Dragon ~ Part 4

Words: 2174

I was sat on a panel with the other six leaders. Chris, Phil and PJ stood in front us, heads bowed respectfully. My father, James, sat in the middle. I could practically see him seething an worried for the dragons' fate. I wanted him to admit to what had happened - why I hadn't known about them. Why he refused to tell me. He looked about ready to tear into them but suddenly his steely gaze was on me.

"Daniel please leave." He spoke sharply.

I glared at him. "No way, there's absolutely no fucking way I'm missing out on this. I'm a dragon shifter like them - anything you say to them is relevant to me." I fired back. 

James looked ready to argue before Jenny cleared her throat, gave me a kind look before flicking James' ear. "Control yourself. This is an official meeting. You have to be professional. Daniel you may stay but be warned that this situation won't be taken lightly." Jenny spoke calmly. I nodded seriously. I wanted to know what was happening. James glared at the three dragons and kept quiet. 

Sam spoke up next - feeling the need to get the meeting started. "The truth has been tiptoed round for a long time. Dragons, why do you confront us about the situation?" He asked. I scowled as he didn't reveal what the 'situation' was.

PJ glanced at me and gave a reassuring smile. I smiled back despite not knowing him too well, it looked like they were on my side which I was grateful for. "Well ..." He began, taking position as the dragons' leader temporarily. "As you all know the shifting community has been in shambles for a number of years now-"

"We are well aware." James snapped. My eyes widened - I wasn't well aware. It was never brought up in council meetings. Why would such a problem be kept off radar?

PJ jut smiled calmly before continuing, "Yes of course. So, as I was saying the war between the werewolves and the shifters has been occurring for many years now." PJ continued to insinuate, looking directly at me. I was in shock - I thought the werewolves were peaceful amongst the shifting community. I looked at the council leaders. One or two shifted uncomfortably whilst the remaining ones seemed to scowl at the facts being said aloud. "With such a big problem at hand us shifters are left to question the council's involv-"

"You question us boy?" James almost snarled. PJ looked frustrated with being interrupted. 

"What else is there to do when you disband little effort to help us? Us dragons have been searching for our lost brother to help the shifter community. Yet you've kept the information of his whereabouts from us for years!" He paused and all eyes shifted to me for a moment before he continued. "It's left us to question the loyalties of the council and why you haven't stepped in further to help smooth out this war." PJ asked angrily. I stared in surprise at the council leaders. Why hadn't they helped those innocent people? James looked particularly angry. 

"We will not stand to be insulted by you." Sam snipped.

"It's not  a case of insulting your honour." Chris retorted, "We are simply asking why you refuse to take part in this war. Why did you hide the fourth dragon away when he could have helped us achieve peace?" Chris asked, looking incredibly angry. Again, I was in shock. I could have helped prevent war? Why didn't they tell me?

"As much as we understand your frustration dragons," A leader named Celine answered more calmly than the others, "you must understand that we have an alliance with the werewolf and shifter community. To take sides means harming relationships with both sides as well as harming other communities in war that don't wish to take part." She explained. 

"Harming relationships?!" Chris exclaimed furiously. His eyes flashed silver and the council members visibly tensed. Phil, although looking angry himself, walked up to Chris and put a comforting hand on Chris' shoulder. As soon as he made contact the boy visibly relaxed and the anger drained away - his silver eyes disappearing with it. I felt that small twinge of jealousy once again but curiosity as well since it seemed more to be a supernatural element than a form of comfort. 

PJ spoke up again, "Don't you understand that the werewolves are part of the shifting community? All it would take is your co-operation to ease the conflict, we're not asking you join the war with soldiers - it's not always solved that way. They respect you so take some responsibility-"

Once again the boy was interrupted. "Don't act arrogant boy - you don't hold all the answers. The council is responsible for the supernatural community yes, but there's only so much influence we have and the conflict is too great for a simple speech to dissolve. Not to mention the wolves are building in power and can overrule opposition easily. If a council leader was harmed there'd be outrage amongst all other communities. We still have to look after and keep the balance of others also."

"DON'T YOU THINK A WAR MAY BE A MORE PRESSING ISSUE?!" PJ suddenly burst - pure fury showing his emerald eyes. "Your involvement was a way of hopefully starting the path to peace. I'm not naive enough to believe it will be all over within a few seconds of your arrival. It's not just you who is important either! The four dragons together have always been a symbol of hope throughout generations. We've kept the peace the shifter community for centuries so why did you hide the black dragon after our rebirth? It threw the shifter community into disarray - the peace was tipped and OUT OF THAT YOU CREATED AN EVIL ROGUE ELEMENT!" PJ nearly screamed. Again the council members tensed, some look scared - others looking furious. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The council stole me? I felt sick - the ones who I thought of as family had lied to me? Phil once again put his hand on PJ's shoulder and he  instantly calmed although he still looked angry. 

"The dragons were getting aggressive. You of all people should know the previous dragons were sitting on a throne of power. We thought that if we extracted an element then the dragons wouldn't use their powers to climb the power ladder and take over all supernatural communities." Sam snapped. 

