The Story of Artemis- Wings of Fire

Chapter 24

It was their second day fleeing from Queen Ruby's palace, and both hadn't spoken much since they left. Nova and Artemis kept flying in silence. Far as they possibly could go without a break. They were, after all, just two strangers.

The sky was a pitch black speckled with a few stars here and there that night. Clouds were scattered in bright grays and deep purple hues . Both of their wings ached. Finally speaking up, Artemis decided they should land.

"We've been flying for a while." She says awkwardly, not really knowing how to talk to Nova. "I know a good place to stay for the night."

"Okay." She replied simply, as if she was deep in thought.

Artemis narrowed her wings downwards so she swooped near the ground. The wild vegetation would hide them if needed, and it was a remote area near the Mudwing and Skywing kingdoms. Supposedly uninhabited, but she doubted that.

Artemis strides over to the front of a small pond. Frogs croak and crickets chirp, the noises enough to make her sleepy. But despite her exhaustion, she plunges her head in the water to take a drink and wake herself up. The water was a shocking icy cold, and she jerked her head back before any...incidents occurred.

Gasping in the sticky air, she collapses near the pond, wanting to just lock herself away and sleep for eternity. Nova slowly approaches the pond, giving Artemis a single glance before she too satisfied her dry throat.

Settling down near Artemis, Nova's eyes became glazed as she stared up at the sky, not saying a word.

"Was Phyllor a friend of yours?" She asked suddenly, and Nova glared at her for a split second.

"I guess." Nova replied. "I never knew his name, but I'd seen him around before." She said quietly. "Who knew a practical stranger would risk their life for mine." She laughed weakly. "Weird, isn't it?"

Artemis averted her gaze. A weight seemed to be pressing down on her chest. The events of the past day or so had been more packed than she expected.

She tugged at the satchel around her neck, wondering about the scroll inside. She also thought about Queen Ruby. How she could've just left everything behind and stayed with the Queen for the rest of her life. No worries. Nothing.

Then there was Flare... They had grown a strong bond, and Artemis was heartbroken to leave her friend behind. But she had her other friends at Jade Mountain, and she was going to get back to them.

"So where are you from, Nightwing?" Nova asked, finally looking down from the sky.

Artemis explained how she used to live in the Skywing kingdom. How parents used to be spies, and she told her about her sisters. Eventually, she spilled out her whole life up until this point. She had never vented to anyone before.

Nova blinked, trying to take in all the information. "Pretty impressive lie." She says, distantly. "But I won't believe you for one second."

"I'm not lying!" Artemis promised. "The necklace made me a Skywing. Look." She reached out a talon and touched Nova's wing, focusing on what she wanted to be. The necklace throbbed with blue light, and Artemis felt her scales strip away and her horns shrink. But her wings stayed the same size. Her vision suddenly became much clearer, as if it was daytime.

Nova's jaw dropped as she stared at Artemis. "How did you do that?" She exclaimed.

Artemis looked down at her necklace, equally surprised to find her scales shifting with a kaleidoscope of colors.

It actually worked!

Biting down on her emotions, she made her scales a dark purple, similar to her old scales.