The Twin Islands-Wings of Fire

Tempest

Artemis took one step into the bright light, and vanished.

Everyone started to panic. Mamba yelled and raced to the door, hearing a scream come from the other side. But just like Artemis, she disappears as well. The rest of the dragonets narrow their eyes against the shimmering door, trying desperately to figure out where their friends had gone.

"What's going on?" Tempest screeches, flapping her wings wildly and accidentally smacking Snowfall in the face.

"Everybody calm down." Potent roars, raising his barbed tail and hissing. The others immediately freeze, eyeing his scorpion tail warily. "It's too crowded in here to panic like this. Now we're going to calmly walk out. One by one. And figure out where Mamba and Artemis went. Okay?"

Seaglass straightens his posture, meeting the Sandwing's gaze.

Tempest just shivers, lowering her wings as Potent walks inside. There's no noise when he vanishes, just calm silence. Tempest stares at the door with wide eyes as Mudpuddle pushes her forward gently.

"This is weird." She whispers, sticking a paw in the door. Her talons crackle and fizz with energy. She's about to say something else when, like a magnet, she's pulled inside.

Shrieking, Tempest is thrust into open air. Being caught of guard, she begins to plumet as the hybrid struggles to open her wings in the roaring wind when suddenly she's jarred from her fall. The air now cushioning her gently as she glides, and Tempest looks down to find Mamba beaming up at her.

Regaining her composure, Tempest is soon hovering beside Mamba. The skies are clear and blue, not a single cloud shining through as the sun blazes overhead. The only movement is Potent and Artemis twisting and flying as they took in the sights before them.

"The sun?" She thinks. "Wasn't it just night time a few minutes ago?"

She glances around, and up at the light. The sun sits like a drop of gold at the very top of the sky. They're surrounded in vast marble-looking mountains. Traces of black, dark grey and white can be seen in the stone peaks. Tempest had never seen mountains like this before. She gazes at the stone, but it seems as though everywhere she looks it's just mountainous terrain.

A few seconds later, Mudpuddle, Seaglass and Snowfall appear, blundering in the sky. Bursting forth from a pocket in the mountainside that glowed as bright as the sun when they passed through. But like shadows had swallowed it up, the spot vanished.

"A portal." She stares in awe. Where were they, anyway? Was this it? The islands? Or at least one of them, maybe.

Artemis gasped, and immediately reached into her bag and pulled forth the weathered map. Interested, Tempest glides beside the Nightwing, peering at the map as Artemis unrolls it.

"Where do you think we are?" Tempest asks, beating her large wings to stay aloft. Artemis rolls her eyes at her, a talon tracing the map.

"I believe we're...here." She points to a section on the second island, which reads KINGDOM OF CRYSTALS in bold letters. It's the most mountainous area on the map. "That, or we're near the Lava Kingdom.. But we'd be feeling more than wind if we were."

Tempest flaps and twirls with glee, almost knocking Artemis out of the air.

"Hey!" The Nightwing squawks, righting herself and flying farther away from her.

She beams. "Sorry, I'm just really excited!"

"Really excited about being in the middle of nowhere?" Potent snorts, making Tempest's heart leap into her throat. Why was he so quiet?

"Did anybody see that?" Seaglass yells, diving down between Potent and Tempest, beaming and showing off sharp white teeth. "That was like, totally cool how the door just sucked us in like that. It's certainly an animus thingie." He nodded sharply.

Tempest has to hold back the urge to smack him with her tail. "Well it's obviously animus, featherbrain." She rolls her eyes. Even she knew that!

"My wings are getting tired." Mamba groans from overhead, peering at them with bright golden eyes. "Can we land somewhere?"

Tempest looks around, not finding any ledges capable of holding them, or any caves for that matter.

"Strange." Snowfall observes, also noticing the lack of rest spots.

"Maybe there are more near the bottom." Artemis beats her wings, narrowing her eyes as the sun beams down on her face. "We are pretty high up..."

"I'll go check!" Mudpuddle and Snowfall offer at the same time. Freezing, and promptly glaring at the other.

"We'll all go check." Tempest says, crossing her arms and frowning.

"Sounds like a good plan to me." Seaglass agrees.

"Absolutely. We are not splitting up. Ever." Mamba states. "Especially in unknown territory."

"Alright, alright." Snowfall holds up his talons. "Let's all go, then."

"Race ya!" Tempest hollers, diving abruptly. The others stare after her for a moment, laughing. Eventually they join in the descent.

If only they knew what awaited them below.