~ PROLOGUE ~
7 Years Before the End of the Great War. . .
Amber was flying gracefully through the cloudless sky. The warm, gentle sun brilliantly reflected the clementine scales on her long, slender body, blessing them with a golden gleam. An enlighteningly cool breeze blew past her face, whooshing over her ears and taking all her troubles with it as the scent of fresh pine greeted her nostrils.
Off in the distance, she spied the grand outline of her home: the Sky Palace, accompanied by its heavily fortified walls and towers that pierced the atmosphere with their surreal height and pointed tips, like mountains, only thinner.
As she tilted her head downward, the soaring SkyWing gazed upon the lush, green hills far below, admiring the simplicity of the humble mounds before returning her focus to the open air.
Days like these were best spent flying free with no burdens weighing down upon one's enormous wings… except that there should be, for Amber, at least. Guard duty was not something she was particularly fond of, though, she understood the necessity of defending her kingdom. However, why Captain Canary selected her of all dragons, especially over her brave, strong husband, Nimbus, or any other fierce SkyWing for the matter, she could not comprehend.
The SkyWing tribe was known for both their courage and power, but Amber herself wasn't nearly as confident as many of her colleagues positioned themselves to be. She could never picture herself filling any heroic role within the words of incredibly valiant war tales relayed to her by old veterans who now tried to live peaceful lives away from war and fighting.
Amber had been taken through and pondered many exciting stories, her personal favorite being…
Focus! She reminded herself. The orange SkyWing knew she had to remain concentrated, lest she meet a fate similar to that of her airheaded brother, Falcon.
Poor Falcon. He never even had a fighting chance! Why, he was even younger than I am now! Or was he? Arrgh! I'm drifting again!
She descended swiftly upon a nearby clearing beside the Diamond Spray River. After landing with her front claws submerged in the stream, Amber scooped up a clawful of the freezing water, cupped it within her talons, and repeatedly splashed it over her face. The cold liquid ran in between her scales and sharpened her mind as she folded her wings.
The mildly frustrated SkyWing then turned herself toward the woods, surveying the area while shivering from the spreading chill.
The ground beneath her was moist, soft, and warm with a few patches of mud splotched here and there. As the roaring river ran over the bed of smooth pebbles resting beneath its surface, thousands of water droplets scattered over the edge of the canal, coating Amber's scales with their reflective surfaces. Sunlight peered through the tree branches above, casting the illusion of lively rainbows dancing throughout the stream.
Healthy vegetation flourished as far as the eye could see within the forest east of the Sky Palace. Hundreds of trees stood tall and mighty as tiny, cheerful birds chattered noisily upon their firm branches. Lesser bushes sprouted near the roots, brandishing many colorful fruits and leaves possessing every shade of green.
This is dreadfully boring, Amber thought to herself, flexing her talons in the river. I'm stuck out here with no one to talk to and nothing to do except look out for danger that most certainly is NOThere. Maybe I could try to take a nap… No, there's bound to be plenty of other SkyWings patrolling today. If I'm caught, Canary will have my head.
Captain Canary had acquired an impressive reputation of being strict and commanding in her few years of guard captaining. Often, she threatened to do dreadful things to disobedient soldiers, the most common being beheading. Amber was unsure just how true each statement was, though, she hadn't seen lazy, little Cinnabar lately.
Better safe than sorry, she decided.
After coming to the conclusion that there was nothing worth inspecting further in her current position, Amber shifted her wings with a satisfying crack and prepared herself to take to the skies once more. Just as her talons were about to leave the ground, the clementine SkyWing sensed something unusual. A rustling, almost like a whisper, emanated from the dense forest behind her, making her ears twitch.
With a startled expression, Amber whirled around to stare at where the disturbance seemed to have come from: a large bush. Her cloudy orange eyes narrowed into slits as she scanned the dark green leaves of the shrubbery, searching for movement.
The giant plant could easily conceal a fully grown dragon within its dense figure, though Amber wanted to believe the noise came from a rabbit, squirrel, or even the slow wind.
