Wings of Fire: A Lone Grain in the Sand

Chapter 12: The Resignation

  Viper took one of Cactus's talons in his smaller one, "I'm still v-very glad you aren't dead. Now c'mon, Her Majesty Princess Blister will be excited to know you're back. And maybe cut the rest of us some slack for it."

Viper led Cactus to Blister's tent, a larger more decorated one than the others in the camp. Inside was the sly SandWing princess, discussing plans with her few SandWing advisors.

"Alright, all that's left to do is band the SeaWing's together and get our spy's report from the palace. That's when we strike. Those SkyWings will be cowering at our talons in no time! But first, we'll have to distract those MudWings...They'll get in the way too much." Blister looked up from her scroll of plans she'd been reading to the small band of dragons, "Well, speak of Oasis! Cactus! We thought you were dead. Now, I need a full-detail report on your mission, pronto."

Cactus cleared her throat and told Blister everything. The amount of guards patrolling the area, Scarlet's hatching day surprise, how she didn't retrieve the war plans and her cover was blown, leaving out the tiny detail of her attacker being Grit.

Blister stood silent as Cactus finished, all color vanishing from her face. Cactus knew Blister too well, and she would either throw her out in humiliation and public shame, or kill her right then and there.

"Your cover....was....BLOWN!!!!" Blister roared, shaking the tent, "How could you have let this happen?!?!?!? You sniveling salamander!!! In my right mind I'd slit your throat right here and now!!!"

That's when Cactus made a split-second decision that would change the course of her life. She realized this war was silly and wasn't worth fighting, not even any of the three princesses were worth her obedience. If the NightWings, the most powerful dragons to exist, said the next SandWing queen would be chosen by dragonets under a mountain, that would be it, otherwise Cactus wasn't going to have any part of this nonsense.

"Y'know what, Blister?" Cactus snapped, stopping the pacing dragon in her tracks.

"Who gave you the authority to address me by my first name?!" Blister snapped back.

"You don't control me anymore!!" Cactus boomed, shocking every SandWing in the tent, "I'm going to join the Talons of Peace! This war is silly and not worth fighting whatsoever!"

"I knew you were too good to be true." Blister hissed, her venomous tail thrashing, "Get out of here, you yellow-bellied traitor!! If I see your sorry face in my camp again I will slit your throat!" The SandWing roared at Cactus, throwing her out of the tent.

Cactus picked herself out of the sand and began trudging through the now torrential downpour to the camp's exit.

"Cactus?" She heard a voice, Cobra stood out in the rain, Viper close behind, "Where are you going?"

Cactus spun around, "Why aren't you two inside? It's wet and cold out!"

"We saw you and wanted to invite you to dinner with Sanddune." Viper explained, "But...Did Her Majesty already give you another mission?"

"Yeah..." Cactus lied to the dragonets, "Our princess is preparing for quite a strike against those dastardly SkyWings. I'll be gone for a while, can you guys be strong until I come back?"

"Of course!" The two dragonets said in unison before dashing off to Sanddune's tent.

"Why hello there." Nameless said, seeing Cactus return, drooping with hurt, "Hey, c'mon now. Perk up, you little desert flower."

Cactus sniveled and turned to face him, "Don't ever call me a desert flower! Only Grit could call me his desert flower!!" she sobbed and collapsed in the sand.

"Alright then, Cactus...I'm guessing there's nothing left for us here. We should go, the Talons would be thrilled for two more members.

"Al-Alright..." Cactus choked, climbing on to the NightWing's back and wrapping her arms around his neck as Nameless lifted into the night sky.