Outbreak Series: The Plague

That's right, RimeTheIcewing has a series now!
In Outbreak, a deadly war between the Icewing Kingdom and the Skywing Kingdom sends Pyrrhia into a full-scale bio-war as a virus originally planned to wipe out the Icewings spreads to the Sandwing Kingdom. This tale follows two dragons, Marabou and Tinder, as they try and escape what seems to be an invisible, ever-hungry monster.
Along the way, they meet up with other dragons and seek to find a cure. However, as the war progresses, things get worse and worse, and none of the tribes are willing to send in more troops to die in the diseased slums that have become of the cities.
==Profiles==
Our Group:
Marabou
Tribe: Sandwing
Gender: Female
Other: Sister to Tinder. A field researcher.
Status: Healthy
Tinder
Tribe: Skywing
Gender: Female
Other: Adopted sister of Marabou. Molts constantly. (SO ANNOYING)
Status: Healthy
==Disease Count==
By: Marabou
Disease count: 3.5
Red dot: Point of major concern
Yellow dot: Point of concern
Green dot: Not a point of concern
As a proud scrollalist and a researcher, it is my duty to find out what makes these diseases tick and figure out ways to reverse these plagues the tribes have brought down on each other. I shall make it my duty to fix these, but first I must understand them. The only one I have researched thoroughly so far appears to be:
Fireneck, the first illness that appeared recently. It is a disease of clearly Skywing lab origins. Its symptoms include a swelled, bloody and slime-drenched mouth, a major decrease in memory and brain function and having trouble flying. The victims of this disease spread it by sharing bodily fluid, be it through a blood oath or a bite.
At first, this disease may appear to be like the fever, with high body temperature and dizziness. After a few more days, however, it dramatically changes. The brain loses it's higher functions slowly and memories are destroyed. Slime will begin to pour out of their mouths. At this stage, you can still talk to them, but don't expect them to take it nicely. The victims will become aggressive, selfish and immature as they lose the functions of thinking, leaving only instinct and needs. In a while, about 2 months after first contact, the victim will become fully infected, and lose most ability to fly beyond a simple glide and become dangerously aggressive, biting and thrashing at the simplest provocation. It is advised to kill them now in this state, a simple spear through the brain should do the trick.
This disease, while originating from a Skywing lab, is appeared to be derived from an eagle sharing similar conditions and made into tiny cans of disease. If you see an unlabeled can on the ground, don't open it. Please.... Something happened when somebody did it before and, I can't say what happened next. Just, don't open it.
The next, Neck Bubbles, is so similar to Fireneck, I'm not going to talk about it much. It's basically Fireneck, but a bit more rapid-acting and comes with an unpleasant to say least side effect of red, sore splotches all over a dragon's body. It appears to only effect dragonets, so it might actually be the same disease as Fireneck. I'm not sure. I'm only counting it as half a disease.
The next are very unknown to me, so excuse me if I make a mistake, Tinder. Rotwing is a disease that rots away at the membrane of a dragon's wing, rendering them unable to fly. It first appeared in the Icewing Kingdom, so I'm assuming it's another friendly gift from the Skywing Kingdom. It, unlike the other diseases, leaves the brain very intact until the dying breath. The infected dragon usually grows green fungus all over their body, and suffers for them, the fungus drawing blood from the dragon. A dragon infected with this disease is very pale and discolored. When they die (usually at the hands of the Firenecks) the fungus burst out of their corpse and spreads it's diseased tendrils. The only way to contact this disease is breathing in the fungal spores, and that's why I always keep a gas mask on talon.
The last one I know of, Boulderhide, first appeared within the Skywing population and the Icewing one at the same time, and is quite rare at the moment. I have only seen 2 victims of it so far, both Icewings. It causes the scales and bones to become thick and heavy, making flight a challenge but still quite fast. It also causes multiple rows of teeth to appear and creates rather fast growth. But that's where the positives stop. It almost seemed to be created as an aid for the soldiers or something gone wrong. Victims have the same brain damage as Fireneck victims and suffer extreme pain as they grow. They also have trouble breathing as their bones expand, pushing organs around. Around %50 of victims never make it, counting for the transformations I've seen around town. If I'm correct (which I think I am) the only way to contact it is through bites and salvia. (Sad news for shippers. No kisses in town now.)
