A Fitting Fate (For a Queen)

No dragon is born twisted. No dragon is born a liar. Not even a TrickWing.

It's not that Jinx despised stereotypes. It's just that she hated that she saw herself becoming one, in this castle of bones and blood. That, however, was the role of her future. And if they wanted her to play the puppet, she could be the puppet pulling the strings around the island.

She was going to be Queen.

Chapter 1: The Queen

Deep purple and rusty red against bloody maroon, matching blues eyes, and a small smile plastered on top of untouched white teeth. Sit up tall, sit up straight, don't stare for too long, don't make any sudden movements.

It's that easy. Three in a row do they stand, perfect and proper. Even the crooks in their fangs stand in perfect unison, as two daughters travel with mother. Each one is clad in a generic black dress, simply, for menial daily wear. Yet each one is inlaid with ten sky-blue sapphires around the collar, a choice made by the Queen herself.

A tall, gangly sort of Trickwing sits in front of them, his eyes worn to mere slivers by age, and his withered talons gripped about the reins of a sort of carriage, pulled by several mongrel-dragons. The hybrids from the fellow island of Fel'sar, barely even Trickwing anymore. Their brown-maroon colored scales and their odd noses clears up any doubts about their heritage, their only use now clearly for only their strength and size.

"Degenerates." Slithers a foul word from the rusty red dragonet. At only 3 years, she has learned every insult in the book. Mongrels and degenerates for the foul blooded, fish-licker for the poor and snufflesnout for those at the castle who dared to interrupt her music.

The large mother nudges her dragonet with her own wing, disapprovingly. The young one is quickly silent. The pale stone path soon gives way to a palace. Marble pillars loop over twilight-hued gardens, making way for a palace with colours like the moon. It is pale, and glimmers over the dark medieval shacks and the ivory towers below its mountainside landing. Centera, ah, what a beautiful place!

The old Trickwing opens the door, and the purple dragonet jumps out the door, spring in her step. The mother grabs her hatchling by the shoulder, as all Trickwing Queens do,

"Now, Jinx, you must walk as the Queen does. You want to be Queen, right?" The dragoness watched her child with a lidded eye, her voice taking on a deep and slithery tone.

Jinx, now 2 years of age, nods her small skull, her tail lashing slowing down to a halt, and her gait slowly down. She rears up on two legs, holding herself as high as she can.

Jinx bows her head, her talons grasping nervously at her black dress. "Yes, mother."

"Good, good." The Queen grinned in earnest, a wide and comforting sight. That meant her mother was happy.

Everything was better when she was happy.

Chapter 2: The Princesses

For the room of a princess, it was rather small. No matter, for one who resided within it was small as well, but for one who had spent her entire life pampered, a small box, filled with old and decaying stuffed animals, was not prefered.

Of course, such things were not without reason. Even at such a tender young age, the budding princess had already faced her own share of troubles, mainly to do with her sister on the other end of the palace halls.

As to be expected, one must get rid of one's obstacles to becoming queen. Other heirs, potential throne-stealers, were dealt with accordingly. Murder was so common in this royal hallway, that rarely was a maw muzzled or a talon carried off in chains.

Jinx still did not like the room, however. It felt... haunted. How many sisters had she once had? And, how would she kill her own?

Jinx's eyes darted about the room. Tiny screams echoed in her mind. You know she killed your sisters. Look around this room. Indeed, a small bauble, new in nature, was held over her bed, obviously more for a newly-born hatchling than a dragonet of 2 years of age. Choked in sleep most likely. Perhaps she could return the favor.

It was time to stop playing the dumb little sister, boomed a strong urge in her mind. Mother would be proud of you for displaying such ambition. Jinx pulled her usual grin into a sordid grimace, as she finally wrapped her talons around a large stuffed bear, seams falling apart.

With a hurried pace, Jinx leapt down into the darkened hallway. Large marble pillars, aged and worn, yet very clean, with shadowed by long silky, sparkling fabrics hanging down like vines, creating the illusion of a night sky on the ceiling.

She crept across the hallway, her breath becoming increasingly ragged. Was she really doing this? To her sister? Her only friend in life, her only true equal? Yes. She repeated to herself. Yes.

A scratchy noise whispered down the halls, filling the air with a dissonant chiming. A music box. Sister must be playing her odd tinker-boxes again, those little metal boxes full of noises. The music was nice, a single voice humming to the beat.

Jinx tried to forget, but those noises made her think of her sister's sneering voice, tinkling and metallic, devoid of love for anybody except her younger sibling. Sister loves you. Screamed a part of Jinx's mind. Remember when she used her first music box to soothe your cries? Her voice carrying that tune to the beat of the box?

It got louder and louder, as Jinx silently crawled across the ground, into a small lilac room. Luxurious furs clashed with small broken clocks, and half put-together music boxes. Her sister, scales a dark red in the darkness, idly sat by her box, watching the box with intrigue, gears spinning as the handle untwisted. She was such a nerdy, goofy dragon. Jinx barely resisted the urge to smile, to say hello and pretend this was all a joke.

Was this all a joke? Why was she doing this? To impress the mother who was never satisfied with anything she ever did? Out of some paranoid fear that her silly older sister may one day try to kill her? It made little sense, but.. something full of fear still stirred in her heart.

Fear, this was all fear. Self-preservation. If she didn't do this soon, she would be dead, either by her mother, or her sister. A dawning realisation closed in on Jinx. If she didn't kill sister, sister would be forced to kill her, to receive the throne. Sister never deserved the burden of killing her.

Don't worry, Amanita. I'll take that burden off your talons.

Chapter 3: A Small Box

The music stopped, and Jinx's heart dropped. She had only one opportunity, and it was now, before her sister turned around. Make it quick, bite her eyes, jab your talons into her neck like Mother, ahem, The Queen taught you. How the queen before that did it, and even the queen before that. It was tradition, nobody would judge you!

The crimson talons rested to the sides of the box, running grooves over the box. Jinx could almost feel the blood on her own claws, tracing those movements along her own stuffed bear. She suppressed her tears, and tensed her body. She stood on her two legs, and closed her eyes.

She leapt with frightening force, fangs open and frills fanned. Something hit her hard, in the jaw.

Stars dashed through her vision, a sharp pain radiating from her jaw to her head as she crashed into the wall. Everything went dizzy, as Jinx pulled open her eyes. The world was spinning, faster and faster. She felt like she was going to be sick, standing back up slowly. Two icy blue eyes met her own as she stood up.

"Sister, haven't I told you not to interrupt me while I work?" Hissed Amanita, her talons outstretched and her maw curled into a devious smile. Oh. Amanita heard her coming.

"I-I just wanted to say h-h-hi and..." Jinx couldn't help herself, a few tears streaming down her face. She put a talon to her jaw, and another to her forehead, struggling to regain her balance. Everything hurt, her joints, her emotions, her talons.

"Aw, come here, sis. I didn't mean to hurt you." Said Amanita, wrapping her wings around Jinx. The small dragonet began to hyperventilate, panic rising in her chest like the venom gathering in her fangs. She couldn't move!

Amanita leaned in, easing the tension in Jinx's muscles. What was going to happen now?! Jinx wanted to speak, but all that could come out was babble-talk. Red scales pressed against her own purple ones, holding her tight in place.

"I meant to kill you." Venom dripped from Amanita's mouth, as she bit deep in Jinx's shoulder.

It felt like four long needles, like the ones the servants used, being plunged into her bones. Two fangs on the bottom and two on the top, pierced through her delicate hide. Jinx felt her heart accelerate, her eyes dilating and her vision going blurry. She could barely think, thrashing and struggling under Amanita's grasp, to little effect.

"I knew you would betray me." Whispered Amanita, tracing her talon down Jinx's face like she did with the small box. A steady stream of blood made its made down to Jinx's snout, the bitter coppery taste stinging her tongue. "I never thought it would be so soon. You break my heart, sister. So I will break yours."

Jinx could barely feel anything anymore, her movements becoming twitchy and erratic. Neon lines passed through her vision, the silky "skies" of the halls morphing into gaping black voids. The venom was a dark purple under her skin, far darker than even her deep purple scales.

Her sister stood up on two legs, clutching her talons around Jinx's body. She stormed out of her room, carrying Jinx, still struggling, across the floor. Tears were hitting the floor, but they were no longer Jinx's. Amanita came to a window, opening it by nearly smashing the lock to pieces with her horns. She grasped Jinx, holding her out.

"I-I'm sorry Jinx." That voice. Full of the chiming metallic noises, like those small boxes. Jinx smiled.

"B-but.. There can only be one queen." Was it regret? Or was it just sadness? It was hard to tell. Jinx still smiled back, as if she could do nothing else.

"S-stop making that stupid face!" Amanita shouted like a small child. That was what they were, wasn't it? Why were they killing each other?! Jinx made a frantic noise, as she was hurled from the castle's window.

She went falling down.

Chapter 4: Freefall

She kept flapping, but it was as if her wings were made of straw. Nothing was happening, as she frantically beat her wings in a frenzy. Jinx could do nothing but look at her sister, slowly fading from slight, grasping out for someone, anyone, to help her.

The castle walls passed, then the rocky cliffside, and nobody was there. This is it. I was too weak. I will never be Queen, I will never be anybody. Tears did not fall, but the grasping, strangled noises escaping her throat, plucking her vocal cords, meant what didn't need to be shown.

In falling, she saw what she had never seen before. Loneliness. No servants to speak to, no guards to watch, no sister to hug, and even though her mother was inattentive and strict, Jinx knew she would fly right into her wings given the chance. But her chance was over, wasted and discarded. She closed her eyes, and prepared for the impact that would surely shatter her spine.

Shattering her spine felt surprisingly soft. Or, maybe she didn't? Her senses came to be with remarkable slowness, fuzzy lines backwashed with the dull pain following the talon dangling next to her. A dark figure loomed over her, its eyes wide and icy blue.

"Give me your necklace." The voice whispered intently. Jinx felt a tugging at her neck, sharp claws brushing against her neck. She groaned.

"Hey, do you hear me? Wake up!" The dragon over her grew louder, but it seemed to have forgotten about the necklace, for now, instead choosing to poke Jinx's face.

"Urrrffuuhhhh...." Nice introduction.

"Wow, you are alive!" The voice said it with such wonder, as if they thought she was dead despite her obvious groaning and writhing.

Jinx pulled her eyes further open. The dragon over her was coming into focus. It was only a dragonet, with the palest blue snout Jinx had ever seen. Their features were delicate, as a female dragon's typically were, but were sharp around the edges, with a row of spines unlike anything Jinx had ever seen running down her back.

She reached down, grabbing Jinx's talon and helping her get up from the giant bed of straw Jinx landed on. Internally, Jinx thanked her lucky die, but externally, perhaps dying would have been preferable to the pain radiating through every scale of her body.

The dragonet smiled at her. "I'm Lucky! Who are you!?" Wait, what?

"Lucky? That's not a very creative name." She couldn't help herself. Honestly, Lucky was probably the most generic name that Jinx had ever heard. In a kingdom of Ghedes, Crescent-Moons and Wishbones, something simple like that was rather refreshing, however.

"Well, my parents aren't exactly from around here." Whispered Lucky, rubbing her left elbows with her right talon. Oh. That made a bit more sense, the appearance and all.

"Sorry, I should have introduced myself, that was uncouth of me to say. You may call me Jinx." She replied, bowing her head slightly. Lucky let out a slight chuckle at the gesture.

"You're the hatchling in the carriage!" Lucky started to walk, taking Jinx along with her.

"I am two years old! I'm not a hatchling!" Jinx felt a red hue take to her face.

"Well I'm three! I am your elder!" Lucky stuck out their tongue, fanning out their frills. That was... fair. Mother did always say to respect your elders, though Jinx doubted she meant three year olds.

Lucky, noticing that Jinx was getting a bit into thought, nudged her. "How about I show you my home?"

Jinx nodded. It wasn't like she wanted to go back to the palace she nearly died in. If Mother knew she lost a fight, she would be in big trouble. And if Amanita saw her again... Gods of the Sea, how she hoped never to see her sister again. How she would feel, how her sister would feel, and the possibility her sister would want to finish the job.

Lucky led her along to a rather big shack, though once she got inside, it looked much more like a barn for livestock. The ground was covered in straw, and it reeked of goat-smell. The wooden poles holding up the shabby wooden roof were shaky at best, and the stone walls were crudely built. Only the fences appeared to be of any craftsmanship, standing tall and sturdy. Walking through the barn, Jinx felt her stomach drop.

