Chapter 8
Loyalty's Hold
"What did you clean me with?" I asked flopping unto my back and rubbed my nose.
"A bar of soap, shampoo, rubbing alcohol, I didn't know that the rubbing alcohol smelled so strongly! In Equestria we just had a sweet smelling salve." Glitterlamp replied. "Are you sure you can make it down?" She asked me again. I tried to imagine my wings to manifest but nothing happened. If anything my shoulder blades twitched and spazzed out but nothing happened.
"Just wondering." I said waving a dismissive hand. I thought about using my magic to make something to help me down the stairs. "I could just walk." I said out loud then thought about that! I clapped my hands and rubbed them together then I just got to my feet, that easy. I just stood there for a moment waiting for the light head dizzy spell to pass but it never came. A cold breeze along with the cold floor reminded me that it is winter out, and everything is trying not to freeze to death. Needless to say I grabbed some of my backup clothes and put them on in record time, my record not world record.
The house was beautiful. I have no idea what style it was but everything was nice, the price tag on a quarter of this must have been amazing too. Like walking through a painting, look but don't touch and there are paintings of the mountains about every three feet. Struck me kinda odd since this area is kinda IN the mountains, just a thought. The smell of a roast pleasantly tickled my senses delightfully.
The dining room was beautiful too! The walls were a rich cream color, the trim and moldings were kinda like milk chocolate, come to think of it it all the house seems to remind me of food. Everyone was already digging into grilled cheese sandwiches with only a few of the lights on.
"Ah! Glad to see you up and about!" Jim smiled widely. "I didn't know if you were comin' down or not so I didn't make yours yet." He started to stand but I held a hand up.
"No need, I can do it." I said making my way to the stove.
"It really isn't a problem." Jim insisted beating me to the stove already grilling the bread. I just sat down at the table and waited.
"Did you even see yourself! You had shadows all around like, pow! And then you rose your hands to the sky and the snow was all 'imma gonna snow'-"
He continued like this for a while but I liked the kid's energy. The world outside the bed was pretty cold making me wish I could crowd a fire right now. I nodded every so often to Richard when he paused for breath or a lull in his story. It is kinda annoying but then again he found some one else that had magic so I could understand his excitement, I'M pretty excited over this discovery myself.
"How did you ever do that?!" Richard asked me watching my every move.
"Settle down, he looks tired so don't pester him so much." His mother said putting a hand on his shoulder.
"It kinda happens like how you do your snow magic." I said conjuring a blanket to warm myself. I looked like a sleeping bag with only my face showing earning more than a few chuckles from my companions. "While your domain is snow and cold, mine is," I thought for a moment searching for the right words. "I don't know, is there a word for what my domain is, my dear?" Glitterlamp had her hand to her chin in thought as well.
"I'd say illusion but I know better than that." Glitterlamp admitted with a sigh. "You create things now and then but they don't last long. That's what makes you a Dreamer, and that's what I'll keep calling you."
"There you go, my domain is dreams and such!" I said smiling broadly.
"I'm pretty sure I'm not dreaming though." Jim countered setting my grilled cheese sandwich down in front of me. "Can't expect me to buy that whole, 'yer dreamin' crap do you? I'm awake, you're awake, wait it's one of those metaphor things isn't it?" I nodded to him.
Gleaming black gloves manifested near the grilled cheese sandwich and brought it to my mouth. My mind drifted back to when Glitterlamp was teaching me this trick, that was a fun time.
"Take it as you want it, I don't have all the answers. If I did I would be sitting in some turbo mansion somewhere selling the answers." I said considering that I would need to think of an answer to give to those who might help me. "Thank you for the food, hopefully the snow will get under management soon."
"And if it doesn't?" Richard asked raising an eyebrow.
"Well, you might have to do something about that." An idea formed in my head. "Yeah, since you can control it you might be able to move it safely out of the way."
"Well," Richard/Icecube looked embarrassed. "That was my fault wasn't it?"
"Weirder shit happened to me." I pointed out with a third glove. "Take it slow and don't strain yourself."
"I'd prefer it if you didn't swear in this house." Richard's mother corrected me.
