Wings of Fire: Aftermath

'Aftermath' is a Blistorrow written by FourFlames.
What really happened after the fifth book? Questions arise among the dragons of Pyrrhia. Are Blister and Morrowseer still living? Has 'Queen Thorn' really won the throne of the Sandwings? Or is the next chapter just beginning?
==Prologue==
Blister closed her eyes, her tail and neck thrashing. The lightning didn't hurt... but it had that odd feeling to it, the same feeling that the Nightwings' tunnels had...
Morrowseer. The towering black Nightwing. She had wondered if he'd escaped the eruption. She'd seen the Nightwings following the Rainwing. She hoped he was okay. But that didn't matter right now.
What mattered is that she was being enveloped by something glowing, big, and white. And it was building up.
An explosion rang off. She looked down at Thorn and the Eye of Onyx. The lightning was getting stronger, and she curled her tail and watched as a curtain of ash fell over her. She was furious, but she couldn't speak. She gave the dragonets a venomous look that said, You will pay what you owe.
Hissing, she thrashed and ripped her way out of the lightning, and without warning, she leapt out of the ashes and raked Thorn's face with her talons.
The sharp claws went straight through her face. An icy chill washed over Blister as no scars, no marks, no blood was drawn. Thorn stared blankly at the ground where the ashes were.
The dragonets and bystanders acted as though nothing happened.
Blister's rage shot up. "Why can't I hit you?!" She tried again with her tail. Again, the icy chill washed over her. She stepped back and stamped her foot down, irritated.
Thorn didn't notice. Instead, she looked over at the stunted Sandwing dragonet of Destiny. Blaze was gasping, "It's me? I'm the Sandwing Queen?"
Blister was angry and confused. Nobody could hear, feel, or see her.
Ugh. Blister hissed, flicking out her black tongue. Someday, I will be Queen.
The last thing she saw was her tail flying behind her as she flew away in the direction of the sea, and a black night sky.
==Chapter 1==
Morrowseer was horrified. He looked down at the lava lapping at his scales, turning him jet-black, even darker than a Nightwing could be. He dragged himself weakly out of the flying embers and pain. He hurt all over. The smell of burning scales filled the cavern, and then the lava emptied out of the room to reveal a prison where one of the Rainwings had once been trapped. He stood up on his stinging legs. He stretched his pained wings.
He had survived-- the volcano was made on one of Pyrrhia's plates, and a plate had shifted just in time to empty out the lava. He took a step forward, towards the inner side of the volcano where the lava lake was. He could throw himself in and end this agony. But he couldn't. He had to save his tribe.
His tribe. The Nightwings. He shuddered. They could be anywhere in Pyrrhia right now. Supposedly there had been cowards who had fled to the rainforest and stayed there. And Blister was going to help save them. He closed his eyes dreamily at the thought of Blister. His heart thumped wildly. He had to get to her.
Morrowseer took another step forward. And another. Until finally he had carried himself to the edge near the inner volcano. If he could fly up out of the rubble, he might be able to force himself through the tunnel, into the Rainwing kingdom. But then, the dragonets obviously must have had guards who would never dare challenge the dragon who controls their new home. And the Nightwings would just think he was a traitor. As soon as he made it back to the mainland, then he could help Blister win the war, she would save the Nightwings, and they could have dragonets together. Morrowseer slapped himself. Don't be silly. I bet she doesn't love you. Not you, not the smart, desperate kind of dragon you are.
Morrowseer turned to look up at the sky. He needed to get out. Now.
But he couldn't fly out of the volcano... not with his pained wings. He sighed, thinking that with every day, she could have a greater disadvantage in the war, with no allies. No Seawings to clash with Burn's Skywings, no Nightwings to tip the balance in the war. He settled down next to the searing lava and waited for his wings to heal. It didn't have to be fully healed, but enough to fly back to the mainland. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. He was exhausted from his efforts.
