Conquest : A Wings of Fire Fanfiction

5. Chases

Sandstorm screamed. 

She didn't care how loud it was. 

Alarm bells were ringing in her head, and her mind spun. She couldn't think clearly any more. Dazedly, as if in a dream, she watched Peril roar in anger, Sunny shriek, Clay yell and Alpha shout something angrily - but not one of them tried to help her mother. 

The IceWing and the teal-scaled SeaWing swooped down, quick as a flash, and rose up into the air again, carrying Moon between them. Her mother was still - so very still. 

So very lifeless. 

Even from a distance, Sandstorm could see the line of red across Moon's throat. She yelled again, not aware of anything in her surroundings. Hibiscus frowned and turned in her direction. When she saw Sandstorm, she smiled. 

Her smile was worse than her worst death glare. It was icy, smug, wicked - Sandstorm felt like ripping that smile off the flawless, pretty blood-red snout. 

Blood-red. 

And again, acting on some inevitable impulse, Sandstorm's eyes were drawn to her mother. And the dragons turned around and raced away from Jade Mountain, from the furious school teachers - from Sandstorm. 

She was numb with fright and despair when a comforting wing wrapped around her shoulders. Clay said gently, in a trembling yet firm voice, 'Sandstorm, come on. Come inside.' She shook her head furiously and tried her best to wriggle out of his grip, to go chase after those wicked swine, like how Peril had done with another roar of rage - but he was too strong. 

Angrily, she thrashed and fought, even while he steered her steadily to the school entrance, where Sunny and Alpha were waving back throngs of curious students. 'Let - me - go!' she hissed through gritted teeth, not caring if this was one of the Dragonets of Destiny she was threatening. 

He only shook his head slowly, sadly. 'I'm sorry, Sandstorm. Peril will do the best she can, and we'll send soldiers after them - the best, I promise - but you can't put yourself in danger.' 

He paused, realising his words had absolutely no effect on her, and then added in a stronger tone, 'Imagine if we got back Moon and she returned here, only to find her daughter missing - or worse, dead? How about Qibli? Moon's already been taken away from him - imagine what he'll feel when his daughter is, too!' 

Those words struck home and she stopped fighting. 

But Clay continued, 'Imagine what Cougar and Secret -' 

That was a mistake. 

Sandstorm flared up once again. 'I don't care how they feel!' she spat angrily. Clay looked shocked. Probably he'd never heard of siblings with such a deep dislike of each other in his entire hero life. 

'Sandstorm -' he began, but he was distracted. She took her chance and, as slippery as an eel, wriggled out of his grasp and was fleeing across the wild, rugged mountainside, following the trail of burnt trees and grass. 

She heard Clay shouting behind her, and wingbeats growing faster and faster, closer and closer, but she didn't stop and turn around to look. She didn't know where she was going, she didn't know where she was, and if she was lost or not... all she cared about right then was the trail of ashes left by the furious Peril's close flight to the ground. 

Halfway through, the peaceful blue sky that had seemed so inviting to her only an hour or so ago burst into rain with a loud clap of thunder. The grey skies shed raindrops as if weeping for her mother, washing away the ash. 

For the second time in the day, she felt that horrible prickling of the eyes that signified you were very close to crying. She felt the wetness of the rain on her naturally warm yellow scales, now pale with fear and dread.