"Sorry." I wasn't sure who was giving me a better stink eye Richard's parents or Glitterlamp.
"Hey," Jim said quickly changing the subject. "Dan is coming over with his snow bike, he'll get ya to the hospital." I took a breath and he quickly stated, "Don't protest, you're in bad shape."
"Really, you shouldn't have," I said all nice and cheery, "it's not like I'm on a secret black ops level of mission to restore magic to Earth or anything or trying to save a whole sentient species or anything." The last part was a little harsh. "It's not like I don't appreciate you helping me like this but I can't stop now, I have access to some healing magic. I'll be fine."
"When is Dan coming over?" Glitterlamp asked sighing.
"Tomorrow morning." Jim replied.
"I'll see if I can't convince Michael to at least see a medicine mare or something." Glitterlamp said with a stately tone of voice.
"Medicine mare?" Richard asked, "what can a horse do?" I just raised an eyebrow at him and ate my grilled cheese sandwich in silence. "You were joking right?" Met with even more awkward silence.
"I'm from Equestria, another world." Glitterlamp offered.
"Like the show?" Richard asked but sounded gravely disappointed. "That's real? But air benders aren't real. No justice in the world I tell ya."
"I'm from Earth and I didn't understand a single word from that sentence. Air can't bend, it whistles." I countered.
"But with them there's martial arts to it! My Little Pony is a show for kids." Icecube continued. "If you don't know martial arts you're defenseless! How do you expect to go on an adventure?"
"Oh, I don't know. Taking my claws and tearing throats out is a grand start." I growled, I realized that the voice rumbling out of my mouth was Vengeance's.
"You should have seen him a few weeks ago." Glitterlamp twisted her chair and leaned it back to rest on my shoulder. "He tore an entire town apart, without any 'air bending'. He's stronger than what he looks, kid."
"Enough, what are you going to do when your friend their gets tired and can't tend to you? You have to let her rest at least." Richard's mom said icily.
"Hey, knowing some martial arts isn't a bad thing. Some people smoke, some people kick ass." Jim shrugged eating his food. "But, air bending aside, what exactly IS your mission. I got some pals that might help ya." This atmosphere was just getting weird. "We might be involved by just meeting you, might as well tell us."
"Why waste our breath on them?" Vengeance had enough of this, then again I'm acting weird too. Too many things happened to me in a short span of time, I'm still trying to get everything sorted.
"Well, we could give them the gist of it with no details. THAT might satisfy them, having help in this could be useful." Pain mused.
"We are trying to restore magic back to this world," Glitterlamp said coolly with an air of vague intentions. She switched the way she talked, no longer the meek and soft spoken as she stood up and rested her hands on the table. "Who's Dan and why should I trust him to even touch what is mine?"
"It is possible that we don't know Glitterlamp very well." Pain remarked but impressed none the less.
"Shut up! I'm watching the show!" I could hear pop corn popping in the background.
"What's going on anymore? I can't keep up. Maybe I hit my head harder than I thought." I kept watching trying to keep up with the conversation. I got asked a question but Glitter answered, I got that much.
"Dan's a friend of mine that I've known for years. He's works for the park rangers around here and helps lost tourists." Jim explained only raising an eyebrow at her. He glanced at his watch. "Look, everyone's had a weird and rough day. Everyone's grouchy, even if Dan got here early I'd still recommend going out in the morning." Everyone seemed to agree to this and before we got up the power shut off and a hum I didn't notice before died. "There went the generator, I'll refill it in the morning."
I could feel Glitterlamp's mind turning like a clock, she was planning something and I didn't know what. We all retired to our designated rooms with barely mumbled good nights at each other. The air was tense and I didn't like it, they were trying to help the best they can. Aren't they? The hallways seemed more sinister without the light revealing the warm colors, with shadows it looks like it's stained with blood. . . an even coat if it's possible. Disgusting nonetheless.
"We must leave tonight." Glitterlamp stated in a very harsh tone. "I've seen this happen too many times to other undercover friends!" She moved around the room dumped a pillow case and taking anything that might be useful, shirts, socks, pencils, anything.
