Wings of Fire, When Wings Touch the Water

Chapter One

      Seasnail knew she was different the moment she stepped outside by herself for the first time. She knew by the way dragons whispered when she walked by with her parents.
       She was positive she was different when she turned four and had walked outside only a few blocks from her house, and the only Icewing in her part of town, Frostbite, had jumped out from around the corner and sliced her cheek with one of his serrated claws, and the other dragonets laughing.
     She knew she was different when she turned six and went through metamorphosis, and no silk shot from her wrists like her father had described, and spent weeks in terrible pain as her wings formed.
       Seasnail was a hybrid, one of the unlucky  ones at that. Frostbite said that dragons born without wings shouldn't fly, unless he was with his Silkwing friends. Then he said dragons without silk shouldn't have two wings. No Hivewings lived in Sanctuary, so his brain didn't have to think up anything else.
      Seasnail's dreams were haunted by these memories often, so on her seventh hatching day when no nightmares invaded her mind, she knew things were going to change.
       "Seasnail, would you like anything specific for your hatching day?" her mother, Tide, asked.
     "No, but thank you for asking," she replied as politely as she could. Her mother treated her like a two-year-old, and she hated it. Seasnail appreciated the pampering sometimes, but she didn't always need it.
     Before leaving, she wrapped her mother in a hug. Normally Tide would whisper advice, but she abnormally quiet. Seasnail didn't dwell on it though, and as soon as she left, she forgot all about it.
     The town she lived in was busy, except for early in the mornings. Today was same as always, except she heard voices whispering in an alleyway.
      That's odd. I'm always the only one up, she thought. "I should check it out," she said to herself. "Imagine if it's a crime. Think of the look on Frostbite's face if I save our town. He'll be sorry he ever picked on me."
      Seasnail snuck behind onto an abandoned patio and pretended to be smelling the crisp morning air, while in reality was listening to their weird conversation. "I thought you couldn't get it," whispered a young male voice. He sounded frantic.
     "So did I," snapped an older female voice. "Looks like we were all wrong then." A loud, racking cough took over the silence, and it made Seasnail's blood run cold.
     "I can help you!" the male's voice said. "Mother was helped by an animus, I bet I could help you too."
     "That just pulled out her life and made her suffer more," the older dragon replied stubbornly. "I'd rather live a shorter, less painful life than a longer one."
     The younger dragon sighed, it was long and depressing. Just like Tide's mourning when father died, Seasnail thought unconsciously, before burying back up.
      Talon steps echoed, and Seasnail realized a second too late they were coming this way. She sat still and tried to look a haughty and intimidating as possible.
     Two Seawings exited the alley. One was tall and ancient. She had a tired expression in her face and was the color of cut emeralds. The other dragon was about as old as her and a deep royal blue color. They both looked at her strangely.
     "What are you doing at our house," the blue one asked. His voice was now calm, and he was looking at her wings with confusion.
    "Um-I'm-uh, enjoying the scenery," she said quickly, hiding her wings as best she could.
    "Really?" he said skeptically. "Why don't you do that somewhere else. Like maybe not the house we just bought." Rude.
     "I will, somewhere where the dragons aren't so snobby," she snapped, and marched away. Hopefully she looked elegant, but she doubted it highly.
     When she was sure she was far enough away, she let out her breath, apparently she'd been holding it. What disease did that Seawing have? Was it contagious? What was that blue Seawing talking about? Magic? You had to be in the royal family to have animus magic? If they were royalty, why were they here?
     Seasnail had so many questions, she forgot where she was, until she almost walked face-first into a tall fence. The scavenger sanctuary, she thought. One of the town founders, Frostbite's father, was obsessed with scavengers. Seasnail felt fear coil up inside her.
      These mini sanctuaries were one of her favorite and least-favorite places. They were nice because the scavengers seemed to work like the dragons, and they do almost everything they could. On the downside, Frostbite was normally hanging around, mostly in the mornings. He obviously didn't want his cronies to know about his love for the little animals.
     Speak of the devil, Seasnail felt a cloudy-cold mist swirl around her neck. "Hello, Butterfly," drawled a cold voice. "Fancy seeing you here."
     Seasnail turned around slowly to see Frostbite. He was smiling, and seemed to be watching something or someone behind them. "Hello," she said half heartedly. "Lovely seeing you as well."
    "One of the servants went missing," he said, talking like her best friend. "And father was wondering if I could find a replacement, someone who's useless. And we can both agree that you are pretty useless."
     When she didn't respond, he pushed her head up and down. "Good, we both agree. But just to make sure, here are some reasons. You have gills, but now webs between your talons, making your swimming look like every other dragons. You have no silk, so who decided to throw in the wings?" he paused. "Maybe I should ask your father, oh wait. You don't have one."
      Seasnail inhaled sharply. Those other things she'd heard before, but never had he included her father. He died a year ago from a sickness. Her mother had sent her to get the medicine, and Frostbite had ambushed her, causing her to be late. Even though it was by minutes, when she returned, he was dead.
     She didn't mean to, but she started to cry. The Icewing looked very pleased, and opened his mouth to continue. Then something unexpected happened. A voice cut through the haze, sharp as a knife. "Leave her alone!"