Hello everyone! Tempest The SeaWing is me and Tempest The SeaWing is now posting the first bit of this story! This is just the first chapter, told from Mistral's perspective. If I were Mistral, I'd probably be put in the 7th circle heh. Oh Mistral-Chan, what am I going to do with you? You really need to take a chill pill and take a break. Seriously, Mistral-Chan, stop being so cold to everyone who crosses your path. Anyways, with all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy reading this story. Now, without further ado, let's take flight.
IceWing circles were essential to functioning society. It kept the palace stragglers in their rightful place and the elite at the top, with positions earned with discipline, hard work, self control. The ranking list was everything. Prey hunting rights, permission to live within the palace, appropriate mate choices, all the intricacies and decisions were made based on that list. The most capable and ambitious rose to the top while the weak willed, immature, ineffectual were punished effectively. The perfect meritocracy.
Well I thought so anyways. Frost felt the rigid structures limited dragons, cut off their potential and wasted too much time on formalities. What the IceWings needed was clever ideas, new ways of fighting. Take the standard spears for instance. He argued that the spears, though reliable, were too fragile to go up against the fire, poison and better tactics of other tribes.
Frost could preach reform all day if he liked, but I was still stuck in the 6th circle, only a tier above the lowest dregs of palace society and being banished to a desolate corner of the continent. Avoiding that fate required discipline and strict adherence to the codes.
I stood outside of my room staring with focused icy blue eyes, a narwal spear was clutched in my talons as I scanned the hallway. My room stood next to the hall entrance, and was always the first to be inspected. The slightest twitch in ears or rattle of spikes could be grounds for dismissal so I stayed completely still, staring straight ahead at the polished ice wall of the hallway.
'Hey Mistral, good morning to you too. I have no idea how you just stand there absolutely still, it's amazing what discipline you have. Day after day, it must be so boring, but hey, it could be your lucky streak today.'
'Frost, you know I do not believe in luck.' I retorted silently. 'Luck is for the weak, you must take control of your life, plan 17 steps ahead of your competition. Those who don't help you, they are your enemy. Must grind them into dust, weaken them so you can rise on top. Discipline, hard work, self control.'
'Tsk, such hostility. Why can't we have a happy world where we all work together and sing songs and accept each other for who we are. That's what I would do. Imagine all the IceWing nobles dancing, that would be a wondrous sight. And hilarious.'
'Dragons do not cooperate. They are selfish, only interested in their own personal gain. Use them as stepping stones to reach a higher level. In fact, I think I may be up for a promotion to 5th circle soon due to the reports I sent in last week.'
'Oh no, you actually sent in the report of Leopard extending his wings a scale length too wide? That is so unfair for such a petty thing. You know ' that he has a family outside the palace that he needs to support too.'
I almost snorted out loud at Frost's pity. 'I do not care, I have a promotion to worry about. Besides, Leopard will be fine, he was a little stuck up anyways, he ought to be sent off to the outpost, while my name moves up the ranking list. Then I finally won't be on the bottom any more.'
'Three moons, with all this backstabbing, someday you're going to alienate everyone and nobody will like you. Is this the standard process for promotions? You should try to make some friends or something.'
'Look around, how many actual friends could I have? None. How many useful friends? Few, but that would increase the burden on me. No thank you, I will stick to myself, I am the only dragon I can trust.'
'Sure, very wise words indeed. Listen! Someone is coming, we can talk later.'
I barely held in my disgust when the mystery agent appeared in the hallway. A skinny, ragged IceWing with the most ridiculous disheveled spike arrangement clambered down the hallway. He was accompanied by my quarter leader, Everest, who stood two heads taller but dipped her head in respect to the scrawny dragon next to her.
I did not make eye contact with either dragon, for that would be far too impolite and awaited my inspection patiently. Everest was an efficient worker, and did her usual examination of posture and grunted her quiet approval and let the smaller IceWing approach.
The IceWing bore no jewelry, no rings, no sign of the higher classes, but clearly he was of some authority. His snout bore the strangest pattern of dark blue scales, which only made him stand out more from the near pure white snout of Everest standing nervously next to him. He opened his mouth and abruptly began his barrage.
