Lava Viper

Hey wikians! This is a story I completed on my dA () and decided to post on here!
Also, please know this was a fanfic I wrote a little while back. Word choice and that jazz isn't as shiny as how I write now.
All dragons except for filled in dragons to fit the story are canon dragons, and therefore belong to Tui. This was written before TBN.
== Prologue ==
Heat slammed into Viper at both sides.
She wanted to open her mouth to scream but the slightest opening allowed heat to rush in, making her clamp her mouth shut.
I need to get out!
Viper blindly moved. She cracked her eye open just the tiniest, and all she could see was lava.
This should be you, Fatespeaker.
Viper kicked upward, to where she thought the surface might be. She felt the lava eating away at her. Worse still, her lungs felt like they were going to explode.
I can't faint! I'll die! This drove her further.
Viper's head popped up above the lava. She gasped for breath, then swam slowly to land. She pulled herself up, cringing at the stinging pain in her scales.
I better move out of range of Flame. Viper knew the annoying SkyWing would laugh and hurt her if he saw her in this state.
A small cave lay ahead. Viper painfully dragged herself over. She ducked into the cave before gingerly resting herself on the floor.
I can survive, and then I'll kill Fatespeaker.
== Chapter 1 ==
Viper cracked her eyes open. Darkness surrounded her.
She stretched, but it sent clawing pain down her sides. She growled, but didn't dare scratch in case of wounds.
She examined her body to see her condition. There were little trails were the lava had ran down her body and consumed the scales. Her wing membranes had ragged holes in them, and her scales had been eaten away. Viper didn't examine her scale any closer after she saw some white on her body.
She looked back to check her tail. The barb looked like it was in good condition, though it was obvious it had seen better days.
Something rumbled. Viper looked around menacingly, or at least hoping to be. The sound came again. Something stabbed at Viper's stomach.
That's right, I'm hungry. NightWings have no good food whatsoever.
Even though she was sore, Viper looked out of the cave, determined to find something to eat. Black smoke blotted out the sky still, and the horrible smell still filled the air. The young SandWing snorted and stepped back a few paces.
"I've got to get off this smelly, stinky, burning island," she murmured. When something caught her attention. Two skinny NightWing passed through a tunnel.
Now that's suspicious.
Silently, Viper walked over, pain flaring through her body every step. She inhaled, and darted through. NightWing guards shouted as she pushed through.
When Viper stepped on something hot.
Yes, hot, but not lava hot. It still burned, though. She snarled, but pushed through.
Something grabbed her. She hissed, and waved her tail wildly. When Viper felt it contact something. A NightWing howled, and released Viper.
She shot through the hole, where she met blinding sunlight.
----
Viper blinked a few times before her eyes adjusted to the light.
The rainforest.
"I think she went through here!" the voices snapped Viper into action. She darted away, hoping to find a place that wasn't as vulnerable to NightWing eyes.
She ran painfully through the trees, fleeing the NightWings. Eventually she stopped.
Viper panted, catching her breath. Something uncomfortable filled the air.
Viper looked around. Something was definitely here. With her.
A small object whizzed past her head. Alarm went through Viper. She crushed it and looked around carefully.
"Who's there?" she roared. No reply.
Viper looked on the ground. The small object had embedded itself there. She plucked it out.
Viper brought it closer, and she identified it as a dart.
"Now, why would-" something cut Viper off as an object stuck in her neck. She blinked, confused. Before black spots clouded her vision, and she past out.
== Chapter 2 ==
Viper opened her eyes. Something pink was staring at her.
"Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Viper hissed and released a burst of flame. The pink thing yelped.
Viper backed up. Oh, it's just a RainWing.
"Why am-" she was cut off.
"I better tell Queen Glory that your awake!" the pink RainWing said as he flew away.
Queen Glory? Viper snorted. Probably another no-good queen. They never went to find the RainWings according to Morrowseer, or what Viper had heard eavesdropping.
Viper looked around. Several RainWings stood around her. They were alert and carefully watching.
