《Powder》


 Prologue

    The sandstorm continued to rage on outside as the scavenger climbed the base of the turret. Even with his goggles, he couldn''t see anything as the sand bounced off the glassy surface covering his eyes, the sand instead passing against his cloak and mask. Even with all his gear though, he did end finding sand in his mouth and nose.


    "This will all be worth it." He muttered to himself angrily as he continued to climb against the wind and sand, as if nature was trying to push him back herself.


    He glanced up as he heard the familiar and faint sound of a sand dragon''s hiss as it flew close, the massive wing beats still seemed too far away to be of any major concern... "I''ll have to move before that thing flies past, being dragon chow is not what I saw in my future." He thought aloud as he increased his pace. The pain of the lactic acids flooding his body increased as he strained every muscle to get to the giant window above.


    He continued to climb till he finally reached the ledge, picking up his grappling hook and putting it back on his belt as he then looked down and took off his gloves, revealing his pale skin as he picked up the crude map of the sand palace from his pocket, at least a very crude one he had got from others ''claimed it was like.''


    "I''ll show them all, and then I''ll kill that filthy lord." He assured himself as he slowly crawled down towards the giant barrels, before finally jumping down on the lid of one, causing a small but noticeable thud. "Shit!" He muttered to himself before taking a deep breath. "Don''t panic, maybe none of them heard me-" He started only to be cut off by a sudden roar.


    He whipped his head around as he heard the sound of approaching talon-steps, quickly hiding himself on the other side of the barrels as he heard the growling getting louder, the dragon''s rumbles increasing in volume as it got closer. He started off panting and making a loud gasping noise before quietly slapping himself in the face and taking a deep breath. He started to measure his breathing, exhaling and inhaling as slow as possible, barely making any noise as he hid, not that it would matter.


    The dragon ended up picking up the barrel right in front of him. Their eyes met for a moment before he suddenly flexed his arm as he threw his sword up towards the dragon, aimed directly for the eye.


    The dragon fell back and let out an agonized roar, it didn''t take the scavenger long to hear the echoes cries and roars of other dragons starting to rouse from their sleep. The dragon ended up dropping the barrel of black powder in the process, the black sand falling out and spreading all across the ground in a large black and gray sea of black sand.


    "C''mon c''mon c''mon!" He muttered to himself as he scooped up as much of the powder as he could, before the dragon could get back on its talons. He glanced back as the dragon was fuming and roared at him, blood dripping from the eye slot where the blade was still stuck. He heard a hissing noise from the mouth. He instantly started to sprint to the other side of the room and trying to duck into a crack on the wall, only to fall short and land face first in the yellow sand. He heard the sound of flames crackling as they hit the powder, before a sudden thunderous boom sent him flying and crashing against the stone wall then back to the floor.


    After a few moments, his hands slipped against his own blood on the wall while gripping the crevices in the stone wall, so he could try and get back on his feet. His legs trembled as he managed to pull himself, he felt a large gash on his head by the blood running down in front of his eyes but he paid no heed. He was only concerned with the pouch of black powder he had and once he saw it was intact, he let out a loud sigh of relief.


    He took a good look around at the splattered remains of the sand dragon, a piece of it there, a piece of it there, and a piece of it way over there, staining the wall. Actually, there was a lot of flesh and blood staining the wall and ground. Half of the wall had been completely shattered and destroyed, letting parts of the raging duststorm into what was left of the room.


    He quickly put his mask and goggles back on as he limped his way out of his new entrance and into the sandstorm, while also readjusting his goggles as he used his compass to head north. He was completely oblivious when it came to noticing the two large eyes peering in on him from above. The dragoon didn''t make a sound and didn''t dare move, just keeping its distance on the top of the tower.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He continued his journey, the blood trail he left behind quickly covered and swept away by the sand, but that didn''t erase the scent completely. He finally let himself fall on his knees as he reached his destination, noticeable by the feeling of splinters in his face as he fell into the wooden trapdoor. He dropped inside the small makeshift cave with a small thud, not wanting t get up for a few minutes, before he had to sneeze. He quickly closed the bunker''s door as he took off his extra garments off and lied on the thatch foundation, panting as he looked in his pouch to see his reward.


    The black substance practically glowed in his hands, before he decided to put it back into the pouch and headed towards the chest. While standing by the chest, he grabbed some parchments and bandages to tend to his wounds, having to throw away the first one due to how quick it soaked all the blood on his head. "Tomorrow, once I buy that horse, I''ll go back, get the others, then claim Midas''s life!" He assured himself as he lit the candle and made sure the wood pipes and filters were steadily providing enough oxygen, before going to the cot and laying down. It didn''t take long for him to promptly pass out with his wounds still freshly covered with bandages as he readied himself for the next day, a day that wouldn''t come, not for him.


    ***


    "They think they can come into my stronghold! And think they can steal my powder without consequences!" She roared as she threw what seemed to the remains of the dragon''s head against the wall, next to some other parts of the splattered creature. "Whoo do they think they are!


    "My Queen!" A Sandwing called out as they landed in front of her.


    The queen let out an irritated sigh and grumbled before addressing the other dragon. "What do you you want, Smolder? Make it quick or I''ll throw your head just like that dragon there." She asked as her barbed tail flicked angrily back and forth. She considered stabbing it through his brain right now, even while speaking to him.


    "I know where it went your majesty!"


    Her eyes widened and her tail stopped as she approached Smolder. "Are you sure?"


    "Yes, I can show you where the scavenger is hiding." Smolder quickly responded as he bowed his head. "M-my queen."


    The queen regarded him with cold eyes before a wicked grin formed on her face as she smiled. "A scavenger, perfect, now I''ll get some of my powder back as well as a good meal, maybe it will be fun to hear it''s screams as I rip it limb from limb." She started walking away and motioned for Smolder to lead. "But why didn''t you tell me sooner little brother, and you two!" She turned to the other two Sandwings standing there. "Clean this mess up, or I''ll have your heads mounted on the pikes outside!" She roared before following Smolder again.


    ***


    The candle had dimmed to a low glow as he slept on the cot, his blood had dried at this point, but his sheets were stained red and probably wouldn''t be cleaned so easily. He quickly woke up as he heard the sound of wing beats outside, it didn''t take long for the small thatch room to begin to shake before he felt the dragons land somewhere above him.


    He sprung to his feet and quickly limped to grab his invention, while also grabbing a metal ball and a rod. He quickly scooped some of the powder into the capsule before sticking the ball inside and jamming it all the way through with the rod, before closing the lid and putting the rod on his belt as he aimed it up, with his finger on the trigger.


    There was one minute of silence before he heard the faint sound of growling above, close to the trapdoor. His finger tightened, but the trapdoor suddenly flew to the ground and with one talon, the entire ceiling was ripped off to reveal the two sand dragons above. Yet he didn''t hesitate and aimed his rifle at the one with the crown. His grip tightened and he pressed his finger against the trigger, only for it to be too late as her talon rushed towards him and sank into his skin. As she gripped into the human''s skin, the metal tool suddenly let out a loud, thunderous sound, before the metal ball flew and grazed the dragon''s shoulder.


    The dragon snorted before lifting him up and squeezing him enough that he let out a pained yell as his bones snapped under her pressure. He struggled and panted to no use as the dragon simply lifted him closer to her mouth till it noticed his hand, and his unusual, pale color. It then saw the two teardrop like marks under his eyes and let out a thoughtful hum.


    His metal tool fell to the ground and he let out another yell as she squeezed and made a sound resembling a chuckle. "What are you waiting for-" He let out a pained gasp as her claw pierced his back and dragged down, letting the blood flow out of his spine. He watched and stared back at the dragon, as it looked back at him, he let out a few deep breathes before his vision eventually faded to black and his body fell limp.


    ***


    "At least some of my powder survived." She muttered as she picked up the pouch of powder. She looked back to Smolder and handed him the limp, albino scavenger. "Tend to its body, it''ll look appealing on display in my tower."


    "Yes your majesty, it will be done." He tried to hide the sadness in his voice. He thought about how Flower, his pet scavenger, would see him now if she knew what he had done. "She''s probably be so terrified of me." He said sadly to himself as he opened up his wings and took of into the air. His eyes then turned to the pouch of blackpowder that the scavenger had on him. "Why would a scavenger risk their life for blackpowder?" He wondered aloud as he flew back to Burn''s Stronghold.

 Chapter One: Beyond Talisman

    "You bastards, I''ll bite your fingers off!" I yelled as the robed figures continued to bind me against the tree. I looked at the group of villagers who came to watch. "Murderers! You''re no better! You really think you''re any better since you''re not doing any of the dirty work! You can stop this! You can do better-"


    "Shut it, River."


    "Fuck you, old man!" I yelled as I tried to bite him.


    I then felt a stinging sensation on my face, followed by a loud bonk and then my vision going black.


    It didn''t take long for me to comeback to reality, although it was now quiet and no one was in sight, the bastards had left me there. I struggled against the rope only to catch a glimpse of my bindings and see how strong of a knot was left on my wrists. I sighed angrily and took a deep breath, "This is gonna hurt so much." I whined to myself as I used my right wrist to grip my left, and snapped it downwards. I bit my lip as I barely held my tongue and resisted the urge to yell and howl in agony, before taking a few more deep breaths and letting the blood fall from my mouth. I then tugged once... twice... "Here we go." I faintly smiled as my left wrist slid out of the rope, blue from how tight the bindings were. I quickly reset it and drew more blood from my bottom lip as I freed myself from the tree and fell flat on my face in the mud. I groaned as I got back on my feet, but my eyes softened as I realized the bright clothes I was being forced to wear to attract dragons were now non-existent in the covered mud. I chuckled as I covered more of myself in mud. "This isn''t so bad-"


    I was cut off as I heard the sound of wingbeats and I quickly dove into the mud lake. Then my eyes narrowed as I realized the source was just a flock of flying-fox bats flying by. "Damn bats." I grumbled as I got up before looking back up at the three moons. "How many were not as lucky as me? Was there any that managed to escape this false destiny?"


    My mind flashed to the first time I attended one of these sacrifices, a young girl, her name was... I couldn''t remember, it was so long ago. But she had been chosen and she was only seven at the time. Sure she may have been a troublemaker at the time but she was only a child for three moons sake! She didn''t deserve this! And now, five years later, I was the one who was almost destined to become a snack. Did it matter how you contributed? No, don''t be foolish! Did it matter how well behaved you were? Why of course not! All that mattered was if you knew who the Dragonmancers really were, and of course now that I knew, those thieves saw me as their next card to play, I was just another pawn and the whole damn town didn''t care. Why would they, as long as they kept themselves safe, selfish bastards!


    I grinned at the memory of me sticking the dagger into that Dragonmancer''s back, but frowned as I remembered them using the net on me, I shrugged then, for a thirteen year old, I think I did rather well. "I was so close!" I muttered, I wondered about my mother, and how they had turned their backs on me, how could mama do this? She''s selfish! That''s why? Or was I truly a bad son? "No, I can''t dwell on those thoughts." I muttered to myself as I looked towards the mountains. "I have to find the Invincible City, I have to get to safety if I don''t wanna become a dragon''s meal." I stated to myself as my eyes fell on the glimpse of the giant stone structure atop the mountains in front. "That must be it!" I said as I then started my long journey heading south, down the mountain. "Goodbye Talisman! Hello Invincible City!"Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ***


    I continued to pant as I made my way down the mountain. before slipping again and scraping more of my knee causing me to hiss in pain. "I swear if the dragons don''t kill me then this stupid mountain will, stupid, very stupid mountain. And the hunger! I needed something to feast on, my eyes drew towards my fingers and I was tempted to start nibbling on them, but then slapped my face. "No!" I growled at myself as I then started to limp down, till I heard the melancholy sounds of a bird singing.


    I looked down and my face lit up as I saw a beautiful blue and green patterned bird building up her nest, and in the nest were three round eggs, perfect for the taking. My hand lunged out, but I stopped it at the last moment. My eyes focused and softened at the sight of the mother before I slowly pulled my hand back. I just kept watching as the bird then pecked my hand as it attempted to protect its young. I bowed my head and looked to the ground in shame of what I almost had done before inspecting the bird a little longer. "You care so much for them..." I murmured as I saw the bird''s protective nature. My stomach growled, and I ignored it as I kept going down the mountain and left the birds alone. Then my eyes focused on some greenery, nettles. I practically lunged as I quickly scooped a large amount of it into my mouth. It was a painful taste but I winced and kept swallowing the plants. I panted as I wiped the saliva off the bottom and top of my face as I was finished and started to go and limp down the mountain.


    "I wonder what it''s like. Maybe I can play in a larger area? Maybe they''ll have tons of toys and food to play with. Maybe I can find parents that will actually love me instead of yelling all the time. That would be nice, who knows what I could do there?"


    My eyes beamed brightly as I looked and saw the staircase leading to the fortress above. I quickly sprinted and limped all the way up till I saw a line of more people sitting down by the stone stairs. "W-what''s this?" I asked the nearest person, an old man under a tent with a basket filled with herbs.


    "Oh young one, your knee, come here, let me tend to it and get you all fixed up." I quickly obeyed as I sat down and leaned my back against the wall as I let him put some leaves and other plants on my wounds but I winced as I saw a small black creature with lots of teeth in it''s circular maw. I let out a whimper and backed up more against the wall.


    "It''ll be okay, young traveler. The leech will just suck your bad blood, that''s all."


    "O-okay." I whimpered before I winced in pain as it latched into my skin.


    "So what''s your name?" He asked in a calm and soothing voice.


    "I-I''m River."


    "Hello River, I''m Yarrow."


    ***


    "I''m so sorry Yarrow... I''m so sorry you''ll never be able to see the insides of the Invincible City..." I sobbed.


    I watched his body getting dragged towards the edge by the two guards in their spiked armor. Even in death though, he still had a smile on his face, he should have seen the invincible city but at least he dies peacefully in his sleep. Why did he have to die? Why?


    "Thank you so much, for taking care of me for so long, for raising me and making sure I was fed and comfortable. Thank you... for everything." I sniffled before finally uttering my final words. "May you find peace wherever you go, goodbye... father..." I sobbed so much that my tears blurred my vision as I watched his body thrown off the side of the cliff. Two years, it had been two years, and now he was gone. I sniffled before getting back in line with the herbs he had passed down to me, wondering how it would have been if he was still alive, but I silently cried as soon as I stood back up.


    ***


    "Are you River." The guard asked as they approached me.


    I quickly bowed and kneeled. "Y-yes sir."


    "It seems a spot has opened up. The Invincible Lord shall see you know, and if you do well, maybe you''ll earn your spot here. So... welcome to the Invincible City."

 Chapter Two: The Blood Colored Queen

    "My face! It burns! It burns!" The Red dragon screamed as she clawed at the acid on her face, attempting to rid herself of the vile liquid burning into her flesh. "Someone bring me those dragon''s head!" She yelled in rage, while the larger and burly Sandwing approached her.


    "You''re coming with me, Scarlet." She heard the Sandwing growl.


    "This is my hatching day! You''re in my kingdom! You threw me in front of that damn Rainwing! And now you-"


    The Sandwing raised its tail and held it to Scarlet''s throat. "I insist Scarlet." She growled.


    "It''s Queen Scarlet to-" she stopped as the Sandwing moved the tail closer, to the point the barb was against Scarlet''s red scales on the side of her neck. Scarlet huffed and shut her snout with an enraged look in her one good eye, she wanted to scream, she wanted to yell, she wanted those damn dragonets dead, but most of all, she wanted the pain to stop. Her chest started melting with her gold chest-plate, while the acid continued to burn one side of her face till it became nearly unrecognizable. It was now hard to believe it belonged to a dragon''s head originally, and her once magnificent jewelry had now been reduced to becoming a painful nuisance as they infused with her face.


    She tried to follow the big Sandwing only to crash into a nearby pillar as she attempted to fly. As she attempted to fly again, she hissed in pain as the two Sandwing guards suddenly used their talons to pick her up, digging their talons into her scales not caring at all if they were digging into her scales or not. Instead of lashing out with her talons, she just lowered her head and let out a low whine. "I''m losing it all... aren''t I Burn..." She growled in a mixture of fury and defeat.


    "It''s Queen Burn to you." She replied with an evil snicker, on her scarred face.


    "It isn''t fair!" Scarlet hissed.


    The Sandwing''s just chuckled as they carried their prize out through the chaos, as dragons everywhere were screaming and flying everywhere all at once as they tried to escape the arena.


    Scarlet looked for her prized possession, but her flaming weapon was long gone. Her art piece, the very Rainwing that shot her in the face, also long gone. not only that but along with the rest of those wretched dragonets that took everything away from her, that had given her to Burn on a silver platter, had also escaped. "I DON''T DESRVE THIS!" She turned to face her once maybe not so trustful ally, now her definite brutish captor. "Burn, what are you going to do to me-" Scarlet started in a pained voice only to be stopped.


    Burn clamped her jaws on Scarlet''s snout, digging her claws into the flesh and scales of Scarlet. "Queen Burn, remember that Scarlet, I''m your queen now." Burn growled.


    Scarlet glared at her and hissed through her pain and anger. "The only thing I will call you is a bitch!"


    The Sandwing guards looked taken a back, before Burn slowly started to laugh. "Oh Scarlet, you never were too bright, you''ll look good in my collection." Suddenly she slammed her talon down on Scarlet''s neck and dug her talons deep. "Depending on how you speak to me though, that will choose wether you will be a living exhibit or if you''ll be like the other stuffed dragons I have in my tower." She growled before leaning in even closer to Scarlet''s ear as she growled. "Either way, you''ll belong to me, and there''s nothing you can do about it."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Scarlet''s eyes were wide as she looked at the flying monster, she didn''t even realize that she was shaking and her breathing had sped up rapidly.


    Burn started to chuckle again at the sight, and the smell. "Scarlet, I''ve never seen you so afraid before... I think I like it." She said as she brushed one of her talons on the red dragon. She took a long sniff before letting out a pleasured hum. "People always think I''m exaggerating when they say when I can smell the fear off of things, so tell me, am I lying when I am saying I can smell it from your pathetic sack of scales?" Burn asked.


    Scarlet let out a whimper as they continued to fly away from her kingdom, without any regard to the chaos still happening around them. Queen Scarlet had lost everything.


    ***


    Scarlet was the most quiet she had been in probably her entire life, none of this is how was she wanted. She shivered as Burn looked at her again and turned her gaze away as she rubbed her arm where Burn had given her a few new scars, still rubbing the cactus juice antidote against the poisoned wound. When the cactus took effect it was healing, albeit slowly, but she still wanted to scream and yell. She had been too exhausted and too defeated to fight back any longer though, she was too tired to even make a sound anymore, her voice dry from shouting. She couldn''t resist, not anymore.


    They were flying by mountains now, which mountains though was the question. Scarlet had long since lost track. The stars and three moons lit up the sky, a bright, but distant view that was barely shining down on the mountains. Right now, the mountains were just appearing as dark and spiky silhouettes, like dragon''s teeth in the dark. The Sandwings and Scarlet looked like flying shadows themselves in the dark landscape.


    ''We may as well be Nightwings.'' Scarlet thought to herself as she saw one of the Sandwings practically disappear as they flew below, in line with the rest of the pitch black mountains. ''They vanish, just like that.'' She thought to herself. Then her eyes focused as she tried to find the Sandwing. ''Just... like... that...'' She glanced at Burn quickly, she was still flying too close to break away. ''If she takes me back to her stronghold, it might be worse than death...'' she shivered at the thought, but then she looked back to where she saw the Sandwing descend. ''Either way, what will happen will be definitely be painful...''


    She suddenly took a deep breath and opened her mouth, shooting a stream of flame''s directly in Burn''s face while she used her legs to kick back from the Sandwing still holding her, before body slamming fully into the large Sandwing, knocking her a few talons away.


    "You little-" Burn roared as she whipped her tail around, trying to stab her with her barb.


    Scarlet suddenly rolled in the air before sinking her fangs into Burn''s tail as she tried viciously to rip the body part off of the rest of the yellow dragon.


    "I''ll rip your claws and teeth off when I''m done with you!" Burn growled as she then grabbed Scarlet''s face and dug her talons into the already melted side of Scarlet''s face.


    Scarlet let out a screech and let the tail go, only for it to quickly stab her repeatedly in the chest, oozing black and red liquid each time it pierced the skin, again and again and again. Burn then reached over to Scarlet wing''s and slowly started to pull until...


    Scarlet frantically held on to the antidote as she let out an agonizing scream as one of her wings ripped off, before falling into the darkness below before her silhouette vanished with the rest of the black void.


    "Damn it! Bring her to me! Now!"


    "But your majesty, it''s too dark and-" The Sandwing let''s out a sudden gasp as a large fiery spear impales the dragon in the chest. The dragon let out one last cry before falling down to meet Scarlet''s fate.


    "We''re too close to the den! Forget about it, let''s go, I have other trophies I can play with."


    ***


    Scarlet panted as she crawled upwards the mountain, wincing in pain with each move her limbs made, she couldn''t think about her lost wings as the stumps continued to bleed or how her chest had felt on fire from where the poison had almost been fatal if not for the antidote. She could only think about getting somewhere safe before Burn would return and retrieve her.


    She found a cave, but she knew that this would be too obvious so instead, she simply grabbed some vines to finally cover some of her wounds still bleeding to make it seem as if the trail stopped in the cave. She then managed to crawl downwards towards the mountain where she saw a line of scavengers. She was in pain, she was in rage, and most important... she was hungry.

 Chapter Three: Relations

    "Everyone, scatter! Dragon!" Someone called out as everything turned to chaos.


    I looked down and my eyes widened in fear as a mountain dragon''s face entered my view, roaring loudly before lunging for the closest tents at the bottom of the stairs. I couldn''t make out if anyone got out of the way or not.


    "Where are the ballistas?" One of the guards cried out as they started to run behind the gate.


    "They''re meant for flyers! Look at the damn thing!" The other guard cried as they desperately tried to close the gate before the dragon could get up the mountain and reach the fortress. Luckily it had decided not to fly up and eat us just like that. Unfortunately none of the ballistas on the walls or ledges were able to aim low enough to strike at the red psycho dragon below.


    I looked down at the abnormal dragon, inspecting what looked to be golden scales on the underbelly, and half of it''s face... if you could even call it that... was frozen in a state where it seemed as if it was melting off. The dragon had several stab wounds on its front, surrounded by some green and clear liquid falling down off their face, while the wings seemed to have been ripped off. It looked as if precious jewels and gold had been embedded into the dragon''s scales originally, but now the jewels were fused together with its flesh and deep into the dragon''s melted face.


    As I was inspecting, I turned around just in time to see the guard that had greeted me shove me off towards the ramp, a ramp where the waste was being drained leading directly down to where the dragon was starting to crawl up. I quickly grab him and hold him tight to prevent my fall but the momentum is too strong. "What are you doing?" I cry as we start to fall.


    "I''m sorry, but if you get eaten, I can buy myself some time now let go!" He said as he tried getting me off him, kicking me in the stomach and attempting to free my hands, but they refused to let go.


    "Three moons! You''re insane if you think I''m gonna let go!" I say while struggling as I turn myself around him so I''m top as we start to fall.


    "If you don''t let go! We''ll both-"


    "I''m not gonna let some deluded tosspot toss me without taking you with me!" I yelled.


    "We''ll both die!" He screamed back.


    "Good, I won''t be alone!" I shoveled his face into the brown liquid as we tumbled and fell while people were yelling and running everywhere, before we finally reached the edge of one of the turns of the drain pipe, right above the dragon.


    "What the... Wait! NO! PLEASE-" He wailed as he fell.


    My eyes watched in terror as the dragon''s head whipped up and its teeth quickly sunk into him and promptly chomped him in half. The dragon with scales of blood then started to let out a hiss as its good eye then dilated when its gaze turned to face me.


    I landed with an audible grunt as I fell on the dragon''s scales on their back ,where I saw one of its crippled wings, and what was left of the other wing. The wings appeared as if something much bigger had managed to tear them off. I quickly jumped to my feet and tried running off of the dragon''s back, only for the dragon to suddenly throw itself to the side of some of the mountainous terrain as it attempted to get me off, but I held on for dear life onto one of the horns on its back. It let out another roar as it then let itself roll down the mountain towards the delta. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I let out a yell of pain as I was flung into a nearby tree next to the water. I looked down towards the rest of my body and saw my body was twisted slightly unnaturally and there was blood pouring down the cuts on my hands. I hissed in pain as I managed to crawl to the water and started to wash my cuts till I was interrupted by a growl.


    I whipped my head back up as I heard the draconic giant hiss above me. I weakly lifted my head and met her eyes and all I saw was pain, hunger, and a storm of rage. All of those emotions visible in that singular eye, as she was practically frothing at the mouth as she looked down at me with a menacing growl emanating from her throat. She then opened her maw, getting ready to finish me off. My eyes then lowered and I managed to notice all the stab wounds on her chest and stomach, how they were still bleeding heavily and letting the red liquid spill onto the ground.


    I watched as she then suddenly fell to the side with a pained groan, causing a small rumble in the ground as her weight landed on the floor as it panted in either pain or exhaustion, seemingly too weak to get back up. She suddenly didn''t seem so strong and terrifying anymore, especially as I noticed her eye starting to flutter shut and her body curling up against the ground.


    I looked back up at the invincible city, now miles away, not even mentioning the years it would take for the stairs.


    I looked back down at the creature, its panting was rough and harsh as it desperately tried to breath despite the wounds it had sustained.


    I took a look around, this was the Delta, one of the most dangerous parts of the entire continent. There weren''t a lot of trees and if any other dragons caught sight of one like her, let alone with all those shiny materials embedded into her, then more would come wanting to claim that treasure for themselves. One dragon alone could completely destroy a town, let alone a small and measly human like myself. I have to get that dragon out of here, or I could run, but I most likely wouldn''t make it far.


    "Can''t believe I''m doing this." I mutter as I then pick up some herbs and move to the dragon''s wings.


    ***


    The red dragon was just angry, but all she could do was think aloud to herself, "I''ve lost everything! My kingdom! My weapon! Even my damn wing! And now I''m gonna die alone with no one but a stupid scavenger!?" She let out a roar as the small scavenger approached, but her head quickly fell back to the ground with a loud thud, unable to hold her own weight anymore. ''What is it gonna do to me, is it going to carve me up, use those herbs it''s holding to serve my insides on a silver platter, do scavengers eat dragons? It doesn''t matter, I''m not going to die this way, I''ll just turn it into a bloody piece of mush!'' She thought as she raised her tail and was about to squash the small critter flat. She was just about to slam it down, until the scavenger placed the herbs on one of her wounds to which her tail drooped back down as she growled in relief.


    ***


    It let out a bunch of growls as it then turned its head back to me, her eyes half-lidded as she looked down at me and growled something I couldn''t understand as I continued to apply more herbs. She actually seemed to relax as she started to move herself closer to me, sniffing at my herbs.


    "That''s it." Keep following me..." I mutter as I get in front of the dragon and dare to go close to her snout, as it started to slowly get up and crawl deeper into the nearby forest where we were out of clear view. I continued to heal her, even though I had done all that I needed to keep her alive for now. I could just leave her for dead finally, yet I just continued to apply the herbs to her wounds, till I was interrupted by some drops of rain. I looked up and jumped at the sound of thunder, this time I had no tent to hide under. Suddenly though, the dragon''s one good leathery wing then moved to block the rain, followed by the sensation of my body being scooped closer to the red dragon.


    My heart stopped as I then noticed her snout was facing me, she looked terrifying up close, her teeth were sharp and each seemed taller than myself. It didn''t exactly ease my fears as blood of the guy who pushed me was still dripping down the right side of her jaw, but instead of opening her jaws and devouring in one go, she just let out a soft rumbling sound as she then moved her head closer to nuzzle me as I continued to heal her wounds. Her head then landed near my side. She just growled one thing, and despite not knowing her language, I understood it clearly. "Thank you..."

 Chapter Four: Teardrop

    My small self was still asleep as the rain persisted into the early morning. The red dragon didn''t seem to mind as she continued to cover it with her wing. "Maybe I can use it as food later...'''' The dragon mused to itself with a quiet growl. Using one of her talons to lift up my head as she looked down and inspected me but my eyes shot open and I quickly retracted my head back away from her.


    Now that I was awake, I quickly opened up my map, now stained with blood as I looked for any safe place on Pyrrhia since I''ll probably die before getting back into the Invincible City. Maybe the beach, sure there are sea dragons but they''re mainly in the water, but in the rare case they do end up getting out. I shiver at the memory of the sight of those refugees that came from a baytown that had been destroyed by a single dragon, the man was practically a walking corpse and yet he was all that was left.


    Definitely not the Rainforest, no one survives in there, but then the last time anyone went there was like fifty years ago so maybe our information is a little dated. what about-


    I was cut off as the dragon let out a low growl as it shifted to where one of its talons shoved me out of the way, hard, to the muddy floor.


    "Hey! What was that for?" I cried out as I got up from my now soaking brown clothes but I quickly shut my mouth as she turned her still bloody maw in my direction.


    "Such a noisy little pest." She mumbled to herself as she then turned back to the map. "I almost wonder you even stole this pet, but you aren''t that thrilling." Scarlet growled before motioning to her other wing... what was left of it. "Be useful and maybe I won''t shove you down my throat!" She snapped at me.


    I flinched back but saw her stump and pointed to it. "You want me to fix this?"


    She growled back as she then snapped at my clothing and lifting me in the hair before throwing me to her stump. "Fix it!" She growled before setting her head back into the map but glancing at the map. She let out a curious hum.


    I started to use some leftover herbs and gently applied it to her wing. "Stupid red lizard! I could have been in the Invincible city right now if it weren''t for you!" I yelled at her but of course the dumb animal just laid there and inspected the map. I just groaned before starting to grab some bandages and slowly starting to wrap it around the stump of the wing.


    "D-damn you, you stupid little creature!" She hissed and slammed her tail down against the floor in pain.


    "Just calm down!" I yelled at the colossal creature as it just hissed at me in return. I roll my eyes at its hiss before finally finishing tying the wound. "You done being an infant?" I asked the dragon as it just roared.


    "Damn you!"


    I just sighed and got back under the wing, now soaking wet from the rain outside combined with the mud before I noticed she had was dripping blood from her head where a string of jewels use to be, now on the floor. "Are you kidding me? Why are you hurting yourself?" I then notice it had literally marked the mountains with some of its blood.


    I yelled at her, only to take a step back as she responded, but no longer in an angry and frustrated tone. "You spoke."


    My eyes widened. "Y-you can talk?"


    "No, it must be I''m dying, I''m hallucinating, wait no! I can''t die! I won''t die! No!" Scarlet started to panic.


    "Relax! I just healed you!" I groaned before I took a step back.


    "Stop that!"


    "Stop what?"


    "Stop... talking! You''re... you... you''re just a parrot!"


    "Who you calling a parrot?"


    "You! You insignificant little pest!"


    "At least I''m not some stuck up giant flying shark!"


    "What did you just say?"


    "I said what I said!"


    "That''s the point! You shouldn''t be saying anything! You are nothing but a dumb, and simple animal!"


    "Look who''s talking, the dumb flying lizard!"


    "I am Queen Scarlet! Queen of the Skywings! I will not be disrespected by some lower form of life!"


    "A Queen? Look around! What are you the queen of?"


    She just roared before slamming her tail towards me, but I just managed to dodge out of the way as she then shoved her snout towards me as she growled. "Listen here scavenger, the only reason you''re alive right now-"


    "Is cause I''m keeping you alive, without your wounds being constantly treated, you will drop dead, do you understand... your majesty?" I said in a mocking and sarcastic tone. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Her eye twitched and she breathed heavily as she stared me down, before finally huffing angrily and jerking her head away as she got off me, but also letting her wing follow, dousing me in rain. "Damn you!" She hissed quietly as I just stared at her angrily.


    "How can you talk?" I asked in a low tone as I quickly tried to find cover under some nearby trees.


    "Me? I''m talking normally! It''s you who''s talking!"


    "I don''t speak dragon! i''ve never even been around dragons! Let alone some dragon queen!"


    "Then how can we understand each other?" Scarlet yelled before sighing to herself. "Forget that! Can you and will you still heal me?"


    I nod. "As long as you won''t eat me."


    "Then we have some sort of understanding."


    "I guess so then." I say as I stared at her as she turned away and looked at the map.


    "What do I call you?" She finally said after tapping her claws against the ground while using her wing to shield her face from the rain.


    "My name is River-" I started.


    "No."


    "No? What do you mean no?"


    "I don''t like it. I think I''ll call you... Teardrop instead."


    "Who in three moons do you think you are?" I ask angrily but then my mind switches back to her words. "Why Teardrop?"


    She huffed. "Cause you''re always crying?"


    "What are you talking about it?"


    "Look at your face!" She hissed as she gestured to a puddle.


    I scoffed and looked at the puddle reluctantly before seeing myself, my bluish gray hair, my tanned skin, and the silver tear birthmarks I was born with, or scars that were carved into me, I never asked... never could... not like they gave damn about me. "They''re marks. Nothing more." I say as I look back at her.


    "Hmm, Teardrop suits you, makes you seem... less pathetic."


    "I''m not crippled like you, I bet it''s something you did though, I couldn''t understand you till you ripped those jewels out, maybe that had something to do with it."


    "You really have a thing for getting on my nerves, don''t you?" She growled as she glared at me.


    "So, I''m guessing we''re heading to the mountains?"


    "Yes, I''ll go there and claim my kingdom back, then I''ll tear Glory and her friends into literal tiny pieces, that and then I''ll make them fight in the arena where everyone can watch a thrilling show! Or maybe I''ll do that the other way around?" She said with a wide grin. "Then me and Peril will...'''' She trailed off and her face fell to a frown. "Peril... she''s gone now..."


    "Was... was Peril your daughter?" I hesitate asking.


    "Ha! No! She was better than my daughters, she was my champion, my executioner, she was always thrilling... and now she''s somewhere else, probably with that no-good mother of hers, I''ll tear her throat out when I find her."


    "Does anyone ever tell you you''re a bit of a narcissistic psychopath?"


    "How dare you! My subjects shouldn''t dare call me-"


    "I''m not your subject though."


    She stayed silent but just glared at me. "I really want to eat you." She growled before whipping her head back and holding her head up.


    "Those wounds... what happened to you?" I said as I saw her melted face.


    "My face or the rest?"


    "Both?"


    She sighed angrily. "This... is all thanks to some stupid Rainwing dragonet, I don''t understand why she''d betray me though, she was my art piece, all she had to do was stay there on the tree and not move, she was beautiful and I treated her as such, she was magnificent, but she had to betray me for her ''friends...''" She hissed. "The rest is thanks to Burn." She then looked down and with a softer tone, "She wasn''t so... aggressive before... not to me at least..."


    "I''m... sorry... I guess?"


    "You guess!?" She roared.


    "Well what do you expect?" I asked.


    "I lost everything! Even my fucking wings and all you have to say is, ''I guess,'' you stupid creature?"


    "You aren''t the only one! You said you were a queen? I didn''t have a kingdom! I had a family, and you know what they did to me? They left me tied to a fucking tree to be eaten by some random dragons? And when I did find someone, they died! And when I finally am on the verge of achieving my dream of finally being safe in the one damn place where you dragon''s can''t get to me, you have to come along, you ruined everything! YOU! You are nothing but a monster, finally getting what you deserve it!"


    She just glared at me, "I had everything and lost it, you had nothing to begin with, that''s the difference between us. At least I''ll get everything back when I''m done."


    "You arrogant-" I let out a loud grunt of pain as she hit me with her tail, sending me into a tree.


    "You... you''re stupid standing up to me like this... not brave."


    "What have I, to lose?"


    She raised her head before inspecting me more closely. "Your own life?"


    "You would know about that wouldn''t you, that''s all you seem to care about-"


    "Because that''s all I should care about, you would be best to learn to only look out for yourself you pest, only caring for others when it suits your own purpose because at the end of the day, it has to be all about what you want, that is a fact, do you understand!? Just because I care about myself first doesn''t mean I''m a narcissist!" She snarled.


    "If I did then would you be alive?"


    "..."


    "..."


    She then started to walk away from me as she hissed occasionally in pain as she moved further and further away.


    "Damn it!" I cursed to myself as I quickly followed her.


    "So you did follow, good, maybe when I get back, I''ll make you into my personal pet." She thought aloud.


    I scoffed. "I''m not some pet!"


    She just gave a short chuckle. "We''ll see, small one."


    I groaned. "That''s something though... that your first instinct was to keep me alive rather than treat me like a snack."


    "Don''t be so sure, if I ever get hungry, I know just where to find you."


    I roll my eyes. "Sure thing. Queen... Acidface."


    "No."


    "Yes."


    "NO!"


    "Yes! If you''re calling me Teardrop then you should have no problem with me calling you Acidface."


    "I really hate you."


    "Well, despite that, we''re in this together!"


    "I guess so, Teardrop." She growled.


    "Acidface." I muttered under my breath as I followed her.


    "Pest!"


    "Lizard!"


    "Gah! You''re insufferable, no wonder you were left to be a meal for one of us!"


    "You shut your mouth!"


    "Did I touch a nerve?"


    "I said-"


    "I heard you the first time."


    I groan. "You''re so annoying!"


    "Look who''s talking."


    I just huff but stay quiet as a long silence follows as we walk along the river.


    "So... you''re intelligent?" I ask, changing the subject.


    She scoffed. "Of course we are. And unfortunate it seems you are too."


    "So, what''ll happen if they don''t open you with open arms when you get to the kingdom."


    "You mean if my daughter tries to takeover. I''ve ruled for many years without challenge, you know why?"


    "Why?"


    "Fear! With fear, I could control them all, so even despite this mangled form I find myself in, I can still assume control, if anything, it shows me having more power, how I was able to come back from the dead and rise to reclaim my throne. Legends and stories will be told in my name, yes... I like that idea."


    "Narcissist." I mumbled.


    She huffed. "I''ll show you Teardrop, and I''ll show that Rainwing."

 Chapter Five: Down the River

    "So, Teardrop-"


    "It''s not-"


    "Where do you come from?"


    "Oh, well I can ask the same, I''m guessing the Skywing kingdom you''ve mentioned?"


    "Yes, my palace will hopefully be in perfect condition when I return, but however this does mean my daughter has probably assumed control over my kingdom." The dragon said as she continued to walk away from me, letting me ride on her unbroken wing due to the fact I''d complain every five minutes. "You still haven''t answered my question, scavenger." She snarled as she turned her face to look at me, her face a mess of lines and melted skin and blood due to the acid. I barely managed not to gag.


    I let my legs dangle freely as I looked around at the surrounding trees to avoid looking at her face. "You really need a mask." I mutter under my breath.


    "EXCUSE ME?" She roared at me, her saliva flying right on my body.


    "I said your breath is ass." I lied as I wiped the strand of saliva still stuck on my arm.


    "Well it''s not my fault I can''t brush my teeth when I''m stuck out here." She growled before sliding me off her wing roughly. I let out a yelp that was shortened as I landed face first in the grass.


    "Why not? I''ve been doing it." I say as I grab a chewstick and start gnawing on it.


    She just gave me a stare with her eyes half-lidded. "Is that what you call brushing your teeth, no toothpaste or anything?"


    "What''s toothpaste?" I asked as I continued gnawing on my stick.


    "You know, for the first few seconds when you spoke, I actually believed you may have been a slightly intelligent race, now I see I was wrong." She huffed, a puff of smoke coming out of her flaring nostrils.


    I rolled my eyes as she went down to drink some water. "Whatever you dumb lizard." I pouted as I went next to her and scooped some water into my hands before starting to drink, only to spit out a small fish immediately after. "Ew! That felt so slimy!" I cough, making sure all that water is out as I spit repeatedly.


    She let out a growl of amusement before letting out a startled whine as a large claw reached out of the water and lodging itself onto her snout. "ARGH! GETITOFF! GETITOFF!" She cried as she lifted her head with a crab still latched on.


    I smirked as I watched from afar, before she started to breath streams of fire everywhere as she shook her head, trying to get rid of the pale crab.


    "Scarlet! Cut it out!" I yelled as I dodged as a fire stream nearly hit me. "You''re gonna burn down the entire forest!" I yelled as she finally managed to aim her mouth towards the crab, shattering the crab into several pieces before the stream of fire hit the water, it didn''t take long for it to start boiling. I saw as a few groups of fish were burnt to a crisp and floated to the surface, and a few pieces of crab floated away down the river. She finally stopped and took a deep breath. "I always hated seafood. Pet, remind me to take away the Seawing''s water again." She huffed as she whipped her head away while holding it high, as if she weren''t screaming and flailing from a crustacean just moments before.


    "I''m not your pet-"


    "Shush, I just had a thrilling idea!" She exclaimed.


    ***


    "What is this?" I asked as I hesitated before sticking my foot into the steaming water, letting out a yelp as my foot made contact with the hot water.


    "It''s called a bath, you stinking pest, besides, I think I''m due for a bit of relaxation." She sighed as she submerged herself in the steaming water.


    I let out a hum of disapproval as I slowly lowered my body inside. "So these are common in your kingdom?"


    "I have my own private bath pool, and some of the other nobles, however we do have a bath center but it''s probably filled with dirt and shit and whatever disgusting things the lessers do, but as long as the gold keeps coming, I''m happy." She relaxed.


    "That doesn''t sound too bad, so, you call my kind scavengers, right? Why?"


    "Cause you scavengers like to scavenge."


    I paused for a moment. "Good point." I said as I remembered picking up all those herbs on the side of the steps, and fighting anyone who tried taking me and the old man''s spot. I frowned as I remembered him, before refocusing back on the giant red and orange dragon in front of me. "Be honest, what''s going to happen to me when you get what you want."If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    She paused for a moment before moving her snout right in front of me. "I... I... what the hell is wrong with me!?" She roars suddenly as she digs her head back into the water before coming back out with a deep breath. "I''d usually throw you away as soon as you become boring..."


    "And?"


    "Usually there wouldn''t be more to that, even my own husband, I threw to the arena when I got fed up with him just following around and nodding to everything I said, but why do I feel bad? No. I shouldn''t feel bad. It was thrilling when he died, nothing more-I mean less, no, more, I don''t know anymore." She started to pant as I saw something fall off her head, a red drop of liquid again, followed by a stream. "Not again." Scarlet huffed.


