(SCRAPPED) Wings of Fire: The Turning Tides | The Turning Tides #2

Chapter 2

"How are you feeling?"

The small crimson and grey dragonet didn't stop himself as he galloped around the room with ferocious energy. He had been like that all morning. Auklet wasn't sure where he got the energy and she did stop herself to worry for him, for he only ate a small talonful of berries and a rabbit that charred the moment he touched it.

But she couldn't deny the smile she felt watching the dragonet's turned mood from a few days ago when she first found him. It was also better this way because all the bouncing around meant that he wasn't hurt in anyway. Only the depths would know how to help him if he was.

"Great! I feel great!" Sky beamed. The orange glows of his underscales pulsed faster than his breaths, like a candle in a light breeze.

"That's good," she said, watching as he flapped his wings for a jump, sending warm ripples through the air. Little sunfish. "There was a story my friend used to tell me, you know."

That caressed his attention and he stopped, patting the ground with his talons. His brows lifted into open curiosity. It wasn't only Sky that reminded her of the story but also himself - the way he stopped entirely to listen, like Auklet did when Turtle offered to tell.

"It was about a legendary dragon. You remind me of it."

"What dragon? What dragon?" He asked quickly.

Auklet lowered herself to her stomach, folding her wings close. "Sit down and I'll tell you," she bargained. Sky chose a spot near her and sat on his tail. "The story was about a mythical dragon...a Sunwing. Now, no one has ever seen it but they knew what it did. It gave the gift of the sun every day, and it gave magic to all the land and the dragons that lived in it. It was immortal; living forever. So much so, that it quickly grew to grumble at its long life.

"But then it had an idea. The sunwing had magic. Its own magic, and using that, it turned one of its closest friends into a sunwing like it, with magic too. So that the sunwing would never be alone."

"I'd never like to alone like that," Sky commented, his brows furrowing at a thought. "I'm happy it found someone."

"That's what I thought too, but let me tell you the rest of the story," Auklet prompted, continuing on with the story. "But the new sunwing became bitter and arrogant at its own newfound power and wanted to-"she winced but Sky didn't seem to notice"-...hurt other dragons. When the old sunwing learned of this, it had no choice but to banish its friend into the Sun where it could never use its power again."

"Wow," Sky said. "Is the sunwing still here?"

"Yes, legends say that the sunwing is still here, watching over each and every one of us as it leads the sun into the sky every day. Some say if you look up at the sky close enough you can catch the shine of its wings."

"Wow! I'm gonna go outside and I'm gonna look at the sky and I'm gonna see it! You'll see!" He jumped up and the glowing lines lining his underscales pulsed. His aura filled with warmth and energy.

Auklet chuckled to herself. She'd said the exact same thing when Turtle told her the story, even if now she knew it was only a story - but the curiosity and determination was still there. She remembered waking up before the break of dawn just to see if she could find it. She never did, surprise surprise.

Now that she thought of it, there was an entirely different reason why Auklet came to see Sky that morning. It wasn't to tell him a story but something much more important.

"Sky, I've been meaning to tell you something." His head snapped at her, as if expecting something grave. "I'll be gone for a few days."

He lurched forward and stepped closer. "What? Where are you going?" He asked quickly.