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Chapter 8: What’s Past…

Kiru dove into the cool and clear waters of the Sapphire Sea. Her mind sighed peacefully as the water washed off the last few days’ worth of dust and dirt that had wedged between her scales. A feeling of cleanliness and purity returned to them as she continued to swim father out from the shore. As she breached the surface, she looked up at the gems above. Still dim but evidently brightening, very early morning. Even though she and Rankor had arrived late to the shores of the sea the previous night she couldn’t sleep for long. Her mind was alive and took her running through possibilities of what they might find in the coming day. Her thoughts continued to soar as she closed her eyes and spread out her wings on the water’s surface. Turning over she floated on her back and enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the soft waves around her. Without opening her eyes she took in a great draft of crisp air, filling her lungs with oxygen. She then slowly breathed it out and began to sink as her body lost buoyancy. She slowly fell into the liquid abyss, water enclosing her body. Her wings still out stretched and felling the calming touch of the water around her as she fell into the deep. She opened her eyes and stared up at the surface, seeing so far away now. It rippled with light and colors, a kaleidoscope under the waves. She enjoyed it, if only for a moment. With a slight move of her wings she rotated in the water and now looked into the darkness of the abyss. It was serene, that dark watery void. Surrounded by the light of the sapphire cliffs and the soft green algae and plant beds of the shallows nearby she felt no fear of the dark bellow. What she did feel was an unfathomable sense of mystery and awe at what lay in those depths. The sea had to have a bottom eventually, what was it like down there in the darkness? Her thoughts were quelled as her body continued to sink and her lungs began to burn. Twisting upright and pumping her wings she shot upwards and took in deep breaths at the surface. Looking around she saw others now swimming in the sea. Life was starting to awaken on the shores and cliffs as the cycle of the day began again. She gazed at the dragons milling about and wondered to herself, ‘Is this what they do every day? Nothing new or exciting? Just the same endless cycle day after day?’ To Kiru, who was constantly flying the caverns, the pattern did seem rather dull. She took a deep breath and floated on her back again. Her relaxing swim was abruptly ended by a large splash a few feet away. Kiru shot up and righted herself, coughing as water went up her snout. Beside her a little head popped out of the water.

“Sorry about that miss! Was trying to grab a fish and… OH WOW! You’re a glow scale!” The amazed and cheery voice belonged to a rather young dragon who swam up next to Kiru. He was small, about half of Kiru’s size and covered in dark green scales and looked at her with deep blue eyes. Kiru was still shaking out water from her snout when he started poking her markings with a claw. “How do they do that?” He asked in a young and curious voice. Blinking a few times to clear water from her eyes Kiru looked at him as he floated beside her. She tilted her head at him.

“What did you call me?” She asked trying to recall the exact words he had used

“A glow scale, you know…” He pointed to her glowing markings. “Because of your glowing scales.” Kiru continued to stare at him. ‘Glow scale?’ She thought. ‘That’s a new one. Wait… Should I be offended?’ Was he making fun of her? His face and eyes beamed at her in awe. No, he wasn’t making fun, he was just captivated by what he saw. Kiru snorted, spraying water into his face accidentally. He yelped and rubbed the water out of his eyes.

“Sorry!” Said Kiru as she reached out a paw and steadied him in the water while he rubbed his eyes.

“It’s okay.” He said matter-of-factly. “You live by the sea you expect to get water in your eyes pretty much every other second of your life.” He finished rubbing and looked to her again. “That’s so cool.” He said as he looked into her glowing eyes and then to the markings on the back of her neck. Kiru chuckled at his wide eyes.

“I guess it is, honestly I sometimes forget they glow at all, it’s just a part of me.” She said as he continued to look. He reached out a paw then took it back and looked to her again.

“Uh, may I? Please?” He asked as he held his paw out. Kiru nodded and stretched her neck to the side and he lay his paw on her markings. “Why are they so warm?” He asked, a confused look etched across his face. “Scales aren’t supposed to be that warm. Are they?” He pulled back his paw and laid it on his own neck. “Nope, sea temperature.” Before he could think anymore Kiru spoke up.

“Well they’re warm because of the blood that runs under them. There’s a very thin layer of skin separating the veins from the scales so the glow of the blood can get through.” The little dragon floated in the water, his face a blank slate. ‘I think I broke him’ thought Kiru as she waved a paw in front of his eyes.

“Your blood glows?” He asked after a few seconds of silence. “I always thought it was just the scales doing something on their own.” He laughed to himself. “Ah well not like I ever actually met one of you before.” He suddenly snapped his head to the right with such speed that Kiru’s heart skipped a beat from shock. She watched him as his eyes slowly tracked right and he gently and quietly paddled with his wings. Kiru watched him as he slowly extended the distance between them. He then exhaled, losing buoyancy, and sank into the waters.

“Uhh…” Kiru looked around the shore as others were going about daily routines. She then looked back to the spot when the small one had gone under. Bubbles coming to the surface where he went down. ‘Should I be…’ She didn’t have time to finish that thought as the surface exploded with water spray and red blood. It took a moment to realize it was fish blood as the little dragon wrestled with a large coelacanth. Before Kiru could help he opened his jaws and snapped his teeth around the fish’s throat. Hot red blood flowed into the sea as the fish slowly stopped shaking and eventually died. With a quick flash of claws, he tore of a chunk of meat and started chewing it. Ecstasy on his face as he savored the fresh raw flesh. As he chewed he turned and looked to Kiru, with another swipe of his claws he ripped off another chunk.

“Breakfast?” he asked as he offered her a piece. She looked down at it, reached her neck forward, and snapped it up in her teeth, chewing thoughtfully.

“Hm, it’s actually not bad raw. Thank you.” She said as she rinsed her muzzle in the water to rinse off the blood.

