The Second Sting (Angel/Human)

Just some lil' character info and stuff
== The Prophecy of the Wasp ==
The pain has faded, the wound long gone, 
But the venom of the sting lives on. 
The dark has lifted, the peace widespread, 
But the seeds of evil will bring us dread. 
The roaring tide will surge and crash, 
Bringing with it a hope for justice. 
The air will run thick with mud and smoke, 
Bringing with it a hope for safety. 
The night looms dark, but it will serve, 
Bringing with it a hope for peace. 
The drops of rain and stars will shine, 
Bringing with it a hope for love. 
The sweet honey will twine with silk, 
Bringing with it a hope for unity. 
The venom of the sting will poison the land, 
It will burn and wither exactly as planned, 
The plot of the wasp nothing but grand. 
Five from legend-born will end this hell, 
Challenge will lift them from where they fell. 
Search the land until they are free, 
Lest all of the effort, will futile be.
== Prologue ==
Lady Bloodworm
She sat on the throne, her talons tapping the wood as she waited for the eggs to be delivered. Lady Bloodworm had been planning this out for a long, long time. She wasn't going to let one thing go wrong and ruin everything she had worked towards. No prophecy was going to disturb the Wasp's Wings' plans-her plans. Bloodworm had learned to be wary of prophecies, what with everyone shouting the glory of how an insufferable NightWing dragonet had told them they'd all be free, and now that same NightWing had delivered another prophecy that said Wasp would be defeated. 
Well, good luck defeating us when your precious 'prophecized dragonets' won't even know who they are.
Bloodworm smiled to herself, waiting once again. Her plan to raise the dragonets in the care of the Wasp's Wings was foolproof. Speaking of Wasp, she was nothing more than an idiotic fool for trusting the Othermind. She had been nothing but a tool, and was paying the price for it. She was half-blind, weakened, and locked in the hot flamesilk cavern for presumably, forever. Bloodworm still remembered being locked in there with her until she'd found a small gap in the stone. With the help of some of her sisters (Mantis and Vinegaroon had been quite helpful in that), they'd been able to get her out. She'd established a small following of dragons who all wanted to have Wasp rule once more.
Of course, Bloodworm didn't ever want to restore Wasp to power, but she needed something to convince HiveWings to join her cause. The promise of putting Wasp on the throne was a good way to do that, but once their plan was finished, Bloodworm had even further plans. Once Wasp was out of the cavern and back in power, she would have some playtime on the throne before there would be an . . . accident. One that would allow Bloodworm to be on the throne instead. The only problem in this would be that awful prophecy.. 
"My lady, I have retrieved the egg.” Lady Bloodworm was jolted from her thoughts by the sudden voice. She looked up to see one of her closest followers standing before her, the golden-blue egg he was carrying clashing against his red and black scales. It was Bombardier. His perpetually angry face was now triumphant as he looked at Bloodworm with pride. His job wasn't one to be taken lightly, but she figured he was the best fit for it. That, and he'd practically been jumping out of his scales at the chance to mess with Cricket, the blasted dragonet who'd messed everything up.
Bloodworm smiled, stood up and walked over to him and took the egg from his talons, turning it over and inspecting it. "Excellent work, Bombardier. With this, we're one step closer to our goal." Underneath the thin eggshell, she could see a dragonet inside turning about endlessly. It was a wonder that one little insignificant Hivewing had caused such an uproar, and was one of the main reasons for Wasp’s defeat. Now, Bloodworm had the dragonet of her and her pathetic SilkWing husband.
Bombardier flicked his tongue out and puffed his chest up. "Now, as we discussed before. I get to help raise the egg."
She sighed. This was the one thing she had not been excited for. Bombardier was famous for having anger issues, for one, but also didn't seem to have the qualities needed to properly raise a dragonet. But she figured that if he had the help of Weaver, it might work out well enough. "Alright, then. You have served the Wasp's Wings well. You and Weaver will raise the dragonet together, but you must keep your anger under control. If not . . . you will pay," Bloodworm hissed. Bombardier grinned and nodded, taking the egg back in his talons and turning away into the rest of the camp, to the small tent where Weaver took residence.
It wasn't long before two SkyWings flew into the cave, one a dark crimson and the other a pure bloodred. The familiar scar over the darker one's snout made it easy for Bloodworm to tell who they were. Avalanche and her son, Flame. They were irrelevant, but what they held in their talons was far from it. Avalanche clutched a bright copper-colored egg with muddy brown streaks all over it. Bloodworm noticed that they both had cuts, claw scrapes, and overall were in a rather scuffed state. 
"What happened?" Bloodworm said, lunging forwards and grabbing the egg, checking it over with concern. Avalanche took a step back to bow, and Flame just snorted. 
"One of their little wyrms tried to stop us," Avalanche said politely. "Despite their best efforts, they weren't able to take the egg."
Bloodworm narrowed her eyes. "Did he raise an alarm?"
"She," Flame corrected, muttering. "And no. We knocked her clean out after the first few scratches and bites. Luckily for us, it was the sad little fireless one."
Bloodworm nodded. "Very well then. You and your son have done well, Avalanche. Take the egg to Hickory, and he will raise it with Mammoth." Avalanche nodded, bowing again, and stepped off to find the large MudWing who they'd decided would be the fake parent for the Sky-Mud hybrid. "The air will run thick with mud and smoke." It has to be this sad little egg they pulled out. 
As Lady Bloodworm watched them leave, she heard a distinct hissing and a voice say from outside, "Talons off. This is ours, and we're going to get our reward." Curiously, she stepped forwards to see two NightWings standing outside with a beautiful egg, a glossy black but shimmering with the colors of the rainbow in the right light. Ah, wonderful, Bloodworm thought as she walked forwards. 
"Wonderful to see you two. Fierceteeth, I assume?" She said, looking up at them. The smaller purple one puffed up her chest and grinned. 
"Yes. We know what you want this egg for. We're happy to give it to you." Bloodworm reached out for it, but Fierceteeth pulled it back with a hiss. "Ah ah ah, not so fast, Bloodworm. We didn't risk our tails stealing this for nothing, and we don't want to join your secret little movement. We want treasure."
Bloodworm growled a little, and two guards stepped forwards with spears ready to stab. She raised her talon. "No, no. Not yet. You two," she said, turning back to the NightWings, "Are in no position to demand anything from me."
"Oh yes we are," Fierceteeth hissed back. "We have something you want. And we know several other dragons who would pay us handsomely just to have their greedy talons on the heir to the Rain-Night throne. Firefly won't be hard to dispatch of, after all." 
Lady Bloodworm sighed, agitated, but willing to compromise. "Fine," she said, drawing out a pouch of exotic gems and coins. "Take this, give us the egg, and then get out of here. I don't want to see you or your sad little mate again."
Fierceteeth's spines bristled and she snapped at the air as she took the pouch. "Call him my 'sad little mate' again and watch what happens!"
"Fierceteeth," the larger dragon hissed. "Just give her the egg and we'll go." With a sour expression, the purple NightWing set the egg down, turned around, and flew away. Bloodworm sighed as she watched them go, taking the egg and checking it over. It seemed perfectly healthy, almost ready to hatch.
"You." She turned to glare at a guard. "Take this to Vista." The guard nodded, taking the egg and rushing off. As they left, Cadelle arrived with a solid black egg and a smile on her face. Lady Bloodworm gave a small smile as she saw the egg, looking up at Cadelle and asking, “Was it a struggle retrieving the egg?” 
Cadelle laughed before saying, “No. It was almost sad with how easy it was to swipe it. That blind NightWing never saw me take it, and his tragically loud mate was too preoccupied with some kind of medical emergency happening a few huts over. The only struggle was getting it out, because a RainWing saw me, but . . . " she trailed off and looked at Bloodworm, grinning and licking her teeth. Lady Bloodworm smiled. Cadelle was probably the only competent HiveWing she really had in the Wasp's Wings.
"Excellent work, Cadelle. You have done very, very well," Bloodworm said. "You can raise that one, if you wish." Cadelle grinned and looked at the egg, then at Bloodworm.
"I suppose it can't be any worse than my daughter was. Or my granddaughter. Speaking of," Cadelle said, narrowing her eyes, "Who is taking care of what I am ashamed to call my great granddragonet?"
"Bombardier and Weaver."
"Wonderful," Cadelle said, an evil grin spreading across her face. "I'll also see to it how they are raised." With that, Cadelle strutted off with the NightWing egg in her talons. Bloodworm sighed, but smiled. Cadelle was going to get her licks in on that Silk-Hive dragonet no matter what, so it was best not to try and fight it. Finally, a dragon arrived with the dark egg that seemed to be made of sapphires-though they were not the dragon she had hired to do such. 
The dragon bowed deeply and quickly said ,“The mercenary sends his regards.” Lady Bloodworm arched her brow and took the egg, carefully examining it. As she did, she spoke with the dragon. 
“Why is he not here? I was told he and his partner would deliver the egg personally.” 
“Another job came up for them.”
Lady Bloodworm gave the dragon a dark look and said, “You're lucky it's not damaged in your clumsy talons. Guards, take the egg to Hammerhead and Sunfish.” A HiveWing stepped out, and Bloodworm carefully passed the egg to them it was taken away to where the two SeaWings who agreed to raise it were. Lady Bloodworm looked back at the dragon and said, “Those hires must really trust you if they gave you the egg."
"Yes, my Lady. We are close friends."
"Still. You are a risk. An unknown.” Lady Bloodworm flicked her tail and the two HiveWing guards stepped out with spears drawn. The SeaWing looked around, terror filling his eyes as he started to spread his wings. But before he got the chance to fly away, the guards lunged. With a quick move they stabbed the dragon, pinning him to the ground by his wings as he howled in pain. Lady Bloodworm then stepped forwards to personally grab the SeaWing's head and twist it, slowly, bit by bit until she heard the satisfying CRACK of his neck snapping in half. 
"Now that we have the dragonets . . . " she said, stepping back as the blood pooled, "Let's see them complete their pathetic prophecy now."
== Part One - The Wasp's Wings ==
=== Chapter One ===
Autumn
For her entire life, Autumn had lived in the Wasp’s Wings camp and inside a cave she had never been able to leave. 
Not like she wanted to leave, anyway. Life here was perfectly safe, hidden away deep inside of Pantala. According to her father, Hickory, this was an elaborate cave system that had once housed a dangerous plant called 'the Othermind'. The last HiveWing queen, Queen Wasp, had been spreading it and using it. Autumn's tail did a little dance thinking about Wasp. The glorious dragon they were being raised to put back on the throne was trapped inside one of the large Hives! It was truly barbaric in her eyes. Someone as regal as Wasp should be allowed to be free, her sweet words reaching every ear. That's why we're going to kill everyone who tries to stop us until we have things the way Lady Bloodworm says they used to be! No prophecy will stop us!
Lady Bloodworm was both the leader of the Wasp's Wings and Queen Wasp's sister. Imagine being that close to her gloriousness! Autumn stretched her wings excitedly and bounced on her talons. Bloodworm spent a lot of time invigorating the group, giving them rousing speeches about Wasp's greatness, and about how not to let a prophecy demoralize them. Apparently, there was a prophecy that said a bunch of dragonets would stop them, but Autumn puffed out her chest and looked at herself in the small mirror in her cave. Nothing will stop me, at least. I have my family, my friends, and my dignity. And I'll never let a prophecy take anything away from me.
The very idea that a bunch of dragonets were special made Autumn's scales itch. Hickory had always preached that deep down, every dragon was the same. Autumn's sister, Mammoth, took it a step further by telling Autumn she specifically wasn't special. No matter how hard Mammoth tried to beat her down, she stayed positive that she would complete her job and Wasp would rise again. I promise Mother, I'll avenge you, she thought, looking up at the cave ceiling while her claws curled in. Her mother had died while Autumn was an egg, burned by a firescales until there was nothing left. It made Autumn so angry to remember that she'd been denied a mother because of some idiot who thought themselves better. 
"Autumn, Mammoth, get—" Hickory poked his snout into their shared cave, stopping as his amber eyes met Autumn's summer green ones. "Oh, you're up. That's nice." He turned around and walked away again. Autumn opened her mouth to say something, but stopped and looked over at the other bed in the room where a huge dark brown dragon was resting. Mammoth was huge, as her name implied, and determined to scare Autumn at pretty much every opportunity. Yet she still would snuggle with Autumn and say how amazing she was sometimes, which just confused her endlessly. Slowly and quietly, Autumn walked over towards her sister and gently placed a talon on her side, shaking her gently.
"Mammoth, wake up," she said, softly. "Father wants us for something."
Mammoth mumbled 'probably training' and rolled over. Autumn backed away a bit, almost sure she could see her reflection in Mammoth's huge, yellowed teeth. Her bright copper-colored scales were always a huge contrast to Mammoth's dark, muddy ones or even Hickory's warm brown scales. She also had huge dark orange wings, far bigger than any of her family. The only dragons who had wings even close to her size were some of the SkyWings who were part of the group. But Autumn knew that she was just a little weird when she hatched. Her parents were both MudWings, and so was she. 
Well, if Mammoth wasn't going to get up, there wasn't a point in Autumn getting in trouble for not showing up. She turned and left the cave, following the clear-cut paths with smooth stone all around her, torches scattered intermittently to provide light. As she walked further from her room and closer to the main cave area, she heard voices stirring up. Most of them were voices she didn't know, saying things she didn't care about, but a few of them stuck out to her. Over everything, she could hear Lady Bloodworm's voice, shouting praise for Queen Wasp and how they were going to kill anyone who opposed them. Getting closer, Autumn decided to stick around to listen to her speech.
". . . Wasp's Wings! We aren't going to stand down and be led like sheep to the slaughter! We all know the truth! We know of my sister's glory and her prowess! And we will not stop until it has reached every corner of Pantala, just like it used to!" she paused as the crowd let out a cheer of support, one in which Autumn joined in on. "We are going to free her from her prison, tear down the walls and let her and the others come pouring out! They have poked at the very heart of our nest, and we are going to show them why you don't disturb our home! We will fly straight towards the illegitimate rulers, the pathetic traitors to our kind, Jewel and Scarab! We will violently rip apart their sad assembly until the only thing they can assemble will be their silken coffins! We all know who truly owns this land! This is our purpose, Wasp's Wings! Her might will shine like the rays of the sun!"
The crowd cheered, and Autumn eagerly flapped her wings as she grinned. Lady Bloodworm was right in so many ways, and she couldn't wait until she was free to finally run up to all of those who disagreed and slaughter them all. Autumn didn't exactly want to kill anyone, but it would all be worth it if it got Wasp back in her rightful place. The crowd around her began to move around, heading to their rightful places in the organization, and Autumn began to look for her father. 
A talon grabbed her wrist and yanked Autumn upwards as she yelped. It felt like her entire arm had been torn out of the socket as she looked at who it—Cadelle, one of the most terrifying members of the Wasp's Wings. As well as that, Cadelle was also Autumn's history teacher, and she was also the adoptive mother of one of Autumn's close friends. The small dark NightWing was beside her, smiling softly at Autumn, and she smiled back until Cadelle yanked her arm again. "Where is your father, the insufferable idiot? Why did he let you wander on your own like this? Certainly I'd never let Judgement out of my sight." 
Judgement looked at the ground, his head drooping. "Mom, can you let her go? If you're right and it's battle training next, then . . . " he trailed off as Cadelle glared at him, but she did drop Autumn's arm. 
Autumn clutched her arm, trying to asses whether or not it was okay, but mostly was trying to look for Hickory in the mass of dragons. Cadelle sighed and stalked off, leaving Judgement and Autumn together. "Judgement, your mom is completely insane," she blurted out, not looking up at her friend. "My arm seriously hurts."
"I'm sorry," Judgement said, sighing. "I wonder if my late parents were like that, too. Maybe she's trying to raise me the way I would have been raised." He looked over at Autumn, and she gritted her teeth, trying to suppress her anger. It shouldn't be directed at Judgement. If we have battle training soon, though, I can let it out there. She got upright and gingerly put weight on her arm. To her delight, it still bore weight. 
"I doubt it," Autumn said, answering Judgement's words. "You guys all seem to have pretty mean parents. Especially Clearwing." She looked in the crowd, trying to find her other friends—the other dragonets her age. They were the youngest members of the Wasp's Wings, but just as excited to be a part of everything. She didn't see any of them right away, but she did finally spot Hickory and Cadelle talking. "Oh, I see my dad! Come on!" she said, eagerly jumping up and practically dragging Judgement with her, who protested little. 
Hickory saw Autumn approaching and quickly reached out, grabbing her by the snout before she could say or do anything. Judgement yelped and stumbled backwards, but Cadelle hissed and grabbed his talon. "Autumn, where is your sister?" Hickory demanded, looking furious. "You were supposed to wake her up and then go to battle training. Fire Ant's probably been waiting for you two for a while now!" 
"I—She didn't want to wake up," Autumn said, trying to wiggle away at the same time. "I didn't want to be late, and you didn't say where to go, and—" Hickory hissed and shot a jet of fire directly at Autumn's face. She fiercely jerked away, pulling her head out of the blast, but not the rest of her. Searing pain touched her side as the fire let her know of it's presence, scorching her scales lightly where it went. She shrieked, throwing herself on the ground and huddling under her wings, determined not to cry despite the pain. Beside her, Judgement reached forwards, but Cadelle yanked him back. 
"Don't even try it, Judgement," she hissed, "I knew this dragonet would be nothing but trouble for you. She's lucky that you're so close to her, not by my choice, otherwise she'd turn out completely insane." Before the conversation went further, a black and greenish-yellow scaled HiveWing (Was it? Autumn thought his wings looked funny, but everything else matched) with a scar over his snout approached them. He snorted, then spoke in a cold and low voice. 
"Enough." 
Hickory turned to face the maybe-HiveWing and his gaze darkened. "This has nothing to concern you, Locus. You’re just an attack dog. You aren't assigned to take care of these rapscallions. So, I suggest you stay out of this," he growled a bit at the end of the sentence. Locus stared him down, unflinching, and gave a barely audible grunt, kicking at the stony floor with his talon. 
"I am to make sure Lady Bloodworm’s orders are followed. You know how she feels about the dragonets, after all. Besides," he added, flicking his tail, "I have rather important news for her that needs to be addressed." Autumn saw the fury and anger on Hickory’s face as Locus walked past him and towards Lady Bloodworm, but Cadelle interjected herself into his path. 
"As one of Lady Bloodworm's closest members, I am to deliver the news myself. Let's hear it, Locus." She tapped her claws impatiently, and Locus shook his head, trying to push forwards. Cadelle hissed, baring her fangs, and Judgement yelped and hid behind Autumn, which made Cadelle sigh. "Oh for—I've never touched you, Judgement! Locus, news. Now." 
"You can come with me, but I am to talon-deliver it myself," he said, strutting past her. Cadelle, spitting, quickly chased after him. That left Autumn with Judgement and Hickory, who rolled his eyes and snorted. 
"Autumn, you go to battle training. Judgement, go with her. I'll get Mammoth no matter how much she doesn't want to wake up," he slowly started walking away, even seeming huge at a distance. Once he was finally out of sight, Judgement stretched and turned to Autumn before suddenly leaning into her shoulder. She almost jumped away, but instead stood there and let the pain of her burn sink in as her friend sank into her. 
"Hey, Judgement?" she finally asked, stretching her wings a bit, "Do you think we'll actually get to help in fighting for Queen Wasp's sake? Or maybe just be allowed to fly outside for a while?" Being in a cave most of their life meant that none of them had much practice with flying, but Autumn felt an urge every time she was outside. It was like part of her soul was calling her to rush into the endless open sky and stay flying there forever. Battle training did mean going to their above ground camp, but it was still frowned upon for them to fly unrestricted. 
The gray-black dragonet next to her sighed. "I don't know. But, once we're at battle training and I can tell the others too, I wanna say something." 
Autumn nudged him with a smile. "Come on, tell me, I have to know. Did you find a cool bug? Some rare new kind of food? Made friends with someone?" Her ears perked at all those ideas, though she was cautious to get her hopes up too high. Perhaps the news was nothing but Judgement getting rewarded for settling down an argument, as he was known to be good at doing. But, to Autumn's surprise, it was none of those things. Instead, he spoke quickly and quietly. 
"I—I saw something. In my dream." Judgement had sometimes said to have seen outlandish things in his head that had nothing to do with his current thoughts or his current dreams, and the other dragonets all suspected he had some form of the foresight powers NightWings were rumored to have. Autumn tilted her head, listening intently as he carried on. "It was more than a fleeting image. It was like my whole dream was overturned. And I saw us." 
"Aw, that doesn't sound so bad," she said, grinning and tenting her wing over Judgement, who for the first time ever, didn't lean into her. 
"No, it wasn't good, Autumn. SilkWings and LeafWings were everywhere. Our parents were fighting them. They were trying to grab me—us, Autumn. It was such an awful thing to see, there was blood, and so much fire, and shouting, and—" 
She quickly hushed Judgement. "Shh, calm down, please. Our parents will fight off any kind of intruder into our caves." She tried to smile, but it didn't show on her face. This was worrying, knowing that Judgement had seen something so major it had manifested as a full-on vision in his head. What he said next scared Autumn the most, though. 
"Autumn, they grabbed you. They took you away. I was screaming for you, but then I woke up in a cold sweat." 
She froze. They grabbed me and took me away? No, no, I have to be here with my friends. My family. Bloodworm would kill me if I got lost or taken away. "J-Judgement, please," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper, "I'll never not be with you guys. I'm sure it was just a nightmare, right? That's so unlikely to be an actual vision . . . " Right?
Judgement twitched nervously and took a deep breath, forcing a smile. "Y-Yeah, probably. I'm just being paranoid again, aren't I?"
"Yeah!" Autumn said, giving him a playful whack with her wing. "Now come on, if we don't hurry to battle training, Fire Ant's going to have her tail in a twist if we're even more late." Judgement gave a sheepish nod, and the MudWing leapt up and flew as much as she could, heading towards the yawning mouth of the cave. Judgement lagged behind, but that feeling of the open sky tugged at Autumn's soul again, the feeling to be free.
She did a loop in the air and flapped her wings harder and harder until she'd reached the ceiling of the cave, brushing her wings against solid smooth rock and disturbing plenty of bats. As she headed for the outside world, the sun shining just beyond the exit, Autumn saw her path blocked by a blur of blood-red scales. "Autumn," the female hissed, smoke billowing out of her nostrils, "You know you shouldn't be flying around like a dazed mountain goat. You could draw . . . unwanted attention."
She sighed, dropping towards the ground slowly. "Alright . . . I'm sorryyyyyy . . . uhhh . . . " she held out the words as she tried to remember the dragon's name, but nothing came to her mind. So she stopped talking and tucked her wings to her sides. The larger dragon rolled her eyes and flew off, hightailing it far into the sky. Autumn longed to be like that—Free. After staring at the sky, so close and so far away, for a while, Judgement finally came beside her, panting.
"So . . . fast . . . " he breathed, trying to catch his breath. 
Autumn bounced on her talons, eager to go outside. "I'm heading to the battle grounds now. Catch up with me once you can!" Before giving Judgement a chance to answer, she tore outside, spreading her wings but not taking flight. The sun shone warmly ahead, the tall grass and weeds around her a pale, washed-out yellow from exposure to it's scorching rays for such a long time. Being warm felt amazing to Autumn, but she still loved even the rainy season where water seeped into her scales, making her cold and making flight impossible. It was an experience she liked to have, because it made her value the warmth even more.
