Chapter Forty
Zappy
xxxxxZappy sucked in a weak breath, causing a sudden tremor to wrack his battered body, and he gritted his teeth against the pain.
xxxxxDark scales shifted under his wings, rubbing against him, and he wearily let his head drop to the ground.
xxxxxMoon was alive, and that’s all that mattered. His sister had survived.
xxxxxQuiet sobbing drifted through the air, irritating him slightly, and he flicked a bronze ear. Almost immediately the sound changed to a sharp gasp of surprise.
xxxxx“Zappy!”
xxxxxZappy frowned a little, too weary to open his dark eyes. His brain chugged slowly into gear, trying to work out who had spoken; going through the archives.
xxxxxIt was a dragon who had spoken. The speaker was male. That must mean he was a male dragon.
xxxxxScales scraped against his snout anxiously, and a vaguely familiar scent tingled in his nose.
xxxxxMetalClaws.
xxxxxThe bronze drake dragged his eyes open, lids heavy with exhaustion, to see the dark red dragon bent over him, hopeful fear in his golden eyes.
xxxxx“Hey,” he rasped, and a feeling of amusement sprouted inside him at his friend’s flabbergasted expression.
xxxxxMetalClaws drew back, joy obvious on his snout as his jaw dropped open.
xxxxx“Slash—Zappy—You’re alive!”
xxxxxZappy smiled weakly. “I guess. I don’t feel very alive,” he groaned. The muscles in his neck gave way with no warning, and his bronze head slammed into the mushy ground with a painful ‘oomf’.
xxxxx“Zappy,” MetalClaws’s voice was deadly serious, “you—you should be dead right now.”
xxxxxZappy snapped his eyes open in alarm. “What? Why?” He watched in confusion as a wry smile curled the red dragon’s snout.
xxxxx“Thank goodness it’s winter,” his friend remarked. “Look.” He gestured with the horn on his head, and Zappy raised his head shakily, weariness suffusing his bones, to eye his abdomen with morbid interest.
xxxxxBlood coated every scale—under them, too—until they abruptly ended, torn away to reveal a gaping hole in his gut. Red ice webbed across the fissure, blocking it off, and Zappy could fee that in some places it went deeper than his scales. His blood had frozen as it drained from him, saving his life.
xxxxxAnother shivering spasm wracked Zappy’s frame as he realised how chillingly close he’d come to death. The knowledge terrified him.
xxxxx“Zappy,” MetalClaw’s voice was tight with worry, “don’t move a muscle; your movement started the bleeding again. You’re alive and heating up.”
xxxxxDread filled Zappy’s gut and he froze, tensing, which only made the slight trickle of blood leaking from him become a small stream.
xxxxx“Relax,” MetalClaws just managed to make his voice soothing. “I’ll go get help. Stay where you are!”
xxxxxThe bronze drake whimpered softly as MetalClaws whipped around and took off out of sight, tripping over his own tail.
xxxxxSoon urgent voices approached and hazy shapes filled his vision. Exhaustion kept his eyes from focusing; he could only make out distorted colours.
xxxxx“Zappy,”—his mother’s voice, taut with pain—“hold still. You’re not dying today.” She hummed comfortingly, and Zappy felt warm talons press against his scales, halting the flow of blood.
xxxxx“What are we going to do?” the hushed voice boomed like a roar in his ears as temporary blindness enhanced his hearing; he didn’t even have the strength to drag his eyelids open. “Flare can stop the bleeding for now, yes, but it’s only a matter of time until her heat melts the ice and he dies. And what about Moon? Is—” The speaker paused momentarily before continuing in a whisper that Zappy barely heard, “Is Moon even alive?”
xxxxx“Yes. Just. But not for long.”
xxxxx“That’s enough!” a furious voice snapped, and Zappy flinched away from the loud noise. It was Flamer who spoke.
xxxxxHe was too numb to fully understand that his sister was dying. Surely she would wake up soon? Yes. She had to!
xxxxx“In our mountains,” he heard Flamer continue, voice low and urgent, “in the Mountains of Militia we have a MagicWeilder: Nightmare. If anyone can save Moon and Zappy he can. If you all agree I will take a few of our strongest, fastest Stormriders to fetch Nightmare here immediately, before it’s too late.”
xxxxxUncertain murmurs flew through the air, and Zappy realised all the combined tribes must be around them, watching.
xxxxxHe listened as Flamer stomped her foot in frustration.
xxxxx“These two hatchlings saved our lives!” she roared, and Zappy felt a flash of annoyance; surely he could be considered a fully-grown Sharpshooter now? “Is this how you reward them? By letting them die?”
xxxxxZappy felt a chill prickle his scales as the enormity of the drakaina’s words struck him. If the other dragons refused, he and Moon would both die.
xxxxxHe listened absently to the murmurs whispering through the air, too exhausted to pay much attention.
xxxxxFinally, the voices hushed as Flamer roared again. “Enough! Your time is up. If any want to repay their debt to our saviours, come with me! Or I’ll get Nightmare myself.” The last sentence ended in a drawn-out hiss.
xxxxxMany wingbeats vibrated the air in a deep, droning hum, and Zappy finally relaxed, letting himself drift into unconsciousness.
