Eleven days. Scorpion had eleven days.

Unease tightening around her chest in a fit of flutters that tickled her already sore ribs. She needed to get those letters and find out who else was behind all this, and she couldn't do that while a whole continent away.

What Scorpion had to work with was already slim pickings that felt half torn apart by scavenging birds, and they weren't even back in her talons yet. Shudder had mentioned a different writing style, noticed by Blur, but there were no other names mentioned in the affair. The medical wing was silent, Scorpion wondering in her thoughts as the comforting warmth of sunshine washed over her scales, coloured in shimmering colours as sections filtered through painted glass that filled the slim archways in the curved room.

Scorpion's claws curled, talons digging into her palms.

"We set out in eleven days' time," Cactus' voice echoed. "By the time I get to the Glass Oasis, the escort party should've arrived. I'll send them back your way, and only then will the rest of you start to follow. If you don't hear back from me, or hear no word of their arrival, don't leave the palace."

The older princes' warning felt hot in the back of her mind. They were prepared for this to fail, expecting an ambush the second they stepped foot outside of the stronghold. Then there was the threat of war on the horizon that made the next dawn feel bleak, weighing Scorpion's down with a dragging sense of guilt.

Her tail lashed, barb dragging across the smooth yet gritty sandstone floor, trying to flick the fleeing away as it clung to her scales like an everlasting itch. Cactus, Ray, Fennec, Thorn, Scorpion, she repeated the order in her head. Glass Oasis, Rattle Ridge, Five-Tail River, Possibility, Claws of the Clouds Mountains, Tribeless Territory.

Scorpion shook out her wings, shifting them back into place with a snap.

The sharp scent of herbs stung her nose, slithering around her like invisible smoke. Wafting from the shelves that packed the walls, stuffed full of remedies, cures, and wrapped herbs. She peered down at her wirst, pale indents marked her skin like a double-layered bracelet of teeth marks. It wouldn't scar- Rattlesnake's enchantment helped with that- but it still left a mark of bitter resentment and betrayal.

Scorpion slamming Jackal down with a roar, Jackal's teeth clamped shut around her wrist, kicking up sharply into Scorpion's gut. Hot white fire exploded between her ribs as her sister's barb slammed into her side, stinger wedged between her ribs. Scorpion's vision darkened with a slash of stars that flashed through her eyes-! Her side flared up at the memory, Scorpion gritting her teeth as the wave started to pass in a blazing pulse. Even if all of Jackal's venom was gone, it still felt like something was creeping inside of her.

"Funnel?" Scorpion rasped.

The messenger's head perked up from across the room by some of the shelves where she'd been peering into varying bottles of all kinds of shapes and sizes. "Is everything alright?" Funnel asked, quickly striding closer, wincing at Scorpion's pained expression. "Definitely not alright- do you need me to get one of the healers?"

The two were alone in the room, being escorted back straight away once they were done in the Map Room. When they had gotten back, Tamba and Imbali were nowhere to be found, but the room smelt strongly of freshly collected herbs and cracked open fruits. The scent wafted from the shelves, packed full of different remedies and cures, their smells mixed in a thick aroma that wafted steadily around the room.

"No, I need you to get Rattlesnake." Scorpion shook her head, her wing pressed firmly against her side, the pressure digging into her side to muffle her healing sting that pulsed angrily under the bandages wrapped around her like a harness.

The SkyWing thought for a moment, then frowned. "Are you sure you don't want me to get Tamba or Imbali?"
"No, it's urgent. I don't want you wasting time looking for them."

Funnel nodded, but she still didn't look convinced. "What if I gave you something to help?" She glanced back towards the shelves, "I saw some primrose oil that should work. It helps reduce pain and any inflammation. I can just leave it out, if you want to use it."

Scorpion's eyes narrowed, scowling down at her talons. She shouldn't need it, but the ache in her side said otherwise. If I had fought better, I wouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place. It was a lie, she knew it was a lie, but she couldn't help but think that if she'd done something differently, then the outcome could've been better.

"Fine," grumbled Scorpion, "if you know what to look for."

"I do," the messenger reassured with a relieved smile.

She watched as Funnel moved quickly, scanning the shelves. She didn't anymore than a minute before she leaned back on her haunches, shuffling through a few bottles and pulling out a small vial with a happy chuff and a shuffle of her large sunset coloured wings. Snatching a small rag, Funnel briskly made her way back to Scorpion, holding up the vial with a grin.

"This should help," she says, reaching out to place the vial and the cloth on the table beside Scorpion's cot where the princess sat, arms resting on the old polished wood with only an empty candle dish to decorate it that looked almost as dark as the wood itself from age. "Just lightly dab it around where it hurts, but don't drink it."

Scorpion frowned at the vial, nudging it with a claw. "Where did you learn this?"

The vial was filled with a clear, yellow liquid that coated the sides like oil. The smell was both tangy and sweet, a mix between the sour smell of plant stems and the sweet scent of fruits, sugars, and petals. Scorpion's stomach tightened at the smell, hunger gnawing at her insides for the first time since she went down into the dungeons.

"A healer in Possibility named Tumbleweed. He helped my dad with some old injuries on his shoulders that always seemed to flare up," Funnel explained.

Scorpion nodded, satisfied. "Thank you, Funnel."

"Of course! Anything to help."

She snorted. "You can keep helping by fetching Rattlesnake for me," Scorpion chided lightly.

"Right!" Funnel practically leapt towards the door, "Is there anything I should say to her?"

"Just tell her I'm requesting her presence, and to remember her reports."

