Wings of War: The Forever Arms Race

by Sabot

Summary:

In the serene and peaceful lands of Pyrrhia, a land inhabited by mostly dragons, the seven dragon tribes all thrived in peace, untouched by war or ambition.

Then it fell, a enormous spaceship that crashed landed in the Northern Sea, shattering the dragon's world with a dark promise of power. What began as curiousity and hope for this new and amazing ailen technology soon spiraled into an arms race against the tribes. Pyrrhia becomes a battleground of innovation, fear and destruction.

Reccent developments lead to the Aero-Craft, essentially a sort of jet plane armor for dragons. Armed with this destructive weapon, the tribes clashed in the skies with relentless ambition, while the ground is ravaged by explosions, death, and desperation. Moral lines blur, weapons become more destructive, and unlikely figures emerge.

The Dragonets are a ragtag mercenary group, doing the dirty work of the various corporations that now make up the continent. It was either make a living out of mercenary work or slaving their lives in the mines. This is the story of 5 dragonets and their survival in a broken world and a war that could last forever.

-Loosely Inspired by Armored Core

Notes:

Wings of Fire holds a particular place in my heart. It really was one of my first novel series I've ever read when I was in Middle Schhool. A friend of mine recommended to me and I guess it stuck to me. I mean, what's not to like about dragons as a protagonist? Either way, the books and its community was a place that I will hold dear in my heart.

Orginaly, I didn't think I was much of a writer, I didn't have any ideas that I stuck to. But then Armored Core 6 came out, I played it and fell in love with the concept and it'd OST. Then I thought, "What would happen if an AC was in WoF?" And then came this awful, dark and terrible idea. The idea expanded into this very fic.

This is my tribute to Wings of Fire, thank you Tui for the wonderous memories you made during my Middle School career.

Be advised, this fic is extremely dark, brutal, and tackles lots of war and gory themes. You probably won't recognize the characters of how much I changed their personalities.

Nether the less, to those who read my writing, I hope it is up to your standards, and you enjoy the story. Thank you.

Chapter 1: Prologue

A beautiful and peaceful day on the land of Pyrrhia, all dragons living in harmony. This is a time before the War of the SandWing Succession, before the threat of the Pantala and the Other-Mind. Every dragon enjoys a nice and tranquil life full of peace and prosperity. Just how things should be, right? No war, no death, no killing, no unnecessary bloodshed or death for a Queen's agenda, goal or ideal that the majority don’t suit or believe in. That much is certain, dragons are not humans, their hubris and ambition never gets the best of them. Every dragon was content with their peaceful simple lives and it would. No advanced developments for technology, no pursuit of better economic and social prosperity. Just simple, old fashioned, peace. Forever. 

Until it fell from the sky. 

The Lodestar.

A mass of metal, it fell from the sky, a beast on fire.

The trees bowed as the skies split.

Its fire roars, its fire falls.

We watched, we witnessed, we feared.

We were in awe, in horror, of something greater.

The elders prayed, the dragonets cried.

The ground cracks as the ocean gives way.

What was its will? Its name? Its purpose?

A message from the gods? A sign?

Is it a god dying? Performing an anathema?

Or was it a gift?

Nobody knew the bloody war that would soon follow.

 The Lodestar, it was named. When it finally crashed into the ocean near the northern territories, nobody knew what this was. The closest tribes, the SkyWings and IceWings, began investigations on this mysterious object. It was entirely made up of a dark, mysterious metal, not even the strongest of dragons or hottest of fires could break it. Finally, after using a whole month’s supply of dragonflame cacti, the SkyWings finally breached a hole in the Lodestar. Once they entered the ship, their entire world spun upside down. Various technologies unlike anything they have ever seen have filled the ship, nobody knew what happened to the former occupants of this vessel and the SkyWings had no intention of finding out. The SkyWing pioneers then took some various machinery out from the Lodestar for research, but there was one certain device that they were very interested in: a jet engine. The IceWings also made their own expeditions into the Lodestar and brought back other technologies for them to research as well. The rest of Pyrrhia were anxious, excited, confused, and optimistic, who knows what kind of brand new revolutions this new technology could bring? The jet engine captivated the SkyWings, this very device allowed a dragon to achieve speeds never seen before! After 25 years worth of various tests, trial and error, and reconfiguring, the SkyWings have created the first Aero-Craft. The dragons that used this Aero-Craft were called Aeros, the very first Aero was a SkyWing named Raven, who later became the most infamous dragon on the planet. After 30 years since the Lodestar crashed, Pyrrhia entered an Industrial Revolution. New technologies and concepts were discovered, not only jet engines and jet fuel, but electricity, radar, radio, spectrums of light, mass production, and most infamously, explosions. Gunpowder was discovered, first used to create barrel bombs, then cannons, and after a year… the first gun made by dragons was created.

The horns of war blare out quietly in the distance.

 50 years after the crash, X-ray, biology and advanced medicine created a greater understanding of the dragon body, most importantly, the nervous system. Dragon doctors discovered that a dragon can manipulate their Aero-Craft much more effectively using their thoughts when they are connected to their central nervous system. With this information in-talon, the first weaponized Aero-Craft was created, piloted by Raven himself. It was bare basic, it was equipped with a rifle on the right talon, a heated blade on the left talon, and a simple missile launcher on the right shoulder, with missiles and rockets being very recently developed. This weaponized Aero-Craft greatly concerned the other tribes, a SkyWing warrior that could fly at Mach 1, and have enough armaments to destroy a small army by himself. They were afraid that they could be destroyed if they did not create and weaponize their own Aero-Crafts. 

The horns of war were now blaring much louder now.

 Now, various other weapons were being produced by the other tribes. To shotguns, assault rifles, machine guns, gatling guns, rotary cannons, autocannons, artillery cannons, howitzers, shotgun cannons, missiles launchers, grenade launchers, RPGs, explosives, flamethrowers, arc throwers, high-powered lasers, plasma cannons, railguns, melee weapons, armor, night vision, thermal vision, advanced radar, fire control systems, fire prevention systems, more efficient fuel and engines, anti-air systems. 75 years after the Lodestar crashed, Prryhia enters the Arms Race era. Every tribe was trying to one-up the other, who could develop the most destructive weapons the fastest, otherwise, they could cease to exist with outdated tech. The various tribes each had different ways to develop their technology.

The IceWings discovered more futuristic concepts from the Lodestar. Such as plasma, lasers, railguns, electromagnetic manipulation, but their most favorite is liquid nitrogen and cryogenics. It actually helped the IceWings create ice cream. They created a vast system of underground laboratories and testing grounds for research and testing of this technology in secret. 

The MudWings developed on making Aero-Crafts that could suit their needs, They created heavy duty jet engines, and powerful weaponry only MudWings could wield and fight with. 

The SeaWings on the other hand had a more unique approach, they would rule their seas as their very domain. They designed Aero-Craft parts that could work under the water. Not only that, but they have created warships as well, with this new arsenal, the SeaWings needed much more oil and fuel. After discovering oil wells deep below the ocean floor, the SeaWings then set up oil rigs to extract this valuable resource. 

The SandWings had a similar idea to the SeaWings, the desert held many wells of oil. By setting up an array of oil pumps to extract it, they sold the fuel off to other tribes. The SandWings have become an economic powerhouse. 

The RainWings however did not develop as much technology as the other tribes. They were mostly pacifists and had no need for violence. They did have a grand idea to create invisible cloaks, but other than that, not much was developed. However, they will soon be forced to play their talon out in the near future after a certain incident…

The NightWings scrapped all of their plans of raiding the rainforest and put all their focus on developing unique exclusive technology and weapons. They set up various hidden laboratories across the continent, and are rumored to sometimes do inhumane experiments on other dragons.

Every tribe was at a standstill, they had been developing their weapons for years now, anxious and waiting for the others to try and attack them or planning to attack them in a preemptive strike. Tensions grew, combatants were at edge, the trigger was ready to be pulled. But who in the right mind wanted to pull the first trigger, and potentially start a war that would decimate the land? For a while, no tribe dared to take action. Until the trigger was pulled by Raven. And all hell broke loose.

The horns of war declare their warcry, the battle has begun.

The Aero War had begun, every tribe was against every other tribe. There was chaos, death, ruin, explosions, destruction, killing, grief, murder, horror, as the night sky lit up with anti-air guns in an attempt to shoot down any Aeroes. Everything was now producing goods for the war effort, all able bodied dragons either served as Aeroes or in the production lines, even the dragonesses and dragonets worked. There were no alliances, just you and your tribe dragons. Nobody knew what they were fighting, what caused all of this fighting? Why all the bloodshed, tears, death, sadness, for a war that had nothing to do with anything? It was all run by irrational fear. The fear of being conquered. The fear of not being strong enough. The fear of others hurting you and your people. All of these things ran through the Queens of each tribe, the only thing Raven did was make things worse for no apparent reason. Religions and new beliefs were created within the chaos, a desperate attempt to create their own, coherent order in this global conflict. The Talons of Peace emerged, a group of dragons so desperate to end this conflict that they took up extreme measures, bombing important military infrastructure, and taking high-ranking council members as hostages. The title and occupation of a Mercenary made itself present. Independent warmongers that got paid to do your bidding and dirty work, regardless of your ideals and purpose. This is not a war, it was an arms race. The tribes needed to create weapons that would make them the winner of this conflict. And it would seem that by the looks of things, this is a war that would tear apart many families, have many lines crossed, and have many beliefs shattered. Just a bunch of dragons fighting each other in metal wings, and a bunch of civilians trying to scavenge their livelihoods in the wreckage.

Forever.

“It’s all that damn Raven’s fault!”

“He was the one who pulled the trigger when nobody else could!”

“But why?! Why did he do it?!”

Chapter 2: The BigWings

Notes:

The first 6 chapters will essentially be backstories for the dragonets and how they became mercs.

The world is so cold, and so loud. The world is hot, and bright. I don’t know what’s happening, why is the world so disorganized? Why is it loud? Why is it hot? Should it be warm and welcoming? Why am I so alone?

A single blood-red egg hatched, revealing a brown and significantly sized MudWing. Hidden inside of a rotting old stump, it was the only egg inside of it. The dragonet crawled out of its egg shells and looked around.

“Mrgle?” The dragonet squawked, turning its little head around the darkness. It couldn’t quite see anything clearly. 

“Squak!” The dragonet cried out in the darkness, there was no answer.

Confused, curious, yet afraid, the dragonet slowly but surely waddled his way out of the stump. He surveyed the marsh around him, only finding dark silhouettes of bare, hanging trees and the small green flickers of fireflies. The dragonet was about to shout to call out to his mother, father, siblings, anyone. He opened his mouth, but a huge ear-splitting boom answered him. The dragonet shrieked as he fell back into the stump, for a few minutes, he did not move, not a single ounce of movement, not even a shiver of fear. A moment passes, the dragonet then poked his head out of the stump and observed the source of that horrible noise. He took a glance toward the distance, and he was greeted with a beautiful and terrifying sight. 

Thousands of tracers lit up the night sky, scattered explosions appeared and disappeared all over the clouds, pops and distant echoes flooded the dragonet’s ears. Way above the sky were three, bright white moons, their moonlight being outshined by the blasts below. It was like fireworks, a display of explosions, if the dragonet even knew what they were. The dragonet hears fading screams, thunderous booms, an orchestra of crashes and clamour. The smell of smoke mixed with the smell of the boggy marsh, it surrounds the poor dragon's nostrils. The sight was as beautiful as it was terrifying.

“Wow…” The dragonet softly murmured, his eyes reflected the orange glows of the distant explosions. 

Suddenly a loud roar of engines above the dragonet caused him to sink back into the cover of the stump. The dragonet had enough of the battlefield for one day. But even after seeing the most impressive sight he had ever witnessed in his tiny little life, he was so alone. Where were his parents? Where were his siblings? MudWings simply do not like being alone. He wanted to go to sleep and forget about the feeling of loneliness, but the constant bombardment kept the dragonet awake. Minutes passed, then hours, the dragonet could not get used to the never ending symphony of explosions. The dragonet grew hungry, with no sign of getting anything to satisfy his hunger. But he was still hopeful that maybe his mother or father would finally come and relieve him.

The morning sun came, the dragonet waited. 

The night came again, and so did the explosions. The dragonet still waited.

The morning sun came once more. The dragonet mumbled hopefully, praying for someone to come.

The night came again once more, the orchestral display of blasts and fire continued. The dragonet was now starving, lying alone with his thoughts in a rotting stump. He was hungry, he felt so alone, he was cold, he had never been so lonely, the dragonet began crying, he didn’t want any of this. After witnessing what the world could offer him, he was stuck inside the bog, with no way out. The dragonet silently cried, tears wet his face as did the barky ground. From here on, the dragonet had discovered his worst fear.

Solitude.

The night seemed like it would last forever, the dragonet had given up. It had no name, no family, no purpose, no one. Born into a world but couldn’t live it. It was a helpless baby at the edge of a warzone. He would die of starvation alone. The dragonet, how eyes once filled with wonder of the world, turned dim. He closed his eyes and sniffled, his body felt weak, his heart was filled with sadness, he would die alone .

“Urck… fuck! Damn the moons!” 

Someone else’s voice drove the dragonet awake. Shook the weariness of slumber off of him, he shot his head out of the stump and saw his first dragon. It was a a dragon just like him, with darker brown scales than him and older. The dragonet could not see very well but he saw a trickle of something coming out of his leg, which caused him to walk funny. He also wore some sort of armor, wearing two giant cylinders on his wings and various other parts that the dragonet did not learn of yet.

“Ow, ow! Dammit, I can’t walk like this, I got enough fuel to get back to base. So is should-”

“Daddy?” the dragonet interrupted him, he started walking his way toward him. Finally relive that someone is here to keep company.

“H-huh? Who said that?” The dragon nervously said, he looked down to see the dragonet cling to his arm, snuggling it with the happiest expression he ever could muster. For what seemed like an eternity, he finally had someone.

“O-oh. A dragonet? What are you doing here?” The dragon said as he flicked something on his armor, and a beam of light shone down on his talon, revealing the dragonet. The dragonet's eyes cringed as a bright light suddenly invaded his sensitive eyes.

“There, there. Let’s take a look at you.” The dragon grabbed the dragonet with both talons and lifted him up, a gasp came from the older dragon as he inspected him. “Three moons, look at you, I could see your ribs! Did anyone feed you?” 

“Very hungry,” the dragonet only mustered. 

“I bet…” The dragon looked around and saw the rotten old stump where the dragon lived. “Is this where you were hatched?” The dragon pointed toward the stump.

“Aha,” The dragonet mumbled with a nod.

The dragon then took a look at the stump and saw nothing but leaves and a broken eggshell. “No sibs too. It’s just you.” A look of pity fell on the dragon’s face.

“Alone,” the dragonet spoke sadly, but he held a hopeful expression toward the dragon.

“I… I’m sorry kid. I can’t take you in. I’m not cut out for a father either.” The dragon then laid him on the ground.

“NO!” The dragonet screamed as he desperately tried to get back on the dragon, to feel his warmth once more. 

“Shhh! Keep it down, please!” The dragon half-whispered. Closing his mouth. He looked around in the dark, then he took a look at the lonely dragonet, his eyes filled with sadness, but twinkled with hope.

“L-look. I can’t take care of you, especially in the middle of a war. But, I can give you your name and some advice. Listen to me, closely.” The dragon said with a  serious expression. The dragonet knew from the atmosphere that this was not a time for babyish anitics. 

“Your name will be… Clay, got it?” The dragon announced, and Clay had his mouth agape, he had his own name now. Clay, Clay, Clay, that was his name!

“You’re going to be living off by yourself.” As the dragon said that, Clay frowned. “I know it will be tough for you… but you gotta be tough for yourself! You’re the first to be born out of your… nonexistent sibs, so that makes you the Bigwings.”

Clay’s tiny ears shifted when he heard the word Bigwings, he brought himself closer to the dragon’s short but important teachings.

“As the Bigwings, you have the responsibility to take care of all your little sibs, equally. You’ll protect them, help them, take care of them, sleep, eat and fight together as well.” The dragon spoke. “I don’t know if you’ll ever find your sibs, or if they’ll even be alive when you come of age, but remember this. You're the Bigwings, you must do whatever you can to make sure your little sibs are safe and sound. Got that?”

“Ye-yesh,” Clay spoke. He understood his responsibility, surprising for a dragonet as a few days old. 

“Atta boy. Here, these are some of my rations.” The dragon reached for a pocket in his armor and gave Clay two giant bars of dry looking bricks. “Don’t scarf them all down! You gotta learn to hunt for yourself. You could do that, right?” 

“Ah… uh-huh.” Clay nodded.

“Good. Don’t let yourself or your sibs die. There’s too many of us dying in this war.” The dragon then turned off his flashlight and something started to hum, it was those giant cylinders on the dragon’s wings. They were glowing as the humming grew louder and louder until the stream of fire erupted from the cylinders. 

“Good luck, Clay!” The dragon zoomed off into the sky, the wind pressure from his takeoff made the trees creak and dance, Clay’s face was flapping from the sheer pressure. Clay took one more glance at the dragon, he saw him zooming off in the sky, the roar of engines getting ever so quieter and quieter. Until the dragon was gone.

Clay sniffled, he was alone again, but at least he had food, right? Finally having to satisfy his hunger, he chomped down on the ration. It was dry, and it tasted like dirt, but to Clay it was the most delicious thing in the whole world. He started crying, as he chewed, he wanted the stranger to stay, to be his sibling. He started to wail as he kept eating, even the satisfaction of his hunger didn’t satisfy his loneliness. He cried and cried until he was full, he cried himself to sleep. He sniffled into his tail as the slumber overtook him. Now he could fall asleep without the fear of starvation.

The next morning, Clay woke up with dried out eyes. He was alone again, and there was nothing he could do about it. Waking up, he remembered the warm embrace of the stranger, how he faintly smiled at him even if it was for a moment or out of pity. He gave him food and Clay was very thankful for it. He cherished his name, but something stuck in him from the stranger. Clay was a Bigwings, the first to be born, the strongest, the protector of the little siblings. He wanted to know what it meant, what it was like to protect someone, to take care of them, to bond with them. He would be the greatest Bigwings in the whole world.

So he sought out his siblings with his newfound purpose and title. If his siblings were out there in this wondrous and dangerous world, he had to be there to protect them, to be their shield. And so he learnt how to survive, how to hunt for frogs and bugs, what is edible and what is not, how to avoid being caught in a battle, and how to hide properly from not MudWings. Over the month, he managed to survive by himself by eating nothing but bugs, frogs, roots and ferns, and whatever that is edible. He once ate a cow once, and it was the best tasting thing in the entire world. But he couldn’t finish it all without another dragon spotting him. From experience he began to learn what was happening around him. One, There was a war where lots of dragons were dying, for an unknown reason. Two, the cause of the war was a super scary SkyWing named Raven, and nobody knows why he started the war. Three, the super cool armor that almost everyone was wearing was called an Aero-Craft, and the dragons who used them were called Aeroes. That’s what Clay wanted most of all, an Aero-Craft that was powerful enough to protect his siblings from this war, if he could find them.

He searched and searched, all over the MudWing Queendom, hiding in the swamps, marshes and shrubs. His will to find his siblings never faltered for a single night or day, no matter how scary or dangerous it was, the risk was worth it. He fought through illnesses, muddy water, fever, stray shrapnel from explosions, pain, food poisoning, everything that life threw at him, he did not falter. He would reach his sibs no matter the cost. Because on that day when the stranger gave him words of encouragement, something awakened in young Clay. A Trait, believe in yourself and your power, then you shall be granted with said power. On that day, Clay gained the Trait of a Bigwings. 

To protect, ensure and tend to your loved ones, because through your unbreakable bond with them is where you draw your strength, your will and dedication. No dragon dares to threaten you or your loved ones, and you will make sure that they will never do so again. No matter the cost.

Chapter 3: The Blood Princess

The Talons of Peace were a controversial, hypocritical, radical terrorist group. It was essentially a group of dragons who couldn’t stomach all of the death and destruction of this war. Peaceful protest, refusal to fight, and riots, their efforts did not quell this conflict in the slightest. Desperate to stop the war, they turn to terrorist tactics in a way to put the war to a halt. Bombing important military infrastructure and factories in an attempt to dry out a tribe’s war supplies. This didn’t work as expected because they were shot down before they could damage the building, and even if they did, the structures were rebuilt again. Then they used a cowardly method of kidnapping and holding high-ranking council members hostage. The Talon’s plans were to force the Queen to surrender or sign a peace treaty in return for the release of the hostages. Unfortunately, this plan was so far unsuccessful, as the high-ranking members lived in heavily fortified areas. 

 So far, so bad. The Talons of Peace were getting even more desperate, they had to end this war somehow, they’re now considered a laughing stock from the participants of the war. But there was one method that could make every dragon take them seriously, one plan that was dastardly, so diabolical, that the Talons of Peace would go down in history in infamy. A plan to hold a royal family member hostage. Not just any royal family member, it had to be a Princess. A Queen would do anything to get back her heir, she wouldn't even think twice for signing a peace treaty or surrendering out of the war. But of course, it was nigh impossible to get their talons on a Princess, it had to be young and weak, perhaps still in her egg. Then, Talons of Peace member Webs proposed his idea. His wife works as chef in the Royal Kitchen of the underwater SeaWing palace, which grants her somewhat access to the hatchery where they could steal one of Queen Coral’s unhatched daughters. 

It was decided, the plan was instantly set in motion. With enough convincing, Webs’s wife managed to steal an egg from the Royal Hatchery, Webs was overjoyed, a bit too joyful actually. With this egg, they could finally have one of the Queens to do their bidding, and Webs did not care any less if they had to take his Queen’s daughters for the sake of peace. When he was delivering the egg on land, he had to run toward the Talons of Peace hideout, since MudWing anti-air would shoot him down if he decided to fly there. As he ran across the marches however, he was so overjoyed of his plan succeeding that he didn’t bother to pay attention to where exactly he was running. 

One of his bottom talons stepped on top of a single, buried, undetonated bomb. The blast instantly killed him, his bottom half was blown away in a bloody mesh of flesh and sinew. But the egg however, was put in a special casing, and was spared from being shattered from the blast. With the Talons of Peace unknowing of Webs’s unfortunate demise, the egg was now destined to hatch alone, under the three moons, in the middle of a battlefield…

***

 Crack, crack, crack!

 Beep! “Hatching detected, releasing container.”

 A SeaWing dragonet hears a faint voice and hiss coming from the outside, the dragonet cracks the egg much faster, mustering all of its strength into her tiny talons. The eggshell breaks and the sea blue dragonet was finally free, she shoved aside the broken eggshells and took her first sight at world. Safe to say, the dragonet was not impressed, she was expecting to meet her parents in a beautiful hatchery with lapis lazuli and not on some dark, muddy marshland. But she was a newborn baby, what was she really expecting? The baby’s limbs trembled slightly as she took her first steps on the muddy ground, the squelching and unstable floor caused the dragonet to slip and fall with her face flat into the mud. 

 “Grr!” The dragonet angrily growled to herself, she got up and tried to scrape the mud off of her face. As she was doing so, her stomach began to rumble, signalling her hunger. The SeaWing dragonet looked around to see if anything was edible in this marashes, or if someone would finally come and attend to her. But there was nothing and nobody. The dragonet turned around to see a puddle of red liquid pooling and mixing with the mud. Curiosity got the dragonet to crawl closer to the crimson puddle and stick her talons into it. It was watery, that’s for sure, but… something was off about it. It smelled funny, like a coppery tang. The SeaWing Dragonet moved her head up and saw the source of the red puddle, it seemed to see a giant mass of green and blue, but their lower body part was entirely missing, only revealing torn flesh, broken bones, shredded internal organs and exposed sinew for the entire world to see. The Dragonet was a little unsettled by the stillness of the dragon but was not aware of the fact that she was looking at a corpse. 

With curiosity and hunger filling her tiny body, the Dragonet lifted the right talon that she used to dip in the puddle of red water and took a tiny lick of it. It was icky and weird, but it sort of tasted like meat, which was food! The Dragonet shuffled toward the corpse and licked her lips, she was getting hungry, so why not fulfil her needs? The SeaWing opened her tiny mouth and bit down on a piece of flesh from the mass of green and blue, her tiny mouth chewing on it until she swallowed. It didn’t taste bad but it didn't taste good either. Regardless, seeing that the flesh did not make her sick, the Dragonet kept on taking tiny bite after bite from the flesh to satisfy her hunger. After a minute of feasting, she finally was satisfied as her tiny stomach was stuffed full as a tick. Satisfied with her dinner, the dragonet decided that it would go to sleep, all the effort hatching took a lot of energy out of her. So warped herself around the green and blue mass’s ‘talons’ and quickly succumbed to the depths of slumber…

Boom! 

An enormous explosion woke the dragonet from her short slumber, annoyed and fearful of the cause of her awakening. She heard a distant wail of a siren when more loud explosions sounded off nearby. The dragonet saw orange pillars of fire erupted in a nearby forest. She squinted her eyes when giant red balls of bright light were shot up into the night sky and illuminating it. She saw various dragons in the air flying with metal armor on them for a brief second before retreating away from the bright lights. The flares also were illuminating the surrounding ground, the SeaWing Dragonet found this very helpful as her night vision wasn't properly developed yet. She turned toward the mass of green and blue where she was sleeping and froze.

The Seawing Dragonet never knew what exactly the blue and green scales mass was, but now the flares in the air have illuminated the dragon's face. It was a grotesque sight for the dragon, the face of the dragon was frozen, unblinking, a flash photo of his last moments. A bug landed on the dragon's eye, and it never blinked. 

Horror, fear, disgust, and despair all filled the dragonet's stomach. It had eaten a dead dragon. The SeaWing dragonet began to hyperventilate as her eyes kept on staring at the hanging mouth and the lifeless pale eyes of the dragon. Her fear peaked as she screamed and ran away from the sight in terror. She didn't care about the filthy mud of her talons or the plants that would slap her as she ran. Her stomach felt like it was twisting inside of itself, the dragonet wanted to hurl, get every ounce and piece of dragon meat out of her. But she couldn't, she was filled with so much horror from the lifeless face of Webs that she kept on running, and running, and running until she got tired.

The red flares kept their glaring light shining to the ground. The SeaWing Dragonet pants, her lungs were burning, she could hear her tiny heart beating as loud as a drum. For a while, the Dragonet just stared at the ground in a trance, most likely the decimated body and face of Webs etched onto her young mind. She was traumatized, disgusted and afraid, she wants her Mother oh so badly!

Another explosion detonated nearby and the SeaWing Dragonet found herself leaping into a brush of shrubs. She planned to hide inside the leaves until the explosions went away, but they only continued. The SeaWing Dragonet slowly backs away from the shrub and makes her way into a swamp, where the trees grow skinny and hollow. She backed away in fear until her tail hit a tree behind her, but she also felt something dripping on her tail. She turned to see a blue liquid dripping into a blue puddle on the roots of a tree. Curious from where this mysterious blue liquid was dropping from, she looked up and terror freezes her up once more.

Thanks to the flares in the sky, the Dragonet was able to see in full detail of the grotesque body. It was white dragon, but they were hanging by the neck with a piece of metal wire, which was digging into their scales skin and drawing blood. The blue blood that dripped off of the white dragon went at a constant rate, drip, drop, drip, drop. There was a sign nailed to its chest, it read ‘Sib killer,’ but of course, the dragonet doesn’t know how to read. Yet, the SeaWing dragonet was rather staring deeply at the lifeless body of this dragon. Horror and dread filled her up once more and the dragonet ran away once more. She was now crying as she ran through the marshland, she witnessed the gruesome corpses of two dragons she had never seen but it was more than enough for her to dislike death. She demanded her mother to come right now, to take her away from this horrid place. She screamed into the air, hoping that her mother could find her in the chaotic bombardment, but only a nearby explosion answered her. It was too close for comfort, the bomb stuck where the dragonet had once been, a tree fell down and crashed into the boggy water below. The dragonet cried out once more, desperate for her mother to come, but she only heard a whistle in the air before an artillery shell detonator right behind her, sending a wave of muck and water straight toward the SeaWing. The dragonet was forced under the water, her gills flared to life as she was suddenly sped through the marshland waters because of her light body. The SeaWing was caught by surprise by the explosion and resurfaced with a gasp, only for the dragonet to witness the horrors of warfare in a front row seat.

 It was total chaos in the sky, dragons with their weird armor were flying around the night sky like ballerinas and firing different kinds of ordinance at each other. From missiles to bullet tracers and grenades, the sky was turned into a battlefield of bright fires, explosions and death. The Dragonet heard the screaming of various different dragons, some filled with rage, some filled with sorrow, but most were the anguished cries of the dying, where they were struck down by missiles and rockets from where they stood. The SeaWing dragonet saw one brown dragon evaporate into a red mist after getting hit by a bomb. The dragonet went wide eyed as she saw the death, blood, and gore that was happening all for her. She saw a troop of the brown dragons were running across the battlefield, only to be shredded apart within seconds from a strafing run of a red dragon. More of those red flares were shot up into the sky, painting the marshlands into a harsh and horrible shade of red. The constant firing of anti-air machine guns kept on roaring inside of the SeaWing dragonet’s ears. She saw everything, burning bodies of dragons following from the sky like tragic angels, the roar of explosions and gunfire that was coming from everywhere and attacking her ears like an all-out relentless siege, the red flares that illuminated the dead’s frozen lifeless faces like a photographer’s darkroom. Every death, every drop of blood, every gurgle that came from a dead dragon’s throat, every explosion, every shell casing, every gunshot, she saw it all, forever etched into her eyes as she kept on staring and sheer, powerful, unadulterated horror. Just as she was staring at the abyss that was war, the abyss stares back at the dragonet, like the fearsome yellow slitted eye of some great, ancient monster. The abyss stared right into the dragonet and it was telling her something.

“Bathe in the blood. The world is your canvas. Paint it red. Bathe in the blood.”

***

 The SeaWing dragonet does not move from her spot in the last two weeks. She didn’t care if she was hungry or thirsty, she was horrified by everything and anything. She cradles her tail as rocks back and forth from her hiding spot deep within a swamp, back and forth, back and forth, her tiny body exits and enters the water as she moves her body in one constant motion. Her eyes are glued to the ground, she simply stares at her reflection as she tries to think of anything else but that battle field, where all of that beautiful death and succulent blood was present. NO, that’s wrong! Think of something else, like your parents, or family, the family that would never come for you. She keeps on rocking her body as she mutters her thoughts aloud, which sounded like a slight breeze going through the branches. She was lost, figuratively and literally, her mind was packed with the traumatic experience of her first hatching, of that battlefield, she didn’t know where to go to find her parents. She was broken, she did not feel anything, nor wanted to eat, drink or sleep, she stayed in her spot and gnawed on her tail in worry and fear. She would stay like this forever, like an insane asylum prisoner trapped in confinement, she most likely was starving from 2 weeks without food. The thoughts and images of that day will never leave her, so might as well take the easy way out rather than living with them in your mind. But then, a voice called out to her that snapped her out of her storm cloud of thoughts. 

 “Hey, there! You alright?” The SeaWing dragonet does not move or yell out a single word, even if she were to get caught by a MudWing or SkyWing. She simply moves her pale and dull eyes up toward the caller. It was a MudWing dragonet, and he looked about the same age as her! “You muttering about… something… you okay?”

 The SeaWing dragonet does not move her body, instead she simply looks down and avoids the gaze of the MudWing.

 “Oh, sorries. I’m Clay, by the way. What’s yours? Your name, I mean.” the MudWing dragonet introduces himself. With no name of her own, the SeaWing dragonet remains silent and shakes her head. 

“No name? Well, that’s not good. Do you want me to give you a name?” The MudWing dragonet asks, her eyes slightly lightening up when she hears the word, “name.” she nodded slowly, approving of the dragonet’s decision. 

“Okay then! You’re a sea dragon, right? So I need sea-y names…” Clay racks his brains as he uses every ounce of his small, young MudWing brain cells before coming to one conclusion.

“What about Puddle?” Clay suggested. But the SeaWing dragonet hated that name, but she only expresses it with a frivolous shake of her head. 

“Okay, not that name.” Once more, Clay uses his MudWing brain cells before coming to another suggestion. “What about, Fish?”

The Seawing dragonet disapproves of the name as she shakes her name.

“Okay, no Puddle or Fish, then how about…” The MudWing’s tiny brain was about to fry as he was using all of the power of his cognitive abilities. “Oh! Tsunami! I heard that means a really big wave! Do you like Tsunami?”

The SeaWing dragonet stared at the MudWing dragonet, before nodding. She liked the name, it rolled off the tongue and it feels like it fits her very well.

“Okay! You are Tsunami!” Clay announces, with Tsunami feeling so overjoyed about her newfound name that she temporarily forgot about the battlefield slaughter. “Hey, let’s join together! I kinda want some siblings, would you wanna come with me?” Clay asked the newly named Tsunami.

With her worrying thoughts out of the way, she began to talk. “Okay, I’ll join you. But I want to fish, right now!” Tsunami declares boldly.

“Fish? I don’t think I’m good enough for that….” Clay says as he holds up a talon. “But if we worked together, we could get some fish from river! Follow me!”

And so begins the adventures of Tsunami and Clay, over the 2 years, they played together, hunted together, hid together, learned from each other. Nothing like two dragonets from different tribes playing and living together right in the middle of a battlefield. It is a very unique friendship to say the least. However, Tsunami would still have trouble with her trauma, and she would occasionally think about the ‘Abyss’ that was staring back at her and what it meant when it told her that cryptic passage. Whatever it was, it meant nothing right now, Tsunami had a friend and a partner, and it helped her get out of the horrible depressed situation she was in. Tsunami vowed to protect and help Clay with her own life, and so did Clay with his. Together, they began the start of a beautiful and life-long lasting friendship that no other dragon could compete with.

 

Notes:

What joy, to be able to traumatize our favorite characters in fictional writing.

Chapter 4: The Hidden

The RainWings mostly lived a happy and idyllic lifestyle. They spend their days peacefully eating fruit, flying through the beautiful jungle, and most importantly, taking naps under the sunlight. With a plethora of food, access to shelter, and generally no conflicts within and outside the tribe, the RainWings live in peaceful prosperity. Of course, the other tribes ignore the RainWings and believe that they are a bunch of lazy, unintelligent, weak, lizards. Well, some of those traits might be considered true, but at least they could resolve Royal Throne conflicts in a peaceful manner. They weren’t always like this. During Darkstalker’s era, the RainWings were feared rather than ignored. They were known for their lethal ability to spit venom, their way of creating concoctions of poison, and how they could strike you down in the middle of a bright day. They were trained to be assassins and poison merchants. But it was all changed when Queen Jacaranda took over the RainWing throne and converted the tribe to the peaceful, fruit loving dragons that they are today, they would have continued this lifestyle, if not the Lodestar crashed.

 The Lodestar Era brought a technological revolution to all of the tribes but the RainWings, they were not interested in motors, electricity, lighting, plumbing, hydraulics, or fuel, explosives and firearms. They were content with living their peaceful, primitive lives. It’s not a bad thing really, all of those factories chugging smoke up into the air would ruin their sun-time. Over the years while technologies from all of the other tribes were being refined and developed, the RainWings did not take any action. In most cases, the tribes would ignore them and their Queendom and things should go normally. Unfortunately, being stereotyped for being stupid, lazy and unattentive has some disadvantages. At around 80 years L.E. MudWings and SkyWings were beginning research projects on biofuel and those giant, rainforest trees looked pretty interesting to study. So they cut a few trees down on the edge of the RainWing territory, it’s not like the RainWings wouldn’t care if they took some of these trees, right? And they were correct, the RainWings only assumed that the buzzing noise of chainsaws was just a weird sounding animal. Meanwhile, the SandWings were integrating a brand new revolutionary agriculture system that allows them to grow various plants in the desert, and they saw the various fruits, herbs and crops they could exploit in the rainforest. The SandWings took a significant number of samples from the rainforest for their new system, once again, the RainWings were slightly confused when they saw a slight shortage of their food supply. Little did the RainWings know, their homeland was being exploited by the other tribes, which they assumed that its inhabitants would be too lazy to notice them cutting down their trees and taking their unique plants. 

 Soon, slowly but surely, the Rainforest Queendom was losing its land to its neighbors. The SkyWings, MudWings, and SandWings probably decided that they should just conquer the land instead, what are the RainWings gonna do? Ask them nicely to stop? Once the RainWings realized that they were being invaded, they didn’t know what to do. Were they supposed to fight back? Fly away? The RainWing subjects sought consultation from their many Queens, but they didn't know what to actually do. While the RainWings were busy trying to figure stuff out, the SandWings then unleashed an all out invasion on the RainWings. Historians called it the Slaughter of the Hidden Queendom. RainWing homes were ruthlessly bombed and shelled by SandWing artillery, for almost a whole day. Once the bombardment stopped, the RainWings weren't even given the chance to recover as SandWing soldiers went in and killed as many RainWings as they could. They razed and looted nearby villages, skinned RainWings for their colorful scales, raped the dragonesses and dragonets. It was horrible, and nothing like the RainWings have ever seen before. Any surviving RainWings, including the royals, all surrendered, having nearly all of their homes and people mercifully destroyed by the SandWings. They rounded up the RainWings and their eggs in one spot near the edge of SandWing territory, where their fate remains uncertain.

***

 Glory did not know exactly what was going on. As she was just simply 2 years old, she wasn’t exactly aware of her tribe’s current situation, but something wasn’t quite right. It started when a whole day of loud explosions ruined her suntime, then she overheard some of the adults worrying and screaming about invading dragons. The next thing Glory knew, she found herself squeezed into a cell with 5 other RainWings, and she was not happy. Glory was never really a happy dragon, she was always sarcastic and sassy to the adults. But she never did not like the bucolic lifestyle of her tribe, she always loved the feeling of the sun shining down on her green scales. But right now, it didn’t seem like she was going to get any more sun-time. She didn’t know exactly what was going on, but it didn’t sound very good. Her fellow RainWings were crying and weeping in despair, their colors were now of a saddened dark blue, disgusted green or pale white. One of the RainWings in Glory’s cell was busy muttering in the corner about ‘blood’ and ‘burning family,’ whatever that means. One of her other cellmates was a very ancient looking dragon with violet and light purple scales, she seemed to be busy in-thought, looking around her cell anxiously. 

 “Hey.” Glory asked one of her cellmates, who was not visibly insane. “Can you tell me what’s going on? We’re going to be late for sun-time.”

 “I-I-I… I don’t know, k-kid.” The RainWing simply said, staring at one of the metal bars.

 “That’s not a very good answer, mister.” Glory scoffed at the RainWing.

 “I-I-I-I-I’m j-j-just s-scared. I’m scared.” The RainWing simply muttered, well that blows. And here Glory thought the adults knew everything. Glory simply huffed in annoyance, she was stuck in some stinky metal cage where there was barely any sun, her cellmates were not giving her any personal space and she was getting inconveniently hungry. Glory wanted to yell out to get someone’s attention, and ask why they were locked up in here. But she seemed to get her answer pretty early, as one huge menacing looking SandWing came into the cells. Every RainWing fell silent, as the SandWing began walking through the hallway, the prisoners avoided eye contact as the guard inspected them. 

 “Well, well, well. I never knew RainWings were awfully quiet… AREN’T THEY?!” The SandWing suddenly raises his voice, which causes most of the RainWings to reel back and change their scales to a lime green. The SandWing guard laughs at the reaction of the prisoners. “Ha! You pathetic RainWings, all we did was bomb a couple of villages, and you never once fought back! I guess we were right about you being a bunch of lazy, incompetent, spineless lizards!” 

 The RainWings scales turned grey and white as the guard berates and scolds them as if they did something wrong. But one dragonet did not feel sorrowful, instead she felt an emotion not common in RainWings, anger. Every word of disrespect the SandWing spat out of his disgusting mouth rubbed Glory in the wrong way, as her scales turned redder and redder.

 “Lucky for you all, we're going to make good use of you all. Once we take over the rainforest, we’ll probably sell you all to be slaves and servants to the other tribes! Hahaha!” The RainWings’ faces went pale as the SandWing guard laughed at them, they were about to be pulled away from their homes. Before they knew it, all hope was lost, the RainWings were pacifists by nature, they never found any courage to claw or spit venom at the guard. The RainWing prisoners simply sulked hopelessly, silently saying goodbye to their homes, friends, food and the sun. Except for one dragonet.

 “Ha! As if we’ll ever let you do that, sand-brain!” Glory snapped at the guard. The entire cell went dead silent, the RainWing prisoners stared at Glory in horror and shock as anger built up in the SandWing guard’s face.

 “Who said that?!” The SandWing guard screams into the cells, trying to find who was responsible for the remark.

 “Wow, not only is your head filled with sand, but your ears too!” Glory retaliated back at the guard. The SandWing then stomps toward Glory’s cell with a furious expression etched into his burly and ugly face.

 “Oh, looks like we have a little troublemaker here.” The SandWing growled at Glory, her cellmates slowly step away from the bars as Glory stares at the SandWing in challenge.

 “What do you want from me? Stupid SandWi-.” Glory’s sentence was cut short as the SandWing grabs her by the neck and lifts her up. Glory cries in shock as she is lifted up to the ground and is eye-level with the SandWing guard. Glory tried to scratch the hand and free herself, but her dragonet body did not do anything on the brutish SandWing’s scales.

 “Not so funny now huh, you stupid brat!” The SandWing guard roared at her. “You open that tiny little mouth of yours again, and I’ll skin you alive.”