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xxxxxA deep hum infused the air, filled with unimaginable power as it drew Zappy back from the abyss he had fallen into. Darkness clouded his eyes; clogged his hearing; caressed his scales; blocked his nose.
xxxxxPain shot through his flesh. Sheer agony that was strangely refreshing, and he tried to open his mouth, letting out a soundless scream. In his mind the drake struggled, trying to scrabble away from the stabbing anguish in his bones—but to no avail; his body defied all attempts to move.
xxxxxSuddenly the curtain of darkness lifted, and his snout snapped open; air rushed into his lungs as he gasped, terrified.
xxxxxA fresh stab of pain lanced where his wing and foreleg should be and he screeched, struggling to roll and flee. Run. Escape.
xxxxxMake, he gasped internally. It. Stop!
xxxxx“Peace,” a dark voice echoed in his mind, and he froze. “The war is over. You and your nest-mate brought about the end of the war, and for that the land thanks you—yes, even I was becoming sickened with the needless waste of life; I regret letting Obsidian manipulate me—but I foresee that one wrong move will plunge Vernada into the greatest bloodshed the world has ever seen.
xxxxx“You need sleep to keep your wits about you; both of you.” The voice slowly faded as it continued, “Peace, young one. All is well for now. Rest...”
xxxxxZappy, helpless to protest, felt soft darkness overtake him once more.
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xxxxxScales rasped nearby, scraping against his own as Zappy’s mind slowly regained control of his limbs and recovered awareness.
xxxxx“Water,” a familiar voice choked brokenly, and the Sharpshooter’s eyes flew open—or would have. The instant he tried to see, bright, bright light stabbed the sensitive orbs and he couldn’t force them any further.
xxxxx“Moon?” he questioned hopefully, wondering where he was and what had happened.
xxxxxHe knew that Sparkles had ruined Moon’s hatchingday yet again; her last hatching-day at the Hatchling-Caves, and that was all—so why couldn’t he see?
xxxxx“What’s wrong? What—” he rolled over onto his belly and struggled futilely to tuck his legs in, trying to stand— “What happened?”
xxxxx“Slash?” a new voice said tentatively. “Is that you?” Joy was evident in the other dragon’s tone, and remembrance instantly hit Zappy, burning at his mind like fire.
xxxxx“Mum!” he cried, stumbling to his feet and toppling sideways into solid rock. “Moon! And Dad and the others; what happened? Fang and the war and—”
xxxxx“Hush,” Flare’s voice was grief-filled yet soft with pride at the same time. “The war is over, my son. You and Moon—together—ended it.”
xxxxxHer warm scent wafted up his nose as she approached; hard claws clicked against stone, then warm scales pressed against his own.
xxxxx“Lie down again,” she murmured, “Moon hasn’t woken properly yet, and she may need you when she does.”
xxxxxZappy sank to the floor, stiff with shock. By rights he shouldn’t be alive! What had happened while he was unconscious?
xxxxx“Is—will Moon be okay?” His words trembled. “And why can’t I see? Why won’t my eyes open properly?”
xxxxxFlare’s purr of amusement vibrated through her body and into his own as she stretched next to her son, draping her neck over his.
xxxxx“You were out for a long time, my boy,” another voice explained before Flare could respond, warm pride obvious in his beaming tone. “Your eyes will take a while to adjust.”
xxxxxZappy swallowed as his father settled down nearby. “But—I will recover, right? And what about Moon? What happened to us? What’s going on!”
xxxxx“We-ell...” Vertigo began hesitantly, but paused as Moon shifted slightly and groaned.
xxxxx“Zappy?” Moon’s voice was thick with exhaustion. “Where’s Fang? He—” she stopped, then: “Zappy!” Her wild cry rang in the air, bouncing off of unseen walls as dry scales launched into the drake’s side.
xxxxx“Woah!” the bronze Sharpshooter snapped his eyes open in shock, squinting in the dim daylight as Moon knocked him over. He lashed his tail wildly, blades barely missing his mother’s nose, and rolled upright. A snout brushed against his neck, and warm breath huffed over his scaly ears.
xxxxxSheer delight threatened to overwhelm Zappy as familiar purple scales dove at him, filling his limited vision.
xxxxx“Moon!” he bugled, and tackled her in a giant bear-hug, wrestling her to the ground as she dove on him. Playing like they used to.
