The walk was short and awkward as hell. Erhart hated the heavy silence that hang in the air, but Marina seemed unaffected by it. Continuing to smack on her come while she led him down what appeared to be a long hotel hallway. It was very white, with marble grey floors, only the black sconces on the walls offered any sort of colour. Erhart was walking down the hall, no walker, no heavy breathing. He would have been bursting with excitement under normal circumstances. Erhart didn't feel like celebrating.

“Okay, fire breathers give the kid the once over.” Marina kicked open the double door at the end of the all. Hundreds of people were in the large open room. It looked like a party, everyone dressed like it was one, that was for sure. He was the only one sporting jeans, that was for sure. Glancing inside, it looked like a main character convention. 

Bright-coloured hair was the norm in here. Once again, the bold fashion choices of a lot of the people stood out to him. The smell of coffee turned his stomach. The smell of eggs, toast; all drifted out of the room, added a flip to his stomachs turn. Wincing, he laid a hand to his stomach, in a silent begging motion, please do not barf all over the siren. 

Marina's entrance, bold, and rather rude as it was. Stopped everyone from moving, talking, and had a fun effect of people staring right at him. Sideshow Erhart did not have a ring to it, but he had little choice. A pin could drop on the carpet, and Erhart would have heard it. Erhart took a step back from the doorway. That was a lot of people, too many people. Erhart felt a cold chill sweep him up in it embrace. 

All those eyes, every single one of them, were staring at him. Many of the gazes made him feel small, tucking his arm around his stomach, Erhart took some deep breaths. Marina had mentioned there weren't many Hearts. Implied a war, or the very least a mass genocide, heartocide? It had his back sweating a river down his spine, his t-shirt was turning into a towel. She had mentioned it all, like it was nothing, but standing in front of all these people. Had him wondering, how many were for the war?  

“No hiding behind me, kid.” Marina pulled him by his arm, dragging him forward, before pushing his back. Making him stumble in front of her. “All he knows his that 'they’re' sending his Wing.” Rising, her hand to the side of her face. “Whose clan go by the title Wing?” A few people shuffled forward, he received a few pointed stares, curled lips. One girl strutted right up. Wearing a blue ball-gown. If you could call it that, it was all frilly. The dress had so many ribbons and bow, Erhart found it distracting. Her face was a plain blur compared to it, before she was in his face that is. 

“He's not our, no dragon would have a weak heart.” She folded her arms across her chest, looked him up and down. Erhart was a little subconscious, he had heard the expression. Look at like a piece of meat, but this was his first time experiencing it. He could feel her eyes on his thin, twig like arms, he doubted his sickly completion had gotten any better.... 

When she wrinkled her nose, Erhart felt a mix of despair and anger. The anger was new, and was burning a hold in his chest. Erhart could deal with the more self-deprecating emotions. He wasn't sure to do with this bubbling heat, this anger boiling under his skin. When she tossed around her blond curls. Like the walking stereotype she dressed as, his control slipped.  

“They were not a dragon,” Erhart snapped, he tough a glance at Marina, she was no better than the girl in front of him. He knew what a damn dragon was! “They were something more.” He may not have recognized the beast he had seen, but come on, who didn't know what a dragon was?! Marina was watching with sparkling eyes. Snapping her gun every second, if the dragon attack him. Marina would place a bet on him losing, rather than help him out. That was the feeling she gave off. He had some serious regrets telling her anything about his dream. 

Not that she was the only one being a dick. Everyone seemed to watching, to see how he would react. He was so on his own, Erhart could cry from the stress, or punch something. He wasn't one for pain; so crying was it. Fear of pain, that's what keeps the anger at bay. Erhart gave a sad laugh. This situation was far from funny, what else could he do? No matter which way he looked at it, he was seriously screwed. 

“Laughing at me?” She looked her nose down at him. “You're the fool who doesn't know all Wing's dragon clan being.” She tossed her hair again, Erhart couldn't to suppress his eye roll. “None of the other Wings won't step up, you're wasting our time. Who ever heard of a male Heart, anyway?” If she had a fan, Erhart believed she would have snapped it shut with a haughty laugh. 

“It might be the crazy blond in front of me.” Erhart shook his head at himself, rubbing his face with both his hands. What was he doing? He was acting ruder than normal, one moment he was timid, the next he was confronting this crazy girl. What was going on in his head? What was  happening to his life?

“Forget it, I'm out of here.” Erhart needed to figure out what was going on with himself, and find his dad. Given how he hadn't had a health crisis yet, chances were good, he would be okay by himself. Screw these people. Some were nice, he guessed, but unless he was their Heart. That was as far as they were willing to go. Seeing how Marina, or the self-appointed friend of his dad's Rushdi; hadn't stepped up to help. He wasn't wrong.  