“No it certainly isn’t.” Said the little one as he ate another bite. “In all honesty, there’s not much flavor though, got to cook it and season it for that.” Kiru nodded at that and turned back to the shore, thinking of Rankor. She turned her head back to the little dragon.

“I don’t suppose you could get another one, could you? For me to bring back to my friend? He and I got here a bit late last night, knowing him he could probably use a bite to eat.” To her question the little dragon chuckled and finished chewing his current piece.

“What? You can’t fish!” He said incredulously and started to laugh. “And neither can your boyfriend!” He dropped the fish carcass into the water and flopped onto his back with a splash, laughing.

“I can too fish and so can Rankor! He’s also not my boyfriend, he’s practically family.” Said Kiru defensively but with a playful tone and splashed the little one with a paw. “I’m just more used to catching eel in pitch black waters back where I was raised.” She tilted her head down and looked into the clear waters below her. Schools of fish and algae beds shone in the light as the gems continued to brighten overhead. “Stealth fishing is a little harder when it’s that clear down there.” The little one calmed down and looked into the deep with her.

“Ah it’s easy once you get the hang of it.” He grabbed his fish by the tail before it floated away and bit down on it again. He looked to Kiru and tilted his head at her. After a moment, he made up his mind. “Tell you what I’ll get you some fish for you if you can help me break a few gems and rocks. Kiru reeled her head back slowly and just stared at him.

“What?” She asked, turning her head in a confused manner.

“Yeah my dad is a glass smith up on the cliffs and he sends me down for gems and various things he needs. Problem is he wants them in little pieces so he can use them in his works.” He then opened his jaw and pointed to a cracked tooth he had on his left upper ridge. “I’ve tried a few ways to break the stuff up but it’s a bit… painful.” He lowered his head and Kiru felt sorry for him.

“Why doesn’t your dad just help you with it?” The little one just looked up as if she were speaking a different language. With a deeper tone the young dragon mocked the voice of an older dragon.

“Pain and failure is how you learn. Keep doing it until something works, how else are you going to learn anything?” He bobbed up and down in the water and opened his jaw and licked his cracked tooth. “Pain and failure” he muttered. He looked up to Kiru and her soft eyes. “We have a deal?” He asked with a hopeful voice. “I have a sack full of stuff on the shore already, if you can break them down I can get the fish for you.”

“Sure” said Kiru without a second though. She smiled and followed him to the shore where they shook the water from their scales. They then followed the beach until they came upon a sack leaning against a rock on the sands. The little one opened it up and dumped the contents on the sand before her. A few small chunks of sapphire from the cliffs, an amethyst, and some others she couldn’t identify. She picked up a piece of jagged sapphire in her right paw and looked at it. Clear blue, fluid, beautiful but with small impurities within. She arched an eye at it and swayed her tail in a thoughtful arc. “Sooo… just small pieces?” She asked, not sure exactly what he wanted her to do. She suddenly realized something else. “Why not just get another female to melt it into smaller pieces?”

“Tried that and it never turns out. Their acid destroys the gems if they’re not careful enough, but yeah, not a fine dust, but small pieces so he can mix it into the glass easily.” He looked at her expression and saw she had no idea how to go about it. “You can try biting it or hitting it with something else.” He sat back on his back legs and held out his front paws, a glum look on his face. “I’m not exactly strong enough to just bash them apart though.” Kiru reached out a wing and patted his head.

“Eh, don’t worry about it. One day you’ll do it without an effort.” She smiled and put the crystal in her mouth and bit down. She blinked, perplexed. It didn’t do anything. She had broken other gems before by biting them. But they had been already small to begin with. This was a rather sturdy piece of sapphire, albeit a flawed and impure one. She closed her eyes and bit harder. One of her fangs began to pain her as she compressed her jaws. The little dragon raised his paw and started to speak. Then without warning, the gem exploded into shards. Kiru stood in place. Not exactly dazed but rather unsure of what to do next. She turned to the little one and started to ask the next step. Suddenly he jumped up and clamped her mouth shut with his paws. Kiru reeled her head back from the unexpected action and sent the little one flying into the rock next to them. He slumped onto the sand and held his right paw with a pained expression. Clenching his eyes shut and gritting his teeth. “What was that for!” Asked Kiru, turning to face him. She suddenly knew very quickly what it was for as the small shards in her mouth cut the inside of her cheeks. In a panic, she started to spit it out. Blue sapphire shards covered in trace amounts of green blood fell onto the sands. Dropping the gem piece that was still in her paws she thrust her muzzle into the sea. She immediately tried to rinse out the remaining pieces.

“Don’t swallow!” Said the little one as he limped over to her. He sat next to her as she continued to rinse the shards out. “I’m really sorry miss I forgot to warn you about the right way to bite it. Please don’t swallow the shards they’re not exactly good for your insides.” Kiru just grunted while she kept swishing her mouth out. After a few minutes, she spit out one more time and felt around with her tongue. No more small pieces. She turned to the small dragon and he looked down at the sands. A rather shameful look on his face mixed with fleeting pain as he continued to hold his paw.

“You okay?” Asked Kiru as she poked his paw with her snout. The little dragon yelped a little, fanning his wings as a reflex, and clutched it tighter.

“It’s not too bad, just a sprain, need to rest it for a bit.” He looked up to her than to the gems that still lay in the sand. “I don’t suppose you want to do the rest huh? I don’t blame you. I’ll still get you your fish if you want.” Kiru looked at the rest of the pile and laughed halfheartedly.

“Yeah I’ll try but ah, no more biting.” She chuckled and the little one joined her.

“Okay I’ll be back in a few minutes, thanks again miss.” Standing on all four paws, wincing as his right front one touched down, he leapt in one swift motion into the sea. Turning her attention back to the gems Kiru picked up the amethyst.

