Chapter Forty

For the past day, the Jade Winglet has been making their way south as stealthily as they could. They'd decided to try and avoid detection by all means - you could never tell who was a spy for whom, Qibli said. So the group had stuck to following the river that acted as the border between the Kingdoms of Sky and Sand. By their calculations, it would lead them south for most of the journey, and right before Jade Mountain would be in sight, they would cut to the east and make their way towards the Rainforest.

Turtle would be the first to admit that he was tired of this speedy travel. He understood the urgency, but that didn't mean his body was any less equipped to deal with such travel. The very little sleep they'd afforded themselves the night before, combined with hours of fast, low altitude flight, meant his body was screaming at him. But he never complained out loud to the others. They were pushing themselves just as hard as he was. And the danger they were potentially walking into made them all quiet.

By noon, they all decided to stop to rest and eat. Winter said they could only afford to stop for one hour. Any longer and they risked either being spotted now, or increasing their chances of getting caught when they reached their destination. Turtle didn't understand it, but Winter had more military experience and had been on covert missions like this, so he would do as he was told. The group landed where the river forked. There were berry bushes on the shore and plenty of lazy fat fish in the water. This was enough to settle their stomachs without digging into their rations. As they were all eating, Turtle fiddled through his bag of enchanted items and found his healing stone. He set to work easing the aches in his back and wings and sighed in bliss. Then he went to Kinkajou and the others, and gave them similar treatments. Winter gave Turtle his thanks and Qibli sighed appreciatively. Kinkajou gave him a smile so proud he thought his heart might burst.

"Thank you," she said sweetly. "I don't think I've ever flown this far or fast before - I don't know how you big-wings do it."

"Well, SeaWings aren't exactly built for long distance flying either," Turtle told her sheepishly. "Qibli says we should reach the Rainforest by noon tomorrow. So we don't have to put up with this for much longer."

"I still think we'd be better off if we flew straight over the top of the Rainforest," said Winter loudly, drawing their attention to his (on going) spat with Qibli. "We'd reach the coast sooner, and if we time it right we can head over whilst the NightWings sleep."

"Brilliant plan," Qibli remarked. "I especially liked the part where we all get ambushed, captured or presumably tortured to death. If we fly straight, we'll get caught. The NightWings are super paranoid and don't want to risk anyone taking the Rainforest from them."

Kinkajou shot him a very un-Kinkajou stormy stare. "Like how they took it from my tribe?"

"Yeah, exactly!" He nodded. Breaking off a twig from a brush, he began to draw a map of Pyrrhia's southern coast, and the rainforest. East of the centre of the forest, he marked an X and tapped it with the stick. "From what the Rebellion's spies said in the early years, the NightWing village is on the eastern side of the forest. Close to where the tunnels were, I believe."

"That would make sense," nodded Turtle thoughtfully. "They had two tunnels, one to the volcanic island and one to the Kingdom of Sand. It'd be easier to coordinate with Blister if they had a shortcut to get ahold of her."

"And easier to guard those magical tunnels," said Winter.

"So," continued Qibli, drawing a line in his map that circled around the forest. "If we go round the western border, NightWing patrols will be fewer - less chance of getting spotted."

"It'll also take longer," Winter pointed out with an aggravated sigh. "And should a NightWing patrol come close to us, we shall have fewer places to hide."

The two continued to bicker, arguing back and forth over the finer details of the plan. Turtle decided to leave them to it - better to let them come to a decision on their own rather than interfere and add to the fire. He went back to the river, wading into the shallows and taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of water on his scales. It took him a moment to realise that Kinkajou had followed him, sitting on the pebbled shore. But her face was downcast, her expression far away. She was very quiet.

Turtle frowned, concerned. "Are you alright?"

Kinkajou shifted her wings, her long tail coiling and uncoiling on itself in what Turtle recognised as an anxious tick. When she spoke her voice was barely louder than a butterfly's wing. "I haven't been back to the Rainforest since… well…"

"Since the NightWings took over," Turtle finished for her. He felt like such an idiot. In the rush to find Fathom's Sanctuary, he'd completely overlooked what this journey might mean to Kinkajou. He came back out of the water, and tentatively brushed his tail along hers. "I'm sorry, I didn't even think how hard this must be for you."

"What if they do catch us?" She asked, her eyes wide but not really looking at him, like she was seeing something far away. "I don't want to get put in a cage again, Turtle. I don't want the knives and the needles and the-"

Before he even knew what he was doing, he was throwing his wings around her and hugging her close. Kinkajou gave a loud squeak as she was squashed into his embrace. "That won't happen," he said and released her quickly. His gills were burning and it felt like all his glowing scales were flashing with his racing heart. "We won't let it happen."

"But Qibli's always saying how things could go wrong. What if-"

"I'm always thinking of how things could go wrong. But that's why I trust Qibli and Winter to plan everything to the last detail - to minimise the chances of that happening."

"I do too… I just don't know what I'm supposed to do if the NightWings find us. And I hate not knowing."

"If the NightWings do get close to us, you have to promise me that you'll go invisible and get out of there."

That seemed to shake Kinkajou out of her daydream. She shook her head, scales turning red with outrage. "I'm no coward! I'm not going to leave you in the claws of those creepy NightWings (if Moony were here, I'd say 'no offence')."

"I know," Turtle said, smiling. "You're the bravest dragon I've ever seen. It won't come to that, but I still want you to promise me. If the NightWings capture us three, the worst they can do is kill us. But you… I couldn't bear it if they took you prisoner again."

He could see the wheels turning in her head. She was imagining the exact same as him. A talonful of RainWings from the Rebellion had been captured over the years, and the Dragons of Destiny believed the NightWings did to them what they had done on the island. Captured RainWings were imprisoned and experimented upon, their venom the subject of NightWing curiosity to try to defend against it. The idea of Kinkajou stuck in a cell, chained and starved of food and sunlight, used as a venom-factory… it made Turtle feel cold to even think about.

Finally, Kinkajou let out a long breath and nodded. "Okay. I promise."

