After our disastrous attempt at dragon racing both Quiksilva and I were feeling a little down and as he wandered back the Penn Stables tent I heard a voice call out to us. Stopping Quiksilva turned around just the owner of the voice caught up.
"That was pretty impressive..." Moordryd told me and I grinned along with Quikislva until Cain chuckled and I growled at his next words.
"For an epic fail." Cain finished and I glared at him before Quiksilva turned to leave. Giving the second in command to the Dragon Eyes a cold stare Moordryd jumped down from Decepshun and walked over until he was standing beside my dragon. "It was funny." Cain added crossing his arms with a grin on his face.
"So...have you thought about coming back?" Moordryd asked me and I was so surprised by how polite he was being that I almost forgot about him trying to kidnap me in the middle of the night.
"What about last night? You did try to kidnap me." I pointed out and Moordryd raised an eyebrow at me looking a little confused by my comment. Sighing I jumped down and stood in front of him arms now crossed. "When I woke up you and Cain were in the stables trying to get me and 'silva to go with you by force. That wasn't a very nice thing to do after leaving me behind in the citadel." I told him and to my right I heard Cain chuckle.
"I didn't leave you behind. Besides I thought you were right behind me anyway. If you hadn't been so stubborn you wouldn't have gotten lost." Moordryd pointed out and instantly he regretted not holding his tongue when I glared at him, eyes narrowed, before I asked Quiksilva to mag me. The moment I was sitting on his back I stared down at my 'friend' for a few seconds.
"Maybe I won't come back after all." I growled and as we walked away Quiksilva aimed his tail at Moordryd who only just ducked in time. Wordlessly Moordryd and Cain watched me walk towards the Penn Stables tent and as soon as I disappeared into it Moordryd walked back to Decepshun.
"Nice plan Moordryd." Cain commented from the back of Coershun. "She's really mad at you now."
"Silence Cain. Rayne'll come back to us eventually." Moordryd replied before he headed back to their compound and before he followed Cain rolled his eyes at his leader.
"Maybe if you weren't so stubborn and admit that you want her back..." He muttered before Coershun started to follow Decepshun. Now standing in the tent with Quiksilva I sighed suddenly and he looked up at me as I walked over and sat beside a table.
"Why does he act nice one minute than a complete and utter jerk the next?" I sighed as Quiksilva nuzzled me, trying his best to make me feel better. "Man I really hate guys." I muttered and Quiksilva snorted at me. "Present company excluded of course." I added as I stroked his snout. A few minutes later I heard footsteps and as I went to stand I saw Artha enter the tent followed by Kitt, Parmon and Lance. As soon as they saw me I waved at them and they walked over, probably wondering what I was doing in their tent. "Sorry I probably should have asked first. I'll go." I said as I stood up and Artha shook his head.
"No its fine. Pretty awesome moves on the racetrack." Artha commneted and I grinned only for Lance to add his own cooment and I frowned.
"Too bad you almost wiped out." He said and I rolled my eyes at him. "Well you did." He muttered still finding the whole incident funny.
"Yeah okay I admit I had no idea what I was doing. So how did the race go?" I asked Artha and grinning he held up a trophy that he must have had hidden behind his back. "Wow its awesome. Congrats." I told him and that just made his grin bigger.
"Please don't or his head won't fit inside his helmet anymore." Kitt said and I burst out laughing which just made Artha frown at me. Once I could breathe again Parmon asked what I was doing in their tent and I sighed.
"I...kinda had a fight with Moordryd. Even though he asked about wanting me to come back I asked why he'd left me behind in his father's citadel. Instead of apologizing he told me I was stubborn and that really hurt. I know it was my fault but still...he could have been a little nicer." I explained as Quiksilva nudged me having seen the hurt in my eyes. "Shouldn't have believed he was my friend." I sighed and everyone watching me felt a little sorry for me.
"You're welcome to come back to the Penn Stables. If you want." Parmon said before Artha could and I looked up hopeful.
"Are you sure? I wouldn't be imposing?" I asked and Kitt laughed. "Huh what's so funny?"
"You sound like the professor." She pointed out and getting a blank look she rolled her eyes. "Never mind. Let's just go back." Following behind my new found friends I couldn't help feeling a lot better though I didn't get my hopes up in case they wanted to use me like Moordryd and his crew. But I couldn't have been more wrong because as soon as we arrived back at his father's stables Artha offered to teach me how to dragon race. Excited I gladly accepted and after a few minutes Quiksilva had three pieces of gear magged to his back and sides.
"Okay so the main thing to remember is to know what obstacles you'll be facing on the track and to act accordingly. Like for instance you see a sudden turn. What gear do you use?" Parmon asked me and I couldn't help feeling like I was in class and he was my teacher.
