A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long to come out, my lovely readers! I do hope you all had happy holidays and have started off a great new year! I hope this nice long chapter makes up for my absence as we get into some exciting stuff ;)

Chapter Thirty Six

Peril wanted to squash the good feeling that she felt when she flew through the skies surrounding the Claws of the Clouds Mountains. It wasn't appropriate. She shouldn't feel good about being back here. It shouldn't feel right to spread her wings and soar amongst familiar peeks. Instead, her focus should have been on her mission. Why couldn't she just hate it here? Being in the Sky Kingdom should be terrible, surrounded by so many dragons who wanted her gone or hated her for what she was. No one wanted her in the palace, everyone kept ten feet away from her or else sent her dirty looks. Each one poked a new hole into Peril's soul. For a dragon that was meant to be almost unkillable, Peril felt as if she was as vulnerable as a shredded sail.

So she'd decided to leave to patrol, to try and find Scarlet's secret hide-away on her own. She fantasized for a moment about what it would mean to be the one to bring Scarlet in, to throw the old queen in front of Ruby and wipe the smug smirk off of her smug face? It was cathartic to imagine. But in reality, Ruby would blame her somehow; she'd say the only way Peril found her was because she was a traitor and knew the whole time. No matter what way she looked at it, this was a lose-lose situation. How could Clay think any different? How was he so hopeful?

Thinking about him reminded her of their discussion yesterday. Clay didn't want to be another Scarlet to her - whatever that was supposed to mean. Didn't he see that she just wanted to make him happy? This was the only way she knew how to love, and he wanted her to think about what she wanted? That was impossible! What if she chose something that made him sad, or even remotely disappointed? Just the thought made her breathing come quicker, her stomach twisting itself into knots of anxiety. What if she decided she only wanted to be happy if she and Clay moved away to some remote island and lived out their days alone and undisturbed? Then she'd never have to worry about hurting anyone or be hurt by all their nasty words and scarhing looks. She would never feel like a monster. But Clay wouldn't want to abandon his friends - what if he left her?

Dizziness clouded her vision and she wobbled in the air. Gasping for breath, Peril shook herself awake and banked sharply to the right, landing roughly on a stone outcropping on the mountain-side. Head low, wings flopping to the floor, she focused on deep breaths. It took a minute for her heart-rate to slow. She had to tell herself over and over that Clay wouldn't abandon her. He was good and wouldn't hurt her on purpose like that. And she wouldn't choose isolation anyway. She had friends now (not many, but it was still the most she'd ever had). Yet that brought her back to square one: what did she want? And why couldn't she decide?

A glint of gold caught her eye. The bracelet. Anger flickered across Peril's heart. This bracelet was supposed to be her saviour. It took away her firescales so she could be just like everyone else, but it hadn't made her life any better! She knew she was safe now, but everyone else still only thought she was a monster!

Like a volcano fit to bursting with the pressure and the heat, Peril's anger fizzling and pushed on all sides. And then, all at once, it burst and her muscles moved. She smashed the side of her fist into the rock wall, that one act of violence an outlet for all the frustration and -

Clunk.

Peril froze. There was a pinching pain around her wrist. She stared at the bracelet. Of the three spinning rings, the central ring was bent and cracked. The impact having damaged it into place. The ice in her veins started to thaw as the panic rose again. She reached up to try to turn the centre ring. It wouldn't budge. Peril tried to grip it, twist it with all her might. But the bracelet was stuck.

Heart racing, Peril fretted, claws pulling and tugging on the metal, trying to bend it back into shape. But she couldn't get the leverage. The metal was hard and unyielding. The mechanisms that allowed the central ring to turn was bent into the others. Without this, she couldn't turn her firescales on or off. So long as it was stuck on her wrist, she was… normal.

A war was taking place inside her head. On one talon, this was what she'd always wanted - to be just like everyone else. On the other talon, she and Clay were in dangerous territory, with many dragons waiting for the chance to hurt them; how would she protect him?

"No…" Peril whispered to herself, twisting the bracelet, but it still wouldn't move. "Nonononononono!"

"Peril?"

The voice startled her. She spun, tucking her wrist close to her underbelly and folding her wings down in front of her. Eyes wide, she tried to hold her breath - no one normal breathed fast, right? But then they probably didn't hold their breath either. A little green RainWing was flapping his small wings very ungracefully to keep him barely airborne. He landed heavily on the edge of her outcropping. Peril cocked a brow, confused at what a funny little RainWing was doing all the way out here… And then she saw his eyes, the funny-looking crooked snout.

It was Soar - or Chameleon, or whatever he was!

"You!" Peril hissed, wings flaring open in outrage. "What do you want? Actually, don't bother. I don't like to listen to liars - you liar!"

"Now, now, Peril," said the short RainWing in his weaselly voice. "I understand you're upset -"

"Upset?!" she echoed, incredulous at his audacity. "No, no-no-no! I can be upset if someone calls me names. I can be upset if a bird poops on my back. Granted, I'd burn both examples because both of them deserve it for being so rude. But anyway; what you did? Lied to me, spied on the rebellion, manipulated me so you could snatch away my friends - that's enough for me to guess whether I want you alive or not."

"No-no," he jumped back from her, his back feet almost sliding off the edge of the outcrop. "You won't do that - what would Clay think?"

Peril stilled as Clay's face jumped into her mind. What would he think if she killed the dragon who claimed to be her father? He'd probably have that secret-disappointed-face and try to hide it, which would only make her feel worse. Then it was decided: she couldn't kill Soar. But that didn't mean she had to subject herself to a second humiliation. "Fine. But do me a favour, Soar (or whoever you are), and stay away from me."

She was about to turn away and leap back into the sky, when she heard the RainWing shout: "I'm sorry!"

Peril paused. "What?"

"I'm sorry that you were hurt by my actions," he said, and at least he looked contrite, with his frill drooping on either side of his head. "But you have to understand, I had no choice."

"Yes, you did. You didn't need to lie to me. From the moment we met, you lied. I don't think even one word you said was true. You're not even a real SkyWing. Are you even my father?!"

"Yes, I am. And if you would just sit down and talk with me, I will explain everything."

Every little voice inside Peril's head told her not to trust him. He'd done this once before, and she had every reason to suspect he'd do nothing but lie to her now. Yet that nagging feeling in the back of her gut wouldn't go away. She felt like she had to know him, had to learn all the why's and how's of his story. All her life, Peril had believed the truth of her past that Scarlet had told her; though it had been a lie, the certainty of it had been a comfort, of sorts. She'd never had a need to question it. But then she'd found out the truth about her mother, how everything Peril had once believed to be true was now a lie. Kestrel had answered some of her questions, but then she'd died, and Peril had been left with this isolating feeling for years now, that because she didn't know the whole story about her beginnings, she therefore didn't really know herself. Maybe if this possible-father helped her to understand the past, Peril wondered if she could better understand herself, and therefore answer Clay's question of what she wanted for the future.

