Chapter Two

Tide was flying away from Pyrriha. This day had been horrible. However, she had found Quail and many others, who decided to come with them, which was a plus.

Why exactly were they flying away from Pyrriha? Tide still couldn't believe it. In just a few days, Abysswing had taken control of the entire continent. She was leaving her home for good. It felt sickening to think that she would no longer see the ruins of the summer palace, or feel the warm embrace of her mother, who had died during the raid of the deep palace.

"Hey… Tide, wasn't it?" A skywing asked. "Where do you plan on taking us?"

"Abysswing dropped a piece of paper. A map to another continent. Hopefully that continent will embrace us with hospitality. If Abysswing took control of both continents… that would be disastrous."

"My mother said she knew someone from another continent." Quail the MudWing commented.

"Mommy?" I heard a voice whisper. It was Dust, talking to her mother, Sunlight. "I'm tired." Dust whined.

"We'll rest soon," Sunlight soothed. She gave me a desperate look.

"We'll get to an island in ten minutes." Tide said quietly, to Sunlight. Quail approached me

"There are so many refugees…" Quail breathed. "Wherever you take us, Abysswing will follow. We have to get ready for war." It was true. Abysswing would follow us anywhere. Now we have to unite.

"There are so many who didn't escape too," Aqua said quietly. She was the former princess, and lost her entire family.

"There are many who decided to stay." Glacier said. Glacier was an Icewing, but Tide didn't know much about her family. Glacier would always stop talking when she asked about her past. I just hope my father is okay. He disappeared when the Deep Palace was raided. Tide thought.

She looked up to find ten dragons looking at her, in quiet desperation for answers. Quail looked at her.

"Is that the island?" He asked, pointing to the tiny dot in the distance. Relief washed over Tide.

"Yes." Tide said after looking at her map. "We'll get to rest soon." As they approached the island, the small group collapsed on the beach, exhausted. The island was a heavily forested area with a clearing in the middle. And in the middle of the island was a waterfall.

"Ahhhh…." Spike sighed contentedly. Spike is a Sandwing dragonet. He freezes. "I miss home." He groans. The rest of the group murmurs in agreement

"We all do, and until we stop Abysswing we'll never stop fighting him." I announced. At least this seemed to raise the other dragons spirits a little. We walk inland towards the center of the island, in hopes of shelter.

"Who goes there?!" A deep voice booms. Suddenly vines shoot out from all sides.

"Eek!" Dust squeals. Glacier snatches Dust and Spike.
"Who are you?" Glacier asks, handing Dust and Spike to someone else and approaching the strange dragon.

The stranger stepped out of the shadows, and lifted his magnificent wings. His wings were curved slightly, like leaves. The group stares up at him in awe.

"What are you doing on my island?" He growled. He looked as big as the legendary Darkstalker. Dust and Spike hid behind Quail.

Glacier said fiercely, "You harm a scale on any of us, I'm not scared of you. Explain yourself. Where are we and who are you?" The big dragon laughed Glacier's warning off. He picked up Dust, and held a claw to his throat, dropping Dust, who was suffering blood loss and would die soon without treatment.

"If you don't get off of my island right now, he gets it."

Glacier growled. "It's not your island."

"Stop!" Quail exclaimed. The giant dragon looks at Quail. He knocks Quail to the ground.

Glacier, with lightning speed, ran up to Glacier before Tide could yell 'Don't!'. She attempted to snatch Dust out of the dragon's claws, but failed. The big dragon dug his claws into Dust's throat and growled.

"No!" cries Sunlight. This time, Quail leaps at the dragon, but Glacier tackled him down to the ground. "Don't." She said, voice strained. "He's too strong for his own good."

"We'll leave." Tide said loudly.

"But," Glacier added, "you'll have to tell us where we are, and who you are." But before the dragon could reply, Sunlight attempted to bite into the dragon's throat, only leaving a small mark.

"That was for Dust!" She screamed. Sunlight looked infuriated to see her attempt had been in vain.

"Mommy?" Dust rasped. "I'm okay." Sunlight rushed to Dust holding his head. The dragon dipped his head

"You passed the test." He grinned, and a couple vines moved to show a waterfall. And inside the clearing, were more of those dragons, and Rainwings. "Welcome to the Tribe of Nature." The dragons stared at them, in shock.

"Strangers!" A little dragonet squealed.

"They passed the test," the big dragon said. "That...little dragonet may not survive, but the rest get refuge. My name is Thistle, and I guard the entrance to the gateway. Talk to The Ancients to learn more." Then he walked away.

"Wow." Tide breathed. "We found… something." Sunlight cradled Dust in her arms.

