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Chapter Text

  A queen and a rightful heir crept swiftly through the cover of a storm. The IceWing above them was far too frantic to pay any mind to his stalkers, even without the pounding rain to blind his eyes and hide their sent. Despite all their advantages, Blister wished Scarlet would shut up. 

“This is RIDICULOUS.” Scarlet had confined herself to shrill muttering. There was no way the IceWing thief would hear her over the winds, but it was still incessant to Blister’s unfortunate ears. “I am a QUEEN. I should not be forced to drudge through this misery. UGH,” she threw her head back in disgust and shock as a bit of mud was flung into her face. 

Blister secretly smiled but made her voice understanding. She spoke gently, “You must remember, this is something only a queen herself should see. I believe we’re almost there.” 

The play to her power seemed to satisfy Scarlet well enough, and she closed her mouth for the rest of the crawl. Blister glanced at the small troop of guards behind them. She hoped Scarlet had heeded her warnings properly. It was a tricky task, picking dragons strong enough to get to the egg but weak enough that the two of them could finish them off, and she didn’t have the most faith in Scarlet’s planning. Still, she couldn’t risk endangering the loyalty of her SandWings so the Sky Queen’s judgment would have to do. 

Above them, the IceWing took a sudden sharp turn downwards. Blister hissed a warning to her team and flew after him, peering over the edge and pressing herself as close to the stone as possible. Scarlet could crawl down further, her claws and limbs being made for perching on the rocky cliffsides, but her bright color made Blister cautious about sending her close enough to hear. 

The two of them watched in absolute silence as a SeaWing, SandWing, and SkyWing came out to greet the IceWing. Blister sneered at the wingless traitor, and she could feel Scarlet bristle up with snide joy beside her, probably upon seeing the SkyWing. Curiosity tapped at her mind, but she could ask Scarlet about their history after the Talons’ blood had been drained. 

“NOW!” Scarlet roared with surprisingly good timing. She launched forward and tackled the SkyWing claws first, digging deep gashes into her shoulders.

Blister waited for the small avalanche of SkyWing troops to fly over her head, using the shock they brought as cover while she scanned the scene. The SeaWing was about to run, the SandWing was charging for Scarlet but his eyes were frozen on the approaching soldiers, and the IceWing… the IceWing and the egg were gone. Blister shot down the side of the mountain; between her silent running and the chaos, no one noticed she was there. 

As soon as she stood where the IceWing had been, it was obvious where he had gone: there was an opening about a tail’s length from where she’d landed, leading into the face of the cliff. Blister chuckled to herself and slunk inside. She wasn’t stupid like her sisters, she knew better than to go charging into an enemy’s lair assuming there’d be only one. She prepared to find a whole writhing nest of the “Talons of Peace,”  staying low and close to the shadows. 

The tunnel grew pitch-back quickly. It wasn't fit for dragons to go running through; the walls were rugged, the space was cramped, and it became clear this wasn’t a tunnel so much as it was a pathetic vein of a cave. The IceWing must have darted in here in a panic, not thinking about whether it connected to the rest of his hideout or not. 

Blister closed her eyes. She stopped moving and stayed very, very, still. Slowly, she set one foot forward. Then the next. She made her way to the end of the thin and winding cave, feeling her way around stalactites and stalagmites in absolute silence—save, of course, for the clambering outside. She moved like this until, finally, she could hear the shallow breathing of her prey. 

In one swift motion, she shot forward. The cry of fear that erupted into the darkness was sharper and shriller than anything that came from the massacre outside. He’d screamed before she’d even gotten her tail under his scales, and the pain did not make him quieter. Curiously, through all this, he didn’t move to attack her. Satisfied with her personal safety, Blister blew a small flame, bringing sharp light to reveal her cold self. 

The IceWing winced away from the sudden brightness but still did not move. At this point, she could chalk that up to her venom, which was now visibly ailing him. He just laid there, glaring, angry and pathetic, curled up around his precious egg as if he could still do anything to save it. 

Poor fool, he’s chosen to protect the egg rather than defend himself, Blister mused to herself. Not that either choice would have mattered in the end.

The IceWing noticed her staring at the large egg and clutched it closer. Blister tilted her head, deep in thought. 

“There’s… there’s nothing you can… do… you know,” he wheezed out, surprising her. “Y-your war has gone on… long enough.”

“Oh, my little dear,” Blister crooned at him. “We want the same thing then: for this pointless war to end. Unfortunately, this war is only going to end when I win it.”

He weakly shook his head. “There’s nothing… you can do…” he said again, “The... dragonets… are coming.”

The dragonets. That stupid prophecy had placed a thick thorn right through everyone’s side. In all honestly, Blister wasn’t that concerned about a bunch of NightWing dribble. She’d always been a good diplomat to them and she was the rightful Queen, whether a bunch of unborn worms thought so or not. It had been the Talons of Peace that worried her; she was more interested in getting their grubby little claws out of her war than she was about the prophecy. 

She wasn’t sure she even believed in fate that way. “Destiny” was a powerful thing, but she felt she was smarter. She’d always worked to control what she had rather than what she didn’t. The way she saw it, she may not have control of the prophecy but she had control over now, which meant, if she was smart about her actions, she had control of the future. She just had to work on getting the right cards. 

Blister’s eyes drifted down toward the egg, still clutched in the newly-expired IceWing’s arms. 

—

Walking out of the cave, Blister stepped carelessly over the Talon SandWing’s lifeless arm. The storm had passed. The fight seemed to have gone well for them, leaving only two of the SkyWing soldiers left, both with injuries. The SeaWing laid motionless, tossed to the side; it was unclear if he was dead or had fainted. Scarlet was laid over the SkyWing, shrieking and tearing into her wings like paper. The two soldiers left—siblings, Blister thought, both colored clay red—waited awkwardly for their queen to finish her tantrum. Blister moved to wait with them. With a pang of satisfaction, she felt them tense in fear as she sat, but neither said a word. 

Despite being barely more than a pile of rust-colored scales and blood (though, in fairness, a great deal of the blood did not appear to be her own) the SkyWing on the ground was still alive. She raised her head and gurgled, “Still acting like you hatched yesterday? Pathetic.” She spat at Scarlet’s feet. 

“I should have had YOU drowned, Kestrel!” Scarlet, who had a few nasty scratches herself, growled. It was clear she could have killed Kestrel a while ago by now but was spitefully choosing to take her time and drag out the pain. Not the smartest move, in Blister’s opinion, but an understandable one. 

Kestrel’s razor-sharp eyes fell behind Scarlet and finally noticed Blister waiting patiently. Fury ignited in her eyes again. She lunged away from Scarlet, falling worthlessly to the ground. Her gaze was locked hatefully on the egg in Blister’s claws. 

“NO,” she tried to roar but was cut off by a choke of blood. “NO, NO, NO. I WILL NOT DIE FOR NOTHING! NOT BECAUSE OF THAT IDIOT, HVITUR! I WILL NOT—” She was cut off by one of the soldiers, who had stepped forward in defense of Blister and slashed at Kestrel’s throat. It was a clumsy attack, Blister noted with disapproval, but Kestrel had already been so damaged that it finished the job. 

