Beneath Rock and Stone
Diggers, as their name implies, are the dragons who perform most the of the heavy lifting within their colony. They spend their lives underground, laboring in the dark as they enlarge their colony while mining the minerals and ores their colony needs. The males often forgo the metamorphosis that gives a dragon their wings and remain lizard-like in appearance. Doing so drives their bodies to form denser muscles, bones, and claws...
It is in their realm where the extent of dragon industry reveals itself. Here ores and minerals are purified and processed, rocks are shaped, basic tools are forged, and volatiles produced...
When exploring the creation myths of these dragons, you will discover that a digger is how feral dragons imagine a male dragon in its most concentrated form. Wingless, earthy, and, perhaps, a bit unclean.
- Excerpt from, Academia Drakonnica: Volume Six, The North American Dragon
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Summer-Rain awoke to darkness, but such was life when your mother ruled the light-less depths of another dragon's queendom. Her distant, and ungrateful, relatives called these depths many things and, unsurprisingly, none of them were flattering. The Dark Belows was one name, certainly not her favorite. The Digger's Domain was probably the most respectful, though it also suggested their isolation. She had never used any of them, however. She had known little else and so thought of these tunnels and chambers simply as what they were.
Home.
Sunlight and open skies were gifts for her family, not privileges. Not even for lesser royalty, like herself. This was no punishment, for she found the dark to be comforting. The smell of churned earth was pleasant, and though the collective musk of her brothers and Fathers had little appeal, it was a reassuring scent, for life was continuing as it should.
The small tunnels were not entrapping as outsiders so often complained. Instead, they made her feel protected, like a hatchling beneath her mother's wing. Her recent time spent under sky, where she was constantly exposed on all sides, and danger could come from anywhere. That had been terrifying.
Yet, the dark seemed colder than normal. Tasting the air, she realized the cause. She had awoken alone. Not for the first time, but the surrounding sand was not simply cooling as occasions before. It held no warmth at all.
She had known it would be so, yet the complete absence of her father was still unsettling. It was nothing like waking to discover he had crept away, reappearing just as carefully, hoping his inability to offer her his complete dedication would not be noticed. But the state of their relationship had shifted now that she was a respectable, winged draka. Yes, she had known, but she had not understood it until now, and it bled some of the joy from her promotion.
Having passed her colony's trials, she was no longer a dragon who needed looking after. Well, a more honest explanation would be to say her protection was now her own responsibility. If anything, she was in far more danger now than she'd ever been before. Starting today, all of her Sisters would either want to use her to make headway towards the final promotion, or just displace her to somewhere she couldn't interfere.
They wouldn't try to remove her entirely. Her colony had a long standing practice of not permitting royals to kill each other. Being not only the youngest royal, but a digger too, well, she probably wasn't threatening enough to merit some sort of accident either. Those too were rare, and those that had occurred might have only been honest mishaps. Draka were expected to be wise and learned, but that didn't stop them from being fatally thoughtless at times, or just grimly unlucky.
Regardless, she was now a royal and her father's duty since the day she had hatched, to protect and teach her all he knew, had not only been honored, but he'd done it well. Now it was his duty to step aside and let her gain prestige for herself.
He may advise her if asked, but she could not depend on him anymore. He had returned to mother's side with at least the pride of raising a daughter into an independent dragon. One who may become the heir to their faction. Might even, with incredible fortune or disaster, be chosen as Daughter-Queen and oversee the entire territory in time. Even if she should fail, he deserved praise for that alone.
He would dedicate his attention to lessening the burdens of his queen and would never again shadow Summer-Rain or any other daughter. The High-Queen had permitted their faction two Daughters-Royal, and two they now had. It was a fair number, though she would have preferred one less. But if that had been the decision, she wouldn't have been included. So she was content.
Summer-Rain would now have the freedom and restriction of managing with only what aid her reputation and actions gained her. She'd have to earn the respect of her Brothers, those few who were not already loyal to another Sister. She'd just have to grow accustomed to the loneliness until she found drakes she could trust as bodyguards.
"Or we could chose a scion now," her mind suggested. "Someone to fly and speak with. Someone to curl up with and keep the cold away. A red one perhaps, though bronze is quite nice too and not as smug as gold."
For a moment the idea was surprisingly agreeable, but the wistful thought was quickly overwhelmed and brought down by unwanted practicalities.
It was within her rights, but it would be entirely reckless to choose a possible consort presently. Not only foolish, but unlikely to succed with only her current appearance and prospects to entice suitors. Allying themselves to her now would be just as foolish as she'd be for picking one. Any drake worth more than the metal in his scales would wait. The cold, however, was something she could overcome with a bit of coal or wood.
The young dragon dug her claws and talons into the dirt and stretched her back and wings before grooming them gently. They weren't yet ready for flying, still needing some days for the bones to settle properly and the membrane to stretch. And though they looked sickly and frail, she still admired them with awe.
Finished, she lowered her eager jaws into the pit beside her plot of sand and discovered another consequence of her father's absence. There was no scent of meat or charring heat rising from the cavity of stones. Only after a desperate inspection of the pit with her tongue did Summer-Rain finally accept this depressing fate. There was no breakfast awaiting her, nor would any be forthcoming.
Her nose nudged the blackened rocks longingly for a moment, then swallowed this disappointment as well. She'd have to track down what her Brothers had left behind, if there was any to be found. She could hear the familiar noises of their work. Rocks clattering as they were dug up and rolled out of the tunnels. The better bits of breakfast digesting in their stomachs as they did.
Summer-Rain approached her small pool of water that gathered from a constant drip in her cavern's ceiling. It wasn't very noteworthy, even as far as puddles went, and she all but drained it with three swallows. It quenched her thirst, but gave her hunger further room to grow. So she abandoned her chambers in search of something to satisfy that hunger, be it food or distraction.
