Glow and Corona followed the family inside to sit with Zinc. She was a massive dragon, almost twice as big as Morrowseer, if Glow could make a proper estimate, but far more elegant in her eyes. She bore the same violet markings as the rest of the family. The cavern was gigantic and spacious. It made Glow feel puny in comparison. The clicking of their talons echoed around the cavern, adorned top to bottom with the same decorative violet curtains.

       A table was situated in the centre, at which Zinc stood behind. Citrine and Amethyst sat on either side of her and the rest seated down. Falcon seated himself on Corona's left, followed by the twin sisters. Vermilion sat on Glow's right, though his energy made Glow's scales prick and quiver. Glow started to feel a rush of dread creeping inside her. I shouldn't have told them I'm the SkyWing dragonet of destiny. What's Vermilion going to do now that he has that information? She looked over to him. His expression wasn't one filled with malice or simple disinterest. It was more an expression of conflict and discomfort. He wouldn't betray me...would he?

       "Ahem." Zinc began with a cough. "So, you wish to learn the true history of the SkyWing and RainWing kingdoms. Is that correct?" She asked firmly. Glow, struck with awe at the gargantuan dragon, simply nodded. Zinc took a deep breath as she examined the two foreigners. "We wanderers oftentimes have each other and only each other. It is difficult to trust other dragons outside of your family clan when you are as unjustly despised as we are." Zinc sympathized. Her head hung low. "You are the only dragons to ever take an interest in us without judgment or the interest to exploit or steal." She admitted.

       Citrine nudged her thoughtfully. "Mother, it would be wise to make haste. They should hear your tale before they are missed." The yellow dragon cast a dark look towards them. "Cinnabar is already suspicious enough as is." He said. Zinc hissed in disgust at the name.

       "Cinnabar. To think that that is what justice is represented by." She raised her glistening snout wearily towards her patient audience. "Very well. I shall begin the tale." She placed her delicate claws on the table and rose, proud and tall.

       "Long ago, thousands of years ago before even the mysterious NightWings existed, before the Scorching, but before Scavengers were the scourge they are today, there were three tribes. Those that lived in the eastern sea and on the coast–the ancient SeaWings. Those that lived in the mountains and forests in the centre of this land– the ancient SkyWings. And those that lived on the western deserts and southern delta– the ancient SandWings. Each tribe had its rulers and heirs responsible for protecting and leading their citizens.

       "The heirs, however, were the ones that sparked the movement and change that would push our kind to where it is today. The SeaWings were ruled by Queen Siren and King Makara. The SandWings were ruled by King Dunewalker, whose queen– Queen Comettail –died from a Dragonbite Viper attack. And lastly, the SkyWings were ruled by Queen Forestfire. The queen was a very powerful and strict dragon who believed in traditions and customs. She was a very stubborn dragon, although she was not known for cruelty. Although strict, she was fair. Her mate was a common dragon named Ibex who she cared for very much.

       "Their heirs were Princess Inferno and her younger brother named Prince Flare. They both loved them very much, and they grew to be very strong and respected dragons. Inferno, however, was a very stubborn dragon. Her mother's tendency for rules and restrictions to be enforced did little for Inferno. She, unlike her mother, did not believe in tradition and stagnation. She was the first to advocate for change. Some dragons struggled in the kingdom to meet the living standards set in place by the queen, and the fiery princess begged her mother to change something. Her mother refused her, telling her 'That's simply the way it must be done.'

       "Inferno was very upset, her stubborn nature set ablaze by her mother. They both wanted what was best for their kingdom, but could not reach a compromise that would satisfy all their citizens. Flare was the more mellow and complacent of the two siblings, but they cared about each other more than anything. While he supported Inferno, he agreed with their mother, believing in the stability she has secured for decades. Inferno set out to find dragons within her kingdom that felt the same way as she did about the state of affairs in their kingdom. While it was not easy, she found many dragons that felt the way she did, and were overjoyed at having the support of the princess of their kingdom.

       Zinc interrupted her story to divulge. "You see, the tradition of challenging the queen to the death for the throne was not invented until after the Scorching. The reason being that heirs had to prove themselves strong enough to lead their kingdoms, and that was how they decided to do so." She explained. "And that they believed that it was better to have a matriarch due to what they thought would be a natural nurturing instinct for queens to exhibit towards their citizens." Amethyst nudged her slightly, intrigued by her story. Zinc nodded at her. "Right, as I was saying." She continued.

