Wings of Fire - Cavernous Promises

Chapter 6

LOCUST

Locust hissed between his teeth, why hadn't Cobalt told him sooner? He turned glaring at his friend. He flicked his tail with displeasure, noticing Dragonfly was trying to edge out the cave. He flicked his tail sending a jet of acid toward him.

"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN ROYALTY, YOU'LL BE THROWN IN THE DUNGEON FOR THIS." The HiveWing roared.

"Well, then I'll actually hit you next time if you don't paralyze that LeafWing over there." Locust snarled back. He stood up wincing as pain shot up his leg from where he'd been burnt. Locust strode toward Dragonfly keeping the tip of his tail pointed at him. Dragonfly snorted and stepped over to the LeafWing giving him a firm bite on the shoulder. "Uhm sorry I- '' started the LeafWing before stumbling and collapsing over, jaws ajar tongue spilling out.

Locust snorted as he scanned the group, "Alright, fancy pants you carry, mister Acacia, I'll carry the other LeafWing," he ordered waving his tail to the unmoving shape of the first LeafWing, "And Cobalt, the baby SilkWing."

"I will not carry that- Okay I'll do it" Dragonfly protested, before Locust pointed his tail at him.

"Good," he crooned, "Now let's get on with it. Should we, north we go, nobody will find us there."

-<●>-

An hour later, the rag-tag group of dragons were flying over the hills, all three of them carrying another dragon. Locust dipped lower, scanning the rocky hillsides for a place to land. In the corner of his eye he caught a flash of white. He turned his head to look at it, nothing. Strange. Probably just the light of some rock. He thought to himself. He began to notice some of the hillsides were dotted with dark holes, caves he presumed. He dipped lower and saw a rocky plateau they could rest on. Locust smiled, then above the buzzing of his own wings, he heard another sound, like the sound of a bird's wings in the air. What in Wasp's name? He thought, before something slammed into him from above.

Locust dropped the LeafWing he was holding in shock. His attacker's claws dug deep into his back. Locust roared out bucking in the air trying to dislodge his attacker, but they had a tight grip, their talons felt as if four dragons were stabbing at the same time. The shocked roars of Dragonfly and Cobalt were added into the mix, along with a cry from the red SilkWing they had brought with them. He kicked upward trying to lash his apposer, but whoever they were, they didn't even flinch. "Stay still, you idiotic bumblebee of a dragon." roared the dragon. Locust twisted, what a strange accent this dragon had, but he still couldn't stop to ponder this. He reached up trying to bite the dragon holding him, he caught the dragon's leg, but it was like biting stone. "Calcite, we've got a fighter come over here!" roared the dragon, probably calling to an accomplice. Soon enough another dragon flew in front of his snout and shoved a vial beneath it. No, Locust cried, as his wings began to droop, must... stay... conscious... moments before darkness claimed him.

-<●>-

Locust woke up with a groan, where was he? Why was the ground so hard? What had happened? He lifted his muzzle, hearing a clink of chains. Chains, I'm in chains, but this isn't a dungeon, that dragon wasn't anything like I've seen before. Could it be a BeetleWing, no those are extinct, right? Are they even real? Blackjack said- He turned looking around the cell he was in, he said cell but it was more of a cave, he saw Cobalt and Admiral, their scales shining bright in the gloom. And the two LeafWings, Acacia and... the other one. Dragonfly was furthest from him, thank the moons.

Suddenly, he heard a clicking of talons on stone, someone, or something was coming. He growled half expecting a BeetleWing to step out of the shadows, but instead strode a large white dragon. What in Pantala is that?! He bared his teeth at the dragon trying to scare it off. The dragon only laughed, "Oh, please I've seen scarier RainWings than you!" it laughed. What under the three moons is a RainWing?! Sounds so stupid. The dragon strode closer, and he realized it's scales weren't pure white, but very pale yellow, and the dragon's wing membrane was the palest orange he'd ever seen. "Well, I've seen... I've seen paler dragons than you!"

At this the dragon burst out laughing, "Oh my, Oh my! Calcite, Ghost, Metatarsals, come have a look at this sorry excuse for a SandWing."
What is a SandWing, is this dragon pulling tribes out of his tail?! Locust heard a groan to his left, as Admiral woke up. "Uhng, what, what happened, where am I?"

The white dragon's head turned to look at him, before it strode forward, "My, if we were in Pyrrhia, Burn would love to have something like you."

"Who?!" squawked Admiral, "And what's 'Pyrrhia'?"

Just then three dragons slid into the cave, all of them with scales pale as the moons. One had an orange tint to their scales, and pale pink wings, with piercing red eyes. Another was a silvery colour, with pale green wings, and eyes the colour of morning grass. The third dragon was pure white with pale blue wings, and a crooked snout. They settled down and glanced at the large dragon that had called them in. "Ghost get Mica, I'm sure she'd like to meet our new guests" they growled, turning to the silvery dragon. They nodded and dived into the tunnel.

"Well, then." began the dragon, once they had all woken up, "I am General Skull of the CavernWings and we are here to ask you what you know, about the Crystal Helm."

The dragon glared at them with unblinking orange eyes. What is this dragon talking about, is this crystal helm, some kind of rock feature, we HiveWings rightfully own, and you're salty about it. Cobalt and Admiral glanced at each other before shaking their heads. The LeafWing was glaring at the dragon. The other LeafWing, Acacia, was his name, was looking quite distressed and Dragonfly opened his mouth and squawked, "I am royalty, and I expect to be treated like it, now set me free or I'll tell Queen Wasp."

The white dragon scowled, "Can someone please get some chains for that annoying SandWing in the corner!"

"ANNOYING, I'M NOT ANNOYING!" shrieked Dragonfly. Speak for yourself. Locust rolled his eyes.

"Yes, make sure he doesn't sting or bite you, we forgot to bind their tails down." growled Skull, "METATARSALS!"

The white dragon hurried in and quickly flung chains around Dragonfly's snout. Before hurriedly tying his tail to a stalagmite. He then tied Locust's tail to a rock too. Why didn't I use my acid? Thought Locust, cursing himself.