Chapter Thirty One
The past several weeks had been busy. Winter felt as if he'd been flung from pillar to post without a moment to catch his breath. Sunny and Qibli had been clever in using him and his royal status to their advantage. He'd spent the past week in the Sky Kingdom, reassuring Queen Ruby that her alliance with Queen Glacier still meant something. He'd lost track of the amount of promises he'd had to make in order to appease her for the time being. In a strange way, he could understand her frustrations. With the IceWing armies now completely hidden behind the Great Ice Cliff, Ruby's territory had been left virtually undefended. And the near complete silence from his tribe hadn't helped at all. By some miracle, he'd managed to get a message through to Glacier's palace. Ruby was pacified - for now - and that left Winter free to leave to pursue his next assignment. He had to have faith in the Rebellion that they would send someone competent enough to further reassure Ruby of her alliance with the Rebellion itself.
All the tribes were still on uneasy ground. Building animosity was almost at its breaking point. The Rebellion was doing its best to keep everyone from erupting into an all out war. Whether it was of good fortune or not, that meant Winter had to be sent to the one place he both longed to return to, yet also dreaded.
He was going home.
It was strange to be back here, after so long away. The white fields expanded beyond even his line of sight. The great frozen forests were still and perfect - so different compared to the noise and the constant restless movements of those in the south. And the cold - three moons, how had he forgotten the cold? Had he spent so long south he'd eventually been rendered oblivious to the constant heat? Even when high in the mountains, it couldn't compare to this encircling cold that touched every scale, infused every cell in his blood with energy. Winter breathed in deep. An ache in his belly eased where he hadn't thought there was one. It felt good to be home.
The armies were camped just a few miles north of the Great Ice Cliff. It made sense. The Cliff itself didn't need to be defended, it's magic made sure of that. As soon as the first scouts saw him, they'd come to apprehend him. Quickly establishing his identity and showing them the letter that proved he'd been summoned, he was ushered onwards. Only two guards escorted him the rest of the way north towards Queen Glacier's palace. The further they went, the stronger the cold became. Above, the aurora borealis danced as if excited to welcome Winter home. It made him happy to see it.
He should've known to curb his expectations.
The approach to the palace was very formal, the two guards that had accompanied Winter since the camp handed their duty over to the royal guards at the palace gates. Winter made not of the neck bands they wore that told him of their standing in the circles. It made him wonder as to where his own rank was these days. He tried not to think about it, instead staring at the Palace itself.
Spires soared above him. They glistened in the bending light. It was difficult to tell whether the palace was a built structure or if the elements had grown in such a way as to resemble a fortification that the ancient IceWings had adapted to suit their needs. He'd forgotten how huge it was - as tall as a mountain. It housed the royal family, the majority of the noble court and those of the higher ranks of the army. From the many slanted rooftops drifted the dust of snow that seemed to encircle the palace grounds, enshrouding it in an enchanted-like cloud.
Upon verifying his letter, the guards ushered him inside.
Winter had almost forgotten how the inside of the palace was just as breathtaking as the outside. The walls seemed to glow as if the aurora borealis itself were captured in the ice. The faceted walls glittered so brightly with candlelight from the chandeliers that Winter saw sparkles when he blinked. Translucent, the cathedral ceiling glowed like stained glass. Carved birds and animals decorated the walls and ceilings. Buttresses arched over statues. It was as if every beautiful ray of light, every beautiful shape of ice that he had ever seen, were here all at once.*
The guards reported that the Queen was currently holding an audience with several generals in the throne room and that he was ordered to wait just outside. Winter obeyed without question. A direct order from the queen was something to never second guess. One of the guards watched him with a strange glance, as if not knowing what to make of him. It made Winter sad to think that his time away had somehow estranged him to his fellow tribemates. But then the guard shifted, and exposed a nasty knotted scar on the side of his neck, just above the rim of his chestplate. Instantly, Winter recognised him - it was a soldier that'd previously been under his command, back when he'd been in charge of a platoon for Glacier's army. They'd been cornered by Burn's soldiers - this soldier was in the process of being mauled. Normal strategy dictated that the one in command had to ensure his own safety primarily so that the chain of command could be maintained. But Winter had risked his own life to save that of the soldier, kicking off the SandWing and helping his fellow IceWing.
Winter held back a smile but nodded his head to the soldier in silent respect. The soldier's eyes widened, and something about his mannerisms seemed to lift and he gave a low, respectful bow in turn. Winter didn't know why he was able to read the soldier's reaction so easily. Was it because he had the same light in his expression as Kinkajou often did whenever she received praise from Queen Glory? Or had WInter spent too much time around Qibli and picked up his annoying I-notice-everything habit?
Footsteps sounded along the corridor. Winter turned, and felt his bones merge together. Striding toward him, expressions perfectly neutral and cold, postures held to perfection in their precision focus, came his parents. Prince Narwhal and his wife, Tundra, were everything an IceWing was meant to aspire to. They did everything by the code with which IceWing life was governed. They both came from and honoured their respected bloodlines, they both came from the first circle, and they approached any deviation from their example with extreme distaste. It was why Winter's shortcomings when he was growing up always put him at odds with his otherwise perfect siblings and perfect parents.
Tundra saw him first. She stopped right outside the enormous closed throne room doors and stared at Winter as if he were a smear on the wall that she was trying to work out how had come to be. Draped over her brow was a circlet of sapphires lined with direwolf fur - the direwolf represented death, the sapphires to show that the lost one had been returned to the icy oceans. It was a headdress usually worn by a parent in mourning, particularly if offspring lost had been promising in the ranks. Winter felt a stab between his ribs. He'd been so busy with Moon and the war that his mind had sidelined the process of grieving Hailstorm. But apparently, it was still something his parents suffered with daily.
