Cinnabar roughly thrashed Glow so that she was facing in the direction of the queen as she fluttered delicately to her balcony perch. Corona was thrust right next to her face-down and held down by the two SkyWing guards.

       "I hope this has been a lesson to any other dragons who were thinking of teaching my champion bad habits." Scarlet said, glaring around the arena.

       "Too late," Corona sneered. "We've already taken care of that." She spat at the evil queen in front of her.

       "He's not dead!" Peril cried, clawing at the sand.

       "He will be soon." Scarlet waved a dismissive talon. "Now. I won't argue with the Champion's Shield. The champion has asked to stand for the prisoner. I will choose her opponent, and they will battle at the end of the games tomorrow. If she wins, Kestrel goes free. If not, well, I'll have a dead champion, but at least we'll get to execute Kestrel right afterward." Glow glared at the queen from underneath Cinnabar's talons. "All in all, a wonderfully bloody day for me and Queen Burn to look forward to." Scarlet said with a malevolent grin.

       Glow hissed at the title of Queen Burn. "Burn will never be queen!" Glow howled, met with a smash from Cinnabar. Her jaw was beginning to hurt, but she didn't care. I've already gotten myself here, what do I have left to lose?

       Scarlet leaned down and glared at them. "And why is that, SkyWing?" she asked threateningly.

       "Don't answer, maggot!" Cinnabar snarled.

       Glow ignored her. "Because if she's anything like you, the SandWings will have a better queen than that brute! W – the dragonets of destiny will never choose her as their queen. The SandWings deserve better than that!" She growled.

       Cinnabar smashed her face into the sand again and Glow could feel the sand in her left eye shifting around painfully. "I said QUIET, TRAITOR!" Cinnabar roared.

       Scarlet waved her talon at her. "At ease, general. I rather enjoy her feeble attempts at struggling." Scarlet cooed.

       Glow's blood turned to ice. General? "I thought she was a captain." Corona asked bewildered.

       Scarlet grinned. "Oh, she was. Until I discovered that my General of the Army has also betrayed me." Oh no! One-Eye! "He was accused of being in possession of contraband, so while I was investigating, I decided to arrest him." Glow shuddered. The scrolls! Zinc's scrolls! "I didn't find anything, but I was wanting to throw him out for a while anyways, so I threw him in prison with Kestrel, and promoted dear Cinnabar to General of the Army." She explained excitedly. This is my fault, too. Glow felt like the most shameful creature to ever crawl out of Pyrrhia. I put so many innocent dragons in danger. Everyone I was trying to protect is now in danger, all because of me. "Speaking of which, his trial will take place after my Hatching Day celebration."

       Glow felt her limbs tremble with fear over the state of Kite and Evenstar. Now that this had happened, what was she going to do with them? She couldn't trust that she wasn't going to harm them or keep them safe. I should've just stayed put. "Another thing, Glow." Scarlet chimed. "Because of your very recent treason, the deal we had for the SandWing of destiny is off. Tomorrow I'll give her to Burn and she'll become a thrilling part of her weirdling collection."

       Glow roared, thoughts of Sunny stuffed and hanging with the other dead dragons in her collection were filling her with rage. She tried throwing Cinnabar off of her, but her grip was too tight. She finally managed to buck her off her back legs and strike her face with her tail.

       She then turned to tackle the two SkyWing guards, while she had an opening. She managed to pull one of them off of Corona and tackled him into the sand. She gripped his horns tightly while he thrashed about, trying to throw her off. Several more SkyWing guards appeared and pulled her off, kicking and snarling. They subdued her into the sand once more and she felt her muscles tire and give out from all the strain of fighting and struggling.

       "All right." Peril said, staring down at Osprey's dead body. "Tomorrow, then." She reached for Osprey's talons and stopped, her own hovering over his. Close, but not touching.

       "Of course we'll have to lock Kestrel back up. We wouldn't want her to try escaping again. You understand." Said Queen Scarlet.

