“Stay where I can see you Skyling.” It was my first spring since I hatched! The warm spring sun on my scales, and sitting on a warm rock felt great! My father was off hunting rabbits for the hatchlings. It was going to be my first spring rabbit ever!
“Hey Skyling let's go exploring.” I turned to see my friend Clearling. I looked at my mother Darkfly and she nodded her approval.
“Yay, Clearling let's go!” I was so excited. We played around for a bit then I heard a loud voice ring across the clearing.
“All dragon's claws to elders please join for a tribe meeting.”
“That must be Zeirc.” He looked so strong and his wings were amazing! Almost like they were made out of glass! It was my first time to see him because he stayed in his den all winter sleeping.
“I'm going to be twice as strong as him in the future!” I looked over at Clearling slightly startled
“Why?” I asked. He paused
“Hasn't your mother told you?!”
“Told me what?” I was getting more curious by the second
“You can fight for leadership! That's why I need to be twice as strong as him!”
“You are not a claw or a defender yet so how can you beat him?” Clearling looked at me blankly after my words.
“I don't know.” I felt a little bad
“When you're a claw you'll know all sorts of battle moves!”
“How do you know.”
“I… just know.”
I looked and saw my mother looking at Zeirc respectfully. I ran over to her.
“What was that about?”
“In a couple of months the fight to be leader will be held. You don't really need to do it though.” I looked at Zeirc then my mom, there was a huge difference between them. Zeirc looked so much stronger than her. Then I heard loud wings beating rhythmically in the wind. Dads back!
“Welcome back! How was the hunt?” Zeric asked
“Fine.”
“How many rabbits Flarewing?” Purpleheart called
“Flarewing!” I ran over so happy to see him.
“Do you have a rabbit for me?” He reached behind his back and pulled out a thicc, juicy rabbit.
“Can I eat?”
“Yes, yes you can.” I took the rabbit and headed straight for Clearling.
“Clearling! Clearling!” I called.
“Look what Flarewing brought back for me!” Clearling looked at me happily
“You know I can't eat all this by myself, you and me can share it!”
“That would be great!” Then out of nowhere Iceling showed up. I looked at him and gave him a nod.
“How are you doing.” Clearling asked.
* * * * *
That night my mother looked very distant what's wrong I wonder? She really loved when I was around but now it seems not. Is she okay, hurt or scared? I looked around then I realized I was the only egg! I didn't want to ask my mother about it and give her more grief. The next day I asked Flarewing if he could fly me as high as he could go.
“No, not until you can fly.” I was disappointed but I wasn't going to give up. I raced over to the rock heap and jumped off. I flapped as hard as I could but I fell lopsided. I had to limp over to the medicine cave and as soon as I stepped in Flowerheart came rushing out! She didn't looked like she saw me so I went in to find Magictail. He was standing over one of the Defenders I stepped a little closer and I was just able to hear what he was saying.
“You need to eat this it will help with your torn out scales.”
“No I can't eat that it smells like a one hundred year old rabbit!”
“Fine get it infected then see where you get!” To my surprise Sharpscale did what he was told. Then Magictail saw me, he came over and looked me all over and said
“You have a couple of scratches I’ll go get something to clean it up, ok?” I gave a slight nod and he dashed away only to return with some kind of powder.
“It will sting, Ivyseed go and get some water in your wings at the spring.” Ivyseed nodded then flew off. Ivyseed was Magictails' seed as in she grows to a healer when she trains.
“So how did this happen?” Before I had a chance to reply he said
“Jumping off the rock heap to try and fly?” I nodded
“Yes how….”
“You shouldn't have tried” He snapped. By the time he was done it was already sunhigh and I was hungry so I went over to the meat heap.
* * * * *
The next morning Clearling was running around like humans were chasing him. Clearling came running over speaking so fast I couldn't understand.
“Hold on I don't know what you're saying, slow down and breathe.” Clearling looked at me for a moment then.
“Ok well you need to help me please.” I thought for a moment what does he need help with?
“Ok I'll help you what do you need?”
“I need to fly by, tomorrow if I want to be a claw. To the rock pile!” I already tried why take the risk.
“Are you coming or not?”
“Coming clearling! Ok what do I do?”
“I need you to go get the healer dragons if I get injured. And… I want to know how high I get, are you ok with that?”
“Yes I'm ready.” Clearling looked up then down he took a deep breath, jumped, and he flew! I couldn't believe it!
“You're flying, your flying!” I can't believe he can fly and I can't! I thought. Clearling brought me out of my envy.
“Now I can finally have a mentor! Thank You skyling thank you!”
“Why thank me?”
“You are my friend and you always support me so! Thank You” I was hesitant to reply
“Well uh… thanks.”
* * * * *
“Clearling please step forward.” It was Zeric calling for a meeting and, Clearling was finally going to have a mentor! “Clearling you have grown to be worthy of a mentor or have you not?”
“I have”
“Then your mentor will be… Sharpscale! Clearling from this moment you will be known as Clearclaw!” I saw him light up with excitement and Sharpscale swell with pride. Everyone was cheering and wishing Sharpscale luck because he was going to need it. One more moon then I was going to have a mentor to! In the meantime I will grow stronger! It has been three nights since Clearclaw had his name and it was almost time for the night of our ancestors. The night of our ancestors is when we speak with them through the stars, but for years no one has heard from them and tonight I am hoping to see some of my family, my sisters or brothers. A few nights ago I asked Darkfly if I had a sister or brother she said I had a sister named Sunling but died the day she hatched. I need to talk to her I need to know she loves me and is watching me. I laid down beside my mother she was looking at the stars, her eyes full of love and sadness. She told me I will slowly drift to sleep every thing will feel real but, whatever happens, no matter how scary it is don't open your eyes. Around moon high I fell asleep that very instant a figure about my height with stars in her eyes appeared I know it was her it was Sunling!
