Almeyda

No Continued Bloodlines




Almeyda walked across a ground blackened by soot and ash to see the Warriors' catch. A bright, fiery bird was trapped in hanging nets held by a single, midnight colored Imperial dressed in birdskulls and ebony filigree armor, known as Leonidas. The Phoenix attempted to break free from the net. Several dragons were gathered around the squawking bird, and its captor.

As Almeyda neared, one of the warrior's sons, a Ridgeback, came up to her along with his gang of Skydancer friends. "What are you doing here, freak?" Zonoi, the Ridgeback, snarled. All of his friends laughed and growled at Almeyda. "What do you want, Zonoi? I'm only here to see the Warriors' catch!" Almeyda hissed. Zonoi and his gang gasped. "How dare you speak my name, freak?!" He growled, obviously failing to act shocked, but truly was disgusted. "Stop calling me 'freak,' Mouth Breather! Stink Bug! Dungbeetle! No-good, sorry excuse for a dragon!"

Almeyda was angry and annoyed, and it felt good to finally let all of her thoughts out. Her bug-eyes flared as she kept insulting Zonoi and his gang of jerks. "Call yourself a Ridgeback, huh? Where's your horn? I don't see one!" It was true. Zonoi did not have a very large horn for his age. It was closer to the size of a female Ridgeback's. "You're calling me a freak? You just want to bully others so they won't bully you! Well, guess what? Nobody fears you! Go back to the Shifting Expanse, where you came from! Allow the Coatl to take back The Ashfall Waste, or at least dragons with some brains!"

Almeyda stopped to catch her breath, meanwhile noticing everyone's eyes on her. There was a great pause as shocked eyes stared at Almeyda, every single dragon frozen. Almeyda, still angry, breathing fast, glared at every dragon that stood in the clearing behind the giant lava-fall in the Blacksand Annex. Zonoi's gang of Skydancers started to whisper to each other. Nenana, Almeyda's mother, started to cry. Her father, Turaq, glared at Almeyda, comforting Nenana. "Why are all of you idiots looking at me?! Haven't you been paying any attention to your stupid, 'precious' hatchlings?! He's been the moron who's been leading his dumb gang into attempts of bullying and teasing me, the apparent freak!"

The sudden and echoing screeches disturbed the silence, and the trapped Phoenix had been dropped onto the ground. Leonidas had dropped it, and it had been flailing on the ground. The frightened Phoenix screeched, and lit itself on fire, burning the net, leaving the Phoenix to escape. It flew away, squawking as it happily flapped its wings. "Grab the bird!" Some of the dragons shouted, while others were still frozen, or gaping at Almeyda. "I hate you all!" Almeyda shouted, the last dragon she saw being Zonoi's hurt, shocked face, before she flew off, miles down until she had reached the end of the lava-fall.

As she flew away, she noticed shouts and squawks behind her. Dragons both chasing her and the Phoenix, who had decided to follow Almeyda, were flying their fastest, determined to catch the runaways. Almeyda, having a skill of quick wits, and fast, speedy diving, dove down to the cliff ledge's end. She landed smoothly and started to run to the very edge, and jumped off, the Phoenix following in the air.

"What is this? A suicide mission?" Solar, a midnight and rust Guardian questioned, as she and thirteen other dragons had followed and seen Almeyda and the Phoenix jump off the cliff. "Surely there is an explanation?But. . . will someone else go see? I personally am not one for things like this." Asmir, an umber and sunshine Wildclaw said as chills ran down her spine. "You always were a wimp, Asmir," Euthymius, a blood and storm nocturne growled deeply. He swooped down onto the ledge and trotted over to the edge where the Phoenix and Almeyda disappeared. He peered down the giant volcano's side. . . all to find nothing. "What!? This is outrageous!" Euthymius screeched, his eyes widening as they followed the two small feathered bodies flying happily away, towards the border of Wind and Fire.

"Why, what--" Asmir, curious, then amazed, saw the Phoenix and Almeyda flying many miles over towards the end of the volcano, in which she had the choice to fly straight in the Windswept Plateau. "The only known dragons that have ever been able to perform a falling swoop were experienced dragons who had spent their lives in training. . . I could have never believed that an eight day old hatchling. . ." Vanitas, an obsidian and white poison and toxin Pearlcatcher dreamily said, watching the feathered beings fly away. "Now I finally realize why Almeyda called us idiots! We're letting her fly away with our Phoenix!" A shadow and sunshine fae, Astaroth, spoke with panic.

All fourteen dragons raced towards Almeyda and the Phoenix as they continued to fly away.

"Come, and follow me. I know of a good hiding place, just around the volcano," Almeyda whispered to the Phoenix. Almeyda picked up her speed in a dive, the fiery bird right behind her. Just as Almeyda was about to hit the blackened ground, she shot out her wings, and swooped up. She flew for what felt like months, but was really only miles, many, many, miles. Almeyda only had so much energy left, so she swiftly turned towards the Windswept Plateau, only to turn again, right on the volcano's side. She found the small hole in the rock, and beyond that, a small cave. Exhausted, she pulled up to the tunnel, and crawled inside, the Phoenix acting as a lantern. A few more steps led to the cave, which was the perfect size for Almeyda and the Phoenix. Though inside a volcano's walls, it was very chilly, despite the wall farthest from the entrance. Almeyda trotted over to the warm wall, her Phoenix friend making little echoed pit, pats as they walked to Almeyda's side. With warmth and light, Almeyda soon fell asleep.



In the morning, Almeyda set off for her next adventure. She had no worries, because the runaway-hunters had retreated to their clanmates after experiencing exhaustion and the dissatisfaction of coming back empty handed. So, now she had nothing ahead of her except straight flying for several hours. She would then head over to the ocean, after she had felt the breeze in her feathers and the touch of soft grass on her feet: the Windswept Plateau, relaxing, and rid of her clanmates.