       "Fine." Peril looked over at Kestrel. Vermilion dismissed the crowd, looking over sympathetically at Glow. When the crowd was mostly gone, Kestrel pointed to the chains around her mouth. She wanted to talk with Peril. "No." Peril said as one of the guards stepped forward. She stared Kestrel dead in the face. "You killed my brother. You left me here. And it's your fault my friend is dead. I may not want you dead, but I don't want to know you."

       She turned to leave the arena, but Glow stopped her. "Peril, she burned her palms trying to escape with you." She turned to look at her. "She cared about you, but there was nothing else she could have done. It's not her fault Osprey is dead." Peril gave her a sharp look. It's mine. "You know I'm right." Glow said sternly.

       Peril's gaze softened and was replaced with sadness. "Put the SandWing in the tower next to the MudWing's and throw this SkyWing in Kestrel's cell." Scarlet ordered.

       Glow scrambled to reach out for Corona as she was dragged away and put in chains like Kestrel's. "Glow!" Corona screeched.

       "Don't make this any worse for yourself than it already is." One of the guards told her before they lifted her off into the sky.

       Glow was dragged alongside Kestrel under Scarlet's triumphant smile. She knew she was walking somewhere underneath the arena by the grates in the ceiling. As the guards dragged her along, she saw all sorts of dragons. She saw IceWings, SandWings, even SeaWings. She wondered why Snowstorm wasn't placed down there. Perhaps she was, but then when they realized she was useless to them, they just put her in the spires with the others.

       Glow was then startled by a SeaWing charging through the bars of his cell. His green scales were washed-out and his snout was flecked with blood. His tongue was purple and swelling and he looked as if he had gone mad. His dark green eyes were absent of any sort of sanity or evidence of a dragon still living in the mind they belonged to. "Oh, that's Gill." One of the guards explained. "He's been here for months. The queen took away his water after he tried to start a rebellion." Glow eyed the poor SeaWing. She stepped away carefully. "That's what happens when you disobey the queen." He shouldered her and Kestrel along the corridor of cells.

       Glow saw One-Eye in his cell down there and he instantly recognized her. The guards threw them into the call across from him and took off their chains. They pulled Glow's talons and removed her iron talons from them. Much to Glow's indignation, (shown by the instantly charred prison halls and the pathetic screams of fleeing soldiers) they locked the door and left them there.

       Glow slumped onto the floor of the cell. She looked over at One-Eye, his one orange eye gleaming with concern. "I'd like you to know, the scrolls are safe. Good ol' Rojo agreed to take them until Vermilion returns them to you."

       Glow cocked an eyebrow at him. "Good to know."

       One-Eye still looked concerned. "What about Kite? Is he alright?"

       Glow looked confused. "How do you know about him?"

       He rolled his eye. "Charcoal and the gang told me." He answered. "Is he alright?" He asked again, insistently.

       Glow sighed. "I honestly have no idea, but I hope so."

       Kestrel sighed, annoyed. "Scrolls? Kite?"

       Glow waved a talon at her. "Nothing you need to know right now."

       "Who even are you?" Kestrel jeered.

       Glow had a feeling she wasn't going to like spending a night stuck with the main tormenter of the dragonets of destiny. "I'm Glow. It's nice to meet you, too." She replied sarcastically.

       Kestrel grunted. "Don't get smart with me, stupid." She growled.

       "Well, you're going to have to improve your attitude because, guess what. We're stuck here until tomorrow, when Scarlet's probably going to make Peril fight Clay – and it's a fight to the death!" Glow shouted.

       Kestrel snorted. "If those miserable dragonets had listened to us and appreciated what we've done for them, this wouldn't have happened."

       Glow was very close to biting her snout off. "Or maybe, if you were ever nice to them, they wouldn't have wanted to leave so badly." She spat.

       "That's none of your business!" Kestrel snarled.

       "We both know that's a total lie and that you're only saying that because you know I'm right." Glow retorted.

       "I don't need a dragonet telling me how to do my job." Kestrel hissed. "Our job was to keep them alive!"

