"Don't go digging too deep Swordfish."
"Why do you act like that when nobody else is around? Why do you act like this only around me?" He asked her. "Well… despite being in the third circle, I find a lot of the Icewing pretentiousness to be insufferable. It's what contributed to the Tragedy of Prince Winter. But the other Icewings here would judge me too harshly if I didn't act like the rest of them. They could report back to the palace and I would lose my spot in the rankings."
Blizzard remained a mystery to Swordfish. Her unfitting facial expressions and reactions. Her secret fighting skill. Her possible animus power. Swordfish studied her out of the corner of his eye as she looked at the scavengers, most likely plotting her course of action. Her crystal-blue eyes glittering in the sun. He liked her much better when she wasn't pretending to be a snob. Sure, she lost some of her elegance with her true self, but out of all the dragons Swordfish had met, she seemed like one of the most real ones he knew, along with Rattlesnake and Darkseer. They seemed true to themselves.
"Hey! We gotta focus on the race Blizzard!" Marie reminded. "Yeah, stop flirting you two!" Michael said, chuckling. "Hey!" Swordfish said, embarrassed. I don't like Blizzard like that. He thought to himself, looking at the equally embarrassed Blizzard. "We were not flirting!" She said angrily to Michael, who smiled and shrugged. I don't like her like that. Swordfish thought to himself again, his mind flashing to Rattlesnake, but as Blizzard flew ahead of him, Marie yelling something back to Michael, he found a voice whispering slight disagreement.
"Blizzard… what's wrong?" Swordfish asked quietly, enough so that Vine couldn't hear. "…What do you mean?" Blizzard asked after quickly wiping away the tear. "Why were you crying?" Swordfish whispered. Blizzard didn't say anything. She looked back at the sunrise. "I was just… thinking about how the Scorching will destroy all of this." Blizzard whispered, and then she slightly cringed, a look of frustration passing over her face.
Blizzard didn't respond. Swordfish shot a quick glance at her and once again, noticed the beauty of the sun glimmering in her eyes. He turned his attention back to the river. A Seawing was dropping crates onto a boat, and two men were arranging them into place. One of the men was whistling a tune. Swordfish felt the end of Blizzard's cold tail touch his, and the two twined their tails around each other, silently watching the river.
Swordfish felt something touch him. He snapped awake and he saw Anthony hitting him to wake him up. Swordfish quickly got to his feet. Blizzard had finished the transformation into Adnachiel. Vulture fired his mobile rifle at her from the doorway. The bullets went into her and pierced holes through her back. The demon hunched over and the holes seemed to fill themselves with a black, shiny substance. They healed quickly, and then Adnachiel dashed towards Swordfish.
Rattlesnake threw herself in front of Swordfish, brandishing her tail dangerously. "You need to get out of here." Anthony said urgently. "Quick, out the window!" Swordfish looked back at Rattlesnake. "What about her?!" He asked. Rattlesnake slashed with her talons at Adnachiel, but she dodged it easily. She grabbed Rattlesnake's wing with her talon-like hands that allowed her to climb things. Rattlesnake kicked Adnachiel, but didn't seem to hurt the demon at all. Adnachiel's bow formed out of thin air.
"…NOOO!" Swordfish screamed, stopping as he ran towards the window. Adnachiel's head snapped towards him. She dropped Rattlesnake and began to draw an arrow from her quiver. Rattlesnake jumped in front of her again but this time, Adnachiel grabbed her and threw her to the side, Rattlesnake hitting Swordfish's bed hard enough to break most of the shells on it.
Marie ran out from the crowd of dragons screaming in the halls with Tsunami close behind her. There was someone else there too. Swordfish recognized it as Pike. A dragonet Coral had assigned to guard Anemone when she went to the school.
