Chapter 7.

As I start to wake up, my body feels different somehow. It feels lighter and stronger than before. I guess this is one of the things Father told about last night. He said that my powers were growing, but growing how? As I sit up, I look for Colt but he's not here. And to my right I see Drake curled up next to me asleep. I smile and pull the blanket that was covering me off to get ready for the day.

"Kalias?"

I turn around and see Drake looking at me with tired eyes.

"Good Morning Drake."

"Good Morning," He says, yawns and stretches his legs and wings out, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I feel fine. Have you seen Geoff?"

"No, I wonder where he is."

"I'll find him."

"Do you think it's a good idea for you to be walking so soon? You had a bad night last night."

"I am sure I will be fine," I say to him, then stop to think for a moment, "But stand by just in case."

He nods his head and goes over to my side of the bed to help me in case I fall. I crawl over the cushions and plant my feet firmly on the ground. I manage to push myself up and start to walk forward. My legs wobble a bit, but otherwise I'm ok. That is until I get to the edge of a few steps which lead from Drake's bed to the rest of the dungeon. I put a foot down on one of the steps and as I go to put down the other one, it slips and I fall forward. Drake catches me but I cut my leg on the edge and now it stings.

I look down to see the damage and right before my eyes, the wound on my leg seems to seal itself up. After a few seconds, the only evidence that I hurt myself was the bit of blood that leaked out.

"Kalias are you ok," Drake asks as he cleans the blood off my leg.

"I'm fine," I say as I push his head away from my leg, "That was odd."

"Yeah, one minute your leg is bleeding and the next it's not."

"Hey are you okay," Geoff asks as he comes in wearing a green tunic and, much to my horror, is carrying a bouquet of gladiolas. He seems to have forgotten that I am highly allergic to gladiolas.

"Are you okay," He repeats as he comes closer to me with the flowers. They are very beautiful but I wish he would get them out of here.

I can feel my nose itching and my eyes watering as I pull out my handkerchief out of a pocket of my dress. I feel a sneeze building up and as I sneeze into the handkerchief, it bursts into flame right in front of my eyes. I shriek and drop it as Geoff yells and Drake roars in surprise.

"Ok that's weird," I say as I look as the pile of burnt cloth on the ground, "Geoff would you please take those flowers away? I know you meant well but remember, I'm highly allergic to gladiolas."

"Oh sorry," He says as he puts down a bundle of green and light blue clothes and leaves the dungeon.

"Oh thank goodness," I say as I wipe my nose with my other handkerchief and look at the pile, "Aw, that was one of my favorites."

"Ok, that was really weird," Drake said as he pointed to the pile, "I knew you could do magic sister, but I didn't know you could breathe fire like, well, like I'm supposed to."

"I can't, uh, couldn't before," I stammer as I sweep up the ash with a small brush and dust pan and discard it, "But I dreamed about Father and he said my powers were changing. How long was I asleep?"

"You were unconscious for a day," Geoff answers me as he returned, "When you took your medicine, you fell straight asleep and didn't wake up until now."

"Ok, next question, why are you wearing that," I ask and point to his tunic as Drake lays down on his bed with a book.

"There's been a new rule from the castle," Geoff grumbled as he fiddles with the tunic he's wearing and unties his bundle, "Lord Osric has decreed that all people are to have two new tunics with the color suited to his/her station. Those caught without their tunic will get 10 lashes for it."

He finishes untying the string and tosses two light blue tunics to me. I assume these are supposed to be mine.

"Well, it looks nice," I awkwardly say as I slip it on, "But it won't be this color for long, not with my job."

"At least yours looks nice," Geoff complains as he tugs at a string.

"Oh come on Geoff, your tunic doesn't look that bad," Drake looks up from his book and says to Geoff.

"I hate this thing. It's ugly and it itches."

"Geoff will you quit complaining? The Old Code doesn't say anything about what you've got to wear in order to become a knight."

"He's right," I say to him, "Rememeber…

'A knight is sworn to valor.

His heart knows only virtue.

His blade defends the helpless.

His might upholds the weak.

His word speaks only truth.

His wrath undoes the wicked," I say to him as I untie the sash around my skirt and retie it around the tunic draped over the top of it.

"Yeah well I have about as much of a chance of becoming a knight as I do of convincing either one of you to let Drake come outside."

"Geoff no. That's not a good idea," I tell him as my blood chilled for a moment.

"It's too soon to let him out yet," I think to myself.

"I promised Friar Peter I would never go outside," Drake sternly say to him.

"You're a dragon, so act like one," Geoff says as he tosses a pillow at his head.

"Hey, here let me get that thread for you," Drake says to him as he brings his tail up, opens the blades at the end and snips the thread off.

While Geoff was distracted, I pick up the pillow he threw at Drake and hit him in the head with it. As he turned around I put on the most innocent look on my face as I look at him. He picks the pillow, looks at it and then me and smirks at me. He comes at me and starts hitting me with it. I grab one of my own and start to counter with it. Drake decided to join in and started teaming up with Geoff against me. I decide to forget the pillow, toss it away and catch Geoff in a playful headlock. As we start to rough house, Drake catches me by my waist, scoops me up in his arms and starts licking me all over my face.

