Gale woke up to loud voices. She twitched irritably. What was going on? She tried to go back to sleep, but the voices got louder, and she heard scuffling outside. The wingless dragon gave up trying to sleep, and opened her eyes to see what was going on.
SkyWing soldiers suddenly burst into her family's den. Turbulence blocked their way, trying to talk to them.
"Can't you just give her more time? Er, she's just a dragonet, you know. Why don't we sit down and-"
"Shut your mouth, Turbulence!" The lead of the SkyWing soldiers growled, shoving past Gale's father. He staggered back, crashing against the stone wall. Sunset stood frozen, shocked.
"There! That wingless dragon!" the lead SkyWing yelled. Two SkyWings seized her.
"Please!" Sunset begged. "I beg you to stop! She is only a dragonet!" Gale was too surprised to struggle as the soldiers dragged her out into the open. What's going on? Why is Mother saying that I'm only a dragonet?
Dread rose from the pit of her stomach, engulfing Gale like a choking blanket. Gale swallowed. What did I do? I have a bad feeling about this.
The dragons ungraciously flew her away. Eventually, Gale saw an outline of the mountains. The SkyWings flew to nearly the tallest mountain. They dumped her on a high ledge. An amazing amount of SkyWings surrounded her. Probably hundreds. Gale gaped at the dragons. What was going on? There was almost an entire tribe of dragons gathered here! She even spotted some dragonets clinging to their parents.
A big rich golden-orange SkyWing stood in front of her. She wore many necklaces and armlets made out of gold and shiny jewels. A circle of small jewels were embedded in her forehead, all purple. She stood tall with confidence, her slender neck curved in an elegant way.
Any dragon could recognize this SkyWing.
The queen of the SkyWings, Gale gazed up in awe, tiny in contrast. Queen Topaz.
Queen Topaz stared down at the wingless dragonet. She sniffed. "This is the worst case of a flaw. SkyWings are the strongest fliers, yet this one has none. How ironic."
Gale spotted Typhoon and Whirlwind behind the crowd of waiting dragons. Guilt and shame were written all over their faces.Typhoon? Whirlwind? What's happening?
The SkyWing queen cleared her throat. "You must wonder why I invited almost the all of the SkyWings. Here, a flawed dragonet stands before you. It has...no wings." Half of the crowd gasped. Everyone could see that, Gale thought bitterly. Or maybe some of them haven't seen me until now?
"Do we want this mistake to live?" Topaz raised her voice. "Do we want it to pass down more flaws to newer generations? To make them impure?"
"NO!" A few SkyWings shouted. Some of them looked dismayed and horrified.
"Gale's not a mistake!" Typhoon yelled, pushing her way to the front of the crowd.
"Yes," her quieter brother agreed. "Indeed."
"Are you defending this impurity?" Topaz pointed a talon at Gale. "Then I may as will make an example out of you too. What do you think of me tearing of your wings now?" Typhoon opened her mouth to retort, but Whirlwind nudged her. She fell silent, glaring at Topaz.
Just then, they heard flapping. Sunset and Turbulence landed onto the ledge.
"To make an example out of this wingless creature, it will be thrown off this ledge!" Topaz announced, spreading her enormous wings dramatically."Guards!"
Suddenly, Gale realized what was happening. She was being killed...for her flaw. The queen seemed to hate flaws, and believed that flawed dragons should be killed because they were weak.
Gale started biting and struggling when the guards grabbed her. Whirlwind and Typhoon started forwards, but soldiers barricaded their way.
"No!" Turbulence roared. "Stop! She's my daughter! You said you would give her seven years!" He leaped onto one of the dragons dragging Gale. "She's not full-grown to survive by herself!" Sunset stood frozen, unsure of what to do.
"You will not barge into this execution!" Topaz snarled, jerking Turbulence back by his tail. "I have waited too long. You are lucky that I didn't kill that creature when it hatched." Turbulence spun around and headbutted the queen in answer.
Topaz had a look of surprise in her eyes, as if she had not expected an inferior dragon to oppose her. Turbulence butted Topaz again. Topaz, because of her bulk, barely budged. She slammed a wing over his head, dazing him.
"You will die like your daughter will," Topaz sneered. With vicious swipes, she shredded Turbulance's wing membrane. Then she heaved the still-dazed dragon off the ledge. He fell soundlessly, disappearing into the fog below.
Gale stared down after her father despairingly. Sunset screamed, and took off in an attempt to save Turbulence. Three guards piled down onto her, bringing her down.
"You will have no more eggs," Topaz hissed to Sunset. "You will be separated from your son and daughter. You will become the lowest of the lowest. You will join those others who have had flawed hatchlings before. Join them, now, in that faraway outpost in the ocean. This is your punishment for having a flawed hatchling." The three dragons got off Sunset. Without a word, Sunset jumped off the edge and begin flying away, accompanied by the three guards. She glanced back, grief already clouding her eyes.
"This is the order of the SkyWing queen," Topaz declared. Gale saw the horror on her siblings' faces. Well, there's nothing you can do. You'll only get killed if you interfere. Gale stopped struggling. What's the point?
Gale stood at the edge of the ledge. She looked down, and closed her eyes for a moment. I'm coming with you, Father.
Before the guards could do anything, Gale dropped off the ledge. She saw the look of surprise on their faces. Good, Gale thought with satisfaction. Never expected me to do it myself, eh?
Gale closed her eyes again. She was falling, the sensation all too familiar. When she was smaller, she had tried to fly. She had always ended up with scratches and bruises.
But this time, it was real. She was going to die. The wingless.
Will Gale survive or not? Wait until the next chapter!