Shout out to everyone who gets the reference in this chapter title! This will be the last chapter we see Drake in for a while, so let's enjoy him while we can!
Also I want to apologise in advance to anyone who knows how to actually use a compass or sailing. I did my best, but apparently I'm slow as hell when it comes to this shit.
Also I worked really hard on this chapter, so I really hope you guys like it! Let me know!
Enjoy!
Drake kept to himself the entire trip to Hargeon. he didn't feel like talking to anyone, and thankfully no one tried to say anything to him. He didn't know how long it would take for them to get there, but he intended on keeping to himself the whole way. Crime Sorciere had put him up in Simon's old room, which was basically just the spare room on the ship. Drake spared a thought to wonder when the last time this room was cleaned. There was shards of glass from something on the floor. Not enough to hurt him, but it was stranger all the same.
Staring up at the roof, he tried to formulate some kind of plan. Within a day he'd be by himself, on a boat, sailing into the unknown. What kind of boat was he even supposed to get? A sailing boat? Maybe, but he didn't know how to sail. Even if he did, he had motion sickness. If his wings were stronger he could've flown the whole way, but he could tell they weren't strong enough. Maybe he could find a stabilising lacrima somewhere. Hargeon was a big port after all, they had tons of stuff.
Inevitably, his thoughts turned back to home, and this made his stomach turn. His mind swam with images of his family, and no matter how hard he tried to block them out and focus on the mission at hand it only got harder to do so. He thought about his Mom, pregnant with his sibling and worrying about him. He thought about Steph, who was grappling with her own problems herself now that he was gone.
And he thought of Nashi.
This annoyed him. Why did she keep crossing his mind like this? It was Wendy's fault. She insinuated that he liked her as more than a friend and now he couldn't think about anything else. People had been insinuating that for years, and it had never bothered him before, but now, for some reason, it did. What was different now? He didn't think anything was, but clearly that wasn't accurate. Because if that were true, would be really be so hung up on this?
Maybe it was the fact that he'd gotten her back after he'd thought she was dead. Had that changed his feelings? Was it an evolution of his feelings? He couldn't tell, and it annoyed him. He just wanted to know. Overall, he surmised that the whole situation was just awkward. He'd never viewed Nashi in the way that people seemed to think, or at least he didn't think he did. Now that he was thinking about it that way, and looking at her that way, it made him feel weird. He could admit she was beautiful, that she was funny, loyal, and a good friend. He'd known her forever, and she him forever. The only people that would know the other better would be their respective mothers. God, what was he doing?
He forced himself to think about the mission at hand. He wondered who exactly what contacting him telepathically. It had to be someone who knew about dragons and dragonification, but other than that he had no idea. Maybe it was some old person, maybe an old Dragon Slayer? People like Acnologia proved that it was possible to survive hundreds of years as a Dragon Slayer, so it was possible. Other than that, though, he had no idea.
A knock on the door saved him from the quagmire of his thoughts.
"Hey kid," his Dad said from outside, "Lemme in."
"It's unlocked," Drake replied.
"No it ain't, moron." His Dad replied. Making a face, Drake looked up to see his Dad was right. When had he locked the door. He didn't even remember that. Then again, he'd been such a mess when he came in here it didn't surprise him. Getting up and unlocking the door, Drake watched as his Dad walked in and shut it behind him.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Can't I check up on you?" His Dad asked accusingly. "You've been locked up in here all night."
"I'm sleeping."
"Sure you are," he replied. "And I'm the King of the country. Do you have a plan for when we get to Hargeon."
"Find a boat," Drake answered simply. "Sail out. Easy peasy."
"Do you even know how to sail?" His Dad asked. "Can you ride a boat without a stabilising lacrima? Can you maintain a course? Didn't think so."
"Well it's not like I have a choice!" Drake replied. "What else can I do?!"
"Except sulking?" His Dad demanded. "A lot. Here, I got this from Erigor for you." His Dad dug into his pocket and lifted out a compass. It's needle was moving slightly as the airship moved, pointing to true North no matter what.
"How the hell do I use this?" Drake asked irritably. His Dad scoffed.
"Kids these days," he muttered, "not knowing how to use a compass...Listen moron, this is how you use it. See the red needle?" Drake nodded, "that always points North. No matter what, it'll point North. rotate it and see." Drake did as he was told. He watched as the needle stayed pointing North.
"Huh," he said.
"Exactly," his Dad said. "Now, see that arrow up top? Rotate the casing so that the direction you want to go is up there. Try East." Drake did so, rotating the E up to the arrow. "Good. Now, see the drawn red arrow inside? Rotate the compass until the red end of the needle is in that red arrow." He did as he was told. "Good. Now the compass is aligned. As long as you keep the red needle inside the arrow, you're heading East. See how it works?"