Scarlet ran forward and batted Kestrel’s dead head. She stomped in annoyance and anger, whipping around to growl at the soldier who had attacked. “I wanted to kill her,” she whined, stepping dangerously close to his face. 

“I’m… I’m sorry, Your Majesty!” He quivered. “She was lunging for Queen Blister!”

“I don’t care what she was doing. I ordered you to let me have her and you disobeyed!” 

At this, the other soldier made the mistake of getting involved. “Your Majesty,” she pleaded with shaking professionalism. “Our main assignment was to protect you two. He was only trying to follow orders.”

Scarlet spun around and grabbed her by the throat. “THIS is why I chose you to come on this mission. You are both troublemakers, constantly disobeying orders and breaking rank! Oh, the stories your superiors had when I asked for dragons like you were bad enough, but to see it with my own eyes…” She tightened her grip, eyes narrowing. The soldier sat there obediently and took it. 

She’s probably assuming this is a temporary punishment, just a surge of anger that will pass, Blister thought with an emotion that was almost pity. Almost.  

The dragon’s brother didn’t hold any such naiveties. He backed up, eyes wide and terrified and mournful, ready to run. Blister gently wrapped her tail around him. “Come now,” she whispered comfortingly, “Don’t prove her right.”

Whether he believed her or not was irrelevant; he locked up and stayed put, watching Scarlet with trembling eyes. Blister raked her claws down his chest. 

Finally, as her brother fell down motionless, the last soldier got an idea of what was going on and began to writhe wildly. She opened her mouth, sparked with fire, but Scarlet threw her down before she could exhale it. A crunch came from the force of the throw, but she still scrambled up, gasping for air.

Blister yawned, “Scarlet, let’s get on with it, shall we?” 

Scarlet shot her a disgruntled look and stomped on the soldier’s neck, finally killing her. 

Blister watched, blatantly unimpressed. 

Scarlet huffed, “I desperately need some time to fix myself up. Oh, this whole thing was awful! I should have just sent someone else and put the troublemakers in the arena. Then, I could have had a nice night watching some thrilling battles instead of trudging through the mud. I don’t know how you manage to talk me into these things.”

Blister didn’t answer. She held the egg up next to Scarlet and plotted. Scarlet was right, it was easy to talk her into things. It was easy to stay on her good side, to shift the blame, to create a symbiotic exchange. Part of that was because Blister barely had to lie to do it. Scarlet was ruthless but vain, almost like a combination of Blister’s sisters, only Blister actually found Scarlet tolerable. She was convenient. They wanted either the same things or things that in no way conflicted. Scarlet helped Blister for the same reason Blister helped Scarlet—they wanted to use each other, they wanted power—and that transparency was the closest thing to trust Blister ever had. 

“Come on, let’s kill the wretched thing and leave!” Scarlet swiped for the egg but Blister stepped out of her reach. Her eyes fell to the milksop SeaWing. 

“Is he alive?” She asked.

“Oh, really,” Scarlet scoffed. “You don’t expect me to believe you’ve gone all soft, do you? Like you actually care if that egg hatches or that dragon lives?”

“Well, in a way, I do. And I think you will find the outcome very interesting as well. The dragonets are coming—“

“Not if we kill them! You know, the plan?”

“If we kill them we don’t know what will happen. However, everyone is expecting the dragonets to come. If we control the dragonets, then we control the prophecy, and if we control the prophecy…”

“We control the war,” Scarlet smiled, realization in her tone. 

Blister smiled back. It was always nice to be reminded her ally wasn’t as stupid as she sometimes acted. 

She walked over to the SeaWing and looked him over. None of his injuries seemed severe. She bent down and stuck a claw deep into one of his cuts. His face twisted in agony and he let out a strained cry, eyes squeezing shut. She sat back, satisfied. 

“Well?” Scarlet asked.

“Just a moment,” Blister said patiently. 

The SeaWing continued to groan and writhe. He whimpered as he slowly awoke. His eyes were bleary with pain as they opened. Blister gave them time to focus and fill with terror before she spoke.

“Hello,” she said gently, “What’s your name?” 

“I-I-you—you’re—“ he stammered, trying to scramble to his feet. 

Blister flicked her tail, casually flashing her barb. She placed a talon on his neck. “Shh, shh, shh, you’re in no position to move, and I’ve asked you a question. Be polite and answer it, won’t you?” 

“I…” the SeaWing gulped, shuddering. “Webs.”

“There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Blister encouraged. “Now, Webs, we’re going to need you to answer a few more questions… I believe you’ve misplaced a few eggs, haven’t you?” 

———

Several Months Later 

Blister walked along the cold and rocky shore, shivering. She tried to remain poised—one never knew when another was observing in a place like this—but she was about ready to bite someone’s head off. It was miserable here, cold, wet, and hard. It was about the worst place for a SandWing to be, and she’d been waiting here for nearly an hour. A whole hour of nothing, a whole hour of time wasted. She let her face fall; if there were any NightWings hiding in the shadows, they would know she was displeased sooner or later anyway.

Finally, a colossal black dragon emerged from the fog. He landed on the shore next to Blister. She stared up at him with steely, unmoved eyes. 

“I really did hope your Queen would greet me, Morrowseer,” she said. 

“No one sees the Queen,” he stated firmly. He was like a stubborn fortress. 

“That was expected,” she sighed. “What was also expected, however, was that you’d arrive in a timely manner.”

Morrowseer bowed hollowly. “Apologies, Your Highness. There were urgent NightWing matters that needed to be attended to.” 

“Yes, yes,” she waved her talons dismissively, not ignoring how he’d used the lower title to address her. “I’m sure you have all your secret guards hidden all around, ready to pounce the moment I say something to jeopardize your mysterious ways.” 

Morrowseer seemed taken aback by her bluntness but didn’t hesitate, moving forward with ease. “This war has made you paranoid, Your Highness.”

“With good reason,” she retorted, mirroring his slow circle. “This war has been hard and may get harder. No one knows what will happen next.” 

“Perhaps not next, no.”

“We all want—NEED—something out of this. That’s the issue, it simply can’t be resolved until each party finds a way to gain what they’re after. There are three armies in this war, but there are really only two sides: the winning and the losing.” 

“Have you come here to wax poetic?” Morrowseer arched his eye. 

“I’ve come to ask about your prophecy.”

“Then you’ve only to ask, Your Highness.” 

“What would happen if all three of us were to die? Or if the dragonets disagree? I know I’m no NightWing, I’ve no way to truly understand the future as you do, but you can surely read the concern and curiosities from my mind.” Blister moved her face close to Morrowseer as their heights would allow, letting him read her face. “As I said, we all need something from this war,” she added for good measure. 

“I see,” Morrowseer said after a moment. “To answer your questions, prophecies can be fulfilled in many ways, sometimes unexpected, sometimes rather… contrived.” 

“Good. I’m glad we can understand each other.” Blister smirked. “Now that the introductions are done, shall we get into some more serious discussion?” 

“Yes,” Morrowseer said slowly. “Let us.” 

——

Eight Years Later 

“Queen Blister,” Smolder bowed as he approached her throne. 

It had been a tough decision, letting her brother live after his traitorous serving of Burn, but she was happy with the results so far. He worked quickly and effortlessly. Best of all, he was easy to control. Blister knew so long as his little pet was on the line he’d do anything for her. 

