Arion leaned back against the back wall of his cell and sighed, "Hey guard, any chance I could get some reading material while you all are being so hospitable."
The blue and green pearlcatcher standing outside the door to his cell barely turned his head to glare at Arion and growled, "Quiet prisoner, or you'll see exactly how hospitable we can be to traitors."
'Traitors?' Arion thought with a shock as the blood drained from his face. How could they think he was a traitor? He hadn't done anything! He grabbed his right paw with his left one to keep from doodling on any other parts of the cell. He tried to keep calm but it was becoming difficult the longer he stayed inside this cage. He might be able to break out of the cell, if push came to shove, but he wasn't a trained fighter like most of the guards he'd seen when they had dragged him down here. Even if he got out he wouldn't be able to free himself from these dragon's clutches. If Aella was here things would be different but he was glad she wasn't. She'd fight these dragons and probably get killed in the process. 'She's never been good with authority,' He remembered with a smile.
What had he done to deserve this exactly? All he asked for was an audience with the queen. Maybe it was a bold request from a total stranger (well, not a total stranger— he was born in Rivereth originally) but in that case they could have just turned him down. Why make a show of shoving him in this dank—
He heard voices and the sounds of swimming coming from the end of the cell block. The pearlcatcher guard in pristine alabaster filigree armor straightened and stood at attention. Arion's anticipation made his hair raise on end. If the guard was straightening himself up then whoever this was must be important. He sat up and curled his long tail around his legs in a gesture of complete passivity. As he did so, his heart started to race once more.
The first dragon he saw come into view was a large and dark imperial with a black mane that was grown out to almost past his legs. It flowed around him like a veil of darkness and framed his face like a halo. Arion noticed a dark, spiked crown nearly hidden in the imperial's voluminous hair. He also a noticed an uncanny row of a eyes lining the imperial's neck and torso marking him as a rare multi-gazed dragon.
Arion gulped deeply and reminded his brain that the smart thing was to keep his head (no matter how intimidating this dragon was.) He had to be the king. Why else would he be wearing that crown? The king's many eyes immediately spied him inside the cell and narrowed darkly. Arion remained silent even though his fear was steadily rising.
The second dragon, a female, he didn't notice until he was able to tear his eyes away from the dark, brooding menace that was glaring dangers at him. Once he saw her though, the world and everything in it fell away completely.
Suddenly he was a child again, huddling up next to the wing of his mother who always radiated a warmth his father never had. His sister was curled up next to him with her minty green tail wrapped snugly around both of them. Her small, dark wings glowed brightly in the night with swirls of white and a full moon reflecting faintly off her scales. The rosy gold filigree that lined her neck glimmered in the dim light cast by the markings on her wings. He smiled happily to see her birth accent so clearly when it was usually all bundled up and hidden in the thick cloaks and wraps their parents made them wear constantly. He thought she was beautiful.
"Now children," Their mother said softly as she reached around and nuzzled them both, "Your father and I will have to leave you for a short time but you'll be safe with some friends of ours."
Arion frowned as Rose yawned, "But we want to stay with you."
Their father, who had been keeping watch nearby, said solemnly, "You cannot."
Arion looked from his father to his mother and asked worriedly, "Why?"
Their mother gazed at him sadly, "You just can't, darling. It's not safe."
Rose, realizing the severity of the conversation, was suddenly close to tears, "What happens if you come back and you can't find us?!"
Their mother looked at their father before looking back at them both,"I'll tell you a secret. You both have extraordinary abilities. Rosy you can always tell when dragons aren't being truthful and Arion you can talk to your father in that special way you do. Well, as long as you two have each other then you will be able to use those two abilities to find us wherever we are. So, if we can't find you, then you find us."
Weeks later, time had gone by and their parents never returned. The clan they were staying with decided to move on but they weren't leaving together. Some were heading off to the Fishspine Reef while others where heading further north down the edge of the Leviathan Trench. The two siblings screamed each other's names as they were separated between the two parties. Arion's group headed towards the warmer, shallower waters of the reefs while little Rose was carried off into deeper, danker waters of the deep. It was the last time they saw each other as hatchlings.
"R-rosy?" Arion asked shakily, hardly daring to hope but unable to dissuade the visible proof floating in front him.
