Scorpion's ears were ringing, her heartbeat pounding in her ears as her blood went cold, wings tingling numbly. "What did you say?" She asked, muttering, as she stared at the IceWing. "Say it again, who did you say hired you?"

He blinked, "Jackal," he repeated, "Jackal hired us."

Jackal hired them, one of my own sisters hired for our murders, and got Sundance killed, she didn't know if she was numb from the shock, or from anger. It wasn't a surprise that a princess would be trying to get rid of her sisters, but that usually meant....she was planning to challenge for the throne, and didn't want to have any competitors to challenge her after she'd taken the crown. Is Jackal planning to challenge Camel? Is that why she's trying to kill us? But then why would she want Ray and Thorn dead too? What about Tarantula- wait.

"You said there were two?"

"What?"

"You said there were two dragons, it wasn't just Jackal. There was someone else."

Shudder opened his mouth before it snapped shut. She watched the internal fight dance through his eyes. "Yes, they were mentioned," he ground out, "but never there. No name, no face."

Her tail lashed in frustration. Scorpion shot for the door practically ripping it open.

"Where are you going?" The IceWing demanded, "aren't you supposed to be interrogating me?"

"Interrogation's over," she shot over her shoulder, calling for Rattlesnake who was just down the hall, "but I'm not giving you to my mother yet."

"You're not?" He didn't sound convinced, raising a brow.

I still have more questions that I need answered, Scorpion's grip tightened around the door, her talons digging into the dry wood, the force making small splinters fray with audible CRACKS. I just- I just need to think about this, just need a moment to think.

Rattlesnake quickly trotted down the hall, "is something wrong?"

"I need you to turn him back into a SandWing again," she ordered, "we're not handing him over yet."

"We're not?"

"No, I need more time to question him."

"Well, you can now-" Rattlesnake paused, staring at her. "Scorpion?"

"I found out who did it," Scorpion says, rubbing at her face with her free palm, dragging it down her snout, "I just....I just need a minute."

With a nod, the grey SandWing slipped past her, but not without giving her a final concerned look that made Scorpion's heart pang.

Jackal hired them, she sucked in a breath, she promised to pay them once we were dead, and me and my brothers were first. Were they going to eventually work their way up to camel and Ringtail? Shudder said they were being paid for the entire royal family as far as he was concerned, did that mean Jackal didn't think she could take Camel in a royal challenge? Camel was a large SandWing, the royal family generally had been for years since Lioness and Beetle, but sometimes a few didn't manage to get that size, Jackal included. The only ones in her family who seemed to have the height passed down to them were Vulture and Scorpion.

But why? Why would Jackal do this?

She shouldn't be surprised, should she? They were princesses after all, and there were seven- no, six of them now. Six princesses all of age to challenge their mother for the throne. They technically could've challenged her from the moment they turned six, but they were still dragonets at that age and would be until they turned ten.

Except for Beetle, Scorpion scowled, she challenged Lioness on her sixth hatching day.

But Jackal wasn't that young, the older princess was 21 years old. She was a reasonable age to challenge Camel herself. But...that would just leave her to deal with all of their sisters, who could challenge her after thirty days.

When Rattlesnake returned, all she could feel was anger, confusion, and sharp betrayal mixed with grief. The animus sat beside her silently, her tail coiled over her talons.

"It was Jackal."

"Jackal?" Rattlesnake blinked.

"She hired them. Hired them to kill me and my brothers on our hatching day, they just happened to get Sundance and Tarantula first, but they were next."

She went quiet, the air going still.

What am I supposed to do? What can I even do?

"I'll keep Meerkat here," now it was Scorpion's turn to blink, albeit dazed and lost, faraway, "wait for you to come back, whenever you're ready."

"Thank you, Rattlesnake." She sounded tired- strained- but sincere. "I just need a while to clear my head."

"You feel betrayed," she soothed, "it's normal to feel this way. Like everythings crashing down around you." But I shouldn't, I should've expected this! I could've expected this! Being royalty isn't all about being one big happy family! But wasn't her's supposed to be? "The saddest part about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies, it comes from those you trust the most. It will hurt, and it might for a long time, but-" she turned to Scorpion- "the pain you feel today, is the strength you're going to feel tomorrow."