       "You do if you're bad at it." Glow quipped snippily. Kestrel glares daggers at Glow and she sat resolute. "Look where they are now – in the Sky Kingdom's prison! Great job keeping them alive, Kestrel, noble Talon of Peace." Kestrel scoffed and stomped over to the other side of the cell. "Oh, yeah! Real mature, Kestrel! Just drop the conversation when you know you're wrong!" Glow sneered. Kestrel merely turned away from her. Glow rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I'm going to try to sleep. Might as well get my rest early." Glow muttered begrudgingly. She moved over to the other side of the cell and curled up against the cold corner. Glow threw One-Eye a was she always like this? look. One-Eye responded with a nod. Glow shifted and tried her hardest to sleep, but without Frigga's chill, Corona's warmth, or the snoring of any of her friends, it was near impossible.

       The cell remained silent throughout the day. It was late afternoon and Glow still couldn't sleep, although she tried. Her thoughts were racing the whole day. What's Peril going to do when she fights Clay tomorrow? Will she fight him or will she refuse? And if she refuses, what does that mean for Kestrel and Glow? She thought of Corona. Was she alright up there by herself? She has Clay to talk to, at the very least. So that's a good thing. What about Kite? Was Evenstar keeping him company? Did Scarlet capture him already? Did she already hand Kite over to Cinnabar? She didn't want to think of the poor SkyWing being snatched by his mother after so many years after escaping from her. The poor little dragonet won't stand a chance in her talons. She then thought of Frigga. Where was she? Was she imprisoned somewhere? Was she closely guarded under the queen's orders?

       Lastly, she thought of Sunny. Her beautiful, shimmering, golden scales and forest-green eyes were dancing in her mind's eye. She thought of that small, kind, optimistic, mellow, and beautiful dragonet in the claws of Burn and shuddered. There's no way that brute is getting her bloody claws on Sunny if I have anything to say about it! Glow didn't have many moments alone (well, at least without her friends and anyone talking to her,) so being alone with her thoughts for an extended period of time was rather alarming and depressing. She especially didn't like how her progressing thoughts made her feel after so long, and especially how disturbing they were growing.

       When Kestrel interrupted the silence, even though Kestrel was the same as earlier, the interruption of her train of thought was incredibly welcome. "You know, what you did out there was stupid." Kestrel grumbled.

       Glow still felt like responding sarcastically. Not like with Corona; it wasn't fun or pleasant. "Thanks. Makes me feel so much better." She responded callously.

       "If you had just shut your mouth, you and your friends wouldn't be imprisoned." Kestrel went on. Glow hated that she was right. "But," Glow listened. "The look on Scarlet's face! I have never seen her so angry, it was hilarious!" Kestrel laughed a deep, loud, and raucous laugh. Glow turned her head towards her in surprise. "You've got guts. I haven't seen anyone say anything like that to Queen Scarlet and live."

       "Excuse me?" Glow said disbelievingly.

       Kestrel scoffed. "But I'd rather have a sentimental idiot like you standing up to Scarlet on Peril's behalf than myself. She'd have been better off with anyone else, but especially you." Glow was genuinely surprised. She has feelings other than unprovoked anger? "Those useless dragonets of destiny always have each other. As long as it stays that way, they'll stay alive."

       Glow shuffled closer to Kestrel. "So...you do care about them?" Glow asked tentatively. She didn't really believe it, but was intrigued to hear what Kestrel had to say.

       Kestrel huffed. "My job was to keep them alive, and that's what I've been doing. I couldn't care less about those ungrateful lizards." Glow rolled her eyes. Why did I expect anything else? Kestrel shuffled her claws uncomfortably. Glow glanced over at One-Eye who was asleep. She let out a sigh. She looked back over at Kestrel rubbing her scarred palms together. Raising them must have reminded her of her dead dragonets. It couldn't have been good for her to be essentially seeing ghosts of her own kin for six years. Glow suddenly understood a lot more than she initially did. She then kicked herself. It still doesn't excuse the way she treated them. She effectively took on the role of their mother, so she should've done better mother. I don't care if her only job was keeping them alive! She was still tasked with raising them, and she failed spectacularly!

       Glow decided to pull out the final thorn in her side about Kestrel. "Why did you try to kill Glory?" Glow asked.