“The NightWings offer you a gift from their new home, as thank you and as a testament to your alliance.” 

“Tell Queen Greatness I thank her for her kindness but I’ve no need for it.” 

Blister was not a collector like her sisters. She had no use for hoarding frivolous things, no matter how pretty or horrific they were. Treasures were obviously the exception—as a symbol of her power nothing else. She’d yet to clear out Burn’s vulgar storage, though. Maybe she wouldn’t. It was a fear-inducing place, possibly a useful thing to have around. 

“Has she sent any gifts to the SkyWings?” Blister continued. “Scarlet is far keener about these things than I am.” 

Scarlet had become Blister’s favorite dragon over the years. She was astonishingly competent at her tasks. At first, Blister had been unsure about Scarlet’s plan to raise all five dragonets herself, but Scarlet proved to be a wonderful coach. Blister had checked up on their progress several times throughout the years and had grown very… interested in their development. Morrowseer also came often—for the NightWing, of course. After the Talons of Peace had failed him so soundly, he’d taken matters further into his own claws. 

When the time had come for the prophecy to be fulfilled, the dragonets played their part perfectly. They revealed themselves in a blaze of glory—a rare moment where Blister predicated Scarlet’s theatrics—and the NightWings followed suit. The rainforest was barely even a sacrifice in the long run. 

Of course, there were those who tried to rise against fate. Burn did not go down easily, but once the MudWings turned to the side of the prophecy, it was only a matter of time before the SeaWings lost their investment and she fell. That was the problem with ruling from brute force and fear alone: everyone is already itching to get out from under you and will turn the second they get the chance. 

Blaze was, ironically, much harder to get to. She and her most devout followers simply retreated to the Ice Kingdom and never returned. Whether she was rotting in Glacier’s prison for breaking their agreement, or frozen to death somewhere in the tundra, Blister couldn’t care less. The IceWings wanted nothing to do with NightWings or their prophecies so, even on the slim chance the nitwit had managed to survive on her own, there was little worry. 

Besides, Blister was done with the scorching prophecy. She’d won. The Sand Kingdom was becoming one of the strongest, her closest allies were among the most powerful dragons in the world, and, with a full year passed since the war ended, the unorganized resistances to her inevitable power were mostly stamped out.

“I believe Queen Scarlet is receiving several offerings,” Smolder said. 

“Wonderful. Anything else to report?”

“No, Your Majesty. That was all.” 

“Then you are dismissed. You’ve done well this past week, I think you’ve earned a few hours with your pet.” 

She plucked a key from her throne and tossed it to his feet. He snatched it up, desperation flashing in eyes that he’d so carefully learned to keep dull. Blister smirked. This was why her sisters were always doomed to fail. It was why she was the one true heir. It took more than inoffensiveness or terror to keep control; sometimes it took cold, calculated, kindness.

Chapter Text

Two Years After The Great SandWing War

All was well in the Sky Kingdom; the war was over and the land was thriving, especially compared to those on the losing side with reparations. The Kingdom of Sand was a generous, close friend. The NightWings were effective allies. There was plenty of work to be done, as always, but for once there was also plenty of reward for your effort. So long as you weren’t an idiot and stayed out of Queen Scarlet’s notice, any SkyWing could live a perfectly happy life. 

At least, that’s how Freefall thought. 

Being a Dragonet of Destiny obviously gave her some perks she knew others weren’t privy to but that was just the way the world worked. Not everyone could be a queen, and not everyone could consider the Queen as a mother and confidant the way she did. They couldn’t sit by her throne, dine with her regularly, recall her tender talons over their horns, or casually fly beside her. Most importantly, not just anyone could ask Queen Scarlet what Freefall was preparing to do. Certainly not without a hint of dread. 

In fact, as Freefall swooped around the spires of the palace, she felt quite excited. Despite the warnings of her siblings, she knew in her soul and scales that this was meant to be. It was a matter of destiny! Starflight was a worry-wort snail about things sometimes. The other Dragonets just didn’t understand this kingdom the way she did. They had no obligation to—she was the only SkyWing here. Although they were treated with all the respect they deserved (just below royalty in rank), they couldn’t love this kingdom the way she did. 

It hurt, seeing Queen Scarlet try to love them as much as her but fail. She hated how when they’d first ended the war, everyone treated them so differently than her. Even when they were being raised in (relative) secret, she could feel how her scoldings were lighter, how her misbehavior wasn’t acknowledged as strictly. What hurt the most was seeing how, because of this, her siblings didn’t love Scarlet as much as she did. They still loved her, of course, but they didn’t trust her like Freefall did. She was too much of a Queen for them to ever think of her as “Mother.”

That would change once Freefall was in charge, though. When she was Queen she would put anyone who was even a little shifty around them to death! They would never feel the teensiest bit scared or unwelcome ever again! She’d make them all official parts of the SkyKingdom monarchy. Instead of just being gifted things, they’d be crucial. Starflight could be the royal scientist! Tsunami could be a five-jeweled general, the top boss of the whole army! Sunny would be the ambassador to the Sand Kingdom and Clay could be… well, there wasn’t much important stuff he’d like to do. She could put him as a doctor—he loved to help people—but then he’d be stuck with all the sad gross people all the time. Freefall wasn’t going to stick him with that. 

OH! Royal taste-tester! She thought. He’d LOVE that! Mmm… secondary royal taste-tester, so he doesn’t actually get poisoned. Even if it’s not super important, he’s so friendly everyone will love him anyway! And if they don’t, I’ll just kill them!

Freefall didn’t mean to have so much killing planned for her time as Queen. She didn’t even like hurting dragons, but duty calls as duty calls. It’s like when Scarlet punished them, some things just come with certain responsibilities. She would make the kingdom better in other ways too, like festivals! Festivals with races and obstacle courses and TONS of flying. 

Freefall loved flying. She was good at flying—REALLY good. It was her thing. Starflight had his scrolls and Tsunami had her fights but Freefall owned the skies. She spent so much time in the air, her wings were faster and stronger than any other SkyWing. She was willing to bet she was better at flying than any other dragon in the world! 

It was something special she had with Scarlet as well. Sometimes the Queen would take her out on one-on-one flights to test her speed and discuss important matters. Usually, it was her siblings Scarlet talked about, but sometimes it was just random interesting things. Sometimes, Freefall got to pick the topic! 

Freefall was currently on her way to one of these visits. She hoped there was nothing seriously urgent or time-consuming the Queen needed to discuss, as she had something big she needed to propose. 

She was going to ask to be put in line for the throne. 

-

As Freefall landed on the palace steps, the guards moved aside without a word. She held her head high as she walked past them but smiled. She’d noticed the two of them had been watching her loop around in the sky with admiration.

The walls of the throne room were elegant and dazzling. Gems and metals had been plastered against the walls, many of them recent additions depicting events from the war. They had been forged out of reparations from the losers.

It was beautiful but always held a bittersweet sensation for Freefall. It was sad how so many dragons had to suffer only to find out they were on the wrong side. They couldn’t have known until she and the other Dragonets of Destiny told them what was right. What really got her, though, was how many dragons continued to buckle down and fight for the wrong side after. She had no pity for them, of course—they hurt themselves— it was just so sad that there were so many stupid dragons. She would much prefer if everyone had heeded to the Dragonets of Destiny and nobody had to get hurt after. Unfortunately, that was just the way of the world. Some things couldn’t be helped. 