Scorpion breath hitched, eyes glossing over as she fought back tears, emotions becoming muddled and confusing, but the sharp ache in her chest remained.

"Now go, I'll be waiting right here."

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

The lockdown over the stronghold had been lifted, but the air was still tense with unease. Camel had returned, her angered bellowing practically shaking the palace at her arrival. The first thing she did was forbid any of them from stepping foot outside of palace grounds until all of this was settled, but the whole time Scorpion had hardly been listening to her parents, just staring at Jackal. Her sister had done a double take, giving her a puzzled look. It was then that Scorpion realized she'd been scowling. Forcing her face to smoothen out, looking away.

"Are you okay?" Thorn asked.

"I'm fine."

He frowned, unconvinced, but didn't press further.

Scorpion had been in a daze the rest of the day, heart pinching uneasily in knots and her steps tense and on edge. She paced the halls, letting out the sudden rush of energy that made her legs wobble and her wings tingle as if asleep. All she could think about was Jackal, her mind running in an endless cycle, hopelessly trying to think of what to do.

I can't go to Mom or Dad, her wings flapped with a twitch, folding tensely to her sides, they won't believe me. They'll be heartbroken, and Camel will refuse to admit it was one of her own daughters. She doesn't like to be wrong, neither do I. She needed to do something, she needed to say something, but she didn't know what. Thorn and Ray were second to come to mind, but....she thought back on how they've looked the last few days: Restless, tired, jumpy, dazed. It would just make things worse for them.

Scorpion gritted her teeth, coming up on a turn. What could I-

"Scorpion!"

She stiffened, ears pricked. Whipping around, head twisting over her shoulder. Jackal!

Her dusty brown scale lining her back overtop of the golden yellows of her sides popped against the warm sandstone of the palace, yet blended with the shade. Bright splashes of purple were draped over the other princess' shoulders like a sash, a silky scarf, clipped with a golden brooch. Horn cuffs with matching purple cloth hanging from the thick gold bands.

"There you are!" The older princess called, "I've been looking everywhere for you-" Jackal took a step forwards-

Scorpion ran.

Taking off around the corner, she ran, racing down the hall, passing doorways and branching off hallways. Scorpion shouldn't be running, she should be confronting Jackal, not hiding like a coward! But what was she supposed to do? It wasn't until her legs started to burn that she began to slow down to a brisk walk. Her lungs stung with each chilled breath. Why did she run? Why did Scorpion run? She shouldn't have ran, she should've stayed and-! And do what? What could she have done, confront Jackal then and there?

I'm not thinking clearly, I should just....I should just avoid her, just until I know what to do.

There were times where Scorpion could go a full day outside of meals without seeing her siblings. She saw Ray and Thorn the most, the three generally spending most, if not, the whole day together if they weren't pulled away by advisors for role-dedicated teachings. When she did see Jackal, she'd generally be with Sandstorm or their sisters, the two talking quietly to one another over dinner while Fennec and Sundance loudly chatted over their food, shooting glares towards their hatchmates when they got too loud.

Scorpion remembered watching it all unfold almost every morning, chewing on her spiced foods, looking back and forth between the sisters across from her, waiting for Jackal or Sandstorm to glare, or roughly nudge Fennec or Sundance's shoulders, telling them to be quiet. The best had been Sandstorm nearly whacking Sundance on the back of her head with the blunt side of her barbed tail, falling short of her hit from her sister whipping around to swat it away the same way she's swat Ray from trying to steal her breakfast, even though he'd complain about how hot it was on his tongue afterwards.

She smiled at the memory, but it fell just as quickly.

Things won't be like that ever again, things won't be the same anymore.

Sundance was dead, and Jackal had caused it. Sundance would never eat at the table again, buried alongside Tarantula somewhere deep within the stronghold's grounds. And it was all because of Jackal. Ears pinned back, she shook those thoughts away. I should get back to Rattlesnake, I've been gone long enough.

Dread swept over her as she turned the next corner. The memorial hall.

