Wings of Jewels: The Warrior’s Quest

== Wings of Jewels: The Warrior’s Quest ==
This is an AU where Pyrrhian and Pantalan dragons make their continents into one with silk bridges between the islands. Plz don’t copy this, thank you. Sorry if this doesn’t have a contents. If I have accidentally used the name of orotund OC, please know that I didn’t mean it. Mature content. May contain mild gore. READ AT OWN RISK. 
Prologue
Darkness was everywhere. Pressing against him, holding him back. Oh, how he longed for the bright sunshine of the Rainforest on his screaming scales. “Please.” He croaked. “You have tried to steal one of the Queen’s eggs.” Hissed a voice from high above. “This is your punishment, Lemon.” “No! Please! I didn’t steal it! I was for-“ “Forced to? Well, as you can see, forced to or not, it is a treason to steal from the queen.” The dragon lifted her hood. “Q-queen Elegance?” Spluttered Lemon. Elegance smiled cruelly. “I hope your time in prison serves you right, if you ever come out that is.” She left, with a cruel, merciless laugh. “No!” Lemon struggled furiously at his chains but they held him, tighter and tighter, making him scream in pain. “Shhhh!” It was a new voice this time, a softer, more anxious voice. “Wha?” Lemon asked. A brilliant red, orange and yellow SilkWing walked stealthily towards him. Lemon gaped, his mouth wide and his tongue lolling out. “Stop! I’m trying to help you!” The SilkWing took out a key and unlocked his chains. “But why?” Lemon asked, mouth still open. The SilkWing rolled her bright, amber eyes. “I don’t know, just move!” Lemon followed his rescuer out of a secret passageway behind a large boulder. “Whew!” The SilkWing flexed her red wings, once they were out in the sunlight. “That was close.” Lemon was still curious about why this mysterious stranger had suddenly come to rescue him. “Look.” The SilkWing held out a yellow patterned talon. “Come with me, away from this horrible place.” “But who are you?” Lemon asked. The SilkWing blinked her large eyes. “Isn’t living enough?” She asked. Lemon paused for a moment, thinking. “I know, but I want to know your name.” “Fine.” The SilkWing sighed. “It’s Rosette, happy?” Rosette. My savior. Lemon nodded and together, he and Rosette soared into the brilliant blue sky. 
Chapter One
”Roll! Duck! Venom! Kick! FIGHT!” Gasping and panting, Swallowtail stared at her mother, who was breathing heavily. “I, can’t.” Swallowtail panted. Rosette glared at her daughter. “If I can do this, you can.” She growled. “It’s not as easy as you think.” Snapped Swallowtail. “Can we please do something other than battle practice?” “No.” Rosette said curtly. “If I’m a warrior, your a warrior.” “But Lemon-“ “Is not a warrior so we’ll try that again.” Rosette jumped back onto the ground. Swallowtail got up, shaking herself to get rid of the dust that had settled on her scales. Her wingbuds twitched in annoyance and her ruff flared, scarlet. Rosette leapt when Swallowtail was least expecting it, landing directly on Swallowtail’s stomach, knocking out her breath. Gasping, Swallowtail tried to slither out of her mother’ grip, regretting her choice to not clean her scales the day before. Rosette’s hot breath was on her cheek. Turning limp, Swallowtail pretended her mother had won. Just as she expected, Rosette’s claws loosened slightly. Surging forward, Swallowtail pushed her mother off her. Rosette turned and leapt back at Swallowtail but Swallowtail dodged neatly out of the way, sending her mother crashing to the ground. Before Rosette could get up again, Swallowtail had leapt on top of her, holding Rosette still. “That’s better.” Snarled a dusty Rosette from the floor. “Your free for today.” Jumping off her mother, Swallowtail went to her favorite spot on the cliff this that they were living. Curling her prehensile tail around a tree branch, Swallowtail hung herself, swinging backwards and forwards. “Alright?” Swallowtail almost fell out of her tree. “What are you doing here Juniper?” Juniper grinned, flapping her wings. “Alright wingless?” Swallow tail glared at her sister. She hated how her mother and sister called her that, just because she had wingbuds. “I’m fine, thank you.” She snapped. “Oh well,” Juniper produced a mangosteen out of nowhere. “Here.” Juniper tossed the mangosteen at Swallowtail who managed to catch it. “Thanks.” Swallowtail said through a mouthful of mangosteen. “Battle training with Mother again?” Juniper asked sympathetically, flaring her ruff. “Yeah.” Swallowtail sighed. “Why does she think that I’m going to be a warrior?” “Dunno.” Juniper said, biting into a mango she had produced from nowhere. “Oh well.” Swallowtail stared out at the forest stretching beneath the cliff. “Oh no!” Swallowtail jumped to her feet. “What?” Juniper asked. “Lemon asked me to help collect herbs with him!” Without another word, Swallowtail dashed towards their little hut.
Chapter Two
”ERP! ERP!” “BE QUIET DOU DOU!” Swallowtail yelled. Juniper’s budgerigar chirped again. “Dou Dou is hungry, Dou Dou is hungry.” Swallowtail frowned. “I guess all that chatting was worth it.” She thrust some seeds at her bird. “Thank you, thank you.” Swallowtail rolled her two colored eyes. Juniper poked her head in. “Is Dou Dou alright?” “Yeah.” Swallowtail grumbled. “Lemon got you something.” Juniper picked up Dou Dou and flew off. Following her sister’s advice, Swallowtail dashed down from the treehouse to their hut. “Oh! Hello Swallowtail.” Lemon smiled kindly at her. “I got you something.” Something mewled in the background. A small, baby leopard padded out. It was so cute that Swallowtail thought her eyes must be popping out of her skull. “All yours.” Lemon smiled at his daughter. “Yay!” Scooping up her new pet, Swallowtail ran off to the battlefield. “Today,” Rosette strode around the lovely meadow, tail lashing. “You two will be doing an obsticle course.” Spreading her red wings, Rosette showed them an obstacle course filled with silk webs, trees, ladders and fences. “Juniper, four laps around the field. Swallowtail, three laps around the field.” Juniper took off, as fast as a mostly RainWing hybrid could go. Her butterfly shaped wings opened and closed as she ran. Swallowtail took off, letting herself get into the rhythm of running. Her little leopard followed her master, bounding across the flowers and grass. After three laps, Swallowtail bent her head to drink from a tinkling stream next to their resting place. Her leopard lapped up the water too. “I hope you have warmed up.” Rosette said. “Now, I want each of you to do the obstacle course once before coming back here.” Flicking her wings irritably, Rosette sat down to watch her daughters. Juniper went first, leaping like a monkey I’ve the obstacles. Warily, Swallowtail approached the edge of the course. Ducking low to avoid the barbed wire above her, Swallowtail crawled through, standing up at the trees. A small silk ladder led up to the highest tree. Climbing it, Swallowtail glanced at Juniper who was flying back to Rosette. Jealousy pierced her heart. Why couldn’t she fly like that? Leaping to the next tree, Swallowtail kept her eyes fixed ahead. “You both did alright.” Grumbled Rosette once they had both finished the course. “You can go now.” Juniper flew off to the battle training area, presumably to go and fight one of the straw dummies Juniper and Swallowtail had made. Her leopard purred. “I’m calling you… Goldblack.” Goldblack purred again. Swallowtail walked back to her hut and saw something move. Tensing, she looked closer and saw it was a rabbit. Goldblack tensed too and crouched down, copying Swallowtail. Stalking slowly towards the rabbit, Swallowtail pointed with her tail at the rabbit’s behind. Goldblack carefully stalked behind it. Swallowtail leapt out of the bushes, landing in front of the startled rabbit. It hared off towards Goldblack who caught it in her jaws. “Well done!” Swallowtail stroked her pet’s glossy black and gold fur. “Let’s go back.” Carrying the limp rabbit in her jaws, Goldblack and Swallowtail headed back towards their hut.
