Chapter Thirty Four

Noon wore on into the afternoon, and Glory and Tsunami continued back towards Jade tried to stick to the routine of flying in low light, but as they came further west, bringing them closer and closer along the borders of the Rainforest, they knew they needed to move more swiftly. And a NightWing patrol was easier to spot in the day. And Glory was also pushed by the thought of the NightWing assassin potentially stalking them.

Deathbringer had been consuming her thoughts for the past twenty-four hours. She second guessed herself constantly; should she have killed him? His words, his perspective, poisoned her conviction and had her wondering her next course of action. Ever since she'd lost the Rainforest, every step in her journey had been clear. She'd needed to find shelter for her tribe, she'd then needed to make sure her RainWings were provided for, alliances had to be made, and then came the spying and the fighting that would lead to her eventually reclaiming her kingdom. In all this time, she'd not allowed herself to think of the NightWing tribe as victims. Yes, she understood their motives and she agreed with the other Dragons of Destiny that genocide was not the answer. But empathising with her enemies would do nothing but hold her back from the tough decisions that needed to be made. She'd told herself that the NightWings would never show mercy on her or her tribe, so she needed to match to do likewise if she had a hope of winning. Yet now, all she could think about was what Deathbringer said.

She shook her head. It would do her no good to be distracted when she needed to stay focused. Tsunami and Glory had decided to take the more direct approach to Jade Mountain. It brought them perilously close to the Rainforest but it would save time. So long as they laid low and kept their wits about them, they'd be fine. After flying all day, their wings needed a rest, so they'd decided to walk for an hour or two. They kept low through the grasslands, hoping to avoid enemy eyes.

"You know, you've been quiet," Tsunami said suddenly, almost startling Glory out of her camouflage. "And I mean, more so than your usual brooding self."

"I do not brood." Glory snorted.

"Uh-huh, and I'm a pacifist." She was trying to make the RainWing laugh, Glory felt too distracted right now to pay attention. Even so, she could practically feel the way Tsunami rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, he's not on our trail."

Glory whipped her head around towards her adoptive sister. It took every bit of her self-control to not let her scales shift with her mood. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because if I were him I would've struck by n-ARGH!"

Tsunami stumbled, her weight shifting abruptly to one side. There was the sound of whip slicing the air and Glory felt the sting of the breeze as it passed her. She leapt back instinctively. Tsunami attempted to right herself but then she was spun onto her back and her legs hoisted into the air. It all happened so fast! When the dust settled, Glory stared at Tsunami, who lay on the ground, legs in the air and tied together. Her tether was attached to a long pole that swayed from where it had just sprung, a bell attached at the end.

Tsunami glared at her. "Don't. Say. A word."

Glory couldn't help it. It was either burst out laughing or allow her scales to shimmer purple and yellow. "Well… you know there's a whole proverb about 'tempting fate'?"

"Not a word!" the SeaWing shouted. She gnawed at her restraints and tried to wrestle herself free. But her thrashing jerked the line attached to the pole and it rang the bell with a shrill shriek. Glory and Tsunami froze at the noise which seemed to echo across the grasslands. "Oh, fish guts! Really? That's just great!"

"Let's get you out of there before patrols come looking," Glory said, and stepped toward her sister, ready to help untie her.

"Or the hunter comes for his prey."

Seemingly from out of the shadows, a NightWing leapt between Glory and Tsunami. A knife was in one talon, and he pressed it to Tsunami's throat. And then Glory noticed his eyes, his rakish smile, and felt her stomach and chest do a weird convulsion she wasn't sure how to explain. But it didn't change the fact that he was still holding a knife over Tsunami.

"Deathbringer!" she exclaimed, ruff flaring in alarm.

He stared at her for a moment, head tilting, and then his smile turned into a beaming grin, like they were old friends just meeting up at a party. "Mystery dragon! Hmmmm. There's something different about you. Did you get your claws trimmed?"

"Very funny," she growled, baring her fangs.

"You could've told me you were actually Queen Glory - I would've asked for your autograph."

"Yes, and then allowed you to assassinate me after all? Somehow I think that would've started us off on the wrong talon."

"I wouldn't necessarily have killed you right away," he shrugged.