Noticing his wife's pause, Narwhal also looked in Winter's direction. His scales, always looking so pristine, rattled dangerously as the father stalked quickly towards his son. Winter tried his hardest not to cringe back - such weakness would only grant him further reprimand from his parents. They stared at him, as if incredulous at the idea of his presence.
A lump clogging his throat, Winter bowed, his wings straining to achieve the perfect posture his father had drilled into him to perform correctly. "Prince Narwhal, Princess Tundra."
"Prince Winter," they both nodded their heads in acknowledgment, but their stares remained fixed on him. It took everything in Winter's body to not let his tail fidget in anxiety.
He'd been a fool to think this wouldn't happen. His father was one of the top advisors to the Queen, of course they would see each other. What had he expected?
"Why have you returned?" His mother asked.
"I was sent on urgent business -"
"The Queen and her court decide what is urgent business," his father corrected. "The mewlings of your pathetic rebellion are hardly worth our attention."
"You ignored the Queen's summons to return to the Ice Kingdom," his mother said it as a statement but the familiar tilt of her head made it clear she wanted an answer to a question.
Winter considered his words carefully. "The Queen sent me to liaison with the rebellion and that mission was not yet complete -"
"That mission ended the moment you let your sister and superior fall into disgrace!" His father hissed.
"What?" It was an undignified response, but Winter couldn't stop himself. What had they just said?
Tundra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It is clear to everyone that being around the lesser tribes had corrupted Icicle somehow. And now she is being held in detention until the Queen has time to deal with the charges against her."
"Not that it matters," Narwhal muttered. "She will be acquitted of these misunderstandings."
"Misunderstandings?" Winter gaped. "Father, she tried to turn against our allies, she colluded with an avowed enemy of the tribe, and she planned to murder a queen and almost killed a dragon of destiny!"
Narwhal sneered. "Are you demanding I feel anything other than disgust for a lazy RainWing? The creature probably slept through the entire incident, oblivious."
"And had she killed the NightWing," his mother spat, "that would've been no crime. She would've done her ancestors proud."
Winter's tail lashed behind him. "And in so doing would've defied her Queen!"
"Which would never have happened if you had done your duty and come home the moment you realised what a poison those lesser dragons are."
He grit his teeth. "They're not -"
"And now look where we are," his father said as if Winter hadn't spoken. "A son dead, and our daughter pulled from the First Circle forever. Our family's standing is in a more perilous position than ever."
"And you'd rather parade around with sand rats and filthy night leeches rather than do your duty and come home."
"What we are doing is important," Winter tried to restrain his voice. A small part of his brain was screaming at him - why was he daring to speak back at his parents like this?! "The rebellion is trying to make sure our tribes do not fall into all out war again."
His mother's eyes narrowed. "So flying around negotiating half-baked peace offerings is more important than returning home? More important than your sister's impending trial? Than laying your brother's memory to rest?"
Another knife stabbed into Winter's gut. It had occurred to him that when he sent word back to the Ice Kingdom reporting on Hailstorm's final fate and for Icicle to be collected for trial, that there would be a funeral. They had already mourned him as a family when they'd believed he'd died by NightWing talons in the SkyWing arena. Yet even then, there had been hope of some mistake, some small chance he might've survived. But upon learning the truth (though he didn't know how much of that truth the Queen had relayed to his parents) they would've held a true funeral rite. Winter had done his best not to think about it. He'd loved Hailstorm, the only dragon in his family who ever believed in him, and he hadn't been here to see him returned to the Ice.
The fact that his parents had thrown that fact in his face hurt even more. He could feel himself deflating, and his esteem in their eyes dwindling as well.
"I…" It was hard to speak. He tried again. "An IceWing must be resolute in their commitment. To the Queen, to the tribe…" It was a line his sister would've said, that Hailstorm would've said. Quote the code to justify his decisions. His voice felt hollow and small.
"And to their duty," his father finished. "Hailstorm would've corrected you on that had he not indulged your childish fantasies."
If their other barbs had been a stab to the gut, this felt like they'd cut out his heart and let him watch himself bleed out.
The doors of the throne room opened, the sound of ice grating against ice distant in Winter's eyes. He couldn't take his eyes off the floor. Footsteps. He saw his mother and father's talons step into perfect position. A voice he recognized as belonging to Princess Crystal spoke. "The Queen shall hold audience now."
His parents, being higher in the hierarchy, went to move ahead of him. Narwhal took the lead. But before he could take two steps, Crystal's voice, usually so pristine and beautifully wistful, cracked like a whip. "Not you two."
"Excuse me?" Tundra squawked.
"The Queen wishes to see Prince Winter, but she feels that as his parents, your perspective would be compromised. You shall remain outside."
Winter looked up, his brain slow to understand what was happening. His parents were trying very hard to mask their fury. Narwhal's crest rattled audibly - a huge faux pas in any other situation. But Princess Crystal ignored him. Instead, she gestured with a wing for Winter to follow her. He moved as if his legs were made of stone, as if this were some test that he would fail if he made the wrong move. But when no one reprimanded him immediately, he trudged along behind the eldest princess. He spied his parents from the corner of his eye as he passed them. Narwhal had regained his composure and looked aloof. Tundra watched him, something stirring in her dark eyes, as if she were seeing him from a new angle.
The doors closed behind him, and with that boom of finality, his parents were cut from his presence and from his world. It took Winter a moment to rearrange his thoughts. He knew he needed to regain his focus if he was to convince the Queen and her council.
He stepped forward, following the shadow of the princess. When she stopped, he stopped, maintaining the respectful posture. Not once did he remove his eyes from the icey floor that remained smooth as glass. He heard Princess Crystal announce: "Prince Winter, Your Majesty."
Daringly, he looked up.
Only three times in his life had he been brought into the throne room, it was a place he had not had the privilege to visit wantonly for he did not possess the right rank. The two other times he had come were when he'd first been presented to the Queen and her court along with his sister in their debut at six months old, and when the Queen had announced him to be her ambassador to Jade Mountain. But each time he had been summoned here, he was always awed by the sight. If the palace itself was a marvel, all the spectacle it generated culminated into this room.
