A/N: So I wrote this shorter story about a half a year ago as a birthday gift for my friend and fellow writer Aaegean, loosely based on a plot point from her story Below the Horizon. With her permission (and since writing other projects is not going as fast as I was hoping) I decided to go ahead and post it here. I hope you all enjoy it!
Within the Frozen Cave
Boop.
Princess Glacier touched the point of the spear to the nose of the statue made of ice. Except it wasn't really so much made of ice as it was encased in ice. And it wasn't so much a statue as it was a dragon trapped within the ice. Although any outside observer could easily have been forgiven for assuming that it was indeed just an ordinary ice sculpture. If Glacier hadn't known any better, she would have though exactly the same.
But she did know better, and so she wasn't at all surprised when the ice around the dragon fell off in sheets, shattering on the ground below as it revealed black scales beneath. Within moments a living dragon stood before her—a Nightwing, black as the midnight sky.
Foeslayer yawned, blinking in the dim light of the cave. Glacier watched as she did so, always finding it a little fascinating to see the other dragoness wake. Then the Nightwing scrunched up her snout and sneezed, a trickle of smoke escaping her nostrils as she did so.
"Why do you always have to go for the snout?" the Nightwing grumped, raising a shackled talon and wiping her nose, "You do know that poking me anywhere else works just as fine, don't you?"
"Ah, but where's the fun in that?" Glacier smirked, not at all surprised or uncomfortable at the other dragon's words. It was an odd situation were an outsider to witness it, but it was nothing Glacier hadn't handled before. "Besides, I've heard it's endearing."
"To pets, maybe," Foeslayer snorted, "And I'm no canine to be toyed with."
Glacier rolled her eyes at that as she set the spear aside and sat down. Foeslayer followed her example after a few of moments stretching before she also settled down. The two looked at each other for a minute until Foeslayer broke the silence.
"Well?"
The Icewing couldn't help herself; she played innocent. "Well, what?"
"Why'd you wake me up this time?" Foeslayer asked, "Just for the fun of it? I know I'm not good at telling time when I'm frozen, but it feels like you've done this an awful lot lately. I'm beginning to think you enjoy killing me when it's time to go."
Glacier shook her head. "I have never enjoyed killing you. Well…maybe once, but you deserved it that time."
The Nightwing snorted. "Probably."
"…But no," Glacier went on, "I came because...well, I don't know. I guess I just wanted to talk for a bit."
Foeslayer looked unconvinced by that answer, as if she knew it wasn't quite true, but just shrugged her wings. "Okay then. I guess I don't have anything better to do than talk to a Icewing princess. And nowhere to go, either…" she trailed off and glanced down at her shackles.
"I've been doing more research on that, actually," Glacier told her, "But even as a princess, information on a lot of the less public animus objects is limited. Short of becoming queen, I don't know if I'll be able to ever find out if that spell can be lifted."
"I appreciate it, but you really don't have to worry about that," the Nightwing told her, the older dragoness's voice growing somber as she spoke. "I accepted this fate a long time ago."
"It's still wrong, what we did to you." Glacier insisted, "I want to help."
Foeslayer waved a claw. "Don't worry about me. You have enough trouble already with your tribe's stupid rankings and everything. Honestly, I don't even know why you bother visiting me. None of the other dragons ever have."
Glacier had wondered that question herself many times ever since she'd started visiting the Nightwing. Practically speaking, she was risking her ranking every time she visited since the very caves that housed the Diamond Trial were strictly off-limits without the queen's approval—which she didn't have. But ever since her own Diamond Trial when she'd encountered Foeslayer for the first time, there had been something that brought her back. Maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was just loneliness, but it was enough for her to risk sneaking in roughly every month to check on the dragon that her tribe insisted deserved a thousand deaths.
"Well, I have to say that it is refreshing to be able to talk to a dragon that won't try to use every word I say against me in some way," she found herself answering, "I can't even talk to my brother Narwhal anymore. Everything I say or do either has to serve some purpose to elevate my position or it's seen as a sign of weakness," she shook her head, "Honestly, I think royalty has it the hardest as far as the rankings are concerned."
Foeslayer gave an interested hum at that. "You know, I'm almost surprised that they still even exist. Even back in my day they were disliked by a lot of dragons—or at least that's what Arctic always told me. It always seemed like an inefficient way to judge dragons, at least to me."
"Who knows? Maybe I'll be the queen to finally get rid of them," Glacier found herself saying, and she meant it. And that was just one example of what she was just telling the Nightwing. If any of her own tribe had heard what she'd just said…well, she'd probably be dropped down to at least the second circle without a second thought.
"Works for me," Foeslayer said, "No circles, no Diamond Trial. Makes things easier on me."
