The dusty trail

Chapter Two

Winlo sat down outside, touching the cover of a library book. It's mine now. 
She opened it and scanned the words for 'Bloomri' Winlo found the chapter of Bloomri and read until she fell asleep.

"Winlo." The same voice called out for her, a feeling of three eyes opening up on her head was a sudden shock. "B-bloomri…?" Winlo staggered to her, Bloomri caught her and smiled gently.
"You're alone now, but I'll always be here." She whispered.
Winlo flinched. "Bloomri, what did you mean some things lie? Is our history wrong?" Bloomri started, coldly. "I'm afraid so. It's all lies." Winlo frowned, "why are you speaking to me? Don't I have otherkin?" Bloomri lay her frill down softly. "Yes. You have to fly away." Winlo blinked "Run? But this is my home?" Bloomri shook her head. "No. Fly west." 

Winlo jumped up and the book flew out of her talons onto the floor, she sighed and picked it up, setting it on the 'table' which was actually a cloth…

Winlo walked out of the house clicking her talons. Fly west. 
Bloomri wasn't telling her everything, maybe she had to figure it all out on her own?
Winlo walked back inside, where she grew up. Her mother was a murderer, she wondered where her father was. I wish he'd taken me. Winlo looked everywhere and found a bag made out of deerskin, she tossed her books in it. Is that really all I have besides a cloth? She grumbled.
Winlo took one last look and clicked her talons while sighing. "Goodbye, home." She spread her wings and flew. I am a Three-eyed flame dragon, but what else? After Gem, or after everyone found out he was dead, CrystalIce dragons disappeared. A dragon named Yarrow was the last "true" CrystalIce dragon, he died from Gem.
Maybe I'm a CrystalIce? No I couldn't be.

After many days she flew west, each time she spread her wings hurt. She wasn't meant to fly. Winlo looked for rivers but couldn't find any. If only! 
On the fifth day she found a village? Looked sketchy but had to do. Winlo dived and landed safely, she clutched her bag and looked at all the strange dragons. Sunfire! That's our worst enemy in history! Maybe that's a lie too…"eh? Hey new dragon!" An older Cactus dragon called to her, he looks nice. She walked over, her frill lying down. "Haven't seen one of ya kind in decades!" He grinned and rattled his tail in greeting. "Yeah…me neither." She replied. "Say, young-one, what's ye name?" He eyed her bag, his eyes glittered.
"The names, Winlo." He nodded. "My name is Cipu!" He snickered. "Ya know? You remind me of that little Three-eyed flame dragon that's so important." He whispered and chuckled. "Bloomri?" She questioned and he laughed. "Yes, her! I knew ya looked familiar!"
Winlo nodded. "I think I should go…it was nice meeting you Cipu.." She started walking until he grabbed her frill. "Are you related to…..Bloomri?" He grinned. "Uhm…" "Winlo, run." A voice rang in her ears, she shot up her frill and it poked his talons, he yelped and she dashed away. "AY! STOP!" he called after her. 
Winlo didn't stop until her eyes glittered and found a river and jumped in.

It felt like hours until she got out, she managed to get some fish. Crazy dragons. She wondered why he wanted to know if Bloomri and her were kin. "You need to continue west." A familiar voice shook inside her skull, Bloomri! She sulked around, keeping her eyes peeled for that Cactus dragon. He's dangerous. I know it. 
Winlo kept on walking, her pace increased. "FRESH FISHHHHHHHhhhhh…" Her ears pricked as she heard shop owners holler. "DRIED MANGOS!!!" "WOVEN SILK!!!" A shop caught her eye and she walked over. 
"Hello there!!!" A dragon, Sunfire dragon. She smiled and a glitter of hatred shone in the Sunfire dragon eyes. "Hello there, I would like umm…what do you have?" She cringed. She was literally screaming it! "Uh, we have hand made pots for water, hand woven cloths and fresh food." The Sunfire grunted. "Uh, do you do trades?" Winlo asked. The Sunfire nodded "Mmhmm.." Winlo looked in her bag. Oh yes! I caught a fish…which is one that's super hard to catch. "This." She placed it on the table, the dragon peered at it curiously. "Hmmm." The Sunfire's tail twitched, the tiny sun glowed brighter than before. "Nah." She finally answered. Winlo hissed. "That's the hardest fish to catch!!" Winlo's frill stood up. The Sunfires spikes stood up as well. "Get out of here." She growled into her ear. Winlo nodded and started to walk away, the Sunfire dragon turned her head, Winlo turned around and grabbed items off her table and ran. "Hey..HEY! THIEF!" The dragon screeched. Winlo didn't stop running.

