Kingdoms Falling

Chapter 3

Art by @DragonNeverLoves

"Hello? Helllllooooo? Strange little dragon, you awake? Are you de--oh, wait, no, there we go."

Meadow groaned, rolling out of his slumber to an overly loud and obnoxious voice that could belong to only one dragon. "Armadillo," he mumbled, reaching out blindly for where he supposed the anxious hatchling would be. There was a scuffle of talons against sand, and a sharp giggle from behind him. "Armadillo," he repeated more firmly, blinking open his eyes to stare at the blurry outline of his shack.

Suddenly, that view was obstructed by a large brownish-yellow blob planting itself inches away from his face. "Hi, Meadow!" the blob chirped, laughing when Meadow let out a startled yelp and fell backward onto the sand carpet.

"Armadillo!" Meadow huffed as he detangled himself from his wings, struggling to look presentable, much to the amusement of the she-dragon. He felt blindly along the ground for his spectacles, all the while frowning toward the bundle of sandy-scales near the entranceway. "What are you doing in here? How are you in here?"

She shrugged, but the smile was evident even as she spoke again. "The door just opened on it's own," she said innocently. "You really should consider hiring a locksmith."

"I don't need a locksmith," Meadow retorted. "What I need is for a certain desert hatchling to stop jimmying my locks." He swept his tail into one of the farthest corners, feeling for the familiar metal rims. Nope. Not there. He tried another corner. Not there either. "And if you don't get your skulking sand-blasted self out of here this instant, I am going to--" he trailed off as the realization dawned on him.

"'Going to' what?" came the snarky response.

Meadow took a deep breath and closed his eyes. It took every ounce of self-control he had to stop him from trying to strangle her. "Give me my glasses."

"Your what? I don't know what you are talking about." She sounded so proud of herself. He knew there was only one way to get through to her.

"Give me my glasses right now," Meadow repeated, wheeling to face her, scowling. "Or I'll tell your brother about that fire ant incident with Caracal."

Though he couldn't see her, he was sure her eyes widened in surprise. "You said you wouldn't tell him!" she gasped. "You promised!"

"Glasses," Meadow instructed, holding out a talon pointedly.

"All right, all right," Armadillo grumbled. "I have them right here. Don't get your scales all in a bunch." She shifted around for a moment, fishing around in her satchel. "I know they're here. Just a second."

Meadow rolled his eyes and sat down to wait. Armadillo was Sun's younger sister. His only sister. And somehow, she'd been assigned to his quadrant in Skoutia. Meaning it was his responsibility to look after her. Not an easy task for a smaller reclusive scientist like him, especially when she'd already proven herself to be an excellent lockpicker and cat burglar with a dreadful sense of humor. He supposed his only advantage over her (if he could even call it that) was her serious case of forgetfulness.

"Almost got 'em. Just another second," Armadillo promised.

Meadow sighed. "I don't mean to rush you, but, I really need to be getting to work." He snuck a glance toward the door, thoughtfully considering making a break for it. That thought was quickly dashed when he realized he wouldn't be able to see anything anyway. I really should consider making contacts.

"Got 'em! I got 'em!" she called triumphantly, yanking the lenses from her bag and hastily handing them over.

Meadow grunted as he took them from her and shoved them back onto his snout with a scowl. The world snapped into focus, and for the first time, he could see her crooked grin as she wiped invisible tears from her eyes. "Okay, what?" he demanded, slinking uncomfortably toward the door.