Sunlight was trickling down through the treetops. A couple of the RainWings were beginning to look sleepy.
"STAY ALERT!" a voice boomed. Viper turned on a dime to see the RainWings making themselves erect and ready. The silhouette of a SeaWing was watching them.
That's...it...Squid! Viper hissed and launched herself at the SeaWing. She slammed into the SeaWing, who roared and sliced her talons at Viper.
Viper growled as bubbling pain flared over her snout. She caught blood trickling down her snout.
Viper blew fire at the SeaWing, determined to injure it. The SeaWing flew down. Viper turned on a dime to watch the SeaWing. She had trouble staying in the air because of her injuries but was determined. She shot down and sank her claws into the SeaWing, who roared in mostly anger and thrashed to her opponent.
RainWings all around the two watched the quarreling dragons.
Viper lost her grip but was able to slice the SeaWing's snout a bit before she lost her ability to fly any longer and fell to the balcony below.
Pain flared through Viper as her wounds from the lava sang. The SeaWing flew down. She appeared ready to slash the SandWing.
Viper shakily got to her feet. When the SeaWing was close she stabbed her tail at her. The SeaWing yelped and just narrowly dodged the barb.
By taking the evasive maneuver, the SeaWing almost crashed.
Suddenly RainWings seemed to fly out of nowhere at Viper. They screeched in anger, opening their jaws.
Viper growled, and crouched, looking for one to attack. The SeaWing rose from below the balcony, roaring for the RainWings not to attack.
When a different voice cut the air. "STOP! STOP ALL OF THIS!"
A RainWing landed on the balcony. Except she looked different. A little more queenly.
"Stop attacking!" she glared at the SeaWing, who landed. Viper got a better look at the SeaWing and realized it was blue, not Squid's green colour.
"This SandWing attacked me for no reason!" the SeaWing growled, and Viper recognized her voice to be feminine. A female SeaWing.
The RainWing rolled her eyes. She looked at Viper. "Who are you?"
"Why do you want to know? I was hit the neck with presumably a dart and brought here. I attacked the SeaWing because I though she was a different SeaWing I hate," Viper snapped angrily.
"Are you affiliated with anyone? The IceWings, SandWings, SkyWings, MudWings, SeaWings, or NightWings?" the RainWing pressed.
"I used to live in the Night Kingdom, but then when I was trying to kill annoying Fatespeaker, I fell in lava," Viper hissed, opening her wings and moving in a circle to display her injuries.
The RainWing nodded. "I'm Queen Glory of the RainWings. As I asked before, who are you?"
"I'm Viper...the thought-to-be-dead SandWing that lived in the horrible Night Kingdom." No need to tell them about be the SandWing dragonet. The prophecy is stupid. Maybe?
"Well, welcome to the Rain Kingdom," Glory said.
The SeaWing was still glaring.
"That's Tsunami," Glory said. A MudWing landed next to Glory with a SandWing.
"Who's that?" the MudWing asked. The SandWing looked cheery. Viper noticed she had no barb.
Useless SandWing. Why don't they kill it?
"That's Clay and Sunny. Clay and Sunny, this is Viper." Viper acknowledged them with suspicious glares.
"Have you gotten a report on Starflight yet?" Glory asked Clay.
Starflight? Why are they curious about that idiot?
"No," Clay said. "I still think he went to warn the NightWings."
Viper narrowed her eyes. "Warn the NightWings of what? They're just a bunch of skinny, scrawny dragons who go around saying they're so great when they can hardly feed their tribe. They practically kill themselves by living in their volcanic that pews smoke everywhere. It's awful there. And Starflight is a weird no-good moron that hangs with Fatespeaker."
Everyone looked at Viper.
Glory came forward. "Do you know whether Starflight came there by will?"
"How should I know? Morrowseer, the moron just put him there one day. Why do you want to know about the idiot?"
Sunny whispered so quietly Viper almost couldn't hear it. "He's one of us..."
== Chapter 3 ==
Viper narrowed her eyes.
