Beating Wings (EDITING)

5 : The Suns of Kirah

     "Alright, since we are going to have to be more... discreet..." Mother stood at the cave entrance and looked back at me and Deltul. "I am going to have to go hunting at night, so I would rather you two stay here and look after each other."

     "Of course." I nodded, refraining myself from looking nervously at my younger denmate.

"I shall be back by dawn." She smiled and unfolded her wings, preparing to fly. "I love you, please be safe."

     I rested my chin on my paw while Deltul chased a bat in our den. The sun was beginning to dip below the mountains, causing streaks of golden sunset to leak through the cave entrance.

     Deltul didn't seem to understand why we had to stay hidden, and I wanted it to stay that way. The last thing he needs is to be scared.

     Suddenly, I heard a loud crash outside our den. I immediately came to my feet and watched the entrance to the cave. Deltul froze and stared at me.

     "Stay here." I whispered, before creeping forward and poking my head outside to investigate the sound. It must've been an animal or something...

     "Here's an idea, why don't I stick your head up your rear!" A young female's voice angrily shouted from the other side of the bushes. I continued forward, staying low.

     When I peered through the leaves, I saw a silver female dragon about my age and one of the Queen's armored guards. She was snarling at her attacker, claws ready and teeth bared.

     "You will die here or at the castle." The guard's voice boomed through the helmet. "Choose now!"

     The female growled loudly, and I noticed her leg was bleeding. That must be why she can't get away. "Come back tomorrow when I decide!" She called back.

     "Why you-!" The guard charged over, fed up with her snark attitude. "When I get my claws on you, you'll wish you were dead."

     Instead of another comeback, the female opened her mouth and shouted liquid metal at her foe. The boiling goo stuck to him and blistered his face, the sound of his screams made me shudder.

     I saw my opportunity and dove out of the bushes, tackling the guard while he wasn't paying attention. His back legs kicked at me, trying to knock me off. I dug my claws into his sides to maintain my grip.

     "Get off-!" He desperately cried, slamming me into a tree and flying back to the castle in retreat. I came to my paws and brushed dirt off.

     "Who are you?!" The female didn't let her guard down, and seemed more threatened if anything.

     "My name is Zepth." I answered, with my claws retracted and posture nonthreatening. "It's okay, I was just trying to help you."

     She thought about it for a moment, before also changing her stance. "I'm Nota."

     "Come, I'll take you to my den. You'll be safe there." I turned and began walking back to the cave.

     I helped Nota bandage her injury with some spare cloth. Deltul kept looking around the corner at the stranger with fascination. The sun had set completely by now, and the only light we had was the flickering of candles along the cave walls.

     "He was after me because of my father..." Nota broke the silence. "My father was the Royal Reader. He was the one who announced the Dragon Gods' prophecy."

     "Do you think he's alright? Maybe we could bring him here." I offered.

     "We can't..." She looked down. "The guards found the two of us hiding. They dragged him to Queen Hyla while I escaped."

     There was a moment of silence again. I didn't want to keep pressing Nota about it. I couldn't imagine what she must be going through.

     "We were seeking refuge from the war." Nota continued on her own. "We came from the Blatua Kingdom, you see. Things are not good there."

     "Do you have any family that still lives there?" Deltul chimed in. She just shook her head, tying the bandage off with a knot.

     "It was just the two of us, ever since my mother was murdered." She closed her eyes at the memory. "She was... a particular sort of dragon.

     "Deltul, why don't you get some sleep, hm?" I suggested. He opened his mouth to protest, but I shot him a quick look that I was serious.

     Once he was around the corner and out of sight, I leaned into Nota. "She was a Dark Dragon, wasn't she?"

     She looked at me, surprised. "You know about them?"

     "I am one of them." I wiped the dried mud of my cheek and tilted it in the light for her to see. "I only discovered this recently, and I put my entire family in danger."

     "In the Blatua Kingdom, when I was very young, there was an order known as the Suns of Kirah." Nota explained. "They saw it as their duty to hunt down the impure Dark Dragons. They are the ones who took my mother from me."

     "Well, while they may be gone now, it sounds like there are still some who feel threatened by us." I frowned. "Queen Hyla is one of those dragons. She absolutely despises Dark Dragons."

     "Then you'll need allies." Nota came to her feet and grinned. "I'll take on Ol' Hyla any day. It's not like I have much to lose."

     "It's not just her we need to worry about." I reminded my new criminal friend. "She rules Sulona, so we must avoid the Dragon Armies as well."

     "Easy." She grinned wider, waving her paw dismissively. I couldn't help but smile back. This Nota was an interestingly careless dragon, but she seemed to be able to take care of herself.

      "You can stay with us until this whole war is over." I changed the subject, and started walking over to my own pile of hay. "Tomorrow, I'm going to Master Grilop to practice my abilities. We'll all go so we can defend ourselves."