Apologies for the delay, I'm a terrible person! This site is VERY hard for me to operate normally, but then my computer simply wouldn't load the site for days in a row. And then I gave up entirely. I have no further excuse.

Warning for some violence in this chapter. Also, the dragon is a lionfish dragon (there's some artwork of it on google).

Griffon Stone: Fontaine is, so she can't be doing things like this! Even Ant needs her cold, logical, calming influence… But Fontaine is determined. Uh-oh is right, chaos ahead! Thank you for the review!

KiwiBunny123: Thank you! Happy to hear that and hope it's all right! Thank you for the review!


There's a sea cave on the island's shore. A big hole gapes on the cave's domed top. Grass and trees are scattered on its surface and grow thick on the ground around it. A big creature could be around. Fontaine drives the Rover to a hidden inlet and stalls it there. Then she heads to the cave.

The only ground entrance she finds after circling the sea cave is a gap twice her width. The cave is even more impressive inside. Sunlight streams through the roof and casts intense glows and shadows. Trees, bushes, and grass grow in sparse patches. A seawater pool swells in the corner nearest to the ocean.

Something growls.

Fontaine freezes and suddenly wishes she'd brought one of the Knights instead of the Rover. Is she stupid? Dragon or not, it could be dangerous—Fontaine doesn't have enough toes and fingers to count the times some giant (or sometimes tiny) creature has tried to eat her. What is wrong with her head?

Worst case, the Rover is…far enough away that a fast creature will get to her before she gets to the Rover. The growl shifts to a rumble. Something moves along the opposite wall.

It's a dragon. It's orange and white-striped and has scales and wings and fins rowing its back. No way. No way. Fontaine actually found a dragon!

A big dragon with glowing blue eyes and menacing frills around its powerful jaws. It lowers its head and growls. It poofs all its fins and spines and frills. And it stalks across the sea cave floor.

Okay Fontaine. Stay calm. Stay calm. No sudden moves. Fontaine sucks in a glass-sharp breath. The dragon didn't attack immediately, so it's probably trying to decide if she's food or a competitor. If she holds absolutely still (food runs) and doesn't act aggressive (like a competitor), it should let her go. Right?

The dragon gets so close she can smell its salty scales. It takes deep, thrumming breaths and twitches its head frills.

"Hey." Fontaine swallows and tries not to choke on her stuttering breath. "I didn't mean to invade your territory." The dragon perks its head. "I-I heard a dragon was here, and didn't believe it. Skeptic, you know? That's me. Ant would've believed. Ant's my brother." The dragon flattens its frills and cocks its head. Talking seems to calm it. "You're really amazing. I would really appreciate if you don't eat me. Please. I'll respect any animal that doesn't try to take a bite out of me."

The dragon has a long but not snake-long body. Its whole body is striped with orange and white, deepening to maroon on its tail and wings. Its fins, which are on its head, back, tail, and legs, are translucent and orange. Its feet are webbed and its tail is long. Its head is crowned with pink coral-shaped horns. Its wings look more like fins than actual wings. Fontaine has never seen anything like it. It's like a dragon-lionfish-seahorse.

She needs to tell Mom and Dad. The dragon has relaxed, its fins laid flat and its pupils widening with curiosity. Fontaine steps back. The dragon stretches forward and snuffles deeply. Close enough its hot breath wafts her face. Fontaine's heart flutters erratically.

And then, the way the dragon coos in its throat and its intelligent blue eyes meet hers, calms her. She can't find a logical reason, but she believes it doesn't want to hurt her. The dragon rumbles quietly, almost a purr, and leans closer. Fontaine flinches. The dragon stops. It flicks its eyes over her. Then it droops its wings and bends its head sideways and down.

Fontaine musters up what might be courage or recklessness and slowly reaches out a hand to its delicate cheek fins. The dragon tips its head. Its rough skin and slippery fins slide under her hand. Whoa. Fontaine forgets to breathe for a moment. She carefully moves her fingers. The dragon rumbles and nudges her hand like an affectionate bird.

"Wow," Fontaine whispers. She smiles so wide her cheeks hurt. "I can't believe you're a real dragon." She reaches and touches its coral horns, watching for any signs of nervousness or aggression. The dragon watches her back with those deep blue eyes. "You. Are just amazing." As if it understands, the dragon moans and puffs out its chest.

Suddenly its pupils dilate to knife-slits and it growls. Fontaine startles. But the dragon whips its neck to face the hole in the cave roof.

A net flies over the hole. The dragon lets out a screech. It launches itself up and flies for the hole. It bashes nose-first into the metal net. The dragon flutters downward from the impact. It slams again with its shoulders. Then it grabs with its claws and snaps with its teeth.

Fontaine shakes herself. They're under attack. She needs to get herself and this dragon out right now. The dragon glances over its shoulder at Fontaine, screeches at her, and dives into the pool of ocean water in the cave. That water must lead directly out into the ocean. Fontaine dashes for the gap she went through. She needs to get to the Rover and call for the Arronax—

A hand shoots through the gap and grabs her wrist. She chokes on a shriek. She yanks her arm and swings a clumsy kick.

It's Devil Daniels.

"Fontaine Nekton, what a surprise! Oh my, did the Nekton princess get kidnapped by a dragon?" Daniels gasps theatrically. It takes a couple seconds for Fontaine to process that, because Daniels still has her wrist in an almost-painful grasp. Daniels knows the dragon is here. He came to catch it. Or kill it.

"Daniels—"

"Do not fear! I, Devil Daniels, shall save you from that savage dragon. But first?" Daniel's smile twists. His other hand snaps the com off her wrist and he lets go. "There. All set."

