Chapter 1: Eranomous
Eranomous lived in the Sky Kingdom, settled in a quaint little cave
just big enough for the SkyWing family of four. The day was bright and
sunny, it was so nice you could easily forget a war was even going on. This
was the day the fire ignited.
"Tell us of Dad's typical travel patterns again, Momma!" Skylis said
excitedly, pulling Eranomous over by his limp wings. Skylis was only two
years old but he looked very healthy. He had dark red scales and brilliant
yellow eyes.
Eranomous on the other claw was a very small one year old. His body was
skinnier, the scales he had were a very pale red, his horns grew from his
lower jaw, and the spines down his back grew in length the further down
they went. Then the things he was missing, he had no bones in his wings, a
few claws missing here and there, and the missing horn on his nose made his
face that much more awkward to look at. To top it all, he had dead white
eyes.
"I've told you his patterns a million times Skylis..." His mother
moaned, still tired from just waking up moments ago.
Eranomous growled biting his brother's arm. "C'mon Sky, I wanna play." He
squeaked.
Skylis looked down at his little brother. "Hold on Era, don't you want
to hear about Dad first?"
"Ooh Daddy!" Eranomous sat down, tail wagging with excitement. "I wanna
hear about Daddy!"
Eleanor sat down. "Fine, Fine, I swear I can never win with you two."
She cleared her throat to begin.
Eranomous loved his mother's voice, rough like his own but seeming
filled with nothing but love. It always comforted him and made him feel
special.
"Okay, your Daddy is a Peacewing, a very special dragon. They believe
that the tribes shouldn't fight one another, but rather unite together and
live in harmony." Both boys sat trying to keep their excitement down.
"Dad's the leader of the SkyWing Peace Wings, that makes him awesome."
Skylis chirped proudly, looking down at his brother.
Eleanor huffed. "Am I telling this or are you, Skylis?" She poked her
son's chest playfully.
Skylis grinned widely. "Sorry, Momma."
"Tell us about Daddy's flight pattern Momma!" Eranomous squeaked again.
"Alright," She said, patting her son's head. "Your Daddy flies all the
way to the Ice Kingdom, following the Path of Peace."
"Tell Era what the Path of Peace is!" Skylis playfully demanded,
pulling his brother closer to himself.
"The Path of Peace is a set path only dragons who know of it can see."
She began to explain. "There are specific landmarks that all point you in
the direction of The Peace Wings." Eleanor paused for a moment, thinking of
the path. "From here...you would first leave the Sky Kingdom, west towards
the Kingdom of Sand. Once there find the stone that points you north.
Follow it till you find a small oasis. There you will find two trees
crossing each other like an X." She displayed an X with her front legs.
"Follow directly through the space between. If you follow it straight, you
will find a safe way into the Ice Kingdom. Once you've arrived, you will
find a stone pointing northeast towards the mountains. If you follow it
true, you will find a cave, The Cave of the Peace Wings. "
Eranomous' eyes were wide and bright with excitement. "Wow! So Daddy
follows that path backward home, why?"
Eleanor giggled. "He follows that path there and back so he may help
any dragons trying to find the Peace Wings. He believes if every Dragon
helped each other, then we wouldn't have wars." She sighed heavily. "Well
now... I'm hungry. I'll be right back… Skylis stay by your Brother. "
"Yes, Momma!" Skylis pulled Eranomous against his side. "I'll keep him
close, always!"
Eleanor smiled. "Good boy... He needs you."
While their mother was out hunting, the boys just wrestled over and
over with the same outcome. Skylis pinning Eranomous. "I win again!" He
boasted.
Eranomous growled. "Aww, come on! Can't you ever let me win...?"
Skylis grinned widely. "I got to be my best so I can serve the Queen."
"I wanna serve the Queen too." Eranomous reasoned, still lying on his
back. "Sky, I want to be strong like you..."
His brother tilted his head, stepping down. "Well, Dad taught me
everything I know...so maybe he can teach you too." Skylis didn't sound
very convinced.
Eranomous sighed, "I will beat you someday."
"Yeah right!" Skylis quickly spat, then paused. "I mean... maybe...
someday."
Suddenly Eranomous felt a slight pain in his chest, brief images of his
Father crumbling at the edge of the mountains, blood dripping down his face
and chest. The images began to play more clearly. There was another dragon
with him... killing him.
'Daddy!'
When Eranomous opened his eyes he saw his brother's concerned face.
"Era stop screaming! What's wrong?!"
"Daddy, he needs help!" Eranomous tried to get up but realized his brother
was holding him down. "Sky, he needs us!"
Skylis looked bewildered. "What... Era what are you talking about?" He
slowly let go of his brother and backed up."Era you really shouldn't be
joking like this." He paused noticing the tears streaming from his
brother's eyes. "Eranomous, you're crying..."
Eranomous quickly got up and bolted out of the cave. "He needs us, I
saw him!" The images kept replaying over and over again. 'I'm coming Daddy!
I hear you!'
"This way, Era?" Skylis shouted, flying past his brother.
"Yeah, I think!" Eranomous wheezed, feeling his body getting exhausted
already.
Skylis shook his head and began flapping his wings quicker. "Mom's
going to kill me..."
Eranomous wasn't sure how long he was running for, but he was quickly
snapped back into reality when he heard a roar. "Eranomous!" It was his
mother.
"Momma!" Eranomous cried, slowing his speed.
Eleanor landed hard sending rocks everywhere. Eranomous could tell she
was furious.
"What are you doing?! Eranomous, you can't be seen by others!" She
growled.
"But..." Eranomous tried to explain but was cut off.
"They will kill you if they ever find you!" She spread her wings and
thrashed her tail about with rage. "I can't…"
"Momma... Daddy needs help!" He cried over and over.
Eleanor paused listening to what her son was saying. "What... What do
you mean?"
The two suddenly heard Skylis start screaming.
"Skylis?!" Eleanor whipped around and rushed toward his screams, nearly
knocking Eranomous over. Then Eranomous heard his mother. "NO... Alter!"
When Eranomous got over, he saw it, his father lying lifeless on the
ground. Skylis was sobbing and futilely trying to wake his father up.
His mother let out the loudest roar he had ever heard. It sounded of
nothing but anguish.
Eranomous just gazed into his Father's lifeless eyes, 'Why... Why did I
see this? Why did this happen?' Suddenly Eranomous felt something strange,
something inside himself seemingly ignited. Then Eranomous fell
unconscious.
When Eranomous awoke he was home in the cave, he could tell it was
night due to the bugs chirping. He could feel his Mother's and his
Brother's warmth on his sides.
Eranomous raised his head looking at his mother who was still awake.
"Momma?"
Eleanor looked over at her son, "Eranomous... the world is a harsh
place." She paused. "The only way you will survive is if you stay in here.
You're not like your brother and you never will be."
Eranomous' ears drooped. "I..."
"Eranomous... you're... weak." Eleanor's face was hard and her eye's as
cold as stone.
Eranomous looked away from his mother, he couldn't think of anything to
say to that. 'I wish I was like Skylis...'
He lightly touched his chest feeling a bit more heat than usual. 'It feels
like my chest is burning from the inside.'
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