       "Inferno, with her newfound support, proposed the reforms once again to her mother. Although Inferno had overwhelming support, Queen Forestfire still refused, keeping to her mindset of tradition and rules. Inferno was furious, begging her mother to look at the dejected spirits of her subjects. They had legitimate concerns and complaints and were genuinely struggling to live under her rule as it stood. Her mother, however, showed her the annoyed sides of the subjects of the queen's supporters, most of said dragons being almost as old as the queen. Inferno, dejected, turned to Flare for his input. He suggested they convince their father to plead with their mother. Inferno thanked him for his suggestion, and Inferno and her supporters rushed to find him. She found Ibex, who was overjoyed to see his beautiful and proud daughter in his presence.

       "However, when Inferno proposed he speak with her mother about the present dilemma, he expressed great reluctance. He fully agreed with and supported Inferno, but he was afraid to anger his beloved and upset her, considering that she was the queen. But after begging her father to try, he agreed and followed her to the palace. When he expressed his feelings to his beloved, she exiled him, thinking it would be better for him to live in a place where he would be happier. Inferno, as well as her supporters, were enraged. One such supporter, named Cotinga, suggested that they follow Ibex and start their own kingdom. Inferno, although considering the idea, decided against it. It would break her mother's heart to lose two members of her family, and absolutely destroy Flare if he lost his older sister.

       "However, upon council with Flare, he told her to take Cotinga's suggestion. Inferno was reluctant to leave her younger brother, but he knew how unhappy she was living in the current conditions of their kingdom. He promised that when it was his turn to take up the throne in the kingdom, he would visit her and allow her to return to visit as well. She proposed the plan to her supporters and they accepted without hesitation. With a heavy heart, she left, leaving a note on her mother and brother's respective bedsides.

       "She followed her father and flew towards the southern rainforest, away from the mountains of the north. There, they found what they described as a paradise. Lush life everywhere they looked, a cornucopia of variety and bounty. It was free, beautiful, and full of potential and possibility. They decided to make it their new home, and her supporters suggested to make Inferno their new queen. Reluctantly, she accepted the responsibility, taking Cotinga as her king and rose to the throne. Not wishing to break ties from her place of origin and her family, she called their kingdom the Southern Sky Kingdom.

       "Years of prosperity dawned in their new kingdom. Discovering that fire was not only inefficient, due to the rain, but also dangerous. Due to the dense forestry and plant life, Inferno induced a ban on the practice fire-breathing. Her supporters were very disappointed, but they trusted their leader and knew it was for their own safety. Hunting was no longer a priority due to the wealth of fruit and other food available to them. They built structures out of the forest itself and made buildings. Life in the rainforest was truly spectacular for them.

       "On an outing to expand their kingdom, Queen Inferno came across a SeaWing princess named Nereid. After chatting on the beach, the queen invited the princess to their kingdom for a royal dinner. The princess accepted, and followed the rainforest dragons to their home. After hearing their tale, Nereid was impressed with the progress they made and their fortitude and integrity. The Kingdom of the Sea was suffering as well, and Nereid admitted that they needed help. Inferno saw this as an opportunity for an alliance, and offered to help her new friend.

       "Nereid's conjoined twin brothers, Kraken and Leviathan, were conspiring to take the throne. They were wreaking havoc on their kingdom and Nereid was sent by her father to get help before it was too late. With Inferno's help, they drove the brothers and their thralls away. They fled south of the Bay of a Thousand Scales out of the detection of the rainforest and sea dragons. Princess Nereid thanked Queen Inferno for her help, and promised to return the favour if the rainforest dragons ever needed their help. Afterwards, some members of the Kingdom of the Sea moved into the rainforest to live with the dragons.

       "Years eventually passed and, just as promised, Flare took the throne in the north and became its king. He arrived with a troop to deliver the news of their mother's death to his sister. Queen Forestfire was killed by Prince Orbiteyes in a battle with the SandWings, who wished to take Jade Mountain from the SkyWings. Inferno, Ibex, and the rest of their kingdom gathered in ceremony to grieve for their fallen queen. Though they had separated from her ways, they still felt a degree of loyalty to her. After the ceremony, Inferno bid her brother farewell and good luck for him and his rule.

