Peace and its Shadow

Chapter 15: Promise

Peacemaker didn't have to wake up really, he liked the feeling of his eyes shut and letting his mind wander into nothing. Peacemaker never really had dreams, it was a bit odd but Peacemaker wasn't complaining about not having constant nightmares of the incident. The problem was Peacemaker would remember every dream he had in great detail since there were so few of them. Nightmares affected him a whole lot more than most other dragons. Unfourtnaley sleeping was nearly impossible when some of his clawmates don't understand the concept of not disturbing sleeping dragons. Who's it going to be this time? Peacemaker wondered. He heard a dragon walk closer to him, he heard rings clank as they hit the stone ground. Peacemaker guessed it was Mink, although she and Cliff wore similar rings around their talons, Cliff was specifically identified with just sound since if listened closely enough, it was possible to hear the medallion lightly bounce off his chest. Peacemaker opened his eyes. 

To his surprise, it was Cliff. Unlike all other times when Cliff always had a positive grin as he practically bounced up and down on Peacemaker to wake him up, there was instead a much more worrying look on him. 

"Peacemaker?" Cliff called out.

'Yeah, Cliff? What's up, you don't look okay?" Peacemaker asked concerned. Peacemaker noticed quite quickly, Cliff's medallion was gone, it took no genius to figure out that was what Cliff was worrying about.

"Have y-you seen my medallion?" Cliff queried. "The one with the ruby?" Peacemaker shook his head,

"Why? Do you not have it?" Cliff looked down and nodded slightly. 

"I've asked the others already but none of them know either," Cliff added. "I think someone might have stolen it." Peacemaker got up quickly. Someone had stolen Cliff's medallion? Who could've done it? 

"Do you know anyone that would be interested in your medallion?" Peacemaker inquired. Cliff shrugged,

"I-I'm not sure. I know a lot of dragons but none of them seem like the type to try that. Then again they're probably being nice because I'm the-"

"Skywing prince," Peacemaker finished.

"Yeah...I guess that some of them would," Cliff faltered.

"Is there any dragon that you've met or know here that might be interested in treasure or anything shiny?" Peacemaker asked. 

"Well, there's the Skywing, Ember from the second-year Jade Winglet, and there is Seasnail who had ownership of the ring one of the Gold Winglets tried stealing a little bit ago, I guess those three dragons from that winglet would also count, there's our clawmate, Sludgesnout, and I guess also be my bodyguard, Azure," Cliff listed. "But it could be anyone, Peacemaker!"

"Hey, try to calm down, it's going to be okay," Peacemaker comforted, putting a talon on Cliff's shoulder. Peacemaker understood Cliff's panic. If this was the Academy's early years it wouldn't have been that bad however now with the large increase of students nowadays, it could be a random dragon from the fourth-year roster. 

"We can help!" Bumblebee declared. Peacemaker and Cliff turned to her. Dusky, Mink, and Auklet were behind her smiling. 

"You'll help?" Cliff questioned. Auklet surprisingly spoke up.

"Of course we will, we're friends aren't we," Auklet smiled, lightly grabbing Cliff's talons. Cliff cracked a smile back.

"Well then, what are we waiting for, sitting here isn't going to get Cliff's medallion back," Mink insisted. 

Cliff and Auklet were going to ask around with the teachers to see if any of them have a clue. Dusky and Mink were assigned to check with any dragons relating to the old ring incident that happened earlier in the school year. This left Peacemaker and Bumblebee, who insisted on coming with him, to go check with Sludgesnout and Azure. Peacemaker remembered the glances Azure and Sludgesnout gave to Cliff's medallion. It could be possible it was one of them.