The Twin Islands-Wings of Fire

Flare

Flare stood with deflated enthusiasm as the morning patrol lifted into the sky.

"They'll never find that hybrid." He thought to himself, certain. It had been a few weeks since Dingo had escaped...And a few weeks since Artemis left. "If that even is her real name. How am I to know?" He sighed, a forked beet red tongue flicking in and out of his mouth. He had been debating whether to follow the mysterious dragonets words. She told him she'd be at Jade Mountain...

He'd done some research the past couple of days on the Mountain. Or, he had hired a servant to. Same thing. Flare was surprised to find it was an academy. For all tribes. He doubted it would last with the quarreling that must be going on, but it seemed to be holding up pretty well. Was he really considering going?

"Maybe." Flare thought. He couldn't help but wonder about the Skywing he had once known as Melt. It seemed surreal such a soft dragonet would lie. Was her whole backstory made up too? As much as he hated to admit it, he had grown attached to whoever she was. He wanted to know more.

"Flare!" A sudden voice called. The Skywing turned around and frowned instantly, facing a ruby red female. Tailwind. She was unbearably annoying. Not nearly as clingy as Artemis was in the short few days he knew her.

"Stop thinking about her." He scolded himself.

"Want to go hunting with Cardinal, Warrior and me?" She asked silkily, smiling with her sharp white teeth. Flare narrowed his eyes and turned back around.

"No, thank you."

Tailwind growled in annoyance, stomping her foot. "It's not faaaaaaiiirrr." She hissed. "You've been all moony-eyed and pity me since that Melt showed up! She's gone! Get over it. There are better dragons out there than her. Like me!"

Flare's spikes raised. No. He wasn't going to deal with this any longer. He whirled around at her, spreading his wings. "She was better than you could ever be." He snarled. "Go throw yourself at another dragon, will you? I'm going to find her. No matter what it takes." He brought down his wings in one big flap, soaring for the palace. A shudder went through his body as he glared down at the shocked Tailwind. What had he just promised himself?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You want to..what?" Ruby said, surprised.

"I want to go to Jade Mountain academy." He said firmly.

His sister blinked at him, many thoughts running through her head. Part of her was relieved he'd be out of her scales. Being heroic and all about justice when she sentenced a dragon to the arena. It really was quite annoying. The other half worried she wouldn't have a very good commander anymore. Oh, well. There's always Warrior.

"Sure." Ruby shrugged, preoccupied with pinpointing where Nova might be. "I could care less what happens to you. By all means, leave."

Flare paused, a paw wavering over the ground as he started to take a step. Ruby opened her mouth to say more, but Flare was already in the air.

"Good riddance." She muttered to herself, tearing up the fourth map that day.

~~~~~~~~~

Flare's scales shuddered with excitement and adrenaline. He had spoken for himself for once. Not for someone else, and nobody spoke for him. He loved it. Sure, it'd be kinda difficult to adjust to life without the palace.. But he'd be fine. After he'd grabbed a map on the way out, he set off for Jade Mountain immediately. Flare just brought his cloak, which was annoyingly whipping against his wings as he flew.

But it'd shield him from the cold. Also stating clearly he was royalty, and not to be messed with. He never imagined going to a school with other dragons, not nobles and other royalty. Warrior's father was the army general. Tailwinds mother was the finest jeweler around. Nearly as rich as Ruby herself. Cardinal's father was Flare's older brother Vermillion. Resulting in her being a possible candidate for the throne.

But it was time for a change. Besides, he wanted to learn of the other tribes. How the Rainwings used their venom fascinated him since his mother had been sprayed in the face by the current Rainwing Queen, Glory. He heard she'd be at the academy from time to time. He'd have to thank her for what she did to his mother the first chance he got. It was a relief to have Scarlet gone. But Ruby wasn't any better. The fame had gone to her head quickly. She'd always been bad tempered, anyway.

As thoughts speeded through his head, he began to see the faint shadows of the nearby mountains against the darkening sky. Flare would rest today, then take off as soon as the sun rises. His heart thumped against his chest as he wondered if Artemis would actually be there. Some part of him hoped she would.

He spread his wings and glided down, entering a nearby honeycomb of caves. He breathed a tongue of flame down the passageway, trudging to the back of the biggest cave. He picked a spot in the middle of a crescent of staglamites and sat down, his chest heaving from the nonstop flying that day. Throwing a couple of logs he'd collected earlier aside, he shot them with a single blast of fire. The logs erupted with a spark, the soft crackling soothing Flare's ears. Before he knew it, his eyelids drooped. And he fell into a dreamless sleep.