Wings of Fire: Lone Wolf

Template:Infobox(Fanfiction)Bk 1: Wings of Fire: A Pebble in the Desert (Pebble's POV)

Bk 2: Wings of Fire: Lone Wolf (Vargr's POV)

Bk 3: Wings of Fire: Complexity's Shadow(Complexity's POV)

Prologue:

"You won't make it!" Tanager said, tugging on Pebble's arm, coughing as more smoke filled their lungs. The wingless SandWing stared him dead in the eyes. Tanager took the hint and flew off. Pebble ran to Vargr's side. He was on the verge of death, his wings and scales covered in cuts and bruises from the battle with the SeaWing army over Archive Island.

His SandWing friend clawed frantically at the locks on his wings. "P-Pebble..." he coughed, drops of blood flecking the stone floor. "G-go now. I'll be a-alright..." He used the rest of his fading strength to shove her away towards the entrance. "NO!!" Pebble shouted, "You are NOT DYING TODAY!!" She ran back toward him, trying to pick the locks once again.

"Go!..." Vargr said again, hyperventilating, trying to steady his breathing, and failing, staring his friend dead in the eyes. With a deafening crash, scoll-shelves fell over the entrance, blocking the only way for Vargr's friend to escape. More shelves fell over Vargr, crushing him and sending bolts of pain through his wings, ribs, arms, and everything. Vargr howled in pain, hardly able to see anything through the pain and the smoke, and fell unconscious. As everything faded out, the last thing he heard was Pebble screaming "No!!" before even that faded, and Vargr fell into a black, neverending abyss of nothingness.

Chapter One: Escape

Vargr woke up slowly, wondering why he was all wet. As he did, it all came flooding back: the mission to Archive Island, the battle, everyone else escaping, Pebble trying to free him and failing... Vargr realized that he was underwater, though only just, and that if he didn't get out soon, he would drown.

"He-Help!" he yelled, his voice strained. No one answered. 'I hope Pebble is alright. I have to get out of here. But how?' Vargr tried to stand up, and failed, his bones and muscles screaming with pain as he tried to move. The hybrid gripped a piece of wood that had come loose from one of the fallen scroll-shelves. It was narrow, and a little jagged, but it would do to pick the locks on his chains.

Vargr took a deep breath and dove under the water, which was clotted with floating debris from the shelves, and was rising faster and faster as Vargr watched it. If he didn't get out soon, he would drown, and he couldn't afford to do that. Not after Pebble saved his scales from the SkyWing queen, and tried to free him after the battle. He needed to get back to his friends. But first, Vargr had to get free.

He carefully picked the locks on his wrists, then strained against the weight of the shelves on top of him. Again, his body screamed in agony, even as he pulled his way out from underneath the shelves. Vargr picked the locks on his ankles. As he tried to free his wings, Vargr was hit with the feeling that someone was watching him. 'Come on! Open!' The hybrid swam upwards, only to realize that the water was now well above his head, and that if he didn't free his wings and get out soon, he would drown.

As he struggled, a flame suddenly ignited in Vargr's chest. It spread down to his arms and his stomach and tail, making them go numb. 'HELP!' Vargr thrashed, trying to get to the surface. As he passed out, the last thing he saw was a dragon with biolumenscent stripes on their body flying down toward him.

Chapter Two: Nereus

Vargr woke up on a bed of seaweed that had been laid out on the wooden floor of a small stone hut on the beach. He tried to stand, but thought better of it when bolts of pain shot through his arms as he tried. The cuts and gashes that the SeaWing soldiers had made in his scales had been wrapped in thick seaweed and kelp bandages. "Don't try to stand," a voice said sharply, authoriatively. "You'll only hurt yourself worse than you already have." an extremely pale, almost ice blue SeaWing rounded the corner of the hut. In some places, the SeaWing's scales were so pale that they looked white. "What are you staring at?" snapped the SeaWing, walking over to check Vargr's wounds.

