Dawn of the Wolf Dragons: Book one; A Dark Beginning (unedited version)

Chapter 23

"What!!?" Red screeched. "You can't keep me here!"

"I have to. For your safety." Satin said.

"Is it  because you don't trust me!?" Red exclaimed.

"No. Out now." Satin pointed towards the door.

Red opened her mouth to protest but I ushered her out the door. I heard Satin speak to the guards.

"Don't let them leave the cavern."

I glanced in horror at Red. "She won't let us leave either!" I paused. "You go warn the others. I will turn invisible and see if I can listen."  I crouched down and whispered the enchantment. I slunk over to where the alpha was standing. 

"They could escape and spread word to the Wolf Dragons again. We musn't let them. If they do try to escape, do whatever it takes to stop them. The King can't fail. If the pups aren't ready by the new moon, he may not play his end of the bargain." Satin hissed." I want two guards posted by the tunnel just in case they realize."

It was all I could to not leap and attack the silky she-wolf. I crawled back towards the den where my friends were staying.  I explained quickly in a cautious matter the details of what Satin had said. 

"What does she mean by pups? The new ones were just born and the tunnel is no secret." Red's mother whispered.

"Maybe she isn't talking about those pups. She said 'just in case they realize'. Maybe they know something the rest of you guys don't" Quinn said.

"You mean like a secret tunnel?" Simba said. "Like the one leading to my shop?"

"Perhaps, they are making an alliance. A smart part for the SwiftWings." Saber hissed softly. "They help the by maybe, like right now, getting information and trapping us or killing you guys."

"But what about the pups?" Simba pointed out.

"Maybe they are trying to build an army." Saber replied. "There could be a secret tunnel leading to lots of secret SwiftWings."

"Secret?" Red repeated, a look of doubt on her face.

Saber shrugged.  "ya never know. I've fought battles like that." She proceeded to groom her paw.

"Like what?" I urged. 

"It wasn't exactly the same....." She started, furrowing her brow. "But the HyaenaSharks were ambushing the Sea-Dragons and they bred hundreds of StarVipers and used their venom to contaminate the water surrounding the palace."

"That is actually very smart..." Quinn remarked.

"So perhaps, I could sneak around, invisible, and look for the two guards guarding the 'tunnel'" I said. 

"I like it!" Simba whispered.

Saber nodded. "Ok then. You do that, I will see if I can make it up to that prey hatch in the ceiling unnoticed."

"We can keep guard." Quinn and Cymry agreed. "We'll make sure no one sees you."

"Hey, Ruby," I said.

"yes?" Ruby answered.

"You look a lot like Red. If anything bad happens while we are trying to escape, will you help create a diversion?" I asked. "They may think you are Red."

She nodded solemnly. "I guess that means Red wishes to run off with you pups again. Alright. I'll do it."

Tears streamed slowly out of Red's eyes. "thank you mother. I'm grateful that you understand. I know I shouldn't have left the first time but, it's been the greatest mistake of my life!" She looked at me, Red, Cymry, Quinn, Kiko , Saber and Simba.

"Wow, Red. I had no idea that you felt this way." I said.

"I made friends! Proper friends that helped me on the way! I wouldn't have learnt to fly like this without you, Nova."

"I am glad I helped you." I smiled.

"Red, don't come back till you stop the war. Please." Ruby begged.

"What? Why?" Red exclaimed quietly as we still needed to whisper.

"As you have already seen, Satin is no longer to be trusted. If you come back, who knows what she'll do to you!" 

"She's right, Red. We're on our own now. We can't return here. We are no longer welcome in the Wolf Dragon kingdom, Cymry's village would execute us, or try experiments on us, and we definitely can't go to the dragon kingdom." Quinn said.

I pulled out a piece of paper in my side bag and took some ink out as well.

"GUYS!" Kiko screeched.

"Shhhh!" We all yelped.

"You are forgetting posters!" She said, rolling her eyes. "You worked for a day! And now, you forget about them! That will make them cry."

We giggled at her small, pouty face.  I scribbled down on the piece of paper.

"She has a point." Quinn stated. "If we distribute posters, other species may want to help us too."

"We have a few main objectives then." I said. I pushed the paper forward. I had written;

1. Pin posters everywhere.

2. track down groups that will help us.

3. figure out what 'Blood Moonlight' means.

4. Stop Satin and the Dragon king's malicious plans.

5. figure out who Vauxcrix was / is.

6. Attack with ferocious reason and no mercy.......

7. Win the war. (and Quinn.)

I didn't actually write that last part in brackets.

"Well, do you think it's got all the main points?" I asked.

"More or less." Quinn shrugged.

"No mercy?" Red echoed.

"I like it. Kill them all." Saber said, licking her lips.

"How about, 'kill only when necessary?" Quinn muttered.

"Maybe we should focus on getting out of here!" Red snapped. 

"Fine." Saber muttered.

"The pack should go to sleep shortly. in the meantime, you should all get some rest." advised Red's mother.

We did as told and curled up to get some sleep. When we woke we would face a challenge. So, why not get some rest? I dozed off peacefully thinking of what would happen next.

The leader spoke hastily and in a tangled voice. He must not know how to speak dragon well, for his accent and pronunciations were nowhere near as fluent as his own tongue. I suppose I must learn to speak this language as well. I know the Sea-Dragons speak two languages. They speak mine as well as the underwater one. The underwater tongue uses singing and high calls. Perhaps I will adapt to the squeaky language of the monkey creatures. He explained to me the ways of these creatures and why there are cloths on us. He even started to teach their tongue to me. He told that their kind (I suppose it's my kind now too) is called human. When evening emerged from the foggy mist of the dense jungle, I had learned most of the vital words of the humankind tongue. My muzzle was now called 'lips' and moved much more freely than my hard, scaled nose once had been. If my perseverance and desire to see my daughter again hadn't been so strong, I probably would have been traumatized by this experience. I need to find Jamar as well. He might have some answers. But how would he recognize me?