Wings of Fire: The Forgotten World

Chapter 48

By thedragonshifter
Pleiades's PoV

     The day after they had found Ash was filled with them racing around the Viper Kingdom in search of food and medical supplies for the quiet Emberwing. Ash mostly spent his entire time in bed, but Pleiades had noticed that he was able to move around more easily with each hour that passed. Though, this fact didn't make her any less at ease. If he has empathy powers and can alter our emotions, he could be planning to murder us right under our noses and we wouldn't even be suspicious about it. He could even be in the process of killing a dragon while he makes them think that a unicorn stepped out of the bushes and a rainbow appeared right in front of them.

     Pleiades was practically expecting him to leap out at them when they were least expecting it, and it made her on edge all day and all night. She also tried to keep an eye on Ash every hour of the day, because it was really the only thing she could do. It's not like I can touch any of the food they gather for him or help carry the bandages that they manage to find.

      Though, the thing she hated the most was how neither Hemlock nor Velocity seemed to trust her to be near Ash at all. And she could understand why, but Pleiades had made Hemlock a promise that she wouldn't harm a single scale on him as long as he didn't mess with her head. And I would never break a promise, especially one between me and Hemlock. I would never betray any of my friends. Though, whenever she was near Ash, she couldn't help feeling like a house cat seeing a tiger for the first time.

     Now, Pleiades lay, curled up into a ball, in the corner of their shared room in the Viperwing house, glaring at Ash. Hemlock and Velocity were out hunting them all lunch in the open grasslands while Pleiades was assigned to watch over the Emberwing. At first, Pleiades thought that Ash was still sleeping despite it being in the late afternoon, but she was wrong, for he raised his head and rotated himself on his bed to face her.

     "What do you want?" She muttered grouchily, her glare hardening. Though, Ash merely shrugged and flicked his ridiculously long tail, his pale purple-red ears flicking in amusement. Pleiades narrowed her eyes at him and pinned her ears back,"what's so funny?" She asked defensively.

     Ash tilted his to the side and grinned,"well, I just thinks it's funny," he said,"how you Sunwings can act like your toughest in the room even though you guys have no wings." Pleiades scowled darkly at him, her tail lashing,"you know I can kill you with just one touch of my talon." She hissed. But Ash looked doubtful.

     "Yah, I know that you can kill me just like that." He snapped his fingers and smiled,"but, I know you won't. I know you're a good dragon." Ash said,"you just need to believe it yourself." Pleiades turned her head to look at her talons, her gaze softening. And after a few moments she turned back to him,"I suppose so." She said quietly.

     Then, she smiled,"you know, I've been wondering, how do you Emberwings walk and fly around so easily while having to drag those giant tails of yours around?" She joked, and Ash actually laughed. He gave her a toothy grin,"nah, us Emberwings, we don't move around much. Our giant tails are too much of a burden for us. Every time I walk around, it's like I have a super sized anvil tied to the end of my tail!" Pleiades laughed into her arms, embarrassed to be having a good time when only yesterday she had tried to murder this friendly dragon infront of her.

     Just then, Hemlock and Velocity bustled into the room carrying what looked to be a deer-like animal, and looking slightly worried as if to come back and see her trying to hide Ash's body somewhere. But once they saw that he was still alive and as well as when they left, they both seemed to relax a little.

     Velocity dropped their lunch next to Ash's bed and everyone gathered around to eat it. Hemlock ripped a chunk off for Ash to eat before distributing the rest between him, Velocity, and Pleiades. They ate in silence for a few moments before Velocity broke the silence. "How about we get to know each other a little bit more." She suggested to Ash, and he shrugged his shoulders,"ok, fine." He said slowly.

     "I'll go first." Velocity said, looking cheerfully at Ash. "I've lived in tje Viper kingdom for all my life until I ventured into the Sun kingdom in search of my parents only to find out that they had been killed. And then I ran into Hemlock and Pleiades and helped them find a way to escape. And then we went all the way to the Spiral kingdom, and then back to the Viper kingdom." She said.

     Pleiades turned towards Velocity and sighed,"just go reveal your entire life story to Ash now won't you?" Though Pleiades doubted that he'd do anything. For some reason, she felt as if Hemlock was right when he told her that he seemed like a nice guy and that they should give him a chance.

     Hemlock went second, a little more cautiously then Velocity,"well... Emmm well... My mom is the Queen of the Cloudwings and my sister was OK until, you know, stuff happened... And uhh... Me and Pleiades got trapped in jail for a little while... Emmm Velocity explained most of the stuff that we did in general after we went to the Sun Kingdom, and... Yah."

     Pleiades could see Ash trying to hide his amusement and Pleiades realized that Hemlock had left out the part of being an animus, working for the darkest flame, and then losing his powers. But, if she were him, she would leave that information out also.

     Now, it was her turn to speak,"er... I hatched with these annoying death scales, got abandoned in the Cloud Kingdom to escape my death, went to prison with Hemlock, was tortured by my grandmother, got blinded, escaped from the Sun Kingdom with Hemlock and Velocity, an animus in the Spiral Kingdom restored my vision, and then we ended up here with you." She said simply.

     Ash's expression didn't give anything away, he just said,"sounds like you all had very exciting lives." He said. They all glanced at each other and then turned back to Ash, who had already finished eating his meal and had told them his story yesterday. I can't believe what had gotten into me! Why in the world did I try to kill this dragon?

     Guilt flooded Pleiades from head to toe until Ash gave her a look that somehow seemed to say, "I know you tried to murder me but I guess I can forgive you now. Thank me later." And with a nod of her head, she retreated back to her corner to rest as Hemlock and Velocity settled in next to her on their leaf beds.