Dragon's for Keeps Part 9

Dragon's for Keeps 

By Burner Fire

Part 9

This is ridiculous, all we do is dig, dig, dig! Then we eat, play card’s, and sleep, we don’t even know what day or what time it is! Were trapped underground with a useless task! Just to find some purple water, that change’s you into a full flesh dragon. If I wasn’t such a great actress, they’d know exactly how miserable I am, Ruby thought.

“Time for dinner Ruby,” Gregory’s voice echoed down the hall, “we don’t want you getting lost, so stay close.”

Ruby stood silent trying to think of way back, Reuben slow down to walk beside her. “So… um… do you like it… here?” he was like a love sick boy trying to talk to a crush.

Why me, Ruby thought, “Not really, I miss the bright blue sky, fluffy clouds that change shapes, the strong breeze that blows through your hair.” she said dreamily, Ruby was trying to make it clear to this dragon she didn’t want anything to do with him, without making him cry.

“Oh.” he walked faster to catch up with the other dragons.

Good maybe he’ll leave me alone, so far Reuben has try everything to make her like it there, but nothing’s work. I need to get away from these dragons maybe there’s a tunnel that leads out of mountain. I won’t be able to fly down but maybe I can climb down.

“Stew’s on and it smell’s…” Levi started.

“Like yesterday’s and the day before that, but were not even sure of that are we, because we can’t tell how many day’s it’s been!” Ruby snapped. “Nothing but pitch black, and mud!”

“About time,” Digger laughed, “I was starting to think you loved it down here.”

Himyal smiled, “Levi I believe the gold chain is now mine.”

“but I,”

“No buts Levi, you bet she would crack after one day and its been two,” Himyal stretch a clawed paw at him, “Now hand it over.”

Levi was grumbling under his breathe, he remove the chain and dropped into Himyal’s paw, the gold chain was just something they would share. They would only share it if you lost it in a bet, and so far the only one to have won a bet for two years straight is Gregory.

Gregory sighed, “You just need to clam down, as soon as that last scale come’s in then you’ll be back in the sunlight, in the village most likely getting married.”

“MARRIED!” she shouted, “I’m only seventeen, I can’t get married.”

“There are plenty of baby dragon’s that need a Father and a Mother, so the queen will chose you a husband and you are to remain loyal. But don’t worry you get to choose your baby dragon to love.” Digger sighed he always wanted kids.

“Because if your not loyal,” Levi seem not to be brother about the loss of his gold chain that much, “you die.”

“What!” Ruby gasp.

“The penalty for disloyalty is death.” Himyal said in a bored voice, he kept playing with his chain.

“Does that go for the husband also?” she was angry that she had to be married.

“Yes it does.” Reuben said, the others stared at him he usually doesn’t like to talk about marriage that much.  

The dragons gathered around the pot and scooped up some stew. Ruby didn’t feel like eating she knew what was going down, first the food, then the cards, and then bed time. She wanted to go find a different way out even if she had to dig her own tunnel out anything to get out. They finished dinner and the boy’s gather around the box ready for another game.

“You want to play?” Gregory asked.

“No thank you, I just want to be left alone to think for a while.” Ruby tapped her tail.

“Alright, but don’t go wandering off if you get lost it’ll be hard to find you.” Gregory warn.

“That’s if we could find you at all.” Levi said.

The five dragon’s gather close around the table, they hardly notice her go off down the work tunnel. I’m finding that way out or I’ll die trying, she walk quietly down the tunnel she wasn’t sure how good a dragon’s ears were. Ruby was only down the tunnel for a couple minutes but she could tell right away that she was already lost. Great, she thought, she kept walking down tunnels and it was so dark, she should of brought a torch. She turn down another tunnel, that’s when she saw a light it look like day light.

Ruby rush toward it she started to gallop toward it tail flopping behind her, she did a sudden stop at the tunnel’s entrance. It didn’t look like any tunnel she’s seen so far, the wall’s, ceiling, and the floor were made completely of out of glass. She placed a paw on it and pushed her weight on it, the glass didn’t crack so it should support her new found weight. She place each paw gently on the glass just to be safe, there was no fire it was as if the tunnel was making it’s own light. It was so nice to be back in some bright light again, at the end of the tunnel was a door. She picked up her speed, standing before a door she was so excited, thinking it was a way out.

The door had a Gold frame, the door was made of sliver, and the handle was made of copper. Ruby took a hold of the handle and pulled, but it wouldn’t budge…