"Riiiiight. You would've bought me dinner first?"

"Glory!" Tsunami shouted. "Are you seriously flirting with the enemy right now?!"

Glory's scales turned beetroot red. She turned a furious scowl on the captured dragoness. "Shut up! I'm not flirting!"

Deathbringer sat up straight, smug as a peacock. "I knew you liked me."

"You shut up before I melt your face off!"

Tsunami snorted. "That sounds like something I would say."

"Speaking of which," Deathbringer finally turned to look at his prey, his free talon waving down at her. "Hello there, Princess Tsunami! It is an honour to be the one to slay the mighty rage of the sea."

Glory's stomach clenched. She tried to dart closer, but when Deathbringer turned his gaze on her, she froze. He might act lighthearted and a jokester, but she had to remember he was extremely deadly and poised to strike. Jaw clenched, she met his stare. "You'd really try to kill Tsunami when she's defenceless like this?"

"As opposed to trying to kill her in open combat and getting my tail handed to me?" he laughed to himself. "No. But if I kill her, it'll probably get me out of the trouble I'd be in for not killing you."

Tsunami snarled. "Just try it!"

Glory dared to take another step closer. "Deathbringer, you don't wanna do this."

That made him pause, cocking one brow higher inquisitively. "Don't I?"

"You don't like doing what you do. You want to help your tribe, but you don't want to see innocent dragons die."

"I'd hardly call Tsunami innocent."

"But a lot of dragons depend on her. And a lot of dragons will die without her leadership. And Queen Coral will be broken to hear of her death. You don't want to hurt so many dragons, do you?" For the first time, Deathbringer's smile looked a little less natural, a little more strained. Even Tsunami had gone quiet at the mention of her mother, rolling onto her side. "There are ways you can help your tribe, just not like this."

Deathbringer seemed to think about her words, but his eyes never once left her. Glory had forced her scales back to their vast array of colours that she usually wore, and did her best to not let them change with the nerves that were building in her stomach. Finally, he said: "You know, I've been watching Jade Mountain for weeks, trying to find the perfect moment to strike - at any of you, really. I listened when your patrols went by. They do like to talk. I saw dragons who were enemies just five years ago suddenly being all chummy. You're all so oddly fascinating."

"We want to build a world where there's no more of the awful things you've seen the tribes do," In her head, Glory could practically imagine the way Sunny would be beaming at her. "A world where you don't have to ruin lives just to protect your tribe."

"What does killing me accomplish?" Tsunami asked. "The rebellion won't stop."

Deathbringer took a long breath. "I admit, it would only prolong the fighting… which wouldn't be good for my tribe in the long run."

Another daring step closer. "Then why don't you-"

A flash of blue and a roar, and Deathbringer was thrown aside. Tsunami landed on top of him a lash of rope in her claws. Glory stared - she hadn't even noticed the princess working at the rope that restrained her! Deathbringer tried to heave Tsunami off him, to put them into a role, to slash at her with his knife. He was older and a little larger than his opponent, but Tsunami was bulkier and knew exactly where to hit to make him hurt. Her back leg kicked him in the diaphragm, winding him, whilst her thick tail whacked his back legs, almost hard enough to break bone!

Using the moment of him trying to regain his breath, Tsunami leant back and quickly looped the rope around his wrists and ankles in the same manner she'd been tied. The moment she let go, the rope pulled taut from its position on the pole and half-heartedly dragged Deathbringer back. He'd been caught in his own trap.

"Ha! That's what you get for taking on the wrath of the sea!" Tsunami crowed triumphantly. She trotted to Glory, bumping shoulders playfully. "Great distraction, Glory! So what do we do with him now?"

Deathbringer was trying his best to not look embarrassed. "I did mention the part where I said I didn't want to kill you? I'm pretty sure I snuck that in there."

Glory stared at him, torn on what to do. Everything had happened so quickly. Her rational side told her what was the most logical and efficient thing to do. But something else held her back. "Let him go."

"What?" Tsunami and Deathbringer squawked in unison. The SeaWing stepped in front of her, grabbing her shoulders and giving her a good shake. "Glory are you out of your mind?! He just tried to kill us! He's one of them!"