"One of you?" she questioned.
Sunny nodded.
"How-?" Viper took everything in. A SandWing (herself), a SeaWing (Squid), a MudWing (Clay), a NightWing (Fatespeaker), and a RainWing. Something seemed...familiar. Then it hit Viper.
It was like...the dragonets of destiny. Except Glory was Flame. Viper eyed them suspiciously.
I'll ignore it right now.
Glory looked at Viper. "We'd better ignore that-"
"No! Where is Starflight?" Sunny pouted.
"Last I saw, he was watching in terror on a rock as I tried to kill Fatespeaker," Viper said bluntly.
Clay gave Viper an odd look.
"Like I was saying, you should probably have some healers look at your condition."
Tsunami gave Glory a negative look. "Are you sure? Like I said before, it seems like they've only seen things like a stubbed claw or a scrape."
"At least give them a try," Glory quipped, waving her tail to silence Tsunami.
Viper narrowed her eyes. "As long as they don't inject me with harmful things or hurt me further in any way, they won't be ripped apart."
Glory narrowed her eyes slightly, and then nodded to a hut with flowers around it. "That's the healers' hut."
Viper turned to face the direction, and spread her wings. She shot a stinging glance at Tsunami before leaping from the balcony. At first it was a struggle to keep in the air, but Viper was beginning to get the hang of it. It was a short flight, and soon Viper landed on the balcony.
She felt eyes staring into her. I thought RainWings were supposed to be stupid, sun-loving lazy dragons. Obviously Queen Glory has advanced them.
Viper poked her head inside the hut. "Hello? Any healers about?"
Suddenly two white and blue RainWings (one with green eyes and one with orange eyes) manifested out of thin air, and when doing so Viper snapped into a defensive position, her venomous barbed tail arched over her back.
The RainWings gave small looks of fear, and Viper saw they had some leaves in their talons. Were they thieves? Viper would question them.
"Who are you?" she snarled.
"We-we're just the healers," the RainWings slightly trembled, but were doing well in keeping their dignity. Viper relaxed, and lowered her tail, realizing that these healers would be intimidated even by a small battle stance.
"Queen Glory sent me here so you could check out my injuries."
"O-okay. Lay down on the hammock," the healer with green eyes said as the other went over to a counter to look over something that Viper had no current interest in at the moment.
Viper settled down, and watched the RainWings hustle through the hut.
"Here," the orange-eyed RainWing wrapping a leaf covered in something sticky around Viper's left front limb. The limbs that had exposed bone.
Viper hissed in pain, and at the moment wanted to strike the orange-eyed RainWing; but she kept herself under control.
"It'll hurt for a little while," the green-eyed RainWing said, and looked over the rest of Viper's body. The RainWing flicked her tail for the other to follow, and Viper could faintly hear them whispering among themselves. Suddenly Glory walked in.
The healers made an awkward bowing thing, and Viper wasn't sure if she should do it or not. She shifted, feeling uncomfortable, when Glory shook her head.
"Bowing won't be necessary right now. How's everything going?"
"The healers have only treated one wound, and it hurts," Viper growled.
"At least they're Peach and Lime. They're the best healers," Glory said.
Viper looked at the two. She made a good guess about who was who, based on their names and eye colour, but she wanted to be sure.
"Is the green-eyed one Lime and other orange-eyed Peach?" Viper inquired. A little look of panic went through the healers.
Glory nodded. "I'll leave you in their careful talons." Then she turned and flew out.
Lime walked over. "Eat this, it will help tolerate the pain."
Viper narrowed her eyes, before allowing herself to gingerly eat it.
Everything began to spin. Dark spots blotted Viper's vision. She wanted to lunge at the RainWings, but soon passed out.
== Chapter 4 ==
Viper opened her eyes. She was still on the hammock, but her injuries were patched up.
I wonder if they just put stuff on me willy-nilly.
She stretched, and examined her surroundings. The healers weren't in view, but Viper knew they may be invisible to her sight.
