Prologue
May 7, 5,002 A.S...
If you're being hunted down, the worst thing you can do is get yourself hurt. The second worst thing you could do is lose yourself in a deep forest.
Squall, the luckiest SeaWing in the world, found that she somehow had done both to herself.
She found herself dragging her wing in the dirt and limping, keeping a forearm off the ground as she staggered along the damp forest floor. She didn't know how bad her wing was; she didn't have time to look at it. As for her forearm, she could move it, but not put weight on it.
It was easy for her to tell it was slashed by the blood running down her forelimb. It stung with a dull, low pain that seemed to flow up and down her arm as if it was water.
The more she thought about how she got into this situation, the more she just wanted to somehow disappear. Maybe she could just lay down and wait, wait for Trench to find her so that she wouldn't have to be alone. But despite how much she wanted to stop, she had to keep going.
I can't let the IceWings or the SkyWings find me. If they do, I'm…
Squall felt the grip of fear, cold and merciless- just like the IceWings. She imagined herself being caught in a cloud of frost-breath. She imagined how it felt to have her body freeze solid before her eyes, to feel the numbness overwhelm her and see her limbs become ice. That would be worse than any pain she could imagine. Her heart thumped a bit harder in her chest. Thinking about this made her want to just dig a hole and hide in it until the end of time itself.
But she couldn't let her fear take her. She had to fight that fear. She had to win.
She was a warrior. She could do this.
Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself.
They won't. I won't let them find me. I'll take cover in this forest, get my bearings, and make it back to the Sea Kingdom.
Her lips curled into a pained, but determined grimace as she kept going, deeper into the forest.
A few minutes of silence, which she found dreadful. The only noises she could hear was the occasional crackling of leaves from her steps, the low scrape of her own scales against tree bark, and the fast scritter of forest creatures stalking around. The birds had stopped singing for the day, the insects replacing them as it started to get dark. The air was moist and surprisingly cool for the season, and wet dew gathered quickly on her feet as she limped her way through the grass.
She could still smell rain in the air. The sun's rays shone through the thick trees, casting tall shadows in the forest. As she passed a particularly old, twisted looking oak tree she got a faceful of light from the orange sunset, making her turn her head and scowl. The battle must have ended some time ago.
Would be nice if it wasn't so quiet, Squall thought.
Crack.
Squall sucked in her breath and looked down; she had carelessly stomped on a branch. Frantically wheeling her head around, her nerves frayed once again, she might have just given herself away. Was she safe?
She stopped to listen, concentrating for any noises under the buzzing of mosquitos.
A dozen second silence was her answer. Precisely the kind she wanted.
She decided to wait there to catch her breath, racking her brain to get some kind of understanding of the chaos that unfolded just thirty minutes ago.
It started out as a scouting party. It was her and two others, Trench, and Salmon. They were scouting the northwest coast of the Sky Kingdom, looking for troop movements. The idea was their small group wouldn't be easy to detect or intercept, especially if they stayed close to the ocean. They had been out there for about three hours when the rain had settled, and they took the risk of flying.
They thought the setting sun would cover them.
Then the IceWings came out of nowhere.
She had no idea where they came from, but all she knew was that they threw themselves at them with fury. Outnumbered at least four to one, the fight was frantic and panicked. She couldn't make sense of it, even when looking back at the event. Violent, shimmering white blurs, whose claws and frozen breath sent Salmon into the sea, blood pouring from his throat.
Trench and her barely avoiding the attacks meant for them, then flying over the hills to try to get away, fleeing for their lives after less than six seconds of fighting.
In hindsight, flying over land was the dumbest idea of all time.
I should have gone straight for the ocean, Squall thought. She groaned, putting her head against the nearest tree and scolding herself repeatedly on just how brainless this whole decision was.
The SeaWing who chose to escape from danger by land. So stupid! Great work coming from the 'future general', right here! And on top of the horrific situational awareness, how did we manage to get IceWings to sneak up on us?!
She couldn't beat herself up too much, though. She was afraid and everything had been happening so fast. She was alive, and that was what mattered.
She just hoped her brother was okay, too.
Shutting her eyes, the world around her became thick darkness. If the sun was setting, she'd need to get her natural night vision kicked in, and quickly. She needed every advantage she could get. With her eyes shut, she sighed and willed herself to continue recalling what happened. She'd need to make a report once she got back, and it wasn't looking very good.
They had flown as hard as they could, looking back at the jeering IceWings who were ready to tear them apart.
