Y/N--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No... surely not. I'm just a human! A scavenger! I'm not even supposed to be in this world! Surely, I couldn't have messed the storyline up that badly? All I did was talk to a few of the characters! Your thought as your mind babbled uselessly, while you hanged from Scarlet's tail coils. The queen had only just exited the dining hall, and was now making her way through the halls of the palace to who knows where? Perhaps the throne room... or maybe the arena? It was probably the second option, judging from her conversation to Rhinestone. Not to mention Scarlet had made it obvious she wanted Kestrel's trial over and done with, which also explained why it would be first on the agenda straight after breakfast.
Although, it still didn't explain Scarlet's obvious liking towards you. You had always known from the moment you first spoke to Queen Scarlet, that your ability to communicate with dragons would attract attention... but it seemed to be attracting attention for all the wrong reasons. You still couldn't wrap your head around why Scarlet was being so... friendly to you. Even after pondering and questioning it for so long.
Considering she seemed to view you as a pet, you would have guessed that when she initially threw you into your bird cage the night before, she would have simply left you there. Instead, not only had she taken you to eat with her with other important dragons (which is obviously considered a huge privilege) but was now taking you to supposedly 'enjoy' the trial and execution she had planned out for Kestrel.
The more you thought about it, the surer you felt. Things were obviously changing.
You had noticed this the moment dragons started getting unusually close to you. First Tsunami, then Scarlet, and even Peril had started to give odd vibes and glances towards you throughout breakfast. Or maybe you were just being paranoid?
Despite this, so far you had only noticed small changes to the 'story', but you knew just as well that big alterations could happen at any time. You knew now that your future of escaping with the dragonets was now being threatened by another increasingly possible one: Being forced to remain as Scarlet's pet for the rest of your life.
Which probably won't be a long and happy life considering how other dragons appear to view me. You thought, thinking over the events that had played out during breakfast between Scarlet and one of the other nobles. Your breakfast suddenly felt rather heavy in your stomach as you continued your fear mongering. So much so that you hadn't noticed that Scarlet had taken a sharp turn into a large chamber. Beyond that was an opening leading out where the ground dropped away suddenly.
As Scarlet walked out, you instantly remembered where you were. You had gone this exact path back when Scarlet first took you to see the fight between Peril and Horizon. You were back at Scarlet's observation balcony overlooking the arena.
However, this time you were here under different circumstances. The stands of the arena were devoid of any cheering crowds, while in the middle of the arena stood a temporary stone platform and alter that had been set up. Already there was various guards stationed around the area, while a few other dragons walked around talking, and moving orderly to their positions. You recognized Rhinestone - the dragon who had talked to Scarlet during breakfast - among them, as she exchanged a few hasty words with two of the guards, before walking over to her position on the ground just below Scarlet's platform. As she walked over, you saw her look up at Scarlet before unintentionally locking eyes with you. A flicker of surprise washed over her face upon seeing you, before she reached her spot and sat down. You could only just see the top of her head.
Without warning, Scarlet's tail shifted forwards suddenly as the Queen sat down comfortably on the ground. Sitting on her haunches, she brought her tail around before dropping you neatly into her lap. Before you could react, she wrapped her tail snugly around the front of her legs barricading you in while allowing you to maintain a good view of what was going on below in the arena. You looked up at Scarlet, just in time to see her carefully look around, as if making sure that nobody saw her handle you so gently.
This instantly roused suspicion in your mind.
Does she not want other dragons to see me? To be fair, she had tried to hide me for most of breakfast, and disguise me as her pet... wait what am I thinking? I am her pet! What else could I possibly be?! You thought hastily; feeling uneasy. Deep in your mind though, a rouge thought drifted up which only sparked further insecurity of your situation.
If I was just a pet, why is Scarlet taking me everywhere she goes? Why is she being so careful and protective of me yet still remaining cruel and fierce towards others? If I were nothing more than a mere pet, why does she look at me with such crystal-clear affection in her eyes, like I'm something so much more... No! Shut up! Shut up! You screamed mentally at yourself, blocking out the thoughts. You didn't want to think about it now. To be fair, you didn't want to think about it ever, as you could barely comprehend to how else Scarlet could possibly view you... besides as a pet or food.
Neither option was favorable.