==Chapter 2==
A yell sounded from the volcano. Morrowseer leapt to his feet and turned around, scars ripping back open. He yelped and then scolded himself for being so eager. He scanned the wreckage over the ledge he was sleeping on. He could see a black dragon floating in the lava, her blue eyes frosted over.
Battlewinner.
Morrowseer could see her body, drenched in lava. She was splayed on an igneous rock, close to the ledge where she would fall deep into the fire. Her mouth was open in a scream. She must have left her lava prison. He saw the Icewing's breath over her scales, a pale blue, sparkling, and.... melting from the lava. He gasped as her scales went from glazed blue-white to pure black. The dragon stretched, her icicle-teeth yawning open, and then she yelled in horror as she noticed the lava around her.
Now that the ice is melted inside her, she is no longer immune to fire, Morrowseer thought. I have to save her. He also noticed that, despite no longer having an icy throat, her voice would be cracked for the rest of her life.
Battlewinner's head whipped towards Morrowseer. "Y-y-you. N-n-no help." She stretched her wings, which had two circular holes burnt in them, and beat them effortfully. She rose up out of the lava a few yards, and then a little higher, until she was hovering over a small boulder. She collapsed on the rock and gazed at Morrowseer.
Morrowseer shrugged off the fact that she wanted to do this by herself, threw open his wings, and then leapt off the edge towards the lava below. She let out a small oof as he accidentally landed on her, and then she grabbed him and jumped onto his back. He swerved through the air and panted as her weight was thrown on him, cracking open some of his lava-inflicted injuries. The fire scorched his underbelly terribly. He bit his tongue. He was almost to the ledge again when Battlewinner faltered on his back and flipped him upside down. He ended up crashing into the edge of the drop, sending the Queen flying over him and landing safely on the rocks above. He watched himself spiral and fall, fall, fall, straight to his fiery doom. He thrust out his wings to slow his fall. They burned at the tips, and he toppled in midair, but finally came to a stop. His tail tip brushed the lava and burned off, turning into ash. Coughing, he struggled back up to Battlewinner, who had incinerated a particularly uninteresting rock. She looked up.
"H-h-hello, M-M-Morrowseer," she rasped. "I knew y-y-you were still here."
Morrowseer nodded.
"I disown my d-d-daughter, for betraying the N-N-Nightwings."
This time, Morrowseer snorted. "It was obvious she would. And Mastermind failed you?"
"He's n-n-not the smartest dragon in P-P-Pyrrhia, and he's a N-N-Nightwing scientist."
Morrowseer groaned. The prophecy had failed their cause. "At least Blister is still supporting us."
Battlewinner gave him a weirdly contemptuous look. Then she yawned, and soon her eyes were sealed shut. Morrowseer swept a wing over her. Soon, he thought. Soon we will be free. And then he wrung his tail mournfully. 
I will find you, Blister.
==Chapter 3==
Morrowseer, once again, awoke to the smell of rotten eggs and ash. But this time, he was being snapped at by Queen Battlewinner.
"Get up! It's time to leave," she hissed, hitting him with her tail in a way he didn't think she would be remorseful for. 
He was beginning to hate the way she was treating him. He stood up, his back stiff from healing, and stomped over to the ledge. The bubbling lava appeared to be draining by the day.
"T-t-today is the day," Queen Battlewinner rasped, pointing her wingtips at the lava. "Fly o-o-over and up, or fly i-i-into it."
Morrowseer looked at the lava, scanning it with his highly intellectual brain.
"Well," he stated, "considering the odds would make a difference. We probably shouldn't go today. Think: we've been saving our energy for about two days, and, it takes injuries in a dragon about six days to heal. And my injuries have been splitting open quite a lot. We could stay, problematically, in the volcano, but then, the volcano decreases our healing rate by about 5%, so it wouldn't be recommended. And besides, there is lava and high chance of injury. Also, if we did leave, we would have to fly over the ocean. The volcanic heat has probably created some storms through the area. We would have to wait until tomorrow, or---"
Morrowseer felt a heavy nudge towards the cliff edge. "We don't have t-t-time for l-l-logic right now," Battlewinner snapped. "We only have time to s-s-save our t-t-tribe."
