Dragons Games update and news

Sorry guys I've been super busy this week not much of an update this time. I've gotten my cover art nearly ready for the Folium Nebula. Once its out I'll post a free ebook version right here for you lovely people, mark my words. As for an update, here 1961 words, picking up right after the last chapter.

Chapter 8

1

As the Mythics and the drama club recovered from their shoreside bender, night had settled, the headlights of parking cars cutting through the darkness as parents trudged down the sand to take their drunk kids home.

One by one, the group slowly dwindled, Jim and Cassidy slipping quietly into the ever-shrinking group, a little less coordinated but otherwise fine, Jim’s hand wrapping over the Garchomp’s own as the two took a seat on a towel.

“What happened to you two?” Isaac asked, the Mythic and a handful of other boys the last one’s present. The drama club had all been picked up. “You go for a swim or something? You’re all wet.”

“In more ways than one,” Jim mumbled, chuckling when Cassidy play-punched him on the arm. Isaac looked between the two, frowning as the cogs in his head turned. If he had any suspicions, he kept them to himself.

Before long, another car pulled up to the lot above the shore, Cassidy climbing to her feet as she recognised the licence plate. “That’s me,” she said, leaning down and grabbing Jim’s face in her hands, pulling him in for a kiss, Jim meeting it eagerly. She held him there for a few moments, then released him. “Call me later?”

“You bet,” he said, watching her butt jiggle as she turned around. Her pudgy tail caressed his cheek as she walked away, the Garchomp rolling her hips as she felt his covetous eyes on her.

When she was out of earshot, Isaac leaned over. “You two fucked didn’t you?”

Jim didn’t answer, watching the oversized Pokémon car reverse away, a stoic expression on his face as Isaac refused to relent.

“Did you fuck her? Jim? Jim if you don’t answer that means you did. Jim come on, please-!”

“Alright!” Jim said, throwing up his hands. “We did. There, you happy?”

“Very. Jimmy tapped that derg ass, proud of you, dude.” He leaned closer, looking around as though afraid of being overheard, bringing his voice down an octave. “Well? Come on, what was it like?”

“I’m not telling you!” Jim replied. “What happened on that boat stays on that boat.”

“The what? Oh, you stole one of those skiffs from that guy, didn’t you? Taught her how to rock the boat, huh?” Isaac chuckled. “At least give me something, man, I’ve never been with a derg before.”

“You’ve never been with anyone,” Jim shot back. “but fine, I’ll tell you one thing, Garchomp’s aren’t happy with just the one round.”

“No shit? How many times did you two go at it?”

Jim turned his eyes up in thought, Isaac nudging him as he started mentally counting. “You dirty dog, Jim, it must have been a lot since you were gone for hours. Looks like you made it, my friend.” He put an arm over Jim’s shoulders, waving a dramatic arm in the direction Cassidy had gone. “It’s all downhill from here, though, get her on her back as much as you can, that’s my advice.”

“How did things go with you and Sasha?” Jim asked.

“Very well!” Isaac replied. Jim smirked at him, and his friend’s mood soured. “okay that’s a lie. No matter how much I came onto her, she just wouldn’t stick.”

“Maybe you should be taking my advice,” Jim said.

“Screw you, she’s got her eyes on you Jim, if you weren’t around I might have had a shot.”

“But I was gone for hours, just like you said.”

Isaac grumbled something under his breath, adjusting himself on the sand as he folded his arms. “You’re caught between a dom and a scaley place Jim. Even I’m not sure whether to be jealous or not.”

2

The dram club continued to work through its big production, with rehearsals switching to three or four times a week. Even though Jim had other commitments, he tried to make as many as he could, and over the weeks he slowly built up a picture of what the final play would turn out to be.

When he wasn’t sidelined to give advice, Kendra tasked him with assigning actors to characters, going over the manuscript to see who would do well in which role. He could almost go over each line off by heart with how much the club relied on him to correct their deliveries, his critical eye developing as the play gently transitioned from ideas to a coherent plotline.

There was one moment of surprise worth recalling throughout the production, the club was all clustered around the stage, going over their lines for the next scene, when the doors to the hall swung open.

“We’re in session,” Kendra snapped, turning to the entrance. “we don’t need interruptions when… we’re… doing… P-Principal Clark?”

The Typhlosion’s snarl melded into a grin, the principal giving off an air of authority even she couldn’t ignore. The whole club stood like a gaggle of army recruits being called to attention, aside from Sasha who just rolled her eyes at the scene. Given that the principal had the final say in the fate of this club, Jim wasn’t surprised to see them act so sheepish.

“Good evening, class,” the principal began, waiting as the club chorused their own greetings. It was like being in kindergarten again. “How are things coming along, Miss Ayers?”

“Th-They’re coming along great!” Kendra replied with a conspicuous gulp. “Would you like to take a seat and watch? We were just practicing.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude, plus that would spoil the play if I knew details beforehand.” Some professors liked to watch the students work from the shadows, like hungry foxes looking through chicken wire fences, but at least the principal was aware enough that his presence would only make the club nervous. “I just came to relay some news concerning your play.”

