Chapter Three

“Beast!” I called upon my own dragon.

“Ryder,” he hissed at me.

“Merge with me so that from this day forward we may claim each other and together accomplish our predestined fate,” I said loudly. The words had just come to me and I wasn’t even sure from where.

“As you command halfling although I won’t be commanded like a lowly house lizard,” he hissed again and I laughed suddenly.

“You a house lizard? And here I thought you were magnificent but now I’m not so sure beast,” I said and I could hear him chuckle.

“You’ll suit me fine halfling,” he said sounding amused. He came out of the shadows and I held my breath in awe. He circled me and sniffed me tentatively as I folded my arms across my chest. He roared slightly and then merged himself into and onto me.

I felt the burning sensation and I swear if I could strip off my own skin I would. I screamed out in pain as the tattoo of his likeness formed on my skin, burning and etching itself deep inside me. I felt like I would lose my mind as the pain started to ebb slowly and then vanish.

“My name is Abeloth,” he said in my mind.

“Welcome Abeloth, I hope that I’ll be a worthy host,” I said.

“I like your attitude halfling, I think I’ll stay,” he said and I smiled.

Chase looked at me grinning widely as he eyed the dragon on my back. It was a shade darker than Lucas’s dragon and if the lighting was dim he looked almost black. I felt my eyes change colour and Chase’s mouth opened to say something.

“Brantley,” Abeloth hissed and I saw his eyes glow yellow.

“Brother,” he said and they bowed their heads at each other.

I felt Abeloth return control to me and I could feel it, the power, the stronger senses and I felt physically bigger. The power that ran through my veins was almost addictive and I knew that Chase was feeling it too.

We stepped through the fire back into the room where Lucas and Rev and the Elders waited for us. Chase walked out first and I saw the pride in Lucas’s eyes as Chase turned around to let them look at his dragon. The Elders were murmuring to themselves and I could see that they were slightly shocked.

“What is your beast’s name?” Elder Cliff asked Chase.

“Brantley,” he answered.

“Magnificent,” Elder Victor said.

Abeloth stirred within me and I knew he was urging me to show him off for some reason. To me he was magnificent and a perfect fit and I stepped through the fire having given Chase his moment of glory as first born.

“Turn around,” Elder Michael said and I complied.

“This is unheard of!” Elder Victor said with shock in his voice.

I turned to face them again and I saw that same pride in Lucas’s eyes. I felt indestructible and I knew that Abeloth was also a warrior dragon. He was fierce and gave me the impression that he wouldn’t take anyone’s shit.

“I am Abeloth,” he said as he took control and my eyes glowed yellow.

“This can’t be right,” Elder Cliff said and they all looked at each other. Abeloth separated from me and roared in a low voice as he glared at them.

“I am the dragon Elders, you do not presume to think that Typhon made a mistake. This is my halfling and we have bonded already. I will stay with him until he takes his last breath and you Elders will learn to know your place,” he said in a dangerous voice.

“Our apologies Abeloth, we did not mean that Typhon was mistaken, we just find it odd that the second born would get the stronger dragon,” Elder Michael said.

“What?” Chase asked.

“The darker the shade, the stronger the beast,” Elder Victor said.

“Do not question Typhon’s decision, this bond is for life,” Abeloth said and merged with me once again.

“As with the merging of your dragon Sire Lucas, these two gray dragons are immensely powerful and yet their names would suggest that they are warriors as well, Brantley means fire and Abeloth means the creator of chaos,” Elder Michael said as they noted our dragons down in the books.

“Thank you Elders,” Lucas said and I watched Chase’s face.

He wasn’t upset that his beast was lighter than mine in fact he seemed proud of me just like I was proud of him. I had been worried about not getting a violet dragon but never did I think I would get a gray one. Lucas had told us how the previous Elders had been mystified about his beast because gray dragons were so rare.

“You okay?” I asked Chase as he wiped his forehead.

“I don’t feel very well,” he said and Rev went to stand next to him and placed his arm over his shoulder.

“It’s normal, come on, we need to get you guys home,” Rev said.

