(Blackbird)
After the so-called "battle", Scarlet had sent Blackbird down to the sand, a guard shoving her off the cave ledge. Guards had already taken Tsunami and Starflight from their towers and into the tunnel in the side of the arena that led to the rest of the palace. Blackbird laid in a heap on the sand until she felt a talon grasp hers and pull her up. She looked up at Ember, looking everywhere except for the pile of ash.
"Blackbird, I want you to meet my sister, Peril." She pulled her eyes away from her own talons and looked up at the dragon. Peril's wings seemed to be rippling with colors of flame, like staring into the heart of a fire.
"Hel-"
"You look weird. Scarlet told me you're a SkyWing, but you don't look like any SkyWing I've seen before." Blackbird was completely taken aback. Ember nudged Peril's side and cleared his throat before gesturing for her to stop. "Oh. That was a weird thing to say, wasn't it? Sorry."
"How... how are you not burning?" Bird's eyes flicked between the two dragons, and the pair exchanged glances.
"We're from the same egg, so... I guess the best way to put it is that Peril here took my fire from me." Ember brushed a wing against Peril's side briefly. "And since I survived being in an egg with her, I can survive this." Blackbird fell silent for a moment.
"You... killed that dragon." Peril's instantly looked down and Ember quickly interjected.
"She only did what Scarlet told her to. Like what you and I are doing." He fell silent for a moment. "It's what keeps us alive, Blackbird."
"Right... sorry..." Blackbird fell silent for a second, before looking up at the two. "Can I ask something?"
"So long as it isn't bad, yes."
"Have either of you seen a dragon? There were four of us together when we came here, and I haven't seen him since, and- I'm worried." Peril and Ember exchanged looks. "He's Night/Ice, but he looks more IceWing." The siblings were quiet for a long while, before Peril spoke up.
"He's... going with Burn soon."
"W-what?" Ember reached out and gently touched her shoulder.
"Look, Blackbird. There's nothing to do about it, not without loosing our own scales. It's safest to just... let her take him." Blackbird felt her heart drop and looked away from the two. Ember frowned and reached out to comfort her again when there was a loud commotion from the tunnel. Peril darted backwards as guards pulled Starflight and Tsunami out of the tunnel. Starflight kept his head down as he was flown up to his tower, but Tsunami was lashing against her guards.
"Blackbird!" The SeaWing managed to wrench herself out of the guards' grasp, landing heavy on her side on the sand. Her front talons were bound with chains and the guards quickly flew back down to grab her again. She flipped herself onto her talons and started biting at the guards and attempting to hit them with her tail before turning to Blackbird again. "You're not part of the fighting! Why are you stuck with the queen?"
"I... I don't know-" Blackbird was barely able to say that much before guards grabbed Tsunami again and started winging her up to her tower again, despite the SeaWing's thrashing.
"Come on... we should get you back inside now." Ember swept his wing around Blackbird's shoulders and gently guided her back into the tunnel, Peril trailing behind the two as a trio of SandWings carried a dragon away above.
(Dovekie)
Dovekie didn't know where he was. He had been locked in a small, cell-like room for what he thought was the past few days, the door only cracking open for someone to shove a hunk of weird meat through. Guards had put strange clips onto his wings that prevented them from opening. The fourth time the door had opened, he had been dragged out by a pair of SkyWings, and brought before three SandWings.
"So this is what Scarlet wants to give Queen Burn?" The first SandWing's voice was low and gravely and he grabbed Dovekie's chin, turning his head this way and that. One of the SkyWings shryugged, digging her claws harder into his upper arm.
"Yup. The queen said she hasn't seen one like this before." She lifted one of Dovekie's wings, showing the obsidian black starscales that glittered underneath.
"Well, he certainly is different..." The SandWing let go of his chin and gestured for the other two SandWings to grab Dovekie. "Well, Queen Burn sends her regards. She'll be here for Scarlet's hatching day I'm sure." The SkyWings stepped back as Dovekie was harshly yanked forward again, this time by the SandWing soldiers. He was dragged to an outdoor landing, where the trio took off with him.