The Story of Artemis- Wings of Fire

Chapter 27

"Finally." Artemis breathed a sigh of relief, along with a small burst of fire. Her wings throbbed like they were being hacked off with a Sandwing barb. She and Nova had reached the end of the endless forests and unnecessary mountain peaks.

Right before her eyes were looming shapes in the gloom. Jade Mountain. After days and days of flying, resting, hunting, and talking, they had reached their goal.

Even though their large wings helped, they still made the trip in about a week and a few days. For a normal winged dragon, it would've taken even longer. Just because of their fast speed, that doesn't mean they weren't tired, either. Both were utterly exhausted. Even little Treasure showed signs of being tired with the black circles under his hazel eyes.

Nova decided they'd rest one last time before taking off again. Artemis agreed immediately, and stumbled to the ground once her talons reached the dirt.

She instantly toppled, her legs giving way. She wheezed and shut her eyes, breathing heavily as Treasure chattered and yibbled at her to be more careful. Nova landed beside her, sharing similar effects.

"I want to sleep..for a thousand years." Artemis groaned, rolling over with her wings splayed out. "Give me Darkstalker's bracelet and I'm set."

A sharp bolt of emotion suddenly shot through her chest. "Blazing salamanders, is he okay?" She had left with not a word to him, or anybody for that matter. But she couldn't help but wonder, how did he react? He had Shadowbender to talk to, though.

Shadowbender. The Nightwing's face beamed handsomely behind Artemis's eyelids, and she waited for her scales to tingle with energy and warmth at the sight of his face. But, strangely. Nothing happened.

"I can't wait to see him again." She thought with a sigh.

"Artemis." Nova's voice snapped her out of her daydream. She lifted her eyelids crescent by crescent. Facing the hybrid, just to find her wings spread and ready to take off. Artemis groaned again, mumbling inaudible words as she got to her feet. Nova looks at her, amused. But there was something else behind her smile. Sadness?

"What's wrong? Artemis immediately demanded, and Nova sighed.

"I..can't go any further." Nova winced at the look in Artemis's eyes.

"You're leaving..?" She asked softly.

Nova nodded, "I have..to get to The Scorpion Den." She said.

Artemis frowned sadly, but nodded in understanding. "Thank you for coming this far." She answered. "You really didn't have to, you could've left when you got free.. But for some reason, you helped me as well." She grinned. "And I thank you for that."

Nova smiled back, her wings raising. "Atra gülai un ilian tauthr ono waíse skölir frá rauthr." She said suddenly. Artemis arched both of her brows, making Nova laugh and roll her eyes in amusement. "Let luck and happiness follow, and may you be shielded from misfortune." She explained, a twinge of pale blue and gold appearing in the white of her scales.

Artemis chuckled and dipped her head, "See you soon." Nova nodded, and lifted into the air. Artemis watched as she was a faint white speck which that soon vanished into nothing, like the clouds had swallowed her up. Sweeping away the bones from their previous prey and scattering leaves over their faded tracks, she then took off as well.

~~~~~~~

Artemis tried hard to get rid of Treasure, but had no avail. The scavenger was greatly stubborn about leaving her side. Which, he never did.

"Go on!" She said, prodding him with her talons. As soon as she left, he'd be right on her tail again. Which, was highly annoying..but also reassuring.

Sort of.

"You can't come with me!" She'd growl. "Any dragon that sees you would eat you."

Treasure would point at her with ones of his paws, cross his arms and say something like "Yobble fribble." And that'd be the end of the conversation. She hated to argue with something that was considered a snack to most dragons, but she couldn't help but have a strong connection towards the scavenger.

She and Treasure were now at the very base of Jade Mountain, and with bright gold scales Artemis showed she was excited.

"Yibble." Treasure said, pointing.

"Yes, I know." Artemis glanced up at the mountain top.

"Yibble." He said more urgently.

"What?"

"YIBBLE!" Treasure jumped, throwing up his arms.

Artemis turned her head in every direction, just to spot some blackened earth in the corner of her eyes. She titled her head in confusion, walking to it. Treasure pulled on her wing, chattering anxiously.

"Shush. You wanted me to come check it out, and that's what we're doing." She said in a low voice, creeping up to the dark grass. It was like dozens of shadows had been captured and thrown into this one spot.

Artemis swore it was a entryway, but it seemed like an illusion every time she looked from a different angle. "What is this?" She whispers, mesmerized. "Animus magic." She turned to Treasure for help, but he just stared with a blank expression. "That's helpful." She muttered.

"Explore? Or just go the normal way?" She thought." Explore? No. I should go the normal way. Wait- yeah. No, LETS EXPLORE."

A small voice in the back of her head told her she was seeming a little crazy.

Artemis walked nervously to the shadowed place, and immense wrong feeling rushed over her scales. Despite her internal radar screaming, DANGER DANGER! She kept walking.

Just as she expected, the shadows swallowed her up, spitting her back out into a dimly lit cave. Small torches that oddly smelt of burnt bananas lined the hall, leading into an even darker path than the first.

She set her eyes on the shadowy place, set Treasure on her back and trudged onwards. Not until a horrible prickling feeling filled her throat did she realize she entered another passageway. This one went up.

"This seems more like a trick than a special discovery." She thought, her claws clicking on the stone. The light got better as she climbed up, and many faded and small carvings started to decorate the walls. Dragons of tribes she'd never seen before were lined up for battle. Some sat regally on thrones, others were bowing to a glowering Queen, who oddly reminded her of someone she knew..

Finally, she reached the top. Where three doors sat. One door was silver, one was bronze, the other was a plain gold. Artemis wrung her talons and began to reach for the silver door, but quickly changed her mind to gold instead. Shoving with all her weight, the door slid open with a hiss. She stumbled into a room, bright light glaring down on her. A small thunk startled her from her daze as she squinted her eyes. Against the glare was a small backdrop of a small Sandwing. She was holding a trembling paint pallet in one paw, and she had dropped her paintbrush from the other. Artemis realized with a start that she was somehow inside the Academy, in the art cave.

The pale Sandwing gave Artemis a terrified squeak and fled down the hallway, abandoning a rather interesting painting of a sunset. Artemis was dumbfounded. Someone had made a entryway into Jade Mountain. How, and who made it? Why did they make it? How old is it?

She hardly had enough time to think until someone set off the alarm.