If Glory Missed

Chapter Seventeen - Land of Scorpions

"Rise and shine!" Clay shouted cheerfully, his voice reverberating off the cave walls.

"RRAAARRRGHHH!" Was Peril and Tsunami's simultaneous reply.

"We have to go NOW. Sunny's out there all alone and we have to get her back and she's probably so scared and wondering where we are and--"

Tsunami put a talon on Clay's shoulder to stop him. "We know Clay, we're all worried about her too. None of us," she glared pointedly at Peril, "mind getting up so early if it means rescuing Sunny."

Clay smiled in response as everyone else got up from their slumber and stretched out their wings. Onyx was slightly annoyed that she had to fly with this misfit group of dragons across the Kingdom of Sand. Especially since the sheer vastness of her territory and the sun beating down would hinder this group's speed.

Onyx had been awake for several hours already. Her mind kept mulling over the fact that in the next twenty-four hours she had a chance -- a real chance -- to lead her tribe as queen of the SandWings. Although she had wanted this all her life, there was still a small part of her that felt anxious. Will I be a good queen? Will the SandWings accept me? Will Blister kill me the moment she learns of my heritage?

Blaze was not a problem and Burn -- although a serious threat before -- was now dead. Unfortunately, this left the most dangerous and intelligent sister for Onyx to deal with.

Blister was the only dragon standing between Onyx and her own rise to power.

"Onyx," a voice cut through her thoughts, "Did you sleep alright?" It was Clay. She tilted her head at the MudWing. Onyx was still convinced his niceness was only temporary and he would soon realize that 'friend' was not a word in her vocabulary.

Still, he seemed so sincere. Onyx had never met someone who hated her so little.

"Yes, I did," that was a lie, but she didn't have the heart to tell him the truth. What is wrong with me? Onyx grumbled internally. Why do I care what I tell him and what he thinks of me as a result? He's just another distraction from my real mission. Plus, she reminded herself, he's not even a SandWing.

"Can we get out of this wretched cave yet?" Onyx demanded, heading towards the opening without waiting for the others. She thought she had caught a glimpse of disappointment on the MudWing's face, but she decided to ignore it.

Onyx closed her eyes and took a deep breath as the sun's rays danced across her scales. Now that the chill of the storm had passed, she could feel the warmer air drifting from the Sand Kingdom. She had only been gone for several days, but it had felt like an eternity.

"RACE YOU OUTSIDE!" The voice belonged to the immature male SkyWing. How the others tolerated him was a mystery to her.

"YOU STAND NO CHANCE AGAINST ME!" Peril shouted back as the two of them burst from the cave entrance at exactly the same moment.

"Told you so!" The female shouted triumphantly, looping in the sky.

"That is so not true," the other SkyWing protested, standing up a few talon-lengths taller. "I beat you fair and square and you know it, Peril!"

The SandWing heir looked up to the sky. Sky's above, just help me get through this journey!

"Alright, we better get going now," This time it was the fiery SeaWing who walked outside, followed closely by the little SeaWing, the talks-a-lot SkyWing, the nerdy NightWing, the damaged RainWing and... Clay.

STOP THINKING ABOUT HIM YOU LIZARD-BRAINED FOOL! Onyx screamed at herself, leaping into the air to distance herself from the MudWing. She could feel his gaze on her as the rest of the group took to the skies.