Up here on the savanna, several well-made huts of grass, reeds, and animal skins resided, providing the Wasp's Wings with a base of operations that made them seem like nothing more than simple travelers, or a group of wandering, mixed tribes. In reality, Autumn puffed up her chest, knowing how important she was for just being part of the group. Soon, Pantala will be back to normal! . . . Whatever that was, she thought. Autumn had hatched only after Wasp had been attacked, half-blinded, deposed, and imprisoned. In fact, Lady Bloodworm had only escaped two years prior to Autumn's hatching. The entire group was still relatively new, but they were strong in numbers, with nearly a hundred HiveWings, a talonful of SilkWings, and sprinkled throughout, members of other tribes. There wasn't a single LeafWing in the group, though, for reasons that were left at 'They hated Wasp, and must all die'. 
Autumn shook her wings as she headed towards a small clearing that had been burned out for battle training. While she hadn't been the one who initially burned it, she was one of the ones tasked with keeping it that way. As she walked towards it and her talon stepped on the dry grass, she noticed a small clump of weeds growing up. Taking a deep breath, she felt the fire burning in her stomach, traveling up her throat, to her mouth, and FWOOSH. The grass ignited, spreading quickly, but Autumn smothered it with her wing after she saw the weeds blacken and shrivel. 
Lifting her head up and looking in the clearing itself, there were only three dragons there at the moment. The first was a mostly red HiveWing with black streaks that seemed almost hacked into her. She was tall, wiry, and rather lightweight, but was strong and more agile than anyone could predict. Her personality was best described by taking the strength of an elephant and giving it the fearful attitude of a gazelle, quick to fight and even quicker to flee. This was Fire Ant, Autumn's battle teacher. She often put two of the dragonets against each other and watched them, then corrected their forms sternly, but gently. 
Standing beside her was Mammoth, sitting grumpily and rubbing her eyes. Her huge tusk-like teeth stuck out of her mouth, even when closed, but gave her a huge advantage when she was biting someone. Her thick body also made her really good at ramming into dragons and sending them flying across the continent, or just knocking them to the ground and pinning them. Autumn rather liked fighting her, since she always seemed to go a little easier on her. 
The other dragonet was looking into the grass, ears flicking intently. They were a mostly RainWing-looking dragon, but lacked the telltale ruff behind his ears and had much larger wings with starry patterns. He also couldn't spit venom, but he could make his scales nearly any color in the world. Right now, he was a dark greenish-black with dots that shifted constantly from orange to purple. He was always desperate for approval, something that was scarcely given out inside the organization, but tried his best anyway. Autumn often heard him crying himself to sleep at times, and she longed to comfort him. 
Charming was one of the other members that was her age, with the exact list being Charming, Judgement, Maelstrom, Clearwing, and Mammoth (technically she was two years older, but she acted closed enough to Autumn's age). Excluding Mammoth, the five had formed a close friendship out of being the only dragonets in the organization who weren't mean HiveWings. 
Autumn walked over beside Charming and smiled as Judgement walked in soon enough. Maelstrom and Clearwing would be there shortly, most likely. Perhaps today, battle training would be rather nice—If only she could shake the looming feeling of dread that accompanied her mind, thanks to Judgement. 
=== Chapter Two ===
Maelstrom
Apparently, SeaWings were supposed to be cowards. They were supposed to be artistic dragons who hid in the sea where they couldn't be found at any threat of danger. These were two of the things that Maelstrom's parents tried to drill into her from the very moment she hatched, and they were two of the things that Maelstrom absolutely hated.
While the other dragonets were learning how to fight, Maelstrom was often stuck in lessons with her mother, Sunfish, trying to teach her how to carve and sculpt and draw and write. She wanted to be with them, the dragonets she considered to be friends, laughing and joking and just being kids in battle training. Her talons were clumsy at art, but skilled in wounding. The only battle training lessons she ever got were when she had to beg and plead to her parents to let her do that instead of breaking yet another piece of driftwood in half. 
So as soon as Maelstrom heard that there was a fighting lesson today, she was already trying to find her parents. They rarely woke her up in the mornings ("A budding artist needs her beauty sleep," her father would say), so she had to track them down when she finally did wake up. In the main cave, where meetings, rousing speeches, and ceremonies took place, was usually a good place to find them. At the very least, Hammerhead—her father—was usually there. 
As she entered the chamber, she saw Lady Bloodworm perched on her wooden throne, drumming her claws as a HiveWing and a RainWing trying to look like a HiveWing stood by her, whispering in her ear. Maelstrom was horrible with names, but she could recognize the HiveWing as Judgement's adoptive mother. Some mother she is, she found herself thinking. Always dragging him back and clawing him and yelling and threatening to bite him. Maybe I should bite her, just so she knows what it's like. Shaking her head, Maelstrom cleared her thoughts and continued curiously watching them. Nobody was going to be looking for her, since she wasn't supposed to be anywhere right now, and it was boring.
Suddenly, things got interesting. Bloodworm's eared snapped to attention and she turned towards the other HiveWing. "WHAT?!" she roared, loud enough to echo across the cave and cause every dragon to turn their heads towards her. "Bring me every SeaWing in this organization, NOW!" She flung her talon out, hissing and every scale bristling. Uh oh, Maelstrom thought. She counted as 'every SeaWing', and sure enough, it wasn't but a few seconds until a group of HiveWings had turned to her. Instinctively, Maelstrom tensed, growling and narrowing her eyes. They may be on my side, but I am not going to be mishandled by a group of idiots!
One of them reached out to her, expecting it to be easy, and Maelstrom bit their talon in response, feeling the tang of blood in her mouth. The HiveWing yelped, staggering backwards and shaking his talon, staring at the bleeding. She spit out a scale from the HiveWing that was caught in her teeth, and hissed, "Don't touch me. I'll go to Lady Bloodworm myself." 
Grumbling, but not wanting to get bit, the crowd parted, giving Maelstrom a clear path towards the wooden throne. In the time it had taken her to prove her threat level, the other SeaWings had been gathered. There weren't that many, after all, and they were the few dragons that Maelstrom remembered their names. After all, she had some tribal pride. Lady Bloodworm studied the lineup, listing off all the names as SeaWings sheepishly responded. "Dancer, Seta, Hammerhead, Trench, Kraken, Sunfish, Whale, Maelstrom."
"Here," she responded, trying not to look too confused. "Of my own free will, for once." Bloodworm shot her a look, and she bit her tongue. Can't speak too freely around her, or I'll end up tossed outside for the vultures to feast on. That was a common threat used against any of the SeaWings—To take away all their water and throw them outside so that the vultures and other savanna wildlife could feast on them. Maelstrom shuddered, before listening to Bloodworm.
"Locus here tells me that a pair of you," she said, glaring, "Are dirty little spies on our organization." Maelstrom gasped, as did most of the other SeaWings. Spies?! It’s probably that klutzy idiot, Whale. She turned to glare at the navy dragon, who had his eyes wide, staring at Bloodworm. Locus flared his ruff from beside Bloodworm and stamped his talon.
“It’s them!” he hissed, pointing his tail at Trench and Whale. “I saw dark scales, and only one dragon here has navy scales!” 
“Dark and navy aren’t the same!” Trench shouted back. “I’m not going to let you all chase out me and my brother over nothing! We are both loyal to the Wasp’s Wings!”
Whale looked down and muttered, “Glory to Her Majesty, Queen Wasp.”
Maelstrom peeked her head around to stare at the accused. Trench and Locus were staring each other down, with flared gills and rolling red scales. Whale could be a traitor, but Trench had always seemed too . . . bland to be hiding anything nefarious. He was all talk and moping and blah, not some kind of secret spy. She turned her attention towards her parents, who seemed glued to the spot.
Sunfish caught her gaze and gently opened her wing, covering Maelstrom. “Don’t worry, Mal. It’ll be alright.”
Hammerhead nodded in agreement. “They’ll find the traitors and give them a wonderfully bloody death.” He spat out the word 'death' with a bit of a hiss, clearly angry with the whole situation.
Bloodworm raised her talon and clenched the air. “All of you, be silent,” she hissed, her tail almost buzzing with irritation. She flexed her claws, staring at the group, and said, “Trench. Come here, right now.” Hesitantly, the SeaWing shot one last glare at Locus before slowly walking up to Lady Bloodworm’s throne.
She suddenly flared her wings, creating a buzzing sound, and several of the HiveWing guards shot from around the cave. Before anyone could blink, or breath, or even scream, the guards grabbed each of the SeaWings and pinned them by the wings, facing the ground. Maelstrom didn’t get even a chance to fight back as her head was slammed to the ground. Her brain felt like mush from the force, and her wings were twisted in a painful way. 
“What’s this all about?!” she shouted, growling. “We’re loyal! Let us go!” She squirmed and struggled against the HiveWing who pinned her, a huge and mostly black one, but it was no use. They hissed and took their wicked spear, lightly pointing it at her neck and pressing down, just enough to hurt without drawing blood.
Hammerhead thrashed once he saw the spear. “Don’t you DARE touch Maelstrom!” he roared, “She has nothing to do with any spies or traitors! She’s been here for her entire life!”
Lady Bloodworm frowned. “I suppose that is true. Acorn, let her go, but she can’t leave until everyone else has been . . . dealt with.” As Maelstrom was released, she felt a prickle of unease go through her scales as Bloodworm spoke. Whatever she had planned, it didn’t sound good.
A thought struck her and she looked at Bloodworm’s red scales. “My parents, too. They’ve done nothing wrong.” 
“Their life from before . . . ” Bloodworm mused in response, tapping her claws, “ . . . Is a reason for questioning. You are lucky you’re free. Don’t push your luck, dragonet.” Maelstrom wanted to shout back again, but held her tongue (just barely) and watched what happened next.
The pinned SeaWings had stopped struggling. Some, like Hammerhead, where still growling, but others, like Dancer, had given up. Trench was still standing before the Lady, looking at his fellow tribe and seeming sick. The guards looked . . . well, Maelstrom couldn’t see their expressions through their helmets. “My . . . my Lady, what do you want?” Trench asked, nervous.
Lady Bloodworm’s talon shot out and she grabbed Trench by the arm, raising her other talon as a wicked stinger slid out of it. “All of you will be stung and put on display next to the lake until we can get clear confessions out of you. Every time you disobey, you’ll be stung again, and we won’t give you anything until you comply. Not food, not water, not-”
“You can’t do that to my parents!” Maelstrom shouted. “They don’t deserve that! How can they raise me if they’re stuck being paralyzed-”
Bloodworm swiped at Maelstrom and caused her to leap back. “If they’re loyal, they’ll confess quickly and be let free. Know your place, sea wyrm.” The SeaWing dragonet was silent, her ears falling. As much as she had just complained about her parents, she still loved them dearly. And now they were going to be tortured because of someone else’s idiocy, and it made her furious. 
Trench tried to wiggle free from Bloodworm’s grip, now that he knew what was happening, but she held firm and hissed at him. He opened his mouth to shout, but she plunged the stinger through his wrist. A howl of pain sounded, and blood dripped off the stinger slowly. The other SeaWings were watching terrified, and as the sounds died away, Seta began thrashing wildly and was able to throw the guard off her, standing up and flaring her wings. 
“This is barbaric! All hail Wasp’s glory, please, I don’t want to be like him!” she pleaded, seeing as Trench froze, agony in his face. Two other guards swarmed from behind Seta, grabbing her and pushing her closer to Bloodworm while she screamed. “NO! NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME!” 
Maelstrom watched in horror, her tongue too heavy to even say anything in the first place. All of Seta’s struggling had led to nothing, and Bloodworm reached out, stabbing her through the throat. Her screaming turned to gurgled cries, and those turned into silence. At first, Maelstrom worried she was dead, until she saw that the wound was only bleeding a little.
Guards carried away Trench and Seta’s frozen bodies, and Maelstrom had had enough. She laid down and covered herself with her wings, closing her eyes and clutching her ears. She didn’t want to see or hear any more of the agony these dragons were going through. The pain of being paralyzed for a full day and night, and so close to the river they longed to be in. She didn’t look up or uncover herself, not even as the screams pierced through her covered ears and she heard Hammerhead and Sunfish’s cries fade into nothing.
What felt like an eternity passed as the SeaWings were stung and frozen and carried away. A talon tapped Maelstrom’s head lightly. She lifted it and looked up to see a pale blue IceWing with literal silver linings on his scales. "Quit moping," he hissed, wisps of chilly air gathering around his mouth.
"Oh, like you know anything," Maelstrom said, coming out just as harsh as she'd meant. "You didn't just have to watch your parents get stabbed and paralyzed." The IceWing sighed and stared at Maelstrom with a rather glaring and icy (no pun intended) stare. 
"Exactly. Neither of us have," he said, with a flick of his tail. Maelstrom lifted her head and stared at him. What does he-I literally just did! The IceWing saw her fury and laughed. "You think I'm mad, but I'm right. You haven't met your parents, Maelstrom. But someday very soon, you will." She tried to leap in the conversation with fiery language, but the IceWing silenced her. "Now, hurry on to battle training. Your friends are waiting." With that, he walked off before she could protest. 
Haven't met my parents? They're literally right here! That IceWing is crazy. I should tell Lady Bloodworm about him. She looked over at the throne and saw it was now empty. When did that happen? She wondered, but if her parents weren't in the way . . . it was a good time to sneak off to battle training. Carefully, Maelstrom began walking towards the opening towards the savanna. Then, she began walking faster, then a run, then full-on flying out until she broke into the sunlight, feeling it sweep through her. She didn't like it very much, being the dry season, but it was better than being cold. 
Down in the battle clearing, she saw the familiar shapes of her friends down below; Autumn's coppery brown scales; Charming's green and black; Judgment's grays; Even Clearwing's pale swirls of yellow and blue. She dove towards the group and noticed Mammoth, Autumn's sister, and their teacher, Fire Ant, as well as a SandWing who often helped teach them as well, Ceja. She was dusty tan and had almost zebra-like black stripes all over her body. As she got closer, Maelstrom spread her wings and tackled Clearwing to the ground, eagerly.
"Didja guys miss me?" she asked, stepping back and letting Clearwing get up. Except, she just lay there for a while, moaning softly. "Clearwing?" she asked, concerned.
"I'm . . . fine," she responded, flicking her wings. She'd only come out of her cocoon last season, and her wings were so much like a SilkWing's-but delicately clear with carefully traced patterns of black that a SilkWing would have. Maelstrom looked at the others, and Charming sighed.
"She's not fine," he said, paler green building around his talons. "She was just telling us about what happened this morning. Clearwing, show her."
"No," Clearwing muttered, looking away. 
Autumn sighed. "Fine, I'll say it. Bombardier broke her wrist this morning."
"For no reason at all, I might add." Clearwing rolled over and lifted up her right talon, showing Maelstrom. She winced and turned away, trying to quell the raging beast inside of her that screamed at her to just flat-out kill Bombardier. Clearwing's father was cruel and often hurt her for no apparent reason, and nobody stopped him. It felt like he'd finally crossed some kind of line. Clearwing moved it and gasped with pain before continuing. "Mom patched it with silk the best she could, but it still hurts a lot."
Maelstrom sighed. "How can you do battle training with a broken wrist? Won't Fire Ant let you sit out?"
"She just said she'd go easy on me." Clearwing folded her wings beside her and stared over the grass. "I don't wanna be here anymore," she suddenly whispered, tears pricking her eyes. "Dad is mean and he hurts me for nothing and mom won't stop him, and he doesn't take care of me at all. Everyone is mean to me and I don't know what I did wrong."
Judgement gently lifted his wing and spread it over Clearwing. "You did nothing wrong, Clearwing. For them . . . maybe you being yourself is their reason." Maelstrom huffed. Judgement was being the opposite of comforting right now as Clearwing burst into a crying fit. 
"Look what you did! Leave her alone, Judgement," Maelstrom said, stepping between the NightWing and the hybrid. Judgement looked up at her and muttered something. "What was that? I dare you, say it again!" She leaned close to his face, and he snapped right back.
"I said I'll be glad once you get taken away!"
Maelstrom recoiled like she'd been struck, and Judgement looked like he regretted what he had said. They were all silent for a long time as everyone processed what had just happened. Taken away? What does that mean? What does Judgement know that I don't?! Does this have something to do with that IceWing? Her brain was spiraling, and she couldn't stop it. It was like a tidal wave, building and building until it would eventually crash and destroy everything. "Maelstrom, I-"
"Judgement, what-What does that mean?" she asked, close to tears herself. Judgement couldn't answer, instead nudging Charming forwards, who nodded.
"Judgement told us he'd had a vision. Not a dream. He said that in it, a bunch of dragons tried to grab us. They took Autumn away, and they took you away." He spoke so calmly, so absolute, even when the situation was falling apart.
"T-That can't be right," Maelstrom said, hardly a whisper. Autumn flared her wings and glared at Judgement.
"That's what I'm saying!" she cried. "They can't take us away! This is our home, our family, our purpose! Bloodworm would tear up the continents if someone tried to take us from her." Maelstrom stared numbly at Autumn. I can't tell her what the IceWing said. That this isn't our family. I don't want to believe him. I can't believe him. 
Clearwing blinked. "Would she? She doesn't seem to care about us that much. She doesn't stop any of our parents from hurting us, and she's always mean when we're around." She adjusted her wrist with a pained twist of her face and a stifled yelp. Charming gently reached over and helped her, before wrapping around the Silk-Hive dragonet with his wings. 
"She cares enough to keep us alive," Judgement added, "Besides, if she didn't care, why would she bother fighting the dragons in my vision?" The dragonets all stayed silent, pondering over that fact. Maelstrom started lashing her tail, frustrated that she didn't understand. What's going on?! First the spies, then the IceWing, and now the vision? She wanted to bite someone, but there wasn't anyone responsible to bite. 
Before she could think any more on what to do, the silence was broken by their wiry battle teacher's voice. "Y'all done talking? Sun's not stopping, so we gotta get going." Her voice was almost a little bit jovial, rather than serious, and she pushed herself upright from the laying position she'd been in. Maelstrom turned and nodded towards their teacher, and the two dragons beside her. 
"Coming!" The SeaWing turned towards her friends, extending her talon to Clearwing. "Come on, guys. We can finish talking about this at dinner." The other dragonets nodded, getting up and heading towards Fire Ant. Maelstrom was eager to get to fighting . . . but her mind still tugged at her. 
What is happening today? 
=== Chapter Three ===
Clearwing
Clearwing never liked battle training. She was pretty weak and didn't have any kind of natural fighting instinct, unlike the other dragonets, but she didn't like seeing dragons hurt. Now, today, with a broken wrist, it was going to be much, much harder to prove to Fire Ant that she was learning anything. As she looked around at the other dragonets, she sighed. Autumn and Mammoth were fighting, a slow but fierce battle that had a lot of biting and headbutting and tail slamming. She shuddered. They were using force that could easily crack her own bones, but the MudWings were built tougher than a flimsy Silk-Hive hybrid. 
Maelstrom and Judgement were showing off two entirely different fighting styles, with Maelstrom continuously chasing the dark gray dragon, snapping and slashing with her claws. She was going all-out, determined to show her ferocity. Judgement on the other talon, was playing a more evasive style, juking Maelstrom's attacks and retaliating with small, weak punches or scratches. Clearwing knew she wasn't brave enough or fast enough to play either of their styles.
Charming and Ceja were having a totally unique battle, with Charming using bright, distracting colors and turning invisible to get the jump on Ceja, who kept feigning tail strikes to scare him and small blasts of fire to keep him on his talons. The cards seemed stacked against Charming, due to Ceja being so much older, and yet he was holding up well. Clearwing could only watch and hope to fight older dragons that well. 
She herself was staring down their red-and-black teacher, who kept making small tail jabs with a sharp stinger and nipping at the air. Clearwing yelped and stumbled back, trying not to trip as Fire Ant dove for another nip at her snout. "C'mon, Clearwing, I know you can do this," she said, pausing for a bit. "Give me a claw, or a little bite!" She leaned down to Clearwing's level and smiled, gently lifting her chin up. "I know Bombardier is awful. When he br—had your egg, I tried to raise you myself. I knew he'd be awful, but Lady Bloodworm insisted that Weaver would keep him in check."
Some job mom's doing, Clearwing thought dejectedly, looking at her talons and her wrist. "I . . . Can I sit out of training?" she asked, looking up at Fire Ant. Her teacher sighed.
"Please, give me just one thing that I know you're learning. Alright?" She stood back up and stepped back. "Ready, Clearwing?"
"I guess . . . " she mumbled. She could never be ready for fighting. Clearwing would much rather be in strategy or science class, since she was good at those. History she was . . . alright in, but the teacher (Judgement's adoptive mother, Cadelle) never liked her. She always made Clearwing's life a problem, correcting her when she was right and hurting her when she was wrong. Learning was a struggle in this environment, and she was especially always worried about messing up in any way that would give Bombardier a reason to hurt her. Her wrist stung as she thought about it.
Clearwing honestly had forgotten what she was doing, and was caught totally off guard when Fire Ant hit her with a powerful swipe of her tail. It smashed into her side and caused Clearwing to yelp, getting thrown to the ground. Her ears were ringing, and she had a mouth full of dry dirt now. A warm trickle ran from her nose, and from the tang it left in her mouth, it was blood. At the very least, she hadn't landed on her wrist, so that was good, but now her snout and head hurt too. Her vision was a little fuzzy around the edges, but otherwise good enough to see the concerned shapes of dragons coming to her side. 
The tan and black SandWing—Clearwing wouldn't remember her name right now—gently leaned down and picked up her uninjured talon. "Scorpion tails, Clearwing! Can you hear me?" 
She tried to say 'Yes', but what came out was a mumbled sound instead that sounded vaguely like the word she'd been trying to say. The SandWing whipped her head around and raised her tail, bristling. "Fire Ant, what the hell did you do to her?! I swear, I will kill you myself if you hurt her!" 
The red HiveWing flared her wings and dug her claws into the dirt. "She said she was ready, and I was trying to be gentle. I was expecting a dodge." She bared her fangs as she spoke again. "Yes, I will take the blame for it. But if you lay a claw on me, Ceja, I'm going to hurt you worse than your father ever did." 
The very air around them seemed to change. The SandWing's eyes became filled with fear and hatred, and she started breathing heavier. After a moment, she roared and slashed at Fire Ant's chest, creating long gashes before turning and fleeing, pumping into the air with powerful strokes that ate up the distance. Suddenly, Clearwing's head seemed to feel irrelevant and she sat upright, spitting out dirt. 
"Fire Ant!" she shouted, rushing forwards and trying to use her body to support their teacher, who was clutching her chest and shaking. Her crimson red scales were being turned a much brighter ruby red from blood as the wound just . . . sat there, like an ugly mark on a perfect canvas. "Autumn!" Clearwing yelled, turning her head for her friends, "Maelstrom! Charming! Judgement! Someone, please!" She leaned her head on Fire Ant's shoulder, trying to keep her upright as much as she could. 
Meanwhile, their battle teacher was standing there, leaning into Clearwing a little. She pressed her talon over her wound, her breathing unsteady and shallow. "I . . . Clearwing, please, get . . . " she paused to catch her breath and cough, a dribble of blood staining her lower lip as she did, "Get Wishful. I'll . . . I'll be alright," she said. Clearwing couldn't stop the tears that started to flow. 
"N-No, Fire Ant, I won't l-leave you," she said, sniffling. "P-Please, don't die. We'll h-help you be alright again." Slowly, Fire Ant chose to lower herself to the ground and lay down, keeping her head up as much as she could. Clearwing helped her on the way down, and gently held one of her bloodstained talons, trying to comfort their wounded teacher. Please, say one of them heard. Say someone's fetching the healer. Please, Fire Ant can't die. She's one of the only ones who's nice to me.
Time seemed to move slowly as Clearwing sat beside her teacher, watching her move less and less, blood staining the grass. After a point, the flow had turned to just a trickle, but Fire Ant still seemed to be growing weaker. Clearwing was starting to lose hope as the sun began to dim, painting the sky with shades of orange and pink. "Please, hang on," she whispered. Her tears had stopped long ago, her eyes red and hurting from the persistence she had. Finally, she heard the salvation of wingbeats in the air.