"What happened to our packs?" I asked trying to be helpful.
"It's downstairs somewhere! I don't know, they undoubtedly opened them up and searched it!" Then an idea came into her head. "Do you think you can get them? Are you well enough to do more magic."
"I can probably find them, but I do not know if I can get it all back." I said testing various sore spots on my body. Glitterlamp dumped the pillow down to the floor and held her hands to her face.
"I havn't been this scared in years! I don't know what's going on, and that scares me the worst! I thought you were the only one that can do magic!" Glitterlamp shook as she said it and I tried to hold her. She shook out of my arms and turned to me her disguise shattered and venom was in her eyes. "This isn't something you can just ignore! No amount of magic to make it go away! We need a plan!"
"We sleep for a few hours. This 'Dan' cannot overpower us. We have hardly any info, possible allies, medical treatment, and manners were the only things that was even in question in that last conversation!" Vengeance calmly said and I could feel him grin. "I would like to know if he does have allies for us to use. As for the ice mage, ignore him. If anything he serves as a useful distraction. If this is happening everywhere the media will eat it up, a smoke screen."
"That's all well and good but what about our damaged body? Shall I try another method of healing? The current form doesn't seem to help much."
"Bind his wounds if you must but we shall be ready to leave in the afternoon."
"No need for more worries, if all else fails Glitterlamp will help."
"What they said," I shrugged and eased myself into bed. Warm snakes raced around my body making me jump and lift my shirt as glimmering black bandages covering my wounds, if nothing else the stinging and itching stopped. "Let's try to take it one step at a time. Everything will be alright, in the end." I said trying to ignore the strange sensations.
"I hope you're right." Glitterlamp sighed. "You really don't ever stop thinking do you? No wonder you're so tired all the time."
"I wouldn't know if it was easier or not." I chuckled. Suddenly the room was flooded with moon light, Glitterlamp pulled the curtain further back and looked out.
"At least the clouds are gone, nice job. One stallion weather team, nice." Glitterlamp took off her coat and tossed to the side and took the right side of the bed. "This body still doesn't feel right. I want my real wings back not these magic ones, I want my horn, I want my house in Appaloosa, this list kinda goes on BUT the big the one is this situation. It screams danger in my ears. I don't like it."
"Better to sleep in here than out there." I tried to reason despite my blood heating up being this close to her. Has it always been like this? We've dreamed in the same bed for weeks and I've never reacted like this before!? Glitterlamp seemed to catch drift of my thoughts and snuggle closer to me until she secured her place in the crook of my arm.
"At least you still think of me as beautiful, even as a two legged changeling thing." She said kissing my burning face. "I'm not even tired, too worried to be tired."
"Hey, I thought I was the worry wart here. Don't steal my thunder." I joked using a finger to tickle her. Glitterlamp was indeed sensitive but all she had to do was remind me with her hands that she could get me better. "Okay okay, let's at least try to dream." Truth be told I wasn't looking forward to Dream Walking with her. My mental image was unstable enough as it is.
But sleep crept upon the both of us anyway. Stealing us into the night and away from our problems. It's not like I wanted to hide anything from Glitterlamp, it's just nice to have thought that are private and not up for review. I thought I would get used to having someone I love most dearly have access to my thoughts and it has become useful from time to time but,
"Openly admitting that you love someone isn't weakness," Courage's mail hand thumped my back in a brotherly fashion, "to openly confess your more basic desires in public? Bold, yes but near suicide."
"You have nothing to hold back. It's easy for you to say that." I shrugged drifting amongst the loose formation of past memories. "I just want a blank dream tonight. Just skip to the morning already."
"You hold me back. With good reason too!" Courage never missed a beat. "How much trouble would we be in if you didn't reign me in sometimes? Remember back in Neighbraska? That rainbow haired creature? I admit, Vengeance and I worked hand in hand on that one. See! You should be named Control for having to put up with us!"
"Perhaps, but I already have a name," then a pang of anger sparked in me, "and it's NOT 'shadow' it's Michael."
"What of Dreamer?" Courage looked me in the eye.
"Friends and family get to call me that."
"Good answer. What should others call you if not your real name?"