The throne room was so massive, it could possibly fit the entire prey-centre of Jade Mountain inside of it and still have some room to spare. Gigantic columns lined the throne room to hold up the vaulted ceiling above them. Five chandeliers, each made of interlocking ice and diamond pieces, decorated the centre of the ceiling, each tip lined with moon-globes that were changed every other day. At the far end of the room, a steep set of stairs led to a throne so large it looked as if it were carved from an iceberg. Its back reached the ceiling and the icy spikes around it made for an intimidating sight, as if the throne itself would impale the unworthy. On either side of the throne were two pairs of giant mammoth tusks, all gilded in gold - thought to be the last in existence. The beasts had once roamed the ice kingdom many millennia ago, but had been rendered extinct for the past fifteen hundred years.
And upon the throne sat the impressive and intimidating sight of Queen Glacier herself. She was beautiful and terrifying, enormous and elegant. Her scales were as spotlessly white as the snow, her eyes clear blue as the sky. A crown of diamonds and sapphires adorned her head, branches of silver decorating her face. It fit her so well it looked as if it had grown there alongside her horns. On her shoulders was a pointed jewelled collar, attached to which was a cloak made of the greatest tyrant polar bear fur. It was tradition that every queen, when she ascended the throne, hunted her own tyrant bear for her own royal mantle. The tyrant polar bear easily grew to twice the size of the regular breed, and twice as ferocious. It was forbidden for anyone but the Queen to touch them. On her wrists were bright silver braces and her fingers were decorated with many rings. She was dressed in the formal Queen attire. That had to be a sign that she was taking this meeting seriously. Behind her throne were the balconies where her council stood, like a jury ready to receive Winter's plea.
He bowed low. "Your Majesty."
Glacier's voice was deep and commanding, it personified the ideal of regal. "Arise, Prince Winter." He did so slowly and met the glittering eyes of his Queen. "You have returned from the Rebellion."
"Indeed, Your Majesty. I came with an urgent message on behalf of the Dragons of Destiny."
"Bah!" One of the councillors on the balcony spat. "Where're your loyalties, princeling? Do you take orders from the Rebellion now?"
Winter did not turn his focus away from Glacier when he answered. "Her Majesty sent me to the rebellion to be her eyes and ears, to act on her behalf. I am trying to fulfill that duty."
The councillor made to speak again but the queen lifted a single talon and the room fell silent. "Let him speak."
"Queen Glacier," Winter began in earnest, "you have pulled back your forces behind the Great Ice Wall. As a result our allies have been left compromised in their positions -"
"And why should we care?" Asked another councillor.
"Our foremost concern should be with our own!" Said another.
"I said," Glacier turned her head, her gaze sharp as glass. The room once again went silent. "Let him speak."
Winter subtly nodded his thanks. "Blister is taking lands that were once ours. The other Queens see our departure from the war as a weakness in the rebellion. I came to humbly ask you, Your Majesty, if you would consider rejoining our allies in their fight."
The councillors muttered but they had learned their lesson this time, and didn't speak up. Glacier's face didn't move much, she was a master at keeping her thoughts and feelings hidden, to make herself unreadable. But there was something in her expression that struck Winter as… troubled. "You know why I had our armies retreat, do you not, Prince Winter?"
Without thought, Winter's ears pinned back against his head in fear. "Because of the Darkstalker."
A shiver of whispers trembled throughout the throne room.
Glacier nodded. "Then you know why I cannot send our forces into greater Pyrrhia. The Darkstalker is an avowed enemy of our tribe, Prince Winter. Our only realm of safety is behind the protection of the Great Ice Wall."
"Believe me, Your Majesty, I know that the Darkstalker is a threat, I saw him arise from the earth with my own eyes. But…" the next part he had to wrestle between the truth and the mission objective. "...I believe Blister to be the more immediate threat."
"How so?"
"Darkstalker is something that we will have to deal with, but since he awoke from his earthly prison, he has disappeared for several weeks and has not shown himself to the rest of the world. Blister, and her NightWing allies, want our destruction here and now."
Glacier's eyes narrowed. "And you believe this?"
Winter hesitated. He thought of Moon, of her daft plan to tame the Darkstalker. He didn't even know if she was currently succeeding, it'd been so long since he'd last contacted her, he'd been so busy… And then his mind fell back to her prophecy. What was the correct answer to give? Glacier was asking him something specific behind the words she spoke, and he needed to reply in kind.
"Until our armies are better informed on how to handle this situation," he began carefully, "I believe we need to otherwise bring our attention to the here and now."
Queen Glacier watched him, her eyes seeming to take claws beneath his scales and rip them back so she could study his true self. Winter tried his best to maintain eye contact. He hoped no one else had picked up on his hidden message. Glacier had never been an integral part of his upbringing, but on the few occasions when she had been there when he was small, she'd always seemed to know exactly what Winter meant. Even when others often did not.
She stood to her full, intimidating height. "This council is dismissed," she announced, her voice loud enough to echo across the great icy expanse of the throne room. The Council looked confused, but swiftly bowed and left. Removing her crown and royal mantle, Glacier gently left both upon the seat of her throne. She kept her bracers and rings. Sweeping down the throne, she marched past Winter, he instinctively making himself smaller as she passed. "Follow me."
Confused but intrigued, Winter hesitantly did as he was told, shadowing the Queen as she went through a side door in the throne room into a small antechamber. A small ice sculpture carved into the shape of a fountain sat in the middle of the room. Winter gulped as the door to the throne room closed and he was left alone with his Queen and her piercing stare. "Your Majesty?"
"What do you know about the Darkstalker?"
