As she stared, the shadows suddenly grew a pale yellow glint. Her heart nearly stopped as flames were shot at the newly made Queen.

    At the last second, Emerald ducked, the flames grazing her horns and spines. All of that fear she had felt suddenly came rushing back, filling her with adrenaline. She took in a breath, her flames building up, as she stood. Her eyes blazed with fury and fear as the SandWing slipped out from the corner. He was bathed in the moonlight that filtered through the windows, his gray and yellow scales glinting. Emerald's eyes were immediately drawn to the right side of his neck, where he was missing two scales. 

    Her eyes slipped down to his flank, where she spotted the burns on his right wing. His jaws snapped open and he lunged, hissing. In that moment, she breathed her fire back at him, her heart pounding harshly. He screamed in agony as the blaze caught his chest and throat. He stumbled backwards, flapping his wings in a desperate attempt to put out the fire. Emerald shook herself out and charged the SandWing, her adrenaline now driving her choices.   

    Their bodies collided and they rolled on the floor. Emerald smacked his tail away with her own, her back talons tearing down his belly. He shrieked, scratching her face with his front talons. The Queen roared, flaring her wings, and bit the base of his throat. Howling, he scrambled backwards, dragging her with him. His tail flicked upwards, making her let go and step backwards. 

    Only for her to become paralyzed as she saw the dark red stinger. It was her Mother's blood. The scorpion-like tail came down at the new Queen, ready to add Emerald's blood to its growing collection. However, it never touched her. Fire lit up the SandWing's left wing, causing him to shriek in pain. He flapped his wing against the ground in a desperate attempt to put the fire out.

    Emerald turned to see Tornado and Ash racing towards her, their lips turned into ferocious snarls. Blinking, she twisted her head to see that the fire was now out and the SandWing was eyeing them with his cruel, black eyes. His jaws opened and he let a loud warning hiss. Growling, the dragoness stepped towards him, all of her fury beating through her body. Tornado and Ash stepped up beside her, their heads lowered like hers. Without any hesitation, the SandWing leapt over the trio and bolted for the open balcony.

    'No! I can't let him get away!' Emerald screamed in her mind as she whipped around and chased the SandWing. 

    "Emerald! Stop!" Ash bellowed after her, but the Queen didn't as she leapt onto the balcony. The SandWing was balancing on the railing, about to jump off. As soon as he leapt, Emerald was leaping after him, her talons outstretched. They wrapped around something soft and she held on to it with all of her strength. She beat her wings as hard as she could, the SandWing faltering in the sky. He thrashed, whipping his tail around, until the thing Emerald had grabbed a hold of broke. 

    She tumbled backwards, slamming onto the balcony with a groan. The SandWing was floundering towards the ground, but she was in too much of a daze to go after him. "Emerald!" Ash's shout made her roll over and look up. Her guards were rushing towards her, more guards spilling into her bedroom. The Sea-IceWing's eyes were staring at her, full of worry and fear. Once beside her, they helped up their friend as they quickly looked her over for any other injuries. 

    "Three moons, are you okay?" Tornado hissed, eyes wild with shock. Emerald only hummed in agreement, her focus on what was in her talons. She held a leather bag, which had multiple pockets and zippers. The Sand-NightWing peered over her shoulder, tilting his head. "What is it?" 

    He asked softly as he nudged Ash, who was still looking Emerald over for injuries. The Queen shook her head as she whispered breathlessly,

    "I don't know…" She grabbed the first zipper and unzipped the pouch, finding parchment paper inside. The dragoness reached inside and pulled out the first one her talons had brushed. She flattened the paper on the ground to find that there was something written on it. It was a letter of sorts. 

"Cobra,

You have been chosen as the leader for the top ring of the K.A.Q., The Kings. As the leader, you are tasked with killing the strongest, and most difficult, dragon on our list; Queen Quartz of the HybridWings. She sleeps in a small grove, off to the side of the palace. You will find that no guards protect her sleeping area. In my personal opinion, she seems to believe she is invincible. Complete this kill, and once you do, you are tasked with another.
The Queen's daughter, Princess Emerald. She sleeps in the palace and is accompanied by two guards, a Sand-NightWing & a Sea-IceWing, almost all of the time. Once you have completed both kills, you will move the group to the Rain Kingdom.

You will be informed of who will make the kill for Queen Droplet and her heirs through one of the hidden notes. Until you receive these orders, you will not do anything to compromise your mission.

Signed,
Dion."

    The dragoness stared at the letter, her face written with horror. The anxiety that had been plaguing her since her Mother's death, all came flooding back. Talons grabbed hers, making her turn. Ash's face looked like how she felt. A mix of shock, terror, and anxiety. Tornado stood up, walking back into the room, where he began to order the guards around.