The messenger repeated Scorpion's request under her breath, nodding her head. "I'll be back with Rattlesnake, you highness." Funnel quickly bowed, and with one final glance, the SkyWing slipped through the door, Scorpion catching a glimpse of the royal guards sitting outside like watchful statues. The door shut with a heavy click that gently rattled the floor, no matter how lightly Funnel tried to close it, leaving Scorpion alone.

Her tail twitched, the itching feeling crawling back up along her spine, the feeling of being watched even alone in the room with sturdy brick walls and distorted stained glass to filter the windows. The sunlight continued to steak across the room, warming her shoulders like a comforting wing. It was going to be a lot colder in the Summer Palace, her mind quipped.

The palace was pretty, shimmering under a constant coat of water and moisture. Surrounded by rock walls and a lush overhanging canopy to conceal it, the palace was buried away within one of the many islands in the Bay of a Thousand Scales, with a towering spire of pools and waterfalls. Even with the fond memories of chasing Thorn, Sapphire, and Ray throughout the shallow pools, it wasn't home. It was too clean, not a speck of sand gritting the smooth and polished floor that was constantly wet and slippery, cold beneath her talons. The rushing of water filling the air with a constant buzz, the falls mist making the air humid yet cold. A chill that seemed to cling to her scales.

If I can find out who else is behind all this, we won't have to leave. Scorpion looked back down at her wirst, talons resting near the vial. Scorpion just didn't have time to play sick patient, she needed to solve this now. She just had to wait for Rattlesnake.

"YOU'RE PATHETIC!"

Scorpion slamming Jackal down with a roar, her sister's teeth clamped shut around her wrist, kicking up sharply into Scorpion's gut. Scorpion reared with a roar, hot white fire exploding between her ribs as her sister's barb slammed into her side, stinger wedged between her ribs.

Scorpion screwed her eyes shut, pushing away the memory, shaking her head as her ears pinned. The golden studs dug into the base of her horns from how hard she pinned them back. Scorpion gritted her teeth, talons growing tense. "I thought you were supposed to be the strong one, Scorpion. The Fighter!" Jackal's snarling voice taunted, hissing in the back of her mind like the echo of a dragonbite viper. She opened her eyes, glaring down at her claws that glinted dangerously in the tinted sunlight that warmed her tense palms.

She could feel the railing of her heartbeat as it slammed against her ribs, pulsing through every inch of her body like a numbing throb, sending flashes of heat through to the tops of her ears. As her talons curled, claws pricking her skin, she could feel her pulse strongly beneath the surface as if she was pressing against her chest where her heart was nestled away surrounded by a sturdy cage of bone. Scorpion forced her talons to relax, watching them unfurl like waking tarantulas.

"Dead, you're supposed to be dead! YOU'RE MEANT TO BE DEAD! YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!"

But I'm not, she scowled. I'm still here.

Scorpion replayed the fight over in her mind again, and again, and again, feeling her heartbeat pick up inside of her chest, racing like she was there, back in the arena all over again. She couldn't stop reliving the moment where Jackal had her pinned, Scorpion kicking sharply into her sister's gut and sending her soaring overhead while she lashed out blindly with her talons, snagging on the skin of her neck instead of her face. Maybe if things had gone differently, Jackal would still be here, locked away down in the dungeons alongside the countless IceWing prisoners held hostage within the stronghold's foundations and Camel wouldn't be threatening war against Queen Iceberg.

She was going to kill me whether I did anything or not, I just stopped her before she could get to anybody else. Yet she still felt an infuriating amount of guilt continued to swell inside of her, threatening to expel any food she'd been able to force down earlier that morning.

Jackal wouldn't work with another queen, it was too risky. Pyrrhia's been at peace for over twenty-three years since Beetle's death, and the only Queen Scorpion could see willingly aiding a princess in overthrowing her mother and slaughtering her family was Amber, but that was only if the SkyWing was offered the right price.

Shudder said they were only offered three percent of the royal treasury.

To the SkyWing Queen, it would've been nothing when she could swindle and bargain for more, she was horribly good at working more treasure into her talons. But then again, it could've been what was only offered to the pair of IceWings, not the other accomplice.

She felt torn, her mind shredding itself up in a fit of rage as she grasped at straws. She swore she had the answers, but they were just out of her reach and each passing second felt like danger was creeping closer, waiting to strike, the longer it took for her to figure it out. Scorpion's ears strained, buzzing as they desperately tried to hear something that wasn't there, searching and coming up empty with relief, disappointment, and unrest.

Her tail twitched, barb knocking against the floor, snapping Scorpion back to the present and out from the iron-grip of her mind. She looked at the vial, staring as the glistening oil reflected the sunlight, heightening its reflection across the table like a streak of shifting gold that sparkled and gleamed, like the sun itself was dancing across the old wood...

It looked like Sundance's scales.

Sundance flashed before her eyes, making her heart stutter painfully inside her chest. I'm sorry, her sister's smiling face disappeared with a blink. If maybe she'd been faster- no, Scorpion shook her head. There wasn't anything she could've done for Tarantula and Sundance, yet the guilt of the bitter resentment she felt that morning when neither of them showed up to the celebration still made it hurt. Scorpion couldn't have known, yet it still hurt.

CREEEEEEEEEEEAKKKK!