       Kestrel tilted her head at her suspiciously. "How do you know about that?" She asked cautiously.

       "Clay told me." She lied. "It's probably the worst thing you've done to them, even though you didn't succeed."

       Kestrel nodded. "I never liked her." She began. "We needed a SkyWing in the prophecy, not a useless RainWing." She said bitterly. "But I didn't like that I had to do it." She blurted. "I was the only one with the guts to do it in the first place. Dune was indifferent and Webs was completely spineless through and through, so it had to be me. But that's only because I've killed a dragonet that way before." She said, looking down at her scarred palms. Her own. Glow thought grimly. "Besides, it was a direct order from the writer of the prophecy himself, so what choice did we have? Didn't help that she was just as lazy as I expected a RainWing to be." She added.

       "Stop." Glow said. Kestrel looked at her as if she had a mouse living in her ear. "What makes you think Glory is lazy? By the sounds of it, Glory worked harder than the others just to prove all of you good-for-nothing minders wrong." She started. "What makes you think that all RainWings are lazy? Not all SkyWings are grumpy, angry, and blood-hungry. Not all IceWings are pompous and obsessed with superiority and purity." She said, thinking of Frigga. "I could go on, but the point is Glory wasn't lazy. She's one of the best assets you have. You wanted 'wings of sky?' Well, you got 'wings of rain' instead." Glow spat. "And you know what? She's the best you're going to get."

       Kestrel glared at the stones between her forearms. Glow decided not to pry further. I don't know why I even bothered. She'll never change, or even admit that she was wrong. She wondered if she should tell her who she really was. Perhaps if she knew that the SkyWing dragonet of destiny was still alive, it would relieve some of the guilt from Kestrel's shoulders. She might not be alive for much longer. Maybe something good will come out of it. "Kestrel?" She prodded. Kestrel tilted her snout towards her curiously. "Do you want to know what really happened to the SkyWing of destiny?" Glow asked.

       Kestrel snorted. "I already know. Burn smashed it and killed Hvitur." She responded. "He and Asha were supposed to raise these useless lizards with us."

       Glow shook her head. "No, what really happened?" Glow asked again.

       Kestrel lifted her snout. "What could you possibly know that we don't?" She scoffed.

       Glow took in a deep breath. "Well, I'll tell you one thing – you're talking to her right now." She said clearly.

       Kestrel blinked a few times before scoffing. "Impossible. I saw the egg shatter myself. I held its eggshell in my talons that night next to Hvitur's body." She denied.

       Glow shook her head. "It's true. Hvitur was my master Frigga's brother. She saved my egg before it crashed in the mountains and she raised me." Glow explained. Kestrel turned to meet her gaze, disbelief matching the expression she wore when she discovered that Peril wasn't dead. "I hatched the night after, during the brightest night, and I've lived with my master ever since."

       Kestrel hit herself with her talon as if not believing she was awake. "But what about the egg shell? I held it in my talons. How do you explain that?" She said accusingly.

       "Frigga told me that she was transporting pottery when she saved my egg. She lost one of the pots on the way. It must have shattered." Glow replied.

       Kestrel was quiet for a few moments before she spoke again. "So you're alive." She whispered. "Those idiot dragonets are going to need you to make sure they don't get themselves killed."

       Glow rolled her eyes. "They're a lot smarter than you give them credit for. They'll be fine. They have each other. I'm worried about my friends." She looked outside at the late afternoon sky. "Maybe we should actually start getting some sleep. We'll need to be awake and ready tomorrow." Glow suggested.

       Kestrel nodded and shuffled back to her side wordlessly and yawned. She curled up, without saying a single thing to Glow. Nothing to say, hm? Glow went over to her side and curled up in the corner. Her eyelids felt heavier and she felt drowsier. Yet, somehow talking to Kestrel, she felt better.

       Glow awoke to the sound of...singing? She saw the night sky overhead and turned over to see Kestrel clasping her ears in annoyance. When she heard the song, she realized what it was. The Dragonets of Destiny bar song? She realized. Clay! She turned to Kestrel. "Quick! Sing along!" She ordered.