The sight of all of the immortalized faces of her ancestors that lined the walls, wrapped in thick golden frames with detailed carverature or even studs of jewels, made her stomach squirm. What if she went back, retraced her steps? No, Jackal would be sure to catch up with her faster that way if she were looking for her. Wing brushing against the warming sandstone corner, its gritty texture scraping against her skin with welcomed and familiar jabs, her heels pressing down stubbornly.

It would be faster this way, all she had to do was get past the paintings first.

Her first step felt like stepping through quicksand that tried to pull her down, but she quickly got back into her steady, yet brisk, rhythm. She passed paintings, the immortalized faces of her ancestors staring over her like bridges she had to duck under. Their scales darkened, until she came to the familiar portrait of Lioness, her great-grandmother. Scorpion couldn't help but look up to meet her gaze. Lioness was stoic, even in her portrait, staring down behind Scorpion off towards the horizon.

Pressing on, Scorpion passed the portraits of Alpaca and Hare, Cobra, Beetle, her aunts, uncle, her parents, then sisters. Keeping her gaze on her talons, a sharp pang stabbed her chest as she caught a glint from Sundance and Tarantula's plaques, burning along her spine from the faceless portrait to her right.

Once at the open, spiraling stairwell that led up to the second floor, Scorpion felt relief. Picking up her pace, she slipped through the small archway, reaching for the first stair-

"Come back here, my little ruby! You can't escape the evil queen!"

She stiffened, a sharp chill washing over her scales as she whipped around, heart pounding-! The hall was empty, just Scorpion and the paintings inside of its walls.

Thump thump, thump thump, thump, thump!

I'm hearing things, she huffed, quickly scaling the stairs, her pace picking up with each beat.

"You won't ever catch me!"

"Rawr! I think I'm going to have princess or breakfast!"

"Queens don't eat dragonets!"

"This one does!"

She screwed her eyes shut, stepping into the upper floor, quickly leaving the playing voices behind in the stairwell, their shrieks of laughter fading.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

"Write it out, again."

"For a third time?" Shudder looked up with a scowl, glaring at her, one of his talons dipped in shimmering black ink that sparkled like tiny stars.

"Yes," Scorpion says, "I need you to write it out again. Just do it again."

With Rattlesnake by her side, the two watched Shudder roll his eyes before spelling it out again for the third time on the scroll stretched across the table, already covered in writing and drawn maps of meetings and what was said between them. Scorpion questioned him about everything, everything he knew, everything they were doing, what was said, who said what. She did learn that whoever the second party involved was, was seemingly female, based on how Jackal talked about her to Shudder and blur, but never a name.

He scowled as he worked, scribing 'PRINCESS JACKAL HIRED BLUR AND I TO KILL THE SANDWING ROYAL FAMILY' under his last two sentences, repeating it again beside a drawn map of the Sand Kingdom in its entirety. Each oasis and river, each den and settlement, and each rotating travel paths where nomads commonly roamed. Each one was labeled with thin lines or dots: Booted Eagle Cliffs, The Tail's Steppe, Jackal's Ridge, The Scorpion Den, Gila Canyons, Roadrunner's Way, and more.

"We got the letter during a visit to the mountains," Shudder explained, "in tribless territory. Blur was recovering from our last job, since we got ripped off and backstabbed, literally in his case," he said dryly.

"And how long ago was this?"

The IceWing thought for a moment, tapping the scroll with his ink-coated talon, small splatters of ink dropping onto the tanned page. "Two and a half months ago, now anyway. We got it in the end of the winter season in the mountain range, we waited a week before agreeing and going to a local messengery."

Scorpion raised a brow. "A local messengery?"

"SkyWings have them, mostly either experienced messengers or older dragonets looking to make a few scales, hardly an inbetween. Took them a while before they came back, but once we were told where to meet, we started making our way to this-" his inky talon circled 'DRAGONBITE VIPER OASIS'- "oasis."

It was one of the closer ones outside of the heart of the kingdom, a common travel point for dragons leaving the city, generally making it there by nightfall if they left early enough.

"You said the dragon working for Jackal never showed up for any of these meetings? Just you two and Jackal?"

