𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄: The dragonet of two tribes | ✔️

ch. 6

♦︎

It seemed like a long time later when Starflight finally slunk back into the main hall withMorrowseer close behind him. Clay couldn't tell whether Starflight had told Morrowseer the truth — that he didn't have visions or read minds. He was just ordinary, like the rest of the dragonets. But who would be brave enough to tell Morrowseer that? The enormous NightWing slithered off to the guardians' cave without a word to Sunny orClay. Starflight glanced at them, then turned and headed for his sleeping cave. Clay hurried after him. "What happened?" he asked. "What did he say to you?"I'm not supposed to talk about it," Starflight said stiffly. He sat down in the middle of their cave, his wings askew behind him, and started poking through the scrolls on the floor."It's over here," Clay said, nudging a fat scroll with silver letters that had rolled under his sleeping ledge. Starflight hooked it over with one talon, tucked it under a wing, and carried it up to his shelf. He curled up with his tail draped over his nose and started reading."Wow," Clay said. "So it was that bad?" Tales of the NightWings was Starflight's favorite scroll, and he always read it when he was upset or fighting with one of the other dragonets. The tip of Starflight's tail twitched. "I have a lot to learn," he said.

"But you already know everything!" Clay said. "You have to be the smartest dragonet in all of Pyrrhia. Couldn't he tell that by reading your mind?"Starflight didn't answer."I thought he liked you," Clay said. "Surely he said something about what a great and noble dragon you must be because you're a NightWing."A long, tired breath whooshed out of Starflight's snout. "Yeah," he said. "That's exactly what he told me." "Oh," Clay said. "Well, that's good. Did he say when you'll get your powers?"Starflight fidgeted with the scroll, shredding a corner of it between his claws. Clay had never seen him upset enough to damage a scroll without noticing. He wished he could say something helpful, but he couldn't think of a single valuable thing about NightWings." At least you're not a RainWing," he tried. "Did Morrowseer say anything about Glory?"

Starflight frowned at him over the edge of the rock. "Not much. He said, 'Don't worry about the RainWing. I'll take care of it.' "Clay felt a cold chill climb up through the stone floor and spread through his scales. "What does that mean? What's he going to do?"How should I know?" Starflight poked his nose back into the scroll. "Maybe she'll get to go home. She's probably the luckiest of all of us."The pulse of fear pounding in Clay's head disagreed. He couldn't see the guardians just releasing Glory, not after years of secrecy."We have to go spy on them," he said, jumping to his feet. "We have to know what they're planning." He stopped halfway out of the cave and stamped one foot in frustration. "Oh, no, we can't. Morrowseer will know we're there." "Right," Starflight said. "He'll hear you thinking all your big, loud, worried thoughts."You don't know that my thoughts are loud and worried," Clay said. "Maybe they're quiet and very serene."Starflight snorted with amusement, the first happy sound he'd made since Morrowseershowed up. Even though his worry, Clay was pleased."What are you doing?" Sunny's anxious voice echoed across the main hall. "What's that for?" The heavy tread of dragon footsteps reached their ears, along with an ominous clanking."Stop! Wait! You don't have to do that!"There was an enormous splash.

Clay raced into the big cave with Starflight close behind him. He skidded to a halt, horrified. Kestrel and Dune were standing on the bank of the river, holding a length of iron chain between their talons. Behind them, Morrowseer was holding Sunny back with his tail as the tiny golden dragon tried to climb over him. Webs emerged from the river, dragging a writhing, hissing ball of blue scales. Kestrel andDune threw the chain around Tsunami's neck and wrapped it around one of her legs. The three guardians hauled her over to one of the rock columns that stretched from the floor to the high ceiling. Dune flung the chain around the column twice, binding Tsunami with barely three steps to move in any direction. Kestrel took the two ends of the chain and blasted them with a bolt of flame. The metal melted into a bubbling mass, welded together. Tsunami was trapped. "Maybe some time away from the river will teach you to be grateful for what you have, "Kestrel growled. It all happened so fast; Clay didn't have time to figure out what was happening, let alone stop it before it was too late. He let out a yell of dismay and charged across the cavern.