Curiosity winning out, she sat with a deliberate heaviness. "Alright. Start talking. What's your name - your real name.

"The name I was given when I hatched was Chameleon. Though I go by many other names now."

So Scarlet hadn't been lying about that. "Alright, Chameleon… How can you be my father if you're not even really a SkyWing?"

"You see, Peril, I'm not like other RainWings. I don't get to sleep all the time like they do. There's a deformity in my nose." He pointed to his snout, which Peril had to admit, looked slightly more curved than those of other RainWings. "It means I can't sleep more than an hour at a time. And because I'm not well rested, I can't change my scales like other RainWings can. They made fun of me for it, and eventually exiled me."

"Wow," Peril murmured flatly. "Some dragons made fun of your scales. I can't imagine what that was like. It must've been awful."

"Ahem, anyway… when I left the rainforest, I saw an old SeaWing right at the border. He was burying some treasures - I'd never had treasure of my own. I wanted it. So I waited until he left and I dug up what he'd buried. One of the best things I found was a large ruby amulet."

"The magic amulet?"

"Well, I didn't know it was magic at the time. But when I put it on, my mind wandered back to the SeaWing. I'd never seen one before. And I wondered what it would be like to be one. The next thing I knew, I was a SeaWing! It took me a while to figure out the amulet's magic. It could transform you into any tribe, so long as you thought about it and wished for it. And the glamour stayed even after the amulet was removed! It only changes when you wear the amulet and wish to turn back."

"So you used it to be a SkyWing?"

"Not at first. I travelled all over the continent. I blended into each and every Kingdom. And no one called my scales dull or laughed at me." There was a smile twitching into place in the corners of his mouth. It was a self-satisfied smile, like that of a cat that had just pushed a mouse into a pond and was watching it drown. "So when I was in the Sky Kingdom, I applied for the breeding program and was paired with Kestrel. She was a pleasant enough dragoness, and we certainly had fun-"

Peril shuddered and threw her talons over her ears. "I really do not want to know about that!"

"But once I'd had my fun, I simply transformed and moved on. I didn't know that we'd actually conceived an egg."

"So… does that make me part RainWing?" She looked down at her talons, closing and opening her clenched claws. "Is that why I have firescales?!"

"No, that's not how it works. When I transform into a SkyWing, I am in all ways a SkyWing, and therefore that makes you a full-blooded SkyWing. And the firescales-thing is just because you were born a twin, I'm afraid."

"So how did you go from frolicking about the continent to working for Scarlet?"

"I did some odd jobs for her when I lived in the Sky-Kingdom, like transforming her prisoners into other tribes and such." he shrugged. Peril remembered the story Scarlet had gleefully told them at the siege of Jade Mountain. That she'd transformed Winter's brother into a SkyWing. It was kind of disturbing that Chameleon seemed to have no regard for his actions. "After Scarlet escaped Burn's fortress, she came and found me and roped me into helping her in exchange for gold and treasure. That's when she told me about you. And the only reason I went through with her and Morrowseer's plan was because it was my chance to meet my daughter."

"Yes, right before you'd let them kill me once they took over Jade Mountain."

To give him credit, he did look alarmed at the idea. "Err, n-no! They promised to let you live if I helped."

That didn't sound like a Scarlet thing to do, Peril thought to herself suspiciously. Scarlet was cunning as a fox and ruthless as a wasp. She wouldn't allow anyone to live if she thought for even a second they would work against her later. Peril had not been loyal to her, and with her firescales, Peril was an adversary Scarlet would be wise to eliminate as soon as possible. Though, fat chance of that, Peril thought smugly.

"I am sorry for the way things turned out back then." Chameleon said. "And I am glad I could find you again. What are you even doing out here?"

"I'm trying to fix the mess your mistress made." Peril tried to make her voice snooty; Chameleon was being too nice, he was making her like him, and she didn't want to. Insulting his choice of employer was the only way she could think to remind herself that she should hate him. "Not that it's doing me much good. No one wants me here."

Tentatively, he reached out and pressed his talon into the stone near hers. Similar to how Moon tried to simulate holding her talon all those months ago. "I do - even if you don't want me to."

Did he really mean that? Something warmed inside her to believe that he did want to know her. That though he was working for Scarlet, he might actually grow to love Peril the way she'd always dreamed a father could. But was this right? Chameleon had tried to betray Jade Mountain in the past, was actively working with Scarlet now. She felt conflicted.

"And Scarlet isn't my Mistress," said Chameleon. "I have a policy for working for the highest bidder. Scarlet has promised me my weight in gold and jewels when she retakes her crown."

Hope surged through her chest - this would all be so much easier if she didn't have to choose. "So come work for Queen Ruby! She's the one with the actual treasure you can have right now."

"No." He shook his head matter-of-factly, as if the suggestion belonged to the imagination of a silly dragonet. "We both know that in a straight up fight, Ruby would never win. You know it, I know it. The whole Kingdom knows that sooner or later this will come down to a final challenge between Scarlet and Ruby. And Scarlet will win. I always bet on the winning side."

"If that were true, then why doesn't Scarlet come out of hiding and get it over with?"

"To prove a point." He shrugged. "Peril, think about it. Traitors and rebellions against the crown? Scarlet never had this kind of division. The SkyWings might've been bloodthirsty, but they were always a united front. Dragons knew their place. And for another thing; they never dreamed of treating you poorly. Scarlet made sure of that."

Was that true? Peril tried to cast her mind back. It was hard, as she'd been kept away from the heart of the palace for obvious fire-hazard reasons. But even she had to admit that no dragon ever stepped out of line when Scarlet was Queen. Everyone always did as they were told, there was never even a hint of mutiny or even backtalk against the Queen. And yes, when Scarlet was Queen, no one ever said a bad word to Peril's face. Did that mean Scarlet had been the better Queen than Ruby? Was unity worth all the misery? The doubt made her worry, and she fiddled with the bracelet absentmindedly.

"But Ruby's the good queen," she tried to say. "Clay says so. Even though I think she's a stuck up hedgehog-face. Yes, Scarlet didn't let me be mistreated by everyone else, but she didn't treat me right - not the way Clay does."

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice her father staring at her talons. His brows drew down in confusion. He began to lean closer. "You're wearing jewelry."

Foolishly, she tried to tuck it away out of sight. But of course, he'd already seen it. How was she supposed to explain this? "Oh, sure. A-a friend made it for me. The gold is really strong. It's nothing. But I think it's broken right now."

"But Peril… how can you wear Jewelry?" Chameleon asked, his eyes darting to her face. "Who made that?"

There was something in the way he said it that made every alarm in Peril's mind scream. He couldn't learn about Turtle. She was just starting to learn to trust him again, she couldn't spill his secret. She couldn't let Chameleon know about him. Panicked, she did the only thing she thought was possible. She spun and flung herself in the air and flew away.