Because misery loves company, that was the time the SkyWings came.
That time, they had some warning. They could see them coming, at least an entire two flights (which, if her training served, two SkyWing flights was about twenty-eight dragons) from the southwest. The bloodthirsty excitement on them from easily visible even from where she was, the quick wingbeats and murderous eyes of the lead dragon regarding all of them like they were a royal feast.
She recalled her brother screaming in terror and immediately breaking off in another direction. She had tried to call him back- "Trench, wait! Don't!"-but he didn't listen, and she turned in the air to try to chase him.
Suddenly at that time, she had felt a body slamming into her from below, and a searing flash of pain in her left arm. She had wondered what that feeling was, but now she knew; the serrated claws of an IceWing tearing her scales and flesh.
Quite a bit of luck, with that. She was sure the IceWing was aiming for someplace more lethal, but she made her turn at the best possible moment.
There was a splash of blood that got in her eye…falling…maybe a bit of screaming (Her screaming? Probably.)
And like that, she suddenly was on the ground with a battle going on right over her head and a left-wing she couldn't feel. She had scrambled to her feet, suppressing a yelp when she put weight on her hurt foreleg and wildly hobbled to get away as fast as she could.
She was lucky: no SkyWings decided to check if she was actually killed yet, the IceWings actively trying to kill them was far more important. But since the fighting was over now, the priorities had changed. She knew, however, the night was approaching, the SkyWings would have a hard time tracking her. She just has to remain hidden for another…
In the far distance, the trees shook and the sound of leaves in the wind echoed down the forest floor, along with the easily recognizable flap of wingbeats. Oh, great, Squall thought. Her eyes flew open as she got her head off of the tree and laid on the ground on the side of her uninjured wing.
After a bit of writhing to work herself into the ground, she looked at how she was, dismayed and annoyed.
She was barely concealed.
Sitting up with a grunt, she scraped up all the soil she could, and heaved as much mud and dirt onto herself as possible.
She couldn't help but cringe. The nasty dirt sunk in-between her scales quickly. She mentally apologized to her scales for making them put up with this.
At the very least, it's easier to hide with green scales, she thought.
Despite the self-consolation, she didn't feel much better. Just stickier.
The wingbeats were getting louder, and the trees close to her to danced in the wind of what could only be made by SkyWings. Squall sunk into the ground as much as she could, resisting the urge to tremble.
I'd really, really like it if I didn't have to die today, thank you.
She could barely hear the voice of a dragon somewhere above the forest, over the storm of wings that made all the trees around her sway in the wind; they must be right above her, but she couldn't see them.
"Search here. I'll check about half-a-mile down that way." She heard.
As the SkyWing left, she heard the sound of bushes rustling nearby.
Someone was coming.
No. You're kidding me.
Squall pushed her head down into the dirt and closed her eyes. It took all she could to fight the urge to get up and run as fast as she could as the sound of rustling got closer and closer.
If she didn't know any better, it sounded as if it was right on top of her now.
This is it, isn't it? I'm actually gonna die, and while like this, too... I can see it now; 'Squall. She lived a SeaWing, died a MudWing'.
Squall opened one of her eyes.
As if on cue, a hare hopped its way out of the brush where she was looking.
No. I'm fine. Awesome.
With effort, Squall got to her feet. Now it was time to find out where she was and get back home. Squall turned around to get a better picture of her surroundings.
She would regret doing that immediately.
Instead of a good exit, her eyes found the face of a wine-red SkyWing staring at her from fifteen feet away.
She'd been found.
No… no, no no no…
"Stay back…" Squall heard herself say, so fast she couldn't stop herself. She barely registered the sudden tremble in her voice.
The SkyWing didn't move. He just..stared at her with intense yellow eyes.
He's seen me. But he hasn't even moved, hasn't given a signal, hasn't shouted...What is WRONG with him?! Squall found herself staring back soon enough.
In the silence, a dragonfly zoomed through the space between them at a speed that Squall found herself wishing she could match if she tried to run.
Ahead of her, the SkyWing was squinting. She guessed he couldn't see her too well, but she could because her night vision had kicked in, and she took the time to examine him.
The dragon that found her was…actually, shorter than her. She guessed he was likely at least a year younger than her, going off of size and horns. Squall had seen her share of SkyWings before, and it was common for many of them to have scars- he had only a few, nowhere as many as she'd expect. The only one she saw upfront was a tiny one on his chest. His body seemed like some weird halfway point between wiry and muscular, his muscles somewhat defined but his body still quite thin, like he was a little underfed. She could see a brown pouch around his left rear leg that was at least two sizes too large for him.