"Ew, yuck! Drake stop!"

"Why? You taste good."

"Oh you are going to pay for this you little lizard, mark my words," I shriek and squirm against him.

After I say that, we hear the bells ringing upstairs and Drake's head picks up.

"It's Friar Peter," He says with a smile at first, which quickly turns into a look of terror, "Oh man, this is not good."

"I'll say it not," I retort and push on Drake, "Drake put me down. Geoff, he can't find you here or we'll all be in trouble. Especially me, go hide."

He nods his head, grabs his second tunic and ducks behind some book shelves and a curtain.

"Drake," I hear a voice call out that sounds like Mansel.

"Mansel, is that you?"

"Kalias, Drake I have sad news for you both," He says as he approaches us from the stairs.

"What," Drake asks in concern, "What's wrong?"

"Friar Peter is gone."

I gasp as I hear Drake ask, "Where did he go?"

"He went to heaven," Mansel carefully explains to him, "Do you understand what that means?"

It hurt me to see the realization spread across his face when he figured out what Mansel said.

"Oh yes," He sadly says to him and then carefully asks, "Did it hurt him to die?"

"I don't think so. He seemed fine yesterday, but he was old. Kalias I am so sorry I didn't come to you, but Geoff told me that you were sick and I didn't have the heart to wake you."

"It's ok Mansel," I say to him as tears start forming in my eyes, "When did he die?"

"This morning, he didn't wake up. Drake I know he was very fond of you and I know I'm not Friar Peter, but I promise I will help Kalias take care of you. If you ever need anything, I will help you."

"Thank you Mansel," He says in a sad voice.

Mansel smiles at us and hugs me before going back upstairs. Drake hangs his head and moans as we walk back to his bed.

"I just talked to him yesterday," Geoff says in disbelief, "I can't believe he's…"

"I don't really feel like talking now," Drake says as he lays down on his bed, "I'd like to be alone please."

"Ok Drake," Geoff says to him and starts to pull me with him.

I stop him and walk up to Drake. The poor guy has tears running down his face. I sigh and kiss him on the cheek before leaving. As we leave, I can hear Drake crying in the background. It breaks my heart seeing my little brother so heart-broken and I am also compelled to go back to comfort him, but he said he wanted to be alone.

I too need some time to think. With Friar Peter gone, I am now the oldest and now it's my responsibility to take care of two brothers until they are old enough to care for themselves. Geoff practically can take care of himself, well most of the time, and he has proven capable of taking care of me, not just yesterday, but in the past as well. I remember the hand full of times I was late in making my potion and started feeling the effects of my real age. I may look 25 years old, but in reality I'm actually 76 years old. When that happened, it hurt, not as bad as the other day; but it wasn't pretty and it scared me. Geoff would follow my instructions and would make the potion for me. By now he's probably mastered it and he swore to me that he would never reveal it to anyone.

Drake, however, I am going to have my work cut out for me. Unfortunately, he has no knowledge of how to fly, breath fire or even the most basic technique of blending into the landscape. I hate to admit that it is Friar Peter's and my fault he doesn't know these things, but until the comet leaves, it's better to be safe than sorry. All I have to do is keep Drake in the dungeon for 5 more days and then this nightmare will be over.

"Once the comet is gone, then I promise I will teach you everything you need to know to be a dragon Drake," I think to myself as I follow Geoff out the door and lock it behind me.

"Do you think he's going to be okay?"

"I don't know Geoff. He's taking this pretty hard," I sigh as I run my fingers through my hair, "When Brother Gilbert died, he was just as sad as he is now, but he never told me to leave him alone before. I'm worried about him."

"So am I. I know I just met him two days ago, but I already feel connected to him. I hate seeing him like this and you too."

I nod my head and can feel the tears escaping down my face. After all these years, losing someone I knew never got any easier. I feel Geoff put his arms around me and I return his embrace.

"I will miss him Geoff."

"I know sister."

We stay like this for a while before letting go of each other.

"I am going to say goodbye to him before the monks take him away to be buried."

"Ok, I'll be at the docks," He says and turns to leave.

Normally I would tell him to go do his chores, but I think I will make an exception in this case. I turn to ask one of the other monks where Friar Peter's body is. As I enter his bedroom, I can see his body covered by a shroud. I pull it back to look at his face and kneel beside him.

"Peter, it's me. I am so sorry I wasn't with you in your last hour. But I'm here now and I have news. The comet will come in 5 more days, then Drake can start living his life. I know you would be very angry with me, but Geoff found his way into the dungeon and met Drake. They've really started to bond now. They even took care of me when I was sick. Geoff is a good man; I trust that he will keep Drake's existence a secret. Mansel doesn't know and I kind-of hope he doesn't find out. Poor guy would be shocked. I promised myself I would train Drake as a dragon the best I could," I say to him as I hold his hand, "I wish Father were here. He would be a better teacher for Drake than I would. I know you would probably disagree and say, 'Nonsense, you are just as capable of teaching Drake all he needs to know as anyone.' I just hope that I don't fail him as a sister. You were a great help to me and both Geoff and Drake. Thank you for all you have done for us. We will miss you, my old friend."

I sniffle, kiss his cheeks and cover him back up. I need to help the monks prepare for his funeral.