II. Week Twenty: Identification

 Gasping awake, Bahram forced open his eyes. He was dead. He had to be. Or- Feeling the warm covers under his fingers, Bahram shook his head. There was a scent of cinnamon. One he associated with Christmas due to the scents in the mall. Turning to his right, Bahram glanced at the window. Its art reminded him of ones that he had seen in cathedrals. But he knew he couldn’t be in one. After what he had done, there was no going back on his ‘sins’. Letting the sensory sink in, Bahram looked down at the blanket.

 “Mum made it for me.” A low voice commented off to his right.

 Startled, Bahram turned fast. To his right sat a boy his age, dressed down and a girl sitting on the edge of his desk. Tilting his head, he nodded. “She’s blue isn’t she?”

 Rolling her eyes, Dröfn frowned. “Well of course I’m blue, I’m made of water. I thought you of all people would understand that.”

 Smirking, Bahram shrugged. “There’s much that happened today that I don’t understand but want to…” He sighed looking at the boy. “You’re the dragon aren’t you?”

 Glaring, Dröfn owned her mouth to retort. shaking his head, Mikey held up his hand then met her eyes. “Don’t give him a reason to kill me.” He grinned then turned back to Bahram.

 “Yes, I am.” Mikey nodded. “However-”

 “Why didn’t you kill me when you had the chance?” Bahram shook his head. “That’s what we’re destined to do. Kill each other.” Bahram stammered.

 Smirking, Mikey shrugged. “I can’t imagine having to live a destiny.” He sighed. “Especially since I have to live a curse.” He said as he nodded back at Dröfn with a wink.

 Amused and also terrified, Bahram opened his mouth to speak. Pausing for the moment to think, he shook his head in defiance. “How can you say that? She’s important to you isn’t she?”

 Nodding, Mikey smirked. “She is. If you count having to deal with a sea god for a step-pop as important I wouldn’t want to say yes.” He shrugged. “But ay, it all happens for a reason but I don’t believe destiny can say that it has one path.”

 “But that’s what I am.” Bahram held the blanket tightly in his hands. “I’m a dragon slayer and you’re a dragon. We’re not supposed to get along.”

 Sighing, Mikey shrugged. “I don’t suppose having a ‘wave’ for a girlfriend counts as ‘what’s supposed to happen’.”

 Looking up at Dröfn, Bahram smirked. “Does he do this to you all the time.”

 Rolling her eyes, Dröfn nodded. “It’s abuse isn’t it? All this sarcasm?” She spat. “Sometimes I wish he’d appreciate me more, after all, I am his first girlfriend.”

 “I’m also thirteen.” Mikey nodded to himself. “Sometimes I wonder how I managed to end up with a girlfriend at this age.” He said rolling his eyes in the same fashion as her.

 Smiling, Bahram turned away to laugh quietly to himself. “You two do act like a couple.”

 “You’re kidding.” Mikey laughed as Dröfn smiled then gave Mikey a light smack. Rubbing the side of his head, Mikey groaned. “She says I’m abusive but she always does the hitting. I mean, sometimes I don’t deserve it…!” Mikey sighed.

 Turning back towards the two, Bahram smirked. “You’re not denying that didn’t deserve some of it.” Bahram argued.

 “That’s the truth though.” Mikey grinned. “Sometimes I do but not all the time.” He smirked, pulling her down from the desk and setting her on his lap.

 “Could you…” He smirked. “Let me talk to him. I’m afraid if you stay any longer this is going to be a nagging fest.”

 Rolling her eyes again, Dröfn winked at Bahram and smiled. Leaning in to give Mikey a good night kiss, she stood and approached the window. Window fragments of all colors swirling into a vortex, she stepped it and waved Bahram good bye.

 “A portal?” Bahram commented in amusement.

