"Get his body out of that arena!" Scarlett yelled to the SkyWing guards, angry that Grit didn't kill Cactus. "I guess this means I'll kill her myself... How not thrilling...'

SkyWings flew to Cactus's side, scooping his body up and carrying it away

"N-no..." Cactus barely whispered

NO!!! Don't take him away from me!!! You can't have Grit!! I won't let you have him! THREE MOONS!!! Why won't this blasted body move!?!?! Get up! Go save Grit!

Cactus moaned in pain, trying to pick herself up. She was too weak to pick herself up. From above, Scarlett glided from her balcony into the arena. The dragons in the stands were silent. Cactus watched helplessly as the SkyWing queen stepped forward for the killing blow, carefully avoiding the bloody clumps of sand.

"Well, SandWing." her voice echoed in the empty sky, "What an honor it will be to die by a queen's talons."

"NO!!!!!!!!" A voice roared in terror from the skies. Cactus turned her head to see a big, black dragon thrashing against his binds. Three SkyWing prisoners used their combined firepower to snap the binds on his legs, and Nameless threw himself from the spire, falling like a stone towards the arena, for he hadn't taken the time to free his wings.

Nameless slammed into the sands of the arena. He stood up as the cloud of dust he'd created upon impact settled. The NightWing shook the pain and dust from his hide.

"Don't lay a claw on her!" Nameless spat at the queen.

Dragons in the stands began to hiss and spit as they rose into the air, preparing to defend their queen and ally.

"Looks like you're outnumbered, NightWing!!" Scarlett laughed.

"Don't be too full of yourself, barely and excuse for a sobbing, withered hatchling who could never fight for herself!" Nameless roared, lunging for the SkyWing.

The NightWing tackled Scarlett into the sand and began furiously tearing at her underscales, while she howled in pain. Cactus watched the hundreds of dragons dive for Nameless.

"No!" She screeched, standing to her battle stance despite the unbearable pain all over. Cactus swiped her cracked barb at several dragons, as flashes of brown, orange, and sand whizzed past. She felt dizzy and her legs shook.

Cactus shook the weakness off and turned to face more dragons, landing flat on her back and curling her talons in, and sent herself spinning. Cactus felt many thumps against her tail and snout, and heard the screeching of many dragons. She welled up everything she had and spewed flames in all directions before slowing to a halt. Cactus looked around to see the Scarlett had Nameless pinned to the sand, a talon pressed into the NightWing's throat. The SandWing used her last bit of energy to send herself flying towards the SkyWing queen.

"Die you miserable scum!!" Cactus roared with all her might before tackling the queen, tearing at the wounds Nameless had made, and stabbing her barb wherever she felt scales. Scarlett screamed, howled, and thrashed at Cactus's grip.

"Let's get out of here!" Nameless yelled, prying Cactus from the queen and running as fast as he could to the other end of the arena, dragons of all kinds flying after him. Nameless skidded to a halt in the sand and threw Cactus out of the arena, she sailed over the edge of the sandy pit and began falling towards the ground. The last thing she saw being Nameless being swamped by the entire screeching SkyWing army.

SkyWings, MudWings, and SandWings poured over the arena's edge and flooded down the mountain after Cactus. Back on the mountain, Burn's voice could be heard over any other dragon's

"THEY'VE KILLED SCARLETT! MY ALLY!!! GET THEM, GET THEM NOW!!! I WANT TO SKIN THEM ALIVE MYSELF!!!!!!"

Cactus turned into a dive position, and her lack of wings gained momentum, the wind around her ripped at her open wounds and the SandWing held back screams of pain.

Behind her, a black dragon dove over the edge of the arena, shaking away Sky and SandWings.

"NAMELESS!!!" Cactus shouted to her friend, who was trying to rip the binds off of his wings as he fell.

Finally, the wires broke and floated away in the screaming wind. Nameless unfurled his great, starry wings and flapped as fast as he could towards Cactus, straining every muscle he had.

"CACTUS!!!" He shouted, "I'M COMING!!! HOLD ON!!"

The only thing saving Cactus from a painful crash into the ground, or worse, Burn's talons, was that big NightWing.

Eventually, the NightWing caught up. Nameless burst through the horde of dragons, batting them away before they could attack him. He stretched and strained his arm, trying to grasp Cactus' outreached talon. The two dragons reached for each other's talons.

"Grab ahold!!" Nameless shouted in panic, the ground was coming closer and closer each moment.

"I....can't....reach!!" Cactus tried to grab the NightWing, instead, shock and blood loss overwhelmed her. Her vision faded, and slipped into unconsciousness.