Solstice let out a pant as he came down from his high, his eyes closed while the sound of Cobra moving around him filled his ears.
"You know, you are pretty well equipped for a Sandwing" Cobra said while she cleaned her forepaws clean, throwing the piece of cloth away while Solstice remained still, opening his eyes as he looked up at the ceiling of the room.
"I feel like I broke something... I feel like I have done something terrible" Cobra stopped what she was doing to look at Solstice, her ears flicking before she let out a sigh.
"But we didn't do anything else, I only made you climax so you could retract your little friend" She curled up beside Solstice, a grim look on her face for she knew Solstice (Snowheart) was mated to Icesheet, which was why Snowheart always kept away from intimate encounters with other dragonesses.
"I'm sorry Solstice... I truly am, but there was no other way-" "I know Cobra... It just feels wrong, you know" Solstice interrupted before he rolled over, getting up onto his paws while a sad look covered his face.
"Icesheet is going to kill me" He mumbled before he started towards the door of the storage room, yet Cobra stopped him, making him look to his left at her.
"I'll explain everything to her, and besides, can't you like... Show her the memories as proof since you are a mind reader?" She shook her head after, her tail flicking side to side before she let go of Solstice. In all honesty, Cobra felt terrible, yet was lucky that they hadn't done the real thing as she looked at the stained towel once more before she followed Solstice out of the room.
"I might be able to, though right now, we have a fortress to dismantle" He looked at Cobra, trying to look determined, yet Cobra was no fool, as she saw the worry, regret and hatred towards himself in his eyes.
"Alright, let's get to it," She said before the two galloped down the corridor towards the main laboratory.
Prince Snowheart, I could ask the great Ice dragon to tell your mate what has occurred, that way when you finally meet her, she will already know what has happened and it won't be such a shock to her. Snowheart listened to Diamond, thinking on what the ancient Queen just said before he replied to her.
I think that will be the best way... Though will The Great Ice Dragon be able- -Yes, she will be able to show Queen Icesheet the memories on what happened... If you think that would be better? Diamond interrupted Snowheart, watching him carefully for she and her fellow Queens knew that Snowheart only has love for Icesheet, and no other Dragoness.
Snowheart gave a nod while he and Cobra continued to run down the corridors, turning around corners and looking through doorways, seeing if they had come across the laboratory at all.
Icesheet was alone once again at the same spot where she had talked to the Great Ice Dragon. Her eyes scanned over the sky, watching wispy clouds float in the sky before she heard a familiar voice.
"Hello, Queen Icesheet" Icesheet looked to her right, seeing no other than Aururoa herself, watching the larger female Icewing land soundlessly on the snowy ground before she sat beside Icesheet.
"One of the ancient Queen told me something happened" At that, Icesheet snapped her gaze back to Aurora, tilting her head slightly while she listened to the old Icewing speak.
"Prince Snowheart and a female Sandwing named Cobra went on a mission to infiltrate Burn's fortress, yet they ran into a problem... Promise me you will be understanding, for Snowheart is... the best I can put it, terrified and his mind is not in the right place" The great Ice dragon looked to her left at Icesheet, watching the young Queen look down at the snowy ground while she thought to herself.
After a few seconds, she looked back up at the larger Icewing, giving a nod while her eyes widened in fear at what had happened to her Snowy.
"Snowheart and Cobra kissed, to make it seem like they were mating, for Burn has been making a new type of super liquid to not only make them faster, stronger and able to heal quicker, but it has one major side effect... It makes them unable to control the urge to mate. Snowheart and Cobra didn't mate, but Cobra masturbated him to get him to retract himself back so they could continue with the mission"
Aurora studied the Icewing Queen's face, watching as a mix of emotions flooded her. Yet she closed her eyes before taking a deep breath.
"Yet he said he felt he had broken something, and he is as of right now, in a mental state where he can't think straight. I have informed the ancient Queen who contacted me to tell Snowheart to visit you in your dreams when he can. I will remain here with you while Queen Diamond will remain with Snowheart" Aururoa lowered her head slightly, keeping her eyes trained on Icesheet while the Icewing Queen looked out towards the icy ocean.
