Hey guys! I'm here with another chapter! Sorry for the wait. I was on vacation last week for a summer camp and wasn't able to update y'all. But I'm back, so without further notice, here's chapter 12!

Glory's (POV)

Although I'm playing dead, it sure doesn't feel like that to me. I could be dead, or close to death, considering the huge, ugly black burns that cover my limp body and the fact that my scales are screaming at me right now.

I feel like I've just been baked in an oven set to the highest temperature possible. It's not a pleasant feeling.

To top things off, I can barely open my eyes, let alone catch a glimpse of where I'm being taken. I guess that's a good thing, so they don't catch me opening my eyes, or else that would ruin the whole 'dead' effect.

Although my vision is obscured by my burns, I can tell we're moving upwards on a slanted, very tight tunnel, and I'm starting to feel claustrophobic.

I start to feel panic, not knowing exactly what they do to dead bodies, and since I'm posing as one, I have the right to feel worried.

I manage with effort to keep my eyes open just a crack, enough to see my surroundings blurrily, but not enough to be obvious to the guards.

The stone tunnel abruptly leaves us, and I'm greeted by a warm blue sky and soft, chilly breeze. I can feel the drastic change in the altitude and struggle for breath. It feels like I'm barely sucking enough oxygen in to survive, and the burns clearly aren't helping my current situation.

Although I can only see the blue, cloudless sky, it feels as though we're not making any progress.

I'm able to see a hazy clump of clouds in the distance and realize the weather over there must not be quite as calm and peaceful as over here.

I close my eyes, letting the searing pain spread through my body without any fight, when the guards stop on a sudden note. I reopen my eyes and shift my head ever so slightly.

I doubt it's enough to see what's below, but it's enough, and when I see it, I nearly gasp.

Three feet away at the most, the ground drops off at a completely vertical angle into the crashing waves of the sea, leaving a sheer, jagged edge.

I know immediately what they will do to dispose of me and fight hard not to hyperventilate. I can only guess that at the bottom of the cliff are sharp, uneven rocks that my body will land on.

The guards have some unintelligible conversation before they sidestep to the edge. Unfortunately for me, my head is facing downwards, and I can't adjust it so I'm not looking straight down at the drop. All I can do is shut my eyes, not think about the fatal event, and hope for the best.

I suddenly feel myself being pulled back, and I know what they're doing. I let myself go limp, not wanting to tense up, and allow them to fling me from their arms and over the cliffside like a slingshot.

I'm in the air and dropping rapidly before I fully comprehend what just happened. Knowing the guards aren't able to see me clearly any longer, I allow myself to swivel my head, taking in the distance before contact with the rocks, and immediately wish I hadn't.

I only have a few seconds before the occurrence of my certain fate, so I spend those few wisely. I close my eyes and think about my friends and all the happy memories I have ever had. I know they're looking for me–that's just who they are, but I'm scared for them when they find my broken body lying at awkward angles at the bottom of a cliff.

I don't open my eyes until I make contact, which I expected to be solid, but instead, I find myself falling through the crisp, cold liquid of the sea. I somehow avoided the fatal rocks but feel the rush of water enter my snout, mouth, and ears.

I'm suddenly hit with something solid very hard, and realize I've hit the bottom. Although I avoided the rocks, I avoided them very narrowly, which meant the area I'm in is still very shallow.

I hit the ground with such force at such speed that I feel an unmistakable crack somewhere in my body, although I don't quite know where.

I realize my eyes are open underwater, and I take a moment to admire the beautiful scenery before I feel myself losing breath.

I scramble up to the surface, but it's a struggle, considering all of my beaten body parts.

I'm lucky to find a rather flat rock planted next to me when I reach the surface. I settle on it and take a moment to assess the damage I have taken. Other than a screaming pain in my leg, I don't seem to be too hurt.

Of course, the ugly black burns didn't just disappear, but the pain coming from them subsided a little, most likely from the contact with the sea.

I position myself comfortably so that I am not putting weight on my wounded leg, but also so that I can examine it, which I do.

I'm no expert, but I'm almost positive it's fractured, which is not ideal for my circumstances. My friends could be anywhere in Pyrrhia. How am I supposed to reach them with a broken leg?