Marie ran towards Adnachiel and fired a Kiboten dragon snare. The net began to unfurl in the air, but Adnachiel rolled out of the way. Tsunami slid in next to Rattlesnake, who was getting up. Tsunami flared her wings in the tight space, blocking a way for Adnachiel to go. "GO GO GO!" Anthony cried. Swordfish reluctantly went to the window to climb out.
"Not this time." The voice of Adnachiel said in Swordfish's head. "YOU WANT MY STUDENTS? YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH ME!" "No!" Cried the voice of Pike in the doorway. "She'll kill you! You can't take her!" Adnachiel pulled an arrow from her quiver and drew back the bow. She was aimed directly at Tsunami's head. "I don't care." Tsunami said, her fear clearly showing in her eyes. Adnachiel aimed the arrow.
She suddenly snapped the bow downward and aimed underneath Tsunami's wing. She let the arrow fly. The arrow hit Pike directly in the head. He instantly collapsed, dead. Tsunami turned her head to look at her student. "TSUNAMI!" Swordfish cried. Tsunami turned back just in time before Adnachiel slammed into her. Tsunami caught the demon's fist with her talon. She pushed back, her arm shaking with the force. She began to push Adnachiel's fist back.
Adnachiel's other hand reached forward and grabbed Tsunami's throat. Rattlesnake let out a scream, but she couldn't seem to get up. "GO!" Anthony cried, but Swordfish couldn't get himself to move. Tsunami was choking under the force of Adnachiel's hand on her throat, which was getting tighter. Adnachiel was using two hands now to lift the Seawing up into the air. Swordfish couldn't move. It was like the scenario had broken his brain. Blizzard was going to kill Tsunami. Blizzard had killed Pike.
Just as it looked like Tsunami was about to suffocate, Adnachiel was suddenly flung back towards Cedar's bed. She was almost magnetized to the wall. Tsunami collapsed to the ground and began coughing. The dark eyes within the skull-like head of Adnachiel turned and looked at Swordfish, and then the doorway.
Standing in the doorway, over Pike, was Darkseer. He was completely unarmed. He seemed scared out of his mind, but he was glaring at the demon with intensity. He had used his animus magic. "Come on, let's get out of here." He said. Everyone began to run out of the room, Tsunami picking up the body of Pike as they left, still coughing. Rattlesnake limped out, obviously in pain.
Just Swordfish, Darkseer, and Blizzard remained. Swordfish walked up to the end of Cedar's bed. "Why…?" He asked through tears. "Blizzard… I trusted you." "BLIZZARD?!" Darkseer asked with terror and disbelief. Adnachiel put her head down. The pinging noise happened again. Swordfish didn't even cover his ears, he just glared angrily. Tears were streaming down his face as Blizzard appeared again. "I trusted you." Swordfish said with anger and sadness in his voice. "You betrayed me. You killed Rainfall. You killed so many others. You knew everything all along and decided to never tell us. WHAT WAS A LIE?! HOW ELSE HAVE YOU MISDIRECTED ME!? How about our friendship? Was that a lie too?!"
Blizzard looked up and she had tears streaming down her face as well. "No." She said quietly. "I only lied… about things that would hurt you." "Blizzard… what…?" Darkseer asked, in shock. "WELL THEN TELL ME EVERYTHING!" Swordfish yelled. "WHY DO YOU WANT TO KILL ME!?" "It's not my choice. It's beyond both of us. You have to die, and I must do it now, before that chest is opened. You and Vine are messing with the order of the worlds. I have my orders from the King himself to kill you two. It's nothing you really did. But if you continue to live, it creates disorder in the worlds. The different worlds need to be kept working correctly, or everything falls into chaos." Blizzard spoke as if it wasn't her speaking. Almost like some kind of puppet.
Swordfish got closer. "So why did you become friends with me? Why did you save Vine and I from death so many times?" Blizzard sobbed. "Swordfish! Don't get closer!" Darkseer warned. "TELL ME!" Swordfish screamed at her, getting right up to her. "YOU TRAITOR!" Blizzard suddenly grabbed Swordfish's throat with her talons and lifted him into the air.
