Wings of Fire ~ A Special Snowflake

1 ~ As Normal as Normal Can Be

Snowflake was an average Icewing. As normal as normal can be. He was currently at the top of the fifth dragonet circle

He donned blueish-white scales with a dark blue stripe on his back and had dark blue eyes. Not a single piece of jewelry laid on his body. And his dream? It was to move up the rankings, of course! What else was an Icewing's purpose?

His claws scraped against the snow as he launched himself at his opponent. The dragonet was six, the same age as him. Her scales were white but had a very soft tint of pink. Her eyes glittered a sharp light blue. Her snarl revealed glistening white teeth.

She rolled to the side, barely evading Snowflake's claws. The fifth circle dragonets cheered his name ferociously.

"Show him no mercy, Snow!
"Go for the tail!"
"Charge her!"

The fourth circle dragonets did not cheer. They smiled smugly as they confidently watched their champion spar with a lowly fifth rank.

Watching them fight was a third circle elder. His beady eyes darted between the two dragonets, each the strongest in their yearly circle. It was custom to let the strongest of two different circles fight against another at the end of the season evaluation to demonstrate how important placement is when it comes to fighting skills.

Snowflake only had one season left after this one to secure his spot in the adult rankings. This fight can mean moving up to the fourth, and he wasn't going to let that go.

Snapping his jaw shut on the female's tail, he tasted the chilly blue liquid slip down his maw. The dragonet screeched and clawed at his back. She leaped on top of him, looking for a spot to dig her claws in. Snowflake grinned.

He spread his wings and threw them forward with enough force to send him and the pink Icewing backward. Snowflake then used his icebreath on her talons to lock her palm on his scales. Unable to move out of the way, Snowflake slammed her against the ground. Not even the soft snow could cushion her.

The ice on her palm broke, and Snowflake instantly flipped right-side-up and pinned her against the ground. His circle was basically screaming now while the higher-ranked dragonets were stunned silent. Even the elder watching was surprised and hastily scribbled down notes on a scroll. He then lifted his head.

"The winner of this match is Snowflake of the fifth circle!" The elder announced to the gathered onlookers.

Before leaving the arena, Snowflake bowed to the other dragonet first since she was a higher rank. She then bowed back, glaring the whole time.

"Snow, That was incredible!" A gentle voice cooed. A soft lavender dragonet in his group bumped wings with him.

"You sure showed them snobby lizards who's boss!" A male Icewing laughed. His scales were a nice solid white. "Skua was worried you'll get hurt!"

"No, I wasn't! I knew he would kick Hare's tail!" The lavender dragonet snorted.

"She's scary, I don't like her." The white Icewing whispered.

"You don't like anyone, Moraine." Snowflake teased.

"He likes us!" Skua gave the two males a goofy smile. Her red eyes sparkled. She couldn't see well since the sun's glare on the snow hurt her pupils. Dark purple speckles splattered the top of her body. She wore no jewelry except for a carefully thin woven oxen-fur necklace her late mother made that had a brown skua feather tied to it. She planned to put her ranking rings on the same necklace.

Moraine didn't reply. He was too busy giggling. He wore nothing but a small white rabbit foot earring. He had dull white overscales and light blue underscales. He had dark blueish-black eyes like the majority of Icewings. He was actually Snowflake's cousin since their mothers are sisters. They had started in the sixth circle and risen together.