Fire Islands: Chapter Eleven: Scarred for Life

Chapter Eleven

Scarred for Life

    Tsunami landed with a thump beside her friend. She rolled her over out of the pool of venom and bent down closer to her. "Flicker! Are you all right?"

    "What do you think?" asked Flicker through gritted teeth. She stared up at Tsunami, her eyes pleading. "Get the village. You have to reflect sunlight off of something. Two quick flashes, and wait for another flash. Don't look for it without the signal. You can't find it." She grimaced as a spasm went through her body. "Tell them...attacked by Venom-Spitter...Terror Rocks. Get...Blueberry and Shining...might as well Embers...Shade...Please, Tsunami!"

    Tsunami's terror grew as Flicker's voice began fading. "Yeah, yeah. Sure. I'll be right back." She turned and catapulted herself back into the sky. Her head was reeling, random pictures of Flicker flashing her golden arm scale between mountains. She didn't have one. She could flash the glowing stripes on her scales, but the scouts might think it was some weird on land Aquatic thing. She would have to signal them. But how?

    Golden scale. Shiny thing. Golden shiny thing! The golden coin she had found on the beach earlier that morning. Was it really just a few hours ago? Tsunami banked towards the sea. Where had they landed? There had been a mountain. A big mountain. Hadn't it been the tallest mountain in sight? Her anxiety sharpened her senses and memories. Yes. It had been. She scanned the sky frantically. Was that it, or was that it? Or was-there! That had to be it.

    Tsunami landed with a cloud of sand on the beach. There. Clay had hidden Sunny there. There. Her talonprints. But why did they go into the sea? Tsunami silently cursed herself. Of course. It had been low tide when she had landed. The waves had moved up and covered them. And the coin! She leapt into the sea and began scrabbling at the sand, all the while trying to stay in place while the waves pulled at her. Had this been the place, or had that?

    A glint of gold caught her eye and she whipped around to see the coin floating through the current. Yes! Tsunami snatched it and rocketed out of the water. Ignoring how the cold water combined with wind didn't make a great combo, she flew. She flew because Flicker was lying on the rock, probably dying from venom. She flew because her friend's life depended on this. She flew because the Venom-Spitter had terrorized the SunWings. She flew because no one else could do this.

    Tsunami pulled up short as she recognized the mountains around her. She had about one shot at this. She thrust the coin at the sun and shone it down on the spot where she bet the village would be, lighting her scales to full brightness in the process. In her panicked state, she heard Flicker tell her two flashes, so she did. The coin slipped out of her grip and fell to the mountains below. An agonizing eternity of a pause, then another flash came between the mountains. Tsunami folded her wings and dived. The village came into sight, followed by the lookout tower that had signaled to her. She flung open her wings and landed with a crash on the tower.

    The guard yelped and jumped back.

    "Get help!" yelled Tsunami. "Flicker and I were attacked at the Terror Rocks by the Venom-Spitter!" Tsunami wasn't exactly sure what the Terror Rocks were, but Flicker had mentioned them, and that was all she needed to know. "Flicker was sprayed with venom! Get Shining, Embers, and Shade! Quick! Go!" Tsunami flapped her wings at him for emphasis and rushed off to find Blueberry.

    Blueberry was in front of her hut, sorting herbs. She looked up and Tsunami came flying as fast as she could towards her. She guessed immediately something was wrong. "Where's Flicker? She followed you. Where is she?"

    Tsunami paused, trying to catch her breath. "Terror Rocks."

    Blueberry gasped and scooped the herbs into a pile with her claws and pushed them into a rock crevice. "Did you get Shade? Shining?"

    "Yes."

    Blueberry nodded thankfully and flew off towards the place where Tsunami had come from.

    "Tsunami?" Glory looked out from Blueberry's hut. "What's wrong?"

    Tsunami walked inside, where she lay next to the wall and sighed. "I think I should start from the beginning."

    Hushed voices awoke Sunny. She opened her eyes to see Shining and Shade speaking to Blueberry. Sunny leaned in closer to listen.

    "How long?" Shining was asking. "Will she be all right?"

    Blueberry sighed. "I think so, Shining. Although it's too early to tell for certain. That was a nasty blast there."

    It had been days since Tsunami had returned, panting and a wound on her tail. She had laid down and told them all what had happened, and what Venom-Spitter was. Flicker had been brought in, unconscious, and had slept for the entire time.

    Shade caught Sunny's eye. "Sunny. I see you're awake." He motioned to her and Sunny rose.

    She walked over to them. "Flicker."

    Shining nodded sadly. "I tried to keep her safe, but my daughter puts loyalty above all else."

    "Daughter?" Sunny blinked in astonishment. So that was why Flicker had acted so royally in front of the public. Suddenly her friends' story made sense.

    Shade frowned. "Didn't Flicker tell you? Her scales give it away to others, but I guess not to you." He gestured to Flicker, sleeping on the floor. "Ruby scales are a sign that you were born into royalty. I don't have them because I became king through marriage."

    "Huh." Sunny nodded as the older dragons went back to their conversation. She walked outside, wincing slightly as the movement jarred her still aching arm. Tsunami and Glory were standing outside, silent.

    "Hey, Sunny." Glory turned and smiled. "Glad to say you're up and about."

    Sunny yawned. "Are you sure? I was kind of hoping I was still asleep."

    Tsunami, eyes staring unseeing at the horizon, grinned. "Is Flicker...?"

    "Still asleep. Blueberry doesn't know when she'll wake up."

    Tsunami sighed and turned back toward them. "Mind if I go back to check on her?"

    "Not at all," replied Glory.

    Tsunami gave a grateful smile and slipped into the hut. Sunlight came through the leafy ceiling and created shafts of light on Flicker's peaceful face. Tsunami sat next to her and sighed. "Thank you, Flicker. Without you, I would be dead. You saved me from the Glowsnake, and from Venom-Spitter. Without your distraction, I could never have killed that snake. The SunWings finally got it out of the cave. It's longer than you would believe!" She had taken to talking to the SunWing, although she couldn't hear her. Tsunami looked down. "Thank you."

    A slight movement shifted across Flicker's face and she blinked open her eyes. She saw Tsunami, and smiled.