Original Fic: "Casting Out Dragons" 1/1
Title: Casting Out Dragons
Fandom: Original
Characters/Pairings: Dahlia, Mouse, Leo
Author: evil_little_dog
Words: Appx. 6,000
Rating: Teenish
Summary: Dahlia and Mouse want to explore the cave, but Leo, Mouse’s brother, has other plans.
Warnings: Creepiness.
Disclaimer: MY ORIGINAL WORK. :D So, yes, I do own this.
Notes: Much thanks to cornerofmadness for her edits and handholding.
spook_me Prompt:
X X X
“Come on, Dally!”
She huffed, pulling the hem of her stupid dress up above her knees, not caring that her mother would yell at her if she saw. The hem could get caught in the underbrush, or ripped if she let it loose, and that would really make her mother mad. Why did she have to wear dresses, and Mouse didn’t have to? Why didn’t boys wear dresses? Gritting her teeth at the way Mouse waved an impatient hand at her over his shoulder, she forced her legs to move faster, reaching out to grab a sapling and using it to pull herself up the hill. It wasn’t fair! But if she tried to say that, she’d get called a crybaby. Fisting her hands in her skirt, Dahlia gulped air, and ran through the young trees, skirting the big rocks poking up out of the ground.
That it was too rocky to plow here had to be why no one had found the cave before. Dahlia grinned, wanting to skip or scream. She’d found it, all by herself, and now, she’d get her name in the newspapers. Maybe the cave reached all the way to the one down in Kantukee, the cave they called ‘Mammoth’ because of how big it was. Maybe she’d get to name the cave, too!
Wiping her wet forehead on her shirt sleeve, Dahlia pushed her legs faster to catch up to Mouse. When she’d told him a little bit about where she’d found the cave, she hadn’t thought he’d run ahead of her. Dumb boy! As she puffed her way to top of the hill, Mouse held out his hand to her. Dahlia grabbed it, letting him help haul her up the incline.
“Slowpoke,” Mouse told her, smirking.
Dahlia jerked her hand free. “You try running in a dress!”
“Why?” Mouse showed his teeth. “I don’t have to wear dresses.”
“I hate you for that!” She stuck her tongue out at him, making Mouse laugh.
Reaching the top of the hill, they pushed their way through the underbrush crowning it, Dahlia sidestepping the bright red, three-part leaves that marked itch weed. Mouse plunged through it - it never bothered him. Dahlia always wondered if he knew a spell to keep it from making him itch, but never remembered to ask him when they weren’t near the weed. He had no control over blackberries or brambles, and they both skirted around the edges, keeping watch. As late in the year as it was, bears could be out, looking for a little bit more food to tide them over for the winter sleep. Dahlia realized her cave might be home to a bear, and fear curled in her stomach, making her lunch curdle there.
“Mouse.” Dahlia grabbed his hand, whatever she’d been about to say lodged in her throat at the sight of him.
Leo stood waiting for them, his hands on his hips, a lantern at his feet. His teeth, narrow points of bone, like a barred cage for his tongue, flashed as he smiled. “What took you so long?”
“Mouse?” Dahlia swallowed hard.
He shook his head. “I don’t know!”
Smile widening, Leo said, “I heard you found a cave, Dally.”
She shuddered at Leo using her nickname. “So? I didn’t ask you to come.” In her hand, Mouse’s started sweating. Maybe the sweat was from her hand.
Leo gave them both a long look. “I don’t see a lantern.” He picked his up, rattling it. “Or were you going into the cave without any light?”
Dahlia groaned. She hadn’t even thought of light inside the cave. From the way Mouse’s shoulders slumped, he hadn’t, either. “All right,” she sighed. “You can come with us.” Pulling free from Mouse’s grip, she pointed at Leo. “But it’s my cave. I found it, you didn’t!”
Leo stared at her, and licked his lips. Dahlia folded her arms, glaring, even though she wanted to grab Mouse’s hand and run. Leo made her skin crawl when he looked at her like that, but she wasn’t letting him find her cave. They were too close to it now for him not to find it, even if she couldn’t see the entrance at all from where she stood. If she hadn’t marked the tree near it, Dahlia wasn’t even sure she’d be able to find it again, as small as the mouth was. Huffing, she started down the hill toward Leo, knowing Mouse would follow.
Mouse’s big brother really was a big brick of a boy, almost five years older than Mouse and her. She’d heard her parents talk about Leo, how wild they thought he was. People said he’d been the one to come up with the idea of putting the Nedobeck wagon on top of the church, and talked some of the other boys into doing it, but no one could prove it unless someone spoke up. So far, whoever had done it hadn’t even bragged on it. The boys all thought it was funny, even Mouse, though he didn’t laugh as hard as some. Some people thought maybe magic had been used to get the wagon up there. However it happened, Dahlia knew Leo had something to do with it. He smiled too much whenever anyone talked about it, like he was proud of it happening.
And Leo was plain mean. Dahlia couldn’t remember him ever being nice to Mouse or her. Her parents had other things to worry about than Mouse’s bruises, and Mouse’s dad wasn’t much nicer to Mouse than Leo was. Mouse was weak, he said, his nickname suited him. Dahlia knew better; Mouse was strong, to put up with how Leo treated him. And now, it was just the two of them, and Leo. Behind her, she could hear Mouse slipping down the slope and waited for him to catch up. She didn’t want to go any closer to Leo than she had to.
He waited for them, his fist tight around the lantern’s handle. His teeth gleamed, reminding Dahlia of a wolf she’d seen once. Leo tossed his red bangs out of his eyes, reaching his hand out, like he wanted her to walk with him.
Shoving her own hands behind her back, Dahlia waited for Mouse to catch her up. He glanced sideways at her as he stepped up next to her. His hair clung to his sweaty cheeks and he swiped his forehead, drying his fingers on his pants. His hand hesitated over his pocket, and he reached in, pulling out something he shielded from his brother - the nub of a candle, and some lucifers. The bare wink he offered let her know he planned on losing his brother as soon as they could.
“What’ve you got?” Leo snatched at Mouse’s arm, yanking free a couple of the matches, spilling them on the ground. “Hey!” He grabbed them, waving them in front of Mouse’s nose. “Where’d you get these, huh, Erasmus?” He made Mouse’s full name sound like a threat.
Mouse lunged, managing to grab the matches back. “Same place you got the lantern, Leonidas.”
Leo gnashed his teeth. “Give me those!”
“Did you forget to bring matches, Leo?” Mouse asked sweetly.
He growled, muscles bunching. “Give me the matches, Mouse.”
“Give Dally the lantern,” Mouse insisted. “She can hold it. She found the cave.”
“We could go home, Mouse,” Dahlia said, not quite touching him, her hand hovering next to his elbow. “We can come back another day.”
“No, now that he knows it’s here, he’ll look for it until he finds it. If he doesn’t find it, his cronies will.” Mouse didn’t even glance at her, keeping his wary gaze on his brother. “And he’ll say he found it first, not you, so he can brag about it.”
Leo’s fair face flushed up. “Give me the damned matches!” He grabbed at Mouse again, but Mouse dodged sideways.
“Give Dally the lantern,” he repeated. “I’ll give her the lucifers.”
Taking a deep breath, Leo let it out slowly. He bared his teeth in a lazy grin. Running his free hand over his hair, he made it stand on end. “Sure.” Offering the lantern, Leo made to pull it away, but Dahlia was ready, snatching the lantern before he could yank it out of her reach. Taking a quick step back, she ran into Mouse’s chest. He grabbed her shoulder, steadying here. Together, they stared at Leo, who shrugged. “Go on, Mouse, have her light the lantern.”
Dahlia ignored the funny twist of Leo’s mouth, opening the lantern door so Mouse could light it. His cheeks brightened, though she didn’t know if he was angry or embarrassed, and his fingers trembled as he stood on one foot to use the sole of his shoe as a striker for the lucifer. The flame wavered and went out. Leo laughed as Mouse cursed under his breath, dropping the spent match. He took the other out of his pocket and used it to make an obscene gesture that Dahlia knew would give her mother a shock to see. Mouse scraped the second match on his shoe. Fire spat up, a blue and gold flame, and Mouse touched it to the wick in the lantern.
