Hell Week (Part 2)

With Fruit Bat recovering and Majestic minding the eggs, my immediate concerns were at least being taken care of. There was nothing more I could do for them, so I had to pull myself away and focus on the one thing I could help with - running the war effort. While the Nightwings were off handling the Skywings and Nightshade was holding her own against the Coalition, that left me only one remaining problem: Queen Jerboa.

How does one fight a dragon who can warp reality to their whim? When the only limits to your power were your imagination and your own soul, how can you be stopped?

Clearly, I was in need of like-minded fellows to discuss this with.

So, two days after Fruit Bat became a mother, I had invited King Mastermind over to my Palace, in order to discuss possible options in fighting an Animus. I had expected all manner of great insights from a fellow Mind. In that regard, I was greatly disappointed.

"I imagine that the most important aspect of killing an Animus," He mused, "Is the element of surprise. If a dragon has absolute control over anything it can see, you have to hit them in a way they don't see coming. Your crossbows hold a lot of promise in that regard. If you can shoot them in the back, or hit them from a distance where they can't see you, they can't use their magic in time."

"Yeah, I already figured that part out," I replied, trying to remain polite even as I wanted to snap, No shit, Ace Detective! "What I was wondering was if you'd thought of any other plans, any other ways we could, you know, use science and technology to counter their reality-warping abilities."

The King of the Nightwings rubbed his neck, looking a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Xerophilous," He admitted, "We don't really know all that much about fighting Animus Dragons. Historically, it takes an Animus to beat another Animus. More than that, I've been much too busy trying to organize the Court to do any research."

I sighed, nodding. "I understand," I relented, patting his back with my wing, "Sorry for bringing you down here. You've still got a lot of work to do, I'm sure."

"Not at all," He assured me, as he started making his way to the door, "I like coming over to visit. Your subjects are so friendly and welcoming. Chatty, too. I think a lot of them are starting to like me."

As Mastermind left, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Thanks for your help, Captain Obvious! I thought ruefully, rolling up the notes into an angry little ball, I could've thought of that shit on my own! Fox could've come up with that shit! I sighed, deciding that I could better spend my time talking to my friend about this. Surely my Rainwing bro could come up with a better plan than just "sneak up on them and bash them in the head".

I started walking out of my workshop, but as I opened the door, Stonemover stood there, waiting for me. I was about to tell him to move, when I noticed something in his eyes. Those dark eyes were misty, filled with betrayal and hurt. The look he gave me was the same one Batty had when I returned from the Night Kingdom.

"Stonemover?" I asked, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"'Shoot them in the back'?" He snarled accusingly, "'Hit them where they can't see you?' Is that what I am to you: Target practice for your weapons?"

"What?" It took me a second too long for me to realize he was quoting me, and my blood turned icy. "Oh... Wait, hang on Stonemover, you know I'd never-" I started to say, reaching out to the little Nightwing.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" He shouted angrily, light flickering through his eyes. I felt static run through my body. My left foreleg went numb and heavy. Something slammed into the floors, smashing wood to splinters. Stonemover's expression went from anger to shocked surprise, staring at my limb. Confused, I looked down. There was a silence between us, as we both processed what we were seeing. Someone screamed, and I don't know if it was him or me. I swooned, and everything went black...


"Xero! Xero!"

I became aware of someone calling my name, and my head resting gently in soft, gentle paws. I opened my eyes, expecting to see the red-green scales and amber-gold eyes of Batty. Instead, I was greeted with the jet-black scales and gunmetal-blues eyes of Greatness, looking down at me with utmost fear and concern. When she noticed I was awake, she made a sound like a yelp and a sob, resting her head against mine.

"Xero," She said, tenderly stroking my cheek, resting her head against mine, "Thank the Moons. I was worried that... that..."

"Wha' happen?" I asked dumbly, trying to look around. I tried to sit up, only to feel something heavy pull me to the side. I looked down. My left foreleg - everything from my shoulder down to my talons - had been petrified, turned into granite. It hung heavily to my side, bent and half-extended as if to grab her tail.

I stared at my arm, trying to process what I was looking at, going through the entire emotional spectrum. I went from confused ("Oh shit?") to curious ("Oh shit.") to realizing and panicking ("Oh shit!") all in the span of ten seconds. I started clawing at the stone, thinking that it was only surface deep. My claws scraped across it like the walls of the Sandwing Palace, and I felt nothing. Nothing.

"Xero, are you alright?" She asked.

"Well," I sighed, "I'm a father, my homeland's burning, Batty's still healing and my leg's now a rock, but otherwise, my day's been peachy."

"You're joking?" She scoffed, shaking her head. "You're in shock, and you're joking. Why am I surprised?" She looked me over, and asked, "Can you stand?"