“Okay it’s just you and me now.” She said as she stared it down in her paw. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement and turned to see three dragons a few feet away giving her an odd look. ‘Note to self, don’t talk to rocks.’ Ignoring the stares from the others she proceeded to lay the amethyst onto the rock where she had tossed the little one. Looking around she found another rock, large enough to require both paws to lift and had a flat side. She raised it up, aimed, and brought down the hammer. The amethyst broke into five varying shapes and sizes. The stone then proceeded to crack in half. ‘Figures’ she thought to herself. Giving up on shattering the gems she turned to the rocks in the bag. Picking one out she started banging it upon the stone, much to the dismay of many still trying to sleep on the beach. After breaking it open she realized what was so special about them. “Geodes” she murmured. Inside the stone was a small collection of fine crystals in multiple colors. She admired it, until a shadow fell over it and her. She looked up into a pair of blue eyes much like the little dragon. But there was no warmth in these. He stood an extra head above her and looked down upon her judgingly. His scales were the color of moss, dead moss, and he had an air of constant anger about him. His claws griped the sand and his tail was motionless. Kiru glanced at his horns. He wore glass rings that looked extremely similar to the one Saline had given her. The one she was still wearing. He saw her gaze and noticed hers as well, and her glowing markings. His eyes got harder as he noticed them. He then looked down at the bag the little dragon had used to collect the gems in and picked it up, bouncing it in his paw.

“Where did you get this?” He asked in a voice that sounded more like two stones rubbing together.

“I…” Kiru took a step back but the larger dragon merely took a step forward.

“I asked you a question, ill blood.” He looked at her features more closely and spat into the sand. “Half bred ill blood.” Ill blood. That was an insult Kiru knew very well although she mostly just heard it in whispers as she walked by. “ANSWER ME!” Shouted the larger male as he rose up before her. She shrieked as he did and by pure instinct hissed and bared her fangs, venom dripping from them into the sands. Seeing this he swatted her with a paw and sent her sprawling onto her side. Her horns hit the ground and the glass ring snapped on impact. The shattered pieces became buried in the sand as she stood. A crowd was now starting to gather. Over a dozen now watched the confrontation. “What did you do to my son you half bred monster!” He swatted at her again but he was sluggish, weighed down by his muscles. She ducked away, leaping back out of his reach. As she did a flash of dark purple scales crossed her vision and Rankor stood in front of her, wings spread wide shielding her. The larger dragon backed up a step at his arrival. Rankor craned his head back and looked to Kiru with unamused eyes.

“You know when you told me you were going swimming this morning this wasn’t what I was picturing I’d find you doing.” He said as he turned back to the other male. “What exactly is the problem here?” Asked Rankor.

“I want to know what this, this, THING! Did to my son, and…” He stopped and now looked at who was standing before him. He looked from Rankor to Kiru, who was partially blocked from view by his wings. He started piecing things together. “Aw, this is sweet.” Said the larger male with a voice like acid and directing his eyes to meet Rankor’s gaze. “Couldn’t find anyone of your own kind to be friends with so you had to find one at a lower level.” Rankor rose up, growling silently but deeply. Chest expanding as he inhaled. Kiru suddenly feared he would let forth a torrent of flame into the stranger’s face. Some of the onlookers certainly did as they scrambled back. The male chuckled again. “Not just on a lower level but a half breed at that. I am ashamed for you and your poor parents, my, they must be wallowing in grief when they think about the choices you’ve made!”

“Keep your shame, I have no use for it.” Said Rankor, thin wisps of green sparks shown in his mouth. Just as the tension rose to unsalvageable levels a small head poked through the water a few feet away. The little dragon stood in the shallow waters, a dead fish in the mouth and another in its paws. The little dragon looked up at the shore and saw the crowd. His eyes grew large as he saw the large dragon in front of Rankor.

“You want to explain something?” Asked the large male in his grating voice as he saw the little one in the shallows. But he didn’t need an answer. He saw the fish and he saw the stones and gems Kiru was breaking. “What a disappointment” he said. “Can’t do a simple task so you ask an ill blood to do it for a trade is that it?” No shake of the head, no retort, just disappointment. The little dragon started to sink lower into the water.

“What are you talking about?” Said Kiru out of the silence. Rankor looked back at her with a look saying ‘Please be quiet!’ Kiru shrugged off the glare and continued. “I’ve never seen him in my life.” The male looked at her and then to his son. ‘Oh please let him be an idiot with only half a brain’ she wished to herself.

“What are you doing with those fish son?” The little dragon glanced at his father then to Kiru. Kiru gave him a quick sharp nod. He relaxed slightly.

“Uh just bringing us breakfast, I thought you might like some fish.” He then glanced at his sack and the broken gems, a spark of appreciation in his eyes. He then walked out of the sea and dropped the fish in the sand. “Who’s the ill blood?” He asked with fake vehemence. His father had a slight pleased look to his face.

“She tried to run off with your gems it seems. I found her breaking off pieces and trying to make off with them.” The little one nodded.

“Typical” he said. “They’re just like you say dad.” Rankor’s eyes were blazing and he started to step toward the little dragon. Kiru firmly stepped on one of his back feet before he could take a step. He shot her back a glance and she quickly did a shake of her head. The little dragon gathered up the gems in the sack and returned to his father’s side. “let’s go dad, I think they’re ruining my appetite.” His father laughed and patted the little ones’ back. He then jumped into the sky and wheeled back to the cliffs.

“Don’t dally son we have work to do today.” He shouted back once more as he flew to the cliff tops. The little one didn’t respond and simply watched as his father flew away. The crowd was already dispersing, some congratulating the old dragon and some even more quietly criticizing him. The little one dropped the sack, picked up the fish, and walked over to Rankor and Kiru.

“And what do you think” started Rankor as Kiru placed a paw on his wing. He halted and watched as she lowered her head to the little dragon.

“Thanks miss” said the little one hanging his head low. “I-I didn’t mean…” Kiru stroked his head with a paw.
“Don’t worry about it, I know” she said simply. The little one nodded.

