Glorious Politics

AN: If anyone's curious as to why I didn't post for my other two stories last weekend, I had family from out of state visiting and just didn't have the time to work on them. And instead of pushing the whole schedule back a week, I just went ahead and skipped that week's posts since those two stories are my less popular ones (For now, hopefully).

Not much else to say except enjoy the slightly longer chapter. And thanks to SpyroAndSisuFan for beta'ing this particular chapter.

AN: I do not own Wings of Fire. Sobek, Mistral, and Veneno are my OCs. Mystic belongs to Flerovium.

Chapter Thirty-One:

Winter's warning hadn't dissuaded her at all. In fact, she was more determined than ever to succeed where an unknown number of others had failed. It did, however, make her realize that her strategy would have to change. If Glory couldn't win him over, then Mistral needed to be the one to deepen their current relationship. She would keep acting like his friend and patiently wait until he came to love her back.

Her eye twitched at the thought. Every now and then, she'd realize just how creepy this situation was. Here she was actively trying to make cunning plans to have him fall in love with her when he'd already made it clear he wasn't interested in being more than just friends. It made her feel...dirty.

Regardless, she'd ease back on the subtle hints for now. The decision came just as Mistral entered, his expression once again carefully neutral. "I assume you're ready for me?" His tone, too, was professional. It was a far cry from how informal he was just days ago, and she had to mentally curse Winter for being right as the clues began to connect.

"Yes," she confirmed, wondering if she should apologize for her recent behavior or just not acknowledge it at all. She decided to not acknowledge it in case he wasn't entirely sure. Even if he had his suspicions, it was probably better to not confirm them. "First, thank you for repairing things between you and Winter. You definitely could have handled the situation with a bit more tact, but I'm glad things turned out well in the end." Even if she didn't fully understand how. "Second, pardon my curiosity, but how did you learn to fight so well?"

"You know why," was his clipped response.

She frowned. "Yes, I do know why. I wondered how you learned to fight. Who trained you?"

"The same dragon that taught Winter. I was raised in the royal household after..." He trailed off and glanced behind him where Bloodwalker was just visible in the other room. "After," he repeated with more finality. "That being said, I received the best training possible. I may have started later than Winter, but he got exiled. I didn't. I was able to complete my training, unlike him. And then when I served in the military, I got field experience to go with that training. I may be a politician now, but I was soldier before that."

"One of the best?" she guessed.

He nodded, his posture becoming a bit more relaxed. "One of the best," he repeated quietly, looking away. "It's not what...they wanted for me, but after her, I realized the only dragon I could count on to protect me was me." His voice had grown hard by the end, but then he sighed quietly and looked back to her. "Why do you ask?"

"Well...you might say recent events have...opened my eyes a little." Between being captured and held prisoner and then huddling behind Thorn, Winter, Mistral, and Bloodwalker during the attack on the Nightwing village, she was coming to realize her ability to actually defend herself was rather lacking. She couldn't always count on Bloodwalker or someone else to bail her out of trouble if it came knocking. "I was wondering if maybe you could train me? Or at least teach me a few things." After seeing what he was capable of, she had no doubt he was the best choice available to her.

He studied her for a moment, and his expression was once again difficult to read. "What about the Nightwing? Or Winter since he's in your service now?"

"I'm sending Winter on an assignment, so he'll be away for quite a while, I imagine. Besides, he already lost to you, and I imagine Bloodwalker would, too." He looked skeptical, so Glory called out for the Nightwing, who entered a few seconds later. "Do you think you could beat Mistral in a one-on-one fight?"

The assassin blinked in confusion before glancing at the Icewing. "In a fight like that?" he gestured outside with his head, referencing the fight between the two Icewings from just minutes ago. "Probably not. I'm good, but I was trained to use the environment to my advantage. In an open fight, I'd be at a disadvantage."

Glory just gave Mistral a look, but he wasn't convinced in the slightest. "My style of fighting requires a certain amount of...size that you don't have." In emphasis, he just gestured in her general direction.

"You just pointed to all of me," she scoffed.

He shrugged. "You are considerable smaller in both physical size and weight compared to even the smallest, fully-grown Icewings. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. Couple that with your ability to camouflage, and the assassin's techniques are more suited to you."

"Then Bloodwalker can teach me some stuff, too," was her immediate counter. "Mistral, I may not be the biggest dragon out there, but I saw you in action just now. You were amazing!" He frowned at that and looked away. "I'm sorry if you don't like compliments, but it's the truth. If anyone could teach me how to defend myself, it's you. I don't want to be weak and defenseless anymore."

