Armies and Loyalties

I gasp as I awaken from the dream. Sunlight flows into my hollow and I assume that it is morning. As soon as I come to my senses, the wonderful feeling of power drains out of me and leaves me emotionless.

Sighing, I get up and stretch. I know what I have to do; I just hope my friends will approve of my choice. Straightening up, I walk out of my den, my mind set with determination.

The bright light startles me and I squint my eyes. My den is dark, kind of like the cave I was born in, so it takes a while for my eyes to get used to the sudden light. Looking around, I already see Outcasts starting to gather outside of the Hall to continue the meeting. Yawning, I walk towards them, snatching a fish out of a basket on the way.

I let out my usual grunts and growls to the Outcasts, and they get out of my way as I pass. Pausing at the steps, I look around for Skurge.

He comes out of his sleeping place, a nest underneath Alvin's house, and slithers towards me. When he's in earshot, I jerk my head and say, "I want to talk to you."

The Whispering Death looks at me with slight confusion, and then nods and says, "Alright. Lets go talk over there." He points with his head towards the side of the Hall, which is somewhat private with all the shadows and such.

Before he starts over, I raise my tail, "Wait. I want to talk to you along with Dracen, Ash, and Sawyer."

Skurge glances at me and asks warily, "What's this about?"

"You'll see."

Just then, I spot Sawyer and Ash flying in the distance. "Hey guys!" I call, "Come over here, I need to talk to you."

They obey and land next to me. "What's up?" Ash asks casually. "Where's Dracen?"

"Right here." I hear the Changewing's voice and turn to see him walking towards us, "What's going on?"

"Come on." I flick my tail and they follow as I lead them to the side of the Hall. I hop onto some empty crates and turn to look at them. My friends gather below me, watching me intently.

Pausing, I take a deep breath and begin, "Last night, after the meeting, I went to clear my head so I flew to the tallest part of the mountain. Before I knew it, something started attacking me and threw me off my perch. It was a Wild Dragon, a Skrill."

"Ooh, did you shred it to pieces?" Skurge asks.

"Well, seeing her scabs it looks like the Skrill put up a pretty good fight." Dracen says, "You should get some herbs on that."

I shake my head, "That's not the point. She did put up a pretty good fight, but I finished it with a few blows to her head. Then I asked her if she was a Wild Dragon, and she said yes and that I fought like one, not like normal 'pets'."

"We're not pets!" Ash snarls, outraged. Before she can continue, though, I growl, "Well, if you think about it, we kind of are, now let me continue."

She scowls at me, but doesn't say anything. "Thank you," I say, "So then she wondered, if I don't like being a pet, why I didn't just leave. I told her that I couldn't just abandon my friends."

I pause, letting that sink in. Then, Skurge sighs, "I see where this is going."

"Why not?" I persuade, "We'll be free. We'll be able to go wherever we want. We can just hunt for ourselves and not the Outcasts! This island is pathetic; there're probably so many better out there!"

"Phoenix," Dracen groans, but I cut him off, "Let's face it, the Outcasts don't really care about us. They just like our abilities. We can leave them, find a territory, live with and protect each other. Dragons will want to join our little clan once they see the power we will have.

"It'll be so much easier- and more organized. If we ever get into fights with other dragons, we'll have each other's backs, unlike the Outcasts. We can survive, decades after decades."

"Okay, wait." Skurge says, "Even if we do leave, what if the Outcasts come looking for us? Or try to stop us? And, Phoenix, this island isn't that bad."

I pause for a moment, and then say, "We can drive them off the island. They aren't stronger than us. That'll give us the island, and they won't bother us for a while."

Skurge thinks about it for a moment, but then backs down, muttering, "I still don't think this is a good idea."

A few moments later, Ash steps forward, "I know this is crazy, but I kind of agree with Phoenix."

"What?" Dracen exclaims, "This is crazy! You guys know I'm not the fighting type."

"I know," I grumble, then perk up and say, "You can be a healer. You have been taking an interest in herbs lately."

"I'm not an expert, but-"

"No, no, this is great!" I say, "We can have rankings. Every dragon will play to his or her strengths. Those good at fighting will be fighters. Those that are good at hunting and flying can be hunters. There can be a couple of medicine dragons. Then I'll be the leader and I'll have a deputy and a delta."

"What about hatchlings?" Sawyer asks, "If we're going to be a…clan…. then there's going to have to be eggs and hatchlings. Who will take care of them?"

"How about females that don't want to do fighting or hunting?" Ash suggests, "They can be caretakers."

"Guys, come on." Skurge says, "Get real. What if the Outcasts do come up with a good plan?"

I snort, "Phh, I doubt it. They're not smart enough to."

They don't speak after that and I sigh. "Come on, guys." I whisper, "This is my dream, and it can be yours too. But I won't do this without you."