Tonight was the night. The Princess of the sea would be coming here, to stay with them. Moon wasn't actually sure how she managed to sleep that day. Darkstalker had seen into the futures, and no matter what route the Princess took, she would not arrive any sooner than sunset. Still, Moon chose to awaken earlier than usual, as the afternoon sun had been rather strong on her scales. It stung her eyes - she'd spent so long without its golden warmth. It was disconcerting to remember how reliant upon it she'd once been, how she'd taken it for granted, and now it felt alien to her.

She and Darkstalker had picked out a suite for Anemone to stay in, one with a sunken bath that they hoped would make the Princess feel more at home. Moon had spent the day making sure the room was as good as she could make it. Some parts of the castle were still under repair, and the NightWing worried that the cracks in the walls might offend the princess. But eventually she ran out of time, and joined Darkstalker to travel to the southern coast to await their new guest. Moon was rather put off to find Vulture and two of his goons were also coming along.

When Darkstalker affirmed that they'd found the place where the SeaWings would arrive, they all landed on the beach and waited. Moon couldn't stop her claws from raking through the sand. A knot was growing tighter and tighter in her gut. She couldn't stop thinking about the fact that in a matter of moments, Princess Anemone would be here. Another animus. What would that mean? What if her magic corrupted Darkstalker? No, Moon told herself, that wouldn't happen. Darkstalker was not so frail or weak-minded as to fall for the manipulations of a 5 year old. So then what was worrying her? Maybe she worried that this would bring the wrath of Queen Coral? From what Moon knew of the SeaWing Queen, she prioritized the safety of her children and heirs above everything else. How could she have agreed to this? What if she followed the Princess here and -

Moon, Darkstalker's voice was filled with amusement inside her mind, if you frown any harder, you'll get wrinkles before you hit 80.

She relaxed, huffing a small laugh. Is being blithe your big secret to youthful scales? Even at your age? Maybe I should bottle that - I'd make a fortune. 'How to stop the signs of aging, even when you're two thousand years old!'

Darkstalker made a face like he'd just licked a stinging nettle. Urgh, way to make me feel old.

Technically, you are old.

No, I'm not. Spending 99.6% of my life in an enchanted stasis does not count.

Her jaw fell open in amazement. Did you just do that math in your head? How did you do it that quickly?

His smile was ridiculously smug. Pay attention, Moon, and I can still teach you a thing or two.

Well, I look forward to learning from the wisdom of your years.

He looked down at her and stuck his tongue out. You're evil.

Moon laughed.

A whisper at the edge of her mind alerted her to their guests arriving. She and Darkstalker turned as one to the incoming waves as they lapped steadily to the sandy shores. All seemed calm, oblivious to the prestige of the guests about to walk this beach. The guards came up first, the same as those who had delivered the Princess' message. Their minds told Moon they were exhausted, but they waded out of the water with powerful strides. With a flick of their mighty tails, they almost beat back the natural waves around them. Golden spears in their left talons, they struck them into the sand, the markings along their sides lighting in ripples.

And then, abruptly, the water began to draw away from the shore, to twist unnaturally in an upwards spiralling motion. Droplets defied gravity to hang in the air, and in the moonlight they sparkled like stars suspended within reach. There was a rumble, and then from the spiralling tower of water erupted the Princess herself. "Darkstalker!" came a cry. She appeared like a child-god, wings outstretched, confidence oozing from every scale, her smile wide and her eyes bright. She was beautiful, her muted blue-grey scales contrasting against her pink fins. Jewellery adorned her, almost to the point that the metal of silver and gold chimed sweetly as she landed on the beach.

Moon was so wrapped in the awe of the princess' spectacle, she didn't feel the warning tingling at the back of her skull until the vision flooded her mind. It was only brief, perhaps half a second, but it engrained itself into her brain. She saw Anemone, her young, innocent face contorted with hatred. Magic poured from her talons as she threw something at Moon. Though the NightWing didn't see clearly what it was, the hate in Anemone's eyes was all too clear. Moon rushed back to her own body, shaken.

"I see you were expecting me," said the princess with a grin as she glanced over all those assembled.

Darkstalker stepped forward and spread his giant wings theatrically. "Indeed, welcome to the Kingdom of Night, Princess Anemone."

Usually Darkstalker was aware when she had a vision. Either he read it in her mind or otherwise picked up on her distress and guessed at the cause. Moon surmised that the vision must've come on too fast and left too quickly for him to pick it up. And if he hadn't experienced anything, then perhaps that meant it didn't really mean anything, just one vague possible future Moon had only caught a glimpse at. She tried to shake it out of her mind.

"You are him, aren't you?" Anemone was asking Darkstalker, staring up at him with wide eyes. "The Darkstalker everyone's been talking about? The great NightWing animus?"

"I am," Darkstalker grinned widely, absurdly pleased. "I'm very impressed, young princess. I never thought to control the waves themselves. What did you enchant?"

The princess held out her arms, where two silver bracers adorned her wrists. "These. I wanted you to see what I could do."

"Ah, I see. But you didn't need to do all this to impress me, princess. I was already going to tutor you."

"You were?" the scales down her neck flashed brightly and she began to hop up and down with joy. "I knew it! I knew you would understand me, the way only an animus could!"

For some reason, that comment didn't sit well with Moon, but she couldn't pin exactly why. Did it make her feel uncomfortable to think that Darkstalker and Anemone had something only they could understand in each other, being Animus dragons? It was an experience Moon could never relate to. She bonded with Darkstalker over their shared abilities to read minds and see the future, and she held the key to his magic. But it was only now that she realised this was the one thing she couldn't connect with him about. But Anemone could. It left the NightWing uncertain on how to feel.

"Careful," the voice of Vulture whispered into Moon's ear. She had to struggle not to shiver in revulsion or cringe away from him as he stepped up beside her. He spoke in low tones and only glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "A spoilt brat is like an addict. She will never give up that which she craves: attention and affirmation. I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't rest until she takes up all his attention."

Darkstalker suddenly turned towards them, as if he'd heard their quiet conversation and remembered they were there. "Anemone, may I introduce a fellow newcomer to the Kingdom of Night? This is Vulture of the Scorpion Den. He and his followers have also come to pique their curiosity about me."

Vulture stepped forward with a rehearsed smile and a wall in his mind around his true feelings of disdain for the little princess. "In all my years, I've never once seen an animus. Now I've met two in almost as many days. The world is full of curiosities." He bowed his head to Anemone, though Moon couldn't help but feel like it was a condescending gesture. "Your Grace. A little far from home, aren't we?"

"My mother doesn't hold a leash on me anymore." Anemone turned her nose up with a sniff.

Vulture chuckled. "With your power, I'm surprised you let her put one on you to begin with."

"I had to bide my time."

Unable to let Vulture try and run over the dragonet with his unsettling demeanour, Moon stepped forward and tried to soothe this meeting with a warm smile."Though I know your mother will miss you terribly, it is an honour to have you here, Princess Anemone."