"I'll think on it."
A path made from the chaotic environment rose to meet my feet, or column of myself, supporting me through my lucid dreaming. Sometimes it was concrete, apocalyptic debris, advanced materials, stairs, anything that could be traversed.
"She's trying to find me isn't she?"
"Why wouldn't she? You're her favorite thing in existence. What's eating at you?" Courage gently grabbed my shoulder so that I faced him.
"I'm not sure. I feel, off. Not sure how I feel really. Out of place? If that makes sense." I said rubbing my neck
"Homesick. You miss what you had, having your original so close and yet so far. My advice? Get this quest solved quickly." Courage said as wisely as he could. Well, he didn't speak so much with word but I knew what he wanted to tell me even without the note pad, or golden text surrounding him. "How do you know Glitterlamp is getting near?"
"My cheeks start to burn and my heart yearns." I checked myself over. A horrid tattered wraith with monstrous hands ending in claws. No definable legs to speak off but a constant downward motion of smoke pushing me up. The "skin" that covered my upper half was scared with the marks in real life but it was discolored to a purplish-blue-hue with glowing white and pitch black marking slithering just underneath the skin. My face felt like a mask, impossibly smooth, like a mirror but heavy as steel. "Do you think I even look decent?"
"We joined our lives with a creature that can change her face, skin color, bodily features, has fangs AND has holes in her limbs. I doubt she's care, relax." Courage rolled his eyes. "Hello again, Glitterlamp." He waved at Glitterlamp warmly.
"Talking to yourself again?" Glitterlamp laughed then her eyes snapped open when she saw this new form. "Whoa, didn't recognize you there, and the element of loyalty did this?"
"Yeah, maybe not directly but this is what came out of it." I shrugged.
"Weird, but it's different from the other in here." Glitterlamp pointed out. "Weeks ago you tried to look like the Knight here."
"He was borrowing an extra I have." Courage replied waving with one hand and rubbing his neck. "I think his new look bothers him, but I think it'll throw anyone off who come sneaking in. Sadly, I have some matters to attend to and must be off." He noted the last sentence with a slump in the shoulders, exaggerating sadness when leaving us. A door opened next to him and vanished into dust when he closed the door behind him. For the short time the door was open I could see a much cleaner and brighter lit armory.
"Worry wart," Glitterlamp started with a wry grin, "you can tell me anything, you know that right?"
"Y-yeah, this just happened within the last day or so." I defended myself, then did a little shrug. "Honestly? I think the glamor of this whole 'adventure' thing wore off. I know it's important, I think it it anyway. I mean, humanity got this far without magic." I pointed out. "I think I was wrong about being in a hurry, Hell, other than ONE doofus looking for them I doubt him and Merlin are the only ones even aware of them. Also with this 'awakening' of sorts happening throughout the country I doubt anybody is gonna notice me."
"Are you sad about that? Not being noticed by lots of ponies- erm- people?" Glitterlamp asked. "Last I recall you don't 'do' crowds."
"A little, wanna be the super hero. I used to think of how cool having magic would be. I got my wish, and found out there were rules keeping me from using it." I grumbled rubbing my arms. "Do you think I look okay like this? Feels kinda odd but comfortable."
"Kinda like a second skin?" Glitterlamp asked buzzing in front of me looking me over.
"Yeah," I answered now VERY aware of how close she was to me and I failed to resist from snatching her from the air into a loving embrace, I wasn't trying very hard anyway. "I love you, I don't know what's bothering me, I really don't."
"Sounds like you're picking up what Changelings do naturally. Concentrate and think about how you used to look." Glitterlamp hugged back but politely containing her laughter. "You look funny with a mirror on your face anyway." I did as she asked and thought about things I normally wouldn't have given a second thought to. The Void reverberated around me bugging my ears. When I opened my eyes again I was standing back in my house back in Appaloosa. All my things were back as they were, nothing was broken, modest furniture.
"All except the heat, I liked it here." I mumbled letting Glitterlamp buzz out of my hug.
"See, you look fine now. And I know what's been bugging you, you are standing still and doing nothing. So wanna go do something fun? I've been picking the last couple of times so you get to pick this time around.
