The dunes formed endless waves around them. Essence and her winglet were running, kicking up sand with each step. She wanted to stop, to fly, to see what she was running from, but all she could do was keep running. Darkness was spread around them like an inky blot, and the moons shone bright. Terror and adrenaline flooded through her veins.
Suddenly, Essence stumbled on an invisible rock. She let out a yelp as she crashed down to the ground. Her limbs felt like stone, even worse than her race with Swellow. She lifted her head and saw Scorpion sprinting back for her, even though the others had run ahead.
"S..top..." This is just a dream. This is just a dream-
Scorpion ignored her, or didn't hear. He shouldered Essence between his wings and started running awkwardly toward the others.
Why won't my legs work? Essence felt terrible. She lifted her head and saw a huge pack of Sandwings chasing after them. At their head was a large female. They were gaining, and Essence wasn't making the situation any better. She started struggling to get off.
Scorpion. Just drop me.
She heard puffing behind her and looked back again. The big Sandwing was right behind them now. She smiled with all her teeth. "Hello son. It's been too long"
Essence's whole body froze with horror. She watched the Sandwing, almost as if slow motion, raise her tail above her head and shoot it down towards her and Scorpion.
... and a silver golden ball of motion took the blow.
Search through the sand.
Essence shot up in her bed with a scream. SCORPION!
Essence looked over to a concerned Swellow, who already knew she had a vision. But Kraken looked terrifed and rushed over to Essence, who was now stumbling out of her bed.
"Essence what happened!?" Kraken asked frantically, jutting out her wing for support. Essence leaned on it gratefully until she could get on her own feet.
"I'm fine, I just had a nightmare." Essence hoped Kraken didn't notice the beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. She didn't feel comfortable with telling the terrible vision to her. But she could feel suspicion rolling off the SeaWing like ocean waves.
"Come on, let's go get some food before the race," Swellow said quickly, stealing away the few seconds of awkward silence. She walked out the door and Kraken followed reluctantly, looking back at Essence with one last look of "You fine?" She nodded and heaved herself up, following the two dragons. But after the disaster that was that vision, she had confidence that this was the day Team Jade would get their payback!
The three padded down the empty, barely lit hall silently. They chose a spot near a small stream that flowed near the wall of the prey center, where not a lot of dragons were sitting, surprising due to today being the big day.Kraken busied herself by fishing in a small pond, and Swellow settled with a gazelle beside her. Essence joined them with, of course, a goat.
While eating her food, her eyes wondered over to Frost's team, Team Obsidian, eating on the other side of the prey center .
On the outside, the team seemed rather average, but from what she knew, they were a obstacle in their path.
Frost was the striker and leader, and reading his thoughts just made Essence's blood boil.
Starseeker, the seer and mind reader from the Nightwing class, was also on Frost's team. Swellow then followed Essence's eyes and then snorted.
"Of course the two biggest pricks at the Jade Mountain are on the same team," Swellow commented dryly as Essence took a bite.
There was a HiveWing named Hornet. He was large and strong, but not as big as Scorpion and he was not very bright.
There was also a SkyWing named Agate. She was mean, witty, and sarcastic but mean in a condescending way.
Finally, there was the Nightwing Annihilation. He was the outlier. From what Essence saw of his mind, he was kind,caring, and shy but she could see why he was in Frost's group. He wanted friends. He was born on the volcano and had been trapped there, assigned the role of assassin without wanting it.
They did nothing wrong!
And suddenly, Essence was on a dark island. Annihilation, smaller, in front of two large, looming dragons standing still like long, dark trees. They did nothing wrong. I don't want to kill them.
She snapped back to the present. Annihilation was out of sight now, and Essence had other things on her mind, her visions, getting her frill cut, studying, Scorpion, etc.
"Man, they don't seem too hard to beat, don't they?" Kraken challenged, now also looking at the team..
"Mph," Swellow acknowledged through a mouthful of her prey. She swallowed and shoved the last mouthful down her throat.
"Come on, let's head back to our room. The others are probably waiting for us," Swellow stood up and beckoned for the others to follow.
"Yeah, let's get out of here." Kraken responded, also getting up. Essence hadn't finished her goat yet, but the others were already walking away, so she ran after them. "Wait, guys!" Essence tried to catch up with her mouth full, as Swellow snickered and giggled.
Walking back to the cave, Essence could see hundreds or thousands of ways this could race could end.
Team Jade were at the starting line, looking at the huge crowd that was even bigger than at the match with Team Silver. Team Jade then saw Team Silver emerge from the lead curtain at their side. Frost pointed to their spots individually on the starting line, but all of them weren't paying attention, instead spending their time glaring at Team Jade. Essence sighed and focused her eyes on the race ahead of them.
"3! 2!" We can do this! "1! GO!"
Suddenly Ace and Agate were off. Aget was fast, but Ace was just next level, weaving through the course with immense speed and grace leaving Agate in the dust. At some point, Essence could see the air around Ace's wings became distorted.
Reaching the second selection, out of breath and out of energy, was Ace. Although, he was still ahead..
