The Talons of Peace

Chapter 5 - The Drum of Hearts

APRIL: Uh, sneaking, of course. [points outside the window] You think those SkyWings would just let me walk over here?

AERIS: You're confident they won't figure out you're gone? Your chief is probably looking for you right now. If they find out, you won't even know how much trouble you'll be in.

APRIL: Perra? That SkyWing? She barely ever checks on anyone. I could take a trip to the SeaWings and come back a month later and she wouldn't even notice. And even if they find out, and I get into trouble, they wouldn't get rid of me. These SkyWings need me. They need us.

AERIS: Mhm.

APRIL: No one came in here earlier?

AERIS: I was the only one in here the entire day.

APRIL: [picks up a few pieces of scrolls and other items from the ground, placing them onto a table] It's a mess in here.

AERIS: It's a habit.

APRIL: You're a mess.

AERIS: You said that before.

[Aeris rolls the scroll he's been writing, tying it with a blue ribbon and standing up from his bed. He walks across the lodge, passing April and arriving in front of a large drawer. April continues looking through Aeris's things, picking them up and inspecting them closely]

APRIL: Why'd you have two beds if you're the only one here?

AERIS: I used to share this room with another SkyWing, but uh, he never came back.

APRIL: Wow...

AERIS: I'll be expecting a new SkyWing here next week. Scarlet told us she's looking for more dragonets to fill this entire camp before winter hits.

APRIL: Sounds amazing, [deadpan] totally not illegal to kidnap a bunch of SkyWings. [pauses and adds in] Like us. Can we... can we go now?

AERIS: We better be back in an hour. I don't want another talk with Scarlet.

APRIL: We'll be back before that.

[scene cuts to Aeris and April climbing out of the window, landing softly on the ground. As April falls from the window, Aeris catches her and helps her stand up. Aeris looks around, seeing a few SkyWing generals having a meeting through one of the windows]

APRIL: This way.

[the two SkyWings laugh mischievously as they run far away. After going far enough from the camp, the two dragonets open their wings and lift into the air, flying toward a town lighting up in the distance]

[scene cuts to the two dragons arriving at a large city built into the side of a mountain. A giant watchtower sits at the very top, overlooking the entire city and the vast continent surrounding the place]

[later, the two dragons are sitting on a balustrade of a balcony, staring at the city ahead. A large dome filled with shops and other buildings is glowing on the other side of the city. Below the balcony, dragons are having parades and throwing torn, colorful scrolls along the street. April is holding a few petals of flowers in her talons, releasing them into the wind, watching as they blow away into the night sky]

APRIL: It's been a while since I had a night like this. [takes a deep breath and exhales, staring at the three moons in the sky] They said that in a year, this would be the largest city in Pyrrhia.

AERIS: How come we've never been here before? You know, us, the SkyWings back there, Scarlet?

APRIL: Scarlet doesn't like dragons.