On Destiny's Wings: A Journey of Embers (UNDERGOING REVISIONS)

Chapter 7: Falling into Fate

Sundrop heaved a heavy sigh and flopped back down onto the cold rocky floor of her sleeping place. Her blue eyes flicked across her dull grey surroundings and closed. Nothing but the constant dripping of water met her flattened ears.

It had been three entire days since the strange occurrence at the Ember Palace. She recalled the bizarre figure she had seen in the sky that night and shuddered. The wailing siren cutting through the air was still fresh in her mind. Even her mother had returned early that same morning with a grim expression on her face.

"We were not able to catch the intruder," the dragoness had said. "It killed a scout and somehow, without the hatchery guards knowing, burglarized three more eggs. I'm glad to know it's not a FireClaw breaking these codes, but now we have no idea who's responsible and how to find them. Even now, knowing they're dangerous..."

Security had grown fervently tight, especially for young dragons and hatchlings. Sundrop and Flametooth were no longer allowed to venture outside their cave. The queen herself had ordered it. She wanted to make sure the intruder was found, therefore ensuring safety for the next generation. The siblings had even been banned from school. Sundrop wanted so desperately to go back and learn more about the heroes of the past. The dragonling felt a pang in her chest at the thought of Vexus. Her friend must have been just as bored as she was.

Sundrop rolled over and let her wings rest against the stones. Her vibrant crimson scales glittered in the yellow rays of the sun. It was a beautiful day outside, but she was condemned to what seemed like a lifetime of confinement. Her gaze wandered over to her brother. He appeared more disheveled and unhinged than she. Had he become a darker shade of copper? 

"Flametooth?" she grumbled out.

His flame colored eyes creaked in her direction. She had to hold back a sigh of disappointment. 

"Do you want to do something?" 

"Like what?" he growled back. "There's literally nothing to do."

Sundrop tumbled to her paws and steadied herself with her talons. There was a knot in her left wing joint that was absolutely killing her. She rolled her shoulders and flinched at the unraveling pain.  

"Well, we could sit at the cave entrance and watch the clouds go by?" she suggested cheerily.

Flametooth snorted, throwing back his budding horns. "Ask me again when I'm dead."

"Okay," Sundrop queried, "How about another race? Whoever makes it to the other end of the cave first gets the next meal all to themselves!"

Flametooth seemed interested for a moment before slumping once more. "No... mother won't be back until sunset. By then, we'll both be too hungry to care," he muttered. 

Sundrop frowned and set her sights on the rocks. There really was nothing to do anymore.

"Hey," she heard her brother pipe up. "How about a game of 'Go or Boulders?'"

Sundrop perked her ears and gave her brother a smile of approval. 'Go or Boulders' was a game of daring. If a dragonling had been dared to do something but declined, they were forced to lodge one rock into their scales. Whoever had the least amount of rocks in their scales by the end of the game would be the winner.

"Finally, something fun!" Sundrop cheered. She stretched out her front claws and trotted over to her sibling. The dragonling folded her wings in and sat down beside him with a grin.

"Okay," Flametooth began, "Who should go first?"

"I think the youngest should have the first turn," Sundrop said.