Chapter Text
Qibli didn't talk about his family. He barely thought about them anymore. That was a chapter of his life that had passed a long time ago. A terrible, awful chapter. His memories before the age of three were tainted with his mother's disapproving glare, his siblings' cruel fighting, and his terrifying grandfather who most certainly wanted to kill him. Why should he think about that when there were dragons in Qibli's life that actually mattered? The outclaws who had given him a home, the now queen Thorn who he had sworn loyalty to, and all the friends he had made at Jade Mountain Academy. But sometimes thoughts did creep back into Qibli's mind. Thoughts about whether his mother really did love him, whether she regretted her mistake, and whether his family's lives had changed at all. Luckily, attending school at Jade Mountain always brought some kind of distraction to take Qibli's mind away.
“No matter the tribe,” Tsunami said, pointing to a graph of dragon anatomy. Qibli had seen Clay with that same chart before. “There’s a weak spot on the tail, right abouuut,” she dragged her claw along the length of the drawing, tapping at a spot at the end. “Here.”
It was the last class of the day for Qibli, combat. After being away from school for so long helping his clawmates and chasing down dangerous dragons, it felt nice (if not a bit underwhelming) to be back. He had to admit, this was one of the more interesting classes. Tsunami was much more entertaining than Webs, who had taught the last class, history. Whether it was because she also hated school or had a short temper, Qibli wasn't sure. Apparently, the other students thought the same way, as Qibli noticed the class was louder than last period. Even the members of his own Winglet, who were usually quiet and respectful. Well, Moon was quiet and respectful. Winter was quiet, certainly not respectful, and Kinkajou was the opposite of quiet. The Jade Winglet was sitting together as a group, unlike the Gold, who were scattered across the room. Qibli himself was sitting between Moon and Winter. Moonwatcher watched Tsunami intently, but Qibli knew she'd rather be in a class with scrolls. Maybe if Kinkajou was here she'd be whispering to her. Winter, however, stood tall with a blank expression. His thoughts were a mystery, and sometimes Qibli wished that he could read minds like Moonwatcher so he could see what his Clawmate was like inside.
"We already know this," the Gold Winglet Sky wing, Flame, interrupted the teacher's lecture. "That's basic knowledge. How stupid do you think we are?"
Flame was a short-tempered dragon, Qibli had never seen him act kind to anyone. Or even tolerate anyone. His eyes burned with hatred at everyone and everything, in fact, that reply seemed relatively tame for him. Tsunami didn't see it that way though. She frowned, stopping her speech.
"I'm explaining it for the dragons who don't know," Tsunami retorted.
"Everyone knows this," Onyx, another dragon from the Gold Winglet, replied looking at her claws. She was quite similar to Flame in her distaste for other dragons, only she was subtle about it. At least, she tried to be.
Tsunami stomped her foot. "Fine," she growled. "If you're all such experts on combat, then why don't you pick what I teach?" She leaned back on her hind legs and folded her forearms, waiting for a response.
Qibli wasn't sure what Tsunami wanted to accomplish, perhaps she was hoping for apologies. But Qibli couldn't help but be amused by the class's excitement to talk about anything else. Pike was the one who started the conversation, raising his talon before blurting out a question.
"You're a Seawing princess?" Pike's question would be seen as innocent to most, but Qibli could guess his intent behind it.
"The missing princess," Tsunami announced proudly.
"Then, you should understand what Princess Anenome is going through here better than anyone!" Qibli rolled his eyes. He knew that was coming, every other word out of that Seawing's mouth was "princess Anenome". Qibli was sure that he was sent by Queen Coral to guard her.
"I think there should be some accommodations made for the princess-"
Tsunami didn't need to say a word. About half of the dragons in the room, Winter being one of them, started yelling at Pike to shut up. There were as annoyed with him as Qibli was. If he was going to hide his mission, he could at least do a good job at it.
"Anyways, back to training-" Tsunami said.
"But wait!" Someone spoke up. Qibli couldn't see who it was, but he knew it was no one from his winglet. "I still have some questions about royalty, like the new Sandwing queen!"
"Yeah!" Pike piped up. "Does this mean anyone can be queen now? What about royal bloodlines?!"
Qibli's heart jumped. He knew what conversation was coming. He had heard it time and time again since the end of the war. "Not royalty" this, "fake queen" that. Why couldn't anyone talk about how great of a queen Thorn was, regardless of whether she was born royal or not? They don't look at all the good she's done, just about what she was. But Qibli knew what Thorn really was; an amazing queen who deserved a chance. And Qibli would stand by that.
"I'm not so sure we should let just anyone be queen," Onyx said. She had put on a higher, "sweeter" voice, one Qibli heard her use when talking to other dragons. Now she was a dragon that Qibli had yet to understand. Her motives were an even bigger mystery than Winter. "I mean, if anyone could challenge for the throne, everyone would just be killing each other all the time. That's no way to run a Kingdom."
Qibli couldn't contain himself. Something about Onyx's tone sent a wave of anger that challenged his loyalty. "What are you saying about Queen Thorn?" Sat up and faced Onyx with his entire body. "Would you rather have Burn, Blister, or Blaze on the throne? I know who I'd rather have as queen!"
Onyx narrowed her eyes at the other Sandwing, but kept her mouth shut.
"Sit down," Winter hissed.
Qibli glared at his clawmate. "I bet you agree with her, Icewing Prince."
"Maybe I do," Winter gave an icy glare back.
Qibli hissed, but then he felt a talon brush his shoulder, and all his anger melted away when he realized it was Moon. He dropped onto the ground with a sigh, mumbling a "sorry" to Winter.
"But Onyx," Qibli heard Tamarin say. "The Rainwings don't use royal bloodlines to pick queens, and we do just fine."
Moon's quiet, beautiful voice spoke up. "I'm not sure if that could work with other tribes. At least, not with the way challenges work now. But," Moon furrowed her brows, looking thoughtful. "If they thought of a different way to do royal challenges..."
Qibli didn't know much about the Rainwing tribe, but he heard that Glory became queen through peaceful games. It sounded nice, but he agreed with Moon: it just wouldn't work with other tribes. And they were too stuck to the old ways to even consider changing, Qibli definitely knew that. Most tribes were too prideful to even consider that.
"I don't want the Icewings to become like Rainwings," Winter huffed, proving Qibli's point.
Orange creeped it's way into Tamarin's scales. It was like anger but less so, irritance maybe? "What's wrong with Rainwings?!" She cried.
The conversation looked like it would change from one controversial topic to another, but Tsunami finally reached a breaking point.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" The Seawing yelled. "This is MY class and I TEACH COMBAT! NOT POLITICS!"
The students quieted down. Even the ones who weren't participating in the conversation, Turtle came to mind, looked alarmed.
"Now," Tsunami lowered her voice. "As I was trying to say-"
As if comically on cue, a gong rang throughout the stone halls. The dragonets wasted no time hurrying out of the room. Qibli even heard Tsunami complain: "SERIOUSLY?!" as if yelling to gong itself. He chuckled and walked away, headed to one of the entrances of Jade Mountain. He wanted to relax, and what better way than to stretch his wings outside? It wasn't nearly as hot as it was in the desert, but he'd been stuck inside a mountain all day and anything would do.
Once the cold, dry, breeze of the caves had been replaced with sunshine on Qibli's scales, his stress immediately melted away. He opened his wings and tilted his head towards the sky with a relaxed sigh.
There were other dragons enjoying the day as well; Skywings flying around the mountain, Seawings headed towards the lake. But Qibli noticed that there was more tribe mingling than on the first day, and he smiled. Perhaps this crazy school would work after all.
There was still one problem though. None of his winglet, or his friends outside of his winglet, were there. He could've invited any of his friends, like Moon, or Turtle, or Winter (Did Winter count as friend? He wouldn't have accepted anyway) to join him. But it was no big deal, he could just talk to other students. Qibli had an easy time chatting with other dragons, and he really didn't want to be by himself. He hated being alone.
"Qibli!" A voice called to him. The Sandwing turned around to see a familiar face: Ostrich, one of the (former) outclaws he knew. The daughter of Six-claws, one of Thorn's closest dragons, and the one who asked Qibli to protect her. She was waving her talon and beckoning him to join her, which Qibli obliged.
Ostrich was basking on a warm rock, and next to her, fiddling with a pebble was one of the other Sandwings, Pronghorn. Qibli took a spot next to them and stretched out his wings.
"Hi Qibli! How was class?" Ostrich turned to her friend and asked.
"Hi Ostrich," Qibli replied. "Nothing much, besides the argument that broke out in combat." He specifically chose not to mention the conversation with Thorn, partly because he didn't want to rile up Ostrich, and also because he was embarrassed at how quickly he lost his temper.
"Was it gossip? Some dragons in my winglet were gossiping earlier." Ostrich rested her head on her talons.
Qibli wasn't quite sure if the conversation could be counted as gossip, and he was going to say this, but Pronghorn beat him to a reply.
"Was it about what's going on in the Sand Kingdom?"
Qibli and Ostrich both shot up and looked at the other Sandwing with wide eyes.
"What's going on in the Sand Kingdom?" Qibli asked slowly, trying to sound as curious as possible.
"You know, the fires and bombs and attacks and stuff." It was Pronghorn's turn to look confused. "You guys haven't heard about that?"
Qibli felt alarmed. There's been attacks in the Sand Kingdom, and he didn't know? Was Thorn taking care of it? What if she had been injured? Maybe he should've stayed and protected her instead of coming to school.
"But I'm sure it's fine!" Pronghorn replied quickly when he saw Ostrich's horrified face, which Qibli knew he shared. "I'm sure Thorn's taking care of it! And no one's been killed yet!"
I'm sure Thorn's taking care of it. Qibli thought about what Pronghorn had said, and it wasn't reassuring. It wasn't a "Thorn's taking care of it!" Which would've sounded like he knew. The "yet" wasn't promising either.
"Oh no! Qibli, what if Thorn got hurt? What if something happened to my parents?! Maybe I should go and help!" Ostrich said.
Qibli mustered up as reassuring of a smile as possible. "No Ostrich, your parents would want you here, where it's safe. The outclaws are tough! A few fires won't stop them!"
Ostrich nodded reluctantly. "I guess so," she said, before turning her attention to Pronghorn. "You said no one was killed, right Pronghorn?!" There was a ferocity in her voice.
Pronghorn raised both his talons innocently and nodded. "I'm sure! At least it's what I heard. No wait, I'm definitely sure!" He added after seeing Qibli's glare.
"I'm sure everything's fine. And if it's not, we'll go charging in and save everyone," Qibli said.
Ostrich grinned. "I'll find out who's doing it and get them to stop. Hero Ostrich, that's me!"
Qibli chuckled, but when he turned away the smile had been wiped off of his face. Deep down he was panicking. If there had been enough attacks on the Sand Kingdom that word had gotten all the way to Jade Mountain, then something was wrong.
"Hey, how about we talk about something better like ummm," Pronghorn trailed off. "Anything else!"
"Sounds good," Qibli replied, and Pronghorn seemed to gain his bounce back. Though his thoughts didn't stop once the dragons changed topic. His mind continued to race about the news he had heard, all while he continued to chat and pretend like he was having a good time. Something about all this didn't sit right with him, and it continued to sit wrong as Qibli went about his day. Qibli had talked with Ostrich and Pronghorn until the sun had started to set, then made his way back to his cave to work on homework. There he sat, mulling over the conversation until dark.
"You're thinking again," Winter commented.
"Hm?" Qibli looked up at his clawmate. "Oh. I just find it... Funny. That we made it through a school day without some kind of perilous quest, you know?" It wasn't the real truth, but he didn't feel like explaining everything.
Winter gave a small "hmph" in reply before laying down with his back to Qibli.
"It's like danger's around the corner," Qibli mumbled, but it was obvious that Winter didn't feel like talking anymore.
Qibli rested his head on his talons, and the sound of his movements were loud compared to the rest of the silence. He stared out at the darkness around him, listening to the small noises coming from the other caves. He heard a dragon giggle, another scratch their claws on the stone. He wondered if Winter could hear these sounds as well as he could. There was also something Qibli had been meaning to ask him for a while...
"Hey, Winter?" Qibli's voice echoed in the small cave they shared.
"Three moons Qibli- I'm trying to sleep!" Winter barked.
"I was just wondering..." But Qibli's voice faded to a stop. He was only trying to distract himself with conversation with Winter. And while the Icewing Prince made a great distraction, he knew it wasn't working out.
"Fine, you want to talk?" Winter shuffled so that he was now facing his clawmate comfortably. "Let's discuss your outburst today in class."
At first Qibli was confused, but then it dawned on him. He grimaced, he knew what Winter was trying to do. He was hoping to embarrass him to keep his snout shut. But when did Qibli ever keep his snout shut?
"I'm not sure what happened. I guess I just got tired of hearing all that stuff said about Thorn."
"You lost your head over something no one even said," Winter replied harshly. "It's just stupid to me that's all."
Qibli rolled his eyes. Like Winter didn't lose his temper over minor things as well. Of course he didn't say this, instead choosing to tease him.
"I'm sure you'd act the same way if someone insulted scavengers," Qibli said.
Winter sputtered. "T-that's completely different!"
"The difference being that I care for actual dragons?" Qibli snickered.
"Shut up!" Winter growled. "All I'm saying is that your stupid overbearing loyalty is going to get you in trouble one day!"
He doesn't understand. Qibli thought. He finally stopped. Guess it was just like Winter to ruin a moment. What was so wrong with being loyal? It meant Qibli could protect the ones he cared about! Why should he listen to Winter anyway, that dragon always had something negative to say.
"I'm going for a walk," Qibli sighed. Winter silently faced the wall as the the Sandwing ambled out of the room, neither of them saying a word. It was better this way, Qibli needed time to think.
The halls weren't as dark as the individual caves. While most of the lights had been turned out, a few colorful globes hung on the walls to keep light at all times. Knowing Sunny, it made sense she wouldn't want her school to be dark, even at night. Just enough light to so that any passing dragon could see, but not enough to be intrusive on the sleeping students. It reminded Qibli of the Scorpion Den at night.
Speaking of the Scorpion Den...
Qibli looked at the stone floor thoughtfully. Should he go back to the Sand Kingdom? Sure, no one had died yet, but what about the ones injured? What about when someone finally did die? Qibli had no idea where Pronghorn could've learned about the attacks, or if he could keep him up to date. What if something terrible happened and Qibli didn't know?
But then... He wasn't sure if he wanted to leave Jade Mountain either. He had friends here, dragons he wanted to protect. What if they were endangered while he was gone?
Moon flashed into Qibli's mind. No, he couldn't let anything happen to her, or any of his friends. Besides, Thorn would kill him if he left Jade Mountain (again). But would it be worth it?
The sound of claws hitting stone echoed throughout the halls as Qibli walked. All of the sounds he heard previously had disappeared leaving a silent mountain. No... Almost silent mountain. Qibli was also aware of the lit globes slowly dissipating the further he went into the tunnels. He knew he'd have to turn back before he made it too far. While he had studied the map of Jade Mountain until he had memorized it, he didn't want to end up alone far away from his cave. Isolation was good for thinking, but if a dragon wandered off alone, unaware of their surroundings, any number of things could happen to them.
And if Qibli was anything, it was constantly aware.
The Sandwing whirled around and pointed his tail at the neck of the dragon behind him. The second footsteps that had been following him stopped, and Qibli was shocked to see a familiar face standing in front of him.
"Onyx?"
The other Sandwing frowned, looking down her nose at him.
"Guess you are as clever as they say."
Chapter Text
Qibli had always had his suspicions about Onyx. But to confront her here, like this? He just hoped he was reading the situation wrong.
"A bit late for a stroll don't you think?" Qibli joked hesitantly.
Onyx took a step closer. "A bit late to wander all alone, too," she replied sinisterly.
Her dark eyes studied Qibli from head to tail, and her black tongue flicked in and out. Her sight bounced around the corners of the room while her tail rattled. Qibli knew what Onyx was doing. She was looking for witnesses and escape routes, and possibly how to cut them off. Inside Qibli was panicking, but he wouldn't let it show.
"What do you want Onyx?" Qibli hissed and moved the tip of his tail closer, hoping to put some distance between them.
The other Sandwing narrowed her eyes silently, just as she had done hours before. But then a twisted smirk crept its way onto her snout.
"Do you think you can take me alone? I'm much bigger than you." She hissed with her tongue.
Qibli was aware of this, but if his siblings taught him anything, it was that brains won over brawn. Most of the time. He hoped his quick thinking wouldn't fail him this time, because a fight was definitely coming.
Qibli took a few steps back towards the wall, and that's when Onyx struck. She leaped towards him with outstretched talons, and Qibli quickly ducked out of the way. He tucked in his wings and fell to the floor, rolling away before Onyx had a chance to pin him against the wall.
Onyx growled, obviously irritated her first attack hadn't worked. Qibli was light on his talons, avoiding putting any weight for an easy getaway. He just had to plan for Onyx's next attack.
As Qibli yelped and ducked under a swinging talon, he started to notice a trend. She was still underestimating him. Onyx had complete confidence in her strength.
Just like Rattlesnake
If he was right, and those two dragons fought similarly, then maybe Qibli could fight Onyx like he fought his sister.
Qibli sank his teeth into the bigger dragon's forearm. Onyx howled and shot a breath of fire into the air. He knew that fire would burn his scales if he wasn't careful, but Qibli had a plan. He let go of Onyx and slid under the larger dragon before racing down the halls. He hoped Onyx would play along with his plan, and that he had guessed her actions correctly. If Qibli put enough distance between the two of them, maybe Onyx would try to use her fire breath to reach him. Then he'd be able to dodge that, just like he did with his siblings.
But Onyx wasn't Rattlesnake. Qibli felt sharp talons dig into his tail and yank him backward, causing his head to hit the stone with a thud. His racing thoughts came to a stop, and before the Sandwing could formulate a counter-attack Onyx stood over him and pressed her claws into his shoulders, and with her back talons held down his tail.
As hopeless as things seemed, Qibli wasn't ready to give up. Another thing he noticed about Onyx's fighting: she wasn't using her tail barb at all. That meant she (most likely) wanted to keep him alive. And while Qibli couldn't use his own tail to fight back at the moment, that seemed to be the only precaution the other dragon took. In an instant, Qibli threw his head back and bit down on one of Onyx's talons, and he didn't let go until she budged. The metallic taste of blood coated his tongue, and he fought the urge to let go. But finally Onyx stumbled away with a pained shriek, and Qibli jumped to his feet.
Onyx waved her injured talon around wildly in the air. Qibli felt one of the flying claws hook onto his snout, right at the base of his scar, and tear away at some of his scales. He hissed and clutched his nose, feeling blood drop around his talons.
By that point, the other Sandwing had recovered, and she was irate. Onyx swung one of her elbows and knocked Qibli in the ribs, and as he doubled over she sunk her claws in his neck.
Qibli clawed, bit, and stabbed at his attacker, but as time went on his thoughts started to slow and his vision went fuzzy.
Come on Qibli think of something! He thought desperately. There was no way he was getting taken down by her; there was no telling what would happen.
Suddenly, a sound was heard over the ringing in Qibli's ears. Onyx let out a pained roar and collapsed to the ground, letting go of the other dragon's throat in the process. Confused, he craned his neck to see what could've possibly happened. He noticed there was a thick layer of glittering frost coating her back, and standing behind Onyx in his majestic glory was Winter. And he was seething with rage.
"Slithering serpents!" Onyx cried. "I'm not letting my plans be ruined by another sand snorting meddler!"
She shot a breath of fire at Winter. Qibli couldn't see what was happening, but he had an idea. Onyx had her back turned to him, and Qibli took the opportunity to dig his claws into her tail. Right at the vulnerable spot.
Onyx cried out, turning to look at Qibli as though she'd forgotten about him. Her eyes darted to look at the two other dragons, and she finally sprinted off with a hiss. Qibli watched her go through slitted eyes.
Winter ran up to Qibli, and he noticed that the Icewing had not a scratch on his pristine scales. Qibli tilted his head up just in time to see Winter's glowering face.
"My hero," Qibli said, grinning.
"You're not gone an hour and you've gotten yourself into trouble," Winter snarled. "You idiot."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm an idiot," Qibli said as he pulled himself up. "I'm sorry for not being a strong Icewing Prince who can use freezing ice breath on any dragon who dares attack him."
Winter simply rolled his eyes at the comment before turning his attention to the hallway in front of him.
"I wonder where she'll go."
"It doesn't matter now," Qibli shook his head. "We need to warn Sunny about her, in case she attacks someone else."
"Or we could try to find her ourselves," Winter said, flexing his claws.
As tempting as Winter's suggestion was, Qibli knew it was more important to keep the other students safe. He could just find Sunny, or any of the other Dragonets, and tell them to be alert.
"We might never find Onyx if we try chasing her. As you said, we don't know where she went."
"What about your plan Mr. Clever claws?" Winter retorted. "We probably can't talk to the headmasters until morning."
Shoot. Qibli hadn't thought of that. But Winter was right, it'd be near impossible to find and talk to them until tomorrow. He drummed his claws on the stone as he thought of a solution.
"Alright," he said after a pause. "We'll wait until morning, but if we see Onyx before then we can... I don't know do whatever it was you wanted."
Winter snorted a small cloud of ice crystals and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"Fine. But what if she goes after another dragon in the meantime? Isn't that what you were worried about?"
Qibli had thought of that. But an idea had occurred to him and he somehow knew she wouldn't.
"She won't," Qibli said. Winter quirked an eyebrow. "She needs to heal up first..?"
"Hmph. I guess you're right."
"Aren't I always?" Qibli smirked. Winter walked into that one.
"Ughh, just shut up and follow me," Winter turned and stomped down the hall.
Qibli tilted his head as he watched his clawmate march away. "Winter? That's not the way to our cave."
"I know that, obviously. We're going to fix that." The Icewing gestured to Qibli's shoulders and snout. He'd completely forgotten about the blood dripping wounds.
"Alright. Lead the way."
The path Winter chose to take was much brighter than the last. While there were still fewer lights than during the day, there were enough globes to see comfortably. Qibli realized where they were headed.
The healing center. The entrance to the cave was wide like a dragon yawn, it was too peaceful to be compared to a roar in Qibli's eyes. The inside was lit with a few of the hall globes, and inside Qibli could see rows of bandages and other medical supplies. If any cave stayed lit throughout the night, Qibli was glad it was this one.
"Aw, you're gonna nurse me back to health," Qibli snickered as Winter went into the cave. A roll of bandages flew through the air and knocked the side of the Sandwing's head.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Lizard Breath," Winter growled as he came back with a talonful of bandages and rags. "I just don't want you dripping blood around the cave."
"Whatever you say, friend." Qibli pressed the cloth to his nose.
Winter chose not to reply, instead heading back towards their dorm. Guess Qibli would have to tend to his own wounds there.
The walk back to their cave was quiet and uneventful. Qibli held the medical supplies in one talon, occasionally using the rag to stop any bleeding. It was when the pair made it to the dorms that an idea struck Qibli.
"Go on ahead," he said to Winter. "I'll catch up with you."
Qibli wandered the halls until he found the cave he was looking for. He quietly stick his head in the entrance, peering around the dark room. Inside was a snoring Seawing that he could hear before he saw. And on the other side was a small Sandwing curled up into a ball and sleeping silently.
Good, she's safe. Qibli thought. I was being paranoid.
He turned and started to head back to his cave, longing for the nice, comfortable bed in his future. But Qibli knew sleep was a long time coming.
Chapter Text
As soon as the first dragons stirred, it was a race to Sunny's office. It was early, early enough for the teachers to be awake, but not so late that Qibli had to be in class. He needed to warn them as fast as possible.
Qibli hadn't gotten a wink of sleep all night. He couldn't, he had to stay alert. Oh, perhaps he nodded off for a few minutes at a time, but then the smallest sound would bring him back to reality. And he was exhausted.
The caves around him were blurry and unfocused, and Qibli found himself blinking his eyes furiously in an attempt to wake himself up. He hoped he wouldn't just collapse in the hall... No, he was a loyal guard of Queen Thorn. He had been through worse at the Scorpian Den, was Jade Mountain making him soft? Even so, the Sandiwng's hearing was distant, and he debated going back to bed for an hour. Winter was still asleep.
Winter wasn't the one ambushed, Qibli thought fiercely.
All of his thoughts came to a halt as Qibli collided with a larger dragon standing in his path. He rubbed his head as he tumbled to the ground, and he couldn't help but wonder what he'd done to deserve all these headaches he'd been receiving. When Qibli looked up, his eyes met those of a gentle but confused Mudwing.
"What are you doing up so early Qibli?" Clay asked as he helped the Sandwing to his talons. "Are you also looking for a pre-breakfast snack?"
Qibli ignored the older dragon's comment and focused on the task at hand. He'd found one of the Dragonets of Destiny, albeit by accident, which was exactly what he was looking for.
"Clay, I need to talk to you," Qibli said hurriedly. "It's urgent."
The Mudwing's head tilted and his eyebrows furrowed in concern. But he sat down, Qibli assumed it was to let his bad leg rest and nodded. "Alright, what's up?"
Qibli did a scan of the halls before he spoke, in case his tired eyes missed any unsavory characters. "Have you seen Onyx at all?"
Clay tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Not since yesterday. Why? What's going on?"
Qibli hoped that meant Onyx hadn't gone after anyone else, and not anything to be concerned about.
"I'm worried she's planning an attack on some of the students," Qibli said, letting words tumble out of his mouth. "She ambushed me last night, and I haven't seen her since. I think-"
"Hold on," Clay interrupted. "Is that why you're all scratched up?"
"Oh." Qibli looked down at the scratches on his shoulders, snout, and even neck, as if he'd forgotten about that. "Yes, it is. But-"
Clay's overly concerned expression only grew. "Do you need me to take you to the healing center?" He asked.
Qibli shook his head. "I went there last night. Besides, that's not what's important right now. You need to alert the others about Onyx and keep an eye out. Make sure she doesn't go after anyone else!"
He turned and ran towards the dorms without looking back.
"Wait! You should at least go and rest!" Clay called, but Qibli had long tuned him out.
He couldn't go rest, not until he made sure everyone was alright. But the thing is, it wasn't just the Onyx attack that had Qibli so frantic. Sure, he would be put on edge, and would most certainly spend his time figuring out her next move. But it was also the attacks on the Sand Kingdom. He couldn't help but feel they were connected somehow, with Onyx mentioning "plans" and everything happening in such a short period. Something was going on, and Qibli wouldn't rest until he figured out what.
The image of a small Sandwing flashed in his mind. No, he promised he'd protect Ostrich, which was exactly what he was planning to do. But then his mind traitorously thought of a certain beautiful Nightwing, and his ferocity melted away. It wouldn't just be Ostrich, Qibli wouldn't let Moon or any of his friends be dragged into this.
It was too early for most dragons to be awake, but Ostrich wasn't most dragons. Her father ran on military schedule, even in the Scorpion Den. Their family was always up at the crack of dawn. So it didn't surprise Qibli when he found Ostrich lingering outside her cave.
"Qibli?" She said with a yawn.
He noticed her staring at the floor, twiddling her claws, and blinking frantically. She looked almost as tired as Qibli.
"You look exhausted," he said.
"I didn't get much sleep last night," Ostrich admitted. "I've been thinking about mom and dad. I'm wondering if-"
If I should go back home, Qibli filled in her thoughts. He knew exactly how she felt because he felt the same way.
"I didn't get much sleep either," Qibli replied.
Ostrich turned to him with large, questioning eyes. "Are you leaving Jade Mountain Qibli?"
Ah, the question that had been plaguing his mind since yesterday. Besides solving the mystery(s) of Onyx and the Sand Kingdom, Qibli also had to decide what to do about this. Looks like he wasn't the only one.
"I- I don't know," he said honestly. "I'm worried about Thorn, but there are dragons I want to protect here, too."
The smaller Sandwing stared intensely at the floor, her tongue flicking in and out. She was thinking. Thinking about her priorities and what to do next.
I almost forgot! Qibli thought suddenly. He was so distracted by his conversation with Ostrich that he almost forgot why he was here in the first place. "Ostrich," he said, crouching to meet her eye level. "If you see Onyx, stay away from her."
"What's going on?" Ostrich asked. "What did she do? Qibli?"
Her eyes jumped to his new scars, and Qibli knew she was piecing it together. He ducked away from her gaze, afraid fierce Ostrich would kick in and she'd go after Onyx herself. He didn't want Onyx to pick a new target.
"Just trust me," Qibli replied firmly, turning back one last time before deciding to wander the halls, wondering who he should talk to next.
Qibli had warned everyone who he thought needed to be warned, and Clay should do a good job of spreading the news. Maybe he should check in on his Winglet? No, they'd all still be sleeping.
He leaned against one of the walls when he turned a corner, it wasn't as if he had anywhere to go yet. Qibli could still visit Sunny, tell her about the Sand Kingdom attacks. Thorn was her mother, she'd want to make sure she was safe too. Maybe she could tell Qibli what he should do, or at least convince him to stay better than his own mind. He could look for Onyx... no, that was a bad idea, especially when everyone else was still asleep. He didn't want a repeat of last night. Qibli could check in on his clawmate, see if he was still sleeping. Lucky Winter...
"Qibli?" A familiar voice rang in his ears. "Qibli?"
He felt a light talon tap his shoulder, then a shake. Qibli blinked, opening his eyes slowly as a gentle light filled his vision. There, standing in front of him was a worried-looking Moonwatcher.
"Heh, how long was I asleep?" Qibli chuckled.
"I'm not sure," Moon replied, rubbing the back of her neck with one talon. "I was debating letting you rest, but then you'd get trampled by the crowd when class starts." Her snout wrinkled in amusement, signaling that was indeed a joke.
"Thanks so much," Qibli said lightheartedly, nudging her with one of his wings. But as quickly as her smile appeared it was gone, fading away to a dark expression.
"Qibli," Moon turned her head to check both ends of the hall. "I need to talk to you."
"Ok," he replied hesitantly. "What's up?"
"A little while ago, while I was in the library... I saw something."
By the tone in her voice, Qibli knew that Moon wasn't talking about normal sight. He leaned forward and spoke in a hushed voice, "Was it a vision?"
Moon nodded. "I think so..."
Her face was furrowed the same way it always was when she was worried. "You were there. In the vision."
Qibli's heart sank. "Was it... anything bad?"
"It was really fuzzy, I don't remember much about it," Moon pressed her talon to her forehead. "I just remember seeing you and- another Sandwing I think. But... I don't think it was anything good."
Both Qibli's heart and his mind started racing. Another Sandwing? Was it Onyx, would she come back? Did it involve her "plan" she mentioned? Or was it something else? Perhaps a resident from the Sand Kingdom, the one who started the attacks? Either way, Moon said it wasn't good, and her visions were very accurate.
"So," Qibli joked. "I guess it wasn't a vision about a surprise hatching day party?"
Moon's eyebrows flew up. "Is it your hatching day?"
"No," he laughed.
Moon's expression softened, and Qibli noticed her eyeing the deepened scar on her friend's face. He winced at her wondering glances.
"Did something happen last night?" She asked faintly. "I heard the teachers talking and-"
She paused. "And you look exhausted."
"I'm just worried," Qibli replied after a bit. "There's trouble back home, and I'm not sure what to do."
He contested telling Moon about the fiasco with Onyx, but she must've filled in the blanks by now. At least enough details to keep her safe. Hopefully Onyx would have no need to go after Moon. Qibli would stop her before that would happen.
"Why don't you go back to bed," Moon suggested, looking at Qibli with anxious eyes. "I'll explain it to the teachers, I'm sure they'll understand."
He wanted to decline, but there was something about Moon's caring, concerned, expression that melted his objections away. He couldn't worry her more.
Qibli nodded, giving Moon one last reassuring grin before setting off towards his cave. He had to admit, Moon was right. Qibli couldn't go one like this all day, and if he wanted to continue solving this mystery he needed rest. Besides, sleeping in his own bed was better than the halls between classes.
When Qibli got back Winter was still quietly dozing on his side of the room, looking majestic even while he was asleep. He was surprised his clawmate was still dormant, living off a royal schedule and all. Look at him, all nice and cozy while I spend my morning running around the school, Qibli thought, but it was all in good fun. This was his riddle to solve, he wouldn't ask Winter to go through the trouble of helping him at the cost of his own health. Especially since last night ended with a fight.
Qibli dragged his heavy talons to his bed, hitting the floor once here got there. His fuzzy sight faded away, and he was brought back to darkness.
Notes:
Apologies for the shorter chapter and any fast pacing that may be present, but if I rewrote this like I did with chapter 1 it'd probably take another week. I want to get to the good stuff.
This chapter was going to be longer originally, but I decided to put the ending of this chapter in the next one. Don't worry, next chapter is when the adventure REALLY starts.
Chapter Text
Qibli was surrounded by sand. Endless sand. His talons sunk in it, his tail glided across it. He was home, the desert. Only it wasn't his desert.
The sky was grey and ashy, the smell of smoke hung in the air, and worst of all, the shrieks of innocent dragons echoed through the town. Qibli heard a whistle and looked up just in time to see a building nearby explode and burst into flames. He covered his face with his wings, the hot air stinging his face. More screams.
Qibli whipped his head around the scene, wondering who was responsible for this. He noticed a silhouette behind a thick cloud of smoke, the figure of a large Sandwing. Was it Onyx? Was she attacking the Sand Kingdom?
But when the smoke dispersed and Qibli could see he who was, he stumbled back and covered his snout. No... It was-
"Qibli!" The voice of his mother Cobra rang in his ears. "Qibli, my son! Where are you?!"
My son? It sounded like she actually loved him. After all she'd done Cobra loved him? She was looking for him, she loved him and she was looking for him.
"Mother!" Qibli cried out. "I'm over here!" He waved his talons frantically.
"Qibli?" Cobra stepped forward. That's when Qibli got a good look at her, and cried out in horror. Her scales were covered in burns, her face practically peeling apart. Qibli couldn't stop the scream that erupted from him.
"Qibli?" The voice continued to swirl in his mind. He clutched his head and curled into a ball, trying to make everything go away. The screams, the explosions, and the image of his mother.
"Qibli?" Cobra's voice was higher now, still familiar, but different. And it was louder.
"Qibli?!"
His eyes shot open, and the scene of explosions once before him were replaced with the gentle light of his cave. His talons no longer felt sand, replaced with his bed beneath him. It was all a dream. Everything was fine now, it was just a dream.
Still, it felt so real. Qibli's breath still shook and trembled and his head still rang with the sound of many screams. He sat up, longing to feel the cool stone under his claws for once.
Winter was gone from his bed, and the distant sound of dragonet laughs and conversations could be heard. Qibli wasn't sure what time it was now, but he guessed it was at least afternoon. He might as well get up for the day.
"Good morning little brother," a familiarly sinister voice sang out from behind him. No, it couldn't be. Not here-
Qibli spun around to face the other dragon, and his breath caught in his throat when he saw who it was. There, standing before him, was his brother and sister. Somehow they had made it into Jade Mountain, and were here in his room.
"Rattlesnake. Sirocco." Qibli tried to keep his voice as steady as possible. "It's been awhile."
"Yes," Rattlesnake hissed. "We haven't seen each other since you abandoned the family."
"But now Grandfather wants you back," Sirocco added.
The first thing Qibli noticed about his brother and sister, besides how big they'd gotten, is the skull tattoos. He knew it meant one thing, but he had secretly hoped they were just to be edgy. But if they were sent to fetch him by their Grandfather himself, then that could only mean they were following in his footsteps.
"I didn't abandon the family," Qibli said instead, taking a step back. "You know that."
As if on cue something scratched the stone floor, and Qibli's eyes were drawn downwards. He was so distracted by his siblings and their new marks that he completely missed what Sirocco had pinned to the floor. And what he saw made his heart stop.
"Winter!" Qibli cried, almost leaping towards Sirocco to push him away. His brother held an exasperated Icewing under his claws, one of his talons wrapped around his snout.
"Hm?" Rattlesnake peered at Winter. "Oh, you mean the Icewing."
"Let him go!" Qibli yelled, baring his teeth and raising his tail.
"No can do little brother," Rattlesnake replied with that annoying sing song. "We're not supposed to leave any witnesses."
"'Sides, I like killing shiny things," Sirocco hissed, earned a growl from Winter.
It felt like claws were wrapped around Qibli's heart, squeezing tighter by the second. He had to think of something, he wouldn't let them kill him. Could he and Winter take them if he attacked? But he wasn't close enough to Sirocco to fight him before he killed the Icewing.
"You can't!" Qibli cried. "He's an Icewing Prince! If you kill him, you'll have the entire Icewing tribe on your tails!"
It wasn't entirely true, but Sirocco and Rattlesnake didn't need to know that. Surely even Vulture wouldn't tangle with Icewing royalty?
"Don't care," Sirocco replied, pressing his claws down on Winter's pristine scales.
"B-but!"
Come on Qibli think of something! If they weren't afraid of the Icewings, what quality did Winter have that could keep him alive? Could he lie about something?
"You can't because..." The other two Sandwings watched curiously, waiting for his reply.
"He's my boyfriend! And if you kill him, then I won't go back to Grandfather."
The three other dragons looked at Qibli simultaneously, surprise, and in Winter's case rage, was painted across their faces.
Really? Why would Qibli say that? There's no way that'd work. Even if Rattlesnake and Sirocco believed him, Winter would deny it immediately. Qibli you fool!
"You seem to think you have a choice," Rattlesnake replied maliciously. "Although, Grandfather would be really interested if that were true."
Qibli's heart pounded, waiting to see what their decision would be. Perhaps they'd see that it was too much of a hassle to fight Qibli over this and just let Winter go.
Sirocco looked from Qibli to Winter, his expression similar to that of a pouting dragonet. "He's your boyfriend?" He said. "How'd you you get that?"
Is he jealous? Qibli thought. He would've found it amusing, but he was too busy being horrified at what he heard from his sister next.
"Alright Qibli, we'll bring your little boyfriend along." Qibli hated the way she said "boyfriend", it sounded as sinister and oily as Grandfather himself. He shuddered, remembering who exactly his siblings wanted him to see.
No, this is the second worst outcome! Qibli promised he wouldn't bring his friends into his mess, yet here he was not even a few hours later doing just that.
"Wait! Can't you just let him go?" Qibli asked, trying not to let the desperation he felt deep into his voice.
"No witnesses, 'member?" Sirocco replied.
Qibli rattled his tail, preparing for the worst to come when he heard his clawmate's voice.
"Don't be an idiot," Winter growled, his voice muffled from Sirocco's talon still planted on his snout. He looked like he wanted to say more, but couldn't get anything else out.
"Grandfather wants to see me? Fine," Qibli said, his voice was strong but his gaze flicked between the Icewing and Sandwings uncertainly. "Just leave Winter out of it."
"We'll do whatever Grandfather wants," Sirocco replied.
Rattlesnake smile menacingly, her tail swayed as if itching for a fight.
Sirocco pressed his claws into Winter's scales, and Qibli realized with a sickening sensation what they were up to. They were using Winter as a sort of hostage, as if killing him was still on the table if Qibli didn't go with them. It was infuriating.
"Fine." Qibli said with a glare. "Lead the way."
The school was eerily quiet. The sounds of teachers lecturing from classrooms and students wandering the halls could be heard, but nothing close enough. Qibli vainly wished for someone to stumble across them: a teacher leaving the classroom or a group of dragons. Either it was all a coincidence, or Rattlesnake and Sirocco had everything planned out perfectly. They couldn't be clever enough to do that though. At least, the old Rattlesnake and Sirocco wouldn't have been.
It was impossible for either Winter or Qibli to escape. Rattle snake took the front and Sirocco took up the back, and they both held their tail barbs uncomfortably close to the Sandwing and Icewing. Winter hadn't said a thing since they left their cave, simply holding his head up high and scowling at their captors. He hadn't brought up the whole "boyfriend" thing yet, which was relieving, but Qibli also waited anxiously for when he would. Hopefully it would be out of earshot of his siblings.
When he stepped outside, Qibli realized it was later than he thought. It must've been late afternoon, the sun low enough in the sky to cast darker shadows but not quite sunset. Classes would end any minute now.
After only a few steps were taken on the springy grass, Sirocco stepped around Qibli and Winter and whispered something to Rattlesnake. He craned his neck to listen in, but even with his Sandwing hearing he could only catch an irritated hiss from his sister. He thought about running while they were distracted, but they spoke very little and were already leading Qibli and Winter away before he had a chance.
Rattlesnake and Sirocco charged the way down a slope (which Qibli knew would've been faster to glide down, they must not have wanted to take the risk) into a clump of trees. The woods were tightly knitted together, and Qibli felt a bit overwhelmed with not only poisonous barbs close to him, but also sharp branches. But after a moment they all stopped, and out walked a large, familiar Sandwing.
Qibli inhaled sharply as the Sandwing's black eyes scanned the four dragons. When she got to him she glared ferociously.
"You!" She hissed. "You little snake! You're the one that did this to me!" That's when Qibli noticed one of her talons was encased in dry blood from a deep wound, and her knuckles were arranged in a strange position. He winced at the damage he hadn't realized he'd caused.
"Onyx, you're with them?!"
Neither Onyx nor anyone else payed attention to Qibli's comment, too busy with each other. Rattlesnake stood tall, though dwarfed in comparison to Onyx.
"That wouldn't have happened if you had followed orders," she snapped, comfortable as can be commanding someone much bigger. Onyx snarled, but otherwise made no remark or reaction to Rattlesnake.
So Onyx listened to Qibli's sister. Did she also work for grandfather? He couldn't think of any other reason she'd be so willing to back off.
"You and that stupid Vulture are taking too long." Onyx growled after a minute. "If you'd just let me do things my way we could-"
"All have broken talons and burns?" Rattlesnake finished. They were arguing about the fight last night, Onyx must've struck out on her own. Then what was the real plan? Qibli was hoping they'd keep talking about it, but Rattlesnake turned her back to the larger Sandwing.
"Alright, let's go," Rattlesnake said. "I want to get home before sunrise."
No, not yet! Qibli thought. No one saw Qibli and Winter leave, no one would be able to find them. But Jade Mountain was still, and the group was out of eyesight of any and all dragons.
Qibli took one last look at the mountain behind him, taking in the sight of the school before the other Sandwings started ordering for him to get in the air.
Sorry Ostrich. I won't be able to fulfill my promise, Qibli thought as he took off into the sky. Looks like he would be going to the Sand Kingdom after all.
Notes:
These next few chapters will probably be inconsistent in length, simply bc I know what events need to happen, but not when to cut off the chapters. They shouldn't be under 2000 words though. Def not 1000
Chapter 5
Notes:
So, I drew a small comic for this, but I can't figure out how to insert images so sorry
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"Boyfriend?" Winter hissed in Qibli's ear with more incredulity than he realized was possible for a dragon. "That's the best you could come up with? WHY?"
Qibli shushed Winter and darted his eyes around the sky, but the three other dragons either didn't notice or didn't care. He breathed a sigh of relief and leaned closer to the Icewing so they could keep their conspiring to a minimum.
"I barely consider you a friend," Winter grumbled.
"I panicked okay?" Qibli sighed. "Look, I didn't know what else to say, they didn't care at all about your status."
"You need more sleep, there were like a million other things you could've said."
Qibli was the one rolling his eyes for once. Perhaps it was the stress of his family, leaving Jade Mountain, and the goings-on at the Sand Kingdom, but he wasn't having any of Winter's bullshit today. The past few hours had already been strenuous enough.
The flight had been exhausting and awkward so far, with Rattlesnake, Sirocco, and Onyx flying in a pyramid around Qibli and Winter. They were uncomfortably close, and Qibli had to go out of his way to avoid getting whacked with a wing or worse, a tail barb. Besides the extra work it took just to stay in the air, the group had barely taken breaks, maybe twice for a short amount of time. The three Sandwings were much bigger, especially Onyx, so Qibli guessed it made sense. It must've also been easier to keep Qibli and Winter in control if they stayed as close as possible, which was harder to do when landing. After a while though, they started to care and pay attention less, which made it possible for the two dragonets to whisper unnoticed.
"Look," Qibli hissed through gritted teeth. "I know this isn't ideal. But my siblings believe it and it's working."
He sideglanced at his clawmate and looked into Winter's eyes. "If this works, we might get out of this alive."
Winter snorted, "I think I can survive a couple of Sandwings."
"I had to save your tail last time!" Qibli snapped as Winter muttered something about being caught off guard. "Look," the Sandwing continued in a calmer voice. "Those tattoos my siblings have? The skulls? They represent every dragon they've ever killed."
"We just got out of a war, lots of dragons killed," Winter said, narrowing his eyes at the two dragons flying in front of him.
"These aren't just marks of self-defense," Qibli replied. "My family kills because they can. That's why they have tattoos, they're proud of it. You should see my Grandfather, he's covered in them." Qibli added.
He probably has even more now, and I'm about to see them.
They both were silent after that, thinking about the words spoken and what would happen next. The sun had set some time ago, and now a faint glow of orange blurred the horizon. Qibli knew it wouldn't be long until they made it back to the desert, back to grandfather.
"Alright fine," Winter sighed in defeat. "I'll go along with your stupid little plan. But you owe me Sandwing."
Qibli exhaled in relief, the stress of the truth getting out finally lifted from his shoulders.
"So, figure out a plan to escape yet?" Winter whispered.
"I've been thinking about that. But I think it'd be better to stick around for a while." Qibli replied with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Winter whipped his head around so violently he almost hit Qibli with his horns. "What?!" He hissed all too loudly.
"Shush! Just hear me out," Qibli looked to see if the other Sandwings were watching. "There's... Some things I want to check out in the Sand Kingdom, and this could be a good way to do that. That, and I want to know what this is all about."
Qibli looked at Winter from the corner of his eye. "You don't have to stay though. Next chance we get you can make a fly for it."
"No way," Winter growled so ferociously Qibli missed a wing beat. "No, I'm not just abandoning you, even if you are an annoying clawmate." His face was focused so fiercely on something that wasn't even there.
Qibli blinked, stunned. "We're going to be facing some dangerous dragons," he added quietly. "I hope you're prepared for that."
"Consider it a debt repaid," Winter snarled.
The next few hours were practically silent, the only exception being the flapping of wings. Perhaps Winter and Qibli whispered a few words to each other, but overall there wasn't much to say. No, the rest of the flight was spent on reflection and remembrance, rather than conversation.
Qibli knew it wouldn't be much longer until they made it to the Scorpion Den. To his home. The ground below had long changed from grass to sand, and the air changed from a cold wind to a warm breeze. It wouldn't be much longer until they made it to the Scorpion Den, and back home to grandfather.
Qibli didn't let it show, but deep down he was terrified to see him. If there was one dragon he was grateful hadn't been in his life in years, it was Grandfather Vulture. None of Qibli's memories of the Sandwing were fond ones. Once Grandfather had gotten a shipment of vipers that he kept in the living area, and one almost bit Qibli's claw off. Then there was the day he taught Cobra's dragonets combat, and he let Rattlesnake and Sirocco beat on Qibli until he passed out. But the worst part of all was the calculating stare that he always had, his dark, looped, unreadable eyes staring his grandson down. He most certainly wanted to kill him.
Yet here Qibli was, flying right towards his sinister grandfather. Hopefully, he would be lucky enough to escape his claws once again. The closer the group got to their destination, the worse Qibli's anxiety was. By the time they finally rested their claws on the sands of the Scorpion Den, Qibli was practically shaking.
He practically flopped on the sand once his talons reached the ground, his wings feeling incredibly sore. Winter on the talon, landed looking as majestic as ever.
The Scorpion Den was always beautiful at night. The scent of roasting fires filled the air, along with the smell of cooking food. Street vendors continued to hassle customers just as they did during the day, if not more so. There were fewer tents open, meaning more of an opportunity. Qibli hadn't been to the Scorpion Den in a while, but it was exactly as he remembered. Well, almost exactly.
As he passed one of the tents, Qibli noticed a three taloned dragon huddled up shivering, coated in so much dirt he barely looked like a Sandwing anymore. Then there was a tiny dragonet begging for food, before being shoved away and having to start all over again.
Thorn would've never let this happen, Qibli thought with a wince.
"So, this is the charming little hometown you won't shut up about?" Winter said haughtily as he wrinkled his snout in disgust. "It's unsanitary."
"I think the words you're looking for are 'safe' and 'wonderful'," Qibli replied. "Besides, it was never this bad when Thorn was in charge."
There wasn't a need for whispering when everyone else around them was so loud. But when Qibli felt a shove in a certain direction from Onyx, he wondered if she heard him.
Because the paths between the stalls were so narrow at times, Onyx just walking behind Winter and Qibli was enough to keep them from running off. If either of them paused they'd usually get pushed forward and out of the larger Sandwing's way.
"I should warn you," Qibli said after a while. "Keep a hold of your things, don't let them out of your sight. There are pickpockets everywhere."
"They wouldn't dare steal from me, even if they could," Winter snorted. "Besides, I don't have much on me."
"You have this." Qibli tossed Winter the wolf skin pouch that he'd managed to loop off his ankle. "I'm sure you'd like the keep that Skyfire."
Winter's expression was a melting pot of confusion and pure anger, like strange bafflement.
"Besides, someone might mistake your shiny scales for treasure and run off with you," Qibli mused.
"This place feels so safe and wonderful," Winter replied with an eye roll.
The town started to get darker as the group made it to the more residential areas. The color and life of the stalls were replaced with a quiet and sinister shadow. It felt like someone was twisting Qibli's heart every time he passed a familiar tent or street, the memories of his dragonethood threatening to cloud his vision. He remembered the way to Grandfather's place clearly. It was the same as it always was.
Qibli shivered, and he couldn't tell if it was out of fear or the chilly night air. Maybe it was the Icewing he was so close to. Either way, it didn't go away when he found himself staring up at Grandfather's compound.
Qibli was speechless. The place was even gaudier than when he last visited, with jewels and gold spread throughout the compound to make it look breathtaking. But he knew that behind all the glitz and glamour that compound was covered in deathtraps.
"Be careful, one wrong step and you'll get your foot blown off," Qibli hissed to Winter. He noticed that their captors gave them more space as they walked, they knew that Qibli and Winter wouldn't dare run off now. Grandfather's compound even had traps in the air, rendering flying useless as well. The helplessness of the situation left a bad taste in Qibli's mouth.
There was a click, and Qibli knew that Sirocco was accessing the entrance to the wall. He wasn't able to see over the larger dragons huddling in front of him, but Qibli still remembered how it was opened. Push a certain brick, flip the lever, and presto, you're one step closer to one of the most dangerous dragons in the Sand Kingdom.
"Why does Grandfather want to see me?" Qibli asked to fill the silence, speaking to his siblings for the first time in hours.
"You'll see," Rattlesnake replied in her singsong. Other than that, he was given no reply.
There was a time once when Qibli was a very small dragonet that he hadn't been paying attention and almost fell into a pit trap. Ever since then he was cautious around Vulture's compound, expecting the sand to suddenly swallow him up like it almost did all those years ago. Now that he was older and had seen what could happen to intruders, the pitfalls were lower on Qibli's priority list. Still, the fear of drowning in Grandfather's sands was overwhelming as the Sandwing took careful steps behind his siblings.
However, Qibli's attention was turned away as the group neared the entrance. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he noticed multiple dragons covered in black cloaks loitering around. They stood unnaturally still, like a stone resisting the hot winds of the desert, and each dragon had a medallion encircling their necks. Something was etched into the face, but Qibli wasn't close enough to any of them to see what it was. Even though their eyes were covered, Qibli could sense their gazes following him. It was obvious how many of them stared at Winter, just by the tilting of their snouts. But if Winter noticed, he chose to ignore it, perhaps it was only normal for a prince. Qibli, however, felt his scales crawl.