"Oh, nothing... Just your scales..." "Oh, go ahead! I know what you're going to say! Spit it out, hybrid! They all say it when they see me;," the SeaWing snarled. " 'Why are your scales so weird?' or 'Are you a SeaWing or an IceWing with your strange scales?' or when they all see me in the halls, 'There goes Nereus with his oddly colored scales, weird claws, tiny teeth, and his wings which are so much bigger than ours; let's go "accidentally" stomp on them while he's walking by!' Well, go on! Say it! I've heard it so many times, it makes me want to rip every one of their stupid, squidbrained, camel farting, self righteous faces off!"

"I, um, well, I don't think your scales are weird. They're really cool, if you don't mind me saying so." Vargr said, trying not to make the SeaWing madder than he already was. After a few seconds, the SeaWing's angry expression was replaced with one of confusion and suspicion, which was also betrayed a tiny smile that eventually snuck through and showed the SeaWing's teeth, which true to what the SeaWing had said, were smaller than the teeth of most SeaWings.

"So, what's your name?" the SeaWing asked as he changed the bandages on Vargr's legs. "Vargr. What's yours?" "Nereus. As I might've mentioned before in my angry tirade." the SeaWing turned bluish purple in slight embarrasement. "Interesting name. Who were your parents?" "My mother was a SeaWing prison guard named Azure. I never met my father. Mother told me that she had accidentally fallen in love with an IceWing prisoner, and apparently, I was the result. Mother told me that my father's name was Ingvar, but that's all I know about him. I became a guard on the border patrol, hoping to escape my peers' comments about how weird I look, and also because every time Her Majesty, Queen Coral looks at me, she gives me a disgusted look, like she knows that I'm not fully SeaWing or something..." Nereus trailed off, looking out over the ocean, like he wished he was far away from the present. Then he seemed to snap back into himself.

"Sorry." "That's alright. Does she know? Coral, I mean?" "Yeah... she knows, all right. She knows, indeed. Mother was... executed a few years back by the queen. Apparently Her Majesty found out that Mother had had a dragonet with a dragon from another tribe, and to her, that's as bad as if Mother had run off to join the Talons of Peace, or if she had tried to assassinate the queen and her heirs. So she killed Mother in front of me and forbade me from ever entering the palace again, on threat of death." "Oh. In case you didn't know this, I'm part of the Talons of Peace." "That's alright." Nereus said, moving over to work on Vargr's sides, wings, and tail. "Well, you aren't any good to them in the condition you're in, Vargr. You need to stay here and heal first."

"What?! No! I have to get back to them! They need me! Especially my friend, Pebble, a SandWing who can't fly." Vargr started to get up, internally screaming at the pain shooting through his legs and lower body. Nereus pushed him back down. "No." the pale SeaWing said. "You are not going anywhere while you're like this. Look at yourself! You can barely stand, much less make it to wherever you're planning on going!" "I-I have to get back to them. Don't you understand? I have to! They need me. Pebble needs me. Please?" "No." Nereus said firmly, as he finished bandaging Vargr's tail. "You're staying here, and no, I don't care if you think that you need to stop the sky from caving in on us; you are not leaving this island until I can see that you are completely better!"

Vargr opened his mouth to argue more, but Nereus clamped his talons down hard onto Vargr's snout and growled, "Stop chattering like an idiot, and rest!" "Fine." Nereus let go of Vargr's snout and walked over to a small wooden table on which sat a crude bowl made out of a large coconut, and a pitcher full of something, probably water. Nereus poured the contents of the pitcher into the bowl and stirred it around for several minutes with his claws, probably thinking about something. As the SeaWing did so, Vargr tried to stand to his feet again, but failed. Then again. Nereus noticed, and growled, "I thought I told you to stop doing that, and rest!" The SeaWing dug around in a bag that hung on the side of the table, and brought something out, but Vargr couldn't tell what it was. From where Vargr was, it looked like sand. Nereus stirred whatever the stuff was around for several seconds, then brought the water over to Vargr and said, "Drink. You need it." "Wh-" "Don't argue. Just drink it."

Obviously, the SeaWing did not seem in the mood for arguing, and Vargr decided to do as he said. Vargr finished off the water, wondering what Nereus had put in it. Vargr tried to stand up, his legs more shaky than they had been when he had tried to before. His head was starting to ache, and he tried to ask what was happening while his vision swam like heatwaves in a desert. As he fell unconscious, he heard Nereus say, "Sorry, Vargr. You wouldn't have listened to me otherwise." Then everything went black.

