Something new. From the perspective of the queen who they are saving. Thought I'd try it. Sorry if she seems a little out of character. Although, always best to choose the characters that have the least elaboration on them in the book. Then you basically have free reign. Anyways, here it is!
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
MOORHEN
Moorhen stared at the words she had scratched in the mud. Only siblings together can save the queen of mud. She shivered. Mudwings didn't have prophetic powers, but this felt strangely like a missing part of a prophecy. Again, her body shook. She sighed quietly. She was getting old. It had been oh so many years since she was at the top of hers, the Sandwing War Of Succession. Burn had threatened her into aiding her in the battle. So many Mudwings had died. So many...and then her dragonets had been taken. Normally, Mudwings didn't keep track of their offspring. Once they were hatched, they were left to grow up with their sibs. But, being the queen, Moorhen had kept her children with her, monitoring them, especially the daughters, so that one day, one of the princesses would succeed her as the Mudwing queen. And...the aged queen stared at the moons, before settling down in the warm, squishy mud. Sleep overtook her.
She dreamed. She dreamed of a peaceful day, the sun filtering through sparse trees and shining onto a marshy ground, where she watched four little dragonets play. Two females, two males. A small smile etched it's way onto her snout as the bigwings helped up the smallest dragonet, a tiny girl, up from where she had fallen. In the cool shade, they each blew a miniature spurt of flame, a silly thing they had done together, since discovering that they could always breathe fire. Moorhen smiled in her sleep. Everything was so happy
Then the dragons came. Out of the sky, two heavy, strong Skywings landed in the clearing and grabbed her dragonets, the youngest and the oldest. Moorhen leaped up, growling, and took a ferocious swipe at the first, who blazed a furious orange. He dodged, and, with a powerful sweep of her wings, slammed Moorhen back against a tree, where she lay, struggling to regain her consciousness. Before she passed out, she watched her babies being taken away, and roared a roar of pain and anger. Then all was black.
Moorhen awoke to a crowd of dragons. Two Mudwings, two Icewings, two Sandwings, two Nightwings...what were all of these dragons doing in her kingdom? She struggled to her feet.
"Who are you? Have you kidnapped me?" She growled. "Return me to my kingdom immediately!" Then she noticed that the swampy ground underneath her claws was the same as in the Mud Kingdom. Never mind. One of the dragons spoke up. She was an Icewing, with pure sky blue scales.
"Your majesty, we're from the Pyrrhia Prophecy. We saved your life." The prophecy? Well, that would explain the blue Icewings and wingless Seawings.
"Well, then, assuming that you are telling the truth, I thank you." Moorhen sat back down, and a silence followed. "Would any of you appreciate a reward?" Moorhen asked. This was a test. If they asked for gold or treasure, they could not be the real prophecy dragons, who would save the queens simply because it was their destiny, and they were kind and virtuous dragons. One of the Mudwings spoke up, a male.
"Can you help me find my sibs?" Moorhen nodded thoughtfully.
"Ah, yes. You would not have been raised with them. I imagine that…" The peace of the moment was broken by a spurt of flame blasting towards Moorhen. Startled, reactions told her to drop to the ground, and she listened. The fire passed directly over her head. The dragons around her, the prophecy dragons, twirled around, ready to fight. A barrage of rocks came sailing through the air, striking them down. All except the Mudwings, who shielded themselves with their wings, lying on the muddy ground like the queen. A shadowy figure stalked out of the trees, and the Mudwings growled, leaping to their feet again. Moorhen did as well, for what it was worth, the value of which dropped suddenly as the shadowy figure, a dragon, sent another burst of flame towards her, which she dodged almost successfully. She fell to the ground, grasping her burnt leg. The Mudwings lept towards the dragon, who slipped away, but not before the male and female could send identical gashes down either wing. There would be no flying for this assassin.
Once the assassin was gone, the Mudwings turned to their friends. Immediately, the male began checking the pulse of a small, female Sandwing, and the female, the blue Icewing. Slowly, the others stirred, and Moorhen determined that these were indeed the dragons from the prophecy. Why else would all those dragons from other tribes risk their life for her? Shakily regaining her footing, wincing in pain as her new burn flared up, she thanked the Mudwings profusely. "Certainly, you will find your sibs." She addressed the male. He looked excited.
"Thank you, your majesty." He bowed. "I don't remember much, but there was one other male and two females. I was dragged away at birth…" Moorhen nodded. Why was this sounding so familiar? She dismissed the thought with a wave of her talon.
"I will enlist the help of my children, Princess Marble and Prince Shale." Taking in a deep breath, she yelled in a voice that only wobbled slightly. "Marble, Shale, come here!" Immediately two dragons clambered into sight from the direction of the town and gasped. Moorhen couldn't blame them. Seeing all of these dragons surrounding their mother must have been as shocking to them as waking up surrounded by all those dragons had been for her.
"Mother!" Marble exclaimed, rushing forward. "Come on, Shale!" She beckoned impatiently. Ever since Monsoon's other dragonets had been taken, Marble had overtaken the role of the bigwings, dominating Shale's meeker personality. "What is it, Mother? Who are all of these dragons?" Monsoon huffed.
"These dragons are from the prophecy. They saved my life while you were all sitting on your duffs and fannies waiting for me to die, and now I have promised to help these Mudwings find their siblings. You are to aid them in their search. Now go." Marble opened her mouth, and would have protested, when something occurred to Shale.
"Mother." He said quietly. "Is it possible that these two Mudwings are our missing sibs? The ones that were taken all those years ago? The ones that could breath fire all the time, like in the prophecy?" Monsoon gasped. She looked at the Mudwings.
"What are your names?" The big male answered.
"I'm Monsoon." The female followed up by stating her name.
"My name is Brook." That was what she had named her missing dragonets! Could it be? Marble was irritated at the possibility of losing her rule over Shale.
"It could just be a coincidence." Marble shook her head at her scowling daughter.
"It would have to be an incredibly large coincidence. These are your lost bigwings and younger sister." One of the dragons, who had remained silent throughout the whole affair, squealed.
"Ohmygosh, Brook, this is so EXCITING! You have a brother and sister and another brother and whoopee!" From the color shifting scales, Moorhen assumed it was a Rainwing. Another dragon, a small golden Sandwing, spoke up.
"Yeah, Monsoon. You've always wanted to find your sibs, and here they are. Congratulations!" Monsoon, the male Mudwing, looked incredibly happy.
"Come now!" Moorhen cried. "We must go inform the kingdom of this exciting news!" The Mudwings exchanged worried glances.
"Your highness-I mean, Mother-we can't. We have to save the other queens of Pyrrhia." Moorhen frowned. But she could see the logic.
"Very well then." She stepped forwards and wrapped her wings around them. "Good luck on your journey, and return to me before this one usurps me." She jabbed a claw at Marble, who looked relieved that she would get to keep her authority for a little bit longer. "Now be on your way. Save the queens!" Moorhen shooed them off, and watched the dragons fly away in silence. She abruptly turned back and marched towards the village. Her remaining children followed her obligingly.
"Don't worry, Mother. I'll never leave the Mud Kingdom." Shale nudged her side. Moorhen smiled slightly. Shale was a loyal son.
"Yes." She murmured. "I know."