Behind the Majesty

Armored Scavenger's fan-fiction.
Welcome to the second story of the third Series: The Scavenger Series #3, The Age of the Animus.
This story takes place after the events of Escaping Peril and during Talons of Power. There may be references from the Wings of Fire book series, written by Tui T. Sutherland, so there may be canon characters.
This story takes place immediately after my first story in this series, Among the Magnificence. Please enjoy and comment below if you'd like, it really helps. :)
Next story: The Jaws of the Beast
== Prologue ==
One month after the Glorious Revolution...
Jubilation filled the air. The ceremonies had finally ended after many long hours of food, drink, music, guests, and partying. It was strictly formal at the start, but it quickly turned to become casual towards the end. It was an important celebration for a turning point in history. For many, lives had changed drastically. For one dragoness a whole new world had opened up to her, feeling she had finally received what she had long desired. 
The dragoness scurried down a wide hallway, the floor covered with an ornate and soft red rug. Large paintings hung from the walls, along with white and blue streamers. A window at the end of the corridor allowed the sunshine to sparkle in through its colored glass, and together with the torches that hung along the wall they produced unnecessary light on that extremely sunny and gorgeous day. Some seers had predicted that this day was the perfect day for the coronation, and indeed they were right. 
The dragoness took a few more steps towards the end of the hallway, and then at one particular room she stopped and entered. It was the largest room in the entire Palace, save for the kitchen, the great hall, and the throne room. The dragoness opened the door quickly and happily made her way into her own bedroom, a room fit for a queen. 
The room had been designed to mimic the frozen lands that lay in the northwestern corner of Pyrrhia. The walls were white with elegant silver and light blue designs, swirls, and royal symbols. The floor was covered in a large, white, fuzzy rug that was in reality a number of furs combined into one by precise stitching. Bright lights from the crystal chandelier shone off the room below like the ice and snow it was supposed to resemble. Shelves and a dresser with a great round mirror stood on either side of the queen-sized canopy bed, where light blue silky fabric was draped over the top of the bed and down on all four sides like curtains. 
The dragoness went directly to the mirror, a soft chuckle resting in her throat as it waited to come out. 
"Look at me now," the dragoness huffed proudly. "Queen Slush, Queen of All the Dragons of Pyrrhia..." 
Queen Slush's blue eyes looked at her reflection. She was a large dragon, white like the pale moons and just as shiny, her blue tongue flickering in and out with satisfaction. Her body told the tale of two worlds, two entire lives. One was a dragon with a long, slim snout, and a formidable body as strong as a wall of ice rock. Strong forearms and legs still rippled with muscle, signs of past filled with hardship, strength, bitterness, and violence. The other was a well-fed, careless, and satisfied dragon, whose ever increasing roundness was explained through the empty platters of food on the two side-tables that she squinted at in the background of the mirror, now only covered with bones and crumbs. Her movements were less than agile for a heavier queen, but nonetheless she could not help but stare at her regal snout and pretty complexion. 
Her looks may have found a new competitor, but to her they only added to her natural grace. On her head rested a golden crown with seven different sharp points bejeweled with seven different gems shooting straight into the air above her head and her ruff of polished horns. They represented each of the seven dragon tribes she now ruled over. A red ruby for the SkyWings, a blue sapphire for the SeaWings, a green emerald for the RainWings, a diamond for the IceWings, golden-brown amber for the MudWings, purple amethyst for the NightWings, and yellow citrine for the SandWings. 
She also looked down her arms and her wrists. The Queen wore two identical armbands which each held the same seven gems that were in her crown, and around her neck was a copper medallion which bore the image of the continent of Pyrrhia, its borders comprised of tiny alternating dots of gold and silver. 
"No more Fifth Circle for you, Your Majesty," Queen Slush said to herself, chuckling a tad more maliciously and proudly than she would have imagined as she examined her body from every possible angle. Born a lowly IceWing, she had always been shunned down by the higher Circles. She had always wanted to escape from being trapped in that society, but there had been no place to go to during the war. For nearly forty years she had suffered from limitations, That day, however, she wished her whole tribe could see her. 
They will all see me one day, as their Queen. The seed of my kingdom has just been planted. Soon its roots and branches will arch out all over this continent. It will choke out all that stands against me.
Out of the corner of her mirror, beyond the empty places of food of meals past, Queen Slush eyed a dragon carrying something in his long talons.
To think I would even rule over the NightWings, of all of the tribes…
“Your Majesty, your royal regalia…” the black-scaled dragon announced as he bowed. He kept his head down to nearly touching the fur rug and he raised the contents of his container above his head for the Queen to see and take. 
The Queen smiled warmly at the box and at the NightWing. Never in a thousand years had Slush thought she would be in the same room as a NightWing and not be tearing him apart into thousands of pieces. Reliance was the first dragon to prove to Slush that even her so-called tribal enemies could be her loyal subjects. 
“Why thank you, Reliance. And congratulation on becoming Designated Regent,” Queen Slush thanked the dragon, and his slight shift in posture lengthened the smile she had on her face. It soon became a toothy grin as she peered into the box.
She pulled out a diamond-studded scepter and a golden orb, symbols of her new and stable reign that would last for as long as she lived. The dragoness held them proudly as she inspected them in her talons, making sure everything was perfectly still there after leaving them temporarily after the coronation.A surge of a feeling of power flooded her mind and her body.
"Now I have the power....of a Queen! Not just the queen of the IceWings, but the Queen of all of the tribes, of all of Pyrrhia!" 
Reliance, the NightWing and Regent, smiled as he stood up straight from his bowing. “We will unite all of the tribes under your rule, Your Highness. Your Majesty will show everyone who to respect and bow down to, for Your wisdom and appearance are legendary…”
"Power...who would have thought little old me would be wearing a crown." 
“Yes, Your Majesty, and-”
“Every tribe will answer to us, Reliance. We will save everyone. Now, if you would excuse me, I have important business to attend to,” the Queen shot her regal snout up in the air, slowly turning her body towards the interior of the room. “I need my rest, Reliance. This will be a busy week for me and I must play our parts perfectly.”
The NightWing replied, “Of course, Your Grace,” and bowed despite his Queen not batting an eye to see him. He gingerly left the room, his black tail feeling its way along the wall as he curiously wondered if it was cold to the touch as it looked. He had no thoughts of tribal superiority or of the tense past between his tribe and his Queen’s.The dragon named Reliance, Slush believed, only cared about comfort and potential power as she did.
A NightWing is still a NightWing, and I can’t have Reliance have the notion of too much power slip into his head. I am the ruler of this kingdom, and no one will dare challenge me for my throne. I was a soldier not too long back and I can defend my title from any dragon, especially him. I can deal with him.
After removing the Regent from her bedroom, the Queen dropped her scepter and golden egg on the top of her dresser in exchange for a something a tad more real and valuable.
“Mother is here, little one,” the large dragoness cooed at an icy-tinted dragon egg that was now cradled in the protective arms of its mother. Queen Slush had relocated herself to her bed, laying on her back as she gently hug her egg with sincere love and caution. The bed was soft to the touch like a bed of fallen fluffy snow in the cool and crisp tundra. The pillow on which the Queen’s head rested upon helped ease sore horns and an IceWing’s ruff, but also had the chance to puncture them.
If only your father hadn't have left us...but we don't need him anymore. We can take care of ourselves. He'll come crawling back to me when he finds out I'm a queen. Everyone will finally respect me, adore me, and treat me like a real dragon. And I can do whatever I want. No more Circles, no more IceWing rules, and no more war and queens to worry about. There will only be me. 
The egg normally would have been in the Royal Hatchery, under guard and exposed to freezing temperatures. However, as a mother the Queen typically wanted to be with her egg as much as she could, so at that moment it was temporarily with her in her room. Hatching day could not have been far off. Queen Slush cuddled with her egg, soothingly murmuring to it lullabies and songs from her home. 
Queen Slush...and soon I will be a mother.        
=== Chapter 1: Favorite ===
Rune
A sweet, fresh breeze swept through a mountain of scrolls. A tower of paper and ink toppled down onto the floor where it transformed into a messy pile. There was some movement that made the scrolls vibrate and then a head popped out from the bottom of the sea of literature. 
Rune had known that one of two things might have happened if he had opened the window to let in the morning breeze. He knew that the room would feel completely fresh and comfortable, and that the wind would ruin his carefully organized stacks of scrolls. He had been willing to take a risk and it was a gamble he had known he would lose. 
“You know that you knew that was going to happen, Rune.”
I'm sorry, sir. 
Rune sighed and began to gather his scrolls, making a pile further away from the open window. He put them down, one by one, near the door that led to the hallway and the rest of the Palace. 
Perfect, nice and organized. Just the way I like it. 
“The Queen does not have time for any small setbacks. You told her that a library would help you with your tasks and now you have one, so long as you can set it up in the first place.”
I only have myself to blame. I will straighten myself up right away! 
Sandstorm was the dragon Rune knew tried to act very authoritative but could not back himself up. Sandstorm encouraged him, reminded him of his duties, and watched over him most of the day to make sure everything was well. The larger SandWing was strict at times, but Rune could tell that it was he who was really in charge.
Rune’s pale yellow body moved about briskly and he was careful to keep his barbed tail from smacking into more piles of scrolls and toppling them over as well. All he needed to do was to stack them in alphabetical order for a moment until he could move them to the empty bookcases that lined the walls of the room. Rune so wanted to finish this task so that he could finally have Sandstorm out of his scales for the rest of the day. The young guardian never let him have any privacy whenever he was watching over Rune, and that was something Rune loathed. Besides, he was not the official scroll-stacker-and-organizer. 
The scrolls in his talons were chock full of information about magic and Pyrrhia. In fact, Rune had come to believe that many of these scrolls originated from different parts of the continent. It was quite nice of the Queen to give him his own private room near her own bedroom and let him begin setting up a fledgling library. He could visit the library at any time and take out any scroll whenever he wanted to. He could even print out more copies of them, and even the “human books.”
The “human books” were still being transferred onto scrolls that dragons could read. They were being translated into dragon tongue and written or printed on far larger paper, hundreds of times larger than the original human manuscripts. To Rune they would be the most interesting, possibly more than the stories about animi and magic. Months ago he would not have thought twice about humans if he saw any, but that day he wouldn’t be surprised to learn that there was more to those creatures than he previously thought.
Of course, the Queen did not give all of this away for nothing. Rune had to remember his duty. Every evening he was invited to great feasting and dinners where he had to help prepare the meals. The Queen employed not only the best dragon chefs in the entire kingdom, but she also hired some human cooks as well. The humans could prepare dishes the dragons had never even tasted, smelled, or heard of before, but they could only make so much for an audience of the usual twenty hungry dragons. That was where Rune came in. He would use his magic to enlarge all of the meals from their human size to dragon-size. There had been many types of soups, a type of dish called the "sandwich" (which consisted of meat and a spongy substance called bread), salads, which were a bunch of herbs and plants tossed together, fried bird eggs, smoked cow steaks and chicken, and a whole table of sweets. 
The Queen's favorite was the extravagant cake which was made with vanilla, a spread the humans called chocolate, and honey. It was quite delicious, though some dragons questioned whether or not they should be eating these human foods in the first place. The Queen would scoff at them and continue her meal, making sure everyone noticed when her plate became empty. 
Rune looked around the room. He had built the bookcases, the windows, and all of the furniture with his magic, molding them from ordinary wood. He helped design the Queen's throne and great hall, and the pillars and columns that stood at the entrance of the Palace. Beyond those projects, the Queen would ask him daily to complete a smaller task
such as finding some missing object or simply help her dress in her rich outfits. 
Every time Rune used his magic he felt a little odd. This, however, was normal. At first he asked around and he found an answer from an unexpected source: a human. There was a human who glowed orange and lived in the Human King's Palace. There was a human empire called Glorious Pyrrhia, and was ruled by a mysterious human, usually referred to as "the Rex." The Rex was extremely well-liked by the dragons because he gave them permission to live around his own city and his policies were favorable to the Queen and her subjects. As a gift to the dragons, he even helped design the Palace and built it himself. It was quite a feat, yet it only took him a few days to complete! The dragons, Rune noticed, sometimes secretly made fun of the Rex, saying that though he was the most powerful scavenger in the world, all that he did with his power was serve the dragons his people fought against for so long. The scavengers finally had a real weapon, and they couldn't use it against their long-time enemies. 
The orange glowing human said that it was normal to feel odd when using magic, and that in time he would get used to it. The human told Rune to trust in the Queen's judgement and do whatever she said. However, Rune could not trust the word of the human. Humans were friends of the dragons, but something did not feel right at all. 
Rune was disgusted when the real truth finally reached him. He had been lied to. He was horrified when he found out that every time he used his magic he lost a part of his soul. The anger surged in him as he read the tales of Albatross and the human animus, Zyphen, two animi who massacred many innocent people and dragons. On the orders of the Queen those two tales were to have been kept away from the eyes of Rune, but despite all the efforts of the guards and palace staff he managed to come across them. A tinge of his anger was directed towards the Queen from then on.
He began to think, What in Pyrrhia could prevent me from turning out the same way? He was an animus and he used his magic practically all the time, so wasn't his soul becoming darker and darker rapidly? There had been one scroll in particular, or rather a series of them, that made Rune shiver down to his core. They were known as the "Darkstalker Collection", and where they came from Rune had no idea. The story only increased Rune's fears of doing something terrible. As an animus he was in danger, his magic had a price, or so he thought.
“Rune, I am glad that you are almost done with your work. Just finish up and we will go to dinner together. Today’s dinner isn’t anything special, just the usual cows and fish. All you have to do is enchant something the scavengers call ‘cookies.’ Light load for you tonight,” Sandstorm interrupted Rune’s thoughts.
Perhaps tonight will be a good night. Cookie is a funny word. Humans, how odd they can be. I’m dying to read this scroll. Tomorrow, or maybe tonight I can sneak in here to read it. No, Sandstorm will wake me up early and I don’t want him to start off the day yelling.
Many of the bookshelves were now filled to the brim with books and scrolls. Rune admired his handiwork. Magic was always so precise that he wondered how long a regular carpenter would take to reach the same results. The thought rejuvenated his earlier memories of learning who he truly was.
Again Rune had met with the orange glowing human, who on his second visit learned that he was something called a "Dux-Animus." 
This was when Rune felt like a fool. That day was so powerfully resonating in his mind that he would never forget it until the day he died, if he ever did become deceased. The Dux-Animus had been so surprisingly loud and forceful in his tone that day when Rune discovered a
most relieving revelation.
“Foolish dragon of sand, you are not an animus! You are not close to being an animus! Why do you worry about your soul when there is no threat to it?” the Dux-Animus had scolded him for something that Rune did not understand at that time. 
“What? You are a stupid human! Of course I am an animus! Can’t you see that I use magic!?” Rune had then proceeded to summon a blue flame right above the scavenger’s head with his magic. The human did not flinch, but looked angrier, though that wasn’t straight-forward in appearance due to a rather disturbing frowning mask.
“I feel it in my bones that this is wrong. This magic makes me feel terrible. My heart feels as if it is closing down upon itself! Fool, I am animus!” Rune shot back harshly at the glowing scavenger. Rune always wondered how they glowed. There were other glowing scavenger of different colors, but this orange one was the one he saw most often.
The Dux glared back at Rune for a while, gazing from the top of his horns to the bottom of his feet. He did not seem to be taken aback at all, but rather frustrated at Rune’s apparent stubbornness. 
“You are Kholler, not Animus! Animus lose bits of their soul when they use magic. Animus go insane. But you are not an animus, you are a Kholler,” the Dux concluded and would have no more of Rune for a while.
This appeared to have been news that no one else had actually known about. Neither he nor most of the Palace knew what a “Kholler” was, not even the Queen. They had all believed that he was an ordinary animus, something extraordinary to begin with. Soon after, some changed their minds and accepted him as whatever a Kholler was. 
That was when Sandstorm came into his life. Apparently Sandstorm was to be his guardian for the rest of his days, an idea that nearly overwhelmed him at first. Sandstorm had later explained what a Kholler was.
A Kholler was a mage, of course, because they used magic and animated the world around them. However, a Kholler was blessed, not cursed like an animus. Khollers did not lose their souls if they did what they were supposed to do, and that was to be selfless and help other dragons and humans. A Kholler literally meant “Giver of Gifts” in the ancient languages of the scavengers. Scavengers, Rune knew, had a long history of magic that might even be more complicated than the dragons’. This was news that was the ice to his burn and the bandage to his wound. All he had to do was make the Queen and Sandstorm happy and he could use all of the magic that he wanted. 
Rune's greatest fear had once been killing Queen Slush and her family. Discovering he was not losing his soul dampened that fear. He was her "favorite." In the beginning, Rune first thought that the Queen only wanted him because he had animus, rather “Kholler,” powers, and he could be shown off, but that was not entirely true. He knew that
maybe it was almost entirely true, and it made him uncomfortable, but he could not produce anymore anger or shame towards the Queen or anyone else. He was a Kholler, a SandWing Kholler that no one else knew about except for the Draconic Kingdom. His parents were somewhere in the world, but Rune never knew how they got to wherever they were or why. They could have abandoned him, or maybe he was taken away from them, but Rune favored the theory that they sadly lost him unintentionally. It had been a long time, longer than he could remember since he was separated. 
Queen Slush held him close to her. Rune had to admit that Slush was not the most intelligent dragon, nor the finest self-controlled queen, but she did seem to know what she was doing. Foremost, however, Rune loved the attention that she gave him, whether it was for the work he did or for being someone who was always there for her. 
Yet there was something that was nagging at Rune ever since he was given his job at the Palace. He had been told that he was going to be working with two other dragons with helping the Queen rule the kingdom. So far Rune had been the Queen's most trusted helper and the sound of more dragons did not flow well with him. He wanted to tell himself that it was because he was shy and he had to meet new dragons, but he knew that he really did not want the Queen to focus on them more than him. To his surprise he became jealous of dragons that he hadn't even met. He wondered if he grew angry at them and the Queen for assuming that she called for them because she did not fully trust him. 
Those bad thoughts about the Queen were wiped away instantly. A bad feeling arose in his chest whenever he had negative thoughts about the Queen, her advisors, Sandstorm, the scavengers, or the Dux. Immediately he knew this was part of being Kholler and he had to end those thoughts from popping up or else he would lose his soul. All he had to do was make everyone happy and he would be okay.
At the same time, however, he was still very worried. He could not let go of the paranoia he felt whenever he used magic. He periodically thought that one day he was going to snap and perform a massacre. Sometimes he found it difficult to sleep at night. Despite sleep deprivation, he forced himself to wake up early in the morning and help make breakfast for the entire Palace. Rather, Sandstorm woke him up. Apparently the guardian was a morning dragon.
“And we are done! Good job today, Rune. Now, let us go help prepare dinner. The Queen will be most pleased with your progress today!” Sandstorm beamed enthusiastically.
I know he is just happy I’m done with this, that conniving…NO, OUT! An avalanche of worry slammed into Rune’s mind as he quickly destroyed any trace of criticizing his guardian. Must be good, must be good.
“Come on, Rune,” Sandstorm called out to Rune as the larger dragon began to walk out of the room. Rune quickly followed, knowing that that was good and it would make everything be okay. All he had to do was listen to Sandstorm, following the bidding of the Queen, and listen to the advice of the Dux in order to save himself from suffering the same fate as an animus would.
Rune was Kholler, and he felt relieved that he was different from all of the other animi from the past. He would never become another Zyphen, another Darkstalker, or another Albatross. 
=== Chapter 2: Arrival ===
Pine
"This is it...I guess..." a deep, stormy voice sighed.
An energetic one was far more colorful saying, “You guess? This looks great! Everything is so neat!”
Against the apricot-colored walls of the Grand Palace was a shade of bright red and a shade of cool cerulean blue. Two dragons from two entirely different tribes, who should have been as far apart from each other as possible were as close as could be. It was fire versus venom, meat versus fruit, and SkyWing versus RainWing. Only in the Draconic Kingdom was this match not such a strange one. In the Kingdom, tribes could come together peacefully, coexist, and put aside their differences for the greater and common good. They were all dragons after all, whether they liked it or not.
"Warmer than I expected...but still not like home..." sighed the RainWing wistfully. She ruffled her wings and took a moment to lay down her tail on the carpeted floor. She narrowed her eyes at every detail, awed at the design but not thoroughly pleased with the room temperature. She sniffed at the air. 
Avocado...you'll get over it soon enough. All RainWings do, the SkyWing thought bitterly and a tad annoyed. They had not exactly become the best of friends during their week long journey to the supposed “Grandest Palace in the World.” The SkyWing was grumpy and gruff, fulfilling the stereotype perfectly. 
“Did you see those guards?! What tribe are they from!?” the RainWing suddenly inquired.
Pine had just enough time to turn his head back to spot two blue dragons disappear through the doorway they had recently passed though. Pine had not noticed them pass by him for he was deep in intense thought that Avocado would have been shocked to hear of.
Despite always being told the same things about the RainWings, such as how lazy and naive they were, he knew that Avocado was different, and he did not like it. Avocado was one of the very things that he hated, and there was nothing more he hated than dragons that had more power than him. Avocado was not a better fighter than him, not smarter, nor more experienced. It was something else, and he frowned down upon it.
“How many dragons do you think live in this palace? Ten, twenty, a THOUSAND!?” Avocado gasped, which gave Pine the impression that the RainWing might have taken that large number to be true. 
Pine growled softly to himself, testing to see at what point the RainWing would notice. Instead, the bright and colorful dragon paused to watch a pompously-dressed IceWing strut by, wearing elegant fur scarves and golden jewelry. The dragon did not stop in the same way Avocado did to watch him, but he did cast a glaring eye on them both. 
I don’t like him. Rich dragons…
Pine never knew true wealth and all his life he had been pushed around by dragons who had power or treasure. Maybe they did know what was best for the tribe, but now he was no longer a part of the SkyWing Kingdom. He hoped
“He looks fancy,” Avocado in wonder, her eyes bright and shiny. “Sort of like the dragon from the outpost, right, Pine? The nice one?”
Pine had remembered the outpost, a place that he never expected would have changed his life so dramatically for what he thought was the worse. Not far north from their present location was a sort of camp that acted as a checkpoint for into getting into the Palace. It was operated by a small group of dragons, mostly soldiers and their commanding officers. It was a quickly built wooden structure, reminding Pine of a box with squares sawed out for windows. 
“That dragon was an idiot…” Pine thundered back, not pleased with having the topic being brought up again. Avocado had flinched, as if she were the one he had insulted, and it honestly made Pine feel a pinch of guilt. He did not feel sorry for the IceWing that was posted at the outpost.
“That isn’t really nice…” Avocado quavered at the harsh word Pine had used. Pine arched his brows when he saw that the RainWing was trembling.
What is with this dragon? Pine
never thought this RainWing could be so sensitive.
"Deal with it," he growled more menacingly than he hoped to have
done. 
"But Pine..." the RainWing almost choked with a shaky voice. Her scales, the SkyWing noticed, were changing from a calm blue to a depressing dark grey. Pine had always pictured himself as a stone-cold dragon who never fell to emotions or weakness, but he realized whenever he saw Avocado look upset he could help but feel a part of it. 
If there was one tree here or at least a sloth in this place, maybe she would quit complaining. 
The SkyWing turned his amber eyes over to Avocado. She could feel his gaze upon her, making her angry, and she scoffed at him like she did many times before. She showed him the back of her claw, as if blocking him out from her existence. 
Pine had not wanted to back off, but an argument or fight would not look good for him to his potential new sovereign. A trio of black dragons were dead in their sights, which made the spine in Pine’s body chill. 
NightWings…this isn’t good news…
The Draconic Kingdom was made up of every tribe, but despite that notion it was still very unreal to Pine that the tribe that had been hidden throughout the entire war and was so feared by everyone else now served many more than just themselves. Knowing they had no so-called NightWing powers indulged a sense of strength in his, enhanced by looking at how thin the dragons were. They didn’t seem so terrifying when they did not look the part of a fighter. 
"Pine..." Avocado muttered sharply. When the SkyWing looked over at her, he saw that she was in a menacing stance. Her teeth were gritted together, he ruff was flaring, and her eyes were sinking into the dragons that
stood in her path. The old memories of an incident in the past still shone
brightly in her mind, and as a result gave way to a tense standoff. 
Noticing the situation they were in, Pine put his big self in front of Avocado so that he was between the feisty napper and the three lean creatures that were not too happy with meeting them. The air seemed to gradually become warmer, or maybe it was just Pine who felt that way. It did seem that things were boiling up.
The three NightWings did not pay much attention to Avocado save for curious and suspicious glances the first time they made contact with each other. Their movements seemed mischievous, but the large red dragon who was blocking their way to a potential target made them soon lose interest. Each whispered to each other as they passed by, never again acknowledging Pine or Avocado’s existence.
Pine did not wait to move on, but after down one-half of a hallway he realized he was going on alone. He doubled back to a quiet but seething RainWing who was looking at the exit the three NightWings had gone through. No doubt she was upset by the encounter.
“Let’s get a move on, Avocado, the Queen will be waiting for us. I don’t want our first impressions to be that of extremely tardy dragons who want to pick a fight with dragons that may or may not have done anything to your tribe! Just because they are NightWing does not mean anything,” he exclaimed without putting much thought into what he was saying. 
Avocado’s scales were not changing colors as Pine had wanted them to change. They were still dark, which made Pine barely hold back a chuckle.
“You look just like a NightWing with those scales. Perhaps you should join them, for you really do look interested with that crowd. Who knows, maybe they could make you into a better dragon, one that doesn’t hold unnecessary grudges,” he shrugged.
Avocado snorted. “As if you know anything. Nooooo, you know everything, Pine, because you are just soooo smart. Maybe I should become a NightWing, so then they wouldn’t try to kidnap me and put me through experiments. I never thought of that that way,” she spoke
sarcastically, holding her head as if Pine had blown her mind. Pine’s amber eyes shot right at her, not appreciating her talking back to him in that way.
“Be quiet!”
"You know what, why should I complain, hmm? I have absolutely nothing to complain about here. Sure, there is less sun, not as much fruit, a bunch of scurrying scavengers, and it is so chilly here, but there are no NightWings and there is no stupid queen who would let them all in my home in the first place. Oh, wait, there are NightWing and now I am thinking there is a stupid queen!" Avocado expressed her feelings, and Pine felt a little nervous about her comments. 
Another dragon walked by them, giving Pine the impression that this was a busy corridor. The two had not made much progress in walking over to the Queen’s room, which Pine believed they would have reached had not there been so many interruptions. 
“Hey, you, from what tribe is your, I mean, our Queen from?” the RainWing asked.
Pine’s hopes about following Avocado along to join this kingdom rose when he saw a familiar face. 