    "What do we do…?" Emerald whispered softly, her heart thrumming like a bird in a cage. Ash shook his head, as if he was unsure himself. Suddenly, she reached back into the pouch and pulled out another piece of parchment paper. She laid it out flat and began to read, her breathing picking up out of fear.

"Gust,

You are the IceWing that has been accepted as an official member of the top ring for K.A.Q., The Kings. In three days, you will recieve your first orders. You will follow these orders to a T if you wish to remain the IceWing member of The Kings.

Signed,
Dion."

    Emerald blinked, sitting back on her haunches. Tornado had rejoined them on the balcony, the guards searching the room.

    "Is that another one?" He asked as he peered at the writing. The Queen nodded numbly, reaching into the bag and pulling more out. The first two were written similarly to Gust's letter, except they were written to Egret, a MudWing, and Pastel, a RainWing. 

    "They're acceptance letters.. for some kind of group," she whispered painfully, her heart hammering in her chest. Tornado shared a look with Ash, whose face had been drained of all color. Emerald flattened out the third one. This time, it was addressed to Cobra, again. With a deep breath, she began to read it.

"Cobra,

It's been a while since we last talked, C. You have been a great and loyal friend of mine, for quite some time. Which is why you are the one dragon I can trust here.
I've done it. I have gathered enough dragons who are tired of the way the Kingdoms are being run. I have created the perfect group that wishes to destroy the Kingdoms, so that we can take over.
If you help me, I will make you King of the Sand Kingdom. We can rule our Kingdoms the way they should be led.
If your answer is yes, then please write back.
Your help is important, old friend.

Signed,
Dion."

    Emerald remained frozen, her mind flying a million miles a second. What did K.A.Q. stand for? What was this The Kings group? Who even was Dion, or Gust, or Cobra? Shaking her head, she grabbed the letters and stuffed them back into the bag. "I need to see Ignite. 

    "Now," she growled at her royal guards. Without waiting for their responses, she stood up and raced into her room. In her rush to see the head guard, she collided with Crashnova. The adviser let out a soft grunt as he got bowled over. "S-sorry!" Emerald stuttered out as she helped him up.

    "Three moons, Your Highness, you sure are in a hurry," he grumbled while rubbing the top of his head. He gave her a look, suddenly realizing the look, and scratches, on her face, as Ash and Tornado stalked up beside her. "Are you okay? Were you the one screaming?" Crashnova asked, his eyebrows furrowing. Emerald nodded her head, clutching the bag in her talons. 

    "Yes, I was." She hesitated, wondering if she should say any more. "It was my Mother's killer… He tried to kill me." The adviser paused, his eyes stretching as wide as they could go.

    "Great moons, Emerald!" He practically shouted, his tail lashing. "Are you okay?" He tried checking her over for any more wounds, but the Queen shuffled away.

    "Crashnova, I promise, I'm okay. But I really need to go talk to Ignite. I will talk to you later, okay?" She waited for the male to nod before she turned and hurried away, her royal guards following her. The adviser stared after her, a sigh leaving his lips. The small group leapt off the top floor and drifted down to the bottom floor. 

    As soon as she landed, Emerald sprinted to the barracks. She threw open the doors, sending them crashing into the walls. Guards leapt from their beds, all of them startled, as the Queen rushed past them. They all watched her, confused, as she ran to the doors that hid Ignite's room. She knocked three times on one of the doors and stepped backwards, waiting with a flicking tail. Only a few moments went by when the door opened, Ignite poking his head out.

    He raised a brow once he noticed Emerald, a look of shock wiping across his face as he saw the scratches on her face. The head guard glanced at Tornado and Ash, whose expressions made him even more uneasy.

    "What happened, Your Highness?" He finally asked, stepping completely out of the room. Emerald shook her, her eyes wide, making Ignite wave them inside. Closing the door behind them, he turned to the younger dragons with narrowed eyes. "What's going on? I already got reports of screams, and you've clearly been in a fight," he growled. 

    Emerald crossed the room and placed the bag on the desk. Pulling out the letters, she handed them to Ignite, her talons shaking. She hadn't realized it before, but her entire body was shaking in absolute terror. The Night-SkyWing looked at her for a few seconds before taking the piece of paper. As he read the letters, his face went from stoic to pure shock and hurt. 

    "We know who killed my Mother," Emerald whispered as he placed the letters down. "But there is clearly something else going on here…" Silence settled between the dragons as Ignite walked behind his desk. Shaking his head slowly, he looked back up at Emerald, staring her in the eyes.

