Conquest : A Wings of Fire Fanfiction

21. Nightmares

Sandstorm shuddered, looking at the bare room around her.

She was sitting on a pile of rugs in one corner, near to the single window that was the only source of light in that grey, blank space.

Falcon was curled up beneath the window, basking in the sunlight like a cat. Ivory was hunched in the opposite corner of the room, farthest from the window, moodily picking at the remains of the bread they'd been given.

Before they'd told her anything, Viridian had led them away from the market and deeper into town. They'd finally emerged into an open space occupied by a grand manor house that was probably the biggest building in Delta.

The SeaWing had shown them into a room and it had been questions upon questions about their quest, about the Mutineers, about Azure and about their meeting with Tsunami.

Viridian had tirelessly interrogated her, and Sandstorm was forced to answer all of her queries, all the while thinking fiercely of the scrolls back in the Summer Palace and how none of them seemed to involve endless recounting of the victim's memories.

Then Viridian had simply tossed the three of them into this room, furnished only by several thin, pathetic blankets heaped in one corner. Sandstorm had shared the blankets with Falcon - Ivory had declined.

It was not as if they were treated badly - it felt like they were prisoners. A MudWing had shown up and given them bread, some meat and water, and had then left, returning only to collect their empty glasses and providing no conversation of any sort.

They had been left in the room for about two hours or so, with nothing to do except stare out the window, and that wasn't very interesting - it just showed a blank stretch of wall outside that prevented passerby from entering without permission.

A loud creaking noise filled the room and Sandstorm looked up, startled.

Her eyes adjusted to the light at first, and she could only make out the shape of a large dragon silhouetted in the doorway, and then he moved in, and Sandstorm's eyes widened.

He was a tall SkyWing, easily towering over all the dragonets, with eyes as blue as the sky and as bright as flames. A jagged scar traced its way across his snout, faint and white, clearly an old injury.

'So these are the dragonets who want our help,' he said, and Viridian's slighter figure appeared beside him, her cool green eyes expressionless, bedecked in silver jewellery. 'Yes,' she said, in response to his statement.

Sandstorm remembered Turtle's parting words about the Allies. They are unpleasant. Their little group is helpful, no doubt of it, and they're useful, but they're rude and do not like trespassers.

She hadn't believed him then. How could anyone risking their lives for innocent civilians ever be unpleasant? They should be brave, and kind, and honorable, like the heroes and heroines in her stories.

They were nothing like that.

Lightning - for that had to be him - moved forward and into the room. He looked around distastefully. 'Sorry about the imprisonment thing,' he said, still eyeing their pathetic quarters.

Sandstorm said nothing, and neither did her companions. They were still glaring at the two dragons - Ally leaders? She didn't know what to call them, so she decided to stick with Ally leaders.

'Back to business,' said Lightning brusquely, when there was no response to his statement, and Sandstorm neglected to mention that he had steered them away from said business in the first place.

'We've sent a force of dragons after Azure and her fellow Mutineers,' said Lightning, with a smug, satisfied air of someone who feels he's done a great job and will soon get a promotion.

'You actually did?' Falcon asked incredulously, voicing his companions' thoughts precisely. Lightning looked offended; Viridian, right behind him, was as blank and emotionless as always.

'Of course we did!' Lightning said, annoyed, 'how could you doubt our word?' Sandstorm remarked dryly, 'Well, you haven't exactly exceeded our expectations lately, have you?'

Viridian, to Sandstorm's surprise, snorted. 'She's right, Lightning,' said the elegant SeaWing, her unusual dark turquoise scales shimmering and silver jewellery flashing as she pushed past Lightning.

Viridian came directly to her and stretched out her talons in an unmistakable gesture, which Sandstorm was unsure about accepting, though she could get up perfectly well on her own.

If she didn't, it would be rude and would probably stamp out the small spark of respect that was showing in Viridian's eyes, and if she did then she would be considered weak-minded and easily persuaded.

However, a glint of a challenge showed in the SeaWing's eyes - however rebellious you may be, I still command all the power you need, she seemed to be saying.

Reluctantly, Sandstorm gripped the SeaWing's talons and pulled herself up. Viridian's grip was strong and steady, which was rather a shock, considering that the Ally leader was as slender as herself.