"Get out of the way," Rattlesnake snarled so fiercely Qibli almost jumped. His head snapped up just in time to see one of the cloaked Sandwings stumble away with his talons raised. Rattlesnake tossed her head and threw open the large, garish door in front of her. Qibli took one last look at the dragon, and he could feel the anger radiating off of him like the heat from his scales. Something about these mysterious dragons was unsettling.
Before Qibli knew it, he was standing in Grandfather's doorway, and it felt all too soon. It was like his past had whacked him in the face, causing his vision to blur and spin. Qibli staggered, the same dread he felt all those years ago came back. The chills the place gave him caused Qibli to grip onto his mother, usually earning him a shove or a punch. Then he'd have to stand tall, facing Vulture's critical eyes. Qibli stepped back. He hadn't dealt with his grandfather in so long, he had gotten away from him years ago. So why was he walking right back into Vulture's den?
The feeling of cool scales touched Qibli's arm. The Sandwing was snapped out of his thoughts, his clawmate's eyes watching his from the side. If Qibli didn't know better, he'd almost think Winter was reassuring him.
"Come on! Move it," Onyx groaned, shoving Qibli forward as she walked. He looked into Winter's strangely comforting eyes one last time, before taking the first step into Grandfather's pavilion. The first step towards seeing Grandfather himself.
The cool white tiles were a stark contrast from the sand running through his talons. It was strange and unnatural for the desert, just like Vulture. Qibli's claws occasionally hooked on small emeralds that were inlaid in the floor, once it almost caused him to trip straight into his sister's tail. It was as if even the beautiful parts of the compound had a dark side, waiting to leap out and hurt you like the other traps and dragons. Qibli wouldn't be surprised if Vulture added death traps to his treasure-stocked pavilions, if only he wasn't so attracted to the stuff. Qibli would've felt that this was the safest place in the whole compound, except that he was walking straight towards his murderous family.
Breathe Qibli, he coaxed himself, taking deep breaths to steady his heart. Qibli refused to look like the same frightened dragonet that faced grandfather all those years ago, not when he had grown stronger since then. He wouldn't let Vulture threaten him into manipulation like he did everyone else.
Still, Qibli couldn't bring himself to look up from the floor. He knew when he did, he'd see the dragon he was terrified to see. But he had to. He had to be strong.
Yet, when his eyes were drawn up, Qibli realized he wasn't quite prepared for the sight in front of him. It was as if a giant leopard was standing before him, calculating eyes watching, preparing to strike. Qibli practically jumped out of his scales. The number of tattoos covering grandfather had basically doubled, creating a pattern of black and yellow that was eerily hypnotizing. Qibli shuddered at the thought of how many dragons grandfather had killed since he last saw him.
After his initial fright, however, Qibli realized that Vulture's predatory eyes were not directed towards him. His grandfather wasn't even turned in Qibli's direction, speaking to another one of the cloaked dragons instead. They spoke in hushed tones, paying little attention to the company they had received.
Eventually, Rattlesnake and Sirocco stopped in their tracks, waiting a few feet away from Vulture. At first glance, they seemed patient and still, but Qibli could hear the quick tapping of his sister's claws. He couldn't imagine anyone acting impatiently towards Grandfather.
Vulture continued to speak to his confidant, either not noticing the group or choosing to ignore them. Probably the latter, Qibli noted. Grandfather held a wooden crate under one of his talons, something he had missed when he walked in. A loud shriek burst from the box all of a sudden, sending a shudder of horror through Qibli.
Something's alive in there, Qibli thought, as memories of Grandfather's vipers and other deadly creatures flooded through his mind. Though, it wasn't a hiss he had heard or the sound of any desert creatures he knew of. He pricked his ears, listening to the scrambling around of little animals coming from the crate. He knew he recognized those noises-
Then it dawned on him. Qibli curiously turned his gaze to Winter, who must've noticed the box before he had. His dark eyes were fixated on the sounds, and he stood as still as a scorpion waiting to strike.
Please Winter, not now, Qibli pleaded internally at his clawmate. He knew Winter had a thing for scavengers, and his old pet had kept Qibli up some nights with its incessant rustling. He'd rather put off interacting with Grandfather for as long as possible, and if Winter got Vulture's attention he'd probably throttle him.
A sudden loud sigh sounded from behind Qibli, and he knew that Onyx, along with his siblings, was starting to get impatient. If it were up to him, Vulture would just keep talking forever. He noticed his grandfather's eyebrow twitch in irritation, and he realized just how aware Vulture was of his company. He was probably deliberately holding out the conversation, just to show that he was the one in control. That seemed like something Vulture would do.
Too soon did the larger dragons finish up their conversation, the cloaked Sandwing rushing past with a swish of her cape and wings. Qibli barely noticed until Grandfather whisked his head around to face him, his black eyes staring back with an unreadable expression. Qibli took a deep breath, pushing out his chest and standing tall. This is what he had been anticipating all day, and if he wasn't ready now then he might never be.
"Grandchildren," Vulture's sickeningly oily voice rang out in the pavilion. "You're finally back. And you've brought company."
Qibli wanted to hide when Vulture's calculating eyes looked him up and down. He had no emotion on his face, nothing at all. Qibli wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it wasn't this strangely stoic look.
"Qibli, it seems you finally decided to return home," Vulture said smoothly. "We've all been worried about you since you were taken."
He held his breath. Ok, this was a surprise. Out of all the things Qibli expected Grandfather to say, this wasn't even a possibility. He was expecting more of a "ready to be useful you weak little worm?" Or even, "time to finish what I started years ago you little traitor." Alright perhaps not those exact words, but that's how his impressionable mind remembered his grandfather. Big, terrifying, and totally wanting to kill him. Yet this Vulture sounded surprised, even happy?
Qibli shuffled, bringing his wings in closer to his body. "I wouldn't say that's exactly what happened," he said. Qibli had to be careful what words were spoken, he couldn't risk angering Vulture but he couldn't lie either. It was like talking to a neurotic snake.
Vulture's gaze flickered between Rattlesnake and Sirocco, and both Sandwings took a step back. Now Qibli was facing Grandfather alone.
"Apologies Grandson, but I had to get you here as fast as possible. These... Accommodations wouldn't have been my first pick." Qibli could've sworn that he saw Vultures expression harden when he looked at Onyx. That's what Rattlesnake and Sirocco kept saying, about Onyx ruining the plan. But, Grandfather couldn't have known what happened.
"But there are matters to discuss," Vulture continued. "And I just had to talk with you as quickly as possible."
Something was unsettling about the way Grandfather pronounced that last sentence. It was loaded as if there were a million things he was thinking while he spoke. This wasn't the first time Qibli had heard his grandfather talk like that, but there was something especially uncanny about it now.
A million questions were running through Qibli's mind. Why me? Was a pretty common one, as well as: What's so important that you had to drag me back to this hellhole after three years?
However, there was one question Qibli had that took priority. During this touching family reunion, there was one dragon Qibli hadn't seen, one he was both anxious and hopeful to speak to. Mostly anxious.
"Where's Mother?"
Qibli's dream from earlier that day came to mind, and he shook the thought out of his head. He had been avoiding thinking about it all day, occupying himself with the new information he kept discovering. But he couldn't deny his wandering eyes as soon as they arrived in the Scorpion Den, quietly hoping to see the familiar Sandwing. Qibli felt like a hopeful fool. His mother gave him up a long time ago yet he was still praying deep down that she loved him all along.
Stop caring Qibli, she stopped years ago, he thought sternly to himself. Still, he couldn't deny that her absence was worrying, especially after his nightmare. He wasn't a prophet though, and Qibli knew the dream was just a concoction of all his fears and hopes.
It'd be nice to know.
"Oh, she's out," Vulture replied curtly, a strange chill in his voice. "I'll have to explain our current predicament before saying where she is though."
"Is she ok?" Qibli found himself asking against his own conscious.
"Oh sure, you'll see her soon," Vulture replied with a wave of a gold-dipped talon. Rattlesnake and Sirocco snickered at their brother's question, and he felt his cheeks burn.
"Anyways, onto important matters," Grandfather said, just before he slammed one of his massive talons down on the crate. Frightened squeaks sounded from inside. "Onyx, take this to the storehouse. I'd like to have some peace and quiet."
Onyx growled fiercely, but there was no hesitation in following orders. Qibli was speechless at the exchange, neither dragon saying a word, even though there was obvious tension. Qibli was half expecting one of them to attack the other, but Onyx simply pushed the box out the door with her uninjured talon.
"Onyx works for you?" Qibli inquired. Here was his chance to get an answer to one of his questions, even if the idea of Vulture's spy in Jade Mountain made him sick.
Grandfather flashed a sly grin. "You'd like to hear about it?"
Uh oh, Qibli didn't like that tone of voice. It sounded just like Mother when she was settling a deal. Just what was he walking into-
"What's in the crate?" Winter's voice pulled Qibli out of his thoughts with a jump. He should've seen this coming.
Winter! I was just about to get some answers! Qibli nudged the Icewing harshly in the side, but Winter was busy watching the screaming box. Qibli mentally wished he had told Winter to keep his snout shut, but he wouldn't have listened anyway.
"So, your Icewing talks," Vulture said, scanning Winter with a raised eyebrow. "I was wondering about him. Mind telling me the story of why you brought this into my compound? I'm quite interested."
Qibli could feel the ice in his grandfather's voice. Just as he opened his mouth to form some kind of explanation, Rattlesnake spoke up and interrupted him.
"We were just going to kill him, but Qibli insisted we keep him alive. Because he's a prince and Qibli's boyfriend."
Winter stiffened, and Qibli found himself grimacing at the mocking comment. He felt all kinds of embarrassment at this stupid lie of his, but it was too late to change it now. He just had to hope it was enough for Grandfather.
"Really? My grandson is dating an Icewing Prince. You really have gotten around since I last saw you," Vulture said, his brow raised and his tongue flicking in what Qibli assumed was amusement. That expression, however, quickly faded and gave way to a thoughtful one. Vulture stared into the distance, his face scrunched together as he pondered something Qibli didn't understand.
"I wasn't the one who chose to bring him," Qibli added in a hurry.
Vulture's gaze didn't dwindle, but a small smile quirked at his snout.
"Oh, that's alright Grandson. Of course you'd want a partner to get used to your family, especially if you planned on staying." Qibli tried to sputter out some sort of response, but he was too flustered for anything coherent to come out.
"As for your question Icewing, that is merely for an experiment of mine. Perhaps I'll show it to you sometime," Vulture continued.
There was no way Qibli was sticking around long enough for that. He had been here less than an hour and already he felt like he had been drowned in sand and covered in centipedes. He wanted to wrap up this "discussion" with Grandfather as quickly as possible so he could fly back to Jade Mountain and never look back. Screw answers, he could find a much faster and safer way to help the Sand Kingdom.
"No- that's alright," Qibli said. "We weren't planning to stay very long." He heard the quiet hiss of laughter from his siblings.
"But what about your mother? I thought you wanted to see her." Vulture said. "She could use your help in investigating the bombings, you know."
Qibli stopped dead in his tracks.
"What do you know about those?" He asked.
"I know all about them. Tragic really, that I'm the first dragon to do anything. It's why I called you here Qibli, I need your help."
Qibli's eyes narrowed and his brows knit together. Something didn't feel right.
"But why-"
He was cut off by Vulture's obnoxious and obviously fake yawn. "Why don't we continue this tomorrow? I find it easier to discuss business when I'm rested and can think clearly. Besides, you look exhausted Grandson." With a sweep of his cape, Grandfather strolled to the entrance of the pavilion. "Luckily I have a spare room you can stay in. Your brother and sister will show you the way."
Qibli had never stayed overnight at his grandfather's, not even as a small dragonet. On one talon, he would rather spend the night anywhere else, but on the other, he really had nowhere else to go, and he had to stick around anyway. Besides, even if Qibli could think of a good enough excuse to get away, he knew Grandfather would have an even better one to get him to stay. Plus he'd really rather not anger Vulture by saying the wrong thing. So, begrudgingly, Qibli followed Rattlesnake and Sirocco out onto the sands of the compound. Besides, he couldn't say he wasn't curious.
The "room" Vulture talked about turned out to be a small hut a little ways away from the pavilion. It had to have been built recently, not only was it absent from Qibli's memories, but it was also more polished than some of the other buildings. It was also much simpler, the walls made out of smooth marble lined with the turquoise stones at the bottom. It was more closed in than many of the structures in the compound, the only open spaces being the door and two long windows at the front. As Qibli stepped inside, he was flooded with warmth. Four small lanterns in each corner of the room bathed the hut in orange light, and after a closer look, Qibli realized that gold on the wall reflected it. Each of the three remaining walls was covered in large tapestries, the ones of the left and right completely red as the carpet. The largest and most impressive one, however, was on the back wall, and it had a Sand wing queen standing over her tribe holding the Eye of Onyx. Qibli had to admit, Grandfather had wonderful taste in interior design when he wasn't coating everything in treasure.
Rattlesnake and Sirocco said their final goodnight, familiar phrases like, "Night, you stupid runt," or "Try not to cry too much when you have nightmares!" Bitter childhood memories, especially regarding that last one. But finally, after an entire day spent with Qibli's siblings, they were gone. He could finally breathe easily.
Well, as easily as he could in Grandfather Vulture's home.
Winter yawned, studying the hut as Qibli did. Only instead of wonder his face was cringed in distaste. Guess the decor wasn't to his liking.
"That went better than expected. Especially after all your worrying," Winter grumbled in his usual way.
"No, something's strange about all of this. I don't trust my grandfather one bit," Qibli replied. "He definitely wants something from me, he wouldn't have brought me here if he didn't."
He wouldn't have been so nice if he didn't, Qibli thought, but kept it to himself.
"Whatever," Winter said, resting his head on one of the pillows scattered throughout the room. "We have a place to sleep, so I'm happy for now. We can discuss what to do about your grandfather tomorrow."
While Qibli didn't want to let his guard down, he had to admit that Winter was right. He was exhausted, and Qibli knew he'd need his strength and wits about him tomorrow if he was to discover anything useful.
Just because I'm listening to Grandfather doesn't mean I have to trust him, Qibli thought as he laid on a pillow of his own, his eyelids slowly drifting for the second time that day.
Notes:
Note to self: shorter chapters are better for my update schedule
Chapter Text
Qibli awoke from a throbbing pain from his snout, and if he wasn't so tired he may have felt for the problem. He simply groaned, rolling on his side in an attempt to fall asleep. As a former outclaw, Qibli didn't have trouble sleeping in uncomfortable places, but it was as if his mind refused to let him rest in this place. It was beginning to look like another night of little rest.
Qibli grumbled in frustration before rolling to his talons, wincing as the movement made him nauseous. He scanned the surrounding room, but the lanterns had been put out hours ago which left the hut in darkness. The only source of light was the scattered stars and moons that were visible from the two windows.
The desert was beautiful at night. There were no mountains, trees, or heavy clouds to obstruct the view of the glittering stars. Qibli sighed dreamily at the sight, and he couldn't help but think of Moonwatcher.
She would've loved this.
His heart ached, Qibli missed her so much. He just wanted to fly back to Jade Mountain so he could be with Moon and not his scary family. But he had a job to do. Plus it was pretty obvious Grandfather wasn't going to let him leave until he got what he wanted. Qibli had to play along for now.
The Sandwing's ears twitched as the sounds of voices were heard. He didn't think much of it at first since the compound was swarming with dragons. But the sound of talons sinking in the sand made its way closer to the hut, and soon he could start to hear voices. They were faint at first, and he couldn't quite make out who it was. But soon he could make out words, then sentences, Qibli realized with a jolt that he recognized one of the voices. However, he wasn't so sure about the other one. While he wasn't quite sure what they were talking about, he could tell from the way the dragons were constantly hissing and raising their voices that they weren't happy. Just as he sat up to try to get a better listen, he saw a shadow outside the window block out the stars. Qibli quickly fell back to the floor, laying his head on his pillow and doing his best impression of a sleeping dragon.
"Why would he do that?" The unfamiliar dragon questioned. With how loud the voices had become, they must've been right outside.
"I don't know, ask him," Onyx's voice snapped. "I'm not your spy."
Qibli wondered who the mystery dragon was, but he couldn't be sure if and when they'd be watching him, and he couldn't risk opening his eyes and getting caught. He'd just have to listen and hope he'd get all the information he needed from the conversation.
"Well, what am I supposed to do now?" The other dragon whined. "What am I supposed to say? I don't do well under pressure!"
Qibli heard a frustrated growl from Onyx, "Oh shut up already! Vulture will give you instructions later, now will you quit bothering me?!"
The footsteps sounded once again as the pair walked away. Qibli strained his ears to listen, but there wasn't much discussion.
"The only thing I care about is Vulture holding up his end of the bargain," Onyx's said, her voice fading away into the distance. "When's he going to-"
Going to what? Qibli thought. Going to what?!
But the voices were too far away to hear anymore. With a frustrated growl, he sat upon his talons and raised his head to the empty sky. Scanning the courtyard outside, it was like there was never anyone there. But Qibli knew what he heard.
Gentle snoring nearby brought Qibli's attention to his sleeping clawmate. One of the moons shone a beam of light on Winter's scales, and he glittered and glowed like a fourth moon. He certainly stuck out against the yellows and browns of the desert.
Qibli raised a tentative talon, tempted to wake the Icewing and tell him of what he heard. But he knew Winter wouldn't care, and would probably just get snappy with him. He wasn't sure why Winter was sticking around, but he certainly didn't have the same concerns his clawmate did. Besides, Qibli wasn't in the mood to hear Winter complain about being awoken from his beauty sleep. And so the Sandwing rested his head back on his pillow, letting his mind buzz until he could finally relax, close his eyes, and fall back asleep.
"Get up lizard! Grandfather wants to see you!"
His sister's voice echoed throughout Qibli's head as he raised his groggy head. For a moment it was like the past few years had never happened, that he was still a dragonet living with his cruel family. But as Qibli took a second glance around the hut, he remembered his situation with relief.
The sky was now a light druzy blue, the sun ready to rise. Qibli was surprised that he had been able to sleep the rest of the night away, especially with his concern over what he heard last night. The searing pain in his snout had died down to a dull throb, and he only felt a little sick to his stomach. Now his throat hurt where Onyx had attacked him as well, but none of the pain was unbearable.
Winter was still quietly snoozing a tail tip away, and Qibli found himself watching him for a moment. Rattlesnake had only called for her brother, so waking Winter up so early was practically pointless. However, he didn't want to up and leave him without telling Winter where he was. He had no idea how long he'd be gone, and if Qibli didn't come back by the time the Icewing woke up he didn't want him to worry. Well, if Winter even could worry about him.
"Hey," Qibli nudged his clawmate with his wing.
"What do you want?" Winter muttered.
"I'm going to see Grandfather, I'll be back soon. Probably."
"I'm coming with," Winter said, his eyes still shut like he was asleep.
"What? No," Qibli replied firmly. "That wasn't a request."
"Too bad," Winter suddenly rose from the floor like the living dead. "I'm not waiting here all day while you participate in family bonding."
Qibli opened his mouth to argue back, but then the image of Winter loitering around these dangerous Sandwings came to mind. The Icewing had a habit of speaking his mind, and he didn't want him to anger all these dragons that could and would kill him.
"Fine," Qibli sighed. "But don't touch anything, say anything, or do anything."
Winter rolled his eyes and scoffed at his words. "Don't be so paranoid. I'm a prince, not a common brute. I know more about diplomacy than you or any of these other Sandwings."
"My grandfather doesn't care about diplomacy Winter," Qibli replied. "Just stay silent and maybe he'll forget you're there."
Winter snorted, "don't be such a drama queen," before receiving a fierce glare from his clawmate.
"I've known him my whole life, you've known him for a day!" Qibli hissed. "He's the type of dragon to give vipers to babies."
"So? Dragonets go through worse training in the Ice Kingdom," Winter said nonchalantly.
"Dragonbite vipers."
While Qibli had never actually seen Vulture give the deadly snakes to dragonets, he had an easy time picturing it. Besides, his statement had the intended effect as Winter shut his snout. Even if his face was still plastered with disbelief.
"Look-" Qibli lowered his voice, but a roar from outside interrupted him.
"QIBLI! GET YOUR TAIL OUT HERE BEFORE I GO IN THERE!"
"We better go," he said hurriedly, ushering Winter out the door. Qibli knew from experience that Rattlesnake's bite was worse than her bark.
The smell of coconuts and expensive perfumes hit Qibli's nostrils the moment he stepped outside. It took over the entire compound, and while he knew Grandfather liked those fancy smells, he wasn't expecting it to be all over his home. It was worse in the main pavilion, the scent so unbearably strong Qibli had to fight the urge to cover his nose.
The first thing he noticed, besides the smell, was the hoards of cloaked dragons rushing in and out with boards of wood, chunks of marble, and assorted tools. One of the dragons was going so fast she nearly collided with Qibli head to head. And, sitting on his makeshift throne at the front of the room overseeing it all, was Grandfather Vulture.
Vulture's outfit was different from yesterday, his black cape replaced with a brown and gold-trimmed one, as well as scarab earrings and assorted gold and copper talon rings. That was one part of Grandfather that hadn't changed: his fascination with gold.
"Grandson, there you are," Qibli winced at the booming voice. "There's been a new development, and I had to speak with you about it immediately."
Qibli watched as another Sandwing rushed past with full talons. "What's going on here?" He asked, hoping his curiosity would be satisfied before the inevitably long conversation with Vulture.
Grandfather waved a talon dismissively as he spoke. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. Just a project of mine."
Qibli gave the dragons one last suspicious glance. "Alright..." He replied hesitantly. "What's the news?"
Vulture whispered to one of his associates, who then rushed towards the door. It didn't take long for Grandfather's eyes to be back on Qibli though. "Yesterday, some of my dragons were investigating a wreckage sight, and we think we have a lead. I could use your sharp mind to look over anything we might've missed."
A lead? Qibli thought with rising hope. This could be what I was looking for! And I get to investigate it myself!
He wasn't sure why Grandfather would let him look into this himself, and he knew there was probably a catch, but at the moment he didn't care.
"There's someone I'd like you to speak to," Vulture said, before beckoning towards the door.
Heavy footsteps thudded against the marble floor, loudly making the presence of the newcomer known. Qibli could see browns, golds, and silvers in his peripheral vision, and once he finally face to face with the new dragon, it took him a minute to realize what tribe he even was. The Mudwing was covered in jewelry from his horns to his tail, and he seemed more treasure than dragon. Qibli was certainly caught off guard, he wasn't expecting a dragon like that to come sauntering through the doorway. However, no one was more surprised than the Mudwing himself, who fell with a dramatic yelp and clattering of jewelry. It was as though he saw a ghost in Qibli's place. He noticed Vulture's stern glare, and he couldn't tell if it was because of the Mudwing's entrance, or the gaudy nightmare he was dressed in.
"Go ahead Bog, tell them all about the attacks," Vulture said in his usual smooth way of speaking.
"Uh- yes ok," Bog cleared his throat and shot one last suspicious glare at the other Sandwing. "The Mudwing's are the ones behind it all!"
Qibli gasped, but not at what was said or how dramatically it was. He realized that this Bog guy was the dragon outside the window last night. He was now more attentive than ever, hoping that listening to Bog would help clear up some confusion from last night.
"Queen uh- Moorhen herself issued the attacks!" The Mudwing continued. "All for her own gain!"
That doesn't sound like Queen Moorhen, Qibli thought. While he personally had never met the Mudwing Queen, he knew just from hearing about her from Thorn and Sunny that she loved her tribe more than anything, and that she'd never do something like this without reason. She wasn't the type to do things out of selfish intent.
"What does she have to gain?" Qibli asked. "Stirring up conflict with other tribes so soon after the war doesn't sound beneficial."
"I- well- uh-" Bog stammered incoherent noises. Before everything sounded stiff, overly dramatic, like a script in a play (performed by a bad actor), but when it came to questions he was completely lost.
"You can ask questions along the way," Vulture said, ending the interrogation before it began.
"'Along the way'?" Qibli wondered aloud. "You mean I-"
"As I said before, I'd like your help with investigations. What better way to do that than at the scene of the crime? Bog is going to take you there." Vulture addressed the Mudwing with the wave of a wing.
Bog's head shot up like a snake, his eyes pleading and his head shaking vigorously. But all that went unnoticed by Grandfather, or more likely ignored. Qibli would've felt offended if he wasn't more curious about Bog's unpleasant reactions towards him. It wasn't exactly ideal to be traveling with the Mudwing on his end either, but he wasn't acting terrified of him. Not that it mattered anyway, as neither dragon had a choice. When Grandfather made a decision, it was near impossible to change his mind.
"I'd like to get this wrapped up as soon as possible," Vulture said. "Now get to it."
The flight wasn't very long, as the wreckage sight turned out to be a small village just out of Possibility. The shorter (he guessed half-hour) flight was a nice break from the day trip he took yesterday, especially when this one was almost as quiet. The only thing that could even be close to a conversation was the clattering of Bog's jewelry as he flew, and it was usually the most response Qibli could get out of him. Every time he tried to ask the Mudwing a question he was met with little response, maybe a grunt if he was lucky. The only other dragon there was Winter, and he silently flew with the same far-off gaze he wore yesterday. Nobody stopped the Icewing as he took off after Qibli and Bog, which made the Sandwing assume his grandfather didn't care what he did, at least for the time being. Even if his clawmate might as well have not been there he was so quiet, Qibli was grateful for the company.
The flight wasn't as strenuous as yesterday, but it didn't mean Qibli's wings weren't sore when he landed. Once his claws met the sand, they fell limp at his sides. He hadn't realized how much he'd feel the aftermath from the day before from just a simple glide, but moons, he couldn't remember the last time he was this sore.
The sun was now starting to rise, a bright orange light that beamed into the pink sky overhead. The air was cool now, but Qibli knew it was only a matter of time before the desert around them heated to the temperature it was known for. Hopefully, they could be out of there before it got too hot and Winter started to complain.
The Icewing landed next to him a moment later, speak of the devil, growling in disapproval at the sand under his talons like he forgot the desert was full of it. Winter raised his snout to the sky once he was on the ground, his face scrunching up when he got a noseful of the odor surrounding them. Qibli knew exactly what it was; he had smelled it a mile back.
Smoke.
The scent of ash and char still hung heavy in the air, and Qibli realized that the attack might've been more recent than he thought. Grandfather said that he was investigating the site yesterday, but for smoke to still be lingering like this the attack had to have happened right before they arrived, and even then he had his doubts.
"So," Qibli referred to Bog, who was looking at the former town with a sour frown. "My grandfather said you knew about these attacks, anything else you can tell us?"
Bog's glare was now turned on the Sandwing, but he finally answered him.
"I told you all I know. The Mudwings attacked this village under orders from Moorhen. I was a part of the squad sent here."
Qibli noticed that he referred to her as just "Moorhen", but he didn't have a chance to point it out before Bog continued.
"That's all I know. So quit asking me questions."
"But why? What was her motive, surely she told you?" Qibli pressed.
Bog simply shrugged, and for the first time it didn't sound like he was reading off a script. "Beats me."
"Well then," Qibli continued to question, earning another glare from Bog. "If your queen ordered you to attack, why betray her? Were your sibs apart of this as well? Why go to my grandfather instead of Queen Thorn?"
"Uhh," Bog trailed off, and both dragons' eyes flew to studded chainmail wrapped around his chest.
Bribery, Qibli thought with a foul taste.
He wasn't getting anywhere interrogating Bog, the Mudwing seemed to dodge every other question. Besides, there was something fishy about his story, perhaps he was bribed to do more than just tattle to Grandfather. He would check in with Winter, maybe he found some clues. It was a better bet than this.
"My grandfather is bribing Bog to tell me these things, but why?" Qibli repeated his thoughts as he walked over to his clawmate. The Icewing was standing completely still, like a frozen statue amidst the rubble. His head was pointed downwards, staring at something he held in his talons. Qibli couldn't quite make out what it was until he was hanging over Winter's shoulder. There, lying loosely in the Icewing's claws, was a rattlesnake rattle decorated with many little charms. Qibli looked from the object to the charred remains, piecing the situation together. He inhaled sharply as his heart sank.
Oh no.
Winter was from a separate tribe, but he must've known a toy when he saw one. He watched the rattle with unreadable eyes, and Qibli could've sworn Winter actually felt bad about the situation. It was the most care he's ever seen him have for another tribe. Even if they weren't Icewings, innocent dragons lost their homes the day this village came to the ground.
Qibli reached for something torn sticking out from a blackened piece of wood. A scrap of scroll that had somehow escaped the flames, and it was covered in simple words and pictures, and was surprisingly legible.
"They couldn't have been any older than two," he muttered under his breath. He could only hope and pray that the dragonet had made it out on time.
"YOWCH!" Winter roared, cutting through the silence like a knife. He whirled around to face Bog, whom Qibli didn't even know was there.
"Why you miserable little-" Winter reached for the Mudwing with glistening claws, the latter raising his talons and mumbling mock apologies.
Qibli jumped between the two dragons, his wings unfurling to form a barricade.
"Hey! What happened!"
"That Mudwing stepped on my tail!" Winter yelled, trying to force his way past the Sandwing. "He did it on purpose too, that no good-"
"Did not!" Bog shot back, his amber eyes glaring daggers.
"Why I'm gonna-"
The two continued to argue, but Qibli's ears picked up another sound. Something far off, but it was getting closer by the second. It sounded like... Wingbeats.
"Alright enough! Shush!" Qibli hushed the squabbling dragons. "Do you hear that?"
They all rose their heads to the sky, searching for the source of flapping. A shadowy figure flew closer, their identity concealed by the light of the sun.
"Finally," Bog muttered, which sent Qibli's brain spiraling into confusion.
Finally? Were they supposed to be expecting a visitor? Grandfather didn't mention anyone else, could this be a trap?
But then the figure landed on the sand close by, and those thoughts came to a crashing halt. Qibli finally got a good look of the new dragon, and he couldn't stifle the gasp that came next.
Standing close enough to touch was Qibli's mother, Cobra. And she looked just how he remembered.
Notes:
So I didn't pre-read this chapter, (I'm just too sick man), however I had a complete rough draft to reference for once so it should be fine. But if you do notice any typos or major errors, let me know!
Chapter Text
This brought back memories. Memories of Mother's uninterested and disapproving stares. Memories of watching her work late at night, hoping for something, anything to prove she loved him.
Qibli felt like a small dragonet again, his heart drumming as he looked into Cobra's cold eyes.
"Mother."
"Qibli."
Her voice was like a kick in the face from nostalgia. He tried not to let his stew of emotions show in his appearance.
It was strange just how much and how little Mother had changed. She looked older, weathered, and tired. However, she still had the same ferocity and deadliness to her that Qibli remembered. Her pale yellow scales, her snake-like spine, and those calculating eyes:
It was exactly as it had been.
"Looks like my father convinced you to come back," Cobra said, her gaze inspecting him from head to tail. She was observing the changes in her son since she last saw him.
Convinced, Qibli thought. I suppose he did, in a sense.
"You've got a lot of wounds," Cobra commented. "Most of them should heal up just fine, but that snout doesn't look pretty. I thought you would've learned to fight properly by now."
Qibli wanted to defend himself since all of the injuries she mentioned were due to an ambush. However, he wasn't sure the tale would make him seem any less incompetent, so he instead replied with a curt, "it's a long story."
Cobra seemed only mildly interested in that response, as she replied with a "hm" and turned her attention to something behind Qibli. He didn't even have to turn around to know what caught her gaze.
"I see you have an Icewing."
Besides his distaste for her wording, Qibli didn't feel like explaining the whole "boyfriend" situation yet. Besides, someone back at the compound was bound to open their snout about it sooner or later.
"Right," Qibli replied. "That's also a long story."
There was an exceptionally long pause, one where neither Sandwing said a word to each other. Qibli was sure that Cobra didn't feel as awkward as he did, as she continued to stare right at him while he diverted his gaze. He just couldn't believe that she had nothing to say to him after all these years, especially when the last time she saw him she basically sold him. Whatever. If Cobra didn't want to speak to Qibli as a mother, she could at least speak to him as a business partner.
"So. Grandfather said you've been investigating the Sand Kingdom attacks?" Qibli asked.
Cobra nodded, "I have a few theories, but I'd rather just discuss them with you." She left him away with a wing pressed to his back, the Icewing, and Mudwing disappearing into the distance.
She only wants to speak with me, Qibli couldn't help but think, just like he was a small dragonet again. I'm the only one important enough to hear this.
Sometimes Qibli wished he could turn off his brain.
The Sandwings stopped not far from where they started, close enough to see Winter and Bog but out of earshot. Nearby there was a half-collapsed home, probably the most intact part of the town, and a thick floor of ash.
Qibli turned to Cobra, whose dark eyes peered around her. He recognized the suspicious, cautionary glare, as she had often worn it before discussing private information to a client. Of course, Qibli had never been in the place of the client before.
"What did the Mudwing tell you?" She finally asked.
"Not much," Qibli said. "Just that his tribe was behind it. He wouldn't say why though."
Cobra snorted a curt "typical" which rose one of Qibli's eyebrows.
"Everyone has a motivation for something." She said. "I have reason to believe that someone's paying the Mudwings to do this."
His thoughts started to spill out into his words before Qibli had a chance to stop them. "Paying an entire tribe? Who'd have the money to do that? Wait, no, they'd only have to pay Queen Moorhen and she could order out the attacks, but for what reason?"
He felt his scales crawl, and Qibli realized that his mother was watching him, her expression surprisingly unreadable.
"Think about it," she replied. "Who else would have reason to take over the Sand Kingdom? Who was promised land that they couldn't receive after the war? Use your overactive little brain and think."
The gears in Qibli's mind started to whir as he quickly processed what his mother said. She couldn't mean-
"You think the Icewings are behind this?"
"It makes sense," Cobra replied, flicking her tongue. "The Sand Kingdom is still recovering from the war and their new queen, now would be a perfect time to attack."
Mother's story made sense, yet it still felt wrong. He studied her, but Cobra seemed completely relaxed and confident in what she said, unlike Bog. Shouldn't Qibli believe his own mother over a random Mudwing? Didn't he want to believe her?
"Why would the Icewings pay the Mudwings when they could do it themselves?" Qibli asked.
Cobra shrugged. "The Mudwings have fire, and they're a hefty tribe. They'd just be better at this sort of thing. That and reputation."
"Still," he continued. "Why attack small villages instead of going straight to the palace? Or send a messenger to make demands? Or-"
Qibli felt his Mother's narrowed eyes on him. She was so stone-faced and hard to read, not at all like how he remembered her.
"To wear us down obviously," she replied coldly. "They're clearing a path."
That's true, Qibli thought with horror. If they planned to take the Sand Kingdom by force, then it would make sense to weaken us first.
It was then that Qibli realized just how out of his league he was. Cobra knew much more about this sort of thing than he did, and surely she had been researching the attacks for a while. At least, that's what he assumed.
"Mother?" Qibli asked. "How long have you been investigating this?"
"Since the attacks started," she replied quietly. "Vulture took an immediate interest, and he sent me due to my field."
Right. Qibli supposed it made sense that an assassin would understand a terrorist attack, at least better than the average dragon. The only question was when the assaults began.
"What about you?" Cobra asked, drawing Qibli out of his thoughts. "How'd my father rope you into this?"
"I'm not doing this for Grandfather!" He replied incredulously. "I'm doing it to help my tribe! Grandfather just had resources, that's all."
Qibli thought back to what Vulture said the day before. He could've left, he would have left... Only when his mother was mentioned did Qibli stay.
No, you're doing this for your tribe, he thought fiercely.
"I see," Cobra said.
Why was Qibli telling her all this? It's like his mouth had a mind of it's own. He had to be careful what he said around Cobra, he still wasn't completely trusting in his family's intentions yet.
"Things haven't changed much since I left," Qibli said absent-mindedly, hoping to change the subject.
"More than you realize," Cobra replied in a sudden hushed voice, which caught Qibli's attention. "Not like you, I assume you still follow Thorn like a lost dragonet," she continued, which really caught Qibli's attention.
"Hey," he hissed, his loyalty for the Sandwing queen kicking in. "She took care of me better than you ever did."
He expected to feel claws rake his snout, or talons throwing him across the sand or at least harsh screaming in his ears for his disrespect. However, Qibli was met with a gentle, "she did alright".
He felt taken aback, never having heard such a tender response from his mother. His heart pounded as he remembered his youth, the hope, and desire for a loving family back. Did his mother finally love him now?
"I reckon Thorn gave you a home in the palace as well, since you knew nothing about the attacks."
"Yes," Qibli said hesitantly. He may have wanted to trust his mother, but he knew better than to speak about Thorn to suspicious dragons. Even if they were his family, actually, especially to his family. "What are you getting at?"
Cobra opened her mouth as if to respond, but the booming voice that echoed back was not hers. Qibli knew whose it was right away.
Winterrr, he groaned internally. That dragon chose the worst time to lose his temper, for when Qibli turned around Cobra had started walking away. There goes that conversation.
"I'm going to kill him for this..." he growled under his breath.
The Icewing was pacing back and forth when Qibli found him, his head shooting up when the Sandwing arrived.
"What took you so long?!"
"Aw, miss me?" Qibli replied with an impish grin, which earned him a frustrated growl.
"No!" He replied. "I just can't believe you left me with him!"
Winter tossed his head in the direction of Bog, who was stewing a little while away.
"It's been five minutes at most," Qibli snorted in amusement. "What could've happened in that time?"
Before he could receive an answer, Cobra barked, "We're going now," from behind him. "I need to discuss some things with my father."
Discuss what? Qibli wondered. We barely spoke, did she learn anything?
However, he kept these thoughts to himself as he rose in the sky behind the others.
Qibli still felt rattled and shaken, his heart pounding as though he was just in a scrap. However, that wasn't what happened, even if talking to Cobra felt like a fight. He noticed that his heart hadn't stopped beating since his conversation with his mother, and it felt like something was trying to claw it's way out of his chest. He couldn't tell if it was the anxiety of actually seeing Mother again, his surprise in her changes, or the rising excitement he felt.
Qibli shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. No, he learned a long time ago that Cobra didn't care. Thorn taught him what love really was, what it meant to look out for each other. The outclaws were his family, not these dragons. He thought he had given up his childish dreams for Mother's affection years ago, and he hated the realization that they were still there. That they were here now.
Perhaps that's why he felt like he had just been in a fight, Qibli's heart and head were locked in an internal battle.
The Sandwing looked towards his clawmate. Winter looked so unaffected, almost bored with the whole situation. Qibli just couldn't understand how someone could be bored around his scary Grandfather. Only Winter.
Suddenly, he was struck with an idea. Winter obviously wasn't affected by his family, whether it be their threats or their manipulation. Qibli might not be able to trust himself right now, but hopefully he could trust his friend.
"Winter!" He hissed, but the Icewing was too far ahead to hear him. "Winter! I need to talk to you!"
He started to call out again, but Bog turned around long enough to glare at him. Moons, he couldn't risk a conversation like this right now, not in front of Cobra or Bog.
Fine, he could wait until they were alone. He could wait.
Notes:
Sorry this took over a month to update. I'll be honest, besides being busy, this chapter was just really hard (and kind of boring) to write. I'm a quarter of the way through with the rough draft of chapter 8 so hopefully it'll take less time to come out
Chapter Text
"What could Grandfather possibly need now?"
Qibli was exhausted. While their trip to the wreckage site was cut short hours ago, his grandfather had found ways to keep him busy all day. It was mostly little tasks (besides that time he helped move a block of stone), but the constant pressure on his talons left him fatigued. This was the first time he was able to rest, and now he was being rushed back outside again.
"He just said he wanted to see you," the cloaked dragon said. "Hurry, the boss hates untimeliness."
The Sandwing was curt and gruff, yet he still sounded kinder than anyone in Qibli's family. His dark cape covered most of his scales, but from what Qibli could see they were a sweet peachy color. When he had arrived, Qibli was surprised (but frankly relieved) that it was someone other than Rattlesnake or Sirocco.
"Alright, I'm coming," he said as he dragged himself to his talons.
He glanced at Winter, who was now resting his head on his pillow. The two had barely seen each other since this morning, and now that they were back in their "room" Qibli was being pulled away again.
"I'll be back soon," Qibli told Winter.
"I'll be here," he replied, not bothering to open his eyes to look at his clawmate.
"Hold on," the messenger stopped them, pointing to Winter. "Vulture wants him, too."
Qibli was surprised, to say the least. Grandfather had done a spectacular job at ignoring Winter so far, so to even mention him was a shock. That got Qibli nervous, what could he possibly need both of them for? Had he seen through their secret? Was he going to punish them?
"Oh, alright," Qibli stuttered as Winter shot him a confused look. "Well, come on then Winter..."
The compound outside was bathed in orange light. Qibli hadn't realized how late it had gotten, his first day here having gone by in a flash. It would've been peaceful, the quiet walk to the pavilion, if it wasn't for Winter's grumbling and muttering. Qibli was starting to get used to the daily walks to and from Grandfather's lounge, and it had only been a day. He shivered, horrified at the idea of becoming complacent here.
He could already tell that something was different before Qibli set a talon through the door. Bright light shone through the windows, and the usual guards parading the exits were gone. It was quiet, and strangely so.
Qibli found that he was hesitant when nosing his head through the entrance. Knowing Grandfather this "meeting" could be for any number of reasons.
He inhaled sharply, a prickle of nausea tugging at his belly.
The pavilion was decorated to look just how he remembered Grandfather's home. A plethora of delicious scents filled the home. A long, wooden table was pulled out in the middle of the room, and a few familiar tapestries decorated the walls. It was just as it looked three years ago when Qibli was small. It was half a lifetime ago, but he could still recall the family dinners that took place whenever he visited Grandfather's house. The scent of roasted seeds, lizards, and coconuts filled the air, just like it used to.
It was then that Qibli realized this wouldn't be another little discussion with his grandfather. The entire family was seated at the table, a feast decorating the top. The only dragon missing was him.
"There you are, Grandson!" Vulture's voice boomed across the room. "Come, have a seat."
Qibli's eyes jumped to the only part of the table with empty spaces. He noticed there was one extra, which was a bit odd as he remembered the table always being full. Who were they waiting for?
He gave the Icewing next to him a side glance.
Oh, he thought, his confusion turning to bitter amusement. Nice. How very convenient.
"Both of you, come sit," Vulture beckoned once more.
It was only when Qibli was standing right next to the table did he realize just how small it seemed compared to him. It dawned on him just how much bigger he was than he used to be. For a moment he had thought it was just a smaller table, being that the stuff on top also seemed bigger and more plentiful. There were at least three large bowls that contained an assortment of snacks, including roasted crickets, fried lizards, coriander seeds, and pieces of crocodile meat. The only time Qibli ever remembered Vulture putting this much effort into supper was during special occasions, like when a deal had gone through or when one of Mother's "jobs" had been successful.
Do I count as a special occasion?
"What do you think Qibli?" Vulture said. "I thought we could have a little family dinner, just like old times so we can catch up."
He must've caught his grandson gaping at the assortment laying out, a smirk creasing his face. "You must not be used to such a feast after living with those outclaw ruffians for so long," There was an audible distaste in his words. "I, however, feed my dragons well."
Qibli wrinkled his snout. What is THAT supposed to mean? he thought, though he obviously knew. Vulture never really seemed to like the outclaws, since they had control over parts of the Scorpion Den that he wanted. He imagined that Grandfather wasn't too thrilled that their power only grew throughout the years.
"So, why am I here?" Winter asked, bringing Qibli's train of thought to an abrupt halt. Of course it would be Winter to take such a harsh tone with his terrifying murderous family.
Vulture threw his head back and barked a course laugh, effectively scaring Qibli out of his wits and proving the "terrifying" part.
"That's a stupid question, don't you think?" He crooned. "You are an established partner of my grandson aren't you? Why, you're practically family!"
If it wasn't for the self restraint Qibli had needed for the past two days, his jaw would've dropped to the floor. It was no surprise that Grandfather wasn't too fond of Icewings, especially if Mother's story was true. In fact, he seemed to have a disdain for anyone outside of his own "prestigious tribe". He never would've expected Vulture to be so nonchalant, let alone supportive of him dating anyone who wasn't a Sandwing. Even if they weren't actually dating.
Out of the corner of his eye, Qibli noticed his mother watching him with curiosity. He cringed, even though he knew this was going to happen eventually. There was something in her gaze though, something that told him that his little relationship lie wasn't fully believable. He supposed it made sense, they didn't exactly act like a typical couple.
In a split-second decision, he decided to pull some of the classic Qibli charm.
"You knew we'd have to meet my family eventually," he said wryly. "I thought you'd be excited!"
He wrapped one wing around Winter's shoulders, something the Icewing would definitely not approve of usually. Yet, Winter made no move to push him away, or growl at him, or do any of the usual grouchy, Winter things. Qibli couldn't help but feel smug triumph at what felt like a win for him.
And yet, something about this was different. It wasn't the same playful jokes the Sandwing would usually make. He felt awkward as he held his wing just above his friend's shoulders, his scales prickling at the prolonged contact.
"Since we're on the topic," Rattlesnake said from across the table, her head resting casually on her talons. "Tell us how you lovebirds met."
"Yeah," Sirocco chimed in. "How'd someone like you get a guy like him?"
Qibli ignoring his drumming heart as he quickly formed an answer. It wouldn't be too hard, he could just tell the truth with extra spice, right?
"Well, we were clawmates at Jade Mountain Academy," he began. "Obviously, Winter here fell in love with me at first sight."
"Oh please," Winter said, rolling his eyes and nudging Qibli's wing aside. Once again, Grandfather laughed.
"I must say Qibli, he's quite the character," Vulture chuckled. "Probably the only good thing to come out of that desperate school."
The deceit left a bad taste on Qibli's tongue. He couldn't even imagine how Winter felt right now, caught in a lie he never wanted to be apart of. He felt awful, but he couldn't drop the facade now.
Yet when Qibli glanced at him, he realized just how well he was holding up. Winter looked calm, uninterested, as if this was all natural.
He certainly looked better than Qibli probably did.
"Well!" Grandfather loudly clasped his talons. "All this conversation has me peckish. Don't be shy, dig in everyone!"
The family had never had any sort of table rules before. The minute the Sandwings sat down it was a brutal fight for scraps of meal; first come first serve. There was pushing, shoving, biting, reaching across the table, and all sorts of terrible behavior. Qibli remembered a few times where he went to bed hungry, simply because he couldn't keep up with the others. Everyone waiting patiently to start, and just for him, it was new. And it was nice.
But as Sirocco grabbed a talon full of roasted nuts and wolfed them down like an animal, he realized that perhaps this really was a one time thing.
Qibli reached gingerly for a fried lizard, trying to keep out of the way of his siblings' greedy claws. It was comical just how different Rattlesnake and Sirocco were from the Icewing sitting across from them. His siblings ate like starving coyotes with their loud chewing and grabby talons, whereas Winter looked royal in all of his manners. The way he picked through the food until he found something he deemed eatable, the way he turned up his nose at anything he found distasteful, and the way he held his ground when the Sandwings tried to take something first.
He was like a diamond amongst a pile of shabby rocks.
"So, how was today's little excursion?" Grandfather asked as he popped a dried cricket into his mouth.
"Everything went smooth," Cobra replied. "I believe we may be closer to solving this than before.
"Wonderful!" Vulture said, once again clasping his talons together. Qibli felt his scales scrawl as the older Sandwing's eyes landed on him. "Just as I expected!"
"Well, I wouldn't say that," Qibli said. "I just sort of pieced some stuff together, nothing new or extraordinary."
"I just knew you'd help our cause," Grandfather said, effectively ignoring him. "You always were the smartest of my grandchildren."
Smartest?
His grandfather, who Qibli always assumed wanted to kill him, thought he was the smartest?
Rattlesnake let out an injured growl, shooting her brother a jealous glare. Qibli payed it no mind though, and he continued to dwindle on Grandfather's words.
Smartest, huh?
Everything was surprisingly peaceful, especially for his family's standards. No one was shouting or fighting, just eating dinner like normal dragons. It was surprisingly quiet too, sure there was loud, rude crunching of food between their teeth and quiet banter, but it was nothing like what Qibli was used to. Grandfather seemed genuinely interested in having conversations with others, as well as Cobra. Rattlesnake was shooting him glares as sharp as daggers, but it was nothing Qibli wasn't used to. In fact, she seemed more nonchalant than expected, which was better than the "totally about to rip your tail off" energy she often radiated. Sirocco however, was mostly quiet while he ate, and Qibli noticed him staring at Winter for long periods of time. Winter himself? Well, he just carried on as if the others weren't there.
Mother had drifted from that ongoing chats as well, though he did feel her gaze land on him whenever he put his own two cents in. However, it still wasn't the warm and proud glance young Qibli had craved so desperately, but it was the closest he ever got.
"You know," Rattlesnake said, loud enough to address the entire table. "I don't know what makes him so smart, any dummy would've been able to figure that stuff out."
She swung the leftover lizard tail in her claws in Qibli's direction, as if it wasn't already obvious who she was talking about.
"Oh, would you rather I send you instead?" Grandfather asked, raising a brow. His tone would've normally sent shivers down his spine.
Rattlesnake raised her head confidently. "Maybe I would."
The tension in the air was thick as the Sandwings stated at each other, their eyes narrowed to slits. Qibli braced himself for a fight that he had a feeling was coming.
Suddenly, Vulture's expression softened and he chuckled. "Right, very amusing," he said. Rattlesnake sunk back into her seat sullenly.
She didn't speak much after that, mostly prodding and stabbing the meal in front of her. In fact, most of the dragons at the table were silent now, excluding Grandfather who continued to discuss casual conversation topics. This version of him was so different than the one Qibli remembered from his childhood. Maybe he really had changed for the better, dedicating his resources and power to helping the Sand Kingdom. Or perhaps it had always been this way, and his young, impressionable mind had perceived strict actions for cruel ones.
Qibli felt his anxiety and fear replaced with a calm and warm feeling, a way he never thought he'd feel in front of his family. At first it was barely noticeable, but as dinner wore on he realized just nice things were. He only ever felt this way with a few scarce dragons, Thorn being the main one. It made sense why he liked being around her, she rescued him, and she treated him kindly. Never in a million years would Qibli expect to enjoy the company of Sirocco, Rattlesnake, and certainly not his grandfather.
And yet... As he looked around, he felt warmed by the cheerful conversations and filling meals, something he didn't even have with the outclaws. Any extra food they had was usually given to dragons who needed it, and it made sense to eat light. But he didn't have time to wonder about Vulture's greed, there was only one question on his mind.
Is this what a family supper was supposed to look like? What a family was supposed to look like?
Surprisingly, dinner did eventually end. Grandfather wished everyone a good night and sent them off to their sleeping quarters, and for once Qibli walked around free from an escort. Just he, Winter, and the many stars up in the sky.
However, once he left, and once he was mostly alone, Qibli's stomach started to twist with guilt. Only yesterday did he have strict plans to take only what he needed from them, but now Qibli's family was in his mind more than his concern for his Kingdom. He didn't understand any of these knew thoughts and feelings, or why he was betraying himself like this.
And yet, a part of him, a dark part of him, wanted things to stay like this. This treatment he was receiving from Grandfather and the rest of his family was a rush of dopamine, and it made him happy.
He looked at Winter as they reached the little hut, feeling anxiety prickle at his claws. How could he think about his friend's well being if he couldn't even understand his own?
"Winter," Qibli said, shutting the door behind him. "I need to talk to you."
"Later," Winter grumbled. "If you even have to at all. Your family is somehow more exhausting than you."
"Please."
Qibli could now see genuine curiosity behind his eyes, maybe even concern if he didn't know any better.
"Look," Qibli took a deep breath. "Just- if anything changes, about me or the situation-"
Winter raised a brow.
"Just- remind me why we're here," he said.
Winter's wonder filled expression disappeared as he scrunched his snout, pondering the other's words.
