Chapter 14 “Goodbyes”

Seth, Will, Drake and Gina all wanted to go to the future academy. They each volunteered straight away. Yet after much debating it was decided that only two should go as too many could raise suspicion. The final decision was made and since Gina refused to allow Drake to go, claiming it was too dangerous, and Drake would not let Gina go without him for the same reason, Seth and Will were chosen to go.

Dominique would take them to the future and then, once they were on their way, he would come back. The decision to not have any contact to the two boys going undercover did not sit well with Akira, yet she knew that the decision was made in order to reduce the risk of them being caught. Instead it was decided that after the first week one of the group would meet up with one of the boys in the city market where there was a lot of cover. If the boys didn’t turn up then they would know that they were in trouble.

They decided to wait two days before going ahead with the plan, two days in which Seth and Will were expected to learn as much as possible about the future. Anita and Kirk took great pains to teach them as much as possible, about little details such as electricity, how to address the elders and how youth spoke with each other. They tried to explain how electricity worked and added in a few ‘modern’ weapons as they called them. Swords were not used in the future and so Liam and Kirk reluctantly handed over their metal poles to Seth and Will. Seth easily caught on how to use it while Will struggled a bit more, yet they weren’t worried. They were supposed to be posing as inexperienced riders going to the academy to learn after all, so lack of skill in some areas was just what they needed.

After two days of Seth and Will learning all they could about the future they stood on the roof of the academy, ready to go. Gina and Drake had come to say goodbye while other than them only Anita, Savannah and Kirk had decided to join to wish the leaving group luck.

“You’ll be careful, right?” Akira whispered as she faced Seth, worry in her eyes.

“I’ll be fine,” Seth assured her with a gentle smile.

Dominique stood a distance away, watching the exchange between Akira and Seth, a unreadable glint in his eyes.

“You know, it’ll never work out between you and here,” a soft voice spoke beside him.

With a frown Dominique glanced over to see Gina standing there.

“I don’t what are you talking about,” Dominique muttered as he turned his gaze back onto Akira.

“I'm telling you as your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, add a few more greats on, grandmother,” Gina told him firmly.

Dominique gave her a withering look that made her narrow her eyes. “Are you being disrespectful to your elder?” Gina asked raising an eyebrow.

“You’re my age!” Dominique told her sounding exasperated.

“I’m five hundred years older than you!” Gina snapped. “Besides, without me there would be no you!”

“Thanks for reminding me,” Dominique muttered.

“Anyway,” Gina gave him a reproaching look. “I advise you to stay away,” she nodded at Akira, “from her.”

“Oh yeah?” Dominique raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think I’m interested?”

“Please,” Gina snorted. “It may not be obvious to Akira, but it is to everyone else. You like her, a little too much.”

Dominique didn’t reply as his gaze wondered over to Akira once more. The fact that Seth was going to be gone for a while couldn’t have worked out better. Now he would be able to talk to Akira more and perhaps get her to change her mind about him.

“Not only is she five hundred years older than you,” Gina interrupted his thoughts, “But she’s also already taken,” as she spoke Akira hugged Seth and whispered something into her ear, making her laugh.

“Yeah?” Dominique muttered looking away. “Well nothing is written in stone.”

“I’m serious Dominique,” Gina told him sternly, “For her sake and everyone else’s, stay away.”

“Well what about my sake?” Dominique scowled.

“Sometimes,” Gina spoke softly, “We have to give up what we want not because we have to, but because it’s for the best. Akira knows that better than anyone. She’s had enough heartache and confusion in her life, don’t add to it,” Gina gave him a firm glare. “Besides,” she suddenly smirked, “If you don't stay away, I'm sure Seth's tolerance of you won’t last forever, and when he loses it he'll whip your butt in a fight.”

Dominique let out a disbelieving snort upon which Gina just gave him a knowing look. “Fine, don't believe me, but you can’t say I didn't warn you. Seth is one of the top fighters around here, he helped train Akira. I don't know anyone other than Akira now who can stand against him in a fair fight. Trust me Dominique, he may not act like it, but he's one guy you don't want on your bad side.”

Dominique didn’t reply.

“On the other hand,” Gina grinned as she reached out and playfully ruffled Dominique’s hair.

“Hey!” Dominique protested as he jumped away.

“I just wanted to say good luck and don’t forget to come right back once you drop the other guys off.”

“Sure thing,” Dominique replied.

“I’m just saying,” Gina shrugged, “I heard you had a knack for getting into trouble.”

Dominique grinned making Gina narrow her eyes. “You will be right back, wont you?” she asked suspiciously.

“Yeah,” Dominique replied as he shot a look over at Akira and Seth only to see that Seth was already mounting his dragon. “I’ll be right back,” he smiled as he stared at Akira.

Gina hit him on the shoulder.

“Hey!” Dominique protested.

“Stay away,” Gina warned him.

Dominique shot her an annoyed look.

“Are we going to leave today or not?” Will asked from atop his own dragon.

In reply Dominique mounted Breeze, shooting Gina a cheeky grin before his dragon took off. Gina watched, a frown on her face as Breeze soared up and Will and Seth’s dragons followed. They were going to find a good point from which to travel to the future, a place that would not be far from the city and at the same time an area where three dragons appearing out of thin air wouldn’t be noticed.

“You think they’ll be fine?” Akira asked as she came up to Gina.

