Wings of Fire: A Game for Glory

Chapter 12: The Search

Envy blasted a beam of concentrated energy at a training dummy that was stationed in front of a picket fence. Upon collision, the dummy was launched through the fence, completely obliterated and never to be used again.

"Let me see you do a SkyWing aerial technique," Said Jackal, Newt and Envy's personal combat coach. The tawny yellow SandWing looked down at the dragons. "You two never seem to correctly to the technique without crashing into a wall."

"It's hard to control my wings while diving at such speeds," Envy protests. "SkyWings have large, enormous wings, and Newt has-- small wings."
Newt snorted at Envy angrily, and the prince replied with a shrug.

"The length of a peregrine falcon's wing is about three feet. Newt's wing length is.. approximately five feet. And Envy? Your wing length is-- probably, six or seven. If a bird that's three times smaller than you can dive faster than the blink of an eye, then you two can too."

Envy looked up at the sky, huffing. "I'm probably gonna get myself killed." 

Jackal trotted away, and came back pushing a dragon dummy in front of Envy. "From above, I want you to dive and catch the dummy without crashing into the ground. Got it?"

Envy opened his wings, and he flew into the sky. He pumped his wings harder and harder, until he was a decent height from the ground. Envy took a deep breath, and he twisted into a dive. As gravity took her fiercely toward the ground below, he struggled to claim any of the air that rushed by for his own lungs. The cold air rushed past as he accelerated faster and faster. To go faster, he folded his wings closer to his body, and the wind seemed to hammer into his face. The ground was getting closer and closer in moments-- he had to open his wings at the right time. If he opened them too early, he'd miss his target. If he opened them too late-- well, he'd most likely hit the ground and kill himself. 

Envy's heart raced as his eyes widen-- How fast was he falling? Fifty feet a second? That was what it felt like. He had to deploy his wings. No. Jackal had warned him about this. How long could he wait?

Envy pinpointed his target. It was only a few feet away now. Envy started to panic, screaming as he finally opened his wings, which caused him to shoot forward. He yelped as his talons hit the very tip of the dummy's head, but not close enough that he was able to grab it. Envy tilted his wings upwards, shooting up, and he soon slowed down his flight speed until he had landed. 

"You opened your wings too early." Jackal said dryly, his expression neutral once the prince landed. "If you waited a few more seconds, I'm sure you would've grabbed the dummy."

Envy rolled his eyes, folding his wings. 

"...I just realized something," Newt suddenly says, stepping forward. "The scroll. Remember that scroll we found on top of Jade Mountain, Envy? We-- we never brought it with us when Ruby's army almost killed us."

Envy's eyes widen. He forgot all about that. He was so focused on surviving and getting himself an army that he completely forgot to even pursue the one goal he had risked so much for. His ears turned back. "We can't just leave the Vlikra army here," Envy cautioned, flaring his wings. "At least, not by themselves, and I don't trust most of these dragons here." 

"Then I can stay and watch over them," Newt insists. 

"No."

"Why?"

"Because," Envy said. "I fear that one of us would get into a conflict and would need assistance. Plus, the Jade Mountain is pretty close to my home, and the SkyWings found us there last time. Risky business, and I would need help if I got into a situation like that."