Viridian smiled. 'That's a good start,' she said. 'See, we trust each other. And now I suppose you wish for better lodgings, although it won't come for free.'

Sandstorm froze. It won't come for free. She had been stupid, so stupid, assuming that the Allies would be kind and sympathetic, and would do anything for them. Of course there was a payment. In her world, there always was.

That was why she didn't trust nice dragons.

'That doesn't matter; we don't need your rooms anyway,' hissed Ivory, scooting further back into the wall. Lightning said challengingly, 'Then where will you go?'

Instantly Sandstorm thought of Turtle and Kinkajou, in their bright blue and yellow house. 'We have friends here,' said Falcon harshly, obviously having the same thoughts as Sandstorm.

Lightning looked bored. 'And can your wonderfully generous friends launch an open attack against the Mutineers?' Sandstorm thought of Azure's cruel talons fixed on Lapis, or Gill, and shuddered inwardly.

Viridian seemed to read it in their expressions. 'No,' she said softly, her voice full of quiet triumph. 'So, deal or no deal? The payment will include the money for our services, of course.'

'You're supposed to be helpful!' Ivory shouted angrily. 'You're supposed to be kind, and warm-hearted, and brave, and noble! No one said anything about payment, or we wouldn't have come here at all!'

Viridian sighed. She left Sandstorm's side and crouched in front of Ivory, looking her directly in her eyes. 'We do it for free,' said the SeaWing quietly, 'but only for nuisance attacks, or raids on villages, because the dragons living there probably can't afford us.'

Lightning joined his colleague. 'It's an honour, serving Pyrrhia,' he added, 'but this - this is war. The Mutineers are strong, and in number. We cannot assemble enough dragons to fight them without a promise of payment.'

Viridian continued, 'Forming armies is no easy feat, and trained warriors demand money - except for the minor soldiers in the queen's army, of course. They are working for free - just the occasional meal or shelter will do.'

'So you see, dragonets, we cannot do this if you do not cooperate with us,' explained Lightning. Ivory, looking sceptical, said, 'We cannot get enough money for an army.'

Viridian smiled wolfishly. 'They can't, maybe,' she said, looking sideways at Sandstorm and Falcon, 'but you can, Princess Ivory. Your mother - yes, Queen Snowfall can definitely pay our price.'

Ivory's eyes widened. 'How do you -' she began, but Lightning cut her off. 'Do you take us for fools, Princess?' he scoffed. 'We keep tabs on the queens and the future heirs. You look exactly like Queen Snowfall. Besides, these dragonets call you Ivory.'

Ivory glowered at Sandstorm and Falcon, who shrunk under her withering gaze.

'Idiots though they may be,' she said coldly, 'just because you know I'm the princess doesn't change anything. My mother will find out and she will come here to rescue me. And my thick-headed companions, if I find it in my heart to forgive them.'

Both Ally leaders laughed. 'You're an interesting character,' said Viridian, grinning. 'No one knows you're here, Princess Ivory. Your winglet, perhaps, and Moon, but they all think you're in the Sea Kingdom; they know nothing of the Allies.'

Sandstorm goggled at the two dragons. 'How do you know so much about us?' she snapped, wondering why she had ever ended up in this mess of stalkers and murderers and fake commercial heroes.

Viridian shrugged. 'You told us most of it,' she replied, 'and besides, it was easy to guess the rest of it. We tracked down Moon and the others - just so you know, they're safe.'

'Where are they now?' Sandstorm asked quickly. 'Oh, in the Sand Kingdom, trying to reason with Queen Thorn,' said Viridian dismissively. 'What do you say?'

'No deal,' said Ivory slowly. 'You do realise that when they figure out I'm missing, they're going to investigate - and first in the Sea Kingdom. Tsunami will tell them whatever she told me, and they'll come after you.'

'Nice of you to make us feel included,' muttered Sandstorm under her breath, and Falcon shot her a quicksilver smile. The only good thing about the whole situation was that the Allies looked uncomfortable.

'She's lying,' said Viridian quickly, and Ivory snorted. 'Believe that, and it will be all the more better for us,' she said. Lightning frowned at Ivory. 'I thought you dragonets were endearing - now I realise you're just annoying.'

Ivory smiled sweetly.