So she had taken the bait. Now Winter felt himself to be at another crossroads. He wanted to confide everything to Glacier, the one dragon he truly believed could solve anything. But there were some secrets he knew that were not his to divulge. "He was never dead. Just imprisoned beneath the earth. He escaped because he convinced a member of the rebellion, Moonwatcher, that he was a friend."
"Moonwatcher sounds like a NightWing name," the Queen observed.
Winter nodded. "She is. She grew up away from the tribe and therefore didn't know about the legends of Darkstalker. And that is what allowed her to fall for his trickery. As soon as Darkstalker escaped his earthly prison, he kidnapped Moon and ran away with her."
"To where?"
"I don't know. We believe he returned to the old Night Kingdom, but we have no idea where that is…" and then he looked to Glacier with hope, "do you?"
She sighed and shook her head. "No. After the NightWing tribe vanished from Pyrrhia, we lost all records of its location."
He'd known that was the likely answer, but his stomach still sank. "All I know is that Darkstalker is likely there. And he has not chosen to leave it."
"Could he be consolidating his strength? What of his magic?"
Winter puzzled on how to answer. "I believe… having spent so long in slumber, the Darkstalker's magic is… damaged, somehow. He cannot use it freely at this time."
"What makes you so certain?"
"Because if he could, he would've used it by now."
There. He had told her all that he could whilst also not betraying any of his friends. It felt weird, to have to choose between his Queen, his tribe, and his friends. Once upon a time such a choice had been a no-brainer. But now… he felt torn.
Glacier pondered his words for quite some time. When she next looked at him, her eyes seemed to soften. "You worry for her? This Moonwatcher?"
If it were possible, Winter felt his cheeks and ears turn warm. "I want her away from the Darkstalker. I want to know everything I can about him so that I can know for sure whether or not he's a threat. To her, to all of us. But everything we know is mostly old stories and hearsay."
"Not all of it." And with that, the Queen marched off back into the throne room. Winter hurried after her, nearly tripping over his own feet. The gigantic room was completely deserted now, as sterile and lifeless as a tomb. Despite himself, Winter felt a shiver travel up his spine. Had he never noticed this when he'd lived in the palace before? That a room void of other dragons could feel so… desolate? Glacier didn't notice him linger and went straight back towards her throne.
He stood awkwardly in the centre of the throne room, feeling small in the large, empty space. It felt as if his own footfalls had echoes. The Queen stepped behind one of the great mammoth tusks beside her throne and seemed to press something he couldn't see. There was a grating noise of ice scraping against ice, and one of the crystals that made up the ice-throne moved aside and revealed…
… a dark staircase.
"What you are about to see," Glacier told him a hushed voice, "I give to you in confidence. You must not tell a soul of what it is you find down here. This is a secret that should only be passed from Queen to Princess."
Then why is she showing me? Winter thought. "I swear."
Glacier launched herself into the air and flew swiftly up to the nearest chandelier. She plucked a moon-globe from its place and returned to Winter. Setting it to float above her left shoulder, the queen then led the way down, the light of her globe illuminating their way. Winter followed after her, concentrating on where to put his feet to be sure he wouldn't trip and fall. The stairs upon which he stood led down in a slow, curling motion, like a spiral. Only the light of the Queen's moon-globe allowed for any kind of illumination, for both beyond and behind them soon became complete, encompassing darkness. Winter could just make out the walls of the tight tunnel, seeming to be carved as if by talon. There were strange marks, something resembling letters, scratched into the wall, but he couldn't make out what it said. It seemed vaguely familiar yet just beyond his comprehension. Tentatively, Winter reached out to touch one of the runes; a current swept up his arm, making it feel as if his scales would lift off his skin and reverse themselves. A feeling of cold settled in his gut, and he snatched his talon back.
"This cave," said Glacier, her voice seeming too loud for the space, even when she spoke softly. "Was the foundation for the palace. Our ancestors found this spot, felt the magic within, and our first animus dragons built the castle atop it."
They went further down. Impossibly so, how far were they beneath the ice? And now, Winter could feel that magic Glacier spoke, what he'd touched earlier. It was all around him, a hum in the air that made his ear twitch. The air felt cold, cold enough that his breath fogged in front of his face. The Queen paused beside an alcove in the wall, holding a delicate, beautiful tiara, beneath which was a plaque that Winter could actually read. 'THE GIFT OF STRENGTH', it said. And then, several paces on, was another alcove holding a scepter and the plaque reading: 'THE GIFT OF COMPROMISE'.
"Three moons," Winter whispered. "This vault holds all of our tribe's animus gifts, doesn't it?"
The Queen nodded. "They are all held here, so as to stop them falling into the wrong talons. But the cave itself holds its own magic." She turned to glance at him, the moon-globe at her shoulder casting her face and in stark light. "We were one of the first tribes to hold magic. The SeaWings came not long after - but we were unconcerned, they were on the other side of the world. But then we heard rumours. That the SandWings had an animus of their own, and they used her amply. They were hungry for territory. We did not know until later, that it was the NightWings who created those rumours so that they could have reason to offer aid."
Winter grit his teeth. "All so they could swoop in and deceive us."
"It was us that called upon them."
That made his brain stutter to a stop. "W-What?"
"We approached the NightWings and offered the alliance. We would combine our might, our forces, and our collective powers to keep the SandWings in check. All the while they used the opportunity to get close to Prince Arctic."
"To steal him away."
Glacier sighed. "He eloped with Foeslayer."
"You knew?" Somehow that was the more shocking revelation to Winter, rather than the reversal of the story he'd grown up with. "If he wanted to go so badly, then why did fight a war over him?!"
"Because animus dragons are rare and valuable. And a mother's love is maddening."
