The Dry River

“Sorry, coming through, watch your tail! I have no time to make amends, maybe later, just move out of my way!”
A dragon ran through the dim-lighted halls, her barb curled into a dormant way to prevent harm. She paused at a wide door decorated with golden swirls.
“Hey!” A sandy gold dragon bending below the roof called, “Quail, ‘you’re worried again, what’s wrong? Did someone die? Oh, where’s your daughter,”
“I’m sorry I—” She automatically halted, “Thorn! Did you take her out of the hatchery,” Quail roared at the dragon.
“No! She’s gone—Sweetie we’ve talked about this. She can’t stay in the hatchery forever, we have to make room for—”
Quail lashed her tail around recklessly, not paying attention to whether an innocent bypasser had or hadn’t walked in her path, “Thorn is deserving of protection—she’s practically a princess, you know that Roadrunner!”
“For the last time, Thorn is like any other SandWing dragonet, she can make it on her own,” Roadrunner growled, “If you’re looking for her, she’s in the Onyx Dormitory,”
Quail looked directly up into Roadrunner’s eyes before something glistened in her obsidian black pupils, “Oasis! I had completely forgotten,”
Her gold scales flickered as she entered head first into the decorated door frame, looking around restlessly. 
A stone beige dragon peered up, “You’re here for Oasis?” He asked in a rumbly voice.
“Yes, did you even look there?!” Quail cried.
“What, just some stupid scavenger entered, it’s not like he’s going to do anything of the mass of a camel,” The dragon laughed.
“No, there were three, three!” Quail cried.
The guard had perked up, following behind Quail into Oasis’ room. Already, Quail felt absence. Normally, Quail would be blinded by the reflecting gold through the bright windows. However this time, she was able to clearly see without squinting.
“Some of her treasure is gone,” The dragon panicked beside her.
“Don’t worry about the treasure Citrine, the queen, what about the queen, why aren’t you moving, what’s wrong with you,”
Quail shoved Citrine aside to look at the sight. It was blood-ridden and dead. She stared at the lifeless SandWing, blood crossing over her eyes, wearing her stained jewelry. Quail had knew exactly what happened.
Without warning she slashed Citrine’s face with her bare talons the thwacked his chest with her left wing, “You left her to die!”
Citrine raised his talons forwards, confused and upset, “No, wait! I didn’t think scavengers could do this,”
⬤⬤⬤
“Halt Quail,” A jewelry decorated dragon roared, “Back,”
Quail nodded, her stomach turned sick as she looked up to the SandWing, “Princess Burn, Citrine wasn’t paying attention and Oasis had died,”
Burn didn’t look surprised or phased except with a sting of excitement but a dapple of rage. Her mood shifted when she turned to Citrine however, “Lock him up, along with her,” She pointed to the two dragons.
Quail popped up, “What, me? You’re joking, he literally set her up to die and you’re making me as bad as him,”
“We don’t tolerate twisted tongues, spit the truth or sit behind bars,” Burn’s nostrils flared, “Citrine is better than this.”
Quail looked back to the guard, smugly smirking, then back to Burn, “He underestimated them,”
Burn still didn’t appear satisfied, “Scavengers,” Quail added.
“I’m not playing around Quail, this is my mother, and you know we stick closer than a dragon does to it’s blanket” Burn laughed mischievously.
Quail didn’t know what to think of. She was telling the truth, or maybe it was something else. Whatever it was, Quail had to make sure Burn would love it. She thought hard, Thorn couldn’t live on her own. Her father is too busy and any other dragon would, supposedly, hurt her.
Clearing her throat, “Blister killed her,” She cried, “She had paid Citrine to leave, and she killed her for the throne,”
Without hesitation she could tell Burn’s eyes trickled with fire, “I thought so, you’re lucky I’m in a good mood,” Burn stared towards Quail, “I would’ve killed you in front of you family for this, siding with that stupid large brain,” She signaled two guards, “Take him to the prison, assign Quail to a week of community care,”
Quail frowned, but she knew it could’ve been worse.
The SandWings had left the room and by now all 3 sisters had known of the events that had occurred. While most were mourning, Quail was still frantically searching the Onyx Dormitory, turning over every dragonet and blanket she could find.
