Wings Of Fire Oneshots

Peril Bites Scarlet (💔🫀🩹💀)

To Peril, fighting was a performance more than anything. The lead role in a play, her opponents being the side characters. The audience would look in horror and amazement, cheering and clapping once the show was over. Above, the director on high: Queen Scarlet. She was the one behind it all, dictating her actions. Though, very rarely did Peril get stage fright. Today? Well, today was different.

It had been a while since she felt this way about going to fight someone. Usually, it was a pretty cut-and-dry. Go into the arena, chase down her opponent if they didn't already accept their fate, press her talons against their neck and watch the life drain from their eyes. Rinse and repeat over and over again. Maybe she would get some scratches or even the occasional cut from their talons, but she was invincible. Undefeatable.

It wasn't like she particularly cared about her victims either. Why would she? To her, they're yet another dragon to kill. Another life to take. She had done this so many times that their faces all blended together. Why would she remember somebody whose only meaning in her life was to die? Yet another tally mark on the kill count.

Not like they thought of her as any better either. To them, she was a monster. She always was. Some freakish puppet of Scarlet that's only kept around to be her killing machine. Everyone hates her. Why should she care about dragons who have nothing else to offer but hatred? Besides, if murdering is the only thing she was good at, why not follow through?

That's what she tried to convince herself at least. This time was different. She knew it. This wouldn't be a simple one-and-done battle like every other one. This fight was the result of her standing up for once. For rebelling against Scarlet. For wanting to save someone.

Yesterday, a prisoner was brought in for a trial. On the surface, it was yet another snooze-fest. Classic case of treason. Given an order, disobeyed, fled the kingdom for years, then was captured and brought back. However, it wasn't that simple. Osprey spoke up, revealing the true story. She was a loyal soldier to Scarlet, but when she had dragonets, her queen ordered her to kill one of them. These weren't any normal dragonets though. One, pale and dusty and without any fire. The other, a burning inferno that could melt through anything.

This prisoner, Kestrel, was her mother. She wasn't abandoned and left to die in the wilderness. She was loved. Scarlet lied to her.

She couldn't stand idly by. She enacted the Champion's Shield, an act where the current champion could fight to save a prisoner by winning a battle. Only once could she use this, and she chose her mother. But, it couldn't be that easy. As per the act, the queen would personally pick the opponent.

Peril had an idea as to who that dragon would be. The thought alone scared her. Fear: what an odd emotion to feel. She was hesitant. Afraid. She knew what would wait beyond the gate and in the arena. Yet, the battlefield beckoned to her. Crying her name. Cheering for death and blood.

She had to. She must. It was to save her mother, but at what cost?

The sound of chains rattling and metal scraping snapped her out of thought. The gate before her opened up, raising into the ceiling. The sun seeped into the tunnel, calling her forward. As she did, she heard the familiar sound of Vermilion.

"But, that's not all! Not only will this sorry sob of a prophecy dragon have to fight, but he will go up against the one, the only- come on everyone, you all know who it is! Give it up for our glorious Queen Scarlet's champion, Perrrrrilllll!!!"

An explosion of noise. Roaring and unorganized chanting, all happy and overjoyed. Rather than giving her the extra boost of motivation and courage, it made her feel smaller. Weaker. She flexed her claws anxiously before continuing on. The blood-stained sand sizzled and burned beneath her talons.