“I can only give you one” he said as he dropped a fish at her paws. “Dad’s expecting one now.” He picked up the other fish in his teeth and the sack in his paws. With one last nod of his head to Kiru he flapped his wings and headed for the cliffs after his father. After he disappeared over the tops of the cliffs Rankor turned to Kiru.

“So, you want to fill me in on what I missed?” He walked beside her and placed a wing over her back. He was a bit startled as she turned to him and hugged him with her wings. She laughed and licked his cheek.

“You have impeccable timing for showing up to things you know that.” Rankor’s face was flushed and his eyes were blank while he enjoyed her embrace. “Well to answer your question,” she started, not noticing his zoned out face, “it started with us not knowing how to fish.”

~

It was still early after they had finished eating. It was filling even if completely raw. While they ate Kiru had told Rankor the story of the morning. Wasn’t much of a story seeing as he had gotten there rather early on but Rankor was still infuriated. After eating Rankor settled down to rest a little more. Having arrived at the sea late the previous night he was still very tired. He was also lacking Kiru’s awakening sense of adventure and excitement. Kiru stretched out on the ground and had her map and Ishingar’s old journal before her. Rankor who had curled up and had laid his head on her tail, was in the process of dozing off. Kiru looked at the map and the journal. There was only one land mark they could use for exacting their location. Kiru tapped a talon on the map, on a large outline besides the cliffs that was a large boulder. She lifted her head and turned to the cliffs and easily saw the large stone not even five minutes flight time away. Her scales rattled as she looked on. She wanted to leave then and there to begin searching for what was mentioned in the journal. What was it? An old trove of scrolls left by the ancients? A passage to a large underground storage area? Her eyes widened. Was this Bordiai, which the old one had told Ishingar about, another cavern system sealed away from them! The possibilities raced through her head so fast that she started to stand, wanting to leave then and there, and felt a weight on her tail. ‘Oops,’ she though as she settled down again and turned back to see Rankor still sleeping. His head tilted to the side and resting on the thick part of her tail. Was he resting it there because it was comfortable? Or so she couldn’t leave and get in anymore trouble without him knowing. ‘Knowing him it’s both’ she thought and laughed inside at that. She turned away from him and stared back at the cliffs, then back to her map. ‘Wait’ she did a double take and looked back at the cliffs. She arched her brows and squinted into the distance. Eyes opening in realization she swiveled her head back to Rankor and poked his head with a claw.

“Mmmmm?” He hummed without opening his eyes. His tail twitched as he woke.

“Hey sleepy head, if I described a male dragon having light brown scales and a dark brown underbelly pushing a piece of rock with his head who would it be?” Rankor moaned at the question.

“That riddle is the absolute worst thing I’ve ever heard, hope you haven’t been working on it for long.” He snorted with amusement and then yawned. Kiru pulled her head back from the onslaught of fishy breath. “It’s my dad but why bring him up now? I’m tired. Plus, I don’t want to hear about rocks.” Kiru rolled her eyes and looked back in the direction of the cliffs. She then inhaled quickly in surprise.

“Does your mom come to the sea to pick up herbs and trade supplies.” She asked with excitement. “Does she also help your dad by carrying around satchels full of crystals apparently?” Rankor breathed in and sighed out a long and fruitless breath. He wasn’t going to get anymore sleep today.

“Yes she does, she alwa…” His eyes shot open. “What do you mean apparently?” Lifting his head off her tail he stood up and peeked around Kiru’s side. He then started to fake sob. “Why!” There in the distance, not even a quarter of a mile away were his parents. While Rankor continued to moan and groan Kiru had already packed up her satchels and stood up, shaking out her wings.

“Come on sleepy let’s go say hi! I haven’t seen your mom in a long time.” She poked his side once with her tail and then with a shake of her wings took off towards Rankor’s parents. Rankor remained behind for a moment whining to himself.

“My room, my nice empty room is probably full of quartz and limestone. I hate limestone!” He thrashed his tail in the sand. Sending little particles everywhere. He put a paw on his face and dragged it down. “Rocks…” He took in one last breath and, with no enthusiasm, flapped his wings sluggishly and rose into the air after Kiru. Kiru was already talking to Rankor's mother when he touched down beside her, whipping up sand and dirt as he did. They were a ways from the beach and the ground was still sandy. But here patches of loose dirt and moss spotted the landscape. Kiru smiled at him as she finished the conversation with his mother. He picked up the ending lines as he walked up.

"We're only here to trade for supplies and I was needed for some situations that required my medical skills." Rankors mother said. She then pointed a claw over her shoulder at his father. "He just came to stare at rocks and crystals." His father was off to the side and, well, looking at a rock. Rankor's attention was quickly directed to his mother as she noticed him and called to him. “Rankor where have you been! We haven’t seen you in days.” She bent her head down with a smirk and shook her head.

“Mom it’s been, what,” he thought for a moment and realized that he couldn’t remember how long it had been. “Uh, 7 odd days?” He guessed as he gave a weak apologetic smile to meet his mother’s unamused gaze. He looked into her scarlet eyes as she lifted her head. Her gleaming red scales glimmered in the light of the gems and her golden underbelly shone. Her eyes however held an air of impatience. Rankor felt a chill run up his wingtips. “Mom I’m sorry,” he said, clearly wanting to end this conversation as quickly as possible. “We didn’t really do much, we just went to the fossil chambers and said hi to Kiru’s family.” His eyes gleamed as he thought of a distraction from the topic. “Oh yeah Geylou says she wants to see you again, she says she misses the old days.” He smiled and held his eyes steady with his mothers, hoping she would just let it go. His father didn't even notice the situation and was in the process of sniffing the rock.

