Dragon's Revenge
9.

Jonah's eyes narrow and he takes a threatening step towards Jebeem. "I don't believe you. If Morgan was plotting behind my back, I would know."

"Jonah's right. Uncle, let's stop and think this through."

"There's no need. Morgan orchestrated the attack. You have to trust me."

"I do trust you, but we need to be thorough. If you're so sure it's Morgan, then how has Jonah not recognized him?"

Jebeem sighs and his tone softens. "The reason Jonah didn't recognize with him.... is because Morgan mindlinked with him. Their connection as brothers is strong and Morgan could've easily overpowered him."

"Are you calling me weak?"

"No, lad. I'm telling you that your brother is stronger than you know." Jebeem turns back to her. He takes her hand in his, his gaze serious. "I know this is a lot to process and I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I needed to be sure. Because Morgan isn't just attacking us now. He's also the dragon that killed your parents." She takes a step back, the revelation hitting her like a punch to the gut. "Elodie, come with me. I'll keep you safe."

She instinctively moves toward her uncle, but Jonah puts his arm out, stopping her. "Seriously, you're going to believe these lies? Elodie, I would know if my brother was a murderer!"

"Jonah, we'll be safe with him. If you still need more time to come around, that's okay, but I don't want to keep getting hunted."

"Speak for yourself. You don't know where he's taking us.... taking me. He could be marching me straight into the slaughterhouse for all I know." Jonah throws his hands up. "None of this makes any sense. What is Morgan's motive, why would he attack Elodie's parents? And more than that, why would he attack his own family?"

"He's trying to cause a civil war. That's why he's working with the hunters. He wants to weaken both sides, so he can take over. And it's going to work, unless I kill Morgan."

Without warning, Jonah explodes into a grief-stricken rage. Fists clenched, he lunges after Jebeem. Elodie quickly reacts and jumps in, pulling Jonah back by his collar before he can reach her uncle. "What are you doing? You have to stop this!" Jonah, ignoring her pleas, lunges again. Without thinking, she takes action. He tries to move around her, but she's too quick and knees him in the balls.

He grabs his crotch and drops down to the ground, howling in pain. "What the hell, Elodie?" He turns to her, his expression a mixture of betrayal and hurt.

"Jonah, you have to calm down. Think about what you're doing."

"I know what I'm doing. Move out of my way, Elodie."

"No. Jebeem is my family. And if you want to fight my family, then you need to be ready to fight me."

Jonah's eyes meet hers. He takes a moment to read her, to see if she's serious. She is. "Very well." He shifts, transforming into his dragon. He outstretches his wings wide, reminding her of his massive form. He pushes her away with ease and steps toward Jebeem, snapping his massive fangs at the man.

"Elodie! Do something!"

She closes her eyes and reaches within, transforming into her dragon. Jonah watches in shock as she leaps into the air and toward him without any hesitation. But he cockily holds his ground. A second later, she hears him in her mind. "Stop this nonsense, Elodie. This is between your uncle and I."

"Mindlinking with me, Jonah? Try again." Using her training, she throws up her mental walls, blocking him from infiltrating her mind further.

"Then we'll do this the old-fashion way." Smoke emits from Jonah's nostrils as he inhales a deep breath, then pushes out a stream of fire.

She dodges out of the way, spins around and lashes at Jonah with her razor-sharp tail. He tumbles backward, recovers and flies at her with his claws out. He digs them in her side, piercing her flesh. She howls in pain, but reacts quickly. Jaws open, she grabs Jonah by the neck, sinking her fangs into him and slamming him into the ground. He winces in pain as he writhes against her grip. She uses this split second to infiltrate his mind. "Transform back into your human form, Jonah. Do it now."

Jonah obeys her command and turns back into a human. She drops her mindlink connection and does the same.

"Both of you, enough! Morgan probably heard your fight and now we have to move. Come on!" Jebeem pushes them deeper into the forest. Jonah follows behind in silence, calmer now.

"Can you explain how my oldest brother is the one responsible for all this?" Jonah's voice crackles with emotion. "If he's the Black Dragon, then that means he killed Mino, his own brother."

"Jonah, maybe Morgan isn't who you think he is. Sometimes, when it comes to family members, it can be difficult to see the truth. It doesn't mean that you missed something, it just means that you looked for the good in him."

Jebeem stops. He looks around, making sure they're not being followed. "If you don't believe me, Jonah, that's fine. You don't have to, because I can prove it. I can show you the truth. All you have to do is mindlink with me."

"You want me to allow you into my mind?" He looks at Jebeem in disbelief. "An Aelon?"

Elodie takes Jonah's hand and pulls him behind a tree, so they can talk privately. "If there's a chance your brother is the Black Dragon, I have to know. I understand he's your family, but what about my family? The Black Dragon killed my parents."

Jonah studies her face. The rage behind his eyes softens. "This is important to you, isn't it?"

"Jonah, of course it is. I watched my parents die right in front of me and I couldn't do anything to help them. I was helpless. But now that I know their killer's identity, I can avenge them. You can't take that away from me."

"But what if my brother is innocent, then what? Will you give up your vendetta against him?"

From afar, Jebeem watches. He sees that she's not making progress and steps in. "Listen to me. The more we bicker here, the more time we're giving Morgan and the hunters to catch up. Mindlink with me and let me show you everything I've seen. I promise that all your questions will be answered."

"Fine, I'll do it. I know this is important to Elodie and that's the only reason I'll allow it." Jonah takes her hand in his and Jebeem takes the other one. They form a circle around each other.

They all shut their eyes at the same time, then she hears Jebeem's voice inside her head. "I'm ready. Take your time, Elodie."