xxxxx“I can’t believe it!” his sister’s laugh rang out like silver bells, as familiar as his own scales. It was too long since he’d last heard it. “You’re alive! How? I thought you’d died for sure!”
xxxxxZappy beamed as he tangled his neck with hers, overjoyed beyond belief. “So did I,” he admitted, “but I’m not—and you’re not. And the war is over. It’s finally over!”
xxxxxZappy roared his happiness and leapt away from Moon, lashing his tail in unbridled relief and excitement, then nearly deafening himself as his cry bounced from wall to wall, thrumming powerfully in his bones.
xxxxxHe was alive! They’d made it! The killing was done!
xxxxxThe whole, hellish war was nothing but the past, now.
xxxxxThey had won!
xxxxxMoon leapt after him, twisting upwards and corkscrewing through the air.
xxxxx“We’re safe!” she laughed, tears streaming from her golden eyes and down her dark snout, splashing to the stony ground one by one. “We did it, Zappy! We really did it.” The drakaina’s chest heaved in a sharp sob as she slowly drifted back down to her brother, and Zappy realised his own tears were sprinkling the rock beneath his sclaws, splattering like blood on the dark floor.
xxxxxThey had won, yes, but not without great loss. He was barely full-grown, yet was no stranger to death. Neither of them should have had to endure so much pain and see so much devastation in their few short years.
xxxxxZappy’s excitement cooled slightly as he thought of who they may have lost in the fight. He almost didn’t want to hear the news, for Moon, at least, had lost all her family: father, mother, and grandmother. Gone.
xxxxx“What happened after I passed out?” Zappy asked, turning back to his parents and not bothering to try to control the tear slipping from his eye. “How are we even alive?”
xxxxxMoon’s scales pressed up against his side, and his breathing slowed to match hers. His sister was alive. With Moon by his side he could face the truth, come to terms with their losses, and recover his messed-up life; make it happy again.
xxxxxHe watched as Flare sat beside Vertigo, snuggling against her mate affectionately with sadness in her gaze; silently asking him to explain. The ragged pain of losing her nest-mate was too fresh; too raw to touch.
xxxxxFlare, Zappy knew, could listen to an account of the war and pretend it happened to someone else, but she couldn’t retell it. The bronze Sharpshooter understood; he was undergoing a similar pain.
xxxxxVertigo lowered his head to run his chin over his mate’s ears, sorrow obviously welling inside him. He hated to remember the battle, but for Flare he would do it. Zappy and Moon deserved to know what had happened, and for Flare he would do anything. Anything.
xxxxx“You may want to sit down before you wear yourself out,” Vertigo’s voice was rough with emotion.
xxxxxZappy stumbled to lie down, apprehension flapping in his gut like tiny dragons, and Moon sat with him.
xxxxx“After you passed out, Slash,” Vertigo began slowly. “Moon lost control momentarily and killed Obsidian.
xxxxx“Everyone thought you yourself had died—including Fang. That Black-hearted Disgrace to dragon-kind attacked Moon, determined to finish the fight you three had started so long ago.
xxxxx“Moon fought back but it wasn’t enough: Fang resorted to cowardice and threw a talonful of mud in her eye, momentarily blinding her—then, of course, she was at his tender mercy,” Vertigo ended the sentence drily, then took a breath before continuing: “Fang was about to take her life, but Darkfire wouldn’t allow it.
xxxxx“He charged, knocking the Stormrider from Moon and giving her enough time to recover her eyesight—but... Fang killed Darkfire.”
xxxxxZappy surged to his feet, shock manning his limbs. “He what? No! Not Darkfire, no!” he roared.
xxxxxFresh grief reared its undefeatable head, submerging him in a choking wave.
xxxxx“Not Darkfire. Please no. Not Darkfire. No.” Zappy collapsed in ball, whimpering heart-brokenly. He couldn’t believe the horrifying news.
xxxxxNo! Why? Please, no! Don’t let it be true!
xxxxxEven though he was at first wary of the dark half-breed, on their journey Zappy had become good friends with the Stormshooter, coming to respect him for his cheerful outlook on life. The feeling of loss Zappy suffered was awful; a swollen tide of grief and rage. The pain of having a beloved friend murdered.
xxxxxA sorrowful hum rumbled in his chest; a low keening sound mourning the lost dragon. Not many had dared the trip to the k’lraks’ island, and a close bond had formed between those who had—but now Darkfire was gone. Forever.
xxxxxDevastated, Zappy curled in a tighter ball and squeezed his eyes shut with a small ‘clink’ of scales hitting scales. He couldn’t stand it; couldn’t bear the pain. It was too much.
xxxxxWhy did Darkfire have to die?