 “Is… that all you got?” Glory challenged the SandWing guard, smiling despite her precarious situation. “I’ll… never… shut up. You’ll… probably have to… close it up… when I die…” 

 “You son of a…” The SandWing guard curses as he raises his poisonous stinger tail. “You’ll make a fine piece of jewelry when I skin your sorry little excuse of a- urk!” 

 The SandWing guard suddenly went pale, as if something was blocking his lungs. He tried to choke out for help, but whatever was binding his neck grew tighter. Suddenly, it was revealed to be the tail of a RainWing, it was the old RainWing in Glory’s cell that was choking the guard with her prehensile tail! The guard drops Glory onto the ground, the dragonet coughed and took in huge gasps of breaths. The old RainWing then slams the guard’s head into the bars, repeatedly until blood is appearing and finally with one fatal slam, the SandWing guard dies of head trauma, his lifeless body slumps onto the group like a heap.

 Glory was shocked and so was every other RainWing. “We should be more like you, young dragonet.” The old RainWing said as she grabbed the guard’s keys with her tail. She managed to unlock the cell door with the keys, freeing Glory along with her cellmates.

 “He’s… he’s… he’s dead!” The muttering RainWing said as he pointed at the SandWing guard.

 Glory was shocked and surprised, she never saw a RainWing kill a dragon like that guard so… easily. It didn’t horrify her at all, it amazed her. Glory was amazed at the RainWing’s capability of taking down another dragon so easily. But as she was in her thoughts, the old RainWing began freeing the other RainWing prisoners using the keys. Now every RainWing in this jailhouse was free and somewhat joyful about it. 

 “Ha… haha! We’re free! You’re going to help us escape, right Grandeur?” Asked a purple and pink RainWing, Glory realized it was Queen Magnificent, one of the Queens of the RainWings. This old dragon, Grandeur, is also one of the Queens too! Every RainWing was hopeful that Queen Grandeur would help them escape, but what she said next would have shocked every dragon and changed them as well.

 “As if I have any intention or interest in helping any of you.” Grandeur sneered at the crowd, which caused all of the RainWings to gasp.

 “WHAT?! Are you crazy?! Are you going to leave us here to di-!” Magnificent was interrupted when Grandeur grabs her snout with her talon.

 “How about you shut up before you alert the nearby guards!” Grandeur scolded as she threw Magnificent away in disgust. “All of you, my subjects, did nothing but run around like scared chickens when our homeland was being attacked.” 

 The entire crowd of RainWings were shocked, scared, confused, and shaken by the tone and message of their leaders. “What… What were we supposed to do then?” One of the RainWings said, almost quite bitterly and angrily. 

“Why fight back of course. They invaded our land. They attacked our people. We have every right to fight back to defend and safeguard ourselves and our children.” Grandeur began, her berating causing some of the RainWings to interrupt in outrage.

“But… killing them?! That’s not the RainWing way!” Another RainWing challenged Grandeur, only for her to get slapped in the face by her tail.

“Will you all shut up and listen! I am your Queen, and I’m trying to talk some sense into you all!” Grandeur then pointed at Glory, delivering all of the attention to her. “While our land was attacked and pillaged, we all did nothing! Just like how none of you stood up or helped this dragonet here! While you all were muttering and walking around your cells in circles, she defied that SandWing, no safety or regard for her own life! You could have shot your venom at him, clawed him, bite him! But no, you were all content with watching this dragonet die!” As Grandeur continued her scales were increasingly becoming red.

“Aren’t you bitter at all?! Ashamed?! Your families and friends were butchered! Our land, our food, our trees, our sun, all taken away! The tribe of the RainWings is on the verge of being separated and lost forever! All of the things you love will be taken away from you! But you still just sat around and did nothing! No attempt to escape or fight back! We are thought to be lazy, ignorant, weak, cowardly, unintelligent, and we were exploited because of it! But this ends now!!!” 

“Get angry! To those SandWings who have killed your loved ones! To those SandWings who stole your land! Get furious! Get hateful! Livid! Violent! Enraged!” As Grandeur’s tone of voice grew louder, the RainWings all bared their teeth and their scales turned to not only dark red but jet black. They were ashamed of themselves, ashamed of being pathetic, cowardly RainWings that stood by when the SandWings took over their land, the room was now filled with dragons who hate the SandWings. 

“We will fight back! If you cannot use your venom, then use your claws and teeth! If you have time to pray, use that time to throw rocks! Use everything you have at your disposal, sticks, stones, weapons! We will take back our land! We will save our fellow tribesdragons! We will make sure that our dragonets do not have to risk their lives ever again for us!” The RainWings all hooted and hissed in agreement, and Queen Grandeur gave the signal to attack. “Fight! For the glory of the RainWings! For the glory of the Rainforest Queendom!”

“Glory to the RainWings!” All of the RainWings shouted their warcry. Unfortunately, one SandWing guard interrupted their warchant. 

“What’s with all the ruckus in here?!” The SandWing guard shouted, but all he found was a cell block filled with angry, jet black RainWings. “Oh gods…”

The SandWing unfortunately met his end when a tidal wave of claws, teeth and venom all attacked him at once. With that one battle cry, the entire compound fell into pure chaos. 

“What the hell is going on?!” A SandWing soldier screamed before being tackled by a RainWing.

“It’s the RainWings! They’re escaping! GAAAHHHH!!!” Another SandWing soldier screamed as her face full of venom splashed her face. 

They say that when a RainWing has black scales, it means that they are feeling the purest form of anger, hatred and fury a RainWing could ever experience. But unbeknownst to the Sandwing soldiers, an entire fleet of jet black RainWings would fight as hard and cruel as a pack of wolves. Not only did they use their venom, but they slashed and bit any SandWing that stood in their sight. They used sticks, rocks and even the metal bars of their cells to bludgeon SandWings to death. Some of the RainWings would use their invisibility to sneak on unsuspecting SandWings and spit their lethal venom right onto their eyes. When the SandWing soldiers realized what was going on, they returned fire, and began gunning down any RainWings that approached them. With their superior assault rifles, the prisoners stood no chance against them, or so they thought. The SandWings have greatly underestimated the amount of hatred that was coursing through the RainWings’ veins right now. Soon, they were starting to become overwhelmed by the mass of black RainWings.

“W-we need reinforcements! Call HQ for an Aero! Now, now!” One of the SandWings shouted, before getting knocked out by a thrown rock by a RainWing.

“Take their weapons! Let’s use their own weapons against ‘em!” A RainWing shouted as he grabbed a SandWing assault rifle. Many others were following his example, they grabbed not only assault rifles, but explosives, tools, and whatever was inside of wooden crates. The Rainwings not only fought and killed the SandWings, but they began to free the Rainwings that were still stuck inside their cells. Needless to say, these RainWings were very confused and horrified when they saw their fellow RainWings fighting and dying on the SandWing compound. 

“W-what’s going on?!” One of the RainWing prisoners shouted in confusion, but one of their ebony counterparts came to answer them. 

“We’re killing the ones responsible for killing our families and taking our land!” The RainWing with an assault rifle pointed to a nearby SandWing soldier, who seemed to be hiding behind a couple of crates. A few jet black RainWings took him away from his hiding spot and threw him onto a clearing, bearing for the newer RainWing prisoners to see.

“You may think it is wrong, and it is… to kill other dragons. But what these SandWings did to our people and land. Is unforgivable.” The ebony RainWing pointed at the SandWing soldier in disgust.

“Wait! Mercy! I surrender! I’ll leave you guys alone! Please don’t kill me!” The SandWing desperately pleaded and the RainWing prisoners were taken aback by the SandWing’s desperation.

“Wait… I remember you.” A orange and yellow RainWing prisoner walked his way toward the front of the crowd. When he took a moment to look at the SandWing, his expression turned to anger as his orange and yellow scales darkened to inklike. “You… YOU… You’re the one who killed my wife and daughter! You… I saw you laugh as you snapped my daughter’s neck! You monster!”

The SandWing’s eyes widened in horror as the other RainWings prisoners had their scales change to jet black in fury as well. “Wait, wait, wait! Please! I’m sorry! I regret what I did, honestly! I- EEAAAAGGHHHH!!!” The SandWing soldier screamed as the former orange and yellow RainWing spat a glob of venom into his face. The other RainWing prisoners then attacked the soldier as he was suffering from the venom. The black-scaled tribe of the RainWings was now growing bigger and bigger, they all shouted “Glory to the RainWings!” as they fought. Glory looked at the chaos in horror, confusion, and admiration. She then realized that because of her sarcastic remarks and defiant actions, she had essentially caused a revolution to occur. Her fellow tribesdragons were slaughtering and being slaughtered on this SandWing compound. Gunfire, explosions, and screams of pain pierced the air. The SandWings have greatly underestimated the RainWings and now their forces are beginning to whittle down to almost nothing. Glory began to smile and celebrate internally when she saw the SandWing focus beginning to retreat from the compound. As they retreated, the Rainwings began to celebrate, all roaring the RainWing warcry as they changed their scales to all kinds of beautiful colors. But just as they were celebrating, a barrage of missiles struck them, causing death and chaos once more. They looked up to see a single Sandwing approach them at a horrifying speed. It was a SandWing Aero, and it was nothing the RainWings have ever seen before.

“This is Altan, approaching the SandWing Rainforest Outpost.” The SandWing reports as he approaches the compound with his weapons armed. “The report checks out, the RainWings have escaped and caused a riot. Damn, this is gonna be brutal, looks like I gotta clean house now.” 

Altan lifted his left talon, which was holding a giant cannon and fired into the group of RainWings, they all dispersed as the shell exploded and killed many RainWings. The explosion also causes a nearby wooden watchtower to finally give in and fall, and Glory was right below it. Glory only had a moment before the wooden crashed onto her.

Altan quickly flies around the outpost and fires another barrage of missiles from his shoulder mounted missile launchers. The RainWings began to turn invisible as they dodged the SandWing’s armaments. Soon, Altan lost sight of the RainWings and landed on the ground, arming his right talon machine gun. 

“I lost visual contact with targets. Need to search the area.” Altan said as he looked around the compound, but every Rainwing was watching his every move from the shadows. Altan was about to fire from his handheld cannon again but was interrupted by a strike on the cheek. The attacker revealed herself to be Grandeur, who still packs a punch for someone as old as her. 

“Ow, what the hell was that for, grandma?” Altan grunted as he wiped the blood off his mouth.

“That was for slaughtering my kind, SandWing.” Grandeur scorned as she turned invisible once more.

“Fine, works good enough for me! I’m a glutton for punishment!” Altan said as he armed his cannon and machine gun. “What are you gonna do RainWing? Slit my throat? Ha! As if- gah!”

Altan looks down his neck to see a knife embedded into his neck, Grandeur then pulls the knife out, letting a wave of blood pool out of the SandWing Aero. Altan could only smile and gurgle as he bleeds out.

“Dammit… You… got me good, RainWing! Gurgle!” Altan chokes before his lifeless body then slams onto the ground. His equipment and jets have automatically turned off with the death of the user. However Grandeur took interest in the Aero-Craft, and hesitantly put it on for herself. The Aero-Craft was just barely big enough for the Rainwing, but it actually manages to suit her. Although Grandeur did not have the proper surgery to have connection sockets for efficient handling of the AC, these Crafts are still able to be used without a connection to the nervous system. 

“RainWings! We have freed ourselves from the SandWings! But we are not done! We must release our other fellow tribesdragons, recover our unhatched dragonets, and arm ourselves to defend against another attack like this!” Grandeur announces.

“Glory to our majesty! Queen Grandeur!” One of the RainWings celebrated, and all the others did so as well. Not only did they free the rest of the tribe and recover their eggs, but began to take everything from the SandWing compound. Every piece of metal, every weapon, every crate of supplies, and every fallen RainWing as well. They will return to the rainforest, rebuild their villages and make them better than ever before. But as they left, they forgot one tiny little thing, it was Glory. She survived the wooden tower falling on top of her, but she was now stuck in a pile of lumber. She couldn't exactly remember what happened, she only remembers a giant tower falling on top of her. She tried to cry out for help, but nobody heard her, they had utterly forgotten her in their zealous escape plan. 

Glory coughs from under the rubble, desperate for someone to save her, but nobody came, not even the SandWings bothered to come and restore the base. Glory would be stuck under the pile of lumber for a couple of days, she began to grow hungry, and depressed with nobody to help her get out, she began to lose hope. But then, she heard the conversation of two dragonets of her age.

“I’m telling you Tsunami, we might have a chance to find some rations here!” Glory heard the calm and gentle voice of a boy. 

“We traveled through that green hell of a jungle for a bunch of MREs? This place looks like a wasteland!” Glory then hears a fierce and sharp voice of a girl.

The two dragonets came into view, it was a MudWing and a SeaWing. The MudWing had scars covering his front talons and one on the tip of his snout, he carried a little rucksack that was attached to his back. The SeaWing on the other hand looked much cleaner, but had a knife wrapped around her chest. Glory then tried to call on them for help, but she only made a squeaking noise, her throat has been dried up for all those days without water. But that squeaking was enough to get their attention.

“Did you hear that?” The SeaWing said as she looked around the compound. 

 “Hear my rumbling belly, yes.” The MudWing said.

 “No, it was a squeak, like a mouse or something!” The SeaWing smiled viscously as she unsheathed her knife, “Let’s go hunting, Clay!”

 Seeing the Seawing with her knife, Glory realizes that they might eat her instead! She tried to make herself invisible, but she didn't know how to exactly. Maybe there was something worth in those hide and seek games that she refused to play. The duo began inching closer and closer toward Glory and she began to worry, maybe she could use her venom in a last ditch effort. She didn't have the greatest aim but if they were just close enough, she could make the shot. But it was too late, in the blink of an eye, Tsunami appeared before Glory’s eyes with her knife shining.

 “Found you~ oh it’s just a dragon, Clay.” Tsunami sheathes her knife as she sighs in disappointment. Glory on the other hand was very confused and scared of the blue sea dragon, but then Clay the MudWing arrived.

 “Oh yeah, it is a dragon. We should help her, she’s stuck under this stuff!” Clay said to Tsunami.

 “Okay, you lift it up and I’ll get her out.” Tsunami said while Clay nodded. Glory didn’t think that the MudWing dragonet would have enough strength to lift this lumber. Afterall, she couldn't really move an inch with it on her. So what kind of difference could the MudWing make? But as the MudWing grabbed the piece of lumber on her, she suddenly saw the dragonet grit his teeth and actually lift the lumber off of her with a significant gap. Surprise and admiration filled the young RainWing. As soon as Glory was able to move again, she was swiftly pulled out of the rubble by Tsunami and Clay grunts as he releases the lumber back on the ground with a thud. Glory coughed out, she was finally free and grateful for the two dragons for saving her. 

 “Hey there, are you alright?” Clay asked the RainWing, but she only coughed out as a response. “You look thirsty, here, I’ll give you some water.”

 “Clay! That’s our water!” Tsunami protested. 

 “C’mon Tsunami, we have enough.” Clay said as he passed down a metal canteen to Glory. The RainWing gratefully accepts the drink and finally regains her speech after the refreshing water heals her dry throat.  

 “Thank you.” Glory said dryly. “My name is Glory, thanks for getting me out of that mess.”

 “Your welcome, I’m glad you’re alright, Glory!” Clay smiles at her, and for a moment, Glory’s orange frills glowed a slight pink. 

 “I-I’m okay. Thanks for worrying about me.” Glory shyfully thanks.

 “You better be, you wasted our water!” Tsunami shouts before being kicked by Clay. “Ow!”

 “That’s not very nice, Tsunami” Clay then turns toward Glory. “How did you get under that rubble Glory?”

 “I… I don’t actually remember what happened. My head hurts really bad when I try to remember it… urgh…” Glory grumbled.

 “It’s alright, glory.” Clay said, after a moment he then proposed something. “Say, how about you join us? If you don't remember anything about your home or parents, we can take care of ourselves as a group!”

 “Clay, no! She’s just another mouth feed!” Tsunami protests once more. “Plus, she's a RainWing, she probably doesn't know anything!”

 Glory felt like spitting a glob of venom at her face but not until Clay defended her. “Then I’ll hunt extra hard for the three of us! I can do that!” Clay declared, surprising both Tsunami and Glory. The MudWing then turns toward the RainWing. “So what do you say, Glory?” 

 Glory actually wanted to be with this interesting little group, afterall, she can’t quite remember what she was doing under that pile of rubble. If she was left there, then it probably means that nobody really cared about her, so maybe it would be best to join them.

 “Yeah, I’d like to join you guys,” Glory nodded in agreement.

 Clay smiled while Tsunami frowned.

 “Good! We’ll take care of each other and survive this war with our powers!” Clay announces into the air.

 “Wait, there’s a war going on?” Glory raises an eyebrow, Clay jaw drops while Tsunami sighs.

 “Told you RainWings were dumb.” Tsunami said, but not before being bitten on the neck by Glory.

 

Chapter 5: The Dark Logican

Starflight doesn’t quite remember his earliest days, whenever he tries to remember it, it was always fuzzy and full of noise, like a corrupted data drive. But Starflight could make out certain shapes, like his father, Mastermind, who was always busy working on something and had little time for me. He grew up in a secret NightWing laboratory, hidden from the rest of the tribes. Starflight was raised by his father’s accomplices and coworkers, while he was too busy conducting experiments and research. NightWings were always a knowledgeable race, their desire to obtain all kinds of wisdom knows no bounds. So did Starflight, I would find myself reading books and scrolls in the archives, where the info on the said books and scrolls were being converted into digital data. Starflight learned everything in the books he read, especially in mechanics and engineering. In his free time he would help out in the weapons department, thanks to his small size, he could easily fix and work on tiny parts. He himself made objects and devices as well, he once made a mechanical dragon that would flap its wings when wind-up with a key. When he tried to help his father Mastermind in his experiments, he simply told him that he was too young to help him. Starflight didn’t quite understand why his father sent him away during those times, but he faintly heard screams in the area that his father was researching. For 3 years in this laboratory, Starflight didn’t think much of it, because right now, the laboratory has been destroyed by a stray bomb.

 Red flashing lights and sirens awoke Starflight from unconsciousness. Dazed, confused and in pain. Starflight lifts his head to look around at his surroundings, there were major piles of metal debris, the pristine pale walls were now collapsed and exposed to the outside. Starflight groaned as he pushed himself off the ground, only for him to feel a sharp pain to pierce through his right arm. He turns his eyes to see large pieces of metal piercing into his scales and causing them to bleed profusely. 

 Generally, on average, a dragon would begin to panic upon seeing a grievous injury such as this one. But for Starflight, he body was panicking causing his heart rate to beat faster, and causing more blood to spill out. However, his mind remained as calm as a lake, because Starflight knew that a calm and collected dragon had a higher chance of survival and adapting to his unpredictable situations. By focusing on calming down, his heart rate managed to slow down to normal levels, but the bleeding was still a concerning problem. While breathing in and out and only focusing on his precise breathing, he began to think of solutions to the problem. Starflight has read many books in his lifetime, but none of them had any medical knowledge. He knew that taking out the metal pieces would lead to more bleeding, so he quickly decided on the next best thing. Grab a book and medical supplies and treat the wound himself. 

 Slowly but surely, he waddles his way through the complex, he knows the direction to the archives by heart. As he walked however, he heard the distant booms of battle. Something was going on outside, and unfortunately, this laboratory was caught in the crossfire. Starflight calmly focused on his steady breathing as he traversed the laboratory, winching as his pain shot up his arm and feeling the trickle of blood through his scales. He looked along the walls for anything resembling a first-aid kit, but to his luck, there was one. The glass casing containing the first aid supplies was cracked, but it didn’t matter to Starflight, he yanked off the door of the casing with a heath and grabbed the first aid kit from inside. After grabbing supplies he immediately shuffled toward the door of the archives. He slammed into the room with a shoulder bash, urgent yet calm, he again regained focus on his breathing. Steady. In and out. In and out. He arrives on a table before slamming the supplies on it, Starflight then scouring through the archives on anything related to medical practices. A part of the archives was caved in by a collapsed ceiling, and Starflight hoped the material he needed was not under a pile of rubble. As he quickly surveyed through the archives through many scrolls and books, he could feel more blood dripping down on his arm. He could probably bleed out from his arms only if he did not treat them in time, as he began to speed up his search, after a moment his eyes landed on a book titled, “Advanced First Aid Treatments.” 

 In the blink of an eye, Starflight swiped the book from the shelf and ran toward the table with the medical supplies. He slammed the book on the ground as he began speeding through the pages. His honed reading eyes surveyed every page with persian, trying to find the right treatment. From fractures, to cuts and bruises, cpr, medication, all that other nonsense that wasn’t needed right now. At last, Starflight landed on a page titled ‘Embedded Objects.”

 He read the page and instantly did what the book did, multitasking on treating himself and turning back to read the book at the same time. There were two embedded pieces of metal on Starflight’s arm, one was relatively small and the other was significantly larger. Starflight dresses the wounds in bandages from the kit, and successfully stops the bleeding from the objects. However, he wanted to pull out the objects out of his arm, this would be difficult. As these slabs of metal could be clogging an important artery, and Starflight would bleed uncontrollably if he were to remove said embedded objects. Starflight looked into the first aid kit for anything useful, and he saw his opportunity, a Dragon Medical Services medical stapler. Starflight deduced that he could close up the lacerations the objects could cause when he pulled them out. After reading more about it in the book, Starflight began his ultimate treatment. He started on the smaller piece, he grabbed the piece firmly by the base and prepared to treat any bleeding when he removed it. Starflight grunts slightly as he mustered all of strength to pull out the piece of metal and with one successful heave, all while pain shot up all over his arm. But he managed to remove the object from his skin and scales, throwing the bloody piece on the table before quickly covering the wound in another dressing of bandages to prevent more serious bleeding. After a moment, Starflight removed the bandages and then grabbed the stapler with his remaining arm, lined it up on the laceration. He grunted again as he squeezed the stapler and began stitching up his wound, he could still feel a little bit of pain from the staples digging into his scales and closing this flesh together. Moreover, Starflight has successfully treated one of his wounds.

 Starflight exhales deeply, before looking at the larger piece on his arm. He grabbed it and prepared to pull it out. But unfortunately, he was having more trouble than expected. He tried to pull it out, but only intensified pain of tearing flesh stopped him. The shape of the metal was most likely hooked into his flesh, if he were to pull it out it would cause immense pain and bleeding. But he needed to remove it somehow, gritting his teeth Starflight would have to bite the bullet. And by ‘biting the bullet’ he meant biting the medical book to cope with the pain. Closing and putting the book in his mouth, he steadies his breathing as he grabs the fragment and pulls up, he instantly feels a wave of agony explode across his body, it only increases as he tries to wiggle the piece out of his flesh. He bites down on the book, his teeth digging into the cover, he feels sorry for the mistreatment of the book, but it was all but an object and he needed it to perform surgery. His breathing intensifies as he slowly pulls the shard from his arm, blood starts to leak and pool under his arm as it tears his flesh. With an agonizing and final heave, he pulled the piece out with an audible yell. He quickly puts the piece of metal away, spits out the book, and grabs the bandages to combat the flow of blood coming out of his arm. Bright red blood soaks the bandages and his black colored scales as Starflight grabs the stapler and stitches the wound shut in a quick succession. 

 With a heavy sigh of relief, took a glance onto his stitched up arm. It was like patch work, horrible, messy and outright disgusting. It was closing the lacerations, so Starflight did not complain, although his arm was still hurting as if a thousand ants just bit it. With his injuries, Starflight wondered about his next step… What would he do next? It is most likely that all of the NightWings in this laboratory have evacuated or are all dead. Starflight was thinking of deciding if he should evacuate or search for survivors. But his train of thought was interrupted when he heard the sound of wing flaps through the walls, he then heard a dragon speaking before hearing the clicking of some tool. Starflight quickly hides behind a shelf, looking through the gaps toward the direction of the wall. 

 A bright probe of light appears on the wall, it slowly moves through the wall as sparks come spraying out. Starflight deduces it as a heated torch. Whoever these dragons were, they look like they were here to breach the laboratory. Starflight thought it was his fellow NightWins coming back for survivors, but his hopes died down as the torch completed its circle and when it fell, it revealed three dragons around Starflight’s age. A big, brown, burly and significantly scarred MudWing, he was the one holding the torch, along with an enormous backpack filled to the brim with tools, scrap and other belongings. A blue and ferocious looking SeaWing, who was wielding a shotgun. And a RainWing, her scales were a combination of grays, as if she was trying to blend in with the laboratory walls. 

 “Alright, let’s grab some stuff while the Redhorns are distracted!” The MudWing said as he looked around the room, only for a confused look to appear on his face. “Wait… is this a library?”

 “Great. Just some worthless books and scrolls!” The RainWing sarcastically snaps, pointing toward the SeaWing. “It’s your fault Tsunami for insisting on breaching this NightWing lab. We’re risking our lives for nothing here.”

 Starflight felt his ears twitch and anger replace his caution. How dare that RainWing declare that books are worthless! That RainWing probably couldn't read or write! Regardless, Starflight needed to get out of here, it was best for him to wait patiently behind the shelves-

BANG!

 Starflight immediately sunk to the floor as the books that were next to him exploded into paper mache. 

 “I saw you behind those shelves, NightWing!” The Seawing shouts before cocking the shotgun, as an empty round rolls on the floor. “Come out of there and show yourself! I don’t think hiding behind a bunch of paper is a good idea!”

 Starflight internally panics as his heart races for the first time today. How did the SeaWing know that he was there?! Starflight remembered what the SeaWing was weidling, a Streun-12. A modern pump-action shotgun produced by the IceWings, it was capable of punching a hole into any soft target, including dragon scales. A direct hit even through the bookshelf was enough to gravely injure or kill Starflight. So of course, the best solution to this situation was to surrender.

 “Alright. I’m surrendering. Don’t shoot.” Starflight said calmly as he raised his talons and walked out the bookshelf.

 “Huh. So that’s what a NightWing looks like?” The RainWing raises an eyebrow.

 “He looks very… NightWing-y.” The MudWing trunks his head. 

 “So, NightWing.” The SeaWing, named Tsunami if Starflight recalls, started as she pushed the front of the gun on Starflight’s snout. “You’re going to show us where your tech is, and I’m not going to blow your sorry little head off. You got that?”

 There was a reason why Starflight didn’t go to the development section of the laboratory. It contained various noxious and dangerous chemicals used for experiments, most likely now exposed into the air thanks to the explosions destroying half of the laboratory.

“I wouldn't recommend that.” Starflight retorted, his voice calm, despite the cold steel pressed on his skin. “Those stray bombs might have knocked loose some toxic chemicals. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole laboratory isn’t filled with carbon monoxide and methane.” 

Expressions of concern filled the dragonets, as Starflight smiled internally. Good, he sowed the seeds of uncertainty into them. This way he wouldn’t risk his life breathing in toxic gas, and keep away NightWing tech to these dragonets. They would probably give up and leave Starflight. 

“That doesn’t sound good.” The MudWing said, but he then reached over into his enormous backpack full of scrap and tools and brought out a filtered respirator. “Good thing I got this.” 

Starflight frowned, he didn’t expect the MudWing to have such protective equipment. No matter, Starflight spoke again.

“That’s just the mask, right?” Starflight addresses the MudWing, “That won’t be enough. You might need some form of eye protection, there could be sulfur dioxide, or hydrogen sulfide that could irritate your eyes.”

“Huh, I guess you’re right. Lemme see if I got any goggles.” The MudWing said. He dropped his backpack on the floor and began digging through its contents for a pair of goggles. “Oh, here’s a piece of jerky!”

“Oh my god, Clay! Can’t you keep anything sorted in that damn thing?” Tsunami growled, still pressing the shotgun on Starflight’s face. “Besides, he might be lying! What if the room wasn’t filled with hydro-sulfide-mono-oxide, or whatever the hell words this NightWing is spewing out of his mouth?” 

“He isn’t.” The RainWing appears from right behind Starflight. “I checked it while you were holding him hostage. The R&D section of this lab got completely blown by a Redhorn bomb. There’s nothing but ashes and scraps of metal in there.”

“Well, that blows. What a waste of time. We’re leaving, Clay.” Tsunami said.

“Oh, alrighty then…” Clay said as he threw the piece of dried meat in his mouth. The MudWing grabbed his backpack and heaved it on his back again.

“What are we going to do with the NightWing here?” The RainWing asks, pointing her tail toward Starflight.

“Yes, what about me?” Starflight thought, still cautious about Tsunami’s shotgun.

“Eh, who cares? Just leave him for dead,” Tsunami snorted. The RainWing shrugs in acceptance. Why should they bother with another mouth to feed.

Unfortunately for Starflight, this is a far more unexpected outcome. He first was planning to go to the R&D section after treating his injuries and escaping these three dragonets. However, now with that part of the lab destroyed, his chances of survival were slim to none. Unless he could work with these dragonets, they could provide him with food and safety.

“Wait! Take me with you!” Starflight shouted, trying to sound desperate. “I got nothing, no food, and no supplies. Let me come with you three.”

“Yeah right. And just be another mouth to feed? What could you possibly do for us?” The RainWing snarled, her scales on her snout turning orange. 

“I’m very knowledgeable in various topics, be it engineering, mechanics, chemistry, and even some first aid. I’ll bet I’m smarter than all of you combined.” Starflight offers, beginning to stand up properly. “Allow me to join you and I could provide you with valuable information.”

Tsunami and the RainWing were skeptical, they glared at Starflight with scowls and narrowed eyes. But the MudWing, Clay, seemed very intrigued with his proposal.

“Hey, I think we should let him join us, you two.” Clay announces.

“Huh? Are you serious Clay? You just met this NightWing!” Tsunami shouted.

“Well.. the same could be said when I first met you.” Clay said, causing her to flinch. “Besides, if he really is smart, he could help us in lots of ways! Maybe he could fix some of our stuff, or identify which berries are good to eat or not.” He then turns to the RainWing. “Like that one time Glory ate those yellow berries, and you were barfing non-stop bec-”

“Okay! Okay! I got your point Clay!” The RainWing, Glory, shouts in embarrassment. Her frills were changing into a pale pink. “Fine, I guess he could be of some use.”

“You guys are seriously trusting this dragon?! What if he tries to kill us in our sleep or take our stuff while we aren’t looking?” Tsunami protested.

“Then we have you to put him down, Tsunami.” Clay smiles giving her thumbs up, which made Starflight internally frown and throw out that plan from his mind.

“You know me so well, Clay.” Tsunami smiles as she puts her shotgun on her shoulder. “Alright, we’ll let you join us. But any wrong moves, and you’ll spend the rest of your life putting your face back together, got that?”

“Yes. I understand.” Starflight simply acknowledges with a nod.

“Great, now let’s get out of here.” Clay said as he pointed out the hole he carved out. Glory follows him, with Starflight behind, pushed ahead by Tsunami from the back. The message on her face was clear, ‘no sudden movements.’ Starflight simply sighed, but it was alright. This was a much more favorable outcome than waiting in the laboratory where he could possibly be discovered by the SkyWings. From the looks of their appearances, they seemed to be accustomed to surviving off the land and on the battlefield. Besides, it wasn’t like he would get attached to this unruly, ragtag, mangy, group of dragonets, would he? 

 

Chapter 6: The Brightest Surgeon

Notes:

TW: Mentioning of sex trafficking in this chapter, which may be distressing for some readers. Read at your own risk.

Sunny knew the world was a vile, cruel and dangerous place. Dune said it all the time, and yet, she didn’t listen to him. Dune always told her that the outside world would do nasty things to a dragonet like her. But it wasn’t her fault she was born this way, she had no poisonous barb on her tail like all SandWings, her scales were a bright golden color instead of a paler yellow color, and she had the most peculiar green eyes.

 Dune didn’t really care about her appearance, but what he did mind was Sunny asking about his past. Sunny knew that Dune wasn’t her father, because he literally said so when she asked him. Dune didn’t talk about how he got Sunny, or what was the cause of his many injuries, or his affiliation with the war. All this denial to answer her questions made Sunny a bit rebellious than normal. But she did find out some info on his past during his sometimes drunken crying. He was a former member of the Talons of Peace, from which Sunny had heard, was a terrorist organization hell-bent on ending the Pyrrhian Aero War by any means necessary. Before joining the talons, he was a soldier in the SandWing Army, and something about a gang called the Outclaws? Sunny couldn’t gather much information since Dune was so drunk all the time and his speech was always slurred to the point where Sunny thought he created a new language. Dune was a decent caretaker, he fed and gave Sunny shelter, but that was about it. While he was drunk, his behavior would be irregular, sometimes he would be bawling his eyes out, laughing like a mad man, or very angry and hostile. Fortunately, because of his injuries, if he did try to strike Sunny in a drunken rage, she could simply step to the side or have him fall unbalanced.

 But one time, while Dune was intoxicated and asleep. Sunny decided to leave the house she was sheltered in and explore the outside world for herself. She would soon realize what Dune was trying to warn about Sunny. While she was exploring, she tried to avoid the SandWings occupying the city she was in, it was always so dangerous, full of gunshots and soldiers. She hid in a shady alleyway in an attempt to hide, but she soon learned why parents don’t let their children out in this city.

 Sunny was hiding behind a wall, surveying the surroundings, until a voice called out to her.

 “Hey there, kid.” A scratchy voice called out from the darkness, startling Sunny. It was a SandWing with a horrible, sinister smile. His body was relatively skinny and covered in scratches. Another SandWing appeared beside the skinny one, this one was burly looking and had a huge scar along his lower jaw. “What’s a cutie like you doing out here?”

 “I… uhm… exploring.” Sunny answered nervously, fidgeting with her fingers, and her tail twitching. She didn’t want to get caught by anybody, especially Dune. but right now her instincts were telling her that this was not the time to worry about that.

 “Exploring… eh? Say kid, why don’t you come with us? We’ll show you a whole new world for ya… hehehe.” The skinny SandWing licked his lips. 

 Sunny was uncomfortable with the two SandWings, but as soon as she was about to run, the burly SandWing lunged and grabbed her. Sunny yelped, but the burly SandWing clamped his talons on her snout. 

 “Got ‘er. What are we gonna do with her? She’s kinda weird looking.” The burly SandWing snorted, Sunny tried to claw her way out, but she was too small and weak to do anything.

 “Eh. I could probably find someone who could be interested in freaks like her… she’s pretty young too… fresh meat… we’ll put an extra charge on her.” The skinny SandWing smiled sinisterly. These two SandWings were sex traffickers, and have found their latest victim.

 Sunny desperately tried to scream, claw, wiggle out, anything, but she was powerless against the grasp of the burly SandWing. When she tried to use her tiny size to squeeze out, the burly SandWing would just grasp her tighter. Tears rolled from her eyes as she began to realize what Dune had been warning her about. Because there are plenty of dragons in this vile, cruel, and dangerous world that could take advantage of weak dragonets such as her. Just as she was about to be taken away however, a crack split the air, and the burly SandWing’s face exploded out blood and scales as a walnut sized hole appeared through his head. Sunny gasped as her snout was finally freed, the grasp weakening from the talon that was holding her. The SandWing wobbled for a while, then fell on his back. 

 “Get you filthy claws off her!” Dune screamed, aiming a revolver at the remaining sex trafficker.

The skinny SandWing tried to run away, but he was met with two bullets shot on his chest, the SandWing screamed in pain and began mumbling sorrowfully as blood leaked from his chest and created a pool of red on the sand.

Sunny stared at the two dead SandWings in shock, the adrenaline in her veins from the moment caused her to not notice the splash of blood that was covering her face. Dune quickly heaved the dragonet on his back and ran back to the house. Sunny was lucky that Dune became sober in time, who knows what would happen if he hadn’t arrived. Sunny did not want to think of that. Instead she apologized before Dune, while crying profusely. Dune was going to scold her for her journey outside, but seeing her shaken state, he decided not to. Dune simply washed the blood off of Sunny and the dragonet learned to never trust the outside world ever again.

That’s not the only thing Sunny learned when she was young. Dune would occasionally come home in bruises, lacerations and cuts, some from bar fights, some from jumpings. Dune never properly treated these injuries, he instead utilized bandages and a needle and a spool of thin metal wire to stitch up lacerations from claws. One time there was a claw that he couldn't reach, and needed Sunny to help it stitch them up for him.

“Sunny… come here.” Dune said, Sunny obeyed, trotting toward the injured SandWing. “I need you to stitch up a cut on my back I can’t reach. Could you do that for me?” 

“Uhm. Okay...” Sunny hesitantly agrees, Dune gives her the spool of wire and needle and points a talon to a bleeding slash on his back. Sunny gulps in nervousness, there was a lot of blood and it slightly disturbed her.

“What’s wrong?” Dune asks the dragonet wondering what was faltering her.

“I… I can’t do it…” Sunny squeaked, her talons shaking. “What if I hurt you? Or can't I do it properly?”

Dune sighs in annoyance from the dragonet’s nervousness, but understands her feelings. He felt just like her when he was a young dragonet that tried to stitch up his wound when he was in the army. Nonetheless, he would have to guide the dragonet on the procedure.

“I’ll be fine. It’s just the needle… I can take it.” Dune assures. “As for you… I’ll guide you on how to do it. If this wound gets infected… I’ll be in more trouble than I already am.”

“O-okay.” Sunny sniffs. Dune guides the dragonet with his words on how to suture a wound, utilizing his knowledge he learned when he was in the SandWing army. Technically, it wasn’t a proper surgical suture, it was simply fastening the wound like sewing. However, with Dune patient guidance, and a few accidents, Sunny managed to successfully close the wound. 

“You got it?” Dune tiredly asks, he turns to see Sunny nodding silently. “Good job Sunny, you saved me here.”

“I… I did?” Sunny looked at Dune with a face of disbelief. 

“You did, kid... If that wound got infected or kept on bleeding… I might've died.” Dune exaggerates, he wouldn't easily die to a laceration on his back, but it was best to have it treated anyway. 

However, Sunny’s expression was now practically glowing, like her namesake. She loved the idea that she managed to save Dune’s life, all thanks to a needle and some wire. This idea then encouraged her to practice her procedures and pursue more advanced techniques. Whenever Dune came home from a fight or with an injury, Sunny would always be there to help treat Dune. Dune also shared with Sunny a bit of army first aid, such as how to remove a bullet from within in your scales, how to create a splint for a bone fracture, and how to cure SandWing venom with cactus juice. Additionally, Dune bought a book for Sunny detailing various medications and stimulants. Throughout the years, Sunny learned various surgical practices that helped Dune, she even vowed to figure out a way to heal the SandWing’s maimed wing. The two got closer as a result, and Sunny saw Dune as a silent but caring father. Unfortunately, Dune’s past would ultimately lead to consequences. 

It was when Sunny was 6 years old. One day while Dune was preparing a meal and Sunny was reading a book, a loud banging came from the door. On the other side were SandWing soldiers, they were ordered to go through town to town throughout the Sand Queendom to locate and execute deserters of the army and members of the Talons of Peace. Unfortunately, Dune fit the bill for both of the conditions. Dune made sure that he wouldn't be discovered by settling in a small house in the most remote part of town, but his drunken fights at bars gave him some reputation as a troublemaker. 

“Open up! We know you’re in there, traitor! Get out before we blast this door down!” A SandWing soldier threatens from the other side, banging on the door so much to a point where the door was starting to break. 

“Sunny. Go upstairs and hide. Now.” Dune gestured his tail toward the stairs.

“What about you?” Sunny murmured, worried and scared of her guardian.

“Just go. Now! Don’t go after me.” Dune ordered sternly, he knew that he was no match for the SandWing soldiers. Especially with no weapon. It was time to face the music, and he can’t have Sunny with him at all.

Sunny reluctantly obeyed and ran up the stairs and into her bedroom. It was extremely simple, just a bed, a desk, and a window. There was no other furniture in the room, but various tools such as knives, scalpels, and medical books littered the desk and below the bed. Sunny did not care about hiding, rather, she slowly poked her head out the window and took a glimpse of the outside. She would occasionally look outside this insignificant window to see the night sky, or spy on other SandWings. She looked down to see two SandWing soldiers wearing the typical SandWing soldier attire, a helmet, camo patterned kevlar vest, a few supplies on their waist and wielding rifles. Dune came out slowly from the house, with his remaining talon raised. The soldiers hissed as he walked out, then they grabbed Dune by the neck and slammed him into the ground, they yelled some derogatory names before one of them butts the stock of their gun on Dune’s head. They carried the staggered body of Dune and began to fly away somewhere. Sunny panicked, seeing her guardian being taken away sent shivers of worry down her spine. What were they going to do with him? Are they going to kill him?!

Sunny did not like the thought of Dune dying, but even though with her fear of going outside, she eventually found herself running out of the house and across the sand. She looked toward the sky to see a slight glimpse of Dune being carried in the sky, Sunny then proceeded to run faster than she ever could. She did not pay any attention to the other SandWings in the town, confused at seeing a weird looking SandWing running through their settlement. Sunny ran and ran, her lungs were heaving in and out constantly like a machine, she periodically looked toward the sky to find where they were taking Dune. There was only one thought of hope running through her; to save Dune! Finally, just as Sunny felt like she ran across the entire Sand Queendom, the two soldiers descended into a little alleyway. They were planning to execute the deserters by firing line, and away from civilian eyes. Sunny softly ran toward the alleyway and saw the row of SandWings all gathered by the soldiers, they were looking toward the ground in a state of defeat, they knew that there was no escape to this, of their fate. 

Sunny saw Dune within the crowd, sitting alone, and looking tired yet at peace. The other soldiers were barking and distracted by the more defiant members, while they were preoccupied, Sunny ran to Dune.

“Dune! Thank goodness you’re safe!” Sunny beamed, but Dune’s face was filled with horror.

