《Dergons》 Chapter 1: Birth Something opened its eyes to a world surrounded in darkness. Its mind was hazy. Its body was compressed and constrained by some outside wall that was all around it. Out. It wiggled, arms and legs hitting the walls. Its head pushed upwards and was met with the same resistance. Out. It started to squirm even more, legs pushing against the bottom, ramming its upper body and head into wall. A small noise was heard. Out. Now. It stopped for a moment before thrusting its head against the wall. Another sound was heard and a small beam of light entered through a crack. Its eyes blinked, once, twice trying to adjust. Out. It pushed on the crack with its head. More light entered. Out. Now. More cracks appeared as its legs strained to help push against the wall. With a loud sound, its head broke free of the wall.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The light blinded its eyes as it rested from the exertion of breaking out. Its eyes closed. Weak raspy breaths came in and out in quick succession. Its nostrils flared taking in the scents of sulfur and iron. It laid its head down softly on the encasement, resting. Some time later, it continued to struggle free. Pieces of the wall fell away and more of its body was able to break free. Out. It wiggled more fiercely trying to free its body. White claws grasped the edge of the egg. They tried to pull down but slipped off. Out. Now.It raised its arms once again to reach for the edge and managed to weakly grasp it. It pushed its arms weakly against the wall. Its legs strained to help push its body against the wall. Slowly, its body freed itself from its encasement. Finally free, it stood, stretching. As it stretched, two wings unfurled from its back. Two scarlet wings. Its eyes opened. To a world of fire and ice. Chapter 2: Cthea Pgrevre Above glades and hills, villages and countries, loomed thirteen solemn mountains. Their tips were frosted white with newly fallen snow, though at the base of the mountain rain fell softly onto the canopy below. The mountains stood in the center of a continent surrounded by a wide expanse of forest. Countries formed from the coasts and reached inward stopping abruptly at the forest surrounding the mountains. The area within the forest was the only large expanse of land on the continent that hadn''t been settled by people. It had been tried ages ago when countries first began to venture into the new land when they cleared vast patches of forest as their empire expanded. But as people ventured further into the center of the continent, the vicious beasts living there became increasing more aggressive and domineering. But the tantalizing untold promise of wealth from beast pelts and precious mineral mines pushed the more powerful countries deeper into the center of the continent. As more and more area was explored and settled, only the forest surrounding the mountain was left unperturbed. While beast pelts and precious mineral mines drew many powerful countries'' forces into it to subjugate the area and clear the beasts, it soon became clear to the countries to hold any area within the forest directly surrounding the mountains was too costly. In the past, before countries learned to avoid it, powerful mages and warriors would be sent to help build and secure settlements in the forest by areas that could be used to mine ore and minerals. Usually, the attempts would not last longer than a week. The longest lasting settlement had been an ambitious project of one of the more powerful northern countries aiming for the wealth hidden within the forest. Having seen others fail time and time before, its king deployed seventeen of the most brilliant mages of his kingdom, and sixty hardened veterans of war into the forest to secure a cavern around three miles into the forest. With them came fifty odd villagers to mine the caves. These villagers were those from the outskirts of the forest; people who were used to seeing and dealing with violent beasts from the forest.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The settlement lasted six months. It was a brutal war of attrition for the people there. By the end of six months, only fifteen of the original hundred twenty seven remained. The king constantly sent in more mage and warrior reinforcements; however, they could not deal with the constant fight against the beasts within. Assaulted in the day by tiger like beasts, at night by nocturnal creatures they described as living nightmares. With the passing of each month, the king was warned of the cost of the settlement. Of the number of lives that were lost. But he held fast to the idea that they were clearing out all the beasts from the area and that it would be safer soon. And so it persevered. Until one day, when the settlement disappeared leaving only a pile of ash in its place. It was unable to function after that. Having its force weakened by the loss of a third of its most promising and powerful mages, as well as the loss of senior warriors and money from the failed venture, the kingdom later fell from invasions by its neighbors. As time went on, countries settled around the forest and the thirteen mountains. They had many names for the area. The southern ones called the mountains Grigrand or the Castle of Ice. To the east they called it Sifre Atec which meant Middle Mountains. In the west, the people worship it as Vladre or God''s Hands. After the settlement that lasted six months vanished, the northern countries