The things sweet breath eked out of its mouth and over my face. Breathing in I anticipated some kind of stench. Most likely to be rotten flesh or fresh blood. Instead however I was greeted with the delicious aroma of black cherries and some kind of flower. Wanting more I leaned in and took a deep breath. Closing my eyes I savored the smell and soon I began to feel sleepy.
Laying back on the pelts, I looked at the things face and began to drift off to sleep. Taking in its elongated snout, small fangs protruding from its upper lip, and smaller fangs protruding from its lower lip. Following the scaly planes of its face I looked at its eyes. Small peaks and ridges framed beautiful golden orbs, streaked from its slit pupils bloomed a beautiful daisy orange. Those fiery orbs didn't look away until after I had fallen asleep. Perhaps they even watched me while I slept.
~v~
I watched the pale creature fall asleep, my sleeping gas taking quick hold. I am more crafty than my brother and mother so why does mother hate me? Was it because I hatched second? Did that make me inferior to my brother? I watched the thing sleep and wondered what I was thinking taking it from mother. These things were something she only ate once a year.
I laid down next to the thing and pondered what use she could be. Mother was always in a better mood after she ate one and she seemed stronger. Oh no what if she is going to be mad and try to kill me again?! My mutilated wing pulsed under the protective covering it was healing under. Its been in its covering almost since I was born. I hope its not being hindered. . . But I don't know if its healed or not. When mom pushed me out of the nest she really tore it against the rocks that littered the floor. I felt the ground tremble, she was coming.
I pulled the large rock into place and sent out a neutralizer to cover my scent and hopefully the creatures as well.
I hear mothers claws click on the floor and a deep growl resonate all through my cave, the creature stirs and whimpers. I wrap my good left wing around it to still it, and it grasps my wing tip with one of its soft paws. Looking closer I saw small flat claws that were so short if I had not been close to it I would have dismissed them as scales. Mothers roar rips through my head. She is right outside my door. She is going to find us I know it. I shift my body to cover the creatures. Maybe I can mask its scent with my own. Wrapping it tighter in my wing I pull it to my body and lay on my pelts, careful not to crush her. I don't want it screaming in pain, that would make mother mad. Mother hates loud sounds.
My rock is pushed aside and mothers massive head slips in, her growls resounding in the small cave I found years ago. She breathes deep and I hold my breath, afraid any movement on my part would let the creatures scent spread. Her thoughts invade mine questioning me.
A creature similar to the one under me is thrust into my mind, an angry question. Where is the creature that was supposed to arrive today? I shake my head the smallest bit and nudge a question of my own into her mind. The sound that the creatures normally make flashes into her mind.
She roars, my sound was to accurate and I think its upset her. . . She bangs her head on the side of my cave knocking loose a few of the stalactites causing them to hit me. I make no sound, for fear it will anger her more. She grumbles at me and slowly leaves. Minuets pass and I feel the trickle of blood between my scales. She hit the covering on my wing. Panic flashes and I get up abruptly dashing over to my small fire pit and breathing the coals back to life. I pushed my rock back into place and used the mirror like portion of my wall to look at the damage.
Three large gashes mar the un-scaled membrane and blood pours out of them, forming a puddle at my feet. Why wasn't I feeling dizzy from blood loss? One of the higher gashes made a gargling sound and a burning sensation ripped under the membrane. I let out a growl of pain, the first sound I have made in years. The little thing stirs behind me but the pain under the membrane is stinging to much for me to pay attention. Its not till I feel a small paw on my tail that I take any notice of it at all.
~v~
The cold of this place woke me up. Being used to the coddling I have received I whimpered to get someone to bring me another blanket. Something warm wraps its self around me and I grab on to it. Where ever I am its dreadfully cold and the pelts under me don't cover my top half. Pelts? I jump awake keeping my eyes closed, I am not in the cabin anymore. That's right the beast came and that other creature took me away. Speaking of, I felt the creature loom down and seem to sniff at the hand I was holding the blanket with. Only I realized a little to late the blanket was part of this thing. A roar toar through my head and I cringed. Curling into a small ball I tried to dissapear, only to have the creature help me by pulling nito its side. It created a amall pocket with whatever it was using to hold me there and its side. I feel it roll onto the pocket it made and I hold my breath, keeping true to my vow of silence.
A loud crash echoes harshly in what I assume to be a small cave, I could not mistake the menacing growl that erupted into the cave and my mind. The creature above me doesn't move.
An image rips into my mind, its Gloria the sacrifice from last year. The image holds a red tint. And Gloria looks either dead, or in some kind of trance. Her long beautiful red hair is a dull burgundy and looks closer to that of blood. The colors of the image are faded and dark, parts of her keep fading and then pulsing back into place. The image faded and the creature moved very slightly.
Another invasion of my mind, this time in the form of sound nudged its way into my mind instead of tearing its way forcefully. A single sad scream echoed into my mind. So shockingly similar to Gloria's voice, it brought a tear to my eye and made me quickly have to clamp down on the lump forming in my throat.
The beast lets out an ear splitting roar and another loud crash echoes throughout the small cave, followed by many smaller crashes and almost tinkling sounds. Thundering steps signal the exit of the beast and the creature above me slowly starts to breathe again. A sudden intake of breath and the creature is off of me and I am flung higher up onto the pile of pelts. The scent of blood fills the cave and I sit up trying to see anything, looking for any danger, or even a shadow. A deep breath comes from the creature and a glow spreads over its head.
It is looking at itself in what I thought was a mirror but seems to be part of the cave wall. Blood is pulsing down the creatures deformed side.
It protected me. . . .
Keeping my eyes focus on the creature I step over long pointed rocks and slowly make my way towards the thing. Its other side shifts and I see a wing rise momentarily and lower to the ground as the thing settles down to get a better view of its side. Is it going to die? I look at the ever growing pool at its side and worry spreads though me. This thing may have just gave its life for me. I am at its tail and I am just standing, staring at the things body, its very long with tapered ends its middle was massive yet angled. This thing hadn't eaten very well for a while. Its body was so thin and its front legs so slender but ending its slender legs are massive claws. Its back leg that I could see looked like the front only thicker and had a large scar on it. Looking closer this thing was covered in scars. While I was gazing at what I could only describe as a dragon, a dark colored dragon. I couldn't tell if it was black blue or a deep green.
A gargling noise pulled my attention to the things side. I could see into one of the wounds on its side, if only a little, through the blood pouring out and I saw the vague outline of what seemed to be the creatures other wing. The creature lets out a deep, pained growl and I jump back at the noise sending a rock skittering back behind me. Looking up at the creature, its fiery eyes closed in pain, I placed my hand on its tail.
I was going to help this thing. That's smart right?