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. . .

"What do you mean I can't go?!" Peril demanded; her jaw tight as she stared Queen Scarlet dead in the eye. Something you hadn't seen many dragons do before.

Not that you were much different admittedly. Around her a few other dragons who were also eating glanced at her and Scarlet before quickly looking away, obviously not wanting to get involved. For the past ten minutes, Scarlet and Peril had been deep in discussion which had only until now formed into an argument.

To be honest you hadn't been listening much as you had been far too busy eating. Given that Scarlet had given you permission to eat, you weren't wasting the opportunity. After all, you had spent the last few days without any food or water, trapped in a stone pillar in the middle of the Skywing arena, with only Tsunami - one of the dragonets of destiny - for comfort. While she had been at times... a little intimidating, her company was no doubt more desirable than the Skywing Queen's, and while you didn't want to admit... you actually missed her. At least around her you were actually safe.

To be honest, I'd prefer any of the other dragonets than Scarlet. Even Peril! You thought, shooting a glance at the orange dragon in the seat next to you. She seemed to be focusing on two things: Maintaining her end of the argument with Scarlet and eating... so at least she and you had something in common.

"Peril, I'm not going to tell you again. This trial is very important, and not for your eyes. This one you can't go to." She remarked, giving a steely gaze back at her champion before throwing what looked like an entire mountain goat into her mouth, and began chewing it slowly.

"But, you never let me go to any trial! You always just tell me to go looking for back rocks in the mines! I know I need them to survive, but can't I watch just this once? I'll stay out of the way-"

 Peril argued pleadingly, before Scarlet interrupted, obviously not caring about what Peril was about to say.

"Yes... and this time will be no different. I told you and I won't tell you again: No means no. Unless you want me to think of some kind of punishment to stop nosy dragons like you from disobeying my authority? Hmmm?" Scarlet asked, small curls of smoke rising from her nostrils. 

Peril opened her mouth, as if she was about to say something, before deciding against it as Scarlet glared at her, forcing her to admit defeat.

"...Yes, your majesty. Sorry." She said, sounding disappointed. Even her scales seemed to dim slightly, or perhaps it was just the light of the torches that flickered throughout the dining hall?

Looking subdued, Peril looked down at her food, poking a piece of meat from an unknown animal, watching as the edged sizzled and blackened upon contact with her claw.

Scarlet on the other hand, looking satisfied that she put her champion back in her place, turned back to her own food.

Looking at Peril, you felt slightly bad. Thinking back to when you were in your world, a lot of characters in later books treated her like she was a villain. While, she had killed hundreds of other dragons, it hadn't been like she ever had a choice. She had no control...

Just like I have no control over my own situation... You thought, casting a glance at the Skywing Queen above you, who was now engaged in a conversation with another dragon. Presumably another general.

Something else that you had also noticed was that Peril had been unmistakably darting glances at you ever since she had first arrived at the dining hall. She obviously hadn't expected you to be here... especially considering the nature of your captor, and to be honest you couldn't really blame her for that either.

She's probably still trying to understand how I can even talk. Not that she would ever understand. You thought, trying to imagine telling her along with everyone else that you were actually not a normal Scavenger, but actually a Human Being from another universe where their entire existence was based around the events from a children's book series.

Yeah... I'll add that to the list of things not to give away. I already told Scarlet where the Eye of Onyx was... but either she forgot, or just didn't understand. If so, that would explain why she hasn't interrogated me since. You thought, thinking back to the earlier days of your imprisonment in the Skywing Kingdom. To be fair, you hadn't been in the Wings of Fire universe for long. It had only been a few days. While you didn't know the exact number, you did know it had been nearly a week. 

What about the real world though? How long has it been in my world? Has anyone even noticed I'm gone yet? In this universe, it's been days, but in my world, I could have been gone for only a few minutes... or maybe also days? I guess it's impossible to tell. You thought, feeling a bit bad for everyone you left behind in your world... then again, how the hell were you supposed to know that your wish would come true!? While being in the Wings of Fire universe had so far been a mixture of excitement, and terror, you still couldn't help but feel a bit bad...