    "It''s okay, I''ll take care of it." I said as I swam up and climbed her snout, being careful to not step on any of the exposed muscles on her face from the acid. I quickly added a few more herbs and mixed them while then realizing where exactly I was, her head, right next to where her brain probably was. "I think I found the problem, why you''re acting differently then how you said you used to be." I stated.


    "Why then?"


    "Brain damage, I think that fall you took didn''t just harm you physically, but also in your head."


    "What are you saying, the crash did this to me you little brat!" She snarled as she then jerked her snout to the side, sending me flying, I let out a grunt as my body landed on a nearby tree branch. "Shit! I''m sorry!" she then shook her head. "Why am I apologizing, I''m a queen, I shouldn''t treat you as if you''re special! But then your small and fragile bones-"


    "It''s getting worse." I managed to grunt as I stood up, luckily only having a few bloody scratches on my back, nothing I couldn''t fix later. "You need an actual healer, I can only work my magic for so long."


    "You know animus?"


    "What?"


    "Nothing important, let''s go, sooner I get back, sooner I take the throne, sooner they fix me." Her eyes then narrowed as she scooped me off the tree and looked in the direction of the mountains. "That leads to one problem though."


    "Yeah?"


    "My daughter, I haven''t exactly treated her well."


    "I wouldn''t imagine it any other way- OW!" I yelled at her as she hit me on the head with her good wing.


    "She may want to retain the throne and well-"


    "I see, is there like a tradition or anything-"


    "You mean for queens, those of nobility can challenge the current queen, the one who survives is the one who gets to rule the kingdom, I''ve ruled for a long time that way."


    "How long is that?"


    "Longer than you''ve been alive, bug."


    "Can you like... I don''t know, maybe say both combatants have to be in top-shape before fighting, requiring they heal you."


    "That''s... not a bad idea." She sighed as she then stopped as she grabbed her head with one of her claws, before letting it fall back down.


    "Headaches?"


    "Your theory isn''t looking too crazy anymore."


    "No one ever called it crazy."


    "Yeah I did."


    "Not verbally."


    She groans before freezing as she spots a deer crossing the river. In a blur, she lunged forward and seized the giant animal in her mouth, it started to cry out only to be silenced by a loud crunch. She dropped the large animal in her mouth before looking back at me. "You like it cooked, right?"


    ***


    It was quiet at night, except for the occasional growl she let out in her sleep, I had started off underneath her wing, laying down by her chest, that was until she rolled over and nearly crushed so I stayed my distance and rested atop a close tree branch. I had made sure that the twigs and leaves I placed had covered any chance of being spotted by any fliers above.


    A couple more days, that''s all we needed. "What is even going on?" I asked no one in particular as I hugged my knees as I sat, looking at the three moons. I wonder what their names were, maybe Scarlet knew, but then, she only knew what the dragons called them, not humans. And now look at me, thinking about talking to a dragon again, although she''s talked back. Is it me? I don''t think it could be, after all, I''ve heard the roars of that angry yellow one a few times now and have never heard it speak anything that wasn''t a growl or "Grrrr!" But Scarlet could never understand scavengers before. I looked at one of the jewels that came off her face when I healed her, noticing the slight glow it gave off. "Maybe this had something to do with it?"


    My eyes widened as my fingers felt an engraving on the side, two teardrops, colored silver. "Yeah, that''s no coincidence.'''' I thought aloud as I ran my fingers across the ''tears'' on my own face. I''ll have to ask Scarlet about that later.


    I sighed as I turn back to face her, hopefully it didn''t affect her memory too bad but usually when the brain is damaged, so many things can happen, and it''s rare that any of those things aren''t severe, even rarer if they''re actually beneficial, though I doubt this one would be. Hopefully it convinces her to keep me alive for another... day or two, hopefully longer than that. Of course, when dealing with dragons, there''s no way to tell. I look back at the slumbering giant. What is the best case scenario here? She lets me leave, so I can die alone by some random dragon or animal in the wild? Talisman wouldn''t have me, and I know no other cities except for Sunset''s watch, and last time I heard, that may have been burned to the ground days ago, at least that''s what some of the refugees told me. Maybe being her pet would be for the best, basic luxuries, a bath, but then a toy, what if I become her chew toy, the thing she takes her anger out on, live and suffer, die and not suffer, why do there have to be so many factors, why can''t it be simple? Because nothing is simp- Scarlet would never win, she''s too weak, even if her mind is put back together, and if her daughter can''t understand, if I''m just another animal, I''m food. I should leave... but if I leave with her, go back to Talisman, I can tear the Dragonmancer''s apart, especially with the queen of Skywings herself, Ex-queen, this can work. Then I can figure out the rest, especially what to do with Scarlet, but if more dragons stop eating humans, and help us, the possibilities are endless, we can save and help so many people, I can ''"Truly heal the world," as Yarrow used to say. Maybe we can get along, it''s a long shot, but it''s a dream, "And some dreams come true." I murmur.

 Chapter Six: Up the Mountain

    "Down! Patrol incoming!" I quickly hissed at her as we took cover in some large shrubs on the side of a mountain.


    Scarlet let out a snarl as she looked up to see the group of dragons currently flying overhead.


    "What type of dragons are those?" I asked as I noted that they were a mix of green and blue colors.


    "Seawing''s, probably scouting out my kingdom for Gill."


    "Who''s Gill?"


    "A poor dragon that I may or may not have dehydrated for months till he died in a recent arena battle, poor dragon, he may have lost his mind." She said somberly while looking down before a maniacal grin spread across her face. "But it was fun seeing him not remember who he was and seeing him so confused and angry all the time, always trying to regain some semblance of sanity, just out of reach, before I took it away, over and over and over again!" She cackled.


    If she was like that before the injury, maybe this is the rare case where it''s a good thing, maybe it''ll be like giving a psycho some empathy for once. "And you sure you aren''t a psychopath or a narcissist?"


    She growled before petting my head with one of her talons. "You''re lucky I like you, otherwise I would eat you in a heartbeat."


    "I thought you hated me?" I asked in confusion.


    "Keep talking and that''ll be a fact!" She snapped her jaws at me, barely missing my arm.


    "Scarlet..."


    She sighed angrily and let another puff of steam out of her nostrils. "I know... wait." She said as she lifted her head out of the bushes. "It''s clear." She announces as she lifts me on her neck as we start our trail back up the mountain. It wasn''t long before we saw the first signs of draconic civilization. It was weird, seeing all the buildings, now scaled up for dragons. I wish I could have asked more about how society worked, but the less I conversed with Scarlet, the better, otherwise she might try eating my legs again, but maybe I could talk to her daughter, she may have been more sound of mind.


    "Remember the plan, get in, get out." I whispered to myself so she couldn''t hear. I took a nervous and shaky breath as we walked through the gates.


    "Stop clinging to me, you aren''t a child!" Scarlet snapped and I quickly let go, noticing the small indents on her scales from where I was grabbing. I gulped as I saw several red dragons, their wings massive, standing on local pillars and buildings while they observed us.


    They growled things to us, but I had no idea what they were saying, but whatever they were saying, they only seemed to anger Scarlet as she then proceeded to yell at them profanities I had never heard before, before ultimately yelling, "Bring me my daughter or I''ll tear you apart with my claws!"


    There was silence among the dragons before there was a sudden softer growl coming from behind me and I was knocked to the ground as the dragon landed. A giant red Skywing, near the same size as Scarlet although more... clean looking, she had all her scales, all her engraved jewels still on her face.


    I noticed that my jewel fell out and quickly dove on top of it before feeling myself picked up. "I see you''ve gotten yourself a pet?" Who I assumed was Ruby spoke up as she then rubbed one of her claws on my head. "What did she do to you, poor thing?" She asked while one of her other claws gently tapped my chest where the slash marks and bruises were still present.


    "He deserved it!" Scarlet growled as she tried taking me back only for the smaller royal to shield me with her wings.


    "What did you do-"


    "Nothing, really, I''m fine." I quickly say to try and deescalate the situation, but instantly regret it the moment the words come out of my mouth.


    "Shut your mouth, Teardrop, this between me and my daughter!"


    "Scarlet, I''m literally defending you!"


    "You little-"


    "Both of you, stop!" Ruby suddenly snapped at both of us.


    "She suffered brain damage, she needs to see the healers right now." I quickly announce, if my plan can work, I''ll need her.


    "Teardrop''s right! Heal me this instant, and if you want to challenge me then fine! Otherwise I''ll rule-"The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I''ll challenge you!" Ruby suddenly roared at her mother, forcing me to cover my ears as her voice was right next to my ear. "I am so done with you, your stupid palace, your stupid lifestyle, and your insane mentality! I''ll challenge you! I have to save the Skywings from your claws! I have to save my son!"


    Silence, before Scarlet finally spoke up again. "Once I kill you, I''ll mold Cliff into my own weapon, I''ll make him hate you!" Scarlet screeched before two guards took her away. "Get your talons off me you lizards! I am Queen Scarlet and..." Her voice trailed off as she was flown further and further away, and just like that, the psycho-maniac dragon was gone, and I was now at the mercy of another, although I had no idea what to expect, not this time.


    "Are you going to kill her?"


    "Three Moons, I want to, I really do want to, you have no idea what that dragon''s done. But tradition is tradition." She sighed before looking down on my small form. "And you are something... entirely new."


    "She''s taken brain damage, and I believe she was attacked by Sandwing''s apparent by the puncture wounds in her-"


    "What does that matter?"


    "Excuse me?"


    "Why would you care for her? What is she to you?"


    "We were stranded together, I healed her and helped get her here, and in return she kept me safe."


    "Safe, no, nowhere where my mother is safe, the fact you can even fathom that is insane." She chuckled darkly before glaring at me. "So what do you want, did you come here to steal some gold, start another war on top of the one your kind caused when you killed Queen Oasis."


    "Hey, I have no understanding of any of the words you just said, please, I just-" I started backing away and trembling slightly as I tried getting away from the gigantic red dragon.


    "What did you think would happen by coming here?"


    "Well I thought that Scarlet and I-"


    "You''re seriously loyal to her, to that monster?" She growled before snatching me in one of her talons, I let out a yelp as I felt her large claws slightly dig into my back. "You can go back to your master, for a second I thought your race may have been intelligent, but no, you''re just like what a pet would be if it was enchanted to talk. That probably is what you are, isn''t it?" She fumed as she held me in front of her face.


    "I''m not a pet! This is just a misunderstanding!" I quickly cry out.


    "Seems to me like you are, you''re weak, submissive, unable to fight back, I''m not surprised."


    "What did I ever do to you?"


    She let a puff of smoke blow from her nostrils at that. "Your kind are the reason why Skywings are dying left and right, if it weren''t for this war, so many Skywings would still be alive, not even just Skywings, Pyrrhia would have been so much better if the scorching had done its damn job!"


    My eyes went wide before I was thrown into the talons of another dragon, letting out a grunt as I cut myself against the jewel I was holding.


    "Take him to the dungeon, same as her, I''ll deal with them later, I have to attend to the dragons that actually matter to me, like you, Glide." The new queen said before flying off.


    Glide just looked bewildered for a moment since he just saw his queen lose it at a scavenger, but then just shrugged and turned away, carrying me as he let out a growl of acknowledgement, but with no jewels, no dice at understanding him.


    ***


    It was lonely on the platform, it was a large circular pillar that must have been hundreds of feet tall, so there was no chance of getting back on the ground, not to mention the chain around our necks tying us to the center of the platform.


    "So, what do you think is going to happen to us?" I asked Scarlet, who was covered in stitches and bandages head to talons, though all she did was let out a whimper. I almost felt bad, she looked nothing like that giant predator back when we first met, now she seemed small as she was curled up in her wing and trembling. "Did they fix your brain?" I asked softer.


    "I don''t like this." Was all she whimpered as she looked down with one talon on her face where the bandages covered her face. "I want to cry, but I can''t, I have no tears, I have no tears, I have no tears, what have I done? My daughters, what have I done? Someone answer me... someone answer me." I flinched as she then turned her face to me.


    "Scarlet, I''m sorry but-"


    I was cut off as she pinned me to the floor with her talons. "ANSWER ME!" She roared but just as quickly, got off and curled up into a ball on the other side of the pillar. "Why am I like this?" She sobbed before snarling. "You''re useless."


    Oh shit.


    "What use do you have anymore, Teardrop... what can you do now?"


    I quickly grabbed a part of the chain and hung on desperately as I jumped off the platform, right as she lunged and tried biting me in half.


    "Just go into my jaws! Make it stop!" She screamed at me as she tried going after me as I hung to the side with the chain, but her own chain didn''t let her follow after me, so she just put her talons on the edge while looking down at me, her eyes just glued to me, salivating from her torn jaw as she looked down at me, like a dog waiting to be fed a treat. I waited for six hours, till I finally heard the sound of wings flapping.


    "... And you''ll leave us alone after this?"


    All I could hear was growing from the other dragon but I remembered the first voice all too well.


    "The scavenger came with her, would you like it too?"


    "You bitch! Who are you selling me to-" my voice went dry in a heartbeat as I looked up. I had thought the other dragons were massive but this beast... this monster, covered in armor and scars, this was gargantuan, and she didn''t look friendly, but the thing that unnerved me was the fact she was smiling, and her barbed tail quickly moved in close, I held my breath as I felt the cold stinger on my neck, before lifting my chin up so I was forced to look at her. I gulped.


    "Is she gonna kill us?" I asked Ruby as the brute inspected me.


    "No, just a purchase... oh... you can''t understand him?" Ruby asked to reply to the monster''s growls.


    "Only the ones with Teardrop jewels can, so what does she want?"


    "You and Scarlet..."


    "Why?"


    "Your skin is... unique to her... and she needs things for her collection."


    "O-oh n-no..." Scarlet whimpered.


    The brute then held up Scarlet''s chin while never leaving her eyes from mine, her hand brushing against one of Scarlet''s jewels as she whimpered a weak, "Please..."


    "I can''t wait to bring you two back home." The brute said in a sinister tone, before wrapping her talons around me.

 Chapter Seven: Sands of Time

    It was dark, pitch black, but I could still hear the sounds of people talking and the sound of a piece of metal being hammered right in front of me, clanging with every hit I made till I paused to feel the long pipe. I heard the door open behind me and turned to face her, still only seeing darkness.


    "Teardrop, we need to talk." A new yet somehow familiar voice said softly as she ran her hands along my arm, I could hear as the hammer fell out of my hands as she guided me to a chair, I couldn''t control the words coming out of my mouth. "We''ve discussed this, this is the only way-" Wow, I sounded older, like years older.


    "But what if they''re sentient!" Her voice argued.


    "So what if they are?" my voice shot back, but took a deep breath before speaking again. "I of all people know that, but doesn''t that just make them even more evil, they exterminated us, they are choosing to kill an entire race of people who can think, feel, have families, children, and instead exchanging them for food, do you know how messed up that is?"


    Her voice was silent but as my hands went to her face, I instinctively used my thumb to wipe away a tear before running my hand through her long hair.


    "I just want to keep us safe, and I know that if we stay here, we will die, do you understand?"


    "I do... it''s just... it feels so wrong... I can''t-"


    "And you don''t have to, I''ll do all the work, you won''t be the one pulling the trigger."


    "But I am... if I let you do this... so many will die."


    "If I don''t, we''ll all die."


    "There has to be another way-"


    "The dragons have practically already made the perfect home with Jade Mountain, if we can drive them off then we will have an advantage even the invincible lord never had, we can outlast anyone else, slowly building our forces, slowly expanding till our legion influence is equal to the power of the dragons, I want our children to look up without having to fear being prayed upon by a sky demon." I said as I felt a grin on my face only to falter as I heard her start to sob. "Hey... are you okay?" I asked as I got up and put her in the seat I was just in, still seeing nothing but darkness. I pulled back a bit only to feel one of her hands grab my own and quickly pull me in as she wrapped arms around me as she sobbed into my shoulder.


    "Y-you''re a good person..." She sobbed as we held each other while bawling her eyes out into my shoulder. I didn''t dare move, only to let her lean against me more as I moved my hand to massage the back of her neck.


    "It''s okay, as long as I''m here, I''ll protect you." I felt myself say.


    "I-I''m sorry... I-I''m so sorry..." She continued to sob.


    "Don''t, you''ve done nothing wrong, it''s good you can feel for everyone, even the sky demons... it just makes you more empathetic and better than the rest of us." I assured her but she only sobbed more.


    "W-why did you have to be so good to me? W-why?"


    "Because it''s the right thing to do..."


    "B-but you''re certain you have to do this?"


    "When our guard is down, I think we''ll both agree."


    "T-that violence breeds violence."


    "But it has to be this way."


    I let out a small yelp as I suddenly feel her lips against mine but I don''t pull away until she finally stops and moves away. "Wish we could''ve done that longer." I chuckle as I rub the back of my neck awkwardly, I could feel my cheeks blushing like crazy.


    She sadly giggles a bit before planting her lips on my head one last time. "I love you, you know that... right my love?"


    "Yes-"


    "I''ll always love you, remember that, okay? No matter what." She said before pressing her forehead against mine and letting a few tears go down her face. "No matter... what... I''ll love you... I will always remember our dreams..."


    "You speak as if you''re gonna leave..." I laughed nervously, I could feel my heart in pain.


    "I... I have to go..." she said as she pulled away from my arms.


    "W-wait... will you be back in time for dinner, I''m making your favorite, I-" the door closes and I sigh before looking down. "... I can''t wait to see you when you get back..." I finish to myself in a whisper, deep down, I knew this was the last time something like that would happen with us, I feel a tear running down my eye, but quickly wipe it away. "No, it''ll be fine." I lie to myself before picking up the hammer and continuing to hammer the pipe, everything still in darkness till the hammer''s clangs starts to fade, until the only thing heard is my breathing, then the smell of food flooded in.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    It was still dark but I could hear the crackle of the fireplace as I managed to feel myself seated at a table, a plate of steaming food just in front of me. I didn''t dare touch it, just waiting for her to return, but I knew she wouldn''t, I just playing with the steel fork in my hand.


    I looked left as I heard some shouting from the distance. I quickly got up from the table and felt myself open the door in darkness as my head faced the source of the nearest footsteps and shouting. "What''s going on?" I asked.


    "A Suntail''s been spotted in the camp!"


    "How''s that possible, where is it?"


    "It''s heading to the pit, I think it''s going to-"


    Both of us were cut off as a massive explosion rang out, I could feel myself go cold before I could take control of my legs and move towards the source.


    "Get the walkers out of here, we have to protect the powder supply!"


    Suddenly growling was heard right in front of me and my body froze, it was right in front of me, every breath washing over my face and clothes, causing a warm breeze every so often, but I still couldn''t see anything.


    "So... this is the part where you kill me?" I asked in a broken form of draconic.


    There was silence but only for a moment before she spoke, growling, barely audible, "I''m sorry..."


    My heart ran cold, I knew who it was. "No, i-it c-can''t be..." I mutter and take a few steps before feeling myself fall on my back and panting as I feel a claw go under my chin, but the blunt end instead of the sharp part. I raised my head to look into her eyes, eyes I was still not able to see in the pitch darkness. "W-why?" I asked as I felt my words and lips tremble. "W-we could have lived happily... W-we can still live happily, I-I know we can... all we have to do-"


    "No..." She growled, but it was anything but harsh, she sounded as sad as me, maybe even sadder. "N-no... It was fun... being human... being with you..." I translated to myself internally before she went down and nuzzled me.


    "D-don''t go... p-please? D-don''t leave me... p-please?"


    "I-I..." She took a deep breath. "I have to... because you''re a good person... and I''m a good dragon..." Then I was suddenly sent backwards, tumbling on the ground by a large gust of wind as I heard the flapping of massive wings getting further and further away. She was gone, she had left me, and now I was alone again.


    "M''lord, are you alright?" I heard someone ask before feeling myself left back up.


    "Does it look fine!?" I snapped back, which was ironic since I still couldn''t see shit. "Report!"


    "M''lord, the pit has been completely destroyed, along with the powder inside."


    "Three Moons dammit! The walkers? Do we still have the walkers?"


    "Two were damaged in the explosion but they''re not beyond being fixed, our artificers are already working on it."


    "Alright, just give me a moment."


    "Yes M''lord."


    "Right, it''s now more essential than ever that we start the plan as soon as the walkers are repaired, the sooner the better, the less they can retaliate when she gets to them."


    "When who gets to them, M''lord?"


    I took a deep and sharp breath at the implications of this. If the one I loved was one of them, what about the others, what about Lumber, the one who seemed so on point with serving me?


    "All I can say is trust no one, Sunny is a traitor... but even so, no one fires on her, understand?"


    "Yes M''lord." Good, without question, I''ll have to flush out the sky demons as we go.


    "Go, tend to the wounded, that''s our priority now."


    When the time comes, when I have the shot, would I take it? Would I kill her? Could I kill her?


    ***


    I woke up coughing, my vision returned to me again, alone in the cage. Who was Lumber what were walkers, what was in the pit, and who was Sunny..? I quickly calmed myself with a few long breaths and looked around. I''m not gonna lie to myself again, it isn''t in my head, something is seriously wrong with me, hopefully I''m not like Scarlet.


    It had been around a month now, at least it felt like it. There had been a human here as well, but she wouldn''t speak to me, the last thing I heard from her was that I looked like the other one, whatever that meant.


    I turned my head back down as I heard Scarlet weeping from the crate she was contained to. The Scarlet I knew was long since gone, the queen had fallen and feel deeper than the hole itself, I didn''t know what Burn did to her, I didn''t want to, but I could always hear Scarlet weep and cry when near me, and I could hear her screams when she wasn''t.


    And me? They gave me kibble, damn kibble, I had been reduced to a pet so that Burn could look at me, she''d occasionally show up and take a good luck at me before just smirking and moving on, I didn''t know what she wanted, but I don''t think she did either. Which means I still have some time. I held a shattered piece of one of the "Teardrop Jewels," I had named myself, "Bob."


    "Think we''ll escape today Bob?" I asked the jewel.


    "..." There was no response, there usually never was.


    "I didn''t think so either, Bob." I sighed to myself.


    I was alone, the only dragon willing to look at me was Burn or that other sand dragon, hold on a minute, that one showed interest in the other human. And I can''t really talk without the gem, so maybe it''s time I learn how, how to speak draconic, I wonder how this dragon''s gonna react.


    ***


    "My name is River." I said in draconic, after straining my voice for over two hours by now.


    "Your name is Teardrop." He responded flatly, he didn''t seem to mind me too much like the other one, and he was excited about a talking scavenger.


    "It really isn''t." I then broke into coughs as my voice finally had enough of me growling and hissing.


    "Good progress though, despite not being physically great at speaking dragon, you''re doing a good job so far, now the jewel please." He said as he held his hand out expectantly.


    I nodded and handed it to him, but his eyes widened as he saw the Teardrop engraving.


    "Where did you get this?" He asked.


    Not wanting to speak again and hurt my throat even further, I simply pointed at the crate where Scarlet was weeping.


    "I see." He said before going to turn away.


    "Wait... know... jewel?" I strained my voice.


    He paused for a few moments, his tail occasionally flicking from side to side as the scales on his face scrunched up as he thought about how to answer. "It''s a long story, We can talk about them tomorrow as we work on your draconic."


    "Thank you." I said before he promptly left, leaving me alone again.


    Soon I''ll have answers, or at least a way to find them.

 Chapter Eight: Fire

    "The jewels." I said sternly as he approached, my eyes half-lidded with black spots under them, I hadn''t slept since sunset.


    He sighed. "I figured you would ask about those, they were a gift from the Nightwing Queen to my mother, before I was born."


    "What''s a Nightwing?" I asked, straining my voice with each word and enunciation.


    "The Nightwings are dragons able to tell prophecies and read minds, they''re an extremely mysterious tribe of dragons."


    "And the Teardrops?"


    Smolder lowered his voice to a whisper. "They''re marks of mindreaders, at least that''s what the legends in scrolls say, that they can be a mindreader or a seer."


    "Are you saying I''m some type of mindreader or seer?" That would explain the night before.


    "Wait, why would you-"


    I point to the tear shaped marks below my eyes, faintly visible on my face due to the bags on my eyes.


    "... No... that''s not possible... you''d... you''d have to be part Nightwing."


    "No. Absolutely not. I am not part dragon. How would that even work?"


    "You''re probably right... however you have to have some relations to Nightwings, that''s the only way to explain it." He shrugs.


    I groan while putting my hands to hold my face to keep it from falling. "So I guess if I want more answers, I''d have to talk to the Nightwings about it?"


    "Yeah, though, considering you belong to Burn now..." He trailed off.


    "Why keep me alive?"


    "My guess, the other one she caught a year ago."


    "I heard the women say that to me as well..." I thought aloud.


    "Women?" She asked.


    "Your scavenger." I sighed, dumbing things down, annoyed I have to draw this conversation further due to the pain in my throat. "Who''s the other one?" I asked while crossing my arms.


    "I don''t know, but he looked like you, same color, even the teardrops, he could even breathe fire."


    I scoff and roll my eyes. "I assure you, us ''scavengers'' can not breathe fire, at least none I ever heard of."


    "Well I was there, and I saw it, I can confirm that it shot fire at Burn.


    "Oh yeah? Show me."


    "Very well." he said as he grabbed my cage with his talons and started to walk down the hallway where I was met with the sight of several stuffed dragon corpses, the limbs not of webbed Seawings and seven claws with no owners, weird and deformed claws and wings, a two-headed stuffed lizard, a bright red but cracked egg, what looked to be the hybrid of a ice and sand dragon, a giant insect wing, the skin of a titanoboa, an aquarium filled weird and exotic creatures and of course, at the end of it all, in a small cage compared to the rest, even smaller than the insect wing, was the body of a pale human, a large cut sewn back together on his stomach seen by his torn shirt, a uniform I had seen on those of Sunset''s Watch, the goggles on the top of his head, wearing something called a vest, a second shirt like cloth filled with several pockets, and hanging out of one of them was a small slip of paper, and in his hands was a large silver object mixed with pieces of wood, a hole in one end. The guy himself, from what I saw other than being pale, looked relatively normal, well fed, someone who had been inside the invincible city but with the brand of exile marked on his left palm, and on his face was...


    My breath hitched. "Another Teardrop." I muttered loud enough for Smolder to hear me.


    He sighed. "Alright, don''t tell Burn but..." he trailed off as he unlocked the cage and angled it to allow me to jump inside the human''s cage.


    "Thank you." I said before jumping inside, matching his skin with mine, he was a little more tan but sure enough, we were both abnormal. "Maybe Sunset''s Watch will have more answers for me." I muttered as I then carefully took the piece of crumpled paper, carefully unfolding it as I then  scanned the images and words in front of me.


    Entry #186


    The new chamber design I''ve toyed around with seems to have the most promising results, if my calculations are right then in my next attempt, I won''t need the rod no longer and will be closer to assuming my role, my destiny, my prophecy, however, the path has been split, one where I accomplish my mission, the other where I fail, so I must pass this down in the worst case.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    If you''re reading this, then you must be a clairvoyant, that''s the only way you''ve made it this far. I''ve written all my important plans and knowledge in here, to give you a headstart, hopefully you won''t need it, but if you''re seeing this then... The map will lead you to Sunset''s Watch, you can find help there, don''t bother with Eclipse, those fools will just slow you down, and most importantly, remember the prophecy.


    The fate of these lands is baked in fire,


    You must be united to face something so dire,


    The Scorching has left it''s mark,


    It''s time for you to begin a new start,


    The Gold Lord has failed and revoked his power,


    But that doesn''t mean you should all cower,


    The Eye of Tears will open,


    And the ones who open must be chosen,


    The Sun is a lie,


    The Sun is an ally,


    Imperial is fast,


    Oracle''s will last,


    Perception is beautiful,


    But her agents are dutiful,


    The Watcher will follow you,


    The Watcher also doesn''t know what''s true


    The jewel are a gift,


    The jewels are a curse,


    It''s for you to lift,


    For you to end the long era of hurt,


    Defeat,


    Victory,


    Choose,


    Save this world,


    Or start anew


    In flames,


    Either way.


    Good luck to whoever needs this, and let it be known that my name is Pyro, please do not let people forget me, let me have a legacy, goodbye.


    My eyes blinked a couple of times as I processed the words. "What... the absolute fu-" I thought aloud before my eyes focused on the blueprint, my hands tracing over as I looked at the diagram, a device that could be able to fire pieces of metal with a small explosion, capable of piercing a dragon''s scale right through, it would almost seem like the human was breathing fire from a stick. But my eyes turned to a bunch of failed equations of symbols I didn''t understand.


    KNO + Charcoal + Carbon?


    I scratched my head as I looked back at the poem, could this actually be... this is just... what the...


    I took the paper and folded it securely against my belt since I didn''t have any pockets before going to grab the, ''BOOMSTICK!!!,'' as Pyro had called it, until...


    "PLEASE NO! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH! PLEASE STOP! I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME! PLEASE STOOOOOOOPPPPPPP!" I heard Scarlet scream in the distance, I couldn''t help but wince at her pain, I knew she may have been an evil monster in the past, but was she even the same person after the fall, it wasn''t like I could do anything to help her, besides, this was karma... at least... I guess, maybe I''d feel better if I knew what she did? If I knew she deserved this? But... all I really knew is what I was told, sure she killed people, but didn''t all dragons? Aren''t they all monsters? But Smolder wasn''t a monster, he even let me do this, and he''s trembling so violently right now, wait a minute-


    "We should go, that means Burn''s gotten back early." Smolder quickly yelped as he grabbed me before I could get the weapon and threw me in the cage before beating his wings as hard as could to get back to my pedestal. I let out a grunt as he placed the cage, hard, as I was then placed back to the center of the pillar as if I had never moved.


    "Alrightgoodluckbye!" Smolder said in a rush of words before bolting out of there, leaving me alone to hear Scarlet''s screams, and Burn''s guttural laughter.


    I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, just waiting for the laughter and the screams to finally die down, when I opened my eyes, her pitch black eyes were staring back, her jaws still bloody, along with her talons and barb.


    Drip!


    Drip!


    Drip!


    I looked down and in one of her bloody talons and saw a teardrop jewel in her talons, one of the ones that I recognized on Scarlet''s face as well, I grimaced at the thought. "You really are a monster." I snarl before spitting in her face.


    She only let out a deep laugh before slamming the cage with her tail, forcing me to hang on as it fell of the pillar and onto the ground, my body sent flinging against the bars before crashing against the bars on the floor hard, I let out a yell of pain as my leg cracked and bent into an awkward and unnatural shape. "You bitch!" I yell at her but she suddenly stabs her tail right through the metal and into my stomach to the side of any major organs, right above my intestines and not deep enough to go all the way through.


    "The only reason you are still alive little, pathetic, scavenger-"


    "I''m human!"


    "Not here you aren''t now, shut up or I''ll rip your face off and and use the rest of your body as a stew, I already have one albino, why do I need another!?" She roared.


    I glared at her but kept my mouth closed.


    "Good, because you''re only still here cause I find you amusing, so understand, as soon as you aren''t amusing anymore..." She starts to salivate. "It''ll be so fun, the things I''ll be doing to you... I wonder how you will sound as I separate a paw from the rest of your arm... or better yet..." she trailed off as she looked to her tail barb.


    "What are you..."


    I then had to fall to my knees before feeling as warm bile rose up from my throat before I finally expelled it, in the remains were hints of red and black.


    My eyes widened in horror. "Three moons-" I started as spittle and more blood and the venom dripped from my mouth, before vomiting it back up again as I struggled to keep my eyes open.


    "You see what happens when you disobey me?" She said as she took her barb out, leaving the gaping hole in my stomach to quickly fill as it spilled my blood and some more of her venom.


    "Now... tell me..." She said with a grin as she noticed me starting to sweat and shake profusely, I couldn''t even lift my arms, everything felt as if it was on fire inside of my body, but instead, all I could do was let out a whimper and shed a few tears to the floor. "Tell me... will you be a good boy now?" she chuckled while using one of her claws to lift my head up to look back in her eyes, her claw the size of my entire body, probably bigger, I couldn''t really tell as my vision started to blur and split as I saw five pitch black eyes staring back at me. "Q-queen B-Burn..." I whimpered as I shed more and more tears... starting to sob.


    "Yes... my dear... my pathetic... little scavenger?"


    "S-someone l-like m-me... a-a pathetic... l-little... weak... w-worthless... scavenger..." I sobbed.


    "Yes-"


    "Is going to kill you, Burn!" I suddenly shouted at her through the tears and pain, her eyes widened in surprise. "Just like... t-they killed your m-mother..."


    Her eyes narrowed. "What did you just say to me, you little shit?!" She roared.


    "I said..." I coughed before my eyes closed and I felt myself falling forward, and everything went black.

 Chapter Nine: Getaway

    "Thank you... Smolder..." I panted in draconic as Smolder finished applying the brightsting cactus against the wound. Surprisingly, I felt great, amazing even, the brightsting made the wound feel as if it was a spot of bliss.


    "You''re lucky she didn''t inject you with a full dose or near to the heart, it''s a miracle you survived." He replied as he took a step back. Maybe it was a benefit of Teardrop blood? I''ll have to take notes.


    "Do you have... charcoal or something to write with?" I asked but he shook his head.


    "Nothing another one your size." He growled softly.


    I sighed but thanked him with a nod, before taking the piece of paper out and unfolding it with my shaky hands, studying the Boomstick firing mechanism, it was settled, I was going to kill her, shoot her through the eye just like the mighty Dragonslayer did all those years ago, at least that''s what I had been told from the myths and legends I heard... although he or she had a spear.


    "Think you can get me to the cage again, the one with the human?" I asked Smolder, switching back to common, but he just shook his head profusely.


    "No, absolutely not, not a chance, that''s way too close, what do you think is gonna happen if my sister catches you?"


    "She''ll torture me but she won''t kill me."


    "How can you be so sure?"


    "Simple, she likes me."


    "..." He just paused for a moment, a moment that lasted over a few minutes. "H-what? Where did you get the idea that Burn likes you?"


    "There''s quite a few reasons actually that I''ve noticed."


    "Like what?"


    "The fact she can talk to me, she likes being able to demean and insult me, especially since it''s personal, since a scavenger did kill your mom after all. She also likes that I''m not submissive, she wants to break me and she likes the challenge, she wants to take her anger out on me and she wants to keep doing it, just like she''s doing with Scarlet, however the difference between me and her is that Scarlet and her were a lot closer. What''s up with that anyways, I thought they were lovers or something?" I asked.


    "That would be accurate, however, their definitions of love are very different than ours, they love power, they love control, that doesn''t mean they exactly love each other."


    "That sounds... really fucked up."


    "It really is." he chuckles, but sighs sadly simultaneously.


    "So... I may or may not have a plan-"


    "Please, Teardrop, don''t do something stupid, what are you gonna do, yabble her to death." he awkwardly laughs, but I can tell there''s a large amount of concern in his voice as well.


    "Just hear me out, you were kind of right, about the human having fire breath." I started as he whipped his head down to face me.


    "Are you fucking-"


    "No, well... it''s complicated, but I have an idea, if I can get to the body again then-"


    "No."


    "Huh? What do you mean no?"


    "It''s too risky, I''m sorry, but maybe another time?" He laughs me off as he starts to walk away, the clinging and clanging of all his jewelry used to sound like beautiful chimes, now they sounded like cats scratching against stone.


    "I can kill Burn!" I called out to him, surprised at how fast he suddenly flew back and wrapped his talons around the cage before shaking me.


    "No, you can''t! And you shouldn''t even try! Listen to me, and this is for your own good. It. Is. Way. Too. Risky! I don''t want you to die, alright?"


    I huffed and crossed my arms. "I appreciate it Smolder, I really do, after all, you''re the only dragon who''s actually been kind to me, three moons, you''re nicer than most humans I meet, though... it would be nice if I could actually talk to another human, even though the last time I did that was... three moons... has it really been a month or so?"


    "I guess for you it has."


    "So how''s Flower, I take it the gem helps you two?"


    "Um... about that..." He started as he gave me back the jewel, oversized in my hands, way too small in his talons.


    "Yeah, what about it?"


    "Not to say it''s completely useless..."


    "But?"


    "It is completely useless, at least to me, I can''t figure out how to use it." He sighs.


    "What are you talking about, all you need is for both of you to touch it and you should be able to understand each other."


    "Well if it did work then do you really think I''d be telling you that it didn''t work, Teardrop?"


    "For the last time it''s... whatever." I scoff while rolling my eyes. "Anyways, back to killing your sister-"


    "You''re really still on this?"


    "As long as I''m trapped, I will be."


    "Please stop even thinking about it, if you know how to play Burn''s mind then why not use it to just stay alive?"The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Because I must."


    "Then get used to disappointment. Many have tried killing my sister before, dragon''s, sorry to say this but you are just a scavenger-"


    "Human-"


    "Same thing!" He growled loudly before sighing. "Look, you know I''m right, that it''s a long shot?"


    "If I don''t do anything then I may as well be on the menu tomorrow."


    "No, you''ll be most likely dismembered and dissected." He muttered to which I gave him a wide-eyed glare.


    "Was that supposed to make me feel better or do you just not know when to shut up?"


    "I know you''re mad, I know you''re frustrated, but killing possibly the most RUTHLESS dragon in Pyrrhia isn''t exactly the best idea, not to mention the effects it would have on our kingdom. Blister would probably take control and then Blaze would stand no chance."


    "So I''ll... kill Blister too?" I offer, sounding out the unfamiliar names.


    "Ha! Burn has been trying to kill her for decades now."


    "Okay, I see your point, though I don''t really know Blister or... who was the other one again?"


    "Blaze is my other sister... she''s... very vain if you get what I mean."


    "Sounds better than the other two." I shrug.


    "Yeah but if Blaze actually wins the throne then most likely the power goes to the Icewings, and then we''ll basically be their puppets."


    "I''m sorry, but is it weird that I don''t see that as too bad of an option-"


    "They all want to kill scavengers."


    "Nevermind."


    "Well, not Blaze."


    "That''s nice at least-"


    "She just wants to breed you."


    I went silent, mulling over his words. "You know how messed up your family is, right?"


    He sighed. "You have no idea what they''ve taken away from me."


    I went quiet at that. He may have been a dragon, but I couldn''t forget he was also a person, a very big and cannibalistic person if he ate humans, but a person with their own thoughts, motives, feelings, things I could maybe turn in my favor.


    "Do you... want to talk about it?" I asked him gently.


    "I... it''s fine."


    "Are you sure, it''s not like I''d tell anyone else."


    "You might tell Flower."


    "Never met."


    "Seriously? I thought she''d be all over you."


    "Please rephrase that, that just sounds..."


    "Sounds what?"


    "Nevermind." I said with a wave. "I think she''s busy with something." I said as I barely managed to spot Flower hiding on top of a door, the other human, a tan woman with black hair that sort of dropped down to look like a mane around her head. Currently she seemed to be sowing something, maybe new clothes for herself since I doubt they had any new pairs for humans here.


    I looked down at my own clothes and sniffed one of my sleeves, recoiling in disgust. "I need a wash." I think aloud.


    "No kidding."


    "That wasn''t for your ears, Smolder."


    "I''m just saying you stink-"


    "Smolder! Seriously, stop, anyways, you were talking about-"


    "That''s of no concern to you, River!"


    My eyes widened as he used my actual name, but I sighed and held my hands up. "I''m... sorry I asked."


    ***


    "Aha!" I quietly celebrated to myself as I finally picked the lock using the paper, the benefits of being small I guess. I slowly opened the cage door, wincing and cursing as it made a loud creaking noise, in the now higher chance that a dragon woke up, hopefully Smolder and not Burn, I wouldn''t have long before they''d figure out something''s wrong so I have to act fast.


    I quickly slid out and started climbing down the pillar, using the large ridges as a good place to put my foot and hands, slowly yet in a rush, climbing down before jumping off as I got close to the ground. Luckily the floor was covered in sand brought back from the dragons coming in and out so it wasn''t that hard to make my way quietly across the floor.


    I could hear the sounds, as my feet shifted across the sand, the sounds of birds of prey as they screeched in the middle of the night, and the sound of my own raspy breathing as I walked, feeling my heart beating in my head. I looked up and saw the moon, Perception, looking back in full glow, its spherical shape almost making it seem as if it was a gigantic dragon''s eye following me. The light of the moon was bleeding into the room, casting shadows all across the room, but the light seemed to shine on me through the window. I felt targeted, vulnerable, exposed, that feeling amplified as I saw in the corner of my eye, another shadow, the shadow of another human, her shadow seemed a little taller than my own. I quickly looked at the source but just as quickly, she scampered away.


    ''So you must be Flower.'' I imagined myself saying, but knowing it was better to stay silent, I disregarded the thought and ignored the fact she was currently watching me as I headed towards Pyro''s pillar.


    I sighed angrily as I looked up, the pillar was sharp all over, probably Burn''s idea, making it impossible for something as small as me to climb. I thought about waking Smolder up but he''ll probably just be mad and throw me back in my cage. I scoffed at the motion and turned my attention back to the source of Flower''s shadow from earlier.


    "I wouldn''t steal anything if I were for you." Her voice suddenly cut through the silence behind me.


    "Shh!" I quickly said to her as I whipped my head up to face her, she was around my size, but she looked a lot older. "You can''t wake up Smolder." I told her sternly while she just looked at me with a cheeky smile. "Besides, I''m not stealing any treasure."


    "Smolder, where are you getting that name from? And who are you? And what are you doing here?"


    "I could ask the same, but the gist of it is I''m trying to escape."


    "Not much of a talker, are you, but what''s your story, where are you from, please tell me, tell me tell me-"


    "I''m from Talisman."


    "Oh... I''m sorry, were you-"


    "Yeah, but I managed to get to the Invincible City, but then right as I was about to be a citizen, the red one in that crate over there," I pointed to the large wooden crate where Scarlet was in. "Basically made me her healing pet, then we both ended up getting sold to Burn."


    "Burn?"


    "The big one. The one that did this." I say while I show her my side covered in bandages.


    "Why did she-"


    "I basically told her I''m gonna kill her like her mother."


    "And she seemed to... understand?" She asked with wide eyes.


