Jade Mountain's Next Generation

Chapter 25 - Earring

Still so confident? He thought. He snarled, slashing Indigo's snout and kicking Light. My twin wailed in pain as he smashed her head into the wall.

Indigo flashed her scales again, and Sahara flung herself at Hurricane.

I ran at him, surprised at how slow it was underwater. Light groaned and lunged with to me. Together, we tried to pin him down. He bit my leg hard. I yelped, and swam backwards.

Indigo growled. I held her back. We couldn't beat him like that.

Earring. Sahara thought. I nodded. I released Indigo, and together we all attacked.

Hurricane dodged and fought like— well, a hurricane. He was fast and stopped at nothing.

Stormchaser jumped in front of me and slashed Hurricane's wing.

And then there was a whoosh behind me.

I whirled around to see Cascade somersaulting over my head, scales flashing wildly. She landed in front of Light, and pushed Hurricane's claw away from her throat. Indigo blinked, eyes wide, and Light sighed in relief.

Cascade was an efficient fighter. It was clear she had been trained. She grabbed her cousin's neck and slammed it against the wall. Hurricane was dead.

The rest of us knelt next to her. Stormchaser brushed his wings with me. I smiled at him.

Cascade and Indigo were searching for the earrings. Indigo pulled them from a small leather pouch under his wing. Indigo put the back on her ears in relief.

Hurricane, I'm so sorry. I heard someone think. Who was that?

It was Cascade, and she looked sad.

The group of us swam to the surface and flew to a nearby island.

"Cas? What's wrong?" Asked Light worriedly.

"He was my cousin." She whispered.

"Evil cousin." Corrected Indigo. Cascade spun around and glared at her. "You don't understand, Indigo. We grew up together. There was a time where he wasn't like that! I remember playing with him and Jade as a dragonet, when he dared me to do fighting lessons with him. He was the one who taught me to fight in the first place."

There was silence. "Who's Jade?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Jade's my cousin. She's a year older, though." Cascade sighed.

Hmm. I thought. I guess he wasn't like that among only SeaWings, or maybe he changed.