Lucky stopped walking, turning to one of the pens. Opening the gate, they stepped into a large pen, ground coated in the straw. A large dragon, golden in hue, mongrel in blood, stood about, three dragonets of varying hues nestled into her legs. Red, purple, yellow. All mongrels, all young. The mother stirred, walking up to Jinx.

"Princess Jinx of the Trickwings. What an unusual visitor."

Chapter 5: Mongrels

"You.. know me?" Said Jinx, her deep purple wings shuffling uneasily.

"Sure I do. You are princess, after all." The golden dragon smiled with this unusual warmness. It made Jinx nervous, to see someone, especially a mongrel, so relaxed and at peace. Everybody in the castle was always so fast, so tense, elegant and complicated and chaotic.

"Nobody in the castle thinks that's anything special. You shouldn't either." Said Jinx, her tail curling around her right leg.

"But isn't being a princess the most important, special job in the kingdom?" Said Lucky, waving their tail back and forth like that of a dog as they joined the other hybrids under their mother's wing.

"It's..." Jinx pondered whether to tell them about the disposability of the princesses, of the utter amount of the death going about in the royal bloodline, though, judging by the falling expression on the mother's face, she might know already. "Kind of hard sometimes. You know, being overshadowed by your sibling and all."

"I know! Everybody is always talking about how big and strong Dice is going to be, but don't they see the benefit of small nabbing talons." Lucky stook out their small talons.

"Aw, I love you all the same, honey. Whether you have big talons... or little talons." The mother chuckled, but it didn't last long. Her expression took a more subtle turn, eyes shifting from Lucky to Jinx. "Why don't you keep your siblings warm? I'll go talk to our guest."

"Ok, mama Sodalite." Lucky huddled up with the other dragonets. The smallest, a golden dragonet of what looked to be Skywing descent, squealed as it's sleep was disrupted. Lucky desperately started mumbling some sort of song, trying to calm it down, but it was clearly having the opposite effect.

Jinx giggled a bit, before Sodalite pulled her aside. The giant Mudwing-Trickwing mongrel leaned down to meet Jinx at the eye level.

"How did you end up here? You can be honest with me. I'm a carriage-dragon, so I know a lot of things about how this whole royal game works."

Royal game. Jinx liked that term. It was just a game. A deadly, relationship-break, heart-crushing game. The prize was the crown, and there was only one winner. She had no choice in this game, but it's the only game she could ever know. Unless... she would have to hide, and to hide, she would have to honest.

"My sister tried to kill me." Jinx wondered what to say for the next part. "I'm hiding, for now. She'll try it again if I return, I think. Please, I need safety."

The mother's face softened, though it was more of pity than of relief or calmness. "I'll keep you here for a few weeks, until we can arrange a safe return to your home."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Jinx bowed so far her tiny horns touched the ground. She ran over to join the overs, though she stopped once she has reached the edge of their straw bed.

Her servants always said mongrels were filthy and disgusting, but these dragons didn't look anything of the sort. Gold, white, purple, red. All of them were beautiful in their own way, yet Jinx found it hard to shake that feeling of... confusion. How could they be so content, living in conditions only an animal would?

Jinx sat down, next to the pile, where all of the dragonets had calmed down, slumped into a big pile of wings and limbs. She stared at them, bright blue eyes vacant, wings pressed to the ground. The enormity of it all just hit her, now that she no longer stood at the edge of a pile of pillows, but at a pile of straw and dragons. She had lost everything, including her way of life. How could she ever be content like this?

An eye opened, under the pile of dragonets. Lucky.

"Come here, Jinx." Lucky's voice was much softer, like a whisper in the wind. Her brilliant blue eyes turned to the ceiling, where a small hole lied uncovered in the stable ceiling. Moonlight streamed in, illuminating the dragonet's already bright hide into a shining array of light blues.

Jinx complied, moving into the pile. The purple dragon shifted uneasily, their tail twitching until it was wrapped around Jinx's. It felt warm, like holding talons with her mother used to.

"Look up." Lucky smiled a wide, goofy smile, as she looked to the sky.

Even through the crack, Jinx could see at least three stars, each one shining brightly. Each one radiated with it's own light, giving the night-blue sky hues of red, yellow and blue. The moon was just barely visible, giving off that pale blue light that shone up both Lucky's scales, and her smile.

It was in that moment, that Jinx knew why they were so content.

Family.

Chapter 6: Carnival Of Fools

(Author's note: I haven't updated in awhile, so as a treat, I am releasing.... TWO CHAPTERS!)

Weeks turned to months. Jinx grew slowly, as she worked with the mongrels at the barn, growing goats and boars. Wings widened, fangs lengthened, limbs grew longer and more muscular. It was almost Jinx's third birthday, and the barn grew excited to celebrate their new member's birthday. Then the day finally rolled around.

Ironically enough, that day happened to be the same day as the Carnival of Fools. Today was bound to be quite a party. Jinx rolled out from underneath Sodalite's wing, feeling the dragoness shift uneasily in her sleep as she crept out.

Three! She was three now! She didn't feel much different (well, aside from the dust that coated her scales now) from last year, but that may have been because she didn't remember much of that either. Regardless, the tiny dragonet felt energy pulse through her body, letting her bound into a silent glide out the door.

Morning had only barely begun to inch it's way out from underneath the persistent fogs of the island, red rays breaching the rocky horizon. The stone buildings already had tents and stalls of many different colours set up all around them, though nobody had yet approached to claim them. Jinx fanned her frills, basking in the first lights out of the darkness.

Soon, all of Centera would stir, and the normal chaos of this day would ensue. Mother had always detested this day because of the "pathetic, lying Trickwings that crowd this island and steal from the few good among our kind." Jinx wasn't about to disagree with her either. The stereotype of a stealing, lying Trickwing too often turned out to be true, as whenever Red-Cloth rode her carriage down to the Carnival, Jinx would notice that she would always be missing a ring or two when she returned, and would be a whole lot angier.

This time, Jinx wouldn't be afforded the comforts of a palace wall, the protection of the guards. She had to keep her guard up-

"HI!" Jinx must have leapt ten feet into the air when she heard the voice of Lucky behind her.

"L-Lucky? What are you doing out here?" Whispered Jinx, careful not to wake up anybody.

"Helping you steal stuff, duh. I mean, isn't that what we're out here so early to do?" Lucky tilted her head, letting her spines flop to the side.

"What!? No! Stealing is wrong!" Said Jinx, voice no longer so very low.

"Mmm... s-stealing? I'd be up for that..." A surprisingly deep voice came from a yellow dragonet that walked out of the barn doors. He was thickly built, with a blunt maw that gave away his Mudwing roots.

"No! No stealing!" Jinx barked. Stealing was a very bad thing, and only bad Trickwings did it.

"Well how else are we supposed to get supplies for your party. Didn't you say you were hatched on the Carnival of Fools?" Lucky's tail swished back and forth, as she spied a Trickwing setting up a stall for baked goods.

"Well..." Jinx glaced at her stomach. She had gotten noticeably thinner over her time spent at the barn, and her belly was grumbling for something tasty. "Maybe we could go for one treat..."

A voice called out from the barn. "Dice, Lucky, Jinx, wait up for me!" A red dragonet, both Skywing and Trickwing, dashed out, his bone-thin legs tripping over each other.

The yellow dragon, Dice, turned his head. "Geist, go away, it's your turn to feed the boars, I'm going to have an adventure with Lucky and Jinx."

Geist looked a bit offended at the comment, stiffening his tail. "No, no, I heard sweets and I'm getting sweets with you guys. Who cares if the boars don't get their slop this morning?"

"Hey, both of you, quiet!" Lucky yelped.

"Look who's speaking! You are the loudest one of us all!" Geist shouted back, arching his back like some sort of weird cat.

"He's right..." Jinx pressed a talon to her chin, cocking her head.

"Hey! Rude!" Loudly squacked Lucky. Dice seemed to shrink back at the argument, whilst Geist only gave a smug look at the angry dragonet.

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that. I'm just thinking..." Jinx smacked her front talons together, pointing towards Lucky. "You could distract the baker with your loud talking, whilst I go in and steal us a pie."

Lucky nodded.

"Then I pass the pie to Geist, who, with his big wings, can fly the pie back to the barn!" Jinx grinned frill-to-frill.

"What do I do?" Dice asked, scratching behind his ears.

"If the baker notices us, you have to get in his way. Use your bigness to your advantage!"

"Ah." Dice slowly smiled, a devious look crossing his face as he puffed out his wings and frills to make himself look bigger.

"So let's get started."

Chapter 7: Pie Heist

Lucky was the first to act. She grabbed one of Sodalite's old cloaks, wrapping herself in the furry blanket. She looked remarkably ordinary, albeit a bit too pale for even a Trickwing, without her spines showing. She walked into the Centera streets, shuffling through a growing crowd of shopkeepers, traders and buyers. Jinx and the rest followed shortly, moving through the alleys.

Finally, after a few minutes of awkward shuffling inside the long cloak, Lucky made her way to the baker's stall. She pondered what to say for a moment.

"Hello, I am.. uh... Lucky! Lucky... um, err... Lucky The Second, of House Whateveritis! I would like to... learn what a baked good is!" Lucky tried to make her voice go deeper, but it still sounded light and airy.

"Is this a joke?" The baker raised a scaly ridge above his eye, before adjusting his glasses. Jinx bit her claws from the shadows. What if she got noticed? Would they be thrown in the dungeon?

"No?" Lucky started to sweat. Whether it was because of the cloak, or the stress, was anybody's guess.

"Alright then, Lady Whateveritis. A baked good is a food that is cooked dryly, often inside an oven. My specialty is sweet baked goods, where I use berries, honey and other sweet substances to create gooey goodness within the baked crust of my foods." The baker paused. "So are you going to buy anything?"

"Can you tell me more about your amazingly sweet foods?" Lucky had a sort of innocent charisma to her that compelled others to believe her. Jinx could really tell that she has done something similar to this before, given from how she went from being stressed to perfectly composed in seconds.

The baker smiled, a blush appearing on his face. "I come from a long line of bakers and chefs! We have used only finest of berries, straight from the wilds of Centera's natural beauty...." He droned on and on.

Time for phase two. Jinx crept under behind the distracted dragon, her claws making barely a sound. Any noise she did make was drowned out by the baker's speech, and the bustling crowd. She approached the stall, where a blackberry pie stood, it's fragrance reaching her maw. She felt the urge to snatch it, some primal instinct that filled her with energy.

With a single swipe, she stole the pie and ran off into the crowd, keeping herself low and small. She felt powerful, like she had just won something much more important than a pie, as she dashed off into the crowd. Suddenly, the baker paused in his speech, and Jinx felt her gut drop.

"WHERE IS MY PIE!?" The baker shouted, fanning his wings. The crowd started to uneasily look around, and Jinx felt a gaze press onto her. A dragon pointed near her general direction, and in an instant, the baker ran off to get her.

"Dice, Dice!" Jinx whispered. A grunt greeted her from the shadows, as Dice stepped out.

The baker ran into Dice's golden side, bumping his snout onto his scales. "OW! WATCH WHERE YOU ARE GOING, YOU DUMB MONGREL!" Snapped the baker.

Dice chuckled lightly. "I'm sorry, was I in your way?"

"YES! NOW MOVE!' The bake snarled, a bone-chilling noise. Dice moved over, as slowly as he could, giving Jinx the time to slink away towards Geist.

"Take this, Geist!" Jinx threw the pie up into the air. Jinx watched as Geist caught the pie in his talons, holding it close in his talons so nobody could see it. He quickly fled to the barn, disappearing into the crowds that flooded the sky.

Jinx laughed as the baker rushed by her. "Y-you.... d-d-dragonet *huff*... did you see a pie thief!? He stole my good from my stand!" Jinx looked towards the baker's stand.

"No, but you may want to get back to your stand. It looks like you may be dealing with more than a pie thief."

"What!?" The baker looked over to his stand, where a group of Trickwings were "sampling" his goods. He rushed back to it in a jiffy, roaring and growling at the thieves.

----

Jinx licked her talons clean, delighting in every bit of the black juice. "Mmm, good job everybody! This pie is the perfect gift! I never though about how much I missed sweets."

Lucky smiled, picking crumbs off the ground. "Good job, Jinx! Your plan was perfect! You'd make an awesome Queen one day!"

Queen. The word sent shivers down Jinx's spine. Gods of the Sea, how she wished it not to be. This foul urge to be queen, that nearly made her kill her sister (that nearly made her sister kill her). Oh how she wished things could stay like this forever, just her and Lucky and the mongrels. How she wished she could hide from the Royal Game. But as long as it was in her blood, it would be with her forever, in one way or another. Until she died... or well... became Queen.

