Chapter 21 “Disagreements”

As they flew along the familiar mountain range Akira could not help but frown.

“What does the council want?” she thought.

“Who knows,” Redemption replied dryly, “Perhaps they're upset about us not telling them about the whole traveling to the future incident. Whatever the reason, we're about to find out.” No sooner did Akira hear those words than Redemption suddenly altered is course and dipped left before shooting straight downwards. Destiny followed, taking her time.

Calmly Akira sat, watching as Redemption seemed to be heading straight towards the rocky ground between two of the mountains. She remembered the first time she had come here, how terrified she had been. Yet now that she knew what lay ahead, she just sat in anticipation for the next stage.

It came moments later as a large black hole seemed to suddenly appear in the ground before them. Redemption flew straight towards it and seconds later they flew right into that hole and were plummeted into darkness.

“Oh, this is the life!” Redemption thought happily as wind blasted against him. Moments later the direction suddenly changed and Redemption was flying the right way up again. He slowed down and slowly dropped to a soft landing. “Too short,” he sighed regretfully.

Akira just shook her head. There was a soft whoosh beside them and she turned to see Destiny land, her feet gingerly touching the floor. She let out a loud sigh as she folded her wings.

“That journey was a lot longer than I remember,” she thought as she settled on the ground and Brandon slipped from her back.

Akira followed Brandon's lead and jumped from Redemption's back, barely sparing a glance at the cave they were now in. Brandon walked over to one of the torches and took it out of its hold in the wall before he turned and began to walk away from the dragons.

While Destiny curled up and seemed to fall asleep almost immediately, Redemption and Akira followed Brandon.

They walked some distance until they came to what looked like a dead. With a bored expression Akira paused while Brandon continued on his way and walked to one side of the wall blocking their way. He moved his hand along the rocky wall before he paused and pressed a finger down.

With a creak and a groan the whole wall ahead slipped to the side, revealing a large entrance to something that looked like a long corridor. As Brandon walked forward and Akira and Redemption followed, ignoring the wall behind them as it seemed to slide back by itself, closing with a bang.

Nothing but the gentle drip of water accompanied them as they proceeded and soon they reached another dead end. Again Akira and Redemption paused; patiently waiting as Brandon repeated the process from previously, pressing another small button in the wall.

In response, the wall slid to the side, this time, revealing a large chamber. Candle light lit up the room and Akira could easily make out the figures of four men sitting around a large table in the middle of the chamber. While Brandon made his way to the empty chair beside one of these men, Akira and Redemption stayed where they were, with Akira eyeing the men with somewhat dislike.

Henry, Nate, Silas, Kramer and now Brandon, they were all here. Akira let her gaze wonder over each one as she remembered the first time she had stood in this very room before these very men. She remembered how intimidated she had been at the time. Yet as she got to know them more she began to see them as nothing more than old, meddling men who did thought that Akira and Redemption were to do as they told them to. Of cause, when they discovered that neither girl or dragon tended to listen to them, they began to view them both with somewhat disdain, seeing Akira as a girl who held the Dragon of Legend back while Redemption they thought was somewhat spoiled and careless. Since she had defeated Haiden, Akira tended to try and avoid the council, and they her, and she had not seen much of them since.

“Ah, Akira,” Silas frowned, dislike in his eyes as he turned his gaze on to where Akira stood.

Akira only nodded in response, knowing that it would only annoy Kramer as he would feel it to be disrespectful. Kramer’s frown confirmed that she had been right.

“Akira, he is a council member, don not annoy him on purpose. Show some respect!” Redemption scolded her.

“He doesn’t deserve any,” Akira thought stubbornly in reply. Out of the five council members, Silas was the one who seemed to like her the least and for her, the feeling was mutual.

“We are under the impression that you know why we called you here,” Henry spoke up as he stared at Akira intently.

“Yes,” Akira replied calmly. “You have heard about this whole incident to do with the future, my travels there and the problem with a new black rider and dragon appearing. You don’t need to worry though, I’m already working on it so…”

“Why did you not tell us of this earlier?” Silas demanded angrily as he cut Akira off.

Akira shot him an annoyed glance. “I told no one at first, thinking it for the best. It was only when a friend from the future alerted me to the presence of Steeson, the new black rider, and his dragon, that I let anyone in on what had happened to me when I had disappeared,” she told him curtly.

“So,” Kramer quickly cut in as he seemed to sense that if he did not say something, sparks would fly between Silas and Akira. “Brandon filled us in on what he knows. He says that you travelled to the future and helped to save it from some evil?” he paused, waiting for Akira’s nod to confirm what he had said so far. After she nodded her continued, “Yet ultimately, this time travelling of yours caused a new black dragon rider and his dragon to rise up again.”

“Yes,” Akira nodded. “I had no knowledge of this until Dominique, a friend from the future, came to ask for my help to try and defeat this new threat.”

