Dragon of the Flames

Chapter 1

Elder Griffin was a large, robust male. His horns curled like a mountain sheep's means of defense, his yellow-brown scales aligned perfectly as he strode in the beautiful chambers.

Dark clouds swathed in the harsh winds, and the droned patter of rain against the windows made him flick one ear slowly. The gray hue of his scales around his large jaw shone silver against the light of one candle, floating by the hushed incantations of a pink servant fairy. This servant fairy, it seemed, was under the ownership of a middle aged, gray and green dragon with blazing red eyes.

The younger male bowed his head respectfully to the elder, who was used to the formal greeting. "Thy Griffin," murmured the younger dragon solemnly. The Elder, bewildered by this stranger's knowledge of his name, he tensed and growled curtly.

"How'd thou hear of me' name?"

The young dragon didn't flinch from the elders tone. The coldness in his eyes froze the Elder to the spot, who looked around, avoiding it. As he looked past the stranger, he gasped at the sight upon the ground.

It was true, the letter of the Hexagon of the Elders, about the Highness's death. The outline were a body should have been was gleaming a porcelain white, as if magical chalk had been recently traced something there. By glancing back at the little fairy's delicate hands, he saw that it had. The young dragon, tired of waiting for everything to seep in the Elder's head, said the verdict.

"Thy Queen t'was found dead."

Griffin shuddered. The rule of the Queen had seemed never-ending. He remembered of her, golden and tall, flying around and looking down upon her subjects when he was hardly a youngling out of his egg. He had last visited her a moon ago- and even if she had be caught up with the pre-springtime business, she had been as strong and healthy like his first look at her.

"Thy Serpent," said the younger dragon, who gave another curt bow of introduction. Elder Griffin blinked, surprised that this dragon was the one leading the case on the Queen's death- for he had read, at the end of his letter, how this death had been a terrible, cold blooded murder...

"She t'was murdered, Elder," said Serpent, confirming his thoughts. "I'me on thy case. I shall report any facts to thee if you ask, sir." Griffin flicked his ears. Wasn't Serpent a bit young for this job as Chief Detective of her Highness's murder? Why hadn't the Hex taken just another Elder to investigate instead?

"Do say thy facts," said Griffin, padding next to Serpent. The little pink fairy flittered around him annoyingly, yet he kept his eyes on the outline of what used to be Her's.

"Her body t'was found at 2 in the morning, sir, by a servant who had came to bring Her ink and quills, since I suppose she t'was doing some later night work of sorts." Griffin nodded. That was very likely of Her, with all the springtime work, like writing letters to the unicorns down south in the enchanted forest or with the yetis always trespassing upon dragon lands, and the springtime litter, too, which required a big preparation for what would have been a festive celebration.

"She t'was found lying upon thy ground, one window open in thy room," he continued, turning his head towards the window, where the curtains flapped in the wind.

"I can only suppose our murderer escaped here by flight, sir," he stated calmly, his eyes flicking around darkly. "We must take in consideration of an attack of any winged creature of sorts. I inquired thy Queen's guards, and thy one at duty said he'd saw a shadow fly past overhead earlier, which confirms me' hypothesis."

"Which dragon co'ld have something against Thy Queen? She t'was fair with all alike," Said Elder Griffin, passing colleagues, friends and family who could have possibly have had something against Her.

"Which creature, you mean? Thy Griffins, Pegasi, and other flying beings could have done it, Thy Elder." Hissed Snake, his eyes slits in defiance. The Elder tensed, taking a step forward.

"How can thou say that? We are in peaceful alliance with all thee beings alike!" He thundered, opening his wings and closing them in anger at the young dragon's tone towards him, his eyes blazing.

Snake blinked at him as if he hadn't cared a moment at the thought of the alliances.

"What makes thou so sure?" Rumbled Elder Griffin finally, after a tense silence. Snake looked ready to pounce into a fight, but restrained himself, knowing it would be unwise here, and now.

"Feathers littered the ground. They were taken to be inspected by thy Hex," said Snake, looking back at the room, clean and normal-looking apart from the glittering outline of what used to be Her on the floor. "Although, I think this is a declaration of war!"