She had no idea how long they did their little game of don't-look-away, but she was running out of patience.
And as time went on, he barely moved so much as a talon.
She wished her leg didn't hurt. She could take him on if she wasn't, she knew it. But if she tried any sudden moves like this, she'd fall on her rear instead.
She couldn't let him see that. She'd heard about the SkyWing queen and some of the things she does to her prisoners. Squall wasn't going to let that happen. She was going to make him kill her if she had to.
"If you're going to take me prisoner, you'll have to come and get me." Squall said.
That's right. And I'll die before I let you take me.
"No." the SkyWing said, in a hushed voice.
What?
"What do you mean, no?" Squall said, matching his voice.
"I'm not going to take you prisoner." The SkyWing took a step forward.
"You're going to just kill me?" Squall said, taking a stumbling step back.
"Not that either." He said.
"So you're just going to gawk at the pretty SeaWing?" Squall said.
"I guess." the SkyWing replied.
"Seriously?" Squall couldn't think of a reason as to why of all the SkyWings she'd run into, it'd be this awkward, ditzy one. If he wasn't going to get her killed or caught, standing around like an idiot would be something he should avoid doing.
"I don't know if you noticed, but your murderous friends are kind of trying to turn me inside out." Squall said. "So if you'd kindly point me to the ocean, I'd be very appreciative."
"I would. But you won't be going anywhere with a wing like that." The SkyWing flicked his tail at her left side.
When Squall looked down at her wing, she didn't like what she saw. It was bent at an awkward angle, part of the wing in the dirt where it would normally be straightened out.
Okay. That's a little scary…
Attempting to move it, she found quickly that her wing was still as stone. No matter how much she worked to just manipulate it, she could only fold the membranes slightly.
Oh, you're kidding me.
"I...I-I think it's broken."
"Let me see."
"What did you say?"
"Let me see it." The SkyWing said, approaching her carefully.
Squall sighed and turned so that he could see her wing easier. The mystery SkyWing came so close he could feel his breath, his eyes and talons tracing her wing in the darkness.
After a few seconds (and a sharp hiss at him when he touched a painful spot) he stepped away. "Your wing's dislocated, not broken." the SkyWing said.
But now her wing would need to be treated in a timely manner.
She wasn't sure she liked where this was going.
"Annnd...let me guess. You're going to help me put it back into place now?" Squall said.
"I don't see why not," the SkyWing replied.
"You don't see why you shouldn't help the enemy dragon get back to her commander?" Squall said.
"You're wounded and incapable of fighting. If I killed you, it'd be like stealing meals from a hatchling," the SkyWing said. "Lay against the tree or something."
I can't believe I'm doing this.
Squall limped her way over to the tree she'd previously hid against and shifted her weight against it.
The tree was sticky with sap and she felt some get onto her scales, adding to her sensory annoyances so far.
"Wait." Squall said, and the small SkyWing halted.
"How do you know it's dislocated?" Squall asked.
"You're asking a SkyWing if they know the difference in wing injuries?" the SkyWing replied.
"You're asking an enemy soldier why they don't trust you?" Squall's response earned an exasperated sigh from the SkyWing.
"Can you stop calling yourself an enemy, for the moon's sake? I mean, it's true, but you have a name, don't you?"
Yeah. Does it matter if you know? Squall thought pointedly.
But at the same time...it felt more than a little rude to not give a name.
He'd already had the courtesy to not kill her the second he saw her, and he even was helping her escape with her life.
Besides, it wasn't like they'd ever meet each other again.
"Squall."
The SkyWing gazed at her a few moments, with a look she couldn't read.
"Windbreaker," he said finally, as he put his talons onto her wing.
"This is going to hurt. Can you keep silent?" Windbreaker said.
If Squall didn't know better, she'd thought he sounded concerned.
"I hope so," Squall replied.
"Well. Here goes. Sorry about this," Windbreaker said.
Sorry? I just met him, why's he saying sorr- OW!
The pain attacked her with a sharp tingle that reminded her of the shock from an electric eel. It ran up and down her scales so quickly it was a real struggle to not kick Windbreaker in the face and scream. Instead, her protest came out as a rather painful growl in her throat.
It took a few moments for the pain to subside. After that time, she looked around. Windbreaker had taken a few steps back from her. Checking her wing, she noted it stung really badly but tested it with a small flap.