The female SkyWing that Avocado inquired halted, unsurprisingly displeased. She tilted her head at the RainWing, and as a fellow SkyWing Pine could only imagine what insults or malicious thought could have been going on in her head at that moment. He definitely was having some of them.
She’s really ticked off this time.
The SkyWing gave Pine a look as if she wanted to know if Avocado was serious. Pine rolled his eyes, to the other dragon’s disdain, but felt sympathetic for her. Dragons usually never met a dragon quite like Avocado.
“An IceWing, little dragon,” the SkyWing answered with little enthusiasm, and then continued on her way.
Pine saw that the answer had an effect on Avocado, whose scales were beginning to turn yellow and blue. However, the impact it had on him overshadowed all of the others.
That that is interesting. Here I was wondering about the rift between the NightWings and RainWings, but IceWings too? IceWing and NightWings? Under the same roof? In the same vicinity? Here?
As if answering his question, a skimpy silvery dragon with blue eyes and a coldness to him strutted by, accidentally brushing his side against the red scales of Pine. It sent a chill throughout his body and a spark to his brain.
“This kingdom must be something alright. Wow.”
“Wow?”
Pine heard the RainWing ask the question, but took a moment to realize that. Avocado was back to her calm blue color again, watching him curiously. A moment ago she looked like the dragon of her nightmares, but now she gave of the appearance of a really vibrant SeaWing. 
Well she changed rather drastically in such a short span of time. 
“Indeed. The NightWings and IceWings have hated each other for generations, going back as far as some history scrolls do, maybe further. If I remember correctly it had to do with an animus dragon or something, and some sappy love story. Another wonderful example of why animus powers are bad.”
“Hmmp!” Avocado reacted by stomping her foot and sizing Pine up, which he thought look more pathetic than the story that was now on his mind. What could Avocado possibly do to him?
“Sorry, Avocado. I forgot again,” he apologized.
“You somehow always forget about my powers,” Avocado pointed out, her voice
containing suspicion. “It’s really hard not to, you know.”
Pine had lied. The SkyWing could never have forgotten a detail as critical as that, especially since he would be with a magical dragon for who knew how long. Of course the moment he found out that a RainWing had animus powers it would stick in his memory like honey sticking on the underside of a talon and making it difficult to walk across a carpet. But it was easier to get through the day having the RainWing think he was forgetful. He was always taught that looking dumb was a great way to get a dragon to let down their guard. 
“I still can’t believe there are NightWings here? Didn’t they consult the RainWings of this kingdom?”
Maybe you’re the only one. I haven’t seen any other RainWings so far.
Many RainWings did not feel comfortable about living with NightWings, but Avocado downright expressed her hate. Even if she were to be alone in a room full with NightWing dragons, she would blow her top off. Pine himself was not fond of tribes other than his own, especially NightWings, but it wasn’t something that constantly swirled in his mind.
"What do you have against those NightWings?" he almost shouted. It was more of him being annoyed by her attitude than her loathing that he asked her the question. Pine did not like Avocado's complaints and whining. He sometimes felt that she was a tiny dragonet that thought everything in the world was wrong. 
Avocado's forced smiles never did seem to falter. "Oh, NO BIG REASON. Only that they captured my friends, experimented on them, and maybe killed a few of them. No biggie, though. Because when their volcano exploded, Queen Glory let them all into the rainforest, because we could TOTALLY trust them. They totally appreciated it!" 
Avocado had once worked as a messenger for Queen Glory of the RainWings, and she did sometimes go into the NightWing village. She performed her acts loyally and without much hint of rebellion, but now that she was out of the rainforest she was able to let her true feelings flow. They were certainly the feelings she wanted to show, Pine had realized early on. 
Pine grew quiet as Avocado continued on with her rambling. They made their way up a fleet of beautifully carved marble stone stairs. They were obviously
not the only dragons on the stairs, or in the hallway or in the Palace. There were many dragons moving about all over the building, hurrying to get to their
positions or completing some important royal tasks. There were many SandWings, SkyWings, and SeaWings, with a few individuals from the other tribes. Avocado slowed down her pace to stare whenever she passed by another RainWing, who were usually pink in color. For a rare moment, she seemed to relax and quiet herself down. 
As he strutted forward, Pine began to think back on all of the events that led to him being in the Palace along with Avocado. He was Pine, a SkyWing who was not too sure of what to do with his life. He had been born some twenty or so years ago to a mother and father who died too early in his life. He was raised by his uncle, who joined the Talons of Peace, which meant that Pine also became a member of that organization. After the war, however, he was thrown into an entirely new world, a SkyWing kingdom divided between Queen Ruby and Scarlet. Everything seemed to be unpredictable. 
For his entire life he had helped his uncle by protecting him. All Pine ever knew was to keep someone safe. Then one fateful day a message came to him, and it was so strange and new that he could not pass up the opportunity. A newly formed Kingdom, made up of all of the dragon tribes, was opening its talons to anyone who wanted the world to finally have peace. It welcomed anyone who felt that they were being treated unjustly, that they felt that their life had no meaning, or they needed some place to find comfort. However, each dragon had to swear fealty to a new queen, travel to the middle of Pyrrhia, and strangely, not harm any more scavengers upon joining. Upon receiving the message from a scrawny-looking SkyWing, Pine accepted and flew deep into the mountains to be evaluated for a position. 
It was at the outpost that he met Avocado. He still remembered standing too close to her, which made the IceWing at his station pair them together after having them approved to enter the kingdom. Avocado had magic, and Pine had to keep an eye on her and keep her from being harmed on her way to the kingdom. 
Avocado had a typical RainWing life before the entire incident with Queen Glory and the NightWings. All was normal except for her powers, but they did not get in the way. One day, Avocado told him, after deciding to search for what she called a "mystery animal," Avocado was attacked by a pack of ambitious NightWings, further tarnishing their name to her. She used her powers to escape and she ended up in the Draconic Kingdom after receiving a message. When she received the note, which was tucked under her body as she was sleeping, her first thoughts were suspicious ones. Her curiosity did prevail in the end, however. As well as her desperation for a new home. 
Avocado halted mid-step and turned to look at Pine, who was behind her and almost on top of her as he barely had enough time to stop himself as he
continued to make his way through the halls. Her bright, fiery colored scales began to cool down, but he knew that she was annoyed with him. 
“I could never trust them, Pine, not after everything…” she concluded solemnly.
Avocado let Pine stand next to her and she was willing to walk together with him once again. The RainWing was about to step forward when she looked down and shrieked.
"HOLY THREE MOONS!!!" she screamed as she jumped back frantically.
"AAAAAAAAaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" a high-pitched blood-curdling cry rang out from underneath Avocado's talons. 
=== Chapter 3: Her Majesty ===
Slush
"Biting blizzards, what is going on?!" The Queen of All of Pyrrhia had been awoken, and she was definitely not in the mood for any problems whatsoever. 
A cry had rung out as she had been snoozing on her luxurious bed, and it just so happened that it came from right outside of her room. It had been the first time during her reign that she was able to take a nap during the daytime, when all of the boring political meetings were taking place. In the Queen's mind there was nothing for her to do other than listen to dragons drone on and on about the whole "unite the tribes" and "we need to open diplomacy with other kingdoms" thing. Slush had nearly fallen asleep more than once, so why would it not be best for her to be in her bed? If anything important was actually discussed, then she would be at those meetings. 
Slush was especially tired from the night before, when she held a great feast in the honor of her chamberlain, Thistle. All of the Queen's closest aides and royal officials attended, along with some human representatives, of course. There was music, formal conversations both inside in the great hall or outside in the royal gardens, and delicious food. The entertainment went deep into the night, even though Thistle left earlier than most of the guests. When Slush woke up the next morning, barely able to open her eyes, Thistle reassured her that he could take care of things. The Queen could always depend on Thistle. 
Now, however, her slumber had been interrupted. The Queen jumped out of bed, quickly tossed on a silver tiara and a handful of necklaces to wear, and stumbled to the door. 
"Who dares awake the Queen!?" she roared as she flung open the wooden door, painted white and cold as snow. Everything in her room had to resemble the Ice Kingdom. The walls, floor, and all of the furniture were white or icy blue, and she had her Royal Animus enchant her room so that it was as cold as Queen Glacier's Palace all the way up at the northwestern tip of Pyrrhia. 
In the hallway, Slush squinted at the suspects that may have cried out all of a sudden. Her breathe was frosty and she clenched the rug on the floor with her sharp talons. Her dark eyes bore into the pale white RainWing and the bright red SkyWing. Who are these two? I need a royal executioner now! I’ll be executioner, then.
The two dragons were smaller than her and they were stunned at her sight. Gooood. They know their place alright. I am your Queen, and I have power over you that you would just wish you had. 
The SkyWing was more problematic. Hmm, he isn't even close to bowing down before me. Is that a hint of defiance I smell? In fact, the SkyWing seemed to be frozen in place, reaching for the air in front of him as he stood on his hind legs. His eyes were peering
directly at her, but they were more surprised than worried. Another SkyWing...almost the worst tribe in the world. She sighed. At least it isn't another rebellious NightWing or crafty SandWing. SeaWings, RainWings, and MudWings were the ideal three tribes that the Queen generally tolerated, while she did not particularly care about NightWings, SandWings, SkyWings, and some IceWings that still had connections to the Ice Kingdom. 
The RainWing was white, just as the Queen liked. RainWings could be any color, yet white or light blue were Slush's favorites as they matched the color of snow and ice in her home. She could not tell why they only turned that color when they were afraid. This RainWing tried to make herself smaller, tucking in her wings, but she was awkwardly balancing on three claws. Her breathing was soft but rapid. She looks like a fine subject...all RainWings typically are... 
"Who are you and as Queen I demand that you tell what in the BLAZES you are doing, OUTSIDE of my door, crying like a maniac!" The two dragons stood perfectly still, but also silent and dumbfounded. "WELLLL!" 
As she gazed at them, Slush noticed that the RainWing's eyes were darting back and forth from something near her
talons and then to the Queen. What the... 
The Queen stepped forward and noticed for the first time a small creature was curled up into a ball on the rug, whimpering as it lay right below a handful of talons. There were tiny papers scattered all over the floor around the human, which was definitely some sort of report that the Queen knew was routine. Humans sometimes scurried around the Palace, but only on official business or if they worked for the Queen as a messenger, cook, or translator. The sight of this human being vulnerable made her pleased, but of course she couldn’t show that. She had to make a good impression on the scavengers. 
"Get away from it!" Slush bellowed, and the RainWing immediately complied. Human and dragons had a mutual understanding of each other and cordial relations, but an unfortunate accident where one was hurt or even died could lead to the agreements to crumble into thin air. Personally, the Queen could live without humans, but not in the way that they didn't exist. Back in the Ice Kingdom it was rare for any dragon to find a scavenger, as they were called. They would live in dens, wear furs, and sometimes steal treasure. Queen Oasis, former ruler of the SandWings, had been killed by a greedy scavenger and basically put them in the spotlight for a little while. IceWings ate whatever scavengers they could find, and twice Slush had tasted what a scavenger tasted like. Many would say that they tasted like fish, and they did, though it is also stringy and not very appetizing. A cow or seal would have been a better meal. 
Now that she was Queen, she had agreed to never eat a human ever again, and the same went for all of the dragons in the Kingdom. 
The little human sensed that the RainWing had backed off, so it stood up and looked around. It shuddered and sniffled at the sight of the two unknown dragons, but when it saw the Queen it ran straight towards her. Before it reached her, it performed a small bow, then proceeded to hide behind her back leg. The RainWing looked surprised, but the SkyWing seemed deeper in thought. 
The Queen saw the glint in their eyes and scoffed at them. 
"How dare you!" she growled, knowing that her words and actions could help the human put in a good word for her when it got back on track to its destination. She was very popular among the little creatures, and some of them have even nicknamed her "Mother Queen." Slush patted the human lightly on top of its furry, brown head and nudged it in the direction it was heading to originally. It scurried away down the hallway, and then disappeared when it turned. Go on
and tell your friends about how I saved you.  
"You have a scavenger!?" the SkyWing speculated out loud. 
Queen Slush reverted her gaze from the bend the human turned to and eyed the new dragons warily. 
"The general term would be humans, not scavengers. How disrespectful of you!" she scolded, knowing that perhaps her voice was loud enough for a few humans to hear. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" she beckoned, holding her snout up regally. Acting like a real queen here. 
Three guards had already appeared out of nowhere to defend their queen, along with her ‘favorite’ NightWing. Each held a long, pointy spear, and each wore capes that were color-coded by tribe. These three all happened to have brown capes, for they were each MudWings. They also wore gloves on their talons, a plate of metal armor on their chests, and protection for their knees, shoulders, and elbows. On their heads they wore helmets that protected the sides, back, and top of their heads, but leaving the face open. They pointed their weapons at the RainWing and the SkyWing. 
“Are you alright, Your Majesty?” asked Reliance, though he was ignored.
"We are supposed to be here! Wait! You have us all wrong!" the RainWing squeaked as a spear was nearly shoved into her side. She held her talons up in the air. 
"Oh?" the Queen asked. "What about you, SkyWing? What do you have to say?" He's being awful silent. A little handsome too, for a SkyWing. Not very big and muscular though, and maybe not much for brains either. Still, he has a nice snout and eyes...but I’m still superior in all categories.
The SkyWing did not say a word, but
rather snarled at the guard that pointed a spear at him. The third guard decided that this red dragon was clearly the bigger threat, so he focused on the growling, angry SkyWing. A fourth guard came quickly to the queen's side. Slush almost beamed with pride for her talented guards. All trained and loyal to me. No one can try to kill me and actually do it. Just like the IceWing guards back at home, but not nitwits.
The RainWing seemed to be changing to another shade of color. "Oh, for crying out loud, Pine, why don't you say anything? You always have to make a situation worse and more stupid!" she hissed. "I..." she uttered as she realized what she had said in front of everyone. “I mean, this situation isn't stupid! I...I...well I meant that it's just not necessary! Yeah! Your Majesty, this has been all a huge misunderstanding!" 
Beautiful scales. Just like Monsoons’.
The RainWing looked desperately at the SkyWing, who took a glance at her and breathed in deeply. "We are sorry, Your Greatness, we didn't wish to disturb you." 
Peculiar voice, the Queen thought. It was less agitated and less powerful than she had expected from a SkyWing. Well now, who are these two? 
As if the RainWing had heard her mind, she answered the Queen's thoughts. "Your Majesty, please let me explain. We are your new assistants. My name is Avocado, and this here is Pine," she explained, giving her tail a flick towards Pine's general direction. 
Icy icicles! 
"You finally came! I have been waiting for you!" the Queen cried with joy! She brushed past her guards excitedly and grabbed the talons of Avocado tightly, smiling directly into her face with bright teeth and equally bright eyes. Avocado seemed to be very uncomfortable and tried to back away without the Queen realizing, but the radiance of the monarch overwhelmed her. 
"Which one of you is my animus?" the Queen asked frantically, squeezing the life out of Avocado's talons. Animus! My new animus is finally here! Oh, the power I can have with two animi! The other queens will never ignore me, laugh at me, no one will ever bully or make fun of me! My animi can build me a new palace, enchant weapons and jewelry, and maybe even make me immortal! 
Slush smiled slyly as she was lost in thought, until her trance was broken with Avocado speaking up and answering the Queen's question. 
"I...I am your animus, Your Majesty," Avocado peeped, nervously eyeing the queen. 
Queen Slush beamed upon Avocado, like one smiled down upon a chest of gold coins or a crown embedded with jewels that one knew would have no matter what. Slush gently cupped Avocado's snout and inspected her quite quickly. Avocado did not squirm, but was instead taken aback. The Queen seemed satisfied. Yes...she is perfect. A RainWing animus, who would have figured?! And she is mine. All mine. 
"What was your name again...Avocado, was it?" she asked. Before the RainWing could answer there was a sound of footsteps and wings unfurling. Everyone in the hallway
looked up towards the ceiling. The guards, the Queen, Avocado, and Pine watched as a two pale dragons made their way down from the top balcony to where the crowd had gathered. 
Slush was thrilled and spoke giddily. "Ah, perfect! You will be happy to meet him, Avocado!" the Queen told the RainWing, rubbing her talons against one another. 
The SandWings landed on the carpet, looking anxiously at Avocado and Pine, but always keeping their head low whenever they turned to the Queen. The younger dragon fidgeted with a scroll in his talons, tearing away at one corner of the paper. 
The two animi, the SandWing and the RainWing, both locked eyes, as if knowing each other's revealed secrets. Queen Slush now had two animi to assist her in her duties. 
"Avocado, this is my personal assistant, Rune," Slush introduced the SandWing. "Rune dearest, this is Avocado, our new animus and your new partner." 
Rune and Avocado both shifted awkwardly on their feet, making Slush giggle once more. Oh, how perfect this will be. My feasts will be so much more spectacular... 
Suddenly, the Queen's thoughts were interrupted. 
"Feast? The feast! We must all feast tonight, in honor of our new animus! Shivering sherbet, I have to get ready! So much to do, so little time..." she thought out loud. "Oh, you two! I expect both of you to be at the feast tonight! Rune, I expect you will perform admirably tonight..." 
"But, Your Majesty, how will this RainWing know where to go and what to do? Surely someone will need to guide her and tour her around the Palace. I believe Rune would be honored to take such a task upon himself and remove it from Your Majesty's worry," the older SandWing pointed out and offered. 
As the Queen began to turn to leave, she grinned at her the dragon’s logic and reasoning, feeling proud of it herself. "Oh, Sandstorm, you always think of everything! Rune, I give you permission, but make sure you are quick. We all still need your help, and this gives me an idea! Genius! You will teach Avocado! Brilliant, if I do say so myself!" 
Thus, without another word, Slush strutted down the hallway to the great dining halls. This has been such a perfect day! Now I have two animi! Yes, I am so happy! Tonight will be a great night, a glamorous night! Dancing, drinking, and cake! Oh, vanilla cake...I cannot wait... 
=== Chapter 4: Introductions ===
Rune
Oh no, oh, three moons no... 
"And off she goes," sighed the RainWing, sitting back against the wall, relieved that the Queen had finally taken her attention someplace else. Avocado may have felt relieved, but Rune was experiencing quite the opposite feeling in his stomach and his nerves. It did not help that the SkyWing was also staring at him ever since he had flown down from the top balcony of the Palace. 
What!? 
Earlier that day, Rune had received word of a newly translated human textbook on the history of law in Pyrrhia. He had also received the most interesting news from a SeaWing that was passing through to report to the Queen. Glorious Pyrrhia, the human empire that coexisted with the Draconic Kingdom, was having an election for an office of a
so-called "chancellor." When Rune asked what a "chancellor" was, the SeaWing shrugged and laughed at his own unknowing of the term. All Rune knew of the leadership of the humans was the "Rex," so this whole election business was intriguing. 
With the translated text in his hands he had thought that perhaps it would have shed some light on the situation, but before he could even open the cover he had been interrupted. As usual, whenever something strange was going on, he was usually informed of it. When news reached to him of the appearance of two dragons and the scream of a human in the hallways, he quickly set his text aside and flew down from the library. 
He knew that one day he would meet dragons that he would have to work with, but he didn't think it would happen so soon. Or at least he hoped it wouldn't have happened so soon and so suddenly. 
"So, uh, you are Rune? The Queen's personal...assistant?" the RainWing asked calmly, turning into a lovely shade of yellow. She put some distance between herself and Rune, but she was definitely showing excitement. Her eyes were bright and she relaxed as she examined Rune. 
Rune may have felt like the smallest SandWing in the world, and he felt ashamed as he was looked over. He was nothing spectacular, and if it were not for his powers he would definitely have been useless. He was not strong, or a genius, nor beautiful. His dark eyes glared down at the soft rug, revealing the top of his head to the animus, Avocado. He wished she would stop smiling. He didn't want her to try to make him feel better. All I want is to be with my scrolls, and not share them with dragons who want to take my job and make me feel like nothing. I am not replaceable. 
The Queen's hopeful and admiring attitude towards the RainWing stung him. Avocado now appeared to be the far more popular choice for Her Majesty. Avocado could change her scales into different shades of beautiful colors, while he himself was dull. Avocado was probably not a bookworm like he was and a more social dragon who would definitely be more useful on display at gatherings. He had yet to see it, but he bet that her personality would buy the Queen even more, and then everyone would forget about Rune altogether. He would no longer be the favorite of the Queen of Pyrrhia. 
For now, however, he still had his chance to prove his worth. Maybe he could still win over the Queen and defend his position. Acting rude and ignoring the two new dragons certainly would be looked down upon in the Queen's eyes. Or could he perform some sabotage?
"Yes, I am Rune," introduced the SandWing to his peers. 
His short response was followed by an awkward silence. Well, what else am I supposed to say? I introduced myself, what else do you expect of me? 
For the longest moment, Rune was bogged down by the smiling face of Avocado. She was grinning at him, but after
a few seconds of silence she began to force it by gritting her teeth. Her eyes darted around, only to return to him, and she seemed to be urging him to say something else. 
"And?" Avocado beckoned, obviously implying that this conversation was not over just yet. 
Oh dear. 
"What else is a Kholler supposed to say? Congratulations?" he replied back, watching as Avocado's expression became painful to bear. She is trying so hard from bursting into her true emotions right now. Oh my, why couldn't I have said something else, anything else? 
“K-kholler?” Avocado asked?
She doesn’t know. It seems that no one knows what I am, yet they have the nerve to call me an animus. I’m not. Just be good, keep everyone happy.
“If you want things to work out, never dare call me an animus. I am a Kholler, nothing less, nothing more. Yes, I perform magic, yes, I can enchant things, but no, I will not lose my soul. Is that clear?”
"Yeah, I guess so..." Avocado scratched the back of her head. 
Please let this be over. 
"Ummm..." a new voice stepped in. 
Oh? 
It was the SkyWing, speaking for the first time in front of Rune. He had been quiet the entire time and Rune had almost forgotten that he was there, standing away from it all, but yet so close. 
"How about you give us a tour, eh?" the SkyWing suggested. It was the miracle Rune needed, the savior that was there just in the nick of time. Thank the moons... 
“Yes, why don’t you?” another voice chimed in.
All of their heads turned towards that voice, one Rune had forgotten more about than the SkyWings’. 
“And you can explain to everyone what you really are. A great introduction for them,” the NightWing Regent had suggested. His black scales with starry swirls were impressive had anyone taken him seriously. 
Reliance…the one dragon anyone can rely on except for himself. 
Rune felt sorry about the NightWing because they were in the same pool. Both of them were ignored until they were needed, and neither of them were generally liked by the average citizen. Rune was a dragon of mysterious origin, not exactly a comfort for unstable minds. Reliance was a NightWing, already a source of distrust for him. That and the fact that Reliance was as harmless as a fly, always submitting to the Queen without question and never raising his own opinion. That was all the information Rune got from watching the Regent, which was not nearly as much as he saw the Queen.
Reliance was the one dragon who Rune felt wasn’t in it just for themselves, which created a bond neither of them knew existed. 
Avocado briefly turned her attention away from Rune and took a second to acknowledge the NightWing. The little shades of emerald that had been emerging in spots on her scales were replaced with pools of white. She looked Reliance right in the eye, as if searching for a soul she didn’t believe was there.
I foresee this being a daily problem. 
“Well then, I must be off. See you all around, animi and SkyWing. There never seems to be a shortage of work in the Palace. Thistle would do not so nice things to me if she caught me shirking from my work.”  And with a great flap of his wings the NightWing was gone, leaving the three dragons to wonder.
What Regent lets other dragon do that to him? How does he let himself be pushed around?
“Okay then, so how about that tour and telling us everything you are? Ready, Rune? Oh, and aren’t you going to be my teacher? That is ultra-cool!” Avocado smiled graciously, her scales returning to calm blue. Her eyes were welcoming him, her body relaxed and her voice soft. She was attempting to befriend him or let him know she did not bite. 
Oh sweet swirling sand, no... What could have been worse than teaching a dragon something, especially about magic? He wasn't that experienced in the first place. Though he had put in a lot of time reading about spells and the arts, he couldn't even perform half of the intermediate ones. Not that he would like to. He had already tried to give up his magic, at least from his thoughts, but it was impossible as he had to perform some conjuration every day on the orders of the Queen. Now he had to think of magic again in order to share his knowledge. 
But as a Kholler he had to accept his wait. He would have to teach Avocado magic, as it was his life to give others gifts and make them happy. If not he would lose something very dear to him, which formed a knot of worry in his mind for Avocado. If she were not a Kholler, how long would her soul last. Could he find a spell that would protect her? 
"Ah, well, I suppose I shall take you on a tour," Rune said with more energy, taking a few steps towards the corridor. Hmm, he thought as he led Avocado and Pine down the hallways. He glanced through a window as he passed by it and saw that the sun was beginning to set. Streaks of orange were appearing up in the heavens, and the blue was slowly vanishing in place of other colors. Almost evening time, and then night time. I can't possibly give them a whole tour and get the feast ready as well. Sweet sand dunes, I'll have to show them around some other time. 
"Ahem," he cleared his throat. He turned his head to look back at the two new dragons so that he could tell them what was on his mind, but as they followed him they were also busy talking away among themselves. It seemed to have been heated. 
"Oh, Pine, you don't have to follow me everywhere I go! Just, I don't know, find a room to be all grumpy in!" Avocado hissed, frustrated. Her scales were turning red, a color Rune had never seen before on a RainWing, and to Rune she looked like an overgrown tomato. The thought reminded him of tomato sauce and salad, and then to the feast that would begin in a few hours at the least. 
Seriously... 
Pine said nothing, and Avocado seemed satisfied enough to realize that Rune had been watching them. 
"I'm sorry, come again?" she asked. 
Rune reorganized his thoughts once again and remembered what he was about to say earlier. "Oh, yes. Um, I'm sorry that we won't be able to go on a full tour of the Palace tonight, maybe tomorrow...I just didn't know there was going to be this feast and..." 
The look on Avocado's face seemed to
be disappointed, while the SkyWing looked the same as ever: as if he could care less. Therefore, hoping first impressions went smoothly, Rune tried to appeal to the two by further explaining what would happen at the feast. 
"Come," he waved his talons towards the door that led to the staircase, "I am sure you will absolutely love the feast! It is an honor to be invited, especially by the Queen herself! Her feasts are always exciting, with lots of good food to eat and plenty of entertainment." 
Rune led the two dragons downstairs, all the way to the second level where the great banquet hall was located. Upon opening the great shiny, golden doors, studded with rubies, diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires, both the RainWing and the SkyWing gazed inside in awe. 
"Wow..." gasped Avocado. Her eyes were as big as the moons as she took in everything. 
Behold, the grandest place ever! 