Walking near a topaz colored nest, she heard chirping echoes from a blue blanket. Quail’s eyes filled with hope, uncovering the pale, sandy yellow dragonet in the bed.
She lifted the dragonet without a second thought and hugged her close to her neck, “My baby,” She cried, “Who dared to put you here, probably Roadrunner by the sound of it,”
The dragonet hadn’t responded and just opened her mouth wide, clamping it softly onto Quail’s thumb.
Quail immediately emotionally melted as tears ran down her cheeks. She placed Thorn into her neck-angled satchel and exited the dormitory.
⬤⬤⬤
A few dragons passed her through the halls, following the noise of screaming vultures. Inside was a gulf of seats, like a theatre, filled with many sandy and gold dragons conversing with each other to bounce off loud, ear-clattering echoes.
Quail couldn’t hear separate words, only the loud rumbling noises in the ceremony room. She excused herself through a row of dragons, some shouting at her, before sitting next to a dusty gold SandWing who Quail towered over, and wore 3 gold rings on her ears.
“Quail!” She hugged Thorn, wary of her pouch, “Thank the moons you’re alive, I thought Burn had killed you,”
“Kangaroo, you know I’m not dying without raising this dragonet to her fullest potential,” Quail hissed.
Kangaroo gave a smile, “I’m guessing you know about the death, right now Blister is setting up a show, do you know what it could be,”
A show? “No, Not really,” She shrugged.
“Silence!”
Every dragon’s attention moved to the pale yellow dragon with 3 SandWing skull tattoos down his neck, silently waiting in anticipation. He stared at the crowd and continued, “Today, Queen Oasis has fallen without appointing a successor,” He gave a smile to assumably 3 dragons behind the stage, “So, this night, right now, we’re going to present 2 Succession Challenges, fights to the death,”
Everyone became loud again, cheering for blood shed. She covered Thorn’s ears and largely frowned, Kangaroo catching her upset notion and batting her back with a smile.
“First, Burn against Blister, then Blaze against the winner,” The dragon finished.
Everyone groaned, most likely because they knew Blaze wasn’t going to last the final battle long. Quail felt it was a sign of pity, in case Blaze wanted to back down.
The tattooed dragon bowed, stepping behind the curtains as Princess Burn had already stepped forwards. Her teeth glistened as she smiled with pride.
Walking behind her, a scrawny white gold dragon with diamond markings over her scales loosely walked on stage.
“Is that Blister? Why is she acting strange?” Quail wondered. Kangaroo gave a shrug, lending Thorn a piece of her cooked bird after she had cried a few chirps.
“What’s with the long face,” Burn jokes, Blister gave a disapproving growl.
“Take this seriously, you’re literally killing me here,” Blister growled.
“On the moon’s highest point,” The dragon stared up, “The challenge will begin—”
“Before we start,” Burn interrupted, “We all know how this’ll go down,” She patted Blister’s back, “For information, when I’m crowned, I’ll make sure crime is stomped into pieces,”
Quail felt a shiver down her throat as Burn searched the room, possibly for her, “In addition, any dragon who opposes the SandWings won’t like their future,” Burn added, “And entertainment will be much bloodier,”
Half of the crowd cheered, the assumable other half felt worried.
“Speak for yourself,” Blister growled, “I would do a better job as queen than you,”
Burn turned around sinisterly and ran her talons across Blister’s wing, Blister dodging with a tuck and roll.
“You can’t even hit straight,” She mocked.
Burn’s mouth filled with smoke as she leapt forwards, halting to her feet and swinging her barb forwards trying to fake-out Blister, once again Blister didn’t flinch as Burn missed her aim. Without thinking, Burn followed up with a kick to Blister’s face, grabbing onto her neck.
Blister had raised her head, avoiding damage to her scales, and learned forwards, “I’m not dying that easily sister,”
Quail’s eyes opened, Blister had her talons on the blood red curtain the entire time. With a crooked smile, Blister threw the blood red curtain forwards and tangled Burn in the felt.
“You can’t do that,” Burn roared, “You coward,”
“If I’m a coward, you’re a strangled mouse, if you want to prove your pure strength, wouldn’t you want to dish as much damage as possible to your competition,” Blister replied.