She could hide, but only as for so long. Today, she took such a risk. What if she was caught? Worse yet, what if they discovered who she was? Would she be executed? Or would she have to forsake her new life to be groomed into the perfect Queen?

"Hey Jinx, did I say something wrong? Jinx?" Lucky frowned, an unusual look on such a jovial white maw.

"No, no, no, no, I'm just thinking." Jinx kept her eyes on the ground, careful to not let emotion seep in.

"Is this about the Queen thing?" Lucky got closer to Jinx, so close that she could feel the coldness radiating from Lucky's scales.

"Yeah. I don't want to be Queen. Not anymore." She just wanted to be a simply farmer and part-time thief, like Lucky was. That simple life, that is what she wanted. No irrational rules, no dragons to lord over, no killing siblings.

"You don't have to be Queen. Just stay here with us!" A bit naive of a perspective, but Jinx was willing to try and believe it. She didn't have to be Queen now. She could be with Lucky. This was truth, and she would keep it truth as long as she could.

"Thank you."

Chapter 8: Passing Time

Months turned to years. Many assumed that Princess Jinx had died, falling from the spires that faithful day.

Sometimes, Jinx looked to the palace on the mountainside, and felt a lonesome pang, as if a piece of her was left there that day. But she never said anything. Because she didn't want to go back, not truly. Her family was here, and as long as they were here, she was here.

She was nearing seven years of age, and her four horns were starting to grow long and unwieldy, growing too fast in proportion to her body. Her appearance was awkward and gaunt, with thin bony fingers on hands too large, and legs that were too lanky.

Lucky in comparison had grown into adolescence quite gracefully. Her spines were no longer as thick and bristled as they used to be, slimming down into a flowing line on her back. Her wings, though somewhat big, cast a dazzling impression, white and beautiful like a glacier. There was no mistaking her hybrid nature, but that did not bother Jinx anymore. It was just another fact of life.

As was the fact that Lucky was easily excitable. That never changed.

"Jinx, come here!" Said Lucky, her head held high. The morning sun had begun to dawn upon the land, engulfing the mists in a bright golden glow.

"Y-yes?" Jinx rubbed her eyes, struggling to adjust to the bright rays peeking through the omnipresent fog of the island. Spending most of her time in a dark barn didn't do good things for her eyesight.

"Some of the shopkeepers are out early with their wares. Wanna peruse, and you know... pick out a present for next week?" Said Lucky, giving a sly grin.

"So generous, Lucky." Jinx laughed a dark harsh noise, like a crackling crow. It fit her appearance quite nicely, actually.

"Well, after you gave me those awesome rolly balls I asked for last year, I supposed that it'd only be fitting that I gave you something that you chose out." Lucky took out an incomplete set of stolen pool balls from a poorly-stitched satchel attached to her waist.

Lucky called them "her lucky number balls" and took one of them out whenever she was about to steal something, to determine if how lucky her attempt would be. According to folklore, three and seven were lucky, four and six were bad. Jinx honestly thought it was a bit ridiculous to put this much weight into a small ball that was supposed to be for a gaming table, but Lucky really insisted it worked.

"Now let's see..." Lucky dramatically peered away from the bag, before drawing forth one of the balls into her talons.

"What is it?" Jinx questioned, looking over Lucky's shoulder.

"Seven. We're good." Lucky let out a sigh of relief, putting the ball back into her bag. "Let's go and have some fun like we did in the old times."

"Will Dice and Geist be coming?" Said Jinx, looking to the barn as they made their way to the streets.

"Nah. Just me and you today!" Lucky had a goofy looking happy face. Her frills pulled up and her teeth were bared in a full-fledged grin. It was looked strange and cartoonish on her delicate features, making her frills and fangs look long and poofy.

"Alright, let's go." Jinx gave a simpler smile, refined as one may expect from a castle dragon, yet still with a hint of fang in it that indicated a non-noble status among the commonfolk. It was odd how even the smallest traits, like how much fang you show when you smile, could give away your status, but after spending so much time in the barn, she sort of picked up on little habits like that.

When they arrived in the marketplace, a few dragons were already walking down the streets, nobles and commoners alike. Blues and purples and reds, black-tipped tails swishing back and forth. It was not chaos, yet it did provide the two thieves some cover.

The pie dragons was still out, as passionate as ever, yelling about his delicious candied cranberries. Yet Jinx did not feel like a treat. That was too simple, too passing a pleasure. She eyed an upcoming stall.

They walked by the cart of an old sleepy-looking Trickwing. Her eyes hung with many bags, and her mouth was clearly missing one of her fangs. She had so many earrings on her frills that they hung heavy, and before her laid many gems of many hues.

On her elegant stall laid many fine pieces of jewelry, though one in particular stood out to Jinx. A simple metal chain with a Cat's Eye gem inlaid a metallic clasp. An eye visible through the barred cover. It looked scary, but interesting.

"I want that." Said Jinx, adored with the green jem and the scary clasp. "Let's tell Dice and Geist, I bet we could have like some sort of crazy heist later."

"That jeweler looks pretty dull. I bet I could snatch that necklace from right under that dimwit's eyes right now!" Lucky stuck her forked tongue out.

"Shh, don't say that. It's almost the Carnival, the guards will be on high alert." Jinx whispered, keeping her voice harsh yet low.

"I'm going to get it." Lucky gave a mischievous little smirk to Jinx, careful to keep her gaze hidden from the jeweler.

"No, no, no, Lucky you idiot, come back here." Jinx could see where this was going. She was tempted to grab Lucky's shoulder and push her to the ground like a guard would, but that would make it too obvious what Lucky was about to do.

"Don't worry, I got this." Lucky lowered her voice, and her frills, sneaking her way past an older dragon who was peering at the necklaces on display.

"Please, Lucky, I-I'm worried." Said Jinx. The air tasted sour right now. "Let's wait until it's busier-"

Lucky took the necklace, stashing it into her satchel and began to run away into the small crowd. Then, something happened. Jinx shuddered in premonition as the air grew cold for but a second.

The jeweler began to screech.

Chapter 9: Gore and Viscera

The marketplace erupted in a whirl of spiralling wings, tails and talons. Jinx suppressed a screech of her own, as various dragons abruptly took to the air, their wings brushing against her head. Red, purple, blue, green, muted shades and dark hues, fur and steel. Though few in number, their great adult wings spread through the narrow market, resulting in a sudden darkness overtaking the streets.

"W-where are you?! Jinx!" Lucky called from the darkness of dragon's wings, her voice drowned out by the ungodly noise of dozens of growling and hissing Trickwings, harsh in nature and tone.

Jinx burst her way through the eruption of fleeing dragons to find her way to the voice calling from the chaos. She was just breaking her way through the crowd, when her talons touched something wet. Blood. More blood. Pouring out into the streets.

She made her way through the increasingly empty streets, back to the stall. Her stomach tore itself into knots, and her eyes pulled shut. She didn't want to see what was at that stall, and she knew if the guards saw her, what they would think, what would happen. Yet, she needed to find Lucky. She needed to-

Her talon hit something. Peering open with her blue eyes, she found something in front of her talons.

The jeweler. Her neck was torn, with two distinctive Trickwing fang-marks on each side of the bite. Jinx wanted to pull her eyes shut again, but they couldn't. The chittering of her mouth in one last attempt at a screech, the twitching of his talons... she couldn't unsee it. She couldn't.

Next to her laid the older dragon, his fangs covered in crimson gore, and his back covered in desperate claw marks. His spine was visible through some of the wounds, the claws marking deeply into flesh. He was struggling to his feet, tail thrashing.

Jinx turned to run, unwilling to be his next target. The older dragon had a look of madness in his eyes, their blank green stare focused uncertainly on her, wobbling in their sockets.

"B-blue-eyess-s-s! Y-you will die like a blue-eyes-s-s!" The older dragon's tongue slid in and out of his mouth with every word, thwacking against the roof of his mouth to make a clicking noise. Jinx had little time to react before he attacked.

His red-stained fangs drove into her heel as he lunged with the desperation of a dying dragon at her leg, sliding across the blood-slicked streets. The pain was instant, as if two shards of glass had been wedged into her flesh, and her own blood splattered to the ground, mixing with the jeweler's outpour.

The elder dragon looked frail, but was surprisingly powerful, pinning Jinx to the ground with his two front talons. He took a firm grasp onto her chest and arms with his talons, and used his wings to prop himself up onto two legs.

"B-blue eye-s-s!" He roared again, knocking Jinx's head to the side of the jeweler's stall, sending splinters into her cheek. Blue eyes, blue eyes, blue eyes! What was he talking about!? Jinx did not have much time to ponder before swinging back into the fray of combat.

Jinx swung her horns into his arms, leaving deep gashes in them. His hold loosened, allowing her to buffet him away with her wings.

This provided but momentary relief, as the harshness of his previous blow left a painful sensation in her skull and ribs, making it hard for her to catch her breath. Even with adrenaline pumping in her veins, throbbing pain wracked her body.

The older dragon leapt at her again, his jaw swung wide open, blood and gore from his last kill shining brightly in his maw. Jinx fell against the cold cobble, limbs facing up, using them to push away the open jaws of the killer.

Yet, his strength was such, that even with all of Jinx's might put together, she could only try to hold back the shining teeth drawing nearer. He was a mindless monster. He didn't care for the blood gushing from his arms and back, nor the deep bloody marks left in his scales by Jinx's pressing talons. He only wanted to kill her. Jinx let out a frightened yelp.

"L-Lucky!" Jinx called out, her head pressing as far back as she could, away from the maw drawing nearer and nerer to her throat. The streets called back with an air full of tension, straining further as if to snap. Finally, the silence was broken.

"Oh sea gods! JINX!" Lucky dropped her satchel, and ran to Jinx's side. She reared back and using her own jaws to clamp down on the neck of Jinx's assaulter, causing him to let go of her in shock.

He thrashed as he reared back and raised his head to the sky, his own blood joining the muddle of his own creation. Surprised, he turned to Lucky, his jaw hung loosely and his eyes glazing over with the blood from the cuts in his head left by Jinx.

"W-why-you..." His voice came out a whisper, and his talons fell to the earth. Jinx stumbled over to Lucky, freeing herself from his loosening grasp. A gurgling noise erupted from his throat, as he reached out to attack them, only to fall further, his head hitting the cold street.

"B-blue eyes... don't... t-r-usst..." His talons clenched one last time, before they were unclasped one last time. His breath stilled.

Lucky wept into Jinx's arms.

Chapter 10: Paths

Jinx was overwhelmed. Between the dead dragon that twitched, and the rapid flocking of the guards, she couldn't bare to open her eyes again. Because Lucky was all she had right now, and she knew that when she opened them, she might not be there anymore.

"I killed him." Whispered Lucky, tears streaming down her snout. "I killed him- I killed him- I-I-"

"You saved me." Said Jinx, using her wings to scoop Lucky in tighter. They were but a ball now, covered in blood, sweat and tears. Alone in the middle of two dead dragons, of different paths.

Jinx looked upon them, and saw the two elderly dragons, of two different worlds. The rags of the killer, the riches (the blue eyes lined with white, royal no doubt) of the killed. She loathed the very thought of her and Lucky becoming like them... but she knew that this day, their paths would seperate. When the guards came, they would see two dragonets in a crime scene, but only one would be held to her actions. Only one would walk away.

They were approaching, and Jinx's mind began to race. Adrenaline pumped in her veins once again, though it tired her more than it empowered. She could fight, but she would lose. She could run, but where would she go? The island has been cut off for hundreds of years. Only a select few knew how to escape, as she learned long ago. This was the end of the line.

A guard tugged on Lucky's neck, talon wrapping firmly around her snowy nape. She let out a gasp like wind whistling through a valley. Jinx responding by grasping harder, eyes opening ever so slightly.

The guard yanked again, and this time, Lucky came free, scales like bloody snow dripping with the vile substance. She let out a mewling cry, and flapped her wings to little use. Jinx reached out with her front talons, finding them held around Lucky's own. Jinx pressed her eyes shut again and yanked. She didn't want to let go.

Another guard came from behind her, and pulled her back. The sudden shock forced her eyes open, which found themselves staring directly into the purple eyes of the guard. They locked for a second, uneasy in terms, before he dropped her suddenly. His face went pale, spines pressing flat.

"Impossible!" Said the guard, pulling away from the bloody dragon. The rest of the guards raised their heads, and one figure among them stood taller than the rest. He made his way through to the pallid dragon.

"Guard, what is the matter?" The figure barked. Jinx reconized the face of the figure, though no name sprung to mind.

"It is a royal! Her eyes, her horns, look!" The taller figure reached out to Jinx, and Jinx reluctantly looked to him.