Viridian, however, was smirking, a far cry from the worried expression she'd been wearing a few seconds ago.

Ivory's sweet smile turned suspiciously sour.

'What?' she said snappishly.

'Oh, just that there's another flaw in your reasoning, Princess. You see, our enemies are the Mutineers since the very beginning of it all - when Queen Galatea was murdered,' Viridian said, in a dangerously sugary voice.

'You were alive then - and have been feuding ever since?' Falcon asked, bemused. 'Moons, you need to get a hobby.' Viridian glared at him. 'No, foolish boy,' she said coldly.

'My ancestors all have been Allies, and so I must continue the tradition. They are nothing new - they have been warring with us constantly, causing attacks, murders, and burning down houses - but nothing big enough to attract attention.'

Viridian sighed wistfully. 'However, five years back, two new Mutineers joined - Azure and Viperfang. Both geniuses, at such a young age - they were probably only nine or ten, but seeking revenge for the death of their families.

'Azure first re-discovered the three keys. She was the turning point for the Mutineers - she led them into a wild chase, whipped them into a frenzy, and she was rich, too, and quite powerful.'

Lightning continued, 'Viperfang stole Azure's ideas and created a new branch of the Mutineers with Stalactite. However, being the snake she is, the new partnership didn't work out too.'

'Yeah, yeah, can we go back to how this is all related to us being stuck here?' Sandstorm butted in impatiently. Viridian gave her a cold glare too.

'We have spent centuries studying the Mutineers' patterns, and we know them better than any of you,' she said, in an awfully final voice. 'Even if you convince the queens to go to war, they know nothing of the Mutineers' tricks and plans.'

Ivory fell silent.

She was defeated.

Viridian smiled charmingly - the same smile Ivory had used herself a minute back - and swept out of the room in a blaze of shimmering dark turquoise and flashing silver.

Lightning gave the dragonets a last toothy smile. 'Deal or no deal?' he asked.

Ivory sighed.

'Deal.'

Sandstorm reached into her black pouch. Her talons brushed the chunk of gold she'd retrieved from Aureate Hollow. Trying to ignore her shrieking SandWing senses, she pulled it out.

Lightning's eyes widened greedily, and her friends' jaws dropped. Sandstorm slowly stretched out the talons holding the gold, and Lightning moved forward like a striking snake and snatched it up.

'You can have better rooms now,' he said, smiling. 'This will be sufficient for now.'

Sandstorm followed him through another set of staircases and corridors. He finally stopped in front of a polished oak door. Seizing the bronze knob, he twisted it and ushered the dragonets inside.

It was definitely more extravagant than the bare room they'd been shown to at first. This was considerably larger and more expensively furnished; there was even a chandelier.

Lined against the back wall were four beds, with a gap between them sufficient for the nightstand and window that parted each. There was a soft carpet on the floor and a low wooden table in the centre of the room.

On the table were pitchers of water and plates of food, in the centre of which was a tall candelabra. Sandstorm's stomach growled and she thought wistfully of the meagre piece of bread she'd eaten.

The sky was pitch-black now, littered with sparkling stars. Lightning left the room and Sandstorm passed the table, grabbing an apple as she did so, and collapsed on one of the beds.

She lay awake, staring at the ceiling and munching her apple, which was sweet and refreshing. Her mind raced with thoughts mostly about Maelstrom, and his quest, and how he still hadn't returned.

She lazily lifted herself up on her elbows and, taking aim, pitched the apple core out of the window, not willing to do much else and assuring herself that it would eventually turn into compost. Then she rolled over and buried her snout in her pillow.

Beside her, Falcon was snoring softly, and on her other side she heard Ivory muttering in her sleep. The princess was calling out names - for her mother, Queen Snowfall, for her father King Polaris, for Blizzard, and two other names that she did not recognize - Silverstorm and Sheer, who must be her sister and brother.

Sandstorm sighed, closing her eyes. At some point she fell asleep, but she had feverish dreams. Nightmares, actually, if you could call them that.

She was back in the cavern in Aureate Hollow. Hibiscus was crouched beside a still figure on the floor - Moon - raising her talons to strike. Sandstorm screamed, but her voice was useless. Hibiscus looked up, however, and smiled. She brought her talons down.