“Yet this Steeson has a weapon with which he can control riders and thus there dragons?” Nate asked softly.

Akira nodded in confirmation and the council members shot each other a careful look.

“Then it is not safe for any one from this time to be there,” Henry spoke.

Akira narrowed her eyes, wondering what he was getting at. “Safe or not, Steeson needs to be taken care of,” she said,

“Why are you spending time in a time that is not ours when there are things to be done here?” Silas asked angrily.

“Things?” Akira replied in disbelief. “Nothing has happened here since the last of Haiden’s forces were taken care of. The lands are at peace in our time.”

“Mostly, yes,” Nate was the one to reply. “Yet the villages in the East have complained off a few small matters.”

“Small matters?” Akira asked.

“Some disputes…” Kramer began.

“Disputes?” Akira replied in disbelief. “You do not need me to take care of the matter,” Akira told him, “Any student from the academy is well qualified to take care of such a trifle matter!”

“And yet it would be better if you did,” Kramer replied.

“You do not need a Rider and Dragon of Legend to settle a dispute, especially not when there are more important matters at hand,” Akira told him firmly. “Besides, Neither I nor my dragon are to be around forever. It’s time the lands learned to settle some matters without us.”

“Akira,” Brandon, who had been silent until then, spoke up softly. “What we are trying to say is that we think it best that you have nothing to do with Steeson and his dragon. That you leave the future be, it is not your problem.”

Akira stared at him in disbelief, not sure if she was hearing right. “How can you say that?” she asked. “Redemption and I are the reason for the return of the black dragon. Therefore it is our problem and therefore our job to fix it!”

“It’s not our time!” Nate responded

“So?” Akira asked feeling frustrated. “Is it not the Rider and Dragon of Legend’s duty to protect the lands? Should time be an issue?”

“It is not the time we are concerned about Akira,” Brandon sighed. “It is how you travelling through it could affect things. You saw what happened the first time you went, it cause the black dragon and rider to reappear. Who knows what could happen next! Leaving things as they are may be the safest option.”

“I can’t just leave the people in the future to suffer because of our mistake!” Akira replied.

“Sometimes, in order to try and prevent a greater disaster, things need to be left as they are,” Kramer spoke softly.

“So what?” Akira asked in disbelief. “We let the future be and let them suffer for another hundred years until some other white dragon and his rider attempt to fight Steeson?”

“Yes,” Silas replied with no emotion in his voice.

“No, I can’t do that,” Akira replied stubbornly. Redemption did not join in the conversation, seeming to prefer listening in to the unfolding conversation rather than getting involved.

“Akira, what they are saying makes sense,” Brandon told her gently.

Akira glared at him, her eyes blazing and clenched fists bursting in to flame. “I am the Rider of Legend. I am responsible for ensuring peace in the lands at whatever cost. It is my duty to free the lands of the future, just as it was to free them in this time from Haiden.”

When the council looked and little taken aback and Brandon shot a pointing look at Akira’s burning fists, Akira took in a deep breath of air and slowly let it out. It did the trick of calming her down slightly and the fire around her fists disappeared.

“Akira, consider the risks…” Henry began.

“I have considered them,” Akira replied firmly. “I know the stakes involved, yet I cannot sit back and let the future suffer when I could do something to help!”

The council members shot each other looks.

“You would be wise to heed the council’s advice. It is not a good…” Nate attempted to begin, yet Akira did not let him get any further.

“I have listened to what you have had to say and I understand your concerns. Yet this is something Redemption and I have to do. We have to fix the future, we were the ones who caused this mess so we are the ones who should clean it up,” she stared at them, her chin jutted out in determination. “That is our decision and that is where it will remain. Redemption and I are going to help the future and we are going to set things right.”

“Stupid girl,” Silas muttered.

In reply Redemption growled lowly in his throat, his eyes flashing. He did not take well to anyone talking about his rider in such a way.

“Now,” Akira began as she looked directly at the council, “Unless you have any other concerns, Redemption and I have some planning to do. We have a future to save after all.” When not one of the council members made a move to speak up Akira nodded and turned on her heel. She brushed past Redemption and left the chamber, heading back the way she had come. Redemption followed closely at her heels.

Yet just as she reached the exit to the chamber Akira heard Brandon speak. “I can only hope you know what you’re doing Akira,” he murmured.

Akira did not turn but kept on her way, leaving the room. Yet she could not help but frown, Brandon’s comment bothering her. Why was Brandon so against this? Usually he was against the rest of the council’s decisions yet not this time. He had already made it clear to her right when Dominique had first come to this time that he did not want her to be involved in the situation with Steeson. Yet what was his reason? Did he really doubt she would succeed that much?

“He is worried,” Redemption told her gently, “And he has every right to be.”

“Do you think the council is right about everything?” Akira murmured as they walked down the long corridor, “Do you think we should stay out of this Ree?”

