Clay took a step back, as did Iris. He shielded the small group of dragonets behind him with his broad wings.
"You followed us here," Tsunami choked out, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Oh, I didn't have to," said the queen; she sounded delighted. "Somebody started a lovely smoke signal that my soldiers and I simply followed."
Iris watched Clay's reaction. His eyes widened in shock and his wings trembled. She sidestepped closer and brushed her wing against his. He gave her a short glance before looking back at Scarlet, a new sense of determination evident on his face.
The small, banana yellow, dragon, whom Iris presumed was Sunny, squeaked from the back of the group. "Who-who are you?"
The queen's face morphed into an annoyed expression. "Now really, this is getting insulting. You're in my territory. Apparently, you're living under my mountain. I am only the most important dragon for hundreds of miles. How dare you not recognize me?" She arched her neck like a cobra ready to strike and spread her crimson wings wide.
The dragon carrying all of the scrolls staggered a bit and dropped a few of them. He bowed overdramatically.
"Now that's more like it!" The queen cried happily. She strode forward as if the cave were just another room in her palace. Touching the damp walls she said, "Three moons, it's gloomy in here."
As she took another step and crushed runaway scroll beneath her feet. The paper became muddied and wrinkled.
Iris gasped, I've longed to own just a single scroll all my life! How can she just stamp it out like it's nothing?
The Skywing queen smirked and took the scroll-carrying dragon's face in her hands. Clay marched towards her, but the soldiers clanked their spears and he stopped short.
"Oh how cute! A Nightwing just for me!" Scarlet took a single talon and tapped him on the head. "Tell me, what am I thinking right now?" The Nightwing, or Starflight as Iris quickly put together, tried to turn his head towards his friends, but Scarlet jerked his head back roughly. "Too hard?" Queen Scarlet teased. "I'll give you a hint. I'm thinking: Now why would a Nightwing, Seawing, and a Mudwing be hiding out under my mountain? Along with whatever those three are that the Mudwing is so cutely trying to protect?" Her tail flicked towards the angry Rainwing, Sunny, and Iris. The angry Rainwing huffed.
Iris piped up, never one to not properly inform someone, "Well, Queen Scarlet, I and that red and black dragon are Rainwings, and Sunny is some sort of fascinating sub-species of Sandwing."
The queen didn't l even look at her. She gripped Starflight's head tighter and slowly lifted him up with one hand. "These strange living arrangements wouldn't happen to be part of a certain prophecy, would they?"
Iris' mind blanked, 'Prophecy, what is she talking about?' She was about to ask this when a husky voice echoed from the back of the cave.
"What is going on out here, who's shouting?" The source of the voice appeared out of a small side tunnel. It was elderly Sandwing who was missing a foot. At least, Iris thought he was old, for all she knew there could be a spry young dragonet underneath all of those scars.
He stopped, fear took over his maimed features. "Webs!" He shouted, his voice like a hacking cough.
Then, he charged at the Skywing queen.
In an instant, Scarlet dropped Starflight on the ground and met the Sandwing's charge at full force. She snarled and leaped at him. Someone screamed. Iris's heart pounded against her ribs. It seemed like all of her senses were in overdrive. She could smell the blood pouring down the Sandwing's scarred face. She could hear the Skywings rush to defend their queen. She saw a new Seawing bolt into the fray and watched him fight the soldiers.
Clay turned to the trio of dragons he was protecting. "You should all hide."
"Disappear while you try and die for us again," The angry Rainwing that Iris figured was Glory spat, "No thanks." She rushed past him to fight alongside Tsunami, who was already attacking.
Clay surveyed the room before turning back to Iris, "Protect Sunny," he said before running to join the fight.
Sunny pushed past the Rainwing guarding her. "Wait, I can help!"
Iris grabbed the small dragonet and pulled her back. "You can't go out there, I'm supposed to protect you." Iris realized she sounded a lot like her brother.
Sunny tried squirming away, but she was no match for the Rainwing who was double her size. She sat down begrudgingly next to her captor and growled, "They never let me do anything."
"That's just what siblings do," Iris replied. Her green eyes searched the battlefield, waiting for an enemy to jump out and attack. But apparently, none of them thought a minuscule Sandwing and pastel Rainwing were worth the effort.
Suddenly, a stillness fell over the fight. All heads turned to the back of the cave. Standing there was a big, crimson, Skywing.
It wasn't the queen.
"Poor, poor, Scarlet," The mystery dragon hissed, "Everyone betrays you. Well, you've got me now. Let these worthless others go." She advanced across the cave, maintaining steady eye contact with the Skywing ruler.
Iris looked down at Sunny, the dragon's tiny face was a mix of hopeful and sorrowful. "Wasn't she one of your kidnappers?" Iris whispered.
Sunny shook her head. "Kidnappers? No, Kestrel was like our mom. She was kind of a mean mom, but she was the only mom we had."
Scarlet was demanding Kestrel and the dragonets come with her now. "You can't really expect me to give up prizes like this?"
Kestrel snorted. There was a hint of laughter in her voice as she said, "They're no prizes." She looked cynically at the dragonets, doing a double take when she reached the striking violet scales of Iris. "Plus the Mudwing seems to attract Rainwings."
"And, I'm weird looking!" Sunny added. Iris shushed her.
The queen smirked and smoke unfurled from her snout. "Oh, they're just the new blood my arena needs. It would be terribly sad to let them go. I would be too, too devastated." She put a claw to her horns and mimed fainting.
Iris looked over at the open cave exit. Maybe if Sunny and I run we can make it.
These hopeful thoughts were crushed by a Skywing soldier glaring at her. He strode over and pointed his spear at her. "Come quietly Rainwimg, or don't come at all."
Iris' claws shook. The queen was still talking. She held the beaten Sandwing's head in her hands and shook it violently. "I mean, what use is a crippled dragon who can't fly? I'm surprised you haven't killed yourself already, Sandwing, but I can take care of that for you."
"No!" Suny screamed, leaping out from underneath Iris' wing.
But the sound of a single dragonet didn't seem to bother Scarlet, with a resounding crack, she snapped the dragon's neck and dropped him.
Iris flinched, she had only seen a dragon die once. And they were surrounded by friends and family in a warm hut. There wasn't a snap or crack, just a quiet sigh. She couldn't imagine taking a dragon's life so easily, or at all, really.
Sunny ran past the soldier and squirmed in between Scarlet's talons to crouch beside the body. Iris began to follow, but the soldier jabbed his spear in her face.
"Please, I want to go comfort my friend." She whispered. A glimmer of sympathy seemed to flit across the Skywing's face. He shook his head slowly and gently pressed his spear to her chest.
Behind him, another dragon held up a long roll of metal chains.
And with that, Iris was handed over to the Skywing Queen.