Although I'm at a loss for what to do, I know they're probably heading to Scarlet's palace, since that's the most likely place I would be held hostage. And if they're around here, they may come across me, which would be even better.

But the optimism in that possible reality feels too fake to be true.

I shift into a more long-term position on the rock, making sure I'm camouflaged so I won't be spotted by potential dangers such as SkyWings, and lay my head down on my tail. My eyes close slowly, and before I know it, I'm in a dreamless sleep, the exhaustion taking over.

OooooooooooO

I'm not exactly sure what wakes me up. Maybe it's the soft breeze that tickles my scales. Or maybe it's the faint sounds of birds chirping. But since I feel rather well-rested, despite the screaming pain in my leg, the side effects of the burns, and the random headache I now have, I'll assume it's the fact that I got a good sleep, so I didn't need to sleep any longer.

I sit up, my eyes darting around my surroundings. Below, as expected, the waves crash against my rock, sending up an uncomfortable splash.

I ponder for a while about how to move somewhere safer, but my brain is rather foggy to think of anything good.

I stick a tentative talon into the shallowest part of the water around my rock. Three of my talons manage to submerge themselves into the salty seawater, but I keep the fourth elevated, not wanting to put unnecessary weight on it.

I hop to the cliff wall and prowl its perimeter with my three functioning legs, searching for some form of shelter.

To my utter surprise and disappointment, no caves, not even any crevices, broke through the walls of the cliff.

I groan and sit down heavily, causing water to spray me as it splashes up. I haven't reached the end of the cliff wall, but I can see the end, and there are no caves.

Beyond the cliff, however, is a mystery, since my sight can only go so far. I trudge through the last stretch of shallow water before I'm able to step onto a muddy bank in what looks like an overgrown swamp.

Perhaps I'm near the mud kingdom, or perhaps I'm in the middle of nowhere, with no way of contacting my friends.

After a short rest, I begin walking once more, and as I squash through the mud, I'm reminded of Clay, who would be in heaven here, and use all of my willpower to not tear up.

The mud smears my talons and my arms, which annoys me. Even my broken leg is somehow getting dirty.

The area is very muddy, and the farther in I go, the softer the mud gets. It also seems very humid, and right now, the heat is rather comforting.

Tall grass and shrubs cover the area, hiding me from view, which I am grateful for.

I come across a murky pond in the middle of the swamp. Lizards and frogs dart around. My headache has grown in agony, so I lay down. Even though I'm smeared in mud, I don't particularly care. The warmth is all that matters. But I know I'll regret my decision later.

Just before sleep takes over, something catches my attention. It's the sound of dragons speaking in hushed, urgent voices.

I raise my head slightly and check myself to make sure I am camouflage, which I am. I can only see the source of the voices when craning my neck, which is uncomfortable.

I spot two MudWings walking aimlessly, they're heads lowered in concentration. I'm not really surprised to see MudWings. It is, afterall, a swamp, which means this is the outskirts of the Mud Kingdom.

"It happened just today?" one of them asked. What happened today? I strain my ears, trying to hear their whispering voices.

"Yeah, I just got word from the Scarlet," the other replied. "She's dead." They think I'm dead. They don't know I'm listening to their every word. Best to keep it that way.

"And her friends?" I'm all ears now. I know who they're talking about. My friends, the dragons I must go back to.

"I'm not sure." The MudWing sounds disappointed, as if he failed his mission. "But no doubt they're out looking for her. And in the wrong place too. She's dead, but they don't know that, so they'll walk right into Scarlet's trap." The two dragons cackle evilly for a bit.

My heart rate picks up. My friends could be in trouble. They could end up like me, only not supposedly dead, but actually dead.

I have to do something, anything, to prevent that. Even if it means facing Scarlet again. Especially if it means facing Scarlet again.

I'll never let what happened to me happen to them. Never in a million years.

Sooo, that was chapter 12, hope you enjoyed it. Please tell me what you think, your feedback is always appreciated :). Again sorry for the long wait and thank you for your patience. As always, thanks for reading and have a lovely day!

See ya in the next one.

Ducky :)