World Rising

Chapter 18 / Red Sky in Morning

Saphira stretched in the chilly morning air. She glanced at the silver dragon curled around a map. Eclipse turned her head to look at her, eyes glimmering like rubies in the red morning sun's light.

"I must ask. Why do you want to find this Koda so badly despite the possibility that he could be dead?" Eclipse began rolling up her map.

"I-" Saphira began, only to be cut off by Eclipse.

"Is he your lover?" Eclipse's eyes bore into hers as her head snapped to face Saphira.

"Gods no! you said he was 2,000!"

"I did didn't I?" Eclipse put her map in a leather pouch under her wing, smiling broadly. "I'm ready now."

"Lead on then,"

"To the sun kingdom!"

                                                                                     . . .

Firefly stared at the great oak doors leading to the library. Finally. She tucked the map under her starry wing and pushed open the heavy wooden doors. 

The smell of dust, paper and burning logs in the fireplace flooded her nose. The room was huge and had a staircase leading to a second floor. A portrait hung over the mantle and red  rugs embroidered with gold thread were arranged on the wooden floor. The room was warm from the fireplace and the candles on the walls.

The doors closed behind her as Firefly walked through the library. Her claws quietly clacked on the floors. She walked towards the sound of turning pages. Firefly spotted a cream-colored tail flicking back and forth and cleared her throat.

The tail stilled and she heard the sound of a book being shoved back in place. A face peeked around the corner, a thin smile on his face.

"How did you manage to find me?" Dawn asked, standing.

"Oh - I - there was a dragon in the halls - and-"

"Why? did you need me?" Dawn had reached her now, his emotions flooding her on stormy waves of wariness and fear.

"No, I was- " Firefly lowered her voice to a low mumble "-lonely."

His emotions suddenly changed, temporarily blinding her with sharp confusion.

Dawn smirked, his scars rippling with the movement.

Firefly felt heat rush to her face and she widened her eyes in panic, "I don't know where everything is and I usually do, and I wanted to know why you didn't say anything. I don't like secrets, Dawn. I don't trust dragons who keep big secrets, and you're keeping a big secret." 

Dawn's smirk faded. he walked to a deep red chair by the burning fireplace. Curling up in it he gestured with a paw for her to take a seat.

"I wasn't always a prince, Firefly. I - I was an assassin for a group called the Reapers. I did some bad things. I killed many dragons," Dawn's claws shook as he gazed at the fireplace.

"But you're not an assassin anymore."

"No. I was for a very long time. Then I met Nova and Stun."

"Are you and Nova..." Firefly felt a surprising pang of jealousy. 

Dawn barked a laugh, "No. Once I had hoped it to be so, but those days are long gone. Me and Nova are cousins and friends, nothing more."

Relief coursed though Firefly. "Oh," She looked at the carpet.

Dawn chuckled, touching her shoulder with the tip of his tail, "Your face gets all funny when you're embarrassed, It looks kind of like this," Dawn widened his eyes and smiled tightly. 

Firefly looked up and laughed. Dawn's emotions flooded over her in waves, a cascade of joy and laughter. A smile bloomed on his handsome face. 

Firefly listened as the sound of her laughter faded. "Do you perhaps have a rainforest on this continent?"

"We do. If you would like it, I could teach you about this continent."

"I would like that."

From outside, a bell tower tonged, the vibrations ancient and beautiful.

"That would mean dinner. I'll teach you tomorrow," Dawn stood, walking a few paces and stopping to look behind him, "You coming?"

Firefly ran to his side, and together they headed to the Great Hall.

                                                                                  . . .

Thunderclouds rumbled relentlessly overhead, pelting them with gusts of rain-heavy wind. Below  her, the sea tumbled and fought with itself.

"I can't see a thing in this weather!" Saphira shouted at Eclipse over the storm's furious torrents. 

"We should reach the shores of the continent soon!" Eclipse shouted back. She glared up at the storm, her white scales stark against the dark clouds. "Blast this storm! We could have made it to the City of the Sun by dusk! Now we won't make it until tomorrow evening!"  Eclipse shot a lick of moonfire* at the storm.

*Moonfire is a type of silver fire. It burns longer and hotter than normal fire, and is only obtained by igniting crushed moonlily seeds or from the breath of a moon dragon.*

Through the fog, Saphira could see the shore. Eclipse seemed to notice it too, putting on a burst of speed. Saphira beat her wings faster, squinting her eyes against the fat droplets that landed on her face.

Following after Eclipse, Saphira tucked her wings in and accelerated to a steep dive. She flung out her sage wings and landed on the sand, her aching wings dragging behind her. Eclipse had already curled up under the shelter of an ancient willow. Saphira laid down, folding her wings over her head.

In the morning I will finish my mission, Parodia. Now, I just need to sleep...