Glorious Politics

AN: So here's chapter three of Glorious Politics. There's no Mistral in this one, but he'll be back in the next one. I don't really have much else to say, so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Wings of Fire.

Chapter Three:

Glory spent several minutes just glaring at the door as she tried to get past that rather horrible conversation. However, in that whole time, there was no sign of her faithful bodyguard, again making her wonder where he was—of if he was there, why he let Mistral in. Eventually her curiosity and frustration caused her to take action, stepping outside to try and figure out where Jackass was.

Well, it didn't take long for her to realize that the Nightwing was at his post, and neither did it take long for her to see that he was quite clearly unconscious. And not as if he had fallen asleep, either. He was sprawled out on the ground, a single wing unfurled, and a chakram in his claws. Despite her dislike of him, she was still rather concerned to see him like that. "Deathbringer?" she called, shaking him roughly in order to wake him up. He startled awake after a few seconds, rolling over into an attack position, looking every which way until he saw that they were safe. He sighed in relief before wincing and rubbing the back of his head. "What happened?" she demanded.

"I got blindsided," he admitted, gazing off into the forest with a critical eye. "That Icewing tried to enter your room while you were sleeping. I blocked him with a wing and told him couldn't enter, but he tried to get past me." Glory was listening closely, so he continued. "At that point, I figured physical persuasion was the only thing he would listen to, but as soon as I touched him, he flipped out. I pulled out my chakram, traded a few blows with him, but then..."

He trailed off, but Glory could guess what he was going to say. "He actually knocked you out?" she asked, surprised. There weren't many dragons she knew that could fight better than this particular Nightwing. It was also more than a little surprising—and worrying—that Mistral had actually attacked him.

He grunted, clearly not happy about having been reminded of his failure. "That guy's bad news, Glory," he declared, and while she normally got on to him if he got to informal with her, she let it slide this time because of how genuinely worried he sounded. "I'll see what I can dig up on him, but until I know what he's capable of, you need to be careful." He looked pointedly at her as he continued. "It doesn't matter if it causes a political nightmare. If you feel threatened by him, do not hesitate to do whatever it takes to protect yourself. And that includes your venom."

While she was better about using her venom in self-defense than almost every other Rainwing, it was still more of a last resort for her. She'd use it in a pinch, but it didn't mean she would enjoy hearing the other dragon's tortured screams. So if his suggestion made her that uncomfortable by itself, the hidden meaning in his previous sentence made her even more so. He'd been her bodyguard long enough for her to know how he operated in certain scenarios. The best way he knew how to get information about anything was from the Sky Kingdom. He had a contact there—an information broker, of sorts—that preferred doing business face-to-face. According to the Nightwing, his contact was both reliable and discreet, so he should definitely be able to find information on Mistral there. However, that meant her bodyguard would be gone for a week or more. Mistral may have beaten him in a fight, but she still preferred to have him here...just in case.

So as much as she wanted to argue, she instead conceded to his unasked request. "Hurry back," she ordered him before sticking a claw in his face. "And if anything happens to me while you're gone, I'm blaming you."

Unsettled he may have been, but at least he didn't forget his manners. "Er...yes, ma'am." Glory dismissed him, and within moments, he was gone—heading towards the Sky Kingdom with all haste.

Now she was alone, but fortunately, as Mistral had pointed out, she had some friends in high places. It may have been late, but she'd rather do this now than have to wait to do it tomorrow. Because she may not have wanted to admit it, but the fact Mistral had taken out Deathbringer left her a bit shaken. She didn't trust that Icewing for a second, and if he turned on her for some reason, she'd stand no chance against him. So, she might as well find some new guards.

Temporarily, of course.

Maybe...

Since Moon was here, and she had a close, personal connection with Queen Thorn, she decided to write a message to the Sandwing Queen. Not really being known for bothering with pleasantries, her message was short and went straight to business. It was a request for Queen Thorn to lend a few guards for temporary assignment in the rainforest.

