(Word of warning, this story contains brief descriptions of graphic wounds and smells, which may be nauseating to some readers.)

Blinking awake and brushing the sand from her eyes, Avera yawned and crawled to her feet, looking around at the small cave she had claimed as her own, shrouded from the prying eyes of nearby dragons, and hidden under the rolling dunes of the searing desert all around her.

She was average in terms of Scorchwings, but with a few key differences. Firstly, and most noticeably, she had no wings, having been removed earlier on in her life after an... accident. Secondly, her eyes were a strange hue of yellow, seeming to hide an underlying bloody orange tinge.

Her scales were rough like other sandwings, a pale yellow similar to the sands in which they called home, and the scales of her underbelly were that of a rich, earthy brown, slowly becoming lighter and lighter as they curled up towards the tip of her tail.

Shaking the rest of the sand that had blown in during the late afternoon off of her scales, she slung the two small pouches that she carried back over her shoulders, keen to try and find the ever-reclusive group of "Thieves" she had been tracking for months.

Although that was what they were called by Brixus, anyone with half a brain could tell that they weren't in it for their own personal gain, and that each one of them had been wronged by the supposed "King" in one way or another.

"Damn it all!" She kicked a small pile of sand away, having lost the scent of the small scouting party she had been tracking for the last few days. "They always just vanish, almost like they sink into the s~...."

She paused, coming to a realization before diving into the fine grains of the sand like her mother had taught her so many years ago.

Without wings, she always found sand-gliding a tedious task, as she had to propel herself using her hind legs alone, but it also made her much faster than any other dragon, as their wings would cause them to get caught on denser patches or slow down due to drag.

As she dove into the dunes, she felt the sand below her shift, as if something was moving towards her at a rapid rate.

Rolling sideways in a swift motion, she felt a pair of talons graze her tail, slicing across with terrifying accuracy as the dragon tried to latch on.

Avera curled downwards, diving deeper into the sands, into the denser section that she knew was hiding below the desert, compacted after centuries of sandstorms and rains.

She could feel the sand behind her shifting in pursuit,the dragon slowing down as they got caught on the thick dirt-like texture of the matted sand and mud this deep.

Spinning a half-circle in the sand as quick as she could, she shot upwards, waiting to feel the sands move in chase, before crashing through the surface of the dunes, landing on her feet and waiting for the approaching dragon, who was now unable to slow down after building speed to escape the dense sands below.

Side-stepping as their claws broke the surface, she slammed her tail into the dragon's ribs as they grasped at the air where she stood, watching their carmel-brown eyes wince in pain as they came to a halt in an injured heap a few tail-lengths away.

Avera mumbled to herself in irritation, before pacing over to stand above the small dusty dragon.

"You might want to pick a better target if you're thinking of robbing someone, be lucky I didn't take your tongue for the trouble."

As the dragon glanced up with a look of terror and confusion, Avera was running through a few different threats in her mind, hopeful to bluff her way into letting the dragon off with just a warning, but keeping them from messing with her again.

*As if I've ever taken someone's tongue.... Other than.....* her thoughts trailed off as she shook her head, snapping back to the scenario at hand.

"W-Wait! I w-w-wasn't going to rob y-you, I was just on guard duty an~" The dragon clamped his talons over his snout, realizing what he may have just revealed. "Don't kill m-me please...." he whispered from between his matted brown talons, closing his eyes and curling tighter into a defensive ball.

"Guard duty. For what if I may be so curious?" Avera sneered, leaning closer to the terrified dragon, who now that she was within reach, couldn't have been more than nine, maybe ten moons old.

The young dragon whimpered in fear, before being swept into the sand by a second, much large set of talons.

"Dammit!" Avera shouted, darting into the dunes after the whelp-thief. "I had more questions!"

She could tell that this was a much larger dragon. They were much faster, and could stay ahead, even with another dragon being brought with them, but none of that would matter if they brought her right where she wanted to go all along.

Listening closely during her chase, she heard a series of four deep growls as she felt the dragon break through the sand into a large chamber.

Spinning at the last second, expecting a trap, she slashed her talons in a sweeping motion downwards as she broke through into the cavern herself, tearing through a thick, cactus-sap net, and crashing into a steadfast and prepared dragon.

As she leapt to her feet, she felt two more nets thrown around her jaw to prevent her from lashing out, along with one knotted around her feet extremely quickly.

She glanced around, growling in frustration, spotting around a dozen dragons, varying in size and build, some returning her scowl, while others sheltered in fear of her breaking loose.

