After a day of enjoying the town Cinis, Uraninite, and Heim are landing on the remnants of a ruined stone pier. As they are walking Cinis' armor is making a racket as the plates clank and slide past each other.
His frustration rising, Cinis snarls at his chestplate, "Oh will you shut up. I'm trying to be stealthy." Then, as if by magic, the armor ceases its sound even when he jumps forward, "Of course it can obey me."
As they soundlessly glide through the forest of the island they find their way to a half destroyed wall surrounding remnants of a stone courtyard where a pair of SkyWings, an IceWing, a SeaWing and a SandWing are gathered around a fire. Settling down Cinis' party hides in the rubble on top of the wall as a vaguely familiar voice speaks, "That's great Merlin, now Avalanche what do you have to offer?"
"Most pressing is the matter of Blister," provides an unfamiliar feminine voice, apparently Avalanche, "She was briefly captured by Prince Cinis."
"The prince that was around for only a year? The one who teamed up with Vermillion and doused me in tar and feathers," growls the first voice.
"He did that?" asks Avalanche.
"Yes, I spent the rest of the day getting the tar out of my scales! Anyway I want you to keep track of Cinis, if he's back then that could change a lot of things."
"Now's as good a time as any. Uraninite," whispers Cinis, "You should come down with me just in case I need to intimidate the IceWing. Just keep to the shadows until I call you."
Cinis glides down into the firelight, "How could lil ol' me change much?"
With the reflexes of a trained soldier the older SkyWing spits a bolt of flame towards him and with skill he didn't know he had Cinis pins her with her snout pointed away from him and his spear to her throat, "Well that's not how one is meant to greet a prince," she only growls in response, "No need to worry I just need information."
Getting off her Cinis lets her stand as Avalanche rushes to her side, "Kingfisher, are you okay?"
Shoving the offered claw away she stands, "It's not often that someone disables me, especially one so small and half starved. Well done. Now what information do you need?"
"I'm not that small! I'm bigger than Scarlet!" Says Cinis
"Barely," scoffs Kingfisher.
"Anyway on to what I came here for," Cinis looks to the IceWing, "IceWing, I need regular updates on the troop movements of the IceWing Army. The ones Aurora provided us won't be accurate for long. Oh and maps would be great."
"What treasure do you have?" asks the IceWing.
"Cirrus I've told you to come to me or Kingfisher if you get asked for information." Says the SeaWing.
"Sorry Merlin, sir," spits Cirrus hefty amounts of sarcasm on the word sir, "I'm getting treasure and you're already here. So how much treasure will there be, Prince?"
"How much do you value your life?" asks Cinis as he lays down next to the fire.
"What?" asks Cirrus.
"You heard me."
"Um, well I'd require ten thousand gold ounces before I even consider risking my life."
"So you prize your life?" clarifies Cinis.
"If you threaten him I will kill you!" spits Kingfisher.
"You weren't able to before," teases Cinis.
"Well," stammers Kingfisher, "That was because you surprised me!"
"Where are you going with this?" asks Cirrus.
"As Kingfisher knows, maybe you to Avalanche if you went to Shrike's execution, my father is a disgruntled animus that was making me into the perfect weapon. As such he gave me many gifts, faster flight, heightened senses, many other things I don't even know about, and even my own NightWing," he waves a claw and Uraninite exits the flickering shadows easily dwarfing the Talons, "ShadowKiller here follows my every order. Even killing rather annoying IceWings."
"Y-You're bluffing!" calls Cirrus.
"Am I? Killer, show him your strength, but don't kill him yet." Says Cinis with a carefree tone.
In the blink of an eye Uraninite brings the back of the metallic claws across Cirrus' cheek knocking him into a wall, turning towards the Talons he pleads, "Aren't you going to help?"
"You were the lizard that got yourself into this," comments Kingfisher as the others merely look on.
As Uraninite is approaching him he puts his wings in front of his face, "I'll do it! Just don't kill me!"
"Good, you'll pass the information to either me, General Flare, or ShadowKiller here every week and if it's inaccurate then you will die." Says Cinis.
"I'll need some time to get the maps," he points to a pouch that is still next to the fire, "But copies of the troop movements are in there. Working in the Royal Mail Room has its advantages."
As Cinis is reaching for the pouch Kingfisher places a claw on it, pinning it beneath sharp talons, "This is ours if you need information then you need to go through the proper channels."
"What's keeping me from just taking it?" asks Cinis.
"Me," growls Kingfisher .
Getting up from his lounge next to the fire Cinis walks over to where Kingfisher is standing, "Ah I see. What are the proper channels?"
Kingfisher doesn't get to answer as Cinis hits her across the snout with a wing knuckle before lifting and throwing aside the claw pinning the pouch in a single unexpected motion, overbalancing her and nearly knocking her into the fire. Grabbing the pouch he flees into the darkness with Uraninite close behind.
After landing on a mountainside overlooking possibility he looks around to ensure they were not followed. Relieved he lays down.
