01 Wing Warrior by Kevin Outlaw

that cave for years. You could be wrong about this. Who’s to say you can’t be wrong?’
    ‘It’s true, the memories I possess are only half–formed, but I’m not wrong about this.’
    ‘How can you tell?’
    ‘Some things you just know are true, in your heart. Like you know you are a Wing Warrior.’
    Nimbus let his head sink until it was almost touching his knees. He hated to admit it, but the dragon was right. He could deny being a Wing Warrior with every bit of his common sense and reason, but it wouldn’t make a single bit of difference. Eventually he would wear the armour.
    ‘But I’m not ready for all this.’
    ‘Whether you are ready or not, this thing is coming.’
    Nimbus ran his hand over the surface of the Wing Warrior sword. The metal was cold and unforgiving, the edges sharp enough to cut through bone. It made him sick to think of using something so cruel against another living thing. ‘Do you think I can beat it?’ he asked, without looking up.
    ‘I think you can do more than you have ever realised.’
    ‘Do you think I can beat it?’ Nimbus repeated.
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘You really believe that?’
    ‘I’m a dragon. I have to believe in the unbelievable. And you have to believe it too. You have to be prepared when the time comes.’
    ‘How do you expect me to be prepared when I don’t know what it is I’m preparing for?’
    Cumulo shrugged his massive shoulders. ‘I don’t have all the answers, Nim. Nobody does. We just have to do the best we can based on what we know.’
    ‘That’s my point, Cumulo. I don’t know anything. I’m just a stupid kid. Probably the most stupid kid in my village. My dad’s forgotten more than I’ve ever known.’
    Cumulo was silent.
    Nimbus picked at his fingernails nervously. Between his feet a small, black spider was spinning a web in the grass.
    ‘The sword is too heavy,’ he went on. ‘The armour is too big. I don’t know what to do. I can’t be what you want me to be.’
    Cumulo suddenly glanced at the sky, his eyes narrowing with concentration. The sun was no longer visible behind the high banks of thickening cloud. ‘Wherever you are taking me, I think you should take me there soon,’ he growled.
    ‘What is it? Can you hear something?’
    ‘No. I can sense something. It’s in the air, but I don’t know where. It’s looking for you.’
    ‘An enemy?’
    ‘I’m not sure, but I think it would be a good idea to take cover quickly. We aren’t ready for a fight.’
    Nimbus stood, his pulse quickening. ‘I want to go home,’ he said.
    ‘You’re supposed to be taking me to a new hiding place. You can’t go home.’
    ‘I need to see my mum. I want to make sure she’s okay.’
    ‘But, Nim...’
    ‘Just through these trees there is a ruined castle. That’s where I was taking you. It used to be a guard post, a watchtower protecting the eastern paths through the Grey Mountains. It’s been empty for years now. Nobody ever goes there, they think it’s haunted by evil spirits.’
    ‘Is it?’
    ‘Up until today, I would have said no. But you’ll be safe there. Trust me. Just head through these trees and get inside the ruins. Stay hidden and I’ll come back tomorrow, just as soon as I’ve made sure my family are okay.’ He stuffed the sword into the sack with the armour. ‘Hide this for me.’
    Cumulo stretched out his wings as far as they would go. ‘Be careful,’ he warned, and then with one gigantic flap that blasted Nimbus off his feet he shot into the sky, punching a dragon–sized hole through the overhanging leaves.
    ‘No,’ Nimbus shouted, as branches and bits of wood rained down on him. ‘No flying. You’ll be seen.’
    It was too late though. Cumulo was already nothing more than a tiny speck in the distance.
     

CHAPTER ELEVEN
     
     
    Hawk was a soldier at Flint Lock Fort. Being a soldier was an incredibly important job, and involved doing lots of incredibly important things like polishing suits of armour, sharpening