    "Right, forgot to mention the fact I can sort of speak dragon." I said while rubbing the back of my head.


    "YOU CAN SPEAK DRAGON!?"


    "Shush! Not so loud!" I quietly yell at her.


    "Sorry, it''s just, I haven''t seen another human in decades, and since you can speak dragon-"


    "How about this, you help me get up to the cage and I''ll help you be able to talk to Smolder. From what he''s told me about you, you seem to be in no rush to go anywhere."


    "He talks about me?"


    "Yeah, he really cares about you." I say. "So are you in or-"


    "Follow me." She says before running towards some boxes.


    "Wait, hold on!" I call out quietly after her as I follow her through the sand.


    "So you''ll really teach me how to speak dragon?"


    "I''m not that good but I can try, I usually use a Teardrop Gem to talk to them, at least that''s what I call it."


    She suddenly stops and looks back at me. "You''re a Teardrop?"


    "Well... I think so... I don''t know what it really means though..." I started but she took a step back.


    "You''re just supposed to be a myth."


    "Hey... calm down, I just wanna escape."


    "You''re..." She took a deep breath and calmed down. "You''re right, besides, you''re just a kid, come on." She said as she grabbed my hand and took me up to a table where there was a clipboard sticking out in the direction of the cage.


    "Thank you."


    "Don''t sweat it." She said before I ran and jumped off the giant clipboard. I landed with a loud and metallic clang! Then I heard thudding behind me.


    "Kid! Hide!" She whispered-shouted before running and hiding.


    "Come on! Please be unlocked!" I muttered as I opened the door, feeling a flood of relief as it was. I quickly rolled myself inside and scrounged up all the pieces of metal still by Pyro''s body as the talon-steps got closer.


    "You should be in your cage!" She roared.


    "I''ve got you now!" I roar back as I finish loading the weapon and aim it, right for her eye. I smiled wide enough that it was probably ear-to-ear as I watched her eyes widen in surprise. "Just like I said, just like your mother." I said quietly before pulling the trigger.


    CLICK!


    My eyes widened in surprise and I looked down before looking in the chamber, there was no black powder. "Fuck-" I was cut off by loud guttural laughter.


    "You know... I woke up, ready to rip you in half, but you''re an amusing scavenger, I think I''ll just rip off a little piece of you instead." She growled before wrapping her talons around me.

 Chapter Ten: Running Out of Time

    "PLEASE STOP! PLEASE! I screamed as she continued to slowly tug my arm with her jaws. Fire snaking up my arm as I could feel each muscle tearing as blood started to shoot out the small holes opening up while the sound of ripping filled my ears. I let out another agonized scream as I could see out of the corner of my eye what looked like a long white noodle being snapped, each snap sending another shockwave of fire directly into my brain. I bit down on my bottom lip hard enough that it started to bleed as I sobbed. "P-PLEASE S-STOP!" I sobbed, spittle and blood coming from my mouth as I pleaded to empty ears. The only thing it seemed to do was provoke her further as she bit down harder on my arm, her teeth the size of my entire body slicing right through the muscles and tendons, sending another wave of internal fire and agony. I screamed again but for no one to hear as she finally bit down hard enough to completely sever the damaged limb, I watched through watery and bloodshot eyes as the bloody arm bounced across her dirty yellow scales, and bounced to the ground to the sand, joining the collection of disfigured dragon hands below. I looked into her pitch black eyes, mine no longer having the same look of defiance or resistance as I faced her from before, instead my eyes only held pleading, begging for mercy, but I wasn''t met with pity, only disgust from her eyes.


    "You are truly a disgusting creature, but I don''t want to finish you off too quickly now, do I?" She growled before moving her head away and letting out a roar I had to cover my ears for, but I could only cover my right as my eardrum was probably ruined in the other. "SMOLDER!"


    In a flash of yellow and jewelry, the smaller dragon appeared in front, his eyes widened as he looked down on me before narrowing his eyes professionally as he looked back to his sister. "I''ll repair the object, if you desire."


    "Good. I have other business to attend to, so be useful, brother, unless you want your head joining the others on the stronghold walls." She snarled before flying out of the tower.


    Smolder looked at me sympathetically as I whimpered there while blood continued to spill from my arm, like a small red waterfall. "Y-you w-were r-right..." I whimpered through tears.


    "I''m sorry Teardrop, I really am." He said with his head lowered before revealing his talons where Flower currently was. "I still don''t know Common but I could tell she wanted to see you." Smolder says as he places the women into my cage.


    "D-did... d-did you come for dragon lessons?" I tried laughing through my tears but more pain went through my veins as she lifted my arm and started wrapping some type of fabric to stop the blood from spilling.


    "Kid... I''m so sorry..."


    "It''s fine, there was n-nothing you could have done... besides... i-it wasn''t all that bad."


    "How could you even say that? You-" I barely managed to push the metal rod into her arms, interrupting her before saying anything further.


    "T-the Boomstick... is our key out of h-here..." I managed to get out.


    "How-"


    "I think I-I might pass out now." I mumbled before I felt myself falling to the ground, but everything faded around me before I even hit the floor.


    ***


    It was dark again, the only light being from the orange hue of the flames and the Moonlight for Imperial, wait, I could see? Everything felt different, smaller, I felt armor on my body dragging me down, I felt a sense of pain in the upper parts of my body as I bled from several spots, some of the blood dripping back onto me, but no, this wasn''t me, not even close. Everything felt wrong and out of place, and I could see this time, I was covered in a small room, yet it looked like one of the gigantic rooms in the stronghold, lining the walls were the remains of what seemed to be wooden shards, as if something had been shattered or broken.


    I let out an inhuman scream mixed with a roar before looking at my hands, what remained of them, only a few digits and a thumb on one, there was only a piece of bone sticking out of the other. These were Burn''s hands, explaining why I felt so angry I guessed. I looked down and saw none other than... myself, still in the cage, coughing weakly as I try to get up on my one good arm, one half of my body burnt, before I suddenly looked up at myself as Burn''s body let out a terrifying roar before charging at me like a wild animal before scooping me in her jaws and a loud crunching noise was heard, followed by several drops of blood flowing from Burn''s lips, blood I could feel as if running down my own chin. I was dead? No... no... this is not how things are going to end, not for me, not for me!


    ***


    I let out a gasp as I forced myself to wake up, clutching the metal rod in my good hand tightly as I thought about my next move. If I don''t do anything, I''ll be dead when Imperial''s a full moon, so I have a day before then, wait, nope, I''ve got till tonight. "Fuck!" I groan to myself before remembering the wooden shards. "Black powder barrels..." I mutter hopefully as I try to grab the piece of paper with my shaky hand as I carefully use my other arm''s stump to push it flat against the ground, hissing in pain as the paper touches the cloth wrapped around my arm, even with the cloth, it still felt like I was reaching my hand into fire.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "You really shouldn''t be moving." Flower said to me, causing me to jump at how close she was to me, right next to me on the right, crouched down with a pair of folded clothes next to us.


    "T-thanks... F-Flower..." I managed to stutter as I dropped the paper and tried reaching for the clothes, quickly stopping as she gently grabbed my arm and put it back to my side.


    "Later... and it''s Rose."


    "Heh, S-Smolder was so sure he picked the perfect name for you."


    "He was close." She sighed before looking back at the sleeping dragon outside the cage. It was early in the morning so I could see why he was still asleep.


    I look back at her and nod before resting my head back to the sandy floor of my cage. "At least the sand... makes a nice pillow..." I wheezed while I tried relaxing my body, taking a few deep breaths as I unclenched my shaking fist, a little disappointed I couldn''t do the same with the other. I still felt like it was there, that I was in one piece, but no, everything above my elbow on my right arm was gone, of course it had to be my dominant hand. I let out a scoff at the thought before falling back into staring at the ceiling. "My name''s Teardrop- I mean River. I introduce myself finally to Rose.


    "Just relax... is there um... anything I can get you to make you feel better?"


    "An escape route would be nice." I chuckle weakly.


    She smirks a little before her face falls back into a frown. "I''m sorry but when I first got here, I tried to, and I''ve been here for over a decade, maybe you can just stay and-"


    "I have a day."


    "What?" She asked.


    I barely managed to lift myself up and look her in the eyes. "I think... I can see the future... at least that''s somewhat what Smolder said when we were talking about my teardrop markings, something about being related to NIghtwing''s or something, and look at the paper." I say while nudging the piece of unfolded paper her way. She opened it and her eyes widened a bit before squinting. "I don''t understand."


    "What part did you not understand-"


    "It''s not common."


    "What? Of course it is, let me-" I hissed in pain as I sat up but still reached out with my arm and tilted it to see the paper. "That''s common." I say with a nod but she keeps shaking her head.


    "River, I''ve only seen the dragons write this."


    My eyes widened/ "I know draconic?" I asked myself.


    "Did Smolder teach you or-" I quickly shook my head.


    "Smolder only taught me to speak and understand draconic verbally, never... anything with writing."


    "So you just... naturally know draconic?"


    "I guess so..."


    There was silence.


    "You said you had a day..." She started.


    "What? Oh yeah, so I had a vision. Burn was pissed about something or the other, and I was in the room with the black powder barrels, and she ate me."


    "She ate you!?"


    "It felt really weird too since I was seeing it from her perspective so it just felt weird... you know?"


    "Yeah I can see how that gets weird, so maybe we should come up with a plan, how did you know this was in a day?"


    "Tonight, because Imperial was a full moon."


    "Shit, what if we hide you?"


    "That may send her on a rampage to begin with, I have another idea, for me to sleep."


    "Sleep?"


    "Sleep."


    "How in three moons does that help us?"


    "Wake me up in thirty minutes but by the time I wake up, maybe I''ll have another vision and see what I can do from there. The problem is how do I go to sleep on command, I can''t just-"


    "I can take it from here."


    "Huh-" I asked before looking up and seeing her fist heading full speed into my face. "That''s one way to d-" I started before everything went black again.


    ***


    I was back there, in my own body this time, nothing was on fire but I was still in the room, the barrels were still intact, and Burn was nowhere to be seen, just the room and the shit-ton of powder. I felt myself as I managed to grab some of the powder with my hand and put it into the boomstick, my mouth biting hard into the weapon''s wood. I started loading it again, this time making sure every step was perfect before aiming it at the door where an enraged Burn soon opened before stepping through. She then turned her eyes to me before snarling and starting to walk up to me.


    "This time I won''t miss." I growled back. I missed.


    But the small flaming piece of metal instead went way off as I fired and pierced one of the barrels. "That explains it-" I felt myself saying before my body was engulfed in flames and sent flying back and crashing into the wall.


    ***


    "River!"


    I suddenly jolted awake, panting before trying to put off any flames that were on me, but there were none.


    "River!" Rose''s voice finally snapped me back to reality.


    "Rose! Rose..." I say again as I bring myself out of the trance.


    "You okay?"


    "Seems like it''s gonna end up with an explosion and her biting me anyways, but there''s gotta be a way to survive it." I murmured to myself.


    "Whoa kid, slow down-"


    "Do you know where they keep the black powder?"


    "Yeah-"


    "Do you know a place where I can maybe find some scraps, not food, metal?"


    "Yeah, that too."


    "Alright, cause hear me out Rose, I might have a plan that''s just crazy enough to work."


    She hesitated for a moment before offering her hand for me to grab onto. "Tell me."


    I opened my mouth to speak but she soon stopped me as she then pushed the folded clothes she made and pushed them into arms. "Wait, first get dressed, then you can tell me everything."


    I sigh. "Thank you Rose."


    "Anytime, Teardrop."


    I groan. "Really, you too?"


    "What''s the matter, Teardrop?" She chuckled, but her eyes grew softer as she looked at my arm. "It''ll be fine." I couldn''t tell she was assuring me or herself before she suddenly smirked and let out a laugh. "I never thought I''d help another dragonslayer."

 Chapter Eleven: Burn Versus Boom

    "Thank you again, it may not be a bath, but I feel a lot cleaner in these clothes." I say as I stretch my arm, the new red clothes made from torn curtains fit my frame perfectly.


    "You smell a lot better in them too." She snickered but winced as we both looked at the corpse of a knight. He was from the Invincible City, they were only ones that had spiked armor as their main guard uniform. Even if it did make them harder to eat, also made it harder for them to run, which must have been this guy''s downfall as all that was left of him was his armor and the now black skeleton inside of it, covered in the charred remains of the original inhabitant of the armor.


    "Think it''ll fit?" I ask her.


    "The armor? No."


    ***


    "This feels... not great." I pant as I climb the last bit of dragon stairs, leading to the dragon''s kitchen. "Why do dragons even have stairs?" I cry out to no one in particular, even as Rose chuckles next to me as she helps me stand up again.


    "You could have just asked Smolder to carry us, why didn''t you?"


    "If he finds out what I''m doing, and what you''re doing, we''re both going back in the cage."


    She visibly shivered at the thought. "Let''s get there quickly then, I haven''t been there in years, not gonna start now." She said as we started to walk through the kitchen, not sneaking really as the three Sandwing hurriedly scrambled across the place. We walked in like we owned the place.


    It was weird, there was a giant counter which probably held several pots and pans the size of someone''s hut, noticeable by the handle of one sticking out and casting its shadow over us. There were also what looked to be some plates and cups left on the floor, probably dropped by how hectic things were I guessed. One of the dragons suddenly fell in front of us and looked sadly at all the plates and cups on the ground, and growled sadly before noticing us.


    "Don''t worry, Sandy''s a softy, unless you know this one''s name too?"


    I shake my head as ''Sandy'' approaches us while using her tail to move some of the cups and plates back on their respective counters. She let out a soft growl as she then lowered herself to our level, her head resting against the sand on the floor.


    Rose suddenly walked up to the large dragon as I stayed behind, a little hesitant, before I saw Rose starting to scratch the dragon''s snout and chin, all the while ''Sandy''s'' tail wagged from side to side.


    "Why are you still back there?" Rose called out to me.


    I nervously took a few steps closer, freezing up as the dragon''s eyes focused on me, then trailed off toward my missing arm. She let out a soft whine before the dragon suddenly opened its mouth and shot its head towards us.


    I let out a yelp and jumped before realizing she had paused right in front of me, her giant teeth looming over me as I could hear the dragon''s breathing right in my ear. "Relax, she''s just getting ready to pick us up." Rose suddenly assured me as her clothes were already caught by one of the dragon''s teeth.


    I froze as the dragon gently hooked its teeth on my new red clothes and carried me up. "She won''t eat us, right?" I ask nervously as me and Rose are swung lightly as the dragon continues picking up the remaining dishes on the floor. Rose then pointed us in a direction and our body''s were sent flailing a bit as the dragon nodded.


    "This feels... terrifying." I thought aloud as I thought about how one wrong move from the dragon and I''ll be dead.


    "Really, I prefer this rather than Smolder carrying me, I can actually stretch my legs and arms without being so cramped.


    I let out another yelp as we were both flown forward and right to the door, the dragon turned it''s head and we were flung around a bit as she growled something to the others.


    The others let out small roars of protests and growled back before waving her off as another Sandwing approached, wearing some type of decorated armor, seeming to order something.


    ''Sandy'' then opened the large behemoth doors revealing the insides of the room. The circular place was a mix of pale yellow with hints of black powder on the floor, and to the sides of the room were large round barrels filled to the brim with black powder, some overfilling. I looked at the window, seeing the blue sky outside, I couldn''t tell which one but one of the moons could be faintly seen from the corner of the room outside the window.


    I let out a sigh of relief as ''Sandy'' dropped us to the floor.


    "What is she-" I asked before my eyes widened as the dragon stuck her head inside one of the barrels, before drawing her head back into view above the barrel, her eyes now bloodshot and glassy while she drooled, barely able to stand as she snorted, some powder being blown into her nose after she inhaled it. "Is she-" I started before Rose answered.


    "Yeah, she''s flying higher than a dragon could do naturally." She said as we watched the sand dragon let herself fall while letting out a few random growls, watching as she rolled over on her back and started to squirm around.


    "Dragon''s are so weird." I muttered.


    "You have no idea." Rose agreed.


    We watched as that armored dragon from earlier entered, his head high as he walked in a boastful manner, he snarled as he noticed us.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "Bastard!"


    "I don''t like that guy."


    Me and Rose said simultaneously as we watched as the dragon then approached ''Sandy'' who was still rolling around on her back. Just by looking at the boastful dragon, I could tell Rose was right when calling him a bastard. As soon as ''Sandy'' noticed the other dragon though, the smaller dragon stood up and looked to the bigger one.


    The bigger one made some growls and made the mistake of putting his claws on the smaller one''s shoulders.


    CLAP!


    "Oh!"


    "Three moons!"


    We both exclaimed by the loud clapping noise that emanated from the force of the smaller dragon''s tail slamming hard into the larger one''s face. ''Sandy'' let out a growl and roared, making the larger one flinch and let out a whimper as it then moved back towards the door quickly as ''Sandy'' continued to snarl and growl at him until he was gone. Then she went all mellow again as she looked back at us and fell to the floor, her tongue out and her eyes going in different directions, letting out a lazy whine.


    "I''m curious." I murmured to Rose as I picked some powder up.


    "Wait, River don''t-" Rose was too late as I inhaled some powder, only to go into a coughing fit and snort it out. She bursted into laughter as I wiped my nose. "I tried, it''s no good to us humans."


    "I guess so." I coughed before finally snorting all of it out. "Alright, guess it''s time to get ready then."


    ***


    "RIver... are you sure you want me to leave?" Rose asked as the kind dragon who was still wobbling a bit picked her up in her claws.


    I nodded.


    "This is my battle, but thanks... for all of it."


    "Hopefully this won''t be the last time we-"


    "It won''t, I promise."


    Rose went silent before patting the dragon to be let down.


    "Rose what are you-" I was cut off as she tackled me and gave me a hug as strong as a dragon''s talon-grip.


    "If you don''t come back out of this room, thank you for talking to me and being with me, today has probably been one of the best days of my life. Just... sorry... I''m not great at words... I haven''t had anyone to talk to in so long... thanks for teaching me how to speak dragon, even if it''s just a little bit." She sniffled as she finally loosened herself off of me, but kept one of her hands on my shoulder. "Promise me you won''t die."


    "I... Rose..."


    "Promise me! P-please?" She asked as I saw more tears running down her cheeks.


    It was my turn as I gave her a hug with my one good arm. "I''m not going anywhere yet, you can''t get rid of me that easily." I chuckled as I tried to keep the tears in.


    "Oh River... you''re shivering." She said as she wrapped one of her hands around my own.


    "I-I a-am?" I asked as I looked down at myself. "Y-you''re right... I-I''m scared... but that''s okay... that''s okay..." I keep repeating as I pull away. Now seeing the moon is now full and shining brightly. "Go. Now." I then turn to ''Sandy,'' "Take her, now."


    Even though she can''t understand my words, she seems to understand me as she wraps her tail around Rose and slowly lifts her between their wings.


    "Promise me River. Promise-" The door shuts behind them.


    I take a deep shaky breath as I refit the red cloth around me, even though it wouldn''t do much, I wish I could have had the armor around me, I wish I could have had Rose with me, but I can''t risk her, and I can''t risk missing.


    I managed to head to the other side of the room and sit down, checking the boomstick''s pipe once again to make sure it was already loaded, that everything was set up correctly, no matter how many times I checked, it still didn''t feel like enough.


    It was quiet, and I was able to see the room more clearly now, now seeing the torn remains of rope that belonged to a grappling hook still hanging weakly from the window, while some traces of dried blood could be seen, but too small to be from a dragon. Where Pyro''s fate was locked in. He must''ve made a play for the black powder, allowing him to make his weapon, one of the only weapons that could truly harm a dragon without any tricks, that could go through scales as if they were sheets of parchment according to his own studies. But it came at a price, leading the dragon''s back to him and...


    I could now hear Burn''s voice through the window, she was still relatively calm, as in she was shouting but she hadn''t taken anyone''s limb yet, I couldn''t make it out, even if I wanted to. I could only hear my own breathing, the shuffle of sand as the wind took it from here to there, wisps dancing inside the room as if phantoms. My heartbeat was loud inside my head, I tried feeling it in my heart but I couldn''t.


    I heard her voice be enraged and what sounded like a dragon''s wing being torn as the angry dragon''s voice got louder and closer. Was this how Pyro felt? Was Pyro shaking too when he faced death? Am I facing death? No, but I had that vision, with Sunny. But the vision of this changed, was that why it was all in black, why I couldn''t see anything, because it was a failed future, had I jeopardized it? Am I gonna die? I don''t wanna die! I was so close to getting everything I wanted in the Invincible City and now this bullshit! I could have had a life! I could if it weren''t for dragons! Damn the dragons! Damn the sky demons! Damn them. Damn her.


    Damn her for taking my arm.


    I could hear her talon-steps.


    Damn her for keeping me locked up for so long.


    I could hear her voice just beyond the door.


    Damn her for keeping Rose trapped here all alone with no one at her side.


    The doors swung open and she roared in fury, but her eyes widened at surprise as she saw me.


    "DAMN YOU!" I roared as I pulled the trigger. It was as if time slowed as I watch the piercer release from the small hole as the spark was ignited, forcing the small metal ball to fly out and head right for the barrel, her wing got in the way and I watched as the piercer went right through it as if the wing wasn''t there, but now followed by a small trail of blood as it continued its journey, heading right into the barrels.


    "Three moons, I hope this works-" I start before the entire room lights up followed by a thunderous boom as I was flung to the wall of the room, my body crumpling against the floor, followed by a loud ringing in my ears. I couldn''t hear anything but that ringing as I tried getting up. I managed to put my knees under me and slowly lift myself up.


    "Y-you got this... Just... one put one foot under the-" I tried saying to myself before I felt myself lifted up suddenly, I still couldn''t hear right, the ringing winning over every other sound, it was as if I was under water, yet there I was, hanging in Burn''s jaws. She said something and I couldn''t make it out as I felt her tongue flip me to look up, where I could see the roof of her mouth.


    "Please work-" My voice was cut off as she bit down and I let out a short agonized scream before going limp, feeling as blood flowed out of me from where her teeth had pierced into my stomach, it didn''t last long as she was forced to drop me as a few other Sandwing''s entered the room and took her away, no doubt to be healed, yet she continued to thrash around angrily until the doors closed. I laid there, gasping for air as I laid on the floor, breathing in the sand since I had no power to pick up my head. I smiled as the door opened again and Smolder came into the room with Rose on her shoulder.


    "It worked." I croaked out as I barely managed to flip myself to the side and take the red cloth off, revealing the dented metal plate from the armor I had worn underneath, still bleeding but it had stopped the teeth from going all the way through my body. "It worked." I repeated before closing my eyes, the last thing I saw was Rose running towards me.

 Chapter Twelve: The Start of the Beginning

    "What the fuck were you thinking!?" Smolder roared, causing Rose to flinch as she was stitching my wounds.


    "Smolder! Lower your damn voice, you scared the shit out of Rose- OW!" I cried as Rose then hit me on the head too.


    "Don''t, I''m fine." She said sternly to me as she carefully sewed in more stitches, causing me to hiss in pain.


    "I can see Rose is also pissed at you." Smolder snorted.


    "I already told you, I would''ve died, by doing this I bought some time."


    "Right... we still have to sneak past the other dragon''s, before dumping you in the middle of the desert since I can''t take you so close to the den."


    "Right, then we go to Sunset''s Watch and-"


    "I''m not going River, I already told you that."


    "But Rose..."


    "I know... but I like it here, believe it or not. Smolder may not be a human but he is good company, better company than my own people."


    "Rose, you cried because you thought you I would die, clearly you''re isolated and-"


    "If I went back, I''d be under someone''s thumb again, just like last time when I was almost married off to a husband who would ''calm me down'' in his words, I didn''t want a boring life in a boring village, and how is it ever boring here?"


    "Rose, the thrill of it is going to kill you, physically and mentally, you''ve been away from humans so long, someone to talk to, I can''t imagine how lonely-"


    "River... please stop..."


    I sighed and clenched my fists. "Will you at least... join me on Smolder when we say goodbye?"


    "Of course River." She said as she went to embrace me tightly.


    "I hope we meet again... and I hope you change your mind before we land..."


    "I know... I won''t change my mind, but... I''ll miss you too, Teardrop."


    ***


    It felt nice, but also scorching hot as Smolder flew us across the desert before finally finding a nice spot to land, there were no cactus and the place had some relative shade from the nearby dunes.


    "I now see why this ''Sunset''s Watch'' den is in no danger of dragon attacks." Smolder said as he looked grimly in front of us.


    "Why?" I asked him.


    "Titanoboas." Rose suddenly spoke up.


    "What''s a titanoboa?" I asked Rose but Smolder asked.


    "That''s a fancy name, we just call them dragonbite vipers." Smolder said, slowly catching on to Rose''s words, he didn''t know much but I had managed to teach him some of Common.


    "So... it''s a snake?"


    "Thee snake, be very careful River, you didn''t just go through this much just to die of a giant snake." Rose patted me on the shoulder.


    "Oh, they''re giant snakes, how lovely." I muttered.


    "They can kill a dragon in one bite as well." Smolder said.


    "How fortunate." I rolled my eyes before slowly setting foot on the sand. I turned back to Rose. "Are you sure this is what you want, to stay in that prison?"


    "That prison is my home."


    I sighed, before wrapping her into one last hug before starting to walk away, wiping the few tears that left my eyes.


    "River, you almost forgot th-grrr." I looked back only to see Smolder tossed the small jewel, barely allowing me to catch it on time and put it in my pouch, his speech returning to his normal growls since they weren''t translated anymore.


    "Thanks guys, I won''t forget you!" I called back out to them as they both gave me a wave, before Smolder took flight, sending a small cloud of sand to be sent my way. I let out a small chuckle as I looked at my new clothes that I had gotten from Pyro''s body, the goggles being especially useful as I made my way through the desert, a day''s walk and maybe, I''ll have more answers and not more questions.


    ***


    It had been what, six hours? Or it could have only been fifteen minutes, either way, I was exhausted as I continued to march my way through the sand, my body was slouches as I move, I could feel as the boomstick and the metal rod bounced against my back, if someone looked at me from afar they probably think I''d keel over and die any second now, but my eyes were alert as ever. Up down right left repeat, looking for any sign of anything moving, whether a small lizard, or a big one with wings ready to pounce on me, I had no friends here, the desert was not kind to the weak, and I had already lost an arm.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I gagged as I my nostrils then sucked in a foul smell, causing me to fall and gasp before I managed to return to my senses and closed my nose with my one hand as I breathed, I had smelt that before when I was given that dead deer to feed on, something was dead, hopefully whatever killed it wasn''t still here. But as I got closer, the smell got stronger despite my nose being plugged, and I could hear the sound of squelching and tearing, followed by a low hissing noise. I finally climbed up the dune and looked down where I saw it.


    A giant snake wouldn''t do it justice, the thing was massive, it could probably swallow a horse in just one bite of its fangs that looked as if crystal shards, it was colorful with green and red, not afraid to hide in the desert, why would it need to? These things were the true rulers of the desert, not the dragons, the vipers.


    As I noticed the brown string-like pattern seeming to wrap around the serpent, I noticed the victim, a large sand dragon the size of Smolder, it''s ribs exposed with the large intestines spilling out of the belly, letting the viper feast and enjoy it''s meal.


    I took a step back, there was no sound, yet the viper whipped its head in my direction and raised itself to look at me, like a tree about to fall. I stayed stuck in place as I quickly fiddled with the boomstick, pushing the metal ball down the barrel with the rod before using my stumped arm to try and hold it as I got ready to aim, all the while the snake got closer, readying to devour me.


    "Shit!" I muttered as I dropped the weapon.


    By the time I had grabbed the boomstick and looked back up, it was mere inches away from my face... waiting for my next move as it looked at me with those cold and yellow eyes.


    We stared at each other for ten seconds before it suddenly reeled back. I noticed now that the brown pattern I had seen earlier weren''t part of the creature''s scales, they were straps, manmade.


    "You''re a long way from home, Pyro."


    I looked at the snake head and on top was a woman clad in desert cloth like mine, concealing her face with a mask and a hood and her eyes with goggles.


    "I''m not Pyro!" I shout up to her, dropping the weapon with my hands up. "My name is River!"


    There was silence for a bit before she suddenly pulled her mask off and picked some type of cylinder up with lots of holes before bringing it to her lips. What followed was a mix of bright and ethereal sounds as if the instrument was singing itself, causing the hissing serpent to lower its head to the floor and letting the women dismount.


    "Where''s Pyro, why are you wearing his clothes?" She demanded as she started to walk towards me.


    "Pyro''s dead, he was killed by a dragon. She liked how different he looked and kept his corpse as a trophy. I took his clothes when I escaped."


    "You were in the sand dragon''s palace?" She asked with skepticism.


    "I got sold there, yeah." I said as I turned to show my arm, or lack of.


    "Damn, what''d you do to piss her off?"


    "I blew her up, and the bitch still lives." I then noticed that where her skin was showing without her mask, she was definitely more tan but Pyro''s and I skin tone. "Wait a minute, are you-"


    "Yeah, I''m a teardrop, welcome to the festival pal." She promptly grabbed my arm and started taking me to the large snake. "Come on, Scorpion''s gonna have a lot of questions for you."


    "And I''ll answer the best I can, provided you can too."


    "Yeah, I''ll give you your answers, kid." She said while dragging me, but I stopped as the snake looked back at me, freezing in place. "Kid, come on, I don''t have time for this!"


    "You really expect me to climb on the back of a titanoboa!?" I asked, flinching as the giant serpent then hissed and bared its crystal fangs.


    "How dare you! Titanoboas aren''t venomous, at least get your snakes right." She huffed as she tugged once more, her strength overpowering my own as she dragged me closer to the annoyed snake, it hissed at us ,then made a softer hiss to her. "Yeah, I don''t like him much either." She muttered back to the snake before stroking it as she helped get on, albeit roughly.


    "So what is she?" I ask as I nervously sit behind her on the saddle, hooking my legs around the straps and hanging tightly on the hoops in front of me.


    "We like to call them Basilisks, or Great Serpents, but they are the children of the desert, and we shall respect them." She explained but noticed I had looked anywhere but the dragon corpse.


    "Are you a clairvoyant, or a reader?" She asked.


    "A what?" I responded.


    "Do you seriously not know, I thought Pyro would''ve-"


    "He was dead long before I got there... I''m sorry... and this teardrop stuff, I''m new at this, but if it helps, I think I can see the future."


    "So you''re a clairvoyant, teardrops are born in two variants, you''re either clairvoyant, like Pyro, or a reader like me."


    "Which means?"


    "I can read minds." She then whistled a high and low tune, causing the basilisk to slither forward.


    "Oh... I''m so sorry."


    "Don''t worry about it, I can turn it off whenever I want."


    "Wait, does that mean you can talk to d-"


    "Animals? No, though I can feel what they''re feeling, whether it''s pain or frustration or curiosity."


    "How many of us are there?"


    She snickers, "That''s a great question, five as of now, me, you, Scorpion, and Pebble."


    "Who''s the fifth?"


    She growls. "Midas, surely you''ve heard of him,"


    "No, I don''t think-"


    "The Invincible Lord?"


    "Wait, he''s a teardrop too!?"


    "Yeah, he used to work with my dad."


    "Is your dad a teardrop too?"


    "He was..."


    I knew what that meant and kept my mouth shut.


    "Smart choice." She mused as she whistled another tune to get the snake to go right.


    "So, how does it work?"


    "I''ll let Pebble explain that, he''s good with that stuff."


    "I see..."


    "If you really don''t know anything then there''s a lot for you to catch up on, the artifacts, our powers, our-"


    "Origins?" I ask, she went completely silent before shaking her head.


    ''''We don''t talk about where we come from, where we come from, what we did for the greater good, for a damn prophecy that pyro got himself killed for." She murmured loud enough to hear. ''''I wonder though, since you''re now the only clairvoyant, what''s it like knowing what''s gonna happen next."


    "I''ve only had a few visions, they aren''t that clear and they can change.''''


    "So it isn''t set in stone, huh? Bummer."


    "Why say that?"


    "If we can''t get it as a definitive answer, how are we supposed to prepare?"


    "But if a bad fate is locked in, isn''t it good that we can still change the outcome?"


    "I guess." She said before letting out a sharp and shrill whistle. "We''re here." she announced as she motioned to the gigantic adobe gates ahead. "Welcome to Sunset''s Watch."

 Chapter Thirteen: Sunsets Watch

    "So this is Sunset''s Watch..." I murmured to myself as we dismounted from the snake, I glanced back and watched as it joined the rest of the basilisks in the stables. The three snakes seemed to be comfortable as they laid across the sand while some handler''s came out with large mops and started to wash their scales. "So what do you feed them?" I ask.


    "Human sacrifices." She replied nonchalantly.


    "Oh, I see- wait what!?" I exclaimed as I quickly whipped my head to face her.


    She and a few others handlers nearby bursted into laughter. "Relax, I''m just messing with you, we usually feed them kentri''s."


    "Kentri''s?"


    "Just watch." She said as we walked to the side of the snake pit, a sandy pit about fifty feet deep that was fenced off with barbed wire.


    "Bring in the kentri''s!" I heard one of the handlers yell before the sound of creaking and clicking. I looked to the side and coming out of the gate were several large insects, around ten feet long, with a large pair of claws and enormous pincers with twelve eyes in the front. The white carapace it had shined from the sun''s rays hitting it from the windows, all the way down to the tail, a large barb on the end, like Burn''s tail, probably filled with some type of venom. There were about twelve of them, all chittering and clicking, just seeing them made my skin crawl.


    "It''s really interesting, these basilisks, although you were wrong in assuming they were titanoboa, they do come from the same family, but after years of evolving to these new conditions, especially with aeroporos attacks, they evolved to become immune to kentri venom, and use it for themselves." She explained as we then watched the snakes suddenly lunge at the insects in a flurry of movement, my eyes only focused on the one that carried us here, currently swallowing a flailing kentri trying to stab it with it''s barb, to no use as the giant serpent closed it''s maw and gulped.


    "Whoa."


    "Kentri venom is usually harmless, sure it''s a paralyzing agent but by itself, all it does is paralyze you, and a basilisk''s normal venom does the same, but if you combine the two, you have the strongest venom in all of Pyrrhia, Thanatos, even dragons will die from just one bite.


    "That''s... interesting..." If the piercer is coated in Thanatos, there''s no chance of a dragon surviving. I thought to myself.


    "Good luck with that, but there''s a reason why Sunset has the best drugs and spices."


    Because they don''t give it to anyone else.


    "Exactly, cause we don''t give it to anyone-"


    "Can you please stop reading my mind?"


    She rolled her eyes before grabbing me and starting to move us out of the stables. "Maybe."


    "So, you call scorpions kentri''s here?"


    "And aeroporos are dragons in case you haven''t figured that out."


    "I see, so I know of Sunset, but barely, only from what I''ve heard from some merchants."


    "I figured, and since you''re gonna be staying here-"


    "I''m not sure that''s the case."


    "You should really stop interrupting people, and also." She stopped and turned to face me. "Us teardrops have to stay together, we''re staying here."


    "But I..."


    "I know you want to find out what we are, to go back to where it all started, but that''s not how it''s gonna be, it''s just not worth it."


    "Why not, aren''t you at least a little curious?"


    "I was, but then again, there used to be eleven of us."


    "Eleven?"


    She nods, before sighing and looking forward again. "Toucan, my husband at the time, he was like you, he wasn''t a clairvoyant, none of us are clairvoyants except Pyro and you, but Toucan said he had a lead in the rainforest, ''a path back leading back to our roots,'' in his words." I noticed how she avoided saying Midas''s name but made no audible note of it.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Isn''t the rainforest like the most dangerous place on the continent?"


    "No, Forestfangs are pretty harmless, they''re very lazy, and they seem to even like us, of course we don''t say to anyone else though since we don''t want any visitors moving in on our turf." She said as she nudged me with a smirk. "Also you shouldn''t make them bleed, their blood will melt your skin and bones, not melt the skin off your bones, it will melt all of you, seriously." She said in a more serious tone before her tone grew more somber. "Right, the point is Toucan found the cave that led to our origins, at least that''s what he said. I wanted to go with him and his expedition, but he refused, telling me he didn''t want me to get hurt since he didn''t know what was on the other side. I uh..." She paused and gulped. "I still wish I had convinced him to let me go with him."


    "What... happened-"


    "I don''t know... I don''t... all I can remember is staying by the cave, and not even minutes after they left my sight, I felt fear and dread into me as I looked down, followed by the basilisk letting out a hiss before I felt pain, then more fear, then more pain, then nothing, I ran, and I found pieces of the basilisk and a few torn shreds of their clothing, then nothing, then I looked up and saw a wave of fire heading my way, when I finally got out of there and looked back, it was as if nothing happened, my husband, my friends, gone without a trace."


    "I''m... sorry... I can''t imagine having that ripped away from you. I said softly while hesitantly patting her shoulder.


    She had no tears, just eyes filled with shame. "I should have been with them, instead I had to go back here." We stayed there in silence for a good few minutes before she finally started to pull me again. "Come on, I should introduce you to the others, River, I''m Palm by the way."


    ***


    The streets were wide sandy paths, lined with shops and small stands to the sides, some were small tables with a tent to block out the sun, others were complete adobe huts that could be considered as a house back in Talisman. Every few streets though, there were large adobe turrets with ballistas mounted on top. The largest buildings were the stables for the snakes though, everything else were mainly large tents.


    "There aren''t a lot of notable places here, so I''ll give you a quick rundown." She started as she gestured to the main streets. "You got the market, if you need it, they probably have it." Then she pointed to the right where there was a large adobe building, "That''s the mercenaries guild, that''s where Scorpion works usually but she should be home by now, and last but not least." she said as she pointed forward as a wide adobe structure ahead. "The complex, that is where everyone lives."


    "What if you run out of rooms?" I ask as we walk towards it.


    "They build more, but you''re staying with us for now."


    She said as she led me inside where torches and candles lit up the hall, allowing me to walk up some steps before down a hallway between tons of doors. "This one." She said as she inserted some keys into the lock of room one-five-two. The door opened and we walked in as she threw the pouch she was carrying to the floor where a shoe-rack was. In the center were four pillars, with two hammocks attached, and on the floor were some mattresses, a sink in the corner by a counter, and a window on the side of the corner with a screen for bugs. There was also a table and about six chairs and another door leading to a small room which I guessed was the storage closet to hang clothes, as well as another door that was labeled as the ''water room,'' which was currently closed at the moment, I could hear what sounded like splashing coming from in there. "Welcome to my humble abode." Palm said as she made a grand gesture with her hands.


    "Don''t you mean our humble abode?" I heard a new voice ask.


    I turned to look at the source of the voice and stepping out the hammocks with a book in hand was a smaller and more skinny fellow, wearing some blue short-sleeved rags with hints of yellow, wearing a pair of glasses, almost hiding the silver teardrops under his eyes.


    His eyes widened as he spotted me and he quickly straightened himself out. "Oh, you''re not Pyro, hello there!" He said with a nervous chuckle as he fixed his glasses.


    "Hi there, I''m River." I said as I was about to shake his hand with my right hand, only for me to realize it was the one with the stump. Oh, right I forgot about that." I said as I offered my left hand.


    "No worries." He chuckles as he shakes my hand. "It''s nice to see another Teardrop join the group ever since..." He stopped as he saw Palm look in the other direction. "So, what do you know so far?"


    "Basically nothing, except the fact I''m a clairvoyant."


    "Oh shit! Are you serious?!" He asked, quickly pulling me towards the table. Then the splashing stopped and soon a tall and more toned woman stepped out of the water room, wearing a green and gold robe, with short black hair and piercing green eyes.


    ''Damn!'' I thought as I looked up at the tall women.


    She smirked at me. "You can say that again." She mused as she grabbed a shirt in the storage closet.


    "Right, I forgot you can all read minds." I chuckle nervously.


    "So what''s your name?"


    "River."


    "Alrighty, where''s Pyro?" the women then asked, who at this point, I guessed was Scorpion, causing me and Palm''s face to fall into frowns. My mind flashed back to Smolder letting me into the cage where I found and inspected Pyro''s body.


    "Three Moons... he was stuffed." Scorpion said in disgust and sorrow, causing Pebble to gasp.


    "Wait, what happened?" Pebble asked, alarmed.


    "It''s true, I found Pyro''s body stuffed while in the palace-"


    "You were in the palace?" Pebble asked.


    I sigh. "How about we start back from the beginning, everybody okay with that?" I then asked.


    They all glanced at each other before nodding.


    "All right, from the top..." I start.

 Chapter Fourteen: Settling In

    Good thing about having a healer as a mentor is that they teach you how to have a clear head, how to control it, and how to use it when it''s necessary. So I managed to tell the entire story from the beginning with leaving only one important teensy bit out, the fact that dragons could talk with the gem, I had a feeling that telling these people that the dragons were actually sentient creatures wouldn''t have exactly the best effect, despite the fact to read my mind, only Scorpion showed any sign of distrust to me as I explained my story, can''t read something if it isn''t there, so why did Scorpion suspect me?


    "Can I see it?" Pebble asked as he pointed to the jewel.


    I nodded and promptly tossed the gem to him, he dropped it as soon as it touched his hands but quickly recovered and fixed his glasses, earning scoffs from around the table. He started tracing his hands over the object before his fingers found the engraving of the teardrop symbols. "This is definitely an artifact alright."


    "Will you stop with the artifacts? Nothing good ever comes from them." Palm scowled while putting her head into her hand.


    "Just give me a few minutes and I''m sure I can find out what these things are for, the only other artifacts we had was the sphere and the pyramid." Pebble said as he held up the gem and grabbed his monocle to look at it further, modified to fit over his glasses.


    "Actually, I was wondering if you could maybe build me some piercers for the boomstick?" I asked while putting the weapon down on the table.


    He was already shaking his head. "How much powder did you manage to come back with?"


    "Oh, here''s my pouch." I said as I put the pouch filled with black powder next to the boomstick.


    "Not bad... I can give you around twenty, just give me a few days."


    "Cool, thanks."


    "But I''d find another weapon though if I were you."


    "What? Why?"


    Everyone let out a collective sigh but me.


