Master of None: A Wings of Fire fanfiction

18.

I don't know if I can handle that burden.

"Hey, bowl, show me Darkstalker and Clearsight."

My little sister disappears as a whirlpool builds up in the tiny basin, then dissipates.

I glance at Jerboa–pale and almost skeletal, her breaths soft and shallow. Her scales are now almost cool to the touch. She's surrounded by golden trinkets, somehow suspending her at the edge of death. Every day, I think they work a little less.

I close my eyes, burying my face in my talons.

For a moment, I can't breathe underneath the weight of it all.

***

We've intervened in four battles so far. The first one was a reasonable success; as in, we held off Sharp-eyes long enough to get the dragons he was seeking out of his reaches. The second was an even better success–for a moment there, we were almost winning. The third battle, we had to retreat early after Marigold got injured, but we still did some good.

The fourth battle, we failed even worse. We got a couple of dragons out, but only a couple--and five of the Gifted died in the process. After that battle, I couldn't sleep for days. All I could see every time I closed my eyes was the buildings going up in smoke and the look in Permafrost's eyes when she said if we don't pull out, we're going to add to the death toll.

She was right, and I knew it, but that didn't make it easier.

In the dim, pre-dawn light, only a few dragons are still awake. There's NightWings here now, enough NightWings I have an irrational fear that I'll run into someone I know–that I'll round a corner, and there'll be Brightmind, staring at me, their eyes holding secrets no one else will truly understand.

The city is starting to feel more and more like... a normal city. Most of the population doesn't have powers.

"Shadowhunter! Oh my gosh, it's Shadowhunter!" a hybrid dragonet says to her friend (or maybe her sibling), pointing at me. "You're the one who saved us."

I sigh heavily. Oh, three moons, not this again. It's sweet, but I'm tired, and I just want to get home.

"That... would be me. It wasn't all my work–I don't even have powers, it really has more to do with the rest of the Gifted. I mean, I helped dragons get out, and I helped plan the battle, but..."

"Can I get your autograph?"

"Is it true that you're the most powerful dragon on the continent?"

"And that you're a princess?"

"I wanna be just like you when I grow up! I wanna fight bad guys and save everybody, like a real proper hero!"

Oh, kid. I'm not a hero, and I'm definitely not someone small dragonets should look up to.

"I don't have any ink for an autograph," I lie. "Sorry–maybe another time. Where are your parents?"

"Oh, Dada's back that way, talking with.... what's her name?"

"Aloe! She's the best. Last time she came over, she gave us candy."

I raise my eyebrows. "She gave you... candy?"

"Yup." The dragonet nods vigorously.

I let Aloe do most of the talking to dragons in the city. I don't always like how she handles it, but for the most part, I stay out of her business, because I don't have the time or energy to micromanage her.

But I also don't trust her when she's entirely left to her own devices. Her loyalties are to Jerboa more than me.

"She was telling Dada, all about–all about the meetings she does at sundown, and how this dragon called Jerboa–"