"Just us." His gaze flickered up at her, before back down his talons, "but Blur suspected this other dragon was the one writing the letters, Jackal's scripture is different from the letters we got, but it wasn't confirmed until she was mentioned by Jackal herself."

"Do you still have these letters?"

"We shredded most of them, scattered them into the waterfall nearby before coming here. I know Blur kept the rest once we were in the desert."

"Blur had a letter from Jackal's partner?" She asked.

"He did, last I checked. He kept them on his dagger's strap, in a small pouch beside his sheath."

Scorpion blinked, staring. "You're kidding."

He raised a brow.

"You've got to be joking."

"Well, then maybe your little animus doesn't work," he shrugged, smug, "if I'm joking."

"If Blur had it last," she sharply inhaled, "then it'd still be on him, somewhere in the palace." She slammed one of her talons onto the table, a growl of frustration rumbling in her throat.

Exactly what I needed, another problem! Where would his body even be kept? Camel wouldn't bury him, and she wouldn't leave him out in the open either. Of all the dragons to have this letter, it had to be the one they left out in the desert for her mother to find.

Rattlesnake turned to her, "do you know where he'd be?"

She rubbed the space between her eyes, dragging her palm down her face, "No," her voice muffled against her palm, "I don't."

"It's not the end of the world," Rattlesnake reassured, yet it fell on deaf ears. Scorpion's mind racing tirelessly, her tail slapping the floor in annoyance, her bard smacking the floor with a THUNK.

If Scorpion could find where he was, she could get those letters and read them for herself. That was IF she could find him. There was a morgue in the depths of the stronghold, but that was to prepare royals after their passing for their burials, and to prepare them to be transported wherever they were to be buried. But Camel wouldn't put him down there, she'd put him somewhere unbearable, where no dragon would want to be, even in death.

Shudder and Rattlesnake watched as her thoughts spiraled, Shudder raising a bro before seemingly growing bored, turning to scan the room around him with a frown.

"Any ideas?"

"Nothing aside from finding out where he is."

Shudder snorted, before yelping with a hiss as Scorpion pulled her leg back from her kick under the table.

"I'll figure something out," she pushed herself up from the table, "put him away."

"Still not handing me over yet?"

"No, I'll see what more I can get out of you myself first."

She felt like she was just stalling, but she couldn't hand him over yet. Not now.

Just like before, Shudder's scales shifted back to that familiar pale gold adorned in dusty freckles. He stumbled from where he stood up, emerald green eyes blinking sluggishly as his wing-thumbs rubbed his temples, muttering quickly to himself innocently. Her chest flustered before her stomach squeezed hollowly, reminding her.

"Have you had anything to eat today, Rattlesnake?" She asked, catching the animus off guard.

"Hm? Oh, um- not since last night, no. But if you still want me to watch him, I can wait."

"No," she shook her head, "why don't you both get something while I-" her gaze glanced at Meerkat- "...figure things out."

Rattlesnake followed her eyes, staring at Meerkat for a moment, before the animus' ears perked up. "Meerkat," she called, drawing the enchanted dragon's attention, "why don't you go wait outside for a minute. Scorpion has some questions for me."

That wasn't what I-

"Of course!" He practically leapt to his feet, dipping his head before swiftly heading for the door.

It was..eerie. I really should ask Rattlesnake what she put in his earring, she mused, a chill running up her spine. Should I be getting used to the fact that a simple earring can turn someone into a completely different dragon? One who can't even remember who they are?

Once Meerkat's tail slipped out the door, the wood shutting behind him, the air went still. Rattlesnake turned to her. "Are you doing alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine," Scorpion hardly even registered her own words, they just slipped from her, an automatic response as of late.

Rattlesnake frowned, Scorpion mirrored, focusing on the door.

"Is it about Jackal?"

The name sent a jolt along her sail, her mind shooting off into a spiral, just like it has all day, never once taking a break, just going and going and going. It felt like hundreds of voices trying to fight for their attention, arguing with one another, shouting over each other. She screwed her eyes shut, sucking in a breath that pushed against the sharp pains in her chest that constricted around her ribs like sharp branches.

Opening her eyes, she found Rattlesnake calmly watching her, concern pooling in her dusty grey, sharp eyes.

