Silver Moonlight

For WoW!
My prompts were: Mountains, Mercy, Rainfall
----
It was an unusually, eerily silent night in the Ice Kingdom. There was no howling breeze, no faint cries of victory from a successful hunt. Every dragon stood still as they watched the three dragons standing in the middle of the ‘stadium’. The queen was one of them, her moonstone ring sparkling in the moonlight. Her bright, icy-blue scales stood out against the white and grey scales of the other two. Her stormy-grey eyes were filled with rage.
In the back of the room, a tiny IceWing dragonet was shaking her head rapidly, tears streaming down her cheeks. Please, please don’t do this, she pleaded silently. He did something wrong, but he doesn’t deserve this. I can’t lose him too. The words did no good inside her head, but they’d do even more damage aloud. Maybe she’d join him down on that floor. Yes, for a lesser offence, and a much lesser sentence. It didn’t matter. She couldn’t do that to him. So instead she just begged in her head, as if they would hear it and change their minds. She felt someone’s gaze on the side of her head and glanced to see a silvery dragon looking at her with a pitying expression. He was just a commoner, fifth circle, so she glared and spat at him. He turned away in disgust. She hated pity.
She turned her eyes back to the center of the room to see the queen pointing fiercely at the moon-white dragon. 
“This, this, traitor,” she said, spitting out the last word. “He deserves to burn in hell for what he’s done. We can’t do that now, but we can deliver him there.” She bared her teeth at him, then nodded at the greyish dragon. “Tie him down,” she said, pointing at a rather uncomfortable-looking chair. Next to it, but still out of reach of the condemned, lay a table with a syringe.
Her head pounded and suddenly she was blinded by pure rage. She screamed a piercing scream and ran, not toward the dragons, but toward the exit. Once the initial shock wore off, dragons tried to stop her, but she was fuelled by sheer anger and adrenaline, and no one could hold her down. She couldn’t watch him die, and she wouldn’t ever step foot in their stupid, horrid orphanage. They may have let her mother die, and be prepared to kill her father right in front of nearly the whole tribe, but they wouldn’t get hold of her. She was going to live.
+++
Sorbet awoke to a loud groan. Jumping up, she blinked to clear her vision, then grabbed the spear she’d stolen from a guard a few weeks back. The sound was coming from the right tunnel, and she walked toward it. As she pressed herself against the wall, she couldn’t help feeling grateful for her snowy-white scales, tinged with blue, that disguised her against the wall. She may have been a rather brave dragonet, but animals were dangerous, and this sure sounded like one.
Suddenly she saw it. A polar bear. Her worry made her continue to press against the wall, but walk slightly closer. Barely stifling a gasp, she noticed that the massive bear was wounded. A serrated claw lay at the back of a deep cut. It was clear the beast had been attacked but had jerked away and escaped, pulling out the claw.
It made her sick to see it, but once she addressed the feeling in her gut, she realized that whoever had attacked the bear was probably following it. They’d find the bear... then her. They’d recognize her from a month ago, when she’d run away from her father’s trial. They’d bring her in, and force her into the orphanage she swore she’d never live in.
She couldn’t betray her parents like that. She needed more time, more time to think of a way to avenge her parents, avenge her family. 
She jumped off the wall, letting anger take over. It was always inside her, constantly building up, but she controlled it, releasing it only when she needed it. At least, so far.
She roared a battle cry, charging at the beast. She stabbed the spear into the side its underbelly, after missing her original target, the heart. Growling in pain, the bear swiped at her, leaving deep cuts on her leg. She could hardly move now, stuck on the ground, but she managed to thrust the spear again, and this time, she didn’t miss.
She just managed to scoot away as the bear fell, dead. Holding her breath, she listened for talonsteps. Then she heard a voice, and her stomach tightened in fear. She forced herself to breathe quietly as she waited. Then she heard the voice again.
“I think it got away,” sighed the voice, rather deep, but smooth. Then she listened as the steps got fainter and fainter. She let out a breath of relief, then crept slowly toward the bear. Its beautiful white fur was stained with red. Thinking, she realized. It was time to head out.
Sorbet needed to move the bear. So she started to push, but her dragonet body was too small to do much. He moved only about an inch or two before she collapsed, tired. She’d have to leave it there while she went to collect other things and plot her revenge. Wow, she sounded like the killer in a cheesy horror movie. 
She didn’t need to find food, now that she had a whole polar bear. Still, she needed some things to make it taste better, and prepare it. Mostly, though, she needed fresh air.
When she’d run away, Sorbet found an old ice cave near the castle to hide in, inside a glacier. It was close enough that, once she figured out a way to avenge her fallen parents, she’d be able to get at the castle easily, as well as steal things from soldiers when they weren’t looking. Yet it was still far enough away that she was safe. She liked her little cave.
Most of her time, however, she spent outside, hunting, stealing, plotting, and, like the dragonet she still was, occasionally messing around. She only ever went back into the cave to sleep and eat, so she’d be hidden while vulnerable.
