Summer in the Water Lair

[Trisha]

I dropped the stone near the shore, admiring the sand as I walked about. I had chosen a sandy shore on the shore of the ZeeBee Ocean. My stone was covered in salvia, and I breathed fire on the stone until it was colored red and shining with a slick surface. Pressing the stone hard into the sand, I murmured, "Release, release, the fire within, the serpent I call upon with heart and flame." Laying my head on the ground on the flaming stone, smoke flowed into the air from my nostrils. Suddenly, with a loud snort, a huge dragon-like serpent head emerged from the surface, snarling. Then it stopped growling, and asked in a deep, rolling voice, "Whooo arrrre yoooouu toooo call meeee? Yooouu arrre nooott a draagoon oof theee Waateeerrrr Laaaiiirrrr." It hissed. "I have come to ask you, great serpent, Floke, of a question." It leaned forward, its pointed tongue slipped out of its jaws.

[Trisha]

"Hmmmmmmm, whaaaatttt issssss ttthheeeee quuessssssttttiiiiooonn?" Floke asked. "These hatchlings from the Dark Lair, for all I know their parents are gone, somewhere. Could you help me help them, with the glitter stones?" Floke hissed again, low and long. It reached its long neck forward and until its tongue licked my face, covering my snout and face in salvia. I tried to not look disgusted, for that was a sign of great disrespect. "I waaaannnnttt nnnoooottthhiiinnnggg tooo doooo wiiittttthhhh ttthheeee Daaarrrrkkk Llllaaaaaiiiirrrr. Bbbuuuuttt iiiittt iiissssss ggrrrreeeaaaaatttt toooo ssseeeeee yyyyooooouuuuuu aagggaaaiiinnn, Trrrriiiissshhhaa. Ggggooodd
Llluuucckkk!!!" It backed up, inclined its head towards me, and was about to dive down into the waves when I roared, "WAIT!" Floke roared and swam towards me angrily. "WHAT?" Floke lowered his head until its tongue licked my face like before. "If I show you one of the hatchlings, then will you help me? I also have a stone." I nudged the Glitter Stone towards the lips and tongue of the giant serpent. Floke hissed and licked the stone, pondering his answer.

[Trisha]

"Hmmmmmmm, poossssssiibblly. Whheeerrreeee arreee theee haattchhlinngssssss?" "I don't know, probably back at the Dark Lair." Floke snorted and droplets of water sprayed from his nostrils. "I ammmm noooottttt ussssssuuuaaaallllly paaaattttiiiieeeennnnttt, buutttt I wiilllll waaaiiit foorrr yooouuu, Tttrriiisshaa." I paced along the shore, while Floke held the Glitter Stone in his jaws carefully.

[Skylar]

Antonis flapped and ran, flapped and ran trying to catch up with Trisha. Finally, breathless, he entered the Water Lair and was mesmerized by it's beauty, so differnet from the Dark Lair. He was seriously in awe of it's light, bright and shining spaces and was speechless as he wondered, searching for Trisha.
Soon he came upon Trisha and another dragon laying in wait, as if expecting him. Sheepishyly, Antonis walked into the space, happy to see Trisha but scared that she might be mad. "Um ... hi Trisha, I'm so glad I found you."

[Trisha]

Floke leaned forward, watching the tiny hatchling with great interest. I looked at the huge serpent leaning over Antonis and whispered, "Floke, you might scare him." Floke looked at me, arching his giant head back. "Thhiiissss iisss theeee haattcchlinngg?" "One of them." I answered. "Where's Skylar, Antonis?" I flapped my wings and backed up as Floke leaned towards me, resting his head on the shore. Waves lapped at the scales of his long neck as he looked at Antonis, eyes half opened.

[Skylar]

Looking warily at the new dragon Antonis said, "I don't know where Skylar is, I snuck out of the lair because she told me not to leave, she said it would be dangerous to go out on my own."

Antonis looked at the new dragon and didn't know what to make of him. He looked mean and scarry to such a small creature but then Antonis remembered that he used to think the same thing of Trisha so he thought maybe this dragon was nice as well. "Umm...is this your friend, Trisha?" looking at the new dragon.

[Trisha]

Floke looked at the hatchling. "Wwhhhyyy wwoouuulldd waanntt ttooo kknnnooowww?" "Floke," I walked forward as the giant serpent threatened to raise his head. "It's just a long story, Antonis. Maybe I'll tell it, one day." Floke's red eyes appeared to glow for a second as his blue tongue slipped out towards Antonis, as if he were a giant snake smelling Antonis. Then, I walked forward as Floke suddenly turned his attention to me. "Ttthhheee sstttoorryy rreemmmiinnddss mmeee, yyoouuu oowweee aaa deebbbttt, Ttrriisshhaa." Floke hissed, his hot breath blowing in my face. "After you help them, then we can repay the debt in private." "Ii mmaayyy hheellppp ttheemmm, mmaaayyy."

[Skylar]

Antonis was more scared than he'd ever been in his entire young life. Floke was the most fearsome dragon anyone could imagine. But his spirits dared to soar, thinking that maybe this frightening dragon could maybe help him find his parents. "Sir, if you help me and my brothers and sisters find our parents we would be forever in your debt," the words came out of his mouth before he knew what he was saying. What would being in debt to such a dragon mean? Would he have to risk his life one day repaying the debt? But then he knew he would do it, he would do anything to see his parents and he knew Skylar would as well.
As Antonis was saying those words, Skylar appeared in the lair out of nowhere.
"Whhhhaaat jusst happened?", Skylar said trembling. Antonis ran to Skylar and was so excited and happy to see her even though he knew she would be mad at him. "The last thing I remember I was sleeping on shore surrounded by beautiful glitterstones, dreaming of my family and hoping to find Antonis as well as my parents one day and then well.... here I am."

