"So did I look like a real fake dragon?" Alaric asked me as we walked to our next class. I notice how quiet his voice is. Like it's barely there. I know now that we only had two classes that weren't the same. P.E and Government.

"Yeah, you were totally believable." I said sarcastically. We both laughed a little at how bad I am at sarcasm. I basically add 'totally' to anything I want to sound sarcastic.

Ravyn was in this class too. I hadn't talked to her since the phone call this morning. I sat next to Ravyn towards the middle of the classroom and Alaric was seated on the front row right next to the teacher as this specific teacher likes to do with every new student.

I couldn't believe how hard it was keeping everything that has happened to myself . I just wanted to say everything right there but I'm pretty sure Alaric wouldn't forgive me for that.

"I'm assuming you can't come to the mall with me this weekend since you're grounded." Was the first thing Ravyn said to me as she entered the classroom.

"No it's just till Wednesday." Today was Monday, making that a two-day punishment.

"You're so lucky your mom gives you short groundings." Ravyn envies.

"Yeah I'd have to murder someone to be grounded for a month." I agree

"And I'd have to nearly fail a test to get a month punishment."  Ravyn's parents are very strict.

My mom still hasn't told me where she put my car so she had to drive me to school today. The car was eerily quiet minus the loud 80's music my mom had on.

As I heard the words "Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world..." I turned my ears off and stared at my phone. Don't get me wrong, I liked the song the first 700 times. After mindlessly scrolling through social media for the rest of the car ride my mom had succeeded in getting me to school without even opening her mouth. She's a Stay-at-home mom so it wasn't like she had anywhere to be and yet she drove off like she did. Leaving skid marks on the pavement as she zoomed off.

"...Julie." I hear faintly. "Julie." Louder now.
My thoughts disappeared when I turned my head to Ravyn, looking relieved that I was conscious.

"What? Oh sorry."

Ravyn just smiled and shook her head.

The day goes on and I've found myself in seventh period. I've just been going on autopilot today feeling like my brain has more important things to think about than the Pythagorean theorem.

There's still plenty I need to learn from Alaric so taking him to the place I first saw him transform seemed like a good place to discuss the topic.

I dragged him out there, not going lie.

"But I just started this new show on Netflix..." Alaric poorly protested.

"Oh well. I need you to answer my questions and God knows I've got a lot of them." I say while I continue to bring him into the woods.

"Ok. Fire away."

"What other kind of draki are there?" I ask since its the first of my questions to come to mind.

"Too many. I can't even really remember all of them. I already told you the most important ones." They're of different importances? I set that question aside and mentally mark it as "ask later."

"Who's the Draki in Riverbourne?" I remembered her immediate reaction to pounce once I came into view but was blocked by vertical cage bars.

"Her name's Olivia. She's the highest ranked soldier in my pride. Our chief-if you want to call it that. There's no specific title. Just our leader- he must've sent her to find me."

"Alright..." I know what question I need to ask. The question that I can't stop thinking about. "You can make people forget stuff right?"

"Yeah." He knows that wasn't my actual question.

"Then why didn't you just make me forget? You could have saved yourself a lot of stress."

"Mostly because there is this other type of draki. When I make people forget there's still an empty blank where the memory was. The other draki fills it in with lies. Fake memories. If I did you'd just be left with a blank where I took the memory. It'd just create more problems....except." He says the last word abruptly and very quiet but lucky for me I have the ears of a bat at times.
"Except what?" My eyebrows draw together

"Except that's a lie." He answers.

"Ok, I don't understand. So there aren't lie making draki?" Why does Alaric have to be so confusing? That's a question I'd like to ask.

"No there are. That's just not the reason. It feels...Wrong. Going into your mind and plucking out something that isn't mine to take. They made me do it all the time back in the pride. It sucks."

I just nod like I get it even though I still don't understand anything and probably never will.

There was one last question I had. I felt really weird asking and probably shouldn't have but I'm me so I always choose the stupid thing to do.

Yes, I know about this draki world now but I only ever saw him as one once in the darkness of these woods from afar. I saw a Olivia more clearly. My curiosity gets the best of me.

I ask him to manifest- as he then told me it's called when they transform. Alaric doesn't say anything else. Just hands me his beanie and shirt. I won't even say anything more about him giving me his shirt. He motions for me step back.

Now I'm seeing him turn into a draki. Silvery wings rise up from his shoulder blades. His skin turns to pale, silvery colored scales. His face sharpens . His pupils turn into slits. His hands to claws. Oddly his white hair is still there, like a horse's mane now.

He doesn't have the horse tail though. Just a scales on the tail. Gosh this is too weird.

He looks at me and we're making eye contact now. Then he flaps the leathery wings on his back and flies away. I wonder if he's even the slightest bit scared he'll be caught.

But that was months ago. Now I'm in a tent next the sleeping human form of Alaric in Tennessee. Telling you how I got here will take some time but I don't have anything else to do.