"I'm just trying to figure out what to do," she admitted.

Rattlesnake was quiet, listening as Scorpion continued.

"I need to find where in this moon forsaken palace that IceWing's body is being kept without getting under my mothers talons. Then I need to find out what to even do about Jackal, and whoever she's working with-" Scorpion sighed heavily- "and there's still so many things I need to ask you."

The animus hummed. "It doesn't all have to be up to you, you know."

She scoffed, "sure it is-"

"I can help," Rattlesnake cut her off.

Scorpion felt a mixed surge of offense and surprise pulse inside her at being interrupted, but just was quickly washed away as Rattlesnake continued.

"You're allowed to ask for help, no one will think differently of you- well- I won't. And besides," Rattlesnake smiled softly, holding up her palm, "I can help in more ways than one."

Was she offering her magic? Something about it settled guilty in her gut, uneased at the thought.

"I don't want you to use your magic," she said, "what if you don't know it really does eat away at you?"

Rattlesnake's smile dropped to a frown,"I know enough that it doesn't, I've learned."
"How?"

"There were animi before me, ones who wrote about their magic and what they could and couldn't do. Dragons who studied it, documenting their findings. I managed to get a hold of some of the scrolls that weren't locked away." Locked away? Did Beetle lock scrolls away about animus magic? But there were probably hardly any to begin with. "To help explain things," Rattlesnake went on, "I can show them to you, once everything else is dealt with."

Rattlesnake stood, moving to one of the few shelves in the room, her wings holding her up as she reached with her lone talon, pulling back a folded, tanned page almost the colour of dust. Placing it on the table and spreading it out. It was a map of the stronghold.

"This won't be big," Rattlesnake promised, reaching over for the ink pot left abandoned in the center of the table, "a small spell, one that won't be draining." Scorpion's protests died on her tongue as she watched, eyes glued to the glass pot filled with shimmering black ink that swirled like a sky of stars. "Enchant this ink to show us on this map where the body of Blur the IceWing is being kept."

The pot glowed, ink shimmering as it swirled in the glass bottle. Shooting up in a thin rope like a rearing snake It almost looked alive as it twisted in the air, stretching down to the page and traveling down drawl halls and stairways. The ink kept moving, going deeper and deeper into the palace until it was underneath the ground, in the lowest levels by the dungeons. Scorpion expected it to stop there, but it kept going. The shimmering ink continued to move along the paper that soaked in its pigment, until it went off of the mapped parts of the castle-

To an empty space.

Raising a brow, she looked up from the map. "I don't think it worked."

The ink lead past the dungeons, down a side corridor that leads down deeper into the palace until sharply turning, going through one of the drawn walls, going into a blank space in the heart of the stronghold, something that would be just solid sandstone.

Rattlesnake frowned, putting the inkpot away before blowing on the map, helping to dry the new marks on the old, tanned paper. "It should work."
"Does that mean there've been times where it hasn't worked?"

She paused, staring at the map with a frown. Her pointed ears pinning back. "Yeah," Rattlesnake says quietly, "a few times. If a spell isn't worded properly, the magic doesn't know what to do." Putting the inkpot down, she tapped the table a few times in thought, before reaching out to touch the drying ink, lifting her talon, the tip of her claw glistening. "I wish to enchant this ink to circle where the body of the IceWing Blur is hidden on this map."

When she tapped her claw back down onto the page, the ink seemed to shoot off her talon, rushing along the trail already on the map, going to the same spot and making itself into a thin circle.

"But there's nothing there," Scorpion protested, picking up the thick paper, "that would just be a space of nothing but bricks!"

"Would it hurt to go take a look?"

Scorpion pulled the map away, glancing at Rattlesnake, her gaze flickering back and forth before letting out a sigh. "No, I guess not." Scorpion blowing over the ink one last time to make sure it fully dried before folding it and tucking it under her wing.

"While you go check, Meerkat and I will go get something to eat."

"Good," she led the way to the door, grabbing the handle, "I'll meet you both back here."