Scorpion's ears perked, shooting up as her head snapped over her shoulder, a snarl pulling at her lips as her heart spiked, the image of an assassin flashing through her mind. WHO-! Oh, She blinked. Vulture stood in the doorway, a guard by her side as the armoured SandWIng held open the door, her head dipped down. The older princess gave Scorpion a strangely timid look, nodding to the guard as she passed. Once Vulture was inside, the guard tipped her head a final time before closing the door, leaving the two alone.

"Did I startle you?"

"No," Scorpion answered all too quickly, shuffling her wings in embarrassment.

Vulture chuffed. "Of course I didn't," she could hear her sister's sarcasm from a kingdom away. Scorpion gave Vulture a flat look,"nothing scares you." The older princess stepped closer, moving to sit by Scorpion as the two princesses faced the small table and the tall stained glass window that stretched up above them. "How's the talon?"

"Better," Scorpion flexed the limb, muscles tensing under her scales. "Twisting does it no good though, or walking."

"You'll get there," she nodded approvingly, looking up at the glass window. "Things take time to heal."

"They take too long."

Vulture glanced at her from the corner of her eye, Scorpion staring down at her claws. "Places to be?"

"Things to do."

Vulture hummed.

Scorpion pried her gaze away from her talons, looking at Vulture. The stoic SandWing was the tamest of the eight princesses, preferring to keep to herself but it never stopped her from spending time with the rest of their family. Vulture and Cactus were a tightly knit pair, yet they were as different as the north and south coasts of Pyrrhia. She was wise beyond her years, and was there whenever anyone needed her, sometimes more than Camel. Vulture was always first to step in when Camel couldn't be there for them. Even if Scorpion rivaled the heir apparent in height, the two sisters nearly eye to eye, Scorpion still felt small. Sitting here with Vulture, it felt like something was missing, like there was supposed to be something- or someone- here with them, supporting Scorpion on her other side.

Yet the two sat in silence, alone.

"Do you remember that time you came running to my room during that nasty sandstorm?" Vulture suddenly asked.

Scorpion blinked, puzzled. "Yeah," she said slowly. "I do."

Scorpion couldn't have been older than two when it happened, but she remembered how terrified she had been that night, racing through the stronghold's dark corridors that felt like an endless maze of terror as the wind hurtled sand and debris against the boarded windows, making them rattle deafeningly as the wind howled and shrieked. Scorpion stayed with Vulture that night, huddled in her room in a nest of blankets and flanked on either side by Vulture and-... Scorpion's mind went blank. She knew someone else was there, but she couldn't put her claw on it.

"Hey Ve?"

"Hm?"

Two voices whispered quietly above her head, Scorpion snout buried within the soft blankets. Thunder rolling overhead with the hissing of hurtling sands. The two SandWings continued to gently whisper, a soft white noise compared to the rumbling world outside the sturdy walls.

"Remember how I told you that you could tell me anything?" Vulture went on, eyes trailing the stained glass, following the melted lines of gold holding the piece together. "It was the first time you admitted to being scared about anything," she smiled, "never admitted to being scared of anything since."

" 'Cause I'm not scared of anything," Scorpion snorted, flicking her ear.

"Everyone's afraid of something, nobody is truly fearless." Vulture turned from the window. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Scorpion froze, her blood going cold.

"It was a SandWing and they stung you. I was in the throne room when Tamba gave his report to Camel, she didn't believe him- nor Imbali. She's convinced it's the IceWings and refuses to listen to reason. I don't want to scare you, but I need to know who attacked you."

I'm not scared, the hammering inside of Scorpion's chest said otherwise. Her talons clenched, claws digging into the still healing teeth indents that marked her wrist. "It's being taken care of," was all she could say.

"By who? Scorpion, who is taking care of this? Camel sure isn't."

Scorpion scowled. "Does it matter who-!"

"It does! Scorpion, I'm trying to protect you, to help you-"

"I don't need protection!" She shot up from her seat. "I've been doing that just fine on my own-!"

Knock Knock Knock!

Scorpion and Vulture jolted at the sound, heads snapping towards the door as their argument sizzled out. "Your highnesses?" Came from the door, the large hinges groaning loudly as it opened. A royal guard stood in the doorway, peering in before straightening himself, awkwardly glancing between the two tense sisters. "My deepest apologies, your highnesses for the intrusion, but her majesty is requesting your presence in the throne room, Princess Vulture."

Now it was Vulture's turn to scowl, wings shuffling dismissively. "Tell her I'm busy."

The royal guard blinked in surprise, gaze wavering uneasily. "My apologies, but the queen is insistent on your appearance, along with Prince Major Cactus. A matter of...urgency." He winced. The Queens angry, was left unsaid, but still loud and clear.

Vulture's scowl deepend, brows pinching as she stared at the poor guard, steadily shifting to a frown as she regained her composure with a sign. "I'll be there in a moment," Vulture said slowly, "I just need a minute to finish." The guard was quick to nod, dipping his head as he quickly slipped back out of the room, the tense air sealed by the door.

Scorpion's heart continued to rail against her ribs, sending tremors throughout her body and she felt her own pulse race up and down along her sail and throughout her wings, Scorpion's ears flashing warmly. The princess narrowed her eyes, brow tightly pinched as she stared down at the table, trying to ignore the burn that trickled along the back of her neck and washing over her enchanted scale from Vulture's gaze. The room was quiet, and Scorpion didn't like the silence. It only allowed her mind to grow into an ugly storm of flashing memories, nothing to drown it out.

"Scorpion, if you're scared-"

"I'm not scared," she snarled, tail twitching to the drumming of her heart. "I'm fine." Scorpion could see the bottom of her sister's chin from her lowered gaze, Vulture's frown tightening, pulling on Scorpion's heartstrings and dripping with a sense of angered dread. "Everything's going to be fine." She didn't know if she was trying to convince Vulture, or herself.

