Conquest : A Wings of Fire Fanfiction

11. Diversion

Sandstorm's talons closed around Moon's. 

She tugged frantically and, with some effort, Moon staggered to her talons. 

The NightWing swayed alarmingly, and then, clutching onto Sandstorm for support, lurched forward as Sandstorm navigated through the dense smoke. 

She crashed into several shrieking dragons and stumbled over the still form of another - presumably the fat SeaWing, who was still fast asleep. 

The bad thing about the distraction was that it left Sandstorm with no way of finding the entrance, which, she supposed, was its purpose - to trap the dragons in. 

But not her! 

Those useless friends of mine, she thought angrily, and then realised that Moon could read her mind. Oops. Gently, Moon thwacked her arm, but when Sandstorm squinted through the heavy grey air, her mother was smiling. 

Sandstorm elbowed a screaming, hazy shape so fiercely that she heard the heavy thud of the dragon's body as it landed several tail-lengths away from her. 

It was accidental - Sandstorm was in a state of panic and confusion and had shoved aside the dragon with a little too much enthusiasm - but that didn't tamp her satisfaction as she heard a low groan from the offender. 

Moon, who was propelled forward by the force of the blow, crumpled to her knees and Sandstorm instantly was crouched beside her, helping her get up. 

Sandstorm peered through the dense smoke, coughing. 

She didn't hear the deadly, soft crackling of fire, and neither did she see dancing tongues of flame reaching up for the cavern ceiling. 

Yet the smoke was so thick she could barely see her own talons. 

How? she wondered, nimbly navigating her path through some broken glass shards lying on the floor, presumably from something in the cartons or one of the Mutineers' possessions. 

Several times, she careened into a stalagmite. Once, she saw a glimpse of flashing white scales and icy blue eyes, but she wasn't sure if it was Changbai or Ivory, and she wasn't about to chase them to find out.

Moon broke into a hacking cough and Sandstorm was forced to stop. Desperately, she kneeled beside her mother, rummaging through the pouch around her neck for anything - anything to help -

Her talons closed around something cold and made of glass.

She pulled out a small flagon of water and thrust it towards Moon, who drank deeply and gratefully. After she was done, Sandstorm drank the remaining, splashing the last few drops onto her snout and talons.

Feeling a little better, she decided to fly above the scene a bit, to check if the smoke was thinner at the top. She spread her wings and prepared to take off -

Suddenly, all was deathly still. 

The shrieking abated, and she no longer heard dragons crashing around. 

The fat SeaWing, a mere tail-length away from her, was sitting up, his snout pale. 

Frowning, Sandstorm tried to see through the smoke. 

It was close to impossible. 

She was pretty sure that her whole world was going to be tinted dark grey after this ordeal. No one even gave vent to a cough. 

It was like the world had frozen. 

Suddenly, a shimmering, hazy orange-red light glowed from a point in the middle of the cavern, illuminating the snouts of all the dragons, shaking with fear.