The Years of the BeetleWing Diaspora

NOTE: This work takes place in STAU (Samphnj's Timeline Alternate Universe) and varies wildly from canon.
----(dai - ah - spir - uh)
the voluntary or involuntary exile of an entire group
----Princess Diaspore is set to be the next queen of the BeetleWings and the second BeetleWing queen in history since their tribe’s voluntary exile into the mountainous terrain of western Pantala. 
So you could say that the whole fate of her tribe rests on Diaspore’s peridot yellow-colored wings.
Will this gemstone crack under the pressure?
OR
The BeetleWings' historical significance in STAU!Pantala told through the eyes of their first crown princess, Diaspore.
----Between 1,250 AS and 2,500 AS
=== PROLOGUE ===
Perdix can still smell the fire and smoke that rolled over the plains like the shuttle on her sister’s prized maple loom.
The war wasn’t supposed to end up like this.
Commander Feldspar had been quick to assure the BeetleWings that these “newcomers” were to be no issue in their expansion into the continent. But if that were the truth, Commander Feldspar would still be alive, there wouldn’t be two new tribes on Pantala, and Perdix wouldn’t be watching her only home burn in the light of dusk.
The sun slumped behind the horizon, and if Perdix glanced behind her she would see the first of three moons rising through the treetop. She was stood on the cusp of two environments, both literally and figuratively. On one talon, she was a BeetleWing weaver watching the life that she knew unravel around her, but on the other, Perdix was the BeetleWing ambassador about to waltz into a heated meeting with the other three tribes.
Perdix was torn between two lives, the one she lived before the war and the one now. The blackened fields that lay in front of her, or the lush greenery of the Mosaic Greenwood to her back.
The stars peeking through the blue expanse glittered back at her.
Perdix turned and headed into the forest behind her.
She quickly found the well-traveled path that led from the edge of the Mosaic Greenwood to the center of the SilkWing territory. Sheer, silk-woven bags containing fireflies were attached to the trees lining the path, lighting Perdix’s way through the forest. Her talons thumped lightly against the hard-packed dirt and while Perdix carried herself as light as a feather, her scales seemed to weigh heavy on her back- a phantom reminder of the wrongdoings her previous commander had committed under the BeetleWing name.
As she neared the center of the forest, or the Mosaic Greenwood as it was known properly, Perdix could already hear the growling of voices in the clearing ahead. She sighed, preemptively willing away a headache brimming at the crown of her skull.
The clearing was alight with firefly pouches and Flamesilk lanterns when Perdix arrived on the outskirts. Already seated around the large oak table in the middle of the clearing was General Copper, a BeetleWing official who spoke out against Feldspar during the war.
Two dragons were huddled together at the base of a large sequoia, arguing in hushed voices. Perdix identified them as LeafWings, the newest tribe to land on Pantala after their exile from the Seven Queendoms. They flew to Pantala along with the HiveWings, a spiky tribe with wings similar to the BeetleWings' own.
The lighter green dragon stamped her talon into the dirt, and Perdix saw the glint of a bright green stem appear. She had known the LeafWing dragons were rumored to have some form of control over plant life, and after their usage of the Breath of Evil, she should have known it to be truth.
The darker dragoness clamped her snout shut when Perdix reached the clearing, her eyes flashing over to the BeetleWing then back to her lieutenant next to her.
Perdix winced inwardly, she knew that the BeetleWings were likely to be treated with resistance and distrust because of their role in the war, and she didn’t blame the other tribes much for their thinking.
The BeetleWings were formerly ruled by a group called the Flight, which was made up of four members from the BeetleWing military that typically held high rank. 
Commander Feldspar was a former BeetleWing official who murdered the four members of the Flight so he could take over the BeetleWings and lead them to rule Pantala. The BeetleWings almost succeeded in wiping out their neighbors, the SilkWings, before the arrival of the LeafWings and HiveWings from the Seven Queendoms.