Besides! It's not like I'll be with Queen Scarlet forever! When the time comes, me and the other dragonets will escape, and I'll get to see the rest of Pyrrhia! I wonder if it's all just like in the books? You thought excitedly, as the old inner Wings of Fire nerd within you began to think of all the possibilities. Getting to re-experience all of your favorite scenes and characters... but for real! It seemed no matter the horrors that you experienced; Wings of Fire would still always be your favorite. 

Reaching out onto the table, you grabbed an apple from the tall pile of fruit.

Around you was the loud clutter of dragons eating, with dishes being passed around while new ones being constantly placed on the table by seemingly endless numbers of servants. It was also noticed that Scarlet -being the queen - of course was given some of the fanciest meals. You on the other hand, simply stuck to the fruit bowls as your breakfast, as it was really the only thing you could actually eat. 

You had already discovered that in this universe, your body could go for unusually long periods of time without food or water, but you certainly didn't want to experiment if this ability extended to certain inedible foods such as raw meat, which the Skywings seemed particularly fond of. 

As you took a large bite out of the apple, there was some audible murmuring from some dragons around the table, while the feeling of eyes watching you bore into you. When you first had entered the hall, you being with Queen Scarlet had gained some attention, but it seemed now some dragons were noticing that you were still alive.

It was wishful thinking that you would enter and leave breakfast relatively unnoticed. You doubted any of these dragons knew you could even talk, and you didn't exactly want to reveal that. What would you even say to everyone?

Finishing off your apple, you sighed contently. You stomach finally feeling full after days of hunger. In the feeling, you couldn't help but wonder what would happen next. Would Scarlet take you back to your cage... or would you join her in the 'business' she had planned for the day? From around the table, plates and bowls were beginning to become empty, while servants were starting to cleanup, which obviously marked that breakfast was drawing to a close.

Well... what do you know. I've the first meal in Queen Scarlet's palace. I would've thought I'd attract a lot more attention, but it seems dragons are more interested in eating me than learning that I can talk... Then again, let's be honest though, more dragons knowing about me would just lead to more trouble... right? And if I'm going to escape alongside the dragonets of destiny when the time comes, I probably don't want any extra attention. You thought, glancing around the table, careful not to make eye contact with the dragons that were looking at you. One in particular was a large Skywing sitting opposite of Scarlet, who had a look of hunger, and curiosity as he gazed you over. 

You looked away quickly, not wanting to pay attention to the dragons giving you odd and hungry looks to avoid feeling uncomfortable. 

While you were no doubt safe in Scarlet's grasp, tightly wrapped up in her tail, it was Scarlet herself that you were more concerned about than other dragons making you a snack.

A cold feeling ran down your spine as you remembered those terrifying encounters, and you still had bruises and scrapes to prove it, and to think it had only been... what? A day? Two days ago?...

Then again, you were apparently living with Scarlet now, so who knows? Maybe she might just try to torment you some more. Not that she hadn't been doing that already.

BANG

Your pondering was interrupted for a second time, as a dragon suddenly hurried nosily through the double doors with a loud thud, which earned annoyed glances from around the table, including Scarlet who had halted her conversation with the general, to confront the arrival. 

The first thing that was noticeable was their eyes, which were a bright green that reflected the torch light, while their scales - being a lighter red than other Skywings in the room - easily stood out as she strolled over to where the Queen was sitting and bowed.

Who is this? I've never seen her before... and I don't recognize her from any of the books... You thought, looking at them as they stood up. For a moment, their eyes met with yours which earned a brief flash of surprise across their face. It was obvious that they were wondering why Scarlet had a Scavenger. Perhaps the news of her 'pet' hadn't spread around the palace, which explained the curious and hungry looks you had gotten... and were still occasionally getting!

"Your majesty, Osprey and the executioner are prepared. The trial has been scheduled for mid-morning. The prisoner is also ready to be transported to the arena." They said, as they briefed Scarlet about a trial of some sort.

Scarlet nodded, looking pleased as she responded. Around her, plates and other dishes were beginning to be taken from the table, signaling that breakfast was drawing to a close.

