The Twin Islands-Wings of Fire

Prologue

Deep in the Magicwing prison, a dragon as black as night waited in a cell. The rusted shackles attached to his ankles groaned and scraped as he paced, his face up at the only source of light he was given. Small moonbeams escaped into his prison, allowing him to see the tiny dust that floated in the air. He scowled, iridescent eyes disks of gold and copper like rivals to the moons.

"Still waiting?" A soft, feminine voice uttered. He glanced up and watched as a dragon that looked to be made of crushed embers flickering in the prison torches stepped into his view. Her dark eyes were cool and unsettling, causing the Nightwing to shift uncomfortably on his feet. His tail lashed, and he lowered his head to level his eyes with her.

"Waiting." The dragon echoed. He spread his starry wings, casting a solemn and mournful look at the ground.

The female shook her head, teeth bared. "It's been nearly six years. I think your mate's arrival is long overdue. You promised us something that hasn't yet arrived."

"I know there's a reason she isn't here." His voice crackled like broken glass, defensive.

"Suppose she didn't want to hand over the dragonets." She hissed. "You're the one who offered your dragonets for studying. You told me they would be here." She stamped her talons on the ground and gathered crumbling dirt, crushing it to powder.

"Yet here they aren't. Now there are disgraceful dragonets roaming our islands without a whim as to where they're really supposed to be."

"They would not be disgraceful. At least not to me..."

"We toyed with one of their genes. You can't expect much from that, dear friend."

He lowered his head. Suddenly the rubble on the floor looked interesting.

"At least you're not in a different prison." The dragon said, passing a dead goat through the gap in the bars. It fell to the ground with a thud, unwanted.

"You're eating three meals a day and drinking like you haven't in years." She rolled her eyes and pressed her wings to her face in mock pity. "You don't realize what a privilege it is for you to be in the upper cells, do you?"

The Nightwing sat down with a sigh. He stared at the goat with a baleful expression.

I never should've made that moons begotten promise. Should have found a better way. Me and Nightflier could've ruled as King and Queen.

His thoughts reared up, bitting at his mind with venomed teeth. He watched as the Magicwing left.

Oh, the things I would do to have my two wonderful dragonets and a perfect life. No wicked Magicwings. No curse or twisted promises. My dragonets wouldn't be tested like creatures. Why must I ruin everything sacred that is given to me?

He dropped and curled up into a ball, gingerly poking at the shackles around his ankles. They stung, low and harsh, his skin throbbing with long forgotten scabs.

He had pondered escaping for years, and the locks were finally weak enough that he might be able to snap them. He rumbled in disgust and examined the scores of missing scales up and down his legs and the flesh revealed below. As he lay there, he slipped into silence, and dreamed of where his Nightflier might be and the dragonets she would've brought with her.