Dragon's for Keeps Part 3

Dragon's For Keeps 

By Burner Fire 

Part 3

“You rat!” Cindy shouted at Aubrey, “What did you do?! Go around looking for people with problems so you can have more slaves!” She was marching up to her throne, then stop when she notice the two guards in crouch positions.

They were going to pounce on her once she got too close, “Cindy dear, I’ve done nothing any of you didn’t want.” Cindy rolled her copper eyes, “You all said you would love to go to another world and I provided it for you, did I not?”

“No,” Cindy backed away a step, “this is not what we wanted, none of us.”

“Speak for yourself Cindy.” Cassie strode up to Aubrey, then bow to her.

“You may speak.” Aubrey was loving that at least one of them gave her respect.

“I would like to be one of royal guards, and protect you from crazy crack pots like Cindy there.” she nodded at Cindy.

Aubrey smiled then pulled her winds to her side, “You are a wise dragon, but to be come a royal guard you must be all dragon. As soon as the last scale has grown, then you shall train to be a guard.” Cassie seemed a little upset, but nodded her head in agreement, “All dragon means you must also give up your old name,” a smile crept across Cassie’s mouth, she always hated her name, “Your new name shall be Ebony, return to your place in line so I may finish with Cindy’s confusion.” Cassie raise her head in pride took back her place next to Ruby.

“Now Cindy,” Aubrey slid off her throne and approach her, “I know your probably scare and confuse right now,” Cindy looked her right in her eyes to argue but at that moment her body felt relax and all anger was drain from her, “Do you think you can be clam enough to allow me to continue with naming you and the others?” she nodded dreamily never taking her eye’s away from her, Cindy felt something hard growing around her neck, “Your color is a nice brown,” she thought a minute, “Your name shall be Chestnut, understand.” Cindy nodded, “Now return to your place in line and just stay relax.”

Cindy felt like she was in a dreamy state she walked back and stood next to Vanessa, her eye’s stood on Aubrey. Her mind kept filling with thoughts of how wonderful it would be to stay and serve Aubrey, but there was another part screaming at herself to stop thinking such stupid thoughts! Because those thoughts were only bringing more copper scales around her neck.  

“Now Ruby will you please come forth,” Ruby slowly approached she kept her eye’s to floor refusing to look into Aubrey’s, “So what do you think about this nice surprise I gave you, especially after how your wicked mother treated you?”

 Aubrey appear to her as a kind woman who try and help her get away from her mother’s apron strings. Even though she was a teenage star making movies her mother made sure to teach her some values such as doing her homework and cleaning there house. For a week she would sneak off with this woman and they’d go around town, having fun buying things and talking like friends. Then one day she ask Ruby if she’d like go somewhere without her mother bothering her again, she agreed and then when she took a sip of her coffee (That her mother doesn’t allow her to drink) she doze off and woke up in the cage as a red dragon.

“It’s great.” she said sadly, Ruby wanted to see mother she didn’t want to be stuck here forever.

“See,” Aubrey said to the other dragons, “That’s all I wanted to hear,” of course Ruby wasn’t going to argue after see how she manipulate Cindy, “now your name shall be Ember, return to the line.” Ruby jogged back wanting to be as far away form Aubrey as possible. “Lou Ann please come here dear,” she waved a claw at her encouraging her to come forth, Lou Ann, came with head almost hitting the ground, her tail dragged across the sliver rug, “I understand you are the most scare,” Aubrey spoke in a soft gentle voice, “remember you were looked upon as fat in your world, and you were ugly weren’t you.” tears began rolling down her muzzle, “when I tried to help you lose weight you were hopeful at first but then you said you would love to be a animal because they never have to worry about their weight.” Lou Ann cringed at her own words, “So now you’re an animal and your weight is very attractive and no dragon here will ever be rude to you.” she looked up slightly then looked down, “Now for your name…”

Cassie spoke up, “I have the perfect name it should be Butterball!” she was laughing so cruel. At that moment Eden swatted her with his tail. “What did I do!?” He grab her by the tail and dragged her out a door that was on the wall behind the throne you could hear her shouting and trying to fight Eden but he was too strong for her.

“Ebony is foolish once you except a dragon name the rules applied to you immediately weather you know them or not,” The others look shocked all expect for Cindy who was still under Aubrey’s spell, “what better way to learn than to break them and then be punish, she was not to speak while I was speaking and she broke the rule so she shall have forty lashes.” She laughed, “Too bad all her scales didn’t grow in her soft leathery skin is going to tear easily,” they heard Cassie’s screams coming down that same door, Ruby, Lou Ann and Vanessa cover their ears, to try and block out her horrified screams, “Lou Ann your name shall be Aurelia.” she wave her away from her, “Vanessa please stand before me.”

Vanessa march up to her then held her gaze for a minute and bowed before her, “You may NOT speak now rise,” but she didn’t move Vanessa hadn’t gotten a name yet and the rules didn’t apply to her, she didn’t care how long she had to wait she wasn’t budging, “alright Vanessa,” she growled, “you may speak.”

“I don’t want any part of this world and I refuse to take a name,” the guards glance at each other nervously, “I demand you return me home.”

“Vanessa dear, you must understand how hard that would be, it’s near to impossible,” she tried to get her to look into her eye’s, “going to your world takes a lot of power.” Cassie’s screams stopped down the hall.

“Don’t try none of your hocus pocus on me, we saw what you did to Cindy,” it was slowly wearing off, “I want to return home to take care of my twin brothers, at the time it seem to be the worst thing ever but this place is the worst.”