Chapter Three: Resting on the island

Vargr woke up groggily, and looked around, noting that Nereus was sitting nearby. He looked at himself, and noticed that there was a long chain connected from a wooden stake set in the ground just outside the hut's entrance to his left back ankle, wing clamps on his wings, which were attached to two separate chains that were attached to two chains on his wrists, and were all welded to the chain attached to his left ankle.

"Why?" Vargr demanded. "Why did you do that?" "Why did I do what?" Nereus asked, staring at him. "You know, chained me up!"

"Oh, that. Yes... I'm sorry, but I had to. You wouldn't have listened to me otherwise. Once you can stand up again, you'll be able to walk a little ways, but not far, and you won't be able to fly, either. I made sure of that, too."

He smiled slightly, and fiddled with a silver key around his neck. "Unfortunately, you won't be able to pick the locks, either, as they are far too small for you to do so. I have the only key."

Vargr growled, annoyed, but decided not to say anything. It was too much trouble to argue with Nereus, as he had won every argument they had had so far, and they always ended up getting annoyed with each other, anyways.

"You're getting better fast. You'll probably be able to walk in three weeks, maybe four, flying soon after that. Then you can go find your friends." "Alright." Vargr sighed, frustrated, but knowing that it was useless to argue with the SeaWing hybrid.

'I hope Pebble's doing alright without me. She's probably been missing me, since she knew me the best out of all the Talons. I miss her. Wait for me, Little Shadow. I'll be there soon.'

Chapter Four: Flight

Five months later...

Nereus led Vargr out of the hut for the fifth time that week. "Since you can lift off of places that are higher than sea level and land sucessfully, let's try lifting off and landing at sea level." Vargr nodded, and mentally rehearsed the steps that Nereus had been telling him for the past five months since he'd started flying again.

'Step One: Crouch. Step Two: Spread wings. Step Three: Focus on where you want to fly to. Step Four: Jump into the air. Step Five: Allow your wings catch the air currents, but stay relaxed. Step Six: Keep doing steps three and five until you have reached your destination, or until you need to rest.'

The first couple of times, Vargr jumped and fell flat on his face. But eventually, he was up in the air, Nereus doing loops, twists, and spirals beside him. Thanks to the fact that Nereus still had him mostly chained up( with the exception of his wings), Vargr couldn't move very far, but he could still do circles around the stake that he was chained to.

He was, however, still envious of Nereus being able to go whereever he wanted to, while Vargr was stuck on the island, unable to move beyond the length of the chains.

"Let's try fighting in the air!" Nereus said, slicing his serrated, fishhook-like at Vargr's snout, daring him to a mock battle. "Okay." Vargr darted towards Nereus, seizing the hybrid in his claws and biting down on the back of the SeaWing's neck, pummeling Nereus's underbelly with his still chained back talons.

"Oof!" Nereus grunted, seizing Vargr in his talons and whacking him, hard, on his neck ruff, stunning Vargr momentarily and allowing Nereus to slip from Vargr's talons. Vargr growled playfully, and opened his mouth, as if he was going to breathe frostbreath at Nereus, who clamped his talons around Vargr's snout and pinned them shut.

After several minutes, Nereus let go, laughing, Vargr laughing as well. Nereus dropped to the ground, Vargr following. "I think you're ready to go find your friends."

Chapter Five: Return to the Talons

After several days of flying, Vargr was back in the Sky Kingdom. Aside from a stop in the territory between the Mud, Sky, and Sand Kingdoms, he had flown straight from the island to SkyWing territory. It was time to find his friends, and to come home. The day was so blue and sunny, you could fly for miles without stopping, which was what he'd been doing, scanning the sky for patrols, and scanning the mountains for the familiar cave entrance. 'I'm almost home, Little Shadow. Wait for me a little longer.'

