Wings Of Fire (WOF) : A dark family affair

Chapter 4

The next morning, Nightjar awoke with difficulty. The sun was flooding her room and she could already hear the incessant chatter of the market nearby. Not being able to sleep that night, she had decided after a while to tidy up the scrolls in her room, hoping that would distract her a bit.

Because of the previous day's statements, her brain had not stopped working on her situation. She was determined to leave for two reasons. The first, and most obvious, was the mystery surrounding her parents' disappearance. She preferred to say that they were missing rather than dead, it gave her some hope at least. The second reason had come a little later. "If I am indeed in danger, I need to leave as soon as possible", she thought as she stretched. She supposed that with her father's history with the royal family, staying in the middle of the kingdom was not the most sensible thing. Even if Root was telling the truth and the Queen wasn't even aware of Fatality's daughter's presence, it wouldn't be long before the information came out, eventually. "Who knows what she might do to me out of sheer satisfaction..."

Nightjar was convinced that she had to rely only on herself now, and she wasn't comfortable with the idea. She was rarely the dragoness to lead initiatives. That's not to say she was incapable of it. The hybrid had already indulged in surprise celebrations for Root's or Alligator's hatching day with the help of her siblings. However, when it came to more serious matters, the young mudwings would let themselves be ordered around by Poplar's bossiness. But her determination overcame this doubt and Nightjar remained focused on her escape plan. To leave as soon as night fell. Simple but effective.

The day that followed her awakening was quiet to Nightjar's despair. She was impatient and it was eating her up inside. She resisted the temptation to leave her family right away and remained stoic. After lunch, the siblings met at their secret spot. It wasn't that hidden but they liked calling it like that. I reminded them of their younger days as dragonets. "It's weird to still be called a dragonet ,isn't it ?" All of them had, more or less, reached their adult size. Maturity still had to be worked on for some, for sure, but Nightjar was sure she was much more than some adults.

This famous secret place was located not far from their home, less than an hour's flight away. Down a small river, in the middle of several weeping willows, a pond, where two dragons could lodge without difficulty, surrounded by several puddles of mud was hiding there. It was moreover along a cliff and as the group got closer, Nightjar could hear the small waterfall only a few meters high. Water lilies and reeds decorated the water supply like jewels. A few years ago, the group used to take turns splashing and sometimes even throwing mud at each other, something the hybrid was still not happy about. Mudwings are a clan who like to slather themselves in mud. They feel a certain pleasure in doing so and it also contributes to their health. However, despite her partial membership in the clan, she was not at all attracted to the slimy stuff, much to the general surprise of her relatives.

When they arrived, everyone took their usual place. Bull, with great delicacy and elegance, threw himself violently on a mud puddle and began to roll in it. Reed perched himself on the large branch of one of the huge trees above the lake. Poplar sat on a hard rock not far from the wet puddles. Nightjar sat on the other side of the pond, on a humid carpet of moss. Next to her was Viper, who also was laying down. You could feel the moisture of the morning dew in the air.

Once everyone was settled, the hybrid's neighbor struck up a conversation with Poplar : "So !" she exclaimed, "Are you glad you got into the army ?

- I am," she said humbly, with a touch of irony. The tone of her voice made Nightjar think of a little princess learning the rules of court. "I tell myself that the fruits of my efforts have been rewarded."

There was a heavy silence for a moment then. Poplar saw the disapproving looks of her classmates. "Wait wait wait," she resumed quickly, "that doesn't mean I think your rejections were fair !