Slinging her ‘outside bag’ over her shoulder, she limped out into the snow, taking a deep breath, then grinning as she took in the cold, fresh air. The snow crunched under her feet satisfyingly, making her smile grow. This was the best part, right when she left the cave. She scanned the area, and smiled as she realized it was clear.
She ran out to the tiny spot she’d made for planning, dug around to soften the snow, then sat down. She began her usual breathing exercises to prepare herself and clear her head, then opened her eyes and began to think.
They had killed her father for a mistake. A foolish, costly mistake, but a mistake all the same. He had stolen a bracelet to allow a ‘friend’ to cross the Great Ice Cliff and stay warm. The friend had betrayed him and attacked ten guards, nearly killing three of them, in an attempt to get at the queen. He had been stopped, but the queen believed her father intentionally brought in a killer, instead of just a friend.
They hadn’t killed her mother, but they might as well have. A mission gone horribly wrong was the official cause of her death, but Sorbet believed it was pure cowardice. A group of dragons had gone out on what was supposed to be a scouting mission to spy on SandWings during the lesser-known Sand/Ice war, hardly known because the IceWings won easily. However, when they appeared, they were ambushed. They managed to escape, but left behind her mother, letting her be torn apart by the enemy.
She wanted to hurt the dragons who left her orphaned. They deserved it.
Slowly but surely, she began to feel something. An odd tingly feeling in the back of her head. She turned, then froze. Void-black eyes were staring at her from a silver-blue dragon. She saw the dragon’s expression change to recognition, and her heart started pounding. She grabbed the knife she had stowed in her pack and stood up, holding it out. 
“Don’t you dare run and turn me in,” she snarled, although she noticed that the dragon looked older, although not much older, and bigger than her. “This knife used to belong to a powerful SandWing. My father managed to get it to me before your kind killed him,” she added, noticing the dragon’s chain of two circles. “You high-class cowards.”
The dragon stepped closer, and she noticed they were female. Sorbet pointed the knife right at her, but suddenly tears sprung from the dragoness’s eyes. 
“Don’t hurt me,” she burst out. “I’m six, and I know you’re only four, but I will cooperate. I promise. I hate this stupid chain and everything it represents.” She was breathing quickly. The dragoness started to pace, shaking her head. She kept stopping at looking up, as if willing the tears to stop.
“I’m too young to wear it, but my aunt doesn’t care. She doesn’t care about me. Today she was sending me to the orphanage because she hates me. She thinks I’m too soft. I’m like you! I don’t have parents!” The tears were falling like rain in a thunderstorm, heavy and fast. “It’s the tribe’s fault, and I want to hurt them!”
Narrowing her eyes, Sorbet noticed just how fake the tears were. “Stop faking,” she growled. “You’re a pretty good actor, but not good enough to fool me.”
Then the dragoness’ expression changed to a twisted grin. Tears still glinted at the edges of her eyes, remnants of the display. Before she could react, the older dragonet had pulled the knife out of her talon. “You’re right,” she growled back. “Still, everything I said was true. Except for the cooperation part. Starting now, I’m in charge,” she snarled, tossing the knife back and forth. Then, jutting it out toward her, she added, “Or else.”
It was shocking how quickly she’d changed. Sorbet had gone from having the upper hand to being the weakling in a matter of moments. 
“My name’s Ellura,” she said. “Yours?”
“You don’t know it?” she asked.
“I’ve only seen the posters, I don’t really read them,” she admitted. “All I know is there’s a huge reward out for you. Say you must have done something if you ran from the court, plus you hurt someone pretty bad while trying to get out. Don’t worry though. I don’t want that damn reward. I want revenge. So tell me your damn name!”
“Sorbet,” came the quick response
“Interesting name”
“Yours too”
+++
As time went on, her and Ellura finally worked together. It had taken much groaning and snarling, but eventually they’d become almost friends. Finding food, defending their home, and planning to avenge their parents. They had all sorts of plans. Stealing was a big one. Thievery didn’t seem fitting enough though. They wanted the royals and higher-class to feel the pain they’d felt, but without killing anyone. It was tough.
Ellura was a much better schemer than Sorbet, and at one point, they ended up having their own jobs. Ellura would plan while she fixed up the cave, and Sorbet would go out and collect what they needed.
Then, one day, Sorbet came back to see Ellura sitting up with a smile on her face. 
“I’ve got it,” she stated simply. “A plan.”
Suddenly the familiar mountain of emotion built up in her chest, but now it was filled with happiness and hope instead of anger and sorrow. It seemed she’d been feeling more hopeful since she started to work with Ellura. Although the dragoness scared her a little bit, she also helped her a lot.
Ellura explained it to her, and though she was sceptical at first, she soon realized how genius it was. It was thievery, yes, but more than that. They’d do more than just steal. They’d destroy.