Whipping around, Clearwing saw all of her friends, a large bluish-gray NightWing following suit. "Autumn!" she shouted eagerly, launching herself into the sky and into the big MudWing's arms. "Thank goodness you're all here!" She buried her snout in the coppery scales of Autumn's shoulder, and her friend gave a little snort.
"Aw, you're really cute when you're all worried like this," she teased. "Besides, it wasn't just me."
Maelstrom rolled her eyes. "It was basically you and Judgement, don't give me credit. Come on, Charming, let's get our seats for dinner. Floe said the first call is on!" Judgement turned his head too, and suddenly the three of them flew off. Clearwing stayed, buried in Autumn's arms. 
"Goodness," the NightWing said, studying Fire Ant. "Dear, what happened?"
"Ceja slashed me . . . I touched a sore spot," Fire Ant whispered. Wishful sucked in a sharp breath of air and looked over at Autumn and Clearwing. 
"I suggest you two leave. Things may get worse before they get better."
Clearwing whimpered. "I don't wanna leave her until I know she's all good again." Autumn gently pat Clearwing's head, causing her to smile. I don't want to leave, though. Will Fire Ant be okay? Autumn, why don't you care more?! Why is Wishful being secretive? We can handle it! The larger MudWing sighed and nodded.
"We'll be on our way then. Didn't Maelstrom say something about dinner?"
A pale silver IceWing popped up from the sinkhole, looking around, moving before disappearing again. After a moment, the sound finally reached Clearwing's ears. "Second call for dinner, Second call! Zebra stew with a side of polar bear and yams! Second call!" Autumn grinned and gently set Clearwing down.
"Last one there's a smoke-breather! Come on!" Before waiting for an answer, Autumn tore across the grass and leapt into the sinkhole. Clearwing sat down and watched. For some reason, she just . . . didn't want to go. Maybe it was because she knew Bombardier was down there, waiting to chew her up and spit her out like a fierce set of huge jaws. Or she could just be tired. Or she didn't want to leave Fire Ant alone.
"I promise it's alright," the NightWing said, smiling softly. Twin silver scales glittered at the corners of her eyes, and Clearwing remembered what that meant. Ducking her head, she nodded, heading across the grass slowly and dragging her talons. Not even Floe shouting the third—and final—call for dinner got her moving quicker. If she was unlucky, tonight was going to be hungry.
=== Chapter Four ===
Autumn
Autumn was always eager to eat. It was nice to have a time to relax, not be worried about anything, and just stuff her face. Her appetite was insatiable, she'd been told. But this time, as she sat down with her meal (she passed on the polar bear, but the other things seemed wonderful!), unease crept in her scales and made her itch all over. She shook her wings a bit, trying to break free of the feeling, with no such luck. Judgement said he saw us getting dragged away. I don't want to leave them all. She looked across the long table most of them ate at, all the multicolored faces of friends, family, and strangers who just shared a common goal. This was her home, right here.
Beside her, she was shook a bit as Mammoth slid beside her, giving Autumn a playful punch in the shoulder. "HAH! I loved that training today!" she said, puffing up her chest and grinning madly. "You were fighting something fierce out there, sister!" 
Autumn smiled and chuckled, rubbing her shoulder. It had been a bit of a rough hit, but it wasn't anything she wasn't used to. "Ha, I guess I was." Maybe Judgement's words are weighing on my mind . . . Well, if it makes me a better fighter, is it such a bad thing? Her thoughts kept looping around, until she finally asked, "Mammoth, have you ever met our mother?"
"Mom?" Mammoth's ears perked and she stared ahead, off into space for a bit. "I mean . . . yeah, I met her of course, but . . . " her voice dropped down and sounded a little sad as she stared at her food. " . . . Why ask?"
"I just wanted to know what she was like," Autumn said, poking a chunk of striped meat in front of her. "Was she nice, or strict, or what? And why did she and Father . . . " Autumn trailed off, Mammoth's expression sucking the words out of her mouth. Her sister looked so upset, her eyes clouded and gleaming and her usually proud mouth now turned down in a shaky frown.
"Mom and dad never really got along," she said, finally. "One day, she walks out, the next, she's dead. And that's that." Autumn could tell that wasn't the whole truth. Mammoth was hiding something. Is that connected to Judgement's vision? What if . . . what if our mother is coming to take me away? I thought she was dead, but . . . 
Autumn felt like she'd fallen into a deep abyss, the world around her fading to black as her mind fell. She tried to swim, suddenly feeling pressed in on all sides, but bubbles floated from her as she made no progress. The surface kept getting more and more distant, until there was nothing but inky abyss in all directions. There was nothing left. She was unable to scream, cry, or yell for help. Before long, her lungs felt like they would burst, but she couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. Couldn't think. Her perfect mental world was-
"Autumn! Hooooly carp, get up!" 
Her head was spinning, but Autumn realized she was still in the cave. She wasn't drowning, and the world was still here. What had happened was that she was now a bit away from the table, surrounded by her dear friends. Maelstrom was above her, shaking her awake, and was also the one speaking. "Flying fish, we thought you had just tapped out on us!"
Clearwing shot forwards to hug Autumn fiercely. "Never, ever do that again, Autumn! It was scarier than my dad is, and he's terrifying." Autumn felt a touch guilty, scaring Clearwing so badly like that. She didn't deserve to be frightened, not when she was constantly fearful of her own family. It was wrong. Someday, Autumn would make Bombardier and Weaver pay for it. It took her a second to realize she was growling, and Clearwing backed away.
"Sorry, sorry," Autumn said hastily. "Not you guys. Just a thought I had."
Judgement tapped his claws together anxiously. "Guys, this is a little . . . too similar to what I saw in my vision. All of us, crowded around Autumn, and then Lady Bloodworm started yelling, and the dragons swarmed in." 
Maelstrom rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out. "That bloodsucker isn't even here right now, is she? She can't yell at all. We're fine, Judgement, stop worrying so much." Autumn wanted to agree with Maelstrom, wanted to believe everything would be fine, but a deeper instinct told her bad things were coming. It was the same part of her that told her what time of day it was, when the rainy season was coming, and it had never been wrong. 
Just then, a roar that rocked the caves sounded from near the only river that ran through the place. Maelstrom's ears pinned back, and Autumn sensed that the SeaWing knew something the others didn't. "Maelstrom, what's going on? You seem so . . . tense." 
The grayish-blue dragon looked at Autumn, and the others, and tried to control her temper. They could watch her gills flutter with rage, but her voice somehow remained calm and cool. "Lady Bloodworm stabbed every SeaWing here, except for me. That included my parents. They've been paralyzed by the river since then, and that was this morning. Something about there being spies." 
Charming gasped, but Clearwing's ears perked up. She looked around carefully before whispering, "I hope there are. Maybe they'll take us out of here and away from Bombardier." Autumn's jaw fell open and she wrapped her wings around Clearwing tightly. That's treasonous! She wanted to shout, but it would only make things worse. She wanted her friends to be happy, and she knew Clearwing wasn't, but they could just leave. 
Another roar sounded, and Lady Bloodworm stomped into the cave in a buzzing, furious ball of red and black scales. "I swear, I will TEAR THEIR GILLS OUT AND SLICE THEIR WINGS OFF, BIT BY BIT!" She turned towards a HiveWing who was too close and snapped at them, her teeth just barely missing the surprised guard. Autumn watched as she stomped over to her throne and plunked down, wings twitching irritably. "Wasp's Wings, I have found our dirty little spies!" she shouted, causing a ripple of murmurs to go across the group. Bloodworm hissed, quieting them down. "Yes! This morning, Trench and Whale were paralyzed by the river. But now-Now they are GONE!" 
Autumn braced for the worst. Maelstrom's face lit up a bit, and she shouted across all the commotion. "Does this mean you'll let my parents go, finally?!" 
Bloodworm turned her snout down, but sighed. "Fine, but only after we recapture those two spies and weed out the rest of them. Got it, wurm?" Maelstrom grumpily sat back down, and Autumn put her other wing around her. Charming did the same, smiling softly. 
"Cheer up, Mali. They'll be free soon," Judgement said, offering a charming grin. "Though I am still worried about-" 
He was suddenly interrupted by a loud shout, and a flash of movement tackled Charming to the ground. Judgement yelped, screaming, "-THAT!" Autumn took a step back, watching as a RainWing suddenly appeared on top of Charming, using vines to gently and loosely tie him to her. The RainWing turned to look at Autumn, and let out a sudden high-pitched bird trill. Before any of the guards or other dragons could run and stop it, dozens of dragons started pouring into the cave of all kinds. 
Autumn's mind was whirling, unable to comprehend what was happening. Charming was tied up, but the RainWing who had done it was now grappling with a Hive-Mud guard, a loyal member of the Wasp's Wings. Maelstrom had already raced to join the fighting, and was being mostly ignored, unfamiliar dragons of all tribes were warring with the mostly HiveWing army that supported Wasp, and Bloodworm was shouting directions above all the chaotic fighting. Clearwing huddled into a crevice and Judgement stood there, frozen. 
A pair of pale green talons shot towards Autumn, and she saw what looked like threads of fire pouring out of them. She screamed, stumbling back, and the dragon, a SilkWing suddenly hesitated and paused. They turned their head, and that's exactly when Hickory came barreling out of nowhere, slamming into the SilkWing and forcing them to the ground. "SWORDTAIL! Need some HELP!" they screamed, lashing those fiery threads and scoring burning stripes across Hickory as he frantically dug his claws in and bit fiercely on their shoulder. Mammoth ran up beside Autumn, breathing hard and blood dripping off her fangs. 
"Sister, get out of here," she said. Autumn then noticed the bad cut along Mammoth's side, but she grabbed Autumn by the talon and said, "They're after you and your friends. Run." Frantically, Autumn nodded, but she felt glued to the spot. Another SilkWing, this one a dark blue with orange and white, lunged towards Hickory as well, and Mammoth joined the fight. It was too much for Autumn to watch, and she tore her eyes away from it. Everywhere she looked, someone she cared about was being attacked. I need to run. I need to do something, I need to- 
Somewhere near the mouth of the cave, she heard a loud explosion and turned just in time to have tiny sharp seeds dig into her scales. She wasn't even close to it, but she watched in pain as MudWings (Members of her own tribe!) held what looked like balls of cacti and set them alight, dropping them down. One of them caught her eye and dove straight for her, and Autumn screamed and turned to run. "STOP!" they shouted, a voice of authority and command, but she didn't. She was panicked and terrified, and kept going. The dragon kept following, gaining on her and shouting back. "Umber, Pheasant, Sora, Clay! I found her!" he shouted. 
Autumn tried to twist frantically, but she felt something grab her tail and pull her back. "No, stop!" she cried, sobbing. The tiny seeds hurt, and she was so scared and sad that she thought she was going to die. "Please, stop it, I don't wanna die!" 
"You won't," the dragon said, turning and heading in the air before shouting again. "Troop, fall back, we have ours!" A dozen HiveWings turned their heads and Autumn's heart soared. They'd save her from this dragon, surely! She opened her mouth, but the bigger dragon gently held it shut. "No. You're safe with us. They want to hurt you and use you." 
"They're my family," Autumn whispered through her teeth. "Please, put me back." The dragon sighed and kept going, but a HiveWing grabbed his tail. Autumn realized it was Fire Ant, and she felt she could burst out of this dragon's arms and jump into her battle teacher's instead. Please, Fire Ant, please, save me, she thought. Their teacher had a bandaged wound over her chest, but she hissed and dug her claws into the tail of this MudWing. He grunted, and suddenly, a much warmer colored MudWing grabbed Autumn and soared further into the air. 
"NO!" she screamed, realizing they were leaving the sinkhole. Nobody had realized she'd traded talons yet, but the other MudWings were suddenly rising out of it as well. Autumn tried clawing at the one who held her, but it was no use. They looked down at her with warm golden eyes, but she found little comfort in them. She wanted her father's amber eyes, not a stranger's. She started to cry, being lifted out of her home, her life upended, and still in pain. 
"Oh, she's scared to death, Clay," one of the smaller MudWings said. 'Smaller' still wasn't a lot, the dragon was still a lot bigger than Autumn was, but smaller than one carrying her for sure. "I wish we had time to explain everything." 
"I wish we did too," the one carrying her, apparently named Clay, said. "Did anyone catch her name? Peril wanted to name her 'Crane', but it just . . . felt like a hit too close to home." The air seemed to go quiet, and Autumn got more confused and scared. 
Eventually, the one who had previously carried her shrugged and said, "Well, I think it would still be a great name. Maybe she has her spirit, or something." 
"No, Reed," Clay said. "It'd be too confusing for her." This is already so confusing, Autumn thought. There was no hope left. She couldn't even see the sinkhole anymore. Just like that, her life was over before it would truly begin. No, this can't be it. I have a purpose. 
"Wasp will rise again," she whispered, softly. Clay looked down at her and she said it again, louder. "Wasp will rise again, on my life, I swear she will!" 
Clay gasped. "What did they do to you?" he breathed, speechless. "What-What is your name?" 
"My name is Autumn, and I don't know who you are, but I'll find my way back home." She tried flaring her wings, but it didn't work. "I'll find my way home and I'll make you all sorry!" 
The others nodded, and Clay looked to them just in case. He took a deep breath and said, "Autumn. I like it. Well, Autumn, this is really strange to be saying, but I'm your father. I can explain everything more later, I swear, but just-believe me, please." 
No. She couldn't believe him. This wasn't her father. Hickory was! This was ridiculous. Is this a dream? Am I going crazy? Please, this can't be real. Her whole world felt it was caving in on her, but still held onto the threads keeping it together. I'll be home soon, Hickory. Mammoth. Everyone. And I'll bring these dragons' heads with me. Her last thoughts of vengeance sounded before her brain overloaded and she fainted. 
=== Chapter Five ===
Maelstrom
Blood.
Blood stained all around her, and she didn't care.
She tore into another dragon, this one a LeafWing, nothing but pure rage filling her. Their dark green scales and leaf pouches seemed to blend, but it didn't matter what she tore off. But this dragon didn't go down so easily. Instead, they were able to fight back, slashing at Maelstrom's chest. Bright pain flared through her as suddenly, the LeafWing turned, slammed Maelstrom into a wall with her tail, and vines grew to snare Maelstrom in place. She didn't even know how that was possible, but it was. 
The LeafWing peered at her, and turned towards some SeaWings, grabbing one closer by the ear. "Oi. You, go find Tsunami. Ask her if this one's it." She hissed. A pair of HiveWings that Maelstrom didn't recognize were zooming past, and she hissed and shouted to grab their attention. Yes, kill this LeafWing, let me free, I'll tear EVERYONE APART! Her thoughts were rageful as the HiveWings turned, saw the LeafWing, and they started to fight. Suddenly, the LeafWing reached into a pouch and pulled out a pair of bright red centipedes. The HiveWings fell back, clawing at their faces as they were bitten over and over.
Maelstrom tensed. "Let me go! Who do you think you are, standing in the way of Wasp's glory?!" She shouted, hissing. Her gills were flared, and the LeafWing growled. The vines around her tightened, starting to dig in and hurt. But Maelstrom wasn't going to surrender. "I'll kill you and everyone here, I swear!" 
A Sea-Hive hybrid with grey blue scales, similar to Maelstrom, and an orange stripe landed nearby with a grunt. "Sundew, we got one of the dragonets," he said, touching a small cut along his arm gingerly. 
The LeafWing, apparently named Sundew, turned and asked, "Which one, Felix?" 
"The Sky-Mud hybrid. We got dragons looking for the others, though Locus and these bug-bite HiveWings are making that difficult." He glanced at Maelstorm, and she hissed. The dragon, Felix, wrinkled his snout before continuing. "Let's get this one out of here and-" 
"You won't be leaving with that dragonet." The two dragons turned around to see Locus in front of all the chaos, a raised crossbow aimed straight at Sundew's head. Maelstrom strained against the vines, feeling thorns biting into her scales, and as much as she had hated Locus for causing her parents to be stabbed, it was at least a friendly face. 
"YES, THANK YOU!" she shouted, loud enough for all nearby to hear. Sundew snapped to stare at Maelstrom, and another vine wound itself around her snout, silencing her. UNFAIR! Maelstrom though furiously. Let me GO already! I have a home and a family already! Autumn did too, and I can't believe they'd think she's a nasty hybrid! Um . . . Clearwing and Charming are fine, though. 
All Maelstrom could do was watch as Felix stepped forward, drawing a knife and Sundew reached into her bag, grabbing something. Locus threw his head back with a cold chilling laugh, lowering the crossbow for a moment before aligning it again. "Even with the inevitability of death, you choose to fight. Admirable, but disappointing." Maelstrom was waiting for the moment he'd pull the trigger, and this LeafWing would be dead, and she'd finally be free to personally kill them again. Free of charge!
Unfortunately, as Locus pulled the trigger, Felix shouted, "GET DOWN!" Frantically, he shoved the LeafWing out of the way, the bolt landing near where his body and neck met and ruby red blood being drawn. He gasped, feeling the bolt, and almost looked like he was going to pull it out, but stopped. "Alright, you son of a camel," he hissed, but Locus had already disappeared again. "Sundew, get the SeaWing out of here." 
But Maelstrom, the SeaWing, was gone. When the LeafWing had been shoved, the vines dropped her and she flew out towards where she had just seen and heard Autumn yelling. I have to save her! I have to save my friend! She thought, wings pumping through the air as fast as she could. She was gaining on the MudWings carting her friend away, but she was also leaving the sinkhole now. She felt more . . . exposed out here, and rightfully so.
Something grabbed at her, and Maelstrom turned to see another dark green, though much more drab LeafWing trying to grab her. From far below, there were shouts of 'Nettle, let her go!', but the LeafWing didn't stop. Maelstrom hissed and whipped her tail, smacking them across the face and causing them to reel. While they recovered from that, she dove and grabbed their neck with her claws, trying to force the older dragon to the ground with little success. She was, however, making decent wounds in the dragon, and this time, no weird plants were attacking her. I just have to win this fight, and then-
"AGH!" she shouted as something heavy hit her from behind. Now, another SeaWing, this one the color of sapphires, appeared from behind and whacked her with a tail.
Maelstrom locked eyes with the dragon, and they stopped cold. "Holy moons, you weren't kidding, Sundew, it is her," they said quietly. The SeaWing gently landed as Maelstrom hit the ground, hard. "I know this is supposed to be the touching family reunion part, but you look nothing like I was expecting you to." They reached out towards Maelstrom, and she hissed and tried to bite them. 
"Stay back!" She shouted, sounding brave but panicking inside. Autumn was flat-out stolen, she was hurting and about to be captured, and she had no idea what was going on with the others. The SeaWing’s eyes widened, bringing their talon back, and they tossed their head. Their scales seemed beautiful, but to Maelstrom it was like a deadly weapon coming to take her away from her loved ones. 
"Three moons, please just listen to me," she said. "I'm not here to hurt you, despite Sundew and Nettle being absolute idiots." She turned her head to growl at the two leafy dragons, and Maelstrom growled. 
"Stay away from me or I will claw your snout off." The SeaWing stopped with a semi amused look on their face. 
"You sound like me when I was younger," she said, looking like she was holding back a laugh. "Ah, no time for playing." She reached her talon out again, but Maelstrom rolled back and got on her talons, hissing like a ball of angry blue scales. She doesn't know me at all. I'm nothing like this anti-Wasp DRAGONET STEALING . . . uh . . . DRAGON! The SeaWing sighed, reaching out. "I can explain later. Just trust that I care for you, more than anyone here does." 
Maelstrom took another step back and shouted, "What are you TALKING about?! My PARENTS care for me more than a toad-sucking squid brain like YOU does!" 
The SeaWing grinned, a little creepily, and flashed some of the scales along her tail in the phrase 'Squid brain.' (Sunfish had taught her aquatic, thankfully). "You even know my signature insult. Yeah, you're definitely mine, come on!" She turned and charged off into a cave, one that Maelstrom knew led to their underground lake. Where my parents are! She realized with a start, and before she knew it, Maelstrom was running after this strange SeaWing.
The SeaWing looked back at Maelstrom, and while running ahead, asked "What’s your name, by the way? Fierce little scoundrel." Maelstrom didn’t know why, but she felt like she should answer. Maybe it was because the SeaWing thought she was fierce? Maybe she was desperate for answers, and giving some away could mean some in return . . . 
"Maelstrom. My name is Maelstrom." 
The SeaWing grinned and gave an approving nod. "Good choice. It fits the family naming convention, however coincidental it may be." Maelstrom was confused by what the SeaWing just said. Naming convention? Sunfish, Hammerhead, Maelstrom. If anything I'm the oddity, not being named after a creature of the sea. I'm named after a natural disaster of the ocean, and I'm damn proud of it! She puffed her chest out and ran faster, skidding to a stop as the sapphire blue dragon in front of her did. 
The cave around them had widened out into the underground lake. Along the edge, their talons just barely edged in the water, were most of the SeaWings who were part of the Wasp's Wings. Maelstrom noticed that Whale and Trench were gone, but her parents . . . oh, her sweet parents! Her heart wanted to burst out of her chest as she ran forwards, grabbing Sunfish's paralyzed talon and crying out to it. "Mother, please!" she yelled, "I'm so sorry! I won't complain about another art lesson again! I won't sneak off to battle anymore! Please, just don't let them take me!" 
Behind her, the sapphire SeaWing approached with a sky blue one next to her. "So, Maelstrom," the one she'd been chasing said, her voice changing to a softer one, "This is your mother?" 
Maelstrom hissed and whipped her tail to smack them in the snout. "Back off," she growled. "You can't have my parents. You can't have me, either. I'll die fighting you two, I swear." 
The sky blue one smirked. "That answers that question," he said, nuzzling the sapphire colored one's neck. "She certainly is your dragonet, Tsunami." 
Tsunami smiled and teasingly pushed the other one away. While it seemed a bit mean, Maelstrom saw her expression, the gentle way she did as to not actually hurt anyone, and it was a similar way she and her friends acted. That same playful teasing that strengthened their bonds, but these two SeaWings before her seemed to have a connection more like Sunfish and Hammerhead did. As mates, likely, Maelstrom thought. The perfect pair of lonely lovers trying to snatch up a dragonet. 
"Alright, fish-face," Tsunami remarked, "You try explaining it to her. She's probably scared to death of me." 
Maelstrom hissed and growled as the sky blue dragon leaned down to her level and smiled. "Hello there, Maelstrom. Here, just so you know, I'm Riptide." He extended his talon, and Maelstrom batted it away with a hiss. "Not a fan, that's alright. By the way, I do quite like your name. It's fierce, like you are." 
Maelstrom blinked. What's he trying to do? What game is he playing? Flattery? She enjoyed being complimented, but there was something here she was missing. This dragon definitely wanted something out of her, but she couldn't see past their soft exterior. "I'm not going with you, if that's what your end goal is," she said, defiantely. 
The SeaWing, Riptide, sighed and smiled, shaking his head. "I don't ask for that. I just want to talk to you, okay?" He looked at the SeaWings behind her. "Are these your family? Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, anything?" 
Maelstrom protectively patted the talons of Hammerhead and Sunfish. "These two," she began, "Are my parents. The rest are just other members. Seta's friendly, if a bit stupid, Kraken is a really good fighter like I am, I don't get to see Dancer that much so I don't really know him. Trench and Whale are dirty traitors to Wasp's glory and I hate them!" she shouted at the end, bristling and her gills flared. Riptide and Tsunami looked at each other and blinked. 
"Tsunami . . . " he started, but the sapphire SeaWing's face darkened. She suddenly reached forward and grabbed Maelstrom's talon, who gasped. 
"Hey, let me GO!" she shouted, tugging and yanking, but unable to get free. From further down the cave hall, her shouting echoed, and she heard it being answered. I'll be safe then. I don't know why she's trying to drag me away, though! She growled and lunged her neck, clamping her jaws around Tsunami's arm. Bright red dripped against the dark blue, but the dragon didn't stop. 
