Wings of Fire: Melting Ice #2

Chapter 22

The sun was just rising, its yellow-orange light spraying across the snow. The white vastness sparkled with orange and yellow. The voices of excited dragons could be heard. IceWings were gathered around a large wooden platform. Some had ice-blue scales, some had white scales. They all spread their wings and roared with delight as they gazed upon the stage.

A RainWing was tied to the platform, his eyes wide and pleading. The IceWing Queen stood before him, her massive wings stretching out. She looked down upon with an icy stare that was filled with hatred. She dug her serrated talons into the wood, carving lines into it. She whipped around, her crown glistening with orange in the sunlight. 

Queen Iceberg drooped her head, her neck stretching towards an IceWing. "Find Aurora and Plum. Now!" She hissed.

The IceWing flew off in a hurry, his wings beating in the air. He left the others behind as he began to search for the two dragonets. 

Queen Iceberg smiled, showing a row of sharp white teeth. She turned back to the RainWing, looking as though she would rip him apart any second. 

"Iceberg, I have to tell you something. C-"

"Silence!" Iceberg hissed. She extended her talons. "Talk anymore and I'll cut your tongue out!" She snapped, lashing her whip-like tail. She stared down at the RainWing, practically swimming in the thought of having control over him.

Another IceWing landed on the stage, his scales of a shimmering cold blue-gray. His dark blue eyes gazed at the IceWing queen. He lifted his right wing, revealing a pouch on his side. He pulled out a large narwhal horn and sharp metal sticks. The last item that the IceWing pulled out was a heavy, icy stone-like block. 

The Queen took these items and placed them down before her. "You know, Hyacinth, what you did really hurt me. Now I'm going to hurt you. I'll make sure you suffer before I kill you!" She snapped.

Aurora jumped awake, her heart pounding. "Plum, we have to go!" She hissed. She stood up quickly, heading towards the door. 

"Wait up!" Plum hissed, darting after her sister. "Where is Abysswatcher?" She questioned.

Aurora bared her teeth. "Don't worry about that! Our father is in trouble!" She growled. She burst through the door, spreading her wings and leaping into the air. She left Plum behind in a flurry of snow.

The sound of IceWings roaring could be clearly heard. Their noises practically rumbled the air. Are we too late? Aurora flew faster than she ever did, her heart pounding. The sounds of a dragon in pain suddenly rang out.

Aurora almost cried out in fear and anger. Upon flying closer to the roars, she could see tons of IceWings gathered in front of a platform. On that platform was a slim, yet large IceWing. She stood tall, looming over Hyacinth, who was chained down.

"Aurora, is he-?" Plum asked, not finishing.

"No!" Aurora cried. She flew closer and landed in the snow with a thump. All the IceWings turned to look at her. "Iceberg-"

"Seize her," Iceberg growled.

Two IceWing guards holding spears grabbed her, their serrated talons sinking into her flesh. Aurora winced with pain. She couldn't escape their hold. No! Is this really how it ends? Hyacinth will die! 

Plum was held back too. She struggled in their talons, but only got more hurt instead.

Hyacinth was hunched over, his face contorted into pain. Clearly the IceWing queen had scratched up his face and legs with her serrated talons. 

Iceberg paced back and forth on the stage, her tail swinging from side-to-side. "Aurora and Plum, you will watch this fantastic event. I know you want to stop this from happening, you poor things. Hyacinth brainwashed you. He made you think he was a good dragon, but he really is just a murderer."

"That's not true!" Aurora hissed, struggling in the talons of the guards. Why is she so desperate to pin him as terribly evil?

Iceberg turned to Hyacinth. She grabbed one of the metal spikes and placed it right at Hyacinth's tail. Then she grabbed the ice-block and banged it down onto the spike, making it shove deep into the RainWing's flesh. Hyacinth cried out in pain.

Aurora roared in anger, lashing her tail. "You dumb lizard, listen to me!" Aurora hissed. "Don't hurt him anymore!" 

Iceberg ignored her daughter's cries. She grabbed another metal spike, this time shoving it into Hyacinth's leg. Then, the queen jerked the spikes out forcefully, causing blood to jump out with them. The bloodied spike rolled on the wood.

Hyacinth hissed in pain as blood trickled down from the wounds. He winced, curling his lip. The blood trickled onto the wood, pooling under his leg and tail.

Aurora struggled harder, her teeth bared. She tried to dig her talons into one of the IceWing's arms, but she failed. She could only watch as her father was tortured. Please, stop! I.. I have to do something to stop her, but... she won't listen to my words. 

Iceberg then lifted Hyacinth's arm, her stare colder than the snow itself. She opened her jaws and out came a stream of ice. The ice collected on the RainWing's arm, and he roared in pain.

"Dumb RainWing," Iceberg sighed, lashing her tail. "Your pain only amuses me, Hyacinth. Maybe if you apologize, I might not be as harsh."

Hyacinth glared at the queen. "What do I have to apologize for? I killed our son for a reason. Could you at least sweep away your arrogance and listen to me for once?"

"Shut up! Did you not hear me when I said I'd cut out your tongue?" Queen Iceberg snapped, lifting her paw and flexing her talons. 

Hyacinth turned away. "Then do as you must. I don't care what you do to me. If you won't listen to what I have to say, then you won't understand. You never listen to anyone, Iceberg. And that is why this is happening right now." His green eyes wondered to Aurora. "Aurora, you have the message-"

"Don't speak to my daughter!" Iceberg hissed. "Do you wish to die that bad?" She questioned, glaring at him.

"She's our daughter," Hyacinth growled back. He dug his talons into the wood, wincing as he stared at his frozen arm. 

Queen Iceberg roared with rage and slammed his frozen arm down. Time seemed to slow as it suddenly broke into icy flesh-chunks. They slid across the blood-stained wood, stopping at Iceberg's talons. 

Hyacinth screamed in agony, his head suddenly falling back as though he died. Only the faint rise and fall of his side was the sign that life was still within him.

"Iceberg! Stop! Listen to me!" Aurora yowled. "Charming gave me a message, he said that it was for you!" Aurora cried. Listen to me, mother! Please!

Iceberg didn't seem to care. She grabbed the narwhal horn, clutching it in her talons. She turned to Hyacinth, who was limp with pain. His body was shaking, and his eyes were dusted with fear and agony. His arm was bleeding heavily, and the dark blood flowed out and pooled under him. If Iceberg didn't kill him now, the blood loss definitely would.

"Mother!" Aurora cried. "Stop and listen to me!" She whined. 

"I'll shove this right through your head and watch as the life dies from your eyes!" Iceberg roared, her lip curled to show sharp white teeth.

Aurora suddenly gained strength. She clamped her jaws around the IceWing's arm, her teeth sinking into the cold scales. She used all her strength to claw and slash, and she suddenly burst free. Without hesitation, she rushed towards the stage, her heart pounding.

Aurora leaped in the way of the narwhal horn, her wings spreading out. Time suddenly seemed to slow as the horn plunged towards her, the tip sinking directly into her right eye.