The Queen was sitting on her throne, meanderingly looking over some scrolls. She looked either mad, bored, or mad because she was bored. Whatever it was, Freefall was sure she could help with it. 

“Your Majesty!” 

Scarlet looked up. At first, ire burned in her gaze (as was appropriate of someone like her being interrupted) but her eyes cooled when she saw it was Freefall and not some random commoner. Freefall bowed deeply and smiled wide. 

“Hello, my little sky catcher,” Scarlet acknowledged before turning back to her work. “How are we today?”

“Great! I’m really excited for our flight today!”

“Our what?” She asked dismissively. 

Freefall tried not to let her wings droop at the realization that the Queen had forgotten. She was super busy; she was the QUEEN, after all, and Freefall wasn’t that important anymore. Since the prophecy was fulfilled, nobody had to rely on her to run the kingdom. She didn’t really have a purpose. She had pressure, sure, but no way to live up to it. After today, that would change.

“We were meant to go out flying today, just the two of us. Remember?” Freefall nudged gently. She didn’t want to put Scarlet in a bad mood before asking something so important, and she knew being insistent would definitely do that. 

“Oh. Right,” Scarlet said bluntly. She picked up her scroll and half-heartedly skimmed it. Displeased, she set it down. “Well, I suppose I’ve nothing better to do this drudge day. Come along.”

“YES,” Freefall whispered to herself, discreetly pumping her arm. She followed Queen Scarlet with a giddy joy in her step, trying to remain composed and not break into a full-on prance.

The ledge they came to overlooked the whole Sky Kingdom. Freefall was overwhelmed every time she looked over this edge, the weight and love of her whole world staring her in her face, but today it was especially sharp. It was the responsibility and future on top of everything else. Taking a deep breath of the sky-scraping air, Freefall began to dive. The small rush of wind was anticipation incarnate as it began to tickle and tease her face. 

Then claws gripped her wings and she was yanked backward. Freefall stumbled violently back onto the ledge; Scarlet was forcefully holding her wing up in an awkward way that bent the muscle. Freefall winced, trying carefully to find a position that stopped the pain without bothering the Queen. 

“What is this?” Scarlet demanded. 

“I—ow—I don’t know Your Majesty. I can’t see—OW! Sorry…”

Scarlet discontentedly let go, releasing the dragonet to fall gracelessly. “Fine.” 

Freefall scrambled to her feet and turned to observe where Scarlet had grabbed her. The damage, of course, would heal quickly. Scarlet was always very cautious that her discipline didn’t equal lasting damage. Clay was the only one of them with any visible marks and that was only because… well, Freefall would make sure that ended when she was Queen. It had never seemed fair to her. 

Just below her aching wingtip, Freefall spotted her mistake: there was a bit of soot stained onto her auburn scales. She frowned and frantically began to wipe it away. Earlier that day she’d gone burning with Sunny; she must have missed that spot when they cleaned off. It was really small. Freefall could practically hear Tsunami say it was understandable and even pointless, but Tsunami wasn’t a SkyWing—and she wasn’t going flying with the Queen today. 

“I am so sorry! It’s just a little spot, thank you for catching it, I really would never have come like this if I’d known—“

“A little spot?” Scarlet cut off her rambling apology. “What does that mean?”

Freefall froze. “I… I only mean I’m glad it wasn’t worse. It’s only a speck.”

“A speck,” Scarlet repeated. “It’s only a little mistake so it doesn’t matter, is that right?”

“No, of course not!”

“You think it being small makes it better? Do you think because it wasn’t noticeable, it’s any less damaging? NO. It makes it worse. You’d be a fool to think that because your failures hide that they are fixed.” Scarlet loomed over Freefall as she ranted. 

Freefall wasn’t a big dragon. Sunny was the only one of the Dragonets of Destiny that was smaller than her. It was true, her wings were large, even compared to the average SkyWing, but when she clamped them to her sides in fear that hardly mattered. Small as she looked, having her wings around her made her feel safe. They pressed in close and stopped her from quivering. SkyWings like her weren’t supposed to quiver, especially not in front of the Queen.

Scarlet continued, “Is that what you want to be in this kingdom? To me? A little spot? A blemish too pathetic to notice, assuming you won’t do any harm because of your inferiority?”

“NO,” Freefall said, a little more strongly than she’d meant. “Inferiority is not a strength or an excuse, it’s a weakness. I will not be a weakness. I am a Dragonet of Destiny and a SkyWing! I will be strong for my Queen and Kingdom. I do not tolerate mistakes, I will learn from them.” She sat up tall and loosened her wings. Fanfare was igniting in her, stirring truth into confidence. 

Scarlet sat back, seemingly satisfied. “Very good. Now, you will keep those beautiful scales of yours in proper shape, yes? Remember, you are my little gem, and I don’t accept ugly treasure. It reflects badly upon me. You wouldn’t ever make someone think less of me just because you were too lazy to keep yourself in shape, right?” A familiar mix of threat and fondness was vibrant in her tone. 

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Freefall bowed deeply, filled with love for the only mother she’d ever known. 

“I’m in a good mood now; being called away for a flight instead of having to deal with those suck-up NightWings is nice, so I don’t think we’ll inform Clay about this one,” Scarlet said. 

Freefall breathed a quiet sigh of relief. It’d been at the back of her mind, but she didn’t want to bring it up. It wasn’t her place to decide or even ask such things.

“Well, are we flying or not? I didn’t raise you to stand there like an idiot when you’ve such an opportunity to fly with me,” Scarlet barked. 

“Yes!” Freefall chirped. She felt her whole body tingle, like lightning from her claws to her wing tips, she was suddenly so excited again. Scarlet tilted her head. Freefall cleared her throat and bowed quickly, “I mean, of course, Your Majesty.”

——

The sky was sun-filled but not hot as Freefall and Queen Scarlet soared. It was a perfect day for flying; the winds were easy to glide through and the clouds were low enough to touch. Freefall could jet off and loop and fall and twist until the moons came out. Instead, though, she stayed low and slow so as to keep by Scarlet’s side. They hadn’t spoken the whole time, maybe half an hour or so. While Freefall at first found relief in the peaceful break, she was getting antsy now. She worried that if she didn’t speak soon the Queen would want to return home before they talked at all. Or, worse, would fall out of her lucky good mood.

“So,” Freefall asked, not wanting to get straight into the CAN-I-BE-A-PRINCESS talk, “What were the NightWings doing to upset you? Need me and Tsunami to rake a few hides?”

“Oh,” Scarlet dramatically rolled her eyes as if exhausted. Freefall smiled inside, knowing the Queen was always happy to lament. “They’re such slobbering throne-lickers. Ever since they got their new home, they’ve been trying sooooo hard to keep in my (and Blister’s I guess) good graces. They try to pretend to be all mighty—the unattractive lumps they are, that’s the only thing they have going for them—but even with their powers it’s obvious Greatness is relying on our alliance as they settle in. They keep trying to give me things.”

“You’re upset because they want to give you gifts?” Freefall blurted out, her world shattering around her. 

