Wings of Fire: Knowledge Unfurling

Chapter 1

Kinkajou poked her head into the final hut on the list. There was two dragons inside, but she fixed her attention on the younger one, who was bouncing along to her father's drumming.

"Hello, Mindreader!" She greeted the NightWing dragonet enthusiastically. "Aren't you so excited for another year at Jade Mountain?"

Mindreader grinned. "Of course! I heard there would be new students this year, to replace some dragons who left." She was bustling around her hut, grabbing items and shoving them roughly into a satchel. 

Kinkajou's smile faltered momentarily, her thoughts drifting to her friends Winter and Qibli. She remembered their decision to leave the academy with a pang of sadness. "Oh, yeah... You know, I always thought it was a bad idea for Winter to leave Jade Mountain," she said carefully, trying to keep her voice light. "How can we be the heroic Jade Winglet if he's gone?"

Mindreader shrugged, not noticing the sadness behind Kinkajou's words. "They probably had their reasons." Kinkajou sighed, nodded, before yellow excitement bloomed on her scales again as she heard a voice calling her from outside. 

She said goodbye to Mindreader and looked around for the source of the voice, mentally checking her to-do-before-leaving-for-school list. 

As Kinkajou scanned the trees, she spotted Sunny, waving to her enthusiastically from the direction of Queen Glory (her best friend)'s pavilion.

"Hey, Kinkajou!" Sunny called out as she landed gracefully on the platform next to her. "What are you up to today?" The little golden dragon nudged her side. "Aren't you excited to meet the new tribes?"

"Hi Sunny!" She replied, blue bubbles of curiosity appearing on her scales. "Oh my gosh, I am so excited! I've been going around and saying hi to all the Jade Mountain students in the rainforest to pass the time, I just can't wait until we leave!"

Sunny beamed back. "That's a great idea! I've been preoccupied with helping Clay with the new prey centre system - don't worry, it's a lot better than the old one-" 

There was a moment of silence as they recalled Clay last year, trying to control all the students and prey.

"Everyone stop moving!" Clay bellowed, "Especially you, chickens! CHICKENS, GIVE UP! WE'RE GOING TO EAT YOU !THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT! STOP RUNNING AWAY RIGHT NOW!"

Then they dissolved into giggles - likely a side effect of all the excitement. Sunny recovered before Kinkajou, (who was, by now, almost as golden as Sunny from amusement at that point), straightening up and smothering another laugh. "Anyway, this system's a bit less... chaotic  than the method of  'let the students and prey run free' like last year." 

As she slowly stopped laughing, Kinkajou said, "We should head back to the village, Mindreader was the last dragonet on my list!" Sunny nodded, and they both started flying towards the RainWing village. She flicked Sunny with her wingtip happily as she took off, swinging between the branches and perching on one for a few seconds to let the little SandWing catch up. Sunny landed next to her for a moment and panted, gasping, "I really should take some of Jambu's tree gliding lessons - Glory has gotten so good at them and I just can't keep up."

She grinned at her friend. "No offence, but even Tamarin is better than Glory!" 

Sunny rolled her eyes. Tamarin, her blind friend, had grown up in the rainforest and knew it off by heart. "You should have seen her when she first visited Jade Mountain! Clay and I had to help her around for weeks, and even then, she walked into walls more times than I can count!"

They landed on a woven platform that was part of the floor leading into the royal pavilion. Kinkajou could hear talking from inside, and heard Queen Glory and another female dragon's voice.

"I already told you, I don't know! Sort out your own dragons! Moons, why does this have to be so difficult?" 

"But, Your Majesty, Queen Snowfall requested-"

"That will do, Frostbite. Thank you, and please inform Queen Snowfall that I would be happy to host some of the LeafWings, but not permanently, and that she should find another place for them to live." 

"Thank you, Your Majesty." A IceWing emerged from the pavilion, looking worried and slightly surprised to find Sunny and Kinkajou outside. She heard Queen Glory mutter to herself, "For instance, they could live on their own moons-blasted continent!" 

Sunny glanced at her. "I thought Frostbite was some old IceWing animus?" She asked. Kinkajou shrugged, peeking into the pavilion.

Queen Glory was hunched over a scroll, her back facing her. Deathbringer, Glory's self-appointed bodyguard, was peering over her shoulder and jabbing at the scroll with his claw. He glanced over his shoulder, locked eyes with her, and quickly straightened up, snapping, "Oi, I can see your snout over there! Either come in, or go away! Her Majesty is busy!"

A sigh came from Glory's blue-green form. "It's fine, Deathbringer. Let them be. Who is it?" She called without looking up. 

"Uh... It's Kinkajou and Sunny." Kinkajou supplied. "Oh hello Kinkajou and Sunny. You're part of the group that's flying to Pantala tomorrow, yes?" Queen Glory murmured.

Kinkajou spun around to stare, alarmed, at Sunny. The little golden dragon lifted her wings to shrug back, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Uh... Glory? What do you mean?" She prompted. 

Glory finally sat up at turned to face them. "It says right here that you two are flying to Pantala tomorrow, along with Turtle and Pineapple."

Purple and bright green bloomed on Kinkajou's scales - Shock and confusion. 

They were what?!

Author's note: I hope this first chapter is enjoyable! I'll try to publish Chapter 2 tomorrow (sorry if I don't get around to it!) I'm excited to see where the story will go.