Shadows

chapter ten

Jade was the talk of the school the next day.

The gossip had spread like a wildfire that Jade Mountain wasn't safe.

Everyone was doomed.

"The sky would fall!" Storm had heard from a bewildered SeaWing, named Jellyfish. She had burst trough the halls yodeling; "we are doomed" and such.

Classes had been cancelled, so Storm had camped out in her room, nervous to exit, Incase a crazy dragon tried to come and force her to join their pointless screeching.

Mojave hasn't been in the cave at all, Storm had been by herself the whole day. She watched the shadows on the floor grow and then shrink, until the lunch bell rang.

She was then forced to slink out of her room, which was painful, for Lotus immediately scooped her up in a gossipy talk.

Sphinx walked awkwardly besides them as she shrieked about the death. "It's INSANE!" She screamed, her tail coiling up, and widening her pretty eyes.

"I'm sure." Murmured Storm, shifting uncomfortably away from the blunt toned RainWing.

Sphinx's strange yellow scales glinted as he turned his head, shedding pink petals from his crown. "I heard that..." he looked around nervously. "I heard Mojave did it."

"What!?" Spat Storm suddenly, spinning around and hissing. "You can't just accuse dragons like that! How would you like it if I accused you of murder!"

Sphinx's eyes widened and she saw water swishing through them. "A- I- uh..." he trailed off, seeming to shrink in his scales. "S-Sorry..."

Storm noticed Lotus staring at her, and her scales grew hot. "I'm sorry." She murmured. "Really, I... never mind, sorry."

She shuffled awkwardly to the side. She barely knew the golden dragon and she already snapped.

She heard a hoarse whisper form him as he headed down the hall. "SkyWing vermin." He hissed. "We never had those in the Kingdom."

Guilt tripped through her belly as Lotus walked slowly besides her, all her friendly gossip subsided. Her scales were a dull gray, and she looked gloomy.

When they arrived in the lunchroom, Lotus's head perked up and she turned it, obviously looking for someone.

"What's up, Lotus?" Asked Storm, tipping her head. "Who are you looking for?"

Lotus's scales turned pink. "No one!" She yelped. "I'm not looking for anyone!"

Curiously, Storm followed the RainWing to a table, then sat behind her.

Lotus didn't talk.

She didn't talk, that is, until Shiver swept towards the table, her eyes dark and foreboding.

"What's up?" She asked gruffly, tipping her head to the shifty RainWing.

Lotus blinked. "Happy day," she muttered. "I'm gloom."

Storm blinked as well. "She- um..." the words stuck to her throat as Shiver stared at her. "I guess she misses somebody, I have no idea."

Shiver flicked an ear. "You two are losers, bye." She turned away and walked to a couple of gathered IceWings in a corner.

The exhausted word 'loser' didn't seem to affect Lotus on a regular basis, but currently she seemed to dim even more.

"Are you better now?" She asked, she sounded dumb and inconsiderate, but she didn't care right then.

Lotus stared at her with a mocking glare. "Nothing in that sentence was reassuring." She snapped, turning her scales a muted gray.

Storm sighed softly. If Lotus wasn't going to talk, she may as well read over the scrap o parchment from the satchel.

Sky... knee high? What that doesn't tell us one thing about where this is located!

She curled her talons into a ball. Maybe it was all a stupid mistake. She thought. Maybe it was a psychotic idiot who decided they would play a prank on their friend.

But... she didn't feel like that. She had a feeling it was real.

She turned up her pointy nose, narrowing her eyes. "Lotus- wait..." she turned her face, but Lotus was not there.

Wherever the RainWing had gone, it must have been close, for her to disappear that quickly.

Storm pulled her wings behind her, tipping her head to the side. She saw a lean copper shape stalk towards her.

A SkyWing.

Storm gulped. She had only talked to one SkyWing in her existence. Her father.

This SkyWing was male, he had scales like the rustiest tin, and he had odd white-ginger scales along his eyelids.

He had rubies embedded above his eyes, and on his larger scales. His eyes were ghostly gray, and he had a golden chain necklace strewn across his shoulders.

"You don't seem familiar." He said, his voice far from friendly. "You are a SkyWing- correct?" He frowned, as if he believed she was a RainWing in disguise.

Storm blinked. "Um. Yeah." She moves her tail gently, a nervous bundle of nerves flowing through her.

The dragon passed her a perplexed stare. "Well, I'm Prince Peak, if you haven't already guessed." He pulled his wings in royally, and dipped his head.

There are too many Princes at this school... she thought to herself, shaking out her wings. "Oh, cool. I'm Storm."

Peak looked confused, as if he didn't quite get her answer. "Oh, alright." He cocked his head. "Storm."

He sat down, his haunches gently tucking in, like a wave in the sea. "I just want to introduce myself to all of my subjects."

Storm tipped her head to the side. "Okay." She shrugged. "We are introduced, why don't you introduce yourself to a glittery IceWing now?"

Peak blinked at her in horror. "Why would I interest myself in such a disgusting breed? I very much appreciate cutting a fine figure in life."

His nose lifted in a snotty way, and he turned from her, back to a group of starry-eyed SkyWings.

Storm blinked after him, what a peculiar dragon that prince was. He seemed so nervous but confident at the same time...

She turned her face with a sigh, just as the gong rang. All dragonets filed out of the room, and Storm was left alone.

Well, not entirely alone.

Peak stood, facing her.

With eyes full of hatred and disgust.