Darkseer ran towards Swordfish and began trying to pull him away from Blizzard. Swordfish couldn't breathe. She was so strong. She was going to crush his neck without even needing to suffocate him. Darkseer pulled as hard as he could. Swordfish stared down at Blizzard, who was closing her eyes, not looking at what she was doing. Tears streamed out of her eyes.
Her arms suddenly snapped in half. She screamed as her forearms fell to the ground, the blue blood spilling all over Swordfish. Swordfish fell backward into Darkseer, who must have used his power again. Blizzard screamed as the two ran out of the room. "I can't believe it…" Darkseer muttered under his breath as the two ran down the hall. Swordfish was speechless. He still couldn't process what was happening, but he was so angry he felt like he was going to be sick.
"I don't like to use my power, so I used something not as strong." Darkseer said. "Actually… I've never used my power before now. But I could see the future. If I didn't do something, you would die." "We need to go to the library." Swordfish said. "Rainfall's code is in my satchel. If she gets free, she will destroy it." "How could she get free of that spell?" Darkseer asked, out of breath from running. He really was out of shape. "Demons can shape shift. That's how she was hiding as Blizzard. She might transform into something and destroy the wall itself. I don't know how it fully works."
The pair ran into the library. Starflight and Fatespeaker were gathered in the corner. Fatespeaker was clutching the satchel. "He's back!" Fatespeaker said. She ran up to Swordfish and gave him the satchel. "What's happening?" Starflight asked in a panicked voice. "Blizzard is Adnachiel." Swordfish said, a part of him still not believing it. "She was hiding here the whole time. She killed Pike. She'll stop at nothing to kill Vine and I. We need to escape." "I have her trapped with a spell right now." Darkseer said. "You're an animus?!" Starflight asked, amazed, but also with so much anxiety it felt like a tangible thing. "Yeah. A mind reader and prophet too." Darkseer said as the four ran out of the room, Fatespeaker guiding Starflight.
"Well… did you see this coming?" Fatespeaker said. "Because… I didn't." Starflight exhaled loudly. "No. I can't see everything like Clearsight could. This wasn't a vision. But I think something is interfering with me. I can't see… a lot of things. It used to be much clearer. I think Falcon's in danger. I did see a Sandwing in a white hood fighting Adnachiel but I don't know if that's even relevant to us. That could be in another world entirely." "Did you say white hood?" Swordfish asked, remembering the two dragons who attacked Adnachiel in the world without a visitor. "Yeah. They have this weird white cloak on. Like you do, but white." Darkseer said, referring to the Old Monarchy cloak Swordfish was wearing.
Right before the dragonets ran out of the academy, a loud, high-pitched noise could be heard in the distance. "She's coming…" Swordfish said. "Is that what it sounds like?" Starflight asked. "Wait… that time when Rainfall died…" Darkseer said. "The high pitched noise… that was her transforming into Adnachiel." Swordfish remembered that day, and then remembered the noise of the talon scraping against rock before they left the caverns. She had been following them.
When they left the academy, they found the rest of the dragons waiting for them. Anthony and Marie were there too. "We need to go." Fatespeaker cried. "She's coming!" "What about Pike's body?" Sunny asked. She had been crying. "We can go get him afterwards. He's safe in the prey center." "We need to go now." Tsunami said, a look of terror in her eyes. "That thing is unlike anything I have ever seen." "Where will we go?" Someone cried. "Glory." Tsunami ordered. "But we need to go. Now." There was something extra scary about seeing Tsunami being so scared. Tsunami was the greatest fighter out of the Dragonets of Destiny, and Adnachiel had almost killed her in under thirty seconds.
"Aren't we missing a student from the Amber winglet?" Clay asked. "Where's Blizzard?" Tsunami flew over to the confused Clay and whispered something in his ear. A look of horror washed over his face.
