Wings of Honor: Deciding Destiny

Chapter 6: Strategic Decisions

I couldn't fit into the tent, but I tried sticking my head in anyways. My eyes immediately teared up and my face shifted to scowl as I was met with the pungent stench of smoke. What glimpse I got was SandWings, with their heads down, combing through a flurry of unraveled scrolls about the floor. But the smoke overwhelmed me, and I retreated to a refreshing gasp of fresh air.
Vaquero promptly emerged from the tent, along with Queen Thorn.
"A lot of the scrolls are badly burnt and are in languages we don't know." Vaquero hacked a cough. "But this one managed to survive. I recognized a certain somebody's name."
Vaquero handed me the scroll. I unrolled it. It was in dragon.

To dearest Vulture,
To celebrate our newly founded alliance and victory against The Captain, I have sent some of our finest to reinforce you. While working with humans, your so called scavengers, may be a new concept to you, you will find their long range weaponry most convincing.
Hopefully, your planned operations against the Thorn in your side may go a little smoother now. And may your influence spread far and wide across the dessert.
To the proliferation of the Talons of Power,
Your allies,
Darkstalker & Goldman

My eyes went wide, I took a shaky breath.
"Are you okay Grace?" Thorn noticed me.
I could only shake my head a little, tears welling in my eys.
Vaquero gently took the scroll away from me. "It really is that bad huh?"
Thorn looked at him for a moment, before walking up and draping her wing around my leg, radiating a comforting warmth. "Whatever it is, we can take it."
"No." I whispered. Images flashing through my mind, a migraine rapidly beginning to form.
"Grace?" Vaquero walked up to me. "Are you okay?"
"Grace." Thorn's strong voice shocked me back to Earth. I looked at her, I didnt realize how terrified I looked. "You need to rest. You've done enough."
"B-but I-"
"We got the rest of this. Travers can translate the rest of this. You and McManus need to go back to Ankh to rest and recover."
I opened my mouth to protest, but I was shushed by Thorn raising a claw.
"I asked you as a friend, now I'm giving an order as a Queen."
I paused.
"But... you're not her queen, Thorn."
We both smirked at Vaquero.
He simply rolled his eyes and walked away.
"You'll keep an eye on Travers? He likes playing with explosives a little too much."
Thorn chuckled. "I'm sure we'll get along well."
I also chuckled, wiping away my tears.
"You should go. These past days have been hard on you. At least take some time to rest. I'll send Vaquero if we find anything important."
I sighed. I knew she would absolutely keep information from me if she thought it would help. Though, through no malice on her own. I would have no way of knowing unless I stayed here.
But Thorn was right, if painfully so.
I took my leave, relaying what Thorn recommended to McManus. I let him take command, and we both flew back to the palace.

I hissed as Ankh applied antiseptic to my battered wings.
"I know. I know. But you're beginning to risk infection if you go on like this."
I sighed.
Aside me, McManus was already asleep in his bed, back as a bruised and battered human.
Ankh applied the last doused bandage, before stepping back.
"I'm needed at that outpost to tend to the wounded. If you need me, send up one of your flares somehow, and I'll be back in two minutes."
"Thanks Ankh."
The friendly SandWing nodded, before walking past me and out of sight. I sensed her make her way down the corridors, before disappearing somewhere in the sky, the distant sounds of wingbeats broke the utter silence. With Ankh gone, the infirmary was empty, spare us two. And most of the excitement was sat at the outpost, so there was very little activity at the Palace.
I took a shaky breath, letting my head rest on the floor. My body must have realized that I was at a moment of rest, because tears began to well in my eyes. The anxiety I buried, what seemed like forever ago, now threatened to boil over once more. I simply closed my eyes, taking a couple deep, if a little shaky, inhales and exhales.
I was beat, exhausted. McManus was still hurt, but he was back in the fight. Travers was with Vaquero and Thorn, so he wouldn't be causing any trouble. But then my mind shifted to think of the one person not with us.
"Marvin." His name escaped in a whisper.
He was still captured. How long has it been? Three, four days? No. Longer? Shorter? I can't remember.
A migraine began to form in my head. I put my hands to try and bleed the heat off. But the pain didn't stop, couldn't stop. The tears came, and I couldn't stop them.
I tried to grit my teeth, trying to use Marvin's discipline. But no matter how much I fought, I didn't have Marvin's iron heart. That was the one thing Marvin didn't give me.
All the weight came crashing down once more. We were okay, but the war was still raging. Marvin is captured, we are still in the past, Moon's in danger, Qibli's in danger, hell, the entire Jade Winglet is scattered to hell. Goldman was as powerful as he's ever been, and now he's allied with Darkstalker and Vulture. We were but three people against three armies. We were once four, and we still couldn't take on Goldman. How was I supposed to?
The tears started rolling down my cheeks. I sobbed as quietly as I could, so as not to wake McManus.
There was nothing I can do now. Nothing except recover.
A huff of smoke escaped me.
But then that small spark lit an idea in my mind. I looked at my claws.
Unless.
I closed my eyes, reaching out for that dark abyss.