Into the Abyss

New Beginnings

                         Snowdrift
         The Ice Kingdom was cold. It always had been, but for Snowdrift things were always bad. Her father was a lunatic and she could never escape him. A low class dragon like her needed someone and unfortunately she was stuck with him. She only ever felt comfortable around her best friend, Penguin.
          But things could change now.
          The war was over and it was safe to leave the Ice Kingdom (if she could escape). Maybe she'd finally be able to become a teacher and fulfill her dreams. Only high class dragons in the first or second circle could become professors in the Ice Kingdom. She was in the fifth. But at Jade Mountain Academy they'd definitely accept her. It would be amazing! Surely the dragonets would like her.
          At least that's what she thought as she wandered through the empty hallways of the Ice Palace. It was empty, or so it seemed. Most of the important dragons were at a diplomacy meeting with the SandWings. She didn't mind them but she didn't particularly like them either.
          She was so close!
          Oh nobody stop me please! She thought. She didn't even bother to be quiet anymore. She let her claws tap on the ice below her talons, her tail swished and her spines and neck spikes rattled noisily.
          One more turn...
          She could see the palace doors now, the great archway that lead to the frozen landscape ahead, she started trotting. Then she stopped
         I'm about to leave my family and everything I know, She thought. She stopped and waited for a second pondering what was about to happen.
         If  I don't leave now my father will just kill me eventually,
          She broke into a full gallop, she was about to leave when
          WHUMP!
         "Where do you think you're going?" Said a large IceWing that had dropped out of nowhere and blocked her path, "You know you're not allowed to leave, Snowdrift,"
          "That's not how a second circle dragon should talk to a fifth circle one, Penguin. Now get out of my way," She said, shoving her talons into his snout.
          "Well you're in MY first circle," Penguin chimed.
          "How'd you know it was me anyway?" Sbowdrift said avoiding his eyes, his dark yet warm eyes.
          "Your snowflake patterns are exactly hard to recognize," Penguin pointed out. She looked over her shoulder at the light blue markings sampling her scales. Sometimes she wondered why her parents hadn't named her Snowflake.
          "Anyway, what are you doing?" Penguin asked turning on his "stern face".
          "Running away," Snowdrift lifted her snout into the air defiantly. It only came up to about his mid neck. She bent her head down and took the copper necklace off, throwing it do the ground. "I don't belong here, I'm going to go teach at Jade Mountain or even something grander, just something better than being here,"
          "Alone? By yourself?" Penguin asked alarmed.
          "That's what alone means, yes. I can take care of myself," Although some company might be nice... her mind added.
          "I know it's just--will I ever see you again?" He shuffled on his talons.
          "Probably not," Snowdrift said feeling a hole open up inside her.
          I'll meet a new dragon! Not an IceWing, her mind thought fiercely.
          "Let me come with you!" Penguin said in a rush.
          "What why?" Snowdrift asked surprised, "You have a whole life here, you're in the second circle, higher than I could ever wish to be,"
          "But I wanna see the world, plus, it's a long flight from here to the Mountain. Can you make it on your own?"
          "Of course I can!" She retorted, Does he think I cant make it on my own? "And I have this," she reached into a small pouch tied around her left wrist and pulled out a talonful of jewels, gold, and sapphires.
          "Snowdrift," Penguin started uneasily, "Where did you get that?"
          "The Queen's treasury itself,"
          "Do you know what she'll do to you?"
          "Another reason I have to leave," she said trying to move around him.
          Her freedom was so close!
          Then an idea came to her. She put the jewels away but tossed on Sapphire into the air. Penguin lunged after it with his hilarious clumsiness, moving out of her way.
          She took the chance and darted around him. She flapped her wings sending small snow particles into the air as she flew through the arched doorway. Her wings were streaked with blue so it looked like icicles were climbing up her wings in a fury as she flapped higher, further, faster.
          The smell of freedom flooded her nose, and a hint of walrus too. The cold wing swept and tugged at her wings but she kept moving. She was finally free and winging her way to her dreams and possibilities. Then sue heard something, something other than the howl of the wind. The familiar sound of wing beats. She whirled around to see Penguin making his way up to her. He seemed out of breath. He wasn't the type of dragon for a lot of physical activity. She however used to play violent games as a dragonet so flying came easy to her.
          "I'm--coming--with you," He wheezed. He held out his talon to her and handed her the Sapphire. He was holding something else in his other talon.
          "How do I know you won't betray me?" She asked, she knew she could trust him but liked giving him a hard time. He opened his other talon revealing the silver Second Circle necklace. He flipped it over and dropped it into the snow below.
          "Because I'm your best friend," he said with a grin, " besides you might need me, I know you can fend for yourself but it's always good to have some extra backup," he said.
          "Fine," she said, although she was glad she didn't have to do this alone. The sun was starting to set and the sky was turning a deep purple fading into an orange glow at the horizon. The wind whisked at her spines and she could see for miles. Rocky mountains jutted up to the north and to the west the sea stood, frozen in an icy haze. The east held new possibilities and all sorts of mystery.
          "We should probably take a detour instead of go straight to Jade Mountain though," Penguin spoke up.
          "Why?" Snowdrift asked, turning to him.
          "Because Queen Glacier will be furious because of that," he gestured at the pouch in her forearm, "And she'll now its you because your psycho dad will report you missing,"
          He had a good point. Would I have thought about that, if I came alone? She wondered to herself.
          "Where do you suggest we go and for how long?" She asked instead.
          "I dont know, the rainforest?" He said casually.
          "The rainforest!?" Her wings missed a beat and she fell to his level, "Why would anyone want to go there?"
          "Exactly," Penguin said, in a matter of factly voice, "The queen would never expect us to go there because we're 'so weak' but your father would tell her about your teaching dream so she'd know to check Jade Mountain. If we go to the rainforest we can lay low for a couple weeks and tell Glory you're going to Jade Mountain so she can warn the other dragonets,"
          "Ok," She said, why was he so good at thinking things out but so dumb at the same time? "Well I'll take you to the Ice Cliff!" She shouted happily and shot off. She could hear his panting behind her as he groaned.
          Here I come! She thought.