The SeaWing stilled for a moment, and looked Moon up and down, as if she only just noticed the female NightWing existed. "Who are you?"

"May I present," said Darkstalker, "my best friend, and someone who is as much a teacher to me as she is a student: Moon."

His words warmed her heart and she couldn't help but smile widely up at him before returning her attention to the princess. "I helped to prepare a room for you. Hopefully it will help you feel more at home - I know when I first came here, homesickness was the one thing that held me back."

Anemone didn't say anything at first. Her mind was cataloguing everything about Moon that she could see with some semblance of confusion. From the fact that she wore very little jewelry aside from the one, silver and diamond earring. To her not announcing herself as someone more important. Anemone wondered who she really was and what she was doing here. The one resounding thought in the princess' mind was that Moon looked poor. For the first time in her life, the NightWing felt a little shabby in her appearance. Were her scales scruffy? Had she not polished her horns well enough?

"Shall we return to the castle for supper?" said Vulture.

"Oh, yes!" said Anemone, springing onto Darkstalker's arm to hug it like they were old friends. "You'll have to tell me all about yourself, Darkstalker! I want to learn everything I can, to become a great animus like you!"

He chuckled. "I don't know if we can accomplish that in one night,"

They all flew back to the castle as one large group, Anemone sticking close to Darkstalker and pestering him with questions the entire way. Moon followed close behind them, with Vulture on her flank. Behind him were Anemone's guards and all around them flew Vulture's minions. Reading Anemone's mind, she knew the princess' reaction as they passed the Night Kingdom. It wasn't anything like what she expected. Even when they entered the castle, the princess was at war with herself. One part of her was a little disappointed that half of it looked like a real ruin, and another part of her was awestruck to be in another kingdom. They all went to the Queen's private banquet hall. Anemone was much more impressed by the lights that appeared with a snap of the claws. They all sat to eat. A soup that had been left to cook whilst they'd been gone was served. The SeaWing guards had been most surprised when Moon invited them to eat with the rest of them at the table, but they eventually dug into their meal with great enthusiasm.

"Do you like the food Anemone?" Moon asked when they were almost finished. "I made the walnut soup myself."

What, does she want me to give her a participation trophy? Oh, you idiot, Anemone! Darkstalker just told you they can both read minds. Yeah, and it's the only thing special about her. "Yes, I guess it is nice, considering you've had to work with the basics. But you know what I really fancy? Some honeyed clams!"

The corner of Vulture's mouth twitched. "I've never had the pleasure."

"Oh then we simply must have some!"

"Wait," said Moon worriedly. "Anemone, I don't think-"

Too late. Anemone held up her silver spoon and gave it a hard stare. "Spoon, I enchant you so that whenever you strike this table three times, a half-dozen honeyed-clams will appear on a plate in front of me. Just the way Chef Crill makes them back home. Now let's give this a try."

Anemone struck the spoon upon the table three times. There was a pause, and then a loud 'POP'. A plate of warm clams appeared where she'd hit the table, the smell of hot honey wafting to Moon's nose. With a clap of her claws, Anemone plucked up two and gave one each to Darkstalker and Vulture before taking one for herself. Banding the spoon upon the table again, she made a second plate appear, identical to the first.

Darkstalker, Moon reached out to his mind as her stomach contracted into knots. She's a little too frivolous with her magic. It makes me uneasy.

She's showing off, like any child would. And I can't exactly do anything to stop her.

We don't have to tell her about the conditions on your magic, but maybe we can show her some restraint? It wasn't a good idea to let the limitation of Darkstalker's magic become public knowledge. Moon feared Anemone would somehow try to break the curse. It made Moon feel awful, but this one thing felt like some kind of security she had against the worst possible outcome. Though for Darkstalker, Moon suspected that the reason he didn't want anyone to know was more out of pride than anything else.

Like a child with a new toy, came Vulture's thoughts like a slither across her brain. Perhaps Animi become more restrained as they age?

Darkstalker -

His voice was gentle, reassuring - her protection. I heard him. Perhaps we can strike two birds with one swipe.

"I want to know everything about magic!" Anemone announced. "Where does it come from? Aren't we special for being the only ones who can harness it? It all must mean something!"

"That is both a simple and complicated question," said Darkstalker. "Some dragons believe magic is an evil, soul-destroying monster. Others think it is little more than energy."

He shared with Moon an idea for where he wanted to steer this lesson. Obliging, she cleared her mind and projected her thoughts so he would hear. Darkstalker, I give you permission to summon small demonstrations of weather, such as lightning or tornadoes, that will fit in the palm of your talon.

"In truth, magic is like a force of nature. It has intent, and purpose - to fulfil itself in whatever way it desires." He held out his talon, palm facing up. From between his claws sprouted miniature clouds which twirled and spun until they formed the column of a tornado that swept back and forth across his palm. Everyone around the table drew closer, eyes alight with wonder. "The wind has no direct intention of blowing in a specific direction, but it must go somewhere - so why not? Magic is intrinsic to many different aspects of our world; life would not be as it is without it. No one really knows where the first animus dragon came from, or from which tribe. All we know for certain is that it is a gift passed from parent to dragonet through the blood. But we are the few who can seize magic in its rawest form and let it live through our spells."

"Amazing!" whispered Anemone.

"Indeed. But like with anything wild, it is fickle. If you exhibit no control and let magic run wild…" the tornado dissipated, and instead the clouds turned dark and angry, and with a small roar sent a bolt of lightning crashing into his palm. "It will snap back at you."

Anemone looked a little disturbed, staring from Darkstalker's palm to the enchanted spoon she still held in her talon. "But… spells like this aren't anything to be scared of, surely!"

"Princess, whilst I find your precious honeyed clams endearing, I find them to be a waste of your talents. Of the resources these spells cost…"

"I…" she thought for a moment. "I was hoping you could teach me how to avoid that. I don't want to lose my soul a piece at a time."

"Then why don't we make a precaution against such an outcome? Which piece of jewellery would you not mind to wear all the time?" At his request, Anemone thought about it, before offering one of her sapphire earrings. Darkstalker nodded. "An excellent choice. Now, why don't we enchant it so that when you wear it, your spells will no longer take their toll on your soul?"

"Alright!" her excitement returned and she reached up to touch the dangling earring. "I enchant this earring so that so long as I'm wearing it, any spell I cast will not hurt my soul."

I thought you said that was a superstition, Moon thought to Darkstalker.

It is. The magic has likely reinterpreted her words. What Anemone just cast was the equivalent of a weak protection spell. No spell she casts will directly hurt her, though that might not save her from any of the outcomes. For example, she can't conjure a bolt of lightning to strike herself, but if that sets off a storm, then a normal bolt of lightning can still hit her. The point is that now that she's been reminded of the consequences of magic, she might be a little more reserved.