Further down they went, seeming to walk for miles. They passed over a dozen alcoves, some mysteriously empty. Winter found it hurt his brain to think about the possibilities of what this all meant. Eventually, he and Glacier reached the end of the vault. The corridor was tight, and they had to stand shoulder to shoulder. On the wall before them hung a mirror seemingly completely made of ice, its centre seemingly the blackest and smoothest ice Winter had ever seen. His reflection was perfect, and -
Abruptly, the mirror image shifted and warped. The black ice turned brilliant blue, and the reflection of a very different dragon stared back at Winter. Her scales were brilliant white, similar to Glacier's, but her eyes were near black and she looked old and tired.
And then the reflection of the dragoness spoke, her voice regal but slanted as if she condescended everyone. "Speak and know the answers. Unlock any door, should you only have the right key…"
Winter's mouth hung open in amazement. Glacier chuckled. "This was the last enchantment of Queen Diamond. A mirror that supposedly tells any truth."
"Supposedly?"
"I have only ever managed to get riddles and rhymes out of it." the Queen reached out a talon and gently pressed her palm to the mirror's surface; the reflection of Diamond rippled like water. "It is meant so that only a royal IceWing may use it… but whenever I have brought my daughters here, the mirror remains dark for them."
"So…" Winter tried to inspect the mirror, but couldn't find any instruction or phrase upon the mirror's outer edge. "Is there no way to learn what truth it holds?"
"Speak and know the answers. Unlock any door, should you only have the right key…" the mirror repeated.
"I had thought you might bring a fresh perspective; see or think of something I did not." Glacier smiled to herself, a rare sight that made the whole of her face look ten years younger. "It's almost relieving to know I wasn't the only one stumped by it."
Winter didn't feel that relieved at all. His wings slumped and he hung his head slightly. When he and Glacier turned away, the mirror faded to darkness. They made their way back up the long trek of the vault. "It would've been nice to finally have some answers."
He could feel Glacier's eyes on him. "Will you stay? Your troops have missed you dearly."
Hearing that praise from his aunt made Winter feel lighter than he had since crossing the Great Ice Cliff. But he had to drop his head in apology. "I am sorry, My Queen, but I need to return to Jade Mountain with your answer."
Glacier stopped and stared down at her nephew. Winter paused with her, confused. And then a smile crossed her face, not one of amusement like earlier. It was a smile Winter had only read about in tales like The Lost Princess, a smile he'd wished to see on his own mother's face. "Your sense of duty, and your recognition of a greater good is impressive, Prince Winter." She brushed her wing against his. "Return to your Rebellion. Tell them I cannot bring back my forces - not until the Darkstalker is to be dealt with. But remember that you go with my blessing, and my pride."
"You know," said Tsunami, the ocean breeze sighing against her face, calling her like a siren out into the endless blue expanse. "You didn't need to come along. I could've handled it."
Glory rolled her eyes, trying her hardest not to swish her tail over her feet to flick sand off her toes. But Tsunami could still see the occasional twitch. "Please. You needed my authority to give this meeting weight. And besides, I've been cooped up in that Mountain for too long. I need to remember what it was like before I became Queen."
"What, where we were on the run for weeks on end, exhausted and terrified half the time?"
"Clay was exhausted and Starflight was terrified. They would've given up were it not for the rest of us."
Tsunami snorted; a fit of humour that she'd been rarely afforded most days in recent weeks. The situation across the continent was bad and she and her adopted sibling were struggling to put all the pieces back together. This situation in particular, had consumed the SeaWing's waking hours and plagued her sleepless nights. With Queen Moorhen pushing her claim on coastal regions, skirmishes between MudWings and SeaWings were becoming more frequent. The old rivalry was stirring back to life, and Tsunami couldn't watch from the sidelines anymore. She was meant to be the long lost SeaWing Princess. This was her home, this was her tribe, she had to step in. So she had contacted her mother, begging for an end to the hostilities, to meet in person and try to work out some temporary truce.
"Do you think they'll listen?" she asked in a quiet voice.
Glory's face did that thing Tsunami hated, where she controlled her emotions so that her scales wouldn't shift to match her mood. "We need to hope that the good faith we've garnered up until now counts for something. And if all else fails, the past few battles have gone in our favour. That should grant us some notion of respect."
"Small scraps between our agents and unaware NightWing forces hardly count as battles," Tsunami said.
"We still won." The RainWing's gaze looked over Tsunami's body, heavy and searching. "I still think it a stroke of genius that you managed to find that one fruit that would stop my RainWings succumbing to heat exhaustion."
Tsunami shifted on her talons uncomfortably. She hated lying to the others, but she'd promised Turtle she wouldn't spread his secret. "Well, uh, you know, listening to Clay go on and on about food - some of his lectures must've snuck in."
"Or that little contraption you made where it sounds an alarm when enemies are creeping in on our camps."
"Simple trip wire. Starflight's not the only smart one, you know!"
Glory made a noise that made it perfectly clear she wasn't convinced. Tsunami tried to stop herself panicking, convince herself that the lies were worth it, that if they could end this war soon, then it wouldn't be for much longer.
Before the RainWing could argue the point further, the ocean surf became disturbed, and out walked three burly SeaWings. They each worre a chlamys of the deepest blue, and on their heads wore the corinthian helmet. Tsunami recognised the first one instantly, from the sour expression to the hide littered with battle scars to the royal swirling patterns on his wings. Her uncle, Prince Shark. Tsunami didn't exactly know how to feel about seeing him. On the one talon, she'd unfairly been prejudiced against him the last time she was in the Kingdom of the Sea, and she wanted to make up for that. On the other talon, he had been pretty aggravating.
"Princess Tsunami," Shark said in his grating voice. "It's good to see you still affiliate your interests outside of your own tribe."
"I - what?!" Tsunami spluttered, outraged.
"Attempting to broker an appeasement deal with the MudWings, bringing a RainWing - as if that will have any bearing on my judgement."
Before Tsunami could angrily reply, Glory stepped forward, her head held high. "As Queen of the RainWings and ally to both tribes in this meeting, I thought it best to oversee this meeting in person."