As the dragons took off from the ground, Swordfish heard Peril talking to Turtle and Kinkajou. "I bet I could take down this attacker." "I'm not so sure about that." Turtle responded. "Did you see how scared Tsunami was?" "Behind us!" Darkseer yelled. Swordfish twisted his head to see Adnachiel at the entrance. "FLY!" Someone yelled. The dragons began to fly around the side of the mountain, but Adnachiel used her claw-like hands to latch onto the rocks and quickly climb up the side of the mountain. "GET OUT OF HERE! GET SWORDFISH AND VINE OUT OF HER REACH!" Tsunami bellowed. Adnachiel kept ascending the mountain until she was at the same level as the escaping dragons.
Damn you Blizzard. Swordfish thought. You made a big mistake waiting to kill us. You had so many opportunities, and now you're stuck with the one where we have reinforcements and an easy escape route. Swordfish remembered her tears and felt a slight pang of guilt for his thoughts, but seeing the demon draw out her bow once more made him feel like he was justified in his anger.
Adnachiel stopped and suddenly put her bow away, and then jumped outward. The jump was huge. It cleared twice as much space as a normal jump should. "AHHHHH!" Cried a Rainwing, Coconut, as the demon landed on him. He began to descend under her weight as she jumped off again, landing on Clay's back. Coconut swiped at her with his claws, but she simply fired an arrow at him and he fell out of the sky, dead.
Swordfish heard a cry of anguish from Kinkajou as her friend fell to his death. Marie was on Clay's back, riding him, and she fired multiple bullets at the demon, who walked towards her, unfazed. The bullet holes simply healing themselves with that dark substance. Adnachiel picked up Marie and tossed her to the side.
"MARIE!" Anthony yelled, who was on Azure's back. Azure flew downward to catch the falling woman. Clay spun in the air in an attempt to get Adnachiel off his back. "GET IT OFF GET IT OFF GET IT OFF!" He screamed, but the demon had latched onto his back with her claws. She jumped off of Clay and landed on Changbai, an Icewing. He screamed and spun as Clay had immediately. Adnachiel didn't have time to latch on. She began to fall through the air.
Swordfish watched with horror as she drew her bow and fired at Changbai almost instantly after falling. The Icewing made a screaming noise, but it was cut off as he died instantly. As the body fell, someone screamed. Adnachiel grabbed onto the body, and as it fell, made another jump off the body, this time, propelling herself towards a Mudwing named Marsh, one of Clay's sibs. Marsh shrieked as Adnachiel grabbed onto his talons. He kicked hard in an attempt to get her off. Adnachiel began to fall, but then the noise began to echo through the night as Adnachiel turned back into Blizzard. Swordfish watched as the demon began to transform back into the Icewing he had once called his friend.
Blizzard reappeared and flew towards Marsh again. He screamed as he realized who her new target was. Blizzard grabbed Marsh by the neck and sped down to a ledge on the mountain. She threw Marsh to the ground, and an arrow appeared in her hand, appearing in the same way Adnachiel would form. A dark light and the dark shape of the object appearing. She aimed it at Marsh's throat, who was pinned down on the ledge. "CLAY! BRING ME SWORDFISH OR VINE, DEAD OR ALIVE, AND I WON'T KILL YOUR BROTHER! THE TIME IS NOW, BIGWINGS! NOBODY HERE CAN HURT ME! COMPLY, AND LESS OF YOUR STUDENTS WILL HAVE TO DIE, SUNNY!"
Swordfish looked at Clay with horror. Peril began flying towards Blizzard, but she transformed into Adnachiel, making Peril slow down. When the demon appeared, she was aiming her bow at the Skywing. "Don't get any closer. I'll kill anyone else who tries to interfere. These arrows kill anything they hit. I want two dragonets, and two dragonets only." She said to the dragons of Jade Mountain in their minds. "Clay, bring me one of them, or Marsh dies." She aimed the arrow at Marsh, who whimpered.