“There’s nothing wrong, is there?” Kendra asked.

“That’s for you to decide. I just came from a meeting with my staff, and your play was one of our topics of discussion. Mrs. Felix brought up the fact that we did not have a firm date set for your performance, yet, so we gave you one. November 25th, right at the end of term. Exams will be over, and the campus will be free of classes, perfect time to host events, don’t you think?”

“I, uhm, yes. Yes, it’s perfect! We’ll be ready by then!”

“Good. I expect great things from you all, this hall wasn’t cheap,” he added. “Best of luck to you all.”

The principal walked away, the club murmuring at each other when the doors shut behind him. “Alright alright everyone,” Kendra said, hushing the group. “We have a deadline now, so all the more reason we should get stuck into this script.”

“If I didn’t know any better,” Sasha began. “I would have thought Clark was threatening us just now.”

“Are you saying he doesn’t believe in us?” Jasmine asked.

Sasha shrugged, Kendra cutting in before their worries manifested. “Who cares what the principal thinks?” Kendra asked. “I mean, we should care, but not about what he thinks of us! If he doubts us, then we’re going to prove him wrong when November arrives, won’t we? Now if there are no more interruptions, we still have a few more pages to go over…”

But it seemed there were plenty more interruptions aside from the principal’s sudden visit. Just as they were resuming their lines, a loud, sharp smacking sound echoed off the wall to their left, the impact shaking the trestle table lined up against it, one of the stacks of cups there tipping over as the sound repeated.

Bang~! –went the glass, the ground shaking as if someone had dropped a bowling ball. But Jim didn’t need to guess the source, the noise was oddly familiar…

“Those stupid boys and their handball!” Kendra muttered, throwing the paper she’d been holding to the floor. “I’m going to get the principal and-”

Jim was already moving, the club watching as he lifted one of the curtains, peering round the fabric to the outside, a scowl slowly forming on his face. “Jim, wait!” Kendra called. “the door’s unlocked you don’t need to-”

Jim vaulted out of the window after opening it, his sneakers clicking against the pavement when he landed. Like the interior, the immediate area outside the hall had seen many improvements, with the cracks in the cement filled in, and the sheet roofs repainted. The handball court from before had been cleaned over, but someone had taken to outlining a very crude, and uneven square on the concrete in the exact same spot.

And just like the last time, a group of boys were standing around the court, but there were more of them this time, a few more humans including a very mean-looking Haxorus the dragon turning his red eyes on Jim and growling.

“Theatre boy’s back again!” the one holding the handball said, the guy was maybe a year younger than Jim, with a real rat-like complexion to his face. “How’s your gay little club going in there?”

“Pretty good,” Jim replied, gesturing at him. “Got your ball back, I see.”

“Yeah, you threw it pretty fucking far, but my friend here thinks he can throw you further.”

He nodded to the Haxorus, the Pokémon stepping forward. He stood at least a head taller than Jim, his horns coloured a blazing red, shaped like two edges of a battleaxe. His muscles flexed beneath his yellow shell, it did look like he could chuck Jim like a human javelin if he wanted to.

“I throw your ball and you sick a dragon on me?” Jim asked. “That’s a little extreme.”

“You’s did more than that!” another boy said, and Jim recognised him. It was Acne, one of the guys who’d been bullying Edwardo. And now Jim saw the resemblance, Acne must be the handballer’s brother or something.

“Ah, it’s you again. Well guys, I’ll make this simple. Take your ball somewhere else, and I won’t have to chuck it over that fence again.”

The one with the handball tossed his ball up and down in one hand. “Not this time, fairy boy. How about you stay on that side of that window, and I won’t tell Barbus here to punch you in the brain? Ba dum tss.”

It didn’t look like many of the group would stand back and watch this time, and Jim didn’t think he could take on a Haxorus as well as Acne, the young man hesitating as he weighed his options.

He heard something behind him, Jim turning to expect one of the boys trying to get behind him, but instead he saw Cassidy poking her snout through the window. Taking a page out of Jim’s book, she jumped through the frame, while the door to the side flung open, Kendra, Sasha, and most of the drama club filing out into the open, Jim feeling a surge of confidence swell through his chest as they formed up by his sides. The space here was small, the rest of the club peering through the window to watch.

“You want to punch my boy’s brain?” Cassidy asked, the Garchomp on Jim’s left. She pointed a claw at Acne. “Go ahead, just try it.”

“Look at these bitches,” the handballer scoffed. “you girls couldn’t fight shit. Come on, Barbus.”

Although the Haxorus stood taller than any of the Pokémon present, even he looked hesitant, looking between Acne and the other humans for support. For a moment the two groups stared each other down.

“What are you all waiting for?” the one with the handball asked. “Jack, fucking do something.”

Acne looked down at his sibling, or Jack as he was apparently called.