took to calling it Aligore, the Forest of Death. But to the sentient creatures held within the expanse, it was Cthea Pgrevre. Chapter 3: First Meeting High up in Cthea Pgrevre, darkness fell upon the peaks of the mountains as a blizzard crept in from the north, obscuring the full moon. The storm had started as a whisper as the winds began to blow from the north instead of the east. The trees swayed silently in the forest, their bare limbs shaking under the changing winds. Not one cry, or howl, or whimper was in the forest for miles. Only the murmur of the wind rustling against the barren trees. The humans outside the forest took notice of the silence of the forest and the changing winds with grim regard. They could feel the change deep in their bones. It would be a bad storm coming despite the first buds of spring growing on the trees. The humans outside the forest stopped preparing to till the land in preparation for planting and instead began chopping wood. They wanted to be inside with a large pile of wood when the storm hit. As the storm built into the night, winds began to howl through the mountains, racing up and down the white mountain peaks. Thunder rumbled faintly in the distance. Thin veins of spider-like ice grew on top of the rivers below as the temperature plummeted. The few flakes of snow that had fallen had multiplied, and now entire mountain tops where coated with thick layers of snow. On this night, the southern kingdoms were having Winter''s End Festival under the spring''s first full moon. As they celebrated, they looked down to the north. They pointed towards the barren trees. Above them a solid wall of snowy wind rose from the ground supported by gray pillars of stone. The castle of ice. The name rose and fell from their lips in excited gasps. It was a rare occurrence that it formed, and to them it was a natural beauty of the world. That night, they gathered around the fire and told stories of wild beasts and stolen princesses inspired from the visage of the icy castle to the north. The ate and danced and told stories from outside the fury of the storm. - As the moon reached it''s zenith, the storm was fully formed. Thick sheets of ice formed upon the top of the rivers below the mountains. Within the mountain, only whiteness of the blizzard was seen. The wind whipped around the mountain and the trees angrily. Thunder shook the earth and lightning blazed the sky. Hidden inside the blizzard''s wrath, unbeknownst to humanity, a tiny blood red dragon was hatching. . . . . . Towards the top of the second tallest mountain, there was a wide mouthed cavern that opened up to a ridge connecting two mountains. Two meters from the the mouth, the ceiling abruptly became a third of the initial height. As it went deeper into the mountain, multiple paths opened as its paths curved randomly inside the mountain. Unlike the frosty air at the front of the cavern, the air at the back of the cavern was sweltering hot. Snow drifted inside only to melt on contact with the caverns warm air. Since the blizzard had begun, the cavern had gathered a small pool of water where snow had melted and flowed into a depression in the ground. The sources of the heat were several wide circular holes scattered throughout the cavern. They were the size of two grown men fists. The holes themselves were connected to a larger network of tunnels that ran deep underneath the mountain where magma caverns naturally formed. Scorching hot air, heated by the molten magma, filled the tunnels which lead to the cavern. A head emerged from one such hole. A round, cylindrical head encased in rocks. It wiggled, the rocks of the case grinding against the rocks of the hole. The creature stopped moving and emitted a low hum. It paused, waiting, and then began to wiggle out from hole until its three fourths meter long body was fully free and slithering on the ground. The creature looked like sedimentary rock that had become alive. The creature began to glide towards glowing blue crystals growing on the cavern floor. The creature was a rock worm. They formed their nests in the deep recesses of the earth above magma caverns. They were completely blind, relying on vibrations to guide their way through the recesses of the mountain. They used earth magic to bind rock into a protective case around their soft bodies making it easier for them to travel through rock. As it traveled, it emitted low frequency sounds from mouth mapping the space around it. The rock worm reached the blue crystal and stopped. Rocks began to peel from case towards the head reveling dark purple skin underneath. The rocks dropped to the ground with a soft plop. It lowered its head and wrap its toothless mouth around the crystal . A content purr came from within the case of rocks as acid dripped from its mouth, dissolving the crystal enough so that it could eat it. Once it had eaten the first crystal, its burped loudly and shifted so it could begin eating the second one. It''s toothless mouth once again enveloping a blue glowing crystal. . . .Guurrrgle. . . The sound vibrated through the room. The rock worm stopped eating, and removed its mouth from the crystal. A low hum was emitted from the worms mouth, so deep that human ears wouldn''t be able to hear it. From the rock worm''s perception, four shapes had shifted position since it had come out of the hole. The rock worm tensed its body, coiling, and sprang from the blue crystals away from the four new shapes towards a hole in the