I wiggled my claws and tails - yep, still working. "I think so." I rolled back onto my stomach, and got back onto my feet. The ground wobbled beneath me, and I started falling back on my left. Greatness caught me, managing to just catch and hold me up, as I adjusted myself.

"I don't think I can walk right now," I admitted.

"That's okay," She assured me, leaning against my side, "We can stay here until Maggy comes back."

"Do you two get along?" I asked, sitting down, "You and Maggy, I mean."

"Definitely. She's been nothing but kind to me ever since I came here. We have lunch together almost every day. She's like my Flying Fox, helping me understand Rainwing culture and... my responsibilities as Queen." She looked away, but not before I noticed the hint of a blush. I was about to ask her more, when Majestic entered the room.

"Sorry I was gone so long," She explained, moving to my right side, "I had to tell Grandeur about what happened. Now, let's get you back to your room."

"Hold on," I protested, "I don't need help. I can still walk just fi-" I nearly fell onto my face after one step, only to be caught by them both. Maggy shot me a warning look, and I sighed as they both dragged my hobbling ass back to my room. They placed me in bed, rolling me onto my back, with me resting my rock-leg on a nightstand.

A mental fog started to envelop my mind, not quite putting me to sleep but making it harder and harder to focus on anything. I felt so tired, so achey, I hardly noticed when Grandeur and Fox came in to check up on me. I vaguely remember her saying something about her running things while I recovered, Fox saying something that might've been witty, and then they left to take care of... Stonemover? The soldiers? The kingdom? Something important, I don't remember. At some point they left, and Majestic and Greatness remained.

Then I felt the air change. I looked up, and saw another Rainwing enter the room. Fruit Bat was back on her feet again, albeit her scales were still a few shades paler. She looked at me with an expression of worry and relief, until she noticed Greatness also being in the room. Then it shifted what I could only describe as "I have too much on my plate to deal with this right now".

"Oh," She said flatly, "It's you."

"Yes, it's her," Maggy said, stepping between them, "Now, Batty, you said you'd check on Xero, yes?"

"I did, but..."

"It's fine," Greatness said, stepping around them, "She needs the space. I can wait outside." She walked outside the room, and Majestic - after shooting Fruit Bat a glare - followed her. Batty flushed an embarrassed pink, and went to my side. Her claws went over my side, pressing into my arm and shoulder, feeling along the muscles and veins that came to a hard stop at the rock.

I tried to speak, but my mouth felt dry and sticky, and my voice came out as a hoarse whisper. "Batty..."

"Don't talk," She replied, "You need to rest."

"Batty..." When did I get so thirsty?

She sighed, her tail reaching out and grabbing a mug from the nightstand. "Here," She offered me the cup, "Drink first, then talk." I did as I was told, draining the whole thing, only feeling slightly better. "Now, what're you trying to say?"

"I'm sorry..." I started, "I-"

"Oh stop it!" She hissed, shoving me, "I've heard enough of your apologies. This isn't your fault, Xero. Stonemover did this. HE chose to do this to you, and he's being punished for striking his king. Besides..." Streaks of gray appeared on her frill and along her spine, "You're not the only one who's done things they regret."

She sat down beside me, and sighed. "When I laid out there, I wasn't in my right mind. I was mad, and scared, and in the most pain I'd ever felt in my life. And then I saw Greatness with Grandeur, and I just got so angry. All I thought was that I wanted to hurt you like you hurt me, and I just..." She closed her eyes, trying to shake away tears. "If Grandeur hadn't stopped me, I, I don't know what I'd-"

I extended a wing to her side. She leaned into me, burying her muzzle against my chest. I held her with my good arm, offering what comfort I could as she cried into me. We just laid there, the birds and insects chirping outside my window, and I tried to think of anything I could say or do to fix this, to take away her pain and my guilt.

"Batty," I said after a long moment, "It's okay. I know you didn't mean it. You're a good dragoness, and a great Queen. I know without a doubt you'll be a great mother, too. I can only hope that one day, you can find it in your heart to forgive me, but no matter what, I'll always be here for you and for them."

"... Thank you." She gave me a light peck on the forehead, and continued her examination. After a few minutes, she was done, and sighed. "Well, you're still as fit and healthy as you were before. There's no sign of infection around the edges. Whatever he did to you, your body isn't reacting to it like any foreign body. Still, I think you should rest for the next day or so. I'll talk to the others so we can keep an eye on you, in case something changes."

"Okay," I sighed. As she turned to leave, I added, "Can you tell the guards to go easy on Stonemover? He was scared, and he didn't know what he was doing."

Bursts of orange-red sprinkled across her back, she nodded, and walked out. I closed my eyes, and let sleep take me...


When I woke up again, it was already nighttime. There was but a single candle lit on my nightstand, casting long shadows all across my room. I glanced down at my left foreleg, still encased in stone. The scales at the edge along my shoulder itched. I trailed my fingers across the edge, feeling the shift from flesh to rock, animate to inanimate. I wondered how I was going to move around with this condition. How was I going to fly? How was I going to walk? How was I going to do anything with this anchor pulling me down?

