What Lurks In The Shadows (WoF)

🍓 Chapter 13 - Peacemaker 🍓

Peacemaker scanned the scroll infront of him. It had been a day since Dusky had started his metamorphica... Or whatever it was called.

"Peacemaker?" A familiar voice whispered. The hybrid turned to see Cliff's dark red scales.

Cliff ducked his head. "Hi." He murmured.

Peacemaker tilted his head. "What are you doing awake?" He asked his Clawmate.

"Um. I couldn't sleep." Cliff sat beside Peacemaker. The hybrid's tail subconsciously intertwined with Cliff's.

Cliff's eyes widened and he twitched his wings. Below those deep red scales, he seemed to be blushing.

Peacemaker flicked his tail away from Cliff. His frills turned a mottled mix of white and pink.

"Sorry, sorry." Peacemaker muttered under his breath, avoiding eye contact.

"It's fine, really." Cliff assured him, putting his wing over Peacemaker's back.

"Are...are you sure?" Peacemaker stammered, beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable.

Cliff nodded. "I'm sure."

Peacemaker forced back a sigh of relief and laid his head onto his front talons. Cliff did the same, their tails intertwining again.

"I'm glad you're here as my Clawmate, y'know?" Cliff murmured.

Peacemaker didn't know how to respond, but just inched closer to the SkyWing prince.

"I am too."

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Peacemaker lay his head onto the wooden desk.

Webs' voice dragged into silence as Peacemaker slipped into sleep.

"Peacemaker!" A voice hissed as a tail prodded his shoulder. Peacemaker lifted his head, his gaze cloudy with sleep.

Cliff's amber eyes appeared, about a foot away from Peacemaker's face. Webs looked angry, and the rest of his Winglet was packing their books and scrolls to leave.

"Class ended. Let's go." Cliff murmured, grabbing Peacemaker by the talons and dragging him out of the cave.

The two walked in silence towards their cave, and Peacemaker slumped into his bed. "Tell me when class starts, please." He grumbled.

Cliff sighed and nodded, unfurling his wings to  glide onto his cliff, which rested above Peacemaker's leafy nest.

As Peacemaker curled into a ball, ready to sleep once more, one last thought crossed his mind.

I miss Hope.

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Peacemaker felt a prod on his wing. He opened his eyes to see Cliff, with a bag across his neck, poking Peacemaker's wing with a claw.

"Class started like...fifteen minutes ago! Let's go!" Cliff pelted down the halls, and Peacemaker stumbled to follow. As they caught up to each other, Peacemaker's tail flicked.

"Why didn't you wake me earlier?" Peacemaker asked, not meaning to sound rude.

Cliff faltered as he dashed through the halls, looking as if Peacemaker had just struck him with his claws.

"I woke up too!" Cliff defended himself. "Then I had to wake you up and that took a couple minutes, and now we're late."

Peacemaker was silent. Maybe he had been too harsh. "Fine, fine! Okay, let's go!" The two dragonets ushered out of the cave and pelted down the halls.

"Where's Jackal?" A voice yelped in panick. Peacemaker couldn't help but stop at a halt to hear more.

A second dragonet spoke. "I don't know, Fog, didn't he say he was going to class?"

The original dragonet, Fog, let out a desperate hiss. "He told me he was going to the library, but when I went to get him for class, he was gone!"

Cliff stopped beside Peacemaker. "What's wrong?" He asked in a slow whisper. Peacemaker was about to respond when a SeaWing-like dragon poked her head out of a nearby cave.

Her gaze landed on Cliff and she scurried forwards to greet him. "Have you seen Jackal? A pale orange, almost sandy-colored SandWing?"

Cliff looked confused. "I don't know where he is, sorry, but I'll keep an eye out." He told her. Peacemaker hinted a little bit of concern in his voice.

"What about you?" Fog turned to Peacemaker. His frills flickered light green. "I don't really know who that is. But I haven't seen any SandWings, sorry."

Cliff and Peacemaker exchanged a glance as Fog hurried back to her cave. "What was that about?" Cliff asked as they continued on their way to class.

"I don't know." Peacemaker shrugged. "Maybe he just wandered away, like maybe he went to the top of the mountain or something."

"Yeah." Cliff agreed. "It can't be that big of a deal, can it?"