xxxxxA choking sob swelled from his chest and forced its way out his throat into the air as Moon squeezed him in a tight hug.
xxxxx“Darkfire died to save me,” Moon choked. “I—his death is my fault. My fault.”
xxxxxZappy didn’t reply: he knew no words of his would ever ease his sister’s sense of guilt, and he buried his head under her wing like a small hatchling.
xxxxx“Who else?” the drake mumbled miserably. “Who else have we lost? I don’t want to know.” The muffled words were meant for Moon alone, but Vertigo heard.
xxxxx“Not many you knew.” His father’s voice broke, and Zappy immediately felt selfish. Other dragons had suffered, too—some more so than him.
xxxxxFeeling as if he were struggling under an enormous weight, the bronze dragon slowly dragged himself to his feet and wiped a wing across his snout.
xxxxx“Sorry,” he mumbled. What—”
xxxxxHe couldn’t finish the sentence.
xxxxxMoon’s scales pressed comfortingly against his and he leaned into her, feeling like a small hatchling again—then sudden fury burned in his throat, igniting his fire.
xxxxx“What happened to Fang?” he growled, flexing his claws and digging them deep into solid rock as he remembered the horrifyingly exhilarating feeling of scales tearing beneath his claws and blood filling his mouth.
xxxxx“Surely you didn’t let him escape?” he hissed venomously, then stopped short, shocked by the amount of hate colouring his words. Alarmed, Zappy shook his head, dismissing the intoxicating stench of blood from his nostrils as he waited for Vertigo—who was looking uncomfortable—to continue.
xxxxx“Freedom attacked Fang,” the golden Sharpshooter said finally, and Zappy bowed his head, sorrow for the drakaina renewing his own grief. He knew Freedom had loved the friendly, outgoing drake.
xxxxxA sudden, terrible suspicion entered his mind, and horror filled him as he jerked his head up to gaze at Flare and Vertigo with fire billowing from his nostrils.
xxxxx“What happened to her?” he asked urgently. “Where’s Freedom? If Fang killed her—” he couldn’t finish.
xxxxxMoon smiled sadly, curling her talons in to her chest. “She left. She told me there’s nothing to keep her around other dragons now.”
xxxxxZappy bowed his head in silent misery. It felt like razor-sharp talons were buried in his heart, wrenched it more with every friend that left.
xxxxxAt least she’s still alive...
xxxxx“Amadi went with her,” Flare added, and Zappy glanced up in detached surprise.
xxxxx“Amadi...” his voice trailed off as he tried to recall who his mother was talking about. “Who’s that?” He still felt hollow... Betrayed.
xxxxx“I believe she named herself Twinkly-Star in the HatchlingCaves,” his mother explained, a small tinge of amusement colouring her voice.
xxxxxZappy felt a glow of astonished pleasure, and welcomed it against the pain. “Twinkly-Star? But she was kidnapped; how did she escape?”
xxxxx“That’s a story for another time, son,” Flare decided. “But she did get away, and found her family in the Misfits. They gave her a proper name: Amadi. She seemed happy with that.”
xxxxxZappy gave a pained smile, pressing into Moon’s scaly side. “She would. But why did she leave, then?”
xxxxxVertigo shrugged his wings. “No one got to ask her, but it seemed like the idea of exploring, and roaming the land relatively alone seemed to appeal to her—she can be ve-ry persuasive when she wants to be, you know.
xxxxx“It took a lot of effort, but her parents and Freedom eventually agreed. I think the fact that she’s green like Darkfire got her a foot in the door with Freedom,” the gold drake added quietly.
xxxxxZappy’s head swam, and he lay his head on his sclaws, trying to process their words.
xxxxx“Why are we alive?” Moon asked after a moment.
xxxxxZappy glanced up on time to see Flare cast his sister a sharp glance. “You don’t remember anything?”
xxxxx“Only a weird dream.”
xxxxx“Well,” Vertigo began before his mate, “the only reason you didn’t die of blood-loss is because of the season; almost as soon as the blood left your body it froze.
xxxxx“However,” Zappy realised his father enjoyed demonstrating how marvellously designed their bodies were, “it wasn’t sufficient for the long run, so Flamer and a few others flew to the Mountains of Militia to bring the last MagicWeilder, Nightmare here—by force, if necessary.
xxxxx“It seems, though, that the old dragon was powerful enough to heal you from where he is. He saved your lives.”
xxxxxVertigo paused to let the information sink in, then drew the younger dragons’ attention back by shifting uncomfortably.
xxxxx“He couldn’t—or wouldn’t—heal your eye,” he said apologetically, meeting Moon’s gaze. “Flamer said she tried to convince him to, but he refused. I’m sorry.”
xxxxxMoon gulped hard and bowed her head. “I’m lucky to be alive,” she said, trembling violently, and Zappy inched a little closer to steady her, “as long as my lil brother’s alive I’m happy. My life’s worth nothing.”
