Tale of Two Sandwings

### Chapter 1

Palm flew away from the ruins of Prickle's hut, searching the horizon for a new oasis to settle so she could have her egg.

She saw 5 palm trees in the distance. ‘There’ She thought.

As she flew towards the palms she remembered her sister’s struggles the day before as the guards chained her. They had set off in the direction of the Palace. ‘I hope she forgives me someday, or she’ll come after me looking for revenge’ She shuddered.

The palms disappeared into the folds of the desert sand.

Two days later she came to an oasis north-west of Queen Oasis’s Palace, close to the border of the Ice Kingdom.

That night, she lay on the warm sand and watched the night sky. ‘I wonder how Smolder is’ She thought, ‘He was probably killed once Oasis found out about us’.

A sudden weight landed on top of her just as she closed her eyes. She yelled in pain as claws scraped her side. “STOP!” She yelled into the night.

The weight lifted and the claws withdrew, “Who are you?” The voice of her attacker whispered through the night. “Palm” She said in a scared voice.

### Chapter 2

Palm woke up to a bucket of water being dumped on her head. She yelped as the cold salty water went into her eyes and between her scales.

The same voice from the night before made her jump to her feet in such a rush that she slipped back over again. The strange dragon laughed and Palm tried to leap back up again then she saw the Sandwing that was standing over her holding the bucket.

“Who are you?” said Palm, “My name is Jerboa, why are you here?” she said in a dangerous voice. “I- w- was just going for a fly-“ Palm began “Tell me the truth” Jerboa said.

“Fine,” “My name is Palm and i was a cook at Queen Oasis’s Palace” Palm began and she proceeded to tell Jerboa the story of why she had come to the oasis.

Jerboa took Palm back to her hut near the sea, she gave her food and water and let her rest.

That night Jerboa woke up to Palms screams…

### Chapter 3

Jerboa leapt up from her bunk and rushed to Palm's side. “What's wrong?!?” Jerboa said, trying to calm Palm down. “I think I’m having my egg” , gasped Palm. “You’re going to be ok, don't worry Palm” soothed Jerboa.

In the morning, Jerboa got Palm water and some coconut. The egg was safely buried in the sand near Palm, in a spot where it wouldn't be crushed or moved, but still got sunlight so it stayed warm.

“I have to go out for the day” said Jerboa “Where are you going?” answered Palm “I have to-   go to see a friend” “But what if a dragon comes and i’m all alone?” said Palm in her usual paranoid way.

“Don't worry, you’ll be fine” “Nobody knows about this place” Jerboa muttered the last sentence so quietly that Palm didn't hear “Ok” Palm said, but Jerboa could hear how skeptical she was.

Jerboa flew quickly to the secluded spot near the Ice Kingdom border where she met every full moon with Queen Glacier.

Glacier was already there, waiting in the snow “Greetings” said Glacier “The same to you” replied Jerboa. “So a strange dragon turned up near my hut the other day…” began Jerboa, and she told Palms Story

### Chapter 4

Palm waited, and waited, and waited for Jerboa to come back from “out”. Palm decided to go to the ocean for some fresh air, she didn't like being in a stuffy hut for hours on end.

She made sure her egg was safely hidden, then made her way to the sea. She screamed in pain as a hidden jellyfish stung her through the sand.

Suddenly Jerboa was there, she grabbed Palm and brought her back inside the hut.

“Here” she said “ Put this on it” Handing Palm a cloth that had been dipped into water heated by the sun outside. “Thank you” Palm whispered, “Well, you’ll need to learn this stuff if you’re going to be running around Pyrrhia with your dragonet,” said Jerboa.

A few days later the egg began to crack. Jerboa was the only one in the hut, she ran out to get Palm from the oasis. They came back inside to find a little pale yellow dragonet crawling out of the shell. “Ooh” gasped Palm. “She’s beautiful,” Said Jerboa. “Look at her eyes, they’re as black as onyx” “Then that shall be her name” Said Palm. “Onyx.” said Jerboa.

### Chapter 5

“Thank you for everything Jerboa” said Palm, “Yes thank you Berboa” squeaked Onyx. “It's been no problem, but it’ll be hard to see you both go” said Jerboa sadly. “Good luck, and stay away from Queen Oasis” “We will” said Onyx.

Palm and Onyx flew south to avoid the IceWings and then slightly west to avoid Queen Oasis and her palace, they came to the Talon Peninsula, ‘We could settle there’ thought Palm dubiously.

