Wings of Fire - The Third Continent

Chapter 1

Beetle opened his eyes, still holding tightly onto his skyfire.  He looked around, loosening his grip.  Venus and Sandspirit were doing the same.

"Where are we?" Venus asked.  "This isn't Pyrrhia or Pantala."

"There!" a voice called.  "Deficits!"

A group of large, brown dragons with antlers circled them.

"What do you want?" Venus growled.

"You should know, Deficit," the voice said.  The other dragons cuffed the dragonets.  "Take them to the Facility."

"The Facility?" Beetle asked.  "What's that?"

"Playing dumb won't save you," the voice said.

Eventually the antlered dragons dropped them into a cell.  There were two other dragons in there with them.

"Hello?" Beetle said.

"Hey," one of the dragons said.  He had bright white scales and blue eyes, but radiated the warmth of a SandWing.  "Name's Dia."

"But-" Sandspirit started.

"Don't go there," the other dragon warned.  Her scales were orange with some black scales on them and long legs.  "Some of the other dragons here made that mistake, and they weren't too happy afterwards.  I'm Auran."

"So, she/her?" Venus asked Dia.

"What about it?" Dia asked.

"Glad to know I'm not alone," Venus responded.  "I use they/them."

"You didn't introduce yourself to me like that," Sandspirit said.

"Not something I normally do," Venus replied.  "But now you know."

"Since we're doing this," Auran said, "mine change sometimes.  Currently he."

"Nothing about me," Beetle said.  "But I'm Beetle."

"Not here either.  Name's Sandstorm."

"And my name is Venus," Venus said.

"I don't think you're any of the tribes on Valore," Dia said.  "I'm a DayWing and Auran is a SpotWing."

"SandWing-NightWing hybrid," Sandspirit said.  "From Pyrrhia."

"SilkWing-HiveWing hybrid," Beetle said.  "Pantala."

"LeafWing.  Pantala," Venus said.  "What exactly is this place?"

"The worst place in all of Valore," Auran responded.  "Anyone who isn't 'normal' is sent here to be 'corrected'."

"What's 'normal'?" Beetle asked.

"Liking the opposite gender, only using pronouns that fit your birth gender, not being a hybrid, and so on," Dia said.

"That's ridiculous," Venus said.  "Do any of the dragons here have mindreading?"

"No, why?" Auran responded.

"Because they'll take whatever's in our satchels if we don't hide it," Sandspirit said.  "Anywhere we can hide some rocks?"

"Here," Dia pointed to a hole in the ground, and the dragons dropped their skyfire into it.

"Thanks, Dia," Beetle said.

"Be careful with my name," Dia warned.  "I'm all for you using it, but if they hear it, they won't be so nice.  Dies would be better for when we're out of this room."

"Right," Beetle said.  He winced, a slight ache in his wing buds.  It has to happen now of all times?  Couldn't it have waited a little longer?

"How old are you, Beetle?" Sandspirit asked.

"My sixth hatching day is in two days," Beetle said.  "I'll be fine for now."

"You better hope you got your father's flamesilk," Venus said.

"Easy for you to say," Beetle responded.  "You got Sundew's leafspeak."

"Wait, wait, wait," Sandspirit said.  "You have leafspeak, Venus?"

Venus glared at Beetle.  "I do."

"That could help us escape," Sandspirit said.  "We'll have to wait for some time, though."

"You don't have to," Beetle said.

"We're not leaving you behind," Venus said sharply.

"Leafspeak?  Flamesilk?" Auran asked.  "What are you talking about?"

"You'll see," Venus said.

"It is time to eat," a voice boomed through the hallway.  "We have three new arrivals who need to be Corrected.  Welcome them accordingly."

The door in the cave unlocked and a dragon that looked like Auran but with a mane and no spots walked in with a spear.

"Auran, Dies, and you three," he said.  "Come with me."

Dia growled and was the last to follow, but she came nonetheless.  The spear-wielding dragon nudged them to a cave with a large table and more dragons.  He sat Auran and Dia down but kept the other three standing.

"We have found three more Deficits," the dragon that kidnapped them said.  "Introduce yourself with your tribe and pronouns.  And no funny business."

"Beetle.  A SilkWing," Beetle said quickly.  "From Pantala.  He/him."

"Pantala, you say?" the dragon said.  "No wonder you don't have wings.  You, green dragon."

Venus hesitated.  Should they lie?  It would keep them safer, but they would hate to be lying.  I'm doing this for Beetle.  He can't escape without his wings.  "Venus.  A LeafWing.  She/her."

"Good job, Venus," the dragon said.  "What about you, orange dragon?"

Venus looked at Sandspirit.  This dragon seemed to know about tribes from other continents.  SandWings had a poison barb at the end of their tails and NightWings were black.

"Sandspirit.  A SandWing," Sandspirit said.  "I lost my tail barb in an accident when I was a dragonet."

"Let's see your fire," the dragon said skeptically.

"Where do you want it?" Sandspirit asked.

"On the wall," the dragon said.  Sandspirit nodded, gathering the fire inside himself before releasing it onto the wall.

"Good," the dragon said.  "Now you can eat."