Eventually, he reached the cave, lighting down a little ways from the cave. His wings were aching, so Vargr decided to walk the rest of the way. Clawing his way up the mountain face, Vargr couldn't wait to see the expression on his friend's faces when he came back after five months and a couple of weeks of being gone. 'Pebble will be so happy to see me. I know she will.'

As he walked inside the cave, he heard a soft growl, and then a voice hissed, "Go away. Crimson's not here now. If you don't leave in three seconds, you will get knocked over and attacked by a flaming ball of scales, which you don't want to feel. The said flaming ball of scales will burn you all over until you're dead, so if you don't want to die, get out." Vargr chuckled and said, "It's alright, Ember. It's just me." The fireless SkyWing poked his head out from his hiding spot. "Who're you?" he growled, glaring fiercely. "It's me, Vargr. Remember?" "Vargr... Oh! Yes! I remember. Firestorm, it's just the big cold dragon with starry wings and a very badly done, very ugly drawing on his side."

Ember waited until Firestorm appeared from his hiding spot, and then said, "If you want to find the others, they're in the other caves. Firestorm can show you. I'm going to go try and take a nap. " Ember slunk off, looking deflated, while Firestorm sat in the embers of the campfire, and stared at Vargr, seemingly trying to remember where he had seen Vargr before. "Come on an' follow me! I know the way! But you have to stay back, 'cause I don't want to burn you." "I know. Lead the way, Fire-talons!" Firestorm smiled slyly and led Vargr through the tunnel, until they came to the underground cavern with the pool.

"Thanks." Vargr said. Firestorm nodded, and ran back the way he had come, while Vargr stood in the cave for a few minutes, beathing in the smell of the cave, and listening to the trickle of the waterfall into the pool. It felt good to be back. He walked near the entrance and stood in the shadows, watching the dragons inside the cave. Earthquake was sitting in one of the corners of the room, sharpening a set of daggers. Grouper and Timberline were arguing, Crimson and Tanager weren't in the room, and Complexity was sitting in her corner, her eyes shut. Pebble wasn't in the room, but she was probably in the sleeping caves. As Vargr stepped into the room, Earthquake was the only one who noticed him. He waved in Vargr's direction, then returned to his daggers. Grouper yelled at Timberline, and stomped toward the pool, then noticed Vargr standing silently in the doorway. "AAHH!!" he roared, "A GHOST!!" Grouper leaped over Vargr and landed with a giant splash in the pool, swimming to the bottom so fast that Vargr couldn't see him anymore. Timberline stared at him for a few seconds, then pinched himself. "Yep, definitely awake." he muttered. The IceWing watched him for a few more seconds, then shrugged and flew up to his stalagmite.

Crimson and Tanager appeared in the doorway of Tanager's workshop. "Hey, Complexity, can you please stop the mind melding thing for a few moments?" Complexity pulled away from Pebble and looked at Tanager for a few seconds before a tiny shriek escaped her mouth, and she pointed at Vargr, then signed rapidly, her talons shaking as she attempted to talk to him. Crimson noticed Vargr next, and ran toward him, bowling him over. "You're finally back!" she said, wrapping him in her dark red wings. As she pulled away, Tanager came over. "We thought you were dead, but we're glad you're not!" The RainWing hugged him as well. Timberline jumped down from his stalagmite, and punched Vargr lightly in the shoulder. "Welcome back, newbie." the IceWing said.

Grouper came up behind him and said, "Welcome back, kid." Earthquake simply nodded in Vargr's direction. Complexity came through and signed rapidly, Tanager translating. "Complexity says that she's very glad you're back and that she can't wait to get to know you better." Light talonsteps on the stone floor signaled the arrival of another dragon into the room. "Who're you all talking to?" asked Pebble. Crimson turned around. "Are you sure you want to know? I mean, the last time we had a visitor, and they weren't who you had hoped they were, you broke down and cried for a week." "For the last time! I'm over that! Now let me through!" the wingless SandWing snarled, stopping as Vargr pushed through to see her. Pebble's jaw dropped open, and her mouth moved, but no sound came out, her eyes becoming as wide as the two full moons.

