𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐚 | 𝐐𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢 𝐗 𝐎𝐂

Chapter 2

"Skua, Skua, Skua..." Fatespeaker thought aloud while looking for my name on the cave assignments scroll. "Ah, here you are!" I smiled in her direction. "Second tunnel on the left, third cave on the right. You are going to love your clawmates."

"Awesome! Thank you!" I said trying to slip out like I normally do.

"Ooooo, here come some IceWings! Wanna meet them?"

"No thank you." I declined, taking off to my cave. I kept my head down like Turtle usually does but I failed at going unnoticed, a pale yellow SandWing kept watching me out of the corner of his eye. As if he thought I was dangerous, Me? Dangerous? Pfffft, what a thought!

When I walked into my assigned cave I was stunned. It's so nice compared to the sleeping quarters in the East Wing in the Deep Palace. I picked up a scroll from the scroll rack and, sure enough, it was one of the many my mother writes. I picked up another and it was just the alphabet. One of my clawmates must not know how to read and write. I thought gingerly.

I looked around the cave and saw multiple sleeping spots, one of which was a little pool of water, Perfect.

"Hey now, hey there. Stop, stop, stop." Someone yelled from outside my cave. I rushed to see what was happening. Clay! I remarked excitedly. I had only met him once or twice but he was always really nice. "It's only the first day, folks. Nothing to be grumpy about already."  He persuaded, trying to calm down a SkyWing I've never met and, ugh, Pike. "You're probably just hungry." Of course he would think that, "Carnelian, take a deep breath and see me later. Pike, walk with me."

The SkyWing, Carnelian, stalked into, my cave! I guess she's clawmate number 1. I thought nervously. "Oof!" As I walked into my cave I groaned as someone hit me atop the head.

"Oh my gosh, sorry! I didn't even see you there!" A very squeaky voice exclaimed. I looked up to see a bright yellow and pink RainWing dragonet. "Isn't this exciting? That's why I'm this color. I've been trying all morning to be a more dignified color and I can't. My scales are all like, yay, we're really here! And will not listen to me!" The RainWing jabbered on."

"You're noisy." Carnelian growled from her rock ledge.

Kinkajou just ignored her, "I love this place! There's the most amazing library- not that I can read yet, but oh my gosh, I'm working really hard on it. And an art cave! We could make amazing paintings and then decorate our cave with them. Wouldn't that be amazing?!"

"You look different from the other SeaWings I've seen in pictures." Kinkajou pointed out.

"That's because I'm only half SeaWing." I said in a very small voice.

"What?!" Kinkajou shrieked.

"I'm a hybrid." I explained, "I'm half SeaWing half IceWing."

"So you're hardly a SeaWing at all. So that's ok!"

"Hardly a SeaWing." I've heard others mumble it and felt Gill slap me because of it but it's so brutal coming from Kinkajou.

"So what's your name?" Kinkajou asked me.

"Princess Skua, but you call just call me Skua."

"And who are you?" Kinkajou demanded. When Carnelian didn't answer Kinkajou started guessing. "Ooo, it's a mystery! We have to guess our third clawmate's name! 'Squelch'? No. Hm. Maybe her name is 'Friendly'! That would suit her."

"Those aren't SkyWing names." I reminded her.

"Think outside the box, Skua. I'm sure she'd love being called friendly!" Kinkajou giggled.

"I fought in fourteen battles! No one giggles at me! Least of all a RainWing who can't even read and knows nothing about war!" Carnelian exploded. I jumped back a bit as her huge wings unfolded rapidly. Carnelian stormed out of the cave, pushing me aside in a fit of anger. 

"Ouch, but mostly fair. That could have gone better."

"Clay said her name was Carnelian." I remembered. Kinkajou is right though, that could have gone a lot better.

"Ooh, that's pretty. Want to come see the library?"

"Sure-" Before I could finish my sentence Kinkajou flung me out the door and was dragging me down the hall.

{681 words}