“Pft, of cause they will,” Gina replied.

Akira frowned, seeming to have something on her mind.

“What’s wrong?” Gina asked her, picking it up immediately.

Akira looked like she was about to say something when she just shook her head instead. “It’s nothing, just one of those feelings…”

“They’ll be fine,” Gina tried to assure her friend.

Akira just shrugged, not seeming too convinced.

“Well, if I remember correctly professor Landon asked for my help with his hand to hand combat class, so I’d better get going,” Gina grinned. She turned around and hurried off.

Akira watched her before she noticed Drake making his way over out of the corner of her eye. She turned her attention to him to see that he was watching Gina disappear, a worried look on his face. Upon reaching Akira he came to a standstill. He said nothing for a moment, shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably, as though not sure of what to say next.

Not pushing him Akira waited, knowing that there was something that Drake wanted to say to her, and yet he seemed to not be sure how exactly to say it. He suddenly turned as though to walk away and for a moment she thought that he had given up when suddenly he turned around. Before Akira could react he grabbed her shoulders and stared at her. Surprised Akira blinked, wondering what was up with him.

He leaned in closer, his eyes darting first to the right and then to the left, as though afraid that someone was listening, before he stared right at Akira. “I think,” Drake whispered, his eyes wide and a lost expression on his face, “I think that Gina has a thing for this Dominique guy.”

Akira stared at him, speechless. At first she thought that Drake was surely joking, but when his expression didn't change she realized that he was serious.

“I mean,” Drake let out a frustrated sigh, “She just acts so...different around him, you know? I kinda realized it in the last two days and brushed it off as nothing…but I was just watching her say goodbye to him and they acted like they're really good friends…almost as though he means something to her...”

“Drake,” Akira tried to cut him off, a smile on her face as she tried to keep herself from laughing.

“The way she even just looks at him,” Drake muttered as he dropped his hands from Akira’s shoulders, a look of defeat on his face. “Or the way she ruffled his hair when she was saying bye…”

“Drake!” Akira grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to stop and look at her. “Trust me when I say there is nothing going on between Gina and Dominique.”

Drake stared at her in disbelief. “Noting?” he murmured.

“No, nothing,” Akira repeated staring right into Drake’s eyes.

For a moment Drake looked uncertain but then a look of relief washed over his face. “Really?” he grinned.

“Yes, really,” Akira replied. “Trust me when I say this, if something was going on between Gina and Dominique it would be beyond…weird,” she grinned.

Drake blinked.

“She loves you. Trust me, nothing is going to change that,” Akira continued.

Drake beamed at Akira and turned away, hurrying after Gina.

“Thanks!” he called hurriedly over his shoulder before he disappeared down the trap door.

Akira watched him, an amused expression on her face.

“Pretty boy sure is has some of the guys worried,” Redemption’s voice spoke as a shadow fell over Akira.

“They’ll all get along in the end, they just need to get to know each other better,” Akira assured him.

“If you say so,” Redemption snorted, sounding far from convinced.

Akira turned her gaze back into the direction in which Seth and the others had disappeared to moments before. “You think they’ll be okay?” she asked Redemption.

“I don’t know kiddo. They’re on their own now, but I’m sure they’ll do their best,” Redemption told her gently.

“Yeah,” Akira murmured as she tried to suppress the feeling that perhaps things would not quite as planned.

Dominique accompanied Seth and Will to the edge of Academy City before he turned to go back. Watching him go Seth couldn’t help but feel a bit unhappy at the fact that Dominique would be around Akira without him there to watch him, and yet at the same time Seth had to shrug the feeling off. He and Will had a job to do now, a job which needed their concentration. One slip up and things could go terribly wrong.

He and Will made their way to the academy without any problems. Once there they were let in as soon as they said that they were new riders with no one asking any more questions. They found themselves in the courtyard, which looked almost exactly the same as in the past, plus and minus a few trees. Three other riders were already standing there with their dragons, looking somewhat uncomfortable, and Seth couldn’t help but wonder for what they were waiting.

His question was answered when not much later the gates going in to the academy opened and out stepped a tall, older man. His brown hair was thinning on his head, yet that seemed to do little to take away some of the air of authority that radiated from him. His brown eyes were full of wisdom, and yet at the same time Seth couldn’t help but feel that there was something very off about them, as though there was something that didn’t belong. Yet before he could figure it out the man diverted his eyes from Seth’s view as he swept them over the young riders in the courtyard.

“Welcome,” he suddenly spoke, a smile coming to his face. “I am Argos.”

The other three riders began to murmur while Seth and Will shot each other looks.

“I am happy to see that you have all decided to join us at this academy to learn both more about yourselves and your dragon and how to work together,” he smiled warmly, making all the riders before him feel welcome. “I hope you all enjoy your stay and find what you’re looking for.”

He turned his eyes on Will and Seth. “Ah, you two just arrived I hear,” he looked them over, seeming somewhat puzzled by their clothes. “Where are you from?” he asked, seeming genuinely curious.

“We’re from the village of Tartious,” Seth replied smoothly as he leaned against his dragon casually.

“The village of Tartious,” Argos repeated. He was silent for a moment as he seemed to study both Will and Seth. “That is a long way,” he murmured. Suddenly the smile was back on his face. “Well boys, welcome to Dragon Academy.”