"Is anyone there?" Viper growled. No reply.
Viper examined herself. Her wings had leaf-like patches on them, and she frowned. Leaves that were splattered on won't help. Heck, I may not be able to fly as well anymore.
"Viper?" Clay ducked into the hut.
"What?" Viper regarded him with razor eyes.
"Queen Glory was wondering about your condition. Do you think you can walk?" the MudWing asked.
"I'd be glad to find out. How RainWings just lay down like that all day is beyond me," Viper hissed. She slowly pulled herself out of the hammock and onto the floor. She got up and steadied herself, before moving about.
I'll be fine.
A flap of wings from the outside announced the arrival of a dragon. Queen Glory walked in.
"It's good to see you're up. Any concerns?" she asked.
Viper snorted. "Yeah, what will leaves do to help my wings?"
"We haven't encountered a dragon like this, you may not be able to fly again, or you may not be able to fly very well. Fate decides that part," Glory replied.
Viper growled and pushed past her. I have to get out of here.
The quickest way was the cut through the trees. But, the RainWings could easily catch up with Viper and tranquilize her.
I have to try. Viper leapt from the edge and glided down, into the tall trees. Now just go.
Viper moved as quickly as she could, hoping to clear the rainforest before nightfall.
It felt like moons before Viper saw the light of day just above. She broke out from the trees, and felt a rush of air.
It was windy past the trees. Viper thought she'd see the sandy ground stretching out before her, or a muddy swamp. It was beyond what she could dream up.
A few small dotted groves, and river, and mountains. Tall mountains. One stood out in particular. Jade Mountain.
The Sand Kingdom must be on the other side. Everything Viper thought she might see was crushed.
The blasting wind brought her back to reality. Viper beat her wings, but it was becoming difficult as she hadn't realized just how much the leaves helped, and now they were being ripped away, the holes in her wings allowing wind to pass through.
By foot might be better. Viper glided slowly down, and was greeted by the pebbly ground around the shore of the river.
Viper took a drink, before flapping over the river, almost in vain.
She took another look at the mountains, before setting off on foot. When the wind seemed to die down a little bit, or it changed direction and flew into her back, she'd take flight. It sped up her progress.
Finally, by nightfall, Viper had reached the very base of the mountains.
She laid down. Everything ached. Maybe I shouldn't left. Maybe I-
Viper drowsed off, sleep engulfing her.
== Chapter 5 ==
Viper opened her eyes.
The air had a cold bite to it. Well, it is the mountains.
Viper stood, and looked up, observing the tall mountains that stood in front of her. She could see Jade Mountain in the distance.
The Claws of the Clouds Mountains. I have to pass over and through them.
Viper checked her wings. Not good... She found a tree, and clawed up it. Viper spread her tattered wings and leaped, taking flight. She beat her wings to gain altitude, and slowly she gained it.
After a while she was painfully flying over the Claws of the Clouds Mountains. Viper peeked over her shoulder. She had hardly gotten into the heart of the mountains.
I definitely won't make it to Jade Mountain at this rate. Especially due the fact I haven't eaten since I arrived at the Rain Kingdom.
Viper flew until should couldn't stand the hunger anymore. She circle down and landed. Hard pebbles welcomed her arrival. Viper proceeded to look for food.
This is harder than I thought....Think, Viper! What did the moron Morrowseer teach you?
Something caught her nose. The sound of small, scuttling paws snapped Viper into stealth mode overdrive.
Viper stalked the small animal. Something screeched, and then something with feathers grabbed Viper prey.
She hissed, and launched herself at the bird, almost clawing its wing off. It screamed, and fluttered to the bird, feebly trying to stay in the air.
Viper slashed its throat, and hungrily ate.
----
It was beginning to get dark, but Viper was satisfied with how far she had gotten. She saw nothing but mountains around her, which meant she was far from the Rain Kingdom and deeper into heart of the mountains.
