Hello everyone! Thank you for bearing with me as I finished up this chapter. It's a little on the shorter side, but I didn't want to keep you all waiting any longer. I've been hard at work world and plot building for my original series. Just in case anybody was wondering, the current name for the new series is Sanctuary's Relic. With all the ideas I've gather so far, I have a strong feeling you'll like it too! I should mention that I plan on releasing a large section (if not all) of the first book of Sanctuary's Relic on Wattpad for absolutely no cost! That being said, I'm trying to gather as much support as I can on Wattpad to show my work to as many people as possible to increase my chances of becoming a published author. From now on, I plan on releasing new Frostbitten Hearts chapters on Wattpad a few days before I release them here just as a way of saying thanks to my readers! I go by the same username there and have the same stories published. Thank you all so much for reading my stories. I hope you're as excited for Sanctuary's Relic as I am!

- Chapter 23 -

Frostbite felt his heart drop like a pebble breaking through the surface of a lake. An unbearable numbness replaced the sensation of sand beneath his talons as the dark walls of thin dark alleyway seemed to close in around him. His body urged him to run, to fly, to do anything to escape the red dragon in front of him. Alas, his fear bound him in place better than any chain ever could.

"An IceWing scared frozen?" the intimidating SkyWing taunted, spreading his gigantic wings behind him. "How ironic. I'd say you remember me, at least judging by that look on your face. Speaking of which, it seems to have mended quite a bit since I saw you last."

Though he'd only heard his voice once before, Frostbite had no doubts about the dragon standing before him. He was the one responsible for his torment; the reason he'd been sent off to die in the desert.

Copper's father.

Canary's brother.

Sparrow.

The dragon who killed Nimbus.

"Do you know cousin Frostbite?" Copper asked, the innocence of her tone contradicting the atmosphere of the situation. Frostbite noticed her creep up beside his icy scales, her legs arched as if she'd have to sprint at any second.

"Do you know basic manners?" the red dragon countered, his stone-gray eyes delivering the harshest glare Frostbite had ever seen. "You don't speak when an adult is talking, especially when they aren't talking to you. Three moons, I suppose decency is just another thing you've neglected to learn."

The orange SkyWing stared at him, her honey-colored eyes glazed with tears. Then, she took a step backward and lowered her head in shame.

"Now, where was I?" Sparrow hissed, revealing his dagger-like teeth. "I expect you'll forgive me for asking Canary to kill you. Believe me, a painless death is nothing compared to spending another second around that insufferable snake." He paused, his eyes narrowing into slits. "That being said, how did you manage to escape that little cell of hers? Be honest. I have no intent on sending you back."

"She let me go," Frostbite explained, his voice quivering. "Amber came and she… she gave up herself for me." He turned his head down, unable to look at the evil dragon any longer. Behind them, the SandWing merchant collected his wares and hastily crept away, not wanting to be a part of the confrontation.

"Ah, so Canary finally has her in her clutches," Sparrow mused, tapping a talon against his snout. "You know, Canary's been wanting to kill her for a long time now. If Amber isn't dead yet, I have no doubt she's currently wishing she was."

Suddenly, Frostbite felt an ounce of boldness flare up inside him. A kindling fueled by every word the vile dragon spat at him. Sparrow and Canary had taken everything he loved away from him. He wasn't going to be toyed with any longer.

"Stop it!" Frostbite roared, letting his icy spines stand at full length as he watched his tears splash against the sand beneath his talons. "You already ruined my life! What else do you want from me?"

The red SkyWing smirked, surprised by the usually-timid dragon's outburst. He stared down at him, his posture tall and triumphant.

"What? Am I not allowed to speak with my own nephew?"

Frostbite's eyes widened as he came to a startling realization.

Three moons… if he really is Copper's father, then that means he's my uncle… and Canary is my aunt.

"I see you've met the stain I left on this continent," Sparrow declared, gesturing his talons toward Copper. She lowered herself even closer to the ground. "Such a shame her mother is no longer with us. She was one of few dragons I actually found tolerable."

"You're talking about Breeze, aren't you? Nimbus said she died when she was a dragonet, but that can't be true. I heard you and Canary talking about her. You must know what happened," Frostbite accused him, fueled by his curiosity and desire to get to the bottom of this mystery.

"Stubborn IceWing, I don't have to tell you anything," Sparrow huffed, his face reverting to annoyance. "But why not boast about my accomplishments? I trust Canary nearly talked your ear off with her ideals of romanticism. She knew about how Nimbus secretly kept his sister alive. She also knew she'd have to seize his full attention in order to solidify her future. I'll let you fill in the blanks."

