Chapter 1: Prologue
Notes:
So. Here we are. Me, writing Wings of Fire fanfiction. You, reader, wondering what this is about.
Well, Wings of Fire always had a weird place in my heart. Wonder, at a new giant Dragon World. Dissapointment, at how shallow it was. Hope, as the characters develop and learn. Despair, as everything they stand for is thrown into the trash. And and so on and so forth. Wings of Fire struck me as this, "wide as the ocean, deep as a puddle" vibes.
So here's my attempt at fixing, the world of Wings of Fire, and the hole in my heart.
Heavy emphasis in attempt.
It feels weird to mention that you aren't going to have many OCs, and then have your first chapter be made out entirely of OCs. So please know that this is the only chapter that does this.
EDIT 05/07/25: So it's been a while since I started this, and if you are a new reader, I think there's something that needs to be pointed out. Yes, the early chapters are mediocre. So please be patient, it gets better! (At least I hope so). A rewrite is planned once I finish part 1.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
4500 years ago…
Celeritas.
Closest advisor to the Empress of the Titan Empire, the most powerful ruler in all of Pyrrhia. Celeritas, famed for his charisma, insightfulness, and fierce speeches. Celeritas, the revolutionary, renowned for his vision and cooperation. Celeritas, the firebrand, jailed many decades ago for his speech “Let me die like a dragoness” in protest of males getting barred from military service. He still remembered how he electrified the crowd with his speech. That feeling of satisfaction, of doing the right thing, of opening their eyes to a brighter future. It was odd how he went from the execution block to being an advisor to the Empress. But he couldn’t say no to that. That way he had a greater chance to make a better future. A future that was worth fighting and dying for.
And that is precisely why he was throwing everything away. In a few days, his name would be on the execution list. A dirty, filthy betrayer. But he had to do it. He’d thought Empress Agrias was pacified. And he knew his Empress deeply cared about all of her subjects. He just didn’t expect love to backfire like this. Her subjects have been threatened with the most dangerous weapon Pyrrhia has ever seen: Animus Magic. And like a rabid elephant mother trying to protect her children, she was willing to do anything;
Genocide. That word made him shiver; he listened to the Empress’s tirade, of calling the death of all the IceWings who dared threaten her subjects. Never ever would he have imagined love giving in the way for the specter of madness, of hate, and taking its root in her mind. He was the first royal advisor to be tasked with locating their SandWing Animus, Terral, and to tell him to report back to the Empress. He was also one of the few who knew what the instructions the Empress was going to tell him were. To wish death upon all the IceWings, before they killed them all first with magic.
All throughout the flight, in search of Terral, he had been cursing whatever vile creature made Animus Magic like this. A giant, double-edged axe that could destroy and create in equal efficacy. He knew what kinds of dragons there were in the world, and he knew it was only a matter of time before someone unworthy of being Animus would hatch and wish the world away. Creating was a delicate, time-consuming art. Destroying? That was no art at all; anyone could do it. Even an oversized dragonet would excel at destruction.
But he knew Terral wasn’t one of the bad ones. By the Sun, he probably was the best dragon he knew in the entire world. Selfless, with no craving for power, just for learning and endless curiosity and love. No wonder they both fell in love the second they met… But the world couldn’t know of them. Not yet.
He’d gone to every place he knew Terral could be, his SkyWing physique giving him incredible speed and able to reach them all with ease, but he was running out of places to search, it was nighttime and thus limited vision, and he was running out of time. The last place he was trying was on Jade Mountain. He knew Terral liked the solitude of the peaks and the clear skies to star-gaze. Flying over the peaks, he was looking for any sign of life. Just as he was about to leave: there! A small flick of light! As he flew over, it was indeed him!
Terral’s ears raised, and he turned around just as he was landing near the plateau.
"Celis!" He exclaimed with a smile, but it was quickly removed once Celeritas stood in the torchlight. “W-What’s going on?”. Guess I worried too much on the way, he thought drily.
“We need to hide! Right now!” Celeritas walked to Terral and grabbed his arm, pulling him to the shadows, but he resisted.
“Celis?! What’s happening? Did they find out about us?”
“No! This is so much worse, Terral.” He was still trying to pull him.
“Stop, Celis, please stop. What’s going on?”
“I already told you! We need to hide right now!” This time he pulled violently, and Terral didn’t resist.
“Woah! Is it that bad?” he asked with a wounded expression, joining the treeline, deep in the shadows, "You know me, I can fix almost everything!"
“I know, cactus-brain! That’s why I’m here!”
“Ah… so?”
“The Empress… she has commanded me to find you.”
Terral merely quirked a brow, as to say, “And?”
“And she will task you to kill all the IceWings.”
Terral’s eyes went wide, this time it was Celeritas' time to quirk a brow, as to say, “Told you.”
“You’re joking. You must be.” Terral said, shaking his head and stepping back.
“No, no. Listen to me, we need to hide now and figure a way to stop all these idiots from killing themselves! And us! With the correct spell, you could stop all this from happening!”
“Does the Empress know?” Terral said, after a brief pause.
Celeritas shook his head. “No, but soon she will figure it out, she knows I’m one of the few that know her orders, and she suspects we are… too close.”
“Some of us already did.”
Both Celeritas and Terral froze in place. Who said that? Someone was here? How? They frantically tried looking for the intruder, but there was no one else there!
Suddenly, an IceWing materialized behind Terral. Time slowed down. This is it. Celeritas grimly thought, as he leaped towards the IceWing, intending to gore her head with his horns. Terral was too important.
“Behind you!” Celeritas screamed. Luckily, Terral was a quick thinker, he hunkered down and rolled away.
As he was about to impact the IceWing, she merely lifted a talon, and now, time truly stopped. He froze in the air, unable to move! He struggled, but he couldn’t even command his body to move! He tried to do anything, but he just couldn’t. Even thinking was becoming difficult. We lost, he thought with sadness.
“Stay away!” Terral hissed from a safer distance.
“Moons, aren’t you all melodramatic?” the IceWing said.
He wished he could move, to gut this IceWing, she was about to let genocide happen! He couldn’t let her!
The IceWing suddenly laughed, “Please, as if.”
Huh? It looked like—
“Yes. I’m a mind reader.”
Then, there is no hope.
"Ughh," the IceWing scoffed, moving away from him, “it’s a good thing I can turn this thing off.”
Terral was just there, eyes wide, looking at the exchange with caution. “Who are you?” he asked.
“Me? Hmmm. Well, I'm a nobody really. You can call me The Commissioner.”
Celeritas laughed in his mind. What a stupidly pretentious name. The IceWing merely gave him a pointed look. Ah. So she was still listening. Awkward.
“Do you just decide to pop in at any discussion you feel like listening to? I thought IceWings had good manners.” Terral said
“Well, that depends. Do SkyWings charge at perfectly innocent strangers that chime in in their conversations? the IceWing countered. He refused to call her “The Commissioner”. What a ridiculous name. She gave him another pointed look. "I was just trying to have fun," she shrugged.
“This was no random conversation, I bet you know that.”
“Ah! Good! So we can skip the pleasantries. I know your Empress has commanded you to kill all the IceWings. Me specifically. Quite rude of her, I must say.”
“And let me guess. Your Queen has commanded you to kill us too.”
“Oh good! A quick thinker too! That’s nice. And yes. Correct…Oh… You are quite rude too.”
Celeritas was trying to understand what was going on. But Terral’s fast brain, seemingly able to understand almost anything without any context, and a mind-reader, was making things really tough.
The IceWing looked at him. “Your lover just tried to kill me with his Animus Magic," she looked back at Terral, “a cheap shot I might add, you are invulnerable to Animus Magic too.”
Terral was clearly on edge. “What do you want?”
She pointed a claw at her. “Me? Want? Nothing at all!” She pointed a claw at Terral. “You on the other talon. What do you want?”
Terral just stood there. All three of them knew what this was about. “I won’t do it. The empress’ plan,” he firmly said. And with a determined face. “But I’ll try to stop you.”
The IceWing only smiled. Not a smug or evil smile like he thought they would get. A… Hopeful? Smile?
“Hmm…” she looked at Celeritas, “We just might get a brighter future then.”
Instantly he knew. This wasn’t the enemy. She was just teasing them. An unexpected ally has appeared, and Pyrrhia still stood a chance against a destructive force they couldn't even comprehend.
"Dismantling Animus Magic won't be an easy task, that's why I'm here. Among the only dragons that can devise such a gargantuan task." She looked at Terral, "the Mind to develop it," she looked at him, "the Kindness to will it, and then, pointing exaggeratedly at her, "and the Body to withstand time."
Celeritas felt... hopeful? Just a few days ago he was blind to the dangers of Animus Magic. Then terrified at going to bed at the end of the day, knowing that it may be the last for civilization. But now, maybe they could save Pyrrhia from disasters now and forever. Even if it means giving away all his legacy. It was a future worth fighting for. And he was more than happy to do so.
Terral looked at him, looking for advice. He tried nodding with his eyes, and that, apparently worked, as Terral nodded too.
"Tell us what to do."
Notes:
And so, a group of dragons tried to dismantle Animus Magic. Note the word used: 'dismantle', not 'get rid of'. The implications? Well, I won't tell.
Constructive feedback is appreciated. Feel free to comment any typos, syntax or format errors.
Chapter 2: Futures Resonating
Notes:
So, I'll get this out of the way, I'm bad at embellishing text. In the line of work I do, I write a lot, but there's no need to embelish anything, it's all informative. Coupled with the fact that dragons have 6 limbs... and are very physical with their interactions... But worry not! I'll keep editing fixes as I go, I don't like characters being this static when interacting with others.
So please enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Part 1: A Chance for Peace
Present Day:
“You can’t come to the rainforest with us,” Starflight said. His voice shook violently, like the rocks beneath his claws, as he sized up at Morrowseer’s overpowering form.
Both Clay and Tsunami quickly shuffled beside him; the three of them standing defiantly against the towering NightWing, together.
“And don’t even TRY to act like you aren’t up to something!” Tsunami growled.
“You can try flying across the sea,” Clay said. “Maybe you’ll make it before the volcano explodes.”
“Not that we care,” Tsunami added with a snarl.
Morrowseer’s expression was incredulous, clearly unimpressed by their posturing. “And who’s going to stop me? The three of you?” he said.
“Yes,” Starflight said, widening his stance. This was it, they would make a stand for it. Fight and stop Morrowseer, once and for all.
“And me,” said Fatespeaker’s voice from behind Starflight. He felt her tail brush against his as she slid up next to him.
The giant NightWing snorted, as if that only made things more amusing. “Here’s all the dragonets I want dead anyway,” he said. “In one convenient place.” He opened his mouth, hissing up a fiery breath.
And then the volcano erupted. The gigantic smoke cloud expanding at a seemingly impossible speed. Nothing that big should be able to move that quickly!
The four of them immediately dropped their attacking positions, staring in wide-eyed shock at the erupting volcano. Morrowseer took a quick peek at what they were looking at, only to freeze in place as well, the smoke cloud dwarfing their combined resolve to fight. It’s not only the smoke cloud. Starflight thought in terror. And just as he finished his thought, the ground violently shook and threw all five dragons to the ground, instantly followed by the volcano's sound wave: a thundering, crashing BOOM that deafened their ears and shook the ground itself once again.
A giant rock fell right besides Starflight, almost crushing his skull, up from the cave they were in. It was collapsing. They had to get out of there now, Morrowseer be damned! He tried to get up, but the ground was shaking so badly he tripped. He tried shouting for help, but he couldn’t even hear his own voice over his ringing ears. He looked at the smoke cloud, moving frighteningly fast at them.
Was this it? Is their destiny over? They only had a few seconds left. But then someone grabbed him and was trying to lift him. It was Fatespeaker. She was trying to tell him something, couldn’t hear her, but with her help he finally managed to get back up.
Morrowseer was still down, looking disoriented, trying to find his footing with wide eyes. Part of Starflight wanted to help him. Even as misguided as he was, Morrowseer was trying to do what he thought to be right. But that didn’t excuse his crimes. Morrowseer had to go. So he went to help his family instead.
Luckily Tsunami was already back to her feet, heading for Clay, the three of them quickly helped him back up, and then rushed to the collapsing exit hole. Suddenly, the tunnel turned dark, he turned while running towards the exit hole and saw the blackened cloud of searing, toxic sulfur engulf Morrowseer in it as he was closing his eyes. There wasn’t enough time! He pushed Fatespeaker out to the hole with his momentum, followed by Tsunami. He went to grab and push Clay, but he stood firmly.
“Hold your breath!” he heard Clay shout, barely registering in his still ringing ears.
Before he could even comprehend the implications of such instruction, he saw the toxic fumes engulf Clay, as it hit his own face and eyes, and next his entire body. It’s like he had been bathed in lava. He instinctively tried breathing, fully aware of Clay’s instructions, but no air would come in, he was now burning from the inside. He tried opening his eyes, panicking, trying to locate the exit hole, but the sulphurous fumes were too dense, his eyes felt like they were burning. That was it, was Starflight’s last conscious thought, as the darkness enveloped him.
Starflight was running, running and running. The black clouds chasing him endlessly, the howling wind roaring with fury. He wasn’t even sure where he was, it was all dark, but it looked like a warped version of the rainforest on fire, and he’d been desperately running for a while. But suddenly there! He spotted a shimmer of light. He changed course, and oddly enough, so did the clouds following him. As he got a clearer view of what it was, he stopped. It was a mirror. Somehow, instinctively, he knew the clouds following him stopped, just as the howling wind grew quiet. With mounting suspicion about what it meant, he continued running at it.
As he drew closer to the mysterious mirror, a thousand different emotions swelled from within; a haggard and mangled figure stood beyond its surface to greet him, as if awaiting his arrival. A familiar figure, he noticed with horror. Vacant eye sockets of charred bone, scorched flesh and scales dotting its exterior. It was him. Staring in disbelief, his specter then motioned towards the mirror with a mere turn of his head, his body perfectly still as if charred from the burns. Uncertain, Starflight obeyed the specter and looked at the mirror’s reflection. But the mirror was empty. A tingle behind his back, he turned, and saw the black clouds just in time as they engulfed him yet again. He smelled of sulphur, felt like burning both inside and outside at the same time again.
Starflight bolted awake with a scream.
The world was dark still, it still smelled of sulphur, but it was... mixed with some aloe vera? And medicinal herbs? He could feel the cool air in with his scales, and the complete silence of… wherever he was. Were those birds singing? Was he dead? Did the afterlife just happen to smell like aloe vera mixed with whatever he smelled at the time of his death? And why did it feel like it was within a hammock?
Beginning to get his bearings, trying to calm his racing heart, he noticed he somehow survived, and became aware of why he couldn’t see. Starflight begun touching his head delicately with his talons, feeling a cloth bandage that was wrapped in his head, covering his eyes and most of his snout.
He remembered the nightmare he had, just a few moments ago. Instinctively he froze, the uncertainty in his mind telling him he should check for injuries later, that this was of no concern just yet. But he had to know. Pushing the thought aside, with dread, he slowly started to unwound the bandage. Being blind was one of the things that terrified Starflight the most, considering all the scrolls he’d miss… but as Starflight was peeling the bandage away; There! Light, shining through the bandage! He wasn’t blind at all! With renewed energy, shredding off the dread and uncertainty, he quickly unwound more of the bandage.
Feeling the bandage thinning, he quickly ripped it out, he had to see again! And finally, light shining into his eyes, the simple fact of being able to see filled him with such joy. But as Starflight waited for his eyesight to get used to the sunlight, he noticed something was wrong. His eyesight wasn’t getting any better. In fact, it wasn’t adjusting at all. He was still seeing an amalgam of colors and outlines mixing into silhouettes. His heartbeat started accelerating with mounting agitation. He was partially blind, he realized with sadness. The searing sulphur going into his eyes…It must have damaged them, He was lucky he could at least tell where he was: the Healer’s Pavilion. He could somewhat see, yes, but would still need help for other, more precise things.
Such as writing… and reading… he thought with even greater sadness.
“Starflight?” a voice he knew asked. It was Fatespeaker.
He turned and saw her silhouette and color palettes, entering the building. It was indeed her. At least he could identify other dragons too.
“Thank the moons you are awake! I mean, I always knew you’d wake up, eventually. I saw it in my visions! But still! I can’t believe- …Starflight? What’s wrong?”
Starflight didn’t even notice his view shifting away from Fatespeaker, who had now closed the distance, and was at his hammock. It felt hard to talk. He felt her talon grab his head, pulling, and there she was, face to face with the NightWing, who had a worrying look. At least that’s what he thought.
“Oh!” She exclaimed. Starflight panicked. Did he look that bad? "Wait here."
He looked at Fatespeaker as she was rummaging through a cabinet. With a happy hum, she grabbed something and went back to his hammock.
Starflight tried telling her the bad news, “Fatespeaker… I don’t think I can-”
“Here!” She interrupted Starflight, and violently smeared something in his face and eyes with both of her talons. “I think this is what Bullfrog told me to give you.”
She thinks? Starflight thought alarmed.
“He uh… Might not have told me how to administer it,” she continued,” but my visions told me this is perfectly safe!” she finished, with a perfectly gleeful tone.
Oh moons. Oh no.
“Fatespeaker, what did you gi-” A strong pain came from his eyes, interrupting him. “Agh!” Instinctively, he rubbed his eyes, but he felt a lot of dust with his claws. Were those his eyes, dusting away? And just as quickly as it came, the pain was gone. He opened his eyes… and… it was glorious. He could see now! Fatespeaker just inserted herself into his view.
“Eye salve!" she exclaimed, showing him the jar with it, “Your eyes were quite dusty! Apparently RainWings sometimes get venom into their eyes, for whatever reason, so they had some just for you!”
Starflight was having trouble finding his words, what a rollercoaster of emotions he just experienced! So he merely threw himself back at the hammock, with a smile.
“Yes, you should rest,” Fatespeaker continued, “you look really battered down. More than normal.”
“Thank you,” was all he said. And as if Fatespeaker summoned his exhaustion, he now felt perfectly tired, his body catching up with his mind now.
“You were very brave back there, in the tunnel,” she told him, gripping his talon. “I’ll see you soon! Rest well! Bye!” And just like that, she was gone. Before he could even reply.
Starflight looked pensively at the roof, trying to catch up with what happened before this whole ordeal. Glory had absorbed the NightWings. Yes, he was starting to remember now. They were still under Queen Greatness, but she’d kowtowed and she herself was under Glory. Queen Glory, he corrected himself. But a Queen couldn't have a Queen below her. They are equal ranks in nobility, it is simply not possible… Did that make Glory… an Empress? Empress Glory? No. She would never proclaim herself as that. Glory wasn’t vain like that, and besides, it would rub the NightWings the wrong way. Still, she was technically something above Queen. Archqueen maybe? He wasn’t sure such a term existed. He found the entire prospect of it all quite fascinating, actually.
But… Would the NightWings allow it? They were moments away from fighting an all out war with them. RainWings versus NightWings. Luckily the volcano proved to be the most imminent danger at the moment, but it was dealt with. And now… they have the NightWings, right at their goal, inside the Rainforest… Starflight worried a lot, too much maybe. But now he had the guts to do anything other than worrying. He could stand up for what is right. He’d help Glory make it work, somehow, to keep the peace. He vowed it.
And for once, he let his mind rest for a bit, and closed his eyes, relaxing back at the hammock, grateful for not having lost his vision. And most importantly, for surviving a horrifying death. He briefly wondered how his family was faring before falling asleep.
Glory was laying high in the sunny treetops, trying to relax, using her suntime as an excuse to get away from the Royal Pavilion. That was a big mess, one she didn’t have the energy to deal with now. Nor the brainpower. She didn’t have anything to give, in fact. Hopefully Grandeur and Mangrove had the energy to deal with that now.
She was wondering if saving the NightWings was worth it. The amount of hateful glares, murmurs and nasty words she got as she was addressing them was alarming, back when they were abandoning their island. But not as alarming as the NightWing tunnel releasing a powerful BOOM as she was addressing them.
It shook the ground and made both Tribes run away in panic. But not Glory. She stood her ground. She knew her loved ones were there. So instead, she had flown the opposite direction, went towards the tunnel.
That’s when she was greeted with Tsunami, roaring “Get down!”, followed by Fatespeaker. But instead of Clay or Starflight coming out, smoke poured out. She’d tried to go in, to try to save them, but Tsunami stopped her, told her that that was toxic sulphur pouring out. She remembered the devastated looks the three of them had back then. Had they just lost their friends?
They waited for a painfully long time, hoping for the smoke to dissipate. But then Clay suddenly leaped out of the tunnel, falling the entire length to the ground, coughing. Bundled between his wings was Starflight. Who then laid motionless on the ground, scales smoking.
That’s why she was up here. Alone, in the sun. That single minute of waiting for Clay or Starflight to come out had drained her entire soul. But Starflight was unresponsive, and the healers told her they didn’t know if he’d wake up. And Clay was suffering from slight sulfuric poisoning, but his big physique was taking it quite well. They had been this close to dying. If she’d known taking up the crown would mean the death of any of her friends, she simply wouldn't have. She took the crown to protect the RainWings and her friends, not to endanger them.
An off-key whistling snapped her back to reality. It was the Dragonets of Destiny bar theme. Some days ago, that whistle would’ve rocked her core and sent her flying, if she’d known who was behind it. But now, she just tried to put on an annoyed face, and turned to the source of it, head still laid over her crossed talons. And there he was. The most idiotic, stupid assassin that had ever walked Pyrrhia, with a perfectly matching moronic grin to accompany.
“Aww, you look so happy to see me!” Deathbringer said cheerfully as he was walking towards her, through the solid, sunny treetops.
Glory thought she had a mildly annoyed face on. “This is what ‘happy’ looks to you?”
“Coming back from a visit to the NightWings, who only snarl and insult me, absolutely!” He stopped before Glory.
Glory rolled her eyes, “Maybe I should just remove your visitor privileges,” she said, sitting upright and lifting her head to address him. “You can’t just come and assault the Queen with your stupidity like that.” Starflight had suggested to her that, by request, NightWings could be granted residential rights to the RainWing village; she just didn’t expect Deathbringer to be the first one. And, besides Fatespeaker, more would come, surely.
Deathbringer smirked. “If you mean by ‘assaulting everyone with dashingly good looks, incredible wit and very good manners’, then yes, I’m guilty! At least manners by NightWing standards, that is.” He said with a wink.
Glory quirked her brow.
Deathbringer grew serious for a moment “Oh, the snarling and insulting? That was not part of the joke. They hate my guts.” He said, waving a talon vaguely towards the direction where the NightWing village was.
Oh. He wasn’t joking about that? Well… “Then maybe we should put you up in the gallows? As both tribes can’t deal with you. Clearly. We have solve our problems somehow,” she replied, with a cheeky smile.
“Woah, that one felt personal!” he said laughing as he sat near Glory, even though she didn’t give him permission, but then he smiled, “But you don’t have any gallows.”
“Maybe I’ll build one just for you. Deathbringer’s Gallows, the irony alone is worth it. And besides, assaulting the Queen is a very serious crime.” She said in a perfectly calm tone.
“Just for me?! That would be the most effort someone has put into something for me!” he said, clapping his talons like a dragonet. Glory somehow did believe it. But she was starting to get annoyed. The creeping sensation of her scales begging to turn red was starting to appeal to her.
“Deathbringer, why are you -” suddenly a claw was at her snout, silencing her. The audacity! Some of her scales had even turned a red without her noticing!
“I know, I know. I didn’t come here to only bother you. Obviously.” Glory noticed his quick peek at her body. She felt awkward and self-conscious. Now it was hard to keep her scales from going pale pink from the embarrassment. She swatted the offending talon away and took a bit more distance from Deathbringer.
“And?” she said, with an even angrier face.
But it somehow seemed to make Deathbringer’s smile even wider, “Well, do you want the good news, or the bad news?”
“The good news, obviously? Are you a messenger boy now?”
He ignored her, and took a deep breath. “Starflight has woken up, and looks like he will recover, he has some minor burn wounds. Nothing too serious.”
She closed her eyes, relaxed her face and released a calming sigh, as she felt invisible, heavy rocks being lifted from her back. She really needed to hear that. That was one big worry she’d had. Starflight had been so badly hurt…
“And the bad news, well…” Deathbringer continued, making her snap her eyes open, “When the tunnel exploded and everyone went running and screaming. My tribe sent a couple of dragons back into it before you could get yours back to keep the tunnel in check.”
“Why? And how do you know this? I thought they hated you.” Glory said, taking a step closer.
His smile erased, and grew grim. “Yes, they do… And they rescued the dragon that hates me the most.”
Rescued?... A sudden realization hit her, making her gasp. There was only one dragon. One dragon that didn’t come out from that tunnel. Please, don't say. Please don’t.
He looked at her, with serious eyes, unbecoming of him, “Morrowseer.” No. Glory thought in fear. “He’s still alive.”
Secretkeeper looked with intensity at Queen Greatness, high up from the frame of the cottage she had been tasked to build, together with the others. Their new village was shaping up, somewhat. The Queen was discussing something with her advisors. Queen Greatness was somehow still their Queen, she didn’t quite understand how that worked. At least Queen Glory had given them some land to build their new home. But she cared for nothing about Queen Greatness, or her task, or her entire tribe, in fact. She only cared for one single thing in this entire world:
Moonwatcher…
Her radiant eyes, her sweet innocence, her perfect scales… But she was cursed with the powers of the ancient NightWings. Source of many of her nightmares. But she didn’t care. Moon was perfect the way she was. She’d been trying to teach her to use her powers, but it was a very time consuming and difficult task to look up the correct scrolls.
And time was something she no longer had. It was only thanks to Morrowseer, her husband, and one of Queen Battlewinner’s closest advisors, that she would get extra privileges, and with them, she could sneak up and visit Moonwatcher. She felt terrible, that the visits to her daughter were only possible thanks to him, and she was making his daughter a secret. But she couldn't tell him. Couldn’t tell the tribe. Even with the rumors that Morrowseer was dead, she’d still get ugly looks. Moonwatcher deserved a much better place to grow and live in.
But now, things have gotten way harder. She couldn’t sneak up to visit Moon. Couldn’t visit that one thread that made all of her worries go away, that special dragon that would make every angry look, all the pain, anxiety and suffering, all of it, be worth it. Now, Morrowseer was rumored dead, she was a noone now, and questions would be asked if she’s seen wandering off to visit her daughter, a risk she absolutely couldn't take.
Suddently some trees started moving in the distance, followed by a shout, “Healer!”
Then a group of dragons burst through the treeline into the village in construction, some were armed with makeshift weapons, and two of them were carrying a cot with a NightWing on it. Not just any NightWing, Secretkeeper realized with fear. It was-
“Morrowseer still lives!” One of them shouted. There was some cheering from the crowd that had gathered, and from those occupied with tasks. Her husband still lives, and she felt… nothing. The group gathered by the Queen however, didn’t cheer at all too, and remained silent, merely observing. If Secretkeeper ever had devoted any time to keep track of the current NightWing politics, maybe she’d know what that meant.
She realized, even with her husband back, it would make little difference. She still couldn’t visit Moon without endangering her. Being this close to the rest of her tribe, being close to him. It would endanger her a lot more. And even without any sort of visiting, Moon would still be in danger. Her tribe would try to take more of the Rainforest. It was only a matter of time until they found Moon. And she had to act now. She had to get away, to escape.
She’d thought about it before, that’s why she managed to avoid being listed and took up tasks so everyone assumed she was already on the list. But go where? Morrowseer would try and look for her. She thought that, with him dead, escaping would be a lot easier. But the validity of that plan had only lasted a few hours at most.
She looked at the trees and the bushes. The Rainforest Kingdom… Could that be a safe place? The best place for Moon to be? She’d thought about escaping with Moon a long time ago, the moment she hatched. But no place would offer her safety. The world was angry at NightWings. NightWings like Morrowseer. And even though she was nothing like him and the rest, they wouldn’t trust her. So she had to return empty-taloned every time.
But Queen Glory… would she accept them? She had to try. For her little Moon.
Looking at her peers with caution, everyone was either busy building, or gathering wood for the campfires.
She just said “Going for some wood,” to nobody in particular, and left the spot where she was. Landing with a heavy thud in the Rainforest dirt, she walked towards the treeline. Noone was paying attention to her. She knew where to go. Queen Glory hadn’t said where the RainWing Village was, but when the volcano exploded she paid close attention to where the panicking RainWings went: to the east.
She looked back again, but it seemed that no one was following her. With the coast clear, she quickly took flight, past the treeline, expertly navigating the rainforest as she had done many times before: when she was searching for Moon in one of her many visits over the years.
Navigating the Rainforest was no easy feat. As she flew, she recalled the many accidents she’d had before. Hard to see vines, waiting to strangle careless dragons, strong branches, able to change a dragon’s flight path, insects getting into their eyes… The dangers were many, and when one thought them mastered, a new one would take their place, in the worst possible way. She remembered she was close to dying twice. One, when a bundled rope of vine fell from nowhere, and almost strangled her by the neck. She got caught up in it and got instantly knocked out, only to awake in the ground later with a neck fracture.
And the second one, well, she thought she was going to die. She got trapped in a deep quicksand pit, could feel herself sinking, and in her desperation to reach out for anything to grab to, she found a tree root still connected, and used it to get out. She asked Mastermind about it, but he just laughed and said it was physically impossible for a dragon to drown in quicksand. He said it was a common misconception and a very bad book trope.
Mastermind… She had no idea he was experimenting on dragons. She thought he was just a curious scientist. And maybe his mate, Farsight, thought as much too. He was about to be taken with the RainWings when the tunnel exploded, that’s when the RainWing guards dropped everything and left the scene. He got snatched by other NightWings to safety. Would Queen Glory allow that, once she notices?
She decided to continue thinking later, it was getting dark, and she was about to reach a dangerous area, heavy with vines, she had to concentrate now. Dodging upwards, downwards, then turning sideways, Secretkeeper dodged the obstacles one after another… until suddenly, she noticed a shadow moving towards her, on an interception course! Another NightWing!
She did a downwind spiral, trying to avoid the NightWing, but it quickly changed directions too! She extended her wings, trying to brake, but a vine violently snatched her right wing up, and, tangled, her momentum stopped, the charging NightWing passing just below her. By sheer luck, she narrowly avoided the attacking NightWing, who made a yelp as he missed Secretkeeper and fell to the ground.
Breathing heavily, she took the small window of opportunity she had to fly away. But her right wing was still tangled in the vine, and it really hurt, something must’ve broken. Gripping another vine to support her, she raised her talon and used her razor sharp claws to cut the tangled vine in her wing. A light from below distracted her. Dragonfire coming at her! Extending her left wing rapidly, the wind pushed her aside as the Dragonfire missed her. This dragon was using his Dragonfire against her! He was trying to kill her!
She had no time for caution, and decided to just cut the tangled vine, the ground wasn’t that far. But before her claws could reach the vine, the fire had already done its job, and she fell with a yell. Unprepared from the sudden ejection, she didn’t manage to land properly, and roughly impacted the mud. The world was spinning.
Cruel talons gripped her by the neck, and lifted her from the mud. As her daziness was beginning to leave her, she stared at the face in disbelief of who had managed to catch her: one of the Queen’s assassins. She couldn’t even breathe. She felt tears coming from her eyes. Moonwatcher…
“Why are you following me?!” the NightWing said, crudely interrupting her.
Following? She didn’t understand. She was escaping.
“Answer me!” he said, violently shaking Secretkeeper.
“I don’t even know who you are!” she lied, trying to get his talons off her, but they were expertly fixed on her neck.
“...You don’t?” Noticing the smallest hint of hesitation, Secretkeeper took her chance, and with a rabid scream, she used her hind legs, as she lifted her upper body to push the NightWing off her. She sent the assassin flying, and quickly got up and faced her attacker, trying to seize the opportunity.
But he was already up and facing her, dirtied with mud. “Ha! I knew it. Morrowseer’s lapdog. Doing his bidding the second he returns. What an obedient pet.”
“I hate him!” she said, with growing hatred, and realization. “I hate you. I hate all the NightWings!” She screamed, breathing heavily. She’d never had the guts to say that out loud, but as she was fighting for her life, fighting for Moonwatcher, she didn’t care.
The other NightWing merely laughed, “You think that’s new? Do you have any idea how many NightWings feel that way?”
He had to be lying, surely. But then, she had Moonwatcher… If, in a horrifying alternate future, one without her daughter, where she was just one of the many casualties of the volcano. Would hatred have just poisoned her heart? Would she just be desensitized to the horrors of the world, like Morrowseer? Moonwatcher would tell her of her day, about the things she’d seen while she was away, and Secretkeeper could instantly feel all the wrongs in her life being washed away. Did no other NightWing have that?
“Hmmm,” he mumbled. “The tone of your words…” he continued, easing his stance a little. “That wasn’t an accusation… That was a realization, wasn’t it?”
Secretkeeper just nodded, she wasn’t going to get distracted by this killer.
“And we are both here. Moments after Morrowseer has been found. He said matter-of-factly, as if realizing something too.
“Here doing what?” she said with an accusing tone.
He looked at her. “Defecting. I am asking Queen Glory for political asylum.”
Notes:
And so, the stones are being set in place, and like an Aeon, a Cosmic Imbalance has been solved. Starflight didn't get blinded. Because volcanoes are depicted realistically here? I guess? Not as thermonuclear explosions? Thanks Tui.
The next chapter will to be about setting up the stage too, and once I'm done with that, expect a lot of fluff. And a bit of drama.
Again, feel free to point out mistakes. Have a nice day.
Chapter 3: The Message
Notes:
Sorry it took this long. I rewrote every scene like 10 times each, sadly it was due to the main PoV, Sunny, since I'm basically gutting her entire book, it feels like I owe her a bunch of chapters, which I will. Other than that please enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 2:
Queen Ruby sat on the SkyWing Throne, overseeing the capital city of her tribe: Horizon. A strange place to be, since she always thought the city to be doomed. Before, when her psychopath mother sat on the very throne she herself was resting on, the city had an almost malignant, evil look, one that showed the true nature of Scarlet’s reign. But now that Ruby was here, holding court for her subjects, in an effort to rebuild, the city almost had another look: one of hope. But not everything was as smooth as it seemed. There were internal struggles still: Scarlet’s followers.
But Ruby’s followers far outnumbered them, they weren’t exactly a major issue. Ex-Queen Scarlet made the SkyWing Kingdom a bloodbath for her own amusement, and, Scarlet may have not realized it, as she had no meaningful relationships with anyone, but when blood is spilled, someone is always watching. Someone will always be ready to avenge those who hurt their loved ones, and when the trap sprang, she and the others struck. The idea of the Throne had always intimidated her, the stories of sisters and daughters killing for it burdened her, but she had to do it. For the future of the SkyWings… and for a very special someone…
She saw Cliff playfully brawling with another dragonet, in the elegant, now lightly decorated throne room. She couldn’t help but smile. But heavy wingbeats quickly distracted her. The Royal Guards posted outside were looking at whoever was coming but weren’t moving, this was no threat, so she relaxed on her throne. Until suddenly… The Sun switched off.
“My Queen! You have to see this!” exclaimed the Royal Guard as he landed. She immediately hopped from her throne and sprinted towards the entrance, running past Cliff and her court, who looked flabbergasted. She saw the sunlight being washed away in the distance, as shadows replaced the light over at the town center, bustling with other dragons. Ruby felt her heartbeat racing as she raised her head and looked at the sky.
A giant, black smoke cloud, spanning all throughout the horizon, was blocking the Sun. Ruby really didn’t want to believe in curses, but this really was a bad omen. Why was this happening now, just a few weeks after her reign had begun…? With her superior vision, she saw a snowflake falling in the distance. It was snowing… in the middle of summer? How can such a thing happen? She looked at the snowflake closely, as it fell into her talon, but the expected cold didn’t come, so she crushed it, trying to feel the strange snowflake’s texture. She realized she had felt a similar texture before… in the ceremonial cremations, where corpses were burnt and their spirits ascended to the skies. This wasn’t snow, she realized with uneasiness.
It was raining ash.
The Rainforest Village was indeed a beautiful, tranquil place. Between the hanging gardens with all varieties of flowers, fruits, and hammocks, solid treetops littered with colorful, cheerful dragons, and decorated huts and pavilions that provided various services to its inhabitants, it was a hard contrast to the war-torn outside world. But just outside the Village, many, many dangers were housed. Said dangers, however, were usually kept at bay by groundskeepers or gatherers. But this one danger, unfortunately, had found itself a way inside the village, completely undetected, and had wormed itself into the very heart of the village, inside the Royal Pavilion. Inside the very court Queen Glory was holding.
“RRAWWGHHH!” Tsunami roared, clutching both of her horns, as she dropped herself onto the wooden floor with a loud crash. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE’S STILL ALIVE!” she screamed with her eyes closed, lying on the floor. Sunny could tell the other few RainWings inside the Royal Pavilion were a bit flustered at Tsunami’s outrage, but judging by the look of her siblings, who were very invested in Tsunami’s rage (herself probably was too), this was just another day to them and their antics. Except for Glory, who had a very bored-looking face. They were all sitting around a makeshift round table, as Glory was trying to plan their next move. Except for Tsunami who now was littering the floor.
The recent events have left them shaken, they needed to have a very solid plan. Between Morrowseer’s fake prophecy, which was her life-long mission, her siblings getting injured, the NightWing turmoil and overall being uncompliant, and the news about Morrowseer, Sunny could feel the sensation of something she’d never felt in a very long time: uncertainty. The last time she felt that was when she learned of Kestrel’s plan to murder Glory. The line they were treading on was really thin, usually, she would let fate decide things, but this situation has proven to be grim.
Taking a deep breath, Sunny took the time to take a look at her siblings, in which, despite everything, they were still alive. But not without injury. Starflight, despite having some bandages covering some of his face and front body with some burn scars, looked positively invested at Tsunami’s theatrics, his green eyes trying to, unsuccessfully, hide the joy behind them. Tsunami was throwing a tantrum, and looking at her rippling muscles, it was safe to say she could bend the entire Pavilion in half if she wanted. She still wore the pearl necklace, a gift from her mother, and the nasty scar on her neck, from the attempt on her life. Clay had a serious look, and was paying no heed to Tsunami, no doubt the news about Morrowseer worrying his thoughts. Luckily the sulphur poisoning didn’t prove to be a match against his resilience and just caused him some long-term nausea. Next was Glory, with her signature ‘this-bores-me’ face, wearing her simple but beautiful crown of daylilies. She got injured in her escape attempt, back when the NightWings captured her, but it didn’t seem to have left a scar on her. And lastly, herself. She hasn’t suffered any notable injuries, so Sunny stopped her train of thought, not wanting to jynx herself.
“Like I told you, Tsunami,” Glory said, with a tired tone, “Deathbringer first told me the news, and then Queen Greatness sent a letter telling the exact same thing. Morrowseer somehow survived. And I don't think they both have reasons to lie about that.” Sunny still didn’t know how to take the news. Morrowseer told them that their life's purpose was a lie. A made-up fact to ensure the NightWings a home. They were a commodity.
“But it’s just not possible!”, Tsunami insisted, half lifting her upper body with one talon on the floor, “I saw him getting engulfed in that toxic volcanic cloud. He should be dead!”
“I saw that too, Tsunami,” Starflight said, looking at her sister thrown on the floor, “but maybe all the years living in the volcano made him resistant to it, somehow?”
Tsunami made a short hysterical laugh, before throwing herself at the floor again. “What are you even saying!? How can one manage to get resistance to toxins?! It’s like saying you can become resistant to weapons or poison!” She exclaimed, lifting both her talons as to emphasize the absurdity of what Starflight was saying.
Starflight replied with that ‘I’m-very-smart-voice’, “Well, actually Tsunami-”.
“No! I don’t want to hear it!” She snarled, lifting one claw.
“Guys, maybe we can discuss how Morrowseer survived later,” Clay interrupted, “I feel like we aren’t talking about the… real issue here.”
“Indeed.” Glory said, impatiently hopping off the Royal Hammock, scaring Silver, the Royal Sloth, who was nested in her neck. Glory was heading towards the exit. “With Morrowseer still alive, all he has to do is give the order, and we’ll have swarms of NightWings at our tails and inside my village. We know his influence reached even Ex-Queen Battlewinner's inner circle. He has the power to order it.”
Was it that bad? Sunny thought there were enough guards around now.
“But what about the patrols? And the other guards, couldn’t they stop the NightWings?” she asked, hopeful. Glory stopped walking to address her, opening her mouth to answer, but Starflight beat her to it.
“We don’t have enough guards,” he told her with a sad smile, “at most, we can cover the west flank, we are exposed now. Before, the NightWings could only come from the tunnel, now, they could attack from anywhere.”
“And Queen Greatness? Couldn’t she just arrest Morrowseer? Or order him to not attack us?” she continued.
“Maybe, but we can’t trust Morrowseer. Nor most of the NightWings for that matter.” Glory answered.
“And, from the way the NightWings were talking about Morrowseer’s plan, he was acting independently,” Starflight added. But now Glory looked slightly more grim.
Sunny looked at Clay, who hadn’t said much. He was looking pensively at the wall. It was the perfect time for him to say something, to cheer them up, but Clay remained silent.
Glory continued heading towards the Pavilion entrance. “Tsunami, Starflight, please come with me, Grandeur, fetch me Jambu and tell him to meet me at the Barracks.”
“What are we doing?” Asked Tsunami, who was still lying on the floor.
“I have some ideas. Come.” Glory said as she exited the building. Only for her head to pop in seconds later. “Oh, and, court is over. You are dismissed.”
Tsunami and Starflight looked at each other, confused. Tsunami shrugged and stood up to follow Glory, followed by Starflight and the rest of the few RainWings attending the court. It was only Clay and Sunny now. She felt something climbing on her neck. Well... and Silver, who now was chirping irritatedly, she smiled as the furry animal made herself comfortable. She got close to Clay, who was still staring at the wall. Furrowed brows, chin resting on a talon… he was thinking really hard about something. It was probably food though, when Clay looked this intensely at the wall it was usually about fo-
“We need help.” He finally broke the silence.
“Uhhmm, yeah, Clay, we do. We need a lot of help, actually.” Did all that time thinking lead to Clay come with the most obvious conclusion?
“No. I mean, outside help.” He said, shaking his head.
“What?”
“When I fought Fjord, he got weirded out because I didn't fight like a MudWing. I think that's what we need. I don't know much about fighting styles, but the NightWings will be expecting to fight RainWings. And if we have dragons from other tribes fight with us, I think that'll help."
Sunny thought about it, it was a pretty good idea, actually, but… “How are we going to get other dragons to come?” She replied, “Do RainWings have currency to hire mercenaries? Even then, I don’t think we can hire help from other tribes.”
Clay shrugged, "Maybe, but I know the longer we wait, the less time we will have to come up with a good plan. Morrowseer could give the order any second, and I'd rather do everything we can to keep ourselves safe instead of waiting for Greatness to maybe take him down for us."
“Well, if you have any plans… We should go and tell Glory.”
Clay walked with her as they started heading to the exit, brushing his wing with hers. He had his usual warm smile. “Oh I don’t. I’ll just wait for Glory or Starflight to elaborate further on my ideas. Or you.” He added after a pause.
She smiled. At least someone considered her smart.
They took off to the Barracks, a short distance from the Royal Pavilion. Sunny ensured Silver remained comfortable, but from the looks of it, she didn’t need any help at all.
Landing on the wooden floor and entering the Barracks, it seemed Tsunami and Starflight were already at it. The Barracks was a repurposed residential hut, it had makeshift spears hanging from the walls, each spear with a corresponding hammock. The further hammocks in the room had metal-tipped spears, for Glory’s Royal Guards, which were a work in progress. Metal was too scarce inside the Rainforest to give freely to all the guards.
“Well, you can’t use ‘The RainWing Kingdom’ and ‘The RainWing Village’ interchangeably, they are two different things.” Starflight was saying to Tsunami. Glory was in the middle of them, had a talon on her face, eyes closed, head facing the floor.
“Morrowseer is trying to kill us and you’re focusing on semantics?!” Tsunami replied. That got her a look from Glory. “What?! I know what that word means!”
“You should probably sort them out before they start killing themselves.” Sunny whispered to Clay, who smiled.
“Hey now,” Clay said with his signature calming voice, going into the middle of the room, wings half-spread. “We can argue about that later. Right now, I have an idea, and I need help with it.”
“Well,” Glory shrugged, sitting upright, “let’s hear it then.” she said, eyeing the others, with a face that implied that whatever the others were doing was not worth hearing at all.
“We need help. Outside help.”
“Help? From the outside?” Glory echoed, placing a talon in her chin. “My RainWings are really overloaded right now. It might be a good idea but…”
Starflight shook his head, “But how? I don’t think we can just hire other dragons as help or guards. And even then, with what currency? Do RainWings even have currency?”
“Well, it doesn’t have to be currency as payment. Mother had a roster of guards who didn’t earn pearls for their services.” Tsunami added.
“Suuure, let’s use your psychopath mother’s ideas.” Glory said with a sarcastic tone, and a pretty smug face.
“SHE ISN’T-” Tsunami interrupted herself mid-sentence, taking a deep breath. Sometimes it was hard for her to understand that Glory was just poking at her, it seemed. “We can give them other things, like food, or… or maybe housing? That is outside the war?”
“For now, but that can change easily.” Glory added, “Both from the inside and outside: if the others learn how… weak my Kingdom is then I fear the worst, I’m sure Morrowseer’s circle will try to get other tribes to invade us. I wanted to remain neutral in this war, perhaps even negotiate a ceasefire, but I don’t think that’s an option anymore. Clay’s plan might be a good way to stop all that.” Before, Glory had told them of the plans she had for her kingdom, of building relationships with the other Queens and maybe negotiating an end to the war. She even planned to have RainWings and NightWings joint patrols, but was proven to be fruitless, as very few NightWings had agreed on it.
“But peace here won’t be possible, not with Morrowseer.” Sunny continued the thought for her. They looked at each other. They needed outside help, that much was true, both to keep the threat of other tribes, and the NightWings within, but what to do? They had many options, each with different outcomes and consequences. Hiring other tribes could be seen as an escalation by others, but doing nothing and remaining weak could also cause other tribes to become hostile. Which one was the right choice?
A set of walking talons distracted them: Jambu and Grandeur entered the Barracks. Even though Grandeur had just been with Glory within the past few minutes, she took a deep bow before her, followed by Jambu, who made a rather silly attempt at a bow.
“Ah, Jambu. Could you please remind me of those trading sticks you told me the other week?” Glory gestured them to sit.
“Oh. Umm. Sure, Your Majesty.” The edges of his pink scales briefly turned nervous green as he sat. “Trading sticks is what we use to trade favors or… or services.” He finished with a half-smile.
He never really was the most informative , Sunny thought.
Grandeur casted a slightly despective look at him, and then continued, “Trading sticks are used as the standard for trading, food, furniture, housing, or anything that is mostly day to day use. Quite widespread use.”
Glory tried to hide the disappointment in her face. “Oh… But…” she shook her head, as to physically shake her disappointment away. “So what about the other tribes, how do you trade with them?”
“We haven’t traded with them in centuries.” This time, it was too much for Glory, and her scales briefly turned into stressed brown. “But we do have records of the trades we did back then.”
“Ah… So, should we get a… Scholar? A RainWing… Scholar?” Glory was making a face Sunny couldn’t really decipher.
She’d been looking at her, Sunny didn’t think Glory had looked this bewildered ever before. Like if she was put in charge of a barely functional family. Glory might have taken the crown to deal with their short-term problems, but now there was the reality of dealing with the long term problems too. Was this how Grandeur felt? Why she gave up on the RainWings?
“No, I’ve actually read them. Important trades were usually made with chocolate. Said trades were usually of exotic nature and few of them were sponsored by the Queen herself, particularly those for SkyWing metal.” Grandeur continued.
“Chocolate?” It was Starflight’s turn to be alarmed. “B-but how can it compete with pearls? Or gold coins?”
“It does compete with them. No other place has cocoa beans, or chocolate, for that matter.”
“Well. There goes the plan.” Glory said, with a resigned sigh, “Hiring dragons to risk their lives for chocolate or sticks sounds more like a twisted joke rather than a job offering.”
It really seemed like it, Sunny thought, who would want to babysit RainWings, and at the same time keep a ferocious tribe like the NightWings in check, for some chocolate? She’d never tried chocolate, but surely it wasn’t worth it, right?
“What about the IceWings?” Starflight asked. “They have a rivalry with the NightWings, they might be able to help somehow.” It was always odd to hear Starflight speak like that, as if he didn’t consider himself a NightWing. He’d started doing that after he was kidnapped.
“Starflight, trust me, the NightWings learn we have IceWings, even as tourists, and they will riot .” Glory replied.
“But they will riot anyway, won’t they? They have Morrowseer.” Tsunami countered.
Glory remained silent, thinking. That was true.
Sunny had remained silent, observing most of the conversation. She really wasn’t made for politics, but with Starflight’s addition, an idea had surfaced, will her siblings take her seriously, though? Still, she had to try.
“The IceWings and NightWings are technically still at war since the era of Darkstalker, what if we… you try to negotiate peace between them? Invite just a few IceWings to represent Queen Glacier to make peace? Not to keep them in check. Maybe that will ease the tensions a bit?”
“Show them we are serious about keeping the peace.” Clay nodded.
Glory’s face made it clear she wasn’t so sure. “Hmm. Okay, we know the NightWings will be up to something. However, bringing in IceWings will certainly make them plan whatever schemes faster.”
“I say let them plan. Whatever plan they come up with won’t survive when they get their faces punched.” Tsunami said, cracking her talons for emphasis. She got a bored-looking face from Glory, who rolled her eyes.
“If you want to end the isolation, opening up in small delegations would be the most prudent way. Politics always have a way to create chaos.” It seems this plan had Grandeur's approval.
Glory relaxed. “Alright, we can send a messenger for the IceWings, but we still have more planning to do.”
“I could be the messenger,” Sunny said, everyone looked at her.
“Uh… You want to be the messenger, Sunny? Not an invisible RainWing?” Glory didn’t seem so sure about it.
“Yes, this is very important, we can’t rely on anyone else. Our intentions are very specific.” Sunny continued.
Starflight wasn’t so sure either. “We can write a message, you don’t have to go, it could be dangerous.”
“I don’t have to, but like Clay said, it means we are serious about it.” That caused Clay to smile at her. Still, the others weren’t so sure. But she had to do it. Someone else could get it wrong. “Maybe I could talk to Blaze, like Glory did, and have her send a message to Queen Glacier.”
“Well, as long as it’s Blaze, and not Queen Glacier…” Glory shuddered, “Still, it’s dangerous, we need to really plan this, nothing can go wrong. You’d need supplies, an escort, and a map, just in case.”
An escort? But she wanted to go alone! “Are you sure an escort would be the best option?”
“Of course.” Glory replied. “RainWings can camouflage, remember?” She smiled cheekily and turned her scales into sandy yellow, her best impression of a SandWing, but then grew serious and turned into her natural colors, “Best case scenario, you look like two traveling SandWings, at worst, I could make a letter, signed by me (if it means anything), and that should give you some protection if someone catches you. You deliver the message, while we continue coming up with ways to get other dragons here. Win-Win.”
Though the others seemed happy with the plan now, Sunny still wanted to go alone. Personally delivering plans for peace would make it serious business, surely Queen Blaze couldn’t refuse that. Maybe she’d have to sneak out at night? For now, she complied.
She sighed, “Alright. Thank you for letting me do this.”
“I still don’t know what even possessed you to do this, but naturally, I’ll help. We need this. Alright, Jambu and Grandeur, stay with me, I think I need another lesson of RainWing society. The rest of you, go back to the Royal Pavilion, and keep thinking of ways to get other dragons here.”
Glory started moving, but then she kept staring at the wall. Blinking twice, she shook her head. “Oh, and Kinkajou, next time you spy on royal business you’ll get double the homework.”
“Awww!” the wall cried, and then the pink and yellow dragonet was there, hugging the wall.
“Better luck next time.” Glory told her.
As the rainforest was bathed in moonlight, and her prey’s steps crunched the dry leaves and branches, Moonwatcher expertly observed her newest target. Throughout the years, she had forced herself to be the best hunter, one that goes undetected, even when it was time to strike. She had even synced her footsteps with her prey, a technique that took Moon years to master. She was a silent ghost stalking her prey. From a short distance, a branch snapped, making both of them pause. Though Moon knew it was just a fleeing tapir, her prey flashed so many images in her mind she couldn’t keep up, and was getting increasingly agitated.
Deciding it was time to strike, Moon coiled her body and readied her powerful leg muscles for a long jump. With a leap, Moon sailed silently through the wind, until she broke the silence.
“Mother!” Moon cried. She could feel how that single word cleansed Secretkeeper’s mind of all worries the second her mind registered it.
Secretkeeper turned, her entire face relaxing, a warm smile on her face and two talons in the air just in time to receive her. “Moon!”
Her mother hugged her like a great polar bear, both talons and wings wrapped around her, and most importantly, the love and happiness coming from her mind. It nurtured her soul and mind.
“It’s been so long.” she complained in her mother’s arms, “Mother, what happened?” Throughout the years, Moon would get a glimpse of her mother’s life in the volcano if she dived into her mind. Some years ago she got a book about mind readers, courtesy of Mastermind, and next, her mother learned to keep thoughts hidden from her, it was odd how fast she learned to do that. Of course, she could tell her mother was hiding things, it was obvious when there were entire blanks in her mind, but now there were a lot of blank spaces, and it worried her.
“I’m sorry! I wish I could’ve come sooner, but things are changing, changing fast.” The love and happiness were then replaced by fear and uncertainty. Images started pouring into her mind. An earthquake. A volcano about to erupt. NightWings fleeing, and in front of their only safe exit, a RainWing. A loud bang, panicking dragons. NightWings building in the rainforest. And most shockingly, a NightWing assassin. Moon’s heartbeat accelerated. So much had happened. The NightWings were here now, and she didn’t even need to dive into her mother’s mind to know that they were now both in danger.
“But there’s a chance,” her mother continued, and the same RainWing that was blocking the exit appeared. A queen. She didn’t quite understand. “Queen Glory, I heard she’s willing to give us a chance, where no one else would. Maybe we can make it work. Maybe we can be safe.”
“What do we have to do?” she asked. Even before Secretkeeper answered, she knew the answer.
“It’s going to be hard, my Moon, but there’s no other choice, we have to join them. I’m sorry.”
To other dragons, that would be a trivial thing to ask, but Moon had been very vocal about her constant headaches and nightmares when she was remotely close to other dragons. And that wasn’t even the part that scared her the most. All her life, she’d talked and interacted with exactly one dragon. How was she supposed to talk to others that were not her mother?
“It’s going to be alright, don’t worry.” Secretkeeper might’ve noticed how she went still in her arms. “Maybe you’ll make friends, and we’ll be safe. Don’t worry about your curse.”
And Moon believed her mother. She was never wrong.
At the bottom of the sea, deep inside the SeaWing’s Deep Palace, down over the Royal Quarters, beyond the massive double locked doors, and several patrols of Royal Guards, the SeaWing royalty could almost physically touch their safety, it was virtually impossible for the dangers of the outside world to get in. A perfectly safe palace. Or to a certain someone, a perfectly inescapable prison. Anemone lied motionless, nested in her bed, near Coral’s. Staring blankly at her mother’s ‘Royal Chambers' ornate decorated roof, she knew it was folly to try to sleep now. The events of the past few weeks still haunted her mind - on the day, but at night, it was a never-ending assault. Whirlpool was long dead, his screams drowned forever in the Eel Prison, yet the second Anemone managed to sleep, his screams would come back, as if waiting for her. It was hard to not give into despair, hearing Whirlpool scream every night. Hearing someone die once was enough, why did she have to endure it multiple times? It wasn’t fair. Whirlpool was unapologetic about his plans, and had no regrets. He was going to hurt Mother, he had to be stopped. But then he’d try to hurt Tsunami too. He deserved to die, so why was she having so much trouble?
Abruptly, all her thoughts shifted to her sister. Tsunami… she couldn’t believe it when she came back, just a few weeks ago, her long lost sister! But then she and her friends upended the whole kingdom, discovered Orca’s dark secrets, saved Auklet, and exposed traitorous allies. Anemone didn’t know what to make of it. Of course, she could have done all that with a snap of her fingers, with the right spells, but her mother always insisted on never using her magic outside her suggestions. If she’d done it her mother would obviously find out it was her magic.
Her mother always thought everything was under control. Yet her sisters got killed right under her nose, time and time again, she was being puppeteered by Blister, and then the Summer Palace almost got destroyed. It was only thanks to Uncle Shark’s watchfulness that they narrowly avoided its destruction. It was incredible to think that Tsunami and Shark did all that without any magic. She couldn’t help but feel a tinge of envy.
An idea occurred to her. What if she did something to prove herself? Tsunami made a name for herself in mere days, and clearly her mother was shortsighted, she didn’t fully appreciate her gifts. But Anemone didn’t want to shake the whole Kingdom as Tsunami did, and with her magic, she could have a lot more control over what she could do. But do what, exactly?
Mother thought that was the end of their troubles (except for the part where Tsunami left, she wanted her back), but what if there are more enemies lurking around? Other animi with evil intentions maybe? Moons know what other nasty surprises could be left by them!