As the wick caught, Dahlia let out her breath. The flame sputtered, then burned brighter. With a relieved smile, she closed the lantern door and trimmed the wick. Glancing toward Mouse, she tilted her head to the side, beckoning him to go with her.
“Ah, ah.” Leo blocked her way, shoving Mouse aside, nearly knocking him down. “Get your own lantern girl.” He grabbed Dahlia’s arm, he pulled her against his chest, wrapping his thick arm around her waist. He snugged it up under her breasts, leaning his chin on her shoulder, and digging it in. “Let’s go, Dally.”
It was hard to walk, as stiff as she got, with Leo plastered against her back. He rubbed up against her as she walked, making her stumble a few times as he put his foot down where it didn’t belong. She wanted to reach behind and grab him hard, where she knew it would hurt the most, but his arm around her kept her from doing it. “Let me go,” she snapped. “Or I’m not going anywhere!”
Leo pinched her earlobe with his free hand. “You will.”
Dahlia bit her lip to keep from screaming. Mouse slapped his brother’s hand away, his fingers stinging Dahlia’s shoulder. “She doesn’t have to do anything,” he snapped. “Let her go!”
“I won’t take you!” Dahlia shrilled, struggling to get free, stomping her feet, hoping she’d find one of Leo’s by accident. The lantern rattled in her hand.
“Stop it, Dally,” Leo ordered, grabbing her wrist and twisting it around. She nearly dropped the lantern, but kept hold of the handle. The wire cut into her palm and fingers as she squeezed. “Be a good girl. Everyone likes good girls.”
“Let her go, Leo,” Mouse said, his eyes blazing as he stepped in front of them.
“But I like her here.” Leo ground his sharp chin into Dahlia’s shoulder. She could see his fiery hair out of the corner of her eye. He bumped into her backside repeatedly, and Dahlia fought to keep from shuddering. “So, are you going to take me there?”
“Yes,” she bit out. “But only if you let me go!”
Mouse clenched his hands into fists, his face reddening. “Let her go, Leo!”
“Or what?” he taunted. Leo’s arm tightened around her waist, pulling her even closer against him for a few seconds.
They were too far away from town, or even any of the farmhouses for Dahlia to yell. She couldn’t catch her breath, but Leo panted over her shoulder, the moist heat dampening her dress top, making it stick to her skin. “Let me go, Leo.” The lantern rattled against her thigh. “Let go!”
His short, coarse laugh grated against her ear. Dahlia met Mouse’s eyes and she raised the lantern a little, wagging it him as she cut her eyes toward Leo. Mouse lunged sideways as Dahlia swung the lantern up over her head, bashing Leo with it. He roared as the glass crashed open, burning oil spilling out of it in a liquid run of fire. Dahlia flung herself away, rolling on the grass and scrambling to her feet.
“Dally!” Mouse offered her his hands and she grabbed them, letting him steady her. They both turned back to Leo.
Fire flared on his shirt and he stripped it off, screaming. Blood ran down his face, glass sparkling on his skin. “You bitch!” he howled, and snapped out something, the words ricocheting of the inclined ground around them. Dahlia slapped her hands over her ears, gritting her teeth at the sound. Wind came up like a stooping eagle, roaring around them, tearing at Dahlia’s hair and dress. The force of it struck like a blow, staggering Dahlia. She grabbed for Mouse, trying to stay upright. Mouse caught her wrist, dragging her along as he stumbled away from Leo.
Catching her balance, Dahlia cried, “Come on!” They were too far away from the town to run for help. Dahlia led Mouse into the trees farther down in the valley. The wind whipped the young trees around them, sending branches to tear at her hair. Ducking her head, she threw one arm up, reaching back for Mouse with the other. His fingers linked up with hers, and they thundered down into another hollow.
Behind them, Leo screamed his rage. Mouse glanced over his shoulder, and Dahlia nearly lost hold of him when he ran into a tree. “Get up!” she shrieked under her breath, hauling at his arm. “We’re almost there!”
“I’m gonna find you!” Leo roared as Mouse scrambled to his feet.
The big, red rock to the left, with the moss growing on it, marked the cave’s entrance. Dahlia rushed by it, jerking Mouse along with her. It was a hole in the ground, barely visible, unless you were looking. Dahlia pointed to it, her mouth too dry to talk. She dropped onto her backside, pulling her dress around her thighs, and pushed off the edge, sliding down into the cave. Hitting the bottom, she scrabbled sideways, out of Mouse’s way. Once he skidded down to her, Dahlia tugged him to the left, into the shadows.
Above-ground, Leo bellowed, his voice echoing. “You little bastard!”
Mouse twisted his head back over his shoulder, but Dahlia didn’t bother. Her mind spun with the possibilities of Leo’s magic. Magic ran in families, but Mouse never showed any, or never had around her, and Dahlia knew Mouse. He wouldn’t keep that kind of a secret from her, no more than she could’ve kept the cave completely to herself. But Leo? Leo keeping magic a secret from everyone sounded like him.
“I’ve found you,” Leo gloated, and Dahlia hunched her shoulders at the sound of him sliding down into the cave. Rocks clattered and scattered on the stone floor, and Leo shouted, “Come out, and I’ll go easy on you.”
In the faint light they had, Dahlia saw Mouse shook his head, his eyes wide. They were too close to the entrance. Mouse reached into his pocket, pulling out the lucifers he had left, and pointed. Dahlia nodded, and they crept forward, leaving the light, and Leo, behind.
Darkness surrounded them, forcing Mouse to light the first match. Cupping the flame, Mouse led the way. The flame didn’t offer much light, but better than walking blind. Dahlia kept an eye behind them, but if Leo could make a magic light, it wouldn’t blow out like their match. He’d be able to run through the cave. Grabbing hold of Mouse’s shirt tail, Dahlia followed him around a curve in the tunnel. They had to stoop to get through the next part, Dahlia scraping her back. Mouse had to light a second match, and in the silence, they heard Leo, clattering behind them. The sound of his breath echoed in the tunnels.
They reached a large cavern, able to stand up again, but the smell. The stench hit Dahlia, nearly sending her back into the low tunnel. A faint squeaking sound, and the horrible smell that nearly took Dahlia’s breath away, alerted them to the bats overhead. Mouse pressed his forearm to his mouth, his eyes watering. The flame burned brighter in that close, awful air. Dahlia saw bats fall away from the roof overhead, fluttering back into the shadows. Easing their way through the nasty room, the bats chattering and squealing overhead, Dahlia knew she’d be able to find her way back to this part of the cave. The smell would guide the way.
The cavern brightened; a miniature sun rising behind them, and Dahlia’s heart clutched. She shoved Mouse ahead of her, skidding in the bat poop beneath her feet. They slipped and slithered across the cavern, heading away from the light following in their wake. The bats, disturbed by their rush, dropped from the ceiling. Squeaking and shrilling, they dove at the match. Mouse yelped, dropping it. “Damn!”
“I hear you,” Leo gloated, stepping into the cavern. Fire danced in his hands.
Mouse’s eyes glittered from the light and he grabbed Dahlia’s wrist. “Go,” he shouted, his voice echoing. Dahlia scrambled to keep her balance in the slick stuff on the floor, clutching at Mouse’s arm. They both went down into the slime.
Flames burst across the cavern. The bats shrilled their terror as Leo burned them, turning them into flying missiles of fire. Leo’s laugh rose over their screams. Kicking her feet, Dahlia tried to push away from the animals raining down on them. Mouse rolled onto his hands and knees and fire singed the back of his neck, making him yell. Dahlia managed to find her feet, grabbing under his arm to pull him along with her. They followed the escaping bats while Leo fired off another volley of flames.