And then she plunged over the cliff ledge, threw open her wings, and began gliding across the lava lake. Her tail raked the magma with a loud hiss as she passed several small boulders. She clenched her jaw and kept flying. She shot over a narrow stretch of magma and then another, and then a third, and then curved upwards and tread air, spiraling up toward the night sky, a mere gap in the volcanic rock. First came a screech, then a croaky laugh. Battlewinner poked her head back through the rock, smiling, and shouted something hard to make out. 
   
Morrowseer gazed out at the lava, and reluctantly sighed and lurched over the edge. His wings slowly folded open and he glided along the lava at a cruising speed. The glowing scarlet-orange heat lapped at his underbelly. His talons were scorched. His eyes felt cold and dry. His tail swept over rocks and several scales were scraped off. He wanted to get to the entrance as fast as possible.
And he did. But his wings would not allow him to travel fast enough to not be burned. As soon as he reached the entrance, he shot out at a slow pace and landed on the ground. His scales were spotted with embers and fireworms. Battlewinner arched her neck and looked down at him. 
 "We aren't out yet." She gestured with her wings at a long tunnel with a fragile-looking floor. "We have to c-c-cross that t-t-tunnel, which is built over a l-l-lava lake."
Morrowseer swallowed. So he wasn't free yet. He had to cross an unstable tunnel and supposedly break through the chamber on the other side. He sighed. This was not going to be easy. He took a step into the tunnel and slowly began working his way out.
==Chapter 4==
Blister couldn't help but think about what the Sandwing Kingdom might be going through without her as Queen. She dug through the sands miserably, thrashing angrily. It wasn't fair. She killed Burn by literally turning her claws inside out. She could have killed Blaze, who wasn't even Queen. And Thorn was an Outclaw who had never wanted to be in charge of the Sandwing Kingdom. Why couldn't it be her? She would be a great Queen. She couldn't see why other dragons didn't see that in her. They all thought she was malevolent and evil. She buried her claws in the sand some more.
Hmm. Maybe she felt like kicking over a dune. Maybe two.
Blister punched the ground, sending grit flying in all directions. She scratched and tossed and surfaced the pale yellow sediment angrily, hissing. It probably looked weird for the Outclaws to watch a dune magically fly away, since she was near the Scorpion Den, but she didn't care. They were probably all hailing Queen Thorn at the palace. Not like she would. Blister snorted.
She dug harder and faster, strangely compelled to destroying this dune now. She sliced with her tail. Ouch. She drew back her barb, wincing. She had struck something hard. Blister's black eyes raced as she submerged her talons in the ground and pulled out a shiny ebony gem that glistened in the sun. It was smooth and thin like black glass, and thrummed with a creepy energy. She gasped.
The Obsidian Mirror.
She knew what it was, but no other dragons had seen it in years. Now she had found it, and could use it however she wanted. She may not be able to be seen, but she could spy on any dragon she pleased, and truly be the smartest dragon in Pyrrhia.
Who should I use it on?
 
Blister shuddered. She tried to think of a dragon. The first thought that popped into her head was Morrowseer. Okay. Now she just needed to activate it. If only she knew how...
"Morrowseer," she blurted, a little embarrassed but glad no dragon could hear her. "I'd really like to know if he's ok."
She sighed, then tried tapping the mirror. It didn't work. She touched it with her barb, then backed away. Still no response. She threw some sand on it. It still didn't turn on. She snorted and threw it on the ground. It wouldn't activate.