xxxxxZappy snapped his teeth together with a soft growl and shook his head, rattling his spikes with a dry clatter.
xxxxxMoon was dreaming, he decided. The drakaina had had a much worse start to life than him; she deserved to live more than him so she could experience some happiness.
xxxxx“Anyway,” he broke in firmly, dismissing the dark turn their conversation had taken, yet determined to talk to Moon about it later, “as long as Fang is dead we’ll be fine.”
xxxxxThe look his parents exchanged chilled Zappy’s heart.
xxxxx“What?” he asked, flicking his tail in agitation. “What’s wrong? Freedom survived, so Fang’s dead, right? Right?”
xxxxxHe can’t have gotten away!
xxxxx“No. He’s alive,” Moon whispered. “And he escaped. Several Stormriders joined him, and he left.”
xxxxxZappy felt a furious growl vibrate in his chest and issue from his mouth with a spurt of flame. Darkfire’s murder was still unavenged.
xxxxx“We do need to be wary of him,” Flare acknowledged, dipping her head, “but make sure your hate does not consume you.”
xxxxxThe growl died in Zappy’s throat. His mother’s voice rang with wisdom, and it pulled him up short.
Was he becoming like Fang?
xxxxxHe’d have to keep a close eye on what he was feeling, and keep tabs on his dislike of the dangerous black drake.
xxxxx“Come,” Flare said finally, breaking the heavy silence, “you’re both alive and well, thanks to Nightmare. It’s time to re-join the world.” Her eyes sparkled with concealed amusement.
xxxxxZappy flicked his ears. “What?” he asked uncertainly. “What’s going on?”
xxxxxHe watched as his parents rose to their feet and exchanged glances, then reared upright, battle instincts making him warier than he should be.
xxxxx“You—” he began, then cut himself off with a sharp yelp as Vertigo suddenly darted forward, whipped behind his son, and began shoving the smaller drake toward the exit.
xxxxx“Ow! Dad, what are you—”
xxxxx“Get a move on, slow-coach,” Vertigo teased.
xxxxx“Get out there, both of you,” Flare growled playfully.
xxxxxZappy felt a hard blow connect with his back, but before he could leap away Vertigo took advantage of his son’s distraction and heaved, sending him sprawling out the entrance to the cave with Moon tumbling down on top of him.
xxxxx“Yeow!” Zappy yelped as the drakaina stumbled heavily on his wing. “Ouch! What was that for, Dad?”
xxxxxBracing his legs, the Sharpshooter painfully heaved himself to his feet—and stopped, stock-still; dark eyes flicking over the scene before his snout as he tried to work out the situation.
xxxxx“Moon,” he said quietly, joyful awe encompassing him. “Moon, look at this.”
xxxxxGrumbling to herself, and still extracting limbs from the tangle of wings and tails Zappy’s parents had created, the purple drakaina stumbled next to him and glanced up.
xxxxxZappy felt the Stormrider tensing, but a warm glow of comfort and pride crept through him as he surveyed the scene below.
xxxxxMore than a thousand dragons mingled peacefully together; every known breed and colour mixed, chatting warily as they sniffed each other out.
xxxxxZappy felt hot tears prick his eyes. It was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. All the pain, all the heartache: everything he’d suffered was suddenly worth it.
xxxxxThis was what they’d always longed for! Even as innocents in the HatchlingCaves he and Moon had wanted unity between their two tribes—sought for it to the extent of developing naïve plans on how to achieve their goal.
xxxxx“Moon!” he choked. “We—we actually did it.”
xxxxxHe thought he’d understood the full import of having ended the war in the cave, but this—this had so much more meaning. It was too precious to ever let go.
xxxxx“There they are!” a voice rang out suddenly from the back of the crowd, and instantly every head turned in their direction; what seemed like millions of eyes fastened on them.
xxxxxZappy shifted uncomfortably, scraping a nervous talon down the opposite leg as he inched nearer to Moon. He still needed his older sister—never mind the fact he was nearly full-grown now.
xxxxxAn amused purr rumbled through him from Moon’s chest.
xxxxx“Well,” she remarked after a moment, “this is certainly better than the last time I saw Stormriders and Sharpshooters together.”
xxxxxHer tone was bitter, and as uneasy mutters rippled through the crowd Zappy’s mind recalled Nightmare’s ominous words:
xxxxx“...I foresee that one wrong move will plunge Vernada into the greatest bloodshed the world has ever seen.”
xxxxx“Y-yeah,” he agreed hurriedly, praying for the right words to calm the dragons. “What happened to cause this? It’s great!” He forced a grin onto his snout, hoping it didn’t look fake.