Chapter Three
The delicious smell of roast rabbit, vegetables and fruit drifted up from the kitchen. Swallowtail carefully climbed down the silk web towards the bottom level. Sitting down at her small silk mat, Swallowtail tore off a large chunk of pear. Chewing it slowly, Swallowtail stroked Goldblack’s soft fur. Juniper was lying on her belly, reading a scroll as she chewed a chunk of rabbit. Rosette was deep in conversation with Lemon. Swallowtail grabbed a piece of kale which she stuffed into her mouth. Grabbing four more veggies, Swallowtail hurried back to her room. Chomping on okra, Swallowtail dug into the scroll racks on one side of the wall while Goldblack stretched luxuriously on her mat. Where is my scroll? Swallowtail saw something pale near the back. Taking it out, Swallowtail dipped her claw into her ink pot and wrote One day, Hibiscus was traveling across the mysterious continent called Pinmasia. He found that there were four tribes: DarkWings, SnakeWings, DawnWings and FlowerWings. “Hey! Swallowtail!” Juniper entered, carrying Dou Dou on her shoulder. “Hiya Swallowtail.” Dou Dou chirped. “What?” Swallowtail asked. “Bed.” Juniper walked out again. Tucking her scroll securely back into its secret rack, Swallowtail closed her eyes as she lay on her hammock, the breeze whistling around her. 
“SWALLOWTAIL! WAKE UP!” Juniper’s panicked yelled made Swallowtail’s eyes jerk open. “What?” She asked. Juniper’s face was white, her claws and wings were trembling. “They’re coming.” She gasped. Swallowtail quickly scooped up Goldblack into his pouch and dashed to get scrolls and ink. Carrying these things in her other pouches, Swallowtail hurried down the silk ladder towards the kitchen. Rosette and Lemon were waiting, faces also white. Once Juniper and Swallowtail had come down, they dashed towards the door. Dou Dou suddenly came flying down onto Juniper’s shoulder squawking “They’re close! They’re close!” “Quickly!” Rosette shot a thread of silk at Swallowtail, binding her to her. Lemon and Rosette took off into the air, Juniper with them and Swallowtail swinging in her harness. A burst of fire ignited the little hut, great orange flames licking the wood. Glancing back, Swallowtail saw dark shapes emerge from the flames. “RainWing?” She asked in amazement. Lemon’s scales turned white green. “It’s Queen Elegance!” He shouted. They beat their wings harder while Swallowtail kept a watch on the RainSings. But how could the RainWings possibly start a fire to the hut? Suddenly, a huge, black shape soared towards them on large, orange wings. “SKYWINGS!” Swallowtail screamed. The black shaped hurtled towards Lemon, ignoring the others completely. The SkyWing breathed a burst of fire and Lemon was temporarily blinded by heat and light. “No!” Rosette sped in front of Lemon and clawed at the SkyWing. The RainWings were closing in, forming a circle around their victims. Rosette looked down at Swallowtail, eyes brimming with tears. “Goodbye, Swallowtail.” Then, Rosette cut the silk harness and Swallowtail fell to the ground, as the RainWings bound her mother, father and her sister. 
Chapter Four
Swallowtail lay in the darkness, watching the black shadows surround her family. A whimper brought her back to reality. Goldblack was whimpering at her side, her leg twisted. “You alright?” Swallowtail asked. Goldblack whimpered again. “Here, this might hurt.” Holding GoldBlack still, Swallowtail grabbed Goldblack’s twisted leg and wrenched it back into place. Goldblack yowled in pain and fell to the ground, panting. A sudden rush of fear enveloped her. Her mother and father were gone. Juniper was also gone. Wait! Swallowtail felt a jolted of panic run through her whole body. I have my Metamorphosis in a few days! Four days in fact. Swallowtail felt panic grip her, she stood up so suddenly, she dislodged Goldblack who had been lying at her side. “I saw something fall into the forest!” A roar split the air. Picking Goldblack up, Swallowtail glanced at the sky. Black shapes were coming down from the sky. “We got to go.” Swallowtail hurried off into the forest. Running at full speed, Swallowtail emerged onto a sandy, warm beach. “Where am I?” Swallowtail looked around. The sky was turning pink. Dawn. Only then did Swallowtail felt tired. Bruises all over her side, Swallowtail collapsed on the warm, warm sand, letting sleep claim her.
Swallowtail was in a graveyard, dimly lit and gray. “Mother? Father? Juniper?” She looked around, seeing nothing but tombstones. A skeletal hand shot out of the gray dirt, clawing it’s way up. “No!” Swallowtail swallowed and stepped backwards, onto a skeleton dragon. Except this skeleton was Juniper. “No!” Swallowtail closed her eyes as tapping filled her ears. “You alright?” Swallowtail’s eyes opened to see deep, emerald green ones. Blinking, Swallowtail saw an emerald green SeaWing looming over her. “Who are-“ “Pebble the SeaWing.” The SeaWing said. “Ooook.” Swallowtail said slowly. “Here.” Pebble lifted a sleeping Goldblack and carefully placed her on Swallowtail. Goldblack awoke with a meow and snuggled in the curve if Swallowtail’s neck. “Come with me.” Pebble gently helped Swallowtail to her feet , Goldblack settling down in her pouch. Pulling her gently, he lead her into a cave. In the corner, was a reed mat which Pebble must sleep in. A small stone ledge had pots and plates placed upon it. Meat and dried fruit hung from the ceiling, swinging slightly in the wind. Spices were in small pots on the floor. “Lie down.” Pebble led Swallowtail to the reed mat and let her lie on it. He then struck two sticks together to create a small fire. Pebble dropped the sticks onto a pile of driftwood that had been lying in a small pile. At once, a fire roared into life, the flickering flames casting dancing light upon the walls. Warmth drifted to Swallowtail who curled up. Pebble grabbed a piece of meat and offered it to Swallowtail. “Beef?” Swallowtail looked at it. “A bit.” She sighed. Pebble immediately tor off a small piece and gave it to her. “Thanks.” Swallowtail chewed with gusto. Goldblack looked at her, wide eyes open. “Oh well.” Swallowtail gave the rest of her meat to her and Goldblack chewed at the hard meat. “So,” Pebble tossed an apple at Swallowtail. “Who are you?” “I’m Swallowtail.” Swallowtail said, crunching the apple. Pebble looked her up and down. “I’m a hybrid.” Swallowtail added. Pebble glanced at her and smiled shyly. “I’m also a hybrid.” Swallowtail flicked her orange tail. “What kind of hybrid?” She asked. “Oh. SkyWing SeaWing.” Swallowtail scanned Pebble up and down. Although he was mostly an emerald green SeaWing, Swallowtail saw red, orange and gold veins crisscrossing in the gaps between his scales and instead of the SeaWing glow-in-the-dark stripes on his wings, there was red and gold veins. “So.” Pebble said, placing a hanging a stone pot on some bamboo that he had made over the fire. “How did you come here?” Swallowtail flicked her wingbuds. “The SkyWings and RainWings captured mom, dad and Juniper. That’s why I ran here.” Goldblack stretched herself and padded over to lodge herself in Swallowtail’s tail curve. “I’m sorry.” Pebble said. “I came here because my mother, Ember of the SkyWings, was deathly sick. She managed to carry me here in hope my father would care for me.” Pebble snorted, his green nostrils flaring. “Well, Seaweed wasn’t pleased at all. He said that I was not his dragonet.” He hung his head. “So mother cared for me best she could. But she died in the end.” Pebble rubbed his eyes. “So I had to stick up for myself after that.” Something flew into the cave, a green, yellow and black something. Dou Dou. “JUNIPER DUNGEON! JUNIPER DUNGEON!” He screeched. Pebble leapt backwards, in shock. “Dou Dou!” Swallowtail let the bedraggled bird land on her shoulder. Goldblack stared hungrily at Dou Dou. “We better go.” Swallowtail said, pulling at Pebble’s arm. 
Chapter Five
”Which dungeon?” Pebble asked, stirring some soup. “No idea.” Swallowtail said, gratefully accepting the bowel of stewed rice and meat that Pebble was offering her. “But, I think it’s the RainWing one. Rosette said that Lemon had tried to steal one of Queen Elegance’s eggs. So yeah.” Swallowtail tipped some meat into another bowel which she offered to Goldblack who lapped it up quickly. “Ok.” Pebble grabbed a large lead and started to draw a sketchy map of Pyrrhia. “So I think we’re here.” Pebble stabbed a dot somewhere near the Kingdom of Sea. “The Rainforest is here.” Pebble drew a large blotch on the leaf. “I think it’s about… Three days.” Swallowtail’s stomach lurched and she almost choked on her stew. Two days. That’s when my Metamorphosis starts. I might not be able to make it. Pebble glanced at her, his gaze filled with concern. “Are you alright?” He asked. Swallowtail shook as if her whole body was covered in ice. “My Metamorphosis starts in threw days.” Pebble gritted his teeth. “Then we’ll have to do it quickly.” Together, they sipped their stew while Dou Dou chattered in the background.