Aggravated, Blister turned around and set it on fire. Instantly the fire vanished, and the smoke curled around it and then disappeared, like it had been sucked into the mirror. On the mirror appeared a black curl of smoke, standing in a red environment, moving slowly through a dark hole which, Blister assumed, was a tunnel.
Morrowseer, Blister realized with a jolt of shock and yet happiness at the same time. He's alive. Blister studied as another black shape flitted behind him. She didn't know who it was, but she could guess it was Queen Battlewinner. After all, he was ranked pretty close to novelty in his tribe, considering the way he acted and was treated among the Nightwings. The tunnel they moved through looked narrow and unsteady. 
I have to get to Morrowseer, Blister found herself thinking. He's the only one who can probably hear me-- and understand me. She unfolded her wings and flew towards the volcano. She was not going there for a secret Nightwing meeting. She was going to find Morrowseer.
==Chapter 5==
Morrowseer muttered under his breath as he slid across the narrow pathway. His foot brushed an ember, and he winced. He lifted his tail higher off the ground.
"I feel like I'm being watched," he whispered to Queen Battlewinner as he looked above him. The ceiling was solid volcanic rock, but he knew that above that ceiling was lava, which could possibly make the ceiling collapse and fall on him if he moved too fast.
Queen Battlewinner nodded, then hissed as a trickle of lava moved underfoot.
"The volcano is still alive, so be careful," Morrowseer noted to her. A seeming whisper sounded from nearby. His ears pricked up.
  "They will be sorry as soon as I'm done," it hissed.
  "I'm-- hearing someone's thoughts..." Morrowseer said slowly to his Queen.
   Queen Battlewinner balanced on her haunches for a minute, then pricked her ears up too. "Impossible... e-e-everyone should know b-b-by now that N-n-Nightwings don't have mind-reading."
   Morrowseer hissed. "I bet someone has an animus-touched object at their disposal." Or maybe I'm just imagining things.
   Queen Battlewinner shrugged. "I don't think there's anything that w-w-would help us know who it is. I would bet it's one of the r-r-rivals from the throne, though, ranting about how horribly the w-w-war is going for her."
   Morrowseer shuddered, knowing exactly who it could be. He shook his head again anyways. "I need to get to Blister. I think something's wrong."
   The Queen shook her head. "We have to escape the v-v-volcano first. Then we c-c-can worry about B-B-Blister."
   Morrowseer let out another of his groans and realized he was wearing the face he always used with the dragonets. He quickly corrected it and began cautiously walking forward again. He would get to Blister no matter what, no matter where she was.
==Chapter 6==
Blister flapped her wings as she soared silently through the desert, which ironically was deserted. Nothing but the sound of her wings and the faint wind blowing could be heard.
It was a bright day in the Kingdom of the Sand. Her slender body flew in the wind, her black eyes scanning the ground below. Nothing but the occasional kangaroo rat or rattlesnake showed up. She sighed. If she could find at least one helpful animus-touched object, she could at least be seen by one dragon she wanted to see her.
Blister's calculating mind took action. If Morrowseer had an animus dragon in his tribe who could have built the tunnels, maybe she could find him, and make him enchant her so she could be seen. That thought relieved her. But where would she find him? She groaned again. This would be difficult.
Maybe Blaze was right. Maybe she was the only surviving sister. Maybe I'm just a ghost of a dragon, a dead Specterwing floating around the world.
But she couldn't be! She hissed and landed on the sand, thinking. Maybe the Nightwings could hear her. Maybe she could still speak to them.
If they could still communicate, maybe they could still win the war.
After all, they can read minds. She shot up as a tumbleweed brushed her and went straight through her. She calmed down. Just a desert weed. Get your act together.
She stood back up and trotted slowly over the sand, unaware that something moved behind her-- and it was not a tumbleweed.
==Chapter 7==
Morrowseer was inches away from freedom, fresh air, and starry skies.
But he was also inches away from death.
He could never have been more terrified in his life. Never could he be more sad, either. This, in all of his years of starvation, depression, and telling lies, was one of the worst things he had ever endured. 
