Deception - a Wings of Fire Fanfiction

Chapter 1

Nothing. 

Cloudburst's first memory as she dragged herself out of the darkness.

But wait: there was something, flashing and fading in the back of her mind.

Then a glimmer, a speck of light; suddenly a blinding flash: a dragon writhing beneath her claws, screaming, bleeding, dying.

Cloudburst awoke with a start, clutching her pounding head in her talons. Thoughts and memories floated and drifted like ghosts through her mind, always just out of her grasp. She looked down at her talons confusedly and noticed that they were soaked with dark dried blood. She reached up and gently touched the back of her head, wincing at the fresh spark of pain that it sent through her skull. Her wings ached, as if she had been flying all day; and she had deep cuts in her flesh where a dragon had presumably scored its claws down her side. Something dripped down her leg, and Cloudburst gave a start of horror as she realized it was her own blood. A gash zigzagged from her shoulder to her upper arm, oozing a steady stream of blood that trickled down her forearm.

She blinked, clearing her foggy vision, and surveyed her surroundings. She seemed to be in some sort of cave, stalactites protruding down from the ceiling like the sharp, jagged teeth of a snarling dragon.

How did I get here?

Cloudburst spun in a circle, her ridged talons scraping against the rough, uneven floor. An unidentifiable shape in the corner caught her eye, and she went to investigate. A few crumpled pelts lay haphazardly on the ground, and picture of a deep blue SeaWing with piercing golden eyes hung on the wall next to a large chest. Cloudburst furrowed her brow. He seemed familiar, but where could she have possibly known him from? She could recall nothing, other than her name.

Why don't I remember anything?

Cloudburst fingered the heavy lock dangling from the chest's keyhole, wondering what could possibly be inside. A faint breeze tickled the back of her neck, and Cloudburst turned her head slightly. She accidentally scraped the pelts on the floor aside with her powerful tail, revealing a detailed sketch. A beautiful, graceful-looking IceWing with a intricate tattoo on her arm seemed to stare off the page and directly into Cloudburst's soul. She grasped the drawing gently in her talons.

Who is this?

The only answer was the soft sigh of the wind swirling through the cave. A deep sense of terror crept up the base of Cloudburst's spine and sank in its claws until she could barely move. 

Something was very, very wrong here. 

Cloudburst hurriedly returned the drawing to its place and rearranged the pelts on the floor in case whoever was living here decided to come back, feeling as if she couldn't get out of this place quickly enough. 

I need to hide. 

She stepped backwards, turned, and began striding in the direction of the fresh breeze blowing into the enclosed space. She soon reached the mouth of the cave and narrowed her eyes as sharp beams of light cut through the darkness. Once her vision had adjusted, Cloudburst surveyed the beautiful crags and peaks of jagged mountains that soared miles into the sky. A few golden-and-red dragons glittered in the glare of the sun, flying high in the sky; too far away to hear or even perhaps see Cloudburst. She unfurled her enormous wings and shook them out, feeling the wind lift and toss them gently. Leaping suddenly from the cliff's edge and feeling her wings catch, Cloudburst glanced behind her and noticed how well-concealed the cave had been. Stunted vegetation and a few spindly trees concealed it from sight in nearly all directions, and a rocky ridge rose sharply behind it. Cloudburst changed direction once more and glided south, the sun to her left. She didn't know where she had come from or where she was going; the only question on her mind was this:

Who am I?

605 words. Sorry for the short chapter, will update soon! Thanks for reading!! <3

- Angel