"She is." The taller figure's face twitched, as flashes of an unrecognizable emotion came across his face. He let go of the purple dragonet, watching her uneasily come to her feet.

"This is Jinx." The figure announced, his head held high.

"This must be who the killer was after. He wanted to kill the royals. What a disgusting boar. He even brought along a dragonet to help him, a piece of hybrid filth no less." The figure ranted, pointing to the body of the deceased, then to Lucky.

Jinx felt an indignity within herself, to be so silent. She wasn't going to be a coward, not anymore. Being a coward is what almost got her killed. What is going to get Lucky killed. Jinx took in the biggest breathe that she could... and she screeched.

"NO!" It came pouring out of her, like a sudden stab welling up blood into the throat. That emotion, that rage, it billowed out of her for the first time. That darkness that came when she was going to kill her own sister, that fear, it came boiling out of her maw in one screech.

Then came the mewling dribble, the breakdown that followed the torrents. Words that struggled as heads turned to the sudden source of the commotion. Jinx would have felt fearful or self-conscious long ago, but that had all evaporated in one single sound.

"You-you can't just do that to her!" Jinx yelled, pushing as hard as she could on the tall figure's heel, causing him to stumble back a few steps. "She wasn't here to murder me, she SAVED me! You judgemental fools didn't see what happened! I did! And she, Lucky, my friend, my only friend, saved me!"

"Jinx, we are here to save you." Said the figure, his snout curling. "We will sort out this whole situation, leave your "friend" to us."

"You didn't s-save me, she saved me." Jinx ran to Lucky, once again trying to grab her away from the guard who held her. "I don't trust you, but please- spare her. She did nothing. S-spare her."

"We may." The figure grabbed Jinx away in his large talons. They felt cold, like ice sliding down her back, running over every sore lump and battered scale.

Jinx reached out to Lucky one more time, and she reached back. Their talons interlocked for but a second- one last second of warmth before it was torn away. Jinx knew they would come... but she wasn't ready for the cold that came. Lucky looked back with one last tearful cry as they were parted, but Jinx could only look back with a blank look on her face. Because it was too cold to move. She was frozen.

The paths diverged, and Jinx could feel a chill travel down her spine, and into her brain. A thought of pain, spiking through every nerve. They took her away. They took Lucky away. They took her life- they took the one who saved it.

She would take away everything they knew.

Chapter 11: Sisters In Red

(To compensate for inactivity, here's an extra-long chapter!)

Mother was pleased- to an extent. Jinx did not say a word for the next few hours, but she could tell divorce the words spoken from her mother's mouth and their true meaning.

"I'm proud your guards have finally found her." How did you imbeciles take so long?

"We'll have much work to do tidying her up." Look at that filthy beast. Is that even my daughter?

"I do wonder though- where was she staying all this time? I would like to have a talk with them." Somebody is going to get thrown in the dungeon. Even if they weren't the one who did it.

Over the next few hours, she was thrown from dragon to dragon, questioned and tidied up. Scales scrubbed, frills smoothened, and fangs polished. Each of her cleaners made sure to question who she was staying with, no doubt hoping for political favours or gold from Mother shall they get an answer. They promised Jinx gold, jewelry, toys and companionship. Tips to help her through her transition back into the court, to tell her royal secrets, just for the word of who kept her. Lies and temptations, thought Jinx, mouth not budging.

Lying came as naturally to a TrickWing as breathing, or so it is said. Even to each other, it so often seemed. It made Jinx feel... strange, to say the least. To know that she could trust nobody, that everybody could slip their tongues in silver at any moment. Trust didn't exist among TrickWings.

Yet... she trusted Lucky, and Sodalite. Was it because they were not fully TrickWing? Jinx pondered the thought for a moment, but dismissed it. No, it wasn't because they were mongrels. It was because they believed in more than political courts and material riches. They hadn't given up all hope of making this island a community.

Jinx was worried about Sodalite being found- but also knew that Red-Cloth would have little chance of finding her if she never spoke a word to the tempters who bothered her whilst she was bathed.

After the gruelling ordeal, Jinx was dressed in a simple red gown. The tailors had been rather put off by the row of bony spines that had begun to grow down Jinx's back legs, but were quick to make adjustments at Mother's commands.

"There we go. Now will you come along, dear?" Said Mother, showing a grin that, though long since seen, was still ingrained into Jinx's mind.

Jinx felt it was appropriate to open her mouth then. She did not want her mother to mistake her for a mute. That may get her sent to the Crowtongues to "fix" her. She heard horrid tales of what they do from the rumours that Lucky and Amanita told- her thoughts trailed off. Amanita. Sea gods. She was going to meet Amanita, wasn't she?

"Jinx, come along." Mother's voice turned commanding, like that she used on her subjects. Jinx was snapped back to reality in a second, thoughts going back on track.

"Yes... yes... Thank you for tidying me up, Mother." Jinx come barely restrain the fear that came bubbling into her throat.

Amanita. Amanita. Amanita. Memories of broken bones, of falling off that tower high. Eyes of remorse looking back upon what Amanita surely thought would be a dead dragonet. And now they would meet again. Clad in the red of blood spilled for their status. Jinx mustered up any courage she could, but the deep, dark pit of oozing fear clung to her talons as she strode behind her mother.

"I'm so glad to have you back, my dearest child. My eggs had run dry in the past few years, and your father... is not around anymore. I've feared that Amanita may be left my only choice for a successor. But with you, I am sure that you will become a great queen in my footsteps."

Yes, in yours. How humble. Jinx took a sharp intake, following behind her Mother.

"Amanita!" Called the Queen, holding her head up high. Jinx could feel her heart shrinking away, her mind rapidly retreating before the call.

Then, a figure stepped from a grandiose archway of marble into the main hall. Red-clad, black rose pinned the the collar of her dress. Stunning blue eyes, like ice freezing over a lake in autumn, red spines gleaming through rusty scales. Claws, long and hooked, curling into a fist, blood falling down from where they pierced her hands. Mother didn't seem to notice. But Jinx did.

She noticed everything. It was Amanita.

It wasn't as bad as she thought, at first. It was worse.

Everything hit her at once. Her wings, torn and bleeding, flapping uselessly, her vision swimming before her eyes, her ribs broken on impact, fangs like knives digging into her shoulder. Jinx screamed. Unholy sounds permeated the hallway, as five years of repressed emotions burst from her scales, fires blazing through her mind and heart. Her eyes burned as bitter tears flashed before her sight, and Jinx recoiled into a small ball, wings flaring to protect herself.

But when she turned inward, she found nobody. She was alone in here. There was no Lucky. No Sodalite. No Geist, no Dice, not even herself! Everything she was- was gone. Because she wasn't the lost princess living with the mongrels. She wasn't the awkward and terrified friend of a young dragonet. Not anymore.

There was nobody inside, yet everybody tried to pry her open, looking for her in there. She could hear the voices, peeping through her blanket of safety. Trying to pull apart her wings.

"Jinx! JINX!" The voice of her Mother bellowed and roared, equal parts angry and afraid. For despite all she saw her child as a pawn, she still saw her child in there.

Guards arrived to take Jinx to her room. She didn't move. She simply let them drag her to her room, before falling into a ball on the ground. Her ribs were broken, her shoulder was bit, her pride was wounded. She was lying on a stack of hay. But she wasn't, and that was the most painful part about it. She was back in her room, a room filled with the voices of troubled guards, and her Mothers' prodding.

Amanita, however, did not say a word. In all the commotion, Jinx never heard but a peep from the red dragoness. Was it guilt that compelled her not to act? Fear of her sister's fragile mental state? Or was it something more insidious? Did Amanita whisper in secret, or did she clasp her talons and plot to finish the job?

A word came. From a voice elder to hers, yet familiar in all the wrong ways. The sharpness, the cold undertones, the mechanical twinkling. She once found such a voice comforting- but now it brought her true terror.

"Jinx." Amanita whispered. "We are alone now. I asked them to leave."

Through the pain of opening her eyes, Jinx pulled herself upright. A single eye, lone like a puddle of water in a shadowy cavern, peered out from between her wings.

She expected to see fangs plunged into her shoulder, or drapes of night wrapped around her neck like a noose. But what she saw was a small box. A small metal box.

"It's going to be alright, Sister. I'm not going to hurt you anymore. Please, I've been lonely for so long without you."

Amanita's voice lost its sharpness, and Jinx saw something through the gap in her wing-bubble. A ray of light.

"Jinx... I know what I've done is unforgivable. I... I did mean to kill you, and what I did.. should've... I.." A tear ran down Amanita's face, as she reached through Jinx's wings to grab her talons.

"Please, you don't need to forgive me. Just know that I am sorry for what I did so very long ago, and that I pledge to be your sister until death. We shall not kill each other for this stupid royal game. Not anymore."

The sunset light beamed down through the open window, as as winds rustled through, dusts sweeping out into the sky. Jinx unfurled her wings, and laid her sobbing head down on Amanita's shoulder, as she did so long ago. Fear, panic, terror, all thoughts clouded her mind.

"Thank you." Whispered Jinx.

And if this was a trick, if Amanita wanted to kill her now, Jinx entrusted she would do so quickly, so that her spirit may leave her empty vessel and join with Lucky's in the long trip to lands even the mists of Centera cannot hide. Jinx closed her eyes, and waited for the darkness to take her.

But it didn't.

"Sister." Started Amanita, taking out the music box. "Every night when sun is swallowed by sea, I shall play this box for you so long as you live. And you, my sister moon, shall know that I remember my promise. That I will do what is best for you. I will protect you from Mother, the sun burning bright. We shall be moons that emerge when the chimes come alive."

The sun began to dip, night falling upon the room. The ceiling, draped in shades and glimmers, sparkled like the night sky. Rusty talons twisted around a knob seven times, before they paused for a second.

In that second, something poured into Jinx. She wasn't empty, she wasn't nothing. There was hatred, yes, but not only that. There was something new inside, small yet powerful. Was it trust? Hope? She did not know, but something told her she would be all right one day.

That day wasn't today, but at least the music helped to soothe her nerves. It was oddly beautiful, chimes clicking in tune to a tune Jinx had not heard since she was young. It pulsed with life, with promise, with hope. When it concluded, Amanita left the room, leaving Jinx lying limp on the undersized bed.

She did not sleep that night.

Chapter 12: Grim Omens

Sunlight dawned upon two weary eyes. Was it morning? It was hard to tell.

Jinx moved slowly, brushing upon fabric that she wished was not so soft. She wished it was coarse and dry, like the hay that sunk between her scales and made her itchy every morning. Like it was at the barn. The bitter hope within her told her everything would be alright, that she would see Lucky again, but the logical part of her brain knew what happened to anybody suspected of murder.

Lucky was in the dungeon at best, and dead at worst. And here she was, sitting on a lofty bed, bony head crumpled into pillow. It was heart-crushing.

Her mind snapped back into focus as she heard two voices from outside her room. One was that of Mother, queenly and regal, that rose and dove like the tides.

"You can fix her, correct?" The Queen's voice slid in hushed tones as they walked by her room, yet Jinx could still acutely make them out.

"Yes." The second voice spoke, deep and smooth. Jinx felt a shiver run down her back. They were talking about her, weren't they? But what did they mean by "fix"?

"Perfect. I will come for you tomorrow. Do not disappoint me, Lord of Tongues." Jinx poked her head out of her room, where her Mother stood tall and proud in front of the Lord.

The Lord had dark purple scales, flecked with blue and green, running along his back like that of a grackle. They shone with an incandescent that made his yellow eyes stand out all the more. He gave only a brief glance to Jinx, but in those moments, she could feel him searching her body for weakness. The slight way her wings curved around her body as if to shield herself, the tiny trembles in her talons.

She could feel that probing gaze move over her, as he slunk closer to the Queen. He kissed the Queen right next to her left frill, and started to saunter down the hall, casting only a single gaze over his shoulder to nod as a farewell.

"Sorry, my child. That was Lord Blue-Moon, a very trusted advisor of mine. He lives on the tower at sea's edge. Quite a charming fellow, if I do say." Mother grinned, wrapping a wing around Jinx. She wanted to squirm away, but stayed still.

"Mother, I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday. Me and Amanita have made up, I swear. You don't need to fix me." Jinx sputtered.

"So you heard that? I'm sorry my dear, it's not about Amanita. I just want to help you back into royal life. You seem so stressed and on edge all the time. It truly saddens me." Red-Cloth frowned, and Jinx wondered if her mother felt something like empathy. She was usually so cold, but emotion in her mother's face did not seem fake.

"I'm fine." That was lie, and they both knew it the second it left Jinx's tongue.

