Dragon Scales Book Two: Dragonet

Chapter 1

In a dark branch of a forgotten cave, the shadows of two figures wavered in the firelight. One was big, the size of a house, the other was average human sized. The first was a dragon, the second, well, a human.
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But not for much longer. The human smiled as an itching burn spread across their back. "Well, Fayel, it won't be much longer."

"Good." The dragon replied. "I'm tired of this place."

The human's grin widened as they watched the black scales spreading across their arms and chest. "Aren't they beautiful? No, it won't be long at all..."

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As I flew, I didn't revel in the amazing feeling of the wind in my hair. I didn't think about how awesome it was that I had wings and a tail. I didn't acknowledge the little dragon clinging to my chest. All I could think was that I had no father.

I had a father a few months ago. I was also a normal human. And then I found the dragon. Not that I blame Caelea for this. I really can't blame anyone but myself.

Then, a few weeks after finding Caelea, the spikes along my back grew. Then the scales along my arms and chest grew. And when Caelea was shot out of the air and I jumped off a cliff to save her or die with her only hours ago, that's when the wings and tail and who knows what else grew.

That's when I lost my dad. In the hunting party that had been tracking Caelea down were my dad, along with two archers. When I had flown up the cliff, my dad had been the first to react. He had taken the bow from the nearest archer, notched an arrow, and fired it at me. I had managed to dodge, as he was a swordsman, not an archer, but the meaning was clear: you're not my son anymore.

And so I had flown away. I had flown to the east, flying as fast as my new wings would permit, with Caelea hanging onto me. I had flown for hours, long after the mountainous terrain beneath me had turned to a grassland, and then a forest.

But now I was getting tired. I simply couldn't keep going. Each wing flap was smaller, and farther between. Finally, I just couldn't flap them once more. Caelea and I started to drop. I looked the little dragon in the eye, as my own vision began to blacken.

"I'm sorry, Caelea. I tried my best. But in the end, I guess we were going to fall anyway."

As even the sensation of the weightlessness of falling left me, Caelea's words were the last thing I heard. It's all right, Fin. You did do your best. And sometimes, you just need a little help...

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Awareness came back slowly. At first I could just feel my back pressed against something that felt soft, but I could feel a hardness beneath it. Then the smell, it was earthy, and damp and I shivered a bit.

Then the memories came back. Catching Caelea, my dad, flying, falling, falling... my eyes flew open, "Caelea!" I shouted, or rather tried to shout. My voice was dry and came out as more of a squeak rather then a cry of alarm. The sky was black. Wait... It wasn't the sky. As my eyes adjusted a moved my head around and saw I was in a cave, a cave carved out of black rock. I was lying on a bed of ferns, the spikes on my back were extra padded so I could rest on my back comfortably.

I attempted to sit up and my joints groaned and ached in protest. I grit my teeth against the pain and told myself to move. I had to find Caelea, had to figure out where I was.

Caelea? I called to her over our shared bond.

FIN! YOU'RE AWAKE!! I winced as she shouted in my head. Hang on, I'll be right there!