Swallowtail was awake at dawn. She sat on top of the tree under which she and Pebble had camped that night, watching the sky turn pink, yellow and red. With a stab of pain, Swallowtail remembered Rosette’s scales, Juniper’s favorite color and how Lemon loved to watch the pink of the sunset. Her wingbuds seemed to flare, if they were real wings, they would have flicked. “Swallowtail?” Pebble’s soft voice broke through her thoughts. Startled, Swallowtail almost toppled out of the tree. “W-what?” She asked. “Here.” Pebble handed her a ruby red strawberry. “Eat this. You’re going to need it.” “Thanks.” Swallowtail swallowed the berry in one gulp. “We’re really going to do it, aren’t we?” Pebble clasped her talons in his. “We are.” Most of that day was spent on traveling by air, Pebble carrying Swallowtail across a few mountains, meadows and lakes. As Swallowtail was slightly heavy, he had to rest frequently, landing in caves and ditches. Night fell, the two full moons shining in the sky. The third, was a crescent, a thin line of silver, like a scythe. As Pebble went to catch something edible, other than a few mushrooms, Swallowtail practiced her warrior moves. Kick, dodge, venom, punch, claw. Swallowtail faced a tree, punching and kicking it. “Ouch!” Swallowtail sucked on her bruised claws. Pretend it’s Queen Elegance. Her brain whispered. Swallowtail narrowed her eyes, remembering the small picture that Lemon kept. Slowly, she remembered the narrow, yellow eyes, flaring green ruff and conniving smile. With a sudden burst of ferocity, she kicked the tree, shaking some leaves off the branches. “Swallowtail! Dinner!” Swallowtail dashed back her and Pebble’s makeshift camp. A small fire burned, the yellow flames licking the branches that Pebble had placed. A chicken was roasting on a stick, Pebble was occasionally turning the stick so that the chicken would be evenly cooked. Goldblack was eyeing the chicken hungrily. Dou Dou was pecking at some dandelion seeds. Pebble smiled at her as Swallowtail sat down on a smooth stone. “You came just in time. I’ve just finished roasting it.” Pebble slid the chicken smoothly off the stick and gave it to her. He then produced another dead chicken and started to roast that too. “Why do you have to roast them?” Swallowtail asked. “To make it crunchy.” Pebble replied simply. Swallowtail tore a long, thick strip of chicken off the body and threw it to Goldblack who gulped it in one. Munching on chicken, Swallowtail watched Pebble road there second chicken, his green scales turned yellow in the firelight. Once the chicken was cooked, they sat talking to each other. “So, let’s play the have you game.” Pebble said cheerfully, tearing at his chicken. “Ok.” Swallowtails said tentatively. “I’ll start. Swallowtail, have you ever tasted a slug?” Pebble asked. Swallowtail wrinkled her nose. “Of course I haven’t. Why?” Pebble grimaced. “I have. It’s so disgusting. So slimy and gooey.” Swallowtail smothered a giggle. “Ok. My turn. Pebble, have you ever kissed something?” Pebble started to blush profusely. “Uh, um… FINE. I’ve kissed a hippo, happy?” Swallowtail let out a shred of laughter, nearly falling off her stone. Tears streamed out of her eyes as she laughed hysterically. Pebble growled. “Ok.” Swallowtail spluttered herself back to seriousness. “Should we continue or should we turn in early?” “Turn in early, I’ve had enough humiliation for one night.” Pebble spread out two mats and they lay down, watching the stars twinkling overhead.
Chapter Six
It was dawn. Swallowtail and Pebble were now traveling by foot towards the rainforest, through the dense marshes. “Uhh!” Swallowtail hopped back from a mud puddle. “Why is it so dirty here?” She moaned. Pebble wrinkled his nose. “I’m too tired to fly so this is what we have to do.” “Oh well.” Swallowtail leapt over another puddle. “How many more hours until we get to the rainforest?” She asked. Pebble glanced at the sky. “I think… about five more hours.” Swallowtail slipped and landed in the mud. “WHAT?” She spluttered. Pebble raised his eyebrows (if dragons have eyebrows). “Fine.” Swallowtail grumbled. They trudged on for five hours in the sludge until Swallowtail stopped abruptly. “Is this where…” She trailed off. Pebble looked up at the vast treetops. “Yes. It is.” Goldblack suddenly leapt lightly onto Swallowtail’s shoulder. “This is it Goldblack.” She murmured. Dou Dou chittered in the background as he flapped overhead. “Hey Pebble,” Swallowtail said. “Have you thought about how we’re going to go into a secret underground dungeon in the middle of a rainforest that could be infested with RainWings?” Pebble looked at her, confused. “I thought that was your plan.” He said. Something suddenly landed right in front of them. A RainWing. The RainWing’s claws shot towards their throat so that they were unable to move. “Who are you?” Swallowtail rasped. The RainWing looked at her with dark, purple eyes. “I’m Mulberry.” She said. “Daughter of Queen Elegance and the one who got stolen and found as an egg.” Her eyes met Swallowtail’s. “Stolen by your father.” She hissed. “Kill is then.” Swallowtail growled. “If it’s so important.” Mulberry stopped. “I don’t kill dragons who can’t fight back.” She muttered. “I’ve come to help you wingless.” Mulberry growled. Swallowtail hissed audibly. “Come on.” Mulberry swished her tail to signal them to follow. “I’ll hide you in my maid-Kiwi’s room. No one ever goes there.” Mulberry led them through some of the most tangled undergrowth, thorns and brambles stinging them. “Shhh.” Mulberry hushed them with a flick of her wing. Another RainWing materialized out of the shadows. “I’m Kiwi.” She hissed. “Follow me.” Mulberry suddenly stopped them with a swish if her tail. “Mother!” Queen Elegance was approaching the ferns, her flower necklaces swinging. “Quickly!” Kiwi swept them off, leading Pebble and Swallowtail away from the Queen and her daughter. They approached a small tree house, connected to the ground by ladders. “This will be quicker.” Kiwi grabbed Swallowtail under her arm and hoisted her up into the tree. “I know how to climb.” Swallowtail snapped. Swinging from branch to branch was slightly more difficult than climbing on silk ropes. Swallowtail dug her talons into the bark and bounded up the trunk. Goldblack followed her, leaping on the thickest branches until they reached the treehouse. Kiwi brushed the flower curtains to one side and stood aside to let her and Pebble inside. It was a cosy little place, a small hammock bed in the corner, a neat little carved table in another. A few baskets of fruit hung near the table. “Mulberry’s coming soon.” Kiwi said, pouring some weird liquid into wooden cups. “Make yourself at home.” She offered them the cups. “This is tea.” She said, noticing their questioning looks. Swallowtail sipped cautiously, tasting it. “Mm! Nice!” Swallowtail finished drinking. The sound of flapping wings was suddenly heard. Mulberry slid through the curtains, looking around cautiously. “I found out where the dungeons are.” She said, accepting some tea. “Hidden door behind a rock near the waterfall. I’ll lead you to it tomorrow.” Tomorrow. That’s my Metamorphosis day. Swallowtail gulped. “For now,” Mulberry smiled, swirls of pink splashed across her scales. “Like Kiwi said, make yourself at home.”
Chapter Seven
That night, Swallowtail slept badly. She kept on slipping into dreams that included her mother becoming a skeleton, Lemon offering her an apple that turned into a pebble the moment that she ate it. Queen Elegance’s face smiled evilly down at her. Giving up on sleep, Swallowtail slid off her reed mat, careful not to dislodge Goldblack. 
“Dou Dou.” Swallowtail called. The budgie flew down and landed on her shoulder. Swallowtail looked up and gazed at the moons. All three moons were crescents, curved, pointed. I can’t wait anymore. “Dou Dou.” Swallowtail whispered.
”Take me to my parents.”
Dou Dou took off, drifting silently on his wings. Swallowtail followed him on foot, treading slowly on the dirt. Dou Dou lead her to the bottom a vast, towering tree. A large grey boulder was position weirdly at the foot of a waterfall. Dou Dou landed on the boulder, squawking “Move it, move it!” Swallowtail gulped as she saw how huge the boulder was. But, she pressed her shoulder against it and pushed. Slowly, very slowly, the boulder shifted an inch. But just enough for Swallowtail to slip in. She was in a dark, long tunnel. As she stepped in, flames appeared in brackets on the walls. Something red was splattered on the walls, something like blood. 
Swallowtail shivered. Dou Dou ruffled his feathers, eyeing the tunnel with beady black eyes. 
