Silver and Zepos made their way north as fast as they could, dodging human interaction and hiding from any dragons they saw on the way. Going was slow and most of the time they spent either high in the air or low on the ground. Silver still hadn't perfected a metallic dragon's camouflaging technique, but she was good enough to stop her shell from shining out their presence, which helped them a lot.

Zepos's injuries didn't help. The yellow dragon tired easy and occasionally some of the healing wounds reopened. They had long since abandoned the bandages that had wound around him, knowing that they were way too bloody to be of any use anymore. But he never complained.

The difference in him surprised her. Back in the dragon valley he had been a carefree nuisance. Always trying to flirt. Always trying to show off. Thinking he was the greatest thing in the world. But now, as they flew, he seemed almost mellow. He didn't try to talk, or flirt, or annoy her in any way. Maybe it was the seriousness of the situation but somehow Silver didn't think so. He had changed. She had to but nowhere near as much as him. Through the blood on his scales she saw other wounds, scars of fights. Glinting scales that represented newly grown ones, suggesting many had been torn off. The year had been hard on him, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for the lightning dragon.

They reached the sea eventually and stopped on a remote beach with very little evidence of human activity. Zepos cleaned himself in the ocean, sending wads of red dragon blood through it, before stepping out a shaking himself. A dragon could handle quite a substantial amount of blood loss, but she was still worried it might be a little too much. He assured her it wasn't, and the two fell to sleep.

As morning came they set out over the ocean. Silver hoped it wouldn't be a long flight. She hated the sea. Every time she saw it she couldn't help but think of her desperate flight over the ocean a year ago, when she had almost given up. It scared her to think of such things, but the blue mass off ocean in front of her scared her more then she liked to admit.

Zepos took the lead once again and they flew, close together. His wounds had closed over the night, but every flap of his wings endangered the chance that they would open again. Flying up along side of him Silver suggested something.

"Once we get far enough out of Australia we should rest for a couple of days, just while you heal," she said to him, shouting over the wind.

He looked at her and nodded his agreement. It would be better then continuing with how they were going. If anything they were lucky to be still free at the moment. As much as his body hurt, his mind was stronger then it ever had been.

To Silver's delight it didn't take them long to spot land. Hundreds of islands appeared in the horizon, stretching out for what seemed like forever. The large island in the middle was populated, that she could tell, but the many small islands around the area seemed scarce.

The two of them quickly rose high into the air, hiding their bodies in clouds, while gazing down at the landmass below. Their keen vision allowed them to spot the thousands of humans down in the city and where they were in the country. There was no place to land that would allow them to hide safely. She looked at Zepos.

"Let's keep going," he said, "There's other islands out further we can try."

So they flew on, keeping high in the clouds. The problem with flying so high is that it was harder to get oxygen into the body. It exhausted you far quicker then normal and while Silver could deal with it quite well Zepos was having trouble. A small island caught their view and she pointed it out to the yellow dragon. He nodded again and together they flew down to it.

For a minute or so they circled the area. There were no clearings that allowed an easy landing. Eventually they flew down and landed on a rocky outcrop that didn't do well for a good cushioned landing. Silver's claws cut the stone as she landed, sending deep gouges into it. Zepos landed second, coming in with a heavy thud on the stone. It hurt him a little more the Silver and he let loose a small snarl.

In amongst the trees was a bare area that was rather well sheltered. Trees filtered the sun overhead, which was now getting low in the sky, and after Silver cut away some of the undergrowth it seemed like the perfect spot for an overnight stay. And better yet the scents of different animals flooded the clearing, making perfect prey for any that decided to investigate.

Zepos was bleeding again, but not so much as he had before. It was a sure sign he was healing. Slowly. But still healing. He lay down on the ground, exhausted again from the flight. Silver lay down as well with a sigh, and for a moment neither dragon spoke.

"I think we should stay here for a couple of days," said Silver eventually, "It's a remote island. Plenty to eat... I think."

"I agree," said the yellow dragon bobbing his head.

She smiled lightly before laying her head back down. It had been a stressful couple of days. She hated running, but she had no choice. She wasn't stupid enough to think she could take them all on at once, but close to it. She could have at least made a difference. And then there were the farmers. Hopefully they hadn't figured out she had been there. They would probably kill them if they knew. Or not, they might just capture them. It hurt her to think she had just left them.

"Silver," said Zepos suddenly, causing her to look towards him.

"What was it like living with humans?" he asked.

She hesitated, "Aah... It was good."

"Good? Just good. Come on. There has to be more to it then that," he said with a small grin.

