Wings of Fire: The Sands Of Betrayal

~*Prologue*~

13 years earlier...

"Queen Thorn!" A dragon shouted from the hallway. "Your presence is needed!" The other dragon, Queen Thorn, came out into the hallway, her obsidian black eyes glistening in the moonlight.

"Yes, Fowl?" The Queen replied tiredly, blinking her eyes slowly open. "What could be happening at this time? It's not an invasion, is it?" The queen looked around, making sure no SkyWings or SeaWings were attacking. Nope, not an invasion, She thought, relaxing, Then again, What did we do to the SkyWings, and why would the SeaWings come here in the middle of the night? " Well... Diamondback's dragonet..." He paused and looked her in the eye. "There's something wrong with it."

Fear pulsed through her. She wasn't related to Diamondback or Black-tail but SandWing's lives are her responsibility. "What's wrong with her?" She demanded to Fowl.

"She, it's a female, has weird eyes..." He shivered in fear before he continued. "They're not all obsidian black. She has white pupils. Her parents believe an animus cursed her egg to get revenge."

She didn't understand. Why would an animus want revenge on them? "Why?" She asked, "Why would somebody want revenge on Black-tail or Diamondback?" Fowl looked at her intently. "Black-tail is an assassin..." Thorn lashed her tail in frustration.

Fowl leaped back, to avoid her poisonous tail barb swinging around. "But why their egg? Black-tail would only assassinate a dragon under my commands, or to protect herself." Thorn's mind whirled with thoughts. "What would someone have against them? Yet alone an unborn dragonet?" Fowl looked down at his talons and his tail twitched nervously. He reached into the message sack he always carried with him. With shaking talons, he withdrew a ripped, blood-stained scroll. Thorn took the note from him, it felt surprisingly heavy in her talons and a gut-twisting feeling haunted her. She shivered from her horns to her tail.

She opened it and nervously started reading it.

Dearest Diamondback and Black-tail,

I want you to come over for dinner tonight and you can show me your little dragonet! I've been dying to meet them! {In their egg, of course} I can bring some antelope or ostrich if you like. Or any prey you want.

Sincerely, Drought

Thorn looked at Fowl, confusion spreading across her face. "What? How does this help?" Thorn snorted, giving Fowl back the letter. Frustration sparked in Fowl's eyes under the torchlight. He thrust the scroll back into her talons, giving her the feeling again. "Don't you see?!" He whispered in shock. "It's animus touched! We asked Jerboa to look at it and use a spell to see what enchantment is on it." He gulped before continuing. "It's a convincing enchantment. Jerboa believes that the animus put a spell on the letter to convince Diamondback and Black-tail to come."

Thorn brushed her talons over the blood splotches, Her brow furrowing. "Did they fight...?"

Fowl shook his head. "No, it's just prey blood." Thorn started piecing it together in her mind. Drought... Drought... Why did that name sound familiar? Wait. Drought's father was Funnel, Her mother was Mandrill and her brother Kudu. Thought Thorn, grinding her teeth. *

                                                            * * * * * * *

4 years earlier...

"Black-tail?" Thorn called to her assassin. Black-tail came bounding over. "We have a little..." smoke rose from her nostrils. "Pest." A few dragons nearby pricked their ears intently. Black-tail started fiddling with bottles of poison and daggers in pouches around her neck. "Yes? What's the pest?" She finally said, looking up from her pouches. " What would I need? Poisons? Daggers? Tail? Claws? Vipers-"

Thorn cut her off abruptly. "I haven't even told you who yet, Black-tailed-"

"Black-tail! My name is Black-tail!" The SandWing corrected furiously. Black-tailed always wanted to be called Black-tail, not Black-tailed, like the rabbit. Black-tail always said it made her sound like a puny little Black-tailed rabbit. Thorn thought, chuckling internally

"Sorry, Black-tail," Thorn said. "Anyways, your mission is to kill Kudu, a loner who likes to steal water and food from the Outclaws." Black-tail nodded and ran off. "Be careful!" Thorn shouted after her.

* * * * * * * *

"She wanted revenge for Kudu," Thorn said darkly. "So she got an Animus to curse Black-tails egg. And next..." She paused, bracing herself for Fowl's fire of questions. "She'll try to kill me." Fowl just blinked flatly and said, "I can believe that."

What? Isn't he surprised? Or even worried? " I do have one question though." Fowl continued eagerly. There it is. "Who is the Animus?" Thorn knew that another animus on Pyrrhia would be horrible. After Darkstalker and all. "I'm sure it's Drought. Darkstalker wasn't around, Turtle and Anenome wouldn't have. Jerboa would never do bad and Stonemover... Would never." The moon shone on the two sand dragons, making their scales look snow white.

"We should be careful. Place guards on every entrance or exit in the palace. Maybe every door to every room. As a start." Fowl fretted already taking out a scroll to make plans for the palace. Thorn chuckled. "I'd better get Qibli on it, then! Y'know if he isn't sleeping already." Fowl frowned at her. "You have to take this seriously! You could die! Diamondbacks dragonet could die!" Fowl lashed his tail and headed away, leaving Thorn alone in the dark hallway. She walked back inside her room and lay down on her camel-fur blanket. She closed her eyes and fell into a dream.

Thorn was standing in a familiar cave, beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. "Hello?" She called out, hearing her voice echo across the stone walls. I know this cave. It's not far from Jade Mountain... She spotted a pool of water and went to drink. She clawed at her neck trying to keep the Eye Of Onyx from falling into the water. She just felt scales though. "What?" She said out loud. She looked down at her body, she wasn't in her body... Thorn felt the gut-twisting feeling she had when she held the scroll. Am I... Drought? She wondered, tapping her claws on the stone. I don't understand...

Suddenly she jerked awake, still in her room. She made a silent vow. I will find Drought and stop her revenge.