However, even she knew the disturbance was much too great. It must have been if she could hear it over the raging waters. A worrisome thought squirmed its way into the frightened SkyWing's head as her scales began to tingle, sensing that whatever was concealed within was watching her, maybe even plotting her demise.
Cautiously, Amber took a few steps toward the bush, feeling her claws sink in the mud beneath her talons. Once she was a dragon's length from the plant, she dared not to tread any closer. She knew it was vital to keep her distance; it wasn't unlikely the hidden being could spring out at her and end her life if it was dangerous enough.
Suddenly, her heart began to race like lightning as she gritted her teeth so hard she could feel a sharp pain in her jaw.
Although Amber wanted nothing more than to spread her wings and escape far, far away from the supposed danger and back to the refuge that was the open sky, she knew it was her duty to her tribe to investigate. Fleeing was likely to get her in even more trouble than whoever she was facing right now.
Although she often scoured these woods for prey, Amber had never been in a tooth-and-claw battle with another dragon before. Her only experience came from mandatory guard training, in which Captain Canary never missed out on an opportunity to point out how disappointing she was.
Despite this, Amber gathered her courage, or what little she could accumulate of the thing, and cleared her throat.
"Step out where I can see you," she ordered in a voice a tad too feeble for her liking, faltering in the middle of her sentence.
As Amber announced her command, all the chatter of the forest ended abruptly, as if the whole world had been muted by an unseen force. Even the river's aggressive tone seemed to die down for the event, which did nothing to boost Amber's failing confidence.
Silence. Nothing happened. No one moved.
Her only relief from the mind-numbing tranquility was the voice in her head which shrieked, "Run away! Be safe! Stay alive!"
The SkyWing guard quickly dismissed its frightful tone. This was going to be her moment of bravery- her chance to prove to herself that she wasn't entirely a coward, though, she might also prove herself a fool if there really was no danger lurking in the underbrush.
After a few unsettling moments, Amber spat on the ground in front of her and straightened her neck in an attempt to seem more intimidating.
Before speaking again, she cleared her throat, hoping to add a shred of confidence to her tone.
"Reveal yourself this instant, or I'm scorching your hiding spot, along with your sorry scales."
At this point, she knew she had to be talking to another dragon, or something very large waiting in the overgrowth. Any fox, squirrel, or bear would have fled already.
Amber could feel the ominous quiet creeping on her back. She shrugged it off before the tingling feeling caused her to lose her nerve.
As the time she allotted ticked away, Amber could feel the ominous quiet creeping on her back. She shrugged it off before the tingling made her lose her nerve.
Ready to ignite the giant plant, Amber opened her mouth, smoke curling through her nostrils and around her snout as an orange glow flared in the back of her throat.
Suddenly, the sound of freezing water being poured on blazing coals filled her ears. Someone was hissing at her.
Leaves brushed aside as a dragon the color of glaciers crept out of the bush in a crouched position, like a lion stalking its prey, scraping the ground with her sharp talons after every step.
Amber had never seen an IceWing up close before. Her only experience with the tribe's dragons were the depressing ones kept up on pillars in the sky dungeon, draped in chains.
The ice dragon's scales glistened in the sunlight like aquamarine and diamond gemstones that had just been polished, though, dry mud was speckled across her thin legs and snout. Although the IceWing was considerably smaller than Amber, the many icicle-like spines standing tall over her neck, spine, and tail made her seem like a formidable opponent.
There was only one thing Amber noticed shining brighter than the IceWing's scales. A sapphire earring cut in the shape of a teardrop with a thin, silver lining around its edges dangled from her left side of her head.
As the agitated IceWing drew closer, her spiked tail lashing out behind her like a snake, Amber suddenly wished she'd decided to wear her armor today. Although her heart was beating faster than it ever had before, she tried to hold her posture and intimidate the smaller dragon with her size, but she could sense her legs trembling, revealing her weakness.
For a moment, the two dragons remained dormant, locked in each others' gaze. The newcomer's eyes presented a glossy black surface with white light reflecting off of where the sun shone. While they didn't seem particularly menacing, they certainly didn't appear friendly either.