That concludes my report.
== Chapter 1: Fireneck Can ==
Marabou laid in her bed, a simple wooden bed with cowhide blankets. Her family was rather well-off and she had an adorable little sister. Tinder was her name, a little Skywing with a very odd coat of scales, always shedding.
Marabou loves this time of year, the hot sun, and the swims in the oasis. You see, she lived near the Skywing Kingdom's border, in Cobratongue town, where there are bigger, lusher and colder oases around. Marabou couldn't wait to go in one.
Yawning, she rolled out of bed, and overheard her parents bickering. " This better not be about my den again." Marabou said, remembering how her parents always lectured her about needing to find a mate and get her own den. She couldn't stand it, as all the dens she had gone to were already occupied by a dragon whose parents owned it before him or her. Why couldn't it be the same for her?
Then Marabou sighed, remembering the cause of all the orphans. The Sandwing Wars. All she could remember from it herself was sitting sadly and snuggling Tinder as her parents took them to a wartime shelter, and fire blazing across the sky.
Marabou, slightly saddened, walked to the cave entrance to find her parents, two tall Sandwings looking at a scroll. " Mom, Dad, what is it?" She said, moving over and trying to get a look.
" It's just... The warring between the Icewings and Skywings, is increasing. I'm afraid we could have another big war on our hands and it's just been 4 years since Thorn became queen." Marabou's dad said. The dragon was a miner, but a part-time soldier during the war, with scars to show. He was clearly afraid at the prospect of another war to fight. He spoke every word about the war with a hint of fear in his voice. " B-but let's put that aside. Breakfast!" He said, pointing to a boar on the cave floor he had killed earlier.
Tinder ran in quickly, her claws kicking up dust and pebbles. " Breakfast!" She said, opening her orange wings. The Skywing let out a yelp of joy as she dug into the food. " Mmm, this is good. Was this from the Skywing side?" She said, motioning Marabou to come eat with her.
" Nope! You two are lucky today, I did a night flight to the Icewing Kingdom for the real fresh stuff. Not only that, but I found a can of something that smells real sweet. I wanted to wait to open it, but now you're both awake. Hmmm... usually there's gold or somet-" Said Marabou's dad, straining to open the can. Marabou's mother sat close by and gave Tinder a pat on the head.
All of a sudden, a vile liquid spilled out, and slid into Marabou's Dad's scales. He dropped on the spot. Marabou's mother ran over and held his frail body, his ivory scales dull and tinted with red. Tinder gasped as she remembered something.
Her original mother first, handing over her, Tinder to Marabou's parents who were unable to heal the sick dragon after all else failed. The bright orange and red Skywing with such a fragile and thin body gave one last look before a horrid blast of red flashed in her eyes, and died.
Her dad was standing in front of her after the war, in the healing den. He was bleeding, badly and had the worst cut on his underbelly. He had fainted on the battlefield and was taken to a healing den. Tinder stood by the doctor's bed all night, gripping his talons. " Dad... Come back." She had cried, with Marabou, unwilling to see what had happened again, hid in the corner of the den. The ground was red with blood and he was tied up in plant-wrap. Tinder didn't get a wink of sleep that night.
Now she saw that red again but as something vile and unstoppable, and she backed away. " I-is it venom!?" She said, before Marabou cut her off. " GET HIM TO THE HOSPITAL QUICK!!" The Sandwing said, not taking any chances.
== Chapter 2: First Infection ==
Tinder cried in the corner. The scene was too similar to the horrors of the aftermath of the war. " I-is he ok?" She whimpered, looking over her wing. The red-tinted Sandwing squirmed and let out a yawn. Yet, despite how relieving it was to hear him, Marabou's dad's mouth had this crimson slimy look. Unnerving, like blood seeping out of his mouth.
