Eternal Fire

Chapter 2

Winding throughout the lower levels of the mountain, five cave systems (there was a sixth, but that lay unused) had been carved out of the hard stone generations ago to safely tutor the young dragons. Each had a main cave with small, roundish rooms coming off the main tunnel that the dragons learned within.

Ember walked with her family through a crowd of fire dragons that loomed overhead, blocking her views of the sky and dark grey mountain, which would soon engulf the youngsters. Her family had grown a lot over the past year, but they had much more growing to do, evident from the older dragons, which were the first to turn away from the crowds.

The group grew smaller in height and quantity as they walked down the darkened cave towards a chamber that was emitting a soft glow from flames. Their steps automatically turned to enter a cave, allowing the smaller dragons to pass further into the depths of the system.

A pit of flames to the far side of the cave produced light that flickered across the rough dark stone - the only parts that were smooth were the ground, where countless dragons had walked and sat. A fire dragon sat in the centre of the cave, an adult; she watched and taught the many hatchlings that passed under her gaze over the years.

Ember's siblings sat down, joining the circle that was already partially formed by the other siblings. Ruby was the first in whilst Flame brought up the rear, the youngest sibling's tail twitching when he sat down.

At least they weren't the last family to arrive, Ember thought in relief as another family entered, completing the seating arrangement. Standing up upon her feet, the adult's head nearly reached the ceiling of the cave as she started teaching.

"Going back to our previous lesson of ice dragons, what advantages do fire dragons hold over them? And do not come up with some stupid reason; I want realistic ones only!"

The older dragoness gave the group moments to think before she leapt upon one of the youngsters with her question. "Inferno?"

The male's tail twitched as the dragon from a different family melted under the female's shattering gaze. "They str- struggle under high temperatures."

"Correct; Ash, give me another!"

"Outside of the North, there is very little ice for them to quickly draw strength from," Ember's older sibling said, her voice much more confident than the male's had been.

"Good. Phoenix?" The female spun around to one of the youngest in the cave.

"Once you melt their ice, they have less control over their powers," the young female said.

"And how is that an advantage?" Their teacher said, looming over the dragon, now cast into shadows.

"You can avoid their attack or defences much easier?"

The female's response seemed to make the adult pleased as she went back to her position in the centre of the cave, her wings neatly folded against her scarred scales.

"Flame, last one," the adult's eyes bored down upon Ember's youngest sibling, drawing Ember's gaze.

"If a dragon tries to strengthen their scales with their ice and makes them too cold, it can make their scales brittle," his voice was sure as he gazed upon the old, knowledgeable eyes of the dragon.

"Correct. Four advantages of a water dragon. Prepare multiple answers!" Her voice rumbled through Ember's flesh to the flames that tumbled deep inside her.

"They can travel via the sea so attack our homeland from multiple directions."

"It is easier for them to extinguish our flames than it is to overpower their water."