The LeafWings used their control over plants, known as Leafspeak, to grow a plant intent at taking out the BeetleWings. The plant worked, and the BeetleWings surrendered to the other three tribes. However, the plant grew too strong and sought to take over the whole continent. The four tribes rallied together to burn the plant out of the continent, and between the SilkWings Flamesilk and the BeetleWings fire, they succeeded.
Commander Feldspar was killed, Perdix was appointed to be the ambassador for the BeetleWings, and now all four tribe leaders were meeting to arrange the continent between them. A daunting task, in Perdix’s opinion.
The two LeafWings resumed arguing in hushed tones and Perdix turned away from them to take her place next to the other BeetleWing diplomat at the table.
The oak table felt cool under Perdix’s talons and she hooked a claw in one of the grooves, feeling the well worn wood. She grumbled under her breath, turning towards General Copper.
“I’ve been here two minutes and I already feel like there’s a target on my back,” she hissed to the general.
Copper dipped his head towards her, his horns catching the light of the Flamesilk lanterns above. “Can’t say I’m surprised. Feldspar ruined the image of the BeetleWings in a matter of months.” 
His eyes glanced at the LeafWings in the corner and back. “It will take quite a while for the tribes to stop glaring claws at us, but it may be well deserved at the moment.”
Perdix huffed, but was stopped from replying when the SilkWing and HiveWing leaders walked into the clearing. It was becoming quite dark now, and the Flamesilk lanterns seemed to make the scales of both tribes glow.
While Perdix hadn’t seen many HiveWings before, they were unmistakable against the rest of the three tribes. Commander Bristletail of the HiveWings was a towering figure, but what set her apart was her yellow and black striped scales and pointed horns. It was also rumored that she had sharp stingers hidden in her wrists, and with how little Perdix knew of the elusive tribe it could be true.
Queen Lineata of the SilkWings was the newest addition to the SilkWing throne. Her mother, the late Queen Ocola, was killed by a pod of BeetleWing soldiers shortly after the war began, and Perdix suspected the former princess harbored hard feelings against the entirety of the BeetleWing tribe.
Accompanied by Queen Lineata is her own daughter, Crown Princess Halpoa. It’s an imposing sight, the two of them. They are remarkably similar looking, and share the same callous face towards the other leaders.
Perdix tilted her head down in a slight nod, her eyes towards the ground. She knew that the BeetleWings had caused the SilkWing tribe major grievances during the war and is not all surprised to find that, despite the war being over for months now, there is still a hardened resentment shared between the two tribes.
Commander Bristletail cleared her throat as she took her place at the table, signaling a start to the meeting. The two LeafWings turned towards the table before making their way over, sitting at the far end to Perdix’s left.
The darker dragoness of the LeafWings started the meeting. “I’m glad you were all able to find time in your busy schedules to meet. As you all know, dividing territory is of the utmost importance to continue the development of all the tribes.
“As I doubt I have formally met with any of you, I am the current leader of the LeafWing tribe, General Acacia Cassis.” General Acacia gestured to the lighter green dragoness next to her, the nervous LeafWing Perdix had noted at the entrance. “And this is my lieutenant, Laurel Atropa.”
Laurel gave a small nod before reaching down to unhook a long, cylindrical package from its place amongst the LeafWing’s other pouches. She unrolled the package along the length of the table, revealing a map of the entire continent.
Perdix leaned forward, marveling at the detail put into the map. Beetle and Scorpion Lake were included, as well as the many forests that cover Pantala; from the Poison Jungle to the Mosaic Greenwood. The center of the continent was left bare of its former forests, an unfortunate result of the BeetleWing’s use of  fire during the fight against the Breath of Evil.
“We’ve had our cartographers working for several months now on an updated map of Pantala,” Laurel said, tapping the parchment. “We’ll be the first to propose that the LeafWings inhabit the upper jungle, also known as the Poison Jungle.”
“With our Leafspeak,” Acacia added, “we’d be the only tribe able to live there safely.”
Acacia leaned over the map. “Our borders would end here, at the last row of forest before the burnt plains.” The General traced a claw around her proposed borders, which encompassed the “head” and “arm” of the dragon shaped continent.
Lineata nodded from her place at the table, and her daughter leaned forward to view the map better.
