Power of Destiny: Poison and Dagger

Chapter Twelve

Blossom glanced at the conch shell filled with her payment. "It's nothing."

She grabbed the conch and promptly shoved it into Venom Fang's sheath.

Blossom noticed that Seastorm narrowed her eyes at her, the minus and plus pupils shifting.

"Are you sure?"

Blossom responded, annoyed, "Yes."

Seastorm lashed her tail, but turned around and trotted past the dragon skeletons, paying them no mind. Hare followed soon after, with Blossom trailing behind.

Why does Seastorm care about the conch shell? It wasn't her mission!

Blossom glared at Seastorm's deep red and blue back.

Maybe because she thinks she's my partner now, when she's my apprentice!

Blossom was angered. By now, the topaz sun was glaring down on the three dragons. Blossom walked with them for what felt like hours. The hybrid could feel Venom Fang's sheath hitting her neck. She could see Hare sort-of faltering. Blossom saw Seastorm send the kunzite IceWing a sympathetic look.

Seconds later, Seastorm asked, "Why don't we take a break, and go find food?"

Blossom scowled, but Hare tramped into the shade, Seastorm close on her heels. Blossom looked around. They had stopped on the outskirts of the Mud Kingdom, so the ground was muddy and sandy. Blossom felt the mud ooze around her talons as she sunk them into the ground.

Blossom never liked to hunt, for she loved almost all animals but fish, but her father taught her to hunt other things besides fish. Blossom watched as she saw Hare spear an eagle on her talon; Blossom turned her head to watch Seastorm attempt to catch a cow that was running away from her. Blossom scoffed. She would never catch that cow.

Blossom watched as Hare returned with a few birds and a cow, and Seastorm returned with empty talons.

Blossom turned and snapped, "We should get going, if we want another assassin mission."

Blossom ran across the field, passing flowers and a tiny human city, with humans running and screaming in little squeaky voices.. Blossom launched into the air, flying across the clearing. Blossom could see Seastorm and Hare follow her.

"So," said Seastorm once they were in the air, "Are we getting another mission from Venus?"

Blossom nodded. "She pays well."

Hare asked, "Where is she?"

Blossom replied without faltering, "At Jade Mountain Academy."

Hare's eyes widened. "At the Jade Mountain Academy?! I've always wanted to go there!" Hare looked mystified.

Didn't we just leave there?

Blossom heard Seastorm's voice behind her: "Well, we're headed there, in fact. Blossom, do you think Venus is still there?"

Blossom slightly shook her head, indicating no.

"Well, I think she still is." Seastorm smirked.

"Well," said Hare, who was attempting to disarm the situation, "Why don't we try to see if she still is? But, I'm not taking sides."

Blossom glared at the amethyst IceWing. She turned her head, only to see a MudWing smack directly into her head.

"Hey!" She snarled, "Watch it!"

The MudWing only sent her a confused look, but then flew in the opposite direction. Blossom heard chewing and "thank-yous" coming from behind her.

She dreaded the fact that they were eating meat. Blossom kept flying, ignoring the two noisy dragons behind her. Seastorm would never make a great assassin if she was noisy all the time. Blossom watched the ground below as it changed from the mud of the Mud Kingdom to a muddy pine-needle ground that marked the beginning of the Sky Kingdom.

Blossom turned her head upwards, seeing the snow capped mountains in the distance. She beat her wings, headed towards there. Blossom could see the curved summit of Jade Mountain in the distance, possibly where her "new employer" is, according to Seastorm.

Blossom's eyes focused on the labradorite fog clouding her senses. Jagged streaks of lightning crackled and scorched across the sky, lighting it up. Rain fell from the sky, pattering against Blossom's wings. The quartz RainWing hybrid never faltered, even when fat droplets and hail rained down from the darkening sky. For a moment, lightning lit up a dragon's face two hundred meters away. Blossom squinted, looking back at Seastorm and Hare.

Can they see this dragon too?

Blossom wondered. Seastorm looked like she was okay with the endless rain, but Hare looked like she needed help desperately.

Blossom turned back. Thunder rolled, and lightning struck, lighting up that same dragon's face. Thunder clapped again, and Blossom saw them get closer and closer. Soon, the dragon's face started to come into focus; Blossom gasped. The sky went dark, signaling that night was here.

Lightning crashed, and the dragon was right there. Hare screamed, and Seastorm gasped. The lightning lit up the familiar emerald face of Venus.

"You didn't kill her?"