Flaming Eclipse

Chapter 5 - They never learn, do they?

The dim lit entrance of the stone dragons' cavern home seemed larger than before. I was hardly awake, and all I saw was blurry smoke around me. I could hear the stone dragons talking.

"What do we get from kidnapping random dragonets anyway?" one said.

"I don't know. Not money, at least. Fame? No. Respect? No. Ego? Yes", another one stated.

"This just feels kind of pointless. I mean they've done nothing wrong", the voice came from closer to me.

"They stepped on our territory and seemed to know very well that we don't fancy that. It's what they deserve", the second dragon said.

"What if they had a good reason?"

"And what could that be?" a new voice asked. 

"I don't know. Maybe they were on their way to go the Backstabber island. After the whole King Blade Fangs' drama, I wouldn't wonder why dragons from other regions would want to visit. The funeral will be a big party, after all", 

"It's not just drama! A few mere hatchlings killed the king! They also painted a very bad picture on the island as a whole", another new voice joined in. They had a rather squeaky voice, too.

"They were excecuted though",

"Weren't there more hatchlings too? They just escaped before they could be identified", 

"I hope Garnet and Golden Coin won't come to haunt us!" the squeaky voiced dragon exclaimed. They must have been younger than the others.

"How do you know their names? I thought I had forbade you from ever leaving our territory!" I wasn't even sure how many voices were speaking.

"Oh sheesh. A big deal, eh? I'm almost an adult anyway! I can do my own decisions!" from the sound of their voice they weren't even near teenagehood. Or maybe young stone dragons just have dainty voices.

The dragons fell silent and I felt myself being dragged from the ground.

"Throw 'em there. It should keep 'em still until we can find a better cage", I heard a thump as I was thrown into cold metal. 

My blurry vision cleared after some time and I finally got the chance to look around. I was in a huge grotto, with water on the bottom. On a wall was a huge opening which let some sunlight in. Hundreds of stone dragons were spending time on on extended platforms which seemed to have been fallen ceiling spikes. When I glanced up, I saw more of those spikes hanging on the ceiling and some of them were dripping water. I, Rattle and Creek were inside a small cage made out of metal, that seemed to be hanging from the ceiling spikes. 

"Well isn't this just awesome", Creek muttered sarcastically. She had woken up.

"Isn't it. Now let's hatch an escape plan so we can continue our adventure!" Rattle announced. His eyes were droopy.

"Um. What do you have in mind?" I glanced at Creek.

"Nothing. What about you?" she nudged our brother.

"Stars",

"What?" I asked.

"Stars. I can see stars. They're pretty", Rattle's voice was even more wobbly than his flight.

"Did you eat something? It seems as if you're under some cloud", Creek drew to the other side of the cage, as far away from Rattle as possible.

"I don't think I did", Rattle said. He blinked a few times and his eyes brightened. "I don't think I did", he repeated.

"Why are you acting so strange?" I asked.

"I wasn't. I can see stars. They're in my eyes. I can't see anything else", Rattle blinked rapidly and the wobbled voice was gone.

I glanced at Creek and took a closer look at Rattle's eyes. They were bright but his pupils were shifting rapidly and his irises seemed to shift color.

"I don't think that's normal. Perhaps it was from the lightning?" Creek suggested.

"I wasn't struck by lightning. When you two fell I rushed to try and grab you but I missed and fell to the ground. Head first", Rattle's voice was now shaky.

"You must have suffered from head damage. I'm sure it'll fix up soon enough", I was doubting my own words. I wasn't a doctor, so how would I know? But it seemed to calm Rattle down.

I wrapped my tail around Rattle's so I could guide him. I hoped that the blindness would wear off soon enough. Otherwise we'd have some serious issues.

"So, how will we get out of here?" Creek broke the silence.

"Good question. I have no idea", Rattle shook his head.

"I wasn't talking to you, cacti-for-brain", Creek rolled her eyes. Did she have to be so mean to our brother? "I was asking Rustle",

"Well.. Maybe we can ask them nicely?" I suggested.

Creek rolled her eyes even more noticeably. "Hey, stone-heads! Could ya let us outta' here?"

One of the stone dragons glanced up at our cage and whispered something to their buddy. The buddy shrugged and took off. They hovered next to our cage, looking as irritated as one can get.

"What do you mistakes want?" rude much.

"To get out of here", Creek stared at them intensely.

"No can do. You gotta speak to the boss if yer wanna get out",

"Who's the boss then?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm and non-hostile.

"Somewhere. Are you sandy babies hungry?"

"We are almost fully grown adults, thank you", I growled.

"You look like newly hatched hatchlings, though", the dragon dipped his head to the side and the light his face. I realized he was a male.

"Is that a compliment? 'cause I sure am going to make you swallow those words if it wasn't!" Creek grunted. She wasn't usually this hot-headed.

"It's an insult, babe", the stone dragon rolled his eyes.

Creek drew her lips back and before I could go and stop her, she spat the sticky liquid on that arrogant dragon's face.

"AAAAAAAARGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" he yowled and slapped his wings on his flanks. I'm not sure if that's a some sort of stone dragon defense mechanism, because I'm pretty sure he would've drowned if another stone dragon didn't happen to be already on the flight and ready to catch him.

"Told yer", Creek imitated his tacky accent. I just shook my head.

"Um, guys?" Rattle's ears were pointed towards the huge hole on the front of the cavern. I turned my head to see a some kind of mix-matched dragon there, brawling against a few other stone dragons. Rattle must have been the only one to hear them, because no other stone dragon was even attempting to go help their buddies.

"Who are they?" Creek narrowed her eyes.

"Good question, but they don't seem to be drawing that much attention for our benefit", I glanced back at Rattle, who wasn't looking in the same direction.

"Are you sure?" Creek asked again and when I looked closer, I noticed how the dragon seemed to be turning and twisting strangely. Almost like they were trying to signal something to someone.

I opened my wings as far as they could go and nodded towards Rattle and Creek. The dragon freed themselves from the hurl of stone dragons who had now gathered around them and was nodding at me.

"They're trying to help us"