He was surrounded on all sides by lava, by rock, at a dead end in the chamber. He would suffocate in this tunnel, never find love or friends, never be appreciated in this world, never see what it looked like again. He would never have any of his amazing plots, or even get revenge on the dragonets, the prophecy, the Icewings, everything felt like another talon through his chest. The feeling was coming, but he wanted to force it back. He wanted to shove all the hurt away. But he couldn't.
Morrowseer's jaw gaped open, his eyes closed, he shuddered. He felt the wetness on his face evaporate. He collapsed on the tunnel floor. He had been tiptoeing through it for what felt like a week now. There was surely no hope. Nobody was going to save him, and he didn't think he could save himself. He banged on the rock angrily, sobbing at the same time. He felt unwanted.
 
Blister, he suddenly thought. She wants me. He punched the rock again. But maybe only to use me. Maybe I love her but maybe she doesn't love me.
Queen Battlewinner was staring at this huge dragon, this tough, smart, amazing dragon, breaking down in front of her. She swept her wing over him. "You're going to be alright. I know y-y-you will." And then with a smirk, she added, "You'll find B-B-Blister."
Morrowseer stood up and gave her The Look.
Queen Battlewinner shrugged, withdrawing her wing from his shoulder. She turned around at the dead end and began moving the debris. Didn't do much, but they were one step closer to freedom-- if the walls and ceiling didn't cave in first. Morrowseer hung his head. One step closer.
==Chapter 8==
Blister soared quietly over a patch of debris. It wasn't sand, but it wasn't grass, either. She was so close to the tunnels to the rainforest. She could feel it.
The smell of blood washed over Blister. She came to a halt, hovering in the air. She whipped around. An injured Sandwing was trotting along, his wounded tail dragging on the ground. He stopped and sat down, gawking over his pain.
Oh, please, thought Blister. I've endured worse.
She decided to sit there and listen to any pieces of information that might be useful to her.
"My poor tail," groaned the pathetic Sandwing. "How will I ever get back on that flimsy dragonet with a split barb? And Blaze lost the war, too! Nothing is going right for me! And how will I make the family money without a job? I just can't believe Zira would do such a thing! Maybe I should have joined Burn's side of the war."
Blister bristled. Why not me?! Huffing in irritation, Blister leapt up and flew away, not at all sorry that she'd kicked sand at the random dragon.
==Chapter 9==
Morrowseer carefully wedged his talon between two large boulders and scooped them up in his claws.
He grunted as his talon blunted from scraping the rock. He blew the dust off his talons, scraped them back on a rock to sharpen them, and continued to shovel.
"This is the worst survival story ever," Morrowseer hissed. He couldn't stand it anymore. He shot a blast of his fire at the rocks and they all exploded. He watched molten lava trickle down into the tunnel. Quickly thinking, he grabbed some of the rocks and jammed them up the hole in the ceiling. Fire dripped onto his talons, but it was worth it, and the rocks stuck in place, although the ceiling looked marred.
That was close, he thought tiredly. Too close. He turned and looked at the rocks he had blasted. Battlewinner was shaking her head in disappointment.
"Morrowseer, we cannot risk this."
Morrowseer almost throttled himself. "You idiot!" he screamed, whirling on his queen. "After all this, you're just going to give up?!"
"It is not our time, Morrowseer," the Nightwing Queen rasped. "We must accept our fate."
"No." He wouldn't let her stop him. "We can make it, you stupid Queen."
Battlewinner touched his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Morrowseer, but we can't go any further."
Morrowseer narrowed his eyes. "Yes. We. Can." He turned around and rammed into the boulders with his horns. A small pathway opened up into a dark sky behind them. "Battlewinner, we are alive. We were this close to the world the whole time."
"Morrowseer... I'm sorry. I can't go with you."