[Skylar]

Antonis and Skylar touched noses in greeting, releived to see each other, then Skylar glared at him and then cried. "Antonis, i was so scared I would never see you again and I couldn't bear thinking that". "I'm sorry Skylar but I had to follow Trisha, I thought maybe she could help us." Skylar thought for a moment almost ready to forgive her dear big brother but then turned angry, she couldn't so easily forget the pain and worry his actions had caused her. She then jumped up in the air and with a great thump of her tail, she wacked Antonis with all of her might. "Don't you EVER leave us again!!"

[Skylar]

"Awwwwww!" Antonis said falling to the ground. "Ummm, I guess i deserved that." he said sheepishly.
Skylar smiled knowing that her actions had made the impact she wanted and was ready to forgive Antonis because his intentions were good ones.
"It's all in the past now, Antonis." she said quietly.
After recovering from the mighty punishment he received Antonis looked startled. "Where are the others?" "I left Jasper to watch over the youngest hatchlings" Skylar said.
Skylar was so busy with Antonis that she hadn't noticed the other to dragons until now. She was happy to see Trisha but she wasn't sure of the other dragon. He looked terribly mean.
With a frightened voice she greeted Trisha, "Hello dear friend, whooo iss thiss dragonnn withhh you?", she said shakily.

[Trisha]

Floke arched his neck back and I said, "Floke!" But Floke did not strike at the hatchlings, no, he just looked at them closely. So closely. "Iii aammm thhee ggrreeaatt Ffllookkee." While Floke kept staring at them, I said, "Floke, are you going to help us?" Floke hissed. "Iii kknnnooowwww theessseee hhaaatttccchhhllliiinnngggsss. Thheyy lloookkk sssooo muucchhh llikkee thheeiirr ppaarreenntts." "So you know what happened?" I questioned. "Iinndeeedd. Nnoww haattcchhlliinggs, yyoouu mmuusstt noottt bbeee mmaadd. Yoouurrr ppaarreennttss aarree pprrooobbaabblly ddeeaad." Floke looked a bit sad for them, then looked at me. "Will you be able to bring them back, that is if they're not dead?" "Mmaayybbbee." Floke still held the Glitter Stone in his jaws.

[Skylar]

Antonis and Skylar were very sad at the news but were hopeful that what Floke said might be true.
To be so young and never know your parents is a fate that would distress any young hatchling but especially these two because they were from the Dark Lair, where dragon families were especially close. Maybe because it was so dark in their particular lair and they relied so heavily on the parents to help them, no one knows for sure but these two were desperate to see their parents.
"Do you think it's possible that they're still alive?" Skylar questioned. "Could you possible help us Floke?" Antonis joined in.

[Trisha]

"Tthhaatt I'dd hhaavvee ttoo aasskk Ackos aabboouutt. Hhee ffeeddss oonn ddeeaatthh, hee lliivveess iinnn thee Deeaatthhh Sseeaa. Yyouu ccaann nnooottt ccoommee, hhee wwouulld eeaatt yyoouuu iinn sseeccoondds." Floke snorted and grasped a few more Glitter Stone between his jaws. "Bbbuuuttt ttthhhaaannn aagggaaaiin, Ackos woouullld nneed ttooo sseee yyooou, ccooommmee." Floke looked at me and motioned with his head to pick up a Glitter Stone. I did, and remembered Ackos. Giant Ackos, the older brother of Floke, and much, much larger. I shuddered at the thought of Ackos.

[Skylar]

Now the hatchlings were truly scared. Floke was frightening enough but the thought of Floke's brother Ackos was almost too much to bear. A dragon that was intent on eating them? And they weren't sure if they could go anywhere near a dragon that eats death. "What do you think Skylar? Should we go with them, I don't mind admitting that I'm really frightened." "Well, I suppose it's the only way we can know if our parents are still alive." The two whispered and came to the conclusion that they would risk anything to see their parents.
"Ok Floke, will do whatever you say." they said in unison.

[Trisha]

"Yyoouuu aarree bbrraavvee, Ii musstt aaddmmiit. Sseeeiinnnggg Ackos. Weelll, Ttrrisshhaa wiilll tteelll yyoouuu." I approached Skyler and Antonis. "OK, when you get to the Death Sea, the last thing you want to be is afraid. I know it difficult for you, but to Ackos fear is weakness. And Ackos takes any chance to strike at a fearful creature. So, pick up a Glitter Stone and come over to me. Then I'll say some words and you must repeat those exact words." "Floke, are you sure Ackos, is well, not going to strike at me?" Floke answered, "Yyessss, hhee kknnoowwsss yyoouu aarree mmyyy ffrriieennd. Aasss ffoorr theee hhaattchliinnggs, theey arreee aa diiffeerreent mmaattter. Ii caann nnooottt pprrroooteeeccttt theeem lliiikkkee Iii caann yyooouu."

[Skylar]

Trying to be brave, the hatchlings each picked up a glitter stone and walked beside Trisha.
"Antonis I'm really scared but I know we have to be brave in front of Ackos, what are we going to do?" Sklyar cried. He thought for quite awhile before saying, "I know you are afraid dear sister but I know you are also very brave and I also know that we WILL get through this and survive. When you feel fear coming upon you just remember our parents and imagine seeing them again. We'll be together and even though we are young we are strong." said Antonis.

[Trisha]

"OK. Repeat these words. Death Sea is which we fly, across water, sky and land. In seconds transportation is quick, in a flash everything is gone. I winked at Floke as I vanished in an array of colors.

[Skylar]

The hatchlings stood very close to each other and said, "Death Sea is which we fly, across water, sky and land. In seconds transportation is quick, in a flash everything is gone."

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