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An array of red and orange wings coated the sky. Queen Scarlet led the flock of guards soaring behind her, her brilliant orange scales shone breathtakingly in the rising sunlight. Scarlet was by far the prettiest dragon who ever lived; the rubies embedded above her eyes showed off that fact quite perfectly.
But today, instead of feasting and laughing, enjoying the activities that came with being queen of the Skywings, Scarlet had to chase down a quite annoying little nuisance. Kestrel has always been an obedient, loyal soldier. Which made the fact that she was now fleeing from her with two mutated dragonets made it all the more aggravating.
As soon as Scarlet had found out Kestrel mothered firescales and fireless dragonets, she’d ordered Kestrel to dispose of the creatures and never take part in the breeding program again, as to not taint Skywing bloodlines with more monstrosities.
But what did she do instead? Kestrel had fled from her, in an effort to save her little ‘dragonets’, if anyone could even call them that. She didn’t get far though, the fool, how far did she expect to get when one of her dragonets set fire to everything it touched? No, Kestrel only made it to the River of the Diamond Spray Delta.
“Keeesstrel, my dear,” Queen Scarlet called with a tsk as she and her guards descended upon the red Skywing. Kestrel spun around with a hiss, her talons visibly burned due to her trying to smuggle her firescale offspring with her. Kestrel stepped back as Scarlet stepped forward, Scarlet’s yellow eyes staring unblinkingly down at the disobedient snake.
“I know just how hard this must be for you to endure. Tell you what, I’ll forgive everything you’ve done, if you make one simple choice. Kill one, and I’ll let you keep the other.” Scarlet purred, gesturing her wing towards the two dragonets that stood behind their mother.
Smoke billowed out from Kestrel’s nose and curled around her horns as she narrowed her eyes at the queen. She was silent for an aggravating moment, her eyes scanning the dragonets. The harmless fireless, and the wickedly dangerous firescales. They stared back up at her with innocence, neither of them being alive long enough to comprehend what was even happening.
“And you’ll let the other one live?” Kestrel rasped, her voice wavering. “You’ll let us live in peace?”
“Precisely,” Scarlet confirmed, a smirk making her way onto her lips. Though her eyes remained as patient and kind as she can muster. Kestrel fought back a seemingly heartbroken expression as she eyed her creatures once more.
“Okay.” Kestrel spoke, as she slowly made her way towards the firescales dragonet. The dragonet looked up at her mother, and tilted her head to the side with a small squeak of confusion.
At first, Scarlet wasn’t sure if Kestrel would really do it, but then Kestrel snatched the dragonet harshly, crying in pain as her talons burned, and she smothered the dragonet under the River. Smoke was rising from her talons and the water boiled with heat and the muffled cries of the baby dragon. Kestrel held the creature down for as long as she could, until the pain became unbearable. She let go with a cry, as the body of her dragonet flowed quickly down the river, pushed by the current.
Whether it was dead or not, it certainly would be soon. Scarlet felt a twinge of disappointment. How thrilling would it have been, owning a firescales dragonet? She could watch her enemies burn by a single touch, she could’ve manipulated that dragonet to a ruthless killer, an obedient slave. Ah, no time to dwell on the could-have-beens.
Scarlet looked down at the remaining dragonet, an expression of horror and fear in its eyes as it watched the River where its sibling once was.
“Kill it.” Queen Scarlet ordered her guards on either side of her, gesturing to the fireless little creature. A look of rage plastered on Kestrel’s face at that moment.
“You promised!” She snarled, her tail lashing against the ground as she fought back with the tears welling in her eyes. “I did what you asked! You promised to let him live!”
“I changed my mind,” Scarlet dismissed with a wave of her talon. “I’m the Queen. I can do that.”
Kestrel snarled in protest as Scarlet's guards approached the dragonet, but Kestrel swiped them away and snatched her dragonet in an instant, earning a small squeak from the thing. Kestrel rose to the sky, the fireless dangling from her talons.
“After them!” Scarlet ordered her guards, taking off in the air after Kestrel as well. “Kill them! Kill them both!”
Flames scorched the sky, blood stained claws and teeth, but no matter how many guards fought Kestrel, she just wouldn’t let go of her dragonet. She held it close to her chest as she flew as quickly as she could. But fighting a fleet of guards whilst holding a dragonet, whilst trying to escape, wasn’t an easy thing to do. A guard slashed his claws across Kestrel’s cheek, earning a cry of pain, and in an instinctive reaction, Kestrel dropped her monster to the ground below.
A guard swept down and caught the thing before it splattered on the ground. Kestrel whipped her head back and let out a furious roar, but she was surrounded. Her dragonet in the clutches of a guard already. There wasn’t a way where she and her child could both possibly survive. She shut her eyes harshly in defeat as tears stained her red scales and she turned and fled, some guards flying after, some staying behind with their queen.
Scarlet landed by the dragonet with a huff and a disapproving gaze, and she scowled at the leaving form of Kestrel.
“Well?” Scarlet spat, whipping her head toward the guard who set the dragonet down. “Kill it.”
“Your majesty,” the dragonet savior croaked. Scarlet remembered him; Osprey. He was always annoying. “He’s just a dragonet,” Osprey continued, looking at the small thing with pity. “Surely he’s harmless.”
“So?” Scarlet scoffed, this conversation already infuriating her.
“Well, your majesty..” Osprey went on. “Surely—well, perhaps Queen Burn would want this dragonet alive, to add to her collection of oddities?” He tried, with a hopeful yet guilty expression.
“Ooo,” Scarlet thought for a moment, an idea dawning upon her. She could hand this dragonet over to Burn..
She watched the forms of her guards chasing Kestrel disappear over the mountains with a hum. Or better yet, if she raised this dragonet herself to become her obedient slave…
Scarlet could just imagine the satisfying look on Kestrel’s face when she finds out her dragonet was alive, loyal to her, and completely willing to do what she asks. Including murdering its own mother. What a thrilling end for the traitor that disobeyed her! Of course, she’d always dispose of the thing as soon as he was no longer of use to her, or if he became a problem. Suddenly, Scarlet felt less angry at the possibility of Kestrel escaping with her life, for now.
Was it petty? Yes, but who cares? She was the queen after all.
“Very well,” Scarlet hummed, looking down at the dragonet. His pale blue eyes, his scales such an unusual pale orange color. “Perhaps you’ll be of use to me yet.”