Wings of Fire; The Creed

Chapter 20

Firefly jumped backward, a look of confusion and horror and shock. Her scales turned all sorts of colors. Her breath quickly changed from calm and soft to panicked and quick.

"W-What!? Starburst! What!?" she said, her voice wobbling.

Starburst was shocked by Firefly's reaction. She felt hurt.

"I-I needed to tell you..." Starburst said with tears in her eyes.

Firefly was grabbing her head, shaking her head no, "I-I can't do this... I-I need to leave."

Firefly turned and ran, leaving Starburst alone. She reached out for a second, wanting to explain to Firefly, but it was too late.

Starburst heard a roll of thunder in the distance, and small drops of rain were starting to pelt the leaves above. Starburst sat there, alone. She couldn't tell whether it was a raindrop or a tear that was slowly rolling down her cheek. She didn't care. She was alone.

She was worthless, just like everyone says she was. She was a waste of food and scales. Starburst sat there, shoulders shaking as she cried silently. She had no friends... No one to care about her... No one to be there for her...

The rain was really pouring by the time she finally moved at all. She slowly stood up, her legs wobbling. The dripping of the rain covered the sounds of her struggle. She was still shaking uncontrollably, but she managed to stay upright.

Starburst suddenly heard a slimy, distorted voice call from above her, "Well, well, well. WHAT, do we have here?"

Starburst's head snapped upward, gazing into the canopy above her, which was still dripping water down on her snout. She couldn't see who said it. All she could see was the splashes of the drops and the shadows of the trees. She could hear the rustling of leaves from all the trees surrounding her.

How could she be so STUPID!? By all the MOONS, did she remember ANYTHING about her training!? She should have remembered to never stop paying attention to her surroundings. She should have remembered to NEVER LET HER GUARD DOWN!

"Who are you!?" she shouted at the dragon above her. She flexed her claws, getting ready to fight for her life. Her ruff flared and her scales turned dark red. Fury was in her eyes, but she still felt broken inside, but she could not show weakness. Not now.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I wouldn't get feisty," the dragon said, coming out of the shadows above her.

I can take him. Only one dragon? Easy! I can just spray venom and make a run for it if I must.

Unfortunately, four more hooded dragons popped out of the shadows, encircling her. She was trapped. She had no chance of escape. She growled low, but stayed still, not wanting to pick a fight she was sure she could not win.

"Who are you?" Starburst asked, her brain running on overdrive to figure out what to do next.

"Let's just say I... am close to the Queen," said the hooded dragon. Even though Starburst couldn't see the hooded dragon's face, she could almost FEEL the smirk on their face.

It took all of Starburst's willpower to not fly up there and smack that smirk right off their face. Starburst growled deep in her throat, flaring her ruff, and eyeing a potential gap for her to escape out of.

Something was strange about what the hooded dragon said, though. Something that caught her attention. What did the hooded dragon mean by, "close to the Queen?"

"I see you aren't that bright," the dragon said, earning a glare from Starburst. "I'll dumb it down for you. I am a royal guard, working with the Queen."