"I know my Snowy, I know he loves me and I know he would never sleep with another dragoness, for he is like his father. Loyal, respectful and trustworthy... I know he did it for the mission" Icesheet looked up at Aurora, watching the older Icewing smile at her before they both looked out toward the ocean.
By now, Solstice and Cobra had found the entrance to the main laboratory, moving through the entrance, Solstice looked past the doorframe, seeing no one besides a single Sandwing working around a long table with countless flasks which held different liquids in them.
Solstice scanned the room more before he deemed the room clear of any guards. Looking back at Cobra, he motioned with a paw for her to move in front of him, for the Sandwings would know her better than him.
Cobra made her way around Solstice, giving him a side glance before she disappeared around the corner, the sound of her descending the flight of stairs echoed throughout the corridor and large room when a male voice perked up.
"Ah, Cobra! It's lovely to see you unharmed, how did the mission go?" The Sandwing questioned her while he made his way around the long table, removing the pair of tight-fitting glasses he had made to not damage his eyes when he made whatever Princess Burn needed to make.
"It didn't go so well, we got separated at the Mud Kingdom, they are on Blister's side now," Cobra said before she sat on her haunches, letting out a sigh while Solstice made his way down the steps, causing the Sandwing who worked in the lab to look past Cobra at him.
"And who is this?" Sandflare made his way around, making his way up to Solstice before he circled the larger Sandwing, running a forepaw along Solstice's left wing and was about to run a talon across Solstice's neck when he heard Cobra growl softly, making him freeze before snapping his gaze onto Cobra.
"Leave him alone Sandflare" The Sandwing female got up onto her four paws, turning on the spot before she made her way over to Solstice, nuzzling under his right wing before he wrapped his wing around her.
"Ah, I see you claimed yourself a mate... Shame, for I found you-" -"I told you before Flare, I have no interest in a drake who does experiments on other dragons" Her tail lashed about slightly, the barb on the end of her tail clicked against each brick as it was swished across the sand brick floor.
Sandflare moved forward, yet Solstice got in the way, baring his fangs at the smaller Sandwing male, curling his tail around Cobra's in a surprise move which shocked the female slightly.
"Back off, my mate!" He shielded Cobra from the Sandwing scientist, pushing her behind him while he sized up the smaller male.
"U-um, I see, my apologies then. What is it you require?" He questioned Solstice, not sensing any danger at all while he waited for a reply from Solstice.
"Oh! I never got your name?" Sandflare suddenly said, flaring his wings slightly before he moved back a few paces, all the while taking a few sneaky glances at Cobra, even winking at her once, to which she scoffed at him.
"Solstice dear, I think it's time," Cobra said, giving a nod to Solstice who looked back at her. He let out a deep breath before he grabbed Sandflare's throat and slammed him onto the ground.
"What on... Three moons!" Flare cried out, yet his mouth was quickly tied up when Cobra wrapped some rope around his snout before she moved away, allowing Solstice to take charge.
"Listen to me carefully Sandwing, you will follow me and Cobra out from the fortress, whenever you like it or not, got it" Solstice snarled into Sandflare's ear, watching the smaller male shiver slightly before he quickly nodded.
Looking to his left, he looked at Cobra, giving her a gentle smile before he pointed his snout in the direction of the stairs, telling her to check for any guards, to which she did as she quietly moved up the stairs while Solstice used his animus magic to put Sandflare to sleep before he used his magic to tie him to his back.
"Let's get out of here" He whispered to Cobra who replied with a nod, her tail swishing as she led the way.
The two Sandwings quietly moved through the corridors, hiding in small rooms when a guard or two came by. After some time, they stopped to rest inside another dark room. Closing the door behind them, Solstice grabbed a candle that sat on a shelf next to him, he breathed a bit of fire onto it, lighting it up before he went around and lit other candles around the large room.
