Magic, Visions, Betrayal

Prologue

The Sky Kingdom had been allowing tribe visitors for a while, but that was a mistake.

Especially when you allowed the dragonets from the other tribes into the Skywing Dragonet Wingery.

Princess Phoenix was heading for the dragonet wingery, her firescales heating up by the moment, but her wings were folded and her tail was curled in. Guards along the hallways bowed at her politely, but still backed away towards the walls to avoid getting burned. She needed to clear the wingery out; too many dragonets from different tribes. They might end up hurting each other by accident, because incidents like this do happen when they gather different dragonets in.

Especially when it comes to protecting her youngest one-year-old sister, Cerise.

Phoenix burst into the wingery, nearly setting one Seawing dragonet on fire. She was shocked to see the amount of dragonets there were, that filled the wingery too much that could get one of them hurt easily.

And then that was right. With a gasp of horror, Phoenix saw an Icewing's dangerous spiked tail ram right into her sister's snout as he was wrestling with another Icewing, and her sister screamed and fell back, blood coming out of her eyes.

Phoenix roared and flared open her wings, her scales burning up with fury. Every dragonet moved out of her way just in time as she threw herself at her crumpling sister, who had her talons at her eyes that were bleeding heavily, whimpering. She held out her talons at her sister helplessly, knowing she couldn't touch Cerise, she would only burn her sister.

"CLEAR OUT!" Phoenix shouted, not hiding her anger at the dragonets from the opposing tribes. She then whirled around to address an older Skywing dragonet, "Fetch some guards, and a healer, QUICKLY!" The orange dragonet nodded and scampered off towards the door as fast as he could.

Princess Cerise was laying on a soft bed at the medical cave, asleep but with a twisted painful expression over her snout. Her snout was all scratched up and bruised from the Icewing's tail, but the most amount of damage done to her was her eyes. They had stopped bleeding, with a bandage wrapped over them, but then the healers had said that she might have the possibility to be blind.

"Do everything you can to keep her safe and healthy," Phoenix had pleaded, her firescales talons clasped together helplessly, "Please."

She was now seated beside Cerise, waiting for the healers to come back with everything they could manage. Her bright yellow eyes were fixed on her sister, wishing she could help her sister in every way.

Time went by, and Cerise was still asleep. Phoenix folded into her wings and crumpled to the floor in despair. When was the healers ready?

And then the Skywing healers came back, with a devastated look on their snouts that Phoenix didn't want to see.

No.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," one of them said, and they bowed their heads, "But your sister is....permanently blind."

"Mother!" Phoenix protested angrily at Queen Ibis, "You have to ban the dragonets from other tribes into our wingery! We've had countless of injuries and disasters, and now Cerise is blind, PERMANENTLY BLIND!" She spread her wings and was wringing her talons furiously, "How could you let this happen?"

She was pacing around in the throne room, not hiding her frustration. Her mother looked concerned from her throne. Phoenix's talons left scorched marks over the red velvet carpet across the room.

"I thought bringing the other dragonets into our Wingery would help us with socializing-" Ibis began.

"YES!" Phoenix practically bellowed, "BUT have you been caring about the many accidents we've had, bringing them in?! It has to stop, mother, and you know it. It's gone to the point where one of YOUR heirs has gone permanently blind."

Queen Ibis blinked for a moment, her dark red face creased with worry.

"Alright," she finally said, "We'll shut off the wingery from the rest of the tribes." Phoenix smiled at her, but then most of her heart was in deep worry for Cerise.

"Thank you, Mother," Phoenix said, "I'll go watch over Cerise now." She bowed her head and scampered down the halls and into the room that she and Cerise shared. They were the only heirs for the throne, with three other brothers, but then with Cerise blind..it's hard to imagine her challenging Mother and winning the throne.

So Phoenix was the only available heir.

Cerise was curled on her bed, her snout twisted in pain and fear. A white cloth was wrapped around her eyes this time as she lay, her wings spread. She lifted her head up, hearing Phoenix's thumping talonsteps, and winced as Phoenix approached closer, and Phoenix guessed that Cerise could feel the heat from her scales.

"It's alright C," Phoenix said softly, "I'm here for you."