Secret Dragon

Chapter 2

Wyvern

I’ve been on the run for three months… I hunt here and there, but no sign of the guards. I wonder if they’ve forgotten me? I don’t really want to test this theory. My cave has been my home away from home and I’ve grown fond of it. A small fire just to keep warm for a few minutes before putting it out, I wrap my heavy cloak around me as a blanket, but the natural stone keeps the weather out. I debated with Hayle for a while whether to go back to the market to see if I could get away with it again.

“You’re going to get caught…” Hayle bugs me again for the 10th time this morning…

“And if I do, then you can say I told you so!” I yell at her, annoyed.

“Oh, I will!” I shift into Hayle’s form and we fly toward Galvan. Once the weather warms up, I shift back to myself. My platinum wavy blonde hair falls to my mid-back and my dragon icy blue eyes shift back to my normal bright blue ones. I snitched a cloak that was on the ground and walked around in my dirty forest green peasant dress I wore yesterday. I looked around the market and it was the same old as the last time I was here. Except that security has been beefed up a little. More guards than I remember than last time. I try to hide my face, but people are staring, and then I saw it… a wanted poster with me on it… geez I didn’t realize it had gotten this serious… I tried to keep my head down but the smell of food cooking made my mouth drool…

“You’re going to get caught…” Hayle bugs me again and I growl at her!

“Will you keep quiet! I’m trying to focus!” The crowd grows louder with murmurs of who this cloaked person is. Soon I’m blindsided by a guard and rips off my cloak.

“You! Finally! We’ve been looking for you!” The guard smirks at me and I admit my defeat at first. Some of the other winter dragons had shown me some self-defense moves. I use a little of my ice breath just enough to make the guard’s hand cold, but not hurt him. I also use a little of my ice magic to make the ground cold and a little slippery, but it’s no problem for me. I just ran and ran back into the woods. I can’t believe I got away with it twice! I’m caught up in my victory moment when I didn’t realize I was caught in a net trap… crap… I squeal as the trap goes up into the trees.

“Well, well, well I finally got you…” A guard in undercover clothing comes out from behind a tree. If he wasn’t literally trying to catch me and throw me to jail, I’d think he’s cute. Leather long sleeve vest, a white-collared shirt peeking out from underneath and some leather pants and belt. How do they get anything done in so much leather??

“Yeah great, good for you. Do you want some beef?” Same thing as asking for a cookie. “Is this the only way you can catch a woman? By entrapping her?!” I ask him angrily, making the trap swing.

“It’s the only way to catch thief scum.” He smirks at me and I just want to wipe it off!

“Aren’t you a real charmer?!” Clearly disinterested and sarcastic...

“I have a name you know..” He smirks at me like he’s so cocky.

“Don’t care, charming suits you.” I smirk at him “Now cut. me. down!” I demanded.

“Now you’re going to listen to me. I will get you down, and you bring back what you took.” The guard looks too cocky.

“Why would I do that?” Clearly disinterested.

“Because then I won’t tell anyone who you really are, Wyvern Tiamat…” As he holds up my wanted poster. WANTED for stealing and running away. “And I’m pretty sure the royal family isn’t as… charming… as I am.” He smirks at me.

“IF you must know… the thing I took was a 10lb hunk of meat so I could feed my family! My dad is an ice dragon, my mom is human. So my dad and I take turns hunting.” He cuts me down with his sword and I scream as I fall. “Ouch. Nice landing… and besides I already ate it!”

“Nice try, now come on. You’re coming with us!” The guard yells at me and grabs me by my arm. I admit defeat. He pulls me closer before we start heading back towards the village.

“I will always find you.” He smirks and we start walking.

“Told you so…” I let out a deep sigh and she’s right…

“Yeah, yeah, yeah… go on and gloat” We made it to the dungeons and I have my own small cell. Just a cot for me to sleep on, a bucket to use for my business and a small hole for putting trays on for meals.

“Your five-year sentence starts now.” The door slams and it echoes throughout the room. I flinched a little as it slammed and I just slid down the wall and onto the floor huddling myself for warmth. Most of the other cells are empty except for the one next to me. I think it’s a young lady, but she’s so dirty I couldn’t tell.

“Psst!” She tries to get my attention but I’m too upset to talk to anyone… “I know this is glum and bad, but you’re the first person besides a guard that I’ve talked to in a year… my name is Elena Gardiner. I was an air dragon, but I haven’t let my dragon out in a while and she wants to fly!” Well I guess things could always be worse.

“What are you in for?” I ask out of curiosity.

“I saw a hungry kid begging for food, and I had little money, but I gave what I had to the merchant and gave the kid the apple… the merchant got mad that I didn’t pay in full and called the guards… I’ve been here for three years…” Three years for giving a kid an apple!? Harsh…

“What’s your story?” Elena asks me while trying to slide over to the bars, but she’s chained up…

“I had a similar experience… I saw a nice hunk of meat hanging, and I paid for some of it, but couldn’t pay the rest. I haven’t fully learned how to hunt, since it's just my dad and I who hunt. My mom is human so she can’t, and my dad isn’t exactly a young dragon anymore, but he tries. Anyway, I saw a nice hunk of meat hanging in the market, again I paid for most of it, but ran off with it before the guards and merchant noticed. I tried to bring it to my family, but the guards were already there. So I ran to the Flurris… found a cave and hid for most of it. A nice lady dragon helped me with my magic and my power grew there. It was nice to really grow as a dragon.” I smile at the memories… I miss them already…

“Well, at least I won’t be lonely anymore.” Soon there’s a loud banging noise as the jail door opens and we hear footsteps.

“Time for your evening meal ladies…” The guard haphazardly throws the food through the slot in our doors and I walk over to it and it looks like mush. I think it once was some sort of meat and potatoes, but I can’t tell.

“Yummy… thanks. My compliments to the chef.” I smirk at the guard. I look closer to him and it’s the same one from the woods! “You! You’re the guard that had me trapped!?”

“Yeah lucky me. I got put on food duty, but I said I’d always find you.” He sounds sarcastic and I’m not offended.

“Yeah cause you put me here! I was just trying to feed my family! My mother can’t hunt as easily like the rest of us! She’s human, and my father is an ice dragon. Lucky me, I inherited his ice dragon genes I guess. So it’s just the three of us since my mother couldn’t handle another dragon pregnancy.”

“Yeah, yeah a cute sob story.” Clearly not believing me.

“Fine, charming… I guess I’ll see you around.”

“Actually, I do have a bit of good news, Elena, since you’ve been on good behavior there're talks of letting you out early.”

“Really!? Oh thank you!” She starts crying tears of joy. She turns to me and her smile fades. “I’m sorry, then you’ll be all alone…”

“I’ll be fine, go enjoy your freedom.” I smile back to her and as the loud door unlocks, the door swings open, and she takes her steps towards freedom. I hold back my tears. On the one hand, I’m happy for her but now I’m all alone.

“I’ll visit you and try to bring you some decent food!” She smiles back at me.

“Enjoy your freedom…” Soon Charming and Elena walk out of the jail and I’m all alone… just left to my thoughts…