"It'll be okay. We'll get through this together, no matter the outcome."

She suddenly crosses her arms in a huff, refusing to engage in the mindlink. "You already told us what we need to know. Mindlinking isn't going to make much of a difference."

"Then you'll never know why your parents died. How it's all because of Jonah's father, King Amon."

"My father?"

"Yes. When he died in the blood feud with the Aelons, he told Morgan to avenge him, so your brother ambushed and murdered Elodie's parents." Her eyes fill, remembering the horrific scene she witnessed five years ago. "Since then, Morgan has been double-dealing with the dragon hunters to weaken anyone he sees as competition."

"If this is true, then why didn't my mother tell me any of this?"

"Maybe she was trying to protect you."

Elodie watches Jonah as he falls silent, grappling with what Jebeem's told him. Suddenly, he flails out, picking up a rock and bashing Jebeem over the head with it. She rushes to her uncle's side and Jonah turns to face her. "Have you gone crazy?"

Jonah uses the distraction to mindlink with her and his voice quickly floods her mind. "Go to sleep now."

Caught off guard, her body quickly goes limp. The last thing she sees before losing consciousness is Jonah's face.

~W~

Hours later, she blinks awake.

Jonah looks down at her, his face is hard to read.

"Where am I?"

"We're back in my family's compound. You're safe now." She looks down to see that she's in an unfamiliar outfit, her wrists chained. She struggles against them, trying to break free. Jonah watches her, apologetic, but he doesn't move to help. "Struggling will only make things worse."

"Jonah, we can talk about this."

"And we will in due time.... but until then, I'm bringing you before a Jebel tribunal. They will determine your guilt or innocence in the events of the last few days."

She instinctively lunges at him, but her restraints pull her back before she can even reach him. "Jonah, what about Maria? She could be my witness. She can tell everyone how Jebeem saved us and how Mino was killed."

Jonah swallows, emotional at the mention of Mino. "No one has seen Maria and before you ask, your uncle escaped before I could subdue him."

"Isn't that all a bit convenient for Morgan, since he is the actual bad guy?"

"Elodie, know that this is not my choice for you, but Jebeem was lying to you about everything."

"Oh, please. You're just reaching for excuses. And what about the hunters? You said they're all dead. With Maria missing and Jebeem lost to the wind, there's no one to speak out against Morgan. There's no one to testify on my behalf, think about it. That's obviously what Morgan wants."

He doesn't respond, instead, changes the subject. "I have some more news. We managed to cover up the leaked footage, the local media thought it was fake." All of a sudden, she winces in pain. She looks down to see bruises all over her body. "The last few days haven't been kind to you. I hope you know, despite everything that's happened, I care about you." He takes a small step forward, though he is careful not to get too close. "If you allow me to, I can heal your injuries, so you're strong enough for the tribunal. You did the same for me back at the Aelon Sanctuary. Let me return the favor." He takes another step closer, reaching out and brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear, his voice soft. "I hate seeing you like this. Please, let me help you."

"No. I don't want anything more from you."

"So you're just going to stay like this, with cuts and bruises everywhere?"

"Yes, if that's what it takes to get you away from me."

"Fine. Do whatever you want." In a huff, he kicks over a chair. "You're incredibly stubborn. You know that?"

"What I know is that you're a-" she's interrupted by a loud knock.

Jonah releases a frustrated breath and reaches for her chains. "It's time for your tribunal."

"Jonah, you're a coward for bringing me back here. You and I could've figured this out together. Instead, you ran back to your mother, to the Jebels, to your murderous brother. They can't protect you forever. You know that, right?"

"He's my brother, Elodie. And I've already lost one brother, I can't lose two. Especially without any proof that he's a murderer, barring your uncle's word and potentially false memories. Now come, we must go." He holds her hands as he escorts her through the Jebel's hallways. They pass a crowd of spectators, watching her and Jonah, whispering to each other. "Don't pay attention to them. If it were up to me, I wouldn't march you through a crowd of angry Jebels. But we have our customs. And since I'm heir, I must follow them. No matter how I feel about them."

"Jonah, you're such a joke. Because of your title, you have the power to change any rule you feel is archaic. But instead, you choose to do nothing."

"You're entitled to your opinion, but regardless, the tribunal will happen. But how you're perceived by the preceding council can be heavily influenced by your actions here and now." They turn a corner, where another mob is waiting for them. As she walks past them, they grumble obscenities and glare angrily. Jonah keeps her close to him. "When I brought you back, Morgan had already told everyone you were guilty. But if you prove yourself today, show the Jebels that you're stronger than they think.... they might change their mind."

"Jonah, why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want to help you, Elodie. I wouldn't have brought you back if I knew about the tribunal." They continue on and someone bumps into Elodie, causing her to stumble. Jonah catches her and pulls her upright, before anyone in the crowd can see. "But we're here now and if nothing else, I know you're innocent. So keep your head held high. The stronger you appear, the less likely they'll be able to bully you into submission." She turns to Jonah, about to say something, when she hears something in the crowd boo her. Her eyes fill and within seconds, she starts to cry. She tries to stop, but Jonah pushes her forward. "Don't do that, Elodie. They already think you're guilty. Crying will only make them look down on you even further." But she can't stop. She buries her head in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably as Jonah forces her through the halls. Jonah leads her into the large throne room with imposing stone walls and floors. "Welcome to our tribunal hall." She casts her gaze around. There's some people she doesn't recognize, but others she does. Nori, Queen Desmonda and... Morgan. "You'll stay here." Jonah shackles her to a large stone chair in the center of the hall, in sight of everyone. He takes a seat next to Morgan. Seconds later, someone hits a gong. "It's time."