"Tsunami, what are you doing?!" Riptide shouted, alarmed. At first, he moved into her way, but then heard the shouting and paused. 
Tsunami hissed and stood at the edge of water, keeping an iron grip on Maelstrom as she fought to get free. "I don't know what they've done to her, Riptide," Tsunami said, her voice low, "But I won't let them do it anymore." She leapt into the water with a splash, dragging Maelstrom with her. "We did NOT spend all that time DEFEATING Wasp for them to make our own DAUGHTER think she was the GOOD GUY!" Tsunami was shouting, furious, and Maelstrom was getting more and more scared. Suddenly, she kept frantically clawing at Tsunami's arm, biting her, trying anything to get free. 
The shouting got louder, but then Tsunami and Riptide dove under the water, heading through the underground water and taking Maelstrom with them. NO! she thought, glad she had gills, but freaking out inside. No, NO! All the SeaWings are paralyzed! No, I CANNOT BE TAKEN! NO! She began to thrash around even more, and Tsunami gripped even harder. It was a fight between the two of them, one Maelstrom didn't know if she could win. 
Riptide shot ahead of them, and for a second, Tsunami's grip loosened. Maelstrom saw her chance. The tunnel was wide, and the current of the water was picking up. This was the last chance to break free. With all her might, Maelstrom bit down on Tsunami's arm even harder. The SeaWing gasped in a steam of bubbles, and in the confusion, let go of Maelstrom. She kicked away, and the water carried her away faster than she expected. 
She was dragged along faster than Tsunami was, and before long she suddenly passed Riptide. Then, she saw the tunnel split, and the current dragged her one way. She hoped that the crazy SeaWings didn't follow her, but not even she knew where she would end up. It was terrifying, being alone like this, away from her friends, But at least I'm not being dragged away by a crazy couple who wants to steal me from my family . . . her heart felt like it would burst. Her family. Would she ever find her way home? 
The water seemed to blur time, but eventually, the current slowed down. Light shone up ahead. Maelstrom curiously swam towards it, and her head finally surfaced. Looking around, all she saw around her was ocean. Ocean, ocean, and more ocean. She saw what she thought was Pantala nearby her, but there were also a bunch of smaller islands. What if I got taken all the way to Pyrrhia? Well, no, that's impossible. 
But they'll expect me on Pantala now. And I'll never be able to find my way home . . . she glanced at the islands, and began paddling towards them. They won't expect me on Pyrrhia. I can figure out how to get home from there. The other continent . . . here I come. 
=== Chapter Six ===
Clearwing
All Clearwing could do was run. The chaos was too much around her, the shouting, the screaming, the pain. It was far too much for her, in her delicate, fragile life. Things were being upended right before her very eyes. Clearwing moved out of the way as a black and yellow HiveWing tackled a MudWing member of the Wasp’s Wings to the ground. She reached out with her claws, but hesitated and scooted back even more. 
Nobody else knew the damage her claws could inflict, and she was glad she'd learned that she could choose whether or not to use the venom on someone. Clearwing had practiced on small animals until she'd perfected it, and now, nobody knew. Nobody can use me as a weapon, she thought. I don't want to hurt anyone. The thought of clawing someone like Bombardier had crossed her mind, but ultimately, she didn't want that on her conscience. 
The HiveWing in front of her suddenly bashed the MudWing's head against the cave wall. She yelped as a spatter of blood landed too close to her talons, and Clearwing trembled, trying to hide in the shadows. Her huge wings, the delicate, clear ones she'd gotten only a little while ago, made her feel like she was too big for anything. The fight before her eyes intensified as the MudWing slashed their claws across the HiveWing's snout, turning the tables and slamming into them. As the MudWing tried to slam their tail into the HiveWing, they turned and stabbed their claws into the brown dragon's throat, tearing a gaping hole in it. 
The MudWing staggered as the claws were removed, and blood seeped from it in pulses. Clearwing fought the urge to vomit, feeling sickened by the whole thing. This was the second dragon she'd be watching almost die today, except this one might actually die. The HiveWing kept the other dragon pinned, claws limply flying towards their snout, until the MudWing slowly couldn't fight anymore. They turned their fading eyes to Clearwing and blinked slowly, before their eyes didn't open back up. She felt tears prick her eyes, and she was shivering from the whole thing. 
The HiveWing looked up at Clearwing, taking a step back and flicking ruby red blood off their claws. The flames of a nearby fire danced on the HiveWing’s scales, causing his eyes to glow and his whole body to be bathed in a glowing orange light. The HiveWing stepped forward, and Clearwing took a step back, afraid of the HiveWing. When they reached out, she turned around and ran. Behind her, Clearwing heard a voice sarcastically say, “Great work Blackbeetle, you scared her off.” 
“I didn’t mean to," was the last thing she heard before she kept tearing across the cave, trying to get away. She wanted to get to her sleeping cave, forget everything, sleep her pain and troubles away. It was hard to move quickly, being forced back by fighting, dragon wings and tails, fire and ice, and being hindered by her own limp. Stopping, she spread her wings, and gave a weak jump into the air, flapping as hard as she could, and she began to rise. 
It didn't take long before she was falling, however. She hadn't been practicing flying for long, and it was expected she wasn't good at it yet. But as she started sinking down, towards the bloody, brutal mess of fighting below, she felt herself shaking again. She hated this, being so powerless, and it terrified her. 
As Clearwing sank, she was suddenly shoved and jostled. Clearwing fell towards the ground, landing on her side as she saw a dark red SkyWing and a lighter SkyWing land nearby. The darker one grinned and said, “Hahahaha! Finally, some action! Now we can prove that our team is better than Vert’s team!” 
The pale SkyWing pushed a pair of glasses up his snout and said,“Well, technically Sir, Vert is no longer the leader of that team. Blackbeetle actually-“ 
“Shut up Swoop, let's get down to fighting!" The darker one said with a whoop. They began to fly off, but the paler one turned and noticed her. Clearwing gasped, and she started to back away, but the SkyWing blinked. 
"Ahem. Go get Luna, Swordtail was fighting another one. She'll be excited to find this one," he said, before lifting off. Clearwing blinked, confused, but she watched the SkyWings, concerned. The darker one went to fighting members of the Wasp's Wings, making Clearwing's blood run cold, but the paler one was talking to a pale green dragon. A SilkWing. 
The only other SilkWing she'd met was Weaver, her own mother, and she hated her. Clearwing shrieked and began to run when she saw the SilkWing and the SkyWing coming back to her location, but she tried to run on her weak wrist and stumbled, her face scraping against the cave floor painfully. "Oh my Clearsight," she heard one of them whisper. "Thank you, Swoop, but . . . this is going to be rough." 
Clearwing felt herself gently turned over, such a tender and gentle touch that she wasn't used to. She found herself staring into the eyes of the pale green SilkWing, her eyes soft and filled with kindness. Not like the harsh, hating eyes of Bombardier, or the uncaring, tired eyes of Weaver. Just . . . kindness. "Who-Who are you?" Clearwing whispered, her voice cracking as the SilkWing gently touched her wrist. She yelped and pulled it back quickly. 
"Who did this to you?" the SilkWing whispered quietly. Clearwing watched a small bit of glowing orange silk spun from their wrists, and her eyes widened. Flamesilk? But . . . woah. That's amazing, she thought. She didn't think it would burn her, and so she reached out slowly. The SilkWing smiled and gently wound the piece around Clearwing's broken wrist, and it felt amazing. It was soft, and warm, and comforting, and she loved it. 
Clearwing looked up into the eyes of the dragon as she worked, noticing a bad bite wound on her shoulder, and listened to them intently as she spoke. “You really look like your mother, y'know. Those beautiful clear wings, and golden-colored scales." She smirked and giggled. "Buuuuuuut at least you have my brother’s eyes, and some of his scales. It's almost like if Cricket painted all her black spots blue.” 
Clearwing smiled, loving this dragon, even if she was still confused and scared. “W-who are you?” she asked. "I don't r-really think I look much like Weaver . . . she's all gray and such. And m-my father was a HiveWing," she trailed off, remembering how awful he was. 
The SilkWing paused, sighed, and said, "This . . . may be hard to hear, I know. But those are not your parents. I-" 
Clearwing suddenly threw her wings around this SilkWing, tears springing out of her eyes. "I knew it," she whispered, overjoyed. I knew it. These awful dragons aren't my parents. "You're here to take me to my real family, aren't you?" she asked, looking into the pale green dragon's eyes, still teary. 
She smiled, and put her wings around Clearwing. “It's nice that I don't have to convince you. But, yes, your parents are wonderful dragons. Cricket's the sweetest HiveWing, and of course, my baby brother Blue. I’m Luna, but you can call me auntie," she said, nuzzling Clearwing, who laughed and smiled. "Now, come on. Let’s get you out of here.” She stood up, and Clearwing was ready to go. She was glad she finally had a dragon that cared about her. Ok, yes, her friends cared about her, but this was different. This was actual family. 
"Um, wait," Clearwing said, suddenly. "I-I can't fly." 
"Not a problem," Luna-auntie-said, beginning to weave some silk with the faintest golden tinge to it. "I'll just make a little vest to keep us together. Shouldn't take long, right? I'm amazed nobody's stopped us yet." 
"Nobody cares about me," Clearwing said, her wings drooping. "My name's Clearwing. I-I'm really glad you found me, Luna." 
Luna sighed, and her expression darkened. "I'll tear everyone apart for you, Clearwing. Because me, and Blue, and Cricket will love you with all our hearts. Okay? We will take care of you, and it'll be great. We can be a family." Her silk vest was almost done, and Clearwing felt her heart soaring. Family. A home. They'll love me. It was all . . . amazing. The chance to be free from this place. And I'll meet my real parents. 
Clearwing felt wonderful inside. She looked around while she waited, searching for her friends. She didn't see Autumn at all, but she did see Maelstrom chasing a sapphire-colored SeaWing down into the tunnel towards the lake. I wonder what's happening there . . . she continued looking. Judgement was nowhere to be found, until she saw him tucked under Cadelle's legs, her fending off dragons left and right. Charming, she could see wrapped in a leaf hammock, limp, and being carried away by what looked like air. RainWings, she thought. He gets to go home too. I bet he'll love it there. 
Clearwing suddenly heard a yell from behind her, and Bombardier tackled Luna out of nowhere, roaring. “SHE’S MINE! I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HER FORM ME!” 
Clearwing let out a scream as Bombardier clawed Luna. She yelped and held up the vest, causing it to be torn to shreds. Clearwing's hope was torn to shreds, the silken threads falling to to ground, useless. Blood fountained out of Luna, spraying all around and covering Bombardier's talons. In a sudden fit of rage, Clearwing watched as burning silk poured from Luna's wrists, falling onto Bombarider. He only paused for a moment to claw it off before continuing to claw at Luna. 
"LUNA!" she heard a voice shout, and Clearwing leapt back as a blue and orange SilkWing barreled into Bombardier, knocking him clean off Luna and slashing at him instead. Then, the SilkWing got up, turned to Luna, and helped her up. "Luna, are you alright? Come on, we're so close to out. I'll carry Blue's kid if I have to. I wanna meet my niece," he said, flashing a grin at Clearwing. 
Clearwing tried to run over to Luna, but Bombardier grabbed her wrist and pulled her back and hissed, “Get away from them.” 
Clearwing clawed at Bombardier, crying. "No, NO! I want to go with them!" He grabbed her already broken wrist and twisted it. Clearwing cried out in pain, falling down and being held up by nothing more than her 'father's' grip on her arm. 
“I am your father. You do what I tell you to. Now MOVE!” Bombardier shouted, clamping on her wrist and beginning to drag her away. She stared at the two SilkWings, who looked at her longingly. Luna reached out, running, but Weaver suddenly threw herself into the fight, holding them both off. 
Away from the fight, towards her cave, Bombardier finally noticed the flame silk on Clearwing's wrist. "What is that," he growled. Clearwing sputtered for an answer, but Bombardier roared and tore it off anyway. He took it in his teeth and talon, shredding it to bits, and dropping it. "Those SilkWings are crazy if they think I'll let you go to them. Now, stay in your room until I come get you, worthless lizard." He threw her into her cave, slammed the wooden door shut, and stomped off. 
Clearwing started to cry on her bed, burying her face in the straw-and-grass pillow. Her wrist was throbbing in pain, and the warmth of the silk was gone. Worst of all, with the silk, her chance at a better life was gone. She glanced at the floor and her eye caught the shredded flamesilk. Quickly, she darted towards it, and grabbed a small strand of the silk that was still intact. It was still warm, and it made her feel better inside. From my aunt. Luna. Blue. Cricket. My real family, she thought, taking the warm silk, and flopping back down on her bed. 
Bombardier, Weaver. I'll find a way to make you regret keeping me here. 
== Part Two: A New Way of Living ==
=== Chapter Seven ===
Autumn
Autumn had wanted to think that this all had been a horrible dream, so for the first time ever, she slept in. She pulled the thick leaf blankets over her head, her eyes scrunched up tight. She'd hardly gotten much sleep the previous night, spending most of it crying in this unfamiliar place where trees, vines, and wet leaves drooped all around her. Dragons were talking in the next hut over throughout the night as well, and Autumn had to sleep alone, also for the first time ever. It was pure torture, just one night of this. She longed for her family, to pull them towards her and never let them go. 
The sound of an argument echoed in her ears. Autumn blinked awake, hopeful that it was Mammoth and Hickory. This was a nightmare based on what Judgement said. It's just them fighting about her sleeping in yesterday, surely! 
However, when she woke up further, the voices weren't the deep, rough and sweet tones of her family. It was from total strangers, and it made her heart break into pieces all over again. Eventually, after a few more minutes, Autumn rubbed her eyes and really took in the space around her. Woven hammocks of vines were placed all around inside a wooden hut, hanging high in the trees. The only other awake dragon in the room was a soft blue and white RainWing, calmly reading a book. Most of the hammocks around her were empty, but two of them had sleeping lumps of dragon in them. 
One of them was a heavily bandaged SilkWing, and Autumn peered closer at them. She didn't recognize them much, but those pale green scales seemed familiar . . . she couldn't pinpoint why, though. Most of their body was wrapped in bloodied bandages, however, and their scales marred with cuts, dried blood, and dirt. Autumn shuddered. I'd hate to be that dragon. I hope she feels better soon . . . maybe she'd like to hear of Wasp's greatness! The thought of Wasp made her perk up, and she looked at the other hammock. 
"Charming!" Autumn cried, relief flooding into her as she saw the dark green scales of her friend. They drifted lazily with blue and gray as well, and he was totally asleep, but Autumn didn't care. She wrapped her wings around her friend, glad to have at least one friendly face around her. "Charming, wake up!" she chirped, shaking him a little aggressively. 
Charming made an odd chirping noise, rolling over and mumbling, "Five more minutes . . ." 
Autumn rolled her eyes and suddenly overturned the hammock he was in, saying, "Get up!" 
Charming fell to the ground with a thump, scales turning red and white before just being red. Annoyed, he glared at Autumn and looked around, suddenly confused. "Autumn? Where . . . are we? I remember being tackled, and trying to fight . . . but then I was pricked with something and I just . . . woke up here." 
"I don't know where 'here' is either," Autumn said, spreading her talons helplessly, "But I do know we have each other. We can find our way home, it's perfect!" 
The blue RainWing had walked up towards them without Autumn realizing, and suddenly placed their sky blue talons on Charming. "Oh, oh, how do you feel? You were out for so long, and with such a rude awakening," they shot a dirty look at Autumn, who narrowed her eyes and puffed out her chest. The RainWing made a tsk sound and began checking over Charming extensively. 
Well, if they're not going to watch me, I'm going to slip out of here, she thought, padding towards the door and nudging it open a crack. Instantly, she saw the argument she'd heard earlier, and felt confined to this room. Like she'd be caught and hurt if she stepped out. With her ears flattened in fear, she watched as a dark red SkyWing and a pale, speckled SandWing hissed at each other. 
"Grit, you are a useless, good for nothing piece of sheep wool!" The SkyWing roared, stamping their talon in frustration. Flames licked out of their nostrils, but the SandWing seemed unaffected. They sighed, rubbing their head, and then tossed their head with an eye roll. 
"You blame me for everything." 
"Yeah, because it's always your fault!" 
A black and yellow HiveWing suddenly stepped into view, wings buzzing like he'd just landed, talons raised in a calm manner. "Grit, don't be a dung beetle, and Hawk, calm down. You both have other assignments and-" 
The dark red SkyWing interrupted, shouting, "I DON'T TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU, BLACKBEETLE!" 
Autumn flinched, retreating into the hut a bit, but caught sight of a SilkWing and pushed open the door again to see them. Maybe they have Clearwing? Oh, moons! She thought, her world brightening. Please say they have Clearwing! We can all get back together, it'll make this all more bearable for the three of us! 
There was a trio, comprised of a blue-violet SilkWing, a dark blue and orange SilkWing (who also seemed familiar, but Autumn couldn't remember why), and a HiveWing who looked a lot like Clearwing if she'd painted her blue spots black. The bluish SilkWing spoke first, his antennae twitching nervously. "Bumblebee is really worried about Luna . . . I mean, I am too, but I'm more worried about . . . " The HiveWing brushed their wing to the SilkWing's and smiled sadly. 
"She takes after you in that. But, I'm also worried for Luna, and our precious daughter." She sighed, wiping at a pair of glasses. "Luna said she got to talk with her, and she said that she was so excited to come home to us! What happened to change that?!" The HiveWing wailed, fighting back tears. 
The darker blue SilkWing spat on the platform he was standing on and fluttered his wings. "Bombardier happened. Your guess was right, Cricket. He stole your egg and ransacked your house." 
"And messed up my notes," the HiveWing muttered under her breath, looking upset. Autumn felt like she'd heard enough. Bombardier was Clearwing's father. How many dragons named Bombardier can there be? But . . . he is her father. Weaver is her mother. Who else could they be talking about? 
She felt sick. Whatever was happening was wrong. Autumn was about to close the door when an odd looking SandWing saw her. They had golden scales, and no barb on their tail, but were otherwise bright and cheerful. Their face seemed to brighten, and they quickly ran into a neighboring hut. Through the haze of noise, Autumn heard them say, "Clay! She's woken up!" 
Oh no, Autumn thought, panicking. She slammed the door shut and spread her wings against it, trying to keep it shut. The RainWing in the room had gone back to reading, paying her little mind, and Charming was looking at the SilkWing curiously. He seemed to be adapting well, and she guessed that was because he didn't see half of what happened in those terrifying moments. They cannot have me. That name. Clay. That's the dragon who claimed to be my father. Hickory is my father. I'll die before this Clay dragon convinces me that I'm his dragonet. It simply cannot be true! 
There was a faint knock on the door of the hut, and Autumn felt too scared to stay in place. She dove towards a hammock, spinning herself up in it to try and hide, but the RainWing lifted their head and sighed. "Hiding won't do you no good," they said, muttering and walking over, gently untangling her. 
"No!" Autumn shouted, suddenly coughing up a bolt of fire that singed the RainWing's snout. They gasped and stumbled back, which was exactly when the door opened. There was, of course, the huge brown dragon she recalled being named Clay that she swore she'd kill someday, but beside him was a far smaller dragon, maybe the same age as Autumn herself. Their scales were a pale brown, like dried-out mud, and they had cold blue eyes that still shone with wonder. Across their shoulder was a small bandage, and they had a smaller wound across their lip, but aside from that and they way they clung to Clay, they seemed . . . almost friendly. 
"Autumn," Clay rumbled, a sweet tone that made her want to claw her own ears off. "I know you're probably upset and confused, and-" 
"You are not my father," she hissed, glaring at him. "You can't take me anywhere. My real father is coming to get me soon, with my real sister, and you'll regret it." 
"Sister?" the smaller dragon echoed, blinking. Clay sighed and patted their head, then shook his head and walked out of the hut. When the paler dragon tried to follow, Clay gently pushed her back into the hut and looked into her eyes. It was some kind of meaningful look Autumn didn't understand, but now there was a pale dragon around her size sitting in the doorway, just staring at her. 
"What?" Autumn asked, turning her head away. "I'm not going to be here for long. You can't bribe me to stay with these thieves." 
"I won't," they whispered, in a soft, feminine voice. "Dad said your name was Autumn, right?" She didn't answer, but the other dragon just nodded to herself and continued. "Um . . . that's okay. It's probably right. I'm Amber. It's nice to meet you." The dragon extended their talon. Autumn hissed and batted at it. 
The dragon pulled her talon back, a small wounded expression on her face. “You didn't get mom’s scales, but you got her personality." They offered a small smile, but Autumn stepped back and hissed, every scales bristling and ready to attack. 
“My mother was murdered by a firescales,” Autumn said quickly. "There's no way you'd know her. She died before I hatched, and you're hardly my age." 
Amber stopped, and bit her tongue. "I'm actually a year older than you," she whispered, there was a look in her eyes. A look Autumn caught. It was the look of not telling the truth, the same look Mammoth gave her when she mentioned their mother, and the same look plenty of dragons gave her overall. Quietly, Amber said, “And that's . . . impossible. She can't be burned because she is one.” 
Autumn stared at Amber and hissed frantically, “Who are you talking about?” She was dreading the answer she would get, but she had a sickening feeling she'd know what it was. After a slight hesitation, Amber spoke, such a soft voice, like raindrop, her sky blue eyes confused and sad. 
"Our mother and brother. They're firescales." 
Fury filled Autumn at this dragon’s suggestion that she was related to a firescales. The very thought of that made her blood boil and hate these dragons more. “NO!" She shouted, rage sweeping through her. She flared her wings and grabbed her head, like she could drive all this away. "NO! I AM NOT RELATED TO A MONSTER LIKE A FIRESCALES!” She was gripping her head so hard that her claws dug in painfully, but it was nothing compared to the internal turmoil inside of her. Autumn suddenly roared, and lunged at Amber. "LIAR! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A LIAR!" 
Red took over her vision, and she almost seemed to drift into a trance of nothing but rage. The world seemed to blur, and as she tried to attack, something dragged her back. She heard the door swing open, the haunting sweet voice, and panicked shouting. Autumn let herself be swallowed by the pain and anger. It was all she could do to keep herself sane in this place. 
=== Chapter Eight ===
Maelstrom
The gray-blue SeaWing had been swimming for what felt like forever. She'd been following the trail of islands, and just a day ago, she'd hit the edge of the continent. But it had been awfully cold for her tastes, all ice and snow, so she'd kept travelling around the northern side until she'd finally found a crevice in the land. It seemed almost like a v-shaped formation, but it was the first land Maelstrom had seen that wasn't cold.
To her right, there was still some icy land, though more rocky, and the water wasn't dotted with chunks of ice anymore (thankfully). To her left, rigid mountains jutted out at perfect and awkward angles, some of them nothing more than large hills and others so far up that their peaks were shrouded in mist. The water was chilly here, but not outright cold. The land in front of her seemed to be full of life, and even from this distance, dragons were out and about, flying, swimming, lights dancing in the early morning. 
So many of them, Maelstrom thought, feeling a bit dwarfed as she hid behind an island that was a short distance from the mainland. The last time I saw this many dragons was at the last Wasp's Wings meeting. She had a feeling that these dragons probably wouldn't take too well to the idea of Queen Wasp ruling again, seeing as how mentioning that to the crazed SeaWings, Tsunami and Riptide, had caused this whole mess. I wonder how far away I am from them now.
Her wings ached from swimming for so long with little breaks, practically begging her to get on the small island and rest for real. Carefully, Maelstrom heaved herself out of the water, onto the slightly grassy island, and nestled herself between two leaning trees. It was almost nice, feeling the wet morning dew from leaves drip onto her scales, the general peace she found here that her cave home lacked. 