“This is what you’ve come here for.” She murmured. The bloodstains grew as Swallowtail edged down the tunnel, careful not to step in them. Wait. She heard something behind her. Swallowtail turned around and saw nothing. Must have been a mistake. She thought. A low moan distracted her from her thoughts. “Juniper?” She called softly. “Swallowtail?” Replied the voice. Excited, Swallowtail hurried down the tunnel until she reached an underground prison. Flames flickered in the brackets on the walls. Shadows were cast. It was an eerie, creepy place. Swallowtail suddenly saw red scales up ahead! “Juniper!” Her sister was lying on the floor, cuts and scars marring her once pretty face. She looked up at Swallowtail with gaunt, hollow eyes. Seeing her sister must have jerked Juniper out of her trance for she leapt up and clutched Swallowtail’s claws. “What are you doing?” She hissed. “I-“ Swallowtail stopped speaking. Because there was someone behind her. 
“Hello wingless. I hoped you would come back.” It was the Queen of the RainWings. With Mulberry behind her. Swallowtail was frozen to the ground in shock. Regaining her senses, she launched herself at Mulberry, giving away to animalistic rage. “TRAITOR!” She shrieked, claws extended towards Mulberry’s throat. Perhaps it was the shock of Swallowtail attacking her or maybe Mulberry was just sometimes a bit slow. Anyway, Swallowtail managed to grasp Mulberry by the throat, holding her on the floor. “How dare you betray me and Pebble, you, you bee brain.” Swallowtail panted, hissing. For some mysterious reason, Elegance did not move to help her daughter. Instead, she eyed Mulberry coldly with her shining, ice blue eyes. 
“Mulberry.” Queen Elegance said, her voice milky smooth. “This is your fate. Change it or let it happen.” Mulberry stared into Swallowtail’s furious eyes, her expression suddenly grave.
”I accept my fate.” Mulberry whispered. Then, she looked at Swallowtail. “Do it then.” Swallowtail found that she couldn’t bare killing someone. “No.” She said. “But I will never forgive you.” Queen Elegance smiled at this. “We’ll done, wingless dragon.” She sneered. “Guards, take her to a cell.” Materializing behind her, two guards grasped Swallowtail’s arms and thrust her into a another cell. 
“And as for the spare,” Queen Elegance’s eyes gleamed in the dark, like chips of ice. 
“We’ll put him next to her.” Kiwi appeared suddenly and pushed Pebble into the cell next to Swallowtail. “Goodbye, wingless.” Queen Elegance swept out of the room, followed by Kiwi and the guards. Mulberry however, lagged behind, looking at Swallowtail with what looked like pity. “I’m sorry.” Mulberry mouthed. She disappeared down the tunnel. Swallowtail looked at Juniper. “Where’s Rosette and Lemon?” She asked. Juniper’s eyes bled tears. 
“They’re… dead.” She gasped. Swallowtail lurched back, as if hit by a fist. “No.” Swallowtail gasped in horror. She felt tears well in her own eyes, sliding down her scales. Swallowtail closed her eyes and let out all of her pain in one, wordless shriek which echoed around the chamber. A talon placed itself on her shoulder. “It’s alright.” Pebble looked at her, eyes glowing in the dark. “Don’t forget that my mother died. We can bear this all together.” He reached through the cell bars and grasped her own hand. “It’s my Metamorphosis day!” Swallowtail gasped. “I think about two more hours!” Juniper groaned. “How are you supposed to escape then?” “Are you Swallowtail?” A new voice rang around the prison. 
“Yes.” Swallowtail said at length. 
“I’m Constellation.” Said the NightWing who popped her head through the cell bars. “I’ve been dreaming about you.” Whispered Constellation. “Always the same words.” She closed her eyes and recited. 
“From the stars in the sky, 
To the plants in the ground, 
A Queen of Rain, a Queen of Lies. 
A dragonet named after a butterfly’s name. 
One that cannot be the same. 
Many challenges this dragon will face, 
Her life’s not a challenge nor a race. 
Her destiny however, is more than a life. 
But her family will be cut off as if with a knife. 
Remember her name, remember this dragon. 
Swallowtail.” 
Swallowtail looked at Constellation and rolled her eyes. “Sooooooooooo.” She said, stretching her ‘so’. Constellation blinked. “It’s a prophecy.” She explained. Swallowtail huffed and looked back at the door, standing tantalizingly near. “Didn’t you say it was your Metamorthing today?” Pebble asked. “Metamorphosis.” Said Juniper, flicking her wings. “When do they bring food?” Swallowtail asked. Juniper shuddered. “Once every day. Always the same. Meat.” “Oooooook.” Swallowtail said slowly. She felt woozy and sick all of a sudden. Her wrists seem to hurt a bit and, unless it was her imagination, very cold. “Hey, are you alright Swallowtail?” Constellation asked, peering at her through the bars. “I gueeeesssss soooooo.” Swallowtail said, slurring her words a little. “Oh no.” Juniper said, worried. “It’s now. Her Metamorphosis is now.” Swallowtails wrists became so cold that they seemed to burn her. “Wristsssss. Huuuuuurt.” She moaned. Swallowtail slumped against tht stone wall. Her wrists started to produce some kind of icy blue silk. She couldn’t quite discern it through her haziness. The silk wrapped around her, soothing every part of her body it touched. Swallowtail closed her eyes, and let the darkness claim her. 
Chapter Eight 
Now, we must change to another dragon’s perspective, as Swallowtail sleeps in her moonsilk dark cocoon. Let’s hop into Pebble’s perspective. “Swallowtail!” Pebble looked at Swallowtail, obscured by her silk cocoon. “What’s this silk?” He asked Juniper and Constellation. 
“It’s icesilk.” Juniper said in awe. “The first one in four centuries.” 
“Really?” Constellation asked. 
“Yes.” Juniper said. Pebble looked between them, confused. 
“So what are we going to do now?” He asked. Constellation took out something. A leaf. 
“My friend, Cherry Blossom, a LeafWing, gave me this. If I need help, she said, all I need to do is to speak to this plant.” Constellation raised the little leaf and spoke to it, like a mad dragon. 
“Help me! I’m trapped in the RainWing Prison! HEEEEELP!” Pebble stared at Constellation. “What in the name of Ember are you doing?” He asked. Constellation ignored him, studying the leaf. Pebble looked back at Swallowtail’s cocoon. Wait, something was tapping on stone. Claws. Pebble tensed, eyes staring at the door. A LeafWing marched in, with dark green scales and bright green eyes. Her eyes narrowed as they spotted Constellation. “Cherry Blossom!” Constellation clutched the bars of her cage. “Where are the keys?” Cherry Blossom asked. “In that box over there.” Juniper sounded weary and weak. With one ferocious kick, Cherry Blossom opened the box and took out a ring of keys. 
Click! Click! Click! Click! Cherry Blossom opened each of their cages, finally dragging Swallowtail’s cocoon out. “This, is, awfully, heavy.” Panted Cherry Blossom as she pulled Swallowtail’s cocoon out. “How about the guards?” Pebble asked. Cherry Blossom rolled her eyes. “Easy. Just knocked them out with a mixture of poppy seed and sleeping dart.” Juniper kept to a corner, dragging her sister’s cocoon along. 
“Stop.” Constellation’s ear twitched. “Someone’s here.” A pair of claws clicked on the stone. 
“Let me.” Pebble said. The dragonets stuck to the cave walls, careful to hide behind stalagmites. A RainWing walked by, wearing necklaces of white flowers. Queen Elegance! Pebble shivered. It was up to him now. Pebble crouched down, preparing to spring. As Elegance walked past, about to spot his friends, Pebble leaped at her. Pebble’s claws connected with Elegance’s shoulder, ripping off the flowers and digging into her muscles, drawing blood. Queen Elegance reacted so fast Pebble was thrown backwards as she lurched upwards. “Oh no you don’t.” Growled Pebble. Elegance lashed her tail, whipping him in the face. Pebble grabbed her prehensile tail and swung Elegance around, using her own tail. Queen Elegance smashed into stalactites, snarling as she did so. Pebble threw her away, his muscles aching with the effort. Breathing heavily, Pebble looked back at his friends. Constellation looked awed. Juniper looked stunned. Cherry Blossom meanwhile, was carefully cleaning her talons of dirt. 
“Let’s go.” Pebble turned and marched out of the tunnel. 