----
Her grand return to colony life was halted before even entering the main tunnels by the startling discovery of one of her Brothers who sat motionless in her path. She would have walked right into him if not for the glow of his warmth, the only sign that he was something living and not of stone and earth. She waited for some greeting or explanation for the drake's odd, and slightly discomforting, behavior. But he only sat and stared blindly forward for several moments.
Finally, he stirred and seemed to awaken, glancing about as if trying to discover where he was, as if he hadn't been the one to put himself there. Recalling what had broken his trance, he turned his attention back to her, shuffled his feet for a moment as he sat taller and reigned in his drooping wings. His claws tapping the rocky ground in excitement.
Most noticeable about this young dragon was the large strip of something fleshy that hung from his front teeth like a massive tongue. He tried to bow his head to her, but realized his mistake and stopped just before the meat could slap the ground. He paused in apparent confusion, tried once more with the same result and decided he'd shown all the respect he could and jiggled the strip of flesh and fat strangely.
After a more insistent shaking, she realized he was offering it to her. She blinked with surprise and took the other end and projected her gratitude.
He eagerly surrendered the chunk of meat and gnawed the air as he replied, "That was very uncomfortable, thank you. Your sister, Crimson-Sky, sends this in respect of your promotion. She would give respect herself, if you are willing to tolerate her company as you eat."
"It is a welcome gift," she said, grateful and yet disgusted at her sister's audacity to approached her so soon. Why not just invade her chambers. She paused as she considered how avoid the likely trap while keeping the bait. Luckily, her father was as clever as her mother for choosing him.
"But I can not intrude if she does not expect me, and I doubt her offer is as open as it sounds. She must have more to occupy her time than awaiting my arrival."
This drake, who we will call Tumble-Wing for his love of flying to great heights then falling wildly towards the ground, began to speak as if to deny this, then hesitated. Perhaps deciding that to admit she could make such an offer would not show his leader to advantage, or perhaps unsure if the time he'd been given had run out while he'd dreamed.
"I will go and ask," he replied.
Summer-Rain would have loved any excuse to postpone such a meeting, but she had none and her sister surely knew that. However, it would be far better to be refused than to refuse herself. So she would have to encourage that refusal.
"Even if she has the time, I could not be so rude, after you were so kind to bring me my breakfast, just to leave it about to spoil. Neither can I presume to take it with me."
"But she has already given you permission to eat in her chambers, or did I forget that?"
"Yes, but what if she is no longer in her chambers?"
He considered and once more gave his favorite response, "I will go and see."
"No," she said before Tumble-Wing, who was clearly eager to resolve his confusing predicament, could complete his second step. "I will eat first so there is no risk of offense. Her offer is not to eat with her, only to visit. To do so in her presence when she likely has already is rude regardless what permission she may be willing to give."
"Then I will leave you and return -"
Before I have finished and can escape, when you have new instructions and I must accept or refuse, she thought. But she was not yet out of ideas.
"I had actually desired that you would stay. I am not used to eating alone and there must be news that I am not yet aware of. Would you share your knowledge of these events?"
"Of course, but I...shouldn't."
"Unless I keep you from other duties," Summer-Rain said, turning obligation against the drake with a spark of wicked delight.
"No, but I would not wish to offend, Crimson-Sky. To visit with another royal without permission might... upset her."
"I not only give you permission, but request your company. After all, you do not visit some foreign draka, but her blood sister."
In all honesty, she pitied the young drake she'd maneuvered into an impossible situation. One where someone would be annoyed with him regardless of what he did, despite doing as he should and remaining entirely respectful.
She had known her sister as well as one could when they were only daughters. But after Crimson-Sky had been crowned and gained her wings, father had urged her to leave Crimson-Sky alone. Warning that as a young Royal, she would feel threatened by every female relation, even the small, wingless creature she'd been.
She'd obeyed, but had thought he was just being overly cautious, as he was in many things, but she realized now that she was weary of her as well. Without reason, she saw her invitation to meet in private as a challenge, though she would have only declined the offer weeks ago out of obedience. In her Brother's dread, she found justification for her own.
There was nothing sinister in the invitation itself. She would probably be treated with all kindness. Yes, she could imagine the discussion. "We are sisters, we should not compete with each other. Let us become allies and continue mother's legacy together."
And then she would have to agree or else appear more interested in personal promotion than in the common good, convincing her brothers she was not worthy of being their queen. Yet, if she did agree, what chance would she have at prestige. She would not lead, but follow. Overlooked by her Brothers in favor of her elder. After all, they were a team, so did it matter which sister you served? So why not follow the one with more experience who was clever enough to have suggested the alliance?
What sort of life would await her then. How could she expect anything more than the affections of fire-less drakes if she herself were just the submissive servant of another queen. What would father think of such a cowardly surrender after all he'd given her.
So yes, she pitied Tumble-Wing, yet she would not allow herself to be put in a hole simply to spare him such discomfort. Crimson-Sky would be displeased, but she could only scold him. There weren't enough Brothers with wings in digger society to risk losing him with anything more than fanged words.
Indeed, she herself would be quite happy to have such a useful and dedicated follower. Had she not just yearned for such a companion? And her sister had been kind enough to send one. Perhaps he need not return at all. Perhaps her scheming sister needed to be reminded that a true digger was not trapped by holes, but turned them into tunnels instead.
"And as we talk, perhaps you could assist me in eating this," she said and circled about to return to her chamber, leaving him little choice but to follow. "It is more than I need and I would not wish to offend Crimson-Sky by letting it be wasted. She can be quite sensitive and does not always behave as a Royal should."