"My magic isn't good for much," Turtle twirled his claws, trying to make her smile, at least. He took her talons in his and held them firmly, to cover up the way he was shaking so much. "But I'll use it and everything else I have to keep you safe, Kinkajou."

Her scales turned pink and her frill drooped. "Awwwww, that's probably the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me."

The words were right on the tip of his tongue, to confess to her everything he felt. To tell her in no uncertain terms that he loved her, had almost always loved her, and wanted to be with her for however long she'd have him. He'd never return to the sea if she asked. This was the perfect moment, his mind screamed at him, in every great story there came this one moment where the heroes looked into eachothers eyes and their feelings just poured out. This was Turtle's moment! So why was his tongue frozen? Why did it feel like he couldn't breathe? And just when he was about to push past it and force the words out, they heard Qibli call Kinkajou over, to see if she could mediate the debate between him and Winter. Kinkajou offered Turtle a smile and then left. All the air vanished out of Turtle at that moment and he felt like he wanted the earth to swallow him up. How could he be so inadequate!

He looked to the ground, at the water lapping at his tail. From between the rocks, something glimmered just under the water's surface. A strange black stone, no bigger than a claw. It appeared to reflect no light, seeming to suck everything in around it and offer nothing back, like a whirlpool. As he stared at it, Turtle felt like his mind was being ensnared, like being pulled into a daydream against his will. Curious, he reached into the river and plucked the stone from its resting place and examined it in his palm.

Something came over him then, he felt a cold trickle across his scales, like someone walking over his grave. Then, weirdly, the aches in the muscles of his wings, shoulders and back began to return. Turtle looked back on himself - had something just hurt him? Because his spell should've gotten rid of all those! What on earth…?

"Hey, guys?" he called out, a little shakily. When the others didn't seem to hear him over their own squabbles, Turtle shouted. "Guys! Come look at this…"

The others looked at him - Turtle never usually raised his voice at them. He held out his palm to them, showing them the stone. The longer he held the stone, the more the SeaWing felt at odds with himself, some deep instinct telling him to avoid this as if it were a threat. The other three crowded around in order to look at it. Winter seemed surprised, Qibli didn't look all that impressed.

"Okay," said Kinkajou, confused. "RainWings aren't much for jewels, but even I can see that that's not a nice one."

"It's not a jewel…" said Winter. He careful took the stone in his claws and held it up to look at it in the light. The moment it left Turtle's flesh, warmth spread back through him, and the muscles in his body were once again healed. The implications made his head spin. But Winter didn't seem to notice anything amiss. "This is Skyfire, Icicle's used to suck out the light just like this one."

They all remembered that day by the lake, when Winter had shown them Icicle's cuff filled with the strange fragment of the comet that had passed over the continent three years ago.

"The comet passed over from northeast to southwest," said Qibli looking up at the sky as if he could still see the comet's path across the sky. "Makes sense that bits of it broke off as it flew by."

"It made me feel so odd," Turtle told them. "Like someone had turned off all the heat in the world. And then the muscles I just healed started to ache again."

Winter frowned. "Yeah… now that you mention it, I can feel it too."

"Really? Let me try!" Kinkajou said, snatching the stone from Winter. Almost immediately, her eyes widened and she thrust the stone into Qibli's talons. "Oh! That's so weird!"

"Wait a second…" murmured the SandWing, staring at the Skyfire he now held. "Turtle, can you enchant my claws to turn blue?"

Turtle blinked, taken aback. "What, why?"

"I've got a theory…" Was all Qibli said, putting the Skyfire on the ground between them all. When he didn't explain much more, Turtle realised he wanted to show and not tell. With a shrug, he did as asked and enchanted a nearby leaf so that when it touched Qibli's claws, they would turn blue. He brushed them along his friend's talons, and sure enough, they turned a blue so vibrant and bright, it would make any SeaWing jealous. After a second, Qibli picked up the Skyfire. A shiver seemed to pass over him, and the blue of his claws vanished, returning them to normal.

"By the Great Dragon," Winter whispered in a shaky voice. "Skyfire stops magic!"

"Well," Kinkajou shrugged, as if this conclusion was obvious, "Jerboa did say that nothing of THIS world could undo magic. But Skyfire isn't from this world."

"This is incredible…"

"And there's more over here!" shouted the RainWing as she stepped into the shallows of the river. She pulled out more pieces of Skyfire, around eight shards in total, and brought them back to the group.

"But Kinkajou!" Turtle exclaimed, panic slamming through his brain as he leapt to intercept her. "I used magic to fix your head after the Siege - you could've almost died!" Had he come this close to almost killing her?! Would it have only taken a second more of her holding it and then she would've been back in a coma, dying right in front of him?!

His distress must've been obvious, for Qibli put a talon on his shoulder and spoke to him in a slow and calming manner. "That was several months ago, maybe enough time has passed where the injury would've healed itself by now?"

"You're all missing the point!" Winter nearly yelled, his wings seeming to vibrate with barely contained energy. "Don't you all see what this means? This Skyfire is the perfect weapon against the Darkstalker! None of his spells could touch us, it could stop his immortality!"

"Not much of a weapon," murmured Qibli, gathering all the fragments in his palm. "There's barely enough material here to make a single arrowhead."

Kinkajou shuffled her wings and snorted, looking like she'd just come to a great decision. "I agree with Winter. This is something that gives us the upper talon. We shouldn't waste it."

"What about me?" Turtle asked quietly. A weapon to be used against magic could also be used against him. Everyone knew that animus dragons were ticking time bombs. Did that mean they all also saw him as something to be wary of? To use this 'just in case' he lost his soul?

"Of course we wouldn't use it on you!" Kinkajou said immediately as if she could see his worst fears and wanted to instantly squash them. "You're a good animus - it's just Darkstalker that we plan to undermine and cast him back down into the pits from whence he came!"

She said it so flippantly it was kind of disturbing. Kinkajou went about her merry way and the others watched her go. They decided not to question her strange Kinkajou-ish ways. Qibli gathered up all the Skyfire shards and placed them into his pack, mumbling about 'just in case'.