"Just because the previous dragons lost control doesn't mean we will. Look at the result now! You've created a fifth dragon!" Phil suddenly spoke up icily and the room tensed. My thoughts were pulsing with new information. How could this have been kept from me for so long? I was part of such a bigger community than I thought. Now there was a fifth dragon?!

"We admit that we did a wrong by messing with the dragons' dynamic but we did it for the good of the supernatural community. We didn't intend such a big backfire-" Jenny tried to reason.

"Then why don't you amend your mistakes and help us? With the black dragon by our sides once more we might be able to bring peace to the shifting community once again. We could stop the evil element." Phil urged. He looked me right in the eye with a plea for help and I swallowed. 

"Absolutely not. The council must not intervene! Daniel is part of the council and takes his orders from us. He will not get mixed up in such dangerous affairs!" James finally snapped, standing up intimidatingly. The dragons held their ground. 

"Your dooming the shifting community!" Chris snapped. 

"Sacrifices must be made." Sam sneered. All the dragons' eyes glowed in anger and the council stood their guard. I'd had enough.

"Don't I get a say in this?" I bellowed, my own eyes turning black. All eyes shifted to me. "I'm not a little dog for you to command at will. Hearing this I can only hear reason in their request! Why are you abandoning them?" I asked angrily. 

"Not you too." James scoffed. 

"I told you he'd be just like them." A leader called Gabriel snapped. 

"He is not like them! He is my son!" James yelled in anger and Jenny restrained him. 

"If I'm your son then respect my decision! I'm going with the other dragons to clean up your mess!" I scowled. I glanced at them and felt happy to see the relief in their eyes. I didn't belong with the council - I never did. I always belonged with the other dragons. 

"Dan no! I forbid it. As a council member I issue a bar. You cannot leave - I forbid it!" James commanded. 

"Ruling favour?" Gabriel asked. Four out of the six leaders raised their hands. Jenny looked worriedly at Dan as one of the ones who did not raise her hand. 

"James! How could you?" She asked angrily. 

"You can't just do that!" Chris exclaimed. 

"Yes we can. Guards, escort Howell to his chamber and don't let him out of your sight. This is a code blue." Sam instructed. I stared in disbelief and struggled against the hands that grabbed me. 

"Daniel don't struggle - if you leave you know the consequences. To defy the council you will become an enemy of the council." Julia, the fifth council member recited. 

"And face prosecution I know." I sneered. I stopped struggling and cast an apologetic look at the dragons. If I escaped then I'd be hunted down and executed - that's just how it went. Being an enemy of the council was not a good position in the supernatural world. It was extremely difficult to live a normal life when the had connection across the globe. I gritted my teeth at the council's invisible shackles around me. 

"How could you do this? You're killing a whole species!" Phil demanded.

"It's nothing personal. The werewolves are too powerful to be stopped, if we do not let them continue then the whole supernatural world will be in jeopardy. Don't you see why we have to abstain?" Celine asked with sympathy in her words. 

"And what about the fifth dragon? What if he gets involved with the werewolves?" Chris asked darkly. There was silence for a moment.

"Shouldn't you be dealing with that problem?" Sam asked with a smirk. 

"It's your fault!" Chris exclaimed.

"Well there's nothing we can do about it without harming others. I suggest you deal with it yourselves." Gabriel frowned. 

"Get Daniel out of here." James sighed in frustration.

"What? But-" I protested. 

"NOW!" James commanded and I was dragged to my chamber. 

~

I seethed on my bed. How could the council be so cowardly? My own father ... well I suppose he wasn't my real father but I had seen such a kind side to him all this time but this was so different. I felt the need to go to the other dragons. There was a connection there that I couldn't shake. My tattoo began to sting the further away they were. I scratched it irritatedly. I could only imagine how annoying it would become when they went back. 

I sighed and looked at my ceiling - at a loss. I wanted to help, why wouldn't they let me help. I knew James was protective but to this degree was ridiculous, especially when a whole species was in jeopardy. 

Suddenly a tap on the window disrupted my thoughts. My eyes went wide when I saw a blue dragon head nudging at it. I grinned and tore the metal bars down. Did they really think I wasn't strong enough? I climbed onto the roof and grinned up at Phil's dragon form. He shifted back into a human and looked around warily. 

"I know what it would mean for you but ... would you come? Would you please help us? We care deeply about the shifting community - we grew up there. The werewolves were teased with power by the fifth dragon and turned on us. Please we need your help if we have any hope of defeating him." Phil pleaded. 

I paused for a moment, thinking about the consequences of defying the council. However I thought about how sheltered I'd been from such a young age and how the council had almost always kept me under close inspection. I wanted out - I wanted freedom. Besides ... I was stronger than them. I'd take anything they threw at me.

"Ok." I grinned and Phil breathed out in relief. 

"Thanks Dan." He smiled and stood up. 

"Where are the others?" I asked curiously.

"Waiting for us." Phil reassured. "Come on." He beamed and dove off the tower roof, shifting into his blue dragon and pulling up to glide gracefully into the night. I grinned, feeling the invisible shackles break as I followed suite - shifting into my midnight dragon and blending into the dark. 

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Woo, first update in forever. Hope you guys liked it :)

~HelloAnonymousWriter~