“No! Sunny, I told you to stay at the house!” Dune yelled, his voice more afraid than angry.

Sunny flinched at Dune’s words, she looked toward the ground in shame, making shapes in the sand like she always did when she thought she was in trouble. 

“I’m sorry… I was just… worried about you.” Sunny said, her green eyes began to water.

Dune sighed for the final time. He then grabbed Sunny with his remaining arm and brought her closer to his body. 

“You’re a good girl, Sunny. You’re too good for this horrible world.” Dune confesses. “I was afraid that you would change for the worse if you were raised by your mother… heh… guess I’m wrong. I’m always wrong.” 

“Huh? My… mother?” Sunny looked up after Dune mentions her mother, she heard so little about her from Dune. Perhaps he would tell her where she is?

“I can’t tell you where your mother is… she’s a… wanted fugitive, I should say.” Dune said, looking at the other gathered SandWings, who were eyeing the duo with suspicious eyes, and listening with intent. “And these dragons will be more than happy to rat her out if it were to save their own tails.” Dune looks back at Sunny with the most sincere, content and saddened smile. “She would have loved you very much.”

Dune then turned to see the soldiers spot Sunny and him together, he knew what he had to do, they would execute Sunny as well for associating with Dune.

“Now go, go find your mother! Get away from this place as far as possible!” Dune yelled, standing up and pushing away Sunny, and getting the attention of the soldiers.

“Dune? What, what are you saying?” Sunny choked, she wanted to get Dune out of here, so why was he pushing her away.

“I said go! Get away!” Dune shouted, causing Sunny to flinch again. 

“Hey! What the hell is going on here?!” A SandWing soldier yelled, he then turned toward Sunny. “You know this deserter?” 

Sunny was about to speak, but Dune interjected with a raised voice.

“Like hell I know that freak!” Dune spits where Sunny was standing. “Get away from me, freak! Go back to whatever cave you crawled out of!”

Sunny felt her heart cracking and her scales peeling off of her. Seeing Dune yell at her, especially about her appearance, made her very gloomy. 

“Alright, that’s enough!” The SandWing soldier yelled before smacking his gun on Dune’s head, which caused a small cut to appear. “Get this deserter ready for execution. You, get this kid away from here.”

“Roger,” A SandWing soldier replied before grabbing Sunny by the arm and began dragging her out. Sunny looked at Dune with a sad and betrayed expression. But she saw Dune turn his head back toward her and smiled. Sunny was safe, Dune could die in peace. After realizing that he said those things so Sunny would be unharmed, she cried.

“No… no! No, no, no! Dune! Please no! Dune! Don’t kill him!” Sunny pleaded, hoping her voice would reach the soldiers, but they ignored her. She tried to fight back, squirming in the soldier’s grasp but it did not falter him in the slightest. 

“Stop squirming, kid!” The soldier yelled before throwing her out in the sand. “Just go home!”

Sunny quickly stood up, with tears flowing like a river from her emerald eyes.

“Please don’t kill Dune! He did nothing wrong! I-”

“GO HOME!” The soldier screamed as he pointed out. Sunny froze from the soldier’s raised voice. The SandWing then walked back into the alleyway, with a frozen Sunny on the ground. After regaining her composure, she tried to run back to save Dune. But she was too late.

 She froze again when she heard a loud burst of gunfire come from the alley. Her heart breaks, the pieces sinking to a pit in her stomach. She didn’t need to know twice that Dune was dead. After realizing the fact, she began to cry again. She runs out into the town in fear and mourning, with tears crawling down her golden scales and onto the pale sand. She cried and cried, the memories with Dune flashing through her mind as her talons clawed through the sand. She was so distressed after losing her guardian, that she wasn’t paying attention to where she was running, eventually colliding with a dragon in a cloak.

“Ow! Watch it!” The cloaked dragon yelled, the sound of his voice signaling that he was as young as her.

“I’m… I’m sorry.” Sunny sniffled while she apologized. 

The cloaked dragon turns to see the crying SandWing, like he was observing her for a second. 

“Hey, why are you crying?” The dragon asks.

Sunny takes a single glance at the cloaked dragon, and she instantly distrusts him. Especially since he was wearing something to conceal his identity. She frowned at him.

“No, I won't tell you. How can I trust someone I haven’t met. Especially with that cloak on?” Sunny said.

The cloaked dragon looks around the city surroundings, he then grabs Sunny by the wrist. 

“Then follow me, we need to get somewhere discreet.” The dragon says. “You can trust me, I can’t reveal my identity here.”  

Sunny was about to protest, but she was taken away into a certain alleyway. The memories and trauma of being captured suddenly emerges in Sunny and she pulls herself back.

“You don’t like alleyways?” The cloaked dragon says, noticing her discomfort.

“I really don’t have a fond experience…” Sunny simply states, still afraid and untrusting of the cloaked dragon. But the dragon reveals himself, to Sunny’s shock, it was a NightWing. Like in the stories that Dune told her, the NightWing had black scales but some of them had deep purple or deep blue, he had green eyes just like her.

“My name is Starflight. What’s your name?” Starflight asks the SandWing.

“Sunny,” She simply replies, still not trusting the NightWing. “What’s a NightWing doing here in the Sand Queendom?”

“Shopping.” Starflight said, he grabs something from inside of his cloak, which he reveals to be some electronic components. “The SandWing blackmarket allows one to buy various goods at a cheap price.” 

“Oh, I never knew that.” Sunny curiously said.

“Well, there are a lot of things unchecked in the Sand Queendom, no offense. Gangs, black markets, and less than ideal individuals, all litter the towns in the edges of the territory,” Starflight explains.

“Wow, you’re really smart.” Sunny compliment, which caused the NightWing to look away in embarrassment.

“Well… I’m just knowledgeable in the subject. That’s all,” Starflight shrugs.

“Well, I think you’re the smartest dragon I’ve ever met.” Sunny smiles, which caused the NightWing to fluster.

“I see. But, you haven’t answered my earlier question. Why were you crying?” Starflight asks, which causes Sunny to remind herself of Dune death, the SandWing sulks her shoulders and looks down.

“Dune. He was my guardian… some soldiers executed him, I think it was because he was once a member of the Talons of Peace.” Sunny answered somberly.

“Oh, my condolences for your loss.” Starflight respectfully said.

“I don’t get it, what’s wrong with the Talons of Peace? I thought they were a peace organization!” Sunny exclaimed.

“Were. Recently, they began to use terrorist tactics in order to enact their agenda, such as bombing infrastructure and taking hostages.” Starflight explained, but he saw how Sunny’s face was shocked and he quickly said something else. “But I don’t think your guardian were involved with any of those incidents, though.”

“I suppose so. Dune said he left the Talons of Peace because of their ‘leadership issues.’ Poor Dune, I really miss him. He wasn’t nice, but he was kind enough to take care of me.” Sunny awkwardly grabbed her arm.

Starflight looked at her somber and grieving expression, and gave out a reluctant sigh. 

“Sunny, do you have any interest in joining me?” Starflight offered, which caused Sunny to look up at him.

“Join you? In what?” Sunny asked skeptically.

“Well, I’m here on behalf of some other dragonets actually, my friends.” Starflight revealed, “Tell me, do you have any useful skills? Such as first aid or survival knowledge?” 

“Uhm… I guess I could perform first aid. I can suture cuts and stuff.” Sunny answered.

“That’s great. Just what we need.” Starflight smiled, “In exchange for protection and food, if you could treat our injuries, me and my friends will happily take you in. What do you say?”

Sunny almost said “no” to the offer, she was still skeptical about Starflight, was he trying to lure him away into somewhere even more dubious? But from his expression and tone, he seemed very sincere about the offer, and if what he said is true, it would be much better than Sunny risking herself just by walking around the town. Her spine shivered when she remembered the two SandWings that tried to kidnap when she was young.

“Okay, I’ll join you.” Sunny agreed, clasping Starflight’s talon. The NightWing blushed furiously for some reason.

“Ah! Oh… T-thank you for your favorable response. N-now, if I may. I’ll lead you where the rest of the group is.” Starflight begins to put on the cloak around his head again. “Let me buy you a spare cloak, I think you’ll draw plenty of attention with your… unique appearance.” 

Sunny nodded in understanding. 

“Sure, be quick though, I don’t really like being in corners.” The SandWing dragonet said. 

However, within a minute of Starflight leaving, he came back with a spare black cloak in his talons. 

“Here you go.” Starflight said, his exhales were causing the sand to puff up.

“Thank you!” Sunny said as she grabs the cloak and puts it on her, it was slightly itchy but it got the job done. Once prepared, the duo then walked out the alleyway and shuffled along the busy crowds of SandWings, who were too busy to pay any attention to the two small cloaked figures. 

“By the way, Sunny. Are you able to perform certain surgical procedures?” Starflight asks as he walks through the town.

“I’ve been studying them actually, so maybe?” Sunny hesitantly asks.

“Eh, good enough. Well, we don’t have an actual source of income, but I have devised a certain plan.” Starflight said before his green eyes locked onto Sunny’s, “Which involves a particularly complex procedure known as Connection Socket Surgery.”

 

 

 

Chapter 7: A Mercenary Named Kestrel

“Absolutely not.” Kestrel declined the NightWing dragonet. “I’m not babysitting a bunch of dragonets.”

“Kestrel, our request isn’t for you to take care of us, we want you to be our mentor for Aero-Craft piloting.” Starflight said, shifting a little when the SkyWing shot him a hostile glare.

Clay boredly looked at his talons for the umpteenth time. Currently, Clay and Starflight were sitting at a table, discussing some business with Kestrel, a SkyWing mercenary. They were at a gathering hub in a hidden cave system in the Claws of Claw mountain range, a frequent spot for all kinds of mercenaries. While Starflight and Kestrel were still arguing, Clay stretched his neck from the soreness of sitting in cramped space for a period of time. While he extended his neck he felt the connection sockets on his neck. He never quite got used to the literal holes on the back of his neck, they felt like they were just a normal part of their body, but it still was foreign object. It was all thanks to Sunny, their newest member, and her expertise on surgical procedures. The main reason, if Clay remembers, for why they had to perform the surgery themselves was that it was very expensive to pay to a licensed doctor, the dragonets did not have that kind of money. There were cheaper, and more illegal ways of performing the surgery, but it was too risky to put your lives in the talons of some shady looking SandWing. So, Starflight managed to buy the specific parts, and by buying, he threatened to shoot the seller for a much cheaper price. Luckily, with Sunny’s surgical skills combined with Starflight’s guidance, Clay, Tsunami and Glory successfully undertook Connection Socket Surgery.

Why have they almost risked their lives for this specific surgery? It was all part of Starflight’s grand plan of the group turning into mercenaries. Although unorthodox, the occupation of a mercenary is very lucrative. They were other much safer methods for the dragonets to make money, but it was little that it wasn’t even worth it. They would often scavenge off various parts from downed Aero-Crafts and sell it, but they would always get a bad price on them. There was another job, which was mineral mining. The pay was fair, but the labor was gruesome, and Tsunami stated that she “Would rather die in a blaze of glory than die to black lung in the mines.” All of the dragonets agreed with her. So that was how this grand plan of being mercenaries was born, although only three of the dragonets would be Aeros. Starflight would be the mechanic and handler, while Sunny would be their medic. The plan was formalized and Clay, Tsunami and Glory all trusted Sunny to perform the surgery well, and it was a success. However, before they become full-fledged mercenaries, they need an Aero-Craft. One could buy a standard one for a fairly cheap price, but one also needs to be trained in piloting one, otherwise you might risk crashing into a mountain at full speed and turning into a red stain. There were certain risks that they knew, such as killing and death. But to Clay, it didn’t matter if he had to take a few lives, if it had to be done to keep his friends safe, he would gladly burn the entire continent.

“I told you no, and that is final!” Kestrel yelled, slamming her talon on the table, which got Clay out of his thoughts. “Dragonets like you have no business in this stupid war, now do me a favor and leave.” The SkyWing begins to stand up and leave. From what Clay heard from Starflight, Kestrel was a prominent SkyWing mercenary, with a mission success rate of 85%. If anybody was skilled in fighting in an AC, it was her. Starflight tried to negotiate an agreement so Kestrel would train the three of them to become Aeros, but looks like they have no luck.

“We will compensate for your troubles,” Starflight blurted out, causing the SkyWing to stop and look at him. “We’re offering you 30,000 scales a day for you to train us.”

“Where did you get that kind of money?” Kestrel asks suspiciously, glaring straight through the young NightWing’s eyes.

“It doesn't really matter for a merc like you, does it? As long as you get paid.” Starflight shot back, his tone cool and calm. Honestly, Clay was sweating bullets, if he could sweat, he was already on edge when he first laid eyes on the ferocious figure of this SkyWing. For a moment, the SkyWing sneered.

“Fine. If you’re so insistent on me training you, make it 50,000 and I’ll purchase some cheap junky ACs for you and your group, do we have a deal?” Kestrel said.

“Deal,” Starflight nodded, offering his talon in a talonshake, but Kestrel slapped it away.

“Be at the Goldstone Mountain by sunrise, sharp. I won’t tolerate any tardiness.” Kestrel retorted, a small plume of smoke leaving her nostrils. She stands up and leaves the table, Clay sighed in relief. Seeing that the SkyWing was gone, Clay confessed to Starflight.

“I actually believed that she might’ve killed us!” Clay blurted.

“Well thank Pyraskar for that. But you know what the SkyWing said, Goldstone Mountain, we might have to leave early in the night if we want to get there.” Starflight said, grabbing his tablet and clicking a few options on the screen. This tablet was another product of Starflight’s salvages, it was used to access the Nightfall Mercenary Support System, or the NMSS for short. Strangely, the NMSS was developed by the NightWings, according to Starflight.

“Wait, how are we going to pay Kestrel? We barely have enough for 50,000!” Clay panicked, what would happen if Kestrel didn’t get her payment? She wouldn’t go out and kill them, would she? Could Clay protect his friends even without an AC of his own?

“Relax, Clay. I knew money would be a challenging issue from the start. Thankfully, we were lucky.” Starflight said after tapping a few options on the tablet.

“Lucky? Why’s that?” Clay asked.

“Some wealthy idiot created a weak password to their bank account, and I managed to hack it.” Starflight confesses, “They have enough funds that they probably wouldn’t notice a few hundred thousand scales missing from their account.”

“Oh, who is this dragon?” Clay asks.

“I don’t exactly know, their username is ‘BL@Z5_Da_Pritty.’” Starflight slightly scowls. “You can tell they’re so stupid because they can’t even spell the word ‘Pretty.’”

“Huh, well, that solves the problem.” Clay said with relief. The idea of stealing from someone made him slightly uncomfortable, but as long as they didn't find out and hunt his friends down, it was alright.

“Let’s go tell the rest of the good news,” Starflight said as he left the table. “I hope Kestrel doesn't mind training a RainWing, considering her… opinion on them.”

“Don’t worry Starflight, Glory is a pretty good fighter, she’ll do fine.” Clay said, but he was still worried about his friends, hopefully Kestrel doesn't hurt them too much. However, he began to doubt himself, would he be enough to survive this training?

***

So began the 3 months of hellish training endured by Kestrel, she not only trained Clay, Tsunami, and Glory on AC combat, but they were forced to study as well, which wasn’t part of the agreement.

“Dodge!” Kestrel yells, firing a rocket toward Clay. But Clay was slightly too late, and the rocket managed to graze his wing and explode on a nearby wall, scattering rocky debris everywhere. Clay grunted as his Aero-Craft automatically jerked him upright again, but Clay was hit by a quick and strong kick by Kestrel, sending him flying into a wall. Clay groaned as his head was filled with an annoying ringing noise, his AC’s inner systems were staggered by the punishment and was taking a moment to realign itself. Clay took a glimpse toward the ground to see the assault rifle he had lying on the floor. As he tried to run toward it to pick it up, he heard the roar of thrusters and saw the SkyWing boosting her way straight toward him, but Clay’s AC thrusters wouldn’t carry him even if he willed it, it was still rebooting from its staggered systems. But Clay was saved by a blue blur smashing into the side of Kestrel, with a loud clang echoing around the cave they were training in. Tsunami boosted her way toward Kestrel with little hesitation, but the SkyWing twisted her body and dodge the SeaWing’s lounge. Kestrel then activates one the thrusters on her wings and swings her tail with the momentum, Tsunami was struck on the head by the attack, causing her to wobble for a moment. As Kestrel aimed her assault rifle at the stunned SeaWing, a blur of black scales came from underneath her and fired a burst from her machine gun. The bullets hit Kestrel’s front armor and caused some damage. 

“Glory wins by First Blood! The match is over!” Starflight announces from a safe distance. After the announcement, Kestrel disengaged her AC and landed softly on the ground. She turned to look at the RainWing that took her down.

“Going for my blind spot like that… that wasn’t a bad move, RainWing.” Kestrel surprisingly praises. Kestrel never liked Glory, but she would admit, the RainWing was quick and hard to locate with her scales blending to her surroundings. Glory simply gave Kestrel a nod.

“You, SeaWing, you had the same idea as the RainWing, but you should have used the assault rifle I gave you and won the match much earlier.” She scolds, but Tsunami simply scoffs and looks away.

“As for you, MudWing .” Kestrel's voice was dripping with venom, she grabbed the MudWing by the neck and lifted him up. “What the hell was that?! Dropping your weapon in the middle of battle?!”

“Ugh… the rocket caught me off guard, ma’am.” Clay respectfully answers but Kestrel throws him onto the ground again.

“What’s the point of going into a warzone and dropping your weapon in the middle of it?!” Kestrel shouted, “You’re lucky we’re using dummy rounds. You stand around like a big log like that, it’s going to get you killed.” 

“But what about Tsunami and Glory?” Clay protested, “Their scales are much brighter colored than mine.”

“That’s true, but they have one thing that you don’t, MudWing, and that is speed .” Kestrel said, “Tsunami and Glory are much smaller and faster than you and could easily fly into one’s blindspot. But you. You stick out like a sore claw.” Kestrel then walked away as the systems on her AC began shutting down. “That’s enough for right now. I want all of you in the study cave for a lesson in Aero-Craft Theory.” 

Clay grumbled in annoyance; he wasn’t particularly skilled at studying. But he was still angry at Kestrel for yelling at him, what was he supposed to do? The ACs the dragonets were using were literally 1st generation and the one Clay was using could barely lift him off the ground! With a sour expression on his face, he and the other two walked out of the arena and back into the hangar. He stood below a large device that then descended onto his AC, disconnected the sockets connecting to his neck and lifted the armor off of him. Clay would slightly shiver when the connectors were disconnected from his body, the AC felt like an extension of his body, rather than a piece of armor. Although the pilot still has to take off the chestplate, gauntlets, and leg guards themselves.

“Excellent work, everybody.” Starflight congratulates as he helps Clay remove the remaining parts of his armor.

“Hey Clay, are you alright?” Tsunami asks from his side. The SeaWing was always a fanatic during combat training, but she still worried for her friends.

“I’m fine.” Clay muttered, “Just angry at myself for losing grip of my weapon like that… and for Kestrel yelling at me… again.”

“Aw c’mon, it wasn’t entirely your fault.” Tsunami said, “Kestrel was using two weapons, it wasn’t a fair fight.”

“Actually, it’s about as fair as it gets, unfortunately.” Glory points out, “Kestrel’s just holding back on us, she didn’t even have her shoulder units equipped.”

“That is true, considering that Kestrel is a SkyWing. They physically and figuratively have aerial superiority, with or without an AC.” Starflight added.

Tsunami simply huffed at Glory and Starflight, and began to argue about the duo not supporting Clay, but Clay knew Glory was right, if he couldn’t keep up with Kestrel or his friends, what use would he be? It was his personal goal for him to be able to fly with an Aero-Craft, so he could protect his friends from the war. But he couldn’t even properly beat Kestrel, or even Tsunami or Glory in their matches against each other.

“You know what? I’m going to Kestrel and ask her to train me more.” Clay decided to walk away from the group.

“What?! Kestrel will tear you apart!” Tsunami shouts, grabbing Clay by his shoulder. 

“I know, but I don’t care if she does. I’ll just learn and come back stronger.” Clay declared, removing Tsunami’s talon and walking toward Kestrel’s cave to find her. Clay walked through the tunnels of Kestrel’s base of operations, a cave system under the third tallest mountain in the Claws of Claws mountain range, Goldenstone Mountain. The mountain was around the edges of northern SkyWing territory. Long fluorescent lights and wires trailed across the ceiling of the tunnel, luckily Clay spent enough time training around this cave system to know where he was going. The dragonets were not allowed to explore Kestrel’s base that much, only the rooms where she yells them to be at. But there was one particular cave where it was strictly off limits, it was Kestrel’s personal cave. Nobody dared to go into that cave, even Tsunami, if it meant incurring the wrath of the SkyWing. But Clay was brave enough, (or dumb enough), to walk into in hopes to find Kestrel, she wouldn't mind if Clay knocked before poking his head in, right? 

Clay knocked on the wall before the entrance of the cave, there was no door, and inside the cave was a dark nothing. He waited for a moment, for a yell to come out of the darkness or a blast of fire, but there was nothing. Clay assumed that Kestrel wasn’t there and waited beside the room for Kestrel to come. Or maybe she’s already in the study room? Is Clay going to get yelled at for being unintentionally late? A few moments passed, Clay felt the slight breeze of the tunnel hit his face, and there was still no sign of Kestrel. The feeling of exploring Kestrel’s own cave was gnawing at Clay with every passing moment, he took a glance at the tunnel and decided that it wouldn’t hurt to take a quick glance of her cave. Giving up to his curiosity, Clay reached his talon through the darkness for a light switch. Hitting a shape, he lifted it and the light above the cave flickered for a moment before turning on properly. Clay saw that there was a bed, a desk and a shelf containing various documents and papers. Some of them were either torn or singed. But there were a few papers that caught Clay’s attention, he picked him up and looked closely. On the paper was a pencil drawing of a SkyWing dragonet, who looked a bit like a Kestrel, some sort of smoky particle came off the portrait. It is incredibly well drawn; did Kestrel draw this? If so, who exactly is this dragonet? Clay’s curiosity grew even more, he took a glance at the shelf and noticed a picture frame facing downward. He took the frame and looked at it, it contained a very old photo, there were SkyWings all in uniform and standing next to each other in rank and file. At the leftward edge of the line, it was young Kestrel, although Clay couldn’t recognize her at first because of the lack of those strange scars on face. But there was another thing about the photo that shocked Clay, the uniforms the SkyWings were wearing had a certain emblem on them, a pair of wings made up of red triangles, and twelve stars circling around them. 

“ Crimson Winglet. ” Clay thought in awe, he remembered when Starflight told him about each tribe's own Winglet, they were squadrons with the best of the best Aeros. The SkyWing’s squadron was known as the infamous Crimson Winglet. Nobody could outfly the Crimson Winglet, wherever they fly, no Aero but themselves will remain in the sky. But why was Kestrel in one of the most well-known and dangerous winglets? It starts to click slightly in Clay’s head, Kestrel used to be a member of the Crimson Winglet, but because of some strange circumstances, she became a mercenary. There were still some questions unanswered, like that drawing of the smoky dragonet. Clay wanted to look around more in the room, but his blood ran cold when he heard footsteps coming from outside.

“What in the hell are you doing, MudWing?” Kestrel hissed with so much anger, so much enmity, Clay felt like her words were being burned to his very back.

“Uh… erm… nothing! Nothing! I was just-” 

“GET OUT!!!” Kestrel screamed, interrupting Clay. He could hear the hissing noise in her throat, which typically meant that she was about to blast the MudWing with fire.

“Yesma’am!” Clay yelped, jumping out of the room.

But as he was running through the hallway, he paused. He remembered what he came here for, to ask for extra training with Kestrel. Kestrel was there, and Clay was running away, the MudWing felt pathetic for running away, he should have stood his ground and asked. But then again, it was also his fault for invading Kestrel’s privacy, and he didn’t want to incur the wrath of the SkyWing anymore than he had to. But after thinking for a moment, he decided he would ask Kestrel, he was going to yelled at anyway during the potential extra training sessions. As he walked his way toward Kestrel’s room again, he paused for a moment, he then heard a sound from Kestrel that he never thought was possible to come from her.

Kestrel was weeping.

It was mostly a mixture of grunts and sniffles, but Clay could tell that something had saddened the normally ferocious SkyWing. Clay didn’t even think it was possible for a dragon such as Kestrel to cry. But when he took a peek at the room, he saw Kestrel with tears in her eyes while holding the drawing of the dragonet. Kestrel bitterly scowls before putting the picture away and wiping away her tears.

“Kestrel, are you alright?” Clay found himself asking.

The SkyWing’s face whipped around, her expression turned to that of usual anger, but the sadness still remained in her eyes.

“Are you MudWings not only dumb, but deaf too! I said-” Kestrel began but was interrupted by Clay.

“Now hold on, Kestrel. I came here to request something from you.” Clay shifted from his spot, but he remained determined. “I wanted you to give me extra training sessions together. It’s like you said, I’ll never be able to be a good Aero if I keep losing a hold of my weapon or stumbling. So I want you to train me more. But…”

“But what, MudWing? Spit it out.” Kestrel said. She didn’t even answer Clay’s original request. But she was listening to Clay regardless.

“I saw from a photo that you were a former member of the Crimson Winglet.” Kestrel’s eyes winded as Clay mentioned that. I want to know what happened, and why were you crying over that drawing of that dragonet?”

Kestrel scowled at Clay, she was probably going to reply with something about Clay minding his own business, but rather, she stopped herself. She sighed and gestured to Clay to come in.

“Fine, I'll tell you my story, you persistent brat. But once you do, don't tell the others about it. You got that?” Kestrel gave a nasty look toward Clay, but the MudWing nodded in understanding. Kestrel exhales some smoke from her nostrils. She began by nostalgically looking at the photo of her younger self. 

“It’s true. I was a former member of the Crimson Winglet. I was one of Scarlet’s best and loyal soldiers. I was given the call sign of Crimson-1,” Kestrel begins.

“Huh, makes sense. For a dragon like you to be the best of the best.” Clay acknowledges he was amazed that he and his friends are being trained by one of the dangerous and skilled Aeros in history.

Kestrel gave a chuckle at Clay’s remark. “Damn right I am. I did what they told us to do. Kill the company of MudWings here. Destroy a SeaWing warship there. I was good at killing, I didn’t care about any dragon but myself, really. But it all changed when I was reordered into the SkyWing breeding program.” Kestrel’s face grew somber.

“I mated with a dragon named Soar. Didn’t care much about him really. But… I laid an abnormally large egg. The doctors said it contained twins, but there was something else wrong with the egg. They put it through thermal imaging and saw that one of the embryos was significantly hotter than the other. It only meant one thing, one of my children was a firescales.” Clay saw Kestrel’s talons grip harder into the stone floor. “They were dangerous, their entire body was on fire. SkyWing traditions and law stated that I must kill the firescales by throwing her off the highest cliff. But I didn’t… I couldn’t … I ran away with the egg, and then, when the egg hatched, I fell in love with my children. It was if… the entire world just grew a thousand times brighter. I would be damned if I was going to kill my own dragonets. But Scarlet caught me with my dragonets, and then she gave an order. She would let me live if I killed one of my dragonets with my own bare talons. I couldn’t do it, but the Aeros with Scarlet would kill me and my two dragonets regardless. So I pretended to kill my dragonet with too little fire and sent him off stream. I planned to get him later if he didn’t drown. But Scarlet… that fucking bastard, she reversed the order and wanted me and the dragonet dead regardless. I tried to fly away, but her firescales was too much for me, and I… I… dropped her. Leaving her at Scarlet’s mercy.”

Clay felt really sorry for Kestrel. All of the horrible and nasty things Tsunami and the other dragonets said about her. But in truth, the reason why Kestrel was so angry was that he and his friends just reminded her of her dead dragonets. Kestrel shuddered, and Clay saw a few tears streaming through her eyes.

“The other dragonet that I faked killing, I found him dead, h-he… he drowned. I-I should have been better. I should have been a better mother. I should have carried my daughter, even if she burned me. I should have fought Scarlet then and there, even at the cost of my life. I wish… I wish… I wish I could have spent more time with them. I wish I could have played games with them. I wish I could have raised them into fine dragons… but I couldn't. I'm a horrible mother… I-I don’t deserve dragonets.” 

Clay eyes winded, he realized that the drawing of the dragonet was. It was Kestrel’s daughter. Clay felt his heart sink in sadness, he almost felt like crying as well. The story of Kestrel was a sad and bitter one, and Clay gave Kestrel a respectful silence as she grieved.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Kestrel.” Clay muttered silently. 

Kestrel exhaled once more, this time her expression was full of determination and seriousness. She wiped the tears off her face and pointed toward Clay. “Alright Clay, you heard my little sob story, now get back toward the rest of your friends. Also, as punishment for going into my cave, you and I are going to have some extra training sessions, and I’ll make sure it’s a living hell.”

Clay found himself surprised at the punishment; he got his request after all. “Y-Yes ma’am!” Clay simply saluted and exited the cave.

***

After Clay’s encounter with Kestrel, things have gone, quite strange to say the least. 6 months after hiring Kestrel to mentor them, the dragonets found themselves living with Kestrel for some reason. Kestrel’s excuse for this change was to ‘drill even more lessons into their empty brains.’ Although it was a nice change then sleeping near the bottom of the mountain when she yelled at them when training was over, it was still an uncharacteristic development for a dragon such as Kestrel. Kestrel was also much more patient and dare we say, kinder to the dragonets. Clay found that Kestrel would yell less than normally, and she was much more patient when it came to helping Clay with aiming a gun.

“A bit higher… there, then squeeze.” Kestrel instructed, hovering her talons over Clay’s. As Clay aimed an assault rifle at a makeshift target, he pulled down the trigger, and a burst of gunfire hit the target head on. 

“Excellent. Always keep your gun pointed and stead at your target until they're dead, got that?” Kestrel said, with a voice of a strict mother.

“Yes, ma’am.” Clay said as he saluted.

“And don’t point that gun everywhere! Turn on the safety when you’re done before you’ll kill someone.” Kestel scolds.

“Well, I’m going to kill someone regardless.” Clay joked, gaining a slight smirk from Kestrel. 

“Of course you will…” Kestrel said, somewhat becoming melancholy. “Clay. I remembered that I have a job that I need to get on soon. Stay put while I’m gone.”

“Oh. Alright, ma’am.” Clay nodded plainly, disarming the training rifle and following after Kestrel.

In the hangar, one particular craft inside was the cream of the crop. Besides the junky old ACs that Clay, Tsunami and Glory would use for training, there was another, that being Kestrel’s AC, Wingclipper . A magnificent form of SkyWing engineering, despite being two generations old. Two dual G4X2-Avian thrusters and powered by a single NEST-5000 generator. Its armaments were something of wonder, a high-impact cannon on the right shoulder, and high-velocity missile launcher on the left. Along with a bazooka on the left talon and a powerful assault rifle on the right. Such a loadout is appropriate for a former member of the Crimson Winglet. In a record time, Kestrel has already armed herself with her AC, the jet thrusters and devices began to warm up as Kestrel activated the main system. She walks her way toward the opening of the cave which leads to the outside. Clay and makes sure to keep his distance away from an Aero about to fly, it won’t be very pleasant standing right behind when they are about to launch. 

“Good luck with your mission!” Clay calls out to Kestrel. 

“Get back, you idiot!” Kestrel screams before launching herself into the air. In a burst of speed, Kestrel disappears along the clouds, smoke from her thruster’s afterburners trailing off. 

Clay watches in amazement as the SkyWing boosts out so far in the distance. Out from the cave opening, he saw the distant explosions and roars of battle. Ever since he was just a hatchling, watching the battlefield unfurl was a beautiful and terrifying sight to him. 

“Ah, Clay. Is Kestrel on another mission now?” Starflight asks Clay as he appears behind him. It wasn’t common for Kestrel to leave the dragonets, she was still a mercenary, occasionally leaving to deal with the biddings of corporations. 

“Yep, she didn’t tell me what kind of mission it was, though. But I hope she comes back soon; I want to train more with my AC.” Clay said.

“Well, we have a peculiar problem right now.” Starflight said, “I lost access to that bank account a few weeks ago, looks like they figured how to create a better password. But strangely enough, even when we stopped paying her, Kestrel continued to house and train us.”

“What?! Really?” Clay shouted, lashing his tail in surprise. 

“Yes, it’s true. Although I don’t know why. You should be careful Clay.” Starflight simply said, “I think you’re getting too attached to Kestrel. Honestly, if you didn’t have tribal differences, one might mistake you both for a mother and son.” 

“I’ll… take that as a compliment?” Clay hesitantly asks, scratching the scales on his neck.

“I’m just saying that we barely know her, our only reason that we’re with her is so that she could train us. Nothing more, nothing less.” Starflight sighs, “If you need me, I'll be helping everybody else with studying.” Starflight said, before leaving Clay to his own devices. 

Minutes passed while Clay waited, watching in the distance with a pair of binoculars. Hours passed, no sign of Kestel, and Clay was beginning to get tired, the sun was beginning to set. The orange horizon began to glow the same orange as the distant explosions. He took one more tired glance through his binoculars one more time, searching through the edge of the clouds for the familiar speck of marron that is Kestrel. He was surveying through the veil of grey haze, until a familiar shape entered his peripheral vision. Now suddenly aware, he brought his binoculars and caused the shape, it was Kestrel. As if a great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, Clay zoomed in eagerly, but his happiness soon turned into worry as he saw that some parts of Kestrel’s AC were severely damaged or missing. Clay’s wings twitched with worry and saw how several missiles came out of the clouds and gave chase to Kestrel. The SkyWing dances elegantly through the air, twisting her serpentine body like a leaf in the wind, but even when the missiles miss their target, they zoom back towards her. Clay witnessed the delicate tango between Kestrel and the projectiles, the way Kestrel moved in twists and turns, fluttering like a leaf in the wind, yet easily like a fish in the water. But the missiles were relentless, still chasing the Skywing. In a last-ditch effort, Kestrel then began boosting straight upward at an incredible speed. The missiles continued their chase, but Kestrel was beginning to outfly them. But to Clay’s shock, the missiles then somehow got faster with their own afterburners and then in a blink there was an explosion. Clay gasped; he felt his heart stop for a moment. Frantically, Clay searched through the clouds with his binoculars. Then he saw it, the sight of a falling kestrel, and Clay felt his heart fall just like the stuck down SkyWing. Stuck in a trance, he was only aware once again when he heard the crash on Kestel in the nearby woods. 

“Kestrel!” Clay screamed as his wings instantly flapped open and he leaped down. Clay could feel the wind blow on his face when he dived, and by opening his wings, he glided his way toward the crash site. Smashing through trees and shrubs, the only thing he could hear was his exaggerated breathing. The memories of Kestrel flashed across his eyes, 6 months of training, studying, bonding, all compressed into a second. Clay was an unstoppable force, no tree branch or any other vegetation blocked his brutish charge. He then reached the crash site, he couldn't breathe, was it because he already spent all of it running, or was it because of the sight of Kestrel’s mangled body? 

“K-Kestrel…” Clay muttered, slowly inching toward the body. The area around Kestrel was burned away, various burning parts were all over the makeshift clearing. Kestrel’s horns, left bottom leg, left wing, a portion of her tail, were obliterated and missing. There were several small, star-shaped holes on her face. Her equipment was all gone, a portion of the engine on her right wing was still attached.

“Clay… is that you…?” the voice of Kestrel groaned, and Clay instantly rushed to her side.

“K-Kestrel! Oh gods, you- you’re-” Clay stammered, putting his claws forward but retracting them, he needed to help Kestrel, he had to! But how, how, how?! “It’s- it’s going to be alright! I’ll get you back, Sunny can fix you, don’t worry, I-l-I.”

“Clay. Stop.” Kestrel moaned, taking a look at her injuries. “I’m a lost cause. It’s no use.”

“No, no, no, no, no. Don’t say that! Y-you can’t die!” Clay said between his labored breaths, slamming his talons into the burnt grass in denial. “I still have a lot to learn! I-I’m not ready to protect my friends. I need you, Kestrel, I can’t do it by myself. I’m scared.”

Clay grits his teeth, trying severely not to cry. He looked around Kestrel’s body, and around his surroundings, looking for anything to help save his mentor.

“Clay… you stupid MudWing. Listen. To me.” Kestrel groaned, Clay snapped toward Kestrel and met her eyes. They were small pools of somber acceptance. “Listen to me, well. Don’t doubt yourself. I saw you grow for the past months. How you improved. How you strive to always push yourself. You already are ready to protect your friends.” Kestrel sucked in a deep breath; blood was beginning to pool around her downed body. “I give my possessions to you. Everything I have and own is now yours to inherit. Just, whatever you do. Please. Swear to me. You and your friends will live.”

Clay looked at her eyes, with a heavy heart, he nodded.

“I’ll… I’ll do it.” Clay coughed.

“Good. Now… get out of here. Those bastards that shot me down would be coming soon.” Kestrel tries to gesture, but her talons would never move again.

“I’m sorry, I-I-I can’t leave you here! Kestrel, t-there has to be another way. I swear!” Clay frantically said to Kestrel, desperate to keep her alive for as long as possible. Tears started to pool out of his eyes and turned into steam as they dropped onto the scorched ground below.

“Don’t. Stop it. Just stop it… Don’t do this to me.” Kestrel coughed out blood, looking as teary eyed as Clay. “All of these maternal feelings. They're making a fool… out… of… me…”

“No, Kestrel! It’s going to be a-alright!” Clay took a glance up toward the mountain, where he could make out the secluded spot of the cave entrance. “I can carry you back, Sunny’s going to fix you back up! It… It’s going to be-”

But as Clay turned back toward Kestrel, he was only met with lifeless grey eyes. 

“Kestrel?” Clay asked.

There was no answer.

“K-Kestrel…?” Clay asked again.

There was his answer.

The realization hit him like a catastrophic earthquake. Clay’s face twists in anguish, his breathing catches in his throat, his mind spirals into a hurricane of despair, tears begin to flow more uncontrollably.

“No. No. No no no no. Nonononononononono! NO! STAY WITH ME!!!” Clay scrambled, scrambling toward her body and shaking her, hoping this was just her sleeping. Her once fiery warm scales were cold as the grey sky. “NO! WAKE UP! KESTREL! NO, NO! KESTREL! WAKE UP! PLEASE! NO NO NO!”

His breath hitches, Kestrel was dead. His talons grip the ground, Kestrel was dead. He wanted to deny it but he couldn't, Kestrel was dead. A moment that felt like an eternity passed over Clay. Kestrel was dead. Yes, Kestrel was dead. Clay then scrubbed the tears out his eyes, he looked toward the back unit where the generator of Kestrel’s AC resides. He tears off the broken metallic cover and he prays from the bottom of the heart if it was intact. After taking a glance, a huge sigh of relief came from Clay, the FCS and Data Drive remained intact. The FCS was a heavy rectangle shaped device twice the size of Clay’s entire talon, the Data Drive was a much smaller device, the size of Clay’s palm. If anything was worth salvaging Kestrel’s AC, it would be these two. Clay wanted to bury Kestrel or at least take her body to the rest of his friends, but the distant roar of jet thrusters soon flooded his ears. A part of Clay wanted to stay and fight them, to get revenge on what they have done to her, but he knew it would be stupid to go up against them for now. Clay gave one more solemn glance toward Kestrel’s corpse and began to fly back with the two items in his talons. Luckily, he managed to get back into a secluded hole before Kestrel’s perpetrators reached her corpse. 

When he got back and told the news to the other dragonets, it was a variety of reactions. Sunny wept, Starflight was in disbelief, Tsunami was angry, and Glory was surprisingly in denial. But they couldn’t let the death of Kestrel linger and shackle them. They have inherited her possessions and money; they will put it to good use. This was the beginning of their dirty little mercenary business. 

And so, concludes the story of a mercenary named Kestrel. A loyal SkyWing soldier who was only rewarded with misfortune. Perhaps she could finally find solace in the afterlife, where the Great Mother Abyssara would take care of Kestrel and her dead children. An unfortunate mother, to say the least, but still was able to become a mother to the Dragonets. 

Chapter 8: Dirty Workers

A loud, constant electronic beeping woke up Clay from his sleep. Heaving his heavy eyelids up, he lazily raised his talon and slapped the off button on his alarm clock. Woozy and still sleepy, Clay reluctantly scooted off the bed and stood up. After yawning for a solid minute, he then slapped himself awake with a blow to his own face. The punch forced himself awake, and shook his head to recover from the blow. 

 He begins his morning routine, which involves him drinking whatever water is still left in his little canteen, eating some moldy tasting rations, and treating any of his scars and recent wounds. After his simple and mundane morning routine, he looked at a mirror and spoke to himself. 

 “Time to get to work.” Clay’s eyes slitted.

 He walks out of his room and onto the cold hallways of the underground caves of the Goldenstone Mountain. As he walks toward the main hub, where his friends would be waiting. As he walks, he hears the familiar constant buzz of fluorescent lights and loose wiring that lit up the caves, and his claws clicking on the hard stone floor. He walks out of an opening and into a much larger cave, this is where the Dragonet Mercenaries gather and spend the most of their time. Clay saw everybody was here before him. Tsunami, whose sapphire scales were now covered with wounds and bandages, but her beautiful ferocity still remained just as strong, she was currently devouring a fish flavored ration that they have scavenged recently. Glory, her scales were in typical green and orange pattern, she was occupying herself with a pen, showing off her dexterity by twirling it in her talons. Sunny, the cinnamon roll of this group was busy producing ailments of medical cocktails, humming a little lively tune with a smile on her face. Then there was Starflight, the handler for their endeavors, he was busy on his tablet, possibly viewing Clay’s next job. As Clay enters the room, Starflight immediately notices him.