Sandstorm began running towards her mother. No one stopped her. She skidded to a halt beside Moon, but it was too late - her mother was gone, lifeless. She bent down, tears streaming down her snout - and Moon's form changed into Secretwish.

Sandstorm stared at her sister's small, crumpled body. Hibiscus said, amused, 'You might have saved your mother, girl, but you have dearly neglected your darling sister. Can you save her as well?' Hibiscus's hissing voice faded away and so did the cavern.

She was in another dark cave, the only source of light a sputtering candle. By the fire light she saw two shapes silhouetted - one tall and muscular, and the other slightly shorter and more slender.

They turned their faces to her and she gasped in recognition, only to let out a small shriek. It was Lightning and Viridian, but their eyes were fully white, like a blind dragon's.

Viridian let out a hollow, echoing laugh and stretched out her talons. 'Accept the deal!' she said, in a low, rasping voice, 'and maybe we will let your dear friend survive his ordeal.' 'Who?' demanded Sandstorm, 'Maelstrom?' Viridian laughed again.

Her form shifted and warped, shimmering until Sandstorm was blinded by white light that filled the cavern. Viridian's cold, rasping laughter rung in her ears.

Maelstrom stood before her, his green eyes sparkling and mischievous the way they were when he was in a good mood. The two of them were standing in a green meadow, the sky clear and blue. He stretched out his talons to her pleadingly.

'A wolf prowls hidden in a flock of sheep,' he whispered entreatingly, gazing at her with large, shining eyes. 'What is that supposed to mean?' Sandstorm asked him, but he only shook his head. 'A snake in our midst as well as amongst our enemies,' he told her.

He changed, and so did her surroundings - now they were underwater, and he was crouched opposite to her, looking terrified - he was scared of her. A gash ran across his shoulder and his snout was covered in scratches.

She shifted and groaned, her joints creaking. She felt like she'd spent a whole millennia asleep, and now she was awake, power surging through her. 'Who dares to disturb me from my slumber?' Sandstorm thundered, in a voice most unlike her own. Maelstrom retreated, his snout pale -

'Sandstorm!'

A sharp, stinging pain shot through her body, starting from her snout, and she jerked awake, only to find an IceWing snout inches from her own. Ivory instantly retreated, having clearly smacked Sandstorm awake.

'What do you think you were doing?' she said angrily, sliding off Sandstorm's bed. 'You were mumbling in your sleep like a delinquent.' So were you, thought Sandstorm mutinously.

'What was I saying?' she asked instead, stretching. ' "Who dares to disturb me from my slumber" or something like that,' Ivory replied, quoting the exact words Sandstorm had said in her dream while facing Maelstrom.

Sandstorm said, rather shakily, 'Well, I just had nightmares. You can't blame me for muttering nonsense - be thankful I didn't scream.' Ivory's expression softened. 'What did you have a nightmare about?' she asked.

'You,' replied Sandstorm snappishly, still smarting over the slap (which still hurt. Not that badly, but still). Ivory's eyes instantly went back to their usual cold, indifferent glare and she stalked off.

Sandstorm rolled over and lay on her stomach, gazing at the window. Outside it was a pleasant periwinkle blue shot with streaks of blazing yellow and orange as the sun rose.
She heard Ivory shaking awake Falcon, who was groaning in annoyance.

She thought of her dreams, absently wiping her sweaty talons on the bed. First she remembered Hibiscus, and her bloody talons, and Moon's form on the floor, which had changed into Secretwish's.

Then she thought of Viridian and Lightning, how they'd spoken of letting her 'dear friend' survive. She had instantly thought of Maelstrom, but... weren't they on the good side? Why would they hurt Maelstrom?

Then she thought of Maelstrom's words. A wolf prowls hidden in a flock of sheep. Did that mean there was a traitor in the Allies? Viridian and Lightning weren't particularly nice, but they weren't bad dragons, either.

And then he'd said A snake in our midst as well as amongst our enemies. That was slightly better news, though not so much. It confirmed her suspicion that there was an enemy amongst the Allies, and amongst the Mutineers as well.

Groaning in frustration, Sandstorm sat up, her throat parched. She slid off her bed and went over to the table. She was halfway through reaching for a glass of water when a note caught her eye. Neat, cursive script declared:

Come to the main hall after sunrise.
~ V