"Honestly? I just want to lie down and just sleep. I feel tired and sore, even here. Crazy I know." I said sitting down on the couch.
"Only as long as you hold me." Glitterlamp didn't give me much choice as she snuggled close to me. "Hey, you, don't think it's me feeding off of you is it!?" Glitterlamp's mind instantly turning into a field of guilt of horror.
"Nah." I answered quickly. "I used magic longer today than before. I think I would have shown signs earlier than this is that was the case." I'm not sure if she believed it or not. The wind blew outside making the window panes rattle and the house shift. We just sat there enjoying each others company, thinking how things would be like.
Soothing music flowed from a radio Glitterlamp turned on with her magic. Classical by Earth standards arranged into lullabies made me fall asleep even faster. Could that even happen? To dream within a dream? Well, since it's happening. Yes. Yes it can.
Like all things, pleasant or disturbing, must come to an end. Even though my body ached and my nose was cold I felt happy. For a long time I didn't know what it was like to be in love let alone married! I never dated when I was in school I cared way too much about my grades for that. Correction: grades came first, games came second and there was always time for supper.
My mind felt refreshed and ready for the day. The sun was shining through the frozen glass and into my face, I swear, if I find the guy or gal that thought putting the beds next to windows; I'm going to give them nightmares for the rest of their life! I tried to roll over away from the irritation but the movement awoke Glitterlamp. A terrified burst of mixed emotions sent her reeling from sleep.
"Ow!" She cried out reeling into the cold air of the room and looking around fully alert. The sheer amount of panic and energy was impressive but I simply lacked the will to want to move THAT fast. I lethargically moved about from being prone to a reluctant standing. I moved to the dresser that held my clothes to find something a little more warmer while Glitterlamp looked about the room trying to find something.
"Hey," I said still shaking sleep from me. The cold didn't do much to jar me to an alerted state. "These clothes are not mine." The shirt I picked up was two sizes too small, and a bright neon pink color. Discarding the disgusting hue of painful eye sore, I took note that yesterday was indeed not a dream. "Wait this- never mind." I said wringing my neck sounding like broken glass and bone.
"I think I hear some ponies downstairs, I think it's just the family at breakfast," then she put her ear back to the door. "I'm not quite sure. Could you stop cracking your neck! I'm listening! They might have company over, I hear other voices." A smile played at my lips as I thought about asking her if it was the voice in MY head she heard. "And before you ask, it's not the voices in your head. I know how how you sound like."
A generic bland tone began singing as a dull smart phone screen comes to life. A picture with my mothers name on it came up. I grabbed the phone and for several moments fumbled about trying to figure out how to open it. The phone call dropped just as I managed to open the infernal machine.
"Damn it, hold on I need to take this." The same itching, bleeding sensation spiked around my shoulder blades again. "Could you check my back? Please?"
I pushed the pre-programmed icon to call my mother back. She was probably worried stiff so I think I'll water down the details on HOW I actually came to rest at this. . . cabin? Let's go with cabin. I held the device to my ear waiting for the call.
"Hello?" The automatic response sounded relieved. "I saw the weather channel last night and I tried to contact you for hours! I thought you got caught in that storm and. . ." She couldn't bring herself to say it.
"I did get caught in the storm. I'm in a cabin though with some very nice people." I said trying to sound calm. "We got to Estes park and had to land with the storm coming in, we were inside when the worst hit."
"Thank goodness. I think I know how every adventures' mom feels like right now. Please come home safely." The stress was pretty rough on her.
"I got some interesting news-," a loud crinkly pop sounded in my ear then Mom sounded back. "You're on speaker now."
"Hey everyone!" A collection of greetings sounded off. "Things are a little hairy where I am but it's all good now. What's the world like where you are?"
"Well, we're in the middle of breakfast, dad's working overtime this morning. The older kids are already off to work so it's just me and the younger kids." Mom spoke calmly but I could almost hear the smile playing on her mouth. "I think we found where one of your elements might be. It's a little ways off where you are though but we have a good feeling on this one."
