❄️Chapter 3❄️

  At the time of me writing this, I'm not sure if this chapter will have a title or not. I'll probably think of one as I'm writing, but anyway, this is in Winter's POV, as shown by the snowflake emoji. The chapter is in Moon's POV if there's a moon emoji in the title, if you haven't caught on.

  Water. No oxygen. Searing pain in his back leg. A dark blue tint to the water that wasn't there when Winter had first entered the ocean. Those were four of the main things burning in his mind as he fought against his reptilian attacker. The last one: survive.

  He had calmly been searching for any kind of aquatic creature to hunt just over a minute ago, not far from the beach. He'd estimated that the water was only about up to his neck when he stood up straight, assuming he wouldn't have to worry about any large predators attacking. A foolish mistake. All of a sudden, he'd been yanked down into the water by a bulky mass of scales. It wasn't a dragon, but this was worse, since he'd never been trained to fight one. A saltwater crocodile.

  Winter's vision was a blur of water and bubbles, his eyes stinging from the saltwater. He could only catch mere glimpses of the reptile as it constantly rammed into him and tried to lock its massive jaws around him. He couldn't let it, because if it did and spun him around in a so-called death roll, he would most likely pass out. And then, he would be food for the fishes. Or in this case, crocodile.

  He felt its scaly tail brush against him from behind, and twirled around in time to dodge its set of razor-sharp teeth as they snapped shut right where his leg had been. It had already raked its claws across his leg when it had dragged him underwater, and it was like no pain he had ever felt before, so he didn't want to find out what it would feel like if it bit him.

  Does frostbreath work underwater? Probably not; I would just freeze all the water around me. I need to get above the surface for that to work.

  The reptile charged at him once more, this time from his left. Acting instinctively, Winter slashed his serrated claws across its side, the jagged points tearing bits of flesh out as he removed them. The creature let out some kind of muffled roar and immediately swam off, although he knew it would come back again for another strike. He used the opportunity to launch himself upward and above the water, coughing up seawater once he was able to do so. He scanned his surroundings for anything he could use to defend himself besides his claws, but only saw a rock sitting next to him, large enough to fit in his talon.

  It's better than nothing, he thought as he picked it up. 

  And in the nick of time, too. No sooner had he clutched it in his talons than the crocodile came bursting out of the water, its jaws wide open as it prepared to clamp down on him. Winter slammed the stone into the side of its head, but it only made it more angry as it pushed him back underneath the water. Its teeth came racing for his throat, and he was barely able to force its jaws apart in time. The crocodile fought to close its mouth, its sharp claws digging into the sand and making the visibility worse. Winter's strength was quickly fading; he couldn't fight this thing for much longer on his own.

  I swear, if I die to an overgrown lizard on the first day of school, I'm going to be more disappointed in myself than I already am.

  The creature's weight pressing down on him suddenly lifted, and amid the swirling sand, tainted blue water, and the constant ringing in his ears, he saw a dark black shape and the pale brown crocodile struggling several feet away from him.

  Winter fought his fatigue and broke the surface again, astonished to see Moonwatcher, the shy NightWing he was clawmates with, locked in combat with the viscious reptile. 

  Don't help her, she's a filthy, conniving NightWing! one part of him screamed, while the other said but you HAVE to, she just helped you!

  He listened to the second part.

  Winter wasn't able to fly over since his wings were soaking wet, but he was a skilled swimmer, so he instead swam over to where Moon was holding the reptile's snapping teeth at bay. Before he could reach her, it knocked her underwater with its massive weight, and he knew it was about to go for the kill. He noticed its brown eyes, and that it had a vertical pupil. Vertical pupils belonged to animals with night vision and impressive eyesight, but that also made them extremely sensitive.

  The IceWing acted without thinking, knowing if he didn't, Moon could - and probably would - be killed. He slammed into the crocodile's side as hard as he could, waiting for it to look straight at him before he stabbed a claw into one of its eyes. It worked, the creature letting out a shrill hiss and immediately diving into the water in an attempt to escape. He wasn't about to let it get away though, and it was wounded, which made it vulnerable. Winter thrust his talons underwater and yanked up when he felt them dig into scaly flesh. The reptile instantly opened its jaws wide, and he used his last remaining adrenaline to keep them that way, before blasting a jet of icy frostbreath from his throat. It went straight down the crocodile's, and within moments, it lay on its back floating on the surface of the water, dead.

  He heard splashing in the water behind him and turned around, expecting to see some other giant creature with teeth approaching to check out the commotion. He was sort of right. In reality, it was the rest of his winglet and Tsunami, although Carnelian stayed closer to the shoreline.

  "Are you alright?" Tsunami asked, grimacing as she saw the dark blue tint to the water. "Did that thing bite you?"

  Winter lifted his wings above the water and shook the liquid off. "I'm fine. It just scratched me a little." He was able to hover in the air after his wings were mostly dry, revealing his wound as he did so.

  "A little?" Qibli asked, wading closer to get a better look. "I wouldn't exactly call that 'a little'. You should probably see the nurse. Is there a nurse here?" he asked Tsunami.

