How to Find Your Fire

(WoF) Chapter 23: Freedom

By Tidalclaws
Tidalclaws' PoV

"Are you sure this will work?" Otter asked Starscale as the group walked down the dark, and heavily decorated, hallways. Tidalclaws followed at the back of the four, Starscale in the lead, Diamond and Otter following shortly behind her. "Nope." Starscale replied quickly before leading them around yet another corner. Through the whole time they had been walking, Tidalclaws had took in every little detail, memorizing every twist and turn in the castle. He would have this place mapped out in his mind any time soon.

"Then why are we even doing this?" Diamond asked, catching up to Starscale when she began to pull ahead of the group. Starscale turned her head to look at Diamond briefly,"It's the best chance we've got." She whispered before continuing hurriedly onward. Tidalclaws stopped paying attention to their small bickering conversations and instead focused on their thoughts, which he had heard the moment he had met each of them. The weird thing was, all of them thought of completely different thought process. Sometimes, very disturbing things could be read in their minds that he wished that he had never heard, other times it was innocent.

These fools will get us all captured! And if we do get caught Queen Ember might as well just murder us for her own amusement! If we don't make any process or if we get captured, I'm out of this escape plan. I'll find my brother and we'll escape easily out of this place and leave these dumb camel licking idiots behind in their cells, begging for me to come back for them. Otter's thoughts were some of the most disturbing Tidalclaws had ever heard, other then his mother's, and he has heard alot of dragons' thoughts. Yet, despite thinking that she'll leave them behind, down in a little corner of her brain, was just a little spark of fondness to them.

He turned his attention to Diamond, who was a little crazy in the brain. Her thoughts were mostly focused on her own supposed beauty and about completely random, strange subjects. Like when they were back in their original room, she had been thinking about escape, Tidalclaws, and Starscale. But then she suddenly began thinking about the Icewing kingdom and 'what if a mouse were to randomly run in their kingdom? It'd be very funny if that special animus wall thing killed it!' He stopped and turned his head away from her, pushing away her thoughts, mostly fearing out of concern for his own sanity.

Then lastly, he looked towards Starscale. Her thoughts were always about her little cousin, her home, escape, and... Him. He had always known that she loved him, and there was no doubt that he loved her back. Listening to her mind was almost as beautiful as hearing her voice, except that it was in her head. He loved every aspect of her, the blue stars on her wings, her eyes, her kind and clever, yet fierce nature. Most of the time, he caught himself staring at her, and when he smiled at her, she smiled back. It always made his heart flutter.

But one thing that he wasn't sure he could do was tell her of his powers. She would think that he was just as good as any other animus dragon in the past, crazed and power hungry. He feared that she would think of him as a monster, like a Darkstalker reborn but without his future foretelling powers and without Icewing blood in his veins.

As he was lost in his thoughts, he could faintly hear the words "Tidalclaws! Behind you!" And he just barely jumped away in time before a Skywing guard could grab hold of him. Otter, Diamond, and Starscale were all in a defensive stance, their backs together and each facing their own Skywing guard. There were only three at the moment but then more came when a dark copper dragon called out for backup. "Guys, we have to take them all out. We are outnumbered but i think we can do it." Starscale growled. Otter smirked and stepped forward,"Let's play, Shall we?" She said maliciously before lashing out at one of the guards.

This definitely triggered the rest of them because the Skywings charged forward, sharp spears gripped in their talons, eyes glinting. The hallways were filled with snarls and the scraping of claws on scales. "Too afraid to join the fight?" He heard Otter's taunting laugh from the other end of the hallway. Her scales flashed bright colors as her claws and teeth glinted in the low light. In front of her were two Skywings, whom she seemed to fight with ease. His face contorted into a glare as he turned away from her.