“Oh, no, that part is lovely,” Scarlet said with a wicked smile. Freefall giggled. “The problem is they make it so exhausting. It’s all ‘fill out this form’ and ‘we want to give you the best for you’ and ‘thrilling and gorgeous are subjective terms.’ Ugh, just FIGURE IT OUT.” 

“What’s the point of giving a gift if you make the other person do all the work?” 

“Exactly!” Scarlet huffed. 

“So, what’s the gift anyway? Did they even tell you?”

“A RainWing.” 

Freefall nearly fell out of the sky in surprise. She remembered to flap her wings and stumbled back into position, gaping at Scarlet from the corner of her eye. The Queen didn’t seem phased by what she’d said at all. 

“A RainWing.” Freefall repeated. “Do you mean a NightWing contraption or experiment? Or, like, a full RainWing? As in a whole dragon?” She shuddered as a horrible thought overcame her. “You don’t mean a stuffed one, right? Like the dragons in the SandWing horror room?” 

“Ack! Tails and teeth, no! If they sent me something so wretched and tacky I’d declare war on them instantly!” 

Scarlet was famous for “overreacting” or “being dramatic” but Freefall could feel where she was coming from on this one. Freefall had seen Burn’s old vault only once in her life, right after the war. Queen Blister was giving her a tour of the SandWing palace and they’d stopped in. It was one of the most disbursing places Freefall had ever been. It made her guts churn the way only watching punishments could make them before—maybe even worse. If she’d had any personal connection to anything in that room, she was sure she’d have shattered on the spot. Queen Blister lead them out with quickly-given apologies. She said she’d wanted them to see they’d made the right choice. She thought it would be comforting. Freefall had the least amount of doubt out of all the Dragonets of Destiny, but whatever amount was inside her had been crushed by that room. 

Before she’d seen it, she’d heard about the Horror Room. The Dragonets were sent out to get a sense of the other SandWing heirs, so they could be fair and could understand how important it was they stop the terrible war. Sunny and Starflight’s mission was in the SandWing Kingdom, back then still run by Burn. Freefall didn’t know the details, but when her siblings returned they were visibly shaken. Starflight sat down and wrote out long descriptions of everything he’d seen, many of the pages being filled with the Horror Room. Recording objective facts had always been his way of coping with the world. Sunny didn’t talk to anyone for a very long time. 

“A live one,” Scarlet continued, still casual and oblivious to the loop she’d thrown Freefall for. “RainWings are supposedly very pretty and very easy to manage.” 

“So…” was all Freefall could think to say. She couldn’t focus on the conversation, she was just glad it wasn’t anything that Burn would want. “Um, what kind of RainWing are you going to get?” 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Scarlet sighed. “As I said, they were making the whole process needlessly complex trying to find me the best fit. The only thing I know for sure is I asked for one about your age. I figure you five could use a new plaything—plus, that way I don’t have to worry about caring for it myself if it gets boring or something.” 

“Oh,” Freefall said bristly. 

She didn’t like the idea of a new dragonet infiltrating her sibling group. The Dragonets of Destiny were a complete package, bonded by life and fate. They were special. They took care of each other. Being forced to invite some loafing RainWing into their circle felt wrong—violating, even. But, if it’s what the Queen asked, she guessed she could babysit them every once in a while.

Scarlet looked over at her. “Is there a problem?”

“No, I just don’t like the idea of having to be friends with someone new, especially a RainWing of all dragons.” 

“Well, I’m not taking care of it,” Scarlet huffed. “Either your little quintet can entertain yourselves with it or I’ll have the servants manage. I don’t really care so long as I’ve something beautiful to show for all this work.”

“I’d do anything you ask me to, Your Majesty,” Freefall said suddenly. 

Scarlet smiled wide with glinting eyes. “I know you would. That’s why I love you.” 

———

After a while of flying in silence, Scarlet began leading Freefall downwards, preparing to stop at a cliff’s edge. It was an alluring scene. This side of the mountains overlooked nothing but nature; rivers, trees, and ridges, all painted outwards as far as the eye could see. It felt almost untouched by dragon claw. The ledge was wide, about the size of a small room, but shrank in the mass of the mountainside, giving the view even more of an epic feeling. 

Freefall often thought she was in the most beautiful place in the world. She knew it couldn’t be true, only one could be the most beautiful place, but she struggled with figuring out what was “beautiful” to her. She knew the answer should be her kingdom. Those views were very pretty, but they drowned her with a sense of responsibility and care and made her worry for every single SkyWing out there she was meant to serve. The places like this, though? She couldn’t help but feel something misplaced inside her as she gazed into the quiet and still. Like, this is what she wanted. 

She knew that couldn’t be true. It was only a spur-of-the-moment joy that came because it was so different than what she was used to. She didn’t really like the peace and quiet, the vastness and freedom, the euphoria of being alone. It just couldn’t be right. She was the Wings of Sky. As amazing as it felt to fly, untouched by the bustling pressures of her home, she loved the Sky Kingdom more than a bunch of trees. She just had to. 

She turned away from the edge to see Scarlet watching her with an analytical stare. Seeing those bright yellow eyes challenging her every action, Freefall knew she was right. Anything that could bring disappointment or fury into Scarlet’s opinion of her was just objectively wrong; the Sky Kingdom would always be better, and would always hold her undying loyalty. That’s why she had to make this decision. 

Freefall took a deep breath. She approached Scarlet, using the most dignified body language she possibly could, and bowed her head slightly. “My Queen, I have something to ask.”

Scarlet looked uninterested in the confrontation but didn’t indicate for Freefall to stop.

“I-” Freefall hesitated. 

She didn’t want to do this. Some inkling deep inside of her, something that had been buried deep for seven years, finally broke to the surface of her feelings in one last attempt to overtake her. She DIDN’T like being so important. She DIDN’T like having to be the SkyWing of the prophecy, she hated that her destiny was to be the perfect example. She wished so dearly that she and her siblings could have just been ordinary dragons and have Scarlet as their ordinary mother… but that was impossible and, most importantly, not important right now. She pushed it all down. 

“You know I’d do anything for you, for your kingdom… for our kingdom.”

“Yes, that’s what makes you a good little dragon.” 

“I love you. I mean, you raised me. You’re the closest thing to a mother a Dragonet of Destiny could ever have. What I mean to say is, you are my mother. I was wondering if… if you’d like to make it official. Would you take me in as your child?”

Scarlet seemed taken aback. “You already are in every way that matters. What more could you possibly want?” 

“Ruby is awful!,” Freefall blurted out, previously unnoticed jealousy bubbling in her chest. “She’s a shriveled, dying, little bird, always shaking and hiding and looking like she’s scared the breeze will knock her over. She doesn’t deserve to be your daughter. So long as she’s the only heir to the throne, the whole Kingdom of Sky is in danger. It’s just not right for someone as pathetic as her to be—“

“Let me be clear,” Scarlet interrupted. “I raise you, love you, keep you fed, give you a Nobel status, give you everything any other dragonet would have clawed and killed for, and your response is to insult me and demand more?”

Freefall lost all composure, binding her wings to her side and cowering. “Your Majesty, I only—“

“Do you think I’m an idiot?” Scarlet snarled. She stepped forward, pushing Freefall only a step away from the cliff’s edge.

“No!”

