"Thank you... Smolder..." I panted in draconic as Smolder finished applying the brightsting cactus against the wound. Surprisingly, I felt great, amazing even, the brightsting made the wound feel as if it was a spot of bliss.

"You're lucky she didn't inject you with a full dose or near to the heart, it's a miracle you survived." He replied as he took a step back. Maybe it was a benefit of Teardrop blood? I'll have to take notes.

"Do you have... charcoal or something to write with?" I asked but he shook his head.

"Nothing another one your size." He growled softly.

I sighed but thanked him with a nod, before taking the piece of paper out and unfolding it with my shaky hands, studying the Boomstick firing mechanism, it was settled, I was going to kill her, shoot her through the eye just like the mighty Dragonslayer did all those years ago, at least that's what I had been told from the myths and legends I heard... although he or she had a spear.

"Think you can get me to the cage again, the one with the human?" I asked Smolder, switching back to common, but he just shook his head profusely.

"No, absolutely not, not a chance, that's way too close, what do you think is gonna happen if my sister catches you?"

"She'll torture me but she won't kill me."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Simple, she likes me."

"..." He just paused for a moment, a moment that lasted over a few minutes. "H-what? Where did you get the idea that Burn likes you?"

"There's quite a few reasons actually that I've noticed."

"Like what?"

"The fact she can talk to me, she likes being able to demean and insult me, especially since it's personal, since a scavenger did kill your mom after all. She also likes that I'm not submissive, she wants to break me and she likes the challenge, she wants to take her anger out on me and she wants to keep doing it, just like she's doing with Scarlet, however the difference between me and her is that Scarlet and her were a lot closer. What's up with that anyways, I thought they were lovers or something?" I asked.

"That would be accurate, however, their definitions of love are very different than ours, they love power, they love control, that doesn't mean they exactly love each other."

"That sounds... really fucked up."

"It really is." he chuckles, but sighs sadly simultaneously.

"So... I may or may not have a plan-"

"Please, Teardrop, don't do something stupid, what are you gonna do, yabble her to death." he awkwardly laughs, but I can tell there's a large amount of concern in his voice as well.

"Just hear me out, you were kind of right, about the human having fire breath." I started as he whipped his head down to face me.

"Are you fucking-"

"No, well... it's complicated, but I have an idea, if I can get to the body again then-"

"No."

"Huh? What do you mean no?"

"It's too risky, I'm sorry, but maybe another time?" He laughs me off as he starts to walk away, the clinging and clanging of all his jewelry used to sound like beautiful chimes, now they sounded like cats scratching against stone.

"I can kill Burn!" I called out to him, surprised at how fast he suddenly flew back and wrapped his talons around the cage before shaking me.

"No, you can't! And you shouldn't even try! Listen to me, and this is for your own good. It. Is. Way. Too. Risky! I don't want you to die, alright?"

I huffed and crossed my arms. "I appreciate it Smolder, I really do, after all, you're the only dragon who's actually been kind to me, three moons, you're nicer than most humans I meet, though... it would be nice if I could actually talk to another human, even though the last time I did that was... three moons... has it really been a month or so?"

"I guess for you it has."

"So how's Flower, I take it the gem helps you two?"

"Um... about that..." He started as he gave me back the jewel, oversized in my hands, way too small in his talons.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Not to say it's completely useless..."

"But?"

"It is completely useless, at least to me, I can't figure out how to use it." He sighs.

"What are you talking about, all you need is for both of you to touch it and you should be able to understand each other."

"Well if it did work then do you really think I'd be telling you that it didn't work, Teardrop?"

"For the last time it's... whatever." I scoff while rolling my eyes. "Anyways, back to killing your sister-"

"You're really still on this?"

"As long as I'm trapped, I will be."

"Please stop even thinking about it, if you know how to play Burn's mind then why not use it to just stay alive?"

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Because I must."

"Then get used to disappointment. Many have tried killing my sister before, dragon's, sorry to say this but you are just a scavenger-"

"Human-"

"Same thing!" He growled loudly before sighing. "Look, you know I'm right, that it's a long shot?"

"If I don't do anything then I may as well be on the menu tomorrow."

"No, you'll be most likely dismembered and dissected." He muttered to which I gave him a wide-eyed glare.

"Was that supposed to make me feel better or do you just not know when to shut up?"

"I know you're mad, I know you're frustrated, but killing possibly the most RUTHLESS dragon in Pyrrhia isn't exactly the best idea, not to mention the effects it would have on our kingdom. Blister would probably take control and then Blaze would stand no chance."

"So I'll... kill Blister too?" I offer, sounding out the unfamiliar names.

"Ha! Burn has been trying to kill her for decades now."

"Okay, I see your point, though I don't really know Blister or... who was the other one again?"

"Blaze is my other sister... she's... very vain if you get what I mean."

"Sounds better than the other two." I shrug.

"Yeah but if Blaze actually wins the throne then most likely the power goes to the Icewings, and then we'll basically be their puppets."

"I'm sorry, but is it weird that I don't see that as too bad of an option-"

"They all want to kill scavengers."

"Nevermind."

"Well, not Blaze."

"That's nice at least-"

"She just wants to breed you."

I went silent, mulling over his words. "You know how messed up your family is, right?"

He sighed. "You have no idea what they've taken away from me."

I went quiet at that. He may have been a dragon, but I couldn't forget he was also a person, a very big and cannibalistic person if he ate humans, but a person with their own thoughts, motives, feelings, things I could maybe turn in my favor.

"Do you... want to talk about it?" I asked him gently.

"I... it's fine."

"Are you sure, it's not like I'd tell anyone else."

"You might tell Flower."

"Never met."

"Seriously? I thought she'd be all over you."

