Part I

No Traitors Allowed

Chapter I

It's sunrise, the sun peeking out over the desert landscape due south. A lone IceWing lays on the snow near the edge of the Great Ice Cliff, peering out over the golden dunes below. The pale blue dragon mumbled out foul things and spat curses, disgruntled about whatever he may have been thinking about. His dark blue eyes scanned all that was in front of his person. An ear of his would soon perk up though, and he turned his head to the left, staring towards the way the sound of wingbeats were coming from. It was another IceWing. This one was lightly adorned with platinum and sapphires. A crown upon her head that signified a definite type royal dragon. The Queen. The lone IceWing grunted a little unsavory and turned his attention back to the sandy landscape below him. As the wingbeats drew near, he spread out his own, as if he were about to take off before the sound of her voice called out to him.

"I knew I'd find you out here, Gwyn." The Queen landed down beside him, to which he bared his teeth a bit, then turned his head away. "What has you upset today?"

Gwynion, or rather Gwyn as he liked to be called, turned toward her a small smudge and glared at her in a most sinister tone. "What is it you need of me, your Highness..?"

"Is that much of a question? You are my royal advisor after all… you know I have much need of you." She smirked lightly, lowering her head slightly to lean it toward the other IceWing and grin a bit. "You still have much to catch up on. Missed scrolls, missed meetings, missed advisor-ing. That sort of stuff. Oooh, but does that list ever go on."

Gwyn rolled his eyes a small but before turning around completely to face Queen Blizzard, fully acknowledging her presence now. "You do know how deathly angry I am at you, right?" He growled a bit, giving his wings a singular flap before tucking them against his sides once more.

"Sure I do. However, you know you can't do anything about it." The Queen flicked the earring on her left ear with a subtle smirk, glancing back to him as she turned her head to the left. "An enchantment of your own doing, dear cousin."

Yeah… Don't remind me. "I wasn't aware of the situation you'd put me in at the time so I thought it would be a nice gesture… Now I see why wanted it truly." He scoffed a bit and brushed past her, spreading out his wings and lowering himself down to the ground slightly, in a readied pounce stance. "I'll see you back at the Ice Palace, your Majesty." He spat with a harsh tone before taking off into the frigid air toward the Ice Palace.

"Gwynnnn!" A dragonet came prancing out into the courtyard of the Ice Palace, giggling a bit as she stopped in front of the grouchy IceWing who had just touched down onto the snow-coated ground.

Ugh… what do you want this time, Snowbird… "Hello, little one," Gwyn spoke lightly, flicking his tail back and forth a bit.

"The whole Palace was looking everywhere for you! Where did you run off to? The Queen was worried!" She ran around the IceWing for a short minute before stopping in front of him once again.

If only it was for the right reasons... "I know. The Queen herself came and found me. I told her I'd meet her back at the Palace."

"And you'd be correct about that." Queen Blizzard steadied her descent onto the icy steps leading up to the Palace, giving her adorned wings a flex before tucking them against her sides. "Come, Gwyn, we have some things to discuss." Gwyn wasn't given much choice as Snowbird quickly pranced behind him and pushed her paws against his rear to start shoving him forward. Queen Blizzard turned and headed inside the Palace with Gwyn and Snowbird following beside.

Inside the Palace all was quiet. Not a single dragon was flying overhead through the hallways, shouting and yelling to each other anything that they may need the other to do. In fact, only the sound of serrated claws on the icy floor was all that echoed throughout the corridor. Idle tipping and clacking, all but annoying to Gwyn as he tried to keep his claws from making too much noise while the other two had no care in the world.

"Snowbird, would you kindly go back to your room? Gwyn and I have a few things to talk about.." Queen Blizzard turned her head to the dragonet and nosed at her softly to head for her room.

"As you wish!" Snowbird nodded her head a few times before quickly heading down the hallway to the area where the other IceWing Nobles usually stayed.

"Now, Gwyn," The female turned her head to the other IceWing, her face having a stern look about it. "Any reason as to why you haven't finished your work on what I have assigned you?" She pushed open a door that was in front of the two, leading into a dimly lit chamber, deep blue torches lined the walls to provide the minimal lighting. "You know how important it is that you get a full grip on your Animus magic."

"And I do have a full grip on it. I don't understand why you keep pushing me down this path. Haven't you ever heard of what happens to an Animus dragon when they use their Animus powers too much? It drives them insane." He growled a bit, lightly pushing past the Queen as he approached a large ice-carved island that sat in the middle of the room.