 “Step-pop sea god has broken that window more times than you can imagine. He’s flooded this room and almost destroyed the house even.” Mikey smirked. “Dröfn was getting tired of his impolite ways and asked if he could be more ‘gentle’ when he barged into my room.” Sighing to himself, Mikey shook his head. “Of course, the old geezer can’t exactly be ‘gentle’. He told me that it’s a ‘less chaotic’ way to entering my room. That window stops his from bringing the ocean with him and it makes it easier for Dröfn to go home.” He smirked.

 “Well,” He shrugged, revealing the necklace to Bahram. “She’s never exactly ‘gone’ so I can’t bad mouth her.” He winked. “But that’s the more convenient exit/entrance for her instead of emerging out of the necklace and seeping into my clothes...and…” He shook his head. “You know what I mean.”

 Nodding, Bahram sighed deeply. “Saint George.”

 “Who?” Mikey questioned, sitting forward to make sure he had heard the slayer right.

 “He’s my guardian.” Bahram smirked. “He wasn’t home this morning. He left a note on the table. I need to go home so I can see if he’s home.” He said as he turned toward Mikey who was shaking his head.

 “Tonight you should stay here.” Mikey smirked. “I’d want you to meet my other friends because they’d be able to help you with your situation better than I could because they actually know a thing or two about slayers and well… dragons. But that thing that came after you and the way you killed it.” Mikey shook his head. “I don’t think I want to let you out of my sight until I know what exactly happened to you back there.”

 Fear infused in his eyes, Bahram met Mikey’s calm green ones. They were worried for him. The thought of being worried for someone who was capable of murdering him, or destined to murder him seemed out of the question but somehow, this dragon showed human emotions.

 “Do you consider yourself human or dragon?” Bahram asked quickly, hoping to get through the conversation before he turned again.

 “They told me to embrace who I am.” Mikey said, reading Bahram’s eyes. “Would you like to go where I go when I want to get my mind cleared up?”

 “If what you say is true. I don’t want to be what I am.” Bahram shook his head. “Who I am is a dragon slayer. What I am…” He shook his head again, this time feeling the panic arise. “I’m supposed to be human. That thing-”

 Sitting himself on the edge of his bed, Mikey touched his hand to Bahram’s wrist. “Why won’t we start with something simple?”

 Laughing to himself, Bahram looked at Mikey as if searching for answers. “You have a ‘wave’ for a girlfriend that you call a curse, you’re a wyvern, and you want to help a dragon slayer. I don’t see where simple lies.”

 “It doesn’t.” Mikey smirked. “But why don’t we start with…” Mikey’s eyes lit up as he looked at Bahram. “My name’s Mikey Vaughn. What’s yours?”

 “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Bahram said as his hands trembled. “Mikey…” He smirked, attempting a full smile. “Because we’re not supposed to-”

 “Since when did you follow rules?” Mikey grinned. “Look, mate. You and I are going through something and I’m doing what I can for you. Please, try.” He said as he smirked. “For you more than me.”

 “I follow rules all the time.” Bahram said in amazement. “You don’t?”

 “Not since the incident, no...” Mikey shrugged. “...mate.”

 “Bahram.” Bahram smirked in hearing Mikey struggle to call him a name.

 “Right.” Mikey nodded. “Can I call you Bah?”

 “Ram is what they call me for short.” Bahram laughed. “Why would you want to call anyone Bah?”

 “Well…” Mikey shrugged. “Dröfn’s real name is Bára but her sister’s names only get harder from there.” He replied in dread. Her father’s name isn’t even spelled with one letter as the first letter.”

 “It’s probably because he’s thousands of years old and spells his name with the original alphabet.” Bahram shrugged. “Saint George always told me stories about the Gods. I never believed until I asked one to…” Meeting Mikey’s eyes. Bahram paused for clearance.

 “If it makes you feel better. I’ve killed someone too. He didn’t deserve to died from the poison and acid that I had hit him with but I was so angry I didn’t know what to do. I planned on hitting him but then this whole dragon side of me came into play.”

