A Strange Time (Wings of Fire Fanfiction)

Chapter 1

Citrine pounced around the house, dodging around the furniture. She looked over at her brother and smiled, "Cmon, lets go outside! Its a great day!" 

Dusk looked up from his book, he flicked his tail at her antics. His book floated out of his hands and he snarled, "Hey! That's mine!" Dusk leaped from his seat and grabbed the book. Citrine giggled. Dusk snorted and sat back down. Its not fair that my sister gets powers. Why is she so special? He thought bitterly. Dawn rolled his grey eyes, "You just want me to go outside so you look even better compared to me. And stop grooming your feathers, they'll fall off."

Citrine giggled and said, "I don't need to look better than anyone because I already am!"

Dusk sighed. It had been five years since they had escaped the Sunwing kingdom to Ember City, and their father was already flying up the ranks. So much so that the "Prince" of the city had asked for Citrine's hand in marriage, once they turned 7. Dusk rolled over, it wasn't fair that he was boring and colorless like a Steelwing, and he wasn't even shiny. He lightly touched the gold on his snout, thinking about how it was the only shiny thing on him. A stick began prodding him and he yelled to his sister, "Hey! CUT IT OUT!"

His sister laughed and didn't change the enchantment of the stick. Typical. She loves showing off her animus ability, and being the only known Eclipsewing-Sunwing animus, it was a big deal. He blew fire on the stick, blasting it to ashes, "I'm going outside!" he yelled to his father, Who obviously doesn't care about me more than he cared about last weeks dinner. Citrine jumped up attempted to follow. Dusk pushed her away and said, "I'm going by myself."

Citrine sighed and sat back down, fluffing her feathers. Dusk nodded and opened the door, nodding to the guards outside as he walked away. 

"What are you doing outside, boy?" One of the guards asked.

Of course they didn't bother to learn my name, "I'm going to the town to... find something shiny, or something." They don't really care. Dusk thought bitterly as he walked down the steps and into the streets. He really was looking for something shiny, but he didn't want the guards to think that was too... childish. He walked down the streets that were clustered with different dragons. He walked over to the shop area, his favorite place. It was filled with magnificent smells, beautiful colors and tapestries, and amazing dragon species. He quickly hurried over to his favorite shop, a crystal store by the name of, "Divine Goods". He knew the shopkeeper well, and old Nightwing by the name of "Chakra". She was a charlatan, but he didn't mind. She rarely tried to scam him anyway. 

"Good morning Dusk!" Chakra called, inviting him over to the counter, "I have a crystal i think you might like!"

Dusk hurried over. Chakra brought a carved crystal up to the counter. It was roughly the shape of a dragons claw. She exclaimed, "Its spinel, very beautiful, yes?"

Dusk turned the pink gem over in his claws. It felt smooth, and nice. "How much?" He looked up again.

"100 gold coins." Chakra announced, putting the spinel back on the table. 

Dusk dug through his pouch, pulled out the coins. Chakra roughly counted them and said, "Sold! Have a nice day!"

Dusk smiled and put the crystal in his pouch, "You too, Chakra." He hurried out the door. He wanted to go over to a general store, or another place to buy something shiny. He hurried across the shopping district, roughly scanning the signs. He looked up at a general goods store, and walked in. Beads bounced off of his scales as he wandered in, and he asked the storekeep, "Do you have sapfruit?" 

The storekeep ducked under the table and brought up a greenish-yellow fruit, mottled with red splotches. Sapfruit, his favorite kind of food. It was sweet and mushy, similar to a guava but much sweeter. He gave the shopkeep eight coins, knowing that was the regular price. The shopkeep nodded and folded his wings, his barbed tail folding under his talons. A Steelwing... never seen one own a general store. Dusk thought, "Uh, thank you." he murmured before stepping out of the door. It was raining when he got outside, so he should probably get home, not that anyone cared. He flapped his feathered wings and lifted into the sky, flying as fast as he could so his wings didn't get wet. He dropped himself on the porch, shaking his feathers and nodding to the guards before heading back in. He hurried over to his room, and decided to sleep, at least until the rain gets better.