The Dragon Scale

Chapter 9

"What?!" Zachary yelled. Ella shushed him. "What?!" he whispered.

"I told you, when I went to the clearing, I saw a boy, named Tom. Long story short, I am a Dragon Rider," Ella whispered furiously. "Just-- sleep on it. I'll come to your house tomorrow morning, we can go see my dragon." And with that, she left him slumped on the rock in the moonlight.

******

"All set?" Ella asked a sleepy looking Zachary.

"Why --," he yawned. "Why do we have to go this early?" Ella put her hands on her hips.

"Because, we have to go and see my dragon before anyone notices we're gone." She stalked away, toward the forest. Zachary sighed and ran to catch up to her.

"Can I see your scale?" Zachary asked once he had caught up with her. Ella glanced at him before reaching into her dress pocket and pulling out the leather pouch.

"Here. Be careful," she cautioned as Zachary opened the pouch and slid the scale into his hand. "I wouldn't do that if I were --" Zachary screeched and threw the scale into the forest, shaking his hand. Ella dived after it, inspecting the ground for her scale, but in vain. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice.

"OW!"

"Tom?" Ella stood up. "Tom!" She yelled, running into the woods. She pulled back some branches and found Tom, sitting on the rock, holding his head with one hand and Ella's scale in the other. He looked up at her.

"Ella?" He noticed Zachary coming up from behind her. "Why are you here?" Zachary narrowed his eyes and shifted on his feet. Ella smacked Tom's arm.

"Ow!" He winced. "What was that for? And while I'm at it, care to explain why your precious dragon scale came flying toward me and hit me on the head?"

"Oh! My scale! I... Um..," she looked toward Zachary. He stepped forward, his arms crossed.

"She was showing it to me. I didn't know it would burn, so I flung it into the woods. Instinct." His sentences were short and gruff, unlike the Zachary she knew.

"Well, Ella, I was going to tell you how to keep your scale away from other hands, who might perhaps destroy, burn, or even lose your only connection to your dragon." His words were carefully articulated, and although he addressed Ella, his sharp gaze was directed towards the red-faced Zachary.

Suddenly, Tom broke his gaze and stood up from his place on the rock. From his pocket, he pulled out a leather string and a needle. Setting the scale down on the rock, he jammed the needle into the scale. Ella let out a small gasp, but covered her mouth quickly.

"Here." Tom's voice was gentle, soothing, almost brotherly, as he handed her the leather necklace. Her scale dangled at the end of it, and she smiled gratefully at him before taking it and tying it around her neck.

"Thanks, Tom," she grinned, as she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the water. Tom suddenly started walking towards the wall.

"Come on, I have to introduce you to your dragon!" He held a hand out. Ella took it. She turned to Zachary and grabbed his arm as they walked through the stone wall.

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They were standing in a cave. A shaft of light lit up the small space. A fire was crackling merrily at one end of the cave, and a bed was at the other. A black bag was leaning against the wall, and a half eaten breakfast was spread out on the floor. Ella shivered at the bones piled up next to the plate of corn and chicken.

But what really surprised her was the round dragon's egg resting in the middle of the cave. She gasped again and made no sign to hide it. It was large, about the size of her head, and was orange with golden flecks dotting the top of the egg.

"How..." Zachary trailed off into silence and glanced at Tom.

"I've been living here for a while now. My dragon hunts my meat, and if I'm correct, he should be back by now," Tom said, looking at the stick jammed into the ground. A sundial, Ella thought to herself. Suddenly, a loud screech erupted from the shaft, and Ella covered her ears. A blur fell from the hole at the top to the floor.

"Midnight!" Tom's voice rang sharp against the silence. He hurried over to it and kneeled on the ground. "Are you alright?" The dragon made no apparent noise in response, but Ella thought she could hear whispering. She leaned towards Zachary.

"What is he saying?" She asked under her breath. He looked at her confusedly.

"Ella, are you alright? I don't hear anything." Ella moved away from him, her lips forming a thin line. Tom stood up and turned around.

"Ella, I want you to meet my dragon, Midnight," he declared proudly and stepped out of her way. What Ella saw made her gasp.

A dragon, black as coals with a tail glowing red hot, sat in front of her with a rabbit in its mouth. Ella sank to her knees. It could fit in the palm of her hand, making it seem strange that it would be carrying a full-grown hare, but it was managing. A pair of almost-hidden wings covered it's back. It's eyes were also black, but Ella could tell that it was friendly by the way it cocked its head at her.

"It's.... It's beautiful," she said, reaching out a hand to pet it. The dragon dropped the hare at her knees and scurried up her arm. It was agile, and as it settled on her shoulder, a warm feeling spread throughout her body.

"How old is it?" Zachary said, all his anger lost at seeing Ella play with the tiny dragon. Tom opened his mouth to respond, but Ella beat him to it.

"Two months, six days, and three hours," she immediately clamped her hands over her mouth, causing the dragon to jump in surprise and fly to Tom's shoulder.

"How do you know that?" Zachary asked, his eyes widening with surprise. Tom, however, looked serene.

"Good," he said, leaning casually against the wall. "What else do you know about Midnight, Ella?" Ella wrinkled her brow.

"Um... He is learning to fly, can breathe a little by of fire, but he mostly uses his red-hot tail to stun enemies, and his favorite food is...," she paused and tilted her head to the left. "Sun-dried caterpillars? Yuck!" She gagged. Midnight squinted at her, and he looked offended.

"'Once a Dragon Rider comes in close contact with a dragon, by touching it or sometimes being simply near it, they will gain information about it even if it is not their dragon,'" Tom read from an ancient-looking book. "Here." He handed it to her. "'The Guide To All Things Magick'. It's got everything you need to know about magic in its pages. Chapter seven is about Dragon Riders."
Ella flipped through the pages, examining each one with care.

"This is amazing!" She grinned at Tom. He blushed and looked down.

"You can keep it. I already know it all," he said. Ella jumped up and hugged him.

"Thanks so much!" She said as he stiffened. She let go and stood there silently as Tom blushed even more.

"Ella --" Zachary's voice cut off as a sudden crack resounded through the cave. Ella turned around quickly. Her egg was hatching.

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Hey! I hope you guys liked this chapter! So, what did you think about Midnight? The picture for his chapter is his. The link is below.

The dedication for this chapter goes to....@RakiyahApryl111 ! Thanks so much for voting!

So don't forget to comment and vote! Until next time!

~CB_1

http://hdwpics.com/little-dragon-hdw95902