 “Well, look who decided to show up. Good morning Clay, you had a pleasant sleep I presume?” Starflight scolds him. By the looks of things, it seems that everybody has woken up before Clay.

 “I properly set up an alarm clock this time! You guys just simply wake up way earlier than me.” Clay defends himself. “It’s not my fault I just tend to sleep more than you all.”

 “Ha, that’s funny. Considering that I'm a RainWing, and we sleep a lot.” Glory teases.

 “Who cares about sleeping? There’s a lot of things you could do instead of sleeping!” Tsunami said while stuffing her face in pale tasting rations. 

 “Sleeping is essential for everybody you know. You should probably go to sleep earlier like us, Clay. You’re always staying up late, you know.” Sunny added her two scales, pointing out Clay’s lack of fatigue. 

 Clay simply shrugs at his friend's exclamations, it was his vigil to make sure that no other mercenary could find this place, despite this location being hidden from the rest of the world. He turns his way toward Starflight, ready for action.

 “Starflight, do we have any jobs today?” Clay asked the NightWing.

 “Fortunately, yes, I found a job. This one comes from a MudWing corporation, actually. Here, check the briefing everyone.” Starflight said, opening the tablet and activating the table’s holographic emitter. It then shows a screen which loads the briefing and request from their client, a rough voice comes from the screen.

 “The Dragonets. Strange name for a mercenary group, but whatever. This request comes from Swamp Bog Armaments. Now, this request concerns our SkyWing adversaries.” The screen then changes to a 3D bird’s eye view of the SkyWing mountain range. “Those SkyWings have deployed hundreds of anti-air defenses along the Claws of Clouds mountain range and are hindering our efforts to advance further into their territory.” The screen changes to a specific military base, most likely their target. “We want you to specifically destroy the Realgar Outpost, there are dozens of anti-air machine guns and SAM launchers, but your main target will be a giant radar array upon the base. That long range radar feeds data to not only the defenses of the outpost, but to a significant portion of the other anti-air emplacements, destroying it will greatly deter the SkyWing’s aerial superiority, a disadvantage our fellow MudWings will greatly capitalize on. This concludes the briefing. Do well, and you’ll get paid well. Good luck.”

 The briefing ends and the holographic screen disappears, leaving the group to discuss.

 “How much are they paying us?” Tsunami asked Starflight.

 “Since we’ll be deploying all three of you, they’ll pay us a hefty 570,000 scales. Well, that’s our gross pay, considering ammo, fuel and repair costs would deduce the total amount.” Starflight answers.

 “Sounds good to me. Glory, you handle that radar with your jamming missile launcher. Me and Tsunami will go in and destroy the targets.” Clay pointed, in which Glory and Tsunami nodded in agreement.

 “It’s settled then. We have officially accepted the job. Time to gear up, everyone.” Starflight said, and everybody then walked into the hangar. Where a mercenary’s pride and joy resided. Three, 4th generation Aero-Crafts with various offhand parts on them. Courtesy of Starflight’s ingenuity and some of the late Kestrel’s resources, they have managed to assemble decently performing Aero-Crafts. The three Aeros; Clay, Tsunami, and Glory, all began to gear up, attaching their various pieces of armor while the main craft began to lower onto their backs and wings. Clay puts on his head gear, the MW-HG-212, a heavy and durable piece of headgear with a retractable combat visor, and takes a moment to look at Glory and Tsunami’s Aero-Crafts.

Glory’s Aero-Craft; Glorybringer is a rather lightweight AC. Glory’s role in combat is to provide long range support, with Glorybringer’s lightweight frame and small SkyWing jet thrusters allowing her to quickly relocate herself. On her right shoulder is a Jammer Missile Launcher AMS-90, a giant box-like missile launcher that shoots out a single missile filled with EMS jamming particles that disrupt targeting systems and electronics, developed by the SeaWings. Since the launcher itself was significantly heavy for Glory, she left her left shoulder unarmed. For when enemies get too close, she has her S-SM-04 on her right talon, a lightweight SkyWing submachine gun. Along with the submachine gun, she has a PAOC-M406 grenade launcher for her left talon, a small 60mm grenade launcher that could fire a variety of different ordinances, to help her in her support role. 

Tsunami’s Aero-Craft on the other hand, was made specifically for combat. Dubbed: Tideturner, it features old SeaWing Aero technology. Light enough to be fast, but has enough armor to shrug off attacks. On her left shoulder is a mounted shotgun cannon, the MSGC-240-Shrapnel variant. It was a NightWing prototype weapon the dragonets managed to find on the black market, since its ammunition was never mass produced, Starflight converted the cannon to fire out heated shrapnel instead. Her right shoulder and talon units were the RFL-440T ‘Trigger’ a SeaWing assault rifle and the SG-90-LD ‘Majestic’ a SeaWing shotgun. On her left talon however was a ‘Clamshell’ Lightwave Blade, one of the very first lightwave laser blades developed by the SeaWings. They managed to find a functioning model when they occasionally scavenged for items when not on jobs, with Starflight managing to successfully salvage it. Tsunami’s brutality shows when she utilizes this blade on almost anything that looks at her the wrong way.

Both Glorybringer and Tideturner were successfully attached to their respective Aeros, the sockets were now connected to their ACs thanks to Starflight. Additionally, Sunny was busy putting in various painkillers and medical cocktails into their ACs, all they had to do was inject a dose with a simple thought of their mind. Now it was Clay’s turn, since he had the largest Aero-Craft, Starflight and Sunny spent more time on prepping his AC. He named his AC; Mudflap, and it was an extremely heavy duty and durable AC. On his left shoulder was the ‘Lilypad’ MML-3X4, a giant hexagonal modular missile launcher developed by the MudWings that fires out three salvos of 4 missiles before having to reload. On his Right shoulder was a NG-180 CDC, a 180mm coastal defense cannon developed by MudWing Maritime Defenses (MMD), a MudWing corporation that specializes in creating coastal defenses, and really huge cannons. For his right talon weapon was the ‘Tail-biter’ ASG-45, an automatic shotgun that fires shells in a specialized choke, capable of punching a decently sized hole on any soft material and able to chip away heavier armor as well. His left talon weapon was simply a metal retractable ballistic shield made by Starflight himself. Lightweight, can block most calibers, has some resistance to explosives. Along with shifting parts to make the shield expand, and the ability easily switch our worn down parts of it. Makes it a very reliable shield for Clay. 

Clay could feel the weight of Mudflap on his back and wings as it was lowered and attached onto him. Starflight then grabs the plugs and connects them into the sockets on Clay’s neck. Clay grunted awkwardly as the feeling of his nerves connecting to the systems of Mudflap washed over his body, but after a moment, it felt like the AC was always a part of the MudWing’s body since hatching. Sunny also put her cocktails into the AC, since Clay was significantly bigger than his friends, Sunny made sure to add more of her medical solutions to accommodate Clay's size.

“All set, begin system startup sequence.” Starflight ordered, and Clay mentally activated Mudflap’s generator. Everything within the AC began to whir to life, the familiar rumble and hum of the engine shakes Clay’s back slightly. Clay then mentally lowers a visor to check the system diagnostics, a transparent HUD screen shows that all of the systems were good and ready for combat.

“All systems check good. Ready to sortie.” Clay announces, along with Tsunami and Glory announcing the same thing. The hangar was now filled with the startup humming of three Aero-Crafts. Starflight and Sunny then left the hangar, with Sunny smiling and mouthing a ‘Good luck!’ to Clay. The hangar’s door that led to the outside began to open, with Tsunami in the lead, she began to warm up the thrusters on her wings. A jet blast fence that was installed in the floor of the cave then springs open, protecting Clay and Glory from being blasted with exhaust from Tsunami. Within a single moment, Tsunami activated her thrusters and flew out of the hangar. The jet blast fence lowers again, it is now Glory’s turn.

“See you on the other side, Clay.” Glory comforted before lowering her headgear visor. “Try not to die out there.” 

“I won’t.” Clay sternly said, before the blast fence raised once more and Glory boosts away. 

Now it was Clay’s turn, the jet blast fence lowers once more and Clay walks over to the launch spot. He saw the various blast marks littered all over the floor, Clay remembers the various jobs that he and Tsunami and Glory sortied on, the tens of lives that he took on those jobs, this will be no different. Clay didn’t care about killing, he knows what he’s doing is horrible, he knows that he should probably avoid killing anybody. But in all honesty, one dead dragon is one less dragon in the world that could harm his friends. Clay lowers his flight visor, and activates the giant jet thrusters on his wings. In the span of a second, Clay could feel himself boosting out of the cave and into the air, he stabilizes himself and receives the coordinates that Starflight sent him, the location of their target.

“Time to get to work.” Clay said to himself once more.

***

“Main system: activating Combat Mode.”

 The artificial voice on Clay’s AC said as he landed near Tsunami on a nearby ledge, overlooking the Realgar Outpost, the most notable thing was the gigantic rectangle shaped radar array on the leftmost side of the outpost. He also saw various towers and emplacements along the slopes of the base.

“Is Glory already in position?” Clay asks Starflight in his comms.

“Yes, any second now. Once her jamming missile hits that radar, you need to hit the base hard. Remember that our targets are the anti-air emplacements and the radar, but eliminate any soldiers if they become an obstacle.” 

“Roger that,” Tsunami acknowledges, smiling eagerly.

“That radar… It looks like a decapitation machine more than anything else.” Clay comments, something about that humongous rectangle shaped radar looked ugly to him.

“Thankfully we don’t have to look at it any longer when you blow it up!” Tsunami proclaimed.

Then, Clay saw it, at the edge of his vision, a single missile came out from a nearby forest and it struck the radar. There was a loud bang, and thousands of silver, sparkling EMS jamming particles littered the radar. The reaction was immediate.

“Huh?! The radar, it’s being jammed!” Clay heard a SkyWing soldier in their comms, Starflight must have connected them to theirs.

“We’re under attack! Prepare for battle!” Another SkyWing soldier screams, as alarms begin sounding all over the outpost.

“Here’s our chance! Let’s go, Tsunami!” Clay shouted before he activated his thrusters and jumped into the sky.

“Don't have to tell me twice!” Tsunami smirked as she trailed behind Clay.

Clay was at the vanguard at every sortie, his large bulk and size makes him a more significant target. But combined with the defenses of his natural body and AC, he would be extremely hard to take down. Within a few seconds, Clay has reached the edge of the outpost

“Who’s attacking us? The MudWings?!” A SkyWing soldier yells.

“No… a Muddie and a Whaler from the South! Most likely independent mercenaries!” Another SkyWing soldier screams.

“Mercenary dogs! Kill them!” A SkyWing soldier orders, especially angry, but most SkyWings are typically angry anyway.

The general view and reputation of mercenaries was not a good one, instead of fighting loyally for one’s own tribe, they rather take orders from even other tribes for a quick buck. But one thing is undeniable about Mercenaries, they are a useful asset and it's a very lucrative job.

Clay looked at the first anti-air emplacements, they were twin barrel CIWS systems, possibly automated by the data from that radar. But now with the radar being jammed, those CIWS were now struggling to target the two Aeros. Clay primed his missile launcher and when three targets were locked on, he fired. A multitude of missiles were fired from his right shoulder and they all struck their targets true, destroying them in a beautiful explosion.

“Confirmed. Anti-air emplacements have been destroyed. Keep it up.” Starflight spoke in Clay’s ear. 

Clay turned his body with a quick boost from one of his thrusters, and he saw a talonful of SkyWing soldiers flying in the air with assault rifles and shields. 

“You’re gonna die here, Muddie!” A SkyWing soldier screams as he opens fire.

Clay raises his shield and immediately blocks the projectiles, the bullets harmlessly bouncing off the slab of metal. He returns fire on the SkyWings with his shotgun, the pellets shredded cleanly through any SkyWings who couldn’t dodge in time. Suddenly, from the edge of his vision, a SkyWing rammed into the side of Clay and threw him off. The SkyWing soldier had a small, rotary cannon attached to her right talon and aimed at the MudWing.

“A Pseudo-Aero.” Clay thought. Pseudo-Aeros were simply regular soldiers equipped with better armor and some Aero-grade weaponry but not the jet thrusters they would get on a typical Aero-Craft.

Clay quickly recovered, just before the SkyWing opened fire on Clay. He was still faster than the SkyWing, and flew around the SkyWing as she was firing on him. The horrible strafing sound of thousands of flying bullets pierced Clay’s ears. Clay then twists his body in the air and fires a volley of missiles at her. The SkyWing soldier’s eyes widened, she screamed as the explosions engulfed her and her burnt body fell onto the ground. 

“Another one dead.” Clay grimly thought. How many dragons has he killed? Tens? How about hundreds? At least Tsunami keeps track of her kills, by tattooing marks on her tail. Clay doesn't understand that idea of keeping track of your killings, but in all honesty, Tsunami a completely different dragon when it comes to battling.

Clay took a glimpse of Tsunami from a distance not far from his position. She had a wicked grin on her face as she tore through the SkyWing defenses. She switched her assault rifle with a shotgun in quick succession and fired at a SAM Launcher, the impact from the shotgun was powerful enough to destroy the payload within, causing it to explode. Two SkyWing soldiers tried to intercept her, only for Tsunami to ignite her laser blade in the blink of an eye and slashed both soldiers in half before they had any time to react. The soldier’s horrified expressions forever frozen as their blood was sprayed across the floor. Tsunami then quickly boosts into the air to destroy even more of the anti-air emplacements, all while slaughtering any SkyWing soldiers that dared get in her way. 

“That Whaler is tearing us apart, someone stop her!!!” A SkyWing soldier screams.

“We’re no match for Aeros! We need reinforcements!” Another SkyWing soldier screamed desperately.

“There goes Tsunami again, slaughtering the rest of the soldiers like sheep.” Clay heard Glory berate in his comms.

“Glory, are you alright?” Clay asks, just before a warning alarm causes him to boost out of the way instinctively, a rocket almost hits him where he stood.

“Woah, that was a close one.” Glory said to Clay, so she is watching from somewhere. “Looks like it's a bit too hot down there for me, I’ll leave it to you to clean it up a bit.”

“Gladly,” Clay mutters. Returning fire on the SkyWing who shot him, with one well aimed shot from his shotgun, the SkyWing’s head blew into a burst of crimson, blood and red scales mixing together in the air. Clay then boosts into the air, his thrusters taking a slight moment to properly lift Clay off the ground, he then surveys the area for any more Anti-Air emplacements. He saw another CIWS, and boosted his way toward destroying it, but he had to immediately dive downwards when it started firing at him. Clay narrowed his eyes as he started to lock on the CIWS and fired a volley of missiles, said missiles easily flew toward their target and destroyed it.

“Starflight! I thought the Anti-Air systems wouldn’t work without the radar!” Clay screamed into the comms.

“That’s true. But the SkyWing soldiers might manually control the emplacements.” Starflight explains, “Keep your guard up, both you and Tsunami are making good progress.”

Clay once more boosts into the air to find more targets, as he flies around however, a warning alarm suddenly appears on his screen.

“Warning! Enemy lock on!” The system said to Clay, the MudWing only had a split second for him to twist his body and dodge a homing missile. He turns around to see a group of SkyWing soldiers, two had assault rifles on them, one had a rather large missile launcher and another was a Pseudo-Aero with dual missile launchers attached to his shoulders. With a grunt, Clay then lowered the cannon on his right shoulder and aimed it at the group. The SkyWing’s eyes widened for a split second, and with a loud bang and a flash, an enormous explosion envelops the group. Nobody has ever survived a shot from Clay’s cannon. The explosion caused a significant amount of smoke and dirt into the air, but as Clay was about to leave. He got another warning alarm and suddenly felt something slam into his back.

Well, looks like someone did survive the explosion. It was the Pseudo-Aero, one of his shoulder mounted missile launchers was missing but he also had a SkyWing assault rifle on him. The SkyWing also had his face disfigured and portions of his scales and skin were burnt off. The SkyWing fired at Clay with the rifle without hesitation, Clay took a few shots before he blocked the rest with his shield. Clay hissed in pain as a bullet managed to pierce his armor and into his flesh. He mentally injected one of Sunny’s homemade painkillers into him, causing the pain to subside. Clay then charges forward, raising his shotgun and firing a few shots at the SkyWing. The Pseudo-Aero dodge them and fly straight at Clay, tackling him. Clay grunts once more as the SkyWing begins clawing at Clay. Clay looks up to see an expression of malice and rage etched deep into the face of the SkyWing.

“You’re going to die here, you damn mercenary DOG!!!” The Pseudo-Aero declares as he grabs onto his shoulder mounted missile launcher and aims it at Clay. Clay pushed him with a kick, causing him the SkyWing to miss. Clay boosts into the air and fires a volley of missiles at the SkyWing. The Pseudo-Aero on the other hand managed to dodge most of the missiles, but one of them struck his wing, the explosion blowing it off and flopped on the floor. The SkyWing soldier screamed in pain, but that scream was replaced with rage as he opened fire with both his assault rifle and shoulder mounted missile launcher from the ground. Clay had blocked most of the incoming rounds, but just as the missile was about to hit him, it split mid air into several smaller missiles. Clay was caught off guard by this and tried to dodge the missiles, but some of them had stuck him. 

Clay grits his teeth, the explosion has caused his ears to ring and his perception of the world begins to grow foggy. He took a deep breath and exhaled, he counted which of his organs were still functioning.

“Heart. Lungs. Liver. Brain. Nerves.” All good.

Clay then boosted straight toward the SkyWing, ignoring all of the pain and crashing into him. The SkyWing tries to push back against Clay with a hiss, then breathing fire straight onto him. Clay ignored all of the burning pain, he tightened his grip on his shotgun and silently prayed.

“Kestrel. Give me your strength.”

Clay then raised his shotgun and slammed it straight into the side of the SkyWing’s body, he then let out every single round that was left in the magazine. Clay felt the blood of the SkyWing spray onto him with every gunshot, shot after shot, the SkyWings blood was flowing out like a river. Scales, flesh and entrails were spewn across the floor as Clay continued to fire every round. Once the clip was empty with a hollow click, Clay stops and heaves the SkyWing off of him, the SkyWing’s body falling onto the floor like a sack.

Clay removes the empty magazine and replaces it with a fresh new one. He looked at his talons and they were almost as red as a SkyWings. In fact, most of his body was now covered in bright, red Skywing blood. Clay looks down on the SkyWing Pseudo-Aero and realizes that he is still alive.

“I’ll…. gurgle… Kill… you! I… swear…! I’ll… gurgle! Damn… y-you!” The SkyWing barfed out blood from his mouth, his now white teeth were now reddened by his own blood. Clay then aims his shotgun at the SkyWing soldier and finishes him off with one trigger pull. Clay could feel the burning sensation on his scales starting to fade. He silently muttered his gratitude to whoever deity who was responsible for giving Clay fireproof scales. He looks into the sky for a moment, contemplating his actions. He was a blood-covered warmonger, made to fight in war he had no interest in. A kill granted was a few Scales granted. Clay didn’t need to linger on such thoughts though, if he was paid to kill, then he would kill. His friends needed the money. So Clay activated his thrusters once more and boosted into the air, he surveyed the mountain and saw the destruction the dragonets have caused. Pillars of horrid grey smoke floated from raging fires of destroyed emplacements. Corpses and splashes of red covered the outpost. Blast marks and rubble desecrated the natural beauty of this mountain. 

“Hey Clay. This is Starflight, while you were busy doing something, Tsunami destroyed all the Anti-Air emplacements before you.” Starlfight spoke once more in the comms. With the main targets destroyed, there was only one more.

“Well, what do you want me to do? Give her a medal?” Clay spoke back sarcastically as he flew toward the enormous radar array on the outpost.

“No. I’m just saying you should pull your weight, Clay.” Starflight barked back.

“Fine then.” Clay turned around and aimed his cannon at the base of the giant radar. “Is Tsunami in the clear?” 

“She’s clear.”

That was all Clay needed to hear, with another loud blast, a shell the size of a dragonet’s head flew across the air and struck the radar in an enormous explosion. The creaking of bending metal graced Clay’ ears. The radar began to tilt, and then the base snapped, the radar then crashed onto the outpost, crushing a building in the process.

“Confirmed, the radar is destroyed. Mission accomplished.” Starflight announces, causing Clay to slacken a little bit. It was over, another job done. Clay then flew toward a nearby cliff and landed there, it was a view overlooking the outpost.

“Hey Clay! You should cover your ears for this one.” Clay heard the voice of Tsunami behind him, he turned his head to see Tsunami landing beside him. She was also covered in blood, her sapphire blue scales being visible among the gaps of red blood.

“Why? What’s going to-” A loud and great explosion caused Clay to wince, he turned around to see the outpost bursting into flames. 

“There was armoury in there, filled with SkyWing ordinances. I wasn’t going to blow it up, but that radar cashing on them sure did.” Tsunami grinned, looking at the raging fire with gleeful eyes.

“Dear Pyraskar… what did you do, Tsunami?” Glory interjected behind them, she uncloaked herself and surprised Clay.

“Nothing, just killed a few Redhorns. That’s all.” Tsunami simply stated.

“Enough, let’s go home. We're done here.” Clay said, flying into the air with his thrusters.

“Yes. and immediately take a bath, the both of you. One might mistake you guys for SkyWings with all the blood on you.” Glory advises.

“Nope, I took a few bullets myself, and I need Sunny to pick them out.” Tsunami said as she flew into the sky, boosting right before Clay.

“Same here,” Clay said.

The Dragonets then flew away from the burning outpost, completing their mission and getting paid a healthy amount for the blood on their talons. But just as they were leaving, a SkyWing soldier spoke his last words to the mercenaries. 

“Damn you mercenary dogs! You just sold your souls!” A SkyWing soldier angrily spat out, static was also heard as the SkyWing spoke, most likely the device he was using to communicate to them was failing. “An attack like this… our Queen will have your heads for this…! Mark my words… No one… escapes… her majesty-!” The comms line cut out as another explosion was heard from the outpost.

***

 Clay was the first one to arrive back to the cave, he started to slow down as he recalled how to land with an Aero-Craft. Wings out, at an angle. Claws outstretched. Point your tail straight… And he then successfully lands inside of the cave. He turned off his thrusters and the generator, the various systems were now turned off. He then walked toward the hangar as Tsunami and glory began landing inside as well. But as he walked, he felt the stinging pain of bullets lodged into his scales. The adrenaline and painkillers have worn off, and Clay realized that he had multiple injuries that needed to be tended.

 “Guess my armor wasn’t able to hold up it seems,” Clay muttered to himself. A 4th generation Aero-Craft was a relic, old tech, should be in a museum. The Aero-Crafts out there are 8th generation, but there were rumors that 9th generation Aero-Crafts were in development. Compared to the ACs the Dragonets had? They stood no chance. Starflight tried to pick jobs that had no Aeros as the target or the least chance of encountering one. But sooner or later, they would probably have to face one some day.

 Clay reached the spot where he would disband with his AC, Starlfight was already there, ready for the procedure. The giant clamp lowered onto Clay’s AC and slightly lifted it off his back, Starflight then disconnected the connection cables with his neck. Clay shivers as he was disconnected with his AC, it was always bizarre to him, like some part of his body was stripped off of him in one painless motion. He also then removed the other pieces of his armor, and finally his headgear, setting them aside properly. 

 “Welcome back, Clay.” Starflight nodded at Clay and gave him a faint smile.

 “Glad to be back, Starflight.” Clay smiled back. Starflight always cared for them whenever they went out on missions. Starflight would be angry if they came back with more injuries, and more happy when they came back with less or even none. Thankfully, there were only a few cuts, bruises, and lodged bullets for Clay’s injuries, typical injuries and Aero might have on a mission.

 “You should get checked up by Sunny, she’s in the infirmary right now. Don’t keep her waiting, I’ll handle the others.” Starflight pointed toward Tsunami and Glory.

 Clay nodded in acknowledgement, he carefully walked toward the infirmary, where Sunny was waiting patiently, reading a scroll. The infirmary was a rather small cave designed to be like a hospital. This cave had a small river running through it, which allowed fresh water to be used on the patients. There was an operating table befit for the size of a dragon, and on one corner of the cave, there were various medical tools and devices Sunny would potentially use. Sunny then took a look at Clay and her face brightened.

 “You're back! Thank goodness!” Sunny closed the scroll and grabbed her leather satchel, she ran toward Clay and began inspecting him, paying no attention to being covered in blood.

 “4 cuts… a bruise on the back… some shrapnel on your chest, 5 bullet wounds, 3 of them where the bullet is lodged in.” Sunny deduces, through years of practice and instinct, she doesn't need an X-ray to figure out what’s wrong inside Clay’s body.

 “Well, let’s get them out, shall we?” Clay smiled, knowing that he was in good talons.

 “You can count on me!” Sunny smiled, whenever she smiled, it was as if the whole world was a warm and smothering paradise. Clay was led to the operating table and he laid on it, grunting in pain as he did. Sunny then got to work, she grabbed a bucket of cold mountain water and splashed it on Clay, washing off someone with the SkyWing blood on him. Sunny opened her satchel to grab a roll of bandages, she then quickly and almost seamlessly wrapped any major cuts or bleeding wounds. For the lodged bullets however, she grabbed a pair of dragon scale cutters and forceps. Clay then felt the logged bullets in his body as Sunny patted him, one was lodged into his right shoulder, another on his right arm, and the third was actually in his chest. Sunny then used the scale cutters to cut a small opening from Clay’s brown scales, leading to his skin. Sunny grabbed his forceps and jammed them into the wound, and in one quick motion she grabbed the bullet and pulled it out. The bloodied and crumpled piece of metal was put onto a stainless steel bowl. Sunny then treated the bleeding and moved onto the next bullet, which she also easily removed. Clay only felt some minor discomfort as bullets were being pulled out of his body, but he didn’t complain though, Sunny needed concentration. It was funny, in a way, that their most cheerful member was also the bloodiest. Her claws would always be covered in blood, and it wouldn't nerve her in the slightest. Whenever there was some serious injury, she could be caked head to toe in it, like that one time a bullet managed to pierce Tsunami's gills. She couldn;t breathe with the bullet lodged in, so after the mission they were one, Tsunami was instantly put into the infirmary and Sunny treated her with near perfection, although her entire face was covered in blood by the end of it. 

 “Alright, lay on your back please!” Sunny smiled, and Clay happily obliged. He eased his breathing as Sunny inspected his body once more. She then got to work on the last bullet. Thankfully it hadn't pierced anything critical, as Clay’s armor greatly reduced its impact. Sunny found the bullet with just her eyes and a bit of prodding, she then grabbed her scale cutters and cut an opening, jabbed her forceps in the wound and pulled it out seamlessly. Sunny’s technique was always uncanny, so smooth and strong for a dragon of her age and size. Sunny also removed any pieces of metal that were on Clay and then treated the bleeding. As she was doing that, Clay noticed something reflective dangling on her ear.

“Hey Sunny, is that a new earring?” Clay asked.

 Sunny smiled in response. “Yep! Starflight made it for me! Look at it, isn't it so pretty? Starflight is really good at making these!” Sunny showcased the earring to Clay, it was a tiny sapphire jewel in the shape of a star with gold chains, attached to her right ear. Clay snorted at himself. He knew that Starflight was blindly in love with the lovely SandWing, but he doesn’t have the guts to tell her. So instead he just makes various jewelry and trinkets for her. Clay also helped Starflight when he wanted to forge Sunny a tiny gold earring, it took them lots of trial and error and a lot of burnt claws, but they finally got it. It was Sunny’s first earring, and she was overjoyed. Sunny wasn’t the kind of dragon to obsess over her appearance, but this handcrafted piece of jewelry was something special to her. Another example would be that metallic model of a flying dragon that actually flaps its wings, Starlfight crafted it for Sunny for the Dragonets’ hatching day, now that one was impressive as well.

 “All finished!” Sunny announced as she finished treating Clay’s wounds. Clay stood up and flexed his arms and muscles, everything was working as intended. 

“Thanks again Sunny,” Clay thanked the SandWing as she washed her talons in the river. 

“No problem, be sure to tell whoever’s next to come in!” Sunny returned.

Clay exited the infirmary and saw Tsunami waiting next to the door. She was still covered in blood, hers and her enemies. She stared at her blood soaked talons with a disturbingly curious expression.

“You alright, Tsunami?” Clay asks, snapping the SeaWing out her trance.

“Huh? What?” Tsunami looks around and spots Clay. “Oh, Clay. It’s nothing, I’m alright.”

“You sure? Okay then, Sunny’s waiting for you. Get in there.” Clay gestures, and Tsunami nodded.

“Hey, just wanted to say that you did a good job out there,” Tsunami comments. “Even though I did most of the work.”

“That’s bullshit, I’m the one who took down the radar,” Clay playfully refuted. 

“True, but none of you ever jammed it in the first place, so you don’t fly around looking like minced meat already.” Glory suddenly interrupted the two, uncloaking her scales and surprising both of them.

“Jeez! I hate it when you do that!” Tsunami yelled at Glory, the latter rolled her eyes at her.

“How about you pay attention more often, use those two eyes that the Gods gave you?” Glory asked sarcastically. 

“Stop arguing you two. Tsunami, get checked up by Sunny. And Glory, stop teasing Tsunami,” Clay broke in, standing between the two.

“Good idea. Let’s listen to our wise and banged up leader!” Glory agreed, but then looked at Tsunami in the eyes with a manipulative look. “All of those bandages on him are an injury he took instead of you, Tsunami.”

Tsunami gave one scowl at Glory before leaving toward the infirmary. Clay took a glance at Tsunami before she left, and she had an expression of frustration and guilt on her.

“Why’d you have to do that?” Clay asked Glory when Tsunami was out of earshot.

“Do what?” Glory asked, her scales turning an acid green to feign disbelief.

“Whatever you just said to her! You and your way with words!” Clay exclaimed, as he doesn't quite understand what’s happening between the two dragonesses.

“Oh, you wouldn’t understand. You should stay like the dense block of Clay we all know and love.” Glory swept her tail across the floor, before starting to walk away. “I’m going to take a nap, hauling that damn AC is a killer on my back anyway. Wake me up when someone is trying to kill us.”

Clay sighed in defeat, the RainWing always took a nap when a mission was over, not that it bothered Clay. In fact, he was amazed by how the RainWing could sleep after experiencing something disturbing like killing dragons and destroying an entire military base, although she had no direct involvement in it. Glory has killed dragons before, but she didn’t have her kill-count as high as Clay, or even Tsunami’s. Clay simply huddled back into the hangar, where Starflight was beginning repairs on the trio’s ACs. Clay would always help Starflight in his work, especially when it came to repairing the ACs. Clay would do the heavy lifting, and Starlfight did all the work that Clay’s stubby talons couldn’t do. They were the perfect bro-duo. As Starflight once said, “I’m the brains, and you’re the brawn, Clay. We need each other to survive.” 

***

 Tsunami bit hard on her teeth as she felt the pain of a bullet leaving her skin. Sunny then put the painful piece of bloody metal on a stainless steel bowl. Tsunami hated getting hurt, it was painful, and annoying. Especially when she remembered that time where she got shot in her gills. Her gills were like a second pair of nostrils for her, so when they were getting clogged up by her own blood, it was hard to breathe, it was like shards of shrapnel hitting her lungs when she tried to expand her gills. It was especially excruciating when a piece of lead was lodged in there, when her gills moved, the bullet moved, causing more bleeding and pain. She survived anyway, all thanks to Clay escorting her back to base and to the infirmary. Some of her gills were now permanently scarred after her treatment and Sunny said that it might cause some difficulties swimming in water. But it was alright, when she swam in the river outside one day when she snuck out, she was breathing alright, although not as freely as she once could. After that incident, Clay made a promise to her, a promise that Tsunami would never get seriously hurt like that ever again.

That promise pained her unlike anything else.

 She hated it when Clay took the vanguard of every sortie, ensuring that he was the one to get hit first when shit hits the fan. When Tsunami was outnumbered, Clay would always swoop in and help her, with him gaining more injuries as a result. Whenever she saw Clay with a gunshot wound, it was as if a gunshot wound of guilt had struck her heart as well. She hated it when Clay had to help her out with something when he was recovering. She hated it when Clay sacrificed his own comfort for hers. She hated it when Clay said that he was ‘alright,’ even though his body was now covered in wounds and scars of former sorties. Tsunami saw Clay as the enormous, unbreakable wall that protected her from the outside world. Ever since that day when she hatched, when she saw the horrors of the world, she could never shake off the horrifying feeling of dread that was etched deep into her scales. But it wasn’t until young Clay showed up and rescued her from that deep abyss that she was trapped in. She owes Clay her life, she wanted to return the favor wholeheartedly. Fighting beside him, taking care of one another in the wilderness, she and Clay were essentially best friends. 

“All of those bandages on him are an injury he took instead of you, Tsunami.”

 Tsunami angrily hissed at Glory’s remark, the RainWing was always a bitch, but she was especially being annoying today. What did she do? Nothing but fire a single missile at a radar, she didn’t kill anybody, she didn’t destroy anything. Tsunami would sometimes wonder why Clay had to bother with his kindness on a RainWing, she was probably sleeping right now, like always when a mission was over.

 “Are you okay, Tsunami? I’m not pulling anything too hard, am I?” Sunny asks Tsunami, getting the SeaWing out of her thoughts. 

 “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m alright. Just… keep going, get it over with.” Tsunami said, with Sunny smiling as a response. She was about to pull another bullet out, and Tsunami gritted her teeth again. After Tsunami was successfully treated, she thanked Sunny and walked to her cave. She saw in the hangar along the way, Clay and Starflight working together to repair the ACs. Clay was single handedly lifting his AC’s cannon without any help, all while Starflight worked on some wiring. Tsunami smiled, but she quickly turned around and walked into her cave. The personal caves that each member of the Dragonets each had their unique quirks. Clay had the most simplest one, it had a large rock tha Clay would use to weightlift. Starlight's cave was much bigger, full of scarp, nick nacks, books and scrolls, and all sorts of useful objects. Glory was the more colorful one, it had some potted plants that she managed to find outside, along with the hammock that she would sleep in. Sunny was the cleanest and nicest one, it had ordered rows of medical supplies and tools. Tsunami’s cave on the other hand was the messiest one, rocks, dirt and fish bones littered her room, along with souvenirs that she picked up from their black market visits, pieces of gold, interesting looking pieces of scrap, etc. But her most prized possession was a knife she found on a sortie, it was a whaling knife, used to cut up the blubber of whales. 

 Tsunami grabbed the knife and looked at her reflection in the blade. She never saw herself in a clear picture. She was covered in blood, her enemies and her own. Mixing together in a vortex of crimson blood, dripping and dripping, into an endless abyss that soon formed an ocean of red. The ocean was filled with SkyWings, SkyWings in whom she had killed.

 216. She shot a SkyWing three times before he succumbed to his wounds.

 217. This one took two shots, before he fell down the side of a cliff.

 218. This one took a direct blow with Tsunami’s shotgun, losing her arm in the process.

 219. A shotgun shot to the head, immediately killing him.

 220. A Pseudo-Aero. The heated shrapnel from her shoulder mounted shotgun cannon turned him into a screaming and bleeding mess before she finished him off with a shot from her assault rifle.

 221 and 222. She slashed both of them in half with her lightwave blade.

 223. She shot his wings before the SkyWing committed suicide by shooting himself. Tsunami credited herself with his death.

 224, 225, 226, and 227. Tsunami slaughtered this group with her lightwave blade and shotgun. They never stood a chance.

 228. This one got the jump on her, but Tsunami shot 4 rounds directly into his throat. He died choking on his own blood.

 229 and 230. Both of them got caught in a blast by her shotgun cannon, tearing their wings and causing them to fall to their deaths.

 231. She bludgeoned this SkyWing with her own tail, slamming his head into a wall.

 232 and 233. She slashed one’s neck open with her blade and the other with a shotgun blast.

 234. She shot this one mid-air, causing him to fall to his death. 

 235. She slashed her twice with her blade, creating an x on her chest.

 236. Her final kill, a shotgun shot to his stomach, his intestines were strewn across the floor.

 Tsunami etched the kills on her tail. For each kill was a tiny mark on her tail. She didn’t care about the pain or trickle of blood that came with every kill. Nobody knew why Tsunami did this, but they didn't exactly want to know either, although Sunny heavily encouraged her to stop. Tsunami did not care. She had a wicked and pained smile as she dragged her knife along her scales, piercing her scales, then her skin, letting blood to stain the blade. After she was down putting her marks on her tail, she looked at her knife that was covered in her own blood, she then licked it off the blade. After sheathing her blade, she smiled to herself. 21 kills. 21 lives ended. 21 SkyWings whose mothers now weep for them. 21 sent to the furnace of gnashing teeth. 21 children sent to the care of the Great Mother Abyssarra, the Goddess of Death.

It wasn’t enough.

More.

I want more.

 Tsunami gasped to herself, realizing she was in her room, and not in that horrid sea of blood. It has spoken to her again, it would seem. Tsunami saw the fresh marks on her tail and looked at them in half-disgust, and half-pride. She didn’t understand why was she like this, she wanted to talk to Clay or Sunny about it, but what would they think of her if she did? Some blood-thirsty murderer who got her kicks brutally killing other dragons? Tsunami simply sighed in defeat. She would have to be better than that thing. If she wanted to be helpful and repay Clay's kindness, she would have to be even stronger.

///

Destroy the Realgar Outpost

Mission Status: Complete

Client: Swamp Bog Armaments

Reward: 570,000 Scales

Message from client: I’m surprised that you took down the Realgar Outpost so quickly. But what was I expecting? Three Aeros to attack a barely maintained outpost. The results were obvious. You also went above and beyond, I heard that a good majority of the personnel in the outpost were killed. I honestly didn’t think some low-ranking mercenaries could complete such a task, but after seeing the results, I believe that you folks shall do very well in the biz. Anyway, good work. Here’s your payment. 

Calculating Expenses…

Deducting…

Total Pay: 492,884

 

Notes:

The first mission out of many. And plenty of dragons have already died, this will not be the last time. Hope the fight scene was decently written.

You could see that the personalties of our protaganists have changed dramatically from their WoF counterparts. Every character is gonna be different, in one way or another.

And to answer the question that nobody asked... what's with the pay? Well, the job itself is 190,000. since it's 3 individuals hired for this job, that's 3 times the pay. 570,000. Clay and Tsunami are the only ones who expended ammo and took damage. But Glory barely did anything, so a good chunk of the profits are there. But Glory will see some action soon, in the next chapter.

Chapter 9: Checkpoint

“Got a job for you Clay,” Starflight announces, distracting Clay from his previous task.

“Huh? Already? We got another one?” Clay asked, surprised to gain another job so soon. It has been a whole week since their job on destroying the Realgar Outpost in the Sky Queendom. Clay was busy recovering from his wounds and repairing the ACs, not that they took much damage during their last sortie. 

“Yes. Surprising, isn’t it? It seems like your actions in taking down the Realgar Outpost made a pretty good impression within the mercenary community.” Starflight said as he tapped a few buttons on his tablet. “Tsunami and Glory are waiting for you. Let’s get going here.”

“Got it,” Clay nodded. While he walked toward the meeting cave, he was still surprised that people have taken a liking to them. He always thought they would be shunned by everybody else, except for their clients, for being mercenaries. But maybe it’s not like Clay thinks it is. Their so-called ‘good’ reputation might be because they are reliable mercenaries who can't get the job done, instead of being respected for taking down a heavily fortified military base. But mercenaries shouldn’t bother their precious thoughts with stupid stuff like this. Linger on the past and that would get you killed in the present.

Clay now meets the rest of his friends in the main hub with Starflight, the girls were already there. Glory has fallen asleep, while Tsunami and Sunny were teasing the sleeping RainWing. Sunny grabs a pen and draws a mustache on Glory’s snout, eliciting a few snickers from Tsunami. 

“Hey, what are you two doing?” Starflight asks, causing the two to stop laughing. Starflight’s voice also made Glory wake up, although she was oblivious to the drawn mustache on her snout.

“Great. You messed up our fun, Starflight.” Tsunami hissed. When Glory saw Sunny laughing at her, she soon realized that there was something on her face, and quickly wiped it away, her frills turning a shade of pink as a result.

“We all are Mercenaries; we don’t exactly have ‘fun.’” Starflight berates. “Enough talking about that. We got bigger fish to fry. This job I got should be pretty easy and very lucrative.”

“What’s our client? The MudWings again?” Glory yawned, still tired from being interrupted from her little power nap.

“No. This is from Fulmar Industries actually. A very prominent SeaWing weapons manufacturer,” Starflight said, getting Tsunami’s attention. “They actually sent this request directly to us. It seems like we got a very noticeable rep now.”

“Well, what do they want us to do? Destroy a MudWing coastal base? Annihilate an IceWing patrol?” Tsunami smiled toothily, eager to kill someone.

“Cool your jets. This is what the briefing is for.” Starflight tapped on his tablet and the hologram emitter on the table sprang to life once more. It showed the logo of their client, Fulmar Industries.