The doctor, a Sandwing with a red diamond pattern, leaned in. " He looks ok, and I think he's alert." The doctor said, backing off slightly as Marabou's dad shifted and got up, very slowly. Marabou smiled, and hugged him.
" Who are you!? Back off!" He yelled to Marabou, kicking her away. " Oh... I'm sorry. You're.... my sister, right?" Marabou's Dad's eyes looking slightly dazed, his scales having that pulsing red glow. Marabou stepped away, her face a mess of confusion and fear.
" No... I'm your daughter! Are you ok?" She said. The doctor scratched his chin and looked at his mouth again. " He's probably disoriented and sick... Give him a few days." Said the doctor, fluffing his white coat.
Tinder hid in the corner, and Marabou's mother picked her up. The orange Skywing covered her eyes with her wings over her head. Marabou and her dad stared at each other for a while, until a single whisper came out of the dad mouth: " Daughter?"
For the next few days, things were different. Marabou's dad had.. changed. Tinder hid whenever he came by, as he was nearly insane, screaming and flapping like a headless chicken, baring his red mouth. He stopped calling them his children, and forgot about mother. Nobody could cure him, not even the doctor, who was puzzled. And then he slowly became more violent. Claws and tail lashes marked their faces anytime they entered his den. He became more and more like a blood-thirsty monster, craving flesh. Until, one day, a month later. he bit their mother. Screams of fights echoed through the cave, as Marabou slept.
" W-what is that noise!? DAD!?" She yelled, before catching a glimpse of blood coming from her mother's cave room. Marabou's claws kicked up a few pebbles as she rushed to the cave room, catching the scene. Her mother clawed at her dad's eye as he continued to bite her arm. Her mother slowly dropped to her knees and Marabou caught a glimpse of her dad's face.
Two green eyes piercing through her skull and a smile like a dragon looking at a plump cow. His face was drenched in blood, crouched over the limp Sandwing. " Food." He said, opening his maw, letting slime gush out, that vile liquid seeping through the ground.
Marabou didn't take a look back, running away quickly, and the... thing that had become of her dad ran at her. The dragon ran into Tinder's cave. " Tinder. You were right. He's... *huff*.. Dangerous. Gotta run... Come..." Tinder screamed as a shadow moved along the cavern wall.
" He's right there. We have to tell the others, or our dad could kill everybody in town." Said Marabou, leaning in. Tinder made a chittering hiss sound like that of a Skywing's. " Come on... I need fire." No fire came, as the steps got closer.
Tinder quietly cried. Why can't I breathe fire? We're going to die in this cave and it's all my fault She thought, as they caught sight of the shape in the shadows. Closer and closer it got, that monster wearing their Dad's skin.
And it struck, red mouth open.
== Chapter 3: Into The Night ==
The bloody maw of the twisted freak slammed into cold, hard grey rock, knocking down an amber-colored wood shelf from the wall. Tinder leaped out of the way before the... thing could get them. Marabou scrambled to her sandy talons as she made a sprint for the door.
Marabou's Dad gave a low grunt as he turned around, his eyes narrowing. A blast of sickly green fire spluttered out of his mouth, searing his rotting tongue. Tinder felt a stinging pain as the flames licked at her tail, and she ran faster.
The dark cave gave way to the dim light of the waxing moon. Marabou looked back to Tinder stumbling and crying in the pain as they approached the edge of the cliff the cave was built into. " Tinder! Are you ok?" Said Marabou, wrapping her wings around Tinder. " I-I'm ok. Just... ouch... We have to go, don't worry about me." The little Skywing said, opening her wings wide.
The two dragons dived down, escaping the lumbering corpse-like being her dad had become. Tears streamed down both of their eyes as they laid in the now cold, pale sand. Marabou squeezed Tinder close, the Skywing obviously not enjoying the tight embrace. Monsterous howls went through the night, and Tinder quickly tugged Marabou into the wild desert.