Amber knew that IceWings were supposed to be quick and dangerous, but her panicked thoughts prevented her from recalling more information. Nothing revealed itself to her besides stories upon stories about how cruel IceWings were, as well as the dreadful voice in her head repeating, "I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die…"
The panicked SkyWing stood motionless, completely trapped inside of her own head when the IceWing lunged forward with sharp claws and talons outstretched.
Amber snapped out of the daze she had been imprisoned within and recoiled, pushing her front claws off of the ground, but lacking the agility to avoid the strike entirely. Cold talons grazed the side of her neck like frozen razor blades, even colder than the river. A stream of crimson red leaked from her new wound.
Upon landing, Amber's back legs plunged into the river, one of them being punctured while brushing against a sharp rock that protruded from the mud. The injured SkyWing slammed her front claws back onto the ground and roared in agony as her back legs became engulfed in the mire.
Smoke now pouring from her nostrils, Amber made an attempt to leap out of the river toward the hostile IceWing; however, the combination of sludge holding her down in the water and the pain erupting from her leg didn't grant her the force she needed to reach her opponent.
Amber came down flat upon the ground, flapping her wings wildly in a desperate attempt to return to her claws. Her opponent hunched over, preparing to strike again in the SkyWing's ruefully weakened state.
As Amber finally managed to return to her claws, she sensed what felt like a cold boulder slam into her side and knock her off balance once again. She fell onto her back, one of her wings landing awkwardly beneath her. Without a second to waste, the tiny IceWing then pounced on top of her and opened her mouth as she dug her claws into Amber's shoulders, causing the agonized SkyWing to wince.
At first, Amber thought the IceWing sought to bite her with her collection of whitened teeth, but soon noticed the buildup of brilliant light in her opponent's blue throat.
Frost breath, she realized in horror.
Amber had seen countless SkyWing soldiers being treated for gruesome war wounds inflicted by IceWing frost. She didn't intend to be the next victim.
The panicked SkyWing felt a new strength growing within her. The overwhelming burst of power unleashed a roar at her adversary with such ferocity she didn't believe the cry came from herself.
The noise pushed her attacker off balance, loosening her grip on Amber's shoulders. With force she did not know she had possessed, Amber shoved the IceWing off of her and back onto the dirt.
The enraged SkyWing felt an intense burning in her chest as she rolled back onto her claws. With blood dripping from neck and leg, Amber growled fiercely as smoke erupted from her nostrils like a volcano. Black vapor engulfed her face as the ice dragon grunted and tried to lunge again.
With a furious roar, Amber released a small inferno directly into the hapless IceWing's side. Sparks of flame flew astray as the IceWing fell back into the forest, setting small ferns ablaze. She screeched in ear-splitting agony as scorch marks quickly slithered up her silver scales like black snakes of death, painted by the growing flame.
In an attempt to reach the freezing river, the smoking dragon rolled back onto her claws and tried to dart past Amber. Before she could get anywhere near the water's salvation, the furious SkyWing stood in her path and turned instantaneously, smacking the blazing dragon in the chest with her tail, knocking the wind from her lungs.
Any mercy Amber might have spared in a better time was gone, replaced by nothing but pure rage.
With a loud thump, the IceWing hit the floor, her wings flailing helplessly as she writhed in pain.
Before she had a chance to gather herself, Amber pounced on top of the wounded dragon faster than a striking cobra and pinned her to the ground. The sheer cold of the IceWing's scales mixed with the intensity of her own flame almost made the clementine SkyWing lose her balance.
Without wasting another second, Amber wrapped her claws firmly around the smaller dragon's scorched neck, and with a sickening snap, ended her enemy's suffering. The sound sent shivers running down Amber's spine, even colder than the IceWing's scales.
As the ice dragon's motion ceased, Amber stepped aside, panting with exhilaration. She stared at the body with pity in her eyes as she returned from her enraged state. Amber expected to feel relief, or maybe even pride for finally coming out on top of one of her many fears, though, she hated everything about the violence. The pain, injury, and death- all things that could have been avoided if it weren't for the SandWing War of Succession.