Ash looks around at everyone for a moment before taking a stand next to me, "I'm with you. This could be the greatest thing in dragon history."

I smile at her and thank her. A few moments later, Dracen, who was staring at his paws, says, "If you can get some of the other dragons to agree, then I'll come."

"I guess I'm in." Sawyer says, coming to stand beside me. We all look at Skurge now. He seems to be having a battle with himself. Finally, he growls, "If the Outcasts really don't have a good plan…then I'll join you."

I nod and thank him. I'm a little wary about his loyalties, though. I'll just have to keep an eye on him. Maybe even make him prove where his loyalties lie.

"Skurge! Stoneblood!" I turn to see Alvin calling to us and quietly growl. Grudgingly, I lumber towards him and we walk inside the Hall.

Once everyone's gathered, the meeting begins. And so does the dragons'. I lead them to the back of the Hall, and since most of them fear or respect me, they follow. Jumping onto a small stone table, I turn around and gaze down at the dragons.

"I have a proposition for all of you, and it could change the history of dragons forever, so choose wisely." I say in a strong imperious voice, and immediately they start murmuring to each other. Raising my tail for silence, I begin.

I explain my plan for a long time, and occasionally some of the gang helps. We talk about the rankings, and the safety and everything. As I speak, I see different emotions pass through the dragons' faces. A couple of times, someone from the crowd asks a question, but other than that, I'm not interrupted.

An hour later, I end by saying, "If you don't want to join us, we'll let you leave in peace, but you must help us with driving out the Outcasts or, if we see you on our territory, it won't end well. Just to let you know, it will benefit us, yourself, and your children if you join us. So who's with me?"

Immediately, the young Grapple Grounder, Whiplash, jumps up, "I am! We're better off without the Outcasts anyways."

I purr, proud of my student, and say, "Those who want to join me, go over there. Those who don't, over there."

The dragons shuffle around and I watch, trying to hide my anxiousness. In the end, a little less than half decide to come with us, but it's enough. There're not a lot of dragons on Outcast Island anyways.

I smile and look down at my friends. Ash and Sawyer are grinning up at me, while Dracen just nods, but I can see a faint smile on his face. Skurge doesn't look at me.

"Thank you, all." I say to the new members of my…clan. It feels good to say that. "Tell me your names and what you're best at."

"I'm Whiplash, a Grapple Grounder, and I'm good at fighting."

"I'm Nightwhisper, a Smothering Smokebreath, and I'm pretty good at both."

"I'm Dagger, a Hideous Zippleback, and I'm best at hunting."

"Viperfang, a Snaptrapper, I prefer fighting over hunting."

"I'm Skyflame, a Deadly Nadder, fighter."

"I'm Misty, Skyflame is my sister, and I'm also a fighter."

"I'm Crag, a Monstrous Nightmare, and I'm a hunter."

A few more dragons later, I turn to the other group, "You sure you don't want to join? Every dragon counts."

Nobody moves and I hide my disappointment. "Well, then." I say, "Let's get on to the plan to drive out the Outcasts. It will happen tonight, because tomorrow their plan will take place. Let's begin."

"Good. Now everybody eat, rest up, and be ready tomorrow!" Alvin calls after the Outcasts, who are slowly leaving the Hall. It's dusk, and both the humans and the dragons have finished their plans.

I wait for all the Outcasts to leave the Hall, before following them. "Remember, be in place and ready when I give the call." I say to the dragons behind me. They grunt to show that they heard and start separating. Each one of them was given their own station to be in, so when the time comes to attack, they'll be ready. I have to say; our battle plan is much, much, much better than the Outcasts. They won't even know what hit them.

"Hey, Phoenix!" Ash calls, trotting over to me, "What's going to happen to the island? I mean, we're dragons, so fire is bound to start up once we start fighting. What if the island burns down and we can't use it ever?"

I roll my eyes, "Don't be ridiculous! We're surrounded by water- the island can't burn down. The ocean mist and rain in the morning will probably put it out. And anyways, we'll be gone by then. The island will have enough time to grow, full of green plants and luscious fruits, since the Outcasts will be gone. Then, the boars, birds, and rodents will have enough to eat, and so will we."

Ash ponders about this for a moment, and then says, "Okay, but maybe you should ask that Wild Skrill that you met earlier to join us. She knows the ways of the Wild more than anyone; we're going to need her."

I sigh and nod, "Good point. Now go get ready."

My friend smiles, but before she goes, she whispers to me, "And also, you might want to keep and eye on Skurge. He's acting a little weird."

She scampers off and I look around for the Death. He's sulking around at the edge of the crowd.

Sighing, I take a deep breath before walking to him. When I'm a few feet away, I ask, "Hey, what's up? You're acting strange."