That did help to settle Moon's nerves. She could understand Anemone's enthusiasm for her new power. She could read it all in the young SeaWing's mind. Since before she could remember, Anemone had been treated as special, as a saviour for her people. At first, it was because she was the only living heir to the throne. When her animus powers were revealed, she'd been lorded as a secret weapon that would end the war for the SeaWings. Yet whilst everyone had been quick to shower her with praise and tell her how special she was, no one had been there to help her understand. Moon could sympathise with that feeling. Now that Anemone had been given a little more humility, she hoped to offer the princess that sense of understanding. If they were to be living together for some time, she wanted them to be friends.

Their meal continued on in relative peace. Anemone kept asking questions, which Darkstalker tried to answer. Moon tried to let them have their time, but he always tried to include her in the conversation. If it wasn't for her to affirm his claims, then it was to get her opinion on the subject. Even Vulture put in his two pennies here and there. An outsider looking in might have said the entire hall looked like a perfectly pleasant dinner. When their main meals were finished, Moon fetched everyone bowls of fruit for dessert.

"...so that was when I just knew I had to find you, Darkstalker." Anemone was saying as Moon returned to her seat. "Even the Dragons of Destiny sent all the Queens a warning about you. They were afraid of your power."

Darkstalker's gaze became slightly guarded, his smile slipping a little. "Most of the time, normal dragons fear that which they cannot understand."

"Or covet it," Vulture muttered.

Anemone continued as if she hadn't heard either of them. "But I knew you could teach me. I've never met another animus before - no one could teach me the limits of my potential the way you could."

It just occurred to Moon in that moment that there had actually been someone around Anemone the entire time who could have sympathised with her plight and helped her before now. Turtle had always been pushed to the shadows, keeping his secret safe under lock and key. She'd never thought to ask him. What must it have been like, to look out on the mother he so desperately wanted to notice him, always showering affection onto the little sibling for having a gift he had as well? Had it hurt him? Or had he always wanted to help Anemone but had just been too scared of getting caught?

"And I intend to do just that," said Darkstalker. "Moon knows all too well that those who stand apart should not be left to face the world alone."

Moon smiled up at her friend. He was correct, if it hadn't been for him, she probably would've been alone in the world forever. It was only because of him that she'd managed to control her own power that made her so different, so that she could lead a normal life. He'd been the one she'd unburdened herself to on most nights. For his friendship, she would always be grateful. "So, Anemone? What's going on in the outside world? As you can imagine, we don't receive much news here."

The princess rolled her eyes as if Moon had just dragged up the most boring conversation imaginable. "Urgh, same-old same-old, all the tribes are at war again."

"What?"

"Yeah, I overhear the reports Mother gets all the time. Blister's trying to sweep east. I heard she massacred two villages that were full of deserters and those refusing her rule."

"But what about the other Queens?" Moon asked, horrified. "Surely they wouldn't allow this!"

"Too busy." Anemone shrugged, popping a kiwi into her mouth. "Queen Moorhen's trying to take over the coast, so Uncle Shark is not happy, so neither is mother. Queen Glacier is about as useful and reliable as a chocolate teapot. And Queen Ruby's facing open rebellion."

"It's true," Vulture nodded. His thoughts were callus, these atrocities only equating in his mind to numbers on a scroll for him to count up. "My… organisation operates in the shadows, so I see all the bottom feeders of our world. Blister is thinking of taking Dragonets to camps to train into early-soldiers. The SkyWings are willing to pay handsomely for all manner of poisons to use in battle. And the MudWings and SeaWings are willing to pay anything for the weapons designed to kill the other."

Moon couldn't believe what she was hearing. "This is madness. Can't they see that the Rebellion is their real hope? The Dragons of Destiny are fighting for a world where all this backstabbing is not needed. They want peace between all the tribes."

"A foolish endeavour."

"It is not foolish!" she exclaimed furiously.

"It is a beautiful dream, Moon," Darkstalker said soothingly, placing his talon atop hers on the table. "But unfortunately, I have to agree with Vulture. All the tribes are just too different to ever get along like Sunny dreams they should."

"Just because it's difficult, doesn't mean we shouldn't try."

"Not with the system we currently have," Vulture snorted scornfully. "Try all you like, but your dragon-hugging friends will ultimately fail. Even if they do stop the war, and implement the changes you want, it won't stay that way for long. New, ambitious queens will come into power. A famine might drive a tribe to desperate measures for resources. I've seen it all before. Pyrrhia is broken. Queens rule from on high and only care about fighting off their daughters and securing their own power. And then you have everyone else stepping on each other for the mere scraps off the table."

"Yes," said Darkstalker thoughtfully, drumming his claws on the table. "We have become too comfortable. Queens declare war for treasure, for land, or for spite. Innocent dragons die because of their egos."

"It all needs shaking up. Pyrrhia needs new leadership. A new direction."

"Oh! We could be that new direction, Darkstalker!" Anemone bounced in her seat excitedly. "With our power, we can do anything - we could save Pyrrhia! The time of the animi has come."

Vulture barked a laugh. "I like your ambition, Princess. Who else would have the capability and vision to do what needed to be done?"

Moon was shaken by the ease in which they discussed these things. Though what worried her more, was the way Darkstalker seemed to smile at thei words, as if he were absurdly pleased they thought so highly of him.

Midnight in the desert was cool and brutal. The open skies sucked out all the warmth from the world and allowed the moons to shine so bright as to illuminate the golden sand into silver. Blister's palace stood as the only testament against such an image. It was a dark spot in an otherwise peaceful environment. The domed roofs sparkled under the moonlight, a clue as to the coat of gold paint. The white walls shone like bones, and the candles danced in windows like fireflies. Yet tall, ugly walls surrounded the fortress, black as a crude smudge of charcoal on an otherwise perfect canvas. Blister had kept up her older sister's tradition of displaying the severed heads of her enemies on pikes along these walls. The stench of rotting flesh could be smelt for a mile.

Qibli and Turtle hunkered down behind a large dune, keeping their eyes fixed on the northern wall of the palace. Being such a late hour, only one guard was currently on duty on this side of the walls. Qibli refused to look away from that guard. Even if he still felt all the anxieties imaginable bubbling up inside him. He had to concentrate - like if he got distracted with a single thought, he'd miss an important signal.

Turtle, however, was not so good at keeping his worry under control. "What if she's not okay?" he whispered.

"She'll be fine," Qibli murmured back. The pair of them were laid low along the sand, one of Qibli's wings stretched across Turtle's back to help him camouflage as much as possible.

That was when they saw it. Just behind the guard on duty, they saw a flash of pink. Kinkajou's signal. She'd volunteered to scout into the palace, invisible, and lead them in once most of the guards were asleep. Her flash of colour was only brief, but it was enough to have her two friends relax.

"Thank the moons," Turtle sighed.

"Alright, now it's your turn."

The SeaWing nodded and pushed his talon into the bag around his chest. He pulled out a stone - a fragment of a broken brick with one pointed end. Turtle had found it earlier that evening and after a quick brainstorm with Qibli, had enchanted it. Whomever Turtle pointed the rock at and said the word 'sleep', would instantly fall into a deep sleep from which they would not wake for another three hours. Crawling forward, Turtle peeked around the dune and pointed his rock at the guard on the wall. With only a quick muttered word, Qibli watched the guard slump over and disappear from view. A second later, Kinkajou flashed her scales again. It worked. Now was the time to move.

