Wings Of Fire: Fallen Kingdoms (Book 1)

Chapter 8

     Jellyfish never jumped toward Jasmine so fast in her life.

     She couldn't see.

     Jellyfish could not let her.

     She was going to find out no matter what. But Jellyfish couldn't let her see him, not here, not like this.

    "Whoa! Whoa," Bermuda said, catching Jellyfish as she ran around the corner, the SeaWing-SandWing hybrid flung her wings out, stopping her.  "What happened? Why the rush?"

    "Move," Jellyfish said, and pushed past her. She looked her in the eyes. "It's Jackpine. He's dead."

    The color drained from Bermuda's face. "What!? Does- does-" 

    "No!" Jellyfish said, flinging her wings in front of Jasmine, who was just turning the corner. She looked confused.

    "What's going on?" she asked, trying to peek around Jellyfish's wings.

    "Please do not go in there," Jellyfish begged, herding her back up the tunnel, step by step.

    "Why not? Jellyfish, you're scaring me." Jasmine furrowed her brow. 

    "Jellyfish," Bermuda said, coming up behind her and putting a talon on her shoulder. "Either she sees for herself, some random dragon tells her, or we do, and I assume it's best if we do."

    "What happened?" Jasmine asked in a small voice as Jellyfish folded her wings and gave Bermuda a rueful look.

    "I'm so sorry," Bermuda said, placing her talons face up. "I... there's no easy way to say this." She sighed. "Jackpine is dead."

    Jasmine went still, and slowly, Jellyfish saw her face crumble as she realized her friends were not joking. Like an avalanche in slow motion, she fell to the ground, silently, and covered her head with her wings and talons. Bermuda and Jellyfish kept their heads down as they covered their friend's back with their wings.

    When Jasmine took her wings and talons away, her face was twisted in pain and sorrow, and her mouth was open, sobbing silently. She shoved her face into Jellyfish's shoulder.

    Jellyfish herself felt numb. She didn't know Jackpine that well at all, he was just her friend's dad and a well-known warrior. But it still left a hole in her chest, losing someone she kind of knew and feeling empathy for her close friend.

    "I want to see him," Jasmine murmured. Bermuda bit her lip and looked at the crowd around the corner. She looked close to crying herself.

    "I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Bermuda said. "He's not in good shape right now,"

    Jasmine pulled her head away and glared at Bermuda. "I want. To see him." she said coldly, but not unkindly.

    "Okay," Jellyfish said. Bermuda nodded at her and went around the corner, and Jellyfish could hear her telling dragons to make a path.

    "Are you ready?" Jellyfish asked, putting a wing around Jasmine. She nodded.

     Slowly, they walked out to the quiet crowd. Slowly, one by one, dragons bowed their head as Jellyfish and Jasmine walked through the crowd. She could smell the iron in the air, and her stomach dropped.

    Jasmine ran forward suddenly and collapsed by her father's side. 

    "NO!" She shouted, sobbing. "No, dad! DAD!" Her talons were shaking, and she was struggling to breathe around her cries.