Winter Wasteland

Winter Wasteland

Nothing but Ice and Snow   StoryIts been thousands of years since a single prophecy had even been uttered, and it was relatively peaceful save for a few border skirmishes here and there but nothing last forever, As one day a young Nightwing barely over 2 started singing the following:
**[PROPHECY TBA}**

* Bennu
* Bihai
* DeadWings
* Oxeye
* Sleipnir

**BENNU**

*Species:* SandWing

*Gender:* Female

*Age:* 8 years old

*Appearance:* Your rather average looking SandWing with a slightly golden scale color and paler underbelly

*Personality:* Not one to accept help of any kind from anyone she can sometimes be a tad-bit to aggressive

**BIHAI**

*Species:* RainWing

*Gender:* Male

*Age:* 6 years old

*Appearance:* When not sneaking around his are scales are bright red-ish pink with green accents

*Personality:* Friendly seeming on the outside but he isn't very trusting of anyone other than Bennu

**DEADWINGS**

*Species:* NightWing

*Gender:* Male

*Age:* 9 years old

*Appearance:* Very dark grey scales with some grey-ish purple accents, his wings are normally limp by his sides

*Personality:* Bookish with a quiet demeanor, he only speaks out when he feels it needed or when someone is directly speaking to him

**OXEYE**

*Species:* MudWing

*Gender:* Female

*Age:* 7.5 years old

*Appearance:* Shades of light brown with amber highlights, she wears a pair of hexagon-shaped glasses with black frames

*Personality:* Sweet, funny, and always willing to help someone in need, but when needed she will act serious

**SLEIPNIR**

*Species:* IceWing

*Gender:* Male

*Age:* 10 years old

*Appearance:* Slightly off white with his limbs fading to a pale blue

*Personality:* Cynical and jaded constantly seeing the negative aspects of things and is sometimes just a drag.

Prologue

A Skywing dragonet pressed against her scar-covered father as hail and snow beat down against her crimson-colored scales as the Icewings handed out fur coats as the non-ice resistant tribes fled, She looked at the combination of scale colors laid out before her; Blue. Red, Green. Yellow, Orange, and more, Never had she seen so many different dragons in one place, in front of her was the mouth of a cave.

She felt a flick of a claw against the back of her head she at first just ignored it but when she felt another flick against the back of her head she turned to see her little brother retracting “Argali….” The Dragonet murmured.

“What I didn’t do anything” He whined as he hung to their fathers back, his eyes filled with a mischievous glint, shivering and with snot dripping out of his nose.

“I know you did” The crimson dragonet frowned at her brother.

“Nuh-uh!” He pouted, and the 2 children went back and forth bickering for several minutes much to the dismay of their father.

“Both of you quiet down” Their father grumbled quietly looking down at her with the stern look that he had been wearing since her mother ran out.

“Sorry dad…” she murmured looking down at her talons wistfully.

“But I sware it wasn’t me” Argali moped as he clutched onto their fathers back, She rolled her eyes at her brother’s claim, The dragonet heard a quiet giggle from behind her and turned to find the source.

“Hello?” She asked to seemingly empty air

“Who are you talking to?” Argali spoke looking down at her, confusion prominent in his eyes. “There's no one there”

“I thought I heard some-” Her words were cut short by a shout from above, looking for the epicenter of the shout she looked up in the sky. A Large almost pure white Male IceWing hovered in the air, the flapping of their wings blew a gust of the frigid air towards the crowd causing her to shiver, Next to her she heard a surprised yelp but when she looked back she saw nothing but empty space.

“Anyone with eggs or dragonets under the age of 6 years old please move to the left, even if you don't have a pass, now those who have a pass but no dragonets please move to the right” The IceWing bellowed, looking over the freezing dragons with rigid emotionless eyes that made it seem like they were looking into your soul.

Her father abruptly put one of his wings around her and pulled her towards the left of the line of dragons. As she looked back at the group of dragons she was being led away from she noticed serval dragons in the group where scowling towards the dragons that were moving towards the right of the group, she took a second to wonder why but she quickly turned back to what was in front of her and saw older dragons holding eggs and some telling dragonets to stay in their line of sight or to not move at all.