"You are not. Come dear, grab something to eat, you look famished." Red-Cloth pushed Jinx along slightly with her wing.

As they made their way to the main hall, Jinx could hear Mother talking to the servants that greeted them at every corner, but it all blurred together in her head. If "fixing" her was not about Amanita, then she had all new concerns? What did it mean to get back into royal life? If it was anything like her royal life before, Jinx knew that it would be a cruel ordeal.

Finally, she and her Mother arrived upon a banquet of food, set up in the morning glow. Rich breads, steaming hot from the stone ovens, small bowls of seeds drizzled in golden tree-syrup, and eggs from the pheasants speckled with green herbs. When Amanita and Jinx sat opposite of one another, there was an awkward glance shared before they each focussed on their meal. Jinx could only finished a bowl of seeds before being sickened with the sweetness. It was so flavourful and overpowering. She could barely stomach it, despite her Mother's insistence.

When that was done, Jinx felt herself being swept back up into the life of royal preparation in a jiffy. Poetry-writing in the morning, where she was caught up in simply remembering the most basic of words. Her teacher was frustrated by her inexperience, but Amanita was quick to aid her. Speaking classes before lunch, to which she adequately demonstrated a royal skill for once, though Jinx couldn't help but notice the sad faces Amanita was giving her as she recited a speech with vigor and anger. Then, later in self-defense, Jinx noticed how Amanita barely tried to dodge her blows, taking every hit despite the blood that began to course down her snout. Their teacher even had to stop the lesson to bandage Amanita's nose.

That was it. She had to talk with her sister, as much it made her feel... conflicted.

Jinx stepped to the other side of the grey stone room, where Amanita sat, sullen and pained. Her frame looked weary, and her claws were raised to snout, rubbing it slightly.

"Amanita, what the heck? Why did you let me beat you up like that?" Said Jinx. She didn't often get angry, at least verbally, but Amanita was being especially odd. It could be guilt, but Jinx knew Amanita better than that. She would never let herself be a punching bag, at least the Amanita she knew from her past wouldn't. Even if she felt guilt for her little sister.

"It is justice." Said Amanita, turning her head aside.

Lies, trickery, deception. Jinx could tell those words were fake, said in the same hollow tone her previous cries of "I'm fine" rang out in.

"It is not. I do not want your blood, Amanita. Didn't we promise to not hurt each other over this royal game?" Jinx leaned in closer, so that the trainer nearby couldn't hear them. "Besides, I think that you have a different reason, don't you?"

"Yes." Whispered Amanita. "Mother wants to take you- Let's get out of this room first. I don't trust that trainer to keep his jaw snapped."

Jinx nodded.

"Teacher?" Jinx stood up as tall as she could, nearly matching the height of the short and burly defense teacher.

"Yes." His voice grumbled with frustration. Clearly he was not happy the lesson had to be postpone due to Amanita's injury.

"I'm going to take Amanita out to get some fresh air." Said Jinx. "P-please do not follow, she needs some peace and quiet."

"Fine, but get back soon, your highnesses." He snorted. "We have a lot to catch up on, so don't go slacking off!"

"Thank you."

Amanita tried to clutch Jinx's talon as they walked out the door, but Jinx recoiled in a sudden motion. Her spine froze, and breath stilled, eyes going dark. An uneasy atmosphere settled between them, as memories of pain wracked Jinx's arm like a foul infection. Panic started to flood at only the thought of only a touch. Amanita, clearly understanding the gesture, backed off to Jinx's relief.

"I'm sorry." Said Amanita.

The rest of the trip carried an awkward silence. They wandered through the halls until they came upon a doorway to the garden. Upon opening it, Jinx was amazed at the sight of the world beyond. Purple, red and white flowers dotted the garden in their sweet embrace, while ivy crept around marble pillars. It was the first bit of true beauty she had seen since her return to the castle. Not the diamond-encrusted throne, nor the nightly draping. The raw beauty of nature attended, kept neat and orderly. All except a wayward rosebush, which curled its way around the others in a spiky bend, choking the nearby flowerbeds.

Amanita sat on a stony bench, and motioned Jinx to sit next to her. With caution, Jinx sat next to her, on the cool stone. Then, as the winds became to blow in a gentle breeze, Amanita pointed out over the Kingdom. From this point, they could see nearly all of the Kingdom, sprawling wood and stone that went on for miles.

"So, what were you saying about Mother?" Jinx asked, looking out over the edge.

"She wants to send you to the Crowtongues." Amanita sighed. "Its been on my nerves all day, and I can't get it off. You know what they say happens to those that go there."

"They never come out the same." Jinx felt a pit grow in her chest. She should have expected as much, but to hear it clearly. It made her ill inside. Her mother was so desperate to make her a pawn, that she would subject her to cruelty she had only know in legend? Jinx wanted to roar.

"But why!?" Jinx

"She wants you to be a better ruler." Said Amanita. "She heard about where you lived... how you were around that traitor... she wants you to forget."

"Forget my life? Never!" Jinx suddenly felt her wings bundle up.

So, this was what it was all about. They wanted to empty her so they could fill her back up with their trickery and lies. They wanted to make her just like her Mother. A liar, a schemer. She felt resistance burst into her mind as she clung to the warmth in her mind's past. She could never forget Lucky.

"You will. The Crowtongues will make you. I've seen what they can do." Amanita looked to the garden, where a servant was cutting the bushes. No expression carried in his face, arms as stiff as a board. He looked almost as a statue, with his grey scales.

"Is this why you've been so off?" Said Jinx. She had been thinking so much of herself and her fate that she forgot Amanita.

"Yes. I want the real you to have one final, good day. Before they take you in, before they break you." Amanita looked off to the side. "I want you to feel success. It feel justice. If only for one day, before you become a statue."

"I didn't." Jinx let out a sigh, then a small chuckle. "I can't feel success here, nor justice. They took my only friend away, my only bit of success, and stamped on justice with their iron talons. And now they seek to take away Jinx with her. Well, I can do that too."

Jinx felt a bitter hope rise to her chest. She could fall down right now, and it would be so very easy. A solution to her and Amanita's problems in a single step. Though, judging by how Amanita's eyes suddenly widened, she knew her sister was thinking the same thing. And she didn't like it.

"Jinx. Don't. Please." The metallic tones in Amanita's voice began to break down. "You will be fine. I-I'm sure you'll always have some memory of your friend! Please, just wait a moment and I can explain!"

Amanita held onto Jinx's arm with a suffocating grasp. Jinx let out a hiss, as she tugged against the binding hold.

"I'd rather die than be a statue! Don't you need me dead anyways?! Come on, let go!" Jinx got up from the bench looked down to the rocks below. If she fell here, they would shatter her spine. There would be no stack of hay. Only a quick death, fitting for an unwanted dragonet.

Amanita's eyes flashed for a moment, as if in her glassy eyes she could see Jinx falling from that tower once again. Her grip only tightened.

"No." Said Amanita, her voice growing stern. "I pledged to be your sister. I'm not going to let you die like this. It is pathetic. You will die on the throne, or fighting me, shall worst come to pass. But this royal game won't be the end of you."

"This royal game is already going to kill me tomorrow! If my mind is going to die tomorrow, like you said, then it won't even be me fighting you! I'm not a princess, and if they make me one, I'm not going to be your sister."

"Jinx. Please, if you remain strong, you can keep yourself. I know!"

"How!?" Jinx growled, trying to wriggle free.

"Because they sent me there." Amanita paused, holding her breath.

"What!?"

"I wasn't the subject, actually, but Mother wanted me to watch. To see what would happen if I strayed too far from the intended path. The subject... was my mate-to-be. A trader's boy, yes, but so charming he was. He swept me off my feet, and Mother was quick to notice. She sent him there to make him hate me, to show me that I could never court a commoner again, lest it be me in that seat."

"W-what happened?" Whispered Jinx, putting a talon to her mouth.

"He came out. He hated me. Or, he pretended to. But in his eyes, I could see a shimmer. And when a dove carrying a poem flew by my window, I know who sent it. He looked as a statue to the public, yes. But, inside, he was still warm. When he retreated to darkness, he could find his lost pieces."

"Amazing." Said Jinx, her frills lifting. The bitter hope turned to determination. A burning began in her chest.

"But Jinx, you need to be careful. I don't think you're strong enough to get through this. That is why I gave you a last day. My mate was a tough cookie, that beautiful red devil, and you... You still get fearful by my touch. You need to understand that they will use your fears against you. Try to play you with their games. They told him awful things, with their hypnotic voices. About me, about his parents. They know things even you do not, with their riddling mind-games and venom."

Jinx grasped the fire within her, letting it rise higher. Her fears, her past. She had already faced her worst. Whatever nightmare they could conjure could never be worse than that. Jinx grasped Amanita back, and pulled her up, not even flinching at the touch. Because when she felt Amanita, she could feel a remnant of the spark she felt with Lucky, and though it did not burn the impurities of the past, it warmed them in a fiery passion.

"I'm not going to die tomorrow. Nor today."

"Good. Prove me wrong, stay my sister. Now lets get back to class and have a real battle." Said Amanita, letting go and walking back inside.

Jinx nodded. Lord Blue-Moon. She would face him tomorrow, and she would be ready. There was no worse nightmare than the present, and no worse dream than tomorrow. She would not forget, she would not forget. Her vengeance would be rememberance, and her future her own.

Storming back inside, as a great vortex would, she felt a sudden pain in her step.

It was an unkempt rose, trimmed from its branch.

Chapter 13: The Tower

Jinx slept that night. Not well, but fine enough to keep herself standing another day. When Mother's talon rested on her own during breakfast, glimmering in the dawn that played tricks with her silver rings, Jinx knew the words she was going to speak even before they slipped out of her maw.

"I'm taking you to see a very trusted lord today. He will help you through your trauma. You will become true royalty."

There was no point in fighting her at this point, given her Mother's stubborn attitude. The grip of her talons loosened, and Red-Cloth closed her eyes, as she stood up from the table, leaving the scraps of eggs and fish to be cleaned up by the servants.

Jinx stared at her own plate for a few more minutes, gazing into the dead eyes of the pale blue fish below her. Despite the cooks attempt to disguise the cruel visage of death with herbs and sauces, the milky eyes of the deceased fish stood out above all else on the plate.

Jinx looked into them, and pretended she was facing the Lord Of Tongues as she did yesterday. But this time, she was not cowering. She would look into those milky eyes of death until they threatened to swallow her whole, and even still, she would gaze back.

Biting her tongue, Jinx broke her gaze, shooting a glance at Amanita, who had finished her meal. Amanita quickly spun to avoid her gaze, only the smallest glint of tooth showing on her face before she exited the room. Jinx sat there alone for a few more minutes, watching the bare seats, now scrambling with servants.

She had faced Death many times. Sometimes, she flew into its embrace, and other times it was thrust above her as a set of snapping jaws. But today, for the first time, she knew that Death wouldn't be there, because Death had more mercy than the clutches of the Crowtongues. That fact was only reinforced by the guards that soon stood at her hip, guiding her along the stony pathway outside the castle. She would say it was against her will, but her will was most definitely to simply get this over with.

Mother stood by the chariot, motioning for one of the servants to open the door. The servant complied, opening it with a shaky talon. He was far too old to be here, with bony talons and missing teeth. He should be off to Fel'Sar, living the last of his days with all the other elders, yet he was kept by invisible chains. The same chains that prevented Jinx from simply hurling herself back off the cliff. Hope. She had to hold onto that thin chain, no matter how hard it broke her. For however foolish it was, she would take any life, even the most horrid, over none at all. The old servant, recognizing that look in her eyes, gave a small nod in Jinx's direction as he stepped aside.

Mother smiled when she stepped into the chariot, and smiled again as they drove. She must've heard the legends, but she must know more than that, she must know what's going on in there. Surely she was not leaving her daughter to die upon a string of hope and remembrance at the hands of the black-tongued TrickWings. Jinx mustered up her courage, and did not hesitate in asking:

"Why?"

"Why what?" Questioned Mother, waving her hand to signal the rider to start commanding the mongrels.

"Why are you doing this? You know who the Crowtongues are. T-they kill minds, they slay memories, they break realities!" Jinx listed all the rumours she heard off the top of her head, hoping at least one caught a mark. Though judging by the amused look on her Mother's face, it evidently did not.

"Honey, those are but rumours."

"Then what do they do?"

"They just help you work through past events and look forward to the future. It is no big deal, I had this done when I was only a year old." The ride shook once as they took to the air.

"Then why don't you take me to one of the soothsayers or therapists?"

"The Crowtongues are special. They have abilities that take many, many years to hone. I'm sure you will find them pleasant."