Mistral glanced back at her and shook his head. At first, she thought he was denying her request, but her heart actually fluttered when he spoke. "You aren't weak Glory. Physical strength isn't the only strength that matters. You are a strong, capable Queen, but...every dragon has the right to learn how to defend themselves." She actually smiled, not just because he agreed, but also from the clear compliment. "But training under me won't be easy. I won't be soft on you just because of who and what you are."

"Good. I've never shied away from hard work." He huffed and shook his head in clear skepticism. Even Bloodwalker looked a bit uncertain, and she was suddenly starting to think that maybe this wasn't the best idea.

"Try saying that when I'm through with you," the Icewing responded as he turned and walked out. Before he left the pavilion, he called back, "We start tomorrow!"

Glory and Bloodwalker watched the door for several moments before she turned to the Nightwing. "Did I make a mistake?" She had no qualms about working out or getting in better shape. Admittedly, she was a bit envious of Anemone's toned physique, even if it was the result of an enchantment. Years of a less active lifestyle had ended up making her a bit softer than she'd like even if no one in their right mind could call her fat. She was still as lean as ever, but the muscles she gained during her dragonethood training were pretty much gone, and it would be nice to get back into prime condition like that again. Mistral made the whole thing sound much worse than she anticipated, though. It couldn't be that hard to get back in shape, right?

Bloodwalker had been studying her form in thought for a few moments, and she glared at him, not appreciating the fact he was staring. At last, he shrugged and looked away. "...Maybe. Icewing training is rough from what I hear. Rumor has it that even Skywings shy away from some of their methods." Oh...well...

If the best soldiers on Pyrrhia couldn't handle Icewing training, what hope did she have? Still, it meant spending more time with him. And maybe...just maybe, she could handle it, and all that pain would be worth seeing Mistral's impressed expression and hearing his praise. She smiled wistfully at the thought.

Then, she sighed. Spending more time with him was just a bonus. Getting back into shape and refreshing her combat skills were the primary goal here, and she wasn't just deluding herself here. She was the Queen of two tribes. She needed to be at her best, and she needed the dragons around her to be the best. Bloodwalker was a phenomenal assassin and a perfect bodyguard. Winter would be an amazing field operative. Greatness, despite her secrets, was the best advisor and Nightwing representative she could have ever hoped for.

Mistral was the best fighter she knew, so she wanted him to be the one to train her. If she was hoping to be at her best physically, she needed to be trained by the best.

Never again did she want to be helpless in the face of dragons like Sobek. Even if she couldn't beat them, she might be able to take them by surprise and escape. Increasing her odds of living after violent confrontations was the entire point of learning how to defend herself. She'd ignored her training for too long. Before, she was completely safe in her Kingdom with no enemies and no reason to worry. Now, things were becoming increasingly dangerous—and it seemed to be for her specifically.

Sobek, Magnificent, and Mystic were confirmed threats. Cobra, Vulture, and Deathbringer were considered 'possible threats', but it was more likely than not that they were 'actual threats'. That was a lot of dangerous dragons after her head, so it was better to be prepare in any way possible.

That particular line of thought would probably make it harder, if not impossible, for her to sleep tonight, but she decided to turn in for the night, regardless. Or she would have, if someone hadn't knocked on her door. The dragon awaiting her permission to enter wasn't one she particularly wanted to see right now, but he seemed rather anxious, and the scroll he was holding was probably important. "What is it, Horus?"

"A letter from Queen Ruby," was his reply, holding it out for her. The seal was already broken. "The courier gave it to me, so I didn't even think about looking for who it was addressed to." She walked over and took the scroll from the Skywing, glancing at him suspiciously before unrolling it. "I only read the first few sentences before realizing it wasn't meant for me, I swear."

Wondering yet dreading what had the Skywing in such a tizzy, Glory opened the scroll and read through it. By the time she was done, anger was the only emotion she felt. No doubt her scales were as red as the Skywing next to her. "REALLY!? We've got terrorists attacking cities, prisoners being broken out of prisons, and Queens getting held hostage, and this is what she's doing!? Has she lost her friggin' mind!?"

"What does it say?" Bloodwalker asked. He was clearly concerned by her outburst.

