Wings of Fire: The Secret of Silverstripe

~Ch.7: The First Report~

As Silverstripe awoke, she reviewed her notes from the previous night.

It's been 9 days since Abyss arrived at the SeaWing Summer Palace and the Deep Palace.

I've still been pearl hunting with Cobalt and Cerith, though I've been bold enough to go on a couple hunting trips alone. I'm considering at some point just going alone from now on.

The ocean is so pretty. Just today Turquoise took me on another trip to a coral reef. We saw several exotic fish, including what I find to be most interesting: the cuttlefish. The way they shift colors reminds me of what I've heard about RainWings, and they need no help blending in among other fish with their disguises. I even watched as one disguised itself as another type of fish, swam up close to a smaller fish, and snared it in only a heartbeat as it got close enough. The other fish suspected nothing, and the cuttlefish swam away with his prize without any disturbance from the other fish. Maybe it's strange to put this much thought into something I could probably eat, but I found the cuttlefish interesting, and in a sense similar to myself.

Tomorrow is my first report to Morrowseer, and I have yet to create a plan to sneak away.

Silverstripe paused in thought. She still had to attend to her pearl hunting duties this morning. If she, Cobalt, and Cerith met their quota early, then sneaking off wouldn't really be a problem.

Silverstripe nodded, decided on her plan, and departed for the Summer Palace.

We're good to go! Cobalt flashed proudly, shaking her pouch, which now contained fifteen pearls.

Silverstripe beamed, brushing her wings against both Cobalt and Cerith's wings.

Cobalt and Cerith smiled, repeating the gesture.

Cobalt swam up to the surface, beckoning for Cerith and Silverstripe to follow. Once they were all there, Cobalt said to Silverstripe "Me and Cerith are headed to the quarters to do some cleaning. You're headed to see Turquoise again, right?"

"Not this time," Silverstripe said, shaking her head. "I have to go do something today. I'll see you at sunset?"

"Yep," Cobalt said. "See you at the pavilion!"

Silverstripe watched as the two SeaWings dove back underwater and disappeared into the blue.

I'm alone now, Silverstripe thought to herself. Time to enact my plan.

If Silverstripe remembered correctly, the mountain island shaped like a dragon wasn't far from the Summer Palace...

Silverstripe leaped out of the water and opened her wings to catch the air current. It would be easier to find the island from the air, where she could look for the mountain's shape.

Eventually, Silverstripe saw a stone formation that looked very similar to a dragon's head. As she got closer, she saw some of its facial features, leg bones, and wings bones. It appeared to be a giant skeletal dragon sitting on the island, leaning back partially against the mountain.

Silverstripe landed on the dragon's snout, and curiously peered through the eye sockets. For a brief moment, Silverstripe wondered if it had once actually been a dragon, just a much larger one, and turned to stone after it had died and decayed.

Whatever the case was, Silverstripe found a comfortable place to sit on the bridge of the dragon's snout. As she waited, she watched tiny whitetipped waves wash ashore, and birds flying past below her.

Well, I'm here early, Silverstripe thought. This is good... How long is it going to take him to get here?

As it turned out, it was an hour before a large dark shape appeared in the horizon. Silverstripe watched as the shape flew closer, until she could clearly see a large NightWing flying towards her.