The Sky Kingdom was a bustle that day. Word had spread far and wide overnight about Ruby's proclamation. Civilians from across the kingdom were returning to the palace to witness it. Either a fight for the future of the tribe, or for Ruby to be crowned the undisputed Queen by proxy if Scarlet didn't show up. But the mood of the court was almost unanimous: there was no way Scarlet wouldn't appear for this, it wasn't in her nature.

Since dawn, Ruby had sat upon her throne, holding the sunburst crown in her talons, and waited. She didn't once come down and refused to eat or drink. Her eyes had remained fixed on the doors to her throne room for hours. Everyone was waiting with her, and the more hours that ticked by closer to the deadline, the more on edge everyone became. Even the land itself was filled with anticipation - storm clouds were gathering, distant thunder rumbling.

Peril sat by Ruby's throne, hardly paying attention to any of it. Her mind was too focused on its own turmoil. She was worried over Clay's safety but also panicking over what she had accidentally revealed to Scarlet last night. Had she put her friends in danger? Scarlet must've warned Morrowseer and Blister, how could Peril get a message to her friends to tell them of the potential trap? The urge to jump up and fly was almost unbearable, but in which direction she would go - either after Clay or her friends - Peril didn't know.

Her thoughts were disturbed when the doors to the throne room were suddenly flung open, and a skinny envoy burst in. "It's Scarlet!"

Ruby sat up straighter. "My mother is here?"

"Y-Y-Yes, Your Grace," the envoy nodded fearfully. "She has come to answer the proclamation."

Whispers abounded amongst the witnesses. It was all about to happen - the main event was here. The guards at the edges of the room began to fidget uncomfortably - they were under orders not to interfere with whatever might happen, but it was clear their love for their Queen urged them to protect her.

The Queen's brother, Hawk, came to the foot of her tall throne and looked up to her. "I urge you, sister; you can still not go through with this. Every guard here would be willing to die for you if it meant taking down mother-"

"I've lived under my mother's foot long enough," said Ruby with a voice void of emotion but calm. She still did not take her eyes off of the doors. "And if I'm to die, then I want my children to know that I died proud and brave. Not the meek and mild worm my mother wanted me to be."

Peril glanced to the otherside of the throne, where Ruby's two children stood with their governess, and surrounded on all sides by soldiers. It was a horrible thing, to contemplate that Ruby was ordering for her children to watch her potentially die. Didn't she fear what Scarlet would do to them if she won? Wouldn't it be better to send them away to some place safe, just in case? Prince Cliff would be fine, Scarlet never had a problem with allowing her sons to live. The princess, however, even as a hatchling was a threat to her throne. But then, when she thought about it, Peril realised that Ruby was Scarlet's last daughter, and that meant the little princess would be the only heir in the case of Ruby's death. Scarlet might've been malicious and cruel, but she had always said she wanted to avoid a civil war like what the SandWings were going through, and so allowed Ruby to live so long as she didn't try anything. If Scarlet won today, she wouldn't kill the little princess. She would find inventive ways to be cruel, but she wouldn't endanger the line of succession. Rubellite would live, but under Scarlet's thumb. Peril didn't know if death was worse.

A hush fell over the crowd, like the stillness before a blasting storm. And then Scarlet strutted into the throne room. Many courtiers gasped when they got to look at the terrible, deformed half of the former queen's face. Scarlet seemed to show it off proudly, turning her lidless eye on quaking drakes and gnashing her skull-grin at dragonets. She enjoyed the fear she inspired. Behind her came the little figure of Peril's father, Chameleon. He hopped along in Scarlet's shadow, and in one talon he held a thick chain. He paused and yanked on it, making it rattle, and then behind him stumbled in Clay.

He was bruised and battered. One eye was swollen shut, the right side of his snout had a cut, and other mottled bruises and scrapes could be seen all across his body. He was bound in chains; around his wings, around his mouth, his tail and his legs. The only slack he was given barely allowed him to stand and shuffle along instead of walk. As he was dragged into the throne room, he tripped and fell flat on the ground. Chameleon stood over him, talons resting on his broad neck.

Peril felt her heart stutter in fear and she almost dove for him. "Clay!"

"Ah-ah-ah!" sang Scarlet and snapped her claws. Chameleon opened his mouth, revealing his long, venomous fangs, and hung over Clay's head. Peril froze where she stood. Scarlet grinned. "Anyone comes near me and I'll have my pet RainWing here melt the Dragon of Destiny's face off. A little like what his friend did to me but more successful. Can't end a war with only four of them."

Reluctantly, Peril backed off. She couldn't take her eyes off Clay, begging him to forgive her for getting him into this mess. With his one good eye, he stared right back at her. He blinked slowly, trying to communicate something but Peril couldn't guess. Around the room, she noticed that others who had also initially moved to help Clay were also stepping back.

"Good," Scarlet smirked and finally moved to look up at her daughter. "I've answered your little proclamation, Ruby. I think it's time we ended this. Once and for all."

"I couldn't agree more, mother," said Ruby. "It is time for there to be unity amongst all SkyWings. One queen. One rule."

"A splendid idea! Would you prefer I break your neck or slit your throat?"

Scarlet's arrogance was enough to make anyone's blood boil. Peril moved to step in front of Ruby's throne. If she couldn't protect Clay from Scarlet, she could damn-well do this one thing. "You won't kill her today."

"Or what, champion?" Scarlet mocked. "I know you've lost your firescales. Your father here was most forthcoming with that information."

Peril looked to her father. He avoided her gaze, like he was pretending she didn't exist. He sold her out? Peril touched the bracelet on her sore wrist. This was the secret she had hoped Scarlet would never know. Fear was the only thing that had given her the advantage, and now it was gone.

"You can't protect my daughter," Scarlet was saying, "and if you want your precious Clay to live, you'll step aside and make sure no one else interferes with our business."

"Peril," said Ruby. "Let me handle this."

What else could she do? She looked back at Clay, ashamed of herself as she stepped aside. "I'm sorry, Clay."

