Rain and Night - A Glorybringer Story

Chapter 1

This story takes place during the duration of Talons of Power, under the condition that Darkstalker never woke up. 

Glory sat on the royal pavilion and opened Sunny's letter.

Dear Glory,

Hello, Glory! I'm so proud of the progress at Jade Mountain Academy. All the students are going well and I hope a few of them can end up friends across tribes, like us!  We were a bit of a mess  after the whole Sora and Icicle catastrophe, but most of us are back in our normal routines now. 

I'll have to end this letter now, the lessons are about to start. It's almost nine o'clock. Sorry that this letter has to be so short. I'll make sure to dreamvisit you later! If my calculations are right, this letter should get to you just before nightfall. See you!

P.S I heard some EXTREMELY  interesting gossip about you and Deathbringer at Jade Mountain. VERY, VERY interesting. Wait till Tsunami finds out.

-Sunny

Glory, turning an embarrassed light pink around her ears, noticed Deathbringer reading it over her shoulder from behind her, and she quickly folded the paper in half. He was supposed to be standing guard a few steps away from her dais, but was now right behind her.

"Keep your snout to yourself," She snapped, hoping he didn't see the last bit of the letter, but his face was scrunched up in  smug grin, so it was probably too late. "I didn't ask for you to go snooping around in my business." 

He elegantly took a step back, still looking awfully smug. "If you say so, my queen." His eyes were defiant and mischievous. She wanted to rip his snout off. 

Sunny, you are so dead, Glory thought with an internal growl. "Alright," she growled. "Let's get back. It's almost night." She had sun time only a few hours ago, but most of the tribe was already asleep my early evening.

Quickly, she stepped down from the dais and flew into the rainforest. It was shortly before sunset, so most RainWings were asleep by then. She glimpsed Deathbringer gliding through the trees behind her and thought, Well, at least later I'll be able to interrogate Sunny later about what in Pyrrhia she meant in her blasted letter. 

Soon, she was at the place where she held her audiences, and it was also where she slept. She curled up inside the hammock, closed her eyes, and waited for Sunny to appear in her dreams.

Surprisingly, she didn't manage to fall asleep before the attackers came.

It started with faint rustling. The snapping of a branch. The sound of wings beating their way through the trees. After reflecting on it, that was odd. What RainWing or NightWing would be active this late at night?

"Glory," Deathbringer suddenly whispered. She was surprised—Glory thought he had dozed off. No, he wouldn't. He's too dedicated. I wonder if he ever sleeps. "Do you hear that?'

"Yes," she replied. It was a strange feeling. But not the feeling of being watched, of being spied on. It was strange to have a dragon beside her who would do anything to defend her and was actually capable of protecting her well. Shush, Glory, she commanded her brain. You're still a queen.

However, before she had time to cleanse her face of emotion, a NightWing burst in through the entrance, her body rigid with purpose and determination. Glory took a closer look at the strange NightWing. She was a female, awfully thin but probably not younger than Glory. Perhaps Deathbringer's age? Anyways, she was snarling, and her tail was lashing. Another NightWing came crashed into the platform beside her. This one was also lean but huge and burly. 

Standing up, she held her head high like a queen and demanded, "Who are you?'

The two glanced at each other before the female spoke up. "I am Fierceteeth of the NightWings," she began, her eyes glittering, malicious jewels. "...and I am here to challenge you for the throne."

Fierceteeth? That's Starflight's half-sister! Glory realized with a hiss. Deathbringer stiffened beside her and sidestepped closer to his queen, filled with a strange seriousness that Glory had never seen him possess before. 

"I can't let you do that," Glory said, trying to keep things from getting violent. "First, if you win the challenge, the RainWing will be left without a ruler. And secondly, you don't have a royal lineage and have no right to challenge me."

"I don't care about the RainWings," said the NightWing dragonet fearlessly. "And I don't care if I have some stupid royal lineage, at least I'm an actual NightWing!"

"Glory rules the kingdom better than any of you ever could," Deathbringer muttered, almost to himself. Fierceteeth heard him and immediately looked extremely superior. 

"Oh yeah? Listen to the traitor talk," She spat at Deathbringer, who glared at her with hatred. "Don't you have any pride? Any loyalty to your tribe?"

"His loyalty is with me and the RainWings," Glory said calmly, hopefully not putting too much emphasis on those words. Oh, why can't they just leave? She gazed into Fierceteeth's eyes, trying to look commanding, with hints of red on her ruff. "Fierceteeth. If you wish to join the new Rain/Night Kingdom, I assure you, you will be welcomed with open arms. But I will not allow you to take the throne."

Fierceteeth remained silent for a while, her eyes glittering with hatred and fury. At last, she cracked a smile, and said, "Well, then, I guess there's no point in discussing." She turned to the entrance, clapped her talons together, and immediately three deadly-looking SandWings appeared by their sides. Glory's heart sank. "It's your time to die, Glory."