The Ember of Life

Chapter 11

Ebony blinked. Before him stood a tall, lean Blazehide with crimson scales.

"H-hello?" the Red stammered. He looked quite nervous.

The former leader of the Charred gave him a friendly smile as the strange, emaciated dragon he had met just moments before appeared behind them. "Hello there. I mean you and your friend no harm. I am looking for a Green named Dertharion."

Ebony gestured to the White, whose pink eyes were bulging, and whose skeletal face was covered in a strange expression. "Your friend here told me that you might know where this Dertharion has gone."

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do," the Red said, seeming to recover his cool. He rubbed his face with a long claw. "We met him just hours ago, didn't we?" he appealed to the White.

The White looked at them both for a moment, and then nodded slowly. "I did not see him, but I heard him flying away after talking to you."

"Yes! He said he was going to Saliss' castle. Didn't mention why," the Blazehide recalled, scratching behind a horn thoughtfully.

Saliss' castle? Ebony groaned internally. His old friend would be so glad to see the Ember of Life, and the thought of Saliss' cruel gloating face when he did made Ebony's claws clench. No doubt he would give half a kingdom for such a treasure. No matter. He would not let the Ember fall into Saliss' foul claws. There was no telling what the monarch would do to it...and their Chroma.

"Bad news?" the Blazehide said sympathetically, a curious gleam in his yellow eyes.

Ebony forced a smile. He could not betray himself to these random dragons. He shot a furtive glance at the White. Especially not to a Plaguehide. The dragon basically reeked of danger. You might say so."

"My name is Jelvazin." The Blazehide sighed. "We are also pursuing this Dertharion fellow. In the brief amount of time I knew him, he stole something from me." Ebony tilted his dark head. "He did?"

"Yes," Jelvazin said in an irritated manner. "Stole my favorite family heirloom! A bracelet my daughter gave me! I must get it back."

"He also stole something precious from me," Ebony admitted. His eyes burned angrily. "I must resume tailing him."

The Blazehide nodded understandingly. "Say. I know this is sudden, but why don't we team up? We'd have a better chance at finding the thieving scum."

Ebony narrowed his eyes. He was not overly eager at the thought. His trusting nature had repeatedly gotten him in trouble even before he was a wanted dragon, and Saliss' spies were everywhere. Going by his real name was definitely unwise. But would a straight refusal be even more suspicious than accepting? From what Ebony had seen of other dragons and their relationships, it was not uncommon for total strangers to work together for a common goal. He glanced at the Plaguehide with a sinking feeling. Though, work with a White? The dragon type possessing the most deadly Chroma?

I thought they were extinct, he thought uncomfortably. I wish they were extinct.

"I'm sorry," he said, realizing he was just staring dumbly. "I need to take some time to think, if that's all right."

Jelvazin grinned, clapping the former leader of the Charred on the shoulder before he could flinch away. "Just as long as you don't take too long. I want to get back on the chase." He glanced over at the White. "Right, Zendrayus?"

The emaciated dragon drew his head up, nodding uncertainly. At least he seemed to share Ebony's views on partnership.

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