The next morning, the sky looked not a beautiful pink-crimson to the dragons, but a swollen bloody red, like the slime. The sun rose slowly, as they sat, trying to recount the recent events. Marabou looked at her talons and flicked her ears. No pens, no scrolls. And no food. Tinder was already awake, the poor Skywing having not gotten any sleep that night.
" Tinder, did it all really happen? T-the murder? The fire?" Said Marabou, rubbing her eyes. Tinder grabbed her tail, which had a sickly burn on it, and was oozing slime. Like the can. Marabou's pupils shrank as she grabbed the tail. Tinder gave a sad, tired look back. " Yes..." She whispered, cringing as Marabou grabbed her tail.
" My tail feels really bad, and I can't control it... This thing has been limp all night. Can you do anything?" Tinder said, looking at the wound. It indeed looked bad, oozing and filled with the same red glimmer as the scales that were infected. Marabou peeked at it, and sighed. " An infection. I've seen one of these before." The Sandwing said, taking the tail and her talons.
" The red slime dad had! Is there any way we can stop.... this!?" Said Tinder, shrinking down. " There's only one thing I'm confident we can do..." Began Marabou. " We have to remove the infection."
Tinder, realizing what it meant, backed into a big rock behind her. " You don't mean... Eeep!" She squeaked. " Yes... I'm sorry! I'M SO SORRY!" Marabou yelled, taking a shard of the rock off. Tinder laid back and closed her eyes in fear, chattering softly. The sharp shard was lifted high, and it came down like a blade. A large roar pierced the air, a mixed howl that sounded like no dragon tribe, but rather a shout of pure pain. The shard swooped down, cutting the infection.
And Tinder lost her tail.
== Chapter 4: Painfully Aware ==
Tinder woke up to pain. Marabou was holding the frail Skywing in her wings, putting pressure on the wound. Tinder's eyes were too heavy, the weight of the pain holding her down like shackles. Tinder tried to form words, but they broke away. The pain itself, as unbearable as it was, seemed to melt away, along with the world. The Skywing gave a simple chitter before fainting, in the pool of blood.
Marabou muttered under her breath, and stopped the bleeding with some of her own sail. Luckily, the sail was just that, a sail on her back, not filled with blood. Marabou had realized how sunny it had gotten, and... well... how thirsty the Skywing probably was, remembering her lessons about the tribes.
" Sandwings can survive long periods without water.. she can't." Whispered Marabou, picking Tinder up as to not deal more damage. The town was rather far away, but by flight, a mere hour away. While they flew, Marabou looked at the sky, the redness swirling away.
Tinder felt the same, as she awoke in the oasis, a shape hovering above her. A rather young dragon, with a shape like a Sandwing. " Marabou?" She said, light slowly coming to her eyes. The orange Skywing stretched her wings out, and let out a growl. " Where...?"
" We have to leave.. *huff*... I flew you back. Dad.. killed... GAH!" Said Marabou, before she felt a tap on the back of her neck. A Sandwing, tall and scarred approached, and Marabou let out a little sigh of relief.
" What's the matter?" Said the Sandwing, a slightly worried expression on his face. Marabou tapped her claws for a second before looking back up. " Oh.. you just look like a... destructive and undead-ish looking monster near here. A Sandwing with green fire? Have you seen him?"
" I've seen three. And I got bit by one of 'em." Said the Sandwing, angrily pointing to a bite mark on his shoulder. Tinder gave a tiny gasp. Three already!? It must be very infectious or maybe... " Have you s-seen any cans?" She said.
" Like this?" He said, picking up a can, with a picture depicting a tiny match on it. " Yes." She whispered. The Sandwing smiled as he unturned the can. " Wait, it's-" Began Marabou, grabbing the Sandwing's hand. It felt rubbery, and odd. With a sudden tear, her talons lost grip of his hand, which was a disguise.
"TINDER, MOVE QUICK!!" Said Marabou, biting the dragon, revealing more. " You know, you are being rude. GUARDS!!" The dragon yelled, as more blue scales were revealed. Tinder leaped out of the water, and looked at the dragon, now exposed. An Icewing.