Vulture shook her head. "I'm supposed to be the one telling you that, you stubborn stinger," she smiled sadly, but when it didn't pass along to Scorpion, the older princess frowned again. "You're not one to lie, Scorpion, you're better than that," Vulture pressed. "Why won't you tell me who did this to you?"

Scorpion's jaws clamped shut, muscles twitching as pain ached deep within her chest, nipping at the back of her mind. She was a lair, Scorpion had been lying to all of them about everything since Blur and Shudder ambushed her and Sapphire, and when she got her talons on the young IceWing, it only got worse until she had spun herself a constricting web that pulled on her like puppet strings. Guilt bubbled, pushing up against the back of her throat like bile, but Scorpion still refused to say a word.

She couldn't.

Vulture stood, shifting her wings. "I'll come visit as soon as I'm finished," she promised.

Scorpion could only listen as she stared down at her talons, pressed firmly against the tabletop, as Vulture let herself out of the room. She could feel her sister glance back, her gaze racing up along her sail before Scorpion heard the door click shut a final time. The SandWing glared down at her talons with a strained sigh, her side slowly flaring back to life through steady, angry pulses and surged through her body in waves.

"You're not the kind of princess to sit around and do nothing while everyone else does the dirty work for you, you're normal, you'd rather get your talons dirty before anyone else," Rattlesnake's voice sang in her ear.

She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, her heart fluttering madly and tickling her aching ribs. I'm not scared, she shook her head, I'm not scared. Her heart continued to hammer, tail feeling both numb and twitchy, the rest of her itching to do something as she stayed firmly planted. Scorpion opened her eyes, letting out the breath she'd been holding, watching the stressful smoke swirl in thin wisps into the air around her nose ring.

Eleven days, Scorpion strained her shoulders, claws digging into the cotside tabletop as her gaze shifted to the stained glass window, eyes tracing the welded gold that held together the piece of two SandWing's tangled in battle with venom spreading through their veins, one holding a brightsting cactus surrounded by a golden ring of light that chased the venom from their body, changing the tide of the fight into their favour.

Eleven days.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Scorpion glared down at the lettered spread out across the cots nightstand around the now empty vial of primrose oil still in its cloth nest. The sun was lowering itself off in the horizon, the sun now reaching through the stained glass windows full force, painting the room in burning yellows and vibrant colours that warmed the room with a tingling heat that made Scorpion's scales ripple. Rattlesnake stood by her side, the grey animus SandWing peering over her shoulder at the letters, her slim black eyes narrowed at the dried papers that crinkled and rustled stiffly with each shift.

There are six targets you'll be removing by 5001 AS, that should give you plenty of time to get it done if you're competent enough to not get yourselves caught, read the first letter held in Scorpion's palm. I want a specific three gone by the full moon's celebration, preferably before their ninth hatching day. Take out the youngest first, she will be the most troublesome to deal with otherwise. The other two will fall right into any trap you lay out once she's taken care of.

Putting it down with the rest, she plucked another that was a small slip of crusted paper with blue stains dotting the edges, scribed across it was a single line: Meet at the Glass Oasis for further instructions, specifics will be discussed then.

Scorpion frowned, scowl deepening as she moved onto the next, glaring at the sharp writing in shimmering black ink. I said I wanted them gone BY the full moon's celebration! If I don't have three dead dragons after it's finished, the deal's off.

Short and bitter.

Scorpion could practically hear Jackal's voice snarling in her ear as she read the words. She put the page down, a forced breath slipping through her clamped teeth.

"It's obvious which ones Jackal wrote," Scorpion said.

Rattlesnake raised a brow.

Congratulations for your first successful hit, it makes up for the failure on the triplets, but not your sightings. Lay low for a few days, but Scorpion needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. She will only be a future problem from now on, she's not one to simply leave things to the royal guard. Once she is taken care of, go through the rest of the listed names. Remember the last two are to be realistic, but not fatal, they're needed alive. After the first non-fatal attack, await further instructions, and do not move further along the list.

Scorpion, Ray and Thorn, Cactus, Sundance, Quicksand, Vulture, King Ringtail, Jackal, and Sandstorm. Her eyes lingered on the line of writing, glancing over the names again.

It's like reading a death sentence.

She frowned, glancing over the names again.

"Find something?" Asked Rattlesnake.

She raised a brow as Scorpion handed the letter off to her, reading it through narrowed eyes.

"Fennec's not listed, and the last two weren't supposed to be fatal."

Rattlesnake read the note, humming in thought with a frown. While she looked through the scripture, Scorpion moved onto the final note that laid motionless on the small table.

Prince-consort Dusk is being held within the stronghold, he is to be taken care of with Quicksand. The palace will be on lockdown until further notice. Await for further instructions.

Then that was it, no more letters. Whoever else was involved with Jackal and the assassins had some way to get information about what was going on with the royal family. They could've just been getting it from Jackal, but something just didn't feel right.

And why did Jackal stop writing her own letters? Scorpion rubbed at her eyes, pinching the bridge of her snout as her poorly muffled sigh filled the room. Scoprion's mind was full of numbing static that made her head feel fuzzy as if stuffed with cotton, wordless questions buzzing around like an endless echo that only made her heart race in frustration. Dragging her talons down her face, claws fiddling with the ring on her nose as she stared down at the letters.

"They were in a rush to get me. They knew I was going to be a problem for them from the start."