"Sure, I think," Drake replied. "But we're going South, right?"
"Right, so you've got it easy," His Dad said. "You just have to follow the white arrow. It's always aligned with South because the other end goes North. Understand?"
"I'll get the crash course soon enough," Drake replied as he pocketed the device.
"I guess you will," his Dad said. "Consider it a gift from your old man."
"You just said you took it from Erigor."
"Yeah exactly. A gift from me." Drake suppressed a smile at this. Talking with his Dad made him feel a little better. The compass lesson was making his head hurt, but he was sure he'd figure it out. Sure. Well, maybe not. He didn't know.
"We'll find you a stabilising lacrima," his Dad said.
"I'm sure," he answered.
"And you'll be fine, so stop sulking," His Dad chastised. "Seriously, it's not the end of the world."
"Are you forgetting I may be getting trapped here?" Drake asked. "Or that whoever this is wants me dead? That they're more powerful than I am? Any number of things could go wrong!"
"Stop thinking about them!" His Dad shot back, "You're only psyching yourself out! Look at the good side! This person wants to help! That's all they want! You'll make it and return home! How hard is that?!"
"Harder than you think!" Drake shouted back. They both stared at each other angrily, either saying a word. Finally, his Dad sighed.
"Look," he said, "if you can't believe, than I'll do enough for both of us. I know you'll come home safe. You're a strong, level-headed kid. I know you're coming back."
"Got that much faith in Mom's parents skills, do you?" Drake asked.
"Don't make this about me!" His Dad retaliated. "I get it! I wasn't around a lot! I deserve shit for that, but seriously. Is this really the time?"
"What time other than possibly the last time?" Drake responded.
"I swear you'll make me an abusive parent," His Dad muttered angrily. "Is this why people beat their kids? I get it now." Drake let out a laugh at this. He hadn't meant too, but the situation was diffusing.
"Sorry," he offered. "I couldn't help it."
"Your worse than I am," his Dad replied irritably before sighing. "Listen Drake, I need you to know something. Your Mom said this, but I'm going to echo it: come back even if you can't reverse the transformation. If your mind stays intact, come back to us. That's all I ask."
"But-"
"No buts," his Dad snapped. "Listen to me. If you can't reverse it, but you don't go crazy, you come back. Got it? I love you too much to lose you over your physical state. Your Mom and Fairy Tail too, got it?" It was uncommon for Drake to hear affection from his Father. The words made him uncomfortable, but he felt warmth in his chest all the same. It was nice to hear, he realised, even if it was a little awkward. His Dad, for his credit, didn't seem phased.
"Any other advice?" He decided to ask. His Dad shrugged.
"Don't come back stronger than I am," he said with a smirk. "I couldn't cope if my son was stronger than me."
"As if I'm not already," Drake replied.
"You are definitely not."
"I am."
"No, no you aren't."
"Trying to prove it?"
"Don't need to, it's just a fact." Drake snorted. Sure it was. Before either of them could say anything, a beep came over the ships loudspeaker.
"We're at Hargeon," Erigor's voice said. "All passengers, please prepare for a sappy farewell."
"I'll punch him later," His Dad said. "Ready to go?" Drake suddenly felt a pain in his chest. No, he wasn't ready, but he had no choice.
"I guess so," he said. "Wait, before we go, hand me my bag." Receiving the bag, he pulled out one of the syringes inside. "Could you inject this into my arm? It'll halt the transformation."
"Where?"
"In between the scales." Doing as he asked, Drake winced slightly as he felt the needle slip past his scales and into his arm. Removing the needle and tossing it into a nearby trash can, Drake closed the bag and took a deep breathe.
"Alright, let's get going."
After bidding farewell to some of Crime Sociere, Drake left the airship and headed into town with his Dad, Jellal and Sorano. The sun was just starting to rise at this point, with the residents of Hargeon waking up and starting their day. They had no idea what their group was up too, and rightly so. Drake wouldn't wish this on anyone.
"Alright," Jellal said, "Here's the plan. Erik, you go with Drake and find a boat. A small sailboat, preferably. I'm going to go and see if I can find a stabilising lacrima. Sorano, you should go and buy some food for him."
"Sure, sure," Sorano said with a shrug, "Give the woman the grocery list."
"Well you'd be the best for the job," His Dad joked. Sorano rolled her eyes at him, and they went their separate ways. Slowly but surely Drake and his Dad went for the docks, which were practically completely full of ships. That wasn't surprising, given how it was still Winter. Drake pulled the hood a little tighter over his head, not wanting anyone to see his misshapen face. He also tried to pull his wings as close to himself as possible, which was a little harder to do. Still, he didn't stick out much, which was good.
"See any decent ships," His Dad asked. Drake scanned the docks as quickly as possible.