"And what's the difference between him and Starflight? Or any of the others?"

"Starflight isn't bowing down to a megalomaniac who actively wants us torn to shreds!"

"Then by that logic we'd be better off using Stonemover or your secret animus to kill them all." Glory snapped. "I thought we weren't murderers?"

Tsunami flinched away, her face of shock giving her away immediately. Glory breezed past her, not wanting to deal with that bombshell now, or the stab of hurt she felt in her gut. She gave Deathbringer a long look, wanting to convey a message of: 'betray me, and I'll kill you myself'. Whether she was successful or not, she didn't know. Trying to be slow to mask the slight shake in her claws, Glory untied the ropes around Deathbringer's wrists and ankles. When the restraints fell away, he laid there a moment, uncertain of what to do.

Slowly, as if waiting for one of them to spring at him, he stood. "Is… is this some kind of trick?"

"Do you want it to be?" Glory retorted.

And that was when they heard it, the soft rhythmic thump of wingbeats. They all looked to the sky, casting their eyes to find the small speck that accompanied the noise. Tsunami gave a tight hiss, and Glory whipped her head around to see. A group of five MudWings soared to the north east. A scouting group patrolling the very edges of their territory no doubt. If they came this way, Tsunami and Glory could clear their names quickly, but Deathbringer…

Glory snatched up the dagger from where Deathbringer had dropped it and pointed it at him. "You've got ten seconds to fly out of here! Or else we knock you out and leave you for the MudWings."

"Shouldn't we do that anyway?" asked Tsunami.

"Alright, I'm convinced." Deathbringer nodded. He spun, glossy black wings unfurling - but then he paused. Head twisting back to look at her, he smirked. "So, when can I see you again?"

"Go!"

He leapt into the air, driving his wings down and making the powerful muscles in his back ripple to propel him straight into the air. Quick as he could, he soared straight for the safety of the shadows of the rainforest. Glory watched him leave, to be sure that he really went. Still keeping hold of the dagger, she followed Tsunami and bolted into the sky. They hurried on as fast as they could west. Hopefully, if they gained as much distance as possible, the MudWings wouldn't notice them. They flew at top speed for what felt like half an hour. When there was still no sign of pursuit, they finally eased.

"Well that's just fantastic. We just let loose a NightWing assassin who definitely has orders to kill us!" Tsunami nostrils billowed angrily. When she got no response, her eyes slowly shifted towards her companion. In a softer, more uneasy voice, she said, "Glory, about the-"

"Your brother Turtle is an animus. I know." Glory's words were tight and she didn't look at Tsunami.

The SeaWing flinched. "I didn't mean to-"

"Leave it be. We'll discuss it when we get home."

She could tell Tsunami wanted to continue on, but she didn't have the energy to deal with that at this moment. They flew onward. Evening was wearing on and the sun would soon set. And though she probably should've been thinking of anything else, Glory couldn't help but wonder what might happen to Deathbringer now?

Winter's stomach complained incessantly. He'd only managed to catch an arctic fox around noon, and he'd been flying all day. All day he'd journeyed south from Glacier's palace, south past the Great Ice Cliff, and then tracked west to the coast and followed it further south over the tundra towards the border between the Kingdoms of Ice and Sand. Needless to say, he was exhausted.

But he couldn't give up, not yet. He needed to find the cove, the one Diamond had gifted to Jerboa. If there was any chance of finding it, he had to keep going. Who knew what clues might've been left behind? Always, he kept an eye on the south. The land was becoming more and more like the desert, though if Winter's internal map was correct, he hadn't yet passed the Sand Kingdom's borders just yet. Still, he didn't know how far north Blister might send her forces. He needed to be careful.

A spasm wracked his belly. Winter grit his teeth against the pain and shook his head to clear it of the tiredness. Perhaps being careful also meant taking care of his own needs as well. Wearily, he decided to rest and recuperate. Perhaps it would be safer to move about after dark anyway. He landed on the nearest dune. The waves of the ocean crashed against the distant shore. The breeze they carried soothed his scales that felt burned by the heat still sustained in the sand.

And as he laid there attempting to catch his breath, he heard a voice.