A quiet voice spoke up. "I can help." It was Snow, a shy IceWing. She picked up Dust, and walked away. "Don't worry, he'll be safe." Soon, she returned, and Dust was healed, looking as if he was never hurt.

"Mommy!" Dust grinned. "That was so cool! I have my first battle scar!" Sunlight's eyes widened.

"That's not something to be excited about!" Sunlight shushed him. "Having injuries as a kid is not good, I speak from experience!" She showed us a scar on her tail. "This was a bite from...a...another SandWing." Glacier rolled her eyes.

"That's nothing! My parents were straight up murdered in front of my eyes when I was one!" She scoffed.

"Well, if we're trying to see which one of us was traumatized the most, then it was definitely me." Quail said. "My sibs all died when I was one, and my adopted parents abused me."

"Let's not compare our traumatized pasts," Snow whispered. We all clamped our mouths shut. Tide looked at the village. Everyone was staring at her little group. The dragons turned around as soon as she looked back. One of the Rainwing and Leaf dragon hybrids approached us.

"Hello, my name is Starfruit. I am the queen of this tribe." She said this in a royal and majestic voice. She towered over our group, imposing that she was truly regal. "You may stay in this tribe as long as you contribute to help strengthen our barriers. We heard about Pyrriha." Tide nodded. How does she know about Pyrriha? Whatever, it's not a big deal.

"Okay." Tide said. "We'll help." Quail nodded in support. Glacier looked at Starfruit.

"Whatever." Glacier scoffed. Starfruit looked annoyed.

"Anyways," Starfruit continued. "You'll be sleeping in those huts." Starfruit pointed to some ramshackle huts that looked very old.

Dust immediately rushed into his new home, Sunlight following. "Yay! This is going to be a fun stay!" Dust exclaimed happily.

"I'm going to explore." Tide strolled out calmly.

"Can I come?" Quail asked. Tide shrugged. Tideand Quail waltzed out of the village together. Quail and Tide walked in awkward silence. Tide didn't know what to say to him. She didn't know him that well, but he was also the first dragon she found while lost in Phyrria.

"Sooooo…" Tide said shyly. Quail blushed. He stared at her for one long moment. Time seemed to stand still as they walked.

"I only know your name is Tide, and your mother and father died, during Abysswing's take over. What other things are so special about you?" Quail asked. Tide stared at Quail.

"My life was pretty boring really." She lied. Quail rolled his eyes.

"I know that's not true. Seriously, what's your story?" Quail pressed.

"Alright, you really want to know what my story is." Tide snapped. "I was born to two lowly Seawing peasants, but then my mother betrothed me to the Seawing royal, Barracuda, for a raise in money. And Baracuda is definitely still alive, and then my parents got divorced, and now my life is a mess!" Tide cried. Quails' jaws dropped.

"Wow." He breathed. "Your life is very...cool."

"Your turn." Tide chided. Quail looked utterly betrayed.

"My sibs died when I was little. I was adopted by my half-sibs. They were the best family anyone could ask for. They had lots of friends. When I was born, the MudWing disease was starting to fade. But my siblings all caught the disease, except for me. Someone found out later that I had a special gene in me that prevented me from the disease. They all died. Creek, our BigWings, was the first victim. I was devastated after they all died, of course, and I left the MudWing kingdom. I flew to the RainWing Kingdom, the first kingdom I landed in after I quit sobbing." Quail took a breath. It was clearly hard for him to relive his history.

"I'm so sorry." Tide sighed. Tide felt the sudden urge to hug him, but resisted.

"I'm not finished," Quail murmured, "should I stop?"

"No, it's fine." Tide whispered. "This is up to you."

"A kind RainWing took me in. She took care of me, but then disaster struck again. Abysswing, who used to be an assassin, murdered my adoptive mother. I flew for days aimlessly without thought. Two SeaWings adopted me. At first I was happy, but they abused me later, forcing me to do their dirty work like assassinating and stealing things. Was I cursed? I landed in the SkyWing Kingdom after a few days, and lived by myself there. I couldn't go back to the MudWing Kingdom, from shame of not helping my sibs. There was nothing I could've done, of course, but still. A year later, I was living fine, but a pair of NightWings burned down the town. One was cursed, the other was just...insane. I felt numb." Quail said, pausing for a moment. "I thought I was cursed. After crying for a week, I went to the beach and looked at the waves. Then I met you, and you know what happened from there. Abysswing...fleeing into this… tribe." Quail said sadly.

Tide patted him on the shoulder. Then, they saw black dragons flying towards them. "What's that?" Tide wondered. Then as they got closer, Tide realized who it was. "Abysswing! They've found us!" Hoards of dragons were getting closer by the second, in three black masses. Soon, they would attack them.