An owl hooted in the distance. Pebble gazed out, watching the stars. It’s today. Swallowtail’s cocoon opens today. He thought. RRRRRIP! The silk cocoon ripped down the middle and something poked out. A tail. A pinkish orange tail. “SWALLOWTAIL!” Pebble cried out joyfully. A head poked out. “Hello Pebble.” Swallowtail said, rather shyly. She slid out of the cocoon and flared her wings. They were beautiful. Flaming red and orange with dripping gold. “Oh put away those flappers.” Cherry Blossom grumbled. 
Swallowtail sighed. “Who are you?” She asked pointedly. 
”Cherry Blossom.” Replied the LeafWing, staring at her with unblinking vivid green eyes. 
“Aaaaaaaand we are where?” Swallowtail asked, looking out at the tall, imposing mountains. 
“SkyWing territory seed brain.” Cherry Blossom said waspishly. Pebble rolled his eyes. 
“Cherry Blossom, there’s no need to be all snappy and all that.” He said, plucking some grass of the ground and shredding it. 
“Let me see your silk.” Juniper said. Swallowtail held out a wrist and produced a long, thin strand of bright, ice blue silk. 
“Wow.” Constellation stared at the silk as if it was a piece of the moon. “This is like so cool.” Swallowtail blinked. 
“I don’t get it. It’s much more colder than the silk m-mother used to produce.” Swallowtail’s voice wavered a little as she thought about her dead mother. 
“It’s icesilk. Meant for freezing things.” Said Cherry Blossom as if explaining the obvious. Swallowtail longed to wrap the irritating LeafWing in her newly developed silk. 
“Anyway. How are we supposed to overthrow Queen Elegance?” She asked. Juniper looked at her in surprise. 
”Why?” Swallowtail looked back at her sister questioningly. 
”Why what?” 
”Why do you want to overthrow Elegance?” Juniper asked. 
”Because…” Swallowtail trailed off, thinking. “Because I know that Queen Elegance isn’t supposed to rule. She’s too vain, too obsessed with herself.” Constellation suddenly gripped her head with her talons. 
“Nonononono!” She muttered, her words all mushed together. 
“What?” Everybody asked. Constellation raised her purple eyes to meet theirs. 
”Queen Elegance is, is inviting an animus to do a job.” 
Chapter Nine 
The wind howled fiercely as the storm lashed at the flying dragons. “How much further?” Swallowtail practically screamed over the thunder. 
“Not far!” Pebble yelled back. Constellation and Cherry Blossom were supporting Juniper who’s wounds were still healing. I’ll never forget that traitor, Mulberry. Swallowtail thought fiercely, a growl rumbling in her throat as she thought bout the purple RainWing. Her new, four wings beat in the air, raindrops slithering of them. They were currently flying through the Mud Kingdom, towards the Rainforest. Constellation had said that the animus Queen Elegance had invited was currently creating something of which she couldn’t tell. 
“There! There’s the Rainforest!” Pebble cried. Swallowtail felt a shiver that had nothing to do with the icy winds. 
“Careful!” She said. “RainWings might be near!” Together, the five dragonets landed on a patch of wet rocks. Juniper turned her scales to a darker, more inconspicuous red, close to maroon. 
“Everyone behind me.” She ordered. “I can camouflage you all.” They huddled behind Juniper until Swallowtail felt something slither on her tail. She looked down and screamed. 
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Swallowtail shook her tail in fear as the slug slipped onto the ground. She immediately climbed on top of a tree in fright. 
“What?” Constellation asked. 
”SLUG!” Swallowtail screeched. Cherry Blossom looked annoyed. 
“So what?” She said, crushing the slug with one wet claw. Juniper giggled. 
“Swallowtail’s terrified of slugs ever since she stepped on one and tried to lick it off.” She giggled. Swallowtail shot Juniper a very dirty look. 
“Let’s keep on going.” Pebble said, his tail twitching in amusement. 
The Rainforest was wet and muddy when they walked in. Swallowtail hated how her talons squelched into the mud with every step. 
“Stop!” Constellation hissed suddenly. Footsteps were heard. “Shhhhh.” Juniper immediately flared out her wings and turned them to camouflage to conceal the others. Swallowtail peeked under her sister’s wing and saw a blue RainWing come out of the trees, his scales dappled with splashes of green. Beside this dragon, was Queen Elegance, her magenta and indigo scales rippling with stripes of pink. 
“My queen,” Said the blue dragon in an oily, unctuous voice. “The project will be ready in two weeks time. I just need your daughters to come by and help me with some things.” 
“Yes. You may take my daughters.” Queen Elegance said, her wings settling in a royal kind of stance. The animus nodded. 
“Thank you, my queen.” He said. 
”No matter, with your magic, I can rule the continents. Come with me, Parrot.” Elegance lead Parrot away from Swallowtail, Juniper, Pebble, Constellation and Cherry Blossom. Cherry Blossom’s face was suddenly a mask, showing no emotion, no feeling. 
”Parrot.” She said, her voice unnaturally calm, smooth, soft. Before Swallowtail could ask, Cherry Blossom spoke again. “I once met Parrot while visiting the Rainforest with my parents. When he met me, he said that I could request anything. Anything. At that time, I was just like any other LeafWing. Hotheaded, rude and irritable. Naturally, I asked for the thing I craved most of all. Power. And he gave me it. So much that I was nearly killed by it. He made me another animus. My parents found out and they were greedy dragons. They wanted to use my power to become king and queen. They told me that if I disobeyed them, they would disown me. Finally, I did my final enchantment. On myself. I enchanted myself to become a normal dragon. All this happened because of Parrot. Ever since, I’ve wanted revenge.” Cherry Blossom looked at Swallowtail, her fierce green eyes glowing slightly. 
”And this is my chance to get it.” 
Constellation looked startled, her purple eyes wide. Juniper was glancing warily at the trees. Pebble however, was beside Swallowtail, his thick tail touching hers. Wait. Something was wrong. Swallowtail’s antennae pricked, sensing something. Suddenly, a dozen RainWings materialized around them, snarling and pointing darts. 
”Well well well. Look what we have here.” Queen Elegance said, her eyes glinting maliciously. Parrot looked triumphant. Swallowtail and the others went back to back, claws out. Pebble lashed his tail while Cherry Blossom hissed. 
“Oh Parrot, look. These small midgets are going to fight us.” Elegance said, amusement glinting in her eyes. 
Parrot grinned. “Just what I wanted. Hello Cherry Blossom. Long time no see.” Cherry Blossom growled, showing her sharp, gleaming teeth. 
“How dare you.” She snarled. Swallowtail looked from RainWing to RainWing, looking for a weak spot. We have to fight. Swallowtail flicked her wing to signal the others to get ready. Without waiting for a signal, Cherry Blossom launched herself at Parrot. Swallowtail followed, leaping at a guard with deep orange scales. Juniper pounced on another guard while Pebble aimed at Elegance. Constellation kicked at a guard who was trying to attack Juniper. Swallowtail clawed at the guard’s scales, letting her claws rip into his skin. He roared in pain while blood gushed out. Juniper spat venom onto her guard, the black liquid splattering on his wing. The guard screamed in pain and clawed blindly at Juniper. Pebble swung his tail at Elegance, knocking her off her feet. He tor at the queen’s wing but Pebble accidentally tripped and fell on the ground. Cherry Blossom meanwhile, was a raging beast of fury. She kicked, slashed, clawed and bit without mercy at Parrot. Constellation however, was trying to stay out as much as possible, her eyes scared and glittering. Swallowtail let loose strand of thick, strong icesilk which she wrapped around Elegance and Parrot. Then, she lashed the silk at the guards who roared with pain as the freezing silk hit them. 
“Fly!” Swallowtail roared. Her friends took off into the sky, leaving the RainWings behind them. Swallowtail heard something, the animus was shouting something. 
”I enchant this dagger to follow the dragonets!” A flash of silver. 
“No!” Swallowtail shot silk at it, wrapping it tightly. The dagger wriggled furiously, slashing the silk into pieces. Constellation suddenly pushed Swallowtail aside and breathed a hot stream of fire onto the dagger. It melted the metal, oozing down until the dagger was nothing but ashes. 
“Run!” Pebble shouted. Together, the five dragonets took off, flapping their wings as fast as ever towards the heart of the Rainforest. Swallowtail saw Cherry Blossom throwing something which immediately started to grow into a huge, thorny looking net. She heard a scream of fury and crashed into the canopy of trees. Swallowtail remembered stumbling in a daze, seeing a few lumps of scales and limbs beside her until everything went dark. 