Qibli ran out first, and could hear Turtle trying to keep up just behind him. Racing across the sand, Qibli tried to keep count of the minutes, having memorised the pattern of the guards rotation. By his calculation, they likely had an hour before someone might discover the sleeping guard. They had to get in and out as quickly as possible. At the foot of the wall, Qibli and Turtle could only risk one thrust of their wings to propel them up the side. Any more than that and someone might hear. Qibli's claws barely caught hold of the top, his legs scrabbled along the wall to push himself the rest of the way. Turtle almost didn't make it, but then an arm appeared out of nowhere, and Kinkajou caught his wrist. She steadied him until Qibli could climb onto the wall top and then join her to help pull Turtle all the way up. Shakily, the SeaWing nodded his thanks.

They couldn't stop to catch their breath, though. Qibli silently hurried them along towards the nearest entrance into the palace - a tower that was meant to be less frequented than the others. Kinkajou scouted ahead of them invisible, only flicking her tail certain colours if she spotted any guards.

Inside the palace was like stepping into another world. Lanterns hung from the ceiling, illuminating every hallway. Each floor was laid with beautiful tiles and rugs that would've made his grandfather jealous. Bowls of perfume oil smoked lazily in most of the rooms. There were so many hints of gold throughout the palace, jewels inlaid in the walls and paints and threads of every colour imaginable. The smooth curves of the archways and intricate precise carvings in the stone spoke of such grand architecture, the likes of which Qibli had never seen. An ornament of a dragon wrapped around a five-foot tall flower pot had rubies for eyes and gold-leaf painted on each and every scale. The entire palace was like a testament to the wealth of the entire SandWing tribe. When other dragons spoke jealously of the wealth of the SandWings, Qibli had always shrugged it off as exaggeration. For he'd never seen such extravagance, only in his grandfather's compound, who had had to cheat and steal and extort everyone he every came across for literal decades to achieve his level of riches. Yet gazing around him now… not even if a dozen dragons from the Scorpion Den worked every day from sunrise to sunset for fifty years, could they achieve this level of prosperity.

As the corridors became wider, the columns became more grand and the furnishings became more extravagant, Qibli knew they were coming close to the throne room. He'd heard stories. Great wooden doors opening into a wide room with a low ceiling. Braziers burned, fragranced with oils that might befit whichever mood the current Queen wished to exhibit. Lilac curtains (delicate purples were such a rare colour to find in the desert kingdom because the dyeing process was so hard) shrouded the throne. A lounging chair made of wenge wood, the cushions black and embroidered with gold string. Sheer silk fabric hung from the ceiling, and rugs of the finest make were laid upon the granite floor. With Blister supposedly in her chambers, the guards were not heavily patrolling this section of the palace - those great doors with their huge brass handles remained closed. Qibli felt an itch to peek inside, to see if that fabled room that controlled the lives of an entire kingdom, was just as he imagined. And yet at the same time, he felt unworthy to go in. This part of the palace embodied all the authority of the SandWing royalty. He could feel the stares of the Queens of the past on his back. He hoped they understood that Blister was wrong for the title of Queen, that what he was doing was not sacrilegious but instead righteous; to help find a Queen worthy of ruling the SandWings.

"Wait!" Kinkajou's harsh whisper pulled him abruptly from his thoughts. Her head appeared out of thin air in front of them and she pointed her snout to the next corner they needed to take. "Two guards ahead."

Qibli nudged Turtle, prompting him to take the lead. He crept as silently as possible (which frustrated Qibli because that also meant as slowly as possible). Sure enough, two guards were stationed at either side of the corner, their backs to the three intruders. They were mumbling something to themselves, Qibli only caught a vague word or two about a gambling game they were due to play tomorrow with some friends. Pulling out his stone, Turtle once again activated the enchantment, and put the guards to sleep. When the first one fell, the second looked a little alarmed, and went to move to go to his friend, but then Turtle put him to sleep also, and he fell half on top of his buddy. Puffing out his cheeks with a loud exhale, Turtle nodded to the others. They crept over the snoring guards, and hurried on.

"According to the old blueprints," said Qibli, pulling up said documents in his mind from memory. When Thorn had heard their plan, she'd introduced them to an old friend of hers, who had been one of her informants in the palace during Burn's reign there. He'd been a servant, an assistant to the palace chef. He'd made maps of the entire palace layout and showed it to them, telling them where guards would normally be stationed, when they usually switched over; where the vault and throne room was located. Qibli had then spent the next two hours memorising the blueprints, particularly the route they'd need to take in and out. "The treasury should be three corridors down, a right and then one set of stairs."

"What if Blister moved it?" Kinkajou asked.

That had been a possibility, but considering that all the other information they'd been given was right so far, Qibli was betting that Blister had not changed much about the palace once she'd taken over. For all her paranoia, she was more focused on the war, so therefore needed less disruptions in the palace, for a seamless transition of power. "Let's hope she hasn't."

They crept along the corridors as Qibli had instructed. In his head, he counted their time left - forty minutes. They were at the last corridor, all they needed was to take that right and then the stairs and they'd be at the vault. That was when they heard the voices approaching, echoed down the stone hallways as an early warning. There wasn't supposed to be any guards here right now! Kinkajou briefly flashed into appearance with alarm before disappearing again. Turtle and Qibli looked around frantically, but this corridor was frustratingly bare, with no room to hide. Qibli's mind spun, trying to back track to a room they could hide in where it would be safe. And then Turtle was pushing him - the SeaWing might've been shorter than Qibli, but he was far heavier. He pressed them both against the wall and then grabbed hold of a tapestry beside him.

"I enchant this tapestry so that so long as I'm holding it, myself, Kinkajou and Qibli will be undetectable to anyone else - make it so that no one will be able to see, smell or hear us."

A rush of cold swept over Qibli's scales, and he felt his wings tremble with electricity. Magic. Before he could ask a thing, a shadow rounded the corner, and he instinctively closed his mouth and froze on the spot.

"I don't care for excuses!" Shouted Blister. He recognised her from that day at Jade Mountain - wiry like a snake, her features pointed like an arrowhead. The colour of scales, whilst like sand as all SandWings were, seemed a colder colour than most. Her eyes were calculating and full of a cruelty that made Qibli's scales turn the wrong way. He expected a servant or a general to be at her feet, but was shocked almost out of his hiding spot when he saw his mother, Cobra, following the queen, with his sister, Rattlesnake, just behind her! Blister rounded on Qibli's mother, her poisoned tail bristling only ten feet from where Turtle was pressed against the wall. "You Talons of Power were meant to be my eyes and ears, my fangs in the dark. Now your chief has up and vanished and abandoned me! I should've known never to trust peasant vermin!"