       "However, tensions between Inferno and Flare began to rise. Patrols from the north began clashing with the south's dragons in battle. Each time they returned injured, Inferno would take a group of her guards to Flare's kingdom to confront him. Unfortunately, since becoming king, Flare was no longer the mellow and supportive dragon that the new queen once knew. He was even stricter and more stubborn than their mother before them. Inferno warned him that if it happened again, she would not hesitate to launch an attack. Upon returning home, Cotinga advised her not to, suggesting that their ties remain strong. Inferno, however, wasn't certain if that was possible anymore.

       "Soon after, an attack on their beloved rainforest from the north forced Inferno to take drastic measures. She pleaded for help from Nereid and her subjects, to which she agreed. The southern SkyWings and the SeaWings raided the northern kingdom and Inferno confronted Flare directly. She pleaded for things to return to the way they once were, she pleaded for her brother to stop and listen. She pleaded for him to remember what they once were. Flare expressed that he had similar wishes. The soldier's acting out was not his doing, but he couldn't stop them as they were not breaking the law.

       "Inferno, tired of hearing his excuses, attacked him. They fought long and hard, blow after blow, injury after injury. Flare was no longer the weak little brother that Inferno remembered, but she still retained the upper hand. She was about to deliver the killing blow when she noticed the fighting outside had stopped. The silence pierced her lonely and aching heart, and she released her brother. They were both tired and now they both fully understood the price of their responsibilities. She simply wished to do the best for her citizens and asked Flare to release her kingdom from them. She called her new kingdom the 'Rainforest Kingdom' and renamed their tribe the 'RainWings.'

       "Flare put this in accordance with their laws and made it official that his sister's kingdom was legally its own kingdom. All they both wanted was for the fighting to stop, and so it was done. The wounded RainWing queen returned to her kingdom with her subjects following behind her, the SeaWings following suit. Upon returning home, Inferno rewarded Nereid for her help in the battle and helped take care of her injured in her own kingdom.

       "Soon after, when the kingdom grew and everything recovered, Inferno and Cotinga bore an heir to their throne; a daughter named Raven." Zinc blinked and a single tear fell from her orange eye. "I came from Inferno's line. Somewhere along the line, one of my forebearers returned to the Sky Kingdom where I was eventually born." She finished.

       Glow and Corona stared in absolute awe. Even Vermilion stared in wonder and amazement. Such a powerful story and an inspiring dragon! She looked over at Vermilion who looked more relaxed than he had been this whole time. I wish I was like Queen Inferno. I wonder if I could do anything as amazing and influential as her. Glow thought back to what Frigga told her about finding her egg. Hvitur stole her egg from the SkyWing Kingdom. I'm a dragonet of destiny, born to end a near twenty-year-war involving all of Pyrrhia. I was born to save Pyrrhia from Blaze, Blister, and Burn. She looked back over at Corona, who was dumbfounded, her jaw hanging open and her black tongue lolling hilariously off to the side. I will do something amazing. I will be amazing.

       Zinc looked directly at Glow. "Dragonet," The elderly dragon began. "My years are far ahead of me. You still have much to do and many years to live. Others are not as fortunate as you are, especially in these times of war." She said. "You know it's your duty to put an end to it, and to do that, knowledge will help you greatly." She explained as she walked towards a shelf filled with scrolls. "Knowledge is power, and this kingdom is in trouble. It has been in trouble for a long time." She pulled a large variety of the scrolls off the shelf and folded them in a tightly protected bundle. She walked over to Glow and handed her the bundle. "You may need these more than I do. Within these scrolls is the full unabridged history of Queen Forestfire, Inferno, Flare, and the RainWings." She offered. Glow's talons trembled as she took the scrolls, holding them like the most delicate egg in all of Pyrrhia. "It also contains the original memoirs of Queen Inferno herself, documenting her entire journey throughout this tale." She explained.

       Glow shook her head. "Wait, won't you still need these? What about their history?" She cried. "What about YOUR history?"

       "History is kept in memory as well, SkyWing. As long as our family persists, our heritage will never be lost." Zinc smiled and pointed her talon at the scrolls in Glow's talons. "These were given to me by the mother of Queen Grandeur of the RainWings, Queen Excellence, who has become a great friend to me. She was ten years old while I was eighty when we first met. Should you ever need to go to the Rainforest Kingdom, show Grandeur these scrolls and she'll understand – If she can still read them that is." She said, letting out a genuine hearty laugh.

