A Drop of Magic (A Wings of Fire Fanfiction)

Chapter Nine

There were dragons everywhere.

Tucked into shadowed nichs, coiled around tree branches, huddled around campfires. Dragons of every tribe, some more than others, like someone had taken the continents and squished them into a single, overgrown island.

The SkyWing and NightWing stopped at a campfire and dropped off their gatherings. When they didn't move on, and instead stayed to eat, Droplet slipped away from them, deciding to explore on her own.

I should get out of here.

You should stay.

Droplet found nests of moss and ferns, mats of seaweed and slabs of stone. Numerous campfires with dragons huddled around them, talking in low voices, taking bets, cooking and eating. The island was so big, way larger than she'd realized upon first glance. And the tangled vines and twisted trees made it all too easy to get lost.

Droplet's stomach rumbled, so she crept up on a campfire, the heat crackling uncomfortably against her scales. The dragons were laughing and growling, talking about practicing their battle moves.

Droplet knew how to fight. Tsunami had insisted on teaching her dragonets, though Emerald and Rainstorm were always better at it. Droplet was quicker than them, but less willing to slash her claws across other dragons scales, less willing to leap on someone and bite them or choke them. Riptide told her it was ok, that peace was always the better way to go.

With the tribes at peace, Droplet had found no reason to continue practicing her battle moves, other than in tackle-wars with her siblings. But these dragons obviously had it differently. Although some of them looked too young to have been in the war of SandWing succession, all of them had scars marking their scales.

Droplet listened to them argue about the best ways to fight a SkyWing while she crept over and took a large, smoking fish from a pile. No one noticed it missing, and she hurried off to eat it in the shadows beneath a fallen tree. The scorched taste was weird in her mouth, but she was hungry, and it was gone in seconds.

Some time around midday, there was a shift in the dragons around her. Droplet hid in a hollow under a thorn bush as dragons pushed through the woods, flew past overhead, and leapt through the trees. They seemed to be heading for the center of the island.

Once the coast was clear, Droplet followed. She wasn't nearly as quiet as usual, walking through the forest without being able to see her talons. But there was enough noise around her that no one noticed an extra rustle of the bushes, or a couple of snaps as twigs crunched under her talons.

Following the crowd, she reached a clearing in the center of the island. A large section of space had been cleared of all greenery, and smooth stones were set into the ground to create a courtyard. A large rock formation stood in the center, carved with patterns like a forest, with dragons peeking out from behind trees and leaves. Utop it sat a SandWing with black diamond patterns along her scales, a crown of amber and gold sitting atop her head.

Around the pillar of stone were nine smaller pillars, each equal in size to each other but half the size of the pillar in the center. Upon some sat a dragon; some remained empty.

The space was packed full of dragons, with more perched in the surrounding trees. Droplet found a tree that only held a LeafWing and climbed as quietly as she could, choosing a branch above the green dragon to watch.

Utop the pillar, the SandWing spread her wings, and the dragons around her fell silent.

"Talons of Power." She boomed, twisting in a slow circle to see everyone around her. "Welcome to the gathering."

Roars from the dragons in the clearing. The LeafWing below Droplet let out a respective growl, lashing her tail.

The Talons of Power. Droplet shivered. She had a blurry memory of something like that, a story Turtle had told once. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good.

"Firstly, let us welcome our newest member." The SandWing said, turning towards a clear space in the crowd. Dragons wearing armor and yielding spears stood in a bristling circle, leaving an empty space where a single IceWing was crouched. "Walrus of the IceWings. Tell us, why do you wish to join the talons?"

"I... I am displeased with Queen Snowfall." Walrus stammered. His scales were the colour of sea foam and he seemed to be trying not to fidget. "She has taken down the great ice cliff, the magic that protected our tribe, and when my dragonet was killed by a SkyWing because of her actions, she did nothing about it. I wish to fight back."

The SandWing nodded. "Bow and pledge your loyalty to the Talons, and you will be accepted as one of us."

Walrus swept into a majestic bow. "I pledge myself to the Talons of Power. May I be of use in any ways possible, and may I fly with you until my dying breath."

Droplet's eyes widened. This SandWing, whoever she was, was recruiting dragons from other tribes. Dragons who were upset with their queens, from the sound of it.

"Good." the SandWing said, sweeping her tail. The IceWing stood and shoved his way into the crowd, seeming grateful to be out of the spotlight. "And now, our newest prisoner."

Two of the armored dragons moved to the base of the carved stone and dipped bows to the SandWing. One of them took out a key and unlocked a large metal trap door that Droplet hadn't noticed before. Both disappeared into the dark hole beyond. They emerged a few moments later, dragging a RainWing dragonet between them. With a shove, they sent the poor dragon tumbling into the ring of empty space, where she crouched, trembling, before the SandWing.

"Now, you all know how this works." The SandWing said smoothly. "This dragonet must either pledge her loyalty, or remain a prisoner. Well? RainWing?"

The dragonet shook her head. She looked to be around five. A metal band bound her snout shut, probably as a defense against her venom, and clasps on her wings prevented her from flying. 

"Disappointing, but not unexpected." The SandWing said, sighing. "Send in the scavenger."

One of the guards stepped forwards, upending a sac. A human tumbled out, jumping to his feet almost immediately and making high pitched squeaking sounds.

"If the scavenger draws blood first, it wins and both get to live with nothing more than imprisonment. If this dragonet kills it, she receives one win. Fight!" 

One of the dragons tossed a tiny dagger at the human, which it lifted like a sword, and charged at the RainWing. The dragonet gave a muffled yell and jumped out of the way. The human lunged at her again, this time dragging the dagger down her forearm. The cut was shallow, but the SandWing spread her wings. Two guards leapt forwards. One pried the dagger off the human and shoved it back in its sack while the other grabbed the RainWing dragonet.

Some dragons in the crowd cheered. Others booed. The LeafWing in Droplet's tree made a disappointed snort and started talking with a NightWing in the next tree over.

"Pitiful." The SandWing said, shaking her head. "Alas, you will learn. Take them away."
The dragonet and human were escorted back into the underground prison. While the watching dragons passed out treasure to the winning bets, Droplet slowly and silently crept out of the tree. The LeafWing was too busy talking with a NightWing in the other tree to notice, and Droplet was able to sneak away.

The moment she was out of earshot of the clearing, she ran, crashing through the forest before collapsing in the shelter of a fallen tree. She wrapped her wings around herself, trying to stifle her sobs.

Why am I here? I don't want to be here. It's horrible here.

You need to be here. These dragons can help you, and you can help them.

Droplet was momentarily distracted. That didn't sound like her thoughts. Why would she ever want to be here?

You want to be here. Her mind assured her. You have magic. Use it.