Wings of Fire: The Forgotten Dragonets

The Lake

Doomsayer walked through the almost abandoned tunnels, looking for the underground lake. She'd been looking for half an hour, but hadn't found it yet, and didn't want to ask anyone. You could ask me.

She shook her head. No one.

When did you turn so stubborn?

When I realized that when I go away, you won't be there to advise me. She turned down a narrow, wet smelling tunnel, hoping that she'd finally found the lake. The sides of the stone tunnel scraped against her wings and she wrinkled her snout in distaste. The Rainwing certainly knew how to keep other dragons from prying. There weren't any lights down here and her nightvision kicked in.

What do you mean? When you won't be here?

After this I'm hoping to help the Nightwings. Maybe we'll find the old kingdom.

And who will rule this  Kingdom?

She slammed up the mental wall she'd been practicing, silencing the old dragon.

She had come to a small, dark pond. Not a lake at all. Sighing she looked around, knowing that Boto wouldn't be here. Maybe there was another lake, a whole system of them hidden underneath the roots of the mountain. Fool dragon. But very clever.

She wandered around for a bit longer, finding what had to be the main lake - a massive pool with jagged stone columns ascending from their depths. No Rainwings at all, just a group of mildly annoyed Seawings.  She saw Anemone and waved, smiling at the pale pink dragonet. The princess nodded regally back, before breaking into a grin and diving into the water. The others dived down after her. 

Sighing out through her nose Doom turned and walked back through the tunnels. Her thoughts wandered and she wondered whether Boto had ever actually meant to talk to her. She was beginning to think that he hadn't. 

Something slithered on the ground and she leaped back, hitting the wall. The wall grunted.

Whirling she bared her teeth, feeling the spines on the back of her neck rise up as a dragon slowly materialized out of the stone. "Darkness take you, who is that?!?"

He coughed once, awkwardly, rubbing his tail. Silver scales edged with blue rippled black, attempting to re-camouflage, and she grabbed his neck, snarling. Finally he squawked, "It's me!"

She snorted, letting go immediately as she realized how close they were. "Boto."

He wrinkled his snout at her in mild amusement, finding it funny that she thought it could have been anyone else. Truth be told, she really should have known. But what disturbed her most was that she hadn't even known anyone was there. She hadn't heard any thoughts, even though she'd been listening, and had been certain she was alone. It was as if he didn't really exist - or somehow had created the perfect camouflage.

So perfect even his thoughts seemed like stone? She snorted again, extracting the confused thought, Is she all right?  But instead of asking this he simply said, "I guess I have to tell you now."

"What?" Her heart raced as the timelines congealed, pivoting on this one point in time. 

Deep beneath the mountain a small quake began, shaking the ground ever so slightly as a massive dragon writhed in fury.

Far above the trees a bright star flashed, before fading away.

And here, in the smallest of tunnels, the Rainwing leaned close, his breath brushing her ear as he whispered, "My secret."

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A/N:

Thank you all the beautiful people who have read this story and liked it. You are Amazing!!

My heart is singing with joy. 

Thanks :)