Wings Of Fire: Spotlight

Chapter Nine - Familiar Faces And Forging Friends

Whistling wind and ivy tendrils clawed at Mako's face as she tore through the forest. Branches seemed to reach for her wings, as if they wanted to snatch Mako and drag her into the inky blackness mere feet beyond. Pounding talonsteps sounded closer, but the blood roaring like lions in her ears drowned out the sound.

Then her foot caught on a mangled tree root jutting from the ground.

Air flew from her lungs as her chest hit the feathery earth below. Dust whipped up into miniature twisters, swirling against Mako's azure vision.

But the last thing she could see for sure was a shattered gem.

An actual shattered, lucid violet gem. Looking all too familiar...

And then a gong tore her dream like dragon claws.

"Mako, wake up!"

Mako groggily blinked open her eyes, vision hazy and misty. Her vision focused, and she caught the azure SilkWing, Butterfly. The dark cerulean dragoness was shaking the SeaWing by the shoulder.

"Whattt..." Mako groaned, sitting up. she stretched her wings to near their breaking point and yawned, sending a peaceful rush of ice across her body.

"School's over." Butterfly quickly explained. "That means it's time."

"Time for what?" Mako cocked her head to the side, before realizing with a dull spark of elation. "Oh!"

"Yeah, so get up!" Butterfly grabbed Mako's wrist and began dragging her towards the door. With an exaggerated lunge, she flopped on the floor, and Mako laughed and helped her up. Butterfly snapped back into her usual excitement and bounded for the door. "C'mon, we can't be late for auditions!"

"Wait, Tsunami isn't back!" Mako called. Butterfly flicked her tail as if swatting away her words and proceeded through the winding halls. Mako sighed and swept after her.

The SeaWing shot and curled through the stone halls, her wings spread wide and valiantly like an eagle. Her eyes darted around the roof, looking for the Drame Cave.

"This way, featherskull!"

That was Butterfly's voice, sounding from behind her. Mako sighed and swung around in midair, before barreling directly into another dragon. The two hit the floor with a crash and painful thud, and Mako sat up, vision reeling before coming into focus.

"Ow..." The dragon behind her groaned.

"You okay back there?" Mako questioned, sitting up and turning around. The dragon on the ground was a magnificent, dusty, chocolate brown. He had peanut and emerald flecks over his body, and his extremities were dyed the violet hue of twilight. The LeafWing nodded, his hazel brown eyes flickering. Mako suddenly realized who this was, and she rose to point. "Wait... I saw you earlier!"

The Leafwing bowed his head again and rose to his talons. He was a good two heads taller than her, and his shadow was dark, looming over the art hall to Mako's left. His voice was honey as he spoke. "Are you heading to auditions?"

"Yep! And you are too, I don't care what you say. So c'mon!" Mako beamed with pride, fluffing her pale cerulean wings. A new joy flooded her mind, like liquid sunlight. She whisked around and bounded away (or, more of a skip), heart beating more violently than a thrashing trout. This is it!

She pushed through ivy tendrils like defective jellyfish tentacles and skidded to a halt. The room was absolutely crowded. A group of NightWings there, a talonful of SandWings by the closet, an IceWing and RainWIng sharing frozen raspberries under a table.