"What are you talking about?" He asked. Qibli knew Winter well enough to understand that his time was naturally sharp, but he couldn't help but wince at how harsh it sounded.
He wasn't sure what he was expecting, dropping such a vague statement out of the blue. He supposed he was hoping Winter would magically be able to understand what he was thinking and solve all his problems. The truth was that Qibli wasn't sure what to do anymore. He didn't know whether he trusted Grandfather, and he was worried that he was changing. Two days ago Qibli wouldn't have had this problem; he knew why he was here and that his family was not to be trusted. Now he wasn't sure.
"Nevermind," Qibli looked away. He shouldn't have tried to drag Winter into this. "It was stupid anyway."
Winter's hard expression softened for one moment, and Qibli wondered what he was going to say. However, a nearby creak drew his attention over to the door.
A familiar sharp and angled face poked her snout into the room. Cobra's eyes landed in Qibli, and his eyes landed on an object in her talons.
Notes:
Having no beta reader besides yourself is hard, bc then I can't tell if this is rushed or not
Chapter 9
Notes:
Thinking ab taking away the summaries bc idk if they add anything
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Cobra slunk into the hut, quietly closing the door behind her. Even now it was strange being so close to her, and not just in his daydreams.
"Qibli," she whispered.
"Mother, what are you doing here?" he exclaimed, perhaps more accusatory than necessary.
"I did some thinking after dinner, and I decided I wanted to show you something."
Cobra held out the object that had caught Qibli's eye, a thin, flat piece of black stone.
"What is it?" he asked, craning his neck to get a better look. Something about it felt sinister, and he didn't like the way it looked in Cobra's claws.
"It's something your grandfather found out in the desert," she replied. "Turns out, it was enchanted by an animus."
An animus, Qibli thought, feeling a shiver run down his spine. He immediately thought of Turtle, his friend who he found out had magic of his own not long ago. The Seawing often used his powers for small, trivial things, which Qibli decided was for the best. That kind of ability could bring out the worst in dragons, even without the whole "soul stealing" drawback.
"What was it- what was it enchanted to do?" Qibli asked.
"Let me show you," Cobra said, bringing the object to her face. Qibli watched in awe as she whispered a name, her voice dark and lifeless, before blowing a stream of smoke onto the surface. The name, his own name, sounded sinister as it was said in such a way.
"Qibli.."
The Sandwing expected the smoke to billow away as smoke usually does, yet it rested against the face of the stone, hovering just above the surface as if it could think for itself. It sat still for a moment before it twisted and turned and sunk into the gem. Cobra turned it towards Qibli and his eyes widened at the sight before him.
It was him, only it wasn't. The smoke had created a figure that matched his almost perfectly, as well as two others that resembled his mother and Winter. It was like a gateway into another world, and if it wasn't for the light still reflected across it he might try to reach through it. The Qibli in the mirror was bent over peering at something, presumably the same reflection he was looking at now.
Am I really that scrawny? He couldn't help but wonder, though that thought was quickly replaced.
"Woah..." Qibli let out a breath. Another example of awe-inspiring animus magic was right in front of him. He always found it fascinating how different each enchanted object felt, like he was looking at a piece of the enchanter. Qibli had seen one enchantment from Turtle before, and his magic felt quiet and out of the way like he did. But this- the magic in front of him- it was completely different. It too was quiet, but in an "I'm secretly planning to destroy all of you" way. He wasn't sure why, but he longed to hold it in his claws just to feel the dark magic up close.
"It's called the Obsidian Mirror," Cobra said. "I've heard about it from a client once before, though I certainly wasn't expecting to find it out in the desert."
"I've heard of that," Winter piped up, reminding Qibli that he was there. "It was used by Night wings to pry on people."
"And you said Grandfather just found it?" Qibli asked.
"Indeed. We have no idea how it got there," Cobra said with a shrug.
"Good," Winter said with a snort. "Someone should've taken it from them ages ago."
Cobra held up the mirror to give them one last glance before she lowered her snout and breathed flames across the surface. Instantly, the image was gone.
"It can be used to see any dragon at any time," she said. "Great little trick for spies."
Qibli felt quite worried about that last statement. A tool that could let a dragon see anyone at any time? In the talons of his grandfather?
"Does... Grandfather know about that?" Qibli asked nervously.
Cobra shook her head. "I highly doubt it. Though, he does suspect that there's something odd about it." Cobra held the dark glass close to her, eyeing it like a hungry predator. "Until he figures it out, I use it."
"Is that how you knew so much about the attacks?" Qibli asked, feeling a little relieved.
"Exactly," she replied. "And I think you could get some use out of it as well, perhaps more than I."
His heart leaped at the idea of being useful in her eyes and being important enough to get such a powerful item. He kept himself calm and steady on the outside, though his gaze eagerly roamed the Obsidian Mirror as Cobra held it out.
"Go ahead, try it," she hissed as Qibli took the treasure in his claws. He watched it, eyes sparked in wonder. It was paper-thin, yet it felt stronger than steel. He doubted he could shatter it no matter how hard he tried. The edges were also sharp, he had to be careful to keep it from cutting his talons. Now that he held it so close, Qibli was sure that this was real magic. The kind of magic that made dragons powerful.
"Go on," Cobra snapped, reminding Qibli of how she used to be, and he flinched. For a moment he forgot where he was, and he expected punishment for pushing his mother's tempter. She always hated dawdling.
"Just do what I did," she said. "Think about what dragon you want to see, say their name, and breathe smoke on the surface."
Qibli didn't actually need to be reminded. He had studied every single one of his mother's moves from the moment she entered the room. He remembered the way she used her smoke to form images on the surface, the way the fire cleared it all away, and even the unnecessary parts of her methods (such as the creepy whispering). That's just how his mind worked. He studied exactly how to use the Obsidian Mirror in case he got his claws on it himself. In fact, he did so with every object of interest, magic or not.
It didn't take Qibli long to think of someone. He'd been worrying about a certain dragon since he left, a certain dragon he left without really getting to see.
"Ostrich," he whispered to the mirror, breathing a plume of his own smoke across it. A certain numbness spread through Qibli's talons and up to his forelegs the minute he used it, making him shiver. Instantly it wormed its way to the center, taking the shape of a small Sandwing sitting by herself.
Qibli's ears pricked. He heard a sound, a quiet, faint sound, and he realized the mirror could speak. Or, more accurately, sob.
"Don't cry," a voice that was cracked with sorrow demanded. "You're a strong outclaw, you're too tough to cry, you hear me? Don't cry Ostrich!"
Qibli's heart sank as her words set in. He couldn't stand to see his friend hurting like this, and he felt a strong urge to find whatever was making her distressed and put a stop to it. But he was too far away.
"Were you lying to me Qibli?" He jolted, startled, but then realized that Ostrich was still talking to herself and could in no way see him. "You said it would be better if we stay here, but then you leave on your own? Without saying goodbye?"
Qibli felt icy claws seize his chest, and it hurt even more the longer he listened. The dread and realization of what she was saying were starting to set in, she couldn't believe-
"Is it because I'm not strong enough?" Her quivering voice cut in. "You didn't think I was strong enough to help save our home? Well guess what Qibli, I'm strong!" she sniffled. "I could've helped- I could've..."
Qibli's heart broke into pieces.
No! He screamed internally. No, it's not true! Ostrich that's not what happened! I would never!
He wanted to run as fast as he could back to his friend, to look her straight in the eyes and tell her that she was the strongest dragon that he knew. That he never wanted to leave, especially without saying goodbye.
But of course, she was miles and miles away, and Qibli could do nothing but watch her cry.
He blasted fire across the surface of the obsidian. He couldn't watch this anymore.
There was complete silence after that, but Qibli didn't feel like clearing the awkward air. He couldn't stop thinking about those awful thoughts he unknowingly stilled into Ostrich.
"Let me try," Winter said, snatching the Obsidian Mirror before Qibli had time to object. Had he been watching over his shoulder the whole time?
Winter's blue eyes wandered the slick stone in front of him, his expression unreadable. His gaze flickered between the Sandwings and himself, and his snout wrinkled.
He can't use the mirror because he doesn't have smoke or fire, Qibli realized. Against his better judgment and everything he was feeling, he couldn't help the swell of pride he felt at being able to use magic that Winter couldn't.
"Here," Winter growled, passing it back to the Sandwing.
Qibli looked up curiously. "Who was it going to be?" he asked.
Winter opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped, color washing into his face. He quickly looked away, and Qibli gave him a quizzical look. It must've been more suspicious-looking than he thought though, as he was quick to defend himself.
"I just wanted to check in on Moon."
Oh right- Moon. How could Qibli have forgotten about Moon?! She should've been the first dragon he checked on- she was supposed to be one of the most important dragons to him! It just occurred to Qibli that he hadn't really thought about Moon since he saw her yesterday. He was so distracted he forgot about her when she must've been just as worried as Ostrich was. He hadn't even thought to use the obsidian mirror on Moonwatcher to see if she was ok.
Of course Winter did though. He was probably worried about her the entirety of their absence. While Qibli was thinking about himself and his problems, Winter was considerate and thinking about the dragon he cared about. But then, Qibli was just thinking jealously. It was the same feeling he always had when his friend spoke about Moon, right?
Qibli once again uttered a name to the glass, Moonwatcher. The smoke slithered into a lithe shape, only it didn't sit still like the one before. He could make out the familiar halls of Jade Mountain behind Moon, and she continued to pass the corridors at a quick pace. She wasn't running per se, just walking really fast. He wondered why she was in such a hurry.
Winter crowded around the Sandwing to watch, his head hovering above Qibli's just close enough to give him a chill. However, he kept his attention on the Obsidian Mirror and Moon, who continued to hurry through the school.
A shot of flames barely missed Qibli's scales and assaulted the Obsidian Mirror. He watched the image disappear with dismay as Cobra reappeared from behind him.
"Next time we use this, let's find out something useful," she said, quite accusatory. Apparently, she had certain dragons in mind for Qibli's trial, which he didn't realize nor comply to. He faltered a little, feeling like he somehow failed her.
Cobra now held the mirror in her talons, a thoughtful look crossing her face. In a twist of events, she passed it back to Winter.
A confused look was shared between both of the dragonets.
"It'll be safer in his talons," Cobra said, mostly addressing her son. "My father wouldn't expect it."
That set in a worrying thought. "Will Grandfather know it's missing?" He anxiously asked.
"He shouldn't," Cobra said, tapping her chin with one claw. "But, just in case."
Qibli highly doubted that. The Vulture he knew would count every piece of treasure he owned (somehow), just to make sure it was where it belonged. Sure, he might not understand the true potential of the Obsidian Mirror, but Grandfather wouldn't let even a small, unassuming piece of treasure slip past him, right? Surely it'd be easier to keep it in the Treasury?
"Why not tell Grandfather?" Qibli wondered. "Why sneak around with stolen treasure instead of telling him what it is and why you need it?"
While Qibli didn't like the idea of his grandfather waltzing around with a powerful spy tool, he wanted to understand why Cobra would trust him with it over her father. Especially when he seemed just as interested in the investigation as she was.
"Because this is my thing," she replied simply. "This is one of the few sources I have, and if he found out about it he'd take it and use it himself. Besides," she gave Qibli a sly glance. "Wouldn't it be nice to have such a powerful weapon to yourself?"
Moons, she knew exactly what to say to appeal to him. He had to admit, he did like the sound of that. Besides, her reasoning made sense, why should he doubt her?
"I need to get back," she said suddenly, hissing one last reply before disappearing into the night. "Don't lose it."
Then the door shut, echoing around the room. It took only a second and she was gone. Part of Qibli wanted to reach out for his mother like a lost dragonet, already missing her company. Yet the other part of him, the smarter part of him, scolded him because she was a mean dragon, a bad mother, and a toxic presence. Not that it mattered either way, as she was long gone by now.
"Hey... Winter?"
The Icewing grumbled a curt reply.
"I..."
But Qibli stopped. Where was he going with this? What was he trying to say? What did he want to hear?
Perhaps he just wanted to hear the sound of another dragon now that his mother was so suddenly gone. A distraction maybe? He'd be lying if he said he wasn't tempted to start another squabble just to fill the silence.
But Winter looked tired, and once again Qibli felt guilty for dragging him here. Out to the desert where he was probably hot, miserable, and uncomfortably close to a very deadly dragon who maybe didn't want to kill them?
"Could I see the Obsidian Mirror?" He chose to ask instead.
"By all means, take it," Winter replied. "I don't want this creepy thing."
"Thanks," Qibli said half-heartedly. He stared at the thing once it was in his claws, not exactly sure what to do with it. Taking it was just an attempt to sidetrack.
"I'm headed to bed," Winter said, blowing out one of the lanterns in the corner of the room. "Talk to you in the morning."
And just like that Qibli was truly alone, even with another dragon just a tail length away. He looked down at the obsidian in-talon, unable to even see his own reflection. He supposed he might as well use it for something since he took it.
He could've used it for something useful, like checking in on Jade Mountain or getting information for his mother. But for the first time in his life, Qibli was tired of thinking. He was tired of everything. He just wanted to relax enough to fall asleep, a place where he could hopefully escape for a little while.
He could check in on Ostrich again? He kind of wanted to see if she was doing better. But in the case that she wasn't, Qibli was too emotionally drained to watch the distressing scene again.
Well, he could look again for the dragon who always made him feel better before.
Qibli repeated the routine of whispering a name and covering the mirror with smoke.
And as he watched a scene play out in front of him, he felt ice fill his veins.
Notes:
Ah yes, finally at one of the first scenes I pictured for this fic. I'm p proud I've made it this far, since all of my other long fics on my old account were abandoned p early on. I'm not planning on stopping anytime either! This is just starting to get interesting.
Chapter 10
Notes:
Holy crap this chapter has over 5000 words-? Didn't feel that way prereading it. Explains a lot tho
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Even as a few of the lights continued to flicker their flames in the dim hallway, it was easy to miss the dark dragon who ran by. It was like a shadow swooping past the globes, disturbing the path of light in her way. But a sudden bank to the side led her straight through a doorway, almost sliding past entirely. Her sudden presence startled the only other dragon in the room.
"Moon!" Sunny squeaked, jumping. "What are you doing here so late? Curfew was an hour ago!" She said, putting on her 'trying to be strict teacher voice'.
"I'm sorry," Moonwatcher said, out of breath. "I just- there's something really important and I couldn't wait until morning."
Sunny dropped what she was doing and rushed to the other's side. "What's wrong?" She asked, alarmed.
Moon shook her head lightly. "Do you remember what we were talking about earlier? The- the vision I saw?"
"Of course," Sunny replied, her voice hushed. "Did you see something else?"
"Yes," Moon shrunk back into her wings. "I still can't quite make out all of the details, but-"
As Moon gingerly touched her forehead, she seemed much smaller and frailer. The visions were obviously taking a toll on her. "This one was really bad. Sunny, I didn't just see Qibli in danger, but I'm worried about the Sand Kingdom too."
The Sandwing was struck with horror. "Oh no..."
"It's all my fault," Moon whispered. "I should've stayed with him, or tried to understand my vision better before telling him about it, or predicted what would happen-"
Sunny seized her talons in her own. "It's okay Moon, it's not your fault. No one saw where they went, this is probably the best lead we'll get."
The Nightwing looked at her with anxious eyes, obviously not convinced.
"Just talk to me. What happened?"
It didn't take long for the image of the dimly lit hut to flood into Qibli's sight. A quiet light from the window covered the shimmering surfaces, making everything sparkle like morning dew. It would've been beautiful if it weren't for the fact that it was still dead center of Grandfather's trap-laced compound. Shame, he was having such a wonderful dream about being anywhere BUT there.
Qibli clutched his foggy head. Alright, that wasn't entirely true. He wasn't sure whether he had a quick, dreamless sleep, or whether last night's events kept replaying in his head all night long. Point is, he couldn't stop thinking about last night.
He shivered, remembering the darkness around him only broken by the pictures on the Obsidian Mirror. He could see what happened perfectly, and what he saw was... ominous, to say the least.
Qibli sat up and stretched his wings. Immediately his eyes were met with the long window nearby, and he was hit with a shock. It was early, not "oh moons the stars are still out why are you awake" early, but early. The sky was a very light blue, the sun having just passed the horizon while two moons still hung high. Qibli hadn't been up this early on his own in a while. Perhaps his body was returning to it's usual state of rising now that he was getting more sleep. He didn't agree with that personally, he still felt very tired, but he supposed it was better than being awoken by his sister's harsh cries. At least he could get his barrings before being whisked away by his family this way. Come to think of it, that might've been why he started waking up early in the first place.
Qibli decided to sneak through the door, careful not to wake his clawmate. The moment his talons sunk into the cool sand he felt calmer, like the desert was still his home and not an unfamiliar place full of mysteries. He had a much better view of the far distant mountains this way. He carefully wrapped his tail around his talons, taking only the space he needed to. While Qibli wanted to believe his grandfather wouldn't put death traps outside of his sleeping quarters, this was still Grandfather Vulture.
He shuddered. As if he already didn't feel safe here, there was Moon's ominous vision. He had been glued to the spot, watching as her worried words spilled from her mouth. He was in danger? And even worse, the Sand Kingdom itself was in danger? If her visions were getting worse, then that meant he was getting closer to that future with every step he took. What did she see? How could he prevent it?
He growled in frustration. Moon and Sunny spoke as if they had a conversation about Moon's previous visions, which would've been a useful time to be spying. Last night he didn't hear anything helpful, nothing that could help save the Sand Kingdom or you know, himself. Moon discussed things that were new about this vision, but it was all vague, and nothing he could make sense of without hearing the rest of the details. He just had to hope that Moon would describe the original vision to someone, and he'd be there when she did. At the moment, he had no idea what danger awaited him and how to stop it.
Memories of Moon's first vision at Jade Mountain came back, the time she predicted the bombing of the History Cave. He felt sick remembering what happened to the dragons caught in it and what could've happened to him or others. What if he was walking straight into a future like that one?
Could Moon be predicting the Sand Kingdom attacks? Did this mean they got worse? Well, he'd just have to be smarter and find the attacker first.
"Qibli! Good Morning!"
His grandfather sauntered up with an overly chipper demeanor. Qibli jumped to his talons and didn't exactly relax when he saw who it was. He wasn't used to the whole, "Grandfather might actually be a nice guy," thing yet.
"I assume you slept well?" Vulture asked.
"I suppose you could say that," Qibli said, reminded once more of the Obsidian Mirror's visions.
"Wonderful," he said, taking a seat next to his grandson. One of his new golden earrings caught the light of the sun, and his grin had a similar glint. "Doing some thinking then?"
"Huh?" Qibli suddenly wondered how long his grandfather had been watching him.
"Don't fret Grandson, I do the same thing," Vulture looked up wistfully. "Other dragons are nice and all, but only I can use my mind to its full potential right?"
"...Yeah," Qibli replied, awestruck. He'd always known his grandfather to be intelligent, but he'd never seen this side of him before. Perhaps they were more alike than he thought.
"Anyways," Grandfather said, cutting through the silence he'd left. "Since you're here, I was wondering if I could have your opinion on something."
"Okay... on what?" Qibli asked cautiously.
Vulture waved a talon dismissively. "Nothing too urgent, don't worry. Something's just been bothering me for a while."
Qibli debated with himself for a moment, but decided to go along with it. So far it seemed his grandfather really had seemed to want his genuine opinion on things, as if he really was smart enough to help him. He hadn't been hurt so far, surely this wouldn't be different?
They ended up taking a turn from the main pavilion and ended up in a long room filled to the brim with bookshelves. It reminded Qibli of a small library, excluding the very flashy throne obviously made for Vulture sitting snuggly at the end. As he studied it, Qibli realized with a jolt that Onyx sat comfortably up there impatiently tapping her claws. He'd never seen another dragon touch his grandfather's things and keep their talons, yet Onyx looked so at home. Grandfather paid it little mind as they walked in, though Qibli was sure he saw his face sour at the sight.
"Onyx, we'll finish our... discussion later," Grandfather said, waving her away. That seemed to be a trend he noticed, waving other dragons away the minute Qibli entered the room. He couldn't decide whether he felt flattered or suspicious. Onyx had to squeeze uncomfortably past the other two (this room was obviously not made with multiple dragons in mind) and she kept her narrowed eyes glued to them the entire way.
This left more questions in Qibli's mind than answers. He was sure that Onyx had just been working for Grandfather like the other mysterious cloaked dragons before, but now he wasn't sure. She didn't seem to be treated like the others, but she didn't act like any client he'd ever seen. His only other guess was a business partner, an important one at that. However, that didn't line up with the story she told at Jade Mountain of a lonely Sandwing with nothing to her name. What kind of secrets was she hiding?
"Look here," Grandfather beckoned to a knee-high table in the center of the room. There were open scrolls laying haphazardly on top, as well as a few maps and ink pots. Grandfather was particularly pointing to a map of the Sand Kingdom, multiple circles covering the surface. Qibli knew right away what he was looking at.
"There are the towns that have already been destroyed," he breathed. Vulture lit up and a smirk quirked the corners of his mouth.
"Very true," he replied.
Most of the towns circled were more like little homesteads dotting the northern part of the kingdom, he realized. The circles were drawn in thick black ink with drops splattered across the map, as if they were painted in a rush. The attack sites were scattered all over the upper part of the map, but they led down towards the palace in a sickening pattern. That's when Qibli realized with a lurch, they're leading towards the Ice Kingdom. Maybe Mother was right.
He looked up to see his grandfather staring down at the scene with a theatrically tragic face.
"It's terrible how far this has come," he said. "I hope you now see how urgent our task truly is."
Qibli hadn't realized just how many places had been attacked already. Although, he noticed that the sites were all relatively small, which could be considered some kind of silver lining. Save for one, however, which was circled in blood-red ink.
As if reading his mind, Grandfather pointed to that spot on the map and said, "This was the place you visited yesterday. This was the first time our attackers went for anything bigger than family-owned estates."
His eyebrows knit together, as if worried. "Not only that, but they're getting closer to the Palace."
And closer to Queen Thorn, he thought.
"Although, I suspect they'll head for the Scorpion Den first," Grandfather replied suddenly. "We are the biggest trade center in the Sand Kingdom, as well as being a home for the most dragons in one place. Which is why I've decided to put some effort into protecting my home."
You don't consider this protected? Qibli thought wryly, but he followed the other's claws as he pulled out two more scrolls. One of them was a map of the entire Scorpion Den, and the second, the one placed in front of him, was a map of the compound.
"I was thinking of adding a bunker, and perhaps an easy fire escape," he commented. "I was hoping you had some ideas, grandson."
Qibli scanned the parchment in front of him. He was surprised Grandfather hadn't added something like this already, with the compound being so vast. Not only that, but everything was clustered together with potted palm trees and statues stuck in any free space. Plus any hidden traps would have to be removed from the designated spot.
"Right about here seems to be about the quickest exit," Qibli said, running a claw along a spot of the map clear of any obstructions. It was really only blocked by a few trees that could be easily moved, assuming there weren't any pitfalls. "And for a bunker, I'd suggest you put one under an already built structure, more support, and you wouldn't have to dig up too many uh, traps."
Grandfather seemed pleased by this answer. He dipped one of his gold-tipped claws into a pot of ink and marked the suggested parts of the map.
"Couldn't have put it better myself," he mused. But then Grandfather seemed to be suddenly stricken with horror.
"What is it?" Qibli pressed cautiously.
"I've just had a thought- what about the Palace?" Grandfather said. "You've lived there grandson, how well-fortified is it? Do you think it'd be safe?"
Qibli suddenly felt very nervous. Not only was he worried for Thorn and the others, but he was unnerved by this reaction as a whole. Sure, maybe he could believe his grandfather's intentions may not be entirely malicious, but his concern for the Stronghold? What would be there for him to worry so much about when he had his own mini kingdom inside this compound.
"Queen Thorn's Stronghold very well fortified," Qibli said, shuffling his talons. It was true, the place was made for just this situation. Burn's walls she put up during the war were even still there.
But what if someone gets inside? his mind whispered. What if something catches fire? What if the walls are destroyed?
Grandfather seemed to be wondering these same questions, as his gaze turned cynical.
"Well..." Qibli debated telling him any of this. He needed to keep Thorn's secrets, but it could help ease the mind of the dragon doing most for the Sand Kingdom at the moment. But could Grandfather really be trusted? He had yet to answer that.
"Queen Thorn's smart, she probably already has ways to deal with this," Qibli said, hoping he looked more confident than he felt. "She always keeps an entrance in the back, and if nothing else they'd use that."
Grandfather's eyes flew open in what appeared to be surprise, but he was sure he saw something else there.
"What a relief," Grandfather said. "I-"
A dragon practically hurling himself into the room interrupted him. The Sandwing was gasping for air and he kept grabbing the ends of his cape to keep it from tripping him.
"Something... happened," He cried between breaths.
"Yes?" Vulture asked, his expression somewhere between annoyance and worry.
"The- the outpost! The northern one you sent us to- it's under attack!"
"What?!" Grandfather roared, rising to his talons.
"N-no one was injured too badly sir, but- the fires, they're still-"
Qibli felt better hearing that everyone was alright, but it didn't stop his heart from pounding. They had been under fire, just now?! Well, not just now, assuming it had taken an hour or two for their messenger to get from there to here. Still, what was Grandfather going to do about it?
"We need to send someone out at once," Vulture stated. Then he paused, his eyes wandering to the smaller Sandwing next to him.
"Qibli, would you like to take a look for me?" Vulture asked. "I could use your brain on this one, with the clues being so fresh."
"Oh, uh, sure," Qibli replied, stunned.
"Perfect, I'll give you time to get ready," the other said. "I assume you'll want to bring your Icewing?"
Qibli stopped in his tracks, looking back with widened eyes. "You... want him to come?"
Grandfather shrugged. "Really I don't care, but another input could be useful."
Qibli gave a last curt nod before walking out as fast as his talons could take him. By this point, his mind had memorized the quickest and safest way back to the hut, and he didn't have to think much about what he was doing. The moment he took a step on the cold tiles, he was met with a sour Icewing.
"More family time?" Winter retorted.
"Oh yeah, it was a ball. We played board games and gossiped about you," Qibli replied, which earned him an eye roll.
"By the way, we're leaving again," he added. "An outpost was just under attack, and I'm needed to investigate."
Winter snorted. "Right, like they need one little Sandwing to help solve a big case. What are you, some kind of junior detective?"
"Hey, I'm just quoting what they said," Qibli replied with a shrug, trying not to let it show how much his words stung.
Winter muttered something about busy Sandwings and the hot desert before he responded, "You're paying for the damage done to my wings when we get back to Jade Mountain."
There was something unspoken in his words. If we get back to Jade Mountain, Qibli thought, remembering the danger in his future. No, he was going to stop whatever Moon saw, and he definitely wouldn't let Winter be hurt by it. He wouldn't forgive himself if he let that happen.
Qibli reached under his pillow and pulled out the flat disc of stone. The Obsidian Mirror, just where he'd left it. He felt a little shiver run down his spine.
I should tell him about what I saw, right? Qibli thought. But as he dwelled on the idea, he wondered if there was any point. It didn't seem like Winter was in any immediate danger, so would he even care? He hadn't seemed to care about any of this so far, he wondered why he even stuck around. Not that he wanted Winter to leave though. He was used to the company, and he enjoyed having someone familiar close by. That, and he was worried something might happen if he wasn't nearby, but he wasn't going to tell Winter any of that.
"Here," he said, passing the Obsidian Mirror over. No... until Qibli learned more about what Moon saw, he'd keep it to himself.
Winter gave him a curious expression. "I still don't see why you don't want to keep it to yourself," he commented. "You're the one who can use it."
He had a very good point, why shouldn't he keep it? Once Mother had suggested otherwise he never gave it a second thought. Was it just because she suggested it that he liked the idea? Would he have had Winter keep it if she wasn't there? Probably not, he realized. But still, he felt weirdly safe knowing it was in Winter's talons instead.
"Just hold onto it for today," Qibli said. "I can still use it, as long as we stick close and you don't go flying for the hills."
Winter snorted, but he put the mirror into his pouch without question.
"Well, shall we go?"
Qibli stuck close to the Icewing until they made it to the gate, secretly hoping he wouldn't have to deal with other dragons on today's excursion. He wasn't so lucky. He was certainly surprised to see Bog waiting for them once more at the pavilion, but he was even more surprised when Onyx followed them into the sky. Was she also going to investigate, or simply keep an eye out? She didn't look particularly pleased to be joining them, he noted.
Neither did Bog either, of course, but Qibli wasn't sure if he was even able to be happy. Around him, Bog had a permanent frown. He was definitely hiding something, yes that's the story Qibli was sticking with because, ouch, he was a very likeable dragon.
He also noted the nervous and suspicious glances the Mudwing kept giving Winter. Maybe he wasn't expecting him to come, but he and Qibli had gone everywhere together thus far. Or perhaps he was still sore over their last spat.
He was definitely more fidgety than yesterday.
A few hours had passed, a few silent hours of clattering jewelry and cold glances before they finally arrived. Qibli knew when they were close before he even saw the outpost, as smoke filled his nose and stung his eyes. The air got thicker and heavier the further they flew, until he could barely see the tails in front of him. He coughed and narrowed his eyes, a lick of orange cut through the haze and appeared in sight.
It's still on fire, he realized in horror.
The outpost turned out to be a thick, sturdy, and compact structure with a few posts. It was made out of stone so luckily it was still intact, minus a few chips and a blown-off corner. No, the flames were destroying whatever was inside, which Qibli assumed were barracks and supplies. A few Sandwings were running back and forth with buckets and talonfuls of water and sand, suffocating the leftover flames. None of them wore Grandfather's capes.
The minute his talons hit solid ground Qibli was on his feet, he rushed over to help one of them with a heavy barrel of water. He heard Winter breathing frost breath on some of the smaller fires.
"What happened here?!" Qibli asked the dragon across from him as they emptied the barrel over the flame. He was hoping to get the point of view of a dragon who witnessed it.
"I don't know, I wasn't here when it happened," the other replied. "You'll wanna ask Capybara, the tall and skinny one over there," he gestured with his tail. "But help me out with this first!"
When they brought the barrel over to a small oasis, it dawned on Qibli how close they were to the ocean. He hadn't noticed before over the thick haze, but the air was cooler and saltier here, and if he squinted he could make out a thin blue line on the horizon. He wondered if that's where the attacker flew from, but wouldn't the dragons here have been watching the sea as well?
"Thanks, kid," The Sandwing huffed as the flame fizzled out under the douse of water. Qibli gave him one last nod before running off in the direction he was pointed to. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed both Onyx and Bog were standing around, neither lifting a claw to help.
Qibli scanned the small crowd of Sandwings and was able to pick out Capybara almost instantly. They were extremely tall, thin, and dusty, a stark contrast to the other muscular soldiers. They were amongst a small group gawking at Winter's work.
"Excuse me?" Qibli asked, lightly tapping their shoulder and making them jump. "Are you Capybara?"
"Yes?" They asked, eyeing the dragonet up and down suspiciously. "Who are you?"
"I'm-" what should he say, the grandson of a very rich benefactor? He wondered if that would make him sound any more trustworthy. "An investigator. I'd like to ask you a few questions."
Capybara didn't look convinced, nodding slowly before pointing to Onyx and Bog with their claw and to Winter with their tail. "What about them?"
"They're with me," He reassured, but they still looked suspicious. He couldn't exactly blame them with the current state of their location.
"Alright, well, what did you want to know?" They finally asked.
"I was looking for an explanation of what happened here, detail for detail," Qibli replied.
"Well... let's see, a few minutes before I arrived these dragons wearing cloaks showed up to interview the others, kind of like what you're doing now," they shot him another suspicious glance. "I don't exactly remember what they were asking, something about working conditions and whether they were happy with their jobs."
So Grandfather did send someone here, multiple someones by the sound of it, Qibli thought. But this doesn't make sense, where did they all go? Why were they asking about working conditions? What does that have to do with the investigations?
He supposed his grandfather was a busy dragon who probably had other projects as well, but this seemed so odd. He wasn't normally the type to care about the lives of menial guards, at least not the Grandfather he remembered.
"They weren't questioning you?" Qibli wondered after a thought struck him.
Capybara shrugged. "Well, one tried to, but he didn't have time before... you know..."
Qibli looked up thoughtfully. "You don't sound like you were here for the same reason as everyone else," he commented. "What's your relation here?"
Capybara glared at him fiercely. "Let's just say I have a different line of work, now can we get back on track please?"
"Sorry, continue."
"Anyways, it was so sudden- just out of nowhere, the fort exploded! I tried to see who'd done it, but by that point it was one fire and the smoke was too thick. I focused on getting other dragons out, and by that point our attacker was long gone." Capybara's brows knit together in worry. "No one was hurt, thankfully, but I find it odd that someone would set off just one bomb and run, like some sort of extreme prank."
Qibli frowned. "You didn't see who it was? Not even a clue?"
Capybara twitched, and their grimace deepened. "No, I just said that. Only Sandwings, but we didn't see any new ones arrive. I will admit though, we were kind of distracted."
Only Sandwings, huh? Qibli thought.
"If it's any help though, a few of my dragons theorize they came from up from the sea," They nodded to their left. "But then..."
Seawings don't have that kind of firepower, he finished. Their theory made perfect sense, but the only tribes who'd be able to execute that kind of plan were Seawings and maybe, just maybe Mudwings.
His mind flashed to the story Bog told him. Perhaps if they flew most of the way there, it's plausible they'd be able to slip into the sea without being detected. He wasn't sure how well Mudwings would be able to navigate the ocean, however, and they'd have to take into account distance and how long they could hold their breaths. He'd never heard of the tribe launching this sort of elaborate plan, though he supposed if it was someone else's...
He was onto something here, but he needed confirmation.
"Thanks, you've been a big help," Qibli said to the other Sandwing.
"Of course. And uh, good luck on your investigation," Capybara replied.
The minute he started walking towards him, Bog became incredibly nervous, looking around to avoid eye contact and fiddling with his jewelry. He started to shuffle away, but Qibli caught him.
"Hey Bog, you said the Mudwings were behind this, right?" Qibli asked, stopping him in his tracks.
"Yeah, so?" Bog replied with a scoff. He definitely didn't sound interested in helping a case that would save countless dragons. It was like just being there was a chore for him.
"I just have a few questions," Qibli said, earning a loud groan.
"All of your orders come straight from Queen Moorhen?" He asked. "No other Mudwings, no other tribes..."
"No. Just Moorhen."
Qibli quirked a brow. "Not even a platoon commander? Just Queen Moorhen."
"Uhm... Yes?" Bog faltered.
"So you think Queen Moorhen is the sole dragon behind this. These are her plans."
"What are you yammering about?" Bog shot back, and Qibli sighed.
"Do you think someone, specifically another tribe, is paying your queen to do this?"
"Uhm," Bog's eyes seemed to dart everywhere at once. "No! Yes? Maybe...?" He finally caught himself. "How should I know?! I was just following orders!"
Alright, it seems we're getting nowhere with this, Qibli thought.
"Fine, then can you at least tell me how your squad attacked the first time?" He was hoping to find some patterns or clues that he hadn't heard yet.
"We just kind of... Attacked," Bog replied. "You were in the war right? Picture that."
Qibli groaned internally. "I'm talking about strategies. Be specific here."
"Okay look," Bog hissed. "We flew there and we set the town on fire and stuff. There's your specifics."
"But what about the bombs?" Qibli pressed. "How did you get there undetected? No one's seen you besides my grandfather, apparently. Were there other water ways that you used last time?" Qibli was sure he'd have noticed if there were any on the map. "Do you think it's how they got here this time?"
Like a bomb that had finally been set off, Bog exploded. "I don't know!" He screamed in the other's face. "I wasn't there! How should I?!"
"But-" Qibli's mind buzzed as it pieced everything together. "You were in the first attack, you were just talking about it."
Bog looked horrified once those words started to sink in. "Yeah well, it's been awhile," he muttered as he shrunk back.
Qibli narrowed his eyes as the Mudwing awkwardly walked away. This conversation only confused the stories he'd heard up to this point, and proved Bog to be the strangest and worst liar he'd ever seen. In this world that Vulture has created, he was the puzzle piece that just wouldn't fit. Once he figured out Bog, everything else was sure to fit into place.
Qibli ran forward and blocked the other's path, making him jump. He scanned the dragon before him, looking for some sort of sign he missed before.
What are you hiding?
"Just leave me alone!" Bog screeched just as Qibli felt a white hot pain and a blow to his head. Next thing he knew he was on the ground and Bog was being tackled by his clawmate.
Qibli took in shallow breaths to regain the air he lost. Bog was stronger than he looked, and it didn't help that he was coated head to tail in hard jewelry.
He staggered to his talons just as Winter was thrown off the Mudwing. Bog turned tail and tried to run, but Qibli was already on him before he could.
"Tell me the truth!" Qibli said. "Why are you lying about the Mudwing attacks! What aren't you telling me?"
"Nothing!" Bog cried. "It's all true, definitely a Mudwing plot!"
"Liar!" Winter growled as he appeared by Qibli's side. He started to charge up a blast of frost breath and said, "now tell him the truth or else."
Qibli took a moment to give him an appreciative smile, but in the seconds he was distracted Bog took the opportunity to try to wack him again with his free wing. The Sandwing threw him back down and bit back a hiss when some of the jewels sent painful shivers down his spine. In the struggle he sliced some of the golden silks wrapped around the other's wing. The empty space revealed something Qibli hadn't seen before.
"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Bog roared, writhing under the Sandwing's claws before Winter helped keep him down. A realization dawned on Qibli as he ripped the pouch from its spot under Bog's wing.
As the pouch dropped to the ground, the brown scales of the Mudwing melted away into the sand.
Notes:
Ok I know two months is a record for me in the "not getting a chapter out" department, but hear me out, I've genuinely been really busy. That, and I have a certain project for the fic that I was GOING to get out at the same time as this chapter but then I realized, whoopsies, this might contain spoilers. Plus it'd just be more convenient to wait. (Also I rewrote parts of this multiple times).
Anywho, hope this chapter isn't too disappointing for the wait it took to get it out.
Chapter 11
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"What is this?!" Winter cried as the larger dragon slipped through his talons.
"This isn't a Mudwing," Qibli hissed. "In fact, I already know who this is."
The browns and ambers seemed to melt and fade away, a stark difference between those and the bright green left behind. Large, thick features shrunk into thin gangly limbs. Bog was gone, and in his place was left a smaller, feeble dragon.
"A Rainwing?!" Winter cried. "But- how?! Rainwings can only change color, and he really was a Mudwing! Wasn't he?"
"No, he was," Qibli replied. "And the last time we met him he was a Nightwing. Shapeshifter, if I remember correctly."
Winter's eyes widened as realization sunk in. "You mean, the one who attacked Kinkajou?!"
"You mean the one you beat bloody for his scroll," the Rainwing hissed. "The one who's daughter you turned against him, the one whose LIFE you ruined!"
A rasped laugh cut through the angry rant. "Too bad you didn't get the scroll, it's still mine, and now I'm piecing my life back together. So how about THAT?"
It wasn't long ago when the Sky Kingdom was freed from their previous queen, the evil Queen Scarlet. This dragon had been helping her commit such crimes, and he escaped the palace later that night. QIbli had joined his winglet and Peril in search of her (apparent) father, and to take the scroll he used in his trickery. They had found him, but he had found a way to flee once more, and no matter what kind of mind readers they had searching with them, and he had somehow gotten away for good. Here Qibli was, faced with him once more, able to make things right.
"Where is it," Winter said, pressing his claws into the other's scales.
"It's not with me," he said with a wince. "Check me all you want, you'll never find it."
Qibli emptied the cut pouch he already held in his claws, but all that fell out were the scraps of scroll that gave the Rainwing his forms. He opened the lock on his chainmail armor, but only scattered pieces of treasure were left. Everything else produced similar results.
"He's right," Qibli growled in frustration. "It's not here."
"You think I'd bring it anywhere near your greedy claws?" The Rainwing said smugly.
If it's not here, then it could be back at the compound, Qibli realized. He itched to go back and search, but he needed answers here first. He needed the truth from this dragon.
"Why are you here, helping my grandfather?" Qibli asked. "You were caught meddling in Skywing politics, why do the same here?
"I didn't know he was related to you," The Rainwing shot back. "And I didn't come here to get involved in any of this! The Mud Kingdom wasn't for me, too brown. I came to the Scorpion Den looking for treasure."
"I see you found it," Winter said with disgust, eyeing his gaudy display.
He shot him a glare and continued. "And that's where Vulture found me."
Qibli paused, a horrid feeling dawning on him. "Is it true then? The story about the Mudwings attacking?"
He has no idea what's going on in the Sand Kingdom, Qibli thought. He's not a Mudwing, he wasn't a part of any attack squadron, and he has no idea what he's talking about.
It all made sense now, the inconsistencies in his story, and the aggression towards both he and Winter. It made him sick, was any of it true?
"I'm not telling you anything," the other dragon growled. Stricken with inspiration, Qibli snatched the scattered scraps of paper with his free talon and dangled them in front of his face.
"Hey Winter, how fast do you think these will burn?" Qibli growled, turning to the Icewing with a wry grin.
Winter caught on fast. "I don't know Qibli, why don't you find out?" A smug grin creeped at the corners of his mouth.
"Wait, no!" The Rainwing cried. "Do you know how hard I worked on those?! How much they mean to me?!"
"Then talk," Qibli hissed.
"Okay, okay! The truth? I have no idea if any of it happened!" The words seemed to tumble out. "Yes, Vulture paid me to say those things, I haven't been in the Sand Kingdom long enough to know if it's true. It could be the Mudwings?"
Qibli let go of the other dragon and sank back onto his haunches. He felt light headed. He was right all along, about Bog's entire story being a lie that Grandfather fabricated. So then, who was behind the strikes? Was it really the Mudwings, and Vulture was just paying him to spread the word? Or was it someone else entirely? Was he lying about anything else?
"I-I think I need to speak to my Grandfather."
"Wait," cried a now trembling voice, the Rainwing's confidence gone. "You're not going to tell him about me, are you?"
Qibli stared dubiously at the dragon lying helplessly before him. "Why not?" he asked. "Aren't you working together on this?"
"He doesn't know about my other forms!" He whined. "He'll punish me for treachery, or he'll take my scroll, or- just- just don't tell him okay?!"
Qibli flipped his gaze from the wallowing dragon to the scraps of scroll he held tight. He wouldn't be able to go back to the compound, not without the form of Bog. So then, where would he go instead? He doubted that the Rainwing would ever stop causing trouble wherever he went. Should he let him return with them and keep an eye on him? Or would he just flee like before?
"How about we make a deal," Qibli said. "If you leave, and promise to stay away from my Grandfather, I won't turn you over to him."
"Yes, yes, okay!" the dragon nodded vigorously. "You'd never have to see me again, I promise."
"What if I told you you couldn't go back for the scroll?"
The other dragon stiffened, lying still under Winter's talons. Qibli couldn't tell if he was pondering his offer, or if he just froze. "I... I promise. I have my other forms, and that's all I need."
He was lying. Qibli could hear the words forced out his gritted teeth, and even if he was better at pretending Qibli had lived in the Scorpion Den long enough to know when something was a lie. Besides, he wasn't sure he could believe the Rainwing no matter how convincing he was. Even if he planned to stay out of trouble, Qibli wasn't sure if he could resist if another opportunity arose. He'd had the option to make many good choices, and so far he'd picked none of them. He was probably planning how to get the scroll back as they spoke.
"I just can't believe that," Qibli sighed, shaking his head. "You've had that opportunity many times now, but you just keep coming back as someone else and causing trouble."
"I won't this time, I promise." He started to sound desperate.
"I'm sorry," Qibli said, gesturing to the scroll fragments he held. "But you can't have these back."
That set something off in the other dragon. Suddenly, as if he had ten times the power behind him, he threw himself at Qibli's talons (and knocked Winter snout first into the sand).
"NO! Please, they're all I have!" He wailed. "You don't understand what it's like, I'm a useless Rainwing who can't change his colors! Chameleon is nobody, he doesn't even have a home! I'm nothing without those forms!"
Qibli felt a stab of guilt for the older dragon. He was right, he didn't understand, but he too had parts of himself he didn't like. If Qibli had the chance to make a better version of himself, wouldn't he take it? If he'd found a magical scroll, surely he'd take it as well? Granted, he'd probably use it better than Chameleon did, at least he hoped. Besides, he'd lived as those other forms for so long, they practically were him. Would it be cruel to take them?
Yet, empathy or not, that dragon had done terrible things as those other forms. How could it be any different this time?
Qibli picked through the contents in his claws, scanning the contents of each one. Some of these he recognized, some of them he was only vaguely aware of, and then there were a talonful of shapes he hadn't realized Chameleon had. As Qibli read, he realized just how powerful the form of Shapeshifter was. Not only was his theory about regeneration correct, but written down were strengths that ranged from invulnerability, super strength, and hotter fire. He thought back to that night, when Shapeshifter seemed to disappear before the group's very eyes. All it took was a moment of distraction, and the Nightwing was gone, and no mind reading was able to find him. Qibli scoured the paper, yet there was nothing about invisibility, teleportation, or any kind of disappearing act. Nothing on any of the other forms either.
"Fine," Qibli said, dropping three of the papers in front of the Rainwing. "You can have these back."
Qibli had specifically chosen the three forms he found the least offensive. Bog, as he already knew that form and it wasn't as dangerous as Shapeshifter, An Icewing form (he'd have to ask Peril about it's details later), and a plain Seawing shape. It was a debate between that and his Skywing form, but considering the fact that Soar had already made a reputation as a criminal, he decided to relieve that burden from Chameleon (as much as he deserved it).
"You'll be well off with any of these forms, let alone all three. Not to mention more treasure than most dragons will see in a lifetime, easily earning you a cozy life."
Chameleon scrambled to grab a hold of the pitiful scraps of scroll, a look of dismay plastered to his face. But Qibli could see something under that gaze. Spite, anger, fury. Qibli wasn't really expecting him to leave forever, he knew he'd be back for the scroll eventually. He'd just have to find it first.
"Qibli, a word?" Winter spat, shaking sand off of his scales.
He gave the sniveling Rainwing one last glance before being pulled aside by his clawmate.
"What are you thinking?!" Winter hissed, and Qibli decided that this conversation was one to keep between the two of them. He lifted his wing to create a curtain between Chameleon and the both of them.
"That was the same dragon who hurt our friends and escaped multiple times! And not only did he help Queen Scarlet, but now he's meddling in Sandwing affairs! Don't you want justice? He should be punished for what he did to Kinkajou at least."
Qibli thought of the frail little Rainwing and shuddered. Her broken body lying still in the hospital while the rest of them went back to Jade Mountain... She always looked forward to school, but by the time she woke up, she may not be excited for all of the catch-up.
If, a part of his mind whispered, but he pushed that thought away. Now wasn't the time.
Kinkajou wasn't the first of their friends to be hurt by Shapeshifter, but her injuries had definitely been the worst. Not only was there the mind control spell he put on Peril, his own daughter, but there was the distraction he'd created the night he escaped, whether intentional or not. He had seemed to vanish that night, but it wasn't a clean escape. In a moment he was able to pave a way by attacking the dragon standing in front of him, Turtle. They'd all learned too fast that invulnerable scales meant invulnerability to Peril's scales as well.
All it took was one moment, one moment when everyone was distracted with the health of their friend for him to make a clean getaway. Thankfully, Turtle didn't sustain nearly as many injuries as Kinkajou, as many of them were able to be healed with his animus-touched stone. He was still recovering from a broken jaw, however.
Qibli wasn't sure what Winter would do if Turtle was in a coma as well. Three moons, Qibli didn't know what he would do.
"I didn't forget," he sighed. "Look, I know you want justice, I do too. This just seemed like the best idea for now, he's too unpredictable to try to control with just the two of us."
"And what about the scroll?" Winter replied. "You don't seriously expect him to give it up, do you?"
"Listen," Qibli hissed, bringing his voice to a whisper. "I know what I'm doing, I have a plan."
Kind of. Sort of. Maybe? Qibli thought, but bit his tongue.
Something shifted in the Icewing's gaze. It seemed to soften in understanding, or at least some kind sympathy. Qibli looked him straight in the eyes and tried to look as serious as possible.
Trust me.
"Alright, I-"
Suddenly, Winter's entire demeanor changed. "Watch out!" he cried, shoving Qibli to the ground.
A second later something whizzed by his ear, and black droplets pattered on the ground next to him.
Winter cried out in rage and tried sitting up, but his cold scales were pressed up against Qibli's, and their wings were entangled. It was really awkward, actually, and painful when Winter pressed down too hard on his chest in his hurry.
By the time Qibli himself was able to sit up, Winter was already gone. He was racing across the sand, chasing the Rainwing who had lifted off into the air. Qibli couldn't help but wince when he saw the Icewing's serrated claws dig into Chameleon's tail and drag him back down to the ground. He followed suit to find his clawmate restraining the other dragon.
"You still want to let him go?" Winter growled. "We'll never be able to trust him, not so long as he's out running free."
I know, Qibli thought. I know he's untrustworthy. I know I shouldn't let him go.
So why did he still want to release him? Maybe there was a part of him that saw himself in Chameleon. He too had felt that familiar lust for power that the Rainwing must've felt. When he'd learned of Turtle being an animus, he struggled to stamp down his jealousy. Qibli was nobody special, just like Chameleon. Maybe that's why he wanted to find the scroll so bad, maybe Qibli wanted the kind of power that Chameleon had. The kind of power that he could use to its full potential in all the right ways. Maybe... Qibli saw himself becoming like Chameleon if he finally got his claws on magic like that.
Or perhaps he genuinely just felt bad for him. A dragon shunned from his entire tribe for something he couldn't control. At least Qibli had never gone through that.
Did this make him a bad dragon? Being able to relate to the dragon who's done nothing but hurt his friends? For giving him sympathy?
Qibli looked from the hissing Rainwing to the black venom sprawled across the sand. Even after giving him more mercy than he should've, Chameleon still tried to attack him. Qibli was sure he'd do it again in a heartbeat. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch in an incoming snarl.
"Alright listen," he growled, his talons sinking into the sand close to Chameleon's face. "I don't care where you go, or what happens to you, but the minute Winter gets off of you you're gone. If I ever see you around here again, it'll be uglier than whatever my friend was suggesting."
He heard the dangerous edge in his own voice. Whatever Qibli was implying, it sounded certain he was serious about it. Even Chameleon, who was an older, bigger dragon looked nervous. He averted his gaze and nodded profusely until Winter let him go. There was a moment where Qibli locked eyes with Winter- and he could see his widened gaze looking directly at him.
The sound of noisy, careless wing flaps echoed in his ears as Chameleon clumsily lifted off. It wasn't long, however, before the sound was drowned out by shocked whispers and mutters. It was then that Qibli realized that all of the other Sandwings there had been watching the whole time. Capybara in particular looked especially interested. His face felt hot in embarrassment and he shied away from their gazes.
"We should head back," Qibli muttered, stepping past Winter and his wide, unreadable expression. But as Qibli unfurled his wings to lift off, looking back at the outpost one last time, he had a horrid realization. Everyone from the crowd was still there, watching him. Everyone but one, as Chameleon wasn't the only one of their entourage that left. Onyx was missing.
Qibli felt an ominous shiver. When did she leave, and why? Did it have anything to do with her personal "plans"? Had she seen what had just gone down? If she had, and she was headed back to the compound like he assumed, was she planning on telling Grandfather? He felt guilty at the thought, he promised Chameleon that Vulture wouldn't know. Then again, he had tried to attack him (again), and maybe this would be a good incentive to keep him away.
Qibli lifted off into the sky, opposite the way Chameleon went. He soon heard a second pair of wings flapping behind him, and he didn't bother looking back.
