Clouds of Shadows Volume 1

Stand-Off (Part 1)

Amethyst wandered around Sun's abandoned sky house, trying to ignore the sound of battling dragons below.

"Loud. Louder than those annoying birds in the jungle trying to get a friend. Maybe those SkyWings will learn to not hurt me after they die," Fossa remarked, pointing to his snout. A portion of it was missing, there were a lot of scars on it, too.

"Were you the only RainWing in the prison?" Amethyst asked

"Yes. SkyWings don't capture RainWings often. They put me in prison because I was too ugly and replaced me. The replacement was killed after they were ugly... and it goes on, and on... " Fossa looked around uncomfortably. He didn't like to talk about traumatic experiences.

"Well, it was interesting to find out your purpose in the prison. I need to ... finish a job now, — um yeah. Maybe see you never," Amethyst responded, seeing his uncomfort, and turned to leave.

"But won't the SkyWings kill you again? What?" Fossa tilted his head, "they will do what they did to me!" He turned a navy blue color in sorrow, and also some greens for fear.

"I don't plan to go near any SkyWings, and I won't be hurt ... by them. I'm leaving. It's too dangerous." Amethyst told him. *Why does he even care?* She thought.

"Well I'm going to stay in here! And... uh... SLEEP! I NEED SUN TIME!" Fossa spread his wings and tried to get as much sun as he could.

"Well, maybe see you never," Amethyst flew out of the house, and Sun came into the room from overhearing their conversation.

"Wait, you're going to stay here forever?"

"I don't know. I need my sun time! Shush!" Fossa growled and his frills spread in anger as he turned red. Sun and Spree flew out of the house, as Amethyst flew to the rainforest.

"Well, what are we going to do know?" Sun asked.

"You FOLLOWED me??? Why?" Amethyst turned to him.

"I was just going someplace random, nevermind... and I'll go now... wait, what are you doing here?"

"No. It's ... something. Just go!" Amethyst turned from him.

"Fine... just saying, I now know what I'm doing! I'm just going to say you should get out... " Sun warned her before flying away again. Bonfire was coming towards Amethyst.

"You SERIOUSLY flew over the kingdoms? What for!" Amethyst said, seeing Bonfire. She ran through the trees, trying to get away, "THE BLACKWING ISNT WITH ME SO YEAH, YOU CAN LEAVE!!!" Then she rethought, "wait, I bet you're here for Sun's crystal magic thing!"

"No, I'm here for you... for escaping..." Bonfire corrected her, "you didn't think I was dumb, after you escaped did I?'' Bonfire cackled, "and now that your little friend is out of the way... I will indeed capture you!!!"

"One, HE IS NOT MY FRIEND! Two, you are STILL the dragon with the WORST insults! And three, YES. YOU DO SEEM DUMB!"

"More talking for you, huh?? I thought that Slasher taught you a lesson," Bonfire said. Amethyst saw his point, and kept going, silently, but before she should go much farther, the guards blocked her.

"Now... you think you can get away... lucky for me... Silkwings and I teamed up... that darn Slasher-dragon-thing isn't here... " Bonfire cackled

"YEAH. I SAID THAT ALREADY!" Amethyst shouted at him.

"Now, you won't be so weird once you face the mercy... " Bonfire started.

"What, face the mercy of the Queen? She no merciful dragon."

"Well, she did order that. Now death or come with us!!!" Bonfire declared.

"Fine, I'll come!"

A SilkWing almost as big as Bonfire stepped out of the trees, "you were pretty dumb to stay in the rainforest before. By the way... I'm Soul." 

"I was looking for someone ... to finish my job. The rainforest was the closest and safest place that the someone would think to go. Duh."

"Well, Sun did warn you before... " Soul pointed out.

"Sun knows nothing of what I'm looking looking for, and nor do you!"

"Are you dumb? I meant that if you got out of here, you wouldn't be experiencing this," Bonfire told her, "and I think you deserve death."

"No, but you are. I propose a solution... I finish my job, and then I go to your precious prison to face the judgement of your precious Queen in your precious Palace," Amethyst tried.

"Nope... you faced the consequences, and you should have death!" Bonfire replied.

"You can kill me after I finish the job. Or after I meet with BOTH of your firescale dragons," she bargained.

"No, how can we trust you?" Soul asked Amethyst.

"Because I won't gain anything by dying, and I want to meet your firescale dragons. Do whatever you want. Now, I just want to meet your firescale dragons and finish my job. Even if you didn't let me finish my job, I'd die, because those who sent me would kill my already dead body," Amethyst pointed out, telling the truth.

"Ooook, but I still wonder why you're here. That Slasher told you to leave, didn't he?" Soul asked again.

"What, out of the rainforest? Yeah. But I need to finish my job," Amethyst frowned.

"You forgot that no one can stay in the same place for hours, huh?" Soul laughed.

"Why do you care," Amethyst glared at Soul and Bonfire.

"You don't need to know," Soul responded.

"Well, I've told you what I want. What are you going to do now?"

"Go do it," Bonfire decided.

"What? I can go? With my life?" Amethyst stared at him.

"Yes, but don't be stupid again."

 "Fine," Amethyst flew away from them, going deeper into the rainforest.