Chapter Ten 
”Nasty crash you just had there. Do you need more herbs? Food? Water?” Swallowtail opened her eyes blearily. A RainWing was sitting in front of her, holding a few leaves and fruit in her claws. Swallowtail jumped up, ready to fight. The RainWing considered Swallowtail for a moment, then, stuffed an apple into her mouth. 
“Wo arf yof?” Swallowtail said, furiously trying to talk around the apple. The RainWing shrugged. 
”My name’s Kapok.” Said the RainWing, poking and pinching Pebble. Pebble suddenly gasped and shot up, ramrod straight. Kapok frowned and poured some kind of herbal drink into Pebble’s mouth. Choking a little, Pebble’s body started to relax. 
”Where are we?” He asked Swallowtail. Then, Pebble noticed Kapok. He leapt to his feat, face drawn back in a snarl. “Who are you, RainWing?” He growled. 
“My name’s Kapok.” Replied Kapok, moving over to Juniper. 
“What do you want with us? Are you working with Elegance?” Pebble hissed. Kapok rolled his blue eyes. 
”Well, you guys crashed into a few trees near my treehouse and nearly ruined my garden. So I had to bring you up here and heal you didn’t I. Annnd, I would never work with that old pear because she took my son so that he could marry her daughter. So why would I help her?” Kapok scratched long marks into the wood. Juniper suddenly gasped and her wings twitched. Her eyes opened and she sat up, wings opening and closing. 
“Where am I?” She asked. Swallowtail opened her mouth to speak before Constellation and Cherry Blossom woke up. So, instead of watching Kapok explain everything yet again, Swallowtail started to speak. Only then did Cherry Blossom notice Kapok. 
”Why have you brought us here?” She snarled. 
“Just listen to Swallowtail.” Kapok said wearily. So, Swallowtail started to say everything that Kapok had told her. 
“So. What do you think that Parrot wants with Queen Elegance’s daughters?” Constellation asked. Kapok looked at them curiously. 
”What? What’s this about Elegance’s daughters?” He asked. Pebble obligingly started to tell him about what they had overheard. 
“I think that Parrot wants Elegance’s daughters to do something for him.” Juniper said slowly. “Or, they might have something that Parrot needs to use for whatever he’s making for Elegance.” Swallowtail looked at Juniper. 
“How did you know he’s making something for her?” She asked. Juniper thought for a moment. 
“It just seems right.” She finally said. 
“So how are we going to find out what Parrot is doing?” Cherry Blossom asked. Kapok rubbed his tempals. 
“You need to see it.” He said. Swallowtail stuffed a few pears into her mouth. “We’ll then, let’s go.” 
The leaves rustled as Swallowtail, Pebble, Juniper, Cherry Blossom, Constellation and Kapok brushed past, Kapok leading them towards the royal treehouse. Swallowtail’s muscles were tense, ready to spring into action if a guard came for them. 
“There.” Kapok whispered. “See that smaller treehouse?” He pointed his tail at a small treehouse, tucked into the space between the larger one and the tree. “I’ll have to leave you. Good luck.” Kapok left with a flutter of his wings. Swallowtail stared at the treehouses. 
“Let me do it.” Hissed Juniper. “I can do camouflage.” Juniper’s scales faded into the background until Swallowtail’ sister was invisible. Not knowing when Juniper would come back, Swallowtail sat down, playing with a small strand of cool silk. Unease settled inside her chest, making her breaths shallow. 
”I need to go after them.” She said finally. Pebble looked at her and Swallowtail saw concern in his green eyes. 
”Be careful.” He said. Cherry Blossom took one of the pouches from under her wing and slung it over Swallowtail’s wing. 
“This pouch contains sleeping darts. Blow them towards enemies using this.” She pointed at a small dart blower. 
”If I’m not back in a few minutes, charge in.” Swallowtail said. The others nodded. Spreading her four wings, Swallowtail launched herself into the air. Gliding silently through the trees, Swallowtail spotted a flicker of movement near the base of the tree. Juniper! Swallowtail dived down and grabbed her sister. Juniper spun around, claws up. 
“Oh. It’s you.” She said. Swallowtail looked at her claws. 
“I was worried.” Swallowtail said. Juniper glared at her. 
”Come on. I heard voices.” Juniper crept slowly up the tree, her scales shifting towards the woody brown of the bark. Swallowtail suddenly heard something too. Voices. Slightly muffled but still distinct. 
”So… What do you want with me?” Said a female dragon’s voice. 
”Come over here. I’ve got something for you.” Parrot’s voice. Footsteps. 
”What is this?” The dragoness’s voice grew a little higher. A scream rent the air, quickly muffled by something. Swallowtail poked her snout slowly into the leaf folds. A terrible sight met her eyes. A beautiful pink dragon was lying on the floor, eyes dull. Parrot was standing over her, a silver dagger in his claws. Slowly, Parrot bent down and sliced off the dragoness’s wings. Then, he muttered something and the wings became small stumps, scales knitting over the wounds. Holding the two bloody pink wings, Parrot said something again and pushed a tub under a wing. Horrified, Swallowtail watched as the color seemed to drain out of the wing, like water. It splashed into the tub which, Swallowtail now saw was full of other swirling colors. Swallowtail looked at Juniper, both of their gazes filled with horror, disgust and sadness. Now, Swallowtail realized that Parrot was actually draining RainWing princess’s colors to create something. 
“We need to go.” Swallowtail said to Juniper, quietly. Juniper nodded, her eyes closed. Together, they leapt silently off the tree and fluttered down to land beside the others. Pebble breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her. Swallowtail blushed. Constellation looked at Swallowtail and Juniper, her gaze questioning. 
“So. What did you see?” Constellation asked. Juniper shuddered. 
”It was horrible.” Juniper shook herself as if trying to get rid of some mud. “Do you know what Parrot is doing to the RainWing princesses?” Cherry Blossom narrowed her eyes. 
”No. Tell us.” 
”Parrot murdered the princess and cut off her scales. He said something to make the color a liquid and tipped it into a tub.” Swallowtail said bluntly. Constellation gasped. Pebble’s eyes widened while Cherry Blossom’s tail lashed the ground. Something made Swallowtail feel as if someone was watching her. A prickling sensation in her wingtips. All she remembered was Pebble’s eyes widening in horror. Something hard smashing upon her skull. All was blackness. 
When Swallowtail awoke, she found herself bound to a boulder. Struggling, she looked around. A pair of eyes gleamed in the shadows. 
”YOU!” Swallowtail roared. Parrot grinned as he emerged. 
“You were so foolish to come back. Now, you get the pleasure of seeing exactly what I do.” Parrot pulled someone from the shadows. Swallowtail recognized the purplish black scales, the elegant snout. 
”Mulberry!” 
Chapter Eleven 
Mulberry was cringing from Parrot, fear written plainly on her face. 
“Please help me!” Mulberry cried. 
“You betrayed us!” Pebble roared, waking. Juniper glared at Mulberry while Constellation and Cherry Blossom hissed. Mulberry winced. 
”I’m sorry!” She said. Parrot suddenly threw her to the ground and metal cuffs appeared on Mulberry’s tail, neck, arms and legs. 
“No!” Swallowtail couldn’t believe her eyes. She struggled against her cuffs. An idea suddenly struck her. A small strand of icesilk snaked out from her wrists. It froze her ropes which snapped. Parrot looked up in surprise just as Swallowtail leapt. She landed on his back, shooting strands of silk at Pebble and Juniper. Cherry Blossom used her teeth to draw out a dagger which she used to cut her and Constellation’s ropes. 
“NO!” Parrot roared. Time seemed to freeze. Swallowtail couldn’t move an inch. Pebble panted and slid out from under her. She fell with a crash to the ground, unable to move. 
“Oh well.” Parrot snarled. “I will not use purple.” He took out a small glass prism and dipped it into the tub of stolen colors. As if by magic (which it must have been), the prism seemed to suck up the colors. It turned blinding white. No! Swallowtail desperately tried to move, tried to blink. She couldn’t. Parrot held up the prism. “Do you want to know what this is?” He asked. Swallowtail glared at him. Parrot touched the prism to a vine. It withered before their eyes. Juniper gasped. 
“How, how could you?” She asked. Parrot hissed menacingly. 
“Queen Elegance requested something that she could use to conquer Pyrrhia. Watch this.” Parrot held the prism up to the light. Red, orange, yellow, green and blue lights shot out of the prism. The lights landed on the walls which burned to ash. With a lazy flick of his claw, Parrot made the treehouse regrow again. 
”Why don’t you just kill us and be done with it?” Swallowtail growled. Parrot grinned again. 