"Damn rats got into the stores again," it was gruff and low, but Winter thought it was female. He froze on instinct, long ears twitching to hear the voice any clearer. "Sand and snakes, look at this mess. At least they didn't get to the mangos…"

Belly pressed low into the sand, Winter crawled up the dune to peer over its peak. The other side sank far lower, dipping into a cove where the sea came in to form a shallow pool, palm trees shading the banks. Nestled between a grove of palms was a small hut, with fishing lines and traps hung out on a wrack outside. A SandWing was huddled over a trap door leading underground by the side of the hut. She was older than Winter, perhaps 30 or 40 years old? He quickly cast his eyes about, but it seemed as if the SandWing lived alone.

Could this be the cove Winter had come to find? Hopefully this hermit hadn't destroyed whatever evidence of Jerboa had once been here.

Something skittered along the back of his talon. Winter looked down. A large black scorpion was walking up his wrist.

Winter's heart leapt into his throat. He shook off the insect with a hiss, recoiling back. Only too late did he realise what he'd done.

He spun towards the hut. Had he been noticed? The SandWing was looking directly at him. Blue eyes met yellow. And abruptly, the world went dark.

The sun was setting out over the western horizon, somewhere in the Kingdom of Sand that was little more than a smear in the distance. Qibli sat on the ledge, his back to the cave entrance that would lead back into Jade Mountain. His claws tapped the stone underneath him anxiously. His mind kept ticking over his thoughts, faster and faster. He should've left by now, the mission depended on his swiftness. But he couldn't go just yet!

"We should've heard something from him by now…" he muttered.

Behind him, Turtle and Kinkajou hushed their own conversation. Qibli could hear Turtle's claws fiddling with the leather pouch he always kept around his neck. "Maybe we should call him?"

"And what if he's in an important meeting with his super-sparkly queen?" reasoned Kinkajou.

Qibli's mind fiddled through all the different possible decisions, weighing up the pros and cons of each. He'd wanted to wait for Winter, wanted him there with them when they broke into the Stronghold. They'd need his strength but Qibli also wanted him there when they discovered a way to defeat Darkstalker. Hopefully. But as it was, they'd already delayed longer than he'd wanted, and Winter hadn't contacted them at all since leaving for the Ice Kingdom. Turtle had performed his seeker-spell on their map again, and they'd seen Winter was somewhere on the northern border of the Kingdom of Sand. What he was doing there, Qibli didn't know. But it meant they couldn't depend on him to show up. Not now.

"We've already waited too long," he declared. "Winter will just have to catch up with us."

Kinkajou's head reared up, her tail still and quivering with barely concealed excitement. "We're leaving now?"

"Yes, Kinkajou. We're really going."

"YES!" she bounced up and down on the spot before sprinting forward and leaping off the ledge.

Turtle seemed to have gone slightly pale. "B-But what about my sister? She's not back yet."

Poor, ridiculous Turtle. It was understandable that he wanted to make sure his sister was alright, but couldn't he understand the urgency? Why did they need him for this? For not the first time, Qibli wondered what he might've done with animus magic if it had been gifted to him instead of someone like Turtle. But then he squashed that thought down with a slap of guilt. Thinking like that wasn't being a good friend to Turtle.

He cupped the SeaWing's talons in his own and grasped them firmly. "Turtle, we can't wait."

Something flickered behind the prince's eyes in thought. As much as he could be cowardly, Turtle was a deep thinker, Qibli had to give him credit for that. And he never let his friends down. Finally, he nodded. "Alright."

Qibli smiled, and together they ran for the edge of the ledge and launched themselves into the sky. Kinkajou laughed excitedly, twirling in the air, her scales shifting through every colour she could think of. Qibli only afforded himself one last glance back at Jade Mountain, before he took the lead of their small adventuring party and took them towards the distant Kingdom of Sand.

The sunset was always spectacular from the heights of the mountains. From so high up, there was an unobstructed view of the entire sky and its many shifts of colours. The sun looked as if it had set the horizon on fire, streaks of amber and red dancing like flames, the clouds its miasma of smoke. And then as the great sun dipped beneath the horizon, indigos and blues swept in like the shadow of the Great Dragon's wing, the stars slowly appearing like holes poked through the eternity-old membrane. SkyWings always loved to watch the sunset. It was why the great hall had so many tall windows so as to allow those courtiers lucky enough to always attend the Queen's banquets could see the spectacular sight as they ate.

