Wings of Fire • Dragon of Storms [1]

Chapter Sixteen

- ❈ -

Dragons screamed in the distance.

     Lightningtail flew faster and faster; she had to get to the battle! She had to! On the distant horizon, she saw it.

     Hundreds of dragons clashed. Gray and sea-coloured scales collided, ripping each other apart. And for what?

     Lightningtail swooped down; she had to get to the battle! She felt a push from behind. The wind was with her! She heard voices whispering, calling out to her. Lightningtail wanted to turn around and look but an invisible force kept her from seeing whatever was behind her.

     The battle neared. The push behind her grew stronger, and Lightningtail's vision faded into white-gold.

     What was happening? Words crashed into her ears like the receding tide, each wave getting weaker and weaker. She couldn't make out the words!

     A flash of seaweed green, then nothing.

- ❈ -

Lightningtail eyes snapped open. She was curled in her nest, safe and sound. But why didn't she feel like it?

     Thunderclap shifted beside her restlessly. The wind howled. A storm was brewing overhead, Lightningtail could tell by the sounds and smell in the air. Yesterday's Council Meeting took almost the entire day. All of the dragons had argued, and no one got anywhere.

     Stupid grown-ups. Lightningtail bet that she could do the same amount of arguing in less time and reach a solid answer.

     What question? How to survive in the inevitable war, of course.

     Lightningtail yawned and stretched. She shook Thunderclap when she was fully awake. He grumbled something about the morning but Lightningtail thwacked him with her wing.

     "Alright, alright, I'm up, I'm up." He said.

     "Good." Lightningtail dragged him deeper into the cave. They were heading for where Rainwind lived. They passed a few doors, but they really only needed one.

     Eventually, they reached a feather curtain with brightly dyed feathers (curtsey of a hyper two-year-old). Thunderclap pulled the bell string and a soft ringing sounded inside.

     A few moments later, a small brown and white dragon answered. "Thunderclap, Lightningtail, come in! I assume you're looking for Rainwind?" Petralclaw asked.

     Lightningtail nodded and followed Petralclaw inside. They sat at the table near the entrance and waited. For a while nothing happened, then Petralclaw came back with his daughter hanging from his jaws.

     Rainwind was pretty small - just over half of Lightningtail's height. Petralclaw had his jaws clamped around the back of her neck. She dangled from his mouth. If this was how Petralclaw woke her up every day, then Lightningtail was glad she didn't live with him.

     "Wach his," Petralclaw mumbled (Lightningtail assumed he meant "Watch this") and let go. Lightningtail smiled because she knew what was coming.

     Rainwind's wings snapped open too late and she landed on the floor of the cave with a thump. Opening her wings helped break her fall, but she still woke up with a jolt.

     "Dad!" She whined. "I told you not to do that anymore!"

     "You've got company," he replied instead and walked back into another doorway. Rainwind squealed happily as she noticed her cousins.