They crossed over a mountain range that was the only entry point to the peninsula. The two Sandwings shuddered as they went across the range. “Mum?” Palm glanced at her “Yes Onyx?” she said. “Why did that mountain zap us?” squeaked Onyx, “I don’t really know,” replied Palm.

About an hour later Onyx was getting tired, so they stopped to rest in what might have been a library. “I’d heard about this city, I think it belonged to the NightWings'' said Palm, “What are Nighspligs?” replied Onyx “Nightwings” said Palm, “Here, I’ll tell you about the tribes of Pyrrhia and how you must never go near them”.

### Chapter 6

Palm woke up to something crashing sound coming from the next room over, she leapt up and sprinted sleepily to the source of the sound, “What's happening in here?!?” she gasped as she saw Onyx climbing up the bookshelves and knocking books down to the floor.

“Onyx!” she screamed “Come back down here right now!” “No” said Onyx, she was clinging on to the book shelf with three claws “NOW!” yelled Palm.

Just as she yelled, Onyx slipped and fell. Luckily she had knocked down so many books that she had only a tail lengths fall to the pile below.

“Owwwwwwwwww '' Onyx moaned, Palm came rushing over, all anger at Onyx not listening disappeared. “Are you okay my baby?” gasped Palm, “That was big fall and this place be very scary” whispered Onyx. “Yes honey, I know,” Palm said soothingly, “Lets leave these ruins, it creeps me out too”.

### Chapter 7

Palm and Onyx flew north-east towards the Sky Kingdom and the Wingtip peninsula beyond.

“Stay low” Palm said quietly to Onyx “We’re passing in between the Scorpion Den and Queen Oasis’s palace”. “Yes mother” Onyx said in a way that she thought was quiet but was really quite loud. “Shhhhh” snapped Palm “Sorry mother” she whispered.

They made their way to the Five-tails River, avoiding the Skywing settlement on the east side of the river and landing at the outskirts of the Sandwing village.

They were greeted by a friendly looking Sandwing behind a short fence. “Greetings, you both look new here,” he said, “Oh hello” Palm said stiffly, tucking Onyx behind her wing. “No, we’re from the village 3 days flight north of here,” “Oh right, so you’re all for Queen Burn then?, or are you supporting Blaze?” he said the last few words with a suspicious tone. “We support Blaze” said Palm, trying to hide her confusion at his words. Has Oasis died?, or has one of her daughters killed her?

“Who do you support?” she said instead, “Oh I don’t support anyone,” he said “I guess I’d call myself neutral.” “What happened to Queen Oasis?” she hedged, “I heard rumors her sons killed her” she lied. “Oh no, that's not what happened” he said, “She was killed about 3 years ago by a few scavengers” Palm nearly fell over with surprise “Scavengers?” she said in a curious voice. “Yes” he paused. “I’ll get some food for you and that dragonet of yours.”

He disappeared inside his small hut. “Onyx” said Palm hurriedly “Yes mother?” she said quietly “We’ll get some food from this dragon and then leave” Palm said “But moth-” “Shhh” said Palm as the stranger came back out of the hut with some gourds of water.

“Here you are” he said cheerfully “I’m just waiting for the crocodile to finish cooking on the fire” he went back inside.

### Chapter 8

About 10 minutes later, the dragon came back out, he handed Onyx and Palm some crocodile skewers. “Here,” he said “These should keep you well fed.” “Thank you,” said Palm gratefully.

As soon as they finished eating, the dragon went back inside the hut and made a whistling sound.

Palm tensed, “Be ready to fly Onyx” she whispered, “He's calling som-” Sure enough the dragon came back out with 10 Sandwing soldiers “Arrest them,” he said “They support Blaze, they must be spies.” “FLY!” Palm screamed to Onyx, and they both took to the sky in a flurry of wingbeats. The guards flew after them, “We’ll lose them in the trees” Palm said to Onyx in the quietest voice she could while flying.

They approached the treeline and Palm dove into the trees, Onyx following closely behind.

A few hours later, Palm and Onyx emerged from the other side of the trees. They flew north-east again, towards the Wingtip peninsula. “We must avoid the Skywing palace” Palm said, “They can't be any better than those Sandwings”.

At the end of the day they came to rest in a cave on the north-west side of the Claws of the Clouds mountains. They went inside and drank from the river that flowed through the cavern.

### Chapter 9

After two days of staying in the cave, Onyx woke up to her mother shaking her.

“Come on Onyx,” Palm said. “It's time we were moving again”

They began their flight, going far, far around the very edges of Skywing territory.

Palm fretted all day long about not getting caught, or let alone seen by any other dragons