Transforming [open]

Jace snorted and crouched down, moving one of his wings out of the way. Normally he didn't let people do this sort of thing. He didn't like being petted or ridden (well unless it was in the bed). But he would let Alex, he was having too much fun not to. "Jump on," he said, in a gruff voice similar to his own but slightly different. Yes, the one thing which told a real animal from a shape-shifter, the fact that they could talk.

Alex grinned and lifted himself on to the large dragon. "Where do I hold?" he asked looking at the scaly skin in wonder. There were a few spines, but they would never give him enough space to hold on to. He began to slip but managed to swing his legs either side of the dragon above his wings for a little support. Alex looked down, he was already pretty high up.

Jace chuckled, causing his body to rumble. "You'll be fine, trust me," he said, before pushing off from the ground. With Alex's legs infront of his wings, he could lift them easily. He only hoped that no one was looking up into the sky as this moment in time. He really didn't think that there were dragons in Maxville! He beat his large, leathery wings until they were swoaring high into the sky.

Alex flung his arms around the dragon to make sure didn't fall, Trust you? he thought, trust someone who won't tell me anything about them...sure. But he did all the same. He couldn't afford not to at this altitude. The wind whistled through his air. He could hear so much more from up here. It was strange, he heard a lot more shouting when he was in the air than on the ground.

Jace flew high over the houses, his amber eyes glinting with excitement. He could feel Alex's tension but he didn't seem to be too afraid. It was nice anyway, he hadn't flown for a while, especially not as a dragon. The houses soon disappeared, replaced by endless fields. A large house broke the pattern, jutting up into the sky in a pompous fashion. 'I hope Father is out,' he thought but regretted it almost immediatly. His father would be able to hear him if he was in.

"Wow," Alex said as he looked down at the huge house below, "I wonder who lives there." Wrapping his legs around the Jace's body he held on tight. He could feel himself slip a little. But he would be fine. Jace would catch him. Listening down to the house he heard servants rush around as if they were terrified. A little smoke rose from one of the many chimneys, someone was having their dinner. He heard the chairs scrape and the cutlery clang as it was all pushed unceremoniously into a tub of water. The person must be very rich. He then heard shouting. Terrible shouting. Coming from a large room. The echoes ricocheted off the old walls and up to the boys in the sky.

Jace flinched at the shouting, his dragon ears being able to pick it up easily. "He knows i'm here," he said, arching around. "We have to leave. Now." He flapped his large wings swiftly but not before a blinding pain shot through his mind. Momentarily losing control, they swoared towards the ground. "Sh*t," he swore as he could feel his father trying to force him to transform. They were nearer the ground now, near enough to land, so he stretched his legs out and landed - none too gently - on the grass. He wasn't a moment too soon as he was suddenly forced to transform back into himself.

Alex toppled harshly off his shoulders and fell the the floor just as he saw Jace transform. Groaning in pain he tried to stand but his body wouldn't let him. It was still in shock. "W-what happened?" he asked, sitting up a little more. All he could hear was more shouting from the house. It was a lot closer than he would have liked.

Jace growled, "Run, just run. Now!" he shouted, trying to stop his father from entering his mind. 'What did i tell you, Jonathon? I told you not to trust people, not to love people. But here you are, frollocking with a little boy. You should have killed him when you had the chance,' his father said, in his mind. 'Make your father proud, Jonathon, and kill the boy. He's seen what you can do, so kill him now before he spreads it around the school.' He shook his head, "Run," he said, again, although now he was walking towards Alex, his arms outstretched.

Alex was in too much pain to move, he had twisted his ankle as he fell and the pain was shooting up his leg. "I-i can't. Jace, what are you doing?" he asked, almost shouted, he tried to move back, but it hurt far too much. What a failure of a hero he was, no defense. What had he got himself into?

Jace growled, using his telekensis to pick Alex up, so that he was hovering in the air. 'You see, Jonathon, they are all the same. So easily destroyed, so easily wiped out. The world doesn't need heros, it needs leaders. Can't you see how this boy was using you? He was trying to find out your secrets, you know the ones i mean, the ones that would get you in trouble. He was trying to rat you out,' his father thought in his mind. "Yes Father," he said, in a strangely robotic voice.

"Jace!" Alex shouted, "Put me down!" He was helpless, he was so confused. Jace what's happening? he thought. Hanging loosely in the air was about to become the least of his worries, "Jace, he's polluting your mind! Don't listen to him! Whatever he's saying it's not true!" he said, Please put me down he though as he saw the distance from him and the ground.