Swordfish watched with horror as Clay turned to him with tears in his eyes. "Whoa. Clay. Can't we… We can take her… It's only Blizzard…" But Clay began flying at Swordfish at full speed. "HEY! CLAY!" Sunny yelled. But the Mudwing was dead set on Swordfish. Swordfish began trying to fly away, but he was tired and weak from a lack of water. Clay was big and flew fast. He easily caught up with Swordfish. Swordfish screamed as he felt the strong claws of Clay grab him and yank him backward. "I'm sorry…" He choked. "But… I can't lose them… Not when they depend… on me…" Swordfish was flown towards Adnachiel. "NO!" Delta yelled, and she flew towards Clay, but Tsunami held her back. "Someone has to die, and Clay's made the decision." She said sadly. "Isn't there another way?" Sunny sobbed. "One life is not over another." Tsunami said grimly. "…We've already lost. Clay has wanted to live with his siblings and be their bigwings ever since we escaped Queen Scarlet. Swordfish is not greater than Marsh." "But… but…" Vine sputtered. "Are you petitioning for Marsh's death?!" Tsunami growled. "Are you petitioning for Swordfish's?" Darkseer growled threateningly.
Swordfish was thrown at Adnachiel's feet by Clay, who had a terrified look on his face. Adnachiel quickly released Marsh and pinned Swordfish to the ground. Marsh quickly stood up and lunged at Adnachiel. She blocked the attack. "I spared you. Don't mess it up."
Marsh took to the sky, shaking, and with tears falling down his face. Clay didn't look at Swordfish. Swordfish looked up at the Mudwing with disbelief. Clay was throwing him out to die. Clay. "I'm sorry." Clay said, and turned to take off.
Adnachiel suddenly threw a small, metallic disc at Clay's back talons. It was sharp, and cut the back of his talons. Right on the tendons. Clay screamed and fell to the ground as the wound bled. He had been immobilized. Without his back talons, he couldn't get enough momentum to lift off, nor could he walk away. Adnachiel aimed the bow at the Mudwing. "Peril, kill Vine, or I kill Clay."
Swordfish turned his head, terrified of what would happen. "I'm sorry this has to happen Swordfish. If you had just submitted and let it happen back there, none of this would have had to happen." Adnachiel said. "Well then here's your chance Blizzard." Swordfish growled. "Kill me. I'm at your mercy." Adnachiel pulled out her bow and aimed an arrow at Swordfish's head. Swordfish was terrified, but he tried to keep a straight face. Adnachiel stopped. Swordfish was right. She couldn't do it. She was still too conflicted. But was Peril?
Swordfish turned his head to look at the events unfolding to his right. To his horror, Peril was slowly flying towards the Rainwing. "PERIL! STOP!" Vulture cried, but judging from the steam coming from Peril's eyes, it didn't seem like she had any intention of doing that. Clay's life was in danger. And the only way to save him, was to kill an innocent dragonet. But Peril had done that before, hadn't she? This was simple.
Peril suddenly stopped in the air. She tried to fly forward, but it was like she was stuck. Fatespeaker turned her head towards Darkseer. "You… enchanted her…" She said, awestruck and terrified. "LET HER MOVE!" Cried a voice, and Tsunami flew right at Darkseer. "And kill Vine? No way!" The Nightwing cried. Tsunami slashed at Darkseer, who screamed as the Seawing drew blood.
The dragonets of Jade Mountain Academy broke out into screaming and yelling. Swordfish saw Sunny crying as Delta screamed at her. "I WILL NOT LET ANYONE I'M SUPPOSED TO PROTECT DIE!" Tsunami screaming as she tried to attack Darkseer again. Clay was in tears on the ground nearby. Everyone he cared about, was about to hurt each other, and kill each other. Peril just stared at Vine with an intensity that could melt an entire city.
"ENOUGH!" Cried a voice. It was Turtle. "Enchant Peril so that she can move again." He said. Peril suddenly burst forward towards Vine, who screamed.
