Deathbringer can feel his heart thump along the beat of his enormous wings of stars. The thought of what misconceptions that Glory would say from the decision of taking something that isn't his gnawed at him. Although what other choice did he have? He knew that asking for something nice from any SkyWing came with a one-way ticket directly to a fiery end upon where they stood. If what Clay said about their ragtag group of misfits' high standing with the SkyWings was true, this could be their opportunity. His opportunity.

The fact that he was with two other dragons almost passed him. He's not alone, which meant this wasn't going to be like any routine stealth flight he was used to piloting.

"Wait! Deathbringer!" Kinkajou yelled behind him, but he didn't nudge to her direction as he continued forward, above the darkened trees as the night took over and almost consumed him.

"What do you mean 'take'? Do you mean to steal?"

Following her trail was Turtle. Deathbringer wasn't sure if he was intentionally slowing them down or was tired from the short flight from Possibility. Although when the land suddenly stretched up beyond the dark fog ahead, he knew it'll be much tougher to assure each other of their presence. The NightWing stopped to hover and wait for them to catch up. Kinkajou at least looked like she was determined. "Phew! You're fast!"

"Of course. You can do it too if you make a habit flying away," Deathbringer replied to her passive quip.

Turtle eventually caught up with them, but the odd behavior of waving a stick lifted his brow. "What are you doing? Time is ticking, and the moons are moving."

"Wait," Kinkajou intruded, Deathbringer quickly facing her, "You still didn't answer my question."

He sighed. This conversation was exacerbating the pounding ache inside his skull from where he envisioned Glory yelling at him. "Yes."

The RainWing gasped. "Why would you do such a thing?"

Deathbringer raised his talons, clearly seeing Kinkajou's bright colors turn dark. "Kinkajou, I doubt that a SkyWing will just hand us anything, even a flower, regardless if we were to kindly take it, steal it, borrow it, or whatever else you can think of."

"It's not right!" Kinkajou was like a reflection of Glory, lacking the usual punishments like the last time she forced him to clean up bird droppings when he accidentally squashed a perfect melon during his "off-duty." Deathbringer scoffed to himself. As if that changes anything, she'd still look angry.

"It doesn't matter if this is for Glory's hatching day present. I won't allow it."

She really was stubborn, but he couldn't blame her. He would be against this too. If it wasn't the only choice left.

"I'm sorry, Kinkajou," Deathbringer's tone was sullen, understanding her point. "There's always more out there, don't worry."

His meagre attempt to balance the fairness did little to cheer her up. She glanced to Turtle, who floated still while they argued. Deathbringer hoped that she wasn't trying to have him back her up.

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Yeah," Kinkajou added, contorting the same confused face, "why are you waving a—Oooh, trying to magic something again?"

Turtle turned his eye to them, "Sort of, but with the enchantment I made, I doubt that flower is there or is even alive."

Deathbringer stood there, but he didn't want to depend too much upon animus magic. It can't be THAT powerful, despite many historical scrolls he read stated, or Darkstalker's mere existence.

"I'll look for it," Deathbringer said simply. "It's not that hard, especially in the dead of night. I'm practically invisible."

Kinkajou disappeared after he spoke, a clear reminder that he wasn't the best equipped for this mission. But there was more to be aware of than just not being able to see. "You can't see me at all."

Deathbringer chuckled, "Of course, but I can hear you."

"I still don't want to go on with this," she reappeared, levitating next to Turtle while he placed the stick in his pouch.

"You don't have to," Deathbringer reminded her "It's not like I won't receive her punishment with anything that involves me that goes wrong. I'll handle this myself. You two just keep watch for the other three and make sure they're distracting the Queen long enough." He was unsure of what distracting the Queen would benefit, but under normal conditions, she'd most likely call to her other dragons when visitors arrived in this case from his past experiences.

Deathbringer looked up when they drew nigh unto the palace walls. The air was thinner, colder, and much more, while the clouds loomed upon him and the rest. The odd shadows that rose before them are one of the towers of the Sky Palace. There weren't clouds that had such perfect triangular shape to form.

They landed upon one of the mountains that sat next to the palace walls. Turtle, specifically, shook his green scales from the temperature. Kinkajou took notice and wrapped her wing around him for warmth. Deathbringer turned around, smiling, towards the palace and planned his next approach.

He saw two SkyWing guards, their red and orange color distinct and visible against the fog, which meant the only safe approach was below, towards the large, oval arena. The clanking of chains echoed throughout the entire stadium while one of the SkyWings turned towards the movement, shouting at something, "You mind? Stop moving!"

Prisoners.

He trudged toward the cliffside, further seeing a few more SkyWings below the arena's audience seating, sauntering about with their spears.

Deathbringer returned to where Kinkajou and Turtle were huddled. He looked to them with poignant eyes. "It won't take long, but I don't think the others have arrived yet. I'm guessing they're resting for the night."

Since the palace is all too quiet, he thought.

"Are you sure it's worth the risk?" Turtle asked, holding to the stick again. "I know animus magic is something hard to understand. But believe me, the enchantments don't lie."

