Chapter 5
My New Mission
"Dragons forever! Dragons forever! Dragons forever!" We all chanted the same thing over and over again. Clyte stood and drank the last drop of wine from his cup. He grabbed a chair for balance as he started to speak. He spoke in slurred words and quickly asked for another cup of wine. A dragon waiter ran to Clyte with a bottle of wine. He pored the wine into Clyte's cup. Clyte took a sip and spoke with words that were even more slurred. "Feelloow drragoons. Swiitch isss noow un oof usss!" Everyone clapped their hands as I stood from my table and bowed. I sat back down. "Goood nnight!" Yelled Clyte. Everyone returned the goodbye and left for his or her quarters. I followed Trewan to a room. He walked in behind me and slowly closed the door. "So, they found three unicorns there?" I smiled and nodded. "Why did you do it?" "I sent a message along with an Insider. His name was Vreyun. He was about to leave with a reply to an earlier message. I yelled for him, and he came running back. I told him to tell the unicorn leaders that if they wanted another Insider, they need three unicorns willing to be captured for the greater cause. We'll get them out later. They apparently agreed. I'm now in with you two." Trewan took a deep breath and let it out. "I thought you'd betrayed us for a while there. Welcome to the Insiders." He shook my hand and let himself out of my room. I locked the door and slept peacefully.
"Aaaaaahhhrrrr!" I heard a laugh from the room next door, and Trewan walked in. "Don't laugh!" "Hahahahhaaa! I'm so sorry!" He said, holding his stomach and doubling over with laughter. "Stop it! Stop it right now! Aaahhhhrrr!" He laughed again. "Aaaaaaaahhrrr!! Stop laughing!" "You! Quit talking! I can't bandage this jaw with you talking!" The doctor dragon was very mad now. Trewan stood and leaned against the wall for balance. He was chuckling quietly to himself now. "I can't take this! Let it heal on it's own!" I winced at the pain of talking. Swinging my arm to the side, I caught the doctor's jaw. "Aaaaahrr!" He screeched. "You monster! My jaw! It's broken now!" He lunged for me. I jumped out of the way. He spun around quickly before hitting the wall. I ran out of the room and disappeared into a crowd in the Main Room. The doctor stood on his tiptoes and looked for me. I ducked down low. A dragon carelessly stepped on my foot. I howled in pain. The doctor saw me jump above the heads. He ran after me. I ran through the crowd, looking for Trewan or Zalon. Neither was around. "Stop her! Stop her!" Yelled the doctor. He had only been trying to bandage my broken jaw. It had hurt way too much. I had to get away. I couldn't let him cause me more pain. I knew I'd get knocked in the jaw by him for the broken jaw I gave him. Away I ran. He was gaining. I could see blood dripping from his mouth and onto the stone floor. I slipped and slid across the floor. I slid into a wall. My jaw hit hard. It had been healing, but now the wound was as bad as it had started out. The doctor slipped also. He slid up to the wall and hit hard. His jaw bled even worse now. "U mitheal lil aon." I laughed at his feeble attempt to say ‘You miserable little dragon'. He didn't like me laughing at him. Gathering his energy, he leaped off the ground and pinned me to the floor. I cried out as he hit my jaw dozens of times. I reached up with a free arm and hit his jaw. He cried out in pain, but kept hitting me. I kept hitting him. Suddenly, I felt a knock to my jaw that couldn't have been the doctor. I screamed and the doctor screamed as well. He jumped off me and ran off. A guard ran after him. I quickly stood and tried to run. A dragon guard grabbed my arm. I pulled, but he was much to strong. I kicked him in the stomach and twisted my foot. The claws dug in deep. He doubled over in pain, which gave me a clear path to where the doctor had run. I ran after the doctor in the guard. I couldn't see them, but I knew they couldn't be too far ahead. I sneaked through a tunnel and peeked around the corner just as the guard thumped the doctor on the head and set him unconscious. I scrambled out of sight and ran back to the Main Room. Guards were everywhere! My jaw started to bleed. First it was one drop at a time, then a tiny trickle. As I got half way across the Main Room, my jaw bled a stream of blood on the floor. The guards picked up on the trail and shoved dragons aside. I ran as fast as I could, but once the guards found me, I'd be no match for them. The rule was that I could not change to anything but dragon. I had to stay dragon or go Clyuire. I made a quick decision and turned into the little bird creature. Up I flew. The dragons still searched on the ground, then one caught sight of me. I flew higher as a dragon lifted off and into the air. He flapped his great wings and came closer to me. I swooped down and dived between the dragons. A big announcement was to be made and everyone were enjoying themselves until Clyte came out to speak. I dove, swooped, flared my wings, and landed on the ground. I walked under a dragon until another stepped on my foot. I jumped and screeched. The guards heard me and rushed farther into the crowd. I swooped upward and into the free air. I was knocked down by a flying guard. I fell, back first, into the walking, talking dragons. Just before my head was stepped on, I heard,"Move it! Everyone against the walls! We have a trouble maker in here!"