"True," Glacier said, then frowned. Of course, if she couldn't find a way to free her, then that easiness would just be more time being eternally frozen. Which was what Glacier was hoping to avoid for the other dragoness.
A short silence fell, and Foeslayer looked at her with interest. "Well, was there anything else you wanted to discuss?"
Glacier gave a shrug of her wings. "I mean, nothing immediately comes to mind."
"So you did just want to kill me again?" Foeslayer joked, and Glacier sighed and rolled her eyes. "How's that dragon you told me about, the one you said you were hoping was interested in you—as more than just you being a princess, I mean. Saxifrage, I recall you saying his name was. Have either of you done anything to show interest in one another? Any courtship to speak of…?"
Glacier felt a little bit of heat rise to her cheeks as she averted her eyes. She didn't even remember telling the Nightwing about that. "We've talked a little, yeah, but nothing much," she said as nonspecifically as she could, then changed the subject. "Anyway, are there any other Nightwing fighting moves you have to teach me?"
Foeslayer laughed genuinely—a bit of a rarity for her—and shook her head. "Young dragons are always the same," she said aloud to herself, then stood up, "I think I've taught you everything, but we can run through it again. Have you been doing the drills I showed you?"
"I have, as much as possible," Glacier answered with a nod, "I've been trying to do them less…publicly, I guess. I mean, if a bunch of Icewings saw me out practicing or even sparring and using fighting techniques that look nothing like how we're taught to fight as Icewings, they're bound to ask questions. So generally, I've kept to going over them at night, or when I can be sure I'm alone."
"You do realize there's not a good way to really learn the technique without practicing it in an actual fight, right?" Foeslayer asked her, "You can get the principles, yes, but that's a far cry from actually being able to do it correctly in the proper situation."
"Yes, yes, I know," Glacier huffed, "But unfortunately, you're the only dragon that I could really even train with, and your bindings make it impractical."
"One more reason why I'm still not completely sure why you want to learn how to fight like a Nightwing," Foeslayer observed, "And a two-thousand-year-old one at that. I would have thought that by now you Icewings would have figured out the best ways to use your own bodies as weapons without needing other styles."
"Well, it's something different," Glacier said, getting to her feet and stretching herself slightly, "And sometimes, that's enough to win a fight. Especially if it's not anything your opponent has ever seen before, and wasn't expecting."
"I guess that's fair," the Nightwing said, "Although for your sake, I hope you never need it. Now…" she stepped closer and raised a talon. "Strike."
Glacier did just that, slicing with a talon that just missed the Nightwing. Then followed up with a slash with her tail at Foeslayer's command. Each movement was familiar but different, a change from the normal Icewing routines but beginning to engrain itself through practice. It was a different way to fight—a different way to kill—and while Glacier did not yet have its mastery, she liked it.
It was useful, too. Like she'd just told the Nightwing, learning a different style gave her an edge when fighting. A slightly different angle of attack, a change in her footing…all of it could be enough to change the tide of a fight. And for Glacier that was important. Especially for what was to come…
The training lasted around half an hour, give or take, and by the end Glacier was breathing heavier than normal. She'd demonstrated what she'd been taught to the best of her ability, and while she hadn't been perfect, she earned a nod of approval from the Nightwing.
"Good, good," Foeslayer told her as they concluded and sat back down on the icy floor of the cave, "You're looking better than some of my fellow soldiers from back in the day. Of course, being air defense made them think they could slack off on the training. I'd like to see their faces if they saw you, an Icewing, putting them to shame."
Glacier beamed a little at that, proud of that fact. Funny how that praise felt so similar to moving up a ranking in the circles. Maybe even better.
"I've had a good teacher," she complimented back.
"Don't get sappy on me, now," Foeslayer rolled her eyes, but grinned, "Until you actually are able to prove yourself in a fight, it's all just theoretical anyhow."
"If and when I have to, I won't let you down," Glacier told her, and she meant it.
Foeslayer tapped her tail as another brief silence fell. Her eyes once more roamed over the younger Icewing, and she gave an odd kind of forlorn sigh. But yet, there a small smile on her face.
"You know, when I learned to fight, I specifically took note of how my instructor taught it," the Nightwing spoke, "I wanted to be able to do the same. I always imagined being able to teach my daughter what to do, how to stand up and fight for herself. I…I never got that chance."
Glacier looked down, her wings drooping slightly at her sides. "I know nothing I can say or do can fix that, nor make it right, but I am sorry. On behalf of my tribe. If we'd have known…"
"It wouldn't have mattered," Foeslayer shook her head. "Icewings needed someone to hate—someone to fight. The Nightwings were the same way. My story was just one in a long list of casualties, although perhaps more severe than most. I don't blame you for what happened, nor your whole tribe. Nor can I fault any Icewing for believing the stories that were passed down for so long as truth. After all, even if you believe me after hearing my story, how many others would still hold true to what they'd been raised to believe?"