She plopped down, her wings throbbing from the effort of keeping afloat. Her talons hurt from walking over hard rock she wasn't use to. Sure, the rocks at the Night Kingdom had been hard, but now they seemed a tad bit softer than these rocks, who hadn't been exposed to immense heat.
The lack of air the high altitudes made Viper dizzy at brief moments. I must be getting closer, if the air is getter thinner.
Viper took a deep breath, checked for potential enemies, and then fell into an uncomfortable sleep.
== Chapter 6 ==
Viper beat her wings. She was flying through the mountains, as she had found a steep cliff and took to the air.
The tall, jagged peaks were becoming more and more like rolling foothills. Sand was scattered amongst the area more frequently.
Viper hadn't come to land at Jade Mountain, but she had rested close to it.
Eventually the land began to flatten out, and the mountains were disappearing. Viper flew until her wings felt as though they were going to fall off. When she landed, warm sand welcomed her. The sun beat down on Viper. She was here.
The Sand Kingdom.
----
Viper had been travelling for a while, but found no signs of life, except for the small bugs and rodents that watched her pass by.
I thought SandWings were supposed to live here. I guess the war spooked them or something. Even if a lot of them left for Blaze and Blister, shouldn't there be some SandWings patrolling for Burn?
Suddenly shadows of wings hid Viper from the sun.
Dang.
Viper knew these must be Burn's dragons. And she heard about what Burn would do with dragons she found. Either Viper would go to a prison, be killed and stuffed, or put in Queen Scarlet's arena, whom Viper heard had a SkyWing that could kill you by touch.
Viper darted forward. She had to escape these dragons.
"Stop!" a blast of flame blazed in front of Viper, but disappeared before Viper ran through.
Silly soldiers, a dragon's not going to stop because you told them to. Breathing fire isn't going to help, either.
"Stop! Freeze! Stop running! We'll kill you!" the voice said, getting frustrated.
Viper glanced over her shoulder. "I doubt that!" she called back, and began speeding up her pace.
Suddenly two SandWing descended upon Viper clutching her in their talons.
----
Viper growled, looking around on her sky podium. She was, by luck, in Queen Scarlet's arena. Except...Queen Scarlet wasn't around. Viper still called it so, though.
In fact, in fights seemed to be happening, except when Ruby wanted one, which wasn't often.
But today was one of those days, apparently.
Ruby gazed over all the dragons, and flagged Vermillion to get two dragons.
Guards went up and seized Viper.
Wonderful.
They dropped her in the arena.
Viper went over things in her head.
How was surviving the lava easier than getting caught?
A SeaWing was dropped in front of her. Just by luck, unlucky for the SeaWing, in was fairly undersized. The SeaWing also happened to be green. Differently from Squid, though, the SeaWing was a girl.
Viper glared at the green SeaWing. I still didn't get my anger on Squid taken out. Tsunami was too strong.
Vermillion looked around. "We have two interesting dragons fighting today! One who was foolish enough the interfere with Ruby, I give you Surface of the SeaWings!"
Dragons cheered.
"On the other side, a dragon that survived lava, Viper of the SandWings!"
Ruby glared at Vermillion.
"FIGHT!" he roared, before flying away.
Surface launched at Viper, who clawed her snout, while Viper slashed her gills. Surface screeched in pain, and Viper winced. Cheers erupted from the dragons watching.
Surface was up, her eyes watching Viper. A small hint of curiosity showed. Probably to why Viper didn't just kill her with her barbed tail to get everything over with.
Because my anger will vent slowly.
Surface darted forward, and slashed one of Viper's lava scars open. Viper felt pain flare through her, like she'd dipped her leg into the lava.
Enraged, Viper grabbed the SeaWing's horns, and smashed Surface's face into the sand. Then she promptly spewed flame down her back.
Surface violently shuddered, before wrenching her way out of Viper grasp.
Surface sunk her teeth into Viper shoulder. Viper hissed. She was very angry now. She put her mouth right next to Surface's ear.
"I really wish I could through your in lava right now, but there is none." Viper flicked her tail up and stabbed it into Surface's skull, ripping her from her body and flinging her a few feet away. Surface hit the ground, and didn't move.