As the light filled the space, Cobra and Solstice looked around, their eyes widening at the sight before them. Stacks upon stacks of crates lined the walls, each marked with the unmistakable symbol of a cactus bomb.
"Solstice," Cobra whispered, her voice trembling slightly, "this is it. The main storage room for Burn's cactus bombs. And... animus-enhanced ones too." She pointed to a separate section of crates that had an additional, more ornate marking indicating their dangerous enhancements. The storage room was giant, it had huge rows upon rows of crates which housed many cactus bombs.
Solstice's heart pounded in his chest. "We have to destroy these," he said firmly. "If Burn gets a chance to use them..." Yet, before he got the chance to move towards the crates, Cobra grabbed his tail, stopping him in his tracks before she hissed softly.
"Solstice, One small lick of a flame against just one cactus bomb will set this whole place up... I know you don't like to cause mass destruction, but if we can set off the whole stash, perhaps we can destroy the whole fortress" Solstice listened to her words carefully, looking back towards the cactus bomb pile before he looked back at Cobra while Sandflare lay unconscious against the sandstone wall.
"Alright, I'll set them off, you get Sandflare out, and make sure that you get as many Sandwings out as you can" Cobra hesitated, moving forward as fear flooded her eyes, something which was rare for the ex-assassin.
"Please, Please be safe, you need to remain alive for all of us, and most importantly, your mate and dragonets" She placed her forepaws on his chest before nuzzling into his neck. After a few seconds of hugging, the two pulled apart before she ran out of the storage room while Solstice waved his forepaw at Sandflare, teleporting the unmoving Sandwing far enough from the fortress for when it explodes, Sandflare would be unharmed.
Solstice focused back onto the countless rows of crates before he moved through the rows, his wings dragging against their wooden surfaces before he grabbed a hanging candle in a glass housing before he threw it at the entrance, watching it smash against the door before it set the doorway on fire while the screams and shouts of countless Sandwing soldiers filled the corridors.
He then continued down the row before he stopped at what must be the largest crate, which just sat in the centre. He dug his talons into the lid of the crate before he opened it up, ripping the lid off only to notice something that shook him to his core.
"These aren't the animus-enchanted ones that were used in the Ice Kingdom... These are the more powerful versions" He muttered to himself before he looked at each crate, now seeing that on each box, the same symbol appeared. He now knew that they had mistaken these for normal cactus bombs.
Cobra! Cobra! We have a problem, they aren't the normal animus-enchanted ones! They are the Type U ones! He shouted into Cobra's mind, hearing her thoughts as she replied back.
What do you mean? The symbo- -We mistook them! They are the type U bombs! This whole place will blow! Solstice interrupted Cobra before he breathed in, collecting fire in his belly while his scales began to glow slightly.
The more fire he built up, the hotter he became, and the more powerful his stream of fire would be. He knew that even a substantial increase in temperature would make the U class Cactus bombs more prone to explode. He didn't know much about this class of cactus bomb, yet knew just enough to give him insight on how powerful just one is and what could trigger them.
closing his eyes, Solstice let out a roar as he began to spill a powerful stream of white-hot fire all around the giant storage room, the flames licked at the crates as the temperature went through the roof while Solstice continued to fill the storage room with more and more fire before he felt his throat begin to burn up, forcing him to stop before he looked around at the large walls of flames that now were consuming the rows of crates that housed the extremely explosive U class Cactus bombs.
He was about to run towards the entrance of the storage room when most of the bombs that were already on fire reached the point of no return, causing a giant explosion which caused the rest of the rows to also go up.
As Cobra led the last group of Sandwings out of the fortress, a deep rumble shook the ground beneath their feet. Looking back, she saw the middle part of the fortress rise up slightly before a blinding explosion erupted, tearing through the structure with a deafening roar.
A cloud of hot sand mixed with chunks of the fortress was hurled into the air, creating a chaotic storm of debris. Cobra's heart raced as she dodged falling rubble and shards of stone, her wings beating furiously to propel her forward. Sandwings around her screamed in terror as they scrambled to escape the destruction, their panicked cries drowned out by the roar of the explosion.
