Imperial Academy

Collaboration by Feathercloud479 and SycamoreTheleafwing8
Imperial Academy
== Prologue (feather)==
Q u e e n A u b u r n
She flew across the night, letting the wind coarse over her wings and tilt her along the trails of air, the thrum of flight ebbing in her heart as she crossed her Kingdom, blanketed by the darkness of a moonless night. 
Beating her wings to go faster, the dragon made a slow turn towards the right, her blue eyes taking in the splashes of trees on the coarse mountain, slowing down until she only hovered in the sky, her intent on watching the ground.
She caught sight of an orange glow, bending and twisting with the darkness and shadows. Drawing in her wings, the dragon burst down, speed flashing from every scale and happiness glinting in her eyes from the downfall.
She spread her wings at the last second, her neat dive shaping to a clear descent as she landed beside the orange glow, a fire flickering from a large pile of untidy, charred sticks.
Her scales, a deep, dark orange color, glittered in the firelight like tourmaline and the flames revealed twinkling rubies and diamonds embedded in a trail from her forehead to the edge of her tail, and shaped like a wing on her front talons. Gold shimmered from chain necklaces, though what stood out like a star in a descending void was a large silver crown twinkling with multicolored sapphires, rubies, and diamonds.
“I’m here,” her voice, soft and deep like a song, carried along the clearing. “I got your note, dear. Show yourself,” A smile twisted along her features. “Come on”
Relief jutted inside her as a pair of amber eyes flashed from the darkness, but as the dragon drew closer it was cut off by disappointment, and the scrawny male tumbled from a stretch of hawthorns.
“Rising,” She narrowed her eyes. “What brings you here?”
The other dragon, a light russet color, gave a deep bow. “Your Majesty,” he rumbled. “Your daughters couldn’t wait for you any longer, and sent me to tell you they are heading for the town of Joystriker.” 
The dragon pursed her lips. “What are they doing in that place?” 
“Princess Screech said there was a jeweler there selling rare green jasper,” Rising responded.
The queen laughed, throwing back her head. “And my other two went with her?” A rumble echoed along her throat. “Shrike hates the color green and anything but gold and Sunrise hates flying at night.” Her eyes took on a caring tone as her daughters filled her mind; clever Shrike, thoughtful Sunrise, and optimistic Screech.
Rising nodded, smiling slightly as well. “Yes, I think Screech promised them she would finally play tag with them.” 
“Alright,” The queen lifted her wing, pointing behind her. “Rising, you will be needed in the kitchens. You may or may not have forgotten it is Prince Osprey’s hatching day, the day after next,” 
“Oh. Right,” Rising twitched his tail unhappily. “Then - uh - I guess I’ll be off,” Tilting his head to gaze at the starry sky, he flared his wings. “Have a nice night, Queen Auburn,” 
"Wait," Queen Auburn quickly put in, and Rising shot her a curious glance. "Rising, has Princess Shrike got around to sending those letters to the queens yet? About Imperial Academy?"
Rising's brow furrowed in a confused way, his mind going through the strands of speech Shrike had told him today before hitting the answer and speaking. "Queen Astrapia got the letter." He said. "She says she has an animus NightWing who's using her power too much - and might go insane. She also has a RainWing who - and I do not get this myself either - can change their body shape, apparently." He shrugged. "Shrike also got responses from the IceWings, MudWings, SilkWings, and SeaWings. We're waiting on the HiveWings, LeafWings, and SandWings,"
Queen Auburn nodded, tucking the information in the back of her consciousness. "And did Boneflame's family get notified of the acceptance?"
"Bonfire," Rising corrected. "And yes, Your Majesty. They'll send him,"
"ALright, you may go then," Queen Auburn said. Rising bowed, then turned around and spread his wings. Before emerging into flight, he shot one last glance at the dark orange dragon.
"If you would take my opinion, then, well, personally, I don't think this is a good idea." Rising interjected. "Putting the most dangerous dragons in Pyrrhia all together? where they can scheme to kill us all and maybe succeed because the whole reason we're sending them to that school is they're too dangerous?" 
