CHAPTER 11 – The fifth

"Rusk," Psyand says, and I inwardly groan. "Could you get me some water?"

Me and Psyand had kept arguing for the past three days, of whether I should be called as Rus or Rusk. Obviously the child won, cause Wrap asked me not to behave like a baby, over a name.

I had my own reason not to massacre that name, which probably even Scelestha, who has some idea and knowledge of my being, wouldn't know. It was basically like disgracing the king of dragons.

I get Psyand some water, and pour it to her bottle, which she drinks from.

The past two days were lazy for me, Psyand, and her mother. Even when we thought that we should probably train our powers, we never did. It was just continuous knowing each other.

"I'll get going," Lost-Bird says.

Lost-Bird was still going to work, everyday, without knowing that we were suspecting him. Without knowing that we knew about the attack which occurred at his university, yesterday.

"Must I follow him?" Scelestha asks.

"No…" I sigh

Our suspicion ended right after knowing his real name, and that he had actually been to his university, even on a Sunday. All we had for him now, was worry, as he hadn't yet opened up about yesterday's attack.

Even when I was basically the host, letting them live at my place and all, I felt useless.

Wrap had found about the loophole in Lost-Bird's words, and even followed him. He had even bought, or maybe brought, supplies for everyone.

The house was never filled with such huge amount of food and ingredients, and that almost made me cry. I was thankful to Wrap.

Psyand's mother made delicious food. And took care of everyone equally, like the mother of the group.

Was my mother this way?

Psyand was marvellous, besides massacring 'Rustizen', she was well behaved. And well, she had saved Lost-Bird in that bus, back then, four days ago.

Lost-Bird, being a human, had struck by our side, even when he knew it was dangerous. He had even saved Witch, from whatever the hell she had faced. And he even took strolls to make sure the place was safe.

I only feel anxious at the chance that maybe the attack at his university, was because of us, and that is why he didn't want to say anything.

Scelestha took strolls, went to spy on Lost-Bird, and saved other people from dying, yesterday. She was more than marvellous. And she probably had the most experience in fighting, being a Primevel warrior and all.

Witch had protected us, and ended up in that state. So, even when she was still, for so many days, she was the hero of the team.

And then there was me. I couldn't even go out to collect Lost-Bird and Scelestha, the evening we found out that Lost-Bird could be an imposter. Instead it was Psyand and her mother who did. I yelled at Lost-Bird and Scelestha, who wanted to help, and even Wrap.

I was just a host, a useless host, standing fifth here.

As I try to get out of the balcony place, Scelestha waves at me, from behind the glass door. I open the door, and she comes in.

"Find anything on a white dragon?" Scelestha asks.

Right, Scelestha had asked me to find one soon. And I couldn't even do that simple task.

"Uh… no. Not yet," I say. "How long does she have?"

"No idea… she will stay the same for as long as possible I feel. But there are other factors, for which we need to hurry."

"Other factors?"

Of course she didn't reply to that.

"I'll do my best. I just don't know if any dragons stayed back after… you know."

"No one in your… family?"

"Uh… I don't think so," I shake my head, scoffing inwardly.

"Okay, not to be pressed on. I get it."

As expected from a Primevel warrior; she was incredible.

"You worried about Harsh?" I ask.

"I mean… yeah," Scelestha says. "And of all the people of the university."

I see her frown, just the same way as when she realised that Witch was hurt. She probably must be blaming herself. Primevel warriors were formed to stop dangers like this, and seeing that she was helpless, even just by a percent… she must be broken.

"We will… solve this madness," I assure.

"When?"

I flinch and bow my head. I wasn't a hero, I couldn't just expect random quotes spit by me, to just work and make me look like one.

All I was, was a guy who fucked up real good in life. Just someone who always wanted to win, and be good at something.

Why was I the successor of that guy then? Just how?

I couldn't be so useless.

In the evening, I storm out of the house. My feet take me to the empty terrace.

I look at the setting sun and take a deep breath, closing my eyes, and concentrate. Rather than black, my eyes fill with brown, as the gem on my chest shines.

I don't know what I was trying, but I had to do something.

I make my head empty and try to search with my mind and my powers… but nothing.

I sigh and open my eyes, but I get a passing out feeling and trip, but keep my posture.

"What the-"

"-curse words are not allowed in here," someone's voice comes.