"Um...blue turning gear." I answered and he grinned at me. "Makes sense." I added and Lance gave me a high five.
"How about if there's a gap in the track and your dragon can't jump that far?" Artha asked and I cringed remembering how we'd almost fallen off the track. "Un did I say something wrong?"
"No. I'd use White Aero gear and red thruster gear to add speed and distance. If I wanted to of course." I answered as my friends looked on.
"That's...pretty impressive. Are you really sure you've never raced before?" Kitt asked and I shook my head not sure how I knew so much. "Huh maybe you're just a born natural."
"Not really. Moordryd did teach me a little and the rest I pciked up. Before he became a jerk." I grumbled and Quiksilva snorted apparently agreeing with me. "See even 'silva thinks he's a jerk and he's Word's dragon."
"Did you say...Word? As in Word Payne?" Parmon asked and I slowly nodded not sure where this was going. "Oh boy that's not good."
"Calm down. Word told me I could keep Quiksilva on one condition; that I find this silver and black gauntlet thingy. Not like I'm really going to help after I met him. Talk about creepy and full of himself." I answered as I stretched. "Wouldn't know where to begin anyway since my memory's a bit fuzzy."
"What do you mean?" Artha asked and I sighed before I explained that ever since I woke up on the racetrack I couldn't remember more than my name. "Whoa that's pretty depressing." He said and I shrugged like it was no big deal.
"So you can't even remember where your parents are or what they look like?" Lance said looking up from his video game and that threw me for a moment. I hadn't really thought about my home or family except for the odd dream and that made me suddenly really sad. Unable to help it I let out a little sniff and suddenly I had to get some air.
"Uh...I'll be right back." I coughed and left the stable in a hurry. Once outisde I took several deep breaths to try and calm myself so I wouldn't burst into tears. Less than a minute later Lance came outisde and found me looking down at the ground looking pretty sad. Feeling bad he walked over and stood beside me for a few seconds.
"I...didn't mean to talk about your parents." He said and I wiped at my eyes for a moment. "I have my brother and my dad and you're...oops."
"No its okay. I have Quiksilva and you guys. Besides I know my family's out there somewhere and I'll find them. So...how was my epic fail at the racetrack?" I asked trying to lighten the mood and Lance grinned.
"Pretty funny. Maybe my brother can teach you." He grinned and I giggled. As we walked back to the stable I couldn't help wondering how Moordryd was doing. Even though I thought he was a jerk he was the one who rescued me when I was all alone and hurt. Though I guess Decepshun should get my thanks more than him since she wouldn't let him leave without me.
As I was learning everything I needed to know about dragon racing, Moordryd was getting the lecture of a lifetime from his father inside Word's citadel.
"You called for me father?" He asked hands behind his back and head slightly down as he waited for his father to yell at him.
"Moordryd didn't I tell you that we needed Rayne to find my missing gauntlet?" Word asked and when his son gave him a brief nod he frowned. "Then why did you let her escape?!" He suddenly yelled his voice echoing throughout the room and his second in charge, Cain, actually cringed. But used to his father's anger Moordryd just stayed perfectly still though he had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at his father.
"I didn't let her escape. Rayne left because she wanted to and not because of me." Moordryd replied not breaking eye contact with his father who had walked over and was now looking straight into his son's face. "She's just being stubborn. I'll get here back."
"You had better because she's the only one who can find that gauntlet." Word said before he turned and walked back to his desk. Of course Cain chose that exact moment to ask a question and Moordryd buried his face in his hands.
"What's so special about that piece of metal?" Cain asked and Word fought off the urge to strangle him. Though just the glare he gave him made Cain instantly hide behind Moordryd.
"That 'piece of metal' as you so elegantly put it contains a power that rivals the Dragon Booster. If the chosen weilder slots the medallion into it it will unlock a power that could help me start my dragon-human war. But only if I get my hands on it and find the chosen one first."
"But if its so powerful won't the chosen one just use the power for themselves?" Moordryd asked and Word just smiled which did worry his son.
"Once I find the one destined to wield this power I'll simply turn him into a wraith and then he'll have no choice but to help me. Now go and find Rayne. Bring her back to your crew by force if necessary. You're dismissed." Word told them and trying not to say what he really thought about his father's plan Moordryd nodded instead. As soon as he left with Cain, Moordyd wondered how he was going to convince me to come back to the Dragon Eyes.
"You could always try kidnapping her again." Cain suggested as he climbed onto Coershun's back and he stared as Moordryd shook his head. "Why not?"
"Because we want her to come to us willingly. And Rayne won't if we force her." Moordryd answered as Decepshun magged him. "Let's find the stablebrat. I know she's there right now." When Cain stared at him looking confused he just grinned. "Where else would she go?" And with that Decepshun took off at a sprint leaving Cain and Coershun to race after him.