The Story of Artemis- Wings of Fire

Chapter 19

Artemis may have been as quiet as a falling feather, but internally, she was shrieking at the top of her lungs. Stars above.

Lance? Why why why why. Three moons, MY father murdered HER father. I didn't even know he had a dragonet...Poor Tailwind.

Yes, he threatened them, but they were also not in a place they belonged. He was doing his duty, albeit with too much enthusiasm. He had a dragonet. A family.

"I-I'm sorry to hear that." She stammered out. Tailwind glared at Artemis with yellow eyes. They were piercing, like Lance's.

"Sure."'Tailwind replied simply, her tail lashing back and forth.

Artemis stood in front of the Skywings, waiting anxiously to see what they'd do. She'd never outfly them.

"So, Melt." Flare said with an unexpected kindness to his tone. "We should probably take you back home. I'm sure your parents are worried about you."

No! I have to go back to Jade Mountain! She thought as panic shot through her chest. I need to get some help and find my sister, or Shadow, or literally any other dragons beside these ones!

"My parents are dead." She blurted.

Lies upon lies.

Though she was kind of getting good at that.

Tailwind's eyes sparkled, and her facial expression softened. Just a little.

"Oh..." Flare began. "Well, we can just take you to Queen Ruby then. Y'know, just to make sure you have someone looking out for you."

No! She panicked. No, now how can I get back..?

"Thank you, Flare." Artemis said, dipping her head to the older Skywing. He smiled half heartedly.

"No problem."

Cardinal tapped her talons on the ground, her tail swishing across a patch of grass. Artemis noticed how much larger she was compared to the other two.

"Can we go now?" She urged. "We're too close to the Mud Kingdom. I wouldn't like to run into those dirty nuisances, old allies or not."

"Mudwings are actually very nice dragons." Artemis put in quietly. "Well, most of them."

Cardinal and Tailwind stared.

"Anyways..." Flare said.

"We were leaving." Artemis said, opening her gold and orange wings.

Tailwind, Cardinal, and Flare followed by flapping their own. Cardinal took off first, becoming a garnet dot in seconds. Tailwind flew after her just as quick. Flare was about to take off, but he saw Artemis hesitating.

"Melt? What's wrong?" He asked, turning to her. A little too close if you asked her. She sauntered a step back.

"I...haven't flown in a while." She said. She let her gaze dart to the ground. Guilt was clouding her eyes, though it was taken as embarrassment.

I just want to go HOME. She thought.

"A Skywing that is too afraid to fly after a while?" Flare questioned. "I'm so sorry...That is just terrible."

She sighed, feeling as if her wings were being weighed down each second by tiny stones, and soon big boulders. Flare tilted his head, the wind blowing his wings to the left. A small smile formed on his face, which was very weird to see on a Skywing.

"I'll fly beside you, make sure you're alright," he suddenly offered. Artemis then glanced at him sideways, her pupils shrinking.

Looks like I'll be staying at the Sky Kingdom for a while...Not to mention I now have someone right there to possibly figure me out before I devise a plan to get out of here. She thought glumly.