Deathbringer awoke to the prickly feeling of being watched. And when he opened his eyes, the anxious face of a RainWing guard suddenly ducked out of the royal treehouse entrance way. The NightWing blinked, but as he noticed the empty space next to him, realization very quickly dawned.

Not again...

With a growl of exasperation, Deathbringer jumped to his feet, and darted after his company.

"Banana!" he called as he burst through the hanging curtain-door of silvery yellow flowers and out into the sun-dappled rainforest. He frantically scanned the area around him until he spotted the guards sitting together on a large tree branch. "By the moons, what are you all doing here!? How long has she been gone!?"

Banana and Heliconia exchanged nervous glances as the other RainWings shifted on their talons.

"Um," Banana began.

Heliconia glanced his way again before gingerly taking a step closer to the edge of the branch and picking up where his stammer left him. "We don't exactly know, I'm afraid," she paused for a breath. "Her Majesty is getting very good at sneaking away with her camouflage. We must have missed her again."

"We're super sorry!" one of the other guards piped up.

Deathbringer blinked at them all, rather severely. This was the third time this week that Glory had slipped away before dawn, with no one noticing. He wanted nothing more than to hiss and scold the guards for this level of incompetence, but he also knew very well that such tactics were as useless as trying to drown a SeaWing.

So instead, with stifled frustrations in the form of a tail lash, he sighed.

"Right," he answered. "Well, if that's the case, then I must be off to find her. You all should do the same."

"Yes, of course," said another guard, almost too quickly.

But Deathbringer barely took notice as he hurriedly leapt into another nearby tree, in the direction of the queen's royal pavilion.

The pavilion had become the default first place he searched whenever Glory disappeared; she wasn't always there, but she was there a lot, which made it a logical first choice if you asked him. Plus, it was just about in the center of everything, and there were bound to be at least a few other dragons there, who may or may not had seen her pass by.

As he gracefully maneuvered himself between the many branches and vines along the way, Deathbringer tried to ignore the discomforting thoughts that were already creeping up on him. He didn't want to feel guilty about his persistence in keeping his queen close and safe at all times. Even if he knew that was the exact reason she'd taken to running off so frequently. And even if it made his heart sink even more to know that she was going as far as using her camouflage to get away from him now.

What exactly had gradually grown between them ever since they'd officially acknowledged themselves as a mated pair, he'd no idea.

Everything had been perfect. Or so he'd thought. Until he'd noticed something just a little bit different in those playful glares and teasing words that had always left him dizzy with desire and itching for more every time. Now, it seemed like ages since any of their interactions had given off those same magnetic sparks.

She was tired of him.

And he knew it.

And he refused to accept it.

The NightWing finally reached the pavilion, accidentally startling a group of colorful birds as he burst through the trees and landed on the platform that rested outside the doorway. He took a few seconds to compose himself before poking his snout inside, but of course, his queen wasn't there. With a quiet groan of disappointment, Deathbringer turned to look around. To his luck, he nearly immediately spotted a rather sleepy-looking RainWing peeking down at him from a hammock.

The dragon, whose scales were a peaceful shade of pale indigo, didn't even budge as Deathbringer spread his wings and flew up to greet him.

"Hello, friend," he began, trying to sound calm and cordial. "Forgive me for any intrusion, but I was just wondering if you'd seen the queen pass by here?"

The dragon blinked, very slowly, and then asked, "Queen Glory?"

No, the other queen, he wanted to say, but he kept that snide remark to himself and stopped himself from rolling his eyes. As frustratingly slow as so many of these dragons could be, he'd taken to viewing them as just as valid members of his tribe as NightWings. And as the queen's mate, he couldn't help but feel responsible for caring for them with the same grace that she always adorned herself with.

"Yes," he said instead.

The RainWing blinked again, but only shrugged his wings before replying, "Sorry."

Unsurprised by this answer, Deathbringer bowed his head politely, and turned to continue his search with an internal sigh.

His next stop was the Arboretum, which was as peacefully resplendent as it always was. Many dragons of different colors strolled along the vine walkways, while others formed lines outside the fruit and flower trading huts. Deathbringer even spotted a few NightWings poking curiously around the kingdom's heart, but no sign of Queen Glory. He wrinkled his snout at the brightly cascading sun rays as he looked up and around the shimmering treetops just to be sure. All he saw were sloths and monkeys and birds, contentedly chirruping and singing along with the pleasant murmuring of dragon voices.