ground. There was a loud crunching sound as one of the shapes sprang catching the tail of the rock worm, its claws grinding into the rocky case of the worm. The creature attacking the rock worm, excluding its tail, was the size of a small boulder. It''s claws easily grasped the rocky exterior of the case gripping it so it didn''t escape. Rocks nearest to the shape shifted, quivering. They flew through the air far away from the shape. Then they accelerated towards the shape bombarding it. The shape reared up on its hind legs shrieking, black wings fully extending, its wings hitting the top of the cavern. Its high-pitched shriek echoed through the cavern as the rocks hit it. It let go of the worm, and in that moment, the worm bolted for the nearest hole and dived deep. A second later a blue clawed arm dove deep into the hole claws grasping nothing but empty air. With a small growl, the creature slowly retracted its arm. . . . . Gurgurguuurgle. . . . A tiny green creature emitted a pitiful sound as it whimpered softly. A white creature started sniffing the other holes in hopes of other prey. These creatures standing under the cavern''s blue tinged light had scales that gleamed the colors of woody grasslands and swirling rivers and the night sky with sparkling stars. They had sharp claws and sharper teeth. The horns on their head would fall off and regrow every year as they grew, until they grew to their full size around twenty years later. Around ten years later, they would reach full mental maturity and be considered an adult. They were dragons, creatures born of fire and magic, hatched from deep within the cavern. With a dejected sigh, the tiny dragons headed back deep within the winding cavern where it was warmer and went to sleep. . . . . . . . . . . .This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. . . . kkk. . .Crack. . . kkk. . . kkk. . . Hearing a noise echo through the cavern, the blue dragon woke up from its slumber. It blinked three times before turning to look behind it. . . . .kkkk. . . . .kkkk. . . . kkkk. . . . Danger. The blue dragon began to growl softy and rose to its feet. As his tail whipped back and forth in agitation, it hit both the black and the green dragon sleeping next to it multiple times. The black dragon woke with a start and jumped to her feet snarling, unsure of what was happening. Seeing the blue dragon''s line of sight, she quickly scrambled ahead of the blue dragon, ready to lead against the danger, her mouth pulled in a ferocious expression. Her teeth bared. Once she was ahead of the blue dragon, she paused. And waited. Hearing no other dragons getting up, she shifted foot to foot and then looked behind her uncertainly to see if any other dragons were coming with her. The white dragon still slept but shifted as though to cover his ears move completely with his arms. The green dragon opened its eyes as it laid on the floor. The blue tail continued to hit him, so his claws extended, and he quickly snatched the blue dragons tail, biting it playfully. The blue dragon turned and glared angrily at the green dragon who was biting his tail repeatedly. Roarrr The tiny blue dragon cried as it tackled the green dragon. It sunk its teeth into the green neck as a warning. The green dragon pawed at this assailant to know avail squeaking. A series of tackles ensued until they eventually rolled over the white dragon who was trying to sleep peacefully. The white dragon got jostled awake, stumbling to its feet in sleepy confusion. The blue and green dragon continued to roll around tackling each other. The white dragons eyes began to focus on the two moving creatures in front. The white dragon growled and quickly bit the green dragons neck as it had been the one to hit it first. It pulled its teeth back satisfied. Then it bit the blue dragon because it looked smug. The two dragons cried in outraged. They briefly glanced at each other before they began their assault of the white dragon, an alliance temporarily formed. The black dragon looked at the tumbling creatures and then towards the back of the cavern where the sound was the strongest perplexed. It tentatively stepped towards the noise, looked back, and then took a step back towards the other dragons. . . . . Crack . . kkkkk. .Crack . .kkkkkk The white dragon stopped playing looking towards the back of the cavern. The blue dragons teeth were still around is tail and the green dragon was standing on top biting at its neck. The white dragon tilted its head quizzically, and then with no hesitation, shook the green and blue dragon away and bounded towards the depths of the cavern. The black dragon eyes opened wide in surprise. She paused, unsure of what to do. Seeing the white dragon''s tail waving back and forth as it ran, the green dragon eyed the blue dragon''s tail and pawed it earning him a growl and a quick bit to the neck. Seeing it not moving, the green dragon went sprinting after the white dragon''s tail, followed a second later by the blue dragon. After a pause, the black dragon followed slowly. And then faster as it realized that she was falling behind. She cried in confusion as she scrambled behind them trying to keep pace. The tiny dragons raced deeper into the cavern passing glowing blue crystals that illuminated their way. The smell of sulfur and metal permeated the air. As they ran, shells crunched underneath their feet. They turned another corner. The dragons in front skidded to a stop causing the other dragons to hit