Wings of Fire - Cavernous Promises

Chapter 43

COBALT

Cobalt flapped her wings hastily in the sky, dragging behind her an elderly LeafWing and her grandchildren. In total, Cobalt had managed to save four LeafWings from the fight, not including the three she still had with her, trying to recover their lost safety.

On a whole, four LeafWings were nothing compared to the eighty-odd that still remained.

"Grandma, I'm tired! Can we goes home yetttt?" The youngest LeafWing that Cobalt was carrying whined.

"Not yet, dear," the elderly LeafWing responded, flapping her ancient wings to the limit. "We have to escape the fighting."

"What's a fighting?" The dragonet questioned.

"A fight, and, my child, a fight is something we do not want to be involved with, especially not an old pine like me, and a young sprout like you, and your sister."

"But, Grandma," the older dragonet, who was clinging tightly onto Cobalt's tail, stated, "Oak said we needed to fight, and I want to! I want to bring peace back to the LeafWings, so we can rule Pantala and punish the HiveWings for their despicable crimes! I want to kill the Queen and watch her burn!"

Oh... sheesh. Cobalt's eyes widened. That's uh- that's something.

"Dearest, we do not want anyone to di-" The Grandmother started, before the older dragonet interrupted.

"APART FROM THE HIVEWINGS!"

"No," Cobalt said, her wings drooping from the weight of the two dragonets. "No one-dragon deserves to die, not even Wasp. Sure, she may be..." What do I say? A dragon-killing maniac? A lying fool, who has inflicted thousand's pain? "Mean, she may be mean, but no dragon should deserve to die, and war is no place for dragonets."

"But then, why is you here?" The youngest questioned. "You is looking like a dragonet."

That last question silenced Cobalt to her wingbeats, drawing upon her inner strengths.

Why am I here?

"Cobalt!" She heard Admiral's voice, as he soared down in front of her, his red antenna flaring in the wind. "We've got atleast eleven to safety, and- oh, do you need any help with that? You look tired."

"I'm fine, but do you mind helping this grandmother?" Cobalt asked.

"Sure." Admiral glided back to the elderly LeafWing, who was trailing behind Cobalt's tail, and her grandchildren. Even though he'd only had his wings for a few weeks, Admiral was already an excellent flier, and he could do nearly all the things a fully-grown dragon could in the air.

"Grandma?" The youngest asked, digging his claws into Cobalt's azure back. She winced with the pain, but was determined to keep on going. She had to get these LeafWings to safety.

"Yes, dear?"

"When are we going to see Mummy and Daddy again?"

"Mummy and Daddy are off..." The Grandmother paused, looking down to the wastelands below. "Mummy and Daddy are off on a special mission, and they won't be coming back for a long time."

"How long? I want mummy to tell about Queen Secuola and the LeafWings again."

"Sequoia, and a very, very long time, dear."

"But how longggg?"

"The longest of times, my little sprout."

Oh, that's awful. Cobalt thought. They're never going to see their parents again, and their grandmother has no way of telling them. Poor things.