Anemone jumped from her bed, eyeing her mother and little sister warily.
This won’t take long, she thought. Add at least 30 more minutes of sleep to Mother and Auklet. Make it so they won’t wake up if they hear anything for the next two minutes.
A creeping sensation came over her, an implicit thought within that wordlessly told her the cost of the spell she was going to cast. She accepted. Feeling her stamina being drained, confirming that her spell was indeed cast, she swam to her desk, where she stashed some jewelry and other objects she found pretty, and grabbed a nice seashell she found the other day. I enchant you to be… uh… a compass! And… you will point me to other animus dragons! Including secret ones! She was told the cost, and accepted once again. She was getting winded, as if she’d just swam for hours. That was enough spells for now, probably. Normally she would be able to cast a lot more than that. But having almost no sleep and casting spells really tired her.
Smiling at her new animus artifact, she saw the magical arrow materialize just over the seashell and then point behind her, to the southern quarters. Having her new target, she excitedly swam to the door, cautiously opened it, and took a peek. With the way clear, she stepped out and silently closed the door behind her. She looked at her seashell again. It’s pointing… north now? Behind her again? Are there multiple animi?! Anemone swam across the Royal Quarter’s corridor, where the compass was directioning her, to the window pointing to the courtyard. She took another peek at her seashell. East too?!
They were surrounded by animi! What if this was all an evil plot after all? What if- Anemone abruptly stopped her thoughts, and resoundingly smacked her face with her free talon. Oh Anemone! You squid-brain, it’s pointing at you. Her stupid artifact utterly failed! She thought it was subtext that she didn’t want to point at herself! Strange. She thought she’d quite specifically said other Animus dragons, not her. Apparently, animus magic is very stupid, it’s not the first time it has done something like this. She grabbed the seashell again, retain the original enchantment, but don't point at me! she commanded her shell. She accepted the small cost.
This time, the arrow pointed northeast. Anemone tried rotating the seashell and herself to see if this time it would stay true, and indeed it remained pointing northeast. Anemone knew where to go now. She swam the empty corridors, devoid of any life and guards, having only the bio-luminous lamps hanging at the walls as company. The SeaWing Palace was indeed a peaceful place at night.
The compass was starting to shift directions faster and faster. She was getting close now, but was surprised when it pointed towards the overground area of the Deep Palace. Having no other choice, she delicately placed the seashell in her mouth and swam upwards, towards the intricately carved hole in the roof, exiting the comforts of the sea with swift speed, and landing in a dark, decorated dry corridor with her talons and feet.
The scouting SeaWing grabbed the seashell from her mouth with her right talon, and used her right wing as support to replace her now occupied talon to walk. It was uncomfortable and it hurt a bit, but was not enough to stop her for a second. If there was another animus, she had to face them. She marched the corridor, passing through various doors, intensely watching the compass, until it went over and was pointing at a door. This is it, Anemone thought with excitement and fear. She went over and read the sign that was hanging at the door:
Turtle’s Room
Please knock before entering
Oh. Why was this thing pointing towards the room of one of her stupid, lazy, and forgettable brothers? Was the enchantment broken?... Was his brother not the only one inside the room? It didn’t matter to her. She was tempted to just burst open the door, but she had to remain silent for now. Supporting herself with both wings, she lifted her left talon, and knocked on the door.
Notes:
So Moon and Turtle enter the fray! I wonder who could be next? Sunny will go outside and interact with SandWings and IceWings next, who could possibly be the others?! Sadly, Peril won't join anytime soon, for obvious reasons.
Chapter 4: Royal Faceoff
Notes:
Sorry it took this long to take this chapter out. Once I thought I had freetime for this I get bombarded with work. At least the fic is 50% larger now! Pretty big chapter! Also some interesting new reveals about the Animus Magic system.
Chapter Text
Chapter 3: Royal Faceoff
Turtle sat on his cushion-chair, at his desk, writing. Or trying to write. He knew it was going to be one of those long nights. Sadly, he went to bed way past his usual bedtime hours. The resulting headache caused him to be unable to sleep, and in effect, not being able to get rid of the headache, and thus, not being able to sleep. An unfortunate vicious cycle. It was tempting to use his animus magic to make himself sleep, but it felt like cheating. He did this to himself after all, even if by accident. So instead of wasting time trying to sleep, he went back to his desk to continue writing.
It all happened because he got distracted from a sudden surge of inspiration. He had tried writing down all the good ideas for this future project of his, a short story, but by the time he was done, his internal clock was telling him it was well past bedtime. He’d been getting a lot of inspiration lately, from the heroic acts of his lost sister, Tsunami, and that of his uncle, Commander Shark.
It was so hard to believe Tsunami just appeared one day, solved half of the Kingdom’s problems and then ran away without elaborating further. Huh. Maybe there’s more to that story, Turtle thought. He wondered if her sister really went into the Rainforest Kingdom? Still, it was thanks to Tsunami and Shark that he took up the pen again. Or claws to paper, rather. They were heroes simply saving the day, just like his favorite kind of stories, but this time, witnessed by him in real life. It was enough to inspire him, and at times, it made him forget how useless he was… and the whole situation with Gill…
His ears pricked up. Were those talonsteps? He paused and looked at his door, but the talonsteps went away. He relaxed. Maybe he could wri-
Heavy knocking made him jump high off his chair, audibly gasping. That scared him so much! It felt like his scales peeled off for a while! Who could it be at this hour?
Whoever was knocked again. “Turtle?” asked a whiney, reedy voice. The voice felt familiar to him, where had he heard it before?
He was tempted to just remain completely silent, maybe even rush to his bed and pretend to be asleep, that’s what his fear was suggesting after all. But then an image of Tsunami flashed before him, the brief image making her bravery to rub off on him. He was going to face whoever this was, even if part of him told him he should be terrified. He specifically had moved to the overground area of the palace as there were far less dragons there. Which further begged the question, who could it be? Briefly, he remembered the stories about serial killers. Was he going to be part of one of those now? Shaking his head, he quickly stashed those thoughts into the deepest parts of his mind, and started walking towards the door.
“It’s rude to keep a princess in wait!” the door said.
Princess? His brain was having trouble processing from the tiredness, so instead he just rushed and opened the door.
A small dragonet of pale blue scales, with tiny pink-tinted wings stood before him. He looked at her face, a stranger to him, but as he blinked once, then twice, the face started to morph in recognition. It was someone he’d only seen from a distance, years ago.
“Anemone? W-What are you doing here?” Judging from her face, and silence, up to no good, she was watching him like a hawk looking at its prey.
“Are you alone?” The princess asked with impatience, not even greeting him and ignoring his question. Her gaze briefly swapped from him to the strange seashell she was holding.
Curious, Turtle too looked at the shell her sister was holding, it had the four cardinal directions, a compass, and the floating arrow was pointing… pointing directly at him?! It was blatantly obvious the seashell was enchanted, the magical floating arrow screamed of magic, but what was the spell? And why was it pointing at him?
Obviously panicking, Turtle tried his best to remain calm and fill in the silence. “Uh-Ah-Alone? I’m always alone.” he said a little too quickly.
Anemone looked at her seashell once again, still pointing at him. Or behind him? Turtle looked behind with a sideways look. His cushion-chair was there, and hanging from it, his waterproof pouch stashed full of animus objects. He was such an idiot, he knew Anemone was an Animus, yet never thought necessary to protect himself or his creations from detection. He did nothing after Tsunami discovered Orca’s status as a hidden Animus, much like himself. He now realized that Animus Magic cared not if he was unnoticeable to the rest, it could see anything and anyone regardless of circumstance. In all of his worrying, why didn’t he act before?! He had to do something now!
“Well, there’s someone else here.” Anemone said with a haughty tone and started moving towards his room.
The gravity of the situation Turtle was in was starting to weigh in, his daziness and lack of sleep being replaced with fear, he was just one step away from being discovered, there really was no one else in the room. Panicking harder, Turtle used his size (and weight) advantage to block Anemone from going in, moving his body sideways to block the entrance entirely from her, but then Anemone gave him a look that could behead him.
“Why are you being such a weird doofus about this?” but then her face relaxed. “It’s alright, I won’t tell mother if there’s anyone else here.”
But there is no one else here , he thought. “Sorry, I… tripped...” He gave her a nervous smile.
“So move then!” Anemone tried pushing Turtle away from the entrance, even though she’d barely be able to move him. Deciding to play it safe, he moved aside, anxiously sitting beside the door as her sister made her way in.
“Wow! How can you live here?! Look at this place!” She exclaimed, raising her talons. Turtle used the brief distraction to look at the compass. Oh yup, it was definitely pointing at him, not at his pouch. “There’s like, nothing here!”
“Huh?” he merely uttered as he closed the door, trying to buy some more time. Besides, he thought there was nothing wrong with his room.
“How can mother allow you to live like this! What is this? Only a bed, a chair, and a desk? Seriously?!” Lowering her talons, she saw the compass and blinked, as if it reminded herself why she was here in the first place, which in place made her eyes land on him.
Anxiously fiddling with his talons, Turtle was starting to come up with a plan. He needed to use his magic, there was no other way, her sister was one thought away from discovering him.
“So why is this thing pointing at him?” she said with a barely audible whisper, lightly wacking the seashell, as if it would fix the shell somehow.
“What’s that?” He finally asked, pointing at the shell her sister was holding.
“Oh! This? It’s nothing.” she said, hiding the shell behind her pink wings.
What is my sister holding in her talon? He asked his magic. Accepting the cost it asked, and feeling slightly drained, a thought that wasn’t his answered, and froze his blood: A compass that points towards Animus dragons that aren’t Anemone.
This is it. Literal proof that his secret was out, he just wondered why her sister wasn’t calling him out. He also wondered about the odd wording. He’d made Animus objects before that worked in weird ways, and so he’d have to ask what their enchantment was, only to learn it was nowhere near the original enchantment he made. Animus magic was really strange at times. Maybe the same happened here?
“Do you have any animus artifacts?” her sister asked, in an accusing tone.
Turtle slowly lifted his gaze from his webbed talons to his sister, who was once again looking at him like a hawk. The silence itself was already making him look guilty.
“A-Animus? Objects? M-me?” He tried to play dumb and buy some more time. There’s no going around it, Anemone was really going to learn his secret, he had to make a plan! But what to do?! Teleport away? Too costly. Brainwash her? Too costly. Make her forget? Even one second of memory loss asked too much of him! What to do?!
Anemone ignored him and kept looking between him and her compass, her eyes narrowing more with each time. Oh no. Turtle thought in fear, feeling his heartbeat against his ribs. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. Her sister had literal proof in front of her that he was an animus, yet she wasn’t connecting the dots… was she in denial? Was him being unremarkable and forgettable helping him in other ways? Maybe he could use that to his advantage, but was it worth the risk? He only had to look at Anemone one second to confirm it was absolutely worth it.
“A-actually, I bought something from one of my brothers the other day. Said it was an animus artifact.” Those two words made Anemone’s ear prick up. “But I’m pretty sure it’s a fake.”
“Who?” Her sister instantly asked. But who to blame? Well, a fictional brother of course, it’s not like her spoiled sister cares about her other thirty-two insignificant brothers, right?
“Bass,” Turtle said. Although it sounded more like a question. He was really bad at lying it seemed. “He said this coral rock would make me not so tired all the time.” he said whilst making his way to his pouch.
“Bass?” Her sister asked while he was rummaging through his pouch, trying to find the coral rock. “I didn’t know we had a brother called Bass.”
Uh oh. It seemed her sister inherited Father’s good memory for names. Using his panic to hurry up, Turtle finally found the coral rock.
“Here! This should answer your questions.” He said, throwing the coral rock in a small arc. Change the spell on that coral rock to make the wielder even more sleepy. Quickly accepting the cost, he prayed that the spell did what he actually intended to do. Was his panic playing games with him, or did the spell he just cast barely had any cost?
Even though Anemone was mere meters away, Turtle still somewhat missed, causing Anemone to awkwardly catch the rock with both of her talons with a small leap.
After examining it for a few seconds with cautious eyes, Anemone looked at Turtle. “Are you sure this is… This… Ughh…” Eyes rolling back, her sister collapsed on the floor, snoring softly, the coral rock and seashell rolling a short distance from her.
Well. That went a lot better than expected. Turtle only tried to make her sister sleepier so she had a harder time finding out his secret, and then blame a mystery brother to misguide her. Was her sister so sleepy she just collapsed after taking away some of her energy? Did she cast the shell spell recently, and so had little energy left? He will never know. But there’s one thing he knows for sure: he had to get out of here. Perhaps entirely out of the Sea Kingdom. He just wished he had more time to figure this situation out, maybe use a couple of spells to fix this, but Anemone was suspicious of him already, making more animus spells to avoid her would surely backfire.
Speaking of which, Turtle grabbed his pouch and checked its content: the small driftwood stick that made him less noticeable to “evil” dragons, his three-piece doubling bowl for food, a round, smooth river rock to heal his sore muscles, and lastly, the coral rock he threw at her sister, which made the royal pattern on his wings less noticeable. Dragons won’t care too much about him if he was a nobody after all.
Walking to his snoring sister and bending over to grab both the seashell and the coral rock, guilt started poisoning his mind. This is what he always did. Hide when dangerous situations came, and for the millionth time, Turtle wished he was smarter, or that his magic were more powerful to deal with situations like these. He had had a bunch of close calls before, but this time, there’s no turning back. Her sister was literally one thought away from discovering him, and disappearing just after she found him would surely make her suspicious, but it was better than her outright finding about him and telling Mother and the rest of his family. The mere thought of it made him anxious.
He looked at her sister again, peacefully sleeping. Making her forget about this interaction was nowhere near castable to him, and even leaving a slight hint of dream to further confuse her was asking a lot of his energy. No, it was clear what he had to do. Covering her sister with a blanket, to at least give her the dignity of a warm sleep, Turtle readied his mind, he needed to escape. Her sister won’t be able to follow him, Coral wouldn’t allow it, and even if she accuses him, no one would believe her. Surely.
Placing the seashell and the coral rock inside his pouch, firmly adjusting it on his chest, he walked to the door.
An intense heat woke Turtle up.
Slowly opening his eyelids, he met total darkness. A sandy total darkness, rather.
Stretching his wings as he yawned, Turtle removed the sand mound on top of him, and used his talons to shake the rest of the sand. Yesterday's escape, while successful, was really tiring. The SeaWing guards were still on high alert, and he was questioned multiple times by various patrols. Luckily no one noticed his royal pattern, and he had to use just a tad bit of magic to make him more convincing several times. By the time he got to the mainland, it was really dark, and was beyond tired, so he just dug a hole in the beach and collapsed there to sleep.
Getting rid of the last bits of sand on his body, Turtle looked up. The Sun was high, almost in the middle of the sky. He must’ve slept about half a day! It was more than likely that Anemone wasn’t actively going after him, otherwise she would’ve already caught him. And to keep Anemone on the hunt, he had to get away from here. Luckily, ‘away’ was decided last night; he was going where her older sister, Tsunami, was.
Her current whereabouts were coming from unreliable intelligence, SeaWing spies; there were rumors that she’d gone to the Rainforest Kingdom, as MudWings were reporting disturbances in the border and sightings of NightWings. It was a really safe bet to head there, her sister left a wake of destruction wherever she went after all, first, the SkyWing Kingdom, then the Kingdom of the Sea. The logical conclusion was she was at the Rainforest Kingdom. Still, he had to be sure. Opening his pouch, he examined Anemone’s enchanted seashell, the magical arrow still pointing at him.
Grabbing the shell delicately, he used his magic. Point towards my sister, Tsunami of the SeaWings. The sensation came over, but instead of feeling drained, did he feel slightly more rested? Regardless, the arrow moved. It was now pointing south-west, towards MudWing territory, which happened to be on the way to her sister. Gulping, he had a feeling that crossing through the Mud Kingdom was probably a bad idea, especially after their spectacular defeat at the Summer Palace. The alternative route, through the sea, would take too long, and it was likely that he would encounter other SeaWings. Besides, he was a terrible swimmer. Maybe an artifact that could make him fly faster? He already was less noticeable, particularly to those that wanted to hurt him, so surely this was the safest way to go there?
But first, there was something he had to know. The spies talked about NightWings at the Rainforest. Are there NightWings in the Rainforest Kingdom? He asked his magic. The creeping sensation took his energy as payment, and answered: Yes . Well, at least the spies weren’t wrong about that. And with uncertainty, he asked another question: Can the NightWings really read my mind? And similarly, like the last spell, it took his energy, and shockingly, it gave the same answer: Yes .
The matter at talon was dangerous; the NightWings were indeed, mindreaders, they could learn his secret. So the solution to this problem was surprisingly obvious. Grabbing a coconut shell, he enchanted it: Make it so mindreaders can’t read my mind. Feeling drained, he felt that it was too easy. Surely he was missing something? The great and fearsome mindreaders countered with a single spell? With realization, he slapped his forehead. They would figure something’s off with him if they couldn’t read his mind! But what to do then? …would he need to be… even more unremarkable? Mentally unremarkable as well?
Shrugging, he changed the spell on the coconut shell: Make it so mind readers think I’m… totally uninteresting. And boring. Happy with his new addition, Turtle stashed it in his pouch. Next, he grabbed a small pebble, a spell to aid him with his one-way journey: help me find my sister Tsunami faster . He accepted the moderate cost of his energy. Moving his talon to stash the pebble in his pouch, Turtle didn’t notice how his talon wasn’t responding, or rather, it was responding, but the pebble was moving on its own.
Instinctively, he sat, using his free talon, feet and wing-talons to try to hold onto the unwieldy sand, but before he could even process what was happening further, Turtle was flung into the sky with a scream.
Torchlight flickered on Sunny’s face as she entered the Supplies Pavilion, surrounded by the night. Tomorrow morning she was going to represent Glory on her quest to gather allies, together with another RainWing called Pineapple, whoever that was. But she wasn’t following that plan; a strange part from within her mind was telling her that she should go alone. And it made sense, a sole messenger to Queen Blaze would surely communicate how serious they were about their request to Queen Glacier. But for that, she needed to sneak inside this building and gather her traveling pouch, which had everything she’ll need for her mission. This was certainly going to upset some of her siblings, especially Glory, but she needed to do this. Peace was a fragile thing, and it was worth fighting for.
Slowly crawling towards the Pavilion’s inside, she turned to the right, and there it was: the pouch. Walking towards it, with a slight creaking of wood, she sat near it and began examining its contents. The message to Queen Blaze was there, together with Starflight’s map, filled with useful annotations and several landmarks, should she get lost, traveling rations and Glory’s decree of protection, hopefully she won’t need to use that. Adjusting the pouch on her chest, she turned around to leave. A cough made her freeze in place. Ears pricked, she turned to the source of the cough: Starflight was sitting on a dark corner, staring. Directly. At. Her.
“Oh…” was the only thing that left Sunny’s mouth. She got caught red-taloned, and could feel her cheeks blushing with shame.
Starflight was looking quizzically at her. “So, Glory was right.”
“I-I can explain!” Sunny cried, walking to Starflight.
“Shhh!” shushed Starflight, he looked around, then his face relaxed. “It’s alright. Glory told me to only keep an eye on you. Not to stop you.” he whispered.
“Oh… But, how did she know I’d be here?” she questioned Starflight. She hadn’t told anyone about her plan to go on her own.
Starflight tapped his chin, remembering. “Well, Glory said ‘Keep an eye on Sunny, since she looked comically sad when I mentioned an escort.’ So I’ve been around that pouch at nights the last few days,” he said, then pointing at her chest. Starflight isn’t here only because of Glory’s orders, probably , Sunny thought. Since his confession to her, many things about him started to make sense. She was glad they could remain friendly towards each other. It’s like her rejection never happened.
“In that case then, Glory can expect to be sad, since I’m going anyway.” She said, adjusting the pouch on her chest even further and moving away.
“Wait.” Starflight said, gently grabbing her talon. “We know we won’t be able to stop you, so we are helping you instead.”
“Help me? How?” she asked.
“The Portal to the Kingdom of Sand, to start.” he said, releasing her talon.
Oh. She wasn’t planning on using it, but thinking about it, that was a perfectly stupid thing to not consider.
“That would be nice.” she smiled at Starflight, who returned the smile. “That would save me days of travel.”
Agreeing with the help, Sunny flew with Starflight towards The Tunnel. It was a short flight away, but Sunny had a question she’s been meaning to ask for a while.
“So, what’s Glory’s plan anyway? She is always so cryptic and vague. It’s like she’s trying to send messages to all the Queens!” she asked Starflight.
“That’s the plan, actually.” He looked around, as if someone could hear their conversation, mid-flight, then he whispered, “She’s being cryptic just in case Morrowseer sends mindreaders to us.”
“How’s that going to help? They can just read our minds.” And besides, there are a few NightWings that have pending court with Glory. They could read Glory’s mind directly from the source.
“I know, that’s why we are avoiding being near other NightWings. Only a select few RainWings know about the messages, and even then, those that do know about it, think they are the sole messenger, that no other queen is being contacted,” Starflight explained.
“Hm. Seems like an awful lot of effort for such a small advantage.”
“Glory knows,” he said nodding, “She’s cracking her skull right now trying to come up with things like that. Every little advantage we can get helps.”
“Oh! So that all the little advantages stack up and end up being important!”
“That’s the idea.” he said with a smile.
They could see torchlight from the distance, a small camp was near the cavern, used as a checkpoint. It was empty, but there were signs of recent activity. Glory’s guards were probably patrolling the night elsewhere.
Landing near the checkpoint, it was time to say goodbye. “This is it, I guess. Hopefully Blaze remains as stupid as ever and convinces Queen Glacier,” she tried joking.
“And let’s hope it’s a safe trip.” She expected Starflight to give her a good-bye hug now, but he just stood in front of her, expectant.
Sunny chuckled. “Starflight, c’mon, you can hug me, nothing has changed between us.”
He looked at the floor with a sad smile, but then he stood forward and gently hugged her with both his arms and wings.
“I love you.” He said, “Please be safe.”
“I love you too. And I will.” It was a short, sweet hug, their tails twining in an almost intimate fashion. She broke free from the hug, Starflight offered no resistance. “But this is something I have to do. Good-bye Starflight.” she said, determined, and started walking away, officially starting her trip.
Having walked a considerable distance into the cavern, she looked back. Starflight had a sad look, but his eyes were hopeful and warm, lit by the torchlight. Not before long, total darkness enveloped her, Starflight's figure disappearing from her view.
It was no wonder the desert was barren at night. Sunny thought it was just a coincidence on her first visit here, but now there’s no question. The freezing temperature, the howling winds, and the sand flying in every direction was an obvious danger to everyone, including SandWings. This was no safe place for any dragon to be. Having to dig herself a way out of the tunnel, the freezing winds immediately made their hostility be known, the sand they carried continuously trying to strike Sunny’s eyes, a mere annoyance her eyelashes will have to deal with until she takes flight.
Climbing up a dune, Sunny spread her wings and, thanks to the wind, she quickly took flight. The desert was beautiful in, its own way, the three moons on different stages shining on the endless dunes and rock formations. Of course, the view was ruined with Burn’s Stronghold, at the distance, a disgusting sight of severed dragon heads among the monotonous, but pretty, sandy yellow. She had to get away from that hideous sight, towards the north. It was a relatively easy trip, she just had to follow the Great Five-Tail River from a safe distance, skirt Possibility, then head north-west towards Blaze’s Fortress.
While it might be an easy trip, it didn’t make it any less boring. Deciding to count dunes to pass the time, Sunny quickly distracted herself, still keeping a watchful eye for contacts. As the hours went by, she noticed several groups of traveling, or patrolling, SandWings. Regardless of the activity, she had to avoid them, both Burn and Blister’s SandWings would stop her, and nothing good would ever come from that. Luckily the night made it very easy for her to hide from them.
After several hours, almost at sunrise now, Sunny spotted a small oasis with strange rock formations. Getting closer, she realized those were not rock formations: it was a small village. Unsure if it was wise to land in an unknown location to rest, Sunny tried checking her map for clues about the place, but her map, based on the most recent edition of Pyrrhia, didn’t even have the village on it. Regardless, there was something strange about the place, it’s like it was calling to her.
Whether it was her tiredness, or curiosity, she did not know, but Sunny decided to make a brief stop in the village. Unceremoniously landing in the middle of it, it was obvious this village had been long abandoned, it was completely devoid of life. The sandstone bricks from the few standing buildings were filled with cracks and decay, and those buildings not lucky enough to have been built with sandstone have long since collapsed. What happened here? There were no signs of battle, how can a village just be abandoned like that? Taking a drink from the small oasis, the water didn’t seem to be the cause, it was good drinking water, and the well was still working. It must have been abandoned for good reasons.
Sunny kept exploring until she stood in front of the entrance of what appeared to be the central building of the village. There was a sign carved near the door, but it was too worn to make out what it was. Gently pushing the rotten door, the door simply collapsed inwards, releasing a cloud of sand. Cautiously entering, Sunny was greeted by a giant, rectangular room. It could easily fit an entire party of dragons. Desks, broken chairs, cushions, empty shelves and broken storage urns, was this the village hall? Just from the entrance Sunny could tell there was not a single piece of usable furniture or scroll to get clues from, and it would be a foolish decision to enter a decayed building. Turning around, Sunny decided to exit the village hall.
Looking at the destroyed buildings, Sunny could feel the melancholy building up in her, imagining what it could have been. SandWing dragonets with their parents, workers collecting from the date palms, the administration working hard to fix dragons’ problems… This village must’ve been prosperous to be able to build with solid rock. What could have caused such a thing to happen…? Did the war do this?
“A real shame, ain’t it?” A rough, male voice from behind made her jump, quickly turning around, she saw a SandWing. He was merely sitting, looking at the decayed village.
“Who are you?” she quickly asked.
The SandWing in turn looked at her. But there was something on his face… was it sadness?
“Chert’s the name. Used to work here.” he motioned with his head towards the rotten date palms near the oasis. “What are you doing here?” he then asked.
“I’m on a… trip. Visiting a friend.” It felt bad to lie, but he couldn't know. “And I’m Sunny.”
“Sunny, eh? A pleasure.” His eyes then immediately landed on her tail, but he didn’t say anything. “No doubt the ruins caught your eye, happens a lot lately. You can thank your Highness Burn for that.”
“What did she do?” Something terrible, obviously. Maybe part of her didn’t really want to know.
“Drafted the entire village, even the dragonets, then removed the village from the annals of history. Like it never existed. Wiped off the map just like that.” There was an obvious anger in his voice, but he didn’t look bothered. “But Medemia lives in our hearts.” he said, taking a talon to his chest.
“A beautiful name,” and Sunny truly meant it. “Maybe you can rebuild after the war ends?”
“Heh, one day.” His face briefly softened, but then grew serious. “You should be careful around here, Burn has devoted more of her army towards catching deserters and hybrids than on the actual war.
“Oh… thanks for the warning, but I’m not any of those, I just was born this way.” And somehow it came to no surprise. Hunting hybrids, as if they were the enemy. Burn truly was the most brutal of the three sisters. “What about Blaze?”
“Blaze, huh?” he echoed, placing a talon on his chin. “Well, like they say, she’s the worst, only thing that works, unlike the rest of her sisters. At least we’ll be partying instead of killing each other while the kingdom collapses.”
It was odd to hear disloyalty about Burn in territory she herself controlled. Who was this, really? “You said you worked here, and then that the village got drafted…”
The SandWing immediately caught on with what she meant, and gave her a dangerous look. “Be careful with that kind of accusation. It can get you killed in these times.” But then his face relaxed. “But no, I’m not a deserter. I worked here, not lived. Left me jobless. Still am, I live from the land, and visit here to remember the better times. Ah, but I won’t keep you any longer, I’m sure your friend will worry. I gotta go.”
It was probably for the best. In fact, she shouldn’t have talked to a complete stranger in the first place. “Ah… Good-bye then, and safe travels.”
“You too.” Was all he said. Not before long he was a small dot at the distance. Was it her, or did he leave in a hurry?
What a… particular… encounter. But now that Sunny was left alone in the ruined village, thoughts started to swell from her as she wandered around. She imagined life in this village, prosperous and safe, only to be obliterated by Burn, the authority supposed to be protecting them. It seemed crazy to her just how an individual could ruin so many lives with a single decision. It was sad… and here was the result, in front of her very own eyes. Or she thought she was sad. There was something, in the maelstrom of emotions she was experiencing, that she’d never felt before.
The prophecy to save dragons from this kind of fate was false, a mere backup plan for the NightWings to justify getting a home. What hope would dragons have now from this fate? What hope did she have? And was it any better to lead dragons using a false prophecy in hopes of maybe getting peace? How many more would have to die for nothing? And what kind of dragon would knowingly make a false prophecy in order to get what everyone desired the most: peace from this horrible war, to just live another day…?
A monster. Sunny thought with fury. She finally understood. There was sadness in her, but there was something else she hadn’t felt before: Anger. Anger at these ruins. Anger at Burn and Morrowseer. It would be a mistake to feel anything else. This is what Burn loves the most: destruction, death, violence, decay… These ruins signify victory for her and her vicious desires, and a certain part of Sunny even saw the ruins with contempt; they offended her. Burn had completely failed the villagers, and she rejoiced in it. It would be foolish to plead Burn’s goodwill, if she even had any. Someone has to take both Morrowseer and Burn out, but how?
Sunny shook her head, breaking out of her trance. What was that? She wondered. Anger sure seemed to be a bit explosive. She didn’t know she had such a warrior spirit in her! Taking a deep breath, she felt her heartbeat slow down. Wishing the death of her enemies didn’t sit right in her, but taking a look around, what choice did she have? Was it wrong that the ruins evoked such anger from her? Maybe it was. She’ll have to think this through later. Sitting in the corner of a building, her anger being replaced with tiredness, Sunny closed her eyes and quickly felt asleep in broad daylight.
The sound of sand crashing into her woke her up, Sunny found herself half-buried in sand. It was nighttime now, and with it, came the sandstorms. Having slept the bare minimum for her journey, Sunny left Medemia. Looking back, it was a sad sight to see, and it almost sounded like the winds were crying out for the village. But pitying the village won’t restore it to glory, nor save future victims from a similar fate, the message in her pouch would. With renewed strength, Sunny carried on through the winds.
The rest of the trip went with relative ease. It was a cycle of flying, eating and sleeping for the next few days. As planned, she followed the Great Five-Tail River into Possibility, then went North-West from there. As she flew north, Sunny could visibly tell the line where the desert ended, and the tundra began, as did the cold, together with clusters of rocks and wood, probably an attempt to delimitate both the Ice Kingdom and Blaze's Kingdom of Sand territories. It was a well known fact both Kingdoms had territory disputes, and that Blaze promised the disputed lands for the IceWing’s help, something that disgusted Burn and Blister, according to history books.
As the dunes slowly turned into snowy terrain, Sunny quickly recognized a particular peak, sparking bad memories. Landing on top of it, the SandWing remembered why this peak was familiar; this is where Deathbringer tried to assassinate Blaze. Her dried blood could still be seen on the rocks inside the cavern. A very grim reminder that she was just about to reach Blaze’s Fortress. She was hoping she’d spot the Fortress from the smoke pillar, like Glory did, but Sunny couldn’t see anything. Was the Fortress still standing?
Taking flight again, her question was quickly answered. Blaze’s Fortress was there, although there was no smoke coming from the chimney. Odd. The entrance was worn out, meaning they are still using this fortress. This is it. Sunny thought. Her journey had finally ended, the speech she had prepared for Blaze still fresh in her memory. Landing on the entrance, she knocked on the reinforced door. Not a second passed before a compartment of rock above the door opened, revealing a very bored looking SandWing. His eyes quickly lightened as she saw her.
“Ah! Kin! Welcome!” Before Sunny could say anything, he disappeared from view, and started unlocking about a dozen mechanisms to unlock the door. Which made sense, given how the fortress was down in the open. No army would be able to take down these heavy rock doors if they decided to attack.
As the door slowly slid sideways, Sunny introduced herself through the expanding gap. “Hello, I’m Sunny. I bring a message to Queen Blaze.” The door finally opening with a stoney thud as she finished. Was it her, or was the air inside the fortress colder ?
“Oh,” the SandWing said. Was something wrong? Sunny thought, panicking. “Well, Sunny, unfortunately Queen Blaze is not available at the moment, but do come inside. I’m sure we can find somewhere to store your message for her. Name’s Ocotillo, by the way.”
Entering the fortress, she followed Ocotillo towards a big room. The room seemed… conflicting. There were SandWing mementos everywhere, from tapestries on the walls to urns, one would think those would give any SandWing a warm welcome… So why did the fortress feel so cold ?
“She’s not here?” she asked back. This wasn’t good.
“Nah, went out to inspect a new batch of troops. Maybe Queen Glacier is finally teaching something to Queen Bla- Wait…” he paused in front of her, his eyes landing on her tail, then on her. “You are not from Blaze’s army, are you?”
Was this bad? Should she lie about it? She was hoping Blaze would identify her and clear any confusion that came from the visit. What should she do? Suddenly, it felt like the room dropped several degrees in temperature.
“Who are you talking to, Ocotillo?” A commanding, yet comforting voice asked from behind. Sunny noticed how Ocotillo immediately performed a deep bow.
Slowly turning around, holding her breath, Sunny saw how a gigantic IceWing entered the room, and she’d never been so conflicted in her life. This IceWing's deep arctic-blue eyes were hauntingly beautiful, but at the same time promised a thousand horrifying deaths. Her white scales were pristine and unscathed, almost fragile, yet her powerful musculature guaranteed their durability. And she was heavily adorned, a light blue tiara on her head, rings in almost every finger-claw, even the wing-talons, and a majestic white cloak. As Sunny was forgetting how to breathe, she realized this could only be one dragon in all of Pyrrhia. Her worst fears have come to pass; she was now face to face with Queen Glacier herself.
Chapter 5: Action and Consequence
Notes:
Oops! Another extra large chapter! Might have gotten carried away for a bit there... Anyways, enjoy!
Chapter Text
Chapter 4: Action and Consequence
A few days earlier, shortly after Sunny’s daring escape…
Glory took a deep breath, smelling the morning air of the Rainforest. Another day, another court to hold, the exact same problems manifesting themselves… It was a tough fight. At least she could have some privacy now inside the Royal Pavilion, thanks to the makeshift room she ordered to be built. And, in her peace and thoughts, faced with all her troubles, she could even understand why Grandeur gave up the throne. But she wasn’t Grandeur. She was Queen Glory of the RainWings, and she had both capable friends, and a tribe to protect. She had to do it for them.
Looking at herself through one of the very few mirrors in the entirety of the Rainforest Kingdom, she adjusted her daylilies crown and carefully applied some aloe vera on her scales. She was genuinely amazed at how colorful her scales had gotten since she and her friends escaped the Talons of Peace. Back in the cave, the reflection in the water was the only way to look at her face, palid green eyes to accompany her discolored scales… Now, looking at herself, vibrant dark green and emerald scales with flares of orange on her ears and wings… She was half-tempted to consider herself beautiful, but the fact that Deathbringer thought as much was enough to make her reconsider.
A barely audible wooden creak, through the covered window on the opposite wall, was heard. Speaking of which… “You know, spying on girls while they are alone is reason enough to get a face full of venom,” Glory said with perfect calmness, while continuing to apply aloe vera on her scales. It’s not the first time he has done this. And won’t be the last.
“Damn,” Deathbringer said, as his head with his usual smile popped sideways through the curtains. Glory didn’t even give him the dignity of a face to face conversation, she was going to have this conversation through the mirror. “I’m not spying . Just keeping a lookout for threats. Big difference, I’ll have you know,” he continued.
“Rrrrriiiiight. Obviously,” Even though her scales had enough aloe vera, Glory decided to get some more to at least pretend to be busy. Besides, it’s less time not directly looking at that idiot. And yet… She didn’t stop Deathbringer from staring at her. She noticed the way he was looking at her… his smile, his eyes on her back… and then, even though she resisted as much as she could, their eyes met through the mirror.
Shaking her head, she decided to get rid of the intruder. “That was not an invitation, by the way, it was me telling you to give me some privacy.”
“Now ? Right now? But I just started spying on you!” He didn’t even bother to hide his ogling.
Glory stood up, turned around and walked towards the window in complete elegance, which was then violently broken. “Shoo! Go away!” She grabbed Deathbringer’s head and forcefully pushed him away. “Hmph!” she exclaimed after throwing him out.
Not one second of peace passed before his head popped from the other side of the curtain. “Hey, on a more serious note, have you considered my request?”
She finally looked at him. “Deathbringer, no, just no. That’s such a stupid idea.”
“Solving almost all of your problems is most certainly a good idea!” he insisted, raising his claw.
“You are not assassinating Morrowseer until we know more. That’s final,” From the exchanges between her and Queen Greatness, it seems the situation was a lot more complex than it seemed. Morrowseer and his followers have significant influence in NightWing politics, killing him would most likely trigger a meltdown. And, it would probably make Deathbringer happy. Lose-Lose situation.
“What if I spy on him, then?” He offered.
“Spy? She echoed. “Maybe-” A knock on her door stopped the conversation. She shook her head. “We’ll figure it out later, now shoo!”
And with that, Deathbringer was finally gone. She hurried and opened the door to reveal a nervous-looking Starflight.
“Oh. Hello,” she awkwardly said.
“Hey. Can we talk?”
“We are talking?”
“I mean in private,” He said, his eyes quickly flickering to the side.
Glory looked around from the door. There were a few RainWings chatting around the Royal Pavilion, waiting for her, as was her pet Silver, on the Royal Hammock, and lastly…a pair of turquoise eyes with a very angry scowl were on her. Why was Tsunami looking at her like that?... Or was it at Starflight? She moved aside, signaling him to enter with her head. Once inside, Starflight looked more guilty than nervous, which was really worrying to Glory.
“It’s bad news,” Starflight said.
Not another one of those, Glory internally cried. She shrugged. “Well, put it on the list, not that those are a rare occurrence now.”
“No, it’s really bad,” Was he shaking?
Abruptly, the door swung open. Tsunami was there, with that exact same angry expression. “Yes, Starflight, tell Glory how badly you messed up!”
Starflight took a deep breath, looked at Tsunami, then at her. “It’s Sunny… she… um… escaped…”
The world grew silent.
“What?”
The guards mentioned Sunny’s pouch was missing… And she was late. It all made perfect sense now.
Glory was feeling seriously ill. The nausea, the world and her room spinning, her accelerated heartbeat, the anger and confusion... It’s like she wanted to vomit and cry and scream at the same time. And to make matters worse, just a short while ago, the guards found a note in Sunny’s hut, it simply said:
“I’m sorry, but I have to do this.
-Sunny.”
Do what? Embark in a suicide mission? She cursed Sunny’s blind faith… if something were to happen to her… she really didn’t know what she would do.
“What were you thinking letting her go like that!” shouted Tsunami.
“That she might have a point!” Starflight tried defending his absolute foolish mistake.
“You do not go charging into an active battlefield to stop more battlefields from forming!”
“That’s funny coming from you, Tsunami," Glory interrupted them.
“And you are not helping!” Tsunami said, pointing a claw at her, “Sunny could be in trouble, we have to find her!”
Glory took a deep breath. “We can’t,” and before either Starflight or Tsunami interrupted her, she raised a claw. “Sunny made her decision and we have to live with it. Worrying about her won’t solve anything.”
“How can you say that!? Sunny could be captured, waiting for help somewhere, and you just abandon her?” Tsunami shouted. Even Starflight looked alarmed.
“I’m not abandoning her. I will send Pineapple, he can try to find her, but we can't spare anyone else. Morrowseer finds out one of us is missing and he might just have the opportunity he's been waiting for.”
Tsunami kept going, aggressively walking at her. “She is a friend, she is family! You are sending one dragon for her? It’s like she is not important at all!”
But Glory pushed back harder. “I do care for her!” she said, stopping Tsunami’s advance with a claw, “So much that I want her to have a home to come back to. Which she will.”
“But how can you be so sure?” Starflight asked, he looked very worried.
“Sunny isn’t dumb, and she is a good fighter, if it comes down to it. I’m sure she can deliver a letter.”
“Ughh! It still doesn’t feel right! You both are the worst!” And with that said, Tsunami stormed out of the room.
“What did I do?” Starflight asked, causing an automatic eye roll from Glory.
“You let Sunny escape.” She stated flatly.
“Because I believed she could do it…” he said, staring sadly at the floor.
“Starflight,” she called him, and her green eyes met with dark green, a rare occasion. “I know you love Sunny. But what you did… That wasn’t love,” she said with a shake of her head. “If you truly loved her, you would have stopped Sunny. Stopped her from risking her life. Think about that for a moment.”
Starflight froze when she said he loved Sunny, but then emotions took over. He looked hurt. “I will,” he replied, sounding more downcast than before.
They both moved towards the door, entering the Royal Pavilion, the court session was due soon. Starflight just wordlessly walked away. She sighed. This might put a strain on her friendship with Tsunami and Starflight, but it will recover. They’ve been through worse.
“Your Grace," A voice interrupted her thoughts. It seemed even three seconds of peace is too much once you are a queen. The voice however, came with a most welcoming face, it was Mangrove. He quickly bowed before her, and continued, “There’s… uhh... A bit of a problem with today’s session. There are a pair of NightWings in today’s line, and that apparently caused quite the commotion among your subjects.”
“Huh? What’s the problem?” She stepped sideways from Mangrove, looking outside through the flower curtain that acted as the entrance. She spied a small group of nervous green RainWings waiting in the line, and at the very end of it, two NightWings. From here she could see the various looks her RainWings were giving them, but luckily that was all they did.
“They think those NightWings could be… Mindreaders," Mangrove whispered the last word as he shivered, as if it meant anything. She knew for a fact that Morrowseer did not have any mindreaders at all, if he did, they’d be all dead already.
“I doubt they are. That “mindreading” sounds mostly propaganda to me. Such a ridiculous thing to believe," She said with an eye roll.
“Well, they have been keeping to themselves. The guards who took them in said they are seeking asylum," He said pointing to the NightWings with his head.
Stepping sideways to look through the curtains once again, the two NightWing were warily eyeing their surroundings with wide eyes, as if a gigantic hawk would suddenly dive in and snatch them. The smaller NightWing was tucked tightly inside the larger NightWing’s wing. She narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better glimpse at them. It looks like they are close. Father and child…? Or Mother and child? She couldn’t hear their voices to tell. It’s not like dragons can distinguish genders at a mere glance anyway.
“Hm. If they are causing so much “trouble”, then ask the RainWings before them if they want to let them have their turn. The faster I receive them, the faster they’ll be out of their sight," She ordered Mangrove, and with a bow, he obeyed.
Hopping into the Royal Hammock, her pet Silver instantly hatched into her neck. She watched the queue as RainWing after RainWing nodded at Mangrove, until he finally reached the NightWings. Getting ready for her NightWing visitors, and even though she didn’t really believe in mindreaders, she stashed all her secrets in the deepest depths of her mind, just in case. Tilting her head just the right amount, closing her eyes and lying on the hammock in the right position, she was grace personified.
She heard as the curtains opened, followed by several talonsteps. “You stand before Queen Glory of the RainWings,” Grandeur announced in her deep voice. “Make your request, NightWing," Glory opened her eyes. The NightWings stood up from bowing, then the larger one continued.
“Your grace, since the news about Morrowseer and his plans came to light, we couldn’t bear to be with our tribe knowing all the damage they’ve done to Pyrrhia. I humbly request the protection of your Rainforest, where at least there are attempts to heal the damage they’ve done," The smaller NightWing bumped tails with a frown. She blinked. “Oh, excuse me! My name is Secretkeeper, and this is my daughter, Moonwatcher," She hugged her daughter tightly to emphasize.
Moonwatcher merely waved at her, as if she had lost all the courage from bumping tails with her mother. Both NightWings were very similar in appearance, the difference was mostly in the eyes, the mother had teal eyes, her daughter dark green with a curious, single white scale in the outside corner of both eyes. She was intensely staring at her, like if she was reading her soul, only for her to shake her head, then hide further into his mother’s wings. Something was wrong with this ‘Moonwatcher’, she just couldn’t tell exactly what.
Regardless, they forgot to introduce themselves, although it’s certainly not the first time this has happened, they both looked nervous, so she overlooked that slight mistake. “Well, welcome to the Rainforest. Here you will be protected, as long you follow the law… and pull your own weight. You’ll be assigned housing where no NightWing will be able to touch you. At least not the hostile ones, as we have others here. And depending on what you answer here, you’ll be assigned a craft," she explained.
Grandeur continued. “You shall be given a two week trial, with a review of your performance at the end of it. Suffice to say, it will determine if you stay, or if you are sent back to Queen Greatness. Now, the Queen shall question you further. Answer truthfully, as the Queen is in contact with Queen Greatness, what you say here will be verified with her," It would not be. It was a nice bluff though, which seemed to work. Secretkeeper lost herself a bit there.
Arching her back slightly forward, she cleared her throat, then began. “What was your occupation in the NightWing Kingdom, before the eruption?” She asked Secretkeeper.
“My occupation?” She echoed, and paused for a while. Moonwatcher stared at her mother, then she continued, “I was a cataloger for the Royal Archives. Many of our books are old and get buried under newer knowledge. My job was to keep those old books relevant," She answered, with a bit of nervousness in her voice.
“Interesting... Unfortunately we don’t have many books. For now. I’ll keep you in mind, though," Secretkeeper… and she kept books around, who knows what kind of secrets she might know. “Why were you named ‘Secretkeeper’?” She asked.
She stared at her, before shaking her head slightly. “Because that was my designated role. My fate, if you will," It was of no surprise. Deathbringer, Morrowseer, Secretkeeper… it seemed NightWings were predestined to do certain jobs, which made sense, considering how they have an intrinsic relationship with fate and prophecies.
“So your fate was to keep secrets, huh?” Maybe that was the wrong thing to say, as her eyes slightly widened with uneasiness, which seemed to bounce off on her daughter. She tried cooling things off with an eye roll. “Don’t worry, I don’t expect you to divulge every single secret the NightWings have. What about your daughter?” She pointed at the smaller NightWing, “What was her role in NightWing society?”
“My daughter?” She irritably echoed again, but this time Moonwatcher’s eyes stayed on Glory as her mother answered. “She… was to be a huntress.”
A huntress? That was even more interesting. She focused on Moonwatcher, who slowly seemed to be digging herself further into her mother’s wing with wide eyes. She was very nervous. Was this how she was? Or was she nervous about something else? Suddenly Glory noticed something about her. This was what her mind was trying to warn her about! Abruptly, it seemed like Moonwatcher gained weight, or grew in size. She didn’t notice just how muscular this dragonet was before! She could probably snap her spine like a twig!
“Your daughter seems… pretty well fed. Most NightWing dragonets I’ve seen are barely fed and malnourished.”
“Oh!” She took a look at Moonwatcher, who seemed to make a slight head shake, “Well, it’s… because of my husband. We had special privileges because of him.”
“And who was this?”
“It was… his name was M-” Suddenly, Moonwatcher stomped on her foot.
“Sorry… It’s that I don’t want to… remember…” Moonwatcher trailed off when she realized the entire pavilion was looking at her.
“He did a lot of damage to us, to Pyrrhia even,” Secretkeeper continued. “He died a long time ago," And she could relate; Kestrel . That name made her blood boil. If the moons were merciful, she would be dead by now, but they haven’t heard anything since the Sky Kingdom, where she left with Peril. It’s a name best left to be forgotten.
“I understand. But I’d still like his name, just to verify.”
“Mistwalker," Moonwatcher quickly answered, before wilting yet again when she looked at her.
What a strange dragon. Glory thought. She was muscular, healthy, with a powerful body build and yet… She was shy and nervous, with little confidence in herself. She might even put Starflight to shame.
“Hmph. Well, let me be the first to officially welcome you as Rainforest residents. The Royal Guards here shall escort you to your new home, I hope you find it to your liking. And finally, tomorrow you’ll receive a visit from the guards, they will explain the rules further. You are dismissed.”
And with that, the Royal Guards escorted her visitors out, not before bowing. Moonwatcher gave her one last look before leaving the pavilion. She just couldn’t help but feel suspicious about her and her mother. She will have to keep an eye out for those two.
Tsunami strode through the hanging bridges, just to do something at the very least. Even if she wanted to just go flying into the Sand Kingdom and search for Sunny, she knew it would be very risky, and hated that Glory was somewhat right about not sending a search party. It felt absolutely awful to not be actively helping Sunny, and not knowing if she was okay. It was a shame that Starflight lost the Dreamvisitor, she could have really used that.
And what’s worse, Clay got absolutely devastated with the news, she knew Sunny and him were very close, which is why he locked himself up in a little hut, just like Webs did back then. And she had a training session with the RainWing guards in a few minutes, but without Clay or Sunny, how was she supposed to train them? They were the heart and soul of the training! She sighed as she sat. Things were supposed to only get better once Glory became queen, but so far, things have only gotten awful. It wasn’t fair, this was nowhere near like the stories she read.
She felt a strong gust of wind on her back, followed by a pair of landing talonsteps. She turned, but there wasn’t anyone there. “I know you are there.”
Suddenly, Glory materialized from thin air. “Well, it used to work about half a dozen times before.”
“Maybe if you stopped doing that all the time…”
“Point being, I thought it would only work once, not seven,” she said, smiling.
“Did you escape your own court just to tell me I’m stupid?”
“Among other things.”
“Glory! Now’s not the time!”
Glory cleared her throat, and sat in an overly queenly fashion beside her, seemingly throwing her annoying attitude aside. “It’s about Starflight.”
That squid-brain. She bitterly thought. “What about him?” She said, unsuccessfully trying to hide her annoyance.
“Well, I think it was a fitting punishment for him to tell Clay the news about Sunny,“ She said, clearing some leaves off the hanging bridge, ”But… it feels like that was punishment as friends. In severity at least,” Glory looked at her. “I’m thinking of a punishment, as in disobeying a Queen in severity.”
Punishment… Queen in severity? Was she suggesting… something harsh for Starflight? Was she… going to have Starflight executed?!
“By the Moons you did not just give me that look!” she pointed a claw at her.
“What?!” she asked, raising her talons.
“No, this is not my sudden twist to a dark path into a reign of terror, or whatever stupid thing you imagined from your silly action scrolls.”
“They are not silly! And what do you mean by that then!”
“Ugh! I meant something creative! Like… I don’t know, if he likes scrolls so much, then let’s force him to write an entire library, that sort of thing. I was hoping you’d have some ideas.”
“Oh. Well, we cou-”
“Actually, not here," Glory interrupted her, eying their surroundings. Was it her, or did she see a dark figure moving from the trees, behind Glory, deep in the shadows? “I… escaped… my own court after all, I can’t be seen. Come.”
She followed Glory, up to the treetops. It still amazed her as she landed just how massive these leaves could be. Holding an entire group of dragons on their own!
“Now, a bit more privacy. Your thoughts?” She tilted her head as she asked.
“Hm. Without Sunny and Clay to help me with the training… Maybe Starflight could write a battle manual?”
“Maybe. If my RainWings could read, that is. I was thinking something way more tedious than that.”
“What about ‘Reading for dummies’, or something like that?"
“I thought about that, hearing it from you makes me think it just might be the punishment I was looking for,” Tsunami thought she was about to make fun of her, so was pleasantly surprised when she didn’t. Suddenly, Glory sighed, and her queenly aura and posture evaporated, as the color from her scales. Somehow it reminded her of the times inside the cave, with the Talons of Peace, when Glory was to be killed. “I’m really worried about Sunny,” She continued, with a sad tone.
“Me too,” Their eyes met, she could see how vulnerable Glory could be at times, but at least they had each other for their worries. They both smiled. But not before long, Glory’s eyes snapped widely into something above her, and recoiled from her.
“Uhhh… Tsunami?” Glory said with uneasiness.
“What? What!” Glory pointed her claw to the sky, behind her.
“Why is that giant parrot flying at us?” Glory answered as she was turning around.
“What is that!?” Tsunami panicked. That parrot was getting bigger and bigger! How fast was that thing flying?!
Getting ready for battle, she stood at Glory’s side, who was squinting, even though they were in incredible danger. “Wait, is that… A SeaWing?” Glory said.
“Huh?!” Suddenly, she saw it. A green SeaWing flying at incredible speed, screaming at the top of his lungs, both of his talons in front of him, as if holding something.
“What the f-” Before she could even finish her sentence, she was hit violently by the SeaWing and was sent flying. The world was spinning as she landed on the rough leaf. She tried standing up, but was too disoriented. Was this the end?
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” a voice cried. Suddenly she was lifted by Glory. Who she expected to attack this SeaWing, but she just had a mildly annoyed face, looking at the Seawing.
As the world stopped spinning, the green SeaWing was just seemingly collecting random garbage from the floor and stashing it in a pouch he wore. “I didn’t mean to do that! I’m sorry!”
Glory walked to the SeaWing, who then stopped collecting his garbage and stared at her. “You have five seconds to explain to me how in the Moons you managed to get past all my security and attack us in broad daylight.”
“I’m sorry!” He exclaimed for the fifth time, “I panicked a-a-and I was being followed. I swear I didn’t mean to attack you!”
Tsunami walked beside Glory to stare him down. What a lame excuse, she was about to teach this stupid SeaWing a lesson. He just stared at both of them with wide eyes, completely intimidated. Wait a second, is that the… she swiftly raised her talon to his wing. The SeaWing scrunched his face, as if he was expecting a face punch, but his eyes popped open when she extended his wing instead. He had the Royal SeaWing pattern.
“Ooh lovely! Your family keeps getting better and better, Tsunami,” Glory said in a rather offensive tone.
“It’s not my fault they are like this!” She said as she released his wing. “And who are you?!” She pointed to the SeaWing as he recoiled from her.
It’s like he almost wanted to look behind him, as if she somehow was talking to someone else. “Oh, me? I’m… Turtle,” He answered, but it sounded more like a question.
“Well Turtle, care to answer Glory’s question?”
The SeaWing took a deep breath. “And I’m your brother,” he added after a pause.
“Huh? Brother?” Tsunami echoed. Well, of course she would have a brother. “I mean, I guess I knew the male eggs were surviving every time Mother's eggs got destroyed by the Orca statue, but I didn’t even stop to think about having brothers.”
“There are about thirty of us,” Turtle said.
“Thirty?!” Tsunami shouted. “I have THIRTY BROTHERS?!”
“Oh my! Coral must’ve kept your father pretty busy…” Glory said, and Tsunami couldn’t tell if she really was impressed, or just mocking her.
“Glory! My father is dead! Don’t joke about the dead!” She snapped at Glory. Besides, Glory’s remark seemed to be a reminder to Turtle, who now was looking both terrified and sad.
“Too soon? Okay, maybe that was too much on my part,” Glory said when she looked at Turtle.
So, this was his brother? A plump, dark green SeaWing? How did he even get here? She already asked that question, didn’t she? But was the answer to her satisfaction? She couldn’t really remember. Regardless, they had another royal in their company, and just this once, Tsunami contemplated if fate really was a thing. How did her brother really manage to get here? Was it just stupid luck, or tied to the ridiculous amount of coincidences they’ve been through?
First she was The Lost Princess, oldest living heir to the throne, saved from certain death by accident by Webs, then turns out Webs also stole Glory’s egg, among dozens of others, who happened to be of royal blood too. Wasn’t it crazy? No… thinking about it, not really. Tsunami knew how luck worked. But say, if the SeaWing she killed at the arena happened to be her father, another royal. Now that all would be crazy enough to convince her about fate. But she knew the Arena SeaWing wasn’t her father. Her father had green scales, or so she was told, and that one had blue scales.
“Hmm. Well, I guess we should give you a place to rest, you must have been completely tired from your trip,” she said to Turtle.
“Huh. I guess we could,” Glory said, but then shook her head, “After you tell me how you got past my security, that is.”
Turtle gulped. “Oh… Uh… Sure.” He said, with a nervous smile.
And with that, they escorted his new brother, although she wasn’t sure if part of her mind was screaming that something was wrong with this whole interaction. Maybe it came when you learnt about a newly found brother?
Sunny couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not in her wildest of nightmares.
“Queen Glacier!” Ocotillo said as he stood up, almost as if hinting at Sunny who the IceWing was, “Uhh… Just a messenger, Your Highness,” he threw her a nervous glance.
Glacier looked from Ocotillo to her, and made a barely perceptible tilt of the head. She then approached them, her jewelry and back-spines almost chiming a deadly melody together when her talons touched the rough floor as she walked. She stopped before them.
“Well?” Glacier said, in a tone that bordered impatience and amusement.
Trying to stealthy breath all the air her lungs needed, Sunny daringly met Glacier’s eyes. She knew the eyes could see her. See her soul and what lied beneath her scales. There was no point in lying, and Ocotillo was expectantly looking at her. This was a dangerous situation no matter what she answered.
“I’m Sunny,” she answered back, “Your Grace,” she swiftly added with a small bow. Not bowing or properly addressing someone as adorned as this would surely be a deadly mistake.
“Sunny,” Glacier echoed flatly. Sunny could tell it wasn’t an acknowledgement from the tone, it was like she was repeating a name she’d somehow heard before. “Ocotillo, you may resume your guard duties, I’ll deal with this messenger here,” she gestured to Sunny with her talons.
