Third Person POV:
Kinkajou was camouflaged on top of a boulder, eyeing the logs burnt to crisps, not one trace of leaves left over. It turned out that only parts of the Rainforest were burned, but it was a lot of damage. The RainWings all agreed going back into the actual "forest" part of the forest was too risky, because the NightWings would be searching for them.
They would be using the trees as cover from other tribes. Other tribes- why, they probably didn't even know anything was wrong in this part of Pyrrhia! Kinkajou bitterly pictured SeaWings flashing in aquatic, cheerfully swimming around with not a care in the world. With no idea how messed up this part of the continent was. She pictured the SandWings isolated in their desert, her MudWing neighbors who were probably too invested in the war to realize what happened. She pictured IceWings having no idea their enemy tribe moved closer to them, to a perfect place to attack. She pictured the SkyWings, too concerned with their new queen to even think about another tribe.
She pictured Glory, who probably had no idea she failed.
Kinkajou sighed and walked down the boulder quietly. She looked up at the moons that were shining, which she had seen Glory do a few times. It made her seem wiser, calmer, but it didn't help Kinkajou at all. There was no miracle way to be Glory, no quick ticket to being epic.
Kinkajou shook her head and turned to the horizon, where the silhouette of trees captured her attention. Trees. The forest.
Kinkajou hesitated. RainWing missions into the trees were quick, just to get some fruits to survive on and leave. But that was when multiple dragons went in at once, and she was just one tiny dragonet. Plus, if the NightWings caught her, she wouldn't be risking the safety of the rest of her tribe: just herself.
Kinkajou made sure she was still camouflaged and ran into the woods. She felt the difference immediately when the moonlight was dimmed by the trees' shadows. Sharp sticks and rocks littered the floor, and rotten fruits threatened to make her slip into the muddy ground. It was awesome!
With a smile on her face for the first time in a long time, Kinkajou ran, breathing deeply. She tried not to make much noise, especially as she knew NightWings would be awake around now.
Kinkajou slowed as she reached a big tree, and she suddenly had little flashbacks. She used to sneak away every now and then, and this had been one of her favorite trees to climb.
There was no thinking, no contemplation, no hesitation. She was climbing the trunk in two seconds, curling contentedly into a little ball on one of the branches. There, she slowed her fast breathing, and closed her eyes, of course remaining camouflaged. She felt like a dragonet again. Not a queen, not someone with big responsibilities resting in such tiny claws. She felt free.
For a minute she sat there, calming down, when she picked up a distant noise.
Kinkajou opened her eyes and raised her head, and the noise came nearer. She quickly realized it was a voice, a quiet one.
She tensed, wondering if she should run. But the voice seemed to not want to be heard, so Kinkajou figured (in case it was a scheming NightWing) that she should eavesdrop.
Tilting her head, Kinkajou leaned forward and strained her ears to hear what the dragon was saying.
A young female voice was speaking. "-I- I just- Death... I need to speak with you."
Kinkajou stiffened: was this who she thought it was?
A male voice answered, "I know. That's why you pulled me here, was it not?" There was amusement in the dragon's tone.
"This is serious!" the first voice growled with surprising shakiness. "I just - this is so, so important, and I-I need you to listen."
There was a pause. Then, the male voice said, "I'm listening," with a much quieter and softer voice.
The female took a deep, slightly shuddering breath.
Then, quickly, uncertainly, as if she didn't know what she was saying: there was a rush of, "I don't want to do this anymore!"
Silence.
The female elaborated. "I can't keep doing it! I can't keep assassinating! I can't keep killing dragons that have done nothing to me! It's- it's driving me insane!"
The voice was closer, and Kinkajou could hear the female's breath coming in uneven gasps, as if she was breaking composure.
"Glory-" the male voice called unsure.
Kinkajou heard the ruffle of unfolding wings, and saw a sheet of black scales smooth over ones painted lime green. The unhealthy breathing slowed a bit, and returned to it's normal state - if not a little quicker than usual.
"Glory," the male voice said again, and Kinkajou was MEGA CERTAIN it was Deathbringer, "We aren't killing dragons anymore. I mean, it's not like we could anyways, since we're cut off from the NightWings."
Then why are you in their territory? Kinkajou thought fiercely. Oh NO - they probably don't know it was taken over! They're in danger!
I have to warn them!
Kinkajou was staring at the bunch of colorful scales she could see from her perch and was about to slink towards them when she hesitated.
They're having a private conversation. I shouldn't interrupt.
