Chapter 2
Prancer was wandering around to the edge of the tunnel when the school came into view. It was set in a large cavern with natural waterfalls seeping in through the walls that made rings of water around the base of the school. Cracks in the ceiling above brought through natural light from the sun at the surface to light up the cave. As far as Prancer knew, no Webwing had ever explored what was on the surface. It seemed unnecessary to do such a crazy thing. Why bother wondering what may be up there and the dangers that may be there as well when we can just relax in these underground caves and put all those worries away.
Almost all those worries, Prancer thought. Except the worries of whether there was something lurking in the shadows, watching his every movement.
Prancer always felt like something had its eyes on him, just waiting until he was distracted or his back was turned so that it could surprise him. Prancer never found any proof that something was out there to get him but it still didn't help cool him down when he was walking the caves alone at night. He could put those worries away right now though because waiting on the steps of the school was his best friend Hunter.
"Hey Prancer, sleep in again?" Hunter said humorly.
"You know Hunter that I find school as a big waste of time." Prancer declared.
"Yeah, I expected you to have run off by now and bring a dead Cavewing back. Anyway we better get to class fast before we're late, again."
Hunter took off down the entrance and Prancer followed him. Hunter was the only friend Prancer ever had. He was the only one who seemed to think that the Cavewing threat was more important than school and he always got along with Prancer's ideas. Not only that, he has been helping Prancer train every night when everyone else was asleep. He wants Prancer to be the Webwing that ends the war and defeats the Cavewings once and for all.
I wish I could take Hunter with me as well when I go to hunt Cavewings but he is the son of the Webwing Queen Aurora and if he disappeared with Prancer, that would cause the whole Webwing army to search for them. But if I only disappear, no one will come look for me. My family won't risk their lives for me and the Queen wouldn't send out a search party for one dragonet. Perfect for me to be able to get out and do what I was made to do.
Hunter and Prancer reached the classroom just in time before he was late again for the fifth time that week. The teacher was going over the different patterns that Webwings can make with their webs and how amazing these designs can be in the webs.
Now is the time to be bored out of my mind while I have to listen to how to spin our webs to make designs in them. BORING! Why do we care about how to make pretty webs? That isn't going to help us win a war against the Cavewings!
The other Webwings were interested in this "education" way more than he was. Even Hunter saw it as beneficial.
I am not going to blame him though. If he acts like he doesn't enjoy it then the teacher will report it to the queen who will promptly bring him away for a long lecture on how to act in class as her son. I can understand why he wouldn't want to have that talk, believe me I hate having adult dragons talk to me about all the things I have done wrong like I can't handle myself. I CAN HANDLE MYSELF but no dragon wants to hear me out, except Hunter.
While the lesson was going on, Hunter turned to Prancer to talk. "So what does the mighty Prancer want to practice tonight?"
"Quiet," Prancer said but couldn't hide his smile over the word mighty. "I was thinking that we could go down to that sinkhole by the river that tangles around making the shape of a Dragonbite viper."
Dragonbite vipers were the only danger down here in the caves other than the Cavewings. Luckily though, Webwings and, unfortunately, Cavewings, had a natural immunity to their deadly bite that could kill a dragon. No one knew why, but also no one really complained or investigated it either.
"Sure, that's a nice place to train," Hunter said.
"Ok, buddy, I'll see you there tonight ," Prancer said.
"See ya there," Hunter said.
Prancer went around to the rest of his classes that day, not really paying attention to anything that happened in the classes, he was just waiting to get out and train with Hunter.
Hunter was a great partner to train with. Being the son of the queen meant he got to have special lessons on how to train with his webs and fangs. Hunter's training was special and not like the training with the regular army. Surely with Prancer learning these moves from Hunter, he would be able to take on a Cavewing no problem once he ran off.
Just don't fail like last time, his brain teased. SHUT IT, Prancer yelled back at his mind. He would never forget that day that he failed.
It was three years ago when he was four and was out one night after everyone fell asleep. He went over to his favorite training spot at that time. It was underneath a rock outcropping that formed unique pillars underground, great for attaching webs together with and using them to jump around from pillar to pillar. It also had an underground lake that opened up to a waterfall that went out to the surface which allowed moonlight to come in. It was perfect.
That night Prancer was heading there, ready to train his webbing blast. When he was getting closer to where it opened up into the cavern, he heard steps coming from inside the cavern. He slowed down his steps and peaked inside the space.