Maelstrom slowly crept forward, intrigued by the sighs and sounds of a larger place than she'd known. Few dragons ventured to this island, but the ones that did made Maelstrom flatten herself against the ground in a bit of panic. On the mainland, she could see buildings constructed of wood, mud, straw, grass, and all sorts of other materials. She'd only known the caves her whole life, and it was something she wanted to explore in this new land. It could lead me back home. Back to Pantala. To my parents. 
The island ended in front of her, and Maelstrom eagerly slipped into the water again. Being in the crisp water reminded Maelstrom of her friends, though in a weird way. She was the only one who preferred swimming to flying. Autumn especially liked flying. Maelstrom didn’t know why Autumn loved flying, but Maelstrom preferred swimming anyway. There was just something about being in the sky, so far above water and land, that just didn’t sit right with her. 
Now, she had reached the mainland. The buildings and dragons were all around her, and she blinked, bewildered. Nobody glared or hissed when they passed her. They just . . . walked by. It was amazing to her, and she felt a smile creep on her face. The dragons had their own lives that weren't intertwined with hers. Nobody told her what to do or how to act. It was like a taste of heaven to her. 
Maelstrom walked through the small city, taking in the sighs and sounds. Neatly carved paths crisscrossed throughout the city, lined with buildings, market stands, homes, and gardens. Sweet grasses grew around these places, and she paused to admire the small butterflies and bright flowers. It was all so full of life, yet strangely peaceful as well. The only minor issue was that she occasionally had to push her way past some dragons, but she didn’t care. 
As Maelstrom was walking, she noticed an emerald green SeaWing staring at her, blinking. She locked eyes, narrowed hers, and the SeaWing gave a soundless gasp and turned, ducking his head. Weirdo, she thought, studying him for a bit longer. He was standing next to a SandWing and NightWing who were talking, and the NightWing gave a loving nudge to the SandWing. Ugh, can I find two dragons who aren't all lovey-dovey around here? It's getting a little ridiculous. 
The SeaWing glanced back at her again, and Maelstrom suddenly didn't feel like sticking around anymore. The traffic of dragons here was a little more dense, SkyWing soldiers patrolling as SandWings, SeaWings, and all other tribes mingled with each other. It was difficult to move quickly, and as she glanced back to check on that SeaWing, she collided with another dragon. "Oof! Hey, what's-" Maelstrom stopped when she looked at the dragon. 
It was a small dragonet, maybe slightly younger than she herself was, and they looked like they'd been crying. Their obsidian black eyes seemed wet with tears, and dried trails were marked on their tan and black speckled scales. A beautiful dark gray sail ran from the top of their head to their tail, ending with a perfectly hooked tail barb that had a silvery tip to it. But their wings set everything else apart from them, being scattered with silver stars against the blue-black backdrop. It reminded her of the desert sky at night, from what she'd seen in scrolls. "I-Oh, I'm sorry," Maelstrom said, blinking. 
"It's . . . It's fine," the dragonet said, picking themselves up and brushing dust off their scales. "I wasn't watching where I was going. Mom says she was like that a lot when she was my age, too, but I'm working on it." 
Maelstrom found herself curious about this other dragonet, and she curled her tail around her talons, looking in the crowd of dragons for anywhere they wouldn't be in the way of the path. She saw a garden, mostly empty save for a worried-looking HiveWing just sitting there, trying to focus on a book and failing. "Come on, let's move over there," Maelstrom said, pointing towards it. The other dragonet nodded sheepishly, and walked with her, picking their way through the crowd until they'd reached the garden. 
Sitting down, the HiveWing looked up at them, their body dominated by black scales. They looked like they could be an older sister to Maelstrom, like a young adult, but still too young to seem like a total stranger. Their ears flicked, and they looked down at the other dragonet. "Oh, Anubis? Is that you? Sunhunter was looking for you. I told her to check down the river, since I figured you'd be in Sanctuary." 
"It is awfully loud here," the dragonet admitted, before perking up a bit. "Sunhunter will come back here, I'm sure. In the meantime, I just figured I'd sit here and talk to this SeaWing I met . . . " he trailed off, and looked at Maelstrom. "Um, what's your name?" 
"It's Maelstrom," she said, offering her talon. The other dragonet shook his head and stepped back. 
"I'm Anubis." 
The black HiveWing closed her book and looked over at them. "And I'm Bumblebee. I actually live in Sanctuary, down the river, but mom and dad are off in the Rainforest right now and wanted me to stay here. Mayfly keeps a good eye on me, she says." She let out a dramatic sigh, before smiling at them. "Anyway, carry on!" 
Maelstrom grinning a little. These dragons reminded her a bit of Clearwing and Judgement, the way they acted and looked. At the thought of her friends, Maelstrom's vision clouded with sadness again. Are they okay? Did they get taken too? I really wish I could know how they're doing. 
"Are you okay?" Anubis asked, gently putting his talon on Maelstrom's cheek. "You just got . . . really sad all of a sudden. Something happen?" 
"No," Maelstrom said, but then changed her mind. "Well, yeah, I guess. Life's been a little crazy for me," she admitted. "I'm really worried about my friends. We got separated recently." 
Bumblebee gasped from nearby. "Oh, that's awful, Maelstrom! It really hurts to lose someone close to you like that, doesn't it? My little sister was stolen from us as an egg. I was really excited to meet her, since she'd actually be a hybrid since she's not adopted, like I am, and Hive-Silks are just so unlikely because the two tribes really hate each other." 
Anubis nodded. "It's one of your greatest fears, Bumblebee. Losing more dragons who are close to you." 
"I really hope you can find your sister again someday," Maelstrom said, feeling sympathy. Hive-Silks are rare indeed. I thought maybe Clearwing would be the only one! Bombardier and Weaver never seemed to get along, but they had an egg together at least, so there's that. It just sucks her parents are like that. She thought for a second, wondering if she should mention Clearwing to these two dragons. Maybe . . . maybe the HiveWing knows how to find her. "One of my friends," she started, slowly, "Is actually a Hive-Silk hybrid. Her name is Clearwing. I'm really worried because her father is . . . " 
Maelstrom didn't know how to say it. She didn't know the right word for it. Awful? Hateful? Mean and cruel? There's got to be a word to describe this . . . 
" . . . Abusive?" Bumblebee tried to finish, quietly. "Does he hurt her a lot?" Maelstrom nodded, and Bumblebee sighed. "That's terrible. I hope she can have a better life someday. Maybe mom could adopt her, like she did me!" She smiled, and her wings buzzed a bit. Anubis tilted his head curiously at Maelstrom, like he was piecing together dots of a puzzle. 
From behind them, a loud shout echoed, and Anubis turned around just in time to be tackled by a golden-colored dragon, a sail down her back, no tail barb, but bright golden wings and stars hidden in that sail. She had bright green eyes, and grinned as she pinned Anubis. Maelstrom tensed, and reached up a claw, taking a warning swipe at the new dragon. "Get off him!" she shouted. This was a possible friend. She wouldn't let anything happen to him. 
The other dragon yelped and took a step back. "Woah, woah!" Anubis said, panicked but his voice soft. "It's okay, Maelstrom. It's my sister, Sunhunter. She does this all the time. I promise you, I'm really okay." 
"Hm." Maelstrom was skeptical. Siblings didn't just tackle each other like that out of nowhere, pinning them to the ground. Well, I guess the only sibling pairs I've ever known were Autumn and Mammoth, and then Trench and Whale. Family was a word Maelstrom knew meant a lot, though to her, she just thought of her parents and how they wanted to control her. 
"You haven't met your parents, Maelstrom." 
The IceWing's words rung in her head. Is it true? Things . . . things add up. Tsunami said I 'fit the family naming convention'. Riptide said I was 'definitively Tsunami's daughter'. They claimed to be my parents, and they look and act more like me than Sunfish and Hammerhead. The raid on us, and what the IceWing said . . . she really didn't want to believe it. But the claim had legitimacy to it. Maybe, just maybe, out of all the lies she'd heard, the biggest one had come from her own maybe-parents. 
Anubis and Sunhunter were giggling to each other, playing some kind of game while Maelstrom had spaced out. She opened her mouth to say something, and Sunhunter turned to look at her, but the garden gate creaked open and interrupted them. 
Maelstrom realized it was the NightWing and SandWing she'd seen before, the ones who were talking with the SeaWing. Alarm bells rang in her brain, and the NightWing suddenly looked at her. Their eyes met, and the stranger's widened. "Qibli," they breathed, "It's her. 'The roaring tide will surge and crash; Bringing with it a hope for justice'. But why is she here?"
That line was familiar. Maelstrom knew what it was, and she wasn't going to let it happen. The SandWing looked at her, tilting his head as an earring in his ear dangled, moving with him, and flicked his tongue in and out. "Yyyyyyyep. I think you're right, Moon. Tsunami said she'd tear apart the continent to find this dragonet." The SandWing crouched down and looked at Maelstrom, his full-grown body still small in comparison to the NightWing beside him. "Hey there, little guy. Or gal," he added, smiling. 
She hissed, backing up and bristling. Anubis looked up, hearing the hiss, and turned to look at the pair of dragons. "Mom! Dad!" he cried, running to hug them. "This is Maelstrom!" He gestured towards her, and the gray-blue dragon growled, flaring her gills. Maelstrom turned to leave, trying to leap over the fence, but Bumblebee grabbed her gently. 
"What's the rush? Stay a while. You look like you need Mayfly's help, anyway. That cut looks nasty." 
Maelstrom blinked, looking at her shoulder. A cut from the fight with the other dragons looked sore and raw, oozing blood and swollen. She'd never felt it before, but the numbing ice water she'd been in probably accounted for that. Now, realizing it was there, it began to hurt. Badly. She looked at Bumblebee, then at Moon and Qibli, and chose to hide behind the HiveWing. "I'll get treatment for it," she said, "But only if you tell them that I'm not talking to them." 
Bumblebee sighed and nodded. "Moonie, Qibli, little Maelstrom says she doesn't want to talk to you two. I guess take Anubis and Sunny to the library or something." Ugh, no, leave Anubis here, Maelstrom thought, but it was already happening. The little Night-Sand hybrid she wanted to call a friend hopped up onto his mother's back, and his sister joined him on her father's. The family smiled at each other, and walked away. 
Alone with the HiveWing, Bumblebee asked, "Why don't you want to talk to them, anyway?" Maelstrom didn't want to answer, but she knew she had to. Quietly, finding her tongue heavy and hard to move, she mumbled an answer. 
"Because that NightWing delivered the prophecy I'm sworn to defeat."
=== Chapter Nine ===
Clearwing
Claws raked across Clearwing's cheek, cutting into her scales and leaving stinging trails behind. Blood poured out, and the whole area felt like she'd been stung by bullet ants over and over again.
"IT'S YOUR FAULT SHE'S DEAD, WYRM! I SWEAR I'LL STRANGLE YOU MYSELF FOR THAT!"
Clearwing screamed and tried to twist out of the crushing grasp of her 'father' as his claws tightened around her neck. Just a few days ago, dragons had poured in to rescue her and her friends. Dragons that her friends fought and tried to stop, but dragons that Clearwing was glad to see. After being dragged away from her aunt by Bombardier, Clearwing had held onto the last piece of her she had left-the strand of flamesilk. 
But after the fighting was over, the organization began to count their dead. Only a few of the invading dragons had died, but the only one Clearwing cared about much was an indigo and teal SilkWing, apparently named Io. It had been a confession out of Clearwing's uncle, Swordtail, and that was when she realized she'd lost an aunt before even meeting her. It felt like a hole in her heart that she didn't even feel, but far too many of the deaths hit her directly. Among some less prominent deaths she knew were Vista and Avalanche. Charming's 'mother' and an ill-tempered SkyWing whose son, Flame, was in the organization. 
Two of the deaths, however, made Clearwing's life horrible. Fire Ant was one of them, the battle teacher being found with her chest wound re-opened and severe burns along her face. It was hard to recognize her body, but she'd been wrapped in silk and sent in the underground river like the rest of the casualties. The other death was Clearwing's own false mother-Weaver. Even if Clearwing knew she wasn't her real mother, she never realized how much Weaver had stopped Bombardier.
Her wounds had nearly tripled in the past few days. Cuts, scrapes, her wrist re-broken and one of her wings twisted in a way that made flight awkward. Bombardier was unrelenting, blaming Clearwing for everything and anything, and it made her more desperate to get away from here. 
She snapped back to reality, only because she felt herself getting lightheaded. She felt dizzy, like she would faint, and the wounds on her face had stopped bleeding-but not clotted. He's actually going to kill me, Clearwing thought, her wild eyes looking up at the cruel, unfeeling red scales of Bombardier. He's going to kill me and I can't even fight back. She felt helpless, suspended in the air and held by her throat. 
A sudden survival instinct kicked on inside of her, and Clearwing began to thrash. She didn't even really know what she was doing, but just moving and wiggling and flailing, trying to scream. "Shut up and keep still!" Bombardier hissed, making Clearwing try harder to break free. The edges of her vision were going black, and the rest of it was starting to blur, but she felt her claws connect with something. "AGH!"
Suddenly, she was dropped. Clearwing took huge gasps of breath, feeling blood rush back to her head and glad she was alive. She managed to get up, careful not to put weight on her broken wrist, and limped towards a wall which she leaned against. After rubbing her throat, the feeling of claws gone and the wounds on her face now bleeding again (which for the first time, she was grateful for), she risked a look at Bombardier. She had to know what made him drop her.
Normally, if she clawed a dragon, she'd feel terrible. She'd rush for help, try to save them, but seeing Bombardier clutching a wound on his shoulder, panting and grunting, Clearwing felt proud of herself for a second. She could be dangerous, if she tried. But the pride was soon overtaken by fear as she locked eyes with him. There was a wild, primal fury in his eyes, a result of pain and feeling disrespected. "ALRIGHT, THAT'S THE FINAL STRAW!" he shouted, and lunged at her.
Clearwing screamed and dove at the ground, just avoiding the blue of red and black scales, tears pricking her eyes. She didn't know where she would go, but she started to run down the caves while Bombardier gathered himself. She ran as fast as she could with her limp, but all she could do was hope it was enough. My cave! She thought, frantic. I can shut the door and maybe keep him out! Please, say I can keep him out! Clearwing felt herself crying, tears blurring her sight and almost causing her to miss her cave.
As she skidded to a stop and swung into her room, slamming the door shut and pressing her body against it, she heard a bloodcurdling roar from outside. Then, she heard stomping, buzzing wings, everything. Clearwing closed her eyes and held her breath, but heard the stomping become fainter and fainter. After listening for a moment, she heard nothing more, and felt like she was safe . . . well, safe as she could be.
She looked at her bed, the grass blankets a mess. Clearwing had gotten barely any sleep for the past few nights because of Bomardier, keeping her up late, waking her in the middle of the night, or forcing her to sleep outside in some cases. Clearwing wiped her tears away as she dove onto her bed, pulling out the strand of flamesilk she had held onto for days. It’s warmth hadn’t faded, which gave Clearwing hope that her real family would free her from this nightmare she was living in.
It wasn't fair that Autumn, Maelstrom, and Charming were freed. Taken by the invading dragons. Reunited with their families. Clearwing wished with all her heart that she and Judgment had also been able to leave with them, but instead they were stuck here. And they're not even grateful to be in their real homes, just because they didn't have Bombardier for a fake father, she thought, holding the warm silk to her. "Luna," she whispered, softly. "Swordtail. Please, come save me soon. I'm sorry for Io. I wish I could have known her." 
Clearwing sighed and rested her head. Blood staining her bed wasn't even a concern to her anymore. It was too much hassle to try and keep it clean. She started to cry again, wanting the comfort of her real parents, when she heard a small knock at the door. "Clearwing?" they asked. She had frozen, fearing Bombardier, until she heard how soft the voice was. "It's me, Judgement. Can I come in?" 
"Yes," she mumbled, opening her eyes as her NightWing friend walked in and closed the door. 
"Hey," he whispered, walking towards her and sitting on her bed next to her. "Mom's been talking about adopting you from Bombardier. Would you be . . . open to that?" 
Clearwing snorted. "It's not much, seeing the way Cadelle treats you, but . . . it's better than him. Will she stop him from hurting me?" Judgement shuffled his wings to be more comfortable and sighed. 
"I doubt it. Y'know, Clearwing, I-I heard some strange voices in my head yesterday." 
"Oh moons, let's hear it." 
Judgement nodded and looked at his claws. "It kept repeating itself. Just a single sentence. 'The trapped are free, but freedom is their trap.' I don't know what it could mean. We're still trapped, and I was wondering-"
"-If I knew?" Clearwing asked, finishing his sentence. "No," she said. Clearwing had gotten a lot more . . . moody, she knew. She'd felt stuck in this life and scared of Bombardier, but distant to everyone else. I could die today and only Judgement would care. 
Judgment watched her face darken and said “I think we should go for a walk. To at least get you away from Bombardier for a while.” 
Clearwing paled. "N-No! I can't go out there. Bombardier will kill me!" 
Judgement carefully took her talon and smiled softly. "I promise you, he won't. He's likely in the infirmary." 
"O-Okay," Clearwing said, taking a deep breath. 
A few minutes later the two were walking through the cave. As they walked, they saw dragons repairing the camp as best they could. The above-ground one was almost completely torn apart, but the caves were mostly fine. Still, it was slow coming with the repairs. As the two, walked they heard conversations on who took the dragonets, who would go get them back, what was the reason for the attack. 
You took us away form our parents. That’s why they attacked. Clearwing shook her wings out, wishing she could fly better. However, she lost her train of thought when she heard Bombardier shouted “CLEARWING!” 
Clearwing and Judgment turned to see Bombardier charging at them a furious rushing streak of red and black scales. Over his chest was a nasty cut in the shape of her claws, swollen already and oozing. My venom-It didn't kill him, she realized, panic seizing her. He charged forward and tackled Clearwing to the ground as she tried to turn and flee. Clearwing heard Judgment let out a startled cry of fear. She reached out to him, but Bombardier slammed her talon down. Clearwing closed her eyes, waiting for Bombardier to kill her. It was over. 
But it never came. Bombardier shouted in pain and fell off of Clearwing, to the ground. She backed away and saw ice covering Bombardier’s shoulder, spreading slowly as he violently shivered, laying there. Clearwing turned and saw an IceWing with blueish white scales who was glaring at Bombardier. "Lay off the kid, will you? She's just lost some dragons she cared about." 
Bombardier stared down the IceWing, sitting upright but still shivering. “Stay out of this Vert. You know NOTHING of what is happening! SHE KILLED HER OWN MOTHER! This is NONE of your business!” He roared, and Clearwing yelped. To her surprise, the IceWing stepped between her and Bombardier, hissing. Pale wisps gathered in the air around his jaws. 
“Well, you're right. I might not know what is going on, but I do know what a crappy father is when I see one.” 
Bombardier was left sputtering, and as he staggered upright, Clearwing feared another fight was going to break out. He's vicious. He's going to kill everyone to get to me. It's hopeless, she thought. Judgement walked up beside her and used his wings to sort of hide her, but she was bigger than he was anyway. I love you, Judgement. I don't know how I'd survive without you. 
Startling her, a cold voice hissed, “Enough.” Everyone looked over to see Locus, who just stared at Bombardier and Vert. 
“Stay out of this!” shouted Bombardier. 
Locus grunted and slowly walked over to Bombardier, his eyes narrowed. “You know the lady’s orders, Bombardier. You’ve clearly disobeyed them. Luckily for you, there are more important matters to deal with at the moment.” 
Bombardier growled, taking a swing at Locus. "Her orders were meaningless when this brat has MURDERED HER MOTHER!" Locus hissed and grabbed Bombardier’s wrist, twisting it and holding it there. Bombardier let out a long whine, not liking all the pain his was in. Locus grabbed Bombardier by the ear, pulled him close, and whispered something into his ear before throwing him back. Clearwing blinked, confused and scared. Locus turned his back to Bombardier, glanced at Clearwing, nodded, and walked away. 
What in the moons was THAT?! 
Bombardier growled, grunting as he staggered up again. He wasn't looking good, and wasn't in a condition to fight anymore. Clearwing had finally won a moment of peace, and she sank to the ground, relieved, as Bombardier glared at everyone. "This is you fault, Cricket," he muttered, before limping away towards the infirmary. 
Clearwing watched him go, before Vert tapped on her shoulder. "You alright, kid?" Clearwing nodded, but sighed, her wings trembling. 
"Now he's going to come after you, though." 
"Eh, don't worry about it," he said, shrugging. "Dealt with worse. Much worse. I understand what It's like to have a terrible dad. I got your back if you need help." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, at least until I have to leave." 
"You're leaving the Wasp's Wings?" she asked, blinking. Please, take me with you. I don't care where, just take me with you, please! 
Vert nodded. "I'll let you in on a secret, kid. You know that little incident that happened a few days ago? I had a talon in that. The plan was to rescue all five of you, but it went wrong. We'll be leaving soon, for our own safety. But know this, Clearwing." He leaned down to her level and put a talon on her shoulder. She stared at him, wide-eyed. "If you ever need help, and I'm not here, look for the lilies in the walls." 
Vert began to walk away, leaving Clearwing to puzzle over what he said. Judgement blinked, overhearing what was said. "The lilies in the walls? What does that mean?" 
"I have . . . I noticed they do move," Clearwing said, slowly piecing things together. "One day they're by the river, the next they're in the dining hall. Maybe . . . maybe it's a RainWing." She thought hard. Lilies. Wall. RainWings. A disguised RainWing grabbed Charming, right? Were there the lilies on the wall? I . . . I think so. 
"The lilies in the walls," she repeated again, and felt a smile on her face. Thank you, Vert. He and Locus care about me. And if they're leaving . . . I'll have no problems tailing along to find my family. 
=== Chapter Ten ===
Autumn
Autumn finally regained control of herself. She'd been taken out of the hut from before and brought instead to a much larger, more grand one, where she'd been bound by vines for the past few hours. 
Now, she was free, and truly took in the room around her. It was sunny and airy, walled in like a huge home in the treetops. Flowers were neatly scattered everywhere, but there were a few main attractions. In the center of the room was a large bed-like seat of fur, flowers, feathers, grass, and leaves. It looked rather comfortable, and a smaller one sat next to it, followed by an even smaller, flowerless one. 
In the largest one, poised neatly like a cobra waiting to strike, was a large and imposing turquoise dragon. She had blue accents of many shades, and yellow streaks running across her body, complimented by a seafoam green underbelly. Her wings and ruff were a vibrant, eye-catching scarlet that faded to orange, constantly shifting like tongues of flame. She wore a crown of woven flowers with a few precious butterfly wings in it, and a shiny silver sloth was draped over her shoulder. She kept sighing, looking towards a NightWing behind her, and shaking her head. 
Queen Glory.
In the slightly smaller nest was a vibrant purple dragon, clearly something of a NightWing, with a bulkier body, but they had sunset colored patches running down their body and a ruff that went from purple to orange to pink and yellow. Most of their body was that same kind of fade, purple to sunset colors, and they had a slightly grayed-out and dusty look to them overall. They also wore a flower garland around their neck and had twin butterfly wings tucked behind one of their ears. They kept glancing at the larger dragon, and then at the third nest.
Princess Firefly.
Speaking of, the third nest had a dragon that didn't need describing. The thing that changed was he now had a flower necklace draped over him, and he seemed so happy. His black and green scales blossomed with yellow, and were edged with pink as he looked around in awe. He turned towards the NightWing behind the queen and grinned, the pink and yellow eating up his wings and leaving a starry sunset behind.
Prince Charming.
It made Autumn sick, seeing Charming, her own friend and even brother, fitting in so well. How can he be okay with this? I don't believe it! They stole us from our home, yet he believes them! She wanted to cry, but there would be no point. I just have to get to him alone. Then, I can talk to him, and tell him something sensible!