Peril could smell all the roasted meats and delightful soups as she passed through the corridors. Though it hadn't been long since she'd had her own meal, she couldn't help but feel a familiar pang of envy. Despite the fact she'd always been Scarlet's favourite toy, she'd never once been invited to eat at the banquet. When she'd been a dragonet, she'd crept along the hallways of the palace to get as close as she could, smelling the mouth-watering aromas and imagining what it would be like to sit at that table and such grand food. She'd always thought she might get invited to the banquet when she was old enough, and then even after she'd reach maturity, she hoped she might get an invite if she pleased Scarlet enough. But even now, with Scarlet gone and Peril on the side of heroes, that long coveted invite still eluded her.

She shook off those old longings. They would do her no good right now. She was tired, and the only thing she wanted at this moment was to return to the cave Queen Ruby had given her and Clay to stay in, and curl up beside him to rest. She spared a glance to her left, to see Clay still licking his chops, tongue ducking between each tooth to be sure he hadn't missed a single morsel of the Wisent they'd caught on patrol earlier. They'd spent all day searching the Sky Kingdom for any possible clues of Scarlet's location. When that had turned up nothing, they'd tried to talk to various members of the court, or the generals and officers in the army, to see if there was any hint or rumour of what she was up to. And still they'd had no luck.

Which meant that they'd have to go out tomorrow and try again. Which, in turn, meant that Peril was now stuck in the palace with dragons that hated her. Most SkyWings still didn't want to speak to her at the best of times. At worst they ran away screaming if she approached. Which was probably why they hadn't gotten a lot of helpful leads yet. Peril was trying not to take it personally. She consoled herself with the knowledge that Clay was with her, was always smiling with her, always willing to touch her and be near her without cringing away. So long as she had him, she could be content.

But being so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't looked where she was going. There was a furious hiss, and her eyes snapped ahead. Three SkyWings had rounded the corner in front of them - she was about to step on them! Old habits made her dart aside, lightning quick, even though her brain registered a moment later that she had the bracelet turned so her firescales were off right now. But no one else knew that, aside from Clay.

The SkyWing in the lead, a male, nearly tripped over himself trying to avoid her. He ruffled his wings and snapped his jaws in her direction. "Watch where you're going, monster!"

"She's not a monster!" Clay fired back, helping Peril to balance herself again with his wing. The MudWing was never mean with anyone, but he did his best to imitate what might've been a scowl on anyone else. "Peril is here to stop Scarlet, to help Queen Ruby."

One of the other SkyWings, a young female, snorted derisively. "You expect us to believe she's stopped worshipping Scarlet?"

"Or is she just a dog for whoever's on the throne?" said the leader.

"Peril is not-!"

Clay's automatic defense of her only riled the SkyWings further. They lashed their tails and snarled, one of them had fire at the back of his throat. They were ready and eager for a fight. Peril's brain screamed - she couldn't allow it! Her claws reached for her wrist and switched the bracelet ring around. Heat infused her body, giving her warmth where she had before felt chilled. The stone smoked where she stepped as she thrust herself between Clay and the SkyWings. They felt the wall of heat from her golden-veined wings and recoiled. Peril peeled her lips back over her teeth and growled. "Touch him and it'll be the last time you have talons!"

They did exactly as she expected them to. In the face of her threat, they turned tail and ran. Peril watched them go, smirking. Glancing around, she made sure there was no one else in the hallway before she reached for her bracelet again to turn off her firescales.

"You shouldn't've done that," said Clay. She spun to him, shocked. He was looking at her with this tired expression that made her stomach drop into her toes. "Now you've proved them right."

"Was that the wrong thing?" she asked. Three moons, had she disappointed him? "I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to get hurt."

"Peril, I would've been fine."

"But what if they'd hurt you? You shouldn't put yourself in danger like that, not for me."

"What do you mean not for you?" he frowned. She shut her mouth with a loud snap and tried to walk away, continuing towards their cave. If they returned to what they were doing, they could just forget she messed everything up. But then she felt Clay's talon on her shoulder and she stopped. "Peril, what did you mean by that?"

