Flaming Eclipse

Chapter 7 - Company

I watched as Rustle stretchted out his wings as far as they could fit in the small cage.

"They're trying to help us.." he murmured and I glanced at Rattle.

"What? Why?" I asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" Rustle snapped.

I rolled my eyes. Why would a random dragon suddenly help us? They had no reason to.

"They're probably just looking for a brawl. Why would they help us?" Rattle asked.

"Exactly. We don't even know them!" I agreed.

"Oh for Kals' sake! Shut up!" I heard from behind me and startled around to see a sapphire blue dragonet glaring at us.

I snarled at her. Rustle half leaped and half stumbled in front of Rattle. 

"Hey, HEY! I mean no harm! We're here to help!" the dragonet stated. 

"'We'?" Rustle asked and pointed at the dragon brawling against the stone dragons with his snout. 

"Yes, we. Her name is Eclipse Moon. I'm Beryl. Don't ask questions just yet", Beryl locked her claws around the cell's bars, slowly moving towards the door on one of the sides.

"Why are you helping us?" Rattle asked, he wasn't even facing at the blue dragon.

"I said don't ask questions yet, thorns-for-brains", Beryl hissed. A flash of light shone at her face for a mere second, revealing her gender.

She kept creeping towards the door as if she was clinging onto some monkey bars. When she was face-to-face with the door, she locked her jaws around the lock-like system.

"Be careful it's-" my warning was cut short by Beryl's jaws slapping shut and the lock falling down into the water below. "Oh- uhm. Nevermind!"

"Told ya" Beryl gave me a mean look.

"You didn't though-" Beryl leaped off the door which flung open. I glanced back at Rustle and Rattle. Rustle gave me a nod. I stumbled out of the cell. Getting to stretch my wings felt better than it ever has. Rustle was right behind me, and so was Rattle. I wonder how they managed to fly with their tails almost tied to together, but that isn't my question to ask.

I just kind of glided after her, glancing back every couple of seconds to see if Rattle and Rustle were doing fine. Or flying fine. Hah.

Suddenly, Beryl made a sharp turn around a corner by making a sharp barrel turn and dissapearing behind a boulder. I leaned to my side, and saw that behind the boulder was a narrow gap that let in some sunlight. I followed her technique and barreled on my side. I hit my wing on the boulder but I managed to slip in between the gap and get out. I glanced back to see Rustle struggle to get Rattle into the gap. I turned to help and pulled Rattle out, Rustle right after him.

Beryl had stopped and waited for us, then she continued. We flew around huge dripstones and zigzagged our way to a slope that led to a clearing and at the bottom of it was a pond with sky-blue water.

Beryl glanced back at us one more time, then she dived into the pond, water splashing everywhere. I watched in awe as she climbed out and shook her scales. I looked back at Rustle and Rattle, then plunged after her, aiming at the pond. The water surged around my ears, I wasn't really used to swimming. I flapped my wings to get my head above the water.

"Show-off", Beryl glanced at me.

"I just copied you, Miss I-Can-Do-It-All", I'm.. not even sure myself where that insult came from.

"Aaalright. I think that's enough of that.. Thanks for saving us", Rustle and Rattle had landed and Rustle dipped his head at Beryl. "We're thankful",

"It was Eclipse Moon's plan. I'm pretty sure that she didn't actually intend the plan to work", Beryl avoided my brother's gaze. She was staring down at her claws.