Chapter 10

Queen Thorn

Sunburst disappeared; Sunburst of the SandWings was gone.

"SMOLDER!" she called to him; the bumbling prince stumbled his way into the room, those drinks that they had last night must have hit him very hard.

"YesQueenThorn?" he said in one quick breath; Flower gently patted his neck.

Smolder blinked fast. "Do you have any idea where Sunburst is?" she asked him as politely as she could manage.

Smolder thought for a moment. "He said that he was... He said that he was going to Jade Mountain, but he didn't say why when I asked," he explained.

Thorn sighed. "Very well. You are dismissed," she told the SandWing.

Smolder looked at Flower and then slowly walked out of the room.

Thorn watched him walk away for a short while as he made his way back to his room.

She would have to check in with Sunny the next time she was dreamvisited about Sunburst, that dragon normally was very closed-off, so why was he at Jade Mountain? Could it have anything to do with the visit of Prince Iceclaw?

Or she could visit the mountain herself and ask Sunburst what he was doing so far south. No. Bad idea. She had queenly duties to attend to right now.


Five days later and he was still missing, where could he be? Certainly not still at Jade Mountain... Was he on some kind of vacation or something?

No. Something was wrong. And she would find out what it was that he was doing.

She took flight south to Jade Mountain Academy; Sunburst would be in a load of trouble for abandoning the Sand Kingdom without notifying her.


With a hard thump, she landed on the grass in front of the mountain and Sunny greeted her.

"Mother! A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one!" Sunny said.

"Hello Sunny," Thorn said, nuzzling Sunny's head and getting a small squeak in return.

"Have you come to tell us that you've spotted some of our students trespassing in the kingdom of sand?" Sunny asked.

Thorn tilted her head. "Missing students? I came here to look for Sunburst, do you know where he is? I suppose that I could keep an eye out for your students if you tell me," she explained.

"Sunburst was here? Oh my... Nearly the entire Jade Winglet has gone to rescue Glory, and then our Copper Winglet NightWing has gone missing along with our Silver Winglet IceWing, perhaps Sunburst had something to do with that..." Sunny explained.

"Hmm... Would this IceWing be Prince Iceclaw by any chance?" Thorn asked.

"Yes! How did you know?" Sunny said.

"Let's just say that I know who's to blame for the IceWing and NightWing going missing..."


List of the whereabouts and status of The Fiery Four: (Last recorded)

Jack: Identity: Lightwing, whereabouts: the lost city of night, status: deceased

Ian: Identity: Sunburst, whereabouts: unknown, status: unknown

Malcolm: Identity: Iceclaw, whereabouts: unknown, status: unknown

Daniel: Identity: Bandit, whereabouts: unknown, status: unknown