Owl had awoken to growling and chains clanking. He had sunken lower into his mud bed when Rinestone, a SkyWing guardian, had peeked in to their cave.
When she left, he followed her out, watching where he stepped.

He closed his eyes before exiting the cave. He imagined he changed his scales to match the stone walls and mossy floor.
When she stopped, he realized he would have to stay this way.

Rinestone turned a corner, and Owl peeked over before rushing after her. She looked right and then left, then unlocked the door to her right with her talon.
She quickly ran through, and Owl followed, surprisingly quiet for his size. She grabbed a large stick and lit it with a small burst of flame, lighting the way.

Owl almost ran into her when she came to a sudden stop. He quickly threw himself into a corner, out of the way of her tail.
She turned back and slowly opened an odd door. Owl pushed through before it closed, nearly getting his tail trapped.

He heard voices, whispering quickly. He crept up near the darker part of the cave they were now in.
Rinestone was talking with hushed voices with three other SkyWings. To his surprise, the three soon left, with Rinestone following.

She shut the door behind her, the light going out, except for a smaller torch in the corner, closer to the door.

He sighed in relief.

"Who's there?" A harsh voice growled.

Owl held in a yelp. Some green spat out on is scales on his wings. He nearly gave himself away, but he concentrated on the floor, and went back to his camouflage. Luckily it was too dark to see him.

"I heard you," the voice continued. "Can't hide from me."

Actually I can. Owl thought. Considering what I can do.

"Are you that RainWing?" The mysterious voice questioned him.

Nagi? Owl perked his ears.

"I doubt it, that dragon can barely stay still," He said. "Doubt she'd be able to keep still long enough to not be seen by those rediculous SkyWing."

"Why do you say that?" Owl replied, hating himself for conversing with this dragon, if it even was a dragon.

"So, not the RainWing, eh?" He chuckled.

"I do not see what is so funny." Owl kept his voice stern, for the sake of showing no weakness, as the Guardians called it. He would always seem to have a lower, more softer voice when he got upset.

"There is no need to pretend," he said. "Say, mystery voice . . ."

"I thought you were the mystery voice." Owl smirked.

"Barely," the dragon snorted. "I need you to do me a favor."

"Favor, you ask?"

"Indeed. I just need that little torch over there."

Owl heard talons scrape the cave floor. He felt movement next to him, and he slowly walked to the torch.

"Why?" Owl's voice wobbled. He reached for the torch but stopped when the voice spoke again.

"I need to see what I'm in, these chains aren't glow - in - the - dark, y'know."

"Chains," Owl thought for a moment. "You mean, you're a prisioner?"

"Apperantly," the prisioner replied. "But those wretched SkyWings kidnapped me."

"I doubt that," Owl snorted. "A prisioner is a prisioner because he had done something wrong."

"Would protecting my brother be wrong?" The dragon nearly roared.

"No . . ." Owl said. He picked up the torch and brought it toward the voice. As the light flickered -and not very far- it brought light on some dark bars, most likely unmeltable to fire.

"Well, then, give me the . . ."

His words ceased when he saw the "floating" torch, but Owl was just still camouflaged.

Black talons poked through -what Owl now realized were thick- bars. And he handed the torch to them.

"Thank you," he said as he reached for the torch.

Owl pulled back, "Wait . . ." He said. "What's in it for me?"

He desperately hoped the dragon would say he would give him to a new family, but he realized there was something far greater than that.

"Riches? Land? What would you want?" He replied, as he gripped the bars in frustration.

"I want . . . I . . ." Owl heard a click and turned around. He saw talons push the door open, and he quickly rolled his body out of the way and back to his corner, where he was tucking the torch into his underbelly to hide the light.

Owl saw nothing, but heard an upset curse under a dragons breath, and the door shut.

"Come with me first." Owl suddenly said when it was silent again.

"What?" The dragon asked.

"I'll tell you if you come with me. I get nothing from you if we don't get out, but I need to get some things first," Owl stomped his foot when the dragon didnt reply."Is that a problem?"

"No, actually. It's quite fair." The dragon agreed. "But these bars; they can't be burned-"

His voice was interuppted by a sizzling sound. Owl bit a bar closest to him, letting his venom out. The bars melted and fell off, but he caught them with his wings and set them down carefully.