“You can’t get away,” he shouted. He laughed as bats fell before him.
“Come on!” Mouse’s dirty hands clutched at Dahlia’s, steadying her as they bumped off a wall, ducking into another hole. They bounced off a wall, tripping over stalagmites. Dahlia saw stars, rubbing her head. “Come on,” Mouse repeated, urgent, tugging her along until she could move under her own steam again.
“Yeah, yeah,” Dahlia mumbled, seeing a hint of light ahead. If they could get out of the cave, maybe they could get back to the town. Leo wouldn’t take on the town.
They burst out of the hole, clutching at each other as they caught their balance. The room before them gaped like a huge chapel, spires hanging from the ceiling and jutting up from the floor. Rocks glittered like diamonds, and the smell of fresh water tickled at Dahlia’s nostrils, so much cleaner than where they’d been. Some other scent alerted her, something she couldn’t place, warm and dry and spicy, that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Her heart beat faster and she felt Mouse’s hand tighten on hers.
Bats skittered overhead, one of them still on fire and squealing its pain. The thing that smelled of spices and leather raised its head, tracking the bat, then shot out its neck like a snake, catching the bat and crunching once before swallowing.
“Dragon,” Mouse said helplessly, awfully.
Dahlia swallowed, realizing in the warm light of the room - lit by fires, surely the dragon’s doing - something crawled over and around it. She forced her eyes to pick out babies, little dragons, not even as long as her arm. Her heart skipped and she wanted to back up.
The dragon rose to her feet, shaking off babies like a momma dog would her puppies. Her wings rattled and she stretched her neck and her tail, then her back and her legs. More bats trickled into the large room, and she raised her nose, sniffing at the air. Her head swung from side to side, and Dahlia knew she was looking for them.
Mouse dragged Dahlia down behind a clump of stalagmites, huddling with her. His fingers dug into her wrist and shoulder. The stalagmites were too thick to see through, no little gaps between them, like there would be in underbrush. Dahlia almost wanted to wriggle backward until she could see something beyond the damp, slick rock. The rough cave floor dug into her knees through the thin fabric of her dress. She could hear the peeping sounds of the young dragons, and the low, guttural growl of their mother. And Leo, laughing like a loon as he chased the burning bats, his voice bouncing around the cave until she had no idea where he might actually be.
Mouse pressed a dirty finger to his lips, shushing Dahlia. She bobbed her head once. Her mouth felt so dry, it almost hurt. Mouse searched her face, giving her a weak smile, and pointed away from the dragon’s cave. Dahlia shook her head wildly. The further they went into the cave, the easier it would be to get lost. If they went through that little tunnel over there, they’d be back in the bat’s cave. And from there, she thought they could find their way out.
But the dragon had to have a way to get out of the cave, too, and Dahlia doubted she came through that little hole they had. She cautiously poked her head up, just high enough to see through the jagged teeth of the stalagmite. Mouse did, too, and they both peered through the cage of minerals.
Their escape tunnel lit up with yellow-orange light - Leo must be coming through. Dahlia found herself clasping Mouse’s hand, twining their fingers together. They watched the entrance into the dragon’s cave, keeping a wary eye on the dragon. She let out a sound that Dahlia felt, rather than heard, and the baby dragons fell over themselves to duck deeper into the shadows. Dahlia saw one half-fly, half-run toward their mass of stalagmites and gritted her teeth. If the momma dragon came looking for it, there’d be trouble. She almost laughed out loud. More trouble than they were already in?
Leo shuffled out of the mouth of the little tunnel, flames rippling over his hands and forearms. He straightened, searching for them, a smile brightening his face. Sweat coated his face, running down his body to soak his shirt. His curly hair was matted with it, and he shook his head, spraying sweat through the cave.
The dragon let out a low growl that made the ground under Dahlia’s legs shudder. The babies made strange little moans in response. Mouse’s nails dug into Dahlia’s palm, but she barely felt the pain as the dragon reared up on her hind legs, her tail lashing and her wings spreading wide.
Leo stared up at her, and his throat bobbed. He raised his hands, as if he was showing off the fire to her. The dragon snorted, her wings stretching farther. For a few seconds, they remained still, eyeing each other, then Leo dropped his gaze. Dahlia ducked reflexively, but Mouse barely flinched, and she peeked up through the grating of stone shielding them. She watched as the strange smile on Leo’s face widened, somehow. He lowered his hands, though the fire on them burned brighter, higher, and he threw it, like a rock, straight at the dragon’s feet.
Something squealed wildly, and Mouse hissed through his teeth, his hand going cold in Dahlia’s as one of the little dragons burst into flame. The mother roared. Her neck arched up, reminding Dahlia of a swan, then the dragon lunged at Leo. He raised a wall of flame, but the dragon was faster, the flame circling her throat like a collar as she reached through it, her mouth opening wide.
Screaming, Leo shot fire into her mouth. The dragon snapped her jaws shut, then opened them again. Her cry of pain made Dahlia slam her free hand over her ear. The babies squeaked and shrieked, scurrying about. Leo laughed again, blasting off fire like bullets from a gun, aiming at the momma dragon.
“Don’t hurt her!” Dahlia screamed.
The dragon bellowed at the same time, drowning out her cry. She recoiled from Leo, rising into the air, then attacked. Leo yelled as she pounced.
Mouse grabbed for Dahlia’s arm. “We have to go,” he shouted, and she could barely hear him over all the other noises in the chamber. He pulled at her hand, and that got her to scrabble after him across the cold, rough floor. A little dragon ran at them, peeping, and Dahlia grabbed it, hugging it to her chest. It hooked its claws in the front of her dress, burrowing its face under her neck, like a scared baby. “Put it down,” Mouse yelled.
“No!” Dahlia cuddled it with one arm. “It’s scared and Leo,” she glanced over her shoulder, at the battle going on in the huge chamber.
Mouse’s face went grim. “Okay, but.” He sighed, giving in as the mother dragon screamed again. “Come on.”
They ducked into another corridor, this one big enough for a dragon. The rocks were polished with her passing, glittering and slick, and the cave floor showed scratches from her claws. Mouse lit a match as they left behind the battleground and the light it produced. The little dragon huddled against Dahlia’s chest, trembling. She heard something and looked back. “Mouse!” Two more little dragons followed them, their heads and wings low as they scrambled as fast as they could to keep up.
Dropping the match, Mouse exhaled gustily, but picked up of the dragons as it approached, tucking it into his vest. The other one climbed his leg before he could even offer to lift it. He buttoned both of them into his vest, giving Dahlia a hopeless look in the dim light of the cavern. “No more. The rest have to make it out on their own.”
Hearing another peep, they both turned to see a fourth dragon. Dahlia squatted down to open her arm, and the dragon leaped to her, winding close around her and the other baby. Mouse tucked his hand under her elbow and pulled her to her feet. “We have to go,” he said. Lighting a match, Mouse tucked his arm under the dragons in his vest, and they both staggered off under the added weight.
A horrible, sliding sound turned into a crash. The floor jumped under Dahlia’s feet, nearly throwing her back to the ground. Mouse staggered, bouncing into the cave wall, the match going out. Mouse groaned, but kept his footing. Red stained his sleeve, but there wasn’t time to look at it. They couldn’t slow down now. They had to run. Dahlia hoped the dragons would hold on. Grabbing Mouse’s good hand, she pulled him, as he’d been pulling her along since they’d started for the cave.
Dust chased after them, a cloud of it that made Dahlia cough. Light flickered ahead but not as close as she wanted. They ran, stumbled, toward the hint of escape. Behind them, they could hear the battle raging on.
Mouse screamed, disappearing suddenly, and Dahlia windmilled her arms, trying to keep from falling down into the crater, but she couldn’t stop herself. The fall was short, but made Dahlia groan after the impact. Her knee ached, but at least it moved. Rocks rained down on them and the baby dragons started whimpering. “Sh-shhh,” Dahlia said, trying to keep them calm, trying to calm herself. Mouse opened his vest, prying the dragons off. Setting them down, he tried to climb up the wall, but the ground shook again, dust rolling over the rim of the crater.