I find myself in a cave, this particular cave, for the second time in my life. The Crystal-cave. The place where dragons were sired their gems.

"Just kidding, I just thought you'd like such dumb jokes, like your predecessor."

"I…"

"I'm not like him, and so on and on and on."

I just bow my head in embarrassment.

"We are not here for you do be lectured by me. I rarely interact with you dragons in such a sense," Crystal-cave says. "Besides, after what happened not too long ago, I barely trust any of you."

The last time… they must be talking about Rahambose. Rahambose had stolen the Rahambose gem from the crystal cave, without being sired for it. Crystal-cave wouldn't have ever sired such a villainous thing to anyone.

"Then am I getting another…?" I ask.

It wasn't too farfetched, many dragons get a second gem. But not all survive.

"Maybe once you grow up," Crystal-cave laughs. "Okay, shouldn't be adding to the flame. You are here, because you summoned yourself here. Something which your predecessor could do."

I give a dazed expression.

"He could do much more than that, you have barely touched the foot of pyramid," Crystal-cave says.

"How can I find a white dragon?"

"Ah, back to business. I already feel that you grew up this moment."

"Just please answer."

Dust flies up, and a small piece of gem floats towards me.

"Well, this is what you'd require. But I can't just do this, so once you use it for the first time, you will lose this power," Crystal-cave says. "It isn't too dangerous of a thing. So I can allow it once."

The gem-piece moves towards me, but goes back again.

"On a second thought, it'd only be fair to place a price," Crystal-cave says.

"And what is that?"

"Hmm… there are a lot of gem-abusers these days. You know, those ones who don't possess the prowess, yet use the gem, as somehow they figured it," Crystal-cave says, with disgust in its voice.

"I have heard about such people."

"Good. I need you to secure one gem, any gem for me. And return, I will not only say we are even for this one-time power, but, you can also choose to gain ownership of that gem, if you'd like to," Crystal-cave says. "I wouldn't call it unethical, even if you kill the abuser."

"How will I find this abuser…?" I ask, confused.

"Hmm, you could always use the one-time chance to search for this abuser," Crystal-cave laughs. "But there is no time limit to this offer. You agree, and you go out with this one-time power. And hopefully before you die, you'll find one, and I'll let you know."

I nod, and before I finish my nod, something strikes my chest, and as I see stars, I find myself at the terrace again.

I immediately concentrate and search for the nearest white dragon and...

"My name is O," a girl says.

"That your real name?" an officer asks.

"Yes."

"Then what is the fake name you gave?"

"O."

"That again," the officer sighs.

"She is just wasting our time," another officer says, in Kannada.

The subtitles on the video, help me figure the words properly.

"I'm not," O says, in an equivalent accent to the officer, in Kannada.

"Oh, you are of this place?" the first officer asks, in Kannada.

O nods.

"You superheroes give yourself a superhero name, right? What are you calling yourself?"

"Well…" O says, still in Kannada. "O."

"That's the white dragon?" Scelestha asks.

I minimize the video. "Yes. She isn't that far away, she is in our state only. Mangaluru."

"That is a bit far. But we need to, we have no choice," Lost-Bird, who had arrived a while ago, says.

"You sure she is a white dragon right?" Scelestha asks.

I read the caption of the video, out loud. "A superhero turns herself in, after saving so many, from what she calls, a breakout of a plague which would have been worse than corona. Her powers have something to do with healing, which she proved by healing injured people in front of the officers."

"Yet, why does she remain jailed?" Lost-Bird continues reading.

"So… she is in a jail, in Mangaluru?" Scelestha asks.

"Well, yes, the latest update to the post said so. People at TBC are requesting for her safety, but… she having turned herself in, that could mean a trap to them, so they probably aren't, and wont," I say.

"When are we leaving then?" Wrap asks.

"We should, soon," Scelestha says.

"Yes, it won't be so safe here forever, anyways," Lost-Bird says.

"Hey, I also saw news about…" I say, and look at Lost-Bird.

Lost-Bird looks at me, then at Psyand's mother. "Could you… ask Psyand to be in the balcony, for a while?"

"Why?" Psyand asks, innocently.

"Psyand… only for a while," Psyand's mother says.

Psyand looks at Lost-Bird, with confused eyes, but Lost-Bird doesn't even eye-contact her.