"Ruby wants to hold a summit meeting of all Queens to discuss the 'looming hostilities between tribes' and 'threats of war from the Rain Kingdom'! 'If no peaceful resolution can be found with the current Queen, the Kingdom shall be taken by force and turned into a vassal state until a new Queen can be found'!" She threw the letter down with a snarl. "She has gone way too far this time! That is an actual declaration of war, maybe not against my Kingdom, but against me personally!"

Glory snatched the scroll back up from the floor and began stomping out before whirling to the Skywing with a furious growl. "And you! Get your troops out of my Kingdom, or I swear I'll draw first blood!"

Horus couldn't meet her gaze, but he did nod mutely. "You have my word," he spoke quietly. "If it's worth anything, I don't agree with what Queen Ruby's trying to do."

Glory studied him for a few moments before nodding, her anger dissipating slightly. "It's worth something. But I still want you out." Before her very eyes, the Skywing disappeared as if he'd never been there in the first place. She blinked in surprise, unable to comprehend what just happened.

"Have you seen this!?" The familiar voice made the disappearing Skywing make a bit more sense. Turning, the Rainwing spied an equally furious Anemone standing there, holding a similar letter.

Glory held up her own letter. "Yeah, and I was just about to go tell Thorn."

"Good! If any Queen's going to be forcefully replaced, it's going to be her. This is...is—AGH!" Glory could understand the frustration. Thankfully, that roar seemed to have calmed the Seawing down a little. "I've already ordered my forces to start mustering in case this thing goes sideways. I suggest you do the same. Like it or not, war is looking more and more likely because Ruby's pride has been hurt. Our three Kingdoms are stronger together than hers alone, and she doesn't like it!" The amount of venom in the Seawing's voice would rival a Sandwing barb in lethality.

The Skywings have been the strongest tribe on Pyrrhia for the past two thousand years. For most of that time, they've been the continent's peacekeepers and economic hub. With the Sandwing markets rebuilt, that economic dominance wasn't as secure as it used to be, and with the Rain, Sand, and Sea Kingdoms allied, the Skywings no longer had the strongest military force on Pyrrhia.

It was a stupid reason to threaten war for, but Ruby hadn't seemed in her right mind for a while. Maybe the attack during her wedding had caused her to snap. Or maybe being Scarlet's daughter meant more than anyone was willing to admit. Regardless, this threat wouldn't go unanswered.

"Bloodwalker, go find Winter. He's leaving with us on the morrow. Then, go to the Arboretum, light the brazier, and ring the signal bell three times." After the first incident with Darkstalker, she'd realized that there needed to be a better way to call the residents to arms than just shouting in the streets. The brazier was only ever lit for two reasons: for games and for emergencies.

The bell, however, was only ever used for three dire situations. Constant ringing meant a fire was loose. One bong every five seconds for a minute was a call to gather, usually when she had an important announcement to make. That was the least dire of the bell's three signals. The last was just three bongs back-to-back. It's meaning: To arms and prepare for attack! So far, that signal had only ever been used in drills, ones that the public had known about and were prepared for. No drill had been announced, so she was hoping everyone knew this was the real deal.

Like Anemone said, if this summit went sideways, she wasn't going to let her subjects be taken by surprise. If there was an attack coming, they'd be prepared for it. The Rainforest didn't have a standing army, but it did have a militia. Some Nightwings had taken over Tsunami's place in training the Rainwings to fight. It was voluntary, of course, but last estimates placed it at nearly six thousand strong. Hopefully, that was enough to at least hold back an attack if there wasn't a massive fire to worry about.

Anemone and Glory were walking quickly through the dark rainforest when the bell sounded.

*BONG* *BONG* *BONG*

In less than a minute, shouts were ringing out and dragons were leaving their homes. Civilians were heading towards the Arboretum while some, armed with blowpipe or spear gathered in the streets, waiting for an attack to come. To those that were closest, Glory shouted, "Spread the word: the Kingdom is on high alert! War may be coming!"

Rainwings and Nightwings alike went to do just that. Until the signal bell rang again, they would remain on high alert even if it meant waiting weeks or months. That was the ideal scenario, at least. She knew dragons would get restless or complacent if too much time passed with nothing happening. The important thing right now was to make the possible threat known.