them. In front of them, a tiny red dragon was stretching. They backed up nervously smelling the dragon. She smelled similar to them. Of embers and ash and iron. The tiny dragons relaxed. She was family. . . . . . . . . . Embers and ash floated serenely in the air. The world tilted, shifting down, falling, blurring, burning with wisps of fire. Spikes impaled white and brown flesh below on a battlefield. Rain fell from the sky in little red drops. The battlefield shifted and blurred into a desert. Monstrous jaws rose from the ground; creatures danced laughing inside, their gangly blue legs and arms moving unnaturally in the air. Mists rose obscuring the creatures transforming into a huge face of a golden monstrosity that roared shattering the surrounding teeth like glass. The teeth shattered, the creatures crackled, laughing and dancing on bones. They began to burn, their flesh turning to black as they continued to laugh; their bodies turning to ash in the mist. Images and colors began to blur. The world shifted. Pain. Unbidden, images flashed around in a kaleidoscope of memories. Fire and ice danced weaving in and out of the air. Magma bubbled up from the earth. Voices pierced through the sky shattering it like ice. The pieces of the sky gleamed with colors of warm flowers and flowing oceans as the sun''s rays reflected off of them. The pieces fell down, down and down, falling and swirling in the wind as the world tilted, onto a city of glowing embers. Deafening sounds erupted from the cities center as horned creatures roared banging their bloody weapons on metal shields. The world tipped sideways, blurring into blackened flesh on a gray floor. A black dragon roared over golden hair, sulfur burning in the air.The red dragon flared her nostrils, inhaling deeply. She smelt sulfur. Yellow dust exploded, blinding and burning. Every time she smelt the sulfur, her mind went white with rage. It made the memories stronger, more substantial. Giant gleaming slitted yellow eyes peered from behind a hole, sulfur smothering all other smells. She took a step backwards growling. And then another. And another until rocks cut into her legs and her scales grinded against the rocky cavern walls. She produced a long, drawn growl displaying all of her small, gleaming white teeth. In front of here were four tiny dragons. But in her mind, they were monsters. In her mind, phantom creatures faces superimposed on the dragons faces. The images consumed her mind until she lost where she was, who she was. Around her was not the earthy cavern but grasslands and lava and dessert. She was everywhere and nowhere. She reared roaring. Their faces merged with the creatures in her mind until she was unable to tell either one apart. Fear. Pain. Enemies. The red dragon''s violent reaction made the black dragon react in kind. The tiny black dragon''s teeth were bared and the dragon growled and snapped at the red dragon. While the other dragons stayed at a distance, the black dragon started advancing claws fully extended. A similar larger purple face with gleaming red teeth advanced smiling rising from murky waters. The face superimposed on the black dragon''s face. To the red dragon, they were the same. The red dragon hissed in fury. She felt the energy of the rocks, of the air, of the black dragon advancing. The energy vibrated calling on her to use it. She pulled at it and pushed it from the earth. Ten spikes of cavern rock shot out of the earth, protruding from the ground towards the black dragon; their sharp tips angled at the head. The black dragon jumped backwards enraged and snarling. Blood trickled down its left arm where one of the spikes had broken scale and skin. The green and blue dragon began growling but backed up slowly. Only the white dragon remained in place. It was not in the direct line of attack, so it kept still, watching. Energy left the red dragon''s body in a rush, and the earth spikes dissipated. The red dragon, roared stumbling before she fainted, energy drained. The other dragons continued to growl but didn''t approach. Only the white dragon walked up to the red dragon. He started sniffing her body. Yawning, he stretched and laid down curled up against the red dragon. He closed his eyes and began snoring softly. The other dragons stared at the scene before them. The dragons held their breath for the span of ten heartbeats. The green dragon was the second to walk over laying near the white dragon, not the red dragon. He shifted a few times before becoming content with his position and closed his eyes. The blue dragon followed a couple of breaths later laying down the furthest from the red dragon. The black dragon did not come closer. She claimed a boulder and climbed up as it glared in the red dragon''s direction. She stayed awake the longest, growling softly. But as the night continued, sleep took all the dragons. . . . . . . . . . In the back of the cavern, five tiny dragons slept. Some slept peacefully, some slept fitfully. But the night was a very special night. For it was the first night that all the children of Thirzah slept together. Chapter 4: Remebrance A red sun hovered just above the sea as it rose from the depths. Deep purples, bright oranges and mellow yellows swirled together against the backdrop of a dark blue sky. Fluffy clouds tinged red streaked across the horizons. A girl sat on the edge of a jagged cliff overlooking the sea. Her feet swung back and forth four hundred meters above the glittering waves. She