Swordfish moved his seat closer to the Sandwing, trying to see if there was something weird about her. She seemed normal enough. She was wearing earrings in the shape of two snakes entwined together. Swordfish turned around as another winglet came into the classroom. Right. There was two winglets in each History Class.
Webs cleared his throat. "Let's all begin this year with learning the names of your peers. Let's start with the Amethyst Winglet." Webs gestured at the new winglet. "I'M DELTA!" shouted Amethyst's Mudwing. "THIS IS MY BEST FRIEND, TYPHOON." Delta pointed excitedly at a grumpy-looking Seawing. Typhoon glared at Delta with her green eyes. "I can introduce myself, you scavenger-brained, Burn-following-""We don't talk about the war anymore." Interrupted Webs. "We were told by Queen Blaze that the only way Sunny would live was if we accepted Blaze and kept Blaze's sister's names out of this school."
"I'm Rainfall." Said a lazy-looking Rainwing. His eyes began to droop as he said it. Interesting. The Amethyst Winglet had a Rainwing, but Swordfish's, The Amber Winglet, didn't. Why?
"Scaleslasher is what they called me back on the volcano, and still at the Nightwing Village in the Rainforest. My birth name is Farseer, and that's apparently what you have to call me here." Farseer bared her teeth. "Don't mess with me." The Nightwing from Swordfish's Winglet snorted as if laughing.
"You watch your tongue, brother." Farseer threatened.
"My name's Savanna." The Sandwing said with a slight drawl. He wore a necklace with a dagger on it. "I'm one of the Outclaws' best sword wielders. I fashioned Thorn's personal spear for the attack on Burn's Stronghold. I now work for Queen Blaze." The Icewing next to him looked at Savanna expressionless. Everyone in the room waited for him to speak.
"I'm Frigid." He said bluntly. Everyone was quiet. He didn't say anything else. Which was good because Swordfish was tired, and didn't want to hear anything long.
"My name is Scorch." Said the exotic-looking Skywing. "My mother was one of Queen Scarlet's top entertainers. I always liked the pet Rainwing Scarlet had." Scorch looked admiringly at Rainfall's scales. "I always wished I could be a Rainwing, but then I would be dumb. Wouldn't I?" "That's enough. Thank you Amethyst Winglet. Please take your seats." Webs said. They all sat down except for Frigid. "I said take your seats." Webs repeated. "Oh." Frigid said. He sat down on the floor where he was standing.
"Oh boy. I can't wait for this year's fun." Webs said sarcastically. "Now how about the Amber Winglet?" Swordfish picked his head up. He should probably pay attention now, considering this was his winglet.
"My name is Cedar. The rest of my sibs are in other winglets. Except for you, Delta. Man am I glad to see you. Did you know that-." "Moving on." Webs said dismissively. He pointed at Swordfish. Swordfish stood up. "M-my name is Swordfish." The other dragonets looked at him blankly. Except for Frigid, who seemed hypnotized by the floor.
"My-my brother is Starfish, the hero who stopped A-Anemone." "YOU'RE Starfish's brother? You look nothing like him. Did one brother get all the good genes?" Typhoon sneered at him. Starfish knew that many female Seawings from the capital had developed crushes on the hero of the sea.
"My name is Vulture. I designed some of Queen Ruby's castle designs. My father is a designer of automated war machines." It was the drawing Skywing he saw earlier. He twitched his wings and drummed his talons on the floor.
"My name is Blizzard. I am top of the Third Circle. I have served Queen Glacier with utmost loyalty. I assisted in the hunt for Prince Winter. My father is well-respected with the Nobles. I have no idea why he thought it best for me to go to a non-Icewing school with lower-ranked dragonets." Swordfish already disliked her.
Webs began poking the sleeping Nightwing from earlier. Farseer's brother. He awoke with a start. "My name's Darkseer. I'm… Farseer's brother." "You call me Scaleslasher." Farseer said threateningly. "Right sis. Anyway, apparently I'm super-powerful, but I'm not so sure about that. Just let Rattlesnake go already." Darkseer flopped over and fell asleep again.
The teleporting Sandwing from earlier stood up cautiously. "How did you know my name?" She had the most perfect voice Swordfish had ever heard. "My name is Rattlesnake, although Darkseer just said that. I was part of The Outclaws, like Savanna." She looked at Savanna, who smiled back at her flirtatiously. "I helped dragonets in The Scorpion Den get food and water." She was one of the most beautiful dragons Swordfish had ever seen. But Swordfish had something else on his mind.
"Why does The Amethyst Winglet have a Rainwing, but we don't?" Swordfish blurted out. "Oh, you have one. She's right there." Webs gestured to an empty spot. "Say hello Vine. Glory told us all about you."
... But where he gestured there was nothing.
Nothing but a dark hole in the world.
Envloping Swordfish's mind. Whispering the loudest thing in the world.
"Vine."