Everything was so quiet. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with your claw. It was just the two of them now, Qibli and Winter, both so free yet so trapped. He could leave if he wanted to, no one was stopping him this time, yet there was something holding Qibli back. And Winter... well, Qibli still wasn't sure what kept him here.
Their “chaperones” were gone now, no one to lead them back to the compound. Not that it mattered, Qibli knew exactly where to go, but still...
He hoped Chameleon would finally live in peace. The optimistic parts of Qibli hoped that he would settle down away from the political drama, but the sensible parts knew to be skeptical. Chameleon wouldn't be able to keep away from the next temptation that came his way, regardless of his word, and Qibli didn't doubt they'd meet again.
Onyx, however, was a different story. Qibli had a feeling he'd see her again, but he wasn't sure when she'd slither back to Grandfather. He wished he knew more about her- why she did things, what her goal was, and who she really was. Why did she attack him that night, especially if she's working with Vulture? Why did she leave during the scuffle at the outpost? What was all of this talk of "plans"?
His brain hurt coming up with all of these questions without answers.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Qibli was met with a concerned expression that contrasted Winter's accusatory tone. He was so surprised at the sincerity after everything else he'd seen today, that he almost fell right out of the sky.
"Oh, yeah! Sure, I'm..."
Oh, who was he trying to fool here? Qibli wasn't okay. He hadn't felt okay since he got here. He was tired, and it felt like he was running in circles with all of these mysteries. What was the point of putting on a brave face when he was sure his feelings were plastered all over his scales.
"I'm stressed," Qibli sighed. "I don't know what I'm doing here, or if I'm even making a difference."
This was the first real look Qibli got of Winter since this morning. It was obvious from one glance just how much the flames and smoke were affecting him, and the desert heat probably didn't help. The Icewing's eyes were bloodshot, dark blue veins like tiny rivers stretched across his gaze. His breathing was thin and raspy, and soot clung to his pristine scales. Qibli couldn't help the guilt that crept into his thoughts- that it was his fault his friend was dragged into this miserable environment.
However that pained, hazy expression softened. Winter had this look like he wanted to say something, but his snout stayed firmly shut. It was a look of longing, the need to get something off of his chest... but being unable to. But then Winter scoffed and flew ahead, leaving Qibli to wonder if it was because of him.
He stayed behind, but his eyes followed Winter across the horizon. There, in the distance, was the faint outline of Possibility. He felt a wash of relief, he was almost home.
No, not home, he corrected himself. Where did that come from? He hadn't lived in the Scorpion Den since the end of the war. He wasn't thinking of Grandfather's compound... was he?
Qibli shook his head with a furious growl and beat his wings faster.
He heard the shrill voice before he saw the owner. "Welcome back, runt," Rattlesnake hissed, loitering outside of the compound with Sirocco. Qibli was really, really tempted to just turn around and fly back, but his claws traitorously touched the sand and there was no going back now. Qibli mumbled some kind of greeting as he passed, before a blow was struck to the back of his already aching head.
"What was that? Speak up," Rattlesnake said innocently, and their brother burst into laughter.
While Qibli was partly grateful there was someone who could lead them into the compound safely, he would've preferred it be anyone else. Beggars can't be choosers, however he would've liked to have had a secure route memorized instead. The very worst traps at least, but his grandfather did too good of a job hiding them. They weren't meant to be memorized (new ones were constantly added to assure this), and they weren't even meant to frighten potential intruders. No, that wasn't to Grandfather's taste. They were meant to maim or kill. Qibli shuddered, maybe those emergency exits were a good idea after all.
"Oh, by the way," Rattlesnake rolled her eyes. "Grandfather wants to see you. Again."
There was a hint of anger in her voice, but it was always anger or malice, what else was new? Qibli simply followed his sister without another word, Winter and Sirocco close behind. That is, until they were inside the walls of the compound. Then, to Qibli's alarm, Sirocco started to lead Winter away. He was ready to snap back and follow them, but Rattlesnake nudged him sharply.
" Alone," she snarled. "Grandfather wants to see you alone."
"Don't worry, I just wanna show ya around," Sirocco flashed Winter a toothy grin.
Internally, Qibli was panicking. Not only was he nervous about walking with Rattlesnake alone, but he was also worried about leaving Winter with his brother. However, he was able to steady himself and appear calm on the outside. Sirocco wouldn't hurt him, right? Besides, his friend was capable, he'd be able to handle himself against one Sandwing. Even if that Sandwing was big... strong... brutish...
He could already see Winter rolling his eyes at him. Maybe even a scoff, or some kind of sassy comment. Qibli would prefer Winter's snark over Rattlesnake's company any day, and after all that had happened he really was not looking forward to talking to Grandfather. Would he tell him what happened, should he?
No, he promised he wouldn't share Chameleon's secret. But then, what if Onyx did? How would his grandfather react if he knew that Qibli kept such a big secret from him? Bog was a liar... but then... Grandfather was too, wasn't he? Well, he never directly stated that he wasn't paying Bog, but...
Well, what was he to do? How could he believe anything else he told him? It could be one big misunderstanding, maybe Qibli should talk to him about it to clear everything up. Then, he could be the one to tell Grandfather this big discovery, then maybe he'd call him the smartest again-
No, no, stop that. He was thinking like a little dragonet again, besides, he made a promise. Chameleon had held up his part of the deal so far (well, for the most part), and he'd honor that. Besides, no one deserved to be on the receiving end of Grandfather's wrath.
His thoughts came to a halt when his talons collided with something on the pavilion floor, and he nearly fell on his face. Rattlesnake barked a laugh and pulled her tail back while Qibli shot her a subtle glare.
"Welcome back."
Qibli looked onwards to his Grandfather sitting contentedly on his raised dias he had for a throne.
"How did it go?" He asked coolly. "Well, I hope."
It felt entirely too quiet with solely Vulture's voice reflecting off the walls. It felt like just the two of them there, even with Rattlesnake lurking around.
"Uhm, yeah. Sort of."
"Sort of?" his grandfather echoed, quirking a brow.
"Well, there were no casualties," Qibli stammered. "Or even any injuries, from what I'm aware. We didn't find the culprit, I actually think it confused things more."
"hm," Grandfather frowned. "Come, tell me about it."
Qibli couldn't shake this feeling of unease. How could he explain what he discovered? Would he continue with the idea of the Mudwings, even after learning the truth about Bog?
"What exactly happened?" Vulture asked, beckoning his grandson closer with a welcoming wing.
"Well," Qibli started, loitering just outside of his reach. "Apparently no one had seen where they'd come from. There was a theory that the attacks came from the ocean- but Seawings don't have that kind of firepower. So, then-"
"Oh, really?" Grandfather said, cutting him off. "I don't see what's confusing about that, it only seems to prove that it was the Mudwings!"
"Yes, but-"
"It seems some good did come of this. The more assaults there are, the closer we'll be to stopping them."
"but-"
"You just keep impressing me, grandson."
Qibli felt smothered with frustration. Was this just Grandfather being himself? His superiority complex was so immense that he barely heard what others were saying, much less care to let them finish. Or, was this something more sinister, a plan to push down Qibli's doubts before they could be brought to the surface? He was leaning towards the former, but it still irritated him.
"But Grandfather," Qibli stated, and this time he was allowed to finish. "If you know the Mudwings are behind this, then why haven't you done anything to stop them?"
"Oh, Qibli, surely you understand politics," Grandfather replied with quite the woeful face. "I can't do anything without concrete proof. If I take this to Queen Moorhen without evidence, she could see it as a sign of aggression, regardless of the truth."
That made a lot of sense, actually. But then, the grandfather that Qibli remembered didn't care about that sort of thing. He'd threaten and barter with dangerous dragons constantly, but perhaps a queen of an entire tribe was much even for him.
"Well... okay," Qibli said. "Is that why you sent other dragons there first? To investigate?"
"Why yes," Grandfather said with a grin. "As you can see, I'm investing all of my resources into this."
From what Capybara had told him, the dragons there hadn't been asking about the attacks. So then had they asked these questions before the others? Or was this another lie?
"Well, why that particular outpost? Wouldn't it be better to question someone closer to the last attack? How'd you know what would happen?"
"I didn't," Grandfather replied with a heavy sigh. "The reason I sent my dragons there was because of how close it was to the border. If anyone would've seen an oncoming attack, it'd be them."
"But-"
But the outpost was on the Northern border.
For some reason, Qibli couldn't bring himself to say that aloud. Something was holding him back.
But then, one more question came to mind. He hesitated, but then quietly asked: "What about Queen Thorn? Have you told her any of this?"
Grandfather paused, drumming his claws on the arm of his seat. "The problem with that," he began. "Is that I technically wasn't assigned any of this. All of my research and time put into this mystery was of my own choice. The queen and I have different goals and resources and she may not be pleased with my discoveries."
"I know Queen Thorn, she's not like royalty of the past," Qibli urged. "She'll listen, and I'm sure she'll be grateful."
"hmm," Grandfather narrowed his eyes in a deep, thoughtful look, and Qibli felt his own heart sink.
"Qibli, I'm sorry to tell you this," he said with a low, rumbling sigh. "But I really don't think Queen Thorn cares."
Qibli was sure he felt his heart make the final drop. "What?"
"I haven't seen any real effort from her," Grandfather said with a shrug. "No one has. There are those in town that believe she's putting all of her effort into protecting her outclaws in the palace instead of the common dragon."
Qibli couldn't believe that. Thorn, while she had a rough exterior, was one of the most caring dragons he'd ever met. If something bad was happening to the Sand Kingdom, she'd be the first one to try to stop it. Perhaps Grandfather was just misinformed? He had to be.
"I'm sorry to hear it too, Grandson," he consoled. "But all this means is that we have to put extra work into our cause. Queen or not, we will solve this."
"Yeah..." Qibli replied absent mindedly. He wasn't all there- his mind was still running with explanations for his grandfather's unfaith.
"I think... I'm going to go look for Winter," Qibli mumbled, taking a few steps toward the entrance.
"Of course."
His talons felt all too light and yet all too heavy as Qibli left the main pavilion. Rattlesnake gave him a hateful glare, but he barely paid her mind. He couldn't get that idea out of his head; the ideas his grandfather spread to him. Thorn would never be so careless, even as an outclaw she gave to those in need first. Sure, some dragons denied her offers, but that was on them, not her! It couldn't be true.
Then again, Qibli was coming from a place of previous loyalty. Maybe he was looking through rose tinted glass, or maybe Thorn had seemed more giving to him because he was apart of her-
NO. There were other, much more plausible reasons. Perhaps Thorn was simply investigating in private, or just hadn't figured out the "queenly way" of going about it yet.
Either way, he'd never find out just standing here theorizing.
Qibli looked around the compound, but realized his clawmate, or any familiar face, was nowhere in sight. He didn't particularly want to go exploring with all of those aforementioned traps laying about, so it seemed as though looking for Winter was off the table. The only paths that Qibli was sure were safe was from the main pavilion to the entrance to the compound, and from the pavilion to the hut he was staying in. He was able to figure those out on the first few days, and had thankfully kept his limbs intact after some experimentation. There were some marble walkways around the compound, but Qibli hadn't gone very far since he was a young dragonet. He still had the childhood fear of taking a wrong step, even somewhere that appeared safe. Looks like there was only two places he would/could go.
However, something caught his eye. A dragon was leaning against one side of the pavilion behind him, watching him a dark stare. Qibli lingered nearby, debating on whether he wanted to approach or not. The decision was taken out of his talons when she slunk over to him.
"Hello mother."
"So, how was it?" She asked, a curt nod being her only acknowledgement.
Cobra could be talking about any number of things that happened over the course of the day. Qibli hesitated, his mind still scrambled from before. What was she talking about? As if she sensed his hesitation, she lightly added, "what happened while you were out? What did you find?"
"Oh," Qibli said. "Well, uh, we have more evidence for Grandfather's theory, so I guess it was a success."
Cobra eyed him up and down. "You don't seem so convinced," she remarked.
"No, I guess not," Qibli sighed. "I just... something doesn't feel right. I can't figure this out here, no matter how much I try. It feels like things are only getting more confusing."
He wasn't sure why he was letting all of this slip. He should just continue with the story Grandfather pieced together, it’s probably what she wanted to hear anyway. Qibli seemed to be so open to his mother, like a small dragonet avidly telling their parents about the interesting parts of their day. However, unlike those other dragonet's parents, his didn't care. He was expecting her to tell him just that.
"Alright, what are we still doing here?" Cobra shrugged. "Let's leave."
Wait, seriously? Leave? Just like that? His mother was suggesting the very thing he had convinced himself he couldn't do. Qibli had felt stuck here since he had first arrived, even though Grandfather had only technically stopped him once. Perhaps it was the mere image of Vulture himself, discovering his grandson had left and the absolute disapproval he would surely feel. Or maybe it was something deeper than that, some sinister magic physically keeping him here. Then again, Qibli could just be losing his mind. Either way, Qibli couldn't- or rather hadn't wanted to leave all week, and now his mother was suggesting they escape- together.
"I- I think I need to get some views besides Grandfather's. I think I need to talk to Queen Thorn."
"Queen, hmm?" Cobra looked thoughtful. She took a few steps closer and leaned closer to him, before whispering: "Then let's go there, tomorrow night."
Qibli looked up at the sky where the sun still hung high. A day and a half, he could wait. A day and a half before he'd finally leave and get his answers.
"Prepare yourself, once it hits nightfall we're leaving right away," Cobra said as she tipped back.
Qibli nodded, but before he left a sudden thought struck him.
"Wait, mother," Qibli said. "Could you keep an eye out for a scroll in a black leather case? It's... something I lost."
"Fine," Cobra said, and the two parted ways. In a sudden change of events, Qibli's plans had changed, and he only had to wait a day and a half. No more doubts, no more worries, it was time to find the truth. The real truth.
He just had to wait a little while longer.
Notes:
The first month and a half I just had no ambition. Then, ESPECIALLY in this last week, I've been hurrying with the spare time I have to finally hurry up with the final draft of this chapter. Longest delay I've had, but with this chapter being longer and the rough draft of the next one almost done, this should be the longest break I take for a while. Finally, I bring you chapter 11 of my masterpiece.
Chapter 12
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Qibli never remembered stepping outside, but here he was. What should've felt like warm sun blazing down on his scales was covered by thick, hot smoke smothering his lungs. He looked around, but the air was so hazy that he could barely make out any other shapes. All he could see was the faint outline of tents and huts around him. However, he could hear many things, like the roaring of flames, bombs colliding with the ground, and the screams of another dragon. He covered his ears, trying to block out the sound. But no matter what he did, the shrieks stayed in his head as if the sound was from his own brain.
For some reason, Qibli felt no desire to search out and help the dragon. He just wanted the screaming to stop. But suddenly, a figure stumbled out into view.
His heart sunk once he saw who it was.
"Mother!" Qibli cried as the dragon dropped at his talons. Her entire body was in burns, and they continued to climb up her scales. It reminded him of something, but he couldn't quite remember what.
"Qibli," Cobra wheezed. "Qibli, help me."
"Mother! Hang on!" Qibli looked around once more, but he couldn't see anything that could help. Come on Qibli, you're smart, think of something! he thought desperately, but his brain felt fuzzy and he couldn't think. He started to panic.
"Qibli, don't abandon me, don't abandon me again," Cobra rasped, reaching for her son's talon.
"No, I didn't-" Qibli started. "Mother, I'm sorry! I won't leave you!"
Qibli woke up in a cold sweat, his heart still pounding. When his eyes finally adjusted to the nice, warm, and not smoke-y sight of his sleeping quarters, he let a sigh of relief. He took in a deep breath, his lungs cried for air as if he'd stopped breathing in his sleep. It was like he could still smell the smoke. Qibli didn't dream much, of course the few times he does it's the same nightmare. The same nightmare but even worse this time.
"Were you just screaming?" Winter mumbled sleepily, his blue scales shimmering in the moonlight as he sat up.
"Oh, was I?" Qibli asked, his voice still shaken. "Uh, sorry."
Then Winter looked at him with a similar expression to yesterday, even in the dark Qibli could see it. That weird sort of longing, worried look he'd seen as they flew back to the compound. It was the first time he'd seen an expression quite like that on his friend's face, and he had yet to understand what it meant.
"So, we leave at nightfall," Winter said, inadvertently changing the subject. Qibli nodded halfheartedly. "Why are we waiting until then? We could leave right now."
"I don't know, that's just when my mother said to. She's probably busy."
"Well, why are we waiting for her?" Winter said, exasperation edging his voice.
"Because-" Qibli began, but he was at a loss for words. There were a million different reasons he could have had, but deep down he knew it was because of one reason. He liked the idea of going with Mother, just the two of them (and Winter), because she chose him over his siblings.
"Because I think she can be useful," Qibli said. "She knows a lot more about this than we do."
Argh, Winter was making that face again. He hoped it wouldn't be like this all day, he'd probably sting himself with own tail barb if he looked at him like that again.
"That, and I still want to find the scroll," Qibli quickly added. "I have a feeling I'll find it around here."
Winter's gaze shifted to one of understanding, and he nodded back. At least there was something they could agree on, and it was that the scroll had to be found. Hopefully before anyone else stumbled across its power.
Qibli looked out the window at the dark sky. He could go back to sleep if he wanted to, and that might be the best idea for his health, but he wasn't sure he could handle another dream like that. Besides, the sun would be up in a few hours, maybe he could spend this time on himself. A break he would actually be awake for. He picked up one of the lanterns off of the floor and lit it with his fire, instantly warming the glittery hut.
"Hey, Qibli," Winter said. "Could you- I- could you do something for me?"
"Hmm?" Qibli turned back towards him, surprised at the sudden tonal shift. "Mind clarifying for me first?"
The Obsidian Mirror was thrust into his face. "Could you check on someone for me? I can't use this thing."
"Oh, sure," Qibli took it from him. "Who were you thinking?"
Winter ducked his head and pulled his tail in closer. "Moon."
"Oh," Qibli couldn't help the way he felt about hearing that.
"Don't get me wrong, I just want to make sure she's not over worrying or something."
"Right," Qibli replied, whispering her name and blowing smoke on the glass. This was another opportunity, maybe he could learn more about Moon's prophecy?
However, the dragon he saw in the Obsidian Mirror was curled up in bed, snoozing lightly. It made sense that he wouldn't have been lucky enough to catch her talking about it, but he was a little disappointed. Still, Qibli was glad she was getting the rest she needed.
Winter was watching the scene intently, but he too seem unhappy with the results. Maybe he was upset she wasn't awake worrying about him... or probably something else. Either way, no point in continuing to watch a sleeping dragon.
"Well, that was interesting," Qibli retorted as he cleared the mirror.
Winter rolled his eyes. "Please. Don't act like you aren't worried too."
Qibli looked down at the object in his talons. Sure, of course he was worried. He was worried about not only moon, but a talonful of other dragons.
"True, sorry," Qibli said. He hadn't meant to come off as apathetic, he was also just anxious about other things as well. Of course he was worried about not only Moon, but other dragons like Ostrich. In fact, he should probably use the Obsidian Mirror to check on Ostrich again, see if she was doing better.
But- no, she was probably sleeping like Moon, and there was someone else he wanted to check in on.
"Sunny," Qibli whispered, blowing smoke on the glass. Instantly a small shape appeared on the mirror, so still that she had to be unconscious. Sunny's figure was surrounded by other little shapes, if he had to guess he'd say she fell asleep on her work. No discussions about scary dragon visions, but at least she was alright. It didn't look like he'd be having any luck this early.
"Anyone else?" Qibli asked.
"No, that thing's creepy," Winter replied, curling his tail in closer. "But it is a useful enchantment for a situation like this, I'm surprised you haven't used it on your beloved queen yet."
Qibli hesitated. He was now facing the confrontation that he had been dreading since he was given the Obsidian Mirror. What was he supposed to say, that he was getting doubts about his own Queen? That he was afraid to see something he might not like?
No, because that would be weird, and a lie.
"Thorn."
The smoke curled into the shape of the Sandwing Queen on the surface of the glass.
"How are things going?" The voice of Queen Thorn spoke. Qibli felt warm, hearing it again for the first time in months.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," a second, gruff sounding dragon replied. "But now that you're ruling over here, I think everyone's sensing a shift in power. Things are starting to get uneasy down there. We could send out some guards to sort of... straighten things out-?"
"No," Thorn replied. "I don't want to rule my subjects with an iron fist. I refuse to be that kind of queen. Until things get dangerous or violent, I won't interfere. My citizens have the right to their opinions."
Qibli couldn't help but smile. Like usual, Thorn was succeeding at her job, better than the three sisters would've. He guessed that they were talking about some kind of rising tensions throughout the Sand Kingdom, or just one area? He wondered if it had anything to do with the attacks. Qibli thought nervously back to what Grandfather had said yesterday. Maybe those rising tensions came from the lack of action? Thorn didn't look to be helping now, but- no, she was a queen, she had other responsibilities too. She was occupied with other issues right now, that's all. Besides, there's always been those who doubted Thorn's rule, it was probably just another case of old, stubborn dragons unwilling to change.
"Speaking of which, I was hoping we could reinstate the-"
Thorn was cut off just as Qibli cleared the mirror. While he was curious what she was going to say, he couldn't deal with this headache.
"So, what now?" Winter asked after a few beats of silence. He was trying to sound casual and uninterested, but Qibli could hear something else in his voice. Whatever had affected him yesterday had changed him. He reminded Qibli of a fragile tumbleweed that could easily be blown away. He expected whatever facade his friend was trying to keep up to crumble any minute, revealing whatever he had to hide. Until then...
"Not sure," Qibli replied with a thoughtful tap of his claws. "I'd like to be able to search for Chameleon's scroll, but," he pointed outside and traced a claw across his neck. Winter definitely got the message.
"So, what, are we expected to sit here all day?" Winter snorted. Qibli simply shrugged and nodded. "How are we ever going to find the scroll? And surely there's something you'd like to be doing for your kingdom's cause!"
"Well, we can probably count on my grandfather stealing me away like most every day before," he joked. It wasn't very funny. "Until then, how about... a good read?" He gestured to the tiny bookcase in the corner with a rakish grin. Ah, there's some of that classic Winter poking through, as he rolled his eyes with a groan.
"You're smart, why haven't you figured this place out yet?" Winter said. "Wouldn't that be more useful than just following your grandfather around?"
"I can't exactly memorize what I can't see," Qibli frowned. "Besides, I-... actually haven't seen the whole compound, not even as a dragonet."
"You haven't?"
"No, I-"
Then, the two of them were startled out of conversation as they heard a sharp rap at the door. Huh, no one has actually knocked yet, who could that be? And so early in the morning?
Tentatively, Qibli stepped forward and pushed open the pale, washed-out door. Of course, who else stood there but Vulture, with his white, toothy grin.
"You're up early," Grandfather mused. Qibli wondered if the excuse, 'you woke me up', would work.
"Oh yeah, just... had trouble sleeping," Qibli muttered. He clutched his head, remembering the nightmare from before.
"Ah, I see," Grandfather replied. "I suppose you've always been an early riser, even at three years of age. I just assumed this might be a little too early for the usual." He gestured to the deep blue sky behind him with a smirk.
He remembers that? Qibli thought. He remembered a lot of his early dragonethood, probably more than most dragons, but he'd never stayed the night here, and visited so little he didn't think his grandfather would notice. If it wasn't for how terrifying he was, Qibli wasn't sure he'd be able to remember all he does about Vulture. He had one specific memory, the first time he saw Grandfather's eyes. Those sinister, planning eyes. The loops of black that reflected his own terrified gaze back at him, like the Eye of Onyx itself. It was the first time Qibli realized that some dragons really did have bad intentions. It wasn't like those "bad dragons" he assumed his mother assassinated for payment, no, he was looking villainy in the face. He doesn't remember meeting Grandfather, just those eyes.
It was hard to believe that this was the same dragon every time he looked into his eyes, even after the, what, week already? He wasn't sure if he'd ever get used to it.
"Well, since you're up," Grandfather said. "I was hoping to give the two of you a tour of this place. That way, you won't have to loiter here in your spare time."
Wow, that was scarily good timing. Are they sure it's the Nightwings with the future sight and mind reading? In all seriousness, he hoped it was just coincidence and not the result of his Grandfather eavesdropping. It was a lucky break either way, this was just what Qibli was hoping for. Even if he was still wary of his grandfather.
"Now?" Qibli wondered.
"Well, I'm not busy now, its most convenient. Unless, of course, you'd rather go back to sleep."
"Uhm," his eyes darted from Grandfather to Winter. While he wasn't going to get anymore sleep, he didn't want to drag his friend out if he was still tired. But the Icewing shrugged, gaze at the floor, and Qibli took that as a go-ahead.
"Okay... sure."
"Perfect," Grandfather smiled. "Let's go, shall we?"
There were significantly less dragons outside this early, but a few were spread outside of the pavilion and entrance to the compound. Guards, Qibli assumed, though he wasn't sure any dragon foolish enough to try to sneak in would survive long enough to deal with them.
Once they had passed the frontal area of the compound, Qibli was met with the realization that he had only seen parts of the whole place. He supposed it made sense, he could imagine Grandfather wanting to keep grubby little dragonet talons far away from his treasure and such, though he could've sworn he had seen more than this. The compound had also grown since then, so perhaps that was why it felt so much bigger than he remembered.
The group passed the pavilion, and ended up on marble walkways stretching across the rest of the compound. He had to admit, they were quite pretty as they reflected the glint of moonlight. It reminded him of Winter's scales, although the Icewing was much shinier.
"So," Qibli broke the silence. "How do you remember where all the traps and mines are? Aren't you ever afraid you'll take a wrong step one day and... you know?"
Grandfather let a smirk crack at the edges of his snout. "I've lived here a long time, Qibli. Even if I move things around, I still know where they are. And, I'll let you in on a little secret, most of the traps are on the outside of the wall. I can show you a map of them later, but just stick to the paths for now, you'll be fine."
Of course the traps were outside the wall, how could Qibli have been paranoid enough to believe otherwise? There were plenty of dragons walking around the place with their limbs intact, surely they didn't all have it memorized. Then again, it wouldn't be out of character for his Grandfather to make them do such a thing. Still, he'd make sure to stay on the paths like he was told.
Grandfather led them to a familiar little building not far behind the main pavilion. It was the same one he took Qibli to yesterday.
"This is my private library," Grandfather said as he swung the door open. Looking at it now, it was much more comfortable and inviting than the rest of the compound. Well, excluding the gaudy throne at the end of the room taking up half the space. "This is where I keep my maps and personal scrolls. If you want to borrow something, never hesitate to ask."
A personal library, I'm sure Moon would love something like this.
Why did that thought make him feel weirdly guilty?
"Kind of small," Winter commented, looking around the space. Qibli had to agree, he's only spent a small amount of time in here and his claustrophobia was already kicking in. He swore he saw Grandfather's face twitch.
"Yes, well, I'm not much of a scrollworm. It's mostly filled with documents I find particularly important or interesting."
Important scrolls, Qibli thought. What if Chameleon's scroll was in here, among the shelves and cases with everything else? He did a quick scan of of the room; there weren't as many scrolls as one would think upon first impressions. However, he couldn't see a black leather case anywhere, and the darkness wasn't helping. Even if it was there, out of sight or glossed over, he wouldn't have time to look as they were already leaving. He made a mental note to come back and check later.
Grandfather led them down the largest pathway, and Qibli already had a feeling he knew where they were going. The courtyard was probably the most attractive part of the whole compound, spanning to up a third of the space used. While it was probably one of the gaudier spaces as well, Qibli found a sort of charm in it. The courtyard was marked out by a circle of potted palm trees in gold painted pots. The floor was made entirely of marble, with fancy gold trims on the edges. The only major difference about the place was a barred trapdoor in the center of floor, leading to a tall, dark shaft. He didn't even want to try and imagine what that was used for. He had no bad memories here as of yet, as far as he could remember. The pavilion was where they had the occasional dreaded family dinners, his siblings beat on him everywhere else, and the pear orchard was where he fled from them a couple of times. But the courtyard was a place he had visited once or twice between walks, and the only thing scary, or even particularly memorable about it was the heavy scent of perfume in the air.
The dark sky brought a whole new feel to the place. The twinkling stars and cerulean horizon gave it a glassy, haunting feel, as if he were looking back on the ghost of his memories. Qibli was surprised how little had changed in three years. Oh sure, some trees and statues had been moved, and he assumed the tiles had been polished and replaced, but it wasn't the grandiose display the rest of the compound was.
"This is the courtyard, the center of my compound," Grandfather explained. "Perhaps once we get this whole mess sorted, I'll throw a party here. It hasn't been used for that kind of thing in well, let's see..."
Now that sounded like something Blaze would say. Thorn had allowed her to stay in the palace so long as she kept out of the business of the kingdom, and while she was normally content to preening her vanity and polishing her jewels, she would occasionally pester Thorn for more parties at the palace. She often forgot to address her with any sort of authority, although he assumed it was because of her raising as a princess, and not with any malicious intent. Even if she was a pain to have around, Qibli was really starting to her and everyone at the palace.
I just have to get through today, he thought with another glance at the sky.
"You can get to almost anywhere else in the compound from here, just follow the paths," Grandfather said. Qibli took a step onto the decorated tiles of the courtyard, the smooth stone feeling cool on his claws. "But for now, I think I have just one more location I'd like to show you."
Grandfather flicked his tail and started down a different, smaller path. With one last look at the dark courtyard, Qibli trailed close behind.
The three of them walked on, and on, and on. Winter progressively fell behind, starting to roll his eyes and groan and the trip. He saw no need for his impatience, it hadn't been that long of a walk, but perhaps Winter had grown tired of the tour. Not like there was anything else he could be doing. Qibli himself kept watch of the compound around him: a tree over here, a statue over there, and a garden pavilion way over yonder. Nothing of real importance, at least not to Grandfather, but he still wanted to keep an eye on his surroundings. It was amazing at just how little of this space was being used for places that truly mattered, but he supposed that was Vulture showing off his wealth. But surely his compound could do without the same onyx-eyed statue of Vulture plastered around the place several times?
But then, finally, they reached their destination. Qibli found himself staring at a cluster of small pavilions, each in a perfect row. He had no idea this was here, and he would've never guessed it was connected to his Grandfather's compound.
"This is what I like to call the residential area," Grandfather said. "I know it's not much, and it's mostly for guests. As you can imagine, I don't have many of those, however a few dragons stay here long-term."
Guest rooms, that explained it. Qibli guessed that the hut he and Winter were staying in were for special 'guests', hence why it was separated from the rest, closer to the main pavilion and more treasure-coated. It probably had more over-night guests than any of these pavilions did.
"You know, grandson," Vulture said, his voice gentle. "I always have room for more permanent residents here."
Was... that an invitation? Was Grandfather insinuating that he wanted him to stay? To live here, and live like this every day? He wondered if Sirocco and Rattlesnake stayed in the compound as well, or if they still lived with Mother. Would he want that? To live here, with his family? With his Grandfather who might actually care about him and want his help?
He wasn't sure, but he was sure that this was a thought for later. Right now, Qibli had a mystery to solve and a Kingdom to save.
At Qibli's silent response, Grandfather wanted past his with a swish of his cape. "Well, I'll leave you boys to it. You know where to find me if you need anything."
And with that, he was gone, leaving the two dragonets alone in each other's company. Qibli gave a sidelong glance at Winter, and realized that his friend was watching the pavilions with a distant look. What was he thinking? What was going on in the Icewing's head as he stared at the rather plain homes? His brows and snout were scrunched up in a kind of... disgust? Irritation? Concern? It was hard to tell.
Then, his eyes wandered to Qibli, but he quickly averted them when he made eye contact. "So, what now?"
Qibli looked up thoughtfully. "I think I have an idea. I was thinking- what if Chameleon hid his scroll in the library?"
Winter's eyes narrowed, but then widened. "You're right, it would blend right in."
"Exactly," Qibli said. "Shall we go look?"
"Lead the way."
By the time the two of them had made it back to the library, it was already much later outside. Stars and the remaining two moons still twinkled in the light blue sky, casting glitters on the many shiny surfaces. Qibli was cautious as he pushed open the door, expecting somebody to try and stop him. But there wasn't a peep from the cloaked guards as they made their way into the small space.
"Okay... where do we start?"
Qibli squinted at the nearest bookshelf. It was lined from top to bottom, but nothing was familiar. "Just look for black leather, and try moving things around incase its hidden."
Qibli himself started prying through the bookcases, looking for anything that was sheltered from the naked eye. If it were here, he expected it to be behind the rest of the scrolls. Winter started with a disapproving scowl at the library, as if he could will the scroll to reveal itself.
The two of them spent the next few hours checking the entire place. The sun rose and hung low in the sky in the time it took Qibli to search the entire right wall, including the bookshelves, behind the bookshelves, under the bookshelves, and around the bookshelves. No magical scroll, and no hints towards a magical scroll. He was starting to lose faith that they'd find it in here. Chameleon was a Rainwing, did they even have libraries in the rain forest before Glory became Queen? He probably wouldn't have even thought to come here. Or, perhaps he would've, if Queen Scarlet used hers... Although, she didn't seem like a big reader to him. Besides, this was Grandfather's private library, he might not've known it was even here.
Were they wasting their time?
Qibli looked down at the torn edges of the scroll in his claws. Okay, he needed to calm down. He quickly tucked it back into place, hiding the ripped ends behind the other scrolls.
"Ugh, this is pointless!" Winter roared, rocking the bookcase as he hastily shoved it's contents back into their spot. "How are we supposed to find one scroll in a library full of them?!"
"Have you tried the decimal system?" He couldn't help but remark. A scroll flew past his head and hit the bookshelf behind him with a thud.
"Well, we won't if you bring the whole place down," Qibli groaned. It was kind of funny to watch Winter swim through the sea of scrolls that he coated his legs and tail. "You're not much of a reader, are you?"
"He probably still has it with him," Winter snorted. "We shouldn't have let him leave."
He's right, Chameleon could've been lying, Qibli thought. He didn't dwell on the idea, however. No, he checked him all over, and Chameleon's a terrible liar. He was sure it was here.
"Come on, we haven't checked the whole place yet," Qibli sighed. They couldn't give up yet, they had to find it before it ended up in the wrong claws (which was likely, considering their location).
He reached behind the bookshelf, feeling for anything out of place. Just like the others, he was left empty-clawed, no hidden scrolls, secret nooks, or mystical levers leading to private rooms with all of the answers. He let out an impatient huff.
"Hey Qibli," Winter said. "Look over here."
Qibli all too excitedly turned in his friend's direction, spotting the Icewing crouched over the base of Grandfather's throne.
"What is it?"
Winter sidled over and gave him a better view of the small, locked drawer under the seat. He wasn't sure how he missed the lock the first time, then again it was well hidden. Either way, he couldn't help the growing excitement that this secret chest brought him, who knew what was inside? Perhaps it was just the scroll they were looking for.
"Well?" Winter said. "Think you can open it?"
"It wounds me that you see me as some kind of pickpocket," Qibli scoffed, flashing him a terrible excuse for a pout.
Winter gave him a skeptical look.
"Alright, move over," he said, nudging him with his wing. He took a good look at the lock- it seemed simple enough, and slipped his claw into the keyhole. The lock was so small that only the tip of it got through, but he picked at it until there was a surprising click. He slid open the drawer to find...
Nothing. It was completely empty.
He heard a frustrated growl from Winter, and he knew his own disappointment must be clear.
Another dead end, Qibli thought as his clawmate pulled the entire chest free and started shaking it around, as if to dump out something unseen. He wasn't sure what the thought here was, as it was obviously empty, a desperately angry attempt. But, wait- that sound, he heard a thumping from it, almost like-
"Hold on," Qibli wrangled the chest free from the other's claws, and felt around the bottom until his claw hit a dip. Bingo. He flipped the bottom up to reveal yet another lock.
Winter made an impressed sound over his shoulder and Qibli, confident from his last success, attempted to pick this one as well. However, this one proved to be much more difficult. No matter what he tried, it was impossible to open. Now this was the kind of lock he expected from his grandfather. The other lock must've been some kind of diversion, to keep whatever's hidden inside to unknown. Actually, no, he would've expected the lock to be booby trapped if there was something so important inside.
"It won't budge."
Winter groaned, "well, there must be a key around here somewhere."
Qibli nodded, though he wasn't so sure they'd find it in the library. Grandfather usually kept his most important keys close to him at all times, either hidden on his person or in his sleeping quarters-
Sleeping quarters.
That gave him an idea. If Chameleon had been here, in the compound, and had been staying in one of the guest pavilions, then maybe the scroll was there.
"Winter, there's somewhere else I think we should look," Qibli shot up. "Those pavilions, remember? Maybe he-"
Winter threw his head back and groaned. "Couldn't you have mentioned that while we were there? Before the sun came up at least..."
"Fine, you stay here and keep searching here, I'll go look," and with that, Qibli ran out of the library before he could protest.
He took a deep breath of fresh air. He hadn't realized just how cramped that space was until he was back outside, free from the piles of scrolls. He couldn't understand how his grandfather actually spent time in such a small place.
More of those cloaked dragons had accumulated since earlier, sprawled across the compound sands. Qibli avoided as much eye contact with them as possible as he made his way down the marble walkways. It would be faster to fly, but he definitely didn't trust the sky of the compound. He could just... speed walk, right? And speed walk he did, until the guards started disappearing and Qibli was faced once more with the cluster of pavilions.
There was something so empty about this part of the compound. It wasn't that far from everything else, yet it felt so isolated. He wondered whether this was Grandfather's attempt at giving the guests some privacy? The idea surprised him- Vulture tended to cover as much empty space as possible, privacy be damned. It was far from the usual tastes of Sandwings.
Qibli peered into the pavilions anxiously. There weren't any walls to them, and he could see the entire, empty interiors, but he still expected someone to jump out at him. He hadn't actually seen anyone around here yet, but Grandfather had stated that some dragons actually lived here. Any dragon that willingly chose to live here probably wouldn't react well to a random dragonet spying on them.
He looked at the largest of the pavilions, the one in the center. If any of these had residents, surely it'd be this one. He couldn't help but wonder who it was. Part of him thought it was his brother and sister, assuming they didn't still live with mother, and he really wouldn't want to be caught watching them. However, the place was empty, save for a few mats that lay haphazardly sprawled on the floor.
He didn't need to check that one, there was no way "Bog" was considered important enough to stay there. So, Qibli turned his attention to the huts to the left of it. He couldn't quite see into the furthest ones, so he walked by as if on a casual stroll and DEFINITELY not looking into others' homes. His gaze darted back and forth from the structures as he passed them, until a glint in the corner of his eye caught his attention.
It came from the from the furthest pavilion, and Qibli approached to get a better look. Something inside had caught the glint of the sun, beckoning him closer with its quiet shimmering.
The place was surprisingly empty, with exactly three things inside: a red striped mat on the floor, similar to what he saw in the largest pavilion, a large mirror, and an unassuming crate. However, it wasn't as unassuming as Qibli originally thought, for it was that exact crate that contained the glittering object. A diamond necklace, slung lazily over the edge of the box. As he got closer, he realized that the entire thing was filled to the brim with treasure: bracelets, chokers, tailrings, chains, and all manners of gemstones. He picked up a ring, and a blank slip of paper fell to the floor. This had to be Chameleon's. For being so obsessed with treasure, it was appalling how carelessly he treated it, especially here in the Scorpion Den. A single of these jewels could improve the life of someone who needed it, and if he wasn't coming back for them...
Focus Qibli, not now, he thought. There wasn't much in here, it should be relatively easy to find the scroll if it was here.
Qibli started pulling things out of the crate; more necklaces, rings, head-pieces... did Chameleon get all of this from Grandfather? He was careful to keep everything intact and unbroken, treating them better than Chameleon himself probably did. A few more scraps of paper fell out in the process, but none of them were like the other forms he carried with him. He had made it to the bottom of the crate, sandy floor covered with treasure, but of course, no scroll.
Qibli checked under the mats, behind the mirror, but nothing was there. He briefly wondered if Chameleon hid it in the sand, but Qibli would be here digging all day even if he did. This search was a bust.
He growled as he covered his face. He may never find it, he should've interrogated Chameleon while he had the chance.
Qibli stepped out of the pavilion, taking strides toward the tiled paths. He would go check on Winter, perhaps he was having better luck. At the very least he could use an extra pair of talons if he decided to dig up the compound after all.
"Hey!"
Oh no, one of the cloaked dragons was walking towards him. He saw him searching the pavilions, didn't he? Perhaps he was someone who stayed there who thought he was trespassing. Maybe Qibli could talk his way out of losing his tail...
"You! Vulture's looking for you!" The Sandwing beckoned him closer, and Qibli took small steps until they were face to face.
"Yeah, you're the one he's looking for," he said as he winced.
"For what?" Qibli took a gulp of air, trying to appear calm.
"For uhm-" The Sandwing rubbed the back of his neck. "Lunch? Something like that."
He obviously wasn't used to delivering such a casual message. But Qibli didn't care how awkward it was, it flooded him with relief.
He nodded and followed the Sandwing as he continued to rant about something. He'd have to continue the search after... Lunch, apparently.
As they walked, something, or rather someone caught his gaze. Mother was resting under a palm tree, watching him.
In just a few more hours, they'd be leaving, with or without the scroll. He just had to hope that he, Winter, or perhaps Cobra found it first.
Notes:
I know I know it's taken awhile for this chapter to release, but I wanted to wait and get it out today since it's the 1 year anniversary of this fic! Not only has my writing improved since I uploaded it one lonely, December 1st evening, but my mental health and I as a person have as well. I just want to thank everyone who's read this, new readers and those who've been here from the start. Idk where this fic or, as corny as it sounds, I would be without you all. Thank you.
Since the gap between this chapter and last chapter, I actually started a yt channel and created an animatic for this fic! Here's the link: https://youtu.be/27XrlB_lhXE (let me know if it doesn't work). Also, here's a link to a post ab it on twitter: https://twitter.com/PopGLAMrock/status/1598776629375172608?t=e3aWEYF2pk3MByN8oqIW1w&s=19
Chapter 13
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"What look you so long?!" Winter cried. "Where have you been?"
"Sorry, got distracted," Qibli muttered, tossing something to him. "It was time for my daily redirection from Grandfather, I guess."
Winter stopped fanning himself with his wing long enough to spy what had dropped into his claws.
"What is this?" He lifted the leg of meat to his nose. "Smells like reindeer."
"It's antelope, I assumed his highness would be hungry," Qibli said. "You're welcome."
Winter took a tentative bite, but at the rate he had it wolfed down complaint-free, he guessed he liked it enough. He wasn't sure what Grandfather's policy was on food in his library, but that was the least of his concern right now. He paced anxiously in the small space, taking nervous glances at the darkening sky.
"So, I'm guessing you didn't find it?" Winter frowned at the leftover bone, and set it gently on one of the bookshelves.
"No," Qibli groaned. He hadn't meant to be diverted from his goal for so long; after lunch Grandfather started yammering on about more confusing "evidence". They were leaving soon, he ran out of time to look and he had nothing.
"What about you?"
"Nope."
Qibli was really regretting his mercy on Chameleon now. He thought it'd be easy to find the scroll as the Rainwing had never shown to subtle so far, but Qibli was proven wrong. However, he didn't want to admit his doubts to Winter.
"But," Winter said, "I did find this."
He passed over a scroll with a finely polished wooden edge and gold tipped paper. It wasn't the scroll, sadly, but he had to admit that it peaked his interest.
"I found the key," Winter said, smothering his pride. "I'm not sure what it is, but I thought you'd want to see it."
Qibli unrolled the parchment, sucking in a breath as he did. The first thing that the scroll revealed looked to be construction plans for the compound; a smaller, very different compound. Great snakes- Winter found Grandfather's secret plans. This must've been from before he was born, he never would've guessed that this scroll was that old.
"Huh," Qibli said, awestruck. "Interesting, but not useful."
For now, at least.
He spotted the empty drawer nearby and placed it back inside. Part of him wanted to keep it, but this seemed like the kind of thing that Grandfather would definitely notice missing.
"So, where's the key?" He asked absent-mindedly.
"I put it back, in a niche behind the bookcase," Winter flicked his tail at the left most shelf closest to the throne. Qibli nodded, making a mental note. He pushed the drawer back in and took another anxious look at the darkening sky.
"We need to get going," Qibli said, throwing whatever leftover scrolls that littered the floor back on the cases. "If we aren't on time, Cobra will leave without us."
"Gee, how kind," Winter retorted.
Qibli sped across the marble paths once again, his talons starting to ache. He didn't have much he needed to retrieve, just a few things before they could leave. He entered their hut and walked over to one of the tiny bookshelves where his only "belongings" were. Wrapped up in an ordinary scroll were the remainder of Chameleon's forms.
Qibli held them out to Winter sheepishly, earning him a growl and an eye roll. But, ultimately, he snatched them begrudgingly and packed them into his already over-stuffed ankle pouch. Note to self: get some kind of bag next available chance.
"Is that all?" Winter asked. Qibli did a quick sweep of the room, but he couldn't think of anything else worth taking. He still felt frustrated that they hadn't found Chameleon's scroll, but hopefully there'd be another chance to search. The other outcome was... less than desirable. That'd have to be later, however. Time was out.
"Yeah," Qibli said. "Let's go."
He wasn't actually sure where Mother wanted to meet, but he confidently walked towards the entrance of the compound. Sure enough, waiting under the shade of a palm tree, sat a beautifully dangerous Sandwing waiting for them. He almost didn't recognize her when her scales were cloaked by a black cape, but he knew that gaze anywhere.
"Mother-" Qibli began to greet, but was interrupted by cloth being tossed at him.
"Put this on," Cobra hissed. He looked down at what he held in his talons, which he now realized was one of the cloaks the guards would wear. It was surprisingly fine material, but it was dirty and worn.
"Why?" Qibli asked, but he slipped it over his head as he was told.
"Because we're sneaking out, obviously." Cobra eyed Winter for a moment, before tossing him a cape as well. "I'm not sure this'll hide your partner's shiny scales, but we might as well try."
"It looks dirty," Winter scoffed.
"Just put it on," Qibli hissed, before his mother could snap back.
"Why are we sneaking out?" he asked as Winter begrudgingly wrapped it around himself, trying to touch it as little as possible. "Why aren't we telling Grandfather?"
"Because he's old, stubborn, and nosey," Cobra said. "If I told him we were leaving, he'd come up with some excuse to make us stay. I didn't want to deal with that."
Right, Qibli thought. Of course, that makes sense. That's why I could never leave before. Sure, he was afraid of his grandfather's unpredictability, but what Mother said made sense. He must've thought the same thing deep down, yes, that was the exact reason.
"Oh, by the way," Cobra said, pulling something out of one of her bags. "I found that scroll of yours."
Qibli practically choked as she handed over. This was it! An entire day of searching- and it turns out his mother had it. When did she find it?
"Where did- how did- when did you find it?" Qibli asked, echoing his own thoughts.
"I have my ways," Cobra said with a shrug, all too casual for having found an all-powerful magic scroll.
But she doesn't know that, he thought, and he preferred to keep it that way. It didn't matter how trust-worthy his family was now, this was a secret to be kept between he and Winter (and the rest of their winglet).
"This- this is huge! Thank-"
"Save the sap," she waved her wing, yet it wasn't as aggressive as it could've been.
We have the scroll, Qibli thought. Think of all the power I hold in my claws. Think of all the good that could be done with it. He wondered if the scroll could do more than transformations- he assumed so, with some of the scrolls that Peril and Turtle described. It was an animus enchanted item, it had to be.
I bet I could use it now, Qibli wondered, stricken with inspiration. I bet it'd tell me all I need to know, and all of this will be over. I could even stop the attacks at the source- no, that might be a little too much for this scroll.
Of course, he'd need something to write with. Plus, he didn't want to risk showing his mother how it worked. That's fine, he could wait. Besides, it'd probably be best to wait before doing anything drastic.
It only took one side glance in Winter's direction to get a rise out of him.
"No, no, no way, Winter said. "I'm already carrying too much of your junk."
"I didn't say anything," Qibli innocently raised his talons.
"Yeah right," Winter scoffed. "That scroll is not going to fit in my tiny pouch, carry it yourself."
"I didn't," Qibli paused. "Well why shouldn't you carry it? You're the one with the pocket."
"It is a pouch. A small, ankle pouch that can't carry anymore! You have two free talons."
"Yeah, but what if something happens? I could drop it over the desert, that wouldn't be good right?"
In all honesty, Qibli was afraid of having it in the sight of other dragons. It could be stolen in town, and the more dragons who saw it the more someone was likely to understand what it was. Why couldn't Winter see that?
"Why didn't you bring a pocket then?"
"I didn't exactly have time to-"
"Oh shut your snouts, I'll carry it." And with that, Cobra plucked the scroll out of Qibli claws and settled it back into her satchel. Qibli and Winter exchanged a look- they knew they had messed up.
Great, now the the scroll was out of their talons again. But then, Cobra wasn't aware of what it could do, and this was only temporary. Maybe it was better she held it instead of Winter, she'd probably be more careful with it than he ever would.
As Cobra placed it back into her bag, she trifled through it some more. Her face went from confused to utterly enraged as she started aggressively tearing through her satchel. "Oh, wonderful," she muttered.
"What, what is it?"
"It appears I've forgotten a few things," she bit out. "We'll have to go back and get them."
"What?" Qibli cried. "But- I thought you were ready? Aren't we supposed to be leaving now?"
"It'll be quick," she snapped, growling irritably. She sounded particularly angry now, and Qibli decided to leave it alone. Winter shot him a look as he skulked after her.
They walked single file along the marble paths, only stepping where Cobra stepped. Qibli was sure he'd be safe after all of the travel he'd done around the place, but after seeing how cautious his mother was, he started to have doubts. His mother was always sharp and aware, she never forgot anything. What could she have missed before leaving, and how could it be important enough to risk going back for?
They followed along the path until they passed a spiked building- Grandfather's treasury. His breath caught in his throat, terrified that that's where they were going. However, they trailed along the building until they found a significantly smaller, compact structure in its shadow. It was as unassuming as it seemed (for Grandfather, at least). The Weaponry was quite shabby compared to the Treasury, which was likely the point. Grandfather didn't own many weapons, and the ones he did were either so expensive or deadly that he kept them elsewhere. No, if he had to guess, this Weaponry held the spears and other such artillery for the cloaked guards. Qibli couldn't tell whether it was so shabby because Vulture wanted to keep it incognito, or because he didn't care about it. Probably the second option, although that didn't explain why it was so close to the Treasury.
Easy access to weapons, in the case of an intruder? Qibli wondered. Surely the traps would make quick work of them. Besides, if the weapons are easy access for your dragons, then they'd be easy access for any thieves as well.
Qibli would never understand his grandfather's strange decisions.
"I'll be quick," Cobra hissed, before disappearing inside the small building. He was tempted to follow her, but she was angry enough.
That's fine, he'd wait outside. It's not like anything bad could happen... in a small building, full of weapons... What if it was just as booby-trapped as the Treasury? What if it was rigged to kill intruders, like her? No, no, she wasn't an intruder, she was Vulture's daughter. She had every right to be in there, and she knew the compound almost as well as Grandfather himself, she'd be fine.
Qibli stepped back to tuck himself further into the shadows, and he gestured for Winter to do the same.
"We could've left by now," the Icewing grumbled.
"She'll be back," Qibli said patiently, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart.
"I don't like this, what could be so important to risk our escape. What if she doesn't come back?"
Winter was starting to uncomfortably echo his own thoughts. "What's your deal?" Qibli said. "Mother's only trying to help us."
Winter stared him down for a moment, before letting out a sigh. "Whatever, its nothing."
Qibli grabbed the ends of his cloak and wrapped it closer to his scales. The shadow of the Treasury and the darkening sky should mask his identity just fine, but he didn't like waiting around in one spot. He felt exposed, and as the minutes ticked by, worry that someone would catch them started to grow.