leaned back enjoying the sensation of the wind blowing through her red curls. Behind her, a blood-red monkey slept sprawled on the soft grass. Tiny translucent butterflies fluttered around her humming a gentle melody of sorts. They tumbled through the air, never heading any particular direction for long. One butterfly flew straight into her chest before exploding into hundreds of little green and blue sparks. The girl giggled as the sparks floated upwards before reforming on top of her head into a butterfly. The girl hummed swaying back and forth to the tune of the butterflies. She took a deep breath and sang in a sweet alto. Now as the leaves begin to fall And questions on lips linger unsolved I leave to you my will resolved For I can no longer head your call Silent and gentle I shall go Like the wind''s kiss upon the snow Listen to and remember me well For the lessons my tale will tell From my battles in the north To the marches in the sky Look there! Those scars still remain. Of wars of past and wars of pain. Should you find yourself needing glory make your way to the north footsteps soft upon the earth body lowered footsteps sly should you glimpse the crimson eye. And when you meet the two tongued sphinx Open eyes wide and don''t dare blink And should earth quake beneath your feet while the sky runs still river blue Pray to the gods to dare not greet rue before day begins anew The girl opened her mouth as though to continue. She paused. A small smile appeared on her face. Or you''ll be screwed¡± The girl collapsed into a fit of giggles. The monkey behind her yawned loudly. She turned brushing red locks from the front of her face. The monkey was stretching in the grass behind her. The girl smiled.¡°Momo! You''re awake.¡± She gingerly stoop up. She teetered for a split second with both her arms up windmilling around her before regaining her balance. ¡°Phew¡± She started moving towards the monkey. Or rather to the left of the monkey. She held out both hands lowered and extended innocently palm up in front of her. She began to slowly crouch-step towards the monkey. One step. The she waited. Two steps. The monkey sat on the grass scratching itself. Three steps. The monkey looked up and his eyes widened in alarm. The girl''s smile froze on her face, ¡°Does Momo. . . want to play with me?¡± Momo''s lip curled upwards revealing the tips of his canines before he darted away screeching angrily. The girl laughed. ¡°Come on Momo, give me a hug¡± the girl cried as she dashed forward to chase the monkey. They ran around in circles around the grassy area of the cliff. Momo ran while chittering angrily at the girl. The girl ran after him laughing, skipping and twirling in the dawn''s light. Eventually, the girl stopped running, panting heavily. Throwing an unhappy glance Momo, she stalked back to the edge of the cliff kicking loose stones in her path. ¡°Momo is stupid. I don''t want to play anymore.¡± She paused mid strike of a rock and looked expectantly. Momo was already moving up a tree in the forest. She puffed her checks wide and huffed. ¡°Fine! I''ll play by myself.¡± She kicked the tiny stone and watched it sail off the cliff disappearing from view. She turned around in a small circle examining her playground. She was in a field of tall grasses. Behind her was her singing spot. And just ahead was the beginning of the Taze forest. The trees were sparse here. Twined trees spiraled up towards the sky. Their golden and red leaves waved in the breeze. She tilted her head puzzled. She looked down at the branches that had fallen off the trees and then at the trees trunks. She turned looking at the butterflies twirling in the air. She smiled. She bent down gathering sticks, twigs and leaves in her arms. Her butterflies were still there at the spot she was singing, dozens of them fluttering about in the air. Instead of walking towards them, she went to the nearest tree and began setting up. She started by uprooting the grass at the foot of the tree until she had a wide swath of bare dirt. Then she took the sticks in her hands setting them carefully against the trunk of the tree. She continued until she had the start of a tiny house. There was no roof, she angled the sticks making up the sides of the house to meet at a center point resting against the tree trunk. She left one side open so she could reach inside. She continued adding twigs until she was satisfied that the house had no large cracks. She looked at the dirt underneath the twigs and frowned. Reaching around her, she uprooted more grass and started laying it down on top of the dirt to make a makeshift floor. She picked up a thick green leaf and placed it on top of the grass. A table. She tore another lighter colored leaf apart to make five seat mats which she put around her leaf table. Their ends were jagged and they were all uneven sizes, but the girl was content. But what good is a table without food? So she stood up, brushing the grass and leaves from her skirt and headed deeper into the forest. From the trees, the monkey hesitated briefly before deciding to stay. He started picking at the bugs in his fur eating them. The girl entered the beginning of the Taze forest wandering aimlessly. Around her, birds sang with lively chirps. Bored, the girl began to spin in circles. She spun until she could spin no longer. She stumbled towards a tree and leaned against the tree trunk smiling as the world spun around her. When the world had stopped tilting, she dashed forward