The Ember of Life

Chapter 16

Elsewhere, the sun glowed in the bright blue sky like a careless splotch of white paint. Its radiance penetrated even into a small hut near the edge of a jungle, where a dragon sat holding her egg. Watching. Hoping. Waiting for her love to come home.

Jet sighed. Every new morning that dawned without bringing home her Ebony was like a stab to her heart. The pain was beginning to lessen, but that only worried her more. Maybe...maybe tomorrow he would come. She tucked the grass blankets more snugly around the egg and flew down from the hut to the village. All around her, her fellow clan mates bustled and chatted, feasting on the hunters' morning catch.

Jet selected a few mushrooms from the high pile of food and took them to a quiet corner of the village. There, she could eat in peace. While she wanted to pursue her friendship with Obscurity, the little dragon was so shy she hid somewhere while the other dragons ate.

Maybe I could find where she goes and take her something. It's horrible that she thinks she has to wait. Jet nibbled the colorful rims of her fungus thoughtfully. An approaching thump made her look up, and she sighed internally.

"Jet!" A rabbit hanging from her mouth, Pitch bounded to her and sat down beside her.

Why me? Why now? Jet forced a smile onto her face. "Good morning."

"Good morning!" Pitch returned cheerfully. "Still no sign of the old man?"

Old man? Jet raised a scaled brow. I'm older than Ebony. "No sign," she said, managing to sound completely calm.

"That's such a shame." Pitch tore into her meal juicily. "Have you heard the rumors?"

"What rumors?"

"Oh...you know." The plump dragon looked coy.

Jet said flatly, "I don't."

"They say Obsidian's looking for a wife. A good dragon...somebody who can handle part of the leadership responsibilities. Somebody who can handle the pressure. Somebody experienced." Pitch nudged Jet's side with her elbow.

Does she mean...? It dawned on Jet suddenly, and the shock made her nerveless claws drop the mushrooms. "Are you saying..?"

"Yes, dear. You'd be perfect."

Jet sprang away from her friend in a sudden movement, spreading her wings with a hiss. "Ebony is not dead! And even if he were, I'd never marry that creep!"

"You're being unreasonable," Pitch said coldly, continuing to rip and tear shreds out of the rabbit. "We need new leadership, Jet. New direction!"

"How would I be new?" Jet snarled.

Pitch rolled her eyes affectedly. "Oh please, darling. Obsidian is the new. You're the rock solid old that everyone knows and loves."

"If they loved me so much, perhaps they'd spend less time insinuating that my husband is dead, and more time actually being comforting!!" Jet spat, snatching up her mushrooms and stalking away into the forest.

Pitch shrugged. "Always such a firebrand." She took another bite of the rabbit. "Well...her loss, my gain."

......................................................

The walls of Kestrel rose up great and golden over the plains ahead of them. The sun setting behind the large structure glinted brightly off the burnished stone. Dertharion stood, looking up at the massive city with awe. They were so close...to something. He did not even know why he had come. What could he do? All his life, he had ruined things for other people. He had forced Ebony to leave his happy life. He had taken their precious artifact...