"That was amazing!" calls Uraninite, "Who would know that my first outing since my promotion would be so eventful. When I get back I must ask Flare to allow me to go back into combat!"
"As a Major you are far too important to be doing grunt work," supplies Cinis.
Uraninite gives a wide smile, "I don't care! If just being near action gives me such a rush, imagine what it'd be like to actually engage in it!"
"Well it's far too late to go now, let's find a hotel." Says Cinis.
As they are checking into a hotel a feminine voice rings from the hallway to the rooms, "If it isn't the crossbreed freak."
Turning to the source, Cinis sees a rather generic if not disheveled looking SkyWing accompanied by a large NightWing. Stepping forward, Cinis speaks, "I'm Prince Cinis. Is there a problem?"
"Hah!" laughs the SkyWing, "As if a prince would associate with lesser, crossbreed worms."
"You ought to treat Major Uraninite with respect, civvy." Sarls Cinis.
"Don't listen to Merlot," comments Uraninite, "She was my rival for my late husband's affections. She's just mad he prefers more than just genetically basic SkyWings."
"Wasn't that like twenty years ago?" asks Cinis, "Nonetheless let's just find another hotel."
Turning around they are greeted by a pair of muscle bound SkyWings and a NightWing.
"It's a shame such a great doctor lowered himself so far as to mate with a lowly SkyWing," calls the NightWing next to Merlot.
"And such an horrific aberration deserves to die!" calls Merlot.
"Oh boy will it shock you when you find out that the grand nephew of Scarlet herself is half RainWing!" laughs Cinis as a pair of NightWings emerge from the shadows and another SkyWing stands from the cushions in the middle of the lobby.
"You don't stand a chance against all seven of us," boasts Merlot, "So how about you kindly turn over and die?"
Cinis Shrugs. "I've killed two IceWing generals, five IceWings, two SandWings, Four SeaWings, General Oarfish, and I've captured Blister. I can handle a few measly criminals."
"I am not a criminal!" calls the large NightWing next to Merlot, "I am Queen Battlewinners most trusted soldier and assassin. Not to mention I was the one who wrote that prophecy that everyone worships."
"Aren't you married?" asks Uraninite, "Why are-"
"Attack!" orders the NightWing.
As Cinis raises his spear towards the nearest SkyWing he collapses his throat slit. Shaking himself out of his surprise he looks up to see knives flying from what seems to be empty space to kill four more dragons. Realizing that things are not going his way the large NightWing flees down the hall before slamming open a side exit. His black scales cause him to disappear into the dark night sky. With a curse Cinis returns to the lobby where Uraninite drives her ruby tipped claws into Merlot's chest.
"Good thing I was here," says a voice from the thin air next to Cinis before it ripples revealing Lyre, "Otherwise you'd be dead."
"I've charged into a ball of SeaWings and SandWings wanting to kill me," pouts Cinis sounding a bit indignant, "I would've survived."
"Well there's nothing you can do now. You're stuck with me." Teases Lyre.
"Until I head back to the front tomorrow morning."
"About that-"
"No, you are not elisting!"
"Why not?"
"Because -" Cinis hesitates for a moment, thinking of a reason before stammering out, "Y-you're not trained!"
"I am trained, I just killed seven dragons alone." says Lyre waving to the dead dragons.
"Five. One ran, the other was killed by Uraninite," corrects Cinis, "You were trained as an assassin, not a soldier!"
"Same thing," dismisses Lyre.
"No it's not! An assassin is trained to remain unnoticed and kill important dragons. A soldier is trained to line up and kill unimportant grunts. Not to mention facing five dragons alone is nothing like facing fifty alongside your brothers in arms. Not to mention the only advantage you RainWings have is the ability to disappear and you can't do that in armor."
"Actually," she holds up a bracelet that is identical to the one she gave Cinis, "This is Majesty's bracelet and your father put two enchantments on it. The first was the one to keep us safe and the other was that anything a RainWing is wearing will also be able to go invisible," she points to the pouch around her throat, "You didn't see this when I came to your rescue, did you?"
"You still can't go," reiterates Cinis.
"I am my own dragon. I can do whatever I want," a smile crosses her face, "Wait- it's because I'm your mother isn't it. You don't want your mommy to dot over you in front of your big tough army friends. You don't want me to embarrass you."
"What no!" Cinis sighs, "It's because you are the only sane parent I have. If you were to die I'd be devastated. I've had to deal with a cold, callous, and uncaring father for my entire life. Now that I have a parent that shows me actual respect and not as a simple tool to accomplish a goal that'll be tossed aside as soon as its usefulness is done. I don't want to lose you."
"Oh Cinis," coos Lyre, wrapping her wings around Cinis, "I'll survive anything. These bracelets were designed to keep their wearers safe. As long as I have one of these bracelets I'll survive anything life throws at me. Now how about you and your friend here sleep in one of my safehouses instead of some sketchy prostitute riddled hotel."