"Well. It was satisfying. They let me live with them, just as long as I helped them out. It was a farm, so there was a lot to do. I herded cattle, moved hay bails, fixed fences. A lot of stuff. They were friendly too, and occasionally I got to eat one of their cattle. They were honestly delicious but most of the time I just lived of kangaroos and rabbits. There were no deer their, not that I saw anyway."

"Living off kangaroos for a year. Yuck!" said Zepos.

He had tried kangaroo once. The first night Silver had gone hunting and brought back a few of the strange creatures. While he ate them he preferred the meatier animals. Kangaroos were too stringy for him and the titbits got stuck in his teeth.

Silver chuckled, "They aren't to bad. Especially the bigger ones. I could live off one of them for a week."

"Yeah, but that's because your female. You don't eat as much as us males do. I would eat them if I really needed to, but that is it," he said.

She snorted, "How 'bout you? What was it like living at the human compound?"

"They actually took surprisingly good care of us," said Zepos, "We were fed well. Allowed regular exercise. The baths were amazing. But it was very controlling. We were checked up on everyday, forced to do regular routines. Our devices were checked often. Especially Elron's. There was no greenery whatsoever and the only time we were allowed to see the sun was when we went on missions. Really, the only good part about it was the baths."

Silver nodded slightly, "It's not as bad as I thought it was."

Zepos snorted, "Honestly... its worse. Not because of how they keep us fed and that but because we a forced to fight against dragons that we are friends with. I captured three dragons myself, and it killed me inside. No, I would rather die then go back there."

The two looked at each other for a moment, before Silver looked away again. Her father had spoken something similar to her when she was a hatchling. He had told the story of what happened and how the dragons were freed, and Silver had listened, intrigued. She had wished she was there to witness it... and now she was in the middle of it. Its funny how the things you wish become the things you hate. Oh how she missed the valley, her parents, her brothers. It was nearly too much for a young dragoness to handle. And she hadn't even seen the worst of it yet. All she had done was farm.

"Tell me about this dragon haven we're going to," she said to Zepos, trying to keep her thoughts on track.

Zepos thought for a moment, "As I said before, I don't know much about it besides the fact that A.O.D.H hasn't found it."

"What's 'owed'?" she said confused.

"Not owed, a-owed. The Association of Dragon Hunters. A O H D," he said, "They are the humans that are basically trying to capture us all."

"Oh, didn't know they had a name," she said.

"Me neither," Zepos shrugged, "Until they caught me. Anyway they know about this dragon haven because of the amount of dragons they have seen heading in that direction. At one point they seem to disappear. They don't know the numbers or the power of these dragons. The Chinese Government refused to share any information on them and what ever searches there have been have proven unsuccessful."

She snorted, "Why are you so sure they will let use find them?"

"Because we aren't working for the A.O.D.H, they'll be able to tell because we don't have those mind controlling things," he said.

"If you're sure," she was hesitant.

Relying on vague information made her nervous. What if it was all just a set up? What if this Chinese government had their own mind controlling machines that just weren't visible? She really didn't want to be captured. Especially by an unknown enemy. She didn't voice her fears, because as wary as she was this place was their only hope. If they didn't find a safe place soon they would undoubtedly be found.

As she thought through the few other options they had when suddenly a movement in the bush caught her eye. She frowned, before crying out in surprise. She leapt up, spreading a metallic wing over Zepos's form. A small bullet shot from the undergrowth, attaching to her wing. Suddenly a massive amount of electricity flowed from the bullet, electrocuting her. Because of she wasn't in her full-metal state she couldn't control the electricity and it flowed through her body at a rapid rate. She cried out in pain as her body convulsed, before she fell unconscious.

Zepos launched to his feet, spraying a bolt of electricity in the forest, catching it alight. A few cries of alarm were shouted from the area he sprayed, but as Silver fell unconscious her wing fell over his head, blocking his view. He backed up with a snort, gaining vision once more but he wasn't fast enough. A tranquiliser dart shot from the forest and hit him in the neck.

The effects were immediate as the electric dragon felt an instant dose of tiredness. He cried out in defiance and sprayed lighting over the forest, setting many fires. However it wasn't enough. His vision began to sway over him and he began to stumble, his electricity waning.

"No! I will not get... captured again," but it was already too late.

He fell to the floor and the last thing he saw a squad of black suited humans walking out of the fire, guns facing towards the dragons.

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Hey guys! New chapter. Told ya I'd be quick :) Anyway, vote if you enjoyed and comment what you thought. Next chapter will be out soon. See Ya!

Pennator^^