I was freezing. Slowly, cautiously, I opened an eye. My vision was blurry so I kept my eyes closed. I heard a voice from nearby. I gave a weak screech and a dragon hurried over to me. It ran its hand over my head. I made a purring sound. The dragon lifted me up and gently cradled me in the crook of its arm. Slowly, I opened my eyes. My vision was better now. I looked up to see Zalon. She covered her mouth and shook her head. I gave a slight nod, to show that I would not say anything. She rocked me gently in her arm. I looked around the room. It was a bare room except for in the middle of the room stood a table with a white cloth covering it. She rocked me one last time, then set me on her shoulder. "It is not good that you got in a fight. We are not supposed to fight. I have much to tell you, but you can no longer stay here as a dragon." I opened my blue beak and screeched in protest. She shook her head, and I closed it. "You must listen to me, or your life will be in great danger. Keep quiet. Do not talk. I will take you to my room." She opened the door and walked into the Main Room. Clyte was just entering the room. She made her way to the left of the room and opened a door. Inside this room was a bed covered with rabbit fur, a bowl of water, deer skin carpet, and a wooden perch. She walked me over to the big perch and let me step onto it. "Trewan does not have to listen to Clyte, because Clyte has already told all of his favorites what his plans are. He will come in and explain everything to you." She ran out of the room and closed the door. I sat on my perch and tried to ignore the pain in my head. A dragon had stepped on my head, and now I had an awful headache. Trewan opened the door and stepped inside the room. He walked to the bed and sat down on the side. He watched me for a moment, then began to explain my mission. "You are known as a trouble maker. At least, as a dragon you are. They do not tolerate trouble makers very well. I am one of Clyte's favorite dragons. That puts me in some very dangerous positions, but it is good I am so high on his list. Now, it will take much too long to gain a position such as mine. You couldn't do it before the war. So, we will have to improvise. You will pose as Zalon's pet. She will send messages to the warriors and to Clyte with you. You must not show any intelligence, or they will suspect you are not an ordinary Clyuire. Yes, Clyuire's are intelligent. But only if they're taught to be. You will mimic, not talk or understand. If you have a problem with this plane, come up with a better one or leave. You in?" "You in?" I mimicked. He smiled and nodded. "Good luck my friend." He stood and walked toward the door, then turned back to me. "Take these. They'll help with the headache." He walked back and set a bowl, that he'd been holding in his hand, in a special holder on the perch. It had strange looking seeds in it. They looked like sunflower seeds, but the shells were tan. He turned away and walked back to the door. He slipped quietly out and left me to myself. I quickly ate the seed. Trewan had been right. It did help calm the pain in my head. It also helped me to relax. I cleaned my feathers and flew around the room. It was high enough for me to get a little altitude. The ceiling was about three feet over a dragon's head. The dragons were about eight feet tall, which made the ceiling about eleven feet high. I flew around the small room and came to rest on my perch. I turned my head around and buried it in my feathers. I slept for a while.