== Chapter 5: Glimmer ==
Marabou tackled the Icewing behind a rock, Tinder stumbling after. Without her tail, Tinder did a kind of confused limp. Ducking under a sandy rock, they looked at the pale blue dragon with an empty can in his talon. " Grrr, you two whel-"
" Shush! Do you want us to expose you for what you did!?" Said Marabou, grabbing the Icewing's tail by the soft part. The Icewing groaned in pain as he tried to tug his tail away. " Why are you here and what did you do to the water?" Whispered Tinder, leaning in, her orange molted scales prickled. The Icewing's disguise was barely on, just a few shreds on his body and a fake barb on his tail.
" Hmph, you haven't heard yet, have you? The Sandwing Kingdom has allied with the Skywing Kingdom. So I figured, why not get some payback? You pathetic Sandwings are so barbaric and simple, it's no surprise your kind allied with them... heh! I have no reason to tell you anything else though, because I know either way I'll end up dead." Said the Icewing, before feeling a bite on his tail by Marabou.
The Icewing let out another groan, but this time it was like a growl, and he started to attack when Tinder held him down, struggling to keep the Icewing from breathing freezing-death breath. " I'm sorry." She whispered to the Icewing. " Marabou, your sorry, right? We s-should probably let him go, I don't want to upset him."
" Listen to her." Muttered the Icewing, turning and tossing on the sand. Marabou gave a slightly angry look at the Icewing before looking up. " You're too nice to him, for all I know, he could be the one that started this disease. But I guess we could loosen him up again..." Said Marabou, letting go of his tail before being smacked in the face by it.
The Icewing rolled out of Tinder's reached and quickly flew away, leaving only a few shreds of his disguise behind. Tinder snorted, a tiny puff of smoke coming out of her nose. It seemed that was all the fire she had. She wished she had a lot more, to blow him out of the sky. Marabou blasted her own fire, but it was hardly accurate, missing by a long shot. " Ugh, I'm no warrior." Hissed Marabou, kicking the sand.
However, as a blast of ice raced down in return, the duo ran away, farther into the desert than they have ever been, losing sight of the town. Whatever happened, they didn't want to stick around to see what it was.
But back in town, everybody drank their fair share from the water, and there were many red-tinged scales glowing in the night.
== Chapter 6: Plagued By Guilt ==
1 year later...
Marabou sat over a dim fire, the embers disappearing. Nearly all of the Sandwing Kingdom had become... things. Those who were not infected, were hiding. Like she and Tinder were. Tinder was twisting in her sleep, no doubt remembering the recent bombing of the Sandwing Kingdom. The Ice Kingdom and the Sky Kingdom were no doubt the biggest military forces and well... a previously war-torn kingdom was no match for their closest neighbor.
Marabou had captured Glimmer, feeling guilty about the incident, the poison, and eventually found him. He had proven a bit more useful, and did, over time, realized what he had done. Marabou eventually let up on the Icewing, and allowed him to bring along his friend, Alpine. A group of four.
Alpine woke up slowly, his large icy wings reflecting the morning sun, which was as scorching as ever, even in the morning. " Ugh, I'm hungry, we've been in this desert for days without so little to eat... or drink!" He said, flicking his tail. " I should have stayed in the Ice Kingdom, but I couldn't leave my bud with Sandwings and whatever that is." Alpine continued, pointing to Tinder.
" I'm a Skywing." Said Tinder, letting out a puff of smoke. " But I do agree with you. The Sandwing Kingdom is very barren, and we can't just keep on eating cactus." Marabou patted the dim fire and gave the crisp plucked cactus to Tinder before blushing.
" Ok then, we better get a move on then." Said Marabou, her tail sweeping the sand as she got up. She shook out her sail and stretched her wings. Tinder peered into the far distance, her excellent faraway sight helping her. A thin line of tropical green was visible in the distance.