Pleasant. Jinx tried to keep that thought in her head, but the other words, they were so much more powerful. So powerful were they that they consumed her own thoughts in a flurry of worry.

At last, the chariot stopped, before a grand tower, clad in stone weathered by the rocky shoreline next to it. The waves greedily tore at the pale rock bay, like a great snake swallowing an egg, though unable to grasp its jaws upon the stony pillar that extends from it. Upon the door hang a small golden bell, and in the wooden door was a carving with a crow holding a small pearl in its beak. Red-Cloth, guiding Jinx by the shoulder to the door, knocked against it three times, before letting out

Jinx puffed out her chest, and waited for somebody to answer. Indeed, the Lord came.

"This is the one. Jinx." The Lord's voice rang deeply in Jinx's bones, as his claws hovered above a deep blue concoction held in his right talon.

"Yes. I am. I am prepared." She did not hesitate to make the first word over her Mother, despite this. If the Lord could see strength despite fear, he would know his work was for naught.

Mother Red-Cloth was clearly flustered by this interjection, but sorted herself out quickly.

"You know what to do, Blue-Moon. I trust in your talons." Red-Cloth nodded, and The Lord smiled in return.

"Return at sundown, your majesty, and see your daughter in a new light."

"Indeed I will. Goodbye, dear Lord."

"Goodbye, your majesty."

The Lord grasped Jinx with his left talon, his bony talons wrapping firmly around her wrist. She wanted to bite him, but restrained herself. She gave one last look to her Mother, begging with pleading eyes.

Red-Cloth gave Jinx a small nod, before heading back off to her chariot, leaving Jinx to the prying eyes of the Crowtongues. Their bodies, illuminated by the torch-fire inside their tower, rapidly took shape as they hustled her into the tower. Dark stone passed by her, as a network of tunnel soon became visible amongst the sunset-hued dragons that surrounded her. She tried to get free from the swarm, but she was held tight by the grasp of their Lord.

At last, the swarm came to a stop upon a dark room, with only a single seat within. It was illuminated by a single candle inside a cage, which was hung from a rope on a span. The wooden outlines on the stony room did little to make it more inviting, serving only to create the illusion of a house buried by the ages. The swarm slowly dissipated into the room, leaving only the Lord to hold Jinx in a tight grasp. His hold loosened upon walking through the entrance.

"Why don't you sit down, young lady?" The Lord whispered, the iridescent scales on his neck ruffling slightly as that of a cold bird. He carried himself in odd ways, like he was hiding something, but the what was impossible to distinguish.

"Alright." Said Jinx, not breaking eye contact as she sat down.

"Good child. Now drink this." The Lord extended his right talon, where he held the blue concoction. Within it swirled dark shapes, and even through the glass, Jinx could smell something bitter.

"What is it?" She questioned.

"It is part venom... and something else. A blend of herbs and other such things. Nothing much to be concerned with, child, but it will help both of us with your session."

"Is it dangerous?"

"No. It is not. It will only calm you down a little, help us get into a more suiting mood."

Jinx licked her lips. They were dry. She sucked in a breathe of stagnant air, before reaching out for the glass.

Let's get this over with. Jinx thought, tipping back her head to swallow the serum in one quick motion. It tasted bittersweet, which was far more sweet than she was expecting based on the smell. The thick midnight liquid quickly dribbled down her throat, and Jinx could soon feel it spreading in her body. A certain numbness spread to her talons, and she soon found herself laying back in her seat. It was overpowering, dominating, snakes coiling around her arms and legs, weighing her down to the earth.

"Good, child."

"What... what happens now...?" Jinx felt herself beginning to slur her speech, as strange shapes began to blur in front of her eyes. The venom.

Relax. A strange thought ran through Jinx's mind. Was he saying this? What was going on? She could see his lips moving, but the voice sounded as if it came from her own head, minus the deep ring that followed it. Panic began to flood into her mind as her body grew increasingly limp.

Relax, child. You are safe. We have you. The thought wasn't her own. No. His voice, however, he made it sound so much like her thoughts, that in this deluded state, she could almost believe they were. The words had a compulsion in them that made her want to obey, but she knew that she had to resist. She- had- to... Jinx let out a small yelp, trying to moved herself out of the seat.

Relax. Close your eyes. The thought rang out again, louder this time. Jinx could feel dark shapes holding her talons, but she was too numb to pull free. Finally, in submission, she held her head to the candle and closed her eyes. They wanted her mind... well they could come and get it. But she was not going down without a fight.

As she closed her eyes, a new world appeared before her. Memories. They flashed in her mind, so bright, that she had to open her eyes again. But as they peeled open, a new light greeted her.

---

When Jinx opened her eyes, she was in the night sky. Nay, she was staring at a tapestry of the night sky, grand, but not nearly as much as the true thing. Where was she? Something slick and cold was pushing against her, holding her steadfast. Jinx quickly looked down, only to find her head quickly locked by red-tinted talons. The talons that grasped her head pushed her to the ground, giving her a view of the floor. Marble. She was in the palace. A red-hued shape stood over her, menacing.

Something suddenly burst into Jinx's mind, like a tide of realisation. No. No. NO!

This was the day that they fought. The day Amanita nearly killed her.

Jinx tried to push herself back up, only to be kicked down again. Her arms were wobbly, and her legs moreso. A chilling ice passed through her talons and into her eyes, blurring her vision as another kick smacked her head. Amanita looked over her with a blank expression, ready to kick again, eyes steely.

This isn't real. Jinx reminded herself, rolling away before the kick could impact. This was not how she fell. This was an illusion, a waking half-dream conjured from feelings rather than reality.

Jinx pounced at the Illusion-Amanita, claws outstretched. Claws tore into the illusion's shoulder as Jinx toppled her over, letting streaks of blood hit the floor. This wasn't real. She never stood a chance against Amanita. And just as she thought that, the illusion responded in turn, grabbing hold of her with a bone-crushing strength.

Adrenaline pumped through Jinx's veins, as the Illusion-Amanita grasped her tightly in claws that dripped of blood that came from seemingly nowhere. Suddenly, Jinx saw that her wings were ravaged, left to small bits of bleeding membrane. This wasn't real. Jinx felt herself shaking, but she couldn't break free.

It was near helpless to tell herself that, as Amanita carried her spasming body over the window, pressing Jinx against it until it shattered. None of this hurt, but it such a deep fear in her throat that Jinx had to restrain herself from vomiting. Only one thought kept her from simply fainting. This wasn't real. This wasn't real.

"THIS ISN'T REAL!" Shouted Jinx, bleeding wings flaring. The cold winds blew in from outside splattering a volley of tears onto the ledge below.

Now, the Illusion-Amanita, holding Jinx by the shoulders, thrust her leg onto Jinx's chest, knocking the wind out of her. The figure said no words, the leg pushing Jinx further and further out onto the ledge. And with one final push, she fell.

This was familiar. But this time, it was not scary. It was the best thing that ever freaking happened to her. Jinx smiled, as she remembered doing before, as she fell from the palace's window-ledge. Air whistled past her, but Jinx showed no regard. She was going to land, and everything was going to be ok. Lucky would find her, and-

A sharp pain suddenly coursed through her body. So acute, so accurate. Piercing scale and flesh. A simple needle, she could tell. But in her illusioned state, there was only one thing she could see. She was impaled, sputtering like a dying beast. Calling out in silence, as blood flushed over her body.

But this wasn't real, was it? Now, let us move on...

---

Everything was warm, despite a deep shimmering of ice-speckled white covering her vision, wrapping her every move. A sea of snow, upon which she could lie forever, to fade away into as the bitter cold would enshroud her and take her. The endless frost, it was tempting in its lonesome simplicity, with whispers too great-Jinx snapped back to function, and pulled her head away.

She was in the streets, clung to the red-coated cobbles, with the winds howling tiny whispers of suggestion. These whispers, they built this place. It was all her memory, and when Jinx realised what memory this was, she swung her head back to the ice before her.

This wasn't real. This is all a trick, these words, these visions. And before her now stood the cruelest trick of all.

"L-Lucky?" Jinx gasped, feeling an intense rush of tears flood her face.

The figure simply stared at her, claws dipped in the bloody cobblestone roads, pale scales shimmering in the sunlight. Her eyes carried a mad look within them, hollow things they were, purple and deep blue with deep bags under each one. It looked like Lucky, but it wasn't. She wanted to believe this was Lucky, but she couldn't. It only carved out a more empty feeling within Jinx's chest, to stare at this false reflection of Lucky eye-to-eye.

The figure let go of Jinx's body, wings of snow parting to dissipate the warmth around her. Jinx's vision began to blur, but she wasn't sure whether it was from tears or something else.

"Jinx." The false Lucky finally spoke, her voice a small thing.

"Yes?"

"Jinx. I helped. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Y-you helped who?"

"Him..." Lucky pointed to the body of the killer, his red-splattered talons lying in a pool of his own doing. His body still twitched, fresh and mad.

"No. I know you didn't." Mind-tricks, mind-tricks! Did they think it was going to be this easy? Jinx snarled, struggling to stand up, yet each time falling back down. Everything was so numb...

"I did." Lucky broke down into tears, hiding her eyes within her wings. Jinx let out a whimper at the sight. This isn't real. Yet it was torture beyond what she could muster.

"No!"

"They'll be taking me away." The false Lucky looked aside, only a single teary eye appearing between her wings. "You need to go now, it's dangerous for you to stay around me."

"I'm not leaving you!" Even in these fake memories, a fire ignited in Jinx's heart. "I'm not leaving my family!"

"Please, Jinx. I'll be ok, they'll know I had a change of heart when they see you alright. I'll be alive, I'll be safe. But for you to be safe, you need to leave."

Footsteps. Quiet yet audible, growing louder and louder every second. The edges of Jinx's vision were starting to darken, as she retreated before their cacophony.

"Stay with me. I'll stay in here, if that's what you want, please. They want me dead, they can have me dead. At then I'll see you, real you, again! Don't you want that?" Jinx clasped the talons of the fake-Lucky, steeling her mind and heart. Would this be her final vengeance? She had pondered it for days, but now, it seemed so close. Her breath was racing, as a sense of something washed over her. This wasn't real, it was all her. And inside her, she found only defiance against everything. Life, kingdom, this royal game.

"J-Jinx- I- don't-" The false Lucky's voice suddenly started chipping away into a much deeper, cooler noise.

The vision, the memory, was starting to blur. Streets were melting away, blood soaked cobbles melting into streams of grey and red, flowing downhill until there was no more hill, but a stone-grey floor. The lights were blurring out into the darkness, one by one, as the sky became crowded with the shadows of dragons. Lucky looked upwards, then to Jinx, hugging her as she too slowly began to melt away into the darkness.

"Stay strong. Your defiance will not end here."

The voice... it was indistinguishable. It was not Lucky's, nor the ones she heard on the whispers of Crowtongues. Was it her imagination? Another Crowtongue trick? Was it her mind?

---

All these questions soon began to fade, as Jinx awoke. Yet, something was not right. She was fading again, so quickly now. So numb, so feeble. Her talons, though they were held down by Crowtongues, were jerking against her will. The Crowtongues hurried about in a panic, holding her down, yet she could feel the rest of her body spasming and shaking.

"My Lord, what is happening?" Asked one of them, holding Jinx down.

"Smell her breath, it smells of death. The elixir... something must've been wrong with it!" Another said, maw only inches away from Jinx's as it took in a quick breath.

"Lord Blue-Moon, what shall we do?"

The Lord opened his mouth, but Jinx did not hear anything.

She laid back her head, as she faded into the blackness along with the world around her.

---

This isn't real.

Wake up.

Jinx opened her eyes, head peeking up from a slumped position, neck craning upwards. She was... at the palace? But everything looked so small. So clean. Too empty.

There were no guards, only the white drapes that hung loosely from the walls, covering up the carvings that were etched in marble on the walls of the throne room. Yes, this is where she was. Looking upwards, she saw the telltale silk forms of the dragon of stars covering the ceiling, tiny pearls embedded into the fabric with such delicate precision. The two silks laid like a dreamy mist, leading off into the two halls, each side appearing to be closed off by a makeshift barrier.

If this is where she was, then why did it look so barren. Surely the guards should be protecting their queen? But who-?

Jinx looked down, and saw two long gnarled purple talons gripping the edge of the talon, claw marks drawn across the garnets at the ends of the stone rests, a marking clearly made by years upon years of stressed deliberation. The talons looked worn beyond their years, chipped in places and scales dulled in others. On one of the talons was a simple golden band, and for some reason, Jinx could feel a great sorrow wash over her.

