Wings of Fire; The Creed

Chapter 19

"Starburst!" her father said sadly, already knowing how his daughter felt about him. His forehead was covered in worry wrinkles, permanently indented into his face due to a constant worried expression.

The group next to her father, all puzzled about what was happening, stayed silent, except for a few whispers between themselves. They stood there for a few moments silently before Artemis finally spoke up.

"A-Am I missing something?" Artemis asked, her brow furrowed with worry. Her wings were twitching, signaling to Starburst a sign of nervousness.

Starburst rapidly shifted her penetrating glare over to Artemis, who leaned back a little, but not much. Artemis took deep breaths, noticeably trying to keep herself calm. Starburst flexed her claws, wanting to look threatening. It seemingly worked, achieving a small whimper from Artemis.

"Yes! You are! WHY DID YOU BRING MY FATHER!?" Starburst finally roared, causing Artemis' eyes to fog up and her breath to shorten. Diamondback and Bubble both stepped in front of Artemis, and Boris eyed Starburst. She didn't care at this point. She felt hurt and betrayed.

"I... Uh... Because... I-I thought that..." Artemis stammered, struggling to find the correct words.

"Don't bother explaining," Starburst fumed. "It's too late anyway."

Diamondback interjected, "What is your problem!? Why do you have such a big issue with Artemis!? All she did was try to help!"

Starburst hissed at Diamondback, already thinking of ways she could fight him.

I would first need to stop his tail somehow. I could spray it with venom, and that should do the trick. He is much larger than me, but I have a terrain advantage. I should run away first, turn invisible, and then come in from behind him.

"Don't you think that I would go get my own father if I wanted to! I never went to the NightWing village for a reason! I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE HIM!"

Her father winced but stayed where he was. Artemis was now struggling to breathe in the back of the group, silently crying. Bubble was now facing away from Starburst and toward Artemis, quietly trying to comfort the NightWing.

"I..." Starburst started. She wasn't sure what she wanted to say. Correction, she did know what she wanted to say, but she thought it better that she didn't say it.

"Starburst. Please. Calm down," her father started, but Starburst interrupted him.

"No, Father!" Starburst shouted.

Starburst looked back to her clawmates, "I never even wanted to be here! I trusted you all and you all betrayed me! I started to think that you were my friends! Apparently, I was wrong."

She quickly turned, trying to hide her quivering lip. She was holding back tears as best as she could. She didn't need them to see her weak. She isn't weak.

Starburst was about ready to fly away when Boris (surprisingly) said, "But we are your friends!"

Starburst stopped in her tracks, pausing mid-leap. She froze for a moment, wanting to believe them... but she couldn't. Not after this. She started to shift her scales in her usual pulsing pattern, and leaped off the tree branch, leaving the rest of them standing there.

Her mind was still filled with the blazing inferno of rage, making it hard for her to think clearly. She hated her father.

It's all his fault. Everything! He should have protected me! He should have protected both of us! He is too much of a pushover.

Starburst remembered when she was younger, only just a hatchling, she was running around the NightWing village. She was trying to find something fun to do but got distracted and started chasing a butterfly that flew past her vision. She was jumping around clumsily, trying to catch it, and possibly eat it if she felt so inclined.