On Sapphire Wings and Jade Scales

Chapter 7: Into the Storm

The sun was descending upon the horizon, though it was difficult to see due to the dark clouds. Once nighttime began, snow fell quickly, accompanied by strong gusts of wind. Joanne's group was dining inside the temple on the ground floor. Despite her efforts to lighten the mood, there was an air of uncertainty around the room.

Tomas and Eila reclined on Ari as they showed off the photos taken during the day. Most were of them posing with children who lived on temple grounds. The majority had bowl cut hair and wore simple blue or green tunics and sandals, contrasting with the twins' thick parkas, gloves, and snow boots. Mr. Diderot sat close to Tomas, putting an arm around him as he leaned over to see Eila's photos.

With a look of interest, he said, "You know, Eila, I think you'd be a great photographer if you practice some more! I mean, look at this! Why I could just print that out and frame it up on a wall!"

Mr. Diderot's hearty laugh lifted the twins' nervous moods, with Tomas smiling and giggling a little.

Eila blushed and sheepishly raised a hand up to the side of her head, "Eh-heh. Well, I don't think they're that good, dad."

While Mr. Diderot praised Eila's photographing skills, Tomas thought about his own.

"What am I good at? I just read and spout trivia about dragons and bugs... Is bug-catching even a skill?"

He put a finger to his chin, thinking, "Hmm, I guess it is. Swinging a net to get one is tough, especially those tiny beetles. They're so quick, I barely even see them fly by..."

Ari growled softly, turning her long neck to face Tomas. She placed her head on the floor next to him, her emerald eyes looked as if begging for a little attention.

Tomas snapped back to reality, chuckled, and slowly stroked her head, from her fine snout to her frills. Her keeled scales seem sharp from a distance, yet they felt as smooth as satin. The larger scales on her face were like armor pieces, but warm to the touch. Her eyes became droopy as Tomas pet her, letting out a low purr.

"Aww, you're just a big ol' kitty, aren't you, girl?" Said Mr. Diderot while patting Ari.

The Diderot family spent dinner having casual conversations, even as the gusts of wind banged on the windows and doors. They were joined by Zippy and his owners, and had a brief discussion with Mr. Diderot and Tomas about the rising popularity of mini dragons as pets. There are concerns about their destructive habits if not trained properly, or not given enough space to move about, but Mr. Diderot argued that having a special license to own one as a requirement should minimize that issue somewhat. Having breeders recommend specific types of dragons fit for the person's lifestyle and home size also helps.

Later that night, Joanne walked up to the second floor alongside four other hikers, leaving the rest of the group to prepare for sleep. The twins chose to sleep close to Ari, while their parents set up their sleeping bags a few feet from them.

With Ari curled up next to them, the twins slowly drifted off to sleep as the wind outside howled. The lanterns attached to wires swayed with the gusts, as snow covered the temple grounds, replacing the various colors with a layer of white.

Meanwhile, in a secluded cliff far away from the temple, a tall man in green clothes put out his campfire. As the man wrapped a ragged brown cloak over his shoulders, bringing his long, dark green hair over it, he gave a sigh.

"I have spent far too long on these frigid, desolate mountains. I fear tonight may be the worst snowstorm I will live through. But I must continue my search..."

He looked down at a small satchel wrapped around his waist, and took out half of a crystal sphere, which shone in all colors of the rainbow. He frowned while looking at it, remembering all the suffering he had endured. He would need a long amount of time and traveling to recover the missing shards, something which exasperated him.