A Night of Dreams

Chapter 4:3

Ruffrunner

The second Crypto got his head back, he sprung to life, his parts all assembling at once. He then leapt from the crate and managed to wrestle my cage open with his impressive zombie strength. Pouncer and Dart slipped my restraints off then, and I hugged Pouncer. He recoiled a bit out of surprise.

"Uh... Did we rescue the right dragon? This is Ruffrunner, right? There's no mistakes?" He said, slowly hugging back to be polite.

"Of course! What?! You don't recognize your own brother?!" I answered, half jokingly. I was just so ecstatic to see him again.

"Well, yeah... but where is this coming from?"

"I'm just... really happy to see you again." I said, starting to blush a little from embarrassment. I then noticed the gleaming Emerald stone in Pouncer's paw and paused.

Pouncer noticed because he then addressed it, exiting my embrace while he explained, "Dart and I have already found ours. We also gathered these troops. Where's your stone?" He got his answer when the warlord from before roared out in anger from above the wreckage, a sword raised in one hand and the gleaming stone in the other. Pouncer's face dropped, "Oh..."

"You let him take it?!" Dart accused me.

"Oh, shut up! I didn't let him have anything! He just... took it... from me...!" I snarled at her.

Another roar from the human drew our attention. He threw his sword at us like a dagger. Pouncer squealed and jumped away as it soared past him and went right into Crypto's arm. The Fury barked in pain, then glared monstrously at the warlord, who made taughting chirps as he brandished the stone.

"Well, whatever. It just means we'll have to take it from him. I'll leave it to you guys, I have to help Chameleon with the troops." Dart said before taking off into the fray above, her blue stone shining brightly. I couldn't help but notice how... authoritative she had become.

My thoughts returned to the action quickly though, as I stood side-by-side with Pouncer and Crypto. There we were, the three of us, ready to take on this superpowered warlord. He roared out in fury, jumping down toward us and immediately grabbing Pouncer by the tail before he had a chance to dodge.

"Cover your eyes!" He screamed.

I did so, though was confused why, just as he shot the brightest fire I'd ever seen. It exploded into rapturous light that filled the entire hull. Unfortunately, it only served to slow the warlord down a little, as he too had covered his eyes in time before throwing Pouncer across the room. He collided hard with the back wall, his body making a sickening crunching sound. He yelped in pain.

"Pouncer!" I yelled.

"I think that guy just shattered my ribs! What power does that stone give him? Listening? Why does he have super strength?!" He exclaimed.

Crypto didn't fair too much better. The Night Fury ran up to him, roaring ferociously and grappling him, trying to take the stone himself. He was easily overpowered though. The warlord ripped his arm off as if it were attached by nothing but velcro, then took his sword out of the elbow socket and slashed his head off, making the body collapse again. He stepped over it toward me, brandishing the blood-soaked sword. I growled, glaring hard at him. How dare he do this to my friend?! My brother?! My pack?!

I was mad now, steaming crazy mad. Not just at this guy, but about everything I'd been put through my whole life, what all three of us had been put through. We had been held down, put in these tiny, useless bodies, and the second we have an opportunity to escape, the world fights us back with everything it's got! I was sick of it! I was sick of not being able to do anything! Sick of having to run away from all of the problems that were too big for me to face! Sick of making everything worse! I wanted to make things better! I wanted to grow up! I wanted to grow up!