. Until I lay this damn egg, you are staying with me."

"That's fine with me."

I stopped ranting, and stared. "What, that easy?"

"Yeah. That was actually going to be my compromise. We are going to stay at Menoly's until you lay that egg, and then we will drop it off with your handmaiden."

"No, I'm not sitting on a rock for two weeks. We will do this my way."

There was another knock on the door, and we stopped arguing to look toward it. "Can we come in?" This time, it was Moku.

"Depends. Who's we?" Ky called.

"Who do you think?" Arishka called in.

"Ignore him, and come in. He's still trying to control my life, and he thinks he can get away with it."

"You're going to make my life hell, aren't you?" He whispered into my ear.

"You bet, Lizard." He squeezed me tighter as Moku and Arishka walked through the threshold, Arishka carrying her son.

"You guys come to a compromise yet?" Moku asked as Arishka laid the egg in a pillow lined safe at the back of the room.

"Yep. Ky and I are going to stay at my house and play the average teenagers at Arelyshia High."

Ky and Moku both stared at me in disbelief. "Are you crazy? That's the first place the Zarbor will look for you!" Moku shouted.

"No, it's not. Actually, on the contrary. It's the last place they'll look. Why would they return to high school when they could stay with the Dragons and live in luxury?" Arishka countered, returning to her husband.

"Exactly. Ky will stay with me and take my guest bedroom. My mom went to stay with her sister in France a few days ago."

"Without telling you?" Ky asked.

"She called me last night on my cell phone when you were sleeping soundly in your bed."

"Well, then. It's settled. Moku and I will send daily reports on the conditions of the war while you guys are being harassed and questioned every day. But for right now, we'll go to Menoly's."

"She'll probably be waiting for us. She always is."

We set off about thirty minutes later, my bulging stomach noticeable even in Dragon form. When we finally reached the Orange temple, there was a handmaiden waiting outside for us. "Welcome. My mistress has been expecting you."

Ky scoffed beside me. I leaned my long Dragon neck over and kissed him on the scaly cheek. "Be happy you don't have a handmaiden. I would make you watch me toast her."

He laughed and we turned human again together.

"Well, then, I'll have to get one. I think you would be even more beautiful jealous than you are now."

I punched him on the shoulder and followed him into the cave. "Like any father would trust his virginal daughter to the like of hormonal and emotionally constipated you."

"I resent that."

"Then what took you so long to tell me you loved me?"

"That was confusion."

"Confusion, my foot. You were scared."

"You just proved my point, beautiful. Fear is an emotion."

"You're so lucky I love you, or I would roast your behind."

"I'm a Dragon. I'm fireproof."

"Are you so confident in that as to test it out?"

He snaked an arm around me, and molded me to his side. When we reached the center of the cave, there were, goddess bless, chairs! Menoly smiled, and looked up at me. "So you are the Blue Dragon everyone is fussing about? I heard your plea for comfortable chairs from your dragon. She has a wonderful personality."

"Yeah, she thinks so too."

I heard Ultimatra scoff in the back of my head. You make me sound conceited!

Never.

Well, take care of my family. I'll be gone for awhile. Tartea asked to stay over during your pregnancy. He said you may get a little testy.

Of course. They're my family too. And don't mess with Ky's head. He's screwed up enough as it is.

Spoken like the Dragon you are.

I'll contact you if I need help. I know how to get a hold of you.

Goodbye, dear one. Be careful.

Aren't I always?

I felt her leave my mind, and Ky gripped my hand. He looked to me. Ultimatra tell you she was leaving? Ky's voice was inside my head, and it startled me at first.

Yeah, but I'm guessing Tartea didn't tell you she was coming into your head. I spoke with him like I usually spoke with Ultimatra. And, surprisingly, it worked.

No.

Hurts a little at first, but you get used to it.

Of course. I've had two Dragons in my head before. Ultimatra was in my head for a little while when you were searching through the broken eggs.

What did she tell you?

Nothing I didn't already know.

Ohhh. That dragon of mine. She's getting a new one when she gets back.

Don't blame her. If she hadn't of told me how you felt, I never would have gathered the courage to tell you myself.

I wasn't going to hurt her. Besides, Tartea was kind of in my head at the cave. He didn't exactly keep leave anything to the imagination.

I did too! Oops.

Are you guys eavesdropping?

Maybe.

Well, stop. Alya and I need to talk, and we can't do that while you two are listening.

Well, as your dragons, we are entitled to your private lives.

Alya, please tell your dragon she is over the line.

Hey, she's in your head. I mental shrugged.

"Earth to Blue Dragon! Come in Blue Dragon!" Moku waved a hand over my face.

"Earth to Gold Dragon! You don't wave your hand in front of a pregnant woman's face. Especially when she has the curved teeth that I do. Didn't you tell him that?" I asked Arishka, who shrugged.

"I tried. I love the man, but have you ever tried teaching someone who has the attention span of a rodent?"

"I may have some experience in that department." I was thinking of my little cousin.

"Okay, well, this is fascinating. Now, would you like to tell me why you are here?" Menoly asked.

"Well, Alya seems to have gone insane, and wants to stay at the high school until the egg is born. We would like to know your opinion on the matter." I punched Moku and he tried to look hurt, but you could tell he was smiling.

"She's not insane. She's perfectly right. That is the last place that the Zarbor will look for her. You will need to put force fields around her house, and after the egg is born, you will need to keep it safe. There is no place that egg could be that the Zarbor won't search. Even the Cave of Broken Eggs is unsafe."

"Do you know how the Black Dragon got into the Cave?"

"Of course. The Black Dragon has the power to control the living, as you already know. He simply took control of the next Blue Dragon after the Great Mother. They had no malice in their heart, therefore, they were allowed to open the seal. He could always just do it again, as even Dragons are not impervious to that magic."

Well, that shot Ultimatra's theory to pieces.

Menoly's voice took on a haunted sound. "You need to get to Arelyshia. The Zarbor are coming to these parts searching for you. Arishka and Moku will have to go to the Golden Temple and stay hidden. Though they have already searched there, they will check again. Alya and Ky, you will stay at Alya's house for the two weeks she is pregnant. Don't go back to the school until after the birth. People will ask too many questions, and you never know who's heart contains conspiracy."

"Thank you Menoly. We will return as soon as it's safe." Arishka bowed to the Oracle, and we all followed suit.

"It's time we separated. Be safe." I kissed Moku on the cheek, and hugged Arishka, and Ky hugged them both. We flew off to the southeast, leaving Moku and Arishka to head north. I looked back until I could see no part of them, then faced toward the future and Arelyshia.