She didn't stop till her legs were tired. "Ow…" winlo breathed and looked up, she saw eyes and heard a rattle. "Winloooooo…." Cipu. "Stay back!" She hissed. "You thief, GET OVER HERE!" He yelled and jumped on her, she screeched as he tied her wings together, other dragons appeared, the rattling became louder. "That Sunfire dragon offered one HUNDRED rubies." He made her walk all the way to the stand where she was. "Here's the little thief." Cipu chuckled. "Good." The Sunfire dragon smiled. She gave them the rubies and said to take her to the cells, where she can rot. "NO! I can't! Please!" She yelled, her eyes blazing in anger." Cipu chuckled and rattled his tail. "Silly dragon, I ain't takin you to jail, im taking you to him." He whispered. Him? 

Cipu forced her to walk all the way to a cell. "You stay here for the night." He gritted his teeth. "See ya later." Winlo was pushed into a cell, her bag ripped away from her. WHOS HIM??? Winlo turned around and spotted Bloomri. "Winlo, you have to escape. Lies lies lies." Bloomri hissed. Winlo stared at the dragon, her purple and green scales looked as if they were melting, she screeched in alarm. She opened her eyes again. Lies? Its all lies! She searched in her mind for answers. Gem isn't dead, he faked his death. What else is a lie?

Winlo woke up, she was being dragged. Why did I talk to other dragons here…! 
"Ah. Good mornin." A voice she regionized, Cipu growled. "Please let me go-" She mumbled. "Oh please." He rattled his tail. "Don't try to escape, or my fangs will meet right by your neck." Cipu breathed the smell of death, she flinched, her frill standing up. 
"You know, Winlo. Last time I saw a Three-eyed flame dragon was about thirty years ago." He grinned. "But you…you are a hybrid" he hissed. "Unpure." Winlo shrank down. "It's really obvious. Spike talon, Waterfall, and probably more." 
Winlo growled "Shut up, you Cactus dragons care for no dragon" Cipu glared at her and grabbed a stone and slammed it on top of her head. 
Everything went black

Winlo woke, one again, she grabbed her head. A deep ache formed and she groaned. "Ow.." she whispered. "Cipu, I told you if you caught any you keep them safe?" A low voice rumbled. GEM? Winlo tensed and opened her eyes, I wasn't Gem. It was a Withered Hydra. "Gino, stop trying to act like him." The first head rolled his eyes. The second, or the middle growled and lifted winlo. "Hmmmmmm…"  Gino blinked at her. "She does look like Bloomri, but she could be any regular Three-eyed flame dragon." Gino sighed and threw her down, the third head growled.
"Gino, Ginlo calm yourselves." He curved his neck "Let's just throw her out to the Centipede dragons and fairy dragons." The head snickered. 
Winlo flinched, they were the most vicious dragons of them all.
Gino eyed the third head "That's a good idea Gena" Gino grinned. 
"But first." He stalked toward her and pushed her down. "Say a word about this. And we will find you, lizard." Winlo struggled, her wings scratching his claws. If only I had arms! "She'd be dead before she could tell anyone!!" Ginlo laughed.
Gino grabbed her and spread his wings and took off to a beautiful stained glass window with a purple dragon….Gem. Do they worship him?? Gino opened the window and dangled her out of it. "What a waste of time." Gena sighed "I do agree, but it feeds others." Gino chuckled. 
Winlo was dropped so fast she didn't have time to spread her wings. She fell to the ground. "Ow…everything is going to hurt.." something fell on top of her. MY BAG!! She sighed in relief. 
Something in the corner of her eye moved, she swung her head and stood up, her frill standing up. She whimpered as she saw the disgusting legs of the centipede dragon crawl on a tree and made a horrific sound. 
Winlo was going to die.