The Ghost Crown - FlashWing Chronicles

4 - Shanti

My mind was still processing her words, running them over and over in my head in an endless loop.

None of them came home.

None of them.

None.

I was so caught up in my own thoughts that when I lifted my head, she had disappeared.

I knew she was too weak to walk far though, so all I had to do was follow her trial of footprints to a nearby cliff wall.

"So." I sat down in front of her, the sand scorching my belly, but I didn't complain. She gave me a cross look, curling her wings up around her protectively. "What do FlashWings look like?"

"They look like me." she responded automatically, then looked down at herself and sighed. "Well, not like me. Sort of like me. But not like me."

"Okay then." I said awkwardly, examining the strange markings that adorned her wings, body, tail, forehead, and around her eyes. "I've never seen a dragon with eyes like yours."

"There are only two dragons in the world with my eyes." the mysterious dragon murmured. "Me, and my mother."

Wow. Only 2 in the entire world?

"What's your name?" I prodded gently, noticing the sadness in her voice. I felt guilty that I kept asking her questions, but hey, I was curious! 

"Moonsong, the youngest daughter of Brightflash and Iridescent, heir to the FlashWing throne." she said, closing her eyes.

A princess of these dragons she calls FlashWings. I thought. "How did you end up all the way out here?"

"I went too far." Moonsong said simply. "And I lost my way. My scales too, apparently." she added, opening her eyes and looking straight through her chest into the ground. She turned away from me, but not before I could see glimmering tracks trailing down her snout. I scooted until I was beside her, my wing almost touching hers. 

"I..."

A boom in the distance caused her to leap to her feet, breaking the calm. "What was that?" she demanded, zeroing in on me. I stood up as well, casting my eyes towards the sky. "I don't know." I said, scanning the clouds. "But it can't be good. Let's go."

"Go where?" Moonsong's eyes narrowed. "I have nowhere to go, and you look like a dragon who just got kicked out of your home." 

I decided to ignore that last part.

"Look, that sound could be thunder, it could be nothing, or it could be the most dangerous SkyWing in the world." I said, trying to be calm. "So what do you want to do?" 

Moonsong looked taken aback. "SkyWing?" she asked after a pause, and I smacked my forehead. "I can explain later, but-"

A heavy weight landed straight on my back, flinging me into the sand and slamming my snout into the ground. Talons encircled my wrists, wrenching them behind my head with a sickening pop before releasing. I screamed, raising my eyes to see Moonsong paralyzed, her gaze locked on the dragon who pinned me down. 

"Well, look who we have here." A smooth voice said from above me, and I didn't need to see to know who it was.

"Crow, let me go." I said, turning my head so I wouldn't breathe in sand. "You know Shanti, that's a very rude way of greeting me, especially since we have...history, together." He ran his talons over my horns, and I tried to wrench them out of his grip, but he only chuckled.

"Let her go." Moonsong said shakily, lifting her chin when Crow focused on her. "Who's this, Shanti? Another...friend?" It was clear he had a much different word rather than friend.

"She saved my life." Moonsong answered while I fumbled for words. Crow raised his eyeridge. "Really." 

"As a princess of the FlashWings, I order you to release her."

Crow choked. I took the opportunity to spring up, throwing him clear of my back. My arms ached as I ran to Moonsong, "Come on, we need to get out of here!" I yelled to her. As I spread my wings, something yanked me down the beach by my tail. I twisted, and Crow's murderously happy expression send a shiver through my bones. "Get her!" Crow shouted, and a maroon SkyWing appeared out of the sky and tackled Moonsong.

Moonsong's shrill cry was drowned out by the feeling of Crow wrapping his wings around me, pinning my own to my body. "I told you you'd never escape." he whispered, his breath hot on my neck. The last thing I felt was a searing light on my scales, before I fell into darkness.