xxxxxZappy felt sick to the pit of his stomach; the enormity of the event causing butterflies in his gut.
xxxxxEmbarrassed mutters hummed in his ears, until: “Flamer,” someone murmured. “Where’s Flamer? She can explain.”
xxxxxSlowly the throng agreed, then parted to let the brown drakaina through as she approached the two young dragons. Joy was evident in her gaze.
xxxxx“Moon,” she said softly. “Zappy.” The Stormrider looked ready to explode with delight.
xxxxx“Flamer!” Moon began excitedly, but Flamer silenced her with a quick, wary motion, indicating they should stay silent.
xxxxx“Calm down,” she hissed softly—love for Moon shone bright in her eyes—and Zappy had to strain his ears to pick up the low whisper, “everyone’s on edge. Be careful with what you say and do, or someone might lose control.”
xxxxxZappy heard Moon gulp, and flashed her a quick, reassuring grin.
xxxxx“Thanks, Flamer,” he said, making sure other dragons could hear, and she gave him a cautious nod.
xxxxx“So what’s going on?” Moon asked in confusion. “I don’t understand. What happened to the war?” Unconcealed hope infused her voice as she spoke.
xxxxxZappy saw Flamer’s chest surge as she sucked in a long, preparatory breath, and the dragons’ body-language changed suddenly. They weren’t threatening, but wary—their wariness had the potential to turn dangerous.
xxxxx“We have... come together,” Flamer spoke with visible caution, “to—to make peace.”
xxxxxZappy’s ears rang, and he nearly toppled from the ledge; jellied legs only just hauling his length back up on time. His jaw hung open uselessly; he was speechless with shock.
xxxxxThe Sharpshooter could barely believe what he’d just heard, but couldn’t speak to confirm Flamer’s words.
xxxxx“What?” disbelieving delight rang in Moon’s trumpeting call. “You’re doing what?”
xxxxxZappy took a step back, shaking his head as he tried to understand how this had happened. Obsidian—and later Fang—had been the biggest adversary to bringing peace, yes, but demolishing her tyrannical rule was only the first step to a long, long road. How had it happened so soon?
xxxxx“How did you...” his voice died; he couldn’t force another sound out.
xxxxx“Why?” Zappy rasped finally, wonder and disbelief making his whole body tremble.
xxxxx“Too much killing,” a sorrowful voice emanated from the gathered dragons below.
xxxxx“Too much pain,” a heavily-scarred dragon added in the same tone.
xxxxx“No one should have to suffer the torture I did.”
xxxxx“You two, your father, and the other’s mother showed us the truth, and when you nearly died we worked together to persuade Nightmare to heal you,” a fourth added.
xxxxx“No one,” the dreariest voice of all spoke up, and Zappy felt Moon tense next to him; heard her sharp intake of breath, “deserves to watch their family being killed.”
xxxxx“Firelily,” he murmured softly, and straightened to scan the sea of bodies, spikes from his frill clattering against each other.
xxxxxZappy’s sharp eyes quickly located the bloody, mud-splattered orange dragon, and he couldn’t contain himself when he saw her dejected form.
xxxxx“Firelily!” he called joyfully, pity lacing his voice. “You’re alive!”
xxxxxBarely heeding Moon’s warning cry he leapt down from his rock and swooped toward the young drakaina, tackling her in a crushing hug as they met. She relaxed into his scales, exhaustion seeming to overwhelm her.
xxxxxZappy gently rubbed her snout with one sclaw, feeling suddenly awkward as the dragons surrounding them watched cautiously.
xxxxx“I’m so, so sorry, Firelily,” Moon said quietly from behind them, and Zappy felt the Stormrider tensing under his wing. He hadn’t heard his sister’s approach.
xxxxx“I shouldn’t have stopped,” the purple dragon continued, her voice shaky, “I should have gone straight to Boulder after rescuing Cricket. It’s my fault your brother died. I’m sorry.” Moon’s head drooped, and she stared at her talons as if she wished she could rip them off.
xxxxxFirelily pushed herself away from Zappy and stepped back, anger gleaming in her eyes.
xxxxx“I’m sorry, too—sorry for ever getting to know you,” she snarled. “You should have let me drown in the lava. Things would’ve been better for everyone that way.
xxxxx“No,” she seemed to come to a decision, and shook her head, “I’m not going to kill you, after all. Boulder looked up to you for saving my life, so I can’t. I’m going to leave you alive knowing that you killed him. You’re a blood-stained murderer.
xxxxx“I’m sorry,” Firelily ended in a whisper. “I wish I could forgive you, but I hate you. I hate you,” she whimpered. “I’m living through hell and it’s your fault.”
xxxxxZappy’s heart ached for both drakainas, and he scratched his frill uncertainly. There was no doubting Firelily’s words: she was utterly devastated, while Moon was crushed by her former friend’s harsh words. He wasn’t sure what to do.
