Wings of Fire; The Assassin

Chapter 16

"B-B-Bubble," replied the SeaWing prince, "I'm Prince Bubble."

"Really? Why should I believe you? I don't know who your parents are, or if you actually have any evidence."

"I-I do!" Bubble opened his wings and showed the glowing patterns on his wings.

Spray just gave him a skeptical look, "Those don't look like normal markings to me. They just look like the glowing scales that all SeaWings have, except... they are usually on the body instead of the wings."

"I'm part RainWing, so I don't have the normal royal markings, but because I still am a Prince, I got these scales instead."

Spray looked absolutely fascinated about his scales, but then she just gave him another skeptical look. Bubble thought it was funny how often she changes her expression.

"The hybrid part may be true, but how can I still believe you about being royal?"

Bubble thought for a moment, "How about I just bring you to my parents! Then you can see that I am right."

Spray thought for a moment, and then nodded, "Ok, I'll come."

Bubble gestured to her to follow him, and they walked inland into the island. As they approached the brush, Spray spotted Bubble's house. It was a small hut made out of branches and dune grass. Bubble brought Spray to the house, and he opened the door.

"Father? Are you home?" Bubble said loudly. He looked around the hut's rooms, but Prince Turtle was nowhere to be seen.

Spray looked around the house in amazement, noticing a lot of wooden carvings lining the walls. Bubble turned around to exit the house to continue his search when he saw spray looking at the little carvings, some of the sea animals, others of dragons.

"My family found this island when trying to find a place close to the rain forest, but still near, or in the ocean. My parents were flying around when they spotted this island. They flew down to ask the dragons who lived here if they knew where a good island was. When they found this hut, there was no one here, so they decided to enter it."

Spray looked at Bubble, "So you guys made these?"

"I only have made a few, but they don't go up on the shelves, these were here before. We don't touch those, because they seem special like they were made for someone. They feel..." Bubble thought for a moment, "Sacred."

Spray looked around for one last time, then they walked out the door. When they exited the door, they saw two dragons walking toward the house.

"Mother! Father!" Bubble cried as he ran toward them. They wrapped their wings around him in a hug, and then released him.

Turtle looked up and saw Spray, "Who is this dragon, are you finally making friends?"

Bubble started to blush a little, feeling embarrassed about what his father said, but then just answered, "Yeah, I guess."

Spray looked shocked by this statement but didn't argue.

Kinkajou walked up to Spray with a smile and vibrant yellow and pink scales. She crouched down her front legs slightly and lowered her head to Spray's level.

"Hi! I'm Kinkajou, and this is my husband, Prince Turtle."

Kinkajou laid her head on Turtle's shoulder and Turtle wrapped his wing around her.

"I told you not to use the title, 'prince,' we are not in the Sea Kingdom. Plus, it just seems weird to me. I don't feel much like a prince."

Kinkajou just smiled at him, "But, you are my prince."

Bubble felt like barfing. He was totally going to lose his fish.

Spray looked at Bubble with a shocked expression, while Bubble had a smug expression on his face, "Told you," Bubble said.

Spray took a swipe at Bubble but he jumped away. Spray started to chase Bubble, and they ran around the island for what felt like the entire day. The dragonets stopped to catch their breath and rest. Spray went home, and bubble went home and fell asleep almost immediately.

After a while, they started to hang out more and more often. One day while they were playing on the beach, Spray started to walk toward the water, and Bubble followed. Spray jumped into the water and paddled around in the shallows for a little, waiting for Bubble to join her.

"Are you coming or not?" Spray asked.

Bubble approached the water as close as he could brave, before backing off really fast behind a small dune.

"I-I... I don't know," Bubble said, quivering with fear.

"Why not?" Spray asked, with concern in her tone.

"I'm scared. I'm scared of the water." Bubble admitted.

Bubble expected Spray to laugh or make fun of him, but instead, she claimed back onto the beach and walked over to Bubble. She walked right next to him and put her left talon on his right. He was startled by this gesture and blushed.

Spray looked into his eyes, "It's okay. We can just go slow. One step at a time."

Bubble followed Spray, as they slowly approached the water. Finally, Spray jumped into the shallows and waited for Bubble to join.

You can do this. YOU can do this. Just remember one step at a time.

For the first time, Bubble actually touched the water, other than to drink it. He set one talon into the wake, then the next. Nothing happened, so Bubble took a deep breath, and jumped right into the water.

"I'm doing it!" Bubble shouted, "I'm actually doing it!"

Bubble was grinning so much that his jaw was starting to hurt. Spray was giggling so hard that she was kicking water into Bubble's face. Bubble started to splash water in Spray's direction. Spray started to shriek and giggle so loud, that Turtle came bursting out of the house.

"Bubble! Spray! What's wrong!?" Turtle saw that Spray was splashing lots of water in a certain direction, but there was so much water that he could not see what was being sprayed. The water started to die down, and he saw Bubble, who was giggling.

Bubble was so busy playing, that he didn't notice his father looking at him. He was so busy playing he didn't notice his father going into the house and getting his mother. In fact, Bubble was so busy playing and totally winning in the splash war, he didn't even hear his mother squeal in delight that he was actually in the water and having fun with his friend.

Bubble missed those times, when all he ever did was play with his friends and had no worries about dying in a deep dark cave.