"Well, I'm not exactly happy that you attacked the second you got here," the regal turquoise dragon said, running her claws through the sloth's long fur. "But there's no reason I should do anything to do. You're still adjusting, and I suppose we were treated similarly. They didn't make me feel like family, though," she shook her head. "Autumn? Are you listening to me?"
Autumn nodded slowly. The dragon smiled a bit, and her tone changed a bit. "Hey, it's okay. You'll be safe here," she said, curling her tail inwards. "You have my word on being Queen that it'll be alright. It took quite a long time to find you, and Clay is willing to do anything for you. I know him like I know myself. He's the sweetest, most loyal dragon ever. Please, give him a chance."
The purple dragon nodded slowly and smiled. "I want to thank you for bringing my brother home. I was so excited to meet him, but then his egg was stolen, and we couldn't figure out who did it to find and punish them."
"I'll bet it was Fierceteeth," the queen said, rolling her eyes. "I know she's Starflight's sister and all, but she stole a royal egg. My egg. If I see her again, I'm killing her."
Charming touched the flower behind his ear and smiled and Autumn. "It'll be okay, Autumn. They really care about us, I think. Glory and Firefly love me more than Vista ever did. I really think . . . they're telling the truth. Just give your dad another chance, okay?"
Autumn grumbled, and tears slipped down her cheeks. "I want Hickory and Mammoth, though," she muttered. Glory sighed and rubbed her temples.
"Please. Give him a chance."
Autumn nodded, but she didn't mean it. She turned and slowly walked out of the hut, looking at the next platform over. The dragon she was supposed to call her father was standing over that liar, Amber, and gently patting her with his wings over her. I hate this. I want to be home. I want Mammoth to put her wings around me and say I'm the best sister. I want Hickory to pat me on the head and tell me I did good today. I was my family. 
Autumn was interrupted from her thoughts when an unfamiliar voice said, “You should give them a chance, you know. They did spend several years looking for you.” She turned around to see the black and yellow HiveWing who had tried to stop the argument between the SkyWing and SandWing from before. Autumn hadn’t noticed the scars covering his face at the distance, but now she did. On his right cheek sat a long scar, with another over his left eye and yet another over his lips. His eyes seemed kind, but had something else in them. Something hidden that made her nervous. 
“Why should I listen to you, traitor?" Autumn said, glaring at him. "You should be fighting for Wasp’s glory!” 
The HiveWing took a slight step back and a deep breath before sighing and saying, “You have no idea what things were like under her. Things are better than they were.” 
“I don’t believe you!" she hissed. "Wasp was a noble, kind, and great ruler!" 
“No she wasn’t," the HiveWing said, a little defensively. "She constantly controlled dragons. She led a massacre on an entire tribe. She tried to subjugate us all. She made the SilkWings worth nothing and nearly doomed all of Pantala. Do you still think she's so great?" 
Autumn refused to budge, but switched topics. "You and those dragons kidnapped me from my family! You said that Hickory isn't my father! The Wasp’s Wings will find us and when they do they will-" 
“They. They, they, they. What about the dragons that raised you?" The HiveWing hissed. "Will they look for you? If they're told not to, will they defy orders to find you? Will they risk their lives for you? Will they even care at all that you're gone?!" 
Autumn was taken aback. Of course Hickory and Mammoth will look for me, right? They wouldn't leave me! Bloodworm will search the land and seas and sky for us! Right? I can't believe the lies they say. I can't become like Charming. I have to stay strong. She stamped her talon and said, "Of course they'll look for me! That's what family does!" 
“Then how do you explain the message that we received? The one that said they would not look for you? That they'd leave that to someone else?" The HiveWing flicked his tail and lifted his neck. Autumn glared, but felt her heart breaking and her facade wearing down. "Face it, Autumn. They don’t care for you like your real family does!” Autumn flinched, and felt the rage inside her again. 
“NO! NO, I DON’T BELIEVE YOU! THEY WILL FIND ME! THEY LOVE ME, AND CARE FOR ME, SO SHUT UP!!” Autumn shouted crying a little, breathing hard by the end of it. The HiveWing flinched, looking down. Autumn was growling, angry, and upset. She was being attacked by this dragon, with words that stung more than claws ever could. 
“I-I’m sorry," the HiveWing whispered. "I shouldn’t have said that.” He took a deep breath and looked up, exhaling. Then, he looked at Autumn again before continuing. “Give them a chance. They're all you have right now. They want you. That’s more than some of us can say.” 
“No!" Autumn shouted, whipping their tail and readying herself for attack. "They mean nothing to me, no matter what you say!” 
“Yea, I’ve heard that before," they said, sighing and looking grim. "A friend of mine, actually. Name's Lily. She had a mother a father a sister a brother and-“ the HiveWing stopped and took a deep, shaky breath. Autumn could see the pain and sadness on his face as he tried to continue, his voice almost breaking. It was the same pain she spoke with when she was being ripped away. 
I can't feel empathy. I can't connect with a stranger. 
“Drift," the HiveWing whispered, before his voice became stronger. "We all had Drift. Had. Now, Lily has nothing but her distant brother and us." The HiveWing took a pause, and then put his talon on her shoulder. She shook it off almost immediately, however. 
"Autumn, I want you to understand. Don’t make our mistakes. Appreciate who loves you. Or at least, try talking to them. If you don’t like them, if they aren’t your real family, then fine. But they care about you." The HiveWing turned to leave, but Autumn dug her claws into the wooden platform. As they walked away, she growled under her breath, tightening her muscles. 
“I will not talk to monsters like those firescales.” Venom filled her voice when she said the word, the mere thought of it hard to bear. I want to meet my mother. I deserved to meet her. And these new dragons don't even have a mother for me, either! 
The HiveWing stopped and looked over his shoulder. “They aren’t monsters," he said calmly. "They're far from the worst the world has to offer. Peril and Copper try their hardest." 
"Far from the worst? One of them killed my mom!" Autumn shouted. The HiveWing blinked, shocked. 
"Killed her? Oh, no, little dragonet," he said, leaning down to her. "A firescales didn't kill your mother. You're half SkyWing. Peril is your mother. She's trying her best. She doesn't kill anymore. Give her a chance." 
"Then where is she?" Autumn challenged, unbelieving. That's what Amber said. That my mother is a firescales. But she just can't be! I'm not a hybrid! I'm not a dirty, mixed-blood hybrid! I can't be, I CAN'T BE! 
"Oh, she'd burn the forest down, accident or intentional. Fire and plants don't mix, don't you agree?" 
Autumn remembered the weeds she'd burned the day she'd been taken away. Fire burns plants. Fire can burn scales, too, she thought. Everything they say is a lie. Everyone is lying. I can't give in. The allure of family was tempting, and the thought that her family wasn't looking for her ate her confidence away, but Autumn had to stay strong. Charming has fallen to their lies. Clearwing and Judgement are on the right side. I wish I could be by their side, laughing and fighting for Wasp. I hope Maelstrom's not been tricked, either. 
The HiveWing walked away, and Autumn watched him go, before taking a deep breath. Keep your friends close, she thought, remembering old words Hickory had told her. But keep your enemies closer. I can take care of them if I play along. I can get home. I just need to to play along. Cautiously, she walked down the platform, looking at the dragons she was supposed to call family. 
"Dad?" 
=== Chapter Eleven ===
Maelstrom
Maelstrom was walking through the city along with Bumblebee, who was rambling about something endlessly. Possibly her family, or about the others, or something else-Maelstrom really wasn’t paying attention. Bumblebee had taken so casually to what she'd said that it gave Maelstrom a bit of hope. Perhaps dragons do want to hear about Wasp. Or maybe she just doesn't care about the prophecy. 
Either way, Bumblebee said she was going to take Maelstrom to Mayfly, whoever that was. As they walked through alleys, past buildings, smells, sights, and sounds drifted around her, complimented by Bumblebee's endless babbling. This city is huge. The others would probably love it here. Well, once we get Wasp in power, we can live here! Nobody can tell us what to do! Maelstrom grinned, but lost her train of thought when Bumblebee tapped her shoulder. “We’re here~!” she sang.
Maelstrom looked up to see a small home. Wait, no, there was a small sign hanging above it, a red medicinal cross slashed on with paint. It looked a little too much like blood to not remind Maelstrom of the days before, where she'd had bloodstained talons. Even now, she could look down at herself and see that sticky red substance caught in her webbing, dripping, pooling, everywhere. Had it bothered her then? Why did it bother her now?
"Maelstrom? Maaaaaaaelstroooooom?" Bumblebee was waving her talon in the SeaWing's face. She snapped back to reality, realizing she was breathing hard. It's okay. I'm not fighting. I'm not hurt. There's no blood. She looked back up at the sign, and everything seemed fine again. It was just red paint. "Whew!" Bumblebee chirped, buzzing her wings. "You're okay. Come on now, Mayfly's the best in Possibility!"
Maelstrom didn't get a choice as Bumblebee flung open the doors and stepped inside. "Helloooo Mayflyyyy! Ooh, I see you got the place expanded!" In the back half of the room, which seemed to be the medical half of the building while the front was reserved with seats, a chocolate brown MudWing with a blackened, limp foot and partially damaged tail looked up at them. They tilted their head and sighed, before looking back down at a young dragonet, maybe slightly younger than Maelstrom was, poking at their wrist.
"Hello, Bumblebee," the MudWing rumbled, polite but not inviting. "Sprain your wing again? Or did you get poked too hard for trying to steal food again? I'll check you out in a second, let me just . . . " she trailed off, muttering and poking at the dragonet again, who suddenly yelped.
Their scales shot with white all of a sudden, before fading back to a soft yellow with a green stripe and flecks of pink, like freckles all over their body. "That!" they whined, looking up at the MudWing, "That hurts! I don't know what I did!" Maelstrom leaned over just a bit to see more of the dragonet, like their pale green wings, but curiously, they had a copper arm band embedded with a single black stone.
While peering, Maelstrom also noticed a pale lavender dragon with some emerald green scales dotting her face, and an anxious, worried look. Next to her stood the SeaWing who had been staring at Maelstrom earlier, in his emerald green glory. She ducked behind Bumblebee, trying to stay hidden, but realized that he wore the exact same arm band as the yellow scaled dragonet-only made of gold instead of copper.
The MudWing poking at the dragonet frowned and said, “I don’t know how you sprained it. Your a lot like your mother in that regard, y'know? Came in here a looooong time ago with some pretty severe injuries. Amazing she's alive."
"Don't say that," the SeaWing said, his voice nervous and soft, "Please."
"Alright," the MudWing said, shrugging. "My advice? Stay off of it and don’t put unnatural strain on it. It's minor enough that you shouldn't need a bandage for it just yet. How's that sound?" The dragonet must have nodded, because the MudWing stood back upright, clapped her talons together, and looked at Bumblebee. "So! What's happened to you today?"
Bumblebee stepped aside without warning, leaving Maelstrom exposed. She locked eyes with the green SeaWing once again, and his eyes widened, like he was scared of her. Maelstrom blinked, but Bumblebee filled in the quiet before she could. "Not me, actually, teehee! No, it's this little SeaWing I found in the city! Her name's Maelstrom, and she's got a cut. I think it's infected."
Mayfly, the MudWing, suddenly walked over quickly. "Infected? That's never a good sign . . . " she reached out and touched Maelstrom's shoulder, and she hissed. It felt like something had burned her when Mayfly touched her, and the MudWing tapped her claws. "I have some herbs for it, but it won't feel good . . . Bumblebee, can you even pay for this?"
The HiveWing paused, and stopped moving. "Um-I-Maybe?" she squeaked.
"I'll pay," the SeaWing said, taking a pouch from his rear leg. "Kinkajou will understand once she knows who you are." He looked at Maelstrom again, and she shied away. Mayfly nodded, and returned to the back of the room, murmuring and humming as she grabbed jars, bundles of dried herbs, and bandages. Then, she walked back over to Maelstrom, and stopped.
"Help me hold her down. This'll sting," Mayfly said. Maelstrom felt her body tense, remembering when the HiveWings tried to grab her before. No, nobody can touch me! I won't! I won't go! She reacted too slow, moved too slow, everything around her was going by so fast and yet Maelstrom was a snail in a world of fish. Bumblebee gently held Maelstrom's tail and hind legs, in a way that was restraining, but not painful.
"Hey!" Maelstrom said, wiggling, but Bumblebee sighed and gently patted her, before she whistled. It was a soft tune, a little haunting melody, but it made Maelstrom feel more . . . at ease. From the other side of the room, she heard a voice quietly pick up in song.
"Oh, the dragonets are coming, they're coming to save the day."
It was the green SeaWing, but Maelstrom quickly forgot all about that as Mayfly touched her shoulder. It felt like hot wire sawing through her arm, and she roared, trying to break free. "Hold her, hold her!" Mayfly said, a little frantic. "I'm not done yet!"
What was minutes to the rest of them felt like hours of pain, yelling, and being held to her before Maelstrom was free and her shoulder bandaged. The pain, and her entire shoulder, had gone numb, but the swelling was already going down. "Change the bandages every few hours. It might ache until it heals, but it'll be numb for a bit first." Mayfly pressed a roll of bandages into Maelstrom's talons, and she blinked. "Where's your guardian, anyway, Maelstrom?"
What do I say? She realized. I can't say Hammerhead and Sunfish. They're on Pantala, and part of the Wasp's Wings. But those crazed SeaWings can't be it either! It's not believable for these to be my guardians, either, and-
"I'll take responsibility for her," the green SeaWing said again. "She's my niece, if Tsunami's letter was correct. Maelstrom, the name was?"
Mayfly, Bumblebee, and Maelstrom all nodded, thought she was confused. How does he know me? What does he mean that I'm his niece? I have an uncle? How? Whose side? Tsunami was the one who grabbed me. Is he her brother? I'm so lost . . .
The SeaWing passed some coins to Mayfly, who counted, nodded, and smiled. "Alright. Now get out of here, and tell Okapi to be more careful. Don't let any hippos trample her!" she called as they started to leave, laughing to herself. Bumblebee filed out after the green SeaWing, though the two dragonets stared at Maelstrom, slack-jawed as they passed.
"What now?" Maelstrom asked.
"Well, I'm Turtle," the SeaWing said, unexpectedly. "I'm thinking we can meet up with my partner, Kinkajou, and then we can get something to eat and I'll explain what's going on. Maelstrom, there's a lot you don't know, apparently."
Bumblebee nodded. "I'm on board with that plan, so Maelstrom is too!" she hugged Maelstrom close, wrapping her wings around the SeaWing, but she hissed.
"Not always! But-But I guess this time, yes."
The yellow scaled RainWing touched their wrist and yelped. "Daddy? Why can't you just fix my wrist?"
"Why don't you fix it yourself, Okapi?" the other dragonet said, tilting their head. "You're magic too!"
"Now, now, children," Turtle said, smiling. "Our magic isn't to be used randomly. We've talked about this. Tsunami wanted me to bring Maelstrom right home, remember?"
"But you said no, because you didn't wanna hurt your soul, right?" the purple one said.
"Very good, Lotus. But now, we have her." He turned and smiled towards Maelstrom, who was trying to wrap her head around everything.
"Magic?" she whispered. "Like . . . animus magic?" Turtle nodded, and she stared at him. "That's . . . that's cool!" Maelstrom said, flaring her wings. "Does that mean I have it too?!"
"Well-" Turtle looked startled. "Not-Not necessarily-My sister is your mother, and she doesn't have it, but one of your aunts does, and it runs in the family, so, maybe?" He spread his talons in an 'I don't know' gesture. "Have you tried ordering objects around?"
Maelstrom looked at the ground, and picked up a stone. "Um, so I just . . . say something?" Turtle and Okapi both nodded, watching with dread and excitement, respectively. "Stone, go touch one of the moons and then come right back!"
Nothing happened. Turtle let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank the moons," he muttered, before speaking again. "Hm. That's unfortunate." He looked up, and joy crossed his worried face. "Oh, look! Here she comes!"
Here who comes? Maelstrom thought, looking up. A pink and yellow and RainWing was flying down, and when she landed, instantly wrapped the dragonets in a hug. "Lotus, Okapi, ohhhh my GOSH I missed you so MUCH!" She nuzzled them with her snout, hugging them fiercely, and smiling as her scales were even brighter. "There was a big problem in the rainforest though, and Queen Glory wanted me. She thinks she found her son! And Clay's daughter, too!"
Turtle smiled, leaning down to gently nudge Kinkajou. "That's wonderful. I hope we can take Okapi and Lotus to meet them someday, but, oh! Kinkajou!" He spread his wing towards Maelstrom, and she flinched. "You know Bumblebee, but this is Maelstrom! I think she's Tsunami's daughter."
"Soooo then . . . " Kinkajou released her dragonets and swooped Maelstrom in an unwanted hug. "She's our niece, too!"
"Put me down!" Maelstrom protested, but was being smothered in a hug of love. Kinkajou finally put her down, and she clutched the ground as hard as she could.
"Careful, she's not fully . . . understanding everything, Jouie," Turtle warned, to Maelstrom's pleasure.
"We could explain everything over dinner," Kinkajou suggested. Turtle laughed.
"Way to steal my idea, but I love you anyway. What were you thinking?"
Kinkajou tapped her chin for a second, then turned to Maelstrom. "You like seafood, right? Apparently you were in a CAVE your whole life so far so I'm not really sure, but I think so!"
"Seafood's fine," Maelstrom mumbled. Turtle and Kinkajou nodded, and the RainWing let the yellow and purple dragonets onto her back.
"Just follow them," Bumblebee said, nudging Maelstorm forwards. "I'll be right behind you. I think we're going to The Current, which is the best place in Possibility, maybe Pyrrhia and Pantala!" Bumblebee grinned, skipping as Maelstrom focused on follow the SeaWing. Weird green SeaWing named Turtle. I'll figure out what you have to do with that attack. But I guess, if that green SeaWing is my uncle . . .
He wouldn't be such a bad one to have.
=== Chapter Twelve ===
Clearwing
Clearwing had actually been enjoying the past few days. Well, for the most part at least. While she still wondered and worried about her friends, hoping they were adjusting well and curious as to what their family was like, these were the first days in a long time that Bombardier didn't hurt her. He was still recovering from the attacks, the frost, her venom, everything. All he'd done was give her hateful looks and death glares, but to her, it was far better than being physically hurt. 
Clearwing was walking down the cave after a brief talk with Judgement, when she noticed Vert again. Before he'd stood up for her, defending her from Bombardier, she never paid attention to the IceWing. But since that day, she'd grown more fond of him, even if that day wasn't too long ago. She began to approach, but paused, seeing him speaking to a purple Silkwing with a green stripe along their back. They both seemed to be . . . well, upset wasn't the right word, but the conversation seemed tense. Clearwing pressed herself into a wall and watched, straining her ears to listen.
“Well, one of you two has to look after the kid," Vert said, looking off into the distance. "I'm leaving next moon cycle, and it won't do much good for her psyche if her protector leaves without a word." 
"Whiiiiiich you can't tell her why you're going, exactly?" the SilkWing said, laced with sarcasm. "I mean, it's not like she'll blab. She adores you, Vert. She hardly knows us." 
"If Lily would show herself half the time, she'd be fine." The IceWing glared at a piece of the wall where some lilies were growing, and Clearwing watched as the wall literally moved and a pair of eyes materialized to speak. 
"The entire plan is that I'm staying hidden. Vert, you have to go. I have to stay here, but hidden." 
“Then you can watch her. I should go find Locus. Someone needs to stop him before he gets his talons on those dragonets we worked hard to get away. Besides, he doesn’t know me, so I can stop him if it's needed. And someone needs to buy Trench, Whale, and Felix time to find the SeaWing" 
Vert nodded, but then tapped his claws. "Sorry Violet, but you need to keep an eye on the kid. Felix or someone else can handle Locus. You know I'm not good with dragonets," the IceWing shrugged. "Violet's just better. Well, not too much better but still." 
"What a great way to boost my confidence in this, Vert," the SilkWing said sarcastically. “So, basically I have to do this or help do this, and I don't get a choice." 
"Basically." Vert sighed as Violet growled. "Oh, Don't worry. Just knock some sense into Bombardier when he tries something." It made Clearwing nervous, the way Vert said 'when' instead of 'if'. Surely he'll stop now. He's learned a lesson, right? He's not my father. But maybe he'll act like a better one now? Something told her not, but she wanted to hope it was true. 
The SilkWing rolled her eyes "I hate you all." 
"Yes, yes," the RainWing said, barreling on, “Did Smokeberry get the message?“ 
Vert nodded. “Hopefully. So he should be delivering the news . . . soon. I'm hoping they have time to prepare for Locus.” He looked at the others, and said, "So, it's settled. Lily, hide again and keep an eye on the kid, Bombardier needs to leave her alone. Violet also stays here and beats Bombardier up if need. I'll head out tonight, I guess." He turned to step out, and Clearwing looked directly up into his eyes. 
Vert groaned, facetaloning. “Great. She's here."
"Way to go, Vert," a hidden voice said. Likely the disguised RainWing, Lily. 
"Don't blame me! It's just as much your fault for not noticing her!" Vert snapped, then turned to Clearwing. "How much did you hear?"
"All of it," Clearwing said, with little thought behind her answer. "Are you really leaving so soon, Vert? Is Lily what you meant by 'where the lilies grow'?" Words rushed out of her mouth before she could stop them, all her questions bubbling over in her mind and overflowing. "Where is Luna? Where are my real parents? Who are you all working for? Does Lady Bloodworm know? Please, Vert, answer me!" she cried, eyes widening.
Vert gently patted Clearwing's shoulder and sighed. "Slow down there, buzzy little bee. All I can really say is . . . " he trailed off and took a deep, cold breath. "All I can say is that I have to go. I can't lead these dragons to Violet and Lily."
"And you can't tell anyone either," Violet said, walking up and jabbing Clearwing a bit roughly in the chest. She nodded meekly, and Violet smiled. "Honestly, this dragonet is better than the blue idiots being here. Whale's incompetence is what got us here in the first place."
"Yes, yes, we all know Whale sucks, Violet," Vert said, rolling his eyes. From her hidden perch on the wall, Lily also nodded her head, but Clearwing was just confused. Maelstorm talked to him more than I did, but he never seemed that bad, she thought, recalling the friendly dark blue SeaWing. She looked up from her thoughts, at the gathered dragons.
Vert cleared his throat and stepped away, towards the exit. "Well, we should get going. I need to report to Jewel about this.” The other dragons nodded, but Clearwing's mental alarm bells rang out in her mind. As Vert turned his head, Clearwing rushed forwards, wrapping her arms around Vert's tail and grabbing him in a hug.
“Please take me with you," she whispered, on the verge of tears. Vert was taken aback, clearly not knowing how to respond. He awkwardly patted her on head and looked at her. 
“I can't, Clearwing. For your own safety. They'd be on us in a flash and kill all of us. Even you, maybe," he added, blinking. "It's safer to stay here. You have Lily and Violet-" 
"I don't want to stay here," she whimpered, interrupting him. "I hate Bombardier. I'll risk my life for this. Take me away," she begged. 
Violet approached and slowly pulled Clearwing off Vert's tail, sighing. "We can't, okay? We won't risk our lives for it. But we'll get you out of here soon," she said, smiling and looking down at Clearwing. "Okay?" 
She sighed, sniffling and wiping at her eyes. "F-Fine," Clearwing stuttered, "Can you at least tell my parents-if you know them-tell them that I miss them?" 
Vert nodded. "Sure thing, kid. It's the least you deserve for what you've been going through." 
Vert spread his wings and lifted out of the cave, and Clearwing watched him go, the purple SilkWing tenting her wing over her. Lily camouflaged back into the wall, but there were small telltale flowers cleverly hidden in her disguise. It's amazing how she can disappear so completely but still look realistic, she thought, blinking. Could Charming ever do that? 