towards a small clearing arms strait out to her sides and began to spin again. Again. Again. Again. As she spun, she saw small red shapes the size of her thumbnail in the grass. She stopped, almost losing balance. She focused on the small red shapes for a second before her eyes widened with excitement. Wild strawberries. The girl darted forward towards the little fruits. But the world around her was still spinning, so she stumbled falling on her knees. ¡°Oopsie Daisy¡± She got back on her feet and dashed forward. As she ran, she heard a small crack under her foot. She stopped mid stride when she heard a crunch. Picking her foot up, she saw the a green snake thinner than her pinky finger laying under her foot. The girl jumped backwards. Reaching for a nearby stick, she picked it up and began probing the lying figure. It wasn''t moving. The girl sighed in relief. She poked it once more to be sure, and then dropped the stick, going to pick the strawberries. As she was picking strawberries, the girl thought quietly to herself. The girl look backwards towards the snake curiously, carefully stacking the strawberries in her hands. Do butterflies eat snakes? The girl shook her head as she reached for another small strawberry. Snakes were too big. The girl continued to gather the little fruits for a couple more minutes. She would search the ground meticulously, uncovering the little fruits from underneath grasses and wildflowers and pluck them from the earth. As she was scouring the ground, she also found some small acorns which she promptly put in her hands next to the strawberries. Then, satisfied with the amount of food she had gathered, she stood up intending to go back to the cliff. But she hesitated when she saw the body of the snake lying in the grass. . . .maybe the butterflies would eat dead snakes? She walked to it. With a shrug, she cautiously picked up the snake, ready to drop it in a moments notice. But it didn''t move, so she laid it carefully on top of the strawberries in her hands. She started back towards the cliff. When she arrived back to her little house, she laid her bounty on the ground next to the tree. She popped the caps of the acorns and broke the stems, laying five of them flat on the table open side up. Next she took the tiny strawberries and put one in each of the caps. Next the snake. She picked the snake up gently with two fingers, it''s body dangling from her hand, and paused. There was no real room on the table for the snake. She sighed. As the girl was readjusting the furniture and food in the little house, the monkey jumped down from the tree. He hesitantly approached. The girl noticed, but she ignored him. It was far more important to fit the snake in the little house. She frowned as she laid the snake out in the middle of the table. She kept trying to adjust the bowls of strawberries and the snake, but it was too long. Either the tail or the head would end up curled on a chair. What would mama say about the table? Sighing, she moved the snake to the corner of the house where she curled it into a circular shape. It wouldn''t fit otherwise. Her hand hesitated after she put the snake down. She really didn''t like it there. Maybe she would make the table bigger. Frowning, she withdrew her hand and looked, really looked at her handiwork. There were many gaps in the twig walls and the grass floor. There were small little bugs that ran across her grass floor. The table was bumpy and spotted. And it smelled kind of weird. The girl smiled wide. It was perfect. A clawed hand reached around her back, reaching for her hands. She quickly covered the strawberries in her hand. ¡°Hey!¡± She exclaimed. She turned back to look at a started monkey. Excited, the girl quickly got to her feet startling Momo. The monkey hissed and scooted backwards. The girl just laughed and offered her empty hand. The monkey held his hand out hesitantly before jumping on her arm with sharp claws. ¡°Ow! Momo, that hurts.¡± The girl cried as Momo''s claws sunk slightly into her skin. Momo paid no heed and continued to scramble up her body until he sitting precariously on her shoulder. He wobbled back and forth as the girl walked. The girl turned her head to be face to face with the monkey. ¡°Bad Momo.¡± She scolded. ¡°That hurt.¡± The monkey looked at the girl. The girl stared back. He pointedly looked down at the strawberries and then back at her face. The girl frowned. The monkey continued to stare. The girl grumbled as she rubbed at the places where Momo''s claws had stabbed her. She sighed and lifted a strawberry up. His hands greedily snatched it from her. She rolled her eyes. ¡°But you can only have one now. Because that hurt Momo¡± The monkey chittered happily. She tried to frown but instead laughed. And then laughed again when momo began grooming her hair. ¡°That tickles Momo¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ??Then she looked at her house. Then at the translucent butterflies still flying around the cliff. The sun had risen far above the sea and it''s light reflected through the butterflies making them seem ethereal. The girl smiled and walked towards the nearest butterfly. She reached out, cupping a butterfly in her hands. ¡°It must be lonely without a home.¡±She walked back to the makeshift house, butterfly in hand. She knelt and slowly shifted her hands so the butterfly could go into the house she had built. ¡°That''s why I made you one.