For the first time of that night, Burn had frozen. She appeared to think suspiciously, “You know what, yeah, I’d rather crush you into pieces,”
Blister dragged Blaze out of the room, “Vulture! Cancel the Challenges,”
The tattooed SandWing looked over confused and surprised, “What for,”
“Tonight, I’m calling a war, the winner ruling while their sisters die in a bloody puddle, having no competition for as long as eggs aren’t produced,” Blister raised her talons, “What do you say?”
“You’d think I’d stray from automatically killing you?” Burn smirked.
Blister hesitated, “But what if Blaze or I flee the challenge, we may start a family and you wouldn’t survive for sure,” She grinned.
Burn rose up, “Not wrong, Alright,” She shook Blister’s talons, “Not that I think you could whip up a daughter as strong, but mother said nothing’s impossible,”
Blister’s eyes opened, “Well in that case,” 
Quickly her barb raced across Burn’s shoulder, Burn roaring in agony. In the moment, Blister raised her talons and took off to the sky, many SandWing following behind her, “You’ll have a week to gather allies,”
Blaze hadn’t appeared to Quail the entire time, she flocked to the audience trying to hide. 
“Blaze, I know you’re there, if you and your supporters don’t leave this stronghold I’ll burn all of you alive,” Burn hissed.
Dumbly herself, Blaze sprouted from the crowd and flew away with a chunk of SandWings followed by opposing members trying to kill Blaze’s team for an early start.
Quail didn’t know what to do, she didn’t know what side to choose, she didn’t have time. She couldn’t go with any of them, they’ll all end in the possible death of her dragonet.
Undecided, Quail mindlessly ran into the conflict, leaving out of the back door of the stronghold kicking her legs across the sand. Behind her were a few dragons, including Vulture and Kangaroo, wondering where she would go next. She noticed she had a crowd of war-fearing, worried dragons and automatically turned around.
“Random SandWings who followed me, I am not an experienced leader, and I may never be, but together, we’ll live in peace for eternity, left by our legacy, in the Scorpion Den,” Quail announced.
The SandWing nodded, some with tears, others smiling as they followed Quail deep into the desert where the grass grows the greenest. The oasis.
Chapter 1
3 pale, black-eyed dragons soared over the beginning of the desert shifting from a cold, frosted climate to a cool, warm desert.
Along the way, clumps of frail SandWings flew by them, racing in panic and neither looked back. The largest pale dragon sighed, a guard beside her gliding towards her,
“Queen Glacier,” A silver dragon called to the larger, “I’ve spotted a SandWing with a load of treasure, maybe that’s one of the sisters,”
The larger dragon stared down, “Good observation Everest, let’s just hope it’s not the wrong one,”.
Everest nodded, getting a snarky, jealous glance from the opposing guard, Everest sticking his tongue out in response.
“IceWings, dive,” Glacier called.
Like vultures soaring over roadkill, the IceWings dove towards the SandWing in a spiraling matter, Glacier landing first as her guards quickly stood beside her.
They approached the SandWing, facing away from the IceWings and appeared to be staring at a mound. Already, Glacier lost hope in her eyes as the figure became more clear, a thin, elegant SandWing who wore a cape.
“There is still a chance,” Everest warned Glacier before she looked away, “Imagine, we could coax her and win, we have animus magic defenses,” 
Glacier paused for a while, sighing in regret, and tapping the SandWing on the shoulder.
The SandWing turned around, black splotches around her eyes covered in tears, “Huh?” Her voice cracked and mumbled.
Immediately the SandWing retracted, tripping over the mound she had just stared at, and falling onto her wings.
“You sure she’s worth it?” Glacier whispered to Everest.
Everest started to doubt, he had less confidence than when she was out of their view. Still, Everest nodded. It was better having one ally than none.
“Princess Blaze,” Glacier noted, tired and aggravated, “We’re here for a request of alliance—”
“Oh dear the moons! Finally, none of my sisters have befriended the IceWings, how could I have not noticed!” Blaze cried.
“Talk about conversation skills, if she wanted to be queen I guess that she would, I don’t know, learn how to not interrupt other royals,” The guard beside Everest whispered. Everest just nudged his shoulder.
