She woke with a start. Blinking her bleary eyes, she looked down to see that the hammock she was sleeping on had claw marks on it, and was nearly torn in two. She was surprised to see it had managed to support her weight. Fearing the worst, she looked even further, down to the room below. She was relieved to see that it was as immaculate as before. Thank the moons. Then the canopy gave way and she fell down just as a SkyWing entered the room.
"Oh, hello." She said, getting onto her feet. "Flicker, right?" The SkyWing nodded, but didn't say anything.
"It's nice here, umm… one problem. My hammock is in tatters, I don't know if you could move your things along so I can sleep on that rocky ledge?"
Flicker nodded, smiling pleasantly. She walked over to her bed, and shifted the mess so it didn't take up two ledges.
"If you don't mind me asking, why aren't you talking?"
Flicker got out a tablet and chalk, and scrawled on it "I am mute," in curly letters.
"Oh."
Flicker turned the slate towards her again, after scribbling. "Don't worry, you'll soon get the hang of living with a silent dragon. I am not completely SkyWing though, which is not very obvious. My mother isn't a SkyWing… Can I demonstrate to you my special ability?"
"Sure." Moonstone smiled. She seems nice. Her eyes wandered to a scar on Flicker's throat. Might be related to why she can't speak. I'm surprised how much writing she can fit onto that slate.
Flicker held up the tablet, and took a deep breath. Then, as she breathed out, ice crystals began to form. "You're part IceWing? Cool!" Moonstone gasped.
"That's not all!" Flicker breathed in again, and then exhaled a plume of fire. It melted the ice, and she tucked it back into her pouch.
"WOW!" Moonstone clapped her talons in delight, knowing that her scales were probably bright pink or yellow. Should I give away my secret? Maybe just to warn her.
But I don't want to ruin my first chance at a friend. But she's trusted me with hers, I can trust her with mine.
She cleared her throat. "I.. uh… want to show you something too."
Flicker nodded her head encouragingly.
Moonstone took a deep breath, and channelled all of her power into her arms. They sprouted hair, and turned into wolf-like paws instead. Flicker gasped in shock and delight. Moonstone shook them, and they turned back. "Uh… please don't tell anyone."
"Tell anyone what?"
They twisted round. Alligator was standing in the hallway. "What are you gossiping about?" She sneered, her growl making the scar on her face crease up. She padded over to them, and looked at them fiercely.
"I was just showing her my scale patterns." Moonstone lied. Flicker nodded.
Alligator scowled. "Let's see then."
Moonstone willed her scales to change into zig-zaggy black lines over her tail, to make it look a bit wasp-like. Alligator grunted in a bored way.
Moonstone sighed internally. Then, she made her scales look like the swamp, and added a frog leaping around on her neck.
Alligator's face became a mask of horror, and she shrieked, "Don't remind me of that place!" before throwing the scroll she was holding at Moonstone. It hit her on the side of the head, and she collapsed to the floor. Her entire body was screaming to shift, and chase Alligator down the corridor.
She stood there, quivering in shock and sudden rage that filled her up. She wasn't sure why she was so angry. She just was.
She forced herself to take deep breaths.
She was calm.
Ow. Her head really hurt.
She looked over to the scroll that had been thrown at her. It had sharp, teeth like edges.
Flicker held up her slate again. "You're bleeding."
Moonstone touched the side of her head which was pure white, apart from the blood from the wound which made it red.
She felt the ground judder under her feet, and she passed out.