She despised the claws of conflict that were taking hold of Pyrrhia, tearing the continent apart and turning good dragons into killers. Even herself, she realized with a shudder. Murder was not something she was looking forward to doing again, but she knew she would have to, eventually, or she would end up dead herself.
The hopeless feeling of remorse creeping up inside of her, churning her stomach and making her want to throw up.
No, she ordered herself, suppressing the sorrow. Do not pity the enemy.
But she did. She felt sorry for all of those whose lives were stripped from them by the ever-present violence dividing the tribes yet again. Peace seemed utterly unobtainable considering Pyrrhia's long history of wars and hatred.
As Amber tilted her head toward the ground with tears in her eyes, she noticed a small puddle of crimson blood, fed by the wound in her neck. As she moved her claw to examine the injury, she was given a sharp shock, prompting her to draw her talons away.
Painful, but not life-threatening. Still, it will leave a scar…
Cleaning the gash before it got infected seemed like her top priority, so the injured SkyWing trudged over to the running river and dipped her talons in the clear, blue liquid. She lowered her claws far enough to pick up one of the smooth, beige pebbles, but decided not to dip into the water entirely. The river's frigid waters were still flowing fast enough to sweep her away if she let her guard down.
As she gently scrubbed the hardened blood from herself, Amber wished she could be resting back at her home in the Sky Palace, letting her troubles drift away as she rested atop a pile of soft animal furs as the small torch on the wall provided a gentle glow.
Nimbus' large, red figure would be lying by her side, tending to her wounds as he gave her updates on the war; he was into that sort of thing. In fact, the crimson SkyWing was well on his way to becoming a commander in the army. His duties to the kingdom could range from him being gone for a few weeks at a time to several years, though, he was to receive quite a lengthy break in just two more. Of course, he'd object to the idea, but Amber knew he'd love nothing more than a chance to be with her again.
Nimbus. The only SkyWing who sees anything more than a pathetic, cowardly spirit residing within me, even if he can be a bit tempered at times. Yes, sometimes he can be quite rude, like that one time I… Enough daydreaming.
After thoroughly rinsing the cuts on her neck and leg, Amber turned her head and noticed a white light bouncing off of the dead IceWing's ear, reflecting a silver sparkle. As the clementine SkyWing stepped closer, she noticed the earring still seemed to be completely intact from their battle
Deciding the IceWing wouldn't need it anymore, Amber carefully removed the gemstone artifact and fitted it upon her own ear, puncturing a new hole in the process. Although it made her head feel lopsided, the eye-catching gem was too beautiful a treasure to pass up.
Unable to stand the odor of death any longer, Amber turned toward the forest, hoping the familiarity of the trees she'd grown up around would soothe her soul.
Although Captain Canary would expect her to report the mysterious IceWing right away, she decided a chance to catch her breath before flying back to the guard camp could do no harm.
Amber advanced east into the woods, away from the river, wondering if it was still wrong to steal from a deceased dragon. She traveled deeper until bird cries and bushes surrounded her, then sat in a grassy patch between the mighty pines.
The trees fractured sunlight with their leaves, allowing small, star-like shadows to be cast upon the forest floor.
Oblivious to the beauty of the surrounding forest- Amber fiddled with her new earring between her talons, pondering the severity of the situation she had gotten herself into. It was unlikely that her attacker had come alone into such dangerous territory.
As far as she knew, half the IceWing army could be lurking nearby, planning an attack on the Sky Palace, or maybe even the homes in the Claws of the Clouds Mountains.
The thought of an attack didn't comfort Amber in the slightest; she knew dragons who lived in both areas. As soon as night fell and her task was over, informing Captain Canary of the unusual IceWing would be her top priority.
When the sun reached the center of the sky above, another noise resonated from deeper within the woods. The sound resembled a sort of roar, though unusually high pitched, almost like a chirp, standing out amongst all the other cries of the forest.
No animal she'd ever encountered entered Amber's mind as her ears picked up the call, yet, she couldn't shake the sense of familiarity that came with it. Curious, she turned and headed toward the disturbance with little hesitation, further into the forest.
She marched stealthily through the pine-smelling overgrowth, slithering through thin trees and tall bushes.