Shark curled his lip. "What Queen wanders Pyrrhia without an escort?"
"How do you know I haven't brought mine?" Glory's eyes narrowed and she allowed her scales to shimmer several different colours. Shark's expression of arrogance slowly became more wary, his eyes shifting to the trees further up the beach. Of course, he would've heard of the stories by now from his own soldiers - of RainWings vanishing into thin air thanks to their camouflaged scales. Tsunami loved her bluff (they'd left Glory's guards back at Jade Mountain when they'd left for the coast two days ago), she just hoped her uncle didn't call them out on it.
"Where's my mother?" Tsunami asked. "I requested that she come to this meeting." And despite how overbearing her mother had been and how she would never admit it outloud, she had kind of missed her… she'd been looking forward to seeing her.
"Queen Coral has more important matters to attend to," Shark retorted. "Like finding a second lost princess. So I was elected to take her place."
Tsunami felt her heart stop. "What?! Anemone and Auklet are gone?!"
"Auklet remains by the Queen's side. It is Anemone who is missing."
"How? When? Where could she have gone? Where are you looking?!" She marched up to Shark, her talons grabbing hold of his shoulders in desperation. Behind him, his guards shifted nervously.
Shark studied Tsunami's face, a crease between his brows easing slowly. Eventually, he said, "It was in the night. There was no sign of a struggle, so we've ruled out kidnapping at this moment."
"So… you think Anemone ran away? But where? She couldn't have gotten far!"
"We're still looking…" His gaze shifted to the ground for a moment. "I had suspected you might've taken her, as a bargaining chip. But your reaction alleviated you of any guilt."
Tsunami wanted to simultaneously explode at the accusation, yet also be touched by her uncle's nano-second of thoughtfulness. Before she could do either, she heard Glory say softly, "Tsunami, the MudWings are here."
Sure enough, she could now hear the heavy wingbeats approaching. Leaving her uncle, Tsunami went to stand by Glory's side. In a brief moment of physical affection, she felt Glory's tail brush hers. Tsunami took a deep breath. As much as she wanted to demand answers and go diving into the ocean herself if she had to, she had to push all that aside. This meeting was too important, she reminded herself.
Three MudWings landed fifty feet away, stirring up the sand around them into a dust cloud. As they walked through it towards the meeting, Tsunami had to do her best not to stare. The MudWings were big and rippling with muscle. The dragoness in the middle being the largest of them all. She had a nasty, jagged scar on the left side of her face that had torn off one of her ears. Her face, chest and shoulders were painted in dyes of red and purple and white, intricate patterns that mesmerized the eye. Her guards were also covered in similar markings, though theirs were yellow and red, and their horns were wrapped in alligator skin and feathers. MudWings, much like RainWings of old, had little access to typical jewelry, and so most of the tribe made their finary out of body paint and animal parts. Tsunami couldn't help but find it fascinating.
"Princess Otter," greeted Glory in a strong voice. "Thank you for meeting with us."
It was common knowledge that Moorhen had yet to claim any children. So that meant this MudWing was her sister. Tsunami wondered how Glory could've recognised her at all.
Otter threw a dark glare at Commander Shark. "Unless this meeting includes the surrender of the coast, then this meeting is pointless."
Shark's guards hissed and he himself bared his teeth. "You peabrained savages will never take them by force. This underhanded tactic is the only way you can win."
Otter and her escorts growled. "You want to pay for those words, fish?!"
Tsunami jumped between the two tribes, wings spread wide. "That's enough!"
"As the Dragons of Destiny, we ask that you all respect the sanctity of this meeting!" Glory said in a voice as cool as an iceberg. "Both of your Queens consented to these talks and you will all respect their wishes."
Shark and Otter regarded Glory, their eyes shining with a modicum of respect. They nodded. Tsunami slowly lowered her wings but she did not move from her spot, in case she needed to break up another fight. "You all know why we called upon you. The war is still on going and we need each other if we are to survive."
"The tribes have survived for over five thousand years," Shark sneered, "we don't suddenly need you oysters to protect us."
"Yes, but as a commander, Prince Shark," said Glory, "you should know that a united front has more chance of beating Blister and her NightWings than you would on your own. Your tribe abandoned Blister's side. Even were Coral to ally with her tomorrow, that is a fact Blister will never forget and never forgive. She wants your heads."
"And beyond the war," Tsunami continued, "this is all for lasting peace. Otter, your sister was blackmailed into joining Burn's side. Your tribe has lost so many soldiers, I don't think there's one sibling unit in your whole tribe that isn't grieving. These alliances we're building will ensure that this never happens again, long after the war of SandWing Succession is over."
Otter shook her head. "It's because we've lost so much that we need to have something to show this was all worth it."
"And so long as that is their motivation," said Shark, "I will never accept their peace. MudWings pose a threat to the safety and security of the SeaWing kingdom."
"We're not asking you to shake talons and be best friends," Tsunami admonished. Recognising that antagonising her uncle was not the best move, she softened her voice. "We just need you to be patient. Hold off on your attacks against each other and have faith in us, the Dragons of Destiny. Join us to defeat Blister and once that's done, we can then resolve this issue once and for all."
"This isn't one of your mother's fairytales," Shark muttered. "Whimsy and empty promises mean nothing."
Otter pulled a face. "For once, I agree with the gilly." Shark growled at the slur.
"Then listen to logic," said Glory. "You can both ignore us, turn your armies against one another and settle this the old fashioned way - the way you have not ever been able to reconcile in the past three thousand years. Exhaust yourselves, for you will receive no more help from us, we now have more important things to deal with. And then, when Blister realises that you both are divided and without allies, she'll wait until you've worn each other down and then strike when you can't muster the forces to push her back. If you're not wiped out, you will both receive heavy losses and perhaps be kowtowed into serving her for the rest of your tribes' existence."