"You're not one to just sit down and have things done for you. You'd get in their way more alive than dead."

"Getting rid of me first means they would've had a clear path to go after Ray and Thorn."

The image hurt to think about. If Scorpion had died that day, Sapphire either hidden away within the oasis or dead herself, Thorn might've wandered back to see what was taking them so long. He would've fallen right into their trap. Ray- and maybe even Roadrunner- would've gone in search for them next. Meeting the very fate of the last two royals, and the other two before that night. Scorpion shook her head, pulling herself back into focus.

"Jackal's listed to be attacked, not killed, along with Sandstorm, but I don't think she put herself there."

"What makes you think that?" Asked Rattlesnake. "It's a good cover up, especially if she's not the only one who gets ambushed and 'makes it out alive'."

"But it's not Jackal's style of doing things," she shook her head, "she's not one to get herself dirty unless it's a last resort."

Scorpion couldn't help but think back to the fight in the colosseum: the desperation in Jackal's eyes as she attacked, trying to stop her lies from being unraveled before her. Why would she willingly put herself in harm's way near the very end, when all she'd have to deal with was Sandstorm, Fennec, and Camel? As much as she hated to admit it, it was a good cover-up, but it just didn't fit the Jackal Scorpion knew for nine years. The princess who always tried to get others to do things for her, even in murdering her own sisters, wouldn't just put herself at the edge of the blade to put on a dangerous and bloody show that was meant to be as realistic as possible but not fatal.

"If she wanted to use it as a way to cover her tracks, she'd put herself up closer in the lineup," Rattlesnake pointed out. "It would make it look like Shudder and Blur just got lucky with the first attacks before Camel had the chance to lockdown the palace. Being near the end is pointless."

She nodded in agreement. "And being hurt like this, she'd be holed up in the medical wing like I was, but probably worse-"

"It wouldn't fit her timeline,"  Rattlesnake's eyes gleamed at the realization.

Scorpion nodded again with a hum. "So none of this-" she motioned to the table of letters- "makes any logical sense."

"It's almost as if a backstabber was getting backstabbed."

She paused, startled. Scorpion turned to her, "say that again?"

Rattlesnake blinked, quirking a brow. "What? A backstabber being backstabbed?"

A backstabber getting backstabbed, Scorpion looked back to the pages, the gears in her mind turning. The instructions, the fake attacks pushed near the end of the list, a missing name, and letters stating to wait for further instructions after Jackal's hit. It was all just a ploy. The last piece of the puzzle wasn't outside of the palace, it was inside. Now that she thought of it, it was all Scorpion could see.

"We're leaving? Why? Why are we leaving?! We're safe here! We don't need to leave!"

Rattlesnake had turned back to the letters, pulling them closer as she read over them again, her face pulled in a frown, unaware of Scorpion's mind spinning with dread. "Is there anyone you know who's close with-"

"I think I know who did it."

Rattlesnake snapping around, blinking owlishly in surprise. She put the letters down, "who-"

"Fennec did it," she breathed. "Her name's not on the list, but Sandstorm's is. She could've put their names down to be attacked to convince Jackal it was a good back up plan, but stop Shudder and Blur before they hurt Sandstorm. Fennec was planning to betray Jackal the whole time, but she's not strong enough to take her out on her own, so instead she uses the IceWings to make her weak enough to deal with while keeping Sandstorm out of it."

"But why would she want to keep her sister alive if she's plotting to kill everyone else?"

"Fennec loves her sister, she would never hurt her." Scorpion pictures the terrified princess as she seeked her hatchmate for comfort while they were locked away within the throne room after the first attack, how pure panic slipped into her voice when she was told they were leaving for the Summer Palace in eleven days. Was the terror all just an act? Did Fennec not want them to leave, not because they'd be away from home, but it would be harder for her two assassins to reach them out in the Kingdom of Sea?

Rattlesnake spoke up, "she doesn't seem like the type to come up with these things."

"Well neither did Jackal, yet here we are." She snapped. "Everything points to her, Rattlesnake."

There was a beat of silence.

"Are you sure?" Asked Rattlesnake.

I have to be. "I'm sure."

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

"Are you sure it's fine for her to be running around like that?"

"Better than her trying to do it in the arena, but sure, you try stopping her. Tell me how it goes."

Scorpion snorted, teeth grinding as she pushed herself to go faster. Her body stretched with each stride, her side aching in a steady burn that only encouraged her to keep going. Each thud of her talons pounding into the sandstone floor sending tremors shocking through her shoulders. The steady thumping of her pendant pounding against her chest, dancing along to the drumming of her heartbeat that roared in her ears against the heaving of her own laboured breaths. Scorpion raced through the airy hallways surrounding the courtyard, Thorn and Ray watching from the pavilion with a dish of sliced fruits shared between them.

Thorn tossed another into his mouth, watching his sister as she charged past. "Let her get it out of her."

"Oh, so now you're for breaking the rules." Ray scoffed.

In the six days that followed Scorpion and Rattlesnake figuring out who else was involved with the attempted murders, the princess had been advised by the animus to focus on healing first, before dealing with her sister. Scorpion hated it, but she could feel how it was starting to pay off. Scorpion had been released from the medical wing by the pair of healers after a few more days of being cooped up, only really being let out once she'd walked back and forth across the room for Imbali to show she could walk on her own again- even if she was gritting her teeth the whole time. Tamba didn't look convinced that she should go, but eventually the grumpy SandWing had given in under the condition that she'd come in daily each morning for a check-in to keep track of her side's recovery.

