Chapter Text
Mirage groaned and tried to find some form of shade in the patch, grumbling to herself. The jungle's humidity clung to her scales like a second skin, making her feel like a soggy towel left out in the rain. Somewhere nearby, insects buzzed relentlessly, and the squelch of her tail dragging through mud did nothing to improve her mood.
Despite the oppressive heat, Peacemaker looked like he’d never been more comfortable. He crouched low in a patch of wild strawberries, picking them lazily, humming to himself like this was a casual stroll through a garden.
A patch of wild strawberries, picking them lazily, humming to himself like this was a casual stroll through a garden.
“What are you doing?” Mirage snapped, yanking her tail free of the muck with a sickening shhlop.
Peacemaker didn’t even glance up. “Picking strawberries. They’re ripe. It’s a thing. Helps pass the time.”
Mirage scoffed. “This isn’t passing time. This is torture.”
Peacemaker held up a particularly plump berry. “Torture with snacks.”
She gave him a withering glare. “I’m trying not to die out here, Peacemaker. Maybe you could help by not pretending we’re on vacation.”
“Hey,” he said, popping the berry into his mouth with a satisfied hum. “Just trying to make it fun. Besides, mosquitoes love stressed dragons. You’re like... an all-you-can-eat buffet right now.”
“Charming.” Mirage swatted at her arm. “You're so helpful.”
“You’re welcome.” He grinned. “Want to walk? I know a good trail, fewer bugs, more trees, maybe even a breeze if we’re lucky.”
She sighed dramatically but started moving anyway. “I didn’t ask for a jungle tour.”
“Yeah, but you’d complain either way,” he said lightly, falling into step beside her.
They wandered along a narrow, muddy path. Peacemaker pointed out weird plants and made up names for birds that Mirage was pretty sure didn’t exist, while she swatted bugs and tried not to trip over roots. She didn't hate the company, though she’d never admit it.
Eventually, they reached a clearing. Sunlight poured down through the trees like golden syrup, and a massive vine hung from a thick branch overhead. Peacemaker’s eyes lit up.
“Oh no,” Mirage said immediately.
“Oh yes.” He grabbed the vine and gave it a test swing. “Perfect."
“You’re not seriously ”
He was. A moment later, he swung in a wide arc, hooting with laughter before landing on his feet. “Your turn!”
She rolled her eyes. “You are an idiot.”
“An idiot who knows how to have a good time.” He grinned. “Come on. Try it. You might accidentally enjoy yourself.”
Mirage hesitated, staring at the vine like it might bite her. But then, with a quiet ugh , she grabbed it and swung.
For a heartbeat, she felt free. Weightless. Like she wasn’t Mirage the fugitive or Mirage the orphan just a dragon in the air, surrounded by wind and sunlight.
She landed, stumbled, and promptly sank ankle-deep in mud. Peacemaker howled with laughter.
“Okay, fine,” she said, trying to suppress a smile. “That was... tolerable.”
“Victory,” he said, offering his hand.
Peacemaker kicked a pebble down the mossy path and glanced at Mirage, squinting through the leafy light. “So… the Scorpion Den. That’s where you’re from, right?”
She didn’t answer.
“Is it, like… all sand and rock and crime? Or do dragons just say that to sound cool?”
Still silent.
Her eyes weren’t on him. Not really in the jungle either.
“…Mirage?” he tried again.
She was somewhere else.
The sunbaked walls of the orphanage curled around her like a trap. She could feel the splinters in her nest. Hear the voices whispering just loud enough:
“Don’t turn your back on her, she might bite.”
“Mutts like that don’t belong anywhere.”
“Not a SandWing. Not a NightWing. Not even a dragon, really.”
“You see her wings? Freakshow.”
“…Mirage.”
The jungle rustled, but she didn’t blink.
“I heard she bit a dragon’s tail off once.”
“No wonder she got dumped. Nobody wants her.”
“Mirage.”
Still no response. Peacemaker frowned.
“Okay, rude,” he muttered, crouching slightly. He picked up a small red berry from the moss and gently tossed it at her shoulder.
It bounced off with a quiet plop.
She blinked.
“Finally,” he said, straightening up. “I was about to start singing and that would’ve been tragic for both of us.”
She blinked again, slower this time, and her wings twitched as though she’d only just remembered they existed.
“…Yeah,” she said. “That’s where I’m from.”
He raised a brow but didn’t push. “Must’ve been… interesting.”
“Dry air. Cracked walls. Every dragon staring like they expected me to catch fire.”
Her tone was hollow, distant. Like she was still walking those broken streets.
Peacemaker nudged her with a wing. “Did you at least have friends?”
She gave him a sideways look. “You’re really fishing for sad stories today, huh?”
“Just curious. I’ve never left the rainforest. Gotta get my education somewhere.”