"We need a place to put them all. They will be contained and disciplined, I promise," Queen Auburn said, tilting her head. "My daughter will take care of that. Do you doubt her? Or me?"
Rising shook his head, bowing one more time. Taking off towards the east, Queen Auburn watched his russet shape shifting smaller and smaller, blending into the night when the light no longer reflected from his scales.
Queen Auburn flapped her own wings, once, twice, gaining higher ground now. She swept a wave of sand over the fire with her tail, then with a burst of speed lifted up from the ground.
Pointing in the direction directly away from Rising, the firelight gone and her shape obscured by the shadows, no one saw the lunge.
Another dragon, smaller, leaner, faster, barred into her. Even she didn’t see it until the new dragon had blown into her, knocking the queen over and giving a swift flip in the sky.
Queen Auburn stabilized herself, anger pulsing in her strides as she flew towards the strange dragon, so dark with the lack of light that all she could see was a silver glint of something - a dagger.
The new dragon had drawn the weapon from a brown sheath, and they flicked the silver object in the air towards Queen Auburn, who had yet to tell what it was. A ruby-encrusted handle slammed into her side, but as the SkyWing twisted over to see what it was, the tip pierced her shoulder. A jagged line formed down her side as it fell, and red blood spurt from the wound.
The queen’s cry of pain cut the silence, reflected by a whoosh of wings. The assassin ducked under the dark orange dragon, flipping over to puncture Auburn’s belly with their claws. Another scream, and the sound of a tail on a skull - and the assassin fell down.
Down, down, going faster that they had in the air, plummeting with dizziness encasing them and adrenaline vibrating with their scales. A pair of blue eyes flashed in the darkness, haze of fear clouding them.
Before they fell, before the sounds of spanning bones escased the air, new claws sank into the assassin’s shoulders, new wingbeats filled the space. A new dragon, smaller and scrawnier, yet pulled the first one up with more strength than they had themselves.
Queen Auburn didn’t see the catch. Wiith relief crawling through her bones she breathed a small flame into the sky, making the jewels of her crown shine, and the emerald necklace of another dragon shimmer as well.
She flapped her wings in surprise, almost falling in the night with it. Breathing another flame, she two female dragons catch her eyes. They dove down, and the queen chased them to the ground.
Her claws sank into the mossy ground, feeling the dampness of the plant creep into her talons. She breathed another plume of fire, but no sight of the dragons. The assassin.
An ember from her fire drifted down, unnoticed by the chitters of creatures from the night, or the queen. After all, it was harmless - until the ember drifted on an object, and from it erupted a blaze of orange and red and yellow.
Explosions rocketed the sky, the noise drumming out every other sound and the sight dulling every other thing. Smoke streaked into the air, and the hungry tongues of flames licked at wood. Spiky round pods sprung up and latched on like teeth, threatening to never let go.
As the scent of charred plants wafted to new areas, the fire followed. Blazing trails of flames encased the forest, and in the distance, shapes of SkyWings awakening from the explosions flew closer and closer.
But by the time the fastest dragon came, the life left in Queen Auburn would have left. All they will see will be a burnt form with a golden-tipped spear through the middle.
==Chapter One (sycamore)==
T o p a z
WIP
“You sure this is going to work Topaz? Your mother keeps her stuff well protected.” 
“I’m not stupid, I know what I’m doing. You have your cool veils, Sandstorm has her rings and I have NOTHING. And shut up! We could get caught by one of mother’s STUPID servants or guards. And Cactus, when have I EVER been caught?”
Cactus shifted around uncomfortably. “Uh well, there was that time when you tried to steal that pear from that old dragon in the Scorpion-” 
“WE DON’T TALK ABOUT THAT CACTUS! I WILL NOT BRING BACK MEMORIES OF ME SPENDING A MONTH IN JAIL!”
