Hidden Wings

Chapter 5

After wandering for a few minutes, Maria found an old, seldom used door near the back of the hermit's house. It was unlocked. Once she was outside, the purple dragon crept around the house silently until the sound of voices reappeared. She got a bit closer and stopped to listen.
  "... I still don't see why this is so important to you," the hermit was saying.
  "You don't believe me?" asked an unfamiliar voice. Maria shivered. There was something about it that felt wrong, like a dark corner the light just couldn't reach. "Or are you just dodging the question?"
   Maria heard the hermit sigh. "They did say some unusual things. But that doesn't mean I have to help you."
  "Jade." The other voice had become softer, more persuasive. "This is simple. Just tell me if they are here, and where they went. Is that so much to ask from an old friend?"
  "They were here." The hermit said after a pause. "But they left."
  "You are a bad liar, Jade." The voice carried a hint of a growl. "My patience runs thin."
  "If you didn't want to believe the truth, you shouldn't have come."
  Maria heard a low growl and decided that now was the best time to sneak a look as any. She stepped forward and looked around the corner. There was the hermit. And standing in front of him, his tail lashing, was the last dragon Maria wanted to see. Vycan.
  Maria shifted. A twig snapped. Vycan's dangerous golden eyes glanced in her direction just as the purple dragon disappeared around the corner. Maria started walking backward in slow motion, trying to be as silent as she could even though her heart was beating so loud she was sure they could hear it.
   A low, sinister laugh echoed in her ears. "I see much has changed between us," Vycan's voice carried a strange hiss that sent chills down Maria's back.
  "We aren't hatchlings anymore. How could I follow your path when I am not who I once was? We were too young to understand the world. I have chosen who I want to be, as have you."
  "Jade."
  "Why can you not see the good you could you with this? Your power could bring greatness to our kingdom!"
  "Jade." His voice had developed a sharp edge.
  "Luna is gone. You have no one to take it out on."
  "But you know why Luna is gone, don't you?"
  The hermit sucked in his breath.
  I have to warn Spry, Maria thought, turning around and moving as fast as she could toward the door. She opened it fast so it wouldn't creak and jumped inside, closing it behind her. She bolted down the hall toward the bedroom and skidded to a halt. "Spry!"
  "Ah!" Spry yelped, sitting up fast. "Great pinnacles of fire, you scared me."
  "Sorry," she replied curtly. "But Vycan is here. We need to move."
"Vycan?" Spry woke up completely and jumped off the bed. "Here? How?"
"Yes, yes, and I don't know." Maria bared her fangs. "But seriously, Spry, come on!"
The emerald colored dragon shook out his wings, tense and alert. Maria flicked her tail for him to follow and left the room, hurrying towards the door. She rounded a corner and dashed down a hall, stopping in surprise when it emptied into a large room with a fireplace and strange collection of insects, birds' eggs, and dragon scales. Spry rammed into her from behind, knocking her into a glass case that nearly overturned on top of her.
  "What happened? I thought this was a way out!" he snapped as she righted herself, shaking her head violently.
  "I thought so too! I must have-"
  "Shhh!" Spry silenced her and cocked his head, flaring the webbed crest that hid his ears. Then Maria heard it. The echoes of a closing door, then the sound of claws clicking on the thin wood floor.
  Maria whirled around and shoved her friend toward the fireplace. "Go!" She cried as he resisted. "Go go go!"
"What are you doing?" he yelped, bewildered.
"Getting us out!" She pushed him in and gave a relived sigh as he started to scramble up the chimney. As soon as he was far enough she climbed in after him, but twisted her neck to look back. A head poked around the corner just as her tail whisked out of sight.
"Maria!" a voice called softly.
The purple dragon poked her head out of the fireplace. It was the hermit. "I see you found a way out. Hurry. Vycan is coming. I don't what he wants with you two, but you must not be caught. If all goes well, I may meet you at the palace. But you must hurry. Go now!" He turned around and scurried up the passage.
  Maria took a deep breath and climbed into the chimney just in time the see Spry's tail slither out the top, leaving a patch of blue sky. She scrambled up, digging her claws into the gaps in the brickwork. She finally hooked her claws over the edge of the chimney and heaved herself out. Spry was hovering in the air next to her.
      Gritting her teeth in determination, Maria jumped into the sky, beating her wings frantically to stay airborne. Spry grabbed her talons. "Steady now." His wings flapped rhythmically, churning the air. Maria copied him, trying to calm her racing heart. He smiled, letting go of one of her talons so they could fly side by side. She almost forgot they were supposed to be hurrying until a snarl and the sound of glass breaking came from the hermit's house. They both sped up in sync.
  "I hope the hermit's okay," Maria said quietly.
  Spry nodded. "He's smart. He'll find a way to lead Vycan off our trail. I think."
  "That's not very comforting." She frowned slightly, letting go of Spry's talon and dipping down closer to the tree line. He followed her silently, gliding like an owl close to her tail.
  The pair flew silently for several miles until Spry decided it was safe to slow down. "He should be pretty far behind by now," the mossy green dragon told her, slackening his pace. Maria matched his speed, letting her wings have a bit of a break. "I wonder how-" Maria broke off suddenly with a scream as a dark blur smashed into Spry and knocked him flying upward, his wings pin-wheeling crazily. The dragon turned and his golden eyes locked with her green ones. Maria was shocked into stillness. His eyes were a kaleidoscope of anger and determination and pain, but it was only there for a second before it merged into cold fury. Vycan bared his teeth, but this time it looked more less like a threat and more like a smile. A poisonous smile. Maria wanted to run away from him, but she also wanted to run away with him. Then she heard something. Something she that sounded like the most beautiful sound in the world. Spry, calling her name as he fought to gain his balance. Maria flashed Vycan a sweet smile, then leaped forward, pushing off of his head with her back claws. She soared up into the air above him and glanced back just in time to see Spry colliding with Vycan's wing. She heard a sick tearing noise, then, even worse, the sound of Vycan screaming. Maria squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears as the roaring got more distant.
  "He's gone." Spry was right beside her when she opened her eyes.
  "What did you do?" Maria asked softly.
  Spry sighed. "I tore his wing. He can't follow us as easily now."
  Maria winced. Spry looked away, then turned and flew on. Maria followed him.