Everyone was silent in the face of Glory's cold, calculated prediction. Tsunami gaped at her. Was this what the RainWing found motivating? It was awful!
Glory's bright eyes swept from Shark to Otter and back again. "Or…" she drew out the word, waiting until she had them hooked. "You can call off these hostilities, consolidate your strength, and strike your common enemy when we call. Our forces will coordinate with yours and we will all live through this and retain our independence."
There was a heavy silence, and Tsunami could hear her heart pounding as she looked from Otter to her uncle. Had that worked? Or had that just tipped the scales hugely against them?
It was Otter who spoke first. "Well, would you look at that - the RainWing has some bite after all. I'll relay your message to my sister, Queen Glory. She'll see it put right."
"Agreed," said Shark, shocking Tsunami speechless. "The hostilities will cease - for now."
The throne room of the Sun Palace had always been somewhere important to Peril. It was the place of her earliest memories. When Scarlet had been Queen, she would have Peril, her champion, placed at the foot of her throne and no one had dared say anything against her. During those times, Peril could just pretend that other dragons respected her, even if they didn't like her. Looking back, she realised Scarlet had used her as a prop, as a dangerous toy on display to intimidate her potential enemies. She had never cared for Peril or her feelings. It hurt a small place inside Peril to recognise this truth, but it still did nothing to dissuade her fantasy.
Only now, that fantasy was ruined. Where SkyWings once eyed her with awe and respect, now they stared with terror and disgust.
Queen Ruby lay upon her throne, a tall column-like structure carved into the shape of clouds. Her large wings were draped to the floor on either side of her, the throne designed in such a way as to show off the unique impressive wingspan that only a SkyWing could display. Behind Ruby's head was a large circular window filled with gold stained glass to make it look as if her head was always haloed in sunlight. Since Ruby's reign had begun, most of the gold that had been all over this room had been stripped away in order to fund Ruby's reformation of the tribe, including turning the gladiator arena into a hospital… The only splash of real gold that Peril could see lay upon Ruby's head, even she knew better than to discard the sunburst crown. It was one of the most prized possessions of the tribe; a crown made to look as if the bearer wore the sun itself upon her brow.
The Queen glared down at Peril, who tried her hardest to appear small, a habit she was trying to remind herself that she no longer needed. Her claws fiddled with the enchanted bracelet on her left wrist. The bracelet was made of three rings, the middle of which could twist. Turtle had enchanted it so that when she twisted the middle ring, she could turn her firescales on or off, depending on which way she turned it. Right now, she had them on, and it was bothering her. She wanted to switch them off and press herself against Clay, to feel his warmth and weight, but she also felt exposed in the Sky Kingdom, and wanted some protection against all the pairs of eyes who wanted her dead.
"Dragon of Destiny," said the announcer a little too loudly for Peril's liking. "You stand before her Highness, Queen Ruby, chosen of the sun and ruler of all the heavens. Speak your request."
Clay adorably took a shaky step forward and tried to find his voice. Not because he was nervous, but because he obviously hadn't thought of making his speech sound all that grand. Peril wanted to reach out and touch him, but refrained. She knew his fireproof scales wouldn't be hurt by her, but she just felt better touching him with normal flesh, as any other dragon would.
"Um," Clay began, making him sound dumber than Peril knew he was. "We came to ask you, Queen Ruby, if we - I mean, the Rebellion - can count on your support? It's just that, you know, we haven't heard from you in a while. And after all the good things Prince Winter's been reporting to us, I'd hoped now you might help us again."
Peril winced at his wording. She wasn't great at navigating social rules but even she knew that that had been worded poorly. Queen Ruby didn't flinch, didn't even blink. When she spoke, her voice was tight. "Clay, as the Hero of the Arena and one of the instigators of the riot that allowed me to take my throne, you know you are always welcome here. You have the trust of this court."
Clay's goofy grin was heart-meltingly handsome. "Oh, thank you."
"And it is that trust alone that prevents me from throwing you out, considering you decided to bring that with you."
Ruby pointed a claw in Peril's direction, and she tried very hard to give no reaction. The guards around the room all hissed at her. Clay looked at her as if he couldn't understand what was going on, and Peril felt all the goodness inside her turn wretched. "You Highness," he said, "Peril is a valued member of the Rebellion, I asked her to be here. Is there a problem?"
"If the Rebellion wishes to consult with snakes, that is your choice," said Ruby, scathingly. "But I am not blinded by her lies."
"I've never lied," Peril burst before she could stop herself. Ruby's nostrils flared and her guards readied their spears. Peril bit on his tongue, berating herself for her own stupidity.
"Do you know how many dragons this creature has killed?" the SkyWing Queen demanded. "Are you aware of the volumes of crimes she's committed?"
"Under the brainwashing of Queen Scarlet," Clay retorted immediately. His words caused something inside Peril to feel off, like she wanted to correct him but didn't know how. "I think a lot of dragons here can say they did things they regret."
A couple of guards at the back of the room glanced at the floor. Peril tried to recognise them, tried to remember what they'd done. How had Clay known that? Of course she'd known, she'd watched a few soldiers do things under Scarlet's orders that'd turned them into shaking messes afterwards. And others who had turned a whole lot meaner following Scarlet around for long enough. But all of them got a clean slate whilst she was exiled?
"Those dragons," said Ruby, "do not possess the power to kill a dragon merely by touching them."
"But I don't do that anymore," she retorted.
Ruby's lip curled into a snarl. "And I'm sure that is a great comfort to the families of those you turned to ash. You will never be welcome in my Kingdom. You were my mother's pet, her plaything. Nothing more."
Peril could feel the steam leaking out of her eyes, could feel the heat burn through her chest. She was good at not giving a reaction to the insults thrown her way, tried to tell herself the bad words burned up when they tried to get near her. Yet she felt a new hole be torn through the ragged fabric of her spirit, all the same.