And then…
Adnachiel was suddenly struck by a Kiboten dragon snare. Swordfish sprung up from his position as the demon was thrown to the side. He turned, expecting to see Azure with Anthony or Marie on her back, but instead, there was a Sandwing in a white hood. He landed on the ledge next to Swordfish and Swordfish saw he had a scar on his snout.
The Sandwing walked over to Adnachiel as Swordfish got up and ran over to Clay. The screaming and fighting amongst the dragons stopped as the strange dragon walked over to Adnachiel. Swordfish got up and went to Clay's side. Sunny was already there, worriedly looking at the wounds on Clay's talons. "Why are you here, Adnachiel?" The Sandwing asked. A voice suddenly cried out from the mass of students. It was Kinkajou. "…Qibli?!" She asked, shocked.
The Sandwing sighed and took off his hood. He had a scar down his snout. He was wearing two earrings. A white teardrop-shaped one, and a golden one. It had two dragons twisting around each other. He was wearing a kind of protective armor on his chest, and he had mobile rifles on his forearms. They were different from any kind Swordfish had seen. They looked much more advanced.
"You've made a horrible mistake." Adnachiel hissed. "You almost disappeared off my radar, but you just had to show up and get in the way again, Qibli." Swordfish watched the Sandwing with awe. He calmly walked up to Adnachiel, and spread his wings. "Tell me why you're here. Why do you want to kill two of the students? I thought you said that you wouldn't touch this school." "Don't you know? I thought someone like you would."
"QIBLI!" Turtle cried as he flew towards his old friend. "Stay back Turtle!" Qibli yelled. "Nobody get any closer!" Adnachiel just stared at the Sandwing. Rattlesnake flew down and put the Earring of Sola on Clay's ear, forcefully piercing though his ear with her talon. "I'm sorry Clay, but this will help." She said.
Qibli pulled something that looked like a dart out of a pouch and attached it to something on his mobile rifle. He got closer. "Come on…" Qibli said threateningly. Adnachiel made a strange noise. She began to transform again. Swordfish though she was turning back into Blizzard, but she didn't. She looked like Blizzard, but she was smaller. Swordfish looked at the dragon. She looked like Blizzard, but it wasn't Blizzard. Blizzard was bigger, more muscular, and looked more hardened. This dragon had very different eyes and looked a lot less dangerous.
Blizzard twirled around in the netting, her tail easily cutting through the netting, which Swordfish found strange, because Kiboten dragon snares were supposed to be made of much stronger material. The dragon ripped out of the net and flew towards Swordfish, talons outstretched. Qibli fired the needle at the Icewing, but it missed. Qibli cursed and pulled another needle out of his pouch.
Swordfish took to the sky and dodged Blizzard's attack. Peril came flying down and pummeled into the Icewing, who screamed as Peril dug her claws into her back. The wounds began healing themselves, but the fire was burning almost as fast as the black substance would heal the wounds. Whatever form this was, it wasn't as strong as Blizzard's regular form. Swordfish wondered why she chose it.
Blizzard suddenly fell from the sky as Qibli fired the other dart. It landed right in Blizzard's neck. She began to fall silent, and then fell from the sky. She missed the ledge entirely and Swordfish watched her fall onto a ledge below. She was unconscious. "What… was that?" Marsh asked Qibli. "Tranquilizer dart." Qibli replied. "Once I baited her into a dragon form, I was able to knock her out with it."
Qibli flew downward towards the dragonet, who was lying unconscious on the ground. He had just barely gotten down to the demon when a bright light suddenly shone from the ground. Qibli backed away from the body, rifle aimed at it. A rift suddenly opened beneath the body, and Blizzard fell in. Qibli looked up at his friends, who were flying down towards him.