He grabbed the dragon and pulled. Chains cranked and he lost grip of the dragon.

"Chains, remember?" He sighed.

"Right." Owl said before he blasted a newer ball of flame on the stick, he turned to check the door, then he couldnt see anything but darkness. He turned back and the torch was out.

"What happened?" Owl said.

"I got them off, let's go." He ran for the door, or at least Owl thought he was, it was difficult to see, and he could barely see the outline of the other dragon.

"I meant with the torch." He commented.

He put his wings over him, to shield him in case any dragon was guarding their 'prisioner'.
Luckily, nobody was. He led the dragon through the halls, feeling his way through the pitch blackness of the night.

"So . . . I take it you're a RainWing." The dragon said.

"What makes you say that?" Owl questioned.

"You can change your scales to match your surroundings." He pointed out. "That's why I thought you were that talkative RainWing earlier. But you are a RainWing."

"You talk too much." Owl said, half irritated.

Owl found the hallway the dragonets were in, and he walked into the cave He shared with the others. He told the other dragon to keep watch, and he went to Comet's ledge, shaking him.

"What?" Comet replied sleepily.

"C'mon, we're leaving." He went over to Whale and popped him on the head. "Time to go."

Without hesitation, Whale crawled out of the water. Owl could feel the strange dragons eyes on him, but he doubted he could see him clearly.
Owl nodded to Whale to go get the other two, and he went over to Pear's little hammock, and scooped him up.

"Pear," he wispered. "Pear, you awake?" He shook him lightly, and Pear opened his eyes a bit.

"Morning already?" He asked, but he fell asleep again, and Owl set him on his back, holding him in place between his wings.

When Owl exited the cave, Clip and Needle were already talking to Whale, waiting for him.

"Seriously," the mystery dragon pulled him away from the others. Luckily they hadn't noticed him, probably because he snuck around. Also because even Owl couldn't see him right with the dim torch light from the hallway. "This is what you needed to get? They'll slow us down!"

"No they won't, " Owl said. "If anything, they'd speed us up."

"And how's that possible?" He asked. "More dragons means more dragons, which is bad if we don't want to be caught!"

"They're sneaky,"Owl said. "What's the problem?"

"I don't know them!" He said.

"You don't know me." Owl spat. He wouldn't leave his friends behind, never in his life. They were all he grew up with, other than the Guardians. If he couldn't bring them then he'd stay with them, no matter what.

"Fine," the dragon said angrily.

"Good," Owl said."Let's go."

He nodded to the other dragonets, who were looking around and whispering.
He walked over to them, and pushed the other dragon forward.

"He'll be helping us get out." He said. He noticed something sparkle from under the dragon, but disregarded it.

"Get out?" Needle nearly yelled. Clip's eyes widened and she shook her head. Whale choked on air and coughed. Comet flicked his tail and scratched his talons on the rocks. Pear turned and whined in his sleep from the slight noises.

"Shhh!" Owl scolded. "We can't if you yell. You'll give us away!"

"Sorry," Needle apologized. "But who is that dragon? Why is he here? I can't even see him. . . !"

"I got him out of his cell, and he's gonna help us get out because I helped him, and . . ."

"You mean like a prisoner?" Needle yelped. "You helped a prisioner escape? What is wrong with you? He could kill us when we get out! You don't even know what he was in for! We cant trust him."

"I know, I know, " Owl said. "But trust me."

Needle sighed and nodded her head. "Fine. But no funny business, got it?" She pointed a talon at the dark shape.

"Honestly," the dragon said. "Where's the trust?"

"Definitely not around you." She spat. "C'mon, then, what are we waiting for?"

Owl nodded and motioned for the others to follow. Hesitantly, they did, wings folded in and eyes droopy.

They quietly scurried down the hallway, with an occasional stop to look around.
Many times, Owl almost dropped Pear, but now Needle and Comet stayed by his sides to catch him if he slid off.

"We're almost out," Owl wispered.

"How can you know for sure?" The other dragon said. The sun was starting to come up, bringing out a pink yellow sky with light grey clouds.

"Because I can see the lookout tower." Owl said.