She put her talon over her chest, where her heart was. Charming, Maelstrom, Autumn. I hope you all are alright. And I hope I'll see you again, someday soon. 
=== Chapter Thirteen ===
Autumn
Autumn was flying. Finally, she was truly flying! It wasn't the little bursts in the cave or during battle training, and she wasn't afraid of the big red dragon telling her to stop. Avalanche! She finally realized, remembering their name. She'd be looking for me, right?
Despite how wonderfully perfect flying felt, it wasn't right to Autumn. She should have been flying into battle, beside her sister, father, and friends. She should have been flying off from these dragons, ditching them and finding her way home. But as brave as Autumn was, she didn't know where the Wasp's Wings base was anymore. And these older, bigger dragons could catch her in a heartbeat. The ones who claim to be my family.
For a few hours, they'd been flying away from the rainforest (an idea Autumn had been heavily against, she didn't want to leave Charming alone, but she was outvoted), and towards the mountains. Apparently, they were heading 'home'. From beside her, Amber gave a small giggle and nudged her wing against Autumn's. She swerved to the side, spinning in the air, before righting herself and flying straight again.
Don't snap, she thought. Act like a sister. Pretend it's Mammoth, she thought. It was hard, but through gritted teeth, Autumn managed to speak. "What was that about, Amber?"
The pale dragon smiled and looked at Autumn, flying smooth in the air. "I'm just, sorry, I'm just really excited that my little sister is back! And that you're actually willing to be part of the family!" Autumn rolled her eyes, but Amber didn't see it. "I was really worried it would take a lot longer, I mean, you nearly attacked me."
"Uh . . . " Autumn glanced away and filled her voice with as much regret as she could. "Sorry. About that whole thing . . . "
"Nah, it's alright!" Amber chirped, "I know it must be really confusing for you. Mom told us to be ready in case you might snap."
Autumn stared at Amber, watching. Mother. How can I even pretend to call a firescales my mother? It's just not done. I lost my mother to a firescales. Everyone is lying, I just can't fall for it. She focused on flying ahead of her. Her wings felt like they didn't work, heavy and inflexible. Meanwhile, even Clay, with his stubby wings, was flying just fine. Amber was practically doing loops around her. It was embarrassing. She'd been the one who was good at flying her whole life, and now it was like she was the one who was terrible at it.
Maelstrom would never let this go if she knew, Autumn thought. Oh, how she longed to see her friends again! How she wanted to know, if nothing else, that they were at least safe with the Wasp's Wings! How many of them had been taken away like her? Were they also falling for it? Being brainwashed, essentially? Please say they're holding out like I am, she thought, looking at the clouds and imagining her friends. Maelstrom's fighting spirit never breaks. Judgement's too smart. But Clearwing . . . oh, little Clearwing would believe anything they say. 
Autumn was jolted form her thoughts when she heard Amber say, “We’re almost there.” Autumn looked ahead to see a large mountain cliff looming in the distance, with two dragons near it. One was standing on a smooth rock that jutted out from the mountain, and the other was flapping around them excitedly. Autumn could see, even from here, smoke rising form their scales. Autumn narrowed her eyes, feeling disgusted at the two firescales. A growl built up in her throat. I will find a way to kill those firescales before I leave. What they did to my mother cannot go unpunished!
"What's wrong?" Clay asked, slowing himself a bit to Autumn's side. "Feeling a bit nervous?" He chuckled. "Oh, of course you are. Silly question. Like asking me if I'm hungry! Gosh, I'm always hungry. But I promise you, Peril's sweet! Sweeter than cake! Mmmm, caaaaaake . . . " he trailed off and closed his eyes, lost in his thoughts as he let the wind carry him.
Wow, Autumn thought, not amused. My 'dad' is a food-obsessed moron? Really? Couldn't they have been any smarter trying to make us seem related? But even she had to admit, the word 'cake' did make her stomach growl. No! I can't think of anything similar! Quick, list differences! Like . . . like his scales are browner, and he's less golden, and I'm shinier than he is! Yeah, like that!
All Autumn had to do was get along with these dragons she hated. Then she would be free. Just hang on, Autumn. 
As they neared the cliff, the flying dragon squeaked and eagerly zoomed back over to the much bigger smoking dragon. Autumn tensed, her breathing starting to quicken and her whole body tensing. I'm so close, she thought. So close to my mother's murderer. And yet I can't do a thing. They landed near the burning dragons, and Autumn could see the joy reflecting in their piercing blue eyes. The false joy that they thought she was part of their family. The false joy that they loved her. It made Autumn sick. 
Amber did a flip in the air beside Autumn and flung herself into the arms of the older firescales. Smoke billowed around them, but Amber was unharmed. Clay stepped forwards and put his wing over the same dragon, and yet while he seemed to get warm, he wasn't burned at all. Even the smaller firescales joined the hug, adding more fire, and nobody was even singed. "H-How?!" Autumn stammered, confused and a little scared. Immune to fire? How?! It doesn't make sense! 
Three pairs of blue eyes, and one pair of brown ones, stared at Autumn, confused. It was the older firescales who spoke first, slowly, and with a much deeper voice than Autumn was expecting. "Because . . . what? How what?" She blinked, tilting her head. 
"How are you not burning-Any of you!" Autumn cried, digging her claws into the ground. 
"Oh," the coppery-red dragon let out a sigh. "That's easy to explain. So, I'm on fire, and therefore can't be burned. Copper is also on fire. Amber has no fire at all, but her body adapted to be immune so she'd survive her egg. And big ol' doofus over here-" she looked at Clay with a smirk, and he ducked his head- "Is fireproof. Like you should be, come here!" 
The firescales took a step towards Autumn, and her ears pinned as she took a step back. The wall of sheer heat coming off of this dragon felt like enough to burn her. Fireproof? But Hickory burned me in the cave only that day . . . I can't be- "STAY BACK!" she suddenly shouted, just as the huge dragon reached a fiery talon towards Autumn's shoulder. She exchanged a confused glance with Clay, who just shrugged and gently played with the dragonets. 
"It's okay," the firescales said, grinning. "My name's Peril, if if helps. Well, probably not, but if this helps, I'm your real mom! Woohoo! Family reunion part!" She looked down at Autumn like she was expecting a similarly maniac reaction, but Autumn scooted inwards and tried to steady her breathing. 
"You're not my family," she breathed, letting her facade slip a moment. Peril looked upset, and Autumn was too scared to cover it up. 
"You don't mean that, right?" Peril asked, then laughed. "No, of course you don't! Now, come give your mom a hug!" She reached out towards Autumn, who was now at the edge of the rock. Nowhere to run, she realized. The burning talon came closer and closer, the heat unbearable. Autumn scrunched her eyes shut and waited for the same burning fate that had taken her true mother away. 
For a moment, as Peril's talon touched Autumn's shoulder, everything was fine. It was a gentle act, not meaning to hurt. 
But the way it suddenly burned Autumn was fierce. Her eyes shot open as white-hot pain seared in her arm, and she screamed, coughing a bolt of flames into Peril's face out of desperation. She kicked at the rock below her talons, and watched as she ran out of rock, slipping off and into the air. Wings, WINGS! Autumn thought, terrified. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire-literally-and it was all she could think about. Voices shouted from above, and the warm brown dragon that was her dad dove of the ledge without a second thought. 
Air was rushing past her. Autumn was falling, actually falling. She'd never fallen before, or at least, not very far before someone caught her. The panic that shot through her, the wind filling her ears like a hurricane, Oh, how her heart was trying to jump out of her chest, and how her wings weren’t responding and the pain. The pain was the only thing she could focus on. It burned, scorched, and danced on her shoulder like a bubbling volcano, taunting her and making her see stars in her vision. It was unbearable, worse than any burn Hickory had given her. 
A warm brown talon shot towards her, and she heard Clay's voice shout, "Autumn! Grab my talon!" Her mind was on fire, too confused and hurt to answer. She weakly tried to make her arm move, to make an effort, but it was like her entire body was shutting down on her. She was frozen, except for her shoulder, which was burning up and hurting. "Autumn!" 
She tried to respond, be it words, a motion, even a noise to make it known that she heard him. Nothing happened, no sound came out, and Autumn continued to fall. With a fierce shout, Clay picked up speed and suddenly, Autumn was wrapped in his warm scales. The ground was still approaching fast, but Clay spread his wings, pulled upwards, and managed to get back into the air with only his tail brushing the tips of the trees. Autumn's body suddenly responded again as she clung to Clay, crying and shaking. "I'm scared," she whispered, between gulps of air. "Dad, I'm scared." 
"It's going to be okay, Autumn," he said, softly. The terror in his voice was leaving, as was the determination she'd heard in it was well. "I've got you." Autumn let out a choked sob and buried her face in the amber scales of the larger MudWing. Hickory wouldn't have saved me, she thought, realizing. He would have let me fall and get hurt. This stranger cares more than my own father does. Why doesn't anyone love me? Her mind was a blur, but her shoulder pain was finally dying down. Clay gently set her back down on the rock ledge, where the three pairs of blue eyes stared at her again. 
Amber had her wings flared, keeping a curious Copper at bay, muttering and snapping at him every time he tried to advance. Even for dragonets, they seemed so mature. Like they knew what was wrong with the world and could fix it, while still being able to live with everything that was messed up. Do they care about me? Autumn thought, looking at her supposed siblings. 
Peril seemed terrified, her face aghast and pale. "AUTUMN!" she wailed, steam coming off her face as tears welled in her eyes and evaporated, "Oh, Clay, is she alive? Is she going to be alright? What did I do wrong, shouldn't she be fireproof too?!" Her words were coming out fast, and Autumn was amazed she understood them all. She feels guilty. Does she care about me? Hickory never did when he burned me, but Mammoth would apologize if she was too rough in training. 
She turned her gaze back to Clay, who was breathing hard, shielding Autumn with a wing, and trying to calm down Peril all at once. "You didn't do anything wrong, Peril," he said, calmly. "I don't know why she isn't either. We'll figure it out, okay? Please, don't cry, she's okay. She's alive, and she finally acknowledged me as her dad." Clay puffed out his chest, and Autumn sighed. Does he care? 
Then, what he'd said sunk in. I did WHAT?! When did I call him 'dad'?! Autumn's mind raced, trying to think of it. But I won't! I didn't! And I don't mean it! He's not my dad, this isn't my family! She grabbed her head, and faced the ground so nobody would see her cry more. They're getting to me, they're brainwashing me just like they did to Charming! I CAN'T GIVE IN! 
Autumn let out a fierce roar, and everyone stopped to look at her. She looked across at her waiting family, flapped her wings once into the air, and dove off the cliff again. I have to get away. I can't stay anymore. I can't forget my real family. 
=== Chapter Fourteen ===
Maelstrom 
"Well, here we are!"
Turtle flared his wings in front of an elaborate-looking restaurant, marked with symbols of fish, whales, clams, octopuses (Octopi? She didn't know what the plural was), and anything else under the sea. Gems and pearls were inlaid into expensive stones, each one polished until it shined. Not a single bit of damage was on the building, and a soft music played from inside. It was clearly some kind of upscale, fancy place. Maelstrom took a step forwards, but the yellow RainWing-Kinkajou-grabbed her arm gently and giggled.
"Oh, not there," she said. "That's Turtle's favorite place, but since we have our dragonets and YOU-!" she practically exploded with joy right then- "We're going to the funner place!"
Is funner a word? Maelstorm thought, as the RainWing and her family dragged her into a much smaller establishment that had a much more . . . childish feel to it. Like it was meant for younger dragonets. Oh boy, she thought. Here we go. Inside, it was rather chaotic, with several dragonets all scampering around a wooden play structure in the center of the building. They laughed and chirped and taunted each other, getting to the highest points only to be knocked down and climb up all over again. Is that what I look like with my friends? Maelstrom wondered to herself. Just thinking about it blasted a whole new hole into her heart. 
Maelstrom was startled when she felt someone touch her shoulder. She jumped back, spinning with a hiss, and saw a surprised Turtle who was giving her a concerned look. “Are you okay?” he asked, a little wide-eyed. "I didn't mean to startle you, Maelstrom." 
She shook her head, getting rid of the thought of her friends, and murmured, “Yeah . . . " she cleared her throat and tried again, more confidently. "Yeah, I’m fine.” 
Turtle nodded, but didn't seem fully convinced with a 'hm' sound. He started to move towards an empty table, and Maelstrom hurriedly tried to catch up. A dragonet darted across her path as she took a step, and she nearly tripped over herself trying to avoid them. The small purple dragon squeaked and dove under a nearby table, where a larger, more motherly dragon scooped them up and glared at Maelstrom. She ducked her head and avoided eye contact. 
Would Sunfish do that to me? Did she ever? She thought hard. Not once, even in her earliest memories, did Sunfish hold her like that. Protectively. Lovingly. Willing to glare at other dragons just because they did anything to your dragonet. Does anyone love me like that? 
As she focused on Turtle again, a sharp color caught the corner of her eye. Maelstrom slowly turned to stare at it, and saw the calm aquamarine scales of a very familiar SeaWing. Trench! She thought. A hidden rage bubbled inside of her. If not for him and Whale, my parents wouldn't have suffered! I'd still be home! She took a step towards him, but stopped. But if I was home, I'd never have met Turtle. Or Kinkajou. Or Lotus or Okapi. She glanced at the Sea-Rain family she was tailing. And they seem to care. 
Slowly, Maelstrom let go of her rage and took a deep breath. It's okay. But her mind still wondered-why was Trench even here? This seemed like the kind of place he'd despise, but his daft brother Whale would absolutely love. That klutzy idiot and his navy scales was what started all the problems back home. He seemed so . . . naive was the best word for it. Maelstrom could remember that the SeaWing brothers often fought. Well, Trench would yell at Whale, at least. She'd assumed that's how siblings acted. But seeing Autumn and Mammoth, and now the young sisters in front of her, made her reconsider. If I have siblings, can I choose how I act with them? She tossed her head. If. That's ridiculous.
In front of her, Turtle and Kinkajou sat a table, and Okapi and Lotus sat across from them, grinning and whispering to each other. Maelstrom stood awkwardly, sucking in a sharp breath as she realized there wasn't exactly a place for her to sit. She was too young to sit with the adults, and too old to understand the games and imagination that the dragonets had. Almost as if realizing her situation, Kinkajou looked at Maelstrom, and then quickly shot her tail out, grabbed a chair, and brought it to the table, knocking Maelstrom into it as she did. 
"There!" the RainWing said, pleased with herself. Turtle rolled his eyes, like he'd seen this before. Maelstrom clutched the edge of the table, and looked across at the family again. An emerald green SeaWing with a pink-and-yellow RainWing. Anxious and quiet with bubbly and excitable. A golden armband with a black stone. And their dragonets, of course. Yellow and pink with hints of green, always changing colors. Another copper armband with a black stone. Pale purple with darker green flecks, freckles that reminded Maelstrom of Autumn.
The table was mostly quiet, until Maelstrom looked over at Turtle. "So . . . you're an animus," she squeaked. It wasn't really a question, more of a statement, but still. Turtle seemed to flinch again, but gave a confirming nod. 
"It's . . . it's not all it's cracked up to be," he said, glancing at Okapi worriedly. "But-I want to know about you, Maelstrom. Where have you been? Tsunami's been in a rage ever since the night you were stolen, six years ago."
She sighed. It's okay. Just tell them. They're probably not lying, things make too much sense because of it. "I was raised by a SeaWing couple, Hammerhead and Sunfish," she began, "They were really nice. We were part of an organization called The Wasp's Wings. We want to put Wasp back on the HiveWing throne." She didn't elaborate, but her thoughts were spinning. 
Kinkajou blinked, and looked over at Turtle. "Isn't Wasp that one that you literally left the continent to go defeat? Something like that?" Turtle nodded, and Kinkajou suddenly slammed her talon on the table, realization gleaming in her eyes. "And you made that map! You helped all those SilkWings and LeafWings get over here!" she turned to Maelstrom, and tried to look angry, but it didn't work. "Absolutely not, when my husband goes and defeats someone, they stay defeated! Like how he almost defeated-"
"Don't say his name!" Turtle suddenly shouted, out of character for him. He grabbed his head and looked down, resting on the table. Nearby dragons at other tables started to stare. Maelstrom didn't know why, but she glared at those dragons until they stopped. Something's wrong, and they have no right to be all nosy and such. Maelstrom hated it when dragons poked their snouts onto things that didn’t concern them. It was so rude. 
Maelstrom looked back and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Whale’s navy scales. She turned to stare directly at them, and saw the pair of light and dark tails slip into the crowd. 
Maelstrom felt panic slowly filling her as she realized that Trench and Whale were actually here. Looking for me, she thought. Her claws clutched the table, and her heart started to beat faster, faster, faster-Until it was racing and pounding. They're going to take me away from this, she thought. I can be mad at them all I want. I can want to see my parents all I want. But these dragons I have, who seem to care. I want to hold onto this as long as I can. Maelstrom squeezed her eyes shut as tight as she could, and tucked her wings at her side even more. I can't be taken away again, I'll lose so much more- 
“Are you okay?" Kinkajou's scales were green and white with worry, and that hopelessly angry face was gone. Maelstrom didn't answer, just shut her eyes again, and Kinkajou sounded even more worried. "I-I didn't actually do something to her, did I? Turtle?" She stopped talking, but Maelstrom heard her panicked breathing. 
"Calm down, Jouie, please," Turtle whispered. "It's okay. I'm sure she's just thinking. Take a deep breath for me." 
Maelstrom opened her eyes. Turtle was comforting Kinkajou, but their dragonets were nowhere to be seen. How? She thought. They were just here. She glanced around and eventually saw the two of them running around, playfully tackling each other and being joined by a third dragonet that she didn't recognize. 
CRASH! 
The entire restaurant fell silent and turned to stare as a waiter lay in a messy heap with a navy blue SeaWing. There were broken plates, shattered glass, and food scattered across the two dragons. Whale looked around at all the eyes on him, and pointed towards Trench. "It's not my fault! Trench did it!" 
"Oh for-" the aquamarine dragon groaned, and glared at the dragons in the restaurant. "I'm sorry for this bumbling idiot's antics, everyone. We'll be on our way." He glanced at the waiter and added, "And I'll make sure to pay you extra." 
Maelstrom watched as Trench began to drag Whale away, hearing him mutter, annoyed. "Can't believe you, honestly. I'm amazed you've stayed a spy for this long, and ashamed to call you my business partner. Really . . . " his voice trailed off as he moved away, but just for a second, Trench turned his head and locked eyes with Maelstrom. Her eyes widened as she stared at him, before she turned back towards the table and closed her eyes again. 
"Well, that was something," Kinkajou said. "Enough silliness, let's order already." 
Maelstrom didn't say a word. She was too busy thinking. Whale and Trench are here. They're partners, not brothers. They're looking for me. What can I do? Why are they here, of all places? Who are they spying for? Too many unanswered questions, and too much of a headache for a young SeaWing. 
"What can I get for your wonderful family, Kinkajou?" A bright crimson SkyWing stood by the table, a warm smile contrasting their scarred face. "And who's the new face? Seems too old to be a new member." 
"Oh, it's not that, Alex." Kinkajou smiled and curled her tail around Maelstrom's under the table. Okay, don't panic, Maelstrom thought, flinching at the touch without meaning to anyway. It's fine. "This is Maelstrom. We think she's Turtle's niece." 
The waitress clucked her tongue, and Maelstrom saw gold teeth flash at her. "Whoo boy, seems like a talonful. Those little ruffians and a long-lost niece? I wish you two the best." Suddenly, the SkyWing leaned down towards Maelstrom, but didn't get in her face. "I'm Alexornis, but these two are regulars. Anything you want, it can be on the house." 
Maelstrom stared at the SkyWing, being so friendly, and was filled with a sudden rushing memory. Crimson. Red. Bright blood, dripping off her talons. The tang of iron in her mouth. The itchy feeling that the blood had left as it dried. The dragons she'd hurt. Vicious slashes, shouts of anger, tearing into others with teeth and claws. It was like a pounding in her head, gentle but quickly becoming throbbing and unbearable. 
"Is she alright?" 
Maelstrom whimpered, stuck in her mind. Red and green clashing. Tearing pouches off. Snarling and hissing while being bound. Watching dragons spiral down, the fight raging around. The helpless feeling. The knowledge of the damage she'd left. The lives she could have ended. The friendships she'd ruined before they could bloom. The family she'd scorned. The one she'd lost. Being unable to even shout. Thorns digging in. Gills feeling clogged. Adrenaline and power and fury mixing into one. 
"I'm . . . I'm sure of it. Maelstrom?" 
MudWings. LeafWings. SilkWings. All sorts of tribes pouring in. HiveWings with armor and spears fighting back. The lives that were lost. The blood. The wounds. The pain. The unbearable agony. Having to watch. Watch, unable to help. Unable to save her friend. Hoping the others were safe. Worrying about her parents. A never-ending fight. The unseen aftermath. Her friends. Metaphorical thorns around her heart, matching to the physical ones around her neck. Freedom. Trapped. 
Autumn. Charming. Judgement. Clearwing. 
"MAELSTROM!" 
Turtle's emerald scales filled her vision as she blinked up at him. "Maelstrom! Are you okay? Please, say something!" 
"Did I scare her?" the red SkyWing asked. Maelstrom flinched when she saw their scales and pressed her talons to her eyes. They had a name, and she'd been told it. But that name was tied to those awful scales. The color she didn't want to think about. The color that sent her spiraling. 
"No, no, she just does this sometimes!" Kinkajou's voice was a little panick-y, and her tone wasn't certain. From the shifting of wings, the SkyWing didn't believe it either. "Please, Maelstrom," she whispered. 
"I-I can have anything, right?" Maelstrom asked, softly. She couldn't look, only talk and breathe. 
"Yes, anything," the waitress confirmed. 
"I want answers," she said, almost to herself. "Answers with a side of the truth." 
=== Chapter Fifteen ===
Clearwing
It was battle training. Again. 
Clearwing's talons trudged through the grass as she moved. With Fire Ant dead, she didn't know who her teacher would be. Her guess would have been Avalanche, but the burly SkyWing had died. Defending us, she thought with a stab of guilt. But we don't need defending. We need saving. She fought to keep us trapped. Ceja was another possible option, or Cadelle could double up on history and battling. But really, anyone could replace Fire Ant physically. None could do it mentally.
She was walking through the aboveground camp, but stopped dead when she saw Bombardier. He hadn't noticed her yet, and with some luck, she could force herself to hide. Her yellow scales blended with the grass, but the blue and black would be dead giveaways. Unfortunately, they were giveaways Bombardier knew about, and despite her efforts, Clearwing saw him coming towards her. There was no kindness in his eyes, only death and hate. Her venom had crippled his front arm, and he was seeking vengeance, she knew it. Other dragons were obstacles to be moved to him as the camp bent to make way for the red and black menace.
Clearwing backed away out of fear as her former father stood in front of her. All the memories and pain flashed in her eyes, and she flinched as he lifted a claw. Bombardier laughed, seeing her in such a terrified state. “You've got no one left, wyrm. All your precious 'protectors' are gone. Weaver, Fire Ant, even Vert. Which means you can finally get the punishment that you need!” He leapt at her without warning, and easily pinned her with just a single talon. Her stomach was completely exposed. 
I'm dead, she thought, her heart racing as she stared up at Bombardier. He's going to slice my stomach and pull out my guts. He's going to kill me here and now, and I can't do anything about it. Claws dug in her throat and a heavy blow to her chest had Clearwing coughing blood and seeing stars. Bombardier snickered. "What, going to cry again? Go ahead. Nobody will hear you." His voice was like icicles, stabbing at her ears.
"Lay off, Bombardier."
