Wings of Fire: Under the Red Moons #3

Chapter 2

Abysswatcher clawed through the water, his webbed talons seizing a wriggling fish. Bubbles surged in the water as he jumped out, his wings dripping. He flew over to a large rock jutting from the ocean and dug his claws into the black, hard surface. 

As Abysswatcher gulped the fish down, he looked out across the ocean, calm sweeping over him as the sky was mixed with orange and pink. Gray clouds slowly crawled across the sky, warning of rain. Abysswatcher closed his eyes and lifted his head, his jaws parted to taste the ocean scent. I love being here, but....

Waves crashed against the rock, brushing against his tail which was a claw-length above the water. My sister hates the water, despite having SeaWing blood. The only way to see her is to go to her in her kingdom. But every time I go, Queen Clam seems to dislike me more and more. 

Suddenly, the water burst open. Droplets rained down on Abysswatcher, and he turned his head to look next to him. A SeaWing, around his age, was floating in the water, a look of disappointment on her face. He'd never seen her before. "Who are you?" He questioned.

The SeaWing glanced at him, her pale green eyes widening. "Who are you?" She asked, beginning to sink deeper in the water.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Abysswatcher pointed out. "Why don't we go to the shore so we can have a proper conversation?" He asked, tilting his head. He leaped off the rock and landed on the sand, which wasn't far from the rock he'd been sitting on. He turned to watch her wade through the water. 

As she rose from the water, he got a better look at her. Her scales were a deep blue-green, and the inside of her wings was a dull blue-green. Her underbelly was a lighter shade of her scales. She seemed nervous. She stepped in the sand, looking as though she'd discovered what it was for the first time in her life. 

Abysswatcher narrowed his eyes. "I've never seen you in the Summer Palace. Who are you?" He asked.

"I come from the Deep Palace," the SeaWing answered. "I'm Seaweed," she greeted. "I'm guessing you were born in the Summer Palace? But you don't look fully SeaWing."

"I'm half NightWing," Abysswatcher informed. "I thought dragons weren't allowed in the Deep Palace. I thought it was abandoned after the Summer Palace was rebuilt."

"Yes, it was," Seaweed sighed. "My parents had me down there though. I've been living down there my whole life, and they taught me about everything on the surface. This... is my second time being out of the waters." She clutched the sand in her talons, flicking her tail. "I love the feeling of warm sand. I always wondered why my parents kept me down there when its so pretty up here."

"So, if you're up here now, then I guess that means your parents are..." Abysswatcher trailed off, looking to the side.

"Yep. It got lonely, down there in the deep dark water. I first came up here yesterday, but I was nervous. I'm glad I found someone," Seaweed muttered. "I haven't seen another dragon's face except for my parents'."

"Well, best not let Queen Clam see you then," Abysswatcher muttered. "She might do something if she finds out that you've been living down there."

Seaweed glanced up at him with her sparkling green eyes. "What if we go to her? Maybe you can convince her that I'm trustworthy! You radiate this trusting and noble aura, so I'm sure-"

"I can't," Abysswatcher hissed, cutting her off.

Seaweed's gaze dropped. "Why not?" She asked, her wings and tail drooping.

"Because the queen doesn't trust me," Abysswatcher replied, his tone flat. "She won't let me near her. Do you think she'll be happy with me if I bring a stranger SeaWing to her?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.