Wings of Fire • Journey of Metamorphosis [Book 2]

scene iv.

Get ready, this is a big one!! I probably could have shuffled some scenes over to the next chapter but it feels better together like this. 

I wrote this before I edited since I'm fairly happy with how it is, but future me might decide to move the end scene to scene v. Or it might get cut entirely. Who knows! (spoiler: I didn't)

A moment of silence for whatever FBI has to supervise my search history...

- ❈ -

He came to with an ache in his chest. His head pounded as if Demi had pummeled it and he couldn't remember where he was. But dragons were speaking nearby, somewhere just over him.

     "-not the Queen! My mother is dead!"

     What!?

     He tried to orient himself. When he opened his eyes, he couldn't see much, since it was dark. Where was he? The next thing he noticed was his throat – he was so thirsty. But if he was, why hadn't he drunk anything? Outside of his thoughts, the conversation continued, and Hawker tried to listen to gain information.

     "What do you mean?" asked a scared voice, and Hawker thought it sounded familiar.

     "I will explain later, now is not the time. Pick him up and come with us."

     "The DartWing?"

     Do they mean me? Where am I and how did I get here?

     The first voice reassured the second, "He'll be useful, trust me."

     He tensed, then frantically tried to relax. What do they want from me? He'd thought of springing up and escaping, but then the tip of his tail began to hurt. It felt like someone was stabbing him with their claws and Hawker struggled to not make a sound. He still wasn't sure where he was or what he was doing before he'd blacked out.

     Maybe I can find out some information by staying quiet.

     "Who's Seven?"

     Seven? Was that a name? he really should be paying more attention. The dragons left him and Hawker peeked an eye open. He couldn't see much, to no surprise of his, but he was surprised they'd left him unattended.

     Someone screamed in the direction the dragons had walked off in, and that made something in his mind click. He could hear other dragons screaming behind him. Why are they screaming? Those sounded pained, while the shout down the hall sounded terrified.

     "This is Seven," said the second voice, voice laced with resolve, "and I'm not leaving her to rot in this prison."

     Before he could unpack what that meant, he was approached by something big and lifted. He was astonished by how effortlessly he was raised and even more surprised when he was not uncomfortable – his head was not hanging upside-down, but rather, adjusted to rest on his chest, and his wings were folded carefully. It was hard to stay relaxed and not protect his wings, but he bit his tongue until he relaxed – as much as he could with the stabbing pain in his tail. He risked a peek to find that he was still in the dark, but he could hear breathing right above him, so he could tell he was being cradled under the dragon's chest.

     "Do you know the way out?" asked the dragon holding him. "I assumed it was up, but it's hard to fly in the Vault." The Vault? That's not a place I know...

     "You're right, it is up but I don't know exactly where. We need to get to the hunting area, I think." There was a pause as the small creature thought – a task Hawker knew had to be laborious – before it said, "the Slaughterhouse. This way!"