    "The Thunder Bow as I like to call it is not a new design, it''s been around for a long time now but it just isn''t reliable, not with how rare black powder is." Pebble explained.


    "So..."


    "Find another weapon, personally I''d choose Thanatos-tipped arrows for hand-ballistas."


    "Crossbow''s foreigner, he calls them all fancy yet he still can''t afford one." Scorpion snickered.


    He rolls his eyes. "I get us food, don''t I? Besides, be nice to me or next time you swing your halberd, it might just break, be lucky you have me instead of paying extra for someone else to fix your weapons."


    She scoffs. "How about this, while you look at the Thunder Bow and the artifact, I''m gonna take him to the guild and see if I can set him up with a membership, the last thing we need is another one of you, Pebbles.''''


    "It''s Pebble!" He started angrily, but Scorpion had already dragged me out the door.


    "So, we need to have a little chat." She practically growled as her grip on my shoulder tightened to the part where I felt like my arm was about to pop off.


    I gulped.


    ***


    "I know you lied." Scorpion said sternly as we started walking towards the guild''s building.


    "Yeah, I noticed." I responded as I remembered her looking at me with suspicion earlier. "Do you know why?"


    "That''s the part I haven''t figured out." She says as she crosses her arms and leans back on a nearby pillar.


    "Why didn''t anyone else figure it out, aren''t you all mind readers?"


    "I forgot, we haven''t told you about our abilities yet."


    "Abilities?"


    "First, why aren''t you telling what''s going on?"


    I sighed. "How do you think it''ll go? If people see dragons as something other than the sky demons. If people see them as just a different type of people, people will get sympathetic, people will get angry, because then that doesn''t mean they did this for hunger, they did this by choice, for fun, because they could, that they''re evil. So what will happen then is humanity will ''rise up'' and then it''ll be another wave of fire. So it''s best to keep it to myself right now, at least until we''re ready for the truth." I explain. Better to wait for when we actually stand a chance.


    She sighs and rolls her eyes. "It... makes sense... but you should tell them."


    "I... need to be ready too..." I admitted as I lowered my gaze to the floor.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Tsk... come on." She says as she brings me to the doors.


    "What was that about abilities again?"


    "Right, so, Palm told you about the variants, right? That''s because everyone has something special or unique with their abilities. I don''t only read minds, but memories as well. Palm can feel other animals better than she can read humans. And Pebble... well he can manipulate liquids."


    I raise my eyebrow.


    "Like he can turn the current of a river in another direction."


    "Oh, that''s what you meant. Wait seriously?"


    "Yeah, problem is he can''t really use it in the desert, he usually only makes some good coin extracting Thanatos from basilisk fangs, but even so, it''s really dangerous so he only does it like three times a week, he''s still new to his power, you figured out what yours is?"


    "Visions I guess?"


    "Midas also had visions according to my mother."


    "Are any of your parents-"


    "No, me and the other teardrops were raised together in a small community underground that got destroyed during a kentri migration, we survived it only for dragons to show up and..."


    "Only survivors?" I asked solemnly.


    She nodded. "Only survivors." She nodded. "Welp, let''s get you a membership, maybe you''ll find out as you''re facing down a band of Cove Raiders."


    "I lost an arm slowly, if this is about a flight or fight thing then I''m pretty sure if I had a power then I think it would have kicked in back then."


    "You never know." She shrugged before pushing the doors open, there were three main parts, the rotunda in the center, the armory section on the right, and the bar and tables on the left, mostly full.


    "Hey Scorpion, who''s the new kid?" The boy at the rotunda asked, he must have been a few years younger than me. It made sense, people usually get married at sixteen so it''s good to have a few years of work before then.


    "This is River, he needs a membership, guy''s got potential." She stated as she placed about five silver pieces down on the desk in front.


    "Oh really?" He asked with a smirk before it faltered as he saw my missing arm. "How''d you lose it?" He asked tentatively.


    "Lost it to a dragon."


    He started to laugh but saw Scorpion''s stern glare.


    "He... one membership card for River coming up, what class would you like to be assigned?"


    "I''m sorry, I''m really new to this so if you could give me the rundown." I asked.


    "Yeah, no worries, so there''s usually four roles when it comes to being in a party, you got the Lionhearts like Scorpion here, they usually wear heavy armor and weapons, you got the main fighters, usually good all around, you can be a bowman which is... pretty self explanatory, or you can always be a tamer if you want!" He says while jumping from behind the table to lean in closer.


    "I uh... what''s a tamer?"


    "A tamer is someone like Palm, the ones who ride the snakes." Scorpion explained.


    "I think I''ll stick as a bowman, thank you very much." I said as he wrote something with his quill and then picked up some small box and put it in ink before placing it against the card, before pressing against it. There was a sharp sound before he took the box away and handed me the card.


    "A guild membership will allow you access to the armory, restrooms and other amenities inside of the guild house provided you complete one task on the board per week, please do not lose your membership card or there will be a replacement fee, otherwise, enjoy."


    "Thanks." I said as I looked at the small sheet of paper, my name engraved in ink as well as a circular symbol of an arrow and a bow.


    "Since you did choose to be a bowman you will be assigned to Ant as your training instructor, every tenday at the start of fourth quarter, starting today actually so good luck."


    ***


    I watched the sundial till it finally turned into the fourth quarter as I waited at the bar, this is where Scorpion told me to wait so I just continued to sit there while sipping my light beer, everyone else was drinking it, why not me? I now know why. I winced with every sip but gulped it down regardless.


    It wasn''t long before a guy approached, he was clad in desert wear except for his clean-shaven head and faint bear, he wasn''t as tan as everyone else and didn''t have the same eyes, a foreigner.


    "Are you River?" He asked in a gruff tone.


    "Yes sir." I start to stand up but he quickly motions for me to sit down again.


    "Have you ever used a ranged weapon before?" He grumbled.


    "Not really sir, only a prototype boomstick."


    "Aye, you''re one of those teardrop bastards, aren''t ya?"


    "Just joined the club." I shrugged.


    "So is it true ya can read my mind cause you''d probably shit yourself if you''se seen what I''ve seen."


    "Not all of us, not me."


    "So what can ya do?" He asked a little frustratingly.


    "Nothing special, but I gotta get myself ready." It wasn''t a complete lie.


    "Ready for what?" He raised his eyebrow.


    "I... can''t tell the others, alright?"


    "Aye, I''m no rat."


    "I wanna go to the rainforest, finish what Toucan started."


    He stayed still for a moment before bursting into guttural laughter. "Ya know... Palm''ll kill ya for saying that shit."


    "I know, so she can''t know."


    "I''ve gots you boyo." He then got up before motioning for me to follow. "Come, today we start ya first lesson."


    ***


    "Here, I''ve made it me-self." He said to me as he handed me some type of prosthetic with two long supports on the sides connected to a rope, the center attached to a rod which could be pulled back. "This here is a crossbow, you pull back, load it with an arrow, take aim, fire."


    "Why did you have to take me out of the village for this?" I asked.


    "Simple, the other instructors, they''ll make ya''s shoot still targets, it''s stupid, not right, so we hunt." He said as he pointed to a clearing where there was a group of three kentri''s.


    "Oh shit!"


    "Hey ya damn bugs! Ovyer here!" Ant bellowed with a gruff laugh as he waved his arms.


    "Oh three moons..." I watched as the bugs let out shrill screams as they noticed us as they then started to ascend up the hill.


    "What the fuck?" I ask him but my eyes widen as I see him running in the other direction.


    "Good luck!" He shouts while laughing.


    "You bastard!" I yelled before jumping as I realized the bugs were now just under the dune.


    I quickly loaded an arrow and shot it at the first one, the arrow made a whistling noise before lodging itself right into one of it''s eyes, the creature screeched one last time, before dropping down to the floor.


    I shot again at the second one but the arrow just bounced off the carapace.


    I quickly loaded as it lunged towards me only for an arrow to fly past my head and hit one of the eyes, dropping this creature too.


    I looked back and saw Ant, loading another shot with his larger crossbow. "Thank y-"


    "Boyo keep your eye on the-"


    I turned back too late as the barb went straight into my shoulder, the kentri opened it''s pincers wide but I managed to rip the barb out of me and jam it into the head, instantly the creature freezed. I grabbed one of the arrows and stabbed it into it''s eyes, finishing off the last one as I got up to face Ant who was running back.


    "Not bad boyo... not bad at all..." he snickered but his eyes went to the hole in my chest, the hole that was oozing the yellow liquid of kentri venom. "How are ya not frozen?"

 Chapter Fifteen: Blaze of Glory

    "Scorpion, I''ve noticed something... you guys haven''t exactly... grieved about Pyro." I say hesitantly as we walk back to the room.


    She sighs. "Pyro wasn''t exactly... sane... he was obsessed with this ''prophecy'' and was hellbent on killing Midas. He wasn''t raised with the rest of us and although we did try connecting with him, he just lashed out all the time. One day, he attacked Palm when they were having an argument, next thing we knew, he was ranting about doing things himself."


    "What happened next?" I asked.


    "Then you came along." She said before opening the door and letting us in, Pebble was already asleep in his hammock, the book he was reading still open and resting on his face.


    "That''s cool though, being immune to poison." She continued.


    "Oh, right, I totally forgot about that." I said as I remembered the kentri''s venom having barely any effect on me, that explained why I was able to survive Burn stabbing my chest with her barb, that or she was going easy on me, and knowing Burn, that was highly unlikely. "See you in the morning?"


    She nodded as she climbed into the hammock and I laid on some of the cushions on the floor and closed my eyes, it didn''t take long for everything to fade away.


    ***


    I looked down at my... claws? Aw shit, here we go again. The claws were adorned in jewels and rings, flexing as the dragon looked curiously down at them. I could feel a white robe on the back as well as some type of crown or tiara on the head. So this was one of the queens, which one though? That question was answered when the dragon looked at herself in a mirror, she was smaller than Burn but not by much, she had much brighter colors and was covered in jewelry rather than armor like Burn. So this was Blaze? She was surrounded by pillows and cushions and was spotless, clean except for a scar on the side of her neck, nothing you''d expect from a queen at the forefront of a war, to her side were a bunch of scrolls, plans and a description of Burn''s stronghold.


    "So many papers, how does Glacier deal with all of these?"


    She jumped, I did mentally as well, as a new voice spoke right next to us.


    "Do you have something you''d like to say, your majesty?"


    "I was just wondering, we''re flanking the stronghold for the next attack according to my mate- I MEAN to Queen Glacier, but we have no idea what''s this way." She said as she pointed her claws at an unmarked area of the plans, in the direction of Sunset''s Watch.


    "We''ve had reports of several dragonbite vipers in the area, even Burn''s forces stay clear of the area, it''s advised we should do the same-"


    "Then... that would be a perfect spot for us to ambush them from."


    "Your majesty?"


    "If we can secretly clear the area of any dragonbite vipers, then... well I don''t really know how we''d go any further, but if we had that one blindspot, that can surely benefit us in some way, right?"


    "I guess, but it''s dragonbite viper territory-"


    "Then we''ll clear them out, surely an expedition of Sandwing''s could take on a few snakes!" She said in a cheerful tone as she started to go to a display case and started to unlatch it.


    "Your majesty, what are you-"


    "W-what queen will I be?" She suddenly asks as she turns to the Icewing.


    "I don''t understand-"


    "How will anyone look up to me if I do nothing but sit and look pretty?"


    "I-I-"


    "I mean, I can probably do a lot sitting there and looking pretty but... just... um... Prepare an expedition, I''ll be ready shortly." She says before waving the guard off as she finishes undoing all the latches. Her eyes widened as she looked inside the case. "I should give my tailors a palace..." She says as runs one of her talons through the soft fabric of the fabric of the robe on the armor. "Hopefully it won''t get dirty." She muses sadly as she looks at the object. Inside the display case, on a stand, was a shiny white and gold dragon armor, with a crown adorned with red, blue, and green gems, as well as a long red cape flowing to the ground.


    "Those dragonets... if they''re right... Maybe I have to do this? Maybe... maybe a dragonbite viper cape might look better. Maybe... I Wonder if there''s anything to eat on the way, maybe some camels... or scavengers..." she muttered.


    ***


    I woke up gasping for air, covered in a cold sweat, trying to inhale as much air as I could. I quickly looked around and saw it was still dark, Palm was sleeping in the other corner, snoring softly, and Pebble was still in the hammock, the book having never moved from his face, but Scorpion...


    "What was it about?"


    I barely managed to lift my head to look at her with a questioning gaze. "What are you doing up?" I croaked.


    "Couldn''t sleep, so why don''t you tell me what the vision was about?"


    "That obvious?"The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "I''ve seen Pyro do it several times... I don''t think... he was always crazy, I think they made him crazy, and I don''t know you so well but still, I don''t want that to happen to you, you can talk to me."


    I nod before looking back to the floor. "Thanks." I sigh. "There''s a war going on between them, the dragons, the big one has two sisters, basically fighting for territory, the one I thought was dumb, figured out there''s a blindspot to the sand palace that she may be to take advantage of."


    "So... where is the blindspot?" She asked.


    I let out a long exhale. "I think we both know where it is, Scorpion. The question is, what do we do now?"


    "I..." she trails off, her eyes still wide in fear.


    "The villagers, would they listen to us-"


    "No, not a chance, they already think us teardrops are fakes, the ones who believe us the most still think we''re crazy. But this town is guarded, we have the basilisks, we have the ballistas, us mercenaries can hold our own-"


    "Smolder told me expeditions of dragons usually are groups of eight, but this is a royal escort, so there''ll be twenty and the queen, and since this is Blaze''s force, that means Sandwing and Icewing forces, how many ballistas are in the town?" I ask, my voice starting to get frantic.


    "F-four."


    "Okay..." I take a deep breath. "Snakes?"


    "We have eight."


    That''s not gonna be enough..." I say before letting my head fall back to the floor as I stare at the ceiling. "We''re fucked, aren''t we?"


    "We''re fucked-hold on, what about the thunder-bow?"


    "It can''t get past their armor, Pyro wrote that in his sketches that''s he''s tried but dragon armor is just too thick, it''ll give them a bruise but unless you get a proper shot then you''re screwed."


    "So we can''t fight." Scorpion scoffs to herself as she puts her hands on the back of her neck. "River, there''s about a couple hundred people in this village, and the rainforest is too far, we can''t run either."


    "So... what do we do?"


    She sighs. "We have to tell the others and come up with a plan.


    ***


    Pebble held his hands together in front of him on the table, everyone waited with baited breath for his reply as the only sound other than our breathing was the small sounds from the streets and the bugs trying to break through the screen. "Thanatos tipped arrows are our only shot, and the thunder-bow, but with our limited supply, and the sheer amount of dragons showing up, are you sure they will all be wearing armor?"


    "Especially if it''s a queen''s escort, I''m sorry."


    Pebble sighed and let his head fall to the table. "Give me a day to think this over, I... holy shit..."


    "We have time, right?" Palm asked me.


    "Icewings live on the head of the continent, but they''ll still be near the sand kingdom, so around the border they have, we have at least a couple of tendays, even with their wings, they still need to rest, they still need to eat, they still get tired, we have time." I think aloud.


    "That''s good at least." Scorpion sighed but Pebble groaned.


    "If we could convince everyone that dragons are coming, and that we have to evacuate, it still takes more than a tenday to make the journey from Sunset to the Green Hollow Village, and we could in the best case maybe carry more than a third of the village on the snakes, but by the time we go back to make another run, there won''t be a Sunset left!" He finished his sentence by slamming his hand down on the desk. "I... I need space... go... GO!"


    "What if..." I start but look down.


    "River, you better spill." Pebble demanded.


    "What if... I talked to them?" I then asked.


    They all glanced at each other for a moment. "I mean, if we can get you to the queen..." Pebble started.


    "And unscathed..." Palm continued.


    "And still in one piece and not dragon chow..." Scorpion joined in.


    "It could work." Pebble''s expression lit up. "River, you should probably go back to sleep, find out what to say and not offend her, actually, I think we can all sleep."


    "Crisis averted." Palm sighed as she got back in her corner.


    "Goodnight." Scorpion said as she got back into her hammock.


    "Are you..." I asked Pebble since he was still there with his hands in front on the table.


    "I''ll be fine... just rest. You''ll need it."


    I nod, and let myself fall back to sleep.


    ***


    I could hear the faint sounds of speech yet everything felt muffled and distorted till my mind finally cleared things up, I gulped as I looked up. Standing in front of me was Blaze, it was night but fire reflected off her beautiful armor, everything was constructed to the most minute detail, the armor wasn''t just for protection, it was a statement, an art piece, a masterpiece, it would be an act of great vandalism to even scratch this armor. Blaze herself must have been beautiful in dragon terms, she was at least the most clean dragon I''ve seen, with brighter and more pale colors, jewels adorning her scales and claws, she was around six trees tall, towering over me as she looked down at my small form. Surrounding her was a group of twenty dragons, the ten Sandwing''s were the ones closest while the ten Icewings were the furthest from her, all armored head to claw, you''d have to be really lucky to take one down in one shot, the ballistas would be lucky to take one down, the only exposed spots being the underside of the jaw and the sides of the neck and wings, and the bottom of her paws.


    Blaze then opened her jaws, each of her teeth nearly as tall as me, and then she spoke. "You''re so cuuuute!" She said with what I guessed was a smile on her face as she gave me headpats, I just stood there and winced as I felt the massive paw hit my head a few times before she retracted it. "It''s a shame... really little human." She said before she put one of her talons up to her face as she thought. "Oh! I have an idea!" She said cheerily as she picked me up. "What if I keep you instead as my little pet, then I''ll get a female and then you two can make more!"


    "That''s not-" I felt my vision-self start to say before she keeps on rambling.


    "You''ll love it as my pet, there''s tons of jewelry and... and jewelry and more! But, I''m sorry about the rest of your den though."


    "The rest of my den, why would you-"


    "Burn it, capture any humans you find, those will be our snacks on the way back!" She announced to the dragons. I watched in terror as the dragons flew to the village behind me before turning back to Blaze, it wasn''t long till I heard the sound of screams and the warning bells.


    "That wasn''t the deal!" I cried.


    "Oh don''t worry, I''m sure some may survive the trip, and they can be your friends, okay?"


    "No! Call it off!" I say as I grab the metal handle.


    "Or what-" Her eyes widened as the spark ignited in the chamber in the thunder-bow fired a piercer, the bullet heading right for the underside of her jaw, only for her to jerk her head to the side at just the right time, but still the piercer kept going and made a scraping sound as it skidded across the crown of her armor, her eyes went wide, my eyes went wide, we both just stared at the small scrape on her armor. Then she started to growl.


    "Oh shit-" I yelp as she holds me above her head.


    "How rude! I would''ve been a great owner to you, but no, you just had to ruin it all, didn''t you, you stupid little scavenger, maybe one of the others will be a better fit to be my pet but all you''re going to be is a snack, it''s the least you can do for scratching my armor, so try not to squirm." I held on tightly to her talons with my one hand as she opened her jaws. She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Why won''t you fall?" She whined before shaking me off her talons. I let out a yell as I started to fall, and right as I saw her jaws close around me...


    ***


    I gasp again as I shoot up from the bed, gripping the pillow beside me tightly.


    "So, how''d the vision go-" Pebble started.


    "We''re fucked!"

 Chapter Sixteen: Coves Collapse

    It had been a couple of days after the vision, after we were told that we''re basically all screwed. After a lot of planning and discussing it with the rest of the group, the best idea that we came up with was thanatos-tipped ballistas, all it would take is one shot and the dragon would die in agony, problem is we wouldn''t have much time before the dragons promptly take the towers down. For now though, as Pebble and Palm iron out the details, Scorpion had the bright idea of joining me and Ant for our first actual mission from the guild, escorting an incoming merchant wagon back to Sunset.


    "Any sign of the damn scorpions?" I asked as I loaded my crossbow arm while riding one of the camels dragging the wagon.


    "Got one right ere!" Ant laughed gruffly from his camel as he then pointed to Scorpion.


    It was the first time I had seen her with her own armor. The size of her halberd was massive, and the shield on her back looked thicker than a kentri''s carapace, like her armor, since her armor actually was made from a kentri''s carapace, however as well as it may be useful against other threats, it made it awful dealing with the snakes since they constantly believed that she was another kentri.


    "Very funny, Ant." She said, the only one who was walking instead of riding a camel due to her armor.


    "Um, how much longer till we get there?" The merchant asked, sweating immensely in his green leafy shirt, his fur coat in the back with the rest of his goods.


    "You have a few hours, but you''ve done most of the journey already." I reply to get his hopes up. But the back of my mind is screaming for me to tell him to run away and go as far as he can, but there''s no way he could outrun them if he''s already just a few hours away from Sunset''s Watch.


    "So, what brings you here from Hollow?" I asked the man, he was paler than us and although he looked physically strong with defined muscles and a toned body underneath his shirt, he wasn''t that tall, a few inches smaller than Scorpion and only a couple more than me, probably since he had to climb trees in the forest.


    "I-"


    "Psst! Guys, look!" Scorpion shushed us before pointing ahead where the sun was blazing down on us and the landscape started to dance in heat waves. But sure enough, there was a small triangular speck seeming to get closer and closer, quite fast I might add.


    "What... is that?" I asked.


    Scorpion and Ant soon drew their weapons, I soon followed and loaded my crossbow-arm with a bolt. "Cove Raiders..." Scorpion sneered as she turned to Ant. "Aim for the legs, stop it in its tracks." She ordered Ant.


    "Understood. Watch and learn boyo." He said to me in a cold tone as he raised his heavy crossbow to eye level, and looked out in the distance as the silhouette got closer. I could barely make it out now, some type of wooden platform with many wooden legs and a sail on the back, using the wind to move I guessed, it seemed as fast as the serpents, probably even faster. But not fast enough to get away from Ant. Ant loosened the shot and let it fly and disappear into the distance.


    There was a faint yell as half of the machine suddenly launched into the air and it toppled to the ground, rolling over and tumbling across the sand, throwing the three raiders off.


    "Nice shot." I say to Ant, he just replies with a huff while Scorpion continues to stare at the three people in the distance.


    "They don''t usually travel this far, they mainly prefer to hide in their pathetic hideout."


    She growled as the three got closer to the dune, but as soon as they noticed us, they put up their hands and shouted, "Don''t shoot! Don''t shoot! Don''t shoot!"


    Ant grumbled and lowered his crossbow and motioned for me to do the same, Scorpion seemed almost feral as she growled at the raiders below. "You think we don''t know you want to take this wagon? Drop your weapons and scram!" Scorpion yelled down at them.


    "Please! We''re unarmed!" The first guy shouts up while getting on his knees.


    Scorpion let out a scoff before the second guy spoke up, he was currently holding the third upright, as his leg seemed to be in bad shape, but at a distance, I could barely make out anything.


    Then my gaze was mainly focused on what was left of the machine, the sheer speed it moved, the many small wooden legs, the sail, all of it attracted my gaze to the now scraps of wood and the main wooden platform.


    "Like we''ll ever-" Scorpion started but I quickly cut her off.


    "I''m a healer." I say with my hand up as I get in front of Scorpion and Ant.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "The fuck ya doing boyo?" Ant snarled.


    "I got an idea." I say quietly to them as I exchange a look with Scorpion, allowing her to read me as my mind focuses on that machine.


    She huffs. "Very well, if it''s worth it." She rolls her eyes and crosses her arm, but she seems a lot less hostile.


    "What''s boyo on about-" Ant starts, but is cut off with a stern glare from Scorpion.


    I quickly slide down to where the others are and get my pouch ready. "Show me the wound." I ordered as I crouched down to the man''s leg, the cloth around it was completely soaked in blood so I gently lifted it up, revealing multiple large puncture wounds and a large bruise from some type of bludgeoning attack. "Morningstar?" I asked.


    He nods. "We weren''t as lucky as the rest in the chaos."


    "The chaos... Can you tell me about it? This part may hurt a bit so it''ll be good to get your mind off it." I say as I soak a small piece of cloth I have then with some vinegar in a small vial, before putting it against the puncture wounds. "This should clean the wound, and now, back to the chaos?"


    "R-right!" He hissed in pain as he bit down hard. "We were minding our business, things had been going well, we just looted a merchant, the poor guy almost shit himself, but after we took what we needed, we let him on his way. But-" He hissed again and gave him my crossbow arm to squeeze. He didn''t hesitate and I could hear as the wood creaked as it fought against him. "Anyways, we were just lying back at base, enjoying the spoils, when news got back from one of our bands that the water supply was out."


    "Why was it out?" I asked but my heart was thumping harder as it began to fill with dread.


    "Aeroporos..."


    "... Shit... how long do you think till-"


    "You probably have three days at best before your village is burned to the ground, I''m sorry..."


    "I... I''m sorry... Mister..."


    "Call me Badger, that''s Cactus, the other one is Ferret." He said as he pointed to the taller one who was still on his knees, and Ferret was the one currently holding up.


    "So the Chaos..."


    "When we heard the news, everyone scrambled to get a strider as fast as they could, we managed to grab the last one but some guy got Badger good." Ferret said as he looked back to the damaged strider. "Cactus? Think you can repair her?"


    "Yeah, just give me an hour and I can get her mov-"


    "Oh you guys aren''t going anywhere!" Scorpion declared, before brandishing her large halberd, "Any of you care to disagree?" She asked as she waved the giant weapon around.


    "She''s scary." I heard Badger mutter.


    "Actually, Cactus, would you know how to make a strider from scratch perchance?"


    "Sure, why?"


    A faint smile managed to creep up on my lips as I started to put some herbs against Badger''s wound. "Ow!" He cried out but I made sure to keep it applied with enough force as he jerked his body back.


    "Could you make a bigger one?" I asked.


    ***


    I fell asleep rather quickly while I heard Pebble discussing how to create an entirely different type of strider. I let out a long yawn before letting my eyelids drop and finally relax, however, my eyes shot open as I was met with fire again, filling my nostrils. I tensed, expecting to see the village on fire again... but let out a sigh of relief as I saw it was just the stone fireplace in the corner, crackling with dancing flames.


    "Another vision?" I hear Scorpion''s voice ask in the vision. My vision-self rubs the back of my head and lets out a chuckle.


    "Yeah, but nothing important." I reply as I look at her, seeing both of us in a mirror on a desk on the side. Maybe two years have passed, I had a faint bear growing on my face while she had much longer hair. The most prominent thing that had changed about me was that there was now a shiny ring on my index finger, and a matching one on hers.


    I sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her as she rested her head against my neck, before giving me a soft peck on my lips, "So, River... tell me... was it all worth it..?"


    "Yes..." But her eyes go down. "What''s the matter?"


    "We aren''t doing enough..."


    "Excuse me?"


    "We can do more, why can''t we fight fire with fire?" She asked as she then pulled out a mask in the shape of a small dragon''s skull.


    Instantly my heart filled with dread. My eyes went wide and my hands started to sweat. "I thought we had them destroyed..." I thought aloud as I felt goosebumps start to creep up from my skin.


    "I''m sorry River, but I think this is the only way."


    "Because we live in a forest!" I quickly say just before she puts on a mask.


    "W-what?" She asked with a perplexed look.


    "You asked me, why can''t we fight fire with fire, and that''s because we live in a forest, we''ll burn ourselves to ash in the process."


    She paused for a moment before sliding the helmet onto her head, her shoulder down as she slumped herself down. "I''m truly sorry River, but we need to escape the forest." She sighed. "Sorrow." Her body suddenly started to twist and crack and she let out an inhuman scream which turned into a roar.


    ***


    My heart thumped so hard that I swear it was trying to get out of my chest as I pulled myself from bed, thankfully Scorpion was still asleep while Pebble and the raiders were also still asleep at the table, in front of them was a plan for a massive strider simply titled, ''Wind Walker,'' which seemed to have the capacity to hold about twenty people each, so around ten would probably have to constructed if we wanted to get everyone out of the city.


    "Wrong." I suddenly heard Palm''s voice speak up as she laid in the corner.


    "Huh?" I asked.


    "We don''t need ten, each basilisk can hold about ten people... and since we have eight..."


    "We just need six, I see now." I nod. "How did you know- right, I forgot, mind reading abilities.''''


    She nodded before looking back at the ''raiders'' with disgust. "Scorpion told me you were very quick to heal them, why is that?"


    "Why not?"


    "They''re raiders!"


    "And we needed their strider."


    "We could have found out without letting them in our home." She grimaced as she looked at them, now I see why she was awake, to make sure the raiders didn''t try anything.


    "I''m a healer, I wouldn''t stand by and let them die anyways." I said while clenching my fists.


    "You and your honor-" she scoffs.


    "There''s no honor about it, it''s just the right thing to do."


    She grumbled, "We shall see." before speaking again, "We have a long day tomorrow, but River?"


    "Yes, Palm?"


    "Have you ever delivered any speeches before?"


    I shake my head.


    "Get ready then."

 Chapter Seventeen: Rise of Titans

    I had never seen the market so packed with people, it must have been the entire village, now emptied onto these streets, surrounding the warning bell for when the dragons would arrive. I could barely hear my own thoughts as the roar of the villagers'' open concerns filled my ears, yet I couldn''t make out what a single one was saying. I looked back at the sea of people and took a deep breath as I put my feet to climb on the bell before being held back down by Scorpion. "Are you sure you''re okay with being the one to talk?" She asked me.


    I paused for a moment, before then pulling back and gave her a thumbs up. "I... I can do this..." I said more to myself than her.


    She gave me a firm nod before patting my back. "Good luck."


    "Thanks." I said as she released me from her iron gip, letting me climb to the top of the bell tower.


    I glanced back at the group one last time, then looking back at the crowd. "ATTENTION VILLAGERS OF SUNSET''S WATCH!" I shouted down to the sea.


    It took a few moments before they reduced themselves to a roaring chorus, to just some minor mumbles and muttering, I took another deep breath as they all stared at me.


    "Alright, first of all, you don''t know me, I''m a foreigner, an outsider, and one of those pale teardrop bastards, but the fact is it doesn''t matter who I am, what matters is the facts!"


    I heard a murmur of agreement from below and a few groans of, "Get to the point already!"


    "And the first fact is that during a mercenary guild mission, a group from the guild managed to intercept a fleeing strider escaping with three passengers, which revealed that the Cove Raiders are no more, and have disbanded!"


    There was a sudden storm of gasps but it was quickly switched up to cheers till I held my hand up.


    "I wasn''t finished, please, I implore you all to listen!" They all started to quiet down again, a lot faster this time and they seemed a lot more interested in what I had to say this time around.


    "Although the Cove Raider threat is finished, what threatened them now threatens us. During an interrogation, we discovered that the raiders turned against themselves as their water supply was taken over by a group of aeroporos. Twenty dragons have been sighted, there may be more, and we have two days until they arrive, and will undoubtedly burn Sunset''s Watch to ash. I''m sorry, but there is no way to save this village, but we can still save everyone in it!" I say to quench the rising roar of the crowd. "We have a plan, after taking apart a strider, we designed a type of wind walker that can move as fast as a basilisk while carrying twenty people. If we can have six built in time and send the rest of you on the snakes, we should be able to successfully evacuate this village before the dragons get here. You may believe me, you may not, it doesn''t matter because it doesn''t change what a spray of dragon fire does to a human body. But if you do doubt me, if you truly have no faith in me, then I beg of you, please just ask yourselves this. What if you''re wrong?"


    There was a long period of silence, out of the sea of bodies, not one person made a single sound, before a man stood up, wearing some rags and a hat, holding a shovel. "What would you have us do?"


    ***


    "So, we''ll have sixteen eight-person teams, taking shifts so eight teams are always on the floor, each working on a different component of the walker''s systems, that way we can produce them faster and more efficiently, we can''t afford to send anyone on the snakes yet, we need all the help we can get right now."


    "What are the rest doing?" The man asks as he and the other villagers start to enter the large tent, where there were several large spaces and drawings of easy to follow designs, so they could be assembled together later using the hooks hanging from the cieling..


    "The mercenaries guild needs to prepare for the worst case scenario, if they get here before we''re done, so we''re setting up traps equipping everyone with thanatos-tipped weapons, especially the ballistas, but our main objective will to just slow them down, at least for now."


    "Hey! River! We need you over here!" Palm called out for me as she waved me to a group of young men.


    "Talk to Scorpion, she''ll divide you all into groups and put you into stations." The villagers waited patiently as Scorpion then made herself known as she spoke up with a loud and authoritative tone. "LISTEN UP EVERYONE..." Was all I heard before I was dragged out of the tent by Palm.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "You''re the only one who''s actually ever fired a thunder-bow before, so we need you to teach it to them." She said as she introduced me to a group of twenty people, wearing different sorts of light armor. "Bowman, they already have thanatos-tipped arrows and bolts but we figured that if we could give everyone a good shot with a thunder-bow, even if it''s only one shot, that''s bound to at least kill one dragon without wasting any venom."


    "Alright then, listen up!"


    ***


    I wiped the sweat off my forehead as I picked up the top piece of the large wooden leg and held it as the others secured it on and welded the metal pieces securely with the other parts, finishing the set. "Alright now put it together!" Scorpion yelled loudly as she finished hammering another piece down on her set. All of my team let out grunts as we carried the large set of legs and moved it to the base, before rotating it to be parallel to the side of the platform. "Line it up!" I shouted to everyone we aimed it so the wheel on the legs secured with the wheel on the base. We all took a step back and let out a sigh of relief as we heard the loud click echoing in the tent. "Set one, ready!" One of my team shouted as we then heard another click from the other side.


    "Set two, ready!" They yelled from their side. "Open the tent!" I heard Scorpion yell down to us.


    We all let out surprised or disoriented sounds as the blinding light of the sun entered our vision again, only block by the sails hanging by the front sides of the large platform, the rope-ladder far enough from the legs on the sides that people could climb without having to worry being caught up in the machine.


    "Alright! Pedal!" I heard from the top as we watched the four people sitting in the center of the machine in some seats, holding their handles tightly as they pushed hard on the pedals, slowly but surely, the wheels started to turn ,and the legs started to move. We all looked up as the gigantic machine started to walk out of the tent on its multiple legs before stopping just on the outskirts of the village. Everyone let out cries and cheers of happiness. "Alright, second shift, move in!" Scorpion''s voice then cut in, summoning a flood of new villagers to enter the tent and begin work, but I went to my station regardless.


    "Wait, how does this work?" I heard one villager ask as they held the list, having to squint as they looked at the design.


    "Here, I''ll show you." I offered as I walked beside him and picked up the pieces of metal and wood in front. "So what you want to do is..."


    ***


    "I''m fine!" I told Scorpion, but she scoffed as she then dragged me out with her as we left the sixth shift to do their work, I had offered to help again but Palm ratted me out after she saw me working the first four shifts in a row.


    She sighed as we took a seat and watched as the final basilisk left towards the rainforest, there was no need for so many people now so it was nice to watch as the massive machines slowly started to depart, one by one, now there were only two walkers left, waiting to carry the rest of us out of here as soon as they finish the last walker.


    It was now dark, the three moons shining brightly on the small village, a village which will probably not be here by the next full moon,


    "That''s a sad thought, but at least everyone will be alright." Scorpion said as she patted me on the shoulder. "That''s what really matters."


    I nod but let out a long sigh. "Wish I could just settle down in one place, you know?" I ask with a sad chuckle as I look down,


    She nodded. "Yeah, hopefully Hallow will take us, but with the luck that we''ve been having..." She shrugged her shoulders.


    We both laughed about that. "Besides, you''re just going to go down that cave, aren''t you?"


    I nodded with a smirk. "I just gotta find out what''s the deal with us." But my face turned to a frown as I remembered her words in the vision. "Was it worth it?" I think aloud, barely loud enough to hear, but she did.


    "Another vision?"


    I nod.


    I blushed as she took my hand and for a second, I imagined it with the ri "Don''t worry, I won''t pry inside your head, not if you don''t want me to."


    I sigh. "You can read me if you want, I don''t mind." She paused for a moment as she stared at me but then crossed her arms. "No, I don''t think I will." She said as we both looked up at where the clouds had just parted, the stars shining brightly down at us.


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?" She asked.


    I nodded as she suddenly leaned against me, her eyes drooping shut.


    I hesitantly wrapped my arm around her before laying back on the wall behind me and let my eyes flutter shut. "Goodnight, Scorpion."


    "Goodnight, River." She yawned before letting herself rest against me completely, her head on my chest.


    I wrapped my arms around her before joining her in sleep.


    The darkness welcomed me and I slipped into without any struggle-


    We were both jerked from our sleep as we heard the loud gongs of a bell. Dread filling my heart. My eyes widened as me and Scorpion both exchanged a look. "N-no, that''s not possible." I mutter as we both start to run towards the source of the sound.


    "It hasn''t even been over a day!" Scorpion exclaimed as we both frantically climbed the ladders to get to the top of the tower.


    Everything grew muffled as I climbed, the only clear sound being my own heartbeat as I could feel it thumping in my head despite being in my heart. I couldn''t hear as the watcher and Scorpion talked yet I still offered my hand so he could pass me the spy-glass. My heart thumped harder and louder as I took the spyglass and glanced in the direction of where the watcher was pointing. I leveled the spy-glass to my eye and my breath hitched and I wiped some sweat off my brow as I looked again, but sure enough, flying towards us in the distance, was a twenty dragons, and in front of them was one large one wearing the same armor I saw in the vision. "She''s here." I gulped before dropping the spy-glass.


    "River!" Her voice snapped me out of my trance as I looked up at her. "You know what we need to do."


    I met her eyes before nodding and loading my crossbow-arm as she drew her sword.

 Chapter Eighteen: Bright Night

    The large dragon queen let out a loud and obnoxious yawn as she kept flying forward with the rest of her guards, before she smelled something right in front of her. She sniffed a few times before growling to the others as she then pointed ahead where the silhouettes of the adobe houses could be seen. It didn''t take long for their growls to grow into small roars and happy hisses, starting to salivate at the thought of finally having some food after the long journey. One of the sand dragons even decided to do a flip in the air in celebration while letting out a howl.


    They all dispersed as they reached the small buildings, some small enough to be carried in their claws. The queen curled up on the outskirts of the town, getting ready to sleep after flapping her wings all day, but waiting for her subjects to bring her dinner first.


    Six of her Sandwing subjects stayed by her side, their eyes alert and the postures tall while four others started to fly across the small village, looking for any signs of life. But any signs of life were obscured as the noisy Icewings made themselves at home on the roads, going into the valleys and exploring what used to be areas filled with humans, now barren. And just as two Icewings made it to the center of the market square, a loud bell was heard, drawing all their attention to the center of the village.


    "Kill them." I speak.


    The silence is shattered as thunder booms across the village and the dragon''s pained cries make themselves known, as the pair of Icewing dragons in the market area let out a whimper or whine for every piercer that shots through them, denting their armor for every miss, and filling the dragon''s body with holes for every shot that made it through. It was loud then completely silent as we looked at where the dragons were still standing, their blue blood now completely covering the nearby buildings, creating a few small puddles beneath them. One dragon fell with a gasp, the other fell down on the other dragon with no noise at all, no final breath, no final word, just the thud of falling down.


    I looked up from the window as we stayed hidden in shadows, dropping our thunder-bow''s quietly as we switched to our arrows. I watched the four sand dragons descend down as they realized where we were.


    The bell rang again, and the ballistas fired. Only one dragon managed to dodge, it didn''t matter that the others wore armor, the ballistas went straight through, bringing them crashing to the ground. One was dead instantly, crashing into the guild''s building, snapping their neck on impact as they crashed against it, they were the lucky one. The others let out agonizing screams, not roars, screams, as black veins started to crawl up their body''s, they started to shake, to convulse, twitching as they fell down and fell into a painful eternal sleep.


    "Make it rain." I muttered.


    Soon another bell rang out loudly, the one dragon who managed to evade the ballistas, looked up to see the sky whistling, as it was filled with arrows, all descending down on him. He quickly dived towards the side of one of the abandoned buildings, then tucked his wings as he then bashed himself into the wall and crouched down, so only his tail really stuck out. Out of the storm of arrows, only a few hit the armor on his tail, the bastard managed to survive, and as he turned, his eyes locked on with mine.


    "Everyone down!" I shouted as I heard the sound of the air hissing. I and some others managed to duck under the windows as fire then blew through, the poor souls who didn''t duck in time were either completely turned to ash or turned into charred statues of who they once were.


    "Go! Now! Before it-" I warn the others as we run down the stairs, only to see the wall blow apart as the dragon''s head sticks through, its jaws wide open before another unlucky soul was snuffed out as he was captured in it''s maw, and swallowed whole with a scream.


    I and some others still upstairs fired at the dragon, but most of the shots just bounced off its armor, one almost bouncing back and landing in my foot. The one shot that managed to get through landed on the roof of its mouth, just as the venom started to spread however, the dragon let out a small breath of flame and the venom was promptly burned out.


    "Three Moons." I growled as the dragon turned to the people in the right. "Hey! Over here!" I yelled as it got ready to incinerate the petrified villagers. I quickly grabbed the spear someone had dropped on the floor and stuck it in the loading chamber of my prosthetic arm. "I SAID OVER HERE YOU DAMN FIRE DEMON!" I yelled as I thrust my arm towards the neck while letting loose the mechanism, as a result, the spear and my arm was launched into the creature''s neck, piercing the usually unbreakable scales of the beast as the rope went loose.


    The dragon let out a screech and thrashed its head, throwing me down to the floor, sending me tumbling to the ground.


    I coughed and spat out sand as I got up and looked behind me, where the giant creature loomed over me as blood dropped down from its slightly open jaw, before licking its lips.


    I watched in relief as the people who were about to get fried managed to get down to the stairs safely. That was short lived however as the dragon managed to grab me in its talons. I struggled but I couldn''t free myself from something that could crush me to a pulp, then I noticed it wasn''t even bringing me to it''s mouth, but its grip got tighter. "You bastard!" I cried out in pain as it tightened its grip further. It let out a growl akin to a laugh before I heard a quick whistle next to my ear, and watched as an arrow flew past and implanted itself directly in the dragon''s iris. The eye almost instantly turned black as the venom started to take effect, it let out a loud scream before dropping to the floor as it fell on its back, crushing the abandoned building below it.


    "That''s six." I say to myself as I load another shot.


