Burning Bright → Wings of Fire ✓

Chapter 2

Gem never believed that NightWings could read minds and see the future, but she believed they had power. 

Normal dragon powers like looking like a night sky every time they drop down in the middle of the night. It is truly awe-inspiring, but when Gem saw it for herself for the first time, she didn't think it was so fascinating anymore. It was more scary than anything, especially since this dragon was giant than their own NightWing. 

Morrowseer landed heavily at the outcrop of rock, then folded his wings and lifted his chin, looking over his snout at the dragonets. 

Gem felt small next to that dragon. 

"Welcome, Morrowseer," Kestrel said, dipping her head at the enormous dragon. The NightWing snorted and lashed his tail, then studied the dragonets. His eyes clashed with Gem's for a moment, then he raised an eyebrow at Sunny, crouching on the ground. "What is wrong with you?" he spoke deeply and gravely. Gem tensed up and fluttered her wings a bit. 

Sunny squeaked as Morrowseer leaned down to look at her closer. "Don't you eat?" he snapped. Clay stepped up beside her even though Gem could see that he was terrified, just like the others. "she eats just like the rest of us, and she can't do anything about that. She is just small," she said loyally, and Morrowseer just raised an eyebrow then looked at the giant dragons than to Starflight. 

A sparkle seemed to take fire in his eyes as he smiled slowly. "And you, NightWing, must know I was coming today, didn't you? So, you must've used your Mind Reading and Foreseeing to see that I wasn't going to harm anyone even if I did... this!" his tail suddenly snaked into view, caching Gem off guard as it slammed her into the wall and kept her there. "Gem!" the others called as she came to her head ringing and eyes facing in and out. 

"Oh, don't worry, I didn't hurt her too much," Morrowseer rumbled, letting Gem down again, helping her to stand with his tail. "See? She's fine," Kestrel, who had watched the whole thing gritted her teeth but said nothing. 

Morrosweer's face was suddenly in front of Gem, and she hissed in surprise as she nudged her wings open with his claws running one down the golden veins. "Hmm," he said. Then he studied her scales, seeing how they ran from darker to lighter around her heart and crest. Her wings were dark sheen, though, and her tail looked like it had more than one set of scales. 

Then he met her eyes and tilted his big head at her "Strange, you look like a firesales," he said, then drew back and looked at the giant dragons. "How was her egg like?" Kestrel looked between Dune and Webs, "just like the SkyWing egg that stood in the process, but it was orange and red though, but it was huge," she said. 

Morrowseer made a grinding sound with his teeth, then flicked his wing at Gem, who was still recovering from being slammed into the wall. "She will do," he turned to Clay and sorted smoke, "him, too" Then Tsunami. "Her," and then he turned to Starflight and Sunny, "we will talk about the SandWing later, but for you NightWing, I guess you've seen that I will take you away to a private conversation." 

Starflgiht visibly shuddered his face, nothing but pure terror. Gem felt her head Thurm in sympathy, but she could do nothing. Tsunami, though came over and laid a wing against her. She then snapped at Morrowseer, "Why did you even slam her against the wall?!" the giant dragon looked down at her and raised both eyebrows. "Why not? If she is as good as any dragon, she will manage to withstand some pain. That is the way of the SkyWings anyway, isn't it, Kestrel?" the said dragon just lifted her chin, speaking nothing. 

Tsunami growled and then looked at Gem, who was reaching for her paw. Tsunami let her take it and twined their claws. Tiger "I'm fine, Tsunami, I am," she said, but Tsunami frowned. "No, you're not. You're bleeding," Gem sighed, then felt gingerly her backhead with her tail and flicked it over to see that it was red and dark and warm blood there. 

She sighed, then straightened herself shaking her head. "I will go and get some bondage on it," she said and stepped away from Tsunami and walked out of the cave away from them all. Even though Gem said she was fine, she wasn't. Her head hurt, and she was not seeing where she was going. 

In the end, her body had enough, and she saw a flash of black, then she slumped to the ground. 

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When Gem came, she was immediately exposed to the scent of herbs and salt water.

Gem frowned and flicked her tail as she lifted her sore head from her talons. She could hear the rustling of wings and the click-clacks of claws against stone. She was still underneath the mountain.

"Oh good," said a voice she recognized as Webs'. The green SeaWing approached her and touched her forehead with his index claw. "You seem to have regained your normal temperature. You had us worried, Gem." He nudged her affectionately with his snout, then beckoned someone inside with his wing. It was Clay, Tsunami, and Starflight. All had anxious expressions, but they lit up when they saw Gem smiling at them.

Tsunami came over to Gem and touched foreheads with her. "You scared us," she said, and Gem sighed, "'I know, and I'm sorry," she said.

Tsunami shook her head and stepped back so Clay could approach Gem. "Next time, remember to tell us what you're feeling. We care for you more than you know, Gem," he said. Gem smiled at him, then beckoned to all her friends, spreading her wings to envelop them all.

Webs smiled at them and dipped his head, slithering out of the room and leaving the five dragonets to gain their friendship on a deeper level. But even if there was happiness here now, there would soon turn sour, and Gem would be out for a new adventure. They all would be.