Mirage let out a short breath, not quite a laugh, but not a growl either. “If I’d stayed there, I’d probably be working at some flea-bitten stand selling lizard meat. Or robbing one.”
“I don’t think you’d be very good at selling lizard meat.”
“Oh no?” she asked with mock offense.
“You’d eat the inventory.”
She actually laughed at that. It was brief, but real.
“…Maybe.”
Peacemaker smiled. “Was it ever… good? Even a little?”
She hesitated, then shrugged. “Sometimes the sunsets hit the stone just right. Looked like gold dust for a second. Then someone threw a rock at me and ruined it.”
“Charming place.”
She gave a soft snort. “It teaches you to be quick. Be faster, be smarter. Be sharper than the dragons who want to cut you down.”
“I wouldn’t have let them.”
“You would’ve tried. You’d’ve made a great distraction.”
He grinned. “Glad I have a purpose.”
Mirage smirked, then fell quiet again. But this time, her silence didn’t stretch too far.
“…You ask a lot of questions,” she said eventually.
“I told you. I’m Curious.”
She tilted her head. “If I start charging for answers, are you gonna go broke?”
“Already broke. You’ll have to take payment in berries.”
He picked another berry and gently tossed it up, catching it mid-air with his tongue. Mirage rolled her eyes but didn’t stop the slight upward curl at her snout.
Then, A voice. Just ahead.
Mirage stiffened, wings snapping half-open.
“What is it?” Peacemaker whispered.
She didn’t answer. Instead, she slipped low, motioning for him to follow.
“…Wait, is this a spy thing? Are we doing spy stuff?”
“Shhh.” She pointed through a dense patch of foliage.
Voices again.
Moonwatcher. Hope. Qibli.
Mirage narrowed her eyes. “They’re talking about me.”
“You sure?”
She gave him a look. “Would I look this smug if I wasn’t?”
“…No, you’d look smugger.”
She smirked and trotting forth just a small bit “Let’s find out what they’re hiding.”
Peacemaker followed beside her. “This is extremely not allowed.”
“You don’t seem to be leaving.”
“…Nope. I can’t miss this.” Then Mirage took off, leaving peacemaker scrambling to follow.
The moment Mirage touched down at the edge of the glade, she dropped into a crouch, wings tightly furled against her sides. She glanced over her shoulder and shot Peacemaker a sharp look.
"You're stepping like a thunderstorm. Are you trying to get us caught?"
Peacemaker landed beside her with an exaggerated huff, brushing a leaf from his snout. "Sorry, I left my silk slippers at home. Next time I’ll wear a moss dress, too."
"If you ruin this, I’m feeding you to a sloth."
"Joke’s on you. I hear sloths are vegetarians."
Mirage rolled her eyes so hard it could've made a snapping noise. She crept forward through the underbrush, barely disturbing the leaves beneath her talons. Peacemaker did his best to follow, but he was clearly not built for stealth. Every few steps, a twig snapped under his weight, or a fern slapped against his side.
They reached the thick, moss-covered trunk of an ancient tree and ducked behind it. Beyond, in the dappled clearing, three dragons sat in quiet conversation: Moonwatcher, Hope, and Qibli.
"What do you think they’re talking about?" Peacemaker whispered.
"What do you think we snuck out here to find out?" Mirage muttered. She poked her head out, her horns blending with the shadows as she tried to read their lips.
Peacemaker leaned closer, his breath warm on her shoulder. "Okay, but what if it’s just boring adult stuff? Like feelings? Or taxes?"
"Then you can suffer in silence like the rest of us. Shh."
Moonwatcher’s voice, even muffled by distance and wind, carried faintly through the clearing. She was saying something about Mirage. The name alone made Mirage’s stomach twist into an unholy knot.
Peacemaker noticed. "Ooooh, they’re talking about you," he sang in a low, teasing whisper.
"Shut up."
"Do you think they’re saying you’re too cool to live here? ‘Oh no,’" he mimicked in a mock-earnest tone, "‘we could never handle Mirage’s overwhelming awesomeness.’"
Mirage nudged him, a little harder than necessary.
"Ow," he hissed.
"Suffer quieter."
In the clearing, Hope spoke, her face earnest, eyes shimmering like moonlight on water. Mirage could just barely make out the movement of her jaw, her slow, deliberate words. Moonwatcher nodded, placing a talon on Hope’s. Qibli looked thoughtful, tail twitching in the grass.
Peacemaker leaned in again. "Okay but seriously, what if they’re planning to ship you off to the Ice Kingdom or something? Maybe they think you’d look good in fur."
"I swear, Peacemaker-"
"Or! Or maybe they’re picking your new name. Something cool, like… Uh…"
Before she could finish, Mirage interrupted, "I’m going to stuff moss in your snout."
"I dare you."
She reached for a patch of soggy moss.
"No! No, I take it back! Truce!"
