Flight Journals: Days 9-13

It's been a few days since I've been able to write.

There's... so much that has happened. Every time I thought I'd have an evening to just sit and collect my thoughts, even more has been piled on.

I don't know why the wraiths spawned in the other world.

I don't know why I ended up appearing in front of everyone...

I couldn't get away fast enough.

They cornered me on the bridge, Graecie used her spell to trip me up again and they caught me there. I didn't want to get close to anyone, I was too scared. Iron makes magic run thin, it breaks blessings...

I stood on the edge of the bridge, and they talked me down. I was so worried, I felt so cold and so scared... her hand was so warm welcoming me back, walking me back to the castle...

She took my book, and we talked. I felt so horrible that I had doubted them. I told Graecie about the spies, and about Olsted... about why I'm here. She looked at me with just... was it pity? Was it something else? She started crying, and then I started crying... we just sat there in that abandoned house...

I think I slept for a few days...

Iron drinks magic...

A guard's Iron could protect. Iron in a soul could end the world

A few days later, Zam, Graecie, and I went out for a picnic. We needed something to get all of this off our minds. It was beautiful. We just sat, watched the dragons play, and felt the warm breeze. It was easy to forget what the hell we've all been through these past couple weeks. It was nice, just finding some time to spend with my new friends.

After we kept walking, we found the professor having a bit of a picnic too - cooking a few sheep in the fields with dragonfire. Graecie tensed up when she saw it, the tiniest little jingle of bells matching Zam gasp. I just kind of, I don't know... froze. Standing between them as we all just stood shocked. The professor saw us, warned us to be careful, and flew back to the castle.

After looking around the island some more, we came across yet another ruined town. Just like every other one, the buildings were empty, roofs caved in or rotted away... but inside this town there was a warm campfire inside one of the abandoned homes and a small pile of fabrics that passed for a bed.

There was a man there, Tim, who seemed terrified to see us there. He was alone, the last one still in town. At first he was nervous, his hands even shaking a bit. I could feel the knife in his pocket, and I watched his eyes flipping between us all, and then to the dragons. Once he saw them, he softened a bit, and after we gave food it helped even more. We promised to come back later to get him some food, and ran back to the castle to start cooking.

I fell asleep for another couple days...

Iron drinks magic...

A nail in a pocket made spells stumble. A horseshoe above a door turned blessings slow and thin...

Listen here, boy. Dragons won't be saving this world. It'll be saved by Iron.

Iron drinks magic...

It'll be saved when the dirt is fed when the Storm Kingdom runs red, or when that dammed Corruption eats them all.

We didn't get back there fast enough. The corruption had drawn closer, that dark ash flying in the air. It was the first time I had ever seen it. Olsted and the others in town only ever talked about the Storm, they only ever called the Storm a threat. I never heard of this corruption until the first day at the academy.

It smelled like rot, and the air tasted like sulfur.

Tim was there, scared, his eyes darting around again. This time, the knife was in his hand instead of his pocket. He was sacred, and rightfully so. Some creatures started walking out of the corruption, red skinned imps and wraiths running from in the fog. We all panicked and ran back to the shield tower, and started climbing. We broke the stairs behind us, threw books and blocks in our way... the crystal at the top was flickering, which made me think that's why the corruption was even able to get this close.

We were reading a book near the crystal when we heart Tim scream. Pyro says he jumped, Sausage things Pyro pushed him. Either way... when we got to the bottom there wasn't a body. I don't know who to believe. I've known Sausage for longer, but he wasn't there, and I don't even know why he's been thinking of it. The whole thing happened so fast...

We ran into Terry on the way home, he seemed crushed. I... I hope he'll be okay.

A few days later the Professor announced the start of the Dragon Tournament! It was... well it was loud, and overwhelming to be honest. There's all sorts of different games and challenges, and it's.... well I don't know how competitive I'm feeling but they had the three houses competing against each other. They say it will make our dragons stronger, I hope that's true.

OH! I almost forgot... Ambear is back! Well, back alive?! It took everything all of the different life mages had, including Graecie. I was so scared, and I'll be honest I don't know exactly what happened, but Ambear said she was... dead.

I...

We can bring people back from the dead?

Could we bring...

No, there's no way. She was a ghost, so there was something there, but maybe if there was something else there?

Maybe if I can take Graecie back to Thistle Hill? Or the others?

Why would anyone ever go there with me...

But all of this, the tournament, the books, the mysteries, the lies... I need to figure this out. I can't protect my friends if I don't know how my magic works, why I'm a walking contradiction.

I can't keep wandering through this blind with only one book that tells me I'm horrible.

I'm going to the Dragon Crypts tomorrow. I need answers.