“Because, the queen and I would just love to watch your faces as your home burns to the ground. Then, you’ll be put into the dungeons that me and the queen will build in the peninsula. You can watch us turn Pyrrhia into a rainforest with my magic.” Parrot let loose a maniacal laugh. If Swallowtail could move, she would have punched Parrot right in his smug, irritable face. With another flick of his claw, Parrot made everything back to normal. Mulberry kept on struggling. With an evil smile, Parrot raised a dagger over the RainWing Princess. 
“You know,” Parrot said. “I never understand the difference between good and evil. Let’s say, if I killed you.” He pointed at Mulberry. “It would obviously seem evil right? But to the queen, it will seem good. So does it matter what we do or who’s perspective is important?” Swallowtail could not speak. She snarled at Parrot but not in disgust. Even though Swallowtail hated him, she could not deny Parrot made sense. A flash of silver as Parrot slashed the dagger through the air, poised to spear into Mulberry’s heart. 
“No!” Cherry Blossom threw herself onto Mulberry and there was a spurt of crimson blood. 
”CHERRY BLOSSOM!” Constellation screeched. Cherry Blossom smiled weakly at her friend, the silver dagger in her chest. 
“You were always my best friend.” Cherry Blossom whispered. Constellation started to weep. “I couldn’t let him kill you.” Cherry Blossom let out a long, heavy sigh. “And I’ll be able to see Aspen again.” As blood trickled down the LeafWing’s chest, Cherry Blossom’s eyes gazed sightlessly at Constellation. Parrot hissed in fury. Mulberry looked shocked. Even though Swallowtail had never been on speaking terms with Cherry Blossom, she felt grief wash over her. Pebble looked as though he’d just seen his mother die. Juniper stared in horror at Parrot. 
”No matter. No matter.” Parrot hissed. He kicked Cherry Blossom’s body off Mulberry and raised his claws. 
“Never!” Constellation launched herself at Parrot, landing directly on his wings, ripping his wing membranes. Parrot roared in agony and thrashed, trying to throw Constellation off. There was suddenly a sharp rat-att-tat-tat on the door. 
“Parrot, have you finished with the prism?” Elegance’s voice called. Parrot froze, his claws at Constellation’s throat. With a glare at all of them, Parrot’s wing healed and his cuts disappeared. He sauntered towards the door. A lot of things happened. Swallowtail shot a thin strand of silk at Mulberry’s cuffs which snapped open. Constellation and Juniper heaved Cherry Blossom off the floor and hauled her towards the window. As they took off, Swallowtail glanced back at Elegance and Parrot who had just entered the room. Taking out the sleeping darts Cherry Blossom had given her, Swallowtail shot two darts at Elegance who collapsed. Swallowing away her grief for Cherry Blossom, Swallowtail and her friends flew off, away from the Rainforest. 
Chapter Twelve 
Drops of water fell from the sky, mingling with Swallowtail’s tears. She didn’t resist and let them fall. Ahead were Constellation and Juniper, carrying Cherry Blossom’s body. Th wound on the LeafWing’s chest was still bleeding, the blood turning into what looked like red rain. Juniper was grunting with the effort of carrying Cherry Blossom. Constellation however, seemed to relish it. Swallowtail supposed that Constellation felt that every bit of effort she used was a gift for her dead friend. Mulberry hung near the back, her eyes darting here and there. Only Pebble flew beside Swallowtail. 
”You alright?” He asked. Swallowtail looked at his worried face and felt a rush of affection. 
”Not really.” She said. 
“Stop! We’re landing!” Constellation’s voice was cracked with grief. They landed in a small forest filled with pines. The pine needles pricked slightly at Swallowtail’s feet. 
“Lie her down here.” Constellation croaked and for a moment, Swallowtail didn’t know what the NightWing was talking about. Then, Juniper slowly lowered Cherry Blossom’s body onto a soft patch of earth free of pine needles. 
“This was where I met Cherry Blossom.” Constellation whispered, her voice barely audible over the pattering rain. “One day, I was walking through the forest, lost and wounded. I saw a flash of green. Two eyes shone out of the dark. Those were beautiful eyes. A LeafWing stepped out. Cherry Blossom.” Constellation smiled at the memory. “She helped me get out of this forest. Back to my parents. And here she lies, I won’t bury her. Cherry Blossom would wish to be put under the stars.” Maybe it was her imagination but Swallowtail thought she saw a joyful LeafWing, soaring into the night. But she blinked and the LeadWing was gone. Pebble put his wing around Swallowtail who did not pull away. 
“It’s alright.” He murmured, his gold red veins glimmering in the moonlight. Mulberry sat on a stone nearby. Swallowtail stalked in front of her. 
“So.” Swallowtail snarled. “What do you want with us, RainWing?” Mulberry winced at Swallowtail’s harsh tone but didn’t speak. “I’ll give you ten seconds to get out of my sight.” Swallowtail growled. Mulberry stood up, spread her wings and fled. Turning back to Constellation, Pebble and Juniper, Swallowtail walked towards them. 
“Even though Cherry Blossom is gone,” Swallowtail started. “We’re still friends. More than friends. We’re a family.” Slowly, Swallowtail opened one of Cherry Blossom’s pouches and took out four small glass bottles, about the size of one of her teeth. 
“Let’s make a blood pact.” Swallowtail held up her palm and so did the others. Using her other claw, Swallowtail slit a small cut on her palm. Blood dripped out. The others copied her. Carefully, cautiously, Swallowtail passed one of the bottles around, dripping a drop of her blood in it. After they had finished, the four glass bottles were filled with a drop of blood from each of them. 
“I know this is all good and all that.” Juniper began. “Buuuuuuuut this is a bit disgusting.” Swallowtail laughed. 
“Ha! I know right.” Swallowtail sat down beside Pebble. 
“You know, it’s almost the new year.” Pebble said, playing with a bit of dirt. “The RainWings will probably be celebrating their Winter Festival.” 
”So?” Constellation asked, polishing a scales she pulled off Cherry Blossom. 
“So,” Pebble said. “We’ll have time to go and get revenge on Elegance.” 
“Ah!” Constellation’s claws jumped to her temples which she began rubbing furiously. 
“What?” Everyone cried. 
“Qu-queen Elegance is starting to gather her army.” Constellation said, her claws still rubbing her temples. Swallowtail jumped up as if electrified. 
“I just remembered!” She cried. Pebble tilted his head questioningly. “Do you know about the Queen’s Council?” She asked. Juniper gasped. Constellation flared her wings. Pebble nodded. “The queens gather once every month. The leading queen is Queen Sahara. Mother told us that she’s about one hundred and twenty-three. I think, that once Queen Sahara has died or been assassinated, Queen Elegance will seize power and use the other queens to take over Pyrrhia. With the armies of all the tribes at her and Parrot’s side, Queen Elegance will be able to take over Pantala as well.” Swallowtail finished. Pebble’s eyes widened. 
“So are you saying that we can’t let Elegance be elected as the Leading Queen?” He asked. Swallowtail nodded. Pebble gulped. “Hopefully, the Moonstones will not choose her.” 
“The Moonstones?” Constellation asked. 
“The NightWing queen uses nine different colored moonstones to elect the new leading queen. They say these moonstones were crafted by the Great Dragons themselves you know. Centuries old. The NightWing Queen throws the moonstones into the Sacred Lake and only one of the moonstones will stay afloat. I know, I know, it’s not scientific.” Pebble said, answering Juniper’s questioning look. “The moonstones are associated with each tribe. You know, let’s say that the Yellow Moonstone stays afloat. Then the SandWing queen will be the leading one. We can’t let Queen Elegance tamper with these sacred stones.” 
”Gee. That’s a lot of unscientific stuff.” Swallowtail said. “Constellation. Please tell us where the Queens will be holding their meeting.” Constellation nodded and quickly sketched a rough map of Pyrrhia and Pantala on the soft dirt. 
“Look.” She said, stabbing a small hole near the Sky Kingdom and Mud Kingdom’s border. “This is where we are.” Constellation drew a few islands connecting the two continents. “These are the Great Silk Bridges.” Constellation slashed lines connecting the islands. “Near Tiger Eye bay, there’s this large island called the Queen’s Crown. This is where they hold their monthly meetings. I think it’s roughly…” Constellation trailed off, immersed in calculations. “Four to five weeks. If we hurry, we could get there just before this month’ meeting.” 
