Fiery Winds

please don't steal the code!
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F I E R Y ✩ W I N D S
Fiery Winds was made by Infinity for the Inspired Writing Contest. Please don't edit without permission. Thank you.
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The forest slept quietly, with the soft sigh of the wind as it wound through the trees, the shine of the sun as it illuminated the branches, and the quiet murmur of the brook as it tumbled down the rocky slope. As the sun rose into the morning air, animals crept out of their hiding and began to go about their business, getting ready for the day.
A fearsome figure emerged from a nearby cave, dragging with it a canvas, paint brushes, and a few paint pots. Animals scurried away as it traveled through the forest, not daring to cross its path.
The dragon chuckled as a careless bird landed on his shoulder. It chirped with alarm and flew away when it noticed the tree it sat on was not a tree.
As the dragon trudged up a hill, the wind softly blew into his face, begging him to come up into the bright blue sky and play with it.
"Not today," he said to it. "I hung out with you the day before."
The wind died down, clearly disappointed. He chuckled again as he set up his canvas and paints. "Don't pout."
He sat down and opened his paints, breathing in the cool air. The sun was at the right angle, so it shone through the leaves, making them look like small lanterns. Birds twittered and flew through the air, whisking past each other in a race. Plants grew, stretching towards the sun like desert wanderers looking for an oasis. The dragon sighed. It was just so beautiful.
Silence fell as the dragon began to paint, strokes flowing gracefully down the canvas. In a matter of moments, a scene appeared. A forest. Animals hidden in the undergrowth. One green dragon, flying through the clear, blue sky. And wind.
The wind was probably the most astonishing feature, for it softly swirled across the canvas, coiling and uncoiling, dancing through the painted sky. Feathered strokes branched off in some places, creating the illusion of movement.
Just as the sun started to set, the dragon sat back, satisfied at his accomplishment. The painting was finished and sat in all its glory, blues and greens and yellows and browns shining in the light.
A green dragon was flying through the clear blue sky, high above the trees. Animals swarmed the ground, staring up in amazement as the dragon swept through the air. And wind danced swiftly but elegantly around the dragon and through the trees, sweeping up birds and butterflies into the light.
"In the light of the sky, only the wind shall come," he sang softly. "In the light of the moon, the shadows have won. But dancing through the air on this planet, is a wonder to behold. Wind, the shapeshifter of old." The wind nudged him playfully, as if asking him to go on. "Wind, the shapeshifter of old. The shadows be jealous, vengeance on their list. But wind cannot be caught, it dissolves like mist. It trails through the sky, gracefully twirling. Wind, the shapeshifter of old."
The dragon stood up, his canvas now fully dry. He packed up his paints, making sure each one was screwed tightly. As he grabbed his stuff, the sun sank past the horizon, casting faint orange rays across the land.
"I might do a sunrise painting next," the dragon commented to the wind. The wind swirled up around him, as if to agree.
He walked into his gloomy cave and put away his painting supplies. He drowsily hung up the elegant painting, muscles begging him to lie down.
At last he stumbled to his bed, a mere pile of pelts but comfortable nonetheless. His muscles quit their screams of agony, falling quiet as the dragon lowered himself onto the warm fur, falling into a deep sleep almost instantly.
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Smoke wound quietly into the cave, wreathing in loops around the peacefully sleeping dragon. It delved into his mouth and down his throat, and finally filled his lungs, crushing the oxygen that had once filled them.
He woke up, only to find ash dart into his eyes. Coughing, the dragon stood up and tried to gaze through the haze of smoke. Stumbling to the entrance, he looked around outside.
It was a nightmare.
Fire swarmed up trees and plants, devouring all that it could. Embers showered down, igniting the leaf litter that lay on the forest floor. Animals skittered through the flaming undergrowth, blindly bumping into each other as they struggled for breath.
He had to save them. He had to.
The dragon ran towards them, and screeched to the animals, "To the hills! That way!"
But of course they didn't hear him. They were consumed with panic, trying to flee the forest and get to safer grounds. Blindly, they ran, fueled only with fear.
He gazed up to black sky, staring hard at the faint stars.
"Wind," he whispered. "Help me..."
As if waiting for his call, the wind roared into action. It blew the fire away with all its might, casting away the orange tongues that resisted. The dragon turned to the animals, watching them with pity as they tried to flee.
"Follow me!" He commanded, turning to some undergrowth. He cut it back, again and again, until a path had formed. Animals charged past him and through the path, escaping to the cool hillside where fire dare not reach.
As he leapt after them, a clever vine snagged his talon. He fell with a muffled thump to the hot ground, snout pressed against the leaf litter. The dragon gasped and crawled forwards as the vine trapping his leg caught ablaze.
Shaking free, he stumbled up and ran blindly like the animals he had saved, desperately trying to get out of the forest. He collapsed on the grass, panting heavily as animals crowded around him.
The wind dipped down and coiled around him comfortably, just as he whispered, "I would dance through the fire to save you, over and over again."
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Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Completed)
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)
Category:Genre (Short Story)
Category:Content (Infinity-Da-Dragon)