Lotus

Chapter 29

"Murre? Where are you?" I heard a stifled giggle across the cave, and as I glanced over, I saw a blue tail sticking out from behind a stalagmite. I smiled, and moved slowly towards it. "Where is that silly little dragon?"

I took a few steps closer to the rock, pretending to look around for her. I finally reached her hiding place, and there was a small gasp. "She couldn't be behind this rock, could she?" I slowly peered my head around it and I saw Murre with her talons clamped over her snout, shaking slightly from laughter. She was looking on the opposite side that I was on. "Gotcha!" She shrieked loudly and scampered across the cave, grinning widely.

I matched her grin, but before I could do anything else, Cerise burst into the cave. Murre immediately went for her, and Cerise automatically scooped her up. She set her back down only a few seconds later, though, moving to start shoving things into a bag. 

"What's going on?" I asked. "Did something happen?"

"SkyWings are coming."

Understanding coursed through me, and my nerves started to buzz. Please no. Not again. As worried as I was, I didn't allow myself to focus on it, instead helping her cram stuff into a bag.

Just as we tied it off, she pushed it into my arms, and I quickly slung it over my shoulders. Only a second passed before she scooped up Murre and shoved her into my arms. I stumbled a bit, surprised. "What--"

"No time," she said curtly to me. She then looked down at Murre. "Remember what we practiced? Be good and quiet."

Murre nodded, a very serious look on her face she clamped her talons around her snout as she had done earlier. Cerise smiled weakly. "Very good. I love you, my little birdy." She  nuzzled her for a moment, then looked up at me again. "There's a back exit behind the large stalactite at the back of the cave. Leave through there as quickly as you can. It'll take you to an exit near the top of this mountain."

"But why--"

"Find a good place to hide that's away from here. When it's safe to travel again, you can try to find her father, Koi, along the northwestern coast."

"What about--"

"That doesn't matter. What matters is keeping Murre safe. You're the only one who can do that right now, since they're after me, not you." I opened my mouth to try to respond again, but she didn't give me the chance. "Go!"

With only a slight hesitation, I ran to the back of the cave. I found the large stalactite, and quickly ducked behind it. Less than a moment later, I heard new dragons enter the cave. "Ah, there you are, Cerise. Thought you could escape us, did you?"

I poked my head out to see Cerise being  surrounded by three large SkyWings. She glanced quickly at me, and I could see her eyes telling me to go. 

I left before I saw anything else.

Several long minutes went by, with only the sound of my hard breathing and heartbeat accompanying us. I raced through the dark tunnels as quickly as I could, trying not to trip over anything.

As soon as I was sure that I would have bruises all over myself for weeks, I spotted a small light in front of me. I pushed myself to go faster, and the light kept growing larger until we pushed through it. 

I stumbled slightly as the sun's light pierced my eyes, momentarily blinding me. As I stood there, I tried to listen for anything over my ragged breathing.

I heard a faint yelling in the distance, and I carefully peered over the side of the small ledge we were standing on. At the base of the mountain, I saw three small figures emerge. One of them was dragging something behind it, and it wasn't moving. No. No, no, no!

I quickly moved back from the ledge, pressing myself against the face of the rock. I sucked in deep breaths as I tried to not be sick. I looked down at Murre in my arms, who was curled up into a little ball, and hoped that she hadn't seen what I had.

Neither of us said anything for a long time. We both sat there waiting until the SkyWings were long gone. When they finally were, I clutched Murre close to me and took off into the air.