"Please rephrase that, that just sounds..."

"Sounds what?"

"Nevermind." I said with a wave. "I think she's busy with something." I said as I barely managed to spot Flower hiding on top of a door, the other human, a tan woman with black hair that sort of dropped down to look like a mane around her head. Currently she seemed to be sowing something, maybe new clothes for herself since I doubt they had any new pairs for humans here.

I looked down at my own clothes and sniffed one of my sleeves, recoiling in disgust. "I need a wash." I think aloud.

"No kidding."

"That wasn't for your ears, Smolder."

"I'm just saying you stink-"

"Smolder! Seriously, stop, anyways, you were talking about-"

"That's of no concern to you, River!"

My eyes widened as he used my actual name, but I sighed and held my hands up. "I'm... sorry I asked."

***

"Aha!" I quietly celebrated to myself as I finally picked the lock using the paper, the benefits of being small I guess. I slowly opened the cage door, wincing and cursing as it made a loud creaking noise, in the now higher chance that a dragon woke up, hopefully Smolder and not Burn, I wouldn't have long before they'd figure out something's wrong so I have to act fast.

I quickly slid out and started climbing down the pillar, using the large ridges as a good place to put my foot and hands, slowly yet in a rush, climbing down before jumping off as I got close to the ground. Luckily the floor was covered in sand brought back from the dragons coming in and out so it wasn't that hard to make my way quietly across the floor.

I could hear the sounds, as my feet shifted across the sand, the sounds of birds of prey as they screeched in the middle of the night, and the sound of my own raspy breathing as I walked, feeling my heart beating in my head. I looked up and saw the moon, Perception, looking back in full glow, its spherical shape almost making it seem as if it was a gigantic dragon's eye following me. The light of the moon was bleeding into the room, casting shadows all across the room, but the light seemed to shine on me through the window. I felt targeted, vulnerable, exposed, that feeling amplified as I saw in the corner of my eye, another shadow, the shadow of another human, her shadow seemed a little taller than my own. I quickly looked at the source but just as quickly, she scampered away.

'So you must be Flower.' I imagined myself saying, but knowing it was better to stay silent, I disregarded the thought and ignored the fact she was currently watching me as I headed towards Pyro's pillar.

I sighed angrily as I looked up, the pillar was sharp all over, probably Burn's idea, making it impossible for something as small as me to climb. I thought about waking Smolder up but he'll probably just be mad and throw me back in my cage. I scoffed at the motion and turned my attention back to the source of Flower's shadow from earlier.

"I wouldn't steal anything if I were for you." Her voice suddenly cut through the silence behind me.

"Shh!" I quickly said to her as I whipped my head up to face her, she was around my size, but she looked a lot older. "You can't wake up Smolder." I told her sternly while she just looked at me with a cheeky smile. "Besides, I'm not stealing any treasure."

"Smolder, where are you getting that name from? And who are you? And what are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same, but the gist of it is I'm trying to escape."

"Not much of a talker, are you, but what's your story, where are you from, please tell me, tell me tell me-"

"I'm from Talisman."

"Oh... I'm sorry, were you-"

"Yeah, but I managed to get to the Invincible City, but then right as I was about to be a citizen, the red one in that crate over there," I pointed to the large wooden crate where Scarlet was in. "Basically made me her healing pet, then we both ended up getting sold to Burn."

"Burn?"

"The big one. The one that did this." I say while I show her my side covered in bandages.

"Why did she-"

"I basically told her I'm gonna kill her like her mother."

"And she seemed to... understand?" She asked with wide eyes.

"Right, forgot to mention the fact I can sort of speak dragon." I said while rubbing the back of my head.

"YOU CAN SPEAK DRAGON!?"

"Shush! Not so loud!" I quietly yell at her.

"Sorry, it's just, I haven't seen another human in decades, and since you can speak dragon-"

"How about this, you help me get up to the cage and I'll help you be able to talk to Smolder. From what he's told me about you, you seem to be in no rush to go anywhere."

"He talks about me?"

"Yeah, he really cares about you." I say. "So are you in or-"

"Follow me." She says before running towards some boxes.

"Wait, hold on!" I call out quietly after her as I follow her through the sand.

"So you'll really teach me how to speak dragon?"

"I'm not that good but I can try, I usually use a Teardrop Gem to talk to them, at least that's what I call it."

She suddenly stops and looks back at me. "You're a Teardrop?"

"Well... I think so... I don't know what it really means though..." I started but she took a step back.

"You're just supposed to be a myth."

"Hey... calm down, I just wanna escape."

"You're..." She took a deep breath and calmed down. "You're right, besides, you're just a kid, come on." She said as she grabbed my hand and took me up to a table where there was a clipboard sticking out in the direction of the cage.

"Thank you."

"Don't sweat it." She said before I ran and jumped off the giant clipboard. I landed with a loud and metallic clang! Then I heard thudding behind me.

"Kid! Hide!" She whispered-shouted before running and hiding.

"Come on! Please be unlocked!" I muttered as I opened the door, feeling a flood of relief as it was. I quickly rolled myself inside and scrounged up all the pieces of metal still by Pyro's body as the talon-steps got closer.

"You should be in your cage!" She roared.

"I've got you now!" I roar back as I finish loading the weapon and aim it, right for her eye. I smiled wide enough that it was probably ear-to-ear as I watched her eyes widen in surprise. "Just like I said, just like your mother." I said quietly before pulling the trigger.

CLICK!

My eyes widened in surprise and I looked down before looking in the chamber, there was no black powder. "Fuck-" I was cut off by loud guttural laughter.

"You know... I woke up, ready to rip you in half, but you're an amusing scavenger, I think I'll just rip off a little piece of you instead." She growled before wrapping her talons around me.