The Diamond Winglet: Frostbite's Power

Chapter 4

I glanced at the somber-looking dragonet with a confused glance. "What do you mean? I won't be trapped." I said. "I could come with you." She said quietly, and I blinked. "You want to come? Won't it be dangerous- oh. Right. You're dead. Can you even come with me?" I asked. She nodded proudly. "I can go where I wish. I want to help you, great-times-a-thousand nephew. You really will be great, at least." She said.

"I'll fade away, and you won't see me, but I will be with you." She said, and then froze. She disappeared, and I heard a noise behind me. Like a low, triumphant growl.

I turned to see my father with a spear, aimed at my chest. He had the most insanely gleeful look on his face, like he had won the world. I noticed the blue blood on the end of the spear, still wet. I flinched in horror at the implications at what he might've done. "What did you do?" I screamed, and my father grinned, his teeth also stained with blood. 

I saw my siblings come up behind him, looking battered and broken. Frost especially looked beaten down, and I also noticed the familiar groove of her claws on Chill's scales. Frost looked oddly satisfied as well, and I watched as Chill sent a small glare her way.

"Your mother is currently being imprisoned by the IceWing queen. She will await trial, and then we shall have a stunning execution. Unless, you want to make a deal with me?" He asked, and I growled. "How about I don't freeze your throat out?" I asked, taking a step forward, and Chill's eyes turned panicked. 

He took a step back, then closed his eyes in concentration, then gathered all his former confidence. He was trying to scare me, or make me think he was in charge. But he wasn't the one with the face-freezing scales.

"I was thinking more like you fight in the army, and she goes free. She'll live the life of a princess, comfortable and content. She'll be safe, and all you have to do is fight." He offered, and his eyes glared coldly. I knew what he wanted. He wanted me to kill. I couldn't do it! I wouldn't! It wouldn't be right, or fair, like mother wanted me to be.

But if it was to save my mother...

"Fine. But if you have broken your promise, you'll be frozen faster than you can say; oops." I snarled, flaring my misty wings for emphasis. "Well, we should shake on it, but my word is set in stone for now." He said, eyes shifting to my scales once again before looking me dead in the eyes. I cocked my head. "What's stone?" I asked.

Chill's eyes widened. "We'll have to get you in school, you clueless dragonet." He mumbled under his breath and he snorted frost out his snout in irritation. I rolled my eyes, and my siblings gave me a sad glance. Well, Frost did, anyway. Icestorm was still a bag of frozen snails.

He gestured towards the sky. "Well, let's get going. It's a long flight." He said, spreading his wings and taking off, leaving us to follow. I noticed three IceWings trying to let my mother fly, but her wings had been ripped beyond repair, and she was heavily bleeding. "Mother!" I called, flying over to her. "What did they do to you?" I asked, and the IceWing soldiers looked away. I could almost see guilt on their faces.

Blizzard looked at me with pride. "My beautiful dragonet. Whatever you do, whatever they say, you are my favorite dragonet in the whole wide world. You are special, and perfect, so don't let anyone tell you different. I just hope you will not have to suffer for my mistakes." She whispered to me.

"I made a deal. You won't be in trouble. Nothing bad will happen to you, mother." I promised, and Blizzard shook her head. "Any deal made with that IceWing animus is bad news. He's trouble with a capital T. Be careful, Frostbite." She warned, and I purred. "I will, mother. I will be good." I promised, and flew off towards my father.

He was beating his wings powerfully, a lot more than he needed to. He must like to feel powerful. He gave me a look that gave me all the information I needed. Stay away from him physically, and I would live. No problems.