The Large IceWing that had shouted Landed at the front of the group next to another Icewing, who they whispered something to but then turned back to the crowd of dragons,

"Alright Those of you who have passes, please come up to the front of the group and have them at the ready," The IceWing shouted out. A few dragons and dragonets began to move towards the front. The crimson dragonet watched as her father began to dig through the small bag that he had hanging from his neck, She knew the bag didn't have much in it after all they didn't have much after her mother left and then she knew her father had sold everything he could in order to afford 3 of these passes as she had heard the IceWing call them.

After fishing the 3 small slips of paper out of his bag he wrapped his wing around her again and moved up the front of the group. The Large IceWing along with a few other IceWings moved around the dragons that had moved to the front of the group of dragons and dragonets When they got to her family she watched as they glanced between the 3 SkyWings, their gaze cold and exhausted.

"Passes Please" The IceWing sighed, and she watched her father hand the slips of paper to the Icewing who fished another piece of paper out of a satchel that sat around their neck, "Seals look good," They stated their eyes flicking between the passes and the piece of paper they had "And your names are Romeldale, Argali, and Fireweed?"

"Mhm," Argali announced peaking from behind their father's neck.

"I'm Romeldale," her father pointed towards her as she held onto his arm "This is my Daughter Fireweed and this little one on my back is Argali," he replied looking at the IceWing.

"May I ask where their mother is?" The IceWing said handing the papers back to her father who seemed to freeze in place.

"Their mother left us," Her father somberly explained

"Oh...I'm sorry for asking" The IceWing replied gently, there were a few seconds of awkward silence.

"What's your name?" Argali said breaking the silence with his patented innocence.

The IceWing smiled but didn't answer the question "Anyway, I'm going to need to give this to you" The Dragon pulled a small a folded piece of paper out of the satchel "Give This to one of the Mudwings inside and they'll give you a key and directions to where your going to live"

"Alright, thank you very much," Her father said dipping his head slightly.

"Now if you could follow that IceWing over there" The IceWing replied pointing towards a smaller IceWing who a small crowd was gathering around, He then ducked his head and moved on to the next group of dragons. Her father put the passes and the other papers back into his bag.

"Come on Fireweed" Her father moved towards the IceWing that Smilodon pointed to, and she followed along quickly. She looked around at the white snow-covered landscape as she slowly followed her dad.

"Alright, is that all of the groups with passes Stoat?" The small IceWing asked to another Icewing that seemed to appear from the snow seemingly out of nowhere.

"I Believe so" The other IceWing presumably Stoat responded looking out at the group of dragons and dragonets that stood shivering in the snow.

"Okay, If you'd all follow me" The Icewing announced and began to trudge through the snow towards the mouth of the cave, She moved following closely behind her dad. The group followed the small IceWing into the cave with a large open ceiling and upon entering she felt a rush of heat engulf her body. She looked around and the other dragons and apparently she wasn't the only one shocked by the heat as a few auditable yelps sounded from around her.

Inside the cave already was a group of 7 MudWings all behind each a few feet apart with a large box sitting on their right sides, the MudWing in the center of the line stood up and walked forward towards the Icewing that lead them in "Are these all the pass holders?" they mumbled into the IceWing's ear,

"Pass holders with Dragonets or Eggs" The IceWing whispered back, The Mudwing let out an affirmative grunt and leaped into the air.

"Everybody listen up!" The MudWing shouted hovering in the air doing their best to remain stable "We'd like to remain orderly and have you all separated by tribe" The MudWing began to list which tribe would go to which line, Her father guided her towards where the Skywing line was.

after waiting for the line to move they reached the front, as rather large slightly greenish MudWing, looked them all up and down
"One of the IceWings outside should have given you a piece of paper and told you to give it to me" the MudWing mumbled tiredly their face deadpan.

"Of course," her father said hastily handing the paper over to the MudWing, who took it and reading reached into the box sitting at their side, they pulled out 3 small pouches, a small key with a piece of leather attached to it, as well as a piece of paper

"Inside the bags are ration books, you get 3 free meals a day breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you want any more food then the 3 meals you will have to buy it, and that brings me to the next thing, in the city we use a different currency system then outside so if you wish to have any money you have converted you must see one of the SandWings over there" They pointed towards were a few sandwing were sitting with boxes next to them in very long lines of dragons waiting. "I recommend going in the next few days, and then there your place of residence, every house here is numbered and the leather piece will tell you to want a number you have, and the map here will tell you where that number is, " they said handing the things to her father

"Um, is there anything about jobs that might be available?" Her father asked quietly, The MudWing didn't answer but they reached back into the box and pulled out a piece of paper.