After traveling for less than a minute, she heard the cry once more, to her left, as if the creature responsible were right beside her. Amber turned and noticed a patch of sunlight shining down on a circular clearing. Taking cover behind a large-trunked pine, she peered into the area.
Much to her surprise, waiting in the middle of the clearing, laying on its side in a small patch of grass surrounded by dirt and stones was a small dragonet. An IceWing dragonet.
Amber's eyes narrowed into slits as she studied the young dragon as millions of thoughts raced through her head. Without any doubt, she realized it had a striking resemblance to the one she had previously slain.
His scales were the same glistening colors with the same dazzling patterns. His eyes, like glossy, black beads didn't seem the least bit threatening.
If size were any indication, he couldn't have been more than a few days of age. Even then, Amber decided he seemed smaller than most hatchlings, though she couldn't say for sure how large IceWings were supposed to be.
Oblivious to her presence, the infant IceWing continued lounging in the clearing, flicking his spiked tail back and forth, crying out weakly.
Crying out for his mother, Amber realized with a stab of guilt. And I killed her. Oh, moons! The poor thing…
Amber didn't know what to do. The urge to come closer and interact with the dragonet pulled on her, yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the whole situation.
Eventually, the warm-hearted SkyWing's curiosity got the best of her and she stepped out of the trees, taking little care to be stealthy as she approached the young IceWing.
Upon Amber's arrival, the dragonet chirped in surprise, but didn't seem particularly alarmed by her presence. A look of pure delight covered his face as he smiled at her excitedly, perhaps relieved to finally have some company. Amber was unsure of how long the little dragon had been waiting there, all alone.
Still, she found it bizarre how such a young dragonet showed not even an ounce of fear toward a dragon so much larger than himself. She always thought dragonets remained timid for a time after hatching; Amber herself hadn't willingly adventured beyond the shelter of her mother's wing until she was at least a few months old.
Eager to meet the clementine-colored dragon, the IceWing dragonet lifted himself from the grass and chirped at Amber once more, staring her directly in the eyes. His legs were shaking like blades of grass on a windy day, having a hard time keeping him upright.
Amber smiled back at him and slowly extended a claw in his direction. Without wasting another second, the dragonet stumbled over and rubbed his spiked head affectionately against her talons. His scales were ice-cold, as to be expected with dragons from his tribe.
Aww. What a little sweetheart, Amber thought to herself with a small sense of relief.
As the clementine SkyWing resumed playing with the energetic dragonet, she couldn't help but wonder how he and his mother ended up in SkyWing territory to begin with.
Surely his mother wasn't some sort of spy. There's no way she would have brought her dragonet into such dangerous territory on purpose. Perhaps she was fleeing from something… I have no idea what. Moons, I feel awful for this poor little IceWing. Every dragonet should have a mother and… and a father.
Suddenly, realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. Amber jumped back, her wings spread outward in a defensive position, causing the young IceWing to chirp loudly again and falter, rolling backward in the dirt.
Wary of the dark eyes that may be watching her, the panicked SkyWing's head darted left and right.
Of course his father has to be nearby if his mother was over by the river. No parent would leave such a young dragonet alone for long.
She shot back into the cover of the woods, stirring up some nearby birds in her wake. The startled dragonet attempted to follow her, but caught his talons on a large pebble and hit the ground softly as Amber hid behind another tree and waited. He called out to her, a look of utter devastation on his face.
How could I have been so foolish? I may have gotten myself into a whole world of trouble again already.
Much to her surprise, the IceWing's father didn't show himself immediately and pursue her, giving Amber a chance to catch her breath.
That could've turned out very poorly for me; I need to be more careful.
As Amber peered back into the clearing, she felt her heart drop as the young dragonet stared wistfully toward the spot she'd disappeared into the trees.
Aww. He must hate being alone. Maybe I should stay with him for just a bit longer… No. No, I should probably go before something dreadful happens again.
In the end, Amber decided to watch the young dragonet for a while, just to make sure his father came back for him. Although she knew it was dangerous to wait around for an IceWing to show up, she couldn't consciously leave the little one alone in the woods without knowing that he was safe.