Casting one last nervous glance at Sunny, Ocotillo obeyed. “Yes, your Grace,” he turned and left somewhat hurriedly.
Left alone with the massive IceWing, Sunny could feel her courage literally deflating under Glacier’s intense stare. Should she say something? Was she about to get charged and mauled to death?
“A messenger, you said? To whom?” Glacier asked.
“To Queen Blaze, your Grace,” Sunny replied.
Glacier raised one brow and tilted her head. “Hm. Now that is interesting,” she said, tapping her chin. “First, it was Sunny of the Dragonets of Destiny, from the same group who happened to lure Queen Blaze into an assassination attempt… and now it’s Sunny the Messenger. I wonder what will happen next?” She hissed the last sentence.
Was that her heart beating so hard she could hear her own heartbeat? The IceWing Queen was accusing her of luring Blaze!
“We didn’t know! We were followed! And we tried to stop it!” she cried.
Suddenly, Glacier’s severe stance disappeared. She sighed, “Oh, I know. Blaze spoke most well of you dragonets, especially you and the SeaWing. You’d be dead already, otherwise.” She added that last bit after a pause.
“I’m sorry it happened, we really didn’t know, we would’ve stopped it otherwise. I swear it,” Sunny continued.
“Hmph,” she continued. “And what became of the assassin?” She then asked.
Glacier was intensely looking at her again. Instinctively, Sunny knew she was testing her. Glacier knew of her, from Blaze presumably, so she must know about Deathbringer. Surely she saw him escaping. “We… let him escape,” she answered, not really noticing the severity of such statement until now. Glacier let the silence tell her how truly severe it was.
“I don’t know what’s worse. You, telling me the truth, and that you knowingly let that criminal flee from my justice, or if you had tried lying to me,” Glacier hissed, narrowing her eyes. Sunny could literally see the imminent violence in those eyes as she slowly recoiled. But once again, Glacier suddenly deflated. “A shame Blaze would be most upset at me if I did anything to you.” She then lifted her head in a regal manner and cleared her throat, as if she just hadn’t threatened to kill Sunny twice with looks alone. “Well, let’s get on with it then.” She extended her talon.
Sunny knew what she meant. Blinking twice, surprised she wasn’t dead already, Sunny used her shaking talons to retrieve the envelope from her pouch. She carefully deposited the envelope in Glacier’s talon, half expecting her to grab her by the talon, but luckily she didn’t. “The letter is to Queen Blaze, from us, the Dragonets of Destiny.”
Glacier examined the envelope from all angles, then held it against the light to reveal just paper through it. She then looked at the seal closely. “Interesting, that’s the RainWing Royal seal. Not many IceWing Queens have seen it,” she then looked at her. “Do you have connections to the RainWing Queen?”
How to best explain it? “Yes. The RainWing from our group is the RainWing Queen, actually.”
“The RainWing? The replacement for the SkyWing?” Glacier tilted her head with intense curiosity, breaking her royal posture, only for her to notice and clear her throat. “Not everything about it seems to be a mere dragonet’s story, then.”
“When is Queen Blaze returning? The letter is very important.” Sunny continued.
“In a few weeks, troop exchanges are very important if we are to work together. But worry not,” she then smiled as she tore off the Royal RainWing seal from the envelope. “Queen Blaze has appointed me as her regent while she is out. I deal with her letters.”
Oh no. This was bad. Was she going to read the message destined to Blaze!?
Glacier carefully grabbed the letter inside, so as to not tore anything with her wickedly sharp claws, and then held it in front of her. Well, this is going to be awkward. Sunny thought. Then Glacier started reading the message out loud.
“To the most excellent and beautiful Queen Blaze, may your wings always find fair winds,
We bring you dire news as the Great War rages on. The hidden NightWing Island has erupted, causing untold ecological damage to the Sky Kingdom, and with the eruption, the NightWings have fled into the RainWing Kingdom. Their threat is contained, but the peace in the Rainforest Kingdom, however, is in great danger.
It is a well known fact that the NightWings currently are, and have been for the past two thousand years, at war with the IceWings. And since you are allies with Queen Glacier, we have a very important request to make. Now that the NightWings are under the banner of Queen Glory of the Rainwings, and their location known, we ask you to contact Queen Glacier, so that she may assemble a small, permanent diplomatic delegation to finally bring the war to its end, and finally bring two-thousand years of hostilities to rest.
With Pyrrhia experiencing the biggest war it has ever had, we believe it is of great interest for all the dragons of Pyrrhia to reduce tensions from this war, and the hostility between tribes. Please consider our humble request, it’s for the good of Pyrrhia.
Yours truly,
-The Dragonets of Destiny”
Once finished, Glacier simply stored the letter with surgical precision into the envelope. “You truly flew all the way from the Rainforest, just to deliver a letter? Couldn’t your Queen have sent a dedicated envoy?”
“Yes, she could have. But I came alone because I truly want to show how important it is to us,” she could picture Clay smiling at her.
“Peace… With the NightWings?” Sunny was almost hopeful, but then Glacier shook her head. “No. It wouldn’t work. Not with their crimes. They need to be brought to justice.”
Even though Glacier was a dangerous dragon, Sunny insisted. “But that’s the thing, the new NightWing Queen wants peace, she is under oath and has to obey Queen Glory, who also wants peace. The NightWings just wanted a new home, and now they have it! It was Morrowseer and his circle who wanted to destabilize Pyrrhia. Not all the other NightWings.”
“The new NightWing Queen? What do you mean?” Glacier then looked around, as if a ghost would be hearing their conversation. “You mean… Battlewinner is dead?” she whispered.
That took Sunny by surprise. “Yes… but… how do you know of her?”
“I can’t believe it… after all these years… And trust me, I know her very well. I even knew about her condition, in fact.”
Sunny blinked in surprise. How can Queen Glacier know of this? This information was very closely guarded by the NightWings.
Glacier gave a small snort. “A Queen needs to be very resourceful if she is to remain as such. Although… that bit of information I know is completely unrelated as to me being the Queen. I did that to her. When we heard about a NightWing expedition near our territory, we had to get involved. Kicked their tails off our lands. T’was a long time ago anyway, but still it didn’t prevent Battlewinner from sending hate-mail to me since then.”
“Then surely you would value having one less foe to worry about then? This is what’s all about, to stop the war, maybe one front at a time.”
Glacier was rubbing her chin, thinking. “One front at the time…” But then her eyes landed on her, “What a brave little dragon you are, Sunny. You’ve traveled from the Rainforest, crossed three different battlefronts. You risked your life doing a menial task you could’ve delegated to someone else. And yet, that didn’t stop you.”
Was it working? Was she gaining ground? “Yes, because I think peace is worth fighting for. Because actions say a lot more than words.”
Glacier’s face relaxed. She gave her a rather curious look, almost like if she was impressed, but conveying boredom at the same time. “My warriors… My soldiers. They have endured so much for this war, they are willing to sacrifice everything to bring me victory. But for peace… I don't think anyone has dared to risk so much for it, except for you,” she smiled at her. “You may go, Sunny of the Dragonets of Destiny. Know that I accept your request, and you shall receive a message from me soon.”
It worked!? She smiled, “Oh… Thank you, your Grace.” She made a deep bow.
“Be aware though, that IceWing politics are a fickle thing. It might cause some discontent, so we might have to work in stages. I’ll be sure to send you the details once that is ironed out.”
“Thank you,” Sunny solemnly said, this is exactly what she wanted, and couldn’t believe it worked.
“You may go with my answer if you wish, taking my word as official acceptance, I’m sure the faster you are back home the safer you’ll be. And regardless of your decision, know that you go with my blessings.”
Meeting the IceWing Queen has been a whirlwind of emotions, and Sunny expected nothing less of her. From imminent death nervousness to happiness. She was euphoric, here was more proof that fate just might be real. She just had to fight for it, and had to convince their siblings to do so too. Although she might have to tone down the intensity of it, for their sake. And maybe things just might start to get better...
Chapter 6: Reunions
Notes:
I didn't expect for it to take me this long to write this, though I didn't write anything for two whole weeks, due to family troubles. Monthly updates are not the goal, mind you. I really wish I could find more time to write. But alas.
And with that being said, the largest chapter released so far. It's mostly about Sunny, though soon you'll find a broader range of characters. Enjoy!
Chapter Text
Glory was busily working inside the Royal Pavilion, as she always did. Though she’d never seen such a massive pile of papers on her desk ever before. They were NightWing applications for residential rights. How many requests were there anyway? It’s almost like the entire NightWing Kingdom was applying! She was tempted to just delegate it to someone else, but she couldn’t trust the judgment of most of her fellow RainWings… for now. They were too trusting and innocent.
Suddenly, a red RainWing barged through the flower curtain, heading for her. Oh Moons, that’s great. Another angry complainer. She calmly cleaned the ink on her claw, and deposited the paper she was reading back into the pile. But before she could raise her view and look at the intruding visitor, her eyes went wide. Intense, bright yellow eyes were on right on her face, together with a scowl so huge Glory wondered if their face was about to split in half. As she recoiled in surprise and fell from her chair, Glory noticed the dark orange scales, the curved horns, the gigantic wings… This wasn’t a red RainWing…
“You,” she hissed, ruff flaring as her jaw dislocated, preparing to spray her visitor with deadly venom.
“Don’t you even dare!” Scarlet shouted as she took a step back. But Glory ignored her, she could already feel the venom flowing through her fangs. She won’t wait for the coiled snake to bite, she would strike first.
As her venom sailed through the air, Scarlet cowered with her wings, but just before the venom landed on her, she smiled, and broke from her stance. The venom phased right through her.
“Oh… Right. The Dreamvisitor,” Glory’s surprise and adrenaline was quickly replaced with boredom. Scarlet couldn’t hurt her here. “What do you want now?”
She scoffed. “Watch your tone, dragonet.” She raised her claw, as if to silence her. “I want what you owe me, that is all,” she smiled wickedly. “You destroyed my perfect face, ruined my glorious rule, and then you became Queen of two tribes. How is that fair? You owe me.”
“Right. Ignoring, of course, you want me and my friends dead.”
“Obviously,” she snarled, as if Glory was stupid and was questioning the already established basic facts of the world. “ Your death would be most thrilling to me. I’ll savor it, greatly.”
She tilted her head. “Is this how you negotiate your rescue? Threaten me with murder and your death fetish?”
Scarlet moved to bite her, snapping her maw at her. It was hard to not flinch, but as expected, her bite phased through her. “You’ll do as I say. You owe me. You ruined everything I had going!”
“You did that to yourself,” Glory then smiled. “Call it karma.”
“You stupid dragonet! If karma were real I would’ve died the day I hatched,” she then pointed a claw at her. “You will rescue me.”
“Huh? Again, why would I rescue you, if you want us dead?” She tilted her head to the other side.
Scarlet laughed. “Don’t you get it? I want everyone dead. Some, like you, sooner, rather than later. Rescue me, and I’ll drop you down quite a few places in the rankings.”
“Hmm... Wait, where am I exactly in your ‘kill list’?”
“The very top.”
“I thought Burn would have that honor.”
“She is a traitorous rat,” Scarlet said, lashing her tail to the wall, denting the wood. “But nowhere near as scummy as you. We were practically friends when you ruined everything…” Scarlet then blinked twice. “Why would Burn be on the top? I haven't said anything about her.”
“Well, it’s obvious she has you prisoner,” she replied. That got her an angry look from Scarlet. “You were last seen with her, and then you talk about freeing you, it’s not hard to connect the dots. And besides, she’s the reason your face is ruined. I don’t know why you are pointing at me.”
Scarlet laughed dryly. “Ha! Ha ha ha ha!” She then rotated her head to show the other side of it, which she’d been avoiding doing since her appearance, and pointed a claw to the melted part of her face. “Here’s proof that you are lying.”
“But… that’s the thing. I wasn’t aiming at you.”
“What?”
She remembered, it was crystal clear. How she was chained on the small tree, back then, in the SkyWing Arena. How Clay was fighting Peril, and how she needed a distraction to give him more time. “Use your venom! ” Scarlet screamed. That’s when her plan hatched. But Scarlet hadn't been her target. Though she was the cause of their predicament, and was rather aggravating with her screaming, she was completely enthralled with her Arena, and even complimented some of their performances. She wasn’t the biggest threat to them. No, Burn was her target. She’d been screaming obscenities, threats, and insults non-stop to her friends, had been talking all sorts of twisted plans for Sunny, and had been eying her warily. She had even placed herself so that Scarlet was between them. Burn was the biggest threat to their escape efforts, and so she aimed at her. Suffice to say, she didn’t expect Burn to use Scarlet as a living shield… Even a tiny part of herself still felt guilty about that.
“Oh that RAT!” Scarlet screamed, as her talon smashed and cracked the sandstone floor.
Glory blinked, distracted. She wasn’t in the Rainforest anymore, she was at Scarlet’s Arena. A dream version of it, rather. She looked around, and behind her, the scene she was picturing just moments ago was there. Frozen in time, Burn was shoving Scarlet, who had a confused face, into Glory’s venom as it sailed through the air. It was really odd to see herself, she didn’t know her jaw did that when she shot venom!
There weren’t enough words in the Draconic vocabulary to describe just how furious Scarlet was looking. “That lying! Manipulative! Conniving sack of sh-” And as Scarlet’s closed talon smashed the floor once again, she vanished, and Glory was left alone in her dream.
Totally not ominous… She thought. Was Scarlet going to go after Burn now? Was she number two in the rankings, and Burn number one? Knowing Scarlet, it probably didn’t even matter, she’d kill her if given the chance. She sighed. Even in her dreams, Glory could not get one moment of peace.
It is a well known fact that returning trips usually felt shorter than the initial first trip when traveling, and to Sunny, that has proven to be very true. It was totally not due to the fact that she got lost, she thought she made the correct turn after passing the third gigantic stone cairn (she didn’t)... It was because she got intercepted by a gang of SandWings.
Her heart was hammering against ribs all throughout the chase, trying to escape certain death, but despite her best efforts, she was caught. And just as Sunny was ready to forfeit her beliefs on fate and destiny, they were reaffirmed once again. These SandWings, Outclaws as they called themselves, were in opposition of all three SandWing Queens. Though she just came from trying to negotiate with one of them, Sunny thought that was a detail she should probably keep to herself.
These SandWings had no ill intentions towards her, however, they refused to let her go alone, and kept insisting that the desert was a very dangerous place for “hybrids”, even though she wasn’t one. In the end, a big, burly SandWing, unimaginatively named Six-Claws, personally escorted her towards a safe place: the Scorpion Den, ironically. As they flew, Sunny noticed he wasn’t the most talkative, but still, it didn’t stop her.
“So… What’s with the tail?” She asked Six-Claws as they were flying.
“Huh?” He mumbled, probably too concentrated on keeping an eye out.
“The tail. Every SandWing I’ve met has looked at my tail.” Was it a SandWing thing? Did her kin not like her tail?
“Ah,” he said, slightly amused. “Well, you didn’t grow up in a SandWing enough environment I see.”
Sunny opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off. “It’s how we greet each other. We can tell friend or foe if the stinger is coiled or no. In theory at least... Some SandWings have no honor at all.”
“Oh… I was never taught that.” He gave her a curious expression, but then his eyes shifted to the horizon. Sunny was thankful he didn’t decide to pry further.
The rest of her trip was as silent and uneventful as the first one, even with the company.
The Scorpion Den was not what Sunny expected. Her point of comparison however, Medemia, was quite an unfair one. This sprawling, walled city was huge. Looking at the center, up from the sunny sky, it looked like at some point this was an organized, medium sized settlement, but past the center, huts and various buildings were scattered with little planning, seemingly plopped in as new settlers came in. Outside the city walls, the few oases in the nearby vicinity were full of date trees and there were even a few irrigation canals that fed the few growing crops.
Sunny didn’t think farming was something dragons did, but thinking about it, Clay’s mother was supposed to raise cows, so it’s not only SandWing thing. Then again, it’s not like the desert can provide for a fully fledged city, unlike the Rainforest.
“We’re here. Stay close, and don’t fly over the walls.” Six-Claws told her. Sunny already knew that rule. Her guardians told her flying over cities is the fastest way to get into trouble, she never truly understood why, but looking at how useless walls were to dragons now, it was starting to make sense, and it briefly made Sunny wonder why they were built in the first place.
They landed behind a dune, outside the view of the main gate, and waiting for them, a dragonet half-buried in sand, probably a year younger than Sunny. His face lit up when he spotted them. Sunny carefully observed the exchange, now aware of the tail-greeting, and was wonderfully pleased to see it in action. The dragonet stood up, and playfully swung his tail to the side, stinger coiled in, just as Six-Claws did.
“Anything?” Six-Claws simply asked.
“Nope. They’ve been quiet, like always.” The SandWing said. They? Who is ‘they’? Sunny thought.
Six-Claws’ face tensed in anger. “They must be planning something. Gotta be.”
“What if they aren’t? Maybe they moved somewhere else?” The other SandWing was trying to sound brave, but the certain uneasiness of his voice betrayed him.
“Oh Qibli, if it only were that simple,” Six-Claws said, shaking his head.
Qibli shrugged. “Sometimes, it is,” He then spotted Sunny, who he curiously looked over, his eyes almost unnoticeably landing on her tail, then on her. “Who is this friend of yours?” He asked, pointing at Sunny with his head.
“Hi, I’m Sunny,” she said, waving to Qibli. Qibli made the same curious face Six-Claws made back then, the “Well-I-See-You-Are-Not-From-Here” face, but he didn’t say anything.
“Thorn’s rules, not mine.” Six-Claws said. Who’s Thorn? And what rule? Sunny nervously thought. Though they claimed to be friends of hers, it didn’t change the fact that these Outclaws had forced Sunny to go with them towards this big city. She didn’t know their true intentions, and that made her nervous.
But with that, they left the dragonet, and walked to the main gate through the dirt path that bordered the oases, which were overflowing with water and all types of plants. If the city weren’t called “The Scorpion Den”, Sunny might’ve considered the sight to be positively cozy.
Sunny warily watched the gate for possible contacts as they came closer, but the guards, armed with a spear, chainmail and fearsome tattoos, were casually talking with a group of SandWings, and paid no heed to them. Six-Claws and Sunny casually passed through the gates, and made their way into the city.
The main street leading from the gate was very wide, with sandstone buildings on both sides full with posters and advertisements, and in front of them, various stalls and huts. The street was packed with dragons, and the air, with the smell of food, spices and smoke.
“Hear ye! Hear ye!” A roar made Sunny jump. “Tensions rising amongst SkyWings and Burn’s SandWings! Queen Ruby rightfully denies Pretender Burn’s demands!”
“That’s the city crier,” Six-Claws said, noticing Sunny’s pause and pointed towards the huge SandWing on a small podium, in the middle of the crowd. “You really aren’t from around here, huh.”
Before Sunny could say anything back, he moved on. She followed closely, not wanting to get lost amidst the crowd.
“Who’s Thorn?” She asked him once she caught up.
“Our leader.” He simply said, his booming voice dwarfing the crowd’s noise. It seemed like he didn’t want to elaborate. And it’s not like Sunny had a choice to insist, either, since he moved away. She had to trust this SandWing.
“Roasted Scorpions! Bag of Crickets! One silver each!”
“Exotic scriptures from distant lands!”
“Tattoos from all designs!”
The noise was getting unbearable, but luckily, Six-Claws pushed the crowd apart and went into a dusty alleyway. It spat them into another street, much narrower than the main entry, but still crowded with all sorts of dragons.
“Be cleansed with the Light of Pyrrhios!” A preacher shouted to the crowd, making her jump once again. “Join us at the Temple of Pyrrhios! Your soul demands it!” Pyrrhios? Where did Sunny hear that name before?
“Don’t worry, we are almost there.” Six-Claws told her. Though that phrase was supposed to calm her, it made her a lot more nervous. What was at the end of this journey?
They kept walking through the crowds, turning into half a dozen alleyways, and just as the city noises were getting drowned by the silence, they got replaced with something else entirely. Something that Sunny hadn’t ever heard before in her life: music. It was muffled and distant, but she could hear the rhythm. It came from a huge, walled, almost luxurious looking compound, and this time, the guards at the compound’s entrance were attentive and cautious. They immediately spotted them, but then relaxed, and made a strange salute Sunny couldn’t really decipher as they approached the entrance.
“Anything to report, sir?” A guard asked.
“Don’t you ‘sir’ me, Addax. And no, patrols are still decreasing. No known cause yet,” No known cause? But the town crier said something about tensions rising, wouldn’t that be the cause? Or do they know something she didn’t?
Addax then looked at her, and opened his mouth, but was cut off by Six-Claws. “Thorn’s guest.”
“Ah. Gu’on then.” He said, signaling them to enter with his head.
As they passed the entrance’s threshold, Sunny could hear the music intensifying, and from here, she could tell where the music was coming from. The compound had a huge, sandy yellow building to the left side, and on the right, it had various well maintained tents and huts. She could see various dragons playing instruments and dancing inside a large tent, close to a small oasis, which is where Six-Claws was heading. She paced up to catch up with him, but Six-Claws went right up inside the large, main tent.
From the outside, Sunny took a peek, and she was mesmerized. Dragons playing all sorts of instruments, most of which she didn’t recognize (she could only tell the drums apart), with another dozen dragons dancing together with the rhythm, brushing wings, twirling and dangerously coiling tails in intricate, beautiful dance moves. It was breathtaking. Why did Dune never teach her about this? There was a dragon in the corner, observing, which Sunny assumed to be their leader, Thorn, but then Six-Claws waited near the dancing dragons, and snatched up a small, compact looking SandWing when she got close. He whispered something in her ear and her frown erased, just as her eyes landed on Sunny’s peeking head.
Having been spotted, Sunny quickly walked back. So this is it. She thought. This sudden journey of hers was about to end, but what would the outcome be?
The SandWing Six-Claws had whispered to unceremoniously exit the tent and walked towards her. Sunny was definitely smaller, but not by that much, and she probably was less decorated than the rest, only wearing a simple golden bracelet, and a moonstone pendant. Worn by Moon worshippers. Sunny thought, remembering her lessons. There must be a story to that. She was told SandWings were Sun worshippers, so how did she get it?
The SandWing stopped before her, black eyes firmly on her. It’s like this SandWing had an imposing aura, as Sunny was immediately drawn to her, but instead of imposing fear, or majesty like Glacier did, she imposed… calmness… or love, even?
“Hey there, Sunny, I’m Thorn,” she said, waving her talon, just as she moved her tail to the side, stinger coiled in. “Sorry about the… unexpected escort… But I was hoping maybe you’d be of help.”
Uh-oh. Help from her? Does she know of her, and that she is a Dragonet of Destiny?
“Help? From me?” She wasn't sure. Help in what way?
“That’s right,” Thorn said, ignoring Sunny’s uncertainty. “You only have to look at some paintings. Right this way, please,” She signaled with her talon to a nearby tent.
As they walked in, Sunny was pleasantly surprised with the tent’s inside. It reminded her of Blaze’s fortress, minus the cold. Lavish tapestries were hung on the cloth walls, depicting oases, the Sun and various other SandWing symbols. There was a table with a pile of letters, an elegant trunk with several scrolls and a very comfortable-looking bed. What Thorn didn’t wear in wealth was here in the form of furniture, it seemed. She went straight into the trunk.
“I hope Six-Claws wasn’t too harsh with you. He can be a bit… overzealous… with my orders,” She said as she rummaged through the elegant trunk.
“Oh no, he was quite nice, actually.” Sunny said, she just stood on the entrance, unsure what to do, and to expect.
“Take a seat,” Thorn firmly said without even looking at her
Sunny blinked twice, and then went to sit, near the cushions at the table. Having found what she was looking for, Thorn sat at the other end of the table.
“I’m on a quest, you see,” she explained. “Someone was taken from me, years ago. I’ve been searching for this dragon ever since, searched from the rivers to the skies. By the blazes, I’d search the moons too if I could, but alas. I’m sure only three dragons in this world know of this individual I’m looking for. Well, one of them is very unlikely to know, but still, I was hoping maybe you could identify some of them.”
“Well… Pyrrhia is a pretty big place… But I’ll see what I can do,” This must be a very desperate search if Thorn was bringing in random SandWing dragonets for interrogation… and it’s been going for years, by implication.
“We’ll start with the less likely one, have you seen him? ” Thorn said as she unrolled a scroll. It was a colorful painting of a NightWing, and somehow, he had a warm smile, a rarity among them. But she shook her head, though she could count the amount of smiling NightWing she'd seen with only one talon in all of her life, this wasn’t one of them.
“Figured,” Thorn said, but there was… relief… somehow?
“What about this one?” She unrolled another scroll. It was another NightWing, this time in monochrome, no colors at all, and this one she did recognize. She gasped without even knowing it, briefly having almost forgotten about him after all this time. Morrowseer.
“You know him?” Thorn instantly asked. There was something in her eyes. Something very unpleasant.
“I…” Sunny thought about backing down, but it was too late, her gasp already gave her away. But before she had time to think what to do, the tent’s flaps rustled and the same dragonet from the city entrance shoved his way in. She could see a dark amber earring in one ear and a small, rakish scar zigzagged across his nose, now that she was up close up with him.
“Qibli,” Thorn warned. “Your shift ends when the sun is exactly at its zenith, not before.”
“I’m not leaving you alone with no stranger,” Qibli said, shooting a look full of daggers at Sunny. “Even if it's by your orders.”
Thorn looked amused. “Your loyalty is charming, but I think I can handle this dragonet as well as you can.”
“It’s better to have backup,” he insisted. He twitched his tail forward, stinger coiled in. “I promise I'll be quiet.”
“Well, that I do have to see,” she said, rolling her eyes. “All right, moving on. What do you know?”
“He…” she hesitated. This was a really bad situation now that she thought about it. What if they work for Morrowseer? There was a very awkward, lingering silence, with Thorn intensely looking at her.
“Honestly, the posters were a better strategy, hardly anyone knows abo-” Qibli said, but was cut off by Thorn with an angry glance. “In my opinion.” He swiftly added.
Sunny tried her luck with Qibli’s interruption. “How long have you been searching for him?”
“Huh. I didn’t know I had to answer questions too. But fine. About seven years ago.” Exactly my age… She thought.
Could this be related to herself? She took a deep breath. Fate drove her here, so she must embrace it. “His name is Morrowseer. I’ve really seen him. Two months ago, in a cave at the Rainforest Kingdom.” She said, determined.
“Yeah sure, Thorn has heard it all befo-” Qibli was once again cut off.
“His eyes,” Thorn was breathing a bit more heavily now, instinctively drawing closer to Sunny. “What color were his eyes?”
That was trivial for Sunny to remember. Her strongest memory was when she first saw him. Something has gone very wrong here. Morrowseer had said back then, his dark, cruel eyes were filled with disgust as she looked at her siblings, and especially at her. “Black. With not a single hint of happiness.”
“Woah,” Qibli said. “Well, maybe it was a lucky guess.”
“Qibli, I’m going to strangle you right now if you don’t shut up.” Thorn said in a very grave tone.
But Qibli just smiled, “Oh. Whoops. Sorry, I’ll be quiet now.”
Thorn took a deep breath. “And the spines on his back?”
Sunny once again conjured that memory. “Gray spines.”
Thorn had a shocked face. “By the Sun. You’ve actually seen him. After all this time,” but then a vengeful anger took over her face. “Qibli, call in the scouts, we have a new target.” She hopped off the cushion and started marching towards the entrance.
“Wait!” Sunny cried. “You should know more before going after him.”
“I think I know everything I need to know, you’ll guide us where you last saw him.” She kept marching, but then was blocked by Qibli at the entrance.
“We ought to listen to this SandWing a bit more, don’t you think?” Qibli stood firmly.
“Weren’t you distrustful of her just a few minutes ago?”
Qibli shrugged, “Well, yes, but she knows things we don’t.”
“Hm. And how do you know him?” Thorn said once she sat back on the cushion, at the table.
“Because I’m a Prophecy Dragonet,” the words were said automatically.
Thorn and Qibli were looking at her differently now, with a tinge of reverence even.
“You? The SandWing Dragonet of Prophecy?” Qibli had a skeptical look.
“Could it be?” Thorn asked to noone in particular. She grabbed the third scroll, and unrolled it before Sunny with shaking talons.
“Oh wow…” Sunny said when she looked at the drawing. Dune. A much younger and jovial Dune at that. Being under the cave away from the desert must have done a lot of damage to him, being away from the sun and heat for that long…
“Do you…?”
“That’s Dune. He was my Guardian for the past seven years.”
Something changed in Thorn’s face, it was like she was suddenly turned off. Sunny looked at Qibli, who also was as confused as Sunny. He gave her a shrug. Just as Sunny looked back to Thorn, she suddenly lunged for Sunny, almost throwing the table to the floor, talons going towards her, seizing her small form. Sunny gave a small shriek, and automatically tried to defend herself.
“Woah! Thorn!” Qibli exclaimed, he was heading towards them, hopefully to help Sunny from this unprovoked assault.
But Sunny noticed Thorn’s firm grip wasn’t hurting her at all… It was more of a ferocious hug, actually. “Sunny!” Thorn cried. A sob escaped from her lip. Was Thorn crying? “Oh Sunny!” She exclaimed. And then Thorn pulled back and looked at her face. And Sunny looked back. Thorn’s eyes were full of love, of hope, of warmth. Sunny was unsure how she knew, as no one has looked at her like that before, but what she would hear next was of no confirmation to her, she already knew even before Thorn said it, somehow.
“Sunny. You are my daughter.”
Sunny had never ever been so happy, so ecstatic. They have been hugging each other for almost five minutes crying out of happiness in silence. Qibli was initially awed by their encounter, but then had grown bored, it seemed.
“I knew I’d find you one day,” said Thorn after snuffling. “I didn’t take over this city for nothing. I knew it would take almost everything to find you.”
“I knew you didn't abandon me,” Sunny said, buried deeply into Thorn’s wings and talons.
“Hang on,” Qibli interjected. “Thorn, begging your pardon, but how do you know? She could be anybody. She could be playing you. She could be a con artist!”
“I’ve met enough con artists in the last seven years,” Thorn said, “swaggering in here, hoping to cheat me out of that reward. This is my daughter.”
It suddenly occurred to Sunny that dragons didn’t just procreate on their own. “Where’s my father?” Sunny asked. “It's not Dune, is it?”
“Bright, smashing suns, no,” Thorn said. “What a horrifying thought.” She shot a glance at Qibli. “He’s ... not around anymore. We can talk about that later. But speaking of Dune, if you can point me at him, he’s on this Needs To Be Violently Dismembered list I have.”
And so, Sunny told the story of her life, to the fullest extent. Eventually Thorn asked Qibli to bring fried crickets for food, which he did, and then joined, intently listening to Sunny’s story.
Once finished, Thorn once again firmly hugged her. “Oh Sunny! You’ve been through so much!” She broke off and stared at her face. “And yet you still stand. Negotiating with Queen Glacier. Now that is something to be proud of.”
“And you didn’t fare so badly yourself. Taking over a city just to find me.” Sunny said.
Thorn laughed. “It is usually about the journey, not the destination. But never in my life I thought I’d receive both. Kinda,” she then grew serious. ”Not while Morrowseer still breathes.”
“But what can you do?” Qibli asked. “Morrowseer is in the Rainforest. Apparently backed by an inner circle. We have enough trouble here. And the Outclaws need you.”
“But my family, they are in danger too. With Morrowseer there, something will happen.” Sunny wished she could stay with her mother, with those warm, strong wings close by to keep her safe, with all of her troubles evaporating into nothingness. For the first time, she could imagine life without the prophecy. She could be a normal dragon, living in the Scorpion Den with her mother instead of worrying about saving the whole world. But prophecy or not, her siblings were her real life, her whole life. She couldn’t leave them in danger.
Thorn sighed. “I know, Sunny. But maybe…” Thorn was clearly thinking of something, and had a determined face. “I think you could meet your father, and make your way back to your friends.”
Sunny’s heart dropped. But it really seemed like there was no other choice. “But we just met! Couldn’t you come with me?”
“Oh Sunny. I know that. But even then, you’ve given me so much fortitude. Knowing that you are well, safe and sound. That is enough for me. The Outclaws need me here. I cannot leave them. But… on the other talon…” And then Thorn’s eyes landed on Qibli.
“Oh no,” Qibli said, shaking his head. “I’m not doing it.”
“Qibli. You are hereby tasked with the protection of my daughter, on her way back to the Rainforest, and beyond.”
“I’m staying here. My loyalty is to you,” Qibli insisted.
“And so you will loyally follow my orders,” Thorn countered. “Pack your things Qibli, you are off to a big journey. Want it or not.”
“Goodbye, mother. I’ll see you soon.”
“I love you, be safe.”
Those were her last words to Thorn, still engraved in her memory as if it had happened minutes ago. They have been traveling east for the past few days. Qibli was still being very cold and distant with her, not wanting to converse much, and she could understand that. Being sent away from someone you admire so much just after said dragon just found her daughter must be upsetting. It should be an occasion to be celebrated, not the reason to be sent away.
But regardless, her father had a secret, only known to Qibli and Sunny now, who had sworn secrecy. Her father was a NightWing Animus. Sunny wasn’t sure what was most shocking. The fact that she had denied to almost everyone that she indeed was a hybrid (and a NightWing hybrid to boot), or that her father, Stonemover, was an animus.
Initially, Thorn’s search was both for her and Stonemover, but he was soon found, his location revealed by none other than himself. Using his magic to send letters, Thorn has been in communication with Stonemover for the past few years, but their relationship strained somewhat when he refused to tell her where her daughter was. Stonemover only answered in cryptic messages, only telling Thorn that her daughter was alive, and that she will know of her when the time is right, nothing else.
And now, she would get answers, directly from the source, at Jade Mountain. Jade Mountain… something whispered inside Sunny’s brain. She’d heard of that place before, but from whom?
“I can see the peak.” Qibli said, his voice no longer downcast.
Sunny squinted her eyes. The fog was heavy, and made them fly slower than usual, but there! She saw the wickedly sharp peaks, and after exploring for an opening, Qibli called her.
“There’s an entrance here!” Qibli shouted, coming from the southern area of the mountain. Flying there, Sunny made sure the speech he had been preparing for the past few days was fresh in her mind. Shivering from anxiety and exhaustion, she found Qibli standing just before the cave’s opening. It was very big and dark inside. She landed right beside him.
“Do you think he could be here? This looks completely deserted.” Sunny asked.
“Well, that’s the point right? He’s running away from ruthless slavers. If I were an animus I’d certainly make my hideout look like this.”
“Huh. That’s a good point.” She said, and Qibli smiled in brief self-satisfaction.
“Well,” he shrugged, ”only one way to find out.” Qibli searched in the pouch he wore by his neck, and produced a small torch. His fire promptly lit the torch in bright flames. “Let's go.”
Sunny followed Qibli into the gigantic cave opening, her heart beating with anxiousness and uncertainty. How will her father react to their presence? He remembered all the stories about corrupt animi, especially Orca, the crazy dragonet killer. Tsunami’s sister. Sunny thought, shivering in the realization. Albatross, Darkstalker, and before them, the Animi Crisis (though Sunny felt she needed to be reminded about it, that particular event felt distant, for some reason), it seemed like most animus dragons were evil. But Thorn assured her that her father was honest, and didn’t have a single evil scale on him. What will she find?
Qibli was just staring at her, noticing her pause. “Thinking about your father?”
Sunny blinked, she didn’t even realize she stopped. “Y-yeah. Just thinking. I don’t really know what to expect.” She caught up with him.
“Well. If Thorn fell for him. He must be a really good dragon. The only one that has managed to truly win Thorn’s heart. I wouldn’t expect a moping idiot full of regret or something.” Qibli reassured her, while swinging the torch up and down, careful to not leave any detail unnoticed.
“He is an animus. Do you know much about them?” Sunny asked.
Qibli’s face did something she quite didn’t understand. “Nope. As much as everybody else, I’d assume.”
“I didn’t grow up in the desert, so maybe you know something I don’t?”
Qibli swung the torch to the right, revealing a very small hole, but they continued. No dragon could fit there. “Well, you know, all the stuff they usually teach. That Animus dragons are powerful and evil, except for those that aren’t. And that Terral and Jerboa are the most famous SandWing animi. Terral was part of a group of animi that stopped the Animi Crisis, and Jerboa well… she made the now non-existent SandWing artifacts.”
This was her chance to learn a bit more! “The Animi Crisis. What was it really? My guardians didn’t really teach me all that well.”
“Oh you know, typical story. The angry, insane SkyWing animus threatens to kill everyone, but then the good guys come in and stop him. The end.” He ended the “story” with a shrug.
“But if he was an animus, then he could have just wished everyone to die instantly, so why didn’t that happen?”
That got Qibli, he remained silent for a bit. “Well, maybe there’s something else to that story that we don’t know. Happened a long time ago anyways. Four thousand years give or take.”
“Do you thi-”
“SHHH.” She was cut off by Qibli. He whispered, “I think I hear something.”
“What? But…” Sunny stopped talking, listening, but she couldn’t hear anything.
“You hear?” Qibli asked.
“No.”
“It’s coming this way,” and Qibli crouched, trying to stealthily move, as if holding a torch wouldn’t make him any less visible. Sunny tried to keep herself from chuckling, despite the situation.
But as she followed Qibli, whatever he heard was starting to be clear to her. They stopped in a narrow passageway with a low, craggy ceiling, into a cave. Is that breathing?
“Someone’s there,” Qibli whispered. He was intently looking at her. Sunny took a deep breath and nodded. This is it. Though she wished Clay or Tsunami were here for her, Qibli wasn’t so bad himself.
At first, as they edged closer, the cave looked empty... but then the firelight reflected off something. It was furniture. A lot of furniture. Several rectangular wooden structures that held other rectangular wooden boxes and some tables. Are those books? Is that a bookcase?
Something bumped her flank, making her jump. It was Qibli. He pointed with his head to something. Sunny turned. It was a slumbering NightWing.
Is that my father?
He was bigger than Thorn, but not enormous, nowhere near the size of Morrowseer or Burn. And for some reason she expected her father to be in some form of pain, but this was a healthy looking NightWing.
But suddenly, Qibli gasped with wide eyes, as if realizing something, making both Sunny jump and the slumbering dragon to jolt awake.
“Oh!” she gasped, as both of them jumped back. “I’m sorry! I didn’t — I mean — We didn’t mean to wake you.”
“I don’t bite,” he said in a deep, serious voice.
“So... hi. I’m Sunny.” Sunny said, and she could literally feel the speech she had been preparing for the past few days fly out of her head. “U-Uhm.”
“Are you Stonemover?” Qibli quickly went to her aid. “And what in the blazes happened to you?”
That question surprised him, his brows retracting with uneasiness. “Yes.” He stood up.
It is my father. It’s really him. He’s still alive and right here in front of me. And he doesn’t look crazy and homicidal. He just looks... strange.
There was something off with him, as she examined his standing form, but she couldn’t tell exactly what. And what in the blazes happened to you? Why did Qibli say that? Then it hit her, with the force of a thousand rocks. She gasped. “Your wings! What happened to you?!”
Stonemover looked unbothered. He looked at his sides. He had a very healthy form, but he had no wings, no traces at all, as if he didn’t have any in his anatomical structure in the first place. “The price to pay to keep the love of my life safe.”
Qibli whistled. “Impressive. But is Thorn worth your wings? Well, probably. Your magic, I assume?” One had to take flight from the entrance to here in one of the corridors. Has he been here the whole time?
Stonemover looked at them suspiciously. “How did the Talons of Peace find out my name, my powers and learn of Thorn?”
“We’re not from the Talons,” she said. Why are the Talons related to this?
“Thorn sent us, actually.” Qibli said.
Stonemover’s eyes relaxed. But it wasn’t because of them. He was probably thinking about Thorn. “Thorn…” Then he looked at Sunny. “So it is the time then. It spoke to me, and you stand before me. Right as always.”
“‘It’?” Sunny asked. “What do you mean?”
“You are my daughter.” He said, and then the same exact smile like in the picture Thorn had of Stonemover was on him.
“Father…” Sunny instinctively took a step closer, but then Stonemover closed the distance and brought her for a small, brief hug. It was awkward not feeling four limbs when hugged
“I knew you were out there. Fate brought you here a lot sooner than expected, though,” She spotted Qibli eyeing their hug in awe, but saw something she hadn't quite noticed before. Envy, a small amount, but envy all the same. “And I know you have a lot of questions, but you’ll have your answers in time.”
“But father… we just met, what do you mean? I’d love to know more about you!”
“Hm. For that, we might have time.” Pulling away from the hug, Stonemover snapped his talon, and suddenly the whole room was lit, as if being directly lit by the sun. Qibli’s torch was rendered completely useless.There were books, scrolls and various schematics littered throughout the place.
Stonemover told them about his life as NightWing Animus, and all the projects he did for the NightWings, though he was pretty vague. And so, in return, Sunny told him her story, very similar to the one she told Thorn, and though Qibli had already heard it before, he listened very intently.
Stonemover was very grim when she finished. “You mustn't linger here for long, then. You don’t understand Morrowseer. All the hate and prejudice towards our tribe, he has absorbed and taken personally. And all that rage doesn’t go anywhere.”
“But Stonemover, couldn’t you come? Couldn’t you grow another pair of wings with your magic? Help us with Morrowseer?”
“I wish I could. I really would,” he said, shaking his head. “To aid my daughter in her time of need. But I can’t. I’m bound to this place. I’m sorry. I promise you will know more when the time is right.”
“Couldn’t you enchant something to help us, maybe?” Qibli offered.
“No. Animus magic is not what it seems.” Stonemover said, “It remains a mystery to me even as a wielder.”
“Are you sure…? I mean, obviously you are. Isn’t animus magic just enchanting whatever you like?”
“According to the legends,” Stonemover replied. “But those are far, far, from reality. I do, however, have someone that could be of help. It’s a Talon of Peace."
“A Talon of Peace member? Who?” Qibli echoed. They had to be careful, as Morrowseer had compromised the organization.
“Hmmm… I don’t recall her name, but it would be best if you go speak to her right now. She is to the left, the tenth cave from here.”
“Alright, and thank you father, we’ll be back.” Sunny said.
Having said their good-byes, Sunny and Qibli marched towards the cave, but midway, they spotted something quite unusual. Fiery orange-yellow eyes were in the middle of the cavern, the stranger’s face half-lit by torchlight. Sunny couldn’t really recognize it. But the voice, that she definitely did recognize.
“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in.” A rough, violent voice said. “A dumb, useless, brainless sandworm no less. And well, whoever you are, SandWing.”
Qibli was in a battle stance, stinger pointing towards the dragon. “Do you know her?” He asked Sunny.
“I… I do actually… Kestrel? What are you doing here?” She took a long time to recognize her face, but it was unmistakable. She really was here.
“You know, when I said ‘send a message through the Dragon of Jade Mountain’ , It wasn’t me figuratively speaking. Where have you WORMS been?! It’s been months !” Kestrel raged.
And well, it seemed Sunny had another story to tell.
Deathbringer stalked through the trees. This job was easy. Too easy. But it didn’t matter. Glory finally gave in to his request. He was only spying , of course, but who knows… maybe an unfortunate accident could happen to Morrowseer. If he could manage to spot him that is. From the top of the trees, bathed in moonlight, he could see the entirety of the NightWing village and all the little lit torches. And honestly, he had to admit he was impressed. From nothing to being a cute, miniature, wooden version of the Scorpion Den in a few weeks, his tribe was very hardworking.
Unfortunately hardworking didn’t really transfer all that well to other jobs… such as guarding. Their kin, so accustomed to the horizontality of the volcanic island’s caves, never looked up. They always expected threats coming inside their little caves, fools, the whole lot of them. He could probably light the entire rainforest on fire and they wouldn’t notice, just as long as the fire was kept above their head level.
But regardless… Morrowseer was nowhere to be found. He searched the usual places where he could be. The Throne room, which was busy as ever, with Queen Greatness more than happy to let the council do her job, the only difference now was that they were no longer making plans for assassinations or casual genocide. The Mess Hall, filled with Morrowseer’s thugs, as was the Warehouse. So where was he? He had combed through the entirety of the small village now.
He realized he hadn’t checked one place. One place he thought he had no need to check, because Queen Greatness surely wouldn’t do such an outrageous move: the Prison Block. Darting unseen through the trees, he was once again disappointed. The whole lot of cells were empty too.
Unwilling to fail on his mission, he decided to spy on the population. It was bustling with activity, dragons sawing wood into planks, building, cooking and baking, transporting goods. It almost looked like his kin were a perfectly sane and working tribe. Almost . A dragon carrying a big wooden box then caught his attention. They were walking on two legs, with two talons carrying the box, and wings spread to help with the balance. They were heading to infirmary. There’s only one dragon that would need this much medicine . He shivered with anticipation. This had to be it.
Coiling himself to the tree right next to the infirmary, Deathbringer slowly descended to the muddy ground. Perfectly still and unseen, he stopped just before a window. It was him. Though… certainly not what he expected. Two nurses were attending Morrowseer, laying on a cot, who was very frail and weak, he could even see his rib bones from here. What happened to him? Well, the volcano happened. But he didn’t expect it to be this severe. He closed in to the window, trying to gather more clues.
The nurses just stared at Morrowseer with blank expressions, until one of them sighed. “Do you think he will ever wake up?” She said to the other.
Deathbringer smiled cheekly. Oh, don’t you worry, he will never wake up now. Grabbing his poisoned, silver chakram, he prepared to throw it straight to his neck.
Ever wake up?
Ever?
It suddenly hit him as the energy on his talon dissipated. Morrowseer hasn’t been awake since the volcano eruption, two months ago. Impossible…
He has to have woken up at some point! Who was behind the thugs? The vandalism against Glory? The continual hostilities against the RainWings? Morrowseer was the one thread that kept the inner circle from collapsing. So why hasn’t it? A shiver passed through his spine, not one of exaltation like before. One out of fear. Whoever was the puppet master of this, was in charge of the show in complete and utter silence. Having learned vital information, and having his mood spoiled, Deathbringer decided he had pushed his luck for now. Climbing back to the tree, and expecting a knife on his back for whatever reason, Deathbringer went for the Rainforest Village. He had to tell Glory the news.
Chapter 7: Cause of Worry
Notes:
I'm sorry for the delays... again... again... It's the trinity of excuses! First it was work, then personal problems, and lastly... sickness. Covid. But it wasn't enough, no sir, Covid into Bronchitis. Isn't it wonderful? And before you worry, no, it's nothing serious. Just ridiculously annoying, its hard to concentrate on *anything*.
So, enjoy!!! Hopefully this chapter isn't contagious!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“But… What about my legacy? Our legacy?” A distant, ancient voice asked. The conversation was muffled, as if it has impossibly been echoing in an endless black for the past thousand years.
“Don’t worry, I’ll find a way.” A caring, female voice answered, "I know how important it is to you.”
Moonwatcher’s eyelids slowly opened from deep slumber. The air smelled of the rainforest morning and of wood. What was that? She wondered, as her mind started to warm up. Did a RainWing find a very interesting scroll and had she managed to snatch the scroll’s content in a dream? Although… RainWings don’t know how to read, yet, so that theory wouldn’t work too well.
A talon softly landed on her chest, distracting Moon. She blinked, remembering where she was - nested deeply in her mother’s embrace, on their bed, sleeping. Moon smiled. She thought moving into the Rainforest Village was going to be a nightmare, both while sleeping and awake, but it was nothing like that. Having in front of you the dragon you love the most just as you wake up had a way to warm up her heart like no other thing did. And it was not only when she was awake; Secretkeeper would project her love and care towards her in her sleep, shielding Moon from possible nightmares, hers, or a RainWing’s. It was wonderful.
Their little hut was in a remote location from the village, close by the river, thankfully. It really wasn’t that bad, most of her time was spent swimming by the river, chatting with her mother and hunting for food. Her mother wasn’t in need yet, as Queen Glory was preparing an overhaul in the RainWing’s education, so they got to spend a lot of time together. In the past few days, she’d interacted with her mother as much as the previous few years when she was in solitude. Things couldn’t get any better for Moon.
Sighing happily, Moon exited the comforts of her mother’s embrace, and tried to get out of bed. She really needed a cold bath right now, her head hurt a lot.
“Going out so early?” Secretkeeper asked as Moon was carefully trying to get up from the bed, eyes still closed.
“Yes. My head hurts a bit,” a quick dip in the river would surely fix it.
“I’ll join you… Soon enough,” Secretkeeper said, with a big yawn between sentences.
Moon chuckled, knowing well her mother wasn’t going to. “It’s okay. I’m only going out for a bit.” Moon said as she finally stood. Their hut was relatively simple: it was a wooden rectangle, with the bedroom occupying the farthest area from the entrance, roughly half of the hut, the other half was the storeroom, the dining area, and the entrance, which connected all three rooms. It was only a few talonsteps to the door from the bedroom.
Talons grasping the wooden handle, the door opened, and Moon stepped into the Rainforest - her true home. Various smells and thoughts assaulted her senses, but she managed to keep them at bay, thanks to some knowledge from her mother. Sighing, she prepared to move through the muddy ground, full of bushes and grass, but a sudden thought pierced through her aura.
Ohh! Is that the new NightWing? She really looks my age! Could she be friendly? …for a NightWing, at least?
Moon froze in panic as she heard those thoughts, though she wasn’t so sure as to why: they were full of joy and cheer, but they were extra-loud, which meant they were about her... someone was thinking about her, but she couldn’t see who they were. Taking a few steps outside, Moon took a deep breath, trying to locate the intruder with her senses, but only got the usual Rainforest smells, of bushes, rot and water. She looked at the small teak tree, where the thoughts were originating, but her eyes couldn’t catch a thing.
She looks scared. Should I come later? Yes, please. Moon thought, but then, No! I know exactly what she needs! She needs a warm welcome!
With Moon’s social anxiety skyrocketing to new, unknown bounds, she turned around and improvised a plan. She started examining the door handle, pretending to be busy. Maybe the RainWing will go away this way. But, despite Moon’s best efforts, the thoughts started to close in, and just barely, she could hear the leaves and branches rustling as the cloaked dragon approached with silent thoughts. Stubbornly, Moon stuck to her plan, even if it was clear it wouldn’t work.
“Hi!” A cheerful voice screamed from behind. Which made Moon give a small shriek, and jump so high she almost smashed her head into the hut’s roof, even though she was expecting the greeting. Quickly turning around, with her heart beating as she were being hunted by the Darkstalker himself, she gazed upon the dragon. It was a small, pink and yellow RainWing with a lot of bubbly, cheerful thoughts. Wow! Look at her! She’s so beautiful! And muscular! She could probably beat me into a pulp! Moon was unsure why that was a happy thought.
“I - umm… Do-” Moon stammered, unsure what to say. This is the first dragon I’m talking to, outside Mother. She thought. And I’m making a mess of it. Act natural, just like your mother taught you. She took a deep breath. “Hi,” she shily managed to say, as her heartbeat started to slow down.
“Oh… Sorry for scaring you, by the way. But, isn’t this exciting?!” She then grabbed her talon and pumped it up and down, amplifying Kinkajou’s thoughts on her from the physical contact. It was some form of greeting, Moon realized. “RainWing and NightWings living together!” She then threw her talons up in the air. More options for friends! Her mind screamed. “Except… those that want to hurt us… But surely you wouldn’t be here if that’s the case, right?” Moon then dug around the RainWing’s brain, there was a certain implication in her tone… She quickly found out that her name was Kinkajou, for some reason. “Oh! And I’m Kinkajou!” She continued. Oh, that’s why.
But apparently this visit was no accident. Kinkajou knew that her name was Moonwatcher. In fact, she knew as much as Queen Glory about her, because she spied the very same conversation she had with Glory, when she arrived back then, with her mother. Kinkajou was specifically searching for her and merely was pretending to not know.
“Oh… Ummm. Hi. I’m Moonwatcher. But just Moon is alright,” she tried to fill in the silence. “And no, I didn’t grow up with the others, my mother hid my egg in the Rainforest.”
“Oh! Aha! I think I heard about you,” Kinkajou lied, “That’s nice. You weren’t part of the other NightWings that did crazy experiments with us, then.” And with those words, came a memory: Kinkajou, alone in a cave, standing defiant. Talons holding her still, and then a metal stick brutally striking her in the neck, followed by a scream. Moon was horrified by such cruel violence, but the dragonet merely tossed aside the memory, as if it was nothing, just part of life.
Kinkajou might have noticed Moon’s face. “Oh don’t worry, it was nothing too bad. Anyway, where were you going?” And will I be able to come with you? A part in her cheerfully mind whispered.
Moon really wanted to lie. “I… I was going to the river,” she said as she nervously rubbed her forearm, not wanting to spoil her chance at a new friend. Though Moon wanted to be more cautious towards anyone that wasn’t her mother, Kinkajou didn’t have a single evil or mean thought, and was simply fascinated about the possibility of a new friend outside her tribe.
“Oh! I know just the right spot! It even has some mango trees nearby!”
“Uh… Sure,” she looked at the ground, unable to withstand Kinkajou’s onslaught of happy thoughts.
“Great! It’s going to be great,” she beamed at her. ”You’ll love the spot right away. Here, come!”
But before Kinkajou could grab her arm, a brash, female voice called for her. “Kinkajou! I know you are here!” Or somewhere close. Whoever it was finished with a thought. They were watery, furious thoughts, bottled violence on the surface, but under it, there was something else Moon couldn’t quite tell. But then, as Kinkajou turned, a blue, muscular SeaWing appeared from the treeline seemingly out of nowhere, snapping the teak tree to their right in half by accident as she dived into view, causing them both to yelp. The ground shook briefly as she landed right next to them.
“Aha! Knew you’d be around here.” With the only NightWing around your age. Her mind suspiciously whispered, as she tried to avoid showing any signs of distrust to Moon, which she absolutely did distrust, to her shame. “Kinkajou, you can’t be here bothering the NightWings. You got caught spying by Glory again, remember? You have homework to do.”
“Aww! But… Look! Kinkajou then pointed at Moon. “This isn’t really a NightWing,” Though Kinkajou was saying that for the wrong reasons, it still hurt a lot on the inside; that’s what the other NightWings thought of her and her mother. “Look at her scales! They are so shiny! And! And she even has white scales on the side of her eyes!” Before Moon could stop herself, she already had a talon self-consciously rubbing her white scales. “Does this really look like a NightWing to you?”
Yes. The SeaWing, Tsunami, instantly thought. “Well, not that it matters, you’re coming with me,” and suddenly, with swift moves, Tsunami’s talon found Kinkajou’s small frame, who gave an overly dramatic scream.
“Oh no! Moon! Help me! I’m being kidnapped!” Kinkajou joked from Tsunami’s back. Moon stayed put, waving Kinkajou goodbye.
“Dragonets…” Tsunami mumbled under her breath as she easily hauled the small RainWing away like a mere toy.
“What was that? ” Her mother asked with great concern from the window, behind Moon, once Tsunami was outside earshot, her head sliding outwards.
“I… I think that's our life now,” Moon couldn’t help but smile as she heard Kinkajou’s determined thoughts on how to escape once again. She shrugged. “I’m going to the river now, hopefully.”
“Alright,” her mother said, still suspiciously looking at where Tsunami went. “Are you sure this visit was no accident? That’s one of the Queen’s companions.”
“I’m sure, it was just a coincidence. And both are the Queen’s friends, actually,” she answered.
“Oh. Oh dear. I hope the Queen surrounds herself with better company,” Secretkeeper said, with thoughts worrying about Glory’s choice of companions. Moon smiled. If only her mother could feel the fierce devotion she felt from Glory’s close friends toward her…
Relaxing on the river, the water literally cooled Moon’s mind, she wasn’t sure how it was possible. Regardless, Moon had so much going on in her mind, and she was really having a hard time processing it all. Back then, when Queen Glory was interviewing them, she felt a faint sensation of love , coming from the Queen’s pet, the royal sloth, directed towards Glory. Moon had no idea animals could feel love towards other species! But that wasn’t the only thing that happened in the Royal Pavilion… The sinister vision she had…
It came out of nowhere, one second she was staring at Queen Glory, together with her mother, the next second, the vision happened; Glory was in the same room at night on the royal hammock, chatting with another NightWing, who was in a separate hammock, with an ambience that reeked of romance, and then suddenly, something hit Glory squarely on the chest, sending her backwards and surprising the other NightWing.
Moon wasn’t sure what it was that struck Glory, the vision didn’t really have much to work on, it happened so fast, and, according to her mother and the books she had, thrown weapons were practically harmless to dragons, merely for ceremonial use. So what was it? And most importantly… Should she tell someone? Moon didn’t think it was normal for dragons to tell about sinister visions to the first, or second dragon one has ever met. It felt… wrong… But it also felt equally wrong to not do anything. Queen Glory was giving them a place to live, among a tide of petty hatred. Maybe her mother could be of help?
What to do…? Part of Moon believed that the vision wasn’t so severe, dragon scales were incredibly tough, even a RainWing’s, and especially on the chest, so maybe it just pushed her off the hammock and nothing bad happened? But then, why would the vision come in broad daylight? Moon’s vision usually came during her dreams, though it was really hard to remember anything, but when she was awake, they were usually about imminent dangers to her, which were mostly pointless because she could sense the thoughts of whatever was threatening her. This was the first time she’d had a vision where she wasn’t part of it, so how was this connected to her?