"That still doesn't justify what was done to you," Glacier pointed out, "Nor atone for what you lost."
"Perhaps not," Foeslayer shook her head, "And I will always miss the family I had. My mate that I never was able to say sorry to. My son that went down a path I never had a chance to prevent. And my daughter that I never got to see grow into her own. Yet perhaps, even here, all isn't lost. I've been able to see you grow these past couple years, Glacier. You've come a long way from the dragonet that I first met. Perhaps, in a way, I've had just a little of what was lost regained."
Glacier swallowed, the corners of her mouth turning up. She looked away, unwilling to show any more emotion than necessary. There were a few there, too. What Foeslayer had said…it tugged at her heart. There was sense of pride in her words that Glacier had never had directed towards her before, at least not really. But there was also a feeling in the pit of her stomach, too. A worry that she would not live up to that. Especially with what she had to do.
"I…" Glacier spoke, but faltered. She took a deep breath and started again, "There's something I should tell you. I did have a reason for coming to you today."
She could feel Foeslayer's eyes on her, but did not meet them. "What is it?" the Nightwing asked.
"I've decided that I'm going to do it," Glacier told her, "I'm going to challenge my mother for the throne."
There was a pause. Glacier heard Foeslayer shifting, her chains grating on the icy floor.
"When?"
"A week and a half from now. The Festival of Lights begins tomorrow, and I'll do it once its over. I don't want to ruin the festivities." Glacier shook her head. "It's odd. Part of me wants to just do it and get it over with. Another part wants to put it off as long as possible."
"You don't have to do it, though," Foeslayer said, "Nothing's forcing you. Especially not me, if that's what this is about."
Glacier shook her head. "It's not just you, although I do want to free you—believe that. But there are…other factors behind it. I've told you about what's happened in the Sand Kingdom, about how Queen Oasis was found killed under mysterious circumstances with no clear heir. Now her daughters are raising armies and fighting each other for the throne. It's only a matter of time before other tribes get dragged in, and I worry for us if we do. My mother has always been more concerned with the extravagances and frivolities of the queenship than with serving the better interests of the tribe. Which has worked well enough so far in a peacetime, but I fear it won't bode well for our tribe if we do end up fighting. I need to make sure that doesn't happen."
"Noble," Foeslayer said, although her voice was neutral. "I imagine it can't be easy, though, needing to do that to your own mother."
"It isn't," the Icewing princess sighed, "But my mother and I were never the closest. I was always just an heir to her, nothing much more. We both knew the day would come. I just hope I can use what I learned to succeed."
She felt something warm touch her claw, and she saw that Foelsayer had set one of her own claws on hers. She finally looked back up at her, meeting her eyes. They were full of warmth.
"You will," Foeslayer told her, "I know you will. And you'll be a good queen, too. I'm sure of that."
"I hope so. And when I'm queen, I'll come back and free you," she gripped Foeslayer's claw. "I promise you, I will find out the secret behind this spell and break those shackles for good."
"Then I look forward to it," Foeslayer smiled, "Next time I see you, I'll have to call you 'Queen Glacier', I suppose."
"It has a nice ring to it."
"It really does."
Another silence fell, although it didn't last long. Glacier tapped a claw on the ground and stood up, reaching for the spear that both of them hated. "I should probably go, then," she said, "I'd like to stay longer, but I'm afraid I'll be missed. With the festival preparations, I was barely able to get away to begin with."
"I understand," Foeslayer nodded. She straightened herself up and raised her chin. "You know where to hit me."
"I do," Glacier steeled herself as she weighed the spear in her claw. She really did hate this part. "One last time, then?"
"For both our sakes, I hope so."
That was the end of their conversation. Without another word, Glacier thrust the spear into Foeslayer's heart, killing the Nightwing almost instantly. Foeslayer just gave out a brief gasp as it was pulled out, then fell silent as a coat of ice began to surround her scales, healing her wound as they encased her. Her body didn't even move as it was frozen into place, and in under half a minute the Nightwing look almost exactly like she had before Glacier had arrived.
Glacier sighed, dropping the spear. She took a step back, then paused. Instead, she stepped forward, closer to frozen dragon.
Gently, she lifted her claw and set it on the Nightwing's chest, above her recently pierced heart. She held it there for a second, feeling the cold of the ice on her palm. She closed her eyes.
"I'll make you proud."
Glacier didn't know what was to come, but she knew what she wanted. Next time she was here would be here last time. And perhaps what she learned here would be the reason for that. After all, who would expect her to fight like a Nightwing in a Queen's Challenge? Only the Nightwing that taught her, and Foeslayer would remain where she was until she was freed.
A time which couldn't come soon enough.
Picking the spear back up, Glacier turned and began the long walk out of the cave.