Sandwings may not have been the disciplined fighters like the Skywings or Icewings, but Thorn's Outclaws were well-trained, loyal, and extremely formidable fighters. Most, if not all of them, had been raised in the Scorpion's Den. A hazardous area like that forced anyone who lived there to learn how to survive and defend themselves. Basically, they grew up fast, and they grew up tough. Besides, even untrained Sandwings could be deadly if they landed but a single lucky hit with their tail.

And they breathed fire.

Probably not the best idea to use that in the middle of the forest, but it was still another weapon for them to use. And since the old Nightwing tunnel connected to the Sand Kingdom, Moon could get there and back with her new guards within a few hours. So, rolling up the message scroll and sealing it with the Royal Seal—another one of Starflight's ideas—she immediately set out for the Nightwing village. No sense in wasting time, after all.

The path was a familiar one, so it didn't take her but ten minutes to get there. It was almost dark at this point. Sunset was less than a half-hour away by the look of it. Even still, she could hear motion and voices from inside Secretkeeper's hut. Just like before, she didn't even have to knock on the door before a surprised Moon opened it. "You're out late..." Moon commented. "Did you need me for something else?" she guessed—and rather accurately, as well.

Glory passed the scroll to the Nightwing, who looked at it curiously. "I need you to deliver that to Queen Thorn as soon as possible...as in right now," she informed her friend.

Moon looked at the scroll for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright. Just give me a second." The door closed, though not all the way. Muffled voices drifted through the crack in the door, but she could hear enough to know that Moon was simply telling her mom that she would be leaving for a few hours, that she would be back late tonight, and to not stay up and wait for her. A moment of silence passed after that before Secretkeeper wished her daughter safe travels before Moon came back outside, shutting the door gently behind her. Glory decided to accompany Moon to the tunnel, so the Nightwing took the opportunity to make conversation while they walked. "So what is this?" Moon asked, referring to the scroll.

"Jackass is going to be gone for a while, so I hoped Thorn might lend me a few guards for a week or two," she answered, noticing the wince Moon tried to hide when she referred to Deathbringer by his less-than-flattering nickname. "Do you think she would agree?" she asked. It was highly unlikely Thorn wouldn't agree since the two of them were both good friends and allies. Since she had been raised with Sunny in that infernal cave, Thorn was both kind and caring to her. She was like that to Tsunami, Starflight, and Clay, as well. They may have been from different tribes, but the 'Dragonets of Destiny' had been raised like siblings. Sunny still acted like they were—they all did—and Thorn took care of them all whenever they needed help.

In a word, Thorn was motherly. To them, at least. Woe be unto those who were unfortunate enough to incur her wrath, though.

Moon snorted in amusement. "Of course she would. You're like a daughter to her, Glory. So is Tsunami. And Clay and Starflight are like her sons." Glory sort of figured despite Thorn never saying as much. Her acts of kindness were clue enough. Thorn usually sent all of the Dragonets a present on their Hatchday. Who else did that?

No one. Not Coral, not Clay's sib group, and certainly not Starflight's war-criminal father. As far as she knew, he was still rotting away in the Sandwing dungeons. Thorn didn't care for his unethical experiments, and since Starflight didn't care about him, Thorn offered to take the mad scientist into her own custody. Not seeing any issue—and not wanting to have to deal with him anymore—Glory had agreed.

So apparently, motherly was the right word to use.

Soon enough, they reached their destination, the two Nightwings guarding the tunnels saluting once they came into view. Moon smiled at Glory, thankful for being escorted this far. "Thanks for walking with me. I'll be back soon."

However, Glory stopped her before she entered the tunnel to the Sand Kingdom. "Actually, I have one more request for you." Moon tilted her head curiously, so Glory revealed the other thing that was on her mind. "I was wondering if you'd stay here in the Rainforest until you-know-who leaves. I would be a bit more comfortable with you keeping tabs on him." Yes, Sandwing guards would probably be enough, but Moon was her friend. Not only would a familiar face help put her at ease, but her ability to read minds could give them some advance warning in case Mistral planned to do something unpleasant.

Moon only thought about it for a few seconds before nodding. "I suppose I can do that. Maybe I can ask Thorn to send Qibli over once he's back." Glory smiled at the suggestion—another friend would be most welcome. She didn't even need to say anything for Moon to know what she thought of that. "Alright. I should get going if you want me back before tomorrow." With that, the Nightwing entered the tunnel, Glory staying behind for a few moments longer before heading back in the direction of her pavilion.