“Well, well, The Dragonets, right?” A savvy, female voice spoke out from the briefing. “So, the rumors were true, a ragtag band of mercenaries with an astonishing mission success rate. I heard that the MudWings were conquering more SkyWing territory now thanks to your actions, so I had to see it for myself. But as much as I want to talk about you folks, we are on business I suppose.” The hologram then changes to footage of a squadron of SeaWing soldiers. “A few days ago, a squadron of our soldiers attempted to conduct a survey on the Lodestar. I needed more data from the Lodestar to develop some top-secret-top-of-the-line SeaWing weapons.” The screen then changes to a picture of a few IceWings in some unique armor. “But the squadron got ambushed by the Wardens, a military branch of the IceWings responsible for guarding the Northern border of the Ice Queendom. Unfortunately, the squadron was annihilated, so I want you to go to their last known location and retrieve the data that we lost. You’ll be rewarded on the content of the data you retrieve. Get it? Got it? Then go.” The SeaWing hesitates before adding; “Oh, and whatever you do, don't die. I hate to have some unique individuals such as yourselves die in this boring war.”

The hologram dissipates and the Dragonets are left with their thoughts. 

“That’s it?” Tsunami said boringly, “Data retrieval? No killing?” 

“Well, this is actually surprising. But it doesn't matter. A job like this has the potential to pay us a lot.” Starflight said.

“It will be alright, Tsunami! It’d be like scavenging.” Clay assures, recalling the many times that he and his friends would sneak onto the aftermaths of a battlefield to scavenge whatever valuable items are parts that resided. 

“Eh, I guess so… let’s go and leave then the sooner we get this done, the better.” Tsunami flexed her wings and flicked her tail. “Then we could spend the money on some fun stuff at the black market, it’ll be my treat with Sunny.”

“Really?! Oh! I wonder what kind of medical tools I could buy. Maybe some more tourniquets?” Sunny brightened. 

“Guess it’s decided then. Let’s go make some money.” Glory stretches her body as she stands up. Her scales turned into shades of rippling blue, a relaxed color.

The trio have already made their way toward the hangar, where they are already suiting up, Tsunami with Tideturner , Glory with Glorybringer , and Clay with Mudflap . As always, Starflight and Sunny were there to assist in the suit up process as well. Before Clay knew it, he was already up in the air, flying at a relatively low altitude across the Pyrrhia landscape. Landscape then turned into sea water, the wind blew harder as the air grew colder, and a light fog encompassed the horizon. The trio was now in between the borders of the Sky Queendom and Ice Queendom. Over in the horizon, Clay could make out an enormous dark object that’s mostly submerged underwater. A shiver went up his spine, not from the cold, but the sight of the Lodestar, the mysterious object that contained the technology that brought dragonkind into this bloody war. The trio of Aeros then landed on a rocky beach, and they arrived at the location of their mission. Clay could feel the stark difference between the warm mountain ranges of the Sky Queendom, and the chilling winds of the Ice Queendom. The rocks he walked on were cold to the touch, Clay could even see chunks of icebergs in the distance. Looking around the beach, the MudWing saw a multitude of SeaWing corpses washed up on this rocky shore. Some of them had limbs, wings or horns missing, some had their bones exposed to the howling wind. Most of these SeaWings look like the typical soldier, the mercenaries real target were the data drives from SeaWing ACs and data surveying equipment.

“Let’s get this mission started. Search the beach for corpses. See if they have anything on them, data surveying tools, data drives, whatnot.” Starflight spoke to the trio through comms. 

“Alright! Clay and Glory, you search the beaches, I’ll dive down and scavenge up stuff from the drowned,” Tsunami points a talon toward the water.

“Got it, be careful down there.” Clay nodded to Tsunami, the SeaWing gave him a toothy smile before diving down gracefully into the arctic waters.

“I wonder how Tsunami is able to swim in freezing water so willingly,” Glory spoke, some of her scales turning a light white and blue. She slightly shivered when a strong gust of chilling wind passed through them.

“She’s a SeaWing, Glory. They were made for the water.” Clay simply spoke, he marched his way toward Glory and wrapped his wings around her, trapping his warmth of a MudWing with her. Glory’s scales returned back to her usual green, with a bit of hot pink on her frills, however. “As for you, you really don’t like the cold, do you?”

“I-I can manage,” Glory stammers, before smiling. “But this is nice too, you know. Thanks Clay.” Glory then walked out of Clay’s Wings and pointed toward the SeaWing corpses. “We should get back to work, let’s see if there is anything of value on these guys.” 

So, they began their job, searching for anything that might contain valuable data, Clay turned over a SeaWing corpse and checked the pockets in his vest and uniform. The MudWing could feel the chilling water sticking onto the SeaWing’s dead light blue scales. There was only a ration, a compass, and a filleting knife. Worthless equipment. Clay moved away from the corpse and searched for the next one. This one was a female SeaWing with cyan scales, Clay turned the corpse and searched the pockets. A filleting knife, a broken pair of binoculars, a dog tag that reads ‘Tide,’ but there was a special waterproof pouch Clay noticed. He picked it up and opened the zipper, revealing an electronic device with a cracked screen.

“Starflight, I found something, take a look.” Clay said to his comms, Starflight could essentially see what the Dragonets see. The NightWing’s voice came almost instantly.

“Could be anything, but it might contain data, nonetheless, connect it to it and let me access it.” Starflight ordered.

The MudWing nodded. He mentally opened up a small panel near his right shoulder, and a little wire came out. Clay grabs the wire and plugs it into the device’s socket. The device blinked once or twice before it showed a bluescreen, Starflight was doing his work in hacking the device. Once Starlight is done extracting anything valuable from the device, the screen turns to black and Clay simply throws it away, having no value now. 

“Huh. This thing had some data regarding the coordinates of the surveys these SeaWings conducted. Useful for Tsunami, but sort of worthless for our client. I bet we get a solid 10,000 Scales for the data.” Starflight spoke. “Keep it up, find more devices like that and we might be able to get a profit.” 

“Gotcha,” Clay nodded as he looked for the next SeaWing. This SeaWing soldier had an interesting little device on him. It wasn’t the same device as the cyan one, but it was a long rectangular object with a sharp edge. Clay picked it up and shook it a bit, Clay then saw a little socket on the side of the narrow device. Once more, Clay put the connection wire in the socket, and Starflight got to work. After a while, the hack was completed, and Clay threw away the device.

“What did we find now?” Clay asked the NightWing.

“It’s seafloor composition data. To determine if valuable ores and minerals are present to be extracted. Looks like the SeaWings weren't just grabbing data for the Lodestar as well.” Starflight snickered. “It’s not worthless data either… This data will fetch us a nice piece of 85,000. Nice find, Clay.”

Clay then looked over the beach and searched more of the corpses. He found some potentially valuable items that weren’t devices or data, such as Scales and gemstones. Some might say this is disrespectful to the dead, but Clay had a motto about scavenging; “It’s not yours if you’re dead.” 

As Clay began to climb over in some tide pools, he saw a particularly interesting sight, it was a SeaWing corpse in one of the pools. This one was a real SeaWing Aero, some of his equipment and weapons are still on him, but both his wings were gone, only snapped bone and fleshy stumps. Clay looked over at the corpse, the SeaWing’s blood begging to form its own tide pool. Clay then grabbed a metal plate on the back of the SeaWing Aero and ripped it off, revealing electronic components and the internal operating parts of an Aero-Craft. Clay inspected the back, seeing the AC’s generator, core, and FCS. But the real prize was the Data Drive each AC contained, used to record an AC’s performance, efficiency rates and other things a corporation could use to improve their product. Once Clay located the Data Drive, he reached down to pick it up but stopped himself. He couldn’t pull it out without thinking of what countermeasures the SeaWings put on to prevent their data from falling into enemy talons. So, Clay grabbed the cable on his right shoulder once more and tried to find a socket for the wire to put in. Clay then sees what seems to be a socket on the side of the back, Clay then plugs it in and gives access to Starflight. It took a while however since Starlight may have to disarm whatever firewall or countermeasure the SeaWings implemented on their Data Drives. After a moment passed, the hack was completed, and Clay grabbed the wire out of the socket.

“Took me a while… but we got access to the Data Drive. You found something very valuable, Clay. Not only does it contain performance data for the Aero-Craft, but it also contains some encrypted data of the Lodestar’s material composition. It seems that this SeaWing was tasked with keeping that data safe. We can sell this for an enormous profit, thinking of 150,000 Scales. Our client definitely wants this.” 

“Nice,” Clay smiles. You can buy a lot with that kind of money. Clay begins to think of the various items the Dragonets would buy during their ‘shopping trips’ to a black market.

Clay, being the glutton he is, wants some real food. He would occasionally spend the money on a real, live whole cow. Livestock are guarded fiercely by the other tribes to ensure their food stock remains steady. Sometimes Clay would buy prepared food or a stolen bulk of rations.

Tsunami always wants newer weapons for her AC. But she’s limited in her options, as her AC cannot produce enough power to operate the weapon, or it can’t fit on her old generation AC. If that was the case, Tsunami would spend the money to get into fights, betting the money with a chance of winning more. She mostly wins, although they would be forced to buy extra medical supplies to treat Tsunami’s wounds.

Glory on the other hand, either spends her earnings on fruit or strangely enough, girly stuff. Like scarfs, some jewelry and saucy books or scrolls. Clay has the ability to read, but it's pretty subpar. It’s strange that a dragon like Glory would be interested in that kind of stuff, but she’s pretty good at hiding her emotions, so Clay can’t really tell.

Starflight on the other hand, when he isn’t spending the Dragonet’s earnings on fuel and upkeep, he uses his share to buy exclusive materials, tools, books, or manuals to further his craftsmanship. As a mechanic, he’s always staring at an engine or AC thruster in the black market. Clay also has some knowledge on mechanics, but not as near as extensive as Starflight’s knowledge.

Sunny on the other hand buys medical supplies, tools and books on advanced surfers and scrolls on dragon anatomy. Oh, and chemicals and drugs she would use to create medical cocktails. Said cocktails are inserted into their ACs and can be used to inject painkillers, enhancing serums, etc. Sunny also might occasionally buy jewelry or, very rarely, a stuffed animal. She actually has a corner pile of them in her room.

It's ironic, the Dragonets have the lives of mercenaries, and yet they spend their blood-stained Scales on trivial things. But what’s to say they are not living their best life? Clay then left the SeaWing Aero and began to survey the beach for even more valuable data. As he was walking however, he spots something in a rocky outcropping, Clay moves in to investigate. Clay moved a few rocks with his MudWing strength, and he has found what caught his eye. It was an IceWing corpse, blue instead of red blood poured out from his wounds. Not just an IceWing soldier… It was an IceWing Aero. His Aero-Craft was still intact, if Clay could get a hold of IceWing data, their client would pay an arm and a leg to get access to IceWing AC data.

“Starflight, I found an Icer. His AC’s still intact.”

“That's good. I see it now. Although it might be a bit tricky.” Starflight said as Clay went over the corpse and ripped off the back, revealing a complex series of wires, electronic parts and mechanics.

“What the hell?” Clay mouthed as inspected the IceWing AC. It was unlike anything he has ever seen, typical for the one of the most technologically advanced tribes in Pyrrhia. 

“Now that’s a work of art right there,” Starflight said through the comms. “No wonder the other tribes can’t really get a hold of IceWing tech, no one could understand this.” 

“But…  you can, right?” Clay asked Starflight.

“I could, but I’ll admit, it might give me some trouble, however. This is the first time I saw the inner workings of an IceWing AC.” Starflight grumbled. “Try to find its Data Drive, if it's there anyway.”

Clay got to work by cutting any wire that got in his way with his claws and removed mechanical parts with his strength. Clay finally found something important within the metal components, a significantly sized glowing square. Clay then reached in to try an attempt to touch it, but his claw was stopped by Glory’s tail.

“Woah! Glory?” Clay gasped as his claw was pulled away from the glowing square. 

“Don’t touch that, Clay. What happens if it melts your claw off?” 

“I’ll be fine, I got fireproof scales. Remember?”

“I’m just saying to be a bit patient here.” Glory takes a look at the IceWing AC’s back. “That square may be the AC’s core, so we might have to be careful. Let me handle this, at least I’m careful enough to not set something off, like those huge talons of yours.” Glory pushed aside the MudWing. “How about you help Tsunami? Be a good MudWing and dive down in the freezing water.”

“No thanks,” Clay shook his head. “I get plenty of freezing water when Tsunami splashes me.”

Glory chuckles, but she still retains her focus on the glowing square. It was blinking slowly in a pattern, but Glory paid no mind to it. She tried to figure out what it’s connected to, and how she could figure out a way to remove it without blowing everyone up. Clay on the other hand was doing a little patrolling around the beach, he would like it if there was no fighting on this mission, but he still had to be on the watch. The IceWing Wardens don’t take kindly to visitors. As Clay was watching the coastline upon the beach, he saw something splash around within the sea. Clay braced himself and pulled out his shotgun and shield from the compartments, if it was a SeaWing who survived the Warden assault, then they might be here to fight. Clay stared at the water, ready to pull the trigger, but when the head slightly popped out of the water, Clay instantly put the gun in safety. 

“You there! You saw a couple of Mercenaries flying around here, Muddie?” Tsunami feigned being a typical SeaWing soldier.

“No ma’am. Just a poor little Scavenger, trying to feed my family!” Clay shoots back the comment, he puts away his shotgun on the holster on his shoulder.

Tsunami laughs as she exits the water, the cold water glimmering like crystals on her scales as she shakes the water off. Tsunami then showed Clay an entire talon full of electronics and Data Drives, scavenged from the drowned corpses of the SeaWings.

“Hahaha! We’re gonna be rich!” Tsunami declares, showcasing the electronics like they were piles of Scales.

Clay laughed at Tsunami. “You might have found muck or gold, depending on what’s inside the data.” Clay looked around the foggy horizon, the wind blowing slightly harder now. “Is that all? I hope we got enough data to satisfy the client.” 

“We do now, thanks to Tsunami scavenging up all those Data Drives. Along with Glory working on an IceWing data drive, once we access them all and grab the data, we’ll be done with the mission,” Starflight replies in the comms. 

“Fine then, let’s go see Glory, see what’s she’s been up to.” Tsunami shrugged, she put the data within a compartment of her AC, and the two began to fly over toward Glory. Clay and Tsunami saw the RainWing still tinkering with the IceWing Aero’s corpse. The RainWing didn’t keep her eyes off of the thing, focusing all of her focus on understanding the inner workings of IceWing technology. Clay was about to fly over there to assist Glory, but before he could, a huge gale of icy wind caught him off guard. The wind was beginning to howl now, but this time, it's different. Tsunami and Glory could feel it as well, it was something about how the wind sounded now. It was choppy, and increasingly growing louder and louder, like the ‘whop-whop’ of rotating blades cutting through the air. Something was coming from the mist!

“Clay! Tsunami! Glory! Get the hell out of there!” Starflight screamed through the comms. Before Clay could know it, the sound was replaced with the electronic spooling of a rotary cannon. 

“GLORY!!!” Clay screams as he puts his AC in overdrive, instantly boosting toward the RainWing. Out of the mist comes a horrifying roar of thousands of rounds exiting multiple barrels. Clay instantly brought out his shield as he slammed Glory out of the way, forcing himself to take the hit but hoping he could ease the damage. It didn’t. The bullets shredded through his shield and armor like it was paper, some managed to bounce off, but most were now shot through Clay’s arm. Tiny holes now peppered his lift arm. Clay screamed in pain as he felt his arm go limp, this was worse than getting burned. Sharp, searing, pulsating. Air was out of his lungs as blood began pouring out from his wounds. Clay gritted his teeth and tried to move his arm, he barely managed to move his claws before giving up, his muscles were now locked from the shock. It couldn’t be helped now, not when he was in battle now. Clay lowered his combat visor and brought out his shotgun to his right talon, the HUD spurred to life as he saw what he was facing.

A giant, wide, twin blade helicopter has emerged itself from the mist. It was armed to the teeth with missile and rocket launcher pods, along with two giant howitzers welded to the edges of its wings. On the bottom of the nose were two twin rotary cannons, fresh smoke emerged from the barrels, just as it had spit out its lethal payload of bullets. Clay’s eyes went wide when he saw a sigil of a black mountain wrapped in barbed chains painted on the aircraft’s side. The symbol of the IceWing’s Northern Wardens. 

“Clay! You need to move!” Tsunami said over the comms, snapping Clay away from his thoughts. He spilled up his thrusters before the giant helicopter gave way to spit another wave of lead at Clay. Clay managed to boost out of the way, dancing within the air with evasive maneuvers, dodging behind the stream of bullets that threatened to clip his wings and out of the sky.

“Clay! You’re up against a HAAV-3 Gyrfalcon! That’s the Wardens’ signature vehicle!” Starflight said over the comms as Clay was dodging its attacks. “Dammit, the IceWings were already upon us! Take that thing out before it takes you out!”

“Loud and clear!” Clay said as he locked onto the Gyrfalcon before letting loose a salvo of missiles. The said missiles went straight toward the Gyrfalcon and hit it, but it didn’t deter it in the slightest. Tsunami joined in as well, firing upon the Gyrfalcon with her assault rifle, along with a blast from her shotgun cannon. But the projectiles bounced off harmlessly on the Gyrfalcon’s hull.

“Taking fire. No effect. Instruments say all green.” The IceWing pilot reported. 

“A Muddie and a Whaler, all the way out here? What do they want?” The IceWing gunner spat venomously at the two Aeros.

“Suspected corporate hire. Doesn't matter, they’re interlopers. Get rid of them.” The IceWing pilot orders, as the bottom turret moves toward Tsunami.

“Understood! I’m going to kill you all !” The IceWing gunner said a bit too enthusiastically. The rotary cannons hummed their hymn of death before releasing a spray of rounds towards Tsunami. Tsunami was not idle, she was never idle, she instantly dived down into the water to dodge the rounds. A SeaWing in any body of water was a goner, so the Gyrfalcon stopped firing, and switched its targets toward Clay. Clay was still groaning to the pain that was shooting up his entire arm, but now it was time to get out of the way. He boosted out of the way as the rotary cannons began firing at him, dodging the rounds just barely every time, every time he twisted his body, he could feel the whizz of the bullets just going past his ears. The Gyrfalcon was about to pursue Clay, but Tsunami boosted out of the water, light wave blade ignited and delivered a wide slash to the underbelly of the Gyrfalcon. Tsunami then delivered a point-blank blast with her shotgun cannon; heated shrapnel made its way toward the giant gash she made. The Gyrfalcon took a noticeable wobble, before recovering and boosting away to gain distance away from the mercenaries.

Clay gave Tsunami a brief yet grateful smile. Clay then mentally injected one of Sunny’s painkillers into him. There was a prick onto his back, before all the pain from his body subsided in one big wave. Clay looked at his bleeding arm and moved it, it now obeyed his every command, no pain to prevent it from motionless again, or until the painkiller wore off.

“Captain!! What just hit us?! Don’t tell me it was that SeaWing bastard!” The IceWing gunner angrily shouted.

“We took some major hull damage. But nothing too critical was severely damaged. We’re still operational.” The IceWing pilot paused before adding, “Permission to use missile and rocket pods is granted. Processed.”

“Understood!” The IceWing gunner acknowledged, the pods that were on the helicopter’s wings began to open up, revealing their payload that was locked on to the duo. “Targets acquired! Pulling the trig- huh?!”

A single missile struck the Gyrfalcon, scattering this sparkling silver dust all over the Gyrfalcon.

“Huh?! Targeting systems and radar are being jammed!” The IceWing pilot scowled. Before they knew it, Glory boosted toward the Gyrfalcon, before aiming her grenade launcher and firing it at the cockpit. An explosion caught the Gyrfalcon off guard, its hull was damaged, but the cockpit was still intact.

“Tch. Guess that didn’t work,” Glory scowled, her combat vision was also lowered, a sleek and slender piece of headgear. “Looks like we’re gonna have to work a little harder on this job, don’t we Clay?” 

“Glory? Joining the fight now, huh?” Tsunami smiled.

“Eh, it’s about time I got off my tail and helped you guys. Let’s do this.” Glory armed her only two weapons, a submachine gun and her grenade launcher, as the je thrusters on her wings began to spur.

“Additional target! An Aero, and she’s a… a RainWing?!” The IceWing pilot sputters in disbelief. 

“Never killed a RainWing before.” The IceWing gunner pointed the Gyrfalcon’s rotary cannons and rocket pods toward the RainWing. “I shall be the first one then!”

Glory then changed her scales to a greyish black, almost blending in with the rocky beach. The rotary cannons fired as the rockets whistled out from the pods. Glory expertly dodge them all with a series of boosts and dives. Perhaps her semi-camouflage of the rocky beach threw the aim of the gunner off. Clay utilized this moment to boost toward the Gyrfalcon and released another volley of missiles. The Gyrfalcon moved away from the missiles before releasing bright green flares from its sides. The missiles then mistook the flares for their targets and dove straight toward them. The Gyrfalcon was ready to fire at Clay, but Tsunami and Glory boosted toward the side of the Gyrfalcon before firing a grenade and heated shrapnel blast respectively. The ordinances damaged the hull, but the Gyrfalcon still worked. The Gyrfalcon then maneuvers itself to the side in an attempt to slice apart Tsunami with its rotating blades. But the SeaWing dodged by diving downwards. The Gyrfalcon raised itself up in the air, taking fire from Clay’s shotgun, Tsunami’s assault rifle and Glory’s machine gun. The bullets barely hit the hull, but they were making some dents. But the worst was yet to come.

“Targeting systems are back online! We got tone!” The IceWing gunner yelled as the missile pods opened up. “Firing!”

Out from the pods were tens of missiles, all going for one of the three Aeros. Glory began to boost out of the way before gracefully flipping through the air and dodging the missiles. Tsunami just boosted forward with a reckless expression as she twisted her body just enough for the missiles to barely miss her. Clay began to boost out of the way, but he was too slow, a missile managed to hit him in the stomach. His armor protected him from most of the blast, but he still coughed in pain. The Gyrfalcon then went in for a relentless attack, firing its rotary cannons just as it was firing rockets and missiles respectively. The mercenaries were now on the defensive, attempting to dodge all of the incoming projectiles, but some managed to hit them. Glory cried when a rocket blast scorched her back, causing her to hiss and scrape her talons into the ground as way to stop herself, before boosting forward once more to dodge incoming missiles. But it seems like the Gyrfalcon’s attention was more caused on Tsunami and Glory, the fast ones, and not on fat and slow Clay, who would be easier to kill later. But Clay wasn’t easy to kill unfortunately. With his strength and Sunny’s painkillers, it doesn't matter what kind of pain the world throws at him. He’ll be on top. Clay then aimed his shoulder mounted cannon at the Gyrfalcon, and without another second, he fired. The cannon cracks like thunder and a huge explosion hits the Gyrfalcon, causing it to fall to the ocean. But its propellers were still spinning, the missile and rocket pods on one side were irreversibly damaged, and there was now a gaping hole on its side. But it wasn’t down yet.

“Grrrrh!! Pilot! What’s our status?!” The IceWing gunner grunted.

“Missile and rocket pods on our right are damaged! Hull integrity at 47 percent! We’re beginning to leak power here!” The IceWing pilot grimaces.

“Dammit all! I’ll be damned if I was going to die to a bunch of mercs! Permission to use Shatter cannons!” The IceWing gunner screamed.

“Granted. Uphold the will of Iryssia , gunner.”

“For the will of Iryssia!”

With that battle cry, the cannons mounted on the very edge of the Gyrfalcon's wings began to move. The Gyrfalcon then aimed toward Tsunami and Glory with the cannons, Clay’s eyes widened, he put his thrusters in overdrive as he boosted toward them and got in front of them. The Gyrfalcon’s cannons fired, and Clay raised his shield just as he was struck by them. A huge displacement of rock exploded into the air. One might mistake it for a whale blowing water out from a distance. The rubble cleared, Tsunami and Glory coughed the dust out form their lungs, covered in dirt, but safe. As for Clay…

The MudWing was bleeding all over, pieces of his armor have torn off, along with his scales and flesh. The shield in the left talon was now a useless piece of metal, dangling off his even more busted left arm. A piece of his headgear was missing, revealing a singular pained eye to the world. Tsunami could only hear Clay breathing in and out, a coping mechanism to the immense pain he was now probably feeling. Tsunami felt guilt and pain stabbing at her heart, but said guilt and pain was beginning to shift into rage.

“Clay. Rest.” Tsunami gave the order with darkened eyes. Clay craned his neck to look at her, barely opening his mouth to try and protest, but glory stops him. Tsunami's teeth were bared, gills flaring in anger. “Glory, we’re sinking this ship.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Glory scales shifted to a color of jet black.

“The MudWing, he’s still alive? Impressive. But not for long, finish it.” The IceWing pilot moved forward slowly, with the rotary cannons beginning to spool as the cannons and the remaining pods aimed at them. 

Glory then shifted her scales to the color of her surroundings. Of course, her AC doesn't have the same cloaking abilities as her scales, but the bare shape was able to confuse the Gyrfalcon gunner. Tsunami, with a burst of speed, appeared below the Gyrfalcon. The Gyrfalcon began to move away from Tsunami before she could inflict meaningful damage, but it was stopped when Glory appeared above the Gyrfalcon and shot a grenade at one of its propellers. The explosion caused the propeller to stutter slightly, smoke was starting to float out of its damaged engine, but it was still operational. A prime example of IceWing ingenuity, but it wasn’t enough for mercenaries. The Gyrfalcon rained fire upon the sky and land, every ounce of its ornaments being discharged in an attempt to eliminate the Aeros once and for all. Clay managed to take cover, so he was further spared from the Gyrfalcon’s cannons. Tsunami dodged missiles and bullets as she boosted her way toward the helicopter, she switched to her shotgun and fired at the rotary cannon turret. One of its barrels was now shot off, and its cameras were shattered by Tsunami. 

“Lost visual contact with targets!” The IceWing gunner seethes in frustration, before letting loose another barrage of missiles. Tsunami managed to dodge the missiles, distancing herself from the Gyrfalcon as Glory came from the flank once more, this time firing another jamming missile at the Gyrfalcon. 

“Communications and targeting are jammed! Hull integrity at 31 percent! We need to retreat! We can’t hold on much longer!!!” The IceWing pilot screamed desperately. Now with its systems jammed, the gunner could only rely on manual aiming from out of the view of his cockpit. The Gyrfalcon begins to fire haphazardly with its singular rotary cannon, rockets and cannons. However, its last-ditch effort to kill Tsunami and Glory was in vain. Clay, from the distance, gathered his remaining strength to aim his shoulder mounted cannon at the Gyrfalcon, with one last grunt, he fired. The shell traveled across the sea, before ending its voyage by making contact with the Gyrfalcon. The explosion engulfed it, the explosion scorching its metal hull, and destroying more of its armaments. Tsunami and Glory managed to boost away from the blast. The Gyrfalcon couldn't take any more of the punishment, as its propellers began to fail, and its inner systems began to explode. 

“A-all systems are shutting down…! N-no…! How… how can just 3 ACs do this?!” The IceWing pilot stammered in defeat.

“Argh!! You mercenaries… you… put up… a good fight…!” Unlike his comrade, the IceWing gunner accepted his defeat. In one final explosion that shook the waves, the Gyrfalcon fell, plummeting to the icy water below. Fires on the Gyrfalcon continued to burn, before it was fully submerged.

Tsunami and Glory hovered in the air for a moment, exhausted after their battle. Clay weakly smiled, relieved that his friends were safe in the end.

“Confirmed. IceWing Gyrfalcon destroyed. It’s at the bottom of the sea now.” Starflight congratulated in the comms. “Tsunami, Glory, you two are going to have to carry Clay back to the base. Hurry up before he bleeds out!”

Tsunami and Glory looked at each other and nodded. They flew toward the rocky beach and saw the MudWing leaning his body on a tree, all while still bleeding heavily. Clay looked up to see Tsunami and Glory, weakly smiled, before finally falling on the ground unconscious.

“CLAY!” Both Tsunami and glory scream, quickly landing beside him to check on his injuries. 

“This is bad. We need to take him to Sunny, now!” Glory panicked, her scales now shifted from black to a pale blue and green. 

“Well? Get on the ball and grab him!” Tsunami shouted, she heaved the heavy MudWing by his shoulders, with Glory doing the same as well. Although it was very difficult and slow, the two flew across the IceWing/SkyWing Northern border and made it to SkyWing territory, where Sunny and Starflight were waiting.

“Oh, my gods! Clay! Is he going to be alright?!” Sunny’s mouth fell in shock seeing the blood dripping on the stone floor.

“I don’t know, you’re supposed to be the expert here!” Glory growled.

“Oh, right!” Sunny immediately became serious. “Well, quickly remove his AC on him! I need to treat him right away!” 

Once they entered the cave, they shuffled Clay into the hangar and quickly removed his AC off his back. He was then hauled to the infirmary, where Sunny was already preparing to treat Clay. The MudWing was laid down on the operation table, where Sunny and the others instantly got to work.

“Here. Use these roles to try and block out the bleeding, hold them till I can properly treat him!” Sunny throws Tsunami a roll of gauze, the SeaWing ripping the roll and begins to apply pressure to Clay’s wounds, same with Glory. Sunny was inspecting Clay and his injuries, uncaring of the blood that was coating her talons. Sunny gasped when she felt Clay’s left arm. “His left arm… is awful! Bleeding and fractures.” Sunny concluded, Starflight was right behind, Sunny with her medical supplies, and the SandWing instantly got to work. She treated as many of his wounds as she could, removing any shrapnel embedded into Clay’s scales, while controlling his bleeding using tourniquets. All from the help of Tsunami, Glory and Starflight, the two formers still had their Aero-Crafts on them. After a grueling hour of dressing wounds, Clay was deemed treated. All sorts of bandages and stitches covered Clay’s body and wings, and his broken arm was put into a sling, all he had to do now was recover from his injuries. After it was done, Tsunami and Glory finally managed to get their ACs off of them, but regardless, everyone was silent on the state of Clay.

“How long is it going to take Clay for a full recovery?” Starlight asked.

“You know Clay, but these injuries are pretty severe. Especially his left arm.” Sunny concluded, washing her blood-stained talons in the river. “3 weeks, give or take.”

“3 weeks, huh?” Glory repeated. “Well Tsunami, guess it’s just you and me going on jobs then.”

Tsunami was silent during the whole ordeal; she hasn’t spoken a single word ever since she came back to the hangar. Tsunami was looking at an injured Clay on Sunny’s operating table, her expression unreadable. Her talons told a different story however, her claws were digging into her scales and drawing blood.

“Tsunami? Are you alright?” Glory put her talons on Tsunami’s shoulder, but the SeaWing just flinched back at her response. 

“Huh?! I’m… I’m alright. Just a bit angry, that’s all.” Tsunami said, but she looked down and just noticed her talons digging into her palms. Sunny was there to notice that as well.

“Tsunami! Here, let me clean you up.” Sunny brought out a bottle of disinfectant and began treating Tsunami’s palms. 

“Tsunami, it’s not your fault,” Starflight comforted. “Clay's always like that; he’ll jump in front of a howitzer if it means keeping you safe you know.”

“But I don’t want him to be like that!” Tsunami raised her voice, causing Sunny to flinch. “It’s because we’re too weak! If I was fast enough, if I could have dodged that sooner, Clay wouldn’t have ended up like that!” 

“Tsunami, hey, I know how you feel, but let’s just calm down…” Glory tried to speak, only to be shot down by the SeaWing. 

“You do absolutely nothing, you useless RainWing!” Tsunami snapped, “You stood there as well just as slow as me! What the hell do you even do? You only have two weapons and one of them was the only thing that was damaging that thing!” 

Glory’s scales turned into an acid green for a moment, before turning into a bright red with black spots all over her face. Glory bared her teeth and growled at the SeaWing. Tsunami growls back, her gills expanded. It looked like a fight was about to happen, but a shuffling was heard from the table.

“Is… Tsunami and Glory... fighting again…?” Clay weakly stammered, his eyes desperately trying to open up, he was also trying to stand up from the table as well. “Are they… alright? Ow… everything hurts…”

Sunny was immediately over at Clay’s side. “It’s alright Clay! They're both fine.” Sunny reassured. “You need to rest, if you don’t, I’ll tranquilize you!”

“Urgh… Need to… get up… I need- ow!” Clay was pricked in the back by a syringe, courtesy of Sunny. Clay tried to get up again but fell asleep soon after. Tsunami and glory stopped fighting, while Starflight simply observed in solemn silence.

“There, there. Sleep easy now, our BigWings.” Sunny smiled as she stroked Clay’s wings with her talon. She then turned toward Tsunami and Glory with a stern face. “Clay constantly worries about you two. No matter how strong you two could be, Clay will always be there to protect us. So, stop fighting each other and give Clay some rest!” 

Tsunami and Glory separated from each other, and before long, the two dragonesses left the infirmary to their own devices. Starflight walked over to Clay; he sighed in guilt. Starflight felt partially responsible for Clay’s injuries, as Starflight himself never had the guts to go into battle with an Aero-Craft. Starflight gave his friend a moment of silence.

“Rest well, Clay. You did good today. You got the job done.” Starflight reported.

///

Retrieve Lost Data 

Mission Status: Complete

Client: Fulmar Industries 

Reward: Variable (320,000 Scales)

Message from client: Color me impressed. You got the data in a reasonable amount of time. With this data, we can continue where we left off. Thanks for it! I also heard that you got ambushed by the Northern Wardens, a Gyrfalcon, right? Those things are pretty tough, glad you made it through though. Really. Here’s the money, it was a pleasure to be working with you folks!

Calculating Expenses… Deducting…

Total Pay: 201,780.

Notes:

There're tons of lore that I made up for the tribes, epically their military and all sorts of other stuff. Perhaps I should make a separate fic to show all of the lore. Regardless, Clay's injured, and Tsunami and Glory's friendship is strained. what will the mercs do now, with their BigWings grounded?

Chapter 10: Never Equals

Tsunami and Glory stared at each other with disdain, in front of each other was some sort of lowly creature. Tsunami saw a cowardly lizard leeching off of one’s efforts. Glory sees a psychotic bloodthirsty murderer who has lost all sense of emotion and humanity. Starflight wanted to talk to them, but was unsure if it was a good time. Sunny was busy feeding Clay rations, the MudWing has recovered, his injured arm in a sling. The silence was deafening. Tsunami's talons twitched as Glory’s frills fluttered. The weight of unspoken words in the space was present. 

 Starflight is the one who broke the attrition of silence. “Is this a good time or-”

 “Why are you even here?” Tsunami barks at Glory, ignoring Starflight. “You can admit that you don’t have the guts to kill, Glory.”

 “Easy for you to say!” Glory snaps back, her scales shimmering. “You’re too knee deep in blood to think about anything else!”

 “What do you expect me to do then? Politely ask them to not hurt us?” Tsunami hissed, her thick tail lashing around in irritation. “We’re mercenaries, Glory. It doesn't matter if we kill a thousand soldiers! As long as it keeps us safe and uninjured, then you should be happy to find it!”

 “Oh please, speak for yourself! You’re just telling that to yourself so you can go off on your selfish, orgasmic killing spree! What about Clay, huh? What would he think of you going around recklessly killing everything!”

 “Leave him out of this! That’s not what I’m talking about! The only reason Clay got hurt was because I was too slow… I was too weak… I had to hide behind him once more…” Tsunami looked down on the table. “You and I are the fastest, Glory. We should have destroyed that Gyrfalcon the instant it already appeared. Then Clay wouldn’t have to get hurt…”

 Glory was too tired to counter, and she somewhat agreed with Tsunami. Perhaps if the two were a bit more independent and stronger, then maybe Clay wouldn't have to protect them to the point where his body would get severely injured. 

 “You two, please stop arguing.” Clay desperately asked. “I don’t care if you guys aren’t ‘strong enough’ I made the decision to protect you two because I choose to. I’m not forced to do anything. I’ll be there to protect you, all of you.” Clay took another bite from Sunny. 

 “Clay’s right. Please don’t argue.” Sunny pleaded. “We need to work together! I believe that you two can make up and work together again! We can’t have any grudges or guilty feelings weigh us down!”

 Tsunami and Glory took another glance at each other. The disdain was still there, but there was something else, pain, maybe even regret? But for right now, the room was silent, with no tension between the dragonesses. Still as ashes, until they were stirred up again.

“If you two are done bickering…” Starflight finally spoke, quite irritated that he was ignored. “We’ve got a job here, for the both of you.”

“Really? So soon?” Clay stood up, concerned. “I mean, can’t we wait a little longer, until my arm heals-”

“Sorry, Clay. But we need more money for the trip to the black market next week.” Starflight states. “Mudflap’s overall condition has hit a critical point, that means fatal malfunctions might appear during battle. I need more parts to repair, no, to completely overhaul Mudflap into an acceptable condition.”

“A complete overhaul? Lucky Clay.” Tsunami snickers. “So, what are after this time?”

Starflight hesitates a moment, before activating his pad and revealing the briefing for them. “This job comes from Aurora Dynamics, an IceWing company. Here’s the briefing.”

The logo of Aurora Dynamics reveals itself to the dragonets. A hexagonal symbol with an aurora borealis plastered on it. “Dragonets. We have an urgent request for you.” A cool, monotone and methodical voice of an IceWing hissed through the hologram. It changes to the map of Pyrrhia, focusing on the wingtip of the continent. “We have received word that the SeaWings are conducting a test run on a newly developed 8th generation Aero-Craft. We have located their testing site here, at Phalanx Bay.” The scene changes to the schematics of a newly-built SeaWing Aero-Craft. “Your target is the AC, destroy it completely. The Aero-Craft has extensive features such as high generator output, complex long range scanners, but most importantly, laser weaponry that can function underwater. We cannot allow this to reach mass-production status, we at Aurora Dynamics must uphold our technological superiority over laser weaponry.” The hologram once more returns to the logo of Aurora Dynamics. “We don’t like to hire other mercenaries, but we have no choice. This whole ordeal must be considered secretive. We at Aurora Dynamics do not tolerate failure.” The briefing ended, and the rest of the dragons were shocked to say the least.

“A job from the IceWings? Even if we just took down one of their Gyrfalcons?” Clay asks, a bit confused. 

“It’s taboo, definitely. But may I remind you that the world of mercenaries and corps is different from war and public perception. You may not know, but some corps hire mercenary teams to do their own dirty work and sabotage the other tribes.” Starflight explains. “But back to my main concern, Glory, Tsunami, you’re going to have to fight against a real Aero. Your target may be a product still in its testing phases, but it’s still an AC, you can’t underestimate it.” 

“Hehehe, this is going to be fun.” Tsunami smiles, cracking her talons in excitement. 

Glory gave Tsunami a nasty look, but she somewhat understood the situation. “Well… it was inevitable anyway, we’re going to have to face off against other Aeros sometime soon.”

“But wait… guys! What about me? Can’t we wait until I recover-” Clay interjects.

“This is a time-limited job, Clay. We need to leave now before the SeaWings are done with their tests.” Starflight urgently said.

Clay looked down on the ground, frustrated. Sunny tried to cheer him up with a sympathetic tone. “Don’t worry Clay, Tsunami and Glory are strong! They just need to learn to be by themselves, the dragonet has to leave the nest and fly, right?”

“Hmph.. I guess you’re right.” Clay grumbles, but looks toward Tsunami and Glory with a worried expression. “Just come back in one piece, alright? Please.”

“We will,” Tsunami nodded toward Clay, it was a promise. The two dragonesses then turned and walked toward the hangar, where they began gearing up for this especially dangerous mission.

“Oh, you two, before we armor up. I need you two to wear these.” Starlight shows them a sort of dragon-sized drysuit. “It’s an Aero suit, innerwear meant to mitigate some damage, such as stray rounds and shrapnel, lessens the burn severity of plasma and lasers, and so on. The fibers are especially designed to be protective, yet comfortable.”

The two then tried on these Aero suits, the bizarre texture of them was unfamiliar, but not unwelcome. 

“Interesting…” Glory said, “Kind of like that weird looking vest that Kestrel always wears with her AC.”

“There are modifications to the Aero suit, but these ones are the cheaper ones I found.” Starflight admits. “Now, let’s begin.”

Tsunami and glory began suiting up in their ACs, the generators of Tideturner and Glorybringer hum with power. Sunny loaded up painkillers as Starlight loaded up the fuel, and after a quick system diagnostics on the systems, the two were ready to go.

“Remember what Kestrel taught you all!” Clay screams from the sidelines, his voice almost being drowned out by the roar of thrusters. “Don’t get cocky!”

“Shut your piehole and stop worrying, you handsome big oaf!” Glory yells, a playful expression on her face.

“You shut your piehole, Glory!” Tsunami yells, “Try not to be dead weight, lazy RainWing!”

“...Bitch,” Glory curses. Tsunami laughs as she zooms off into the sky, with glory following behind.

“Dear gods. They're going to kill each other before they can kill anybody.” Starlight sighs.

***

“Main system: activating Combat Mode.”

 Tsunami and Glory land down on a nearby cliff that oversaw the testing site. Several SeaWing soldiers and Pseudo-Aeros were here as well. But their target was the Aero-Craft that at the edge of the bay, the AC’s polished hull gleaming in light and across the water.

 “Alright team. It seems that the personnel here are equipped with anti-air weapons. Take them out first, then deal with the Aero.” Starflight explains.

 “Who's the Aero for the test AC? It must be a professional if it’s a new product, right?” Glory asks Starflight through the comms.

 “Unknown. Most likely, but you have the element of surprise here. Use that to your advantage,” Starflight replies.

 “I’ll go for the AC. You take out the guards, Glory.” Tsunami barks orders as her combat visor on her headgear lowers. 

 Glory hisses as a response, only willing to do it for her own interests and not on Tsunami’s orders. Glory’s combat visor lowres as she sees her HUD and Glorybringer’s current statuses. Weapons and thrusters were online, her enemy was in front of her, the mission was clear.

 Tsunami leaps into action, activating her afterburners as she makes a mad dash for the Aero. Glory dived down instead, going straight for the soldiers. It didn’t matter to Tsunami if she was killing her own kind, she never knew them anyway.