"Not really," he replied, "Any Sailboats are probably in storage or privately owned."
"Hm, yeah. Let's ask the Dockmaster." Following his Dad, they soon found a small shack they had a sign outside detailing it as the office of the Dockmaster. Entering, they found a small, pudgy man with no hair inside.
"Ah, hello," he said. "How can I help you two?"
"We're interested in a small sailing boat," His Dad said. "Preferably one that can be sailed by one person. Got any?" The man rubbed his multiple chins in thought.
"We might have a few," he said. "But most would be in storage, and hard to get out..." Drake's Dad responded by reaching into his jacket and slamming down a wad of Jewel bills on the table.
"Find the best one," His Dad instructed. The man looked stunned at the amount of money being offered, but that didn't stop him from quickly grabbing it and hiding it away. As the Dockmaster scuttled away, Drake spared a thought to wonder if it was easy to sail. Did it take long to learn? He really hoped not.
"Is it too late to want to take the airship to the island?" Drake asked. His Dad snorted.
"Do you think you'e benefactor will show us if we're with you?"
"Probably not," Drake replied.
"Then I think you know the answer to your question."
"Got it?" The Dockmaster asked. Drake tried not to have a vacant expression on his face as he turned his eyes back to the pudgy man.
"Yeah," he said. That was a lie. The man had just gone through the basics of sailing with Drake, who had tried his best to pay attention. For the most part, it made sense, but he wasn't exactly very confident about this. That being said, the last thing he needed to do was give this guy the impression. The Dockmaster didn't seem very convinced, but he'd been paid to much to be asking questions.
"Well I'll be off then," he said. "Remember kid, keep track of the wind, or else you'll have trouble. And if you need speed, use the SE-Plug." As yes, the SE-Plug. Drake knew about vehicles that used the mages own power to use it, but he hadn't ever seen a boat use one. He wondered if he'd get there fast with how powerful he was. As the Dockmaster wandered off, Jellal, Sorano and his Dad came over to him on the docks.
"Get the gist of it?" His Dad asked.
"I damn well hope so," he replied.
"Just make sure you don't lose your way and you'll be fine," Jellal offered. "The SE-Plug can power you through most of it."
"Don't stay plugged in, though!" Sorano said. "Or else you'll end up exhausted and rift off course."
"Right, thanks." At this, Jellal leaned down and picked up a small box, then handed it to Drake.
"Here's the stabilising Lacrima," he said. "Set that down in the cabin and you'll be able to prevent your motion sickness."
"Thanks a ton, Jellal," Drake replied as he took the box and put it under his arm. "I'll definitely need it."
"I know you will," Jellal said with a small smile. At this, Sorano stepped forward and presented him with a small black backpack, which looked packed.
"I bought you a bunch of supplies and put them in your bag," she said with a soft smile. "Healthy and filling food, and some toiletries. Unless you fuck up, you'll be fine until you make it to the island."
"Thanks Sorano," he replied with a smile as he took the bag with his free hand. "It means a lot."
"I know it does," she said. Drake turned back to the boat and entered it, setting down his supplies. The boat in question was a small sailing boat, just like they'd asked for. It's white paint-job was faded and old, and whatever the ship had been called wasn't readable anymore. There was a small cabin on it, which looked like more of a hovel to escape the elements than a place to sleep. He went back to the dock, the three of them waiting for him.
"I guess I'll be off," he said. The three of them nodded, and Sorano reached out to give him a hug.
"Good luck," she said. "We'll keep an eye on you for a bit, make sure you're on course, okay?"
"Okay," he said, hugging her back. "Thank you."
"No problem," she said. She kissed his cheek, and smiled at him as she backed away. "Seems like just yesterday I had to save you, Nashi and Elise from Phantom Dove. What happened between then, huh?"
"Too much," Drake replied sadly. Sorano frowned.
"Yeah," she said. "Unfairly so." She backed away, and Jellal offered him his hand.
"We'll be on the lookout for you," he said as Drake shook his hand. "If we see you on your way back, we'll pick you up."
"I appreciate that," he said. "Thanks Jellal." Jellal nodded, and backed up. Drake turned to his Dad, who was watching him with his arms crossed.
"Did you want a hug?" He asked sarcastically.
"Not from you," Drake replied, "Sorano already gave me one, and I guarantee hers are better."
"Yeah I bet you liked hugging her, didn't you?" His Dad asked. Sorano raised her eyebrow at his Dad.
"Are you suggesting something, Snake-Face?" She asked.
"Nothing at all Sor," he said. "Just that there's a couple things that would make your hugs better than mine."
"Are you jealous of my boobs?" Sorano demanded. "I'm sure your wife can teach you some transformation magic to give you some nice round-"
"Enough," Jellal said, silencing them both. "You can talk shit later." Drake was thankful for Jellal's interference, because he'd been about to start laughing his ass off. His Dad chuckled and moved forward, hugging him tightly.