"How thrilling!" Scarlet crowed, clapping her talons together. "Now Ruby, hop down off my throne, and let's settle this the way I settled it with all your sisters before you."

Ruby nodded and leant back so that she could place her crown upon her throne. Slowly, she descended to the floor. "Are you sure you're up to the challenge, mother? Since your… accident… your health can't be what it once was." A whisper went up through the court, a few dragons even pointing to Scarlet's ruined face. The only indication that the former Queen gave that this upset her, was the twitch of her good eye. "Yet it is admirable for you to come here with so much confidence. So self assured in your victory."

"When you get to my age (not that you'll live so long) you learn to fight with a few tricks under your wing."

"Tricks? Like distracting me whilst your SandWing allies take out my guards and seize this palace for you?"

Every muscle in Scarlet's body seemed to tense for a fraction of a second. Her eyes flicked left and right as if she were checking for something.

"They're not coming, mother." With a flick of her wrist, Ruby threw down the piece of armour Peril had stolen from the SandWing yesterday. She was surprised - she didn't even know Ruby still had that. Scarlet stared at the piece of metal, and Ruby took the opportunity to point at her mother and raise her voice for all to hear. "Look upon her, my SkyWings! This is the queen who would've handed over the occupation of your homes and your kingdom to SandWings. The first SkyWing sovereign to voluntarily hand over the palace-"

Scarlet snapped her jaws with a snarl. "That wouldn't have happened! I would've been in charge here-"

"You believed that once Blister helped you to retake the palace that her soldiers would just… leave? With no concessions or reward for their service? If you didn't foresee Blister taking control of this castle with you as her puppet, then you are either a fool or more self absorbed than even I knew."

A murmur began to rustle through the crowd. The mood shifting with each word exchanged between the two. Some were nodding along, others were still undecided.

"You are a coward, mother," Ruby continued, stalking closer. "And possibly the most despicable dragon that has ever walked Pyrrhia. What would the SkyWings still loyal to you have said, once you handed over their promised wealth and power to SandWings? Will your soldiers still be loyal to you when they're forced to bow to the feet of NightWings? We are SkyWings! And we shall never know no master but ourselves!"

Ruby's speech had its desired effect. The tide was turning amongst the court. Even those who had seemed more in favour of Scarlet when she had first entered, began to show their switching convictions. Calls began to grow amongst the crowd. Words calling for a fight, or for Scarlet to be dealt with as a criminal. The former queen hissed at them, growing nervous. She began to back up, like a cornered animal. Peril sensed what was about to happen, and so began to move along the throne room, weaving through dragons to get ahead of prey.

"Chameleon!" Scarlet shouted. "We're leaving. If anyone tries to stop us, kill the MudWing!" She turned and tried to bolt, but Peril was there, wings spread and blocking her exit. The look in Clay's eyes as he stared up at her from beneath Chameleon's talons, made her heart nearly melt. Out of reflex, Scarlet backed away from her, only to remember herself and stand her ground. "Out of my way, freak! You are of no threat to me now."

On that, she was right. Peril looked at her bracelet, then back to Scarlet. All her life, all she'd wanted was to be normal, to not be the monster everyone always believed. But in the past week, all that normal-ness had brought her was this feeling of helplessness. So, closing her eyes, and saying goodbye to dragonet dreams, Peril raised her talon and smashed her wrist upon the ground. There was a terrible pain in her talon, but the bracelet - already weakened - broke. It shattered into a dozen pieces that flung themselves in several directions. Even though his mouth was bound, Clay let out a muffled yell of victory. Instantly, Peril felt a wonderful warmth she hadn't even realised she'd missed, come over her. The golden veins in her wings glowed, and steam seemed to pour out of every scale. Several dragons jumped back from her and the sudden onslaught of heat radiating off of her. Peril's firescales were back.

Scarlet's eyes widened in panic and she backed up several paces. She turned on Chameleon. "No! You said she-" she turned back on her former champion, a new tactic already chosen. She snatched Clay's chains from Chameleon, and dragged the MudWing towards her. "Peril! I order you to kill my daughter! Kill her or I'll kill Clay. You don't want him to die, do you? What would your precious Clay think if you let him die?!"

"It's not about what he thinks, or what you think," said Peril. "It's about what I think, and I think your reign is over."

There was a moment that passed between Scarlet's eyes, where it looked like she seemed genuinely confused as to how she got here, into this position. What part of her life had gone so wrong?

"Come, mother," called Ruby. "We end this now."

Scarlet turned to face her daughter. Behind her, the SkyWing courtiers closed ranks, forming their arena of bodies. Whilst everyone was distracted, Peril tried to reach for Clay, to burn off his chains, to help him. But then green talons wrestled the chain back from where Scarlet had dropped it. Chameleon gave her a half shrug, but continued to sit atop Clay's back. By the sun, he wasn't going to let her near him until this match was over. Peril grumbled to herself, but vowed that whether Ruby won or lost, she was freeing Clay at the end of this fight. There was a moment of stillness, as mother and daughter stared at one another, evaluating each other. For one of them, this was their last fight. There would be no mercy, no second chances. They would begin the deadly dance that generations of Queens and princesses had done before them. And then, they moved simultaneously, leaping at each other, claws and talons bared.

They both reared and slammed into each other, chest to chest. They grappled, each struggling to gain the upperhand. Claws sliced over scales and wings beat against the other. The crowd all leapt backwards to try and give the combatants space. The exchange of blows was fierce and intensely fast, it was almost too difficult to tell who was who, they moved too much. One had a cut on the lip, another had a bite on the wrist, another was cut along the back. There was one moment where the two seemed to catch their breath, and Peril got to see them properly. Already, Ruby had a gash down the side of her neck, blood trickling down her body. The marble floor of the throne room was quickly becoming slick with smeared blood. Scarlet tried to grab her face, but Ruby managed to wiggle herself free and lunged forward. She sank her teeth into Scarlet's shoulder, causing her mother to shriek in pain and fury. Scarlet reached down and batted her talon into Ruby's exposed side. They all heard Ruby's ribs crack, causing her to cry out and jump back to recover.

