Wings of Fire #1 A New World

Chapter 1

Storm frowned softly, lifting her black and blue wings. Dragons thought of her as the greatest IceWing to ever live. They constantly said, "The Great Ice Dragon has brought another animus dragon to us!"

But they didn't. Our own enemy brought animus magic back to the IceWings. She hissed.

Storm looked down into the thin sheet of ice. She could see her reflection and felt anger surge through her as she saw the droplets of black scales across her face.

She hated NightWings. They were horrible, despisable beings that didn't deserve to live. They killed thousands of IceWings.

My tribe. She thought. Their life plucked out of them from the NightWing's dirty talons. But a little voice peeked through. But... aren't you half NightWing?

That's different. She told herself. My father and mother abandoned me when I was just a little dragonet.

Storm hissed as images of her father filled her head. His stacked build and burly muscles, but how complicated his mind was, Storm could tell from his actions, and how he always took minutes to decide. Blackstar was never a kind dragon, only to his dragonets and his mate, Frost.

Frost, from the stories she heard, was... decent. She was far from first in the rankings, even though she was the daughter of Queen Siberia. She was smart and loved scrolls.

The IceWings had been at battle with the NightWings ever since Queen Snowfall, the old queen, died in an assassination plot by Queen Fiercteeth.

Queen Snowfall's first daughter, Siberia, rose to the throne. She declared war on the NightWings for killing her mother, and then to their surprise, a scrawny NightWing was found with Siberia's only daughter, Frost.

Storm's trainer, Avalance, general and second in command to the throne, told her the story all too clearly.

"A NIGHTWING?!?" Queen Siberia roared in fury. A tear rolled down Frost's eye. She never liked being yelled at. Behind her, Blackstar was pinned to the ground by several IceWings. She stared down at Blackstar. She wondered how he wasn't freezing to death.

"Of all dragons..." The queen of the IceWings sneered with the ferocity of the Great Ice Spirits behind her. "Of ALL dragons, you pick a lowlife, lying, cheating Nightwing. A dragon who belongs to the tribe that killed my mother?" Blackstar struggled to stand up, but that only caused more IceWings to help pin him down.

Frost spoke with a shaky voice. "You know I've never been a rule follower. Not a rebel, but I would always go to the farthest points to find something new." She hiccuped, but then cleared her voice, standing up taller. "I'm sorry mother. You can kick me out of the tribe, strip me from my rank, I won't care."

She gestured to Blackstar, who was watching her with wondering eyes. "I love him, and there's nothing you can do to make me stop loving him."

Siberia narrowed her eyes at Frost, lashing her tail so hard it hit the throne behind her. Frost shivered as she saw the blood-stained throne room zoom in and out as if she was about to pass out.

Siberia whipped her head around, looking between Blackstar and Frost. And then finally, she turned to Avalanche, speaking in a low voice. "What do you think?"

Avalanche glanced at Blackstar, thinking. He gave Frost a fierce look, and Frost looked startled but then nodded, looking slightly confused. "Your Majesty, did you know that Blackstar is an animus?" Frost was close enough to hear them, and she could imagine flames bursting inside Siberia's mind.

That's why he's not freezing. She realized. Siberia studied him more closely and saw that he had only one piece of jewelry on. A black teardrop earing that was impossible to spot.