The two Queens were nearing the portal when Thorn and about fifty other Sandwings marched through. Other than the Eye of Onyx, which Thorn always wore outside of her private quarters, the Sandwing was also carrying a leather knapsack and was wearing a contraption Glory had never seen before. It looked almost like a gauntlet with leather and metal securing one to each of Thorn's feet. Razor-sharp metal claws covered Thorn's own claws in a protective shell while also extending their natural length. The claws made a metallic clack with each step, and looked equal parts dangerous and absurd. Before Glory could ask about them, the Sandwing Queen's gaze was drawn to the lit brazier just visible through the trees at this distance. "Good, you've already spread the warning." Then, she turned to her troops. "Find the Skywing soldiers and detain them!"

"I already took care of it!" Anemone shouted, the Sandwings pausing. "They're all back in the Sky Kingdom, courtesy of yours truly and her phenomenal, cosmic power. Still, I'd recommend your troops take command of the situation here. Trained soldiers are better than mere militia."

Thorn turned to a large female next to her and nodded sharply. The female, probably the highest-ranking officer here, started giving her troops orders. Most went off into the forest, though some, including her, stayed behind with Thorn.

Now that defenses were taken care of, there was one last thing to do. "I need Greatness back," Glory demanded. Thorn didn't immediately respond. Rather, she just studied the Rainwing skeptically. "If I'm going to be gone, I need her here to take over for me. Place her under house arrest in my pavilion and have some troops guard her if you want, but I need her back. She's basically my heir right now."

After a few seconds, Thorn finally turned to the other female Sandwing. "Fetch the Nightwing and some additional guards to watch her. I want her under constant guard for as long as she's out of that cell."

The Sandwing nodded and turned to a few of the remaining Sandwings. "You heard the Queen! Get to it!" Two Sandwings ran back through the portal under their commander's glare. Thorn gazed at the other female curiously. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather stay and manage this situation myself. If I'm to take charge here, I'm going to do just that." Thorn smirked and then gestured for the other two Queens to lead the way. Then, the four were walking back to Glory's pavilion.

"By the way, this is Veneno," Thorn introduced the other Sandwing. "She's been with me since the beginning—since before even the Outclaws. I trust her with my life, and so I trust her with yours. She'll be commanding the Sandwing garrison here and will answer directly to you."

"Thanks, mom," Glory nodded, giving the Sandwing Queen an appreciative smile. Thorn smiled back and draped a wing over the Rainwing's back. A faint smile appeared on Veneno's muzzle, breaking her stern expression for a moment before it faded.

Anemone snorted in amusement. "Kind of funny that you're alright with Sandwings in your Kingdom, but moons have mercy on Skywings who try to do the same thing."

"The difference is I asked for the Sandwings," Glory replied. Anemone just grinned. "But I can't wait to meet this new Outclaw." While Sobek turned out to be a horrible dragon, Diamondback had been a really good friend. Hopefully, Veneno would turn out to be more like the latter. "How'd you two meet?"

Thorn glanced at Veneno, who studied the two younger Queens upon hearing Glory's question. Eventually, she answered, her expression becoming a bit softer as she glanced at Thorn. "I raised her." Glory and Anemone glanced at each other, dumbstruck.

"She raised you? Why have I never heard of this?" Glory wondered.

It was Veneno who answered once more, her expression hard once more as she glared at the other two dragons. "Because I didn't want anyone to know," she snapped. "I don't want any of her enemies using me to get at her. So keep your mouths shut about it. The only reason I'm telling you is because she thinks so highly of you two."

"Do Qibli and Sunny know?" Anemone asked, curious.

"Qibli does. I told him not long after Thorn formally adopted him. I've yet to tell Sunny. I hear she's not very good at keeping secrets." That was fair. It's not that Sunny meant to tell others stuff they weren't supposed to know. She just got so excited about stuff and loved talking to others so much that things tended to slip out. Tsunami once joked that Sunny needed to grow some gills on her brain to filter out the stuff she wasn't supposed to say.

"What's your story, though, Veneno?" Glory asked the older Sandwing.

"Wouldn't you like to know..." she grumbled. "Maybe I'll end up telling you one day since I'm supposed to make sure you stay alive. For the record, though, this wasn't my idea. I'd rather stay with Thorn and make sure she stays alive." Veneno glared at her Queen and... Actually, what was Thorn to her? Was she just a friend? A daughter? A partner-in-crime?

"Qibli and Six-Claws will be with me constantly. I'm protected well enough in my highly secure palace, and I, for one, haven't neglected my combat training." Thorn's pointed look made Glory wince internally. She'd already taken steps toward correcting that oversight, at least. "My daughter needs you more than I. Speaking of which: I've already drafted the necessary scrolls to make that official, Glory. It just needs your signature."

