Wings of Fire: The Forbidden Dragonet | ✔️

~ The Forbidden Dragonet: Chapter 25 ~

The groups had met where they'd agreed to meet. Rose and Asha greeted each other happily.

"Where's Hvitur?" Glory asked.

Hare looked away sadly as Tsunami explained. "A SkyWing killed him."

Glory bristled. Her scales turned from their pretty green color to red and orange. "Who?"

"We need to go," Hare said quickly. "Come on, no more delaying. Let's move."

Hare launched herself into the sky. The others took off after her. Copper flew up beside her, looking at her with a concerned expression.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Hare said, not looking at him.

"Are you sure? I know he was your-"

"I'm fine," Hare repeated, flapping her wings a little harder in order to go faster. "Less talking, more flying. We have to meet the others."

A glittering ice-clear lake sat below Hare. The Diamond Spray River crawled out the other side, through sloping hills east and south, toward the sea. Stubby trees and ragged scrubland, brown and green, edged the lake at the base of the mountain.

Hare cupped her talons and brought some of the water up to her mouth, washing the blood off.

"You're all okay!" Sunny cried, throwing her arms around Rose.

"You idiots," Kestrel snarled. "Look at the mess you've gotten yourselves into."

"Hvitur, Webs, and Dune were going to kill Glory," Tsunami protested.

"I'm aware," Kestrel murmured. "But there could've been a better plan."

"We didn't mean to run into Scarlet," Tsunami huffed.

"Enough." Hare stepped forward. "We need to figure out what we're going to do next."

Tsunami looked up at the sky. "Well, we're free now. Meaning we can go wherever we like." She looked back at the others. "I say we go find our families."

"How?" Clay asked, sitting down and swishing his tail in the mud. "We don't know where to start."

"We don't." Tsunami looked at Kestrel, Rose, and Asha. "But three dragons here do."

Kestrel sighed. "It was only a matter of time."

Asha pointed at Clay. "I brought him from around the Diamond Spray Delta, near the sea."

"Morrowseer brought us Starflight's egg," Rose said. "Dune found Sunny's egg hidden in the sand near the Scorpion Den."

"Tsunami was stolen from the SeaWing queen's hatchery," Kestrel added.

Tsunami gasped. Hare remembered how convinced she'd been that she was royalty when she was younger. Now they were finding out that it was true. Hare lightly nudged her friend's wing. "Well greetings, princess."

"We don't know where Glory's egg came from," Rose said, shooting an apologetic look at the RainWing. "That's something you'd have to ask Webs."

"We'll figure it out," Sunny promised, holding Glory's talon in her own. Glory smiled at her gratefully.

"I guess we better head off to find Clay's family first," Starflight said, looking down the river. "They're the closest."

Hare turned to Copper. "What are you going to do?" she asked him.

Copper looked back toward the palace. "I don't have many options. I may as well return home."

"Won't your mother be mad?" Hare asked.

"It's nothing I can't handle." Copper turned back to her and brushed his wing against hers. "Take care, Hare. I hope we meet again soon."

Hare leaped forward and wrapped her forearms around Copper's neck. "I'll miss you," she said quietly, burying her snout into the crook of his shoulder. Copper pulled her close and held her tight. "I'll miss you too."

Hare never wanted to pull away. She wanted to stay like that forever. Then she'd never have to deal with seeing her friend leave, not knowing if she'd ever see him again. She wanted to hold him forever, beg him not to leave, plead for him to stay with them. But she couldn't.

Hare finally let go and took a step back. Copper smiled at her, though his eyes were sad.

"You'll do amazing out there," he said quietly. "I know you will. I'll see you again one day, I know that, too."

Hare smiled a little. An odd feeling inside her told her that he was right. "So do I."

Copper nodded, then turned and flew away. Hare watched him go until his shape was no more than a dot in the sky. She felt her heart drop so far down into her belly that she wasn't sure it'd ever come back up. Her chest tightened. She forced herself to look away from Copper's shape and turned back to her friends. Tsunami looked at Peril and their guardians. "Where are you all going?"

Asha stepped forward. "I'm coming with you. I know the Diamond Spray Delta like the back of my talon."

"I'm coming, too," Kestrel said. "You six have already gotten yourselves into a big enough mess. Every SkyWing army will be searching for you now. I'm coming to make sure you don't get into any more trouble."

Rose looked up toward the mountains.

"I'm afraid this is where we part ways," she said sadly. "I'm not needed to care for you anymore. You've proven that you can take care of yourselves. I'm proud of you. You've grown into fine dragons. If anyone can end this dreadful war, it's you. I'm sorry that I'm not going to be with you to see it happen, but I have a home to return to. I must go."

"Goodbye Rose," Sunny said, hugging their guardian. "We'll miss you."

"Thank you," Hare said. "For everything. I wouldn't be the dragon I am now without you."

"None of us would," Clay said. "Thank you, Rose."

Glory dipped her head. "Farewell."

Rose smiled. "Farewell." And with that, she, too, took off into the sky.

"So much loss," Asha said, shaking her head.

Peril dragged her claw through the sand. "I'm afraid you'll have to deal with one more."

Clay looked at her with wide, sad eyes. "Oh Peril, not you too."

"I don't belong among you," the SkyWing said. "I'm dangerous. I don't belong among a group of heroes. I'm a murderer."

"So am I," Hare blurted.

Peril shook her head. "You don't understand. I was born to be dangerous. It's in my name. I'm a peril to all dragons. I'm better off spending some time alone, at least until I figure out how I want to move on."

Kestrel stepped closer to her daughter. "I'm proud of you," she told Peril. "You've grown into a good, beautiful dragon. I can't believe the stars blessed me with such a marvelous dragonet. I love you."

Peril smiled. "I love you too."

She turned to hare, the smile never leaving. "Thank you for being my friend," she said. "Thank you for not being scared." She turned to Clay. "You too. You've both been very kind to me. I've rarely run into dragons who treat me well. Thank you."

Clay grabbed Peril's talon. "We'll come find you when we end the war," he promised.

"I'm looking forward to it." Peril gave them one last warm look before launching into the sky.

"Come on," Asha said. "I know the paths we can follow without getting caught."