"Ouch!" He yelped. Qibli jerked his arm back, letting the fabric fall to his side. Something sharp had caught his talon. As he reached for it once again and lifted it closer, it dragged a piece of his cape along with it.
What the-
It looked like nothing he'd ever seen in the Sand Kingdom before, yet it was oddly familiar. It was a tiny, spurred, ball of thorns, not the cactus needle or burr he was expecting. the longer he held it, the more it attempted to embed itself in his scales. Must be apart of a defense mechanism- a painful one.
Qibli ripped it out of the cloak quickly, yowch.
He peered at it closer. Where did he recognize it from? It couldn't be from the Sand Kingdom, at least nowhere he'd been to. Although, the Scorpion Den had all sorts of strange wares being sold there, perhaps it was some kind of exotic import. A seed from a larger plant perhaps? Or-
No, he knew where he'd seen this. There were hundreds of them around the history cave at Jade Mountain after it had been set aflame. THAT'S what this was, a leftover from some kind of bomb. But then, why would one be attached to a cloak? It wasn't a coincidence, the wearer would've had to have been around one of these bombs. However, there was only one, so this mystery dragon couldn't have been that close.
He was onto something, but he'd need more proof.
"What's that?" Winter's head shot up into the air, alert. For a moment, Qibli didn't know what he was talking about. Then a scent finally hit his nose.
Winter was gone before he had any time to stop him.
"Winter!" Qibli hissed. "Winter! Where are you going?" But he was too far away to hear him. He looked back at the drab building his mother had disappeared into. What if she came back while they were gone, and left without them?
Yet, he couldn't leave without his clawmate here, either. Especially not when he was willing to compromise their escape by running around the compound uncovered.
With a frustrated growl, he sped after the Icewing, trying to remain as discrete as possible.
They ended up walking towards a small building in the pear orchard. The walls of the low structure were almost entirely windows, and the outside was decorated with mosaics of lizards and snakes in amber and turquoise. As he got closer, the smell grew stronger, as well as the sound of furious squeaking. Looks like his theory was proven correct.
Scavengers.
Arrrrgh, Winter, you obsessed ninny!
He caught up when Winter had stopped at the entrance. The shed door was open slightly ajar, as if someone rushed in (or out) and forgot to close it. The Icewing was crouched low to the ground, eyeing something across the room.
"Are you serious?" Qibli hissed. Winter practically jolted out of his scales, before flashing him a glare of daggers.
"Shush," He whispered back. He gestured to the object of interest, a surprisingly quiet scavenger. Oh, Winter was trying not to scare it. Qibli found it odd that it just stood there, instead of darting away the minute it saw him. Something was wrong.
He narrowed his eyes, and realized that the toppled crate at the base of the wall was trapping one of its back paws.
Winter crept forward slowly until he was face to face with the small creature. Surprisingly, it didn't start screaming or huddling in fear like others Qibli had seen. Instead, it started squabbling furiously and shaking its little paws at Winter. Qibli might've found it endearing if he weren't so frustrated.
Winter gently reached for the edge of the crate and lifted it. The scavenger watched him with wide eyes, dazed, and Qibli thought it might've been injured. But then, it darted out from under them and ran off into the night. He briefly wondered if something so small could trigger Grandfather's traps- but Winter seemed so pleased with himself, he wouldn't bring up.
"You're going to get someone killed over your scavenger obsession some day," Qibli sighed. "I just hope it isn't me."
"Think there are anymore?" Winter asked, ignoring him.
"If there were, I doubt they'd be so quiet."
"Your grandfather had a whole box full of them," Winter looked around.
Qibli paused, thinking on it for a moment. His eyes darted to the fallen crate and door as he thought about the way the scavenger had been trapped.
"I think they escaped," he said. "See how the crate's toppled? If I had to guess, I'd say that the scavenger you just freed released the rest of them, probably by knocking the box over; trapping itself in the process."
Winter's brows scrunched together for a moment as he eyed the crate as well. He nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, okay, whatever. I guess you're right."
"Unless of course, someone ate them all and just missed this one," Qibli replied. Winter shot him a glare.
"I'm just kidding," he said, but Winter didn't seem impressed. "Hey, at least you saved one, right?" he added. "That's more than most dragons, surely you've filled your rescue quota for the next month, Mr. Hero of the Scavengers?"
"hmm," Winter hesitated. He turned back towards the door, and looked as if he were thinking. "That's true," he said as he turned to leave.
He was surprisingly easy to convince, normally Winter wasn't this persuadable. Perhaps he had a lot of faith in the scavengers, that sounded like something he'd say. Winter believed that they were intelligent, maybe he believed that they had escaped and would be alright. Well, whatever he thought, Qibli was grateful he wouldn't need anymore convincing.
The presence of the dragons alerted the animals inside the building. It wasn't just scavengers that Vulture kept locked up in here- pigs, birds, and other assortments of prey squawked and squealed at them as they left. This was definitely a storehouse, but there were more boxes here than what could hold animals. The shelves across the left wall held tightly compact boxes all in rows, similar looking but nothing like the other crates. When he squinted, he could see writing on the sides of them. He stepped closer to get a better look, but the only light inside came from sliver of moons through the window. However, he could make out some of what it said, the word "danger" standing out. Grandfather was no stranger to keeping dangerous animals and weapons, but the amount of crates with that writing almost made him nervous. Qibli walked closer, peeking into the nearest box-
"Hey, are you coming?" Winter said, sticking his snout inside the doorway.
"Oh- right," he took one last glance at the suspicious box before following his clawmate.
The space between the Weaponry and Treasury was as empty as when they left. Qibli couldn't deny the anxiety he felt- fear that Mother had decided to leave. However, it wasn't long before she came slinking out the door, a small bag in her talons. It couldn't have carried more than one or two items, and Qibli still wondered what was important enough to go back for. Was it another tool too dangerous to leave in Grandfather's claws, like the Obsidian Mirror?
"What a rush!" she crowed.
"Was it dangerous?" Qibli asked, worriedly.
"Peh," Cobra scoffed. "My father would have to try a lot harder if he wanted to kill me."
She put the sack in one of her satchels, and started to head away. She flicked her tail, beckoning for the dragonets to follow her.
Qibli was finally able to relax. It was a clear path out of the compound now, no more distractions. Soon, they would be back in the Scorpion Den, and on their way to Thorn's Stronghold. Together. Just he, Mother- and Winter too, he supposed. He wondered whether she would've really left without him- would Cobra have taken their information on the attacks to Thorn herself? How would she get in the palace without him? Thorn was a fair and understanding Queen, but she knew Cobra, and Qibli wasn't sure if she'd be willing to hear her out. He couldn't imagine his mother sneaking into the stronghold just to talk to the Queen.
Qibli was overthinking this, likely Cobra threatened to abandon them just to keep them from dawdling.
"I hear someone," Winter said, just as Mother froze. It didn't take him long to understand why, and he soon heard two sickeningly familiar voices heading their way. Perfect, just what they needed. There was no talking their way out of this- the minute Sirocco and Rattlesnake saw him they'd surely get in their way.
There was no where to hide, either. Qibli scanned the compound, but the one time they would've been useful there were no statues, shrubs, or trees of any kind. There was a few potted palms, but they were skinny, and none of them were short enough to duck behind them.
"This way," Cobra hissed, leading them to an overhang of a building. It was quite a ways away, and Qibli was sure they wouldn't make it, but soon they were covered by the structure. However, the shadows cast by it were little, and it barely counted as a hiding spot. In a haste, Qibli shoved Winter against the wall.
"Hey!" he protested, but Qibli silenced him with the gesture of a claw over his snout.
"Cover as much of... this, as possible," he quietly added, pointing to his glittery blue scales.
Surprisingly, he did as Qibli asked, wrapping the dark cloak around his figure and shrinking against the wall. He couldn't cover everything, and he was obviously not a Sandwing, but Sirocco and Rattlesnake weren't very observant; hopefully they wouldn't notice. Qibli stood in front of him, unfurling his wings enough to cover the Icewing behind him but casual enough to look as if he were resting. Cobra turned to face the two of them, making herself bigger and covering them in shadow.
"How many times do I have to tell you whelps?!" Cobra barked, her tone noticeably deeper and gravelly. If it weren't for the obviously fake voice, he might've thought her to be actually furious. "I don't care how hungry you are, you cannot take snack breaks!"
Alright, yes, this was definitely fake. Still, he was reminded of her genuine rage that he faced as a small dragonet. He had forgotten that this was the same dragon, the same mother.
"How could you lazy Rainwings think that leaving Vulture's compound unprotected was a good idea?! You're useless."
"What's going on here?"
Rattlesnake. Qibli could just barely see her and a staggering Sirocco approach from over Cobra's shoulder. They were too close for his liking, he could feel his sister's eyes scanning him up and down.
"These slackers were caught sneaking off," Cobra said. "They need a good reprimanding."
For one, terrifying moment, Qibli thought that she might've admitting their plot. Would they give them up to Grandfather? Would he be angry? Were they even technically doing anything wrong?
But no, Mother kept her gaze on him, her identity concealed. It was all an act.
"You should let Rattlesnake yell at 'em," Sirocco slurred, leaning against her shoulder. "She loooooves yellin' at people."
"Shut it!" Rattlesnake snapped her jaws at him. She then eyed their group suspiciously and said, "who are these two?"
"Newbies, they still haven't figured out the system yet. As their superior, I saw it fit to punish them."
"Hm," Rattlesnake narrowed her eyes. "Well, as your superior, I say that's up for me to decide."
Qibli could see his mother hesitate- he wondered if she was willing to fight her. Would she be willing to attack her own daughter and give up their identities so they could escape? Actually, she would be willing to do the first, and he was surprised when she actually stepped aside.
Rattlesnake now had a clear view of he and Winter. He tilted his head down and pulled his cloak further over his face, trying to hid his scarred snout. He carefully moved his wings to try and cover any exposed parts of Winter, praying that the shadows hid them and that she wouldn't look too close. The seconds his sister spent inspecting him felt like ages, and he was expecting her to recognize either of them at any moment.
"Get back to work," she hissed. "If this happens again, I'm taking it straight to my Grandfather."
He gave a small nod, hoping she'd finally leave.
"Go," she barked, stepping back to give him space. He was hesitant, worried that if he moved she'd discover their identities. He shuffled to let Winter move first, standing between the Icewing and Sandwing, trying to cover him as much as possible. He could feel his sister's eyes watching him.
"I'll whip you two into shape yet!" Cobra added as she led them away. Just as Qibli thought he was safe, he felt a talon on his tail, and he collided with the sand.
A shocked, outraged cry erupted from Rattlesnake. His hood had fallen in the crash, revealing who he was.
"Qibli?! Why are- what's going on?!"
"Hey look, tha' guy's scales are bluee," Sirocco said. "I ain't never seen a blue Sandwing."
Rattlesnake let out a furious growl.
"OHHHH I get it, thas Qibli's handsome Icewing boyfriend ain't it?" Sirocco practically fell on top of Rattlesnake, something Qibli would never dare to do. "Hey Rattlesnake, how come they're wearin' capes? I mean, Qibli's got an ugly scar, I get why he would, but the Icewing is sooo prettyyyyy, why cover that up?"
"Shut UP!" Rattlesnake roared, elbowing him in the ribs. "Are you trying to sneak off, little brother?" She sneered, quickly advancing on him. "To think, Grandfather showed you so much hospitality, he won't be pleased."
She was practically on top of him. He could lash out- but he know he wouldn't win. Surely she wouldn't attack him here, with other dragons to back him up?
No, she totally would, but three vs two was a fight in their favor. At least Mother and Winter would come to his aid... right?
"And who are you?" Rattlesnake turned her attention to Cobra. She didn't budge. "Tell me, or I'll inform my grandfather of your treachery. I'm sure the punishment for insubordination and kidnapping would be-"
Then, Cobra pulled off her hood.
"M-mother?!" Rattlesnake choked. "What are you doing?!"
"Leaving. With my son," Qibli's heart soared as she said that. My son, the way she emphasized that sounded as if she were referring to him, her only son. The one dragonet she truly cared about. "I'm sure my father will understand, if not, that's his problem."
With that, Cobra turned away and continued for the exit. Qibli was stunned for a moment, looking between his siblings and his mother. Winter reached out a talon to help him up, and he accepted it gratefully. He heard Sirocco making some sort of teases at Rattlesnake as they left, followed by a hiss and a sharp cry. He couldn't help the feeling of excitement as they left the compound and his siblings behind.
Mother loves me, she picked me over her other dragonets, his mind buzzed. Of course, he knew thinking this way was ridiculous, and he knew his mood would grow somber soon, but let himself have this one moment.
Once they were outside, they took a turn into town. He noticed that they went a different way; one that didn't go anywhere near Cobra's house. That was probably for the best- he wasn't sure if he could handle the whiplash of memories. He could already smell the roasted coriander seeds and see the flickering candlelight-
As they approached the market areas of the Scorpion Den, and grew further from his family dwellings, Qibli could tell right away that something was different. The market was as busy as ever, maybe more so, but it wasn't the usual pickpockets and tourists. It felt like everyone was out and about, talking to each other instead of avoiding one another like normal. Even the shopkeepers and swindlers took time away from their sales to participate in the conversations. He could pick out frightened whispers and excited chatters; those who feared conflict and those who thrived on it. He discerned pieces of the discussions here and there.
"I'm scared momma."
"everything's gone..."
"How long until we're next?"
"This is great for business!"
"I don't trust her."
There were a million conversations going on at once, and Qibli wasn't even sure if they were connected to the same issue. However, one cluster of dragons caught his attention above all others. Nearby, there was a Sandwing surrounded by a group of dragons in cloaks. Grandfather's cloaks.
However, they were too far away for Qibli to hear what they were saying. He'd have to get closer.
"I'll be right back," Cobra said conveniently, stopping them. "I need to get something, don't move."
She pushed through the crowd towards a lone vendor. While he really wanted to obey his mother's wishes, curiosity got the best of him. Qibli had to know what they were saying. Once she was gone, he crept through the gaps between the dragons busily chatting.
"Hey, where are you going?" Winter hissed. Qibli felt bad for leaving him, especially when considering that he'd likely never had to deal with a crowd like this. He'd be back soon, and he needed to see this.
"...but are you happy?" One of the cloaked dragons asked as Qibli approached. He was hidden behind a much larger Sandwing, but he still pretended to be occupied.
"What do you mean by 'happy'? Such vague words mean nothing in terms of lifestyle, and they describe a fleeting emotion. I'm not sure what you want from me?" The other dragon- the one that looked to be cornered- said. Her voice was light and airy, and it trembled as she spoke. However, she held her own, and hid her underlying fear well.
"Are you trying to be funny? Some kind of jokester?" The second cloaked dragon, one with a shrill, high voice, replied. "We invite you to our noble cause, and you mock it?"
Qibli was reminded of what Capybara told him at the outpost. "A few minutes before I arrived, these dragons wearing cloaks showed up to interview the others." Is that what they were doing here? But why question random dragons?
Unless they aren't random dragons, Qibli thought. What did they have in common?
"I'm not trying to mock you, I'm just not sure if I agree with your ideas," The Sandwing said. Then, Qibli saw a tiny, ruby red tail poke out from under her wing. That color did not belong to a Sandwing, likely it was a Skywing, but it could always be a hybrid or perhaps a very unlikely Rainwing. The shrill-voiced Sandwing looked down with disgust, and the other wrapped her wing around it protectively.
"It's not just about our ideas," the other cloaked dragon said. "It's about everyone's ideas. Don't you realize? We're trying to improve the Sand Kingdom and I-"
"Qibli," Cobra said, coming up behind him. She beckoned him with her wing, and he followed her through the crowd. What had he just witnessed, some kind of recruiting? What was this "noble cause"? It must've been connected to Grandfather- "noble cause" was definitely somewhere in his vocabulary. Qibli was starting to think it went deeper than what his grandfather told him.
They found Winter sitting where they had left him, yawning and looking bored. He curled his tail in closer when Mother got close.
"This should be useful for you," Cobra said, handing Qibli a brand new satchel. Was this... a gift? This certainly wasn't what he expected to receive for disobeying her.
"Oh, thank the moons," Winter let out a dramatic sight of relief. He dug into the pouch around his ankle, and dropped a talonful of paper scraps into the bag. "Now you can take your little geegaws back."
"Geegaws?" Qibli wrinkled his snout in amusement. "You call me old fashioned, and use terms like 'geegaws'?"
"Let's go, I want to be there before dawn," Cobra said abruptly, pushing a few dragons out of her way. "Besides, I want to get out of here. This place is too crowded."
Qibli slung the satchel around his neck. As he did, he noticed a particularly hard thing being filled with paper, and it sat a little high off his scales. He felt around the back and the inside, realizing that there was a bump, like something had been sewn between the linings. Odd.
It didn't take long to push past the initial bustle of the crowd and get to the quieter areas of the Scorpion Den. While they didn't pass it directly, there was a spot between tents where he could see the oasis in the distance. It always looked beautiful in the moonlight, prettier than anything in Grandfather's compound.
Qibli was still torn on what Vulture had told him about Queen Thorn, but anxious or excited, he was definitely looking forward to seeing her again after this long, long week.
Notes:
I know, it's been a while, 'been busy' (ofc). Just a heads up, chapters may be a bit infrequent for a while, a two month wait may become the norm for the next few months. Who knows though, it's not like I have a schedule lol
Onto good news, we're getting into the action now. The chapters are going to be more exciting, and I'll have an easier time writing them (also they should be more fun to read after having to wait a while) so look forward to that! As usual, sorry if the pacing's a little weird or anything, since I know what's happening my view on it is skewed.
Thank you for being patient with me!
Chapter 14
Notes:
Hey! I started a Tumblr and would like some attention, I plan on posting a lot ab my fanfics n stuff (including this one)
Here's the link to a recent art piece I made for this fic, it'd be cool if you could check it out!: https://at.tumblr.com/glamourrock/drew-a-sort-of-fake-cover-for-my-wof-aufanfic/d78wxelvh2u6
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Winter was exhausted, but Qibli felt too much adrenaline to be tired. They had been flying for hours, and they were almost to the palace. Qibli didn't let his sore wings or lack of sleep hold him down; he didn't have time to be tired, he was about to learn the truth.
They only took a few short breaks, but Qibli was quick to get them back into the air. They were so close, it wouldn't be long now...
"I find it highly inconvenient to fly so far," Winter called. "How is anyone supposed to see the Queen if the Palace is so secluded?"
"Sure, Icewing prince," Qibli called back. "This might be a surprise, but most dragons have to travel more than a tail length to speak to their queen."
Winter wasn't particularly amused by his joke. "What are you saying?" he cried. "Of course I know that! I'm just saying that it should be easier to get to there."
"Well, most dragons never need to go to the palace," Qibli reminded him. "We're so busy with jobs and scraping by that we don't have time to chit-chat with royalty."
Winter scoffed, and tried to sputter a response, but Qibli knew he'd won this one. He had to assume that the Ice Kingdom also had faraway towns, likely the poorer classes. From what he'd heard about Icewing society, he'd guess the lower circles.
"Besides, we do things differently in the Sand Kingdom," Qibli said. "We have to live around water, not like frozen, literally-surrounded-by-and-coated-in Ice Kingdom."
"Lucky us, I'd take snow over sand any day," Winter retorted.
"Ick, why?" Qibli wrinkled his snout. "It's cold and wet."
"Sand clings to my scales in a gritty, gross way. Snow is refreshing."
"Snow is just as clingy, only cold and wet," he reemphasized.
"Are you saying you prefer dirty sand over snow?"
"Yes. Absolutely."
"Have you ever even-"
"Be quiet," Cobra snapped. "We're almost there."
Qibli diverted his attention back to the sky in front of them and, yes, they were almost there. Over the horizon stretched the outline of the Sandwing Stronghold. He let out a sigh of relief, they were almost there.
The group stopped on a dune not far from the palace to catch their breaths- it was about a five minute flight from here. Winter was fanning himself with his wing, even though the desert was much colder at night. As a dragonet Qibli often found himself shivering when his siblings hogged the blankets, but after spending time in the mountains he was able to appreciate how much warmer it was here.
Mother was sorting through her bags, and Qibli found himself trifling through his own. He counted Chameleon's different forms: all there. He felt the lump in his satchel.
"How are you feeling?" Winter said, coming up behind him. He looked out into the night, distant and wistful, like a hero painted perfectly on a canvas. What was he referring to? Qibli's feelings on returning to the palace, or how he felt about the current state of affairs? Was he simply asking about how he felt in the moment? Qibli shrugged.
"Let's go," Cobra said, getting ready to take off.
Qibli felt inside the satchel once more.
"Wait," he said. "You two need to stay here."
"What?!" Winter and Cobra cried simultaneously.
"It's one thing to show up out of the blue with a strange Sandwing, it's another to show up with a strange Sandwing and a strange Icewing," he continued. "Time is of the essence, and it'll be easier to explain you to Queen Thorn than to the guards. She knows me- I'll just explain who you are and come back to get you."
He faced his clawmate, looking into his outraged eyes. "Besides," he laughed. "I'll be in enough trouble for ditching school, I don't want to get chewed out for bringing surprise guests."
Winter's gaze flickered for a moment, but he shrugged and pulled away. "Whatever, just don't take too long. It's hot out here." He yawned and turned away, bored.
"Goodbye," Qibli said, looking at Winter and his mother. "I'll be back soon."
It felt like he was lying through his teeth.
Cobra nodded, and Winter yawned again. With a wavering smile, he leapt towards the sky and flew straight for the palace. Once he was far enough away, finally free and and alone for the first time in ages, he did a little flip in the air. This was the most liberated he'd felt in a while, and he was going to savor it. No matter what anxieties he felt about the future, he would ignore the tugging at his heart and enjoy himself for this short flight.
It wasn't long before he had to land. The sentries stopped him before he reached the Stronghold's walls, and he quickly banked downwards to speak to them. They were two refreshingly cloak free guards, one silently watched him while the other practically jumped when he saw him.
Qibli recognized the surprised dragon immediately, who in turn recognized him. His name was Mojave, and he was a friend to Ostrich's mother, Kindle. He was a jittery dragon who picked up on changes quite slowly (such as the Outclaws' move to the Palace), but he was quite friendly. However, Qibli didn't recognize the other dragon. She was big, muscular, and covered in scars; likely a soldier in Burn's old army.
"Qibli, is that you?" Mojave said, squinting. "I thought you were at school."
"I was, long story," he replied. "I need to speak with Queen Thorn at once, it's urgent."
"Oh, of course!" he jumped. "Absolutely, let me just-"
"Absolutely not," the other Sandwing scoffed. "Hello? Don't you remember how to do your job? We can't let just anyone waltz into the palace, especially not with the state of the Kingdom."
"This isn't just anyone, it's Qibli! I'm sure Thorn would want to see him," Mojave said while Qibli nodded.
"That may be so, but protocol is protocol. Just go and get the Queen's approval real quick."
Mojave nodded, adding a quick "sorry" before flying into the Stronghold. Qibli didn't blame the other guard, she was doing her job and she was doing it well, but it was infuriating nonetheless. He was Queen Thorn's trusted advisor! What part of "urgent" did she not understand?
He leaned back with a sigh.
"So, how's school?" The guard asked. He looked up in surprise- her entire demeanor had changed. Now she spoke to him like an old family friend, like an aunt who hadn't seen her nephew in years. He had no idea who this was.
"Oh it's... good," he said.
"Make any new friends?"
He nodded, adding an attempt at a smile. Would Mojave be back soon?
"And how's Arid?" She asked. "Not failing school yet is he? Do I need to give him a sharp talking to?" She teased.
Oh- OHH, Qibli knew who this was now. He had only met Arid's mother once, a past soldier for Burn who kept her job at the palace due to her skill. He'd never really spoken to her, but from what Arid described she seemed like a good parent, if not a little over bearing. He didn't quite remember her name, Yucca maybe?
"He's doing great," Qibli said, a little relieved. He hadn't actually spoken to Arid in week, what with his constant running to and from school. Better leave that part out, she seemed like the type to be over-protective to dragonets that weren't even her own.
"You're staying out out of trouble?" she asked with ironic timing. "Doing well in school?"
She had mustered a strict face, but he could see her smile poking through. Little did she know how much it was warranted. The answer to both of those questions was a no, but Qibli nodded anyway.
Then, he heard wing beats. Mojave was back, and just in time.
"She said, and I quote," Mojave was practically breathless. " 'Qibli? Let him in you sand snorters!' "
He snickered, and Yucca rolled her eyes with a grin. "Some queen, taking the side of this scrawny loafer over her very strong and very loyal soldier. I'm not surprised. Alright Qibli, head on in, you'll have to catch me up on your 'urgent news' later."
He nodded as they let him pass through. She was sweet, but he felt a little talked down to. She spoke to him the same way she'd speak to a three year old, as if his news wasn't really that important. She wasn't the only dragon who doubted his abilities in this Stronghold.
"Oh! She's in her tent!" Mojave called after him. He figured.
Everything about the Stronghold had been improved when Thorn took over. She removed the decapitated heads, she scrubbed the walls clean of blood, and she added her own special touches to the place. One such example was a white tent placed next to the largest oasis, her favorite room in the entire palace. It always smelled of cinnamon and tea, and the soft trickle of water could be heard as Qibli approached. Pink, yellow, and crimson lily petals fell from the trees above, and as Qibli caught one his talon, he thought that this might be his favorite room as well. It reminded him of the Outclaws' old home- the reason Thorn set it up in the first place. Any free time she had was likely spent here, as well as any private meetings with guests. While it was still early, he wasn't surprised that Thorn would be here.
Qibli pushed his head through the flaps of the tent, and there he saw his queen, busily reading a scroll. It felt like it had been years since he'd seen Thorn, even if it hadn't been nearly that long. It felt like he was looking at an entirely different dragon- or perhaps he had been the one to change.
"Qibli!" Thorn gasped. In an instant, he was pulled into a hug, something he'd never get with his family. He embraced it while he had the chance.
"Wait- no, apparently Queens don't hug. Also, I'm supposed to be mad at you. You left school again? Am I going to have to chain you down? Your undying loyalty is wonderful and charming, but can't you be undyingly loyal to school?"
"It wasn't really my choice," Qibli laughed, and Thorn pulled him away. She held him an arm's length away and studied him, piecing together a story from what she saw.
"You look exhausted," she put more gently. "And your snout- what happened?"
"It's a long story," he sighed (again). "But that's not important right now, we need to talk."
"Alright, I'm listening," she sat down on on of the mats, looking attentive; fully interested in what he had to say.
"I have important information on the bombings."
"You do?" Thorn sat forward quickly, eyes widening. "By all means, tell me!"
"Uhm, your majesty?" An anxious Sandwing interrupted them, sticking his head into the tent. "They need your assistance."
"Again?" she groaned. "Can't you lizard-bellied camels do anything yourselves?"
The other dragon looked particularly flustered. "Y-your majesty! You can't- that's inappropriate!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," she rolled her eyes. She then turned her attention back to Qibli, but was obviously directing it towards the other dragon. "Qibli, some dragons just can't do their jobs around here. I'll be right back, you should rest here. You could use it."
"It'll only be a moment!" The other dragon piped up.
Qibli wanted to protest, but now that his adrenaline had worn off he realized just how tired he was. Fine, he could use a nap, that way he was sharp and alert when he spoke to Thorn. He couldn't rest too long, he had important things to do.
. . .
Qibli was surprised when he awoke on pillows rather than a hard, marble floor. He sat up and stretched his wings and aching limbs, feeling better than he had in days. As much as he'd love to curl up and sleep for the rest of the day, he had to get up. He could rest once he finally spoke to Thorn about everything he'd learned.
He was alone in the tent, so she must've still been preoccupied. How long had he been out? Surely it wasn't more ten minutes, maybe he could sleep until-
No, not now. He would have to go and find Thorn himself. Qibli pushed open the flaps of the tent and was met with the morning sun peeking over the horizon.
Oh no, he'd slept longer than he'd realized. How much time had he wasted? He briskly walked outside, and once he remembered that he didn't have to avoid hidden traps, sped inside the main palace.
Once he reached the entrance, another Sandwing pushed past him and took to the skies. While he was definitely curious what her story was, he didn't have time to ponder. He needed to have a serious discussion with his queen before he got distracted.
It seemed she wasn't the only dragon in a hurry. The Great Hall was filled with panicking dragons running around at the orders of Queen Thorn. While she was small compared to the crowd, her voice was loud and commanded every dragon in the room. She looked as if she wanted to get up and help, but another dragon gently held her back. Smolder.
"Where's Pear? Did she leave with the message? Okay, good- Saguaro! Be careful with those! What did I just say?"
Thorn certainly had her talons full. Was this the same issue she was dealing with before? Or something else entirely?
He ducked out of the way of another dragon who swung her wing around thoughtlessly. Qibli approached Thorn, careful to stay out of the way of the hurried Sandwings.
"Oh, Qibli, I'm sorry. I told no one to bother you," Thorn said with an exasperated sigh.
"How long was I out?"
"A few hours," Smolder replied, pointing Thorn in the direction of a dragon who had tripped on his own tail. Thorn waved it off.
A few hours?! Qibli was horrified. Winter was going to kill him for sure.
"I apologize, I got a little... Preoccupied, and thought it was better to let you sleep," Thorn said.
"What's happening?" Qibli asked, taking another look around the busy hall.
Thorn grimaced- real, genuine concern. "Another outpost was bombed. We're trying to stop the fire before it spreads too far."
Oh no. He had only been asleep for a few hours and they had already been attacked again. Had anyone been hurt? Killed? Thorn was taking care of it- it would be fine.
Thorn's taking care of it. Grandfather was wrong. He couldn't believe he ever doubted his queen. Back in the Scorpion Den, Thorn had been able to take care of any kind of emergency; dragonbite viper in town? She'd handle it. Orphanage set ablaze? Everyone would make it out unharmed. Being queen wouldn't change that.
Still, helping the fires wasn't enough. They had to put a stop to the bombings right here, right now.
"We need to talk about the attacks," Qibli said. "I've been doing research and-"
"I thought you were at school," Smolder said. "No offense, but we've been looking into this for weeks, you couldn't possibly know something that we don't."
Normally, Qibli liked Smolder. He was funny and friendly enough, and he was quite helpful with royal matters. It was one of the reasons Thorn let him continue to live in the palace. But this time, his words managed to sting Qibli in a way he likely didn't intend.
He felt small, like he often did. Worthless. An ordinary dragonet who couldn't possibly do anything to help.
Don't go trying to be a hero.
"I trust Qibli," Thorn said. "I wouldn't underestimate him, he was one of my smartest outclaws. Go on, explain what you've learned."
Of course, Thorn never made him feel that way. To her, he wasn't an ordinary nobody, he was a valuable member of the team. This is why she'd win his undying loyalty in a way that no one else had.
"Well..." He had trouble deciding where to start.
So, he began at the beginning, when he first heard the news and came to the Sand Kingdom. He changed or left out most of the story, such as anything regarding Chameleon (he referred to him as Bog). He needed to explain every detail as fast as possible, and not be distracted with stories that added nothing. While he relayed the information to Thorn, the wheels in his own head started to turn. He started piecing things together.
"So they likely came from the sea," Thorn echoed, brows knit tightly together. She was stumped, just as Qibli was when he first heard it.
"I've heard theories that it's the Mudwings," he said.
"The Mudwings?" Thorn's snout wrinkled. "That doesn't sound like Moorhen at all."
"I know," Qibli replied. "That was my thought as well."
"Where did you learn all of this from?" Smolder asked. He seemed genuinely impressed, but mildly suspicious.
Qibli hesitated. He wanted to leave out any mentioning of his family if possible, for a few reasons. One, his grandfather's name was sure to raise some red flags regardless of his help. Two, Thorn wasn't likely to trust anyone in Qibli's family, and would be worried about his willingness to work with them.
"Uhh, I was working with private investigators and rich benefactors."
Thorn eyes him suspiciously, but she said nothing. She was definitely going to interrogate him about it later.
He paused. "I've... also heard another theory. Some think that the Icewings are paying the Mudwings to do it."
"Really?" Thorn wondered. "I suppose that's a little more realistic, but I couldn't imagine why Glacier would want to attack so soon after the war, much less pay others to do it."
"The land Blaze promised her, perhaps?" Smolder suggested.
"Maybe, but I imagine that she'd want to reach out to me civilly first to try and bargain for it. I haven't heard a word from her. Secret attacks meant to confuse the enemy sound more like a Nightwing strategy to me, but it couldn't be them."
"No, you're right," Qibli said. Besides, it was a very strange attack pattern: no consistency. Yes, most of the attacks came from the Northern border, but the attack sites seemed random. Besides, the Mudwings would've had to swim from their Kingdom to the Kingdom of Sand to remain hidden, when it would've been more reasonable to fly or attack on their border. It makes sense why they'd bomb outposts then, but why homesteads and innocent families? It was a power move to be sure, a disgusting display of, 'I can do whatever I want until I get what I want,' but that didn't seem like the Glacier he'd heard of. Besides, no one had been killed yet... That he knew.
One of the strangest parts is that no one had seen any out of place Icewings or Mudwings, save for Bog. Surely if any had been sighted, Queen Thorn would've known? How could their attacker remain so invisible?
"I don't believe it was the Mudwings," Qibli said. However, he noticed another dragon- a guard- whispering to Thorn.
"Your majesty, Capybara is back," he could just make out.
"Oh, perfect timing," she replied.
Qibli watched the messenger leave, mind buzzing. Wait, Capybara? He knew this dragon...
"Who's Capybara?" He turned back to Thorn.
"Oh, they're the head of my spies," Thorn replied. "Why?"
That's all he needed to know. Qibli was starting to understand everything.
"They've been privately investigating the attacks to keep from arising the public," her voice was infinity quieter now, as though this was a secret to be kept between few dragons. "They'll be able to compare information- actually, I'd like to continue this privately in my tent. Head on out there, I'll wrap up here and join you."
Qibli nodded, but before he fled the chaos entirely he had to ask Thorn one more question. "By the way, do you know if there was any sort of debris left after the fires? Something like seedpods?"
"Now that you mention it, a lot of dragons did come back with these little spikes embedded in their scales," Thorn said.
He nodded again, and raced for the exit. It was much quieter outside, although a few Sandwings looked quite busy. He hoped everything would turn out alright. Thorn was handling it, it would be okay. After they finished this discussion, Thorn would finally have all the information she needed to put a stop to these attacks. This was it, he was finally putting the puzzle together. He would finally do what he'd been meaning to since he got here: he wouldn't finally set things right.
His mind briefly flashed to his clawmate. Should he go fetch the likely fuming Winter on his way to the tent? He might have time- Thorn did look busy, and he hated that he left him for so long. His mother might want to contribute as well-
He clutched the satchel around his neck. No, he wasn't ready to let her in the palace yet. Winter was going to kill him, but he had to wait a little longer.
"Mojave!" Qibli called as he approached. "Was Capybara here?"
"Oh yeah! Sh- they were," he said. "Uh, where'd they go again?"
"I think they went inside already," Yucca said.
"Really? I thought they might've left," he pointed to a nearby dune. "I saw someone over there who looked kind of like them."
Yucca squinted. "Are you sure? Maybe we should go check, just in case."
"I can go," Qibli offered. He was going to meet with Capybara anyway, and he didn't want these two away from their jobs. Not now, not with the Palace in such a state.
"Okay, thanks Qibli," Mojave smiled, and Yucca nodded.
"Let us know if anything's up," she said.
"I will," Qibli dipped his head and flew in the direction he was pointed to. Yucca was on edge- he couldn't blame her. After all of these bombings and attacks it made sense to be on alert, especially with a job like hers. He had to admit, he was pretty nervous himself. While it felt like he was finally close to solving this mystery, he also felt... wrong, wrong for a lot of things. Qibli had a horrible feeling in his gut as he passed the tall dune, yet saw no Sandwing in sight. He landed to get a closer look.
He heard them before he saw them, but had no time to react. In an instant, Qibli was surrounded on all sides by dragons in black cloaks. At the center of them landed Grandfather Vulture, a strange sight outside of his compound.
"Qibli!" He said. "So this is where you ran off to! Is your mother with you? She disappeared as well."
"Uhm, yes, she came with me," Qibli tried not to stutter, pulling his tail in closer. "She's not with me right now."
"Well, I can see that," he chuckled.
Grandfather looked different in this light. No pretty treasury behind him, and in this dark light his tattoos clashed with his pale scales in a hypnotizing display. Qibli noticed that he was more decorated today, his black cape had gold crawling up the ends like it was trying to swallow the fabric. His claws were decorated with rings that were intricately carved, and two black feather earrings with gold chains studded his ears. He was wearing some of his perfume oil as well, almost as if this were a special occasion.
"Grandfather, what are you doing here?" Qibli asked, trying to sound as calm and casual as possible. He was just curious, yes, that's it.
"I assume we had the same idea," he replied. "I decided to hear you out, grandson. I'm taking my evidence to the queen so we can solve this together. I'm guessing that's why you're here as well?"
He had a grin plastered across his face, it said: 'look how alike we are, taking the initiative ourselves. We're the only dragons who can solve this.'
He was wrong, they were nothing alike, and Qibli was tired of these lies.
"No," he said, fighting back a tremor in his voice. "I know why you're really here."
Notes:
Woah, what's this? Another chapter only 10 days after the last one after even tho I said it'd probably be a while? Well I was sick and had nothing to do, plus I've kinda been in a writing kick lately. Everything's coming together folks, and I've been anxiously rereading this and past chapters to make sure everything fits.
Chapter 15
Notes:
Heyy I'm back! The ending notes are sort of long, but if you want the jist of things then the first paragraph is what's important!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"I beg your pardon?" His voice- it sounded genuinely confused. For a moment, Qibli was washed with regret for even opening his snout. He wanted to forget all of this and listen to his grandfather for just a minute longer, but... no. The evidence was too stacked against him.
"I know why you're here, you assumed Thorn would be dead," his voice trembled, still clinging onto the hope that he was wrong.
"Dead?!" Vulture cried, although he sounded more intrigued than anything else. "That's a wild claim to make, don't you think?"
"Not really," Qibli said. "That was the end goal here, wasn't it? All of the bombings, the attacks- it was leading up this, wasn't it?"
This was it. After everything, Qibli would finally learn the truth. He was tired of running circles around confusing evidence that led nowhere. He had turned a blind eye to his Grandfather's falsehoods for too long. Every once and a while, he would slip up- contradict himself or some other mistake. Qibli had slowly been collecting these as evidence, and it was finally time to learn if he was right.
He hoped he wasn't.
"Why Qibli, I'm appalled. I've been the sole investigator of these trajedies since they started- you know that. You've seen the evidence, I'm surprised you'd believe such lies with how intelligent you are. There's no proof I'd do such things. There's no motive."
This was the Grandfather that Qibli remembered. His ability to tear down his opponent in argument was uncanny, and he was rife with convincing excuses. It was hard to not to doubt himself the longer he heard him speak, but then that was the intent. If Qibli was wrong, he was wrong, but he was sure he was right. The dusted cogs in his head were finally starting to turn as he pieced the story together.
"I... don't exactly know why," Qibli began, and Vulture flashed a face. "But I know the fires were from you." He revealed the remnant of dragonflame that he had tucked away. "This came from the cactus that set the fires. It was attached to the cloak I'm wearing."
"Is that all?" Grandfather looked unimpressed. "Why, it's obvious that it stuck to one of my talons while they were investigating."
Talons? Qibli thought, but it wasn't important enough to the situation to stick in his mind for long. He tucked that question away for later. "I would've said the same thing, if not for the crate of cactus you have in your storehouse."
He thought back to he and Winter's scavenger escapade. Perhaps his clawmate's obsession was advantageous for once. At first, in the dark light, he hadn't been able to make out what he saw. But as he peeked longer into the box, it was clear what he was looking at. The dark shapes were the same as the ones this burr belonged to.
"And no, you didn't buy these to study. Dragonflame cactus don't grow here, you'd have no reason to buy cratefuls unless you had some use for them."
Vulture laughed- but humor wasn't the only emotion Qibli detected behind it. Grandfather was nervous.
"Assuming you're right, which you're not," he said. "Why would I have any reason to attack my own Kingdom? Sounds counter-intuitive to me."
Oldest trick in the book. "You're aiming higher. Hurt the Kingdom to save it later, right? You're hoping to get Thorn out of the picture aren't you? Spreading lies to ruin her reputation further to boost your own. But that's not all."
Trembling, Qibli sliced open the back of his satchel. A single dragonflame cactus fell into his palm, and he held it out for all of the dragons to see. "You sent Cobra with me, her assignment to kill the Queen in any way possible. I'm guessing this was a backup plan."
It was painful to realize that his little anxiety was right. His mother was willing to kill him to fulfill her mission. Grandfather's eyes widened, and Qibli set his sight on one of the "Talons" closest to the palace. He had been watching his flitting attention for a while now, the way he swayed back and forth on his talons as if they were sore. In a quick move, he rushed forward and jabbed his tail at the Sandwing. Caught off guard, the dragon reacted to the surprise by jumping out of the way, something none of the others would've done. With the new opening, Qibli shot into the air and flew for the Stronghold.
He beat his wings faster than he ever had before. He just had to get to the wall and the guards would surely help him. Or, even better, his Grandfather would hold back instead of risking capture. Qibli was afraid of what would happen if the conversation with his Grandfather continued any further- at least like this. They would continue to talk once Vulture was safely behind bars. He opened his snout to call out-
And a large talon gripped the side of his face, forcing it into the bricks with an audible pop. Pain flooded his entire body and Qibli turned desperately towards the top of the wall with his darkening vision. There was no one there. No guards perched at their posts, no sentries patrolling the sand.
Oh moons, what had he got himself into?
Qibli crumpled to the ground, hitting the sand with a sickening thud. The dragons surrounding him seemed to blur into each other as he fought to remain conscious.
"It's too bad that you're so clever Qibli. Imagine if we'd kept this charade a little longer, we'd have gotten along so well," Vulture sighed. "Oh well."
Qibli could only let out a raspy wheeze in response. His whole world was spinning, and any opportunity he would've had to escape had long passed. Vulture had slithered close and stood towering over him, practically pushing him into the wall. The small space made him panic. He was completely trapped.
"I always knew you were an observant little lizard. Humor me, what gave it away?"
Qibli winced, the pain from his face a reminder of what Vulture could do. He had to go along with this now, if he wanted any chance to survive.
For one terrifying moment, he was afraid that his jaw had broken and he lost the ability to speak. His panic died down as he bit out the words slowly, syllable by syllable.
"Your story had holes from the start," he began, his face throbbing. "You tried to convince me that it was the Mudwings- for whatever reason- but the strategies made no sense for them. Mother had a different idea: the Icewings. It made sense in theory, but it falls apart when you think about their Queen for just a moment. Why would Glacier start something so soon after the war? A war the Icewings were dragged into? And it's unlike her or any Icewings to attack without first stating their demands- even if the land they were promised is a reasonable story."
He broke into a coughing fit before he could continue. "If... say, it really was the Icewings, and they p-payed the Mudwings like Mother thought..." he wheezed. "Well, that has its holes, too. The attack patterns of the bombings were all from the North- which would make sense coming from the Icewings, but the Mudwings? Their Kingdom is from the East, not the North."
"The second site you had me visit was close to the ocean. While your story of the Mudwings could've been legitimate, it makes more sense that a group of Sandwings- dragons who were already nearby- set the fire, rather than a tribe normally known for their ambushes. It wouldn't have been hard for someone to start a flame if everyone else was distracted." His gaze settled on the wall of the black and yellow keeping him from the world.
"If I had to guess, I'd say that your original story was the one Mother told me, the Icewings hiring the Mudwings. But then you changed it once an Icewing prince, who would know better, arrived."
It made sense to Qibli. He remembered Bog, and the conversation he heard outside of his window. It was obvious that he wasn't prepared for the revision, and that leaked into every tale he told. Bog himself- or rather Chameleon, was evidence enough, but Qibli was inclined to believe that Vulture didn't know about his true identity. He refused to reveal it if he didn't. If there was at least one secret that Qibli could keep from his grandfather, then he would hold onto it for dear life.
"Very clever indeed," Vulture tapped his chin thoughtfully, and a smirk quirked the corners of his mouth. Was he truly impressed? "But I'm afraid you're wrong about a few things. I couldn't care less about what your friend thinks. An exiled Icewing wouldn't exactly know the state of his kingdom, prince or not. No, your mother came up with the story she told you, adding her own flair to it I suppose."
Vulture's smirk contorted to a twisted smile. Qibli choked on his breath. He knew. He knew they weren't partners, he knew Winter held no power. He knew everything about them.
It was the Obsidian Mirror. Everything Mother had told Qibli was a lie- not only did Vulture know what it did, but he was also actively using it. He was using it to spy on him and his friends. Utter horror snaked its way through Qibli's body and claimed his heart. He may as well have shattered into a million pieces where he stood.
How long had he been spying on them, and what did he know?
"You knew Thorn's spies would be at the outpost," he coughed. "You've sent your dragons all over the place, trying to get information about Queen Thorn. You're trying to recruit civilians as well, aren't you?" He thought back to the the two cloaked dragons he saw in the street, and the little red Skywing being preyed upon by their eyes. "You're going to kill the queen."
You even tried planting doubts into my head, he thought.
"Blame the dragons, not me," Vulture said. "I'm just trying to give the people what they want. Thorn's very unpopular you know, no one thinks she makes a good Queen. I say it's about time we put a proper dragon on the throne, don't you?"
"You can't get rid of her!" Qibli cried. "Who would take over?!" Vulture couldn't mean Blaze, and the only other dragon fit was Sunny. All lack of desire for the throne aside, he had a feeling that Grandfather would dislike Sunny for the same reasons as Thorn.
"It's funny you mention that," Qibli felt an ominous shiver, piecing the story together while Vulture talked. "There's actually another heir, true royalty in hiding for the last twenty years."
One of the cloaked dragons stepped forward and pulled her hood away from her face.
"Onyx," Qibli breathed. She seemed to relish in the revelation.
"Of course, it all makes sense," he said. "Queen Oasis's granddaughter- but she couldn't be from Burn, Blister, or Blaze. Burn wanted nothing to do with partners, Blister would never have let a potential rival go, and Blaze would've remembered something like carrying an egg. Queen Oasis kept a close watch on her sons and forbade them from having any other heirs, but one was rumored to have had a love affair- potentially an elopement. But apparently his true love was captured and killed before Queen Oasis died... but what if she wasn't? She could have escaped and raised her daughter far from the palace... Always traveling... always traveling away from the palace, and the dangers of the palace."
Great snakes, of course, Qibli thought. She could just as likely be a pretender, but her story makes sense. More sense than anything else so far.
He looked up, scanning the Sandwing that towered over him.
She's Smolder's daughter. The prince was inside, only a short flight away. He had no idea that outside of these walls stood his long lost daughter- did he even know she existed?
"Soon we'll have a new queen, a more capable queen. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
Vulture didn't care about a capable queen, Qibli was sure of it. He wanted a pawn, a tool to control the kingdom.
This was bad, bad, bad.
"Soon?" Onyx said. "I could be queen today- I could be queen right now."
She eyed him hungrily, like she was the cat and he was a little spiny mouse. This was her plan all along, this is why she attacked him at Jade Mountain. Was it all for Grandfather, or did his connection to Thorn have something to do with it? He thought back to something Rattlesnake had said, something about plans that she apparently didn't follow. Did Vulture order her to attack Qibli, or was that entirely on her own? If she so willing to disobey Vulture... Qibli shuddered. What else is she willing to do?
He was grateful he had kept an eye on Ostrich before he left. If not Qibli, then she surely would've been the next logical target. If she was looking for some sort of leverage, then the daughter of Thorn's protective general made sense. Sunny was too well watched.
"Be patient, a good plan takes time," Vulture turned to her. "If you go in there now, you'll be swarmed."
"What?!" Onyx lashed her tail. "I thought that was why we were here! Everyone's so distracted from that stupid fire that we can sneak in and kill the Queen right? Why aren't we doing it?"
"As usual, you over simplify what is a precise and delicate plot. That was never the plan, some things went... differently than I expected."
What did that mean? Qibli had never seen his grandfather not succeed at something... and as much as he was trying to cover it up, Qibli knew that something had gone wrong. Things never went wrong in Vulture's plans. He didn't know how good of a sign this was, but he let his heart beat with a bit of hope.
"First you send me to that stupid pacifist school, which- by the way, was a waste of time! The dragonet doesn't have a single interest in taking her mother's throne. Then, you decide to take this stupid sand-snorter instead of using him to get inside. You're telling me I have to wait for the crown when I could easily force my way inside and challenge Thorn? If any of your 'intricate and delicate' plots worked, I could've had the crown by now!"
Onyx was seething, and her tail rattled as she glared at Vulture. He was unphased by her intensity, a stone standing against a raging river.
"Trust me, everything will work out better this way. Why barge in like ruffians when we have the key to taking Thorn down?"
Qibli's spine crawled as their eyes landed on him.
"I won't help you," Qibli said, wishing there was anywhere else he could back up to. He wished he could hide behind his wings, and they'd somehow shelter him from the danger surrounding him. He wished he would say what he needed to to survive, but he could never betray his Queen.
"Oh, but Qibli," Vulture's face was plastered with his grin. "You already have. Don't you remember the "fire escapes?" You already gave me the way I need into the palace."
Qibli couldn't help the way the corners of his mouth twitched. It was his turn to smile.
He had one-upped his Grandfather, even if it was a small victory.
"Actually, there is no back entrance to the palace." It was wonderful to wipe that smug grin off of his face. "That information is useless to you, unless you for some reason needed to know that Thorn's old tent had an entrance on both sides."
He awaited the inevitable blow- the pain his grandfather would inflict. If he had to die now, then he was happy to do so protecting Thorn.
Qibli was shoved against the wall, and Vulture leaned in way too close to his ear. "Then it seems we'll have even more to talk about, won't we?" he hissed. Qibli could hear the enthralled laughter of the cloaked dragons.
But just like that, Vulture back off. Qibli had even less room to move now. A sudden, sinister smirk slithered its way on Grandfather's snout.
"I say we take this conversation elsewhere, somewhere more comfortable. Wouldn't you rather have this discussion at home, grandson?"
The compound was not his home, and he didn't want to go back. It didn't seem like he had much of a choice, however.
"Oh, but what do you say we go pick up your mother and "boyfriend" first?" There was a taunting edge to his voice. "I'd like to have a word with the both of them. Besides, I hear it can be quite dangerous out in the desert these days, what with the bombing dilema."
Qibli's heart caught in his throat. What was he implying?
"You wouldn't," he coughed. "Cobra's your daughter! You can't- you wouldn't-"
"Ah, but I would," Vulture said. "What are few dead dragons in the grand scheme of things? What's one ended bloodline when I have three more?"
Qibli felt sick. Grandfather took a step back, opening a hole in the wall of dragons. He was giving him an opening, but he wasn't truly free. While Qibli could fly far, far away from here, Vulture knew he'd never leave Winter or his mother at his mercy. He him trapped under his claws, and he knew it.
He looked up once more, praying that somebody, anybody would see them. But no one came. Choking back sobs, Qibli unfurled his sore and tired wings and took to the sky, flying as fast as he could from the palace. Away from Thorn, and away from hope.
He knew something was wrong with his wing right away. When he had collided with the bricks, it must've injured more than just his face. Probably that entire side. It was likely bruised instead of sprained since he could still fly, at least. His body throbbed with fiery pain, and he was still shaking, but the adrenaline and fear pushed him forward. He couldn't look back, if he did he was sure to see Grandfather and the black cloaked Sandwings following close behind.
Winter was easy to pick out against the clashing yellow of the desert sand. He was pacing back and forth, fuming. Qibli knew that the moment he landed he was going to unleash his fury onto him. He felt terrible for abandoning him, but it was the only way to keep mother away from Thorn without arising her suspicions. Speaking of Mother... where was she? He couldn't pick out her form anywhere.
