The Twin Islands-Wings of Fire

Snowfall

This was going great. Snowfall hated to admit it, but Mamba and Artemis had a pretty good plan. And it seemed to be working.. For now. There had to be a flaw, right? They'd get caught and snitched on. Then their whole role in the prophecy would be obliterated. What would happen if they didn't make it to the Twin Islands? Would Solar really take over all of the tribes? What would happen then? Famine? Destruction? The Apocalypse?

Snowfall was thinking so deeply he was caught off guard when the group suddenly stopped, and Mamba whipped a single wing in front of their faces, browns and blacks flowing out of her shoulder to blend into the walls behind them. She froze, as still as a polar bear that waits for a seal to pop out of an ice hole for air.

A few seconds later, everybody let out a breath and kept moving. Snowfall was focused, sure. But every now and then he'd get sidetracked by the humming coming from a unnaturally pale green Seawing

"Seaglass." He hissed through gritted teeth, glaring down at him with eyes like frostbite.

"I'm trying to lighten the mood." He hissed back, flaring the gills on his neck.

Snowfall growled, holding himself back from strangling him right then and there. Potent wouldn't care of he did, the others would. But of course they would, they grew fond of the group quickly.

The plan was to head to a place where all seven dragonets could leave at once without it being overly obvious something was wrong of there was another dragonet there. So, the Prey Center. Artemis had left Treasure with Prophecyteller, giving her very strict orders on how she wasn't to eat, sit on, breathe fire on, or, poke him. Just adding a few tips she'd learned the couple of weeks Artemis had him like how to feed him and what he liked.

She was so paranoid about leaving that thing behind it was ridiculous. By the moons, it's a scavenger! It's food. Why Artemis wanted to protect him, nobody had any idea. But it was kind of nice, Snowfall guessed.

"Okay guys." Artemis said, speaking a little louder. "We're almost there. If there's someone in there, just act casual. But there shouldn't be, really. It's night."

The others followed and ducked out of the way as they entered the sloping tunnel with tangled branches overhead. The air instantly dropped a few degrees while strong winds blew feathers around, and Snowfall sighed in relief. The others didn't look so happy. He was confused for a second, but then realized it would be much colder once they started flying. With the wind and their speed, it'd be very chilly. He gave them all a smug look, but Potent gave one right back.

"Heat generating scales. Duh, Snowfall. You leaned about that in dragon anatomy." He mentally slapped himself. "I really need to stop talking to myself."

The others spread their wings to take off into the windy air. Tempest and Mudpuddle were the first to leave, pumping their wings and soaring up in an instant.

"Hey, hey." Snowfall said, walking up and jabbing a talon outside. "Isn't the tunnel to the doors on the ground?"

Artemis nodded, confused. "Yeah... I've explained this already. Do I really need to go over it again?"

"Uh, never mind." Snowfall stepped back, embarrassed. "That's what you get when you argue with yourself."

There were talon steps, and a few tsks behind the Icewing. Snowfall turned around, and groaned.

"What." He snapped.

Seaglass grinned at him. "Pay attention, icy! And I thought I had attention issues. Ha!"

Snowfall growled, narrowing his eyes.

"Lost for words?" Seaglass teased. "Ha ha, I'm done now, don't worry." He walked past him, brushing his wing against Snowfall's. "Let's go."

Snowfall stared, blush peppering his face. "No. Stop. Snowfall. Don't you dare." He cleared his throat, the spikes on his neck flaring.

"Don't tell me what to do." He says, hurrying after the Seawing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Everyone's here?" Tempest yelled, squawking in outrage when Mamba thwacks her with her tail.

"Be quiet!" Mamba hissed, and the hybrid frowned and beat her wings.

"Yes, Tempest." Artemis rolled her eyes.

Snowfall was grateful to be able to stretch his wings. Granted, the hallways offered more than enough room, but he liked the feeling of air that slipped under his scales, and the adrenaline when flying.

The group had swung around the mountain, flying low and avoiding open caves until they could find the tunnel. But the dark made it very difficult to see where it was. How could they see a shadow inside a shadow.

"Just try and sense it." Artemis had said. "It gives off a eerie vibe."

"It's night-time!" Potent had retorted "Everything gives off an eerie vibe!"

The two moons sat swathed in a blanket of dark clouds that were just waiting to pour rain over their heads. Pressure was high in the air, and more than one of them complained of a headache.

"We can't just keep flying in circles forever." Snowfall shouts. "A storm is coming and a storm means lighting. Sorry, but I'm not hoping to be struck anytime today."
The others agreed, so they had taken shelter in the forest of trees and oddly shaped peaks below.

"This is just great." Potent complains, hiding under his wings and a cluster of fat leaves from the now vicious downpour.

"We don't need any of that sarcasm right now." Snowfall snaps, flaring the icicle spikes around his neck to seem menacing.

Potent raises the scorpion barb at the end of his tail, raising the tension.

"Stop, stop." Mudpuddle shakes her head. "This isn't helping anyone."

"True." Seaglass agrees, frowning at Snowfall. "A fight and fire and frostbreath would be a real attention grabber." He says obviously.

Artemis watched them with an ever growing anxious expression. "Maybe we could walk around, and see if we can find something?" She asks, receiving pleased and unhappy looks.

"Absolutely." Mamba says instantly, spreading emerald wings. "I'm up for some exploration." She grins at Artemis and Mudpuddle, who both nod.

"Same." Mudpuddle and Tempest agree at the same time. They both stop for a second, then smiling and laughing at one another, pleased.

"So that's decided." Artemis smiles shyly, "Mudpuddle, Tempest, Mamba and I go look for the tunnel."

"I'm coming too." Potent speaks over her, and Artemis gives him a surprised expression.

"And Potent too." She finishes, a new light to her eyes.

"Oh no." Snowfall blinks. "Oh please let Seaglass go with them."

"I'm gonna stay." Seaglass pipes up, staring at the clouds with a baleful expression.

"Impale me with an icicle, please." Snowfall groans, lowering his head.

"Alright then." Mamba shakes out dewdrops from her wings, beaming. "Shall we?" She bows at Artemis exaggeratively, then bounding into the forest and disappearing instantly after Tempest, Mudpuddle, and Potent.

Snowfall is left standing alone with Seaglass.