The great banquet hall was stunning! It was a large rectangular-shaped room with rich decoration and style. The floor was tiled with alternating black-and-white checkered boxes and the walls were whiter than clouds on a bright sunny day. On the walls were lights, which would be dimmed as the night went on to bring about a relaxed, calm atmosphere. There were many round tables, each with white tablecloths and six seats around them. Those tables were all set on the left side of the room when the three dragons entered. On the right, elevated on a platform, was a long table that had nine seats behind it, nearly against the wall. That was where the Queen sat, along with her most important guests and friends. The middle-most seat out of the nine was a large silver, almost throne-like seat where the Queen ate her meals and socialized with the other dragons. Between the regular round table section and the seating for the Queen and her honored guests was a shiny black dance floor. 
The far wall had large arched windows, and before it was a marble fountain, with a statue made in the likeness of the Queen. Water would flow, sometimes in different colors such as purple, red, and green. Near the fountain, on the left side of the room, was the entrance to the gardens where guests could take a stroll or gaze up at the stars on a frosty night. 
What interested Rune most was the room opposite of the garden entrance. Right of the fountain was another entrance way, one that Rune indicated to Avocado. 
"Over there," he pointed out, and the RainWing followed him as she continued to inspect every detail of the hall. 
"My queen never let me into her dining hall..." muttered the SkyWing as he stared at the long table where Queen Slush would sit at that very evening. “My former queen," he added in. 
When all three of the dragons reached the door, both noticed something. 
"Smells awful good, wouldn't you say, Pine?" asked Avocado as she sniffed the air, her nostrils flaring. 
Pine took in a big whiff. "It's making me feel hungry..." 
Rune opened the door and revealed to the two the royal kitchen. 
I would be happier if opening this door was all I had to do. 
=== Chapter 5: Smells and Taste ===
Pine
The smells in the air combined to form one heavenly scent that enveloped the entire kitchen area. 
Hey, what is in here?
After allowing Rune and Avocado to enter the kitchen first, Pine briskly squeezed himself in through the light metallic door, which he noticed was quite warm to the touch when his side bumped into it upon entering. The first thing that nearly caught Pine off guard was the absolutely strong smell of food. 
Pine's eyes spotted a number of dragons moving around and about with white aprons covering the front of their bodies, many of them stained with sauces, juices, and ingredients. He might have lost himself if he had not realized that Avocado was walking away with the new dragon. 
Pine did not know how to feel about Rune. Him being an animus put the SkyWing on edge, but the SandWing seemed to be too timid and quiet to do anything dangerous. However, he did not like Avocado being alone with the SandWing for any given time at all. It was the first day at the Palace and he felt that Rune was not even close to earning their trust, at the very least his. Don't you dare do anything to her.
Pine quickly caught up to the two dragons when they halted near a table where a RainWing was cutting fruit. He could finally hear the conversation they were engaged in. 
"Tonight the food on the menu is smoked salmon, cooked cod, and lots of fruit kebabs!" the RainWing chattered happily as he chopped through some yellow bananas. "I know that lots of dragons like meat, but my prized kebabs are just as good! There are never any left by the end of the night."
As the RainWing continued to skewer strawberries, pieces of mangoes, banana, apricots, and kiwi on pointy wooden sticks, Rune took a second to explain everything to Avocado. As an IceWing, he said, the Queen loved fish and meat, but did not care much for fruit. The RainWing winced, but he did not shirk from his work or object to the statement. 
A little rude, eh? At least Avocado isn’t the only one here from her tribe. 
Rune further clarified that the fruit was mainly for the RainWing party-goers, and there were plenty of them to be found. He said that Avocado did not have to worry much about the fruit, unless there happened to be a shortage of it for some reason and then they would have to use their magic to make sure the RainWings were not disappointed during dinner. 
Rune moved Avocado along towards the back of the kitchen. At the very rear was another smaller room, a cold box that acted as the storage freezer. 
"It sure is...cold here..." Avocado voiced concernedly, wrapping her wings around herself and rubbing her talons together. "Brrr." She shook herself and eyed in surprise her plume of breath as she exhaled. 
A RainWing that has hardly seen the world outside of the rainforest. Oh, Avocado, sometimes I wonder why you really needed to leave home. Things couldn't have been that bad. 
Rune droned on with his debriefing. "Here is the freezer, as you can tell from the cold air. Inside are containers of ice and packages of frozen meat, vegetables, and fruit. Normally all of our food is caught or picked fresh, but sometimes we cannot get enough in time or something happens to the supplies that are supposed to be delivered to the Palace each day. That is why the chefs have some backup food frozen at the back of the kitchen. In just a few minutes it can be thawed and ready to serve."
Avocado shivered and tried to pull herself away from the frosty air. "Alright, so what's next?" she asked with her eyes closed shut and her teeth chattering. Noticing her distress, Pine attempted to come closer to the animus. 
"It's alright, Pine," she reassured him. The response was not what Pine wanted to hear, but he had to respect her wish, especially if he didn't want to make a scene and embarrass her and himself in front of Rune and the entire kitchen staff. He followed close behind, and gave Avocado some personal space. 
Rune led Avocado to another station in the kitchen, where three dragons were cutting away at all sorts of meat. There was blood dripping down from wooden boards and there were red stains all over the aprons of the butchers. Pine saw that they were cutting venison into strips or mashing a squishy-looking meat into round patties. Also, there were sausages hanging from a string, prompting Pine to drool a little. Meat...delicious meat...
Fresh meat was Pine's absolutely most favorite food, especially if it was recently killed. He loved to hunt down big game such as deer and moose, but he would also settle for sheep, pigs, and occasionally a bear. He could not tell which animal the different meat was from because it neither looked like an animal nor smelled like one anymore. Pine saw that much of the meat was being loaded with spice. However, Pine did manage to catch the scent of something he definitely knew was the smell of prey. It was not a smell he usually found, but it was definitely the scent of an animal that was not grounded into a patty or skinned into a new form, yet. I know this smell...there must be some live food here after all! What could it be? It doesn't smell that...forest-y. 
Pine looked around and tried to find the prey. He looked on the floor, believing that there was a hidden pen or some cage for the animal. Then, after a few seconds of searching, he found the answer on top of a bright white counter-top. 
Oh? he thought, befuddled. A scavenger!
 To his surprise there was a tiny two-legged creature busily working away on top of the counter! 
"Hey there..." he called to it. A scavenger, here? 
This was unexpected. It had been hours since he had seen his last scavenger, and if his memory served him right, he had never had the luck of finding those creatures so often in a single day. Or even a week! 
Pine eyed it curiously, and thankfully he remembered the run-in from before. He could not eat the scavenger, as it was apparently under the protection of the Queen, and he never truly liked the taste of them anyway. They did taste like fish, a flavor he did not particularly enjoy. Besides, they were so rare that he could not even remember the taste of them that well. It was only a fond memory stored back deep in his head. He did remember that many SkyWings would love to get their talons on one or a couple for a snack. Just because they are rare doesn't make them any better than a buck.
"I see you found our scavenger cooks," barged in a new dragon. It was a small thin MudWing, who had a cracked horn and her snout seemed to have been pounded against many times. Her deep eyes watched the scavenger, and she lowered her head to it when Pine guessed it had finished whatever it was doing. 
Just then, Rune and Avocado arrived at the counter as well, to the MudWing's puzzlement. 
"Who is this?" the MudWing asked, gazing at Avocado from the side of her eye. Meanwhile, the little scavenger stood up straight, its little paws on its hips, looking down at its creation. 
"This is Avocado, Pecan, our new...animus," he uttered. Pine noticed that the word "animus" did not leave the SandWing's mouth too smoothly. 
"Is she going to be working with our scavengers?" Pecan wanted to know. She looked worriedly towards the scavenger, who was soon joined by three other scavengers, each of them wearing white aprons and funny little hats on their furry heads. They were carrying their own creations and they stacked them on top of the original scavenger's plate. 
"Yes. Now, here we are, Avocado. Now that we have been through the entire kitchen, I will now show you what your main job before the dinners is going to be," Rune answered Pecan's question and continued to talk to Avocado. "Our Queen enjoys the pastries and desserts that the scavengers make for her each night. On especially special occasions she requests for a cake to be baked for her and for all of her guests. Her favorite is a vanilla cake with chocolate and honey. I'm sure you have heard of cocoa beans, Avocado, since you come from the rainforest. Well, those beans are used to make chocolate. When you taste it later this night you will love it." 
Avocado looked at the tiny circles of cake layers warily. "Rather small..." she noted. 
Rune was glad to explain, to Pine's boredom. I am beginning to hate his voice.
"Scavengers can only make so much, and only they know how to make those desserts. We need to learn from them, but until then we animi have a job to do. Nothing difficult. You know how to make things bigger..." 
Avocado did not allow Rune to finish before she pointed one of her talons towards the cake and it magically enlarged to a size suitable for a party of dragons. She blinked at it as if it were nothing, but Rune gawked at it with disbelief. He looked nearly horrified, to Pine's surprise. 
Something wrong Rune? Pine thought sarcastically. Didn't expect her to perform magic without your help? Poor Rune.
"How did you...how..." Rune stuttered, reminding Pine of a blubbering dragonet. 
"That wasn't so hard. That's it, that's all I have to do? Seriously?!" Avocado sneered in glee. 
Rune took in a deep breath and talked on after having a moment to think. "I see that you don't need a book of spells for you to make magic. You can just think of something and it will do it, I guess," he quavered. "I foresee that the Queen will really like you..." 
"Really!" Avocado gasped. "She's going to like me! Oh my gosh, yes!" Avocado looked as if she were about to prance around the entire kitchen. Her scales were bright pink, and Pine heard the scavengers soft "oohs" as they gaped in awe. 
I guess she found her place. I hope she knows what she is doing. And Rune, stop moping! What's wrong?!
Suddenly Pine heard clapping, followed by a round of applause. He looked around and saw that the cooks and chefs, both scavenger and dragon, were clapping for Avocado. The MudWing beamed at the RainWing and was ecstatic. Avocado looked around as well, and she covered her face with her talons, her eyes watering up from emotion. She was grinning with her white teeth brightly, moved by the kitchen's support. 
"Oh my..." she marveled. 
Pine heard her say those words under her breathe, but he also heard a slightly deeper voice uttering those very same words. It was Rune, not out of happiness, but out of uneasiness. 
At the feast...
Pine had never seen a more spectacular event in his life; not even the arena back home matched the splendor of this kingdom's feasting. It was not as thrilling or exciting, but for once he realized that he liked the formality and neatness of the dinner. 
He, Avocado, and Rune walked in together after Rune stopped by to his room and later came out wearing a rich choice of black pearls around his neck and silver bracelets around his wrists. Avocado did not eye the treasure with much interest, to Rune's obvious disappointment, and even to Pine's surprise. 
I thought even RainWings would love treasure, obsessed even. Don't they like pretty things, or just flowers and sleep? I wish I had some jewelry or treasure to wear, I look so bare.
Indeed, it seemed that he and Avocado were the only dragons who were not wearing anything expensive or fancy to the feast. Other dragons wore gems of all kinds, gold, silver, coats of furs, bracelets, tiaras, capes, and rings to name a few. They all looked regal, and Pine snorted as he saw them strut in with a peculiar way of walking. 
Fancy, upper class dragons who are probably uptight, stubborn, and can pay off anyone to do anything. Maybe if I bite one they will just cry for help and not fight back...
Pine resisted the temptation to experiment, for one because it would be extremely unwise in the first place, and secondly because Avocado was heading towards the fountain at the back of the dining hall. They had passed it earlier, but for the first time Avocado was able to see it up close and in detail. 
"Wowww," she remarked, and Rune came hurrying along to stand next to her. 
"Do you like it?" he asked hopefully. 
"It looks so beautiful! It looks just like the Queen...I adore that pose..." she nodded, and tried to imitate the statue by holding her arms up in the air as if she were going to dance with the marble version of Her Majesty. 
Rune took interest. "Really? I helped make this statue! I used my magic to, you know, get it to be this way," he pointed out proudly. 
"That's neat!" Avocado commented, but her attention fell upon elsewhere. There was the sound of trumpets and everyone in the hall turned towards the great door. 
"It's the Queen!" Avocado gasped and ran up to the front of the crowd that had gathered. Pine followed her, and he realized that Rune did the same. 
Alright. I see how it is.
Queen Slush walked in gallantly through the golden doors, wearing an absolutely beautiful and rich outfit. On top of her head was a large golden crown with seven different colored gems. She wore a dress of sapphires that went well with the white silk that covered her body elegantly. There were rings on her talons and golden bracelets on her wrists, just like Rune's. Around her neck were dozens of strings of pearls and gold, as well as one large copper medallion studded with gold and silver. 
Among her were other dragons, all wearing different outfits of different design and composition. Pine counted five that followed the Queen up the platform to sit at the long table. There was a SeaWing wearing lots of pearls, a SkyWing wearing what seemed to be golden mail armor, a MudWing, an IceWing, and finally Reliance. Standing close to the RainWing, Pine heard a low grumbling. He caught Avocado staring at the NightWing with much resentment and suspicion. Pine looked at all of the other RainWings gathered in the room, and he did notice that they too either tried to ignore the NightWing or carefully eyed him out of the corner of their eyes. 
Once seated, the Queen noticed that two of the seats were empty. Pine expected Rune to have been with Avocado, but instead the SandWing was taking a seat at the end of the right side of the table. The Queen herself sat in the throne, with the NightWing to her left and the MudWing to her right. Queen Slush motioned for Pine and Avocado to take their seats up at the long table. 
I guess we are special.
Avocado tried to walk like the other dragons, but after making a few awkward steps she gave up and ran to her seat, leaving one final space for Pine, right next to the NightWing. He didn't know why, but he felt sympathy for the NightWings. He heard of the stories of the volcano erupting on their island home, and after it was revealed that NightWings did not have the powers they claimed they had, he breathed a little easier at night. He still remembered the day when he was told of the NightWing raid on the SkyWing arena back when Scarlet was the Queen of the SkyWings. He wondered how Queen Slush, being an IceWing, felt as NightWings were in her kingdom, since they killed the IceWing prisoners. Pine never really liked the NightWings, but he did feel sorry for them. 
Pine walked up to his seat, which was cushy and comfortable, and sat down at the table. Before long all of the guests sat down at the round tables and the food began to pour in to the room. Waiters and waitresses carried in food from the kitchen on trays, placing them down on the tables. 
At the long table, plates of fish, fruit, and meat, both cooked and uncooked, were placed and everyone grabbed whatever they wanted. Cups and goblets were filled with rich wine, pure water, or beverages that Pine recognized were ones that would leave a dragon waking up with a headache the next morning. As they ate, the Queen gossiped and drank with her colleagues, especially with the MudWing that sat next to her. The NightWing had his body constantly turned to the Queen, and he frequently added in a remark to the group conversation. The SkyWing and the SeaWings spoke to each other, but they often laughed with the queen and talked with her from their end. Rune, Avocado, and himself were the only ones who actually ate their meal. 
"Oh my three friends, aren't you just absolutely enjoying this fine feast!?" the Queen asked, raising a cup of her drink to her mouth and taking a gulp. 
Not the cleanest eater, I must say. The Queen was enjoying herself along with the other dragons sitting next to her. The SeaWing with the pearls seemed to have an entire arsenal of jokes and humorous remarks, which the Queen would laugh her heart out at and pound the table. The IceWing told many short stories that entertained the Queen and even amazed her. The MudWing, who wore necklaces of rubies, was flattering the Queen on her appearance and her recent decrees, mentioning what a wise and fair queen the Kingdom was lucky to have. 
After finishing her cup, the Queen introduced the other dragons at the table to the three. 
"Rune, Avocado....SkyWing," the Queen called for attention, and Pine grimaced when she forgot his name. "Let me introduce you to Reliance, my regent," she nodded towards the NightWing. "Thistle, my chamberlain and best friend," she smiled at the MudWing, who grinned back. "Porpoise, my most trusted advisor," she waved at the SeaWing with the pearls. "Timber," she pointed to the IceWing, "my hatchery expert. And Amaranth, the Captain of the Guard," she nodded at the SkyWing. "Everyone, this is Rune, Avocado, and..." 
"Pine," he answered, trying his hardest to seem like he wasn't offended. 
"Yes. Pine. These are my animi!" she announced smugly. 
The other dragons applauded and stared at the three dragons, whispering their opinions among themselves. Before they returned to their conversations, the Queen stood up with her goblet in her hand. 
"Everyone, everyone!" she beckoned the entire room. The whole dining hall went silent as the dragons turned to look at the Queen. 
"Let us toast my newest animi and friends!" she raised her goblet. The whole room did the same and clinked their glasses with one another. The Queen clinked hers with the MudWing and the NightWing and then they drank it all down. 
Pine continued to eat after the excitement, devouring his meal. When it was very late, he and Avocado asked to be excused to turn in for the night. At first the Queen stopped them, telling them that they should eat the cake that was about to be brought in. Avocado was able to convince the queen to let them go to bed, and a gentle comment from the MudWing Thistle persuaded Queen Slush to let them go. 
"More cake for me," she said dreamily. The Queen gave them permission and she returned to her drinking and eating. 
Rune told the two where their rooms were, for he always stayed until the feast was over and he did not go with them. Avocado said good night to Rune while Pine grunted his acknowledgement. 
Avocado and Pine silently walked away from the feast and through the golden doors, manned by a number of armed guards. They went down the hallway sleepily, sometimes looking out the window to see the stars and the moons. They finally reached their rooms after a little bit of walking. It seemed to have been on the same floor and area as the room where they ran into the screaming scavenger. 
Time for bed. My feet are killing me and I should not have eaten as much as I did. I think I will sleep until midday.
 Pine lazily followed Avocado into her room, but he fell back as she roared at him unexpectedly. 
"PINE! What are you doing?!" she hollered. 
Pine laid on his back after tripping on his own feet. He blinked at her, confused. "Going to bed," he explained as he looked into the room. There were definitely two separate beds inside. 
"You don't have to follow me everywhere I go! I'm not a dragonet, I can take care of myself! Leave me be, Pine!" she cried out in rage. Her scales were red and black, and she bared her teeth at him. "Why can't you just stay away from me sometimes!?" 
Pine arched his brows back at her, snarling at her. "I was assigned to guard you and be with you everywhere you go. And aren't we friends?" 
Avocado rolled her eyes. "Those old dragons at the post in the mountains don't know anything about us, about me. I don't need any guarding. I have magic to protect me and, HELLO, venom! You're everywhere and it's starting to annoy me. I don't want someone watching over me every second of my life." 
Pine huffed. "Yeah, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind Rune walking all over you, occupying your precious personal space." 
Avocado gasped and hissed. "Rune is nothing more than my teacher, Pine. And you are nothing more than your so-called 'guard.' Now let me SLEEP!" she concluded and slammed the door shut behind her. 
Pine was enraged, but all he did was trek into the bedroom next to Avocado's and shut the door. Black smoke escaped from under the door and into the hallway. 
=== Chapter 6: Royal Duties ===
Slush
When will this all be over...? Is there never any exciting news?
It was a new day in the life of the Queen of All of Pyrrhia, another day full of tedious listening to advisors, complaints from subjects, and the arrival of updates from throughout the kingdom. All day Slush had to sit on her throne, long enough so that the cushioning on it did not feel very effective anymore. In addition to the cumbersome tasks, the exhaustion from staying up the previous night for the feast did more to have Slush wish she could skip the meetings.
However, one long-sought piece of news completely turned the day around for Queen Slush and her entire court.
My egg is going to hatch soon...it may hatch on my own hatching day! This is going to be big, I will need everything to be perfect in four days! My little dragonet is going to come into the world! I am going to be a wonderful mother! How cute it will be!
For many weeks the Queen had been expecting signs of the egg starting to move and even beginning to crack open. The egg was kept in the royal hatchery, which was magically enchanted to be freezing cold at all times so that it was always suitable to have snow for the egg to be buried in. The hatchery was overseen by Timber, an intelligent and handsome IceWing who had left the Ice Kingdom for some incident unknown to the Queen. He arrived with his wife, who already had three dragonets, so Slush found the perfect egg-sitter in him until the egg hatched. Besides, only an IceWing could qualify for such an important responsibility. Slush would take whatever time she could find to visit her egg, and sometimes she would even sleep in the hatchery if there was no feast in session. In truth, she would have been in the hatchery all day everyday if she hadn't had to perform her royal duties. 
Rune, her royal animus (Kholler), had mentioned to her that he could use his magic to determine when exactly the egg would hatch. Always finding magic to be of great convenience, Slush would have almost instantly agreed had not her most trusted advisor, Porpoise, deter her.
"Your Majesty," Porpoise once said, "I don't think it is wise to place a spell on your beloved egg. You can never trust an animus, or a Kholler that is, my dear. I wouldn't want the little dragonet to be in danger." Any chance of Rune using his magic on the egg was over from that moment on. And her once unshakable faith and pride for Rune began to crumble like the bland biscuits she had eaten in one of her first dinners as Queen three months prior. 
If Porpoise feels like I shouldn't, then I feel that way, too!
Instead, the Queen had asked one of the human seers to look into the future for her. It was one of the little humans who wore glowing attire and had great masks over their faces. They were very mysterious in their ways, but they were always available to give advice and assist their ally. Slush had traveled to the human palace, the home of the great "Rex." The flight was very short, for both nations had their capitols situated in the same mountains overlooking the great human metropolis on the hill. Idling around that Palace was this one orange scavenger who had no trouble communicating to dragons. He accepted the Queen's request, as expected, and after examining the egg he spent some time privately in a dark room in the human palace. When he came out, his news pleased Slush greatly. What were the chances of her dragonet being born on the same day the Queen had been born on?
"Next order of business!" hollered the Queen, finding a new surge of energy as her mind was reminded of the upcoming exciting day.
A lean and quick messenger stepped up towards the throne, carrying with him a scroll. The SandWing cleared his throat and explained the message to the dragons assembled in the throne room. Queen Slush preferred her messages already interpreted and read out in the messenger's own words. Then Porpoise would always take the letter and confirm the account.
"Your Majesty," the messenger bowed. "I bring word from the Sand Kingdom, but I fear you will both be pleased and greatly disappointed," he said, handing the scroll to the SeaWing advisor. Porpoise briskly snatched the scroll and returned to her original position beside the throne. 
"Please tell me that the SandWings are finally ready to negotiate with us like a real kingdom. I hate it that all of the queens are refusing to recognize us, and me as the queen," Queen Slush sighed with a wave of her talons.
"Your Majesty," the messenger continued, "Queen Thorn has been...occupied with business..."
"Naturally," Queen Slush breathed in deeply with frustration.
"But the SandWings have accepted your invitation to your Hatching Day Celebrations! They will send over two diplomats for the event to see how Your Majesty's kingdom is, er, managing."
The news did perk up the Queen's ears. It was news that was finally welcomed, and it was a sign that perhaps the other queens would finally view the Draconic Kingdom as a real state, not just a small band of dragons gone rogue against their tribes. The other tribes had not responded to Queen Slush's repeated invitations and decrees, or she received very insulting letters that enraged the Queen. 
Good. Soon Queen Thorn will write a letter to me, and it will finally read "Queen" Slush, not some gibberish like always. Now, if only the other queens will come to reason with me. Especially the SkyWings. In fact...
"Any news from the SkyWing Queen?" asked Queen Slush to the other messengers waiting near the entrance. "How about you, SkyWing." Slush's attention was on a crimson dragon with dark eyes, and who seemed to be quite jittery as her talons never seemed to sit in one place for more than a few seconds.
Will Ruby...or Scarlet...WHOEVER is Queen send back a reply that isn't threatening or implying we are buffoons who are joking around. Oh, how I would love to send Rune there to teach them a lesson for insulting me. Maybe a chunk of SkyWing territory just isn't enough for my subjects.
The SkyWing messenger stepped forward as the SandWing backed away to his earlier spot. "Your Majesty," she bowed, "I was unable to make contact with the SkyWing queen at all. I think something very serious was happening in their Kingdom. I heard dragons shouting 'Scarlet is back, Scarlet is back. ' Oh my. " The SkyWing shook her head like the name of the ex-Queen of the SkyWings was unpleasant water in her ears.
"Then no, no news from the SkyWing. Back to the SandWings!"
The SandWing messenger now stepped up, while the SkyWing backed away.
Porpoise leaned into the Queen to whisper privately into her ear. "Our Beloved Majesty, the messenger's account does match the scroll's. The SandWings will send two representatives to the Palace for your Hatching Day. They even wished you well at the close of the letter," the SeaWing informed, smiling a small grin which always reassured the Queen.
Marvelous! I will have to make this event extra extravagant to impress our honored guests. When they return home, those dragons will put in such a good word about me that Thorn will want to meet with me in the flesh! Maybe I can make my first alliance...oh joys!
Queen Slush grinned as she sat back on her throne with the idea in mind, but then Thistle, her chamberlain, addressed her in the same manner as Porpoise. 
"Slush, my friend, I know we will be ready for the event, and it will certainly be no problem to entertain two other dragons, but how will they react to all of the scavengers that will be walking about, and eating at the same tables, and dancing on the same floor? How will we ever explain that?" 
Queen Slush had hardly a moment of thought before Porpoise stepped in. "Our Great Grace, surely you can use this to your advantage! Think of how amazed the SandWings will be and how impressed Queen Thorn will be when they see you are also a queen of the scavengers! And not scavengers who run around getting themselves pathetically killed, but sophisticated, loyal, well-mannered scavengers who love you more than anything their little hearts desire," the SeaWing told Queen Slush with much emotion and awe in her voice.
Thistle seemed befuddled. "But...but your not their..."
"No worries, Thistle, no one will ever know. Besides, isn't Our Majesty really the true ruler over this land, not some lunatic scavenger who never leaves his palace, ever?" Porpoise argued with a sly smile.
"Remember, Slush, he made you who you are..." Thistle reminded the Queen. The Queen sat back in her throne, frowning. Thistle held her talons together hopefully, but her expression soon changed to hopeless. It was not a subject the Queen was exactly thrilled to hear about again.
Four months ago Queen Slush was hardly anyone in the Ice Kingdom, but a short time later she was Queen of Pyrrhia! On one special day an odd looking IceWing told her to travel to the southern border of the Ice Kingdom with as many friends as she pleased. She only brought along Thistle, who had constantly had doubts and believed that they were being led into a trap. Thistle even went as far as saying that they were going to die.
Porpoise snorted. "He? Ha. Don't listen to her, Our Magnificent Majesty. You did this all by yourself. You didn't need a scavenger to make you Queen. You are the Queen, and Thistle should address you more formally."
That's true.
The "Rex," the mysterious masked ruler of the scavengers, and also a powerful animus, crowned Slush as Queen, but though she was told that he chose her in the first place and she remembered it being that way, Porpoise made it seem as if the dragons chose her themselves for she was the perfect and only real candidate for queen.
Thistle huffed and scowled down upon Porpoise. Meanwhile, Porpoise watched the queen happily.
