(Also, I feel ashamed that my more recent writing is worse than this ;-;)
~UNFINISHED~
Pre-Series Peril
“Hmm, now, what have we here?” Queen Scarlet tsked, peering down at the little one-day-old dragonet. Her wickedly beautiful face curled into an evil grin. “I have some great plans for you, perilous dragonet. In honor of your dangerous scales, you shall be named Peril. Peril the fireborn SkyWing.”
“Awwrrrrk?” Peril asked, crawling closer to Scarlet, who flinched back. “Rrrraaawrrkrr?”
“Now, little Peril, don’t come close to Queen Scarlet, alright?” Scarlet falsely grinned, and Peril looked up at her with wide, sad eyes, unfurling her wings. The gold veins that crawled throughout them glinted in the moonlight. Smoke rose from her tail as she slowly swept it through the damp grass (thank goodness it was), leaving steam behind at the slightest touch.
“I’m sure we’ll have a thrilling time together, Peril. It’ll be blazing.” Scarlet imagined the prisoners of war burning to cinders before her eyes. “After all, your mother obviously didn’t want you. She left you here, all alone.”
Peril furrowed her brow, looking sad. Scarlet frowned down at the pitifully thin dragonet. The blood still remained from when Kestrel had slaughtered her twin, beside the river, and tossed his body in.
Now there was the issue of transporting her.
“But whyyyyyyy,” Peril whined, sending a puff of white smoke out of her nose.
“Because you’ll get terribly sick if you don’t eat them,” Scarlet answered for the third time. “And since I really do care about my wonderful, special champion, I really wish you would cooperate and eat your rocks.”
She really cares about me? I see glares from all the other SkyWings all the time. Maybe she’s the only one who does, Peril thought. My mother obviously didn’t. She’s dead now anyway.
Scarlet dumped a leather sack full of black rocks on the ground in front of her. Peril shot her an indignant glare and reluctantly swallowed one of the rocks whole. It felt cold as it slid down her throat.
“Hmm, I am in the mood for some thrilling fun, so Peril, as soon as you’re done with those rocks, do come out to the arena for me.”
“Why? What are you making me do? Does this have to do with the ‘champion’ thing?” Peril rocketed into speech excitedly. “Do I get to be the champion?”
“Yes. All I need you to do is kill this very, very bad dragon. He’s trying to kill you as well, but don’t worry. He’ll never be able to. You’re meant to do this, Peril, dear. Just scratch at him with your special claws.” Scarlet answered.
“But, kill him?” Peril cried, looking at her claws with a startled expression. “Why kill him? He did nothing wrong!”
“You’re meant to do this,” Scarlet repeated, waving her talon. “Come now, Peril, you’re so special and perfect. You are doing a good thing by killing these prisoners.”
A good thing? What I wouldn’t give for doing that. I could be a good dragon! Peril thought, smiling. “Okay, let’s go, Queen Scarlet!”
The sun was hot, but not quite hot enough to faze Peril in any way. She heard roars and hisses as the crowd filled in the stands on either side of Peril. Chains clanked and a large, emerald green SeaWing was hefted down onto the red sand.
He was grinning with malice and there was a bit of dried blood on his lip. There was a long scar slicing through his tail and up to his wings.
“You pitted me against a one-year-old?!” he roared to the sky, then to Queen Scarlet. “You pitted me against a one-year old! Scarlet, you crazy old bat, you really must be losing your mind. Or your prisoners. You promised me freedom after this battle, and freedom I shall get!”
He launched himself toward Peril and all the watching prisoners of war tensed up, on the edges of their spires. Peril squealed, flinching back, but as the SeaWing leaped, laughing madly at her, there was a sizzling sound. When his talons connected with her wings, they turned black and burnt. He screeched in pain and tears appeared in his eyes, only to turn to steam as the blackness crawled through his arms, up his torso, and to his face. It marched up to his horns and hind legs as the watching prisoners began to scream and the SkyWings began to cheer.
“WOOOOOHOOOO! THE BLAZING SKYWING!”
“NO! SCALLOP, NO!”
“Ah, I thought that annoying SeaWing might actually go free! This SkyWing is truly blazing, like Queen Scarlet told us!”
The SkyWings were now chanting, “THE BLAZING SKYWING, THE BLAZING SKYWING, THE BLAZING SKYWING!”
Peril sat down as the SeaWing, apparently named Scallop, toppled to the ground, blackened and burnt, his face contorted into a horrid snarl.
The crowd was pandemonium. Several of the SeaWings’ phosphorescent scales were flashing fast, communicating with others.
