Amber

Status: Alive
Occupation: Fugitive
Current Effects: N/A


It was dark, but father told me this was my home. I would lie if I said I didn’t like the weird little glowy things called “luminescent mushrooms”. It even glowed when I mushed it against my scales! I still remember Mercy’s face when me and my brother were covered in glowing streaks. I got in trouble, but it was worth it! Mercy says I’m too small to leave the nursery yet, but I feel like it’s actually for another reason...

...

drip...drop...drip…drop...

I listened to the sounds of the quiet nursery. Once I was confident no one was awake, I quietly scurried over to the edit I had seen Mercy use once.

It wasn’t an exit.

I looked up, dumbfounded by the boulder in my way.

that can’t be right! I swear she walked in this direction!

I tilted my head, hoping to see a gap, a key, something. Nothing, just stone. I quietly hissed in frustration, flicking my tail harshly against the wall. I turned my head just as the torch I knocked out of place began to fall. Lunging forward, I grabbed the torch with a quiet Hmp! as I hit the ground. “Damn it, this was supposed to be quiet…” I muttered to myself as I got myself up.

But as the fire flicked to the side as I picked it up, something in the corner caught my eye. I turned my head, seeing the writing on the stone. Bringing the torch closer, I quietly gasped as quick, crude writing seemed to crawl across the wall. Like a moving, living liquid, the ink was revealed in the light.



“Ah-va-tah..?” I said quietly out loud in confusion. Tilting my head at the stone again, I brought the torch closer to see if I missed anything else. Nothing. So whatever this is, it was apparently important enough to get some weird magical ink. “Avata..” I said again, looking back up at the boulder. Nothing.

Should’ve known this would be a waste…

I went to turn around, just to be blinded by a shine of light. I hissed in pain and surprise as I opened my eyes again, blinking back the spots. After a few moments, I looked back up. The boulder was rolled to the side.

I hesitated, my talon halfway outside. This was my first time out of the hatchery. Or was it? What if this was a trap? No point in worrying now.. I convinced myself, before stepping out. The walls were lit with torches, but much more than the nursery, they relied more on moonlight. In fact, there was no moonlight. It was all a cavern. Stepping forward, the hall was long as I quietly padded along I came to four passages. One looked to be lit with only mushrooms instead of torches, one was dimly lit with a few torches, one was completely dark, and the last was lit like the nursery. Back to the nursery? Did I miss another exit? I thought to myself.

Stretching my neck into each to see if I could see anything (except for the completely dark one) only to find nothing but more hall. And in all honesty, I was a little worried about getting lost. But one thing scared me. One of the halls, the one lit dimly with torches, had claw and talon marks along it… like something had been desperately trying to escape…

Shaking my head, I turned to the one lit with luminescent mushrooms. I wonder what—

“STOP THIS!! GET AWAY FROM ME!!! RELEASE ME!!!!”

I flinched, hearing the screams of a dragon and the grunts of another approaching from the hall. The one I was standing in front of. Dread and panic filled me as I looked around, not knowing. They were getting closer and the yelling was getting louder. I looked around not knowing where to go, and looked up. What if…

I desperately flapped my wings, hooking my claws to any small cracks in the ceiling. I flicked my tail up and froze as the two dragons entered.

“GET AWAY FROM ME!! I KNOW WHAT YOU ALL DO!!”

It was a sky dancer, with dull grey scales and mechanical legs. The other dragon who was dragging the dragon had dark black scales and red wings. I watched, scared as the larger dragon dragged away the smaller one with mechanical legs. I froze in horror however, my breath catching as the larger dragon stopped, sniffing the air.

I froze, everything tense. The smaller dragon was still fighting the larger one, but I guess the larger one got tired of it because he rammed his head in the rocks. My eyes widened as the larger one continuously threw the smaller dragon into the wall over and over and over…. the smaller dragon stopped fighting, and had a shallow breath.

And just like that, the larger dragon continued dragging the smaller dragon away.

After they left, I unhooked myself from the ceiling. Landing not so elegantly, I found myself suddenly less afraid of that darkened hallway. Turning back to the one lit like the nursery, I decided it was probably best I head back. Surprisingly when I stepped inside, no boulder came in to block it from the outside. Tentatively, I continued padding down the hall to an opening, that was definitely not the nursery.

Two dragons were playing in a large pool of water, splashing it into each other and occasionally play-fighting in the air. I looked up, and saw we were in fact still in a cavern. But this one had a huge skylight that shone light on the two. Who are they?[/b] Edging forwards may not have been the best thing to do to feed my curiosity. Because the small rocks in front of me gave out made me stumble.

Flapping my wings in a panicked state, I ended up hurting myself more and ended up next to the large pool of water. The two others approached. Panicked, I backed away, nervous and afraid. One of the dragons looked like a smaller version of the big dragon from before, while the other looked like nothing I’ve ever seen. The smaller one spoke first, their voice having a hiss to it.

“Who are you? Last I remembered, they don’t throw[/b] us in!” They said, their right wing gesturing to where I came from, now blocked. I looked at the blue and dark purple dragon, a little confused. “Who are you[/]? This looks like a larger nursery. Mercy never said there was a larger nursery…” I trailed off, realizing after what I had seen in those halls I shouldn’t always trust her words.

“Well, there are two parts to the nursery.” The second, larger one explained. This one looked like the big dragon from before, but smaller. “One for the dragonets with too small wings to fly, and one for the dragonets that can. And judging by yours-” he opened one of my half-tucked wings, spreading it to see it’s length. I cringed, knowing it was much smaller compared to these two. “-You shouldn’t be here.” He finished, looking at me with a confused glare.

I sighed, contemplating whether I should tell them. After a few moments, I spoke. “I’m from the other nursery. I know I’m not supposed to be here, but I wanted to see what else there was. I always heard voices outside but… now I wish I didn’t… don’t you know what happens out there?” I admitted, but my curiosity got the better of me and I ended up asking a question instead of just keeping it to myself. But surprisingly, the two dragons almost seemed amused. The blue one spoke first.

“Well I mean, we have each other. As long as we are strong, we will be fine.” The blue dragon leaned over, and the larger one wrapped one wing around them. “We have each other, and that’s all that matters.” The larger dragon said. “Uh.. what are your names..?” I asked, feeling kind of awkward.

“Oh, how silly of us!” The blue dragon said. “I am Nightshade! Like the berry that kills! And this is Deathbringer!” Deathbringer nodded.

“So now that you're here, wanna check something out?”

...

I stopped them, trying to explain I didn’t want to go since my brother was still in the other nursery. Surprisingly, they agreed and actually led me to a “secret entrance” to the nursery my brother was still in. It was just small enough for me. After some whisper yelling, I got him out and to the new nursery. But I was frightened by what I heard. As we left, I heard a raspy voice demanding to a worried Mercy about “how the Dragonets could have information.” Against my brothers will, I listened as the dragon demanded to Mercy to have the dragonets, only to end up covering my ears after I heard Mercy being picked up. I didn’t want to ever hear the sound of another dragon being killed again. I left shortly after.

They want me and my brother, and I can’t allow him to be hurt.

...