Wings of fire #17-Lost

Chapter 10

Winter and Gleam flew like lightning toward Queen Snowfall's palace. Winter's cousin, being the queen of his tribe, was a type of dragon that he knew to be way to cautious and most likely had already spotted the disappearance of the Sandwings, be he decided it wouldn't hurt to check. After all, he still needed to tell someone in the Kingdom what he was doing anyway.

They kept flying as the nervousness overtook Winter. What if the Ice Kingdom was the same and everyone was missing? What if the entire continent was like this? "I wonder what happened!!!"

"So what exactly is going on in your continent?" Gleam asked. "I thought your home would be filled with dragons, but we haven't seen one yet!" Winter just shrugged as he was still trying to figure out the same thing.

"Let's just get to the Icewing Palace." Winter growled. "I'm sure my cousin or brother may know something."

"I find it cool that your cousin is queen." Gleam exclaimed. "That means you and me are both royalty and have at least one thing in commom!" Winter sighed as she filed through the air. This dragon was as hyper as Kinkajou, powerful as Turtle, smart as Qibli, and pretty as Moon! She was like a huge mix of all his friends. "Wait! Is that the palace?!"

Winter moved his off into the distance and looked in awe at the wonder of the Icewing Palace. They were coming up on the formerly animus enchanted hills that surrounded the kingdom and Winter saw the newly installed guards who watched from the hills. Only one thing about this that was off...

"Winter, why are those dragons down there showing their claws to us?"

Winter didn't know. So far, he hadn't exactly seen this new system his cousin installed, so maybe this was just protocol. "However, I wouldn't think Snowfall would go this far after what she's been through."

"Who are you?" one of the Icewing guards called out to them. "What is your business here?" Winter recognized him as Shatter, one of the head leaders of the Icewing army.

"Greetings, General Shatter." Winter called. "I am exiled Prince Winter of the Icewings. I've come back from Pantala with an accomplice to talk with Queen Snowfall if I may."

General Shatter and his two other guards relaxed when they heard Winter's name. "Lovely too see you again, Prince Winter. I will send one of my guards, Blizzard, to lead to to the palace."

"Thank goodness!"

Winter felt a bit of a relief for a short moment as they were sending Blizzard to lead them. Just the dragon he'd want right now. A good friend, and one of the few he had in the kingdom. Winter watched as Gleam's face lighted up at the familiar name and a handsome Icewing with a helmet and long spear appeared from behind a tall column that sat on the barrier mountains. "Greetings, Prince Winter. And what brings you back to the fair Ice Kingdom?"

"I need to see my cousin, her majesty, Queen Snowfall." Winter explained. "Would you be so kind as to guide us to the palace, sir?" Blizzard nodded and they flew off into the distance. 

As they flew through the now cool air, Winter noticed Gleam casting some curious glances. "She's looking at Blizzard very nervously. Did he do something to her? I don't remember the two even speaking to one another."  Winter flew close to Gleam and whispered to her. "Are you ok?"

"Are you dragons always this formal?" Gleam asked, nervously.

"So it's that." Winter sighed in relief. "In our kingdom, we have a high requirement for formalities and success that could even get you thrown out like I was. In my case however, I'm royalty and can keep my title and still visit. Anyway, most of the Icewings have to keep a proper attitude and way of living due to this. There are some however who slide in this like Changbai and Lynx because they help in the palace." Gleam nodded as she seemed to understand. Still, she didn't know the entire story...

"So how you been doing Blizzard?" Winter asked out of the normal, startling Gleam.

"So you finally decided to get out of your prince state?" Blizzard joked.

"I told you not to call it that!"

"Whatever." Blizzard sighed. "So you never introduced me to your accomplice here. Who is she? She doesn't look like a dragon I've ever seem! And what are those oil marks?" Gleam looked a bit nervous to speak with the newly outgoing Blizzard, so Winter decided to clear some things up.

"This is Gleam." Winter told him. "I kind of got lost coming back from Pantala and found her. P.S. she's a Princess, so be warned." This was a lot of info, but Blizzard seemed to catch on to it.

"Sweet. Well we're coming up on the palace now, so be warned that some of the dragons there are kind of off... some things happened to our continent while you were away and I'm sure you'll here all about it from your cousin." Blizzard's explanation was a bit unsettling for Winter, even though he already knew most of this information.

"So I was right and something is going on here..."

"So that's why the Sandwings are missing!" Winter exclaimed.

Blizzard nodded in agreement. "And there not the only ones who are missing currently. A few days ago, the Sandwings, Skywings, and Mudwings all disappeared. Even the teachers at Jade Mountain of those tribes vanished!"

"Do you know what happened?" Gleam asked Blizzard, only to get a sigh and shake of his head, saying no.

"We tried, but Snowfall has been a bit busy preparing for the thought of a threat. The other tribes as well as us know that something is going on, but no one knows and are mostly prepping themselves. Hasn't been pretty since you and your friends." Blizzard's explanation made Winter's talons shake and he was pretty sure he knew who was behind this.

"Still, I can't say for sure."

"So what has Queen Snowfall exactly done?" Winter asked, hoping to get a bit more information about the situation. "If she is prepping for a sign of a threat or even war, how is she doing it after the last two threats we've had in a year?"

Blizzard just shrugged. "I haven't heard the exact details, but you could probably ask her yourself. By the way, where do you think Lynx and Changbai are right now because they aren't in the kingdom and Snowfall is very impatient for their return."

"Lynx is back on Pantala I think and Changbai is... I don't know. I lost him on my way here."

"Hmm." Blizzard observed. "Oh well."

"Is that the palace!" Gleam stopped flying forward and Winter and Blizzard both looked at her. "It's so big from up close! And we're going in there?!" She looked awestruck and Winter felt a singe of pride knowing he'd grown up here.

"Cool, huh." Blizzard agreed. "Well now that your here, I better get back to my post. See you later  Wint!" Winter and Gleam were about to walk inside before they heard one last thing. "And see you later, Gleam the beautiful." Then, he flew off.

"Did Blizzard just flirt with Gleam?" Winter looked at Gleam's face and almost laughed. She was blushing as red as a tomato and couldn't talk anymore! "I'll take that as a yes..."

"Come on." Winter led Gleam inside and prepared himself to see the queen, his own cousin.