Qibli knew his mother well enough to know that that comment had her temper bristling. But she was trying to control it, squashing down a growl to answer as politely as she could. "I assure you, Your Majesty, I am just as frustrated as you. My father has a lot to answer for. I can send a few soldiers to retrieve him, if you'd like? He was last seen heading south-"

"And waste more resources?" Blister rolled her eyes. "No. Your focus will be to maintain your father's spy-ring. Because rest assured, that should it crumble in his absence, then as his second in command you will be the one to step up for his punishment."

"That won't happen, my Queen. The spies will continue to make their reports, and when my father returns, I shall personally bring you his head."

Blister snorted, her eyes darting up and down Cobra, studying her like a bug. "Killing your own father requires a certain level of cold calculus."

"Out with the old, in with the young. I'm sure you felt the same the night your mother died."

"Careful, Cobra. You have your uses. But true power is knowing that not only could I kill you with my bare claws, but I only have to say one word and a thousand soldiers will descend upon you and tear you and your tail-licking daughter limb from limb. Do we have an understanding?"

Qibli didn't know how to feel. His mother had neglected him as a dragonet, he was old enough to recognise that, even if a part of him wanted nothing more than for her to open her wings to him and shower him with all the love she'd been keeping back until he passed some unknown test. To watch Blister frighten his mother into submission was unnerving. Cobra was one of the deadliest assassins in the Kingdom of Sand, but Blister was far more intelligent and just as ruthless. Qibli was actually uncertain who would win in a fight. When Cobra didn't answer, Blister turned her nose up and stormed away. Qibli's mother and sister remained, however, seething.

"What are we going to do about Grandfather?" Rattlesnake asked after a moment.

"I hope he finds himself in a dragonbite nest!" Cobra snarled to herself. "Up and leaving with our best troops and abandoning us!"

"We could leave," Rattlesnake suggested, and for the first time, Qibli thought she looked nervous. "Cut our losses on a deal gone south."

"Don't be such an unambitious coward," Cobra snapped her teeth, and Rattlesnake jumped back to avoid the strike. "We will salvage this situation, and come out the other side stronger for it. Here, take this," from one of the many pouches his mother always carried, she pulled out a roll of parchment. "You will catalogue the list of our informants, and give them their new orders by sundown tomorrow. I will see if I can track where my self-serving, traitorous father slunk off too."

They left, Cobra taking a corridor to the left, and Rattlesnake going down the hallway Qibli and the others had just come from. He watched them go, not daring to breathe until he knew they were out of earshot - magic spell or not. His mind was racing with all the new information he'd just absorbed.

"We need to get that list," he whispered to the others. "Thorn will know all of Blister's spies if we have it!"

Kinkajou flashed a proud gold before darting down the way after Rattlesnake. "On it!"

"Kinkajou wait -" Turtle went to stop her, but she was already gone.

"Come on," Qibli said, stepping away from Turtle's hiding spot. "You and I can carry on to the treasury."

Checking the coast was clear, they took the right turn and headed down the set of stairs. They came out into a deserted hallway that spanned both to the right and left. In a circular alcove in front of them stood two enormous stone doors. Qibli darted forward and tried the handle - but it was locked. Gesturing for Turtle to come forward, he stood aside. The SeaWing placed a talon on the door and muttered a spell under his breath. A soft rumble sounded, and then the stone doors opened by themselves. Turtle shivered for a moment, and Qibli thought he looked ready to faint.

He brushed his wing against Turtle's "You good?"

"Yeah…" he mumbled. "Just a little cold,"

Inside the treasury was filled with gold and jewels. Some piles reached higher than a dragon's back. A few years ago, the sight of so much treasure would've been enough to make Qibli dizzy with glee. There was enough here to pay for five Scorpion Den to be built to their full glory and still have enough left to be sure every citizen lived the rest of their lives in luxury. But right now, he had a job to do. The pair of them searched through the treasury, trying to find any item that stood out to them that might be enchanted. Qibli thought it would be easy to spot; he would expect someone to put items of that prestige on a pedestal or maybe in a sealed ornate trunk? But there was nothing like that in here. Maybe there was an exquisite goblet or crown here and there, but it was more or less just piles and piles of gold and gems.

After ten minutes of searching, and with the clock in his mind ticking down, Qibli sat back, exasperated. "You'd think an animus-touched object would stand out…"

"Did… did you want to use a spell?" Turtle asked from across the room.

Qibli took a breath to bite back his frustration - why hadn't Turtle done this before now? If Qibli had magic, it would've been one of the first things he'd done. But then he berated himself for such thoughts - he had to remember to think of his friend right now. "Is your soul feeling okay?"

"I think so…" Turtle reached out a talon and muttered a spell - Qibli heard a few words and guessed it was a simple spell to pull any enchanted objects in this room towards him. But nothing happened. Turtle stood with his arm stretched out for a minute or more, yet nothing came.

"So there's none at all?" Qibli's voice was small with defeat. "What happened to the scepter? Or the chain of unseeing?"

Turtle came towards him, his eyes trying to find some words to be consoling. "Maybe they were all stolen when the scavengers killed Oasis -"

"We're not dragonets anymore, Turtle!" Qibli snapped. "I don't believe in silly, impossible stories! They have to be here somewhere. I could've used those - we could've used those!"

"We'll find a way without them," Turtle argued, and for some reason all the patience inside Qibli snapped.

How could he be so carefree about this? Why was all the magic in the world so totally wasted on someone like Turtle? Someone who could shrug off the complete collapse of the Sand Kingdom and not use his spells for anything useful?! "Easy for you to say -"

"I got it!" cried a happy voice. Both drakes turned to the open doors and Kinkajou came skipping into the treasury. She brandished the scroll in her talon. Qibli felt his anger deflate, and realised how bad his thoughts had been - what awful words he'd just been about to say.

"Oh, um, good," he coughed awkwardly. "There's nothing here. Let's get it to Sixclaws and -"

"Brother?"

All three of them spun. Rattlesnake stood within the doorway to the treasury. Her eyes were wide and confused, zipping from Qibli, to Turtle, to Kinkajou and back again. Qibli saw the moment when her brain realised what was happening, saw the malicious sneer spread across her face.

"Oh shi-"

Rattlesnake dove for them. Turtle fumbled with his pouch, pulling out his sleep-stone. Rattlesnake intercepted him first and knocked Turtle aside, her claws slicing open his shoulder. The sleep stone flew out of his talon and the SeaWing fell to the ground with a cry, his blood spraying onto the shiny gold beneath him. The sleep-stone splintered into pieces as it hit the wall. Kinkajou flared her ruff in anger, her scales turning red and black, and she pounced on the female SandWing. Rattlesnake saw her coming and threw up a wing to block her attack, before following it up with a punch to the stomach that almost folded the little RainWing in half.