Now that that was done, there was nothing to do but wait until Moon returned with her requested backup. Normally, she would stay up to welcome them back even if they didn't return until after midnight. However, she wanted to be rested since she apparently had to wake up early tomorrow.

This situation, then, called for the use of one of her favorite belongings. It was quite practical, too, as it was quite useful for when she needed to do things after dark. The moon globe cutting that the Icewings had gifted in compensation for Icicle's crimes and the Battle of Jade Mountain had thrived surprisingly well in the much different climate, though that was probably to do with the animus enchantments on it. The Icewings were known for using wall sconces that held individual or even groups of moon globes to light their structures. Several of those fixtures were also in the hallways of Jade Mountain to reduce the number of open flames required to light the academy. Taking inspiration from that, Glory commissioned a modified candle-holder from the Sandwings. It was supposed to be a simple thing, but when Thorn got wind of it, she paid for it to be ornamented with Sandwing engravings and to be made of silver instead of iron. Despite not being one for overly flashy things, even Glory had to admit that it was quite beautiful.

After receiving her new present, it was a simple thing to put a moon globe in the fixture. A small clasp and hinge opened on the top to make placing the moon globe easy, and when it was secured, it would stay there and provide light for as long as the moon globe retained its ability to provide illumination. Since it was technically a bud from a tree, the globes eventually 'died' after a few days, but it was a simple matter to go get another globe.

Which is what she was doing now. It was a short detour to the tree, so it didn't take long to pick it, place it over her shoulder so it would follow her, and then return to her pavilion. Once there, she brought out her moon globe holder, opened the latch, placed it inside, and then secured it. She set it on the middle of her desk, and then immediately went to her room to sleep. Her pavilion was separated into two parts by a wall with a single opening that acted as a doorway. Atop the doorway was a wooden rail that a green silk curtain was connected to by silver clasps—both of which were from the Sky Kingdom. She used to use vines, but it got to be too tedious to always replace them after a week when they inevitably died. She positioned the curtain so only half the doorway was covered. Both the moon globe and the half-opened curtain would hint to Moon that she could bring her guards here and then wake her up when they arrived.

With that done, she settled herself down on her plush cushion and fell asleep within mere minutes. And then, an unknown amount of time later, she was awoken by gentle shaking and her name being whispered. "Glory..." Despite knowing she would be woken up in the middle of the night, she was still a little annoyed from having her sleep interrupted. However, her scowl disappeared when she saw Moon standing next to her. Blinking a few times to clear the sleep out of her eyes, she stood and nodded silently to Moon who stepped aside as the Queen went out to meet her new guards.

Two massive Sandwings were waiting for her, and even though she was expecting them, it still took her drowsy mind a few seconds to realize that they were supposed to be here. A moment of silence passed as she took in their appearances. Both were male and physically fit. Their size and musculature were impressive by Sandwing standards, but she had the sense that they were much quicker than they appeared to be. One of them was a bit larger and older than the first—most likely in his mid to late thirties—and had quite a few scars to match his serious expression. She didn't recognize him, though she did recognize the other one.

The younger Sandwing was one she knew moderately well, and he had a small smile on his muzzle. From previous conversations, she knew he was a few years older than her—twenty-three to be exact—and that despite his relatively younger age, he was one of Thorn's top operatives. And though he was smaller than his companion, he was by no means small. In fact, as Glory closed the distance between herself and the dragon she considered a friend, she noticed that he was at least three heads taller than her. And the bigger dragon next to him was a half-head taller than that. Now that she was done taking them in, Glory finally spoke. "You know, I shouldn't be surprised that you're here, but somehow I am," she addressed the younger male. He smirked before holding up a talon for Glory to shake. The Queen took the offered talon with her own small smile. "How's it going, Sobek?"

He shrugged after the released each other's talons. "Not too bad. Guard duty in the Sandwing Palace isn't as exciting as what I'm used to, but I can't complain. It's quiet, at least." His voice was deep and smooth like most young Sandwings, and he had a similar accent to Qibli—probably a result of growing up in the same place.