Zalon woke me at midnight. "You can talk at midnight or later. Everyone is sleeping by then. We must still speak in hushed tones though." I nodded. "I've decided on a name for you. Zxerette is the name I have picked. Do you like it?" "Zxerette. I like the name. Very, meish. Hehehehehehee." The Clyuires have a funny laugh. When I laughed, it sounded like a clicking noise. Well, sort of like a clicking noise. "So, my name is pronounced, Zerette? How is it spelled?" Zalon sat on the edge of her bed. "It's spelled, Z-x-e-r-e-t-t-e. Zxerette." "I love the name! You are very good at names. Oh, Trewan briefed me on my mission. I accept it. I am to mimic, not know or talk with understanding." "Very good. I see he's explained it well. He isn't the best at explaining things, but he gets his point across. Maybe someday, I'll tell you a few dragon stories. But tonight, we must rest. Goodnight." "But tonight we must rest. Goodnight. Eeeeeerrrraaa!" Zalon laughed at my mimicking and screech at the end. She blew out the flame in the lantern on the table by her bed and snuggled into the covers. I closed my eyes and nestled my beak into the feathers on my back. I would be the best Clyuire pet ever.
"What is this filthy creature doing at the breakfast table?!" A hand grabbed for me as I sat on the table in front of an empty chair. I jumped into the air and flew an inch above the seated dragons' heads. Laughing and ducking, the dragons seemed to enjoy it. Most of the dragons, anyway. The cook was screaming and waving her hands over her head trying to catch me. I screeched and dove back in front of the empty chair. "Get away!" "Get away!" I screamed back at her. She jumped back, startled at my words. "Get off my table!" She yelled in a slightly shaking voice. "Get off my table!" I screeched back, copying her tone and shaking voice exactly. The dragons started to laugh, which made the cook mad, which made me happy, which made her grab me. I struggled in her grip. I laughed with the others, trying to copy their laughs. This only made everyone laugh harder. The cook squeezed my chest. I struggled more. She quickly changed my position so that I was laying in her hand. I was huge, but she had a big hand. She pressed down on my chest with her free hand, pinning me, and not letting me breathe. I no longer struggled. Screeching and screeching, I looked wildly around the room. The dragons were telling the cook to let me go, but I barely heard them. The cook fell to the ground. I was free from her hands and was also falling. A hand scooped me up and rocked me. I looked up to see who had me in the crook of their arm. Zalon was gently cradling me and was scowling at the cook. "Don't hurt her!" She said. The table grew quiet. Zalon turned her attention to me and said,"Naughty girl. Bad bird. You'll eat with me. I'm sorry for the disturbance." She lifted her head high and did not offer to help the cook up. The cook stood and glared down at me. Zalon turned away and walked to her seat at the table. The empty seat I'd been standing in front of. She sat down and put me on her arm. I made my way up to her shoulder and sadly mimicked,"Naughty girl. Bad bird." She looked back at me and I winked. The dragons at the table grew deathly quiet. "When's the food coming?" Zalon muttered under her breath. I screeched and yelled,"When's the food coming?!" The dragons burst into laugher. A dragon sitting to Zalon's left laughed and nudged her, saying,"Better not mutter with that creature around, Zalon!" Everyone laughed all the harder. I laughed with them, copying laugh after laugh. They were all so different. Zalon smiled at me and winked. ‘Good job', she mouthed. I winked back and nodded. Suddenly, a bell rang. Everyone at the table turned their wooden plates over. They folded their hands in their laps and waited for the food. The door to the kitchen opened and dragon after dragon came in with tray after tray of food. They carried in three different kinds of meat, then left. Zalon heaped meat on her plate. The dragon to her left said,"Zalon! Don't be a unicorn! Eat a little less! Save some for us!" I knew what he was saying. Humans say ‘Don't be a pig!', while the dragons say ‘Don't be a unicorn!'