Burning Hearts

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Colonel Mist!" I shout in the Dragon Language. Landing softly upon the wet ground right in front of him, I stand taller. "What is the urgent matter?" He had called on me through a mental link, urging me to come to our Natural World now on the next day.

"Windrowe has been sighted at the East Mountains." Immediately, my lip curls. The bastard is such a coward if he's hiding in the East Mountains.

"Only him?"

"No, a young male was with him and a few other dragons. Captain Sierra saw them conversing in the Circle of the Light."

"Where is the Captain now?"

"Here." Captain Sierra is a female Air dragon with neon blue scales and black horns, claws, and spikes. She also has multiple dark blue tiger stripes across her back between the long, pointy black spikes. Her pale grey eyes flicker between Mist and I, but they close when she bows. I acknowledge her bow with a short nod.

"How many, exactly, were there in the Circle of Light? What were the Races, too?"

Sierra stands back up. "Two male dragons, not counting the young male. They were both Ice dragons, one a pale blue and the other pure white. The young male had an odd smell, like wet dog and pine trees after a fresh rain."

I have a sneaking suspicion who the young male is. Only one way to find out. "What did he look like?"

"Curly light brown hair. He was also tan. I couldn't see the rest of him since he had his head down. . . Wait, he also smelled like gasoline and pine needles."

I growl. Yep, it was definitely Joshua. I know my tail is flicking back and forth dangerously in an agitated manner, but I don't honestly care at this point. "Have you told the Queen about this?"

Sierra shakes her head. Unfurling my wings, I look at the sky. Due to my seething, the dark clouds that were here when I first got here are rolling in the sky, thunder rumbling quietly. Still don't give a flying fuck.

"Come along then. Something this important should not be kept from the Queen."

Before they can say a word, I'm up in the sky gaining altitude. I hear them following me so I don't bother to look back. When I'm just below the clouds lightning finally starts crackling in them, lighting the scenery below eerily. "General Rowan! Please slow down!" Sierra's voice calls. I ignore her and actually fly faster, catching the glowing glimpse of the Glassiers coming closer, the faster I go.

"General!"

"What?!" I growl back loudly, turning in midair. They are far behind me but catching up, both panting heavily. "We do not have time for casual flights to the palace!"

"Something is wrong. Look," Mist points a claw, and still annoyed, I follow my gaze to where he's pointing. Even with the darkness from the clouds and the distance, I can make out the smoke rising from in front of Guard Training and the flickering flames.

"What is going on?" I murmur.

"I do not know, but whatever it is, we must check it out. Let's go, and we won't hinder you this time." He turns to Sierra, "fly as if Freyna's Hounds are chasing you, Captain."

"Yes sir."

At that, we fly again, gaining speed and staying at the same altitude in a v pattern just in case we come under attack so we can see our enemies. The closer we get to the Glassiers, the more we can start to smell the acrid stench of sulfur mingling with the smoke of burning silverleaves.

Definitely an enemy attack, unless we found all of the remaining stalks of silverleaves and are burning them into extinction. Hope is a nice option, but, the reek of spilled blood tell a different story.