Nonetheless, he caught words with a few more of his tribemates, but to no avail of getting any closer to his queen's whereabouts.

As he left the Arboretum, a rather unpleasant thought slithered its way into the back of his mind, that she could still be using her camouflage to stay hidden, knowing that he would be searching the rainforest for her. But he pushed that worry aside; if only for her subjects, Glory almost never hid herself like that for very long. Not to mention, Deathbringer couldn't recall a single time he hadn't found her soon enough, just as visible and queenly as ever.

He was just about ready to give up after checking a few other places that either seemed logical or were simply where he'd found her before. But there was still one place he hadn't checked — the NightWing village.

It was definitely worth a shot. Even if he hadn't found her there yet, her presence among her NightWing citizens was far from infrequent. So with yet another burst of patience, the assassin took a turn in that direction.

At the sight of black scales and ramshackle huts growing in the distance, Deathbringer felt a renewed spark of determination. She's got to be somewhere, he fervently reminded himself. So strong was this intent, in fact, that he nearly completely missed her.

Deathbringer suddenly skidded to a sharp halt on the large tree branch he'd just made a leap for, as a quick flicker of orange-red caught his eye. Effortlessly, he steadied himself, and looked down from his spot, to where he thought the color-flash had come from. And sure enough, several branches lower, sat the ever-beautiful Queen Glory.

He felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of her.

She knows I'm here, his brain immediately pounced on his emotions, reminding him of the fiery hue he'd seen from her scales only seconds ago. No doubt evoked by him. His chest fell with a silent sigh as he noticed as well that she had chosen a rather tricky hiding spot this time — right at the edge of the NightWing village, but not quite in it, probably in the hopes that if he did come this way, he'd run right past her. Which, he nearly had. And while she wasn't properly camouflaged, she had still opted into a soft, muted brown that blended nicely with the tree bark around her.

She was definitely, unabashedly avoiding him. It made him feel like his own scales were changing to the color of overcast skies. He was very thankful they weren't.

Deathbringer took a moment to smother his woes before he very gently dropped down branch to branch, until he landed almost soundlessly alongside Glory. He then cleared his throat. The queen didn't look up at him; she was too busy pretending to be more interested in the scroll she was reading.

So after a few more seconds of silence, he said, "Glory?"

Emerald green eyes glanced up to meet his. "Deathbringer."

"Must you do this?" he chanced the rather bold question.

Glory kept her gaze locked in her reading this time, but couldn't prevent the slight twitch of her tail. "Do what?" she asked him, her voice low and calm.

"Oh, come now. I know I've mentioned to you more than once how worrying it is to wake up and find the queen missing without a trace. Especially for the one responsible for her safety." He kept his own voice soft and kind and hopeful. Even if he didn't exactly expect that little touch to accomplish much.

"And I know I've mentioned to you more than once that I'm just as responsible for my own safety as you are," she replied with confidence, and then added, "I'm not helpless."

"I don't think you are," Deathbringer assured her. "I'm only providing you with extra precaution. Even the most capable of us can't always do it alone. So, I ask again — must you do this?"

Glory's scroll crinkled under her talons as her grip on the paper tightened ever so slightly. Another flicker of flame danced along her ruff, and vanished back into brown just as quickly. Deathbringer somehow managed to stop himself from wincing.

His queen cast a side-eyed glance away without meeting his eyes. Then firmly, she said, "Deathbringer... Please, stop. I just wanted a moment, alone, to look over these reports in peace. You were asleep, anyway. I didn't want to wake you. Nothing happened. I am perfectly safe and well. You're here now. And I don't want to discuss it further."

The NightWing only stared at her for a moment, in helpless defeat. Every fiber of his being itched to continue the conversation, to hear the real reasons she hadn't woken him up. But he also didn't want to face that truth yet, at all. And as much as he loved her, she was still, first and foremost, his queen. So politely, he bowed.

"Understood, my queen."

