Rain and Night - A Glorybringer Story

Chapter 43

Glory woke up the next day, feeling refreshed and relieved, back inside of the audience room. Deathbringer, who was standing in front of her hammock, smiled at her smugly as she sat up. The dragonets were running around in excitement, happy to be home.

"Good morning," he said lovingly. The bandages on his wing prevented him from fully opening it. 

"Hey," Glory replied, swatting at him with her tail playfully. She yawned. She walked across the audience room, Deathbringer at her tail, and stepped out into the sunlight. It was deliciously warm on her scales. There was fruit waiting at the door. Clearly, someone had left it here for them. Bet it was Jambu. 

She twined her tail around Deathbringer's as she enjoyed the feeling of being back in the humid, warm rainforest. 

"Mommy! Daddy!" Firefly suddenly interrupted. Their dragonets were bounding up to them with wide eyes. They had grown a lot — Firefly was almost up to Glory's shoulders in height. "Remember how you said you'd teach us to fly once we were bigger?"

"Yes, we remember," Deathbringer replied. 

"We're a lot bigger now," Fern said hopefully. "Can you teach us to fly?"

Deathbringer glanced at Glory. "Well, there's nothing urgent we have to address," Deathbringer said with a shrug. He smiled at Glory encouragingly. 

"Okay, we'll teach you to fly," Glory agreed. They were almost half a year old, they needed to learn how to fly. "Come on." She hefted Amber, who was a lot heavier than when she first hatched, onto her back. Deathbringer was taking Firefly and Fern. They took off into the rainforest, heading for a nice, sunny place where their dragonets could learn. 

They glided through the rainforest. 

"Mommy?" Amber asked curiously. "What do you do when you're queen?"

"Ooh, I want to know!" Firefly piped up. 

Glory thought for a moment, then answered, "Well, you have to take care of all the dragons in the tribe, for one. And you have to make sure everyone is safe."

"From ...?" Fern said. 

"From a lot of stuff, depending on what's happening," Glory went on. "Like, right now I have to keep the RainWings safe from the NightWings. Sometimes you have to keep them safe from other things, too. Like perhaps a sickness or natural disaster. Do you know what that is?"

"Um ... like a tsunami? That SeaWing was called Tsunami. She said her name meant a natural disaster," Fern answered. 

She rolled her eyes as Deathbringer mouthed the words, SMARTEST DRAGONETS EVER. 

"Yep," Deathbringer answered. "That sort of thing. Of course, they aren't very common. Look, let's stop here." They landed in a sunny clearing with plenty of trees surrounding it. Deathbringer pointed at a tangle of thick branches. "Up there." They flew up to the branches and landed again. 

"Whoa! We're so high up!" Firefly exclaimed, peering down with a surprised expression. 

"Do you know how to flap your wings right?" Deathbringer asked Amber, Firefly and Fern while Glory put her wing around them protectively. We'll make sure they don't injure themselves, hopefully, she thought. He flapped his wings a few times. "Like this. Show me." Amber, Firefly and Fern flapped their wings testily. 

"With a bit more force," Glory commented. "That's better."

"And one thing to remember," Deathbringer added. "Don't flap too fast too suddenly. You'll fall. Actually, how about you try to fly to that branch over there while me and Glory make sure you don't fall to the ground?" Glory wrinkled her snout skeptically, but the dragonets nodded. 

"Are you sure it's safe?" She asked. 

Deathbringer nodded with a reassuring grin, twining his tail around her's. "Like either of us would let them hurt themselves."

That might actually be right, Glory thought. She rolled her eyes at him, but spread her wings and hovered in mid-air, beating her wings occassionally. Deathbringer did the same, ready to catch Amber, or Firefly, or Fern, in case they fell. 

"Who's going first?" Deathbringer asked. 

"I'll go first!" Firefly said, walking steadily to the edge of the branch. She flapped her wings a few times. 

"Just jump off and flap your wings," Glory instructed. She watched as Firefly took a deep breath, jumped off, flapped her wings furiously, and managed to stay in the air for a second or two before she fell. Deathbringer darted forward and caught her. He set her down on the branch again. 

"Me! I want to go!" Amber exclaimed. She bounded up, jumped, and spread her wings. The dragonets glided forward a bit, but then she sped up, and began to fall. Glory caught her just in time. "Whoo! This is fun!" She flapped her wings almost perfectly. They sure are fast learners. 

"Fern, you next," Deathbringer said as Glory returned Amber to the branch. Fern was a bit shaky, but still managed to stay up in the air for a little bit. "Good job." 

However, they were interrupted  by a yellow RainWing approaching them. 

"Your Majesty," he said respectfully. "A message just arrived from Queen Thorn."

"Oh?" Glory replied, raising her eyebrows. "Alright. Let's go to the Royal Pavilion, then." It must be the reply to my letter about the SandWings in the rainforest. 

They flew to the Royal Pavilion, where Thorn's letter was waiting for her on the wooden desk. She took out the letter and began to read. Amber, Firefly and Fern stared up at her wonderingly. 

Queen Glory,

All is well in the desert, thank you.

Regarding the SandWings you saw in your rainforest, there are no SandWings missing from my palace. We did a check and everyone was where they were supposed to be. However, a few of the Outclaws visited the Scorpion Den and a good amount of Sandwings were gone, mainly mercenaries, thieves and retired soldiers who were fighting for Burn during the war. Fierceteeth may have used her three SandWing allies to recruit them. 

I will be sending some brightsting cactus to you in case of any battles or skirmishes where your dragons could get stung by SandWing tails. Please write to me in case you need more. 

Sincerely, 

Queen Thorn of the SandWings