"I mean, I deserved it!" she blurted.

Clay looked confused for a moment, trying to figure out what she meant. He shook his head gently. "What are you talking about? No one deserves to be treated like this."

"I do," she said quietly. "I killed a lot of dragons, Clay. I killed so many of them for Queen Scarlet and I don't feel guilty at all. In fact, I look at these dragons who curse me and spit on the floor at me as I pass and I want to be that dragon that I was, the one that was allowed to hurt those who hurt me. And I know that's wrong, but I don't feel wrong!"

"Peril-"

She held up her wrist, studying the bracelet that Turtle had enchanted for her. All those weeks ago, she'd thought that this had been her key to a new life. "Why aren't I better now? This thing makes me normal. It makes me not a monster - it takes the scales away but it still doesn't make me good."

"Peril," Clay put his talons over the bracelet, covering it from view. "You're not a monster. You never were. The bracelet didn't make you good - you can be good without it."

"Easy for you to say. You've never been different like I have." Gently but insistently, she pulled her wrist away from his touch. He liked to do that - to turn the bracelet so that her scales came on and touch her, to prove that he didn't care. But Peril still felt wrong. "I was what Scarlet wanted me to be. Tell me to be good, Clay. Order me to be better and I will. That will fix me."

This was the only truth she could fully comprehend. That she could only express love through fulfilling someone else's wishes. The only significant relationship in her entire existence had been her being submissive and subservient to a mother-tyrant figure. What she asked for, Peril gave it. Because that was the only way to earn affection, to appease others.

Clay took a step back from her. "No, Peril. I won't."

"What? Why?"

"Because I won't be another Scarlet for you." Slowly, he came back to her, and gently pressed his forehead to hers. Peril held her breath. "I don't want you to live your life for me, or for Scarlet or for anyone else. I want you to be with me because you want to. I want you to live your life doing only what you want."

Peril tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "And what if I don't know what I want?"

"Then you need to answer that question for yourself."

Moon's dreams had been scattered and sporadic. Once again, she'd seen her mother, this time wandering the Rainforest, seeming to be chasing something. Moon never got a clear idea of what her mother was after, only flashes of silver through the brush ahead. Secretkeeper would try to call out, but Moon heard her as if through a pool of water, the sound distorted and slow. When she awoke, the dreams faded, but Moon was once again left with this quiet feeling of dread and longing in her chest. She tried to reassure herself that Darkstalker had promised they could experiment with spells to discover which would be the best solution to save her mother. She had to be patient for that.

Choosing to face the night instead of wallowing in self-pity, Moon arose from her bed and readied herself. It was nice to have rooms that were no longer filled with cobwebs and growing creeper vines. Now they looked almost brand new and homey.

Her peace was interrupted when she heard thoughts just outside her door. She paused, not recognising them. A few moments of listening and rifling through his mind the way Darkstalker had taught her, allowed her to know all she needed. Anger bubbled low in her gut and she stomped towards her door. When she opened it, she was greeted by the face that matched the thoughts she'd heard. A SandWing male, probably twice her age, with dull brown eyes and a broken nose-horn.

"Who are you?" She tried not to let her voice sound too hostile, but wasn't sure if she succeeded. Of course, she already knew the answer from his thoughts. But it felt weird not to ask.

"Names's Saguaro," the SandWing said in a voice that sounded permanently parched. He shrugged and gave a small smirk. "I'm here on guard-duty."

Moon cocked her head. "We're in an abandoned city that has hardly seen any life for two thousand years. What is there to guard me from?"

"Well," he paused and shrugged. "Can't be too careful. Right?" Never seen a NightWing up close before, his thoughts whispered into her mind.

Moon stepped into the corridor, closing her bedroom door behind her. "Right. Well. Thank you for… guarding me, Saguaro."

She nodded politely and then went to walk away. Darkstalker would likely be waiting for her. But then she heard heavy thumping footsteps of wide SandWing feet, and then Saguaro was shoulder-to-shoulder with her. "Do you NightWings always sleep all day?" he asked. "You like the nightlife? Back in the Scorpion Den, I was the same. Always more fun at night." He squared his chin and walked tall. He might've been mistaken for just trying to be friendly, but then his slammed into Moon's mind. Plenty of pretty tails at night. Vulture says we'll be here a while. Bet the 50 gold pieces I got back home I can lay this one before Sirocco.

