Wings of Fire: Revenant

Chapter Four

 Once they finished looking over the garden, Clay took Peacemaker back to the landing ledge and into the Academy.

The first time Peacemaker had been here as a tiny dragonet, he could remember being scared to go in. He'd never been particularly fond of confined spaces, and the idea of being trapped in a dark, tight cavern with no way to escape was terrifying to him. Thankfully, he had found the Academy to be nothing like he'd first imagined.

The interior of the school was huge, full of so much light, sound, and smell that it felt almost like an underground forest. The massive stalagmite columns stood like towering groves of trees, while the fire-lit globes hanging from the ceiling created an effect like light shining through a canopy.

Along the drab brown walls of the entrance cave hung colorful paintings and tapestries made by students in art class, depicting everything from emerald forests to sparkling castles of ice. The far wall was patterned with colorful talonprints, spreading like flower petals from the large bronze gong hung at the center.

Down the hall Peacemaker could hear the soft hum of teachers talking, and smell the sweet, sticky aroma drifting from a nearby cooking class.

"Your cave is this way," Clay said, leading Peacemaker down the far left tunnel and further into the mountain.

The walls of the winding tunnels were also adorned with artwork, and more glass globes hung from the ceiling. The smaller space amplified the lights' effect, so that the walls and floor were entirely dappled in color. The hall was quiet, indicating that classes must not have ended yet and the sleeping caves were all still empty.

Clay and Peacemaker walked on for a short time before they came to the first cave, which had an entrance shaped vaguely like a broken tooth.

Clay indicated the opening with a flick of his wing. "Here you go. If you think you'll be okay the rest of the way, then I'll head to the library and ask Starflight about that stuff we talked about."

"Sure, I can take it from here," Peacemaker said. "Thanks for your help."

Clay nodded graciously before turning and heading back the way he had come.

Peacemaker then slipped through the entrance into a high-ceilinged cavern with more fire-lit orbs hanging from the bristling stalactites above. Moon was waiting for him there, and as Peacemaker drew closer, he realized that she had already prepared his sleeping place for him.

A pile of warm-looking blue blankets were laid out across a small rock ledge, and all of his plants had been arranged along the little lips and pockmarks in the cave wall. A mahogany shelf held a selection of various scrolls, and atop it sat the few small things he had brought from home. A swirly shell he had found on a trip to the beach, a hunk of petrified wood Moon had bought him in Possibility, and a jar of colorful feathers given to him by Kinkajou were all spread out across the dark wood surface.

"What do you think?" Moon asked him.

Peacemaker beamed. "I love it! Thank you!"

He pounced onto the bed, rolling over on the soft blankets and stretching out his legs. It felt surprisingly comfortable, and allowed him a perfect view of the colorful lights above.

"Who's my clawmate?" he asked, gesturing to the ledge across from him, where an ornate red and gold blanket was draped. The color and pattern made Peacemaker think it must be a SkyWing.

"You're just about to meet him. I sent Kinkajou to bring him back from class."

As if on cue, a dark red dragon suddenly appeared in the sleeping cave, flaring his enormous wings excitedly. He had a peculiarly long neck, golden-orange eyes, and seemed to be about Peacemaker's age. Following behind him was Kinkajou, looking slightly winded, as though she had been running to keep up with him.