I am the Queen and the scavengers do like me...and it would make me look better in front of those SandWings. Yes! How they will think of me after they learn I rule over both dragons and scavengers! Maybe the "Rex" will never find out; he is always hiding in that palace of his. It's not like he will be there after all. But maybe I should listen to my friend...
Queen Slush gave Thistle a long, sympathetic look. Thistle looked back at her friend, optimistically. She held one of the Queen's talons tightly as they were on the armrest of the throne.
It had been a rather odd way for them to have met in the first place. Thistle had told Slush the story, the real truth, after the Great Dragon War was over, when they had met together once again at Green Moss Plateau in the Claw of the Clouds Mountains. Slush had been living in the Ice Kingdom, a lowly dragon with nothing going for her in her life. She was of a lower class, scorn down upon, but she was able to make it through the day knowing that she was not at the bottom. She was still better than someone else. 
One night, as Slush was patrolling through the frozen countryside, she found a MudWing shivering in the snow. Slush's heart, though knowing that the MudWings were enemies and that she should have sent for guards or killed the MudWing herself, went out to her instead. After looking around for a bit she discovered a campsite with fire, empty for the moment. Slush dragged the MudWing to the camp. It was there that the MudWing finally looked up at Slush, shocked. Slush noticed dragons approaching, but before she flew away as quickly as possible, they exchanged names. Thistle was a scout for the MudWings, for an invasion that never took place. It was lucky that Thistle never went further than the Great Ice Cliff.
But I should leave it to my advisor to help me with these kinds of things, like a real queen should. I can't have personal feelings get in the way of my reign.
"I'm sorry, Thistle, but Porpoise is right," Queen Slush said fervently, nodding towards the SeaWing.
"Your Majesty's wisdom is never-ending," Porpoise complimented, while Thistle crossed her arms and looked worried.
"Next order of- !" Queen Slush bellowed, but she cut herself off as someone she had been wanting to see entered the room. "Avocado!"
The RainWing entered into the throne room timidly. She barely slipped in through the door, while looking in wonder at the throne room, when she was urged in by another dragon. It was Rune.
How splendid, my animus is here. Oh, Rune too? Well, I don't need him for now...
Rune barely poked his head in when the Queen stopped him.
"Rune, dearest, your presence won't be needed today. You may go about doing whatever you like for the rest of the day. I shall be busy with Avocado here today."
The SandWing animus stared at her for a second, then replied, "Oh, of course, Your Majesty, excuse me, Your Majesty." He then slipped away, leaving Avocado alone to gawk.
"Come over here, dear," Queen Slush said as she patted a cushioned seat on her right, in front of Porpoise, for Avocado to sit in. "I haven't seen Reliance at all today, so you may take his seat for now. I will make sure you get your own special spot in my throne room very shortly. We will need to discuss which design you would like best. But for now, sit here."
Avocado scampered over to her seat, laying down upon the red cushion. "Thank you, Your Majesty," Avocado said gratefully, but she did not seem to have been enjoying the seat.
I will get you a better one. Oh dear, I must also get one for my dragonet as well! The best one! Golden, no...with lots of jewels! Yes, with rubies, diamonds, topaz...
Out of the corner of her eye, Queen Slush saw an unhappy expression grow on Porpoise's face as she looked down upon the relaxed body of Avocado. Avocado had laid herself out, lazily looking around happily as the sun shone in from the glass above. It was about noon, and Slush remembered that it was the time when RainWings slept. It always escaped her mind, but it did explain why there were usually never any RainWings walking about the Palace at midday. Even the RainWing messengers that were standing off at the side of the room looked as if they were about to doze off.
"How adorable..." Queen Slush cooed. Thistle shared the same feeling, gently mumbling to herself how adorable the RainWing looked. But Porpoise seemed as if she wanted to bare her teeth. The SeaWing's eyebrows were arched, and her eyes were nearly slits.
"Oh, yes, your RainWing animus..." Porpoise remembered. Suddenly she was back to her smiling self, and she took a moment to grin at the Queen. "Another animus...how the other kingdoms will fear us...oh, but we must keep this a secret. We can use her without our enemies knowing..."
Thistle interrupted her, almost scolding the SeaWing. "I don't think we should use Avocado like that, Porpoise, not like your former queen." She turned to Queen Slush. "Please now, Slush, just look at our precious Avocado. How could you ever think of using her as a weapon?" she tsk-tsked. 
Queen Slush looked down upon the elegant RainWing, and her eyes opened further when she saw how shiny and bright the sun made Avocado look. The others in the court also seemed to be impressed. This pleased the Queen, and her thoughts began to agree with her friend.
"Of course not, just look at her. I'm sorry, Porpoise, but we will not use her as a weapon. Besides, we have better things in our arsenal!" Slush tried to please her advisor, or at least get her to stop looking at Avocado so strangely. 
"Why, yes, Our Heavenly Highness, I understand." The eyes of Porpoise did not meet those of the Queen's when the SeaWing spoke. She seemed to be intently interested in the RainWing, and that did not particularly make Slush very happy. 
Porpoise? You never keep your attention away from me...
A thought entered the Queen's head, and she almost giggled out loud. Thistle seemed to be surprised, but her expression was curious and radiant as she tried to ask her friend what was so funny. 
"Is something amusing you, Slush?" the MudWing asked, nearly giggling out herself as if giggles were contagious.
Is Porpoise jealous? Jealous of a RainWing!? My Avocado? Oh, this is the perfect opportunity. This is going to be hilarious! This is going to be priceless! Maybe I can get Porpoise out of her mood for once. She’s always trying to impress me, that SeaWing. 
"Are you jealous, Porpoise?" Queen Slush asked, almost bursting out laughing. She looked around and got the reaction she had hoped for from her court. Thistle was covering her mouth, but there was definitely a big grin hidden underneath. The messengers chuckled and the assistants began to murmur among themselves. Queen Slush nearly snorted out from humor when Avocado yawned as if nothing were happening. s if she were in her own little sunny world.
"What?!" Porpoise squawked, turning to the Queen with shock, looking as if the Queen's words couldn't have been truly said. Her mouth was opening and closing, as if the words were there but couldn't come out. The SeaWing's eyes were darting back and forth, trying to read Queen Slush's expression of satisfaction.
The Queen chuckled. "Are you jealous of my RainWing animus, Porpoise. Is Avocado competing with you for my attention?" 
Soft laughter filled the room. Porpoise looked around, twiddling the pearls around her neck. Queen Slush watched the SeaWing with amusement, but hoping that the embarrassment didn't hurt her too much. And she hoped it would be over soon, for her stomach began to hurt, especially filled with all of the food she consumed last night and the large breakfast she had that morning. 
Porpoise looked at the RainWing again for a moment, then she tried to speak. Queen Slush could tell her advisor was hot with humiliation, but was doing whatever she could to save face.
"Of course not, Our...My...Queen...I'm not jealous at all. There is nothing for be to be jealous about!" Porpoise defended herself, trying to grin.
"She doesn't make you mad?" Queen Slush further inquired. 
Porpoise didn't know what to say, but when she saw with her own eyes Thistle laughing, the rage inside herself could not be contained for much longer. Porpoise growled, the sound deep in her throat and rising.
"Why I never..."
Queen Slush opened her eyes after closing them from the intensity of her laughter, and the first thing she saw were the cold eyes of Porpoise staring down into her, as if into her icy soul. The feeling seemed more frigid than the frosty northern winds.
Porpoise...are you alright?
Porpoise watched the Queen for a few seconds, her eyes gradually narrowing. The Queen actually felt a little afraid, her laugh stifling the closer Porpoise seemed to stare at her. 
Porpoise, however, soon backed away and acted as if she were never mad or insulted in the first place. She beamed with dimples, then spoke in a voice that sounded innocent and care-free.
"No, My Gracious, Loving Mother Queen, I am not jealous. In fact, I think it is wise for you to have her! She is gorgeous, just look at her! So peaceful, so calm..." Porpoise motioned her tail towards the RainWing, who was now wide awake and completely aware of everything that was going on. "I am looking forward to working with all of our new staff! We will all be great friends for...the the greater good of the Draconic Kingdom!" Porpoise concluded with a passionate call, which caused a spirited uproar to be set in motion throughout the court. Porpoise smirked at the sound.
Queen Slush, meanwhile, desperately wanting the entire affair to be over, tried to change the topic. 
Well, I got a good laugh out of it. Porpoise should really liven up more often. And no more grand breakfasts, my stomach does hurt. And this cushion isn't good anymore. Hmm, is it almost time for the midday meal? Maybe we will have roasted cow...I better check on my egg soon as well, I wonder how close my little dragonet is to hatching. But first let me finish here...
"Next order of business!" Queen Slush bellowed out again, and she did see Porpoise stop staring at Avocado and return to her normal self, but more thoughtful and silent. 
Suddenly, however, the doors burst open and two guards rushed into the throne room. They were all carrying heavy weapons and wearing shiny armor that reflected the sun rays, some into the Queen's own dark eyes. The court squawked in surprise, many of them getting out of the way as one of the dragons ran to the feet of the throne of the Queen. He was breathing heavily, as if he had been running, and his words came out rather hoarsely. 
"Your Majesty!" he almost roared.
The Queen sat up in her throne, eyeing the dragon with concern and surprise.
What is going on? IS IT MY EGG! PLEASE DON'T BE MY EGG! ANYTHING BUT MY LITTLE EGG! Oh three moons let it be something else! My dragonet....my dragonet! Please, please, please....please...I want to be a mother, a good mother....I want my dragonet to be safe and happy...oh please let it be something else....
Already, by only taking a look at
the Queen’s expression did the IceWing hatchery expert rush over to see if anything had happened to the egg and the heir. He slipped away from the throne room unnoticed, except for the Queen herself.
The guard took in a deep breath and appeared to be very solemn. Something very serious must have happened. No dragon would just barge in during a meeting, and this was indeed the first time it ever did happen.
The entire room was bracing themselves for the words that were about to leave the guard's tongue. Thistle was holding on to the throne to support herself, while Porpoise nervously fidgeted with the necklaces of pearls she had around her neck. Avocado looked up at the guard with great worry, and not even the sun seemed to be making her feel any better or calmer. 
The NightWing guard announced with great sorrow and pain, "My Queen...Reliance is dead..." 
=== Chapter 7: Bond ===
Rune
Another statue, another throne, another excuse for her to make me use my magic. I feel cold, but why do I feel warm at the same time? No. Worrying is making this all worse. I can't question anything, all right, brain?
Rune's head was cluttered with worry, like an old attic that had been kept sealed for many years before being discovered once again to be overloaded with ancient antiques. His mind was arguing with itself, and that seemed to be becoming more and more frequent. He kept thinking back to the stories of the animi that went insane in the past, and he drew relief from the simple fact that he was not one of them nor would he ever. 
It appeared to him that the day was coming when he would need to perform a lot of magic. In four days the Queen's Hatching Day celebrations were to take place. And to top it off, the little dragonet was to hatch on that same day. She was going to become a new princess and a new heir.
When Rune woke up that morning, not long after the crack of dawn, he was battered with new requests from the Queen. He had a lot of work to do in the upcoming days. He was supposed to mold together a new statue of the Queen for the royal gardens, one better and grander than the one sitting on the water fountain. Her second request was to construct a new throne for the dragonet princess. It was to be different the Queen's advisor, Porpoise, said to him. It was to be enchanted to grow alongside the dragonet. When the little princess grew, so would the throne. By the time she was a full-grown dragon the throne would still be perfect for her to sit in. And all of it had to be done in great detail, detail that could only be possible in such a short amount of time through magic.
On top of those two projects was, of course, the most magnificent feast the kingdom had ever had. The entire kingdom was invited, and many human guests were invited to attend as well. Rune shuddered at an image of the food that popped into his mind. He may not have to enlarge every piece of food to be dragon-size, but it did not make a difference since a record number of dishes were to be grown in one evening. The task was overwhelming, even in thought.
I swear I'm going to snap one of these days...blast it. This needs to stop.
His day had not been a particularly good one. After receiving the requests, about an hour later the RainWing animus, Avocado, joined him in his room. She told him in an embarrassed voice that she had been looking for him all around the Palace, and she blushed when she said she found out his room was right across from hers. The pink in her scales when she entered his room did actually make him feel...strange. He actually didn't mind the animus being in his room.
She wasn't even that terrible of company. Avocado talked in friendly remarks as Rune began to teach her the magic he thought he was supposed to explain. It was last night when he realized that Avocado was more of a normal mage than he, not needing all of the magical scrolls, books, and spells that he had to read. It was something that was hard for him to explain, not in the actual explanation, but the despair he felt. 
She seemed quite interested in what he had to say, which made him feel a little better inside. He even remembered offering Avocado a place to sit and he pulled up his own near her. She was a very social dragon, as he expected from a RainWing, but also very thoughtful. Avocado then said something that made Rune almost frozen in his emotions.
Avocado said that she finally found a place she could call her new home. 
Rune felt two conflicting emotions upon hearing her express those thoughts. First, he felt a little relieved and happy. Avocado had an enjoyable personality if he gave her a chance to speak beyond what troubled and disturbed her. It seemed that Rune was more than content with her staying. He felt her addition to the Palace would liven everything up. However, he felt an opposite reaction as well. He felt dread, worry, and jealousy return to his mind. Avocado was going to stay through her own free will. Rune would no longer be the only dragon with magical powers the Queen had for her disposal. Avocado was already becoming popular, more than Rune ever was. He didn't want things to change that way, for him to be overlooked and forgotten as the shadow of Avocado. He wished Avocado had never been an animus. That would have made everything the way he wanted them to be.
She's just here to take my spot, or diminish mine...
The good thoughts he had about Avocado were wiped away after the two were summoned to the throne room, or rather when Avocado was summoned, actually. He had been speaking to Avocado in the hallway as they made their way to the Queen, talking excitedly about what was going to happen and what they were being summoned for. Rune felt anxious, while Avocado was excited. Avocado entered the throne room, and she entered alone.
The moment he stuck his head into the throne room the Queen shooed him away. He felt that those types of things were only starting. The Queen's behavior towards him, he feared, would only get worse. Combined with the notion of the requests, he began to think of himself more as a tool and not as a friend of Her Majesty.
Does it begin here? No, it began when the RainWing first entered the Palace. No, when her egg hatched.
Rune hissed and swung his tail around, the barb wildly flailing just short of objects in what the Queen called the "animus workplace." 
Blazing sun I'm not an animus!
On a large piece of tarp was a chunk of stone almost as high as the ceiling, and in the corner was a smaller piece, saved for the throne that he would begin to work on the next day. For now he was starting the project of making the statue of the Queen. His eyes narrowed when he heard her name and title in his head. Over time, like a piece of fruit, the name became less attractive and lost its feeling of respect and beauty.
He opened a scroll that he had brought with him and read it out loud. 
"May I shape the earth, may I shape the sky. Shape all that can be seen through a creature's eye. Let this stone not be cast away, but rather take another form today. I enchant you to become a statue in the likeness of Queen...Slush."
After reciting the spell the large slab of rock began to change its appearance. It was as if a sculptor was chiseling away at the stone, altering it to become a work of art. Already the magic was wearing down the sides, and before long it would be a crude outline of a dragon. By evening the final details of the Queen's sculpture would be complete and the entire thing would be ready for the Hatching Day celebrations. 
Another day, another statue. I wonder how many more of these I will need to make. Will I also need to make some for the princess? Of course I will.
Rune grumbled for a short while, the image of the stout queen and a smaller crowned dragonet appearing in his mind. He shook his head and returned to work, sighing as he knew there was much more to be done before the day ended. 
However, he wasn't working particularly hard enough that he didn't hear the thud of footsteps growing louder and drawing closer to the workplace. Despite there being a wall, Rune felt that he knew the exact position the dragon who was walking was at. Right when that dragon crossed the open doorway, Rune immediately turned around, pausing from his work to see who it was. 
To his surprise it was a red SkyWing, a familiar one at that. 
That's...Pine. 
Rune examined the SkyWing closely, realizing in mid-shock that Pine was entering his room and not continuing down the hallway. Pine, for whatever reason, had decided to stop by and check on Rune. 
What does he want?
The SkyWing eyed the room, especially at the slabs of stone that were glowing and changing shape right in front of his eyes. Pine was hesitant to take another step inside, and Rune understood why, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Dragons either admired his work or feared it, and Pine seemed to have fallen into the latter category. Pine didn't appear to have been doing anything else or was planning on leaving, so Rune mustered up some hospitality and friendliness. 
"Why don't you come inside? There's plenty of room just...anywhere really." Rune's mouth said one thing, but his mind was thinking of something else. 
Or you could just leave and be on your merry way. Say, aren't you supposed to be with Avoca...the RainWing? What are you doing here, skulking around and spying on me? Were you spying on me? No, I should judge. I have to be nice, I have to be good for my own sake.
The SkyWing considered for a moment, but eventually did make a move and edged closer towards the SandWing Kholler. Pine looked to his left and his right, as if he expected more things to have been hidden from his view when he was just in the doorway. To his relief and to Rune's, everything that was in the room was right in front of Pine. All there was in the room were the two slabs of stone, a scroll, a book bound in leather, and a cauldron half-full with water. 
Not much.
"Hey," the SkyWing greeted Rune, his eyes darting from one object in the room to another. 
"Hello," Rune answered back, bracing himself from the awkwardness he knew would accompany those greetings. The conversation would never become normal and warm, but would remain quiet, painful, and with cringe. Rune and Pine, the SandWing believed, would stare at their talons or the ground for a while, making a comment here or there that would never sprout into real talking, and sooner or later Pine would leave and the day would go on as normal. 
"Have you seen Avocado?" the SkyWing asked a tad worriedly. 
Rune had not expected the SkyWing to have asked him that sort of question, but guessed it wasn't that surprising after all. Rune answered honestly, a result of being an honest Kholler. 
"She came over here a while ago, but now she is with Her Majesty in the throne room," he replied, hoping it would satisfy Pine enough to go and leave him be. Instead, the conversation continued on. 
"She did? What was she doing here?" Pine inquired rather forcefully, staring cold with his amber eyes into the dark eyes of Rune. Rune felt odd, for instead of feeling more afraid of Pine and backing off, he felt as if he could move a mountain. 
"What does it matter to you?" he snapped back. 
Pine fell back for second, hesitating, but soon he snarled and growled at Rune with hate for what Rune had just said. 
Did I just say that? I... Rune paused for a moment. It didn't seem right. He had never talked back to anybody before, even if it was just a dragonet, a lowly waiter, or a palace guard. His entire life was based on the word "giver," but he never would have expected to give anyone that sort of response. 
"What do you mean, 'what does it matter to me?' How can you say that!? Did you not see us together last night? You don't remember? Or is it something else? What really happened to Avocado here? What did you do?!" Pine hissed like a cobra ready to strike. 
Why did I say that, why did I say that? I didn't mean that, oh, I meant to say something else.
Rune felt as if he dropped something very expensive, broke it, and was trying to say he could fix it to its owner. 
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Rune apologized immediately. Please forgive me, please don't hate me. Oh, just don't hate me. I need to be good, I have to be good for my soul.
Pine didn't care for what Rune had said. Rune feared he would crack under pressure, but then he wondered how that would even be bad. He would have said the same thing without any pressure applied to him. Pine was backing Rune against one of the slabs of stone, the one that was meant to become the statue. 
"Listen here, if you did anything to her, I will gouge out your little eyes, cut off that annoying barb off your tail, and singe every scale on your body. Now tell me, what happened to her? What really happened?!" 
Rune closed his eyes and stepped backwards, but when the tip of his wing touched the cold stone he confessed everything that was on his mind and everything that really happened. 
"She just came in here this morning! We were just talking, I swear, and I was showing her some of my magic! That's all. There was nothing lovey-lovey going on or anything like that...if...that's...what...you're...worried...abouuuut...." 
The growl from Pine was gradually becoming deeper and louder. 
Wrong words, wrong words!
"Pine, believe me! She was just here this morning and we left to go to the Queen. She went into the throne room and...if not I would be there right now....," Rune explained sadly, the words forming at the tip of his tongue and barely becoming said. 
Oh my gosh...she's replaced me already...
When he spoke he hadn't planned on which words or ideas he would use for his defense and they really just came out of his mouth and even his heart. Though without knowing he would say them, the second he said them and heard them himself they stung. 
Pine shifted on his feet, angry but more-so confused. The dragon who had been electric and talking back was now gloomy and looked depressed. 
"Huh? What does that mean?" the SkyWing further dug into the matter. 
Rune walked around his work freely, pondering remorsefully over all he knew. Pine did not seem to be holding Rune captive at all anymore in the room. The SandWing wished he could just light the entire room on fire, which he could have tried if it were not made out of tile and stone. Rune flickered his dark tongue in and out of his mouth and shifted his wings. The wings were laid back, but other parts of him were fully alive and moving. 
"Nothing, it just means she's different then me, okay?" Rune said firmly, not allowing any of his emotions to take control of him and his words. 
"That's it?" the SkyWing asked, not entirely convinced. 
It means that Avocado is better than me, understand? She's friendlier, more popular, beautiful, happy, powerful, and smarter than me. If I was smart then I wouldn't be in this mess. 
None of the things that Rune had in his mind actually came out of his mouth, because his tongue felt as if it were twisted in a knot and he was unable to say anything. Pine was looking at him, which made Rune feel nervous, unsure, and afraid. 
Mother and Father would be so angry if they saw me like this. How could they ever believe that I was their son?
The SkyWing seemed to have lost his patience because he decided to continue talking before waiting any longer for Rune's reply. The large red dragon seemed annoyed, smoke coming out of his nostrils and his face seemed to read that he might had wished that he never had taken a chance of becoming closer with the SandWing Kholler.
However, the question that Pine asked did give Rune some hope for the SkyWing.
"You said that you and Avocado are different? How so? Aren't you both animi? Can't you both do magic?" Pine asked.
Someone is finally interested. I guess not everyone is as ignorant to the truth as the Palace staff is, or the Queen for that matter. 
Nearly everyone but the Dux-Animus glowing human and his guardian, Sandstorm, viewed Rune as a normal animus dragon. The fact that he performed magic put him in the spotlight, but he did not appreciate everyone mislabeling him and misunderstanding who he was. Yet he had to deal with it and be patient because that was what he was supposed to do. He could not make anyone sad or feel down, and particularly bad through his own fault.
"I am not an animus while she is. I am Kholler," Rune said gently, hoping someone would finally understand the difference.
"What is Kholler? You say it very strongly, but I don't get what it means," Pine added, frustrated. 
Rune explained once again, as he had to many times before but to no avail. "Let me start with the similarities. Both Kholler and animi use magic. Magic can ruin our souls. Our magic may have no limits. It's that simple, Pine. But here are the differences, and let me tell you there are quite a few of them, so I will tell you the key ones right now," he told Pine, taking a small break for a breather. 
"Okay," Pine mumbled.
So far so good. 
"Animi lose their souls through the use of magic, but Kholler only lose them by being evil and using magic for terrible purposes. I'm not sure you've heard of this, but some time ago a dragon suggested animi become bad only by doing bad things. That applies, but to Kholler. So don't worry about me ever going insane."
"Oh," Pine muttered, and Rune knew the SkyWing would still be suspicious.
"I am a giver, not a taker like animi. Many animi lacked the disciplinary thoughts of a Kholler. They were weak to their own personal interests. But Kholler only care about the good of others," Rune continued.
"If you only care about others, aren't you like a slave to other dragons?" Pine asked out of the blue.
"What!? Wh...wh..."
What in Pyrrhia is this dragon talking about!? A slave!? A slave! What is wrong with this dragon? I am not a slave but a Kholler! I can choose to do whatever I want! But everything I do has to be good! That's why other dragons are at fault! That's why animi are at fault! They choose to do wrong!
"I am not a slave, understand? Kholler help other dragons, but they have their own will as well. My will isn't the will of others! How ignorant can you b...I'm sorry. I meant that you still don't fully understand who I am. Maybe one day you will. Now please, I am very busy."
Thoughts of good and evil swirled together in the young SandWing Kholler's mind when a new dragon swept into the 'animus' workplace. Rune was so started, especially since he realized that he never saw this dragon coming. It was one of the guards Rune usually saw standing at the entrance to the banquet hall during feasts. They were always heavily armed and armored with steel metal, carrying a heavy spear and being all buff. The one that had entered was Shinyeyes, a NightWing with a voice as deep as a canyon. 
"Rune! Your presence is needed in the throne room immediately!" 
Rune took a step back at the announcement, and it was not because of the shaky tone of the guard's voice. 
I was just rejected a little while ago. What happened so quickly that made everyone change their minds? 
=== Chapter 8: The Scene ===
Pine
Both Pine and Rune were ushered by an escort of three armed guards down the hallway towards the throne room. Pine still didn't fully understand what was going on and he definitely did not like being pushed around by dragons he didn't know. He preferred to go at his own pace, but there seemed to be no time for argument. 
Rune seemed to be going up ahead of Pine and the three guards, most likely because he knew the section of the palace they were heading through very well. There seemed to be excitement in Rune's movements, which fit in with the emotion of a crowd that Pine saw had gathered near the door to the throne room. The path through the majestic silver doors was made clear for the two special dragons as guards pushed away onlookers. 
This must be very important.
Just as Pine came closer to the doors he heard the beginning of a heated argument enraging in the throne room, causing, as he saw out of the corner of his eye, a wave of shock to appear on the dragons who were still not prodded away for him by the guards. Pine found himself surprisingly inside the room before Rune, who had been tied up by a group of worried and excited dragons that blocked the entryway.
Blast all of these dragons!
Before his entire body managed to make its way inside he got stuck in the doors as a young NightWing and a large SeaWing tried to peer inside, congesting the path he was on. His tail uncomfortably touched the other dragons and he tried to claw his way to the front of the pack. He heard some yelling from behind his back, and then he felt arms grab his backside. He presumed they were the guards' because in a moment he felt a push and the next thing he knew he was face-first on an ornate golden and burgundy rug.
"It all fits together! This was a murder you were planning all along! A dragon would be an idiot if she didn't realize that you had him destroyed!" Pine heard the shrill voice of a dragon he knew he met before, but he couldn't lay his talons on her name.
"What? What? How c-could you accuse me!?" a surprised, terrified, and disorientated voice replied to the accusation, one that Pine definitely knew was the Queen's. 
"Reliance was just the boulder in your path, you dreaded dictator! He was the thorn in your fat side that you just had so much difficulty in removing! But no, he's dead, what a convenience indeed! Your Majesty, you have some explaining to do!"
"I-I, I didn't do anything, believe me, Porpoise!"
What is going on!