Scorpion stepped out into the hall, Rattlesnake following a few paces behind. The two shared one last glance before splitting off their separate ways. As Scorpion started to make her way towards the main hall, connecting the front of the stronghold to the throne room, the bright red carpet stretched across the floor in view, she pulled the map out from under her wing.

This better work, she frowned, her maroon eyes trailing the inks pathway.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

The palace was starting to dim, being lit with torches as the sun began to set, shifting into a deep purple as the shrinking moons grew brighter as the gloaming sky darkened into vibrant pinks, oranges and blues, stretching from horizon to horizon, stars now in full show as they danced across the sky, some mere streaks of light that disappeared with a single blink.

The main hall was bustling with guards, the corridor and stairway leading down to the dungeons packed full with soldiers. Scorpion pressed her wings in tighter, feeling a corner of the map poke her side with a sharp prick. Briskly making her way through the halls, restlessness itched under her scales, yet tiredness seemed to pull in the back of her mind. She hadn't slept a wink that night, and she doubted anyone else had either. Even if anyone had managed to fall asleep, they would've been quickly woken and rushed to the throne room to be holed up until Camel called off the lockdown, and no one slept then either. She did see Quicksand's head dipping on Dusk's shoulder, but the older princess would jolt awake the second her chin brushed her partner's shoulder, Dusk whispering gentle comforts to her, his wing wrapped over her shoulder with her three scavengers tucked away between them in their veiled cage.

Scorpion shook her head, chasing the memory away. Come on, she scolded herself, focus.

Resuming her steady pace, Scorpion passed soldiers on their patrol routes, spears held tightly in talon, checking every nook and cranny they passed, not batting Scorpion an eye as they passed, too focused on their jobs. The guards that sat by large windows were like statues, glaring out into the horizon, ears pricked.

Turning down the next hall, she stepped into the airy corridor that wrapped around the courtyard that laid eerily still, the air hanging heavily. Scorpion's eyes found their way to the oasis near the back by the gazebo. The palms' heads hung low, ferns drooping somberly, the sand coated in a wing of shadows stretching across the ground a few paces away from where she stood.

Her ears starting to ring with the echoes of her hatching day, mind fuzzily racing through flashes of memory. Sapphire in the oasis, hidden below its glittering surface, Scorpion watching her own reflection, the shuffle of sand, a body of white lunging for her, being pinned to the ground, swinging her arm in a heavy strike, protecting Sapphire, taking both IceWings head on while the SeaWing ran for help.

They're gone now, her jaw clenched, reaching under her wing with a claw to pull out the map, those IceWings are gone now, and Sapphire's safe.

Stepping into the shadows stretching across the sands, the feeling of it beneath her palms sending prickling shockwaves through her forearms until she unfurled her wings, leaping into the air, pushing herself up above the courtyards walls. Above the towering sandstone, Scorpion flew close to the roof, eyes scanning the windows for any signs of life.

Just keep out of sight, once I'm in the arena, I can slip into the dungeons.

Her grip tightened around the map, the paper crunching in protest. The towering pillars holding up the stretched out tarps wrapping around the top of the arena like a ledge grew closer, its filtered shade casting over her like a cold wave. In the distance, Scorpion could see the forms of soldiers in the air, flying in large wings, watching the streets from above. Guilt wormed its way back inside of her gut as her wings tucked, diving down past the bleachers and towards the sand that rushed up to meet her.

They're still looking for him, she pictured Shudder, the IceWing trapped inside a SandWings body. I'm just keeping him for now, I'll hand him over once I'm done with him. But wasn't she already done with him? Didn't she get everything she could out of him already? Kicking out her hind legs, her wings shooting open, she skidded across the sand, digging her heels back, wings flapping to slow her skid as dust kicked up into the air.

Clearing the air with a few more flaps of her wings before tucking them away, her map pressed into her side. Underneath the royal balcony were a large set of wooden doors with long, silver handles that jutted out, meant to be pulled to open the door. They were rusted, polished, but rusted from not being used. Scorpion stepped closer, reaching out to brush her talons across its surface. Would they even open? They shouldn't be locked, Camel kept them around in case of emergencies and dragons needed to quickly get inside the palace.

Wrapping her clas around one of the thick and sturdy handles, pulling with her shoulder as the bottom of the door dug into the sand stubbornly.

