Wings Of Fire: Fallen Kingdoms (Book 1)

Prologue

The City was in shambles.

Rosetta had never been here before, but she knew the power that was held here.

Her husband, Toucan, went here often to visit the large museum that the City hosted, so at least she had a guide.

"It was this way, I think," he said, standing next to her in the ash. There were still fires burning, as it had only been months after the Last Day, as everyone called it.

Rosetta never wanted to raise her daughter in a broken world, nor did she ever think she would have to. The egg was strapped to her chest and covered in a silk layer, protected from the harsh air.

"You think?" She snapped. The scrawny RainWing managed not to glare at her. "I'm not risking our daughter's life on an 'I think'. Do you want to risk her life on an 'I think'?"

Now Toucan was glaring at her. "This way, Rosetta." He swept his ash covered wings in an arch, puffing dust in her face. She growled and followed after him.

It was almost impossible to contain her excitement for what they would uncover. The museum was full of ancient- and powerful- artifacts from over the last five thousand years, and Rosetta was eager to hold that power in her talons.

But her measly husband might get in the way, like usual.

It had been an arranged marriage. That's how it was with royalty, being the grand daughter of Ex-Queen Azalea. Her mother, Princess Fauna, had hidden her deep in the rainforest, and raised her in secret with her lover. Her father was a cold dragon, grumpy, and a little too strict. Rosetta dreamed of being the ruler of her tribe since she was a dragonet. Queen Rosetta sounded awfully pretty, and she was determined to get that title.

Her mother visited at least once a month. She was always nagging and worrying that Queen Azalea this and Queen Azalea that. Fauna was the reason Rosetta was stuck with Toucan, she had made a deal with some noble for their stupid dragonets to marry once she found how ambitious Rosetta was for the crown.

Sure, there had been moments of romance in her and Toucans marriage. And after endless nagging from her mother and hopeful talks with Toucan, Rosetta had finally agreed to try for an egg.

Only after she found out that she was pregnant and over all her "I'm a mom!" hormones, she realized she was stuck with this rotten egg, unable to fight for the crown for her daughter's good.

At least, she was hoping this would be a daughter. Rosetta wasn't all that old, but definitely out of shape and a little past her prime. But if this was a daughter.. then there would be another chance for her to finally be a part of the royal family.

Her daughter was going to be Queen of the RainWings.

And to make her Queen, was the reason Rosetta and Toucan were here. They needed to knock Irridescent off of her throne. Toucan only thought they were here to see the artifacts, like his dorky ass loved to do.

Toucan landed with a cloud of ash that went up Rosetta's nose, and she had to resist the urge to slice her husband's nose off.

Save that for later, Rosetta. You still need him.

"We're here." He said, coughing.

"Where would animus objects be?" Rosetta demanded.

"Why?" Toucan said agonizingly slowly. Why couldn't he talk faster?

"Take me there, damn it." She hissed, unhinging her jaw. Her double fangs, she got from her grandmother, were full of lethal venom and ready to shoot.

"Alright.." He said. "This way." He looked around for a minute, recognized a statue that stood miraculously intact, and shoved it aside.

"How did you know about this?" Rosetta growled.

"Because I know everything," Toucan snapped.

She decided to not answer as he led her down a narrow set of stairs into the ground. The tunnel seemed surprisingly undamaged and well built, but even Rosetta was nervous that the whole ceiling would come crashing down on her.

Eventually, they entered a room that disoriented Rosetta. Floating oil lamps drifted through the air, and the air was clean and comfortable, quite the contrary to the burnt wasteland above.

Several glass cases lined the wall. Some of the few were things like Darkstalker's soul reader, a pair of copper wristbands, and a pair of diamond cuffs.

But she didn't need any of this. Behind a thick wall of glass, sat the most dangerous artifact in the world.

The scroll of Darkstalker.

"Isn't it amazing?" Toucan said, pointing to a set of oil paints. "Three thousand years, and these paints have never run out or dried out."

But Rosetta wasn't listening. On one pedestal, sat a diamond tiara, the IceWing gift of strength.

She smashed the glass case, startling Toucan.

"Rosetta!" he cried, flapping his wings and she put the crown on her head. A new powerful strength throbbed in her veins, and she flexed her talons.

"What are you doing? Stop that!" Toucan jumped on her, grabbing for the crown. Some kind of maternal instinct seized her over the danger of her egg, and she grabbed Toucan by the horns and threw him through the glass wall.

He felt incredibly light, and then incredibly heavy once he hit the floor with a loud thud. Toucan landed odd.

Rosetta carefully stepped through the hole she made, barely glancing at her reeling husband. She snatched the scroll off of the stand and stuffed it into her bag.

"Rosetta," Toucan groaned painfully. "Please don't do this."

She glared down at him, her eyes narrow. "I'm doing what I need to do to make sure our daughter survives this new awful world, and I won't let you get in my way. I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not."

"Rosetta!" He cried as she ran out of the room, "Please!" She practically flew up the stairs, and out of the opening. She turned and shoved the Statue back over the hole, blocking out his screams for help.

As she turned to fly away, she glanced down at her precious egg.

Safe and sound.

Rosetta took off, changing her daughter's life before it even began.