"It's you..." she whispered hoarsely, tears filling her eyes. "I knew it was you... Vargr." she smiled at him and ran toward him, her smile suddenly turning into a snarl, her face darkening with conflicting emotions. "How could you do this?!" she roared, slamming into him and knocking him over. "How could you let me think you were dead?! HOW COULD YOU!?!?" the SandWing shrieked, tears flying off her face and landing on Vargr's chest. Furious, Pebble started punching him on the chest, pummeling him to try and get her emotions out. Vargr grabbed her talons and whispered, "Shhh. It's alright, Pebble. I'm right here. I'm here now, Little Shadow. I was gone for a little while, but I'm right here with you now. Shhh. It's going to be alright, Little Shadow. I'm here now. I'm here." Still sobbing heavily, Pebble collapsed onto Vargr's chest. "Vargr... I missed you so much while you were gone." "As did I, Little Shadow." "Welcome home, Vargr... Welcome home."

Epilogue: Kidnapped-Complexity's POV

Complexity was sitting by herself, as was her habit after dark. On this mountain cliff, she would often just sit and bask in the moonlight, allowing the memories of her past to be buried in the pure, silver light of the stars and the two full moons. Tonight, it was quiet out here, with hardly any of the other normal night sounds that would've been heard around this time.

As Complexity sat by herself, looking at the moons, she closed her eyes, allowing herself to drift unnoticed into the minds of her friends, who were all asleep at this time of night. Earthquake was dreaming of the day when all his siblings were killed in a battle with Blaze's forces. Crimson was dreaming about being ordered to kill both of her dragonets, doing so, and then being burnt alive by a SkyWing who looked similar to Firestorm, but who Crimson called "Peril". Grouper was dreaming about his family. Timberline was dreaming about being First Place in something called the "Rankings", and Tanager was dreaming about the Rainforest. Pebble was dreaming about a SandWing named Grit who kept trying to kill her, and Vargr, well, he was dreaming about being a soldier in the IceWing armies, then attempting to kill a SandWing who looked to be important, then about a piece of metal shaped like an oval with words in it, which was red-hot, and smoking slightly, then having it pressed into his side, while several of his fellow soldiers held him down, and he screamed in agony. Vargr's mind suddenly went dark, and Complexity was thrown out of it. He had obviously woken up.

Being immersed in the minds of her friends, Complexity didn't hear the talonsteps coming toward her from the shadows, nor did she see the dragon looming up behind her, talons outstretched to strike. Complexity was suddenly slammed onto the surface of the cliff. Dark talons wrapped around her snout, clamping it shut, while dark wings pinned her wings to her sides, and another pair of dark talons tied her wings and claws to her sides. The first pair of talons lifted off of her snout momentarily, giving Complexity a moment to shoot her secret weapon: Glowing, corrosive, fire-like venom. Streaks of glowing yellow-orange tinged with black around the edges shot out of her two front fangs. The first pair of talons slammed back onto her snout again. "Bring me some more rope. This one's difficult." the dragon hissed. The second dragon quickly tied her jaws together, and shoved a sack that smelled like rotten eggs and sulphur over her head.

'No. Not there. I can't go back there, to that nightmare. I can't." Memories flooded through her head, searing, bloodstained, and violent, the words of her captor ripping through her mind, memories of being chained to the wall and forced to shoot her venom for experimental purposes, memories of resisting, and being chained to the wall and nearly being clawed to death at the claws of the half-starved animals her captor used as opponents against her. Memories of her captor digging his horrible, disgusting, bloodstained claws into the wounds that the animals had made, and twisting them around, hissing that she was useless, that no one had ever loved her, but that he had, that she was his everything, that she was his, now and forever.

Complexity thrashed, clawing at the sack around her head, struggling to breathe. 'I can't go back with him again!! PLEASE!! I'll do anything!! Just don't take me back to his suffocating, terrible, tormenting, bloodstained claws again!! PLEASE!!' As if they had heard her thoughts, the first dragon said, "Maybe we shouldn't do this. She seems pretty frantic." "They're always like that when we do this. Knock her out. I'm ready to get out of here." said the second. Almost mercifully, then, talons slammed into the back of her head, and Complexity dropped into darkness as dark as a moonless, starless night.