I considered having it amputated. The nurses and doctors in the jungle were a little underwhelming when it came to surgical skill, but I could teach them. Moving around on only three legs would be tough, but surely it'd be easier than dragging this anchor around the rest of my life. Hell, maybe I could build a prosthetic limb, something that functioned almost as well as the original. Spirits knew I'd already drawn up some designs. And yet...

I didn't want to cut off my leg - it's my leg. But more than that, part of me wanted to keep it as a form of punishment. I'd done so much wrong lately, I felt like I deserved this. Let me carry around this horrific disfigurement, as a reminder of my mistakes. Maybe it would help me think twice before I went and made a stupid decision. Maybe it could serve as a warning for children. "This is what happens when you think you know better than anyone else."

I was thinking about that when I heard my door open. Looking up, I was surprised to see Greatness peering in, looking a little nervous and flustered. "Hey there," She greeted, gently stepping into my room, "How're you feeling?"

"Fine," I sighed, "Besides... well, everything. Batty said the shock should've worn off by now. My shoulder itches and my arm's numb, but..." I shrugged my good limb and sighed again. It was all I could do. "I really fucked up this one."

"I think I know how that feels," She replied. I still don't know what she meant by that, though I suppose it doesn't matter. She shook her head and looked at me, her expression changing as she made some decision. She held her head a little higher, her pose more confident, her gunmetal-blue eyes sparkling in the orange candlelight. She walked up to my bed slowly and purposefully, her tail swaying with her hips in a way that I'd seen many times from my girlfriends. She hopped into bed with ease, scooting up to my good side. I shivered, feeling her warm, smooth scales press against me. A distant part of my mind raised alarm bells, trying to make me tell her to stop, but I find myself liking her nuzzling my neck, her soft paws caressing my chest and belly, pulling me into a snuggling embrace.

"What're you doing?" I asked, chuckling despite myself.

"What do you mean?" She asked coyly. Her breath tickled my neck, and I had flashes of pleasant nights and afternoons under colorful wings.

Those alarm bells grew louder, and a tiny voice was begging me to stop, to think of Fruit Bat and our eggs. And yet my heart beat faster as I smelled ink and smoke off her scales, and watched the orange lights of the candle dance across her back and side. She draped her legs across my body, and instinctively I wrapped my good limb around her neck. More curious than accusatory, I replied, "Well, you're just acting very... lovey-dovey right now."

She sat up, her nose inches from mine. She stared into my eyes, and those gunmetal-blue orbs held that same orange sunrise as they did not two months ago. Only now, those eyes weren't angry or hurt. They were caring, affectionate, sincere... and vulnerable. I could feel her heart beating in unison with mine, and the world went quiet as she said the words that'd change our lives forever.

"Maybe it's because I love you."

My heart skipped a beat. We just stared at each other, my mind trying to wrap around this moment. I tilted my head, surprised more than anything, but not in a bad way. "You... you do?"

"Yes... I do," She said, her voice the merest whisper. Her nose was almost touching mine, and slowly, ever-so-slightly, she was leaning closer. "...Kiss me."

That voice of warning was screeching now, begging me to stop, to say no, to push her away. It cried out that going on would end everything with Batty, that it would damage my relationship with Maggy, cripple any bond I'd have with my children. And yet as I looked into the Nightwing's eyes, I just knew that rejecting her would break her heart just as I'd done with Fruit Bat, and I didn't think I could live with myself if I did it again.

So I gave in.

I leaned the rest of the way in, and we shared our first kiss. Everything fell away, as we shared that moment. What she lacked in skill, she made up for in passion, as she poured every ounce of love into that kiss. For what it's worth, I returned the favor as best I could, letting the troubles of the past day, week, month fall away.

After what felt like forever, Greatness pulled away, gasping for breath as we were nose to nose. I gazed into her eyes, which now seemed to flicker purple in the dying light of the candle. She smiled, and I smiled back.

"You're a good kisser," Was all I could think to say.

"Oh?" She giggled, "You want more?"

"I think I do," I admitted, my limb stroking her back. I thought of hugging her, until I remembered my petrified limb. Shit.

"I'm sorry," I said, trying to play it off, "But I have to warn you that I'm not at one-hundred percent tonight. I'm a little unarmed at the moment, you see."

She hummed, making a great show of thinking as she rubbed my cheek. "Well then," She teased, "I guess I'll have to take the lead, won't I?" She climbed over me, straddling my hips, wings extending out for balance, trying to hide her nervous, embarrassed energy with a mask of seductive confidence. She gave me a wink as she leaned over and blew out the candle, and the last thing I saw was a canopy of stars framing two purple moons above me...