The red and black dragon turned, but didn't release Clearwing. She could make the purple scales of the SilkWing from before--Violet, if she remembered right. Granted, her memories were getting blurry and fuzzy, but she was sure it was right. "What, gonna tell the Lady?" He smirked. "Yeah, we've both been wanting to kill this brat for a while. Me, and Bloodworm, and Cadelle. All of us."
"I won't do any of that," Violet said, calmly sitting and folding her wings at her sides. What is she doing?! Clearwing thought. The world was starting to become fuzzy, like her mind. 
"Oh? Then what?" Bombardier threw his head back with a laugh. His mistake was closing his eyes.
"Break your arm." With a hiss and a flash of movement, Violet had tackled Bombardier off Clearwing and pinned him on his stomach, but his good arm was behind him. With just a bit of pressure, Clearwing heard the crack of bone. It made her sick, and she fought to hold down her food. She'd heard the sound too many times, usually accompanied by pain. Even if it wasn't her, her own body ached like a bone had broken.
Bombardier let out a cry of pain, but Violet didn't seem to care. She flared her wings, a menacing purple display, and other dragons started to take notice and gather around to watch. Clearwing shrank backwards, hating the crowd and the violence before her. "Yield," Violet hissed, as Bombardier writhed under her.
"Never," he spat. "I'll kill you!" He tried to swing his tail to stab Violet with his painful stinger, but she moved her back tail to pin it before he could. "I'll kill you, and anyone else who tries to defend that pitiful little lizard!" 
Clearwing was pale, but Violet didn't seem bothered by the treat. "No, no you won't." She carried on, her face unchanging. "You haven't killed anyone. You've hardly hurt anyone, except for Clearwing. But here's the thing-" Her claws dug into his head, and he winced quietly as she leaned down- "I have. Make all the threats you want. But if you touch her, if you hurt her, hell, if you so much as yell at her, I will personally be your death. Understood?"
"F-Fine," Bombardier hissed. Violet snorted, hearing the false tone in his voice, and pushed her arm down more. Bombardier shouted, "ALRIGHT, FINE!" The SilkWing didn't stop, however, and another painful crack rang out. Both bones, Clearwing thought, gently touching her arm. It was almost healed, and out of the sling, but still ached from time to time. Just like he'd done to me. But does he deserve it? Do I really want him to hurt? She thought of the pain he'd been in when she'd stung him. 
It's fine, she told herself. He deserves it. Slowly, as Clearwing managed to back away from the fight and the crowd, she calmed herself. And once the horde of scales was behind her, Clearwing took off running towards her battle training. 
Judgement was waiting for her, along with Mammoth, Ceja, and a deep ruby red SkyWing that Clearwing didn't recognize. "Are you okay?" Judgement asked, gently reaching out and touching her face. Clearwing flinched and stayed silent. "It's okay," Judgement continued, nodding. "I get it. Bombardier. And battle training on top of that. And Fire Ant . . . " he trailed off. 
Clearwing sighed. "It's fine, Judgement. Who's the new one?"
"That's Flame. Avalanche's son," Judgement said, sounding a lot like he was reciting something from a book. "He and Ceja are going to be taking over the training."
Clearwing glanced at the SkyWing, getting a look at her new teacher. She found a sickening resemblance to Fire Ant in his red scales, but his face was nothing like her late HiveWing mentor. It was a cold and angry kind of fury, one that she'd seen on Bombardier, and his rage seeped out through the scars marring his face-especially the thin one that ran right through his eye. She wondered if he could see out of it. 
Judgement must have sensed her unease, the resemblance this dragon had to Bombardier, and gently brushed his wingtip to hers. Clearwing smiled, and felt a piece of the anxiety inside her melt away with her friend by her side. The moment was short-lived, however, as only a moment later, Judgement grabbed his head and doubled over, hunching his wings around him. 
"Judgement?" Clearwing asked, a panic gripping her heart. "Judgement, are you okay?" The only answer she got was a low moan as her friend shook horribly. She didn't know what to do. The adult dragons had yet to take notice, making them just as useless as when Clearwing needed their help. If only that SilkWing was here . . . but she's still fighting Bombardier, she thought. 
Clearwing was about to shout for help, but Judgement suddenly shot a talon out and grabbed Clearwing, pulling himself up and her down at the same time. He looked directly up at her, and his eyes were wild. Unfocused. It wasn't him behind that blank gaze, it couldn't be. But when he spoke, the voice was unmistakably his. "Autumn is in trouble." He had stated it so clearly, like a fact he was reading off a scroll behind Clearwing, and it made her nervous. "Maelstrom is in danger. Green and gray are hunting them."
Then, he collapsed, slumping into Clearwing with a cry of pain. He shuddered in her arms, and she didn't know what to do. Tears spilled from her eyes, her natural response to panic, and now the other dragons around them were noticing. Voices whispered, demanded, cried, shouted all around her, a torrent of commands and pleas and worry she didn't have time or brainpower to process. The only thing she was focused on was her friend. In pain. And she couldn't do anything.
"Move aside, or I will cut your tails off and shove them up your snouts."
A more commanding and louder voice broke the murmur around her, and Clearwing froze. She looked up and saw the ill-tempered SkyWing-Flame-standing over her. "I-I'm-" she stammered for words. "Judgement's-He-And I-What-"
Flame sighed and lightly pressed a claw to Clearwing's snout, shushing her. "Shh, calm down. Wishful's on her way. It's alright." The gentle touch to his voice, the way he spoke to Clearwing so softly and calmly . . . it made her want to cry even more. It was like a parental love, almost. That was the moment Clearwing realized that this harsh dragon had been through a pain she had too. They'd both lost their mothers, who gave them so much. Was that why he was speaking so nice to her?
"Flame, you really should-"
"Back off," he snapped at whoever had been talking. "I've already done what can be done. Go back to doing whatever it was that couldn't save my mother." His voice was harsh, furious, but seemed to crack on the final word. It was like Flame was determined to remind everyone what had happened and make it their problem. Maybe I can try that, Clearwing thought. But she wasn't aggressive. Or intimidating. And it wasn't this particular dragon-a HiveWing-who'd been directly responsible. It was the overall attack. 
I can't blame anyone for what happened. All I can do is learn to heal from it. Clearwing slowly stood up and looked at Flame. "I-I need a minute. To myself."
He nodded and nudged her gently. "Don't wander off too long, okay?" 
=== Chapter Sixteen ===
Autumn
Autumn didn't make it far with her little stunt before she'd been caught again. Now, she sat inside a large, hollowed-out cave home, on a stone bench with pillows stuffed full of feathers. Bandages covered her shoulder, and Clay was cooking something and humming cheerily not too far from her. Peril sat in a corner, looking over at Autumn every now and then, and another small burning dragon was coiled next to her, peacefully sleeping. But next to Autumn was the first dragon who she'd talked to, the pale dragonet that claimed to be her sister.
"We're not that bad of a family, are we?" Amber asked, tapping her claws on the table. "I mean, I guess it's really confusing for you, so I'll take it down a notch. Autumn, your name was?"
She nodded, a little glumly, and rested her head on the table. The smooth stone was cool against her scales, and she wanted to stay like this forever. If she became part of the table right now, she'd have no complaints. She wanted to be home. Her real home, not with these dragons that said they were her family. Not with these firescaled monsters. Had they been nice to her? Yes, they had. And Clay hadn't yelled at her the way Hickory did. Amber was much sweeter than Mammoth. But Autumn missed her family dearly. 
She couldn't let the thoughts and words of these dragons poison her mind. Autumn knew she would be saved . . . she just had to hold out. 
For what? Part of her brain countered. Nobody is looking for you. They'd have found you by now. You'd have heard something. These dragons love me and care about me, enough that they wanted to search for me and dragged me here. Just . . . she found the phrase she'd heard so much rattling in her head. Give them a chance. Love them back, Autumn. Come on. The Wasp's Wings lying wasn't new, if this was her true family. They lied about Clearwing having venom for the first few years of their lives. They lied about what happened to Judgement's parents, and it was a new lie every time. It wouldn't be a stretch. I'm faster. Stronger. Fly further. 
Doubt ate at her mind, and suddenly, the idea of holding out, of resisting, fighting these dragons . . . it started to melt away. Hickory couldn't be her biological father. Mammoth couldn't be her biological sister. Things just didn't line up. And while she thought her mother was dead, she was very much alive. Even if she's a firescales. Maybe. Maybe it's true. 
"Wow, you look like you just figured something out," Amber commented, patting Autumn. "That's wonderful for you, whatever it was." 
She turned and lunged forwards, grabbing Amber into a hug and starting to sob. Why? She didn't know. Was she happy to be with her real family, or upset that she'd never see her false one again? Was she glad to have a mother, overjoyed, even, or fearful that it was a monster? Was she worried that her doubts were true and she was truly being brainwashed? But throughout all of this, Autumn felt she knew why she was crying. She was safe here (somewhat). Charming was safe with his family. Maelstrom and Judgement and especially Clearwing aren't, though.
Autumn felt her sister hug her back, and felt wings envelop her. They were chilly, but she didn't care. This was home. This was her family. And she was going to love them. The normal ones, anyway. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move, but there was nothing there. Her tears were just making her sight blurry. "Amber," Autumn whispered, "Can I have a proper introduction to the family?" 
"Of course!" she chirped, sitting up and releasing Autumn, pointing to the family members as she spoke. "Clay is our father, and he's just the sweetest, bestest dad ever. Peril is our mother, and she's the best story ever. She used to be stuck as a fighter, but turned her life around. She's also really sweet, and crazy protective. Copper is our brother, and my twin, and he's just a silly lil' goofball." 
"Am not!" The glowy copper dragon shouted from across the room. Amber gave a small grin, watching the reaction she'd gotten. 
"He thinks he's not, but he really is," she whispered to Autumn. "It's the best kind of goofball to have." Autumn snickered, covering her snout with her talon so Copper didn't see it. Is this fitting in? She thought. Being part of something meaningful? 
"I-" Autumn started, but stopped quickly. Amber tilted her head questioningly, and Autumn groaned internally. Now I have to ask it. "Hybrid couples are rare, and if Peril was a fighter, than how did she and Clay even meet?" 
Amber blinked, her wide blue eyes shining in the dim light. "That's a pretty long story. Probably one for them to tell you, anyway," she said, stretching a bit. "But hey, dinner's almost ready, you can ask them!" She hopped off the stone bench, bounced over to Clay, and started talking indistinctly. Autumn couldn't make out words, but Clay seemed to nod as he was portioning something onto some plates. 
"Autumn, you like cows, right?" he asked suddenly, making her jump. 
"Uh . . . yeah," she mumbled. Clay gave a sigh of relief, and walked over to the table, setting something down in front of her. It smelled heavenly, a meaty scent mixed with herbs and cooked to perfection. Steam wafted off of it, tickling Autumn's nose, and her mouth watered. A small thought wandered into her brain, thinking about the food she used to be fed. It was also always delicious. Floe was a great chef, and sorrow suddenly started eating away Autumn's appetite just thinking about it. 
The other dragons sat down at the table, the smoke rising off the two firescales and filling the air nearby. Amber was tucked under Clay's wing, who also had a wing around Peril, and Autumn felt weirdly excluded. But I can't touch them, she thought, looking at the veins running through Peril's wings. They glowed like angry snakes, wiggling and writhing, pulsing with lava. Her shoulder still ached from the burn. She hurt me. I'll love Clay and Amber but I cannot love monsters. 
"Aren't you going to eat?" Clay asked, tilting his head. "You haven't eaten since we rescued you. Wow, I can't even imagine not eating for that long. Food is really great!" 
"Especially when you make it, dad," Copper added, nuzzling into his father's wings. Autumn watched, blinking, sitting with a solemn silence. She was hungry, desperately so. Her stomach growled, roared at her, begging her to eat, but her heart wasn't in it. Her spirit was clouded over with thoughts of her life. Everything she missed and wanted back. She felt like crying, but her body demanded she eat something before it was going to do any of that. 
Amber waved her talon. "Don't push her, guys. But um, Autumn had a question. Go ahead!" 
All eyes were on her again. The four dragons waited, watching her, ears perked for a response. Autumn's mouth felt dried up, her tongue tied and throat choked. She couldn't even manage a squeak. Time passed, the silence roaring in her ears, the confusion and worry spreading at the table. Amber winced, realizing what she'd done. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-Put you on the spot," she whispered. "A-Autumn wanted to know how you two met." 
Clay and Peril looked at each other, and first hugged Amber. "It's alright," Peril whispered, smiling. "You're not used to dragons like this. Give her some time to adjust, and she'll warm right up. Okay?" Amber nodded. "Good. Clay, if you'll start?" 
"Sure!" His voice seemed to have a happy rumble to it, and he cleared his throat. "It started when me and my friends escaped from our 'home'. It was . . . a lot similar to you, Autumn. We had been stolen as eggs and raised without knowing our family." Clay's face softened, but Autumn saw a pain hiding behind his eyes. "At least you got to find yours and, hey, we're pretty good if I say so myself. Much better than my mother, anyway." 
Peril rolled her eyes. "Sold him for a pair of cows, apparently. MudWings," she hissed, shaking her head. The table silenced, and Peril stopped cold. "I-Not you all! I love you guys!" 
Clay sighed. "It's alright, Peril. But, back to the story. So, me and my friends were . . . " he trailed off, looking at Autumn intently. She was confused. Why? He cleared his throat, glanced at Peril, and slowly continued. "We were captured by Queen Scarlet. And that's where I met Peril, but it wasn't until a few years later when me and my friends founded Jade Mountain Academy that we actually really called things official." 
"Oh, you knew it was love from the moment we saw that you could touch me," Peril scoffed, looking a touch hurt. Clay didn't seem to notice, and hugged her, smiling. Peril's whole face seemed to light up again, like any touch from Clay was electric and perfect. Wonder if I'll ever feel that way about anyone, Autumn thought, closing her eyes for a moment to daydream about it. However, her thoughts were broken when Peril started chirping again. "But even beside that, you're just such a lovable guy, Clay! You're always so sweet, and kind, and you're the only dragon who even gave me a chance!" 
"Peril, we talked about this," Clay said, sighing a bit. "You can't be so clingy to me all the time, okay?" Autumn swore she saw Peril's lip tremble, and it must have been true, because Clay flinched and swiftly spoke to cover it up. "I-I mean-" 
Peril turned her head with a hurt expression. "N-No, Clay, I deserve to have you. I'm allowed to be clingy when you're the only one I can do it to. Apologize." The table was silent afterwards. Clay was torn between a look of sorrow and dread, like this had happened before. Amber and Copper looked at each other, then at Clay. Autumn felt like there was something to say here, but she didn't know what. 
At least, until she saw a slight twitch of Clay's wing, and his head droop down a little more. He opened his mouth to speak, and Autumn suddenly rushed to beat him to it. "Peril, he doesn't have to apologize for anything!" She blurted. Somehow, it felt right. Not like she was going to get in trouble for speaking back to an older dragon. "He can have his personal space, and you have to respect it." In Clay and Peril, Autumn suddenly had a flash of the cave. 
Weaver and Bombardier. But she can't be as bad as he was, Autumn thought, looking into Peril's shaking blue eyes. But firescales are monsters. Does she hurt Amber and Copper the way Bombardier hurt Clearwing? Panic and pain seized Autumn's heart as she looked up at Peril, who was in stunned silence. 
"She's right," Clay said, breaking the tense atmosphere. "I just couldn't say it myself. Now, can we just eat?" The dragonets nodded quietly, and began to eat again as if nothing happened. Clay devoured what was left of his food as well. Peril just sat there, though, staring at the bit of cow like she was deep in thought. Planning something? Feeling regret? What goes on in that thing's head?? 
Autumn was shaking. Slowly, she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. It's okay. It's okay, right? I'll figure this out and I'll solve it. I just hope my real mom isn't as bad as Clearwing's dad. Shakily, she took another bite, pretending it was a chunk out of Peril's arm. 
=== Chapter Seventeen ===
Maelstrom
In the end, Maelstrom had gotten fish for dinner. Typical. But after the meal, she looked up at Turtle and Kinkajou, who seemed to be expecting something of her. Thanks? Questions? Anger? She didn't know. But with Lotus and Okapi off playing around the restaurant, the chance to ask questions alone might not present itself again. It was a fact Maelstrom knew. 
With a deep breath to collect her thoughts, she asked, "Who are my parents? My real parents?" 
"If we're right, then Tsunami is your mother. She's my sister," Turtle said, picking at a small piece of fish bone on the table. "That would make Riptide your father." 
"Okay." Next question. "Do I have any other family? Sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, anything?" 
Kinkajou jumped in to answer this one. "Oh yeah, you've got tons of uncles. Like, fifty of them. Not including this goober." 
"Please, Jouie, it's only thirty-four," Turtle said, sighing. "Only the youngest two are half-siblings of mine, the others are full siblings." Maelstrom blinked, wondering if she heard that number correctly, but listened on. 
"Aaaaaanywaaaaaay," Kinkajou said, teasing, "A bajillion uncles, but only two aunts! Can you believe it? Auklet's really sweet, and then there's the one that we are not naming because she thinks it's okay to enchant dragons to do things against their will!" She huffed, and red rolled into her scales as she crossed her arms. "Seriously, what was wrong with her??" 
"Um . . . what did she do?" Maelstrom asked, tilting her head. Turtle sighed and shook his head. 
"It's . . . better not to talk about it. Keeps things less awkward. Her name is Anemone." The emerald SeaWing looked down at his claws glumly, like he was reflecting on something horrible. Maelstrom didn't dare to pry further on it. "Let's see, there's also a few great uncles and aunts, and of course, your grandmother, Coral." 
Maelstrom choked on a sip of her drink. "I'm sorry, as in Queen Coral?" She was exasperated. "I mean, nobody told us about the princesses, how was I supposed to find out my mom was one?!" She grumbled, sinking into her seat. Would have been really funny to use royal authority on Bloodworm when she was stabbing everyone with her stingers. To wipe that smug dung-eating grin off her face! 
Turtle nodded. "Yeah, that one . . . it might be a while before you meet her. She never approved of Tsunami and Riptide. Some old-fashioned beliefs with everyone having a place and such, and since Riptide was basically a peasant. She was . . . furious, really, when they got married." 
Maelstrom sighed. "Okay. One more question, I promise. Tell me what my parents are like." 
Kinkajou's grumpy face instantly flicked to a smile. "I can do this one, easy! Tsunami is crazy fierce, she'd throw claws over the slightest inconvenience. She literally threw a desk in the school at one point and I'll never forget it. Riptide is a lot calmer, he's more secretive and mysterious, and together the two make for a really scary duo when you make them upset." 
Maelstrom nodded. "Sounds like some pretty good parents to have. Oh!" She smacked her head. "You never answered me -- do I have siblings?" 
Turtle nodded. "Of course. Two brothers and a sister. Flood, Torrent, and Downpour, I believe. You'll just love them, if you ever get to meet them." She couldn't help but beam, hearing she had siblings. It would be like having her friends close again, especially until the day she could reunite with them. I swear, I'll fight tooth and claw to get back to them. Whatever it takes. 
Somehow, the thought of blood under her claws planted doubt in the sentiment of that statement. 
With the conversation seemingly over, it was just a matter of time before Okapi and Lotus came running back. "Hahahaha! I win the race again, slowpoke!" Okapi shouted, a cheeky grin breaking her face. Her pale scales were dotted with bright yellow, happiness showing through as Lotus came bounding up behind. 
"Aw, no fair! You totally cheated back there!" 
Okapi stuck her tongue out. "Never said tail tripping wasn't allowed this time!" 
"Assume it is, jerk!" Lotus shouted, her ruff flattened against her head. 
"Aw, kids, c'mon," Kinkajou said, opening her wings. "You both win the race, right? The race to get in my wings!" She shouted, eagerly wrapping both dragonets into a huge bear hug. Their laughter was contagious, making even the glum-looking Turtle crack a smile. Maelstrom couldn't even resist, chuckling at their antics. 
Turtle's smile faded again, though, as if his mind was trapped in a dark fog. "Alright, then . . . we've got to get going. Tsunami will be so pleased we've found you." 
Maelstrom sighed. "Yeah . . . so pleased," she said, thinking. I ran. I ran from her and she was my mother. What will she think now? Will she still love me? Can I undo what I've done? 
As they were leaving the resteraunt and heading through the street, though, she heard voices. Familiar voices. Trench, Whale, and an unknown. 
"Seriously, she's fine. We don't need to worry when she's with her family. Whale and I saw it." 
A gruff balk. "Well, our job was to bring her back to the rainforest with her parents." 
"We don't need to anymore. They'll do it themselves, it'll just be weird if we steal her again. Let's just go and head back to the rainforest ourselves. I want my sword back." 
"I'm telling you, we need to do our job-" 
"We don't get paid enough for this . . . " 
The conversation went on for a few hours and they eventually left the Restaurant as they were leaving Maelstrom thought she heard Trench say “Seriously dude we don’t need to worry she’s with family Whale and I saw it.” Maelstrom heard another voice say “Well our job was to bring her back to the rainforest to her parents.” “Well we don’t need to she is fine. Sooo let’s leave and go back to the rainforest I really want my sword back. “ “Can we get cookies” this voice was unmistakably Whales. “No” said trench and the other dragon. The voices faded as Maelstrom flew away with her family. 
=== Chapter Eighteen ===
Clearwing 
Clearwing hadn’t seen Judgment for a few hours. She had caught sight of his unconscious body as dragons tried to help him. Clearwing had tried to help but the dragons had just pushed her to the side. 
Clearing was thinking about everything when she heard a comotion she looked up and saw Three hidings dragging an icewing who was screaming “Let me go do you morons know who I am once Queen Snowfall notices I am missing you will all suffer!” one of the hivewings said “Shut up doctor! I don’t even know why Bloodworm wants to see you. Your too much trouble and to loud.” 
Wait that dragon knows a queen that means she can help me and Judgment get free! 
At that moment Clearwing decided to follow. She stuck to the shadows as best she could creeping down the cave into Bloodworm’s personal quarters. Nobody had ever been in Bloodworm’s chambers unless they were in her inner circle.
Clearwing followed the dragons into a large chamber and hid behind a rock. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a dragon move and cover her south and a fimiliar quiet voice say “Shhh stay queit.” Clearwing nooded and peaked out form he in the rock and heard a voice say “My lady we have a report form Locus. He says that the draginets have been returend to their families and there should hopefully be an opening to capture them all.”
Clearwing heard Bloodworm”Very good tell him to plan I need them all “
”Yes my lady… what about the doctor?”
”Have a room prepared I must speak to her in privat.” Lady blood work then let out a hacking cough 
Lily then quetly led Clearwing out of the cave and into a nother cave her scales turning into an aquamarine. She had a frustrated look on her face and said “What the hell were you doing in Bloodworm’s chambers! Do you know how dangerous that was!?”
”I-Im sorry I saw them with that dragon and I needed to know why.”
”No you didn’t you took a major risk. Listen I won’t be able to help you next time. I have to leave soon.”
Clearwing’a heart fell and she said “W-what?”
”Listen Clearwing I have to go they might be getting on to me I need to move before I’m found out I’m sorry.”
Lily walked away and leaving her . This wasn’t fair Her freinds were gone Vert was gone along with Locus. It wasn’t fair she should be leaving she should leave!
Cleariwing turn and ran out of the cave extending her wings and flying out of the Wasp’s wings camp as best she could! She flew and flew not knowing where she was going. Eventually Clearwing stoped and landed. Clearwing fell down and started crying saying “It’s not fair it’s nit fair I don’t want to stay there I just want to leave!”
Clearwing didn’t hear the dragon approach but she heard a kind voice saying “What’s wrong?”
Cleariwing looked up and saw a kind looking Hivewing who was smiling 
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Semi-Canon)
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Genre (Prophecy)
Category:Genre (Adventure)
Category:Collaborations
Category:Content (Angel Of Madness 001)