 “Enemy Aeros! Raise the alarm!” A soldier yelled before being gunned down by Glory.

 “Cancel the tests, get the Hydrous up and running!” Another SeaWing soldier yelled. The non-combating SeaWings, such as the engineers and corporate officers, all dived down into the water. There were two SeaWing Pseudo-Aeros lifting themselves into the air, they both had oversized assault rifles, giant shields attached to their shoulders, with flare dispensers on them. Glory sighed, she activated her jamming missile launcher and launched a missile in hopes of stopping them. Bright flares ejected from the side of the Pseudo-Aeros, the missile swerved and detonated its jamming payload away from its intended target. Glory sneered, before opening fire while dodging attacks from them. 

“Shouldn't have come here, merc!” The Pseudo-Aeros fired back, the caliber was enough to penetrate Glory’s armor, the RainWing dodged with a series of boosts, flying across the surface and sea water splashing on her visor. Glory whipped toward her grenade launcher, firing a shot that missed the Pseudos, but exploded and killed a nearby SeaWing soldier. The Pseudos boosted their way toward Glory, moving left and right as they fired upon her, glory boosted back, but grunted in pain as she felt bullets pierce her arm.

 “Left arm damaged.” Her HUD reports, she sees the status of her bodily functions and AC integrity, they were still all green. Glory couldn’t complain, she returned fire with her submachine gun, concentrating fire on one of the Pseudos. They started to dodge the spray of bullets but some have hit them, a burst of rounds hit the shoulder shield causing the Pseudo to shift off balance, Glory saw this opportunity and fired another grenade, a hit. An explosion engulfed the Pseudo-Aero, the SeaWing crashed into the sea below. 

 “Shit! Dammit!” The second Pseudo-Aero began firing desperately, firing bursts of bullets that can't seem to hit Glory. Glory, using her nimble body to dodge the shots, boosted across the water surface and flew into the Pesudo’s blindspot. Glory aimed forward and fired, a spray of bullets striking the SeaWing’s back. The Pseudo screamed in pain, it immediately boosted away and fired back at Glory. But glory has already fired another grenade at the SeaWing, he tried to dodge it, but the grenade hit the Pesudo’s shoulder shield, and detonated. The shield was completely destroyed, but the Pseudo was still flying in the air.

 “What are you doing here, RainWing?” The SeaWing Pseudo-Aero asks, “Why be a mercenary? It thought you were pacifists!”

 “This RainWing isn’t,” Glory nonchalantly said. Glory immediately boosts toward the Pseudo, the SeaWing tying for fire back, but glory was too quick. The RainWing grabbed the SeaWing by its sneck with her tail, and with the momentum from her thrusters, she threw the SeaWing into a rock outcropping. The Pseudo staggers from the force, Glory finishing him off with a quick burst from her machine gun, painting the SeaWings scales with a coat of red. 

 “Confirmed. Pseudo-Aeros defeated. Wipe out the rest of the soldiers and help Tsunami.” Starflight answers. 

 “Starflight. I’m not in a good mood right now… so how about you be quiet!” Glory yells.

 “Warning! Warning! Missile lock!” Her hud screams, Glory turned around to see a SeaWing wielding a Dragon-Portable Air-Defense System, or a D-PADS. These weapons are notorious killers of Aeros, once it locks onto you, you could never get them off. Glory tried to fly away, but there was a lag between her commands and Glorybirnger’s actions. The missile from the D-PADS fires, its thrusters turning on for a moment before it rockets toward Glory at high speeds. 

 “Missile lock! Evade! Evade!” Glory’s HUD screams again whilst glowing red. Rapid beeping was heard as the missile jets toward the RainWing. Gloy growls in frustration as she boosts away, trying to gain speed. The missile was catching up to her however, the beeping getting more frequent. Adrenaline, panic, heart pounding, fear. Glory swallowed all those thoughts away and focused. “Dammit! Just shut up for a second!” Glory then flies toward rock outcroppings, hoping to throw the missile off. But the missile flew above the outcroppings and sped toward her again. “God damn it!” Glory screams as she turns around and fires her submachine gun, her scales turning pale before realizing that she hasn't reloaded it. The beeping was deafening, she could see the missile went straight toward her, Glory then activated her jammer launcher, there wasn’t time to lock on, so the RainWing free-fired the missile. The missile flew straight before detonating, releasing silvery EMP particles, the particles seem to have stopped the missile, its thrusters stopping and falling into the ocean harmlessly.

 The beeping stopped, but the noise was still ringing in Glory’s ears. The RainWing breathed a sigh of relief, she also decided to reload her submachine gun. The RainWing activates her afterburners as she sped toward, ready to assist her comrade. On the way, she heard the chittering of panicked SeaWing soldiers.

 “What’s going on?! How did these mercenaries find us?” A SeaWing soldier screams in distress.

 “Shut up! Give me another D-PADS! We need to take care of them, testing of the Hydrous is top priority!” Another soldier barks back. Glory simply shoots a burst at him, tearing through his armor and killing him.

 “That RainWing is going to kill us all!” A SeaWing soldier tries to fire back, but Glory silences him as well.

 “Confirmed, SeaWing soldiers have been eliminated." Starflight said through the comms. “Nice clean up job, now focus on destroying that AC.”

 Glory hissed, it made her sound like Tsunami. She doesn't want to be compared to that blood thirsty efficient killer. I mean, how does she do it? Killing without remorse, not one second thought, or hesitation. Glory could never deliberately kill some dragon unless she has to, for a job or for self defense. Is it her pacifist instincts of a RainWing holding her back? Is that why she's forced to be in a sort of support role? No. Screw that. Focus Glory. You're not Tsunami. That's a good thing. Kestrel acknowledges your skills, Clay acknowledges your skill, Starflight and Sunny acknowledge your skills. You are an Aero, a RainWing Aero, be proud about that. Things like fear and doubt shouldn't belong in your head. Focus on the mission, kill that Aero and be done with it. She can survive just doing what she does best-

“Warning! Additional enemy signature detected–!!!” The robotic voice shouts. Something sprouts out of the water, Glory tries to react, but her limbs and AC move so painfully slow. Pain. There's a crash, something hits her, she's disoriented. She can't see properly, the shock has caused her digital HUD to flicker for a moment. Sharp pain. Something stabs into her boy, she feels her cheek stinging as her right frill was torn off. Blood. Glory gasps, the pain causes her to hesitate. Her suit has mitiagted much of the damage but there was blood all over her talons, a trickle of crimson also moved down her face. Glory gritted her teeth, pain, pain, pain, her scales were green, showcasing properly the blood that was covering her.

"BLeeddDededing detetttced. Missave ddamage to frontal PlaTE DeTEcTEd. ReBoOting." The voice was on the fritz, glitching out and sputtering. Then there was Glorybringer’s internal gyroscope all in disarray, the sudden impact did a number on her ancient, 4th generation systems, causing an entire reboot to occur. Glory realized what this meant, her AC has Staggered, a phenomenon in which an AC’s internal systems get too disoriented by repeated or sudden impacts and shock. When an AC is Staggered, it forces itself to shut down and reboot its systems. In other words, the following 1 to 3 seconds following a Stagger, an AC pilot is effectively a sitting duck. Luckily though, her systems were able to reboot just in time for her to dodge whatever was attacking her, a loud crack rang as a projectile barely missed her.

“Pretty quick recovery for an old gen,” A gravely, tired voice berated Glory. Glory looks up to see another SeaWing Aero within the sky. This SeaWing has dark purple scales with a light kelp colored underscales, rectangle-like swirls make up the glowing stripes all along his body. His Aero-Craft looked like it had seen better days, medium looking armor with patches of rust on it. For armaments, he had an LMG on his Right Talon, a shotgun on his Left. For his shoulder units, a high-impact cannon on his right, and a shield generator on his Left. “A RainWing? In an AC? That’s new. But… I’m kind of tired now dealing with this kind of whaleshit. So do me a favor and give up and die, would ya?”

“Starflight, who am I dealing with?” Glory talks through the comms, distress in her tone, a rare occurrence. 

“A-another Aero? H-hold on! I got him!” Starflight said. “The Aero is Hatchetfish! Aero-Craft: Running Empty. A corporate merc, he’s exclusively hired by the SeaWings. They must have sent him after we attacked the test product, now it looks like you need to kill him and the other Aero.”

Glory gulps. Real life Aero combat. Her heart was pounding, she could feel the blood staining and worsening her grip, the pain was there, present, but ignorable. Glory grits her teeth, her scales turning into pitch black with red spots. If she needed to kill this SeaWing for the mission and for her life, so be it. Checking her systems, she’s all good, with superficial damage despite Hatchetfish's prior ambush. Uncertainty, doubt, and fear dried Glory’s throat, but she tried to swallow it all and to focus on the task at hand. A life or death situation, a dance between two warriors of the sky.

“Looks like you’re gonna go all out huh?” Hatchetfish looks toward Tsunami and the other Aero, who were busy fighting each other. The SeaWing sighs, no, he groans. His combat visor properly lowers, protecting a majority of his face. Running Empty's generator and thrusters roared. "I seriously don’t want to… but tired as I am, I still got a job to do, unfortunately. Let's just make this quick, alright?”

“Gladly,” Glory sneers, her visor lowering as well. The two boosted toward each other, but only one gets to continue flying. 

Notes:

I have devised a bew upload plan. Instead of making 1 huge chapter every month or so, I'm going to post multiple smaller chapters of a mission. That way, you guys get your chapters much quicker. Get ready for tons of cliffhangers. Thanks for your understanding, and I can't stop thanking for your patience.

Chapter 11: Never Equals (Foil)

Tsunami speed activated her afterburners causing her to rocket toward the enemy Aero, leaving behind Glory. She gleefully smiles, finally, real Aero combat. This is what Kestrel has been training them for. With an eager feeling for bloodshed, going straight for the enemy Aero, Tideturner’s generator roared with ferocity.

“Enemy Aeros! Raise the alarm!” Tsunami can hear a soldier yell before being gunned down by Glory.

“Cancel the tests, get the Hydrous up and running!” Another SeaWing soldier yelled. The non-combating SeaWings, such as the engineers and corporate officers, all dived down into the water. Tsunami paid them no mind; she only wanted the Aero.

“Wait, what?! E-enemy attack?” The SeaWing Aero piloting Hydrous squeaked.

“That’s right! I’m your opponent!” Tsunami screamed as she tackled into Hydrous , the screech of metal on metal groaned deep in Tsunami’s ears. She knocks it back with her tail before aiming her shoulder mounted cannon. But Hydrous was quick to react, instantly diving down into the water with surprising speed. Tsunami roars, she flies around, staring down at the water to try and find the Aero. It was impossible, Tsunami can't see anything even through her HUD, she can’t even hear any humming of thrusters that a typical SeaWing AC would emit underwater. Then the Tsunami heard the disturbance of water behind her, someone erupted from the surface, Tsunami turned around only to be met with a blast of laser on her chest. Tsunami hissed as the searing pain of light pierced her armor, but quickly disappointed. Tsunami roars as she opens fire with her assault rifle. The SeaWing taking the shots but does nothing on her advanced armor.

“Hold on, O-ow! T-this hurts!” The SeaWing Aero yelps as she boosts back. “T-those weren’t dummy rounds!” She fearfully looked back at Tsunami. “You’re a real Merc?! This isn’t a drill?!”

“Have you been living under a rock or something? OF COURSE I AM!” Tsunami yells, switching to her shotgun and firing at Hydrous .

“Eek!” The SeaWing cried, dodging the shot while she fired 10 plasma missiles from her shoulder units. The purple glowing projectiles flying through the air to strike Tsunami. The SeaWing knew that her armor cannot hold up with the advanced weaponry of Hydrous . Firing her thrusters at full power, she moves across the waves, making the plasma missiles fail to make their mark. Tsunami then switched to her assault rifle, firing a burst from long range. The bullets ricocheted off Hydrous’s armor and the SeaWing Aero returned fire with her laser rifle. Tsunami sneered as she looked at her statistics, her energy output was okay, superficial damage and all systems were functioning. Unfortunately, her synchro level was tremendously low for the situation. The Synchronization Level or commonly called Sync, is the neural and emotional harmony between an Aero and their AC. Unlike simple mechanical control, Sync creates a symbiotic relationship where the AC becomes a true extension of the pilot's body and mind. This connection determines not just combat effectiveness, but can mean the difference between fluid, instinctive responses and fatal delays in critical moments. The lower the Sync, the more laggy and sluggish your movements and commands are. Being calm and in control of your emotions allows for a better Sync level, and therefore, a better performance in combat. Currently, Tsunami’s Sync is at 67%, falling under the ‘Moderate’ category.

While dodging more plasma missiles, Tsunami calmed herself. She was upset with Glory’s attitude and Clay’s injuries. Remembering Kestrel’s lesson when you need to meditate on the battlefield… Purge those emotions and distractions and solely think of defeating your enemy. Tsunami breathed through her gills, the salty and dirty air of the sea filling her lungs. She flew across the surface of the water as she stared off in the sky. With a final exhale, she thrusts upright and straight toward Hydrous .

“Sync Level at 85%” Tsunami’s system announced, the SeaWing smiles. She ignites her pulse blade as she twists through plasma and lasers. Firing Tideturner’s thrusters at full power once more, she slashed downward, but she was blocked by Hydrous’s own laser blade. Blue and cyan crashed and sparked as the two Aeros struggled to overpower each other.

“W-what’s wrong with you?! Why are you so strong?!” The SeaWing Aero said in disbelief and frustration.

Tsunami simply lowered her shotgun cannon on her shoulder onto the SeaWing Aero. The SeaWing disengaged and tried to dodge the attack, but a blast of superheated metal shards struck and tore apart one of Hydrous’s metal plating, exposing wires and inner components. The SeaWing Aero panics, trying to dive underwater, but Tsunami stopped here with some suppressive fire from her rifle.

“C’mon, you! Is that all you got?!” Tsunami immediately switches to her shotgun and pulse blade to put more pressure on the retreating Aero, swinging as she fires shell after shell.

“J-just shut up would you! It’s not my fault I failed my Aero exams! I-it’s all my sister’s fault!” The SeaWing Aero complained. “If she didn’t hatch, I never would have had to be an Aero!”

“Wow, that’s cruel. What’s your name, anyway?” Tsunami finally asks, annoyed by referring to the SeaWing as just an ‘Aero.’  

“H-huh? I-it’s Tortoise…”

“Tortoise. I'm Tsunami. But I got a feeling that weren’t going to remember each other’s names after this.”

Tortoise gulps, but her thrusters began to spool up, a look of determination was laced on her face, despite having it half-covered in her combat visor.

“You’re going down, mercenary .” Tortoise sneers, her thrusters spooling up with flickering determination. “I’m going to prove to them that I’m better than my sister, than all of them! By taking you down!”

“Heh. Looks like you got more bark than I thought.” Tsunami spools up her thrusters as well. She could feel both her and Tortoise’s Sync Levels rising. She might have given the enemy a little pep-talk, but it doesn't matter, she’ll be the first Aero that Tsunami shoots down.

Tortoise was the first to make her move, firing another salvo of plasma missiles. Tsunami boosted back, making sure that she dodged out of the radius of the plasma as well. A beam then clips her shoulder, Tortoise was firing her laser rifle, blue bursts shooting across the air. Tsunami dodged them before returning fire herself, a blast from her shotgun but it only slightly dented Hydrous’s armor. Tortoise keeps on firing at Tsunami; the precise blasts were almost hitting their target. Tideturner doesn't have the sufficient armor to handle such attacks, and its weapons were suited for close-range combat. Tsunami’s only choice was to keep dodging and hopefully get close enough for her to strike. Tortoise could not keep on firing forever, her laser rifle became overheated, leaving her defenseless for a moment, a moment that Tsunami capitalized on. Speeding across the water she ignited her pulse blade for a slash, but Hydrous’s plasma missiles finished reloading. Tortoise let a volley of plasma missiles, Tsunami gasped, she was too close. Some of the missiles had hit her, the hot plasma singing her armor and even to her scales. Tsunami let out a pained yell as she flew away, she can feel her scales charring away and revealing her flesh. She mentally injects one of Sunny’s painkillers and the burning pain subsides quickly. Tsunami doesn’t back up, she boosts forward once more, this time getting in range and igniting her pulse blade, her slash was blocked by Tortoise’s own laser blade. Teal and blue sparks fly across their faces as they struggle to overpower each other. Tsunami then lowered her shotgun cannon and fired point-blank, Tortoise barely dodged the attack by ducking her head, but one of her horns was shot off.

“ Damn. If it wasn’t for Sunny’s painkillers, I might not be able to properly fight this loser. Plasma is nasty stuff; I can still feel the scales missing on me! ” Tsunami kept the pressure on Hydrous . Tsunami’s pulse blade fizzes out, and Tortoise lunges forward with her own slash, Tsunami’s assault rifle was slashed in half in the process. Her long-range option gone, Tsunami is forced to rely on close-range tactics. Tortoise opens fire with her own laser rifle, Tsunami dodges the shots and goes in for the kill, igniting her pulse blade once more. Tortoise twists her body, dodging Tsunami’s pulse blade and managing to land a direct hit on Tideturner with her laser rifle. The beam pierces through Tideturner’s armor, turning it into molten slag as it pierces through Tsunami’s flesh before dissipating thanks to her Aero suit.

“Warning. AC taking significant damage. Evasive action recommended.” Tsunami looks at her HUD to see that most of Tideturner’s parts were yellow, but a few parts of them were blinking red. Not to mention that Tsunami lost her assault rifle, her overall hull integrity was at 57%, and her sync level was beginning to lower. Tsunami hissed, this was not good, Tortoise looked like she took barely any damage. 

“A-am I doing it?!” Tortoise’s eyes widened behind her combat visor, surprise and uncertainty in her tone. “Am I keeping up with a real Merc?” 

Tsunami was still weak, someone who just needed protection, dead weight. She grits her teeth as she focused on Tortoise once more. She refused to be compared to some washed up corporate slave. Tsunami was an independent mercenary, and she was proud of the fact, she wouldn't let some pathetic looking SeaWing kill her. She fired up her thrusters and was about to charge toward Tortoise full force. But as Tsunami prepared to launch herself forward, a memory flashed through her mind. 

" Pride kills pilots, Tsunami. The moment you think you're better than your opponent is the moment they put you in the ground.” Kestrel’s harsh voice lectured Tsunami during her time training the dragonets. “Especially when you're up against someone like me with more experience than you could ever hope for. Compared to every other Aero out there? You’re still a clutch of hatchlings. " Tsunami forced herself to pause, her thrusters still screaming but her trajectory steady. She needed to think, not just react. Her Sync level was dropping to 72%, her emotions getting the better of her again. Through her HUD, she analyzed Hydrous more carefully. The AC was mostly built for ranged combat, it was sleek and armored to deal with kinetic weaponry in the front, but those shoulder-mounted plasma launchers created blind spots. More importantly, she realized Tortoise's fighting style. It was textbook corporate training: methodical, defensive, relying on superior equipment rather than pilot skill.

"What's wrong, mercenary?!" Tortoise taunted, her confidence growing. "Having second thoughts?"

“Heh. No, it’s the opposite…” Tsunami chuckles, a predatory grin stretching across her face. “You really rely on your AC’s better performance huh? I’ll admit that you got better guns and jets than mine. But you’re weak, you got nothing on a Merc like with hundreds of kills on her tail!”

“What?! I’ll make you eat those words!” Tortoise begins her attack, firing her laser rifle as she unleashes another volley of plasma missiles. Tsunami laughs, a rookie mistake, unleashing every single weapon on you will leave you exposed. Tsunami boosts toward the missiles and through the laser beams, moving her body ever so slightly to barely dodge the attacks. Tsunami boosts straight toward Tortoise, but the SeaWing ignited her laser blade to intercept her, too obvious. Tsunami then used a pair of thrusters she never quite had the chance to use, small thrusters on her legs that allowed her to boost across the ground and make a quick dodge into a different direction. Her leg thrusters immediately boosted her to the right, catching Tortoise off guard as Tsunami flew to Tortoise’s sides, her blind spot. 

“I won’t let you!” Tortoise pivoted toward the approaching Tsunami, but the angle was impossible for her missile launchers, she was too late. Tsunami fired a shot from her talon held shotgun and scored a direct hit on Tortoise. Metal pellets tore through Hydrous’s metal plating and even managed to pierce Tortoise's scales. The SeaWing shrieked in agony, dropping her guard for Tsunami to deliver a powerful slash across her arm, but Hydrous’s armor was just enough to protect her arm from being completely cut off, absorbing the strike of Tsunami’s pulse blade.

“Let’s keep it up!” The azure SeaWing did not stop however, she pushed herself back in this time aiming her shotgun cannon for Tortoise’s head. Tsunami fires, a tight choke of heated metal shrapnel shooting at terrifying velocities. The light green SeaWing commits the lethal mistake of hesitating, taking the full brunt of the attack. Hot metal hits Hydrous’s frontal plate and quickly dissipates the thermal and kinetic energy, but the dents in the metal plate stab into Tortoise’s scaled chest. 

“Ourhg… Dammit! I-I… Why can’t I?!” Tortoise roars as she fires her laser rifle, her heightened emotions making her aim erratic and desperate. Tsunami flies around quickly, using her leg thrusters to quickly boost into Tortoise’s blind spots. 

“ That’s it, Tsunami! Just think about taking down Tortoise, no Clay to worry about, no annoying Glory, just you and I! ”  Tsunami ignited her pulse blade as she lunged in, she had a chance of killing Tortoise!

***

Glory's afterburners roared as she rocketed toward Hatchetfish, her submachine gun already spitting rounds. But the veteran SeaWing pilot barely moved, his shield generator flickering to life as a spherical shield forms and absorbing the impacts with casual ease.

"That's cute," Hatchetfish drawled, his voice carrying the weariness of countless battles. "But you're gonna need more than spray-and-pray tactics against me, little RainWing."

His LMG opened up, the heavy rounds punching through the air where Glory had been a split second before. She twisted desperately, her Glorybringer’s damaged 4th generation thrusters screaming in protest as she pushed them beyond their limits. One round clipped her shoulder, sending sparks cascading across her vision.

“Warning. Warning. Serious damage has occurred. Invasive action recommended.” Her HUD reports in its frustratingly calm voice.

Glory was screaming internally, she forced her scales to turn jet black as she flew across the water, dodging attacks from Running Empty’s weapons. The G-forces were killing her head as she made tight turns, putting more strain on her already damaged thrusters.

“Stop moving.” Hatchetfish orders as he boosts in front of Glory, the RainWing gasps, the SeaWing has already anticipated her moves! Glory braced herself as blast from his shotgun tore through her armor and into her scales. Glory hissed in pain, trying to mentally inject one of Sunny’s painkillers, but an error came up on her HUD.

“Warning. Stimulants injection system damaged.” Her HUD flashes. Glory boosts away to dodge another volley of LMG rounds. Hatchetfish fires another shotgun shot at Glory, and the impact was enough for Glorybringer to stagger again, her dramatic dodging turned into a sudden lurch toward the ocean. Glory splashed into the cold water like hitting a concrete wall. The RainWing quickly surfaces, coughing and choking out saltwater that invaded her nostrils and mouth. Her scales were in a distorting pattern of blue, she was shivering from the cold, but Glory quickly fired up her thrusters among the protests of her HUD, 

“ Move, move, move, move! ” Glory protests in her mind, trying to get her thrusters active before they are waterlogged. Rising from the water, her ears were met with a thunderous crack, and her jamming missile launcher was shot off her shoulders, the box-like mechanism falling into the water with a significant splash. Glory breathed a sigh of surprising relief, she was slightly glad that thing was shot off, it was heavy, and it didn’t serve much in this battle anyway.

“Got a good taste of our water, huh?” Hatchetfish inhales in a deep breath, then exhales, his gills slightly fluttering from the ventilating action. The barrel of his shoulder mounted sniper cannon was smoking. “Saltwater wakes you up good, you’re going to need it fighting against me, hatchling.”

Glory brings out one of her remaining two weapons, her grenade launcher and fires a round at Hatchetfish. The SeaWing simply activated his shields for a split moment and blocked the explosion. Hatchetfish then raised his LMG and began to fire another spray of oversized rounds towards the RainWing, the rapid ejection of shell casings hitting the water was maddening. Glory forced her scales to go back to black, hoping that the veteran SeaWing couldn’t read her emotions. Glory realized that she was going to die, it was probably the surge of adrenaline in her veins that was causing her to stay afloat. She could hear death ringing in her ears, she smelled not the sea spray, but the stench of her blood staining her talons and scales. Hatchetfish would shoot her down, and the only thing that would be awaiting her was the dark abyss of the ocean, and the darkness of death approaching at the edge of her vision. She was tired, oh so tired, her RainWing body demanded her to rest, take a nap and recharge…

“Glory!! Wake up!!!” Her handler stirred her awake. Glory boosted away from another crack, an enormous splash of sea water appearing right where she was before. She could now feel the spray of ocean brine coating her scales, she faced off against Hatchetfish with uncertainty.

“Glory. Pay attention to your vitals.” Starflight urgently speaks, the scratchy filter of the comm does nothing to hide his anger. “Your Sync Level is catastrophically low, at 35 percent! Combat fatigue is already taking effect; your decisions are taking longer to execute! Do you want to die?! Focus! What’s going on?!”

“Just shut up!” Glory snaps, her scales turning a deep red as her thrusters spools up. “I’ve had enough of everyone talking shit about me! Tsunami, this damn SeaWing, and now you, out of all dragons! Just leave me alone and let me do my thing!”

Glory boosted toward Hatchetfish, her and her submachine gun spitting out profanities. Hatchetfish, with a look of pity on the poor angry RainWing, activated his shield generator and blocked the rounds. Hatchetfish opens fire with a blast from his shotgun, but Glory manages to boost away from the attack. The RainWing sped into Hatchetfish's blind spot and fired a grenade, the explosion was blocked by his shield generator. Glory did not give up, firing more grenades in tandem with her SMG, trying to put some strain on the shields and cause them to break. Her tactic worked, the shields couldn't handle the accumulated impact and dissipated, giving her an opportunity of an exposed Hatchetfish.

“This old thing...!” Hatchetfish slapped his talons on the generator to get it working again, but he was caught off guard by a hail of light caliber bullets hitting him. Hatchetfish boosted away from Glory’s unrelenting and rage-fueled assault, trying to keep her back with his own volley of bullets. Glory manages to dodge the rounds, but a few manage to clip her wings and pierce her scales, but her adrenaline was working great as a substitute for Sunny’s painkillers. Shoving another mag into her submachine gun, she kept on the pressure.

“ I can do this…! Just focus, Glory…! Keep… up… the… pressure! ” Glory’s vision darkened, she felt her wings and arms grow heavy, but she couldn’t give up. She’ll prove to Tsunami that she’s better than her, just keep on firing, ignore all the pain for just a moment. She raised her talon to fire a direct hit on Hatchetfish with her grenade launcher, the explosion rocked the waves and sent sea water into the air.

“Tch… you’re pretty presentient. But it’s not enough.” Hatchetfish charges toward Glory, easily closing the distance. The RainWing was forced back as Hatchetfish fires another shot from his shotgun, metal pellets tearing through Glory’s armor. “I’ve been doing this for almost 13 years, working to the bone…” Glory tried to dodge Hatchetfish’s attacks, but the veteran SeaWing has gotten used to the RainWing’s movements, he lowers his sniper cannon and swivels at the directional path the RainWing was taking. “You know what I learned? There's always going to be someone who tells you what to do, and you’ll grind up your youth following orders. But it's gotta be done.”

Hatchetfish's sniper cannon cracked the air, Glory forced Glorybringer into a desperate dive. She dodged the projectile, but the shockwave from the sheer force threw her balance off, she wobbled in the air for a moment before stabilizing herself. Hatchetfish snorted, opening fire with his LMG once more, Glory was barely managing to dodge them, a heavy round managing to tear scales, metal plating and chunks of her flesh. Several parts of her AC are now glowing red; her HUD berates her with urgent warnings. She was in a critical state; her lightweight AC will literally fall apart if the damage continues to accumulate. Glory returned fire, despite her shaky aim, but her heart dropped when her attacks were blocked as Running Empty ’s shield generator began humming back online. 

“This is pathetic… honestly.” The SeaWing Aero mutters as he aims his sniper cannon at Glory again. “I was expecting a better fight for the one who took out our Pseudos.”

Seeing the barrel of the cannon aimed right at her head, Glory’s mind then hovered over the option of ejection. Just ditch Glorybringer and this nightmare could be over. Afterall, losing one AC is better than losing a life, right? She mentally armed the ejection sequence; she read the message on her HUD asking for confirmation. All ejections require active confirmation from the Aero; an emergency eject mechanism was never implemented in ACs. Eject and she’d be safe, flying away from battle as Glorybringer would be dropped to the ocean waves below. No one can blame her, right? She was outmatched and outgunned. Fighting a veteran pilot with a better equipped AC compared to her initial Aero combat experience and outdated AC. Just… confirm… the eject.

“GLOOORRRRYYY!!!” The valiant and deafening voice of Tsunami pierced through the air and stopped the two Aeros dead in the air. Glory turned to see a mass of blue scales shove her aside and boost toward Hatchetfish, pulse blade ignited and raised. Hatchetfish’s eyes widened, activating his shield generator and blocking the strike. Tsunami gave a resounding roar as she pushed forward with her blade, managing to pierce through the barrier and delivering a second slash that managed to hit Hatchetfish. The older SeaWing groaned in pain as he kicked back Tsunami, returning with a shotgun blast of his own. Tsunami instantly boosted away from the pellets, firing a shotgun shot of her own and her shot struck true, metal plating shearing off from the sheer power of her shotgun.

"Tsunami!" Glory's voice cracked through the comms, relief flooding her system as she watched the azure SeaWing engage Hatchetfish. 

“Pull your head out of your ass! You’re so slow! Is your sync level that low?” Tsunami yelled back, reengaging Hatchetfish with a vengeance. But the veteran pilot wasn't fazed by the two-on-one odds.

“Ugh… that’s gonna leave a mark.” Hatchetfish grimly chuckles, looking at the large gash on his frontal plating, blood starting to leak from the opening. “There’s two of you now… that’s just great.”

The two SeaWings exchanged fire, both of them having contrasting fighting styles. Tsunami’s was more close-range oriented and used aggressive boosting tactics to get the jump on her enemy. Hatchetfish had a more stationary fighting style, using his shield generator to block incoming attacks as he kept a heavy pressure on his enemy on medium ranges.

The thought of ejecting was abandoned in Glory’s mind, she at least had to help Tsunami, despite her current disdain for her. Glory tried to bring her submachine gun to bear, but her damaged systems responded sluggishly. Her Sync Level had plummeted to 28% and continued its decline, every movement felt like she was fighting through thick mud. Hatchetfish seemed to sense her weakness, pivoting between the two dragons with practiced ease.

“Glory, what the hell is wrong with you?!” Tsunami angrily stares at Glory, just as she had to dodge a shotgun shot from Hatchetfish.

“ Being too much of a dead weight for you. ” Glory grits her teeth, her scales along her snout blossoming into a fearsome crimson. “Weren’t you busy dealing with the other Aero?”

“Eh, she’s sorta weak anyway.” Tsunami replies, missing an overhead slash. “Besides… I thought that Clay would be pretty sad if you died here.”

Glory felt weirdly comforted by Tsunami’s concern for her, but she was still angry at her for her harsh remarks said before. Hatchetfish noticed and capitalized on their bickering, targeting Glory and her sluggish movements with his sniper cannon, but he lost focus as Tsunami was being too aggressive for him to properly aim. The RainWing felt frustrated and discouraged, her AC was barely functioning, her ammo reserves were getting low, her adrenaline was wearing away and made her realize the full brunt of her injuries. The thought of the eject prompt circulated through her mind again, she could potentially leave this nightmare behind. Tsunami was simply better suited for this mission than her, just leave it all to her and get out.

“Glory.” Sunny’s voice, calm and gentle in the chaos, reached out to the RainWing. “I’ve been watching your performance with Starflight… you’re in a critical state.”

“S-Sunny?” Glory stammers, listening to the comms through the gunfire between Tsunami and Hatchetfish. She was surprised that the SandWing would take time to talk to them in their situation.

“It’s not just your vitals, but your sync level too. Something’s stopping you from properly fighting,” Sunny explains.

“I don't mean to be mean, Sunny. But I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Glory said.

The SandWing sighs over the comms. “You’re angry, bitter, frustrated. Not at Hatchetfish or yourself.” The SandWing pauses. “It’s Tsunami.”

Glory felt her scales flicker through green, red, then blue before turning back to black. “Huh?! Tsunami? That’s ridiculous! Why am I-”

“You’re jealous of her,” Sunny interrupted, her voice soft but still unrelenting. “Jealous of her skill, her confidence, how she makes combat look effortless. It’s the little things that I manage to notice, Glory, I am the caretaker of your physical and mental wellbeing after all.”

Jealous? Jealous. Glory was jealous of Tsunami. The words hit like swords stabbing into her. That was impossible, Glory would rather be any other dragon than Tsunami. And yet, she’s the only dragon Glory would want to be. But why? Glory looked at the azure SeaWing soaring through the sky, her face covered in dirt and sea spray, the way her eyes sparkled with deliberate determination. Glory had none of what Tsunami has. Ever since Glory was rescued from the crumbled tower, she felt like she had to pay a debt to the dragons she had only known, Tsunami and Clay. Glory would admit it; she once had a crush on the MudWing. Clay’s kindness, strength and protection, Glory would always have to force her scales to not turn pink whenever she interacted with him. But there was Tsunami, a SeaWing with an attitude as foul as seawater. Tsunami believed that Glory was just a weak link in the group, Glory felt as if she was just a cold and bitchy dragon. But in truth, Glory realized she was jealous of her. Jealous that Tsunami had a stronger bond and connection with Clay, jealous that she would be the one to charge headfirst into danger when Glory would cowardly avoid it, jealous of how she can easily handle tens of SkyWing soldiers, and Glory never had the courage to fight. In this war-torn world, you needed confidence in yourself and abilities to survive, good thing Glory was prominent when it came to acting. The RainWing has always been a coward, she hesitates when she pulls the trigger, she makes witty and sarcastic remarks that can irritate dragons, she never follows up on any of her decisions with resolve, just fade into the background with your scales. Tsunami is the direct opposite of her; she stands out within the world with her blue scales and glowing stripes. Glory stands from the sidelines, watching and observing, she makes no enemies or friends, and can't stop feeling like, ‘Why can’t be me?’

The crack of a cannon snaps her out of her trance, she looks up to see Hatchetfish firing at Tsunami, the SeaWing getting hit in her shoulder.

“So, what if I’m jealous?” Glory’s voice cracks. “Why shouldn’t I be? Tsunami is infinitely better than me, she’s confident, strong, and everything that I can’t be.”

“That doesn’t mean you should be more like her.” Sunny advises. “You need to learn to believe in yourself, you have the resolve to follow through with whatever decision you make. You’re a mercenary for crying out loud! It’s time to start acting like one!”

“...I can’t believe you’re infinitely smarter than me too.” Glory chuckles, her confidence oozing from her scales. “Heh… at times like these, I can’t help but be jealous of everybody huh?” Something has crystallized within Glory’s mind, her sync level increases rapidly, her grip on her two remaining weapons become firmer. Tsunami is not her enemy, that crusty old SeaWing was.

“Tsunami, can you hear me?” Glory goes through her comms, using the private channel between her and the SeaWing.

“What do you want, you lazy RainWing?!” Tsunami yelled, still focused on Hatchetfish “My shoulder’s been blown off here!”

“Lazy RainWing huh? Say, if it’s okay to throw insults at each other so casually, how about I refer to you as the ‘bitchy SeaWing’ from now on?” Glory immediately barks back.

“What did you call me?!”

“Oops, force of habit!” Glory jokes, but her voice turned serious as her thrusters began spooling up “But here's the thing, I… I've been an idiot. Jealous, bitter, stupid.” The words were easy to come out of her mouth. “Got no guts, watching from the sidelines. But it turns out… I’m just jealous of you, Tsunami.”

“Huh?”

“I… I've been an idiot. Jealous, bitter, stupid.” The words were easy to come out of her mouth. “Got no guts, watching from the sidelines. But it turns out… I’m just jealous of you, Tsunami.”

“You're better than me. At everything, honestly. Combat, piloting, getting along with Clay… it made me weak…” Glory loads a fresh mag for her submachine gun, the firing mechanism locking into place and armed. “You're hurt, and I'm all messed up, but we're still here. We're still fighting. And maybe... maybe together we're stronger than either of us alone."

“...Huh, alright. Started using that brain of yours, finally.”

“As if we had any to begin with,” Glory flew through the salty air, her movements didn't feel sluggish or slow anymore. She let her submachine gun chitter at Hatchetfish, the SeaWing blocking the attack with his shield generator. Glory twirled into the air, she kept firing at Hatchetfish just as she fired another grenade at him, the explosion was enough to break the shielding. Using the smoke from the explosion as cover, Tsunami lunged toward Hatchetfish. The SeaWing Aero had a split second before blocking Tsunami’s attack with his shotgun, getting it cut in half as result. Hatchetfish kicked back Tsunami as he surveyed his new opponents. 

“Hmph…! Working together now, huh?” Hatchetfish throws away the melted shotgun. He groans in bitter frustration as he notices how concentrated and focused their effort is now. “...God dammit. I’m just too tired for this shit.” Hatchetfish activated a separate comms channel. “Tortoise. It’s going to take a while for me to kill these two, retreat while you still can. Screw coffee, I need a cigarette...”

“Sorry to break to you, but you’re not getting either.” Glory spoke, sticking out her tongue at Hatchetfish slyly.

“Considering you’re going to spend the rest of your days face-first in the water!” Tsunami cackled, both her and Glory’s thrusters spooling up together.

“Hey Tsunami… sorry for what I said earlier.” Glory quickly apologizes. “Guess your blood-thirsty mentally is what we need right now.”

“Apologizing? That’s so out of character for you, Glory!” Tsunami teases, Glory just rolling her eyes in amusement. “But… I’m sorry too, for saying that mean stuff. I… should have been a better teammate. A better friend.”

“We both got things to work on, but right now… let’s just kill this guy and get it over with.” Glory’s scales return to a smooth coat of jet-black.

“Couldn’t agree more!” Tsunami smiles, charging forth Hatchetfish.

Chapter 12: Never Equals (You and I)

Hatchetfish was forced onto the defensive as two dragons attacked from varying angles. The aggressive SeaWing coming in front full force, and the sneaky little RainWing attacking from his rear. Together, they made his life into a more living hell, his shield generator he relied so much on was being disabled fairly quickly by their combined efforts, and damage was quickly accumulating on Running Empty. A torn plate there, some exposed wiring here, even though his HUD states that his overall hull integrity was at 71%, the two were taking a run for his money. He was quickly being backed into a corner, and he knew it was a matter of time before his AC reached critical failure.

“So much for rookies.” Hatchetfish curses as he misses a majority of his LMG shots to the SeaWing dodging them, he quickly turns around to fire upon the approaching RainWing as well. “I seriously regret not bringing missiles to this mission…”

Hatchetfish tries to aim his sniper cannon toward Tsunami, but her movements were making it hard to hit her, too fast and too erratic. Hatchetfish had to squint his eyes just to find that RainWing as well, her scales were blending into the endless sea of dark blue, if he was caught off guard, he would be dead. He watched them intently, how they covered each other’s blind spots while exploiting his own, two dragons from different tribes working together, a truly rare sight.

“Warning: Power Core efficiency now below 70%. Cease energy draining actions.” Running Empty reports. It was most likely referring to its shield generator, it was pretty old and worn down, the design was an energy hog too.

“Shut up, I know what I’m doing.” Hatchetfish mutters underneath his breath, but, did he? Every missed shot, every failed maneuver, and every time he got hit, it was chipping away at his confidence. His machine responded in kind, he felt it, small windows of lags and sluggish movement, his sync level was dropping. He needs to focus and get this mission done quickly.

Tsunami looped around Hatchetfish's cannon shot, executing a perfect barrel roll before boosting forward with her pulse blade ignited and afterburners blazing. Hatchetfish boosts away in response while firing at her with his LMG, the female SeaWing catching some of the shots and being staggered by the sustained fire.

“That’s a rookie mistake, charging in like that in a straight line.” Hatchetfish aimed his sniper cannon at Tsunami once more, but he was met with an angry red flash from his HUD. ‘Reloading.’ he realized that his sniper cannon was still reloading after his initial firing. Hatchetfish cursed before turning around to see the RainWing charging forward with her submachine gun blazing. Hatchetfish quickly activated his recharged shields, the spherical barrier flaring under the sustained fire; he returned fire with his LMG. Glory quickly dodged through the hail of bullets, very few of them managing to hit her, the RainWing’s sync level was rising with every passing second.

“55, 60, 65% Sync Level.” Glorybringer announces, Glory smiles. She was one with Glorybringer, and the sync level reflected that. It was not like the Aero-Craft was responding to Glory’s commands, it was if the AC was actively flying alongside her. So this is what it felt like, facing talon-to-talon in Aero combat. Glory never knew that it felt this, liberating. Glory narrowed her eyes, she continued her attack on Hatchetfish, her movements were now deliberate and controlled. The SeaWing began to seriously struggle against the two Aeros, his bone-deep fatigue was setting in and his own sync level was beginning to drop steadily, causing a positive feedback loop of degrading performance. Hatchetfish locked in, focusing all his fire on the RainWing first. She was already plenty weakened, he would take her down first and then deal with female SeaWing. Tortoise and Hydrous should be running away by now, this was basically a mission complete.