Pine lifted his dazed head from the floor to look up at two massive dragons nearly claw to claw at each other. He saw the Queen, a large IceWing looking quite submissive to a smaller and sleeker Porpoise, who pointed one sharp talon at Queen Slush's body. Slush seemed to look as if she couldn't believe her ears, while Porpoise appeared to be a fiery revolutionist. Pine had never felt much sympathy for either dragon, but something about Queen Slush holding her sharp tail for comfort didn't play well for him.
However, he did little than stand up and go to stand against the wall nearest to him, blending in with the female SkyWing he passed by before and an old SkyWing who looked as if he could be his grandfather. For a moment, Pine could not get the sight of the quarrel away from his eyes, but a flash of color changing quickly moved his attention elsewhere. 
Very rapidly did a set of scales change from yellow to white and shoot away from a small throne towards Pine himself. Pine knew that Avocado had been in that room and he should have expected to see her, but he did not expect her to dart towards him as the first beacon of familiarity. He honestly had thought she'd made many royal and powerful friends by now by being in the throne room that morning.
"You are a buffoon, a greasy overweight daisy, and a conniving IceWing supremacist! See that everyone?! Not only did she kill Reliance out of her convenience, but also because poor Reliance was born a NightWing. Shame on you, Slush, shame on you! How could you tatter the name of the IceWings because of your idiotic mindset. You thought no one would ever think it was you, but noooo, I did!" Porpoise further barraged the Queen, diminishing her to tears and being shriveled up against her majestic throne. 
"B-but..." the Queen wept. "I thought we were friends, Porpoise. I never tried to hurt you or anything..."
"Are you really trying to bring our friendship into this argument?! For moons sake, Slush, you are really the worst kind of dragon! First you have Reliance killed and then you try to steer this away to me?" the SeaWing squawked. "Don't get all innocent and mushy on me, you bloated walking treasure chest!"
Slush kept her talons to her heart for most of the time, but as the insults continued to slam against her she gradually moved them nearer to her mouth and her eyes. It seemed that this argument was going to be one-sided and no one was going to intervene. Pine wondered what would happen next.
Slush is being a terrible queen! How is she letting her subject get the better of her for such a petty death? If I were in her position, or rather, crown, I'd tear that SeaWing to millions of pieces, one by one. What now? Does this kingdom have challenges? But Porpoise isn't related to the Queen at all? This kingdom is backwards, and so is this queen.
"Oh Slush, your tears aren't going to help you now. I should have the guards take you away right now, or maybe I should myself," Porpoise suggested, eyeing the Queen with more relish than Pine would have liked. Porpoise seemed to be looking at the crowd gathered every once in a while, trying to gauge how high approval for her was. 
As Slush looked defeated, a sound of footsteps and a voice that drowned out the whispers of the dragon near the door tried to make its way into the room. Pine turned around, the only one in the room to do so, to find dragons parting the way for a new dragon.
"I don't think your royal cake-filled body will be able to handle this particular situation, Your Majesty. You have the appearance of a sweaty scavenger, Your Gluttonous," Porpoise continued to poke fun. A dragon in the crowd, a rather heavy one, seemed to take offense, even though the comment was not directed at him. Otherwise, however, all of the other dragons were stunned or not in the condition to object to Porpoise's rant.
"Excuse me, pardon me. Excuse me, pardon me," the voice from the crowd repeated over and over again. 
Who's this?
Pine thought for a second that it was Rune, but the voice was far more deep and rough than the young SandWing's. Besides, as Pine took another second to look around he found that the SandWing Kholler was standing at the wall opposite from him, looking rather neutral at the events unfolding.
"Excuse me, pardon me..." the voice continued, and Pine caught glimpses of a light blue dragon holding something over the crowd that was smooth and round.
Is that it?
"Excuse me, pardon mmmeEEEEEE!" the IceWing cried as his body suddenly fell forward and the object in his hands hurled into the room. "NOOOOO!"
The entire room gasped as the white, icy egg shot through the air and towards the ground.
Oh no no no no no!
Before he even realized what he was doing, Pine hurled himself towards the spot he believed the egg would crash and he somehow managed to have his open talons there first before another tragedy happened that day. He didn't even have time to think about what he had done before a fragile oval rested in his palm, slightly moving back and forth. He remembered that the egg was bound to hatch in the next two days. 
He had saved the heir to the Draconic Kingdom and the unborn daughter of Queen Slush.
There was a shuffle near the throne that Pine quickly rose up and turned around to see with the egg held firmly in his arms. He was glad that the egg didn't have eyes to see, because he was sure even some of the dragons gathered there would have loved to have covered theirs. 
There was a trickle of blood branching its way through scales near the arm of Porpoise. Some blood dripped down to the floor as Queen Slush stabbed the SeaWing with one wicked, jagged, and red talon right into the once-blue shoulder. Porpoise grimaced and closed her eyes tight at the pain, especially since it was unexpected. 
"Stop! Stop it!" Porpoise cried out, Pine guessing Slush had begun to stab through her muscle and causing unbearable pain. He would have scoffed at the whole thing because he knew he had experienced worse, but images of the two dragons having a good time at the feast last night hit him harder than a furious wind. 
"NO, don't do this!" Porpoise begged, gritting her teeth and opening her eyes to stare at what the Queen was doing. To Pine's horror, Porpoise's arm was the butter and Slush's talon was the knife.
Porpoise was wide-eyed and terrified, even after a large MudWing began to intervene. Pine recognized her as Thistle, the supposed best friend of the Queen. Pine began to feel the knot in his stomach unravel as Slush pulled her talon out of Porpoise and back away with Thistle to guide her. Slush's eyes had been full of rage every moment her bloody talon was tearing the fibers of the SeaWing's arm, but not that it was removed and she saw what she had done, Slush seemed more distressed.
"Take her away to the dungeons," Queen Slush ordered and five guards immediately incarcerated Porpoise and dragged her away without much resistance. Everyone moved away as the SeaWing was being taken outside the throne room, including Pine who had moved further inside the room. He looked up at the Queen again, who plopped herself down on her throne, looking exhausted and anxious.
"Everyone is dismissed," Thistle called out to everyone inside the room and to those who were at the door and in the hallway. She seemed to have taken control of the situation, keeping a cool head despite all of the heat that had gathered.
Soon the dragons in the hallway and near the door began to leave to other parts of the Palace. They mingled with some of the dragons who were in the room, forming quiet conversations or exchanging a variety of looks. Not long after, the throne room began to feel empty as only a few dragons remained. Pine watched as many of the wealthy dragons and members of the palace staff leave. Rune had left without Pine seeing him leave, and Avocado took a second to glance at Pine and the egg in his hands before leaving without uttering a single word. 
Now only he, Thistle, and the Queen were left in the room. All of the guards were dismissed with only two standing outside at the door. Thistle peered at the Queen for a sign, and Pine saw Slush give the MudWing a small and serious nod. The MudWing looked down, solemn, and then bowed her head before leaving the throne room as well. Pine heard and felt every step the MudWing took and his heart raced faster and faster the closer she was to leaving him alone with the dragon on the throne.
When Thistle left the great silver doors were closed shut. 
Pine gulped and took in a deep breathe at the same time, almost choking himself out of nervousness. 
She's scarier than I thought...
"Pine, is it?" the Queen asked, glaring at him with her sharp eyes. 
Pine nodded quickly, very uncomfortable and worried he would make a wrong move. 
The Queen seemed satisfied with his nod, at least Pine had deduced that because the Queen seemed to begin to relax a bit on her throne. 
"That was..." the Queen started, not finishing her sentence. Instead she watched Pine with tired eyes, leaning against her seat and holding her head up with her arm that was on the armrest. Pine wasn't sure what to do, but he was certain that the Queen was deliberately letting him finish her sentence. His mind tried to find the perfect word, perhaps a sophisticated, regal, professional word that would impress the Queen or be the one she was looking for. However, all he could think of was the expression in her eyes and her slouched body.
"T-tiring?" he tried, very quickly wanting to smack his big red head afterwards.
What kind of word is that? Oh boy, I think I'll have my arm ripped as well.
He began to wonder what the Queen would do to him if he were to make her mad, but he soon realized he had the advantage of having great leverage in the situation, if it were to come. 
Surely she wouldn't risk her egg being harmed, now would she?
The thought of harming a helpless little egg felt awful to him, nearly tearing him apart, but Pine felt more value in his own scales than a dragonet he had never met. Even if it were not on purpose Pine still felt worried that one sudden move by the Queen would lead to him reacting by accidentally crushing the egg in his talons. He had crushed a watermelon before on one of his first meetings with Avocado, and the feeling of smashed fruit and juice pouring down his arms didn't exactly feel all too comforting.
The Queen, however, gave Pine a small grin. "I am quite tired, Pine. It has been an exhausting day, wouldn't you say?" she asked.
Pine didn't know how to respond or if he could. To his relief he didn't have to. The Queen rose from her throne and stepped over to Pine, standing very close to him, eye to eye. She looked rather worried as opposed to amused a moment ago.
In a flash a pair of extremely cold talons took him by the shoulder and a long snout was nearly pressing against his. 
"Why would she do such a thing!? Why did Porpoise do that to me!?" the Queen inquired Pine, shaking him as if his body were full of answers.
"I don't know!" Pine replied, taken aback.
Slush stopped shaking the SkyWing back and forth until she held him firmly in one spot. "I'm a good queen, right?" she asked. "I'm not gluttonous!?"
It was hard for Pine to answer that because he knew both were not true, so he kept his mouth shut. Again, the Queen didn't wait long for any response. 
"Pine, I didn't do anything! You have to believe me, Pine," she began to say, but tears began to flood her eyes and Pine felt his heart turn into mush.
"I mean, I..." he stammered.
"I didn't kill Reliance!" she declared, then she rested her head on Pine's shoulder, sobbing. Pine normally did not like crying and was not prone to sympathize with other dragons, but for some reason he felt inclined to defend the Queen. Why he had taken a liking to her he did not know. 
Ever since he was young Pine always had a grasping, clawing feeling that there was something that he needed in his life. Very recently he had had a very strong feeling that what he really needed was another dragon. Perhaps, Pine thought, She's what I want, the dragon my being desires.
It was a sudden thought, but could it have been a real one? Maybe this was what would finally satisfy his lifelong search.
"There's no evidence that you did it, Your Majesty, only some very strong accusations," Pine pointed out to the Queen, whose sobs had ended but Pine's shoulder still felt a bit wet from the tears. 
The Queen lifted her head from the shoulders of Pine and her eyes looked down at the floor of the throne room.
She definitely is beautiful...those eyes, that snout...is this really what my heart wants?
"You're so smart, Pine, you know that. I never would have said that earlier, and I thought you were just another dragon. But now I know you are different, that you are something else," she said softly. 
Three mooooons.
"You have to prove my innocence, Pine. Only you would appear unbiased and not inclined towards me to the entire palace. No one knows you, and that is perfect. An outside party would guarantee that I'm free from any crime."
Pine had to take a second to take it all in. He glanced at the Queen, who seemed to have been avoiding his eyes.
"How do you know you can trust me?" he asked.
At that moment the Queen leaned very close towards Pine and their snouts were very close together. A moment later Pine received a kiss on his cheek. It was the first time he felt such a feeling and he felt lightheaded and caught off guard. 
"Because I know," she whispered into his ear.
Pine did not react for a moment, but then he saw there was an egg in the Queen's talons and that a weight was lifted from his own talons. He stared down at his claws and then at the Queen's expression, which was smug and one of her brows was lifted in amusement. 
Pine knew that this conversation was nearing its conclusion and that he would have to leave soon. There was no more point in dragging on this talk. 
If the Queen really is whom this feeling inside of me wants, then I'd better help her with this. But what if she really is a murderous maniac whose trying to seduce me into being her minion? Now that would make her a terrible and an excellent queen.
Pine took a step back from the Queen and bowed to her before leaving the throne room as well. As he headed towards the door he asked a question he may or may not have wished to have asked.
"How do I know you're telling the truth, Your Majesty?" he asked, looking back to see that the question had caused the Queen to hug her egg more tightly and produced an innocent smile on her face.
"Do you want a hole in your arm just like Porpoise's? Do you want to visit her? Come on, Pine, you know whose telling the truth," she chuckled, then went to sit on her throne with her egg.
Pine took an extra moment to look at her, and then he pushed the great silvery doors open.
=== Chapter 9: Chancellor ===
Rune
"Follow us, Avocado, it's about to begin!" called back Rune, flying overhead of a great gathering that had organized throughout the Victory Plaza. 
"Are those seriously all scavengers!?" Rune heard Avocado squawk in disbelief, looking down at the many small creatures that filled all of the seats and stands below. This had been the first time for both Rune and Avocado to have been in the great human city, simply known as 'the Capitol.' There were hundreds of humans all around the magnificent metropolis, living in beautiful tiny buildings and walking around neatly paved roads. Victory Plaza was situated in the center of the city, a large square area void of anything but a golden brick floor on normal days. However, this was not a normal day.
This is a very busy week. First, two new dragons arrive, cold murder, Hatching Day celebrations and the humans have elected this scavenger to a position known as chancellor. At least the Queen still picked me as the kingdom's representative to go to this event, even if Sandstorm and Avocado tag along...
Sandstorm was already at the spot where the three dragons would watch over the presenting of the chancellor to the people of Glorious Pyrrhia, the human empire. It was an area cleared of seats and scavengers, but provided no actual seating for the three dragons, who would have to sit on the hard, sun-baked brick.
All we have to do is stay for the presentation and the Giving of the Tongue. Then I can go back to the Palace and work on the throne for the princess who will hatch tomorrow. And I have to prepare everything for tomorrow...
Tomorrow was the day of the Hatching Day celebrations, and yesterday had been a day whose events Rune wished had never happened. The Regent of the kingdom, Reliance, had been discovered to have been murdered in his own room, already dead for an hour or two when he was finally found laid out on his floor. When he hadn't shown up to the throne room, a guard was sent to check up on him, and that was when the gruesome discovery was made. He was a NightWing dragon killed by having his throat slit. A clean but cold kill.
Now everyone wondered who the murderer was. Though the evidence provided little help as to determining the perpetrator of the crime, there was only one dragon who had enough motives and resources to carry out or order the killing.
Our Queen is the only one I can see who could have done such a thing.
There was a loud trumpet blare, followed by three other ones of different notes and pitches. The little scavengers on the ground ceased their talkative conversations and began to take their seats. Rune hurried towards the spot where Sandstorm was waiting for him, not particularly caring how far behind Avocado was. She wasn't the fastest flier in Pyrrhia, that was for sure. She had told him of how she had escaped the rainforest after a group of NightWings ambushed and attacked her, which gave Rune another suspect for the crime.
Avocado does not like NightWings, so is it possible that she was the one who murdered Reliance? Possibly, possibly...
As he was thinking, Rune landed next to a mildly discontent Sandstorm, who eyed Avocado as she was the last dragon to land on the golden bricks. This made Rune feel a little better about himself since it seemed his guardian did not always think so highly of the RainWing animus and that she was not perfect in his eyes. Also, him being almost late was overshadowed by her being nearly late to the event, freeing him from any immediate lecturing, which was usual for him to receive after doing anything wrong.
A fourth trumpet called, the final warning to signify the beginning of the presentation.
"What is this? Screaming howler monkeys! What are these scavengers doing!?" Avocado commented, a tad louder than she had expected. Rune cringed at the remark, knowing that some of the humans sitting closer to the dragons heard the rather offensive word. He was aware that some of the humans did have the ability to understand dragons. 'Scavenger' was a derogatory term for humans and they did not like it when dragons used it to refer to them. However, the transition to calling them 'humans' had been difficult since every dragon had called the creatures by the same name for their entire lives. 
"Shhh. Keep quiet!" Sandstorm shushed Avocado, sitting right next to her and appearing two times her size. Sandstorm was young, but he was a large grown SandWing who could be dangerous if his temper were to ever become hot like fire. Rune eyed his barbed tail cautiously, knowing that it was lethal, but relieved as he realized a punishment inflicted on Avocado in front of all these humans would prove to look extremely bad for the kingdom. It would also look bad for all three of the dragons there. 
"SILENCE everyone!" a very loud voice boomed from a stage that was placed at the far back of the plaza. 
It's him again.
Rune was still surprised to that day to hear a scavenger talk, especially when all he saw was a creature many times smaller than he. He still half-expected for them to squeak or yip instead of produce real words and phrases. Biologically this should not have been possible, but magic was the perfect solution for breaking those natural boundaries. 
Humans and their animi were two topics that Rune had studied heavily when he first arrived in the Draconic Kingdom. He recalled back to one manuscript that explained how such communication between scavengers and dragons was possible. Two of the known methods was to use an enchanted item or to cast an enchantment on a dragon or a human themselves. The Gift of Tongue was the special magical ability the extremely important humans had, and today he was going to witness how a human received the gift in the first place.
All eyes were on the scavenger whom Rune identified as the Dux-Animus. This Dux was virtually the leader of all of the humans that lived in this city and the surrounding countryside. Everything about him had not changed even from two months ago when Rune had last met with him. The Dux still had a mask with glowing orange eyes and still wore black armor with glowing orange stripes.
"Today, my fellow citizens and dragon friends, we welcome the arrival of our newly elected Chancellor of the Representative Government of Glorious Pyrrhia. Our brother, Vilmire, was chosen by your representatives and governors to lead you, the people, and make sure that your government maintains its infallibility," began the Dux, standing tall in front of the crowds of perhaps hundreds. No one in the crowd dared to not pay attention. 
Rune watched the scavenger speak, but was somewhat disturbed by the action as he saw no mouth moving at all. All there was was a mask with two glowing dots on it, not even a nose, ears, or a real face. 
"It is with great privilege to present to you the Chancellor of Glorious Pyrrhia, Chancellor Vilmire Boroh."
There was a round of applause from the audience of scavengers, many of them standing up from their seats and vigorously cheering on the tiny scavenger that rose from its seat on the stage. At that moment Rune saw Sandstorm nudge Avocado on the shoulder, taking a pause from his own applauding. Afterwards, Avocado clapped her claws together, still not very comfortable doing so and being there. Before Sandstorm could even lay an eye on him, Rune began to applaud as well.
Though everyone's attention was on the stage, Rune's mind was elsewhere, thinking of the events that transpired the day before. 
Reliance was in the way of the Queen. Reliance had too much power along with the Queen, and he was a potential threat to the new princess. I'm surprised he hadn't done anything suspicious at all before his death. I would have thought he'd try to destroy the egg. Then, if something would have happened to the Queen, he would have become King.
A scavenger wearing red and black robes walked over to the front of the stage where the Dux was waiting for him. Rune squinted down at the human, making out a determined and friendly looking face on it gazing at the great multitude of people who had gathered there for him. He had a great, wide smile full of glowing white teeth and he possessed two bright green eyes. His brown fluffy hair waved on that particularly windy and sunny day, sometimes causing him to move it to the side of his face as it frequently blocked his vision. 
And the Queen was an IceWing. That's another reason why Reliance could have been killed. It wasn't Her Majesty's choice to pick him as her Regent in the first place, but rather it was the other dragons in the Palace. It was to keep her in check, so that's a motive.
When the scavenger with the smile stood at the edge of the stage, his tiny paws and arms behind his back as he observed the crowd, the Dux approached him with something in his gloved hands. Whatever it was, Rune saw him place it on the stage floor and then he turned to face the to-be chancellor.
The smiling scavenger ceased his smiling and then appeared to be serious. He bowed his head to the Dux, his hair falling in front of his dark, mud-colored face. 
"He looks like a scavenger that's from the rainforest," blurted out Avocado suddenly, but as a whisper to Rune.
"How would you know?" Rune asked without much thought to his question. Naturally, he never thought that RainWing would have know much at all besides fruit, sun, and sleeping. He found that most of the RainWings he'd met in the Kingdom weren't the most intelligent of dragons on Pyrrhia, however some of them did have interesting things to say.
Avocado, seeming to be happy at catching Rune's attention, explained.
"Do you know Berry? She's from the rainforest and she said she saw plenty of scavengers whenever she went to collect berries and other fruit. She said that they all live on the forest floor, so that's why no one's really met them before. But she did and she said their skin was the color of that one up there, not pale or tan, but more of the color of a tree's bark. Scavengers come in all sorts of color, don't they? Maybe I'll find a blue one one day, or maybe green?"
Rune knew which dragon Avocado had been referring to. Berry was an older RainWing, about twice his age, but to him only half as intelligent. Berry didn't do much around the Palace, but she did water some of the plants and partially take care of the gardens. Rune felt that he could do her job and everybody elses' with just his magic, but he knew that wouldn't ever happen. 
Everyone seemed to have liked Reliance, except Thistle and Porpoise. Those two never agree on anything, but they both never liked that NightWing. I doubt Thistle would have done it, but Porpoise...
"Vilmire Boroh, receive the Gift of Tongue and take your place as Grand Chancellor of this Great Nation!"
The glowing orange Dux-Animus laid his dark hands on the shoulders of Vilmire, grasping them as tightly as possible with both. Then a blue mist began to form at the bottom of the Dux's feet. Rune watched and listened as the Dux chanted a haunting, but at the same time, beautiful enchantment. He felt Avocado and Sandstorm tighten as they witnessed the magic. They were not as at peace as he was found to be. 
The blue mist traveled from the feet of the Dux to those of Vilmire, and then it rose up along his body, and finally it entered his open mouth. 
"Verator integreyis, yuttttooooiiiaaa heltenn eriss poletyra, koniss egen. Polllllllassssunnn merceruuu altiuuuua cexus. Netttt lune ayderri, remerkeranaaa, lundreiiiii! Bertan draconassssssss spevvvvv, in clauserrrrator imperatorrrrrr, pyrhiossss gloriux investatossss! Za abslouaaaa ghennnnna sa truuuuriii!"
As the Dux gave Vilmire the Gift, the blue mist rose and rose above both of their heads and proceeded to consume them. The mist spread further, totally enveloping the stage and even seeping out from it and towards the crowd. Some of the humans seated up front moved back quickly, not wanting to actually be a part of the whole ceremony.
"Where did they go?" Avocado wondered when the two scavengers were no longer visible. Not even the glowing orange of the Dux could be seen. Rune knew the two hadn't moved, but did admit it would have appeared that they'd vanished.
Suddenly, a long and loud cry rang out from the mist.
"Celoomuuussss!"
A moment later a voice entirely new to Rune and all of the dragons spoke in a clear, low, and heavily accented speech. 
"I have received the Gift of Tongue!"
Then, as if a wind had appeared to blow it away, the mist itself disappeared, revealing the two scavengers once again. 
"Glory be to Pyrrhios! Praise!" Vilmire chanted as he pumped his fist to the sky to further rile up the crowd. The results the scavenger was looking for was perhaps more than he had expected. The entire crowd went wild as they rose to their feet, cried, hollered, cheered, and even ran up to the stage where Vilmire was watching them with a giant grin. Rune looked on as a great wave of excitement rushed through the plaza, enveloping everyone except for the three dragons. He, Avocado, and Sandstorm looked on warily as they heard a new person speak in the language of the dragons. 
"Citizens of the Capitol and all across Pyrrhia Most Glorious! I am Vilmire Boroh and I am your new Chancellor! I am yours! Together we will bring peace and justice to our continent and drive out the foes who want to destroy our freedom. With the power invested in me I will..." 
As the Chancellor gave his speech a wing brushed against his side and he turned to see that Sandstorm was getting ready to take off. His massive wings were flung open and he was prepared to launch himself into the sky. 
"Where are you going?" Rune asked, and from Sandstorm's other side he saw that she was probably wondering the same thing. 
Sandstorm grunted as he was held back from lifting off because of the question. 
"We've come and saw what we needed to see. No need to hear this overgrown sloth babble on about moons knows what. It doesn't have anything to do with us. Let's go so that you can finish you're work. You have a lot to do for tomorrow." 
Tomorrow. I nearly forgot.
Sandstorm impatiently flew into the blue, followed by Avocado and then Rune himself. Rune took one more glance at the talking scavenger, who seemed to have been winning the hearts of many that day. The last thing he saw, however, was the glowing eyes of the Dux. He had just finished placing the object he had set down earlier on the Chancellor's head. It appeared to have been some sort of black cap. 
The Dux held his paws together and watched blankly as the three dragons took off from the plaza. The orange circles peered into Rune as if they were a bear trap he had caught on his leg. The intruding feeling spun around his head and he felt that he might not have been able to move further. However, the SandWing went one step at a time and unfurled his wings and leaped forward. Rune didn't look back as he rose up from the golden brick and into the clear vastness. 
Khollers must do good. Must serve, must be good, must serve, must...s..ser...ve. Must. Be. Good.
Rune felt the wind against him as he flew towards the Palace, and though he was heading towards his destination his mind and spirit wandered elsewhere again. Questions began to pop into his mind. 
Khollers must do good? Must I serve? Yes, of course! But...do I? I need to finish the throne....right? What if the Queen killed Reliance? Then do I serve a murderer? That doesn't seem right! What if Avocado did it? Then why am I teaching her? What if someone else did it? What if Sandstorm is to blame? Why is he my guardian? What if it's from the Palace? Why am I living there, then? 
=== Chapter 10: Prisoner ===
Pine
There was only one day left before the Hatching Day celebrations were to take place and the Palace was in a chaotic frenzy to get ready, like a hive of honeybees. Decorations made of rich materials were put on display, every room was cleaned, tables and seats were placed, and food was being prepared in the kitchen. Guards received luxurious shiny golden and silver armor that was more for show than anything else, however there was an increased presence of security all throughout the palace in the aftermath of the horrendous murder.
Meanwhile, Pine had been busy the entire morning through the wee hours of the afternoon, and although he knew that none of that time was wasted, he still felt he could have learned more given all of that time. 
All those dragons and still nothing concrete, the SkyWing sighed, well, two more...just two more.
His investigation into the death of the regent, Reliance, brought him face to face with a multitude of dragons he doubted he would have ever gotten to know had he not taken it upon himself. For once he fully saw how diverse the Draconic Kingdom was, and he realized how fragile the bonds actually were that kept it together. 
There was a certain uneasiness in his steps as Pine's feet touched down against cold stone steps and his side brushed against heavy walls crunching him together. His heart raced as he felt himself traveling lower and lower into the earth, leaving behind sunlight and warmth for chilly air and torches. The entire atmosphere of the dungeon he was headed to made his scales tingle with anxiety, and the guard who led him did little to soothe his feelings of wanting to give up, walk upstairs, and go home.
"Her cell is the farthest one from the entrance," a large guard, smelling of soot and walking with a jingle because of his keys, said to him as they went on ahead. 
Pine began to reminisce about his findings. 
Earlier that day Pine had talked to the chamberlain, Thistle, and a cook, Pecan, both of whom he had found together, no doubt comfortable being with dragons from tribes they also belonged to. Thistle felt a little shaken when Pine mentioned Reliance's death once again to her, but Pecan was in complete shock. That was because Pecan learned just then and there that a murder had taken place. 
