Chapter Thirteen

                                    

                                          
The three of us move with caution, tentative steps. There are barely any candles now, only one here and there. I'm not sure if that's a bad sign or not. Fraze picks up the second one we see. His pale fingers clutch the brass handle, raising the flame to his nose. Even with it, it's hard to see much of anything. All I can tell for sure is that the walls keep getting closer together.
                          
"Well, one thing's for certain," I mutter. "Going in that room was definitely a mistake. The dumbest mistake I've made in a while."
                          
"Or, was it?"
                          
"Course it was, Fraze," says Niko. "Can't you-"
                          
"Look ahead. Aren't you supposed to be the smart one?"
                          
"Smart and bitter, which beats being a dummy."
                          
Despite his words, both he and I look ahead. Sure enough, there's another crack of light ahead. Part of me feels instantly sick, palms clammy. We could be walking into another Bonfire. Or something worse, who really knew? Of course, it could also possibly mean something else...
                          
This room has a green tint to it. It's the smallest room we've been in, not any bigger than an oversized cupboard. A bunch of small tunnels leads in and out of the chamber, bringing in all sorts of smells and temperatures. Compared to the blazing inferno, it's cool, though it still draws some sweat. In the center lies something I can't believe actually exists.
                          
Five perfectly rounded, multi-colored dragon eggs.
                          
"We did it!" 
                          
	Niko slams his hand over Fraze's mouth, gesturing for him to shut up. I roll my eyes. There's nothing they can do to damper my smile. I'm the first to gingerly grasp one of the eggs, the middle one, in my arms. My jaw drops, knees shaking. Thump, thump, thump...I can feel the heartbeat of my dragon. My eyes begin to tear up. The other two take their eggs. We stand in silence. I'm the only person in the world, for just one fleeting moment.
                          
	I've done it. I've actually done it.
                          
	"C'mon, we should get going."
                          
	I'm barely able to pull myself from off the ground. The tears swell, blurring my vision. The others and I force ourselves to actually get up. I look around, unsure of my surroundings. Which one would lead to freedom? There was always the problem with someone trying to take our dragons for themselves...there aren't any rules in this game, after all.
                          
	"Which way do we go?"
                          
	Niko and I shrug. Did it really matter? We just have to lay low until the Rujan festival is over, and the dragon's are ours. Forever. Fraze starts down a random passageway. I follow along, my excitement bubbling. My egg fidgets, knocking against the knife by my side. We keep moving. Fraze still has his candle, but by now we've diverged back into the main roadway. I spot a couple of other kids, off down in the distance. I freeze.
                          
	"Should we turn back?"
                          
	"No," says Fraze. He sets his candle down with a plop, tugging some material from out of his pockets. I immediately recognize them; Bags. He hands one to Niko and one to me, keeping one for himself.
                          
	"I see you're prepared," mutters Niko. 
                          
	"Of course I am. Prepare to win or plan to fail or something like that."
                          
	I place the egg in the bag. The fabric feels like plastic, but looks like something soft. I place the straps around my shoulders. We look...less conspicuous now. I shuffle, dragging my toes against the pebbles as I wait for the other two. I huff. They, and by they I mean Fraze, are taking a while. 
                          
	"C'mon, we need to get moving."
                          
	"Shush up, Niko. I'll move when I want to get moving, alright?"
                          
	"Fraze."
                          
	"Oh fine!"
                          
	We begin to shuffle forward. I bite my lip, looking down at my shoes. The tips of my boots are burnt. I can smell the charred fabric, even from here. I hope no one suspects anything. Despite logic's plea, my heart beats into my ribcage, cheeks turning pale. From a few peeks I see the other two aren't faring much better. We keep close to the wall, muttering to ourselves every now and then. I breath a sigh of relief. They're not suspicious (at least not yet). 
                          
	"Where do you think we should look?" one of them says.
                          
	"Not sure."
                          
	They blabber among themselves. We talk with our eyes, gaze shifting back and forth between one another. Even though I know they suspect nothing, my heart still throbs against my ribs. It'll break bone at this rate. I wipe some left-over sweat from my forehead, taking a deep breath in. The air still reeks. It may just be smoke still in my nose, but I think it's gotten worse. I gag, throat itching. 
                          
	"Dang, was that you, Niko?"
                          
	"No! Shut up, Fraze! It's just naturally stinky down here. Mama dragon probably isn't washed, and dragon breath doesn't exactly smell like roses."
                          
	"What's that sound?" I say, stopping.
                          
	"Who knows? Who cares?" says Niko. "Let's just get going."
                          
	Boom...Boom...Boom...
                          
	"Are you sure you don't want to do anything about that?"
                          
	My voice barely rises above a whisper. The booming continues, rocks jumping in terror all around us. The other kids, now blips in the shadowy distance, freeze. I gulp. I think the sweat forming on my brow isn't entirely because of the temperature...
                          
	"What is that?" I mutter.
                          
	"You don't think..."
                          
	"Mama dragon?"
                          
	A barroling scream answers Fraze before he can get a single word out. It's guttural and bone shattering, distinctly inhuman. I feel the egg, still tucked away in the bag, begin to twitch. 
                          
	"Run!"