“Yeah, you’re not getting out of it that easily.” Said his mother with an arched brow and an amused look on her face. Kiru watched as Rankor shuddered under the gaze. ‘This should be good.’ Thought Kiru as she watched. “Do you have any idea what it’s like at home when you’re gone?” She asked him. Oh yes, Rankor knew what it was like, which is why he needed a break from home. A lot. His mom’s eyes were twitching now. “Two days after you left your brilliant father wanted to arrange his rocks alphabetically.” She brought her head to Rankor’s eye level. “You know how many rocks your father has?” Kiru watched from the side as Rankor held up a paw and started counting on his claws.

“Hm, best guess, more than five.” His mother wasn’t amused and squinted at him.

“I wish, we spent hours with the stupid things. Sifting through them and arranging them in…” she paused for a second and held her head up and her face lost in thought. Then she gave a quick laugh and covered her muzzle with a paw.

“What?” asked Rankor.

“Nothing dear,” she said with a wave. “I just remembered something, don’t worry were already even.” It took Kiru a second to realize what she meant. Another second passed and Rankor still didn’t. At his lost expression his mother bent her head down and whispered to him, “don’t walk into your room when its dark, might hurt a bit.” Rankor groaned and sat back on his back legs, head dipped down in frustration. He then started to chuckle a little.

“You know, I said it would happen and it has, I’m not even surprised actually.” He stood on all fours again and rubbed his head with a paw, still tired. “There’s a reason I take breaks from home.” Kiru laughed at this and walked up next to him.
“Hey it could be worse, right?” she asked as she nudged his shoulder with her snout. He shook slightly at her touch and leaned his head towards hers and she poked his cheek.

“How could it possibly be worse?” he asked. “My room is full of rocks, again.” Kiru thought for a moment.

“Not sure yet but I bet I can think of something. Regardless it’s not really that bad, you dad is rather nice.” At that the three of them turned to look at Rankor’s father who was still tapping away at the stone he was looking at since Rankor and Kiru had arrived. Had he even noticed them? “Okay he’s nice once he acknowledges you exist.” Said Kiru with a roll of her eyes. “If we were gems or rocks he’d never leave us alone.” At those words Rankor’s mind had a thought and he leaned over to Kiru.

“You still have your crystal necklace, right?” She nodded and reached into the satchel strapped to her side and fished it out. Without even asking what the idea was she grined widely, and quietly walked over to Rankor’s father and dangled it in front of him. Rankor’s father looked up at the crystal, captivated by it.

“Ahh, Quez-or Liel tu Tzun hybrid gem, roughly 52% of tu Tzun leading to unbalanced glow in the matrix due to uneven load and sharing of crystalline strain. He then noticed the chain around it and looked up at Kiru. “Ah Kiru! What a pleasant surprise have you seen Rankor anywhere? I have something he must…” Kiru snorted, her point proven and, with a paw, moved Rankor’s father’s head to face Rankor’s direction. “Ah son! You’re just in time, here swallow this.” Rankor had a shocked look on his face as his father handed him a clay cup with a small amount of dark silver powder. “Swallow that and breath some flame, I need it for my experiments.” He then walked over to Rankor’s mother and reached into one of her satchels and took out a journal and a quill. From another he found a small clay vial of ink. Kiru looked at the powder, sniffing it, then looked to Rankor with a vexed look on her face. Rankor looked to his mother and she simply shrugged her wings. With one movement Rankor downed the powder. Metallic and rather smooth texture. Wait not smooth, soft. “Breath a flame at this” said his father as he took out a small purple crystal and placed it on the ground. Rankor lowered his head down to it and breathed out a white flame. White? Rankor’s expression was concerned as he continued to breath the flame. He was well accustomed to his green flame that was a gift from the copper he ingested every now and then to fuel it. Green he was used to, what mineral gave white? Eventually his flame became green again as the trace element his father gave him burned off. The crystal remained unscathed. His father looked down disappointingly. “Well there goes the theory about lead, oh well onto…” His voice was overruled.

“LEAD!!!” Screamed Rankor as he started breathing more fire hoping to burn it all out of his system. “You gave me lead! What’s wrong with you?” Kiru was by his side and handing him the pouch of water which he used to rinse his mouth out. His mother merely looked at his father darkly and shook her head.

“What?” Asked his father as he wrote in his journal without looking up. “The lead burned right out of his system, he’s fine.” Rankor sputtered and choked on the water. Kiru shot his father a look of pure hatred as she patted Rankor on the back as he coughed the water up.

“Probably a bad time to say it, but I know how it could be worse.” Said Kiru as she continued to pat Rankor’s back as he coughed. Ignoring her comment he turned to his father.

“Fine then you do it next time!” He said between coughs.

“Oh, I’ve ingested lead so many times in my life in the pursuit of knowledge.” Said his father casually with a twitch in his eye.

“Oh, by the ancients, that explains so much.” Said Rankor as he spit out a mouthful of water. He started to go on to another tangent of the conversation.

"Let it go Rankor, it's no use." Said Kiru quietly so she wouldn't be overheard. Rankor growled and thrashed his tail in the air.

“Fine you know what, forget it, I should expect this by now.”

“That’s the spirit.” Said his father as he put away the journal again and picked up the crystal piece from the ground. Rankor growled slightly as he took another mouthful of water, swished, and spit it out.

“With all the crazy stuff you make me do I should at least get something for it.” He said as he handed the pouch back to Kiru. He wasn’t exactly expecting an answer.

“Huh, you know what you’re right, wait right there I have something for you.” Rankor and Kiru exchanged a glance as Rankor's father dug into his own satchel. After rummaging for a time he pulled out a dark orange gem. He dug out several as a matter of fact and gave one to Rankor and Kiru. Kiru looked down at it.

"Uhh, thanks mister Shannkor?" She said, not really sure how to respond to this. She was about as excited about stones and gems as Rankor. She held it up to her eye and looked into it. She did have to admit that it was rather beautiful but what would she do with it? Rankor's father then answered the question as if reading her mind.