The force of the blast sent shockwaves rippling through the air, knocking Cobra off balance as she fought to stay airborne. Heat seared her scales as she flew through the scorching cloud of debris, gritting her teeth against the intense heat. Adrenaline surged through her veins, fueling her desperate flight for survival.
With every beat of her wings, Cobra pushed herself to go faster, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon where safety awaited. Behind her, the fortress crumbled into a chaotic maelstrom of destruction, consumed by the raging inferno unleashed by Solstice's fiery onslaught.
Looking back over her shoulder, Cobra slowed before she came to a stop. Hovering in the air, she scanned the cloud of smoke billowing from the now mostly destroyed fortress, seeing if she could see any sign of Solstice. She kept on looking and looking, praying to the stars that he was okay.
That was until she suddenly noticed a Sandwing fly out from the rising cloud of smoke, the sight made her heart jump as she began speeding towards Solstice who was by now flying through the sky, with a thick trail of smoke trailing behind him.
He had teleported Sandflare onto his back, using his Apex scales magic to tie the smaller male back up before he noticed Cobra gliding near him, her eyes wide when she began to inspect his left wing.
"Solstice! Your wing, it's burning!" She cried, but before she could do anything, Solstice smiled at her gently, looking at his wing as he watched the wing membrane rip and burn slowly.
"Cobra, I need you to fly as fast as you can to the Rainforest, and tell them what has happened" He ordered her, watching as the ex-assassin nodded before she sped off, shooting past him while he slowed down, for he knew if he just glided instead of constantly flapping his wings, that his left-wing would burn much slower, allowing him to remain flying for longer.
He also knew that landing in Sandwing territory wasn't the best thing to do right now, and knew that if he was to land, not only would he be in pain, but he would most likely be captured by the Sandwings. So he decided to put up with the pain.
Meanwhile, Cobra had reached the Rainforest in record time, for she had flown as fast as her body would allow. Landing heavily on the dry grass covered ground, she ran up to the border, seeing both Glory, Coral and their guards waiting there.
"Solstice needs help!" She expressed a rare emotion of fear and worry while Glory and Coral looked at each other before Coral questioned.
"Who is Solstice?" Yet her answer was quickly answered when Cobra began to explain to them what had happened and who Solstice was. She explained about them finding out who was making the super liquid, finding a massive stash of Cactus bombs, and the explosion which had ripped apart Burn's fortress.
"I'll get my Seawings to get ready for a possible landing along the coastal waters, for landing on the hard land would be rough for him. If it's true that he can't slow himself down due to his burning wing, then we will have to act quickly" Coral explained before she made her way over to her large groups of royal guards, explaining to them what had happened while Glory did the same to her Rainwing and Nightwing guards.
Back with Solstice, he was by now shaking slightly while he struggled to keep his eyes open. His magic had kicked in, yet he would only truly heal when he was resting. though for now, his magic was keeping him awake and alive as the rainforest slowly came into view.
He looked to his left, watching as countless Nightwings, Rainwings and Seawings ran around while others watched him glide over, leaving a thick choking trail of black smoke behind him. He then banked to the right slightly, letting out a cry of pain when his left wing ripped more, with red blood oozing from the membrane that continued to burn away.
Under him, he watched as Seawings swam around, as if waiting for him to touch down. He knew that landing in the ocean was a better option, and so he stopped flapping his wings, watching as the surface of the ocean came closer and closer until he felt his talons brush against it's surface, the friction slowing him down some more before he crashed into the water, sending a wall of water splashing everywhere while Seawings swam towards where Solstice had splashed into the tropical waters.
With the added weight of the unconscious Sandwing on his back, Solstice struggled to keep afloat, growling to himself when the water caused his burnt wing to be put out, with just a bit of smoke billowing from it before he felt a few pairs of paws grab him, telling him that the Seawings had arrived before he allowed himself to fall into unconsciousness.