Cactus had to restrain herself from laughing so hard she fell out of the air. “Sorry! It's just so funny! OW stop slapping me I can’t help laughing over your stupidness.” She ducked another slap from Topaz, who’s eyes were filled with playful anger as they flew down toward the enormous mansion below. Topaz’s mother was not rich like Queen Joshua, but not as poor as some dragons Topaz had seen wandering the deserted streets of the Scorpion Den. They pointed their wing to the ground soaring down toward the large, towering building below. 
Topaz’s eyes lit up. “There it is! The treasury! We can find it there.” They landed and Cactus looked around, scanning the area for lazy, useless guards wandering around. 
“There is a group of servants right in front of the treasury playing pick-up twigs. We could crawl through the back window but it might make a little too much noise. “
Topaz eyes darted to the group of servants. There were only three of them, but they were on high alert, ready for any intruders trying to steal treasure. Wait, I’m not an intruder though. I live here. “Cactus, I’m going to need you to stay at the back window, I’m going to toss something up and you have to catch it, without making any noise whatsoever, got it?”
Cactus rubbed her claw together and breathed thick gray smoke into the air - it was a bad habit she couldn't seem to shake. “Ok… I hope your plan works.” She ran around to the back of the building and crouched behind some barrels. Topaz took a deep breath in, and walked up to the servants, smiling. “Hello! It's me! Topaz, daughter of the owner to this treasury? You must know me but I really need to go in here.” 
One of the servants looked up from her game, with a disgruntled look on her face. “Yeah. I do know you. Why are you suddenly waking up at two in the morning needing something from your mother’s treasury again?”
Topaz froze. She had forgotten she needed an excuse to get in. “ Uhhhhhh well, I need to grab a…” She looked around and her eyes landed on a hatching day card for her mother from her aunt. “A BAG OF GOLD! For my mother, I need to buy her a gift but I have no money. So let me in.” 
The other female servant’s eyebrow twisted into an arch, like she suspected something was up. “I’ll come with you. I need to make sure all the treasure there anyway.” 
Shoot! Topaz, just act chill, and escape when you can. This will work out well, and you’ll be at the party in no time.
Topaz sighed. “Ok, let’s go” She walked into the enormous treasury with the female guard behind her, watching suspiciously. Topaz looked around scanning the room. AHAH! THERE!  Her eye landed on a glittering piece of treasure, shining in the moonlight. It was right next to the back window. Topaz took a deep breath and jumped toward the necklace, grabbing in from is podium. “CACTUS CATCH!” She screamed as she yeeted threw the necklace out the back window. A small talon reached through the window, grabbing the necklace. 
“HEY! STOP THAT!!” The servant screeched as Topaz threw herself up through the back window and tried to squeeze her wing through. Tiny talons grabbed her wings, pulling her up and out the window. 
Cactus slapped her face multiple times. “TOPAZ YOU IDIOT! You were NOT supposed to be CAUGHT! We have to get out of here before your mother comes.” A piercing roar shuddered the night sky sending cascades of birds from the tree into the sky. 
Topaz winced. “Too late...” They tilted their wings out toward the east, and flew towards the Jasperd Mansion, where the party was being held. 
“You are the stupidest, dumbest idiot I know.” Cactus smirked. She flew down toward the sand, where a dark figure was arguing with a dragon 3 times her size.
Sandstrom seemed to be screaming and batting her wing trying to be bigger than the other dragon. “ NO YOU CAN’T KICK ME OUT FOR ‘LINGERING’ I AM WAITING FOR SOMEBODY, BUT THEY ARE NOT HERE YET. YOU CAN'T KICK ME OUT FOR STANDING AROUND PACING IN THE FRONT. STOP SHAKING YOUR HEAD OR I'LL RIP IT OFF YOUR NECK! Oh wait, here they are.” She bounded over to Topaz and Cactus and threw sand all over them. “WHERE. WERE. YOU. IDIOTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS??? I LITERALLY HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR. GIVE ME AN EXPLANATION ON WHY I SHOULD NOT KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!?”
“It's ok, we got what I needed, let's go inside.” Topaz said as she rolled her eyes at Sandstorm's craziness.
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Collaborations