"Oh no, I wasn't aware of that at all." Her sarcastic tone came off with a bit of anger to it. "Gwyn that is a thing of the past. Surely we dragons have evolved far enough to where we do not need to worry about such problems." The Queen waved it off a small bit as she lightly fiddled with her earring that dangled from her left ear. The pointed blue crystal that hung from its platinum casing glistened softly in the dim blue light. "Now… I'm sure you've heard the rumors that have been floating around with the NightWings." Gwyn simply nodded his head. "Well, I need you to enchant a couple of scrolls for me. One that records everything written on it and transfers it to the empty one. The empty one never runs out of room and always stores the most valuable information on it while getting rid of the lesser information."

"So… You want me to make some sort of spying tool then..?"

"Precisely!" The Queen turned and picked up two scrolls in one set of talons. Each one was blank and neatly tied to keep them from unfurling. "Here." Queen Blizzard turned to Gwyn and handed him the two scrolls. He sighed and took both in his talons, laying one on the icy countertop while he held the other one to his snout and whispered.

"Anything written on this scroll is to be recorded and sent to an empty scroll." The IceWings claws and spikes lightly glowed a soft cyan that was steadily matching the scroll as it glowed along with him. Soon enough the scroll would stop glowing, and Gwyn would pick up the other empty scroll, gently whispering to that one as well. "Anything on this scroll is to be recorded forever with only the most valuable information and is to never run out room." His claws and spikes started that faint glow once again, and soon enough the scroll would as well. He picked up the other animus-touched scroll and held each one in a set of talons and spoke once again. "Now I link these two scrolls together so that the information from one is shared with the other…" Both enchanted scrolls glowed brighter and brighter as his talons and spikes did, only for it all stop suddenly. Gwyn closed his eyes and let his maw open, a strained look on his face as he shivered and shook in the place he sat. He set down both scrolls on the counter and leaned against it, a soft pant leaving him steadily as if he got the wind knocked out of him. Queen Blizzard had too much of a smirk on her muzzle to pay more attention to her pained cousin.

"Wonderful… I will have one sent to the NightWings in no time." She grabbed one of the animus-touched scrolls and scooched past the shaking IceWing, quickly leaving him alone.

"H-hah… Three moons…" He dug his claws into the icy floor underneath and held still, one set of claws resting on his chest as he tried to keep himself still. "At this rate, it's going to kill me before I go insane…" The IceWing struggled to his feet and looked at the other scroll left behind. Grabbing it with his tail, he shakingly made his way out from the magically-torch lit chamber and into the massively open corridor. His head hung low and his body looked tense, trying desperately to hold his balance as he walked down to way. "She'll get wh-what's coming to her eventually… So help me… If I have to do it myself… I… I will…" Gwyn talked to himself the whole way down the hall, devising some sort of plan to take out the Ice Kingdom's believed Queen. While his plan might only be a benefit to him, it had to be done. No matter where he went he knew he'd be sent back to the Ice Kingdom and given right back to Queen Blizzard. Gwyn turned into the throne room and made his way to the throne to drop off the enchanted scroll. A couple of the guards turned their gazes to look at the struggling IceWing Noble.

"Sir Gwyn, are you alright?" One of the guards spoke up from his spot. Gwyn's simple response was a turn of the head and gaze back with his now dull and greyed out eyes. The IceWing soon closed his eyes and collapsed onto the frosted floor with a sounding gasp, all the guards in the throne room quickly rushing to him. The last thing Gwyn heard was the sound of clanking armor and scampering guards before he passed out.

The sound of rushing water filled Gwyn's ears as he steadily came to. He lifted his head with a soft groan and opened his eyes, peering around to see that he was outside. Even more so, finding that he wasn't even in the Ice Kingdom anymore but possibly somewhere in the Night Kingdom. He's never stepped foot outside the Ice Kingdom nor has he ever thought about it. Gwyn spotted no other dragons around, just a small river that his head was lying next to and a few trees that were scattered about. "Uhm… Hello?" Gwyn soon spoke up, however, no one was there to respond. He stood up fully and took another quick scan of the area around him before heading down towards one of the few trees that lay scattered about. His eyes immediately caught a dark silhouette laying under one of the trees, to which he'd start his approach. The closer he got the more he noticed that it was a NightWing. "Hello?" He spoke up once next to this mysterious dragon. The NightWing's ears twitched lightly and perked up, their head turned to catch Gwyn staring right down at them.

"A hello to you too, IceWing." The NightWing responded back with a small smile. "I'm Victory."

