The Eyes of Prophecy

Chapter Seven

Terracotta drew a sharp intake of breath as she heard her mother and father step out onto the balcony behind her. "You ready Terra-ific?" Taproot called. "Yes yes, I am ready." she stumbled. As ready as I could ever be, she thought.

The beautiful orange sun set below the trees as the family of dragons glided through the rainforest to the Queen's party court. Terracotta heard the faint clinking of glasses and the indistinct murmur of conversation. Her small talons started to shake violently, and she tucked them close to her chest, hoping her parents wouldn't notice. "H-how many incomprehensibly dispositioned dragons s-shall be at the p-party, yes?" she asked her parents.

Tualang rolled her eyes, but Taproot just smiled at her. "You mean people? Only around fifty, I suspect." Terracotta's eyes widened with fear, and she faltered in the air.

"Are you okay darling?" Taproot asked. "I know you see about that amount of customers every few days at your stand."

"You happen t-to be correct," Terracotta answered. But only one at a time, her brain panicked. I don't know if I can do this. She braced herself as the noise of the gathering got louder. Soon they landed in the clearing, a half-mile wide platform made of fallen trees, hovering two wing lengths from the ground. Beautiful, dainty lights were strung around the trees, casting a warm light over the mass of dragons, contrasting perfectly with the barely visible sunset. Firefly torches were planted in the ground so that the dragons cooking and preparing meals underneath the platform could see.

Terra touched down, her breath leaving her. "It is beautiful," she exclaimed.

"That it is," her mother agreed, making Terracotta jump.

The party was filled with sound; RainWings eating, talking, singing and laughing, mixed with the sweet melody of a musician trio. The dragons all around them flashed with colors; mostly pink, yellow and orange, Terra noted. Everyone was enjoying themselves.

Terracotta had just begun to relax when a handsome, green dragonet passed by her and she was thrust into his future.

The cool, night air.

A dragon screaming as she was dragged away from her mate.

Drops of venom spattering the ground.

Terracotta covered her snout to muffle her gasp. She pushed the feelings of the vision down; she had trained herself to do so. He'll be okay, she thought to herself reassuringly. Something bad happens in everyone's life. Nevertheless, his sweet, happy face enjoying the celebration and loudly singing along to the music made her heart feel cold.

Terra closed her eyes. "I require something to drink, yes yes," she told her parents. Taproot nodded, and she walked over to the long table filled with food, squeezing her small body through the mass of dragons around her. Terracotta picked up a coconut water, gulping it down as dignifiedly as she could. The vision had left her tired, and she knew she needed to keep her energy up if she was to survive the party.

"I extend my thanks for the drink," she said to the round dragon loading more fruit onto the table. He smiled at her kindly, although he looked slightly befuddled by her choice of words. "Have as much as you want!"

Suddenly, Terracotta dropped the coconut, and she heard laughing—not the laughing of the crowd, but a pure, clear laugh echoing inside her skull.

A beautiful dragoness, lounging on a tree branch, laughing.

The healer's ward, a dragon's eyes blinking open slowly.

A bowl of blueberries, a pair of graceful orange talons gently handing them to someone.