Frostbite pondered Sparrow's words. Beside him, Copper began shivering, her warm scales brushing up against his, a look of pain, guilt, and confusion on her face.

Don't worry, Copper. We'll find out what happened to Breeze. We'll find out what happened to your mother.

"That still doesn't make sense," he objected, softening his tone. "As much as I hate to say this, wouldn't you have just killed Breeze?"

The red dragon snorted, procuring a small flame in front of his mouth that disappeared like a wisp.

"Are you joking? And here I thought I was sadistic. No, not even I could bring myself to kill a dragonet. At that time, anyway. Of course, that policy may need to be changed if you insist on asking questions." Sparrow shot him another deadly glance, but he wasn't backing down.

"I took her here, to Possibility. I may have only been a couple of years older than Breeze, but she really was as light as a feather. Here she stayed for the rest of her life; which was regrettably short."

"I still don't get it. Why did Canary take things this far to be with Nimbus?" the young IceWing questioned. "She told me it was just about gaining power, so why couldn't she find someone else?"

"I'd call you dimwitted, but I'll admit there is no reasonable way you could have known. Fine, I'll humor you just this once. You see, these ideals of power and status didn't hatch from Canary's eggshell mind. Our mother planned her ascension through the SkyWing ranks, feeding this idea recognition to her like poison. She was the one who selected Nimbus as a perfect candidate; brawny, sharp-witted, and from a powerful family. However, shortly after, she passed away. As I'm sure you can imagine, she and Canary were close in their plotting antics. In her grief, Canary set out to fulfill her final request through any means necessary."

Sparrow paused, then slowly stepped forward, casting a dark shadow over Frostbite, his gray eyes sharp and menacing.

"Of course, I'm sure you don't need me to tell you what it's like having dead parents."

Then, he brushed past, his talons striking silently against the sandstone floor. As he slipped into the sunlight, his scales glistened like bloodstained rubies, then he turned around the corner and vanished like a ghost.

Frostbite let out a deep breath, letting his stiff muscles relax. Even in the harsh heat of the desert, the confrontation made his chest feel colder than ice.

"I… I'm so sorry," Copper pleaded, her voice muffled. The young IceWing turned his head away from the path that Sparrow followed only to find his cousin curled up in a ball, covering her face with yellow wings.

"I'm so sorry… for everything."

"What do you mean?" Frostbite asked as he tried to wrap his tail around hers. As if he'd activated a secret trigger, the orange SkyWing unfolded onto the floor, her joints weaker than twigs.

"My father… he's the one who killed uncle Nimbus, isn't he?" Copper asked, a deep breath between each word the only thing holding back an ocean of tears. "And he stole my mother away from him when she was just a dragonet?"

Frostbite sighed and nodded slowly. Speech evaded him as he took a seat next to the distraught SkyWing, hoping the chill radiating off his scales would calm her.

"I always knew my father wasn't the nicest dragon around, but I never knew he was this… this evil. Really, the only thing I knew about him was that he liked to yell at me. He… he didn't even tell me about aunt Canary." She let out a cavernous sigh, deflating her chest. "My father and my aunt are both evil… does that mean I'm gonna be evil too?"

The young IceWing lowered his head until he could stare into Copper's reflective eyes, offering her a weak smile.

"Of course not!" he assured her while nudging her neck with his snout. "You're my cousin! And, hey, Canary's my aunt, too."

"Aww, you're so sweet, Frostbite," Copper cooed. "I wish Pyrrhia had more dragons like you."

In Frostbite's soothing presence, the orange SkyWing finally found the strength to stand.

"You know, I planned a whole day of fun things for us to do. I knew you were at least a little uneasy, being in such a huge town. I wanted to show you how great it was here." She looked down, shaking her head. "Now you probably feel even less safe. Silly, isn't it? I think we should go home now. I need to talk with Platinum. Sorry if you wanted to keep exploring."

Frostbite nodded. The thought of being indoors, far away from Sparrow seemed ideal to him.

"That's alright. I was feeling kinda tired anyway. The last time I fell asleep was when I passed out in the desert."

"Three moons, you poor thing," Copper sympathized. Her usually-bright scales took on a dark amber hue in the shadows of the buildings lining the alley. "Don't worry, I'm sure Jade would love to be your napping buddy." She turned around and began marching along the dim path, holding her tail between her legs.

As the deserted paths merged with the bustling streets at Possibility's core, Frostbite felt his stiff joints unwind. The light from the desert sun enveloped him like warm water while loud voices echoing throughout vendor's stalls ensured him safety from any dragon who may try to sneak up on him.

For a moment, the temptation to close his heavy eyelids and continue walking blindly set in. He shook his head, awakening his weary mind. Losing sight of the orange dragon in front of him was the last thing he wanted in such a crowded area.