"This paper list all jobs available within your section of the town"

"Alright thank you," her father said taking the paper and ushering her away,

"Next" She heard the MudWing call out.

Total Word count: 1,608

Chapter 1

Part 1: Meet The Urchin

The Rainwings scales shifted to match the backdrop of the bakery, he slipped in as the door was opened by a patron that was leaving with a bundle of bread that hung from a bag wrapped from their neck, he quickly weighed whether he should pull the sad dragonet card or not but that thought was promptly dismissed. He swiftly ducked under a table that had an assortment of spiced-breads laying out the pleasant scent flooded his nostrils and he waited for a chance to bolt from the table he was beneath now to the next closest.

*3...2...1 and...*

He dashed under a table that held crates of different types of jams and jellies, waiting once again he noticed a pale-colored SandWing step in front of the display placing a basket full of different types of groceries down on the floor. *It's so close* he thought as one of his talons moved forward briskly swiping a piece of dried meat from the wicker basket being careful to not move anything too much. The SandWing grabbed the basket and....when nothing happened he let out a sigh of relief, As he made his way back towards the entrance and out the door, he's pretty sure he got sloppy and though that someone probably saw him but if someone did they didn't say anything.

When he got outside again he moved towards an alley and shifted his scales to a light golden color, hopefully, no one looked close enough but then again they never did.

He weaved through the groups of dragons and made his way to his 'home', make his way through the only unboarded window and climbed up the rickety latter which lead up to the second floor "Bennu?" he called out.

"Ugh...Bihai...Is that you?" Bennu called out her voice hoarse and strained, and suddenly she started coughing violently. Bihai moved to the next room of the second floor and saw the fabric hammock where his sister, Bennu, was laying sick her scales paler with snot dripping from her nose.

"I brought you some food" He smiled approaching the hammock, Bennu didn't even open her eyes to look at him, she then quickly brought one of her talons to her mouth as she started to cough, the cough sounded painful and grating when she pulled her talon away blood was spattered on her palm.
"We need to take you to a doctor" he frowned.

"No, no I'll be fine-" she was cut off by another sharp cough and a bit of blood dripped out and onto her scales "Just got to sleep it off"

"NO! we have to get a doctor" he shouted crossing his arms "You've been 'sleeping it off' for over a month!"

"If I'm still sick in the next 4 day's we'll get a doctor,"

"I'm getting you a doctor today!"

"I'm old-" cough "I'm older so you do what I say," Bennu said coarsely poking Bihai on the snout while slightly opening one of her bloodshot eyes before closing them again.

"WH-,"

"Shhhh, someone will hear you" Bennu choaked pressing the same talon to Bihai's lips to shush him, opening one of her eyes again "so wheres the food?"

Bihai just rolled his eyes and split the dried meat so Bennu had a bigger piece, which he expected her to protest to but she just ate it. She was probably too delirious to care or even look for that matter. Not too long after she swallowed the dried meat Bennu fell back asleep sighing Bihai sat down and looked at Bennu: she looked terrible and no matter how many times she said she would just sleep it off did she never did get better.

Maybe he could steal some medicine for her or honey to help her cough, but maybe stealing wouldn't be best as he didn't want to get caught and if he did get caught who would look after her! Bihai reached for the small pouch that held pretty much all of their possessions and dumped the contents out.

20 silver, a tin with sewing supplies, spare lint, and the small piece of paper that had their parents writing on it, well to Bihai adoptive parents. their mother's handwriting cramped and slanted slightly dad's was loopy and hardly legible, the words 'Stay safe' were written by their father and bellow in their mother's handwriting it said '-with love Helios + Mosaic'. Bihai felt a tear roll down his scales as he thought about mom and dad, ya there were unorthodox and criminals but they had been the only ones to take Bihai away from that god awful orphanage over in The Rain Precinct.

Wiping the tear away he stuffed everything else except the coins back in and threw it back on the floor taking the coins he climbed back down the ladder and left the house once again.

Word count: 812

Part 2: Closed Off

Part 3: Sickly

Part 4: Alone Once More

Part 5: Special Flower

Part 6: Juncture

Chapter 2