“RUBY WILL NEVER BE QUEEN! To think I’d ever let that sniveling brat come close to my throne is saying I am a moron, which I am not. And to think that YOU could usurp her to get your talons on my position. Really, you stupid worm, you think you could rule my kingdom? You barely know how to count without using your claws!”

“I don’t care about being a queen,” Freefall whimpered desperately under her breath. “I only want to help you, to do my duty like I’m supposed to, the way you taught me.” 

At that, Scarlet leaned back, still scrutinizing Freefall intensely. “Hmpf,” she snorted. “Well, that’s technically good of you, intentions-wise at least. In execution, though, it’s traitorous.”

Freefall flinched.

“What you’re proposing isn’t only idiotic, it’s impossible. You can’t be in line for the throne; you are not royal. Ruby may not be taking over for me but whoever does will be MY blood, MY Lineage.” Scarlet took a haughty breath and stopped gritting her teeth. She gingerly brushed her tail against the side of Freefall’s face. Freefall relaxed instantly at the consoling touch. “I’m sorry, dear,” she crooned, “But in the end, it’s not up to me. I know you think you’d be a very good queen, but that’s not what destiny had in store for you. Now, let’s forget all about this and head home, okay?” 

Freefall leaned her head to Scarlet’s chest, nuzzling in for comfort. She hated to admit it to herself but, upset as she was, she was also kind of relieved. Something still had to change; there was still no way Ruby could live up to even a fraction of what Scarlet was, but it was nice it didn’t have to be her. 

Still, the dread of responsibility crept back into her scales. If she didn’t take on this role, who would? No one else in the kingdom had any chance to claim the throne. The rumors of angry SeaWings, IceWings, and MudWings becoming terrorists hung heavy in her mind. Another war may break out, assassins could come for her Queen! Or, worse, Scarlet could just die an old dragon. Not only would that be an unfitting death for such a glorious leader, but it would also force Ruby to take over—it wouldn’t even be planned! If a dragon like Ruby had to be the only heir, she could at least intend it when she becomes Queen.

Freefall was in a special position. As Wings of Sky, she held great nobility and respect. She had been raised by the Queen herself to take pride in her home and position as a SkyWing. She thought maybe that would be enough to get the kingdom to accept her. That, and Ruby just being an awful SkyWing.

Freefall knew she wasn't much. As Starlight would put it: she wasn’t the smartest of dragons. But she was ambitious, powerful, and eager. If she started working right now, she could learn all about how to care for a kingdom! 

Honestly… Freefall didn’t know if she could ever challenge Scarlet. That was the hardest part of her whole plan, and something she tried not to think about. On one claw, Scarlet deserved a proper and true queen’s death, but on the other, Freefall couldn’t imagine hurting her. It was just another burden, and Scarlet had always taught her that her burdens were to be met head-on and carried. It didn’t matter if it hurt, it didn’t matter if it hurt some people she cared about even, she had to do what was best. She’d also been taught that “what was best” was whatever made Scarlet happy and the Sky Kingdom look good. 

Freefall sighed. She felt happy, but deep guilt was rising like bile in her throat. She had to fix this. It was her responsibility as the only dragon in the position she was in. She buried her face deeper into Scarlet’s chest, soaking in the safety. 

“What are we going to do about Ruby, though? She can’t be a queen. She just isn’t capable of it.” Freefall mumbled absentmindedly, lost in the warm comfort of her mother’s scales.

Immediately, Scarlet bristled. Freefall regretted opening her mouth as she was grabbed by the back of her neck and slung over the edge. She instinctually began to flail, her wings and tail flapping uselessly as she desperately clutched onto Scarlet’s arm.

“I told you to drop it.” Scarlet hissed. There was something in her eyes Freefall had never seen before (or something she pretended she never saw)—a blazing, wild, fear-fueled ruthlessness. “But clearly, I was wrong about you. You aren’t loyal. You don’t care. You can’t handle the simple things I ask of you. You HATE me, don’t you? That’s why you always make yourself look ugly, always trudging around covered in filth and mold, always sticking to those pathetic other dragonets. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you still value them over SkyWings! You just want to spite me.” 

Freefall opened her mouth to say otherwise—to beg, to apologize, to sob—but instead, all that came out was an aimless wail. 

“Still, I tried to love you. Still, I gave you everything anyone could have asked for. I spoiled you, didn’t I? You’re a rotten thing, aren’t you Freefall? After the life you’ve had, after everything I did for you, you just want my throne. You couldn’t be pleased, you were just too ambitious. Well, I can deal with ambition. I dealt with all the morons who tried to change me, I dealt with Tourmaline, I can deal with you.”

Freefall had never seen Scarlet so angry before—at least, not at her. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to ignore the throbbing pain where Scarlet was gripping her. This was bad. This was bad, bad, bad. 

Stupid Freefall, she scolded herself. If she had met another dragon who was anything like her, she’d have clawed their eyes out and cracked open their dumb skull. Stupid, idiot, claw-biting MORON. Why don’t you ever think? You’re supposed to be better than this. You’re supposed to be a SKYWING but everyone is always smarter than you, even Clay! 

At the thought of Clay, Freefall shuddered. She could only imagine how she was going to explain this one to him. She wasn’t sure he could forgive her this time. (He would eventually, of course, he always forgave them, but she knew deep down he shouldn’t.) Especially not her. It was always so much worse when it was her being punished. 

In a flash, her mind was ripped from her siblings as she felt her wings disintegrate. She wobbled to her feet, on solid ground somehow, and dizzily looked at the wall she’d been thrown against. Then her wings began to scream. It was strange, having limbs she was sure had burned away entirely start to hurt. The world moved in slow, phasing, pulses as she took on the gargantuan task of turning her head. 

Freefall’s wings were bleeding. They were shredded, hanging like torn cloth off bone she was sure weren’t meant to angle that way. She was so confused, so focused on the pain, she barely could manage to question why or what. Despite this, the answer to “who” came cruelly fast to her mind: Scarlet. The Queen. For all her life: mother. 

A blurry figure of red stood over her. In her state, Freefall felt the ground stop existing. It was only when she saw the green haze of the view she’d thought was so alluring that she realized she was being held over the edge of the cliff. It took another moment to register the sound in her ears as a voice; Scarlet was talking to her. Despite everything, Freefall found herself disappointed she couldn’t make out everything Scarlet was saying. Her Queen made very theatrical speeches. 

You might even say “thrilling,” Freefall thought with affection. She weakly laughed. 

“So, goodbye, my little sky catcher,” Scarlet crooned with a sickly sweet sneer. They were the only words Freefall heard clearly. 

Then, somehow, Freefall felt even more pain. Claw or tooth, it didn’t matter, something pierced the side of her neck with personal violence. When the attack was finished, she couldn’t feel anything else holding her anymore. The air whipped ruthlessly through her ears as she plummeted. She could see Scarlet watching over the edge. She was way too far gone to see anything clearly, but she dreamed Scarlet was smiling that warm, comforting, smile Freefall had cherished so much. 

Freefall looked at the air around her. Why am I here? I could just fly away… I’m good at flying… I like flying, she thought in a haze. 

But she was dead long before she hit the ground.

Chapter Text

Glory glared daggers. She glared slashing claws, crushing teeth, and burning venom. She’d gotten very good at it, having had all her physical options of violence taken from her for so long.  

