The gemstone war

The first battle

Rosefire was flying away.

She needed to get out, away from the growing conflict. Just the other day, all of the dragons aged six and above, including her own mother, had been called to battle training.

She was technically younger than the requirement, but she still wanted to get out.

Up ahead, there was a dark cloud. A blot of something that shouldn't be.

A battle.

Rosefire swerved in panic. A battle?! Already?! Now? Here? why!

She eyed the dark cloud ahead with narrowed eyes. If only she could slip through.

Evelina had arranged for Rosefire to be staying with her aunt in Possibility. Her Aunty Comet would be expecting her to arrive in time for dinner.

Rosefire turned. So what if she was a little late? She did NOT want to be stuck in a war. That's why she had agreed to leave the Night kingdom.

The dark blot was getting closer. Rosefire could see the terrifying shapes of SeaWings and HiveWings.

And then suddenly there was carnage.

There were a million things Rosefire could have done. She could have flown down underneath the battle, or out towards the ocean.

But all logic left her, and she panicked.

She glanced around frantically, but it felt like the darkness had pressed in around her.

Dragons whizzed past her, intent on murder. She shrank behind the bulky shadow of a SeaWing. There was a scream and the blueish dragon fell away.

Rosefire didn't want to know what happened to him.

Then, out of the din, came a voice.

"Keep fighting! Victory will soon be ours!" It was a female dragon, calling out to her troops.

Rosefire slipped in between a pair of grappling dragons, looking for the owner of the voice. Maybe, she thought. Maybe she can help me.

Sure, some part of her brain knew that she hadn't seen any NightWings in the battle, so the dragon most likely wasn't anyone she should get close to, but all common sense had left her.

A small, tangerine-colored HiveWing hovered in the center of the crowd, fighting viciously. There was something different about her.

She wore a small earring in one ear, a simple silver hoop with a teardrop of some kind of blueish-green gemstone attached to it. The only other piece of jewelry she had was a small, golden ring.

But the way she held herself, she looked like royalty. That's when Rosefire realized; she was royalty.

She was looking at Queen Lilly of the HiveWings.

"Hello little dragonet, are you lost? Why don't you come with me?" asked Queen Lilly.

"Why?" replied Rosefire cautiously. There was something about this HiveWing that instantly made her untrustworthy.

"Because a little dragonet like you shouldn't be out in a war. It's a miracle you didn't get killed."

Rosefire eyed the queen carefully. She didn't seem dangerous.

"Yes," the HiveWing queen said coaxingly. "Come with me, and I'll find your parents."

Rosefire hesitantly flew closer. "Okay... Alright. Can you take me to my Aunt Comet in Possibility?"

"Sure," Queen Lily said. Then, she followed it up with something unexpected. "I want her!"

Rosefire wasn't sure if Queen Lily was talking about her. That was until the net flew over her.

"Ack, let me out!" yelled Rosefire.

"Nope. Not gonna happen."