"Ah, thankyou Rhinestone. I will be prepared for the trial shortly. Tell Kes- the prisoner's guards to begin escorting them to the arena. You are dismissed" She said, giving a sideways glance at Peril as if wary about her overhearing something. 

Maybe this is what she meant by her important 'business' that she talked about? You wondered, watching as the dragoness apparently called Rhinestone bowed again, before walking off. She was obviously one of Queen Scarlet's advisors? Or maybe event planners? She seemed to be very involved in the trial that was apparently scheduled. Even if she was, it didn't make sense why you don't know her. You couldn't remember any Skywing named Rhinestone in the original books, unless she was a side character?

You pondered this information, before a light bulb went off in your brain.

A trial!? If there was a trial, then this must be Kestrel's Trial! If that's the case, then that's why Scarlet was cautious about using her name around Peril... Kestrel is Peril's real mother!  In the actual Wings of Fire books, Scarlet lied to Peril that she killed Peril's mother to save her life, when Peril's mother tried to strangle her for having firescales. That's why Peril is so loyal to Scarlet, because Peril falsely believes that Scarlet saved her life... 

Geez when I think about it, it sounds really complicated.

You thought, giving a quick mental rescan of what happened in the books, and what you were guessing would happen in this universe. You had already decided that if you wanted to maximize your chance of survival, you should probably be using your knowledge of future events to your advantage... and a lot more. You didn't want to risk messing anything up.

You weren't exactly worried about the future changing in any un-predictable or unexpected way. After all, why would it? Sure, when you first started considering how you presence would impact the future, you were worried, but nothing had gone wrong before... so why would anything in the storyline be different now?

Besides, considering not much has changed from the original story events, I don't see any reason as to why they would change now?... Then again, I guess now that I think about it... some things have been a little different compared to the original story. I don't exactly remember Scarlet ever being so fond of Scavengers... or one Scavenger in particular. You thought, thinking carefully.

As if on cue, you sudden felt something scratching down your back and head, making you tense and freeze before you realized that Scarlet was petting you again. Her tail coiled tail squeezed tighter around your body, pulling you closer to her. Almost reminding you that there was no way to escape her. Tsunami hadn't been much better either, only she wasn't as dangerous... maybe.

Hold on a second... that's not the only thing that's different: Last night, before I was brought down from my platform, Peril came to see if I could really talk. That was the night after Clay's fight in the arena. I'm pretty sure that Peril was supposed to go visit Clay on HIS platform that night and talk about what happened in the arena... with his 'venom' and all that? It does link to a lot of important stuff later in the book, like with Peril falling in love with Clay... but she came to see me instead... If she met me, wouldn't that mean she never visited Clay?... So, if she never visited him, that would mean the two would never become better acquainted, and that would REALLY mess everything up.

You thought, now starting to feel slightly concerned. You hadn't actually considered any of this before... or at least the impacts it would have for future events in the story. 

In the actual story, when the dragonets escaped Scarlet's palace, Peril played a HUGE part in that... and she only did that because she wanted to get Clay to love her. So if she never falls in love with Clay in the first place... then who knows what could happen... and Scarlet's really weird behavior probably isn't helping either. You thought, starting to feel worried about what could happen. 

This was the first time you were considering these possibilities. If had been easy to forget that you were inside a book, and that none of this was real... but what if you had disrupted something? What if you had - if by accident - caused some alteration in the book's storyline, that would that change the book completely? Sure, it wasn't anything major now, but how would it affect the future?... One thing was for sure; you didn't want to find out.

Your body suddenly jolted, making you squeak in surprise as Scarlet stood up, rising from her stone throne-chair, as she flickered her talon at the dragoness next to her, earning a nod before they hurried off, clearly to prepare for the trial. 

Opening her maw, she began addressing the dragons around the table, whom which had all turned to respectfully listen to her. 

"Alright, everyone. This morning has been a pleasant breakfast, and I'm glad to have heard from some of you, that our front lines are still making progress. It seems this war has been going well. I will continue our discussions at a later date once our guest, princess Burn of the Sandwings has arrived, as I'm sure she'd be delighted to hear the progress. Are there any questions?" 

