Chapter 4: Meeting The... Friends?!
Elyon and Zehell sped through the trees. Zehell even jumped a couple times to try and catch Elyon, but he continued to dance just outside of her reach.
"How much further?" she asked.
"Not far," he replied, pointing to a thinner group of trees. "Just through there."
Zehell nodded and picked up her speed. She could see several different types of animals milling through the trees. What they were and how big they were was still hard to determine. But as they drew closer, Zehell hear the growls. Those were…. Those were…. Her heart thumped harder in her chest as she recognized the growls of at least two predatory animals. She started to slow, suddenly unsure of Elyon's words. She watched as the tiny dragon flew a little lower and started to pick up speed. Zehell ran as fast as she could. She needed to stop Elyon. She needed to keep him safe.
They were getting closer to the trees. She needed to catch him before they entered the clearing where the predators were! Pushing off the ground as hard as she could, Zehell caught Elyon and tumbled several times before stopping just outside the clearing. The growling ceased and a loud snuffling sound took its place.
"Zehell!" Elyon's muffled voice shouted. "What…?"
"Shh. It's not safe here," she whispered. "We…."
Elyon wiggled out of her grasp and hovered in the air above her. "What do you mean not safe?" he asked, not trying to be quiet in the least.
"Elyon, please, there are…." Zehell ducked behind the nearest bush as a tiger neared the trees in front of them. "Elyon!"
The tiny dragon turned as a large, adolescent, tiger stepped through the trees.
Zehell crouched lower; torn between running and staying. She covered her eyes as the tiger approached Elyon. She couldn't watch her first new friend get eaten.
The tiger let out a grunt before Elyon spoke.
"Eranoth, good to see you! Is it just you and Fire today?"
The tiger let out several moaning sounds that almost sounded like, "For the moment. What took you so long?"
Zehell gradually uncovered her eyes to see Elyon casually sitting on the large tiger's back.
"I brought a new friend! She was sad and I thought meeting you all would help cheer her up."
Eranoth started to look around, his paws dancing on the ground anxiously. "Where is she?" Eranoth asked in his garbled grunting.
"Zehell, will you come out, please?" Elyon asked. "Eranoth and Fire won't hurt you."
Zehell tried to back away slowly. It was a mistake following Elyon out here. She shouldn't have left the cave. She should have…. Zehell tried to back up a little faster, but her wings disturbed the bushes. Their subsequent rattle drew Eranoth's gaze toward the bush. She froze, unaware that Eranoth soon turned his attention away trying to spot her elsewhere.
Now what was she supposed to do? She was small enough that out running him wasn't an option and she couldn't even flap her wings properly to try and fly away. Tears filled her eyes making it hard to see Eranoth and Elyon as she struggled with the overwhelming desire to flee while staring in disbelief that a creature as small as Elyon could be friends with predators more that a hundred times his size. She didn't understand! Eranoth was clearly a predator, yet Elyon was fine. Predators were scary and mean and yet Eranoth was nice to Elyon.
Zehell tried to calm her breath. To clear her eyes so she could see. She took a less shallow breath which moved the bush above her ever so slightly.
"She's in that bush, Eranoth," Elyon said, pointing in her direction.
Eranoth saw which way he pointed then crouched down on his front legs, his tail held high as it swayed side to side. "Come out and play, New Friend. I don't bite… hard."
Zehell tried to make herself smaller without disturbing the bush. What did she do?
"If you don't want to come out to play, I will come in there to play!" Eranoth growled.
"Enough, Eranoth," a voice growled behind Zehell.
Zehell jumped in fright. She darted to her right. She skid to a halt when she realized she had entered the clearing. Zehell turned around then turned around again. Elyon entered the clearing followed by Eranoth and a burly panda. She crouched and backed away slowly.
"I am so sorry, New Friend," Eranoth moaned. "I didn't mean to scare you. I've eaten Elyon before, but never swallowed him. I promise I don't ever mean to…."
A red panda zipped passed Zehell, stood on her hind legs and tapped Eranoth's nose. "Stop," she barked.
Eranoth sat. "Okay."
Zehell stared at the red panda as she turned her back to the, now silent, tiger and sat without fear.
"Zehell?" Elyon said softly. "I…."
New tears pricked her eyes. "Take me home, Elyon," she whimpered. "Please, just… help me get home."
Elyon's light dimmed some before he nodded. He turned to his friends. "I'll be back guys."
Eranoth's ears perked up. "Can we…?"
"No, Eranoth," the panda interrupted.
"But, Fire! She's a friend. Friends…."
"Fire is right, Eranoth. It will be better if it is just me since I brought her here."
The red panda nodded once.
Zehell slowly turned out of her crouch. She paused when the red panda stood on her hind legs and reached up for Elyon. She squeaked and chittered softly enough that Zehell could not hear the words she spoke, but the light around Elyon dimmed even more.
"I hope so, too, Naxela," Elyon replied, leaving the red panda's paws.
"We hope you will come back to play, Zehell," Fire said.
Zehell gave the panda a non-committal nod before cautiously following Elyon out of the clearing.
"I apologize for not telling you more about my friends, Zehell. Any friend of mine predator or otherwise won't hurt you because I also consider you one of my friends," Elyon said as they were nearing the clearing where they officially met for the first time.
Zehell didn't respond.
"I know Eranoth, Fire, Naxela, and the others would really like the chance to get to know you and play with you if you choose to come out with me again."
Zehell looked up at the tiny, glowing, dragon. Her feelings still mixed about what she encountered today. She wasn't sure how to talk to Elyon about everything swirling in her mind and heart. "...Thank you for bringing me home, Elyon."
And with that, Zehell ran the rest of the way to the family cave.
©RedPandaChick (Ardnaxela)
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