Both of those dragons had realistic alibis that crossed them off of the list Pine kept in his head. Thistle defended herself saying she was in the throne room the entire morning of the murder, receiving messengers, subjects, and dragons of all kind in place of the Queen, who she thought had been still sleeping in her bedroom. Pecan, on the other talon, had risen early to work in the kitchen, getting everything ready for the big day that was quickly approaching. Both told him they had dragons who could prove their stories were legitimate, and Pecan even mentioned that her scavenger cooks could defend her, to Pine's secretive amusement. When he asked whether Slush could have done something like murder, both of them felt tense.
They gave arguments both for and against the Queen's innocence. Being the Queen's supposed best friend, Thistle choked up and had been unable to input her thoughts, which Pine knew might have been biased. Pecan took over the explanation and said that they knew the Queen didn't like NightWings and would sometimes complain that the only reason why Reliance ever became regent was just to anger Her Majesty. Pecan also supported the theory that killing was removing a stumbling block in the Queen's path. Reliance, when he was still alive, was the heir to the Kingdom as the Queen's daughter still had not been born. This meant that Reliance had a claim to the throne, and he might have sought to eliminate either the Queen, the new princess, or both. 
Still, they expressed their doubts that Slush did anything close to murdering the Regent. Both swore that the Queen was sleeping at the time Reliance was killed and that she was too busy with things other than Reliance, such as the celebrations. Slush, Thistle added in after a while, was not known to be extreme, at least since she became Queen. However, neither Pecan nor Thistle had solid proof that the Queen had never stopped by Reliance's room that morning. 
Pine then went on to interrogate the guards who he believed were posted by Reliance's and Queen Slush's rooms. It was to his surprise that there had been none. Pine searched the Palace to find the dragon he had seen at the feast he had been to a few days ago, the SkyWing wearing golden chain mail armor. Amaranth, the Captain of the Guard, was found outside the Palace, watching over military drills from a perch above a cliff in the mountains near the Palace. 
The Draconic Kingdom, it seemed, did not have many soldiers in its army. When Pine counted only a claw full of dragons practicing their battle tactics in the sky, he wondered how many dragons there actually were in the kingdom. He also noticed that he was seeing fewer and fewer unfamiliar faces as he walked through the hallways and rooms. Putting that thought aside, he had landed near Amaranth, who at first nearly mistook him as a soldier. 
The conversation started off calmly after Pine cleared up the misconception and explained he was not part of the army. Amaranth seemed to have not been taken aback from being mistaken and appeared to have been glad to see another SkyWing. The dragons in the sky were mainly SkyWings and SandWings, and Pine wondered what happened at their homes for them to arrive in the Draconic Kingdom. 
Pine inquired Amaranth on why there had been no guards posted at either the Queen's or Reliance's rooms. Amaranth quickly explained there had never been any need to, but that now there were plenty of guards on duty in the Palace. He also explained that he needed to prepare his troops for the big event the next day and it had been difficult to spare any of his dragons for routine guard duty. 
Pine, not fully happy with the logic of the Captain, expressed his opinion and soon regretted it. Or perhaps he regretted it when he sarcastically mentioned that the Captain was a tad too late in adding in the new guards. 
I never thought I'd see that much red on a SkyWing in my life.
He had to search for answers elsewhere. 
His mind returned to the present and Pine soon became aware of his surroundings. He was no longer on a fleet of cold stairs but rather on an even level of colder stone tiles. His eyes adjusted to the dim line of prison cells that extended further than his vision could take in with only a small number of torches lighting the way. He wanted to take a second to readjust himself, but he found the guards really had changed after the murder. 
"You have ten minutes with the prisoner and out you go, got it, SkyWing?" the guard with the keys wanted to confirm with Pine. Staring into the locked cell door, Pine wondered if ten minutes would be enough. Also, he wasn't sure what kind of dragon the prisoner would be now that she was most definitely silenced by the cold and the dark. 
"I understand," Pine replied, adding in a nod which he was disappointed to see the guard didn't catch. 
The guard reached for a set of keys that he had on a belt around his body, while a second guard held a torch close to the point of his focus so that the right pair could be found. After searching for the right key, the guard found the one and inserted it into the lock on the cell door. After turning the key, the guard opened the cell for Pine to see and enter. 
"She's all yours," the guard said, while the other guard handed Pine the torch. A third guard arrived with another torch, and a fourth with a long spear, for security. Pine would have rolled his eyes, but in truth he wasn't sure how dangerous his suspect was. He wouldn't question the backup, whether he had been interrogating a bloodthirsty criminal or a sloth. 
Pine grabbed the torch and took a few steps inside the cell, feeling the eeriness of how cramped it was and how low the ceiling was for him. With his small light he looked for his dragon, not finding her immediately as he had hoped. The cell was not wide, but it did bore deep into the side of the earth. He had to take a few more steps forward before he even saw light reflect off the back wall. 
Thank the moons I'm not a prisoner in this cell. I think I'd go insane just staring into the dark each day, not knowing when I would finally be free again. I'd better do well, or else I might find myself in one of these rooms. If I support the Queen I won't go to jail, but if she's bad and she's caught, then someone else might just throw me in here. Blast! 
"Who's there?" 
Pine was too busy worrying that he didn't realize how noisy his movements were and that he had almost run into someone in the cell. After hearing the voice call out to him, he lifted his head from the ground and his head nearly bumped into a wall of blue scales that were rising and falling with every breath. 
It's her. She's chained to the wall...I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but if the Queen wants me to be on her side she really should stop looking like the bad guy. 
"Helllooooo?" the voice uttered weakly. 
The small voice sounded so sad and so helpless that Pine couldn't help but feel a tsunami of pity crash against his body, unable to defend against it. 
"P-porpoise?" Pine called back, stuttering with the name as he found his speech had been affected by the pity as well. 
"Who are you?" the SeaWing hanging from the wall inquired even more suspiciously and cautiously. 
She's hanging from the wall, her wrists in cuffs and her feet in chains. This is something any queen would do, right? Not just Slush, but maybe Scarlet would, too. At least Porpoise isn't dead, yet. Maybe Slush...argh, this is just like the story Avocado told me about. Her friends were like this, right? 
Porpoise grunted. "Oh, fine, just be like that, all quiet and such. It's not like I can see you, you know. I'm blindfolded, just so you know. I can still tell you're not a guard, or the Queen. All of them have heavy footsteps, or keys. Oh, for crying out loud, all you want to do is humiliate me even more! Well, I can't see you laughing so HA!"
I guess she still has that energy she had before. I have to ask her some questions, but will she answer any of them? I can already see that everything she says will be against the Queen. Still, maybe she'll provide me with something useful. 
"Ahem. Porpoise?" Pine finally managed to build up the courage to ask. 
Porpoise twitched her body when she heard someone had actually replied to her rambling, but even with the dark blindfold over her eyes Pine could see her confused expression as she tried to figure out whose voice had spoken. As she moved, Pine saw the necklace of pearls around her neck sway back and forth over her chest. He also grimaced when he saw a hole-like wound on the SeaWing's shoulder, dried black instead of dripping red like it was when he last saw her. 
I never had expected the Queen to have acted like that, ever. Well, dragons always have a second body hidden among the one we see most often. Still, the Queen looks so...more cute, innocent, and slothful than anything else. 
Porpoise did not say anything after Pine called out to her, therefore Pine himself took the conversation further. 
"Porpoise, I'm Pine...I guess we haven't really met before...but I'm here to talk, if you don't mind," he uttered in a way that he hoped would make Porpoise less tense and more open to speaking. Porpoise was like an oyster at this moment, and she was not going to give Pine the pearl so easily. Pine would have to work for it.
"I have nothing to say," mumbled Porpoise, readjusting her position so that the chains began to press into her body in a slightly different place than before, likely from how painful and annoying they were if held in one place for too long. 
"Well, I do. Porpoise, I want to get straight to the point, but I want to let you know you can help get yourself out of here. Please, milady, talk to me. Talk to me about what happened," Pine begged, making his voice sound pleading but not too desperate. He hoped he could sweet-talk his way to the clues he searched. 
Porpoise rattled her chains, as if testing to see how strong they were and how heavy they felt. She tried to pull the one that attached her left arm to the wall, but failed to do much other than remove some of its slack. By bending her talons in towards her palm, Porpoise grabbed the loose metal and started to pull again, but even when the chain was stretched to its furthest extent she was unable to jerk it off the wall.
"Fine, then. I don't want to be food for the ravens, so what do you want?" she asked, sighing.
"Food for the ravens? Would the Queen really let that happen to you?" Pine asked, appalled by such an image. For a second he thought it was sarcasm, but from the tone of Porpoise's voice and her movements he wasn't really sure. 
The SkyWing saw Porpoise pull on her chains a tad more frantically than before, as if hoping that if she did it enough times she would be free from the wall holding her back and escape. As she did so, the SeaWing worded out more of her feelings.
"I don't know what that queen will do! I didn't think she'd react to me by drilling a hole into my shoulder for moons sake!" she squawked. 
"Well, didn't you accuse her of murder. Didn't you call her names and hurt her feelings? Didn't she have enough reasons to get back at you?" Pine gave Porpoise a barrage of self-reflecting questions that he hoped she would think through carefully. 
This should fluster her, and maybe I'll find the real truth here. Did Queen Slush kill Reliance?
However, Porpoise fired back with an explanation that gave Pine the feeling that the SeaWing's actions may have been wrong, but were not as malicious as they sounded when given the motive. 
"Queen Slush is a fat fool, everyone knows that. She is a terrible queen, and I personally think she should have never let herself go, but instead kept herself in shape and remained a soldier. She was a fine warrior, but I thought she had changed for the better. I was wrong," Porpoise went on.
Pine listened to every word of the chained-up SeaWing advisor, carefully analyzing the tone and the wording of the clarification. 
"Seriously, she can't think of anybody but herself. She throws feasts and eats so much when some of our subjects desperately need food. She hoards up all the good treasure whenever we find more, even if the treasury is running low. I can give you a whole scroll of her flaws, double-sided, but the worst thing of all is she may be too dumb to realize any of this."
"How so?" Pine asked. 
"Slush is...she just doesn't think of what the consequences of her actions will be. Everything is for her, her, her. She could care less about anybody else. For this kingdom to compete, no, survive, we need a queen who thinks about her subjects, what's best for everyone, and doesn't gobble up or collect everything in her sight," Porpoise concluded with a deep breath.
"Somebody like you?" 
Perhaps this was all part of a plan to put herself on the throne?
Pine knew he was right when he heard Porpoise hesitate for a second, then fidget uncomfortably against her chains. He also observed that Porpoise's talons were reaching for her pearl necklace, which Pine knew dragons did when they were nervous or felt some sort of strong emotion. Sure enough, she tried to twirl them around.
Pine felt like something snapped into his brain because he soon turned to leave. His actions became hasty and impulsive.
"I think I have enough information here, so if you don't mind I'll be going..."
That's all I needed to hear. She practically admits that this was all a set-up, a ruse. Maybe she is behind the murder and is trying to put the blame on the Queen. Maybe Porpoise should rot in this cell.
"Wait!" Porpoise nearly screamed and tried to lunge for Pine even though she was shackled. "I thought you'd get me out of here! I gave you what you wanted!" 
Pine knew that Porpoise feared being locked up in the prison, not knowing what would happen to her next. For all she knew she would be released the very next day, or she might never see the sunshine ever again. He turned to leave her, but something kept him back, as if he were the one chained to the wall. He felt that he himself was in his very own prison.
I...this is so difficult. She's just a prisoner, a problem, a nuisance, but she's still a dragon. I have to give her a chance. I can't assume so quickly. I don't know her, and she doesn't know me. Why should I trust her, but then again she has no reason not to trust me. I can be her ticket out if I can get an honest confession. Maybe the Queen will listen to me, or just somebody else, anyone who can help.
"Did Queen Slush murder Reliance. Be careful how you answer, because it means the difference between this cell and freedom," Pine warned sternly. He hoped he could 'persuade' the advisor into telling him all she knew. Surely she couldn't stay quiet with this question.
Porpoise scrunched her snout. Pine saw how the SeaWing tried to wrap her arms around herself. Those were signs of wanting comfort, but Pine couldn't give any, to his surprising pity.
"I think she did. Why would anyone else want to kill Reliance? He was a NightWing, and he was in the Queen's way and the new princess'." 
It was the same explanation Pecan and Thistle had given Pine.
"But you don't know for sure?" Pine asked skeptically. 
Porpoise tried to shake her head, but she felt took weak to move much more. She relaxed on her chains, letting them sink into her scales and skin. 
"No, I don't, but I just believe she did it. She had to have done it! With all my heart I think she did. Listen, whoever you are, I know it was Slush, as much as it pains me to say," Porpoise uttered. 
"So you accused the Queen of murder without any evidence? It was all just so you could hopefully become Queen?" Pine asked, wanting to make sure he understood what was going on. 
Porpoise now felt a little guilty. Pine saw her keep her head down and she was gritting her teeth as if she were in real pain. Porpoise took in a deep breathe, exhaled, and answered. 
"I only did what I thought was best for the Kingdom, for the dragons," she confessed with sadness in her voice. "I saw an opportunity staring me in the face and I took it. I didn't plan this beforehand...it just...it just happened. I didn't know any more than the Queen knew when the guards told us that Reliance was dead. Something in my mind triggered, you know, screaming at me to make my wish come true. I...I only feel bad because...because I don't think Slush means the bad things she does. I think...I think being queen has been corrupting her...changing her. Even Thistle has been worried for her, says she isn't the same old dragon anymore." 
"I can imagine a best friend being concerned for their close ones." 
"I really wanted to dethrone the Queen...but it also hurt me in ways I didn't expect...now all I want is to help her to become a better queen before it's too late," Porpoise expressed in words her rather truthful thoughts. 
"Why does it pain you?" Pine asked, fearing also that his ten minutes were drying up. He began to wonder if what the guard said was just to instill fear or hurry him up, instead of literally allowing him a limited time to converse.
I feel like a professional interrogator, but also a torturer. I don't want to be here anymore.
Porpoise took in a deep breathe. "I...I don't feel that Our Majesty is a good queen, but I like her...somewhat. She is nice to me, most of the time." Porpoise took a moment to clench her fists. "But she just pushes some dragons to their limits. She pushes me, Thistle a little bit, and Pecan. I think she also put a heavy load on Reliance, too. But she is so terrible to Rune. She pushes him to his limits, I swear. It's always food, another throne, another statue, some more spells here and there..."
"Rune? He's a Kholler," Pine pointed out. 
Porpoise didn't seem to care about that particular word. "Kholler, animus, they are both the same. What's the difference? I don't see it, no one else sees it. Only Rune, Sandstorm, and those pathetic little scavengers."
"Watch that language," Pine advised Porpoise. He had said that immediately after hearing the mention of the two-legged creatures. 
"I have no idea what you are talking about, but I'm just saying that you should watch out for Rune. I don't like him...all animi...they're just so unpredictable. I'm worried he might become another Darkstalker or, moons forbid, another Albatross! Stranger, oh by the moons, you have to do something. Oh, the Queen or Rune might kill us all!"
"Porpoise?"
"Yes?"
Oh moons, how obvious could this be....?
"Was it Rune that killed Reliance?" Pine asked, closing his eyes and clenching his fists.
Porpoise again was silent for a little while, opposite of the worried shaking of the SkyWing who stared at her expressionless form. He did notice that her breathing had become shallow, gradually diminishing very close to a halt. Her voice cracked when she attempted to speak again, but she trudged on and let her words out.
"Then we have all been fools. All of us. We would have all been blind, unknowingly letting the silent killer swim through our grasps for months. I never trusted those scavengers, especially that Dux and moons forbid that Rex. I may have been dumb now, but now my eyes have been opened. Mark my words, when I get out of here I'm leaving this Kingdom, and you should, too. But don't let anyone know why."
"By the Maker...thank you, thank you for telling me all of this," Pine expressed with sincere gratitude.
"Oh swirling seas...don't let this be another Albatross, not another one...Rune's going insane, I know it. No one will believe that, though. Everyone thinks the Queen did it, no thanks to me, and that it's impossible for Rune to do something so horrifying. Ohhhh, what was I thinking..." Porpoise shook her head, as if she couldn't believe what she had done. 
She appeared to have been reaching out for Pine.
"Don't let me die. Please get me out of here..." she pleaded.
"Porpoise, I will do what I can. You have made yourself look better to me."
"Who are you?" Porpoise asked once again.
I don't even mind her not remembering my name. I feel now that she will never forget it. 
"My name...my name is Pine, my good lady."
"Thank you, Pine."
With that Pine took one last look at Porpoise, peering to see that he found a flicker of a smile on the SeaWing's face. He too felt a little bit better about the dragons he'd met, except for one. He turned around and headed out to exit the prison. 
He knew what he needed to do next, and who he needed to see immediately. There was only one dragon fit for the task, but he had to hope that that dragon would be willing to do it, but more importantly, first willing to at least listen to him once again. 
=== Chapter 11: The Night Prior ===
Pine
After returning to the ground level of the Palace, Pine ran as quickly as he could to find the one dragon that he desperately needed to see. His mind had been racing quicker than his heart or his feet, but there was something in there that was very clear to him.
I have to find her, I need to find her now. 
He rushed up the great fleets of stair up to one of the higher floors, the one he had spent his life in the Kingdom the most. All of the familiar landmarks returned to him: plants, windows, the rug, and every single door that mattered to him. But at that moment there was only one door he was looking for, and it was easy for him to find. 
He knocked politely, waiting for a response even though he intended to enter even without one. Instead, however, a squeaky voice beckoned to him from inside the room.
"Come in, come in!" the voice welcomed him with energetic enthusiasm. 
With no time to waste, Pine threw open the door and rushed inside to find himself face-to-face with the dragon he was unable to find for the longest of time. 
"Avocado."
Pine ignored every single part of the room save for one thing, and that was the RainWing that was busily getting ready to leave the room in what he guessed was a few minutes. He entered the room, not waiting for her to notice him or greet him. Pine rushed over the carpet, which was clear and free from any objects that would make the room cluttered. Avocado clearly was still getting used to the room being her home. 
"Pine, what are you doing here?" the RainWing asked in a fluster, recognizing Pine's voice immediately. Her scales became light grey and white as she turned to face him with her arms full of scrolls and books, along with a single leather bag. 
"Avocado..."
Pine...slow down...kill two birds with one stone here...
"Pine, is something wrong?" Avocado asked worriedly. She placed her belongings on her bed, which had only a single pillow and a sheet to cover it. She headed over towards Pine, her talons outstretched. 
Pine didn't move. He couldn't move. 
"Avocado...Avocado I need a favor from you, a very big favor! You don't have to give me one. I don't deserve one, but it isn't all about me. Avocado!"
Avocado tried to grab a hold of Pine's talons, but she noticed that he already had something in his hands. Her eyes stared at it while her scales all became white. 
"What are you doing with that?" she asked, very uncomfortable and nearly frozen. 
"Avocado, will you please perform some magic for me, an enchantment?"
Avocado took a step back, her mouth agape. She put a few talons near her heart, soaking in the request.
"I mean, if it's for you then..."
"Avocado, enchant this spear to stab the dragon who is responsible for the death of Reliance!"
Avocado looked at him as if he'd asked her to jump off a cliff. 
"What?! You want me to use my magic for that?" she asked him, astounded.
Pine nodded. "Please, Avocado, this is so very important. It's the only thing I'll ask of you and then I'll leave you alone forever. I won't bother you, heck, I'll even fly away from here if you'd like. Just please, enchant this spear."
The SkyWing handed over the spear to the RainWing, the weight heavier than Avocado had expected from a spear. She held it in her talons, grasping it nervously. Her eyes worriedly looked at the point, but then they turned to look upon Pine.
"I won't do it..." she answered back.
"But...but...." Pine began to stammer. 
"I won't do it if you feel you need to leave me, that you have to go away. I don't want you to go, I want you to stay with me, Pine. I know before that I wanted my space, but that didn't mean a whole continent away. If enchanting this spear will make you leave me, then I can't do."
Pine felt as if he had just misunderstood the entire world during the last few days. He had thought that Avocado had wanted him to be out of her way indefinitely, but he had no time to lament over his miscalculations. He never thought he'd be happy to be with Avocado again, and he had never thought he'd be coming to seek her assistance. 
"Avocado, can I explain everything later? This is serious, please enchant this spear," Pine asked as he burst any thought bubbles that were not relevant to the situation. "I won't leave you, I promise!" 
"You promise?" she tilted her head, questioning. 
Pine nodded frantically. 
"Sure...I guess I can..." Avocado began, not sure of what was going on.
"Thank you!" Pine cried, grasping Avocado in his talons and hugging her. 
"Okay, okay, Pine. I get it, I get it!" Avocado squawked as she wiggled out of the SkyWing's strong arms. "What was it again? Oh, right."
Avocado gingerly inspected the black spear that rested in between her curled talons, eyeing the tip cautiously. Pine had grabbed it from a guard when he was in the hallway, on his way to the RainWing. He was sure that the sleeping guard would have minded that he borrowed the spear for a little while, but it was for a good cause.
Avocado took in a deep breath and recited the words Pine had told her to say. "Spear, please find the being that murdered Reliance and stab them with your pointy side." 
And with that the spear flew out of Avocado's talons and torpedoed its way out of the room. Pine, not expecting the spear to move so quickly, barely had enough time to duck and cover his head before the spear stabbed him in his own face. It just grazed the tip of his horn with scorching friction. 
"Pine!" Avocado screamed and leaped over to his side. "Oh my gosh, did that hurt? I'm sorry, I should have made sure the coast was clear..."
"Follow that spear!" Pine roared, pushing Avocado off and jumping to his four feet. He bolted his way into the hallway, but he already knew he was too late. 
For the rest of that afternoon, Avocado and Pine scoured the corridors in search for someone who had seen the spear fly in their path. They talked to every dragon they saw, sometimes more than once, in hope that something would turn up. Alas, there was no sign of any spear to be found, not even a witness who may have heard it or caught a glimpse of it. 
When it was evening, Pine and Avocado had made their way outside. The sudden realization that the dragon who was the murderer may have fled caught fire in both of their minds. Pine still believed the culprit was the dragon Porpoise had mentioned, but Avocado did not believe so. When the sun began to set, Avocado took Pine to the side of a railing that was part of a barrier between the edge of the cliff and the platform they were standing on.
"I have to go, Pine. Rune and I have to help with tomorrow's feast," she said, a little saddened. 
Pine was disturbed, and he knew it was written all over his face. "You know how I feel about Rune, how I think he's the murderer. He's going insane and I worry."
Avocado gazed off of the cliff and into the wide world beyond. There were lush forests swaying in the cool evening breeze, there were the glamorous lights of the human city shining brightly, and the mountains formed shadows and were dark as night approached. Everything was painted orange as the sun beautifully set. 
"If he's insane, then wouldn't we have seen it coming. Wouldn't someone have noticed his behavior change?" Avocado said as she proceeded to take in a breath of fresh mountain air, seasoned with lovely lavender. 
Pine considered for a moment, but his mind had already been made up. He was sure that he was right, and no evidence he knew existed could alter his predictions and premonitions. "It's him. He's gotten angrier, I believe. He's being pushed too far, too much for a young animus."
Avocado seemed genuinely perplexed. "Animus? I thought he was a Kholler?"
Pine look at Avocado, who returned his gaze with further confusion.
"You believe that?" he said with a hint of are-you-serious in his voice.
"I...I have to go," Avocado said suddenly, stamping her feet around until she faced the path back to the Palace. "Pine, don't worry about me. That killer...maybe he's a thousand miles away from here by now."
Pine couldn't believe what he was hearing. He gave Avocado a hopeless expression, his talons outstretched in a questioning manner and his eyes filled with concern. 
"But..." Avocado added, seeing Pine's dismay, "I will keep an eye out on Rune. I trust you, Pine, I love you as if you were my own brother. After tomorrow, when things calm down, could we get to know each other better, like do things together?"
"Of course."
"Then I will see you tomorrow. Good night, Pine. And please, get some rest. You might not have a chance to sleep tomorrow. I heard the Queen is getting a full orchestra to play. And maybe we'll even be up close to the new princess. I can't wait to see her little face..." 
"Me too. Good night, Avocado," Pine sighed, but when he turned to Avocado he forced a little reassuring smile, as if to tell her that things were alright with him. 
Avocado brushed the tip of her wing with one of his, and she was off to the well-lit palace. Meanwhile, Pine stayed outside for a little while, staring over the railing into the horizon. He focused on every detail, from the scuff marks on the rocks to the slashes on the barks of trees on the ground. Even when it became dark and he could not view those details, he still stayed on the cliff. There was one moon high up in the sky, another one trying to reach for the highest point, and a third was too dim and far away to be seen well. 
When a chilly breeze came, Pine felt as if he were home near the SkyWing palace. He had vague memories of what his home was. All he could remember was a typical mountaintop, with red dragons soaring through the sky. But even those images were blurry. 
Pine finally retired to the indoors when the human city lights began to slowly turn off. Pine had always thought those lights were on the entire night, but it made sense that they would have made sleeping a tad bit difficult. 
Maybe all I need is some sleep. Tomorrow will be a better day, for sure.
=== Chapter 12: Kholler ===
Rune
Had life been fair to Rune he would have been praised for all of his deeds, but alas he felt it had not been so. No matter, however, for Rune cared about his creations and that was all that mattered to him. He did not care what other dragons or scavengers thought of him, because he was perfect as one could be. 
"What is this!?" the booming voice of Sandstorm shrieked, a sound Rune had to deal with ever more frequency than before. He and the larger SandWing were in the 'animus workplace,' viewing the two pieces of magical art that the Kholler had formed during the past few days. It seemed that Sandstorm was not pleased.
"Why are all the edges sharp and pointy? Do you want the little princess to stab herself? And why are those designs so bland? I thought you'd do this perfectly!" Sandstorm hissed with great contempt as he examined the throne that Rune had made for the dragonet that was due to hatch that day. 
Today was the day that the Hatching Day celebrations were to take place, a day for both the birth of a new dragon and a birthday for a special monarch. Last night the dragons at the hatchery were nearly jumping up and down with joy and amazement when they saw that the egg was moving around all on its own. Ever since there was always a cluster of dragons looking after the egg, awaiting the moment for the first crack to form.
The scavenger was right! Eh, I would have come to the same solution if some dragon allowed me to.
"Fix this!" ordered Sandstorm, pointing at the throne angrily. Rune took a closer glance at it, wondering what the whole thorn in his guardian's side was. Rune shook his head slightly, grinning without much thought. He tried, but he could just not find any fault in his creation. 