Looking back on the event, she'd never feel as relieved in her life as she was when her left wing was moving properly again.
"Oh my moons, it worked… Thank you. Thank you so much."
"No problem." Windbreaker said, staring up into the sky before another awkward silence was exchanged between the two of them like their staring contest.
"Mind if I ask something?" Windbreaker said, breaking the silence after a dozen seconds.
"Uhm...not at all," Squall said.
"Squall. That's a name associated with wind. That doesn't seem like a SeaWing name."
"Yeah? So what? You think it's a funny name?" Squall asked with an edge of anger in her voice.
"No?" Windbreaker replied.
She'd always had issues with other SeaWings making fun of her name. She couldn't help but feel some kind of anger creep inside of her whenever they pointed her name out, like she was some kind of oddity, like she was less than them.
It was part of the reason why she sought out the military. She wanted to prove them wrong so badly.
"Good. Anyway, A Squall is usually something you get when you're out on the ocean. Mom taught me that."
"Mom?" Windbreaker asked.
"Uh, yeah. Mother. Never met yours or something?"
Windbreaker shrank back from Squall, looking at the ground.
Oh, seahorse dung. That was insensitive.
"Wait. I was right? I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it. My stepfather raised me. He...was pretty cool," Windbreaker said.
Oh no. He used past tense.
"Uhh... Sorry to hear that." Squall said. She felt bad about what she said.
"Don't be. I'm not beating myself up over it. It's old news. There's just something I don't get." Windbreaker said, before going on.
"They tell me that all SeaWings are monsters. That you should be killed on sight, that you're all honorless and disgusting. And that you smell like fish."
"Wow. Lots of compliments there." Squall said, barely feeling the smirk on her face.
Windbreaker didn't seem to get her sarcasm(or the fact she didn't deny the fish part).
"But...Why aren't you like that? If every SeaWing is supposed to be, why aren't you?" Windbreaker had the look of someone who desperately wanted an answer.
"Because it's not true."
Windbreaker was silent after that.
He seemed to be thinking. His expression was unreadable to her, which normally would worry her in this particular situation.
But what was really so weird to her was the fact that was a question that needed to be answered. Was it so bad in the Sky Kingdom that their dragonets barely knew anything but stereotypes? Did their Queen have them all brainwashed, perhaps?
He did also look like he needed some extra food. The war must have been affecting them really badly. Maybe she should bring him something. Was that a good idea?
She didn't hear another noise out of Windbreaker for the next twenty seconds. With each breath she took, she swore the awkwardness was seeping into her lungs.
Either that or the smell of pine was starting to get irritating.
"That's what Crimson would've said." Windbreaker broke the silence, which was welcome to Squall.
"Who?" Squall said.
"My stepfather." Windbreaker replied.
"Oh. Who...killed him?" Squall said. Was this going where she thought it was?
Windbreaker was silent for a dozen seconds.
"SeaWings did."
Oh. It was going where I thought it was going. I am the worst dragon ever tonight.
"I'm sorry."
Windbreaker shrugged. "It's war."
Squall understood his sentiment. Sometimes dragons just got caught in the middle.
But this was giving her questions, questions she wanted an answer to. Why was this SkyWing showing kindness? Why wasn't he killing her right now? She had to find out.
"So why?" Squall locked eyes with Windbreaker.
"What?" Windbreaker looked confused.
"Why are you helping me?"
Windbreaker shifted a bit and looked away for a brief few seconds. Turning back to face her, he broke his third silence.
"It's what he would have done. Honor first."
Squall was satisfied with that answer, for what it was.
But now she wanted to ask some questions of her own.
Being in the Sea Kingdom's army meant you would hear rumors of other enemy armies quite often. Some were ridiculous- but others seemed feasible enough to have to ask.
The more Squall thought about a particular rumor, the more she realized it made too much sense.
"Windbreaker, is it true that the SkyWings have a breeding program?"
"Yes. Don't you?" Windbreaker said, sitting on his haunches.
Wow, he gave that up easy, Squall thought.
That explained a lot. They'd been having prolonged engagements with SkyWing groups for so long. It confused her commanders how they seemed to have a never-ending flow of reinforcements. Many other Tribes recruited young soldiers extensively, but not to the extent Windbreaker was suggesting, not even slightly.
"No. We have mostly volunteers."
"Most of you choose to fight?" He looked shocked, which Squall noted only for a brief moment.
"Yeah. When we got old enough, I joined up with my…"
Oh, squid ink.
