Escape: A Wings of Fire Fanfic - Editing

Goodbye

Chapter 8

Not long after.

The shadows lengthened. The sun headed towards the horizon, its work done for the day.

Alligator and Chestnut shifted worriedly. I hope the others don't try to save us, Chestnut thought. Who knows what sort of trouble they could get in.

Finally, Blister's soldiers began gathering in front of her by the lagoon. They all reported, one after another, that they hadn't found any enemy dragons on the island.

The sibs got more worried with every dragon who came up without reporting any findings. What if they escaped while everyone was arguing? What if they flew away? What if the other dragons blame us?

The last pair of SandWings went up to Blister and bowed deeply. "We found someone."

Blister tensed. "What did you do with them?" she hissed, her tail poised as if to strike.

"It's not what you think, Your Majesty," the same dragon said. "It can't be the assassin you're looking for. This one's a NightWing, and she's been hit by lightning, and she's unconscious."

"Half dead, I'd say," the other soldier added.

"Could someone have been with her?" Blister asked the same question that Chestnut had thought of.

"Doubt it," the main speaker replied. "Didn't see any other talonprints around her. Looks like she got hit, crashed on the beach, pulling herself to shelter, and lost consciousness. Probably in that storm a couple nights back."

Chestnut felt his world crash down around him. This wouldn't help them. This was some random dragon who happened to be found at this turning point in his life. They would still suspect him and Alligator.

"A NightWing, out here. How curious. Did you try waking her up?"

"Yeah - yes, Your Majesty - but I doubt she'll ever wake up again. Barely breathing at all, you know?"

"Fine," Blister snapped. "This is clearly irrelevant. Make her completely dead and then come back."

The pair of SandWings nodded. They opened their wings and flew back to where they came from.

"Then it is those MudWings who killed Tempest!" Piranha roared. "I demand that you kill the murderers!"

"Please," Chestnut said, finally speaking. "We didn't do this. We never would. We're loyal soldiers." 

"Wait!" Amber cried, cutting off his plea. She flew in a panic from their sleeping area, carrying the sibs' spears on her back. She dropped them at Piranha's feet. "These are their spears! They weren't carrying any then; they were just eating!"

"They could've stolen them," Piranha snarled. "I wouldn't put it past them. Besides, what is it to you if they're killed?"

"They're my sibs," Amber answered. "And we've never practiced stealth. We've never had the need to use it."

Fawn came up from behind her. "Besides, Chestnut and Alligator only wanted the war to end. They were really excited when they heard that this strategy could end the war, Your Majesty." She bowed deeply to Blister. "They wouldn't do anything to drag out the fighting."

Oh, Fawn, Chestnut thought fondly. But I doubt being flattering will help here. She's too suspicious a dragon.

Blister narrowed her eyes. Yup, now she believes we had ulterior motives. That's great.

King Gill looked up with tear-stained eyes. "No one do anything they'll regret. Piranha, hear them out."

Amber, noticing she was the center of attention, said, "Doesn't everyone want the war to end? If we split up the alliance, it'll take a lot longer to win the war."

Before she could continue, Piranha snorted. "It'll take longer if we have traitors on our side. If you kill off everyone important, then how will we win?"

"We aren't traitors!" Alligator roared. "Stop blaming us for something we didn't do!"

Chestnut winced. Alligator, you did not help our case.

Blister sighed, her tail flicking to the side. "Sandstone and Fennec, bring them somewhere else to kill them. Somewhere where these three," she waved a claw at Amber, Fawn and Morass, "won't see it."

Fawn collapsed into Morass and Amber. "No!"

General Swamp hissed. "You're losing your MudWing alliance."

Blister watched him with narrowed eyes. "I will not support having someone killing my allies."

"They weren't the ones who threw the spear!" General Swamp protested. "There's plenty of evidence against it!"

Piranha snorted again. "They're the murderers."

"NO THEY AREN'T!"

"We wouldn't do that," Chestnut insisted as they were pushed into the forest by the two dragons Blister mentioned. "You're only seeing what you want to see."

And once they could no longer hear what was happening by the lagoon, Fennec pounced. 

Alligator and Chestnut fought back. They fought as a team, in a way only MudWing sibs could. They fought with desperation, trying to avoid death. Knowing they didn't have their sibs ready to swoop in and save them.

But all it takes is one misstep. Alligator tripped on a tree root, not looking behind him, too focused on the fighting at hand. Fennec's barbed tail swung around and dug into his leg. 

With Chestnut alone and having to protect Alligator, it wasn't long before Sandstone slashed Chestnut's own leg with her tail.

"We can leave them here." Sandstone put out a talon, stopping Fennec from killing the two MudWings. "A fitting punishment for a traitor, having to die in pain. They don't know the antidote, after all."

Fennec watched them smugly. "That makes sense." He turned to leave.

They both walked away, towards the main camp.

But before Sandstone left, she whispered to the two sibs, "Brightsting cacti." She hurriedly followed Fennec away from the injured sibs.