The throne was small to begin with, but it would grow as the princess grew with age. Most of it was made of stone, taking on the shape of a neat and simple seat that was fit for royal occupation. On the back of the chair was a line that ran down through the middle, and swirls stretched out of it symmetrically on both sides. There were no jewels of any sort on the throne, and no gold or silver at all. The only part of the throne that was not stone was the cushioning, which was a single plain yellow pillow.
Perfect, Rune thought with glee. There were no flaws in his design at all, not a single one. Finishing the throne felt very satisfying, and he was quite surprised to see that he had finished it with a lot of time to spare. He didn't even have to stay up until midnight last night to complete the project; for once he was able to go to bed early and it felt refreshing. 
"What are you waiting for?" Sandstorm asked again. Rune merely looked up at him, his face blank as a piece of fresh scroll paper. 
This is perfect.
"Rune," Sandstorm began, and Rune knew that this was the beginning of a long and boring lecture. For the past three months every single time his guardian had something to say, Rune always listened to every word that came out of his mentor's mouth. He learned much about respect, he was disciplined, and he learned new things, but today, for some strange reason, he didn't want to hear anything. 
Strange...I don't feel myself today. Maybe tomorrow I'll feel better...after this party and all...gosh, that throne does look off...
Rune cleared his throat, and he felt that the room was becoming warmer than usual. He shifted his feet as if the ground was uncomfortable, and he swore that his tail was experiencing a weird tingling sensation. His nose was cold, his talons shaky, and his thoughts unclear. He had never felt like this before.
Sandstorm sighed and went on with his lesson, and Rune raised his head up to watch. "Rune, you have a duty to the Queen, to the Kingdom, and to me. It is your life's calling that you perform magic that helps other dragons, because you are a Kholler. Must I repeat what a Kholler's life should be about?"
"Eh, no sir, no sir!" Rune uttered quickly, not wanting to face the wrath of his guardian again. 
"Fix these edges, and add some more decoration. Then you'll fix the Queen's statue. I hope you don't believe you're playing some terrible joke around here," Sandstorm commanded and walked over to the monument he had mentioned, leaving Rune alone for a few minutes. 
Rune, meanwhile, got to work on the throne. He had to hurry because the celebrations would begin at noon, when the SandWing diplomats were expected to arrive. The statue also had to be completed so that the visitors could gawk at the might of the Kingdom. The Queen hoped to send them back in awe, and possibly gain the beginnings of some sort of diplomacy.
With a few words that he mumbled under his breath, the stone on the throne began to change its form, as Sandstorm had wished. He straightened out the edges, making them less pointy so as not to pose a threat to the new heir. In addition to that, he added more swirling engravings to the seat, hoping it would serve as recompense for his earlier misdeeds. He then paused for a second, but he wasn't sure why.
He then didn't want to continue the repairs, but rather he wanted to bring back those points. Sharp stone spears filled his mind, but then all was normal once again.
Stay focused.
Rune shook his head like he had been splashed with water, then he resumed working on the royal throne. In the animus workplace there were barrels of gemstones of all kinds. There were containers of sapphires, emeralds, rubies, and diamonds, all cut by Rune himself. They would be perfect to use for added decoration. 
Sapphires, he called out to the gems with his mind, I command you to beautify this throne. Make it fit for a princess.
Within seconds, tiny rows of the blue jewels snaked their way through the air and then settled themselves in the stone throne, the magic boring little niches for them all to fit. One by one they livened up the light grey seat, and Rune's attitude. 
Perfect. Fit for an IceWing. 
Rune admired his work, feeling it was the best he had ever done. He was certain that Sandstorm would be proud of him, which he noticed was not something the guardian felt quite often towards him. Rune then felt a familiar splurge of anger. 
Avocado wouldn't have been treated this way. She would have been pampered and loved. But she isn't going to replace me, not anymore. I am all that I need, and all any other dragon needs. 
"No, no, no! Argh, it's all wrong! The throne is supposed to look like it belongs to the Queen of all of the tribes, not just the IceWings! There's too much blue! Why didn't you use gems other than sapphires? You have buckets full of them. Slithering snakes, just...it will have to do for now," Sandstorm complained with frustration.
Huh? Excuse me, guardian?
"Did I do something wrong?" Rune asked, concerned and confused. "Is this not what you wanted?" 
"Just fix this statue, all right? Make it look more...regal."
"But this is how the Queen looks like," Rune noted, his voice full of a dragonet's innocence.
Sandstorm glared at Rune with eyes that were sharp as knives. "Did you just talk back to me! You're a Kholler, do what you are told!"
Immediately, Rune fumbled about with his spells and enchantments, spewing out word after word of jumbled commands. The statue began to glow different colors, uncontrollably, and the stone in it began to crack and form clouds of dust.
Khollers are good! Khollers are good, khollers are good.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Sandstorm shrieked, and suddenly he grabbed his Kholler by the shoulder with great strong claws and pulled the dragon back, interrupting the conjuration. But Rune did not go down without a fight, and by the time he yielded the two were on the floor, gasping for air.
Sandstorm was the first to jump up back onto his feet, but Rune was only a few seconds behind. 
"Oh, the Queen is going to hear about this...I think I know what's going on here..." Sandstorm eyed his guardian warily, but with sudden realization. "Tell me, then, Rune, what are the tenets of being a Kholler?"
Is this a joke?
Rune stood there for a moment, wondering why his mentor would ask such a ridiculous question at that time and place. He carefully changed his thoughts and dug into his memory. It didn't take long to remember the list of his doctrine, for it was one of the first things he had to memorize. And he had to have memorized it well.
"Tenet one, never use your Kholler abilities to harm other dragons or humans. Tenet two, do not use your powers for personal gain. Tenet three, there is no greater joy than to help others with your power. Tenet four, a Kholler's soul is as safe as his mind and actions. Tenet five, the life of a Kholler is to be spent for others. Tenet six, Khollers must obey ever order from their...from their..."
Rune could not finish the last words of the sixth tenet, which caused alarm for Sandstorm. The guardian took a step towards the door, backing away from his Kholler as his heartbeat quickened and his breath began to stifle. 
"From their what, Rune?" the larger dragon asked, attempting to hide any emotion from his question. 
"From my...from my...monarch and guardian..." Rune worded out slowly.
Rune felt different, feeling something he had never ever felt before. It was something stranger than what he felt a few minutes ago, but though he was afraid of it, he did not stop it from entering his mind. It was almost as if he couldn't.
"Rune."
The Kholler looked into his guardian's eyes, watching the distress that filled them.
"I think we need to take a walk," Sandstorm uttered. 
"But...but..." Rune pleaded, not knowing what was going on but knowing that 'the walk' was not going to be a nice stroll in the gardens. Rune backed up against the wall, his body tense and full of energy he hadn't known he had.
"Tenet seven was broken. It's 'A Kholler's gifts come from the Scrolls Designated for the Kholler.' Remember that? So, tell me, how did you manage to fix the throne and the statue without any reading? Did you just...order those gifts to be done using only your mind and your words? Let's go, Rune, we need to have a small talk..." Sandstorm explained with hurry.
"I don't want to go on any walks!" Rune nearly broke down from anxiety. "I'm not going to the Dux, not again!" he said as his eyes spotted the wide open door his guardian was making his way to. 
Sandstorm was not quick enough, but it might not have mattered. "Rune, STOP!"
"Door, I command you to close shut." 
The door did as Rune had commanded, and then he felt a tiny light leave his body forever. It was as if the wind from his body had died down into stillness. Before, it felt as if the moons became blotted out by dark storm clouds, but now it felt as if the moons became dark themselves and lost their shine. Inside, everything felt cold, not like frost, but a room devoid of any heat. Once it was kept warm by a giant bonfire, but now it had been smothered out, and he was the one who dumped the water pail.
"Rune, listen to me, listen to-" Sandstorm tried to bring some sense into Rune's mind, but he was fatally cut off. "Rune..."
"Tenet one," Rune began to recite, "use your Kholler abilities to harm other dragons or humans. Tenet two, use your powers for personal gain. Tenet three, there is no greater joy than to harm others with your power. Tenet four, a Kholler's soul is as dangerous as his mind and actions. Tenet five, the life of a Kholler is to be spent for himself. Tenet six, Khollers must obey ever order from their fallen consciences. Tenet seven..a Kholler's gifts are his own to create..."
Rune turned around and did what he felt he had always desired. Without saying a single word the throne became covered in deadly sharp spikes and insanely hot to the touch, giving off a hellish red glow. Secondly, he grinned maliciously at the statue of the Queen, then watched as he crushed it's rocky head to millions of tiny pieces. 
How great this day will be. 
Again Rune spun himself over so that he faced the door he had closed before. Again he used his powers to manipulate it, to command it to open for him, and now he did not worry what cost his magic may or may not have. Before he left, he ordered for his spear to return to his hand, dripping blood.
"I know who enchanted this spear to find me." He snapped the spear into two pieces, one with the blade and the other he threw back onto the ground. "Today I'm going to visit all of my favorite dragons..."
Rune stomped his way through the doorway and into the hallway, which he knew to be empty of any guards. They were all in one place, ready to protect their Queen from anything. As he did, he stepped over the body of Sandstorm intentionally. Once in the hallway, he loomed over Sandstorm.
"Khollers are good," he whispered into the ears of his guardian, though he perfectly knew that Sandstorm would never hear his irony. He rubbed the spear against his mentor's body, painting little swirls similar to those he had carved into the throne. His brush was the spear, his easel was Sandstorm, and the paint was the blood of his unfortunate, silenced, and terribly dead caretaker.
"Oh, were these the decorations you were looking for," he sneered for a moment, then he headed down the corridor, knowing exactly what room he wanted to go to first. He quickly flew down the stairs onto the level below the one he had been on. When he landed on the ground once again, he felt a small pain in his side. Instead of grimacing he smiled, then looked thoughtfully at the half-spear he held in his hand. It was covered in the blood of more than one dragon.
"Avocado, I believe this belongs to you..."
=== Chapter 13: Introductions ===
Slush
"So...you're Queen Slush, ruler of the Draconic Kingdom? Queen of All of the Tribes? Queen of Pyrrhia?" asked a skeptical SandWing wearing golden earrings and a red cloak. Near him were three other SandWings, all of them pulling their pieces of clothing close to their scales in order to defend themselves against the cool mountain air. 
"Why yes, I am pleased to receive you into my Kingdom. I am sure you will be pleased with your visit," Slush warmly greeted the SandWing delegation that had arrived that noon for the Hatching Day Celebrations. She stood tall and regal, wearing her stunning golden crown with multiple gemstones, her many bracelets, a fine silk dress the color of pink mountain flowers, and a number of rings on her talons. Around her neck were many necklaces and her medallion, making the Queen smile when she saw her visitors were noticing them.
After brief introductions, Queen Slush led the SandWing delegation into the Palace, slow enough so that they could marvel at its unbeatable beauty. Every murmur and gasp was music to Her Majesty's ear, and she had no problem explaining every single detail as if she were leading a tour. 
For most of the afternoon, Queen Slush showed her guests everything there was to be shown, save for the banquet hall where they would dine that evening. The Queen brought the four SandWings to the corridors, the main hall, the throne room, the balconies, the library, and then they took a moment to walk in the gardens. It was here that the Queen and her guests had a moment to talk briefly about important matters.
One SandWing, the one who spoke for the other three, started a calm and friendly chat with the Draconic monarch. His name, her told her, was Gravel. 
"Your Majesty, this is your kingdom. All of it belongs to you. How in Pyrrhia did you manage to acquire all of this?" he asked.
Oh, so it's going to be those kinds of questions. I'd better put on a good show for them, really wow them.
"Oh," the Queen chuckled, "the dragons who formed this kingdom naturally selected me to be their Queen. There was no other candidate when I decided to volunteer to take this critical position. I knew that somebody had to take charge, and I knew that I was the one to do it." Her statement was not entirely true, but from a certain point of view it could be twisted in a way that it could be.
"Really? Other dragons elected you?" the SandWing wondered in awe. "No fight for the throne? No..no killing of any kind?" he asked, stunned to hear such things.
The Queen barked a laugh, acting her best to seem light-hearted. "Of course not! Our kingdom is rid of such barbaric ways. Here dragons from every tribe can live in peace. Oh, and do tell Queen Thorn to tell her daughter about this. I hear she's formed some kind of inter-tribal school not far from here. And that there's been some kind of...accident. Here our security would never allow such monstrosities. We need adult dragons to run this world."
"I'll be sure to, um, take a note of that," the delegate stated, scratching the back of his neck.
"So, on to diplomacy. What will it take to open talks with the Kingdom of Sand?" the Queen asked. "I'm sure Queen Thorn would be interested, especially because of all of the things that are going on. We could help each other, become stronger together," Slush offered. 
The other SandWings looked at each other, giving each other glances Slush couldn't decipher. The main delegate was quick to answer. "I'm sure Thorn will reconsider your offer after we return to her."
"I'm sure she will," Queen Slush echoed. "Now, dinner will be ready soon. We have some elegant rooms for you all to stay in. I have some things to do before that, you know, important queen business to take care of. How about my guards take you to your rooms to relax for a little bit, then we'll call you for the feast. What do you say?"
The delegation party looked at each other again, and they all nodded their heads. 
"Good. We shall see each other shortly," the Queen said with a wide smile.
With the delegates taken care of for the moment, Queen Slush returned to the banquet hall to check up on the progress that was made. Upon entering, she was thrilled to see that everything was going according to plan. Banners were hung, tables were set with ornate plates, chairs were in position, the kitchen smelled of cooking food, and guards stood with their shiny new armor. 
This will be the greatest night of my life. Everything will get better after this day. Being Queen has been the greatest thing to happen to me. I can't even imagine how I could live as anybody else.
As the Queen inspected the clean plates, a dragon rushed into the banquet hall and called out to her.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" Thistle the chamberlain called out in rapid succession. "I didn't know an IceWing delegation was expected to arrive as well!"
"What are you talking about, dear? The IceWings didn't say they were going to send any diplomats today," the Queen explained, her voice unsure and her mind confused. 
"But Your Majesty, there are five IceWings waiting outside the Palace entrance. The guards and I were about to shoo them away because we have never seen them before. But I decided to go to you first because this might be important," Thistle said a little nervously. 
"Very well, I'll go check," the Queen sighed, not happy to be taken away from the aroma-filled room. She felt her feet ache beneath her as she walked, and her stomach began growling. 
This better be nothing because I need a rest. I just want to sit down and eat. Then I want to relax with my dragonet.
"They are right over here," Thistle announced as they made their way to the Palace entrance. Two guards stood on either side of the door on the inside, while there were many more outside. Thistle called for the guards to open the big decorated metal doors to open for the Queen, and they complied without question. The doors were opened, letting in sunshine and a nice breeze.
Just as Thistle had said, there were five IceWings standing outside, all of them supposedly have been waiting to get inside. 
No, they can't be...
"Oh my gosh, is that HER!" one of the IceWings cried out, standing up on her feet and pointing a talon at Queen Slush. 
"Look! Can you believe it?" another IceWing gasped, then she began to stare at the Queen with uncertainty.
No, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening.
"Who are these dragons? Friends of yours?" Thistle leaned over to the Queen's side and whispered.
"Worse," the Queen moaned.
The biggest dragon in the group of five IceWings took a step forward, prompting the guards to react vigilantly. This dragon had dark eyes, had a blue line running across her neck, and one of her ears was ripped. "Well, well, well," she cooed, "look at our sister now. See that, sisters, she's gotten along perfectly fine without us or the tribe. Who would have thought?"
"Sisters?" Thistle blurted out, loud enough for the IceWings to hear.
"Why yes," the smallest IceWing confirmed for the MudWing, "Slush never told you about us? Oh, sister, I thought you'd tell your new friends of all of the things we did together."
Another IceWing stepped forward, ignoring the spears of the guards. This dragon was thin and sleek, her tongue more similar to that of a viper than a dragon's. "Well, sisters, let's introduce ourselves to this MudWing. I'm Holly."
"I'm Shiver," the largest dragon said.
"I'm Hearth," said the smallest dragon with a gentle voice.
"I'm Snowball," an IceWing wearing a stylish fur cap introduced herself, "and this is Fur. She can't talk because she lost her voice in the war, so I speak for her."
A dragon with a reddish neck waved at Thistle, eyeing her with more friendliness than the rest. 
How did they ever know I was here, and why on earth did they come all this way? Oh no, they can't ruin this, not today! I ran away to never see them again. Why world, why?
"So, Slush, what have you been up to since you left?" Holly said with a hiss in her voice, and Slush swore her eyes look as if they were a dragonviper's. 
"You will address the Queen as 'Your Majesty'," Thistle interrupted, which caused a moment of silence. 
"Queen?" Hearth squeaked.
"You're kidding, right? It's true?" Holly stammered. 
Thistle shook her head, and Slush was sure she was happy doing that. 
Is it bad that I trust Thistle, a MudWing, more than my own family....no, not if you're an IceWing.
"Well then, Your Majesty!" Hearth smiled, walking closer and closer towards the Queen, only to be stopped by two guards with pointy weapons. She grinned, but Slush knew that the guards made her falter and made her afraid. "We all came to visit you! We all heard about your great feats, and we just wanted to, uh, see for ourselves," the dragon said, smiling so hard that she had to close her eyes.
"Yes, sister, we heard you were having a feast today, but we never got an invitation. We were sure that it got lost or it just never made it to the Ice Kingdom, and we assumed you had every intention of bringing us here, so here we are. Your beloved sisters!" Hearth continued, and the other IceWings began to smile as well, some more meaningful than others. 
"So, um, this feast of yours..." Holly began, but then paused, staring at Slush for a moment.
You honestly don't think I'm letting you all in!
An awkward moment of silence followed, and Slush could see her sisters were getting uncomfortable with grinning the way they were grinning. They looked at each other, then at Hearth all at once. Hearth's eyes widened, almost so that her eyes could fall out of their sockets, then she turned to the Queen.
"We are here for the feast, so if you could let us in..." Hearth muttered and gritted her teeth.
Before Slush could answer for herself, Thistle quickly spoke into her ear.
"Slush, dear, I think you should let them in. You could show them who you are now. I don't know know what they did to you or who they were when you were young, but now you can let them know that you're someone else. You're a powerful queen with her own kingdom. I bet none of them can say that," Thistle advised, keeping an eye on all five IceWings, who were waiting for the Queen's response.
They better not make their home here. They better go back to the Ice Kingdom when this feast is over. I'll order them away when I get the chance.
"Sisters, dear sisters, please come in. Guards, please escort my sister to the guest rooms, and let them know when it's almost time for the feast. Show them then how to get to the great hall," the Queen said, but her heart really didn't want for that to have happened. 
The guards nodded and they led the five dragons inside, and soon after new guards came to take their place at the doors. 
"See you later, sister," Hearth bid farewell with energy.
"Later, Slush," Shiver grunted with a grin.
"Till we meet again," Snowball replied with a snotty tone.
"Looking forward to see you again, Your Majesty," Holly giggled darkly. 
Fur simply beamed at the Queen, bowing respectfully as she passed her and went inside.
Why did this have to happen on my birthday. Now I have to deal with them again. What else could go wrong today? They better not interfere with the SandWing delegation. 
=== Chapter 14: Feasting ===
Slush
Trumpets blared throughout the kingdom in order to announce the beginning of the grand feast that was taking place in the Palace. 
Throughout the entire day there were many other smaller forms of celebration, including games for the Kingdom's dragonets and free food for all those not attending the feast. Slush had been busy getting ready to address all of the guests that were supposed to attend, but her mind ached whenever she thought of her sisters and the SandWings.
I hope those vixens don't embarrass me or ruin my evening. 
Slush was in her room when the trumpet called everyone to the banquet hall. Like before she wore her jewelry, crown, and her silk dress, but in her hands she held something she valued more than any treasure.
"Almost ready to hatch, little one?" she played with her egg, holding it up to her eyes for her to see. 
It's almost ready to hatch, the scavenger was right when they told me she would hatch today. 
The Queen cradled her egg, rocking it back and forth gently as if putting it to sleep for the night. Her eyes began to water with tears as deep motherly feelings overtook any other ones she was feeling. She did not care for the feast, for herself, or for anyone else at that moment. All she cared was for her dragonet.
As she held her egg, Thistle came over to the Queen's room and entered without knocking. Slush knew why her friend was there for she heard the trumpets, but she wanted a little more time alone with her egg. Whether it was intentional or not, Thistle did not interrupt the Queen for another few minutes. However, as Slush heard footsteps coming from the corridors, she knew it was time.
"Your Majesty, the feast is about to begin," Thistle said plainly.
"Let us go, little one," the Queen told her egg, then she followed Thistle out the door and into the hallway.
Soon after, the two dragons and the egg made their way down to the banquet hall, where there was a plethora of noise and a wave of movement. The two guards standing at the door, wearing shiny armor and wielding white spears, bowed to the Queen and let them enter.
When they opened the door to banquet hall, Queen Slush's eyes were wide with joy.
There are so many dragons! And they are here...all to see and celebrate me. And, little one, they are here for you, too. 
The Queen, egg in her arms, entered the banquet hall accompanied by Thistle and an energetic round of applause. Dragons of all tribes cheered on for their Queen, and they all already fell in love with the egg when they saw it the moment it arrived. Even though they knew that Queen Slush was in the room, another trumpet blared to officially announce that she had arrived for the feast. Every dragon bowed their head at her sight, and Slush could not help but smile with bright white teeth.
It was not long after that the dragons returned to their usual conversations and looking around at the decor. 
"We should get you to your throne, Your Majesty, and the little one to hers," Thistle suggested.
"Of course, then we can begin," Slush responded.
As Queen Slush and Thistle walked to the side of the great hall where the seats for the most important guests and the Queen were located, Thistle tried to tell her monarch something. 
"Excuse me, Slush, there's something I want to talk to you about....it's Porpoise. I don't believe she..." 
What...in...Pyrrhia...is...he...doing here....
The Queen froze in her tracks, as if a thunderbolt had struck her and paralyzed her entire body. It might as well have been lightning, because her breathing and heartbeat were rapid, she felt colder than an IceWing should ever feel, and her eyes widened as large as the moons were big.
"What's wrong-" Thistle inquired with concern, stopping as well and noticing that Slush was not at her side anymore. She backtracked over to her friend, wondering what was the matter. 
It did not take long for Thistle to see the look in Slush's eye, and to determine where she was looking at. Both dragons were now staring at the seats reserved for the Queen, her important staff members, and her honored guests, but there was one guest in particular that was more surprising to see than all five of Slush's sisters.
The scavenger emperor, the Rex, what in all that is cold is he doing here? He isn't supposed to be here. That Dux said only he himself would attend with the scavengers. 
Against the wall there was a tall but thin pyramid made of marble stone that was not there the last time Slush had checked.
"One moment it wasn't there, and the next thing he appeared. It took him a second to make that by himself," the Captain of the Guard, Amaranth, suddenly popped up beside the Queen, fidgeting nervously as if he were bracing for a full-scale invasion. 
Slush's eyes were fixed on the human animus that was sitting on top of the pyramid, in a seat that was in a position that received the least amount of light. Just like in the Rex's very own palace, it was too dark and too far away to clearly see the scavenger, but Slush could feel the eyes behind the mask stare at her. An animus was one thing, six sisters was another thing, but this Rex-Animus of Glorious Pyrrhia made Slush regret every single sin she had ever committed. 
There is no way that I can claim to be the queen of the scavengers now. He knew, he must have known, otherwise he wouldn't have been here. He never leaves his palace, but has the urge to check up on me whenever I try to be a real queen. No matter, I'm in charge here and this is my party. No one will ruin it, not even him.
For a second there, Slush had expected to be magically strangled or crushed to death by the Rex, but she knew that he didn't work that way. She didn't know how he worked at all. 
Feeling there was no point in glaring at the lifeless mask of the Rex for the entire night, Slush reverted her eyes from him and walked over to her throne, still clutching her egg. When she looked for the throne that was supposed to have been built for her by her animus, Rune, she couldn't find any. The Queen grew angry.
Blast that Rune! Where is my dragonet's throne? It's supposed to be here. I will have a talk with him when this is over, and I will make sure he never insults me or my baby ever again. Sandstorm will pay for this as well, for failing me. No one fails me, no one.
In an attempt to make things seem as if nothing was wrong, the Queen handed the egg over to Thistle for safekeeping during the feast. 
"Mommy will be back for your hatching, little one. I promise," she said to the egg as she handed it over to her chamberlain and her best friend. There were only two dragons in the palace that she could trust with her egg, and that was Thistle and the hatchery overseer. Timber, however, was sitting among the common guests and not where the spotlight was shining. 
The feast began when the first waiters and waitresses opened the doors of the kitchen and brought in platters of food and drink to the guests. There were three seating sections to the banquet hall that night, and food for each part was different. The first section was the honored reserved seats where the Queen, her staff, and her assistants were supposed to sit, and now where the Rex sat as well. The Queen saw, however, that there were spots empty. Rune and Sandstorm were not there, and Avocado had not been seen either. The Queen quickly filled those spots with other dragons at the last minute, and she had no time to worry about the dragons who did not show up. Only Pine had arrived, and he sat alone in his seat, constantly looking around for someone.
Pine better save my skin and throw off those accusations. I can see the dragons here watching me as if I were a murderer instead of their queen. Thank the moons the SandWings don't know about that incident. 
The dishes of the feast consisted of a variety of food, many of which the SandWing delegates and the Queen's sisters had never seen before. Holly, Shiver, Hearth, Fur, and Snowball all sat together along with other IceWings, gawking at the other tribes and at the food. They had not noticed the scavengers yet.
There was another section of seating besides the common dragons and the palace staff and the Queen. Near the far back, between the kitchen door and the door to the gardens (which meant it was right by the fountain and statue of the queen) sat the scavenger representatives of Glorious Pyrrhia. Their seats were minuscule and their food even more smaller than the dragons'. Many of the dragons in attendance hadn't seen them, but once the eating was over and the music began, everyone would know that they were there. 
"It's good food, Your Majesty," Thistle complimented the dish in front of her, but also trying to calm the Queen's nerves. In between bites the MudWing sang little rhymes to the egg as it sat in between her arms and against her stomach. 
Indeed, it is.
Even though the steak and the smoked fish tasted great, further bringing tasty happiness when served with the fruit salad and bread bowl, the Queen for once in her reign could not find the joy to enjoy her meal well. She was too preoccupied with worrying about her sisters, her egg, the murder, the SandWings, and the Rex.
I never knew being a Queen would ever be this difficult and stressful...
When the main course was eaten, a special surprise was rolled in from the kitchen. A giant cake, larger than Slush had ever seen before was brought in, making her mouth drool and her worries wash away. The entire assembly sang a birthday song to celebrate the Queen's special day, making Slush feel really good about herself.
They're all here for me. What a great night this is. I want that cake, maybe a slice, or two.