A splash of water in the distance distracted her. It was a very sleepy looking, somewhat fat, green SeaWing. He was carelessly swimming, but then his eyes snapped on her. He wrinkled his snout in an amused way when he spotted her. Which was strange, because in his mind, he was just bored, and wasn’t even registering her. Weird, why is his mind so… small… like a squirrel’s? And why isn't his mind registering me? Before Moon even knew what she was doing, she already was outside the river, making her way home. Talking to one dragon was enough to her for the entire day.
Sunny couldn’t believe it! Kestrel was really here!
“You are alright! And, well… So much has happened, we-” but apparently, her happiness wasn’t mutual.
“Baagh! Spare me your excuses. Where are the rest of you?” Kestrel interrupted her with a scowl.
“Y’know, Sunny, I think I’m seeing a pattern here,” Qibli said, and Sunny wasn’t sure who he even was talking to. He got a furious look from Kestrel.
“In the Rainforest. What are you doing here?” Sunny continued, ignoring Qibli’s comment.
“What does it look like? Hiding, obviously,” Kestrel jeered at her. “You lizards have made a mess out of everything! Nowhere is safe now.”
“Well, the Rainforest is kind of safe… although…”
“And live with a bunch of idiot, lazy RainWings? Hard pass,” Kestrel’s face was one of genuine disgust.
“Your eyes say otherwise, though,” Qibli interjected. Kestrel narrowed her eyes on him.
“And who do you think you are?” Though Kestrel was angry seconds ago, it seems Qibli’s observation disarmed her anger, somehow.
Qibli shrugged, “Well, I’m a nobody, really,” Sunny noticed how Qibli was acting all playful and relaxed, but had his stinger coiled out, and was twitching towards Kestrel’s direction. She understood why Thorn thought him as a capable bodyguard, but she seriously doubted Kestrel would attack them, though, obviously, Qibli didn’t quite know that yet.
“But wouldn’t the Rainforest be better than this cave? And you have been here for months?” Sunny said.
“I seriously doubt it, Webs said the Rainforest is awful ,” Kestrel said, closing her eyes as she raised her head. “I don’t think my daughter can visit the Rainforest anyway.”
“Peril? Peril has been here?” Sunny asked, there was a flash of recognition in Qibli’s eyes upon hearing that name, and Sunny could tell how he was almost indistinguishably drifting away from the conversation.
Kestrel’s eyes popped open, “ Of course ,” she said, almost implying how great of a mother she was. “She visits me every now and then.”
“Where is she now?” Though Clay said Peril could change and be a better dragon, Peril still found herself doing awful things in the first place. It would be better if she knew where she was now, to feel safer.
“She is… in one of those missions,” Kestrel said, shifting uncomfortably, “Trying to free Queen Scarlet.”
“She is what?!” Qibli broke his silence.
“She can’t! She mustn't!” Sunny cried. Blazes know what she would do to them once free!
“I know! ” Kestrel angrily said, smoke pouring out of her nostrils, but she then took a deep breath, talons massaging her head. “Don't worry though, I seriously doubt she’ll ever succeed.”
“Isn’t she a firescales? Can’t she just waltz into Burn’s fortress, burn everyone and free Scarlet?” Qibli asked.
Kestrel had a serious look. “That’s what she tried the first time, and failed . Someone threw her a spear, and made a small cut on her arm. She came in here squealing like an injured scavenger. That cut was barely noticeable,” she said, shaking her head. “She tried sneaking the next three times and, until recently, Burn threatened to have Scarlet killed if she caught her again. She hasn’t been trying that much since then. I’m not sure where she even is now.”
“You should tell her to stop, if she frees Scarlet, it’s going to be a bloodbath. She’s going to go for us and… everyone else.” She finished with that, not wanting to say ‘she’s going for you, too’.
“I keep telling her that! She just won’t listen!”
“Well,” Qibli said, “That’s bad. Especially if she does manage to free Scarlet. It’s uhhh…”, his eyes swiveled over to Sunny, “going to make my job a lot harder,” he gave her a nervous smile.
“Hmph. I don’t let it bother me,” Kestrel shrugged.
“Don’t you want to come to the Rainforest though? It’s a lot better than all this… darkness.” Sunny still tried convincing Kestrel, despite all she’d said.
She sat, arms crossed, “No . At least here I’m safe. It’s only a matter of days before you lizards burn the Rainforest to the ground. Much like the other places you all have gone to.”
“The Summer Palace is still standing! We had nothing to do with the attack!” Sunny cried.
“Yeah sure, heard it all before,” Kestrel shrugged, “send Webs my regards if you see him.” And with that, Kestrel turned around and quickly faded into the dark, just like she always did, back when she was her guardian. She didn’t even say good-bye.
“Huh. That’s interesting,” Qibli said, “You’ve met all sorts of dragons, it’s kind of crazy.”
Sunny sighed, “Guardian that never liked me, psychopath queen, an animus, an IceWing queen…”
“You should probably let the list end there. Who knows, maybe you’ll find a crazy animus if you keep this kind of pace.”
Sunny rolled her eyes. If only Qibli knew. They turned around.
Making their way back to her father, Qibli interrupted her thoughts.
“Kestrel said she doesn’t let it bother her,” he said, not even looking at her.
“Hmm?” Sunny asked as she walked in her father’s cave, her eyes trying to get used to the light.
“Kestrel. It does bother her,” Qibli looked at her.
“Us? Well, I guess so. We always did bother her.”
“No, Scarlet going after you . It bothers her.”
“Oh…” But it certainly seemed that Kestrel didn’t mind. “But… how do you know?”
Qibli smiled, “Her tail went stiff when you mentioned Scarlet going after you.”
“Huh. You really have a good eye.”
“I guess so,” he said, with a brief, sudden sad tone, “Here we are,” Sunny wondered what that was about.
“Ah, welcome back,” Stonemover said when he spotted them. He was observing a map of Pyrrhia on one of the many tables. “Was she of any help?”
“Unfortunately no,” Sunny said, and she wasn’t even sure if she was happy to see Kestrel again. In fact, Sunny was pretty sure that certain two dragons, Glory and Tsunami, would consider this as very bad news.
“A shame,” he said, though his face stated he was expecting such an answer. But then his face relaxed, “But moving on, I was thinking of a spell to help you on your journey back. It’s not much, but I think it may be useful enough to make a difference.”
He came over to them, with a necklace on his talon… that looked exactly like the one he wore on his neck. Sunstone pendants, just like Thorn’s, but with the Sun worshiper’ signature stone this time. “Is… Isn’t that Thorn’s pendant?”
Stonemover stopped before her, eyes almost glistening. “Yes. A poetic, parting gift,” he said, carefully holding the pendant he was wearing on his neck. His eyes almost spoke to her, of nostalgia, of better times, as they examined the sunstone, but then they focused on the present. He showed her the other pendant in his talons, “This pendant shall shine brightly on you if you find yourself in danger,” and then, he held it out for her.
But Sunny noticed how Stonemover’s eyes… lessened, somehow, “But father… What about your soul? Did you cast a spell?” she asked, hesitant.
“Don’t worry about me,” he gently placed the pendant on Sunny’s open talon, “This will keep you safe. That’s all that matters.”
Sunny looked at her father. He sure seemed fine now. Maybe it was a weird, short side-effect from casting a spell? “Alright, sure,” she placed it on top of her head and released it. It felt right into place.This was one of the very few things that Sunny owned, and it felt… right to have treasure on her. But almost immediately, the sunstone started shining, causing Sunny to panic. Was she in danger?
“Father, what’s going on?” She looked around the room, but only spotted Qibli looking at the interaction very intensely.
But Stonemover didn’t appear to be bothered. “Ah. I wasn’t specific enough,” his talon gently found Sunny’s pendant, “Change the spell to be in imminent danger.” And just like that, the necklace turned off. Qibli was eying the necklace in silent, pure awe.
“You see now why you must leave as soon as you can. There are many dragons that want to hurt you and your friends, hence why it shone.”
“Wow,” Qibli inserted himself, “It warns you by just the vague notion of what it considers “dangerous”? That’s incredible!”
“Not vague notion, actual danger.” Stonemover replied head swinging over to Qibli, who was now walking around, observing all the maps and scrolls.
“Hmm…” Qibli had a talon on his chin, thinking. “Wait, so you’ve remained hidden all this time? Only the Talons of Peace know of you?”
“I’d say ‘ know’ is a bit too much, I just receive their messages. I think they have a good cause,” briefly, Sunny’s and Qibli’s eyes met.
“So all these things… you didn’t just get them,” Qibli then pointed to all the tables, maps, and bookcases, “You made them with your magic?” He asked, with both curiosity and awe.
Stonemover’s head slowly trailed all his belongings, “Well, yes. It took a while though, Animus magic isn’t so powerful.”
“So powerful?” Sunny asked, “But father, what about the teleporting caverns on the Rainforest? That sounds like a really powerful spell. More powerful than all this furniture,” she said, waving at the tables.
Stonemover remained silent one second too long, “It wasn’t a single spell. The caverns were originally two mere stones. I built them over the years, one stone had to remain in the Rainforest, the other, in the desert, to make the connection. That’s how I met Thorn, through my constant visits,” he explained, and it checked out to Sunny, Stonemover said Animus magic is not fully understood.
“Wait,” Qibli suddenly interrupted, pointing at a section in the bookcases. “You have the history section, science, nature and… scavengers? Why do they get their own section?”
“Because no other category has gone through so many book burnings. Knowledge is knowledge, I seek to preserve it, no matter the implications. But it doesn’t matter,” he then looked at her. “Sunny, you must go with your friends, you have to warn them about Morrowseer and the NightWings. They will strike, no matter what.”
“I… I will, father. This is a good-bye, then?” It broke Sunny’s heart having to meet and leave her parents so soon, but she had dragons that depended on her, too.
“Not good-bye, no. I suspect we will see each other soon enough,” Stonemover said with a smile. This was a sad, lonely dragon, Sunny realized, who had just seen someone that’s made him forget about his loneliness. She was glad she was the reason for bringing joy to someone.
“I hope so, father. We will meet again,” she looked up to his father, smiling.
Glory was in a classroom, teaching. She wasn’t sure what she was teaching, in all honesty. All she had to display was a picture of Pyrrhia divided in two: The Sun worshiping tribes: SkyWings, MudWings and SandWings, with their respective territories marked in red. And the Moon worshippers: SeaWings, NightWings and RainWings, and like the other tribes, their territories marked but in blue. Hmm. Wasn’t her tribe a Moon worshiping one? She’d been there but really didn’t see anything. Unlike the SeaWings and NightWings, who had a lot of moon-related decorations, her tribe didn’t have anything like that. Wait a minute… wasn’t she Queen of her tribe?
Abruptly, all her thoughts shifted to the class. She had no time to think about that, she had a class to give after all.
“Any questions?” Glory said, and turned around to look at a seemingly endless classroom, filled with RainWing dragonets of various colors and little tables.
A red talon was raised. She focused her attention on the angry asking dragonet, and instead was greeted with bright yellow eyes… and gigantic wings. She blinked, instantly catching up with what was going on. “Oh three moons , not this again,” she sighed.
“I realize,” Scarlet said, “that I might need a more… thrilling proposal to convince you,” she smiled wickedly.
“Thrilling? That’s what you think will make you more convincing? You are insane . Literally,” Glory angrily answered back. She was soooo done with Scarlet.
“Ugh. You are no fun,” Scarlet made an eye-roll. “Do you realize I’m in a unique position to make your deal with my stupid daughter work?”
Glory raised a brow, incredulous. “You? In a unique position?” She then laughed, ”I mean, I guess you are, ha!”
Scarlet smashed a table with a talon, splintering it into a hundred pieces. “Don’t you mock me! I have something… reasonable to offer now.”
Glory tilted her head, curious, then she blinked after a pause. “Do you realize we both have different definitions on what ‘reasonable’ means?”
“I do,” Scarlet simply replied, briefly closing her eyes, “And I mean it, so you better listen carefully! I’m not making this offer again.”
“Wooow,” Glory sarcastically replied, “Well, alright, let’s hear it then.” It’s not like she had a choice. What kind of egregious garbage was she about to hear?
Scarlet cleared her throat, and then smiled wickedly. “My stupid daughter is not considering your proposal. I know it, saw it in her dreams. That’s why you haven’t heard from her. She wants your cooperation, but knows that the political ramifications of working with your stupid, useless tribe far outweighs the benefits.”
“Did you just come visit me to bad-mouth my tribe or…” Glory wore her signature bored-face.
“Don’t interrupt me, dragonet,” Scarlet’s smile was gone just as fast as it appeared. “I can convince her to accept your proposal, if, and only if, you promise you’ll help me.”
“Help? You? What, by bringing you the head of one of my friends? Or mine?” Glory skeptically looked at Scarlet.
Who in turn just scoffed, pointing a claw at her. “ You are walking on a thin rope right now. Both Blister and Burn want all five of your heads,” then Scarlet smiled. “And I’m not even counting all the NightWings . They were ready to literally kill all of you, to erase your tribe from Pyrrhia, just to get a home. Now that they are under your talons, you think all that thrilling, pent up violence just goes away? You’d be really stupid to think that’s the case.”
It was a grim reminder to Glory. Apparently it was not only Morrowseer, there was someone else. Someone that they didn’t know, but that other did know them. It was very worrying. “And… you just want my help? Free you from Burn?” They needed help, desperately so, even if it was from Scarlet. If any of their enemies noticed just how unorganized and untrained their RainWings were… she shuddered just by the mere thought.
“Yes! That's all I want. Though if you do so by killing the brute. That, I will not forgive. It is to be my pleasure.”
“And… You’ll convince Ruby? How?” This was too good to be true, but Glory still had to take the help, not without leaving an eye open for traps, of course.
Scarlet walked to her, and tried to massage her shoulders from behind, unaware her talons would just phase through. “Oh dear, you are so innocent. I thought being Queen would wake up all sorts of thrilling knowledge on how to manipulate your subjects.”
Glory’s brow quirked, she really didn’t see how this was of any relevance. “...And?”
Scarlet made an eye-roll. “Reverse psychology. I barge into my daughter’s dream, tell her that I’ll gut her if she accepts your deal, that she must not take it under any circumstance, then I leave. Simple, and brilliant. She knows I don’t want her taking the deal, so she’ll take it just to spite me.”
Hm. It actually made some sense, but still…”Okay, that might work… But still, that’s too lenient of you. Where are all the threats of murder and horrifying deaths?”
“In time, my dear. Right now, all I want is Burn’s spine shattering under my talons as she screams. Nothing else.”
She rubbed her chin, thinking. “How is this not a trap though? You are totally going to betray me.”
“Aww, you poor dumb brainless RainWing,” then she grew concerningly serious, so unbecoming of a psychopath. “Listen, I didn’t reign the SkyWings for almost ten times your age for nothing. There is time for fun, then there’s time for stability. My SkyWings knew that, and so respected my rule. I hate you , make no mistake. But Burn… I hate her so much more !”
“Alright, okay. Let’s say I accept, I’ll have to make a plan on how to free you. That's fine with you? You’ll convince Ruby only by having my word? What if my plan fails?”
“I can undo the deal just as quickly if you fail,” she frowned at her. “Besides, you are not the traitorous scum I thought you to be, you’ll do as you are told, your word is worth that much, I know that,” Scarlet then somehow produced the Dreamvisitor from thin air, “This little thing, it’s so wonderful. It allows you to see things no one else can,” she smiled at it, like if the Dreamvisitor was the greatest thing in the entire world. “For instance, I know what Burn wants. What’s the biggest kingdom Pyrrhia has ever seen?” Scarlet suddenly asked her.
Trivial to her, Webs might be a coward, but he was a good history teacher. “The Titan Empire; Although not really a kingdom. Why are y-” Glory stopped, suddenly realizing the implication. “But you can’t mean… Is Burn…?”
Scarlet smiled, impressed. “Clearly you aren’t as dumb as you look. SandWings, MudWings and SkyWings under Burn’s banner. The original three tribes of the shattered Titan Empire, the Heirs of the Sun.”
“That’s insanity. Burn can’t possibly hold the three tribes.” Glory shook her head.
“And a pitiful attempt at that. Can’t even subdue my daughter, can’t even imagine what she’ll try with Moorhen,” Scarlet scoffed. “All this damn brute dreams about is her, restoring the “glorious days”, about leading a charge into carnage. So stupid. So pretentious. Such hubris. She’s digging her own grave.” Scarlet said, without even a hint of self-awareness.
“Well, if you say so. Wouldn’t my deal with Ruby make your return harder though? Why would you make it possible?” Glory questioned.
“No, ” Scarlet answered, almost as if trying to hold a laugh. “My daughter has no spine, she’s just dutifully keeping my throne warm for my return. All I have to do is brutally murder Burn, and everything will fall into place.”
Was Glory considering a pact with a demon? Probably… but if she had the control over the terms, this was worth it. Hand-picked military instructors to train her RainWings and scrolls from Ruby in exchange for medicinal herbs was the best thing they could hope for.
“Alright. I’ll make up a plan. Only after I hear back from Ruby.”
“Consider it done. You better free me soon, otherwise one of your friends might disappear soon…”
Glory smiled. Out of nervousness or excitement, she did not know. Scarlet was really close to the truth, even if she didn’t know it. Yet. The Dreamvisitor was a powerful tool, and it was in the talons of one of the most dangerous dragons to them… Moons know what Scarlet will do next.
The frozen, howling winds of the North were often considered to be one of the most deadly weathers in all of Pyrrhia - the entire North, in fact, was often depicted as inhospitable and inhabitable. The saving grace of it all however, were its non-IceWing visitors, who claimed the North was as beautiful as deadly. Of course, to the IceWings, the North had zero natural dangers to them; only the beauty remained.
Sitting at the top of the Ice Palace, in the IceWing capital city of Wintersong, the aurora borealis shone on Winter’s eyes, the beautiful lights danced, enamouring his soul as they moved through the night with their phantasmal, ethereal forms. A neverending show that, once you think it is over, manages to thrall you once again with a new, sudden dance. It was the wonder of nature, a well deserved prize for a hard day of training to Winter. And to the dragons living in Wintersong, such as Winter, the aurora borealis wasn’t the only prize.
Royal IceWings architects were far more than mere architects, they were draconic creativity unbound. Taking one of the most recognized elements of the North, the howling winds, they managed to turn its deadly speed into beauty incarnate, if it were possible; the tiling, the roofs, the arcs, it was all inside the grand architecture of Wintersong, in which the city, like an orchestra conductor, harnessed the winds with its uniquely shaped roofs and played a solemn melody to the night, and to all the dragons nearby, which each building playing a different tune or instrument. It never ceased to amaze Winter, no matter how many times he went here, to the palace’s roof, to unwind after a long day, in solitude.
And like always, it only took one single thought to destroy all of Winter’s hard earned happiness and joy in an instant. Hailstorm. He missed him so, so much. The only dragon that truly cared for him… and he was dead because of him… It felt wrong for Winter to enjoy anything in any capacity, the guilt always ate him alive. All because of him and his stupid fantasies. And no matter how hard he tried, his family would never let him forget his mistake. A drop of water fell on his talon. Winter blinked, feeling tears in his eyes, he had started crying without noticing again. It was a good thing no one was here to see it, that would probably drop him a few spots in the rankings. Sitting upright and shoving his tears out, Winter was determined to keep watching the aurora borealis, to at least find some joy for the rest of the night. Until something crunched behind him.
Winter whirled around and stared through the falling snow. It all looked the same: icy, wet, weird shadows falling on the roof. But there was a certain shadow that wasn’t moving, behind the roof’s railing. In fact, it looked like a dragon’s horn… the horn of a particular … dragon.
“Lynx?” Winter asked. “You can stop now.”
And then a figure with white scales, freckled with dark blue appeared. “So close,” Lynx said with a big smile as she stood up, throwing a small blanket of snow.
“How long were you there?” Winter asked with great concern.
“Oh,” Lynx then turned around and saw the piled up snow from her hiding spot, she shrugged, “Too long for me to admit. Anyway, what were you planning?” Lynx then looked at his face, and her smile instantly erased, “Oh…”
Winter then had a talon rubbing his eyes, “It’s nothing, really.”
“Winter,” Lynx scolded him, taking a few steps and sitting next to him, but then she sighed, probably remembering their previous conversation, “Just remember we are here if you need to talk.”
“I know, thank you,” Lynx was sitting a bit too close to his confort, but then again, maybe personal space was a foreign concept to Lynx. She was just staring at the night, enjoying the music, just like he was before.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it? The melody, the song, the view, the lit sky, in the middle of the night,” Lynx said, eyes fixed on the show as the snow gently fell on them.
“It really is…” Winter said, and sometimes, it was enough for him to forget about his failures.
But then Lynx bumped her fist on his shoulder, “But do you know what would be even better ? A sparring match with Lynx!”
“This late at night? No, just no,” Winter shook his head.
“Aww!” Lynx cried, “This is just what you need, trust me!” Then she made that face, like if she was a great polar bear cub about to be eaten. It hit a little too close to home.
“You know what? Alright,” he said, rolling his eyes. Maybe that’s just what he needed.
“Yes! Alright, let's go! Last one to the courtyard babysits Mink!”
And Winter smiled, even for a brief moment.
Winter was panting, trying to get all the air his lungs needed. Fighting was beyond tiring. A true test of endurance to any dragon. As his martial lessons taught, dragon scales were really tough, specially those on the chest and neck; clawing and tiring your opponent was the reliable way to win a battle, and this was true for sparring matches and real fights alike.
There was a small amount of blue blood smeared on the courtyard floor, Lynx’s or his, he did not know, all he did know the fight was about to be over, both of them were on the verge of exhaustion, it would only take one mistake for any of them to lose the fight.
“You know,” Lynx said between breaths, “you don’t fight so bad for a dragonet.” She teased their one year age-gap, even though both of them were adults already. Well, Winter barely was.
“And I thought an elder would fight better,” Winter seized the opportunity and charged at Lynx diagonally, who in effect took a defensive posture. But just as Winter was about to swing, he abruptly changed directions to his left with great agility, the surprise change in plans taking Lynx off guard, allowing Winter to swing his left claw in a ferocious arc just as he roared, brutally striking Lynx on the chest, sending her flying to the side from the sheer strength of the blow.
Panting and smiling, Winter briefly enjoyed the triumph and the adrenaline, until she noticed Lynx’s form, facing away from him. Winter’s heart missed a beat, she wasn’t moving.
“Lynx? Are you alright?” Winter asked with concern, beginning to walk over her prone form.
“Oww… Ouch…” Lynx moaned as he was getting closer.
Winter’s talons went over to Lynx’s frame, trying to turn her over, but just before they could reach her… “POCKET SNOW!” Lynx screamed, and suddenly, Winter’s face was covered in snow, blinded. A mere few seconds passed before a victorious Lynx was sitting on top of a battered Winter.
“Cheater! You cheated!” Winter barked once he cleared all the snow on his face.
“The dead can’t complain, can’t hear you!” Lynx stuck out her tongue.
“Dragons don’t cheat in battle! This is unfair!” Winter complained, with Lynx still on top of him.
“You are right, of course. There are no rules in a real battle, so technically, one can’t really cheat.” Lynx said, shrugging, “Besides, if I cheat, and no one saw me cheat… did I really cheat?”
“Grrrr… Fair poi-” Before Winter could finish, a slow clap interrupted them. It was coming from one of the courtyard's upper passageways. Both of them spotted the dragon, and Winter had conflicting emotions over it.
“What a terrific performance,” Snowfall said as she was slouched on the railings, but then she hopped over and smoothly sailed to them, throwing a cloud of snow particles on them as she landed. “The Queen surely expects her warriors to not fall to such trivial tricks.”
“Hi Snowfall!” Lynx greeted with a bit too much energy. Winter narrowed his eyes, they were always too friendly, those two.
“That means you too!” Snowfall said as she shoved Lynx off Winter with a humph.
Having Snowfall’s face in front of Winter evoked so many emotions he wasn’t sure what to feel. He hastily stood up.
“Cousssssin. I wouldn’t be doing any dangerous activities if I were you.”
“Hmm? Why?” He said, rubbing a small bloodied bruise from the sparring.
“Oh, didn’t you know?” she smugly asked, “Maybe you should spend more time with the nobility. You’ll learn a thing or two from us,” Snowfall continued the mockery, fully knowing that Winter is from the nobility.
“What do you want?” He irritably asked, he had no time for her games.
“Oh, nothing really. Just giving you a heads-up. Premium information, if you will,” she said, haughtily lifting her head.
“Oooooooooooo! What did Queen Glacier tell you?” Lynx asked, taking her talons to her chest.
“A ceremony, of sorts, starring my lovely cousin. Not too sure on the details, only that it includes you, somehow,” and Snowfall’s face finished the implication: you are mediocre, so why did my mother choose you for a ceremony?
“Me? On a ceremony?” What kind of ceremony? He really wanted to dig around for more information, but clearly Snowfall didn’t know more. Otherwise she would be taunting him a lot more, “Why not my sister?”
Snowfall shrugged, “Probably too busy being a murderous psychopath on the frontline is my guess,” the rivalry between Icicle and Snowfall was no secret among their circles, with Snowfall being fiercely devoted to Queen Glacier’s reign. She was her mother, after all, and her sister would be trying to kill her, eventually. “Isn’t it exciting, cousssssin? What if you are sent outside home? What will Wintersong do without its ‘Winter’?” she continued.
And Winter really didn’t know. All he knew was that this would be another opportunity to prove himself to his family, and to make Hailstorm proud...
Notes:
Scavengers?! Animus magic?! Don't worry, certain dragons will learn a lot more, and also learn just how much they *don't* know about their own world. We are just starting to scratch the surface!
Chapter 8: Gathering Shadows
Notes:
Hello! Yes! I'm still alive. Not from sickness, but from work. Being a working adult kinda sucks huh. Anyway. Very large chapter, the largest so far, 10,000 words! That's almost 1/7 of a WoF book, to put things in perspective!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Starflight walked inside the Royal Pavilion, the wood lightly creaking as he parted the flower curtains, the only noise he was able to hear from an otherwise busy place, which was very concerning to him. What was even more concerning, was the complete lack of any other dragon inside - as his eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light, he only saw three pairs of eyes waiting for him. When Glory sent Jambu calling for him, this wasn’t what he was expecting. Glory, notably without her crown, waiting for him on the hammock in the middle of the room, Tsunami and Clay to her left and right, equidistant from each other. The pavilion somehow felt… very empty… and not by the lack of activity. The room was missing one very special dragon, given the context… Sunny... Which is probably why he was here.
“Starflight,” Glory simply said. He bowed before Glory, and could see her making an eye-roll, from the corner of his eye.
“Sorry,” he said, interrupting his bow, “Force of habit.” She told them that none of them were to bow before her.
Glory was not amused. “So,” she started, impatient. “Surely you know why you are here, just the four of us,” she said, pointing with her wings to the others.
“I think so,” he said, eying the rest of his friends. Tsunami was still angry at him, but her anger had lessened since, considerably. She no longer looked like she wanted to kill him every time she saw him, this meeting included. Glory looked… serious, but a certain part of her face betrayed her, a slight curve on her lips, a mischievous look, somehow? And Clay… he probably was the most affected of the group. He was just sad, and looked like he had aged fifty years in all his worrying. Which makes sense, considering how close Clay and Sunny were. He felt a tinge of envy, but he pushed it away as soon as he realized.
Glory took a deep breath. “It’s about Sunny. We have good news, and bad news. We can start with the bad news, I guess,” Glory finished with a shrug and Starflight could feel the floor creep up on him. Was that his heartbeat speeding up?
Bad news… and Sunny… This isn’t good. Did she… no. Better not think about it. But Glory was just staring at him. She wasn’t telling him anything.
“You are supposed to say something, jellyfish-for-brains,” Tsunami said, crossing her arms after a moment of silence.
“S-say… something?” He echoed. Why was he shaking so much? But his friends weren't shaking, if it were really bad news… like ‘Sunny’s gone’-bad… wouldn’t they be sadder than this? ”I messed up. I already said that I’m sorry,” he vaguely said, trying to gather more clues on what was going on.
“Well,” Glory smiled, “‘Messed up’ is quite an understatement, that’s for sure. Anyhow, here’s the bad news…” she paused, drawing the silence out… he noticed how she was looking at him. Why is she smiling like that? Did Sunny die, and Glory’s now planning on how to punish me? Did she go insane with the news of Sunny’s death, because it was all my fault?
“I…” and then a brief, suppressed laugh escaped from Glory’s mouth, which she tried covering with her talon, just as the edges of her wings turned bright gold. It was one laugh she’d been holding for a long time, Starflight realized.
“Glory! We were supposed to be serious about this!” Tsunami complained, stomping her foot.
Starflight was beyond confused. What’s going on here? Glory took a deep breath, “Alright… okay. Let’s start this again,” she said, closing her eyes. And then, she looked at him, directly in the eyes. “Starflight, not only you disobeyed me as Queen, you disobeyed me as a friend,” he was glad Glory emphasized the “friends” part. “I gave you crystal clear instructions; you were to keep Sunny from doing something stupid. And before you come in with your semantics on what ‘keeping an eye on her’ means, you aren’t a moron. You knew perfectly well what I meant.”
Starflight uncomfortably rubbed his forearm. He knew he made a big mistake, but back then, it really didn’t feel like it. Was he so madly in love with Sunny he didn’t notice? But… he didn’t love Sunny like that… not back then, and certainly not now. So why did he do that?
“And so, the bad news,” Glory continued, ”We, this barely functional council… have decided on your punishment for your crimes.”
Punishment? Starflight thought, alarmed. What kind of punishment? Glory was looking at him very evilly, like if she had the most wickedly vile punishment just for him.
“It is very harsh,” she said, as if continuing his thoughts, but then her posture dropped. “Or… well, it would be, to these two,” Glory said, pointing her head to Tsunami and Clay. Tsunami just frowned at her. “Oh yes. You are hereby sentenced…” To death? To prison? “To write an entire educational Guide Book for my RainWings, including a reading guide.” And just like that, Glory smiled and held up her head, like if saying ‘Justice has been served’.
“W-what?!” He stammered. What kind of punishment was that?! It didn’t have anything to do with Sunny!
“A Guide Book, you heard that right, squid-brain,” Tsunami said, arms still crossed.
“Well,” Clay said, awkwardly rubbing his neck, “Your original punishment was a lot worse. I had to cover your back there… explaining… uhhh…” Tsunami and Glory were staring at Clay with a big frown, “How… boys think, you know?” He finished with a nervous smile.
“Phew!” Starflight released a breath he didn’t notice he’d been holding his breath since the start. He then paused. “Wait, then why the tension? And the pauses? And the sinister looks?” Only the good news remained. Surely they aren’t ‘Sunny’s dead’.
Glory shrugged, “Oh, I don’t know, maybe so you could draw some conclusions with ‘Sunny’ and ‘bad news’. Like, I don’t know… Sunny died because of you, or something like that.”
Starflight paused for a moment, “You purposely staged this “tribunal” so I’d think that Sunny has died?” He asked, incredulous, half-knowing that he somewhat deserved such a thing. “Wait. Sunny is safe, right?”
“Ah. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” she said, and this time, he had a serious face, for once. “I received a letter from a SkyWing courier a few hours ago. The letter was not from Blaze, like we were expecting. It was from Queen Glacier. When I saw the IceWing Royal seal, I was prepared for terrible news… But, somehow, Sunny failed on her quest so hard, she ended up talking directly with Queen Glacier (don’t ask me how) instead of Queen Blaze. Aaaand so, that fast-tracked us on this whole diplomatic mission, the IceWings are coming. She actually convinced Queen Glacier of our whole ‘end the war’ quest.”
Starflight smiled, “She did? So is she safe? Sunny’s coming back with us then?” Judging by the lack of reaction from both Tsunami and Clay about Sunny’s whereabouts, he was hearing the news last.
“I hope so. And, to answer your other question… absolutely. Do you have any idea how stressful this past week has been? You don’t get to just tell Clay what you did and then forget about it,” Glory said, looking down on him.
Starflight didn’t think he deserved such a petty prank, implying that Sunny had died because of him, “But did you really need to go out of the way to make all of this?” He said, talon waving at the “tribunal”. “I mean, this is like that time you feigned escaping because Clay vaguely suggested replacing you with Peril.”
Glory looked at Clay. She wasn’t impressed. At all. “What?” Clay said, lifting his talons in an innocent manner, “We talk about things, you know?”
She then looked at him, “Right. Totally the same thing. Did Sunny vaguely escape? At all? Or did she escape? ”
“Fair point,” Starflight said.
Glory smiled, “Well, you better get your talons ready, once the SkyWings arrive with your scrolls and ink, I expect results very soon.”
“When is that?” he asked.
Glory hopped off the hammock, and then started walking outside. “I have no idea,” she simply said, “You can go now.”
Tsunami finally stopped crossing arms and walked outside with Glory, she stuck her tongue out when she got near him.
“Really mature, Tsunami,” he said.
“At least I can keep my friends safe,” she said without turning around, promptly leaving the Pavilion with Glory. Only Clay remained.
He was still sad, looking at the floor. Starflight walked and sat beside him, briefly brushing wings, trying to cheer him up. “You covered me,” he said, half-asking, half-stating.
Clay looked at him, “Of course,” he then smiled, “That’s what we have to do, right? We are family.”
“I guess we are,” Starflight said, half contemplating such a notion. His father tortured RainWings, his mother was dead, and his sister was… less than ideal, but apparently those four words made Clay very happy. His smile was even wider now, but he still looked worried.
“You are worried about Sunny?” He asked, curious.
Clay nodded, “We know she was safe up until her meeting with Glacier, but she still has to come back home.”
“Don’t worry, it’s Sunny. She already met with Queen Glacier, coming back will be like a flight in the park in comparison.”
Clay nodded again, “I know. And I keep telling my brain that worrying won’t do anything, but I just can’t stop it, you know?”
Starflight patted his back, “More than you can imagine…” he answered back.
Starflight reflected briefly. Clay looked happy to be in his company, he had been avoiding him out of shame. It didn’t feel right to disappoint one of the only dragons in all of Pyrrhia that would have your back on literally anything, but apparently, Clay didn’t seem to be disappointed in the slightest with him.
“I thought you’d be angry at me,” he said, after enjoying the silence for a bit.
“For letting Sunny go? No. Not really,” Clay rubbed his neck, “Actually, part of me is happy it was you that let her go,” before Starflight could ask him to elaborate more, Clay looked him dead in the eyes, “Because I would’ve done the same.”
“Really?” he asked, surprised.
“Or worse, I would’ve gone with her,” Clay stood up and walked towards the exit, the sunlight softly shining on his face through the Pavilion entrance. “The Prophecy about us might be false, but what we do isn’t. Sunny knows that. The faith placed on us isn’t false, either. We can do good things with it. Change the world for the better, don’t you think?” Clay said, looking back at him.
Starflight didn’t think Clay could philosophize this well. But regardless, he stood up, and walked to his side, “Together, I’m sure we can do anything. I just hope Sunny arrives back soon…”
Some days later...
The wind howled around the small rocky ledge with the force of a thousand screaming dragons. It battered at her on the cliff, as if trying to tear off her wings. Like if the wind knew how badly all her plans were failing.
It was only she, out of the expected three visitors. Things were going badly for her. Very, very badly. All the bribes she sent to disrupt the SeaWing Army ended up buying her nothing. The Dragonets of Destiny, her major tool to cement her power on the SandWing throne - gone w̶o̶k̶e rogue. Years of meticulous scheming to puppeteer Queen Coral - wasted. Even the alliance with her, made from the very start of the war, nearly twenty years ago - dissolved, right on her talons. And she couldn’t do anything to stop it other than watch it all melt before her very own eyes.
She couldn’t even get that SkyWing guardian to come and gut her alive. Couldn’t get a message from Coral, telling her that it was all a misunderstanding. Couldn’t get Morrowseer to come, to tell her this was all part of the plan. And it was all. THANKS. TO. THOSE. DRAGONETS. She furiously finished the thought with her talon smashing against the rocks. She really wanted to execute someone right now… five someones… and maybe burn a scavenger den or two, that ought to calm her down for a while.
She needed a new plan, a solid one to both get the SandWing throne, and to publicly execute those stupid dragonets in the most brutal fashion in front of the whole of Pyrrhia to witness. But first, she had to evaluate her situation back home. She had been here for the past month, in her denial, waiting for a response from any of her allies. But it seemed the political landscape had shifted considerably in such a small time frame, a reassessment was due. They have all betrayed her.
Getting ready to depart to her traveling retinue, Blister looked up to the clouded sky, and quickly spotted a black dot flying at the distance, making her stop. She’d seen several of those already, thinking it was her NightWing allies, but every time it was just some bird flying. But slowly, the black dot became larger and larger. A smile slowly creased on her face. Maybe not everything was lost, but Morrowseer better have a really good explanation. She sat and arranged her face into absolute ambivalence, as she usually greeted Morrowseer - she couldn’t give any clue to him of her current predicament.
But as the dot started getting bigger and bigger, she noticed this dragon was… of a lighter color scheme. This wasn’t Morrowseer, she realized. Coiling her stinger out and getting into combat stance, Blister made a threatening display, but the incoming NightWing, flying as fast as a SkyWing, seemed to be completely unbothered. He landed at the other side of the cliff despite her efforts.
As the dust settled, Blister observed the NightWing for possible advantages in a fight. This NightWing was enormous, probably bigger than Morrowseer, with claws looking like serrated fish hooks, accompanied by large muscles all around. And the eyes… like if observing a bottomless pit into the void, perfectly still and empty. She’ll need to use all her nasty tricks if she were to be victorious in a fight, if it came down to it.
Though, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to kill this NightWing right now for making such a stupid entry, or if it was because of the absolutely grotesque fashion sense; this NightWing wore a couple of necklaces around their neck, with iron boxes mixed with dark jewelry, not matching neither the scales nor the other rings or jewelry they wore. And if it wasn’t enough, they had a hard-leather case just dangling from the neck, not matching any of the previously observed jewelry. Who was this? Had Morrowseer sent her a clown as his replacement? This looked like a peasant pretending to be someone important.
“Queen Blister,” he said, with an haughty, arrogant tone. He didn’t even bow.
“Who in the blazes do you think you are?” She angrily asked, “You barge in unannounced, intrude upon my privacy like if you were invited here. Where is Morrowseer?”
The NightWing sat there, observant, not being intimidated by her in the slightest. Eerily close to how Morrowseer would act; but this was most definitely not Morrowseer. “Who I am is of no importance. Morrowseer is… unavailable at the moment, but-”
“Then we have nothing to discuss,” she cut off the Nightwing, ”You are a no-name NightWing. You’d be stupid to think I’d discuss any of my business with you.” He seemed outraged, despite his best efforts to conceal it.
“Morrowseer’s plans are doomed to fail. The volcano has almost claimed his life, and so I’m keeping his circle from collapsing, for the time being,” he said, a little too full of himself.
“Then Morrowseer will have to contact me explaining who in the blazes you are. I don’t know you,” she was more than happy to deflate his stupid ego.
“ I am the reason why he still lives. And the reason why your new plan for vengeance will succeed. I know about those pesky destiny dragonets. I know how they ruined your plans.” It’s like he was rejoicing in the fact, but then he grew grim. “And they will ruin mine, if we let them live.”
“We?” She liked the idea of killing the dragonets, but why was this idiot teaming up with her? “Surely you understand that royal business has certain… standards…” she couldn’t help but look at the outrageously hideous jewelry he wore. “And harsh punishments for failure.”
“That is of no worry, my plans are bound to succeed,” he said. A bold statement for sure. “An assassination plan has already been made. Two of the dragonets are the target. With their morale low, they will be forced to proclaim you as the rightful Queen, and then we can get rid of them.”
“I see… And my plans are to murder all my enemies, and yet it’s easier said than done. How are your plans any different than Morrowseer’s?”
“Morrowseer has the vision, true… but he greatly lacks in execution... Unlike him, I have various agents positioned, constantly monitoring the situation, the pieces are all falling in place as we speak. Everything points towards success. And you play an integral part in it.”
A plan to murder the dragonets? This was too good to be true. She might have to double the amount of royal guards in her traveling chambers while dealing with this shady looking NightWing. “Right… you have all the plans and the tools, supposedly. What do you want from me, then?”
“What originally Morrowseer asked; the recognition of NightWing rule over the Rainforest. And a piece of the Royal Treasury as payment, of course, for the services rendered. Once the dragonets are dealt with, both of our tribes will be on the road to success.”
She snorted, “You’ll get monetary rewards once the dragonets are either dead or proclaimed me as Queen, as agreed before. The Royal Treasury is meant for royal business. It certainly does not go towards no-name NightWings. As for the rest, I will see to it.”
“I must insist,” the NightWing said, not aware of the danger of such a phrase. Blister almost snapped, had to conjure all her patience to keep her from attacking this idiot. “Placing so many agents in all of Pyrrhia is a… costly business, I’m sure you can understand.”
Blister so wanted to maul that insolent idiot to death, but he did present an interesting opportunity, one that no one else could offer, “Fine,” she snapped back. “I’ll see what I can do. After I get a name. Who are you?”
The NightWing stood silent for a moment. This line of dialogue clearly made him uncomfortable. “Secrecy is my utmost priority,” He flatly stated. “Just know that my loyalties lie with Morrowseer, and you, of course,” And with that, he finally bowed before her. She was unsure what it meant. All in all, this NightWing was pretty disturbing to talk to, and she couldn't point out exactly what caused this. “You'll have their heads in a silver plate, soon enough. You’ll receive a message soon enough with the details.”
Blister couldn’t help but feel… conflicted. Someone taking out those dragonets was an exhilarating thought. But this dragon… this “agent”... he gave her the creeps… and not even Burn’s Weirdling Tower could. She couldn’t help but feel like she was making a pact with a powerful devil. It wouldn’t be the first time, though. But as long as those dragonet heads rolled, she should have no worries. She could always kill her problems, anyway.
The dense, lush Rainforest was exactly how Sunny remembered it, though of course, she now knew some of the dangers to look out for… quite specifically, the NightWings. Traveling far from their settlement and their frequented areas, Sunny and Qibli went unnoticed into the safer areas and were nearing the Rainforest Village, though the present company didn’t really trust her on that.
“So… Are we there yet?” Qibli asked once again, his head snapping to almost every sound, animal, or plant he could hear or observe as they walked on the muddy ground. It seemed Qibli really didn't like uncharted territory. That, or he hated the Rainforest.
“Yes, I think so… And for real this time,” she said, pausing to look at the river crossing before them.
“This is the third time you’ve said that,” Qibli answered back.
“Hey, it’s not my fault all the river crossings look the same,” she said, looking back at him.
Qibli simply held up his talon. Sunny rolled her eyes. “Fine, take a look,” she deposited Starflight’s map into his talon.
Qibli sat and quickly took a look at the map, eyes going back and forth between the map and the river crossing in front of them. “Alright… Okay, you weren’t joking about that,” he said, lowering the map. His eyes were now jumping from place to place, absorbing all they could see. “But, if we follow the river upwards,” he said, pointing at the river, “we should be able to find its point of origin, then we can know where we are for sure. I think.”
Sunny thought that was better than nothing, “Huh…Alright. You are handling the Rainforest quite well for your first time,” she then let out a sigh, “I wished I had asked my father something to help us go back.”
“Yeah, about that…” Qibli said, putting the map away in one of his bags.
“About what?” Sunny asked.
“Your father. Don’t take this badly, but I think he’s hiding something,” he said, looking at her, “between the enigmatic and vague replies, not answering much about… What?” Qibli stopped. She was making a face at him.
Sunny chuckled, “Qibli, I know. It just felt wrong to push him like that; we had just met. But I don’t think he’s hiding much, actually.”
“What makes you think that?” He asked, with genuine curiosity.
“Well. Do you know about Orca? Orca of the SeaWings?” She said, shuffling uncomfortably. It felt weird to talk about Tsunami’s sister in such a way.
Qibli shook his head, “Doesn’t ring any bells.”
“Right. Well, what I know about her, kind of… indirectly confirms what my father told us. She was an animus, a secret one. She plotted to kill her mother to steal her throne. But… she just… made the weirdest plan I’ve ever seen in my entire life. You would think she’d use her magic to rig the duel in her favor… or to secretly assassinate her mother and the heirs…”
Qibli was intently listening, with a wondrous look, “I’m assuming she didn’t?” he said, after shaking his head.
“No. She just made a weird statue that killed the female heirs when no one was watching. Orca died in the actual duel against her mother.”
Qibli’s face was puzzling. “What? She… she made a… statue? A killer statue? Didn’t she knew that, once her mother was taken out, there would be no more heir hatchlings to kill? Why didn’t she send the statue after her mother? To kill her instead of the heirs?”
“That's the thing. Maybe this ‘animus magic’ isn’t as strong as we think it is. Maybe it wasn’t Orca being… stupid … Maybe it's the animus magic that is limited.”
“But… the stories about the Darkstalker… the spells he used to kill dozens of dragons… the Animi Crisis that almost destroyed Horizon… We know those were real. And your father, making up furniture and books from thin air! And a teleporting cave! That looks very powerful to me.”
“Maybe one has to train with it? Like how muscles need to build up?”
“Perhaps…” Qibli said, with a very thoughtful face.
Sunny rolled her eyes, “No… we aren’t going back to my father to ask…”
“What?” Qibli said, raising his talons, “I absolutely wasn’t thinking about that… Okay, maybe a little…” he said, after Sunny narrowed her eyes on him, “I was actually thinking… If the NightWings had an animus, and also had their horrible volcanic island, why didn’t they just use Stonemover to fix their home? Instead of fancy teleporter caves? They had him for a long time back there, right?”
“Oh! That’s true, I guess it didn’t occur to me back then to ask about that,” And as soon as Sunny finished her sentence, a whoosh of air passed right behind her ear. Instinctively whirling behind, she only saw bushes, trees and mud, but then her ears briefly registered something striking Qibli with a small ‘pop’ sound.
“Oof!” he exclaimed, taking a talon to his neck.
Instantly, memories of getting knocked out in the Rainforest surfaced. This has happened before. “Wait! Stop! It’s me, Sunny!” She yelled, jumping away from Qibli and seemingly waving and spreading her wings to nobody. She whirled back to him, “Don’t breathe the aroma! It will knock you out cold!”
“Wh-” Qibli opened his mouth to speak, but then he quickly shut it tight with wide eyes, and just barely, Sunny could see his stinger coiling out.
“Stop! I’m friends with Queen Glory!” She continued talking to the air.
A familiar pink figure then materialized from thin air, in front of them, “Aha! I knew you looked familiar,” It was Jambu, armed with a blowpipe and several leaf bags. And then next to him, a gold and dark blue RainWing materialized, with similar armaments. How can they camouflage the bags too? Sunny briefly wondered.
“I told you,” Liana said. “We really don't get those sandy ones too often.”
“Oh! But if you are back, then that means Pineapple can come back too!” He said with a leap, and somehow, Jambu turned into an even pinker shade.
Liana just rolled her eyes, she then addressed Sunny, “I guess we are supposed to take you back to the Queen. She has been looking for you, you know. She must be at the Royal Pavilion… I think.”
“Or at the Healers’ Hut,” Jambu offered.
“Or organizing patrols.”
“Or checking on the progress of the school.”
“Or checking the libra-”
“Alright, I get it,” Sunny interrupted. “I’ll just look for-” And then Sunny herself was interrupted. It was Qibli tapping on her side. The colors on his face were gone. He was still holding his breath, she realized. “Oh! Do you have the antidote for him?” She asked, pointing at Qibli, behind her.
Jambu carefully approached Qibli, briefly turning green when spotting his stinger. He opened a small vial from one of his many bags and held it up in the air. “Take a deep breath from this…”
And so Qibli did, causing him to go into a coughing fit. “By the Sun, that smells awful,” he said as the colors of his face returned. Jambu offered him a leaf to clean the sleeping berry stain on his neck.
“Right,” Sunny continued, “the Queen. The village is past this river?”
“Yup,” Jambu said, “Past this river to the right.”
“Which is to your left,” Liana said to Sunny. Jambu looked clueless, but then made an ‘o’ with his mouth, realizing his mistake. Barely visible from where they were, was a pathway to their left with cleared branches and obstacles, perfect for a fast flight. This is what they were guarding, Sunny realized.
“Thank you,” Sunny said. “I think I know my way now.”
Jambu and Liana nodded back, and their scales immediately began shifting to nothingness, as if being eaten by an invisible being. Soon they were erased from view and their wings could be heard flapping at the distance.
“I thought RainWings were supposed to be inoffensive,” Qibli said, sounding half-surprised, half-offended. “They can just turn invisible, at will? And you said they can spit venom?” He shuddered.
“Most are very inoffensive still… Just wait until you meet Glory, though.”
“It’s a good thing none of them are evil,” Qibli said, moving away. Sunny felt something like a funny feeling from that phrase, unsure what it meant.
“Well, let’s go,” she said, shrugging.
They took flight, and this time, they headed straight towards the RainWing village. Soon, Sunny heard wing flaps that weren't theirs. Which could only mean one thing: they were followed closely, and by the look of uneasiness Qibli had, he had also noticed. They were being stalked by the new RainWing guards. Sunny couldn’t help but smile. Glory was really shaping the RainWings up, they were a threat. But soon, as they approached the gigantic trees decorated with all sorts of colorful plants and dragons, the wing flappings stopped, they were alone again.
Judging by what Jambu and Liana said, the library and school were being built, which is where Starflight surely would be. She decided to go there first; Starflight would certainly be very happy to see her back, safe and sound. With Qibli following her (and barely able to keep up as his eyes jumped from place to place), they flew into the central area of the village, where most of the Pavilions were located. They soon spotted the library construction site.
Like the other Pavilions, the foundations of the library started where the tree’s gigantic branches sprawled and intersected on the top, offering a very safe and solid building site. Luckily the platforms to walk around the library’s outside were already finished, with the building itself looking like a weird, rectangular bird nest.
As she approached, she noticed RainWings carrying baskets filled with little sticks and others with single, big branches. But most curiously, on the platforms, overseeing the construction, there were four NightWings, two of which she didn’t know.
Starflight’s eyes quickly snapped on her flying form as she approached. His eyes went wide, just as he dropped the building plans to do a big leap and take flight directly to her.
“Sunny!” He shouted as they both crashed mid-air in a powerful hug. “I knew you’d come back,” he said after a while, both struggling to maintain flight and their tears whilst hugging in mid-air. “I’m so sorry, Sunny, for letting you go.”
Sunny broke away from the hug, “What do you mean? Starflight, I did it!” And with that said, coupled with Starflight’s broken look, Sunny noticed that, in retrospect, how she went into her mission was… very questionable. She easily could’ve died in her journey… and Starflight would have to live with that for the rest of his life. The rest of her siblings must be worried sick too. Especially Glory. To them, she had gone missing for almost two weeks. “Oh… But don’t worry,” she said, gently grasping Starflight’s talon, “Nothing bad happened to me. I even brought some company.”
And with that Qibli flew in close, “Hi,” he said, waving his talon in a welcoming manner, and funnily enough, he also waved his coiled stinger, but of course, that went over Starflight’s head. “I’m Qibli.”
“He is my bodyguard, of sorts,” Sunny said. Starflight opened his mouth, but she interrupted him, “Let’s head to the platforms to talk, shall we? My wings are killing me,” she said, trying to relax her shoulders.
“Of course,” Starflight nodded.
Naturally, the other three NightWings had gathered to observe. Fatespeaker was obviously jealous of their interaction, but the other NightWings, the ones she didn’t know, just had curious looks as they landed near them.
“Right,” Starflight said after an awkward cough. “Well, Qibli, Sunny,” he said as he pointed at them, "May I present you, Fatespeaker, Secretkeeper, and Moonwatcher. They are helping me oversee the construction of the library. They are very helpful.”
“It’s a pleasure,” Sunny said.
She looked over at Qibli, who was curiously staring at the other NightWing, Moonwatcher. Sunny rolled her eyes, guess she’ll have to introduce herself some other time to Moonwatcher.
“Ah, you are the Sunny everyone’s been talking about. Your friends were very worried about you,” Secretkeeper said, taking Moonwatcher to her other side, breaking the spell both she and Qibli had.
“Yup, and so they punished Starflight,” Fatespeaker continued, not too happy about that.
“Ah, yes, by building a library…” Secretkeeper said, “Such unorthodox methods…” This caused Moonwatcher to frown at her, “Which have proven to be very successful, might I add.”
“So what happened?” Starflight nervously said, “You’ve been gone for almost two weeks, you have a bodyguard now…”
“I think it's best if we gather the rest u-” Sunny tried saying.
And with comedic timing, a roar that voice-cracked half-way through made her jump. “SUNNY!” As she turned around, she saw Tsunami flying at a dangerously fast pace at her, true to her name, “Where have you BEEN?!” She roared as she hugged and tackled her at the same time. “Do you know how WORRIED we’ve been?! How could you DO that to us?! I was so sure the NightWings had something with your escape I almost threw them back at the volcano! I haven’t slept in days, Sunny! DAYS !” she screamed as she shook her small frame with her powerful talons.
“I’m sorry,” Sunny said as she hugged Tsunami back, “But I had to do it. It was that important. I have to tell you all about it!”
Tsunami then cautiously eyed the rest of the company, who had gone back to overseeing, until she spotted Qibli. “Oh. You brought… company?”
“It’s a long story,” Qibli said, shrugging.
“Where are the rest?” Sunny asked
“Well,” Tsunami said, counting with her claws, “Starflight got punished because he let you do that suicidal mission of yours,” that made her feel a little bit worse. “Clay got so depressed about your escape he hasn’t seen the sun in days,” And that too, “My eye has been twitching like crazy since you escaped. Starflight says it’s the anxiety. In my opinion, he’s just a squid-brain. Do I look worried?” Tsunami then lifted her like a little toy, then she fiercely hugged her again. It reminded her of Thorn. “By the Moons, you are actually here, I can’t believe it,” she said, a lot calmer now. “Quick! Let’s go grab Clay and head for Glory,” she said, breaking off the hug.
Clay’s hut was (coincidentally), at the other side of the village, far from the library and school, but they reached him in no time.
“Clay!” Starflight shouted as they flew to the hut’s platform. “It’s Sunny! She’s back!”
A faint “what” was heard from inside the hut, then the door bursted open, breaking off its hinges. It was Clay. As soon as he spotted her, his smile went wild, and looked like he rejuvenated fifty years in that mere instant. “Sunny!” He held up his talons just in time to receive her, and with the flight’s momentum, he spun in place several times, hugging her tightly. “It’s you! You are alright!”
“Yes, I’m here,” it felt surreal to be here with her siblings, with their happiness radiating to her. After all she went through, she was finally home.
Clay then broke off the hug, “Let’s bring you to Glory!”
It wasn’t long before they arrived at the Royal Pavilion with the usual waiting queues. They headed right through. It felt right, they were finally together, like they were supposed to be.
Glory’s head instantly latched on her as she entered, “Sunny,” she whispered, with palpable relief, just as her scales turned yellow. She hopped off the hammock and closed the distance, reaching out and tenderly squeezing Sunny’s talon, which was more physical affection than Sunny would have expected from her, considering her next words, “Thank goodness you’re alive. Because now I can totally behead you. Starflight, what’s our official policy on beheading right now?”
“Our constitution says no beheading Sunny,” he said loyally.
“Let’s amend that,” Glory said, lashing her tail. “So I can behead anyone who worries me half to death like this.”
“I know you’re probably mad,” Sunny said. Glory frowned, just as her ears and wings started turning red. “Okay, definitely mad. But there were — lots of — stuff happened, and —”
“It better be wildly important ‘stuff’,” Glory growled. Even her pet Silver was chirping angrily at her from Glory’s neck, which was pretty cute. “I mean… I guess it was. We got Queen Glacier’s message. How in the moons did you even manage to do that?”
And so, Sunny, once again told her story, though she did notice that this time, Qibli was not around to hear her. Strange. She didn’t even see him leaving. Once finished, her siblings were quite happy with her story and what happened.
“Huh,” Glory muttered. “I guess you are the one without disappointing parents. Lucky,” she said with a smile, one out of genuine happiness, “but very fitting.”
The rest of her siblings nodded in agreement, but Sunny had questions herself too, “What about Queen Glacier’s message? What did she tell you?”
“Quite a poet,” Glory said, going back to the hammock. “Not sure if she sent me a love letter, or an actual message.”
“That would be me! Love letters!” Deathbringer suddenly said, coming inside from one of the windows.
Glory rolled her eyes, “Deathbringer, you don’t even know how to read, let alone write.”
“Also, nobody invited you to this private conversation,” Tsunami said bossily.
“Hey, I’m just making sure the queen is safe,” he said, spreading his wings.
“The queen can take care of herself,” Glory pointed out. “Thankyouverymuch.”
“From a shadowy, creepy, murderous tribe? No one’s better at stopping shadowy murderers than the world’s best assassin.”
“Aww, you poor dragon,” Glory said. “If only you had a shred of self-esteem.”
“What?” Sunny cried in dismay. “But I thought they would have calmed down by now!”
“If anything, they are acting worse than before,” Glory replied, concerned.
“They are pushing further into the Rainforest,” Starflight said, “Our patrols border their territory, and some of them have been getting harassed by them.”