    "I know who Cobra is…" he started, making the Queen's jaw open. "He was best friends with your Mother and Father. He had returned to the Sand Kingdom after…" Ignite trailed off, his jaw clenching. "He left and only came back once. 

    "For your Father's funeral," he managed to get out, his tail flicking. "As far as I know, he hadn't even written letters to Quartz," he muttered under his breath. Ignite grabbed the letters and re-read them, growling angrily. He shook his head as he sat the letters back down. "How did you even get these?" He questioned as he looked at her. 

    Emerald swallowed, the fear of what happened keeping her quiet. Ash brushed up beside her, filling the head guard in with what happened. A stormy look crossed the older dragon's face. Anger and fear practically radiated off of him in heavy waves. "This is very bad," he growled as he lashed his tail. Silence settled over them again as the Queen tried to still her racing heart. 

    Instead, she broke out into sobs, her fear and pain and worry all crashing down on her. Ash and Tornado shared shocked looks before rushing to her side. They held the sobbing dragoness, letting her clutch their talons as she lowered herself to the ground. Ignite walked out from behind the desk and sat beside them. He gently ran his talons up and down her back in an attempt to soothe her.

    "It'll be okay, Emerald," Ash whispered to her. "It'll be okay. We can deal with it…" He gently rubbed circles on her shoulder, continuing to whisper to her.

    Half an hour went by when the young Queen finally settled down. She held onto Ash's talons tightly, her eyes staring at the wall.

    'I have to do something,' she suddenly thought. 'They'll kill Queen Droplet next if they aren't stopped… And only we know…' The anxiety stopped, and in its place, she felt a strong certainty. Slowly, Emerald sat up, the guards shuffling around her as they gave her room to stand. Pulling herself to her feet, Emerald turned to face Ignite, letting out a breath. 

    "Ignite… I'm going to leave." She spoke slowly, her voice quivering, as her thoughts slowed down. Tornado and Ash looked at each other, surprise spreading across their faces. "I.. am the only one who can stop them from killing Queen Droplet… And if they target the other Queens, too… Then all would be lost. 

    "We are all in danger if something doesn't get done, now." The two dragons stared at each other for several moments. His eyes were glittering, but he didn't look surprised by her decision. Finally, he dipped his head to Queen Emerald. 

    "As you wish, Your Highness. We will prepare you to leave tomorrow," he rumbled, keeping his voice level and even. She dipped her head, relief spreading through her. 

    'At least one of them is on my side,' she thought as her gaze flicked to Ash, who had stepped towards her.

    "No, you're not leaving, Emerald," he growled. "You only just became Queen! Who's going to run the Kingdom while you're away? And who would protect you?" His nostrils flared with anger and fear, but his eyes said it all. He was worried for her.

    Sweeping up to the Sea-IceWing, she hugged him, holding him closely. He tensed at first, but then allowed himself to relax in her grip. Emerald looked over at Tornado, hoping to hear his opinion. After several minutes, the Sand-NightWing spoke.

    "As much as it scares me, she's right." He paused as he eyed Ash, who was glaring at him. "Clearly whoever it is, is going to be after Emerald and every other Queen in Prryhia. If we can stop them ahead of time, then we should." Ash pulled away from the hug, staring at Tornado in disbelief.

    "B-bu-," Emerald placed her talons over the dragon's snout, shaking her head at him.

    "Ash, you and Tornado will be going with me. And I'm not going to fight the group, either," she told him. Moving her talons, she addressed all three of them. "All we need to do is find the Queens and tell them what is happening. Then, we can form a plan of action with them involved." At first, Ash hesitated, but after thinking it over, he hung his head in defeat.

    "Okay," he mumbled, scratching his talons on the floor. Ignite then stepped forward, his head tilted. 

    "So, what's your plan for the Kingdom, in the meantime?" He asked the Queen. Emerald shook out her wings as she stood up.

    "You, Crashnova, Willow, Stagmite, and Whiplash will split up the duties between the five of you. I believe you are all capable of running the place, especially since so many dragons trust you," she explained as Ignite nodded in agreement. 

    "That'll work, then," he rumbled. "And now, you should go get some rest. However, I suggest you sleep in a different room than your own." He stopped, thinking. "Maybe see if you can stay with Willow and Stagmite. I don't think any of you should be alone." 

    It was a rare instance for the trio to see worry in his eyes. The normally stoic Night-SkyWing had let down his guard for once, stepping forward to wrap Emerald in a tight hug. She leaned into his embrace, closing her eyes and letting herself relax. After a few minutes, Ignite let go and stepped back. "Alright, go on now, and get some sleep," he ordered. They dipped their heads and shuffled towards the door. 

