Wings of Fire: The Burning Sky

Prologue

Rain splattered across Pyro's dark red scales as he looked around, making sure the coast was clear. The storm was starting to get worse. If they were going to leave, they needed to now. Turning to look behind him, his eyes landed on his mate hiding in some large bushes as lightning flashed overhead, illuminating her yellow eyes and rust orange scales. His face grim, he nodded. Stepping out into the open, the female Skywing looked around before motioning for their dragonet to do the same. The young fire orange Skywing shivered in the cold rain and ducked under his mother's legs for shelter. He looked up at her and she smiled down at him, nuzzling his snout with her own.

"Breeze. We have to go." Pyro said, drawing his mate's attention. His tail flicked in slight impatience.

Breeze looked up and nodded, her smile disappearing. "Right. Let's go."

The two dragons opened their large wings, and jumped into the air. Breeze carried their son as they didn't want his flying to slow them down. They had to get back to Skywing territory as fast as they could. Somewhat slowed down by the rain, the two Skywings were still faster than any other tribe. Except for other Skywings.

As lightning flashed again across the sky, Pyro looked back and growled at what he saw. Two dragons were following them. And gaining.

When Breeze heard her mate's growl, she too looked back and cried out in alarm.

"Faster Breeze! If they get any closer I'll hold them off!" Pryor said slowing down to fly right behind her.

Breeze quickened her speed, her wings moving faster and faster with each beat. Their son let out a squeak of fright as she did, squirming in her arms.

"Oh, baby. Please stop moving. For mommy?"

The dragonet looked up at his mother and obeyed. After a few minutes of silence save for the flapping of wings and the boom of thunder, a large blast of frostbreath flew over Breeze and Pyro, missing them by mere inches. The Skywings both looked behind them and Breeze's heart dropped.

The two dragons were almost upon them.

The one on the left reared its head back, readying another frostbreath. Pryo snarled and dropped behind Breeze yelling "Go Breeze! Fly! And don't you dare look back!"

The female Skywing beat her wings faster than she ever had. As she heard the sound of fighting and roaring behind her, she closed her eyes as her tears began mixing with the rain. Her dragonet looked up at his mom with worry.

"Momma?" He asked, putting a claw on her snout.

Breeze looked down at her son and smiled, trying to look braver than she was.

"Don't worry my little fire. Everything is going to be alright, okay?"

"Dada?"

"Your father. . . .is taking a little break. He will be back." Breeze looked forward and let her tears flow freely. "I hope."

After flying far enough that the sound of the storm was the only thing she heard, Breeze began looking below her, looking for someplace to land. Shortly after, she landed in a very small clearing. She set the Skywing dragonet on the ground and preceded to scan the clearing.

I need to find somewhere to hide him. Breeze thought, her looking growing more and more frantic.

After a few minutes, she found a small hole under some bushes that was large enough for a dragonet to fit. Breeze scooped up her son and set him down in the hole and put more leaves and twigs over his hiding spot, making sure she couldn't see him from across the clearing.

"Momma?" The small dragon asked, his eyes big and curious.

"Mommy will be back soon. Don't worry. I'm just going to go get your father and we both will be right back. Okay?"

The female Skywing leaned down and kissed her son on the top of his head. She moved back into the open clearing and looked up at the dark sky.

Now I just have to lead them away from him. Breeze thought to herself. If I went-

With a roar one of the pursuing dragons tackled Breeze to the ground. They pinned her and snarled.

"Where is he?" The dragon asked, his snout inches from her ear.

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Skywing. I know you know where he is." The dragon's breath was foul and Breeze felt like throwing up. "Tell me. Now."

"Never."

"Then die."

The dragon threw Breeze across the small clearing where she slammed into the side of a tree. She slowly got to her feet and looked at her attacker more closely. He looked to be a Skywing like her with dark orange and red scales, but he had a lot more spikes than normal and his tail was whip thin. His eyes were a striking blue and his claws were hooked.

A hybrid. Breeze thought. An Icewing one no less.

The hybrid growled before he ran at Breeze, catching her off guard. He pinned her again but this time she raked her claws across his snout. He howled in pain and let go of her as he moved his claws to feel his now bleeding nose. He turned and snarled at Breeze before opening his mouth.

Oh no! Frostbreath! She thought scrambling to get away.

To Breeze's surprise, the hybrid let loose a large burst of flame instead, evaporating the rain around it. The fire grazed her tail and she hissed in pain, glaring at the hybrid. Before she could retaliate, the hybrid was upon her again, pinning both her arms.

"Nowhere left to go."

"Oh really? I had no idea."

The hybrid let out a low growl. "One last chance. Tell me where the child is and I'll let you go free."

"Not on your life."

"You're right." A large grin spread across the hybrid's face. "It's on yours."

He opened his mouth and fired another blast of fire directly in Breeze's face, burning it beyond recognition. The hybrid stepped back from the lifeless body and wiped some blood off of his nose. As he did, another dragon flew down into the clearing. It was also an Icewing-Skywing hybrid, but his scales were white with a blood red underbelly and with smaller wings. His eyes were yellow with the left one having a cut going across it. He was larger than his brother and he looked at his brother's snout with slight amusement.

"I hope she didn't cause you much trouble." He said, a small smile on his face.

"Shut up. I didn't ask for your opinion."

"And yet I gave it."

The smaller hybrid continued to wipe blood off his snout as his brother looked around the clearing.

"Find the dragonet?" He asked.

"No. She wouldn't tell me."

The larger hybrid looked thoughtful for a moment. "This place might be a decoy. She must have led us here, away from the hatchling."

"You think so?"

"Don't question me, brother."

"Right. Whatever. Let's just go already."

The two hybrids took one more look around the clearing before flying off.

After a few moments, the Skywing dragonet crawled out of his hiding spot and ran over to the body of his mother.

"Momma?" He asked, nudging her face with his nose.

"Momma?" He asked again, this time more urgent.

"Momma!" He yelled, begging to cry.

Silence.

"Momma."

Lightning flashed, illuminating his mother's face and the Skywing dragonet cried out in fear and fell backwards. When it became dark again, the young dragon forgot his fear and curled up next to the unmoving body of his mother and tried to fall asleep, hoping this was all just a bad dream and that Dada would come wake Momma up and everything would be alright.