Wings of Fire: Possibility

Chapter 19

L O C U S T

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We're doomed, we're doomed!

He knows we're here, he's going to surround us.

Shoot! Don't think too hard, he'll hear you!

The entire tribe and dragonets held their breaths and kept completely still as Stomiidae swung Tetra around in a joyous hug. After an agonizing moment he put her down and brushed off his shoulders. Tetra was fuming.

"I honestly didn't expect to see you here, did you leave early to recruit more dragons for our tribe?" Stomiidae asked, and Locust thought that was a weird thing to say.

"Can you just say you caught me and move on?" She snarled, though her stance was rather calm. Her tail flicked side to side, and Locust glanced at Fern, who glanced at Emerald, who tapped on a "wall" lightly. She says we can keep moving.

Fern slipped through the hidden tribe as Tetra distracted Stomiidae, and led them around the two dragons.

"You don't have to be so hostile, I'm happy to see you!" Stomiidae whined in a joking way. One by one the dragons slipped by him. Once it was Locust's turn, he almost stepped on Stomiidae's talon, but luckily swerved so he passed him. He continued to hold his breath as the dragons walked by.

Strangely, Stomiidae raised his talon and fiddled with his large, and ugly golden earring, and Tetra's eyes widened with terror. "Run!" She yelled, as dragons began to flood through the opposite side of the hallway.

Locust didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed a rainwing dragonet's talon and pulled him along, whose scales turned sickly green. Most Rainwings weren't hidden anymore by this time, but it didn't matter as they were pursued by Stomiidae's brainwashed minions. How did he enchant them?

He heard Piranha roar in anguish as Tetra was tackled to the ground by two giant Deepwings, and she was restrained. "Keep going, Piranha!" She responded before her mouth was covered by a metal band.

Piranha tried to aim venom at the dragons who captured her, but Fern crashed into him and forced him along, making him roar again.

Locust pushed the young dragonets along, trying to get them into the teleportation room. The wave of dragons was coming closer, and they didn't have much time. The door to the room was small, but each dragon quickly swiped the stone and they disappeared, meaning they were safe.

He looked back and saw Commander Orchid, who was protecting the youngest dragonets by fighting off two more huge Deepwings. Without thinking, Locust leaped to her side and scratched a random deepwing with his tail barb. It wasn't poisonous, but it was sharp, and it sliced through a dragons cheek. He roared in pain and backed off.

The last of the dragonets reached the room and had teleported, and Fern finally was able to force Piranha to touch the stone and teleport him away.

"Go, Locust!" The Commander called, punching a deepwing in the nose. Locust backed off and reached the room, he turned back to help her in, but his heart shattered instead.

A random deepwing had gotten a hold of a spear, and stabbed the Commander straight through her chest. Orchid didn't have time to scream, instead she fell onto the ground, lifeless, with a hole in her now empty heart.

Locust didn't have time to process before Fern shoved him through the door and into the stone, and Locust's world turned upside down for a split second, before stopping in a completely different and quiet room. Fern popped into view beside him. "Don't worry, I barred the door shut, that should hold them for a while. Get your bearings."

Locust thought he didn't have any bearings left. "She saved me." He muttered, and felt Fern put his wing around him. "She was so brave."

"So were you, Loki." Fern said, putting his head on top of his. "I think she knew that too."

They sat like that for a while, until Emerald walked into the room, and her face filled with relief. "I am glad you made it." She said, though her face filled with worry. "Where is Commander?"

Locust looked up at her. His eyes were now filled with tears, and Emerald seemed to understand. She held out her talon to help him up. "Come, we must tell the others and lead them to rainforest."

He held up his talon and she grabbed it gently, and helped him up. Fern stayed pressed to his side as they slowly walked through the seawing palace, the rainwing tribe waiting at the end.

Locust noticed Piranha at the front, his face twisted in anger and tears. "The Commander was captured too I guess?"

"Worse." Locust croaked, and Piranha's expression turned softer, then into sadness. Locust looked at him in the eyes. "She saved me. She was a great Commander."

"Does anyone know who was next in line to be Commander?" Fern asked, and the dragons didn't say anything. It was painfully silent.

A tiny dragonet politely raised her talon. "We usually vote to find the new Commander." she said, and dragons around her nodded.

"Well we should give you all time to vote, we need to head to rainforest." Emerald said gently, and each dragon murmured in agreement.

"I know the way," Locust said, and raised himself up, forcing himself to hold his head high. He slowly led the grieving dragons out of the palace and to the shoreline. It was dusk, and the sun kissed the horizon with grace. Locust waited for everyone to come out of the palace, and he spread his wings and took off. The dragons followed him without a word.