The Fiery Crown Cycle: A Dragon's Rebirth

Chapter 16

Aiden landed on the stone platform of their lair. He released the chunk of meat from his claws, letting it drop to the ground with a heavy thud. It was for Bianca and Azure; he had no need of it.

He padded into the depths of the cave. Reaching the far end, he settled his body onto the cool stone floor. Once comfortable, he began to chew.

A series of sharp cracks, like shattering stone, echoed from his jaws. A cool, refreshing sensation spread through his mouth, the taste reminding him of a plant from his old life: mint. After a few more powerful crunches, he felt the magic crystal had been ground down sufficiently. He tilted his head back and swallowed.

The meal was finished. Now, he could sleep.

His long neck curved, and his tail curled around to meet it, forming a protective ring around his body. His heavy eyelids slowly closed. This, he knew, would be a long slumber. I hope Azure keeps her word.

With that final thought, his consciousness began to fade. The red wyrmling's breathing evened out, deep and steady. He was asleep.

Azure returned to the cave, landing silently on the platform. She saw the piece of meat lying where it had been dropped and glanced toward the dark interior. Has Aiden already begun his slumber?

Whoosh!

Bianca landed beside her with far less grace, dropping her own portion of meat. “Aoww, sleep time, sleep time!” she cheered, and immediately charged for the cave entrance.

That creature…

Just as Bianca was about to disappear into the darkness, Azure's jaws snapped shut, catching the tip of the white dragon's happily wagging tail. Bianca could sleep, but only after a little more work was done.

The tug on her tail brought Bianca to an abrupt halt. She turned her head, a look of pure confusion in her white, slitted pupils as she saw Azure was the culprit.

“Azure?”

Azure released her tail. “Help me with something first, then you can sleep.”

“No! I want to sleep now!” Bianca whined, her whole body expressing a petulant refusal. If Aiden had given the order, she would have obeyed without question. But this was Azure. She had no desire to work; she just wanted to curl up and sleep.

Azure sighed. “This meat will spoil if we leave it out here. You don't want to wake up to a meal of rotten flesh, do you?”

The white dragon's expression shifted.

“Rotten meat tastes like dirt,” Azure added, twisting the knife. “Foul and fishy.”

A deep, visceral memory surfaced in Bianca's mind. The disgusting taste of soil. She never wanted to experience that again. She did not want to eat spoiled meat.

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“What do I need to do?” she asked hurriedly.

Azure watched her. This fool is so easy to manage. Her jaws parted in what, for a dragon, was a sly, toothy grin.

“Bring the meat. We're going deeper inside.”

“Okay!” Bianca said without another word of protest. She picked up her own piece of meat and, unprompted, grabbed the one Aiden had left as well.

Azure led the way to the middle of the long tunnel. Here, the rock wall was relatively flat. This would do.

“Here,” Azure announced, stopping and turning to Bianca. “Help me. We need to dig a hole.”

“Alright,” Bianca sighed, dropping the meat and joining Azure at the wall. They began to carve into the rock with their claws.

A high, grating screech that set their teeth on edge filled the cavern, punctuated by sparks skittering across the stone. With the two of them working together, a small hollow was soon carved out.

Azure assessed the new cavity. It was big enough.

“Alright, Bianca, you can stop.”

Bianca paused, turning her head toward Azure. “Is it done?”

“Yes, it's done.” Azure nodded. “Now, we put the meat inside.”

“Oh!” Bianca grabbed a chunk of meat and shoved it into the hole. Azure did the same. Soon, all three massive portions were packed inside their new larder. The next step was to seal it. The rubble they had just created was the perfect material.

Once again becoming a dragon-shaped bulldozer, Azure lowered her body and began pushing the stone fragments toward the opening.

“Are we blocking it up?” Bianca asked.

“Yes,” Azure replied.

“I'll help.”

Mimicking Azure, Bianca began to push rubble with her claws. Slowly but surely, the pile grew until it almost covered the opening.

“Okay, Bianca, stop for a moment,” Azure commanded. Bianca obediently paused. She's so compliant. As long as it concerns food, this fool is completely predictable.

“Are we finished? Can I go to sleep now, Azure?” A hopeful light shone in her crystalline white eyes. The draconic urge to sleep after a full meal was a powerful one.

“No. One last step,” Azure said. “Breathe into the opening.”

“Oh… okay,” Bianca grumbled reluctantly. She shuffled over to the small remaining gap and opened her jaws. A torrent of white, freezing mist poured from her throat into the sealed chamber.

Azure watched her work. So this is where her patience starts to wear thin. Easy to manage, but with a very low tolerance for tedious tasks.

“Azure, is it done yet?”

“A little longer.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Can I stop now?”

“Almost there. Just a little more.”

“Nnngh…”

“Is it done now?”

“Yes. It's done.”

“YAY! SLEEPY TIME!” Bianca yelped, and immediately scrambled away toward the back of the cave. She moved with surprising speed, clearly afraid Azure would invent another chore for her. Her white tail wagged back and forth at a frantic pace.

That idiot wears all her emotions on her tail.

Azure watched her go, then turned back to the larder. She reached a claw into the small opening. It was intensely cold. The cave was already cool, but after Bianca's frost breath, the inside of the stone chamber was now a proper freezer. The meat would keep perfectly.

After taking a moment to block the final gap, Azure finally made her way toward the back of the lair. As a dragon who had also eaten her fill, she was just as desperate for sleep.

When she reached the end of the cave, she found Bianca already curled up and fast asleep on Aiden's back. She was sleeping soundly, a large puddle of drool already forming where her cheek rested. She had even left a space open. A space for Azure.

Azure climbed up and settled onto the warm, living mattress.

So warm.

She closed her heavy eyelids with a contented sigh. At first, she had been uneasy using Aiden as a bed. But after he'd discovered them, he had never mentioned it, never seemed to care at all. He really is a strange one.

With that final, hazy thought, her mind blurred, and she too fell asleep.

The cavern fell silent, the only sound the deep, rhythmic breathing of three slumbering dragons.