12 Blaze's Powers

CHAPTER 12 BLAZE'S POWERS Tag stepped toward Blaze. His eyes were wide as he watched the silver flames swirl around her. "She will be fine," Talia told him. Skyla held on to Tag's wing. "Is the fire supposed to be silver?" she asked.

"The hatching ceremony gives a firehawk their special powers. Blaze didn't have a hatching ceremony, so she had to wait for her powers to grow," Talia explained. "I think that is why the flames are silver. Now, she will be even more powerful." The firehawks began chanting a low song. It got louder and louder, and Melody sang loudest of all. Then the firehawks held up their wings to the sky, and out shot hundreds of small fireballs. "Wow!" Tag cried. It was beautiful. The fireballs floated away on the wind.

Slowly, the fire died down until the nest was nothing but ashes. The baby firehawks peeped loudly, and Blaze smiled down at them. The baby firehawks took to the sky, then flew into their mothers' wings. "Did Blaze always have that feather?" Claw asked. The friends looked at Blaze. Among her orange and red tail feathers was a new, longer one. This feather was silver, and it glittered in the sunlight. The firehawks gathered around Blaze, quietly peeping to one another. They seemed as surprised as Blaze was about her new feather.

Talia held her wings up to calm the crowd. "I had a vision of this feather," she said. "It signifies that Blaze will grow up to be the most powerful leader the firehawks have ever seen." The firehawks gasped. Tag's tummy felt funny. If Blaze is meant to be their leader, he thought, then she might never return to Perodia. Blaze looked at her new tail feather. "I thought leaders had golden tail feathers," she said.

"That is true. Each firehawk leader has three golden tail feathers, and your three tail feathers will grow when you are older. But this new silver feather is very special," Talia said. "More special than the golden feathers. But it won't become magical until you are fully grown. Then you will be ready to take over as leader of the firehawks." Tag frowned. How long would it take for Blaze to be fully grown? he wondered. "Tag," Skyla whispered. "What will happen when Blaze becomes leader of the flrehawks?" Tag felt his heart sink. "We will have to leave her behind," he replied.