Dragon World - Lavender's Quest

Ch. 3

 For a moment, Lavender couldn't move. He couldn't speak. Although all he wanted to do was shout in surprise.

Hornsby looked faintly startled as well. But then he sat back on his haunches and said, "regret your choice?"

When Lavender could finally speak again he said, "no," but he wasn't sure he meant it.

Hornsby's scales were a dazzling sapphire blue that made Wavecrusher's lime green scales look dull. Although dust and grit covered them, they looked like they would have practically glowed.

His eyes were a dark green, so green that they were almost black, and that looked like they would have once shone with great pride.

His talons were tilted and the lighter blue webs under his arms, along his back, and at the end of his tail glowed in the torchlight.

Each horn was like a beautifully carved stone sculpture, and a handsome smile slowly began to spread across Hornsby's face. The only thing that took away from this dragon's beauty was the fact that his teeth were yellow and worn away as though he had scraped them down with rocks.

Hornsby seemed to have noticed Lavender looking at his teeth and said, "after being here awhile you start getting so bored that you start to wonder how long it will take your teeth to rot."

"You- you..." Lavender trailed off.

"Am a Sea dragon. Yes. Great observation."

Lavender snorted at his sarcasm, "I was actually going to say that you look proud- for being locked up in prison anyway."

Hornsby turned away and mumbled something that sounded like, "I used to be prouder."

"Wavecrusher," Lavender said, catching Hornsby's attention again, "he's proud... but he's nowhere near as impressive as you." Lavender thought about Wavecrusher's angry gaze; his red eyes always seeming to stare into him as though searching for something. The way whenever he looked at him they seemed to say, "don't even try coming near me. You have no chance to ever be with Crystal. She's MINE!"

Hornsby shrugged and said, "so we have a deal?"

Lavender lowered his voice,"Yes- we'll escape."

Hornsby managed to fit his large talons through the cell bars and grasp Lavender's. His eyes locked on Lavender's and without even speaking, Lavender got the message;

"Good. we have a deal. But if you go back on your promise and betray me- you will regret it. I will make it my personal mission to hunt down and kill you the first chance I get. No matter what. Remember- I am stronger than you. I may not be mad yet, but one day the thin thread holding me back will snap and you will die. The only time we will be together is while we escape- after that we must leave each other."

Lavender found himself nodding and realized that he hadn't imagined those words; Hornsby was talking to him through his mind.

"How did you-" Lavender began, but Hornsby was turning away.

"Not right now."

Lavender stared at the bars of the cell for a moment, then turned and retreated to his own side. He curled up on the hay and began to fall into an unpleasant, itchy sleep.

A loud bang on the bars of his cell woke Lavender from his shallow sleep. When he glanced up in the dim light he could just make out a figures' silhouette. Thinking it was just the purple meat guard again Lavender lay back down, but then the bang sounded again.

"What is it?" he said this time, annoyance in his voice.

"Lavender?" the soft voice of Crystal was unmistakable, and Lavender instantly felt bad for snapping at her.

"I'm sorry," Lavender said, springing to his feet, "I didn't mean-"

"It's all right," she said gently, "I understand how you feel. Frustrated and angry- I get it."

Lavender came close to the bars of his cell to get as close as he could to Crystal. He shivered at the touch of her talons but at the same time he was overwhelmed by happiness and warmth. Soon he was sniffling. Then he was crying. Finally he broke down sobbing.

"Crystal," he said, trying to stop, "I- I couldn't bear to be away from you! I've spent more than a day here and I still haven't had the chance to prove myself innocent! I already feel as though I'm going mad! I- I promised... I promised that-"

"Shhh. Shhh," Crystal said, taking Lavender's talons in her own again, "don't worry. I will keep hoping and waiting for you until the end of the world. Nothing can keep us apart."

He looked up and into Crystal's red eyes; they were filled with sadness and knowing.

"Thanks Crystal," Lavender sighed, "but maybe the fire dragons are right; maybe I'm not safe to be around. I guess as long as i'm guilty- i'm safe."

"But you didn't..." Crystal said, trailing off.

"Of course not," Lavender reassured her, "it wasn't me. You know that."

"Yes of course. But I wonder who set you up like this."

"I know who..."

There was a long silence between them. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours. After about two hours passed they spoke again.

"So how is it in this place?"

"This hell? Oh it's ok i guess. I've met another dragon who was falsely accused."

"Who are they?"

"Well I can show you but you have to promise not to freak out ok?"

"Ok."

"Hornsby?"

"Munns?" hornsby growled.

"I want you to meet someone."

"Ok I'll be out in a second." he mumbled.

"He's nice once you get to know him," Lavender assured Crystal.

"Ok," Crystal replied rather uncertainly.

Hornsby stepped into the torch light so Crystal could see his deep blue scales.

"He- hes..."

"Yes- Crystal was it? I'm a water dragon- A Deep Sea Serpent, The Monster Under The Sea, A Whirlpool of Death, The Fish Faced One Who Feeds on Dragon Flesh, shall I go on?"

"No," Crystal said, clearly amazed, "I haven't met another sea dragon besides... besides Wavecrusher."

Hornsby huffed again and turned away. His proud aura around him was fading. "That's fine; i'm used to being judged."

"No it's not that," Crystal said softly, still gazing up at him in awe, "it's just that... wow. Your scales, your horns- everything is just so regal looking don't you think?"

"I suppose," Horsby said.

A flicker of joy flashed across his face for a second before he stepped into the shadows again.

"So..." he began, "you don't hate me?"

"Are you serious?" Crystal almost laughed, "of course I don't! You're way better than Wavecrusher! Way more handsome too, might I add..." Crystal looked down awkwardly.

Hornsby laughed a genuine, happy laugh; in fact it wasn't full of sarcasm at all. His jaws were thrown wide open to reveal his sharp hunter's teeth. Lavender didn't mind, and from what he saw, it didn't bother Crystal either.

After Hornsby had recovered from his laughing fit, he sat up straight again smiling warmly down at Lavender and Crystal. It was the first time that Lavender had seen that kind of warmth from him- from any dragon for that matter. Well, aside from Crystal.

A cough sounded from behind Crystal and when Lavender looked over her shoulder, he saw a fire dragon with bright, shimmering golden scales.

"Ahem," she began, "Lavender of the Dark Dragons?"

"Yes?" Lavender responded, suddenly nervous.

"Prince Flahemy wishes to see you."

Lavender smiled and Crystal smiled back hopefully.

"Ok," he said, "bring me to see the prince."