"Qibli!" Turtle cried, tears coming from his eyes. "Where have you been?!" Qibli brushed wings with his old friends, except Peril for obvious reasons. "Somewhere you cannot follow." Qibli replied. Swordfish flew down to the Sandwing. "What does that earring mean?" He asked, exhausted from all the flying. "… I can't say." Qibli replied warily, giving Swordfish a suspicious look. "We all thought you died!" Kinkajou yelled, gold and pink shimmering through her scales. "…Maybe it would have been better off that way." Qibli said softly. "Look, I'm sorry, but I have to go now. She won't be unconscious forever, and we need to track her down. Don't follow me." This Qibli seemed so… different from the Qibli Swordfish had heard about in the stories of the Hunt for Prince Winter. "B…but." Turtle started, but Qibli put his hood up, covering the earring, and flew off towards the desert. Swordfish watched him go. What did he know? Swordfish turned back towards the dragons of Jade Mountain. They were all scared and afraid. Adnachiel had taken three lives and turned friends into enemies. It was the Hunt for Prince Winter for this school all over again.
. . .
Swordfish, Vine, Rattlesnake, Vulture, Darkseer, Delta, Anthony, and Marie walked into Rainfall's room. Swordfish was holding the black box that contained the code. The group surrounded the modest wooden and metal box. Swordfish remembered that day when Rainfall told him about what he had seen. So much had changed since then.
Was this the cost of knowing the truth? Swordfish remembered what Blizzard had said. "You can't open that chest. Rainfall put something in there that will end the world. The end of everything." Swordfish looked at those around him. He could almost see the ghosts of others around him. Rainfall, Cedar, Savanna, Michael, Polar, Blizzard. They all should have been here for this.
Swordfish stared at the code in his hand. There was so much that needed to be done, yet so much had happened. Was he ready? Had he done enough to deserve to know this? Swordfish had started this journey, a scared, naive dragonet. He felt like he still was, but things had changed so much. Swordfish had learned so much truth already. The world of Pyrrhia, queens and dragonets of destiny was over. Nightwing plots and wars between tribes. Mysterious animus magic, scavengers running around, and just being an innocent dragonet. It was all gone.
Swordfish had suffered so much betrayal and loss for this. He had gone back in time for this. He left his own dimension for this. He replaced another version of himself for this. He had killed for this. Barley's face was burned into his mind. Cedar was gone. Savanna was gone. Michael was gone. Polar was gone. Blizzard was gone. This was not the world Swordfish had started this journey in. It was something new now.
Swordfish put his claw into the mechanism and rolled the locks into place. 1… 2… 2… 6… 1… 3… 2… 6.
The chest made a click. The lid came loose. Swordfish looked around at the dragons and humans around him. "Well, open it." Anthony said.
Swordfish lifted open the chest. Inside was one single scroll. It was similar to the one Swordfish already had. Swordfish lifted it out of the chest. "What… did Rainfall… know?"
. . .
Cassriel ran towards the Icewing. She was unconscious. He had saved her from Qibli at the last second. If he had waited any longer to open that rift, Qibli would have taken Adnachiel to who knows where.
She was in her original form. Cassriel slapped the unconscious dragonet with his hand. "Wake up!" He cried. The dragonet snapped awake. She was breathing heavily. "Did… did you kill them?" Cassriel asked worriedly. Adnachiel's eyes were wide. "…No… Even resorting to your plan on who to use as leverage, it didn't work. That damned Sandwing…" Cassriel felt his heart drop. "The King has a backup plan." He said softly. "But you're not going to like it." Adnachiel began to sob. She had guessed what it would be.
. . .
Swordfish rolled open the scroll. Everyone around him was craning their necks to see what was written.
I can only pray whoever is reading this is an ally of mine or Anthony's. If this were to fall into the wrong hands, horrible things would happen.
I have many observations about this world, but in order for any of it to be understood, some prior knowledge needs to be known. So I guess this will be my story, and how I ended up in this world most likely made by Cassriel.
It all started years ago… When I was a carefree dragonet living in the Rainforest, until one fateful day I came face to face with the cruel truth of the world.