¡± She did this four more times. At the end, five butterflies fluttered freely around her house. The girl smiled. She sat, watching the little creatures spiral through the air inside the house. One of them landed on the strawberry in the acorn bowl, another landed on the snake in the corner . The monkey closed its eyes as it laid on the girl''s shoulders. The girl sat unmoving, as though in a trance, memorized by the floating creatures. ¡°Sister?¡± Both monkey and girl turned their heads to look at the vague outline of person stumbling through the woods. The person startled some of the more fidgety birds into flight. They leapt from their perches with chirps of indignation. The boy and girl made eye contact. The girl hastily got to her feet, brushing the grass on her skirt. The monkey turned to look at her, and then the boy. He quickly jumped off the girl''s shoulder and raced up the nearest tree. ¡°Momo!¡± She called. ¡°Come back¡± ¡°There you are!¡± The boy got closer. The girl looked back towards him. He started to rush forward. A thud sounded as a cry echoed through the air. ¡°Ouch!¡± He stood back up, brushing off his tunic and pants. His short, blond hair was disheveled with leaves and dirt. The girl laughed. She quickly covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide. The boy walked over to the girl frowning. His eyes narrowed. ¡°And why are you still here?¡± He turned to glare at the monkey. The monkey looked down from the tree and rolled his eyes.The boyraised his fist threateningly, and the monkey snorted but leapt deeper into the trees. Shaking his head with disdain, the boy turned back to look at the girl. The girl clenched her hands into fists. She kicked out hard at his shin. He stepped backwards grabbing his leg and yelped. ¡°Hey! What are you doing?¡± ¡°Go away!¡± The boy narrowed his eyes. ¡°You shouldn''t be here.¡± In an instance, her fierce resistance wilted. The girl looked down at the ground. ¡°But, brother. . .look at the friends I''ve found here.¡± She gestured behind her. The boy scowled. ¡°Did the monkey find another playmate?¡± ¡°What?¡± The girl glanced backwards. She saw the sea, and the setting sun. But her butterflies had disappeared. ¡°But they were just here brother.¡± The boy rolled his eyes.¡°We have to go.¡± He made a motion beckoning her forward and turned as though to leave. ¡°But-¡± He turned back towards her. ¡°Now, sister.¡± He grabbed her hand. She shook it off. "No!" The girl crouched low on the ground looking up defiantly at him. The boy shook his head disgusted. ¡°Fine, stay. See if I care.¡± The boy started walking away. But he paused midstep. Because he''d be the one they''d blame. He turned back to face to crying girl. ¡°Look, I just want you to come back to the house with me.¡± He offered his hand. The girl slapped it away. She started crying. ¡°You never listen to me. I hate it there! I hate you! I don''t want to go back!¡± The boy stiffened. ¡° Why is that?¡° he asked incredulously. The girl looked away refusing to meet his eyes. ¡°I said, why is that?¡± His voice was hard. His words were separated and distinct with irritation bubbling from under the surface. The girl remained silent except for the sobs coming from beneath her hands. ¡°I''m waiting.¡± His voice conveyed his irritation. His tone caused the girl to cry harder. ¡°Because you hate me and mama.¡± she whispered and crouched low sobbing. His eyebrows raised. ¡°What?¡± The girl glared behind tear-filled eyes. The boy flinched from the animosity conveyed in the glare. The girl stood up and ran. The boy stared at her figure as she ran away from him dumbfounded. ¡°Shit.¡± The boy swore under his breath. The boy started running after her. Why was he the one that had to deal with this? ¡°Hey you, stop running¡± The boy called out as he ran. When they got to the edge of the cliff where the girl had been singing, the boy finally caught up. The girl was panting heavily but was frantically looking around her as though searching for a way out. The boy grabbed her arm and yanked her forward. She crouched down again with the boy holding her arm. The boy was out of breath as well. ¡°I believe. . .I asked you wh-. . .why you think I hate you¡± He wheezed. The girl looked down at her feet tearing up again. She bit her lip trying to stop. ¡°Because that''s what you told sissy.¡± The girl began to get choked up again. ¡°That you hate mama and me. It wou. . .it would be better. . .if mama had . . died. ¡± The girl began to sob harder. The boy froze. As though waking up from a particularly long slumber, he then swore under his breath. ¡°Look, I didn''t . . shit. .. what I mean is I didn''t mean . . .that.¡± The boy stared awkwardly at the girl. She didn''t look up and continued to sob loudly. The boy sighed running his fingers through his hair. Rudi was always better at this stuff than he was. Why wasn''t Rudi doing this instead? ¡°I didn''t mean that. I mean, of course I like you and your- moth. .er. He seemed to choke on the word and grimaced. The boy hesitated looking down hopefully. The girl stayed in a crouched position and cried. ¡°I said I don''t hate you¡±. No response. He sighed then reached out grabbed her hand with both of his. He looked her straight into her tear-filled eyes. ¡°What I mean is don''t say you hate me. Of course I like you, . . .you...." What would Rudi say here? ". . . .you silly monkey¡± ¡°Really?¡± The girl sniffled. The boy sighed running his fingers through his hair. Rudi was always better at this stuff than he was. ¡°Of course. I will be here with you always. And I''ll protect you.