“Here,” he said, waving at Dahlia, and made a stirrup of his hands. “You get out, and you can pull me up.” The ground shook again, pebbles bouncing off Mouse’s head and back. Grimacing, he jerked his body. “Hurry, Dally!”
She grabbed his shoulders to balance herself, stepping into his laced fingers. Mouse grunted as he heaved her up, and Dahlia clawed at the surface, slicing her fingertips on the rough rock. The dragons climbed up and over her to get up, Mouse’s pair joining hers. They braced themselves and grabbed her wrists, their claws cutting into her skin through her sleeves, anchoring her enough that she could kick her way up and onto the tunnel floor. Scrambling around on her stomach, she reached down for Mouse. He backed up a few steps and ran, leaping up to grab Dahlia’s hands. She gasped at his weight, but held on. The baby dragons cheeped their encouragement as Dahlia wriggled backward, so very slowly, while Mouse used her weight to walk himself up the wall of the crater. He flung himself out of the hole, landing next to Dahlia, his lungs working like a bellows. The floor juddered underneath them, more dust rolling over them, making Mouse cough.
“We can’t stay here.” Dahlia pointed toward a thin gap of light, barely visible through the dust clouds.
Mouse nodded, rolling over to get to his knees and pushing himself upright. Rocks shuddered down out of the stone ceiling overhead. The dragons loped along the corridor, one stopping back to look over its shoulder. It shrieked at them. Dahlia grabbed Mouse’s wrist and they ran after the babies. The cavern groaned, something popping louder than a gunshot. Dahlia ducked her head, throwing her arm up when something slithered down from overhead. She didn’t look back at the crash, only forward, toward the sliver of light.
The cave floor bounced beneath their racing feet, making it so much harder to run. Dahlia couldn’t catch her breath from the dust in the air. The cracking sounds grew louder, closer, and, farther back, from somewhere deeper in the cave, she heard a wail that echoed over her shoulders.
The mouth of the cave was big enough for a large dragon to squeeze through, plenty big for two kids to run through without letting go of each other’s hands. The baby dragons waited for them, bouncing up and down and squealing, desperate to leave the cave, not leaving it without them. Dahlia wanted to think on that, but there wasn’t time, not with the ceiling destroying itself from the battle still raging behind them.
They raced out the cave, the baby dragons charging along with them. Tripping as the ground rocked again, Dahlia crashed to the ground. Mouse rolled over, away from the mouth of the cave, nearly on top of a dragon, who squeaked in shock. “Sorry,” he said, getting up on shaking legs. “We’re too close,” he said, reaching to slap Dahlia’s shoulder.
She stared at the mouth, at the dust boiling out of it, rocks falling down and cracking. The tunnel moaned, and a flash of fire burst out of it. Dahlia flinched, flinging up her arm in front of her face. The heat blasted her bare skin, making her cry out. Mouse grabbed her under her arms, pulling her back, his head turned away from the heat. He dragged her behind an outcropping of rock, nearly falling on top of her. Dahlia bit her lip to keep from screaming as another burst of fire erupted from the cave, searing the air over their heads. The baby dragons flattened themselves to the ground, the fire making their bodies shimmer in the heat.
A horrible sound followed the blast of flame, like the largest dish cracking. The ground beneath them shuddered and dropped, making Dahlia bleat in fear. Something happened, something that blotted out the sky. Dahlia buried her face against Mouse’s chest, his arm wrapping around her, pulling her close. The whole world seemed to shake and moan, crying out in agony over what happened inside the cave. Dahlia gritted her teeth and clung to Mouse. The little dragons somehow managed to gather around them, pressing close. Dahlia could feel their vibrations against her skin.
When their patch of earth finally stopped shaking, Dahlia tried to sit up. Mouse had to help her, keeping an arm around her shoulders. She realized she still trembled, nearly shaking Mouse’s arm off her. The dragons raised their heads cautiously, wings flexing. One of them swarmed up the rock that had been protecting them, peering over the top of it. Dahlia tilted her head up to follow its track, watching as the dragon swung its head from side to side, its wings rising higher. It peeped, and the other three dragons climbed up after it, one of them stopping to look at Mouse and Dahlia.
“I think they want us to look, too.” Mouse helped her get up, keeping her steady as they walked around the boulder, and yanking her back at the sight in front of them.
The ground gaped open in front of them, smoke drifting out lazily. Rubble and bits of trees were caught amongst rocks. It was no perfect circle, it went on for a while, eating its way down into a narrow valley. A sparkle of water showed, though the dust still raining down would probably turn that to mud for a while.
One of the dragons keened, a mournful sound that sent shivers down the back of Dahlia’s neck. The others joined in; a dirge for their mother and the rest of their kin.
Dahlia swallowed past the lump in her throat. “What do we say about Leo?” she asked, barely recognizing the sound of her voice.
Mouse tightened his arm around her shoulders for a second. “That he took on a dragon.” He snorted. “It’ll make him a hero.” Disgust laced his words. “He’d love that.”
“What about them?” Dahlia nodded at the quartet on the rock over their heads.
Mouse tilted his head back, reaching up. The smallest dragon climbed down onto his arm, nuzzling his hair before crawling across his shoulder to Dahlia’s. She winced at the weight transferring to her burnt arm. “I don’t think we can keep them,” Mouse said softly. “People don’t like dragons.” He said that more to the little creature than to Dahlia.
She stroked the dragon’s head, marveling over the soft, warm flesh. Not quite like her own skin, but familiar, in its own way. “You’ll have to go somewhere else to live,” she said. “All of you. You won’t be safe here.”
The dragon rubbed its face against her cheek, making a sound kind of a like a cat purring. It stretched back to rub against Mouse’s cheek, too, then leaped off Dahlia’s shoulder, back onto the rock. With a commanding squeal, it made the other three dragons turn to it. Flapping its wings, it lifted off, tucking its legs up against its body. It staggered in the air for a few flaps, righted itself, and swooped out over the crater. Something pushed it up, sending it higher than the nearby trees. The other three leaped off the boulder, following the first dragon’s lead. They all soared high in the air, looking like hawks or buzzards, the way they circled. And then, suddenly, they caught a breeze, and were gone.
Dahlia let out her breath slowly, leaning against the rock. The heat still warmed it, though it wasn’t hot enough to hurt her good arm. “We should go home,” she mumbled, but she didn’t think her legs would move.
“Or wait,” Mouse said. “Something this big…everyone will want to see.” He sank down to the ground, using the rock as a back brace. Dahlia found herself next to him, half leaning on his shoulder, half against the rock. “I’m sorry Leo found out.”
Shaking her head slowly, Dahlia mumbled, “Not your fault.” She remembered something, poking Mouse with her elbow.
“Hey!”
“That’s for not telling me Leo was a wizard,” she snapped, raising her head so she could fix Mouse with her glare. “Are you one, too?” She drew back her elbow, poised to poke him with it again.
“No! No, I mean.” Mouse screwed up his face. “I don’t…know.” He sighed, thumping his head back into the stone. “Maybe.” He sighed, and rubbed his sleeve over his face, smearing the dust there. “I didn’t like him,” he mumbled, jerking his chin toward the giant hole in the ground. “But now he’s gone, and.” Shaking his head, Mouse rubbed his face again.
Dahlia couldn’t think of anything to say. Instead, she leaned her head against his shoulder, rubbing her cheek on his shirt. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
Inhaling deeply, Mouse nodded. “Shh. You need to rest. We need to rest,” he added.
The throbbing in her arm convinced her Mouse was probably right. Dahlia sighed. “Should we tell anyone about the baby dragons?”
“No. Give them a chance to get out of here, and live.” Mouse studied the sky, with the smoke and dust still clouding it. “Maybe we’ll find them again, some day.”
Dahlia took his hand, holding onto it. “Maybe,” she whispered, and closed her eyes to wait for their rescue.
