Early the next morning Jaydon woke up. Outside, the sky was still pitch black, not even a hint of the newborn sun poked its fingers into the dead sky. Ralem was still fast asleep. Sometime in the middle of the night he had rolled over and was now at the very corner of the bed, facing the wall, his back towards Jaydon. Light snores echoed off the wall, his crazy hair sticking up in odd places like a bristled porcupine. He had one hand clutching one of Jaydon’s wings like it was a blanket, pulling it over his body.

            Jaydon chuckled inside, but reached for the leather Bible on the nightstand before easing it into Ralem’s hands, letting his wings slip out. Ever so softly, he got out of bed, creating a hard surface out of air so that his feet wouldn’t have to touch the floor. Padding over to the door, he carefully clamped his hand on the copper handle and painfully-slow, turned it. If he was human, sweat would have been beading on his forehead. Then he eased the door open. EEEEK!

            Jaydon twisted around, but Ralem was already straight up on the bed, amusement twisting his lips. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked calmly.

            Jaydon knew he had been caught. His cheeks flushed as he stuttered, trying to lie as humans did so often. “I was going- erm- outside.”

            Ralem got to his feet, his eyes glowing creepily in the dark. “You wouldn’t dare leave without me, would you?”

            “I..uh… well, I just,” Jaydon stuttered.

            Ralem poked him in the chest. “You’re not leaving without me. Period.”

            “I was just trying to keep you safe!” Jaydon growled. “I don’t want you to get hurt again. I could get  this done, easily by myself and I’d be back before the day is over.” His hands settled on Ralem’s shoulders. “You’ve gone through enough. It’s my turn to take the pain.”

            “No!” Ralem slunk under Jaydon’s hands. His eyes grew brighter in stubbornness. “Do you think I’m that weak? That I can’t take a fight? Are you just going to leave me here with my sister like a mother dropping her child off at a nursery?”

            “You know my heart of hearts, Saelfien. You know that is not my intent,” Jaydon said softly.

            “I know it isn’t,” Ralem said testily. “But honestly, you are not just a dragon- a one-man show. You’re my dragon. We work together. As a team. You wouldn’t fight half as good if I wasn’t there.”

            For once Jaydon didn’t argue. He smiled. “I was hoping you would say that. But first let’s raid the kitchen. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

            Ralem almost bowled him over before realizing he was about to wake up the whole house. Putting a finger to his lips, he tiptoed to the kitchen with Jaydon in tow. Opening the cabinet, he started grabbing all things that were edible without cooking to Jaydon, who took them eagerly. When he was still handing a loaf of bread to the dragon, a small tink of metal hitting a bowl drew their attention that they were not the only ones in the kitchen. Eyes wide, they turned around slowly to find a rabbit hanging from a cabinet, dead. It’s blood was steadily dripping into a bowl below it. Behind it, Drake looked bored as he dipped his spoon in the bowl and slurped it up noisily. “Mornin’, early birds.”

            “Drake!” Ralem swore. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

            “What? Is it my hair?” Drake asked, trying to sound cheerful but failing. He poked around in the bowl sullenly, letting his hair fall into his eyes..

            “No… it’s just.. what are you doing up so early?” Ralem blurted.

            Drake glared at him dully.

            “Oh, you’re a vampire… right,” Ralem said, suddenly feeling very stupid. Jaydon crunched some crackers next to him, his cheeks bulging like a chipmunk with a load of acorns.

            “I think the real question is… what are you doing up so early?” Drake slurped some more rabbit blood.

            Ralem thought Drake was acting rather strange. “Drake, are you okay?” he drawled.

            “Okay? No, no I’m not ok. For one, I’m talking to someone who  really isn’t here. No, I’m not ok,” he looked even paler in the moonlight, his eyes looking like holes in his face. Sunken cheeks were accented with shadow, his head rested on his pale, blue-veined hand.

            “What are you talking about? I’m really here,” Ralem protested. He took a step forward and Jaydon snatched the bread out of his hand to start tearing into it hungrily. Drake looked away sharply, blinded by the glowing eyes. That’s when Ralem noticed the dark splotch mark spilling down the right side of Drake’s shirt. “Drake- what happened?”

            Drake looked down at his shirt, pulling at the stain nonchalantly. He let out a loud sigh. “Vampires aren’t invincible like some people,” he said softly. “We still get hurt. We still feel pain. We’re still… people.”

            “Drake, what’s going on. What happened to you?” Ralem’s heart went to his throat. He pulled up Drake’s tattered white shirt and his jaw dropped.

            “Worse than you thought, huh?” Drake’s eyes were distant. “I thought it was nothing. Just a little scratch. Hardly hurt. Then it started spreading, at around one this morning.” He gave a deep sigh, “And now I’m hallucinating.”