"So...guard duty in the Rainwing village is different how?" she asked slyly.

He just shrugged innocently. "Maybe I just like your company." Glory rolled her eyes at that.

Sobek was one of Thorn's outclaws—and one of the best, at that. He'd undertaken assignments ranging from sabotage to full on raids against Burn and Blister's forces during the war. Now that the war was over, there weren't many occupations suitable for a dragons of Sobek's skillset. Guard duty was too dull, as he said, and was as waste of his talents. A few years after the war ended, Sobek turned mercenary, working for the highest bidder, though his loyalty still remained with Queen Thorn, and he would drop everything in a heartbeat if his Queen needed him. Whenever he wasn't on contract, the Sandwing lived in the capital city—usually being worked into the guard schedule. Sobek may not like being a simple guard, but he disliked being idle even more. Oftentimes, whenever one of the former Dragonets of Destiny needed help, Sobek was the one who Thorn sent. No matter how small the problem may be, Thorn always sent her best whenever one of Sunny's friends needed help.

"Uh huh..." she muttered skeptically. It was remarkable that he was able to keep a good sense of humor despite everything he's been through. He wasn't flirting, she knew that for certain—they'd had an argument not long after Jackass' betrayal about that. After that, he became a bit more serious around her, though he still liked to joke around a little if the situation called for it. "So who's this?" she asked, eyeing the other Sandwing.

"Name's Diamondback," the now-named Sandwing grunted, his gravelly voice a hint that maybe he was older than she thought. Glory waited for any further elucidation on the matter, but apparently that was it.

"Don't mind him," Moon said, making Glory look to her friend. "He may be quiet and grumpy, but he's a nice guy once you get to know him. And he's really good at his job."

Glory looked at Diamondback out of the corner of her eye, and to her surprise, the old Sandwing seemed a bit flustered by Moon's words, though he hid it well. "Did Queen Thorn inform you of the situation?" she asked to them both.

"You mean about the violent Icewing that attacked your bodyguard?" Sobek summed it up. "Yeah, she might have mentioned something about that."

Diamondback was the next to speak. "Can we just cut the chit-chat? I'd like to know the details of this assignment sometime tonight, so I can actually get some sleep. I'm not as young as you three."

Sobek chuckled but didn't say anything, though his smirk said everything for him. Regardless, Glory told them about her visitor, and how he wanted to start the next day early. Then, she informed them that they could take any of the guest huts they wanted. To her surprise, however, both of them shook their heads. "No point in us being here to guard you if we're halfway across the village," Sobek explained. "There's room enough in here for us to sleep, and we'll take watches, obviously."

"Here?" Glory asked, more than a little uncomfortable with the idea. Despite that, however, she didn't argue. "Alright, if you insist. Just don't even think about entering my room!" she warned them.

"You won't need to worry about that. We're both professionals," the younger Sandwing assured her. Then, he turned to the other Sandwing with a grin. "I'll take watch for the rest of the night, so you can catch up on your beauty sleep."

Diamondback rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. Moon was the next to speak now that the Sandwings were either going to sleep or taking up watch outside the pavilion. "I spoke to Thorn about your other request, and she said she'd said Qibli here as soon as he came back, and that we could stay as long as you needed us."

Glory nodded, grateful for both Thorn's understanding and Moon's agreeing to help. "You can head on home. I'm sure your mother's starting to worry, and you don't need to worry about getting here at the break of dawn." Moon nodded gratefully, leaving the pavilion without a word.

With that all taken care of, Glory went back to her room and settled down, Diamondback's snoring already getting on her nerves. He wasn't loud, but it was something she wasn't used to. Oh well, I'm sure I'll get used to it...eventually. I can't exactly complain about it, either, since they came all this way to help me.

It took a bit longer to fall asleep this time, but eventually Glory joined the realm of dreams, as well. And thankfully, she wasn't interrupted again that night.

AN: For those of you who participated in the poll, I'm sure you'll recognize a familiar name in this chapter. All of the other characters will eventually show up, as well, but next chapter we'll see what happens when Mistral sees that Glory got some backup.

Until Next Time

AdmiralCole22