"GO!"Ace yelled as he was panting for air. Swellow, got up quickly and unsheathed her Greatsword Tyrants Bane. This time, she was more knowing on what these frozen wood dragons could do. Instead of pulling out a great sword Swellow had gotten used to, the wood dragon revealed two daggers. The fight started and Swellow struggled to block the series of successive stabs, and it was one of the rare times when she was on her back foot. As Agate arrived, Hornet sprinted at the wooden dragon as it comes to life. He then takes it on for a second before slicing it straight in half, instantly defeating it in a matter of seconds!
Essence was shocked and amazed by how Hornet could defeat it so fast before Essence saw he had a stinger beneath his wrist. The worst part was that, he didn't tell Turtle he had cheated, enraging Essence. Luckily Swellow saw her opening as she parried an attack, putting the wooden menace off balance and Swellow shot of a string of silk. She grabbed one of the short swords out of it's fake palm and held it by its blade,
and with perfect accuracy , threw it straight into the wooden dragon's head. "Boom! As easy as slicing fruit!" They cheered and secretly laughed at her dumb line.
Annihilation had a head-start over Kraken as she couldn't stop laughing,but she caught up, finding her prey easily with Annihilation close behind her. The two reached the fourth platform, butting wings and trying to push the other off. Essence and Starseeker entered the vine door, it slowly closing behind them. Essence felt much more uncomfortable this time, as the darkness felt like wings closing around her. But she ignored the feeling by replacing it by determination.
Grabbing the stone tablet, the question read,
The assassination of what SeaWinggeneral would result in the MudWings to switch sides in the war of sandwing succession?
"General Tempest" Essence responded, knowing it was correct answer as the tablet changed to a different question.
What was killing off almost all of the female heirs to the SeaWing throne during the war?
"The animus statue enchanted by Princess Orca," Essence replied as the tablet revealed the last question.
Who was the last Queen of the Silkwings before the rule of Queen Wasp the Tyrant
"Queen Monarch'' Essence answered with the door opening to reveal that somehow Frost was head of scorpion.
STARSEEKER THAT CHEATER!
"GO GO!" Essence shouted at Scorpion as he began to tear the targets apart starting to catch up to Frost. Essence watched her Heart beating faster than it ever had. The two were neck and neck as they approached the twin peaks and Scorpion with the last of his energy Passed Frost and extended his arm and just narrowly beating Frost
"TEAM JADE WINS!" the crowd shouted as the team went to congratulate Scorpion and see Frost's reaction to his lost
"NO! NO! NO!" Frost yelled as Essence watched with a smug grin well helping up an exsoted Scorpion. "HOW COULD I HAVE LOST TO THESE FILTHY REJECT!" Frost then turned to annihilation who looked worried
"YOU! YOU BLUE IT!"
"What did you expect me to do cheat!" Annalation defend himself
"OF COURSE!" Frost said his fase becoming a shade of red Essence thought not possible for an Icewing to make "You do what you need to win!"
"But that means are win would be meaningless if we didn't win fair!" Annihilation said
"BUT WE WOULD HAVE WON!" Frost said "You truly are pathetic!"
Essence could see the Blue Nightwings start to boil with rage and sucker punched Frost
"You know what screw you frost!" Analation said "you are a pathetic excuse for a frein all you have done is be mean and take advantage of me you are no friend!"
Likely out of embarrassment Frost ran back into the mountain as Essence walked over to Annihilation
"Hay good match" Essence said as she extended her claw
"Yeah, good match" Annihilation said as he sook essence claw
"If you want we are having a study group tomorrow in my group if you want to join I'd love to have you over." Essence said
"Realy!" Annihilation said shocked "yeah I'll join you." he seamed super happy about that.
The week went by with Essence confidence at an all time high, she was getting great grades, she got back at her bullie and has a boyfriend. But everything changed on one faithful day.
Essence was walking to science with Scorpion when she had a vision, Kraken, Tsunami, and amone mourning a death, Kraken having a panic attack, and under major stress
Search threw the sea
"Scorpion something big is about to happen," Essence said
"Wait what!?"
"No time to explain, look if anyone asks, tell them I am having a headache and am at the nurse's office."
"Ok." Scorpion said as Essence rushed off to the main office and hid in a shadow outside and sow Kraken enter the room.
Essence sow that Tsunami was in there. Essence couldn't read her mind but she tell Tsunami was a mess.
What happened?
"Hay Tsunami." Kraken said, confused "What's going on?"
"Kraken" Tsunami said holding back tears "Queen coral is dead, she died unexpectedly."
"WHAT!" Kraken said in sync with Essence's thoughts
"I was not chosen to be the new queen, Coral said I have the Jade mountain to run." Tsunami said
No, Please no Kraken thought as she sow her nightmares come to life
"Ameone is the new Queen." Tsunami said
NO Kraken thought practically shaking in her seat
"Kraken you are the Heir to the Seawings."
a/n
wings of fire fanfic,
written by three cool people
i feel great inside.
- sand, 2021