Qibli flew for a while, but it was getting dark and the Scorpion Den was still a couple of hours away. He took a short break to rest for the night. Qibli caught a camel and ate about half of it before he fell asleep. In the morning, he flew on and eventually made it to the Scorpion Den. He landed at the entrance and walked in. Within a minute, a dragon was standing behind him.

"Well. Well. Well. Look who came crawling back," rasped a voice.

"Hello, Rattlesnake," Qibli replied without looking back.

"What are you doing back, brother?" sneered Rattlesnake who stepped out of the shadows and turned to face Qibli. Her tail was flying dangerously toward him.

"I've come to see grandfather of course," Qibli declared.

Rattlesnake had an amused look on her face, "What makes you think that he wants to see you?"

"Well actually I have something that he wants," Qibli replied.

Rattlesnake gave a harsh laugh, "You? What could you have that he wants?"

"It's more of a gift," Qibli said, "I'm an animus."

His sister gave another laugh, harsher this time, "Oh please. You could not possibly be an animus, that's something you get when you're born."

This is what he wanted, a chance to show up to his siblings, to have them fear him. Sirocco was easy to make him bow down, empty-headed and clumsy. But starting with Rattlesnake would be a treat and a true show of his power.

"Ok," Qibli jeered, "I'll just show you." He went over to a broken bottle and said, "I enchant this bottle to repair itself and fill with water." Then the bottle's cracks sealed themselves. The bottle was then filled with clear liquid. Rattlesnake looked momentarily shocked, but it was very brief.

"So what?" she replied to the stunt.

"Oh," Qibli said, "You want more? Okay." He stepped over to his sister, "I enchant this dragon to point her tail at herself." Rattlesnake's tail went up in a poised position, it was right in front of her heart. One phrase and it could be over for her - one command and she would be dead. Qibli saw the fear in her eyes, she was looking at him pleadingly. This is what he wanted - the respect from her had been obtained. He went right up to her face, "Take me to grandfather, and you can live. Do you understand?" She nodded her head as tears were building up in her eyes.

"Please Qibli, I'll do whatever you want, just let me live."

"Fine," Qibli said in a bored tone. "Stop" he commanded the tail and it went into a relaxed position.

"Thank you Qibli," said Rattlesnake

"Now," Qibli said, "Take me t-"

"No need," A voice from the shadows said. A pale scaled dragon emerged from the shadows. Hundreds of dragon skulls were tattooed all over his body. "I'm already here."