"So you're the quick one that's been tailing my decoy scouts for the past few months." The dragon that she slammed into moments earlier was the first to talk.

Looking back towards him, she could see that he was a giant of a dragon, easily twice her size and with aqua-blue eyes that seemed to glare straight through her.

"Care to explain yourself before I have you tossed back, tied up, into the dunes?" She could tell that he was putting on a front, but that if needed, he would in fact do just that.

*Should I tell him, or wait to see where this goes....* She pondered for a few moments, trying to cut a hole in the net unsuccessfully.

"I've been looking for your little group, though I expected it to be...." She paused, glancing around at the rag-tag group of dragons in the dimly lit cavern. ".....nicer"

"And?" He seemed unfazed by the insult, but took a step towards her, bringing his snout down level with hers, and close enough that she could see a fresh gash from where her talons must have nicked him. "You're quick, but you rushed in here rather unprepared."

Avera chuckled, letting out a sigh of relief. *At least he has some common sense.* She thought to herself, before responding: "Yes, I did, but it's not like you all gave me much of an option, you're not exactly easy to track, and I doubt I would have even got here if it wasn't for that squirt over there."

She motioned behind a large duskwing, to the small dragon from earlier. "That one gave me a little bit of trouble, but also rushed after me without thinking."

The large dragon sighed. "Cut her free." He snapped at the two dragons on either side of the intruder. She grinned, before feeling the tension on the nets slip, sending her toppling over into a heap.

"Considering that you didn't aim for the throat, I guess you're not one of the Cobra king's brainless minions sent to kill us." He plucked a loose scale from the side of his jaw, brushing the small stream of blood that had begun to run down the ridgeline of his neck. "You do have some speed in the sands, although you lack certain features to aid with control."

She winced, shooting a glare at the back of his head as he turned towards a covered doorway, motioning for her to follow.

As she pushed through the draping curtains, into what seemed to be a common room, decorated with torches, sandstone furnature, and even a small fireplace that had small kebabs roasting over the open flame, she thought of the place as quaint, small enough to be hidden, but with all the luxuries of home.

As the two dragons neared the far side of the room, she began to feel a twisted sensation in her gut, as if she knew inside that something was off.

Entering a small hallway, she caught the rancid smell of open wounds coming from the far corridor , which the large dragon was now heading directly for.

"You may want to take a breath or brace yourself for what I'm about to show you, I don't need another dragon fainting in here...."

"I think I'll be fine, what's the wor~" She was cut off abruptly as she pushed her way through the thick, draping curtains that seperated the rooms, instantly being bombarded by a stench that made her very scales want to shrivel up.

As her eyes adjusted to the much dimmer lighting, she held her breath and scanned the cots lining the walls of the room. There had to be at least fourteen in total, all occupied with different dragons.

Some were unconscious, some awake but shivering in terror and pain, others..... Who knows. One thing all of them shared were large, gaping gashes across wings, legs, and even snouts, infected by Scorchwing venom, which had discolored entire sections of the dragons' scales. Avera spun on her heels, darting back into the common room and stuffing small bundles of fiber into her snout to block out the stench.

"That is why we fight. That is what the Cobra King does to anyone who speaks against him.... And those are the lucky ones, the ones we find, flown into the desert and left to be "cleaned up" by the vultures."

"Smuff....." Avera mumbled to herself, thinking back to her village, and the horrible dragons that cost her closest friend his life.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she turned back to the large dragon, who now was offering her a single piece of parchment.

"We may not be much, but I won't have anyone in our company that values their own hide over the hide of innocent dragons, especially those who are injured or suffering." As he began to walk away, he turned back again, looking Avera dead in the eyes and saying: "Agave, in case you were wondering, I hope you can make yourself useful."

She grinned, replying in the most lighthearted and sassy way she could: "Avera."

Watching his tail vanish between the drapes into the room that she entered prior, she paced to the far edge of the common-room and started reading the slip of paper, promptly titled; "Creed Of The Sand Serpents."

Do no harm to those that are deemed innocent.

Fight back, but only will the intent to escape or protect unless absolutely necessary.

If you must kill, make it clean, quick, and reduce suffering, we are not monsters.

Avera flipped the paper, and saw the small seal of the group, a singular set of talons clasped around a roaring torch flame.

"I'm sorry Smuff, I couldn't help you.... But maybe now... I can help dragons that can't help themselves...."

As the fires in the cave turned a deep shade of violet, Avera lifted her snout, and knew that this would be the place where she could change her life for the better, to be the dragon that she had always hoped to be.