The Flaming Ice

Chapter 6: The Prophecy's Revealed

We soon enter the Tribe Dungeon, and I am surprised at what I see. Instead of there being rows of cages with bars like I expected, there is instead a huge lake with many small islands of stone dotted around it, about half occupied with dragons on them. The ceiling is very low compared to the Central Cave and Novice Cave; I judge about four dragon-lengths, I'm guessing high enough for the Tribe guards to carry the prisoner over to their isolated island. It is also fairly dim in here. Not as many crystal-lights are in this cavern, and what crystal-lights there are, they are more spread out. The lake's water seems a deep purple, and within it I see several blue glows swimming, but I don't know what they are.

During my time taking in my new surroundings, two of the guards have hoisted me up between them and are now flying across the lake. I glance around at the dragon prisoners below me, but it seems like they either watch me because they have nothing else to do or they have seen too many dragons be dragged into here to even spare a glance my way. Perhaps those dragons are the ones who have been here the longest.

Eventually we reach an unoccupied island, in which I am practically dropped by the guards and land on my stomach with a grunt. The sting from my wound that Commander Dusk Fog gave me remains along with the little pain from my fall on the hard, cold stone. I hear the guards' flapping of wings as they go back to the Central Cave, but I don't bother to lift my head to watch them. I don't get up, or move anything. I don't know what to do except to let my thoughts take over.

Why am I even in this dragon land? All I did was fall asleep on my bed at home, woke up, and now I'm here. I would say this is a dream -  some sort of long, realistic dream, but my bleeding, hurting slashes on my nose and growing bruises from the drop tell me otherwise. This shouldn't be happening. It can't be happening. This can't be true.

I miss my human - no, my actual life. I miss drawing dragons. I miss the comfort of my own room. I even miss school a little bit.

I miss Jasmine.

Had this ever happened to Jasmine? No, why would it? But why would it happen to me? All of a sudden, I miss her more than I ever have since she passed away. I miss her teaching me how to draw, her laugh when I did something funny, her smile she gave me when she was just listening to me talk, her hugs....

Something drips onto my talon, but it's not blood. My vision blurry, I realize that I am crying. I wonder briefly if dragons are supposed to cry tears, but I quickly drop it. I don't care. At least there's something that I'm actually familiar about in this strange world.

"Are you all right?"

I am interrupted from my thoughts from a dragon's voice. Slowly, I lift my head and look to my left where I see a red-scaled dragon on an island a coupe dragon-lengths from mine. His blue eyes are just barely visible in the dim light, and from his voice, he seems old. Similar to me, his wings have a metal clip on them, and he has a metal collar around his neck.

I don't know what to say to him. No, I'm not all right. Would he understand me if I told him all that's happened to me? I stay quiet as I squeeze my eyes shut to get the last of my tears out and then look at the stone floor in front of me.

"You look pretty young to be thrown into a dungeon like this," the dragon continues on. "What's your name?"

Is he trying to cheer me up? From the way he's speaking, it sure seems like it. I might as well go along with it because the skies know I need it. "Zoey," I call over to him softly, praying that he can actually hear me.

The dragon tilts his head, taking in the new name. "Zoey, huh?" he repeats. "That's an interesting name. I've never heard it before."

Well, of course he hasn't, because I don't belong here.