Mission Success? - Part 1

Samuel woke up still feeling quite exhausted and tired, he slowly turned over and sat up and edged himself on the edge of the bed. He slowly took both his hands and dragged them down over his face and groaned. He was truly exhausted still, but there was no way he could sleep more at the moment. So he slowly stood up from bed and walked over to the neares mirror.

He looked at himself for a few moments, he did look exhausted and dirty and bloody, with a sigh he decided to clean his clothes and face. After all the blood and dirt was removed and his face a bit freshened up, he did look slightly better. "Night?" He asked with a raspy voice and heard a small groan from the bed.

There she lay without worry, the tiny shadow dragon upside down with her tounge sticking out. Samuel scratched his head and walked over to her and leant over, he grabbed her tounge and started pulling. "Wake up already!"

"Ohw owwwhh ouuuh!" She woke up speaking with her tounge held. She looked at him tired but seemingly well rested. "Ghood Mhournan!" She said with a chipper voice. Samuel let go of her tounge that almost went back with a slap and sighed. "Morning." He replied and walked off.

It was time to go check on everyone else. Enough hours had passed. Just as he opened his door he noticed someone was in front of it, Sarmah stood there with her hand raised in a fist as if she was about to knock. But seeing him open the door she gave him a slight smile, and put her hand on his shoulder.

Seeing as she was a dragonkin she easily towered over him as most dragonkin were usually pretty tall. "It's time for us to return home!" She said calmly. "Are we done here?" He asked in response and looked down. "Yes, our mission is complete and our enemy has been vanquished!" She gently shook his shoulder. "Let's go!"

He couldn't do anything but nod and follow her. While feeling Night coiling around his other arm. They walked in silence all the way back to the room/tent they had arrived in. There was a lot less people running back and forth. Most of the fort seemed to be in repairs and there were new soldiers there to secure the area. Probably soldiers of the army that had dealt with the horde in the aftermath.

They teleported back to the chamber of dimensions together. "Where are the others?" Samuel asked, "They are already back home." She replied, "Let's go there together." She sighed as she started guiding the path back.

The walk back took a little bit of time that was mostly spent in silence. Before finally finding themselves in front of the door. For some reason Samuel was frozen on the spot, afraid of what he would find on the other side of the door, he couldn't move a muscle until Sarmah placed her hand on his shoulder again.

It made him flinch which snapped him out of it as he sighed. He took the steps up to the door and opened it. Inside what awaited him almost surprised him, In a bed in the middle of the living room Sonya lay in the bed with her Father and Mother by her side. Ulma and Erica sat on the sofas looking as if they would fall asleep at any second.

Bregane also sat in a sofa with a cold towel pressed against his head as he looked like someone that had the worst hangover. Tere sat there and comforted him while keeping an eye on the other two. The sound of the door closing was enough to make them all look over in its direction.

Ulma and Erica were the first to react, they instantly jumped out of the sofas and ran over, Samuel froze up for a few moments but then they instantly threw themselves into his chest. Together the three embraced eachother in a hug. "Im sorry!" He whispered to them.

They stood there for a while in silence, "You have nothing to be sorry for! You saved Sonya and Bregane my child." Tere whom had walked forward spoke up. "If anything you should be proud." Ulma and Erica let go of him and took a few steps back.

"Proud? I should be proud?" Samuel replied as sudden anger flashed in. His hands started shaking, "No! I should have disobeyed orders.. I could have saved Teric if I used my full power from the beginning! I know I could have!" He grit his teeth and his nails dug into his hands causing droplets of blood to start falling.

"Sam!" Ulma grabbed his arm which made him calm down slightly, enough for him to stop digging into his own flesh. "Nah..." A groan could be heard from Bregane who sat with his eyes closed. "I am the one at fault kiddo... I underestimated our enemy, overestimated our skill. I am the one that ordered you to follow the plan! So if you want to blame anyone then blame me!" He groaned in pain and the frustration could be seen on his face.

Ulma walked over to him and casted some green light that eased up Breganes expression. She was too tired for any major healing, but it didn't stop her from trying, although she did feel dizzy from doing even the slightest of magical work.

"It was supposed to be a long mission, but when we got there it was as if something had set things in motion much earlier. It was much worse than we thought it would be." Vazal was the one to speak up as he looked at all of them. He slowly stood up and approached Samuel.

He extended one hand to which Samuel responded while Night hid in a shadow, "It seems I cannot thank you enough though, you saved my daughters life! You managed to break the curse - even if just temporary! How did you do that?" His question was piqued with curiosity.

Samuel shook his head. "I don't actually know, all I did was punch her nose while she was a dragon. I had no idea if it would work or not... but I wasn't about to leave my friend behind!" Samuel rubbed his temple and sighed. Trying to think back to if he did something special to break the connection.

"The only answer I can come up with is that she was almost in control, my punch might just have brought her the final touch she needed! But she did kill a lot of people in her rage. I hope it won't break her will although knowing her it wont!" Samuel gave the first genuine smile since the previous days.

Vazal's wife approached as well and gave him a light curtsy. "Thank you for being her friend!" She spoke her words before taking her leave with her husband that gave them all a nod and to tell him if anything more happened.

Sonya had apperantely recovered quite well, but she still refused to wake up. The remaining three mentors also decided to stay for the night. Not willing to leave their apprentices, Erica decided to sleep next to Sonya to keep her company. While the mentors shared some makeshift sofa beds downstairs.

Ulma grabbed Samuels hand and almost literally dragged him up the stairs when night finally came around. They had all eaten a little bit after making some simple food, no one really had a large apetite which was understandable. Wishing eachother good nights they ended their unified evening there.

Ulma quickly opened the door and dragged Samuel along inside. She turned to him as the door was closed and the tears started falling. "I should have been there as well!" She cried out amid the tears. To which Samuel shook his head and embraced her. "But you saved so many others by staying, you did what your heart told you to be right.. while I had to sit back and watch them get hurt. It wouldn't have made a difference, because you would have felt the same no matter what!"

Samuel cried as well when they embraced.

Together they cried into eachothers arms for a few minutes before both feeling too exhausted to do anything else than go to bed. They quickly changed into some proper and comfortable sleeping clothes and both lay down together not letting go off one another.

"Next time we will do better!" Ulma whispered. Samuel nodded silently as their foreheads connected.

"Sleep now, I will watch over you!" Samuel heard Night's voice and saw the shadowy dragon lie awake watching the door. Inwardly he spoke to her. "Thank you so much!" To which she shook her head. "No... thank you! For bringing me out of the darkness and into the light! I will offer my life and soul to you, to repay this kindness!" The dragon whispered and with that Sam and Ul fell asleep.