 “It was your defense mechanism.” Bahram nodded. “I understand that.”

 “Or do you?” Mikey eyed him in concern. “As far as I can tell, we’re in the same boat. How many times have you turned?”

 “This was my first.” Bahram replied in disgust. “I killed him, my first dragon.” He said as he swallowed the lump in his throat. “But I don’t remember how I did it.” He said as tears began to fall. “I blacked out and the next thing I knew the boy was in my arms. A boy. One that I knew was a dragon but he reverted to his human form and I was holding him…” Bahram said as his breaths shortened. “..his blood all over my hands.” He said as he felt the panic arise in him once again.

 Nodding in understanding, Mikey sighed. “Ram…” He smirked. Getting his attention, they met eyes. “I know we met a while ago.” He smirked. “But Dröfn gives me a hug when I don’t feel my greatest. From one friend to another, would that bother you?”

 “Friend.”? Bahram look at Mikey in disbelief. “After all this and you still want to be-?”

 “When I thought I was at my worst, my friends came to from a different country. Dragons.” Mikey grinned. “They’re older than me. Older than us. But I’m sure they’ll be able to help you. With your dragon side at least. I know you don’t want to embrace it but you don’t then it’ll embrace you.”

 “I don’t know if I’m even safe around you.” Bahram replied in terror. “How can you look at me and say that?”

 “Because I was afraid once.” Mikey smirked. “And my friends helped me. They showed me that this part of me, the dragon side, it’s not something to get rid of or pretend that it’s not there. That ‘beast’ inside you so to speak… It’s not a beast unless you make it a beast.”

 Glancing back at the window, Bahram smirked. “Can you go through that portal?”

 “Yea…” Mikey shrugged. “But when would I ever want to? I’m with Dröfn 24/7 as much as I’d like to ‘visit’ the bottom of the sea I think it’s best if I don’t since I have to serve them for the next eleven years.”

 Shaking his head, Bahram glanced back at the portal. “But isn’t a girlfriend nice? Even if she’s not human?”

 “Only those who truly see can tell that she’s not but honestly I don’t know.” He shrugged. “A girlfriend’s a girlfriend..” He shrugged again. “I don’t really have a choice so I’m not sure. The first chance I might get in having a real relationship is when I turn 25. Well, almost 26 since I met them at the end of the year.”

 “It’s not complete torture is it?” Bahram asked, his quivering beginning to cease.

 Tapping the necklace, Mikey smirked. “No. But it does bother me when she ask me to ‘kill’ her ‘psychopathic’ ex boyfriends.”

 Interested, Bahram turned. “ex boyfriends?”

 “Yea… The list is growing but I’m glad that we don’t have to worry about them as much. I sort of it as killing fish, really big massive fish, or serious fast fish, but hey.” He smirked. “I’m serving her so I have to do what she says.”

 “Do you think she’ll add you to that list when your time together is over?” Bahram wondered.

 “I’m doing my best…” Mikey said with his hands up. “I am thirteen so she shouldn’t be mad at me. Especially since I am human.” He grinned. “Part dragon but I’m still human.”

 “Are you?” Bahram asked, his eyes stern.

 “I am.” Mikey nodded. “I drool acid sometimes.” He smirked. “I wear this mask so that it doesn’t destroy anything.” He smiled as he showed Bahram’s the mask made from his own skin.

 “Did it hurt?” Bahram asked as his eyes widened.

 “At first.” He shrugged. “But I was fine.” He grinned. “Imagine your whole arm’s skin ripped off and hanging there, you’re looking at it, and you’re like. Ew! Is that a different layer of my skin?”

 Terrified, Bahram shook his head. “You’re lying.” He said looking away in disgust.

 “Of course I am.” Mikey laughed. “So to answer your question I am human but I am a dragon. But that means so are you. You’re human and a dragon, and you are dragon slayer.” He shrugged. “It’s who you are.”