How to Find Your Fire

(WoF) Chapter 1: Escape

This is written by thedragonshifter
(WoF part)

Guilt, sadness, loneliness, and many more emotions hung over TidalClaws' blue and black scaled head like a still standing storm cloud. It felt as if time was slowed but in real life he was running as fast as he could. He was running to nowhere, more specifically anywhere other then the Seawing's Summer Palace.

If he wanted to, TidalClaws could cast a spell to make his life a nice happy place instead of one where he is covered in scars from his abusive parents who tortured him every time one of his many flaws showed through his soft outer shell. Though he may have seemed tough to all of the Seawings who had hated him anyway, he was really a clumsy, shy, reckless, self-conscious, and pathetic mess.

At every sound or noise he heard, he assumed it was a Seawing guard coming to take him to the dungeon for running away. But even that would be better then living with his Mother. She hated him, he could read it in her mind.

When TidalClaws hatched, he was given the power of mind-reading from the two moons and animus abilities from his Seawing mother, who he was pretty sure was on the verge of losing her soul forever. She used her magic too much and it was eating her away from the inside out. That was why TidalClaws had never told her- or and other dragon of his abilities. They would force him to use his magic and he would have no soul left. In fact, TidalClaws had only used his powers once and it was on the only gift he had ever received in his whole life.

When he had turned exactly one on his birthday, his NightWing father, Shadowedpath, had given him a single copper wire necklace stringed with three small blue topaz gems. It was the most valuable thing he had ever received and it was his final gift from him before his mother had killed his father right in front of his eyes. He could still picture the memory of her ripping each scale after another followed by the teeth and then his claws.

TidalClaws shivered from that horribly terrifying memory and looked down at his wrist. His talons were tearing through the green jungle foliage on the island and the one year old bracelet bounced slightly. It had the smallest most harmless enchantment he could think of on it, it was enchanted to make him fast, but only a little faster then normal a Skywing and with a bit more stamina then a Sandwing. No one would notice this small little difference, right?

No more magic. I can't use anymore or else my soul will go bad! He fixed his terrified gaze ahead of him and finally he reached the edge of the island and immediately launched himself into the air, flapping furiously and darting towards Pyrrhia's mainland. he had to fly across a sea but he didn't mind. Tidalclaws would fly across an ocean to get away from the Sea Kingdom.

----- one day later -----

TidalClaws touched down onto the beach and immediately flattened himself onto the warm sand. He knew that he couldn't stay here for long or else he might be spotted my Mudwings, but even they might not care enough about him and continue sleeping in their swamp. He had flown non stop over the sea with only a few rests where he glided on the wind current.

TidalClaws rested for a few minutes before jumping to his feet again and began to walk quickly across the beach and into the marsh. He had completely memorized the map of Pyrrhia and knew where the Mudwing kingdom was located. Despite his sad life and bad traits, one thing TidalClaws would be known for was his brains.

He stayed at the left side of the Mud Kingdom would make his way around the border and towards the Diamond Spray Delta where few Mudwings would be dwelling. And even if there were, that was the place of lower class Mudwings. They wouldn't care about him if he flew over head.

He lifted off into the air again and flew along the edge of the kingdom and headed towards the spot where he could faintly see the Diamond Spray River and rare movement along the ground of bulky brown shapes.
He kept to the air, constantly checking behind him and below him and every where. Everytime the wind current shifted just the tiniest bit, he flipped around and expected to see a big menacing Seawing guard or a not-so lazy Mudwing in his pursuit like "TOAD-SPIT AND CAMEL FOOD YOU FREAKY AND TOTALLY RIDICULOUS LOOKING DRAGON IMMA FEED YOU TO MY PET HIPPO!" But nothing like that ever happened.

It didn't take anymore then an hour to fly to the Diamond Spray Delta and land awkwardly into the marsh/grassland terrain. Large hardened mud structures rose up every so often and he had read in a scroll that Mudwings made their houses in them. He had also learned that they lived in small groups of usually four consisting of brothers and sisters. The sibling that hatches first becomes the "bigwings" who is the leader of the group.

TidalClaws padded slowly around, looking around cautiously and practically jumping out of his scales with a yelp when eyes rose out of a mud hole and peered curiously at him. Then came three more pairs of eyes and then the four heads that belonged to the eyes. Tidalclaws was frozen in fear. He had read that Mudwings were large and bulky but he had never seen one- seen four up close before and he was terrified.

The lead dragon, one with a dark green-brown scale pattern pulled his mouth up in an awkward way that made Tidalclaws wonder if it was a smile or a smirk. Then, the dragon stepped forward and it towered way above his head. "What have found here, Frog, Fly, and little Bog? A hybrid dragon, what a fun little thing to toy with.." the bigwings said in a deep and rumbly voice. Another Mudwing came towards him with a smile on her face. "Its a tiny one to. Probably only two years old... how much can we sell those beautiful scales for in the Scorpion Den?" She wondered. The bigwings smiled once more. "What a good Idea, Fly. Let's skin him and sell the scales. It'll be great! Then we can move into the kingdom and leave this nasty dump." He laughed triumphantly.

A sense of dread washed over him as the huge dragons closed in around him. Is this when I die? Will my story end right now?