"Where have you been?!" Winter roared. "I have been stuck out here in this stupidly hot desert with your stupidly shifty mother for hours! I should claw... your..."
Winter's anger changed to confusion as he approached, then horror.
"Moons, what happened to your face?!" he cried. "Your... everything?"
"Where's Mother?" Qibli said bluntly, looking down at his talons.
"She left," his voice was softer now, and Qibli could feel his eyes trying to assess him. Winter looked like he wanted to ask something, but Qibli's lowered gaze caught something before he could continue.
"Winter," Qibli said, horrified. "What happened to your ankle pouch?"
Winter squinted at him, his brows furrowing in puzzlement. He reached for where it'd normally be, but found only empty space. Confusion, anger, and dread all flashed on his face.
"That treacherous fox!" He snarled. "That had my skyfire and the obsidian mirror!"
Qibli felt sick. At least his mother wasn't in danger... but she was gone, with both the obsidian mirror and Chameleon's scroll. She probably left not long before Grandfather, but- no, no she couldn't be in the palace. If she was, Grandfather wouldn't be going back to the compound. Maybe she was already on her way there. Cobra worked for Vulture first and foremost- he knew that, and yet it still hurt. She was in on it the entire time, he knew that. And yet, he was still worried.
"We have to go back to the Compound," Qibli choked out.
"What? why?!" Winter cried. "We can leave, we can do things on our own now!"
The distant wingbeats reminded Qibli that that wasn't true. "No, we can't," he pressed. "We have to go back, now."
Winter was concerned and he had no idea what was happening. Qibli wanted to tell him everything and tell him to run as far as he could, but he remembered what Vulture had told him. He had no idea what would happen if he tried, and he knew that Winter wouldn't leave so easily.
Qibli didn't dare look back. He lifted into the sky, Winter close behind him. He had no idea what was going to happen next, but he was honestly terrified. No matter what happened, he would protect Winter, and he would protect Thorn's secrets.
Notes:
Well, that's a wrap on part 1! Originally, I was going to take a couple months after this chapter before starting part 2 but uh, a lack of motivation and then me getting busy struck at the worst time! obviously I'm not going to disappear for 9 months, drop this bombshell, and then leave again, so I'll be working on the next chapter like I would any other.
So sorry for the wait!! Geez, it's been like 9 months agh. I got stuck on some things and lost motivation for months, and then I got even busier this year than last year (turns out senior year isn't the easiest when you end up with two AP classes and spend most of your time working on an acting competition). Hopefully now that this chapter is over and I'm a little less busy for a while, I'll be able to update more regularly. Most of the next chapter actually had its rough draft done ages ago, so hopefully it'll be a little quicker this time. I hope this chapter isn't too much of a disappointment- I keep rethinking it and wondering if I can do better but I don't want to put it off any longer. Just gonna do my best to make the next ones even better. Some interesting stuff is on the way... 👀
Thank you all for the patience, and I hope I didn't scare too many of you off thinking I abandoned it.
Chapter 16
Summary:
PART II: Shifting Sands
Chapter Text
A breeze blew a gust of sand into the hut, which stuck to Qibli's scales and stung his eyes.
The compound outside was as merry as ever. Early lights licked at the darkening sky outside, and the scents of desserts and perfumes filled the place. Chatter from dragons on their break carried on for hours. Grandfather was having a party- he always loved those. Mother never went to them, or at least avoided them as much as she could. She certainly never brought Qibli to any. He only knew about them because of Cobra's distaste of them, she found them to be frivolous and a waste of time. On one talon, Qibli had always been grateful he'd never gone to them. Grandfather was scary enough on his own, he couldn't imagine being surrounded by so many other dragons as well. On the other talon, he was a little disappointed whenever she'd choose to go alone instead of bringing him. Although, he'd come to find out in the following years just how much Mother enjoyed her time away from her dragonets.
The compound had been filled with cheer for the past three nights. Perhaps Vulture was celebrating his genius, perhaps he was trying to ease the minds of his followers. Perhaps he wanted to sustain their loyalty through expensive drinks and a good time. Perhaps it was all to taunt Qibli on his victories. Either way, the laughter penetrated his only safe space in the compound- a hut that was little more window than wall.
He stared absentmindedly outside. The cool, marble tiles felt cold under his scales. Everything was cold. Qibli wasn't sure how long it had been, a week? At first, he counted the days, but as time went on he lost the motivation. It didn't matter how much time had passed, he'd still be trapped here. So, he stopped counting.
Winter was napping nearby, a scroll lying lazily in his claws. Qibli hadn't spoken to him much since they'd returned... but most odd of all, Winter didn't speak to Qibli much, either. He didn't ask questions about what had happened, or what was going to happen, or anything. He was quiet, and Qibli found him staring at him with that lost look from before. Winter's usual bite was gone, replaced with a quiet bitterness.
He had been reading a lot, probably out of boredom. To think that he could be so blissfully unaware of the danger they were both in. Did he think that Qibli was still here to play patticake with his grandfather, or was he thinking about something else? Did he wonder about what was happening, or did he even care? Qibli knew he had changed too, he wasn't attempting to hide it. Did Winter notice? Or was he just trying to bide time? He didn't know. He wasn't sure if he even cared.
Qibli laid the side of his face against the floor, the crisp marble relieving the pain of his bruises. He had tried again and again to think of some way to foil Vulture, but he was drawing a blank. Eventually, he gave up on that, too. The last time he tried to do something, it led Qibli into a worse situation than before. His grandfather would always be one step ahead.
He hadn't seen much of him at all since arrival. A different Sandwing brought Qibli and Winter meals at dusk, but that was the extent of his outside connections. Maybe he was still scheming on how to take the throne and was too busy, or perhaps he hoped that starving his grandson of any contact would slowly drive him insane. The boredom certainly was. In a way he was right- how could Qibli plan to stop something he didn't understand? All he knew was that he was trying to take down Thorn, and that he wanted Qibli's help (which would never happen). Vulture hadn't told him anything, or interrogated him at all. Maybe Vulture had changed his mind- maybe he didn't need Qibli, and he was already on his way to completing his plot without him, leaving him to rot.
If only he still had the scroll, or the Obsidian Mirror at least. Surely it was back in Vulture's talons by now.
Winter stirred from nearby. Qibli wondered if he was truly asleep. He sounded just as restless as Qibli felt. He wished so desperately- if nothing else-for Winter to be able to get far away from here and be safe from Vulture's clutches. But there was no escape for either of them, he knew that there were guards discretely posted outside of their hut. Vulture wouldn't take that chance. They wouldn't be able to sneak out if they tried; it was hopeless.
Although- he briefly wondered if Vulture wanted Winter around the way he wanted Qibli. Would he really care that much if the Icewing left? He was of no use to him, now that he knew they weren't dating. Then again, he had no reason to keep him alive either. If he caught Winter escaping, he might just get rid of him and be done with it. His clawmate's best chance of survival was to stay quiet and hope Vulture forgot about him.
Qibli needed more sleep, not like he could do anything else. His thoughts had kept him awake and restless, and slumber was plagued with horrible, hopeless dreams. Someone would be arriving with their meals soon, but he could try and rest for one moment. He needed to turn his brain off. It wasn't thinking of anything useful, just spiraling him into a tizzy.
He'd only gotten his eyes closed when he heard a sharp rap at the door.
Qibli pulled himself to his talons, biting through the shoots of pain that filled his body. The knock was heavy, foreboding... a shiver traveled down his spine. A dragon always came to their hut at this time of day, yet Qibli was unable to quell his anxiety every time. Despite the monotony of the routine, he always expected something more.
A hulking Sandwing stood at the door. His long, arching neck towered over Qibli, and the familiar cape draped over his muscles like the night sky had turned to water. His medallion was halfway tucked under his cloak. When he spoke, his voice was like gravel.
"Vulture wansta see ya."
After his initial start, Qibli was left feeling a strange song of emotions. Relief swept through him like a saintly tune- he'd have to be desperate for any kind of interaction after days of being starved from it. Yet his heart hammered in his chest like the beat of drums. Despite his longing for information, he couldn't forget how his last confrontation with Vulture ended. The aches in his jaw reminded him of it.
His eyes flickered from the door, to the Sandwing, to the compound beyond. Regardless of the fear he felt, and his apparent lack of choice, he knew he had to go. He'd have to face his Grandfather eventually, and so he mustered up as brave of a face as he could and stepped outside.
The guard was surprisingly gentle when he beckoned with his wing, but Qibli noticed that he kept it unfurled and hovering over him. This dragon exuded anxiety in a way that was much different than his Grandfather. Vulture moved with a type of confidence that only a dragon who was already two steps ahead could. He'd have no need to try and physically restrain a prisoner, he would've already had them trapped. That's what gave him power over the dragons closest to him.
The sun was like a dying fire against the darks of the sky overhead. Swatches of vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows bled away into the horizon, leaving the cold stillness of the night. Unlike the sky, the fires of the compound continued to dance. Strong scents hit Qibli's nose the moment he left the hut, and a cacophony of singing- some voices nice, others like nails- attacked his ears. He kept his head down as he walked by, but the Sandwings barely paid him mind. He wasn't sure if they were ignoring him, or just didn't notice him over the music and lights.
Soon the party faded out behind them, and Qibli was left standing outside the pavillion. He looked up at the towering door, claws hovering just above the handle. His escort swung it open with a slow, heavy thud, and then vanished into the night.
The pavillion tiles felt different now. They were too smooth under his talons, but the embedded gemstones felt too sharp to tread. In fact, the entire pavillion felt wrong. Had Qibli noticed how eerie the mirrors that coated the ceiling were until now? They reflected a thousand Qiblis- a million images of him. And he was small.
Unlike Vulture, who was as tall and mighty as ever. And he wasn't alone. While Vulture sat upon his dias, eating clawfuls of dried dates from a bowl, Rattlesnake lurked by his side. She sat tall and stoic, a serious contrast to every other Sandwing in the compound.
"Hello grandson," Vulture said, licking each of his claws before settling back into his seat. "How was your week?"
His voice was frighteningly casual, as if he didn't remember how their last interaction ended. Qibli had the bruises to remind him.
"Fine," Qibli said, keeping his head held high and voice steady, but leaving plenty of space between them.
"I hope you've had time to recover, it would have been an incredible waste of time on my part if not."
A waste of time?
"I assume you're ready to help me now?" Vulture asked.
"Help you?" Qibli echoed, cautiously. "How, exactly?"
"By giving me all of Thorn's secrets, of course. You've been an excellent spy for the past few years, but it's time to come back to your real family."
Thorn's more of a family than you ever were, Qibli thought, but he bit his tongue. Instead, he asked: "what exactly do you think I'll tell you?"
"Oh, everything. I want to know her advisors, her guards, her weaknesses. Current ones, that is."
Vulture had had the Obsidian Mirror, presumably for months now. He could've been spying on Thorn the entire time, learning all of this information himself. What could Qibli tell him that he didn't already know?
"What's your plan?" Qibli asked, humoring Vulture if only for a moment. He danced along the line of his Grandfather's game, trying to get more out of him while protecting himself. "What are you going to do with that information?"
"Oh, dear grandson, I can't tell you that yet," Vulture smirked. "Unless, of course, you swear loyalty to me and tell me everything I want to know."
Qibli hesitated. He needed to know what his Grandfather was planning, but he couldn't give away Thorn's secrets. But he couldn't go about things like before, either. He had to strike a balance.
"I'm... not sure if I can do that," he said slowly. He watched Vulture carefully, half expecting him to reach out and grab him again.
But he barely shifted, simply creating a plastic frown. "Hm, what a pity. She really has brainwashed you, hasn't she?"
"She didn't brainwash me," Qibli defended. She won my loyalty by being honest, and caring, and looking out for me. You'll never have that.
"Oh, but she has! Do you really think you'd be any different from your siblings had you stayed here? Besides your wit, of course." He gestured to Rattlesnake, who had been surprisingly silent. She growled.
Qibli opened his mouth to speak, but Vulture cut him off. "No, you wouldn't. See, there's no such thing as a 'good' dragon. It's all a matter of perception. You think I'm a bad dragon because Thorn thinks I'm a bad dragon. Had you stayed here with me, you would've turned out completely different."
Is he right? Qibli thought anxiously. If I had grown up here, would I be just like him? Am I destined to be like Grandfather?
He didn't want to think about that possibility.
"I didn't ask to be sold," Qibli bit out, wounded and with nothing else to say.
"Yes," Vulture said, his tone suddenly serious. "That's something your mother did that I could never understand. Imagine selling one of my heirs for a measly promise."
what?
Qibli had always assumed that his mother was the one who wanted him- who protected him from his grandfather. That his grandfather hated him and his mother secretly loved him. But the opposite was true. What else was he wrong about?
"However, it wasn't a total loss. Half a dragonethood of information is stored up in that clever brain of yours, and soon you'll relay it all to me."
Vulture seemed very sure that Qibli would crack, vastly underestimating his loyalty. He'd find out how wrong he was eventually, but for now, he had more questions.
"You were already at the palace with intent to kill the queen," Qibli said. "Why did you hesitate? Why bring me back here, when you could've had what you wanted then?"
Onyx had echoed the same sentiment, hadn't she? It was unlike Vulture to just give up, so what was the goal? What was he thinking?
"Oh Qibli, you really don't understand politics," he sighed. "Do you really think things would've ended well for me if I had simply barged through the doors and killed the Queen in front of everyone? No no, that was your mother's job. Assassination is her one specialty. But... well" He pursed his lip. "It appears as though she didn't do that. Even if it was her plan."
Something changed in Vulture, and Qibli noticed. His snout wrinkled just below his eyes, and the edges of his it curled into a slight snarl. He'd never seen his Grandfather like, things never went wrong for Grandfather. And if he was frustrated, then that meant that his Mother's disappearance wasn't a part of some plan. A glimmer of hope sparked in Qibli's chest. Whatever his mother had done, it had proved that there was a way to defy him after all. What else didn't he know about?
"Wait, WHAT?" Rattlesnake roared, snapping Qibli from his thoughts. He'd practically forgotten she was there; she had been so still, fading into the background. "You mean that was all part of a plan? Why didn't I know? I thought Mother had chosen to leave with Qibli of all dragons!"
"I saw no reason to tell you or your brother," Vulture shrugged. "You probably wouldn't have been able to act the part had you known."
Rattlesnake hissed, and sulked. Her glare pierced into Vulture, but he paid it no mind. It was like his scales were impenetrable. Her fierce gaze was fixed on him for a frightening amount of time.
"She's a fickle one, my daughter." The frustration from Vulture's voice was gone, and he turned to prattling to the air next to him. "So odd in her choices, so rash. Not like me. She can be quite clever sometimes, but she never stops to think things through. This is why I needed heirs, you see. She would've been absolutely dreadful at running my compound. And can you imagine if she had blown up my only competent grandchild?"
Ice gripped his heart.
"That was M-mother?"
"You thought it was my idea?" He laughed. "Do you seriously think I'd be foolish enough to destroy the palace? I honestly don't know what she was thinking, that type of demolition isn't her usual style."
It was as if a serpent had coiled around Qibli's throat. He couldn't breathe. He was right back to that moment, many moons ago, when his mother watched him walk away. When his mother sold him. There was no regret in her eyes and no guilt... not much of anything, really. The betrayal he felt now was just as fresh and raw as it was back then. He wasn't surprised- he shouldn't be surprised. He had anticipated the truth since he first felt the satchel. But to hear Vulture say it aloud... His mother had planned to kill him, not his Grandfather. His mother had always wanted him gone, not his Grandfather.
Every time Qibli should've learned, he still fell for the same old feelings. The same old cravings for love. Why hadn't he learned yet?
"Where's Mother now?" He tried to stifle the trembles in his voice. Qibli wasn't even sure why he asked, did he want to talk to her? Get Winter's stuff back? Did he even want to talk to her at all?
"Didn't you hear me? She left." Vulture shrugged. "She never came back."
She never came back?
He didn't believe that, why would she disappear like that? Maybe something bad happened-
Stop caring, stop caring!
He curled away from his Grandfather, uncoiling his tail. "Where is she?!" he cried.
Vulture leaned forward until he was casting a shadow over Qibli. "I have no clue," he grinned. "But I'm sure she'll turn up eventually."
Qibli stepped back. Rattlesnake hissed menacingly.
"Now, if that's all- oops, it seems we have company."
When Qibli turned, he was met with the sight of a cloaked dragon leading a bewildered Icewing into the pavillion. He whipped his head back around to meet Vulture's gaze; a twisted smirk and plotting eyes.
He felt sick, Qibli knew what he was doing. It was another show of power; he could summon Winter whenever he wanted, and do whatever he wanted to him. He wanted to remind Qibli of how truly trapped he was.
"Good evening, Prince Winter," Vulture said. His emphasis on 'prince' left a particular distaste on Qibli's tongue. "I have something to show you."
A cart was wheeled in, carrying some large, marbled, sturdy thing. A sudden squeak caught Qibli so off guard that he practically jumped out of his scales.
"I heard you like scavengers," Vulture said. Winter shot him a confused look, but Qibli could only shrug. While it's likely that Vulture deduced his friend's obsession from their first meeting, it was just as likely a product of his eavesdropping. But what was this all about?
"I've finally finished a personal project of mine," Vulture continued. "A silly idea really, I wanted to test the intelligence of scavengers. Some dragons could drone on and on about how clever they are, I thought to finally test it for myself."
"They are smart," Winter replied slowly.
"We'll see, I don't have my hopes high. This is a maze," he gestured to the structure with a grand sweep of the wing. "Two scavengers will face each other, and the winner will participate in challenges that get progressively more difficult. I wonder when it'll be too much for the poor, simple creature."
Winter's eyes darted from Vulture back to the maze. "What are you going to do with the ones who fail?"
Vulture flashed him a toothy grin. "Why, eat them of course! What else are you supposed to do with them? If they can't entertain me, they're useless."
Winter looked sick. "But what if they prove they are intelligent?"
Qibli caught a glimpse of intrigue (but a hint of amusement) in his grandfather's gaze. "I doubt that."
"But what if they are?" he pressed. "You wouldn't eat something that thinks like a dragon."
Winter, Qibli panicked. Stop talking.
Vulture looked to be mulling over Winter's words, but Qibli caught the devious spark in his eyes.
"Well, if you feel so strongly about this, perhaps you'd like to help me with my research?" He said. "I'm sure your insight would be nothing but valuable."
He made eye contact with Qibli, a small smirk tugged at the corners of his snout. Qibli's heart started to race faster.
"Uhm," Winter scraped his claws quietly against the tile. "I'm not sure."
"I don't need an answer right now, just give it some thought. We're basically family now, are we not?"
Qibli was sure that his grandfather winked at him. He felt sick.
"Well, if we're done here," Vulture clasped his talons loudly. He caught the attention of every dragon in the room. "Then I'll have one of my Talons walk you back to your room." He raised a talon to the large metal sheet behind him.
Talons. There was that word again. He and Winter made eye contact for a moment.
"Talons?" The Icewing echoed.
"Oh, my followers," Vulture said. "I call them my Talons of Power."
It was like the three moons had been dropped onto him. Qibli had to suppress a gasp. Winter made a choked sound behind him.
Vulture either didn't notice the dragonets' horror, or he didn't care. Maybe he noticed, but thought he had shocked them some other way.
"They're like my family too, you know. That's why they listen to me so well."
Grandfather absolutely had his gaze fixated on Qibli now. He tried not to notice. He tried not to listen.
No dragon- no "Talon" walked through the door when Vulture bid them goodnight one more time. But before Qibli could get too far, his grandfather added:
"I'll see you in the morning, Qibli. Our discussion is far from over."
He rushed through the door, wrenching his eyes shut before something slipped. He could sense a pair of eyes burning into him as he fled; who’s, he wasn’t sure.
Notes:
I have no idea if my hiatus was as long this time, but I'm guessing the same type of authors note every time is getting repetitive. I'm just gonna say that I just graduated high school! (I started this fic sophomore year when my life was a lot different haha). For this reason, I can't promise that updates are going to be any more frequent. However, I promise that my fics will be worked on however slowly. Even if it takes a while for the chapters, I'm not giving up on this story ever! And I thank everyone who's patient with me :>
From now on my authors notes should be about different, more interesting stuff lol.
On another note, I've been waiting to rewrite that future vision scene since I had this fic idea! So that's fun
Chapter 17
Notes:
Omg it's that scene! THE scene! The one literally in my notes as the scene™
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"It's just like the prophecy!"
Qibli didn't turn his head. He kept walking.
"Does that mean it's talking about your grandfather?"
He felt sick to his stomach. His head was hot. How could he be so stupid? How could he be so blind?
He hurried past Winter. He didn't want to hear another word.
"Hello, Pyrrhia to Qibli?"
He walked faster.
"Earth shattering discovery here!"
faster.
"Aren't you going to say something?"
His talons touched down on tile. Hooking the door on his tail, he pulled it shut behind him.
Not a moment later did Winter barge in, looking furious.
"Did you just slam the door on me? Are you asking me to claw your face off?"
The venom in the Icewing's voice couldn't penetrate the wall set up in Qibli's mind, or stop his pounding heart. The rattling of his tail was quiet enough that Winter couldn't hear.
"Now you have nothing to say? The one time I'm not begging you to shut your snout?"
"Shut up, Winter. Shut up and leave me alone."
He was able to catch a small glance of the incredulous look he donned.
"Excuse me?!"
"If you aren't going to say anything helpful, then by the moons keep it to yourself. For once-"
"At least I'm trying to help!" His voice might've shook the walls if it was any louder. "Did you forget about the ever looming prophecy? We've finally found another clue and you don't care?"
Something snapped.
"Of course I care!" Qibli cried. "Three moons, I care- maybe too much!"
Winter's mouth- which was open to retort back- dropped a slack. He took a step back, but Qibli didn't care, he kept going.
"You think I don't care about the prophecy? You think my mind hasn't been running wild about the whole thing? It has, Winter, my mind never stops."
"Of course my Grandfather is connected to the prophecy, why wouldn't he be? He's got the whole Sand Kingdom wrapped around his claw, why not all of Pyrrhia, too? I'm paralyzed, Winter, I don't know what you want me to say. Everytime I think I'm finally one step ahead it turns out I'm two steps behind."
Qibli thought that after all of these years he'd be a stronger dragon. He's been an outclaw, a royal advisor- he's flown across the continent and outsmarted the trickiest of thieves. But he was still the weak little dragonet he was back then. The same little worm who was powerless against his grandfather. Qibli was his pawn, just like his siblings, and Thorn, and the entirety of Possibility.
"I'm trying, Winter, but-"
But maybe that's not good enough. Maybe it will never be good enough.
The embers of the sky were fighting for one final breath. The faint orange line of the horizon lost its battle with the night. Winter's face was covered in shadows, but Qibli could still see that his fury was gone. He was quiet, still... his blue eyes were now as dark as Qibli's. His slight furrowed brows tented his eyes from the last of the light.
"You're right."
Qibli had to do a double take.
"But that wasn't what I meant to imply. I'm just... confused," there was a bit of a growl in his voice. "One moment you're- you're terrified of your grandfather, the next you want his help. One moment you're determined to play detective and another you're silent. I can't read your mind, Qibli."
All of his anger vanished in an instant.
"I'm not stupid, I know something's wrong, but I-" Winter paused for a second, scraping his claws against the tile. "I can't do anything if you don't talk to me. I didn't come all the way here to stand by and be unintrusive!"
Qibli hadn't realized how tightly wound his limbs were until he let go. His wings gently touched the floor.
Oh- oh, Winter-
All of his resentment melted away to guilt. Guilt and realization.
Why hadn't he noticed how Winter was feeling sooner? He was supposed to be observant... but perhaps Qibli had been so wrapped up in everything else around him that he'd forgotten that his clawmate- no, friend- needed attention too. He had been so quiet the entire time- save for a few comments- which was so unlike him. It was so out of character. Qibli should have realized that there was something going on with him, he'd known him long enough at this point. Had he been too distracted? Or had he somehow assumed that Winter couldn't have been nearly as concerned as he was? The uninterested look that the Icewing had put up the entire trip... Was that all a facade?
Of course it was all a facade, and yet it had slipped once or twice. He remembered something- the odd facial expressions Winter made every once in a while. He hadn't put too much though into them at the time, but he now realized that it was his friend's front slipping.
"I'm... so sorry-" Qibli croaked. After a moment, he added, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Winter opened and shut his jaw a few times, struggling to get something out. After a while of this, he finally grit out: "you were distracted. I didn't want to get in the way."
Now the next time he spoke, his face contorted like whatever he wanted to say was painful. Winter was sort of like a painting, or a tapestry, or a song. He had so many emotions on the surface, yet so many more layers underneath.
"And, uh- maybe I-" he groaned. "Maybe I was afraid to mess things up. Like I always do."
Qibli's heart sank. "What makes you say that?"
"I- well-" his face twisted and turned. "Years ago, I made a mistake. My family- my brother- suffered because of me."
A fierce growl bubbled in Winter's throat. "I abandoned Hailstorm when he needed me. I've always been the screw up, but I didn't want to mess up this time."
Their eyes met, and Qibli could see this intensity behind Winter's gaze. "I wouldn't leave this time. I wouldn't abandon you, even if you are significantly more annoying."
That's why you stayed.
"But you saved your brother," Qibli pressed. "There was nothing you could've done back then, you were a dragonet. That wasn't your fault."
"Then I should've died in battle alongside him," Winter stated. "That would've been the honorable thing to do, any of my family would have."
"You're not your family. Look at me- I'm nothing like my family. Is that a bad thing?"
Winter hissed under his breath, and gave a dramatic sigh before affirming "No."
Despite the big show he made about it, Qibli really did believe he meant it. In a way, it was reassuring. He thought back to something Vulture had said, maybe if he had been raised with his siblings he'd be no different from them. But then, Winter was raised alongside Icicle and he turned out much better than her. Maybe Qibli would've always been different, simply because he was born different.
No matter how he would've turned out in that hypothetical future, in this moment he was still himself. He was still Qibli.
"You know, Winter, you're never going to be perfect," he said. "I've made a lot of mistakes, too."
Winter glanced at him doubtfully. "Not nearly as severe as mine."
"You don't know anything about my past Mr. Woe-is-me!"
He sat next to the Icewing, and thought for a moment. He laughed a little.
"I gave Thorn a bad coconut once."
"What?"
"One time, years ago, I brought Thorn a coconut for lunch," Qibli said. "And it had gone bad, VERY bad."
Winter snorted, before bursting into giggles.
"She was so sick. But she forgave me. See, even someone as amazing as I made mistakes, especially as a dragonet."
"I don't think that's quite the same," Winter retorted, still laughing.
"But my point still stands, Beetle Brain," Qibli playfully nudged him with his wing.
"Alright, whatever you say, Horn Head."
He snickered. "Horn Head?"
"Like a narwhal!"
"I have no idea what that is."
Winter laughed- a real, genuine laughed. When was the last time he'd really heard Winter laugh? It was was sweet, almost infectious. Qibli couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.
How had he missed this side of his clawmate? The side that smiled instead of scowled, the side that could be vulnerable. It didn't take much to guess to that Winter had deep seated insecurities, but Qibli would've never expected to hear the extent of them. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he'd melt the icy walls.
All it took was one more glance, and Qibli vowed to see that smile again.
"Winter, I'm sorry. For everything," he said. "I was so worried about keeping you safe that I forgot all about your strength."
Was that- was Winter flustered? Qibli couldn't help but feel amused, maybe a little endeared. Was that really all it took to embarrass him? Or maybe Winter now saw a new side of Qibli.
He looked down. "It's fine," he said. "I'm just tired of feeling useless. I want to- no, I'm going to help you whether you want me to or not."
One of the three moons peeked through the window, making Winter's scales glitter almost as much as his eyes. It was as if he was yet another moon that had fallen from the sky.
"Catch me up to speed."
Now it was Qibli's turn to let out a shaky sigh.
"How do I start? Uh," a laugh escaped. "Well, my super evil grandfather manipulated me into thinking he was a good person, but he's actually trying to take over the Sand Kingdom and he wants me to help him. And I don't know what to do."
Qibli leaned against one of the walls. "And the worst part is that he got me to care."
Care about what he thinks of me, he thought. And it wasn't even difficult.
Winter tilted his head. "You really want them to love you, don't you?"
Considering how he opened his mouth and fumbled over his words, it wouldn't have been hard for Winter to sense his surprise. He quickly added, "I just know from experience." He flattened his ears and shied away.
"Yeah," Qibli admitted. He felt oddly embarrassed about the whole thing when he said it aloud.
"Qibli," Winter said, struggling. "You're a good dragon. You don't want to be accepted by your family, because that would mean changing who you are."
While he spoke, his eyes drifted to some far off place. It wasn't a guess that he spoke from experience. From the heart.
"My mind knows Vulture is bad, but I still care."
He thought back to how he'd been treated before. He wouldn't ever tell his grandfather this- Moons he hated admitting it to himself- But he did wish that his grandfather's love had lasted longer. The whole thing had been fake, a charade- And yet... he wanted it back. He enjoyed the way he was praised, treated as intelligent, treated as an individual, and by the most powerful dragon in Possibility. What if he hadn't confronted Vulture? What if they played the game just a little longer?
It was so, so wrong to feel this way.
The line of Winter's mouth creased. "I understand," he said, surprisingly gentle. But then he continued, more serious, "Listen to your brain, Qibli. Remember who your real friends are."
Turning to him, he asked: "can I consider you a 'real friend'?"
After a suspicious glance and a frustrated sigh, Winter said, "fine. If it makes you happy."
Qibli couldn't help the grin that took over his snout. "Would you be willing to say that in front of a witness?"
"No, ugh," he groaned. "Don't be annoying about it."
"Annoying about what? Repeat it for me?"
Winter punched him.
"Ow! Don't hit me, I'm injured! You'll bruise me further!"
Oh dear, Winter actually looked panicked.
"I'm just kidding!" he added quickly. Alright, now he was furious. If he was being honest, it felt good to know that Winter worried. Normally, he'd tease him about it.
But not this time, because then he might not openly worry again.
"That still doesn't explain how I'm going to stop him," Qibli said, switching gears once Winter starting assessing his injuries too closely. The futility of the situation set in once again as he spoke. "I've already tried, but there's no outsmarting him. He might be the smartest dragon in all of Pyrrhia.
Winter scoffed so hard he might've fallen over. "Well THAT doesn't sound very much like you."
Qibli blinked. "Excuse me?"
Winter glanced at him, and scoffed once more. "The Qibli I know is stupidly bright and determined and wouldn't give up so easily."
Something welled up inside. Emotions stirred throughout his body and threatened to escape, just as they did before.
"Well that Qibli was just a weak dragonet," he clenched his eyes shut. "Being 'good' won't stop my grandfather."
Winter arched his brow. "Who told you that?"
"I- well-"
His mind flashed back to his mother. "Don't go trying to be a hero," she always said. Perhaps Qibli had internalized it more than he thought. Perhaps she was right.
"Qibli." Winter's voice was stern, it caught him off guard. "Being good doesn't make you weak, it makes you strong. It's not easy."
His heart skipped a beat when Winter looked at him again. "It's not weak to be kind, and it's not weak to try and do the right thing. It's hard, and it's difficult. You're strong, Qibli."
His voice was now quiet, like a breeze carried through the air. "You're maybe the strongest dragon I know. Much stronger than me."
In that moment, everything that he had been holding back for weeks unleashed itself upon the world. He hadn't realized just how much he'd been suppressing and for how long. On one talon, it felt wonderful, and relieving... but also quite terrifying. Over time, Qibli had learned to hold back his tears. It was the only way to avoid punishment for it from his mother and siblings. But right now, he didn't want to think about that. When he was able to hold back his tears no longer, he started to laugh. And then he buried himself beneath his wings to hide both. His body shook and he wasn't even sure where he was, and what was up and what was down. He collapsed, and was met with something cold.
"Keep me sane, Winter," he choked out between sobs. "Don't let me forget myself again."
"I..." Winter stuttered for a moment. There was a pause, before a quiet "I won't."
Everything faded away. For just a moment- this moment- Qibli thought everything might be okay. In this moment, there was no grandfather, and the Sand Kingdom wasn't dying. He could cry, and cry, and no one was going to scold him for it. He didn't want to worry about what the future held, because he was alright now. All was quiet, all was still, and it stayed that way for some time. Qibli stayed huddled that way until his tears became soft weeping.
Then, as the world started to fade back in, he became increasingly aware of the scales pressed to his as he started to shiver. After a few clumsy attempts, he was able to push himself back to his talons. Once he was able to spot where he'd fallen- the place between Winter's chest and shoulder- he was racked with shame.
Qibli laughed sheepishly, but Winter looked as if he hadn't noticed. He was absolutely sure that he had noticed, but he certainly didn't want to press the awkward moment further.
"Thank you," he said instead. It came out more as an odd hiccup.
The Icewing turned towards the window, staring out into the inky abyss. When the moonlight caught the scales on his face, they shimmered as blue as a glacier. Although- Qibli wondered if he imagined the flush around his cheeks that turned them the color of the sea.
"You know, your grandfather can't be that smart," he said. "If he was as clever as you say, then why can't he do it alone? Why does he seem to need you?"
Qibli sniffled. "It's more of a matter of information," he replied. "I know secrets that he doesn't, and he wants them."
"Oh- well," Winter drummed his claws on the floor. "Then use what he doesn't know against him."
"That's a lot easier said than done."
"But I know you can do it," he said.
Qibli grabbed his friend's shoulders and pierced his gaze with his own eyes. "We can do it," he said, tears still staining his cheeks. "I need you, Winter."
A small smile threatened the corners of the other's mouth, and a sensation fluttered in his chest.
"Okay," the Icewing replied.
When Winter finally pulled away, he replaced his feelings with his usual mask.
"Just don't expect me to be this sappy tomorrow," he said. "And don't go telling anyone about tonight, either."
Qibli grinned. He said, "wouldn't dream of it," but deep inside he knew this wouldn't be the last time. He hoped not.
For the first time since coming back to the compound, there was a renewed sense of hope. Of course, he was still unsure and uneasy, but he was ready to push through and find a way to prevail. Besides, he wouldn't be alone this time, and together- mind to mind, talon to talon- they maybe stood a chance.
Notes:
I think this counts as my contribution to pride month?
I know I say this about a lot of chapters, but this has been the scene I've been hyping up in my mind since near the beginning of this fic. If it wasn't already obvious from reading it, this marks a big change in the relationship and story from here on. Honestly I think I've hyped it up so much that I feel weird that it's all typed out... that I need to add SOMETHING more to it but I'm not sure what. But honestly, I think it gets the point across, and I'm sure you guys would rather I just post it haha.
Chapter 18
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
When Qibli opened his eyes, he found the Sand Kingdom in ruin. Buildings had been smashed, stone had been charred black. Tents had fallen, leaving pieces of wood buried in the sand and tatters of tarp floating in the wind. Homes, businesses, possessions- all reduced to rubble. The sky hung heavy with dark clouds of ash.
And yet, it was also quiet. Despite what he'd come to expect, no more bombs sailed through the air, and no shriek pierced his ears. It was silent, deafeningly silent.
In a way, it was worse. There were no signs of life anywhere in the village, no voices or movement to signal to Qibli that someone was here. This was the aftermath, the death left in destruction's wake. It was silent, and he was alone.
"Hello?" he called out in a vain attempt.
"Is anyone there?" he swallowed. "Is anyone alive?"
Nothing.
Qibli stepped forward on trembling legs. His mouth was dry. Smoke filled his nose. The ash may just climb inside and cling to his throat and suffocate him. Still, he squinted through the haze in hopes that he could save anyone.
Was that a figure in the distance? Or was it some cruel hallucination? Perhaps it was simply elaborate pieces of rubble. Still, he made his way closer, and closer, heart beating-
The figure launched itself at him. Qibli opened his mouth to scream, but there was nothing. The thing cried out in response, yelling:
"Qibli!"
It was a familiar voice. The tiny thing wrapped him in a warm embrace.
He pushed the dragon away to get a better look at her face. "Sunny?"
"We've been so worried about you!" She began to babble. "We've been searching everywhere for you and Winter since you've disappeared. Your Winglet especially hasn't stopped looking. Oh- I'm just so happy to have reached you!"
The horror held in his heart faded. Qibli hadn't realized how much he'd been missing the dragons at Jade Mountain until he was face to face with one, and moons was she a sight for sore eyes! He wasn't sure how, or why she was here, but he couldn't help the delighted flip he felt in his chest. Relief coursed through his veins. He was so happy to see her, alive-
"How did you get here?"
"With this!" she squeaked, extending her talon. Held in her claws was a blue sapphire cut like a star. "The Dream Visitor."
The realization hit Qibli. He was never more grateful than in this moment to be dreaming. The wreckage all around him wasn't real, simply a conjuration of his mind. The Sand Kingdom wasn't destroyed yet.
"I've been trying to get through to you since the beginning, but..." Her voice faltered. "You haven't been sleeping well, have you?"
Qibli's face was hot, and he thought to turn away. Had she seen his previous dreams? How much? He hated the idea of any other dragons witnessing his nightmares, and he felt the same sort of panic that he'd felt when he learned about mind readers. Although, Sunny wasn't meaning to invade his brain, she was only trying to help. But why was she able to reach him now?
After another moment of pondering, the answer became clear. For the first time in however long, Qibli felt a little... safer. His conversation with Winter must've really helped- he felt like this was the best sleep he'd had in moons.
He chuckled, and added an awkward "yeahhh."
"Qibli," she began, serious. "Where are you?" Her eyes ran over him, as if she could his location through him. "Mother said you were at her palace, but then you vanished. What happened?"
His heart skipped a beat. "Thorn's looking for me?"
Little did she know that someone was looking for her. Her throne, and her blood. It wasn't just Qibli who needed to be protected from Vulture.
"Sunny," he said quickly, startling her. "You have to warn her. Someone is trying to take her down. He's turning the whole Sand Kingdom against her, and I'm worried an assassination is in the works."
Was that where his mother was? Was she stalking the shadows, planning her next strike? He shuddered thinking about it. Sunny's eyes and mouth widened in horror.
"Who?" she stuttered, looking pale.
Qibli clenched his jaw. "My grandfather."
It felt freeing to say it aloud, but also quite terrifying. It was as if just mentioning his name would summon Vulture into his dream as well.
Sunny narrowed her eyes. "Is that who you're with now?"
"Yes."
The hopelessness of his situation set in once again as Qibli lowered his head. A moss colored gaze watched him, softening. "Oh, Qibli..."
She gently cupped his chin in her talon. She brushed the side of his face with a claw, and he winced as she hit one of his bruises. Her frown creased further.
"What happened to you?"
"It's... a long story," he sighed.
"Where are you? We'll come and get you."
"No, no!" he cried. Vulture was vicious, he couldn't imagine what would happen to any dragons that went after him. Qibli wouldn't have anyone else caught in this web.
"It's too dangerous right now," he continued. "But I'll be okay."
I hope.
"Just make sure Thorn is protected."
It felt painful to say. Underneath, Qibli was afraid- he didn't want to be left with Vulture, the dragon who certainly had malicious intent with him. But this was the safest option for now. Trying to directly intervene without a plan could get everyone involved killed. He shivered.
"I can't just leave you there," Sunny said. "There has to be a way to get you out."
"Yeah," his voice broke. "Soon, but not yet. It's not safe."
"Qibli, you're injured."
"But I'm alright," he pressed. It wasn't entirely true, but he was alive. "I'm going to do what I can to stop my grandfather from here. I have information, and I have an in. I might be able to do something, but not if anyone comes now."
He hoped he was convincing.
Sunny opened her mouth, then closed it. Then again. He figured that if anyone understood the weight of the situation, it was her. He wondered what she was thinking- probably some sort of internal battle with her responsibility as a teacher and her faith in him.
"You're holding up?" She finally asked.
"...Yes."
"And how is Winter? Is he with you?"
"Yes, he's fine."
"And you're not in any immediate danger."
"No, my grandfather needs me alive."
I think.
After another moment of contemplating, she replied. "Okay... okay," she sighed. "If you're sure you're alright... then I trust you. You know your grandfather better than any of us."
Qibli's heart soared with relief.
"But you have to promise to be okay," she reiterated, turning on her "strict teacher" voice. "If anything goes wrong- and I mean anything- then you're getting out of there."
He nodded. "Okay, yes- I understand."
She pulled him into another hug. He had to bend at a bit of an awkward angle, but it was nice to absorb the warmth of her embrace. He wished he could stay there forever, instead of facing the world outside.
"Hang on Qibli, we're going to rescue you."
He laid his head on her shoulder.
"I'll be back to visit you," she said as she finally pulled away. "Keep me updated."
"I will," he smiled, blinking his eyes dry.
Suddenly, Qibli felt light. The world around him started to fade away, like his dream was nothing but a fog that had yet to clear.
"Oh, wait!" He cried. He forced his words out as quickly as he could. "One last thing- tell Ostrich that I'm sorry. Tell her that I'd never abandon her, and that I'll be home soon."
"Of course," Sunny said. "And say hi to Winter for me."
This time, it was Qibli's turn to pull her into a hug.
"Be careful," she whispered. Her voice was shaking, and a tear fell onto his shoulder.
And just like that, she was gone.
It was a bit disorienting coming back into the real world. What was once dark haze became golden light as Qibli opened his eyes. A small puff of smoke rose from his nostrils as he exhaled.
It was a relief to be awake, but also quite upsetting. He was back at the compound with Vulture, but at least the world around him wasn't in ruin.
Thorn would be safe, that was what relieved Qibli the most. He could focus on the task at hand without worrying himself to death over a dragon he was far from. Well- he'd still worry, but he had faith that Sunny would reach her mother and that she could protect herself.
Not only that, but he now had an ally in her. The fact that he was able to contact someone from outside made him feel a little less alone, a little stronger-
Dragons were looking for him. Dragons were looking to rescue him, he wouldn't be stuck in his grandfather's claws forever. His heart did a little flip as he smiled. He rested his head back on the ground and found himself nose to nose with an Icewing.
He tried not to jump. Through his drowsy state and all of his excitement, he hadn't noticed the cold lump beside him, or the pointy tail entangled with his.
He tried to remember what happened before he fell asleep, but everything after their conversation was a blur. Did they fall asleep this way? Or did one of them shuffle around in their sleep? Winter has been known to be restless in slumber before... Was he aware of this state? Face hot, Qibli decided to save his friend the embarrassment for when he woke up. Slowly, he slipped his tail out from under the other's.
As he paced the tiles, Qibli was surprised with how rested he felt despite the lack of sleep. He was less anxious now than he'd been in a while, which was the likely cause. He probably wouldn't be tired enough (and was still too embarrassed) to go back to sleep. He decided to wake up his body with some stretches, it might help how sore he felt.
But of course, comfort can't last long in the Compound. The hut door was thrown open and a seething face glared at Qibli.
"Get up, worm," Rattlesnake sneered. "His Highness summons you."
Notes:
Sunny is my favorite character, hehe
I know this chapter is a bit of a shorter one, but I couldn't figure a way to extend it. Hopefully the next chapter will make up for it, lol.
Chapter 19
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
While Qibli usually avoided talking with his sister at all costs, there was something about her behavior now that particularly put him off. He didn't dare ask her the questions buzzing in his brain out of fear of how she'd react. She quietly hissed under her breath, tail rattling frighteningly close to his scales as he walked behind her. It was best to keep quiet until they made it to the pavilion, which was undoubtedly where they were headed.
Rattlesnake stood back as Qibli pulled the doors opened. She snapped her jaws at him (which he ungracefully dodged), and stormed off. Yeah, her behavior was off, even for her. While it was certainly something he could ponder, the idea of dwelling too long on his sister frightened him- as if she could somehow read his thoughts. He didn't have long to question it either, as something else caught his attention, something that was off about the entire pavilion. What was usually a relatively empty space was now covered in cloaked Sandwings, medallions dangling from their necks. They slithered like a den of rattlesnakes, in a dark, dizzying display. It made his scales crawl.
Vulture looked different today as well. He sat tall and powerful on the dias, glittering head to tail in even more gold and jewels. A delighted grin rested on his face, and a delighted grandfather meant bad things for his grandson.
"Good morning, Qibli," he said. His teeth practically ate the rest of his face. He paused, as if waiting for a response.
"Good morning... Grandfather," Qibli bit out.
"I have wonderful news!" Vulture clapped. "You'll be absolutely thrilled, I'm sure."
Qibli bit the inside of his cheek, getting anxious. That couldn't be a good sign.
"I have a job for you today," Vulture seemed pleased with himself. He picked up a nearby mirror and started to adjust his jewelry as he spoke. "I have an associate who works in messengery. I want you to meet him."
Qibli tried to remain as neutral as possible. "And... what does that entail?" he pressed cautiously.
Their eyes locked for a split second.
"Well," he placed the mirror back down, but his eyes were anywhere but his grandson. "You are going to see him in town today, and tell him all about the bombings."
His heart sank.
"You are going to tell him about the Icewings, the Mudwings, and of course Thorn's role in all of this," his grin twisted around his snout as his gaze connected for a longer moment, finally looking at Qibli.
"What?" he cried, horrified. The world seemed to stop as he started connecting the dots. Vulture wanted to broadcast his agenda across the Sand Kingdom. Suddenly, every Sandwing would be unified with his grandfather... and against Thorn.
"Everyone in the kingdom would riot against the Mudwings and Icewings- you could start another war!"
"Oh, perhaps the Icewings would make useful allies in the future," he tapped his chin thoughtfully and looked wistfully towards the ceiling. "But you leave that to me. All you need to worry about is telling your story."
Story was right. The words that would spill from Qibli's mouth if he complied were nothing but fairy tales.
"And..." he swallowed. "What if I refuse?"
It was as if Vulture lit up at the idea. Sinister delight snaked across his snout in a fake, twisted frown. "I don't think my Talons will let that happen. They're very dedicated to the cause, you see."
As if on an invisible command, every other dragon in the pavillion started to swarm him like locusts. Qibli's breath quickened, terror suffocating him as the space around him was invaded. Wicked smiles and malevolent eyes closed in as tails and teeth as sharp as daggers reached for him greedily. Cloaks of night swallowed tawny scales, as if the blanket of darkness ate the sun. Qibli wanted to throw his wings over his face and close his eyes, but hiding from his punishment wouldn't make it any less painful. But then, just as he was sure the Sandwings were going to get their claws on him, they stopped. It was like he was trapped in a tiny box, but the walls were dragons who wanted to kill him. He tried to quash his claustrophobia as best he could, but he was sure they could hear his panicked breathing whistling from his open mouth. Hot breath assaulted his nose.
Vulture tapped the sheet behind him, and with a thunderous clang the Talons retreated to their original posts. It was then that Qibli realized just how strategized their placement was.
"But of course, they wouldn't attack one of their own," Vulture said, a small, sympathetic smile wormed its way onto his gnarled snout. "You're just as dedicated as they are, aren't you Qibli?"
He looked around at the faces in the room. Every one of the dragons looked eager to sink their yellowed, crooked teeth into him. He ducked his head and did what he only could. "Yes," he hissed.
The smug glee on Grandfather's face was infuriating, but what could he do? He'd have to play along in Vulture's little game, but he couldn't do what he was asked. He had a feeling he knew why this particular assignment had been given to him, and it made him sick. The statements about Thorn would mean nothing coming from most, but from one of her right hand dragons?
Well, that'll have most of the Kingdom convinced. Qibli couldn't let that happen. He'd have to think of his way out of it, but for now?
touché, Grandfather, I'll play along.
"Wonderful!" he flapped his wings together. "You'll head out right away! You'll follow one of my Talons, they all know the way and will keep you from getting lost, or..." his tongue swiped across his teeth. "Sidetracked."
A cloaked Sandwing, who had been standing by Vulture, sidled into the light. Qibli noticed something different about this dragon immediately. His hood was pulled so far over his head that it covered almost all of his face. The one part not shadowed was a deep gash etched into his long, sandy snout.
"Better hurry now, we want to put this terrible ordeal to rest, don't we?"
Qibli had a terrible feeling as he was herded out of the pavillion. Somehow, he'd have to find an escape before meeting the mysterious messenger.
The clouds today were heavy, and dark, as if they, too, sensed the danger ahead. The air in the sky was smokey, and ashy, filling Qibli's lungs with dread. Were the fires really so bad already? Were they flying straight into one?
His "guide" flew just above, watching him through dark eyes that peeked out from under his cape. His tail hung lazily in the wind, close enough to Qibli that if he tried to run away, the barb would stab him before he got very far. Still, his gaze scanned the sky, looking for any way out before they arrived. He tried to bury his anxiety as best he could, but Qibli was terrified. Even if he could somehow escape, where would he go? He couldn't leave Winter, and Vulture knew it. If he went back to the Compound, would his grandfather know that the task was incomplete? How long until he realized that Qibli never made it to the location? Would he and Winter be able to flee the Compound alone?
The hopelessness started to set back in, but then Qibli remembered the dragons counting on him. He remembered Ostrich's trusting eyes, Sunny's determined expression. He remembered the look on Winter's face when they decided to stop Vulture together, and he remembered the unwavering faith Thorn always seemed to have in him.
The thoughts spurred his wingbeats forward. He would stop this- he had to stop this. He'd think of a way out. Winter would probably "claw his face off" if he didn't. The thought amused him a little, enough to forget his anxiety for a moment.
"Dive," the Sandwing above him said, catching Qibli by surprise. It was the first thing he'd said to him. Qibli obeyed, and they spiraled down to a secluded area of Possibility.
They landed in a part of town that Qibli hadn't been to many times. Most of his life had been spent in the Scorpion Den or the Stronghold, but trips to Possibility had mostly been to more populated areas. As Qibli looked around, he realized why his grandfather probably enjoyed doing business here. It was at the edge of town, and besides a few abandoned stalls, there weren't many structures. No homes, no large buildings, only tall, stone walls and a small, open courtyard nearby. It was likely for hosting business meetings rather than parties, based on its simple appearance. The river gurgled nearby.
What startled Qibli the most was how barren the place was. Besides the two of them, there were no other dragons in sight. It was as if Vulture knew, and deliberately chose the meeting place for that reason. Possibility was usually bustling with traders and businessmen, perhaps this area was generally used by a particular faction. Maybe the other Sandwings knew that Vulture had business here, and were just as afraid of him as his grandson was. Maybe it was something else entirely. Either way, it sent a shiver up his spine. It looked as though nobody would swoop in and rescue him, not that he was counting on it. Although, it also meant that the mysterious messenger wasn't here yet. That bought him some time to think.
The caped Sandwing sat very close to him, so close that their scales almost touched. While he stood tall and alert, he wasn't particularly threatening like the other dragons working for his grandfather. Qibli briefly wondered whether he could fight him, but the Talon was still much bigger and stronger than he was. The dragon was surely aware of that fact. However, his gaze frequently darted out from under his hood, running over the smaller Sandwing's form, then back at the sky, as if he was nervous about something.
From this angle, he had a better look at the dragon's scar. It wasn't a simple scratch like Qibli's own, but rather four long claw marks etched into his snout that ended at the side of his face, missing chunks of flesh revealed his teeth and gums. Qibli had seen a lot of battle wounds in his time, but nothing so... deliberate.
He knew he'd never win in a fight with this dragon. It was time to turn on the charm.
"It must be nice," he began. "Getting paid to fly a dragonet across town."
The other dragon arched a brow at him. "Paid?"
"Well yeah- I mean, Vulture is very rich, surely he must pay his followers handsomely." Qibli frowned and cocked his head in as innocent of an expression as he could muster. He blinked his eyes curiously.
The Talon huffed. "The Talons of Power are a volunteer organization bonded by common goals. That is payment enough."
