WINGS OF FIRE: Crumbling Castles

Chapter 1

part 1: bats and butterflies

''Star?'' whispered Sunburn, in his usual im not scared but we should totally leave voice.

Star frowned. ''We are not leaving.''

He'd opened his mouth before she spoke, but quickly shut it after. His orange-yellow talons dug into the moonlit grass and his tail swayed anxiously behind him.

It was funny, really, he was always the one who suggested to go to places like this, and yet when they got there he'd tremble in fear and insist they go home.

''It's just- it's so dark, isn't it? I can't even see my own claws, we should've come during the day-''

''We did go during the day, and then we arrived at night.'' Star snorted a puff of fire at him, it illuminated his startled face for a moment. The two tear-shaped sapphires embedded under his eyes glimmered blue.

''We also have me, remember?'' she said. He nodded. ''I just think-''

''Argh! Stop thinking!'' she snapped. I can't believe I'll be stuck with this dragon my whole life.

She stomped over to the nearest tree -in the dark she couldn't tell what kind it was- and broke off a thick, dry branch. Then promptly set one end on fire.

''Here.'' she said, handing him the blazing branch. He took it quickly, and held it close to his chest. Around his neck was a kind of golden necklace, studded with the same blue sapphires from under his eyes.

Little embers danced in the air in front of him, he blew them away from his just-as-worried looking face. ''Thanks..'' he said.

Star opened and shook her wings, she saw Sunburn flinch. (It was instinct for all SunWings to cover their eyes or look away when another flared their wings)

''Can we go now?'' she said, gesturing toward the cliff, where it looked as if the grass had abruptly decided not to grow. A stubborn tree hung off the edge with just its roots(looking like it would topple off at any moment).

Sunburn stretched out his free talons and examined them. ''Yeah.. You're right. I have something to show you...'' he whispered.

He stretched out his wings, and examined them too. Then he was in the air a second later.

Star set another dry branch on fire for herself, and leaped up beside him.

Together they flew over the cliff into what seemed like complete darkness.

Two of the three moons were visible. One was a tiny curved crescent, the other was half full. The stars around them twinkled slightly. They were nearly invisible, and didn't help illuminate the earth below them at all. She had trouble imagining herself as great and mighty when she was named after those little things.

Oh, and this place was very empty. Did she mention that? Very empty. It had been abandoned for at least a hundred years, so obviously it was empty.. and apparently it was haunted too?

It didn't look haunted, it looked... lonely.

Some kind of animal from one of the caves in the cliffside howled at them as they passed. Star saw Sunburn almost drop his makeshift torch.

Once he'd gotten a firm grip on it, he began to soar down toward the bottom of the cliffs, looking like he knew exactly where he was going.

''Do you know where we're going?'' Star shouted, just to make sure.

It was a long way down, and at the bottom was the ocean, splish-splashing into a cave that looked way more like a snakes mouth than a cave. It even had tiny rock columns hanging from the inside that looked suspiciously like fangs.

Star had been so busy making sure the cave wouldn't eat her, that she'd forgotten to listen to Sunburn's answer.

''Where are we?'' she shouted. Her question echoed off the walls so clearly that she thought Sunburn said it, but then it echoed again.. and again.. and again... and again....

''Remember the legend of Sun?'' he asked. The little torch in his talons still glowed like it had when it was set on fire, while Star's torch was starting to die.

''The animus SunWing from a hundred years ago? Why does he matter to us right now?'' she blew a new puff of flames on her torch.

''Well.. I heard rumours.'' Sunburn sat down awkwardly, and gave a nervous nod towards the dark tunnel in front of them. 

''This was his cave once... his things might still be here.''