With a quick look at the Queen, who seemed ever silent, Morrowseer folded his wings and ducked into the tiny opening. His heart thumping in his chest, he crawled out the other side, and jumped into a starry night.
==Chapter 10==
Blister snorted in disgust at all the lazy Rainwings lounging around with dart guns. Of course, that dragonet Queen probably told them to defend her, thought Blister. But none would be smart enough to miss sun time to protect her. One of them rolled over the gun in their sleep and shot themself.
They're so stupid, Blister thought, rolling her eyes. She stepped over an overgrown patio and looked around for the Nightwing tunnels. They had to be around here somewhere.
She dove off of the platform and coiled her tail around a tree limb, swinging over to the next one. She swung up onto another platform, where a rather bulky yellow Rainwing was serving their sun time. She hopped over the bright dragon and sidled up to 'Queen' Glory's throne.
"Hmmph. If I had not been in my ghostlike state, I'd have requested an alliance," Blister yawned. "Not like you'd be any help," she said to the slumbering Highness. She searched the area for any relics that might lead her to the tunnels, then after a while of boredom, slipped off. She rubbed the Obsidian Mirror between her talons.
== Chapter 11 ==
Morrowseer did a quick corkscrew maneuver and flattened his wings against the wind. The wind felt good, but hot. He folded his wings inwards and flapped up onto a boulder overlooking the island.
Lava was seeping out into the ocean, covering practically all of the ground but a few boulders, like his, that were surfacing from the molten mush. He snorted angrily, deciding to punish Mastermind for his incorrect eruption predictions. So many more Nightwings could have survived this, were it not for that bumbling lab geek.
Morrowseer pushed his thoughts aside and concentrated on the current situation at talon. Judging by the position of the volcano, he was on the opposite side of the tunnels. I doubt I can get in that way anyways, he snorted. He hopped onto the boulder nearest to his, searching for a good place where he could take off again, as not to turn up a current, which would catch fire. He noticed a rather tall perch some yards away. He burned scorn into his own scales for not thinking before landing and began the stepping-stone hops across the magma field.
The Nightwing jumped towards a smaller pebble and nearly slipped off in surprise from the heat. He sprang backwards and sank his hind talons into the magma. He felt flesh burn off his toes. Biting back a scream, he flapped up onto the next stone, this time grasping it tightly with his claws. His tail sat dangerously near the searing rocks below. He jumped to the next one after that, and then swooped up onto the next.
Morrowseer stared into the perch up ahead, gritted his teeth, prayed to the three moons that he would make it, bunched up his muscles, and leapt.
A claw snagged deep into the side of the rock. Relief and victory flooded the dragon. He scaled up onto the tall boulder and pointed his nose toward the sea.
== Chapter 12 ==
Blister sat by the tunnel in disappointment. It had been smashed to smithereens just moments before by a burly Rainwing. She poked her nose into it, but it was no use. The animus creation had been completely destroyed.
Blister thought for a moment. I've been to that island before. Wasn't there another way? Oh! Yes! Of course! The Sky Kingdom! Then that's where I'll go, she thought to herself. She turned her nose towards the Diamond Spray and the mountains of the red dragons.
What a romantic way to meet a Nightwing, she smiled to herself. She beat her wings into the air and took off towards the Claws of the Clouds, with the Obsidian Mirror wrapped tightly in her coiled tail.
== Chapter 13 ==
Morrowseer hissed. He was always right, and he had been right when he told Battlewinner there would be storms at sea. He thrust himself into the rain. Salty water beat against his wings, driving him down towards the ocean. He had taken off an hour ago, and judging by the fierce winds, he had only flown a mile. He was rather displeased with his progress.
Spying a small island, Morrowseer circled down into the wind. He was about to land when he realized that the gusts would just force him back up again. He tiredly flapped back up to face the thunderstorm and pushed on.
Category:Genre (Romance)
Category:Fanfictions (Semi-Canon)
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Content (FourFlames)