"Osprey! It took you long enough! Get to your position, we'll be starting soon!" Scarlet suddenly called out harshly to someone. Her voice tore you out of your fixed mental blockage, allowing you to peek your head above her tail and out into the arena. A tall dragon was hobbling over towards another platform next to Queen Scarlet's. The other platform was slighter lower and less of a balcony, while it also looked more temporary which allowed you to get a good look at this... rather elderly dragon.
His red scales were so washed-out to the point where they looked almost purple, while his eyes seemed cloudy as if he was severely short-sighted. What certainly attracted your attention was his tail: which dragged limp and uselessly across the sand. Scarlet herself acted completely oblivious and uncaring of Osprey's condition, as she waited impatiently for him to take his place which was next to Rhinestone.
Jeez, I know the actual books described him as old, but this seems ridiculous. He must truly be pretty good at his job if Scarlet has let him stay in this position all these years. You thought, looking over the old Skywing who was looking around, as if he was perplexed by something. His nostrils flared.
"Hrrrrrr, I smell Scavengers. Was there a fight with them in the arena recently?" He asked Rhinestone. His voice sounded creaky, but you could have sworn you could hear a hint of malice underneath.
I guess it's me he can smell. Does that mean every other dragon around here can smell me as well? You thought, looking around for any signs or hints but failing to find any.
Meanwhile, Rhinestone quietly responded to Osprey, as if she was reluctant to attract Scarlet's attention - which currently wasn't a problem as she was too busy giving loud orders to other dragons.
"Yes, it's Queen Scarlet's pet Scavenger. She has it with her on the platform above us. I was suprised when I saw myself." she remarked, responding to Osprey's expression of surprise when he heard about you, as he looked up. His eyes scanned over Scarlet's platform balcony to try and see you, but failed due to the position Scarlet had you in. You saw him look away with a sniff while frowning.
"It doesn't seem like her majesty to keep a Scavenger alive... let alone as a PET of all things. Admittedly I'm really not fond of the little creatures." He said, as he turned his attention towards what was happening in the arena. Three guards had suddenly rushed off into one of the openings in the side of the arena. Inside, your own ears could faintly hear what sounded like various roars and curses of an obviously unhappy dragon.
Heh, kind of sounds a bit like Tsunami's behavior when she's really angry... aside from the really bad curses. She just gets more... blustery, would be the right word. You thought, before turning your attention up towards the sky prisons above the arena. You looked at each one, trying to identify the iconic Seawing... or really any of the dragonets at all. You found Clay very quickly, as he was the only Mudwing up there. The same could be said for Starflight, with his ink-black scales easily recognizable in the broad daylight. Silently, you made a promise that if you escaped with the dragonets alive, you would get to know Starflight and Clay better. Hopefully there would be plenty of time to do that once everyone was free... on the assumption they would even let you come with them.
To be fair, you didn't really want to think about what you would do if they said 'no'. Probably die wandering the wilderness.
With that unhappy thought, you continued your searching for another few seconds before you finally located Tsunami. She was still hanging from her chains, which sparked pangs of sympathy from you. Despite her weird behavior, you still regarded her as a friend. Not even mentioning the fact that it had been 24 hours, and still nobody had made any attempt to help her.
Maybe I can do something? If I'm right about Scarlet liking me, then maybe I could convince her to at least let Tsunami be put back up on her pillar. It's better than just letting her hang there for whoever knows how long. You thought, feeling a little guilty that you were down here in relative luxury, while Tsunami and the other dragonets were still trapped up there. To be fair, you were still trapped yourself, but at least your prison was undoubtedly more pleasant compared to being stuck up on a cold pillar. Let alone hanging from one with no food or water.
But how though? I tried asking Scarlet before and she barely even considered it before dismissing me. How could I possibly convince her? You thought, feeling hopeless before an idea came into your head.
Alright... This is definitely a risk, but I have to try. I just hope I don't annoy Scarlet too much with this... You hoped one last time, before taking a deep breath.
"H-Hey um, Sca- er, you're majesty? Can I talk to you about something quickly. If you're not busy of course?" You asked politely, trying not to sound nervous while looking up at Scarlet as you quickly added the last part. This was the second time you were actually asking Scarlet for a favor, and knowing the Queen you had no idea how it would play out.
This time however, you had a plan. Perhaps if you played along with her way of thinking, it might turn out alright... at least that was the hope.