            Jaydon stopped mid-chew. Drake’s whole side was purple and swollen, his protruding rib cage slashed diagonally by a single, flaming wound. Blood oozed steadily, dark red contrasting with his pale hands as he clutched his side. “Don’t feel sorry for me,” Drake said, his voice a hoarse whisper. “Being friends with you two was the best thing that ever happened to me.” He looked at them with fading eyes. When he smiled, blood bubbled on his lips. “Stop looking at me like that, you’re making me feel like I got a booger in my nose.”

            “Drake,” Ralem’s voice was shaky. “Come on, you’re going to make it.”

            “Of course I’m going to make it,” Drake snorted to himself, sipping some more blood. Finally he smacked his lips and nodded at them. “You wait here. I’m going to get my stuff and I’ll be ready for an adventure.” He smiled weakly before sliding his body so that his legs dangled from the chair.

            He clutched his chest, his mouth open in a soundless scream. Then he fell.

            Ralem jumped forward to catch him before he fell, but his hand went through air. Then something soft and furry plopped into his remaining palm. It was Drake, his little wings limp over Ralem’s fingers, his furry little chest marred with one long scratch, matting his dark fur. “Drake,” Ralem whispered, reaching out to touch the bat with fingers he didn’t have.

            Jaydon set the food on the table and carefully took Drake from Ralem’s hands. “Drake,” he breathed into the bat’s large ears. “I owe you a debt, a debt that I will repay.” He raised the bat to his lips, breathing on him, slow and steady. As Ralem watched, a silver wind current surrounded the bat, spinning faster and faster around his prone body and lifting him like a glowing lantern. Drake’s wings shot open as the silver mist caressed them, then it surged into his chest and disappeared. He fell.

            Jaydon caught him before he could hit the ground. His thumbs traced Drake’s chest. The cut had healed… but his ribs weren’t moving!

            “He’s… he’s dead,” Ralem said hollowly, as if not really believing it. “Just one minute he’s sitting there and another… he’s g-gone.”

            “This was supposed to help him! I.. I,” Jaydon cradled the little creature in his hands, feeling a lump of emotion build in his throat. “I’m… I’m sorry Drake.”

            Jaydon numbly walked outside, his eyes blurring. Had it been his fault? All the things they had been through together… and he was dead? He remembered his biting words to Drake last night, how he had felt like he was going to strangle him. He hadn’t even been able to say goodbye.

            The small meadow stretched out before him, dipping into the forest which stretched out as far as his dragon eyes could see. In the distance he could see the gloomy blue mountains rise up like jagged teeth and beyond that, the blood of the sun starting to warm its edges. The clouds overhead twisted in Jaydon’s grief, noxious shades of grey and black twisting as if churned by a god. Jaydon looked down at the little bat one last time and a single silver tear fell from his face and dripped onto Drake’s still form.

            Jaydon lifted the vampire to the heavens, his eyes sparkling with electricity. A beautiful, ancient song, escaped from his lips and was amplified by the wind, sending chills down Ralem’s spine as the words rolled through the forest like the cry of a wolf. Ralem couldn’t fully understand the words, but he knew the dragon was singing the song of Drake’s life, of his bravery, of his loss. He sang of how he had courageously braved the wrath of the Felinus, how he had saved the life of the Ventus Rex. As his song intensified, Drakes body was lifted into the canvas of the stormy sky. Jaydon closed his eyes, his beautiful melody pouring through his veins, gushing from his hearts. It was the sound of life and of death, the sound of great sadness, great anger, and yet, it carried a beautiful promise.

            Suddenly Jaydon’s voice was cut abruptly as six massive bolts of lightning zigzagged across the sky to meet at Drake’s limp form. Ralem watched in dumb fascination as the power connected, forming a massive sphere of electricity around the vampire before exploding in a firework of gold, shoots of light spreading all across the shadowed sky.

            Ralem turned to his dragon with wide eyes and found Jaydon’s jaw was set, dimples indenting on his cheeks. His emerald eyes were slanted in anger, but as Ralem watched a tear slid down his tan cheek. He nodded solemnly, before turning to his Rider. “His death will not be in vain,” he promised, his voice husky. “I will kill all the rakk cats.” Once more, he extended his hand, his taught face illuminated by flashes of lightning.  “Ellirr grrishda mikkan…”

            Ralem answered his call grimly, extending his stump. “Lefdira, mi Saelfien, Always by your side.”

            Jaydon wrapped his fingers around Ralem’s forearm as power coursed through their solemn oath. Jaydon jerked on Ralem’s arm, forcing him closer to him. “Do not leave my side. Ever.” His words were so firm it made Ralem feel a little nervous. Jaydon’s fingers tightened around his arm as his glowing eyes probed deeper into Ralem’s soul. Finally, satisfied, he let Ralem go before loping into the forest. “Keep up, my human. War does not wait.”

(Okay I'd really like someone's feedback on this chapter. I wonder if Drake's death sounded too... random? I needed him to die so that Jaydon would be pissed at the cats, but I'm not sure if this was the right way. Either way, let me know!- Tasha)