Being dragged through the sky on a chain leash certainly didn’t dissuade her ire. She’d much rather look like a dangerous animal than a pathetic prisoner. She smugly noted how the entourage of guards made her look like a threat, and how she was a RainWing who’d earned such treatment. 

“Come on now, don’t be difficult,” Mastermind, the most obnoxious of the NightWings, tutted. “You’ve been selected for a great honor! You’re going to sit with a Queen!” 

Glory snorted. She turned to stare at the ground; Mastermind wasn’t even worth her withering gaze anymore. 

Uncaring, he rambled on, “I could send you to work you know. I really should. Oh, all the trouble you’ve been! You’d honestly be much more suitable for work than the rest of your ilk... BUT,” he burst out of his grumbled tone, “Luckily for you, Her Majesty has selected you! Well, not specifically you—not by name—of course not, hah, that’s—imagine if she knew your name! That would be an honor! And a bit of a pain, since when a queen takes note of you it’s usually because she wants something. Stars and moons help you if you don’t keep up perfectly with her schedule. Oh, so many rushed calculations,” he sighed wistfully as if recalling a mistreated pet. 

Glory closed her eyes and snored loudly. Mastermind tsked, having a perfect understanding of her muffled language. Like all RainWings, snoring, snorting, and growling had been the limits of Glory’s vocabulary for the past year and a half. The difference was Glory did her very best to remain vocally pissed with everyone around her.  

“Sir, we’re almost there,” one of the NightWings called over her shoulder. “SkyWing guards are waiting at the castle entrance.” 

Mastermind smiled. “Excellent. I assume that’s our entourage from Queen Scarlet.”

Sure enough, Glory spotted two blobs flying toward them. Despite herself, she stared in awe; she’d never seen a SkyWing before. She’d barely seen any tribe besides RainWings. There were some MudWing sightings in the rainforest now and then, and she’d caught the occasional glimpse of a SandWing while imprisoned, but she’d never seen dragons like this up close.  The two SkyWings seemed to glow in the sun like molten lava. Their shape was gigantic, and as they grew closer Glory could see they owed most of their form to their brawny wings. 

“Hello!” Mastermind called, settling down on a platform. “I assume you’re here to take this little one off our claws?” He poked Glory in the snout as he spoke. 

“Take off your claws?” One of the guards huffed. They turned and sneered at their partner. “Correct me if I’m wrong, Eruption, but this was meant to be a gift, not garbage we’re collecting, right?”

Glory hated these dragons already. She enjoyed how their reiteration sounded like a threat to Mastermind, though. 

Eruption shrugged with a mellowness that didn’t live up to his name at all. “I dunno, so long as it’s pretty and bleeds I’m sure Her Majesty would be thrilled.” 

The first dragon snickered—a smoky, sickening, wheeze—as if there were some inside joke going on. 

“Well, of course, she’s pretty! Glory here is the most beautiful and energetic dragon there is! That’s why she was matched specifically for your Queen.”

He’s talking out of his tail, Glory mentally gnashed at the guard. I bet you twelve bananas and a pineapple they chose me because I’m difficult and your prissy Queen got on their calculating stuck-up nerves.

“Well then, let’s see her. I doubt Queen Scarlet will be happy being presented with an ugly pile of chains.” The guard said, reaching out to remove her muzzle.

“OH!” Mastermind stepped in front of Glory. “I don’t think that’s a very good idea. As I said, this one is our most… uh… energetic RainWing. She can get a bit feisty. We figure your Queen might find her entertaining in that way.”

Glory took this opportunity to glare through her new captors and hiss under her breath. The guard’s face didn’t flinch, but they took a step back, withdrawing their talons from her tensed-up body. 

“Heh,” Eruption snorted. “Really, Barrage? You’re not actually worried about a ‘feisty RainWing,’ are you? ” 

“They have venom,” one of the NightWing guards muttered from the back. “And this one uses it.” 

Glory bristled proudly at the warning. She often found herself going back and forth as to whether she regretted melting Strongwing’s claws off or not; it was a very, very, satisfying moment, but it doomed her to extra security for the rest of her life. 

Barrage grumbled something under their breath. They turned to Eruption and the two whispered for a moment, glancing at Mastermind every so often. Finally, it seemed they’d reached some sort of agreement. 

“We’ll indulge you for now, but it’s going to be your hide on the line when we present this stodgy NightWing contraption to the Queen,” Eruption warned. 

“Right, right,” Mastermind waved dismissively, already starting forward. 

Glory couldn’t help but notice his rush seemed to go deeper than his usual time-sensitive ego. His eyes swept the halls. His incessant mutterings and scribbling had halted completely. Glory hadn’t seen him pull out a scroll to make a note even once since they landed. He seemed actively agitated and antsy, almost as if he was nervous. She hated that she couldn’t even enjoy his discomfort. The only thing she felt watching him twist this way was her own paranoia steadily rising. 

The SkyWing throne room was like nothing Glory had seen before. The palace itself had been like walking into another world; every corridor was lit by torch after torch, and the architecture was breathtaking. Walls were filled with tapestries and precious metals, gemstones were even embedded in the odd spot. The throne room put all of it to shame, though. The space was wide and majestic, jewels everywhere, especially around the great chair. What set it apart the most was the bright red dragon sitting on top.

Queen Scarlet looked like the fake red of flower dyes. The sharp ridges down her spine lined up perfectly with her horrible extravagant facial features. There wasn’t a spot on her body that didn’t have some sort of gold, gem, chain, or lace within a twitch of an eye’s reach.

Glory hated it. All of it. The condensed halls and burning fires reminded her far more of ugly volcano caves than lush jungle trees, no matter how many colorful or shiny rocks were around. She looked straight at the Queen and refused to move her eyes for anything.

“What is this?” Queen Scarlet sneered in a tone that was impossible to place. Glory shivered. She didn’t know why, but she hadn’t expected Scarlet to talk. It felt more like a thing, some force or object, was in front of her, not a thinking, speaking, dragon.

“Mastermind of the NightWings,” Mastermind announced himself, bowing deeply but quickly. “I am here to pay tribute to Her Majesty and our alliance with the SkyWings.”

 Scarlet grinned without a hint of gratitude. “Oh, wonderful. My gift. Finally.”

“R-right.” Mastermind cleared his throat, shrinking under the Sky Queen’s stare. “Apologies, Your Majesty, for any hassle we caused you. We simply wanted to ensure that you—“

“Yes, I’m well aware of your intentions. I’ve only received this speech about a hundred times in your nitty scrolls.” Scarlet rolled her eyes, stepping off her throne. 

Every dragon in the room flinched backward as the Queen approached, even the SkyWing guards. Glory tried her best to resist doing the same as Scarlet got in her face. Razor-yellow eyes burned inches away from her own. Even with her steeled body, Glory could still feel some of her scales betraying her, rippling into fearful and disgusted shades of green. 

“Oh!” Scarlet pulled back, delight like nettles in her tone. “It changed!”

“Yes!” Mastermind jumped on the chance for control. “She can change into any color you like, with a bit of coaxing, but they also have involuntary pallets based on emotions. Right now she is intimidated by you; you can tell because of the light green.”

