Wings of Fire • Dragon of Storms [1]

Chapter Twenty-three

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As the sun peeked above the horizon, Ventus came into view. Lightningtail and her friends had flown straight from yesterday into tomorrow, so today. It was a confusing thought. They had only stopped at one island to catch their breath and regain their energy.

     Lightningtail watched the continent slowly materialize in front of them with tears in her eyes. It faded from a light blue to a darker blue, until she could properly see the colours and details of the terrain. She was home.

     "This is it," Breathed Rainwind, awestruck, "We're home!"

     With tears in her eyes, Fast-talon beat her wings harder. "I never thought I'd see my dragonets again!"

     Lightningtail looked at the older guard. She realized, that even if didn't know anything about her besides her name, they had grown close over their ordeal with the SeaWings. They all had. It was as if a part of them understood the pain and suffering each dragon had gone through.

     They were now so close to the bay that Lightningtail could count the torches lining the walkways. A few dragons flying about or walking along the paths turned their heads upon noticing the dragons.

     Brisktail looked at Lightningtail. He nodded at the conch shell and Lightningtail realized why he had wanted to take it. She raised the shell to her lips and blew into a hole in its tip. A low bellowing note echoed across the water and bounced off the sea stacks.

     All of the heads looked up. Dragons looked out of windows in their caves, some patients peeked out of windows from their infirmary rooms, but the most important dragon to Lightningtail was the light gray dragoness she could see rising out of the Royal Caves.

     As the dragons watched, Lightningtail opened the spines on her tail in time to catch the light of the sun as it fully rose to encase her in a golden, halo-like glow. SwiftScales young and old cried out,

     "It's Princess Lightningtail!"

     "They're back!"

     "Fast-talon is with them!"

     Several cries of joy rang out, music to Lightningtail's ears. She clutched the conch shell and blew again when she saw that Mother had seen them but not moved.

     The SwiftScales rose from the cliffs. They poured from caves, from the schools, the infirmary, every dragon that knew how to fly. All of the dragons in the colony spiralled into the skies, the thunder of their wings chasing away the clouds and creating a windstorm.

     Lightningtail glided through the gusts of air with ease. Although he lost her friends in the crowd, Thunderclap stayed by her side. Several dragons stopped them as they tried to get to the Royal Caves. Lightningtail pressed talons with all of them who asked, smiling at their joy.

     When they emerged from the crowd, Lightningtail and Thunderclap dove down quickly. They were headed for their home, and for the pale dragon who stood there with disbelief written on her face. Lightningtail landed in front of Queen Swansong, and Thunderclap lighted down at her side.

     "Ma, we're home," murmured Thunderclap. His talons shook as he took a step forward.

     "I-is th-this a d-dream?" Swansong asked. Her true blue eyes leaked a thousand tears.

     Lightningtail shook her head, running forward and leaping into Mother's embrace. "No! It's not! We really are back!" Her body shook with her sobs as Mother held her and Thunderclap tightly.