. Apparently, eating like a unicorn was a bad thing. "I'm feeding Zxerette!" She shot back. The table quieted down as the dragon asked,"Who's Zxerette?" Zalon threw up her hands in despair and startled me. I flew up to the ceiling and swooped down to the table. I dove back up and skimmed the dragons' heads. "Zxerette! That's Zxerette!" Yelled Zalon. I turned around and flew back to Zalon, but I was going to fast. I crashed into a plate of food and toppled off the table. "Zxerette! That's Zxerette!" I screeched. Zalon jumped from her seat and bent down to pick me up. A dragon walked into the room. Zalon quickly sat back down. I struggled in her grip to see who the dragon was. I caught a glimpse of him. It was Clyte! He was staring at the dragons that had their hands over their heads and at a plate with meat scattered around it. "What happened here?!" He roared. Zalon jumped out of her seat and saluted Clyte. "My fault sir. I recently found a Clyuire and am still trying to train it. It flew into the breakfast this morning. It won't happen again." She held me up. I was still struggling to get free. Clyte looked amused. He smiled and motioned to an empty chair beside him. There was always an empty chair. Just in case Clyte wanted to talk to someone in particular during a meal. Zalon walked over to Clyte and sat beside him. Clyte sat on the very end of the table. He began to put food on his plate, then motioned for Zalon to hand me over. "Sir, I don't know what she'll do to you!" She warned. Clyte shook his head, reached out, and said,"You have to get your plate if you're going to eat. Let me see it." She reluctantly put me in the hands of Clyte. He made me lay on my back on the table. I knew better than to upset him, but I wasn't supposed to be too obedient. I flapped my wings a little and missed knocking his plate onto the floor by inches. He laughed and picked me up. Then he set me on his arm and directed his arm in front of his face. "My name's Clyte, what's yours?" "My name's Clyte, what's ures?" I copied. He laughed and shook his head. "My name's Clyte, What's Yours?" He put extra emphasis on the ‘y' in yours that time. "My name's Clyte, what's yours?" I mimicked. He laughed and nodded. "Very good indeed!" "Very good indeed!" I screeched back. Zalon returned to her seat and quietly began eating. Clyte didn't offer to hand me back. Instead, he asked,"What's its name?" Zalon swallowed her food and answered,"Her name is Zxerette." He looked over at Zalon for the first time since I'd been sitting on his arm. "Did you pick it out?" "Yes sir." "Wonderful name! I love it!" He yelled, startling me. The dragons at the table ducked as I flew around the room again. "Wonderful name! I love it! Wonderful name! I love it! I love it! I love it!" I screeched. I dove for Clyte's arm. He ducked and shielded his head like the rest of the dragons. Zalon reached out and grabbed me. She pinned me to the table, holding me there by my neck. I struggled, but she only applied more pressure. I lay there, slowly breathing. "Amazing little creature! Your pet, I presume?" "Yes sir. This awful little thing is indeed my pet. If you don't mind, I'd like to return her to my room." "Aww, give the little thing one last chance. I rather like Zxerette." Zalon looked up and found Clyte smiling. She forced a smile and gently, but firmly, let me up. I perched on her shoulder and cleaned my feathers as breakfast resumed. "So, what happened this morning?" Asked Clyte. Zalon told the story in between bites of food. "First of all, I don't know the whole story. I'm sure Freare can tell you, though. Just the first little bit before I came in, Freare." She told the dragon that had been sitting to her left before she's moved beside Clyte. Freare nodded excitedly and began the story. "We were sitting here waiting for breakfast. This little Clyuire flew in and landed on the table in front of the spot where Zalon usually sits. The cook came in the room and was mad at our little Zxerette. She reached for Zxerette, but Zxerette flew off. She swooped around the room and nearly gave me a heart attack! After a minute or so of flying, Zxerette landed on the table in the same spot. She started mimcking the cook and startled the wit out of her. We all began laughing and startled Zxerette. Then, the cook grabbed the unprepared little Clyuire. Go ahead Zalon." Clyte jerked his head in Zalon's direction. He was obviously interested in the story. "Thanks Freare. I came into the room to find the cook with my little pet. She had her on her back and was pinning her by her chest. She was trying to make her lungs collapse! I knocked the cook to the floor and caught Zxerette before she hit the floor too. It took a minute for Zxerette to relax. Someone startled her a moment later, and she took to the ceiling. She overshot my arm and skidded into a plate, tipping the plate and all its contents onto the table. Then she fell to the floor. That's the last we saw of the cook, and you were witness to her latest flight." Clyte smiled at me and winked. "Looks like we'll have more fun at meal times, right everyone?" Everyone laughed and nodded. Everyone but Zalon. "No sir! I was planning on leaving her in my room for the rest of the meals we'll be having. She escaped out the door without my noticing this morning. That's the only reason this all happened." "Oh, but surely you'll bring her to the dinner table! She must be present at every