    Ash led the way out, but Ignite called to Emerald, "Be safe!" She stopped, turning her head to look at him. He stared at her with hard, fearful eyes. She dipped her head to him.

    "I will," she told him, then she turned and stalked after her guards. They had neared the entrance of the barracks just as the guards were returning from her room. Emerald paused, her eyes flicking around the room, before turning to the closest guard. "Hey, Crystal," she said as she stepped towards the Ice-RainWing. She looked up at the Queen and bowed.

    "Your Highness, what can I do for you?" Crystal asked as she straightened herself. 

    "I want you to find the guards who are the most well rested and have them patrol the palace. After this.. incident, I'm worried about the SandWing coming back," she explained, careful not to mention any names. Crystal nodded, dipping her head. 

    "I can do that right away," she hummed. Emerald flicked her tail, nodding. 

    "Please do. And have a good night," she murmured. Stalking out of the barracks, the dragoness followed Ash and Tornado up the stairs. She shivered as they got to the top floor, glaring down the left corridor, where her room lay. Shaking herself off, she hurried after her royal guards. Tornado stopped outside a gold painted door and knocked loudly on it. Several minutes went by, making Emerald more and more anxious the longer they waited. 

    Finally, the door opened and Stagmite stepped out. His eyebrows furrowed as he noticed the rag tag group.

    "What in the three moons are you still doing up?" He growled, his tail flicking. Tornado glanced back at his friends before facing his Father.

    "There was an incident earlier. We would feel better if we shared a room with some other dragons…" He trailed off, seeing the frown grow on his Dad's face. 

    "Who is it?" Willow suddenly whispered, poking her head out beside Stagmite. She blinked as she eyed the younger dragons. "Is.. everything okay?" She asked, worry filling her voice.

    "Apparently there was some incident. They want to share the room with us," the NightWing growled. The SandWing immediately pushed open the door.

    "Well of course you guys can. Come on in." She hurried the three into the room and began bustling around. She gathered pillows and blankets, making a bed on the floor for them, as Stagmite closed the door behind him. "I'm sorry that there isn't much room," Willow was mumbling as she made the bed. "Had I known this would happen, I could have better prepared." 

    Emerald stepped forward, grasping Willow's talons in her own. The SandWing stopped what she was doing and faced the Queen.

    "You don't need to be sorry for anything, Willow. We really appreciate you doing this for us." Tears pricked her already red eyes, making Willow give her a small frown.

    "Of course, sweetheart. Everything is going to be okay," she murmured softly, pressing their foreheads together. After a couple of moments sitting like that, the SandWing went back to making the bed. 

    "Yeah, we really do appreciate it. Thank you so much," Ash agreed, stepping up beside Emerald. Willow flashed him a warm smile as she stepped back.

    "Of course, Ash. Now go on and lay down," she ordered, gently nudging them towards the makeshift bed. Emerald laid down first, but waited for Ash to curl up into her right side before nuzzling into him. Tornado curled himself against her back, stretching his wings to cover the other two. Immediately, the Queen's anxiety began to ebb away. The comforting feeling of her two best friends soothed her. 

    "I don't see why they need to sleep in here." Emerald caught Stagmite grumbling. "They're adults, grown ups. They should be able to take care of themselves." Willow sighed in annoyance. 

    "Clearly something happened for them to be so shaken up, and it's only for one night. Dragons are allowed to feel fear and to be comforted." The SandWing paused. "Plus, our egg laying days are practically over," she hissed at him. The Queen had to stop herself from snorting in a mixture of shock and laughter, lips twitching into a smile. She could feel Ash's smile pressing against her shoulder while Tornado pretended to snore.

    Stagmite grunted as the two shuffled into their shared hammock. As silence settled into the room, Emerald's eyes stretched open. She could feel the small sparks of anxiety, wanting to become a full blown fire. But she forced herself to focus on the breathing of her two friends. The two who had been trained to protect her. They were practically her brothers!

    Maybe only one was a brother. But despite these thoughts, her mind wandered back to the killers. Emerald knew it wasn't fun and games at this point. It was no longer a theory that she would be hunted. Now it had become a full blown reality. She had known from the start she would find her Mother's killer, but to uncover an entire group of killers? 

    This was something else entirely. Emerald was sure of one thing, and one thing only. 

    She had just started a battle far worse than any war could stir up.

~●《☆》●~

Author's Note

Finally some action! :D

I wanna hear your guys' theories! Who do you think Dion is? What does K.A.Q. stand for? Who is this The Kings group? What are the rings?

For a word count, I got 3,688 words.

If you liked this chapter, feel free to leave a vote ^-^ it tells me that you're enjoying it and would like more!
~Dragon