“Well, she’d better learn to use another color,” Scarlet frowned. Her gaze was still locked with Glory’s. “I don’t expect her to stop being intimidated, but I do expect her not to remain such an ugly hue.”

Glory’s scales obeyed, shifting into a furious red, orange, and black pattern. 

Scarlet didn’t get the threat, or she didn’t care. “Oh, perfect! Now that is thrilling. I want to see her fully; take off that ugly mask,” she ordered.

“Told you so,” Eruption whispered from the side.

“Um, well, that’s not a good idea right now, Your Majesty. Glory is a little testy and she should probably get more used to her environment.”

Scarlet laughed with threatening, cruel humor. “What’s that supposed to mean? Have you sent me some sort of RainWing assassin?” 

I could, Glory thought. I could melt your stupid face off. Come on, you arrogant toad head. Make them take these chains off. Give me a chance to show you what a RainWing could do to you.

Mastermind cleared his throat. “Well, you see, we’ve actually discovered that RainWings DO have natural defenses. They can spit venom similar to that of a SandWing’s poison, more painful but less deadly, and can turn completely invisible by matching their scales to their surroundings. Most RainWings would never, ever, use their venom on another dragon but this one had… an incident”

Scarlet stopped laughing. “So, you’ve just sent me some hazardous nuisance? You didn’t think to inform me of this in one of your countlessly incessant questionnaires?” Her voice grew angrier and louder with each sentence. 

“Here we go,” Barrage winced, whispering under their breath. 

“Your Majesty, please!” Mastermind frantically attempted to soothe her wrath. “We chose this one because we believed you’d far prefer a rare active RainWing in place of a mopey common one. There’s no other RainWing like Glory! We simply thought you’d find her… uh… thrilling!”

Scarlet backed down, still scowling but now with a pensive look beneath. “I suppose I do have a certain affinity for dragonets like her. Though, it will be much harder to train one that’s near fully grown.” She paused for a moment, eyeing Glory up and down again. “Alright, I will accept this token from the NightWings on two conditions. Before you leave, you will make a new muzzle that doesn’t look so industrial or hide her face; I don’t want a present that has to be half-covered by dull metallic muck all of the time. Second, you stay the next two days.”

If Mastermind’s scales could change, Glory was certain they’d have turned a white-green. “I—you—two… two days?” He stammered.

“You can send your entourage back if you like, but I want you to ensure that it is adjusted properly. I don’t intend to be left on my own with a wild animal on my doorstep, dazzling as it is.”

“B-but, I… uh… surely your… wards wouldn’t be pleased with this?”

“Oh my. Are you still scared of my little NightWing, Mastermind?” Scarlet crooned.  

Glory’s ears perked up at that. The Queen had a NightWing? Did she collect dragons of other tribes? 

Glory had assumed it was just because she was a RainWing—the way everyone spoke of her tribe like they were sloths to be herded around instead of dragons like anyone else—but she might’ve been taking it too personally. A small glimmer of hope, maybe even pride, grew inside her. Maybe the world wasn’t as tilted against her as she’d grown to believe. 

“I…” Shockingly, Mastermind didn’t respond. 

Glory had never seen him fizzle out and shut up like this. He hung his head in the facade of a bow, earning a satisfied smile from Scarlet.

“You’re all dismissed. You two,” she looked to the guards, “Take the NightWings that will be staying to their quarters and put the RainWing with our other treasure. Any of you NightWings that return home, give Queen Greatness my very best regards.” 

There were a few affirmations from the crowd as every single NightWing but Mastermind quickly left, not even taking a night to rest in the palace. 

———

Barrage led Mastermind away while Glory was taken by Eruption. The halls they passed gradually became wider and wider until they finally stepped outside again. Eruption took Glory by the chain around her back and forced her to fly straight upward with him. 

Glory, at first, was too confused to fight him. When she realized he was taking her to the top of a series of pillars, she also realized she was too tired to put up a fuss anyway. The long journey here had exhausted her. There was no way she was beating a SkyWing while wearing a heavy vest and flying.  Besides, she’d ideally be allowed some alone time and rest. 

She saw a few other dragons chained to the tops. She heaved a sigh and prepared for more shackles. At least this time it would be outside where she could sop up some sunlight. Maybe she’d even feel some rain if she was lucky. 

But Eruption dragged her past the coliseum. She looked down in shock as they flew past the pillars and chains where the other prisoners were being held. Instead, they landed much further away on the edge of a cliff face. 

“Mmm?” She made a noise of confusion, perplexed enough to not care about keeping up her dangerous appearance. 

“Her Majesty said to put you with the other treasure like you.” Eruption shrugged as if he barely had an idea either. 

He walked up to a boulder and flicked something. Glory gasped as the large rock rumbled to the side, revealing an ominous tunnel. She knew other tribes were very attached to treasure, but she didn’t expect it to be so elaborately protected, or so dimly. She’d always imagined treasure rooms to be grand and vibrant. This place was dingy; she felt like she was snorting dust with every step. 

Eruption stopped in front of a shallow alcove. “Here we are.” 

Glory squinted. There was hardly any visibility, the only light came from the entrance to the tunnels, but she could still tell there was no treasure of any sort in there. 

“Uh, go on, little thing.” Eruption gently nudged her forward. It was soft but distinctly held a please-don’t-melt-me emotion. “I’m sure this is only temporary. I can’t imagine why Queen Scarlet would want something pretty like you locked away forever.”

Comforting, Glory thought. She looked at him as sarcastically as she felt.

“Riiiight,” he murmured, pulling closed a sheet of metal bars. 

“Hello?” A strained voice whispered from further down the shaft. 

Eruption jumped. He looked wildly toward where the voice came from and darted out of the tunnel without another word. Glory didn’t even have a chance to growl at him as he pulled the secret entrance shut, basking the whole place in total darkness. 

Glory laid down. She felt tears stubbornly sting her eyes as she realized she was once again locked away from the warmth of the sun. The stone was harrowingly cold. At least in the NightWing prisons, she’d had some form of warmth and light from the magma. The dust here didn’t choke as bad as the ashes of the volcano had, but the loneliness bit much harder. 

I’m alone, Glory repeated the thought to herself. 

A noxious mix of relief and horror churned in her stomach. There was no one here to act for, no one to observe or poke or prod her, but there was no one there to comfort, either. No one to fight for. She closed her eyes, resting her head in her arms, letting the tears drip down her face. The ache in her muscles finally caught up to her mind and the darkness lulled her to sleep. 

“Hello? Hello!” The since-forgotten voice echoed again, jolting Glory awake. 

She stumbled upright, blinking away visions of Jambu and Kinkajou and the sounds of Grandeur’s voice. The shallow space of her prison clustered her.

“Tsunami?” It whispered. It was cracked and raspy as if it rarely spoke. “Are you there? Do you want to fight again?”

Glory held perfectly still. She couldn’t respond even if she wanted to, her mouth still pressed closed by her muzzle, but something in her scales warned her not to make any sound. The idea of this creature knowing she was there filled her with sinking dread. She cursed at her heart for beating so loud, she was sure its ear-bleeding thumping was selling her out. 

“Okay…” The voice finally came again from the darkness, resigned. 

Glory remained upright and vigilant even as whole hours passed by in silence. She didn’t remember when she fell asleep again, her dreams were filled with the same black room and tense waiting.