But her mother wouldn't relent. Scarlet whirled around and cracked her tail across Ruby's snout. Ruby let out a yelp of pain and flinched, blinking blood out of her eyes. She tried slashing at Scarlet's nearest wing but missed, stumbling on the slick smooth floor. Peril winced, from her time in the arena, she knew that a slip or loss of footing was generally a bad thing. She could tell that Ruby was fighting with everything she had… the only problem with that, was that Scarlet was toying with her like a cat batting at a mouse.

The opening turned out to be too good to miss, and Scarlet leapt for her rival. Ruby let out another cry of pain as Scarlet slammed into her chest, knocking her off her feet. The crowd winced and some gasped. Prince Cliff was watching the fight with growing alarm, pacing back and forth. In that moment, Peril felt the urge to comfort him, but didn't know how now that she had her firescales back. A roar from Scarlet drew her back to the fight. The older queen was grinning in triumph, her burned, gloating face looking demonic as she advanced on her daughter.

Ruby struggled to pick herself up. Scarlet sauntered up beside her, a hissing chuckle slinking out between the holes in her cheek. She grabbed hold of Ruby's head in one talon and slammed her down to the floor. Though her wings and tail flailed, trying to free herself, the fight was quickly leaving Ruby's body. Peril fretted anxiously, was she supposed to do something now? Should she interfere? She couldn't just stand here and watch Ruby die! Her eyes met Clay's, and though he looked sad, he shook his head a little. It wasn't their place to interfere.

Slowly, forcefully, Scarlet turned Ruby's head in the direction of the young prince and princess. "I'll let you have one last look at them," Scarlet said, unable to keep the cruel glee out of her voice. "One last look before I kill you."

"Mother!" Cliff yelled and threw himself forward, but guards seized hold of him and tried to wrestle the dragonet back. They tried to hush him, to comfort him, but he struggled and continued to cry out: "Mother! Get up, please!"

Princess Rubillete started to cry.

"Don't worry," Scarlet whispered into her daughter's ear. "You can die, safe in the knowledge that I'll be taking very good care of them."

In that moment, Peril vowed she wouldn't let Scarlet or anyone loyal to her get near Ruby's dragonets.

But it turned out she didn't need to.

It started as a growl, and something shifted in Ruby's eyes as she looked at her children, as she listened to her mother's threats. And then, in a blink of an eye, Ruby spun her head and sank her teeth into the side of her mother's face - the un-ruined side. Scarlet screamed and instinctively tried to buck away but Ruby held on, letting Scarlet drag her across the floor. Scarlet tried to push her off, tried to hit and claw and disengage her daughter's jaws. With a shake of her head, there was a terrible sound and then Ruby's head came free of Scarlets, flesh and gore hanging from her mouth.

Scarlet wailed, whipping her head from side to side, spraying blood this way and that. She patted her face, as if looking for something that wasn't there. Peril's stomach churned when she saw that Scarlet's lips and cheek were gone - Ruby had bitten it off. Now, she looked more like the walking dead, muscle and bone completely exposed on both sides of her mouth, only one brow and eye still intact. Several SkyWings around the throne room were repulsed when they saw her.

And then Ruby launched herself at Scarlet with startling speed, slamming into her and sending back several paces. She fought like a wild animal, suddenly full of all the ferocity and danger that Peril hadn't expected to see. With two quick slashes, she ripped into one of Scarlet's wings, and then sank her claws into Scarlet's shoulders and her teeth into Scarlet's neck. Scarlet was trying to sink her claws into Ruby's eyes, but Ruby held her off with a combination of brute strength and unrelenting will, pummeling her underbelly with razor-sharp back talons. Scarlet's scales were more red than orange now, covered in blood from her shredded wing, shoulders, and neck.

Abruptly, Scarlet slipped on the wet marble and went crashing down on her back; Ruby immediately leaped on top of her, digging in her talons. "You shouldn't have come back, Mother," she said. Ruby glanced up at the waiting crowd and shouted, "For the SkyWings!" And then, with a ferocious crack, she snapped Queen Scarlet's neck.

There was a moment of stunned silence, the crowd disbelieving. They'd all thought Scarlet dead once before, only for to seemingly return from the grave. But now, her lifeless body was laid out for them all to see, her eyes blank, her chest unmoving. Peril didn't know from where in the crowd it first came, but suddenly all the dragons in the throne room were cheering! They threw their heads back and roared, some even let loose a jet of flame or two. Ruby stared at her adoring subjects, eyes glistening. And then she turned and ran to her children. Cliff threw himself into his mother's open wings. Ruby held him tightly before reaching to the governess for the little princess.

Peril smiled to see Ruby's joy. Okay, maybe she wasn't completely awful 100% of the time… and then she turned to her father. Chameleon startled and threw up his wings as he back-peddled away from her - and stepping off of Clay. "N-Now see here, Peril, I-I only did what I had to - to survive!"

"You chose Scarlet, and the treasures she promised you, over your own daughter." Though her tone was cold, Peril felt the truth in her own words sting. Her mother was dead and her father didn't even truly want her. But that was okay, a new strength in her heart told her, because she had a new family. A family in Clay and his friends, and in Turtle and all her friends. "But despite everything, despite the fact that you're probably the worst father I could've asked for, I don't want you to die. So leave. Find something better to do with your life than this."

The green RainWing opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something. But quickly closed it again and bolted, shoving through celebrating dragons to get away. Peril watched him until he had vanished amidst the sea of red and gold scales. She took a deep breath - Chameleon and Scarlet couldn't hurt her anymore. Gently, she reached down and grabbed hold of Clay's chains. They glowed red and white, under her touch before snapping. Clay's scales sizzled a little at her touch, but he felt no pain as she helped him up to his feet.