“Yes,” Glacier raised her talons up before Blaze could respond, “But, you see. The IceWings have been isolated, and still will, for many years. This caused us to grow without anywhere else to go, and pretty soon, we may have too much to bare in such a small space,”
Blaze covered her snout, “Oh no! Here, if it makes anything way better, I can offer you territory,”
Bingo, Everest smiled as Glacer glanced at him. He felt they would’ve high-talon each other if they had the time.
Glacier responded, clapping her talons, “Yes, that would do nicely,” She looked around, “Matter of fact, you could even stay with us, behind—erm, behind our territory, we don’t want to break our isolation record,”
Blaze nodded, “Yes! Allies, I’ll be sure to keep the promise, I just need the position to give you territory, queen?”
Glacier smirked, “Yes—you need to be queen sweetie,”
“Oh, right! The throne, so take me to this ‘behind territory’ shelter,” Blaze exclaimed.
Glacier made an ‘ouch’ notion, “We haven’t made it yet,” Everest stared at Blaze’s worried look, “But until we do, I’ll make sure none of your scales are touched,”
Blaze sprouted up with excitement, jumping around the desert before tripping over the mound again, this time nearly breaking her hind leg. Glacier, thankfully, grabbed her before she fell.
Minutes near sunfall, Glacier, Blaze, and Glacier’s guards flew across the sandy desert into the Antarctic, catching 3 polar bears before landing in the small space before the Ice Cliff.
“Everest, watch over Blaze here,” Glacier pointed to a cave between the desert of arctic, “Walrus report back to post,”
The additional guard nodded, soaring across the Ice Cliff without injury. Glacier looked back before following along, “I’ll be back,”
Everest nodded, looking over to Blaze shivering, “You need a coat? I can make a fresh one out of one of these polar bears she left us,” Everest replied. He didn’t want to upset Glacier, but felt another sting of something in addition. He didn’t know nor wanted to know what it was, but had the need to hope she accepted.
“Sure, but make it dry please,” Blaze responded, her hopes rising. 
Straight away, Everest began to skin the polar bear, setting the leftover meat and bones aside in a basket made of spruce twigs, and patting the open fur. After a few hours of combining resources and shaping, Everest made an ‘acceptable’ cover which Blaze wore with a bit of judgement. 
“So, when’ll Glacier get here? Oooh!—what if she’s building me a palace!” Blaze jumped up.
“Careful!” Everest screeched, terrifying Blaze to a halt.
Everest covered his snout, “Nevermind—Do you want some bear meat?” He kept the pace.
“A new kind of food? Sure, I mustn't be raw,” Blaze growled.
“You’ll have to heat it up yourself,” Everest responded.
He saw the immediate, puppy-face look onto Blaze disappointed in extra work. Everest sighed, but he wasn’t going to give in, 
“To be queen, you’ll have to do some things on your own, make your own decisions, cook your own food, hadn’t your mother taught you how to care for yourself when you’re an adult?”
Blaze stared astonished, “Yes, it’s just why do it when others are around,”
Everest shook his head, must not know what she’s saying, he hoped. Blaze shrugged, “I guess I could,” She grumbled.
The two dragons continued to wait, Blaze elegantly picking off the remaining meat of her charred bear as Everest continued to wait in anticipation.
Later in the night, Blaze had curled under the cave rocks, sleeping with her barb stuck in the air propped in a protective position. At least she knows that basic necessity, Everest thought.
He tried to keep a far distance from her, resting his back on the cave walls. It felt warmer in the cold cave, or it could’ve been the warm desert heat beside them.
“Windy,” Everest forced out of his mouth. He rose up to watch 5 wings approach them.
“Glacier’s here—” Everest cleared his eyes to get a better look. There was a beige colored SandWing followed by two blue dragons in the night sky.
Blaze had already woken up, “Ooh—Finally!”
Everest squinted, “Wait! Princess stop!”
He leapt in front of Blaze, taking an arrow to the side of his chest. His neck perched up, wings covering edge to edge of the cave.
“Oh dear! Is that, Blister?!” Blaze cried, “No—no—no—no—no! What are we going to do? Do I fight her?” Blaze exclaimed, clearly hyperventilating.