“Who are you to leave? While I still speak!” Erhart was in the middle of turning around when he got dragged back by his hair. 

“Ow!” Erhart's hair fell to his chin. Never once did he think he would get into a cat fight with a girl! He was a guy, damn it! Wasn't he exempted from these? “Lay off, you crazy girl!” Erhart shouted, still no one stepped in to help. He knew dragons were high on the mythical hierarchic. Yet, weren't Hearts suppose to be precious people?  Bullshit. 

“What do you think you're doing to our Heart, dragon?” A sharp male voice spoke, he moved so fast, Erhart didn't see him. His hair came back to him, not all in one piece, if he counted, it would be a few strands short; for sure. Rubbing his head, because rubbing his hair would be weird; he found himself safe. Behind a larger back. “This is not how we treat our Hearts.” 

“Are you okay?” Electric blue eyes looked at him with concern. The edges were a bit weepy at the corners, she looked like she could cry at any moment. “That looked like it hurt.” A large hand, much larger than he thought a woman could have. Brushed his hair behind his ear. The movement was so much like his dad's he thought his heart was going to snap. The burning anger, that came and went. Which, Erhart blamed all his crazy actions on, settled right down with her touch. He felt more himself, than he had in, what he assumed to be; hours.

“Yes,” her eyes gave him a slow blink, that broke him into the truth in seconds.” No, I want out of here.” Erhart sighed, he felt a weight come down on him, and it was going to break him at this rate. 

“That we can do,” She stood up, and Erhart finally took a look at her. Her electric blue eyes popped from her honey brown skin. Freckles dance acrossed her cheekbones, using her nose as a bridge. Black curly hair, sat in swirls on her head, brushing her forehead and the tops of her ears. She was at least a foot taller than him, and she had a runner’s build. Dressed in a simple black hoodie and sweatpants. You could still see the firm muscle underneath her clothes. Despite that,  she was the most approachable person in the room. 

“Bro, he wants to go!” She turned. Erhart followed her gaze, a man stood there. One that looked like a reflection of the woman standing beside him. The difference between them, beside their sex, of course; was his short hair was straight and white. On closer exception, Erhart noticed his face didn't have any of her freckles. Which was a bit of a shame. Erhart kept that thought to himself. 

“Unhand me!” Holding the squirming blond dragon in the air by her wrist. Erhart couldn't even say it surprised him anymore. 

“Okay,” he nodded, and with a flick of his wrist the woman, ribbon dress and all. Went flying into the air, unlike with him, she got up right away; carried away by some suited guy's arms. Erhart, took a step back, expecting some trouble, and he was ready to book it. Instead, everyone went still, if Erhart was to compare it to anything. It would be a mouse stilling itself in front of a cat.

“Let's go,” bringing a handkerchief from his black slacks. He wiped his hands, and tucked it back into his pocket. Wearing a white button down shirt. He did look professional than his sister.

“Wait!” Marina stepped in front of them, hand spread out. “Who, or what, are you?” Now she stepped up? Erhart snorted, liked she cared a moment ago, when that dragon had been pulling his hair. 

“Guess,” the sister took the stage, rolling her shoulders, she looked itching for a fight.  Erhart didn't feel anything, or sense anything. Marina was acting less aggressive than before. Her face was paling, and her chest was heaving with heavy breaths. Under different circumstances, he would have had some symphony for her. Breathing that hard is trying, and feels like crap. Her face was turning blue at her lips and nose. Watching it wasn't giving him any happiness. 

“Can we go?” Erhart turned and asked the older? Brother, he looked down at him with the same electric blue eyes has his sister. He felt a sense of comfort with him, that he hadn't felt since he laid panicking in his childhood cave. Erhart got a simple nod in responds. 

“Summer, let's go.” Erhart learned the sister's name, but watching him from a side glance. He debated asking him for his. The atmosphere didn't leave any room for normal introductions. 

“Okay!” She turned and Marina dropped to the floor gasping, her hand at her throat. He could have told her that from experience, that didn't help. “I've always wanted to try this!” She walked right up to him, and picked him... princess style. 

“Summer!” Erhart cried out from habit, not that it got him put down. 

“Heart!” Summer whined back, and followed her brother out the door. “We're going home!” She looked happy, and no amount of wiggling was budging her firm arms. Erhart gave up with a sigh, she gave him a rather smug look, like the cat who ate the cream. Well, at least someone was happy. Erhart let it go, and watch the plain hallway vanish behind a set of elevator door.