meal. We'll make a perch for her in the corner. She's too beautiful and adventurous to have cooped up in a room." He snapped his fingers and pointed to two dragons they stood and jogged over to Clyte. "Make a perch right after breakfast." They nodded in unison and ran back to their seats. Everyone finished their breakfast and filed out to the Main Room. Clyte stood up to make an announcement. The room was amazingly quiet. "Zxerette, come here!" He called across the room. I looked at Zalon and she lifted her arm above everyone's heads. I flew toward Clyte and landed on his shoulder. "This is Zxerette. She is the newest member here. Everyone must remember, she is one of my favorites! If you try to harm her; you will be punished.Starting now, that rule applies for everyone! That is all. Hurry to your posts and do your jobs. We have to prepare for war!" Everyone raced away. Zalon hurried up to where Clyte stood holding me. "I want to keep her around for a while." "Alright Master Clyte. Whatever you wish." He smiled and nodded. I watched as Zalon ran off into a room and closed the door behind her. Clyte walked to a room and opened the door. He walked into the room and set me on his bed. I stood there trying to get used to standing on flat ground instead of something round that I could grip. "So, Zxerette, how are you?" I cocked my head to one side and stared up at him. He turned around to glance at me, then went back to work fiddling with something on his night stand. "I see, you're very tired. Not enough energy to mimic?" "Not enough energy to mimic." I said, and made it more of an answer than a question. Clyte turned his head to look over his shoulder and smiled at me. I shook my head from side to side and fell of the bed. He jumped and looked at the bed. I was gone. He looked at the floor. I wasn't there either. He got on his hands and knees and looked under the bed. I was sprawled out under the bed. "Took quite a tumble, didn't you?!" He sounded alarmed. He reached under the bed and grabbed one of my feet. He pulled me out and held me to a light. "You look ok." He said, rubbing his hand over my head. Clyte set me on a perch by his bed. Then he began to talk to himself and me at the same time. "Ya know what little birdy? There are some weak dragons around here. I wish everyone was like Trewan or Zalon. Or even Treare! Do you know what it's like to be surrounded by ignorant and stupid dragons?! It's awful! Simply awful! Some can't even stand on their hind legs for two hours straight! I could stand on two legs for fifty hours! We need dragons that can stand on their hind legs so they can watch their backs. More reinforcements. That's what we need. We need more dragons. Yes, more dragons. Clyuires can be smart, if you teach them to be. Obviously, you're one of the dumber ones. Only dumb Clyuires get startled easily. Yes, dumb. That's what you are. And yet, I seem to be attracted to dumb creatures. What a life! Dumb creatures are attracted to me! Not what I need! Not what I need at all! I only wish that you were a little smarter. Maybe dumb can be good. If the unicorns were dumb, that would be a very good thing. I could teach you to be smart. Naaa, who would want to take time doing that? Clyuires, huh, pitiful creatures. Well, I suppose Zalon will be worrying about you now. That girl! Why does she get all the fun stuff! I'm gonna have a talk to her about you. Yes, you would accomplish many things for me if you were mine. I'll talk to her tomorrow. Hmmmm, yes. Very good idea. Do you like old meat little birdy?" He turned around and offered me some meat. I took it, only because a Clyuire would eat anything if it was stupid. I managed to force it down, which made Clyte happy. He stretched out his arm and let me climb to his shoulder. I was three feet tall, but I was the size of a macaw compared to him. He walked out of the room and into the Main Room. Clyte crossed the huge room and knocked on Zalon's door. Zalon answered and was surprised to see Clyte. She was even more surprised by what he said. "Here you go. Nice Clyuire, Zalon. She's a wonderful creature. I hope to see her at dinner." Zalon nodded and Clyte stretched his arm out to Zalon's shoulder. I walked over to her shoulder and Clyte put his arm at his side. Then, he turned and walked back to his room. Zalon turned around and closed the door behind us. "Good Zxerette. Good girl!" She placed me on my perch and gave me a cup of meat. Then she walked out of the room and closed the door gently behind her. I napped, ate, napped, ate, and cleaned my feathers for the rest of the day. I couldn't wait to tell Zalon all that had happened. But, I'd have to wait until midnight to do that. We didn't want to risk being heard or found out. Yes, Zalon was very smart.
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