¡± What would Rudi say? ¡°. . .Because that''s what older brothers do.¡± She grabbed his hand. She looked up with red ringed eyes. ¡°Promise?¡± He smiled ruefully, ¡°Of course.¡± He bent down and lifted her up so that she was standing. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. The boy looked down at the girl. ¡°Let''s go back.¡±The girl nodded and reached over and tightly grasped his hand. Silence. The boy stopped moving. "Are we going back now?" The girl asked quietly. The sun fully set below the waves. The colors of the sky blended back into a bleak dark blue. The air grew colder and the wind began to whip around the pair. ¡°Brother? Are we going back? It''s cold outside¡± She shivered. His hand started to turn a green translucent color. ¡°Brother? Why is your handgreen?¡± Her hand fell through. She looked up. ¡°Brother!¡± His face that was not his face turned and looked down at her. His green, translucent skin glowed in the darkness without the sun''s rays. The corners of his mouth curved upwards into a wide hollow smile.¡°Yes, sister? She started to back up. She looked frantically around her. Momo was gone. The butterflies were gone. The sunlight was gone .¡±Brother? He titled his head as though puzzled and the green luminous face pulled its mucles back into a frown. He stepped forwards once. Then again. She shoved him, two tiny hands pressing into his stomach. She quickly stepped back. When she looked up she gasped. A dagger protruded from his chest. Blood began to leak from his body, staining the area around his wound in a deep crimson red. He looked down at his wound as though surprised to see it. Blood ran from a corner of his mouth. Blood ran from the gash from his head. His black eyes shone with hate, ¡°Sister¡± ¡°Bother, I''m sorry, I''m so sorry¡± The girl began to look around her in fear. The tall grass and twined trees became spotted black. The wind ripped through the trees stealing the leaves. The spots on the vegitation grew until they were all completely black. Not a single speck of green remained. Then they withered crumpling upon themselves like burning paper The wind and leaves began to swirl around the two siblings. As the leaves swirled, they burst into blue and orange flames. She backed up. He advanced. Her foot caught the edge of the cliff and she looked backwards and saw the waves below her. So far below. She jerked around to face him. He stared back with a frown. Her hands trembled as she reached for his bloody, translucentface. ¡°Brother?¡± Her voice went highas her heart beat accelerated. For a spit second, he hesitated in his advance. Then his eyes narrowed and he shoved her. Hard. She stumbled backwards. Her foot caught open air. She turned her head around in surprise. The vast dark ocean spread out before her eyes. as she tumbled down the rocky edge of the platoe. She spun in the wind. ¡°. . .liar. . .¡± the girl whispered as she tumbled stomach lurching. ¡°YOU PROMISED! LIAR¡±. Her eyes overflowed with tears The sea wasn''t sparkling anymore. The sun had set and the sea was now a black abyss. She hit the water hard. She sank fast, the weight of her body and dress dragging her deeper in the black abyss of water. Her hands made desperate motions in the water to no avail.No matter how hard she tried, she sank farther and farther into the murky deeps, the light fading from sight. Her arms and legs became numb from the chilling cold. Her lungs burned from the lack of oxegen. But she keptstruggling. However, herbody betrayed her and tried to breath. Salty water coursed through her lungs causing her to gag and inhale more water. She couldn''t breath. She couldn''t - The red dragon''s eyes snapped open. Her heart pounding, muscles tensed. She breathed in short gasps of air. Realizing she could breath, she starting taking deeper breaths. There was something weighing on her side, pressing into her lungs. She lifted her head up to peer at her side. Pure white scales tinted blue by the cavern lights contrasted against her own red scales. Little black stumps of soon to be horns protruded from the scales. Hot air came out of tiny nostrils. The red dragon froze, her muscles tensing as her heartbeat accelerated. Two yellow eyes stared back at her. Her pupils dilated. Her heatbeat accelarted, her mucles tensed. In her eyes, the walls began to shimmer green, vines growing along the walls. The air shimmered and the walls kept changing from gray to the greens and browns of a forest.A wail echoed in the distance. The dragon held her breath.She had to be quiet. They would hear. The white dragon yawned lifting his head from the red dragon''s side. Rows of pearly white teeth came into sight. Then disapeared as he closed his mouth, laying his head back on her side. And then he closed his eyes going back to sleep. Like they had never existed, the images in her mind vanished. Her eyes were undilated. She laid froze in fear. Within minutes her heartbeat had decelerated to a normal level. She looked around confused. ??She looked back at the face, but nothing came. Her thoughts were harder to think now. The dream getting harder and harder to recall. She sniffed hesitantly. Iron and embers. His smell was comforting somehow. She had clarity for a second when she could have sat up. But her eyes were getting so heavy. So heavy. They closed for the barest beat of a heart, and then they fluttered open. And then closed. And then opened. And then they. . . .