Proboscis Book 1: Clouds Parting- A Wings of Fire Fanfiction

~ Chapter 1 ~

"Stratus!" Her father yelled, their voice distant. "Can you gather me some chrysanthemums and gardenias out west for the Flower Festival?

"Sure!" Stratus replied as she started flying out of the cave, away from her father. She had been worrying about the missing dragons in her tribe, as everyone mysteriously started disappearing one by one. So she leaped at the opportunity to get her mind away from it. Even her mother Cirrostratus, a brave, feisty dragon, had gone missing, along with many other dragons from all the tribes on Proboscis. She was afraid that Quartz, who had been her friend since she was a 1-year-old dragonet, would vanish into thin air, just like everyone else.

"Umm..." started Stratus as she landed near her father once she had completed her task. She was thinking how she would phrase this."I'm kind of scared and worried about the missing dragons. What if I'm going to go missing too? What if someone like Queen Thunder or Princess Storm disappears?"

"Don't worry about it," Stratus' father assured her. "It will stop eventually, right?" Her father was probably worried and scared, especially with the disappearance of Cirrostratus, but he was always better at hiding those emotions than Stratus. So they started working together on the bouquet, wrapping it in beautiful flowers and vines together.

"Hey," Stratus started. "Quartz hasn't visited the CloudWing kingdom in a long time."

"True," Cumulonimbus replied, "Maybe he could come here with his family for the Flower Festival. Then there would be more people for the Flower Festival. Speaking of the Flower Festival, we should probably get to work on the bouquet." While Stratus was working, she had thought of an idea.

"Maybe... Maybe Quartz and I could investigate and try to find the source of the missing dragons after the Flower Festival," Stratus suggested.

"Stratus, are you crazy? Who knows what could be the source of the missing dragons? What would happen to you if you went? You could die out there, Stratus. This is serious, and I'm not going to send you out into that dark and dangerous world out there, " Cumulonimbus replied sternly.

"Please, Dad," Stratus said beggingly, "I don't remember the last time I had the opportunity to have an exciting adventure." It's not like I want one. I just want to get out of the boredom of everyday life. And most importantly, I need to save everyone from these disappearances, she thought.

"Stratus," Cumulonimbus replied, "I know you love helping people the best you can, but I don't want you to die, okay?"

"Okay... fine," Stratus finally said disappointedly, "but if it gets worse, promise that you'll let me go and help."

"Okay Stratus," Cumulonimbus sighed. You can, but-" Cumulonimbus got cut off as Stratus started hopping around in circles like a 1-year-old dragonet getting what they wanted.

"You can go but only if Quartz's mom approves, okay?" Cumulonimbus continued. "Plus, I want you in armor from head to claw, and maybe a second layer of armor too, and a sword, a shield, a map with 5, no 6, no... 8 ways to get home in a hurry, and-" 

"Okay," Stratus replied, still jumping in circles around Cumulonimbus. As Stratus's father led her back inside, Stratus was pleased that she had convinced him to let her go.

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"Stratus!" Her father yelled trying to wake Stratus up, "We've gotten permission from Queen Thunder and King Tornado to go to the CrystalWing kingdom!"

Stratus's eyes popped open. She leapt to her talons, all sleepiness abandoning her, replaced by overwhelming excitement. "Let's go, let's go, let's GO!" Stratus yelped, practically dragging her father out the door. He pulled away from her and the two took off, flying past at least two hundred dragons out and about, preparing for the upcoming Flower Festival. As they passed a pale blue house, about halfway between the palace and the kingdom walls, Stratus saw a dragonet from school waving at her. His scales, like everyone in the tribe, were a pale gray, but his scales were always dappled with bright white and vibrant blue scales. Stratus waved back and turned around to continue out of the kingdom.