"Mistral, do you like working with math? I have an upcoming project that requires assistance. Could you be my assist-" Floe asked rapidly, but Everest interrupted him before he could finish by whispering into his ear.
Floe's snout lit up in embarrassment. "Right, formalities first. I will try again. Mistral of the 6th circle, I am Floe of the 3rd circle. Um... Everest what comes next?"
Everest looked as if she wanted to vomit and laugh at the same time. How could a 3rd circle dragon forget such simple courtesies, how did he even attain 3rd circle when his manners were as blunt as the wall in front of me.
"Sire, may I do the talking for you? Only if it would suit you better of course. I do not wish to disrespect you in any way."
"Uh sure go ahead Everest, I need to consult the beginners guide again. Ugh all these traditions, they are so confusing. Wish I could just speak normally without all this dodging around ranks and politeness."
Everest cleared her throat awkwardly. "Mistral of the 6th circle, I address you as Floe of the 3rd circle's messenger. The lord seeks a dedicated assistant in his endeavors. The applicant must exhibit strong propensity in the following categories: patience, passion and ability to learn. Do you feel as if you fulfill the requirements and wish to submit a formal application? You may respond in the form IW-392 given to the lord no later than the 2nd bell tomorrow."
I hated serving others, but to a 3rd circle elite, that was worth considering. 'What you think Frost?'
'Sounds interesting enough, if all you want is a promotion, I can think of far worse ways, like reporting your fellow guards for petty infractions.'
I sighed internally and spoke up. "I address Floe of the 3rd circle with all respect and dignity as befits your honorable ranking. I, Mistral of the 6th circle can demonstrate strength in the categories of patience, passion and ability to learn. With this in mind, I formally request a IW-392 form to submit my application. Your honor."
The scrawny IceWing dug through a bag of scrolls, eventually finding his prize and handing it to me. "Just stop by the library on the 3rd level whenever you finish the application. I think you will be an excellent candidate and look forward to working with you." He winked disarmingly, for which I took much offense to, but did not counter for respect of his rank.
Everest coughed again. "Sire, shall we move on to the next room? There are four more hallways after this."
Floe packed up his items hurriedly. "Yes, let's move, this is going to take forever though. Can we skip the formalities? Please?"
The burly IceWing sighed, "The codes dictate the method of discussion, not I, but if you feel that the traditions are a burden to you, then you may forgo them when addressing us for you are higher rank than I or any of the recruits."
The scrawny IceWing breathed a huge sigh of relief and hurried off with Everest to disturb some other guard.
The morning went on without a hitch, the schedules of the guards always ran on time. Because if they didn't...
The offending guards get sent to the dungeon to explain why they were seven seconds late. Auster, we ought to talk about this fellow Floe. He intrigues me.
Of course I had plenty of questions too, such as why Floe did not adhere to dress protocol with his neck spikes, or why he had scrolls instead of the usual ice pads. Form IW-392 probably held none of those answers, but a position in the upper levels of the palace? That was certainly worth raising an eyebrow.
I placed the scroll gently and respectfully upon my desk, for parchment was expensive and hard to come by in the Ice Kingdom. This scroll that Floe had almost carelessly thrown to me was the most valuable item in my room. I drew my talon along the smooth surface, admiring the feel.
IW-390, tutorial on how to tell your snobby neighbor that you have more jewelry than them. IW-391 the treatise on how to be even more stuck up than an IceWing noble. As for IW-392, here we await the magnificent Mistral as she admires the surface of the scroll. We can expect to see the contents of the scroll in about a month when she decides to actually read the darn thing…
I scowled, wishing I could throw an ice pad at him. But fine, Frost had a point; the useful portions of the scroll were on the inside, so carefully, I unfurled the document.
A Hypothetical Model of Air Currents in the Eastern Reaches and the Mechanics of Air Flow Within Mountain Ranges
Dragons have reported for decades of a mysterious gale force originating in the Claws of the Skies range. Unfortunately we have been unable to research the phenomenon as they are within SkyWing territory, but I hypothesize that similar effects exist within the Eastern Reaches Range on the border that could be investigated with minimal risk.
