It was more of the same-old routine, following the coronation and Scarlet's departure. I put my strange encounter with the Skywing Queen behind me, as I settled into what I believed to be the rest of my life. Grandeur and I stepped back from leading Council Meetings for a time, letting our new True Queen and Apprentice Voice have some experience behind the reins. As I suspected, Batty and Nessy were quick learners, and took to their new authority and responsibilities well. I'd like to say the two of us were great teachers, but a lot of it was their own talent. The past few months had taught them more about the art of statecraft than years of study in some old library, and they showed they were more than capable of handling the day-to-day affairs of the realm.

And it's a good thing, too, as the war still waged even as we were enjoying the good life.

All four of us were in the throne room, meeting with our subjects and answering various petitions. In those days, it was not uncommon for royalty to directly meet with the people, and to answer or deny requests made. It helped reassure the people that their Queens cared about them, and gave the Monarch insight to things their advisors might've missed. Not exactly the most exciting aspect of the job, but a worthwhile one nonetheless. Majestic ended up handling a lot of requests, knowing almost all of the Rainwings and able to personally address each complaint. Fruit Bat and Greatness took a couple of requests at times when they felt they could handle them, but otherwise spent their time talking with each other over other issues. I tried to keep track of everything, writing down notes and ideas on a notepad with a stick of charcoal. After the first fifteen minutes, though, I was already working on different formulas to create what we now know as gunpowder.

All that changed when a Sandwing walked into the throne room.

It took me a few seconds to recognize her. The last time I'd seen Iguana, we were both teens living in the Scorpion's Den. She was a butcher's daughter, a pretty little thing with scales of black and white lining her back fin. I remembered thinking that she was pretty as a dragonet, but by the time I learned she had a crush on me, I was already living in the Palace, and... well, you can figure out the rest.

I did a double-take as she approached our thrones. My Queens noticed my changing demeanor, and also sat up in their seats. Iguana bowed low before us, extending her wings out.

"Your Majesty," She said, her voice sorrowful and raspy, "Please, you must help us. Something terrible has happened, and you're the only one left who can save our Tribe. The Scorpion Den... It's..." She winced, fighting off tears.

I got off my throne, slowly approaching. "Iguana," I asked, keeping my voice low, "What happened?"

"It's gone," She sobbed, "It's all gone. They burned the city to the ground. We tried to escape..." She reached down, holding a small bag. She opened it, pulling out a stinger the size of my thumb. Despite the tropical heat, my blood ran cold at the sight.

"They killed him!" She cried, "They killed my son! This is all I have left of my precious hatchling! Hypaethral and her dragons took everything from me!"

She broke down, weeping openly in front of all of us. She started to fall forward, and I caught her, awkwardly holding her up as she sobbed into my shoulder. The ground beneath me seemed to shake and sink, as I processed what she'd said.

I was holding a survivor of one of the worst warcrimes in Phyrrian History...

Scorpion Den burns as the 'Wrath of Wolfpine' attacks! - The Times

In a bloody violence that has seen the dunes of the Kingdom of Sand turn red, Hypaethral, the so-called 'Wrath of Wolfpine,' engaged for the last week in a cruel rampage across the countryside, killing thousands of laborers and farmers about their work and kidnapping the dragonets to serve as soldiers. Entire towns have been killed with no survivors, and even more have taken flight to escape the utter destruction being wrought by the brevet general's army, described as more akin to savage beasts than dragons.

Not content to lay waste to isolated settlements and plunder them, Hypaethral ordered a direct attack on no less than Scorpion Den itself. Receiving word of her advance, she was met from within the city's walls by an equally-sized contingent of NightWing guards and bandit militia commanded by Desperado. Despite a fanaticism brought on by threats of death or worse for failure, the SkyWings faced difficulty penetrating the city's stout defensive works, only succeeding after a combination of explosives and misplaced dragonflame cacti blew several holes in the city wall. Even then, the SkyWings faced withering crossbow fire, but in their desperation, SkyWing soldiers with as many as twenty bolts lodged in their scales continued to fight. Perhaps frightened by the zeal of their opponents, Desperado's force gave a relatively light resistance retreating from the SkyWings. After some discussion, it was decided that the militia would stay and fight while the Guard would attempt a retreat to Hawkstone.

As expected of this new and brutal warfare, the militia were slaughtered to the dragon, some giving their lives rather than firing upon repeated waves of dragonets, conscripted by Hypaethral into the militia. Seeing no hope for continued resistance, Desperado was among the last to flee, continuing to fire his crossbow until he joined with the Guard.

