The Claws of Night And Rain

Chapter 10

'Pyrite?' Moon, Winter and Rainwatcher thought 'PYRITE?'

Winter bolted into the sky, Moon chasing after him. Qibli hid behind Rainwatcher's wing. "Shh. I think Scarlet heard us" He whispered. "Can you camouflage your wings?"

Even though Rainy was scared to death, he still tried to match his scales to the environment 'Calm down, deep breathes. Think of the cold breeze, the small bushes rustling against your talons, the salty air that stung on your tongue' This was a trick his mother taught him, when in a stressful situation, think about your surroundings to camouflage.

"We're safe, let's fly now." Rainwatcher whispered, but jumped back as the Nightwing flew towards his friends camp. "Follow me, I don't think he'll notice us." 

Rainwatcher leapt into the air, far apart from the big, bulky Nightwing. Qibli was close behind Rainy, almost touching his tail, 'If the Nightwing does attack us, at least we have Qibli's barb' They landed down onto the small camp, and jumped from a loud scream.

"KINKIJOU!" Firefly roared "GUARDS! KILL THAT DRAGON!"

Rainwatcher ran into the sleeping place, and saw Kinkijou's pale body lying on the ground. 'I can't hear her thoughts. I CAN'T HEAR HER MIND!' Firefly shot a flame of fire onto the Nightwing, and a bunch of red Rainwings were throwing punches. Firefly managed to get a clear shot and sprayed venom onto his scales. Winter and Qibli were wrestling with pyrite, trying to get some sort of sash off. Firefly grabbed some round blades from her pouch and flung them at the Nightwing, he screamed and flew off.

"JAMBU! YOU'RE A SORT OF HEALER! HELP HER!" Firefly ordered "HELP KINKIJOU!"

This was the first time in Rainwatcher's life that he'd seen all of Firefly's scales turn pale green, Moon was resting next to Kinkijou, trying to find a heartbeat, Jambu was examining her scales, she had bruises everywhere.

"Three moons" Winter breathed and Firefly and Rainwatcher turned around to find a male Icewing where Pyrite used to stand. "Hailstorm?"

"Son of a bi-b- bigot" Firefly blurted, then snorted "Ha! You thought I was gonna say son of a bitch, didn't ya?"

Rainwatcher sighed, and the Icewing looked strangely confused "Winter? Where am I? What happened to the throne room? And how have you gotten so big? Wait-no, I have to find Scarlet. I am completely loyal to- WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SCALES? WHY ARE THEY THE WRONG COLOUR?WHY AM I SO COLD? WHO AM I?"

Rainwatcher felt oddly sympathetic for this Icewing, even though  he still couldn't process the situation.  Rainwatcher wondered what it would feel like to have a whole new identity and not remember your past self.

"You're my brother." Winter said, "You're Hailstorm. And we have to get you out of here before Scarlet finds you."

"Scarlet wouldn't hurt me" Hailstorm objected, stepping back "I'm completely loy- What am I saying, WINTER WHAT AM I SAYING?"

Rainwatcher tried to heave Kinkijou onto of Firefly's back, because he knew Firefly could carry her weight, but she was just too small, Kinkijou was the same size as her, so it was no use. 

"We'll fix it, but right now we need to help my friends and get out of here." Winter rushed 

"Friends? But Winter, there's two Nightwings over there" Hailstorm stepped back even more. 'Hailstorm's right.' Winter thought 'I shouldn't be friends with a Nightwing, let alone three! But Moon's done so much for me.'

"It's not working" Firefly sighed "I can't balance her."

Kinkijou slid onto the soft, dark green grass and the trees swayed in the wing, causing an inappropriate, peaceful scene. Winter kept on having these intrusive thoughts of flying to the ice kingdom that Rainwatcher wished would go away. 

"We need someone as big as Clay" Moon agreed.

"I have an idea" Qibli said "Firefly, you know about the rainforest, can you get me some strong vines?"

Firefly nodded and headed away from the clearing in the forest. Qibli grabbed a branch as Winter was talking to Hailstorm about friends or something, Rainy couldn't quite tell. He and Moon were checking for a pulse or a heartbeat. Firefly came back with some vines in her talons and she and Qibli built some sort of bed. 

"That's going to hold her?" Winter said skeptically 

Firefly and Qibli shot him a look "Yes" She snarled "So stop acting like that."

'Acting like what?' Winter thought harshly "I'm not acting like anything."

"Hah!" Firefly snorted "Sure."

Winter glared at her as she put Kinkijou on the tree bed. Moon and Qibli accidentally brushed wings as they walked past each other and Moon did a small smile. Winter, on the other hand, was thinking about very gruesome ways to punish Qibli.

"Okay, I'll grab this end and Rainy can hold the other end" Firefly said, motioning towards Rainwatcher's talon. "But where are we going to go? Don't you think it would be a little strange for a group of different dragons to be roaming around. I think we would stick out, you know, just the tiniest bit."

"We should go to Possibility" Said Qibli "We'll fit right in, all the different tribes go there."

Qibli flew up into the air, closely followed by Moon, then Winter and his brother and then Rainwatcher and his sister. He wondered what it would be like if Firefly was a boy. Then imminently shut that thought down. He don't not like the feeling of being compared to another prince. 

The group of... friends? (Rainwatcher wasn't sure he could include Winter as a friend) Flew towards the horizon, towards a town called Possibility. Rainy liked that. Possibility. Where anything is possible