Her stomach churned. The SandWing then began to remember all the different females and males he'd had back in the Scorpion Den. The images burned into Moon's mind and she shoved his thoughts away, sliding them into a raindrop. But then he began to think of her, imagining her in the positions he'd had several prostitutes, and then thinking about what it would be like. Moon thought she was going to be sick. Her scales felt cold and clammy, she wanted to scrub her flesh until it was raw and bleeding. He hadn't said anything or done anything physically, and she tried to remind herself not to judge someone purely for their thoughts, but at the same time this felt extremely creepy and she wanted to be as far away from this SandWing as possible.

"I'm going to leave now," she said. "Goodnight, Saguaro."

"Maybe I could-" he went to follow her, but then he stopped, thoughts stuttering to a stop. Moon turned to her saviour and then wondered if she was truly any safer. Vulture stood at the top of the staircase she was headed to. His cold eyes narrowed on Saguaro, and the younger male saluted. "Sir!"

"Get back to your actual post, Saguaro. Now." Vulture's voice was calm but there was a level of coldness to it that made Moon shiver slightly. Saguaro didn't need to be told twice, and bolted in the opposite direction. When he was finally out of sight, Moon felt she could breathe again. But now she was left alone with Vulture who was eyeing her, his mind filing away all his observations, the same as he had done last night. "Good evening, Moon. I thought I might walk with you down to breakfast. We're both going the same way, afterall."

She initially wanted to refuse. It was instinct to not want to be near him. That same wariness from before resurfacing. But then she remembered everything that had happened last night, Darkstalker taking her up to the hill, his words about her purpose. And didn't she always preach that dragons were all good somewhere deep down? She needed to give Vulture a chance. So, she nodded.

He walked with her down the staircase and picked the more direct route towards the dining hall. It was clear that he'd been paying attention when given the tour, as he not once needed to be reminded of the way. He stayed in stride with her but his distance was respectful. There was silence between them but Moon wondered if she should try to strike up a conversation. If nothing else, she'd never get to the bottom of Vulture's real mission here if she didn't talk to him.

"How are you and your soldiers settling in, Vulture?" she asked.

"Oh, they might complain but they'll do as they're told," he said. His eyes were trained on the vaulted ceiling as the strode down the hall lined with tapestries depicting the history of Pyrrhia and the NightWing tribe. "The castle is much more restored than I would have imagined."

"We've been hard at work."

"Indeed." he said, but immediately followed it with a thought: With the help of a little magic, no doubt.

Moon's tail twitched. Vulture knew she could read minds, he made no attempt to hide what he was thinking. He wanted a reaction from her. Carefully, she said: "I don't think my talons have worked so hard in my whole life as they have over the past few months."

"Life in Jade Mountain must've been quite tranquil in comparison." He nodded. "Quite the relief after the Volcano."

"No, I-" the correction had been automatic but too late, she realised that Vulture had just caught her out on revealing important information. Though his expression was neutral, there was the twinkle of a smile in his eyes. "I, um, I never lived on the volcano. I was raised separately from the other NightWings."

"I see. And then it was at Jade Mountain that Darkstalker and yourself began your little… arrangement?"

He meant something specific but Moon wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "I was the one who first discovered him. I was his first friend and he helped me to hone my skills… And he brought me here because of our friendship."

That caught him a little by surprise, to have her read his next question out of his head and answer it. Now he did smile, and Moon felt her veins run cold. "A sharp little thing, aren't you… Now I know why my grandson must like you. It's obvious by your reaction upon first meeting me that you must've been in contact with him quite considerably. But I assure you, Qibli's memories are those of a dragonet to whom everything was blown out of proportion without full comprehension of a situation."

Her brows furrowed. "I find it hard to believe that Qibli lacked understanding of any situation. He's one of the observant dragons I know."

