Whispers
xxxHe was surrounded by whispers from the day he had hatched. The dragons around him, muttering that he was a half-breed, a hybrid - a freak.
xxxWhen he was younger, he didn’t care. He wrestled with his sister, he listened to stories, he played with the other dragons who had hatched with the Misfits. No one cared that he was different at that age - no one could see how different he was. To the other hatchlings, he was one of them, a featureless, white dragon who would laugh and play with his friends.
xxxBut as he grew older, he noticed the whispers more. He noticed the sidelong glances he was given. He heard the soft mutters among the adults as he passed.
xxx“Am I different?” the young dragon asked his mother, as he curled up in his nest one evening. His colour was just beginning to show, a deep, dark green taking over the pure white of youth.
xxxHis mother was silent for a long moment, then she sighed, moving forward and wrapping her tail around him. He curled close to her, enjoying the warmth she radiated.
xxx“You are different - you’re special, Darkfire,” she said quietly. “You know that your father and I aren’t the same?” Darkfire nodded - his mother was a small, pale green Sharpshooter and his father a large, loud and playful deep blue Stormrider. “Well,” his mother continued. “Some dragons don’t think we should have mated.”
xxx“Why not?” he asked, his childhood curiosity aroused.
xxx“Because outside, in the world, our tribes are at war. Some dragons think that just because we’re different we shouldn’t be friends, shouldn’t be mates.”
xxxDarkfire frowned, rolling onto his back and staring up at his mother’s wings, spread out above him.
xxx“That’s silly,” he said.
xxxHis mother chuckled, nuzzling him affectionately.
xxx“I know baby, but that’s just the way the world is.”
xxxThe whispers grew even more as he got older and his body began to change. He was as excited as his peers when they began to change, to colour, to receive the attributes of their tribe.
xxxBut Darkfire was different. At first, when he began to grow blades along his tail, he thought he would look like his mother. Then, when a horn began to appear on his head, he thought he would look like his father. But as the whispers grew with him, he realised he was different. He was new.
xxxHe pretended he didn’t mind the whispers as he laughed with his friends and learned the tricks of flight. He pretended he didn’t care about the odd looks as he wrestled with his sister and learned to fight like a warrior. He pretended he didn’t mind that he was different as he played like a child and learned to be a dragon.
xxxThen the war arrived, and he forgot he was different for a moment.
xxxIt was a normal day, and he was sitting on a tree branch with the other young hatchlings, listening to their teacher as she taught them how to breathe their fire the hottest and furthest they could. Then suddenly, with a woosh and a burst of flames, the world exploded.
xxxDarkfire found himself under his sister’s wings as she sheltered him from the fire and claws of the invading dragons. He didn’t see much, fire, scales, claws. Then they were inside, sheltering in a small hollow tree.
xxxHe pushed himself away from Primrose’s pink wings and slowly crept towards the entrance. He had to see - had to know what was happening. More young dragons were rushing into the tree, NoColours and those with colour alike. Darkfire found himself pushed to the back, where he crouched beside Primrose.
xxx“What’s happening?” he asked, looking up at his older sister. She would know. She would protect him.
xxx“I-I don’t know,” she whispered. Her tail and wings were curled around her and suddenly Darkfire felt even more terrified. “I - I think the Stormriders have found where we live. Popa’s always been saying we shouldn’t live so close to Militia.” She took a shaky breath and closed her eyes. “Sorry,” she said softly. “I -it’ll be okay, okay?”
xxxDarkfire nodded, but he had seen the fear in her eyes. It wasn’t going to be okay.
xxxThey stayed there, the young dragons huddled together in fear, listening to the roars and bellows around them. Darkfire pressed himself into Primrose, squeezing his eyes shut, wishing more than anything that the roaring would stop and the whispering was all that he feared.
xxxThen he heard it - a bellow in pain he knew. He scrambled to his feet, his eyes locking with his sister’s. That was their mother.
xxxThey pushed their way through the crowd together, leaping out of the tree. Darkfire froze once they left the relative safety, staring around him at what faced him. Dragons were snarling, snapping at each other. Fire was licking at the trees. The sharp smell of blood filled his nostrils. He was unable to move, staring around him at the chaos.
xxxThen he heard the roar again and tore his attention away from the battle to find his mother. She was lying pinned under a huge red dragon. Darkfire couldn’t think, didn’t have time. He launched himself forward, roaring as loudly as he could and letting fire flicker in his chest.
xxxThe Stormrider turned to face him, and a scornful snarl covered his face.
xxx“What are you?” he demanded. Darkfire landed before him, dwarfed by the much larger dragon. He swallowed his fear, trying to stop his shaking.
xxx“I’m a dragon,” he said shakily. “And you’re hurting my mother.”
xxxThe other dragon laughed harshly, stepping forward.
xxx"You’re a child - a halfbreed. Weak. Pathetic. The spawn of betrayal.”
xxx“No,” Darkfire said, his voice shaking slightly. “I’m the spawn of love. And - and I’m not going to be ashamed because I’m different. So stop it. Stop this war - or at least leave us out of it.” He felt tears prick his eyes and blinked, trying to keep them back.
xxx“Ha! A weak, stupid hatchling.” The Stormrider opened his mouth and a burst of warm air flooded over him. He flinched, fighting the urge to stop back - to run to safety. “I won’t kill you - you’re just a child - but maybe I’ll give you something to remember me by.” And he leapt forward.
xxxDarkfire dropped to the ground, curling his tail around him and squeezing his eyes shut. There was a sickening slash, a thud, then suddenly warm wings were wrapped around him.
xxxHe slowed opened his eyes, facing his mother’s worried expression.
xxx“You shouldn’t have done that, baby,” she whispered. Darkfire didn’t answer, the tears beginning to fall now. He burrowed into his mother’s scales, feeling her warmth and crying softly.
xxxThe invaders were soon driven off with limited casualties. Darkfire remained close to his mother, not wanting to leave her warmth and safety. But as the tribe began to move deeper into the WildWoods, looking for a new home, he noticed the whispers again.
xxxThis time, however, they weren’t about his looks. They weren’t about his parentage. They were about him.
xxx“Did you see how he stood up to that Stormrider?”
xxx“He could have been killed.”
xxx“It was a stupid thing to do, but brave.”
xxx“Little Darkfire there saved his mother’s life.”
xxxHe was unsure how to react to the different kind of whispers. Primrose, seeing his confusion, curled up beside him as they rested for the night.
xxx“They’re proud of you,” she said softly.
xxx“Why?” Darkfire asked. He was still scared, still expecting huge dragons to burst out of the silent night sky. But, nestled between his mother’s sleeping form and his sister’s comforting shape, his father keeping watch nearby, he felt safe.
xxx“Because you did something amazing,” she said. “You stood up to a dragon twice your size - and won!”
xxx“I didn’t. He - he would have killed me.” He sighed, dropping his eyes. “I’m only still alive because Mama saved me.”
xxx“You saved her. I couldn’t do anything - I was frozen. But you, you were brave. You saved Mama.”
xxx“I wish they would stop talking about me,” he whimpered. Primrose sighed.
xxx“You’re different - other dragons want to be a part of that. So they talk, they whisper. But they’ll forget. One day, you won’t be the only Stormshooter. One day, they’ll forget how brave you were. One day, you’ll just be Darkfire.”
xxx“I want that,” he said sleepily. “I hope there’ll be peace in my lifetime.”
xxxPrimrose smiled, looking down at her brother as he began to drift off to sleep.
xxx“Maybe you’ll be the one to bring the peace,” she said softly.