How to Find Your Fire

(WoF) chapter 13: Bravery

(I drew that up there ⬆⬆)

By TidalClaws

(Tidalclaws' PoV)

Tidalclaws' eyes practically bulged out of his eyes as a rush of thoughts zoomed towards them and a clanging of metal. And as soon as they arrived, hard and cold metal was wrapped forcefully shoved onto the both of them as four Skywing guards snarled their heads off. He was frozen in fear and only began to fly when he was dragged forward by a dark golden Skywing.

Their thoughts were smug and full of hate as Starscale and Tidalclaws were dragged towards their place. Starscale had desperately tried to talk to them but had failed when barely a word escaped from their mouths. Tidalclaws was silent the whole way. His wings shook in fear with every wingbeat closer to the palace. One reason was because, since he was a mind reader, he would be hearing the thoughts of millions of dragons at once which would cause him a great migraine, and second, they would probably be thrown in a dungeon and trapped there the rest of their lives.

When they finally arrived, He couldn't even manage to stare at the palace's vast beautiful decorations and walls. His brain felt as if it were being raked by one thousand claws and being mashed in a blender. But he tried to show no sign of it. They were in front of a majestic but small red dragon who sat importantly on a throne. She was examining her claws as if nothing amused her.

The guards spoke to her for a few seconds before the Queen turned towards Starscale and Tidalclaws. Her eyes examined them for a mere second before she asked a question directly towards Starscale. "Are you a hybrid?" She asked. Tidalclaws didn't know why he was so quick to defend her, even though he was completely one hundred percent terrified. "No, she isn't a hybrid!" He said quickly and shyed away from her red hot gaze.

Starscale nodded towards Tidalclaws,"he isn't one either." She tried but that wouldn't fool anybody. His scales were clearly a dark black and blue with glowing Seawing scales breaking the pattern. His wing membrane was an icy blue and he had webs down his back instead if Nightwing spikes. The Queen stared them with bored eyes and flicked her talons,"put them in the dungeon, they'll participate in the competition later tonight" she hissed and continued to pick at her claws.

Then, Tidalclaws was shoved forward along with Starscale as they were escorted towards the jail. He never resisted the Guards' hostile behavior, mostly because if he did, his head would probably be on the floor before you could say "QUEEN EMBER WILL DISMEMBER YOUR HEAD LIKE A CUCUMBER ." So he kept his mouth shut and his head far away from the Skywings.

They had finally arrived at the dungeon, which was a bunch of interconnected cells that seemed to be floating in a ring. Fortunately, Tidalclaws was placed into one near Starscale.

The time continued to fly by with Tidalclaws not saying a word and just lying on the cold metal. The Skywings' thoughts were mostly focused on Queen Ember and what had happened to Ruby. There were also a great number of dragons wanted to kill each other, which frightened him even more, and the most common thoughts were about a 'hybrid' death battle, that made his spikes on his tail prickle and rise. Is that was Ember meant by the competition? Am i going to get killed in a dumb and pointless battle?

When the sun had finally set behind the mountains and only a faint red glow was still lingering in the sky, the Skywing guards came back and pulled them back to the kingdom. But, instead if going to the palace, they headed for a large colosseum with high walls and a chain cage on the top. Both Starscale and Tidalclaws were put into opposite sides of the arena and about twenty five other dragons were caged as well. A fresh lightning bolt of fear struck him as if he were a lightning rod. Im going to die! I am most certainly going to die!

After a few announcements from the Queen, cheering dragons roared from the crowd. She had mentioned three champions and the names that the spectators were calling out were probably the ones of the champions. Then suddenly, the chains were lifted from all if the dragons at once and Tidalclaws was frozen in fear.

His reflexes were finally turned on when he felt claws grip his wings in an attempt to rip them but he spun around to see a dragon that looks to be part Rainwing and part Skywing and he turns and runs. Ducking beneath desperate talons and slash claws and blazing fire. On some occasions he used his small size to slip under the underbelly of a full grown Mudwing hybrid until he found a vacant part of the arena. He observed the situation, which wasn't better by one bit then it was before.

A young Icewing and Skywing hybrid was battling against a full blood Skywing, a Nightwing and Sandwing hybrid was battling a Mudwing and Rainwing hybrid, and many more pairs among those. But, the horrifying thing was that many dead bodies littered the ground with charred or frozen scales and their teeth ripped out with pools of blood surrounding them. I didn't know they can be so cruel!

He wasn't paying attention to what was actually near him when a heavy weight knocked him the side, near a wall with a thump! Flustered, he stared up at an approaching Seawing with dark blue scales and broken by small light green patterns and glowing pale scales. She was a full blood Seawing and by the look of how she stood, Tidalclaws could tell that she was a champion. Before she struck, he tried to focus on her thoughts but there were too many around him. They all flowed through his brain like a never ending river.

He came back to reality as the dragon sneered and let out a bellowing laugh as if to make him feel rejected before she killed him, which would most likely happen. And then, He darted to his feet and tried to run again. He was faster because of his bracelet but he came to a skidding halt before he could ram into another battling dragon. Then spun and came face to face with the Seawing. His fear intensified and he felt as if he were rooted in the same spot, before a terrible idea popped into his head. Im going to lose my soul! This is what makes me evil!

As quick as a snake, he snatched a loose rock from by his foot and whispered in such a soft and shakey voice that nobody would hear him, even if they were a foot away. "Enchant this stone so that the wearer develops impenetrable scales.." he finished with watery red eyes.

He then looked up and saw the Seawing swing it's large front blue foot and slice it across the bottom part if his neck, clearly going for a kill, but nothing had changed. Instead he was unbalanced and suddenly regained a bit of confidence. He jumped forward and rammed his head against the Seawing's broad chest and it gave him a split second before he took off into the air.

He stared around the arena and his eyes widened at the scene that was laid out in the opposite corner if the arena. A ridiculous four part hybrid dragon had a black-purple Nightwing pinned against the hard ground, it's jaws were widened, displaying long front teeth that resembled that of a Rainwing. He didn't know why he did it but seeing Starscale in danger had caused something inside him to click.

He dove towards the battle with great speed and used it to slam against the attacker, who was knocked to the side of the arena. Starscale then jumped to her feet and nodded her thanks to him before suddenly growing stiff. The only dragons left in the arena were him, Starscale, and the two champions, who stood facing them with rage in their eyes.

Now, all of Tidalclaws' confidence had faded and he crouched low to the ground beside Starscale, who stood tall despite the danger. He wished he could be like her but there wouldn't be enough time to try, because their death would probably be the next and last thing that would happen to them.