Unity

Chapter 4

Chaos took hold so quickly. One minute, Sunset was replicating the teacher's newest diagram in her notebook, still smiling slightly at Emerald's latest antic. The next, their teacher was slumped over. . . Dead, with a Hivewing dart embedded deep in his throat. There was a single heartbeat where the classroom of dragonets- all of various tribes, abilities, and ages- and the four Pantalan soldiers stared at each other through the doorway. Then the soldiers surged forward, hissing.

The five oldest among the dragonets surged forward to meet them, hissing defiantly or muttering various commands under their breaths. The youngest cried out in fear, starting to cower under their desks or chairs. However, the slightly older dragonets-- those around Sunset's age-- quickly pulled them out and ushered them into the corner of the room.

For a moment, Sunset stood frozen and indecisive. She looked between the fight and the huddle, unsure of where her skills would be most useful. Her choice was made for her when a soldier-- a Hornetwing by the looks of him-- broke through a tangle of defensive vines. He lunged for one of the youngest dragonets, a Starwing named Aini, who was still cowering under her desk. She shrieked in terror as the Hornetwing knocked the desk aside and snarled down at her.

"Filthy Plaguewing!" He spat as he raised his poisoned talons to slash her throat.

"Get away from her!" Sunset roared as she charged at him, slashing her talons across his shoulder.

The soldier roared angrily, spinning to face her. But the Oakwing he had been fighting previously leaped at him, pulling him away with a snarl. Sunset quickly scooped up Aini and rushed to the huddle of terrified dragonets. She saw her friend, Starvision the Miragewing, closest against wall fiddling with something frantically.

"What's wrong? Why haven't you opened the evacuation tunnels yet?" She demanded anxiously.

"We don't have the key! It's in the teacher's desk and we couldn't get to it!" Starvision replied quickly, still fiddling with the lock. "I'm trying to pick it with my talon or pencil or something- Come on, please!"

Sunset went to reply, but was interrupted by a loud cry of pain. She looked over her shoulder at the fight. One of the Hivewing soldier hung strangled in a bundle of vines, but three of Sunset's classmates laid dead as well. The Oakwing, male named Buckleyi, was alive but laid immobile under the claws of the Hornetwing. The cry of pain had come from their last standing defender, a Scorpionwing named Whipper. A larger, muscled Hivewing had entered the room while they were fiddling with the lock. The large Hivewing pulled his stinger from Whipper's side, glaring up at the remaining soldier.

"Take them." He ordered gruffly, stepping away from Whipper and stalking toward the huddle of dragonets.

"Sunset!" Starvision shrieked as the Hivewing lunged for them, his claws aimed at Sunset's exposed back.

Sunset instinctively spread her wings to encircle the little group of dragonets and braced for the Hivewing's impact. She winced as the Hivewing raked his claws against her spine and jabbed his tail at her wings, but failed to draw blood or inject his paralyzing venom.

Starvision stared at her in shock. "Wha-how are you-?"

"There's no time!" Sunset snapped back anxiously, grunting as the Hivewing backed up and lunged at her again.

Her position blocked him from entering their corner for now, but she could not hold out forever. Eventually, he could overpower her through sheer brute force. She quickly scanned the group of dragonets and found the little one she was looking for.

"Seaglass, come here!"

She put Aini down as the little Glasswing crept over to her, trembling.

"It's alright, little one. Can you be brave and do something for me?" Sunset asked gently and softly.

Seaglass hesitated, then gave a small nod. Her eyes were wide with terror and sadness. Sunset grunted as the Hivewing lunged again. Annoyed, she slapped him with her tail and sent him flying across the room. Starvision continued to stare at her with a shocked, but increasingly searching look. Sunset forced herself to ignore it as she opened her palm to the little dragonet.

"I'm so sorry about your father, Seaglass."

Several of the dragonets beyond them exchanged looks of grief for their dead teacher.

"But can you. . . Just open your wings for me? Nice and wide."

Seaglass opened her wings wide, and Sunset glanced quickly behind her at the Hivewing. He was staggering out of his daze, already looking enraged and ready to end her life as soon as he could see straight again.

"Good job. Now. . . Place one of your talons in my palm. And watch closely, you get to see something really cool."

Out of view of all their other classmates, Seaglass watched in wonder for a moment as little orange sparks flew up from where her talon touched Sunset's scales. As she lifted her talon up, a small golden key appeared in Sunset's palm-- an exact replica of the key to the evacuation tunnels, infused with Seaglass' DNA to ensure it worked for them. Sunset's stomach twisted with guilt as the wonder slowly faded from Seaglass' eyes, replaced with a glazed blankness.

"I'm so sorry. . . Take this to Starvision, please. Quickly."

After a moment, life returned to Seaglass and she rushed to Starvision with the key. Starvision took the key, stared at it for a moment, then looked at Sunset.

Sunset grunted and staggered this time as the Hivewing slammed all his force into her.

"Open the door now!" She shouted at Starvision. "I'm going to light this room up!"

Starvision quickly inserted the key into the lock and opened the door. As she and the other older dragonets began to filter to little ones through the tunnel, Sunset took a deep breath and swung her head around toward the Hivewing. She let out a stream of blazing fire, catching his wing ablaze as he leaped to avoid a fiery death. He bellowed in agony and rolled frantically to extinguish the flames, while Sunset quickly scrambled into the tunnel. She slammed the door shut behind her and locked it, breathing out shakily in the darkness. After a moment, she turned and descended through the tunnel after her classmates.

Sunset stepped out into a forested area and looked around. As it was designed, the tunnel had let them out at the nearest emergency meeting area. She could hear panicked murmurs and even screams nearby. Nearby, she saw anxious parents waiting for their children to emerge, so that they could retreat to the nearest shelter.

"Sunset?"

Sunset tensed as Starvision approached her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes." She responded softly.

They looked at each other for a moment, then Starvision asked telepathically,

Who reinforced you?

No one.

Please don't lie to me.

I'm not.

Where did you get the key, then?

I grabbed it.

Stop lying to me.

I'm not. Sunset repeated firmly, her scales prickling.

Starvision searched her eyes. Dread flooded Sunset as realization lit her friend's deep blue eyes.

Sunset. . . Are you a-?

Sunset!

Both Starvision and Sunset froze as a new mind-voice interrupted them. Sunset spun in the direction it came from.

Sunpillar? Where are you?

I need your help!- uh!-

Sunpillar's thought cut off sharply, but Sunset could still pick up a trace of his fear and defiance. It came from the tunnel. She looked at Starvision in a panic.

"I-I have to-!" She managed before she spun back into the tunnel.

"Sunset, don-!" Starvision called after her, but her cry was cut off by the sound of the door slamming behind her.