xxxxx“I—I don’t see what’s wrong,” a small voice interrupted, and Zappy spread his frill in alarm as shocked murmurs ghosted from the other dragons.
xxxxx“Cricket,” he said blandly as a small red dragon struggled through the legs and tails surrounding him. A small, unfair feeling of anger kindled inside him, directed at the hatchling for playing such a big part in causing Moon the unnecessary pain she was enduring.
xxxxxAnother movement caught his eye, and he quickly swung his head back to see Firelily slump to the ground, staring at Cricket with a haunted expression.
xxxxx“...like Boulder,” Zappy heard her murmuring. “He looks like Boulder.”
xxxxx“I don’t understand,” the small Stormrider repeated, genuinely confused. “What’s wrong?”
xxxxxMoon hung her head. “While I was talking to you during the battle Firelily’s brother was killed. I could have saved him, but I didn’t. He died because of me.”
xxxxxAnd Cricket, Zappy snarled to himself, but brushed the thought away. Cricket was innocent; he would have had no idea about the affect talking to Moon during a war could have.
xxxxxCricket eyed Firelily sympathetically.
xxxxx“Sorry about that,” he said, scrunching his snout. “But... I’m alive!” He reared up on his hind legs, clawing triumphantly at the air with his front, then dropped back down.
xxxxx“Isn’t that what matters? Dragons die when they fight. He should have known that,” a slight trace of scorn entered the Stormrider’s voice as he finished, and Zappy froze.
xxxxxHe couldn’t believe Cricket’s insensitivity.
xxxxxZappy lashed his tail angrily, frill slowly spiking up from his head as he watched Firelily, waiting for her reaction.
xxxxxThe orange dragon’s eyes blazed with fury as she regained her footing. Three menacing footsteps toward the younger dragon was all she needed to bear down on him, glaring into his terrified light-blue eyes as his gaze darted from her to Moon.
xxxxx“If you didn’t look so much like my brother,” she hissed, fire flickering between her bared teeth, “you would be dead before you could blink.
xxxxx“Now where are my parents?” she roared, drawing back from the cowed hatchling. Grief and rage contrasted sharply in her voice, and Zappy winced in sympathy even as Moon’s head drooped lower.
xxxxx“Mama?” desperation coloured Firelily’s tone. “Papa? D-does anyone know where they are?”
xxxxxAnxiety clawed at Zappy’s belly as he watched heads turn to whisper to the dragon behind, wait a moment, then back to them with a sad shake of the head.
xxxxx“No,” one murmured, “no one back there.”
xxxxx“Please!” Firelily begged, spinning to scan the crowd. She trod on talons and tails without seeming to notice. “I just lost my brother; they need to know their son has died—I need to tell them! Poisonivy! Sediment! Mama! Papa, where are you!”
xxxxxZappy shuddered at the anguish in Firelily’s voice, and he saw the wild light burning in her eyes as she paced restlessly, tail thrashing the air. He wished he could help his friend, but how? Nothing he did could ease her torment.
xxxxx“Wait!” a ragged voice called, and the frantic drakaina stopped pacing to watch as a navy-blue Stormrider approached her.
xxxxx“I didn’t know your parents,” the newcomer began, “but I could name them in passing. Poisonivy...” She took a deep breath to steady her voice before continuing, “Poisonivy died in a fight against one of Fang’s minions a few hours ago. Sediment—well, he was killed by a Sharpshooter.”
xxxxxFirelily crumbled inwards like a bird crushed by dragon talons. Her scales turned a dim shade of orangey-grey, and deep pain showed plainly in her hollow green eyes.
xxxxx“Dead,” she murmured vaguely. “All dead...”
xxxxxStumbling on nothing she tottered forward, walking through dragons without seeming to see them.
xxxxxZappy felt guilt stab at his heart and bounded toward the orange drakaina, determined to comfort her.
xxxxx“Firelily,” he said, then stumbled back in alarm as she lunged at him. Long, sharp teeth snapped shut only centimetres away from his eyes.
xxxxx“Leave me alone,” she snarled, words rumbling into the air deeper than normal, haggard with hatred and grief. Slowly the orange drakaina turned and limped away; all Zappy could do was watch.
xxxxx“But—” Moon’s voice caught on the word and she stopped midsentence.
xxxxxZappy felt a deep ache in his chest as he turned back to Moon. Distress caused by all the suffering from the war.
xxxxx“Come on, Moon,” he murmured softly, draping a wing over the shuddering purple scales. “It’ll be alright. She’ll come around; she just needs time to get used to the grief.
xxxxx“It hurts, remember?” He nearly broke down again as he thought of Darkfire, but forced himself to continue. “She’ll be back.”