Finally, she met his eyes again, with something that at least appeared to be an attempt at gratitude. Whether it actually was, he couldn't tell. And before he could analyze it, she'd already returned to studying her reports.

An awkward silence hovered between them as the tension slowly dissipated. Nowadays, of course, it never seemed to escape them completely; but less of it was still much preferred to more. Deathbringer soon found himself settled comfortably next to her on the chosen tree branch.

He was just about to suggest heading back to the royal pavilion when the ear-piercing roar of a furious NightWing boomed through the rainforest. Both Glory and Deathbringer jumped as a flock of bright yellow birds took to the air with a burst of panicked squawking. The two dragons then looked at one another in worried confusion before quickly turning their attention down to the outskirts of the NightWing village.

Down below them and just a short ways off, right along the unofficial borders, stood a burly female NightWing and a bristling male RainWing, clearly facing off. A few other NightWings stood close by, hissing and lashing their tails threateningly. Though not as loudly as her roar, Deathbringer could clearly hear the NightWing shouting insults as well. But from the looks of it, the RainWing was just as angry, and fiercely stood his ground.

Glory caught Deathbringer's eye again. She motioned with a small nod and one graceful flick of her tail before she leapt off their tree branch and spread her wings, letting a majestic shade of deep purple roll over her scales. Deathbringer didn't hesitate to follow her descent to the rainforest floor.

The biting voices of the two dragons in conflict became clearer as queen and bodyguard approached the commotion.

"I told you, I didn't steal anything!"

"Oh, save your breath, you pathetic, lying worm! All you RainWings are the same! I saw you eyeing our fruit pile, and we all know you lazy lot would much sooner swipe another's lunch than lift a talon to work for yourselves!"

The RainWing hissed, baring his fangs in response to the harsh words even if they all knew he wouldn't dream of actually hurting anyone.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Queen Glory announced her presence from behind them.

The livid group of dragons all immediately dropped their defenses and turned to their queen. Glory stood with her golden-tipped wings spread and her head held high, giving them her full attention as she waited for an explanation. Deathbringer stood at her side, very glad she hadn't had to confront this dispute alone. There was no doubt, of course, that she could handle it; but it certainly never hurt to remind her NightWing subjects that one of their dragons was also Her Majesty's most trusted royal bodyguard.

The NightWing's eyes narrowed at Deathbringer and Glory, before darting back to the RainWing. Her tail lashed dangerously just as she jabbed a talon toward him. "This slimy lizard of yours is a thief!" she snarled.

Flaring his wings, the RainWing jumped back. He shot Glory a helpless look.

"I am not!" he protested. "I don't even know what she's talking about!"

Glory hesitated for only the briefest of seconds.

"Could you be a little more specific?" she asked calmly, taking another step forward.

Deathbringer stayed back a bit as she took the lead. He watched her, the male RainWing, the female NightWing and her company intently. At this point, he'd no idea if the accusation was true or false. And if he was reading the subtle hints of Glory's body language correctly, neither did she.

The NightWing hissed. "He's stolen our fruits!"

"I've done nothing of the sort!"

"And you would say that, wouldn't you!? Lying wastrel! Admit it!"

She's this worked up over a few fruits? Deathbringer couldn't help but ask himself. His brain quickly responded to his own question with images of life back on the volcano. Perhaps she's still a bit possessive with her food. He wondered if Glory had also had this thought.

A glimmer of orange tried to creep up the queen's neck as the argument continued to escalate. Deathbringer watched her clamp down on the frustration before it could spread any further. He couldn't even begin to imagine the full difficulties of mediating so much intertribal tension.

"Alright. That's enough," Glory firmly interjected, silencing the bristling opponents. "Let's get to the bottom of this without all the needless insults, shall we?" She turned to the NightWing. "Do you have any proof behind this accusation?"

The NightWing snorted, and Deathbringer couldn't tell whether she looked more offended at being questioned, or pleased that she'd been addressed first. Haughtily, she lifted herself a bit. "I most certainly do," she answered. She then pointed to a pile of assorted fruits that two of her tribemates were now guarding fiercely. "We had seven clawmentines gathered before this scoundrel came slinking by. And now they're all gone! He's taken them!"

"How is that proof!?" demanded the RainWing, whose scales were darting frantically between red, black, and green. "It could've been anyone! Do I look like I've got any fruits?"