“Time to end this.” Hatchetfish hisses, instead of hovering back, he spooled up his thrusters and charged forth toward Glory. His LMG chittered out a continuous stream of rounds as he pushed his shield generator into overdrive, the barrier flickering and strengthening under the massive power draw. Glory found herself forced purely on the defensive, dodging frantically as the veteran bore down on her with reckless determination. He planned to close distance and grab the RainWing, then deliver a point-blank shot from his high-impact cannon. It was a desperate tactic, the kind that either ended battles or got you killed trying.

“Try and get me!” Glory taunts, she raises her grenade launcher in defiance, and fires at Hatchetfish. But the SeaWing charges through, his shield generator pushing itself to an inoperable state, its inner circuitry overheating. Still, he boosted through the smoke with gritted teeth. He lunged forward and managed to grab the RainWing by the arm and pulled her in towards his body, lowering his cannon right on her.

“Checkmate,” Hatchetfish concludes. His shields were down, his power core was at 54%, and Running Empty was now operating on borrowed time. But he had her.

“Now, Tsunami!” Glory screams, the water below them erupted as Tsunami came forth, both of her shotgun weapons boom at the opposing SeaWing. The combined projectile pellets managed to deal major damage on Hatchetfish, scales and blood flying within the air, Running Empty’s systems staggered as Hatchetfish groans in unadulterated agony. Glory moves back as Tsunami continues to move forward, this time with her pulse blade ignited, ready for the kill. Hatchetfish tried to move away, but his AC was still rebooting.

“No, no… shit!” Hatchetfish screams as Tsunami delivers a wide slash across on her fellow tribes-dragon’s body. The pulse blade whistles with energy as it cuts deep through his armor and into his flesh, the blade’s burning power cauterizing the wound. Hatchetfish’s eyes winded in shock as his body froze up, Running Empty’s hull integrity drops to a point of no return, its systems start to fail as Hatchetfish bleeds from his mouth.

“I’m… done.” Hatchetfish sighs, closing his eyes for one final time. Memories of his parents, comrades, and battles he fought are all flashing before his mind. Dark purple scales mixed with bright crimson, his rectangle-like swirls glowed dimly in defiance but they went out like a candle flame being snuffed out. “I could… Finally… Get some sleep…”

The Aero and his AC splashed into the water below. Sinking deeper, and deeper into the darkening abyss.

“Confirmed, Hatchetfish and Running Empty eliminated.” Starflight reports through the comms. Tsunami and Glory were exhausted, they were in a tragic state to fight. Low on ammunition, and their ACs were damaged significantly, but their morale and sync levels were high. “Congratulations on your first Aero Kill you two. But get back to the mission you two, we still have our main target to eliminate.”

“Heh… that’s it huh?” Glory laughs, hovering in the air while watching the final bubbles from the sinking Running Empty pop. “Well… I will admit, that was a bit exhilarating.” Glory’s scales shifted to her usual preferred colors, “and exhausting too… I’m ready for a nap.”

“We aren’t done yet, Glory. We still need to kill Tortoise.” Tsunami looks across the waters of Phalanx Bay. “Her AC is our objective, that other AC was just a setback.”

“You’re so cruel, Tsunami! I almost died to some middle-aged SeaWing, and you're only focused on the job huh? A true mercenary if I do say so myself!” Glory teases.

“Don’t push your luck, we just got back on good terms.” Tsunami hisses, but a smile was creeping up her face.

Moments passed as they were flying in search of Tortoise. Glory used that moment to look in hindsight. The image of Hatchetfish plummeting to the ocean was deep in her mind.

“So, that’s it huh. He just… splattered. Like that. All that fight, all that skill, gone in an instant." Glory’s scales subtly shifted to a darker, more somber hue. The "liberating" feeling she'd experienced in the heat of battle now felt unsettling. The weight of taking a life, even in the chaos of war, was heavier than she had anticipated. She glanced at Tsunami, wondering if the SeaWing felt it too. But Tsunami remained stoic, her gaze fixed on the horizons, looking for her target. She'd killed before, this was no different. It was cold, clinical, and devastatingly final. Glory knew that Tsunami felt the same thing, but she was good at hiding it underneath her scales.

“Anything on the radar?” Tsunami asked Starflight through the comms, referring to Tortoise’s whereabouts.

“She’s nearby. She hasn’t left the combat zone, strangely.” Starflight reports, Glory and Tsunami instinctively looked toward the waters, Tortoise could be hiding under the water, waiting to ambush them.

“This complicates things…” Glory sighs, changing her colors back to jet black. She has already started surveying the water for any disturbances, or the humming of engines, lest she get caught off guard like with Hatchetfish. Tsunami was doing the same thing, she almost looked tempted to dive in herself, but she knew her weapons wouldn’t work under there anyway. Then Glory saw it at the corner of her eye, the flicker of a green and yellow tail poking out of the surface before it dove back in. Glory smiled, she braced herself with her grenade launcher, and waited. She pretends to be looking through the water, but she knew that remaining Aero would be coming for her next. Then, her patience was rewarded when Glorybringer’s alarms roared to life, detecting another AC nearby. The water beside her erupted as if a depth charge exploded, and Tortoise appeared alongside Hydrous with her laser blade ignited. Glory tucked her wings in and ducked, causing Tortoise to soar above her. The SeaWing’s face went from determination to surprise, and Glory raised her grenade launcher and pulled the trigger.

An explosion rocked the waves as Glory was pushed back, it was a direct hit, it must have done significant damage to Hydrous. However, to Glory’s surprise, Tortoise’s armor looked relatively unscathed. But there was something else, a dome of energy surrounding Tortoise and Hydrous’s core was open and exposed. This could only mean one thing, Kestrel’s lesson on this specific subject came to mind.

“A... A Core Amplification!” Glory shouts, she has underestimated her opponent. But it was to be expected. A newly developed 8 Gen AC should come with a Core Amplification program anyway. A Core Amplification is triggered by its Core Amplification Program, a thin yet hardened sheet made up of an exotic material called Oracleium, Etched in the sheet are the elaborate and complex patterns the AC needs to perform a Core Amp. When triggered, the core of an AC pools its power from the generators to empower the AC with a variety of different effects depending on the Core Amplification Program. The Core Amp Hydrous has produced an Envelopment Shield, a dome of high frequency energy surrounding the AC and Aero, the shield not only blocks kinetic rounds, but it can also bend the light of lasers hitting it. Only the casting Aero’s weapons can pass through this impervious shield.

“Hydraulina, protect me.” Tortoise prays as she charges forward Glory, laser blade engaged and humming dangerously.

Glory’s tactical mind cringed at the current circumstances. In front of her was a SeaWing with an 8th gen AC, and it was now protected by a shimmering dome. Glory had to bank a hard right to dodge Tortoise’s slash.

“Tsunami! I need some help here!” Glory yelled through the comms, banking the left to dodge laser beams from Tortoise. “The enemy has triggered Core Amp!”

“On the way!” Tsunami yells, the RainWing can see the azure figure boosting toward her, but could she arrive in time? Glory continued to dodge Tortoise’s attacks, Glorybringer responding smoothly to her commands. She wouldn’t bother firing at the shield, she was low on ammunition after her fight with Hatchetfish, and any attack would simply do nothing on the Envelopment Shield. Tortoise pressed the advantage, keeping Glory on the edge of her talons as she kept on attacking with plasma missiles, laser beams, and lunges from her melee. The laser blade swept in a wide arc, missing Glory by mere meters as she rolled desperately to avoid the strike. The heat from the energy weapon was so intense that Glory could feel it through Glorybringer's hull, her scales involuntarily shifting to warning oranges and reds. The SeaWing fought with the reckless abandon of someone who'd already lost everything that mattered. Each attack wasn't just about the mission, it was about finally being first at something.

“I’m not going to hide anymore!” Tortoise shouts as she fires another volley of plasma missiles. Glory boosting herself upwards to dodge them. Tortoise’s voice cracking with years of suppressed frustration.“I’m done being pushed around, I’m standing up for myself, here and now!” Glory’s eyes widened as she saw the yellow-green SeaWing lunge at her at unnatural speeds, only to be pushed away from a slam by Tsunami.

“I feel so bad for you, honestly!” Tsunami yells back. “It’s not our fault your life is so sucky!”

“You’re right… it’s all my sister's fault!!!” Tortoise screams, her gills flaring out as anger is growing all over her scales. “I was one of the best candidates to be a member of the Dragonet Care Department! I could have interned there after I graduated! But my parents favored my younger sisters instead! They told me to ditch my education just so she could go!!! IT’S NOT FAIR! I worked my tail off getting a good education, but my sister pulled the rug from under me! Now I’m stuck with either sex work or this job of being a test dummy for Shearwater’s crazy CEO and her inventions!!! GOD DAMMIT ALL!!!!!” Tortoise roars in rage, reactivating her laser blade that was still busy cooling from initial use. She made a dramatic wide slash with his blade toward Tsunami, but the azure SeaWing blocked the attack with her pulse blade. “I was supposed to intern at Dragonet Care... three years of perfect grades for nothing!" Tsunami ignored her and raised her shotgun to sneak in a shot, but the Envelopment Shield caused the pellets to harmlessly fall off it, ripples appeared on the shield as the bullets made their impact. "My parents chose her over me! Their precious younger daughter got MY future!" Tortoise roars again, she pushes forward with her laser rifle raised and fires a point blank shot on Tsunami, piercing through her stomach. Tsunami gagged in pain as she was getting pushed back by Tortoise’s sheer anger.

“You’re so pitiful. It’s exhausting listening to you.” Glory mutters. But as Tsunami and Tortoise fought, she saw that Tsunami was being pushed back, as she had no real way of dealing damage to her. Glory gritted her teeth, she wanted to join the fight, but it would be stupidly reckless. The RainWing's mind worked frantically, conventional weapons were useless against the Core Amp's shield, but there had to be a weakness.

"Starflight!" Glory called out through the comms while dodging another salvo of plasma missiles. "How long do Core Amps typically last?"

"Depends on the model and power core efficiency," came the immediate response. "But most 8th Gen units can sustain for maybe two to three minutes maximum. The power draw is enormous though, once her shields drop, she’s a sitting duck.”

Two to three minutes, the two dragons would be dead by then. Glory checked her ammunition reserves, she was running dangerously low after the fight with Hatchetfish. She only had two shots left in her grenade launcher and just enough submachine gun rounds. She and Tsunami needed to survive long enough for either the Core Amp to burn out or…

“Starflight! Can we put enough strain on the shield that it overwhelms the generator?” Glory asks again through the comms.

“...I suppose it’s possible. If you put enough impact and pressure on the shield, it would cause the core and generator to work overtime, and therefore depleting the timer faster or causing it to burn out entirely. But you’ll need a huge amount of prolonged damage for that to work… unless.” Starflight’s response came, but he paused for a moment. Glory smiled, so it was possible, and she knew exactly how to break the shield. “Wait… you’re not thinking...?”

“Leave it to us.” Glory shifted forward and boosted back into the fray. She puts her submachine gun on the designated rack on Glorybringer . She used her free talon to pull back the chamber of her grenade launcher and looked at the ordinance, a high explosive shell. It can be done, but Glory had to aim precisely for this trick. Glory observed the battle as Tsunami and Tortoise kept on fighting. Tsunami raised her shotgun and fired, the pellets bouncing off harmlessly the shield and creating ripples across it. Glory activated her Combat Visor’s magnification system and zoomed in on the rippling shield, observing and studying the frequency of its ripples. Recalling the lessons taught by Kestrel, Glory’s eyes narrowed as she ran a few mathematical calculations through her mind, still observing the Envelopment Shield’s surface. Eureka , she’s got it.

“Tsunami, fall back!" Glory commanded through the comms. "I have an idea, but I need you to trust me!"

"What are you thinking?" Tsunami grunted, barely dodging another sweep of the laser blade.

"Remember what Kestrel taught us about shield harmonics?" Glory's scales rippled with concentration, shifting into a deep blue rather than jet black. She adjusts Glorybringer to the raging Tortoise. "Every energy shield has a resonance frequency. If we can match it with the Envelopment Shield…”

“How? We don’t have any pulse or lightwave weapons! Even my pulse blade’s short run time is too useless to do anything-!”

“Don’t you dare ignore me!” Tortoise screams as she unleashes another volley of plasma missiles, the projectiles singing the surrounding air as they detonate near Glory and Tsunami.

“Ack!” Glory hisses as plasma singes the scales on her wings, she brings out her submachine gun. “Tsunami! When I give the signal, fire everything you got on the top upper part of the shield! I’ll get her attention!” She made Glorybringer dive down toward Tortoise as her SMG chattered out suppressive fire.

“...Copy that. I’ll fire on your mark.” Tsunami hesitates for a split second but she reluctantly agrees, her voice filled with grim determination. “You’re one fucking suicidal RainWing, I’ll give you that.”

“Better than lazy,” Glory remarks as she opens fire at Tortoise again, getting the SeaWing’s attention. “HEY SEAWING!!! Too busy blaming your problems on your sister than focusing on the battle, huh?!”

“Why you…!” Tortoise hissed as she grinds her fangs in irritation, the mention of her sister was enough to ruffle her scales. Her thrusters spool up even when being pushed to the extreme. “I’ll skin you alive!”

Glory boosts back as she sprays the sky with her submachine gun, she needed to have Tortoise's complete attention for this to work. As Glory dodged Tortoise’s own attacks, she slowly moved herself downward near the ocean surface. Glory looked nearby to see Tsunami hovering close by, still awaiting her signal. Now the cold ocean waters were licking at Glory’s tail, the RainWing continued to fire at Tortoise, the outraged SeaWing too busy screaming profanities as well.

“Lazy, surface dwelling, insensitive, piece of shit!” Tortoise curses boosting recklessly left and right in an blind and desperate effort to catch up to Glory. “YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME OR MY LIFE!”

“Never need to,” Glory aims her grenade launcher and fires one of her last rounds. The round detonated on the shield, smoke was blocking Tortoise’s line of sight. The SeaWing stops as she angrily tries to shoot through the smoke. Glory, with the help of her Combat Visor’s HUD, specifically targets her last grenade shot near the bottom of Hydrous . “This is where your story ends.” She pulls her talons and she fires her last grenade at the ocean surface. “NOW, TSUNAMI!”

The grenade whistled through the air, not toward Tortoise, but toward the water directly beneath her. It detonated just as it hit the surface, sending a massive column of water upward. But Glory hadn't been aiming to actually damage the shield, she'd been aiming for acoustics. The explosion's shockwave traveled through the water and air simultaneously, creating a complex interference pattern of sound waves. When it struck Tortoise's Envelopment Shield from below, it created exactly the resonance frequency Glory had calculated. The shield ripples and fluctuates thanks to the shockwave, amplified by sound waves traveling through the water. In addition, Tsunami unleashed both her shotgun and shotgun cannon from above, the impacts also causing ripples on the shield. The Envelopment Shield began to fluctuate and wobble, as if a giant bubble was about to be popped. The shield shatters from the synchronized attack, leaving Tortoise completely exposed as Hydrous staggers from the excessive usage of its generator and core. After realizing what happened, all of Tortoise’s bravado and resolve crumbled and vanished like dust. Glory and Tsunami dove on her in different directions to circle in for the kill.

“Ah! …Aaaahhhhh!!! No, no, no, no, no p-please don’t! I-I'm sorry!” Tortoise desperately cries, the words being caught onto her dry throat, watching the two Aeros fly straight toward her. Her yellow-green scales had paled to the sickly hue of dried seaweed, trembling violently as she watched the two Aeros cut through the air toward her. Tears streamed down her scarred face, mixing with the salt spray from the churning waves below. Her voice cracks like broken sea glass. “I-I… sniff , just wanted… my mother to acknowledge me…!” Her voice was barely audible within the roars of jet engines.

“LT unit ammunition depleted. Purging.” Glorybringer said with cold indifference. Glory raised her empty grenade launcher with a cold smile of satisfaction and chucked it at Tortoise with all her might. Once a weapon’s ammunition was depleted, it was considered dead weight for the AC, and would be promptly ditched by the system. It was Glory’s way of getting revenge on her ambusher by throwing your empty weapon at them, Tsunami would kill her anyway. 

The empty grenade launcher hit Tortoise square in the face, hard. With a resounding crack that echoed like a gunshot, Tortoise gave out an awful shriek of pain as the grenade launcher crushed her snout and face. Blood flowed out like a fountain and a cascade of her own teeth flew out in the air. Shining like peals, the white shards dropping into the dark ocean below.

“Shouldn’t have been Shearwater's test dummy.” Tsunami’s ice-cold voice gave her last words as she cocked her shotgun and aimed it at Tortoise’s back. The klick-klack of the pump chambering the final round sounded like the death knell. The shot thundering across the waves, the pellets shredded through Hydrous’s armor and ultimately finding their mark on Hydrous’s fuel tanks. The reaction was devastating, a great, apocalyptic fiery explosion erupted that rivaled even Clay’s shoulder mounted cannon. A massive fireball erupted from Hydrous's core, its brilliant orange and white flames expanding outward in a sphere of destruction. Tsunami and Glory were even flung back by the shockwave, the duo straightening themselves quickly as they continued to witness. Debris rained down like burning hail, with twisted fragments of armor plating, and pieces of machinery that had been Shearwater Tech’s most innovative AC just moments before. The charred corpse of Tortoise, along with the annihilated debris of Hydrous , plummeted into the ocean and sank unfathomably into the abyss. The waves embraced over them with indifferent finality, as if neither had ever existed at all.

The sudden silence that followed was almost as deafening as the explosion itself, broken only by the gentle lapping of waves, the distant cry of seabirds, and a NightWing handler’s voice.

“Confirmed. Tortoise and Hydrous are eliminated. Mission accomplished.” Starflight announces, but his tone of voice says otherwise. “That state of your ACs, and the amount of ammunition you both have used… it’s going to really bite into our pay here.”

“Eh, money is money. Especially for mercenaries like us.” Tsunami refuted at Starflight, but she was busy staring at the ocean waters below. She whispers in a voice barely heard by Glory. “That’s 237 and 238…”

“Tsunami? Are you alright?” Glory asked, checking up on her comrade.

“...I’m fine. Yeah, I’m good.” Tsunami shook her head, looking at the RainWing. “We did good today, Glory. Don’t let the death of those two weigh you down. They were Aeros like us too you know, they were ready to die.”

Glory lowered her head and stared at the water as well. Her scales turned into a somber blue and muddled grey. Her first real battle with other Aeros, she felt a whole multitude of feelings even her scales can't register. But lest she do know is let the feeling of taking a life chain her. Mercenaries don’t bother their precious thoughts on that. Glory realized she was already planning their next mission in her head. What weapons to bring, what tactics to employ, how to be more efficient next time. She might even have to completely rehaul Glorybringer as a result as well. 

"I…I'm not the same dragon who took off this morning, am I?" Glory said.

"No," Tsunami replied simply. "You're not. Question is… are you okay with that?"

Glory considered this, watching the sun, once obscured by the clouds, sank softly into the sea on the horizon. “Yeah, I think I am…" she said, surprised by her own certainty. And with that newfound certainty, she looked at Tsunami.

“Hey Tsunami,” Glory finally awoke from her depression trance, looking at the SeaWing's green eyes with gratitude. “Thanks for trusting me when we were fighting Tortoise, and for saving me from Hatchetfish, that too.”

Tsunami was genuinely surprised that the RainWing had thanked her. Hours ago, they had loathed each other’s mere presence. But now they had flown side-by-side in battle and succeeded in putting aside their differences to complete the mission.

“Well, if it wasn’t for your smarts I suppose, we wouldn’t have beaten Tortoise.” Tsunami’s mouth turns into a small smile, “We’re battle buddies now. We’re going to have to go out together every time we sortie.”

“Honestly, I like that.” Glory’s scales returned to her normal pattern. “Now, let’s go. The adrenaline’s worn off and everything is just hurting real bad…”

As if on cue, Tsunami then felt the pain of her injuries as well. Bruises, cuts, and burns of different sizes were littered all over her body. Luckily the two’s Aero suits managed to mitigate some damage.

“Great. Sunny’s going to chew out our ears for this,” Tsunami used her talons to grab a round that was lodged in her scales, likely from Hatchetfish’s LMG. She pulls it out with a hiss and flings the stray piece of metal into the ocean.

“I hope none of this stuff scars. I don’t want to look like Clay.” Glory jokes, and Tsunami chuckles at her playful remark.

“We both are going to look like Clay one day,” Tsunami laughs, the first genuine one since forever. Tsunami flicked her tail on Glory’s snout. “Let’s get out of here, race you there!”

“Tsunami, don't do it you dumbass! You’re going to run out of fuel if you do that!” Glory yells at the SeaWing. 

“ARGH!!!! You know what? I hate that fucking high-end brain of yours!”

\\\

Destroy SeaWing Tester Aero-Craft

Mission Status: Complete

Client: Aurora Dynamics

Reward: 340,000 Scales (+Additional 60000 for Hatchetfish’s elimination)

Message from client: Not only were you able to take down 1 AC, but 2 as well. We at Aurora Dynamics are more than pleased with your results. We shall remember you, Dragonets of Destiny. We may also consider using your services for potential future endeavors.

Calculating Expenses… Deducting…

Total Pay: 305,619 

Chapter 13: Shopping

Notes:

Fictional drugs and chemicals I made up are in this chapter. So don't waste your time looking them up.

“Are you kidding me…” Starflight throws out another fried circuit board from Tideturner. “Tsunami… I can’t believe it… It’s… you just set a new record for the amount of damage you’ve accumulated.” He climbs down and throws a small filter at the SeaWing, who was eating a freshly caught fish nearby.

“OW! Dammit! Watch it Starflight!!!” Tsunami yells, covered in bandages, horns to tail.

“You need to watch your generator efficiency more often! You pushed Tideturner too hard again!” Starflight grabs a wielding tool from his toolbox; he lowered his engineering goggles and began to work out the minor damage on Tideturner . “Clay, pass me another reinforced plate.”

“Here you go, Starflight.” The MudWing was quick to respond, already giving him the plate. His injured arm was injured no longer, thanks to the fast-acting healing compounds that Sunny has personally concocted. “This is the last one, by the way.”

“We’re out of parts? Just our luck!” Starflight took off a damaged plate on Tideturner and used the new one to replace it. “First, you two lost 3 weapons total. Second, you came back severely injured, along with both of your ACs.”

“Well, in our defense. It was our first time in Aero combat. That’s like telling a butterfly to fight a wasp!” Glory defends, also wrapped up in bandages just like Tsunami.

“First time for everything, isn't that right?” Sunny flies into the conversation, a metal tray in her talons. It contains two syringes of medical compounds for her two patients, who did not take the sight lightly.

“No no! Not the syringe again!” Glory hisses, flaring out her bright red frills.

“How can you do this to us, Sunny?!” Tsunami stands up, equally as distressed. “I hate that thing! It stings and it makes my body feel all icky from the inside!”

“Come on you two! It’s just Euravifreptine! It just juices up your natural healing process! Don’t you two want to get better soon?” Sunny laid the tray on a nearby table, grabbing the syringe and preparing it for injection. “Stop being a big dragonet, Tsunami. It’ll only hurt for a second, I promise.”

“No! I don't want to! Ack-!” Tsunami protested as she was pinned down by Clay. “Clay, get your fat tail off of me!”

“Sorry Tsunami, but this is for your own good.” Clay said, looking up at Sunny. “Now Sunny!”

“I’ve got it! Hold down her arm!” Clay does what the SandWing said, holding down Tsunami’s left arm as he pushes her to the floor. Sunny then rubbed a spot with alcohol before stabbing the spot, the needle going in between the scales and into her skin. For only a second, Sunny was done. The SandWing quickly wraps a bandage around the injection spot before Clay releases her back into the wild.

“Ow, ow! Fucking… shit! It’s still sore, you know!” Tsunami stood up, yelling profanities that echoed off the cave walls.

“For the love of…! Shut it!” Starflight threw another damaged part at Tsunami, only to get hit by an invisible force. The invisible force was Glory in disguise, who changed her scales into her surroundings to avoid taking her shot. Now that her cover was blown, she made a mad dash away from the hangar, but was caught and pinned down by Clay.

“Clay! Please! Don't do this to me!” Glory begs. She puts on a saddened expression and changes her scales to a somber blue color.

“Glory… That’s not going to work on me. C’mon, time for your shot!” Clay holds out her arm so Sunny could administer the drug.

“C-Clay! H-How could you…eep!” Gory squeaked when Sunny stabbed the needle in between her scales, the specific spot turning into a disturbed green.

“And there! All finished.” Sunny finished, quickly wrapping another bandage around Glory’s arm. 

Tsunami laughed at the noise the RainWing emitted. “Ahahaha! What was that?! It sounded like a mouse! That’s so cute of you Glory!”

Glory’s frills blushed pink in embarrassment. She immediately stood up and hissed at Tsunami, before fading into the surrounding as if she was never there.

“Ugh… I hate it when Gloy tries to hide away like that.” Clay stood up from the ground. “You two Tsunami! You can be afraid of some injections! Your body needs all the help it can get so it can fully recover!”

“Easy for you to say.” Tsunami holds her chin up high. “You got all that fat to absorb the pain.”

“It’s not fat, it’s muscle mass! I swear!" The MudWing protested.

“Tsunami, stop being mean! And Clay, nothing is wrong with you.” Sunny scolds the two of them, her attitude and tone of voice giving off a motherly vibe.

The sound of a broken piece clatters onto the floor, Starflight crawls off of the ACs he was working on and sighs. He pulls up his mechanical visor to address his fellow teammates and friends. “Dragonets of Destiny! I have an announcement to make!”

Clay sat down calmly without a second thought, Tsunami stopped sulking and strained her posture, Glory reverted her scales back to her usual pattern and sat as well, Sunny eagerly smiled at Starflight. The 4 awaited the orders of their Handler, because he was technically the only dragon with a properly functioning brain in the cave, (aside from dear Sunny of course). Starflight took off his visor and put the tools he was using back in his toolbox, he grabbed a nearby cloth to wipe off any fluids on his talons. The 4 dragonets gulped, tensing, as Starflight cleared his throat and took a deep breath in.

“After inspecting the recent damage on Tideturner and Glorybringer , and the degrading state of a neglected Mudflap . I think it is high time to go shopping for some parts.”

The other 4 dragonets were in a joyful uproar. It has been what felt like a millennia since their last shopping trick. This is when they can spend their hard-earned, stone-cold, blood-covered money personally. The black market they usually go to always has something interesting and practical to buy.

“However, we have to spend a good majority of it on parts, and replacement weapons for Tsunami and Glory. If we don't have any protests on the decision. Let’s get going.”

First thing’s first however. No dragon goes into a black market empty-taloned, you always need to carry a weapon, just in case something goes wrong down there. For Clay, it was a brass knuckle, Tsunami a sharp knife, Glory had her own venom, Starflight checks the ammunition in his revolver before putting it in a hidden holster under his hindleg. Sunny is a pacifist, she doesn't like to fight or bring harm to another dragon, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t bring a few syringes of quick-acting sedatives in case of an emergency.

“Is everybody ready?” Starflight grimly asked the gang, they all gave him a nod in affirmation. “Let’s go then.” The 5 dragons then made their journey to the nearest black market; Bullet-Tooth.

***

Bullet-Tooth was a black market hub deep underneath a mountain in SkyWing territory. Stalls filled with illegal and smuggled weapons and goods were in the dozens. Shady individuals, untrustworthy merchants, and lowly mercenaries all inhabit the corners of this filth hole. Despite having the reputation of a dangerous black market, to many individuals, this was somewhere they could hide from the cruel and judgmental world. This is the place where the DoD got their supplies, and where they met the late mercenary and mentor; Kestrel.

“It’s been a while, Bullet-Tooth!” Tsunami announces as the group walks through the entrance, dragons passing by barely pay any attention to them. It’s not a wise idea to let your guard down in a place like this, as long as somebody doesn't look like they might pickpocket or kill you.

The familiar acrid smell of engine oil and burnt metal filled their nostrils as they made their way deeper into the underground bazaar. Neon signs flickered overhead, casting an eerie glow on the faces of dragons huddled around makeshift fires. The constant hum of generators and the occasional spark from welding torches created a chaotic symphony that had become oddly comforting to the Dragonets of Destiny.

“You know the drill, stay close to eachother.” Starflight looks suspiciously at the nearby dragons, clutching his concealed firearm. “Remember. We’re here for parts first, then personal luxuries second. Cause no trouble.”

All seemed to be going well, but Clay’s rumbling stomach said otherwise. It was loud enough to cause nearby dragons to stare judgementally at him. “Uh… how about we grab a bite first? That roasted goat shack looks pretty appetizing…” He asked hopefully, a small drop of droll threatening to leak from the corner of his mouth.

Glory gave Clay a shove, snapping him out of his trance. “Clay, you ate 2 hours ago. You can’t be that hungry.” Glory added, “Besides… you should act more professional when we’re here. You’re a mercenary, you know, got to uphold your reputation.”

“If we even have a good one,” Tsunami jokes, she was wearing a smile that oozes confidence. “I don’t care about anything else honestly, I just want Tideturner to be able to fly again and a new gun to shoot dragons with!”

“A new gun, you say?” A gravelly and almost mysterious voice came from a darkened stall nearby. The dragonets turned to see a greyed out looking SandWing, wearing a black large coat. The SandWing turns on the lights of his stall, revealing all sorts of weapons on display “Got something that might interest ya, hehehe!”

“Sabaku!” Sunny beamed, hopping over to the dragon. The DoD recognized this SandWing. Sabaku was the main supplier of ammunition and weapons for the Dragonets. He has contacts from not only PAOC, but other corporations from the different tribes as well. “How’s business fairing for you?”

“Just some ups and downs Lady Sunny, but what do ya expect when yer runnin’ a stall in a black market? Hehehe!” Sabaku kindly exchanged words with the tiny SandWing, he didn’t mind having a conversation with this lovely young lass, she was probably one of his only customers that actually strikes a conversation with the merchant. Sabaku looked up to see familiar faces. “Ah. Clay, Tsunami, Glory, and Starflight. Good to see you all in one piece.”

“Sabaku,” Starflight gave the SandWing a small, acknowledging nod. “Since we’re here… Tsunami, Glory. Pick out some weapons for your ACs, don’t go overboard. I’m going to Alder’s stall to buy parts.” The NightWing left the stall, leaving behind the 4 dragons with Sabaku.

“There he goes again.” Glory sighs. “I think he’s embarrassed about being with us.”

“Nah. That ain't true, lass. That NightWing cares deeply for all of ya. Ya wouldn’t even know what the things he’ll do for his fellow friends.” Sabaku responded. “It’s fate. I tell ya. It feels like you 5 were destined to be with each other. Hatch together, work together, fight together, die together, am I right?”

“Don’t know about that last part,” Glory said, looking at Sunny. “But it reminds me of the time where we chose our group’s name.”

***

"How about the Dragonets of Destiny?" Sunny's voice trembled with barely contained hope as she looked around at the faces of her dearest friends. This was a time where they were still dragonets, just one year away from adulthood.

"Huh? Dragoents… of Destiny?" Tsunami repeated the name slowly, her brow furrowing before she burst out laughing, a harsh, bitter sound that cut through the air. "What kind of corny name is that? Sounds like something ripped straight from a cryptic NightWing prophecy!" Her laughter made Sunny's wings droop.

"That's not nice, Tsunami." Clay's voice was firm but gentle, he moved closer to Sunny, whose bright scales had dulled with hurt. The MudWing's massive wing curved around their smallest friend like a shield.

"Although I think Tsunami should be less harsh, I also agree with her concerns." Starflight's voice was careful, but his eyes held genuine curiosity at Sunny. "Why Dragons of Destiny, Sunny?"

"Well…" Sunny's voice cracked, and she had to swallow hard before continuing. "We all met each other when we're dragonets, right? That's the first part." Her talons fidgeted nervously, and her tail shook as memories; some beautiful, some painful, washed over her. "And for the 'Destiny' part… I kinda feel like we were destined to meet each other. We all hatched on the Brightest Night, against all odds, and it feels like fate itself pushed us together from the farthest corners of Pyrrhia." Her voice grew stronger, more passionate, she controlled her shuddering breath as tears began to shimmer in her emerald eyes. "I'm really grateful for meeting you all. I was in such a… horrible, lonely time until I ran into Starflight that day. Because of that moment, because of all of you…" Her voice broke completely now, raw with emotion. "I really do believe we were meant to be together, as a group. As a family."

The other four dragonets stared at Sunny with stunned, bewildered eyes, their hearts clenching at the raw vulnerability in their friend's voice. The heavy silence stretched between them,

"Dammit, Sunny," Glory whispered, her scales shifting to deep pink and red as she barely contained the tears threatening to spill down her face. "Stop tugging at our heartstrings like that..." Within a moment, Glory was able to calm her emotions, reverting her scales into a neutral warm grey. "Although I'd want a different name... I think Dragons of Destiny works fine. More than fine."

"Same here," Clay admitted, his voice rough with feeling as he smiled at Sunny with such warmth it could have melted ice. "You always know exactly what to say to remind us what really matters."

"...After some consideration," Starflight said slowly, unable to look directly at Sunny's bright, hope-filled face. The NightWing scratched his neck awkwardly, his heart hammering. "I think the name's perfect, actually."

The four dragonets then turned their attention to Tsunami, who stood frozen, her usual bravado crumbling as she watched Sunny's puppy-dog eyes fill with desperate hope. The SeaWing's tough exterior wavered, then shattered completely under the weight of her love for the optimistic SandWing who had somehow made them all believe in something far greater.

"AARGHH! Fine! DoD is okay with me!" Tsunami's voice cracked as she threw her talons up in defeat, angry tears streaming down her face. "But only because you're all impossible to say no to!"

"Hehehe! Thank you, Tsunami!" Sunny launched herself at the SeaWing, wrapping her wings in a hug so warm and full of love that Tsunami's anger melted away entirely. The SeaWing held her tightly, smiling and not minding in the slightest.

"It's decided then." Starflight's said, his calm persona masking his heavy heart of emotion.  "From this point on… we are the Dragonets of Destiny mercenary group. Now… we need someone to teach us how to fly ACs."

***

“Hmph… Sunny was really cute back then.” Glory teases, smiling from the flashback. All those emotions back then were threatening on returning. 

“Hey! I’m still cute, you know!” Sunny struck a fancy and dignified pose, collecting a laugh from Sabaku.

“Hehehe! Cute? Ya call this little surgeon cute? She’s knee deep in your guy’s blood trying to keep you from dying. I don’t think that’s exactly ‘cute’ in my dictionary.” Sabaku said.

“Speaking of surgeon stuff.” Sunny turned toward Sabaku. “I need some more supplies, I know you got some, Sabaku.”

“Done with the small talk? Alrighty then…” Sabaku grabs the sides of his coat, revealing vials of various compounds. “Got a good selection of chems for sale, Lady Sunny!”

“Hmm… you got any Gohamycin? Oh, and Osulotin too, if you have any. Please and thank you!”

“Aye, I gotcha.” Sabaku reveals two vials of weirdly colored liquid on the counter. “And what about you 3, fancy some equipment for… ‘aggressive negotiating?’ Hehehe!”

“Yeah, about that.” Glory walks up to Sabaku. “I need a new PAOC-M406. You got one?”

“What, you're gonna blow something up? With that tiny thing? I think you might want something bigger .” Sabuku suggests, raising a talon toward a wall with various other firearms and weapons all on display.

“...Actaully. You’re right. I do need something bigger.” Glory looks at the various weapons on the wall, a particular sniper rifle standing out in particular. “Hey, what’s this?”

“Ahh…. What we have here is a DoubleHeader SX150. Limited manufactured double barrel sniper rifle developed by the Canyon Recycling Company, it has quite the unique development history.” Sabaku explains as Glory inspected the sniper rifle, inspecting the most unique feature about it, its twin barrels. “The original premise was to convert double barreled shotguns into something more practical. Half a year of development later, CRC turned a DB shotgun into a sniper rifle. These things pack a punch whether at close range, or long range. Although it gets pretty inaccurate for the latter. Popular among SandWing Raiders and Mercenaries.”

Glory inspected the rifle for a little longer, her eyes lingering on the firearm as her talons felt the cold metal. Then she looked at Sabaku with a look of approval. “I’m buying this. Put it on Starflight’s account.”

"Hehehe… Will that be all? Or is there anything else you fancy?” Sabaku asks his customer, rubbing his talons eagerly.

“Actually. I do want something else.” Glory reveals. “What’s your cheapest and lightest shoulder mounted missile launchers?”

“Ohh… I’ve got something alright.” Sabaku retreats into the deeper parts of his stall, after hearing the sounds of grunting and objects crashing to the ground, Sabaku comes back with a relatively small metal rectangle with three holes sticking out in the front. “The SM-01-3 Finch. Lightweight missile launchers developed by the SkyWing corporation; NEST. Fires out 3 missiles per volley. They ain’t really powerful weapons, its design was to be as light as possible of course.”

“I’ll take two of them please, you know where to find the money.” Glory finished, she stored her new sniper rifle in a firearm case and gave it to Sabaku. The SandWing on the other talon was happily chuckling as he stored away the Finch missile launcher, preparing to ship two of them and the sniper rifle to the DoD’s secret lair. 

“Naturally,” Sabaku said, and turned toward Tsunami, who seemed to be impatiently waiting from the side. “And what can I do to serve you, Miss Tsunami?”

Her demand was immediate. “I want another Trigger rifle. You got those, right?”

“Of course, Miss Tsunami! Can’t have enough of them.” Sabaku pulled out the SeaWing manufactured rifle from under the counter. “Will this suffice?”

“Yeah whatever.” Tsunami yawns. Sabaku happily hums as he puts the rifle away into another rifle case. Another successful purchase. “Your weapons will be arriving at your cave shortly. Pleasure doing business with the both of you, hehehe!”

Clay had been watching the weapon transactions with growing anxiety, his stomach continuing to rumble despite Glory's earlier scolding. "So... are we done here? Because that roasted goat is starting to smell really good, and-"

"Clay." Tsunami cut him off with an exasperated sigh. "You're embarrassing us in front of Sabaku."

"Nah, nah, Miss Tsunami. The big fella's got his priorities straight!" Sabaku chuckled, gesturing toward the food stalls deeper in the market. "Tell ya what, Clay. Old Nacarat’s got some fresh mountain goats today. Real tender stuff. You go get yourself fed while I finish up with these ladies."

Clay's eyes lit up like a dragonet on Hatching Day. "Really? Thanks, Sabaku!" He started to lumber off before pausing. "Uh, Sunny? Do you want anything?"

"Just be careful, Clay. And don't eat anything that looks questionable!" Sunny called after him as the MudWing disappeared into the crowd, following his nose toward the savory aromas.

"That dragon and his appetite," Glory muttered, her scales shifting to an amused yellow-green. "Sometimes I wonder if his AC's generator runs on food instead of fuel."

"Speaking of ACs..." Sunny turned back to Sabaku, her expression growing more serious. "Have you heard anything about new tech hitting the market? Starflight mentioned some rumors about experimental equipment."

“Depends on which rumors and stories ya listening to. There’s always a good batch of new experimental or prototype weapons and ACs.” Sabaku leaned in closer. “I don’t really believe the rumors and hearsay, but there’s word going on about new types of SCs.”

“SC? What’s that?” Sunny asked, tilting her head.

“Special Craft. Imagine an AC, but with more weapons and systems that you can count with your own talons. Heard that the tribes are just beginning to build these things based off of data they collect from them new gen ACs. Or so they say…” Sabaku disclosed. “Speaking of which… that reminds me. I need a favor, and it involves some dirty work .”

“Dirty work? Sounds like a job for a Merc.” Glory’s scales turned into a light blue and green. “What do you want us to do?”

Sabaku handed them a hard drive, containing the contents of their mission. “A contact of mine from the Sand Queendom hasn't been reported in ages. I’m suspecting that he got taken away by less than ideal individuals. I want you to rescue em. If ya choose to accept this job, I’ll make it worthwhile.” He then brings out another weapons case on the counter. “In addition to compensation, what I got here is a prototype SkyWing weapon. It's banged up and wont work, I’ve tried fixin it to no avail. I think Starflight might be interested in it.”

“Sounds interesting, I’ll take it.” Starflight appeared in the stall before Glory could even reply back. 

“Starflight, you’re back already? That was pretty quick!” Sunny smiles.

“Alder knew exactly what I needed, so it made my job much faster.” Starflight replies. “By the way, where did Clay go? To a food stall or something?”

“You guessed right.” Tsunami answered, observing a case of ammunition with half-lidded eyes. “I’m bored… let’s go buy something cool, Sunny.”

“Okay!” The two dragonesses left Sabaku’s shop, off to their own devices. It was now Glory, Starflight and Sabaku in the shop, and the latter two were busy discussing future plans.

“So where exactly in the Sand Queendom does your contact need saving?” Starflight asks.

“Somewhat deep. But don’t you worry. I can hire a courier to transport your mercenaries as well as to help in extracting my contact.” Sabaku explains.

“I see… I assume everything can be answered in the Data Drive.” Starflight puts the Data Drive in his pouch. “Thanks for everything, Sabaku. We can count on you for weapons.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Starflight! Come back soon, and in one piece, will ya? Hehehe!” Sabaku chuckles.

“Looks like you two are getting along just fine…” Glory yawns, looking around Bullet-Tooth. “I’m going to see if this place sells any hammocks. That would be really nice.”

“Cold stone hard floor not good enough for you?” Starflight snickers.

