Wings of Fire: The LightningWing

Chapter 2 - The Prophecy and the Animus

Mist trailed Shock as he charged to the statue of Storm. Shock was stomping the ground in a furious manner, letting the sunshine reflect off his scales. "If anyone can tell us more on the prophecy, Storm himself can." Shock burst as he lifted his wings to fly. As his wings sifted the air, he thought, is this going to prove who I am? Mist's tiny wings barely lifted her, but she managed to fly at Shock's tail. Eventually, the large powdery stone statue of Storm arose from the dust wiping Shock's eyes. His tail merely slapped Mist, her flailing back behind him. Shock didn't stop, actually speeding his pace. "Shock, wait!" Mist screeched, trying to pull away from the living statue grabbing her ankle. His eyes scanned the statue, flapping his wings at the moving beast. Somehow this stone statue was moving and pulling Mist down, tearing at her scales. "Mist!" Shock yelped, watching the statue's eyes darken. Shock blew more wind onto the statue, maddening the beast more. He blasted lightning at it's base, making it split down the middle. Mist's wide eyes pushed him to shock the stone again, and he did, making it blow in half, releasing Mist from its grasp. She gasped and flew to Shock side, hovering in disbelief. "Do you think it came to life because of the lost gem of Storm still missing?" Mist said, flapping her wings at Shock. Shock just turned and flew further off into the distance, changing direction with each flap of his massive wings. Mist trailed him again, shouting as they neared Storm's statue. Shock landed at the heal of the statue, tearing at the layers of dust and rock over the prophecy. "It's here, it was buried in the statue walls." He said. Shock scraped the base of the statue once more, clawing at the dust. Eventually, words appeared. "Mist, here." Shock said, pulling his talon close to his chest. Mist galloped to his side, yanking him into wing range. "What does it say?" She hopped anxiously at Shock's side. He clawed the words and on the label of the statue. His eyes skirted the words in awe. "NightWings were supposed to write prophecies, they foretell them. This prophecy isn't any like the ones I have read about in scrolls." Mist anxiously nudged his side. "What does it say, Shock?" Shock then noticed his wing was covering the passage on the stone. He whipped around and started reading. "Up in the kingdom of Unknown, find the egg in the clouds all alone. His quest to be very far and wide, find the lost gem which had been thrown aside. Down to Pyrrhia our hero will go, making tribe friend with tribe and so and so. The gem recovered the war set at peace, the life of the young dragonet soon to release." Shock widened his eyes to the statue. Mist cocked her head and rummaged through a silky bag strung around her neck and pulled out a  small shard of glass. The tone of the sand-like material reflected into the morning rays of the sun, changing color every time she shifted it between her talons. Confused, Shock grabbed at the shard of glass, Mist grasping the sharp corners. She dropped the glass onto the clouds, it floating hopelessly in the air. Mist starting digging through the pouch again, emerging with a tiny piece of jewelry. It was half topaz, half violet, reflecting of of Mist's scales. Right then Shock noticed the patches of white dabbing her body. No other LightningWing had that on their scales. Though they interested him, he didn't want to ask about her scales, just about the specific items she chose from her baggy. Mist eyed his expression and picked the glass back up with her other talon. "This shard of glass can help us identify the prophecy." She said, closing her eyes and murmuring a few words to it. The shard of glass flew from her talon and scraped at the statue, peeling letters out of the base. Mist was an animus. Shock knew what an animus could do, and what they could become. After all though, Mist was supposedly their first ever LightningWing animus. Mist opened her eyes and glared at Shock, who blankly gave her a sluggish look. She flared her wings and shoved Shock out of the way to look at the letters the shard had scratched out. She cocked her head again, still snaking the piece of jewelry through her claws. The then caught it in her palm, widening her eyes and speaking a few words. "I enchant this gem to lead us to the abandoned hut of Storm when I say the word 'faun'" Shock was surprised when she said to say the word "faun", but he again most preferred to not ask. Mist moved aside for Shock to look at the scraped letter, showing small movements as he read. "The answer lies on the scroll of Storm's hut." It said, ringing a voice in Shock's head. Weird, he thought. By the time he had finished reading, Mist activated the stone and started flying away. Anxiously, Shock followed behind, scowling as she swerved back and forth. He had so much to ask about Mist. "This way." Mist darted downward and plopped on a cloud. A circular orange powdery dome rested before her as Shock flailed onto the clouds. Mist jumped out of his way and shrieked, Shock tumbling and rolling over the fluffy powder. He pulled his wings in and stretched his legs out, letting them plow the ground. He rolled and toppled over, flaring his wings and whipping his tail. Mist bounded over to Shock, clamping her jaw shut on his right wing, yanking him to the air. "Mist, let GO!" Shock roared, pain and agony wiping his scales. Her jaw unclamped and she released him, letting him drop back onto the clouds. "This is Storm's hut." Mist said, pointing to the dome. It was covered in yellowish-gray powder. "Blech." Shock said, clawing at the clouds beneath him. Mist covered her face with her wing. "I'm sorry." She said, wrestling Shock to the ground. "I never told you." She was right. She never said a word about the animus powers she possessed, or the white scales, or why her eyes were white. Shock, raged and discouraged, pushed Mist off him while saying, "Then tell me right now, right here, so I understand it all."