His voice was husky and sharp, like stones had been rubbed against his throat. He sounded old for his age, at least- the age he appeared to be. His height indicated a dragon in his thirties.
"But don't you feel at least a little cheated?" he pressed.
The other dragon paused. "Everyone has a reason for joining the Talons. Everyone has a story."
Qibli realized that he wouldn't be swayed by the prospect of treasure like most dragons. That tactic generally worked on swaying dragons who lived in the Scorpion Den, but this one seemed firm in whatever beliefs he held. He thought for a moment on what he would say next. Qibli inspected his escort, wondering what aspects jumped out at him. He was certainly secretive, and very reserved- it was obvious just by the way he wore his cape. He was definitely hiding something, and his gnarly scar was probably a piece of the puzzle. He didn't seem entirely against conversation, surprisingly- perhaps there was a way to coax more pieces out of him.
"What's yours?"
The Sandwing suddenly stiffened, muscles tensing. He opened his mouth a few times, but he was otherwise frozen. Qibli felt a little awkward as the other dragon struggled to speak- what was he so nervous about? Did he think that Qibli was a snitch? Was his past really so bad? After a long pause, he looked down his nose at him.
"That's a fine question young'un," he said. "But one I can't answer right now."
This dragon was a little odd next to the other Talons of Power. Despite his rough appearance, Qibli could sense a certain sensitivity beneath the surface. Maybe even a reluctance, if he was thinking optimistically. Perhaps he really was different than the others at the Compound, or could at least be pushed in the right direction. Maybe he'd help him.
"Is it because of Thorn?" he asked, real- genuine curiosity this time.
The other dragon snorted. "I joined the Talons long before she became Queen.
Huh...
That meant he didn't have a grudge against her at all! At least- that's what Qibli hoped. His heart did an excited little flip in his chest, and he fought the urge to let it show. Although, another question was formed in Qibli's mind. How long ago did Vulture found the Talons of Power? While little Qibli was certainly no stranger to foreign dragons hanging around his grandfather, he didn't remember anything as organized as the Talons. He'd been so sure that the group was created in the past year (it certainly wasn't out of character for Vulture to be so persuasive so quickly). But now, Qibli wondered if they'd always been around- some form of them, at least. What could he have promised them back then if not influence or treasure?
"...Is it... your loyalty to Vulture?" He was hesitant to ask that one, it was the question with the most potentially impactful answer. Qibli hoped that he wasn't talking to one of his grandfather's biggest fans.
The dragon paused once again. He seemed to be mulling over his answer, running his forked tongue over the missing flesh in some kind of nervous tick. His nostrils flared as he breathed- frustration? Or just another fidget? He turned to look at Qibli for an agonizingly long time, and the smaller Sandwing had trouble keeping eye contact with the intimidating gaze.
"It's not-" he began, but then his ears perked up. The dragon seemed almost relieved at what was coming next, but Qibli dreaded it.
"Enough questions," he stated loudly. Qibli followed his gaze as it climbed to the sky. "Your visitor is arriving."
A sandy white shape bobbed in the distance. He was too far away for Qibli to make out any details, save for the line of brown cutting through his pale scales that was likely a satchel. His heart beat with the force of ten drums as he swallowed a wave of nausea. No- not yet- he still had questions for this new, strange dragon. But the Talon's attention was long diverted from Qibli, his head tilted towards the sky as the messenger approached. The conversation was over, and he was back at square one.
The wingbeats grew louder and louder as the visitor flew closer, but he still moved at an agonizingly slow pace. It was apparent why he was so late now- he seemed like the kind of dragon who was careless with others' time. No wonder the mail service delivered messages at a snail's pace. Qibli only wished he had been careless enough to not show up at all.
He ran sand through his claws, planning what to say. He couldn't tell the story that Vulture wanted him to, but it wouldn't take him long to find out if his grandson betrayed him. He took a deep breath. Was there anything he could tell the messenger that was a compromise? What if he couldn't think of anything quick enough? What if he let everyone down?
The wingbeats grew louder, but something felt... off. When he listened closely, he realized that there was something beneath it- a whisper of another noise in the air. It almost sounded like another pair of wings, trying to hide themselves amongst the others. However, the dragon in the distance was much too far and slow to create the sound he heard. He searched the sky, but saw no one else. Unease crept up his spine like thousands of spiders crawling on his scales.
"Listen," he hissed to the Sandwing next to him. His long, burly neck lowered his head to the smaller dragon, a confused frown crossing his face. "Do you hear that? Something's wrong. We need to get out of here."
"Nice try boy," the other sighed.
"No, I'm serious, I'm-" he growled in frustration. "Isn't there somewhere else we can do this?"
"Vulture said this spot," the stranger replied. "You of all dragons should know that he doesn't like disobedience."
What?
Qibli wondered if he imagined the way his voice darkened. Why would he say that? How much did he know about their relationship?
He shook his head. He'd just opened his snout to speak when a familiar scent hit his nostrils.
"GET DOWN!" He shrieked, throwing himself at the Talon with as much force as he could. He imagined the shock was what loosened the dragon's grip, and allowed the pair to tumble behind a stall just as a whistle soared through the air.
An explosion followed after.
Notes:
So fun fact I just learned the other week that Possibility and the Scorpion Den AREN'T the same place renamed- I guess I just remembered the earlier arc 2 books wrong haha. So uh- if you were confused at any point in my writing that I was using them as synonyms, that's why. Lol.
I may go back and edit it, if I have the time
Chapter 20
Notes:
Happy new years! Here's to- jeez, like- 4 years of this fic? Insane
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Burning. That was first sensation Qibli noticed. Burning crawled all along his back, eating his scales. He threw his wings over his head in an attempt to shield from some of the damage.
It was just like his nightmares. The explosion, the burning, the town in ruin—
But there was no screaming. Thank the moons there was no screaming.
Qibli felt his body collide with another. He opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of the Sandwing's wide, horrified gaze from under his hood.
He tried to speak, but the wind had been knocked from him. All that emerged was a miserable gasp. A black gaze narrowed at him, and he watched as the dragon lifted his claws to his hood, stopped, then wrapped his wings around the younger Sandwing. At first, Qibli panicked. Then he realized what he was doing—he was trying to protect him, for some reason.
"Get out of here," the Talon growled.
"But—" Qibli gasped. "Grandfather—"
The Sandwing cursed under his breath. The line of his mouth flickered, twisted, and contorted as he seemingly weighed his options.
"Listen, you don't want to be here when this fire is found," he said. "Explain everything to Vulture, and keep yourself safe."
"But—" Qibli glanced around at the destruction eating away at the town. Hours, days of dragons' work fell apart before his eyes. "What about you?"
The Talon's frown deepened. "You shouldn't care about me, but if it'll make you go, then I'll be right behind you. I'm just going to look around and see if I can find the culprit."
Qibli wasn't sure why he was so worried about this dragon—he'd been nice enough to him, but he was still a "Talon of Power." Still, the answer relieved him.
Stepping away from the alley he'd been sheltered in opened his eyes to a whole new world. One moment, everything had been suffocatingly quiet. Not a dragon stirred around them except for the two Sandwings and approaching messenger. It had only been minutes, maybe seconds ago. Now, bright flames lapped hungrily at the abandoned buildings and stalls, creating the destruction they'd been starved of. White and painted canvas stretched between splintered wood disappeared behind strokes of crimson. Violent orange consumed goods left behind. Bricks were scattered among the sand, and buildings now stood with heavy chunks missing. The courtyard, where most of the cactus must have landed, was now cracked and smoking. Tiles were half buried in the ground like continents separated by the sea.
There was no one else here, not that Qibli could see. No mysterious figure to take credit for the damage. It was like the town had exploded entirely on its own. of course, it couldn't have. Only a dragon was capable of lighting the fires that now took hold of the land.
Panic seized his pounding heart as Qibli ducked beneath the wooden poles that were now sprawled between the alley—leaning against the building at dragon height. He shuddered as he watched it disintegrate before his eyes. If he hadn't had the realization and taken cover when he did… well, that would've been him. His scales were covered in burns and it felt like splinters had buried into the crannies between them… but he was alive. And all of his limbs functioned.
As Qibli opened his wings, he almost expected to see the flames eating away at his fragile membrane as well. He'd seen a similar image once before. He remembered the way Winter's scales were disintegrated in a flash after a touch from Peril. It was an image burned deep into his mind, one he was sure he wouldn't forget anytime soon. He was more thankful than ever that the Icewing was far enough away that he wouldn't feel the scornful lick of fire a second time. And Qibli was grateful that his own body wouldn't replace the dragon in his memories.
Smoke, thick and heavy, coated the sky like an ashy, suffocating blanket of snow. It was like Qibli was in the rain forest again, feeling the pressing closeness of trees and an overhanging canopy. It gave him a similar sense of claustrophobia. He quickly covered his nostrils with his talons and wings, but the stench still lingered. He couldn't breathe. Qibli understood himself well enough to acknowledge the panic he was quickly falling into, and before it swallowed him entirely, his trained eyes quickly scanned his surroundings. He was looking for an exit between the flames.
Ah… there! Despite the dark fog, an opening caught his gaze. A strip of sky so bright it seemed white peeked between the smog for just a moment. It was the end of a canyon between two raging fires. It would be a tighter fit than he'd like, but Qibli would be able to escape the town without even brushing the rising heat.
When Qibli spread his wings, pain singed his scales and caused a wince to deepen his face. Thankfully, the burns weren't as bad as he originally feared. If he had to make an educated guess, he'd say that maybe one cactus was set off. Enough to do some serious damage in this part of town, but not quite enough to fully reach his hiding spot. At least he could find some relief in that, and he held onto that feeling as he rose into the air. A blast of heat slammed into him, but he pushed forward. As he approached the opening between the two flames, he sucked in a breath and twisted his body mid air. It was nothing as graceful as something a Skywing or Rainwing could pull off, but the movement got him past the wall of smoke. Qibli gasped as he was met with clearer air.
He took one last glance at the burning town below. He scanned for the Sandwing who'd helped him, but with the darkness of the smog and his hood, he had completely vanished. As Qibli began his painful flight back to the compound, he hoped that the dragon was alright.
Somehow, Qibli hadn't been the first to see and report the explosion to Grandfather. He could tell right away that Vulture was displeased from the roar that shook the pavilion.
In a way, he was relieved that he wouldn't have to be the one to break the news. He'd been rehearsing what he'd say the entire flight back. Anxiety and terror washed over him like a cold wave. How could Qibli admit that he failed? Would Vulture threaten him? Would he hurt Winter?
That last thought terrified him most of all. If not for his clawmate, Qibli would've ran away the moment the Talon told him to.
As he timidly passed through the compound, an image replayed in his mind. An image of destruction and flames. An image of a pristine town in ruin. An image of mountain walls exploding and an image of charred bodies that were once his classmates. Qibli felt sick to his stomach thinking about how close he'd come to death at the hands of these cactus. Perhaps his dreams had been a warning sign of sorts—if he wasn't wholly a Sandwing he might suspect future vision. He got a kick out of the thought.
Still, a moment of amusement couldn't tamp down his nausea. These fires had to be stopped… he was sure of it more now than ever.
His tail practically rattled and shook as he stood a talon away from the pavilion doors.
There was a slit between the two doors. Grandfather usually kept them firmly closed most of the time, and Qibli suspected that whoever last opened them was in too much of a rush to bother closing them. He was given an opportunity, and decided to listen in before going inside. He should at least be prepared for whatever was happened. Qibli stood behind one of the doors, and leaned as close to the opening as he could.
Vulture was furious, but Qibli knew that. He heard another dragon in the room, hushed and quiet in their frantic explanations. Likely the one who left the doors open. He caught a few words of what they said—the general run down was obviously given to Vulture already, but he heard something about casualties and the location. Nothing that made sense without context, but he had a pretty good idea of what they were trying to say. Hopefully, the term "no" preceded "casualties." He wondered what they were saying about the town, and whether he would find it important.
There were other burning questions that began to ignite in his mind, but he heard frustratingly little about the conversation. He wanted to shout, "what happened?! Is anyone taking care of it? Is everyone alive?"
However, none of these answers would be possible eavesdropping where he was now. His heart pounded at the thought, but Qibli knew he'd have to face his grandfather eventually. It was the conclusion he always came to. He took a deep breath, and pushed open the doors.
Despite the vast size of the main pavilion, Vulture's voice rang loud enough to be heard. But without the other half of the conversation, he learned nothing but the extent of his grandfather's rage.
"What are you waiting for, permission?" A voice roared. "Of course it's granted, now go do something!"
Vulture spoke to his followers with more grace than some other terrible dragons might, even though he sounded angrier than Qibli ever heard him. He was certainly angrier than he'd been when Qibli failed training as a small dragonet. His reaction to the situation set off odd alarm bells and confusion in his brain. Something was wrong about the whole situation, he could feel it in his gut.
It was impossible to sneak in. The door creaked mid conversation, and all heads turned towards him, dead as night.
"Grandson," Vulture practically snapped his head towards Qibli like a snake who'd sighted a mouse. A small, spiny mouse cowering in the doorway. "What a pleasant surprise. At least you survived, that answers that question. Come here."
Qibli's scales prickled as he stepped forward. It was practically impossible to tell the tone of Vulture's voice. Was he truly as relieved as he said? Or was there another meaning behind his words. His mind began to race with possibilities.
Vulture inspected his grandson like he was a piece of treasure someone had tried to steal. He took his chin in his claws, and jolted him around as his eyes wandered his aching scales. The injuries continued to pile up, didn't they? Qibli imagined he looked more blue and black than sandy yellow at this point.
Apparently nothing was too severe, at least nothing got Vulture's attention.
"Fire got you, did it grandson?" His eyes burned into Qibli with a fierce intensity that would make anyone crack as he let him go.
"I—I was waiting like you said, the explosion came out of nowhere," Qibli choked on his words. "I tried to stay, I did, but—"
Vulture silenced him with a swish of his tail. "So I hear," he continued. "Worry not grandson. I'm not angry with you."
"You're not?" He pressed cautiously, wary about walking into any traps.
"Of course not. But you have to understand why I'm worried. Can't have anyone assassinating my beloved grandson." He snapped, gaining the attention of the other dragon instantly. "Take Qibli and his little Icewing friend to the observatory."
"W—wait!—" Qibli began, panicked. This new Talon had no issue seizing him, rough talons gripping his shoulders.
He hadn't gotten to speak much at all, or even listen. Questions still raced through his mind and desperation held his heart steady. Dismay ached him like another wound.
"This is for your safety," he called as his grandson was dragged away. "I'll see you again soon, once I figure out what to do with you."
Somehow, that didn't ease his nerves.
At some point, he pulled himself free of the other dragon's grip and continued to follow them. Thankfully, they didn't reach for him again. They led Qibli through the compound until they reached a small, black building, though the dome towered above anything else. Pale white shapes glittered from afar, and he soon realized that they were the phases of the three moons. Diamonds twinkled like stars, he imagined it was quite beautiful at night. The dark, glassy exterior was beautiful, but reminded Qibli of the Obsidian Mirror in a haunting realization. The Talon lifted into the air, eyes sternly focused on the younger Sandwing as the pair aimed for the top of the dome. Qibli understood what he was supposed to do. He landed on a plush carpet in the middle of the marble floor, eyeing the gemstones that were also inlaid on the inner walls as well. His escort vanished further into the compound.
It was a gorgeous building, he had to admit. In other circumstances, in a different place, he could imagine curling up and watching the stars in here with a special dragon.
Not long after Qibli began to adjust to his surroundings did he hear a commotion outside. A familiar voice was outraged, crying out questions and demands:
"What is this place?"
"Why won't you answer me?"
"Where is Qibli?"
He had to admit, he was a bit touched by that last one.
A glittering ball of frustration was shoved into the observatory with him. The Icewing hissed at the Sandwing guards, lashing his tail and snarling.
But then he saw Qibli, and his entire demeanor changed.
"Oh moons, what happened to you?"
"What is it this time?" Qibli laughed a little. His lungs hurt.
"Your wings, your scales," Winter seemed horrified. He reached tentatively towards him, but Qibli flinched. "Are these burns?"
"I suppose they would be, yeah."
Winter scowled, peering at him once again. He sucked in a breath. "Oh, you're bleeding—"
He reached for Qibli once again, sending sharp pain through his nerves. He pulled his wing away.
"OW!"
"Sorry," Winter threw his talons and wings up. Eyes as blue as the ocean depths scanned him.
"They're only surface wounds, I'm sure they'll be fine in a few days."
Qibli was probably fibbing with that heal time. If only he had aloe—he briefly wondered if Vulture would grant him some. But the idea of asking sent shivers down his spine.
"Well, you can't leave them like that," Winter retorted. Then, a thoughtful smile crossed his usual scowl.
"No, no, I don't like that look," Qibli said, scrambling away from his clawmate. "Keep your freezing death breath away from me."
The idea of anything cold, let alone icy cold, touching his injuries made Qibli cringe.
"Oh, quit freaking out," Winter rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to attack you with my frost breath. Good Lord."
"Can you blame me for my assumption?" Qibli asked as Winter started to search the room. He briefly regarded one of the silk pillows, before snatching one of the rugs from the floor. Winter exhaled the smallest breath of glittering frost onto the rug. He turned to Qibli expectantly.
"Well? Can I?"
The Sandwing pondered for a moment, shuffling his talons. "I don't know…"
"Come on, it'll help, it's not that cold."
Despite his usual gruffness, Qibli could sense how worried Winter was. He wanted to tease him about it, but he nodded instead.
"Okay, fine. But be careful, I'm delicate."
Winter rolled his eyes.
The fabric was colder than he thought it would be, practically bone chilling. Qibli jumped with a small squeak.
"You're fine, it could be colder," Winter said.
"How would you know?" The other replied. "I imagine it feels much different to an Icewing."
"Surely you've fought an Icewing at some point? Trust me, it's much different when we're blasting you with it."
"Nope," Qibli said. "The Scorpion Den was a neutral space, remember? We were safe from the war. And I've never scrapped with the few local Icewings. Never touched frost breath, and I had been hoping to keep it that way."
"Oh, quit whining," Winter groaned. "I'm trying to help you, you stubborn caribou. Now hold still."
Qibli tensed his body, waiting for the flashes of pain.
Well, it did sting, a lot. Although, after his initial cringe, Qibli realized that Winter was surprisingly delicate, gently patting the cold rug against his wings, as if to keep the initial brunt of the ice off his scales.
He found himself leaning into the cold touch.
"So, what happened?" Winter asked, as if trying to appear nonchalant. "You were gone when I woke up, and the next time I see you you're covered in a bunch of burns."
"Oh yeah, that," Qibli replied. "My grandfather sort of sent me on a… mission, I guess."
"A what?"
Qibli proceeded to explain everything about his day so far—the news, the empty town, the Sandwing escort who he'd conversed with, and the fire that exploded upon the town.
Winter hissed. "I can't believe your grandfather was willing to risk that. What if you'd been closer to the explosion?"
"Ah, well…" Qibli felt a dark cloud form in his chest. "I think my grandfather might be trying to kill me."
"What? But you're—he's—that's—what makes you say that?"
Qibli could hear the underlying fear beneath the befuddlement.
"Vulture is the one who controls the dragonflame cactus," Qibli explained, trying to hide his own fear. "He probably sent me to an isolated part of town so it'd be a witness-less job." He shrugged.
The thought had plagued him since he was coherent enough after the fire to register it. It had clouded his mind like a fog despite the part of his brain confused as to why he'd be so horrified about the fires if they were his. Perhaps he was so angry that his grandson survived. The idea that Vulture was beginning to plan against Qibli behind his back, and he had no way of knowing or stopping him… it horrified him.
"But there was another dragon with you," Winter said. He pressed the makeshift ice pack onto his back and Qibli winced.
"He was probably meant to die too," he hissed through his teeth past the stinging pain.
He could see practically Winter's deepened frown from behind him. The Icewing was pondering.
"But why not kill you now, if that was the plan all along?" he said. "Why bother locking you up here?"
"I don't know," Qibli admitted as the ice was placed on his other wing. "He probably wants to make a spectacle of it while shifting blame from himself. If I went missing, they'd probably search here first. But if news spreads of an explosion taking me out, there'd be no reason to suspect anyone."
Qibli felt bile rise in his throat at the thought.
"Hmm…" Winter hummed. Then, he said, "hey… what's this?"
Qibli felt new, bright, stinging pain blossom between his wing and shoulder. He pulled away from the Icewing, hissing.
"OUCH!"
"Sorry, sorry," Winter replied, throwing his talons up. "I didn't think it would hurt. There was something in your scales."
"You could have at least warned me," Qibli retorted as Winter held out his claws to reveal a tiny ball of spikes.
"Ah, yeah, those come off of the dragonflame cactus," Qibli said, remembering the seeds leftover in the history cave and the the one attached to the cape he wore.
"Well," Winter said, hissing through his teeth. "You're kiiinda covered in them."
"Oh, joy," Qibli grumbled. He realized with a startling shock that he sounded similar to the Icewing behind him.
"I can pull them out?" Winter suggested.
"Uh," Qibli quickly jumped in. "I don't know if—"
"I'll be gentle," Winter replied, but he said it with such a force that it undermined his soft words.
Qibli mulled over it for a moment. A week ago, he wouldn't have believed that gentle was in Winter's vocabulary. But then he remembered last night; the softness in Winter's eyes as he uncharacteristically comforted his clawmate. He would've thought it was a dream if he didn't sense the same caring in him now, hidden beneath the layers of frigid ice. Perhaps he really was telling the truth… and Qibli would get to see that side again.
Besides, the thorns would have to be removed somehow, and he couldn't reach them himself. He sort of had no choice.
"Okay… but seriously, be careful."
"Have a little faith in me, would you?"
Qibli tensed his muscles, waiting with bated breath. However, the claws that brushed his scales were a lot slower and more delicate.
"Ready?" Winter asked, before pulling out another thorn as carefully as he could manage. There was an initial sting, but that was inevitable. The final tug wasn't nearly as harsh as he was expecting it to be, and the cool touch of Winter's scales dulled the pain. Qibli began to relax.
"So…" The Icewing began. "You really think your grandfather is trying to kill you?"
The topic of their previous conversation hit Qibli like a ton of bricks. "It makes the most sense…" he mumbled. Although, in his brain he knew that wasn't true. The details of the plan didn't line up so easily, and he didn't have motives fully figures out. Killing Qibli would be easier than dealing with him he imagined, but he still had knowledge that Vulture could use. Of course, he could have easily decided that trying to pry it from him was more trouble than it was worth. Besides, there were a million other contradictions in this hypothetical plot. It didn't fully fit into place—something didn't make sense.
Winter hummed thoughtfully as he began to wiggle another thorn out of place. He must've had a similar train of thought.
"What?" Qibli asked.
"Just thinking… are you sure that explosion was set off by him?"
"What do you—ouch," Qibli hissed as it was tugged from his scales.
"Well, what if it was an outside job?" Winter added. "I mean, there are dragonflame cactus outside of the compound, and the whole plan sounds convoluted. Maybe we have an ally on the outside instead."
An idea began to light in Qibli's brain. Sunny knew that something was wrong now, and word has surely spread to Thorn. How many other dragons knew of Qibli's plight? Maybe word had gotten around.
His hope was quickly diminished as he felt another sting.
"An ally trying to kill me?" Qibli said, partly reminding himself. "Sounds more like an enemy."
"Oh, right," Winter sounded equally as disappointed. "Well, ally in motives, but dangerous in their plans. Maybe they're trying to get to your grandfather through you?"
"Comforting thought, thanks Winter," Qibli replied dryly.
"Uh, well, maybe they didn't see you," he awkwardly added in a sad excuse of comfort.
"Uh huh."
"Or maybe they don't care about you at all," he unhelpfully continued. "Think: your grandfather is a powerful dragon, whether they know about the fires or not. Surely, he has some enemies?"
Winter had a point, there. A secret vigilante using the cover of the attacks to unleash their own revenge plot… it wasn't entirely far fetched.
"So you think its an enemy of my Grandfather?" Qibli asked. "Well, better than an enemy of me."
"Wait 'til they meet you," Winter joked. Qibli flicked him with the blunt end of his tail, before a sharp tugging reminded him of what Winter was doing.
"Do you know of any dragons who could have it out for him?"
Qibli's tongue flicked in the air thoughtfully. "Anyone specifically? No. But I'm sure there are."
Despite his seeming popularity now, Vulture wasn't always a beloved figure. When he was a dragonet, Qibli heard rumors whispered between his peers. They saw him as a boogeyman type figure; a mysterious old Sandwing who lured youths into his compound and ate them. Talk like that certainly didn't help quell his fears. But it wasn't just dragonets who spoke ill of Vulture. Words snaked through the Scorpions Den—particularly the poorer areas—about the greedy dragon who hoarded his wealth away in a fortress while others starved. Some of them came from Thorn herself.
Qibli doubted that a small dragonet was setting fires to get back at his grandfather. Though, surely there had to be someone who still felt that way about him?
"Assuming the dragon who did it isn't a big fan of Vulture," Winter said. "Maybe we can find out who they are. I bet they'd help us if we could reach them."
"Yeah, but—"
But what? What Winter said was… actually quite brilliant. He turned his head to peer at the Icewing behind him, who was focused on his task. His glittering blue gaze studied what Qibli assumed to be a particularly stubborn thorn, and his elegant snout was crinkled in thought. He fought a blooming smile before his clawmate saw. Winter really was more than his scowl and heritage, that was for sure. More thoughtful than Qibli ever gave him credit for.
But he also knew that there was more to a plan like that.
"How will we find them?" He decided to ask. "And how would we even be able to discuss with them if we did? There's no way Grandfather would let me speak with a stranger alone right now."
"Hmm, I suppose you're right," he mumbled. "But he lets you leave the Compound sometimes, right?"
"Yeah," Qibli nodded. "But that was before the last attack, and I think he plans on keeping us here for a while."
"Ah, wonderful," Winter sarcastically replied. There was a pause, and Qibli felt the cool touch break away from his back. He stepped forward and properly made eye contact.
"Do you think there's any clues we could find around here, then?" he asked. "Surely there's something in the Compound we can use to find out who set that fire, or at least something we can do to stop Vulture."
Qibli opened his mouth, but paused. It sounded like a futile effort, Grandfather would've found a way to hide his secrets, and no one would be stupid enough to speak ill of him in his own home. But then, he remembered something. Something he'd stored away in his mind for later.
Grandfather had a library. He doubted that there would be a scroll called, "Vulture's enemies and weaknesses," but maybe there was something important in there.
"The library," Qibli echoed his thoughts.
A spark of realization glimmered in Winter's eyes. "Oh, right. You think there'll be something in there?"
"Worth a shot," Qibli said. He glanced at the sky, still bright and blue. "I have a feeling we're meant to stay in here, though. It'll be hard to sneak out now."
"Alright, tonight then," Winter replied. He stepped behind Qibli, and he felt a cold cloth press into his scales. "In the mean time…" he mumbled.
It was a plan. Tonight, Qibli would sneak around his Grandfather's compound to look for ways to defeat him. He just hoped Vulture was oblivious to the rebellion forming right under his nose.
Notes:
Terrible to leave you guys on a cliffhanger, sorry guys! I kinda reworked this chapter a few times, plus college stuff, but I decided to move the fic entirely to my laptop. Hopefully I'll be able to work on it faster now! Thanks for your patience everyone!
Chapter 21
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Qibli's injuries had been worse than he previously thought. Some thorns were wedged so deeply between his scales that pulling them out hurt tremendously, no matter how gentle Winter was. At some point, he heard the Icewing hiss as he felt a cool trickle down his back. A visit to a doctor was in his future, once this whole thing was over, and he imagined that days of rest were going to be mandatory.
According to Winter, however, his burns were surface wounds like he'd thought. It was still nothing to sneeze at—the two of them had both seen just how intense scale injuries could be. But it could be worse. Qibli had seen many fire injuries in his life, and he knew it could always be worse.
In a sick way, he was almost grateful for the wounds he'd received. Tending to them took up at least a few hours of their time, and biding time was all they could do for now. Any dragons who happened to pass above the observatory—sent by Vulture or not, Qibli wasn't sure—simply saw Winter tending to him. There was no hint to the plots formulating in their minds, no hint to their plans for later that night.
And as the sun began its nightly ritual, paving the way for the three moons to take its place, the plan was set into motion.
Qibli had been pondering for hours on how to sneak out. Vulture had been quite vague about the strictness of his lock down, but Qibli knew that they'd been placed in the observatory for a reason. He had a feeling that the wide, open dome was why; dragons could keep an eye on the dragonets through the top. That, and it was closer to the main pavilion than the hut. Vulture no longer needed to give them the guest treatment and he knew it. His main goal now was to keep them trapped under his claws.
The new environment would make it harder to sneak around undetected. However, it couldn't be impossible. There was always another angle.
"I haven't seen a dragon fly by in a while," Winter mumbled, eyeing the sky. He was resting on one of the silk cushions, puzzling over a star chart hanging on the wall. He had finished tending to his Sandwing friend a while ago, their last few hours being spent exploring the conservatory and conspiring.
"Me neither," Qibli whispered. Any conversations they had about friends, school, or other lighthearted topics they spoke about openly. But they kept their voices quiet and hushed as they brought up their intent for the night. "Though, there might be guards just outside. And Grandfather might send someone to bring us dinner."
"Doesn't he usually do that earlier?"
The sun was getting dangerously low, and night had already began to crawl onto the sky. Winter was right, dinner was usually sent to them earlier. Vulture may have been so stressed that he forgot, or maybe it was a sort of punishment. Sandwings could go a long time without food, but it made sense that Winter would notice something like that. Icewings were bulky dragons that hunted hefty meals like reindeer. Qibli barely felt hungry, but it was probably a different story for his clawmate.
"Yeah, I don't know if anyone is coming," he responded. "But we don't want to take any chances. Hm."
"Hm," Winter repeated. "Well, we could take a look outside. See if there are any guards we can't see."
The same idea had been floating around Qibli's mind, but he was worried. What if they were spotted, and questioned? Would a dragonet head poking out of the dome arise suspicion? Would the dragons care? Would they be suspected of escaping?
He relayed his thoughts to Winter, who nodded in understanding. "I guess so… you really think they'd care?"
"I'm not sure," Qibli said. "We can't be too careful, especially with tensions being so high."
"Well, we can't just leave then," Winter replied. "That would definitely be suspicious."
"Yeah…" Qibli sighed. He began to scan the world around him, from the walls of the observatory to the sky outside. There was always another angle, his years as an outclaw taught him that. No nook or cranny was too ordinary, and brilliance came from unexpected places.
His philosophy came true when an idea struck him. His eyes settled on one of the rugs on the floor, one so black it blended into the dark walls around him. Coincidentally, it also blended into the dark sky above.
"Wait a moment," he began to mutter to himself.
"Oh, I know that face," Winter said. "That's your iconic, 'has an idea' face."
"Is it really iconic?" Qibli mused. Winter nodded.
"Regrettably so, I could recognize that face anywhere. You have a lot of those."
Qibli flashed him a toothy grin. "Well, you're right. I think I do have an idea."
He pushed past the Icewing and picked up the carpet. It was small, but he was still able to wrap it around his face like a hood. "What do you think? Does it match my eyes?"
Winter scowled, raising a brow. "That's your brilliant plan? Style a shabbby rug?"
Qibli laughed, pointing to the sky. "Look outside the box, Winter. Doesn't it camoflage me?"
Winter looked him up and down, raising his head and looking down on the Sandwing. "Not really, I can still see your unsightly snout."
"Firstly, rude," Qibli said. "Secondly, if I raise my head just high enough to look outside, and cover myself, then I should be invisible to any dragon not looking too closely."
He wasn't quite as confident as his words portrayed, but he had to believe it. Winter had to believe it, too.
"I suppose…" the Icewing sighed. "You'll blend in more than I would, at least. And it's better than nothing."
"That's the spirit," Qibli gave him a quick smile. Winter reacted quite oddly, averting his gaze and fidgeting with his talons. Qibli pretended not to notice, and simply told himself that he hadn't seen him right.
The dome towered above most else in the compound. While the floor they stood on was high above the ground, the open dome was still multiple wing lengths above them. If Qibli stood on his back talons, he was still multiple tails too short to reach the top. The observatory was built this way—if he had to guess—so that the dragons using it felt as close to the stars as possible. It also made the building a good prison, apparently. However, the extra height meant that Qibli would have to fly to reach the top.
Hopefully, the sound of his wings wouldn't alert any potential dragons outside. When he pricked his ears, he didnt hear any nearby footsteps or wingbeats. He took that as a sign to raise his wings, and send himself up to the dome with one, large, flap of them.
But just as he lifted off, he came crashing back down to the floor.
"Qibli!" Winter cried, rushing over to him. The Sandwing winced, hissing at the bright pain that had flared up all along his back. Sore muscles, untouched for hours, began to roar at Qibli for what he'd done.
"I'm fine," he bit out, cringing as he sat up. "I guess my wings are still healing from… well, earlier."
He hadn't thought of how tired his body would be. He'd been pushing through everything he'd faced this trip, but it appeared he'd finally reached his limit. He supposed that he'd had a week to heal from his last injuries. Qibli wasn't afforded the luxury this time.
Pure concern washed over Winter's face. Honestly, it was all a little worth it just to see that expression.
"Okay, so, that obviously isn't working," the Icewing said, helping Qibli to his talons. "Here, just let me take a look outside."
"No way," Qibli gestured to his bright, icey scales. "They'd see you for sure, I'll do it."
"But you can't fly!" Winter protested. "There's no way you're getting up there!"
A thought began to form in Qibli's mind. A slight smirk danced at the corners of his mouth. "Maybe I won't have to."
He was given a confused look. Before there was time for any sort of questioning, he said, "give me a boost."
"What?"
"Come on, you heard me," Qibli restated. "Boost me up."
He gestured to the top of the dome with his tail. Winter gaze slowly fell between his friend and the sky, before his expression flickered between two, probably unhappy, faces.
"No, I can't get you up there," he finally said.
Qibli sent a dramatic, pouting face his way. "Come on," he prodded.
"Dude, I'm not much bigger than you are," Winter replied. "Besides, I'm not sure if I can get you up there. It's pretty high."
Qibli felt the usual mischievous delight he always did when teasing Winter. A warmth spread through his chest as he said, "but you're such a big strong Icewing with big strong shoulders," he added.
He definitely didn't imagine the color that rushed to Winter's face this time. He began to stutter a response, but Qibli cut him off and continued.
"Besides…" he mustered up as a pathetic of an expression as he could. "I'm still hurt… I could never get to the top myself…"
The Icewing gave him the exact reaction he was looking for. Worry washed over him once again, before he finally gave in. "Okay, fine, we'll try."
"Aw, you do love me," Qibli said, tone suddenly shifting.
"Absolutely not you pathetic thing," Winter scoffed, all too quickly. "Now let's get this over with before I change my mind."
Qibli laughed in response, yet his heart told a different story. Why did that feel like another sting? This wasn't out of the usual realm of responses from his clawmate… and yet, something felt different. Something he certainly didn't have the time to analyze.
A thought for another time, he supposed. Although, Qibli was hoping he wouldn't have to acknowledge those feelings again. He shook his head to clear them as he stepped closer to Winter.
"Hold still," Qibli said, before climbing onto the Icewing's back. he felt Winter instantly stiffen. Qibli winced himself at the cold touch of the scales, but continued on. Thankfully, his teasing wasn't entirely wrong, and the Icewing did have broad shoulders. It made it easier to heave himself up onto his back legs, standing on Winter's shoulders, with his front talons pressed against the wall.
His nose brushed against the open dome as Qibli craned his neck. The open night sky soon became dotted with sandy dunes in the distance, and a compound of buildings as he was able to get his eyes over the observatory. The time came to cover the top of his head with the dark rug, and he slowly took one of his talons away from the wall to do so. The action caused his unbalanced body to wobble and tremble, before he threw his wings out to steady himself. He hissed in pain at the action. Winter shifted under him.
The position he found himself in was… awkward to hold, to say the least. Dragons weren't built to stand upright for very long, especially not on another dragon's back. He knew he'd have to hurry and scan the Compound before he tumbled to the floor yet again.
So far, Qibli couldn't see much of anything outside. No Sandwings prowled the sands, no eyes were turned to the dragonets in the observatory. Not even the lanterns inside the main pavilion were lit. Honestly, it was unnerving seeing his Grandfather's home so quiet.
He twisted his head as subtly as he could. There were no dragons behind him that he could see, either. While he should have felt comfort from it, he only felt uneasy. There was nothing on the surface… but what—or who—could be waiting beneath?
"You sure are taking your time up there," Winter grumbled from beneath him, an obvious strain in his voice.
"I'm just doing a double check," Qibli whispered back. There were no dragons close by, so he found it safe to do so. He craned his neck as far as he could, doing another quick sweep of the desert with eyes. Absolutely silent.
Getting down was a clumsy, awkward effort. Qibli placed both talons back against the wall, and balanced himself with his wings as he attempted to step down. Winter yelped an, "ouch" as he dropped onto all of his legs, unintentionally digging them into his shoulders. Qibli mumbled out as apology as he made it back to solid ground.
"So?" Winter asked him.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?" The Icewing arched a brow.
"There's no one out there," Qibli shrugged.
Winter slowly eyed his friend up and down. "And that's good… right?"
"I guess so."
"You guess so?" Winter scoffed. He looked Qibli over once more, and he was beginning to feel scrutinized under the practiced, royal stare. "Okay, what's wrong?" He asked.
Qibli tilted his head. "How do you know something's wrong?"
"You have your 'thoughtful Qibli' face again. Plus, you just don't seem very thrilled," Winter said. "It doesn't take a detective to see that."
He sighed. "That's annoying, but you're right. This whole thing feels off to me. My Grandfather's compound is never this quiet. I'm worried that there's something happening."
"Oh, I see," Winter's expression softened. "Do you think it's a bad idea to go out tonight, then?"
Qibli opened his his snout to speak. Yeah, there was definitely something off… but was his suspicion more important than the opportunity to spy? There was so much they had yet to learn, and so little time to stop Vulture…
"No," Qibli said. "This might be the only chance we'll have for a while… we should take it."
"Alright," Winter said. "And hey, if you're worried, I'll go out alone—"
"No," Qibli said again, cutting him off. "I'm sorry Winter, but it has to me. You'll stick out, at least if anyone sees me I could look like another Talon from a distance."
Winter huffed a small flurry of ice. "Really?"
Qibli gave him an apologetic face. "I'm sorry, I just don't want you to get caught."
"But you've been doing everything," Winter pressed. "And you're hurt. Let me do it." He pushed out his chest as if to make a point. It was a bit dashing, if Qibli was honest.
He found his heart softening a little. "This'll be the last time I go alone, if I can help it. And hey, I still need your help."
Winter relaxed his muscles. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. I need you to cover me from here," Qibli said. "Like, what will we do if someone does come by?"
"I suppose that's true," Winter grumbled. "But how do I disguise the fact that you're gone if they do?"
"Hmm," Qibli thought, tapping his chin. It only took another glance of the room before a second idea popped into his head. He darted across the room, gathering the rugs and pillows scattered across the floor. He took a few pillows and swept them beneath a longer, blue rug, in a semi convincing lump.
"There. Spitting image, right?" Qibli asked, gesturing to himself. Winter snorted.
"Not really…" he replied. "But I suppose, if I lay next to it, it may work from a distance."
"Atta boy," Qibli jested. "And hey, maybe they'll assume I'm all curled up and blanketed from all my injuries."
"Maybe," Winter shrugged. He stepped over to the vaguely dragon shaped lump, curling around it. He even threw a wing around it. Qibli imagined that from the sky, not enough of the lumpy form would be visible enough to arouse suspicion. Most dragons would probably be more focused on the shiny Icewing anyway, and the way he lay matched up with the boyfriends story that most dragons probably still believed.
"Yeah, that looks good," Qibli said. "Now, we just have to get me out of the observatory…"
"Ugh," Winter groaned. "I'm going to have to lift you out, aren't I?"
His Sandwing friend gave him an apologetic smile. Winter groaned once again, and sat up. As he did, his eyes widened.
"Wait a moment, I just realized something," he said. "How will we get you back inside?"
Ah, Qibli thought. He hadn't thought of that. While Winter could get him to the top of the dome from inside, the floor was much closer to it than the ground outside was. There was no way that Winter would be able to boost him up, even if he flew out and let Qibli onto his shoulders.
"I'll have to fly," he sighed. Worry instantly shifted the Icewing's expression, and he quickly added, "but I promise I'll rest after. It's not to high of a flight, I'll just have to prepare myself, I guess."
Winter didn't seem entirely convinced, but he must've felt the same urgency Qibli did. "Fine," he finally said. "But be careful."
"If you insist," he grinned. Winter sent a deep frown his way.
"I'm being serious. And don't turn this into some kind of joke."
"Okay, okay," Qibli threw his talons up. "My snout is shut, I won't say anything."
Internally, he was concocting all sorts of jokes and teases. But he kept his word, and didn't say anything.
"And you'll be careful?"
"Yes, yes, I'll be careful," Qibli laughed, a little awkwardly. "Gee, when did you actually become my boyfriend?"
Winter stuttered, the blue flush on his cheeks betraying the anger on his face. "Shut up, that's not what I meant—"
"I know, I know," the Sandwing chuckled. "I'm just messing with you."
But his sinking heart seemed to disagree with his words.
"Just get over here," Qibli said. "And help me up."
Winter walked over to the same wall as before. He dipped down in a graceful bow, spreading his wing closest to Qibli. It was a practiced pose, and absolutely elegant. "Hurry up," he stated.
Qibli climbed onto the Icewing's back in the same way as he did before. This time, Winter felt more prepared and stable. His shoulders were squared and still, although they still moved in an organic way as Qibli stepped onto them with his back legs. He felt the dragon beneath him jolt as he stood on his hind legs.
Sorry Winter, he winced. Despite his strength, this couldn't have been comfortable. The two of them were close in size and height, and even though Qibli was pretty scrawny, he had to be pretty heavy.
Unlike before, Winter began to stand on his own hind legs. He rose slowly, giving Qibli time to balance himself despite his surprise. When the Icewing's front talons landed against the wall, Qibli was given extra height that he didn't have the first time. Now, his head peeked out of the dome easily, though his stability was much worse. He wobbled back and forth, trying to steady himself with his tail, wings, and talons. He would need his claws for his daring escape, and rested the rug against his shoulders.
"Ack," Winter squawked as he stumbled. "Hurry up, Qibli."
"I'm going," he hissed back.
It's now or never, he thought, as he took a deep breath. He hooked his claws into the edge of the dome, and—tensing his muscles—heaved the rest of his body over the top.
It was more difficult than he thought it'd be. Qibli wasn't a particularly muscular dragon, better known for his stealth and witty tactics in a fight. He was the type to turn a dragon's strength against them, rather than over power them with his own. He was struggling to pull his own weight over the side of wall, before icey talons pushed against his back.
Winter was a strong dragon. He helped support Qibli as he scrambled his way over the dome, and he wasn't sure if he could have done it without him. One of his back talons reached the edge, which was when he was able to to pull himself over the side.
His body flattened against the glass as he caught his breath. There were still no Sandwings nearby, no guards on their way to check on them. He released a sigh.
"You okay?" A soft voice called from inside. Qibli poked his head over the side and nodded.
"Thank you," he whispered back.
"Good luck," Winter replied, before he headed back to the pillow lump and curled around it as before. He closed his eyes, as if pretending to be asleep.
Good luck, Qibli repeated in his head. He hoped he wouldn't need luck. He hoped that he would be able to sneak into the library and sneak out before anyone saw him. He hoped that he could finally catch a break.
Qibli moved the rug from his wings to around his face once more. Then, once he was sure that there were still no dragons out and about nearby, he looked over the side of the observatory. The ground was far, much further than he realized. If he tried to jump from this height, there was a chance he would further injure himself, or exacerbate the ones he already had. He would like to avoid that if he could.
He dropped his back legs over the wall of the observatory, letting them dangle for a moment as he decided his next move. The walls were made of smooth stone, so there would be no claw holds he could depend on. He realized that—just as he would have to fly back up—he would have to use his wings to get down. That didn't mean he had to use his sore muscles more than necessary, though.
Qibli gently lowered his body as far as he could. Then, as he opened his wings to balance himself earlier, he gently unfurled his wings as far as the pain would allow him. A deep cringe creased his face as he felt the familiar ache. A pain created shiver ran down his spine. He would have to do this quickly.
A prickle of doubt and anxiety tugged at the edge of his mind. An image played in his head, an image of his wings failing him and him falling all the way to the ground. But he couldn't dwell on that. He couldn't.
So he took another breath, and let go of the wall.
His wings caught on the warm, desert breeze. He sailed gently towards the ground, though the strain in his muscles made every second in the air agony. The minute his claws brushed the sand, he dropped his wings to his side and tumbled to the ground. He groaned.
Qibli would not be telling Winter about this, if he didn't already hear his less than graceful landing.
Brushing the sand off of his scales, Qibli slunk closer to the walls of the observatory. Still, there wasn't a soul prowling around the place. While it still made him nervous, he at least he would be able to sneak throughout the compound undetected. He may even be able to run quickly, if there continued to be no witnesses.
Thankfully, the library wasn't too far away. Qibli just had to get past the main pavilion, which would be the hardest part of the trek.
He pulled his makeshift hood further over his face. it didn't look like the cloaks that the Talons of Power wore, but it hid his identity enough that it wouldn't get him caught. He hoped. But as he sneaked around the compound, he couldn't tell whether than further anxiety was melting away or growing.
He pressed himself to the back wall. Logically, he knew that there was no one inside. It was completely dark in the pavilion, not a single lantern flickered with life. Vulture would have long retired to his sleeping quarters, yet Qibli couldn't shake the fear that he was lurking in the dark, waiting to strike.
He shook himself out, as if to shake the thoughts from his mind. There was no one nearby, yet he kept his footsteps light.
The library was difficult to recognize in the dark. The only reason he was sure he'd found the right building was because of its stout shape compared to other buildings nearby. Qibli stretched his talon out towards the door, reaching into the night until his claws brushed wood.
Poking his head inside, it was much darker than he realized it would be. He wished he had a lantern. Shielding the scrolls around him with his wings, Qibli exhaled a small breath of flame into the air. The shelves of scrolls lit up in a warm glow, but they weren't the object of his focus. No, he was looking for something else.
He spotted the throne across the room. It sat snuggly in the same corner as before, peaceful. Tranquil. Not at all like the dragon who sat there. Qibli wandered his way through the dark.
While there were shelves upon shelves of scrolls here, and it was likely that at least a few were about his grandfather, he didn't have time to search in the dark all night. But he remembered something from over a week ago. At the time, he found it to be a pointless risk to steal a scroll that Vulture wrote and kept hidden. Now, it may help him find a way to stop him.
Qibli fumbled for the chest beneath the seat. One of the moons had begun to peek into the library window, casting a sliver of silvery light onto his claws. He found his way to the lock he was looking for, taking the time to pick it like before. He was grateful to have any light source, even if delicate, to show him the way.
Just as before, the drawer slid easily out of place. Inside, it looked as empty as ever. But Qibli knew that wasn't the full story.
Now, where did Winter leave that key? He looked around the room. Thankfully, his mind had registered that information as something important to file away for later, so he didn't have to think hard to remember.
Winter had told him that the key was in a niche behind a scrollcase. He must have really torn the place apart looking for it, it was a bit admirable. However, it wasn't particularly specific. There were multiple towering cases in the library that he would have to search.
He'd have to do some deducing. For Winter to have found it, he couldn't have moved any of the larger ones himself. He'd either have to have moved one of the smaller ones close to the throne, or peeked behind the shelves. The shorter cases would make sense, after all, being closer to the place where Vulture would sit. They'd also be easily movable for a larger dragon like him. However, Qibli doubted he'd be so predictable. He was eyeing the tallest case by the throne, though. It was next to one of the smaller shelves, creating a shadowed crevice between them.
Qibli sidled closer to it. While the moon was cascading its light further into the library, the cranny was still much too dark. There was enough space for him to slip his arm in, however.
He reached into total darkness. Just as he suspected, there was a space between the taller shelf and the wall. This space not only had room for his arm, but one of a much bigger dragon. He pressed his talon against the wall, feeling nothing but smooth surface at first. However, as he plunged a bit deeper, he felt exactly what he was looking for.
Aha, Qibli thought, running his claws along a groove carved into the wall. Inside was a small hook that held a metal key.
Well done, Winter. The key was where the Icewing had said it would be. Now, he just had to unlock the secret compartment in the drawer, preferably before any wandering Sandwing passed by the window and spotted him.
Stop being paranoid, he scolded himself. Worrying would do no good, but he continued to keep an eye on his surroundings as he'd been raised to.
Turning the key into the lock and pushing past the false bottom, the scroll revealed itself to him. Just where he'd left it.
It felt like forbidden fruit. The tempting allure of treasure that wasn't his to touch. His claws brushed the delicate paper, reminded him of the first time he stole from another dragon. A shudder wracked his entire being.
There were no shop keepers or aristocrats to notice his misdeed. It was only Qibli, and the scroll he now held in his talons.
As he unraveled it, he was met with the same image as last time. Detailed plans of Vulture's compound in its early days welcomed Qibli. Honestly, they were quite intriguing to look through. He traced each line with his claw. The Compound had existed for as long as Qibli was alive, and from what he knew, as long as his mother was alive as well. He wondered what had inspired the building of this place.
As his eyes continued to scan the parchment, he realized with a jolt just how complicated the Compound was. While it was certainly detailed on top, there was almost as many schematics below ground as well. Thorough plans of traps and weapons were scrawled outside of the gate, as well as a few surrounding particularly important buildings. He noticed that that aspect of the Compound had been changed many times since the plans. He wondered if Vulture had always planned to continually rearrange the traps, or whether it had become habit over time.
While the contruction plans on the scroll seemed pretty concrete, and matched the Compound of the modern day, there were a few aspects that weren't included on the finished product. There were a few buildings here and there, some meticulous air traps Qibli had never seen, as well as a few other mostly irrelevent pieces. He couldn't guess whether they had been scrapped before construction began, or during the process. Maybe they'd been fully finished but taken down at some point. He'd never know, unless he asked his grandfather (which wasn't going to happen). There were also some areas of the Compound that had been added after it had first been built, the most obvious being the huts and residential areas. It didn't surprise Qibli that he'd add those later, after gaining some notability, followers, and family.
In all, it was fascinating. It was almost like the scroll gave Qibli a look into his grandfather's head—a younger, but still fiercely intelligent Vulture. Something about it gave him chills. It felt like he held something forbidden yet reverent in his claws. Something certainly not meant for his eyes. He wondered when Vulture last looked at it. It seemed unlikely that he would've touched it in years, especially since none of the construction changes had been added. However, Qibli also expected Vulture to be the kind of dragon to check his Compound plans obsessively, if only to make sure they're safe (and to stroke his own ego).
When Qibli thought about his intentions to take the scroll, his heart was struck with fear. It felt dangerous to even suggest the idea. His eyes scanned the paper once more. Some things had changed, but the Compound was likely still structured the same as it was in these original plans, at least the foundations. While it wouldn't be much help when it came to the traps laid outside the gate, having a map of the place both above and below ground may help. It certainly wouldn't hurt. But was it worth the risk to steal something from his grandfather? Especially something that was seemingly so important…
Qibli glanced behind him. The library was completely still, just as before. He didn't spot a single dragon outside. Letting out a shaky breath, tensing his muscles, he tucked the scroll beneath his wing. Just as he was about to close the drawer, he thought of something. It was likely a paranoid thought, but he imagined his grandfather sitting on his throne and somehow feeling the missing weight below. Maybe he would shake the drawer and hear silence, maybe he would unlock the chest and see his precious Compound plans had been stolen.