My old mentor looks at me and grumbles, "Nothing."

I nudge him with my nose, "Come on. Don't you want this?"

"I do," he says quickly, "I really do want this. It's just," he takes a deep breathe, "I want my revenge on Berk so badly. The Outcasts would've helped me do that. It's like something you've been planning for years being ruined."

I sigh and stay silent. To give me some time to think, I start licking my paw. I totally understand what he means. If I do this, then I won't get the chance to prove myself to my family. A few moments later, I look up and say, "You will get your revenge on Berk."

Skurge looks at me hopefully and I continue, "Berk is a nice island, right? And as the clan grows bigger, we'll need more territory. I want my revenge on my… family too. So, when the time comes, we'll attack Berk."

He grins and nods vigorously. "Thank you, Phoenix."

Raising my paw, I say, "I'm not done." He nods for me to continue, "If you are to be my deputy, you need to prove your…. loyalty to me. I'm sorry to say that I can't trust you fully when I can tell that you still have faith in someone else."

A look of confusion momentarily passes over his face, but then he seems to realize what I mean. It takes him a few moments to answer, but when he does, he says, "O-of course, m-my queen."

I inwardly smile as he calls me 'queen'. It feels good to be called that.

Nodding, I say, "Well, let's get on with it, shall we?"

Later

I crouch at the edge of the village, watching the two humans anxiously. Alvin and his deputy, Savage, are talking as they walk along the treeline of the forest. Narrowing my eyes, I quietly stalk forward.

Skurge is hidden in a nearby shack, watching. As I get closer, I hear Alvin say, "You better have everything ready dawn. I want this to start as soon as possible. Then we can get rid of their disgustin-"

I make a small noise and he looks over his shoulder. Turning back to his deputy, he snarls, "Just don't keep me waiting. Now go! Stoneblood wants me for something."

"Yes, Chief Alvin." Savage says before hurrying off to the village. I quickly signal Skurge with a flick of my tail and he nods. Alvin turns around to face me, "Ahh, Stoneblood. Ready to splatter some Viking guts?" he laughs.

Grinning maliciously, I say, "Well, yes, but they might not be a Viking's." Alvin's eyes widen in shock, "You- you just talked!" Purring, I pounce on him, "And that's not all I can do." I aim a blow to his neck, but he quickly recovers from his shock and dodges.

Whirling around, I see him take out a sword from his belt. "Now now, this doesn't have to get messy." I say before ramming my head into him. Grunting, he stumbles backwards but lashes out with his sword as I charge again. The blade meets my head and I yelp in pain.

Jumping backwards, I snarl. Alvin regains his balance and asks, "What do you think you're doing, betraying the one who took you in?" I quickly dodge an attack and manage to land a blow on his side.

"I'm just doing what's best for the higher species." I snap back and he snarls. He charges at me and swings his sword. Narrowly dodging, I seize my opportunity and leap on him, pinning him to the ground. He looks at me with wide eyes and goes limp.

I purr, happy with his choice, and prepare to give a killing bite when a bolt of pain explodes on my right wind-flap. Yowling, I stumble off of him and see his sword stained with blood and something white on the ground next to him.

My veins grow cold with hatred and I bunch up my muscles and pounce. As I leap over him, I whack him in the head with my tail. As soon as I land, I turn on the spot to see him on the ground, helmet off. Quickly running to him, I knock his sword aside with a paw and pin both of his arms down.

I dig my claws into his flesh and he whimpers. Looking up at me with pained eyes, he begs, "Please don't kill me. I'll do anything." Shaking my head, I say, "No you wouldn't. As soon as I let you up, you would attack me again."

Alvin bares his teeth and snarls, "Let me up, you stupid dragon! I am your Chief and you will do as I say." Growling, I quickly raise my right paw. My already cold veins seem to turn into ice as I deliver the fatal blow.

Alvin gasps and then goes limp. For good.

I stare at the bloody mess for a few moments. My adrenaline dies and the ice melts. This is what I've been waiting for. This moment. I'm the leader now, and my army is loyal to me.

My heart fills with bittersweet joy and I grin. Turning to Skurge, I see him slithering towards me with blood on his maw. He looks at me and nods. "Now with no leader or deputy," I say, "the Outcasts will fall."

He grins, flashing his sharp, deadly teeth. "When did you learn how to speak human?"

"Well, if we can understand them why can't we speak their language?" when he doesn't respond I tilt my head, "Shall we, then?" Skurge smirks and slithers towards me.

Purring, I tilt my head up and let out the loudest roar I can give, signaling for the battle to begin.

Guys, seriously. Why wouldn't they be able to speak human if they can understand it? And also, there are more dragons on her side, I just named the ones that will be mentioned most.

Btw Skurge killed Savage...just in case it wasn't clear