Conquest : A Wings of Fire Fanfiction

16. Betrayal

Sandstorm froze in terror. 

Standing directly opposite her was Azure, smirking broadly. 

From behind the Mutineer leader, more dragons emerged, until all of Azure's entourage was lined side-by-side, looking menacing. She counted nineteen of them. 

It was so much like the cliché action stories that Maelstrom kept in his room that Sandstorm felt like laughing, but she wasn't sure how they would take it. 

Azure's attention was focused on her. Not on her, she realised, but what she was clutching in her talons. 

The Firestone was strangely icy in stark contrast with its name. It should've at least retained some of the heat from the fire, but it hadn't - it felt like Sandstorm had just doused the key in a lake of ice-cold water. 

'Again, I shall ask you nicely for it,' said Azure, dangerously soft. 'Next time, you won't be so lucky.' 

Sandstorm desperately looked for somewhere to escape. 

A part of her - the cowardly, cunning, dark part - shrieked at her to hand over the Firestone if it meant she was safe. But the other part - the chivalrous, brave, good and slightly more insane part - told her, very firmly, to resist. 

To be a hero. 

Rational thinking overcame her crazy instincts. 

If she handed over the Firestone, there was no guarantee that Azure would leave them unscathed, and the world would be taken over by a psychopath. 

As if responding to Sandstorm's thoughts, Azure purred, 'You and your friends won't be harmed if you give up, darling. But if you don't...' She trailed off coldly. 

However, if Sandstorm fought, there was a slight chance - a very, very slight one, like, a 0.01 percent chance - that somehow, the Firestone wouldn't fall into their enemy's talons. 

And she would die a martyr. 

Decision made, Sandstorm stuck out her chin defiantly. 'No.' 

Azure stared at her for a moment. Then she began laughing. It was a mocking, frozen laugh, yet genuinely sounded pleasant, like the gentle rumbling of a brook. 'You dare defy me?' she asked, sneering, once her laughing fit abated. 

'I wouldn't have thought you'd have had the nerve, dragonet. Older, and wiser dragons have surrendered much more easily than you. Bay!' she snapped, in an abrupt aside. 'Slice off that whelp's ears if she takes another step.' 

Azure's talon was pointing straight at Ivory, who was frozen mid-step. The burly, flat-snouted green SeaWing lumbered over to Ivory, leering. 

That wasn't what worried Sandstorm the most, though.

 Azure hadn't taken her eyes off Sandstorm, hadn't glanced in Ivory's direction even once. 

The devil part of her cursed her to the most frozen hell it could think of. Considering that it was the devil part, it could be pretty creative. 

Sandstorm sneaked a sideways look at Maelstrom. Her best friend was tense, his muscles bunched up like a coiled spring just before release. He gave her a quick reassuring smile. 

'Anyways,' continued Azure, 'I really hoped it wouldn't come to this.' Sighing, Azure flicked her talons lazily. 'Get the Firestone.' 

Instantly, all dragons leapt into action. 

Quicker than Sandstorm would've believed, ten came straight at her, five went to Ivory and four detained Maelstrom. 

Instantly Sandstorm leapt into the air. Narrowly avoiding chunks of rock, she darted through spaces meant for dragonets her size in blind panic, all the while condemning her gallant side to the worst death she could think of.