"It's healing well enough," Tamba said after peering and gently poking at the healing tissue around her sting, and now gently wrapping it back up with skilled ease. "It's definitely one of the fastest recovery cases for a sting."

Scorpion tried not to think about it too much, as Rattlesnake said it would be nearly impossible for any untrained eye to tell the difference between her enchanted scale and her regular scales, but Tamba's suspicious look had engraved itself into the back of her mind. It was clear he found something odd about her recovery, but spoke nothing of it directly.

She shook her head, I have to trust Rattlesnake, she said it only sticks out to us because we know what to look for. Tamba doesn't. Still, it didn't help to soothe the unease that coiled tightly in her gut. Scorpion stretched her arms out farther, stretching her studies as if to run from the feeling that pricked up her back.

"Maybe you should slow down," Ray called over his shoulder, timing it as Scorpion raced behind them, skidding around the corner and dashing down the open corridor. "Don't want Tamba dragging you back to the medical wing and strapping you to a cot! Or worse, Cactus putting you on bed rest 'till we leave!"

The peachy coloured prince turned to his brother, muttering a quiet "how hasn't she been caught yet?" that barely reached her ears over her breathing that stuttered heavily with each step.

Scorpion kept going. The sun was at its peak in the sky, rays hissing loudly in a soothing white noise that served as a timer for the resting kingdom. Every dragon would be cooling off in the shade by now, sipping on drinks or snuffing their appetite while they waited for the sun to start dipping back down to soothe the burning heat. It let the corridors she raced within shroud themselves in cool shade that gave the gritty floors a slight- but welcoming- chill that seeped through the palms of her talons as she raced, blowing off the steam that had built up from her time cooped in the medical wing.

There was a light burn that steadily stretched from her wrapped side, still laced in soft bandages that painted the underside of her right wing a pale white. Her wrist ached dully, but it didn't stop her. Rattlesnake's enchantment sped up Scorpion's healing tremendously once the wounds finished stitching themselves shut at an agonizingly slow pace, allowing the magic to swiftly guide the healing process away from prying eyes beneath the surface of the scarring tissue. Scorpion's side was taking longer to heal, even with the aid of animus magic, but now that the surface had sealed over, she could feel her body regaining its strength.

"Okay- Scorpion!" She pricked her ears, slowing her pacing as she swiftly came around the corner, ribs burning was each breath. Thorn plopped another piece of cactus fruit on his tongue as Ray leaned over the railing of the shaded pavilion, keeping his folded arms in the shade. "You're gonna get caught in like, ten minutes."

She raised a brow, huffing heavily through her flared nose.

"A patrol passes by soon. You're gonna get in trouble for breaking the rules, and personal rules for you."

"Since when do you follow rules?" She challenged, picking up the pace again.

"Hey! No, no no no no- Scorpion- Scorpion! Scorpion, stop being stubborn!"

"I am not being stubborn-!"

"You are!"

Thorn snorted, eating another piece of fruit as Ray called after her.

Scorpion trotted back into a swift pace, slower than before, but it still gave off a welcoming burn. After not being able to move around on her own without help or struggling and hissing in pain, Scorpion felt drained yet overcharged at the same time. Her body was still tender and sore, but filled with untouched energy that made her talons tingle with the itch to move. She shot Ray a look, raising a brow snarkily to say see? I've slown down, happy?

The prince snorted, rolling his eyes as he turned back to the half empty fruit dish between him and Thorn.

Five days till we leave, Scorpion puffed heavily, keeping her pace.

She took a glance towards her brothers. They'd be leaving before her, before Fennec. Scorpion would be the last to leave the stronghold, to try and give her injuries as much time as possible to heal before the journey. The thought of them all being alone with Fennec away from the kingdom made her sail stiffen, but it also brought a sense of relief. She'd be away from everyone else, and Scorpion would be there to protect Thorn and Ray. I doubt Fennec would dare try taking Cactus on her own now that she has no assassins or partners to turn to. After a few more laps, Scorpion began to slow to a steady walk. Coming up to the opening in the rail lining the hall surrounding the courtyard, the other two triplets turned her way.

Thorn asked, "finally tuckered yourself out?"

"Close," Scorpion huffed, stepping into the blazing sun that sizzled along her back until she slipped back into the cool shade casted by the small pavilion. Thorn held out a piece of fruit as she came and sat down, taking it from his talons and plopping it into her mouth, the cactus fruit's juices slipping across her tongue in a refreshing wave.

"You shouldn't be pushing yourself like that," Ray scolded, "you were just released and soon enough you'll just be locked back up again if Tamba catches you."

"But not Imbali." The other healer wouldn't be as harsh as her wingmate, but Scorpion would still expect a light scolding from the medic if she caught her racing around the atrium.

"Scorpion, you need to give yourself a break. You haven't stopped once since-"

"Since our hatching day?"

Ray's argument stopped and he looked away, ears pinning back in shame.

Scorpion wilted at her own remark. None of them had really been the same since the attack, and when they were, those instances were few and far between. Ray was right though, Scorpion hadn't given herself a break since all this started. She'd been up and constantly on the move, trying to push her healing body to its limits until it eventually caught up with her and forced her to sit back and watch the world go by without her from the confines of the medical wing. She knew her body needed the rest, but she just couldn't let herself sit still and do nothing, she couldn't just sit around and play weeping princess or healing patient.

Not with Fennec still around, she told herself with a grounding breath.