The horror rising up through Peril was unstoppable. She clutched her head with one smoking talon and ducked under her wings. The crowd was cheering indecipherably while the SeaWing prisoners screeched.
But doing this, for some reason, filled her with some weird pride. It was like her own skill that didn’t involve being a danger to SkyWings. She was being loyal to Queen Scarlet. Does she love me now?
So, dramatically, she threw out her wings and spiraled upward, the smoke rising from her scales and flames flickering along her snout. The audience ooohed and aaaahd. Scarlet sat on the edge of her throne, grinning at Peril. Peril was filled with warmth. Not the hot, embarrassed warmth, but the nice, fuzzy warmth.
This was her destiny—pleasing Queen Scarlet. Killing for her pleasure. This was what she was meant to do.
Peril pattered down the tunnel, awaiting her next opponent. When she emerged into the hot, beating sun, the crowd cheered loudly. An IceWing, glittering icy blue in the light, was flown down to the bloodstained sand with a resigned look. He knew by now that he was going to die. But that would be no fun for Queen Scarlet, would it? One of the guards who were carrying the IceWing was easily recognizable. She was a shade of goldenrod that no other SkyWing was. Her name was Pyrite, and she was terrified of Peril. Sometimes she whispered rapidly a small chant that seemed to urge herself on to do the task: “I am completely loyal to Queen Scarlet. I’m not good at much, but I can do this for her. I am completely loyal to Queen Scarlet. I’m not good at much, but I can do this for her.”
The other SkyWing guard was Swallow, who was a deep red-orange and had several piercings. Peril counted four missing teeth as he grinned wickedly at her. “What’s yer plan this time, Peril? Yeh gonna slash at ‘im? Maybe you could beat ‘im with yer wings?”
“I won’t spoil it, Swallow. I don’t want you telling anyone beforehand, do I?” Peril scolded, although this was mostly because she didn’t exactly have a plan for this one. She kept thinking, what has Queen Scarlet not seen yet? Is there anything? If there’s not, what’s her favorite? Maybe the one when I play with them a bit.
The IceWing looked up to the sky, as if praying to the moons for his acceptance. Vermilion’s voice rang through the arena, reverberating through the air as if being bounced back by invisible walls. “IIIIIIIIIIN THIS CORNER,” he boomed, “AN ICEWING PRISONER OF HIGH REGARD WITHIN THE ICE KINGDOM, IIIIIIIIIIIT’S IIIIICECAAAP!”
All the IceWings of the spires screeched in apparent grief. This IceWing really was of high regard, huh? Peril could fix that. Icecap was gazing around, crouched in the corner of the clearing, hunched over, and whimpering softly. Peril narrowed her eyes. This IceWing was useless. He seemed no older than six.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAND IN THIS CORNER,” Vermilion roared above the clamor, “WE HAVE OUR CHAAAAAMPION, PEEEEEEEEEEEERIL!”
There was a slightly more enthusiastic cheering, with a hint of fear like always. Letting smoke leak out of her nostrils, Peril did her usual performance, snapping her wings open and spiraling upward while allowing yet more smoke to mist the ground below as she ascended. Examining her opposition, she let her creepy, flaming-blue eyes stare into his dark blue ones.
Leaning slightly to one side, she flashed her sharp white teeth at him in a grin. “So, are you a prince or something? Oh, that shouldn’t matter. You’re going to die for the queen’s entertainment today!” The possibilities raced through her mind. Tap him lightly with your tail, dart back. Repeat. Slip by and blow fire at his tail. Beat your wings to blow hot air at him, then bite him. Claw at his chest and then whip him with your tail.
Peril liked the third option, and thought it would be entertaining. Diving to the ground, she felt sand scorch under her talons and kept her wings spread. Rearing, she flapped her wings in one languid movement to send a wave of hot air in his direction. Pleased with his reaction of a harsh flinch, she watched with amusement as he attempted to beat his bound wings to blow it away. Suddenly he lunged at her, and Peril took the chance to grab his neck between her teeth and beat him with her tail.
The crowd cheered, watching the IceWing prisoner suffer. Still grinning maniacally, she looked up at Scarlet, who was applauding her. Heart bursting with pride, she prepared for the death blow. Snowcap rasped before she could do anything, “Please… Tell… Blizzard I’m… Sorry…”
Blizzard was the IceWing queen. Her son? Or a nephew? Peril guessed, itching to know. “Tough luck,” Peril hissed, swiping across his throat with her deadly claws with a sense of finality.
The IceWing prisoners screeched with rage.
“WHAT A BATTLE!” Vermillion boomed, “WITH OUR CHAMPION PERIL WINNING ONCE AGAAAAIN!”
