Chapter one

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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