“Sunling!” I yelled she ran to me
“you came!” She was a beautiful light gold on her wings and light red for her eyes she almost glowed. “Now I don't want this night to end.”
“Same, but it must I have something to tell you,” I nodded “Your life will bend in ways you wouldn’t want, but it will reward you. You have a great destiny and I will always be with you.” Then she disappeared and I was in a dark place. Thunder cracked it started to rain uncontrollably. Out of nowhere a rawer came and a shadowy figure leaned over me, I saw a flash of light then I woke up scared and shaken. Sunlings words repeated over and over in my mind
“You have a great destiny and I will always be with you.” I looked around everyone still sleeping trying to find their dead families. Me and some other hatchlings were looking at each other a bit nervously. Besides us Zeric was up i went over to say something then everyone was waking up.
“May our loved ones, friends and tribe members always be cherished in our minds and hearts.” After that everyone split up, and some defenders were walking up to Zeric to know who is on petroles. All ask him later about my dreams. I went to the meatheap I picked up a rabbit and I saw darkfly talking with Zeric!
* * * * *
One more day till I get a mentor! I was so excited I couldn’t eat that’s when it hit me I need to fly! I ran straight to the apprentice cave hoping that clearclaw was there. He was thank you ancestors. I quickly ran to his nest got a mouth full of his nest and yanked as hard as i could and he flipped over and landed with a hard thump.
“Wha.. who…”
“It's me come on I need to fly today!”
“fine, I'm up i’m up” by the time I got to the rocks he was at the meat heap, when he got here he told me to try and take off from the ground. The second I knew it i was flying I got so overwhelmed I forgot to keep flapping my wings and I fell. Luckily it was a ground take off. I tried again this time from the rock pile clearclaw ready to catch me if I fell. I looked at him, wings at the ready, breathed, jumped and I flew! I flew to the hatchling cave, the leaders and even to the pool where we drank. It was amazing, I could see everything.
“Come down and get some sleep!” I heard clearclaw say.
“Ok!” I landed and went straight to the hatchling cave. As soon as I laid down I fell asleep. That night the sound of thunder, roaring dragons and the shadow came to me, it felt so real! I woke up panting and wet like it was raining in my dream. It was still dark I looked out of the cave and Zeirc was standing in the middle of the clearing looking up at the stars. I started to walk over and he whispered half to himself
“I'll join them someday, someday soon.” He looked at me as if begging me to say something, anything. I told him my dream but, I left the roaring thunder vision out because somehow I didn’t want him to know I felt like I couldn’t trust him.
“You know” he said “It’s very rare for dragons to get dreams from there family members, but, you're not the only one Shadowling, Iceling, Saberclaw, Fireling, all saw their family I wonder why. Then again I know on the night of are ancestors I saw each of your dreams and the thunder visions.” There was a long pause and then he finally spoke shaking himself as if to get rid of something. “So get some sleep tomorrow is your ceremony to a claw at sun high.
“Okay good night Zeirc”
“good night” and he continued watching the stars.
* * * * *
In the morning it looked so odd, as if we never had the talk the night before. He walked on to the scorched ground and did his roar I ran straight to the front row were everyone is going to be a claw or defender was. He called us up one by one “Saberclaw you have served as a claw well have you not?”
“I have”
“then you shall from this moment be known as sabertooth for your skills and bravery” Then all of a sudden the scorched earth came up and after it settled and I saw a slash that has not been there before. He came back settled down but something changed, saber tooth looked much older then he should be his eyes filled with more wisdom then he should bare. Then it was my turn
“skyling do you promise to defend us with all the strength you have?”
“I do!”
“Then until you are a true defender you shall be known as skyclaw!” This time nothing happened with scorched earth. It… was just sitting there.
“Your new mentor will be Sabertooth!” Yes I couldn’t believe it the new defender is my mentor! “But, since you are a magic dragon you get more than one mentor!” What! Most magic dragons only had one mentor, all dragons had magic but more strength in one specific class. So why do I have more than one mentor? Seeming to read my mind he answered
“I know this seems odd to a lot of you but i watched skyclaw grow and how she has no weakness in her power so it’s only fitting for her to have more than one but sabertooth shall stay her main mentor in basic fighting.” ok that made a little more sense but why do I have no weakness? Then he called Iceling up who was a nice dragon but very, very shy. But I blacked out why do I have no weaknesses it didn’t make sense if I had no weaknesses could i be stronger than Zeric? NO! I couldn’t he has more experience than me I couldn’t beat him if I tried! Then I couldn’t breathe it all went black.
“What… I… Who….” I was back in the medicine cave with my side hurting and Ivyseed leaning over me.
“A storm hit nothing like I ever seen, wind was everywhere during firelings ceremony trees were flying like pigeons then a huge, whipping, slashing, aggressive cloud cut across the clearing. The earth dragons shielded almost everyone, I’m… so sorry about your mother. She flew up then a tree came down, we tried to save her but if she lived she wouldn’t be able to get up she would be miserable. My mother, gone! If only i was there, if only i flew up instead.
“How long will I be here.”
“for a few days.”
“what hit me.”
“your mother an oak, for you a sapling.”
“okay thank you”
“call if you need anything oh, and you can walk around but no flying!”
Comments (0)
See all