Wings of Fire: A Twisted Future - Broken Visions

Chapter 20

''Wait wait wait, hold on,'' Mango exclaimed, narrowing her eyes at Permafrost and Quietkeep, ''you're telling me a weak little SandWing librarian... is an insane, killer creature?'' Quietkeep nodded frantically, trying hard to stop his claws from digging into the floor of Permafrost's and Mango's cave. Permafrost still looked completely shaken, clearly trying to calm herself down and not claw up everything, which was a huge leap from that morning.

''Yes, how many times do we have to explain this to you?!'' Quietkeep cried. waving his talons in the air. This was unbelievable! Did she really need convincing to believe that Fennec was a monster with white eyes? Though, when Quietkeep thought about it from her perspective, he wouldn't have thought of the librarian as any threat with the impression she'd given him on his first day in the academy. He couldn't really blame the RainWing. But still! They were telling the truth! 

Mango nodded slowly, inspecting the quivering IceWing holding on to the door with a horrified expression. She's not usually like this... Mango's mind went. Quietkeep snorted, and the hybrid shot him a glare. ''Just look at her! Doesn't she justify all of this?'' He couldn't believe that she was still refusing to believe him. Yes, he was a NightWing, clearly a tribe that Mango looked down upon, but goodness gracious why take that hatred upon the sanity of your clawmate?!

''Please, listen to him!'' Permafrost gasped from her place in front of the door, her claws still digging into the gaps between the wood and the stone. ''She was insane, we had visions... I-I don't-''

''Yeah, see, that's the part that throws me off!'' Mango sighed, pointing at Permafrost. ''IceWings don't have visions! It's bizarre enough that you were born under the light of moons and nobody else was, but that's beside the point. ICEWINGS. DON'T. HAVE. VISIONS.'' That needed explaining. But Quietkeep had the scroll with him; he could show it to Mango, she'd read it, hopefully, she'd sense its weird animus buzz and believe them that this scroll has something to do with everything. He did not trust Urchin or Avalanche in his cave, even if he hadn't told them about the scroll, so he always tucked it into the largest pouch on his belt.

''Here!'' Quietkeep pulled the scroll out, unrolled it neatly at Mango's claws and let her read it. He made sure it was close enough to her claws so that she felt the odd aura it had. The hybrid glared at it for a moment, then her eyes widened and she flinched away, flicking her tongue in and out of her mouth furiously. 

''I swear, if this is animus-touched I want to hear every detail without touching the moons-cursed thing,'' Mango snarled, furrowing her brows even deeper at the scroll and Quietkeep. ''So go on.'' Quietkeep sighed, letting his head drop into his palms, lightly shaking his head. But if he wanted Mango's help, he needed her trust, and if he wanted her trust he had to tell her what she wanted to know about the scroll.

Permafrost began to explain how she found it, how she and Quietkeep figured out that it was animus-touched and that whatever is happening with Permafrost's and Quietkeep's visions must be because of that scroll. But how was it enchanted? A curse on whoever saw it? But Fennec; she had a vision, though she hadn't seen the scroll. Or maybe she did? 

''Oh, that clears up everything,'' Mango hissed, squinting and smiling tightly. ''Any more information I ought to know? Because this little speck of details is really helping the current situation. Anywho, go calm her down, NightWing.'' The green dragonet flicked her claws at Permafrost, who had collapsed onto the floor and was now covering her eyes with her talons.

''Well, uh, I told you this for a reason,'' Quietkeep murmured, tipping his head. 

''Would love to hear it later when I'm not needed, buh-bye,'' Mango retorted, turning around and hopping into her nest. The black dragonet scowled, bounder over and grabbed her wrist. The hybrid instantly swiveled her head around, her eyes wide and pupils slits, her mouth shut but her snout beginning to wrinkle, nostrils flaring.