Almost instinctively, her talon rushed to her face, where she could feel a droplet fall onto her talon. The dragon was her. She was Queen. But how- no where- no when was this? It was so bizarre, she felt almost a prisoner in her body. Wiping away the tear, she found herself rising slowly to her feet. Yet she was stiff in all the wrong ways, hips creaking with the weight of a row of bone that now seemed to sorely protrude from her hind legs.

She felt her breathe grow faint, yet her eyes remained resolute. Noises were coming from the entrance. Somebody had arrived. A young dragoness, pale in scale and with sharp features.

At first, Jinx felt the urge to soar and fly, to open her wings are hug the incoming dragon. Her body, however, jerked backwards, legs pressing against the back of her throne. It was only then Jinx realised that the new dragon was most certainly not Lucky. Her stance was too upright, her spikes too thin, her horns too long and frills tinted with purple.

A second, older, dragon followed. A cue ball was strung across her neck, and her body was wrapped in a thousand shawls. Despite this, she did not seem encumbered in any way, moving with finality and grace to meet herself before Jinx. The only part of her that was visible through the coverings was her eyes, which hung weary with anger, and yet it part she saw guilt. Jinx couldn't help but feel the same in turn, red boiling under her calm features.

The young one was first to speak.

"It is over."

Jinx felt her lips moving without any will. The words were inaudible, yet she could feel both hatred and remorse within them.

Rising, rising was this hatred in her, as the cloaked figure stepped forward, meeting her chest-to-chest. Betrayal, guilt, fear... all of them swam too quickly. A growing weight gathered itself on her chest, as words flew silently by.

Then, she could feel her talons, ripping and tearing. Her maw, roaring upon the broken kingdom at her feet, blue eyes wild like that of the killer. The cloaked peeled away to snowy scales, but Jinx could feel nothing but red, see nothing but red and think nothing but of madness.

There was nothing left but fear and madness within her.

Suddenly, something snatched her up. Binding her every move, gripping so tightly, choking her every limb in an endless sea of white. Of nothing. Was this was she was destined to become? No, no, NO! She was the Queen, she needed to be there for her people, for her future. Every wrong must be righted with the wrench of her talon and the roar of a thousand uprisings!

In the pale whiteness, she refused the sweet peace, letting her blood-stained talons, rip and tear at her bindings. A rage like no other, a wrath that could only be from the gods themselves, came upon her. Writhing and screaming and twisting, until couldn't anymore.

Nothing came from her open maw but gurgle, as it tightened further around her neck.

The darkness, it came for her. A vast darkness that came to swallow the guilt that came upon Jinx as she realised what she had done.

Looking in the pool of blood, she saw her own reflection glimpsed back at her. Except it no longer looked her own reflection.

It was a monster, staring back as the darkness wholly devoured her.

The last thing she felt was peace, as the beast was slain.

---

I died. Thought Jinx, gazing at the darkness before her. I'm dead.

There was nothing here. Only a cold sensation, creeping in her limbs and body. They poisoned her. She was dead. For what seemed like days did she wait in the darkness, trying to hold onto the visions she saw under their serum, yet each they just barely slipped through her talons.

Except she wasn't. She could think, and feeling gradually returned to her within the She survived? Did she do it? Come from the maw of madness and emerge so alive?

She could feel it, in her mind, and in her heart. She could remember the warm grasp of Lucky, the pain of ribs cracked by her fall. Yes, she could feel them in her soul as acutely as she once did in her body. She knew what was real. She was real, Lucky was real, Mother was real.

The voices, she could here them now. Real voices.

"What happened!?" Crowed a feminine but harsh voice. Mother.

"Somebody tampered with the potion." Hissed the deep voice of the Lord.

"I can't believe- ugh. I want all of your Crowtongues lined up tomorrow, and we'll find out who is responsible so we can lob his foolish head off."

"That I can do. Whomever did this cannot get away without punishment."

"Agreed. Next time, I want you to do the operation yourself. Your incompetent followers are more insidious than mongrels, and as stupid as gulls. They shall handle royalty no longer."

"Yes. They will not."

"Good, I'll arrange another meeting to finish the operation. However, for the weakness of your leadership to not see the disloyalty of your servants, you will be the one paying for this session. In addition, we will work out further fines later, once we find the suspect."

"Yes. That is fair."

"It is. Now get back to-" The Queen was interrupted by a sudden interjection.

"My Lord, she's awakening!" Chirped a light feminine voice, a voice that quickly got overtaken by a flurry of voices all talking over one another as they rushed closer and closer.

Jinx let out a slightly groan, opening a single eye, to see the Queen and Lord above her. With all her will, she kept that eye open. She had to return to what was real. She had to act now, or her opportunity, her one chance, would be gone forever. She knew what she had to do now.

She needed to slay the beast. To end the game, just as it ended her delusions. Because if she didn't, Jinx instantly knew she'd return here time and time again until she didn't make it out alive. Until she became as cold as the dragon in her dream. There was only one way to live.

The Queen must die.

Chapter 14: You Know Who You Are

This kingdom is awful full of death. Jinx hadn't really noticed it much until this morning, when the night-feathered crows came calling early for the prospect of fresh meat from the guillotine, which had been ceremoniously gathered into Centera's town square.

Jinx had only just woken up and dragged into the chariot, head still groggy and muscles still twitchy from the venom that coursed through her veins. Mother said she was lucky to have survived. For once, she agreed.

Still, the residual twitchiness and wracking pain that came with it made the trip nigh unbearable, even though it was only a short five minutes from the castle on a mongrel-driven chariot. Each tiny bump threatened to topple her over, and her vision was still fuzzy around the edges.

Worse yet, Amanita kept giving her this weird look the entire flight. Jinx would've supposed it was pity, but she found no hint of mercy within her sister's tight lips and stern gaze. Did she do something wrong? Or was it just the foul circumstance they found themselves in now?

This look kept following her, even after they gathered in their high seats built into a stony wall that made a semi-circle around the polished guillotine. Amanita finally broke the silence, letting out a frustrated huff.

"I wish Mother didn't hold these executions. A silent death is well enough." Amanita said.

"I mean, it makes sense though... somebody did try to murder me. She doesn't want anybody else getting any ideas. As we all know, only royals are allowed to murder other royals." Said Jinx, watching a crow fly off into the distance.

Amanita paused for a second, then let out a dry laugh. It quickly dimmed, however, fading on the bitter winds.

"It isn't about a message, not really. You have missed a lot, Jinx."

"What?"

"The prisons are filling up. Mother needs both a way to dispose of the prisoners, and to make sure less come in. This is all about economy and spacing. No queen wants a full prison, but our population is simply so high for our island." Said Amanita

The executioner arrived from his own chariot, smaller and much less ornate, driven by a skinny SkyWing-mongrel with hollow eyes. The executioner himself was a smoke-grey, with a thick brown hood emblazoned with a red sigil. Meanwhile, the first prisoner was dragged out by two guards. He was a gaunt, elderly Trickwing, who went out to embrace his death without so much as a hint of resistance.

"Hm." Jinx met Amanita with an equal frown. "How many of them do you think deserve this?"

"All of them. Not that I agree with murder, but I'd rather we just get this over with quickly. Mother's shows attract a foul audience, and are certainly not doing good for morale long-term."

"Surely there could be something else Mother could do. I can stand the death of a murderer, but that elderly dragon, he is as frail as a reed. He is harmless."

"I think he's a thief... I think it suits rather well that his life will shortly be stolen in turn. No respect for fellow dragons. Sis, dragons like him would not hesitate to hurt others if they could. I think it's in our best interest to see them gone."

"But we have prisons-" Jinx started.

"-And little money to pay for those starving wretches. Look at his bones, and tell me he'd be better in jail. As it is, we have no room for dragons like him." The metallic tinge in Amanita's voice bit hard into Jinx's mind. It was that same tone she used by the window. That biting sound.

"If only we had more money... a bigger island... it's nice to dream." Said Jinx.

If there was any proof the mind-tricks didn't break her, it was on display now. Fresh-shed tears for what should've been a wretch of society, dragged before the shining blade. A large bucket had been rolled for the elderly dragon, who had laid his head on the guillotine as if demanding his end come quicker. A line of prisoners was awaiting by the gates, watching the older dragon with fear and pity.

By this time, a small crowd of inquisitive TrickWings had gathered by the edges of the wooden platform, along with a murder of cackling crows, who preened their feather waiting for the kill. Mother, who had been sitting silent in the highest seat until now, raised her head high, causing more and more TrickWings to gather by the edge of the platform, trying to see their queen.

"Commonfolk of Centera, it has come time again to purge our island of those who would see it fall into unrest and chaos. Six heads to be put to rest, six who will find only damnation with the children of Kil'Pela. One of these six had even tried to kill my daughter, and for him shall we jeer!"

A cacophony of hisses, remarks and growls emerged from the audience, the dragons lashing their tails. Jinx stayed silent, though she could tell by her Mother's side-glances that she was clearly supposed to jeer at the killer as well.

"Yes, the nerve of him! We shall save him for last, so we may see the fear in his eyes before he sees the earth. Now, let us start with the demise of this thief."

The executioner dusted off his brown hood, taking reins of the rope suspending the blade of the guillotine from an idle guard. Without a word, the burly TrickWing, stared into the eyes of the elderly dragon before releasing the rope.

Not a single cry resonated before the elderly dragon's head was severed clean from his neck, his body going pale and limp. Blood pooled into the creases of the platform, as his body was dragged away, and his head let out one final gasp before it stopped writhing. The next prisoner, a stout mongrel, was motioned onto the stage. He struggled against his bonds so viciously that the guards had to hold him in place for the execution. It was much more messy.

Jinx had to avert her eyes, feeling a welling illness in her stomach. Amanita, spotting this, leaned over to Jinx.

"You know, this could've been avoided." Amanita whispered.

"If I hadn't had gone, yeah, but-" Jinx stammered.

"No, altogether. The poisoning is but an excuse for Mother to bare her fearsome image."

"How?" Jinx questioned.

"I hear that there's a way off the island, through the mists, using a special flower. Mother showed me the flower a long time ago. She said that its what keeps us here and keeps us safe."

"Then why doesn't she use it?"

"Because each time she uses it, the mists get a bit weaker. Its why we only have one day a year the caravans travel to and fro our island."

"But, why? We are strong, we definitely have numbers..."

"Mother likes tradition, you have seen this. The outside is dangerous, it is new. So long as she is alive, she will keep our kind here, because it is safe, and easier to control."

"It's killing us. To stay here." Jinx watched as another head rolled from the device. "To not change."

"It's not that easy a choice, Jinx. To exist in a wider scale, it is a new game entirely."

"Staying here is making us cold in this old game. These high places are devoid of love. We fought because it was tradition, but we reunited because of kinship and love. We are TrickWing, we need to go back to our real traditions."

"What are our real traditions?" Said Amanita with a hint of snark. Another head fell.

Jinx though back to when she lived with Sodalite, in the ordinary commons. Seeing TrickWing dragonets running around, exploring the nooks and crannies, watching the night stars instead of starry curtains, crafting tools and playing games together. They weren't afraid of the outside, nor of getting their heads cut off. Not afraid of their bad thoughts and their warm feelings.

They lived life like life. Not a game.

"Knowing who we are. We are family." Jinx said.

"Look, the last guy's head is falling." Amanita pointed out.

Indeed, an azure head rolled onto the ground, the executioner picking it up by the horns and holding it out for the audience to see. His lolling tongue was marked by a black feather, a sure sign he was one of the crowtongues.

Jinx couldn't find any satisfaction in this, despite the thump of seeming justice she felt in her chest.

The crowd began to disperse, as the bucket of heads was prepared to be taken away, when the guards yanked out another dragon.

"This one was try'in to escape. She has small talons, but we realised we only had five in time t'grab her." Said a guard, pushing out a dragon who had half escaped her shackles.

Her scales were as pale as the moon, her deep purple eyes wide. Her wings were torn around the edges, and her face was dominated by a fresh talon-scar. Yet through all of that, Jinx immediately recognized.

It was Lucky.

Her pleading eyes gave way to desperate calls, but Jinx couldn't hear anything. Her talons were trembling, her icy blue eyes rolling in their sockets as if she were going to have another twitching fit. Jinx rapidly pushed herself out of her seat, clambering onto the edge of the stony wall. Red-Cloth stood up to stop her, but it was too late. Jinx had already hurled herself off the stony edge, shaky wings turning her fall into a glide.

"Stop... STOP...!" Jinx gasped, falling between the guillotine and Lucky.

"What's the meaning of this?" Grumbled the executioner.

"We are family."

Jinx grabbed Lucky, and stared at the masked face of death.