"Anytime, I thought you'd like it. Take it to a smith or jeweler and I bet they could make you something spectacular out of it." Kiru nodded and accepted the gift with a smile. She then put the piece into her already over filled satchel. She turned to Rankor who wore a glum look on his face. Kiru felt her heart ache for him slightly as he looked down at the gem sadly. When he said he should get something for his efforts she was sure he didn’t mean another rock or gem. She watched him as he gazed over the gem. Just then a flash of confusion filled his eyes and he looked at it closer.

"I've seen these somewhere before." He said as he bit at a corner. The gem chipped easily, the broken shard falling into the sands. He bent down and flamed the piece and it began to bubble and burn in moments. He glanced at Kiru and held up the gem again. "This is the stuff we find in the fossil chambers, that weird orange stuff that lies around as we dig." Kiru glanced at the gem again. It was, she had never really looked at them closely as they normally discarded them as debris as they dug. To them it was nothing special, but his father thought differently.

"What a coincidence that's where I found these! How come you never told me about it before? I would have loved to accompany you for a dig." His father had an almost hurt expression on his face as he gazed at his son and the orange gem. While he did both Rankor and Kiru were thanking the spirits of the ancients that they had never told him they were going to the fossil chambers. "Ah never mind,” said Rankor’s father. “What's important is what it is." He said as he picked out another piece and held it in his paws. Rankor's mother, tilted her head at Rankor's father.

"Isn't it just another rock, er, gem?"

"NO!" Said Rankor's father appalled. "Does this look like a nonorganic mineral structure to you?" Without hearing a reply he continued his rant. "This is an organic resin, hardened and fossilized in time. What interests me is that in the current world in which we live there is no plant or animal that secretes this much of the substance or anything similar. Therefore it is something that was there which now isn't. I think I'm going to call it amber." Rankor pretended to shut out his father's droning. Kiru fidgeted on her paws, wanting to now leave for the cliffs and adventure. She wanted to just say hi, not get a geology and fossil lecture.

"Dear" said Rankor's mother to his father. "I think they are quite content with the, uh, payment. Save the lecture for your class at Elial Point hmm?" His father's eyes gleamed. Elial Point was the largest school in the cavern system. A large underground arena housing classrooms, sprawling libraries, subterranean lakes, and endless tunnels. They say it was built by the ancients, and Rankor hated it with every bone in his body.

"Ah yes!" Replied his father to the question. "My wonderful pupils, I have such a surprise for them tomorrow. We're going to explore the wonders of cobalt and magnesium, maybe as an extra surprise I'll throw in a quiz on pyrite." Rankor tilted his head over, an expression of worry and despair on his face.

"Doesn't magnesium, well you know, burn?" His father laughed and nodded his head fervently.

"Of course it does! My class is going to help me with some experiments for extra credit. I have been very disappointed in the recent homework scrolls I've been getting back so this is their chance to make it up. But don't worry, I sent them to the school's library with references on the minerals and proper safety edict." Kiru now looked rather intrigued to Rankor's dismay.

"What experiment?" she asked genuinely interested to hear what he had planned.

"Ah, I'm going to get some of my female students to melt some magnesium with their acid and try various flame experiments with different elements. The main goal is to find a way to melt karlite the hardest metal we have. The ancients used it in everything such as the walls of Dunai and we can’t even bend or melt small pieces of it." He sighed with frustration. "We lost the methods of the ancients and I'm trying to solve a small piece of it, for science naturally."

"Naturally" said Rankor snidely. Kiru snickered at this retort and poked him with a claw when his father wasn't looking. When Rankor turned to her she pointed to the cliffs in the distance. She was ready to leave now too. Rankor sighed in relief.

"It's been great to see you again" said Kiru to Rankor's parents as she took a step back and prepared to fly.

"Yeah same," said Rankor in a rush.

"Nice to see you again" said Rankor's mother to Kiru. She cast an eye over to Rankor who was tightening some of his satchel straps, then looked back at Kiru. "Oh yes I almost forgot, tell your parents I would be glad to see them again, it’s better than constantly dealing with...” She pointed a claw blindly over her soulder to Rankor’s father who was now punching the stone. Yes, punching it. For science! Kiru watched as Rankor’s mother watched her mate punch the stone and then try to bite a corner of it.

“How do you stay sane with him all the time,” asked Kiru. It was meant to be more a personal thought than as a spoken question. After she realized she had said it she quickly apologized. Rankor’s mother simply laughed quietly.

“I love him, simple as that. I don’t think there’s a thing in this world he could do that would truly annoy me.” Kiru nodded at that and raised her head again as Rankor’s mother spoke to her again. "Oh, I almost forgot." She reached back and took a small clay pot out of a satchel and opened it. It was full of a small amount of dry jibs. "Want some?" She offered Kiru who shook her head. Rankor's mother shrugged her shoulders and tipped the contents into her mouth. She handed the empty pot to Kiru as she chewed. "Mind giving me some venom dear? It's terrific stuff to make medicine out of."

"Of course," said Kiru as she took the pot and held it under one of her fangs. Concentrating she injected the pot with the clear venom from her glands. "There you are miss Keishou, be careful with that stuff." She knew better than to tell a healer that venom was dangerous but you can never be too careful.

"Trust me I know, now before Rankor starts smashing his head on a rock you better get flying. Oh and don’t forget the next time you see your mother to say hi for me and tell her I want to see her and Daiigar again." She closed her eyes and a warm smile crept across her face. "I miss our days together with just the four of us, but life goes on." Kiru nodded.

"I'll tell her," said Kiru. She turned back to Rankor's father. "Thanks for the, uh, amber." He waved at her without looking up from the rock. She glanced at Rankor’s mother. They both looked at him and Rankor a few steps away, bouncing from paw to paw anxiously.