Aubrey return to her throne then whisper something to her guards, then her eyes landed back on Vanessa, “You shall be going somewhere safe until I can return you home,” the guards approached her and started shoving her through the door that Cassie was dragged down in, “maybe before I get the chance to send you home you’ll change your mind, if you have one at all before I’m through.”

“NO! I WANT TO GO HOME!”She scream down the hall as the guards shoved her down.

“SLIENCE WHELP!” They whipped her with there tails.

“Now that the trouble makers are gone, you all have a special job that needs completing each day,” Cindy shook her head the magic had almost wore off, “Ember you shall be working down in the coal mines in this wondrous mountain and don’t get lost in the tunnels, you could stave to death that way.” Ruby look nervous. “Since I gave you everything you want you might as well pay off your debt to me, once all your scales are grown in it will be paid off and you’ll move to the village.” She turn to Lou Ann, “And you shall be my lady in waiting which means you run off and get me what ever I want, since I spent all my time trying to help you lose weight you might as well take care of me for a while.” She look at Cindy’s half daze look, “You shall be working in my library since you were going to college to become smart you might as well become smart here.” Cindy nodded her head.

Eden return to the room and bowed to her, “You may speak Eden.”

“I handed Ebony over to Flare and she was whipped forty times as punishment.” he smiled for a job well done.

“Very good did you tell her why she was punish?” Aubrey lean forward in her seat.

“Yes I did my queen and she said ‘she understood and to ask for your forgiveness.” He brightened.

“Good when I can see her without being disgusted then I shall let her beg forgiveness. And what about the gray dragon?” you could see the hatred in her eye’s as she spoke of Vanessa.

“We place the body iron cast on her the things she can move is her tail, neck, and head. Did she reject a wondrous name from your amazing self?” He looked at her a little worry.

“It is true she rejected a beautiful name so as soon as she gives in her name shall be Arian. But as we all know she must except it willing. Don’t give her any food for a week and leave some of the dragon potion in a un tip able bowl.” she smile wickedly.

“Your majesty I will, but we only have a small amount they haven’t been too successful in the mines in finding a new spring.” he sighed.

“I understand,” she nodded, “Please take these dragons to there new jobs, Ember is to the mines, Aurelia will stay with me, and Chestnut will go to the library.”

Eden lead Cindy and Ruby away leaving Lou Ann with Aubrey, “This way young ones,” Cindy finally snapped out of it she could remember everything that happen, but she felt dumb for doing nothing, they were following Eden down the same door that Vanessa and Cassie went through, “Lets go down the left hall, the right hall leads to justice being serve.” they could hear Vanessa yelling to let her go and they could hear Cassie moaning, “I hope that gray dragon learns to love it here like the rest of us”

Down this hall it wasn’t like the rest of the palace it was made of gray rock it had torches hanging on the walls lighting the way. Then he stop at a round door in the wall, it was made of wood and look like it was rotting. “This is where Ember shall leave us,” Eden open the door, it looked like once you enter you fall all the way down, then how do you get out Cindy thought, “climb through the whole then you’ll have a long fall, you’ll meet the other dragons at the bottom.”

Ruby poked her head through the hole, “How do I get out after?”

“You don’t.” Eden shoved her in, she gasp and screamed on the way down, he slammed the door shut.

Cindy was shock she wasn’t expecting that, she slammed against the door trying to open it, “Why’d you do that get her back here.”

He wrapped his tail around her chest and pin her against the wall, she try to fight but she found out what Cassie did he was stronger most creatures, “Calm down Chestnut she’s just going to work, she’ll be fine, it’s always easier to push them in unexpectedly that way we don’t spend an hour of them trying to psych themselves out.” he release her, “Follow me.”

Cindy stop and star at the door she open it and notice that she stop screaming which meant she was probably at the bottom. “Ruby?” her voice echo down the hole.

Then she was shoved a side and the door was slammed shut, “I said follow me,” smack her with his tail, “get going,” Cindy jogged ahead and watch as he sealed the door, he breathe fire and a lock appeared on the door, he came beside Cindy, “Come Chestnut the library is just around this corner.” he said cheerfully like nothing happen.

They stopped at a thick black door the hinges looked rusted and old, there was a large lock in the middle of the door. Eden placed his tail into the lock you could hear the tumblers creak and turn. The door open, “In you go,” Cindy slowly walked in, “Alright your food will come down that small little dumb waiter there.” he pointed to a hole in the wall. “I’ll be back to bring you to the queen in three days, she’ll want to know how much knowledge you obtain.” He slammed the door right when Cindy threw herself at it, she heard the click locking her inside.

How do I get out she thought, what an idiot I just went along with him and didn’t even try to escape! That’s when she heard something rattle, she looked around there was nothing but ceiling to floor book shelves, they were full of scrolls and books of all sizes. Cindy slowly approached the desk in the middle of the room, there are ink stains in the wood, it was mostly from the bottles of ink on the desk, there was a couple of chicken feathers that looked like someone use it like quills. Then she heard the rattle again only closer this time, it was coming from a pile of books.

“Hello?” Cindy said.

“Hey!” a orange dragon popped out of the pile and wrapped himself around her neck for a hug, Cindy stumble back, scare that she might hurt him, “HimynamesAlbanywhat’syour?” he was talking to fast to make any sense.

Cindy pulled his iron grip off her, he was a lot smaller than she was, he had his horns and wings which probably meant he had all his scales, since she couldn’t understand him she decided to introduce her self. She thought about call herself Cindy but then she was afraid if that would be breaking the rules, “My names, Chestnut, what’s yours?” she said slowly so he could understand.

“Oh sorry, it’s just when I get excited I talk fast,” he cleared his throat, then look up at her with his big blue eye’s, “My name’s Albany.”