“We are lucky that’s all they do,” Deathbringer said.
“And let’s hope it doesn't escalate,” Clay said, nodding. “If an IceWing envoy comes here, we have to be at our best.”
“Oh! Is that what Queen Glacier told you? An envoy?” Sunny asked.
“Right, I was about to tell you, but of course, distractions happen,” she drily eyed Deathbringer, he just winked at her. The dynamic between the two really confused Sunny. Did Glory hate or like Deathbringer?
“Queen Glacier is trying to cut her losses with the war,” Glory started, distracting her. “She thinks it can be ended with the right moves. The SkyWings are out of the war, and so are the SeaWings; Burn and Blister have both lost very powerful allies by their own doing. And with that, Blaze and Glacier hold considerable power now. They are in talks with Queen Ruby, trying to get her to send a diplomatic envoy here too. With the end-goal of all these talks to eventually unite the SkyWings, IceWings, SandWings, RainWings and NightWings into a single alliance; we’d be unstoppable and end the war without spilling blood.”
“Overwhelming forces,” Clay nodded, “they know they won't be able to defeat five tribes combined, we have a real shot at this.”
“Speaking of SkyWings…” Tsunami said, looking at Sunny, “Are you sure you saw Kestrel, Sunny? She’s alive?”
Sunny could tell how that name soured Glory’s mood; both from her face and her wings and ears turning briefly into furious red. “I… Yes, it was her,” she nodded.
“That’s fantastic,” Glory said, with her arms crossed, “You didn’t tell her where we are, right? Sunny?”
Memories of Kestrel insulting the Rainforest surfaced. Whoops. “I… Might have mentioned the Rainforest…”
Glory sighed heavily, and slapped her face, “Banana…”
Tsunami quirked a brow, “That’s a weird expre-”
“Yes, Your Highness?” A yellow RainWing suddenly materialized and fell from the roof.
“Tell the patrols that, if they see a red SkyWing, to please welcome her with lots of venom.”
“Glory!” Clay and Sunny exclaimed in unison.
Glory rolled her eyes, “Alright. Sleeping berries… and just a tad bit of venom.”
“You are childish,” Tsunami said.
“Just treating a dragonet abuser the way she ought to be. Nothing else.” Glory replied, trying to hide the anger behind her words.
Glory may not act like it, but Kestrel’s abuse had seriously left some scars on her, sadly. Mental scars. Sunny worried what Glory would do if Kestrel actually came. Would she kill her as an act of revenge? Surely not. Hopefully.
“You look tired,” Starflight suddenly said, while the rest were distracted with their bickering.
“I am,” Sunny admitted. It was just them, it seemed, “It’s been wild, I could probably sleep for days now. Will you cover my back?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Starflight simply replied.
Sunny quickly left thanks to a brief distraction from Starflight, though Deathbringer’s eyes certainly caught her. She was heading to her little tree hut when she spotted a familiar yellow dragon on the trees, sunbathing on his back with his eyes closed. One more little stop won’t hurt, Sunny thought.
She landed near Qibli, who didn’t even react to her, despite clearly being awake.
“Are you alright?” Sunny asked him.
Qibli sighed, opening his eyes, “No,” he said, a little bit too honest. He turned around and sat. “It’s so weird. The heat is here, and so is the cheerfulness and the dangers… and yet… it feels so distant from home.”
Home. Sunny thought. Where was her home? It certainly wasn’t a physical place, nor the desert. Home is where my siblings are, she realized. And home is where Qibli’s family is, too.
“You miss your family? Or Thorn?” She asked.
“I… don’t really have a family. My mother sold me to Thorn when I was younger,” Qibli told her.
That sentence completely horrified Sunny to the core. How many horrible injustices in the world were left to fix? At least Clay wasn’t really conscious when his mother sold him. To be sold by a loved one…
“Don’t worry though, I ended up with Thorn, didn't I? Something so much better that my real mother,” he finished with a smile.
Personally, Sunny would never recover from such a thing, “Well, if you’re so sure. Did you get your own hut?”
“Oh, no. Not yet. Can I get to pick where?” He said, with a little strange desperation in his voice. Sunny could tell why. That NightWing he was staring at before…
Sunny chuckled. “If you ask Glory nicely, maybe,” she told him.
Winter stood outside the gigantic Throne Room’s doors, trying his best to imitate the Guard Stance his two fellow IceWing guards were doing while guarding the doors, though Winter knew it was in vain. The Guard Stance required one to be perfectly still and serene. Himself? Nervous, confused, agitated, excited… Just past these doors, he could hear the entirety of the Ice Palace gathering, and he had no idea for what. Noone had told him anything related to this; he had no clue what to expect.
Maybe someone did tell me what to expect… Was this what Snowfall told him about? The ceremony she spoke of, almost a week ago? But surely, he would have gotten something other than a crude awakening very early in the morning, and be told to wait outside the Throne Room. This is a test, he realized. His kin wouldn’t organize something like this just because they wanted to. Not a test… A trap. He’d seen it happen to others, but never thought he’d be in one himself.
He wasn’t sure how to feel. Snowfall of all dragons, was the one that gave him crucial information. Though he wasn’t sure if Snowfall revealed that piece of information to just gloat at him, or if it was to help him. Knowing Snowfall… she did both. It wouldn’t be the first time Snowfall has taunted Winter with actually good information. It gave him a small advantage, and in the IceWing political machine, that was enough to turn failure to success. For most dragons, at least.
Graceful talonsteps distracted him, and with perfect timing, the IceWing Guards opened the doors to reveal Princess Crystal behind the doors. Her physical appearance was very much like Snowfall’s, though she was slightly bigger than her, and most importantly, the graceness of her moves were more inclined towards highlighting her natural elegance and serenity, instead of haughtiness and natural annoyance.
“Prince Winter,” she said with a small bow, “you may come in, the Queen awaits you.” Moving to the side, she gestured for Winter to enter with her talon.
Taking a comforting breath, Winter obeyed, and crossed towards the entrance’s threshold, like the many times he’d done before, but this time, alone. The Throne Room’s initial chamber consisted of a large fountain shaped like a snowflake, and at the center on an ice block, a heavily adorned ice statue of the Great Ice Dragon with his wings stretched out, heroically poised to strike on two legs, with ice-cool water pouring downwards from his legs, as if the statue were melting at a violently fast pace. There were a couple of doors to the sides of this room, but Winter had never seen what’s inside them. And for the brief moment the statue was in his view, it comforted him. But once he moved past it, hugging the edges of the fountain, he took a glance upon the next room. The Throne Room, filled with hundreds of dragons, dead silent.
It was an outrageously large room, so large it could comfortably contain hundreds of adult dragons in rows, very much like this exact moment, with bright four golden chandeliers filled with orbs from the Gift of Light hanging from the crystal-blue roof. The walls were heavily decorated with carvings of the Great Ice Dragon in his physical form, as well as in his spiritual form; as the aurora borealis. Wings and fluorescent carvings of various animals of the North could also be seen, but it was obvious that the Great Ice Dragon was the dominant and central figure of the room.
A red carpet in the middle of the room led to a small set of stairs where the throne was. Unfortunately, the throne itself was a simple, wide, icy cushion-chair filled with comfortable mats and animal pelts, enough for the Queen to comfortably lay on for hours. The actual Grand Ice Throne, said to have been made by the Great Ice Dragon himself, has been under “maintenance” as long as Winter could remember, in an undisclosed place.
The room was also overlooked by a balcony, where the more important figures of the Kingdom sat. Chancellors, top-ranking aristocrats, commanders, stewards, kingdom functionaries… and they all sat where their interests laid. Between the glory hounds, containing the more warlike IceWings, the pragmatists, the traditionalists, and the Queen loyalists, the Ice Kingdom was heavy with factionalism, where alliances of convenience were formed and shredded like mere paper. An outsider would see it as a weakness, to IceWings, it was a challenge, a way of life. It was all Winter knew, after all.
He walked past the rows of dragons in complete silence, the dragons behind him as uncaring as the statue on the fountain. But Winter knew how this worked, it wasn’t personal, this was IceWing protocol. Keeping his eyes steady, he tried to scan the room, and immediately spotted his parents, up on the council balcony, in their usual place, where the more traditional figures of the Kingdom sat. Narwhal’s eyes were judgemental and cold, firmly on him. Tundra didn’t seem to be paying attention to him, her eyes focused elsewhere. Some things just never change, Winter thought.
As he advanced row after row, he eventually felt a tail briefly brushing with his talon. He spotted Lynx from the corner of his eye, and close to her, Snowfall, with a very cheeky smile on her, like if saying “You’ll thank me later”. An unfortunate fact he’ll have to deal with; Snowfall’s warning served him very well, he knew this was a ceremony. Not a mandate, a tribunal or a royal investigation. It served to steel his resolve and keep a cool head knowing he wasn’t in any danger.
After finally walking past all the rows of dragons, he stopped just before the throne stairs, not raising his head just yet. A brutal error if he did.
“By the grace of Her Majesty, Queen Glacier of the Ice Kingdom,” the Royal Speaker, besides the Queen, started, “we are gathered here to share one of the most important news of the decade, from the Queen herself. May I present, Her Majesty, Queen Glacier of the Ice Kingdom,” he finished with a bow.
That was the cue, and in unison, all the dragons sat in a more relaxed stance, he could finally raise his head and gaze upon his Queen. Queen Glacier was terrifyingly majestic, her scales shining like pristine, untouched snow, and for the brief moment their eyes met, her glacier-blue eyes somehow spoke of motherly nostalgia, of the better days, before he failed Hailstorm and his family. She was lightly decorated for the occasion, wearing only a silver-blue tiara and two rings on the wing-talons. A casual attire that confirmed Snowfall’s little secret… but didn’t match the circumstances. What did the Royal Speaker mean?
“Dragons of the North, my loyal subjects,” Queen Glacier said in a smooth voice. “Indeed, we are gathered here to… discuss … the rumors, which have spread, despite my best attempts to quell them,” was it Winter’s imagination, or did Queen Glacier’s eyes briefly land on his parents?
Queen Glacier took a deep breath, “Yes, the rumors are true, our most credible sources have confirmed the NightWing’s whereabouts,” and as expected, like ice shattering from an impact, the silence broke, mutterings and whisperings drowned the room in an instant. The home of their famed enemies was revealed, at last. The Queen looked completely unamused at the sudden bickering, she was more than happy to let her subjects speculate, it was a “discussion” after all.
“Then we must gather the scouts!” A battle-scarred IceWing exclaimed, up from the balcony, within the glory hounds. “We have to strike before the coiled viper bites!” Murmurs of agreements could be heard, both from the balcony and the dragons from below them.
“Retribution for Prince Arctic and the Arena prisoners!” Another exclaimed, with more joining and muttering in agreement.
Queen Glacier abruptly swung her wings open, the resulting air wave seemingly muting the ongoing discussion all at once. She paused, briefly admiring her absolute authority. “ That, is a discussion for another time. For now we have to evaluate our options. The Great War has turned less than ideal for us, all the grand battles that needed to happen have already happened; and they haven’t brought us any kind of victory. It is no longer a clean war; it is a war of attrition. One war which the NightWings haven’t had.” And this time, mutterings of agreement could be heard, mostly from the pragmatists and the loyalists.
“And that isn’t even the issue,” she continued, silencing the murmurs once again. “The NightWings are not free to do as they please.” The phrase causing confused looks upon the gathering. “They have bowed before another Queen… the RainWing Queen.”
“Impossible!” Narwhal exclaimed from the balcony, to Winter’s surprise, with Tundra trying to calm him down. The initial bickering from the crowd was quickly overshadowed by his father’s outrage. “NightWing trickery! They couldn’t possibly have done that! Their cruelty demands the exact opposite! And to such a pitiful and weak tribe!? It is an obvious trick!”
“Are you suggesting your own scouts are incompetent, brother?” Queen Glacier always knew how to handle his father, and Winter wasn’t sure how to feel about that. “I was told they were the best.”
“I am saying…” His father seethed, “that they must have been tricked. The NightWings we know would never bow to anyone.”
“So did they trick Queen Blaze’s scouts too? And Queen Ruby’s?” She continued with perfect calmness.
“They are conniving sub-dragon beings, of course they tricked all of them! Everything they do is part of their schemes, and this is no different. They are planning something!”
“Hm. Was their entire home blowing up part of their plan too? Or merely a trick?” Queen Glacier asked back with a dangerous tone, “You know, the Sky Kingdom looked like the North a month ago; white like freshly fallen snow. But it wasn’t snow. It was ash. Volcanic ash. From the hidden NightWing island.” It was a loaded phrase, with many IceWings rejoicing with the news that the home of their ancient enemy has blown up, Winter included, and Narwhal’s opponents laughing in mockery at him. Narwhal just seethed in silence.
“Though, I must say,” Queen Glacier continued, the room falling to silence immediately, “Commander Narwhal brings up a good point. Everything the NightWings do has a plan behind it. This has proven to be true every single time. It is abundantly obvious that the loss of their home was not part of any sort of plan,” she paused, looking stern, “We must now pay close attention to them, more than ever. We know what happens when a wild animal goes through hunger. It becomes desperate, so it seeks new lands,” the Queen surely referencing the NightWing incursion that happened decades ago, before Winter hatched. “We can only imagine what happens when they lose their home too.”
“A strike is in order!” Another of the glory hounds screamed. “Neutralize the threat before it turns rabid!” And again, approval from most of the room could be heard.
“We can’t! Are you stupid? Didn’t you hear the Queen?” One of the pragmatists exploded, with a fight almost resulting from the insult.
“It is a rather complicated situation indeed,” Queen Glacier continued, “I assume most of you can remember your Law lessons; an attack on the NightWings would in effect, be also an attack on the RainWings.”
Narwhal opened his mouth to speak, probably to argue an attack on both, but he was cut off with an icy glare. “Brother, I know you have much to say, but like I said earlier, that is a discussion for another day, in the appropriate place,” Queen Glacier’s authority was almost physical.
Again, his father just seethed in silence. It had taken Winter’s best efforts to remain perfectly still in front of the Queen for the entire exchange; he hadn’t seen his father this angry in years.
“Which brings me to the other part of this gathering,” and right there, Winter knew he had just jinxed himself. His aunt pointed a talon at him. “Prince Winter, you have been silent all this time,” Please don’t ask what I would do. Winter begged, and it seemed like just this once, the Great Ice Dragon listened. “Speaks well of your strong character and resolve,” she said instead.
It was funny in a twisted way, as his resolve was being tested this very moment thanks to her, with the glare of dozens of top ranking dragons, coupled with hundreds of other glares. “I try my best, your Grace," he bowed.
Queen Glacier merely chuckled, but then grew serious and addressed the crowd, “Just to be clear, this gathering was to announce these new findings. Not to discuss our first steps… Because our first steps have already been decided.” In one resolute move, she stood up from the throne and looked at the assembled dragons, “Dragons of the North, we must remember the Great Ice Dragon and his prophecy; of ruin and destruction, should we let our guard down. But let us not forget that first and foremost, the Great Ice Dragon spoke of hope, and friendship,” Queen Glacier’s eyes landed on him as she finished.
“We are dealing with our ancient enemy here, and yet we can’t simply defeat them in battle. Not yet, at least. We can’t rely on dubious and quick assessments to make our moves. We need good, insightful information, to know our enemy in every detail. This is a task for Prince Winter.” Immediately, murmurs behind his back emerged, but he couldn't gauge if they were good or bad. Probably bad. “He has proven how insightful and resourceful he can be. And far from home, this is the kind of dragon we need.”
He eyed Queen Glacier in awe, but immediately, his eyes found his father’s. He was beyond angry. Winter knew what that look meant; ‘this won’t stand’.
“Prince Winter, please remain with me, the rest of you, court is over. You are dismissed.” Queen Glacier abruptly said, with a neutral expression.
The rest quickly fixed their confused expressions and turned around to leave, each performing a quick bow. Distant murmurs could be heard as the crowd left, but then they were silenced by the doors closing, both from the ground floor and the balcony. The room turned dead silent, broken only by Queen Glacier’s sigh.
“Hopefully all that political talk didn’t scare you, nephew,” she said.
“Your Grace?” Winter asked, confused.
Glacier climbed down the stairs and sat near Winter. He felt really, really small. “Please, just ‘aunt’ is fine. Your father… he is a… complicated dragon.” He liked this part of his aunt. When she was no longer Queen Glacier, but Aunt Glacier, when no one else was looking. She was a rather family-oriented dragon.
It didn’t take a genius to piece the evidence together. “The rumors. He started them?” Winter asked.
“The day the scouts arrived. I know they are loyal. And I told your father to wait. Couldn’t even wait for a proper announcement. This was supposed to be your moment.” Glacier continued, with bitterness in her voice.
“My moment?” He asked, curious.
“You were to be my royal emissary to the Rainforest Kingdom,” Glacier said, with sadness in her voice. “But with your father spreading the rumors about the NightWings…”
“It would make you look weak,” Winter finished her sentence, realizing why his father would do such a thing. His intentions were twofold, to prevent him from getting a royal title, and to undermine Glacier’s authority. Winter’s relationship with his father was… troubling, to say the least. But why was he doing this? And why would he never forgive him?
“A diplomatic mission, given the circumstances,” she said with a painful gaze. Hailstorm. And not just him. All Queen Scarlet’s IceWing prisoners. Murdered in cold blood by NightWings. “It would be disastrous. But like I said earlier, hopefully all that political nonsense didn’t get to you. Don’t lose focus," she said, tapping his chest. "Your task is not for vengeance, despite what I’ve said. You shall gather information; how did the RainWings truly kill Battlewinner, how did they manage to subjugate the NightWings, and most importantly, are the NightWings still a threat?”
“So it’s a scouting mission?” He asked
“For now. You are directly under my command, and answer only to me. I can’t give my royal decree, though you may act as if you have one. Complications are bound to happen, and I need someone with integrity to act fast.”
“Thank you,” he bowed.
“And one more thing.” Glacier said in an abrupt, serious tone. “I know your father will force you to send your messages to him, instead of my head scout. Please do so, as I have an agreement with the SkyWing Couriers. You are to depart in the next few days.” She brushed her gigantic wings with his, “Nephew, do us proud.”
Winter smiled, swelling with pride, he may finally prove his worth. For Hailstorm. He vowed.
Notes:
So, if you are wondering about Clay and Starflight having little content (so far). No, it's no me following Tui's steps. They will have huge roles later on. Clay particularly will be important for the new MudWing overhaul I have made. I may have cooked some pretty cool stuff for the Mud Kingdom, if I'm allowed to say so myself.
Sunny's semi-arc is finally done! Lots more free space for other characters.
And regarding the upload schedule... Well, life is pretty busy, expect 3-6 weeks between chapter uploads. I don't expect having another 3 month upload gap. I think ;P
As always, if you find any mistakes, or want to discuss any of the details, feel very free to do so!
Chapter 9: Past and Future
Notes:
Hello! We are back with *normal* sized chapters now! This chapter is mostly about setting up the Jade Winglet, and a bit about the DoDs. I'm sure you know what the next steps for the DoD's are!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"Be strong. Be vigilant. Strike first." Narwhal said, brusquely tapping Winter’s forehead as he did, further drilling the moto into his brain.
At the top of the Ice Palace, with the three moons shining brightly on the roof, and the chill wind blowing a bittersweet song, Winter stood with his parents. It was an unceremonious farewell. And it didn’t need to be any other thing; this was just one of the many missions IceWings such as himself went out to do. It was his duty as an IceWing Royal. Ignoring, of course, that his task was degraded from Royal Emissary to mere “spy”. By none other than his father... But it didn’t matter to Winter. Royal mission or no, this was another chance to make Hailstorm proud.
“Remember what I told you,” his father continued, “be very cautious with what you say, you can’t trust any of them. RainWings are weaklings, and NightWing, deceivers, it’s only a matter of time until they use the RainWings as their puppets.”
“And most importantly,” Tundra said, “find out how the RainWings killed Queen Battlewinner. The real version.”
“If she’s even dead,” Narwhal scoffed. “Might be a NightWing scheme. Everything could be, as far as we know. Their deceit knows no bounds.”
“I will find the truth.” Winter reassured them.
“And I expect nothing less. Do as you are told, and everything will go as planned. You need not to waste any more time than what’s needed on these useless diplomatic missions with filthy southerners.”
“Especially with an active war on our front.” Tundra agreed.
“Only the Great Ice Dragon knows what’s happening inside my sister’s mind. She’s going to ruin the entire kingdom if she keeps up.” His father’s eyes then focused on him. “As for you. Get this thing done as soon as you can. Your sister needs you on the frontline. Remember your reports.” As soon as his father finished, he turned around to leave, without looking back.
Business as usual, Winter too turned around to jump from the roof’s platform. No good-byes were needed after all.
“Winter.” Tundra unexpectedly called him.
Freezing in place, he turned his head.
“Please, be safe.” She said, before slowly turning away.
“I will.” Winter replied, with the air briefly stopping so his words could reach his mother.
Now getting ready to truly depart, Winter felt his leather bag and side pouches, making sure he had everything needed. Happy with the contents, he fixed his gaze towards Wintersong one last time before leaping into the air. The city was truly a sight to behold: pristine ice structures and statues marked the beginnings of the Temple of the Great Ice Dragon, dead center in the city, with the main building being of extraordinary complexity. To the west, he could see the Ice District, which had the commoner residential areas, and to the east, four ice spires marked the area of the Snow District, where all the trade and goods flowed. Winter loved going there when he was younger, to buy whatever caught his eye. It brought he very sweet memories, before--
Winter immediately shifted his thoughts. Now was not the time. Taking a deep, strengthening breath, Winter leapt into the air, swinging his powerful wings to instantly catch the strong frigid winds. His arctic wolf cloak, hunted with his own talons, was the only accessory needed for a smooth flight through the city, as it was common law that in-city flights were prohibited. Not to nobles such as himself, obviously. The pelt served him to identify himself as such. Not that he needed one anyway, it would be a very grave error for any of the city guards to mistake Queen Glacier’s nephew as a mere lawbreaker.
Flying past building after building, slowly, Wintersong’s tune grew more faint and faint as he approached the outer ice city walls, with a very small guard retinue keeping watch. Just more signs of IceWing superiority; there were virtually no crimes, and up here in the frigid north, no tribe could touch them. There was no need for that many guards, it was harmonious… Until a figure from the wall jumped and started flying towards him.
This dragon was also wearing an arctic wolf cloak, Winter noticed. Another noble. Was he going to get blackmailed or become a pawn in a scheme again? His question was swiftly answered as the dragon continued to approach him.
“Snowfall? What are you doing here?” He asked, confused.
“Hello, coussssin.” Snowfall greeted as she usually did, “Going off to a big adventure, I see. I hope you don’t mind me not joining you. Your task seems… way above my skill set.” She grinned, sarcastic.
Winter just rolled his eyes. Why was she here? “Right. Of course. You want me to repay you for that hint you gave me earlier or what?”
Snowfall briefly tilted her head, confused. “Oh. I had forgotten about that.” She then gave him the most insincere smile Winter had ever seen in his entire life. “How kind of you to remind me of your debts, cousin.” Then, the smile was instantly gone. “Not here for that, though. On a more serious note, take this.” Snowfall searched one of the bags on her side, and produced a small leather pouch. She swung it in an arc towards him.
Winter deftly caught the bag, making a sweet ‘clink’ sound as it landed on his talons. “What’s this?” He asked as he opened the bag. It was filled with gold coins.
“Cousin, have you hit your head recently? What kind of royal would go outside without a fair bit of gold to ease their tasks? Or have you forgotten that we use gold?” She haughtily said. “Not that I’d need some. I can get jobs done without gold.”
“Right. Gold.” Of course he would need some to buy services and other things. Every civilized tribe used gold. Not that his parents gave him any…
“And, this envelope.” She got close, and deposited it in his talons. It was sealed shut with the Royal IceWing seal. This was an important document, it seemed.
“What’s inside?” He asked.
Expecting mockery for such an imprecise question once again, Snowfall instead answered in all seriousness. “Your royal decree as an official IceWing envoy. My mother decided to go ahead with the decree, because she trusts you will keep your mouth shut about it.”
“I thought it was just a scouting mission?” Winter replied, surprised by the news. He was the Royal Emissary to the Rainforest Kingdom now?
“Not just.” Snowfall said, raising a claw and closing her eyes, as if lecturing him. One could really tell she was Queen Glacier’s daughter. “You are to be a scout, a spy and a diplomat; ideally, a mighty warrior-envoy. To show those RainWings and NightWings that, just like in a fight, we IceWings are a very capable tribe in diplomacy as well.”
A warrior-envoy… And a royal emissary? But he was always trained to be a soldier, and to navigate the treacherous IceWing politics! He hasn’t been taught on how to deal with the less civilized tribes! What if he messed up?
“You can’t be seen making such a face, cousin. But don’t worry, I’m sure you are a natural.” Before Winter could rearrange his face, she got close, and her tail briefly brushed his in mid-air. A very rare and brief show of physical affection by Snowfall. “Safe travels, Winter,” she said, sounding entirely too honest coming from her. “This is good-bye for now. I have to go before I’m seen.” With that, she flew past Winter.
Before Winter could take control of himself over the maelstrom of emotions he was experiencing, Snowfall was long gone.
After a long day of flying, Winter took refuge inside a little cave opening close by the SkyWing border for the night, though his sore wings were the least of his concerns. He was still unsure what to feel about the fact that both of his parents sent him away without saying ‘good-bye’, and that Queen Glacier and Snowfall did. Hailstorm too would have for sure… He sighed. Winter sure was glad Hailstorm wasn’t here to look at the mess he’d become without him. Feeling sad because his parents did not bid him farewell… There was a war going on, and this is what saddened him.
Burying his pity, Winter searched one of his bags, and took out a comfortable pelt, perfect to use a pillow. Stretching his wings, arms and releasing a powerful yawn, he placed his head on the pillow and relaxed his body. Tomorrow, he’ll venture towards SkyWing territory, and thank the Great Ice Dragon it’s neutral grounds now. Just some months ago, his task would’ve been considered suicidal, as getting to the Rainforest would require going through multiple front-lines…
Winter’s mind began to drift away. With his breathing steadying, he slowly succumbed to sleep… Until his brain registered a strange sound coming from the cavern rock itself. His eyes snapped open, irritated. One of the many things that really got under Winter’s scales: Irritating noises when trying to sleep. He could count the many times he had to shout at some playing dragonets to keep the noise down, down on the castle courtyard, up from his window, or on the residential rooms passageways, through his door.
But… this was most certainly not dragonets this time. Or at least that’s what he thought. Please, no strange, secret creepy cave dragon tribe. Winter prayed. It would most definitely ruin more than his night, and then some. Moving his pillow away and taking his ear to the bare rock, he intently listened, trying to determine what the noise was. It was a strange tingling, like if the rock itself was humming, vibrating, somehow. It was clearly coming from inside the cave. What on Pyrrhia is that? Winter thought.
Taking his ear off the cavern rock, Winter looked deeper inside the cave: it was completely dark, and seemed like a pretty bad idea to explore it. IceWing were reputed to be the worst cave navigators out of all tribes. No flames to provide light, and no night vision to see in the dark, unlike those ruin-dwelling NightWings, who were perfect for caves.
Winter then took his eyes outside the cave. It was very dark outside already. What should he do? Search for a new cave to sleep? But he really wanted to know what that sound was. Winter then slapped his forehead, his spike mane clattering from the impact. He had a Gift of Light in one of his bags! Standing up, he opened one of the bags and grabbed the now-off orb. Tapping it lightly, it started to shine brightly, illuminating the immediate area completely with a white light. Perfect. Winter wasn’t sure if what he was about to do was wise, but there was a certain morbid curiosity about that noise that called him… Probably because he really wanted to beat the crap out of whatever was preventing him from sleeping.
Leaving frost-breath trails here and there to mark his way, Winter explored the initial cave entrance. It was a surprisingly uniform passage, but then one of the cave openings had a faint, blue light coming out of it. Unsure if it was smart to approach, Winter tapped the light off, and let it float on his shoulder. He stealthily tried to approach the opening. Holding his breath, it really seemed like the tingling noise was coming from there. Holding his neck spines as steadily as he could, he slowly craned his head over the opening.
It was a rocky room. A very empty one, with the exception of strange, runic carvings on the wall, glowing blue, like if taken straight out of a magic story. What in the frost is that? The rational part of Winter’s brain was telling him to go back for backup, that confronting whatever this alone was was a bad idea. The dominant part of his brain, however, was telling him to investigate right now. What kind of IceWing gets intimidated by some glowy runes? How many spots in the rankings did he intend to lose by displaying such cowardice?
Turning the orb back on, Winter gathered up his courage and entered the room. With better lightning, he finished examining the small room, it truly was empty. No ghosts or weird things waiting for him. Which inevitably led him to the rune carvings. Standing in front of them, it was unlike anything he’d ever seen. But you have seen something like this. His mind whispered. The incandescent blue carvings on the Ice Palace… But not quite exactly the same. These runes shone as if imitating a bluer, less intense aurora borealis. This eased Winter’s worries, this was IceWing magic, probably. Safe and secure.
Taking a step closer, Winter began examining the runic letters. He was unsure what their meaning was. He was aware of old draconic, the language that unified all dragon-kind under The Scorching, and of course, the current language, a more refined version of old draconic, now called common draconic. But neither of them had runes. Not entirely happy with how the prospect was going, Winter attempted to determine the composition of the runes with his talons.
The second his talons touched the carving, a flash of light erupted from the runes! Scared scaleless, Winter leapt back in panic, observing in wonder at first, but then in terror and despair; something was coming out of the runes! Immediately, a thousand thoughts passed through his head. Was this Darkstalker’s prison he just discovered and freed? An ethereal talon manifested itself, then an arm, then the wings, and soon, an entire body. A ghostly IceWing was suddenly there, frozen in time! Levitating at the level of the runes just as the runes stopped glowing! Why was this IceWing so oddly familiar to Winter…?
But before he could fully process what kind of magic this was, or who this was, the IceWing apparition suddenly began moving… and talking with a female voice.
“14th of Imperial’s Rise, 649 AGM,
I truly hope that my tribe-mates can appreciate just how big of a sacrifice I’m making. Had they kept rambling on and on about the Sun and the Moons, and who we are as a tribe, I would’ve been… ethically compelled to commit extreme acts of violence against them.” The apparition said, a bit too full of sarcasm.
The Sun and the Moons? AGM? What is this IceWing talking about? Winter thought in the brief pause. The only thing he could recognize was the day and month, based on the Pyrrhian Lunar calendar.
“And now here, in complete isolation, connected with nature, I awaited for the answer to that precise question. As I knew it would come. It was written in the winds, in the shivers of my body. But… the answer didn’t come in the way I had hoped for.
I was there, contemplating the sunset on the mighty tundra, when I came across a sight of a pure and primal force; A beautiful Great White Stag, standing on a hill, silhouetted against the setting sun. It appeared like an awe inspiring, divine messenger; as if Pyrrhios himself had sent it to me.
Even to a cynical dragon such as myself, who is based on logic, and is less susceptible to instincts and desires: it was clearly a moment of revelation. I could feel it building up inside my mind, the culmination of several days of meditation!
As the stag approached my now extended talon, I begged for it to give me its wisdom, its eternal insight... But then the beast smelled my talon, and fled in panic. It was at that moment that the revelation hit me: Just like the stag, who is a being of astounding stupidity, driven only by impulses and instinct, so does Nature, and in effect, Nature has nothing to offer to us. We shouldn’t look for answers or wisdom in it. Not in the Moons, as we are currently trying to, and certainly not in the Sun. The answer for us as a tribe lies elsewhere.”
And just as the IceWing appeared, she was now gone, as the runes started to glow again. Winter tried to calm his racing heart. What on Pyrrhia did he just witness? Was the IceWing implying they were Moon worshipers before? But the cult of the Great Ice Dragon is over 4,000 years old! Was this a prank? Or was this an incredibly old animus-powered diary he just found out? If true, then it seemed this dragon was looking for religious answers in nature. Winter wondered who this was, and if she ever found the answers she was looking for.
Even a part of his brain whispered in wonder ‘Could this actually be the Great Ice Dragon?’. But his rational self was quick to dismiss the idea; the Great Ice Dragon was male. A disciple of his, maybe? It is known that he had many such disciples. Regardless, Winter had uncovered a very valuable piece of IceWing history, if it wasn’t already cataloged. He had to send a message back to Queen Glacier telling her of this place.
Of course, for that he needed to draw how to find this particular cavern. A perfect excuse to continue that unusual hobby of his. Going back to his little sleeping site, his idea was quickly slashed away for obvious reasons; it was night, he couldn’t see his surroundings. Shrugging, and with no one else to even discuss his findings, Winter decided to sleep. Maybe seeing the ghost of a 4000 year old IceWing would allow him to sleep now? He couldn’t help but repeat the monologue in his mind. Was it him, or was the humming noise gone…?
Winter laid down on his makeshift bed, wondering what tomorrow would bring. It wasn’t long before he fell asleep.
Winter groggily opened his eyes, half-expecting to maybe see the last night’s apparition in front of him. But there was no one else here, and no strange dreams, either. Standing up, Winter examined his surroundings. Everything was in the corresponding place. No animus curses to be seen… yet. Or was it all a weird dream? He went back into the cave, but the rune carving was still there. Deciding against playing the diary again, Winter went to illustrate the instructions to this cave. Maybe it’ll help him clear his mind. This weird animus diary was an unnecessary distraction, after all.
But as he dipped his claw into his ink-pot, he couldn’t help but wonder, who was that? And why didn’t the history books mention her? She was clearly some ancient animus… and if his story lessons didn’t fail him, all IceWings animus were of royal blood. Maybe if he dug deeper, he could find out who she was?
Winter also couldn’t help but notice that the runes were obviously of animus nature. And all animus spells had to have the approval of the Queen… But this IceWing mentioned being a Moon worshiper… how far did the Queens trace back? Was this spell done before, or after the Gifts were made? Before Winter knew, his drawing was finished. Complete with the split pine near the oval shaped rock that was close by. His fellow IceWings won't be able to miss this cave for sure.
As he cleaned the ink from his claws, a sudden chill wind made him freeze. Why had this happened so early on his journey…? Something was on its way, Winter realized. Coming from the direction the wind was blowing; from the southeast. Something hidden - a miracle. He could feel it in the cold summer air. Looking at the rising sun, at its beautiful aurora… Winter smiled for the second time in several years. His journey had now truly begun.
Glory was relaxing on the sunny treetops, head laid on her crossed talons. She wished she could just stay here forever on her suntime… No stupid problems to bother h--
“Lazy snail.” Someone muttered close to her, waking her up as she was about to drift to sweet sleep.
Who dared? Glory snapped her eyes open, and immediately found herself under the intense stare of bright yellow eyes.
Yelping and scrambling in complete panic, Glory tried getting into a more defensive position… but then gave up half-way through and just ungracefully flopped on the treetop.
“You need to seriously stop doing that.” She groaned as she craned her head to look behind.
Scarlet was just standing there, with a perfectly devious smile, examining her claws, but then she frowned as she addressed Glory. “Why are you still here? I made good on my promise, now you have to free me.”
“I’m working on that!” She said, frustrated. Why was Scarlet bothering her now!?
“I really can’t see that,” Scarlet said, as she scornfully looked around the Rainforest Village. “That flimsy building was certainly not there a few days ago,” she said, pointing at the half-built library. How would Scarlet know? Was she actually looking at the real village? Glory quickly answered her own question, spotting her own curled body peacefully sleeping close to Scarlet's apparition. Uh-oh. It seems Scarlet is, in fact, looking at the very real village.
“Well, I can’t just leave and free you. There are dragons here that need me.” Glory replied, standing up.
“A deal is a deal,” Scarlet said, crossing her arms. “I have even refrained from dreamvisiting your friends. I could be doing all sorts of nasty things with the Dreamvisitor. So I hope you can at least see I’m being very serious about your promise.”
Was she feeling pity for Scarlet? A murderous psychopath? Surely not. Though Glory did notice that Scarlet was thinner than before. Was Burn starving her? This is karma. Glory thought. Though, personally, she found that starving Scarlet was a bit too boring and cruel. Glory also noticed that Scarlet’s face was healing, somewhat. There was now a semblance of what once were scales on the melted portion of her face, and her jawbone was no longer blatantly visible. Her snout was still malformed, as was her eye, which still looked pulled out and out of proportion.
“Like what you see?” Scarlet said smiling, noticing her ogling. It was unnerving how fast Scarlet rearranged her face back into a ghoulish looking aberration. Was Scarlet aware how ugly her face actually was?
“Listen, I can’t just abandon everything and go free you.” Glory insisted.
“And here I was, thinking you were smart… Are you aware of just how much I know about your little operation here? And you have the gall to give me excuses? One small whisper is all it would take…” She ominously said.
“Alright! Don’t get your tail all twisted up into a knot! I got this, trust me.” Glory lied. She knew ignoring Scarlet after having her help on Ruby’s deal was a long shot. And a bit of a scumbag thing to do, even if it was done to one of the most evil dragons currently alive. Glory didn’t need to fight scum with more scum. She had standards to keep, after all.
“Three days.” Scarlet got awfully close to her. “Three days is all I’m giving you. I want a plan. A realistic plan to get me out of this place. Maybe send one of your RainWings, I don’t care! I just want to get out of this horrible place! If not, you'll have every single dragon you care for dead before you know it.”
And like that, Scarlet was gone once again. Glory sighed. Why was Burn doing this? Just kill Scarlet! Why was she being such a stupid idiot?!
After venting, Glory noticed she was still dreaming, somehow. Her actual, physical body was curled up, angry red from her venting earlier, slowly going back to her natural colors. Glory couldn’t help but watch herself, completely amazed. Is this what being dead felt like? How was she looking at herself? For once, Starflight might actually have some information she actually wanted to hear, an actual explanation for this.
But then she saw a blue dragon flying at her, down from where she was resting. It was Tsunami. Surely it had to be part of the dream, right? It’s not like she would be aware of her surroundings while sleeping… Right? She saw how Tsunami carefully landed behind her, and saw her talons reaching out to her, probably to try to wake her up. But then Tsunami stopped, and a completely malevolent grin replaced her bored expression. Oh no. Tsunami was taking a very large breath. Glory knew what she was about to do.
Somehow, as if commanding the dream to stop, she abruptly took control of her body. Glory rapidly twisted around and raised a claw in front of Tsunami’s face, interrupting her most evil plans.
“No.” Glory simply said.
Tsunami was clearly surprised. “How’d you…?”
“You are not the stealthiest flier.” Glory said. That’s totally how I caught you…
Tsunami just shrugged. “Well, get your sleepy tail off the tree,” she said, slapping off her talon, “Clay wants us in the Royal Pavilion.”
“Huh?” Glory said, standing up. “Clay? Who gave him permission?” She jokingly asked.
“He said it was very important,” Tsunami said, poking her lightly with her tail, making Glory tense her entire body by instinct. “So you better go there now.”
Tsunami soon took flight, and went towards the Pavilion. Annoyed at having her suntime interrupted twice in a row, Glory followed her.
Landing on the platform, she entered her own Pavilion, and was quickly overwhelmed with déjà vu. Starflight once found himself in her exact same position. Though she hadn’t committed any treason… And all her friends were here now. Tsunami, Sunny and Starflight stood before a nervous looking Clay, near the center of the pavilion. It truly was a rare sight to see Clay being nervous about anything, he probably was the most confident out of the five of them. Part of her even found it a bit cute just how nervous he was… but the more serious part was worried, what’s this about? Glory decided to sit besides Sunny.
Before any of them could ask Clay what this was about, he took a deep breath. “Okay… You are all probably wondering what this is about.”
A dark face suddenly popped from a window behind Clay. “Oh! I know! Is this the dramatic culmination of all that secret love-letter-sending?” Deathbringer asked, with a surprisingly romantic face. What was he even talking about?
“Well… no,” Clay said, not even looking behind. “I was just asking Starflight for help in these letters… I’m not the best at spelling. First impressions matter, you know?” Glory noticed Starflight’s slight blush, making her raise a brow.
“Deathbringer! Shoo!” Glory exclaimed. Deathbringer just winked at her and disappeared. Stupid ruffian.
“But yes… I’ve been sending letters,” Clay continued. “And please, don’t take this the wrong way, but I've been in contact with Queen Moorhen. Or well, a delegate of some sorts.”
Queen Moorhen … Glory worriedly thought. What could Clay be discussing with her? Certainly not about choosing Burn as the successor, nor would he be spying for her. Clay would never do something like that behind their backs.
“Queen Moorhen?” Tsunami asked, tilting her head. “About what?”
“Well… Asha was to be our MudWing guardian. So… I never really got to learn about all my MudWing heritage. Just brief assumptions from scrolls, because our guardians knew nothing about MudWings like me. And Cattail was certainly not what I expected…” Glory could tell the pained expression on Clay. His mother didn’t really care about him at all, she personally witnessed it.
“But on my quest for my parents, I did find my real sibs. Which then leads me to you.” Clay finished, signaling to them.
“Us?” Starflight said, confused.
“I asked Queen Moorhen about MudWings traditions, but there was a particular one that stood out to me.” Clay said, as he carefully unfolded a scroll he was holding.
The scroll was heavily decorated, and had big, brown letters, clearly stating what it was in its title, shocking the four of them:
‘Sibling Adoption Certificate
By the eternal flame of the Sun and the enduring decree of Queen Moorhen, let it be known throughout the land:
On this day, beneath the passion of Pyrrhios, a bond stronger than any metal is forged.
The following individuals:
Clay, BigWings_______,
_____________________,
_____________________,
_____________________,
_____________________,
…are hereby declared, Brothers and Sisters in blood, inseparable and united. May their paths converge towards shared triumphs, and may they stand as one against any struggle. The Sun and the Law bear witness to this solemn oath.
Signed,
Queen Moorhen, Daughter of the Sun.’
“And so I wanted to ask you…” Clay continued, and for the very first time his voice shook with nervousness. “If you guys would sign this with me. Y’know, to make it official.” He finished with a smile.
“Wow!” Sunny exclaimed, breaking the silence, leaping in utter joy close to Clay. She carefully grabbed the scroll and examined it. “Clay, this is so wonderful!”
Clay was adopting them? Officially? Glory had some doubts about it, she really wasn’t that close with anyone…
But then she remembered. She would be dead without them. Without them, she would’ve spent seven long years inside that cave, only to be murdered by Kestrel, and if not by her, Morrowseer. Noone would’ve been able to know about her at all, those seven years would’ve turned into nothingness, as if she never even existed… And she had also killed for them. Twice. It hurt her soul like the venom she spat that she was the biggest killer of the group. But she’d do it all over again for them. They were obviously something more than friends, something far more important.
“What did you do with the real Clay?” Starflight jokingly said, coming close and grabbing the certificate from Sunny. Truly, it was easy to forget how smart and insightful Clay could be at times. “It’s really beautiful too. When do we sign?”
Then Starflight, Sunny and Clay looked at her and Tsunami expectantly. They were still apart from the group.
“What?” Glory said, stretching her wings. “I’m obviously signing it. Why did you guys give me that look?” She got close to the group, and grabbed the adoption certificate. It truly was a beautiful scroll, though she found it a bit too muddy for her liking. Inevitably, it led the four of them to look back at Tsunami. She wouldn’t meet their eyes.
“Tsunami…” Sunny started, worry in her eyes.
“It’s not what you think,” Tsunami said, finally looking at them. “I truly consider you guys family… But what about my… other… family?”
“Don’t worry,” Clay kindly said, “I actually asked about that, since you and Sunny both have… ummm. Normal? Families? This certificate won’t make you lose your real families, which also includes my sibs. We’d be like an extra family branch, who can’t inherit family titles, whatever that means. You know, this is how unsibs join up and make new families.” It felt odd that Clay didn’t mention Starflight’s family too. Maybe it was already discussed in their secret-letter sending?
Sunny grabbed the certificate again. She seemed like she could just stare at it for hours. “Clay… you have no idea how much this means to me.”
“And to me,” Clay replied, wings brushing together. “I um… might’ve forgotten to bring some ink… But I’m sure we can sign it whenever.”
“Wait, but what did Queen Moorhen ask in exchange?” Starflight asked. “Do we have to pick Burn as a successor?”
“No,” Clay replied, shaking his head. “She didn’t ask for anything in exchange. Moorhen told me this is way more important than the war. That it’s the right of every MudWing. She even made the inter-tribal exception because, well, I’m the MudWing Dragonet of Destiny.”
“Too muddy,” Tsunami said as she examined the certificate. “But I like it.” Her eyes then landed on Glory. “I guess we are now sisters, huh. Or soon to be.” She shrugged.
“One big, dysfunctional family,” Glory said, smiling, “Couldn’t be any prouder.”
“Which would make me your older sister.” Tsunami said, in a bossy tone.
Glory eye-rolled, “You are older by seconds, Tsunami.”
“And, as your older sister,” Tsunami pointed at the window with her head, “Why don’t you get rid of that spying thing?”
Glory turned around. It was Deathbringer looking at them, from a different window now, head propped on his talon with a romantic face. She decided to approach him with a sly smile.
“You know,” he said with his stupid handsome smile as she got close, “Looking at you dragons playing all this little mushy family… It feels… revitalizing…”
“A shame such an intimate moment got ruined by your presence.” She said dryly.
“I mean, I was into something, wasn’t I?” He said, proudly pointing at himself. “I knew Clay was sending stuff behind your back. I was about to tell you about it, but… then I saw him sending letters to Starflight back and forth…” He released a romantic sigh.
“You weren’t even remotely close on what the contents were. Love letters, seriously?”
“Please. What’s the difference?” He said, dismissively waving his talon, “Sibling love… homoeroti-”
“Stop.” Glory placed a claw on his snout. “I don’t need that image in my head.”
“What I’m saying is… It makes fighting for a certain someone all the more important,” he finished with a wink. "To that one lady, for whose sake I would rip out my heart."
“Ugh, Deathbringer, that was really bad.” Glory shoved him away, though she couldn’t help but feel the weird twist her stomach did. “Go bring us some ink, will you?”
“Already done,” he said, suddenly, a black ink pot was on his talons. “Like I said… I may or may not know what’s happening here,” He deposited the ink pot on her talons. “Such as Clay forgetting ink. Very important stuff, I know.”
“Huh…” she muttered.
“Now go,” he said, “Enjoy your newfound family.”
And for once, it seemed, Deathbringer truly meant it.
Moon was very used to loud noises causing her headaches. It was the way of life now, regardless of whether they originated from thoughts, or the physical world. Music, however, was an unexpected experience. It was more than mere noise; it had direction, bringing a pleasing air to the Rainforest afternoon. The same could be said about the bustling party at the Royal Pavilion, overflowing with happy thoughts. Having never known music or parties (and now that she knew about them, she thanked the Moons about that), Moon was shocked by the simultaneous occurrence of both, especially since they emanated from the same location. It was the perfect recipe for disaster for her. But the headache never came. It was virtually impossible to feel anything other than happiness now, from the intense celebration going on.
She also couldn’t help but recoil when the roars of laughter reached her ears, as the joy from them reached the mind. It was perplexing to her; something so potent was usually very dangerous…
“Can you gather what’s that all about?” Secretkeeper asked. They were sitting on the treetops, observing the ruckus from a considerable distance.
“The Queen is adopting someone… or multiple someones? I don’t know how it works. I can’t gather much.” She replied, closing her eyes, trying to feel the flurry of thoughts. There were too many thoughts cramped in one place.
“It’s alright,” she said, brushing her wings, “don’t strain yourself too much.”
“What do we do?” Moon said. They were supposed to be working on the library, but now there was this sudden party, and none of the RainWings were showing up.
“I’ll ask around, be right back.” Her mother answered. Before Moon could say anything, she was already flying towards the party.”
Moon sighed. There goes the company. She couldn’t help but look at the library, their collective doing. She felt proud to see it slowly take form.
Another thought brushed lightly with her mind. It’s like someone was really trying to not think about her, but at the same time, failing completely several times. She instinctively turned around, and saw a light yellow SandWing turning his eyes away from her just in time, sitting near one of the trees. The yellow SandWing from that other time.
He then just raised his brow and gave her a cheeky smile. You caught me. Both his face and mind said. Curious, Moon tried probing his mind from a distance, and quickly found herself blown out from the sheer speed his mind processed everything. She was assaulted with all kinds of information about the party, how many guests they were, the instruments they were playing, and what kind of food they were having, all gotten from his own senses. His mind was still as fast as the day she met him.
Such was the assault that she didn’t even hear him landing near her. “Hey,” he simply said. There were about a dozen thoughts ready to go off about her, but luckily the SandWing, Qibli, kept his cool. He really was trying to keep his thoughts quiet. And also Moon didn’t really want to pry his mind. “I guess we didn’t introduce ourselves properly last time. I’m Qibli.” He said, elegantly pointing at himself.
Though they both already knew their respective names, Moon just said what Qibli wanted to hear. “Hey… I’m Moonwatcher, but just Moon is alright.” She answered.
Her voice is as beautiful as her scales. One of Qibli’s thought forcefully escaped, and Moon could notice his mental facepalm.
Was she beautiful? Her mother always said so… but it felt weird to be called like that by strangers, twice now. She really was trying to keep his thoughts away, too.
He cleared his throat, easing the awkward air between them. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Moon. Not too many NightWings around here.”
“I guess not,” she replied. “My tribe isn’t really on the best terms with the world…” And she and her mother had nothing to do with it.
The things I’ve heard. Qibli thought. Thorn doesn’t like them, and it's for very good reasons. This ‘Thorn’ was of absolute authority to Qibli, someone he valued greatly, almost like a mother. But despite that, he was here with her. “You guys need time. I’m sure Glory will whip the rest into shape.” He said.
A rapture of laughter interrupted her before she could speak, with Moon jumping from the sudden noise. Still quite nervous. His mind whispered, and she could tell how her name, “Moon” was now tagged with “nervous” inside his mind. She found it quite upsetting. She wasn’t nervous all the time!
“Ah,” he said, craning his head to his side, looking at the Royal Pavilion. “Adoption party. Never been to one before. Feels pretty weird.” Though Qibli called it weird, part of his mind whispered ‘wished it happened to me, too’.
“Adoption?” Moon asked. How did that work?
Qibli nodded, “They aren’t really related. But they fought together, traveled together… dealt with all kinds of dangers together. So they are adopting themselves as family. MudWing tradition, from what I hear.”
“Oh. But why aren’t you there? Were you invited?” Moon already knew he was invited, but his reasoning was locked tight in his mind.
“I was. But I just… felt like a leech, I don’t know. Besides, I hardly know any RainWing jokes.” He shrugged. Moon knew it was because of something else. But again, locked tight in his mind. “I don’t even know any NightWings jokes, either.” He looked at her eyes directly.
Moon met his eyes, but before she could even notice, the ground underneath her collapsed . She was falling… And falling…
The cold air blew from all directions as tears fell unto her bruised talons. Corpses at her feet, one silver blue, one green, and another red. But the corpses paled in comparison with what she'll have to live with now. The face of insanity was here. And they had lost.
“Qibli, you have to stop this!” Someone cried, muffled and distant. It was her voice, Moon realized in shock. She was the one crying.
But he ignored her. ‘Search the most trust-worthy dragon you can find and bring them to me.’ He wrote in a paper scroll with his claws, whilst holding a red gem. ‘Kill anyone who is not trust-worthy.’ He continued writing below.
As he placed the last period on the scroll, the entire world cried one last time in unison as it was enveloped by a deafening, brutal silence. He turned around to look at her, eyes full of malice.
A warm talon touched her shoulder, making her jump with a gasp. “Moon? Are you alright?” Qibli worriedly asked as he recoiled. I knew it was a bad idea… His mind whispered miserably.
Her heart was racing. Moon tried to steady her breathing. It was the second time now. Violently taken back by her visions in broad daylight. And this vision was certainly the most alarming one. She could sense Qibli’s kindness and how he was worried about her, which raised the question, was that the same Qibli in the vision? From the first time she saw him, he knew how kind and considerate he was. Are those just glimpses of possible futures? How could such a dragon turn evil like that? Why did the scroll do that? What kind of scroll was that?
Stopping her train of thought, Moon remembered she had an audience. “S-sorry,” she squeaked. “I was just… thinking… about the adoption, I don't understand it. I’m not very smart.”
Qibli’s mind was now tentatively hovering the word ‘very’ under Moon’s ‘nervous’ tag. “Oh… you kinda spaced out for a bit…” Qibli said, his mind picking a whirling of possibilities explaining how this could have happened.
Moon really disliked doing this, but she said the one thing that made sense inside Qibli’s mind. “Yes,” she nodded several times, “It’s this medicine I take for my headaches… It’s not very good, as you can see…”
“Ahh.” Qibli muttered, now smiling. “Well, the RainWing doctors are pretty good, from what I hear. Also the only bunch who know how to read. Maybe you could ask them for something else?” Thought she was a bit weird for a second. Qibli’s mind said, calming himself. And Moon was very pleased as the ‘very’ tag from her ‘nervous’ tag was taken away.
“I know,” she said, shily playing with her scales with a claw, “I mostly stick outside the Village… I often get a lot of weird looks. And… I don’t think RainWings like me that much.”
A violent whirlwind of happiness and bubbles brushed Moon’s mind. She knew she cursed herself the second she said that.
“Oh Moooony!” Kinkajou called at a distance. “Hey Moon! Guess who got kicked out of the- OH! Moon! You didn’t tell me you brought a sandy dragon!” She squealed as she landed near them. He’s so handsome! Kinkajou’s mind screamed. “Hey! Hi. Hello. Who are you?”
“Oh, hello,” Qibli’s eyes then briefly found her, as if saying ‘I thought they didn’t like you’ in a rather comical way. “Qibli’s the name.”
“So good to have you here! Maybe we’ll just have enough colorful dragons to make a rainbow someday!” She shook Qibli’s talons. "I'm Kinkajou."
“You... said you got kicked out of the party?” Qibli asked.
“Yes!” She indignantly said. “Not that I was invited in the first place. Only for grownups, whatever that means. But I don’t care about that party anymore! Two new friends now!”
Moon was very happy to hear that. Her mother will be pleased to know she has her very first friends now.
“Friends.” Qibli repeated back, his eyes landing on her. She smiled back.
But Moon couldn’t help but worry… Will her visions cease to assault her? Were they going to turn out to be true? It was all very scary.
A vibrant thought crudely interrupted her thoughts. “So what do you guys wanna do?” Kinkajou asked.
“I don’t know,” Qibli shrugged. “What do RainWings do for fun?”
“Oh, just you wait,” Kinkajou said, stretching her wings, “All sorts of stuff in the Leisure Pavilion. Moon, let’s go!”
Everything will turn just alright, Moon thought, full of hope. She stretched her wings, and jumped with the rest. Maybe having friends is what she needed.
Notes:
So, a bunch of stuff is starting to happen:
-The IceWing apparition is for background purposes, it won't alter the story. No sudden change in plot-line, thankyouverymuch.
-No 8th hidden tribe will appear, that was mostly an evil joke from me. Because if your focus is world-building, then it would probably ruin the fic to me, and to the rest.
-Clay adopting his siblings was the next logical step of his arc. Keep in mind his arc isn't done yet! That's right! More Clay!
-Moon's vision on Qibli might seem that I'm antagonizing him... for now. I assure you I'm not. He is the best boy. Flaws and all.
-I probably forgot about half the stuff that was written here because I foolishly clicked the 'End Notes' tick by accident (it deleted everything).So there. As always, if you have questions, see any mistakes, etc. feel very free to comment.
You have a nice day/night and thank you for reading.
Chapter 10: A Queen's Message
Notes:
Hello! This chapter is special! We have broken 100 kudos and 4000 hits! Though, even if nobody read a word, I'd still write. These characters all deserve a better story regardless. (Kudos really do motivate me, though! So thanks to everyone!)
This chapter is very late, but hopefully it makes it up for it. There were a bunch of gaming releases that distracted me *more* than usual.
At the very least, Chapter 10 is already at 1000 words! Pretty neat, eh?
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The south was exactly how Winter pictured it in his mind, complete with all its disappointments. The North was feared and revered for a reason: It was them who mastered the Animus Magic and its dangers. It was them who established the power structure and the Kingdoms, who established the very first laws in these lands. The south was a mere imitation, a pale copy of the North. Though, Winter had to admit, the Sky Kingdom lived up to its name as the second most powerful Kingdom. It had elegant architecture, visible even from the outskirts of Horizon, and the SkyWings had a strong sense of duty and martialship. The Couriers' continued existence after thousands of years was proof of that.
But there were places where even the Sun wasn't quite able to shine on. Winter had to readjust what “poverty” meant in his brain. Unlike the North, where no one starved thanks to the Gift of Subsistence, here the injured, poor, or sick went hungry, relying on the queen's mercy. Luckily for them, Queen Ruby was rumored to be a competent and kind but inexperienced ruler. And yet the violent shadow of Ex-Queen Scarlet was still visible on the city, and after all this time; they still had to rebuild. The fact that most of them were loyal to a bloodthirsty psychopath not too long ago made it harder for Winter to not hate the city more than usual.
Because he didn’t hate the city because of its poverty, its dirtiness, or sick loyalties. Those barely made a dent on his opinion on the city. He hated Horizon because this is the city in which his brother died… No, this is where he sent his brother to die.
