"Orion!" shouted Marina. "Hello!"
"Salutations, Marina. Ah, it's been too long," greeted Orion as he slowly began his descent.
"I thought you were a dove!" laughed Marina.
"Oh, I'm sure you could have taken any old dove down. Marine dragons can do those things you know."
Marina became serious. "Yes, but one of my wings is broken."
Orion also became serious. "Yes, I see!" He had landed by now, and so peered at Marina's wing. "Have you been using it?"
Marina shrugged. "I don't know exactly what you mean by that."
"I mean, have you been trying to use it even while it was broken?"
"Well, I thought you were a dove so I tried to leap into the air to fly because I forgot my wing was broken. And I've kind of been testing my wing periodically."
Orion's expression continued to mirror seriousness. "Don't use your wings so much. What you need is rest. I'm sure your mate can take care of you for the time being though. Is he out hunting for you?"
Marina's stomach rumbled as she was remembered about her lack of food, and she shook her head. "Ecru and I got split up."
Orion's eyes widened. "You two split up? Why? You two are mates! Did Ecru fly off with some other dragon?"
Marina shook her head violently. "No, we got separated during a rock slide. I got knocked unconscious and fell into the forest." She gestured behind her where foreign sounds called.
Orion nodded slowly. "Well, I'll go catch some fish or something for you."
Marina opened her mouth to say something, but Orion was already flapping his wings and diving into the ocean at an almost vertical drop. Marina sighed and began walking towards the cliff edge to await her food. Marina sat down, but she didn't have to wait long, as seconds later Orion was splashing out of the water, a large fish in his mouth. Orion placed the fish down in front of Marina, where it began splashing and flipping about, gasping for water, trying to jump back into the sea.
"Thank you, Orion," Marina smiled gratefully, then bent her head down and snapped up the fish, gulping it down somewhat greedily. She licked her lips. "Could you, um, get another one for me?" she asked Orion sheepishly.
Orion chuckled. "Yes, I could." He leaped off the cliff and started gliding. After he glided over the sharp rocks at the bottom of the cliff. Orion hovered, glanced around, and made a dive back under water. Marina waited patiently on the cliff. As she waited, Marina curled up and yawned. She was getting tired.
"I'm back!" Orion called to Marina minutes later. "Here you go!" Orion plopped the fish from his maw down onto the grass in front of her. Marina yawned again and snapped the fish up.
"Hey, open your mouth again," Orion said to Marina. "Do you have an ice beam power?"
Marina opened her mouth and nodded. Orion peeked in.
"Yes, I can see that blue spot there. It kind of looks like a gem," Orion said, studying it. "It's sort of like a blue diamond."
"Really?" Marina tried to say with her mouth open.
"What did you say, Marina?" Orion stepped back.
Marina closed and opened her mouth a bit. It was dry. "I said, 'Really?'"
Orion nodded vigorously. "That gem is essential if you are to have that ice beam power."
Marina looked thoughtful. "How did you find that out?"
"Here, look up and do your ice beam."
Marina complied as Orion peered into Marina's mouth. The water and ice came from that blue gem.
"Aim your beam at the water!" Orion pointed down the cliff.
Marina swiveled her head and pointed it at the water below. Some of the water at the bottom was turning to ice and thawing again.
"Okay, you can stop now," said Orion.
Marina closed her mouth and looked back at Orion. "What else do you know about ice beams?"
Orion paused. "Enough, I guess. I know that the gem is essential for the ice beams to work. I know it's essential because I used to be able to do my ice beam."
"Used to?" asked Marina. "I smell a story brewing!"
Orion shrugged, a bit downcast. "It's really not that big a deal. You know my mate, Aquaflame, right?"
"Aquaflame is your mate? Really? I did not know that! I thought you two were, well, just friends or something!"
Orion shrugged again. "Well it's just that we agreed that it wasn't too necessary to stick together so much, and no-one's ever actually asked us whether or not we were a couple. I think they just assumed we weren't together, since Aquaflame prefers to keep these things to herself. Actually, I think you and Ecru are the only dragons we've talked to in a while."
Marina nodded. "Go on."
"The reason why I know the gem is important is because I no longer have mine. See?" Orion opened his mouth. True to his word, there was no gem.
"How? Where did it go?"
"I gave it to my mate. Aquaflame holds dragon eggs in her, and she wanted to find a secluded cave to lay her eggs in. She didn't want me to find her and her clutch, so I finally consented to let her leave. I guess the only comfort I have that she can be safe is that I gave her my gem. I can no longer do the ice beam, but now she can. All you need is to have it on you. Then you can use the ice beam. Aquaflame has it underneath her tongue, or at least, that's what she said that's where she put it."
"So how does the beam generate?"
"Each dragon with ice beam capabilities has a gem. They also have a special water reserve for the ice beam so if the water runs out in that reserve, you can't use your beam."
"Ecru had that theory too!"
Orion nodded. "I can actually tell if Aquaflame is using the beam or not because it's almost like my mouth is getting dryer or something. The gem takes the water from the water reserve of the dragon the gem used to belong to, so if even if your give your gem to me, it's your reserve that gets drained, not mine."
Marina nodded. "So what about Aquaflame forcing herself to become an egg?"
"Well, first she's going to lay the eggs, but after that, she's going to flame all the rocks in the cave to keep the place like an incubator, and then turn herself into an egg. So what I said to Ecru isn't far off. Or was it to you?" Orion chuckled and rolled his eyes. "You lose track if you're trying to find her. I've already checked the mountain, but she's not in any of the caves!"
Marina groaned. "I wish I'd heard that earlier. The rock slide was caused by me trying to free Ecru from this hole he got stuck in."
Orion smiled. "I'm sure we can help each other find our mates. I think Aquaflame is safe, and so should Ecru, but you never know. I'll stay with you and make sure that wing heals."
Marina grinned. "Thanks!"
