The Price of Magic

~ CHAPTER FOUR ~

VAPOR

Vapor woke up from a dragon's foot that was wedged up her right nostril.

"Argh, erpn," Vapor pushed Cloud's foot out of her face. "Cloud, how did you even-"

She sat up, looking at the dragons sleeping peacefully around her. Minnow was lying in Honeydew's bed, Honeydew was curled up on the floor with a soft blanket, snoring loudly, and Cloud . . .

Cloud had his back legs and tail propped up on Vapor's bed, his body drooping down the side, and his head resting on the ground. He snored even louder than Honeydew, and from time to time, one of his legs or wings or tail would twitch, whacking the bemused IceWing in the snout.

Vapor carefully stepped over him, trying not to wake him up. However as the mattress shifted, so did the little red dragonet, and he tipped right out of the bed with a thunk.

Vapor froze. But miraculously, he stayed perfectly asleep. She was so busy watching him that she wasn't paying attention to where she was walking - and she stepped right on Honeydew's tail.

The scream alone was enough to break glass and send any intruder running. But just like that, Honeydew was transformed from a peacefully sleeping, nebula-colored ball of scales to a deadly viper, ready to kill at any moment. The swirling golds, blues and purples of her dreamstate turned to bright red with clouds of black, and jagged lines of neon green cutting through it.

She roared, and bared her fangs, then the haze in her head cleared completely and the zigzags of green spread, becoming a pale color similar to dead grass.

"Sorry," she said in a small voice.

"Not your fault," Vapor replied, shaken. "I stepped on your tail. And, let me say, Dew. That is an amazing warning system." In the commotion, Minnow had woken up to a start, and even Cloud had slowly nodded awake.

"What were you doing?" Honeydew asked, the dead grass color fading and her scales returning to their normal hues.

"I was going to listen to the rain," Vapor admitted. "I know it sounds silly, but it really helps me think. And it's been raining nonstop all night." She motioned to the outside, and when they all listened quietly, the rhythmic thrum of raindrops filled their ears.

"Rain in the desert," Minnow said thoughtfully. "The moment a SeaWing arrives."

He smiled, just a little bit.

"C'mon, then," Honeydew smiled. "Let's listen to the rain together."

For the rest of the morning, the dragonets listened to the pitter patter of raindrops, each thinking of their own lives, stories, and ideas.

The voice slithered its way into the IceWing's thoughts.

Vapor. Hello again.

Ugh. What do you want? She sighed.

The same thing we all want. Power.

Please shut up. I'm enjoying myself for once.

You can't ignore me foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr . . .

Vapor shivered as the voice disappeared, and wondered who was on the other side. Eventually she decided it would be better not to know.

After a few hours of silence, Cloud was the first to break.

"I'm hungry," he moaned, his wings drooping. "And I miss Mommy. I want breakfast."