"You did it!" was the first thing he said with a beaming smile when the chains came away from his mouth. "Listen, I'm sorry I didn't stand up for you when Ruby said all those things; I should have. And maybe I shouldn't have gotten myself caught. I didn't want Scarlet to use me against you or-"

Peril held up a claw. "Clay, I don't care about any of that! I got you back. For a minute I didn't think I would. I was so scared Scarlet would make me do something to keep you safe. I would've done anything." She took his talons in hers and hugged them to her burning heart. "Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own: in pain and sickness it would still be dear." *

"But you didn't. You stood up to her. And I am so proud of you," and with that, he grabbed hold of her face and kissed her!

Peril froze, eyes wide with shock. Clay was - he was - WHAT?! Clay never did anything like this, he was mostly clueless when it came to displays of affection, just naively oblivious. And that was fine, Peril loved that about him as much as it sometimes frustrated her. But here he was, kissing her! And by the sun, it felt good. It was sweet and good and filled with all the emotion that was unspoken between them. It felt like her heart was skittering and her bones were melting. Oh how was it possible to feel this good!

But then, the present slammed into her brain and though she didn't want to, she had to gently push him off and try to leave. "Okay, I've got to go!"

Clay's eyes widened. "What? Peril!"

"I'm sorry!" she shouted over her shoulder. Oh how she hated to do this! She opened her wings and jumped for the high arches. Below, Ruby's brother Hawk was placing the sunburst crown upon her head, declaring her the undisputed Queen of all the SkyWings. Clay called her, but Peril gave him an apologetic smile. "I have to go - my friends are headed for the Rainforest and they could be in trouble. I have to help them!"

Moon awoke early that dusk and awaited everyone in the dining hall. She'd hardly slept through the day, her thoughts too challenged by the previous night's events. She'd inquired with some of Vulture's drakes, but each of them said they hadn't seen Saguaro since last night. The ball of dread in her gut thickened, but she couldn't exactly place where it was aimed. When Darkstalker and the others joined her for breakfast, she didn't know what she wanted to say, or what she wanted him to say. Darkstalker acted as if nothing had occurred. Even when she asked within the privacy of their thoughts, all he told her was that he "took care of it". His thoughts implied that Saguaro had been forced to leave, and because Darkstalker refused to bring the matter up out loud, Moon just had trust him and act as if all was well.

She, Darkstalker and Anemone all shared a hearty breakfast before going to the gardens for lessons. Darkstalker shared memories with Moon about what these gardens used to look like, and Moon couldn't help but feel envious. These midnight roses must've been so beautiful, yet to see the work of dedicated gardeners reduced to a wild tangle of weeds… it seemed such a shame. She told herself that after Darkstalker's hatchday, she would grant him a spell to restore these gardens.

The peace of the evening was broken by a familiar sinister voice. "Good evening, everyone," said Vulture as he found them within the depths of an overgrown hedge-maze.

"Ah, Vulture," Darkstalker greeted, a little more frosty than usual. "Right on time."

"Apologies," Vulture nodded, his thoughts instantly cataloguing Darkstalker's mannerisms and mood. "I was discussing things with my drakes regarding business back in the Scorpion Den."

"Well, you're here now. Let's get on with it."

Anemone was a little alarmed to see Darkstalker stand to go away with Vulture. "You're leaving?"

"Yes," he said, contrite. "I am so sorry, ladies, but Vulture and I have certain things I wish to discuss in private."

"But before we go," Vulture held up a talon, and then stepped towards Moon. She tried not to let her unease show, but felt her back stiffen. Reaching under his wing, Vulture pulled out a scroll and held it out towards her. "Dear Moon, I wish to apologise for the actions of my man, Saguaro. His behaviour was not what I would expect from a soldier representing my organisation. So as a gesture of goodwill, I had one of my drakes fetch this from my private collection in the Scorpion Den."

Gingerly, Moon took hold of the scroll and carefully opened it. Her brow furrowed when she read the first few lines. "A scroll of poems?"

Vulture nodded. "I was under the impression that you liked to read."

"Stories, usually. 'Prince of the Sun' or 'The Missing Princess' are among my favourites. But I also enjoy romances."

"I thought that poetry was the food of love."

"Of a fine stout love, maybe. But if it is only a vague inclination, I'm convinced one poor sonnet will kill it stone dead."

Vulture huffed a laugh. "So what do you recommend to encourage affection?"

"Dancing," she said evenly. "Even if one's partner is barely tolerable." **

He stared at her, gaze unreadable, and Moon stared back. Though he frightened her, she was determined to not wilt in his presence. And from his mind came one singular thought: to underestimate is to forfeit without even playing… But whether or not he was thinking this about her or himself, she did not know.

"Vulture? It's time we left," said Darkstalker. Vulture nodded and withdrew. The NightWing waved a wing to his companions. "Enjoy your evening, ladies. I will catch up with you as soon as I am able."

Moon watched them leave, unable to stifle her concern. Something in her gut told her that Vulture and Darkstalker spending time alone together was not good - for anyone. Though she strained for a moment, no vision would come forward to tell her why this was so bad.

A wave of frustration and resentment nearly crashed into Moon's mind. The SeaWing princess stood beside Moon, completely forgotten. She snorted, phosphorescent scales light up angrily. She turned and stomped away. Her mind was a mess of memories from the night before, and thoughts crashing together, about Darkstalker, about Moon. It was a storm of growing anger.

"Anemone, wait!" Moon called after, following her. "Please, I just want to talk."

"So you can tattle to Darkstalker like yesterday?" Anemone shot over her shoulder.

Moon flinched. "I didn't tattle…"

"Everything was fine. And then you had to ruin it. I'm an animus. Do you think I'm incapable of protecting myself from street-rats like Saguaro?" Too busy glaring at Moon from the corner of one eye, Anemone didn't see the uneven paving stone in front of her. She wobbled, almost stumbling, but Moon reached out a wing to steady her. As soon as she got her footing, she shook her off. "No, I'm fine! Just a little tired is all."

"You've been pushing yourself to stay up later and later each night," Moon murmured, more as an observation. "You're not naturally nocturnal, Anemone, it's okay to rest."