"Viper is the winner!" Vermillion declared. Cheers came from the dragons.
Suddenly cold blasts of ice came from several directions. IceWings and some SandWings flapped around, darting down to kill a vulnerable dragon here and there.
Blaze's army.
While everyone was preoccupied, Viper figured out how to rid herself of the clamps that held her wings together. She ripped them off, tearing her wings more, but was able to fly.
She ran, and launched herself into the air, beating her wings to gain altitude. She noticed several already horribly injured SandWings flying in a certain direction. A little more north of were Viper had come from.
They must be flying to where Blaze resides.
Viper followed them carefully, not daring to arose attention. She was on her way again.
== Chapter 7 (Final) ==
Viper flew after the IceWings. It was that time when she realized how little she had trained her tattered wings.
Her wings were sore from beating them so hard, and it was just to stay in the air. In one spot. Hovering. Luckily for Viper, there was a fierce wind that had picked up, so she was able to glide through the air a good amount of the time.
Soon icy wind began to whip Viper's face. She attempted to keep spewing fire out, but it was difficult. Fire couldn't continuously come from her mouth.
I have to land. I'm obviously far enough from Queen Scarlet/Ruby's palace.
The freezing blizzard had dwindled down to a light snowfall when Viper landed. When she looked up, she could tell the higher you flew the snow and wind became more intense, back into the blizzard.
The land around Viper was barren and cold. There were a few rocks here and there. Trees didn't show themselves. No prey darted into cracks. It was more lonely than the mountains.
Viper searched for signs of life.
There must be someone around her besides IceWings, which seem to live farther north.
It was cold enough for Viper to assume that it was the Ice Kingdom, so no one lived here.
But what about Blaze? Doesn't she live near the IceWings?
Viper proceeded walking, with a hope she'd find someone.
----
After a few hours, Viper was almost stiff from the cold. Her movements had began to slow, and she swore she was going to freeze to death.
Viper looked up from watching her breath in the air. There was a building ahead. Small hope fluttered in Viper's chest.
She proceeded forward. When she was within 10 meters of the building, she heard a slightly whiney voice.
"It's cold out! I wish not to be out here!"
"You requested to come out here a few minutes ago, Queen Blaze."
Viper tensed. It was Blaze's place. A large gust of wind knocked Viper from her hiding place, in view of Blaze.
"Oh! It's a SandWing! Who is it with? Go check!" Blaze yelled.
The IceWing and SandWing she was with both came over.
"Who are you with?" the IceWing growled.
"I came here alone," Viper hissed, trying not to shiver at the cold.
"Who are you affiliated with?" the SandWing hissed menacingly.
"No one. I came here by free will," Viper hissed, flicking her barbed tail.
The IceWing turned. "The SandWing came alone!" he called. "And is shivering her wings off."
"Bring her inside!" Blaze urged, before turning and going inside herself.
Viper stiffly stood up and followed the SandWing, as the IceWing stayed outside in the cold, helping guard the door.
More like he can't stand the heat.
Viper felt a blast of warm air as she entered the building.
"Follow me. Queen Blaze wants to see you," the SandWing hissed.
Viper glared at him, but followed.
Grand(ish) doors were at the end of the hall the two entered. The SandWing opened them and beckoned for Viper to enter.
Blaze was inside on a throne.
"Hello!" Blaze said, smiling. Her smile slightly vanished. Viper glanced around.
"It's polite to bow," a SandWing whispered to Viper.
"Bow? I'm not bowing to someone who may die when thrown alone into the elements. Besides, you're not even the SandWing queen. Let alone a queen at all," Viper replied out loud.
"What were you doing out in the cold, though?" Blaze asked.
"I was following the IceWings to get out of range of Queen Idiot of the SkyWings," Viper said bluntly.
"What happened to you? And who are you?" Blaze questioned.
Viper narrowed her eyes.
"I'm Viper of the SandWings, and I survived lava."
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