"Yeah! Remember those weird pictures? It was of a rainbow in the dark going up then striking down! It's near a place called 'Canterlot high school' were looking up the address now." My little brother spoke as if he found a lost treasure, hints of greed but wonder too.
"Canterlot, huh. Fitting." My mouth curled into a smile. "I'll see if I can't get to a library to use a computer there to find it."
"I'd suggest Google Maps." Mother suggested. "Or you could use the phone, make sure you connect to a local wi-fi, cuts down on lag."
"Roger," I heard a heavy door open and close, possibly the front door. "like I said met a bump in the road, everything groovy now. Talk to ya later, and don't get in trouble on my behalf. See ya."
"See ya!" Everything said and I hung up.
Did the ranger get here? The phone said it was six forty-five, not sure if time was even relevant or not. It could have been Jim stepping out for a smoke for all I know but the place doesn't smell like smoker.
"Hey Dreamer, awake enough to get moving?" Glitterlamp asked more than ready herself. "Or at least well enough to do some magic?" I rotated my shoulders testing myself. There was something IN my back but the pain was dull like a faded bruise. I held out my hand and formed a mass of my Void in my hand.
"Yeah, I feel fine now." I smiled to reassure Glitterlamp. "And ready for anything," my stomach growled at me wanting food.
"Even breakfast?" Glitterlamp poking me with a grin.
"Breakfast is an option. Food can always be found later." I stated suppressing the hunger.
"Sure it is, ok, before we run away I'll try to grab something for you. You try to find our gear." Glitterlamp's mind was clicking rapidly trying to figure out the best way out. I couldn't get a good image of the floor plan but I now where the front door is. It will be enough.
The door I had been trying to beat a staring contest with open with my magic. Indeed we had a new visitor since the new voice was talking with Jim.
"Dan! Great that you could get here!" Jim's robust voice greeted the new wave of cold wind.
"It wasn't easy! Had to swing a shovel for a while. Helicopters are life flighting people to all over. You got lucky with the positioning, the wind got so bad it ripped roofs clean off! Anyway, is anyone hurt? Your phone was breaking up badly." The new voice rather at ease with Jim.
"Yeah, one got a kid beat up pretty bad, was outside when the snow hit." Jim explained when I turned the corner to get a look at the new guy. One look and I was baring my teeth and ready to strike.
It was one of the guys from the cafe.
Dan recognized Glitterlamp and then me. The void covering my body with nothing but glowing ANGRY eyes stared back at him.
"Holy shit!" Dan flicked his wrist and a stone of some kind was in his hand, I struck out with a spike. Jim acted even faster by standing in between the two of us, grabbing Dan's wrist and I had become one with the Void just a scant few inches from Jim. I could see the countless fangs lining my made up face ready to tear and rend. Everything was tinted to a curious red hue. It was true that I could merely pass around Jim but something in his eyes asked me to stop.
"That's enough!" Jim roared and in this enclosed space the sound hurt my ears. "I know very well what they are! So don't dare pull that thing out in my house!"
The stone was having an effect on me. A haze fell over my mind but with the source so close Vengeance found it as fast as Dan pulled it out. The two stared at each other for a moment all the while I was prepping a full arsenal of nightmares to rip him apart in the fold of darkness.
"OK," Dan said and Jim stuffed the stone back up his sleeve. "Are you aware that the 'female' is a vampire?" Dan relaxed but I figured to was just lining up his next toy in his bag of tricks.
"Yeah, but she is tied to the boy there- STOP DOING THAT!" Jim's Roar was directed at my shadowy self. The boom of his voice shook the windows and I showed my real body but the void still clung close to the floor. One wrong move and I fall back into my shields. "Like I said, the 'vampire' is under his care. Why don't we explain things to him, they are both new to our struggle.
"Struggle what struggle?" I asked as everyone moved to the front living room.
"Well, magic is kinda secret y`know." Jim messed with something and he turned green. "So is the rest of us. Me? I'm an ork." Jim said nonchalantly. "And you are THE strongest wizard I've seen in a long time." Dan sat across from me holding his hands as if in prayer and locked eyes with me. "Even the non-magical folks are under a strain. Around three months ago an artifact was taken from the Council. Or," Jim then shrugged, "that's what they called themselves a decade ago at least. Not the point." Ork Jim informed waving a dismissing hand. "When the Artifact was actually taken doesn't matter, only that it's gone. I have a good idea that little jar is the artifact."