Deathbringer gazed at his talon as if the weight would pull him down the moment he lifted off to do his reconnaissance. The sooner he could finish, the better for him and everyone else.

"I do," the NightWing started, turning around, "but it'll be better if I don't waste all my years of sneaking around, not being seen, and use it for something that will benefit me for once."

A few moments of silence, then Deathbringer smiled at them, taking off, letting the darkness take over and hide him from sight.

Feet upon feet of high towering pillars were in Deathbringer's way of his flight. He swerved accordingly, making sure none of the trees shook upon his descent towards the arena below while keeping himself as steady as the stars above. He knew a single flap of his wings was enough to be heard from far away.

Luckily, he didn't need to.

He dug his talons into the soil upon landing on a soft bed of grass. He looked towards an elevated cliff, the light of the three moons shining upon the stone walls of the towers and pillars. A small stream nearby gushed gently, flowing through the forest floor.

Then, wingbeats, not a moment too soon.

Patrols.

Deathbringer huddled close next to a cover of foliage and bushes. By the clustered amount of beats, he counted five just arriving, perhaps from their recent patrols. Soft mumbles of their voices fluctuated the calming wind and echoed throughout. They really don't know how to quiet down, being SkyWings, of course.

"I swear to the moons, patrols have gotten boring."

"You're lucky enough to be alive for multiple patrols when it was normal to assume you'd die on your first."

The voices quietened into the wind. To Deathbringer, that meant they were entering a cave. Once that dissipated, he moved out, silently moving towards a slight incline of smooth rocks near the stream. He kept his form as low to the ground as possible while using the sounds of the stream to cover every talonstep he took, until he eventually came upon the arena's lower steps and audience seats.

The arena, though, was not an option to just cross. The moons were only too bright to guarantee a safe passage towards one of the palace entrances. Just above the arena was another steep incline that seemed to reach towards one of the watchtowers. The windows on the side were too small, though, being another impossible option to infiltrate.

"Remember, it only takes a single wingbeat."

He retreated towards the back end of the tower, the steep slope making it nearly impossible to keep his steps quiet. That elevation, though, was the only approach left to reach the building.

The only thing for Deathbringer to gamble was hoping no one was at the guard tower above him.

So he trudged through the black rocks. He spied on every rock that looked like it was sturdy enough for a dragon as enormous as he was to not collapse. The walls of the tower gave him sufficient darkness if ever—

CRACK.

Deathbringer felt the rock, rolling down the steep incline, cracking other stones in the way. His heart stopped, snapping his head up.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Talonsteps.

He quickly covered himself, laying flat upon the side of the wall. A SkyWing was coming.

The NightWing held his breath, hearing those talonsteps louden with each step. Until it stopped, and a heaving breath just above, muffled to his ear.

"One single movement, and you're dead."

That voice. Deathbringer recognized it instantly in his head.

Quickstrike.

"Infiltration requires a steady mind. Shake it, and it'll be the end of you."

"I'm sure it's easy."

Deathbringer opened his eyes, hearing the SkyWing's breath weaken and their talonsteps shrink into nothingness.

He slowly loosened his breath. Everything was alright.

He placed a talon to the edge. Tightening his wings as he climbed up, peeking inside the gray stoned corridor with a single torch lighting up the far end of the hallway. Deathbringer knew this infiltration had only begun.

One tower was done. Deathbringer stood close to the walls. There was no camouflaging on this end once he moved to the back into another opening.

Then on, more and more wingbeats were apparent. Deathbringer poked his head out of the entryway when he reached. The darkness claimed the next area just beyond the main palace that was further down.

By his observation of SkyWing movements, the solution was obvious. When the moment struck, he dove down from the cliffside of the first tower into the darkness below. Avoiding the glimmering light of the moons without trying to turn to show his lighter underbelly.

The inner side of the palace was much easier to enter rather than outside. Deathbringer didn't take his chance, jumping right inside one of the main palace rooms' windows and quickly collapsed from the intensity. He didn't remember the last time he had to face something that extreme.

But what he didn't expect was the room he was in. Were neat to such an extent despite how SkyWings were depicted to be messy. A drawer, rose bed, and a leather curtain neatly folded from the window he entered, with a rugged carpet, red in color.

He started quietly searching. He already knew from the back of his mind that this wouldn't be a room for a flower collector, so his search wasn't too long. Deathbringer snuffed out the only torch lighting the room next to the doorway before climbing out the window and towards the next one down the line.

That quickly changed when he noticed a SkyWing dragonet sleeping inside this particular room, so he jumped a few more, making sure he was light on his talons.

The next one looked vacant. The bed looked abandoned, the drawer inside was broken, and a few glass pieces were on the floor. Deathbringer hopped inside to rest his talons from climbing the walls of the palace.

Whoever lived in this chamber probably had terrible nightmares. Deathbringer thought, looking at the damages. He lifted the bedsheet and was introduced to a couple of mice. Wiping the dust that caked his talons, he continued, jumping from room to room.