Everyone in the room, including the scavengers, received a piece of cake to eat. The Queen had received the first one and when she dug into it it tasted as if it had come down from the heavens. It was a vanilla cake with chocolate and vanilla frosting, layers of pudding, fruit, marzipan, and even chocolate truffles. The Queen ate until she could eat no more, which was about three and a half slices. 
After the meals were eaten, the guests all praised the chefs and the Queen for the delicious feast. Soon the time for music and relaxed socializing began, with dragons and the scavengers talking to each other and spreading out throughout the room. This was also the time when every dragon realized that they had been sharing the room with scavengers. It was a little surprising for the dragons who lived in the Queen's kingdom, but it was total shock for the sisters and the SandWings. However, their interests soon moved elsewhere.
The Queen was in a tired mood when the lights were dimmed and the soft music played. From her throne she watched dragons and scavengers dance and sing among themselves, and she saw the SandWing delegates talk to each other. Her sisters were looking around, particularly at the giant statue of the sister they never thought would amount to anything.
As Slush was about to close her eyes for a second, Gravel of the SandWings caught her attention.
"Your Majesty, perhaps we could have a little stroll in the garden I heard so much about. We could talk about...negotiating."
Queen Slush rose slowly from her seat and made her way down to the floor from her elevated platform, leaving only Thistle and the egg to be in the honored section. Thistle was cradling the egg just as Slush had done earlier, which made the Queen know she had made the right decision.
"Of course, let us stroll under the moonlight..." she told Gravel, and she and the four desert dragons began to walk towards the garden. 
Out of the corner of her eye, Slush noticed someone enter the banquet hall. She couldn't stop to check for who it was, but she was certain she caught his identity.
Rune...he finally arrived. I'll have to talk to him later. These delegates are more important at the moment.
=== Chapter 15: Night of Change ===
Pine
Where is Avocado? Where in the blazes is she? This is bad, very bad. Something must have happened to her...
Pine simply could not be calm at all as he sat in his seat during the entire feast. That day he hoped that everything would be okay, that nothing could get worse, but as the night went on he had serious doubts about him trying to paint a picture better than it really was.
He literally had to force his food down because there was no way he could willingly eat in a time such as this. Everything he feared had happened, and all he could do was sit and try to act as if the world was perfect. Rune was missing. Avocado was missing. Sandstorm was missing. There was no way that their absences could have been one big coincidence. It was all connected, but all Pine could hope for was that none of those dragons ended up dead like Reliance. 
I'd be perfectly fine if I just see Avocado again. Maybe Rune just didn't want to come, or Avocado just...no, there's no point in filling my head with unrealistic excuses. 
Pine felt the breath from his lungs become painful and there was difficulty in his breathing. He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, but the banquet hall was not the place. However, he was reaching the point of not caring. He cursed himself for waiting too long to tell anybody, and it seemed to him it would have been less dangerous to say something than not. He had been worried that no one would believe him, or that Rune would find out and become mad. Now he realized that he could have ended up dead with whatever path he took, except maybe for fleeing the kingdom altogether.
When he looked at the Queen, however, he knew he could not leave. Ever since he could remember he had a feeling that there was one dragon he needed to find, someone special. He couldn't explain and it wasn't normal, but he had a feeling it might just be Slush who was the dragon he needed to be with. But something else told him he needed to search further.
Trying to bring peace to his mind, Pine watched as dragons and scavengers danced on the floor, spinning and laughing and some even tripping on their own feet. He paid most attention to the scavengers, however, and in his mind he felt he knew what dance moves they were going to pull off. He doubted the special person was a scavenger, but nonetheless they interested him. 
Maybe I should go and check up on Avocado...maybe she's in her room. Yeah, that sounds like a sound idea.
Pine wished he had slipped away from the party earlier when the eating was over, but he didn't have the courage in him to do so then. He watched as the Queen left her throne and walked with a group of SandWings towards the garden. It was dark outside, but bright lanterns made all of the beautiful plants visible during the night. SkyWings, RainWings, and SeaWings in particular were moving in and out of the garden and the banquet hall, but they moved aside when Her Majesty passed through.
Pine saw them walk out the door and into the lush garden, seeing the ends of their tails sway back and forth. The the SkyWing looked around, seeing if the coast was clear for him to leave, though he was sure no one would care. A MudWing then made his way out of the great hall and into the corridors where guards stood, which solidified Pine's decision to go. If another dragon could go through the doors he wanted to go through, then he could as well.
He stood up to leave, excusing himself as he brushed past Thistle and the Queen's egg that was still in her talons. The MudWing chamberlain was looking at it intently, as if trying to see whether it had changed in the last few minutes. She didn't move when Pine excused himself, but he didn't mind squeezing behind her chair to get by. However, he did feel disturbed when his eyes found the back wall.
One thing led to another and he soon was looking at the top of the pyramid that had somehow appeared out of nowhere. On top he saw a scavenger, but it was hard to make it out because it sat in a seat that was far from any torch or lantern. Oddly, Pine felt as if he knew this scavenger, and not just as the emperor or king of the scavengers. It was as if this wasn't the first time they had met, but there was no memory of Pine ever seeing the Rex before. He gazed at the Rex for a moment, then he went on his way.
Pine had every intention of leaving the great hall until he saw a new dragon enter. Of all the dragons in the world, he couldn't believe he felt both so relieved and so terrified at the same time. 
It's him.
The SandWing Kholler slowly made his way into the banquet hall, the guards saluting him as he passed them. No one else seemed to have noticed him because the music still played, dragons and scavengers still danced, and no one stopped what they were doing. The lights may have also been too dim for anyone to make out who Rune was, but Pine knew by feeling it was him.
There was no way that Pine was going to leave the room from that exit, and there was no way he was going to be in the same room as Rune. He quickly went the other way, quickly excusing himself to Thistle and heading to where the Queen and the SandWings had gone. He had nearly reached the garden when the worst possible dragon he knew called his name.
"Evening, Pine." Pine never thought he would ever be so frightened to hear Rune say his name, but then again he never thought the security blanket he thought everyone had would be taken away so forcefully. 
Calm down, act natural. Don't let him know that I know.
Pine took a long second of preparation before he turned to greet Rune. He made sure his face was empty of the emotions he was feeling, and instead he made it seem that he was happy to see the Kholler. 
"Oh, hello there, Rune. How are you doing?" Pine asked with a forced grin.
"I feel free, I feel that everything has become so much better. And I'm happy that you are here," Rune answered back, but Pine saw that the SandWing eye's were looking around. They looked sinister, and Pine felt as if he were covered in cold sweat.
"Excuse me, Pine, but I have something I have to take care of," Rune explained, brushing past Pine. "Is the Queen in the garden?"
"She-"
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Rune suddenly shouted, his eyes brightening. Pine did not like how happy the Kholler was happy to see the Queen. 
Pine looked into the garden to see that the Queen and the SandWings had been walking about, conversing as relaxed dragons would on a night like tonight. Rune had interrupted the Queen when she was talking, and he could tell that Queen Slush was less than thrilled to see her magical worker. The Queen looked embarrassed and tried to save face by smiling at her guests and excusing herself. She then left the SandWings in the garden and went inside. The moment the SandWings couldn't see her face the Queen's expression turned from a smile to a vicious set of bare teeth. 
When out of earshot of most dragons, the Queen growled at Rune, who had retreated to the center of the banquet hall in front of the honored seats. 
"What do you want, animus? Can't you see that I'm busy? And where's my dragonet's throne? And my statue?" the Queen's voice grumbled deeply. "We will talk about this later."
"No, I want to talk now," Rune said, clearly not making an effort to whisper. Some dragons turned to see what was going on, and Pine watched as the SandWings from the garden peek in through the door. 
The Queen peered around, seeing that there were eyes on her. She tried to make things discrete and tried to get the talk over with quickly. 
"What did you say? I said we will talk about this later. And where is Sandstorm? Where's your guardian? He's supposed to be here! And where's my animus? Don't think I haven't noticed them gone. You're her teacher," she hissed at Rune, her eyes turning to slits.
"I know. I want to talk about you," Rune said, smiling and looking at the Queen with eyes Pine had never seen before. 
"Me? Get out of here! This isn't the time!" the Queen objected, her eyes becoming menacing and her breath frosty. She flexed the muscles that she had, but Pine could see that her recent lifestyle had made her look less like a warrior and more of a pampered noble. 
"Now," Rune insisted. 
The Queen tried to take a step back, but suddenly she realized that she could not move her body. Her eyes went wide as she felt that her body was stiff, that she couldn't even move her neck. Pine watched in horror as Rune's grin grew wider, and many dragons appeared to have noticed that something wrong was happening.
"What have you done to me!?" the Queen bellowed for the entire banquet hall to hear. Suddenly everyone in the room, dragons and scavengers alike, turned their heads to watch the scene unfold. 
The Queen panted and wheezed as she continued to try to break free from whatever froze her in place. "Let me go!"
"I don't want to do that," Rune replied simply, to everybody's shock.
Dragons gasped and screamed as they saw their helpless Queen fail to order her Kholler to let go of her. They never thought that the dangers that came with an animus would also carry over to whatever they thought a Kholler was. They thought that a Kholler wouldn't ever go insane, that they would be obedient to the end. The only reason they had allowed Rune to live among them was that they had always believed he would never turn evil. 
"But...but I'm the Queen!" Slush shrieked. 
Even if Pine had wanted to do something, he knew that it would be in vain. 
This is just like the tale of Albatross! This is how the SeaWing queen went, killed by her own animus. I don't want the Queen to die, not her. What if he killed Avocado...by the Maker I can't believe this is happening. Why didn't I do more to stop this!?
In the distance, Pine could hear pounding on the door to the rest of the Palace as guards tried to barge their way in to their Queen, but no doubt Rune had magically sealed it shut. 
Every dragon in the room wore a face of fear. The SandWings in the garden were too scared to flee. Thistle cried as she held the Queen's egg tightly in her arms in an attempt to hide it from Rune. The Queen's sisters had no idea what was going on, but they hatched in horror as Slush struggled in front of their eyes. And the scavengers had no idea what was going on, but they still ran away and hid behind whatever they could find. 
"I know," Rune replied as he was told something he already knew and understood what it meant. Pine hadn't seen it before because of the dim lights, but Rune had brought with him a black bag that was long and narrow. Out of the bag a spear magically emerged, Rune not needing his talons to guide it. It was still stained with blood, but whose it belonged to Pine could only guess. His stomach felt as if it was going to stop functioning.
"I'M THE QUEEN!" Queen Slush screamed into the air as the spear drew nearer to her throat. 
Everyone in the room bolted around, trying to find a way out of the madness they were witnessing. The door to the garden became clogged with bodies, and those who knew they wouldn't make it went to the kitchen or hid under any table they could find. 
He's going to kill her, then he's going to kill every one of us! This isn't real, this isn't real! By the Maker why is this happening! Rune! Please STOP! Don't do this, any of this! 
The spear nearly touched white scales and flesh, close enough to paint the Queen's neck with red blood. It had long dried, but Rune had found it easy to get it dripping again. 
"Khollers are good, Khollers are good," he chanted as he was getting ready to thrust the tip through the Queen's neck. "Khollers are..."
Pine didn't know what was scarier, seeing the Queen frozen and nearly stabbed in the throat, or witnessing Rune hold back from his attack and see his smile fade away. 
Why isn't Rune moving?
It took a moment for Pine to realize that it wasn't that Rune wasn't moving, it was that he couldn't. 
"What..." Rune muttered under his breath. His eyes were full of confusion as he tried to stab the queen but couldn't. He grunted as he tried to move the other parts of his body, but he was frozen in place just like the Queen was. The spear in his hand suddenly dropped to the floor, but Pine swore that it was not Rune himself who uncurled his talons. 
The Queen isn't an animus...who has the power to do this? Who can stop an animus dead in their tracks!?
The Queen eyed Rune nervously, her eyes watery and she was holding her talons together. She was breathing heavily, and she gulped as Rune tried to figure out what had just happened.
The Queen...she's free! But, but how did that spell break?
"NO, YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" 
Pine nearly collapsed when Rune shrieked and looked as if he had gone mad. Saliva in his mouth dropped in large drops to the ground, foam formed, and his eyes were wild. Apparently his head and neck were not fully paralyzed, because he tried to turn them in the direction of the honored seats. 
"NO, you can't do this to me! This is my power, mine!"
Queen Slush tumbled back from all of Rune's shouting right in front of her face, and when she realized that she had moved she ran towards Thistle and her egg.
"No, IT'S NOT TRUE! IT'S MINE, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MINE! You can't take it away from me!" Rune wailed, shouting at someone or something that no one could figure out who or what it was. The entire thing looked as if Rune had truly gone insane, as if he were hearing a voice that no one else could hear. It looked as if he were shouting at nothing, just at the air around him. 
"It's always been me! This is how I have always been! You're lying, that's a lie! I'm nobody's!" Rune continued to holler.
Pine was the only one who was observant enough to try to find the one whom Rune was talking to. His face was distorted, hurt and aggravated. But it was turning to the right of him, towards the place where Thistle was sitting. That was where the Queen had gone to, taking the egg from Thistle and running with it as far away as she could take it. She bawled and held her egg tight, running through the door that had once been shut by Rune. The guards there were frozen, but by shock rather than magic. 
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
He isn't looking at Thistle...there's only one person left...
Pine's eyes rose and landed on the scavenger that was sitting on top of his pyramid. He had not moved the entire night, not even to eat or to talk. He had just been there, watching, observing. The mask of the Rex looked into the room unemotionally, blankly, without feeling of joy or remorse. But there was no doubt in Pine's mind that the tales of the Rex having great magical powers were true.
That human...that animus...he saved the Queen, he's saving us...
"NO, NO, NO!"
The Queen...
Pine brought himself back to reality and quickly looked around the room. Everyone was staring at Rune, who was no longer frozen in place but thrashing about. He tried to bite, to gnarl, to claw, and to rip anything to shreds, and he was also crying. He was still held from getting at anyone, and his magic seemed to have been useless. Unless the powers he had were no longer his. 
"Give them back...they're mine..." were the last words Rune uttered before Pine saw the Kholler float away towards the garden. The door was no longer clogged as dragons had gotten through. Then Rune disappeared into the night, away from the terrified dragons and scavengers.
Pine then quickly left the banquet hall and rushed up the stairs to the floor that he was so used to. He saw familiar landmarks, but there was only one place he was interested at the moment. When he was on the ornate rug he saw there was the hallway and many doors that ran at its sides. He found the one he wanted and opened it, entering a room that reminded him of the Ice Kingdom.
The first sound Pine's ears picked up was soft whimpering. The first thing Pine's eyes saw was a large white body curled up on a massive bed, her back to him as he entered. Worrying about her, Pine rushed over to the other side of the bed, climbing onto it without taking a second to think whether he should have or not. 
He didn't think of Slush as the Queen when she was laying in her bed, hugging her egg. He thought of her as a mother, as a living dragon who breathed, cried, thought, and ate like anyone else. 
"Slush?" Pine called her name softly. Her eyes opened and she sniffled when she saw the SkyWing looking over her. Tear drops had already soaked the pillow her head rested on, and the egg which she loved so dearly was finally safe in her claws. 
"Get in," the Queen told Pine, her voice cracking and her words coming out in a way that sounded as if she were choking. 
Pine did not hesitate to climb up onto the bed and lay next to the Queen and her egg. The moment he was settled, Slush hugged Pine so tightly that he almost couldn't breath. She sobbed into his shoulder and whispered in his ear many mumbles. 
"Pine...my lovely Pine...don't let go of me...don't let go..." the Queen said as she stroked Pine's head and rested her body on his. Pine nearly jumped as her cold scales touched his own red ones, but she was large enough for him to not be able to react as much as he could. He felt her strong arms hold both him and her egg, and her large rising and lowering stomach that pressed against his when they both exhaled at the same moment. Their tails were intertwined, and he wondered if this was the moment and the dragon he had been waiting for.
The two held each other close until they fell asleep together. It would have been awing for any dragon to see how innocent the two dragons were when they slept, but that night they were alone.
When the morning came and Pine felt the sun shine through the window, he also felt movement that was neither his nor the Queen's. It was something small, something like tiny claws pressing against him. He then felt something like a little tail, and then his eyes shot open.
In the space between where he and Slush had slept, where the egg once sat, was an IceWing dragonet who curiously looked at him with eyes that were the color of the sky. 
=== Chapter 16: Farewells ===
Slush
"Awwww...wook at the wittle pwincess," cooed an overly fond Hearth, holding out a talon for the little dragonet grab on to. 
It had been a morning full of happiness, excitement, and also sadness. The most extreme night in the entire kingdom had finally come to pass, but now Queen Slush had to wake to a realm that had been shaken to the core. But the birth of a new daughter helped to bring hope and joy to the troubled dragons of the Draconic Kingdom, and the Queen herself. 
"What did you name her?" asked a curious Snowball, putting her fur hat on the little dragonet's head and giggled when she saw it was a few times too big. The little dragonet squealed in her mother's arms, looking at the big wide world with curious eyes.
"Taiga," Queen Slush told her sisters, "Princess Taiga." She eyed her sisters to see what their reactions would be, and they were just as she had expected. Hearth looked as if the cuteness would overwhelm her, Shiver still looked cold as stone, Holly's smile didn't seem natural, Snowball looked more intently at her hat than at the dragonet, and Fur never looked happier to be in the same room as Slush. 
Hmph. They've seemed to have changed for the better, but I'll need to see how long that will last. I still can't believe I allowed them all to stay here in my kingdom. Taiga somehow persuaded me.
The Queen held her daughter gently in her arms, letting her sit on the throne beside her. When she had woken up that morning the first thing she saw was the bundle of joy, and then the SkyWing who was with her the entire night. At first, Slush never thought she would ever have close feeling with her assistant and investigator, but after last night she was upset to hear that he was leaving.
"Your Majesty," Thistle said as she entered the throne room, followed by two dragons the Queen was happy to see again. One of them was Pine, and the other dragon was the RainWing animus, Avocado. 
I'm happy that they are both safe, I hope dear Avocado gets better soon.
The report on what had happened to Avocado last night had been rather disturbing. Avocado was found in her room, waiting behind the door with an injury to her head. Avocado had been able to recall why she had been unable to go to the feast. The RainWing started off by saying that as she was getting ready to help Rune with his work the evening before the Hatching Day, the SandWing Kholler visited her instead. 
They spoke for a little while, mainly about Rune being happy and finally free to do as he pleased. Then the conversation turned dark as Rune practically declared his jealousy of Avocado's attractiveness and power. He then took the blunt end of his spear and repeatedly whacked Avocado in the head, leaving when the trumpets began to blare to signal the start of the feast. 
She had tried to escape, but Rune had magically sealed the door and she was stuck in the room. Rune also took away Avocado's ability to talk, but at some point in the middle of the night it came back to her. She had been too exhausted to leave her room to tell somebody, so she fell asleep by the door where she was later found.
"Your Majesty," Pine bowed neatly.
"Your Majesty," Avocado did the same, but her movements were slower and clunky. 
"Pine and Avocado," Queen Slush said with a royal smile, "I am happy to see you both again. I am sorry to see you go, but remember that you can return at any time." 
I hope they do come back. I didn't have enough time to have fun with my RainWing. Oh well, at least Pine was nice to have around.
Pine looked a tad embarrassed, but he managed to sound serious when he spoke. "I'm sorry that we cannot stay for now, Your Majesty, but we feel that it is time for us to go somewhere else. We will miss you and your kingdom, but rest assure we will see each other again." 
Did he just wink at me? This dragon is adorable!
Queen Slush knew that she had the power to make them stay, but that day he was not in the mood to make any dragon unhappy. Her daughter made her day better than she would have expected, and she was feeling both generous and merciful that day. 
"I hear that Porpoise is going with you, is that right?" the Queen asked, the name still tasting sour in her mouth like milk that had gone bad for a few days. 
"Uh-huh," Avocado nodded her head. "She wanted to thank you for letting her out of prison. She says she is sorry for accusing you of murder."
As if she would. I don't want to see her in my throne room, and yet I wanted her to bow down to me and apologize as I sit here.
"At least she's smart enough to not show her face to me after what she did. That's the least she can do," the Queen grumbled.
"Well, then, I guess it's goodbye for now, Your Majesty," Avocado sighed, not knowing what else to say.
"I suppose it is..." Pine agreed.
"Wait. Pine, I want to have a word with you in private," the Queen beckoned as the SkyWing and the RainWing turned to leave.
Pine looked at the faces of the dragons around him, and then he stepped forward.
I need to give him a proper goodbye, not some rushed loony one.
The Queen got off from her throne, handing her dragonet over to Thistle. Pine and the Queen then walked out of the throne room together and into the hallway. They strolled for a little while, admiring the rug, the walls, and the windows before they even spoke a word.
"Pine, I want to thank you for all that you've done for me," the Queen smiled warmly.
"I didn't do anything, Your Majesty. I wasn't able to stop Rune from killing Reliance and you. I was useless," Pine said sadly.
"It was...unfortunate..." the Queen admitted, recalling the horrifying moments when she thought she would die. But when her eyes looked into the empty ones of the SandWing, her thoughts had been full of her egg and the dragonet she worried she'd never see hatch. "But that night, when I was alone with my egg, only you came to find me and be with me. I won't ever forget about that."
Queen Slush thought that Pine had blushed, but it was difficult to tell from the red of blushing and the red of his scales. "It just...happened..." he confessed, but Slush did not care if it was by chance.
The Queen hugged Pine with her arms, fully knowing that Pine was caught off guard and was struggling to move and wiggle out. Then, very quickly and slyly, she stole a kiss on his snout. 
"I'm going to miss having you around, even if it was for a few days. This is sappy, but I've grown fond of you."
She then let go of Pine, who almost crumpled to the floor and gasped for air. He was right-side up in a second, dazed and wondering what just happened. Queen Slush laughed and the two returned to the throne room. But before they entered, Pine said something to her.
"Your Majesty, Slush, I want to tell you something," he began.
"What is it?" she asked, growing tense at what he had to say.
Pine gently took the Queen's talons into his.
"Slush, you have to change as a ruler. You need to be a better Queen to your subjects and to yourself. Please, Slush, don't let the power control you, change who you are. Don't turn into the countless dragons from the past who met their demise by being thirsty for more, or were changed so much that their reigns were full of terrible things. I want to come back, but I want to see you leading this kingdom like a good Queen, like a mother." Pine had said a lot, and Slush had to take a moment to think about all of it. When every word sunk into her brain, a tear ran down her cheek.
"I..." she faltered in her words.
"Slush, your subjects are your children. You can make this kingdom flourish, but don't forget who you are, don't forget the dragons who care about you, and don't forget where you came from." 
With that Pine hugged the Queen again, this time Slush being unable to move and fought to breathe. He let go of her after a few seconds, with the Queen this time nearly falling to the floor. They locked eyes for a moment, smiled, and went back into the throne room. 
On her throne, after taking her daughter back from Thistle, the Queen thought about all that Pine had told her.
He's an adorable dragon.
Pine and Avocado bowed once again and left the throne room for the large world ahead of them.
He's smart as well.
=== Epilogue ===
Slush
A meeting? Why in Pyrrhia do the scavengers want to talk to me? Don't they know I have a dragonet and I was nearly killed last night? Ugh, I hate this.
Queen Slush, Thistle, and a number of guards were flying down towards the human metropolis, which Slush thought was lazily named.
'The Capitol.' Bleh. 
After Pine and Avocado had left, the Queen had spent her time with her newborn princess while the Palace staff was left to take care of the kingdom for a little while. They had formulated a plan that for the next few weeks the dragonet would be raised in the nursery, but she would soon be with her mother every day. It was never too early to start preparing the princess for becoming the queen one day.
It is such a relief to know that she won't challenge me for the throne. That ritual is terrible. A daughter should love her mother all the time, not plot against her when she starts to think for herself. I don't want my Taiga to look forward to my death. And I don't want to kill her, ever!
The wind was strong that day, and large thunderstorm clouds were rolling in from the horizon. Slush cursed the scavengers again for having picked that day for their meeting. Soon the Queen was near Victory Plaza, the major landmark in the scavenger city. This had been the location of the inauguration of the scavenger chancellor. 
At first Slush thought that a chancellor was like a chamberlain like Thistle, but in fact they were not alike. 
Queen Slush's eyes peered down at the Plaza, making out something strange. Along with the scavengers she had expected to be there, there was also a MudWing, brown and formidable, standing by a tiny orange light.
Who is she?
The Queen, Thistle, and the guards all landed on the Plaza, a little distance away from the other dragon who had already been there. Both she and the orange Dux noticed them arrive and watched as the Queen stared at them suspiciously. 
"What is this all about?" Queen Slush asked, not looking happy at all. "Who are you?" she turned to the MudWing.
The MudWing replied in a hardy, commander-like tone. "I am Everglade, Queen of the MudWings."
Pardon me?
Queen Slush was confused. "I, I thought that the MudWings were ruled by Queen Moorhen."
"They are," a new voice jumped in, one that was ghostly and strange to hear. The Queen looked down at the Dux, who again was wearing his black orange-striped glowing outfit and the mask with glowing orange eyes. "This is anti-Queen Everglade, at least for now."
"What do you mean?" the Queen asked, flustered. Thistle and the guards seemed to be anxious as well, for their expressions were ones of uncertainty.
The Dux continued. "The dragon tribes will be ruled by their own queens, new ones that are friendly to Pyrrhia Most Glorious. The current queens will be replaced by new ones, for they are incompetent and a threat to the stability of the continent."
But...but I thought I was going to be queen of all of the tribes! What happened to the Draconic Kingdom? What of the unification of the continent? What about my...power...
Queen Slush gritted her teeth, remembering what Pine had told her earlier that day. 
No, it's not about my power. It's about the good of all the dragons. Pine...I miss you so much already.
"Henceforth, the great Rex-Animus of Glorious Pyrrhia bestows upon you the honor to be the Queen of the IceWings, replacing Queen Glacier as the legitimate ruler. When the conditions are favorable in the Ice Kingdom, you shall take your throne in the royal IceWing palace," the Dux further went on. 
He can't do that! That scavenger can't tell me what to do! I am the Queen, and I won't follow orders from anyone like him. Who does he think he is, ruler of the world?
"How can he do this?! He said that I was going to rule every tribe, bringing them all together!" she blurted out.
"Times have changed," the Dux replied bluntly.
"I'm independent, he can't just tell me who I am and who I'm not. I'm the Queen of Pyrrhia! We are equal!" she said, enraged at the Dux, the MudWing standing a few feet away from her, and the Rex especially. 
The Dux was not finished speaking, and what he said next ended the entire conversation. 
"In my opinion you should be owing your life to the glorious Rex, but all you owe him is your crown. Never forget what he has done for you, back then and yesterday night."
To be Continued! Thank you for reading! Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Fanfictions (Semi-Canon)
Category:Content (Armored Scavenger)