Chapter 2

He was following Centare, one of the legendary dragons to escape from Vertra, and Centare didn't even know it! Belkio couldn't believe it! He, a normal red dragon had secretly followed Centare by mistake and Centare had no clue! What he had done kept repeating its self over and over in his head. Then Belkio realized with a start that the reason black dragon hadn't noticed him was because of his hurry. Wondering what Centare was rushing to do, Belkio couldn't bring himself to pop out of the blue and say sorry to the legendary black. So Belkio decided to keep following him, at least to the edge of the forest. But Centare had disappeared among the countless trees and Belkio had to rely on sent and sound alone to locate the black hero. After a few minutes Belkio heard talking near Dragons' Glade and soon found the sound came from Dragons' Glade. He quietly landed and crouched into a creeping position, his huge belly crushing a good number of trees. Belkio winced. He disliked making a wreck to nature, even though the dragons needed to do so to make homes and such. Luckily the trees here were mostly dead ones, since this place was Dry Meadow. Quietly creeping forward on the path made by dragons long before he was born, Belkio slithered through the forest until he was hiding in the bushes and trees around the Glade. Three were there talking together, one of which was Centare. Belkio gasped silently as he recognized the former Red Male Canto. For a moment Belkio considered turning back before he was noticed, but the excitement kept him in his place. He leaned forward just enough so he could hear what was going on without reveling himself. It seemed Belkio had come in at the middle of the meeting for they were already chattering loudly. Centare was talking about some machine the Iops had created to capture dragons, and Canto was listening intensely. Even elder Males and Females are awed by his adventures. Thought Belkio, awed himself. Centare continued, his voice growing more tense and gravelly every second. "They were right there in front of me, a thousand Iops all ugly and armed. The Brigit Capturer was twice as big as me, and the black mother dragon Reeba's head hung on it like a curse. I even shivered, but held strong against the tide of monsters washing over me. They threw ropes over me, and I pulled the hardest I could but-" Centare stopped as he watched the leaves about the glade whirl around and around in a huge gale. A shadow fell over them, and Belkio backed up, knowing what came next. He strained to see who it was, but leaves and twigs, even an occasional mouse or squirrel, scratched his eyes and blocked his view. A few moments later the wind died down and Belkio could once again see into the clearing. A new dragon with scales as yellow as the sun was sitting next to Canto, and another dragon, a young purple one, was uneasily sitting next to Centare. Belkio didn't blame him for being nervous. He would likely shiver to death next to such a famous dragon. Then Belkio realized his mistake of not quietly backing up, but it was too late. The legendary dragon's nostrils flared, catching the sent of young but smart red dragon. Belkio gasped as Centare turned his head towards him, showing a wisdom in them only other elders could partially identify. His voice was not mad, possibly even a little pleased with a hint of surprise in it. "I think we just found our red dragon."