Kingdoms Falling

Chapter 19

There was no cat.

But, there was a dragon.

Seeing that it wasn't some murderous creature, he cautiously glanced over the rocks at the huddled mess of pale scales and sharp, daggerlike emerald spikes. He could tell immediately by it's form that it was female, and, by her size, perhaps not much older than him.

And she was crying.

He froze, wanting to turn tail and run. It was the smart thing to do. He didn't know this hatchling, or what she was doing there, but she certainly wasn't a sea dragon. However, the gentledrakely side of him knew he could never leave her here in this state. She would be helpless to defend herself.

Which meant he was going to have to go over and talk to her.

He gulped back his fear, feeling his talons beginning to tremble as he backed away from the rocks and came around slowly as not to startle her.

"Um...excuse m-me? M-miss?" he began nervously as he got nearer to her. "A-are you a-all right?"

The dragoness started as he approached. Her eyes widened and she gasped, jumping up and backing away, wings flared. "Stay...stay away from me!" she hissed. "I...I'm dangerous! I...I'm warning you!"

She didn't seem dangerous. She seemed frightened. 

He flatted his wings, and curled in his tail in the effort to look smaller and less intimidating. "I-I'm sorry. I d-didn't m-mean to s-startle y-you!" he stammered, taking a step back and staring at her with huge eyes. "Er...A-are you o-okay?"

"I'm fine," she huffed.

"Y-you're c-crying."

"So?" she snapped, bristling. "Dragons can...can cry! It's not...it's not forbidden!" 

He nodded, watching as she slowly uncurled herself from her protective ball and began to slip away. "W-why are you c-crying?" 

She paused to sniff. "Why do you care?" 

"I...I d-don't k-know," he admitted truthfully. "B-but, maybe if y-you t-talk a-about it, t-then maybe it won't be s-such a b-big thing."

She blinked, looking as though he'd just landed in a spaceship and proclaimed himself some kind of alien squirrel. "Talk?"

"Yeah," he said. "Y-you can t-talk to m-me," he added, sitting down and attempting to look inviting. 

She wrinkled her snout at him. "No thanks. You're not a Raynbow dragon. What are you? And how...how did you get here?"

"I don't k-know the a-answer to either of t-those q-questions," he replied. "But, I-I'm a s-sea d-dragon. I...I t-think."

"You...think?" she echoed. "You mean you're...not sure?"

He shook his head sheepishly.

"What's your name?" The dragoness sat up and wiped away her tears, putting on a brave face. "Oh, wait, let...me guess. Squirm. No...not fishy enough. Seacucumber."