Unshattered

Prologue

An IceWing was hiding in the depths of the heart of a storm.

Lighting struck the night sky as Hvitur carried the cargo in his bare talons, clutching it closer to his chest and panting heavily while looking over through the distance of the downpour in panic.

He was so close; if he could get over the mountains, he and the SkyWing egg would be spared, though he realised that he should have re-thunk his "stealthy" theft, or would have planned it before actually attempting to steal from the SkyWing Palace.

If he had given this assignment to Kestrel, he wouldn't have been frozen in place by a pair of black obsidian eyes.

An enormous dragon emerged from the mountain ledge had pale gold scales that radiated heat like a desert horizon. Her black eyes glowered at the sight of silver scales beyond the distant clouds.

With one flick of her venomous tail, two more dragons appeared behind her, then suddenly dove into the center of the storm.

An agonising shriek echoed across the mountains as the two dragons' talons seized the IceWing.

"Bind his mouth," ordered the waiting dragon, noticing that Hvitur was already inhaling. "Quickly!"

One of the soldiers snatched a chain from the burn coals. He threw it around the ice dragon's snout, his jaws clamped together as he let out a muffled scream.

"Too late." The SandWing hissed, her forked black tongue slithered in and out. "You won't be using your freezing death breath on us, ice dragon."

"He was carrying this, Queen Burn," reported one of the soldiers, handing her a dragon egg.

Burn examined the egg intently. "This is not an IceWing egg," she snarled ferociously. "You stole this from the SkyWing palace."

Hvitur stayed silent, staring at her while the steam of the chain hissed on his cold snout.

"You thought you got away unnoticed, didn't you?" She continued. "My SkyWing ally is not a fool. Queen Scarlet knows everything that happens in her kingdom. Her lookouts reported an IceWing thief sneaking away and I decided finding you might add some violence to my boring visit."

Burn held the large egg high so its surface reflected the light of the fire. Gold and red shimmered below the pale, smooth surface as she slowly turned it.

"Yes. This is a SkyWing egg about to hatch." She said. "Why would my sister send you to steal a SkyWing dragonet? Blaze hates any dragon younger and prettier than she is." She thought for a moment, then grinned. "Unless... the brightest night is tomorrow...."

Her tail flicked up, making it look like a scorpion's, the poisonous barb was only inches from Hvitur's fearful eyes. "You're not in Blaze's army, are you? You're one of those insipid underground peacemongers."

"The Talons of Peace?" Wondered one of the soldiers. "You mean they're real?"

Burn snorted. "A few worms crying over a little blood. Unwrap his chains. He won't be able to freeze us until his scales cool down." The large SandWing leaned closer as a soldier pulled the chain away. "Tell me, ice dragon, do you really believe in that pompous old NightWing's prophecy?"

"Haven't enough dragons died for your war?" Growled Hvitur, wincing at the torment of his jaws. "All of Pyrrhia has suffered for the last twelve years. The prophecy says—"

"I don't care. No prophecy decides what happens to me," Burn said. "I'm not letting a bunch of words or baby dragons choose when I die or what I bow to. We can have peace when my sisters are dead and I am the queen of the SandWings." Her tail barb went closer to the IceWing.

He glared straight up at her with ferocity in his eyes. "The dragonets are coming whether you like it or not, and they'll choose who the next SandWing queen should be."

"Really?" Burn took a step back and turned the egg slowly between her talons. Her forked tongue slithered through her smile. "So, IceWing. Is this egg a part of your pathetic prophecy?"

Hvitur went still.

The SandWing tapped her claws lightly on the eggshell. "Hello?" She called. "Is there a dragonet of destiny in there? Ready to come out and end this big bad war?"

"Leave it alone," Hvitur choked.

"Tell me," Burn said, "what becomes of your precious prophecy... if one of the five dragonets is never hatched at all?"

"You wouldn't," he snarled. "No one would harm a dragon egg." His blue eyes desperately fixed on the egg in her dangerous talons.

"No 'wings of sky' to help save the world," Burn said. "What a sad, sad story." She then began tossing the egg from talon to talon. "I guess that means you should be very, very careful with this terribly important little — oops!"

With an overdramatic lunge, the wet egg "accidentally" slipped from Burn's talon and through her fingers, letting it fall over the side of the cliff and into the darkness below.

"No!" Hvitur cried. He threw the two soldiers off of him and flung his whole body toward the edge. But Burn slammed her massive claws down his icy neck.

"So much for destiny," she smirked. "So much for your tragic little movement."

"You're a monster," he gasped, writhing under her talons. His voice cracked in despair. "We'll never give up. SkyWing or no, the dragonets will come and stop this war."

Burn leaned down and hissed into his ear, "Even if they do — it'll be far too late for you." Her claws dragged through his wings as he roared in agony. She struck her tail at his head and threw his body over the edge of the cliff.

She turned away and smiled. "Perfect."

Hvitur's screams were cut off and turned into echoes of the beyond as he slammed into rocks and roared again.

From there, he felt as if all was lost.

What would they do now without the SkyWing egg?

But suddenly, from the corner of his eye, was the red egg, still falling and miraculously undamaged in any way. He gasped in relief. His arms were only an inch from the egg. He quickly reached out to it and clutched it to his chest before splashing into a flowing river, which he realised was the Diamond Spray River.

It carried him and the egg towards a shore in the Diamond
Spray Delta. He sighed exhaustily and dragged his legs out of the water. There, he placed the egg gently down next to him and began to dig vigorously.

The world is too dangerous for you, little one, he thought to the egg. If Burn finds you... she'll kill you, and I can't risk that happening.

He winced at the sight of his shredded wings and the pain of the barb's venom across his face. His vision was blurry, but was able to see enough where everything was.

When he stopped digging, the pit below him seemed big enough for two fully grown adult dragons to cautiously stretch their wings out. It was also deep enough for someone to hide in, to never be seen, or to ever be found.

This is where you will hide, he picked up the egg and carefully placed it in the deep pit. He stepped in it as well, and sat down next to the soon-to-be-dragonet. The soon-to-be-dragonet! Tomorrow would be the brightest night... meaning that the egg will hatch in less than twenty-four hours, meaning Hvitur will have to take care of it for the rest of my life, if I have to. I can't let this dragonet be found by anyone. The news of the shattered SkyWing egg will spread quickly. So I'll make sure that this dragonet will not get into anyone's clutches...

He panted, wailing.

He took the egg and held it close as if it was a soft pillow that would absorb all of his despair.

Don't worry, little one. You're safe.

So this is the Prologue for my friends Fanfiction I hope you enjoyed it!

1330 words

(Published 26/08/2020)