Mirage smirked and relaxed slightly, still crouched low. The conversation in the clearing grew more intense, Moonwatcher gesturing with her wings. Mirage tried to focus, but Peacemaker was fidgeting again.
"What now?"
He scratched at a mosquito bite on his side. "I think the bugs are forming a union. They’re demanding more blood."
"Tell them you’re broke."
"Tried. They want interest."
She shook her head, the smallest smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Peacemaker, for all his buzzing energy, had a way of grounding her when she didn’t want to admit she was floating too high with worry. Or rage. Or… whatever this twisting feeling in her chest was when they talked about her like she wasn’t there.
Qibli stood up in the clearing, tail curling with purpose. He said something that made both Moonwatcher and Hope look at him with surprise. no, not surprise. Hope. That was hope in Hope’s face, go figure.
Peacemaker’s expression softened as he watched the scene. "Maybe they’re just trying to do what’s best for you."
Mirage narrowed her eyes. "They could try asking me. That’d be revolutionary."
He gave a one-shouldered shrug. "You’re a little intimidating."
"I’m adorable."
“Your a menace, with that magical death spit you might have"
"Be careful, I might do what our Queen Glory did!"
"Totally Fruit boy."
Peacemaker went to debate that statement however ,they fell into silence again, not for lack of things to say, but because the moment had turned still and meaningful. The kind of quiet that swells and hushes everything else, even Peacemaker.
Eventually, Mirage leaned back against the tree, staring up at the canopy. “They want to keep me here.”
Peacemaker shifted beside her. “Would that be the worst thing?”
Mirage didn’t answer immediately. The rainforest felt heavy around them, warm, green, alive but also pressing, like a closed door behind her.
"I don’t know yet," she finally said.
Peacemaker reached over and flicked her ear.
"Ow. What was that for?"
"Just reminding you you're not dreaming. You’ve got me. Worst case, you hate it here and we stage a daring escape involving parrots and several buckets of pineapple juice."
"That’s a very specific plan."
"I’ve had time to think."
She shook her head, laughing softly. "You’re the worst."
"And yet, here we are. Still spying on your maybe-future-roommates."
The trio in the clearing stood at last, their conversation apparently concluded. Hope lingered, eyes drifting toward the trees. For a brief, frozen moment, Mirage thought she saw them.
She did.
"Mirage," Moonwatcher called gently, as if she hadn't just caught them red-taloned in the act of eavesdropping.
Mirage flinched. Peacemaker winced.
"Run?" he whispered.
"No time," she muttered, standing up from behind the tree like a prisoner of war. "Hi."
Hope smiled, warm and unsurprised. "We were wondering when you'd come out. Peacemaker, you’re not exactly… quiet."
"That’s slander," he said cheerfully. "I walk like a whisper. Just ask the mosquitoes."
Qibli raised a brow. "And yet somehow, I heard your entire conversation."
Mirage’s wings stiffened, mortified. "You weren’t supposed to."
"That tends to be how spying works," Qibli said dryly.
Mirage shot him a sharp glare, then straightened up. "Fine. Fine! You caught us, okay? We were spying. We’re heading back." She threw Peacemaker a look. “Though I did tell you that sneaking was a bad idea.”
"I like to live dangerously."
Moonwatcher gestured with her tail. "Come on. You might as well see where you’ll be staying."
Mirage blinked. "Wait, really?"
Hope nodded. “Unless you'd prefer to keep crouching behind trees."
Peacemaker nudged Mirage. “Told you they were planning something cool.”
“You also said I was getting shipped to the Ice Kingdom.”
“Still might. But your room will probably have less snow.”
They stepped out from behind the tree, and Qibli’s expression was a mix of amusement and knowing irritation. “Well, come along then, I’m not letting you two stay out here all night.”
Hope walked up next to Mirage, a light but concerned expression flickering in her eyes. “Maybe you could, you know, talk to us about how you’re feeling? Instead of sneaking around like this?”
Mirage didn’t answer immediately. She couldn’t tell them everything, not yet, but it was hard to hide the tension in her shoulders, the way the world felt like it was trying to swallow her whole. She cast a quick glance at Peacemaker, who gave her a subtle nod, but she knew he didn’t have the answer either.
Moonwatcher turned, her wings rustling as she started to lead the way. “Let’s get you settled,” she said, her voice soft yet firm. “You’re staying with me for now. There’s no point in sneaking around when you’re already a part of this family.”
Mirage stared at the ground, her stomach flipping. “Staying with you?”
Moonwatcher didn’t pause. “You have been adopted by me, and when he is not dealing with Queen’s Thorns bidding Qibli, Mirage. You’ll be staying in my abode.”
And just like that, Mirage’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t quite explain why that simple statement, adopted , felt like a door had just opened, and yet it was also closing. She glanced at Peacemaker, who gave her a soft, knowing smile. At least she wasn’t alone. Not completel.