The Deathsong's Harmony

Chapter 2 • I See Things I Shouldn't

A/N: So while I was writing this, I was reading Romeo and Juliet so you might see some archaic words in here. Whoops.

Believe me, I swam away from that blood as quickly as dragonly possible. Once I got to land, I retched all over the place. I shivered. I could still feel the thick, warm, water-diluted substance coat my scales. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

After my stomach was empty of it's contents, I continued to dry-heave until I could regain control of my body.

Once my spasms stopped, I shuddered. I didn't ever want to see that again. I hated death, but at the same time, it was the natural order of things, so shouldn't I love it?

I don't know. I just don't. I sincerely hope no coil will come of me not knowing anything.

A clinking sound sounded in the near distance and I looked up, my eyes searching for the offender of the quiet. I spotted a quiet white hill over yonder and decided to go investigate.

As I drew closer to the white hill, I could make out shapes. The smell I smelled was an odd one indeed. It smelled of sweets and death. Despair and joy. Hope and hopelessness. It was a ... terrible smell to be sure.

It was made even worse when I saw what was in it.

Dragons of every kind were plastered to the ground with an amber-like hard liquid. These dragons were strewn about in a circle of disorder. All of them had hopeless looks on their faces, and it was disturbing to see them like this.

But that wasn't the thing that made me wail out loud. No, that was mere child's play compared to what I saw.

Bones of ever dragon imaginable were scattered in the middle. The pinnacle rose to the highest of heights, it's stark look scaring every dragon who saw it. Would this be their fate? Would they die like the others before them? Would their parents know what happened to them? Would their hatchlings understand not to come looking for them? What of their mates? What then? And who would watch their children? And why was a dragon this mean?

I closed my eyes and shook my head. Screams and muffled cries could be heard in the distance. The island ... a nightmare dressed in a daydream. A mirage in the desert.

I bounded over to the nearest dragon - a Scauldron. "Are you okay?"

"I'm out of the water, young one. Of course I'm not."

I bit back an angry retort at the sarcasm and I circled the dragon. "How did you end up like this?"

"All I remember was my Mother's Song."

"Mother's song?"

"You wouldn't be able to understand it, Night Fury." Sarcastic Scauldron shot at me.

"Continue." I said, flicking my tail in annoyance.

"I heard it, and couldn't believe my ears. My mother had been dead for many, many years." The Scauldron waited.

"And?" I asked, giving into the bait.

"It wasn't her. Couldn't you see? I'm in amber." The dragon scowled.

"Who was it?" I asked.

"Oh, let me think. It's a dragon who eats other dragons and encases them in amber. Gee, I don't know. Maybe a Terrible Terror?"

"If you don't want help, that's fine by me," I said, turning around and shuffling away.

"Wait."

"Hm?"

The Scauldron was silent as a new, tiny voice spoke up.

"The others were freed by heat."

I heard a rolling sound. 

Clunk. Clunk. Rrrrm.

I cast around for the mysterious "clunk" sound. I soon saw a miniscule dragon baby. She was coated in amber, but had somehow managed to move. I soon saw that her front legs weren't enclosed by the amber.

"What?" I asked.

"Heat. T-try heat."

"Not on me ya won't."

I turned around and looked at the age-old  Scauldron. "Well, okay. You can stay here and get -"

"Try it on me."

I looked back at the small dragon. I still hadn't determined her species.

"Try it on me," she repeated, this time with force.

"You sure?" I asked, concerned. "If this doesn't work, I could burn you."

The dragon nodded slowly. "I know."

I nodded, unsure. "Well, first let me try a different way okay?"

The little dragon nodded. "If I get killed when you do this, by accident, I'm Flora."

I was taken aback by the words. Flora was so cool about it all. She didn't fear death. She wanted to be free so badly that death would be welcoming.

"Well? What are you waiting for, dragon?" the Scauldron asked.

"I - um ..." I stuttered.

"Well? Get on with it."

This Scauldron was getting really annoying.

I nodded. Concentrating, I closed my eyes.

A vine slowly grew up and entwined itself around the cocoon.

My tail flicked once.

 The vine encircling the cocoon grew tighter and tighter. 

Cracking started to develop on the cocoon.

"Stop!" the little dragon cried out.

The vine stopped and slithered away into the ground as if it was never there.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's too loud. The-the Deathsong will hear!"

Echogreen nodded. "That's true."

"Let's try fire!" the Scauldron suggested.

"Fine." I snapped. Let's do it this way. I took a big breath and slowly blew some of my plasma at the small dragon. The amber quickly wore off.

The dragon flapped her wings and smiled at me. "Thanks! Now I must be off!" She winked and flew away.

"But wait! Aren't going to help me...?" I asked feebly.

"Nah, she ain't gonna do jack squat." A new voice replied, this time from the east corner.

"Get some of us out out of here so we can help with the melting process!" another voice yelled.

I cringed. I really didn't want  to release everyone when they've been nothing but rude.

I came to the first dragon in amber and released her.

"Thanks!" she cried. She stretched her wings and flew off.

I continued around the mass of dragons and continued the rounds. Every single dragon I released flew off without helping. Even the one who said that she would help.

I finally came to the Scauldron.

"Be careful," she cautioned.

"I will -"

I was cut off by a melodious song.