The Flaming Ice

Chapter 5: Dragonbreath

I hear the rhythmic pouring of the waterfalls echo off the stone walls, and I open my eyes. So, this really isn't a dream. I am a dragon now, surrounded by other dragons. Humans don't exist in this world.

I still have absolutely no idea what's going on, but I guess I am a little bit more used to it than yesterday. Just a little bit.

I spit out a feather that is stuck between my teeth from the quetzal I ate last night. The carcass is still in the corner of the quarter, a heap of red, blue, and green feathers now. I was a bit hesitant before I took the first bite out of it, but the fact that I'm going to be in this lifestyle for who knows how long and that I was starving helped me push past that reluctance. After the first couple squeamish bites, I decided that the bird actually tasted pretty good and that I should quickly get over eating it raw like I did.

After all, I am a dragon now.

"Zoey?"

I turn my attention from the eaten quetzal to the quarter entrance, where I see the vines move aside and a head poke in. I get up from my nest and walk across the stone walkway to greet Aqua. "Good morning!" I chime.

The princess steps fully into my quarter now. "Oh good, you are awake. Morning!" she giggles in return. Her gaze flicks over to the bird carcass. "I see you got something to eat. Did you like it?"

I nod. Although it wasn't any Wendy's or Taco Bell, eating a raw bird will have to do. "It filled me up enough that I could still go another hour or two before eating again."

Aqua smiles in amused agreement. "Yeah, quetzels can fill you up quite a bit, even if they are pretty small." She then leaves my quarter, and I follow her, weaving through the overhanging vines. We walk side by side on the way down the tunnel toward the Central Cave. "I haven't asked my trainer if you could join us in today's Tribe fighter lesson," the lilac-scaled dragonette tells me with a sideways glance, "but I'm sure she'll allow it. Besides, I am the princess."

I can't help but notice that she said that last part with a hint of cynicism in her voice. We enter the Central Cave before I can say anything else, though I don't have any words.

Is it just me, or does Aqua act like she doesn't want to be the princess of the Tribe?

I'll worry about that later because just as we take a dozen steps out of the tunnel leading to the Royalty Quarters, all of a sudden there's a big commotion going on in the cave. You don't know how relieved I am to find out that it's not about me.

I hate attention.

In fact, everyone is looking in the complete opposite direction of me, towards the Entrance Tunnel. Dragons come to join the others either on the ground or the ledges and all look at the same place. The Entrance Tunnel is blocked from where I am, so I can't see what - in the skies - is going on.

"What's happening?" I ask Aqua, who seems to have gotten quite excited in the past few seconds.

She turns to me with shining, marine eyes. "The quondam novices are back!"

I feel like I just got hit in the face with a fistful of feathers by an annoying little cousin. I blink. "The what?"

As she guides me over toward the center pond, where both King Golden Sky and Queen Silent Wave are already perched on the pillar protruding from the middle of it, Aqua explains to me, "That's what we call novices when they come back from their excursion: quondam novices. Every new revolution begins on the Brightest Night, when the novices who reach fifteen revolutions become full Tribe healers, fighters, whatever they might be, at the Spiritual Rock. Wisdom takes them their to meet Dragonspirit for their first time, and most likely their only time in their lifetime until they... well, die. He gives the novices their full Dragon Tribe names, along with a unique golden amulet that symbolizes their new name."