"Be safe kid," he said. "Remember what I said."
"About not being stronger than you?" Drake asked.
"Yeah that," he said. "And about coming back. Especially that part." Relishing in the contact for a few more seconds, Drake eventually pulled away and turned to look at the boat. It occurred to him then that he had forgotten some of the Dockmasters advice. Great.
"Well," he said, "no time like the present."
Drake needed to find the person who invented stabilising lacrima and thank him. The waves had been rough on him all day, and his limited knowledge of Sailing had been tested thoroughly. Now the sun had set, and thankfully, the waves had calmed down. Casting his eyes upwards, he couldn't see Crime Sociere's airship anymore. Normally he'd blame that on the lack of light, but his enhanced vision made him sure of it. They'd stopped looking out for him. He was all alone out here.
All alone.
When was the last time he'd been this alone? There was no one around for miles. It was just him and his thoughts.
The last thing he wanted.
As he prepped his cot in the cabin of the sailboat, his thoughts inevitably became anxious. His hands began to shake, and his furled up wings shuddered. His breath was laboured now, and his heart was speeding up. His brain told him a panic attack was coming, but he didn't have the ability to fight it. He needed to distract himself. Somehow, someway. Move his thoughts elsewhere.
He managed to fight his way to the lacrima in the middle of the floor, and pressed his hand against it. The rhythmic hum of the magic resonated against his scaly hand, and it helped him form a train for his thoughts. His heart began to calm down. and his mind began to clear. He allowed himself deep breaths, and soon enough he'd calmed down enough to finish unpacking his cot. He'd never had a panic attack before, that had surprised him. Well, it didn't surprise him that he was anxious, but it had never been that bad before.
Keeping his breathing calm, he dug into his bag of supplies and found a package of beef jerky. He opened it and bit into one, sparing a thought for how annoying it was that his teeth were changing shape. Now the meat was getting stuck in his teeth, and his tongue was looking around for it desperately. Ah, fuck it. It would dissolve eventually.
Laying down on his back, he stared up at the roof of the cabin and listened to the waves hit the boat. Digging out his compass, he looked at it to make sure he was still pointed the right way. He was, thankfully, still pointed straight South. Sighing, he put it down and bit the jerky again, wondering how exactly he was going to fair over the next few days.
He hoped it would be well.
Why the ever-living fuck had he opened his mouth?
He'd seen it first when he woke up. A storm cloud on the horizon, straight South. He'd hoped it wouldn't be too bad, but he couldn't afford trying some sort of evasive route. He didn't have the sailing knowledge to accurately do so. Not to mention that his wings had grown overnight, and his scales had thickened. The transformation was overriding the injections. Finally, he'd decided to strap on the SE-Plug and gun it as fast as he could South.
Which was thrown him right into the eye of the storm.
Rain assaulted the tiny sailboat without a care in the world for who was onboard. Drake was trying desperately to reign in the sails, but the wind was making in neigh impossible. He hadn't checked the compass in forever, so he had no idea where he was. How many times had he gotten turned around now? Was he even going South anymore? He didn't know.
Using all of his strength, Drake pulled at the ropes for the sails and managed to close them up. Acting quickly, he tied up the sails and made sure to secure them as best he could. After what felt like forever, it was secured. Sighing in relief, he wiped at his forehead with his exposed arm. He'd had to take his jacket off his morning thanks to his growing wings, leaving him with an exposed chest. Thankfully, the scales provided pretty good support from the wind and rain. He guessed that's what they'd be for.
Drake had been about to return to his cabin when the wind picked up in a different direction.
And his wings caught the gale.
He was not used to having wings, and as such they hadn't been furled up against his back. And now the wind had caught them.
And sent him high into the air.
Drake tumbled and crashed against the wind like a rag-doll, his wings riding the wind and his body haplessly tagging along. He couldn't see anything, he couldn't hear anything save for the howling wind and rain. This was bad. This was really bad. Where was the boat? Where was he? He didn't know what to do, he'd never had to fly before! What was he going to do?!
Panic began to overtake him, just like last night. He couldn't think of anything to do. He couldn't see anything but occasional rain drops slapping him in the face.
"Save yourself for once."