    "Seven boyo." I heard Ant say as he rushed to my side.


    "Ant, why aren''t you with the rest of the archers-"


    "They''re dead boyo, the white ones froze''em." He said solemnly before grabbing and dragging me along.


    "Where to?" I asked as I watched as the last ballista tower that remained continued to fire even as an Icewing climbed up and snatched the weapon up in its claws.


    "Fire!" Was the last thing I heard from the loader of the ballista as the Icewing lunged forward with their jaws and bit down, making the ballista and its people disappear into their jaws, only for the dragon to suddenly stiffen as a giant bolt shot out from the back of it''s neck, before slumping over and letting out the frozen remains of the ballista and people fall out, only to shatter into pieces as they touched down with the ground.


    I suddenly heard the bell ring out three times.


    "It''s about damn time, let''s get out of here!" Ant said as we started to make our way through the destroyed village, catching a glimpse as a Sandwing flew overhead and burned anything below.


    We suddenly stopped as we got to the area outside the tent, and standing there were two dragons, a smaller Icewing, and her... her armor shined in the new fires, but was still absent of any blood. She tilted her head and let out a chirp as she saw us.


    All our attention was drawn as Scorpion suddenly appeared from behind the Icewing as she drew their attention away, as the machine started to exit the tent. "Scorpion!" I called out as I ran to her side, but the Icewing sprayed ice between us, creating a small ice wall that separated us.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Get to the walker!" she screamed as she swung her sword at the creature''s underpaw, making a small gash in the massive creature.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got ere in my sights...'''' Ant announced as he aimed the crossbow at the creature''s eyes as it got ready to lunge at Scorpion.


    I almost didn''t notice the shadow. "Ant, watch out!" He looked up and saw Blaze''s talons primed and heading straight for him.


    "Fuck-" He said before I pushed him out of the way, yelling in pain as her claws slashed right into my back before we tumbled to the floor.


    I looked back in horror as I saw Scorpion flying in the air, her armor completely shattered and covered in blood. She let out a few coughs as she tried getting up, but looked to the dragon, then back in my direction.


    "Hang on Scorpion, I''ll on my w-" I started as I sprinted towards her, but she cut me off.


    "This wasn''t your fault-" The Icewing picked her up in its jaws, and bit down. The head came right off and sank into the sand. Just like that... Scorpion was gone... My eyes were wide, my hands shaky as I just stood there like a fool as I felt the dragons start to surround me. "No... S-Scorpion... this isn''t what I saw for us..." I yelled as tears flooded my eyes. I then heard the Icewing let out a hiss and roar as Ant aimed true at the creature''s eye, before grabbing me.


    "We''ve gotta go."


    I ran with him but just stared at her head as it laid there, more tears flowing down. "Why was she dead? I saw her alive! I saw her in my life! "WHY!?" I screamed, matching the Icewing''s roar of pain as it clutched at it''s eye where it promptly removed it from its own socket.


    My breath hitched as I heard "Help! Someone please help!" The boy who was ran the desk in the guild building.


    "We''re coming, hang on!" I shouted as I freed myself from Ant''s grip.


    "Boyo!"


    "Go, I''m not letting anyone else die today!" I shouted back at him as I looked one last time into Scorpion''s lifeless eyes, before tearing myself away in tears as I ran towards the source of the sound, ducking as the Icewing swung its tail wildly as it tried to find me.


    Blaze just watched till I noticed the source of the kid''s noises were right under her talons, pinning him to the floor.


    "Please help!" He sobbed as Blaze looked down on him, tilting her head curiously at us.


    "Hang on!" I cried as I shot a bolt at her armor, scratching one of her shoulder plates. Her curious expression turned to a snarling one as she lifted herself from the boy and loomed over me, her shadow encompassing my surroundings completely. "Yeah... that''s right... be pissed-" I started to yell but was suddenly sent flying backwards as the end of her tail slammed into me.


    I let out a choked gasp as I tried to breath, but my lungs were not working with the rest of my body after I hit the wall. I could feel something cold and wet running down my back, but could pay no heed to it.


    I watched as the dragon queen lifted her barb and turned it in my direction, aiming for my chest as it got ready to strike. Just as the barb came down, the boy got in front of me and hugged me. "No! Please!" He cried.


    "Get out of the way!" I quickly yelled to him and pushed him to the right so he wouldn''t be impaled either, but to our surprise the barb had veered to the left, and had pierced the wall right next to my head.


    "You can talk?" A new voice asked with an accent, I looked up and saw the now wide eyes of Blaze, her mouth hanging open as she looked down at us. The boy continued to whimper and hug me tight, expecting us to be finished any second now.


    "It''s all right kid, I''ll get us out of this-" I start to assure him only to be interrupted with her voice.


    "Kid!? C-children?" The large and imposing dragon from before, took a few scared steps back as it''s tail fell limply at the side, it''s eyes open in horror and terror. I realized my hand had fallen to the gem in my pocket. "T-there were c-children?" She asked.


    I looked at her, and barely managed to nod as I was starting to feel the pain in my stomach.


    "I... I-I-I d-didn''t know... I swear... I-I d-didn''t k-know..." She stammered as her eyes started to fill with tears. "C-children?"


    Suddenly we were all drawn by the Ice dragon as it roared, not at us, but at her.


    "B-but t-they''re-" Blaze tried to respond but only flinched as the ice dragon roared again at her before snarling something else as it looked down at us.


    "We have to move... now..." I hissed to the kid as I tried standing up, only able to since he helped me up and was acting as my support.


    "S-soft? I-I-" Blaze stammered in response to the Icewing before the white dragon covered in spikes lunged at us, only to be interrupted by an ear-splitting "NO!!!" Me and the boy watched as Blaze suddenly flew forward and crashed the Icewing, sending them both to the sand covered ground as she pleaded. "H-hold on! I''m your queen! I order you to st-" She attempted to get out before the Icewing slapped her and slashed at her neck.


    "Come on kid!" I said as we both started to take off towards the large walker.


    "W-Wait! No please! I can be a good queen!" I heard Blaze behind us.


    I turned back to see the Icewing had gotten on top of her and reared their head back as they got ready to freeze Blaze''s face.


    Suddenly there was a flash of blue and white as Blaze''s barb shot up right through the lower jaw of the Icewing. "C-cold!" Blaze cried as she quickly pulled her barb out of jaw and took a step back as the Icewing''s corpse fell to the floor. "I..." She stammered but we just kept running till we got to the net as the walker slowly started to turn in the rainforest''s direction. "Grab the rope!" I shouted as we managed to leap on just in time as all the legs started to move and the walker started to move forward.


    Another Icewing started to fly from above and dived towards us, but it faltered as blood started to pour from it''s eyes, it''s snout, it''s ears, before falling to the sand headfirst, the body crumpling.


    Was that... Pebble?


    "Get on!" I heard Ant yell from above. "Haul yer ass!"


    We climbed and by the time we got up, we watched as what was the rest of the village got lit up in flames or covered in ice.


    "Is it... done.. Is it over?" I asked.


    Then I felt Pebble put his hand on my shoulder. "River, where''s Scorpion?"


    Then the tears started again.


    ***


    She had always thought death was romantic, how it would be beautiful when someone dies for someone they care about, or when they die in battle for their cause, but this wasn''t beautiful, this was ugly, messy, dreadful. She panted as she looked at the blood on her tail and armor, before two other dragons landed, an Icewing and a Sandwing.


    "Your majesty, we-" the Sandwing starts but then the Icewing flew forward.


    "What did you do?!" She screams as she slashes at Blaze''s neck but Blaze quickly reacts by biting into the dragon''s neck and jabbing her claws into them. "I-I''m sorry!" She cried as she retracted her claws, but the Icewing still tried lashing at her till the Sandwing behind her ripped them off Blaze.


    "Get off my queen!" They shouted and it didn''t take long for more to join the fight, as the remaining Sandwings and Icewings started to fight.


    "N-no... no... please stop..." She said quietly as she saw them fight, the Sandwing now starting to tear into the Icewing''s wing, the same dragon that had been chatting with him during the fire last night they stopped. They could have been friends at a first glance but now...


    "Stop it!" She suddenly roared as she tore the Sandwing away, slashing them with her claws while aiming her tail barb at the Icewing''s throat. "ENOUGH!" She roared again and soon, the twelve dragons stopped their fighting and landed down next to them, surrounding them in a circle, their eyes showing confusion, disbelief, shock, one had a smirk.


    "E-Enough... I will not be weak... I want two guards with me at all times... Icewing''s..." She paused as she looked at them. "R-round up the dead... and the rest of you, look to see if any scavengers or vipers are in the area, if you find a scavenger, bring it to me, do not kill it or-"


    "''Or'' what?" One of the Icewing''s asked. "I''ve barely seen you lift a talon, now you think you''re-" Blaze pounced upon him in an instant and ripped off his chest piece so she could press the barb against his chest. "Or next time, it''ll pierce your skin... understand?"


    The Icewing nodded frantically. "Y-yes your majesty, I''m very sorry!" They whimpered.


    Blaze let them go and with a scowl, she inspected her talons, but she was shaking...


    "In the morning, we''ll head back to the stronghold, this expedition was-" She started as she buried her head in her talons.


    "A success." One of the Sandwings suddenly said.


    "W-what?" Blaze asked, startled.


    "You got rid of any opposition here, this blindspot is now ours." An Icewing stated before bowing.


    "Even if the cost was high, we now own this blindspot." A Sandwing said.


    Blaze looked up hopefully, before looking back at the carnage she had left behind. And the memory of that scavenger talking, the fact that she nearly killed a child, were they sentient or was it just a trick, but it nodded, so... She shook the thoughts away and watched as the Icewing''s carried one of their own out onto the sand.


    "I-Is this what being a leader truly feels like?"


    The blood dripping down from her teeth was her answer. She looked down and saw the little boy still in her talons, before blinking. He was gone.

 Chapter Nineteen: The Darkest Path

    It was quiet as we sat there, the only sounds being the occasional whistles of wind, the sounds of the wood and metal creaking, followed by the tip-tap pattern emanating from the legs moving on the sand. Perception was the only full moon tonight, the other two couldn''t even be seen due to the dark clouds in the dark, blue sky.


    It was freezing in the desert, but the tents installed on the wind walkers will keep us alive for the night.


    I sat on the edge of the large machine, just behind the railing as the it rocked back and forth as we traveled across the desert sand. We still had three days before reaching the village in the rainforest.


    I looked back again at the pile of swords and spears, each weapon representing someone we had lost, there were thirty-six in total. Nearly a fifth of the village, gone. Scorpion... was gone.


    Why did it end up this way? It shouldn''t have ended up this way, this wasn''t what I saw.


    "Because I was slow." Pebble''s voice suddenly spoke up.


    I jumped and looked up, as he then took a seat next to me.


    "Couldn''t sleep?" he asked.


    "Guess you could say that, but it''s no one''s fault, if anyone, it''s the Icewing." It''s mine.


    "You''re wrong, I should have taken care of that Icewing before it got to her-"


    "Then we''d all be dead."


    "What?"


    "I assume you only did the blood-sucking thing once, cause you can really only do it once, right?"


    He shook his head. "I honestly don''t know, I-I just figured that if I could do it on water and venom, then why not blood? But I guess I did feel really tired after that, and I did collapse but I feel like that''s barely anything compared to what everyone else went through."


    "Don''t, none of the blame is on you." I said sternly to him, but he just turned away and watched as the sand passed by.


    "I could have saved her, if I knew-"


    "But you didn''t know, and that''s not your fault."


    "But-"


    "Pebble... we have to move on." I lied, I didn''t want to move on, why couldn''t I just stay right here and sink? Then my mind flashed back to Yarrow and the last time I saw my father''s kind eyes. My face fell into a frown, but I was grateful that he let me into his life to begin with. "Things in life, in this world, aren''t fair, I doubt it''s ever gonna be fair. But this is the life we''ve given, and it would be a shame if we waste it, and tie ourselves down by mistakes made in the past."


    Pebble snickered suddenly yet his eyes remained haunted. "Did you come up with yourself or-''''


    "Three moons no! I chuckled sadly as I wiped a tear from my eye. "My old man taught me that, he was a healer."


    "I bet you miss him..."


    I sigh. "I do, but... I''m also happy that I have people to miss... it means that... despite everything cruel, they made it good for a while at least."


    He sighed. "I suppose."


    ***


    The machine slowly continued moving while in the rainforest, it only took a couple of hours before we heard the sounds of activity and saw a few more wind walkers had parked.


    The other refugees greeted us as we came down, rushing to see who was left, there were cheers of happiness, but also loud sobs as some people never returned. I just continued forward as I saw a man dressed in green and golden robes and fur, with several others in leaf-like clothing approaching alongside him.


    "Thank you for your hospitality, village elder."


    He was a short man, bald and with a long black beard, his blue eyes were soft as they stared up at my half-lidded ones, sunken a bit into my skull. "I''m just happy to help, you may stay as long as you need, we will get through this together.'''' I bowed and he did the same before walking away with the rest of what I guessed was his guard.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    I said nothing as I just watched as the crowd melded together before starting to fizzle out as people were guided to the treehouses, ironically they were all hidden in the dirt.


    I''m suddenly pulled down and I see the boy from earler. "Thank you..." Was all he said before leaving, but then Ant and Pebble joined me.


    "Boyo, it''s been fun, but also... not really, this is where we part ways." He sighs.


    "Aye." I say as I use his accent, before I start to detach my prosthetic and offer it to him, but he stops me.


    "No, keep it, ya earned it boyo, ya should feel proud." He chuckles.


    "I don''t feel it..."


    He just chuckled. "Aye, but maybe in a year or two, you''ll remember how you saved a village from twenty dragons." He frowned and looked down suddenly. "How you, Pebbles, Palm... and Scorpion saved the people of Sunset''s Watch. I''ll see ya all in hell." He snickered before walking without waving goodbye. I waved back and then he seemed to just vanish in the crowd.


    "Have you seen Palm lately?" Pebble suddenly asked.


    I shake my head, but we both had a pretty good idea.


    ***


    It was quiet and eerie, the snakes hissed as we approached but once we got to part where the forest didn''t block any trees, shining the light down on us, the snakes retracted as they recognized us.


    Laying there, by the same snake she rode upon when we first met, was Palm, sobbing quietly.


    Pebble froze, but I took a step forward. "Palm-"


    She cut me off as she hissed, her eyes wide and bloodshot. "First Toucan... then Pyro... then Scorpion... n-no... n-no more change... l-leave m-me b-be... l-leave m-me b-be...''''


    "Palm..." Pebble approaches but is only met with a hiss.


    "LEAVE ME BE!"


    ***


    I reached in my pocket to pay, but the vendor stopped me as they put my arm down. "You saved my son... they''re yours."


    "Oh, t-thank you..." I whispered quietly as I put the bolts into my quill.


    I walked but I could feel as everyone around me in the village looked at me, some with hope, some with happiness and awe, while others glared, believing I could have saved more, not that I didn''t agree.


    It was mostly quiet though, and it felt unnerving as I walked past plants and flowers instead of sand, it wasn''t long till I managed to reach the outside of the village. And I continued to head west until...


    Just looking at it made my heart thump powerfully in my chest, trying to break out as I let out a few shaky gasps. The cave seemed like an endless pit, swallowing any light that was too close, and it smelled like fire, like it was a pathway to the deepest and darkest pits of hell.


    "Terrifying, isn''t it?" Pebble asked as he suddenly made himself known next to me.


    I growled, "Pebble, I told you not to come with me."


    "I know, but did I ever say that I would listen? I don''t think so." He said while fixing his glasses. "Besides, you''re reckless, and you''re gonna need someone to pull your ass out of the fire."


    I smirked at his now aloof attitude, but I could still see the pain hiding behind his eyes. "Where did this guy come from? Who are you, and what did you do to Pebble?" We laughed.


    "Yeah, anyways..." he shudders as he looks at the cave.


    "Well, you''re the smart one, so what do you think?"


    He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, whatever is in there, we don''t want it knowing we''re there."


    "So no snakes."


    "And remember to be quiet, we just have to hope it isn''t a giant bat dragon in there."


    "That''s not a terrifying thought at all."


    I shifted as I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Oh, um, I''m not the best when it comes to physical contact."


    I glanced at him and saw a hand on his shoulder. "Pebble, that''s not mine." I stated, while looking at the one on my shoulder.


    "What do you mean- oh!"


    He exclaimed as we turned to see Palm, staring at us with a glare that could kill a dragon. "I''m going with you two."


    I shook her off and started walking away. "No, none of you are coming with me, I-" I started but was cut off as they both started to follow me.


    "Can''t lose anyone else? Funny, I was about to say the same thing." Palm said as she then gripped my arm. "Us Teardrops... we have to stay together... remember?"


    I sigh. "No matter what I say, you''re just gonna come anyway, aren''t you?"


    "Yup." I didn''t miss the pain hiding in her eyes as well, but at least she wasn''t crying anymore as she led the way. "Come on, let''s go!" She beckoned us while waving her hand.


    I grunted as I followed, Pebble surprisingly not hesitant at all as we all entered the cave to hell.


    ***


    "This is where he died..." Palm said suddenly as we had traveled for thirty minutes.


    We all paused and bowed our heads as we let Palm collapse to her knees and stare at the ground.


    "I''m so sorry Toucan... but I''ve never forgotten you... and I never will... let''s move." Palm said.


    We both nod but I notice Pebble glance back at the spot. "There was no sign of a body." He whispered to me.


    "What?''''


    "I felt the snake''s ash but still, nothing more than that."


    "So you''re saying they could-"


    "No, all I''m saying is that they didn''t die here at least-"


    "Pebble! River! Listen!" Palm suddenly shut us up.


    There were loud tip-tapping noises coming from deeper into the tunnel, before getting louder and turning into heavy thuds. "Talon-steps." I growled. "Remember what we practiced!" I whisper-shouted as all of us pushed our backs against the cave''s walls, trying our best to become one with the very wall. We held our breath as we could hear the thuds getting closer, and closer, till...


    We heard the giant creature growl, but none of us could see it. We all held our breath, yet it stopped right in front of us, it didn''t see us... did it?


    Then the dragon lets out a small burst of flame, lighting the place up and revealing it staring directly at me.


    He sees us.


    "Fuck! I''ll take care of-" Pebble starts but I cut him off.


    "Wait!"


    "What the hell do you mean wait!?"


    "We just got ourselves a free ride inside."

 Chapter Twenty: Realm of Shadows

    "This is hell... we''re in actual hell." Palm groaned from inside the cage right next to me.


    "Wellllllll..." I shrugged as I looked down. The clouds were dark and it seemed as if we in a giant fireplace with all the smog, not to mention the rivers of fire below, as well as the gigantic mountain that was spitting fire. The orange spewing from the ground and mountains made it kind of beautiful in a way, the smog made it eerie since I couldn''t really see anything that wasn''t directly beneath me or fifty feet in front of me. The dragon carrying us also didn''t exactly lighten the mood, a dragon which was dull-black color, with wings that seemed to hold the stars inside. Not to mention that he looked big enough to eat Smolder.


    "He''s grumpy, but I can''t tell what about, my mind reading isn''t that good." Palm said.


    The night dragon let out a low groan, as if annoyed by the very sound of her voice.


    "But he won''t kill us?" Pebble asked, laying down on the other side of the rocky cage.


    "No, it''s a chore to him." Palm answered.


    I let out a small smirk as I noticed that Palm had a light in her eyes ever since we got captured, because if we were captured and not dead, then that meant her husband might still be alive... might... Then my mind flashed back to Smolder''s words as he was talking about something about Nightwings and teardrops. I looked back at the dragon but saw nothing of the sort on their face. How could we possibly be related?


    "Hold on, you think we''re related to Nightwings?" Pebble asked.


    I facepalmed, remembering they can read my mind.


    "Um... kind of... Smolder mentioned to me in the palace that Nightwings could read minds and see the future."


    "That''s-" Pebble started.


    "Exactly what we can do, with some flair." Palm noted aloud. "But this guy can''t." Palm then stated.


    "What do you mean?" Pebble asked.


    "I checked his face, he''s got no teardrop." I announce.


    "So what does that mean-" Palm starts to ask before we''re suddenly falling into a dark pit, screaming, till we land in a giant cushion.


    "Ow! What the fuck?" Palm yelled as she got off her back.


    "Where are we?" Pebble said as he looked around.


    "Not again!" I groan as I look at the large cage we''re now in.


    "P-Palm?" A new, lower voice spoke up.


    Her expression switched up instantly, her eyes started to fill with tears as her cheeks went red. "Wait... w-wait... are you... is it... Toucan... you''re still alive?" Her voice was cracked and broken as she spoke, a far cry from how she sounded just a few moments ago.


    The figure limped out of the shadows, he was taller than me by a head, his shirt and pants were pretty torn up and several gashes could be seen across his chest, marked by dried blood. His eyes were bloodshot, but soft as the pupils looked towards Palm. "H-hey... P-Palm... I-I d-didn''t expect t-to s-see y-you h-here..." He chuckled weakly, a bit of blood falling from his mouth as he laughed, he probably would have cried if he didn''t look so dehydrated. His lips looked chapped and his skin was drier than when we were in the desert, his eyes swollen, and his hair gray even though I could tell he should have been blond.


    Poor soul... what did they do to you?


    Palm didn''t wait a moment as she ran and wrapped her arms around Toucan''s larger form, sobbing deeply into her arms. "I thought you were dead! I''m sorry! I''m so sorry! I''m so sorry! I''m so sorry! I should have been with you! I should have been with you! I''m so sorry!" She sobbed.


    "It''s good to see you too, Pebbles, is that you?" Toucan rasped yet he had a smile on his face.


    "T-Toucan, it''s... you''re here..." Pebble says with a few tears going down his own eyes behind his glasses.


    "What are you waiting for, get in here!" He chuckled.


    Pebble let out a small tearful laugh before entering the embrace, I smiled but glanced away from the group and at the bars of the cage instead, it wasn''t exactly my place with them.


    "So, I''m afraid I haven''t quite caught your name yet, mister..." Toucan trailed off to let me speak.


    "River, I introduce myself as I turn my body back in his direction, "my name is River." I say with a slight nod.


    "River is it, can you by any chance control the currents of rivers as your ability?" Toucan asks as they''re all released from the embrace.


    I chuckle. "No, I''m immune or at least, resilient to venoms and poisons, learned that from a Sandwing and a Kentri''s tail, and I''m also a seer."This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    His face fell. "A seer, huh?" But his face then lit up again. "You''re not like Pyro, right?"


    "I never met the guy, but I''m not crazy if that''s what you mean." I say.


    "Good, then maybe you can help out." He says as he waves me over.


    "What happened to Dragonfly or-" Pebble started but Toucan''s breath hitched at the question.


    "They uh... they didn''t make it..." Toucan managed to get out in shaky breathes.


    "Oh, I''m so-"


    Pebble starts, but Toucan quickly cuts him off. "Save your water, it won''t bring them back." Toucan said before making me follow him.


    I  oblige as he draws me towards the edge of the cage, where I can past a few rocks and gigantic scrolls, was a relatively average sized Nightwing, it almost looked like Pebbles since it had a pair of glasses, and on it''s shoulder was a pouch filled with even more scrolls.


    "I take it this is our captor?" I ask.


    "Toucan nods, "We aren''t his main priority anymore though, that position belongs to the Forest-Fangs."


    "And those are?"


    "The rainforest dragons, River." Pebbles answered for Toucan as he pointed to the side where a rainforest dragon could be seen tied to several cables on the wall.


    It was smaller than most dragons but it was a dull pink color, its mouth parted slightly with strings of acid falling from the enormous fangs in front, creating a puddle of sizzling green below.


    ''''That''s terrifying." I mutter.


    "Most dangerous dragon on Pyrrhia, also the most lazy luckily." Toucan shrugs.


    We watched as the dragon then turned to us while holding out it''s scroll as it approached.


    ''He''s curious about us, not malicious." Palm thought aloud.


    "You call tying a dragon to the wall, ''not malicious?''"


    "You know what I mean."


    Palm huffed as toucan chuckled and gave Palm a kiss on the cheek. "I missed your little pouts, Palm Tree.


    Palm rolled her eyes but we all had to look away as she grabbed toucan by the shoulder and locked their faces together.


    "Alright, maybe we should give them a little privacy." I say as I turn away.


    "It''s only fair that they get some time together, it''s been a while." Pebble says with a faint laugh in his voice.


    Unfortunately the dragon looking down on us seemed very interested and started taking notes as Palm and Toucan made out.


    "Should we tell them or..."


    "No, it''s fine." Pebble responded.


    I looked up at the dragon again, noting all the scrolls, the weird metal tubes around the place, and the lack of a teardrop on their snout. "This guy seems like he knows his lore." I mutter.


    "You don''t think..." Pebble started but I nodded.


    "If anyone would know... it would probably be him." I agreed to his silent question.


    He smirked as I guessed his question. "And I thought we were the ones who could read other people''s minds."


    I grab the gem out of my pouch before turning back to the others. "Just to let you two know, we''re gonna talk to the dragon now!"


    "Huh?"


    "Wait what?"


    Me and Pebble both snickered at their startled reaction before I moved the gem partway into his hands too.


    "Wait, you want me to do the talking? Wait, is this because we''re both wearing glasses?" He frowned.


    "Exactly!" I winked at him as he rolled his eyes before we took a deep breath as we noticed the dragon looking expectantly at us.


    "Ready?" He asked.


    "Never am." I sigh.


    We then push out hands through the bar and push the gem to touch the dragon''s scales. "Hello dragon, down here?"


    "W-wait, what was that-" He paused as he stared down at us, before fixing his glasses as he looked down on the gem. "A teardrop jewel?"


    "You know what it is?" I asked before Pebble shushed me.


    "Well, I''ve heard about them but these types of minerals have been lost to time for over thousands of years, four-thousand and two-hundred and five to be exact, how truly fascinating, and it seems to give scavengers the ability to speak! So much research could be done! So little time..." He sighs as he then tries taking the gem before we pull it out of his reach but slide it across his talons so we can still communicate.


    "We have a proposition for you, I understand you are some sort of scientist or researcher, correct?" Pebble asks.


    "Why, how observant of you scavenger, but are you telling me your species also have scientists and different roles in your dens, you know, you''re very right, you do have a lot to offer, with the gem I could study so much about you, you''re behavior, your food, your organs since Strongwings ate all the other subjects." I wince, realizing that''s what happened to the rest of Toucan''s group. "But that''s not important right now, what is-"


    "Clearly you are a very educated night dragon-"


    ''Why thank you."


    "However, we are a special variant of scavengers that requires your assistance." Pebble explained.


    "Ha, I always knew scavengers were more than what meets the eye, wait a moment, was it possible that scavengers actually did plan the death of Queen Oasis, did you purposely start this war as a strategic move, and what do you mean by variants, so many possibilities, so much science to be uncovered." The dragon says enthusiastically.


    "Yes, but what do you know about teardrop jewels, or teardrop humans-scavengers?" Pebble corrected himself.


    "I''ve never heard of anything about teardrops on humans, maybe you were some type of experiments Nightwings made from the ages before Darkstalker, but we have no records about those, however we do have records about the jewels, we believe they may be animus enchanted to unlock something."


    "Like a key, but the question is what is the lock."


    "I would love to tell you more but unfortunately all that information has been lost, probably still in the scrolls of the old school, and it''s too dangerous for me so I don''t see why or how you could get there- oh, oh no no no no, I want no intruders in my labs-" His voice turns frantic as he hears other talonsteps at the door, before reverting back to growls as he lets go of the gem.


    "Well, at least we have a lead.'''' I shrug to Pebble.


    He sighs but our faces perk up as we see a group of other night dragons enter the room. We hear them growl to each other, the dragon we spoke to showing the younger ones around till they come to our cage, the pair of smaller dragons, one with green eyes, another with purple, staring at us for a few moments. The purple one lets out a soft purring sound mixed with a chirp before moving on, but the pair of younger dragons glance back at us a few times.


    "This is perfect." palm suddenly said with a smirk.


    "Why?" Pebble asked.


    "She likes us." toucan answered. "She''ll be back for us, just mark my words." Toucan said, and for some reason, I instantly believed him.


    And just a few moments later, the one with purple eyes slid across the floor in front of us as they landed, before unlocking the cage.


    "Well that''s convenient, if only that happened the first month I was here..." Toucan playfully scoffed before we were all scooped up in her talons, hidden as she clenched her claws into light fists to keep us hidden.


    "So what happens now, are we just pets?" Pebble asked.


    "I think we just found our way to that school." I answer.

 Chapter Twenty-One: Blurred Visions

    The journey with the purple one was extremely eventful, due to the fact that the purple one''s hands started to loosen midway. Everyone had panicked when she tried to carry us all in her mouth, especially since it would only take one tooth to tear us apart with a single bite if she moved her mouth the wrong way, or chewed. Luckily she then divided us, Palm and Toucan in one of her hands, Pebble and me in the other. Luckily the event with Sandy had prepped me for situations like this, yet it was still extremely nauseous. I looked at the gem in my pocket, then back outside at the black and barren landscape below. I held off on it, not until she parted ways with the other green eyed one dragon flying on the side. She did eventually drop us off onto what looked to be some type of giant beds, though stone, but with blankets large enough to cover a few houses.


    We all let out relieved sighs and gasps of relief as we were dropped off, the dragon then motioned for us to go under the blanket while looking around to see if any other dragons were present.


    "This is so much more comfy than the cage..." Toucan sighed happily as he rested his head against the stone while under the massive blanket.


    "You think the glasses dragon will find us?" Pebble asked.


    "I doubt it." I said as I watched Palm settle in next to Toucan.


    "Are you going to sleep?" Pebbles asked as he settled down on the other side.


    "No, I''ll keep watch, make sure we don''t get eaten." I state while sitting down.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Do you wanna get eaten by a hungry dragon?"


    "Fair enough, goodnight River."


    "Goodnight guys, have a good sleep."


    ***


    It had been a few hours till the purple one had come back and entered the room, walking away from the green one as they growled softly with each other.  The purple one''s seemed to go wide as it saw the others asleep in the blankets, while I was still sitting and staring right back at her, her purple eyes meeting my gray ones. She let out a soft cooing noise that was a mix of a purr and growl as she slowly made her way into bed, while making sure not to wake up the others. I moved which she nodded thankfully, as she got herself comfortable between Toucan with Palm and Pebbles. She then quickly scooped me up and put me on her chest so she could look at me as without straining her neck. She let out a chirp as she noticed the gem sticking out my pocket and poked it gently with one of her claws.


    "What''s this little scavenger? Why do you like shiny things so much? I''ve never seen that in my visions. Where did you get it? Did you steal it?"


    "Wait, visions? You have them too?" I blurt out, causing her to let out a startled growl and jerk her head back, the gem falling out of my pocket. I quickly move to hold it against her scales so I can continue to understand her.


    "Three moons! A scavenger is talking to me! Your lips are moving and words are coming out!" She exclaimed before I put both of my arms up. "I''m sorry for startling you, truly, but you have visions, you said you have them too, right?"


    "Too? You have Nightwing powers?" She whispered as she looked around frantically to make sure none of the other dragons would hear, though I didn''t even see any other dragons in the first place.


    "I guess, we''re trying to figure that out too to be honest." I said sincerely as she nuzzled me with her snout.


    "Why don''t you tell me everything, little friend?" She asked hopefully.


    I chuckled and started scratching under her chin. "I don''t see why not."


    ***


    "That sounds... awful... I''m so sorry." She said quietly as I continued to scratch her chin, her wings folded over me wrapping me in a protective hug. The other humans were wrapped comfortably in her tail, hidden under the blanket. "So, you need my help to get to the abandoned Nightwing school and find out about the magic gems, why not now? I can barely sleep anyways." She said but then her eyes softened as she looked at the humans. "I don''t want to wake them, maybe tomorrow I promise I''ll keep you safe."


    "Tomorrow sounds good, there''s no rush yet-" I was interrupted as she stopped to sniff at me again, her snout brushing into my clothes a little forcefully, knocking me down gently.


    "I''m so sorry... it''s just... you smell so good! I won''t eat you, don''t worry, but I just..." I guess it couldn''t hurt to give her an apple.


    "Is this what you were looking for?" I ask as I hold the shiny fruit.


    "An apple?" Her eyes dilated, almost making her eyes look like a Sandwing''s pitch black ones.Stolen story; please report.


    I toss it into her mouth, she lets out a happy growl and savors it in her mouth before swallowing. "I can''t remember when the last time I had fruit was!" She whispers excitedly as she nuzzles into me more. "Thank you thank you!" She said cheerfully with a purr as she eyed my pouch.


    "Don''t tell the others, alright?" I whisper.


    She nods eagerly as I pass her another apple, letting out a happy squeal as she chomps down on the small fruit. She let out a purr as she pushed her snout back into me, forcing me to lay back down. "Thank you... no one else offers their food to me, though I can''t blame them, there''s not so much food left on the island. So I understand why they''re all so possessive of their food." She moved some of her talons to wrap around me. "But still, it''s nice that you''re giving up some food for me, though I feel kind of bad for them, what if they need the food?" She asks as she looks down at the other humans curled up on her tail.


    "They have their own rations, they can choose what to do with theirs like I can choose to give some of mine to you." I said as I scratched her chin.


    "Thanks... I do wish I could hear your voice though..."


    "My voice?"


    "I can understand you, I can feel or ''hear'' your accent, but you don''t really have a voice, which I guess must be what it''s like for you hearing me."


    "You... you aren''t wrong."


    "I think it would be nice if I knew what your voice sounded like." She said before letting out a large yawn and resting her head on the stone, I remember being terrified the first time seeing Scarlet yawn, looking at all those teeth, each of them around the size of me, probably bigger, yet I wasn''t terrified this time..


    "I think it''d be nice to hear your voice too... I''m sorry, I totally forgot to introduce myself... I''m River, and you are?"


    "I''m Fatespeaker, it was nice talking to you but... I... I can barely keep my eyes open." She giggled as her eyes finally closed, her breathing becoming slower. "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure you little scavengers are safe." She said before holding me tighter in her talons. "Goodnight River."


    "Goodnight Fatespeaker."


    ***


    I wake up but notice I''m next to Pebble instead of Fatespeaker''s chest. I quickly look around and notice the dragon is gone, but Toucan and Palm were already up and talking with each other. I could only pick up hints of their conversation.


    "... Are you sure?" Palm asked Toucan.


    "Yes, I''m positive, I''m sorry." Toucan replied back, his voice still seemed soar and somber, but he did seem a lot more active around Palm compared to when we first found him.


    "But what if-"


    "Palm, you can read my thoughts, and I can read yours, you even know my feelings at a primal level so tell me Palm, am I lying?"


    "... Shit..."


    "I''m sorry Palm, but-"


    "They''re just a kid, what if this is you ending up like Pyro?"


    "What if we do nothing and let that thing take control?"


    "They are not a thing, they''re a-"


    "They will be though, you read it too."


    "It''s not fair-"


    "But it''s what has to be done, we have to kill them..." Then Toucan''s head perked up as he looked in my direction.


    "River, you''re awake, come! We have much to discuss!" He said as he waved me over.


    I loaded my crossbow behind my back as I reflected on their words. What other kid would they be talking about? I slowly start to approach.


    "River, put the crossbow down." Palm suddenly said softly, reading my mind.


    Toucan then noticed and suddenly rushed into me, tackling me to the ground. I tried lifting my crossbow arm, but he swiftly disconnected it. "River! Relax!" He shouted as he got off me with both of his hands up.


    "Answers, I want answers now, you don''t just stay stuff like that without giving an explanation." I say as I grab my crossbow module.


    "It wasn''t for your ears-" Palm started, but I quickly shut her down.


    "Screw that, now tell me what''s going on, who''s the kid if it isn''t me?" I demanded.


    Toucan sighed. "I''m a clairvoyant too."


    My arms dropped instantly and hung limply at my sides. "Wait what?" I asked.


    He let out another long breath before making an exaggerated sigh. "My ability is I can read minds, and also see the future, and what I saw was not pretty."


    "The kid, what does this have to do with the kid?"


    "He had a vision about a kid, a kid that might end up destroying the world." Palm suddenly spoke up."It''s a girl, her name... her name is Wren."


    "Wren?" I asked, my mind flashing back to the time when a girl was pulled out of Talisman, kicking and screaming. "She survived?"


    "Yeah, but now we have to finish the job." Toucan said with a grimace on his face.


    "How can you say that? You don''t know her, you don''t if she''s good or bad or-" I start before Palm interrupts me.


    "I''ve met her a few times, I don''t blame you for feeling unsure about this, she''s rude, but she''s still just a child, she still doesn''t deserve this, I completely agree with you there. But if what Toucan said is true, if what he saw is true, then we have to kill her when we get back. And I read his mind, he''s telling the truth."


    "Visions can be wrong." I growl while gritting my teeth together.


    "How can you be so sure-"


    "Cause Scorpion''s dead!"


    They all went silent for a moment as I continued.


    "Scorpion is dead, and she is never coming back, even though I had a vision where we were together! So that vision can be wrong!" I shouted with tears going down my eyes, but Pebble clamped his hand over my mouth.


    "We shouldn''t shout here, we don''t know this place well."


    I shook him off, but nodded with a frown still plastered on my face as I looked back to the other two. "What if you''re wrong, and you kill an innocent child for no reason?" I ask.


    "Because what if I''m right, River, let me tell you everything I saw, I need you to trust me." Toucan offered.


    ***


    "It was... dark at first... then I could hear sound, though I couldn''t make out what it was, it like a thousand voices all speaking at once, each with a different tone, some felt sadder, some were insane, others sobbed, all were in pain, I could feel it. It wasn''t speaking to me though. I could see a person, younger, a little older than your age, and a dragon standing beside them. Then there was a bright light, and I could see Pyrrhia baking in white and blue fire, dragons falling from the sky, the Invincible city falling from the cliff, the islands sinking. Palm dying in front of me by a human''s blade impaling her chest, then I saw her face, and it was Wren standing beside the dragon, and it was Wren who took the life of my wife, I can not let that happen, do you understand?"


    "There has to be a better plan for this Toucan, there''s gotta be-"


    We suddenly all flinched as we heard what sounded like a roar coming from the large cavern-like rooms.


    "Hide? Palm asked.


    "Yeah, let''s hide-" Toucan replies.


    "It''s too late, she''s found us." Pebble said as he pointed forward where a pale Sandwing was looking at us with a hungry gaze, and licked its lips as it raised its tail barb, ready to pounce.

 Chapter Twenty-Two: Fake Friends

    I load my crossbow and fire a thanatos-tipped bolt right at the Sandwing as it excitedly flies towards us. The steel bolt luckily doesn''t bounce off and lodges itself in a sensitive part on one of the joints connected to the wings, only for nothing to happen.


    "What in three moons?" I cry out.


    "Thanatos expires." Pebble says as he pulls me back.


    "Shit! You''re telling me this now?" I ask as the dragon lunges at us. We all scatter into different directions, Pebble heading right, Toucan and Palm heading left, and of course me running right in front of it. "Dammit, I should have saved some bullets rather then use them all up back Sunset." I then turn back to the dragon as it starts to veer off course and head for Pebble. "Come on! Dinner''s over here!" I yell at the dragon as I fire a few more shots from my crossbow, all of them bouncing off her scales. the fuck am I doing? I stop as I''m cornered into a pillar.


    She almost seems to smirk as she slows her pace and lowers her body closer to the floor, getting ready to pounce again, like a cat about to catch a mouse.


    Suddenly her eyes open wide and she lets out a whimper as she wipes her mouth and finds... blood. I look to the right side of her and see Pebble''s form shaking as he holds his hand out to the large creature. The dragon looks too, first snarling at him but starts to whimper more as her barbed tail starts to leak black drops of venom, before the tail itself turns and places itself right to the back of her own neck.


    Then I noticed to my horror, Pebble started to cry silently, only the tears weren''t clear, but they were red. "Pebble, stop now!" I quickly yelled at him.


    He panted as he faced me before letting his arms go limp at his sides, the dragon''s tail recoiled and the Sandwing hissed at us, before scrambling off, bumping into what sounded like another dragon, a more familiar growl.


    "Thank three moons, Fatespeaker''s back." I sigh in relief before rushing over to Pebble, just in time to catch him as he almost fell to his knees. "Pebble, Pebble, are you okay, stay with me."


    He coughed up some blood and wiped the blood off of his face as he looked back up at me. "This doesn''t make sense, it worked on the Sandwing earlier, and that one was bigger, why was it so much harder this time?"


    "Just stay with me and stop bleeding." I say as I hold him up and drag him towards one of the giant beds.


    It doesn''t take long before Fatespeaker quickly flies in and scoops me up as she moves one of her claws to be in contact with the gem. "Are you alright? I''m so sorry! I was only gone for a few minutes! I didn''t think she''d-"


    "It''s alright Fatespeaker, it''s alright." I assured her before I looked back and saw Pebble had stopped bleeding but he was still panting, I couldn''t find Toucan or Palm anywhere though, but they were safe, at least that''s what I took the lack of screams meaning.


    "River! I''m so glad you''re alright!" Fatespeaker nuzzled into me harder and then I felt my clothes suddenly soaked in water, I looked up and saw a few tears in Fatespeaker''s eyes. "I shouldn''t have left you, I shouldn''t have put you in danger, you''re one of my best friends, if you got eaten... I promised you that you were safe with me-"


    "Calm down Fatespeaker, we''re okay... you''re okay..." I say as I start to stroke her snout. Her teary eyes faded before she started to lightly purr and close her eyes.


    "That''s right... you''re safe... with me... but my visions... they''re useless, because they didn''t help me protect you."


    "But you did, now she won''t come back."


    "Maybe..." She purred as she held me tighter. "Would you... be okay if I introduced you to Starflight?"


    "Your mate? Sure."


    "M-My m-mate?" I saw a wave of pink appear on her cheeks. "Starflight isn''t my mate... but I saw in my visions he is my future king..." She said with a chuckle and a slight smile.


    "So what you mean to say is that he''s your future mate then, right?"


    She looked away, blushing. "I hope so." She whispered.


    We both chuckled a bit at that,


    "You scavengers wouldn''t by chance have any tips on that, would you?" She asked.


