Wings Of Fire: Warning

Chapter 10.

Strider no longer felt older.

In fact, he felt like the smallest dragon in the world. The kind of dragon who tried to forget their own power, the kind of dragon who let rocks fall on him, the kind of dragon who let his friends die.

None of those are your fault, stop doing self-pity. A voice rang in his head.

I can't help it! He thought back.

Nah, just go be helpful for once and get back to your family, the voice said back.

"Stop patronizing me!" He said out loud.

"Uuhhh- sorry?" Cacti's sister said looking back at him.

Nice job Strider, the voice in his head said annoyingly.

Strider continued on following Cacti's sister to the Sand Rocks without saying another word.

Usually the desert was always hot, but he felt like all his scales where going to freeze off just thinking about the idea of his family being dead.

Stop it. They are completely fine.

"We're here," Cacti's sister said suddenly as Strider stopped quickly in front of her to avoid crashing into her.

He saw it, the large dark grey rocks toppled on top of each other spread through out the sand.

Today he actually saw dragons there, playing tag, hanging out, and some even hunting for lizards as a midday snack.

"Thank you so much," Strider said lifting back into the air to fly to his den.

"Eh it was nothing, by the way I didn't catch your name?" She asked him.

"Strider, Cacti can keep calling me rock dragon though if he wants," he replied

Cacti's sister held in a laugh and waved goodbye as she began to fly home.

Strider felt a twinge of sorrow as he remembered what he needed to do.

SandWings stared at his burnt, crushed tail as he began to fly away.

                                                    ~~~

He arrived at his den and opened the wooden door, knowing that there was no lock.

It was quiet, too quiet.

Maybe they are just sleeping. Don't get ahead of yourself Strider.

There were no dragons in the maine room where his father usually was, that didn't mean they were dead, they could just be in their rooms.

He looked in sizzle's room first, slowly creaking open the door. The wooden bed was empty, and nobody was under it either. He looked under the blankets, nobody there.

Sizzle's room was empty.

He felt frantic now, and ran into his room to see if he was there. To his surprise, it looked like somebody had gotten really angry and destroyed all his stuff, his bed was in two pieces, his lamp he had gotten as a gift from his mother was shattered, and his blanket was ripped apart.

Oh my moons...

Where are they!?

He ran to father's room and nearly jumped out of his own scales at the sight.

Father was dead. He had failed him.

Sizzle killed him, and I was the next target. That explains how the hut burned down, and she must have used her magic to light the stone. If she couldn't have found me, that means she went looking for my brother. Scorch is in danger.

Strider had no time to grief next to his father, even though he had tears falling down his face.

He didn't stop for anything this time, he ran outside to the battle training field next to his den.

Everyone was gone except for one lowly, scrawny SandWing sitting down on the sand. He flew over to the brown SandWing and landed in front of him

"Where's the SandWing army?" Strider demanded.

The SamdWing lifted his head up. "Who are yo-"

"No time to explain. Where's the SandWing army?" Strider demanded again.

If he doesn't tell me- will I have to threaten him? No- that would be rude.

The SandWing hesitated for a second, and then spoke.

"They are defending the SandWing palace from the RainWings right now," the SandWing said.

"Which way is that?" Strider asked.

The SandWing turned around and pointed in the direction behind him.

Strider didn't have time to say thank you, he took off through the sky as fast as he could go.

I'll have to come up with a plan later, but right now I need to get Scorch to safety, and save that last of my family.