Secrets of the Caves (on hold, sorry)

Chapter 6

The next morning, Axolotl ate breakfast as quick as she could, and then went to find Murky. But what do I tell her? Axolotl thought. Murky is my best friend. She would probably understand if my mother was capturing dragons from the above world. The truth was, Murky never once cared about the above world. Axolotl remembered the first time they had ever talked about it.

They had been three, but it was still clear as crystal in Axolotl's brain. She'd been in Murky's section of the palace and they were playing together. Murky's little sister, Depth, was only one, but she was playing with them, too. That's what caused what Axolotl called The Above World Argument. 

"What's the opposite of depth?" Axolotl had asked. "Hmmmm," Murky said, "Loud and rude. That kid is calmer than anyone." Axolotl looked over at Depth, but the dragonet didn't hear what Murky had said. She couldn't have. Depth was deaf. The healers had been trying to work on a cure, and still were, but nothing had healed her yet. "I meant the word," Axolotl said. "Oh," said Murky. "Maybe height? Or above?" "Like the above world!" Axolotl exclaimed. "Murky, we should go there! The dragons there could tell us the opposite of depth!" "No way!" Murky shouted. "The above world is creepy." 

Axolotl didn't remember all the rest, but she was pretty sure that it involved a lot of yelling, throwing things, and Murky almost got scratched with Axolotl's poisonous claws. I can't tell her Axolotl decided. Not yet, anyway. Besides, what if Mother finds out. Then she'd know that I know and Murky would know and that would put a lot of us in danger. Axolotl was about to go back to her room when she heard a strange sound. She wasn't the only one in the hallway. A dragon with midnight blue scales jumped out from behind the corner and tackled Axolotl. At first Axolotl wanted to fight back, but then she couldn't believe what she saw. "We need to get out of here," the dragon said. Axolotl couldn't believe her eyes. "Abyss?"