    "Maybe some would, but unfortunately I am definitely not the right g-" I started before I heard a roar down the hallway, then another more high-pitched one, and then a few more different types of roars. "Shit..."


    "Stay close!" Fatespeaker quickly grabbed us all in her talons, my back against Palm''s back as she was pushed into Toucan, and Toucan''s legs were against Pebble''s, all of bundled together like a ball.


    I could see through the gap of the talons that approaching Fatespeaker was a group of dragons, a green one with sails along their bodies and webbed feet as well as bioluminescent spots, a Skywing only a little larger than Fatespeaker, another Nightwing around Fatespeaker''s size who I saw earlier, I''m guessing Starflight. There was also a large giant brown dragon beside him, it looked as if someone mixed a crocodile with heavy armor and dragons, and it towered over almost all the others. Then there was the big one, a Nightwing which seemed to match Burn in size, covered in scars and wounds, glaring at us as it snarled down at Fatespeaker. And of course in the back, was the Sandwing from earlier.


    "We really pissed her off, the others are too, not exactly a fan that there''s food they aren''t allowed to have." Palm reported.


    The Sandwing growls something and the Skywing lunges towards Fatespeaker. We''re all jostled around as he then opens Fatespeaker''s claws, revealing us.


    "No Flame!" Fatespeaker yells as she jerks us away, just as the Skywing slashes at the spot where we are.


    I quickly load another bolt into my crossbow while the others draw their own weapons, like it''ll do anything without thanatos.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Then the others all lunge towards us, all with hungry gazes focused on our small forms, all but the two Nightwings.


    "Wait guys! No!" Fatespeaker cries out as she starts to flap her wings and get out of their reach, only for Flame to catch up almost immediately with their larger wings. He growls and gestures to us as we fly through the hallway, but Fatespeaker shakes her head. "I won''t let you eat them!" She softly growls back to him.


    Flame lets out a disapproving grunt before trying to tackle fatespeaker by ramming into her, but I was quicker and fired a bolt right into his eye.


    He let out a shriek as he thrashed in the air till crashing into a pillar and fading into the distance as we flew away.


    "Phew, that was close-" Fatespeaker sighed, but was cut off as Toucan yelled out.


    "Tell your dragon to look out!"


    "What did your friend squeak?" Fatespeaker asked as she looked back down at us.


    "He said watch out!" I yelled just in time as the swamp dragon suddenly showed up in front of us, blocking our way out ahead.


    Fatespeaker suddenly spread her wings out, causing her to stop midair, before doing a backflip roll in the air as she turned and started flying back from where we came, where we passed flame who was still flat on his face after slamming into a pillar headfirst, I swear I saw some dragon teeth on the floor next to him.


    The green sea dragon and the Sandwing from earlier flew to block us, but as soon as Pebble put his hand out, the Sandwing let out a shriek and quickly flew to the side leaving the smaller green one alone. It tried tackling us but Fatespeaker just flew past it, the smaller dragon letting out a whine as Fatespeaker lightly shoved him to the side.


    "The big one''s coming from above!" Toucan reported.


    "Toucan says the big one-" I tried telling Fatespeaker but was cut off as I heard a loud growl from above.


    "Oh no-" Fatespeaker let out a whimper as she was tackled to the ground by the much larger dragon. "N-no... please don''t eat them, Morrowseer."


    The larger one just growled back before prying her claws open.


    I shot him in the face but it just bounced off one of his horns.


    He growled as he glared at us, and just as he was about to lunge his jaws forward, Fatespeaker''s jaws came first.


    "Holy shit!"


    "No no no!"


    "Not again!"


    "All of you, quiet, she''s trying to make them think we''re dead!" I yell at them in the slimy pitch darkness. She gulped and luckily all of us were hanging onto her teeth. I could hear growling from outside, disapproval and disappointing, before hearing the flapping of wings and the sounds of fading clawsteps.


    We were suddenly spat out onto the floor, we took no time in washing ourselves off.


    "Ew ew ew!" Palm exclaimed as Toucan helped her wipe off the saliva.


    "Disgusting!" Pebble groaned.


    I just looked back at Fatespeaker while taking off my hood to clean it. "Thanks for saving our asses back there." I then processed what Pebble said earlier. "What did you mean by not again-"


    "River, I don''t care if I bleed from everywhere on my body, do not finish that sentence."


    I put my hands up and turned away, back to Fatespeaker.


    "No problem, are the others alright?" She whimpered, it was then I noticed a large gash across her cheek. And Starflight was currently putting pressure on it to try and stop the bleeding.


    "Oh shit, Fate, you okay?" I asked as I got onto her talons to lift me up.


    "Yeah, it''s fine." She then hissed in pain.


    "Here, let me." Starflight gives me a side-eye but doesn''t do anything as he lets me apply the herbs onto Fatespeaker''s wounds.


    "Thanks... both of you." she then gives me a questioning gaze.


    I nod. "You can tell him."


    She smiles and looks back to Starflight before suddenly frowning and looking down. "I d-don''t know... should I-"


    "Do you trust him?"


    "Well yeah-"


    "I trust you."


    She looked at me for a moment before giving me a faint smile.


    Starflight growls something to her, causing her eyes to widen and for her to shuffle a little. "No Starflight, everything''s fine, I''m so protective of these little guys cause... Even if they''re scavengers, they seem to actually wanna spend time with me."


    Starflight nods and hesitantly pet my head.


    I didn''t resist, even if it was not comfortable.


    "And... they.. they can also actually talk to me..."


    Starflight stopped petting and looked at her with an expression that even I could understand just by his growling, especially thanks to Smolder teaching me some dragon back in the palace. "What in three moons-"


    "The gem is enchanted so they can speak."


    His eyes widened as he then touched the gem and pressed it against me. "I have questions."


    ***


    "I... I need to throw up..." Starflight gagged and headed elsewhere before returning, his breath smelling fowl. "I can''t believe, all this time... we thought you were just... animals..." He sniffled as he wiped some tears. "We... we''re monsters... there''s no... the scorching was genocide, not pest control, and we still eat you, three moons, three moons!"


    "Truth''s a bitch, ain''t it?"


    He chuckled weakly but sniffled again.


    "I''m sorry about you getting kidnapped by who are supposed to be your friends." I said but he waved it off.


    "It''s fine, I just hope I can get out of here and get to my actual friends." He said before Fatespeaker came over. Growling something to us but I couldn''t understand her without the gem.


    "She''s wondering if we wanna join her."


    "You two lovebirds go ahead, I think my team is still recovering though, also I think you need some time to process the whole sentience thing." I said as I pointed to the other humans, heavily asleep or still panting from the earlier encounter.


    He blushed as I called the pair lovebirds, but soon waved his goodbye''s before they both left.


    ***


    I woke up as the pair had returned, both had gone asleep, the rest of the other humans were asleep as well, but I noticed something glowing under his sheets, a light blue. I went up and climbed on the bed to see some giant star-looking artifact, just looking at it gave me a sense of dread, yet I still tried to get closer, but I accidentally brushed against Starflight''s scales.


    He let out a yelp before seeing it was me, but his object was now in full view.


    I hold my hands out while pressing the gem to him. "What''s that?"


    "It''s uh..."


    "Dragon, who would I tell?"


    "It''s a um... it''s a dream visitor."


    "A dream visitor?" I asked, I quickly glanced back at the gem, then at the star, but the star was made out of some other type of material, and didn''t have teardrop symbols like mine, Scarlet, or even Blaze''s gems.


    "Yeah, and I was just using it to check on my friends back in the rainforest." He admitted quietly.


    "Do you... wanna talk about it, I mean it''s fine if you don''t-" I started.


    "It''s fine, you told me your story, your very unfortunate story which I''m so sorry for, but some of my friends think I ran away, to warn the Nightwings, they think... I betrayed them..."


    He whines softly.


    "The same friends you said you were raised with since you were an egg, the same ones you said have been a team with you since the beginning of your very lives?"


    He nods.


    I sigh, "Starflight, I''m sorry, I know what it''s like to be abandoned." I say as I put a hand on his scales.


    "They haven''t abandoned me, not all of them at least." He said as he pulls away.


    "Still, the fact that even some of them are thinking you betrayed me, if you want my advice, find better friends, they just sound... from what I''ve heard, not the best."


    "You really think that?"


    "Let''s face the facts here, you are in enemy territory, and what do your friends automatically think, that you betrayed them? They''re distrustful of you because, why?"


    "Well, I am a Nightwing, and they-"


    "That shouldn''t matter Starflight, if they were true friends, they should have rescued you, right?"


    "Well they-"


    "Hold on, how do they even know there are Nightwings here?"


    "Because... Glory rescued Kinkajou from here..." He then goes silent as his eyes widen.


    "Who''s Kinkajou?"


    "A Rainwing prisoner."


    "So they rescued a random Rainwing prisoner, over you?"


    He looks down at that. "It''s not like that, I won''t give up faith in them."


    "I''m just saying Starflight, be cautious, okay? You don''t want fake friends." I said as I glanced back just in time to see Palm''s form seeming to roll away from me. There was more about that vision, but I guess I''ll have to wait till I figure it out.


    "I... guess I can stand by that." He nodded.


    "Alright, think it''s time to go?"


    "Yeah, lets we should probably wake the others so we get back before morning."


    "Alright, let''s go find some answers."

 Chapter Twenty-Three: Pali贸s

    "I feel bad for Starflight." I say to Fatespeaker as I ride on her neck as we fly high above the rivers of fire on the black lands below. "It sounds to me like he has a bunch of fake friends." I tell her as I see Starflight flying just a little above us. I looked down at the others who had preferred to stay in Fatespeaker''s claws, I was the only one fine with riding on her neck.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Fake friends are people who pretend to be friends with you, but don''t actually, just using you for their own gain. It sounds like when Starflight was brought here, his friends kind of just assumed he betrayed them and ran off."


    "That''s awful..." she whispered to me, but she noticed Starflight leaning his ear closer to listen to what we were talking about.


    "So what do you know about this place?" I ask her, changing the subject.


    "Not much, just that this used to be where Nightwings would go to school before it was abandoned, and that everyone had to go and move to the ones further inland when that part of the island sank. I wonder what it would have been like to see it when it wasn''t abandoned, my visions tell me it was beautiful and shiny."


    "Sorry to say this, but it really doesn''t seem so shiny anymore." I said as I pointed to the dark grey mass on the ground, it looked like it may have been a mighty structure, once, now it was a dark and ruined place. As we landed, the smell of sulfur got stronger as running alongside was a waterfall of fire descending into the orange ocean below. "How quaint." I murmured as I slid off of Fatespeaker''s scales. "Thanks for taking care of us, I''m in your debt, Fatespeaker." I said as me and Fatespeaker put our foreheads together.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll come back for you." She said as she nuzzled into me further.


    "Thank you, thanks for everything, Fatespeaker. I really hope this isn''t the last we see each other."


    "Yeah, me too, it was nice having a real friend." She sighed with a faint frown on her face. She started to pull her head back but stopped when I spoke up.


    "Keep good care of Starflight, okay?" I said with a wink.


    She blushed. "Of course River, I''ll see you tomorrow. And don''t worry. I had a vision where you guys are going to find lots of treasure!"


    I chuckled. "I hope your vision is right, bye Fatespeaker! Bye Starflight!"


    Both of them waved their goodbyes before both of them flew into the distance and disappeared into the clouds.


    I looked back to my group, all looking at me before we all turned to look at the massive ruins ahead.


    "It seems most of the building is completely submerged in lava, there''s a big chance the library went with it." Pebble muttered aloud.


    "There''s still a chance now, come on, let''s go." I said as I took the lead and motioned for them all to follow.


    I heard a series of mutters and grumbles behind me but it wasn''t long after where I heard the sound of more footsteps following me.


    ***


    It''s dark, how are we supposed to see anything?" Palm asked as we walked into the tunnel leading deeper into the building, although it wasn''t pitch dark, there was barely any light except the few cracks in the wall letting the lava''s light shine through.


    "I got that covered." Pebble said as he suddenly stretched his hand out to one of the cracks.


    "Pebbles-" I protested but lava was already squeezing through the cracks and floating towards his hand.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Relax, I got this." His breath was hitched and he was panting, but I didn''t see any trace of blood leaking from yet as he then shot the lava out to the side of one of the walls, illuminating the rest of the dark hallway.


    "Thank you." Toucan said as he started walking again but I glared back at Pebble.


    "That was too risky, Pebble, we need to limit the use of your power, we still don''t know how it works but it clearly is dangerous, to you as well." I say sternly as I put a hand on his shoulder.


    He shook my hand off before grunting. "Let''s not lag behind the others." Was all he said before moving forward again.


    I sighed angrily before following him as we descended deeper into the hallway, before eventually finding a large set of dragon-sized doors to a room, it was labelled, ''Library.''


    "You guys can read that too, right?" Palm asked everyone.


    "If this was a dragon school, yet the language is human, what can it mean?" Toucan thought aloud.


    "It means we''re getting close." I say as I start to flatten myself against the floor so I can sneak under the giant doors.


    "Wait, we don''t know what''s under there." Palm said.


    "That''s the point though, we need to find out." Pebble responded as he gave me a nod.


    I quickly slid myself under before quickly standing up and aiming my crossbow. I took a quick scan, the room must have been gigantic, maybe as big as the entire village of Sunset''s Watch. There were large pillar-like rows, each of them containing tens or hundreds of untouched scrolls. At the corners of the ceilings though were cobwebs, and what seemed to be staring back at me was eight pitch-black beady eyes staring back at me in the shadows.


    "Wolf Arachni." I whispered back to the others while aiming my crossbow at it.


    "Don''t hurt it." Palm spoke up as she slid under the door and stood next to me.


    "But-"


    "Calm down, I got this." Palm said as she walked in front of me and grabbed her flute from before, and started playing a tune.


    The tune was high and low and beautiful yet ugly.


    The spider slowly approached, the large creature not making a sound as each of its hairy legs made contact with the floor, it was a large one about twelve feet tall, but the eyes were glued to Palm.


    I opened my mouth to say something but I wouldn''t dare draw that thing''s attention to me on purpose, but I did shiver as I looked at it, the creature was almost pitch black with only two streaks of bright orange to match the lava outside.


    It lets out a small chitter as it responds to the flute before bending it''s head to palm and letting her pet it. Palm then turned back to me and motioned for me to come.


    I shook my head.


    "Come on."


    "No."


    "River-"


    "That right there is a giant spider, no way am I-"


    "I will tell it to go and-"


    "Fine, I''m on my way." I sigh as I take hesitant steps closer to the creature before Palm grabs me and puts my hand to the giant spider''s head.


    My eyes were wide and I may have been silent but internally I was screaming.


    ''I can still hear you, y''know?" palm chuckled.


    I internally screamed louder.


    She eventually lightly pushed the spider back before playing something else on her flute.


    The spider left and started to go to one of the giant torches on the wall, before there was a sudden loud pop, and a foul smell, but the torch was lit.


    "What just happened?" I asked Palm.


    "I always thought insects like these were just myths but... wow..."


    "What is it?"


    "It''s a Firespitter Arachni."


    "They can breathe fire?"


    "It''s a little more complicated than that." She explained as more spiders crawled out from the shadows, and more torches were lit.


    "Are the gonna-"


    "No, guys, it''s safe to go through now!" She called to the rest before they slid themselves under the doors.


    "This isn''t creepy at all." Pebble muttered sarcastically as one of the spiders came up to us with a torch in it''s large fangs.


    "Hasn''t she done this before with the snakes?" Toucan asked as if this was an everyday commodity.


    "Well yeah, but this is different." Pebble claimed.


    "Is it? Is it really?


    "Well-well... I mean-" Pebble stutters before we all follow the spider. He sighs but shivers like me as we follow the giant eight-legged creature.


    "They won''t attack us, right?" I ask.


    "Palm''s have a special way with animals." Toucan explains with a smirk as she walks while leaning on her shoulder.


    "I thought you could only read their minds?"


    "That is my ability, but after learning how different animals react to different sounds with my flute..." She trailed off.


    "So you can communicate with them." Pebble thought aloud.


    "Yeah, and now..." One of the spiders came down after pulling out a large dragon scroll with ''The History of Pyrrhia'' labeled on it, before placing it ahead of us. "It''s gonna be a lot easier reading those scrolls.


    ***


    I had gone back and waited for Fatespeaker to return, the occasional grumbling of the lava-spewing mountains which I had read are called volcanoes didn''t exactly comfort me, especially when I learned that they could spit lava everywhere and erupt. It was quiet, there was no one around, even the spiders had left me alone, there was no sound coming from anyone else, leaving me to my thoughts. It was loud, the waves of fire churning and hissing as it rolled across the rocks on the coast, and the occasional rumbling coming from the rocks above as the ruin sunk deeper into the ocean of fire. I just waited, but Fatespeaker never came. We were stranded here, so the only way now was forward.

 Chapter Twenty-Four: Through Fire and Blood

    "So we''re stuck here, with no food and water except for what''s left in our pouches?" Palm yelled at me.


    "Relax Palm, we all knew this could happen."


    "To be free from one prison only to be stranded in another." Toucan sighed and he sat there defeated.


    "If you saw Wren then we got out of this Toucan, why so glum?" I ask.


    "You said it yourself, not all the visions are right." He snorts back.


    "Now you''re listening to me, when it''s convenient, I see-"


    "Cut it out, both of you!" Pebble snaps as he angrily kicks the last scroll we just read through, a scroll that was supposed to have the entire history of Pyrrhia since the Scorching.


    "Anything?" I ask.


    He angrily shakes his head. "We''re just pests, mice! And Teardrops are apparently extinct with Nightwing''s as well, which means-"


    "They''re damn knaves!" Palm roared as she slammed her fist down on the floor, scaring a couple of giant spiders walking past.


    "So Fatespeaker lied to us-" Toucan started.


    "Fatespeaker isn''t lying, I think she genuinely believes she has the ability but..." I trail off.


    "So she''s crazy?" Palm snickers.


    "She''s not crazy, and can you blame her for wanting a better life, for dreaming a better life, look where she grew up!"


    "Enough, fighting won''t get us anywhere, get the spider to bring out the next scroll." Pebble sighs, the darkness caused by the shadows almost perfectly hid the black spots under his eyes, he hadn''t gone to sleep once.


    "That was the last one, Pebble-" I announced.


    "FUCK!" He curses, as he kicks one of the stone shelves, only to immediately regret it. "OW!"


    "Pebble, you okay?" I ask as I go to his side and lay him down on the floor.


    "Am I okay? We are stuck in hell knows where, with no answers on where we came from, surrounded by giant spiders, and I just stubbed my toe!"


    I back off as he vents till he sighs and just sits upright.


    "Sorry, I can''t... I''m just... we have to think clearly if we want to figure things out." He says as he looks up, but suddenly there''s a spark in his eye. "Maybe we''re looking in the wrong section?" He reasons aloud as he stands up and starts limping forward.


    "There''s Pebble, what''s going on in that mind of yours?" Palm asks.


    "Something like scavengers having power may seem impossible to dragons, so maybe instead of looking at facts, we should turn to fiction." He said as we made our way between two rows. "Myths and fairytales. Let''s see if we might be able to find some answers."


    ***


    My legs trembles as I stayed on my knees to read the text, it had been an hour and all I could find were mentions of this Darkstalker guy, the amount of texts he was in kinda made it seem like they were really pushing for this guy to be fake, maybe a concerned parent with a child that wouldn''t go to sleep complained too much? It didn''t matter, and it got harder to resist letting my eyes close and embrace the comfortable darkness of sleep.


    "I got something!" Toucan suddenly announced.


    We all practically bolted as we all turned to read his scroll.


    "It isn''t much but look at this."


    We all leaned down and kneeled to take a look.


    Once ago, there were a race of scavengers, but unlike their brethren, these creatures were more evil and more intelligent compared to the rest of their kind, always causing chaos in our society, stealing our food and messing with our prophecies, doing whatever they could to make a mess out of things. They...


    "It just turns into a wild fairy tale about some random dragon and bugs and songs but if you skip all the way to the end, listen to this." Toucan said as he directed us to the end.


    In the end, the draconic hero, Nightweaver, locked them away in a prison deep under the water with no way to ever reach the surface, where they could never mess with our prophecies again.


    Next to the story, were a few pictures to go along with the writing and to the bottom was a large drawing of some type of temple under the water and on the large gates was a bright and vibrant symbol of an eye shedding tears. The temple had a very unique shape, with the center the shape of a hexagon and a square extending from each side.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    "Wait a minute, I think I saw this." Pebble said as he then beckoned us over to another scroll, something about architecture. And right next to the library, although it wasn''t marked or labelled like the rest of the map, was that temple. The ink marking it on the map was smudged though, as if it had been erased, but thankfully the torchlight was enough to allow us see all those details. Extending from one the square parts of the temple was what seems to be some long bridge, connected right to the library and another building that I had seen earlier on Fatespeaker, although that building was barely standing anymore.


    "It exists, and there''s a bridge." I think aloud.


    "Let''s go then, maybe we can find it!" Palm called out for us as she was already running to where the map said the bridge was.


    ***


    "You sure this is it?" Palm asked as we stood there.


    "This is what the map said." Toucan sighed.


    "They did say it was under the water." I shrug.


    "I was hoping for water, not this." Palm sighed.


    We all looked out to the horizon, where the sea of lava extended to the limits of our vision, it''s glow making the sky purple and any clouds were barely seen due to the smog concealing them. It was quiet except for our breathing and the sound of the lava waves churning and crashing against the shore and the ancient structure we stood on.


    "This is the bridge, and despite the lava''s occasional rise, the bridge seems unaffected, whatever material this is, it isn''t natural." Pebble said as he slammed a piece of rock against the material below us, there was a loud thud as the rock cracked into the material. We all watched as the material then started to twist as the surface filled and the cracked completely disappeared. "I think it''s enchanted, like the gems." Pebble mused as he put the rock down and looked back at the sea of the fire. "It''s... it''s still down there guys, and it might have the answers." He said as his senses locked onto the sea ahead.


    "What if it just leads to more questions?"


    "Of course it will but still, this is the closest anyone has been, and what else can we do?" I gestured ahead.


    Toucan nodded but Palm scoffed.


    "I think... I think I know how we can get across, no, I know how to get us across." Pebble announced as he took a deep breath.


    "Seriously?" Palm asked.


    "How?" Toucan questioned.


    "Pebble, no." I quickly cut in as I caught onto his plan.


    "River, it''s-"


    "You started to bleed when you tried to stop a dragon, there''s no way you can survive-"


    "I have to try-"


    "You''ll die Pebble!" I raise my voice.


    "So?"


    My eyes narrowed. "I already lost Scorpion, I already lost my dad, I won''t lose you too-"


    "I LOVED SCORPION!" He suddenly shouts, causing me to take a step back as we just stood there with baited breath.


    "W-what?"


    "I loved Scorpion, that''s why I can never forgive myself for letting her go, and for never telling her..."


    "Pebble... I-I''m sorry-"


    "It''s not your fault, that''s the point." He said in a scarily calm voice.


    "Pebbles..." I start, only to trail off shortly after.


    "She was the first one who came up with that nickname y''know?" She paused as he continued to stare at the sea of fire. " River... I... I want to see her again... I really do."


    "I... I don''t want to lose you too..."


    "You won''t, you''ll just be letting me go."


    "Is there a difference?" I ask him to which he quietly chuckles.


    "More than you know." He then takes a deep breath as he looks at me. "Kid, I''ve lived my life, you haven''t."


    "I''m only a few years younger than you-"


    "And that can be a lifetime for others."


    I start to sputter. "Toucan, Palm, help me out here?" I ask, but the pair remain silent until Toucan asks.


    "Is this really what you want?"


    All Pebble does is stare back at him with a blank stare.


    Palm nods. "We understand."


    I shake my head.


    "Please don''t do this."


    "... You''ll be fine without me, you already got this far, didn''t you?"


    "Pebble, we can find another way- what are you two doing?" I yelled as Palm and Toucan held me by my arms. I thrashed and tried to bite but they managed to turn away only for me to watch in time as Pebble lifted his hand to the air. "PEBBLE NO!" I shouted, only to fall on deaf ears.


    The water roared as it split into two gigantic walls of flames, revealing the stone pathway leading down, where at the end, the silhouette of the temple could be seen.


    Pebble started to walk forward. "Let''s go." He rasped to the others as he started to sweat.


    "Damn you Pebbles!" I yelled as we all started to bolt down the long path.


    "Guys, go! I can''t hold it for long!" Pebble gasped as blood started to drip down his nose.


    "Three moons dammit! If we''re going, we''re going together!" I yelled at him as I mustered all my strength to pick up his smaller figure and start sprinting down the path, where I could feel more of his blood drip on my head and on my clothes.


    "Come on, hang in there, you better not die on my back!" I growl as put all my strength into sprinting forward, trying to avoid looking at the giant walls of lava on either side of me.


    "I''ll try..." Pebble gasped weakly as I glanced up at him, I saw blood starting to fall from his eyes and mouth.


    "You better..." I mutter as I try not to gag at the horrid sight and keep running forward.


    We finally get to the massive doors of the temple, but we see no way to open it.


    "How are we supposed to open this thing?" Toucan cries out as he looks around at the massive doors, before finding a small symbol of the crying eye again on the side.


    "Guys..." Pebble tried speaking some more but his voice soon turned to gurgling as his hand started to drop, and the other end became flooded with lava, the new wall of lava now heading straight for us. Is this how we die? We die covered in a tsunami of lava caused by our own hubris?


    "River, give me the damn gem!" Palm suddenly screamed in my ear.


    I didn''t question it and gave her the gem as I turned around to get a better grip on Pebble''s body who was slowly losing consciousness.


    Palm quickly waved the gem in front of the eye and a loud creaking noise was heard as the giant doors slowly started to open up, revealing the interior, illuminated by some type of yellow light.


    "Go go go!" I quickly yelled as Pebble''s hands finally went limp and fell, his eyes rolling back, and the roar of the waves growing louder as the walls started to crumble.


    "Close it! Close it!" I yelled as Palm rushed to the symbol inside and practically slammed the gem into the eye. We all ran as fast as we could, especially as I dragged Pebble''s body as the lava got closer and closer even as the doors closed. A splash of lava got in, nearly dripping onto us before the doors finally let out a loud clicking noise, and the waves of lava stopped.


    I sighed in relief before gently setting down Pebble''s body and putting my finger on his neck, my own heart skipping as I felt a small thumping sensation. "You''re alive, thank the moons, you''re alive." I sigh in relief as I then look at Palm. "How''d you figure it out?"


    "I guessed." She admitted with a shrug as Toucan laughed, I couldn''t tell what emotion was escaping him though, happiness, relief, sadness that we were now trapped under an ocean of lava?


    But then my head perked up as I heard something... impossible. "Guys, is that..." I trailed off.


    "Music?" Palm asked.

 Chapter Twenty-Five: The Last Shelter

    The music was eerie, it sounded like a piano with what was almost like rain in the background, only it wasn''t rain, it was more crinkly and sharp and of course, how could there be rain when you''re in a building at the bottom of an ocean of lava. The music was coming from everywhere, from what looked to be musical horns attached to the corners of the room. Then we heard a faint thud growing louder from the dark hallway.


    I loaded my crossbow as Palm grabbed one of her swords while giving the other to Toucan as we stayed in front of Pebble.


    "No need for weapons, we can heal him." A voice said... no... a voice would imply this was a person or a dragon, yet this didn''t sound like either. It sounded like a musical instrument, bent in the wrong ways, it''s tune that was supposed to be beautiful now turned into a cacophony of screeching and notes that could turn into what I guess you could call words. Besides, anything natural should be dead, even a Teardrop who could resist lava couldn''t survive so long down here, I think, unless they could find a way in and out as they please but it didn''t make sense. "Allow us to heal him, and step aside." The thing screeched again as it finally entered the light, which I now noticed was attached to what looked like glowing yellow bulbs hanging from the ceiling. I finally took a good look at whatever was speaking, and like I thought, it wasn''t anything human, it had four large metal claws connected by tubes filled with gears that were partly exposed through their armor, lacking any hips and instead just a sphere for the center of it''s body, before the rest of what looked like a tail on the back of it. Its presence was further highlighted by the lights on it''s body, like some bioluminescent sea creature.


    Upon closer inspection there were two separate arms, more human-like yet still connected to tubes and exposed gears. The chest wasn''t always exposed, the large scratch marks on the side of it''s plating made that apparent, but it was now. The exposed interior where a heart of this creature was supposed to lay, where organs and blood should have been, there was instead what looked to be a small piano kept inside connected to a series of strings and wheels. Then there was the head, at least I think it was, there was no mouth and instead only a mask. It contained two triangular holes cut into the left side of the face, and one eye shaped hole in the other, painted below seemed to be tears as if the thing was painted to always be crying. The glowing eye in the hole stared at us, unblinking, I don''t think it could blink even if it tried.


    "W-what are you?" I asked as I looked up at the monster, as large as a dragon.


    Before the creature could respond, Pebble spoke up, "It''s a machine."


    "What?"


    "Look at the gears, and the hydraulics, the voice is connected to the instrument." Pebble explained as he weakly tried to stand back up, only to fall again.


    "Pebble, you''re hurt, you really shouldn''t-"


    "I am Guardian Minos of the Shelter Telikos." The machine screeched as it''s body twitched to face us, whenever it moved, it wasn''t fluid. The thing moved at the same pace, always stopping before going again. "The Guardians, help the Teardrops. We can heal him."


    I looked at Pebble, the way he''s still bleeding from his ears and nose, thankful that more blood isn''t emerging from his eyes. I nod. "Pebble?"


    He nods. "Let them."


    I sigh and motion for the machine to come over.


    The large construct wastes no time and uses one of it''s smaller hands to pick up Pebble, his body limp and unresponsive as he closes his eyes. The machine started to roll away, or walk, it was hard to tell as the sphere moved but the giant claws steered the machine.


    It didn''t take long before we were guided into a hallway that was... green and blue... there was grass and some chickens, even a few cows let out a moo as we passed by. People could live down here! It even felt like the sun was shining on our faces, and there was even a lake!


    "Where is everyone?" I asked.


    The machine paused and twitched its head as it got ready to respond. "Dead. All corrupted have been burned." It said before moving on.


    "What do you mean corrupted?"


    "Forbidden topic." Was its only reply.


    "Why?"


    "Forbidden topic."


    I sigh as I keep following it through the greenery. "What is this place?"


    "The Garden."


    "How can this be? How can this be down here?"


    "Forbidden topic."


    I sigh before watching as other smaller machines like Minos, but instead fully humanoid, seemed to tend to the livestock. They all had that same mask on their heads as well, or was it their head, it didn''t matter.


    It didn''t take long before we were brought to the dimly lit hallways again, the music could still be heard as we reached a pair of smaller doors.


    "What''s the music?"


    "The Fire is Gone."


    I searched my mind but I had never heard anything of that name, or anything of this nature.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "This is your resting area." Minos announced as we entered the room, unable to follow since the machine was too large to fit, however it was able to use its smaller claws to carry Pebble into the room. "He needs rest."


    "He needs a lot more than rest." Palm muttered.


    "He needs rest, it will heal him." Minos insisted.


    Palm sighed and we all managed to lift Pebble onto one of the beds. Upon closer inspection, it was a very spacious and long room, filled with about ten beds on each side and three large circular tables in the middle, on the side of each bed where small stands decorated with what I guess was stuff from the previous owners, stuff that hasn''t been touched in a very long time. We gently set Pebble down on the first one and almost immediately, his body jerked as his eyes went shut but the surface below him started to glow green.


    "Minos, what''s going on?"


    "Forbidden topic. But he will heal, it is better to let him rest." Minos screeched.


    Toucan shrugged and beckoned us to follow him as he followed Minos as the machine started to walk away.


    I sighed, glancing at Pebble one last time, seeing his peaceful face, he seemed content. I sighed before following.


    ***


    After being guided around several other parts of the building, a food center, a library, a filtration room similar to Mastermind''s, but now I was entering something called, ''The Assembly.'' The large machine continued to walk forward till it stopped as the lights inside the dark room lit up. On either side were machines like Minos, orange and covered in rust, I doubt they would move even be able to move if they waked up, they look one with the metal they were resting on, the gears on the ceiling and the mechanical arms dangling down, it all seemed like it was too ancient to even work anymore, but Minos worked.


    "Minos, why did we build you? Where did you get your wounds?" I inquired.


    Minos paused, and the head rotated to face me, unable to move its neck as its eye looked down at me, it twitched its head to tilt it before replying. "We were made to kill dragons, and the corrupted. I was made to guard Telikos, I was made to protect my creators. I received the wound from a Skoposwing."


    "I haven''t heard of that dragon tribe before."


    "They are not natural, they shouldn''t be natural."


    "What are they?"


    "Weapons, like me, but inferior."


    ***


    "What is this part?"


    "The armory."


    It was a large room, maybe three of the sections may have been just for this, there were what looked to be boomsticks on the wall but more refined, with more steel and gold parts engraved into them, as well as scopes and gears. Along the rows of Thunder-bows. There were also some larger weapons, like if you mixed a ballista with one, mounted on a giant series of gears so it could aim in every direction but directly below, where there was a series of wheels to transport it.


    The most unique out of all the strange and surprisingly non-bulky armor were the masks that were on hooks attached to the ceiling. The masks were long but resembled Minos''s face, with two triangular holes on the left where your eyes would be, and a large hole on the right with tears painted under the hole.


    "Is this armor?"


    "No, those are Masks of Sorrow."


    "What are they for?" I ask as I pick one off a hook, turning it over to look at the back, nothing seemed so special about it.


    "Weapons."


    "Can you be less vague?" Palm asked as she grabbed one along with Toucan.


    "They were for the weakest of creators. For those who needed more help to protect themselves."


    Toucan and Palm hung theirs back up as I further inspected mine. Something about it seemed familiar.


    "I''m not weak." Palm muttered.


    "Neither am I." Toucan said.


    "How do they work?"


    "Sorrow."


    ***


    "Pebble, I heard you were awake, how are you doing? Toucan told me you were awake." I said as I found him in the library, looking down at some scrolls, writing furiously into his own.


    "It has everything River, everything about us, but I can''t find anything about them."


    "What do you mean?" I ask as he showed some drawings of different parts of a human body and a brain, but right below the eye where our teardrops were seemed to be some sort of sac or organ.


    "We were designed, careful births and planning, forbidden technologies, clockwork selection, all for us."


    "For what?"


    "Heirs, to a throne, from what I''ve learned there were several empires before everything went to flames."


    "Heirs, we''re royalty?"


    "Yes, and our empire was the grandest of them all. Our technology, clockwork they called it, based on a device they used to tell the time like a sundial, made them one of the dominant powers on the continent. However we also took it a step further when it came to us teardrops, the most respected and revered in our society, we only secured our status further through the use of our insight abilities." He paused. "But nothing suggests they had any other abilities unique to them like us. But anyways, they were this all powerful empire but there was still one problem, a certain type of species that could breathe fire."


    I sigh. "Of course."


    "So we made our own."


    "Wait, what?"


    "After one empire, I think it said an empire called Poseidon, took an egg we soon followed. It was only a matter of time before they''d be weaponized against them so we decided to take our own eggs. After some dissections and apparently literally placing the organs from the human into the dragons and then a few generations... you remember how the dragons supposedly had powers?"


    "So they betrayed us?''


    "Yes, empires were falling, fire was now starting to rain down due to the backlash of stealing the eggs, so the Teardrops delved more into... something... it won''t say..."


    "And then?"


    "There''s no mention of whatever it was, but whatever happened, actually caused an alliance between everyone else but us."


    "So what made us the big bad, that everyone was out for our blood?"


    "I think it has something to do with the Corrupted, what the sentry mentioned?"


    "Sentry?"


    "That''s what they''re called, originally meant to fight against the usual fire breathing dragons but repurposed."


    "Repurposed to do what?"


    "To kill us."


    I paused, "Are you sure?"


    He shrugged, "No, there''s still so much, I haven''t even scratched the surface, I mean look at these books, there''s so much information here, ready to be let loose on the world!" He laughed as he threw his hands in the air, his wounds seemed to be completely gone.


    It made me smile to see that he was completely healed, whatever this ''forbidden topic'' was, maybe it wasn''t so bad if it healed him fully. "Have fun in there, make sure you find a way to get us out of here too though."


    "Already working on it."


    ***


    I walk into the sleeping quarters, going through some of the book titles before plopping myself down on the bed.


    I hear a knock and turn to see Toucan standing there. "Hey, I just wanted to talk to you about something."


    "Yeah, sure, did you hear about what Pebble found?" I asked as he approached.


    "Kind of, he just rambled about something called a Nautilus and how it can move in the lava."


    "That''s new, maybe he found a way out of here?"


    "Do you want to leave?"


    "I..." I let out a short laugh. "Definitely, I don''t wanna be stuck at the bottom of an ocean of lava forever y''know."


    "I get why you''d want that."


    "Yeah, so it turns out that-" My breath hitched as I felt a sudden burning sensation in my stomach, almost like heartburn, but a lot sharper. I felt my stomach with my hand before feeling a warm liquid rolling down my body, and then something sharp and metal. I looked down and saw that my hands were red, and a blade sticking in my stomach, Toucan''s hand wrapped around the knife.


    "Unfortunately we don''t always get what we want."

 Chapter Twenty-Six: It All Falls Down

    "I..." Was all I could get out as I grabbed his hand to keep him from twisting the blood any further. "It was me... not Wren... wasn''t it?" I said slowly as I pushed down on his knuckles, digging my nails into his skin but holding his hand firm.


    "Yes... I can''t let you hurt Palm-"


    "And this is the way to do it?"


    "I can''t risk it." He tried pulling his hand back, but my grip remained.


    "And you think I didn''t see this coming either?" I ask.


    His eyes widened, as I suddenly delivered a swift uppercut on his face from under his jaw.


    He let out a grunt and released his grip on the knife and stumbled backwards. I quickly pulled the knife out and revealed the mask I had hidden under my jacket. I hissed as I put my hands over the small puncture wound but quickly applied a bandage over it. it could have been a lot worse without the mask blocking most of the attack.


    "How did you-"


    "Two nights ago, I had a vision of you trying to slit my throat in my sleep."


    "That was the original plan, you weren''t supposed to be awake."


    "Yeah, I figured, sorry that killing me is such an inconvenience to you."


    "Oh please, you know only one of us is walking out that door."


    "Well, you probably shouldn''t have done this where the magical healing beds are then." I say as I put one hand over the soft surface of the bed, watching as the glow travels up my arm and starts healing the wound on my chest. I frown a little in disappointment that my hand doesn''t magically grow back, but shrug to myself before pointing my crossbow at Toucan.


    He quickly brings his hand up and slams it to the side of the wall.


    I go for a punch, but he suddenly kicks me hard in the leg, causing me to collapse to the floor only for him to follow his attack with a hard punch to the stomach.


    I let out a weak gasp, then jerk my body to the side as he tries to strike me with his fist again.


    I grab one of the stands beside the bed and use all my strength to hurl it at him, only for him to dodge and grab my hand with his left and using his other to twist it.


    I let out a cry of pain before grunting as I slam the head of my crossbow onto the side of his head and firing, watching as the arrow pierces his eye and goes straight through the man''s skull.


    His body falls right onto a bed, the glowing effect almost instant as he suddenly managed to sweep my legs. I fall down on another set of beds, luckily twisting my arm back into the right position.


    I hear a ripping sound and cry of pain behind me as he rips the arrow out of his head.


    "Had enough?" I spit at him.


    "Not a chance." He snarls as he lunges for me.


    I quickly stick my legs out and at the last moment tuck them in as he reaches for them only to shoot my head up against his own.


    He falls to the ground and holds his head with a hiss. "You motherfu-"


    As soon as he gets on his knees, I kick him hard onto the ground and slide him out of the room. "We can still work this out, come on-" I plead, but he lets out a yell as he suddenly launches himself at me.


    I shoot him in the stomach with another bolt, stopping him in his tracks.


    "I''ll kill you!"


    "I haven''t even done anything-"


    "I don''t care-" He yells but I put my boot in his face. Right after he falls, I start kicking him in the stomach and the side of his body, over and over and over again. I stomp on his head before finally stopping. "Don''t get up, and let''s talk-" I try again only for him to try and grab my collar, but only managing to grab my mask, falling onto his face.


    "I won''t let you take her away from me, I''ll not have that sorrow anymore!" He yells.


    Wait, that word.


    I pull back just in time as he lets out a screech as his body jerks on the ground and starts to convulse. I watch as his arms split into two and as his body is covered in black and red scales with hints of purple. I watch as his jaw splits apart and extends further to resemble that of a snout while three sets of horns grow on top of his head, curling to face the front. I watch as his teeth grow to pointy blades that make my own body look like a toothpick. Purple wings unfurl from his arms and extend out as he lets out a final roar before his body is fully transformed. He looked like a Rainwing with a face that looked like a dragon''s skull and the physique of a swamp dragon, his tail had a large curved blade embedded, like a long sickle.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "Toucan, listen to me-"


    He let out a roar and lunged for me.


    Suddenly a pair of rusty metal claws reached out from behind me and clamped down on his jaws before quickly slamming him to the ground. The claw suddenly jerked back so the rest of the dragon''s body was facing away, but the head. The dragon tried pulling itself away but it was too late as the other pair of metal claws started to spin, making a loud whirring sound as the claws turned to a spinning blade. He couldn''t even make a sound before the spinning claws cut into his neck, and in less than a second, the spinning claws cut right all the way through. Minos pulled their claws back with the severed head still in their grasp. "Inferior." Was all it said before crushing the head to a pulp, some of the blood splashing onto me. "Are you alright?" Minos asked as the left claw reverted back to normal.


    "Yes, but why''d you automatically save me?" I asked. "how did you know I wasn''t the one who started it?"


    Minos looked down at the corpse for a moment, slowly starting to liquify away until it resembled another mask. "Skoposwings are the reason I have no one to defend anymore, I would not let them take any more souls."


    "I''m... sorry to hear that..."


    "... Pity?" It asks as the gears click while it tilts its head towards me. "I am not supposed to feel, yet... I was... un-calculated in my approach... I... do not want you to die..."


    I processed that for a moment. "Thank you Mino-"


    I was cut off by the sound of a sword cluttering the ground.