X X X
Fandom: Original
Characters/Pairings: Dahlia, Mouse, Leo
Author: evil_little_dog
Words: Appx. 6,000
Rating: Teenish
Summary: Dahlia and Mouse want to explore the cave, but Leo, Mouse’s brother, has other plans.
Warnings: Creepiness.
Disclaimer: MY ORIGINAL WORK. :D So, yes, I do own this.
Notes: Much thanks to cornerofmadness for her edits and handholding.
spook_me Prompt:
X X X
“Come on, Dally!”
She huffed, pulling the hem of her stupid dress up above her knees, not caring that her mother would yell at her if she saw. The hem could get caught in the underbrush, or ripped if she let it loose, and that would really make her mother mad. Why did she have to wear dresses, and Mouse didn’t have to? Why didn’t boys wear dresses? Gritting her teeth at the way Mouse waved an impatient hand at her over his shoulder, she forced her legs to move faster, reaching out to grab a sapling and using it to pull herself up the hill. It wasn’t fair! But if she tried to say that, she’d get called a crybaby. Fisting her hands in her skirt, Dahlia gulped air, and ran through the young trees, skirting the big rocks poking up out of the ground.
That it was too rocky to plow here had to be why no one had found the cave before. Dahlia grinned, wanting to skip or scream. She’d found it, all by herself, and now, she’d get her name in the newspapers. Maybe the cave reached all the way to the one down in Kantukee, the cave they called ‘Mammoth’ because of how big it was. Maybe she’d get to name the cave, too!
Wiping her wet forehead on her shirt sleeve, Dahlia pushed her legs faster to catch up to Mouse. When she’d told him a little bit about where she’d found the cave, she hadn’t thought he’d run ahead of her. Dumb boy! As she puffed her way to top of the hill, Mouse held out his hand to her. Dahlia grabbed it, letting him help haul her up the incline.
“Slowpoke,” Mouse told her, smirking.
Dahlia jerked her hand free. “You try running in a dress!”
“Why?” Mouse showed his teeth. “I don’t have to wear dresses.”
“I hate you for that!” She stuck her tongue out at him, making Mouse laugh.
Reaching the top of the hill, they pushed their way through the underbrush crowning it, Dahlia sidestepping the bright red, three-part leaves that marked itch weed. Mouse plunged through it - it never bothered him. Dahlia always wondered if he knew a spell to keep it from making him itch, but never remembered to ask him when they weren’t near the weed. He had no control over blackberries or brambles, and they both skirted around the edges, keeping watch. As late in the year as it was, bears could be out, looking for a little bit more food to tide them over for the winter sleep. Dahlia realized her cave might be home to a bear, and fear curled in her stomach, making her lunch curdle there.
“Mouse.” Dahlia grabbed his hand, whatever she’d been about to say lodged in her throat at the sight of him.
Leo stood waiting for them, his hands on his hips, a lantern at his feet. His teeth, narrow points of bone, like a barred cage for his tongue, flashed as he smiled. “What took you so long?”
“Mouse?” Dahlia swallowed hard.
He shook his head. “I don’t know!”
Smile widening, Leo said, “I heard you found a cave, Dally.”
She shuddered at Leo using her nickname. “So? I didn’t ask you to come.” In her hand, Mouse’s started sweating. Maybe the sweat was from her hand.
Leo gave them both a long look. “I don’t see a lantern.” He picked his up, rattling it. “Or were you going into the cave without any light?”
Dahlia groaned. She hadn’t even thought of light inside the cave. From the way Mouse’s shoulders slumped, he hadn’t, either. “All right,” she sighed. “You can come with us.” Pulling free from Mouse’s grip, she pointed at Leo. “But it’s my cave. I found it, you didn’t!”
Leo stared at her, and licked his lips. Dahlia folded her arms, glaring, even though she wanted to grab Mouse’s hand and run. Leo made her skin crawl when he looked at her like that, but she wasn’t letting him find her cave. They were too close to it now for him not to find it, even if she couldn’t see the entrance at all from where she stood. If she hadn’t marked the tree near it, Dahlia wasn’t even sure she’d be able to find it again, as small as the mouth was. Huffing, she started down the hill toward Leo, knowing Mouse would follow.
Mouse’s big brother really was a big brick of a boy, almost five years older than Mouse and her. She’d heard her parents talk about Leo, how wild they thought he was. People said he’d been the one to come up with the idea of putting the Nedobeck wagon on top of the church, and talked some of the other boys into doing it, but no one could prove it unless someone spoke up. So far, whoever had done it hadn’t even bragged on it. The boys all thought it was funny, even Mouse, though he didn’t laugh as hard as some. Some people thought maybe magic had been used to get the wagon up there. However it happened, Dahlia knew Leo had something to do with it. He smiled too much whenever anyone talked about it, like he was proud of it happening.
And Leo was plain mean. Dahlia couldn’t remember him ever being nice to Mouse or her. Her parents had other things to worry about than Mouse’s bruises, and Mouse’s dad wasn’t much nicer to Mouse than Leo was. Mouse was weak, he said, his nickname suited him. Dahlia knew better; Mouse was strong, to put up with how Leo treated him. And now, it was just the two of them, and Leo. Behind her, she could hear Mouse slipping down the slope and waited for him to catch up. She didn’t want to go any closer to Leo than she had to.
He waited for them, his fist tight around the lantern’s handle. His teeth gleamed, reminding Dahlia of a wolf she’d seen once. Leo tossed his red bangs out of his eyes, reaching his hand out, like he wanted her to walk with him.
Shoving her own hands behind her back, Dahlia waited for Mouse to catch her up. He glanced sideways at her as he stepped up next to her. His hair clung to his sweaty cheeks and he swiped his forehead, drying his fingers on his pants. His hand hesitated over his pocket, and he reached in, pulling out something he shielded from his brother - the nub of a candle, and some lucifers. The bare wink he offered let her know he planned on losing his brother as soon as they could.
“What’ve you got?” Leo snatched at Mouse’s arm, yanking free a couple of the matches, spilling them on the ground. “Hey!” He grabbed them, waving them in front of Mouse’s nose. “Where’d you get these, huh, Erasmus?” He made Mouse’s full name sound like a threat.
Mouse lunged, managing to grab the matches back. “Same place you got the lantern, Leonidas.”
Leo gnashed his teeth. “Give me those!”
“Did you forget to bring matches, Leo?” Mouse asked sweetly.
He growled, muscles bunching. “Give me the matches, Mouse.”
“Give Dally the lantern,” Mouse insisted. “She can hold it. She found the cave.”
“We could go home, Mouse,” Dahlia said, not quite touching him, her hand hovering next to his elbow. “We can come back another day.”
“No, now that he knows it’s here, he’ll look for it until he finds it. If he doesn’t find it, his cronies will.” Mouse didn’t even glance at her, keeping his wary gaze on his brother. “And he’ll say he found it first, not you, so he can brag about it.”
Leo’s fair face flushed up. “Give me the damned matches!” He grabbed at Mouse again, but Mouse dodged sideways.
“Give Dally the lantern,” he repeated. “I’ll give her the lucifers.”
Taking a deep breath, Leo let it out slowly. He bared his teeth in a lazy grin. Running his free hand over his hair, he made it stand on end. “Sure.” Offering the lantern, Leo made to pull it away, but Dahlia was ready, snatching the lantern before he could yank it out of her reach. Taking a quick step back, she ran into Mouse’s chest. He grabbed her shoulder, steadying here. Together, they stared at Leo, who shrugged. “Go on, Mouse, have her light the lantern.”
Dahlia ignored the funny twist of Leo’s mouth, opening the lantern door so Mouse could light it. His cheeks brightened, though she didn’t know if he was angry or embarrassed, and his fingers trembled as he stood on one foot to use the sole of his shoe as a striker for the lucifer. The flame wavered and went out. Leo laughed as Mouse cursed under his breath, dropping the spent match. He took the other out of his pocket and used it to make an obscene gesture that Dahlia knew would give her mother a shock to see. Mouse scraped the second match on his shoe. Fire spat up, a blue and gold flame, and Mouse touched it to the wick in the lantern.