Then he frowned. Despite calling himself an ork he didn't look ugly. He still rippled with muscle, his skin wasn't a mass of scars or even leathery looking, he looked like a stronger human. Honestly paint him color tone and stick him with the body builders and you wouldn't even notice, maybe the tusks that protrude from his lower lips might give him away. Just a little, not by much.
"And the Jar Shop you told us about?" Glitterlamp and I asked at the same time. I chuckled at the coincidence but she was all business.
"It was a trap of sorts, had to know you didn't work for the Council." Jim explained. "But I know you don't, the Council keeps the world largely ignorant of magic and certain technologies."
"We're certain about the technologies, here take a look." Dan pulled the odd object from his sleeve. It looked like a metal egg, too small for a grenade and it had a red button. "This little guy is called vertigo, one click and everyone in the area of thirty or so yards gets hit with it. Nonlethal, just disorientates subjects so we can take care of things. Untrained subjects also get their memories of the previous hour or so gets a little fuzzy, generally."
"Ah, that's why." I murmured glaring hatefully at the small egg. "You're the reason why I got so hurt."
"I wasn't even going for you." Dan shrugged and shoved the egg back into a new pocket. "And if you wanna talk scars, you gave my buddy some long term spinal damage. Cost the cafe hundreds in repairs."
"Keep talking and I'll show you REAL damage!" Vengeance's teeth appeared in front of Dan with a wicked dragonic grin. The dragon was too large for the room so half was peeling out of the ceiling. Dan, understandably, lost his cool in the best way.
"Careful, I haven't got a leash for Him yet." I said giving my nastiest smile. A clap drew my attention.
"And you need him, believe it or not. I need you to talk to my brother, he's in the shadow group that struggles against the Council. Ever since he caught word of these 'Elements' he's been trying to get me back into the cause but it's not so easy." I understood what he meant before he pointed to a portrait of his family. Then he placed a hand on my- no, Vengeance's neck. "Incredible. That's where you come in, take my place and I promise you'll have enough resources to find what you're looking for."
"So," Glitterlamp kept an icy glare. "You want us to get involved in a secret war for you. If we accept you get to stay safe and we get ourselves involved in your war."
"Yer already involved, vamp." Dan informed and Vengeance lurched forward at him making Dan jump.
"Sadly, he's right. You two are already involved that magical stunt you did, don't get me wrong what you did was the right thing, will have already drawn their attention." Jim explained. "I'm giving you a safe out and into the arms of people who can help you."
"How can we trust him?" Glitterlamp demanded pointing at Dan.
"It's true I work for the Council, doesn't mean I agree with what they do all the time. I believe in what they say when some creatures are extremely dangerous, some. Not all." Dan then smiled. "I'm one of the few who can lead you to where you need to go."
"Fine," Glitterlamp huffed. "But if you betray me, you're dragon food got it." The gravely chuckle of the present dragon even sent chills up my back.
"Please, I don't have too many real friends left." Jim asked sounding annoyed. Vengeance was pulled back from where he came leaving the room as it was.
"Alright, here's the plan. There's a town at bottom of the road going west. Get to the bar called 'Cosmos Busters' it's a dive but my favorite dive. Next, ask the fat grease stained bar keep about the stocks. I'll call ahead to let him know you're coming." Dan explained pulling out a map and pointing to a spot on the map. "The establishment is new so it's not on a map yet, when you hit the ramp to the interstate you went to far."
"Why can't we leave together?" I asked knowing I'll probably forget his instructions.
"I only have a two seats, unless one of you wants to walk? And even then, the snow is too fresh for the snowmobile with two. Snowbanks are killers." Dan then had an injured look. "Why don't you ride yer bloody dragon. Yer supposed to be a bloody wizard aren't you?" Sarcasm was going to get this man killed. "Anywho, call me there and I can arrange further transport."