"Victory? I'm Gwyn." The IceWing spoke up a bit, flexing his wings lightly before lowering his head. "Do you know where I am? I don't believe this to be anywhere in the Ice Kingdom."

Victory nodded his head a small bit and sat up. "You, my friend, are in the land between dreaming, and being awake."

"So… are you visiting me in my dreams?" Gwyn tilted his head lightly, his claws tapping against the ground lightly.

"Not exactly. You are asleep, yes, but you aren't dreaming right now. We are rather… In a void of sorts. A void where I am trapped. I have called you here to help me."

"To help you? I… I don't understand. How can help you, and why me?" Gwyn stood back up, turning his head around to idly glance about the place, seeing nothing but a deep fog surrounding the outer edge of where the trees seemed to stop.

"Simple… First, I need you to accomplish your own task." Victory gently flicked his tail back and forth against the soft grass, turning to look at him once more. "You do know what that is, yes?"

Gwyn nodded his head. "Of course. It's been stirring in my head since I found out I was an animus dragon.

"Good. Once you accomplish that, you will be one step closer to helping me, and the rest of Pyrrhia, out of a fate worse than death." Victory soon turned to the pool of water next to him and motioned Gwyn to come closer. "Look here… See this dragon?" Gwyn peered over the edge and into the watery surface. A NightWing dragonet's face was projected on the surface of the water. "This is my sister, Conquest. I need you to make contact with her as soon as possible. She will play a key role in helping you get what you want, and help with getting me out of my prison."

"I don't understand. What's going to happen?" Gwyn examined the dragonet's face a moment longer before the image disappeared from the surface. Victory turned to lay back under the tree they were standing by.

"That is a story you'll find out for yourself, Gwyn." Victory nodded his head steadily before he seemingly vanished in front of Gwyn's eyes, and much to the IceWings surprise, the ground underneath him suddenly started to pull him down like quicksand. The IceWing struggled and clawed at the air, trying to find something he could grab onto and keep himself from sinking deeper into the ground, though his efforts were fruitless, as nothing was in reach for him to grab a hold of and there was no way for him to escape. Gwyn sank deeper and deeper into the ground, his talons the last things sticking up from the ground before they too disappeared.

A faint chill ran down Gwyn's spine as he lifted his head up. He placed one set of talons on his head and groaned out. By the moons… What happened…?

"Gwyn! You're awake! Thank goodness!" Snowbird quickly hopped up to her paws and padded up next to him, nuzzling up along his cheek and snout before pulling her head back and away from the dragon.

"Snowbird…? What happened…?" He still felt shaky and oddly chilly from earlier.

"You passed out in the throne room, Gwyn. The guards said you gave one of them a deathly, dull stare before you just collapsed onto the floor. Are you okay?" Snowbird whined calmly and sat back down next to the larger IceWing.

"Ah… I see…" He looked to her, his eyes still greyed over and dull, expressing no emotion through their dull hues what so ever.

"Gwyn… What's going on? You've been so shaky lately. All the others are worried about you…"

"I'm okay Snowbird, I promise… Just... " He steadily and shakingly got up, but he nonetheless got up. "Just work-related things… That's all. For now… I need to go see the Queen… Where is she..?"

"Queen Blizzard? I believe she's in the throne room right now." Snowbird quickly moved to help Gwyn up onto his shaky feet, only for her to then step back again.

"Perfect… I'll be back, Snowbird." He leaned his head down to nuzzle her softly, he received a whine from the IceWing dragonet as Gwyn soon moved his way out from the Healer's Chambers.

The halls were as silent as ever. The quiet clicking and tapping of claws on the floor and the still breath of dragons walking about was all the sound that could be registered. Even the snow hitting the edges of the Palace made some sort of soft, twinkling sound that no one could truly explain. Gwyn was frustrated at this point. He's had enough of these constant trips to the healer's chambers. No more with the abuse of his magic. No more with the constant treatment of the other IceWings. No more with the threatening other tribes for nonsense. He was going to change it all, right here and now. The IceWing had a near-visible aura about him that radiated nothing but hate and anger toward his royal-blooded cousin. Gwyn's approach was heard all throughout, no one dared to get in the IceWing's path, quickly stepping to the side or jumping into the air to hover a few feet above him.

Gwyn bashed through the Throne room doors, making the dragons inside quickly jolt up and turn their attention towards him. He ignored the many other eyes watching him. They weren't his business and they should definitely stay out of his if it was for the better of them. The only dragon he was focused on was the one sitting on the throne, dressed in various jewels and linen cloth, the crown sitting upon her head tilted down lightly after the sudden appearance of her advisor.