That was...unexpected. Until now, it had just been what felt was right. Thorn felt like her mother, so she called her 'mother'. To turn that into reality? Glory smiled. "Then, I need those scrolls." Thorn smiled at Glory's acceptance, using her wing to bring the Rainwing closer. In return, Glory laid her head against Thorn's neck as they continued to walk. "Random question, though...what's with the claws?"

Thorn glanced down at them with a small frown. "Something new the smiths are trying out. They work well enough in testing, but it requires someone else to attach and detach, making them more than a hassle to use reliably. Plus, it makes it impossible to pick up anything without cutting it. I was in the middle of testing them out when Ruby's letter arrived, and I just haven't had a chance to have them removed yet, such was my rush to get over here."

"It's a good concept in theory, though the design could use some refinement," Veneno commented. "Perhaps a mechanism to retract the claws for ease of use."

"It's a proof of concept," Thorn shrugged. "If the design can be perfected, I think I'd definitely like a pair for myself."

"They're definitely interesting," Anemone agreed. "Could you send the designs to me? I have some dragons in mind that might make something out of them." Intrigued, Thorn nodded, promising to do as requested. "What do you think, Glory?"

Glory studied the metal claws, though it was a bit hard since Thorn was continuing to walk. In the end, though, she came to a few conclusions. "They'd never be practical for mass manufacturing. Swords and spears are a lot easier to make than those." Even as a proof of concept without fancy mechanisms to retract the claws, they were still a complex device with a lot of small, moving pieces to allow the metal claws to flex with the wearers actual claws. Plus, there were straps galore to make sure they were secure and wouldn't fall off. "Plus, not all dragons have the same size claws. Those won't fit on me, no matter how you adjust them since mine are too small. It would be too tedious to have them specially fitted for every dragon in an army."

Thorn chuckled, clearly impressed. "All good points. And you're right, they will never become as widespread as swords or spears, but some dragons, like myself, might be interested in having a set just to say they have one. Besides, why make a set of metal claws when your own claws work well enough? They really have no practical use, but they're an oddity many dragons might want."

"And who's to say they need to be weapons?" Anemone argued. "They could be used as prosthetics for dragons missing their claws."

"Another valid point," Thorn nodded. "In any event, I like to support such projects. You never know what some tinkers will come up with. And some inventions could very well have a different use than the one it was originally meant for."

They arrived at the area below Glory's pavilion just then, and several higher-ranked Sandwings had split the Nightwings and Rainwings into different divisions and were giving each individual division their own orders and tasks. She overheard one Sandwing ordering his division to start setting up barricades in key parts of the village. Another was ordering the largest division to create a firebreak around the entire village.

"This is going to be a nightmare," Veneno grumbled. "Defending this place from an army of firebreathers is going to be near impossible. Literally everything is flammable."

"Good thing we have two possible escape routes," Glory muttered, seeing her point. It didn't matter how many dragons were here to defend it from the Skywings when they could just burn them out. Fighting them in the desert would be preferable, but the Nightwing island was a desperate last measure if everything went wrong. The hostile conditions there would definitely work in their favor, taking away the Skywings' flight. And for those who didn't know that island, it was certain death to navigate.

"Hopefully, we won't need either," Thorn said quietly. "But if things go from bad to worse, I want this village emptied. They can burn this entire forest down if they want, but I'd like to see them survive the desert."

Glory spied Mistral, Winter, and Bloodwalker waiting for them. They were currently watching the preparations take place, and all of their expressions were grim. When Mistral met her gaze, he walked over and uttered a single sentence. "I told you it was a bad idea." With that, he walked off, dragons of all tribes parting before the angered Icewing.

Glory sighed at that, knowing he had every right to say that. Her bluff had been called, and she had no real plan for this outcome.

"This is going to be a long night," Anemone sighed. She spoke true. They had a lot to discuss before morning, and there would likely be little sleep to be had when everything was said and done. Ultimately, however, sleep mattered not when the fate of Pyrrhia lay at stake.

AN: Thoughts about the chapter? Veneno specifically? We'll see more of her, of course. I just think it's not too out of the realm of possibility for Thorn to have been raised by someone like that, who taught her how to survive in the Scorpion Den without becoming a dragon like Vulture.

And the whole claws thing might come into play later, too.

But let me know your thoughts or concerns if you have them. I try to respond to every comment I get.

Until next Time

AdmiralCole22