Why was he thinking about Nashi right now? For some reason her words resonated with him. His mind cleared up a bit, and he could feel strength filling his limbs. He needed to gain control of himself and his wings. Focusing, he flooded all the power he could into his wings and focused on flapping them. Using their orientation, he was able to right himself in the wind. The gale battered him in anger as he fought it, but he couldn't let it throw him around anymore. Narrowing his eyes, he scanned the turbulent ocean below for his ship. He soon found it, but judging from what he saw he'd been blown at least half a mile away from it. Taking a deep breath, Drake flapped his wings and aimed his body for the ship. The storm resisted, trying to make him lose his way. He couldn't not again. His wings burned from the exertion of carrying his weight, something he'd never tried yet. It was an alien feeling, but soon exhaustion began to set in. He'd need to fly more to do this again. He was still to far away from the ship, and yet his wings were already failing him. He needed more time, but he didn't have it. What could he do? He soon came up with an idea, and it was the only one he had. Taking a deep breath, Drake zoned in on his ship.
And pulled his wings in.
Drake's resistance to the air disappeared, and he pulled his arms and legs in too. He fell through the air like a rock, aiming as best he could for the ship. He only had a few seconds at best to hit this right. He wasn't going to get another chance. Get it wrong and he'd either hit the ocean or his face on the side of the boat and casue damage to it.
Here it came.
Any second...
Now!
Drake's unfurled his wings to full length, which caused him to cry in pain as the wind caught them and nearly ripped them off. He held on as best he could, forcing his wings to slow him down. He could feel himself slowing, but he'd messed up. It wasn't slow enough. And before he could attempt a correction, he slammed face first into the deck, tumbling forwards and slammed his face into the cabin door, crashing through it and halfway into the cabin. If he hadn't been covered head to toe in scales, he was certain he'd have knocked himself out. He was tempted to let himself fall unconscious, but he had to assess the damage. Getting up, he groggily checked the deck where he'd made impact and tried to see if he'd made any significant damage. He couldn't tell through the rain and his blurry vision, so he slumped back and moaned. The rain assaulted him without a care, forcing him to crawl back into the cabin. That was when he noticed that he'd landed on his bag. Groaning, Drake checked inside to see that any delicate foods had been smashed up. Thankfully it was mostly tougher food made to last. He dug into the bag and pulled out a water bottle, downing what was left in it and tossing it aside irritably. He wanted to sleep, but he needed to stay up until the rain faded at least. After all, what if there was a massive swell he needed to deal with? He needed to focus.
Sighing, Drake grabbed the SE-Plug and strapped it on, before reaching back into the bag and pulling out a mushy pastry, presumably contraband from Sorano. It was going to be a long night.
His neck hurt.
Yawning, Drake groaned as his neck cracked. It looked like he'd fallen asleep sitting up, propped up against the wall of the cabin near his cot. The remains of the cabin door were where he'd left them the night before, when his face greeted it at terminal velocity. Struggling to his feet, Drake made a face as his neck bemoaned him. He needed to be more careful when he fell asleep. He must've been more tired then he thought.
Drake's exit to the deck was halted when his arm was tugged on. Looking down, he realised he was still plugged into the SE-Plug for the ship. That explained his exhaustion. Sailing all day had left him tired, and then he'd plugged in and done it to himself. The ship must've been going all night at this rate. That was good at least, seeing as he was probably much closer now. Pulling his compass out of his pack, Drake looked down at it.
And his stomach dropped.
"East?!" He demanded, "When the hell did we start going East?!" Drake wished he was seeing things, but his eyes were not deceiving him. He was heading East. When had that happened?! With all the chaos last night, he hadn't even checked when he'd been sent in the wrong direction. He could have been heading East all night! What the hell was he supposed to do now?!
"Fuck!" He shouted angrily, kicking door remains across the floor. This was perfect. Now he needed to adjust and speed South. Did he even have the energy to use the SE-Plug? Probably not for a few hours. First things first though, he needed to take a booster shot.
Kneeling down, he reached into his pack and pushed around crushed food for the needles. Odd, he couldn't find them. Where were they?
Then his fingers felt broken glass.
Dread filled his stomach. Acting quickly, he tossed all of the food out of the bag and dug as deep into it as he could. No, it couldn't be, right? Right?
It was. There, lying at the bottom of his bag was the remains of the booster shots Ultear and Wendy had made for him. Only one had managed to survive his crash, and God knew how many days it would take him to get to this 'island' he needed to reach. Especially since he was off course now. There were very few ways this could get worse at this point.
Fury was welling up in Drake's chest, so much so he would've crushed the vial had he grabbed it. He quickly deciding to focus his rage on redirecting himself South, or else he was going to start cursing. He went back outside and went about pulling the sails out and fixing his position, making sure he was heading South-West now. It wasn't until past noon that he was satisfied with his course. Pulling more beef jerky out of his bag, Drake stared discontentedly at the horizon.
It wasn't too late to turn back. A part of him knew this was crazy. He was all alone out here, with no one to call on, way off course and with very little booster shots to save him. If he gunned it North, he'd hit land eventually, and from there he could go home. But what of his transformation? Ultear couldn't save him forever. He needed a solution and no one at home had it. He needed to keep going.