Scarlet had still been ordering guards and various other dragons to their positions and the plans for the trial, but upon hearing you, Scarlet dismissed her other conversations and turned her attention down to you. You tried to resist the urge to naturally avoid her eye contact, but you held firm.
"Yes? Scavenger? What do you want? Can't you see I'm rather busy right now, so it better be important." She responded rudely. However, you were more taken aback of how quickly you had gained her full attention.
Almost as if she had wanted an excuse to speak to me... A thought whispered, before you shut it up. All this mongering had obviously left you sensitive and especially suspicious to any odd behavior. Now - however - wasn't the time.
"Your majesty, I simply wanted to talk to you again about... Tsunami. The Seawing dragonet?" You asked as Scarlet stared at you with obvious annoyance in her eyes. She snorted, as some puffs of smoke drifted from her nostrils.
"Scavenger, we talked about it this morning. I've already explained to you, that it is none of your concern. She made the foolish decision to jump from her platform in the first place. If she dies, then it'll be one less problem on my talons. Why are you so interested in her? I've got more important matters to deal with than talking to my... pet, about a soon-dead dragonet." Scarlet remarked with narrowed eyes, which caused you to quickly stumble on your words to save the conversation.
All you needed to do was give some reasons. Reasons that Scarlet would understand.
"W-wait! Just think your majesty about the waste it would be! Y-you've... uh... spent all this time wanting to kill the infamous d-dragonets in front of a crowd to show them how a prophecy won't stop y-you and Burn's plans. If she dies, then all of that would be for nothing." You exclaimed, as Scarlet listened intently. Before she could reply, you hastily piled on another reason.
"B-besides, even if Tsunami doesn't die, she'll be left weaker and more useless. Imagine how boring that would be in the arena. If she was a full strength, the crowd would get to the see the 'fiercest' of the dragonets be slain in broad daylight. That would send the message much more clearly of how useless the dragonets of density really are. Erm... not to mention how entertaining it would be for you and Burn?" You said, as your voice began to trail off from the look Scarlet was giving you.
Please don't tell me I just messed everything up even more. You thought, trying not to physically wince at Scarlet's glare, before it suddenly faded. The queen raised her head, scratching her chin with one of her claws as if she was thinking.
Finally, she bent back down to you, causing you to tense up. What she did was something you definitely did not expect. Before you could even react, she nuzzled you on the cheek. All the while giving a soft purr as she raised her head.
Is it just me, or does she look... proud? Or maybe impressed? You noticed, looking up at her as she finally spoke.
"Hmmm, I must say Scavenger. You made some convincing points. I'm honestly suprised to hear that coming from you... Fine. You've convinced me. Typically, I would be punishing you for wasting my time, as I've got a very important trial about to start, but considering this is in my interests I will let it slide... but only this once. Next time I make a decision and you persist against it; there be consequences... understand?" She asked, her warm smile and purr turning icy as she peered down at you. You were trying very hard to avoid letting your emotions slip.
Finally, Scarlet broke her gaze with you and summoned one of her guards over. She began giving orders, gesturing with her tail towards the small figure of Tsunami as she hung from her chains. You on the other hand weren't listening, as you were far too busy processing the events that had just unfolded.
You weren't too sure what to feel. Happy that you had gotten Scarlet to listen? Or still feel terrified that you had gone against her decision and had spoken so openly to her? The last time you had talked to her like that was during her interrogation of you, which had nearly ended in a lot of tears... and broken ribs. While she hadn't seemed completely content that you had spoken against her decision of letting Tsunami suffer, you were relieved none the less... if you ignored her ominous and vague threat of 'consequences'.
After a moment more of talking, the guard nodded before taking off into the sky. Calling another guard over to accompany them, while saying something to another two other guards who flew off in a different direction. Meanwhile, the first two Skywings had flown off in the direction of Tsunami's pillar, leaving you a feeling of satisfaction among your other conflicted emotions.
At least I've done one good deed: Helping my friend.
(Glory)---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...
Glory was thinking.
She had been thinking for the past hour or so, trying to make sense of the events from earlier that morning. Initially she had wanted to simply brush it off as some sort of weird dream, but she knew all too well that it wasn't a dream.
Scarlet - somehow from some place - had obtained a pet talking Scavenger.
Already she had come up with a few theories. Maybe it was animus enchanted? Or perhaps Scarlet had simply trained it to make the right noises, so it sounded like it was talking? One way or another, a talking Scavenger was impossible! Let alone an intelligent one.