Scorpion had yet to run into the pale golden SandWing after she got her claws on those letters. The whole stronghold was filled with the crowned royal guard at every turn, and Scorpion hardly even caught a glimpse of anybody from her family aside from barbed tails slipping away around corners. She knew her sister was in here somewhere, lurking deep within the palace walls, hiding away. It was both relieving and terrifying to know that Fennec was keeping her distance one way or another.

She couldn't possibly know what I'm onto her, Scorpion thought anxiously, reaching out to take another slice of cactus fruit, the cold wedge pinched in her talons. Maybe she's just piecing together that I know. But if offered her no relief, no piece of mind that she wouldn't try something while they waited for the SeaWing escort to arrive and the Glass Oasis.

At least Thorn will be gone before she will.

She thought back to Cactus' plan to get them out of the Kingdom of Sand unseen. It felt both dangerous and stupid, to split apart like that for so long, but she had to admit it was also smart. Splitting them up into smaller groups would draw in less unwanted attention and would buy them time to regroup and get as far into tribeless territory as they could before their disappearance was noticed, if at all. Cactus meant for it to mislead the assassins, but with them locked away or dead, and Fennec herself on the journey, it felt pointless. But Fennec could have more dragons working with her, assassins drawn in for the money and willing to take the risk.

If she does, then keeping this all a secret is pointless! She could just be sending out messages from the inside and they could already be preparing for our departure, waiting to pick us off one by one before we even reach the SeaWing escort.

Scorpion's heart leaped into her throat, beating madly at the thought of Fennec being two steps ahead, but she had to draw herself back in, taking a breath.

Maybe Fennec still thinks Shudder's on the down low, she tried to reason with herself, she'd know for certain Blur is dead, but no dragon knows about Shudder yet. Everyone still thinks he's out there somewhere.

Scorpion pictured the enchanted IceWing, trapped within his new SandWing body that was somewhere within the palace, hidden away in plain sight under Rattlesnake's watch. It gave her a small sense of victory, a clash won in the face of war. All Scorpion had to do was play her scales right. Once they were at the Summer Palace, far away from the rest of their family, Scorpion could go to Pearl, anybody in the SeaWing royal family.

Would they believe her? The same sense of dread washed over her again, Scorpion pushing it down with a swallow. They have to believe me, Camel will listen to Pearl, and Pearl would listen to me. It had to work, it has to.

"I'm sorry Scorpion," Thorn's voice snapped her from her thoughts, blinking in surprise as her hatchmate droned on, "I'm stressed, and scared, and want to follow the rules to keep us all safe. You were already hurt twice and I don't want you to get hurt again."

Ray snapped around back at Thorn, gaping in confused shock.

Scorpion looking between the two, confused. "Thorn, what are you-"

"I'm sorry Thorn," their brother continued, waving a talon to Ray and ignoring her annoyed huff, "I'm too stubborn and stressed to listen to other dragons, especially about my own wellbeing-" Scorpion felt the jab before Thorn sent her the glare- "but my way of dealing with things is to wall every dragon out and fix it myself."

Scorpion blinked, "is he...?"

"Yup," Ray scoffed.

Thorn raised a brow, giving them both a suggestive look. Ray groaned, Scorpion shaking her head with a sigh. Feeling like dragonets scolded by their parents, the two turned to one another. "Apology accepted," Scorpion and Ray said in unison, practiced time and time again.

"Good," Thorn ignored their cheeky delivery, reaching to take one of the last two pieces of sliced cactus fruit from the near empty dish. "Now see? All better."

Scorpion reached to take the last, only to have it snatched up by Ray. She looked up with a glare, and Ray met it with a cheeky grin in turn.

"For emotional damages," he held up the fruit.

"How about for physical damages," she grunted with a swipe of her talons, Ray ducking out of the way with a bark in protest.

I can deal with everything later, Scorpion soothed herself, trying to reach over to table after Ray who leaned further out of reach, ignoring the complaints from Thorn who shifted out of her way with a flick of his wings. For now, I can just enjoy being here, with them.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

The halls were cold, quiet, and empty. Dark, looming shadows stretched across the floor, pierced by chilling moonlight that made the dust in the air shimmer as the particles fluttered lazily. Scorpion stood at the end of the corridor, staring out into the endless hall that seemed to stretch far beyond her reach. She could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest, pulsing in the back of her throat and pumping through her arms, but she could not hear it. The memorial hall stretched out before her, staring back in cold, dead, empty silence.

Scorpion could make out the faint silhouettes of painted SandWings long since dead, plaques gleaming in the moonlight hauntingly. A thin layer of sand and dust sprinkled the floor, tiny grains pressed sharply into her palms as she crept slowly down the corridor, each step sounding like crunching glass breaking beneath her talons. Her eyes flickered over the faded faces of a hundred SandWings that stared back at her, their lifeless eyes shining dully, as if they were real. Shimmering blacks replaced with pale, dead greys, pupils blown wide and resting lifelessly in their painted sockets.

Past Queens and kings, princesses, princes, and consorts. Dragonets whose faces were lost to time, the paint starting the peel from their decaying canvases. Frames of gold decorated in jewels coated in a thick layer of dust and sand. Abandoned webs staining the corners of their carved frames, torn edges flowing wispily in the chilling breeze that felt like dead talons lazily dragging along her spine. Stained glass windows were shattered, pieces of coloured glass scattered around the floor, broken long ago, wind blowing through the sharp openings with haunting groans and hisses. Torch posts nailed into the sturdy walls laid dormant in a thick layer of dust, some empty and others with torches long extinguished with the remains of soot coating their tops, all that was left of the flames that once burned proudly from their perches.