But what if there was nothing to find? What if he was crazy? Would he die alone out here, with no one to save him? When would his boat hit shore? Before or after birds tore all the skin from his corpse?
No, happy thoughts. He needed to think positive. He thought of home, but not to return. He thought of his Mom, and her smile and laugh. He thought about his Dad and Crime Sorciere, and how much he cared about them. He thought about his friends, each in turn, and silently thanked them for all the support they had given him over the years. He'd never have made it without each and every one of them.
Inevitably, his thoughts turned to Nashi alone. He both did and didn't hate that they did. He still didn't know what to think of her anymore. Wendy and his whole situation had made him look at her weird, and he wasn't sure if he liked it. He'd always looked at her as his closest friend, a confidante, his other half. He was only closer to his Mom over her. There was a time when the idea of being without her would've been alien to him. But he'd lived it for a year, and realised he never wanted that again. The idea of being without her made him sick. But was that because they were best friends, or was he in love with her?
Drake allowed himself to think about love. What was love, really? He'd been in a relationship with Winter before, but he wouldn't say he was in love with her. She was great, but he didn't love her. He loved Elise and Ultear, but not that way. There was a distinct difference in his feelings for them and Nashi. They were closer to the affection he had for his Mother, honestly. So why was Nashi different? Was it romantically different? Or was it due to the difference in circumstances? He didn't know.
His mind eventually wandered to thinking about a potential relationship with Nashi. At first the thought alienated him, like when he'd thought about on the airship, but he pushed past it. He considered this reality for a moment. It occurred to him that he didn't mind this reality at all. The more he thought about it, the more he liked it. It made him feel bad to say he was fantasising, but he was. He was entertaining a fantasy about Nashi and himself. Did he love her? Was that what he was discovering here? He didn't know, he'd need to think more on it later.
Drake yawned and rubbed at his eyes. He'd been pushing himself hard on the SE-Plug after adjusting his course, knowing he needed to go fast to correct his mistake. He'd wait a little longer to rest again. He had more than enough magic to go for a couple more hours.
And so he did. Taking a sip of water, Drake's eyes met the horizon again, and he wondered what the others were doing without him.
It was hot.
Typically, after a storm like he'd just seen, the clouds need to wait and gather more water. Which meant the sun was out in full force, and Drake didn't have a fan. It had been over a day since he'd had to correct his course, and as far as he could tell he was heading straight South again. But he'd wasted time after the storm. He was going to be late, he just knew it. He hoped the voice wasn't going to leave.
Sighing, Drake renewed his efforts of fanning himself with his wings. It was good exercise for his wings, and it kept him from drinking more of his water than he should. After all, he couldn't just drink it all in one go, or else he'd die of dehydration. This was hell. All he wanted was a nice cold beer and food, but instead he had hot water, a decreasing supply of beef jerky, and some pastries all mushed up. It fucking sucked. He'd already eaten all the more organic food, not wanting it to go bad. That was all he had left. This was the absolute worst. He spared a thought to wonder if he could fish, but he had no way to cook it. However, the idea of hunting kind of excited him. That was also scary, because it meant the transformation was accelerating. He was still holding onto the last booster shot, hoping he could stave off from using it as long as possible.
Speaking of the transformation, his face was growing longer now. That unnerved him. It wasn't so much that he looked like a bipedal dragon, but it was enough to notice. Thankfully, there was no one around too notice.
Because he was all alone out here.
All alone.
All.
Alone.
"ALL ALONE!" Drake shouted into the empty air. "All alone in a fucking dinghy with barely any food or water, heading God knows where! Hey voice, are you there?! This'd be a great time to help me out!"
He got no response.
"Oh fucking typical! Silence! All I get is SILENCE! S-I-L-E-N-C-E! Are you in a library, is that why you won't say anything?! Or maybe you're dead?! That would be great wouldn't it?!"
Drake let out a manic laugh.
"Or do you even exist?! Am I fucking delusional?! I am, aren't I?! I signed my own fucking death warrant by sailing into fuck knows what! You know what, I hope you are fake, because that would be the cherry on top to this fucking situation! My transformation making me fucking crazy! Cause I'm going crazy, aren't I?! I'm so pissed off right now I could-"
Drake choked on his words as his neck pulsed with rage. His vision blurred and went green, a gargling coming out of his mouth. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. His rage began to turn to panic. What was happening? Looking down at his hand, he saw his scales growing. No, his arm was growing. Extending past it's usual end point and getting longer.
He was transforming.