"Males," they both muttered under their breath. They shared a grin and Kiru broke off and joined Rankor.

"Ready?" she asked, brushing his wing with one of hers.

"Yes!" He said in a hushed and overly happy voice. In a second he was airborne and flying to the large stone Kiru had told him about. 'Now he’s excited to go there at least, thank you mister Shannkor." She stifled a laugh as she took off and followed him across the moss covered ground. Flying after him to the cliffs and the large stone beside the base of them that was their destination.

~

Kiru landed to find Rankor standing up straight on his blacklegs and leaning with one of his fore arms on the boulder.

"I win," he said. Kiru nodded at him.

"You sure did, now let's start looking." She began to loosen and take off all of her satchels and lay them by the stone. She looked up at it as she did. It was enormous, over a hundred feet tall and almost double that in length. No wonder it appeared on the maps. They were still at the crystal cliffs, although the sea was now a ways behind them. The cliffs before them rose high, almost toughing the cavern ceiling but not quite. The cliffs here were not pure sapphire as the main body that traveled the length of the sea. Here the crystals were mixed in with rocks and stone. The pressure that had formed these gems was not as intense when the cliffs formed so long ago. Not a pure flowing crystal any longer but still breathtaking. Kiru looked up at the cliffs as Rankor took off his satchels and shook out his freed wings.

"Sooo how are we doing this?" he asked looking at the cliff. "I don't suppose there's a convenient 'X' marks the spot is there?" He grinned at his intelligent anecdote until Kiru nodded.

"Yeah there actually is a specific point marked." She said as she took the map out of its case.

"Oh," grunted Rankor, defeated. Well that makes it easy at least. "Alright, lead on." Kiru took the map and looked down at it then to the cliff. She held it in a paw as she took off and flew the short distance until she was standing with her face to the cliff.

"Well according to my father and the measurements I made, it should be a quarter of a mile to the left of where that stone is," she said as she pointed a claw back at the stone.

"And how do we judge a quarter of a mile?" asked Rankor perplexed. Kiru just gave him a glum stare.

"It's not that hard to judge distance, just follow me." She rose into the air and winged away and landed again a minute later. Rankor landed beside her with an expression of victory on his face. There was nothing there. His mind was already thinking of going back to his home or back to Quez-or Liel. Both were home as far as he cared. Oh wait, his room was full of rocks. 'Maybe we can go to the hot springs to relax for a few days' he thought to himself. His though was interrupted by small falling stones that tumbled down the cliff. One hit his wing and one hit Kiru on the snout. She yelped and sprang back as more came falling down.

"You're an idiot! I'm not going to live in this," came a voice from above where the rocks had fallen from. A very familiar voice. High above them, from a small opening in the cliff, popped a head.

"Hey it's... what's his name," Rankor mumbled the last three words. He was horrible at remembering names. The other dragon above them fanned out his wings and looked around. Eventually he looked down and his face lit up at seeing Rankor and Kiru. He spread his wings and dove down, opening them at the last second and gliding up beside them.

"Hey how are you two doing! It is a small world isn’t it!" he said with jubilation. He opened his wings and hugged both of them at once in his embrace. Kiru smiled and searched her head for a name to attach to the face.

"Gain?" She asked as more of a question then she anticipated. He looked slightly hurt as he folded his wings back in but quickly shook it off.

"What? Forget my name already?" Kiru hurriedly thought of something to say but Gain just laughed. "I'm just messing with you." He shook his head and looked at the two of them again. "So what brings you back?"

"Treasure hunting," said Rankor mater-of-factly. "But, ah, I see a lack of treasure so far." Kiru jabbed him playfully in the side with her tail.

"Hey come on we just got here." Although she was also looking rather let down at the sheer lack of anything around the area. Shaking her head she turned her attention to Gain. “Is Melin around by any chance?” she asked looking around in case she had missed him. Gain started to fidget and raised a paw and scratched the back of his head.

“Yeahhhh he’s here, but he’s a bit… stressed at the moment.” Kiru tilted her head at that.

“Something happen?” she asked.

“Well,” started Gain, blushing slightly. “Remember how we wanted to tell our parents about us? Him and me?” Kiru nodded and he continued. “Yeah well that didn’t exactly… work.” Just then another small shower of pebbles fell from above them and another head looked down from a tunnel entrance in the cliff.

“Didn’t… exactly… work?” Said Melin in a stressed and emotionless voice. “I said we should wait till later when we could plan ahead but someone, not going to say who, said it was best to get it over with.” With a very dry and sarcastic voice he added. “Well I tried that and you know what happened.”

“They kicked you out” said Gain in a manner that suggested he’s been dealing with this problem for a day or two. And that it this was suggested to be his fault.

“THEY KICKED ME OUT!” Screamed Melin as he started to bash his head against a slab of sapphire in the rocks. Gain just looked up at a loss.

“Hey come on love, stop bashing your head,” in a whisper he added “actually it might help him.” He then leaned against Rankor’s side and rested his head on his neck. Rankor went rigid and started to burn up from embarrassment. Kiru’s eyes were twitching from laughter she was suppressing and had a better idea. She walked up to Gain and whispered to him. His smile broadened and he gave Rankor a nice affectionate lick on the cheek. Rankor jumped sideways and was pawing at his face where he was licked with a very red look on his face.

“I’m going this way.” He said quickly and pointed sideways with a claw and started to walk away at a rather brisk pace.

“Well that was fun,” said Gain as he looked down at Kiru, who was snickering, and spread his wing and brushed hers. “So really, what are you here for?” She caught her breath and told him the story of the old journal and the maps.

“It is true what Rankor said and it looks like he’s right.” She gestured to the area. “There is nothing here.” Just then wing flaps echoed above them and they looked up to see Melin joining them. He folded in his wings and walked over to Gain.