”Poor Cherry Blossom.” Swallowtail said, stroking the dead LeafWing’s scales. A sharp stab of grief pierced her heart. First her mother and father. Now, a friend. With a pant, Swallowtail remembered Goldblack, who’d gone missing. How many more lives would be needed to stop Elegance’s tyranny? 
“We better get to sleep.” Juniper yawned hugely, climbing up one of the trees. She nestled in the branches and soft snores told Swallowtail that her sister was asleep. 
“Come on Swallowtail.” Pebble gathered some dry grass near the edges of the clearing, making a small nest for her. 
“Thanks.” Swallowtail murmured, gratefully collapsing on the heap. Pebble made another nest near her, winding around a tree. 
“Night Pebble. Night Constellation.” Swallowtail said. Pebble smiled, closing his eyes while Constellation lay down on the bare ground, letting her wings flop around her. Swallowtail’s eyes started to droop, her eyelids slowly closing. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow. Swallowtail thought. Goodbye Cherry Blossom. I hope you will be following us in the better place. Goodbye… 
Swallowtail was standing on the edge of an empty field. Dead, dry grass spread like a carpet, bones scattered around. The dirt was soft and disgustingly wet. 
“Swallowtail.” A groan sounded behind her. Rosette came out of the dirt, her eyes shadowed and scales gray and decaying. 
“Go awayyyyy.” Lemon grew from the ground, a zombie. 
“NOOOOO!” Swallowtail’s scream rang around her, echoing in the empty field. More dead skeletons came out, Swallowtail tried to back away but the ground behind her turned into a large, stone throne, embedded with many different gems like RainWing scales. “Pebble! Help me! Please!” Swallowtail shrieked. A large, SeaWing claw swooped from the sky, scooped Swallowtail up and started rising so fast that the air slashed at Swallowtail’s face. 
Swallowtail’s eyes shot open. She panted heavily. It was still a bit dark. Swallowtail could see the sun peeking out on the horizon. Softly walking towards Pebble, Swallowtail shivered slightly. 
“Pebble. Wake up.” She shook him slightly. 
”Whas the time?” Pebble muttered sleepily. 
”Time to wake up.” Swallowtail trotted to Constellation and shook her awake too. “Juniper!” She called. A reddish gold head peaked down from the tree. “We need to get going.” Constellation shook herself slightly, getting rid of some pine needles attached to her. Pebble flared his wings and yawned hugely. Juniper jumped down, landing with a soft thump on the dirt. 
“Don’t go.” A voice whispered out of the shadows. Swallowtail and the others whipped around. Mulberry poked her purple head through some close growing trees. Pebble started to growl. Constellation snarled furiously. Juniper flared her ruff, her whole body turning into a violent scarlet. 
“Please.” Mulberry pleaded. “I have never survived by myself before. Please. I know the way to the Queen’s Crown better than you do. Let me come.” Swallowtail hissed, her antennae furling and unfurling. 
”Promise us you will never, never betray us again.” Constellation snarled. Mulberry nodded. 
“Let’s go then.” Swallowtail said. “Lead the way, Mulberry.” 
Chapter Thirteen. 
Swallowtail felt the warm rays of sunshine dance on her back. She really hated a traitor leading the way. Looking over at Pebble, Swallowtail saw her distrust mirrored on his face. They soared over a large, hot desert, the sands a blazing white. 
“We better land now.” Juniper called. Narrowing her wings, Swallowtail dove from the sky, slower than normal. Her talons nestled into the soft, hot sand. 
“Hot! Hot, HOT!” Pebble leapt from one foot to the other, flapping his wings. Juniper snorted. 
“Quickly.” Before we get spotted!” Hissed Constellation. Mulberry’s scales instantly shifted to the desert around them. Swallowtail snatched Mulberry’s tail before that could vanish as well. 
”Oh no. You’re going to leave your tail so we can see you.” Swallowtail growled. The tail flicked dismissively. 
“Look.” Said Mulberry’s disembodied voice, her tail twitching. “If we hurry, we can get to the Scorpion Den for food.” 
”But isn’t the Scorpion Den a place for thieves, outlaws ands assassins?” Interjected Pebble. 
“It is.” Juniper answered. 
“I’ve been to the Scorpion Den before. Here are the rules you need to know.” Constellation said. “Firstly, always be alert. You don’t want someone to kill you. Secondly, you need to blend in with the crowd. The Scorpion Den is not a good place to stand out. Thirdly, don’t trust anyone. Don’t buy things that are worth more than five scales. They are either worthless or not good. Believe me. I almost bought a crystal ball until Cherry Blossom told me it was fake.” Constellation rubbed her eyes slightly. 
“Come on.” Mulberry said impatiently, walking towards the small mass of tents, cloth and fabric, concealing the Scorpion Den from the sun. Swallowtail flicked her tail to signal the others to follow her. Looking backwards, Swallowtail saw that Juniper had changed her scales to make her look like a SkyWing. 
“We need nicknames. Elegance probably has wanted posters everywhere.” Swallowtail’s sister said. “Call me Phoenix.” Juniper added some gold veins to her new ruby red scales which were flecked with orange. 
“My code name will be… Pearl Crescent. Pearl for short.” Swallowtail said. “Pebble, you will be Seaweed.” Pebble punched her shoulder softly and affectionately. “Constellation, you will be Stargazer.” She ignored Mulberry’s little squeak. 
“Hurry up.” Together, the five dragonets walked quickly towards the Scorpion Den. The moment they entered the Scorpion Den, Swallowtail felt overwhelmed. Dragons, (SandWings mostly,) bustled around the crowded and narrow streets. 
“Oops, sorry!” Someone said. 
“Watch where you’re stepping dragons!” A few SandWings called. 
“Stop.” Constellation stopped at a silk market. “Here.” She slid four scales on the counter and took four silk cloaks out. Constellation flung a midnight blue cloak at Swallowtail while Pebble received a green one. Juniper got a red cloak while Constellation had a purple one. 
“Thanks Conste-oops. Thanks Stargazer.” Swallowtail said. 
“Look over there!” Swallowtail heard Mulberry’s sharp hiss right beside her ear. An arm shimmered in the air, pointing at a wall. A poster was on it, blaring large, red letters. 
WANTED WANTED WANTED 
FOR TREASON AGAINST THE RAINWING QUEEN 
A picture of Constellation, Swallowtail, Pebble and Juniper. Below, was the reward money. 
”Thanks to the moons.” Constellation sighed. 
“We better go. We came here to get food.” Swallowtail said, sweeping her wings around her friends and ushered the, away into a corner where they put on their cloaks, folding and unfolding them stylistically. 
“Hello?” A small voice piped from a corner. 
“Hmm?” Swallowtail glanced down to see a small, starved looking SandWing. 
”Do you have some food?” The young SandWing asked. 
“Umm…” Swallowtail said awkwardly. Constellation shook her head slightly. 
“Thieves.” She whispered. They walked off, leaving the SandWing. 
“Oi! Hurry up!” Mulberry called, her scales shifting to a deep, royal blue, adding small ‘glow in the dark’ scales and a pretended to do extra fins. “Cactus doesn’t have much more food left!” 
Swallowtail hurried towards Mulberry, beckoning Pebble, Constellation and Juniper towards her. A scruffy looking SandWing was standing in front of a small tent, talking to Mulberry. 
“So Azurite.” The SandWing said. “What would you like to eat?” 
”Hmm. Cactus, would you let me talk to them for a bit?” Mulberry asked. Cactus nodded. Mulberry turned towards Swallowtail, Pebble, Constellation and Juniper. 
“So.” Mulberry said quietly. “Pearl, what do you want?” Swallowtail needed to think for a moment. 
”Maybe… Coconut? Any fruit or vegetable is fine with me.” Swallowtail slowly changed her few color changing scales to a soft, pearl pink. 
”Phoenix?” Mulberry asked. 
“Roast lizard.” Juniper said quickly. 
“Same here.” Constellation and Pebble said. Mulberry turned back to Cactus. 
”A few vegetables or fruits, a few roast lizards and a coconut milk please.” Mulberry recited. 
“That would be seven scales.” Cactus said, holding out his talon. Mulberry dropped seven scales onto his talons. “Please come in.” Cactus lead them inside the tent. Raucous SandWings were laughing, munching roast lizard. A few MudWings were drinking coconut milk in the corner. Cactus lead them towards an empty spot covered in carpets and cushions. Swallowtail and the others sat down and Cactus hurried away to get some food. 
“Seaweed,” Swallowtail said. “Can I ask you something?” Pebble looked startled. 
”OK.” He said slowly. Swallowtail felt h 
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)