       Kestrel wrinkled her snout in disgust. "Ugh, I am not singing this stupid song! No thanks." She reeled.

       Glow grumbled. "Every voice counts!" She groaned. "If you care at all about the prophecy, then just do it! Is it really so hard?"

       Kestrel let out an annoyed groan. "Ugh, fine." She grumbled.

       When the war has lasted twenty years, the dragonets will come.

       They both began singing. Kestrel's voice was hoarse and gravelly and Glow's a smooth alto voice.

       When the land is soaked with blood and tears, the dragonets will come.

       Find the SeaWing egg of deepest blue, wings of night shall come to you.

       The largest egg on mountain high will bring to you the wings of sky.

       The dragonets are coming, they're coming to save the day.

       Loud and proud she sang. She sang her heart out, indirectly calling to Clay (and potentially some SkyWing guards,) and possibly Peril. 

       She wanted someone to hear her.

       They're coming to fight, for they know what's right, the dragonets hooray!

       For wings of earth, search through the mud for an egg the colour of dragon blood.

       And hidden alone from the rival queens, the SandWing egg awaits unseen.

       Of three queens who blister blaze and burn, two shall die and one shall learn

       If she bows to a fate that is stronger and higher, she'll have the power of wings of fire.

       The dragonets are coming, they're coming to save the day.

       One-Eye's proud baritone voice rang out along with the other prisoner's voices. She felt the same feeling of hope she did in the tavern with Peril that night. How enthusiastically the other dragons sang, how much hope there was in their voices. It made Glow feel like there was still a chance that things would turn out alright.

       They're coming to fight, for they know what's right, the dragonets.

       Five eggs to hatch on brightest night,

       Five dragons born to end the fight.

       Darkness will rise to bring the light.

       The dragonets are coming!

       The dragonets are coming, they're coming to save the day.

       They're coming to fight, for they know what's right, the dragonets.

       The dragonets are coming, they're coming to save the day.

       She felt a shot of flame blast above her cell skylight and jumped back in surprise. She heard a bellowing voice that definitely wasn't bratty enough to be Scarlet's. "Stop that infernal noise right now!" The voice roared. Glow felt anger and hatred bile up in her throat. Burn. That must be her. All the singing cut off immediately. The only light that was visible now were the torches all along the corridor. One-Eye's amused face was flickering in the torchlight and Glow couldn't help but smile at the former general.

       "You. And you. And – well, probably not you two, but get down here anyway." The distinct voice of Scarlet snarled. "And you two. Bring me the SkyWing dragonet from earlier in Kestrel's cell." She ordered.

       Glow felt birds fluttering in her heart. Yes! It worked! Thanks Clay. She turned abruptly to face Kestrel. "Alright, there's one last thing I need to tell you before they drag me out of here." Glow said. Kestrel let out a little mhmm with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you dare think that Glory isn't a dragonet of destiny now that you know I'm alive." Glow started. "You wanted five dragonets of destiny? Well now you have six – your 'wings of sky,' AND a perfectly good pair of 'wings of rain.' Alright?" Glow demanded.

       Kestrel snorted at her. "Just make sure they don't die." She grumbled.

       Glow nodded. She heard the SkyWing guards coming towards them down the hall. She turned back to Kestrel. "Oh, and Kestrel?" She added. "Thanks for keeping me company." She said, sarcasm lacing her dry tone.

       Kestrel scoffed. "Don't mention it. It's not like I had a choice." She said begrudgingly.

       The guards opened up the cell door and chained Glow's legs up again before leading her down the corridor to the outside. She was brought to a circle in front of Scarlet and a large SandWing that quite clearly fit the depiction of Burn in the scrolls Glow read, right down to the hideous scars on her face and one that twisted all along her neck and under her left wing. While she felt better now that she was seeing Corona and Clay again (and that she was formally meeting two out of five of the other dragonets,) she couldn't deny the feeling of rage and fury that was consuming her just by the mere presence of Burn, the most brutal and savage contender for the SandWing throne. This is the dragon that's killed thousands upon thousands just for fun. Seems like this is my lucky day.