"Hey!" Fontaine makes a grab for her com. Daniels shoves it in his pocket. And lifts up a gun-like weapon. Fontaine rapidly backs up.

"I'm wounded," Daniels says. His sneer is anything but that. He strides past her. "This isn't for you in the slightest."

"You're going to shoot the dragon," Fontaine says. "No. Don't you dare hurt that—"

"I'm not hurting it," Daniels says, scandalized. "Take a look." He waves the gun in front of her. "This is the humane dart that animal rescuers use, Fontaine."

"Yeah, but you're not rescuing it," Fontaine spits. "You're going to catch it and-and turn it into a trophy!"

At that moment the dragon bursts up from the seawater. Oh no. It didn't escape?

Daniels laughs. "I sealed off any possible exits underwater before I sealed off the roof. The monster hunter comes prepared. I am not letting a genuine dragon get away from me!" Daniels cocks the gun.

"No!" Fontaine lunges for the gun. Daniels dodges and shoves her backward.

The dragon screeches. It launches itself at them, jaws gaped and every tooth bared. Daniels shoots and misses. The dragon snarls. Its teeth snap empty air inches from Daniel's head. Daniels slams the butt of the gun into the dragon's nose.

"Stop it!" Fontaine cries.

Daniels jumps back as the dragon shakes it head. He shoots. A dart hits the dragon square on its chest. Another dart stabs its leg. The dragon hisses.

"No!" Fontaine makes another grab for the gun.

"Stop it, you meddling—" Daniels swings the gun. It slams into Fontaine's shoulder. Pain starbursts. Fontaine gasps and stumbles back.

Daniels must not have meant to do that, because he turns on her with a surprised expression. The dragon snarls and chomps. Daniel's swings the gun back around. The dragon bites down on the gun with a crack. It tosses the gun away and whips back around, hissing.

Daniels is already scrambling for the gap. He throws himself outside seconds before the dragon's snout slams into the gap. The dragon growls and scratches on the wall, tail lashing, for a few moments. Then it turns back around to Fontaine, who's clutching her throbbing shoulder, and snuffles over her worriedly.

"You're the one who's hurt," Fontaine says. Blood is streaking down from the two darts embedded in its skin. "Hold on. I'm getting you out." She pats its face in what she hopes is a reassuring gesture before she runs out the gap and leaves the poor dragon trapped.

She scrambles to the Rover. She needs to get the underwater route unblocked before Daniels comes back with more weapons. She guns the engines, ignoring her hurting shoulder, and finds the metal bars blocking the underwater tunnel. She slices them with the Rover's laser.

She steers the Rover through the wide tunnel and pops up inside the sea cave. The dragon whips around with a snarl. Fontaine slams the hatch open. "Hey hey. It's me, Fontaine. I'm just inside a big metal shell." The dragon tips its head curiously. "Now hurry! We need to get out of here!" Fontaine shuts the hatch and dives. She flicks a glance behind. The dragon is right behind. Good.

They get out of the tunnel and rise to the surface. The dragon stares at her through the rover glass. "Come with me." Fontaine gestures with her hand. "My parents will help you. You haven't fallen asleep, which is great, but you might get drowsy or sick later. And those wounds should get cleaned." Fontaine drives the Rover back and forth a couple times, to try to communicate she wants the dragon to follow. It quickly catches on and dives after her.

Now that it's following her, Fontaine has to call her parents. Oh crap. Somehow, she'd rather face Daniels instead at the moment. Fontaine cringes and taps the call button. "Um."

"Fontaine!" Dad, Mom, and Ant crowd the screen.

"Fontaine, where are you? Are you all right?" Mom demands.

"Listen," Fontaine says. "I found a dragon—"

"A dragon?" Ant looks gobsmacked. If Fontaine wasn't in Mariana Trench-deep trouble with Mom and Dad, she would relish it. "Fontaine, if this is some joke—"

"No. It's a real dragon. It's hurt. I'm heading your way with it. Bring the Arronax over to shorten the distance, I'm worried the dragon will fall asleep." Fontaine looks over her shoulder. The dragon is still swimming well, but it might be looking sluggish.

"Fall asleep? What happened?" Dad's face promises he's not forgetting the upcoming lecture for her stupidity, only temporarily setting it aside.

"D. Daniels shot it with some sleep darts," Fontaine says.

"Daniels? Did you face Daniels? Alone?" Oh boy. Dad's face is even stormier than before.

"Without Jeffry?" Ant says.

"I had to help the dragon," Fontaine says. "And that wasn't—um, I didn't know Daniels was anywhere nearby when I—went out." She wasn't that stupid! (Probably.)

"You should've called us." Dad's eyes smolder. Mom frowns deeply from the corner of the screen.

Fontaine tries to shrink on herself. "I did now," she says in a small voice.

Dad opens his mouth, but Mom raises a hand to his chest and shakes her head. "We're on our way, Fontaine."

"A dragon! I can't believe a dragon! Fontaine, does it breathe fire? Or acid? It can fly right? Or is it one of those Chinese dragons and—" Ant's in full obsession mode. Not so with Mom and Dad. Their faces say "grounded for the rest of your life and maybe longer." Why did she think their wonder at her finding the most amazing creature would somehow outweigh their anger? Why?

"You'll see when we board the Arronax," Fontaine says to Ant. "I have to monitor the dragon."

"And Fontaine? After we get this dragon helped, we talk," Dad says. Even Ant winces at the steel in Dad's tone.

Fontaine mumbles, "Yes, Dad." She looks away and clicks off the screen, glad she can't see the disappointed fury in his face anymore.