“Hey I’m sorry it’s just… been difficult.” Said Melin as Gain nuzzled his cheek.

“Don’t worry about it, we’ll figure it out somehow.” Kiru looked between them, a pang of sadness for them. Trying to change the subject she pointed to the hole in the cliff they had both emerged from.

“What are you two trying to do anyway?” Melin regarded her and guessed it wouldn’t matter if she knew.

“Trying to find a place to live now that I can’t go back.” He raised a wing to the cliffs above. “These cliffs have been a home to dragons of the Roe since the ancients first settled here. There are so many caves and tunnels that have been dug out over generations. We can take our pick of them now that no one lives here anymore.” Kiru glanced up. Instead of the one hole in the cliff she now saw dozens. She took a step back. They were everywhere. At the same time it was rather eerie. It was very desolate.

“Uh, does no one else live here?” She asked as she looked around. In the distance she saw the sea and hundreds of dragons flying around the cliffs and diving into the sea. But here it was silent. Only the wind echoing in the tunnels above made a sound. Gain shook his and draped a wing over Melin’s back as he continued.

“Nah, once our ancestors dug out the sapphire cliffs that jut out over the sea they all moved there. Very convenient to wake up and not have to fly several miles to find food or water.” He gazed at the cliffs above with a strong determined look on his face. “Some of the caves and tunnels in these cliffs haven’t been lived in in generations. Some lead to huge underground chambers large enough for six families. Found one that even has a small stream running through it but it’s so deep underground that it’s pitch black in there.” He shook his head and erased those negative thoughts. “I’ll find us a good one and maybe then we can be happy.”

“I thought we were happy?” Said Gain with a hurt voice. Melin rested his head against Gain’s.

“Oh we are but it will be a load off my wings to find somewhere to call home. Know what I mean?” Kiru nodded, home was always important to find. A place you were safe and surrounded by those you loved. “So what are you here for?” Kiru handed him the map she was holding in her paws.

“Looking for something the ancients left behind, we think at least.” Melin studied the map and then raised his head and looked across the landscape. With a frown he shrugged off Gains wing and walked several paces back. He held out the map and glanced from it to the cliff.

“Well for one thing this isn’t the exact spot.” He pointed down the side of the cliff to a piece of the wall that jutted out a few feet from the rest and then pointed to the map. Kiru and Gain walked closer and looked at it. The map also indicated the jutting piece and the ‘X’ was directly on the right side of it. Together they walked to the location that Melin said was the spot. Still nothing anywhere.

“I think whoever gave you this was just having a joke at your expense.” Said Gain as he scanned the area for anything. The only thing he saw was Rankor a minute’s flight away walking around aimlessly. Kiru sighed and nodded.

“This is just a waste of time isn’t it?” Her spirits dropped but she knew this would happen. She was startled as Melin poked the top of her head with a claw.

“No, not a Joke. Did it ever occur to you that this mark could be above or below ground level? Also what if it wasn’t the location of an item but a path to it?” His eyes raised to the cliffs above and Kiru and Gain followed his gaze. A sense of awe and realization swept over Kiru. The tunnels in the cliffs. The mark on the map could be the marker of the beginning of a passage. “What was it that I said?” Asked Melin. “That these tunnels and caves were home to the ancient’s many generations ago.” He swept a paw up to them. “Who says they didn’t leave something in a few of them?” Kiru’s eyes widened and her heart raced and her markings and eyes began to glow brighter. “Also your map has made it very easy to find the right tunnel, or maybe just luck.” He gave Kiru back the map and flapped his wings, flying to the only tunnel in the specified part of the cliff. Kiru was jumping from paw to paw now and Gain smiled as he watched her.

“RANKOR! We found it.” She shouted over to him. He raised his head from where he was and walked back to them. He saw Gain grin at him and he then backed up and walked to Kiru’s other side and used her as a wall.

“Hey come on, I was only playing with you.” Said Gain with his go happy and lucky voice. Rankor snorted.

“I know but I feel much… safer over here.” Gain laughed at that.

“Okay that’s fine, we’re still friends right?” He reached a wing over Kiru’s back and lightly smacked Rankor’s head with it.

“Yeah we’re still friends but next time save it for him.” Said Rankor as he pointed to Melin who was walking into the tunnel above.

“Fair enough,” said Gain with a nod. As they spoke, Kiru flew to the large stone and picked up their supplies and brought them over to the others. She handed Rankor his things which he fastened around his back and wing joints. Above them a voice called down.

“You guys might want to see this.” Said Melin as he stood at the edge of the opening high above. The others finished securing their items and quickly flew up and joined him in the tunnel.

“Woah…” said Rankor as he looked in. A single tunnel lay before them and slowly dropped into the deep, pitch black and no sound. “Well that’s nice and all, but can we not and say we did instead?” Kiru pushed past him and stood before the group, looking down into the dark.

“Shall we?” She said. She turned back to the looming darkness and closed her eyes and brought her heartrate up. Her markings glowed with a radiant green light and her eyes shone like Quez-or Liel gems. She reached into her satchel and handed her glowing hybrid necklace to Rankor. “Some light for you.” He took it and stared at it, then to her and the darkness beyond. Without waiting to see if he put it on she began to walk into the deep. Rankor watched her go and then looked between Gain and Melin.

“I don’t suppose you two want to come do you?” He sounded hopeful, deep dark tunnels was not his favorite place to explore. Gain shook his head.

“Sorry but we still need to find a place and take care of other stuff today.” Rankor nodded.

“Okay well it’s been good to see you again.” He turned to follow Kiru and felt a paw on his shoulder. Turning back he saw Gain smiling at him.

“Take care of her okay, and be safe.” Rankor nodded his head slowly with a simile on his face.

“I will, believe me I will. You two take care of yourselves as well.” With one last nod, and fastening Kiru’s necklace around his neck, he followed her into the tunnel beyond.