The dragonets weren't allowed to go anywhere where the tower was visible; because it meant they were close to the end of the island, and Owl guessed that meant they'd think of flying off, which was nearly impossible with the Guardians around.
They'd see you attempt to open your wings and you'd spend the night on the spiral. Owl shuddered as he remembered the one time he was sent to sleep there.

The spiral was just a nickname they'd given it, but the Guardians took a liking to it. If you were bad, they'd send you there. The Spiral was a space on the side of the medium-sized mountain that's on the far side of the island, northwest of the tower.
It was an uneven platform like structure, big enough for two dragons, but it could only hold one. It is held up by a thin pillar of stone, so if you moved too fast, the platform would move dangerously with you. Of course it was scarier then because the dragonets hadn't learned to fly yet.
But the feeling of knowing his death could be near stayed with Owl. He'd flapped his wings in hopes of actually flying, but the structure leaned forward because of the weight he left with his tail; it almost split off from the side of the mountain and Owl had to bolt to the other side to level it out.

He shuddered and looked back at the dragon, hoping to see his face, but he just saw a silhouette of his wings and could barely make out his snout. It was an interesting shadow, to Owl, he'd never seen much other dragons, except for his friends.

Pear groaned and looked up. He narrowed his eyes and covered them with one of his wings.
"Turn off the light." He said.

"Sorry, Pear," Owl said as he let him down off his back. "No more sleeping."

"But why not?" Pear said as he stepped and almost lost balance.

"Because we're leaving." Owl said as he hid a smile. Pear was like his own little baby brother, so was Whale. He would always watch them since he was the oldest. When he learned how to fly, he missed classes to teach them and let them hunt. He was the oldest, after all.

Pear widened his eyes. "Leave?" He screeched.

The mystery dragon hissed and covered his ears. "Shut it!" He yelped.

Needle stuck her tail up threatingly. "Don't you yell at him!"

Clip nodded. "Yeah . . . !"

Comet suddenly stepped forward and whispered to Owl. "You might want to change back to your normal colors. We can't see you at all. I guess they forgot your here."

Owl thought for a moment. "Good point."

The others kept on arguing, and Owl concentrated. He had a hard time concentrating because of all the yapping.

"Guys." He said.

"I can say what I need to say. I am helping your friend." The mystery dragon said.

Whale coughed to get the dragons attention, and that didn't work. Clip finally spoke up after that. "Pear is delicate and you can't yell at him like that."

"Owl . . . ! Why are we leaving?" Pear whined and yelped.

Owl had had it. "ENOUGH!" He roared over them. He spread his wings and clenched his claws. He lashed his tail angrily and it hit painfully against the cavern wall. He was so upset he ignored the pain.

Needle turned to him with her tial raised, ready to strike. Clip crouched and looked at him wide eyed. Pear and Comet both yelped, and Whale chocked on air.

"We're leaving and that's final!" He yelled in a whisper. "This is for the better! We're getting away from our Guardians and this island, got it? I'm the oldest and and know eats best, so don't tell me what to do!" He looked at his wings and saw they had become a deep red color, he looked down at his talons and stepped back. He never had this color on him before, and he was panicking.

He flashed green circles over his tail, then he saw they popped up as purple. "Uh . . . I'm sorry, guys." He felt really guilty. He wanted them to listen, but they wouldn't have unless he yelled.

Needle let her tail down. "You've never . . . "

"What kind of mood was that?" Comet gasped.

Pear looked at him, he was even more pale of a green than usual. "Oh, Pear I'm sorry!" Owl yelped as he hugged him.

"I won't do that again." He promised. "But we need to go now."

Owl looked at the mystery dragon, who had been staring at him since he changed into his surprise red mood.

The dragon looked away, and Owl could sense some shock and . . . Fear. . . ?

"We'll take to the sky in three. . . " Owl stared, focusing on the sky. "There's a huge chance the Guardians heard us."

The others nodded, and Owl counted down.

"Three . . . Two . . . One!" After he shouted the last number, he saw Comet, Needle, Clip and Pear launch into the sky. Whale tumbled after and Pear followed, his thin tail flopping in the sky.

Owl felt terrible about his behavior, but he couldn't help but be flooded with happiness as he shot into the sky, knowing he was finally leaving. He felt the strange dragon fly next to him. But Owl didn't look to him, he closed his eyes and smiled as he finally got to fly as fast as he wanted against the wind.