As the wick caught, Dahlia let out her breath. The flame sputtered, then burned brighter. With a relieved smile, she closed the lantern door and trimmed the wick. Glancing toward Mouse, she tilted her head to the side, beckoning him to go with her.
“Ah, ah.” Leo blocked her way, shoving Mouse aside, nearly knocking him down. “Get your own lantern girl.” He grabbed Dahlia’s arm, he pulled her against his chest, wrapping his thick arm around her waist. He snugged it up under her breasts, leaning his chin on her shoulder, and digging it in. “Let’s go, Dally.”
It was hard to walk, as stiff as she got, with Leo plastered against her back. He rubbed up against her as she walked, making her stumble a few times as he put his foot down where it didn’t belong. She wanted to reach behind and grab him hard, where she knew it would hurt the most, but his arm around her kept her from doing it. “Let me go,” she snapped. “Or I’m not going anywhere!”
Leo pinched her earlobe with his free hand. “You will.”
Dahlia bit her lip to keep from screaming. Mouse slapped his brother’s hand away, his fingers stinging Dahlia’s shoulder. “She doesn’t have to do anything,” he snapped. “Let her go!”
“I won’t take you!” Dahlia shrilled, struggling to get free, stomping her feet, hoping she’d find one of Leo’s by accident. The lantern rattled in her hand.
“Stop it, Dally,” Leo ordered, grabbing her wrist and twisting it around. She nearly dropped the lantern, but kept hold of the handle. The wire cut into her palm and fingers as she squeezed. “Be a good girl. Everyone likes good girls.”
“Let her go, Leo,” Mouse said, his eyes blazing as he stepped in front of them.
“But I like her here.” Leo ground his sharp chin into Dahlia’s shoulder. She could see his fiery hair out of the corner of her eye. He bumped into her backside repeatedly, and Dahlia fought to keep from shuddering. “So, are you going to take me there?”
“Yes,” she bit out. “But only if you let me go!”
Mouse clenched his hands into fists, his face reddening. “Let her go, Leo!”
“Or what?” he taunted. Leo’s arm tightened around her waist, pulling her even closer against him for a few seconds.
They were too far away from town, or even any of the farmhouses for Dahlia to yell. She couldn’t catch her breath, but Leo panted over her shoulder, the moist heat dampening her dress top, making it stick to her skin. “Let me go, Leo.” The lantern rattled against her thigh. “Let go!”
His short, coarse laugh grated against her ear. Dahlia met Mouse’s eyes and she raised the lantern a little, wagging it him as she cut her eyes toward Leo. Mouse lunged sideways as Dahlia swung the lantern up over her head, bashing Leo with it. He roared as the glass crashed open, burning oil spilling out of it in a liquid run of fire. Dahlia flung herself away, rolling on the grass and scrambling to her feet.
“Dally!” Mouse offered her his hands and she grabbed them, letting him steady her. They both turned back to Leo.
Fire flared on his shirt and he stripped it off, screaming. Blood ran down his face, glass sparkling on his skin. “You bitch!” he howled, and snapped out something, the words ricocheting of the inclined ground around them. Dahlia slapped her hands over her ears, gritting her teeth at the sound. Wind came up like a stooping eagle, roaring around them, tearing at Dahlia’s hair and dress. The force of it struck like a blow, staggering Dahlia. She grabbed for Mouse, trying to stay upright. Mouse caught her wrist, dragging her along as he stumbled away from Leo.
Catching her balance, Dahlia cried, “Come on!” They were too far away from the town to run for help. Dahlia led Mouse into the trees farther down in the valley. The wind whipped the young trees around them, sending branches to tear at her hair. Ducking her head, she threw one arm up, reaching back for Mouse with the other. His fingers linked up with hers, and they thundered down into another hollow.
Behind them, Leo screamed his rage. Mouse glanced over his shoulder, and Dahlia nearly lost hold of him when he ran into a tree. “Get up!” she shrieked under her breath, hauling at his arm. “We’re almost there!”
“I’m gonna find you!” Leo roared as Mouse scrambled to his feet.
The big, red rock to the left, with the moss growing on it, marked the cave’s entrance. Dahlia rushed by it, jerking Mouse along with her. It was a hole in the ground, barely visible, unless you were looking. Dahlia pointed to it, her mouth too dry to talk. She dropped onto her backside, pulling her dress around her thighs, and pushed off the edge, sliding down into the cave. Hitting the bottom, she scrabbled sideways, out of Mouse’s way. Once he skidded down to her, Dahlia tugged him to the left, into the shadows.
Above-ground, Leo bellowed, his voice echoing. “You little bastard!”
Mouse twisted his head back over his shoulder, but Dahlia didn’t bother. Her mind spun with the possibilities of Leo’s magic. Magic ran in families, but Mouse never showed any, or never had around her, and Dahlia knew Mouse. He wouldn’t keep that kind of a secret from her, no more than she could’ve kept the cave completely to herself. But Leo? Leo keeping magic a secret from everyone sounded like him.
“I’ve found you,” Leo gloated, and Dahlia hunched her shoulders at the sound of him sliding down into the cave. Rocks clattered and scattered on the stone floor, and Leo shouted, “Come out, and I’ll go easy on you.”
In the faint light they had, Dahlia saw Mouse shook his head, his eyes wide. They were too close to the entrance. Mouse reached into his pocket, pulling out the lucifers he had left, and pointed. Dahlia nodded, and they crept forward, leaving the light, and Leo, behind.
Darkness surrounded them, forcing Mouse to light the first match. Cupping the flame, Mouse led the way. The flame didn’t offer much light, but better than walking blind. Dahlia kept an eye behind them, but if Leo could make a magic light, it wouldn’t blow out like their match. He’d be able to run through the cave. Grabbing hold of Mouse’s shirt tail, Dahlia followed him around a curve in the tunnel. They had to stoop to get through the next part, Dahlia scraping her back. Mouse had to light a second match, and in the silence, they heard Leo, clattering behind them. The sound of his breath echoed in the tunnels.
They reached a large cavern, able to stand up again, but the smell. The stench hit Dahlia, nearly sending her back into the low tunnel. A faint squeaking sound, and the horrible smell that nearly took Dahlia’s breath away, alerted them to the bats overhead. Mouse pressed his forearm to his mouth, his eyes watering. The flame burned brighter in that close, awful air. Dahlia saw bats fall away from the roof overhead, fluttering back into the shadows. Easing their way through the nasty room, the bats chattering and squealing overhead, Dahlia knew she’d be able to find her way back to this part of the cave. The smell would guide the way.
The cavern brightened; a miniature sun rising behind them, and Dahlia’s heart clutched. She shoved Mouse ahead of her, skidding in the bat poop beneath her feet. They slipped and slithered across the cavern, heading away from the light following in their wake. The bats, disturbed by their rush, dropped from the ceiling. Squeaking and shrilling, they dove at the match. Mouse yelped, dropping it. “Damn!”
“I hear you,” Leo gloated, stepping into the cavern. Fire danced in his hands.
Mouse’s eyes glittered from the light and he grabbed Dahlia’s wrist. “Go,” he shouted, his voice echoing. Dahlia scrambled to keep her balance in the slick stuff on the floor, clutching at Mouse’s arm. They both went down into the slime.
Flames burst across the cavern. The bats shrilled their terror as Leo burned them, turning them into flying missiles of fire. Leo’s laugh rose over their screams. Kicking her feet, Dahlia tried to push away from the animals raining down on them. Mouse rolled onto his hands and knees and fire singed the back of his neck, making him yell. Dahlia managed to find her feet, grabbing under his arm to pull him along with her. They followed the escaping bats while Leo fired off another volley of flames.
“You can’t get away,” he shouted. He laughed as bats fell before him.