“Good luck and we are interested to see the journey these two brothers take,” Elder Victor said.

Lucas and Rev helped us back to the car as the same ailment started affecting me as well. I could feel my eyelids growing heavy as we stumbled into the back of the car and I closed my eyes a few seconds after Chase did.

I woke up to bright sunlight making me squint my eyes and I checked my watch. It was two pm already and I groaned as I turned onto my stomach. My phone rang again and I realized that it was the phone that had woken me up in the first place.

Abeloth felt more comfortable in my head and he yawned as he lay on his back and lazily flicked his tail. I got up and turned my body sideways and looked at myself in the mirror. He was beautiful and on my back he had his teeth bared and he looked dangerous.

“Morning Abeloth,” I said and he yawned again.

“Afternoon halfling, I hope you don’t sleep this late every day,” he said and stretched his wings.

“Not usually no,” I said to him.

“Good, go grab me some meat, I’m hungry,” he said and I could feel it.

“Sorry Abeloth, I’m a vegetarian,” I said to him.

“What?” he roared in my head, “are you fucking for real?”

“Whoa language buddy,” I said to him.

“My apologies halfling, are you fucking for real moron?” he asked me and I laughed.

“I’m just kidding,” I said to him.

“Imbecile, I almost had a heart attack,” he said glaring at me.

“Yeah I can see we’re going to have lots of fun together,” I said and he gave me a grin.

“Meat, now,” he said and flopped down on his side again.

I checked my phone and saw that Tia had called me fifteen times since last night and had left me over fifty text messages.

It was her birthday tomorrow and we would know for sure if we would stay together or not. I didn’t call her back immediately and took a shower instead as I thought about what it would mean if we weren’t bonded to each other.

“Stop worrying halfling, there are plenty of young girls in the sea,” he said.

“True but I love her,” I said to him.

“Whipped,” he said and I laughed as I got out of the shower and got dressed. I still felt tired and I knew that we wouldn’t be going anywhere today. I picked my phone up and finally called Tia back.

“Where the hell have you been?” she almost yelled at me as she answered the phone.

“Asleep,” I said to her.

“This whole time?” she asked me.

“Yes, it takes more than ten hours for your dragon to fully merge and settle Tia, you know this,” I said to her.

“Sorry I was just worried because I couldn’t reach you, what if you had bonded with someone else,” she said sounding like she was hyperventilating.

“Then I’d make you my chosen mate, but I was really asleep until now,” I said to her.

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you too, I should get downstairs and eat and then I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” I said to her.

“You’re not coming over today?” she asked me sounding disappointed.

“Not today, I’m not feeling quite myself yet,” I said to her.

“What colour dragon did you get?” she asked her voice suddenly nervous.

“Guess,” I said.

“A violet one,” she said with a laugh.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” I said.

“Oh shit did you get an indigo one?” she asked me sounding almost disappointed.

“My dragon is dark gray,” I said to her and she squealed so loudly that I had to move the phone away from my ear.

“That’s awesome Ryder!” she yelled.

“Okay calm down, I’ll talk to you later,” I said and she laughed as we said our goodbyes.

I threw my phone down on my bed and walked out of my room just as Chase exited his bedroom as well. I could see that he had also just showered and we both wore sweat pants and t-shirts. He was barefoot where I had socks on.

“Shit I could hear her yelling all the way in my room,” Chase said and I grinned at him.

“She’s just happy for me,” I said to him.

“Maybe she’ll show you tomorrow how happy she is,” he said with a wink.

“You’re disgusting,” I said and stopped walking.

“Oh please little brother, I know you’ve sampled those goods and I want to tell you a little secret,” he said as he threw his arm around my shoulder.

“What?” I asked him.

“Don’t let her be your first and last, trust me, a girl’s a girl but they’re all different,” he said and laughed at the expression on my face.

“I hope your bonded half is as experienced as you are,” I said to him.

“That would actually save me the time of teaching her what I like,” he said and I laughed.

“You’re such a slut,” I said to him as he looked proud.