Qibli launched himself at his sister, wrapping his arms around her deadly tail before she could use it to strike at either of his friends. She screeched in fury and tried to kick him off. But Qibli held on, beating his wings around her head. In a surprise move, she let her front half fall to the ground and twisted, sinking her claws into Qibli's wing-shoulders. He cried out with the pain, and she dragged him off of her. Immediately, she rolled on top of him. Qibli tried to push her off, but her size matched his strength.

"I should've known you'd come crawling back!" she hissed in his face.

Over her shoulder, he saw her raise her tail, ready to strike him in the neck - to kill him! But he was her brother, she wouldn't do that, would she?! Before he could find out, he heard a snarl, and turned in time to see Kinkajou pick herself up from where she'd been winded. Her ruff flared wide and her fangs came out. Black venom shot from her mouth and landed in a large glob on Rattlesnake's left wing. There was a sizzling sound, and the smell of burning flesh as the venom ate away at the membrane of Rattlesnake's wing.

Rattlesnake screamed, trying to shake off the venom. Qibli and Kinkajou jumped at her at once, trying to silence her. But she wriggled and struggled, eyes wide with panic and pain. She turned her head towards the door and shrieked: "GUARDS! GU-"

"Sleep!" Shouted a voice as green talons grabbed hold of the back of Rattlesnake's head. Instantly her yells went silent and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Qibli and Kinkajou leapt clear as Rattlesnake sunk to the floor, limp and already snoring. Turtle stood over her, breathing heavily, his shoulder already mended.

Before they could thank him, they heard shouts in the distance. Qibli checked his mental clock - they should still have twenty minutes left. Someone must've heard the commotion. Guards were now on their way.

"Well," Qibli said, attempting for humour but his voice sounded strangled. "If we wanted to make a big distraction for Thorn, now's our chance!"

They ran. Qibli yelled directions for the nearest way out and the others followed him. They could hear the thunder of talon-steps racing to find them. Up ahead was a door that led to a staircase that would go down to the kitchens.

"Turtle! This door here!"

The SeaWing fumbled with his pouch and pulled out a bundle wrapped in cloth. He handed it to Qibli as delicately as he could. Seeing as Blister thought it would be fun to mess around with dragon-flame cactus, Qibli thought it was time to give her a taste of her own medicine. They'd raided her supplies before this mission even began. Only a handful of the things - nothing that wouldn't be missed. Breathing out a small flame, Qibli lit the very end of the strand of cloth and rolled it through the open doorway.

They wasted no time and ran for their lives. Kinkajou, the smallest and fastest of the three, went ahead and encouraged them when she saw no guards. In his head, Qibli counted down the seconds they had to get as far as they could. Probably fifty-two? Two guards came running around the next corner. They saw the intruders and yelled, reach for their spears. Kinkajou was on them first, smacking her horns into the chin of the first before bursting past the other with her. Qibli was right behind her, jumping up to kick the first guard in the stomach, before landing on the second, winding him. Turtle brought up the rear and smashed his powerful tail into both of them. The guards slumped to the ground, dazed. The trio hurried on, Qibli continuing the countdown. Only ten seconds left! He made them round a corner, not far until -

The explosion rocked the palace. The stone under their talons shook, making all three of them stumble to the floor. Even as far away as they were, they could smell the smoke. Cries erupted everywhere. A bell began to ring in alarm. Chaos awoke in every part of the palace.

"You think that did it?" Kinkajou asked woozily. Indeed. That explosion would have been seen for miles, and the smoke will be seen for miles more. Thorn would take that as her signal to move her people, whilst Blister and her forces were distracted.

The three of them got to their feet and hurried. Just one more turn and they would be at an outside wall, open air on the other side. And if Qibli's memory of the blue-prints served right, they would be at the closest point to one of the walls and could be home-free in minutes. As they reached the wall, Turtle put his talons on the bricks and muttered something under his breath. Abruptly, the wall began to tremble and crumble away, until a decent sized hole was left, just large enough for a dragon to launch themselves through.

"I knew you could do it!" Kinkajou grinned and kissed him on the cheek. If it were possible, Turtle's scales seemed to change colour from green to rose.

Shouts came behind them. Qibli pushed the other two through the hole and then leapt after them. Beating their wings, they fought to rise into the air. Qibli dared to look back only once. Thick black smoke was climbing to the sky from one corner of the palace, the flames hungrily ravaging at whatever they could consume. Dragons were flying about everywhere trying to stop the blaze. But a few guards had spotted them, were pointing at them and were swiftly winging their way to intercept.

"Watch out!" Qibli warned.

Two guards dived at them, forcing the trio to split apart. One tried to grab at Turtle with his claws, trying to rake the SeaWing's flesh. Turtle tried to kick him off, and Kinkajou did her best to try and harass him away. The second had a bola and was twirling it around, gaining momentum. Qibli's eyes widened and he dived towards the desert sands, making serpentine movements. He heard the first guard roar with rage, and watched him turn away. But that was when he felt the bolas hit him, wrapping around one of his wings and pinning it to his side.

Qibli cried out as he felt gravity grab hold of him and pull him down. He braced himself, but nothing could prepare him for the agony of hitting the sand at his velocity - even when he'd been flying low! He tumbled and rolled several times. When he finally came to a stop, his vision refused to stop spinning, and every single bone in his body ached. How he had not broken something was a miracle.

A second later, Turtle landed heavily by Qibli's side, and then Kinkajou. Above them, the guard was roaring to sound his position. From the palace streamed a cloud of soldiers - obviously the first who had ran had only gone to get reinforcements. There was probably a dozen of them - maybe two! All coming for their heads.

"What do we do now, Qibli?!" Turtle asked in a panicked voice.

Kinkajou snapped her head in his direction. "Can't your magic help us, Turtle?"

"Not against all of them!"

"Qibli!"

"I'm thinking," Qibli shouted. "I'm thinking!" But nothing he could think of would save them. They were doomed.

He felt a tickle at his feet. He looked down. Sand was moving, shifting, whirling around as if by some strong wind - but there was none. As if with a mind of its own, the sand began to pick up into the air, whipping itself into a sand-storm on this otherwise clear and still night. Qibli and the others hunkered against the barrage, Kinkajou cried out wordlessly in distress as she clung to Qibli's flank. On the outside of this spontaneous sand-tornado, the guards stood and stared in frightened awe, fearful that the sandstorm would swallow them next.

"Um… Turtle?" Qibli shouted to be heard above the raging sand.

"This isn't me!" he heard the SeaWing call back.

"HELP!" Kinkajou cried. Qibli turned to reach for her, but she was already gone, whipped up into the storm as if she weighed nothing at all. Then Turtle was being lifted away as he screamed. Qibli felt his own claws begin to lose traction with the sand underneath him. He scrambled to try and find something to hold on to, but his claws kept slipping around nothing. He beat his wings but neither the wind nor gravity would listen to him. He was pulled up and up into a world of wind and sand and darkness. The last thing he remembered was hearing a strange voice ring in his ears, before he was whisked away to places unknown…