I bet Starflight would know the answer. He always enjoyed reading about the creatures of Pyrrhia. Especially Scavengers.... but I don't remember him ever saying anything about them having the intelligence to learn to talk? I thought he said they were more like critters. If only I had listened more often... She thought, trying to think back to their boring history lessons, with Webs - another one of their old guardians - droning on and on about the history of Pyrrhia and each of the tribes. Not once had he ever mentioned Scavengers, apart from a few exceptions such as the Scorching, and how a Scavenger started the war of Sandwing Succession by killing Queen Oasis.
With her thoughts only going in circles, Glory flopped her head onto one of the branches of her fake tree, barely wincing as she received several pricks in the side as she did so. She only knew it was a scavenger because it had matched the same descriptions of them in the scrolls, she and her friends had been forced to study back when they were still under the mountain:
Strange tiny furless creatures that walked on two legs, with no claws or sharp teeth, and often wore strange pelts around their bodies which she or any other dragon could never understand why they wore them. Maybe to ward off predators by making themselves look fierce? Or maybe to purposely make themselves taste worse?
Not that they ever looked too tasty to begin with in her opinion.
Glory yawned, as she stared blankly at the empty golden cage next to Queen Scarlet's throne, wondering when the Scavenger would be brought back. She had always thought of them like over-sized squirrels. Cute, but also complete pests for dragons.
It was an intriguing situation. That was for sure.
I wonder where it is now? Surely Scarlet wouldn't kill a talking Scaveger- oh who am I kidding? That's the most 'Scarlet' thing she could possibly do. Besides, why do I even care about this Scavenger anyway? Thinking about it won't help me or my friends, and not to mention I only saw it for a few minutes! It's not like I can do anything about it. Glory reasoned; feeing annoyed.
Not wanting to think about it, she tried to direct her thoughts to something more important than a tiny Scavenger, as she closed her eyes. Perhaps a nap would help straighten her mind? It wasn't like she had anything better to do at that moment anyway.
After a few minutes, her ears twitched in annoyance as a fly flew somewhere in the room. Flapping its wings... Glory opened her eyes, as the sound grew closer causing her to realized that it was the faint wingbeats of another dragon she was hearing.
Wingbeats that were rapidly approaching.
What if it's Scarlet coming back? Glory realized, before quickly re-shutting her eyes, and amplifying the color display on her scales. Two loud thumps echoed through the room, as one of the other guards guarding the throne room spoke.
"You two, what is your business?" They asked - not suspiciously - but more curiously.
Glory opened her eye a crack to see what was going on. At first, she felt relieved that it was only two normal Skywing guards, and not Scarlet, but that quickly vanished when one of them began talking.
"We were sent here to retrieve the Rainwing artwork. Her majesty apparently wants it at her trial for that prisoner she'll be executing." They said, vaguely gesturing towards Glory.
Wait... they're obviously talking about Kestrel's trial, but why would Scarlet want me there? I didn't think there would be an audience there to show me off too. She thought, ignoring the twists of her stomach at the memory of one of her former guardians. The very one that had told her to her face how useless she was in everything. Not just the prophecy, but in life itself... just because she was a Rainwing.
A sudden violent wobble of the tree nearly threw her off balance, causing her scales to shoot and ripple white and red colors, presenting her shock before she managed to regain her senses. While she had been thinking, the guards had finished their conversation and had walked over to her tree. Upon getting ready to move it, one of the guards had accidently bumped it with their tail, causing it to sway precariously.
"Hey, be careful! We don't want the Rainwing being knocked off-" One guard started, before they were cut off by the other one.
"Oh please. It's a Rainwing! What's it going to do? Snore at me? Besides, it's got its chain on, remember?" The guard retorted, before giving Glory a small flick on the nose with their tail. The two guards laughed as they began to move the tree out of the throne room, while it took Glory all her strength not to spit or hiss at them... Let alone keeping her scales from showing her resentment and outrage. She didn't want to give her act of being a 'lazy Rainwing' away on these two idiots. She was more than just the deadweight that others had always told her, and she planned to prove it.
One way or another...
Besides... it's just a trial. It's like the arena fights. All I need to do is pretend to sleep and look pretty. This is no different from any other time Scarlet's showed me off. What could possibly be different this time?...