My proposal includes sending a reconnaissance party to find out where these gusts originate from and provide data on the patterns. With this data, I can perform cross-analysis with current known patterns. This would be an incredible scientific boon. I hope you consider my proposal and approve the necessary resources to conduct this study.
Floe
End Stat
Well that's certainly not IW-392.
I poured over the scroll, hoping to encounter some hidden page or corner where I had missed, but indeed, the page contained nothing but the letter and some strange symbols imposed upon a map of Pyrrhia. Surely there was a mistake. Without form IW-392, I couldn't apply, but maybe there was something in this letter that I could use. A careless error or slight miscalculation would be an excellent tool to store away.
Scientific stuff isn't your strength Mistral, perhaps you should give this back to Bering. You could ask him for another form, he seems nice enough.
I would return the scroll of course, but only after I examined it for any dirt to scrape into my bin of useful threats for future opportunities. There could be valuable information to blackmail a noble dragon with, and I definitely would not give up that chance.
Being in the 6th circle, the only glimpses I saw of the palace came from the long an arduous guard inspections in the courtyard, with the long ice slate of the rankings dominating everyone's attention. That list made careers, it destroyed lives, but as long as my name stayed out of the 7th circle, there was still a chance to rise to the top.
Soaring over the eastern spires of the palace, I could see the busy dragons flitting about the place, probably with their own ambitions of rising the ranks. To the north, the great ocean sat still, the glistening surface reflecting the magnificent design of the palace. But I was no fool, the ocean still roared and raged during storms, it just had mild restraint today.
The library was about three stories high, dragons come here to look for all sorts of varieties of different scrolls. There were scrolls about the Diamond Trial, scrolls about how the system of the circles worked, scrolls about medicines and herbal treatments for all sorts of wounds and many many more. The library was my favorite place, I was a very frequent visitor. The library was one of the few places that was open to the public.
As I was browsing through the shelves of scrolls, I caught sight of an IceWing dragonet that I despised. She was one of the lower-ranked IceWings, she always picked on me for being weird and for the way I thought about certain IceWing matters.
But that is none of her business, she always gets her little group of friends and they all tease me for always reading in class instead of doing all of the pointless work and writing notes. To be honest, I could care less about that stuck up IceWing named Skylark.
As I walked around the Library looking for a good scroll to read, I caught sight of two of my friends. Husky and Glaze. I smiled and waved them over with a wing. They both smiled and bounded over to me.
"Hay, Mist. Whatcha lookin for?" Husky asked, tilting her head with curious stormy blue eyes. I sighed and shrugged my wings.
"Need any help?" Glaze asked, with a warm smile as she swept her gaze over the scrolls that were lining the shelves. I nodded with a smile and a grateful look to my friends.
"Yes, if you don't mind. I'm looking for a scroll about when the circles and rankings were first developed." I replied, and Glaze walked over to another shelf with me and Husky following her.
"I think I found something similar to what you were explaining to me. Here, check it out. It might be the one your looking for." Glaze replied, with a smile of pride on her face.
As the three of us walked up to the librarians desk, a small IceWing with silver blue scales and wings was organizing the many scrolls that were on top of the desk.
"Hello, Polaris. We have some scrolls that we wish to check out." I explained, and the IceWing looked up from her task to check out our scrolls.
"You three are my most frequent visitors, you all must love reading, am I correct?" Polaris asked, with a grin on her face. I nodded and Polaris made an hmm sound and handed us our scrolls. I bowed to her and with that, Husky, Glaze and I flew out of the Library and flew to where I lived.
We flew in through my bedroom window and just as we landed on the carpeted floor, a knock was heard on my door. I ran to open the door with Husky and Glaze following close behind.
I swung the door open and standing on the other side was my mother, Seal. She smiled warmly when she saw me standing there, I smiled at her as I walked over to my shelf and retrieved another one of my scrolls.