Actually, I shouldn't even be here, practically SPYING on them! I should just go and leave them be.
But then Kinkajou couldn't leave, because what if they got AMBUSHED by the BIG BAD NIGHTWINGS? Then she would need to have her EPIC MOMENT AS A SAVIOR, which she unfortunately missed out on in the battle.
I'll just stay here, she thought uncomfortably. And just never mention this to ANYONE.
Kinkajou wished she could cover her ears, but then she wouldn't know if a NightWing was coming. Their scales were black and it was night time, so she couldn't rely on sight; scents of ashes were tingling in her nose, bound to mask any other scent; and Kinkajou REALLY didn't want to have to rely on touch, because that meant the NightWing had already GOT HER. So she had to use her ears. Plus, she was pretty sure the NightWings were still getting used to the forest, and probably couldn't go anywhere in it without snapping a few twigs or ruffling a few leaves. So hearing was her best bet.
Even though it was also the sense she was least comfortable using in this situation - actually, besides taste, because YUCK.
Kinkajou has missed a few murmurs from Deathbringer whilst she was thinking. But she didn't miss Glory's "You don't understand, do you?"
There was a pause. Then, "Well, then why don't you explain it to me?"
"I'm dragging you down with me," Glory said quietly. "If I had never become an assassin, maybe you would have stopped killing...."
"Glory, YOU stopped me from killing," Death reminded her. "YOU were the one who helped me find ways to get dragons out of the way through persuasion or means other than violence."
"I... I don't remember that," Glory said uncertainly.
"Glory. Out of ten dragons we get assigned, how many do we kill?"
"Nine," Glory said miserably.
"No," Death said, clearly surprised. "You really think that?"
No answer.
"It's two, Glory. Two or three. And those are only the ones that are so loyal to one of the sisters that they're practically just as cruel."
"We could have been FRIENDS with those dragons in another life!" Glory said, still determined to argue that she was a bad influence.
"Probably not," Death snorted. "I mean, could you see me hanging around with Salsola? Really?"
Glory snorted. "Okay, well, maybe not," she said, and she sounded a bit more like the normal Glory.
"Those dragons we kill are the REAL bad influences, not you. And you just remember them better because we have to prepare more to kill them than we do to persuade them to leave their side."
"But - but no killing anymore," Glory said. "Not unless it's absolutely necessary."
"Alright then," Death agreed. "No more killing. We're retired assassins now."
Kinkajou saw the lime scales peeking from under Deathbringer's suddenly turn yellow. Then there was an oof! as the colorful scales flung themselves into the black ones.
"Doesn't it feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders?" Glory asked happily.
"No," Deathbringer grumbled, "it feels like weight has been ADDED to my shoulders, because SOME DRAGON decided to tackle me to the ground!"
Then there were giggles: Glory was laughing! Glory never laughed.
Then again, she never seemed insecure either. Kinkajou wondered what had exposed her to these feelings along her journey.
I never really felt sad or hopeless, she reminded herself, until the NightWings decided to be our neighbors.
Then, Kinkajou heard a groan, and suddenly Glory's scales flashed alarmingly. She quickly dulled the yellow and became a little more camouflaged.
NightWing??? Kinkajou asked herself. Why hadn't she heard it approaching?
"Ugly?" Glory called, quietly but loud enough for her voice to carry over to Kinkajou.
The dragon groaned again.
"Why are you awake?" Deathbringer asked sternly.
"A flash woke me," a male voice grumbled. "Yellow. So bright."
Kinkajou saw Glory glance at Deathbringer, but he just said, "Yellow? I mean, we ARE in the rainforest. Maybe some RainWings decided to try to kidnap you," Death said lightly.
Kinkajou couldn't resist the opportunity.
"That's right!" She said, and leapt down from her perch. Kinkajou turned her scales to a duller version of their usual pink-and-yellow, and soared right next to the NightWing that Glory had called Ugly.
Deathbringer yelped, and Glory's scales flashed closer to white from shock. However, both reactions lasted no more than an instance.
"Kinkajou!" Glory said, and Kinkajou couldn't tell what Glory had felt as she looked at Kinkajou. "You're here - where - what-"
"One question at a time, Glory," Deathbringer joked.
"Shut up," she said, embarrassed. She took a deep breath and looked at Kinkajou, and her scales dulled to a calm silvery-blue.
"Kinkajou- we've been looking for you."
"You have?" She asked, surprised.
"Yes," Glory said. "We heard about what happened." There was sadness in her voice.
