[OLD] Fear The Whispers - Book 1 [Wings of Fire Fanfiction]

Chapter Four - Hidden Secrets

A massive battle raged around Essence as an onslaught of Hivewings, Silkwings and Nightwings blew past her, throwing up dried earth; of the Nightwings, one wearing a heavy suit of armor that shone harshly in the sun. The huge black dragon was breathing out torrents of blue fire, smothering anything that it touched. Screams filled the air. As Essence looked around her, she saw her friends along with an Icewing attempting to stop the battle, although the outcome seemed inevitable. Ace. Scorpion. Swellow. Kraken.

Dozens of dragons were dying in this savannah already. Essence stood frozen, mortified. She wanted to scream, or help, or crawl into the blood-soaked earth and never come out.

This can't be real, this can't be the future. It can't it can't it can't-

"Essence? Wake up!"

Essence was shaken awake. Her eyes met Kraken's, and they looked concerned.

"Are you ok? It looked like you were having a nightmare!"

Essence shook her head, then her talons one at a time as if she were shaking off the bad dream. "Yeah, I guess I did." What the hell did I just see?  "Thanks, Kraken."

Kraken gave an absent-minded grunt in response and walked away, although she still looked slightly disturbed.

She looked across the room and spotted Swellow writing in an odd Pantalan invention foreign to Essence. It looked like a rectangular piece of bark with pages attached to it. A "journal book," she had called it. Essence had considered getting one for herself and writing down her visions, although it seemed a bit odd.

"Rise and shine, moony eyes," Swellow said teasingly, not even looking up from her book. Essence hated that nickname, and Swellow was aware of that. "I hope you're feeling better. Let's head over to the prey center and get something to eat before class starts. I'm starving!"

"I hear Clay runs it," Kraken responded, lightening up immediately. "And food does sound good. I wonder if they have any fish?"

"Of course they have fish, pea-brain," Swellow retorted. "Wanna come, Essence?"

Onto nicknames already? "Oh, sure!" she said out loud. "Cow sounds good right now anyway.." She heaved herself up, still slightly dizzy from the fighting.

"Then let's go!" Swellow exclaimed with way too much enthusiasm.

The group walked over to the prey center, in which already a large number of dragons were present. Much to her content, the group shared a cow. Kraken also got some raw fish, and Swellow had brought some honey from home. Essence knew that Swellow loved honey, but that stuff was hard to find outside of Pantala.

Kraken and Swellow finished their food first and when to class early while Essence was finishing her cow.

Essence looked up from the meal she was eating and saw a sliver scaled Icewing walking towards her.

That is Tundra.

Suddenly a torrent of visions washed over Essence. She and Tundra flying together, Tundra dueling Swellow, and a final, more fuzzy vision, involving an enraged Scorpion.

Fear the one who is not as he seems.

"Are you okay?" a voice asked as the visions stopped. Essence saw an Icewing trying to help her up.

"Yes, I'm fine," Essence said as she stood up. A few dragons gave her uncomfortable stares.

"What was that?" Tundra asked as Essence contemplated whether to tell him she could see the future and read minds. Well, quickly peering into the future...