From inside the Courier Spire, up on the mountains that overlooked Horizon's outskirts, where Winter had been glumly watching, someone called out, "Please, come in!"
Turning around, Winter gave one last disgusted look at the city before he walked inside the spire.
A massive, elderly, orange SkyWing, sat near a comically small table (compared to the SkyWing). There were several scroll racks and bookcases filled with all sorts of papers, letters and scrolls, and the entire spire smelled of burnt candles and old papers. ”Welcome,” he said, with a small head bow, “Most unusual to have IceWing visitors here.”
Winter placed the letter with the location of the runic diary on the table “Send this to Queen Glacier. Post-haste. Royal business.” He showed his unopened Royal Envoy decree, with Queen Glacier’s royal seal still intact.
“It will be done.” The SkyWing grabbed the letter after looking at the seal, “Now where was that box…” He muttered to himself as he examined deposit box after box.
“You said IceWing visitor S?” Winter found himself asking after a while, emphasizing the ‘s’. He didn’t know of anyone who had been this far south, by own volition or by orders.
“Ah. Noticed that, did you? How perceptive of you,” the SkyWing said as he placed his message inside an ‘urgent delivery’ box. Winter was very pleased. “Then again, you wouldn’t be an IceWing if you weren't,” he gave Winter an amused smile. “Yes, there was an IceWing who used to send letters here. Never quite got his name though. Not even when I asked.”
“Used to?” Winter said, tilting his head.
The SkyWing nodded. “He stopped coming five or six years ago. Don’t know what happened to him. He was the only IceWing I’d ever seen in my life.”
“But we were enemies at that time. How was he delivering letters here? And why?” Winter questioned further. It was subtext that Winter wasn’t referring to the Couriers, but to the SkyWings as a whole. He already knew The Couriers were unaligned and operated outside the Kingdom’s loyalties, even in wartime. They were the fastest and most efficient deliverers, widely used by almost all of Pyrrhia, to the point that not even Scarlet had enough influence to dismantle them. But… was this SkyWing telling the truth, or just being senile?
“I’m afraid he wasn’t the most talkative,” The SkyWing seemed genuinely puzzled. “He never said anything else. Just a destination and a cold stare. It’s not our job to ask... But naturally I got curious, but dead-ends is all I ever got. It’s like I was speaking to a ghost.” He finished grimly.
“Huh…” Winter muttered. He wanted to write Queen Glacier another letter to inquire further. But later, he had a job to do now. “Thank you.” Winter simply said, before turning around.
“You are welcome.” He faintly heard as he leapt towards the air. Winter left without looking back.
With the letter delivered, Winter continued his journey to the Rainforest Kingdom, but still, he needed to be cautious: while the Sky Kingdom was neutral, the other tribes weren't, so an attack on him was still possible. To be safe, Winter followed the Claws of the Clouds Mountains towards the south, hoping the cold would discourage any hostile SandWings or MudWings. A longer route overall, but a far safer one than heading directly to the Rainforest, which would require going dangerously close to MudWing Territory.
After two days of traveling, the moment he descended from the mountains and crossed the Winding Tail River, Winter realized his mistake. Instead of slowly getting acclimatized to the heat of the south, it felt like Winter had jumped straight into a lava pit. Not even when he was near the desert, supporting the Royal SandWing army in the war, had Winter ever felt such insufferable heat. The temperature felt like it rivaled the desert's, but he knew it was the humidity that made the temperature feel tenfold. Despite this, Winter pressed on. He only had to head east towards the Great Plains now to reach his destination.
After half a day flying, Winter spotted the aggressively green trees and dirty brown shrubbery of the Rainforest in the distance. As he drew near, he was assaulted with all kinds of awful smells, strange noises and howlings. Landing near a waterfall, he struggled to read his map and locate even the agreed-upon meeting spot due to the incessant noise and low visibility. Not quite able to get his bearings and with the sun going down, Winter decided to sleep, fully aware that it would take hours due to the heat and the incessant noises.
Placing his pelt near a river and curling up in a ball to conserve his cold, Winter closed his eyes…
“Do you think that’s the one?” Someone said in his dreams. It was a muffled, distant whisper.
“Can’t we just berry it to be safe?” Another voice asked. “Look at the size of those claws…”
“This dragon looks violent even in their sleep.” A third voice joined.
“No. Queen Glory said we can’t. We are expecting a very important guest. No sleeping berries allowed.” The first voice whispered.
“Well, they look all cold and sparkly. Certainly looks like a… umm, SnowWing, was it? Even froze a part of the river.”
“IceWing, yes, looks like it. BRRRR! Can you feel how cold they are?”
Winter’s consciousness forcefully returned to him. This wasn't a dream! There were others talking about him in the real world!
Winter swiftly opened his eyes to find himself staring at four pairs of intensely colored eyes and violently colored scales. Startled by his sudden awakening, both he and the strange dragons yelped and jumped back in alarm. Scrambling to a defensive position, Winter tried facing them, trying to secure his position near the river bank… but then his foot hit something solid, making him trip. As he fell, Winter realized he was nowhere near where he originally slept. It’s like his body had crawled into the cool river to sleep there during the night… and froze part of the river in the process, making him trip.
With a loud splash, Winter then leapt back up and turned around in battle stance. The strange dragons were changing colors now! RainWings! Why were they turning green?! Distraction tactics? Why were they just standing there?!
“Excuse me, frosty new dragon,” someone suddenly said, up from a nearby tree. “Would you happen to be a diplomat?” He asked, as if one would just casually come across a dozen any other day.
“Depends on who’s asking.” Winter icily replied, eyeing his opponents with absolute caution. It would be five versus one, he didn’t like his odds. The one on top of the tree seemed way more alert and wary than the others too.
“My name is Mangrove,” he continued, “and this is my partner, Orchid,” he said, pointing to one of the green RainWings, who had a bit of pink tint on her scales. “We are a small detachment sent by Queen Glory, we are expecting an IceWing diplomat, and you seem to fit the description. Are you an IceWing?”
What kind of dragon doesn’t know about IceWings? Despite Winter wanting to lecture this stupid RainWing about the basics, he kept his composure. Not a NightWing puppet, otherwise he would know how an IceWing would look like. Or maybe a cheap trick. He thought. “I am. Prove to me you got sent by Queen Glory.” Winter said, taking out his Royal Decree with the IceWing Royal seal and showing it to him.
The RainWing wordlessly searched his bag, then he produced a small wooden badge. He leapt off the tree and remained at a considerable distance. He then held out the badge for Winter. Squinting, he could see the RainWing royal seal delicately carved on it. “Given to me by the Queen herself.” Mangrove said, ”Would you kindly follow us to Queen Glory? The Queen has been expecting you, and the flight towards our village is no longer safe.” He said, oblivious to the fact they almost got into a fight.
“Alright.” Winter said, relaxing. Following protocol was the next logical step to him, so he gathered his belongings, and followed Mangrove.
“Follow me closely,” he said as he nodded to the other RainWings, then they suddenly disappeared! They were just there with him! Now there’s nothing! Rattled by their sudden disappearance, Winter stopped, the rattling from his back-spines causing Mangrove to curiously turn back to him.
"Whe-what—" Winter choked, momentarily speechless with surprise. He cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "Did the others just turn invisible?"
“Of course. Camouflage is a RainWing skill. I thought outsiders would know about that?” Mangrove asked, not surprised in the slightest.
We only know you are all lazy and stupid. Winter’s brain responded. Because that’s what you have been taught. Because the rumors are not true. His rational part replied. “Of course I knew that,” Winter said, looking down his snout at him, “I was merely asking, in case we got attacked, it’s better to show our numbers.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Mangrove replied, “There’s ten of us right here. I assure you, we’ll be safe.”
Ten? He only saw five of them! They were all here? Suddenly he could tell the tree branches were all swaying more than usual, and it was definitely not due to the wind.
“Let’s move, then.” Winter cautiously said. That was an impressive skill, he had to admit to himself. He will have to keep an eye out and try to spot these other RainWings on his flight. Don’t kid yourself. A bitter part of himself whispered. Even the most well equipped warriors with all these fancy tricks can fall to skill. They still don’t know how to fight…
If Winter thought the south to be disappointing, then the Rainforest really did no justice to that word. It was a lot more than disappointing, it was awful and horrible. It felt like a green hell. Winter was pretty sure Mangrove noticed his distaste, as he didn’t utter a single word the entire flight.
Not only was the heat a lot more noticeable, thanks to the ever increasing humidity, he was also dripping wet all the time. WHY was he wet? He hadn’t been near any water source for hours! It was so frustrating! Also he had crashed into several branches already and flown into several other vines. How could anyone travel in here? How could anyone live here? It was all full of dirty mud, noises, violent colors, awful smells and all sorts of weird insects! The list of annoyances was growing incredibly large, and he had only been here for four hours!
But just as Winter’s patience was running out, Mangrove led the group through a treeline, and past that, the way was all cleared of branches and obstacles; a clean flying path.
Mangrove stopped. “You fly straight ahead, someone should be waiting for you. We have to resume our patrols,” he then looked past Winter, “Report?”
Winter was briefly confused, until suddenly, nine other RainWings materialized behind him, in a disorderly line. So, he wasn’t lying.
“Nothing.” The pink one, Orchid, said.
“I’ll see you later… uh…” Mangrove said, “I guess I didn’t really catch your name. Best of luck, then.” He flew right past him, with the other RainWings following closely.
“It’s Prince Winter,” he replied.
Mangrove nodded while flying, then turned invisible, together with the rest. Winter had to admit to himself, that was not the lazy behavior he’d been expecting.
With the way clear, Winter continued flying. It wasn’t long before he started seeing the outskirts of the Rainforest Village, and most surprisingly, gigantic trees, so big they even had buildings on them! Or buildings carved inside the trees themselves! They were truly gigantic, even the Gift of Light paled in comparison! The North certainly didn’t have such gigantic trees. But Winter's awe quickly turned to anxiety. Where was the welcome escort? Why was no one here paying no heed to him? What kind of tribe would welcome a foreign envoy with such laziness? He could see a bunch of RainWings laying on hammocks or trees, carrying objects or flying around, but none of them seemed worried.
Regardless, he continued flying, slowing down as he drew closer to what he thought would be the heart of the village, until suddenly a yellow figure started flying towards him. A SandWing, he noticed. Immediately all his knowledge about their fighting tactics took hold of his head. But where was the tail-barb? Why was this SandWing so small? A dragonet? It wouldn’t be so hard to defeat this one in a fight, it seemed.
"Hi! Hello!" The SandWing's cheerful, unroyal greeting startled Winter, breaking his trance. She was surprisingly quick; before he knew it, she was already at a respectful distance from him. "You must be Prince Winter," she said with a smile. “You certainly look a lot like your aunt. I’m Sunny.” She bowed with her head. “Welcome to the Rainforest Kingdom.”
Sunny. Winter thought. That was the little SandWing that proved the worth of the Rainforest Kingdom, and the bringer of the news about Queen Battlewinner’s demise. She had impressed Queen Glacier, and any foe of the NightWings was a friend of his. “Thank you, Sunny.” Winter said, trying his best to keep steady under the heat and overwhelming colors of the rainforest.
“Well, you can go now.” Sunny said.
Winter looked dumbfounded at her. Did she misspoke? Under what authority was she dismissing him, just after arriving?
Her eyes widened. “Oh! N-not you, Prince Winter.”
Suddenly, two spear-wielding RainWings appeared beside him. “What the…” Winter said, unable to stop himself.
“We have fulfilled our task,” both of them bowed. ”The IceWing diplomat has been safely escorted, as requested.” One of them said.
It was twice now. Caught off guard, it was most infuriating! How long have they been following him?
“Next time try to not scare our guests, will you?” Sunny said, eying Winter with caution. He really wanted to complain, but he held his tongue. “Anyhow. Prince Winter, this way please.”
At the very least, the flight towards the Throne Room was of relative peace… though… Was his mind paying him tricks, or were there dragons with black scales in one of those buildings? A RainWing merely pretending to be a NightWing? But why would anyone do that? Before he could observe with greater detail, a wooden platform entered his view. They were landing. He saw Sunny entering the Throne Room, unannounced. Winter cautiously followed, but not before peaking inside. He could tell the Throne Room was empty, save five dragons inside, each of a different color. The Dragonets of Destiny. They must be. Taking a deep breath, he entered.
The five dragons waited in a semicircle, with the RainWing lying lazily on a hammock in the middle. Even a part of him didn’t want to bow before them; the Prophecy, the sole thing that made them of any authority to the world, made a mockery of the IceWings, they were not included in it. But neither did it include the RainWings… and she's the RainWing Queen now, that is, if that's the actual queen. There’s common ground to be had here. Winter thought.
Walking before the group, he made a small bow. Not too respectful, but to at least acknowledge them. Respect needs to be earned, after all.
"Prince Winter," the RainWing said, "I'm Queen Glory of the RainWings, and I bid you welcome to the Rainforest Kingdom." She then bowed. While her scales seemed to be arranged in the most obnoxious way, green with blue and orange, there was a certain ferocious aura around her. “Queen Glacier’s commitment to the peace in Pyrrhia is most honorable.”
“I’m glad you all understand the threat the NightWings pose to the entirety of Pyrrhia,” Winter started, his eyes focused on the NightWing besides her. “As does Her Majesty, Queen Glacier, who has personally sent me here as her Royal Envoy.” Winter took out the Royal Decree, proof of his mission. “If left unchecked,” he continued, “only the gods can know what--”
Plink. A big water drop fell from Winter’s chin into the wooden floor, resounding on the entire room… Oh the Rainforest was infuriating! How was he supposed to be taken seriously if he was dripping wet all the time!
“Fascinating…” The NightWing muttered, unconsciously taking a step closer. He observed Winter with curious green eyes. He didn’t like it one bit. “You are so cold you are condensing the humidity around you.” He said, full of wonder.
“What?” Winter ungracefully asked.
“Starflight,” The SeaWing scolded with a whisper, “keep your science nonsense elsewhere.” She then smiled at Winter. If these are keeping the Rainforest together, then I’m as good as dead. Winter thought.
Glory loudly cleared her throat. “You can both play as court jesters later, ” she then signaled to him. “Prince Winter, I think an introduction is in place? As you already know, I’m Glory. The NightWing here, Starflight,” and then he bowed before him, something that puzzled Winter beyond imagination. This ‘Starflight’ really didn’t seem evil at all. Then again, it’s not like he’d seen any NightWings before. Just drawings of them, laughing maniacally and plotting evil schemes. And… of course, there was the fact that they murdered the IceWings prisoners, his brother among them.
“Don’t talk to him about anything related to science, or history. You just might regret your decision greatly.” Glory continued, the NightWing just looked at her with a slightly wounded expression. He expected a way harsher reaction, befitting of a NightWing, but he just appeared normal?
She then pointed to the MudWing. “This is Clay, our BigWings.” Clay clumsily bowed. He smiled warmly at him. We technically are enemies. A hateful whisper came from his deeper mind. But Clay didn’t look like an enemy. He looked too friendly, in fact. “Nice to meet you,” he said, as if following his thoughts and wanting to prove them right.
“This is Tsunami,” And she too made a small bow, her face communicating exactly what Winter did before. You want respect? Earn it. Glory continued, “She’s in charge of the guards and their training.” Muscles rippling beneath her scales, Tsunami stood defiantly, with a scar dangerously close to her throat. Someone who has danced closely with death, and came back victorious. Winter thought.
“And this is Sunny, whom you already know,” she gestured towards the SandWing. “Don’t let her size fool you, she knows some very nasty combat tricks.”
Sunny bowed. “I met Queen Glacier back then,” she said. “Standing before Her Majesty was something else.”
“She did speak of your bravery,” Winter said. “About all of you, in fact. You were directly responsible for Battlewinner's demise and the dethroning of Scarlet. Things that were once unthinkable to happen.”
“Yes…” Glory said, somehow not sounding too happy about it. “We are looking to… slow down… our pace a bit, and settle here for once. As you can imagine, a colorful bunch of troublemakers like us aren’t really welcome in most places.” Who cause all sorts of trouble wherever we go, her face added. “Which is why you are here, as a diplomat. To make our own home now.”
“Indeed, Your Grace,” Winter nodded. “But there’s been a change in plans.”
The five of them shifted uncomfortably with those words. Winter rolled his eyes. “Queen Glacier recognizes the fragility of the situation, where sending letters back and forth won’t suffice, if urgency is needed. As such,” Winter then proceeded to produce his Royal Emissary decree. ”Queen Glacier has appointed me as her Royal Envoy, to be her eyes and ears, and to act on her behalf.”
Winter held his decree out, but clearly, Queen Glory didn’t know protocol, so he motioned to the letter with his head, signaling her to take it.
“Oh. It’s for me.” Queen Glory hopped off the hammock, and delicately grabbed it from his talon.
“It’s for you to open and acknowledge, I get to keep it.” Winter corrected her. And thank the Great Ice Dragon these dragons were as clueless as he was when it came to royal dealings. But by imitating what he'd seen in Queen Glacier's court and other similar proceedings, he could at least pretend that he knew what he was doing. “I think a situational report would be in order?” He asked as Glory casually tore off the IceWing Royal seal. Winter felt desecrated, somehow.
Her eyes were on the document, "Uh... sure,” Glory murmured, ”Starflight, Tsunami, please bring Prince Winter up to speed."
Both of them exchange a nervous look, “Okay,” Tsunami said. “No problem.”
And Winter knew he should’ve expected bad news. But no, these were terrible news. The NightWings should’ve been forced to stay in their hideous secret island and blow up with it, just like they were willing to ruin Pyrrhia for their own gain. Eye for an eye, it’s only fair. After the briefing, he had some ideas. “They are probing your defenses.” They were on a table with a rough drawing of the Rainforest, with various marks showing where the patrols had trouble with the NightWings.
“We’ve gathered that much,” Tsunami said, her tail twitching with anger. “We are focusing heavily on patrols, while leaving only a handful in the village.”
“What about the Royal Guards? What’s their role here?” He asked.
“Most of them are supporting the patrols,” the NightWing said. “We are looking to inflate our numbers. At least until we have enough trained guards.”
“A sound strategy, but leaves you vulnerable if they have spies.” Winter observed.
“We are looking to address that,” the NightWing replied. “We are in talks with Queen Ruby, she’s willing to lend us a drillmaster, to help with the Royal Guards, and train more RainWings and NightWings to our cause. That way we can have higher numbers overall.”
Winter raised his gaze from the map, landing on Starflight. ”NightWings? To train?” He asked, incredulous. Surely none of them would have the right to bear arms. Following an awkward moment of silence, he suddenly had a feeling that something was very, very wrong here.
Tsunami and Starflight briefly looked at each other nervously again.
“Those weren’t black RainWings that I saw on the way here, were they?” Winter said, realizing what was happening. Tsunami stiffly shook her head. They are all already dead. They’ve already lost, and they don’t even realize it. He so wanted to scream at their stupidity. It took everything for Winter to control himself. He couldn’t shout at them. Not now. It would be disastrous. He had to bottle his outrage.
“It’s complicated,” Tsunami said, noticing Winter’s face. “Not all the NightWings believed in Queen Battlewinner’s lies.”
“And by bringing them here, you have fallen to their lies in exchange.” Winter countered. He needed to bring the entire IceWing army here, and kill their ancient enemy before they wiped out the RainWings. Before it’s too late. Both Tsunami and Winter were left staring coldly at each other. She looked like she wanted to argue.
“Prince Winter,” Queen Glory called, she was with Sunny and Clay, who both had worried faces. “I need a little more time with this decree of yours.” Winter looked at his now-opened decree. It wasn’t that long. This RainWing was either stupid, and barely knew how to read, or she’s making excuses. “To make sense of it,” she continued, “In the meantime, Sunny here can show you to your chambers.”
Winter’s eye twitched. “Sure, Your Majesty,” he said.
What a boring day. Not only was Moon busy with the library, Kinkajou was grounded, the troublemaker! What was he supposed to do now? Qibli mentally sighed. Oh how he missed the intense desert heat. How he missed being near Thorn, dancing with her and his brothers and sisters-in-arms, patrolling the Scorpion Den, keeping an eye out for trouble, solving problems and disputes. He was really making a difference back there. Here? He was just an overglorified bodyguard. But at least he had another overglorified bodyguard for company.
“Who would’ve thought we had so much in common,” Deathbringer said. He was deftly launching an apple upwards, then catching it once it fell down.
“I dunno,” Qibli replied, they were both lying on a treetop, enjoying the sun. “The whole ‘My mom is a professional assassin’ thing feels a little weird to mention.”
“Well, you have to see it this way,” Deathbringer said, tossing his apple waaaay up, “If I had a copper coin for every time I’ve met someone with a professional assassin mother, I'd have two copper coins- which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. Yes, that’s including me. Also, she was an assassin,” Deathbringer added, after catching his apple.
“Oh. She got caught?” He asked.
“She died.” Deathbringer simply said, shrugging.
Well… now that’s awkward. Qibli thought. “ I’m sorry for your loss.”
“It’s alright. It’s all sand in the wind, as you’d say.” Deathbringer said, remembering. He seemed… sad.
Qibli tilted his head. So he’s been around SandWings too. And his sadness… To him, Deathbringer’s sadness didn’t strike him as ‘she died peacefully’ but rather, he saw some form of guilt in his face. Regardless, Qibli decided not to push further.
Deathbringer launched the apple high, only to fall directly on his maw. Crunch. “Oh, but let’s not dwell in the past. We are here now. Changing the world for the better.” He said full of wonder, and apple, making a semicircle with his talon, as if presenting him the rainforest for the first time, like it was the most wonderful thing in the world.
“Oh yeah?” Qibli asked, “How so?” He knew the Rainforest had a few special someones, but all of it?
“So, I might’ve gotten this information because of my mind-reading, but, get this,” he said, making a square with his talons, like if setting up a painting, featuring the Rainforest. “An IceWing diplomat will be here soon, as will a few SkyWings. Don’t you just find it fascinating, how IceWing and SkyWings were killing each other a few months ago, and now they are ready to work together all of the sudden?”
“The Royal SandWing army by extent, too,” Qibli said, weighing Deathbringer’s words. “Not that I’m part of it anyway.”
“No?” Deathbringer asked. “I thought, since you came back with Sunny after her encounter with Queen Glacier, you’d be like, a royal bodyguard or something. Pretty much like myself.” He said, with a wink.
“Right,” Qibli said, “More like a bodyguard appointed by the Scorpion Den’s Outlaw Queen.”
Deathbringer paused, then tilted his head, “You mean Thorn?”
“You know her?” Qibli asked, surprised.
“Oh, how small is the world! I do know her, did some…. Errands… for her.” Deathbringer cautiously said.
Qibli’s brow furrowed with concern. Why was Thorn hiring Deathbringer?
“Oh nothing of the sort associated with my name, if that’s what you are thinking,“ Deathbringer shrugged, ”Thorn was my favorite client for sure. Good pay, good targets, clean consciousness. Pretty much everything you could hope for.”
“Clean consciousness?” Qibli asked, raising a brow.
Deathbringer gave an amused snort, “Us assassins have to lie to ourselves. That we aren’t crazy murderers. That it’s our professional job. That’s what I liked about Thorn. She never asked to kill, just to… teach lessons. Very, very important lessons.” Deathbringer said, remembering fondly.
That’s concerning. Never saw that side of Thorn. Qibli thought. What else might have he missed?
“It’s not what your face is suggesting, by the by.” Deathbringer continued. “You see, there are good dragons in this world, then there are the not so good dragons… and lastly, at the very bottom, there are the complete scumbag dragons. Thorn hired me to teach those guys a lesson. There was that one gang leader that robbed the orphanage. Or maybe that other idiot who robbed the soup kitchen, and everyone else on the queue. Those kinds of dragons.” Qibli remembered. Those kinds of dragons were usually associated with Vulture and his goons.
“I mean… the Outclaws usually do their best at protecting the weak, “Qibli replied.” Sadly they can’t be everywhere. Thorn is doing her best.”
“Of course, I don’t blame her. My rates were very high, and she met them regardless. Except that one contract I never really managed to complete, locating a lost NightWing.” That’s Stonemover. Qibli thought with wonder. “She only paid my initial fee, which is all fair.”
“But why would she hire you? The Outclaws can jail those other scumbags.” He said, shifting the topic away.
“Ah. I guess I failed to mention that I wasn’t given a name. I had to track them down as well.” Deathbringer said, before proudly pointing at himself. “A NightWing assassin also has to be an excellent tracker too. I gathered clues, hunted my target, then taught them a lesson. Pretty ethical work, all in all.”
Deathbringer’s eye suddenly snapped on something behind Qibli. “Uh-oh. Gotta go. Nice meeting you, Qibli.” Deathbringer quickly left the scene, leaving Qibli bewildered. He turned around, and saw Sunny descending, together with an IceWing. Oh. That’s why Deathbringer left so quickly. The IceWings are already here? They work fast.
“Hey,” Sunny said as she landed. “Are you busy?”
Behind her, the IceWing landed. “There’s no need,” he said. “I can tour the pavilions tomorrow.”
“But most of them are going to be closed tomorrow.” Sunny replied. She then addressed him. “Could you please show Prince Winter here a brief tour of the pavilions? Glory needs me elsewhere now.”
“Uhh… Sure.” Qibli said, paying no heed to what Sunny was saying. He looked at the IceWing up and down, behind her. The IceWing looked like he was from another dimension, like he really didn’t belonged in here, where everything overflowed with different colors. Shiny, glittering smooth scales, the color of the frozen oases near the Scorpion Den; a beautiful shade of pale blue, a color rarely seen on the most frigid desert nights, mixed with silver-blue scales. He seems very glittery because there's a literal ice layer on him. What’s that about? Qibli wondered. He’d seen IceWings before, but never this close. He also never really noticed just how many spikes they had on their back.
“Well, you two have fun,” Sunny said, before flying away.
Qibli then observed the IceWing… The way he stood, the way he looked at him with displeasure, his posture… This was a royal. Had to be. He smiled, and opened his mouth to introduce himself.
“Don’t bother.” The IceWing immediately cut him off, looking down his snout. “I don’t need someone explaining to me the primitive needs of the population here.”
How rude. But the IceWing just stood there, as if expecting an answer. Oh… he wants to play. And when it was time to play, noone could beat Qibli.
“That’s because you were born familiar with their costumes, right?” Qibli answered back, smiling.
The IceWing looked at him, abashed.
This day was doomed to be a boring one. But now with this royal snob, he could have a lot of fun now. Qibli was really going to enjoy this…
“Is he gone?” Glory said, holding the IceWing’s decree, together with Starflight and Clay.
“He is,” Tsunami replied. What an unpleasantly prickly “diplomat”. They needed a replacement, urgently. She didn’t like how he’d been looking at Glory and Starflight. Not one bit.
“Three moons,” Starflight said. “What have we gotten ourselves into.”
“What?” Tsunami, “We can certainly handle him.” If that IceWing dared to touch any of them, she was more than happy to return him to Queen Glacier inside a soup pot.
“No,” Glory said, “Take a look at this,” and then she read one part of the decree out loud, “‘Should the need arise, the Royal Envoy is authorized to engage and neutralize any dragon deemed a threat to the interests of the host, the mission's objectives, or the Envoy's continued service, in accordance to IceWing law.’ - They are legalizing murder.”
“He can just kill anyone he deems threatening?" Clay said, clearly alarmed by the decree.
“And with my village close to thirty NightWings. That’s a lot of threats. Did you see how he was looking at Starflight?” Glory asked.
“Maybe it’s all a misunderstanding?” Starflight said, unsure, “Maybe he thinks I’m still under NightWing control?”
“I have a feeling, that no matter what we tell him, he won’t believe us,” Tsunami said. “He looked at you as if you had murdered his favorite pet or whatever. And he barely knows you.”
Glory shrugged, “Well, since no one else wants to say it, apparently -- I guess we now have to deal with a racist diplomat. Pretty sure we’ve had to deal with worse. What…?” She said after the looks the three of them gave her.
“You can’t know that,” Clay pointed out. Tsunami wanted to mentally sigh at Clay. Who still wanted to believe the good in everyone.
“Isn’t being a racist kind of the antithesis of being a diplomat?” Starflight asked.
“Yes, but apparently it doesn’t stop an IceWing from dreaming,” Tsunami replied.
With that, Sunny entered the Royal Pavilion. “Alright, I left him with Qibli. What’s happening?” She asked.
“Oh, the usual,” Glory said. “That IceWing you just left with Qibli has the power to legally kill anyone he seems fit.”
“What?!” Sunny cried. Glory showed her the decree. “Oh no! How’s that supposed to help us! About anything!”
“Oh! I know!” Glory said, “We can toss him near Morrowseer! That should work out well for us, win-win regardless of the outcome.” The four of them gave Glory a weird look. “Whaaaat?”
“So, the IceWings aren’t the fix we had hoped for,” Sunny said, thinking of something.
Clay shook his head. “For now. I guess that leaves the SkyWings. Do you think Queen Ruby will deliver?”
Glory had a weird face on her. Tsunami didn’t know what it meant. She was usually really good at reading Glory, so just what was happening behind that skull of hers?
“What if…” Sunny’s expression was beset with doubt, but then a stronger emotion took over. “What if we stopped relying on others to fix our problems?” Sunny said, firmly.
“Huh,” a mutter escaped Tsunami's lips. She’d never heard Sunny say anything remotely close to that tone.
Sunny continued, “What if we, for once, fight for the peace ourselves? Just like we did with Scarlet, or with the NightWings.”
“I mean… I’d like that,” Tsunami replied, “but us and what army?”
Glory looked at her with a frown. That probably wasn’t the best way to word it … But Glory released a sigh, “No... You are right. As much as I’d like charging off with an invisible venom-spitting army and solve all our problems…”
“We can't use an army.” Clay said, “That would go against everything we stand for.”
“I was talking about a metaphorical army, of course.” Glory said, she then turned to Sunny, “But seriously, what do you mean?”
“I wasn’t talking about a literal fight, too,” Sunny replied, “What I mean is… we need to find a way to end the war.”
“That’s what we’ve been trying to do,” Tsunami said. “It’s not like we can just proclaim a winner and then everyone goes home.” She had a feeling she knew what Sunny was trying to say. All of them did, in fact.
“But that’s the thing. We can. We can decide a successor.” Sunny said firmly.
“The Prophecy is false, though,” Starflight pointed out, “I wish it were true, so that we could stop the war for real.”
“But the power granted by the Prophecy to end the war isn’t false. We can choose a successor, and most of Pyrrhia will listen to us, because they still believe in the prophecy.” Sunny insisted.
“You’re saying… we should act now? But what of Morrowseer? What if he wakes and denounces the prophecy?” Glory said.
“That won’t be a problem… Because… We send the messages out now,” Sunny then looked at each of them. “We can try to end the war the normal way, using an army to fight. But then that would take too long, far too many dragons will die, wondering why the war is still going on, while we have the power to end the war right now. We just need to get the three sisters in one place.”
“That’s very unlikely to happen,” Starflight said. “I really want to end the war, but…”
“Unlikely or not,” Sunny said, “We can publicly proclaim a chosen successor… We could even get all the friendly Queens at one place too, proclaim a successor with their backing!”
“We invite Queen Glacier, Blaze, Ruby, and if Glory brings Queen Greatness, that’s five Queens!” Clay said, thinking about the proposal. “We could end the war now.”
“Or, at the very least, destabilize Burn’s and Blister’s realm, if they decide not to come to the summit.” Starflight nodded.
“And why not Blaze’s realm too?” Glory pointedly asked.
“Because… we are supporting Queen Blaze, right?” Starflight asked, uncertain.
Glory sighed, “I suspect that’s why the IceWings were so eager to send us their envoy,” she said, analyzing. “In a way, they are forcing us, if we even decide to proclaim a Queen after all, to choose Queen Blaze. We are trying to improve our relationships, so it would be... the polite thing to choose her.”
“They don’t even care about the relationship and formalities; they only want us to support Blaze,” Tsunami replied.
“But surely, that's the correct choice anyway, right?” Clay asked.
“I would never pick Burn,” Sunny immediately said, “and Blister tried to kill Webs, probably wants us dead too.”
“And that’s the dilemma, right?” Starflight began. “Burn and Blister might be bad choices for us, but what about the SandWings? Burns knows how to fight, and Blister is a cruel but efficient ruler. Wouldn’t we be condemning the SandWings to death if we gave them someone as incompetent as Blaze?”
“I wouldn’t know what to pick, in all honesty,“ Glory said, “It’s pick your poison -- The incompetent and inoffensive ruler, the ruthless, brutal warmonger, or the cunning backstabber; death by starvation, death by war, or death with a dagger on your back.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Tsunami said. Her mother’s council, where government roles were handled by competent dragons. Surely that's the way to lead.
Glory made an eye roll, like saying ‘Here we go again’. “What?! I can give good ideas!” Tsunami defensively said. “What if we just dump Blister and Burn, and make a Council. That way Blaze sits on her pretty throne, and the Council does her actual job.”
“Oh.” Glory said, “Actually, that’s not a bad idea.”
“It’s a great idea, actually,” Sunny said. Well, thank you, Sunny! “So we send the messages. Tell each Queen to come to a summit. There, each SandWing Queen will make her case, and then we choose before them and the Queens.
“I’m in,” Clay firmly said. “We are all in… right?” He then doubtfully said.
“It’s worth a shot,” Starflight nodded, “We can make it work.”
Sunny beamed at them.
“Getting Queen Greatness to come might be troublesome,” Glory said, “and I can’t leave for too long, though I’m sure Mangrove and Grandeur can handle things for a while… So, count me in, I guess.”
The four of them stared at her. “Fine!” Tsunami said. “Fine, yes, of course I’m in. It’s never going to work, but I’ll do it. So. Then… How are we sending the messages?”
“The Couriers, of course,” Starflight said. “They have a spire near the MudWing border.”
“Well, guys, gather around.”Glory said, gesturing, “We have to send a lot of queenly messages to a lot of Queens. So gather some ink, and let’s do this.”
He kept falling, falling and falling, briefly hearing voices that vanished like unfinished, forgotten dreams. But there was one dream that remained. His mission. The most important mission a NightWing had ever gotten. Find a home. No matter the cost. Because the cost… they’ve already seen it. Stillborn hatchlings, dragonets dying from the toxic smokes, homes collapsing under dragons, dwindling food sources, the ever-increasing volcanic threat… And yet, the mainland, fertile and vast, offered a haven from these horrors - a haven the other tribes enjoyed without worry and took for granted. And none of the NightWings could have it. Because life isn't fair.
He'd learned that harsh lesson long ago, when the volcano claimed his dragonets and everyone he once called a friend. He had to struggle, fight tooth and claw, and seize their future from Pyrrhia's uncaring and ignorant grip. Even if only a handful of NightWings survived the struggle to see a new and safe home, it would be worth it.
A flash of light suddenly interrupted his brief state of consciousness. It looked oddly familiar, somehow. Like a light shining through a dense smoke cloud.
A smoke cloud… The smoke… The smoke was coming at him!
Flapping and trying to move away, it was all in vain; he kept falling and falling… Until finally, the toxic cloud was right in his face.
Morrowseer jolted awake with a gasp.
His eyes were trying to adapt to the violent light, all he could smell was the toxic sulfur, and his ears were ringing loudly with his heartbeat. His senses were overloading, and the whole world was spinning. He tried to move, fighting against the blinding light, but then his body impacted something heavily, leaving him flat on a surface. Why were his legs not working? And his arms? Moving anything was hellish... What happened to him? Images flashed in his mind. The volcanic eruption. The evacuation. That RainWing stealing their destiny, their home. The dragonets that stood against him. Then the smoke cloud that overcame him…
A vibration near his head, he opened his eyes, now more used to the light; it was a hind-foot, dangerously close to his face. Two talons suddenly grasped his head, and moved it around.
He met a face with two blue eyes. Soulkeeper, the Royal medic. He saw her screaming something, then suddenly he was lifted and placed into a soft cot. He could tell there were multiple dragons in here, all from the vibration of their voices. A talon suddenly forced his mouth open. He tried to shut it back down, but he was too weak. Then a herb was shoved back down his throat. There were several blurry faces in front of him.
What’s happening to me…?
Then his eyes forcefully slid down.
…Then they slipped back up. There was no one there now. A bird chirp made him tense, then the sound of the wind blowing and tree branches swaying. Where was he? The Rainforest? He tried sniffing, but it was of no use; his sense of smell was gone.
“Morrowseer?” A familiar voice asked. He turned his head towards the voice. A NightWing was standing on a doorway, a smile overtaking her cautious expression. “Three moons. You are finally awake,” Soulkeeper said.
“Finally…?” He weakly replied. How long was he gone?
“Yes,” she nodded, coming close to his cot, “You… We thought you died in the volcanic eruption. You’ve been unconscious for two months.”
“Gods… Two months?” He said, looking at his claws. They were dirty and in need of trimming. He then found his arms and then his body. He was so thin.
“It’s a miracle you are alive, sir.” She then bowed.
“What has happened since then? Are we in the Rainforest, as planned?” He asked.
“We are in the Rainforest,” she said, looking uncertain, “just… not as planned.”
“Explain.”
“It’s not so bad,” she said. “But, you see… While Queen Greatness is still our queen, she herself is under Queen Glory.”
“What?!” He asked, incredulous. “A true NightWing doesn’t bow! We don’t bo-!” Morrowseer suddenly found himself gasping for air.
“Be careful!” Soulkeeper said, lowering his arm. “Your lungs, they might be damaged. We found you buried under volcanic ash.”
He slapped her talon away, “What are Queen Greatness’ plans for us?” He asked, well knowing what the answer was going to be.
“She says we are to remain loyal. There’s plenty of food, space, and houses here.” He knew what that expression meant. She liked it here. That they shouldn’t settle for more. Weakling. “You might want to avoid her, though.” She cautiously said.
“Why’s that? Queen Greatness got tired of me?” He rudely asked.
“Your inner circle, sir,” she continued. “They have been acting… strange.”
His inner circle was still operational? He thought they would be all gone by now.
“Wait… Who has been leading them?” Who dared use his followers in his absence? Who had been using them for two months, unsupervised?
“That’s… that’s the thing, sir,” she said, uneasily looking around, and then a whisper that chilled Morrowseer to the core. “No one knows…”
A few days later…
Foehn stepped inside the Courier Spire, busy as always, “Royal Mail, delivered in record time!” He exclaimed as he entered, still tired from his last delivery.
“Good job,” Ventus said, smiling from his little desk. “We are lucky to have such fast fliers like you.”
And indeed, Foehn dreamt of nothing other than exploring the world. Delivering letters was just a little extra.
“The messages are still piling up though, someone has been sending a bunch of messages to the Queens.” Ventus continued.
“Do you think the war is grinding to a halt?” Foehn asked, after a brief pause.
“Maybe,” Ventus said, he then opened an urgent delivery box, and grabbed a letter from the inside, “We can only hope that the dragonets stop this war,” he said, face full of hope, but then the warmth was quickly erased from his face as he read the envelope.
“What? What is it?” Foehn said, uncertain.
“That can’t be right,” Ventus said, shaking his head.
“What?” Foehn impatiently repeated himself again.
“To whom was your last delivery?” Ventus grimly asked.
“To Queen Glacier.” They both knew, why was he asking that?
“Impossible…” Ventus muttered, then he turned around the envelope. Foehn read the words, and yet they didn’t make any sense to him.
‘ From: Queen Glacier of the IceWings
To: Queen Glory of the RainWings’
“Queen Glacier's reply beat me back to the Spire?! But I delivered the original message! How in the blazes did that happen?” Foehn exclaimed.
“Maybe… Maybe this message is unrelated? Just a coincidence?” Ventus argued. There was no possible mistake; they both handled the delivery. “And this isn’t a fake, that’s the Royal IceWing seal.”
“But… What are the chances?” Something’s wrong, Foehn thought, and unfortunately, asking questions wasn’t part of the job. Though he couldn't help but feel... Very uneasy…
Notes:
The DoD's are growing closer to the end of the war, but will they be allowed to realize their prophecy?
And someone's cooking! Evil plans that is. Will the DoD learn of this evil scheme? Will they get violently killed, and up like Qibli's slashed face (courtesy of Winter)? See you next month for more!
As always, feedback, suggestions, questions, pointing mistakes, all greatly appreciated.
Also, if you know of anyone who has a SkyWing OC (Loyal to Ruby, stoic, drillmaster as a profession), feel free to post them here, so I can feature them!
Chapter 11: The Benefactor
Notes:
A new chapter! For Christmas (I know I'm late)! How daring, right? Consider this a gift! :)
Anyhow, this chapter moves the plot forward, and next chapter? Let's say... things will turn... *metal*.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“You are infuriating.” Winter said from a considerable distance. Qibli had been teasing him for well over an hour now. After their initial meeting, a few days ago, the IceWing had flown away shortly after, and Qibli never saw him again. That was until today, when he caught the IceWing subtly studying how the food pavilions worked.
“What? I could’ve sworn they had some meat in here.” Qibli said, shrugging. Once he was spotted by Winter, the IceWing demanded to take him somewhere to eat, but, of course, nothing was ever that simple.
“They OBVIOUSLY don’t!” He replied, angrily lashing his tail, looking over cupboard after cupboard. “Bunch of lazy fruit-eaters! As Queen Glacier’s royal envoy, I deserve a good meal, not useless fruit.” He then looked at him, “What do you eat for meat?” He demanded, pointing a claw at him.
Qibli paused for a moment, rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner. “I think I eat some jaguar or leopard.” He was sitting on one of those RainWing cushions filled with feathers. Very comfortable stuff, he had to admit.
“You think? Do you even know what kind of meat you eat?” Winter asked in a disgusted tone, going back to his search, into a larder now.
“Well… meat is meat, right?” Qibli replied, shrugging.
Winter snorted so violently he almost took down the larder he was searching on. “Right. Eat a rat then tell me how well it tastes.” He continued searching, but abruptly froze, and then gave Qibli a rather accusative look.
"Hey now," Qibli complained, "just because I'm a SandWing doesn't mean I eat rats... I mean, I have eaten rats, but not because I'm a SandWing."
“Right,” He said drily, his eyes observant, analyzing Qibli’s soul. “See, now I don’t believe you.”
“Ohhh… Have you remembered that we SandWings are liars and thieves?” Qibli said in a sarcastic tone. Winter gave him a slightly wounded look.
“You are making it sound too easy for me to believe you. Can’t fool me with that.” He replied, continuing his search on another cupboard, no longer looking at him now.
Huh… And indeed, Qibli was lying. He had a soft spot for little rodents. That’s what got Thorn’s attention, after all. Maybe this royal snob isn’t as dumb as he loo-- Actually, Winter was quite handsome, now that he thought about it. Dumb as he acts, then. Qibli quite happily finished the thought.
“What’s this?” Winter said, holding a familiar rectangular paper wrap.
“Oh. That’s chocolate, it’s a RainWing delicacy. Try it out.” Qibli suggested, motioning with his head to the chocolate.
Winter had a cautiously disgusted face. “A… RainWing… delicacy?”
“Listen. I know what you are thinking.” Qibli replied, “ RainWing food… But trust me, it’s really good. Like, surprisingly good.”
Winter gave him a look, like saying ‘If I don’t like this, it’s on you.’
He carefully opened the paper wrap, “Wait, this is brown?” He said, eying the chocolate bar, he then looked at him with a frown. “Are you playing a prank on me?”
Qibli innocently lifted his talons, “Why, I would never.”
Winter stared back at the chocolate bar, not the least convinced, but his hunger decided for him. He sniffed the bar, then took a minuscule bite from it. Qibli was amazed to see anything other than a big frown on Winter’s face as it relaxed, but then. “This isn’t even close to deserving the term 'delicacy’.” He said, but not before taking one last, big bite and wrapping it back up.
“Aww! But you did like it, though!” Qibli said, standing up.
“It’s too crunchy and sour…” Winter said. “Might go well with ice-cream. Not that you’d ever taste it.” He finished with a dry look on him.
Crunchy? So… chocolate freezes when IceWings eat it. That was another neat little trivia to come up with! Though… What’s the science behind IceWings eating ice-cream? Would the ice-cream freeze on their throats and cause them to choke?
But, apparently, Qibli took too long to answer back, and had lost Winter’s interest. He was already heading towards the exit.
Not wanting to lose his only weapon against boredom, he conjured one of his usual tricks. “Hey,” he said, walking closer to Winter. As expected, he stopped, but didn’t deem Qibli worthy of looking back at. “You are uh… the talk of the village lately. Care to explain?”
“I actually don’t care.” Winter frostily replied, moving away. Oh, bummer.
But before he could reach the entrance, someone beat him to it.
With a loud gasp, a familiar pink and yellow dragon was right there. “Oh. My. Gosh! Qibli, why didn’t you tell me you found Prince Sparkles over here!” She said, her eyes going crazy over her new discovery.
Winter muttered to himself through his teeth, something about an ‘eyesore RainWing’.
“Hey Kinkajou,” Qibli waved at her, “I was just entertaining him.” He said, motioning his head to the angry-looking IceWing.
“He seems pretty mad… So I guess you weren't being very good at it.” Kinkajou observed, not the least intimidated by Winter’s ever-growing scowl. Then their eyes met briefly, and Kinkajou instantly understood what was going on. She might be a bit dull at times, but when it was time for pranks and other similar wicked plans, she was quite the genius. “Was I interrupting something… interesting?” She continued, with a rather cheeky smile.
Winter scoffed. “Barely. This entire place reeks of boredom.” He said, sitting on his haunches with his arms crossed.
“It was really boring, actually. Until you arrived.” Kinkajou said, taking a few steps closer to Winter. “That is, if you ignore the whole NightWing Exodus thing. Word is… you can kill anybody you want.” She whispered.
Winter released an exasperated sigh. “Not this again… No, I can’t kill anyone I want, despite what all these ignoramuses say.”
“But you can kill, right?” Qibli continued.
He turned around and looked at him. “I’m not entirely sure what you are implying. I am allowed to kill, just like a soldier is, in a battle.” He then slightly tilted his head while maintaining eye contact, “Or just how a bodyguard is allowed to kill to protect someone.” He finished coldly. So, this IceWing has done his homework…
"But how do you define a threat?" Qibli asked, trying to hide his surprise. "What criteria are you using? Aren’t you guys still at war with the NightWings? What about them?"
“My decree quite specifically says, ‘in accordance with IceWing law’.” Winter replied, looking down his nose at him. “NightWings are subjects of Queen Glory. They are of no relevance now. As for criteria, we have the most robust and powerful laws in all of Pyrrhia. To the surprise of no one, murder is very frowned upon, and harshly punished. I don’t really know why I have to explain this to you. We don’t just murder anyone for whatever reason we want.”
“Well, It’s mostly because we don’t know any IceWings, or know how you guys think at all,” Kinkajou replied, still ogling a little too intensely at Winter. “I mean, what is a threat? Is a spoon a threat?”
“A spoon? Don’t be ridiculous. ” Winter asked, raising a brow.
“What if, like, I murder someone with a spoon. That’s totally possible.” Kinkajou happily continued with a shrug. There was a brief silence following that statement. Qibli had to hold his laughter. “A spoon can be dangerous, too. So can it be a threat?”
“I ssssee. Are you saying RainWings are the equivalent of a spoon, in terms of lethality?” Winter asked in a weird tone. Was he being sarcastic? Can he be sarcastic?
"More like a spoon that spits venom.” She joyfully replied, signalling to a small patch of blackened scales on the top of her wing. “Venom so potent it leaves scars and agonizing pain for weeks, on top of the immediate damage! Terrifying, right?"
“I am pretty sure both frostbreath and firebreath do that too.” Winter replied.
“Oh, shush. I don’t need you ruining my analogy. And yes, I learnt that word at school.” Kinkajou said. Qibli expected a harsh reaction from the rebuttal, but, was that a barely noticeable curve of amusement on the IceWing’s lips?
Winter’s stomach growling reminded him why he was here in the first place. “Well, as much as I’d like to enjoy this cheap entertainment, as Queen Glacier’s Royal Envoy, I have very important things to do.” Winter then marched straight towards the entrance, making Kinkajou jump away. He swiftly left the pavilion, and Qibli could feel the room temperature rising back to normal.
Kinkajou let out a happy sigh, “Oh, he’s so tortured.”
“You are a little weird.” Qibli pointed out.
“Only a little weird?” Kinkajou asked. “You offend me, Qibli.”
They both went outside, barely catching the sight of Winter diving down towards the outer Rainforest trees, out of their sight.
“He likes us though, I can tell.” Qibli said.
“You sure?” Kinkajou asked, wrinkling her snout. “It looked like he hated being there. A lot more than the usual.”
“Oh, that too. It’s a bit complicated--” Suddenly, Qibli’s scales crawled. An abrupt, disturbing sensation took over him. One uncanny skill that he picked up living his younger years on the Scorpion Den; he was being watched.
“What, you think he’s not just an angry dragon?” Kinkajou asked.
“Maybe…” Qibli muttered, eyes scanning the trees, as discreetly as he could. “Some dragons are just complicated.”
There. Hidden between two branches under a tree, covered with shadows and leaves. He couldn’t tell the color right away, but was that a green RainWing? And suddenly, there was nothing. Damn camouflage. He thought.
“What?” Kinkajou asked. “What are you looking at?”
Qibli stared at Kinkajou, worried. “I think we might have a problem. Either a guard of Glory’s… or a spy.”
‘And so there was Prospero, son of the Sun, who foresaw a great cataclysm; a volcanic eruption, followed by an ice age that would shroud Pyrrhia in an era of darkness. Knowing his favorite reptilian species wouldn’t survive such a disaster, he dared to defy the mighty Pyrrhios, his father, the Sun incarnate. He stole a fragment of his celestial fire, and gifted it to these small, vulnerable beings, so that they might endure the coming calamity. From this sacred gift, the mighty dragonkind arose. But such a transgression could not go unpunished. Pyrrhios learned of this treachery and, in his wrath, commanded Herreos, god of the forge, to craft chains of unbreakable might. Prospero, though powerful, could not withstand the Sun's fury. And so he was bound, forever to the earth, a prisoner for eternity, his sacrifice allowing dragonkind both to exist and to prosper.’
Yikes. Moon thought. No wonder the Sun worshippers don’t really think much of their gods. Why was Pyrrhios their main god, and not Prospero? Why was strength preferred over kindness? It’s of no surprise that SandWings don’t bother worshiping such a cruel god. At least, according to Qibli.
“Yeah… I know that look.” Secretkeeper came over to her, brushing wings together as she sat. They were in the finished library now, sorting all sorts of piles of scrolls and books, obtained from the trade deals with the NightWings and SkyWings, into bookcases or scroll racks. “SkyWing stories are all like that. All depressing and gloomy.” And badly written, too. She subconsciously whispered.
“Is… is that why Pyrrhia is shaped like a dragon?” Moon asked, connecting the dots. This was the SkyWing's version of how dragons came to be.
“Not really, sweaty. I mean, scholars are stumped about that fact. But we don’t really know for certain.” Secretkeeper kindly replied.
“It’s doubtful such a gigantic life form could even exist.” Starflight joined the conversation while sorting another scroll pile, near them. “It’s a coincidental land formation, like Scavenger Rock, which looks very similar to a standing scavenger.” He explained.
“What about our tribe? Is our origin story any better?” She asked. Her mother really didn’t teach her much about religion, or NightWing traditions for that matter.
“I don’t think I’ve found anything so far, but I’ll keep looking.” Starflight said, moving to another scroll pile.
“Personally, I like ours a lot better, “ Secretkeeper started, and Moon could see in her mind a small story beginning to form. “In short, it began with three sisters, Imperial, Oracle, and Perception hunting for prey. Each went into a different direction, to cover more ground, but eventually each fell in love with a different natural force. One fell in love with the Sea… another with the Rainforest, and another with the Night...”
“The RainWings are Moon worshippers?” Moon asked. She hadn’t seen any trace of anything Moon-related, in the village or in the minds of the RainWings, during her whole stay. In fact, RainWings seemed completely areligious.
“That’s the mystery,” Starflight said, examining a big, red book. “RainWing educational material is seemingly non-existent. It’s like it all vanished at a certain point in time, so we can’t really get answers for that question.”
“Is this why they are called ‘lazy’?” Fatespeaker asked. “Because they decided to throw all their scrolls out the window?”
“We can’t know for sure if that’s what happened." Starflight shook his head. “And it’s certainly not ‘the scroll out of the window’ theory. We’d find a trove of ancient scrolls buried underground… But there’s nothing. I checked.” Starflight sadly replied.
And unfortunately for him, something of the sort must have happened. If Moon were to measure the total brain activity on the Rainforest, this library alone would make up a very considerable chunk of it. Moon really didn’t believe in the prejudiced stereotypes, there were some very smart and talented RainWings here, but the gap between them, like say, Queen Glory and Coconut… was abysmal. What really happened here? How did a tribe become so lazy like this?
“Someone needs to invent a contraption to go back in time.” Fatespeaker suggested.
“As much as I’d like that, it’s probably a very bad idea.” Starflight answered.
Deciding she’d heard enough, Moon rolled and closed the scroll, titled ‘Stories of the SkyWings, Vol II’. Moon briefly wondered what the total number of volumes would be in the end, if all their stories were collected. But her curiosity was cut short, as a sharp and cold mind brushed hers. A new visitor to the RainForest, perhaps? But who would come to the library?
Trying her best to ignore the incoming mind, Moon started examining the scroll closely. As she heard talonsteps nearing the entrance, she turned, preparing her mind to greet the visitor, but as she did, an icicle of cold fury stabbed through her brain, causing her to tear a hole on the scroll in her talons with an involuntary convulsion, which resounded in the entire library. Slowly craning her head back, she saw Secretkeeper, Starflight and Fatespeaker staring at her with big frowns. But then their expressions changed, as they all turned warily to the new visitor.
NightWings. A thought full of anger pierced her brain. A frighteningly beautiful IceWing stood at the entrance, with piercing blue eyes and silver-blue, glittery scales. Of course they would want to run the only library, secret-stealing thieves and liars. The IceWing angrily thought. The air was tense, and cooling down rapidly as the IceWing continued to stand angrily at the entrance, but then a sudden thought started to surface. It was like it was crawling through the thickest of muds inside his mind, but as it gained traction, the thought slashed through his anger.
The IceWing cleared his throat. “I was told this was the library. Do you have books about… scavengers?” He tentatively asked, as if such words were strictly forbidden, and would be punished for saying them, somehow.
But what amazed Moon the most was that, while his anger was still there, and under normal circumstances he would never ask such a question, even less to his sworn enemies, it was his curiosity, left abandoned and neglected for years, that had taken over his mind. He no longer had control over his actions. A memory kept playing in his mind, a furry little creature with a spear, observing a polar bear cub. Is that a scavenger? Why is it holding a miniature spear? Moon thought.
“Oh…” Starflight said, as several worried thoughts started to evaporate. He really got alarmed for a second there. “Not yet, I’m afraid. I mean- We might have some--”
“Might?” The IceWing asked in an oddly amused tone.
“Quite.” Secretkeeper countered. Moon could feel her protectiveness towards her as her mother tensed. That maybe this IceWing would attack them, but oddly enough, while this IceWing hated them… he… just simply hated NightWings, and nothing beyond that. He didn’t really know what to do past the act of hating them; there were no violent thoughts involved. It was most amusing. “We’ve just opened, and started sorting the scrolls we’ve received.”
“I sssee.” The IceWing replied, his disappointment almost tangible. He then turned around, and flew away, as if nothing had happened.
Having captured her curiosity, Moon tried probing the IceWing’s mind before he flew away further. Which wasn’t particularly difficult, as his mind left a fiery, cold hurricane in his wake. He was curious, angry, cautious, worried, disappointed and sad, all at the same time. Probing a little further, Moon found the one thing that rivaled his hatred for the NightWings: himself. But the difference was that this was no shallow hatred. He truly despised himself. Why?
Feeling his mind slipping away, she caught one last thought. Was that Qibli, in his mind? How did he know him?
Suddenly, she felt two distinct threads of annoyance aimed at her direction, pulling her attention away; Fatespeaker and Starflight.
“I guess we need to fix that,“ Starflight kindly said, pointing at the scroll in her talons. He was mildly annoyed at her, but certainly didn’t sound like it. He must have experience dealing with annoying dragons, it seems.
“And also worry about a certain IceWing visiting us again.” Fatespeaker said, continuing sorting the scrolls.
“Hide them.” Secretkeeper said.
“What?” Starflight asked.
“The Scavenger scrolls. Hide them. We don’t need an IceWing on the prowl right now.” Secretkeeper replied.
“Mom.” Moon gently scolded her. “He just wants to read. If we hide the scrolls he's looking for, you’d be proving him right.”
Secretkeeper sighed, she gently squeezed Moon’s talons. She worried about the IceWing coming back. What if I'm not there for you?
“Trust me?” Moon asked. And Secretkeeper knew, if she was sure, so be it, she couldn’t possibly compete with a mind-reader. She nodded.
“Well,” Starflight said, “better find those now.”
And so they got to work, not specifically looking for scavenger scrolls (though part of Moon hoped to find them), because they had almost one thousand different scrolls and a few books to sort and categorize. A trivial task, or so one would think. The problem was that most of the books had no labels, and so their task would take a long time.