"Ah, Mistral, your back. And you brought Husky and Glaze to visit." I looked up to see my mother, Seal. I nodded and went back to reading my scroll. My mother laughed quietly and left the room.
"Hay, there. Kiddo!" I sighed and twitched my tail in annoyance. Can't I just read in peace. I sighed and looked up to see my father, Subzero. I then smiled brightly and looked up at my father.
"Hay, father? Where's Peppermint? How was school for her today? Do I need to freeze anyone?" I asked, anyone who knew me also knew that I was very protective of Peppermint, she's a hybrid and she gets picked on because of it. She's a SkyWing/IceWing hybrid like me. Peppermint's only friends are her Clawmates at Jade Mountain, and in the IceWing kingdom her only friend is an IceWing named Lynx.
"Oh, Mist. Violence isn't always the answer." My father gently scolded me, I sighed and nodded with a slight frown.
"She'll be going back to Jade Mountain in a few days, so you should spend some time with her before she leaves. She's missed you, Mistral." My father said, and I nodded and rolled up my scroll. Peppermint was only one year younger then me.
"I don't mean right this second, Mist. You can keep reading your scroll, I mean spend time with her tomorrow." My father remarked, with a small laugh, I paused what I was doing and smiled sheepishly.
Husky and Glaze were just watching us with amused smiles on there faces. I then hugged my father and he hugged me back before he turned and left the room.
"Well, that was interesting." Glaze replied, with a small laugh while Husky and I just shook our heads in amusement. I then unrolled my scroll and continued to read its contents.
"I guess you could say that Glaze." I replied, looking up briefly to glance at Glaze with a raised eyebrow, then I dived instantly back into my scroll.
"Three Moons! Your such a bookworm, Mist." Husky commented, with a small laugh and a teasing grin on her face. I just nodded and laughed quietly at my friend's observation.
"Your observation is correct, Husky. I am a huge bookworm, I mean, just take a look around my room." I replied, gesturing to my many small shelf's to prove my point.
"Ohh... Hay, Mist? Don't you have an important meeting to go to?" Husky asked, I looked up from my scroll and my eyes widened in alarm.
"Three Moons! I almost forgot! Thank you sooooo much for reminding me Husky!" I exclaimed and gave my friend a tight hug.
"No problem, Mist. I just know how important this meeting is to you, and I would blame myself if you were late." Husky replied, with a smile and a small laugh. I grinned and put my scrolls and other Itami that I would need inside of my pouch.
"Thanks again! See ya later, Husky! See ya later, Glaze! I'll be sure to tell you guys what happens when I get back!" I called as I flew out of my bedroom window.
HUSKY
I smiled and shook my head at my friend. She's quirky, a bookworm, sweet, a scatterbrain and a klutz. But she's awesome. I wouldn't want Mistral any other way because then she wouldn't be... Well... She wouldn't be Mistral.
I then turned to Glaze, who was drawing on a scroll. Oh, and I forgot to mansion, Mist also loves music and drawing. If her walls don't give it away... her room is filled with all of her drawings and paintings.
"Hay, where are Tempest, Ermine, Shadowslayer, and Lightseaker?" Glaze asked, briefly looking up from her drawing to stare at me with questioning stormy blue eyes. I just sighed and shrugged my wings.
"I'm not sure, Glaze. I think they'll be here soon." I replied, after a moment of silence. If Mist were to move up in the rankings, she'd be able to live in the palace with Snowstorm, Blizzard, Silver and Sapphire. Oh, and with the Queen and her daughters as well. Yeah... I know... We have a lot of friends.
Even though Glaze, Mistral and I are all in the 6th circle, we were really popular in school, Mistral was the bookworm and the dragonet who made sassy and snarky remarks, Glaze was the artist and I was the one who people came to if they needed help with homework, yeah I'm the smart one in the group.
Do you guys like it so far? I hope you guys like it. Who's your favorite character so far? Let me know in a review, I'm curious.
On another note, chapters for this story will be written whenever I have time or when I get a great idea. I will be writing up chapter three tomorrow, but it won't be posted until tomorrow evening, I'n going to be visiting a collage.