xxxxxLittle did he know how terribly wrong he was.
xxxxxSuddenly huge, warm wings wrapped around the both of them, and Flamer bent her head to speak, voice raw with quiet grief.
xxxxx“Good work on restraining yourselves, both of you. I—” she paused briefly— “I know this will be hard, but we need your help with attaining permanent peace. The other dragons will respect you even more after you dealt with both Firelily and Cricket relatively calmly, so please: help us.”
xxxxxShe waited for the hatchlings to nod, then drew back from them, eyes hollow with concealed grief.
xxxxxThe deep blue dragon, sympathy shining in her eyes, watched them silently for a moment.
xxxxx“So young,” she murmured finally, “but you’ve borne so much. How do we make sure no more hatchlings suffer the same fate?”
xxxxxZappy swallowed nervously and glanced at Moon. He had a few suggestions on how the tribes could get used to each other, but didn’t know where to start—or if she had ideas of her own.
xxxxxMoon seemed to sense that he wanted her to begin.
xxxxx“Well...” she began slowly, “what plans have you got so far? Like you said...” She hesitated, waiting for the blue Stormrider’s name uncertainly.
xxxxx“Rip.”
xxxxxMoon nodded her thanks, then continued, “Like you said, Rip, we’re only young; surely we can’t be expected to make the decisions for so many tribes—at least, that’s presuming the misfits want to return home now.”
xxxxx“Nothing,” Flamer shook her great head sorrowfully as she replied. “All roads lead back to war. If we merge tribes the fighting will break out again. If we continue our lifestyles how they are we’ll never understand each other; everything will begin again.”
xxxxxZappy frowned thoughtfully. “What if,” he began slowly, “what if we send misfits to each tribe? They know how to interact with each other.”
xxxxxSeveral of the dragons around them frowned, and surly mutters flew through the air.
xxxxx“How’s that supposed to work?” Rip sceptically voiced their doubts.
xxxxxZappy raised his head to see even Moon staring at him, not understanding. He sat straighter and tucked his wings in, taking a deep breath.
xxxxx“If we select a few willing Sharpshooters and like-minded Stormriders, then half of the dragons—a mixture of both tribes, you understand—can live in Keen Forest and show dragons how to interact with each other there, while the rest do the same for the Stormriders in Militia.”
xxxxxThe more he thought about it, the more Zappy liked his idea, and scanned the sea of dragons curiously to see how they reacted.
xxxxxRip looked uncertain, he realised, and a few of the other dragons seemed to share her concern.
xxxxxThe drake tilted his head, ears pricking as anxiety sprouted in his gut. “What’s wrong?”
xxxxx The Stormrider shuffled her talons awkwardly.
xxxxx“Your idea’s all very well and good,” she said finally, “until you take the fact that we’re dragons into account. We’re born to rule; bred to fight. If we don’t practise our skills and learn new techniques we’re going to become fat, lazy beasts no better than pigs—and eventually someone with energy to spare will lose control and attack their fellow dragons.
xxxxx“I’m sorry, Zappy, but I’m sure Flamer agrees with me that it—well, it won’t work.”
xxxxxZappy’s head drooped. He’d honestly thought his idea would solve their predicament, but looking at Flamer’s snout he could see she agreed with Rip.
xxxxx“When you put it in that light,” an unseen dragon said reluctantly, “I hate to admit it, but I’m afraid I have to agree.”
xxxxxMurmurs in the affirmative followed the statement, and Zappy rubbed a wing across his snout, dismally racking his brain for another option.
xxxxx“Aha!” Moon cried suddenly, making everyone jump as she surged to her feet. “I’ve got it! Keep training, because every year the tribes can combine and we’ll hold competitions for showing off our skills! Flying, fire-breathing, strength, stealth—all sorts of events! After a few years we could even introduce mock-battles, that way merging the tribes Zappy’s way will work! Unleash you savagery on a tree during the games!” Her silver laughter rang out, and Zappy couldn’t help laughing along with her—then one dragon after another joined in until the grassy plains echoed with cries of joy and mirth.
xxxxxWe’ve done it!
xxxxxSuddenly overwhelmed, Zappy leapt into the air to look down on the cautiously friendly dragons below, happiness welling inside him like a bottomless well.
xxxxxHe watched in delight, doing a loop-the-loop with joy as a steady stream of small, colourless dragons issued from the HatchlingCaves to see what was going on—and noticed with silent delight as Snow-Fang flapped a few inches toward their parents.
xxxxxFinally—finally—peace could fill his heart.
xxxxxHe still held the hurt of seeing so much suffering, but he didn’t want to forget the dragons who were lost. Countless good dragons had died, but waiting for the next generation was a happier, brighter future.
xxxxxThey were finally free!
XD