He opened his wings again and presented empty talons, giving the queen another pleading look. Everything in his pitiful expression screamed of complete and utter confusion. At this point, Deathbringer was pretty sure the entire fiasco was probably just one giant misunderstanding. He dared not interrupt Glory, though.

Deathbringer watched as she scrutinized the two dragons for another moment. She did very well to appear just as cool and confident as ever, apart from the tiniest twitch of her tail. He guessed she was having just as much trouble as he was in deciding what exactly the most appropriate response was to such a situation.

"Both of you," she finally said. "should return to your duties for the day. I'll have my guards organize an investigation as soon as possible, so this matter can be settled properly."

"WHAT!?" the two dragons cried in near unison. Neither of them looked the least bit satisfied with Glory's resolution.

The RainWing stamped one of his back talons. "But there's nothing to investigate!"

"This criminal should be punished now!" his accuser snarled over his protest.

Deathbringer tensed, unsure of what to expect next. Glory only closed her eyes for a moment, and raised a talon to silence them.

She said, "I will not be punishing anyone without first providing an official investigation. We will decide what steps to take next from there, if anything is uncovered. Now I'll say again - you are both to return to your work for now. There is nothing productive that will come from standing here shouting at one another."

"Of course," the burly female dragon grumbled loudly, rolling her eyes as she turned to stomp away. "Protect the lying RainWing."

The RainWing eyed Glory with an injured look, as if he couldn't believe the allegation against him hadn't been immediately dismissed. He opened and closed his mouth, hesitating a moment before he settled on dipping down into a small bow. Patches of black and green still pulsed over his scales as he slipped off in the opposite direction.

The queen didn't move for few seconds. She tucked her chin, gazing down at the forest floor, clearly trying to keep her own emotions from being displayed. Deathbringer stared at her without a clue of what to say, despite knowing how upset it made her when her efforts to please both her tribes ended in pleasing no one at all. He eventually settled on a logical thought.

"Shall we return to the pavilion?" he gently asked.

Glory glanced sideways at him. Briefly, she met his eyes, but she still didn't speak.

She hesitated for another second, then turned to silently approve the suggestion. Or so Deathbringer assumed, as they were headed in the appropriate direction.

The assassin could practically feel the negative energy that radiated off his mate as they made their way back to the center of the kingdom. He racked his brain, but to no avail, for anything he could do that might comfort her. He hated to admit that he really had no idea what to expect in response to such efforts.

No... He stopped himself from trying to extend a wing toward her. Not a good idea.

He hoped she hadn't noticed as he quickly tucked it back in. Glory hated being touched. Which was relatively new information to him, but apparently it had always been the case. Deathbringer thought sadly of all the times he'd probably made her uncomfortable, none the wiser. Why had she waited so long to tell him?

Why hadn't he figured it out sooner?

Was he that blind by his feelings for her?

Or was he just ignorant?

Not that it made much difference now.

He was still adjusting to the changes...including the inevitable lack of intimacy. Lately, it seemed almost as if there was nothing physically romantic between them at all. But he refused to let that be their downfall. One thing he'd always prided himself on was his adaptability. He didn't need anything else, as long as she still loved him.

Perhaps there was something he could say instead that might calm her nerves a bit.

If she wasn't still upset with me...

Silently, he sighed. He'd nearly forgotten the argument they'd had earlier, thanks to the one that had them all prickled up now. Or at least, had Glory all prickled up. Should he risk irritating her further, in the hopes that the effect might be the opposite? There was always the chance that she'd already moved on, and wasn't even bothered by him anymore.

But honestly, he didn't have much faith in any of his ideas right now.

There was no telling what would bring about a positive outcome. Glory, of course, had always been a rather difficult dragon to read. But never had he doubted himself so much, as he had been lately. His own mate, and he didn't even know how to properly console her.

When they arrived back at the royal pavilion, Glory's sloth Silver didn't hesitate to drop onto her shoulders with a sympathetic burble, and wrap her long, furry arms around her neck. Deathbringer watched dejectedly as his queen welcomed the affection.

notes:

decided to start working on a story from my main Wings of Fire AU. brace yourselves.