Redemption paused before replying, “I’d be lying if I said I did not think they had a point. Yet even though they are right in a sense I agree with you Akira, Steeson and Deception are our mess and therefore it is our duty to take care of him and Deception.”

Akira nodded, feeling relief at the fact that her dragon felt the same way as she did. “What about our traveling to the future?” she asked as they neared the dead end, “Do you think it could ultimately make things worse?”

“There is a risk,” Redemption replied carefully. “Even I am not sure of the consequences. Yet I do know that so far Dominique and his friend’s presence in our time seems to have changed nothing in the future, but then again, they are from the future so technically they're coming to the past cannot really change it, that is if they behave themselves. Yet I believe that we, being from the past, can change their future by both our actions here and the future, so we had better be careful.”

“What do you mean?” Akira asked with a frown as she felt along the wall beside the dead for the button that would move the wall to the side.

Redemption let out a patient sigh. “Look at it this way, if Gina went and got herself killed while either here or in the future, Dominique would cease to exist altogether. No one from the future would remember him ever having lived.”

Upon finding the button Akira absentmindedly pushed it. “So technically, if Dominique ceased to exist, he would have never called me to the future and Deception would have never had the chance to be born?” she asked as she watched the wall slid out of the way.

Redemption shook his head as he followed Akira towards where Destiny was lying down, looking fast asleep. “No,” he began to explain. “From what I understand, we, from the past, would remember Dominique as well as everything that is going on. Deception to, will still exist.”

“How?” Akira demanded as she paused and turned to her dragon, a confused expression on her face.

“Time is a tricky thing,” was Redemption's reply. “Let’s just say that everything that has happened in the past has happened. It cannot be changed. If you try to change it one way, another will lead to what was supposed to have happened.”

“So you’re saying it can’t be changed?” Akira furrowed her forehead. “But Dominique saved Ray! Surely that is proof that things can be changed!”

Redemption shook his head. “In a way yes, but in the end Ray will still die. Whether it is today, tomorrow or even first in years, it will happen eventually. All Dominique did was buy him some extra time. Overall, nothing has really changed at all.”

“I don’t get it,” Akira shook her head.

“It is confusing,” Redemption nodded, “But the point is, we have to be extra careful when we travel in time as I believe that we could alter a lot more than our friends from the future could.”

“Speaking of them,” Akira muttered, “I sure hope Seth and Dominique haven’t killed each other in the time we were gone. They better have done something useful or at least come up with some sort of plan,” she huffed.

“Now now Akira,” Redemption replied, “Don’t take their fight too seriously, they were only having some fun.”

“Fun?” Akira raised an eyebrow. “Seth was going to kill Dominique Ree.”

“And what makes you so certain about that?” Redemption asked curiously.

“Because, he was coming in for his kill move!”

Redemption let out a snort. “Really Akira, you take things way to seriously. Seth would have done no such thing, trust me. He was only going to show Dominique that he didn’t stand a chance. Personally, I think you should have waited until Seth had clearly whipped Dominique’s butt. It would have not only done Dominique’s ego some good, but I was also kind of betting on Seth to win.”

Akira shot a disapproving look at her dragon. “Betting, seriously?” she asked.

“Hey!” Redemption defended himself. “It was a clear situation. I would have been a fool to stand up the opportunity to gain something from it.”

“Sometimes I think that you being able to communicate with other dragons and riders does you more harm than good,” Akira muttered as she shook her head.

“Oh believe me,” Redemption replied smugly, “I think it does me more good than anything.”

Akira just shook her head. “Let’s go back to the academy before I decide that I can’t stand you.”

“Whether you can stand me or not, you’re stuck with me for good,” Redemption told her.

Shaking her head Akira shot the sleeping Destiny a look. She knew that her blue dragon would follow with Brandon when he was ready to leave and she pulled herself onto Redemption’s back.

“You are one unique dragon,” she told him.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Redemption replied as he jumped into the air.

The journey back to the Academy was a silent one. The whole way Akira could not help but go over her conversation with the council as well as the events that had happened in the last few weeks. By the time the Academy came into sight Akira was in a foul mood.

Even before Redemption landed in the courtyard Akira caught sight of Dominique and Seth. They were standing a good distance from each other, with Seth leaning casually against the stable wall and Dominique standing in the shade of one of the few trees in the courtyard. Some distance away Drake stood with an arm casually slung around Gina, his eyes darting from Seth to Dominique, as though waiting for something. Will, Tresus, Kirk and Liam also lounged nearby, Liam looking especially bored. Just as Redemption landed, Savannah and Anita stepped out of the Academy building, accompanied by Isaac and Jeremiah, and walked over to join the others.

“I see the gang is all here,” Akira commented dryly as she slipped from Redemption’s back. “Anyone care to tell me what’s going on?”

Seth looked at Akira and for a moment she thought he was going to say something when Dominique beat him to it, “Actually,” he grinned as he stepped forward, “I think I may have a plan.”