"Yeah, we have been looking for you," Deathbringer said an instant later, "because we have a new RainWing for you!" He gestured towards Ugly, looking wickedly amused.
Kinkajou laughed out loud.
"How did you find us?" Glory asked.
"Oh, I was just going for a walk here by myself - I didn't want to go too far in, I just wanted to see my home - when I saw - um - a flash of yellow," Kinkajou said, remembered what Ugly had said earlier.
Deathbringer glanced at Glory, who looked sheepishly at the ground.
"And then I heard someone groaning about that flash of yellow," she added hurriedly, not wanting Glory to get blamed for letting off a signal to other (potentially dangerous) dragons. "That was what really drew me here."
Deathbringer sighed. "Ugly, you were supposed to keep your snout shut," he said.
"But this is better!" Glory said quickly. "Now, we can take Ugly to his new home!" There was hopefulness in Glory's voice as she turned to Kinkajou. "Where are you guys hiding?" she asked.
Kinkajou's scale colors lost a little, well, color. She looked at the floor.
"Why are your scales duller than usual?" Deathbringer asked, suddenly noticing the lack of shine.
"We have a limited amount of dragons who can have suntime," Kinkajou explained miserably. "So we shift the schedule. Each dragon gets suntime about twice a week, and in half the time they usually would."
Glory stared at Kinkajou, worry in her eyes.
"How many dragons do you have with you?" Glory asked.
Kinkajou took a breath. "Fifty," she admitted.
"Only?" Glory asked. "Everyone else was captured?"
"Yes," Kinkajou said, looking at the floor. She felt as if she had failed.
If only Glory had been able to lead the battle. Maybe she would have made it successful.
Then, suddenly, hope spread through Kinkajou. "But now you're here!" she said. "You can help us! Be our queen!"
It was perfect. Glory was strong and smart and awesome, and now that she wasn't an assassin she was free to help them - the pair would have access to news, as well, and other dragons to help them. They could use Deathbringer's help to learn battle skills, and if anyone could help them survive and possibly get the forest back, it was Glory.
"Aren't YOU the queen?" Glory asked uncertainly.
"Not a very good one," she confided. "I don't like it, either. I didn't like it when I first took over. Nobody will let me stop being queen though." Kinkajou sighed. "They said I was the best queen they could get their talons on, and more responsible than anyone else there - I don't agree. But no one else will take the throne and I can't just GIVE IT UP with no replacement. Then the tribe won't be lead by anyone and it will break apart."
"And you think I can be a good queen?" Glory asked. She looked unsure.
"We'll all help you," Death said. "We just need someone in charge to actually make the final calls."
Glory still looked unsure, but Deathbringer touched a wingtip to her wing. Glory looked at him, and his eyes were screaming, DO IT! IT'S A GOOD IDEA! KINKAJOU'S BRAIN IS STILL WORKING AFTER ALL!
At least, that's what Kinkajou hoped he was trying to communicate.
At last, Glory nodded. "Take us to your tribe," she said, and Kinkajou felt as if the sun was on her scales even though it was the middle of the night.
Hello. I have no right to say 'hello' as if it's merely been a few days. Uhh, it's been months.
In my defense, I've been very very very busy with school and transferring from remote learning to back-in-school learning, but it's November now and I really have no right to use that excuse anymore.
Sorry if this chapter wasn't very good, I'm a bit out of practice (my own fault lol) and it's definitely not epic enough to have taken months to write. But I hope you guys have been alright through this time!
The end of this part of the story is coming up, although it is by no means close to finished - I still have a LOT of editing to do. That being said, we are only a few chapters away from the end of this half of the storyline, the other half taking place in the future when Glory has dragonets.
In the meantime, I wrote a quiz on Quotev that I'll link here! If you want to write to my OC Zircon, feel free to take it! You don't need an account to take a quiz, so you can take it even if you don't have an account/don't want to make one. Here's the link: https://www.quotev.com/quiz/14247564/Write-a-letter-to-my-OC-Zircon-WOF if it doesn't work let me know in the comments.
Finally, Read Count: 15.8k on Wattpad, almost 16.2k on Quotev... Thank you for about 32,000 reads in total!
Chapter, check. Superlong author's note no one bothers to read, check. Yep, that's it for this chapter, hope you guys enjoyed!
Oh yeah. Have a nice day!
(I wish I can say more than "have a nice day" since it takes me more than a day to update, but saying "have a nice life" sounds so weird. Lol. Guess it's just 'have a nice day' then!)