“Calm down princess—there’s another end to the cave, just run,” Everest called.
The troop of 3 dragon dove as Blaze and Everest ran through the cave system. In the cave, Everest got a better idea of the dragons as it was half-lit with green and blue lights, “SeaWings! Your sister is allied with SeaWings?!” Everest panicked.
“She is?” Blaze replied.
“You don’t know your opponents’ alliances?” Everest exclaimed, “That’s one of the most important things in war, knowing your enemies’ allies,”
Blaze stared dumbfounded, sliding against the frosted flow and quickly getting up, “I didn’t know, no one told me, everything goes by so fast—”
“Just run!” Everest interrupted.
Everest and Blaze continued to pass from cave to cave, intensity rising as fire blast between their scales. There were many close calls, from their scales nearly being burnt to being jumped when they crossed in-cave rivers. There was no point of break and many times Blaze tried to stop for fresh air.
Finally, they reached the end, Everest perked up as Blaze ran ahead.
“We’re done!” Blaze cried, nearly being slit in the throat by two burnette, armored dragons. Everest stood around her,
“There’s troops on the other side, both sides!” Everest called, “We’re cornered,”
Blaze wore a frown, stepping behind Everest and grabbing onto his scales for her dear life. Everest filled his throat with shimmering ice, letting it shoot across the cave system into one of the SeaWing’s faces. Provoked, Blister and the armored dragons started exchanging fire breaths, Everest and Blister moving out of the war of most.
There, Everest was left with multiple burn marks, trying to keep a grip onto life. I can’t, Everything is so light, Everest thought, tears draining from his face.
Suddenly, in the midst of the conflict, 14 white dragons bombed the cave with ice, freezing the armored dragons as they coughed only a puff of smoke.
“Glacier!” Everest called.
Blister had a frightened face, whirling her talons in the air as her forces evacuated. However, one of the 14 IceWings gripped onto a small, visibly young armored dragonet. 
“What is a MudWing dragonet doing in this war?! Is Moorhen crazy?!” The IceWing scoured, “No matter, you shouldn’t have participated in the first place—”
The IceWings was immediately slammed into, his face being burnt alive as he nearly survived from the MudWing’s seemingly peacefulness, following her group of tribes while carrying the MudWing dragonet to safety.
The situation slowly died down as Everest took breaths of air, Glacier feeling his head for any overheat symptoms.
“You’ll heal in a handful of days, your injuries aren’t too critical but I can’t risk an IceWing dying, especially if this is what the war will end up like,” Glacier was handed a soaked cloth, “Take this, place it over burns periodically,”
Everest nodded, he pressed the cloak to his cheek, feeling the rash fade away to a numb spot.
A little while after taking off, Everest and Glacier followed the IceWings to a decent shelter, Glacier moving Blaze into the area.
“This is where you’ll stay,” Glacier told Blaze, “And you may bring your allies with you, but you must have 2 guards by your side, IceWing and or SandWing,”
“Got it, Oooh—It’s warm,” Blaze looked around frantically, “It’s like I’m in the stronghold, but without Burn tracking me down!”
Glacier gave an uncomfortable laugh before rounding up her troops, “We’ll inform your people, I’m leaving you with Walrus and Tundra tonight,”
Blaze nodded, two IceWings surrounding her. Glacier took to the skies, staring at Everest with a worried look.
“You’re a great soldier,” Glacier echoed to Everest, “Who knows how any other IceWing would respond to that mess.”
Everest smiled at the praise, “Thank you my queen, just doing it for you and our tribe,”
Glacier nodded with a smile back, “You’ll rest for 3 days, and be back up tomorrow. As for now, you are excused of any 2nd circle duties,”
Everest felt a relaxing relief. The leftover 12 IceWings entered the kingdom, praise following around every pale dragon, as Everest left for his room, automatically falling onto his wool carpet. 
“Oh, roomie’s back,” A male IceWing roared, “How was your ‘deluxe adventure’?”
“Nearly died, but thank you Caribou,” Everest growled.
“Whatever, I’m heading out for a party, and never coming back, have fun with her injuries,” Caribou continued, leaving through the window.
Everest sighed and relaxed on the couch.
Category:Content (Prema Melody)
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Semi-Canon)
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)