|In Development| Steel and Scales

Chapter 4: Bones

Qibli

'The Boneyard'

That was the name given to the sprawling dunes that spread out from the edges of the Claws of the Clouds Mountains. There was no title more fitting-even from here, Qibli could easily make out the blackened, skeletal husks that littered the barren expanse. These 'bones,' for which The Boneyard was notoriously named for, dotted the sands like stars on a cloudless night. A couple of years ago, Queen Thorn had issued a proposal to begin the arduous process of removing the countless scores of downed aircraft that inhabited the tractless dunes, but the lack of shared enthusiasm between her advisors meant the reclamation effort never came to fruition.

They were flying over it now, seven different dragons, each from different tribes, all flying together in a brilliant display that was nothing short of symbolic-a spectacle that would've been all but unheard of only a couple of years ago. Beside him, flying just off his wing, was Moonwatcher, the mysterious NightWing who had furnished his undivided attention. The ebony-black sheen of her night-clad fighter contrasted strikingly against the warm, sandy tones of the ever-expansive dunes. With delicate taps of stick and rudder, Qibli manuveured his bird so that he was flying alongside her, wingtips nearly touching.

"Can you see the bones from up here?" He asked her, tipping his wing in a friendly gesture of acknowledgement. "So many fallen angels. It's ghastly sight."

"Huh? W-what?" The NightWing stammered, and the surprise in her voice suggested that she hadn't yet noticed his sudden appearance at her flank.

"The fallen angels." He repeated. "How many aces have shed their wings and spilt their blood on these forsaken sands? I guess it goes to show just how unfriendly the skies have become over the last several decades."

"Yeah, no kidding." Murmured Umber. He was hovering below them, no doubt observing the war-stricken landscape that encompassed them in all directions. "This whole place looks like a graveyard."

"Well, it kind of is." Qibli answered with a shrug. "That's how it got it's name-'The Boneyard'. It was probably the most heavily contested piece of territory in the Fourty Years War. Now, it's just a sea of death, inhabited by ghosts."

"Oh." Moon murmured softly, her gentle voice barely a whisper. "How sad..."

"What I'm curious about is what makes it so special. Why get their talons stained with all this blood, if only for this barren, desolate wasteland?" Turtle asked.

"Because," Qibli retorted, decidely ignoring the off-handed remark regarding his homeland, "this desolate wasteland, is the holy land of the SandWings. It's where the first and last battles of the war took place. Every queen in Pyrrhia knew that establishing dominance in this region would give them substancial influence within the Desert Territories, effectively winning the war for whichever princess they were supporting."

"Seems a bit dramatic, though. Don't you think?" Winter muttered irately. Qibli had almost forgotten he was there; he hadn't spoken a word since they'd got off the ground. Qibli tried-and failed-to shield his eyes as the light of sun reflected off the metallic, silver chassis of the IceWing's airframe.

"I agree. Maybe keep the ghost stories to yourself, yeah?" Snarked a gruff, feminine voice, which Qibli recognized as Carnelian, the hot-tempered SkyWing he'd been aquainted with just a few hours earlier. "Besides, I think you're scaring the hatchling." The SkyWing chuckled nastily, and Moon let out an indignant huff.

"Maybe I'm not as helpless as Iook, so don't think you can try to push me around."

"Yowch." Qibli grinned, feeling thrilled to witness the shy, socially inept NightWing finally standing up for herself. "Heh, I'd like to see that, actually."