Drake acted so fast he stumbled. He fumbled with his pack and reached for the final booster shot, doing his nest to avoid messing this up. Finally it was ready, and he tried to aim it at his arm. He couldn't. Not only was he losing dexterity in his hands, but the scales were tightly packed together. Unless he stopped shaking, he couldn't administer the shot. Fuck, he couldn't deal with this right now! Howling in rage, Drake drove the needle down into his thigh with enough force to level a house. He almost felt relieved when the needle didn't shatter, but he wasn't done. He pressed down on the syringe, administering the shot into his leg. He waited and waited, and after what felt like forever his vision began to clear. His arms shuddered and retracted slightly, and he could feel some of his dexterity return.
He'd stopped the transformation, but it was the last time he'd be able to do it.
Grabbing the SE-Plug, Drake strapped it on and nearly overwhelmed the system. the ships engine roared to life and started to fly across the waves, the wind picking up and helping him cool off. He didn't care if he exhausted himself now, he needed to go fast and he needed to do it now.
"There's no turning back now," he hissed to himself. "I have to keep going." Looking down, Drake stared at his hands.
They were shaking like crazy.
It took Drake way too long to figure out what was wrong. He was scared. Terrified, honestly. And admitting it to himself opened the floodgates. Tears streamed out of his eyes as he stared at the floor, slowing reaching up and tightly gripping his own arms. He heaved as tears fell down his face, trying to suppress the cries. He was scared, alone, and there was no one nearby to help. He collapsed onto his side, resting his head on the cool floor as he continued to heave to himself.
"I swear to God," he hissed to himself. "If no one shows up on this island, I really will go insane."
The ocean looked the same day by day. The same sun, the same cloud shapes, the same waves. It all just blended together after a while. Drake couldn't tell where he was anymore, except that he was South. He'd seen the shape is some islands off to the sides, but he hadn't seen any for a while.
Until now.
Standing on his very tip-toes, Drake could see it. Land, directly in front of him and his ship. He'd run out of food yesterday, and his water was just about there. The transformation was slowly progressing, but he'd found that keeping calm helped him keep it in check. But he let himself get excited. He strapped on the SE-Plug and made the ship go as fast as it could, so much so that he could hear it groaning. He wasn't paying attention to that, he didn't care about this God damn ship. He'd not give a single shit if it disappeared into the sea.
As he got closer, he could see more of the island. And it made him anxious. Although it seemed to have some trees on it, it wasn't very big. Magnolia was definitely bigger than it, and that was unnerving. Who exactly was he supposed to be meeting here? He could see no ship at the island already.
Unfortunately, his hadn't been paying close enough attention to his surroundings. As he got close to the island, the ship made a horrible crunching sound.
Drake would realise later that he'd hit a rock hiding just underneath the waves outside the island, but in the moment all he knew was that his footing had disappeared beneath him, the SE-Plug strap had been ripped from his arm, and he was rocketing towards the waves. Acting quickly he spread his wings and flapped them, which gave him the airtime he needed to land face first into the sandy beach of the island.
He'd made it.
Scrambling to his feet, Drake looked behind him just in time to see the wreckage if his ship disappearing beneath the waves. It occurred to him hat not five minutes before he'd wanted it to disappear, but without it he felt more naked that he ever had before. Now he was stuck. If this had been a trap, his only choice was to fly out of here. And he wasn't confident he could do that.
Sighing, Drake turned back to the island and wiped sand from his face.
"Well, I suppose I better get looking."
He spent the first few minutes scanning the beach from the air, but he didn't see anything to indicate he was anything but alone. He didn't have the time or the patience to search the small forest with his eyes, so he activated his Sound Magic. Sweeping the city, he found that it was devoid of intelligent life. He refused to accept this, and did another sweep. Still nothing.
This couldn't be. This was the right island, right? It was the only one he'd hit going South since Hargeon. There was no way he was wrong. Had he been too late? Had the storm made him miss his window? No. He refused to believe that. Maybe a sign had been left. Some sort of message. He had to find it.
He had too.
Nothing.
Absolutely fucking nothing.
The island, as far as Drake could tell, had never been visited long-term by anyone. All the animals that saw him were curious about him, which wasn't surprising considering at this point he was some dragon-human hybrid. He'd searched the entire island, using his Sound Magic to acutely look for anything and his sense of smell to search for anything human. He couldn't find anything.
There was nothing here.
It had all been for nothing.
This entire trip had either been a delusion or cruel joke. Drake collapsed to his knees on the beach, the waves still crashing against the sand as if nothing was wrong.
"What the hell?" He asked weakly, voice racking. "I'm here, where are you, huh?...Where are you?" Drake gritted his teeth and gripped sand tightly between his fists.
"I'M HERE!" He screamed into the sky, throat burning as he did. "WHERE ARE YOU?! I CAME LIKE YOU ASKED! NOW COME AND SAVE ME!"