A few hours past the awkward meeting with the IceWing, Moon once again felt a mind brushing with hers. A happy, tiny mind. It somehow felt familiar, a sloth maybe? But then she started hearing talonsteps… What could this mean? Was this dragon… special?
“Hey Turtle.” Starflight said.
Startled, Moon turned her head around and saw a plump, green SeaWing on the entrance, his thoughts barely noticeable to her. He had a smile on him, and with how his eyes were roaming the entire place, she didn’t need to get into his mind to know he was obviously very excited about seeing this many scrolls. Moon had to double take. Was this the same SeaWing she saw the other day, on the river? His mind felt… different, somehow? Back then, she could barely read anything from him. Now, she really had to concentrate to read anything from him, his mind was so tiny. She could only vaguely read his feelings. How was he doing that?
“Hey.” He replied back to Starflight. “Cool place, huh?” He started going through the scroll racks. “Never seen an above-ground library before.” He sounded completely normal, somehow.
“We’ve just opened, so it’s only going to get better.” Starflight replied, worried about how lacking the library was, for the time being.
“Mind if I take a look?” Turtle asked.
“Of course not, go ahead.” Starflight nodded.
Turtle grabbed a red book from one of the bookcases. “SkyWing book, huh?” He said after examining it.
“Puzzling, isn’t it?” Fatespeaker asked from around a corner.
“The tribe known to hate books, has a book.” Turtle said. He took the book under his wing and started going towards one of the cushions to sit. That’s when he spotted her and froze. He recognized her.
There was an ongoing battle in his mind, whether he wanted to talk to her or not. Though ‘battle’ was quite possibly a bit too extreme to describe his mind. It mostly felt like a little Corvid debating whether to steal food from her or not.
But then he continued to approach her. “Hey,” he warmly said.
Moon was unsure how to respond. Her first encounter with him was… strange. Maybe a second chance was what he needed? But what about his mind? It continued to worry her.
“Hmm?” Moon mumbled, pretending to be distracted. She turned her head.
“I thought I saw you the other day.” He replied. “Near the river?”
“Oh.” Moon faked her surprise. She wasn’t sure if she was being good at it. “Yeah, I think so. I wasn’t feeling too great back then.”
“Ah, I get it. It was one of those days.” He said as he sat at a respectable distance from her. “Name’s Turtle, by the way.”
“It’s Moon. Nice to meet you.” She replied.
Well someone’s talking with the boys. I’d be careful, if I were you. A teasing thought pierced her mind. Moon subtly turned her head with a sideway look. Secretkeeper was there smiling, reading a scroll, on the opposite side of the room. Moon simply frowned at her.
She chuckled. Just remember I’m here, that’s all. Her mother rolled the scroll, and walked to a corner, outside her view.
“Huh.” Turtle said, not paying attention to her. “Of course, the SkyWing book, isn’t actually written by a SkyWing. No surprise there.”
“What?” Starflight inserted himself from the main desk. “That’s written by Bora, it’s a SkyWing name. -ish.”
“Bora is the pen name of Terral of the SandWings, actually.” Turtle replied. This was the perfect moment to analyze his mind! But… his thoughts… They are so tiny! How was she supposed to read them? It’s like he wasn’t really interested in anything! And yet he was, by the way he was speaking.
“Wait, really? How did you find out about that?” Starflight asked, searching for ink and paper.
“A scroll?” Turtle said. Or asked? “I mean,” he then cleared his throat, “A scroll.” He said more firmly. “He had to get around ancient laws with that. You know, prohibition of inter-tribal knowledge and stuff.”
“The times have certainly changed, haven’t they?” Moon said.
“They certainly have.” Turtle replied as he smiled at her, and Moon looked back by instinct, before she could stop herself.
Because she knew she just made a grave mistake, as she fell through a hole in the ground, out of her body. Out of this world.
A pale white RainWing laid on the ground, their neck twisted in an unnatural, disturbing way. Turtle sat near her, his expression in complete disarray with tears in his eyes, just as Moon cried near the corpse.
This is a vision. Moon told herself, trying to calm down her racing heart. How can I make it en--
“Any last words, scum?” A familiar voice said. Briefly gaining a bit of control inside her vision, Moon left her crying body and turned around. To her surprise, she saw an IceWing pinning a yellow-green RainWing against a rock, with Qibli holding his tail barb at the RainWing’s throat.
“Just kill him,” The IceWing said. “Dragons like him have no regrets.”
“I do have one regret.” The RainWing suddenly said, as an insane smile took hold of his face. “My only regret is THAT I’M STILL HERE!” He started to scream like a rabid animal, trying to wrestle out of the IceWing’s firm grasp. “THAT I DIDN’T KILL MORE OF THEM! THAT I SHOULD’VE--”
Time froze as a thunder went past Moon’s ears, leaving her deafened. A blurred object struck the RainWing on the head with such brutality it caused an explosion of dirt and rocks, throwing off Qibli and the IceWing from the sheer strength of the blow. Once the rocks settled, only a mangled, bloodied crater remained where the RainWing once was. In shock at witnessing such a brutal death, Moon quickly started feeling something, way, way, worse than what she just witnessed, emanating behind her.
Turning around, she saw Turtle heaving heavily, anger in his face. Did Turtle just kill the RainWing? But he would never… His eyes… What’s wrong with his eyes?
Suddenly, Turtle charged at her.
“Hey.”
Moon jerked her head backwards with a yelp, almost falling down, as she returned to the real world. It was a vision, calm yourself! She commanded herself.
Turtle was staring at her very uncomfortably. He then looked behind him, and, seeing nothing, he stared back. “Was it… Something I said?”
“Oh!” Moon exclaimed, taking a talon to her chest, trying to calm her heart and steady her breathing. “N-No, nothing like that. It’s this medicine I take, it makes me space out sometimes.”
“Ohhh.” Turtle sighed in relief, calming down. “Well, I thought… Umm…”
“What, that you can knock out dragons with words?” Moon awkwardly joked, still trying to calm her heart.
A thought suddenly started to surface, the first discernible memory from Turtle. Him throwing a pebble at another SeaWing. But then he shook his head. “N-No. Of course not.” He gave her a nervous smile. “I just… never met anyone who’d be interested in scrolls and stories, that’s all.”
“Don’t worry, I am.” She replied. Interested in your story, that is. Who are you, Turtle? Why are you in my visions, too? How can you throw things at dragons and make them explode? You look kind, just like Qibli, and yet… in my visions…
What was she going to do about her visions?
“Everything alright?” Secretkeeper asked, behind her, eyes firmly set on Turtle. She must’ve heard her yelping.
“Quite, don’t worry.” Moon said, going back to her scroll. She wouldn’t let her visions ruin her day, or ruin a chance at another friend. “So, how’d you find out about Bora?” She asked Turtle.
“Oh… Well, you see…” And, for once, Turtle happily explained one of his interests to another dragon. Moon would have cared, but unfortunately, the vision kept repeating in her mind… What was she really going to do about them…? What if they are real visions from the future…? She really needed someone to talk about them.
Tsunami sat with her siblings in the Royal Pavilion, on the wooden round table, planning their latest move. Was it even a move? It felt like a suicidal plan to her, there was just something quite odd about it. But she just couldn’t quite put her claw as to why… Perhaps it was Glory being agreeable with anything, in the first place?
“So, Queen Glacier will have a small Royal Guard regiment,” Glory said, “and Blaze’s Royal Army will have a temporary ceasefire with Blister and Burn’s armies, in order to hold and protect the summit together with Queen Ruby’s soldiers. I think we’re going to be safe. Safe-ish.” She finished with a shrug.
“I’m just surprised so many Queens agreed to it.” Starflight said. And indeed, all the Queens but two had agreed: Queen Moorhen and her mother. It really surprised Tsunami, why would her mother not come to something so important? Did she not want to see her? Maybe she didn’t want to be in the same summit as Queen Moorhen? She mentally sighed, If only she could ask her such a small question… but replies between letters took days.
“And so we need to make it count. We need to shine in front of all the queens.” Glory continued, “Just think what would happen if we succeed. We would stop this war and save a lot of lives. Also, and most importantly, no more prophecy.”
“Maybe the others will trust more in us.” Sunny joined in, “Maybe we could hold other summits, for other issues between tribes. A renewed era of peace in Pyrrhia.”
“I like the sound of that.” Clay nodded. “But first… How long do we have until the summit?”
“About a day. We have time to get ready.” Starflight answered.
“Oh, great. That’s just enough time to say good-bye to my loved ones.” Tsunami sarcastically said.
Glory looked dismissively at her. “Well, you could always send a letter.”
“Not the point. This isn’t safe, and you know it.” She said, slamming her talon on the table, startling the rest of her siblings. “All the Queens agreed to bring four guards each. Which means it’s just you and us. And how come the NightWings can only bring two guards? Do you really think Burn and Blister will honor their words? You know we can’t trust them.”
“Oh, relax, Tsunami. It’s not like we’re just going to waddle in like headless chickens into a trap.” Glory said mockingly. “The second we notice something’s off, we turn back and leave. Easy.”
“See, but that’s not a Glory thing to do.” She replied. “Why aren’t you being more cautious or suspicious?”
Glory gave her a sideways look. “I mean, it’s not a Tsunami thing to question the safety of a plan either, isn’t it?” She then spread her wings, “We have the chance to leave our mark in history. Of course I’m taking it, with all the due precautions.”
“It’s alright Tsunami,” Starflight tried to cheer her up. “If things somehow go south, we have you and Clay to deal with anything, right?”
“Unless it’s an entire army.” Clay objected, raising a claw.
“I say deal with it, Tsunami.” Glory said, standing up and walking towards the entrance. “The Queens agreed to it. Even Queen Glacier did. They’ve all sent their letters with their concerns, and they all still agreed to the summit anyway. This is happening, whether we like it or not, and Queen Ruby will make sure the summit remains neutral. We end the war, then we go home. Everyone lives happily ever after. We’d be idiots to not take the chance.”
“But we die if something does go wrong.” Tsunami persisted. Why was Glory being so stubborn about such a dangerous plan? Since when was Glory so uncaring about safety?! This wasn’t like her!
"It's a risk worth taking," Glory said as she stopped at the Royal Pavilion entrance, though a hint of doubt lingered in her tone. Like if she didn’t believe herself. “Because we can get rid of the prophecy. Forever.” She finished, looking at her. “Unless you have a better pla--”
Tsunami suddenly heard wingbeats, followed by landing talonsteps. Glory made way for whoever was landing, and, judging by her face, this was no pleasant visitor.
And indeed, the nauseously glittery IceWing “diplomat” entered the Pavilion, with his usual gigantic scowl.
“I do have a better plan.” The IceWing said, scanning the room, his eyes landing on her and her siblings, sitting near the table. Tsunami thought the sight of them inside the Pavilion would make him doubt such words, but it somehow made him stand even more firmly. “You can’t go to the summit.”
There was an awkward, lingering silence following his words. “I beg your pardon?” Glory asked after a moment. The summit was supposed to be a secret. How did the IceWing learn of it? Why was he talking to Glory like that?
“The summit. You can’t go, there’s something wrong with it.” He repeated.
“Huh. That’s interesting.” Glory said, not intimidated one bit, seemingly remembering she was a queen just now. “Since when do diplomats talk to a Queen like that?” The IceWing was ruffled by her response, but managed to keep his composure.
Apparently, the IceWing’s mere presence had intimidated the rest of them, but Tsunami wasn't deterred one bit. “I do! See!” She said, “This entire thing is fishy! Even this… IceWing agrees with me!”
“I need to consult with Queen Glacier before you attend the summit.” The IceWing continued, ignoring her. “Maybe delay it if needed. Queen Glacier would have never agreed to this summit.”
“One, you are not a diplomat, Tsunami,” she said, looking at her, “And two, actually, Prince Winter,” Glory said, going to the table and grabbing one of the letters, “she already did just that.” She offered the letter to the IceWing with a cheeky smile. “This is one of the many letters I’ve gotten from her.”
He angrily took the letter and examined the torn Royal Seal, “But… I wasn’t informed of this,” he objected, his expression softening somewhat with worry… or insecurity? He then proceeded to read the letter's contents and Tsunami somehow could see the colors drain from his face. Probably bad news to him. “This isn’t… But…” He shook his head.
“So, unless you want to go against your Queen wishes…” Glory firmly said.
“But she told me.” The IceWing insisted, gaining back his composure. “Queen Glacier has been trying to keep Queen Blaze out of their sight for the entire war. That she couldn’t get remotely close to any of her sisters. My Queen would never have suggested such a thing. The second Burn or Blister see Queen Blaze, they'll challenge her to a ritual duel!”
“Of course that won’t happen.” Glory sternly replied. “We have the entire SkyWing army to keep the summit without bloodshed.”
“You do realize, that once the ritual duel is issued, not even the entire seven armies of all the Kingdoms can stop it, right?” The IceWing finished coldly. “It’s tradition. No-one can interfere.”
“Look. Maybe you ought to send letters to your Queen with more frequency and keep up with what’s happening, secret plans included.” Glory firmly said, “Isn’t that her signature, and her talonwriting? She agreed to it.”
“It is hers… but…” The IceWing said, stumped, as he examined the letter closely. “This would be suicidal for Queen Blaze… and Blaze is the entire reason for our alliance…” He looked like he wanted to keep arguing, but decided against it at the last moment.
“Glory.” Tsunami interrupted. “There’s something wrong. We can’t go.”
Glory seemed thoughtful, considering her words. “Maybe Blaze doesn’t need to come with us. But we need to be there anyway. Peace cannot wait any further. Most of Pyrrhia will be there, too.” She then looked back at her and her siblings, “And so will we.”
The rain fell softly into the Rainforest ground… into the wooden roof… The rain was finally uncaring. No more threat of erosion, of mudslides, of cavern floods. It was of no consequence now. Just one more small little thing that would make their lives easier. Since his awakening, Soulkeeper quite smartly kept the news about him a secret, only known to the medical staff. The healers were probably the ones that valued him the most, and it was for good reasons. Who else had to deal with all the hopeless consequences of the volcano? And who had been fighting to get rid of the volcano? He suddenly started hearing familiar talonsteps. Speaking of which.
The door to his room opened. It was Soulkeeper. “He’s here, sir.”
“Good,” Morrowseer replied. “Send him in, and make sure noone enters this building.” He then motioned with his tail, dismissing her.
A few moments passed before his door once again opened. “I must say, the Queen doesn’t like it when I’m interrupted.” The idiot mumbled.
“Just go in!” Soulkeeper sternly said, pushing Mastermind inside the room. She slammed the door shut.
Puffing his chest up, Morrowseer stood as menacingly as he could.
“M-Morrowseer?” Mastermind said with wide eyes as he turned. “B-but… It can’t be.”
“Let’s skip the pleasantries, scientist.” He interrupted him.
“How?” Mastermind asked, deciding to ignore his very words. “You faked your coma? An unlikely plan. Too extreme, but for what gain--”
“Shut. Up.” He said, stomping the wooden floor. Mastermind immediately stopped his stupid monologue as he menacingly approached him. “I didn’t fake anything, and you are going to give me an explanation for this. Right now.”
“About your coma?” Mastermind asked, nervously shaking.
Morrowseer nodded. “Because we are both perfectly aware, that coma patients live, at most, three days, when they die of thirst. I lived for sixty-three days. How? ”
“I--I thought you died.” Mastermind said, and lost all composure when Morrowseer frowned at him. “That it was propaganda to keep us fighting. That it was just a rumor.”
“That is another question you’ll have to answer, scientist. ” Morrowseer pointed a claw at him. “Propaganda, from whom? Who has been claiming that I’m still alive?”
“Well, it was Preyhu-” Mastermind tried explaining.
“First things first.” He crudely interrupted. “How could a dragon possibly survive a coma for two months?”
Mastermind paused, thinking, his eyes flicking between him and the floor with uncertainty. So, he has some theories…
“Just say it. I’m not going to have you thrown into the lava for saying something outrageous. Not yet, at least.” He said, deflating his stance, giving the scientist a bit of space.
“Brumation would be the closest thing,” Mastermind said weakly, looking at the floor, “but then it would require a set of unlikely conditions.”
“Right. I decided to hibernate as volcanic ash buried me? Unlikely.” He firmly replied. “I thought you’d be better than that.”
“If we account for the water intake… of which you could have none, if you truly were in a coma…” He shook his head, “I’m truly clueless.” He finally admitted.
No answers from him, then. At least about this particular issue. Still, there was one possible answer, one that clearly the scientist would never consider; animus magic. Someone must’ve enchanted him to live. But, besides that coward, Stonemover… he didn’t know any more animi. And Stonemover wouldn't have done it, he hated him. It wasn’t any of the spells he asked from him years ago, either. Animus magic spells that enhanced his physical form would expire shortly after being cast… Who was this mysterious animus dragon? At least he had somewhere to start.
“Preyhunter.” He said. That impertinent idiot that would follow his orders without a single doubt. An idiot, but a useful one nonetheless. “Do you know why he claimed I was still alive?”
“It wasn’t only him.” Mastermind answered. “Strongwings, too.”
“Your assistant?” Morrowseer pushed further.
“They said…” Mastermind’s eyes flickered to the shut window. He was hesitant, but clearly, he knew what would happen if he didn’t speak up. “They said that they’ve met someone.”
“Quit being so cryptic, scientist,” Morrowseer growled. “Who?”
“I don’t know! They didn’t know either! When confronted about it they said it was some NightWing, but they didn’t know who it was!” Mastermind confessed.
“We’ve been a tightly-woven tribe for centuries.” He replied. “We know each and every single NightWing. You are telling me there are foreign NightWings? Outsiders of our own tribe?”
“They must be protecting someone,” Mastermind said, “A power grab in the vacuum your… condition… left?”
Was Stonemover planning something? Unlikely, he was a complete coward. Who could it be…?
“Leave.” Morrowseer commanded, “I’ve heard enough.” Mastermind blinked in surprise. “Go!”
Walking back, Mastermind slowly approached the door, as if expecting a gang of NightWings to appear from it and kidnap him.
“I don’t need you to tell you what happens if you open your mouth, correct?” Morrowseer asked severely.
Mastermind nodded with wide eyes, looking back at him.
“That’s what I like about you scientists. Always so spineless and righteous.” Mastermind finally managed to open the door and quickly left.
Morrowseer sighed. What a conundrum. It seems the situation has truly gone out of his talons. And no control means a lot of unpredictable variables. Highly undesirable. Not quite the return he had in mind.
Something softly fell behind him. Swiftly turning around, he saw a scroll scrap, right below the shut window. Most curious. Was this how Soulkeeper intended to tell him anything? But Mastermind is gone… she would’ve known to talk to him directly.
Walking to the paper scrap, he grabbed it and turned it around.
‘Morrowseer, good to see you are awake.
I know a dragon of your talents deserves to know what is happening on his very own play yard.
Worry not, meet me at the creek, just north of the healer’s hut. I’ll tell you everything.
-Signed, Sh’
Play yard? Does this idiot think this is a game? Who was this? Morrowseer looked at the eerily familiar signature… very close to his own talonwriting. Whose name starts with ‘Sh’? Who was the idiot imitating his role? But as his mind raced through all the names he knew of his tribe… noone started with ‘Sh’. Names starting with “Shadow” have been banned since the era of Darkstalker, so that certainly lessened the list of possible names... Assuming this was a NightWing. It might be a trap. And for that, he might need a few dragons to deal with it…
Something caught Morrowseer's eyes, movement below him, he shifted his view. The letter was blank now. At what moment did he turn the letter around? But Morrowseer had an odd feeling… that he was certain he didn’t. He turned it around. Blank paper.
What in the moons?
Suddenly, text started to materialize on the letter, before his very own eyes. He couldn’t believe it.
‘Come alone.’
Notes:
This chapter might come late, but next chapter? I'm hoping not. (Famous last words).
The JW gang is coming together now! Exciting, right?
Next chapter is when the fun stuff happens, one of the main reasons I started brainstorming this entire story. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on who you ask, next chapter will be very long. I initially wanted to have the next chapter split in two parts, but I didn't want to have a one month cliffhanger... So I'm just going to write it all, and THEN release them both at the same time! Might take a while, but worry not, I am *highly* motivated.
As always, if you see a typo, weird sentences, have suggestions, feedback, or questions. Leave a comment!
Chapter 12: The Summit
Notes:
Soooo! We are here! The part 1 climax! Though, it went very differently from what I had originally planned. It's now a continuous, almost 10,000-word Glory PoV. Glory enjoyers, rejoice!
Trigger warning: someone loses their head. Not too graphical or descriptive, but still. Someone dies.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The water ran peacefully through the creek as the sun was setting down, the flowing water harshly contrasting what Morrowseer was feeling. He kept roaming the creek with mounting agitation. Even though he secretly brought Preyhunter, Fierceteeth, and Strongwings as backup, should anything go wrong, Morrowseer, for the first time in his life, knew he was acting out of desperation.
This dragon held all the cards against him. He knew this wasn’t safe, as not even a dozen dragons would be enough to stop this mysterious animus if he decided to attack. He also owed him his life, as not even the best healers in all of Pyrrhia would’ve been able to save his. And yet, this dragon could kill him any moment he wanted. It would only take one little spell.
It utterly disgusted him, not being in control of the situation, and he could only wonder what this dragon would ask of him next. Total submission? His head?...His mind ? This was an animus dragon, after all. Dangerous. Unpredictable.
“You look like you are contemplating your life choices too harshly.” A voice suddenly said.
Morrowseer stopped his pacing, surprised at how close the voice was. He turned to his left, and right there, on the other side of the creek, a NightWing sat, the sunset casting an almost malevolent shadow on his face. It’s almost as if he was looking at himself in a mirror… except for the slightly lighter black scales… How did he get here? He didn’t even make a noise!
“Morrowseer.” He stated flatly… and then moved one step forward, his face no longer in the shadows. “It’s good to finally meet you.”
“I suppose,” Morrowseer said cautiously, “that you know a great deal about me.”
“Oh, indeed!” He happily replied, an unfitting reaction given the severity of the occasion. “You see, I’m a big fan of your work, and I thought, the next logical step, was to meet you in person.”
“My work?” Morrowseer asked, confused.
“Of course!” The NightWing happily nodded. “You know, leading the tribe, all those secret missions, all those prophecies… all the killing… ” He finished. Morrowseer now understood. He wasn’t being cheery or friendly. He was thrilled. Excited.
“We don’t kill for fun. We kill because we must.” He retorted. “Because survival is all that matters.”
“Of course, of course, I wasn’t implying you kill for fun.” He then took one step closer, talons almost at the creek. “Since you haven’t asked, Shapeshifter’s the name.” He said, elegantly pointing at himself.
“Well, you’ll have to excuse me, as I don’t have much experience meeting with freaks.” He replied. “Shapeshifter? A bit on the nose, aren’t you?”
“Heh,” Shapeshifter uncannily laughed. “Knew you’d notice right away. And please, meeting with freaks? Is that what you think this is?”
“I know you are an animus. I know you aren't a NightWing. You kept me alive. Why?” He asked.
“We might’ve started our relationship on the wrong talon, I’m afraid. You did bring three others, when I explicitly told you to come alone.” He pointed out.
“It was—”
“Yes, yes, security and all that.” Shapeshifter rudely interrupted. “If you haven’t noticed, I try to go unnoticed, and so should you. Also, clearly, I’m choosing to keep you alive. You should be thanking me instead of thinking I’m out here trying to kill you.” He even had the audacity to look offended.
“What else was I supposed to think with that kind of message?” Morrowseer replied. “A friendly, secret fan meeting in the middle of nowhere?”
“Well… the kind of message that is the bringer of good news. A chance to work together, even.” He replied.
He did his best to keep calm, but couldn’t stop himself from snorting at such a ridiculous statement. “Don’t even think I’d consider working with an outsider. Even less with an animus.” You are dangerous, Morrowseer wanted to say, but he held his tongue. He could say anything he wanted to Stonemover. But this one, he did not know his limits.
“I knew you’d reject me right away.” He replied with a calculated expression.
“Not exactly the most unexpected of moves-”
“So I brought you the chance to witness the unmaking of your biggest mistake. Take it as proof of our friendship.” He continued.
His biggest mistake? He analyzed his memories, all the moments, all the mistakes he had ever made. But the biggest one, it all came down to a couple of someones… five someones, exactly.
“The dragonets.” Both said in unison.
“I woke you up just in time,” he uncannily smiled, like he didn’t know how to smile, and Morrowseer had never felt more creeped out, “to show you how it is done.”
“Come on, Glory, she isn’t coming!” Tsunami insisted. “Call it off.”
“Tsunami, we haven’t even waited for ten minutes,” Glory replied. “She’ll make it through.”
“But what if she doesn't? What if this is a trap?” Tsunami kept going.
“C’mon, Tsunami,” Clay tried calming her down, “We wait for a few more minutes, and if Queen Greatness doesn’t come, we turn back.”
“We are doing this by the book,” Starflight said. “We notice anything wrong, we go back.”
“The chance to end this war deserves a little bit more patience.” Sunny added.
They were in the outpost just outside the teleporting cave to the Sand Kingdom, and frankly, Glory was starting to doubt herself. Was this a good idea?
“Look!” Starflight suddenly said, pointing at the distant trees. Torchlight.
The five of them stood up and warily looked at the torchlight approaching. But then Queen Greatness herself appeared, with two NightWing royal guards escorting her.
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting!” Queen Greatness immediately said, “We got lost for a bit.”
“Queen Greatness.” Glory bowed, ignoring her excuses. It was good she was here. It proved this whole thing was real. “Don’t worry, we weren't going anywhere without you.” She assured her.
“Right.” Greatness then hastily bowed. “I have some notes.” She then clumsily tried pulling a scroll from her bag. She was quite nervous. “You know, this is my first time attending something this big.”
“We can look over those on the way.” Glory said. She then looked back at her siblings, half of them wary, half of them hopeful. “Guys?”
Tsunami nodded. “Alright. Let’s go.”
Thank the moons.
Glory and the others stepped out of the desert tunnel into the rough sand and nasty wind. It was almost nighttime, with two full moons shining brightly over the entire desert, and the other smaller one, half-full. That’s Perception. Glory recalled it was the smallest moon, but between the other two larger ones, she had no idea which one was Imperial and Oracle. She never paid much attention to the moons. Ironically.
Actually… Since when did Pyrrhia have four moons?
“A comet.” Starflight wondrously said, his green eyes reflecting the beautiful night.
“An omen?” Sunny asked, excited. “Do you think it means something?”
“To sun worshipers, it’s bad lu--” Starflight tried lecturing.
“Way to make this political, Starflight.” Glory interrupted.
“Well, most of us worship the moons, right?” Starflight shrugged.
“I think worship might be a tad too strong.” She replied.
“OK. Can we go now?” Tsunami said, clearly unamused with their conversation. “I see dragons flying in the distance.” She pointed with her head towards the sky.
And indeed, at a distance, there were dozens of dragons flying, close to Burn’s Stronghold. It was hard to tell, due to the incoming night, but the first group she spotted had dragons with hints of yellow and brown, SandWings, and another, red and orange… Ruby’s SkyWings.
It is happening. Glory thought with wonder. Opposing tribes flying together, not fighting. Not killing themselves.
“You guys ready?” Glory asked, addressing the group. They were all here. Her four siblings, a rather nervous-looking Queen Greatness, and two bored-looking NightWing guards.
“Wait. Before we go,” Sunny piped up, turning to her family, “I just… I just want you guys to know that I love you. And I don’t regret anything that’s happened. I’m not mad about the fake prophecy or the Talons stealing us, because without all of that, I wouldn’t have grown up with you, and you’re more important to me than anything. You’re my brothers and sisters. You’re my real family. So it was worth it, no matter what happens next.”
“Awwww,” Clay said, pulling her into his wings for a fierce hug.
“Uh-oh,” Glory said. “A mushy speech. We’re all going to die, aren’t we?”
“She means she loves you, too,” Tsunami translated, dragging Sunny away from Clay so she could hug her as well. “And so do I.”
“Me too,” Starflight said, and they all wrapped their wings around him together.
Glory observed at a distance, jealous. If only she felt more comfortable touching others…
“Right.” Sunny said, firmly looking at the sky. “Let’s fulfill our prophecy.”
They leaped into the sky, soaring down toward the stronghold with their small company, until a patrol spotted them.
Here we go. Glory thought. Another test, whether this was a trap or not. But as the armed patrol approached, she noticed it was composed of two SandWings being led by a SkyWing.
“Halt!” He said, once he stopped close by. This SkyWing had golden-orange scales, and his neck was curiously decorated with a black leather necklace with golden spikes. Glory could even see all the jewelry he was wearing, despite the low visibility. Not as fashionable as the dangerous-looking spear he was holding. A high-ranking SkyWing, maybe? “My good dragons, you must turn back. A summit is in place tonight, and only the Queens may attend.”
Glory cleared her throat. “How uhh… Kind of you to remind us that, in times of war, it is forbidden to fly near capital cities in large groups.”
“Glory.” Tsunami scolded her, behind her.
“Yes, we know.” She continued. “We have our invitations here.” Glory grabbed the letter from her pouch. The SkyWing approached and examined the paper.
His eyes widened in surprise. “Oh! My apologies! I didn’t notice your crowns in the moonlight. It is good that you are both here!” He then bowed, “As appointed by Queen Ruby herself, headmaster of her patrols, may we accompany you to the summit? While the perimeter is safe, one can never know if there are dragons looking to sabotage the peace we are bringing today.”
Glory looked back at her siblings. They seemed to be OK with that. “Alright.” She replied.
As they continued to approach, a roar was heard from within Burn’s Stronghold, and the patrolling dragons all came down inside the walls. “It seems like you are the last Queens to arrive.” The SkyWing explained as they flew closer and closer. “The summit will start soon with your arrival.”
“Late to the action, as always.” Glory dryly said.
As they landed in the middle of the courtyard, the only lit area of the fortress, Glory watched with utmost care for possible contacts… but as her siblings landed, one by one… the guards posted at the walls, and the fortress itself seemed to be completely ambivalent about their presence, save a couple of guards who noticed their arrival, who were whispering among themselves.
“Looks like the summit is still holding,” the SkyWing said as he landed. He pointed towards a lit window on the eastern part of the palace. “And since the building itself isn’t burning. It’s safe to say Burn, Blister, and Blaze haven’t started fighting among themselves.” The SkyWing said, with a rather weird smile.
“They are all here?” Tsunami asked.
“You know, Queen Ruby’s plan was nonsense to me. We SkyWings only like a good fight, so when she tasked us with patrols… we expected something to happen. But, alas.” The SkyWing said, bored.
Suddenly, the palace’s door opened, it was a SandWing. “Hello!” He greeted them as he approached them. “I’m Prince Smolder.” He then stood before her and Queen Greatness and performed a rather awkward bow. “Sooo, so good to have you here!” His eyes then found the rest of his siblings. “And your escort, of course. Multicolored escort. Yes.” He gave them a rather nervous laugh. “Now, would you please follow me? The summit is about to begin.”
“Of course,” Clay said with a smile.
And so, they cautiously marched inside the fortress. The entry corridor was luxurious, made out of polished sandstone, and decorated with all sorts of urns and tapestries. Almost a replica of Blaze’s fortress. Glory thought, and felt pity for Blaze. So far from home, yet she tried to make it as close as she could…
“The summit is kinda messy.” Smolder said as the doors closed behind them. Glory looked back to see her siblings, Greatness, her guards, and the initial two SandWing guards, but the SkyWing was nowhere to be seen.
“Not quite the family reunion?” Tsunami asked.
“Ha! Hardly.” Smolder continued, leading them on. They climbed the stairs to their right, which then tossed them near a set of big, wooden double doors. Glory could faintly hear distant conversations coming from behind them.
“So.” Smolder said, “I guess this is where I leave you.”
“Alright.” Glory said, feeling her heart beating with nervousness and excitement. “So, are we ready?” She then looked behind, as each of her siblings nodded. “I guess we aren’t. But at least we can try.”
Smolder then unexpectedly sighed. “Well… I guess I’m so—"
Suddenly the double door burst open, an IceWing was there. “My goodness!” He exclaimed. “The Queens, they are fighting! Someone stop them!”
“Oh no!” Sunny exclaimed. “Let’s go! Not while we are this close!” Sunny then charged towards the corridor, which led to another set of double doors.
“Wait! Sunny!” Starflight tried to stop her, but he was too late. Clay and Starflight started following her.
“What’s going on?” Greatness asked, concerned. “Should we call it off?”
“Maybe,” Tsunami said, walking towards the corridor, but she stopped when she noticed Glory not moving. “What’s the matter? We are here, aren’t we?”
Glory shook her head; her mind was trying to whisper something. But not now, she’ll figure it out later.
“Will you please go inside?!” The IceWing said with frustration. “You!” He pointed at Smolder, “Call the guards or something! Don’t just stand there!”
She could hear an altercation happening. “Looks like it's pretty bad,” Glory said, moving on with Tsunami inside the corridor.
Clay, Starflight, and Sunny were trying to open the next set of double doors, but it seemed like it was stuck. Glory managed to catch Tsunami’s smile as she started accelerating. She tried keeping up with her pace.
“INCOMING!” Tsunami screamed as she charged at the blocked door. Her siblings yelped and jumped out of her way just in time.
CRASH!
Tsunami burst inside the room with violent energy, splintering the door into dozens of pieces, flying everywhere, allowing them to enter.
But as Glory entered and tried to assess the situation, looking for whoever was causing the mess, she looked at the room… and the room looked back…
What the…
It was empty. Just cobwebs on the corner of each wall.
Glory blinked again and then again, huffing from the adrenaline… but the room was still empty. And it remained empty, no matter how strongly she wanted the summit to be there.
Glory slowly looked behind her with mounting dread. Sunny, Starflight, Clay, and Tsunami had very frightened faces on them. She could even see Tsunami’s colors draining from her face.
“Glory…” Tsunami whimpered, barely audible.
“BACK!” Glory screamed. “Go back!”
As they tried to rush back to the corridor, the initial double doors slammed shut heavily, shaking the entire building. But Tsunami didn’t stop.
“NO!” She roared. Tsunami sped up, going much faster than before. She charged at the door at full speed.
CRASH!
Tsunami’s long neck bent almost at an unnatural angle from the impact, yet the door remained intact. “Ugh…” she groaned, spinning as her nose started to bleed. “I… I don’t think—” And then she collapsed on the ground, unconscious.
“Tsunami!” Both Clay and Sunny screamed, rushing to her body.
“This is bad.” Starflight said to her with wide eyes. “Like bad, bad. We are dead!”
Glory could only hear her own agitated heartbeat. She blinked, staring at her talons. She could hear her nerves shaking, screaming, pleading to her. But why wouldn’t she move? Why couldn't she do anything?! Her scales have turned white, she noticed… She was in shock…
The doors suddenly burst open.
But it wasn’t RainWings entering to rescue her. It wasn’t Deathbringer to save her. It wasn’t any kind of savior. Armored dragons, full of metal, from claw to horn, armed with deadly steel spears. At least a dozen of them. They were so armored she couldn’t even tell from what tribe they were.
“No!” Sunny screamed, but didn’t even have to react before a talon smashed her head unconscious.
Clay furiously roared, charging at the nearest dragon. Clay’s claws furiously slashed steel and scales, but he was soon overpowered. A spear cleanly pierced his entire left leg, he roared in pain before someone pounded him with a spear on the head, leaving him unconscious.
Starflight inserted himself into her view. He was screaming something to her, but she couldn’t hear anything other than her heartbeat. They were all dead. And it was all her fault. She couldn’t believe how it was all over in an instant.
Starflight then looked with frightened eyes at something to his right. The armored dragons were right there in front of them now.
Glory felt her neck suddenly cock to the side, and the world began to spin with an unpleasant, loud ringing in her ears. A metallic talon reached out to her a moment later, and then, there was nothing.
Glory’s scales were screaming in pain once she regained consciousness. Please, be a nightmare. She begged, but her wish was soon dashed away as she opened her eyes. She was being dragged on the rough sand. Lifting her head, she noticed there was a small trail of blood. Her blood… To her horror, she was still in Burn’s Stronghold. Her two talons were chained in shackles, the chain going through all five of them and their respective shackles. They had a dozen SandWings escorting a limping Clay as he dragged Sunny and Tsunami’s unconscious bodies. Starflight was trying to push Sunny and was pulling Glory as he did, since she was last on the chain link. Not even when Kestrel wanted to kill her had Glory ever been this heartbroken. The misery of the scene almost pushed her to tears.
“Wake up, little queen.” A voice mocked her. She instantly recognized that voice.
She turned to her side, hissing, summoning her venom, but when she did, a piercing pain made her immediately stop. She looked at her snout… It was chained shut and bleeding.
Burn laughed. “You are not pulling that move again, I’m afraid.” She said, from the middle of the courtyard.
Starflight looked behind, at her. She could see his blank expression while she continued to pull her towards the center of the courtyard. He’s already given up.
Glory tried to struggle, tried to break the chains that bound her shackles, but it was of no use. These shackles looked brand new.
“There’s no escape this time.” Another voice said, one that she recognized too. Blister was there too, standing close to Burn.
“I can’t believe it worked.” Burn said to Blister.
“A little truce, to get rid of our little problem.” Blister dryly said as her head tracked Glory’s hateful glare. “Then we continue on with business.”
Suddenly, Starflight stopped dragging her. They were in the middle of the courtyard, before both SandWing sisters. She hastily stood up.
A grunt made her snap to her left. Clay fell down, looking completely miserable and in pain. There were at least six SandWings holding him in place, but he wasn’t struggling. One SandWing had a rather big hammer, and Glory’s heart accelerated in fear as to what it could mean. But then one SandWing grabbed a gigantic nail and placed it between Clay’s chains, close to his shackles. They were going to nail the chains to the ground… None of them would be able to escape…
Clink. The hammer heavily struck the nail. Clink.
Glory looked at her shackled talons. She was shaking. This is how our lives end… She thought bitterly. She still couldn’t believe it. Still hoped she would awake from this horrible nightmare. But the pain on her snout told her this was no nightmare. She was dying soon. All of them were.
Tsunami's and Sunny’s shackles were nailed swiftly, as they were still unconscious. For Starflight, right beside her, three SandWings held him down, and surprisingly, he struggled until someone smacked him on the ribs. His talons were forced on the ground.
CLINK!
CLINK!
Starflight’s chains were now nailed into the ground, two nails for each talon.
“Hurry it up!” Burn screamed.
The dread of realizing she was next left Glory frozen. Luckily, only two SandWings went to her. Grabbing her left talon, they firmly placed it on the rigid sandstone. The nail went right between one of the chain links.
CLINK!
The hammer struck the nail firmly; her left shackle was now firmly nailed to the ground. She couldn’t move her talon very far now.
Glory heard a metallic sound to her left. Starflight suddenly had wound up the chains on his right arm and was grabbing the chains close to the recently placed nail with his talon in an instant! Time froze as Starflight’s talon went out, as if trying to reach out to Glory, but then he stopped… and violently pulled inwards, away from Glory.
Her eyes followed Starflight’s chains, from his talon, to his arm, to the nail… And she smiled at his cleverness. The SandWings had made a pulley in that very short moment… A vulnerability Starflight tried to exploit in that mere instant; a first and last attempt by Starflight at their freedom, she realized.
Piercing pain assaulted Glory as her left talon was violently pulled by Starflight against the shackle, against the nail, throwing her to the ground.
“Pull!” Starflight screamed at her. A dozen SandWings were rushing at her, the two SandWings that were holding her rushed at Starflight. A mistake.
“Stop her!” Burn commanded.
Glory grabbed her left talon. She took a deep breath before violently pulling with all her might against Starflight’s improvised pulley. This was life or death.
But it wasn’t enough. She had to get out of there, with or without her talon. Glory threw her entire body weight backwards, further straining the chain.
With a snap, she briefly saw the nail flying off the ground before a SandWing slammed into her.
SHRAK!
An agonizing pain made her scream. It felt like something broke.
Glory started falling behind from the impact as several talons were about to grab her. Would she see her arm, with her talon torn off…? But instead, she saw the most precious thing in the entire world… loose in the air, the chain link that held her, severed and shattered…
Glory turned invisible.
“Grab her!” Blister screamed just as she dodged several talons.
“Find her!” Burn shouted.
Glory ran from the chaos and turned just in time as she ran to see Starflight, smiling. It was a short-lived victory as a SandWing brutally kicked him in the face.
She sprinted towards safety on two legs, trying to claw the chains off her snout, but her left talon was definitely broken now. At least she could easily remove her shackles now, though had to limp if she wanted to move quickly.
I need to free the others. She desperately thought. She could use her venom. But as she turned around, Glory saw dozens upon dozens of SandWings running and searching the place. They had an army in here. Even with all her venom, it wouldn’t be enough.
“Baaagh!” Burn screamed, throwing a rock into a guard’s head, frustrated. “That’s one less head on my wall.”
“I don’t think that RainWing will give up so easily,” Blister said, her eyes scanning the entire courtyard. “Get out of your hiding, RainWing! Or we kill one of your friends next!”
Burn snorted. “It’s laughable that you think that RainWing hasn’t already fled like the coward she is. Not that it will matter. These four will die, regardless.”
Glory could feel her insides filling with rage. But she couldn’t venom Burn now, she was too far away. She needed a plan, a distraction.
“But at the very least, I’d really like five new heads on my wall,” Burn said, eying the courtyard.
“Five?” Blister asked, stealthily taking a defensive position. “Surely you don’t mean—”
“Of course I do.” Burn interrupted. “Drillmaster! Who is the worst-performing dragon this week?”
A SandWing withered when all eyes went on him. “Well…”
“You have until tomorrow. I want whoever you choose chained with these idiots by then.” Burn commanded.
“Tomorrow? But that’s not what we agreed! Sister, have you lost your mind?” Blister hissed. “Have you forgotten what happened in the Kingdom of the Seas? In the Rainforest?”
And Burn, for the very first time in her life, looked like she was contemplating something.
“Have you already forgotten what happened to Scarlet?” Blister continued. “These idiots bring nothing but disaster after disaster. Kill them now.”
Scarlet… Why was her mind screaming for Scarlet? Glory’s eyes suddenly widened with realization.
Scarlet.
She was here. Right in Burn’s Stronghold. That was it! That’s exactly what she needed!
Glory swiftly climbed up the wall. She had to find Scarlet before they killed their siblings. Sprinting through the walls, Glory started to examine every detail about the Stronghold she could. She was even shocked to find a pile of strange clothes and metals dumped in a dark corner.
The dragons that we saw flying… They were disguised. She thought in terror. Blister and Burn knew they wouldn’t be able to tell at the distance, and called them in before they could get closer… This plot was so abhorrently devious, of course they would plan something like this. Finally getting the chains off her snout, she left it hidden with the pile of clothes. No one would notice.
Next, her eyes found a tower. Was this the tower Scarlet spoke of? She could catch glimpses of it when Scarlet dreamvisited her. The diameter of the tower did match what she saw in her dreams too. Rushing towards the tower, careful not to make any noise, she approached the door and tried the handle. Locked.
Well, no matter. Getting her fangs ready, she aimed between the lock and the door frame. With an awful smell and sizzling sound, the door turned black where her venom landed.
You could turn back and flee. Part of her mind whispered to her as the door lock melted. Live through this; get revenge later.
But for that I’d have to abandon Clay, Sunny, Tsunami, and Starflight. Leave them to their fate.
And she simply couldn't accept living in that reality.
With a strong jerk of her healthy talon, the door opened, the lock mechanism falling to the ground. She had to free Scarlet.
Glory looked around for guards, but her way was all clear.
Her heart started beating furiously as she entered the tower. She had to convince Scarlet and lure her into the courtyard. And then what? What was Scarlet going to do? What if she just flies away? What if she notices her siblings are going to get killed and joins Burn and Blister? ...What if she decides to kill her the moment she’s free? It would be foolish to think Scarlet would somehow kill Blister, Burn, and an entire army on her own and get them all out of this mess… But it was a chance she had to take, nonetheless.
She started climbing a ramp that led up around the walls. Luckily for her, there were a couple of oil lamps hanging from wires, illuminating the several floors, the statues, and the displays.
Not statues. Glory thought uneasily. Dead dragons. Some kind of twisted museum.
Creeeeeak.
Glory stood still. She didn't noticed she had stepped on a makeshift wooden ramp… In fact, most of the place looked charred and burnt, half repaired…
“SSSSMOLDER!” a voice bellowed suddenly from overhead. “I HEAR YOU DOWN THERE!”
She knew that voice very well, too.
Glory’s heart simultaneously plunged to the ground and beat with hope. Life’s so terrible I’m looking forward to meeting Scarlet again… Glory thought as she stealthily continued the ramp. She decided to leave her mind blank, focusing on her heartbeat and keeping a cool appearance. She had to act normal in front of her. Any mistake and Scarlet will know something’s wrong.
After what seemed like an eternity, the ramp stopped; she was at the top floor. Glory scanned the room, and there she was. Scarlet. On the flesh. Neck, arms, wings, and legs chained to the wall. Said wall was beyond charred and clawed on, but it seemed it somehow held against Scarlet’s attempts at escape.
She also wasn’t very different in appearance from her dreamvisits. Painfully thin, face partially healed, only a few encrusted rubies on her good eye. Still crazy-looking as she marched to and fro, chains rattling as she did.
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you!” Scarlet suddenly screamed, making her jump. “Smolder! Get up here NOW!
Glory was hesitant to reveal herself to Scarlet. What if she blasted her with fire? What if she screamed, revealing her way? This place had very few exits… But she had to risk it all to save them. She turned to her natural colors.
Time to give Scarlet a show.
Scarlet didn’t even flinch; her furious eyes instantly snapped at her. “Well, well,” she said with a devilish smile. “If it isn’t the dragon that made my life HELL.”
Glory took a deep breath. Where to even begin? “Alright. Can we skip the villainous monologue already?” She said, faking her boredom.
Scarlet stood still, seemingly not expecting such a response. She then frowned at her. “ I’m not the villain here! You are!”
“Right.” Glory said, arms crossed. “See you around, I guess. If you happen to find a very powerful animus artifact that contacts me in my sleep, feel very free to contact me whenever you feel like being rescued.” She finished in a perfectly gleeful tone, moving away down the ramp.
“Don’t be a stupid lizard!” Scarlet screamed. She relaxed once Glory looked back. “I’ll make space. Melt the chains. Now.”
Moving as far as she could, Scarlet sat at the edge of the wall. Glory tentatively approached, trying to hide her limping, wary of Scarlet.
“You know, I’d charge at you after you’ve melted the chains, not before. ” Scarlet pointed out.
“Does that mean you are going to?” Glory asked, trying to hide the shakiness of her voice. “I am doing you a favor, after all.”
“You know I’ll never tell…” Scarlet said, giving her a dangerous, playful smile.
Glory rolled her eyes. Whatever. She nervously thought. If I’m going to die here, at least I should tell her about Burn.
“Actually, before I free you… You should know, Burn is doing a speech, in the middle of the courtyard. Right now.” She said as she tried to analyze Scarlet’s semi-molten face. But nothing moved, not even her eyes, when she mentioned Burn. What if Scarlet is part of the trap too? Was she about to charge at her?
But then Scarlet nodded. “Great. Interesting. Now, can you hurry up?” She said, tapping with her foot, impatient.
Glory sighed. It's been a nice life, considering. She stood close to the wall, where it was connected to the chains, and spat her venom all over the wall.
The venom started melting the already burnt bricks and the chains with a sizzling--
Scarlet suddenly pulled the chains, taking a chunk of the wall with them. Glory regretted her decision that very moment. A jailed, starved Scarlet was just what she needed…
“Good,” Scarlet said, snapping most of the chains off her shackles and throwing them away. The neck shackle remained, though; even a brutally strong dragon like her couldn’t break it off.
Expecting Scarlet to charge her at any moment, Glory stood cautiously, her invisibility and venom at the ready… But Scarlet just ignored her and started marching down the ramp.
“Where are you going?” Glory asked, who expected to be dead just about now.
“What does it look like, idiot? I’m escaping.” Scarlet said from below.
“What if someone catches you?” Glory replied as she went down the ramp.
“Then they die.” Scarlet said.
“What if this was a stealth mission?” She replied, but Scarlet ignored her.
“I’m flying out of here. It’s not my problem.” Scarlet replied as she got close to the tower’s exit, to her dismay. “No one will be able to catch me.”
“What about Burn?” She asked, desperate. Scarlet had to do something about her! What about her family!
Scarlet suddenly whirled around, looking at her. “Vengeance is a dish best served cold, my dear.”
But on the exit, behind Scarlet, Glory saw torchlight flickering. Someone noticed the melted door.
“Patrol!” Glory whispered, “Hide!”
Scarlet’s eyes widened as her ears pricked. She broke away and wordlessly ran away from the exit and hugged the wall near it, deep in the shadows. Glory followed, invisible.
“Someone’s broken in.” A voice said from the outside.
“Better go grab some backup quickly.” Another replied, followed by talonsteps marching away.
Glory tried to steady her breathing. They almost got caught.
“Y’know,” Glory said, keeping her distance from Scarlet. “I thought SkyWings didn’t like cold pla-” Glory suddenly saw a tail trying to pull her broken arm, coming from shadows, before a red lightning abruptly struck her on the neck, her windpipe almost getting crushed instantly. Her talons instinctively reached out for her throat; she couldn’t breathe.
Before she could even react, her throat was making a horrifying retch as she was thrown into the ground, Scarlet on top of her, squeezing her neck, her very life, with fury.
“You are RIGHT,” Scarlet whispered to her face. “Now that you mention it, I HATE cold plates.” Scarlet said, with an awfully insane smile on her face, as she strangled her with both talons. She’s savoring this… All her lies led to this moment. Glory thought in fear, as the air from her lungs started to evaporate. It felt like she was being lit on fire from the inside! She opened her maw, preparing to spray Scarlet with her venom, but she didn’t even get the chance. Scarlet instantly shut her maw the second she opened it.
“Ha! I don’t think so.” Scarlet laughed.
Glory’s heart beat with fury. It felt like her head was about to explode. But she wasn’t dying, not now! With Scarlet strangling her with one talon, she had a chance to fight back! But Glory was presented with an impossible battle. She struggled, trying to claw Scarlet’s arm off her throat, but it was of no use; her left talon was broken… She couldn’t even get one talon off of her… couldn’t even pry off one claw off her neck. The fight was over the second she freed Scarlet.
I failed them. Glory thought, as her life started to fade away…
“What the…?!”
Taken by surprise, Scarlet’s grip slackened, allowing Glory to take one life-saving breath. Barely conscious, Glory moved her head towards the voice. Who had found them?
Staring under torchlight, two armed SandWing guards stood in utter shock. They immediately dropped their torches to the ground and took a defensive position. The door was blocked by them now.
“Scarlet’s loose!” One of them screamed. “Sound the alarm now!”
“You stupid lizards!” Scarlet screamed.
Glory suddenly found herself flung into the air, barely aware of what was happening, before crudely striking both SandWing guards with her body.
“Stop her!” The SandWing guard commanded, but before they could reposition themselves, a red fury clashed against both and went out to exit, with one guard following her.
The remaining guard then grabbed her arm. She was still gasping for air. “At least we got the RainWing back.”
“Yeah.” The guard said from the outside. “We aren't catching Scarlet back, though.”
A rope was then firmly tied on her snout, neck, then on her arms. The guard began pulling her outside the tower. “Go catch her! What are we going to tell Burn?” He said.
Scarlet used my body to clear the way… Glory weakly thought. Fitting, I suppose, for ever trusting a word she said. For ever thinking she wasn’t a murderous psychopath.
“Don’t look at me,” he shrugged. “I’m not pursuing the most dangerous queen in Pyrrhia.
“Coward.” The guard hissed at him. “Take this RainWing back to Burn.” He grabbed his spear on the ground, then leaped away in pursuit of Scarlet.
“It’s your grave.” The guard replied. He started dragging her towards the courtyard.
A simple rope was all that stood between her death and her freedom. And she couldn’t do anything, not even spray her venom. She was too exhausted. Too scared.
As she was dragged into the courtyard, she could see all four of her siblings awake, and their hopes were crushed the moment they noticed her. They wanted me to run away… She thought miserably.
Clay was gritting his teeth, rear leg looking really bad. He just looked… defeated… unresponsive. Tsunami had at least half a dozen SandWings holding her in place, plus the chains. Some SandWings and herself had several cuts and bruises. Looks like she fought back the moment she woke up. Sunny was curled into a ball, sobbing through his talons. It broke Glory’s heart to witness her like this. Lastly, Starflight had a cut on his face, and a swollen, purple eye. He looked completely defeated. And for good reasons; hope was lost.
Both pretender queens glared at her with disgust as she was dragged into place.
“My Queen,” one guard reported to Burn, “Scarlet, she’s escaped. We suspect the RainWing freed her.”
“I told you that RainWing was dangerous…” Blister hissed to Burn.
“I can’t believe I’m agreeing with my sister on anything,” Burn said to them, as she was dragged into place. “You are all dangerous. And must be put down like the rabid animals that you are.”
“You should’ve run…” Starflight said miserably.
“Never.” Glory replied, as two SandWing held her down.
“Where’s Granite?!” Burn asked the guards. “Someone fetch me Granite! We end this now.”
Glory’s heart beat with terror. Who was Granite?
“I’m here.” A voice said, bored, up from the walls, behind her. He leaped down into the courtyard.
A massive, muscular, light-yellow SandWing landed. Glory’s eyes widened as she noticed the axe he wielded.
“Weren’t you paying attention?” Blister scornfully asked.
The SandWing shrugged. “I tend to sleep on the job.”
“Sister, can’t you get an executioner with a working brain?” Blister asked.
“Oh, do trust me,” Burn replied. “You don’t need a working brain to behead dragons. Get over here!”
They all looked at the axe’s blade in despair, on the SandWing’s talon, as he walked towards the sisters. A sharp, clean, SkyWing-steel blade. Not even dragon bone could stand in its way.
“What?” The SandWing asked, examining all five of them. “These little newts?”
“Kill them,” Burn commanded. “Chop their heads off.”
“They can’t even fight back,” Granite protested.
“You are going to kill them, or your wife is next.” Burn hissed. “The MudWing did fight back, so start with him.”
The SandWing seemed unsure. Glory wanted to believe anything at this point. That he would suddenly use his axe and kill both sisters in defiance. That a meteor would land on Burn’s head. But the SandWing nodded, and moved towards Clay.
Glory's throbbing headache grew with each of the SandWing's talonsteps, as he drew closer to Clay, but the pain wasn't coming from her injuries or wounds. It was her dread, her fear, the finality of her life, that had left her paralyzed, unable to move or think. Her heartbeat was all she could hear, and her eyes moved on their own.
She could feel the soundwaves of Tsunami’s roars as she thrashed, desperate to save Clay, but it was of no use. The SandWing placed himself beside Clay.
“Please stop!” Sunny pleaded, heavy with tears. “Th-the Prophecy! We only want to end the war! You don’t have to do this!”
“He has to do this,” Burn said, laughing. She then addressed Granite. “Kill the MudWing right now or your wife is next!”
Glory’s eyes drifted away on their own, into a corner. Why? She wondered. She then blinked, and saw it. There was a NightWing right there, observing. She could see the moonlight reflected on his eyes, and most disturbing of all, it seemed like the NightWing was smiling. It looked like Morrowseer… Too bad she’ll never live long enough to learn who that was.
“I’m sorry, kid.” Was all she heard before she turned her head. The SandWing was in position.
“NO!” Both Tsunami and Sunny cried as he lifted the heavy axe over his shoulder. Glory’s heart felt like it was about to explode. She wished she could do something, anything, to stop him, to get them out of this mess. Pay any price.
But the axe descended.
The one wish Glory received, was the mercy of being able to close her eyes before the axe struck Clay’s neck.
A resonating THUNK ! was all she heard. The overwhelming silence of the aftermath physically started to kill her on the inside. She could hear the blood slowly pouring onto the ground, and murmurs from the crowd…
“Oww!” Clay grunted.
“Clay!” Tsunami and Sunny screamed.
Glory snapped her eyes open. She quickly saw a wide-eyed Clay, talon on his neck, bleeding, and beside him, a rather sad-looking Granite, examining his axe. The bloodied blade was bent to one side, broken in the middle.
“You useless worm!” Burn screamed. “You are so stupid you broke my axe!”
“You should kill that idiot and his wife,” Blister hissed.
“I always warned you about chopping MudWing necks…” Granite said, unimpressed. “You can only keep chopping them for so long…”
“Move off!” Burn said, marching towards Clay and coiling her stinger out. “If you want an execution done right, it seems you have to do it yourself.”
“Stop! Please STOP!” Sunny cried. “Don’t you see?! We are meant to end the war! You don’t have to kill us! Just let us go!”
“Ha!” Burn laughed, “I have yet to see a prophecy deflect a killing blow. Why don’t we test it?” She said, looking dangerously at Sunny.
“You can’t kill us! We are the Dragonets of Destiny!” Sunny insisted. Glory wished she would shut up. A clean execution was a mercy, compared to what Burn could do to them. They have already lost. “These dragons, everyone here, they don’t want to fight. They want to go back home!” Sunny continued, crying.
