Imperial

Chapter 13

Rutilus nodded, looking confused.

As he should be, I thought to myself, although I could not comprehend what the dark blue dragon meant, either. Carefully, I tore my eyes away from the bright red dragon, and towards Kronx.

The giant dragon sighed, blinking slowly. Silver eyes glittered intently, similar to a star in the night sky. But bigger. More silver. When he finally spoke, I couldn't help but notice a hint of smoke coiling from his jaws. "Of course you drink. Damn humans... Listen here. Dragons do not drink water." 

"But the burn..." almost instantly, the bright red drake protested. Molten eyes stretched wide with shock. Confusion. Bewilderment. When he turned back towards me, his head hung low in a guilty manner. As though admitting that I was right; that we shouldn't immediately follow after this giant dragon.

"The burn? After a few weeks, the burn goes away- and you will be able to breathe fire," Kronx explained, more amused than he was anxious. Silver eyes glowed with laughter, carefully watching our confounded reactions."Yes, all those myths are true. Dragons can breathe fire, but drinking water only quenches it."

"That's a lie! Mother always made sure I always drank water and-" the red drake protested, but I interrupted, glaring at the dark blue drake.

"If that is so, then why didn't dragons breathe fire back at Fèhirk? Why did all the dragons drink the water?" I challenged him, flaring my wings out beside me and shooting into the air. So that I was level with the giant dragon. Bigger and older he may be, but I was not about to be looked down on.

Instead of answering, Kronx's jaws opened, and a steady stream of fire- silver fire shot out of them. Writhing and tumbling and dancing, a mix of flickering silver and white and grey... It was so beautiful. I watched, entranced, as those fingers of flame seemed to be reach out to me, but even as I stared,  the fire faded away, replaced with a thick cloud of smoke.

Shocked, I stared at the thinning smoke for a few moments, before turning towards the dark blue drake. "Believe me now?" He rumbled, seeming satisfied by our reactions. But it was at me his silver eyes landed. "As I told you, water quenches a dragon's fire. I imagine that the humans forced them to. And as for your mother, Rutilus, no mother likes dealing with a hatchling breathing fire."

"Oh," the red drake mumbled, glancing away. No longer bursting with excitement, but not trying to fight the giant dragon, either. I whipped my head towards him, only just realizing that he was there. Too entranced- I had been too entranced by the fire to notice him join us up in the sky.

But... fire. Dragons could breathe fire. And all those times I had so desperately wanted to incinerate Master and the rest of the humans... All I had to do was stop drinking water. Why had no dragon ever told me? Why had no dragon ever tried?

Or perhaps they had tried, before I had hatched, and been punished far too severely. Or maybe the humans had forced them to until drinking water was routine. Was needed to avoid that horrible burning. I sighed, wishing that I had known about the fire so much sooner. Perhaps then, I would have escaped sooner. But that didn't matter anymore. Because now, I was free.

Kronx slowly turned around, his dark blue scales shimmering as he did so. "I am going now. Follow after me if you so wish, or go your own way. Your choice," he rumbled with a voice void of emotion. Nonetheless, I could not help but wonder if he did indeed care what we chose. Since he had helped us already, and was eager to do so again, he probably wanted us to. And if we didn't, would he follow after us, give us another opportunity, or leave us be?

Regardless, he had given us a hiding spot, and told us about fire. Perhaps we already owed him whatever he so secretly needed him for. Not glancing at Rutilus- not needing to to know that he wanted to go with Kronx, I turned towards the dark blue dragon, whom was already flying further than further away."We come," I sighed, my words echoing through the night.

Beside me, Rutilus's eyes widened, brightening ever so slightly. "Thank you. For accepting Kronx's offer, I mean," his melodic voice murmured happily, before he darted after Kronx. Not wasting a second, I rushed after him, intent on getting to the giant drake first.

Forests swept by, but I paid them little heed as I beat my wings. Instead, I focused on each wing beat, and the distance between Kronx and myself. Carefully keeping my body as straight as I could, with my limbs tuck against my stomach, I raced forwards, trying to increase my speed. So fast that after only a dozen flaps, I held my wings still beside me, keeping them far enough from me to keep me high enough in the air without slowing down.

Finally realizing that I was racing him, Rutilus grunted. With a mighty thud of his own wings, he pulled himself forwards, before mimicking my stance.

"Cheater," I grumbled as we neared the dark blue dragon. That was the only word I was willing to say- I would not waste my breath. Not when I was barley in front of the bright red drake. Of the two of us, I was the bigger; the heavier. But I also had bigger wings...

Rutilus did not answer, instead his molten gold eyes gleamed brighter. Together, we soared silently on the wind, chasing after Kronx, until he swept his wings back once more. Increasing his speed, and multitude- and pulling himself in front of me. Blinking, I started thrusting my wings desperately, trying to keep up with him as he raced ahead.

But it was to no avail. Desperately, I struggled to get catch up with the smaller dragon, and growled even as he caught up to Kronx. He was doing nothing that I wasn't doing, except perhaps the fact that his-

Ah. So that was how he had done it. He had hurled his wings out either side, and beat his wings every few seconds, riding on the wind while he could. Did that make him faster? I wouldn't have thought so, but... I'd have to ask Kronx later.  Perhaps the dark blue dragon was right when he said that I did not know as much as I thought about my own species.

But even if I did not now, I was determined to learn. And maybe, if his price was not to big enough, this undoubtedly ancient dragon would teach me. After all, that seemed to be what he wanted.

With an earsplitting roar, I caught up to Kronx and Rutilus, wordlessly urging them to fly faster.

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1826 words

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