He got no response. The sun still set as it normally did, and the waves did not seem annoyed by his screaming. Drake didn't have the energy to move. What was he supposed to do now? What could he do? Live here until he had the strength to fly home? Wait until his transformation was complete? He wanted to do neither. He wanted to stay human. He didn't want to be a dragon!
Despair began to crawl over his body like a shawl. His heart was beating so fast he couldn't hear anything else. What could he do? What was there to do?
He thought of home, of the people waiting for him. The people that believed in him. He thought about his unborn sister. About his Mom and Dad waiting for him anxiously. About his friends trying to keep things normal while they all worried. He wondered what his friends in others guilds thought. Surely they'd heard by now. What would they all say if they saw him like this? Drake snorted.
"What are you doing, Cyanide Breath?" He asked, imitating Elise's voice. "Giving up is for weirdos. I didn't give up after Phantom Dove, did I? Guess that means I'm better than you." He laughed at this.
"Ultear would tell me I have to find things to fight for. That there's always something you can walk towards. She didn't give up after Keiko died, or at Mount Cryc. Why should I? Simon didn't give up after Nashi died, if anything he tried even harder. I can't say that. Damien didn't give up when he thought Steph was dead, so much so he actually saved her. He'd tell me this is sad. Steph lived a fake life for over ten years and then came home like a stranger, but she still forced herself to feel at home. I can't even imagine how awkward that must have been. And Nashi? Hah, she's never given up after everything that's happened to her? That's a miracle in and of itself."
Drake could see them all looking at him, but it wasn't in shame or with contempt. They were waiting for him. They knew he wouldn't give up. Could he let them down?
The thoughts about his friends filled his limbs with strength. He struggled to his feet and clenched his fists, looking up at the sky.
"You think this is funny, fate?!" He demanded, "Putting me and the others through all this shit?! Well listen good! I don't give a fuck if you messed with me again! I won't become a dragon! And if I do, I won't go crazy! I'll find a way to take human form again! I won't let you have your way! The others never have, so I won't either! I'll go home and see my parents, my sisters birth! I'll tell my friends about a crazy adventure! I'll...I'll...I'll talk to Nashi about those feelings! YOU HEAR THAT?! I'M NOT GIVING UP YET, SO THROW MORE SHIT AT ME! I'LL TAKE ALL OF IT!"
"Have you lost your mind, boy?"
The voice stunned Drake into silence.
"Y-You're here?" He asked, turning around quickly to search for the source. Sadly it was still in his head.
"I said I would be."
"I've been here all day! Where were you?!"
"Ah, I apologise. I got bogged down at home. Politics and promises, you know how it is."
"Politics?" Drake asked. "Where do you come from?"
"I'll explain shortly," she replied. "now, please step back from the beach, unless you want to get a bath." Drake was about to ask what she meant before a deafening roar nearly shattered his eardrums. He stumbled for the treeline and jumped behind, just in time to hear what sounded like a bomb drop into the ocean. The trees did not save him, and what felt like an entire lake fell on his head. Drake sputtered and kept his head upwards, trying to not drown standing up as the water receded.
"What the hell!" He shouted as he went back to the beach. "I could've drowned from that, you ass-!"
Drake's voice died in his throat.
Was this real?
Standing before him in the water was the most magnificently purple dragon he had ever seen. He had never, in all his life, seen a purple this deep or royal. The water glistening on her scales creating a gorgeous affect, which only stunned him even more. She must have been at least the size of the guild hall, if not bigger. She had a light green underbelly, and dark black claws on her arms and legs. Her wings, like this, had a light green membrane, but her had countless veins trailing across them like roadways.
Her head was magnificent as well. Her eyes were a deep emerald green, and they shone with a kindness that did not mach her looks. She had two larger purple spikes that pointed backwards at the crown of her skull, with smaller ones pointing back off of her cheeks like whiskers. Countless smaller spikes went down the back of her neck and down her back, all the way to her tail with an end shaped like a mace with spikes on every end.
"You seem stunned," her voice boomed, in real life this time. Drake had no words. "I am not surprised. As far as I know, dragons are not very common on the continent anymore."
"...You could say that," Drake managed weakly. "Do, uh, you have a name?"
"I do,"she said, bowing his head to him slightly. Drake did not feel like she should be the one bowing.
"I am Mercuria, the Queen of Toxins. One of the last Poison Dragons. And you, Drake, will be my first new student in four hundred years. We have much to discuss."
And thus ends the Drake arc! Before anyone asks, YES I AM LEAVING YOU HANGING! But don't you worry! Drake and Mercuria will be back before you know it, and I promise the pay off for the wait will be worth it!
I tried my best to show Drake's mental struggles this chapter, and too be honest I'm not too sure it showed as well as I would've liked. Please let me know what you guys think, feedback is ever so important.
Other than that, I hope so much that you guys enjoyed, leave a review! Let's try and get five!