"Oh come on," she ground out, giving another sharp tug that made the door creak with a deep groan.

Huffing, she let go of the handle, digging her claws into the sand and started to dig, clearing the doorway. The sand was light between her talons, easy to scrape away, not having been packed down for stomping talons or slammed bodies. With a final scrape, using her arms to pull the sand away, she pulled on the door once more. There was another groan, a few creaks, before a click that sounded like music to her ears. Pulling it open as far as she dared, she squeezed her way inside, hesitating for a moment as she looked back at the door, the last remains of sunlight trying to peek into the dark cavern.

Should I close the door? She frowned, looking back at the door, then down into the depths of the dungeon, then back again. Someone could spot it being open and sound the alarm. With the hook of her barb, she pulled the door shut behind her, sealing her in darkness that made her heart pound. At least the tiny bit of light had allowed her to see the sturdy brick walls around her, but now she could only feel them with the edges of her wings, making them feel closer.

Her heart pattered heavily, each beat pressing against her ribs uneasily. The sand underneath her talons was cold, never being directly under the sun's warmth since the stronghold's construction thousands of years ago. It shifted noisily under her claws, sloping downwards as she walked, the air growing colder, wings brushing the walls, tail coiled tightly along her back. Eventually the walls started to move, opening up just the tiniest bit before she was no longer brushing against gritty and rough sandstone bricks, but instead cold, iron bars with open air between them.

The map said his body should be somewhere down here, she stopped, reaching for the folded page. Holding it in front of her snout, she opened her jaws, letting the smallest bit of flames tickle the back of her throat, making the map glow a warm and dim orange, illuminating the ink.

I'd be in the back of the dungeons, the IceWings would be closer to the center.

She should be able to avoid them, but this palace was like a maze, muffled by impenetrable darkness that seemed to swallow even the faintest blurry shape whole. The longer she walked, the more her ears desperately tried to fill the silence, amplifying her drumming heart or creating a sharp buzz. The dungeons seemed to stretch on endlessly, Scorpion uneasily creeping through the dark pathway between empty cells. Her unease rose the farther she walked, her nerves spiking like tiny shots of lightning flashing through her veins, making her tail twitch nervously.

Dose this section of the dungeon usually stretch out this far? She started to slow, a scowl pulling on her face.

Wings pressing against the bars, she felt either side of her give out, stretching into open space and still air. She stumbled slightly, her wings shooting out further before she tucked them back in. This must've been the cross hall that split the dungeons up in sections. To her left was darkness like ahead of her, but to her right there was the faintest traces of light. There!

Quickening her pace, but keeping her steps as light as she could, she followed the dim glow. She started being able to make out the shapes of each bar lining the cells, each cell separated with thick, sandstone brick walls half the width of a dragon. There were a few crates stacked up by the next corner, the hall across from her stretching off back into darkness. Holding up her map once more, eyes trailing the line of ink, she started to map out where exactly she was.

I went straight from the doors until the crossway, her marron eyes followed the drawn hallway, then turned right and passed- she counted- two torchless halls, so that means I'm here. Scorpion was near the center of the dungeons, just outside of it actually. The torches were shurely hung outside the cells holding prisoners, meaning the IceWings were close by. If the chill wasn't a big enough clue.

Peering around the corner, Scorpion blinked, confused. There weren't any guards, no armed SandWings posted outside of the prisoners cells, just torches that crackled and popped, filling the suffocatingly quiet air. There were occasional whispers and sharp hisses, but even Scorpion's pricked ears couldn't make out the words.

Retracing her steps, Scorpion slipped down into the previous hall. Wings pressing against either side of her, feeling the walls. The stuffy corridors grew darker the farther she went, until she reached a hallway of solid brick, no cells lining either side with screeching iron doors. Reaching up with a talon, her knuckles rasped the gritty stone.

Solid.

She scowled, feeling along its rough surface. Sharp pieces dug into the softer parts of her palm, but it only encouraged her to press further, feeling along every nook and groove, the sealed spaces between each brick.