She was too busy thinking about all the information she'd got. Squall couldn't believe she had lost him, or even almost forgot about him! What kind of sister was she?
"My brother! Did you see another SeaWing with me?"
Windbreaker shank back, surprised at her sudden change of energy but answered quickly.
"One with blue scales?" Windbreaker replied.
"Yeah. That's my brother. Did he…?" Squall said.
"We lost sight of him, too, yeah." Windbreaker answered.
"Oh, thank the moons. Do you know which direction he fled?"
"Last I saw him, he was going northeast," Windbreaker said. "There was a pair of IceWings chasing him. I think he made it to the water."
"IceWings chasing him? I have to find him." Squall said.
Windbreaker didn't give a visible reaction.
"Follow me. Ocean's about a quarter-mile away." Windbreaker about-faced and they started their jog through the forest. Their rushing was as fast as Squall's hurt leg could allow it.
Eventually, they were at the shoreline, the North Sea coast of the Sky Kingdom still and serene. The head of the greatest of the three moons peeked out over the dark blanket of the ocean, shining a faint beam of moonlight onto the ocean ahead of them. Squall jumped into the water without delay, the splash echoing through the night. The first thing she felt before the cold water was the salt stinging her arm, making her grunt.
"You alright?" Windbreaker inquired behind her.
"Yeah. Just a little pain. I can take it." Squall replied.
She was able to make use of her forearm now, with slow and deft strokes to keep afloat as long as she ignored the pain.
Turning around in the water, she faced Windbreaker who was standing on the edge of shore in front of her.
She felt something slimy push against her unhurt arm. That was when she remembered to get Windbreaker something.
With a fast motion, she wrapped her claws around whatever she caught and tugged a cod almost as large as her talon out of the water.
Amazing timing, little guy! Too bad you're gonna be dinner.
"Hey, Windy." Squall said, holding her catch out of the water and gripping it tightly as it flopped around in her talon kind of like the one time her brother tried to dance in public.
"Windy?" Windbreaker said.
"Yeah. Windy. Take this."
She held her prize out to him, barely able to contain her smile.
"A...fish?"
Squall snorted. Was he serious? Yes, a FISH.
"No. It's a bomb that's going to explode whenever a SkyWing touches it."
Windbreaker looked twice as reluctant after hearing that. Squall sighed and pushed the fish close to his chest, which made him flinch for a brief moment.
He stared at the fish like it was actually going to blow him up, which Squall thought was kind of adorable and a little sad.
'You look like you need something to eat. Take it. Please." Squall said, only partially noticing how her voice softened.
"Oh. Thanks." He said, gently grabbing it from her outstretched talon and staring at it.
"Don't need to thank me." Squall replied as Windbreaker simply stared at the fish in his talons.
As nice as everything was, she needed to get going.
"Well, uh...have a good life. Don't get killed." Squall said.
She sincerely meant that, which kind of surprised her.
"Likewise." Windbreaker replied, after another pause.
"Thanks for not killing me and all…You know? For an enemy, you're pretty cool." Squall said.
Windbreaker nodded, understandably looking a little solemn.
"Same to you, Squall."
After another second of exchanging goodbyes, she nodded respectfully and plunged into the ocean without any more words. Her vision kicked into overdrive, revealing the ocean floor below her as she swam frantically. Her mind was abuzz with thoughts about her situation and her brother.
Where is he? This is all my fault.
I've never had anything like that happen before.
Are they going to punish Windbreaker for losing me?
How bad am I gonna get it when I report what happened?
Was that how SkyWings were before this war?
Moons above, WHERE IS HE?!
TRENCH?! Squall shone at full brightness her luminescent scales in the patterns of Aquatic, the SeaWing underwater language.
A school of fish scattered before her eyes as the greyish, murky landscape of under the ocean became bright and colorful in timed splashes of green. In the distance, she saw the silhouette of a dragon close to the top of the water disappear as each pulse ended.
I think that's him! Squall thought while she torpedoed off into the abyss, the excitement and relief overshadowing her pain as Squall went into the depths to get her brother.
In the end, she didn't have to work that hard to find him.
She just had to follow the blood.
A/N: Full disclosure: This story is kind of in limbo. Currently, I'm settling for re-writing what is there, but I really can't guarantee anything for this story anymore. This was my first ever fic on the archive, so it has a special place in my heart, but I wish old me had put some more planning in before starting this one. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy what's there, and my rewrite isn't going to change things too drastically.
Wings of Fire belongs to Scholastic and Tui T. Sutherland.