Burn laughed in her face, as did most of the SandWings watching. They were the Dragonets of Destiny, and that meant nothing to them. “You have no idea how depraved all these dragons are… Including me.” She finished, as she started walking towards Sunny now. “You were born with a prophecy, yes. A fate. And that fate was to have your skull crushed under my talon. This is the only reason you were born.”
“No!” Sunny screamed, trying to get away from Burn’s advance. No one could talk to Sunny like that. No one like that deserved to live. Glory’s blood boiled with rage, she tried struggling, opening her maw, trying to do something. But she was held firmly in place. She couldn’t even insult Burn back.
“Why don’t we carve you up right here?” Burn threatened, her eyes clearly desperate for blood. “I’ve never seen the organs of a SandWing hybrid like you. Should be interesting to see what's inside.”
Glory was beyond sickened when the crowd murmured in agreement.
“Get away!” Sunny screamed, tears running on her face.
“How about we tear off your wings? Subdragon hybrids don’t deserve wings, after all.” Burn continued.
A metallic sound snapped Glory out of her trance as the courtyard cheered on. She looked to her left, but Starflight was there, paralyzed. He wasn’t moving. Who'd made that noise? A metallic shimmer caught her eye. Up in the sky. It was descending fast.
A rabid shriek full of hate was suddenly heard above them all.
In an instant, the entire courtyard’s attention snapped to the intruding sound, and in that instant… a red, spear-wielding SkyWing suddenly descended into the courtyard, going at a brutal speed.
Scarlet! What was she doing?! She’s headed towards--
Burn looked up at Scarlet, just in time as the spear brutally impaled her head, bone, and brain in one swift, violent thrust. But Scarlet didn’t stop. Burn’s neck snapped into a horrifying angle, head still impaled on the now bent spear, as Scarlet spread her wings, going up, up, and up…
Glory managed to close her eyes in time again.
Crack!
“The Queen has been KILLED!” Someone shouted in panic.
Immediate chaos followed. Everyone tried flying and taking off; the fortress was deserted in an instant.
“This is the fate for all betrayers!” Scarlet screamed, throwing Burn’s severed head at a shocked-looking Blister. “Why don’t you join your sister?” Scarlet dangerously said, moving towards Blister, throwing the bent spear to the ground, but she quickly fled in panic with the others. “Figures.”
Glory tried undoing her binds, just as Starflight and Tsunami started struggling against the chains that bound them. They had to be quick before Scarlet noticed them. She had to get them out of there!
But Scarlet instantly noticed them. Of course she saw them. “My, my! If it isn’t the five dragons directly responsible for my fall.” Scarlet laughed as she came to them.
“You better run!” Tsunami screamed.
“Isn’t it funny that you brought them all here too?” Scarlet said to Glory, smiling. Glory knew perfectly well what she was going to say. “I only tasked you with my freeing. You probably didn’t need all these dumb idiots weighing you down.”
Glory could see their sibling’s faces full of doubt now.
“Funny you think I’d believe that,” Tsunami said defiantly.
“Funny you’d say that…” Scarlet countered, preparing to charge at Tsunami, but then abruptly stopped.
“You already had your victory here,” Granite said, who, oddly enough, was helping Clay with his neck wound. “Don’t push your luck, Scarlet.” He said gravely.
Scarlet seemed to consider his words as she seized up the giant SandWing; she wordlessly turned around and flew into the night.
Granite produced a key, and inserted it on each of Clay’s shackles. He was free. But still in urgent need of care, the makeshift bandage on his neck won’t last long.
“You helped us.” Starflight said with wide eyes. “You twisted the axe before it landed. You botched the execution on purpose.”
“Why?” Tsunami asked.
“I don’t know.” Granite replied as she freed Tsunami. “Maybe I got pushed too far.”
He moved on to Sunny, who was curled into a ball, sobbing. She could see how Granite’s face softened at her sight. “Or maybe I wanted the war to end.”
Sunny looked up, sniffling. She was beaten and battered, and yet, unbroken. Her face was full of hope as she was freed. “Maybe it is real…” She whispered.
“Guys…” Clay said, he was having trouble staying up. “I’m… I’m feeling kinda dizzy…”
Granite quickly unlocked Starflight's shackles and bit off Glory’s bindings.
“You five need to leave. Now. ” He said as Glory struggled to stand up. She was free. She couldn’t believe it. “Not only for your MudWing friend. Burn’s goons will soon find back their courage and track you down. They are as bloodthirsty as they are cowards.”
“What about you?” Starflight asked. “Why don’t you come with us?”
“Why were you here in the first place?” Tsunami asked the right question.
“Burn kidnapped my wife, she blackmailed me.” Granite replied. “I need to find her now.”
Another SandWing unexpectedly joined them. It was Smolder, sprinting towards them.
“Say, is that my sister’s severed head over there?” He nonchalantly asked, as if it were a common occurrence.
“You also need to leave, Smolder,” Granite pointed at him.
“You have the audacity to show your face?!” Tsunami hissed.
“By the Sun, why does this keep happening to me?” Smolder sighed. “Do you think Blister will leave me alone?”
“She will accuse you of working with Scarlet and kill you instantly.” Granite stated flatly.
“Sounds about right.” Smolder said, who then nervously looking at the five of them. “No hard feelings, right? My livelihood was threatened too!”
“Let’s go,” Tsunami said, trying to stop Clay’s bleeding. It wasn’t slowing down.
Glory’s eyes drifted to the dark corner, where the NightWing was. They weren’t there anymore. And yet, it felt like they were there still, observing her every move...
Glory looked back at Burn’s fortress as they flew, bathed in the night. They were free, somehow. She couldn’t really believe it. But they weren't out of danger just yet. They had to return home.
They were flying low, as fast as they could, back at the teleporting cave. Clay had his two talons on his neck, trying to stop the bleeding, being supported by Starflight and Tsunami. He looked really out of it, and was in desperate need of aid. Glory could see the blood falling into the sand, but luckily, the night made the blood unnoticeable.
A loud war horn was heard throughout all the desert. Must be the search parties out for them. Not that it mattered; they were so close to safety.
“Guys…” Clay said weakly. “I… I don’t think I’m going to make it.”
“Just hold on!” Tsunami screamed. “We are so close—"
“Starflight!” Glory screamed. “Can we do something to stop the bleeding?!”
“Get aid as fast as we can. There’s nothing here we can use here.“ Starflight replied with wide eyes. It looks like it’s very serious.
Glory could see Clay’s eyes rolling back, she tried to warn them. “Watch out!”
Suddenly they started falling, but they were flying so low they had no time to react.
“No!” Sunny managed to scream.
The three of them softly crashed on a dune, sending them rolling a short distance. Glory and Sunny rushed to Clay. He wasn’t moving.
“His pulse is very weak,” Sunny said, after taking her talon on Clay's neck, shaking. “Or maybe it’s my nerves…”
Tsunami and Starflight came rushing, “You guys pull," Tsunami ordered, "I’ll try to push from behind. We can’t fail, not while we are this close.” Talons grabbing Clay’s unconscious body, Glory pulled, even though her talon was broken. And indeed, she looked behind. The teleporter cave was right there.
But something caught her eye. Her heart dropped, as she saw a patrol heading near where they were. Luckily, they hadn’t spotted them yet, but at this pace, they won’t be able to get inside before getting spotted.
Tsunami looked back, noticing her face. “They are coming at us…” She spotted the patrol too. But then a determined face took hold of her. “Starflight, get here and push.”
Glory knew what she was going to do.” Nononono. NO. You aren’t sacrificing yourself,” she said as she pulled Clay. “We can take them on.”
“That’s not the issue.” Tsunami said, eying the patrol. “They spot us here, and they will learn of the cave. Then all the RainWings and NightWings will be in danger.”
That was true, but it didn’t matter. “Then we deal with it, together. Don’t you dare fly off now.” Glory said. Judging by her face, Tsunami was about to ignore her.
“They are over here!” Someone roared in the distance.
They all reluctantly dropped Clay and moved into defensive positions. They had to fight now.
“Wait…” Starflight said, as the distant patrol headed towards the shout. “That was nowhere near us…?”
“I know that voice…” Sunny whispered. They looked at her, their faces asking her to elaborate. “The SandWing I met during my trip… That’s him; I’m sure of it.”
Glory’s relief was palpable as she sighed. “Small world. Now get over here, let’s get Clay to safety.”
The four of them started pushing Clay inside the cave. The wind stopped blowing and the world grew calm in a moment. They were safe.
“Next time you look like you are going to disobey me, Tsunami, you’ll get punished.” Glory said with a stern look.
“Shut up, and keep pulling,” Tsunami replied. “Besides, you’d need a mind-reader for that.”
“I don’t need a mind-reader when your face is so easy to read.” She replied. Tsunami gave her the “are you serious?” look. “Okay, I’ll shut up now.”
As they pushed and pulled, far into the cave now, her scales felt like they were getting peeled off momentarily, as the torchlight from the outpost shone on their scales.
That’s it. We made it. We are safe. At least the four of us…
She looked at Clay. Even in the dark, she could tell that his scales were pale from the blood loss.
Glory’s heart started beating with mounting agitation. How are they going to get Clay to the Healer’s Hut? Someone would need to fly there and come back with a healer… but… that would take far too long.
She was so distracted she didn’t notice the NightWing waiting for them at the outpost. Glory instantly thought of the NightWing at Burn’s fortress. But her stomach did a little twist when the NightWing spotted them.
“By the moons!” Deathbringer screamed at the sight of them. “Have you gone mad? Going into Burn’s territory like that?!”
Glory wordlessly kept pulling Clay’s body until they came out of the cave, into the light. Deathbringer’s eyes widened at their sight. “Wh—What’d—”
“It’s a long story.” Glory interrupted. Having her adrenaline worn off, everything started to hurt. Especially her talon. “We need a doctor.”
“My goodness… And I wasn’t there to protect you…” Deathbringer whispered, looking at how battered all of them were.
“Quit your whining.” Tsunami commanded. “Do you know how to stop the bleeding?” She said, pointing at Clay’s makeshift bandage.
“You’d need to apply pressure to the wound, but—I don’t think—” He replied.
“What’s going on?” A new voice joined.
“Oh. Right.” Deathbringer said, motioning to the green SeaWing. ”He’s the one that told me something fishy was going on.”
“Turtle?” Tsunami said while tending to Clay. “What are you doing here?”
“Well… I wanted to tell you something… But then you weren’t in your hut. In fact, none of you were in your huts…” Turtle meekly said.
“And so he came to me. The best bodyguard in all of Pyrrhia. To tell me that I suck at my job.” Deathbringer said, not too happy about it.
“I think it’s stopping.” Tsunami announced, relieved.
But those words filled Glory with dread, further confirming it when she found Starflight’s eyes. They were full of terror too.
Deathbringer went to Clay. “Oh no…” he whimpered. Glory stopped breathing. Deathbringer’s talon reached out towards Clay’s neck, near his bloodied bandage, checking for a pulse. Deathbringer’s face was still. But then their eyes met, broken.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
Glory’s blood instantly froze. Suddenly all her pain was left irrelevant, being replaced by a new, stronger one. The news fried all four of their brains.
“No!” Sunny cried. “Nonono!” She threw herself at Clay. “But he can’t die!” Sunny then tried checking for a pulse. But then she broke and started crying.
Clay… was dead…? And it was all her fault… Glory felt like she was about to vomit. The world was spinning too fast.
As her world was shattered, she saw the plump SeaWing approach Clay’s corpse, as if scared of any reaction. Maybe he wanted to check for a pulse too? By the moons, Glory too wanted to check. She wanted to believe that none of them knew how to check for a pulse. That all of them somehow got it wrong.
Turtle’s talon found Clay’s neck… And then, “...He’s still alive.”
“What?” Tsunami asked, shoving her tears away. She too wanted to believe anything.
“He’s… uh… not dead?” Turtle replied, nervous.
“But… what?” Deathbringer asked, taking his talon to Clay’s neck once again. His eyes found hers again as his ears pricked in surprise. “OK… Wasn’t expecting that.”
“What?” It was Starflight’s turn to be confused. “The bleeding stopped on its own?”
“Are we… home yet…?” Clay suddenly wheezed, eyes weakly opening.
“Clay!” All four of them screamed with relief, as Tsunami, Starflight, and Sunny threw themselves at him.
Glory glared dangerously at Deathbringer. “What kind of assassin doesn’t know how to check for a pulse?”
“Because I usually don’t.” Deathbringer admitted, “Because, usually, it’s pointless to check the pulse on a severed neck. And you. You have some explaining to do.”
Glory caught on to Tsunami's eyes too. She too wanted an explanation.
“I could eat… a feast right now...” Clay managed to gasp.
And they both could have it. They could have it all.
After this roller-coaster of emotions, Glory was just about ready to get settled inside her little Kingdom, and never come outside of it. But she had a feeling, that even if she did just that, trouble would find her anyway.
Notes:
What? You *seriously* thought I'd be killing off *any* of the DoDs? I must admit, it would be perfectly in character: Be a promising fan-fiction, then proceed to kill a major protagonist for cheap shock value. You've been there, right? Well, not here :P
And so, the climax of this part ends, and now, it's time to deal with the consequences, and for our protagonist to wonder, "How did this happen?"
Next chapter will be about that, as well as the usual PoV's returning.
There are some parts that might sound tone-deaf, or weird, but worry not, I intend to fine-tune it as time goes on.
And sure, *realistically* speaking, the DoDs would've never considered coming to the summit, it was something Tui had to do to bring closure to the Arc in canon. But with that being said... you'd be surprised by how much a little bit of threatening and faith can do.
Anyhow, thank you for reading!
As always, if you see a typo, weird sentences, have suggestions, feedback, or questions. Leave a comment!
Chapter 13: Aftermath
Notes:
Soooo here it is! I'm very sorry for the very late chapter. For the first time in my life, I've been afflicted with this most infamous condition: writer's block. It is kinda freaky! I was unable to write anything for a very long period of time, though I *could* plan or think about the writing. This chapter essentially sat at 2,300 words for 1.5 months. But worry not! All that dead time wasn't wasted. I did think of a *way* cooler reveal for later chapters... You'll just have to wait...
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
When he saw his sister’s severed head on the floor, Smolder once thought it would restore all the freedom he lost when his mother died (though admittedly, it was rather limited still, back then). But alas… The freedom did come, just not the way he imagined it. Because why would it? Nothing was ever simple for him.
There he was, in his room, packing his most valuable belongings for his escape, very shortly after Burn’s death, when Flower suddenly started squealing on his shoulder. Not the “look at what I found” squeal, or the “please pay attention to me” squeal. It was the “we are in danger” squeal, as she pointed at the window in his room — a rarity to hear, and indeed. His sister’s body probably wasn't even cold yet when Blister came back with an army to reclaim what was hers. “Where is Smolder?” was the very first thing she asked when she came back, as the entire fortress bowed to her.
It would have been a rather… deathly predicament for Smolder to attempt appeasing Blister, but unfortunately, he couldn't escape her and her army without traversing through the main doors, the only exit from the palace. Luckily, Smolder’s room faced the outer walls. Five desperate smashes with his shoulder, and the stone gave way, revealing the desert night through a small gap. As he squeezed through, he turned to grab Flower, only to feel his bag snag and rip, spilling his belongings to the ground below. And thus, he was presented with a dilemma: his coin, or Flower, as his time was limited. It wasn’t a particularly hard choice for him anyway…
That’s why he was here now, at the Scorpion Den, walking through the city of outcasts and criminals. He had a contact to help him, one that he made a very long time ago, the second he noticed Burn could kill him at any time. Though, unfortunately, he never found himself being able to use it. Burn made sure to make any kind of escape simply impossible.
And now that he wanted to use said contact, he needed a lot of coin. And for coin, he had a plan. Well… Concepts of a plan…
As the soft music played into the night, and Smolder’s eyes scanned the rich-looking compound and the building inside, it seemed he finally had found his mark. Signaling Flower to stay quiet (though he must admit, she looked rather cute as she scanned the entire city with very wide eyes), he stealthily tried climbing up the compound’s outer walls. A skill he had acquired on his many secret escapades with Palm. (Oh, how he missed her…)
Landing on his feet, he clung to the edges of the wall, making his scales’ color blend seamlessly with the wall and the night. He moved on towards the main building, until… There. That open window was quite enticing…
Needing to cross a lit area of the wall, Smolder waited for the perfect moment to move, as the compound inhabitants drunkenly partied and danced near and on the main tent. His heart hammered against his ribs as he sprinted towards the shadows. How he missed feeling any kind of excitement, even if it was the deathly kind. Finally, hugging the walls of the main building itself, Smolder looked up towards the window, on the second floor. He might need to use his wings a little bit to make the jump… hopefully, the music would make his wingbeats go unnoticed.
After carefully checking his flank, and signaling Flower to get ready, Smolder leaped with his legs, as he beat his wings in a calculated manner. His talon just barely managed to grab hold of the rather solid window opening, with his foot-claws latching onto the wall to help him climb. After an extraordinary amount of effort (he really was out of shape), he pulled himself into a semi-lit room.
It was a bedroom, he noticed. A decently rich bedroom. He smiled as he examined the room. Golden cups on a nightstand, a set of playing cards on a table, together with some jewelry, lavish paintings on the walls… Smolder was more than happy to relieve these gambling addicts of their ill-gotten gains.
Placing a golden cup in his bag, his talons trembled as distant laughter echoed from the party nearby. Smolder carefully scavenged the place, taking only what he needed so that it wasn’t blatantly apparent to the owners that they had been robbed. A few missing golden coins… maybe a few of those heavily decorated playing cards from the table…
Flower suddenly tapped on his neck. He looked at her, and then she pointed towards the closed door.
As Smolder turned, he noticed that the door was, in fact, no longer closed.
“Sssso,” a female dangerously hissed as she entered the room, her features hidden by the darkness. Smolder leaped back with a gasp. He’d been caught!
Despite his mind screaming to race back to the window and escape, Smolder listened to his SandWing instincts instead. He analyzed the dragon’s stance: her posture and tail were relaxed, and most importantly, her stinger was still coiled in. Diplomacy was still an option, it seemed. But he certainly wasn’t counting on it.
“Isn’t it funny?” She continued advancing, dark eyes firmly on him, as Smolder stealthily tried taking steps back to the window where he came from. “Listen, I’m all in for poetic justice and all. But stealing from the Outlaw Queen?”
“I-I was just looking,” Smolder said, trying to buy time as he walked back, with Flower pulling his back-sail towards the window, guiding him.
“For a nice place to rob ?” The advancing SandWing countered.
Smolder could feel the cold wind just on his back: he’d reached the window. Well, time to escape!
“For my local ho-” He tried answering, but then a talon landed on his back from the window.
“You aren’t going anywhere, thief. ” A voice said gravely.
All hell broke loose as both he and Flower screamed in surprise. It wasn’t long before both dragons subdued him to the ground. Knee against his extended wing, talons holding his chest, Smolder struggled against his aggressors. He tried clawing off the talon that was holding him. Wait a second... this dragon has six claws on his talons?
Smolder looked at his aggressor closely… and he looked back in exchange.
“Smolder?” “Six-Claws?” Both said at the same time.
“Wait,” the dragoness said, pausing his subduing. “You know this… this stupid toad?”
Why is Six-Claws here? Smolder thought. How did he end up with criminals?
Six-Claws snorted. “I mean…” He trailed off. “He’s a good lad. Kinda.”
With those words, the dragoness immediately released him. Smolder quickly crawled toward Flower, who was cowering in a corner. “It’s alright,” he cooed softly at her as he extended his talon at her. She cautiously climbed back up on his neck. They couldn’t know how smart she really was. No one could, in fact.
“Cute pet.” The dragoness said as Smolder turned back to them. Flower just made some indignant squeaking noises.
“We didn’t want to believe the rumors,” Six-Claws addressed him. “Our scouts aren’t even back yet.”
“If he’s here, then the rumors are true. Burn is dead.” The dragoness said as she connected the dots.
“Sloppy job sneaking in, by the way,” Six-Claws told him. “You were spotted at the gates. The guards immediately knew you were a noble. Had to claim you for us first.” Claim him? For what? “Funny thing you delivered yourself into our very doors.”
“What’s your business here, anyway?” The dragoness asked, motioning with her head towards him as she circled him, examining him closely. “It’s not every day that we get a high-profile celebrity like you.”
“I…” He trailed off. Yes, Smolder, don’t tell the criminals about your plans. Safest way to save your scales. Actually… he was screwed either way. So he told them the truth. “I’m escaping. Burn was killed by Scarlet before my very eyes. And I knew Blister would kill me right away. I have a contact here that would take me somewhere safe.”
“Name?” The dragoness asked.
“Hmm?” He tilted his head, confused.
“The name of your contact,” Six-Claws interjected.
“Mirage.” He replied.
Both Six-Claws and the dragoness exchanged looks. Uncomfortable looks. “What?” He asked.
“He was a dragon trafficker,” Six-Claws replied. And the floor seemed to collapse under his talons, as his wings drooped. Of course. He thought. “The kind of trafficker that exploited the “I’m-so-expensive-I-can’t-possibly-kidnap-you” thing. Pathetic and uncreative.”
“We closed down his ring.” The dragoness added. “And, I guess, since you are now stuck with us, you should know my name: Thorn. A pleasure to meet you, robber boy.”
He looked at her. She had a playful smile, still half-shrouded by the darkness. And for some reason, Smolder had a funny feeling that he was going to have a pretty bad time in here.
Good job, Smolder. He cursed himself.
“There you go,” Bullfrog announced, carefully testing the strength of the freshly placed splint. Glory observed her broken talon while lying on a bed. Below layer upon layer of herbs, bandages, home-made plaster, and now the splint, her broken talon rested. She never knew it would take this much effort to mend a broken bone. Nor how painful it could be.
Bullfrog had given her a rancid concoction of hallucinogenic mushrooms and sedating herbs - with perhaps a bit too much alcohol - hoping it would blunt the pain of realignment. Yet, she could still remember the visceral cracking and snapping of bone as the RainWing forcefully jerked it back into place. She remembered the long, agonized screech she made, muffled by the stick she nearly snapped in half from the force of her bite. But it was worth it - her talon would make a full recovery thanks to it.
“You are lucky to still have that talon of yours,” Bullfrog said, smiling, before moving on to Clay, who was peacefully resting on his bed, next to the rest of her siblings.
Glory observed Clay for a while. He was lucky to be alive, too. She had never seen this much blood coming from a single dragon in her entire life. Clay was essentially half-bathed in his own blood by the time Bullfrog and his assistant arrived at the teleporting cavern. And yet, he lived. They all lived. They’ve been so, so lucky.
Clay was the most hurt out of all of them. Besides the big neck bandage, he will need to use a splint on his rear leg and avoid using it for the foreseeable future. Tsunami had a lot of deep claw cuts and bandages all over her body, and honestly, she looked pretty scary. Like a warrior fresh out of a fight. Starflight was… alright. A cut on his face and a swollen eye - nothing a bit of aloe vera can’t fix. And lastly…
“You alright?” Sunny asked, right beside her bed. Aside from the barely noticeable bump on the top of her head, she was intact. At least, physically.
Glory sighed. “Just thinking.” She simply replied. And Glory meant it, literally. The events from yesterday kept replaying inside her head, time and time again. And every time she would drift to sweet sleep, she would be awakened by nightmares of Scarlet strangling her, leaving a phantom pain in her neck. And if not Scarlet, it was a wide-eyed, bloodied Clay, dying in a pool of his own blood. Things she never wanted to witness or feel ever again.
“So,” Tsunami interrupted, sitting on a bed, talons crossed. “Don’t you owe us an explanation now?”
Glory cleared her throat. ”Bullfrog? Do you mind giving us a moment?”
"Of course," the tired RainWing nodded and flew outside in a moment. Finally, they had a chance to discuss the chaotic events of the previous night – the assassination attempt, with the subsequent, most in-depth interrogation Glory had ever made, courtesy of Deathbringer, and ofcourse, the medical treatment for them.
“I think we all know what happened, Tsunami,” Starflight said once Bullfrog was out of earshot. “This wasn’t a simple assassination attempt.” They all knew it, and yet, the possibility was so wild no one dared to say it.
“Animus magic,” Clay whispered. In fear or awe, Glory did not know. “I… kept thinking. Gotta be, right?”
The silence that followed made them all uncomfortable. Tsunami looked at the floor, uncertain. “The fake fight we tried to stop… The door that trapped us… The headless sloth Glory found, under her pillow. I didn’t think much of it until now…”
“What sloth?” Starflight asked, looking at her with great concern.
This was bad… Glory wanted to tell them before, but she never found the time…
“That… might be unrelated.” Glory sighed. “I… It might be… Scarlet’s ?”
“ Scarlet?” The four of them asked with alarm. Glory just gritted her teeth. Of course she knew this would happen.
“So. Alright,” She said, awkwardly rubbing the back of her head with her good talon. “Umm. Scarlet might’ve been… dreamvisiting me? Several times?”
“That seems like something worth mentioning! ” Tsunami yelled.
“Right. But I obviously couldn’t.” Glory dryly said. ”I found that headless sloth under my pillow. That was one of Scarlet’s threats.” And thank the mercy of the Moons it wasn’t Silver, her pet.
“Ah, so that’s why Scarlet said what she said,” Starflight said, rubbing his chin. He wasn't as mad as Tsunami.
“But why didn’t you tell us?” Sunny asked with sadness. “We could’ve helped!” She was so disappointed in her. Her siblings nodded in agreement.
“Because I thought Scarlet was bluffing,” Glory glumly admitted, unable to maintain eye contact. “Until I realized she wasn’t. She kept placing headless animals under my pillow as threats. Said if I told anyone, I’d find any of your heads instead. I… might have called her a liar when she did. That’s when she threatened to kill me for real. It’s one of the reasons why I pushed for the summit, though, I genuinely hoped it would work…”
“But… how was she doing that?” Starflight asked, tilting his head. “Was that Animus magic too?
“And how is it not related?” Tsunami added.
“Look,” Glory said, briefly extending her wings, bringing seriousness to the matter. “That was just Scarlet doing Scarlet things. She has a dreamvisitor, but I don’t think she has magic. If she did, we would’ve died a long time ago.”
“But the letters… They had the royal seals.” Clay said, shaking his head. “From most of the queens.”
“If the letters are truly not from Scarlet, then they are either a forgery or a hijack on a massive scale… or magic as well.” Starflight thought out loud.
“Has to be,” Sunny said. “No one could have possibly stolen four royal seals combined. We would've heard something otherwise.”
“So. Someone tried using animus magic to lure and kill us…” Starflight stated the fact that was of greatest concern to them.
“That’s not fair!” Clay complained. “How can we even fight against Animus magic?” How will I be able to protect you? His face said as he sadly scanned them.
“We keep an eye out and watch our backs. That’s the most we can do.” Glory replied.
“And keep our “allies” close…” Tsunami muttered as she spotted the glittery IceWing envoy approaching.
Idiots. Incompetent, gullible idiots.
Winter once again found himself wanting to scream at them for their stupidity. Wandering into an obvious trap like that.
But the circumstances were different. Very, very different. They did something good, for once.
He landed on the platform, and then proceeded to enter the Healer’s hut, passing through the useless RainWing royal guards. There, five sets of eyes found him, each with varying expressions, from wary to threatening. But he wasn’t deterred one bit. He was perfectly happy to let them know what he thought about them with his entry.
Winter simply strode to the center, pulled out Queen Glacier's message, and began to read out loud.
“Royal Envoy Winter,
I hope this message finds you with swift winds, as I have a feeling that there’s a terrible misunderstanding going on between us, Queen Glory and the Dragonets, or worse, a trap.
I have no recollection of ever sending a message about this “Summit”, nor have I ever heard it from the other queens. You also claim that the Royal IceWing Seal was used in said letter, my seal, and that you could recognize my talon-writing. I assume you know the severity of those claims, and will do a complete investigation on the matter, as well as stop the Dragonets from leaving for this “Summit”.
I’d be thankful if you could bring me the forged IceWing Seal with all haste for its proper study and destruction. Clever forgeries are no trivial matter.”
He decided to ignore the rest of its contents, as it contained more personal matters. Sadly, Queen Glacier had yet to mention anything about the mysterious rune carving he found, even though he had mentioned it on two separate occasions. What secrets could it have? Regardless, he rolled the message back to his pouch and awaited their reaction.
“Alright.” Glory cautiously said, “Point taken. We got lured into a trap. We are dumb, but we are okay, aren’t we?”
Winter firmly stared at the MudWing; he was seriously hurt. Still, he managed to give him back a strained smile.
“What kind of Queen wanders into enemy territory without telling anyone?” Winter countered.
“We did tell you about it, though.” The NightWing protested.
“The day before you left! I figured you had some time to prepare. Why didn’t you bring a proper escort?” Winter continued.
And Glory somehow seemed to be taken off guard by such basic questions. “I… don’t know.” She slowly answered, as if realizing something. And Winter had no doubts that something nefarious had happened here. Blackmail? Threats? Coercion? What would cause such reckless behavior? Five dragons wandering into the middle of enemy territory with no suitable escort or escape plans...
And, despite walking against overwhelming odds like idiots, Burn, one of the two main schemers, was dead because of them. They might’ve gotten lucky, or so one would think. But this is the third queen they have taken down (if the NightWing Queen was truly dead). This wasn’t luck. These dragons are clearly, very, very dangerous. Winter just wished he could see it with his eyes; they just looked like a disorganized ragtag group of idiots. Not a group of organized queen killers. It was utterly fascinating and puzzling. Was he just plain wrong about them?
Glory cleared her throat. “We can help you with the forged seals, though,” she said, clearly attempting to change the subject.
She tried to get down from her bed, but seemingly remembered her talon was injured midway and stopped in a rather unqueenly fashion.
“I uhhh… Might not be the best suited for that. Sunny?” She called. “Can you please head to the Royal Pavilion with Prince Winter and get him the seals from my office?”
“Sure,” Sunny nodded.
And it was a good time to leave. The SeaWing's fierce, silent stare at him was already fraying his nerves.
As Winter flew to the Royal Pavilion with Sunny, he continued to notice the rather quiet atmosphere the village had. A rather big contrast to just over last night; it was like the village was in collective mourning, and briefly, Winter wondered how his kin would react if something similar happened to them. Would they grieve like this, or call for vengeance? Probably both. Not that he would entertain such a thought for long; this was never going to happen to them.
Unsurprisingly, the Royal Pavilion was virtually deserted, save for a couple of RainWing guards who still carried on with their duties. Most of them have been relocated to the Healer’s Pavilion, for obvious reasons. Upon landing, they promptly proceeded inside, and as the interior's subdued lighting gradually became clearer to Winter, he had to suppress an involuntary hiss. A NightWing was there, alongside Qibli, at the planning table, and Winter found himself uncertain as to which dragon had provoked his reaction.
Both pairs of eyes found him momentarily before returning to the map, which they were examining with grim expressions on the main table. He knew Qibli had some sort of position regarding the Dragonet’s security, but what was a NightWing doing here? Regardless, Sunny proceeded without a worry in the world and entered Queen Glory’s office, on the corner of the Pavilion. He tried to hide his disdain at such low security, for Sunny’s sake. Going through Queen Glacier’s office was a gargantuan task, filled with hurdles and restraints. Here? As easy as going through an insecure door.
As Sunny searched the office, the Pavilion was filled with a rather awkward silence, and just barely, Winter could tell both Qibli and the NightWing were subtly trying to eye him. He just proceeded to seethe in stoic silence, as a small pool of water slowly condensed on his feet (against his will) as he waited.
After what seemed an eternity, Sunny emerged from the office and closed the door with her tail. She had three different seals and two letters.
“This is what we have,” Sunny said, walking up to him and placing the seals and letters on Winter’s open talons.
It wasn’t particularly hard for Winter to find the discrepancy. “Two letters, and three seals.” He stated flatly.
“Well…” Sunny said, awkwardly rubbing her elbow. “We did have another letter, but I think we might’ve misplaced it; I can’t find it.”
He found it hard not to quirk his brow.
“This is not how it usually goes,” Sunny said with a nervous laugh. “I mean, the other letters from the Queens are there. It’s just this one that is missing…”
“Do you know who could have misplaced it?” He patiently asked.
“Not us.” She affirmed, and then her face swiftly changed expressions. She was remembering. “We were… busy… ”
Busy getting attempted-murdered. Winter finished her thought. “Of course.” He nodded, with his tone bidding her to continue.
“I don’t think any RainWing would’ve moved anything.” Sunny continued, thinking. “Most don’t even know how to read, even less dare to steal something.”
Winter subtly moved his eyes at the NightWing, who was still busy with the map.
“Oh!” Sunny briefly looked behind her, as if noticing the NightWing for the very first time. “Well. That’s just a NightWing guard,” she dismissively waved her talons. “Tribe integration and all that, you know? Not many of them come here.”
And for whatever reason, the NightWing seemed to be wounded at her words. He should be thankful.
“Right… So you have no idea who could’ve stolen the letter.” Winter said.
"If it was stolen.” A voice said.
He squinted his eyes at Qibli and made a short hiss. Not your business. But the SandWing just waved it off and continued to blankly stare at the map with a smile.
Winter cleared his throat, examined the papers, then started reading them closely, but as he did, he couldn’t help but feel… strange and uneasy. He didn’t know if it was due to him seeing Queen Glacier’s authentic talonwriting… and yet, this was clearly not her. Queen Glacier fancied herself a poet, but she would completely drop the act when discussing more serious matters, such as a peace summit to end the Great War. She would write some couplets and tercets here and there with more casual topics or personal contacts, or, if she wanted to give an impression to someone else… In fact, if one were to change the recipient's name for his, as well as the subject, it’s almost as if she were writing to h-
“Is something wrong?” Sunny asked, breaking him free from his sinking, dreadful feeling.
“Nothing,” Winter replied a bit too quickly. He had to further secure his letters. Maybe stash them in a lockbox, even if it was just a wild coincidence. Noticing that Sunny’s curiosity wasn’t quenched, he was forced to elaborate. “It confirms what we know. This isn’t Queen Glacier.”
“You can recognize the talon-writing, right?” She asked.
“Of course.” He haughtily said, “Why wouldn’t I? It has only been two days since you asked me.”
“Sorry… just checking.” And Winter immediately wanted to kick himself for saying that. She just survived an assassination attempt. She wants answers as much as he does.
He tried to amend it by releasing some information. “Queen Glacier has a… particular… way of writing when she deals with unimportant matters. What we are doing here is most certainly not; she wouldn’t be writing like this.” Of course, he will release all that he knows later. Once Queen Glacier instructs him to.
“So… what if what we're doing here isn’t as important as we think it is?” Sunny asked, looking somewhat downcast.
“ I am Queen Glacier’s nephew, talon-picked by her as an envoy to aid you wherever I can. Of course this is important.” He reassured her. “I could show you a personal and an official letter if you wish, so you can see the difference for yourself.”
“We’d appreciate it,” Sunny smiled. “The more clues we can gather…” Sunny's eyes then trailed off to the seals, still on his talon. “What about those?” She pointed at them with her talon. “Could you compare them to those from your letters, too?”
“Quite,” Winter nodded, depositing the forged letters in his pouch. Next, he looked closely at one of the seals. This seal sure looked real, with all the intricacies one would expect from an IceWing craft. At the center, the diamond-shaped emblem of the crown was there, with sharp icicles bordering it, and above, an aurora borealis with an open talon, with an eye hovering just over it. For such a small seal, it was ridiculously elaborate and complex… and this is an exact copy of the Royal IceWing seal. It was beyond worrying. Just how was this replicated?
Winter looked even closer at the seal, trying to gather just about anything that could help. But suddenly, he felt something. It was humming softly.
Winter’s eyes widened. Something suddenly possessed him, making him gasp and wildly thrash his arm, throwing the seal far away into the room. Sunny gasped in surprise, just as the two other pairs of eyes opened widely in alarm. Why did he get so rattled? Why was his heart beating so fast?
“Prince Winter? Are you alright?” Sunny asked, concerned. He could see Qibli eying him with worry, too. The NightWing was… amused.
Before Winter could stop himself, a whisper escaped his lips. “It’s… Animus,” eyes still looking at the seal on the floor. That humming was unmistakable; now it all made perfect sense! That’s why Sunny asked him a perfectly stupid question. And yet, it wasn’t; if Animus magic was truly in the equation, then it changed everything. Even the very basics. But when he looked at Sunny, she had a look he quite didn’t expect. She wasn’t surprised, not one bit. So you know, too. Her face said. She suspected it. Winter thought.
“Now hold on.” The NightWing said as he picked up the flung seal. “Just because someone made a pretty good forgery doesn’t mean it’s magic. I mean, wouldn’t that be ridiculous?”
“Actually, Deathbringer, haven’t you read the stories?” Qibli asked. “It would be perfectly in character for some Animus to do dumb spells to finish a simple task.”
“Except this isn’t a story,” Deathbringer countered. “I mean, ‘ I enchant the recipient of this letter to die’. There, job done. Good job, smart Animus me.” He then tossed the seal to Qibli, who raised his talons to catch it, but midway seemed to rethink his decision and let the seal fall onto the table instead.
“I have reasons to believe it might be Animus, actually,” Sunny said, still looking worriedly at him. Winter noticed Qibli’s ears prickling, for whatever reason.
“Grrrrreeat. I’ll add ‘Look out for mass-hysteria’ to the checklist.” Deathbringer groaned, going back to the table as Qibli examined the seal with wide eyes.
“But how could you tell?” Qibli asked. He was now shaking, eying, weighing it with each talon, then listening closely to the seal, imitating what Winter had been doing just a short while ago. And yet Qibli wasn’t picking up anything. Was it an IceWing thing? To be able to feel Animus magic?
He wasn’t sure what to say. Are the Dragonets trying to keep their suspicions a secret? His eyes briefly met with Sunny’s, and she understood. “Call it a hunch,” she said, shrugging. “I mean, we need to gather more evidence.”
“And it’s not a conspiracy.” Winter addressed Deathbringer. ”There are only two seal stamps in the entire world that look exactly like that, both of which are locked tight inside Queen Glacier’s office. And since we know Queen Glacier didn’t send that message…”
Deathbringer simply sat around the table, not really feeling the severity of the occasion. “Welllll… I’d say it's more likely that your Queen just had a small delirious episode, rather than this seal being of actual Animus origin.”
Winter could feel his chest swelling with anger and indignation. Luckily, before he could bite his head off, Sunny jumped in and placed a talon on his chest. She gave him a pleading look.
Exhaling a cloud of ice particles, Winter continued, “Likely or not, two queens having delirious episodes in such a short time doesn’t sound like a coincidence. There’s something else at play here.”
Qibli kept eying the seal, paying no attention, but he could see something shift in the NightWing’s eyes. As if, somehow, he believed his words.
“Alright,” he said, half-extending his wings. “Let’s say for a moment, I believe you. What could we do against an Animus?”
“Let’s go take a seat,” Sunny whispered to him as she walked to the main table. Winter reluctantly agreed. He really didn’t want to deal with Qibli and a NightWing right now. He had to send his findings as soon as possible back home!
As the impromptu discussion went on, it was abundantly clear that the Dragonets had kept the Animus nature of their assassination attempt a secret. As the others discussed unimportant details, Winter’s imagination ran rampant. If Animus magic was used here… why are they still alive? Isn’t Animus magic incredibly powerful? Is the Animus simply toying with them, and they are living on borrowed time?
Was the Animus using his letters as a template? Or just a weird coincidence? But Winter knew. The circumstances surrounding the assassination attempt had way too many odd coincidences. Something really evil is going on, but exactly wha-
“...Winter?” Someone asked.
Winter blinked as he was snapped out of his imagination. He saw three expectant faces.
He tried to arrange his vacant expression into something more dignified. “What was the question?”
“Not a question.” The NightWing said.
“That you need to get this information to Queen Glacier as soon as possible,” Sunny replied, subtly eying the entrance.
“Right. Of course.” He said, stepping up. He nodded to Sunny and simply left without a word, not wanting to know what kind of impression he left on the NightWing. Or Qibli, for that matter.
Clay sat on his bed, thinking. And, most importantly, pretending not to be worried. Though he was pretty sure he wasn’t being very good at it, given the looks his siblings were giving him.
“It was a one-time thing!” Glory was saying. “No one’s catching us off-guard again, Tsunami.”
“Listen to you!” Tsunami hissed. “ One-time thing? Jumping off a cliff with your wings tied is also a one-time thing! And so is losing your head!”
“We were tricked with Animus magic. How was I supposed to know? How was any of us supposed to know?” Glory countered defensively.
“But I knew!” Tsunami said, raising her arms. “I kept telling you to call it off! And none of you listened!”
“It’s alright, Tsunami,” he interrupted before things escalated. No way he’s letting them fight in the only hospital. “We were just… blinded by the prophecy. To the chance to actually fulfill it.” He just wished he could press his scales against her siblings to comfort them… But the pain in his leg told him it was simply not possible. For now, at least.
“We should’ve listened to you.” Starflight sighed, not sounding too happy about Tsunami being right.
“Hmph.” Tsunami simply remained with her arms closed, still not looking happy. “It’s just… frustrating…” She continued, releasing a sigh and massaging her temples. “Of all the things that can happen to us, an Animus-powered assassination attempt? Why us?”
“Probably because we ruin the status quo everywhere we go,” Starflight said.
Were they that bad? I mean, sure, they got Scarlet deposed, Blister revealed as a puppeteer… and… Battlewinner and Burn died because of them… but they did go to the outskirts of the Mud Kingdom and everything turned just fine! And the RainWing Kingdom! They saved the NightWings! Because the… volcano erupted, but it was definitely not due to them, right? Dragons cannot make volcanoes explode with their mere presence, can they?
“Gee, I wonder why.” Glory snorted, with a face clearly stating the opposite. “Listen. Asking dragons to stop killing each other isn’t such a big demand.”
With that said, they resumed blankly staring at their wounds, simply enjoying the silence. After all that happened, even a little bit of silence was much appreciated, and Clay could feel himself drift to sleep on his bed. He was still exhausted, and with the Royal RainWing guards here, he had nothing to worry about.
For once, Clay rested peacefully.
And then his eyes opened up, his internal clock telling him it was early morning. He must have had a good night's sleep, miraculously. He looked around the Pavilion. Tsunami was softly snoring on her bed, and Glory was peacefully curled into a ball. There were no signs of Starflight and Sunny. They were probably fine, though. Between the two, they didn’t really get that hurt, so naturally, they’d rather spend their time helping around wherever they can. Rearranging his pillow, Clay tried to doze off for a few more minutes.
Until wing-beats woke him up. All three of them raised their heads in alert at the same time, looking towards the entrance. One of the wing-beats’ wideness was almost physically touchable, and thus, he didn’t really recognize them. Who was that? But as they continued to approach, the guards posted at the entrance remained motionless; it was not a threat.
“Visitors?” Tsunami asked. “Who are we expecting?”
Glory released a powerful yawn. She shrugged. “I guess we’ll learn soon enough.”
A RainWing guard soon entered. “My Queen,” he bowed, “We found this SkyWing at the border of the village. She says she knows you.”
A SkyWing? Clay instantly thought of Scarlet. But surely, she wouldn’t be here, right? That was impossible. Peril? By the Sun, he sure hoped not.
A “You can’t go in!” was heard, and soon, the aforementioned SkyWing made her way inside, pushing aside the RainWing guard with ease. This SkyWing’s rusted-red face wasn't hideously melted - an immediate sign that this was not Scarlet - but it did have a scar on her face; a small talon mark. As the towering SkyWing stood before them, Clay was slowly realising who this was… Until he saw her orange-yellow eyes. They were full of disdain. A very familiar disdain. He knew this dragon.
“Kestrel?” Tsunami and Clay asked in unison. It felt like he was looking directly at a ghost.
“Look at you lizards,” she scornfully said, looking at each of them. “You are all a mess.”
And immediately, Clay was taken back. Back to the caves he grew up in. He never really learned just how awful his life was when he was stuck in there. He was unsure what to think of Kestrel coming here. It would be best if she just… went away from their lives.
But Clay noticed Kestrel’s eyes remained fixed on Glory, just as Tsunami jumped from her bed into a defensive position.
He’d never seen Glory frown this hard, nor seen the color of her scales in such an alarming combination: they were a mix of black, red, and dark red. As if she were imitating the deadliest, most venomous giant frog one could find here, while at the same time looking as if she might spontaneously erupt and set the entire Pavilion ablaze on anger alone.
“You,” Glory spat, her words almost as corrosive as her venom.
“What are you doing here?!” Tsunami cried, her stance anxious.
It occurred to Clay just now that they were seconds away from a fight. Tsunami looked like she was one flick of a tail away from charging at Kestrel, as was Glory, even with all her injuries. Glory’s ruff was also flared, and he’d never seen her this angry before, just as the RainWing guards started entering inside the Pavilion. He hastily stood up from his bed in case a fight did break out.
“There were some rumors,” Kestrel said as she paced around, oblivious, or choosing to ignore, all the dragons poised to strike at her. “Old Queens dying. New Queens rising. And apparently, you were the cause of it all. I had to see it out for myself, because surely, these rumours are complete nonsense. It can’t be the lizards I raised.”
Glory looked like she wanted to argue for a moment, but then, she raised her talon and pointed to Kestrel. “Guards!” She roared. “Seize her!”
There was an awkward moment of complete stillness, neither Kestrel nor the room expecting to hear such words.
Until one Royal Guard broke out. “You heard the Queen! Seize her!”
Abruptly, everyone moved, with both him and Tsunami charging in, just as Glory leapt from her bed.
Clay was more than ready to attack Kestrel, but luckily, there was no need. Kestrel didn’t resist, and thus the RainWing guards subdued her before any of them could reach her.
As six RainWings held Kestrel to the floor, Glory approached her, limping. Kestrel had to look up to Glory from the floor, and the irony wasn’t lost on Clay. He could see something shifting in Kestrel’s eyes. Fear. And oddly enough, respect.
“Give me one reason not to kill you this moment.” Glory coldly said, squinting her eyes at Kestrel. “Just one. I’m very curious.”
“Glory…” Clay warned, trying to avoid any violence.
“Sunny wouldn’t like it,” Kestrel said flatly, after contemplating.
“That’s true,” Glory said. “Might as well kill you now before she arrives.”
“Glory!” Both Clay and Tsunami protested.
Glory just eye-rolled. Oh. So she was joking.
She turned back, facing away from Kestrel. “Get that SkyWing out of my face,” she ordered. “Throw her into prison.”
A faint voice suddenly broke out. “I’m… sorry.”
Glory stopped mid-step. The three of them looked dumbfounded at Kestrel. Had they misheard?
Glory turned around. “You… are sorry ?” She slowly echoed, her tone filled with venom and disbelief.
Kestrel’s wings drooped, her usual fire dimmed, her eyes uncertain. “I know what I did to you—”
“Shut. Up.” Glory crudely interrupted her. “Just how brave are you, Kestrel? You are sorry for being a dragonet abuser ? My, such high standards for you. I hope you rot from the inside.” She motioned to the guards. “Throw her into a prison cell. Use your venom if she resists.”
“But, My Queen, we don’t have a prison.” One guard said.
“Oh. Right. House arrest, then.” She motioned with her talon, ordering the guards to carry their orders.
Glory didn’t even look back as Kestrel was silently dragged out. She simply hopped back into her bed and sat, talons crossed, as if nothing had happened.
Clay’s eyes found Tsunami’s. What the blazes just happened? They both shook their heads and went to Glory.
“Glory.” Tsunami said once she got close enough, “Are you-”
“I’m fine.” Glory snapped, even though some of her scales were faintly red.
“We can talk about it,” Clay said supportively, trying to gently grasp Glory’s talons, but she instinctively pulled away before he could. This is what Kestrel took from Glory. Clay sadly thought. Physical affection. Brushing wings. Twirling tails. Just being able to comfort someone… and be comforted. Time will heal her, slowly.
But did they have time? Would the world really allow them to exist?
Glory sighed. “We just need to focus. Don’t let that distract us.”
They needed to focus on surviving. Surely they can make it. But against an animus…
Clay sure hoped their prophecy was real. That’s the only thing that could protect them.
Winter’s talons twitched with irritation — no lockboxes in this entire RainWing village, not one. How was he supposed to secure anything in this careless place? As he rummaged through his personal chest, the forged letters were spread before him on his bed. Some minutes ago, after giving them a more throughout look, he noticed that one looked oddly familiar, with a nagging instinct that told him he’d seen this letter before. Somehow.
He continued sifting through his pile of Queen Glacier’s letters until… heart quickening and eyes widening, he laid one of his letters beside the forgery. The structure of both was identical; same paragraph breaks, same line counts, even the tercet tucked in the exact same spot. Only the contents were different. His back spines prickled. This wasn’t chance or luck. An Animus had crafted this forgery, using one of his letters as a template. The realization sank in like desert heat: someone was truly using Animus magic to trick them. It would be beyond foolish to think otherwise.
There was a knock on his door. His blood froze as he remained still. Was he caught? Was that the Animus coming to kill him?
The door was knocked on again, this time, however, with a playful rhythm. Brows furrowing with suspicion, Winter silently poked his head through his window, which was close to the entrance.
It was Qibli.
An exasperated sigh escaped his maw before he could even stop himself. Whether his sigh was caused by relief, or the sight of Qibli, he did not know, once again.
“Oh, hey!” Qibli waved at him when he noticed, despite Winter having his most unwelcoming face ever. “Just uh… Sunny sent me with some instructions.” He said, showing him a piece of parchment he had on his talon.
Damn. His room was a mess. Whatever. He’ll just shoo him away. Going back and disorderly stuffing the letters into his chest, Winter almost mistakenly placed the forged letters and the template one together with the others. He’ll need to figure out a place to safely store them. Swiftly looking around, the answer presented itself to him. The wooden walls were badly pieced together. Folding the letters just right, Winter deposited both of them in a gap between the wall planks.
Walking out of his bedroom towards the living room, he heard his entrance door shut. What the…
Picking up the pace, he, unfortunately, found Qibli already inside his living room.
“WHAT are you doing in my house!?” Winter protested.
“Whew,” Qibli said, his eyes roaming his entire hut, intruding upon his private life. Personal mementos, hunting trophies, pelts, and quartz carvings, all tainted by his mere presence. “Never been inside an IceWing house before. You guys certainly keep your reputation of being tidy.” He then innocently shook his head. “Anyway, what were you saying?”
“Out,” Winter hissed, motioning with his talon towards the entrance. “Get out.”
“No can do, I’m afraid.” He said, shaking his head. “I got royal orders to carry out first.”
“Was one of them breaking into my house?” He groaned.
“Eh… ‘breaking into’ feels like a strong phrase.” Qibli shrugged. “These flimsy doors are very easy to open.”
“It’s more about consent.” He snapped, looking down his nose. “Less about what you think. Well, give it here.” He raised his talon, ready to receive Qibli’s parchment. He mentally smiled, to see that idiot being degraded into a mere errand boy.
The second Winter received the parchment he proceeded to read it, but he quickly found that something was amiss.
“This doesn’t look like Sunny’s talonwriting.” He pointed out.
“Trust me. Queen’s orders.” Qibli said.
Winter might’ve argued, but the circumstances certainly didn’t allow it, so he read the paper. Something about writing to Queen Glacier about their situation. The usual. Except for the part of proofreading. What?
“There’s been a commotion, you know. The queen got a visitor, and things got nasty.” Qibli said, badly trying to hide just how much he wished he was there to personally witness it. “They would’ve probably sent one of their guys otherwise.”
“Right,” Winter noted as he finished reading. “Interesting. You can go now.”
“Actually,” Qibli said, before Winter fully turned around. “I also brought this.”
Winter craned his neck around, he was surprised to see what Qibli was holding. The seal, from before.
“You left so quickly earlier today that I didn’t even get the chance to stop you,” Qibli explained.
Winter mutely extended his talon to receive the seal. Naturally, it was very hard for him not to flinch once the barely perceptible humming and vibrations started to manifest on his talon when it fell. It felt… otherworldly, to say the least.
“You truly think it’s Animus?” Qibli asked.
“That’s confidential,” Winter said, turning back into his room.
“Well, except the part when you said it was Animus, and Sunny said it ‘might’ be Animus,” Qibli said as he sat on his haunches.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Winter pointed out, craning his head back.
Qibli gave him a look. “C’mon. It’s not hard to know you are both hiding it’s Animus, might as well confirm it for me.”
“I’m not answering that,” Winter said, entering his room. Luckily, Qibli had the common sense not to follow him inside.
“The absence of an answer is an answer too!” He warned from the living room. Winter found it hard not to eye-roll.
It would be wise to write the letter to Queen Glacier as soon as possible, before the whole world knows magic was used here. But, could he even trust the written form now, considering the circumstances? What’s stopping this Animus from knowing all his plans? All his thoughts? How could someone stop an Animus? It was widely known that Darkstalker used his spells to make himself invulnerable and to kill hundreds of dragons, his father included. He was almost unstoppable. How can anyone hope to defeat a power like that?
Maybe he could gather some clues as to how Darkstalker was defeated. It could be a good place to start… if the records still exist. It’s been over two thousand years since an Animus has threatened someone else’s life. And to do such a task, he needed to visit a library. The IceWing Royal Library was massive, but it was too far away. The local library, however… Memories surfaced of his visit, some days ago. It was bad news it was run by NightWings, but at the same time, a tribe like them should still have records of how he was defeated.
Or maybe… was he being paranoid? Probably not. The urgency of the situation wasn’t manifesting itself because no one had died. For now. Winter could imagine that, in the case that one of the Dragonets had truly died at the assassination attempt, everything would be different. He ought to follow IceWing law, where attempted murders are counted as murders, and truly raise awareness of the situation. The Animus has struck, and he failed, true, but what’s stopping the Animus from trying again? They could not lower their guard for a second.
A whistling distracted his thoughts. Some catchy, garbage SandWing song.
“Quit it! I’m trying to write!” Winter said to his wall.
“Hey,” the wall replied. “I was just thinking, if I were an animus… What’s stopping me from trying again, you know?”
“You are a bit late to that party, I’m afraid,” Winter replied.
Dipping some ink on his claw, Winter started writing to Queen Glacier. That it was extremely likely that this was the dirty work of an Animus, and the Dragonets, their target. That he also had the seal and the forged letters as proof, together with the letter used as a template. As Winter mentioned the forged letters, naturally, his eyes roamed to where he hid them… only to find they were gone.
His heart started to accelerate. Could the Animus already know of his intentions? But he just found out about his plan! How could this Animus be so quick?!
…Or…
Winter rushed out of his room, into his living room, only to find Qibli lying on one of his cushions, with his letters on talon, reading them. Oh, the indignation! Winter was about to go into a lengthy rant, until he noticed the SandWing’s face.
“The talonwriting wasn’t the only enchantment,” Qibli grimly said, ignoring his crime of property theft.
“Pray tell,” Winter sarcastically snapped as he approached. This SandWing was treading dangerously close to his limits.
“This… thing, ” Qibli said, motioning to the letter on his talon, “It’s like… pulling me. To Burn’s Stronghold.”
“Maybe, because Burn’s Stronghold is mentioned like fifty times?” Winter replied.
Qibli blinked, looked back at the letter, and started reading again. “Okay,” he said after a while, “but I didn’t know that. Isn’t that freaky?”
It was…
The Dragonets were enchanted to go to Burn’s Stronghold. Winter realized. Was that why they just blindly charged into enemy territory? Why the forged letters felt that way? Because they were telling him something against his wishes? Because he had a responsibility here? If he had the prophecy to end the war, would the magic make him feel a different sensation?
“Wait,” Qibli said. “ If these letters are truly magic… May I see the seals?”
Winter made a face, clearly stating his answer.
“Please?” Qibli begged.
“Fine,” Winter snapped. “... If they are magic? You mean to tell me you never thought the seals were magic?”
“Nope.” Qibli shrugged. “Sorry.”
Winter sighed and turned around. He grabbed the seals from his room and came back. Once they fell into Qibli’s talon, he did his usual thing.
“I can’t really feel anything.” He said, weighing them in his talon.
Winter plucked one and immediately felt the humming. “It’s really clear to me. They feel like…” Winter paused. Should he tell him? Well… What’s the worst that could happen? “...like a faint vibration. A humming.”
“Huh,” Qibli said wondrously, as if somehow tasting the seal with his talon. “Ohhh!” He exclaimed.
“Did you-”
“No.” He flatly said, though there was a faint air of disappointment in his voice. He shook his head, “I just can’t.”
Qibli extended his talon towards Winter’s, intending to deposit the seals. As they fell, Qibli abruptly caught one with his claw. “Wait,” Qibli said, squinting his eyes. He started gently clenching his talon, feeling the seal, and then, his eyes went wide.
“What?” Winter snapped.
“...I can feel it,” Qibli said, his entire face going in shock.
“Well, I told you so,” Winter replied. He really wasn’t expecting them to be magic.
However, his moment of triumph was brief.
“I thought I could feel it with my senses, so I tried listening to them; to my talons, and ears… But since I wasn’t picking up anything, I thought they must not be magic.”
“What?”
Qibli stared intensely at the seal on his talon. “It’s like… I’m feeling the magic through my soul.”
Notes:
Burn dying will no doubt cast a brighter light on what the Dragonets are doing, attracting both good and bad attention to them. Let's see how they will deal with them :P.
As always, feel free to broadcast your thoughts or suggestions in the animus-powered comment section!
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