Deathbringer entered the next room. The moment he peered his eye from the window, he saw many apparent signs of a flower collector. If hundreds of tall grass and a literal grass bed weren't obvious enough. There was a large scroll with a large red flower in the facing above it.

Three Moons… finally!

Many candles lit the room in floating shelves near the ceiling—a smart way to prevent any of these volatile organics from bursting in flames.

After snuffing them out, he opened the scrolls, filled with many detailed drawings of every flower that he couldn't even imagine possible. Some were rare, some were unique, some were flowers of the same shape and design, yet the colors were different.

Come on, where did you put it?

He rolled the scroll. The flower had to be somewhere when he realized that it wasn't in the book. He opened each drawer, seeing the utensils ranging from brushes to watercolors, a few parchment papers, and empty scrolls.

But before he had a chance to open the next set of drawers or shelves, the door behind him creaked open.

He turned, face to face with a SkyWing.

The SkyWing was bright red, close to a light maroon in color. He wore glasses, one of them slightly bent that wrapped around his curved horns. One of his ears was missing a ring, instead, covered with white bandages. When Deathbringer glanced down, he was holding the very flower he was looking for, flat in a wooden board in his talons. Almost identical to the one he had.

He pulled the SkyWing towards him in quick successions, closed the door, and pounded the SkyWing against it, muffling his snout with his talons.

"Calm down, calm down, pretty please." Deathbringer anxiously told him while the SkyWing struggled. "I'm not here to hurt you, really, that normality has gone long past. So do you mind not screaming so that I can leave this wonderful place in one piece and not in pieces?"

The SkyWing nodded, calming down as he requested, and Deathbringer slowly released his hold, backing slightly.

"Thank you. I don't think I deserve prison just to get a flower."

The SkyWing fell to his fours, holding the flower in his talon up. "Sure, but I didn't expect a NightWing to suddenly barge in my room without an explanation," he said.

"I know, I know." Deathbringer replied, taking a breath, "I've been on the hunt for one of the rarest flowers in existence, and I'm SO glad you had it, Parficial? Right?"

The SkyWing glanced in slight shock towards him when he placed the flower down. "How do you know my name?"

"Well," Deathbringer quickly replied, "I was at Possibility, where you got it from Mayfly."

"Oh," Parficial nodded, "Well, I paid pretty hefty for this flower. It's rare, you're right, and I would like to keep it and draw it in my scroll."

Deathbringer knew this was going to happen, but he wasn't going to back down from nothing when this was his only chance left at finally giving something for Glory's hatching day. Even if it wasn't his, to begin with. "What can I trade you for it? I'm sure there are other flowers that you haven't discovered yet."

Parficial shook his head, opening the scroll of flowers. "I'll have you know, this extraordinary flower's colors aren't going to last for long. I won't mind giving it to you if you don't mind slightly losing the beauty as it is now."

Deathbringer wasn't going to take no for an answer, even worse if this SkyWing would take until the three moons joined up together again to draw if he really is slow as this SkyWing is telling him.

But he was content to know Parficial wasn't the type to be aggressive, tapping his talons when he reached for a paintbrush in his drawer.

"I'm very sorry if this is what you came for… uh…" Parficial said, questioning his identity.

"Deathbringer," he replied.

"Deathbringer," Parficial repeated, "quite a name."

Moments of silence later, Deathbringer concluded he didn't have a chance of changing Parficial's mind. "Well, I'm sorry for intruding."

"Actually," the SkyWing said instead, "I remember when I was looking around the north end for a rare daffodil. There is a flower just like this one."

Wait, another one?!

Deathbringer was in shock, but something in his mind wondered. Why didn't Turtle's magic work?

The reason for the one in Parficial's talons was simple. It was also dead, but if there was another one, still alive-

"I can't be too sure, so don't put your hopes up," Parficial added, looking at Deathbringer's excitement. "This one stuck out, but I didn't think of getting it because it was like plucking a part of yourself when I got close to it."

"Huh?" Deathbringer muttered, not catching any of it, "What are you saying?"

Parficial traveled to one of his drawers, pulling out a map of Pyrrhia with different colored markings, around the desert sand, the north end of the Sky Kingdom, towards the beaches near the Sea Kingdom, and pointing the north end to Deathbringer. "There."

It was on the very tip of the north marked with green ink circled in one spot.

"This one was so much more wonderful with these colors," he said, laying in his talon the Glory flower. "Bigger too."

Deathbringer's excitement didn't suppress his suspicion of trickery. He asked Parficial, "You mind coming with me? That green circle still covers a lot of ground."

Parficial rolled his scroll and placed the flower down on the flat wooden board. "It's pretty easy to find, and why not? I'm as curious as you are to its strangeness."

Although their conversation was quickly cut off when they heard many talonsteps outside the corridor.

"What's going on?" Deathbringer was quick to dash behind the large wooden closet while Parficial slightly opened the door, silently watching as SkyWings passed by. Something big was happening.

"I think there are visitors."

Deathbringer's mind only came to one conclusion.

They're here.