“Oh it’s plenty enough. But I’m a mercenary, I deserve some luxuries you know.” Some of Glory scale’s turned into a reflective golden color, catching the attention of the dragons of Bullet-Tooth 

“Well, go on. Buy whatever you like, as long as it’s at a reasonable price.” Starflight. “Whatever you do, don’t start a firefight.”

***

Glory wandered through the maze of stalls, her scales unconsciously shifting to mirror her mood - a swirling pattern of deep purples and blues that reflected her contemplative state. The hammock search led her past vendors selling everything from stolen jewelry to questionable medicinal herbs, until she found herself at a stall run by an elderly SkyWing with weathered red scales.

"Ah, a RainWing… Haven’t seen your lot in a while." the merchant croaked, her voice like rustling leaves. "I reckon you’re looking for something comfortable, dearie?"

"A hammock, if you have one," Glory replied, her scales turning into a greyed out version of her default colors. “But what do you mean by ‘my lot?’”

The old SkyWing silently raised one talon at Glory, before disappearing behind a curtain of hanging fabrics and emerging with a beautifully woven hammock. "Woven from CloudWing silk - stolen from a SkyWing caravan last month. The softest thing you'll ever sleep on."

“CloudWing… isn’t that a famous SkyWing luxury goods corp?” Glory asks again.

“So many questions, so little time! Please try to be patient, young one.” The SkyWing hag chuckled dryly, causing Glory to shrink in embarrassment. “Your assumption is correct. And for your question regarding your fellow tribes-dragons. Let’s say that hooded dragons that are able to disappear without a trace are beginning to appear in black markets.”

Glory’s frills turned blue, curious about the hooded dragons. Could they truly be RainWings just like her? But Glory was distracted as she ran her talons along the material of the hammock enjoying how the wonderfully soft silk felt on her scales. "How much?"

"Two hundred Scales."

"Deal." Glory counted out the small silver chips, already imagining how much better her sleep would be. But as she turned to leave, something else caught her eye on a nearby shelf. A small vial of what looked like liquid starlight. "What's that?"

"Scale polish. Also made by CloudWing. Makes your scales shine brighter in the sunlight and resistant to high-altitudes and speeds. Popular with female SkyWing Aeros." The old dragon winked conspiratorially.

Glory grabbed the small vial and swirled at the sparkling liquid, her scales flushed pink with interest. "I'll take that too."

Meanwhile, Clay had found paradise at Nacarat's food stall. The elderly MudWing chef was renowned throughout Bullet-Tooth for his ability to make even the most questionable ingredients taste incredible.

Tsunami and Sunny had wandered into the more eclectic section of Bullet-Tooth, where vendors sold everything from ancient artifacts to modern curiosities. Tsunami was examining a display of maritime equipment when something caught her attention.

"What's this thing?" she asked the vendor, a grizzled SeaWing with barnacles growing on his horns.

"Expendable torpedo launcher. Military grade. Commonly used with SeaWing Aeros on beach landings." The merchant's grin revealed several gold teeth. "It’s also perfect for... fishing. Really big fish."

Tsunami's grin matched his. "I'll take it. And what about those?"

She pointed to a box of food. "Shark jerky. Extra salty flavor! Those things will last the entire war before spoiling. Popular treat within the Abyssal Sabotage Corps."

"Perfect…" Tsunami mused as she licked her lips, she was getting tired of eating those junky fish rations anyway. Those Clay feel like this all the time when there’s decent food around. "How much for both?"

"Four-fifty for the torpedo launcher and twenty five for the jerky."

"Done."

Sunny, meanwhile, had been drawn to a stall selling jewelry. She just managed to buy a new set of cutting edge surgery tools from an IceWing vendor, and the tiny pieces of sparkling metal was too much for the SandWing. The vendor, a rather young looking SandWing with a pair of glasses perched on her snout, noticed Sunny's interest immediately.

"Whatcha lookin at there, darl? My bracelets, I assume?." The vendor smiles with a soft and smooth voice, gesturing to her collection. "I've got some pendants and necklaces imported from Trailblazer, this one is designed by Blaze herself ya know." The SandWing vendor pointed a talon at a beautifully small pendant in the shape of a sunburst. 

Sunny's eyes widened. "Blaze? Isn’t she one of the princesses to the SandWing throne?"

"Exactly why it's so valuable, darl. Her techniques are simply outstanding, to dresses and rings, her majesty is a fashion icon." The vendor leaned closer. "I've also got a pair of golden Sandrunner anklets. Designed by hers truly. They say that if you put your wish in them and run across the tallest dune, it will come true."

Sunny bit her lip, weighing her options. She didn’t want to spend more than she wanted to, and these things were expensive. "...How much?"

"Hmm… the bracelet you were looking at earlier would be one seventy-five."

"I see… and what of the Sandrunner anklets?” Sunny asked, too scared to even hear the price. 

The vendor's eyes gleamed. "Nine hundred."

Sunny winced but nodded. It makes sense that something would be this valuable. But she wondered about the wish that could be granted if you ran across the highest dune. She might actually not have the opportunity to do it… but one of her friends could on the mission to the Sand Queendom.

“I’ll take them.” Sunny nodded. She bought the sunburst bracelet for herself and the Sandrunners for either Glory or Tsunami to wear. If anybody’s wish deserves to come true, it would be one of her friend’s.

Back at another section of the market, Starflight had finished his business with Sabaku and was browsing a stall filled with technical manuals, maps, and navigation equipment. The vendor was a SkyWing, he was staring at Starflight’s every move as he wandered around his shop.

"Looking for anything specific, NightWing?" The SkyWing asked suspiciously, breathing out a plume of smoke.

"Technical manuals, preferably something about AC maintenance or weapons systems," Starflight replied, ignoring the hostility radiating from his orange scales. He was busy running his talons along the spines of various books.

"Heh, a mechanic, huh? Nice try, you ain’t getting anything out of me." The vendor sneered, leaning back on his chair. He was caught off guard by a loud slam on his counter, making him fall off his chair. Starflight brought out a thick, oil-stained book and several other items to buy. "Comprehensive guide to AC generator optimization and repair. It seems to be written by the chief engineer of PAOC’s energy division before he disappeared."

“...Looks like you found something worthwhile. This thing’s gonna cost you one fifty scales. Anything else?"

“Star charts. For a personal hobby of mine." The NightWing's eyes glinted.

"That’s seventy-five.”

As Starflight handed over the scales, just as suspiciously staring at the SkyWing. The silence was deafening, but seemed not to the SkyWing.

“What are you staring at me for?” The SkyWing scoffed, heat emitting from his nostrils.

“You seem weary of me? Why is that? Is it because of my revolver?” Starflight raised a brow.

“Well, sort of. You’re a NightWing. And I can’t really trust NightWings around here…” The SkyWing snorted.

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“I shouldn’t be telling you this, but who gives a shit? Seems that Scarlet is cozying up to NightWing Stalkers for her dirty work. I’m watching my back on you folks.”

“...Makes sense.” Starflight completes his purchase and leaves without saying another word. Starflight was left to think on the SkyWing’s words as he put his purchases. Stalkers are slang for NightWing mercenaries for hire, and Stalkers are disturbingly efficient when it comes to fulfilling their jobs. Since NightWings are not involved in the war, the mystery around the deployment of Stalkers remains up to speculation and mystery. But he saved his thoughts for what was important right now, the rescue mission Sabaku gave them.

The Dragonets of Destiny eventually reconvened at the entrance to Bullet-Tooth, each carrying their various purchases. Glory had her hammock slung over her shoulder and her vial of scale polish on her pouch. Tsunami was testing one of her torpedo launchers, throwing it in the air and feeling its weight, and Sunny was carefully securing her newly bought jewelry, her emerald eyes glittering at the shininess of the accessories. Clay came in just as well, carrying loads of food, three chunks of goat meat and four meat pies, he most likely sold out the food stall he was eating at. 

"Everyone got what they needed?" Starflight asked, adjusting the strap of his equipment bag.

"And then some," Glory replied, her scales shifting to a satisfied golden hue. "Though I have a feeling we're all going to be broke after this."

"Worth it," Clay mumbled through his meat pie. "Haven't had a good shopping trip in ages."

"Speaking of which," Tsunami interjected, "when do we start this rescue mission?"

"Let me study the mission parameters tonight. We'll brief tomorrow morning and leave as soon as our new equipment arrives." Starflight consulted. 

As they made their way back through the winding tunnels toward the surface, each dragon was lost in thought about their purchases. The Dragonets of Destiny might be mercenaries operating in a world of constant danger, but moments like these; small purchases that made their harsh lives a little more comfortable, a little more efficient, a little more personal, reminded them that they were still dragons with individual wants and needs beyond just survival, it’s one of the reasons they choose to become mercs in the first place. As they emerged from Bullet-Tooth into the cool mountain air, their individual purchases securely stored, they were already looking forward to testing their new acquisitions. The shopping trip had been a success, and now it was time to put their new tools to the test.

Chapter 14: Rescue Mission

“Alrighty DoD… Here's the plan.” The voice of Sabaku explains through a hologram, showcasing a rather poorly developed residential area near the edges of the Sand Queendom. “His name’s Ahote. Light brown scales and a black sail along his neck. Last time he checked in, he was in Sandhaven. Sandhaven’s a nice place, lovely to visit in the Fall, the poor thing’s seen better days. The city has lately been used as a military hub for equipment and weapons. Your mission is to grab my buddy and get the hell out. Ahote’s probably kept captive in one of those warehouses at the very edge of Sandhaven, here.” The hologram highlights a run-down industrial section of the Sand Queendom city. “I’m hiring a Courier to help you out. Not only will they take you guys to Sandhaven, but they’ll help you and Ahote get out of it as well. It’s paramount that ya protect them from whatever the SandWings throw at ya. That’s about it, so… good luck out there.” The briefing ends as the hologram shimmers out.

***

The hangar was filled with buzzing activity and heavy tension. It’s been a day since Starflight has finished overhauling Mudflap and installing the new weapons to Glorybringer, he was double-checking everything to absolutely make sure everything is in ship-shape.

“Starflight, I don't want to sound mean but… are you done inspecting Mudflap?” Clay tilted his head at the NightWing. The MudWing was already connected to his AC and was ready to fly, but the NightWing’s paranoia told a different story. 

“Clay, I need it so that Mudflap won't break apart when you fly it…” Starflight was checking up on the inside wiring for the umpteenth time. “Although I’m sure I didn’t screw up anything, faults can still happen. Especially for this 4th gen AC.”

“It’ll be fine Starflight, I was with you with every step when we took apart and rebuilt Mudflap. It’ll be alright.” 

“If only your words can reassure me…” Starflight sighed, he walked away from Clay and the others. “Everything looks good, our Courier is waiting for us.”

 “Let’s get moving then,” Glory nudges her toward the exit of the cave. Her AC has been repaired and equipped with the weapons she has bought. Two SSML-01-3 Finch missile launchers on both of her shoulders, and in her Left Talon holster is her double barrel sniper, the DoubleHeader SX150. (Although Starflight stated it was still more akin to a shotgun rather than a sniper rifle). At the end of her hind legs is where two small gold bracelets were wrapped around on each of her legs. These “Sandrunner” bracelets were a gift bought by Sunny, they are said to grant the wish of the wearer if they run atop the highest dune. The SandWing entrusted her wish and bracelets to Glory, because Clay’s legs were too big and Tsunami couldn't be trusted with such a delicate object.

“Systems are all operational, put them into Neutral mode for now.” Starflight orders as he and Sunny watch from the sidelines. The three Aeros began walking out of the hangar rather than blasting out, the ACs clanked and creaked with the sound of shifting metal and hydraulics as their generators hummed quietly. Clay poked him outside of the cave and saw the Dragonet’s ride waiting for them. It was night, the stars were out, while a blanket of darkness had replaced the grey skies of Pyrrhia. It was the Aella, a standard military AC hauler manufactured by PAOC, designed to carry ACs into battle and minimize the usage of fuel. It was significantly larger, but smaller than the Icewing Gyrfalcon. The Aella uses 4 heavy powered VTOL jets to carry a large, protected rectangular container to carry ACs.

“This is our ride huh? Looks sorta boring.” Tsunami huffs.

“Say what you want SeaWing, you should be grateful that I, Shadedancer, is your Courier.” A young feminine voice popped into the comms, catching the three of guard.

“Oh. I should have introduced her sooner. Shadedancer is our Courier hired by Sabaku. Treat her well.” Starflight explained in the comms.

“That name… are you a NightWing, per chance?” Glory asks.

“...And what if I said that I am?” Shadedancer inquired.

“Huh, never knew any NightWings besides Starflight.” Clay said.

“They're too busy being all mysterious to bother any of us, I bet.” Tsunami snorted. “Better not crash, Shadedancer!”

“You…! Why I oughta! I… hmph. I’m not going to bother talking to you, SeaWing.” Shadedancer hisses, the Aella’s VTOL thrusters begin spooling up, preparing for the journey to Sandhaven.

“C’mon guys, let’s get in.” Clay jumped off the cliff, using his wings to slow his descent, but he still landed hard due to the unsupported weight of his AC.

“Great idea, wish we had even more bright thinkers on our team.” Glory gives an annoying smirk towards Glory before following Clay.

“Hmph, I just don’t trust NightWings, that’s all.” Tsunami growls, finally jumping down.

The Aella's cargo bay was cramped but functional, with magnetic clamps securing the three ACs in place. Once secured, Shadedancer began to fly. Through the reinforced viewport, Clay watched the rocky terrain of the mainland give way to endless stretches of golden sand dunes. The VTOL engines hummed steadily above them, creating a low vibration that resonated even through his AC.

"ETA to Sandhaven, thirteen minutes," Shadedancer's voice crackled through the comm system. Despite her earlier irritation with Tsunami, her tone was now professional and focused. "I'm picking up increased radio chatter from SandWing military frequencies. Looks like they've got patrols running around the city perimeter."

Glory adjusted her targeting systems, running diagnostics on her Finch missile launchers. The weapon pods responded smoothly, their servos whirring softly as they tracked imaginary targets. "You sound too young to be a Courier, are you a Dragonet, Shadedancer?" Glory asks.

"I… I’m 5 years old.” Shadedancer’s voice hesitated within the comms. “I’m not telling you anything else though. I’m just a Courier, you’re probably not going to meet me again.”

Tsunami's snickered, her grin revealing teeth that gleamed under the cargo bay's harsh lighting. "You’ve got guts to pilot this thing, Shadedancer. I’ll give you that.”

"Uhm… thanks, I guess." Shadedancer replied plainly, hesitation was still heavy in her voice. "Nevermind me, focus on the mission. Given that the SandWings are using Sandhaven as a military hub, they probably have regular forces stationed up there, but since Sandhaven isn’t that much of an important place, I doubt the number of soldiers will be significant.” The Aella shifts slightly toward a direction. “I suggest we approach from the east, there’s a series of larger dunes that should provide cover for your approach. Especially when you’re using 4th gen relics."

Clay ran a quick diagnostics on his AC, the 4th generation AC felt solid on him, despite Starflight's earlier concerns. "So, what's the extraction plan? We can't exactly walk out the front door with a rescued prisoner."

"That's where I earn my fee," Shadedancer's voice carried a hint of pride. "Once you've secured Ahote, I'll bring the Aella down to a designated pickup point. There's an old trade route about two clicks southwest of the warehouse district, flat enough for a quick landing, far enough from the main base to avoid immediate detection."

Glory's talons drummed against the metal, her scales turning grey and black as she considered their options. The Sandrunner bracelets around her legs caught the light, reminding her of Sunny's faith in their mission. "And if things go sideways?"

"Then we improvise," Tsunami cut in, her typical confidence just oozing her voice. "We've handled worse odds before."

The Aella began to descend, and through the viewport, the sprawling settlement of Sandhaven came into view. What had once been a thriving trade city now looked more like a fortress, with military vehicles dotting the streets and guard towers rising above the traditional SandWing architecture. Tracer rounds, missiles, and bright explosions littered the vast horizon of the Sand Queendom from every direction, showcasing the Queedom’s chaotic form. The warehouse district sat like a scar on the city's eastern edge, a maze of corrugated metal buildings and loading docks.

"Thirty seconds to drop," Shadedancer announced. "I'm setting you down behind that large dune cluster bearing two-seven-zero. From there, you should have a visual on the target area. If you need emergency extraction, just scream in the comms for me.”

The lights in the Aella went green as magnetic clamps released with metallic clanks, and the three ACs powered up their systems fully. Clay felt Mudflap's reactor surge to full capacity, the familiar warmth spreading through his body as all systems came online. The cargo bay doors opened with a hydraulic hiss, revealing the harsh desert landscape below. One by one, the three ACs dropped onto the sand, their heavy frames creating small craters upon impact. The Aella immediately began climbing again, its VTOL engines screaming as Shadedancer pulled away from the desert.

“Main system: activating Combat Mode.”

The three Aeros all lowered their Combat Visors, a tactical display already appearing before their eyes. They began to scan the area with the NV option, highlighting heat signatures and movement patterns in the distance. 

"I'm seeing regular patrols, it looks like four-dragon teams on foot, escorting an armoured vehicle it seems.” Glory reports, “Although sparse but organized, we can probably sneak through them easily.”

"Boring," Tsunami sighs in the comms, "But I bet things are going to get heated soon.”

“Don’t jinx it.” Clay checked his weapons one more time, his shotgun felt familiar in talons, his shoulder mounted weapons were operating normally, his shield had been upgraded and ready, and the backup systems Starflight had installed were all green. "Alright team, let's go find Ahote and get out of here. Stay low, stay quiet, and watch each other's backs."

The three ACs began their approach toward the warehouse district, turning on their thrusters to barely make them move across the dunes, their forms moving with surprising stealth. In the distance, the industrial complex waited, and the subject of rescue as well. Clay took point, as always, sweeping for threats as they crested the first dune. Everything seemed clear… too clear.

"Something doesn't feel right," Glory muttered over the comm. 

“You’re right Glory… this approach kinda feels a bit obvious, so why hasn’t anybody…” Clay’s heart froze as he felt something as he passed along the sand, an irregular shape not supposed to be in sand. Too late.

BOOM.

An explosion rocked Clay’s world. Like the fist of an angry god, Clay shifted violently to the side as blackened sand slammed into his face and AC. His HUD “shattered,” the savage and sudden force staggered Mudflap. Pain flared in the side of his chest as hit the ground. As his systems begin to restart and his HUD cleaning itself up, Clay realizes the cause with quick and terrible clarity.

“Landmine. I hit a landmine.” Clay thought, horror in his mind’s voice. Not caring about the state of his body, and immediately concerned himself with warning his friends. Fighting against the rebooting stabilizers and actuators, he craned his neck around to scream. “MINES! THERE’S MINES IN THE SAND!” A warning cracked with pain and desperation. Luckily, Glory and Tsunami stopped dead in their tracks, but more mines detonated randomly, causing a fiery cascade and an explosive symphony to beat at Clay’s ears. The mission had been compromised, it was time to get loud.

“Fuck! Clay! Are you alright?!” Tsunami screamed toward him. Clay managed to stand up with Mudflap, but he could hear distant klaxons and alarms within Sandhaven as searchlights began firing up and searching the area of the detonated mines.

“My AC’s been shaken up but…” Mudflap’s armor was scarred from shrapnel and debris. Clay looked at himself to see that he was miraculously fine, or that the adrenaline from the explosion was causing him to ignore pain and injuries. “I’m alright. Sorry guys… I fucked it up. I compromised our stealth.”

“Well let’s unfuck it. The SandWings are mobilizing on us! Get up and start shooting, BigWings!” Glory yelled grimly, as some of her scales turned bright red. She brought out her DoubleHeader and submachine gun and boosted straight toward Sandhaven in the sky.

“Let’s do this!” Tsunami yelled, bringing out her assault rifle and following Glory.

Clay did the same thing, bringing up his shotgun and boosted toward them, his thrusters roaring as they carried his weight across the sand.

The response from the SandWings was immediate, ground units began approaching the three Aeros. They were regular foot soldiers along with tanks and SPAAGs running across the sand to confront the DoD.

“We got company, boys! They’re mercs!" A SandWing soldier yells in the comms.

“Heh, looks like they got a taste of our mines! Call in reinforcements and let’s finish em off!” Another SandWing soldier enthusiastically in.

“I’m looking at the feed provided by Shadedancer…” Starflight states. “They’ve got SD-77 tanks and SA-35 SPAAGs. Armored vehicles you can definitely take care of, but don't underestimate them, they still have the power to take you down.”

“Right, I’ll take them out first.” Clay activated his thrusters and shot forward. Bringing his targeting systems to bear, his missile launcher locked onto one of the SD-77 tanks, painting the armored vehicle in an angry red. Like the wave of his talon, a salvo of 4 missiles launched from Mudflap and struck the tank true in the turret. The resulting explosion illuminated up the desert like a miniature sun, sending twisted metal high into the night sky.

“One down, keep it up.” Starflight reports, “Watch out for the SPAAGs, they're probably waiting for you to get airborne.”

“I can handle it.” Clay smirked as he leaped into the air, Mudflap's heavy frame cutting through the night air as he locked onto the approaching armor. He quickly locked onto the two tanks before firing four missile salvos for both of them. The missiles streaked out with a brilliant orange tail, arcing through the darkness before crashing into their targets and exploding brilliantly. The SPAAGs were not idle however, two SA-35s aimed their dual autocannons at the MudWing, and twin streams of high-velocity rounds traced deadly lines through the air. Clay never flinched, instead he brought up his shield and quickly blocked the shots, thanks to the upgrades provided by Starflight, the shield held up against the onslaught of rounds. Within a short window, the SA-35s stopped firing, this was when Clay made his move using his shoulder mounted cannon. The cannon cracked across the dunes, followed by a large explosion sent the two armored vehicles flying across the sand, their entire hulls burned and twisted in awkward shapes.

“Confirmed, enemy armor eliminated.” Starflight acknowledges.

“What’s Tsunami and Glory status?” Clay asked as he inspected his shield. Aside from the thousands of impacts on the metal, the shield was still in good shape. Starflight used a new metal plating technique that made the shield much more durable against repeated attacks, to circumvent the problem of IceWing rotary cannons.

“They’re mopping up down there, dealing with the infantry," Starflight reported.

Below Clay, Glory and Tsunami were engaged with the infantry. Glory's scales shifted to mottled browns and grays as she used her camouflage to confuse the SandWing soldiers, appearing and disappearing like a phantom among the dunes. Her DoubleHeader boomed twice in rapid succession, the heavy slugs punching through two soldiers.

"These guys are organized, but they’ve got nothing on an AC!" Glory smiles, her submachine gun chattering as she strafed a squad trying to flank her position. "This’ll be a piece of cake. Isn't that right, you psychotic SeaWing?"

Glory’s assumption was correct. Tsunami was having the time of her life, her assault rifle spraying controlled bursts as she bounded from cover to cover with predatory grace. "Ha! Is that all you've got?" she taunts, performing aerial maneuvers that were impossible to track within the dark. A group of SandWing soldiers tried to set up a heavy weapon, but Tsunami's boosters flared as she launched herself at them, slamming into the sand with enough force to scatter the squad. With a quick switch between weapons, her shotgun finished what her dramatic entrance had started.

“Looks like both of them are doing well, surprisingly.” Clay muttered. However, he was pulled away from his thoughts by a warning from Mudflap. Clay dropped drastically as a tank shell whistled overhead, detonating harmlessly in the distance. More armored vehicles appeared, two SD-77s and two SA-35s approached the MudWing, their main armaments pointed directly at him. Clay wasted no time in dodging the next attack, another tank shell whizzed by and missed him. Clay shot forward with his thrusters, raising his shield as the SA-35s began peppering with rounds. Clay brought out his missile launchers and fired at the sides of one of the SD-77s, the tank exploded, its turret was in the sky like a tin can popping open. The SA-35s had another weapon at their scales, these specific ones were equipped with SAM missiles on the sides of their turret. Clay could hear the annoying sound of a missile lock ringing in his ears. 

Clay's blood ran cold as The SA-35B's SAM launchers swiveled toward him with precision, their targeting lasers already getting tone on Mudflap's scarred armor.

"Missile lock! Missile Lock" Mudflap's AI warned in its synthetic voice. "Evade! Evade!"

Clay didn't need to be told twice. He rolled hard to the left, his thrusters screaming as he pushed the 4th generation AC to its limits. The first missile streaked past his right wing, close enough that he could feel the heat wash through his scales. The second one was tracking better, too good.

"Where’s flares when you need them!" Clay barked at his systems. With some quick thinking, Clay hissed as he breathed fire out onto the sand, the fires spreading beautifully across the desert. The missile, confused by the sudden heat bloom, veered off course and detonated harmlessly against a distant dune. The SA-35Bs kept on firing their autocannons at Clay, the MudWing dodging the shots and blocking some that he couldn't. Unfortunately, he wasn’t paying attention to the remaining SD-77 that had repositioned, its main gun managing to track Clay's erratic flight path. The cannon roared, sending a high-explosive shell whistling through the air. Clay brought his upgraded shield up just in time, the shell impacted with tremendous force, sending shockwaves through his frame that rattled his teeth.

“Nrrrgghhh…!” Clay grunted, he attempted to thrust himself back into the air, Mudflap struggling to do so. Then, his thrusters sputtered as they died out, the burden of carrying Clay’s weight was too great. The MudWing plummeted, crashed on his back, fortunately the cushiony sand was able to absorb the impact.

“Clay’s down! Tsunami, Glory, provide cover!” Starflight alerted.

“On the way!” Tsunami leaped into action, leaving Glory to mop up any remaining infantry. Tsunami and Glory slaughtered the unprotected infantry like prey, but there were still remnants shooting from behind a concrete barrier, the crossfire getting too hot for Glory to handle. Glory's eyes fell on the Sandrunner bracelets around her legs, Sunny's gift that was supposed to grant wishes if you ran atop the highest dune. Well, there weren't any high dunes here, but maybe…

Glory soared across the sand with Glorybringer, swerving left and right and making her flight path as erratic and unpredictable as possible. In a graceful and fluid maneuver only befitting a RainWing, she leaped on an especially high dune while flipping her legs into the air, the golden bracelets sparkling in the moonlight. 

“I wish I could protect my friends, and end this mission as soon as possible.”

Glory glared down at the soldiers hiding behind the barrier and unleashed both missile launchers at the position. An explosion engulfed the squad, marking the end of the firefight. We landed gracefully on the ground, the soft sand felt cool in the night, even with all the fires burning around the desert. Glory’s eyes checked every outcropping and potential cover spot, all she could see through her combat visor were burning fires, and corpses of SandWings. All clear.

“I wish that wishes do come true in this forsaken world…” Glory murmured to herself.

Meanwhile, Tsunami was high on combat adrenaline, weaving through autocannon fire from SA-35Bs. Tsunami’s Sync was at 84, every motion was quick and immediate, even if a round clipped her wings, she didn’t care. She ignited her pulse blade and rocketed toward a SA-35B with a horrifying toothy grin. The SPAAG tried to drive away, but it was too late. With a slash of her arm, the high energy blade cut through the metal like a sword through unprotected flesh. Tsunami slashed diagonally across the vehicle, any unfortunate crew dragons in the vehicle would be cut apart as well. The SA-35B went silent as a line of bright molten metal was drooping off its sides. Tsunami then turned toward her next target, the last SA-35B was ready to fire a missile at her, but Tsunami smiled. She took a firing position and fired Tideturner’s shotgun cannon, the hot shrapnel managing to penetrate the missile tubes and detonating the missile from the inside. With all the SPAAGs destroyed, Tsunami focused on finding Clay and helping him recover. Searching through the smoke, she tried to find the giant body that was the MudWing, but she was distracted when she heard the roar of a engine. She snapped her head toward a SD-77 tank that was drifting across the sands, it suddenly stopped with its cannon aimed directly toward her chest. Tsunami tried to boost away, but the sound of thunder was quicker, the SeaWing braced for the pain. Suddenly, Clay boosted in between Tsunami and the tank and raised his shield. An explosion once again shook Clay through his teeth, but he stood his ground, he had someone to protect, afterall. Clay then pulled his shield down before firing a shell from his own cannon, this shot struck true and completely annihilated the SD-77. The explosion even sent the scorched tank hull tumbling down a nearby dune.

“Clay! Thanks for the save!” Tsunami thanked the MudWing with a grin.

“You’re welcome, but you should stop being so reckless.” Clay lectures, looking at Mudflap’s shield. “And I need to be more careful. Mudflap’s thrusters died because I was using them too much when I needed to dodge those SPAAGs.” His eyes looked across the desert, staring at the burning wreckages of multiple armored vehicles. This whole ordeal could have been avoided if Clay hadn’t activated those mines. “If it wasn’t for this shield, I’d be pretty messed up by now.”

“Hey, don’t say that stuff. We’re all fine now, aren’t we?” Tsunami spooled up her thrusters as she gestured her eyes toward the warehouse district of Sandhaven. “Glory’s waiting for us. We can’t keep her waiting, can’t we?”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Clay shook his head, as a mercenary, he can’t distract himself with stupid thoughts, focus on the present. He spooled his thrusters and rocketed across the sands, within seconds he met up with Tsunami and Glory as they began searching the warehouse district of Sandhaven for the SandWing; Ahote.

The warehouse district of Sandhaven feels like stepping into a discarded food can. The air carried a metallic tang mixed with lingering heat from the desert sun hours ago. The towering warehouses even look worse for wear, corrugated concrete walls scarred by sandstorms, peeling paint on rusting metal posts, the pale windows have heavy mesh screens, casting geometric shadows across the ground. The ground looked uneven to walk on, craters from recent skirmishes, uplifted concrete and piles of sand all littered the ground. Harsh floodlights and searchlights are left abandoned, the soldiers who were manning them have left, whereabouts unknown. Tens of transports, trucks and jeeps were parked next to hundreds of crates, most likely containing a plethora of military equipment. Army insignia and warning signs were scattered in various parts of the area, this place looked nothing like a humble city on the edge of Sand Quneedom territory. Worst of all, there was the annoying sound of a siren wailing on a weathered down metal pole. The siren kept on wailing, the dust covered speaker sometimes sputtering like it had a dry throat, the alarm kept pounding on Clay’s ears, until Tsunami ignited her blade and slashed the pole, causing the speaker to fall and become silent.

“That was sooooo annoying.” Tsunami groaned, clutching her head like it was about to split apart.

“Couldn’t agree more.” Glory hissed. “Now, let’s get to work, quickly. We need to find Ahote and fast. He could be kept captive in any of these warehouses.”

“I’m not seeing anything on the radar, and don’t seem to be nearby… but time is of the essence here. But make sure to keep a look out for any ambushes." Starflight warned through the comms.

“Roger that.” Clay began his search, running toward the nearest warehouse, Mudflap clanked as he trotted across the uneven concrete. Clay grabbed the bottom of the metal shutter door and lifted up with ease, it seems like no one bothered to lock it up. As he lifted the door up, he turned on a flashlight attached onto Mudflap and gave a quick search of the interior. This warehouse just held parked SD-77s, some of them were missing parts, this was most likely storing armored vehicles and their parts. No SandWing prisoner it seems.

“Bah.” Clay slammed the door down in disappointment and ran toward the next warehouse. This one contained something interesting, it had rows and rows of different crates, holding all kinds of weapons. Not just any normal footsoldier weapons, these were AC grade weapons, the ones that were powerful enough to be used by Aeros. Some of the crates seemed to be mysteriously broken open, as if someone was desperately needing the firepower.

“Huh, Starflight. What do you think of this?” Clay asked his NightWing friend through the comms.

“This looks rather intresting… Sandhaven doesn’t sound like a very secure place for SandWing AC weapons, especially to a number of this degree.” Starflight murmurred. “Well, it doesn’t seem to hold any one here, keep searching for Ahote.”

“Roger.” Clay let the shutter door slam as he moved to the next one. Before he moved on however, he saw something at the corner of his vision. A flicker of movement behind the armoury warehouse he just inspected, it looked like a tail. He thought about the missing weapons from the crates and his suspicion grew. He started to make his way toward the warehouse, his shotgun poised and ready to fire at anything that posed a threat to him and his friends.

Meanwhile, Tsunami and Glory were combing the warehouses as a duo. Their combined strength was just enough to lift any shutter doors and look inside of them. The warehouse they were currently looking at appears to be a communications and intelligence center. The storage space houses banks of radio equipment, maps covering entire walls with colored pins that marked strategic positions, and tens of filing cabinets overflowing with reconnaissance reports. Screens showed a “No Signal” message as they hummed faintly with a dim light.

“No Ahote in here.” Tsunami huffs, “On to the next one.”

“Wait, Tsunami. This looks like it might hold something valuable." Glory spoke, her eyes scanning the various electronic devices. “Let me go in quick and grab something, maybe a Data Drive.”

“Huh? Are you nuts? I can’t hold this by myseLF-!!” Tsunami suddenly yelped as Glory ditched the SeaWing, sailing across the ground and quickly looking through the equipment and filing cabinets for any valuable data.

“Glory-! You f-fucking… bitch!” Tsunami gritted her teeth as she grabbed the shutter door with another talon.

Glory's talons moved swiftly through the scattered documents. She grabbed several Data Drives from the communication terminals and stuffed them in Glorybringer's storage compartment on the torso. This kind of information could be worth a lot to sell and could prove invaluable for future missions.

"Got what I need," Glory called out, bounding back toward the struggling Tsunami. "Sorry about that, but this intel could make us richer."

"Next time, warn me before you-" Tsunami's complaint was cut short by the hum of an AC generator spooling up.

“Wait, what’s that noise-?!” Glory only had a split second before a SandWing Aero from the corner of her vision suddenly appeared out of the darkness. The SandWing raised their weapon; axe with a glowing hot edge. Glory had a half-of-a-second window to dodge out of the way, the axe cleaving through the air of where Glory had just been.

“Ambush!!!” Tsunami screamed, she raised her shotgun to fight Glory’s attacker but another SandWing Aero came from behind her, wielding a bazooka instead.

“Eat this!” The SandWing behind Tsunami roared, before he pulled the trigger, Glory slammed into his sides and made him crash to the ground, sending a plume of sand and debris into the air.

Tsunami and Glory regrouped to face their opponents. They were ACs no doubt, but these ones had much lighter armor and the weapons they were wielding were mismatched, as if they brought whatever they found in an armoury.

“Lemme guess, these are the Mercs that killed those Blazers?” The SandWing wielding the thermal axe snorted. “A SeaWing and…a fucking RainWing?”

“Ow, that hurt!” The SandWing wielding the bazooka cursed as he got back on his feet. “I’m gonna rip the scales out from your skin, you lizard!!” Glory scales shifted into a disgusted green from the comment.

“Oh! Oh oh oh man! You’re up against mass-produced Gen 5 AC models, SNC-10As, or Minutemen they’re called. They have significantly lighter armor and have more thrusters than your average model. The Minutemen are designed for quick mobilization, they can be equipped with a plethora of expendable equipment and-” Shadedancer explains enthusiastically through the comms, before she stopped herself. “Ahem. The Minuteman is pretty fast but weak AC, they should be pretty easy to take down actually.” 

“The Aeros also seem to be rookies as well. It should be easier than Hatchetfish and Tortoise, but don’t let them overwhelm you.” Starflight adds.

“How the heck were they able to bypass our radar?” Tsunami asked.

“They probably switched their AC’s off until we came in, right into their trap.” Glory deduces.

“You got that right, RainWing.” Another SandWing in a Minuteman AC confirms, this newcomer landed on top of the roof of the communications warehouse, backed up by two Pesudo-SandWing Aeros. “We ain’t going to risk our life for some spoiled brat like those Blazers. We’re going to kill you two and the MudWing, then this warehouse and all of its weapons would belong to her majesty, Princess Burn.”

“Blazers? Princess Burn? What the hell are they talking about?” Tsunami angrily fumed.

“They’re spouting utter nonsense. Doesn't matter, just kill them and get Ahote out of here before a real Aero pulls up.” Starflight orders.

“It’ll just be like we did with Hatchetfish and Tortoise.” Glory smiles, loading a fresh magazine into her submachine gun.

“This should be fun then!” Tsunami’s voice lost its anger and was replaced with anticipation.

“Kill em’, boys!” The SandWing on top of the roof orders, the Pesudo-Aeros and Minutemen ACs all leaped toward them like a pack of starving hyenas, and the whole world erupted into chaos.

***

 “Where is he?! Where’s the Muddie?!” A SandWing Aero in a Minuteman AC shouts in fear. He was fighting on the dunes a few dragons length away from the weapons warehouse. In the distance, he can hear his fellow comrades fighting the other Mercs, the sound of explosions and gunfire ringing back to his ears. He searched the dunes with his Combat Visor, the night vision mode helping him find his target in the darkness. This was supposed to be a simple ambush, leaving the Blazers to die and pick off the Mercs when they arrived in the warehouse district. But the MudWing was too vigilant to fall for this tactic, he had to retreat along with his partner before they got overwhelmed by the ferocity of the MudWing.

He heard it, the loud hum of thrusters spooling up. He instantly turned his body toward the noise and fired off the missiles on his shoulders. The projectiles streaked across the sands before exploding around the area he aimed, geysers of sand and dirt formed obscuring clouds. The SandWing was sure that he had hit him, nobody could survive a missile barrage of this degree. He then released his breath that he was unconsciously holding, the MudWing was dead, he was sure of it-

“Rookie! He’s above you!” His partner warned as an alarm started bringing his attention upward. With a gasp, he saw the MudWing in the sky, aiming down his shotgun at him.

“N-no!” He felt a lump in his dry throat, he boosted away from the barrage of metal pellets managing to penetrate his armor and damage his Minuteman. Through the pain, he brought out his assault rifle and began firing at the MudWing, but he brought forth his shield to block the shots. Once the MudWing landed on the sand, he raced toward him, already bearing his shotgun at him.

“Get away! Stay back, freak!!!” The SandWing yelped at the MudWing. He fired his missiles once more, but the MudWing was able to fly through them with ease, the explosions only grazing him. The SandWing soldier screams as he ditches his assault rifle and brings a thermal axe, but his body is moving like he wanted it to. Was it fear? Not quite, but his sync level has plummeted ever since he began to realize that this was a fight he cannot win. At 22%, his movements were all sluggish and the thermal axe couldn’t be considered a weapon anymore with how slow the AC’s responses are. The SandWing could only watch as the MudWing approached him, his eyes held a will far stronger than his own. His scream was just a lump in his throat as the MudWing thrust the shotgun right up against his chest and fired. The point-blank pellets easily penetrated the Minuteman’s lightweight armor, his scales and into his heart. With that single shot, the SandWing was dead, the thermal axe in his talons slipped away from his loosening grip.

Clay heaved the dead SandWing off of him, the corpse landing in the ditch of a dune like a sack of potatoes. Clay looked down at the thermal axe on the sand, its heated edge turning the sand into shards of molten glass. He sheathed his shotgun and picked up the axe and inspected it. The thermal axe was surprisingly lightweight, the blade was completely straight and vertical, along with the axe handle.

 “This actually looks pretty useful!” Clay smirked, this was AC grade weaponry, maybe it was on par with Tsunami’s pulse blade. Mudflap’s alarm shook him out of his thoughts and made him look forward, where another Minuteman AC was waiting for him. This Sandwing had an assault rifle, along with a shield on her left arm just like Clay. Instead of missile launchers this AC had a shoulder mounted cannon on the left shoulder. Clay adjusted his grip on the thermal axe before raising his shield at her, another threat to get rid of.

"You killed him… You killed him…!” She shouted in despair, before giving out a battlecry and firing everything she had at Clay. Assault rifle rounds flew alongside the periodically fired cannon shell, their target was the MudWing that took the life of her comrade. Clay stood his ground and blocked the incoming barrage, the SandWing kept on firing until she was back to her senses. The desert in front of her was just a large plume of airborne sand and dust, and inside that dust cloud was Clay moving toward her like an unstoppable force.

“W-what’s with you?! Why won’t you die?!” The SandWing angrily shouts at Clay, she tries to retreat back to her comrades, boosting away from the MudWing. Clay’s momentum hasn’t stopped for a single moment. Just as the SandWing was about to fly over the walls leading to the warehouse district, Clay managed to catch up with her. With a deadly overhead swing, the thermal axe cleaved right through the SandWing’s shoulder, the heated edge cauterizing the wound, spraying no blood on the sands. Clay then used the screaming SandWing as a springboard and pushed her toward the ground, all while boosting him toward. The Minuteman exploded as it crashed onto the ground, the bright flash of orange illuminating the night. Clay then sheathed the thermal axe into the inside of his shield for safe-keeping. 

“Starflight, I took down two Aeros, I think. They were pretty weak anyway. I’m going to regroup with Tsunami and Glory.” Clay reports in the comms, flying over to the scene of battle.

“That’s great Clay, but we’re not here to fight SandWings, we’re here to rescue Ahote. Try to find him now that our enemies are being distracted by Glory and Tsunami.”

“No can do, It’s too dangerous to get Ahote out of here when there are still hostiles here. It will be easier to mop them up first.”

“Well, I got some bad news for you Clay. I have something on the radar.” Shadedancer joins the conversation. “AC signal, this one looks like an actual Aero. not those chumps using those Minutemen.”

“Well then… if you want a safer path to escort Ahote, intercept that enemy AC. Marking the location now.” Starflight grimaces.

“Roger that, I’ll take them out.” Clay complies as he boosts toward the direction on his HUD. Clay didn’t consider the two SandWings he killed to be actual Aeros, but this one, he has a feeling that he’s going to have a tough time fighting them, as this ‘rescue mission’ continues deeper into the night.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Wings of War