In the captured city, Hypaethral and her soldiers ran amok in what some are already calling "The Rape of the Den". Using remaining dragonflame cacti, the rest of the city was set aflame, and as the Den burned, soldiers used civilians as target practice, ran about with the heads of dragonets on their spears, and even, according to some, cooked and ate eggs in front of their crying mothers. By the next morning, what had once been a thriving metropolis was naught but barren ash dotted with corpses. The death toll has been estimated at over two thousand, almost all civilians, and as word of the atrocity spreads, entire villages have taken flight for the Jade Mountains, in the hopes that not even the Wrath of Wolfpine can reach so far.

The remaining Guard, exhausted and defeated, retreated to the fortified redoubt of Hawkstone, where forces of the former baron's Grand Army, led by the Steward Capybara, have surrounded the NightWings for a second siege. However, having fled only with what could be carried, the defenders have few supplies and are unlikely to last long without relief.

"Sons and Daughters of the Rainforest!"

Hundreds of Rainwings stood at attention and in formation, watching me as I gave my speech.

"Two weeks ago, the Skywing Warlord Hypaethral committed an unfathomable crime, not just against the Sandwing Tribe, but the entirety of Dragonkind. Without the authority of her Queen - without the authority of any Queen - she burned the Scorpion's Den to the ground, killing thousands of unarmed civilians for mere sport. Dragonets have been turned into child soldiers, and eggs have been smashed and eaten by demons made flesh. Hundreds and hundreds of Sandwings, my kin, have been scattered to the winds, as my hometown was set to the torch!"

Anger burned in my veins again, fresh and hot. I harnessed it, directed it at my followers.

"But this monster isn't done," I growled, "Not by a long shot. Queen Scarlet is returning to the Sky Kingdom to reestablish her rule, but her reign remains tenuous. Hypaethral has greater ambitions. She seeks to do to her own people what she did to mine - to turn children into murderers and put everyone who stands against her to the sword. She won't stop at one kingdom. The Wrath of Wolfpine won't stop until every tribe has suffered as mine has, and she rules over all of Phyrria as a Queen of Ashes!" I paused, taking a moment to look directly at a few soldiers. "Now, are we just going to sit here in our forests and wait for her and her minions to bring torches to our home?"

"NO!" They roared out in unison.

Damn right we're not, I thought smugly. I reached to my side, holding up a small scroll. "In my hand," I announced, holding it aloft for everyone to see, "Is a copy of the unanimous declaration passed by Council last night. Multiple copies have been sent to the Sandwing Palace, as well as those in the Ice and Mud Kingdoms. Effective immediately, a state war exists between the Kingdom of the Rainforest and the forces of the Coalition. Any dragon who continues to support Hypaethral and her forces are equally culpable in her actions, and will be held responsible for the crimes they've committed against the Sandwing Tribe."

The soldiers remained silent, though some of them started to turn a timid green.

"They underestimate us," I continued, "Each and every one of you. The Icewings, the Mudwings, the Skywings. Even after our short, victorious campaign against the Night Kingdom, they dismiss us out of hand. They think you're all stupid and lazy and useless, and every success we've achieved together has been a fluke! They haven't seen what I've seen. They don't know what you're all capable of. Clearly... They're in need of a demonstration."

I stepped closer to the front line of soldiers, making a point to look each of them in the eye. "Tomorrow, we will begin our most ambitious mission to date - Operation: Summer Reign. You fly west, not just to protect our homes, but help those who suffer under the most terrible cruelties. You fly west to take down a war criminal and a would-be tyrant. You fly west, not just for your loved ones here, but for every other dragon in this world. Are you all ready to save the world?"

"SIR YES SIR!" They answered as one.

"I thought so," I said, allowing myself a confident little smirk, "And you will not be flying there alone. General Grandeur shall meet you all in the Jade Mountains, where she has been creating an additional taskforce to join us. This 'Rainbow Auxiliary' will be made up of Sandwing, Skywing and Nightwing volunteers, providing you with reinforcements and logistical support on your mission. Together, your groups will then fly northwest, where you'll link up with the Nightwing Guard as they break from Hawkstone. Hypaethral will follow them like the mad dog she is, and they will lead her straight into your waiting bows. I know you'll be using as many tranq rounds and nets to capture the dragonet soldiers, but don't hold back when the chips are down. They may be children, but they're hardened killers now, too. Your lives, and the lives of your allies take priority."

"As for Hypaethral herself..." My tail twitched angrily at the thought of her, "I would like VERY much captured alive. She has a court date coming up, and the whole world needs to see that everyone must be held accountable for their crimes."

The irony of those words are not lost on me, all these years later. Hypaethral had to be stopped, there's no denying it. My tribe had to be avenged. Scarlet had to have time to secure her rule. My kingdom had to be protected, and the Coalition had to learn that the Rainwings weren't a joke anymore. But if I'd known what I knew now, if I knew just how far things would go - everything I gained, everything I lost - would I have been so eager to stop acting from the shadows and officially join the war?