    Both of us turned to see Palm with Pebble in tow. Her mouth pursed into a firm thin line, her eyes weren''t wide, they were wet though as a few tears found their way out and fell off her face and to the floor. Her knuckles were white and shaking, her feet fidgeting. "I was so happy when we finally found him... I didn''t care that he said you had to die..." She sighed before walking to the mask that had belonged or was Toucan. She fell to her knees and her face finally broke as she sobbed, letting the pain fall from her face and into the mask. She gently grabbed the mask and lifted it to her face. "I still don''t. But I understand what my problem is, that it isn''t Pebble''s fault that Scorpion''s dead, that a fifth of Sunset was killed, that was all yours."


    "Palm, he saved them." Pebble spoke.


    "Not all of them." Palm gritted through her teeth as one last tear fell to the floor. "What do you do with problems in your equations?"


    "I remove them." Pebble answered warily while trying to put a hand on her shoulder.


    "River, it''s time to remove yourself from the equation. Sorrow."


    I tried firing a crossbow bolt ,but she blocked it with a newly formed wing.


    Her body grew as with more black and red scales, almost the same as Toucan but instead more slim yet longer and with more spikes on the back of the body, she looked more like Fatespeaker with her faint teardrops and lack of fangs. Her wings were longer and had sharper spikes. The first thing she did though was pin down Pebble. "I have no quarrel with you, Pebble, but I can''t afford you to use your powers on me." She growled as she lifted him up in the air.


    "Wait, Palm, what are you- AH!" He yelled as his arms and ribs were crushed as she squeezed him before dropping him to the floor.


    I heard the sound of Minos''s claws whirring as the machine shot the spinning claws forward, only for one of the long wings to suddenly catch it and hold it away.


    Minos quickly recovered and slammed Palm with their tail, causing her to fall with a whimper.


    "Don''t you understand? I was made to kill you." Minos stated as the machine sank the sharp end of their head into her chest, piercing her like a giant blade.


    She screeched and tried to twist her head free but Minos kept their smaller hands on her neck as he got one of his larger claws to transform into another spinning blade.


    "Fine, kill me, but can you save him?" She asked as she then suddenly brought her tail down towards Pebble.


    Minos changed directions and slashed the end of the tail clean off, but Palm quickly latched her claws into the exposed chest and tore into the exposed gears and core, before ripping her head out of the machine.


    "Minos!" I cried out but was slammed onto the wall by Palm''s claws, one of them digging into my stomach. I was forced to watch as Palm''s head came out, and chunks of metal, gears and cables spilled from Minos''s chest, the piano inside crumpled.


    Minos''s movement slowed, each move of the machine a slow twitch, taking time for every twist and turn. Palm didn''t struggle as she ripped off the arm that used to be a spinning blade before using her jaws to rip off the other two smaller ones. Each limb ripped off made Minos slower, every movement lacking as more gears were blown to bits, the hind legs completely stopped working as she jammed their gears, bending them to be unable to move.


    "Pebble taught me that the more complex a machine is... the easier it is to break." Palm snarled.


    "No-" I muttered but Minos was ripped in half, and the light in their eye... was gone.


    Then she turned to me. "Now..."


    "Your new form fits, an animal, just like you." I growled as I lifted my crossbow, but she quickly dug her claw and destroyed Ant''s gift.


    "Damn right." She growled as she lifted me up and licked her lips as she then moved her snout right next to my ear. "I''ll enjoy this..." She whispered as she raised me above her jaws and opened up her maw. I squirmed and thrashed, trying to reach my herbs in some hopes of making a last-minute poison, but her grip was too strong as I was lowered inside until she suddenly growled and threw me to the side. "You took it all away... you need to suffer for it."


    She picked up Pebble and pinned him again before he could raise any of his damaged hands, before picking me up in the other pair of talons. She brought us both to the giant doors of the place, leaving the metal and wooden corpse of Minos behind as we entered the main entrance.


    "You''ll stay down here... for the rest of your life, alone." she said before thrusting me to the eye pattern on the wall while at the same time loosening her grip on Pebble. I fell against the wall right on the gem, activating the large behemoth gates. The gem had also dug deep into the side of my body as my body crashed to the wall. I tried to get up but just fell back on my face.


    Palm got ready to fly as the lava started to spill in, Pebble''s hand outstretched as he managed to keep the lava from getting in, blood already starting to fall from his ears.


    "Palm! You can''t do this-" Pebble started.


    "Shut up!" Palm roared.


    "What was I supposed to do, just die?!" I yelled at Palm before letting out another yell in pain.


    She didn''t hesitate. "I would have killed you for less."


    I pulled the gem out with a yell and thrusted it towards the symbol again, but Palm had taken off with Pebble, and I... was alone again.

 Chapter Twenty-Seven: Venom on Stars

    I finally carried the last stack of books into the hatch of the nautilus, the machine was kind of like a giant squid, with metal tentacles connected by gears yet somehow was unable to rust like the rest of the shelter. It was probably in the books somewhere, but I needed to get out of here first, there could be time for reading later... I hope. It had only been a day since Palm and Pebble had disappeared... and Minos was gone. I had tried getting another Guardian to be active but the assembly room was too rusty, and the machines would forever be lost to time. Once I crawled back to the bed though, everything physical was fixed enough. With the help of a few books, I also managed to make myself a new clockwork crossbow for my arm.


    "Alright, so how do I drive this thing?" I ask as I close the hatch and get into the bridge of the massive structure, looking out the window which was enclosed by a type of glass, although it was clear and unlike the ones I heard were in churches. It allowed me to see the lava trying to breach the glass. It should have melted, but yet it remained.


    I glanced back at my stack of books before picking up the one called, ''Guide to Nautilus.'' I placed it down on the console before pulling the lever, and heard as the metal beast started to wake.


    ***


    It was truly a magnificent sight, even if it felt like I couldn''t breath as I opened the hatch and revealed the hellish landscape outside. The mountains were exploding into flames, chunks of flaming rock fell from the sky causing more destruction as the sea of fire took the islands for itself. It was beautiful as it was terrifying. I then ducked as I heard a loud thud next to me, followed by more thuds as more of the black dragons started to fall from the sky and onto the deck. I turned around and aimed my crossbow at the new closest foe, only to see a familiar green-eyed Nightwing had landed on the top of the nautilus The center of his right wing was torn as if something had gone right through it.


    "Starflight?" I asked as I put my arm down.


    The green eyes looked up and locked with mine.


    ***


    Earlier...


    Starflight held his head low as he walked next to the Rainwing Queen and Fatespeaker to meet with his queen, it was a wonder though how his queen even had power since she had to live in lava all the time. Sure she was massive, but she really had no power, other then the fact she had control over all the Nightwings. "What''s wrong?" He asked Fatespeaker as he noticed her distant look.


    "I''m worried about River and his friends, we were late to pick them up and-"


    "They were gone, with no trace and we had no control of the circumstances, we shouldn''t blame ourselves." But those words were empty. There was no doubt that River and his friends were probably dead, eaten by those spiders. "We should have made sure it was safe before leaving." he muttered to himself sadly as Fatespeaker put a claw on his shoulder.


    "I''ll miss him." she said with a tear.


    "Who''s River?" Queen Glory asked.


    "River''s a-"


    "River''s a friend!" Starflight quickly interrupted before giving a worried look to Fatespeaker.


    She looked back confused but she remembered about the forest settlement the scavengers had in the rainforest, even if Queen Glory had a kingdom of Rainwings, to the scavengers, they may have just been more monsters.


    "He was a good Nightwing that helped us, but he''s gone now... I couldn''t save him." Fatespeaker said sadly as they continued to move forward.


    "Oh... I''m sorry." Glory said but Starflight noticed the faintest amusement in her tone, as if it made her happy that a Nightwing was dead. He decided to keep his mouth shut. "Strange name for a Nightwing." He heard her mutter.


    It was quiet except the flap of wings beating as the group of three headed up, although with the Rainwing camouflage it made it seem like just the pair. "I really could use an invisible army." Starflight thought aloud.


    "I''m right here." Glory said.


    "I don''t think that''s e-" He started but was cut off by Glory.


    "Do you know how we can open the dungeons? We''ve seen a bunch of spears, will they work?"


    Starflight took a moment to recover from the change of subject, how she just completely overruled him, he felt powerless. "No, you''ll probably need the keys."


    "Then let''s see the queen, she can either have a melted face or give me the keys, seems like a pretty easy choice to me." Glory snarled.


    ***


    After Glory had ''convinced'' the princess to come along with her venom, they all started to head into the corridors where the finally found the gigantic queen in the lava. She was in the middle of snarling at Mastermind who was currently testing some lava on armor he had made, only for the lava to went straight through the armor and break it.


    "Report." She snarled at the princess, unaware the Rainwing queen was right behind the smaller dragon, currently camouflaged.


    "Everyone''s together, but mother, can''t we postpone this? I can''t lead the dragons, I''m not ready yet! And Mastermind tells me the armor he''s making you isn''t either!" Princess Greatness pleaded.


    "SHUT UP!" She roared at her daughter. "Tonight, we''ll invade, no exceptions!" She rasped. The blue glow of the Icewing''s breath that cursed her into this pool of lava glowed slightly through her teeth as she spoke.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    "That isn''t possible your majesty, I''m afraid your armor isn''t ready just yet." Mastermind reported back to her. "Maybe with more time, I-"


    "I said tonight Mastermind!" She hissed. "She can''t be trusted to lead this invasion herself! She''s pathetic!" She snarled back to her daughter.


    "For good reason! I don''t know how to lead an invasion! That''s why I came for guidance but then-"


    "But then she met me." Glory finished for her, as she materialized behind Greatness.


    "What are you?" The queen said as she looked down at the smaller one, not as another dragon, but as if she was looking at a disgusting bug.


    "I am Queen Glory, of the Rainwings, I''ve decided to give your kind one more chance to end this or if we should get on with it and destroy your tribe."


    Starflight shifted uncomfortably as he thought about her words. "You mean you''ll-"


    "Not now Starflight!" Glory snapped, causing him to flinch back.


    ***


    After their encounter with the queen, and watching as the Icewing curse she had taken had finally taken her away from this world, the group of dragons quickly started to leave as the ground shook more violently. Larger chunks of rock started to fall from the ceiling as they quickly started to release the rainwing prisoners in captivity when a thought came to mind.


    He thought about River and flew up where he could see the empty cages of where there used to be pets and smaller creatures or test subjects, absent, but he did notice the Rainwing bodies hanging limply from a cell that was mostly untouched. They were scrawny and the color of their bodies indicated they had been pale long before then and probably died due to malnutrition and dehydration.


    "Starflight what are you-" Glory started to ask before she saw the view, just after rescuing her own Nightwing friend. The black dragon looked shocked, while the Rainwing queen''s face was filled with fury, her scales turning red again before her gaze turned calm again. Her scales remained red and black. "Deathbringer, we need to take them home."


    The Nightwing nodded and obeyed while Starflight couldn''t look, luckily he didn''t have to as moments later they were rushing to fly out of there.


    "Glory, the Nightwings are all going to die if we leave them here, we have to bring them through the-"


    "My decision is no Starflight." Glory suddenly said.


    "What?" Starflight asked as he turned to face her, the other dragons kept going for a bit before waiting as Glory and Starflight hovered in front of each other.


    "But what if we made you their queen and-"


    "No Starflight, I can''t let them... only you, Deathbringer and Fatespeaker."


    "You''re going to kill hundreds!"


    "Serves them right! They thought they could get away with abducting and torturing my dragons to death, and now Pyrrhia itself is telling them they can''t get away with it. Let. Them. Burn."


    "This is my tribe Glory! And my dad!"


    "Starflight, are you seriously defending them?" She asked, her scales becoming more red and black while the building they were just in started to collapse into shambles, reduced to falling chunks of rock.


    "Glory, what about the dragonets, what about-"


    "Choose!"


    Starflight flinched at her words. "What?"


    "Choose between your friends or the Nightwings that have tried taking control of our every move for their own twisted purpose ever since we were born!"


    "Their purpose was to survive!"


    "Choose!"


    Starflight went silent for a moment. "You aren''t my friend, my friends wouldn''t have assumed I betrayed them, my friends wouldn''t make me choose them between killing a tribe and them, we are suppose to the heroes-"


    "We will be, by getting rid of them-"


    "Enough... I... I really thought we were friends."


    She turned dark gray before going dark red. "They tortured us!"


    "Not all of them!"


    "So you choose them?"


    "... I''m sorry-"


    She let out a hiss and charged at him but he managed to quickly whack her with his tail in his attempt to fly off.


    She let out a growl as she was sent back but quickly flapped her wings hard to get above Starflight before hissing as she shot two lines of acid at him.


    Starflight let out an agonized scream in pain as he tried to fly, only to start falling as the acid ate away at his wing, going down and down into the ocean of fire.


    Glory''s scales then shifted to dark gray as her eyes grew wide. "Wait no!" She cried as her scales shifted blue as she tried to dive after him, only for chunks of rock to fall where he was and... she lost her sight of him. "I-I d-didn''t m-mean t-to." A few tears started to fall from her eyes as she hovered there, before being pulled back by Deathbringer.


    "We have to go, we don''t have long."


    "I... no... Starflight what have I..." She sobbed before recollecting herself as she started to fly with the others. "I have to get my Rainwing''s out of here."


    When he noticed the others flying away, he finally got himself out of the rock he hid under and started to fly, every beat of his wings made him wince and whimper and pain. He was fortunate that Morrowseer had gone hard on him just days before, or he may have never been able to fly in this pain. He finally made it to the herd of Nightwing''s debating on whether to go through the tunnel and face the Rainwing threat. "EVERYONE! OUR QUEEN IS DEAD! THE RAINWINGS HAVE WON AND THEY WILL SHOW NO MERCY! FOLLOW ME, WE HAVE TO MAKE IT TO THE MAINLAND AND WE HAVE TO GO NOW!" He yelled to the back of the crowd before taking off. To his surprise the crowd followed and soon the ones that couldn''t hear followed the crowd as they all took off They all got out just in time to watch their home fall apart and be submerged in the sea of lava. Their home was gone. His friends were gone. His tribe was all that remained.


    ***


    The Nightwings were tired, and it wouldn''t be long before they would start to fall, land or not. Luckily there was a giant piece of metal heading away from the volcanoes, as if moving on its own. "Land!" Starflight yelled to everyone as they started to dive towards the giant deck, and when he looked up, he was greeted with the sight of a familiar scavenger. "River?"


    ***


    I held my breath as I slowly approached Starflight as more of the nightwings started to fall from the sky before cracking a piece of the gem off so he could carry it. "Starflight, is that you?" I asked.


    "Yeah... it''s me, you were right, River." He mumbled between pants as he gulped despite the lump in his throat.


    "About?"


    "My friends... well... they aren''t my friends anymore I guess..." he said somberly.


    I patted his snout. "I''m sorry."


    "Where are your friends?"


    "My friends?" I weakly laughed as I looked back at my arm. "They''re gone, they either left me or got themselves killed." I shake my head with a faulty chuckle as a tear goes down my eye. "It''s good to see someone again after they left me down there, how''s Fatespeaker?"


    "She''s alright, she''s somewhere around here but there are too many Nightwings to count right now and I... I don''t know what to do."


    I sigh. "I know the feeling, there''s no food on the Nautilus so we''re going to have to land back at the rainforest, I''d recommend since you guys just lost your kingdom, maybe collect some fruit then flee to the rest of Pyrrhia, I take it the Forestfangs won''t take you in since..."


    He nodded. "Think we can stay here?"


    I shook my head. "There''s not enough food for your tribe, I''m sorry. But at least you saved them." I said as I walked past the nightwing''s who started to collapse to the ground as they panted from exhausting their wings for so long. They didn''t even care about the fact that I was walking around, they were too tired to do anything but rest their head on the metal deck.


    I looked down at the mask that I had taken from Telikos, the power of a dragon, in the palm of my hand. I opened my hand and let it drop to the sea of fire, watching as the lava enveloped it as it started to burn, before finally going out of sight.


    "What was it?" Starflight asked.


    "Nothing now." I responded quietly. I won''t reject my humanity, not like Palm and Toucan.

 Chapter Twenty-Eight: Reunions

    It was quiet as Starflight flew through the forest, his body disappearing easily as he flew through the shadows, as if he was becoming one with them.


    "Thanks for giving me a ride." I whispered as I listened and looked around. Up down right left, I never kept my eyes on one place for too long, not when there were Forestfangs about.


    "Thanks... for helping my tribe move off the island." he whispered back as he collected some fruit and finished tying up his pouch, before moving on to collect more to add to his rations.


    "How many bags have you filled so far?"


    "That makes twenty, and if you multiply it with the other dragons, by the time we''re done, we''ll have enough to last us a few days out of the forest."


    "Good." I say as I then hear a twig snap. "Shadow." I quietly whisper in his ear.


    He nods, and buries himself quickly in the shadow of a nearby tree, as we both hold our breath.


    We stay silent for a few moments till I crawl up his neck a little to get on top of his head behind his horn. "Right side, tree with four branches." I whisper in his ear as I notice the slight shimmer of the leaves as something slowly walks by. I bring my head up fast as I hear growling from above me, and end up to see another Nightwing above us. There weren''t supposed to be any Nightwings searching around this area, this wasn''t part of the plan. "He''s one of yours?" I ask Starflight. He shakes his head. "No... she is not-mmph!"


    The taller and thin dragon puts their claws around Starflight''s mouth, keeping his jaws clamped up together, all of us turning our heads together as we hear the small rustling stop. We all wait with held breath, but finally the rustling continues and starts getting far away from us, before we hear nothing at all.


    The other Nightwing seems to sigh before looking back down and growling something softly to Starflight.


    "I-It''s just me and him, please don''t eat him. I-I''m Starflight." He speaks up quietly to the larger Nightwing.


    She let out another growl.


    "We''re scavenging for food, then we''re going to fly far from the Rainwings in hopes of safety."


    Growl.


    "They''ve turned violent, they''ll kill us now." Starflight said as the other dragon then gave a thoughtful hum. "I won''t tell anyone you''re here Secret Keeper." Starflight said which seemed to calm the larger dragon down, before she finally turned back and went to fly away.


    "What was that about?" I asked Starflight as we kept heading back to Hollow.


    "She''s lived here separate from the rest of them in secret, I warned her about what will happen to Nightwings left here."


    I nod. "Good." I say as we finally reach the village where I hear a series of warning whistles coming from the watcher until I stand up on Starflight''s head. "It''s okay, he''s tame." I whisper-shout as I can hear the faint sound of cranks as the ballista''s aim away from us. They still look at me warily but the whistles have stopped, and the crossbows take silent aim as Starflight lets me down on the ground while also lowering down the pouch of books.


    "River?" I hear Ant''s voice ask as he pushes himself through the newly formed crowd. "Where are ya friends?" He asks.


    I''m quiet as I looked down before shrugging, they might be still alive... somewhere... "I have no good answers."


    His head falls before perking up as he looks at the Nightwing. "And him?"


    "He won''t harm us, in fact he''s leaving." I then turn back to Starflight. "Thanks for bringing me back."


    He nods. "It was nice knowing you River, but I have to go-"


    I suddenly heard a loud growl.


    The Nightwing jumped and dropped a bag on his makeshift belt..


    "Three moons, I thought I had more time!" He exclaimed as he fumbled grabbing a bag of fruit he had dropped.


    "That one isn''t mine, get the serpents ready!" I quickly order Ant as I quickly go to an ammo crate and pick up some bolts.


    "Wait don''t, she''s a friend!" Starflight quickly pipes up as the new dragon enters the light shining through the gigantic trees. A blue one with a long sail going along their back with webbed talons, and bioluminescent spots running along the sides of their body.


    The dragon growled something I couldn''t understand without the gem.


    "Yeah Tsunami, it''s me-" He starts before the dragon suddenly tackles him.


    We all raise our bows and get ready to fire till I put a hand up as I see the tears falling from the blue one''s eyes.


    The dragon continued to growl stuff I couldn''t understand to Starflight, but they seemed like they knew each other. Wait, what if this was one of his ''friends?''


    I followed them as they started to go to a small clearing, Starflight kept trying to politely pull away but noticed me following.


    "You shouldn''t be-"


    "I''m not letting you be alone with them." I say as I shot a glare at Tsunami, before looking back to starflight.


    ***


    "Stupid little scavenger." She muttered before going to hug Starflight again.


    Starflight took a step back and flinched.


    Tsunami''s eyes widened before she let out a nervous laugh. "Starflight, what are you doing, it''s me."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Glory was still herself too, when she used her acid on me."


    "She did what?" Tsunami snarled with her head recoiling back, her pupils turning to slits.


    "I did." Glory suddenly announced sadly as she materialized behind River. Starflight quickly picked him up to keep the small scavenger away from Glory''s talons.


    "Starflight... I''m so happy you''re okay-" Glory started when Tsunami tackled her.


    "You told us that he was caught in the crossfire of a Rainwing and Nightwing, not that you were the Rainwing?"


    "It was my fault." Starflight suddenly spoke up.


    "What?" Tsunami snapped.


    Glory was already shaking her head. "You''re wrong, can we please talk in private?"


    "No! You don''t! Not after-"


    "Please Tsunami!" Starflight suddenly asked.


    Tsunami lowered her head and huffed before snarling to Glory. "We''ll have a talk, all of us will, later."


    Glory simply nods as the blue dragon walks off before looking down at the River. "Let me guess, he gets to stay?" she asks before scoffing as she flies off.


    Glory looks down at the scavenger.


    Starflight sighs. "I lied about River... this... is River." Starflight said as he made a motion to River.


    River kept glaring at her and seemed eager for a chance to strike. "I... didn''t know it was so bad that this thing became your friend." Glory said sympathetically as a tear rolled down her eye.


    "He''s..." Starflight started but decided it would be best for River to choose to reveal if he speaks or not. "...Very protective of me since me and Fatespeaker rescued him."


    "You act like he''s dangerous-" Glory speaks softly as she goes to pet the top of River''s head.


    "But you are..." Starflight says as River shoots one of his bolts at Glory''s scales, the arrow bounces off harmlessly but makes the message clear. Glory retracts her hand as she looks down shamefully.


    "I deserve that... I do regret hurting you... I''m really sorry... you''re a brother to me Starflight... and you''re right, I shouldn''t have had to make you choose." She took a few steps closer but River quickly got between the two.


    "It''s okay, I''m his friend-" Glory tried speaking softly to the scavenger but Starflight just backed away.


    "I''m not so sure of it, you said you shouldn''t have given me a choice, then what would you have chosen, what would you do if you saw any other Nightwings?"


    "I would lock them up."


    Starflight scoffed.


    "It''s not killing them, but they still have to pay for their crimes... wait... you know where they are... don''t you?"


    Starflight stiffened and his eyes went wide before he started shaking his head. "No, I don''t know-"


    Glory suddenly grabbed Starflight by the shoulders. "Where are they-"


    "Starflight!" He suddenly heard as a smaller yellow dragon quickly pounced on him, knocking the gem away from him. "Sunny!" He exclaimed he wrapped his wings around her, they nuzzled before Starflight finally looked back to River and Glory. "Can we talk... i-in privacy, please?" He asked.


    Glory paused for a moment before nodding, RIver seemed to understand and started to leave.


    ***


    I quickly grabbed the gem and reluctantly headed back to Hallow, something about that Sandwing was familiar, but I couldn''t put a name on it. I headed back and waited, the air was uneasy and I felt as if I was being watched.


    "The forest has eyes." Ant mutters behind me as he takes a swig from a flask.


    "Where did you get that from?" I ask him.


    He points up where I flinch as I notice six pairs of giant eyes looking down at us. "Three moons!"


    He chuckled. "They''re harmless... but River... I''ve... I don''t care if it''s a good answer or no."


    "We... we found more than we were looking for... and Palm was hurt too much by it... and she took Pebble and left me to die."


    "I''ve... sorry... What will ya do now?"


    I sigh and rub the bridge of my nose. "To be honest, I have no idea. When Starflight finally came back, I quickly tossed the gem to him. "Dropped something?" I asked but noticed his long face.


    "It was nice knowing you, River, goodbye and thanks... for everything." He said before dropping the gem and flying off, just like that.


    ***


    I looked at the giant stack of books on the table, but I didn''t have it in my heart to read them, at least not yet. I just felt disgusted seeing them there. I should have been here with Palm, Pebble and Scorpion, how had things turned to complete shit?


    "Why?" I asked the room.


    All I got back was silence, it wasn''t like I could get anything else.


    I sighed before taking a step outside and looking at the stars and the mountains, where I could see the Invincible City perched and protected by it''s walls and ballistas.


    I shouldn''t have gone there, I should have been able to stay at home, I should... I looked back at my books before flipping one of them open, showing diagrams and diagrams of tools and weapons.


    "I was running and I didn''t even realize it." I scoffed at myself as I started packing things. It was time to go back home.


    ***


    "Heel." I whispered to my horse as I took a bite of my apple. It was dark, the night shining though as it filled the sky, the stars no match to the might as Perception was full and beamed its light down on the delta. I clicked my tongue to my horse as I got off, giving the rest of my apple to the hungry creature. It neighed in response and stayed put as I started to move forward.


    "Mmph! Mmmmph! Mmmmmph!" I sighed as I moved closer and took down the nearby plants to reveal a boy, he was my age when I was sacrificed, he had dirty rags, binds, a gag on his mouth, the rope looked so tight that he was starting to turn blue from how tight it was. He still tried to yell, but his eyes widened as he saw me. I quickly sliced the rope off and took the gag off as he collapsed towards me.


    "Hey, are you okay-" I start to ask but he just breaks down into my arms as he wraps his hands around me, holding me tight and never wanting to let me go.


    "T-thank you..." He sobbed.


    I patted his back as I quietly spoke. "It''s okay now... I won''t let them hurt you again." I assured him as he sniffled into my chest.


    "W-who are you?"


    "I''m someone who was also chosen for the ceremony, Not too long before you were born though... my name''s River, what''s yours?"


    "B-Berry."


    "Berry, do you wanna help me teach these frauds a lesson?"


    His eyes widened, and through his tears he managed to smile. "I would really like that mister-"


    I chuckle. "I''m not that old." I say before clicking my tongue to summon my horse. "Come on kid, let''s get you home."


    "You''re not old enough to call me kid either."


    I snicker as I help him on.


    "Let''s go."


    ***


    I took a deep breath before heading to the gate, covered in scrubs of foliage. It still looked exactly the same after all these years. My horse''s trots echoed throughout the whole town as it moved on the stone floor. It was curfew, no one was allowed outside, no one but them... I squinted as a few figures started to emerge before the ones in red cloaks finally made an appearance.


    "What is the meaning of this! He was suppose to be sacrificed or-"


    "Fraud!" I shouted loudly which made him flinch.


    The whole crowd backed away as I left Berry on the horse as I pulled back my hood.


    "You-" One growled but I already shot an arrow through his throat, silencing him forever. I paid no attention as his body dropped to floor with a quiet thud.


    "Remember me?" I asked the other two.


    One started to draw their sword but I quickly shot another bolt at his shoulder, and another at his leg while the other started to run away. I let out a snicker as he fell to his knees. "On the ground, like a dog." I said as I delivered a swift kick to the side of his face. The crowd surrounding me had rapidly started to shrink as they whispered curses and profanities at me for my actions, that was until I pulled out a wooden whistle.


    "Come closer... I dare you!" The shrinking stopped. "No one? Anyone?" I asked.


    Silence, they now stayed far away from as if I was sick. Maybe I was sick, but it was their fault for leaving me to the giant flying wolves.


    I walked over to the cloaked figure on the ground, putting my crossbow-arm to his head, so the arrow was already touching his head.


    "Get off of him!" I heard behind me in a familiar voice. My breath hitched as I recognized her. I slowly got up and turned around as I looked into the familiar gray eyes, and the teardrops below them.


    "Mother?"


    Her eyes widened and filled with tears. "River?"


    My breathing started to race as if I was running, yet I still stood there. My heart started thumping against my chest, trying to escape, yet I was still there. My hand started to shake, but I reloaded the crossbow and pointed it right at her. "You left me." I choked out through my own tears as I fired.

 Chapter Twenty-Nine: One last Sacrifice

    The shot whistled right past her head, impaling the thatch wall next to her. I took a few steps closer, kicking the hooded figure one last time before approaching her. "Who are you to tell me what to do?" I asked as everyone else stayed far away from us as we both approached each other.


    "Son-"


    "You have no right to call me that! I-"


    "I didn''t know..." And with that, my rage fell.


    "H-huh?"


    She suddenly broke down into sobs in front of me as she suddenly wrapped her hands around me, and buried her head into my chest. "I swear, I didn''t know... t-they told you died in a dragon attack, that you tried rescuing t-the sacrifice... i-I didn''t know-"


    "That I was the sacrifice." I muttered as she sobbed into my arms, all the rage and anger seemed to wash out of me as I wrapped my hands around her back. "I-I almost killed you... I-I"


    "Don''t you dare! You... y-you could have died because of me... You could''ve... I''m so sorry... forgive me... p-please... forgive m-me..." She sobbed. "I was supposed to protect you... I-I-" I pulled her tighter against me as I felt my own tears fall.


    "It wasn''t your fault... i-it wasn''t, I-I... t-that must have been horrible... to lose your son..."


    "B-but i-it is..."


    "No... it''s theirs..." I say as I motion to the cloaked figures on the floor, one trying to crawl away.


    "No... i-it''s all of us... we''ve let this gone on for too long-"


    "What are you talking about, Stream, if we don''t follow through with the sacrifices then we''ll all die!" One of the crowd cried out as I saw a few people trying to get to Berry.


    "Step the fuck away from him right now!" I said as I aimed my crossbow while wiping some tears off my face.


    The pair quickly put their hands up, one pair in the crowd met Berry''s eyes before quickly looking away. I assumed his parents, but they knew what was going on unlike my mother. I still managed to breath out a sigh in relief, knowing my mother didn''t abandon me after all, but what about dad?


    The dragonmancer''s groans of pain quickly took me out of my momentarily trance. I quickly picked up the smaller guy and quickly got on top of his as I put both my hands on his neck and pressed down.


    "W-wait... p-please!" He gasped.


    "Admit the truth, and maybe I''ll consider letting you live."


    He nodded frantically as I let him go. "Fine! We''re treasure smugglers! We found some stuff from the Mountain dragons and kept to ourselves! We didn''t have to share if there was no one to share it with, so we came up with the sacrifices!" He looked up at me with pleading eyes. "So now you let me live, right?" I looked at the rest of the crowd, taking in their silent shock.


    My eyes widened as my mother suddenly rushed with a scream and started beating the man relentlessly with her fists. Her fist making contact with his face again and again, each time masking her fist and his face with more and more blood. She didn''t say any words, all that escaped her lips was just a pure and guttural scream.


    Everyone else had a look of shock and anger at the Dragonmancers as well, I could hear as they muttered names and members of their families they had also lost. It soon turned into an uproar, all roaring for the Dragonmancer''s lives. Watching the frauds getting torn apart by the mob was tempting, but I had a better idea.


    "Wait." I quickly grabbed her hand right before she could deliver another punch and finish him off. Her chest was heaving as she looked back at me with eyes filled with fury and tears. "Berry, think you can get the rope?"


    The kid''s eyes practically beamed as he went to get the rope from my steed.


    The Dragonmancer''s eyes turned wide.


    "How many have been sacrificed for your damn treasure runs, no more... actually... maybe just two..." I said as I grabbed some of the rope and gagged them. "This will be the last sacrifice." I said with a smile.


    They let out a muffled cry.


    ***


    Me, Berry, my mother, and a few others I didn''t recognize all watched as the Skywing followed the muffled cries of the tied up individuals. It picked the tree up as if it was a mere twig. The dragonmancer''s cries increased, yet I couldn''t help but smile as the dragon opened up its jaws and untied the rope, both of them screaming as they fell inside and then, gulp.


    So many souls must have died because of them, it was fitting that they had fallen to the same fate they had put so many others in. No trial was needed, everyone agreed that they reaped what they sowed.


    ***


    It didn''t take long for half of the village to leave, probably too ashamed to stay but I didn''t care as I just laid there, back in my old room. I let out a weak chuckle as I spotted some old drawings of the river and trees. "Mom..." I asked as she walked past.


    "Y-yes son?" She asked, her eyes still wet from tears.


    "Are you sure you want to stay?" I ask.


    She put a hand over my own. "I already lost you once, I won''t lose you ever again."Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    I wiped my own tears away before hugging her again. "Thank you... thank you so much for not abandoning me..." I sobbed into her as she patted my back.


    ***


    I looked back down at the map of Talisman I had, the books I had recovered from Telikos at the side, and a page opened detailing blueprints of different weapons. "Rowan, you know sword combat, correct?" I asked the woman, her hair was matted and she hadn''t washed in days due to being locked away as the next sacrifice.


    She nodded. "I doubt we''ll all end up like the dragonslayer."


    I scoff. "I''m not asking you to make us dragonslayers, I''ve probably killed more dragons than that fool anyways." Damn him for causing the war of dragons, damn him for making us look more appetizing!


    "We''re going to need a town guard if we wanna make this a proper town, when we''re ready, you''ll be the captain in our guard. I''ll see if I can get my friend, Ant, to help out as well. The gold the Dragonmancers have collected over our corpses can finally be put to something good, and it will more than compensate for his time."


    "I doubt sword and bowman can do anything against a dragon."


    "You''re right, they''re useless without thanatos, and thanatos is going to be a lot fucking harder now that Pebble is gone. SO the value has definitely gone up." I announced.


    "Thanatos?"


    "A venom formed inside basilisks that used to live in the desert, toxic enough to kill a dragon with just a few arrows."


    "How are we supposed to get the money to buy that stuff? That won''t be cheap and the Dragonmancer''s gold won''t last us forever."


    "We can provide something else." I unrolled the scroll of paper and revealed a complete map of Pyrrhia I had transcripted from the original stolen one in the Dragonmancer''s lair, I of course had translated the parchment. "The Dragonmancer could have lived as kings if they realized how valuable this shit would be if they just sold it." I say as I look at the teacher. "This I bet will also create an influx of people who will wish to learn here, after all, we will be one of the only villages with a way of actually protecting ourselves from true dragon attacks that remain. People will want to learn, especially the maps for future merchants. I want you to gather candidates you believe are fit for teaching, and then come back to me on your ideas of expanding the school in three days'' time. Did you get all that?"


    She nods and quickly hurries off.


    "We''ll of course also need to build up the town, fortify our shelters, create a defense that isn''t just fodder and then expand our trade."


    "You have this pretty thought out, don''t you?" Stream asked with a proud smile on her face, a weak smile though she still felt guilt for all the others who hadn''t returned like me. She deserved it, they all did... but then again they didn''t know...


    I shook my head as I turned away from my mother and went back to the town map. "So I was thinking we could create a small military force, just to enforce and maintain the law. There''s no doubt that some cultists will probably still try to take over, so we need to fish them out before they can cause any more damage." I say as I wrap up my papers. "I think that''ll be all for today, tomorrow we''ll start construction on the towers and spiked buildings. Have a good night everyone, tomorrow, we''ll also throw a proper funeral for those we lost."


    I saw an amulet wrapped around Berry''s neck by his father, he accepted with empty eyes before walking to me as he nodded at my maps.


    I thought for a moment before speaking. "The age of Talisman ends today, it''s now time for the age of Amulet to begin."


    ***


    It was quiet as everyone lit candles in the day, candles surrounded the stone graves that now littered the ground, there were too many. "I should have made them suffer more." I growled weakly as I thought about the Dragonmancers. I watched as I heard people cry at some of the graves and while others just paid their respects by lighting the candles by the stone markers.


    "You made sure it won''t happen to anyone else, you should be proud of that." Stream comforted me as she put a hand to my shoulder.


    "Mom... how did you... believe there lies all this time... how could you?" I asked her as I hugged her as we visited my father''s grave.


    "We thought it worked... we thought they kept us safe..."


    "No, I''ll make sure that nothing like this happens again."


    "Um... you?" I heard a demanding yet confused voice, where I saw a girl a year younger than myself. She was tan and had dark curly hair, lots of freckles, brown eyes and moss green clothes. Her sword was already out and pointed towards me. "Are you River?" She demanded.


    I drew my crossbow. "Who''s asking-"


    "Wren?" I heard from Rowan?


    "Rowan?" I heard another voice from behind, seeing a guy just a year younger with dark hair and had a bit of muscle wearing green pants and a peachy tunic.


    "Leaf? It''s you! You''re alive!" Rowan suddenly hugged him tightly as me and Wren watched. Standing beside him was a girl with big brown eyes with long dark hair flowing to the back, she looked about a couple years younger than myself. She wore some pink clothes and had some jewels attached to her necklace. "River, they''re my siblings, it''s okay!" Rowan quickly exclaimed as she frantically waved me to put my arm down.


    I glared at Wren for a moment, her eyes more suspicious than my own, but I put the crossbow down. But I kept the bolt loaded, Toucan''s vision did say Wren did have a dragon. However, he did lie about it, so who knows what was true and what wasn''t? "You''re Wren, huh? Palm told me about you."


    "Palm? Oh, you''re one of those teardrop ones."


    I nodded.


    "Where are the Dragonmancers, I-"


    "I killed them."


    She stared at me for a few seconds, but there was a faint smirk of amusement. "How?" She asked, she felt no remorse, she was just curious.


    "Shot the first one in the head, decided to do one last sacrifice, but this time-" She finished for me.


    "They were on the menu." She smiled. "So what''s going on?" She asked as she saw the candles and markers.


    "We''re mourning... for everyone that we''ve lost during the Dragonmancers."


    "Oh... that''s nice, I guess." She said, sounding unsure. Her feet shifted awkwardly on the floor.


    "You, you aren''t really a people person, are you?" I ask.


    She shook her head.


    "People... can be monsters, just look at the markers." She stated as her voice got quiet while she looked at the large amount of stone graves. "Are you?"


    "Am I what?"


    "A monster?"


    I took a few seconds to think, I''ve been through a lot, but the worst thing I did was kill the Dragonmancers and that was justice, not cruelty. But to survive in this world, we''ve all done things we aren''t proud of. I wince as I think about killing Toucan, maybe if I talked to him more, then all of us would still be together. I thought about Scorpion, if I saved her how would life have differed, would it have been better? "I hope not." I say quietly.


    She paused as she glared at me, her eyes only softening a bit. "At least you''re honest." She scoffed quietly.


    "Are you going to be staying?"


    She shakes her head. "With these brainless idiots?"


    I crack a smile while my mom protests.


    "Hey-" she starts.


    "You deserve it." I quickly state.


    "I know." She deflates sadly.


    "So, you were also a sacrifice?" I asked.


    She let out a laugh. "Yeah, but I managed to wiggle myself free."


    "I bit."


    She chuckled before she and the other two started to walk away. "I''ll see you around, River."


    "You too Wren." I gave her a nod as I turned to leave.


    I saw out of the corner of my eye as their parents tried to converse with them, only for Wren to put her hand out and keep her distance. I couldn''t hear what they were saying, but I didn''t need to.


    I took a deep breath and looked back at the old Dragonmancer''s lair, as people tore it apart, wood by wood. "Come on, we got work to do." I say but my mother stays at my father''s grave. I sigh. "It was a tragedy in the past, we must now make our fortune in the future." I say before walking away, but not before lighting a candle. "I wonder what you''d think of me now, dad..."

 Chapter Thirty: Shattered

    The sun shined brightly as the group of four dragonets stood below the beautiful blue sky, the white strokes in the air seemed as if the clouds had been painted there. The wind was playful and soothing as it moved its way across and around their scales, the mountains below glowed green like Emeralds in the sun''s light. It was beautiful, yet they couldn''t help but feel unease as they stood there.


    "This feels wrong." The gold dragon muttered quietly. "He should be here with us." She said sadly as she leaned on the swamp dragon''s uninjured arm, the other limb equipped with a cast to cover the burn wounds he had.


    "We''ll find him, don''t worry Sunny." Tsunami assured Sunny as she wrapped her wings around her while giving Glory a glare, Glory said nothing in return and instead looked at the Nightwing beside her.


    "Has there been any news about him, Deathbringer, any at all?"


    Deathbringer shook his head sadly. "No signs, but we''ve reduced the amount of guards, if we''re right, it should be any night now." He reports.


    Glory let out a soft growl before waving him off.


    "Sunny, do you really think it''ll be possible? That we could really build something like that?"


    Sunny nods as she has the view of multiple kingdoms from up high on the mountain, before looking back at the nearest peak. "It''ll work, and we''ll make it perfect."


    "Yeah, we can use the caves inside for classrooms, but we can keep everyone outside for most of the time." Tsunami mused.


    "Yeah, it''s important they get a lot of Sun." Glory piped up, but quieted down as Tsunami gave her a glare, albeit softer than the last one.


    "We should also have field trips, that way all the dragons feel sand, mud, ocean, snow while also eating whatever they want." Clay added in.


    There was silence for a moment as they looked at what would be their school. "We should have scrolls... Starflight would love to have added scrolls." Sunny said quietly as the rest went quiet. "Glory, you promise that if you do find them..." Sunny trails off.


    Glory nods. "They can come as well."


    ***


    The Nightwings were huddled together in the cells, a scrawny dragonet curled up against their equally scrawny mother.  He was trembling as they saw a shadow pass by, believing it to be another Rainwing guard, one who had ripped everything they had away.


    Instead, there was a quiet, whistling sound, before a sharp clank could be heard from the cell''s latch. The door swung with a loud creak as the dragonet ran to their mother. "Mom... look!" He whispered.


    She groggily woke up along with some other Nightwing prisoners.


    One picked up the shattered glasses he had managed to put them on. "Son?" He asked.


    The Nightwing outside of the cage just put a claw to his lips as he motioned for them to get out silently, using the darkness of his wings to try and cover up the entrance as much as he could in the shadows, that was a little hard with a large hole in his wing though.


    "I hope the others didn''t get caught." He said quietly to himself.


    They all followed his orders without complaint as they quietly climbed to the bottom of the trees, before following Starflight as he led the way to the shores where they would then fly like their tails were on fire.


    "Starflight." An unfamiliar voice asked him.