"And let you have Darkstalker all to yourself?" she spat. "You had him for months to teach you everything he knows. Now it's my turn."

"But Anemone-"

"You're not my mother!" she screeched.

Moon took a step back, surprised by this ferocity. She swallowed and considered her words with care. "No I'm not, but no mother would want to see their dragonet pushed to the limit like this."

"And if it were up to my mother, I would be in bed before sunset, harnessed to her side and spoon-fed ground up paste for fear of a choking hazard! I'm glad she's not here. At least here I'm not coddled, and suffocated and babied to the point of insanity!"

"I… I had no idea it was that bad for you."

"Do not pity me!" Anemone whirled, sticking a claw in Moon's face. "My mother did what she had to. Her eggs were dying and I was her only heir. I was the most important dragon in all the Kingdom of the Sea! And then I was the first animus in generations. I am the tribe's saviour!"

The juxtaposition in Anemone's thoughts was so puzzling but fascinating to Moon. Anemone resented her mother so clearly. She thought she was stifling and overprotective, very often dismissive and borderline controlling to the tiniest detail. Anemone had felt trapped and unable to grow as her own person when she had been chained to the idea of being her mother's only surviving heir. And yet, she had relished in being the centre of her mother's universe. Anemone was praised and held up as the most important dragon in the whole tribe. As the heir, she was groomed to be queen, and as an animus she was the solution to almost all the tribe's problems. So much of Anemone's sense of self worth had been dependent on her mother's praise. And now the princess was of an age where she didn't know how she was supposed to feel.

"Your mother," Moon began slowly, "was doing everything she could to protect you. I understand that. My mother did the same." A smile twitched at her lips, as memories came soaring back to her, filling her with warmth and love. "She defied her whole tribe to lay my egg in the Rainforest, and kept me there so that I wouldn't be forced to go back to the island, where dragonets were starving and dying. All the time, she was so afraid: of being found out, of my powers. She'd drill into my head a mantra of 'stay secret, stay hidden, stay safe.' It made me so afraid of everything, but I understand why she did it. And in the same way, I understand Coral. Your mother loves you just as fiercely as mine, Anemone. She's just afraid of losing you."

She'd wanted to provide comfort, to show that she could relate to Anemone's struggles. What she was not prepared for was the sheer amount of envy and anger pouring off of Anemone. Jealousy: for Moon, for her mother, for so much! It was almost stifling. Anemone's eyes shone with angry tears, her lips drew back over her teeth and she hissed. With a whirl of her wings, she stormed away, her thoughts shouting warnings into Moon's head not to follow.

A storm was settling in by the time Darkstalker arrived at the Queen's study with Vulture. The room had been cleaned up nicely, renovated along with all the royal apartments through the use of Darkstalker's magic. A quick burst of flame, and he lit the fire in the hearth, and then sat himself by the window. He could overlook the kingdom from here, and though the moons were obscured by the clouds, he could still see quite well. Vulture stood in the middle of the study, and though he tried to look calm, Darkstalker could read in his mind that he was wondering what to say.

It felt good to let him stew for a few minutes. Hearing his mind tick-tick-tick through scenarios and how best to respond. It was like an addiction, having power like this. The thrill of knowing that Vulture was at his mercy, and that the old lizard was desperately trying to recover the situation. Darkstalker tried not to let the thrill of this game get to his head. He was angry - hadn't stopped being angry since he'd learned about what had happened last night. But it was vital for him to keep control of his temper. At least, for now.

"Do you remember what you told me when you first arrived in my kingdom, Vulture?" Darkstalker finally said, though still looking out the window. "You said you wished to offer me counsel."

"Indeed," Vulture replied, and Darkstalker had to give him credit for he kept his composure. "I still do."

"Yet, in light of recent events," He turned his head to fix the SandWing with one gleaming silver-blue eye. "I must offer you counsel. You and your drakes must soon consider leaving."

"Leaving?"

"You said your loyalty is to yourself, that you do nothing that aligns outside of your own interests. I know why you chose to come to me. I am the Darkstalker, the thing all IceWings and NightWings fear. The immortal animus. You sought either to leech off of my power, or to gain wealth from rewarded services. You are very good with thinking exactly what you say, but your mind is still like a book laid out for me to read."

He turned, and tried not to smile when Vulture backed up several steps before mastering himself. Darkstalker levelled a long look at him. Though he was without free command of his magic, Vulture didn't know that, and even without it, being immortal and invulnerable made Darkstalker a formidable threat. Yet even so, he was civilised. The NightWing stalked to the desk and rifled through the draws. He'd been considering this all through the day, and had finally come to a decision. Ah! There it was, exactly where he'd left it all those months ago, after that disastrous night of temporary madness where he'd attempted to bring back Clearsight. Dangling by its golden chain in his talons, he lifted the huge ruby amulet, the Amulet of Concealment. Vulture's eyes caught on the glimmering jewel and the glinting gold, his hunger for it appearing in his mind only briefly.

"This is an amulet I enchanted long ago. Put it on and wish yourself to be of any tribe, and it shall make you appear as such. To turn back, all you need to do is wear it and wish yourself back to a SandWing." Unceremoniously, he threw the trinket, and Vulture had to flinch to catch it before it could hit him in the chest. "This alone will give you all the wealth and power you desire - if you know how to use it correctly. Take it and leave my Kingdom. You and your cronies are upsetting Moon and I cannot stand to see her upset."

Vulture looked between the amulet and Darkstalker, his brain shifting gears quickly. "I can understand if the events of yesterday have caused you to harbour ill will towards myself and my drakes." He was choosing his words with care, but he was still good at thinking was he was saying so that Darkstalker would not suspect any falsehoods. "But as I tried to prove earlier, I am more than willing to offer repatriations for any insults we have caused you or Moon."

"You man, Saguaro, paid for his insults," Darkstalker couldn't stop himself from growling. "I already knew he'd attacked my Moon, but when I confronted him, his mind told me he did so much worse."