"So your relationship with my grandson is more than a passing acquaintance if you would speak highly of him." Again there was that gloating shimmer in his eyes as he gleaned more information from her words than she'd intended. "Similar to how Darkstalker speaks of you."

Moon blinked, taken by surprise. "The pair of you have been talking about me?"

"All this evening," he said, rolling the shoulder of one wing as if to work out some stiffness. "Yes, Darkstalker has been up since before sunset. We have discussed a great many things. I believe we have a lot in common."

"How so?"

"Do you know who ruled the Kingdom of Sand before Oasis? Everyone's so focused on deciding the next Queen, we've all but forgotten the ones who came before." He'd stopped in front of a tapestry that depicted a historical banquet between one of the ancient NightWing Queens and the Queen of the SandWings. It had happened long before even Darkstalker's time. He'd told her the story but at that moment it eluded her. Vulture studied the tapestry intently as he spoke. "I hatched seven years into the reign of Queen Savannah, mother and predecessor of Queen Oasis. I was born as the son of nobody, lord of nothing. The stories say Savannah was an unrivaled beauty, but they won't tell you that she was cruel and pious above all else. She imposed laws that meant only females could hold high-ranking positions, or that males had to be paid less for their labour because they were the inferior sex. The Scorpion Den was once the crown jewel of the desert. Savannah stripped away all wealth from the city, claimed it to be full of nothing but leeches and beggars looking for handouts. The epitome of a tyrannical matriarchy. I started my gang because I was tired of starving and being treated as less than nothing."

Moon didn't know what to make of this. It was horrifying to hear of such barbaric practices, to think that such horrible ways of thinking had been so recent in history. No matter her personal opinion of Vulture, no one deserved to be treated in that way. "I… I'm sorry."

"You might be a mind reader, but you're a terrible liar," Vulture huffed a laugh. "You want to know how this has anything to do with Darkstalker. The way I see it, the pair of us have struggled in a world set against us due to no shortcomings of our own other than the unfortunate luck of being born with the wrong genitalia. And yet, despite all of that, we have made something of ourselves. Those in authority tried to destroy us, time and time again, yet we were the ones who survived." He left the tapestry and continued down the corridor. "And through these trials we have come to know the simple truth that the world is broken and in desperate need of correction."

Whilst a part of Moon could understand Vulture's reasoning, could understand his motivation, his simplistic outlook made her uncomfortable. In his mind was a very black and white view of the world. There were winners and losers, those who strove to do better and those who remained were the victims. He distorted the world to see it as something against him, something he must overcome, and Moon felt that to be wrong.

"And what do you mean by 'correction'?" she asked.

"Look at this war. All of it caused by weakness and lack of will. There are too many differences amongst the tribes, all of them overreaching their natural confinements and they all need to be brought to heel."

"I don't believe that," Moon declared, stopping in her tracks.

"Believe what you want, it doesn't change the truth," Vulture's laugh was condescending, like a dragonet had just told him the dumbest thing imaginable. He stopped also, turning to face her. "Dragons are, by nature, selfish creatures who are all trying to get ahead of everyone else, to be the one who survives the one-against-all battlefield of life. And the only ones who win are the ones who dictate the terms of said battle. Better to be the ones in that position than not."

"I've been inside dragons' heads, from all the tribes, from all walks of life, and I know you're wrong." Her eyes hardened, and though the coldness in Vulture's eyes warned against contradicting him, she pressed on defiantly. "I believe all dragons are good, somewhere deep inside, and that we all have many things in common. You and Qibli might share a similar way of observing others but he quickly grasped this basic concept which seems to utterly delude you."

For the first time she felt a true emotion slither into his mind. Anger. "Is that right…"

"Yes, Vulture, and I believe me it tells me all I need to know about you."

He took a slow step towards her, expression stony, his eyes unreadable. Moon felt rational thought come over her again. A part of her brain that sounded like Qibli was screaming at her to run, to take back whatever she'd just done!

"I believe…" Vulture drew out the words in a long, frosty hiss. "Darkstalker awaits you in the dining hall."

He moved past her and walked back the way they'd come. Moon didn't move for several moments, trying to settle her speeding heart-rate and wonder if what she had done had truly been wise. It felt like she'd just poked a sleeping beast, and a new enemy had just been made.