"Queen Ruby," said Clay, "Peril might not belong to you anymore, but she is an agent of the Rebellion and someone I trust. That's why she's here, to help me-"
"Clay," Peril said softly. He paused and turned to look at her. She shook her head. It wasn't worth it, defending her like this, no one would listen. Everyone hated her and she was perfectly fine living in that truth. So long as she had Clay and her friends, life was bearable. "Don't bother. Let's just do what we came to do and then leave."
"That won't be long," said Ruby with a small sigh. "I am afraid I cannot commit to the Rebellion at this point."
"What?" Clay gasped. "But Winter said-"
"That I would assist if my borders were more secure. The IceWings have yet to help me in that regard. And the MudWings are still running amok. And frankly, I'm too preoccupied with matters in my own court."
"Not everyone liking your perfect world?" Peril couldn't stop the snide remark. It felt good to hit back just a little bit.
Ruby hissed. "I hear constant whispers of support for my mother, who still cannot be found. Some say that she would know what to do in this situation, that she could lead the tribe better than I."
"Then they are wrong, Your Majesty!" exclaimed a guard, not breaking his strict pose.
"Thank you for your confidence, Haast," Ruby gave the guard a small, sad smile. He thumped a fist to his chest in salute. "But I'm afraid it won't mean much, if the SkyWings have a civil war of their own. If Scarlet has her way, we will tear each other apart so that she can sit upon the ashes."
"That's it!" Clay said loudly, bouncing on his fit. A huge grin split his big face.
Peril cocked her head at him, perplexed. "What's it?"
"That's what we have to do!" He clutched her talons in his, a loud hiss emanating from where their scales touched. The guards at either side of them winced. But when Clay released her, there was no damage on him. "Queen Ruby! I have an idea! You help the Rebellion. And in return, Peril and I will help you get rid of Scarlet!"
Ruby's brows shot upwards. The guards stared. Peril's mouth hung open. "What?!"
The afternoon moved on, and Glory could tell that it would be another humid evening. Summer was at its peak now, and she privately lamented that she couldn't enjoy these glorious rays, let them sink into her scales, replenish herself to her fullest. But it was logical to move under the cover of the trees. With the meeting now finally over, she and Tsunami had to make their way back to Jade Mountain. For the duration of the journey, Glory had shifted her scales to blue and green to better imitate the scales of a SeaWing, her disguise. They planned to fly mostly by night, as whilst Glory could turn herself practically invisible, Tsunami could not, and it was easier to move freely under the cover of darkness. So until the sun set, they needed to start their journey by walking through the forests, heading south-west.
"Well," Tsunami said, "I thought that went well."
"It is a satisfactory outcome," Glory agreed. "I'll send a few RainWings to monitor the situation. Likely, they'll just wait for when they think our guard is low and just continue the fighting."
"Maybe…"
Glory glanced at the SeaWing. She was staring ahead, but her gaze was distant, her wings and tail drooped. It didn't take a genius to figure out the problem. "Thinking about Anemone?"
"I just wanna know where she is, why she left. What if she's in trouble?"
"She's an animus. More than likely, she's one of the safest dragons in Pyrrhia."
Tsunami spun on her. "But what if she's not? What if Blister or Morrowseer has her?"
"They don't-"
"How do you know?!"
"Because if they did, you and I would both be dead," Glory said firmly. "If Morrowseer had access to magic, then he'd use it first and foremost to eliminate his enemies."
"That might not be first on his list…"
"It would be, because that's what I would do."
Tsunami blinked, staring. Glory shifted her wings, wanting to shove her off and storm away. But the look in her adoptive-sister's eyes was curious rather than judgemental. "You would?"
"I…" she paused. "I wouldn't be quick about it. I wouldn't like it. But knowing that they won't back down, I would have to."
They walked on in silence for a short time. Tsunami seemed contemplative. She'd been doing that a lot lately, Glory had noticed; drawing into herself more often, thinking herself into the ground. It was so different from the impulsive, reckless Tsunami she'd known a few years ago.
"Do you think the others will be back by now?" she heard Tsunami ask a short while later.
"Possibly." A creeping feeling settled on Glory's back and she stiffened. She tried to subtly turn her head to glance into the surrounding forest. "Your brother will definitely be happy to see us…"
"Yeah. It's a shame he and Sunny don't get out that much. I know they're itching to sort things out themselves."
"They have their own jobs," Glory pretended to yawn, using the opportunity the take a long whiff of the air to see if she could catch a scent. "Sunny and Qibli are the brains coordinating all their agents. I don't know how you dragons of destiny do it."
Tsunami looked at her oddly, as if she were both confused and hurt. "Don't pretend it's like that, you know we don't view you any differently."
"Hmm." Glory was barely paying attention. There was someone definitely watching them. She turned to Tsunami with a shrug. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. We still got a few hours of daylight left. I can hear water just a few hundred yards in that direction. Why don't you go hunt? I'll set a fire."
Again, Tsunami gave her a weird look. Glory hoped she wouldn't pry further, hoped something in her expression told the SeaWing to go along with it. It must've worked, for Tsunami shook her head and turned to go where Glory had indicated, muttering under her breath the entire way. Glory watched her leave, pricked her ears to follow her sister with sound once she no longer had her in sight. When she was certain she was alone, she turned towards the east; the darkest patch of forest around her.
"You know," she called out, "to most dragons, spying's considered to be quite rude…"
A body of shadows shifted and contorted, and from the foliage stepped a NightWing, grinning at her wickedly. "Oh, you're good. You just have to explain to me how you did that…"
A/N: * = Lovingly paraphrasing Sarah Beth Durst.
Funny thing about this chapter? When I was planning this story over a year ago, I planned out the secret treasury of the IceWings. I thought it only logical. Imagine my surprise when Tui confirmed it in the Dangerous Gift?! I was bouncing off the walls!
If you enjoyed this chapter, please don't forget to leave me a review - I crave your feedback!