Skywing

The **Skywing** is a medium Stoker Class dragon that lives in mountainous regions.

## Official Description

The short-tempered and harsh Skywing was born from fire and ash, leaving a natural mean temperament in every individual. With scales described as "jewel-hard," a large pair of wings, and a scorching breath that can melt iron in seconds, the Skywing is surely a formidable opponent in any fight.

## Physical Appearance

### Egg

The Skywing's egg is oval-shaped, covered in small scales, ridges, and spikes. They are mostly orange or red, with a warm red-brown for the spikes. The shell has a orange-yellow mica shimmer finish. Many describe the scent of a Skywing egg to be like crackling firewood.

### Hatchling to Adult

Skywings usually have red, pink, orange, or golden scales with yellow, amber, and sometimes copper underscales. They have enormous wings and long graceful necks, making them excellent fliers and fighters. After surpassing one year of age, a Skywing will have two large curved horns, a nasal horn, and small spines along its back, neck, and tail. Skywings also have wing claws and dewclaws, which are specifically evolved to latch onto ledges, mountains, rough areas, and prey.

Overall, the Skywing's frame is very thin and slender, making these dragons biologically built to fly.

## Abilities

### Firepower

As a Stoker Class dragon, the Skywing has incredibly hot fire that comes out in long streams. They are also able to hold fire in their mouths to illuminate dark areas.

Firescales Skywings are a unique case, as this is when a Skywing has "too much fire," causing their scales to be incredibly hot to the touch, and burn almost instantly. This is elaborated further in the paragraph below.

### Firescales

In rare cases, a Skywing can be born with too much fire. This is referred to as being a firescales or fireborn. They possess so much fire that everything they touch burns or catches fire, which makes them invulnerable to any attack by almost any dragon but also curses them by making them unable to have physical contact with any other living being without it dying. Firescales are immune to frostbreath and are often difficult to injure due to weapons melting or burning before or on contact.

    Fireborn Skywings are most likely caused by a lack of oxygen within the shared egg. This is the case with some studied bird eggs, in which two chicks in one egg died due to their shared oxygen source. Fireborn Skywings, in an instinctual last-minute attempt at survival, are the result of them trying to suck the oxygen supply from their siblings - that is, the oxygen in fire. The weaker twin, as a result, either dies or is born extremely weak. Despite being more dependent, the weak twin, nicknamed “Ashens” are immune to fire and extreme burns. They have adapted to the intense heat by being born with the ability to suck heat out of other dragons. For example, say they were to touch a fire breathing dragon, they would drain their body of all heat, warming the fireless dragon for while before they would need to warm up again. Ashens often develop lung disorders as they age.

Firescales Skywings are often shunned and alone. The mother will usually drop any hatchlings with firescales off a cliff to kill them.

### Strength and Combat

Skywings are well known for their superior skills in combat. They can fly faster than many other Stoker Class dragons, thanks to their large wings and keels, and are capable of breathing large amounts of fire at extreme temperatures. Physically, Skywings are very strong and can send a Whispering Death flying into the side of a cliff.

In some cases, when a Skywing is smaller than usual, they deceive the enemy using their size, and use their size to their advantage by navigating through tiny cracks between clicks and rocks in their mountain habitat. Skywings have also been noted to have a great sense of navigation and sight.

### Stamina and Endurance

Skywings have the stamina to fly for 18 hours without any breaks due to their increased cardiovascular endurance and better muscle toning. Their large wings also allow them to go further and fly faster between areas.

## Personality and Behavior

Skywings are regarded and grumpy and aggressive. They seem to detest abnormalities, as they kill firescales hatchlings as soon as they are discovered. Skywings also kill dragons for having too little fire as well.

Unlike many other Stoker Class dragons, Skywings live in large groups, or tribes as some call them. They will usually appoint a "King" and "Queen" to rule over their tribe. Each tribe varies in diet, behavior, and even coloration.

Most Skywing mothers care very much for their offspring, doing anything to protect them.

Skywings strongly believe in reincarnation, burying their deceased on the tallest peaks of mountains in hopes that their spirit will move onto being birds. Cardinals are considered to be reincarnated Skywings due to their red color, so eating them is taboo among most Skywings.

Young Skywings play a game known as "bombing." This is when a Skywing will fly as high as they can before letting loose of their wings before falling, trying to get the closest to the ground without actually touching it, snapping their wings open right before they hit the ground. It's common for wing injuries (and even death) to occur when playing.

Skywing’s equivalence to marriage is what they call “sunbonding”: two Skywing individuals will fly as high as they can manage together when the sun is at it’s peak, and with claws clasped, they plummet back towards the ground, spiraling into a burst of flame of both their making. They are considered bonded for life once they land.

## Training

Due to their aggressive nature, it's hard to get close to a Skywing without it burning you alive. Your best bet is to offer it food, like a rabbit or fish, and wait for it to approach you and take the food.

Doing this over the course of a week will eventually gain you it's trust.

## Trivia

* The Skywing is originally from the Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland.
* The Skywing's roar is the Sea Dragon Leviathan's roar from Subnautica.
* Skywings make a particular hissing noise before breathing fire.
* Skywings are splendid at resisting high air pressures due to them spending most of their lives at high altitudes.
* Skywings circle their prey like vultures and hawks.
* Skywings love collecting gems, jewelry, trinkets, and other shiny things. This can be another way to gain one's trust!
* A Skywing's horns never stop growing, to the point where they'll get tangled and must be cut or sanded off.
* Skywing scales get paler as they age.

## Gallery

©J-HaskellSkywing Coloration 1 ©TerrorTheArtistSkywing Coloration 2 ©TropiCat212Skywing Coloration 3 ©TerrorTheArtistSkeletal System of a Skywing ©drinkingjesusbloodFirescales Skywing
## Image Sources

1. Skywing Egg Concept by GaiaWolfe on DeviantArt
2. Skywing Base by J-Haskell on DeviantArt
3. Skywing by TerrorTheArtist on DeviantArt
4. Skywing Adoptable by TropiCat212 on DeviantArt
5. Skywing by TerrorTheArtist on DeviantArt
6. Skywing Skeletal by drinkingjesusblood on DeviantArt
7. Skywing Hatchling Adopt by TerrorTheArtist on DeviantArt
8. Skywing by TerrorTheArtist on DeviantArt