Nothing particularly exciting happened while Amber kept an eye on the young IceWing. He wandered the clearing for a while, supposedly searching for his parents before collapsing on top of a smooth, gray rock, frowning as he closed his eyes.
Amber felt her whole body vibrate as her stomach roared at her, but she could only think about how hungry the small dragonet must be too.
Why do I feel sorrow for this IceWing? He is the enemy; he would kill me if he were bigger and stronger. However, as she studied the innocent blue heap on the rock, she couldn't help but feel that wasn't true.
Soon, the darkness came, yet, the dragonet's father was nowhere to be seen. The dragonet looked up, lifting his head towards the twinkling stars and three moons glistening in the sky. Two of which were full, bathing him in gentle blue light, helping his scales shine. Although it was very late into the night, the glowing orbs in the sky provided just enough light to illuminate the clearing.
Despite her better judgment, Amber chose to wait even longer, far past the time she was ordered to return to the guard camp. There was no doubt in her mind Canary would be furious if she didn't show up to give her report, however, this wouldn't be the first time she was late. Perhaps this behavior was now expected of her, though she would still be punished by the infamous Captain Canary.
I must seem so pathetic to other SkyWings. I'm never on time for anything, terribly unorganized, and now I'm pitying the descendant of an IceWing. For my entire life, I've been raised to believe that all IceWings, no matter how serene or stable they seem, are awful, ruthless creatures with no morals. That can't be true, can it? They're still dragons, after all. Even the one that attacked me only did it to defend her dragonet. Come to think of it, she probably would have left me alone if I didn't bother her first.
Eventually, Amber reached the conclusion that the IceWing's father was not coming back for him. No one was. As the night grew cold, she started shivering.
The chilled SkyWing knew she had to return home soon, or Nimbus would come looking for her.
As much as I don't want to admit it, he'd turn the kingdom upside down to find me. It wouldn't be fair to make him worry like that, especially after all we've been through.
Amber had almost made the decision to take off and rush for the guard camp when she heard the dragonet cry at the moons. She turned to him. He was sad, hungry, and alone, but not freezing, at least.
Amber could feel her heart shattering. She wanted to go wrap her wings around him, provide comfort, or even just let him know he wasn't alone, but really, he was. He was an IceWing stranded in the kingdom of the sky, like a mouse in an empty field, hawks spiraling overhead. No chance. No hope.
Amber knew what she could do, should do, maybe, but wasn't sure if it was the best idea.
What would Nimbus say? There's no way the queen would allow this. We'd definitely have to move out of the palace, but Nimbus loves it there. What if we have to leave the kingdom? I've never been beyond the border before…
After some tense consideration, Amber decided she had made the best choice, although there were no good solutions to the ordeal.
What I did today changed his life. It's only fair I let him do the same to me.
Slowly and silently, she sauntered over to the rock of which the infant dragon was lying on, feeling her hopes for a bright future with Nimbus slowly slipping away.
The dragonet perked up instantly when he saw Amber approaching. He slipped off the rock and staggered over to her, greeting her as if he already trusted her with his life.
His scales shined in the moonlight, like a firefly in a dark cave, a bright star in a blackened night sky, a diamond in a pile of coal. He certainly made Amber feel humbled by her looks.
She laid down in front of the IceWing as he poked his snout against hers. Eager to get closer to his new friend, he reached up and placed a claw over the cut on Amber's neck, causing her to wince until his cold talons numbed the wound.
Once he remained still, Amber scooped the little IceWing up in her talons and held him close to her face as he made peaceful chirping sounds. He accidentally poked her with a few of his many head spikes as he brushed his face against her neck. His scales felt even colder than the night air, yet Amber could sense his warm heart, like a gentle flame providing light and security.
This is a bad idea.
"Hey there, little one," she spoke as soothingly as she could while affectionately stroking the back of his head.
I can't take him home with me!
"I'll take you home with me."
Nimbus is going to kill me…
"And I'll call you," she noticed him bite down on the sapphire earring and tug gently, "Frostbite."