The Story of Artemis- Wings of Fire

Chapter 28

Startled, Artemis jumped back.

Three moons. She hissed to herself, settling her ruffled wings and positioning Treasure on her back. "No doubt that's about us." She sighed to him, getting a gentle, sympathetic squeak in reply.

She stared down at her talons, frowning. I just need to find another Nightwing, and I'll be okay. Simple. Peering out the staglamite littered opening, she found some dragons in a panic, rushing for the opposite tunnel. She also noticed, with a sharp pain in her chest. that the Sandwing from before was the one in the lead, screaming something like-

"IT WALKED FROM THE WALLS! THE ANIMUS IS GOING TO KILL US ALL!"

Yikes. I'm not an animus. She flinched, and tried to make her scales match her surroundings. With no luck, she just changed her color to black and hoped the Nightwing deep inside this mess of scales would help out with hiding in the shadows. She held up her wings to shield Treasure from view the best she could

Rushing past the last of the fleeing dragonets, she ran alongside the wall, accidentally bumping into a emerald green Seawing. He looked surprised, but kept going. After making her way down the fourth tunnel, Artemis froze for a split second, hearing slightly familiar voices coming from the opposite cave.

"I bet they're overreacting." Grumbled a young, high male voice. "Whatever-her-name-is always paranoid anyhow." Artemis heard a sigh, and the scuffling of talons.

"Trust me, Gecko. I know." Answered the other voice, a female. Gecko said something else, and Artemis watched two Rainwing dragonets slink out of what she thought was a history cave. The female was now recognizable as Dart, but Artemis wouldn't dare approach them.

As soon as they left, she took off, hoping to find one of the dragonets of the prophecy. Someone from the other winglets, or just a Nightwing face. Preferably Starflight, since he couldn't see what and who she looks like. If she could find a Nightwing to connect to, and reverse the effects of the necklace, then she'd be able to confront her friends.

Following the brightly lit globes that lined the hallways, she crept silently past empty caves for fear something may hear her. But everyone had seemed to gather in one place. The prey center. That's where she'd find her friends. That's where she can finally be back to normal.

She heard the commotion go off from a few caves away from the prey center. She popped her head in the entrance, getting whacked in the face with a stray branch. The open sky on one side was a brilliant yellow, orange, pink, and scarlet. She could see Tsunami against the backdrop, ordering dragonets around and talking with Clay. The unmistakable shape of Fatespeaker and Sunny were confronting the Sandwing. Artemis pricked her ears, and she just caught a few of their words.

"It's alright, Ostrich. I'm sure what you saw was nothing to worry about." Sunny told the small Sandwing reassuringly.

"Maybe you'd been around the paint for too long." Fatespeaker suggested gently. "I get headaches when I'm near it for too long sometimes."

Ostrich looked doubtful, but she just nodded slowly.

"Alright!" Tsunami's voice rang out into the open air. "FALSE ALARM. EVERYONE CAN GO BACK TO THEIR CLASSES." A chorus of groans and bitter whispers answered her. "Oh boo-hoo. Get moving!"

Artemis pressed herself against the wall, trying to go unnoticed until she saw someone she knew. Dragons then exited the prey center into the Great Hall. She looked down and studied her main body shape. She looked mostly like a Rainwing, so she switched her scales to indigo and gold and raced down the hallways, counting on being an unrecognizable blur.