Despite his hazy vision, Frostbite couldn't help but notice Copper sulking, her snout almost grazing the sandy floor. Still, her pace was steady, wasting no time on her foul mood.

Is she thinking about what happened to Breeze? Frostbite wondered, fixing his gaze on her frail expression. Almost instinctively, he nudged his way under her golden wing. Resting his eyes with her there to guide him didn't seem nearly as bad of an idea.

As Frostbite pressed his nose against her neck, he noticed Copper spreading her wing, blanketing him.

"Aww, Frostbite. That's no fair," Copper objected, a hint of spirit in her tone. "How are you so good and cheering me up? Don't I get to be sad now and then?"

"Nope," the weary IceWing answered with a yawn, his spines laying flat as if he were asleep. "I've had enough sadness for a while. Maybe even a lifetime."

"Oh, moons, you look so sleepy. Don't worry, we're almost home," Copper assured him, her voice like a lullaby. "Just keep leaning on my side."

Before he could find the strength to respond, the voices surrounding them vanished as Copper turned out of the marketplace. Shadows enveloped their path between homes, turning the tile cold beneath his talons.

Suddenly, the pair came to a halt.

"Are you still awake?" Copper whispered, the warm breath from her nostrils stirring his eyes open.

"Mhm," Frostbite grumbled, slowly turning his head left and right before his gaze fell upon the familiar greenery of Platinum's roof. "Whoa, we're back already?"

"Time moves quicker when you're half-asleep," she assured him.

And a whole year moves even quicker when you're completely asleep, Frostbite reminded himself.

As Copper pulled away the door's hide covering and led him inside, the weary IceWing noticed the lack of voices greeting them.

"Where is everybody?" Frostbite yawned, turning his head toward the fur-covered chest where Jade once rested.

"I'll bet Platinum went to the marketplace to gather ingredients. He told me he'd make a special dinner once he came back from the rainforest," the orange SkyWing realized as she brought Frostbite to her sandstone slab in the corner.

The camel-fur blankets invited him to lie down with their warm colors and soft appearance. "Here, Frostbite. You can nap on my bed while I go look for him. Don't worry, I promise you'll be safe here. The blankets are clean, too; Platinum washes them all the time."

"Alright," Frostbite agreed, giving in to the temptation to climb on the bed. Though the warmth of the air around them was comparable to a torch's aura, he couldn't help but pull a blanket up to his neck as the soft fur tickled his scales. Finally, he crossed his claws in front of him and laid his head to rest.

"Aww," Copper cooed, charmed by his sleeping position. She lowered her head and pressed her snout between his eyes. "Have a nice rest. I'll be back in just a little bit."

When Frostbite opened his eyes, he was greeted by the familiar scenery of the cave he grew up in. His sister's hide-covered bed, the food-stained table, and the lone torch on the wall all remained exactly how he remembered them.

He took a deep breath as the almost-forgotten sound of the Diamond Spray river sang to his ears.

Suddenly, he noticed a sense of warmth fall over him. He turned his head left and spied Amber lying by his side, covering his back with her enormous wing.

Although her citrine eyes were closed, Frostbite could feel a gentle heartbeat resonating from her chest.

"Did I just wake up?" the young IceWing wondered. "Was everything that happened just a nightmare? Is Nimbus still alive? Is Canary still evil?" As he looked around the room, Frostbite knew that, deep down, something was off. Everything he'd been through, though easily comparable to fantasy, felt much more reliable than the illusions surrounding him.

"No, this can't be real. I'm still somewhere in the desert," he decided, staring longingly at Amber's clementine scales. "And you're still in danger."

Frostbite couldn't take it anymore; his dreams relentlessly taunting him with images of a better reality. Still, he was grateful to have another glance at what he truly desired rather than a recurring nightmare.

"This might be the only way I'll ever see Mother again," Frostbite realized, small tears welling up in his obsidian-black eyes. "In my dreams."

Though he knew his mother's presence was nothing more than an illusion, he couldn't resist placing his head on her shoulder, making the most of his time with her until his dreams guided him back to her wings again.

Upon his gesture, Amber's eyes began to slide open. Slowly, she raised her head and stared down at him with a warm smile. Frostbite tilted his gaze to meet the dragon who loved and cared for him since hatching.

Though Amber's body was warm, Frostbite couldn't stop himself from shivering.

"Frostbite?" the clementine SkyWing asked, a look of concern growing on her face. "Frostbite, are you alright?

The young IceWing couldn't bring himself to reply. All he could do was sniffle at the sight of her, knowing he'd never be under her wings again.

"Frostbite… wake up."