A nervous prickling ran along her sail, making her scales itch as she slowly crept. Some logical part of her mind kept screaming, shouting for her to turn back, but it was distant, a nagging feeling that made her heart hammer and her wings stiffen. She forced her breath out heavily, smoke curling- thought it looked more like mist or frost in the lifeless corridor shrouded in blues and silvers of night. The air was crisp in Scorpion's lungs, musty with dirt and settled dust, in the streaks of moonlight some of the settlement stirred, floating in the air like tiny silver orbs.

The abandoned stronghold made her heart pound, the sight of all the paintings staring into nothing with their dull eyes making her tail twitch with nerves, her barb hanging over her back with unease. Scorpion, about to call out, froze. Her voice died in her throat, cold chills running along her spine as she stared down the hall.

Staggering from around the corner was a silhouette. The SandWing's head held down, almost limp, their jaws parted in a soundless gag as fluid dripped in thick ribbons from their chin, trailing across the floor. They stopped, heaving breathlessly, their head snapping in Scorpion's direction and she couldn't suppress her body's flinch.

"Dead..." the staggering dragon groaned, her voice raspy and hollow, gasping for breath. "You're supposed-" she broke out into hacking coughs, heaving so heavily Scorpion could feel bile rise in the back of her throat- "to be dead!"

"Stay away from me!" Scorpion heard herself snarl, backing up as the figure lurched forwards, stumbling towards her. "Stay back-!"

The SandWing rushed forwards, racing down the hall faster than Scorpion could comprehend before Jackal's face filled her vision, sharp black eyes wide and glistening with danger and vengeance. Talons outstretched and jaws parted in a gut wrenching roar. Scorpion moved with the tackle, her sister slamming into her front as she reared back, falling to the ground and swinging with the motion and striking out with her hind talons in a heavy kick. Jackal was tossed overhead, Scorpion rolling with the bounce and launching onto her feet with a snarl that vanished just as quickly.

"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU!" Sundance cried, right in Scorpion's face and forcing her to step back. "IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU!"

Scorpion staggered back, nearly tripping over her own tail as Sundance stalked after her, screaming "IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU!" over and over again, making her ears ring hauntingly.

Sundance's face was pale, her once shimmering golden scales dull to match her weeping eyes that teared furiously. The gaping wound across her throat had long since bled dry, tattered skin and scales stained red, the flesh pale and dry. Even with her throat torn to shreds, she continued to scream, looming over her. Hanging from her neck was a dusted golden chain, carrying a small plaque, the words PRINCESS SUNDANCE 4983-4999 AS engraved into the dusty gold.

The golden SandWing grabbed her hanging plaque, shaking it with a furious howl. "THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU!"

NO! She wanted to cry, It wasn't! I couldn't do anything! It wasn't my fault! But Scorpion couldn't find the words to say anything. All she could do was run.

"COWARD!" Tarantula's voice roared, making the hallway rumble. "IT SHOULD'VE BEEN YOU!"

"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU!"

"YOU'RE MEANT TO BE DEAD, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!"

Scorpion didn't stop to listen, she could only run. Racing down the endless spiral of paintings that grew more and more decrepit the deeper she went, until they were empty. Hollow frames with nothing painted on the decaying canvases. She just kept running, her body numb with cold static and her throat burned, side pulsing angrily and making her stagger, but she didn't stop. The corridor felt as cold as ice, frost lining the walls. Scorpion willed herself to go faster, to keep running as the voices grew louder. She was so focused on running, she hardly saw the wispy SandWing ahead of her, their face smudged out as they called to her.

"MURDERER!"

"STOP HER!"

Wake up.

"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU!"

"YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!"

Wake up.

"TRAITOR!"

"YOU KILLED US! YOUR OWN SISTERS! YOUR OWN BROTHER-IN-LAW!"

Wake up! Scorpion- SCORPION, WAKE UP!

"I WON'T LET YOU RUIN THIS!"

"KILL HER!"

WAKE UP!

WAKE UP!

WAKE UP!

Scorpion jolted, eyes shooting open with a gasp. Her body was twitching painfully, muscles seizing as if still trapped in that horrid dream. The fog began to clear, eyes staring wildly out into her room illuminated by moonlight and the warm glow of torches creeping in from the cracks along her closed door. She heaved, sides rising up and down rapidly to match the hammering of her panicked heart that beat loudly in her ears. Scorpion sucked in a shaking breath, eyes watering as she stared off in a blinkless stare, mind slowly catching up through the fog of her nightmare. The blurred face of the SandWing slowly fading from her mind, the voices dying off like an echo.

Just a nightmare, Scorpion tried to soothe herself, tail shivering uneasily as her talons continued to twitch, muscles aching. It was- she swallowed- it was just a nightmare, just a nightmare.

She blinked, heaving as she ignored the sting from her dry eyes and pushed herself up to her elbows. Her body shook, wings pressed in tight as she rubbed at her eyes. After blinking a few more times, Scorpion finally saw the disarray of her room. Pillows and cushions were scattered across the floor, blankets tossed and disheveled, hanging off the edges of her bed in a messy array of soft pelts and airy coverlets. She tucked in her talons with a silent groan at the mess, still listening to her hammering heart.

It was just a nightmare.

Her ears pinned back, taking in another shaky breath, trying to push away the last bits and pieces of her dream that moaned hauntingly in the back of her mind in a foggy static.

Just a nightmare.

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- MindlessTyper