"Gwyn? Oh so glad to see you, dear cousin! Are you well again?" She clasped her paws together, smiling brightly as her tail waved in his direction, visibly pleased.

"Enough with the charades, cousin." He lowered his head and bared his teeth, all the guards quickly turning their spears toward Gwyn. They had him surrounded.

"Charades? I do not understand, Gwyn." She leaned over in her throne, gently flexing her wings. Gwyn simply scoffed at her remark.

"Of course you don't. Your mind is too fogged up now." He took a step closer and the guards followed suit. He took one look around the throne room before straightening himself up and lifting his head up high. "Let's just get to the point." He cleared his throat and flared out his large wings, letting the bright sunlight bleed through them as a soft cyan when they passed through. "Queen Blizzard, I formally challenge you for the seat of the throne and rule over the Ice Kingdom!"

The world had stopped around him. Everything felt still and too awfully silent. No movement, no quiet clicking of claws on ice, not even the breath of a dragon could be heard. He looked to the guards, each of them shocked from the simple uttering of his words, the other noble dragons scattered about having stopped dead in their tracks to look on, a few even dropping their scrolls onto the ground in front of them almost comically. The Queen looked the most visibly shocked. Never would she have thought that her own advisor would try and steal the throne from her.

"You… You can't be serious right?" One of the other noble dragons finally broke the silence, Gwyn steadily turning his gaze towards this noble, then back to Queen Blizzard as she seemed to be waiting for an answer to a question she didn't ask.

"Do you accept or do you not, your majesty?" Gwyn simply reinstated the question, seemingly growing impatient.

"Well, no of course! Why would I ever accept such a challenge?! You're simply insane for even suggesting it!" She growled lightly, leaning back in her throne.

"Fine. I suppose I'll try it the old fashioned way."

"What are you-" Gwyn quickly lept toward the Queen, tackling her out of the throne and rolling a couple feet away from it until they had bumped against one of the walls and broke apart, though he was quickly on the assault once more, pinning the disgruntled and confused royalty against the wall as he tried to bite and slash at her. "Gwyn unhand me this in- AGGH!" His claws had sunk down into her side, causing her to scream out in pain as he quickly drew blood. In a quick and instinctively rash decision, she kicked at his stomach to toss him off. "GUARDS! SEIZE HIM AND HOLD HIM DOWN!"

Gwyn was once more quickly surrounded, though instead of spears aimed at him, ready to pierce and stab at his scales, he had a pile of dragons on top of him in seconds, all scrambling to keep him held down limb by limb. A muzzle was quickly brought by one of the guards and placed around Gwyn's snout, sealing with clamps almost instantly heating up. He remembers this, a muzzle her enchanted personally that would heat up as soon as it was clamped on to keep him from breathing his frostbreath. While it wouldn't do much, the sole fact that it was melting into his scales was enough to keep him there, albeit in pain. Blizzard approached the restrained IceWing and stared down at him deceitfully, her eyes filled with anger and rage toward the dragon she called her cousin. One of the nobles had quickly rushed to her side and keep her bleeding any more, though her anger filled mind had one thing in mind. Him.

"You… horrible bastard…" She bared her teeth, snarling silently as he started back up at her, trying to hold back his cries of pain. " can't believe you, Gwyn! What is wrong with you?! Attacking the Queen on so suddenly? You must be asking for a death wish! But no… wait… That would be too easy… too merciful…" She turned her head away, staring at her throne slightly before she looked back to him from the corner of her eye. "No… No instead… You'll be exiled." Blizzard stumbled to her throne, huffing and panting lightly as she sat herself down in it, holding at her side lightly as she glared at the bound IceWing. "Royal Advisor Gwynion, from this day forth, you are no longer a resident of the Ice Kingdom and are cast into exiled for treason and treachery! If you are to ever return then you will be sentenced to an immediate capture and execution! You will longer be looked upon as an IceWing, but a traitorous dragon, who should be better off dead! Now get this disgrace out of my sight." The guards quickly gathered him up, holding each of his limbs as he thrashed and kicked about, only to have his thrashing stopped as one of the guards slammed the thicker part of their tail against the side of his head, knocking the ex-noble IceWing out instant. Everything was sudden darkness for Gwyn as the blow hit his head. Even with the muzzle still clamped around his snout, he couldn't feel a thing.