Fortune Favours Queen Glaciers Nephew - A Qinter Fanfic

Chapter 1: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Preview:

That's Qibli!" Fatespeaker yelped excitedly, pointing an eager talon towards a scarred Sandwing. 

Winter looked over in his direction and saw him talking excitedly with a much smaller Sandwing, their voices were drowned amidst the loud chatter, but he radiated positivity and intellect.

At the mention of his name, Qibli looked over and shot them a friendly grin.

Winter paused; holding his breath when Qiblis eyes flickered to meet his gaze. Winter tensed before quickly looking away indignantly.

"I think you'll like him," assured the Nightwing attendant, brushing off Winter's reaction with an amused brow, "he's very friendly!"

Winter scrunched his nose, "What exactly is a 'clawmate'?" He inquired, suddenly worried for what it meant for him.

"Great question! One I've been getting all day, too. Your clawmates are the dragonets who you'll share a sleeping cave with." Fatespeaker explained helpfully

"WHAT?!" roared an outraged Winter suddenly, causing Icicle to glare at him and for Fatespeaker to jump in alarm.

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Winter thought that for pretty much all his life he'd been dealt the worst possible hand.

His sister was more cunning; more clever; more impressive.  Fit to someday succeed his aunt's throne. His older brother, Hailstorm, was ambitious and charismatic, ranking just below the highest military position possible only after his second year of hunting.

It wasn't fair, Winter had NOTHING going for him, other than being Queen Glaciers nephew, and even that status could carry him so far within his family dynamic.

He was disgraced. Deemed about as 'frightening as an angry scavenger' - which would have been worth something IF they weren't a delicacy his family frequently enjoyed at dinner.

He supposed it was true, perhaps he lacked the ambition or the confidence needed to wield his authority properly, even more so since he failed to protect his older brother - his only saving grace in a family constantly ready to feed Winter to the wolves.

But not anymore.

Winter and Icicle were being shipped to Jade Mountain Academy for their first official education. Despite Winters initial protests, he concluded that this may actually be the best way to save his own hide and redeem himself to his family.

This would be a blank slate; he could make himself into anything he wanted to this year. Of course, naturally, Winter was not thrilled to mingle with dragons from other tribes, but he hoped that the students from his own tribe would give him the proper leverage he would need.
He WOULD make a name for himself! One so that dragons couldn't look down their snouts and sneer at him like he was lower than them. They would all see!

Which is why Winter now stood at the mouth of a yawning cave, scowling and stiff as he fiercely gripped his pet scavenger's cage. His icy eyes watched his parents wings back to the Ice Kingdom. His sister wore a similar disgruntled expression, but was the first to start entering the school, muttering angry words to herself.

Winter sighed longing for the snow he'd grown so accustomed to in the Ice Kingdom but jogged after her nevertheless as they entered a much darker, much warmer, and much more stifling environment.

Blending into the shadows sat a Nightwing grinning as she waved after another young timid dragon who exited moments before Winter entered. The name tag on the Nightwing attendant read, "Fatespeaker"

His features recoiled and contorted with disgust. Was it just him, or were there already far too many Nightwings? He sized her up, and it took everything in him not to constantly scowl at her whenever she spoke. Which was a lot.