    He turned his head to see another Nightwing, a little more bulkier than him and definitely older.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "There''s no time for us to stop, we have to get to shore before-" He was suddenly pulled by the Nightwing into a small clearing, he was exposed, at least that''s what he thought when he saw a familiar set of green and orange wings cover him.


    "Starflight." the Rainwing queen said softly as she got on top of him to cover him with her wings.


    "Glory, what do you want, how did you know-"


    "Did you think we lowered the amount of guards for no reason?"


    Starflight sighed in defeat. "Three moons, I should have known it was a trap."


    "I''m surprised you didn''t Starflight, you..." Suddenly she felt something sharp pointed at her chest, and saw a small scavenger in his pouch with the tip of their steel claw touching her scales.


    "You brought River with you, cute, but what''s a scavenger-"


    "Do you smell that?" Starflight asked.


    Glory tilted her head and took a long sniff, before her eyes widened.


    "How did you get dragonbite viper?"


    "I have my ways, and he''s trained enough to-"


    "Relax Starflight, I didn''t come here to fight, I came here to talk, to find you." Glory said. "Sunny''s worried about you, every single day."


    Starflight''s eyes turned to look at the floor as he tried hiding his tears.


    "Starflight... I know you... may never be able to forgive but please listen to what I''m about to say."


    Starflight was silent food a moment before nodding. "Go on."


    "Me and the others, now that the war is over, want to open a school. A school with all the dragon tribes... even Nightwings."


    His eyes widened. "Wait, you''ll-"


    "Not the adults." She quickly cut him off with a soft yet stern tone. "The adults I can never forgive, but the dragonets, they didn''t do anything wrong. So feel free to send them to our school, feel free to visit, we really miss you."


    He looked down for a moment, then looked back to River and motioned for him to put the crossbow down.


    River let out a squeak to both of them before putting his crossbow away.


    "Maybe we can have pet scavengers too." Glory offered as she gently petted River, River tried pulling away and pushing her talons off but gave up as she scratched the top of his head.


    "He doesn''t trust you."


    "That''s a weird way of saying he doesn''t like me." She mused. "Starflight, why did you get so into scavengers in the first place, I know they''re endangered but-" She asked.


    "Let''s just say if it wasn''t for him, me and several other Nightwings would be at the bottom of the ocean right now."


    "So where''s your kingdom- I see..." Glory said sadly as she saw Starflight shaking his head.


    ***


    "What do you think, guys?" Wren asked as she sat by their fire as she laid on Sky''s side.


    "He''s definitely better than the Dragonmancers." Sky said. "But I think... I think he knows about me."


    "That''s impossible-" Leaf started but was cut off by Ivy.


    "Not if he''s a teardrop." She said quietly.


    Everyone paused at that.


    "What do you know about them?" Wren asked.


    "I''ve Heard stories, dad-... Heath was terrified of them, they could see visions and read minds, at least that''s what he told me. He was always worried they''d come for the treasure." Ivy announced.


    "You really buy into that?" Leaf asked.


    "I met this one, Palm, she seemed to know exactly what to say to me, and even what to say to Sky."


    "So you think..." Ivy started.


    "Perhaps we should pay him another visit, see how much of home... is still home."


    ***


    It was dark, no stars were visible due to the dark grey clouds, the moon barely shined through. The rain pelted down on the human and dragoon, the most light being from the bright lightning that boomed across the landscape.


    "You''re a monster." Pebble snarled at Palm''s draconic form, exhausted from keeping his own blood inside him from where Palm had bitten him.


    The black and purple dragon rolled their eyes. "Us Teardrops have to stick together, and he killed Toucan!"


    "You''re insane!" Pebble soon shut up as she slammed one of her talons right next to him, crushing a goat that got too close to a pulp.


    "Shut up. Together, doesn''t mean you have be alive." She growled.


    "So you''ll kill me?"


    "If you piss me off too much." She hissed before looking down the mountain.


    "What happened to you, Palm?" Pebble asked.


    No response.


    Pebble sighed before being picked up by her. "I''m getting water." she said as she started to fly them over the delta, close to the river as she looked for a spot that was somewhat dry.


    "You''ll just kill me when you think I''ve outlived my use." He murmurs.


    "Maybe even after I drink, you''ve been nothing but ungrateful that I kept you alive for so long, humans are so..." She trailed off before spitting.


    "Then I''m done with this." Pebble said as he stopped control of his own blood but stretched out to the river as they flew above it.


    "Wait, what?" Palm asked as she felt his blood seeping through her talons, before a sudden tendril of water reached and wrapped around her body before pulling against her. "Stop! What are you doing!" She cried out as she tried to stay hovering but was pulled closer and closer to the angry river below. The river was overflowing with currents that made the water splash loudly as they hit the sharp rocks.


    "You''ll kill us both! You''ll kill us bo-" She screamed only for her head to be smashed against the rocks and her body impaled on the rocks. As Pebble''s corpse drifted out of her claws and was pulled under by the current caused by a series of rocks, a mask continued to flow down the river, Palm''s body was gone for good.

 Chapter Thirty-One: In the Blink of an Eye

    1 year later...


    "So, what''s our latest report?" I ask Rowan as she enters the room, adorned in her green leather armor along with a golden scarf. I smirk silently to myself, for it was what I wore when I took this town for myself, now made into the standard uniform.


    "Lord River, our sales have dwindled by another thirteen percent, we are struggling to keep up with maintaining our ammo capacity for the ballistas, especially with the increase in dragon attacks. And with the basilisks being hunted in the west... it''s gotten a lot more expensive for the purchase of Thanatos venom." She explains while reading from a scroll she had placed down on the table.


    I let out a long and heavy sigh before looking up at her. "Anything else, Commander Rowan?" Any other problems I have to deal with? Any other things wanting to take this town from me, to put all my work in vain? What other shit is gonna be thrown at me?


    "Yes actually,"


    I frowned, it wasn''t that I didn''t expect it, but of course there had to be more obstacles, why wouldn''t there be? If she wasn''t here, I''d probably punch the table or wall again.


    "I know it''s been hard, especially since Stream died just a couple weeks ago..." I winced at the mention of my mother''s death, it also reminded me I''d have to check our water purifiers.  "Just know River, we''re all rooting for you, you know that right?" She asked.


    I just tapped the table with my fingers, the only sounds being the soft tapping of my fingers, and the soft sounds of their breathing. "You''re dismissed, Captain Rowan." I said softly. "I have other matters to attend to." I dismissed her while I redirected my attention to the books on my desk. I had integrated so many designs from this book into the town, and they had made this prosper, they had made this town safe. Now with his spies from the Indestructible City, with Midas passing the designs for his own product to be sold, he was running us out, and there was no doubt. the Invincible Lord wants us to fail, because he knows that he and I are the same. He will not wait for war, he''d rather slaughter us all if the other villages didn''t depend on us trade, therefore making them all a threat. Once the other villages don''t need us, don''t care for us, he will strike.


    "Alright, I... I''ll report back next week." She said before exiting the room and leaving me in the dimly lit room. I sighed before looking down at the books again and opened up to the page I marked earlier. I run my hands through the text, before placing it on the drawing of the weapon, a weapon Pyro had attempted making to the fullest. If I could mass produce them along with their type of ammo then I''d definitely be able to take any market by storm. The weapon that could turn any man into the Dragonslayer. "I just need that damn powder." I groaned as I let my head fall onto the table. With the powder, not only will I take the market by storm, I will take the city as my own. And then when I have the Indestructible City in my grasp, maybe I can lead us to a future where the dragons would no longer be a threat, where there can be harmony once and for all for humanity.


    ***


    I sighed as I rinsed my face in the sink before looking at myself in the mirror. I took another deep breath as I grabbed the knife and started to cut away at the hair on my face. "Those sideburns aren''t doing you any favors." I muttered to myself as I got rid of the hair on the side of my face. I watched as the hair I cut off fell into the drain, draining away like the hopes of this town, hopes of a better future.


    I let out a laugh as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, "We''re the only with this stuff, we have revolutionized so many things in this town, so how the hell are we still struggling to survive?" I laughed at my reflection. "You will fail, you know that, right?"


    Silence.


    I shake my head. "I need to take a ride."


    ***


    I had been riding for about an hour, up and down the delta, passing by where I first met Berry and where the tombstones lay, the mission to clear my mind had failed as usual. I yawned as I got off my steed and went to go to the riverbed, taking off my boots before dipping my feet in. I let out a long sigh as I felt the water pass along my skin. It was freezing at first but it didn''t take long for me to get used to it, it felt natural. I remembered when my mother brought me out here after I returned home. We''d talk for hours and hours about everything that''s happened, thinking about it put a smile on my face, but only for a moment. my face fell again as I looked to where my mother''s ashes were spread.


    "Clear your mind, clear your mind so you can see." I muttered as I laid back on the grass, gaining view of a tree that had fallen. "I remember that, Scarlet." I smirked as I recollected the memory of when she panicked from the sea critters. I chuckled at the memory before letting my eyes close. "What would have happened if she never took me from the Indestructible City?" I asked myself as I took out one of the fragments of the teardrop jewels. "I wouldn''t be a lord, but maybe I''d be content to just be like everyone else." I sighed as I let the piece of the jewel fall into the water, being carried away by the current.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    The water was a light blue, the sky was another shade of an even lighter shade with beautiful white streaks of cloud in the air, making the sky seem like a painting spread wide over my head.


    "I should probably get back soon." I mutter as I take my feet out of the water. I start to get on my knees when I hear some random splashing in the water. I quickly load my crossbow and aim it at the River, believing it to be another crab.


    My eyes widened as I saw a body floating down the river, soon followed by a second.


    "Oh shit!" I exclaimed as I took off my armor and dove into the water. I gasped at the sudden shock of the freezing water but quickly regained my senses as I started to propel myself forward in the blue. The currents sent waves that started to beat against me, as if trying to intentionally knock me off course, but I managed to push through till I reached the first body. I started by grabbing their arm and pushing them up on my shoulder so their head was out of the water. She had short hair, that seemed to have been created by someone weaving gold. She had a slim figure yet still, the top of my body only reached her chest. I quickly kicked my feet against a rock to grab the second body, dodging some rocks while struggling to keep the first above the water. She was taller than me and had white and grey hair while also having a similar figure as the other. They were both surprisingly light, almost as if their bones were hallow instead of full, making it somewhat easier to carry them.


    "Come on, work with me here!" I cried out as I managed to get my foot to push off some of the rocks in the river to the shore. I let out a yell as I pushed both of them out of the water, before getting out myself. I panted as I then quickly looked at the pair, both didn''t have any clothes on and their bodies were shaking badly. "Probably from the Indestructible City, thrown away for either treason, or to be made an example of." I muttered to myself.


    I quickly grabbed some of my winter clothes from the pouch on my steed and quickly wrapped them in the new clothing. I checked their pulse and to my relief they were alive and breathing, they were freezing to touch but their bodies weren''t cold enough to suggest they had been in the water for too long.


    "You''ll both live. but what in three moons happened to you two?" I asked, but both remained unconscious. I quickly put them on the horse, before getting on and getting my steed to race back towards the village.


    ***


    "Healer! I need a healer!" I yelled out as I passed through the gates. I was quickly met with a group of people in red and white painted leather. "Here." I said as I got off and helped them get the two girls off my steed.


    "What happened?" One of them asked, it took me a minute to realize it was Berry.


    "Found them in the river, managed to get them out but they were completely uncovered, I don''t know how long they were stuck in the water before I pulled them out of the water." I said as they started carrying both to the healer''s tent. "Do you think they''ll be alright?"


    "They''re stable for now, we''ll try to keep it that way." They said as they rushed off.


    "Hey, can you-"


    "Yes, we''ll let you know when they wake up." Berry finished for me.


    I nodded, "Thanks Berry."


    "No problem."


    ***


    "Lord..." Berry says.


    I drop my blueprints and instantly start sprinting to keep up with Berry as he leads me to the tents.


    The first thing I see when I walk in is the two girls sitting up, seeming to gasp for air as they frantically look around as the other healers try to calm them down.


    "Where am I? What happened?" They yelled at each other before letting out panicked gasps and cries as they noticed the large amount of people around them.


    "Hey, it''s okay," I try to assure them as I look at the others in the room. "Are they stable?"


    "Yes my lord." Berry reports.


    "Please leave us, I fear that so many people will overwhelm them." I say calmly.


    He nods. "Everyone, get out, we have other patients to attend to!" The others quickly follow his orders and start to leave. "Out! On the double!" He barks at them until it is finally me and the two girls, both of them now in rags.


    "Where... what..." The one with blond hair pants till the other one pulls her attention. "Hey, look." She says as she points to me. Both go silent as they sit up from their beds and stare at me.


    I give them a wave as I lean back against the wall. "Hello and welcome to Medallion." I try too say cheerily but there confused faces made it clear my attempt was wasted.


    They just both stared at me blankly for a few awkward and silent moments.


    "I... I apologize for how it must have been to wake here, especially with no idea what''s going on, but we mean you no harm. We will in fact provide you aid and you are welcome to stay if you are willing to answer some questions-" I start till I''m suddenly interrupted by the girl with purple eyes, and white and grey hair.


    "Can we ask you some of our own?"


    It takes me a moment to realize my mouth is open before I use my hand to close it. "Of course."


    "Who... who are you?" The golden hair one asked me,


    "My name is River, I am the lord of this..." Once, "Beautiful village."


    "You sound sarcastic." Goldie says.


    I shrug. "Well business hasn''t exactly been great, what about you two, I rescued both of you from the river but how exactly did you end up there in the first place?" I asked as I crossed my arms.


    "We... it''s so confusing, sorry." The dark haired one said as she held her face in her palm. "Can we... I want-we want time to recover, then you can ask us your questions, okay?"


    I nod before starting to head out the doors. "Very well, I''ll see you at nightfall, yes?"


    "Yeah, thank you." I couldn''t tell which one said it as I walked out the doors.


    All I could hear next is one of them say to the other, "What is this?" Before hearing the rustling of clothing.

 Chapter Thirty-Two: Losing Your Wings

    "I still think we should just kill her, here and now." The large Icewing growled before the large Sandwing nuzzled her.


    "I know, and I won''t lie, it wasn''t like I wasn''t tempted either, but I just need to talk with her one last time." She said, much to the other dragon''s disapproval.


    "Very well, just remember to call out if you need anything, alright?" The larger dragon asked as she grabbed the Sandwing''s shoulder.


    "Yes, I know but I can take care of myself, especially with your training." The Sandwing assured her.


    "My training can only go so far Blaze, you are still a Sandwing after all and although I''ve done my best-" The dragon started before Blaze put one of her talons on the Icewing''s lips, calming and silencing the large dragon.


    "I beat her in battle once, I can do it again. Hopefully it doesn''t come to it, Glacier, but I''m ready if it does." Blaze assured her as they reached the large set of doors.


    Glacier let out a long and exasperated sigh. "Very well, Blaze, I may not understand but... I hope you find what you''re looking for." She said before suddenly leaning in and giving the sand dragon a short kiss.


    "Glacier!" Blaze exclaimed quietly with a massive blush on her face, barely hidden by her decorated helmet. "You do know that this hallway is public, don''t you?"


    "I don''t care." Glacier chuckled quietly as she leaned closer into Blaze.


    "Very well, I guess I''ll have another party planned for later." Blaze laughed quietly as she leaned into Glacier agin.


    Glacier let out a snicker before her face fell and softened. "Promise me you''ll be alright?" She demanded as she held Blaze''s talons with her own, intertwining them.


    Blaze grabbed one side of Glacier''s face before bringing her close to her face. "I promise my love." With that they shared another, more lengthy kiss, before Glacier opened the door and nodded.


    Blaze took a deep breath before holding her head high and walking in, her tail already sweeping side to side, ready to trip or strike if necessary. And the next thing she knew, the door behind her was closed and locked, but even then she could feel how nervous Glacier was from the outside.


    The room wasn''t large by any means, but it wasn''t exactly small either, big enough to fit around three fully grown dragons. In the corner to the right, there was a small pit where waste would be carried off by a water system built in her stronghold. On the other corner, there was a small pool of drinkable water. The water may have been green and not the most pure, but prisoners didn''t exactly deserve the highest standards. In the dungeon cells, there was barely any light, except the small torch on the ceiling of each cell that the guards would make sure is snuffed out during the night.


    "So my dear sister finally decides to visit me? You kept waiting for so long, how long has it been, a few months?" The dragon laying down on her stomach in the center of the room asked. Her pale and yellow scales were barely visible in the dim light, nor was the black diamond pattern that went along the sides of her spine.


    Blaze was silent as she looked down at the chained dragon, chains on her wings, her tail, and a collar on her neck connected to a long chain at the center of the room.


    "Yes, you look terrible." Blaze said with a wave of her hand as she looked at her sister''s new scars, her sister who was once spotless like her.


    Blaze''s sister let out a hiss. "Charming, truly, thank you for your kind commentary."


    "You''re welcome, but my commentary wasn''t meant to be kind."


    "That was sarcasm, but of course you can''t tell with that single collective brain cell, controlling your body."


    "The single brain cell that managed to put you on your knees, that lost you the war?" Blaze asked in a sing-song voice.


    Her sister hissed and tried to lunge at her, but Blaze quickly slapped her with her own tail, knocking the dragon to the ground while adding a new scar on the side of her face.


    "There''s a lot of things you aren''t, pretty, a fighter, or a queen."


    "And you are?" Blister snickered.


    "I will be." Blaze said as she held herself high as Blister''s tail oozed venom from her barb, showing her sister''s frustration.


    "What are you talking-" Blister started to snarl but took a deep breath and composed herself as she noticed the new ring of two crystal dragons on blaze''s index talon. "Your ring, she accepted your proposal and she said yes? Hmmm... maybe I don''t give you enough credit after all, seducing the Icewing Queen is impressive, but expected for someone like you."


    "She proposed to me." Blaze said with a smirk as she watched Blister''s eyes widened. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "But what gain could she get from-"


    "She got me, and I got her, I know you don''t believe in love but we do." Blaze said to a flabbergasted Sandwing.


    "I... why...  Love is such a stupid concept. And I suppose I''m not invited to the wedding party?" She asked sarcastically.


    Blaze shook her head. "Very smart, as always sister, except when it came to the war. You were always too power hungry, just like our other sister-"


    "I wasn''t anything like Burn-" Blister snapped.


    "You were exactly like Burn! The reason you lost and Burn died to the Eye of Onyx is because you both fought for the wrong thing."


    "Fighting to be queen is the wrong thing?"


    "You fought for power, just like Burn."


    "It''s all about power, that''s what being a queen is all about, it''s about you having power-"


    "No. It isn''t. The one conclusion that you should''ve come up with a long time ago, is that being a queen isn''t all about you."


    Blister scoffed at that and turned her head away.


    "Well, you may not believe me but one of us is going to be a queen, and it isn''t you." Blaze said before taking a deep breath. "It was... surprisingly nice to have this talk with you, your execution will take some time so you have a week to... settle your affairs? I don''t... really know what you''d do with this time but... if you request my presence, I will come, we are sisters after all."


    Blister stayed silent for a moment as she looked to the floor. "It doesn''t make sense, how could I have lost? And why would you keep me alive?" She asked as she leaned forward to look at Blaze''s eyes up-close.


    Blaze let out a deep sigh, "I already lost one sister, and even if you deserve it, I can''t lose another one so easily."


    Blister let out a small growl. "I see. Farewell sister, I''ll keep what you said in mind."


    Blaze took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Goodbye... sister." And she walked out.


    Blister continued to hiss as she let herself fall back to the ground and looked at the chains attached to her, before her eyes wandered to the keys she snatched. She let out a quiet chuckle to herself, "My sister, so naive yet without her I would be dead, but I always have been the smartest dragon in the room."


    ***


    The room was quiet, and the light had been snuffed, turning the whole room pitch black till the two Icewing guards opened the door, dimly lighting around the entrance of the cell.


    "Why''s it so dark, have any other guards entered here?" one of them asked another dragon waiting outside the door, a Sandwing.


    "No, no one other than Commander Blaze and Queen Glacier."


    "Strange, I wonder how she managed to blow the torch out." The female Icewing said as she walked in, soon followed by the other who went to close the door while holding his torch.


    "Blister, you awake?" He asked.


    There was silence.


    "Why don''t you light it?" She asked him.


    The male Icewing nodded and went to light it, his eyes grew wide as he saw the chains laying on the ground, open and empty.


    "Scream out for help, and she dies."


    The Icewing turned to see the guard''s neck currently curled in the Sandwing''s tail, with the barb pointed right at her throat, with Blister''s face smiling beside her.


    "What will it be?" The Sandwing hissed, her black-forked tongue flicking out.


    ***


    "Shade, really, that''s what we''re calling me now?"


    "I think it''s better than Lumin." The golden-haired girl said, trying to cheer her up, but the white-haired girl still frowned.


    "Maybe."


    "So what''s River like?" Lumin asked.


    "Oh! Well, the last me and River spoke was... about a year ago, during the... well y''know?"


    Lumin nodded as Shade continued.


    "He was really kind to me, he looked out for me despite being so much smaller, it was kind of cute to be honest."


    "He sounds nice!" Lumin said cheerily.


    "Yes, but did you see his eyes? He looks... so much more tired compared to when I last saw him, I know something happened but I never learned what. He and Starflight have had meetings but it''s so secretive, even I''m not allowed to go or even know about them, the only reason I found out is cause he slipped up once when he got home.


    Lumin lowered her head to the floor as she heard that.


    "Hey... I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to bring back any bad memories S-" Shade tried to tell her but was quickly cut off.


    "How are you, and him? Are you two happy?" Lumin asked.


    Shade paused before frowning and shaking her head. "We broke up a few weeks ago, he just isn''t the same after ruling the kingdom. I can''t blame him though, my visions made it obvious too, I just thought that maybe..."


    "I''m sorry, Fatespeaker."


    Fatespeaker sniffled before wiping her tears. "Are you sure we shouldn''t tell River that we''re actually-"


    "Yes I''m sure-"


    "But Sunny-"


    "How about this, we give it a week, just to learn about this place and everything and then we can tell River if you still want to."


    "That... I''m fine with that." Fatespeaker said but there was still a frown on her face.


    "I''m sorry Fatespeaker, I know you want to tell him, but I''m just not sure if it''s safe."


    "Or if I''m safe?"


    "What? No, Fatespeaker, I never meant to-"


    "I know, but I''m still a Nightwing, and I know how you all see us at Jade Mountain. I know we can''t be trusted, especially since we still keep so many secrets from you."


    "Fatespeaker, you''re my friend, Nightwing or not."


    Fatespeaker smiled but her face fell. "I really hope no one else finds out about the masks."


    "Why?"


    "Well look at us, we''ve been stuck as scavengers ever since we fell into the river, at least until we figure out how to turn into dragons again. What if someone gets turned into a scavenger and is found by other dragons?"


    Sunny''s face widened but she took a deep breath. "It''s okay, Anemone only made two copies of the original, which should be locked away. The other headmasters should be able to keep it safe."


    Fatespeaker sighed in relief.


    "But Fatespeaker," Sunny continued. "Why didn''t you tell anyone that scavengers were sentient?"


    Fatespeaker took a few moments to respond. "I did, Queen Glory actually. It was during my last meeting when I was together with Starflight actually. We talked to Glory about it, we mentioned River but she thought Starflight had imagined him to talk, that he was a simple delusion formed by the isolation of being away from them for so long."


    "What about you? Didn''t you support him?"


    "Of course, but Queen Glory thought I was feeding into his delusions and since everyone else thinks I was crazy, no one batted an eye."


    "So that''s why she''s been removing all the scavengers away from her kingdom? Because she wants to get rid of his delusions."


    "But they aren''t delusions-"


    "Try telling that to the queens."


    ***


    Blister flapped her wings as she left Jade Mountain, finding the place littered with dragons of all kinds made her realize that it wasn''t safe for her to stay. "This has been a waste of time." She muttered to herself as she started to fly away. "Well. almost." She said while changing her mind as she looked down at the object in her hand. "What secrets do you hold?" She asked the mask in her hands, her talons trailing down where the tear had been drawn.

 Chapter Thirty-Three: Times Out

    I sighed at the two girl''s explanation. "I''m really sorry, but we truly don''t remember, I remember how cold it was, and yelling. I''m really sorry, I wish we could help you but..." Lumin explained to me.


    "It''s... it''s okay, I''m just glad I managed to pull you guys out on time. Things could have ended up a lot worse." I sighed with a smile on my face. In reality I wanted to punch a wall till my fist was nothing but a pulp. Any hope of learning the secrets of the Indestructible City were now forfeit, in the blink of an eye.


    "Is something wrong?" Lumin suddenly asked, causing me to jolt a little as I noticed her hand was on my shoulder.


    "I''m fine, thank you Lumin, but you are the ones we should be concerned about." I say as I gently took her hand and turned to face her and Shade. As I looked into Lumin''s eyes though, I felt a wave of heat on my cheeks, but quickly turned away so no one could see. "So..." What was I talking about? Oh, right! "We should probably get you guys settled, come on, I''ll take you to where you two will be staying." I said as I held the door open for both of them to walk out.


    "Thank you." Lumin said as she walked through.


    "Thanks." Shade said as she followed.


    I sighed quietly as I led the pair to my little home, a medium sized building that when walking through the door, led to a hallway attached to a few rooms. "I hope you don''t mind the guest-room." I say as I lead them to the first door on the right, there is a large open space where there''s a desk and a bookshelf on the wall, on the side were a pair of beds with a couple pillows for each. "If you need anything then I''ll be in the room at the end of the hallway, please make yourself at home-" I was cut off as I was suddenly wrapped in Lumin''s arms.


    "Thank you, for taking care of us." She said, her voice muffled as her face was in my cloak. I gave her a hesitant pat on the back as I embraced her.


    "It was the least I could do." I say as I let myself lean into her.


    ***


    "A vision would be nice right about now." I mutter as I lay on my back, looking up at the ceiling. It had been about a year since my last vision of Toucan''s betrayal, maybe a vision could tell me how to get out of this mess. I sighed as I let myself try to relax under the covers. "Fuck..." I groan. "How the hell am I supposed to deal with him?" I ask myself as I roll out of bed and walk outside, still in my night clothes. I take a deep breath as I sit down and look up at the full moon ahead, was it Imperial, or was it Perception, did it really matter?


    My breath hitches as I feel a hand on my side, and I look up to see Lumin standing there. "Couldn''t sleep?" She asked, her voice was sweet, too sweet, what if she was a spy? No, no she isn''t, not even a spy would throw themselves out to the fate of the Delta.


    "Yeah... yeah I can''t sleep, what about you?" I asked, doing my best not to grumble, and to not let the heat of my cheeks show.


    "Yeah, it''s been... I wanna say hectic but I can''t exactly remember much." She chuckles.


    I smile before looking up and then frowning again as I remembered what''s probably gonna happen to this place.


    "What are you thinking about?" She asked.


    "To be honest, how I''m gonna keep this place, these people alive."


    "Why, what''s going to happen to them?" She asked.


    "A rival city is basically getting rid of our trade, and if we can''t trade, we can''t survive and defend ourselves."


    "Defend yourselves from-"


    We were both interrupted by a loud bell being rung.


    "Dragons!" Someone shouted as the whole town seemed to come alive.


    "Lumin, get Shade and follow me, I''ll get you guys to a shelter!" I command as I go back inside and go to my room, grabbing and attaching my crossbow module to my arm.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "But-"


    "No time to argue." I say firmly as I run to the door and check outside, there was no fire, not yet anyways. Suddenly a line of fire appeared in front of me, the sounds of a roar drowning out the sounds of the screams. It was long and drawn out, more smooth than sharp. Skywing.


    In the distance I could hear Rowan shouting at her guards. "Everyone get inside! Bowmen, aim! 3! 2! 1! Kill!" Following her shouts were the sounds of several crossbows firing, sending their whistling arrows into the air, only for the sounds of clanging metal followed by guttural laughter to answer.


    "Shit! It''s got armor! Where the fuck or my ballistas!" I yelled.


    "River!" Shade cried out and pointed to a tower, where a Skywing was perched on top looking down at us. In its claws were the remains of the ballista that used to be on top of the tower, in her jaws though were the remains of what used to be the person who aimed it, pieces of him falling to the ground.


    "W-what do we do?" Shade asked as we all started backing away. I then noticed an alley to the left that led directly to a shelter.


    "That green building is a shelter, you''ll be safe, when I tell you to run..."


    We all slowly started making our way to the shelter, watching the dragon slowly turn it''s head to look at us, till the sound of a large whistle followed and a large spear shot past. The dragon avoided the ballista and turned to face the other ballista.


    "Go now!" I yell as I push them away and head right.


    "Wait! Where are you going-" Lumin cried but Shade grabbed her and dragged her to the shelter. "We have to go!"


    I kept running as Lumin''s cries faded as I went to the base of the tower, and stayed quiet as I loaded my crossbow with a grappling hook, with a hand in my pouch.


    As soon as the dragon took flight to try and attack the ballistas, I shot it in a groove of the armor on her neck. I barely managed to hang on, and it didn''t take long for her to notice either. As soon as she saw me though, she grabbed the line with her talon, forcing me to be right in front of her face. She let out a growl before opening her jaws, ready to throw me in, instead she got a vial.


    The dragon let out a choking noise before it''s wings started to sway and shake, before forcing us to crash on the ground. I let out a pained grunt as I fell to the floor and was sent tumbling against the dirt, my leg bent in an unnatural angle. But I looked back and saw the dragon spasming on the floor, shrieking in pain as black veins started to crawl up the dragon''s body.


    I stood up and limped my way towards it. It growled at me before starting to whimper and lower its head to the ground, trying to not seem like a threat. "You want mercy, don''t you?" I ask I lower my crossbow, widening the slot to let the arrow fall. I put a hand out to the dragon''s snout as it continues to whimper in pain and fear, its eyes filling with tears. She doesn''t take long to press her snout into my hand, as if pleading. I take a deep breath as I fit a spear into the slot on my arm, the gears clicking as they connect. "I''ll show you mercy." I say as the mechanism clicks, and the spear shoots into her eye, the dragon''s head falls and the whimpers silence.


    I hear a roar behind me and hear the flapping of wings, only for the sound of a loud tear following. I turn around just in time to be showered in the dragon''s blood, as the dragon falls down, the giant arrow from the ballista shining in the moonlight as it impaled the creature''s chest.


    There was silence after the second dragon crashed, I noticed that some had crawled out of the shelter. Lumin looked horrified as she saw me in blood with my arm in the eye-socket of a dragon. I pulled it out and listened for a bit, no flap of wings, no more threats.


    "Clear!" I yelled.


    I heard tears of joy that it was over, and tears of sorrow for what was lost. "My lord..." Rowan bowed as approached me, her eyes wide as she spotted the dragon under my foot.


    "How bad is it?" I asked as I picked up my grappling hook.


    "Five dead, two are missing, four buildings have been destroyed and one ballista station."


    "... And after this?"


    "... I..." Rowan gave a long pause as he tried to think of a response but I just held my hand up.


    "I understand, I''ll... can we at least buy any more thanatos shipments?"


    She shook her head.


    "I see, give me the night, we''ll discuss this in the morning. I need a shower." I mumble the last bit as I head towards the shelter where people were currently leaving, Shade and Lumin seemed to be frozen in either terror or horror. "Guys, let''s go." I say, not stopping my pace.


    "You... you killed them..." Lumin said in disbelief.


    I shrug. "Yes, I had to lure the other one into fire, and it was easy enough to kill the first." I explain as I bring them back to my house.


    "Do you enjoy it?" Shade asked.


    I took a moment to respond. "Most would find glory in this type of thing, but all I can seem to find is hurt."


    She gave me a hesitant nod before she went and hugged me. "Thanks for saving us."


    "It''s the least I can do." I said as I wrapped my arms around her.


    ***


    The other two were quiet, I think they''re asleep but it was hard to be sure. I stayed glue to my desk as I looked at the blueprints of the windwalker as well as some maps of the Rainforest. In my hand was a book of ''Everything we know about dragons!'' The page opened to Forest Fangs. I knew there was more, especially since that whole debacle with Starflight.


    I snickered to myself at that. I''m able to talk to dragons and we''re still failing. I scoff at the thought as I read more about Forest Fangs. The way they can change colors to blend in their environment, the way they can breath acid and are apparently capable of bleeding the liquid, a fact I hope to never find out if it''s true or not. They were no longer neutral, they had driven everyone in Hallow away, albeit peaceful.


    And that wasn''t even gonna be the tough part, cause if Forest Fangs were difficult, what about Sandwings?

 Chapter Thirty-Four: Leaving Medallion

    "Captain Rowan, who have you selected..." I trailed off as I saw a familiar face. "Ant, it''s good to see you." I greet him with a curt nod.


    He just gave me a firm but sharp nod in return, he still had hints of blood present on his shirt since after all, he was the one to shoot the second dragon down with the ballista. He wiped his hands on his tunic before shaking my hand.


    "Good choice, Rowan." I told her as I waved them back to the table, where Lumin and Shade were currently standing by. "Are you sure you two wanna come along?" I asked the pair. "I still don''t think you two should go."


    "It''s the least we can do." Lumin said as she put a hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. I blushed a little but quickly turned back to the map before anyone could see, gently taking her hand off my shoulder as I cleared my throat.


    ''''Thank you, that''s very kind of you, Lumin. So where''s the rest of the team?"


    "Right, the two, Ferris and Bush. They used to live in Hollow, they should give you guys an advantage." That''ll be good to have a couple of guides to help. I wonder how they felt when the Rainwings relocated them.


    I give each of them a nod. "Let''s not waste any more time talking then, let''s move." I say as I lead the group towards the stables.


    ***


    I give my steed, Wind, some scratches on his head as I feed him another apple. "You should really slow down on those, too much food is bad for you." I chuckle but instead I''m met with a hard push to my stomach. "Hey! What was that for?" I asked the horse.


    Wind just stomped one of his hooves, before letting out a high pitch neigh in response.


    "Such a spoiled animal." I mutter with a smile on my face as I feed him another apple. But you deserve it, most likely you''ll never come home. "I''m sorry, you''ve been a loyal horse, and I hope you make it out alive." I gave him one more apple before starting to go and secure the saddle again before I felt a presence behind me.


    "H-hey lord-"


    "You can call me River, we''ve talked about this Lumin." I say softly as I turn to face her.


    She smiled and her face turned red as she looked to the floor. "Right, sorry..."


    "You have nothing to be sorry for, and I''m sorry about your first night here, how you had to see... had to live through that experience."


    Her face fell but she was still soft. "It... terrified me at first, seeing you like that, like you were used to it. Are you sure you couldn''t have just... driven them off, was killing the dragons really necessary-"


    "Lumin, they''re just beasts, and we are their food. Humans are born prey, where at any moment, a human''s life could be snuffed out from the terrors in the sky. This world is not ours, it''s theirs, it''s the beast''s, this is a wild and cruel age we live in. And if it is a cruel and wild age, then we must adapt, or we can stay as their food. We can stay as prey, and we can ask for death."


    "But... we... we should be better than them, shouldn''t we."


    I smiled, but sighed as I gently put my hands on her shoulders and pulled her down gently to look at me in the eyes. "Unfortunately that is much easier said than done, but in you I see something pure, something gold. Lumin, promise me you''ll never lose that, you''ll never lose that innocence, the need to find a way so everyone succeeds."


    She paused for a few moments and gulped before nodding. "I promise you, I''ll always hope and go for the best." She said as a bright smile appeared on her face, lighting the room.


    I smiled and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "It''s good that there are people like you in this world and..." I trailed off as I noticed how close her lips were to mine, and I couldn''t help but stare, feeling my cheeks start to turn red and heat up.


    "Um... River... why are you looking at my lips?"


    SHIT! I quickly pulled away. "Wha-oh-n-not-nothing-just-um-" I backed away, right into Wind who was turned away from me.


    "River, watch out-" Shade tried to warn me, but it was too late as the horse kicked me, albeit lightly, right into Lumin.


    "Oh shit!" I yelped and quickly tried to move to the side as I was pressed into Lumin, but instead I ended up just pulling her down with me. I let out a yelp as we fell to the ground and she landed right on type of me, her hands on either side of me with her face right above mine. Both of our faces were bright red. Internally I was screaming at the top of my lungs. "U-Um... I-I d-didn''t m-mean t-to... I-I... t--this i-is r-really a-awkward-" I stuttered till we were suddenly interrupted by booming laughter.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "That is fucking hilarious!" Ant was practically howling in laughter as me and Sunny scrambled to get off each other. "Everyone get in here, come look at what I found!"


    "No! No! Rowan, stop him! Lumin, I am so sorry-"


    "River, I didn''t mean to put you in this position-"


    "No, it was my fault, please don''t apologize!" I pleaded as I gently pulled her up to her feet, all the while Ant had not seized his laughter. Ant''s laugh was probably being heard throughout the entirety of Medallion at this point.


    "No, it was my fault, please-"


    "You two are cute together." Ferris chuckled.


    The whole room went silent, it seemed like even the horses were holding their breathing.


    Ferris was promptly nudged hard in the stomach.


    "You fucking tosspot!" Bush angrily told him before they both started to throw hands at each other.


    I wanted to melt into the floor as Lumin stared at me with a red face and Ant continued to bellow out his background noise.


    ***


    It had been about a week now, yet Lumin was still holding me tight enough that it felt my ribs were gonna crack as we rode to New Hollow. I didn''t tell her to stop, after all she was so scared when getting on the horse in the first place. Shade didn''t seem to be faring any better as she was hugging Rowan tightly, I could see Rowan holding her tongue with wide eyes.


    "Should we stop here, I''m getting pretty tired." Ferris whined.


    Rowan scoffed. "Look around, we''re in flathead territory." Rowan exclaimed as she gestured with one hand to the marsh on our left. "We keep moving and we do not stop till I or our lord says we stop, do you understand?"


    "Yes ma''am." Ferris and Bush say in unison.


    We couldn''t really hear anything, nothing but the swarm of bugs that like to bother our horses and the sounds of frogs in the distance. I smiled as a moon shined brightly through the sky, the moons would be our friends tonight, the moon would keep them asleep.


    I put my hand up and attempted to whistle, all that came out was spittle. I wanted to die inside as Lumin looked at me confused. I let out a nervous chuckle as we slowed the horses as we reached the lake.


    "We''ll take a break here, go over the route one more time and then we will stop at New Hollow." I say as I dismount before holding Lumin''s hand. "I''m here, it''s okay." I say as she hesitantly slides her other foot off and slides off the horse into my arms, letting out a small yelp.


    "It''s okay, I got you." I say as I catch her.


    "Thanks." She says cheerily as she smiles before hugging me tightly.


    I almost let out a yelp, especially as my face starts to warm up.


    Ferris starts to chuckle again but Bush shoots him a glare, quickly shutting him up.


    Lumin quickly then releases me, I barely notice her cheeks are also red. "I should probably check on Shade."


    "Right, of course! Sorry for keeping you!" I chuckle awkwardly as I try to hide my flustered expression.


    "Thank you!" She said before letting herself go before running over to Shade.


    "Very smooth m''lord." Rowan suddenly said in my ear, making me jump.


    "Three moons!" I cursed. "How long have you just been standing there?" I ask as she stands there, a faint smile on her lips.


    "Long enough, kid." She said as we started to walk towards the lake with our waterskin containers.


    "Kid, what happened to m''lord?" I ask as I go to drink from my flask.


    "What happened waiting till you''re a man to drink that poison?" Rowan snorts as she takes the flask from me.


    "I''m a Teardrop, remember? One who''s good at resisting poison."


    She rolls her eyes as she then takes a large swig. "Still a kid."


    I scoff, "You better have not drunk it all." I say as I take it back as I take a swig myself, the bile taste going down my throat. I put the lid on before putting it in my pouch again as I fill my waterskin with water. "How are things with Wren?" I then asked, causing her to groan.


    "We aren''t talking, to put it bluntly. She''s... if we had things her way then we''d be food from attempting to be buddy-buddy with them. I know she thinks things might work between the two of us, but she just doesn''t understand that things aren''t that easy."


    "To be fair, we can''t exactly blame her, not with what she''s experienced." I sigh.


    "Some would argue otherwise."


    "Why''s that?"


    "You, both of you were sacrificed, both of you ran into a mountain dragons-"


    "The key difference is the fact I''m a Teardrop and met the dragon after I was in the Indestructible City. I had people, she did not."


    She sighs. "I guess. To be honest, I think she has an easier time talking to you, talking to someone else who knows what she''s been through." Her gaze fell to the ground as she spoke.


    "Then when we get back, we can talk to her, together." I say as I offer my hand to her.


    She smiles and grabs mine before putting her forehead against mine. "Yeah, together."


    ***


    "So, we don''t have much time, which is why we will leave in the next hour or so. But before we rest, we must go over how to go this trail. We are in swamp dragon territory, luckily they can be quite lazy which means we should be relatively safe as we pass in the dark. But we have to stay quiet, if we wake one, let''s just say I''ve lost enough limbs already to dragons." I said as I waved my prosthetic in the air, unloaded... I think... I should probably check. "Another big thing, do not go near any mud pools, stay away. Mud dragons like to ambush prey by hiding in mud lakes, just because most of them are lazy, it doesn''t mean all of them are. So does everyone understand?"


    They all nod, none of them saying anything.


    "Good, then get some rest, we ride in an hour."


    "M''lord, can I speak with you for a moment?" Bush asked me.


    I blinked for a moment, this was the first time Bush had directly had spoken towards me. "Yes, of course." I offered him a spot next to me. "What do you wanna talk about?" I asked.


    He took a deep breath. "When we learn the formula and start making those weapons, won''t the lord of the Indestructible City send his spies to steal it? But, you must have already thought about this already, haven''t you? M''lord, what is your true goal, what do you really need those guns for?"


    I pause. "Medallion will always be under threat as long as Midas rules, and due to his actions of refusing refugees and making it where those of treason are thrown to fend for themselves, I want to take this whole thing by the reigns and take control for a better future, not just for Medallion, but for all of us."


    "You want to take the Indestructible city as your own?"


    "Yes."


    "M''lord... I have a favor to ask. I want my home back, can you help me?" He asks.


    I think for a moment, before nodding. "I understand."