“Come on!” Mouse’s dirty hands clutched at Dahlia’s, steadying her as they bumped off a wall, ducking into another hole. They bounced off a wall, tripping over stalagmites. Dahlia saw stars, rubbing her head. “Come on,” Mouse repeated, urgent, tugging her along until she could move under her own steam again.
“Yeah, yeah,” Dahlia mumbled, seeing a hint of light ahead. If they could get out of the cave, maybe they could get back to the town. Leo wouldn’t take on the town.
They burst out of the hole, clutching at each other as they caught their balance. The room before them gaped like a huge chapel, spires hanging from the ceiling and jutting up from the floor. Rocks glittered like diamonds, and the smell of fresh water tickled at Dahlia’s nostrils, so much cleaner than where they’d been. Some other scent alerted her, something she couldn’t place, warm and dry and spicy, that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Her heart beat faster and she felt Mouse’s hand tighten on hers.
Bats skittered overhead, one of them still on fire and squealing its pain. The thing that smelled of spices and leather raised its head, tracking the bat, then shot out its neck like a snake, catching the bat and crunching once before swallowing.
“Dragon,” Mouse said helplessly, awfully.
Dahlia swallowed, realizing in the warm light of the room - lit by fires, surely the dragon’s doing - something crawled over and around it. She forced her eyes to pick out babies, little dragons, not even as long as her arm. Her heart skipped and she wanted to back up.
The dragon rose to her feet, shaking off babies like a momma dog would her puppies. Her wings rattled and she stretched her neck and her tail, then her back and her legs. More bats trickled into the large room, and she raised her nose, sniffing at the air. Her head swung from side to side, and Dahlia knew she was looking for them.
Mouse dragged Dahlia down behind a clump of stalagmites, huddling with her. His fingers dug into her wrist and shoulder. The stalagmites were too thick to see through, no little gaps between them, like there would be in underbrush. Dahlia almost wanted to wriggle backward until she could see something beyond the damp, slick rock. The rough cave floor dug into her knees through the thin fabric of her dress. She could hear the peeping sounds of the young dragons, and the low, guttural growl of their mother. And Leo, laughing like a loon as he chased the burning bats, his voice bouncing around the cave until she had no idea where he might actually be.
Mouse pressed a dirty finger to his lips, shushing Dahlia. She bobbed her head once. Her mouth felt so dry, it almost hurt. Mouse searched her face, giving her a weak smile, and pointed away from the dragon’s cave. Dahlia shook her head wildly. The further they went into the cave, the easier it would be to get lost. If they went through that little tunnel over there, they’d be back in the bat’s cave. And from there, she thought they could find their way out.
But the dragon had to have a way to get out of the cave, too, and Dahlia doubted she came through that little hole they had. She cautiously poked her head up, just high enough to see through the jagged teeth of the stalagmite. Mouse did, too, and they both peered through the cage of minerals.
Their escape tunnel lit up with yellow-orange light - Leo must be coming through. Dahlia found herself clasping Mouse’s hand, twining their fingers together. They watched the entrance into the dragon’s cave, keeping a wary eye on the dragon. She let out a sound that Dahlia felt, rather than heard, and the baby dragons fell over themselves to duck deeper into the shadows. Dahlia saw one half-fly, half-run toward their mass of stalagmites and gritted her teeth. If the momma dragon came looking for it, there’d be trouble. She almost laughed out loud. More trouble than they were already in?
Leo shuffled out of the mouth of the little tunnel, flames rippling over his hands and forearms. He straightened, searching for them, a smile brightening his face. Sweat coated his face, running down his body to soak his shirt. His curly hair was matted with it, and he shook his head, spraying sweat through the cave.
The dragon let out a low growl that made the ground under Dahlia’s legs shudder. The babies made strange little moans in response. Mouse’s nails dug into Dahlia’s palm, but she barely felt the pain as the dragon reared up on her hind legs, her tail lashing and her wings spreading wide.
Leo stared up at her, and his throat bobbed. He raised his hands, as if he was showing off the fire to her. The dragon snorted, her wings stretching farther. For a few seconds, they remained still, eyeing each other, then Leo dropped his gaze. Dahlia ducked reflexively, but Mouse barely flinched, and she peeked up through the grating of stone shielding them. She watched as the strange smile on Leo’s face widened, somehow. He lowered his hands, though the fire on them burned brighter, higher, and he threw it, like a rock, straight at the dragon’s feet.
Something squealed wildly, and Mouse hissed through his teeth, his hand going cold in Dahlia’s as one of the little dragons burst into flame. The mother roared. Her neck arched up, reminding Dahlia of a swan, then the dragon lunged at Leo. He raised a wall of flame, but the dragon was faster, the flame circling her throat like a collar as she reached through it, her mouth opening wide.
Screaming, Leo shot fire into her mouth. The dragon snapped her jaws shut, then opened them again. Her cry of pain made Dahlia slam her free hand over her ear. The babies squeaked and shrieked, scurrying about. Leo laughed again, blasting off fire like bullets from a gun, aiming at the momma dragon.
“Don’t hurt her!” Dahlia screamed.
The dragon bellowed at the same time, drowning out her cry. She recoiled from Leo, rising into the air, then attacked. Leo yelled as she pounced.
Mouse grabbed for Dahlia’s arm. “We have to go,” he shouted, and she could barely hear him over all the other noises in the chamber. He pulled at her hand, and that got her to scrabble after him across the cold, rough floor. A little dragon ran at them, peeping, and Dahlia grabbed it, hugging it to her chest. It hooked its claws in the front of her dress, burrowing its face under her neck, like a scared baby. “Put it down,” Mouse yelled.
“No!” Dahlia cuddled it with one arm. “It’s scared and Leo,” she glanced over her shoulder, at the battle going on in the huge chamber.
Mouse’s face went grim. “Okay, but.” He sighed, giving in as the mother dragon screamed again. “Come on.”
They ducked into another corridor, this one big enough for a dragon. The rocks were polished with her passing, glittering and slick, and the cave floor showed scratches from her claws. Mouse lit a match as they left behind the battleground and the light it produced. The little dragon huddled against Dahlia’s chest, trembling. She heard something and looked back. “Mouse!” Two more little dragons followed them, their heads and wings low as they scrambled as fast as they could to keep up.
Dropping the match, Mouse exhaled gustily, but picked up of the dragons as it approached, tucking it into his vest. The other one climbed his leg before he could even offer to lift it. He buttoned both of them into his vest, giving Dahlia a hopeless look in the dim light of the cavern. “No more. The rest have to make it out on their own.”
Hearing another peep, they both turned to see a fourth dragon. Dahlia squatted down to open her arm, and the dragon leaped to her, winding close around her and the other baby. Mouse tucked his hand under her elbow and pulled her to her feet. “We have to go,” he said. Lighting a match, Mouse tucked his arm under the dragons in his vest, and they both staggered off under the added weight.
A horrible, sliding sound turned into a crash. The floor jumped under Dahlia’s feet, nearly throwing her back to the ground. Mouse staggered, bouncing into the cave wall, the match going out. Mouse groaned, but kept his footing. Red stained his sleeve, but there wasn’t time to look at it. They couldn’t slow down now. They had to run. Dahlia hoped the dragons would hold on. Grabbing Mouse’s good hand, she pulled him, as he’d been pulling her along since they’d started for the cave.
Dust chased after them, a cloud of it that made Dahlia cough. Light flickered ahead but not as close as she wanted. They ran, stumbled, toward the hint of escape. Behind them, they could hear the battle raging on.
Mouse screamed, disappearing suddenly, and Dahlia windmilled her arms, trying to keep from falling down into the crater, but she couldn’t stop herself. The fall was short, but made Dahlia groan after the impact. Her knee ached, but at least it moved. Rocks rained down on them and the baby dragons started whimpering. “Sh-shhh,” Dahlia said, trying to keep them calm, trying to calm herself. Mouse opened his vest, prying the dragons off. Setting them down, he tried to climb up the wall, but the ground shook again, dust rolling over the rim of the crater.