       Glow cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean 'if she can still read them?'" Glow asked, concerned.

       Zinc nodded thoughtfully. "Most RainWings today either never learned or forgot how to read. They don't even have a library anymore." She answered. She gripped Glow's talon gently. "This is the only written history the RainWings have left."

       Glow held the scrolls tightly, now fully understanding their weight and importance. Vermilion looked over at Glow worriedly. Corona lightly brushed Glow with her wing. "Well, hey. If there's anyone that can be trusted with important scrolls, it's you. You wouldn't let anything happen to these if you had to die for them!" Corona joked with a laugh.

       Glow thwacked her with her wing in response. Zinc simply smiled. "Take care of those scrolls, and especially, take care of yourselves, dragonets." She cautioned.

       Glow put the scrolls into her pack gently, making sure they remained in good condition. Glow turned to face Zinc again. "Thank you so much!" She said graciously. "I'll never forget it."

       "So I hope." Zinc said simply. The family led Glow and Corona out of the cave just after Glow bowed to Zinc in respect. She waved a talon at her. "Good luck on your journey. Put a stop to this madness. Put a stop to this war, and bring peace to Pyrrhia." She called.

       Once they left the cave, Citrine cornered Glow. "If anything happens to those scrolls, so help me, I'll make certain you will wish you were never born." He threatened in a low growl.

       Amethyst pulled him back in shock. "Darling, relax. I think the scrolls are in good claws." She said softly.

       Citrine walked away with her grumbling.

       Thermal and Gust sat down. "Well, that was an interesting experience. Zinc usually doesn't trust strangers that much." Gust said.

       "Yeah! She usually throws them out. Literally!" Thermal said with her usual bubbliness. Glow felt more appreciative of Zinc's audience upon hearing that.

       "Good thing for us, hey? Don't want to go back to Frigga telling her how much of a failure today would've been. She'd be so disappointed." Corona said cheerfully. Her joyful expression quickly faded and was replaced by dread. Right. Frigga. Glow thought sadly. Almost forgot about that...

       Glow suddenly had a horrific realization. "Oh no! We should get back to the palace. It's probably late and Cinnabar will definitely be suspicious by now!" Glow said frantically.

       Corona put a wing around her to get her to relax before she started hyperventilating. "Calm down. We'll just be on our way, then. Okay, Glow?" Corona suggested.

       Glow nodded and turned back toward the family. "Thank you all so much for everything! Once this whole thing is all over, I'll visit you all!" Glow called.

       "I'd better take you home, then. Pyrrhia needs you in one piece, after all." Vermilion said jokingly.

       He led them out beyond earshot from the family and stopped them. "Glow, what were you thinking?!" He said sharply, grimacing at her.

       Corona stepped in front of her defensively. "What do you mean, pretty boy? You'd better back off, or I'll –"

       "Corona, please!" Glow interrupted, cutting her off before she could say something they'd all regret. She turned back towards Vermilion once Corona had stepped back. "What is it, Vermilion?" She said flatly.

       Vermilion sighed. "You should never have come here." He said with dread.

       "Why?" Glow said with concern.

       Vermilion hung his head low. "Because if mother finds out about you, you won't live to see another day." He answered grimly.

       "Well, yeah. We kind of figured that already." Corona responded callously.

       "No, you don't understand. On the brightest night, she ordered every egg that would hatch on that night to be destroyed just after you were stolen." He said. "If she finds out about you, you aren't going to be the only one who will suffer. A lot of dragons are going to die if she does." He said simply.

       "Yeah, that's kind of why we're trying to keep it a secret from her. Three moons, and I thought you were smart or something." Corona said sarcastically. Glow hit her with her tail hard, earning an indignant look from her SandWing companion.

       Vermilion turned his head away in shame. "I'll try everything I can to make sure you aren't suspected. But I can only do so much. Just..." He paused, looking even grimmer. "Try to stay low, okay?" He asked.

       Glow dipped her head low, bowing slightly to her royal friend. "Okay. I'll try." She didn't exactly feel too confident, though. She couldn't help but wonder what will happen next.

       What exactly was at stake now? Would she be able to keep her word? Or will I fail and doom us all?