" I think the Rainwing Kingdom is a couple of Wing-Minutes away." Tinder said, taking wing. Alpine smiled, challenging his friend to a race. " Well, let's see who can get there first." Said Alpine, buzzing his wings. Tinder and Glimmer both buzzed their wings, while Marabou gulped before she began buzzing her wings.
Then, they took off into the sky, towards the rainforest.
== Chapter 7: Tinder's Secret ==
Tinder let out a huff as she tried to keep up with Alpine, who's large wings helped him effortlessly glide through the sky. Glimmer was behind the two, his blue scales shimmering. As they flew by the edge of the Sandwing Kingdom, between the Mud, Sky, Sand and Rain Kingdoms, Tinder wondered about her dad.
Her mother, a Skywing by the name of Combust, had 5 eggs with a dragon that Tinder never met. Her brothers and sisters were too weak for the Skywing Kingdom's standards and sent to die on Bone Peak, one of the many mountains of the Kingdom. Combust was to be removed from the breeding system and her final egg smashed. Her, Tinder. From the moment she was hatched and saw the red talons of the Skywing guards off in the distance, Tinder knew that she wasn't like the other Skywings.
Tinder, caught in her thinking, realized how far she was behind now, Marabou just behind her, panting heavily. " I don't think I'm quite the racer these guys are... Now I can see why they are in the military." Marabou said, trying to balance out her flying with her sail. " Is everything alright, Tinder? You just suddenly slowed down."
" Yeah, I'm ok." Lied Tinder, really wondering what exactly she was. The comment about her being a "Whatever that is" really did hit home. To a dragon who only knew her foster mother for a short time, a frail and sickly Skywing and didn't even know if she was a Skywing. Tinder shook her head. She was making herself sick with all of these worries that shouldn't even matter.
Alpine landed on a wooden platform on a tree, which looked like a sniping location for the trickier Rainwings and their blow-darts. The rainforest was filled with bright shades of green, and the leaves of the grand trees were tipped with dew. Glimmer followed about a minute later, collapsing onto the platform. Tinder and Marabou arrived together to find the two Icewings talking about the war, and how they were going to make an island shelter.
With a sudden roar, a Rainwing with red-tinted scales and a gaping broken maw leaped up, and grabbed Glimmer's heel. " HELP ME" It screeched, biting into Glimmer's heel. Glimmer felt himself being dragged into the rainforest, a mere whimper before he disappeared underneath the cover. Alpine quickly dropped down and Tinder was just a little hesitant to join. Gimmer was being torn to shreds, ripping at the Rainwing, but the beast barely flinching as it kept beating him up.
However, as the beast was about to take a bite out of Glimmer's head, a blowdart hit it in the back of the neck, and a wave of grey blasted through it's black scales. The Rainwing dropped to the floor without a noise, it's reddened chest rising slowly. A Rainwing had blow-darted it. The injured Icewing let out a howl before a dart hit him in the chest. Alpine didn't even have time to run away before he was taken too.
Marabou ran away behind the cover, but the invisible dragons had noticed her. " I'm not getting captured by Rainwings!" She yelled, before she hit a tree. A blow-dart sank into the sandy skin of her neck. Tinder let out a growl and would swing have swung her tail, if she still had one while backing into the same tree. She dug her talons in and began to climb.
Green shapes followed her up, and the shapes of the Rainwings became apparent. One, big and rather strong-looking, his eyes a deep blue, a Rainwing with a broken wing and one other, with a small frame and rather old-looking. As they closed in on her, the old one sprayed his venom onto the tree, causing the tree bark to melt away, and Tinder felt it starting to lean. With a sudden huff, a small gust of hot smoke burst from her mouth. The venom stopped melting the tree.
The old dragon uncamouflaged, as well as the others, which had expressions like they just saw a scavenger flying. He stood back, and got a glimpse of Tinder as a whole. " How could I not realize? You look so much like her, back when I was with her..." He said. " I have so much to tell you and your friends, just some this way." He said, running off into the rainforest.
The End Of Book 1
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Completed)
Category:Content (RimeTheIcewing)