Jace blinked and cocked his head to the side, frowning. Alex moved slightly closer to the ground as he hesitated, unsure. 'Do not listen to him, Jonathon! I am your father, i know you better than anyone. You know not to trust people, you know what it leads to. So kill him now. He has seen too much.' He shook his head, still confused. Part of him knew to trust his father's words, but another part was remembering the blind trust that Alex had placed in him. Alex just happened to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

"Jace, he's lying. He's just controlling you because he's to much of a coward to do things himself. Please...believe me!" Alex screamed. He noticed he was a little closer to the ground, was it working? Was Jace actually listening to him? "What has he ever done for you? When has he helped you when you were upset? He's only saying those things for his own gain, he doesn't want to help you. Please Jace...trust me."

Jace looked at Alex, his frown deepening, "I'm..confused," he said, his voice strained. He should listen to his father, he should prove to him that he was capable of killing, he should make his father happy. He stopped his power, letting Alex fall gently to the ground. "Alex did nothing wrong," he said, turning around to look at the house where he knew his father was. 'You are a foolish boy! You placed trust in a person who you have only just met!' Jace shook his head, "No, i trust this boy no more than i trust other people. But i have told him nothing. He knows nothing." He walked away from Alex, somewhat stiffly, "Run away, Alex. Run now before i catch you." He gritted his teeth, bracing himself for his father's attack.

Alex shakily stood to his feet, but instead of running he went and stood next to Jace, "I'm not going to leave you to him. Even if it kills me, that's what friends do," he said, smiling at Jace slightly. Besides, he enjoyed Jace's company. "You've shown me things I would have never seen if I hadn't met you, I'm not about to just walk away."

Jace looked at Alex, confusion thick on his face. "I don't need protecting," he said, but without any venom. "He will kill you, but he won't kill me. Even he can't kill his own son." He shook his head, "I appreciate what you're doing Alex but i really would run now." He gritted his teeth as a white hot flash of pain erupted in his mind. "Run," he spat, walking away from Alex as fast as he can. 'I am disappointed in you, Jonathon Grey, you are a disgrace to this family. You can't even kill a mere boy whom you've known for a few hours. How are you expected to be a leader? Leaders must make sacrifices.'

"I didn't say I was going to protect you," Alex said quietly, turning his back on Jace. He felt terrible, just leaving him there. How was he expected to get home? He was miles away from Maxville. He walked slowly away from the boy, confused and feeling awful. He picked up his pace a little, well, if he was going to have to walk home he better get a move on.

Jace glanced behind him and cursed himself. He shouldn't have come near this place, anywhere near it. He stopped in his tracks and turned around, running after Alex. He transformed as he ran, into a large eagle, large enough to carry a slim boy. He picked Alex uip and flew away, as fast as he could. The more stream-lined bird was able to fly faster than the dragon had, and soon the pain and curses from his father died away. "It was silly of me to go near that place," he said, his voice low and chirpy.

Alex sighed as he clung onto the birds talons. They were beginning to cut into his shoulder. "Is this a bad time to tell you I'm afraid of heights?" he called up to Jace smiling. He was glad Jace had decided to come with him instead of listening to his father, even if it wasn't probably a good idea. Suddenly he saw maxville ahead of him. He saw the looming building of the hospital, he should probably visit her, but it was too late tonight. Now he would just have to go back to his flat and sleep off this strange dream he seemed to be in.

Jace chuckled, the laughter coming out as a loud 'cawr'. He changed direction so that they were heading for the forest, a good source of cover. He really hoped that no one had been bird watching tongiht. A giant eagle and a dragon probably weren't the most common of animals to be around Maxville. He set Alex down gently in a small clearing, just big enough for his wing span. As soon as he landed, he transformed. He could feel a large bruise forming on his head but he didn't care; there would be worse to come.

"Thanks," Alex said as he brushed the dirt from his clothes, "So are you going to explain what that was? or are you just going to leave me not knowing?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest. He was surprised he hadn't heard more from that house, the way there were shouting, but then again he probably wasn't concentrating. Listening in on people's private conversations at home was something he didn't do.

Jace shook his head and smiled, "Well that was my father, although you didn't actually see him. I'm guessing you heard him though, he's pretty noisy." He rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest, "He was just upset that i disobeyed him. He's going to be so mad when i get home," he said, although his voice was pretty neutral. He was used to his father's rages, having spent 17 years living with them and suffering from them. But he didn't suffer anymore, he just took it into his stride, watching and waiting.

Alex frowned slightly, "How did you disobey him?" he asked, worried what the answer would be. He felt bad that jace would have to suffer because of him, maybe it would have been better of he hadn't caught Jace in that trap and he would have just walked away. None of thins would have happened. He wouldn't have got his tattoo or flown on a dragon, but at least Jace wouldn't be in trouble.

Jace smiled, "Because i slept with you. Nothing disgraces the family more than a gay or bi son. And i happen to be just that. Father doesn't seem to realise that a one night stand means nothing. 'To love is to kill', that's his favourite moto. He believes that i will now have a tie to you, and having ties is a bad thing for anyone. It leaves you open to weakness." He shook his head and laughed, "I think i've just reinforced his belief now that i ran away."