Bristletail tilted her head down, eyes trained on the map. “Sounds reasonable, I’m for it.”
Crown Princess Halpa leaned back in her spot, seemingly satisfied. “All in favor, say aye.” As the rest of the tribe leaders sounded off their approval, Perdix and Copper included, Halpoa scratched down on a roll of parchment the terms of the border.
Before another leader could speak, Perdix jumped into the conversation. “The BeetleWings would like to make a claim to the upper Western mountains, centered around Beetle Lake and bordering the LeafWings.”
Ignoring the steely stares from the SilkWings, Perdix quickly leaned forward and drew a claw around the pseudo-wings of Pantala. Their territory would include a coastline and Beetle Lake, while also providing them a semblance of privacy from the other tribes.
“It’s the furthest point away from the rest of the tribes,” General Copper added.
Perdix drew a breath, “We also propose that the BeetleWing tribe as a whole take a mandatory exile of ten years to regather our society.”
The silence was to be expected. Perdix had just told the rest of the tribes that the BeetleWings would not be seen on Pantala for a decade.
“How do we know that you won’t use this time to launch another coup on the rest of us,” Lineata spoke up from her seat across from the BeetleWing ambassadors. Her eyes were steely slits as she looked at the green BeetleWing. Perdix could sense her contempt for the BeetleWings brewing behind the SilKWing queens’ eyes.
Perdix bristled. “Those commanders that led the coup against the other leaders were met with resistance by a majority of the tribe. Now those commanders are dead, killed with the claws of their own kin because of their actions towards the BeetleWing tribe.”
She rounded on the two LeafWing representatives. “General Acacia and Lieutenant Laurel of the LeafWings, you of all dragons should know of the predicament we are in. It is no secret that your own tribe, along with the HiveWings, launched their own coup against the tribes of the Seven Queendoms. While your exile to Pantala was mandatory, ours would be voluntary and give us time to reestablish our economy and guidelines of our tribe.”
Laurel’s LeafWing ruff flattened, and her hackles rose with her feelings of offense. To her right, Laurel’s superior, Acacia, gave her a severe look. Likely telling her to shut up, Perdix grumbled.
Acacia quickly raised a claw to speak, doubtless an act to cover her companion. She spoke calmly, and carefully. Perdix could tell the LeafWing was choosing her words with deliberation. “You are right, Perdix, that the LeafWings know quite well about the nature of coups and exile. I am in favor of your diaspora, if that’s what your tribe has chosen, as long as you arrange for delegates from the other tribes to periodically visit the BeetleWing territory.”
Bristletail was the next to speak, nodding her head with her eyes trained on the map. “I agree as well.”
The rest of the diplomats sounded off their agreement, including Queen Lineate who continued to keep her steely eyes trained on the BeetleWings.
Perdix’s heart rate slowed with the decision being agreed upon, and the rest of the meeting passed with little fanfare. The HiveWings claimed the underground tunnel system of Pantala, considering they formerly lived in the mountains of the Seven Queendoms they were content to live in a similar manner underground.
Perdix couldn’t help but be reminded of woodlouse when she regarded their territory on the map. When poked, woodlouse curl up into a ball to protect themselves. They also inhabit old wood, and eat away little patterns.
HiveWings seemed a reserved tribe. One that wouldn’t hesitate to protect themselves in the face of danger.
The SilkWing royalty affirmed their territory to the Mosaic Garden and lower peninsula. No surprise there. Even before the BeetleWings tried to exterminate the other tribe, the majority of SilkWings lived around the lower forests anyway.
The sky was pitch black with a tapestry of interlaced stars by the time the meeting ended. Perdix and General Copper were one of the last to leave the meeting, and as she gazed up at the moons she couldn’t help but be reminded of her first weaving she made as a dragonet.
It was a crooked and uneven piece, but it was one of Perdix’s first projects with her mother. Later, her mother showed her how to unravel it and restart it. A fresh start she had mused, her claws deftly moving across the loom with practiced skill.
Perdix hoped that this voluntary exile would prove to be just that. 
A fresh start.
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