It's all sealed. There's no way there can be anything on the other side-

She felt her talons hook on something, tugging on her fingers. The pulled again, wriggling her claws, wedging them in deeper. It felt like some kind of space that went deeper than her claws could reach, but she couldn't wedge the fingers on her talcons in after them. Still, she tugged, pulled, and scratched at the groove. It could've been nothing but something sparked inside of her to keep digging at the wall, even if it threatened to tear off her claws.

WHOOSH!

The air shifted around her, like a seal being broken, before a sharp smell made her snort. Pulling more, the wall slowly started to swing outwards, putting a strain on her broad shoulders as she dug in her heels, fighting back against the sand's stubbornness to move. The wall had opened- her heart pounded in her ears, muffling her heaving breaths- the wall opened.

Stepping around the large, brick door, Scorpion was met with a pitch black room that was just out of reach from the flickering glow of the torches further down the hall that at least allowed Scorpion to make out vague, fuzzy shapes. It felt like she was looking inside the maw of death itself, pitch black like a void into nothingness, and knowing there was a body somewhere tucked away inside only made the unease worse.

I've already seen him once, she placed her first talon into the dark chamber, the sand considerably colder, this won't be any different.

Taking a deep breath, dust tickling the back of her throat, she blew out a plume of fire, illuminating the small boxy room in a dim orange glow. It was compact, with a heavy square stone table in the center with enough room for only a dragon to stiffly walk around. Laying across it was the body of an IceWing, laying on his side, tail hanging limply.

A jolt shot through her, a shiver following closely behind as she nearly snapped her jaws shut in surprise, almost snuffing out the little light she had. Scorpion didn't know how close she was standing to him, his body shrouded in the suffocating darkness that shrunk back from the flames.

Come on, Scorpion, prying her eyes from his body, they creeped along the walls until she found a torch perched in a silver holder, just get this over with, and get back to Rattlesnake.

Reaching up, she pulled the piece of dry wood from its perch and blew the flames to latch onto its surface, crackling to life as she put it back, allowing it to light up the room further. With another shiver of unease creeping along her spine, nausea pooling in her gut, she stepped closer, her side pressed against the wall. Blur's body lay still, laid on his right side. There was a large wooden bowl on the floor where a trail of sluggish blue blood dripped off of the table's edge. His face was forever frozen in a plastered look of fury and shock, lifeless blue eyes wide in surprise, staring straight past her.

Bile tickled the back of her throat, but Scorpion pushed in down with a gag, looking away from his face. She saw him dead the night before, but something about him having been dead for a while now made it worse, even if there wasn't much of a smell.

Shudder said he kept the notes by his dagger sheath, her eyes scanning his side littered in scars, in a pouch.

The IceWings hindquarters were practically laced in leather straps that roped across his hips, wrapping around his thighs and down to his heels. There were several pouches, all generally small with sharp buckles, but she was looking for one by a dagger's sheath. Reaching out with her talons, she pushed back his wing, exposing more of his side, and instantly regretted it. There were more cuts and slashes, fresher ones, caused by her that were still sluggishly oozing the last remains of blood that clung to the inside of his body.

Just be quick, she hissed to herself, following his belts and buckles, trying to find the dagger sheath. Most of the soldiers or royal guards had theirs on their hips for accessibility, but most kept another or a throwing star tucked under the straps of the forearm or heel straps, so she checked there.

Bingo.

Tucked away against the inside of his ankle was a thin dagger sheath, the blade still tucked away safely inside. Hooking it the strapped pouch next to it, she worked it open, the flap opening to reveal neatly folded slips of paper. Slipping her talons inside, she pulled them out, the pages rustling against each other as she held them up.

There we go, she practically grinned, stepping back to the torch on the wall and blowing it out, shrouding herself and Blur in darkness once more. She backed the rest of the way out of the hidden room, pushing the wall closed, exactly as she found it. The papers clutched close to her chest.

You'll help me figure out who else is behind this.

She stared down at the folded up squares, imagining the answers tucked away inside them. She just needed to get back to-

"Scorpion?"

The hairs along her sail rose, heart dropping. Her eyes widened as she looked out of the corner of her eye to the dragon standing behind her.

Jackal.

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- MindlessTyper