His talon tightened into a fist and the growl in his chest rumbled as loudly as the thunder approaching outside. Vulture tightened his wings against his body, the only sign of his unease. It took every ounce of his restraint for Darkstalker to contain his anger. That street-rat had dared to hurt his friend, but worse still, had bombarded her mind with such foulness! Saguaro had instantly remembered everything upon seeing Darkstalker approach, the NightWing didn't even have to sort through his brain to find the truth. The scum had thought to hurt and harass Moonwatcher, and such rage filled Darkstalker at the very thought. No one was allowed to hurt her, or make her feel any kind of unhappiness - no one! He would not have it!

"Initially," he said tightly, "I wanted to drag him before Moon and make him beg for her forgiveness. But the worm tried to fight me. He used deadly force - a useless attempt. So I was forced to kill him; a quick death, much more than he deserved. If you wish to bury him, I dumped his corpse on the edges of the desert. I'm certain the crows will have left you something."

Not one lie passed his lips. It might've been amusing to tell Vulture how he'd tortured Saguaro for hours due to his transgressions, but he decided the lie wasn't worth it. Saguaro had been stupid enough to think he could fight against an immortal being almost twice his size. And when his first few blows had proven fruitless and he hadn't relented or surrendered, Darkstalker had snapped his neck with one blow. Good riddance, was all he could say.

Vulture took a moment to collect himself. He was very much aware that he was on thin ice, and that one wrong word would have him exiled from the Kingdom of Night immediately. Darkstalker was still inclined to decide that anyway, but he wanted to see what the old snake would do.

"I understand that this offer is most generous of you," the SandWing said, gesturing to the Amulet in his talon. "And I admit that, yes, initially I came here with the intent to accumulate wealth and power. I'd been serving Blister for two years, I thought I'd finally worked my way up in the world, that that was the opportunity I'd been waiting for. To finally have some real power and influence and to cultivate my fortune. But Blister was… not what I expected. Too paranoid, too focused on the war to let business flow. She is an incompetant queen, and I was frustrated."

Carefully, he wound the amulet's chain around his wrist, letting the ruby pendant dangle - unusual, Darkstalker thought. But then Vulture was coming to him, head bent low, his wings drooping, his posture very submissive. There was a gleam in his black eyes that hadn't been there before, and Darkstalker was perplexed to find that his thoughts were going around in strange circles.

"That's why I came here," Vulture continued, his tone hushed, as if he were speaking of something sacred. "When you rose up out of the ground, you caused quite a stir. And then I had a first-hand account of you being real, alive, and powerful. So I came, hoping that you would be more effective at giving me what I want."

"How disappointed you must be," Darkstalker said guardedly, "that I am not the pillaging conqueror you'd heard of."

"Oh, but you turned out to be more than that. After seeing you in the flesh, after witnessing your power - I've seen you grant sentience to a fish… after all that, I know I cannot leave."

"Is that right…"

"After everything I've witnessed here, I'm more certain than ever that this is exactly where I need to be."

Darkstalker frowned. "In the hopes of achieving what?"

"We both know our world is broken, Darkstalker," Vulture said, and gestured with a wing to the window. "Not even two thousand years between your time and mine have shown any difference. Our culture is stagnant, all that changes are the names of those in charge. You could've been changing the world for the better, but were instead used as little more than a tool to wage war. I was one of the most gifted intellects of my generation, but my social standing and gender meant I was passed over, trodden down and squandered. The tribes are ready to massacre each other at the behest of only a handful of our species. There is nothing but chaos and blood in this world."

"And yet, you have thrived off of such chaos," the NightWing pointed out. "The entire success of your life has been defined by you taking advantage of the barbarity in this world."

Vulture laughed. "Dragons like me only exist because this world is messy and the only way to survive is by clawing your way to safety. Do you think I would wish the same again if my lot in life had been different? The first time I ever stole something was because I hadn't eaten in two weeks. I was eight months old and starving. An old dragon tried to take my prize from me, so I beat his head in with a brick that had fallen loose from a nearby building. What world is that, where we are reduced to such actions?"

"And you want me to fix it?"

"I know you're the only dragon that can fix it! You are the only one with the will and the ability to be capable of bringing correction to this world."

"Careful, Vulture," Darkstalker said with a sardonic smile. "It sounds like you're turning into a visionary."

"That's because I've never had faith. I don't believe in life after death, that there is any sense of divine morality. I have always been responsible to no one but myself. I always thought the world couldn't ever be better - greed and selfishness and prejudice always prevail. That was fine, I could live with that, I could profit in that. But now I think the world is the same as any gang. You have to enforce order, either with the promise of reward or the threat of violence. And there cannot be divided rulership if a gang is to be unified. There can only be one leader, the one who holds all the power with which to give those rewards or to make examples." And then he looked straight into Darkstalker's eyes. "Why should I have faith in any god, when you hold all the cards?"

He was mad, that much was clear. But a voice told Darkstalker that there was a slight method to this madness. It was easy to believe in Vulture's fantasy, that Darkstalker could use his magic to make the world right; no more war, no more starvation, no more suffering. But was it right to use his magic in that way? Or was he wrong if he didn't? He'd been given all this power for a reason - surely it'd be wrong to not use it to help others?

"Allow me one last chance," said Vulture, "To stay and be part of this story,"

Darkstalker narrowed his eyes at him. "Moon won't like this. And I won't do anything she disapproves of."

"Don't worry about her, my lord." Vulture reached into a satchel by one wing, and pulled out a chalk tablet, he began to chew it, in a similar way that Darkstalker remembered some NightWings chewing ground up mint for better smelling breath. "She is young and naive, wanting to salvage the good in this world and unwilling to pay the price of making things better. But one way or another, she will learn, and then she will understand. She just needs time."

"And you will not upset her further?" Darkstalker pressed, he would not do anything if it meant Moon would be made unhappy.

"I know why she dislikes me, but I will do my best to foster a better relationship between us." Vulture grinned and ran his tongue over his teeth - the chalk turning it a grey-silver. "I'll win her over eventually."

* = lovingly paraphrasing Emily Bronte

** = lovingly paraphrasing Jane Austen