  "Of course!" she replied a bit angrily. "Do you think we would risk having a bunch of rowdy dragons from different tribes in the same place all day without a nurse?"

  Below his knee on his right back leg were three long gashes, although they weren't very deep. Not deep enough to require stitches, at least. Winter knew this because everyone in the Ice Kingdom had to have some sort of medical training in case of injury, even if it wasn't very extensive. It still felt like a talonful of steaming sand had been shoved inside the wound, though, and blood was flowing freely from it.

  "I don't need to see the nurse," he objected. "It's fine."

  Tsunami rolled her eyes. "If you call an infection fine, then yes. You need to go to the nurse. They'll probably just put bandages on it and clean it out, but it's better than having to get your lower leg amputated. Someone needs to go with you, too."

  "I'll go!" both Qibli and Kinkajou said at once.

  The deep blue SeaWing princess shook her head. "Neither of you have found any prey yet. I would send Carnelian since she's already done-"

  "Don't you dare send me with that frozen lizard that calls himself a prince!" the SkyWing called from the shore. Winter desperately wanted to fly over there and rip her throat out, but he resisted the temptation.

  "But that's why I'm not going to," Tsunami growled. "How about you go with Winter, Moon?"

  You're kidding, he thought, turning his gaze to the dripping wet NightWing hovering in the air a few feet away from him. First they pair me up with her to be my clawmate, and now she has to escort me to the nurse?!

  "I'll take my chances with the SkyWing," he replied.

  "I didn't ask who you wanted to go with, Winter," Tsunami shot back. "Moon, I'll make sure someone brings your kill to the prey center; just make sure Winter gets to the nurse. I don't care what you have to do to get him there, just do it."

  "R-really?" she asked with a slight stutter. "Wouldn't Kinkajou be better for this? She doesn't seem to have a problem with anyone..."

  "Now!" Tsunami ordered, clearly losing her patience.

  Winter sighed, beginning to fly back toward the academy.

  "Wait!" the small RainWing suddenly interjected. "Don't you have something to say to Moon first? Maybe about how she totally distracted that mean crocodile for you?"

  He snorted, looking over his shoulder. Moon quickly averted her gaze, looking at her claws sheepishly.

  "Thanks, I guess," he muttered. "Now try to keep up, NightWing; I don't have all day."

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    "You're lucky that crocodile didn't cut very deep," the nurse, a stocky RainWing whose appearance didn't fit his profession said as he wrapped white bandages around Winter's wound. "Salties can easily kill a dragon; it's a good thing you were able to kill it." 

  Winter had already washed out the wound like the nurse had instructed, so as soon as the bandages were applied, he was sent on his way with instructions to clean it every few hours for the next couple of days. The nurse also sent him with a roll of fresh bandages, telling him to replace them daily. He was relieved once he was able to go; he simply wanted to go back to his cave and have some peace and quiet.

  He was surprised to see Moonwatcher waiting out in the hallway as he exited the nurse's office. Neither of them had spoken during the time it took to get him there, so he had anticipated that she had gone back to their cave, or somewhere else.

  "You didn't have to stay, you know," he growled, setting off in the directions of their cave. He moved at a steady pace, even with a slight limp.

  The NightWing quickly hurried to catch up with him. "Well, I wanted to make sure you didn't need any help."

  Winter stopped, narrowing his arctic blue eyes at her in a glare. "I don't need help, especially not from a thieving, lying, conniving, snide NightWing like yourself. So let me be. Go open up a stupid scroll or something, since that's what you seem to do best."

  He turned to leave, however stopped when Moon grabbed his arm, digging her claws in enough for him to feel slight pain. "What do you want?" he snarled.

  "What I want, is for you to stop being such a jerk," she retorted. "We've known each other for, what, an hour, and you've been nothing but rude and narcissistic. You think you're all high and mighty, that you're better than everyone just because you're a prince, but if this is the way you treat dragons, then you're no better than anyone here." There was a fire in her jade eyes that he hadn't seen before, but it faded as she let go of him and started walking in the opposite direction of him. 

  Winter watched her leave for a moment, before continuing in his original path.

  "And for the record," Moon called, "you're not as intimidating as you think you are."

  He grumbled to himself, storming off in the direction of his cave. Or at least what he thought was the direction of his cave. He was too angry at the moment to really process where he was going.

  Who does she think she is, talking to me like that? I'm an IceWing, I'm SUPPOSED to act like that, because all other tribes are inferior! I didn't think she had a fiery side like that, though...she just seemed shy and introverted at first. Maybe I misjudged that NightWing. And it is a little cute when she gets all intense...

  The ice blue dragon stopped and kicked the stone wall with his injured leg, the immediate pain a punishment for letting such a thought even cross his mind. If he'd been attacked by a saltwater crocodile, made an enemy in his winglet, and pissed off the quietest dragon he knew all in the first day of school, how much worse could things get?

  Who am I kidding? It could always get worse.