What was that noise, he thought.
Out of nowhere a whoosh of dark scales the color of rocks went by.
CAVEWING, Prancer realized with a shock.
What is a Cavewing doing this far away from the lines of where the battle is happening and why it was in this cave.
Doesn't matter, he thought. I will take out this Cavewing and avenge my sister. I will bring its head back to my parents and they will be proud of me and never doubt me again.
The Cavewing was walking back around to the opening she was hiding at.
Just a few more steps and you're mine. One, .. Two, …. Three, … ATTACK!
Prancer leaped out of his hiding spot and landed right on top of the Cavewing, where they both rolled and kicked at each other until they smacked into a wall. The Cavewing rolled off of him and tried to run away.
Oh no you don't!
Prancer sliced at the underside of the Cavewing and gave it a slash that started bleeding.
The Cavewing screamed in agony and Prancer thought he had won. All of a sudden, the Cavewing turned around and smashed him into a wall causing an avalanche of rocks which buried him in, knocking him unconscious. He woke up hours later when sunlight was coming through into the cave.
Ugh, what happened? Why do I feel so sour? He tried to remember what happened yesterday. Lets see I went in here for training and … OH NO, I got knocked out by a Cavewing I was fighting but … where is it? Why didn't it finish me? Well I did give it a nasty slash across its underbelly so maybe it was in too much pain to continue fighting. Yes that's it, I scared it off, I'm the best. How am I going to explain my cuts and bruises to my parents when I get back home though? Ah well, I will figure it out, they will be happy to hear I attacked a Cavewing.
Prancer's parents weren't happy about his "near-death experience" as they called it against the Cavewing. They grounded him from going outside for one month and never let him be alone for a minute during that time. Prancer was pretty sure this incident is also why they enrolled Prancer into school a year earlier than most of the dragonets; to get him to a safe spot that he was guarded during the day and watched over. That was the worst time of Prancer's life, being stuck indoors, not able to go out and train to avenge his sister's death. He would not let that happen again.
I will train better this time, he thought. I will be ready for when I face another Cavewing and this time I will defeat it. I will make my family proud and will avenge my sister. I won't fail again, I can't.
It was midnight when Prancer snuck out of his web without waking up his parents and went into the caves. It was simple sneaking by them, they were always heavy sleepers like most Cavewings.
For some reason though, I am not a heavy sleeper. Weird, Prancer thought.
Prancer didn't think anything else of this though and continued down the tunnels to the Dragonbite viper river. He was cautious on his way over there.
From what I heard from eavesdropping, the Cavewings have stealth groups around the cave systems ready to pounce on unsuspecting Webwings. Well I would just like to see them take me on! I would bring them to the ground, tie them up and stab them with my fangs…, Prancer stopped remembering the one off thing about him.
Oh yeah, I don't have fangs like all the other Webwings.
Prancer had no idea why he didn't have any fangs like every other Webwing that he came across. They were so useful for penetrating Cavewing armor so why does he have none.
Why out of all Webwings, do I not have the one weapon that could make fighting Cavewings very easy. It doesn't make sense.
Prancer never told anyone, even Hunter, about this flaw that he had. He didn't want to know what his tribe would think of him if they learned he had no fangs. He would not be accepted into the Webwing army. He would be picked on as the Webwing with no fangs. No, Prancer didn't want to live that life so he kept them hidden, never telling anyone and even avoided training with them whenever Hunter mentioned it.
"Sorry not today, my teeth hurt," or "I would rather work on my web accuracy," were his two common excuses whenever Hunter brought up the idea.
He didn't know how long Hunter would buy it but he didn't need to for long because Prancer could feel that he was about ready to go out on his own and defeat Cavewings. Just a couple more lessons with Hunter.
Prancer got to the river and saw Hunter waiting for him there.
Don't worry about my non-fangs right now, worry about training, Prancer told himself.
"So, are you ready for another day of training?" Hunter said.
"Yeah, bring it on," Prancer said.
"Ok, but be warned, this technique is very difficult to learn. It may take you longer to learn this one than the other ones."
"Come on," Prancer laughed. "I learned the other ones with no sweat. How could this one be any different?"
Hunter looked nervous, "Oh well it is going to since you haven't had any training with them."
Prancer then immediately knew what the challenge was going to be and he was going to be in trouble.
"The challenge," Hunter said, "needs you to use your fangs."
