Upon Wings Of Change

Chapter 15

I curled up underneath the heat lamp while keeping an eye on my hosts as they continued their friendly get-together. Their discussions were mostly about things I didn't understand in the least. It sounded like most of it was about whatever gadget Taureen had been working on for a few days.

I tensed up as Taureen reached towards the door and opened it up all the way. He left it open and proceeded to ignore me while talking with the others. They were keeping a subtle eye on me as they judged my reaction.

Considering that the door faced him, I had no intention of moving. After a few minutes, I relaxed my tense posture, although I kept a sharp eye on them since I had no idea what they were up to. If you guys think I am about to make a break for freedom, you are a bit late. I already know that there are no hiding spots in here, and with my wing in a cast, my usual getaway plans are down the drain.

They were discussing some sort of large event that would be occurring in a few days. I tuned them out and half-closed my eyes as I rested. My eyes popped open as I saw Taureen's hand approach the cage door. Thankfully, he didn't put his hand inside the cage.

Moments later, he withdrew his hand and rejoined the conversation. I narrowed my eyes and lifted my head in suspicion. What did he do? I blinked in surprise at the small, bright orange berry.

A sunburst berry. The same berry that I had stolen from the flower pots beside the benches. I got less than twenty a year simply because they grew slowly and some of the other dragonets would also dare to go that close to the edge of the park.

My stomach murmured slightly at the sight of my favorite fruit. They were a rare treat, being delicious and nearly addictive. How did he know that those berries were so highly desired by my kind?

I studied the sunburst berry and Taureen. Was it a trap? Or an attempt to try and gain my trust? Obviously, there is no point in a trap when I am already in a cage. With that recent discussion on the possibility of taming us, I have a sneaking suspicion about what he is up to.

Taureen rubbed a small leaf between his fingers, causing my nostrils to flare at the scent of the leaf that belonged to the sunburst plant. The berry looks perfectly ripe too. It was just outside of the door, so I wouldn't have to leave the cage to get it.

If it had been anything other than a sunburst berry, I would have ignored it. I slowly got to my feet and took a few cautious steps forward while keeping low, watching for any movement from the four. They were sitting completely still and quietly talking while pretending that they didn't notice me. You aren't fooling me.

I paused by the door to get a drink, pretending that it had been my destination all along. I doubt that I am fooling them any more than they are fooling me. I sidestepped towards the door, ready to jump away if needed, before I slowly extended my neck past the door and gently grabbed the berry.

I slowly backed up to the corner before lying down to nibble on the heavenly berry.

"What was that?"

Taureen was now watching me openly. "One of the guards on my shift had seen the fire lizards at certain planters along the street. He said as soon as he entered their line of sight, they always took off, even if he was five blocks away. After hearing of my new guest, he checked each of the flower planters to see what could have lured them so far out of the forest. He noticed the ones that he had seen the fire lizards at all had one certain plant which the others lacked. None of the sunburst vines had ripe berries on them either."

He chuckled with amusement. "Out of curiosity, I had someone move a few new planters to the edge of the park, and they stripped off all of the ripe berries the very first day. I tried putting one berry in a hard-to-get location, and the fire lizard went through a lot of effort to get it."