Firebird

Chapter 2

Phoenix woke up to a screech from outside. In fact, many screams. Chants maybe.

She slowly trudged over to the barred up window, and gasped when she looked out.

There was a giant amount of dragons flying around outside, holding up signs that were too far away for Phoenix to read.

But they seemed angry. In fact, some of the flying dragons were looking in the windows. When one dragon flew up to her window, she curled up behind the bed in her room.

When the dragon finally flew away, she switched her glance towards the door.

I need to leave.

She put one claw on the door. She hadn't left for four years. Dragons only came to check on her. She hadn't seen Queen Night, her mother, since she was a small dragonet.

She pushed the handle down. Locked. Of course. She pulled out her right claw and bent down so her eye was to the lock. She slowly inserted her claw into the lock and twisted it around for a little bit. Suddenly, a sharp pain came from her hand, and she pulled it out to look at her chipped claw.

"Frog spit!"

She was about to stick another claw in when the door clicked and creaked open.

Maybe this isn't such a great idea...

Too late. She scampered out the door, her excitement taking over.

She bounded down the hallway, stretching her wings out to skim the walls. She passed several dragons working in the palace, and soon had three adult dragons chasing her.

They were close on her tail, but she was able to outrun them.

She was free.

She came to the front door and heaved it open. The sun poured in and many of the protesters in the front of the giant crowd went silent as she padded out to a big marble slab in the ground.

In front of her, some dragons started realizing that she was the princess.

"Three moons!"

"The Queen has let her out!"

"Did our protest convince her?"

Now, up close, Phoenix read the signs.

Free the princess!

You locked a dragonet up

The Queen is evil!

Free the heir!

The signs just got more and more evil. Some saying that her mother was horrible. That Phoenix might have been starving, uneducated, locked up, and hated. Like she was a victim.

They didn't understand. They didn't know she was fine.

They didn't know she had been locked in her room, away from the sun, other dragons, and a life.

"Fire's Phoenix!" A booming voice shouted from behind her.

Queen Darkest Night stood in the doorway with five guards behind her.

"What in three moons?"

"Hang on, look at her scales."

Why do they sound so suspicious suddenly?

But then someone screeched, "she has the ancient marks!"

This made the entire crowd go silent. Not even one dragon spoke. Silence.

"This is why I've kept you in the palace." Darkest Night hissed. "They're terrified of you."

Then she walked up next to Phoenix, placed her wing over her, and began to speak.

"This dragonet is harmless. She has stayed in the palace her entire life. She will not be leaving any time soon. I want these protests to stop. Obviously, you can see she is fine."

Fires Phoenix didn't hear any of it. She was too focused on the wing wrapped around her. It was the warmest thing her mother had ever done to her, yet it felt so cold.

"Phoenix. You must not leave the palace. I will introduce you to everyone though, as my heir." Darkest Night then offered a smile. And Phoenix wanted to return it so badly, but she couldn't.

Phoenix went to bed that night, with her door unlocked, and a million thoughts swarming around her head.