“Here,” he said, waving at Dahlia, and made a stirrup of his hands. “You get out, and you can pull me up.” The ground shook again, pebbles bouncing off Mouse’s head and back. Grimacing, he jerked his body. “Hurry, Dally!”
She grabbed his shoulders to balance herself, stepping into his laced fingers. Mouse grunted as he heaved her up, and Dahlia clawed at the surface, slicing her fingertips on the rough rock. The dragons climbed up and over her to get up, Mouse’s pair joining hers. They braced themselves and grabbed her wrists, their claws cutting into her skin through her sleeves, anchoring her enough that she could kick her way up and onto the tunnel floor. Scrambling around on her stomach, she reached down for Mouse. He backed up a few steps and ran, leaping up to grab Dahlia’s hands. She gasped at his weight, but held on. The baby dragons cheeped their encouragement as Dahlia wriggled backward, so very slowly, while Mouse used her weight to walk himself up the wall of the crater. He flung himself out of the hole, landing next to Dahlia, his lungs working like a bellows. The floor juddered underneath them, more dust rolling over them, making Mouse cough.
“We can’t stay here.” Dahlia pointed toward a thin gap of light, barely visible through the dust clouds.
Mouse nodded, rolling over to get to his knees and pushing himself upright. Rocks shuddered down out of the stone ceiling overhead. The dragons loped along the corridor, one stopping back to look over its shoulder. It shrieked at them. Dahlia grabbed Mouse’s wrist and they ran after the babies. The cavern groaned, something popping louder than a gunshot. Dahlia ducked her head, throwing her arm up when something slithered down from overhead. She didn’t look back at the crash, only forward, toward the sliver of light.
The cave floor bounced beneath their racing feet, making it so much harder to run. Dahlia couldn’t catch her breath from the dust in the air. The cracking sounds grew louder, closer, and, farther back, from somewhere deeper in the cave, she heard a wail that echoed over her shoulders.
The mouth of the cave was big enough for a large dragon to squeeze through, plenty big for two kids to run through without letting go of each other’s hands. The baby dragons waited for them, bouncing up and down and squealing, desperate to leave the cave, not leaving it without them. Dahlia wanted to think on that, but there wasn’t time, not with the ceiling destroying itself from the battle still raging behind them.
They raced out the cave, the baby dragons charging along with them. Tripping as the ground rocked again, Dahlia crashed to the ground. Mouse rolled over, away from the mouth of the cave, nearly on top of a dragon, who squeaked in shock. “Sorry,” he said, getting up on shaking legs. “We’re too close,” he said, reaching to slap Dahlia’s shoulder.
She stared at the mouth, at the dust boiling out of it, rocks falling down and cracking. The tunnel moaned, and a flash of fire burst out of it. Dahlia flinched, flinging up her arm in front of her face. The heat blasted her bare skin, making her cry out. Mouse grabbed her under her arms, pulling her back, his head turned away from the heat. He dragged her behind an outcropping of rock, nearly falling on top of her. Dahlia bit her lip to keep from screaming as another burst of fire erupted from the cave, searing the air over their heads. The baby dragons flattened themselves to the ground, the fire making their bodies shimmer in the heat.
A horrible sound followed the blast of flame, like the largest dish cracking. The ground beneath them shuddered and dropped, making Dahlia bleat in fear. Something happened, something that blotted out the sky. Dahlia buried her face against Mouse’s chest, his arm wrapping around her, pulling her close. The whole world seemed to shake and moan, crying out in agony over what happened inside the cave. Dahlia gritted her teeth and clung to Mouse. The little dragons somehow managed to gather around them, pressing close. Dahlia could feel their vibrations against her skin.
When their patch of earth finally stopped shaking, Dahlia tried to sit up. Mouse had to help her, keeping an arm around her shoulders. She realized she still trembled, nearly shaking Mouse’s arm off her. The dragons raised their heads cautiously, wings flexing. One of them swarmed up the rock that had been protecting them, peering over the top of it. Dahlia tilted her head up to follow its track, watching as the dragon swung its head from side to side, its wings rising higher. It peeped, and the other three dragons climbed up after it, one of them stopping to look at Mouse and Dahlia.
“I think they want us to look, too.” Mouse helped her get up, keeping her steady as they walked around the boulder, and yanking her back at the sight in front of them.
The ground gaped open in front of them, smoke drifting out lazily. Rubble and bits of trees were caught amongst rocks. It was no perfect circle, it went on for a while, eating its way down into a narrow valley. A sparkle of water showed, though the dust still raining down would probably turn that to mud for a while.
One of the dragons keened, a mournful sound that sent shivers down the back of Dahlia’s neck. The others joined in; a dirge for their mother and the rest of their kin.
Dahlia swallowed past the lump in her throat. “What do we say about Leo?” she asked, barely recognizing the sound of her voice.
Mouse tightened his arm around her shoulders for a second. “That he took on a dragon.” He snorted. “It’ll make him a hero.” Disgust laced his words. “He’d love that.”
“What about them?” Dahlia nodded at the quartet on the rock over their heads.
Mouse tilted his head back, reaching up. The smallest dragon climbed down onto his arm, nuzzling his hair before crawling across his shoulder to Dahlia’s. She winced at the weight transferring to her burnt arm. “I don’t think we can keep them,” Mouse said softly. “People don’t like dragons.” He said that more to the little creature than to Dahlia.
She stroked the dragon’s head, marveling over the soft, warm flesh. Not quite like her own skin, but familiar, in its own way. “You’ll have to go somewhere else to live,” she said. “All of you. You won’t be safe here.”
The dragon rubbed its face against her cheek, making a sound kind of a like a cat purring. It stretched back to rub against Mouse’s cheek, too, then leaped off Dahlia’s shoulder, back onto the rock. With a commanding squeal, it made the other three dragons turn to it. Flapping its wings, it lifted off, tucking its legs up against its body. It staggered in the air for a few flaps, righted itself, and swooped out over the crater. Something pushed it up, sending it higher than the nearby trees. The other three leaped off the boulder, following the first dragon’s lead. They all soared high in the air, looking like hawks or buzzards, the way they circled. And then, suddenly, they caught a breeze, and were gone.
Dahlia let out her breath slowly, leaning against the rock. The heat still warmed it, though it wasn’t hot enough to hurt her good arm. “We should go home,” she mumbled, but she didn’t think her legs would move.
“Or wait,” Mouse said. “Something this big…everyone will want to see.” He sank down to the ground, using the rock as a back brace. Dahlia found herself next to him, half leaning on his shoulder, half against the rock. “I’m sorry Leo found out.”
Shaking her head slowly, Dahlia mumbled, “Not your fault.” She remembered something, poking Mouse with her elbow.
“Hey!”
“That’s for not telling me Leo was a wizard,” she snapped, raising her head so she could fix Mouse with her glare. “Are you one, too?” She drew back her elbow, poised to poke him with it again.
“No! No, I mean.” Mouse screwed up his face. “I don’t…know.” He sighed, thumping his head back into the stone. “Maybe.” He sighed, and rubbed his sleeve over his face, smearing the dust there. “I didn’t like him,” he mumbled, jerking his chin toward the giant hole in the ground. “But now he’s gone, and.” Shaking his head, Mouse rubbed his face again.
Dahlia couldn’t think of anything to say. Instead, she leaned her head against his shoulder, rubbing her cheek on his shirt. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
Inhaling deeply, Mouse nodded. “Shh. You need to rest. We need to rest,” he added.
The throbbing in her arm convinced her Mouse was probably right. Dahlia sighed. “Should we tell anyone about the baby dragons?”
“No. Give them a chance to get out of here, and live.” Mouse studied the sky, with the smoke and dust still clouding it. “Maybe we’ll find them again, some day.”
Dahlia took his hand, holding onto it. “Maybe,” she whispered, and closed her eyes to wait for their rescue.
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