It was simple. Queen Neige was a vain dragoness, and one that adored jewelry. It didn’t take much looking to notice just how much she adored her sparking sapphire engagement ring, given to her by her late husband. They knew how much she’d cared about him, and that ring was her last remnant. Destroying it would be heartbreaking, as if he’d died all over again.
Yeah, it was cruel. Sorbet didn’t care. Letting a dragonet’s parents die, then forcing them into a horrid orphanage was just as cruel, in her opinion.
“Let’s do it,” she replied with a grin.
“Great,” Ellura snickered. “Let’s show that stupid queen what it’s like to watch someone destroy what you love.”
It was a tough plan, but they knew they could pull it off. The first thing they had to do was get into the castle. This was going to be hard, since the castle was surrounded by guards, and Sorbet’s face and description were on posters everywhere.
Since if she was spotted, everything would be ruined, they decided that Ellura, disguised slightly, would use her chain to show her rank, then distract the guard while Sorbet ran inside. Once she gave a signal, Ellura would surprise the guard and take him down. They’d meet inside, sneaking around the castle until they reached the queen’s room. They’d come at nighttime, as Neige preferred to take her ring off while she slept. Ellura knew this because a friend of her aunt’s was a palace guard who’d told her some interesting things about the place.
They decided that they’d leave in two days. That left enough time to work out the logistics, such as exactly what Ellura would do as a distraction.
+++
It was nighttime. The night was reasonably dark, only a single half-moon shining light on the castle, but the moon-globe trees inside the palace would allow them to see quite well.
As Ellura strutted up to a guard, Sorbet crept toward him as well, but stayed hidden against the icy palace walls. Ellura was saying things to the guard she couldn’t really hear, but they were working. He moved away from the entrance with her, and Sorbet dashed in as silently as she could. She had to stay hidden, as Ellura had the knife, although she did have her claws.
She made a noise loud enough that both Ellura and the guard could hear. The signal. While he turned frantically to find the source, Ellura knocked him over the head, then stabbed his leg so he’d be unable to walk.
Maybe, if he wasn’t found, he’d bleed out. She didn’t care. At least now she didn’t have to see it.
Ellura darted in after Sorbet and they snuck through the quiet palace, trying to stay as hidden as possible. Suddenly, they saw the flash of a guard’s scales go by. They held their breaths, but to no avail. The dragon backtracked and spotted them. All it took was a glance at a poster, then a glance at Sorbet, to realize who she was.
Before he could do anything, Ellura lunged and knocked him out the same way she’d done with the other guard. This, however, was harder. The guard was stronger and faster than the outside on had been, but she managed, and he slumped to the ground, unconscious.
They avoided any other incidents, and as they got closer and closer, that mountain of emotion built up in her again. This time, it was an odd mix of adrenaline, excitement and fear. Just as they were about to enter the queen’s room, Ellura stopped. Sorbet was about to ask her why until she saw.
A silver dragon was standing, locking eyes with Ellura.
“Is that you, Ellura?” he said in a baritone voice. “Why are you here?” Then he noticed Sorbet and gasped. “And with her?”
“Blizzard,” she said quietly. “I didn’t know today was your shift.”
“Well it is.” He glared at her. “And as you have a known fugitive with you that you haven’t turned in, I can tell you’re up to no good. Ellura, hand her over and I’ll make sure that your aunt doesn’t put you in the orphanage, alright? You’re nearly seven, she’ll understand there is no point. Plus, you can walk out of here with nothing on your record.”
Sorbet looked up at Ellura. “I’m sorry,” she said. She nodded, and Blizzard walked over. 
Just like that? she thought, betrayed and angry. This was her plan.
Then, she added, “Here you go.”
Instead of handing over Sorbet, though, she jumped on Blizzard. She tossed Sorbet the knife and yelled, “I’ve got him! Get the ring!”
Shocked, she stood still. It took another yell from Ellura to get her to move. She pulled the queen’s door open, stepped in, and shut it.
She snuck slowly around the sleeping queen and spotted the ring. She then grabbed it, walked over to the wall, and started banging it as hard as she could, holding it against the wall and using the knife. The noise awoke the queen, which she realized when she heard a gasp coming from the bed.
She turned and grinned. “You see how it feels?” she snarled. “To have someone destroy what you love? Or... who you love?” She continued to smash the ring. 
Queen Neige jumped up and grabbed her, but it was too late. The moonstone was damaged. She screeched in pain and rage.
“You. will. pay,” she snarled, just as Blizzard walked in through the door, dragging an unconscious Ellura after him. Now it was Sorbet’s time to gasp.
“I’ve got it from here, your majesty,” he growled, grabbing her arm. Sorbet tried to fight, but soon gave up. She’d failed. She may have destroyed the moonstone, but she’d failed in her mission to stay alive and free. They had caught her. It had all, almost, been for nothing.
I’m sorry mom. I’m sorry dad.
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)
Category:Content (Sbyman)
Category:Fanfictions (Completed)
Category:Genre (Tragedy)