Qibli glanced towards one of the scrollcases. He and Winter's mess had long been cleaned up, and the shelves were in pristine order. He remembered how many scrolls there were, and the fact that a few of them were piled behind the neat ones in the front. Unless Vulture decided to reorganize the library soon… he was less likely to notice one missing shelf scroll over the one locked beneath his seat, right?
Pulling one from the front, Qibli was met with a scroll hidden beneath the shadows of the shelf. He took it, returning the first scroll to its place to hide the empty gap. He prayed that Vulture wasn't as observant as he feared him to be as he left the new scroll in place of the one beneath his wing. He locked the chest and closed the drawer back up. He hung the key back up where'd he'd found it.
His ears instantly perked at the sound of a creak in the doorway. As Qibli turned, his heart stopped.
A huge figured lurked in the door, face masked in shadow.
"Hi, Qibli."
Qibli was barely able to stifle a gasp. As the dragon crept closer, his fears were only confirmed.
It was Vulture.
How long had he been standing there? Had he been watching him? Had his theft been discovered? Qibli froze in place, and all his mind could think was: please, by the Moons, don't let him have seen.
He wasn't able to even squeak out a response as Vulture stood over him. His expression had lost the smug joy and superiority, replaced with a firm frown. Qibli swallowed down his terror.
"I thought you'd be asleep by now," Vulture said airily. Qibli didn't miss the way his voice darkened when he added, "this doesn't look like the Observatory."
He tried to stutter out some sort of response. Opening his mouth only led to squeaky "uh"s and other unformed words. In the end, the only excuse Qibli could form was a mumbled, "I was looking for something to read."
A sickeningly sweet smile spread onto Vulture's face. It was horrifying. Being alone with him in the small, cramped library, shrouded in darkness, was horrifying. It was like the darkness had formed his dragonethood nightmares before his eyes.
"Oh Qibli, don't be so nervous. I told you before that my library was open to you anytime, yes?" Vulture crooned, before his face contorted into something more serious. "But, it is late, and I grow tired of games."
Qibli barely had time to register his heart sinking, before the larger Sandwing backed him into a corner. He'd never felt so claustrophobic in his life. His eyes darted back and forth, panicking, searching for an escape that wouldn't come to him. Internally, he kept praying.
Please don't see the scroll, please don't see the scroll, please don't look at my wing too long—
"You're a clever, scheming little dragon, aren't you?" Vulture continued, voice barely over a whisper. "I might be proud under other circumstances."
Qibli was sure his eyes were as wide as saucers. He tucked his wings behind him, hiding them in shadow. His scales grazed the scrollcases behind him.
"I'm sure you understand the weight of the situation you're in," Vulture's tongue slithered out of his mouth on the "s" of situation, hissing out the word. "But in case your slippery little mind misinterprets me…"
His forearm surged from the dark, slamming next to Qibli's head. He yelped, ducking as far as he could.
"I couldn't care less about that sissy, ex-prince of an Icewing you insist on spending time with," Vulture muttered. His voice slithered like snakes in Qibli's ears as he leaned closer. His heart thudded against his chest as his grandfather continued. "But I will do whatever it takes to get what I need."
A shuddered gasp escaped Qibli's jaws. There was no denying the threats that he feared Vulture had implied before. Horrid images flashed in his mind, pictures of what Vulture could do to Winter. His tail began to rattle against the wall with the way his body shook.
The taller sandwing stepped away, giving him space. A small smirk replaced his hard scowl, but it held no joy. When he spoke again, his voice was louder.
"So I'd be a little more obedient if I were you. And I wouldn't do any sneaking or plotting, that is—if you care about that Icewing as much as I think you do."
Then, he turned and left, slipping in a last, "Goodnight. Sweet dreams, grandson," leaving the library in silence once again. Qibli couldn't move—couldn't breathe for a long moment. Despite the fact that he had more space to move, he still felt pressed into a corner. Vulture was like a ghost, passing through and giving his grandson a scare before disappearing once again. It was like he'd never been there at all, the only evidence of his arrival being the shaken state of the sandwing huddled in the corner.
When Qibli finally realized he could breathe again, he shot out of the library as quickly as he could. He tucked his wings close to his body, dashing across the sand. His mind raced just as quickly as his talons, jumping from thought to thought.
Did he see the scroll? Does he know what I've done?
Please don't hurt Winter.
Does he know what we're planning?
Does he know there's dragons looking for us?
Please, please don't do anything to Winter.
What if he punishes us because of suspicions?
What if he thinks I had something to do with the explosion yesterday?
Would he turn his anger on me? Or Winter?
Was this planned? Did he know I was coming to the library all along?
I was right in being nervous.
Fearful thought after fearful thought ran into eachother like dragons locked in battle. Adrenaline kept his pace, he could only register the way he gasped for air, but didn't stop. He didn't stop until he once again stood outside of the observatory, and realization hit him across the head.
How was he going to get back up?
There was no way he could climb the smooth stone from the outside. The walls were far too tall, with little to no clawholds. His heart sunk in his chest. He'd forgotten his injured wings, and the fact that he would need to fly back into the observatory.
"Winter?" he whispered. "Winter!"
But the Icewing couldn't hear him. Qibli cursed under his breath, he should've thought this through. He hated standing around, completely unhidden.
He knew what he had to do, yet frustration and desperation welled hot behind his eyes.
Qibli dropped the hidden scroll into his talons, and took a few steps back. His eyes narrowed, focusing on the edge of dome. The building was tall and imposing, towering over him by many tail lengths. He braced his wings. He understood the pain that was going to hit him, and he should be able to make it with that understanding.
At least, he hoped.
He began with a running start, before flinging himself into the air. His muscles began to scream at him once more. His spine began to tingle alongside the burning pain. He gasped, yet pushed through the air. His wings felt weak and strained, their beats sluggish. They were practically begging him to stop.
Qibli could feel himself reaching his limit.
"Winter!" He cried out one final time. The claws of his free talon shot out towards the edge of the open dome, scrabbling onto the smooth surface. He wouldn't be able to support his own weight. He winced, waiting for his body to drop towards the ground.
But a pair of cold claws reached out to him. Holding his forearms, the new talons hauled him over the edge.
Qibli's body weight sent both he and the hovering Icewing into the marble floor.
"Ugh," Winter groaned. "Way to make an entrance."
The sandwing didn't response, sitting up and letting out a shaky breath. His eyes were transfixed to the wall in front of him, unmoving.
"Hey? Qibli?" Winter's voice broke through his trance. "You okay?"
He shook his head, meeting his clawmate's eyes. He stood in front of him, completely unscathed, completely unharmed…
For now.
Qibli surpressed the urge to shake his head again. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, flashing his best smile. He held out the scroll he'd found, and Winter looked down at it with slightly furrowed brows.
"I found something. Not quite what we were looking for, but maybe it'll help."
Notes:
Holy cow, was not expecting this chapter to be almost 7k works, but hey! More food for the readers! Thanks for the patience, folks
Chapter 22
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Winter leaned over Qibli's shoulder and scrutinized the paper. "Is that the scroll that was locked under the throne?"
Qibli nodded. "Yeah, it contains an outline of the Compound."
The Icewing gave an impressed hum. "Could use it for an escape plan or something."
"That's what I was thinking."
The dragonets stared at the scroll in the dark for a moment. "I can't read this," Winter sighed after a moment.
"Yeah," Qibli replied. "We'll have to look at it in the morning."
His eyes met his clawmate's, searching through Winter's gaze in the dark. They really were beautiful, even in shadow, like a glimpse of the arctic far from home. Qibli could picture an iceberg bobbing in the depths of the sea, despite having never seen it himself. For a brief moment, he was transported somewhere far away, somewhere comforting and safe even if it wasn't his own home. It was as if he was picturing the Ice Kingdom from Winter's point of view.
For a brief moment, Qibli forgot about his terrifying grandfather. For a brief moment, he and Winter were far away from danger.
He yawned, and curled up with a pillow. Winter lay close on the rug he'd used on a decoy Qibli, eyelids slowly fluttering close. Qibli watched him, the way his chest rose and fell as he began to drift off. He admired his pale blue scales, his mane of spines, his tail that swayed back and forth across the floor. Winter stood so stiff and proper during the day, as though he'd trained his body for years to hold perfect, practiced poses. In his sleep, he seemed to finally let go, and let his body move as it needed to.
Qibli smiled, before closing his own eyes and allowing exhaustion to take over.
The first sound that met Qibli's ears were wing flaps, and voices outside. His eyes shot open, met with the blinding light of the late morning sun. He hissed, covering his face with a wing.
Once his sight adjusted to the change in scenery, he opened his eyes once more. He quickly noticed the messy sleeping spot next to him, missing a certain Icewing. Qibli spotted him against one of the far walls, standing on his hind legs with an ear pressed to the wall. He immediately understood what Winter was doing, and crept over to him.
"I heard someone mention something about a protest in town," Winter murmered beneath his breath. "But I'm having trouble hearing the rest of the conversation."
Qibli's interest was piqued. He angled his own ear towards the sky, trying to catch whatever discussion was happening on the sands below.
The dragonets were quite far off the ground, which made it difficult to hear any conversing happening tail lengths beneath. However, Qibli was able to catch what they were saying when he angled his ears just right.
"…How many were there?" A gruff voice asked.
"Only a few dragons," the other replied. "But they were mad. Talkin' about the Sandwings in dark cloaks gettin' in everybody's business."
The first dragon hissed through his teeth. "Vulture's not gonna like that, huh? That's the opposite reaction he wanted from all this."
"Well somebody's gotta tell him," the second Sandwing said. She lowered her voice, then mumbled, "between you 'n me…"
Her voice became too quiet for Qibli to catch most of it. He strained his ears as far as he could, but they were just too far. He mentally cursed, that sounded important.
"But what do I know?" She said in a more casual voice after a long moment of hushed whispers. "'Sides, I wouldn't worry too much. There's always some resistance to this sorta thing, I'm surprised there's not more of it. Everythin' should be fine…"
Their voices trailed off as they began to walk away.
Qibli sat up suddenly, and looked to his companion. "Sounds like there was a protest about Grandfather's 'Talons of Power.' Seems like there's some dragons who aren't happy about the creepy cloaked dragons hanging around town."
Winter's brows flew up. "How did you catch all of that?"
The Sandwing tapped his ear with a wink. "Sandwing hearing. Just one of the many traits that make us the best tribe."
Winter snorted. "You wish. I'd like to take you to the arctic and see how long you'd last."
Qibli thought back to the intimate moment he'd had with Winter's eyes last night. He caught himself saying, "promise?" before he could stop himself.
Winter shot him a surprised look. "Huh?"
"You can take me there after all of this," Qibli quickly added, then in a joking tone, "It sounds absolutely dreadful, but I'm up for the challenge."
Winter barked out a laugh that sounded vaguely akin to a crow's caw. "Yeah, okay, sure. You're on."
Qibli sent a slight smile his way, undecipherable whether it was meant to be something small and genuine or something smug. "It's a date, then."
He hadn't fully expected the reaction Winter had to his joke. His face deepened and he quickly said, "whatever you want to call it," before turning away. It was almost amusing, but out of character.
It wasn't the first time he'd reacted this way, either.
Qibli had to turn his own head as he felt a heat behind his face. He awkwardly coughed, then said, "so, about that protest?"
"Well," Winter quickly joined into the new topic. "A group of dragons who are unhappy with your grandfather… they sound like they could be the type to start fires to me."
"Yeah…" Qibli mused, his mind at work. The previous discussion was forgotten as he began to think, trying to piece together this new puzzle. "But it sounded like a relatively peaceful protest—nothing the Talons are worried about, anyway."
"Just because that protest was peaceful doesn't mean there aren't more dangerous dragons thinking the same thing."
Qibli shuddered. Winter was right, that was one thing that growing up in the Scorpion Den had taught him. In fact, they were lucky that dragons were peacefully protesting. Riots—that's what he was more accustomed to. At least riots made themselves known. The most threatening of the group would plot away from public eye, hiding their identity and planning more dangerous methods. Thorn had usually kept those sorts of things under control, but now that she was gone…
"So, you're thinking this is a lead?" Qibli wondered aloud. Winter shrugged, but Qibli could see a gleam of excitement in the Icewing's eye.
"I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility, and it's the closest we have," Winter replied. "But where do we go from here?"
"Oh, I was thinking we head outside for a stroll, and maybe go look for some obvious Sandwing protests," Qibli grinned. "I'm sure my grandfather would understand, if we ask real nicely and share our purely innocent intentions."
The Icewing snorted with laughter. The sound made his heart soar, as it often did when Qibli was able to make a straight-faced dragon like Winter laugh.
"I wish it were that easy," Qibli sighed, after the humorous moment died down. "But when are things ever easy for us, eh?"
He nudged the other dragon with his wing, who returned the gesture.
"We'll just have to wait for the next opportunity to leave the Compound," he continued. "Whenever that is. But I bet we'll continue to catch bits of the news from inside, we just have to listen."
Winter nodded. "And we might as well figure out what we'll do once we can get out," he added. "You know, while we wait."
So plan they did. The conversation began with vague, half-hearted ideas, but it wasn't long before Qibli began to delve into deeper thoughts. He unrolled the scroll and studied the structure of the compound, and began to discuss escape routes with Winter.
Unsurprisingly, it wasn't an easy task. It was Vulture's Compound after all. The old Sandwing was utterly thorough with his process, and his home was one of—if not the most fortified place in the Sand Kingdom. Maybe in all of Pyrrhia. Qibli struggled for a good while to even begin to formulate a plan.
He had hoped that being able to see the secrets of the Compound would make an escape simple. It had seemed to be that way for his mother, after all. But then, not only had she lived here much longer than he had, but it had been a ploy all along. Qibli felt his heart sting at the thought, and it only fueled him to study harder.
When the sun had reached the highest point in the sky, the dragonets took a break. Qibli had noticed the way Winter had begun to pant and sweat from the heat, and his eyes began to glaze over in heavy brain fog. While the Icewing loved an opportunity to complain about the smallest inconveniences, he would never admit when he was actually vulnerable. He pushed through, insisting he was fine, and scrutinized the parchment in a serious, focused face. But Qibli was smarter than that.
He insisted that his clawmate lay down. The Icewing grumbled the whole way, but eventually complied. He spat frostbreath out in bursts on the floor, laying his sparkling scales on the similarly glimmering surface. Qibli felt sparks of pity at the sweltering mess before him.
Poor Winter. He really had been struggling this entire time, hadn't he? He'd been stuck in a Kingdom starkly different from his own, in a culture starkly different from his own. Qibli thought of the few Icewings that he'd seen around the Scorpion Den during the war. He'd mostly ignored the glowering, grumpy dragons, and found them a bit insufferable to be around. But now, he imagined the circumstances that would have forced these dragons to live somewhere so hot and foreign. Was it any wonder they acted the way they did?
The sympathy quickly turned to concern. Winter had been overheating the entire time they'd been in the Sand Kingdom, but something seemed… different this time. Something seemed worse. His light panting had turned to heavy breathing. His eyes were half-lidded and stared off into space at nothing in particular. A blueish flush sat just beneath his scales, coating his face and body.
Something was wrong.
"Hey, Winter," Qibli lightly nudged the other's shoulder. He barely acknowledged the Sandwing at first. It was like he wasn't there at all.
"Winter," he repeated, more forcefully. Dark blue eyes slowly slid to the side, finally looking at him.
"When was the last time you had water?"
Qibli wasn't thirsty. He could go much longer without water, just like other Sandwings. But Winter was not a Sandwing.
Winter shrugged slowly. Qibli felt sick.
Their captors were Sandwings, like Qibli. It wasn't out of the realm of possiblity for someone to forget water for their Icewing captive. Now that they were trapped in the observatory, Winter wouldn't be able to go to one of the little oases in the Compound.
Ugh, Winter, Qibli thought with frustration and building fear. You stupid, self-sacrificing idiot.
There was a fear quickly mounting in his mind that the Icewing was on the cusp of heatstroke. He hoped that he was wrong, but Winter needed water regardless. Qibli wasn't able to fly out of the observatory, and Winter certainly couldn't in this condition. Unlike the night before, there were Talons sprawled all over the place. He'd have to get the attention of one, despite any reluctance, as there was no other option.
He had no time to form any sort of seamless plan. "HEY!" Qibli cried as loudly as could, waving his talons and beating his wings. "I NEED HELP!"
Winter rolled his eyes over to the Sandwing, managing a scowl that barely held a candle to his usual frowns. "What… in Pyrrhia… are you doing?" he gasped. His words were on the verge of a slur.
"I NEED SOMEONE TO GET HERE SOON OR MY FRIEND IS GOING TO DIE!"
"Shut up!" Winter grit out. "No I'm not, 'm just hot," he muttered. "Quit being a drama queen."
He whacked the Icewing with his wing. "I'm saving your tail, you stupid martyr."
"Oh please," he murmured sarcastically. "I told you I'm not dying."
Maybe not, but Qibli didn't want to take that chance.
"HELLO-O!" He continued to yell. Winter hissed below his breath. It was impressive how he was able to uphold his surly personality even while actively suffering.
Finally, the sound of wingbeats met Qibli's ears as a dragon flew above them. A shadow fell over the observatory as one of the cloaked dragons—a surprisingly large Sandwing—perched on the opened dome above them.
"What?" A gruff voice hissed. Qibli could feel dark eyes dissecting the scene below him. He suddenly felt hot beneath his scales, but he spoke.
"We need water," he called up. "My, erm—uh, this dragon is overheating."
Qibli wasn't sure what the rest of the dragons in the Compound thought his relation to Winter was. He decided to keep it (awkwardly) vague.
The Sandwing tilted his head, one eye studying them like a hawk. "So? He's an Icewing. They ain't exactly built for this temperature."
Qibli felt a frustrated growl building in his throat, but he instead tilted his voice to sound light, and innocent.
"Yes, but he needs water," he pressed. "Icewings need more than we do. And look at him! He's obviously dehydrated."
He needed to seal the deal. He looked up at the Sandwing with wide, misty, pleading eyes. He molded his face into something fearful, and desperate. "You don't want him to die on your watch, do you? What would Vulture think?"
He actually had no idea what his grandfather would think. He couldn't decide whether he would feel entirely apathetic, or mildly disappointed that his bargaining chip was gone. He would surely find some other weapon against his grandson in that scenario. Qibli only hoped this dragon wouldn't know that.
The Sandwing's eyes widened. "Oh—oh! That's uh, bad," he coughed out with sudden fear. "Yeah yeah, I hear you, I'll uh, be right back with that water."
And the dragon flew off. He couldn't have been gone more than ten minutes, but it was ten minutes too many. It felt like an eternity, watching his friend gasp and wheeze in that time. He was suffering, and there was nothing Qibli could do.
He rested a delicate talon against Winter's forehead, trying to feel how hot he was running. He cringed at the heat that was almost as warm as his own. The Icewing whimpered a bit under his breath, and Qibli yanked his talon back.
For ten minutes, he felt utterly helpless. He couldn't even physically comfort his clawmate, as the heat from his own scales surely made it worse. He began to mutter soft words to the Icewing. Winter no longer protested, which made Qibli panic even more. He wasn't even sure if the other dragon could hear him anymore.
Finally, the sound of wingbeats returned as the large Sandwing swooped into the observatory, splashing a little water from the bowl in his talons. Qibli stared at it with disdain.
"Here," he said, setting a smooth wooden bowl on the floor. "Water."
"Thank you," Qibli replied, mustering as grateful of a tone as he could manage.
He pushed the bowl as quickly as he could to Winter's snout without spilling anything. "Here," he coaxed gently. "Drink some, slowly."
Winter's movements were sluggish, and Qibli helped guide his head to bowl. The Icewing cringed at the warmth of the water, but began to slowly lap it up.
He felt the eyes of the large Sandwing on him. He'd almost forgotten he was there. Discomfort wriggled under his skin like worms, but there wasn't much to be done about it. Qibli focused his attentions on aiding his sick friend.
"Oh, Vulture wants to see you later," the dragon finally drawled out after a long, awkward moment of staring. Qibli felt his relief turn into nausea as his heart was tugged deep into his stomach.
"Both of you, I think. For dinner," the Sandwing finished. At long last, he turned and flew out of the building.
"Oh Moons," Qibli muttered beneath his breath. He felt ill, remembering the encounter with his grandfather the night prior. The news that they were invited to dinner was both relieving and concerning. On one talon, he was grateful he wouldn't be cornered by Vulture again. The idea of Winter standing by his side made him feel stronger, more prepared for what the evening held. But on another talon, he didn't want Winter anywhere near Vulture. Not after the threats he made. Horrible, terrible images plagued his mind, and he pushed them out for the moment.
On a third talon, the dragon mentioned dinner. The news confused Qibli more than anything else. What was Vulture trying to accomplish? Was this going to be a recreation of the awkward family meal from the week before? Qibli wouldn't fall for such influence anymore, and Vulture knew Qibli wouldn't fall for such influence anymore. What was his angle? What was his plan?
Or perhaps, the worst option of all, Vulture wanted to eat them for dinner.
His stomach churned, and he fixed his gaze back onto the ailing Winter. Already, the Icewing looked better. Qibli breathed a sigh of relief. He had been needed water, but nothing further than that.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"mm," Winter acknowledged. "Water's too hot…"
Honestly, the fact that he'd spoken at all made Qibli sag with relief. "Sorry, we don't really have ice—or anything cooling in the Sand Kingdom."
Winter stared at him for a moment, before grunting in response. His mouth hissed as the telltale sign of his oncoming frost breath. However, it came out in small bursts, and Winter seemed to cough out the ice rather than blast it.
Qibli's relief was ebbed with concern once more. He began to wonder about Icewing frostbreath, and whether it was weakened by the heat, or the the lack of water in Winter's system. Perhaps both.
Soft clumps of ice plopped into the bowl. It wasn't much, but it was enough to cool the water before it melted. Winter began to drink once again, with more vigor. It was the least prim and proper he'd ever seen the Icewing, and Qibli might have laughed if it weren't for his overwhelming worry.
"Hey, slow down, you're going to make yourself sick—" he began.
Too late. Sick he was, alright. Sick right into one of the pillows.
Winter groaned, and flopped ungracefully onto his side. Qibli sat beside him, sighing as he patted the other in a gesture that was both caring and slightly condescending.
"I hate this stupid hot kingdom," Winter mumbled between breaths.
"I know," Qibli replied sympathetically.
"And stupid Sandwings, with your stupid lack of water."
"I know."
"Stupid… stupid warm water… stupid observatory, stupid compound."
"I know."
Winter mumbled some final, unintelligible words beneath his breath. He continued to gasp for a moment, before his breathing slowed to a quiet.
"Feel better?"
"I guess," Winter replied in a stronger voice. After a pause, he added, "sorry."
Qibli wasn't sure how to respond at first. Obviously he wasn't angry at Winter, he was only worried. Besides, it wasn't the Icewing's fault he was put in that situation in the first place. He was only glad he was okay.
But of course, he couldn't reply with such things.
"It's okay," he said. "You can make it up to me the next time I find myself freezing to death by doting over me. Also, by saying something next time you're thirsty."
"Fine," Winter replied in a neutral voice.
A stillness hung in the air. Qibli wanted to ask why he hadn't said anything before, and press a response out of him that was more than a shrug. But he had a feeling he knew the reason. He probably saw his needs as less important than the task at talon, or didn't want to seem weak in comparison to Qibli. He didn't want to pressure Winter into admitting such vulnerable things, not after what had just happened.
"So," Winter said, breaking the silence. "Something something, Vulture, something something dinner?"
"Oh yeah," Qibli replied, reminded of the event looming in their future. "I guess uh… we're invited to dinner. Again."
"Weird," the Icewing snorted. Qibli couldn't help but agree.
"Yeah… weird. I don't even know when it is, if we're expected to just show up, or if we'll have another escort."
"I doubt your grandfather is going to have us wandering around unsupervised," Winter said.
True. He had to know the reluctance his grandson held to see him again, and the longing he had for outside freedom. Either Qibli wouldn't show up for "dinner," or he would try to escape and end up pierced on a spike or something. At least, he imagined that's what Vulture would think.
"I don't like the sounds of this," Qibli shook his head.
"Well, what else are we supposed to do?" Winter replied. "At least we'll both be there. And it's not like he's going to kill you in some supper sacrifice."
Qibli thought back to the large Sandwing's words. "Don't even joke like that," Qibli laughed, though his tone was serious. Vulture wasn't the type for sacrifices… he didn't think, although he was one for grand gestures. Was he the type to eat dragonets?
He felt himself shiver, and Winter must have felt it too. "Hey," he said, looking up at Qibli from the floor. The pools of his eyes shimmered.
"Hm?"
"Don't think about it too much," the Icewing said, voice surprisingly soft. "We've got time."
"Yeah," Qibli echoed. "We've got time."
He looked up at the sun hanging lazily in the sky, as though it, too, felt it had nothing but time.
We've got time, Qibli thought. We've got time, and we've got each other.
Notes:
Sorry it's been a couple months guys! Some stuff happened in my life that made it hard to write this particular fic... but now I'm back, and more ready than ever to get this silly little romance going!
I actually meant to get this chapter out late June, but then I got reaaally distracted with my first year of art fight! So sorry about that, but I'm glad to finally be posting it! Hope you enjoyed the short hurt comfort this chapter brought away from Vulture!
Chapter 23
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The sun had begun to set, the last of its rays spilling over the top of the observatory and cascading over the two pacing dragonets.
Winter was doing better—thank the moons. He'd been resting for the past few hours, but had summoned the strength to stand not long after they finished their conversation. Qibli had still insisted he rest, which made the Icewing fume with embarrassment. It had been long enough that Qibli figured he'd be okay, but he still kept an eye on his clawmate.
"My grandfather knows we're not dating," Qibli sighed. The two had begun to fret about the upcoming event, and the conversation had taken a progression to the topic of their little lie.
"Guess that means we won't have to pretend this time around," he laughed. He supposed that was one silver lining in a cloud of thick grey.
Winter looked thoughtful for a moment as he processed what Qibli had told him. Then, he snickered.
"What?" Qibli asked.
"Nothing," Winter hastily added, but continued to stave off a laugh. "It's stupid—the kind of scheme you might come up with."
"Well now you have to tell me," Qibli pressed, his intrigue growing by the second. "Otherwise I might have to be offended."
Winter looked him in the eye, and his face grew serious again. His eyes wavered like a small bird in a harsh storm, as though he were trying to guess what Qibli's reaction would be. He wondered what Winter was thinking—if he had to guess, he'd say the Icewing was trying to decide if it was worth it to fight the Sandwing and keep his secret.
Apparently, it wasn't worth the trouble. The start of a laugh had escaped past Winter's mouth, creating a smile that contrasted the rest of his stoic expression.
"Okay, well—" he began slowly. He spoke as thought pondering every word. "Yeah, we could ditch the play pretend…"
Winter stopped. Qibli pushed him with an, "o-o-or?" drawing out each syllable.
"Or, we could play it up even more," the Icewing said, a devious glint in his eye. "We could push the whole, 'fake relationship' and see what Vulture does."
Qibli's heart swelled in his chest. He had to fight back his own fit of laughter as he replied. "Why would we do that?" he asked, though not harshly. It was more of an amused curiosity. "I seem to recall you loathing that lie of mine."
"I do loathe it," Winter replied, looking down his nose haughtily in a gesture that was more typical of him. "I think it's stupid and unbelievable, since I'd obviously never date you, and think that was the dumbest lie in the world. It's not like it did us much good, anyway."
Qibli couldn't bring himself to be offended by any of Winter's words, as he was too excited to hear the rest of the prince's explanation. "But?" he asked, grinning.
"But," Winter continued with a shrug. "This dinner is obviously some attempt to make you uncomfortable, get you to squirm. So why give him that satisfaction? I say we take it into our own talons—make everyone else confused and uncomfortable."
Qibli's entire body felt warm, and then a laughter practically exploded from him. He couldn't quite tell what he felt—some mixture of shock and amusement.
"Oh Winter," he smirked. "You devilish scallywag, I didn't think you had such an idea in you."
It was a thought that hadn't crossed his mind, let alone one he thought would have crossed Winter's. The fact that Winter was not only willing to suggest the idea, but had also gotten comfortable enough with Qibli to enact it—
Well, his heart melted a little. But he also felt a growing smugness as well.
Winter narrowed his eyes at Qibli with a "hm."
"Don't get any ideas," he quickly added. "I'm only doing this because your grandfather is weird and awful, and not even you deserve that. I'm not, like—in love with you or anything."
"Of course," Qibli grinned. He couldn't even be offended, not with the way Winter so obviously struggled to keep a scowl on his face. "Likewise."
"Obviously," Winter snorted.
"I'm just surprised you had such a devious idea within you," Qibli continued. "You're right, it does have that classic Qibli vibe to it, I think I'm rubbing off on you."
"Ugh, don't say that," Winter groaned. He stuck his forked, blue tongue out of his mouth and shuddered dramatically. "I cannot think of anything worse. We are nothing alike."
"I think you might sprout a barbed tail soon if you're not careful," Qibli sang, before a force lashed across his legs and sent him to the floor. The force turned out to be Winter's tail.
"Ow!" Qibli cried, before Winter sent him a grin. "I don't know, my tail still seems plenty 'Icewing' to me."
He bit his tongue this time, but Qibli couldn't help but recognize the smug grin plastered all over Winter's face. It resembled one of his own iconic expressions. He stifled any laughter or mocking words. No, he planned to store this memory away for a later date. He was never letting this go.
The humor was a warm break from the situation at hand, but eventually the cold bitter anxiety reminded Qibli of what was coming. He let out a breath, running a talon over his sail and smoothing it.
He turned to Winter. "Do I look alright? Presentable?" he asked.
Winter scrutinized the Sandwing with a raised brow. "You look as scruffy as usual," he said. "Why does it matter? You didn't seem to care this much before."
He dropped his head in his talons and groaned. Why did he care? Because he was terrified of his Grandfather? Because Vulture had some sort of aura that surrounded him that made Qibli desperately want his approval despite everything?
But Winter was right, he didn't care as much before. What, because Qibli was actually going to put effort into being Winter's boyfriend now? Did that mean he had to look somewhat less "scruffy" than he usually did because Winter was sparkly and gorgeous and obviously too good for him?
Why did that matter? It was all pretend, anyway. Those who doubted Qibli could score a partner like Winter would continue to doubt, and those who believed it would still believe. They probably weren't even going to fool Vulture.
"I don't know," he finally settled on. "You've seen my Grandfather. High expectations."
Winter snorted. "I understand more than you'll ever understand."
"At least you're effortlessly beautiful," Qibli shrugged. Winter shot him a bemused look. Uh oh, was that too much? Qibli didn't let his embarrassment show, keeping his exterior cool and casual.
"It's far from effortless," Winter replied. "If you must know, it takes a lot of effort. As you said, high expectations."
While he kept his usual Winter bite to his tone, Qibli realized how open his clawmate was being with him. A few weeks ago, Winter might never have admitted such a thing. Qibli felt a funny sort of feeling at the thought. He really was solving the mysteries of the Winter scroll, wasn't he?
"Well, that and Icewings are just naturally prettier than Sandwings," Winter said, ruining the moment.
"Tch," Qibli clicked his tongue. "Can't argue with that, I guess. You're a sparkly dragon, and dragons are drawn to sparkly things."
Winter flashed him a strange look. "If it helps, you've got a rugged… I don't know, underdog sort of handsome-ness to you."
The surprise from the comment almost made Qibli's heart stopped. His jaw hung open a little bit, he was sure he looked like a dunce.
"I'm sure there'll be dragons who think you're gorgeous," Winter almost mumbled. "Maybe they already do."
Well, Qibli was sure he looked even more stupefied than before. "Oh?"
"Someone at Jade Mountain maybe? I don't know—I wouldn't know who it would be," Winter quickly added. "Just, you know. Don't worry too much about how you look or anything."
But Qibli was already analyzing the Icewing's words. Winter, do you think I'm gorgeous? he thought. It was funny a thought, to say the least. But Winter was weird, and complicated, and there was always the chance Qibli was being big-headed.
"I see," he replied, with an odd amount of enthusiasm.
Qibli was saved from his embarrassment when a dragon landed on the edge of the observatory. In the dark, he couldn't make out most of their features.
"Vulture summons you," she hissed, and Qibli immediately recognized her as one of the conversing Sandwings from earlier.
Nausea roiled in his stomach in a wave. He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves.
"You ready for dinner, dear?" he asked Winter with a goofy smile that betrayed his anxiety.
"Of course, sweetheart," Winter replied with his own grin.
The main pavilion had been decorated in a way that directly mirrored the first supper. It was almost eerie. It didn't help that the glass on the ceiling reflecting the images of his family across the room. grimaces, frowns, and wicked grins watched the pair of dragonets like a hoard of shiny bats.
Three spots at the dining table were occupied. Rattlesnake was already tearing into a scorpion, fury painted on her face as though she were slaying an enemy. Sirocco sat beside her, picking at his food with only half the vigor. At the head of the meal—of course—was Vulture, looking as tall, proud, and smug as ever. His eyes followed the pair as they walked to the group, and Qibli knew his gaze was burning into his grandson specifically.
There was an empty spot next to Vulture. The table seemed lifeless without Mother, the space seeming like a gaping chasm. Qibli shuddered.
Grandfather shot his other grandchildren a look as Winter and Qibli took their seats. Sirocco dropped what he was eating instantly, muttering some kind of half-hearted apologies under his breath. Rattlesnake, however, tore another bite of her scorpion, glaring at Vulture as she swallowed it whole.
He sniffed disapprovingly, but otherwise said nothing.
Qibli felt his steps slow as he approached the other Sandwings. He couldn't tell if it was the hesitance to sit without Vulture's permission, or the fear of sitting by him at all. Winter, however, strolled confidently to the empty seat closest to Grandfather, and sent Qibli a look. It was small—a slight nod and a gentle gaze, but it made him feel infinitely better. He took the spot beside Winter.
"Good evening, Qibli," Vulture grinned, a sinister gleam in his eye. "I hope your day has been relaxing and pleasant."
He spoke as if he'd never threatened his grandson a day in his life. Qibli wasn't sure whether the performance was for the other dragons present, or just to mess with his head.
"It was fine," Qibli said, swallowing his thoughts. He didn't mention what happened to Winter earlier, if he didn't know then he didn't need to.
Vulture nodded halfheartedly. "Of course," he purred.
Qibli settled into his spot uncomfortably. He may have been holding his breath, he wasn't sure. He stared at the details etched into the table, avoiding Vulture's gaze.
Maybe the older Sandwing sensed his discomfort. "Well, dig in!" he said suddenly, clapping his talons together as he so often did, startling Qibli from his thoughts.
He reached for the first bowl of food he could, which turned out to be assorted nuts. He apathetically popped a talonful in his mouth, filling the silence in the air with his crunching. He winced, feeling sick inside. The whole thing was uncomfortable. He wanted to melt into a puddle.
Winter reached delicately for one of the roasted hares. He gave Qibli a side glance, one that was sensitive but urging. The Sandwing was frozen, and Winter was trying to encourage him. At least, that's how Qibli interpreted the glance.
He took a deep breath through his nose. He wondered if the rest of his family noticed it. If Vulture wanted to watch him squirm, then Qibli wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
Qibli flashed as casual and friendly of a smile as he could.
"So, Grandfather," he began, voice cool and smooth. "What's the occasion for such a nice meal?"
Rattlesnake shot him a withering glare.
Vulture, however, gave a wry little smirk. "I simply figured we could have another meal as a family. It has been a while, after all. Besides, I couldn't remember the last time I'd sent a Talon to feed you. Growing dragonets need their energy, after all."
Winter's stomach growled in an ironic timing. He took another bite of his hare with an abashed frown. Sirocco snickered, Rattlesnake hissed at him, and he muttered a dumbfounded "what?" in return.
Vulture's wording was intentional. Despite his faux concern, he spoke carelessly. It was as if he was directly telling Qibli that he could let the two of them starve if he wanted to.
Vulture continued. "I'd heard what had happened earlier, something about Prince Winter being dehydrated? What a terrible shame, I promise that won't happen again, not while you're a guest here."
Qibli winced. So Grandfather had been told of what happened. Of course he had. Qibli understood that Vulture brought it up to make Winter uncomfortable, but he didn't understand the show he was putting on. Calling Winter "prince," and the two of them "guests"… who was it for? The performance surely wasn't for Rattlesnake and Sirocco.
The only explanation that Qibli could come up with was that he was toying with them. Qibli couldn't let Vulture get into his head.
"Well, you know how it is being an Icewing," Winter spoke up. There was an odd tone to his voice—some sort of funny accent that Qibli imagined he used during dinner parties and political gatherings. "We have a lot of water in our kingdom. But don't fret, your grandson took excellent care of me."
Winter curled his tail around Qibli's, making a big show of it. For a moment, he was left speechless, stunned into silence. But then Winter sent a mischievous smirk his way, and Qibli remembered what they had previously discussed.
His heart began to beat with the thrill. Let the game begin.
Vulture's smile wavered for a moment, and his brows furrowed as he glanced between the two dragonets. It was a quick movement, one that anyone else might have missed. But Qibli noticed it, and it gave him a sort of satisfaction. He decided instantly that he would do whatever awkward things it took to see that hesitance again.
"I see, perfect," Vulture said. It was as if his plastered smile had never faltered at all.
"I certainly couldn't let you go thirsty," Qibli chimed in himself, smooth-tongued. He turned to Winter and lightly tapped his nose. "Imagine letting a pretty thing like you get sick?"
Rattlesnake gagged, and internally Qibli agreed. The sickeningly-sweet tones were a bit much, but they were just the right kind of obnoxious.
"Ugh, are you seriously going to let this continue?" Rattlesnake groaned, gesturing to the two of them. Vulture frowned slightly.
"I don't see why not," he finally said. "I think we can all tolerate it for tonight. It's practically a celebration, since Qibli has decided to tell me all the information I need to overthrow Thorn."
Qibli's heart sank in his chest. At first, he was sure that Vulture's grin landed on him. But then he realized that the old Sandwing was looking at Winter.
That's when Qibli realized who Vulture was trying to fool. He was trying to fool Winter.
Likely, he was trying to drive a wedge between them. Maybe he wanted to separate them so that Qibli was easier to coerce, maybe he was just tired of dealing with the Icewing's presence.
But Vulture was mistaken if he thought he could lie to Winter. The two's eyes met, a silent understanding passing between them. Winter knew the truth. Vulture probably thought Qibli hadn't been communicating, either because he underestimated their friendship or assumed Qibli wouldn't tell secrets to an Icewing. Perhaps he thought Qibli was more like his grandfather than he was.
Qibli was at a loss for words. Apparently, Winter was not.
"I couldn't possibly care for Sandwing affairs," Winter stated simply as he dipped a piece of camel jerky into a mystery sauce. "I simply appreciate a good celebration."
Well, Winter was certainly playing the part of "careless prince" well. Qibi wondered how often he'd had to act this way in the past. It almost felt like speaking to an entirely different dragon.
Vulture narrowed his eyes a little, studying Winter. Perhaps looking for cracks in his facade. Qibli awkwardly crunched his own food, trying to keep his own composure still, while also hoping the older Sandwings eyes weren't on him.
"As do I," Vulture responded. "Any dragon of note should. It's too bad my grandchildren never seemed to pick up on the enjoyment."
Rattlesnake growled and poked at her food some more. Her eyes burned into the table, as though there were things she wanted to say, but for whatever reason she held her tongue.
"Why, I remember," Vulture began again with a little laugh, as though recalling a fond memory. "When Qibli was a tiny dragonet, he was always so timid, hunched in the corner during one of my parties."
It was eerie how quickly Vulture was able to shift into that loving grandfather facade, that one that had almost tricked Qibli previously. Though, his story left out some important details. His grandchildren didn't attend his parties frequently at all. And it wasn't the celebration aspect that scared a younger Qibli, rather his constant torment of his siblings and the looming presence of his big scary grandfather.
Qibli had been to far more celebrations when he lived with the Outclaws. However, he didn't spend much time dancing and enjoying himself. Most of his time as an Outclaw was spent at Thorn's side as a fierce little bodyguard, and parties were no exceptions. Thorn would often try to convince him to lighten up a little, as she was fully capable of defending herself for a few hours, but he wouldn't budge. He was certainly a loyal dragonet, but Vulture would never be the object of that loyalty.
"Sounds about right," Winter laughed in response, playfully flicking Qibli with his tail. The icicles stung more than a normal dragon's tail would. Qibli stuck his tongue out.
Then, the two made eye contact. And there was a glint in Winter's eye—a playful spark. They could take this further. He was challenging them to take it further. A slight shudder ran through Qibli.
He returned the glance with his own wily look. It was time to take this to the next level, and Qibli already saw his next opportunity.
Winter's talon sat over top a bowl as he took a portion of the contents inside. Qibli reached his own over the table—slowly, deliberately—and rested it on top of the other's.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see your talon there," he said. Winter sent a sly look his way and giggled.
Moons, there was something beautiful about the curves of his eyes when he narrowed them in such a way. Almost like a delicate crescent moon, or a small fish swimming through a pond.
It was time to seal the deal.
Qibli shuffled his whole body until he was leaning against Winter, practically on top of him. He nuzzled his head into the crook of the other's neck, heat against cold. Letting out a deep, contented sigh, his whole body relaxed despite the awkward circumstances. The Icewing beneath him stiffened for a moment, as if unsure what to do, before pressing his head on top of the one below.
Qibli wanted to freeze up himself. He hadn't expected it to feel this way—so comfortable, so right. He was beginning to warm up to the other's scales (pun intended). It was a nice contrast to his own. It was like they combined to make something new. It was odd, feeling Winter hold him in such a way. For a long moment, he forgot it was an act. His worries melted away as the two sat there against each other. Winter's snout brushed against his forehead.
And then, he was broken out of his little bubble by a retching sound. Rattlesnake pointed to her open mouth, snout wrinkled in disgust. "Ugh, I can't watch this anymore," she snarled, hucking a bone at the table as she stormed off.
The dragons were stunned into silence.
"Uh, yeah," Sirrocco finally said. "Me too."
He walked out of the pavilion as well. Now, it was only Vulture and the "love birds" sitting in awkward silence.
"Well, I suppose that brings an end to supper," the old Sandwing finally said. His talons were clasped on the wood in front of him, and a smile only barely covered his disdain. "Just… go back to the Observatory for tonight."
Qibli and Winter turned to each other, and the eye contact sent the Sandwing scrambling away. Oh, yeah. He'd almost forgotten that the dragon he'd been snuggling up to was his clawmate Winter—the prickly, terribly handsome Icewing prince. They'd been all cuddled up without any sort of cold, icy words. Sure, it was all apart of the game, but…
It felt different. Uncomfortably different. But maybe a good different. Qibli wasn't entirely sure.
"Okay," he finally responded, awkwardly. The two dragonets, having fully pulled away from each other at this point, began to take hesitant steps towards the entrance.
"Hold on, one moment," Vulture added, stopping them in their tracks. Qibli could feel eyes assessing him.
"Your wings look terrible, grandson," he continued. When Qibli turned, he saw a slight smirk on his grandfather's snout. "I imagine flying back and forth from the Observatory is painful, yes?"
"Oh, uh," Qibli resisted the urge to flinch. Of course Vulture would notice something like that. "It's not so bad, don't worry about it."
"Nonsense!" Vulture crowed. "You're plenty banged up already, we don't want you to strain yourself further, do we?"
The Sandwing pranced over to the long metal sheet that still sat at the front of the room, and banged on it. Two cloaked dragons slunk inside—they'd likely been just outside of the pavilion. They stood behind Winter and Qibli, tall and broad shouldered, waiting for command.
"Escort them to the Observatory, and carry them inside," Vulture said.
Qibli wanted to groan. He did not want these strange dragons to manhandle him under his Grandfather's orders. At the same time, he was tired, in pain, and just wanted to get the night over with so he and Winter could be alone. He didn't particularly feel like arguing with Vulture either, not after having spent the whole dinner acting casual.
So he didn't say a word as the Talons ushered the dragonets outside. Instead, he gave a sneaky glance towards Winter. The Icewing's face was as stoic as ever, and Qibli couldn't read it. What was he thinking? Was he awkward about their actions at dinner? Was he uncomfortable? Was he upset at Qibli?
He sent a smile his way, testing the waters. The Icewing smiled back, much to his relief. Not only that, but the look on his face was mischievous, like a small dragonet who'd gotten away with a prank. Now Qibli had to stop himself from snickering by biting the inside of his cheek.
One of the Sandwings wasted no time in seizing Qibli in her claws. He yelped in surprise at the sudden grab. A puff of ice whirled from Winter's snout when the other dragon reached for him.
"Don't touch me," he all but snapped. "I'm fine, thanks."
The dragon pulled her talons away like she'd been bit. She shot him a scornful look, before leaping into the air, along with her companion. Qibli felt like some dirty object with how he was carried, wincing as his body was jerked around. When he was basically dropped into the top of the Observatory, his elbow grazed his wing. Ouch, so much for resting his injuries…
Winter landed far more elegantly beside him. Black eyes met blue in the dark, waiting for the sounds of wing beats and footsteps to fade into the night. Finally, they were left in their own silence.
Then Qibli began to laugh.
It must have been infectious, because Winter let out his own huff of laughter. The two giggled like they were tiny dragonets.
"You were right, that was pretty hilarious," he said between breaths. "Did you see the way Grandfather reacted?"
"I mean, he sort of just looked how he always does," Winter said, tilting his head slightly.
Qibli shook his head. "That's what he wanted you to think. But he was definitely confused, and definitely a little uncomfortable."
"Ha!" Winter burst out. "Your siblings were too!"
"That's an understatement, Rattlesnake was disgusted," Qibli replied between breaths. "I think Sirocco was jealous, though."
"Pft, really?" Winter asked, and Qibli nodded.
They laughed again. And laughed, and laughed until their lungs hurt.
After all of the crazy excitement, the two found themselves curled up in the corner of the Observatory. Winter had his head on a pillow, and Qibli sat on one of the rugs, staring at the sky.
"I'm surprised," Winter mumbled. Qibli looked down at him.
"Hm?"
Cobolt eyes widened a little, as if he hadn't meant for his voice to be heard.
"I don't know, I guess it wasn't as bad pretending to be your partner as I thought it would be," Winter said. "Even though the whole thing was weird and obnoxious, just like you."
Qibli snorted. "Gee, thanks. Really feeling the love here."
"Oh, stop it," Winter flicked him with his tail. "There is no love. But I can admit friendly admiration."
He rolled his eyes, but Qibli decided that he'd take what he could get.
He turned his head back to the stars, twinkling in the cool silence of night. He had to admit, the Observatory was a good place for Star gazing.
Moon would love this place.
The thought hit him like a cold blast of frost breath, freezing him into place.
Moon.
Jeez, when was the last time he'd thought of Moon? She'd taken up every inch of his mind when he'd first arrived. But then, so much had changed, hadn't it? He had a goal, one both he and Winter were focused on.
Memories of dinner slid into his thoughts. He shivered, as if those cold scales were still pressed against his. He tried to think of Moonwatcher, to drum up old feelings deep within. But every time he tried, his mind wandered back to Winter.
It wasn't that his feelings for Moon were gone, but that stupidly interesting Icewing had invaded every inch of his thoughts.
The stars twinkled from the sky. They were as scattered as his mind.
"What are you thinking about?" Winter asked, his voice breaking through the other's haze of mind.
"Oh, nothing," Qibli quickly said. "Just tired."
He yawned, then smiled a bit. "I think I'm going to go to sleep, goodnight Winter."
"Goodnight, Qibli."
Then, the Sandwing curled in on himself. His head rested on the floor, breaths stirring the fuzz in the carpet he lay on.
He wanted to rest, but he couldn't. He wanted his mind to relax, but it couldn't.
As Qibli lay distressingly awake, and more and more visions collided in his head—heart beating—he came to a conclusion. He'd began to felt these new feelings a while ago, but he'd avoided admitting the truth.
But he couldn't deny how he felt anymore.
Qibli was developing a crush on Winter.
Notes:
Yay the slow burn is burning haha
Pages Navigation
Burnthechild on Chapter 1 Thu 02 Dec 2021 03:59AM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 1 Thu 02 Dec 2021 04:14AM UTC
Comment Actions
anon (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sat 16 Sep 2023 09:14AM UTC
Comment Actions
Shaonics on Chapter 1 Thu 02 Dec 2021 05:50AM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 1 Thu 02 Dec 2021 07:14AM UTC
Comment Actions
Shaonics on Chapter 1 Thu 02 Dec 2021 06:00PM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 1 Thu 02 Dec 2021 11:57PM UTC
Comment Actions
Shaonics on Chapter 1 Fri 03 Dec 2021 12:00AM UTC
Comment Actions
kitkatnerds3 on Chapter 1 Sun 25 Sep 2022 01:43AM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 1 Sun 25 Sep 2022 01:56AM UTC
Comment Actions
refref (Guest) on Chapter 1 Fri 27 Sep 2024 04:37AM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 1 Sat 28 Sep 2024 04:22AM UTC
Comment Actions
Peeslosh_h on Chapter 1 Fri 27 Dec 2024 02:24PM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 1 Wed 01 Jan 2025 09:42PM UTC
Comment Actions
Monster_Jay on Chapter 1 Sat 25 Jan 2025 02:15AM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 1 Sat 25 Jan 2025 05:16PM UTC
Comment Actions
Shaonics on Chapter 2 Mon 06 Dec 2021 12:06AM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 2 Mon 06 Dec 2021 12:21AM UTC
Comment Actions
Shaonics on Chapter 2 Mon 06 Dec 2021 01:28AM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 2 Mon 06 Dec 2021 03:35AM UTC
Comment Actions
Shaonics on Chapter 2 Mon 06 Dec 2021 04:49AM UTC
Comment Actions
kitkatnerds3 on Chapter 2 Sun 25 Sep 2022 01:43AM UTC
Comment Actions
Maxie (Guest) on Chapter 2 Wed 03 May 2023 04:30PM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 2 Thu 04 May 2023 01:50AM UTC
Comment Actions
anon (Guest) on Chapter 2 Sat 16 Sep 2023 09:20AM UTC
Comment Actions
tangerineblu3 on Chapter 2 Tue 12 Nov 2024 12:02PM UTC
Comment Actions
Friendlier_ghost on Chapter 2 Mon 14 Apr 2025 10:39PM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 2 Wed 16 Apr 2025 09:40PM UTC
Comment Actions
Ignoredtransartist on Chapter 3 Sat 11 Dec 2021 05:33PM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 3 Sat 11 Dec 2021 06:31PM UTC
Comment Actions
Shaonics on Chapter 3 Sat 11 Dec 2021 07:48PM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 3 Sat 11 Dec 2021 08:49PM UTC
Comment Actions
kitkatnerds3 on Chapter 3 Sun 25 Sep 2022 01:43AM UTC
Comment Actions
Shaonics on Chapter 4 Fri 17 Dec 2021 04:31AM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 4 Fri 17 Dec 2021 04:04PM UTC
Comment Actions
CrystalRime (Guest) on Chapter 4 Wed 05 Jan 2022 10:50AM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 4 Thu 06 Jan 2022 01:44AM UTC
Comment Actions
GoldiesFlag on Chapter 4 Tue 11 Jan 2022 05:50AM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 4 Tue 11 Jan 2022 06:55AM UTC
Comment Actions
kitkatnerds3 on Chapter 4 Wed 28 Sep 2022 02:29AM UTC
Comment Actions
anon (Guest) on Chapter 4 Sat 16 Sep 2023 09:49AM UTC
Comment Actions
nightmare192 on Chapter 4 Mon 24 Jun 2024 10:02PM UTC
Comment Actions
Glamour_Rock on Chapter 4 Tue 25 Jun 2024 05:33PM UTC
Comment Actions
Pages Navigation