"I do, your majesty." A deep voice suddenly spoke. You looked over to the source, only to find yourself looking into the eyes of the large Skywing, who had been watching you throughout breakfast. He raised himself up, allowing you got your first good look of one of the other Skywings at the table. 

Instead of armor, he was also covered in an assortment of jewelry and other expensive luxuries, indicating that he was likely a rich noble, or advisor rather than a general or commander. His eyes were fixed on you.

"I do, your majesty. If you don't mind me asking... why have you had that... thing, accompany you throughout breakfast? Shouldn't it be a part of the breakfast instead?" He asked, flickering his tail in your direction while eying you over, which made you only more grateful that Scarlet hadn't allowed you leave her side. Perhaps living with the Queen was both a blessing and a curse after all?

"That is none of your concern, Gale. This is merely my new... pet. Besides of course that useless but rather beautiful Rainwing artwork I recently acquired, as you would know... but I assure you that this Scavenger is not food... far from it in fact... as long as it behaves itself~" Scarlet purred, not even bothering to hide the iciness in her voice as she looked Gale up and down.

What the heck does she mean by that!? You thought, trying to suppress the shivers that ran down your own spine.

"Besides... Gale. I thought the food here was quite enough already. Not to mention I believe I am making myself clear when I tell you that you shouldn't poke your snout into my business until asked... unless you wish to have it sliced off. Then I will be more than happy to oblige or get my champion to do it! Then it will be twice as painful!" She laughed. Her voice sounded eerily calm compared to the way she was treating the situation. Out of the corner of her eye, Peril snapped too full attention, turning her head towards Gale and narrowing her eyes. Her eyes flickering backwards and forwards from Scarlet to Gale, as if she was waiting for the order... almost as if she had done this before.

By this point, Gale had obviously realized his mistake and was looking rather concerned at the guards who had suddenly stood to attention when Scarlet mentioned violence. Almost as if they were ready for when Scarlet gave the word...

Gale looked back at Scarlet, bowing his head. "My apologies, your majesty. I promise it won't happen again. I was merely asking a question that had been circulating the table." He said, obviously feeling worried about what the Queen might do. Many of the other Skywings had similar expressions. Scarlet stood still for a moment, digesting the information before refolding her wings neatly against her sides. 

"Is that so?... Alright, Gale, I accept your apology. But if you speak against me like that again, prisoners won't be the only dragons that find themselves in my arena. Do I make myself clear?" She asked, making malicious eye contact with everyone at the table. Everyone nodded respectfully, others with obvious concern. You couldn't blame them that was for sure.

"Now that we have that out of the way, if there aren't any other disruptions, let's move on." Scarlet ordered, as everyone stood up. The last plates and bowls were being carried off the table by servants as dragons began filing out of the dining hall. 

As Scarlet walked out, your mind and heart alike were racing. Around the emptying table, several other dragons gave you some rather... alarming looks. 

Gale, the Skywing that Scarlet had scolded was glaring at you. A look of clear disgust in his yellow eyes, as if he couldn't understand why Scarlet had not only kept you alive but had defended you as well. The same could be said for a few other dragons, who gave concerned glances at the queen, before shooting some suspicious ones at you. 

You didn't want to think about what would happen if Scarlet wasn't here to protect you. As much as you distrusted and feared her, you knew just as well that without her protecting you... you would have been dead a long time ago... or was it just delaying the inevitable?

The moment you made the wish to enter the world of Wings of Fire, had you just doomed yourself to be ripped apart, or eaten by a dragon? By making this wish... had you just killed yourself?

Taking a breath, you began to brace yourself for whatever might happen next. Juding from the way characters were acting around you, it was hard to predict. First Tsunami began to act oddly possessive of you, then Scarlet, and now even Peril was starting to give you unnerving looks, who had watched you be carried out, still wrapped in the queen's tail. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking, but her expression seemed to display clear interest. 

It was only now did the realization suddenly set on you, and you felt it like a punch in the gut. You were right after all! The events that were happening weren't the same as the ones in the books. The longer you were in this universe, the more of a negative effect it would have. 

If that was the case, then that would mean...

Oh shit... I might have messed with the Wings of Fire storyline a little too much after all...