Chapter 15: Unkempt Rosebush

The crowd went deathly silent, the roaring cacophony of hisses and laughter turned to but a dim roil of whispers. The Queen stared down from her stony pedestal, her face red like blood, and her mouth hung slightly agape.

Jinx stood as best she could, despite the clear shivering in her wings and talons. She wanted to fight, but her body seemed opposed to even the thought of it, as the venom made her weak and sickly. Still, she stared with the coldest of eyes, a cold blueness as deep as the mists. With them, she could see the executioner staring back at her sorry form, brown mask almost appearing like the ridged edges of the cliff within her fuzzy vision.

It felt as though an eternity passed, with only the silent faces of the crowd displaying any movement. Confused chirps, ruffled frills, twisting tails. They all blended together into shades of evening, looking to their queen for any advice at all.

"Ah- um, yes." Said Red-Cloth, her maw twisted in a fake smile. She had clearly not been expecting that, especially not after the visit to the Crowtongues. Still, the Queen needed a way to explain this outburst within her daughter. What a shame it would be to admit her daughter was once adopted kin to a mongrel, much less a criminal.

Jinx knew the Queen would look for anything to excuse this, to preserve her image. That image was the entire reason she hosted these executions, so it could very well be a way to stop this one. It was a great manipulation tactic, even if she wasn't thinking exactly that when she dove down to protect Lucky. Indeed, Red-Cloth's voice did seem to pick back up, as her subjects began to stir.

"It appears that there has been a mistake. This young, fine dragoness is no criminal, but one of our house-servants!" The Queen proclaimed, expanding her maroon wings. "Free her, and let her come back to the palace to be washed and made proper, and do not mishandle one of my servants again, lest you end up on the block!"

The executioner nervously bowed, before taking the other shackle off of Lucky. The pale dragoness blinked several times, looking from her shackles to Jinx, her talons trembling. Then, she started to cry, clear tears dripping down her maw.

"Jinx..." Whispered Lucky, her voice raspy despite her young age. In a matter of four days, it looked as though she had aged five years, her body even gaunter than before and face wracked by a fresh scar. Lucky stumbled over to Jinx, and reached out to hug her.

Jinx recoiled at the touch, her mouth frothing and talons twitching madly as her eyes shook deep within their sockets, a fresh welling of vomit rising to her throat. With her other talon, she gently pushed Lucky away, holding back the wave of nausea that came over her. The emotional and physical exertion was too much for her to handle at the moment with the poison. It was as if she was being jerked by two strings that pulled her back and forth, threatening to tear her apart.

The Queen, acutely aware of what was going on, issued her guards to usher Jinx and Lucky away from the crowd. jinx was secretly thankful, even though she knew it largely wasn't for her own sake. How bad would it look if she started vomiting right in front of the crowds? Jinx smiled at the thought before holding back another wave of nausea.

The guards put Lucky in the back of the chariot along with Amanita and Jinx, as she clearly was in no shape to help haul a chariot with a bone-thin body and an open wound on her face. The trip back home... was tense.

"I can't believe you did that." Whispered Amanita, bemused. "Mother's going to be angry."

"I can deal with that." Moaned Jinx, trying to rest her head down.

"Mother's probably going to assign Lucky somewhere gross after this whole event blows over. You aren't going to get to see her much, so make your peace." Amanita grinned.

Jinx let out a frustrated snort before turning to Lucky and frowning. Lucky hadn't said a single word all of the flight. Upon noticing that Jinx was staring, the white dragonet let out a small sigh, before starting to whisper.

"You shouldn't have saved me." Whispered Lucky.

"What? Lucky- why would you say that?" Jinx was confused and concerned. Lucky seemed so- detached and pale, almost as though she was about to knock on death's door.

"The things they told me in there." Lucky pulled her eyes shut, trying to cover her talon-scar with her wings. "They're true. I'll never be a TrickWing. You understand that?"

"Yes, but what does it matter?" Said Jinx, trying her best to wrap a wing around Lucky without being reminded of the swirling visions that clouded her thoughts yesterday.

"Even though you saved me- the Queen's just going to use me as a servant. Like Amanita said- we're never going to see each other again. And not seeing you for four days, it was already bad enough. Geist, Dice, Sodali-Mom, I miss them all so much. I don't want to be alone again. I don't want to be in a prison."

"Look, Lucky, I'm going to fight my Mother if she tries to seperate us. And once I'm Queen- I'll... I'll change things! I fought the Crowtongues, I'll fight against this game. It might seem hopeless, but I saved you today, so maybe we can save tomorrow. I don't want any more rolling heads, I don't want dead mongrels or framed innocents." Jinx said, trying to carry hope in her voice even if it sounded fake.

"Keep it down. If you starting talking rebellion back here, Mother may hear you." Whispered Amanita.

The chariot rode swiftly to the palace with only a slight bit of banter. Jinx regretted not asking Lucky about the scar, but she could clearly see it was something sensitive.

Once they had gotten to the palace, things had settled down slightly. After an uneasy hug, Lucky had been taken after to be bathed and properly dressed as a servant, with a small pearl earring pierced into her right ear. Jinx, meanwhile, had been sent to bath as well, resting in one of the royal pools with a wooden bucket sitting by the edge of the pool in case she felt nauseous again.

Jinx looked back into the waters at herself and pondered her actions. Saving Lucky- it was within her principles, it was almost natural. Yet still, Lucky's spirit seemed almost broken, and she was due to be assigned to some low-end job where she'd never see the light of day or Jinx again. If she wanted to see Lucky again, she'd have to learn the palace better, especially if Lucky got assigned to cleaning the riddle-halls or something. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of claws on marble.

"Hello?" Coughed Jinx, sitting up in the lukewarm pool. The shape drew closer, white robes draped over its imposing red form. Mother.

"Jinx, we need to talk." Red-Cloth sat down by the side of the pool, gingerly dipping her talons in. Her brow was lowered and breath was heavy. Her talons clenched the side of the pool before going limp again.

"Ok." Jinx turned her head away. She didn't feel like, and she could already see the rage broiling beneath her Mother's sharp features, but to attempt any sort of escape would surely invoke a wrath as she saw yesterday.

"I do not know what happened in your years of absence, and for that I only have myself to blame." Red-Cloth said. Jinx was confused for a second. Was Mother apologizing? Mother sighed before continuing.

"But there are certain things a Queen must learn in the process of becoming such. One lesson I must teach you today. Do not get attached to anybody." The Queen looked off to the side before rubbing her ring. "Your emotions never truly know what you need. They'll hold you back from potential. They'll make you weak- and they'll betray you."

"Lucky isn't going to betray me." Mumbled Jinx. It was hard to speak in Mother's presence.

"Nay, she may not, but her kin most certainly will. If you let one mongrel take a coin, they'll all want one. It is the same with all of us accursed lot. We should base our decisions as Queens on efficiency and impression. Some need to suffer so the majority may live in peace."

"But it's wrong what we're doing to them. You didn't know what crime she committed, or you would've known she committed none at all!"

"Listen to what I'm saying." The Queen's voice grew sterner. "It doesn't matter what she did. She doesn't matter. You need to think about what is important for the whole. We have too many damn mongrels on this island already, and if you need to sacrifice a few so the others get some meat, its a sacrifice you'll have to make. Cowardice and emotion will not save this island."

"So why don't we leave then?" Said Jinx. "Go beyond the mists?"

"It won't be good for our people. The last time we were in this world- we were nearly wiped out. Our tribe still remains split in two because of those silly caravan-fliers who refuse to accept their true homeland. For law and order, we need to stay, and to stay means noble sacrifice."

"You speak of cowardice, yet you're afraid of the other tribes? You're afraid of mongrels and of TrickWings who don't obey you?"

"I am not afraid to do what is best for the majority. I have been kind to mongrels and those TrickWing traitors that wander so far by simply letting them crawl on the underbelly of Centera. When you become Queen, you will learn that sometimes you need to make sacrifices for the good of the tribe."

"So you sacrifice our freedom and families?" Jinx felt a deep burning in her chest. Sacrifices? Bah, she just wanted control over all of the kingdom. She should've known better.

"Silence!" Growled the Queen, talon scraping the side of the pool. "I am your family, not the runt. Understand that, and smarten up. The people expect you to act like a heir, not a mongrel, so leave behind that old life. Don't get attached to foolish ideals, Jinx, or you will end up dead on the throne room floor like so many before you."

Jinx said not a word, and simply looked down to the waters. It was useless fighting back, it was like talking to a wall. The Queen slowly got up, shaking her talons off and lowering her frills which were almost a beet-red colour now, instead of their usual magenta. After taking a deep breathe, the Queen started to leave, before stopping for but a moment to turn her neck around towards Jinx.

"By the way, daughter of mine, that warning I gave to the executioner..." Whispered Red-Cloth, her slit eyes closing. "That was for you. Get your act together and act like a proper heir- or I'll find another way to deal with you. I don't want to touch a single scale on your body, but if you force my talon, I will have no regrets."

Chapter 16: The Loopholes In That Wall

Jinx definitely felt more disgusted after that bath, which she would've thought was unusually save for the fact that her mother dipped her blood-stained talons into the pool. Jinx winced as she rolled over in bed. It was hard to get the thought of her own head being between those spiny talons out of her mind.

Was it normal for TrickWings to think nothing of killing their own families? She pondered the idea for a while. After all, her mother clearly had no issue with threatening her- and Amanita at one point nearly did do her in. At one point, Jinx could even remember when she was so willing, though bound with regret deep in her throat. Still, it was a tradition nonetheless, if the records of TrickWing sisters fighting to the death and slitting each other's throats were to be believed.

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe family was supposed to be nothing to a TrickWing. Maybe she should've just gotten over it, brushed her wings off, and flitted away to the opportunity to once again be in a better position to attain authority. To lift herself out of the straw and dust. It was there she could most effectively work towards her goals of making life better on this dullsome island, after all.

By saving Lucky, she had effectively put herself in poor standing with her Mother, which was never good for a budding princess who needed protection from her sisters. Sisters. Oh sea gods, how could've she forgotten? Mother surely must've had more hatchlings in her absence- yet none of them remained in this dusty room.

How much of this dust is the powdered remains of dragon scales? How many of these toys were touched by dragonets now gone?

Maybe she had forgotten. How to be a TrickWing.

But. That didn't sit well with her. As Jinx faded into the warm embraces of sleep, she could remember her Mother's words from the day ringing ever so loudly and clearly. How she roared and jeered at the supposed would-be killer, how she stood taller than Jinx had ever seen her stand. It sent a message. How dare you.

No, more than that. How dare you do that to my daughter?

There was a spark, as stifled as it was. She could see it. It needed to be reignited, yet Jinx had no idea how. Letting herself fall into a woozy sleep, Jinx was wrapped in the shadows of the curtains that blocked out the starlight.

---

The next day was slightly more eventful, though not by much. She spent most of the day practicing her talon-work, as her skills with the quill were quite questionable. At some point, her teacher remarked about how she wrote like a "fat-taloned MudWing", though Jinx was far too busy trying to remember how to spell all of these long words to care.

Still, it wasn't all bad. At the very least, she got some reassurance that Amanita was (likely) not planning to murder her, and was in fact rather endeared by the fact that she stood up to the executioner yesterday.

"Maybe I should go live down in the pits for five years. You've got a real spine on you, Jinx." Amanita smiled as she corrected a small mistake on Jinx's scroll. "I could never do what you did there."

"Hmmph." Jinx's frills flushed, not used to the praise.

"For real though, I'm sure Mother was ready to tear you to pieces." Said Amanita.

"Kind of. I don't really want to talk about it." Jinx quickly made sure to bury her face in a scroll.

"Oh, alright." Said Amanita, putting down the paper.

The rest of the lesson was rather silent, but Amanita had a sort of smirk on her rusty red face that made Jinx curious. She'd glance at the instructor sometimes and pull her jaw tighter and seemed to almost be motioning for Jinx to exit the room.

So, while the pale green TrickWing at the front of the room mumbled on about tenses or something, Jinx made sure to inch closer to Amanita until they were right next to each other.

"What's the matter?" Whispered Jinx.

"I have something to show you." Amanita whispered back. "Trust me, you'll love it. I'm not chipper for nothing."

"Alright, when?"

"Mmm, you have to come right now. There is no better opportunity." Amanita grabbed Jinx's talon, sneaking out of the classroom with her. The teacher was none the wiser, lecturing on while his glasses bobbled on his snout.

Amanita led Jinx through the halls and into the garden, the fresh gust of cool air filling her lungs with relief. They came to a stop near the rose bushes where they had, not long ago, discussed the Crowtongues and all that entailed.

"Ok, I'm going to need you to close your eyes." Whispered Amanita, leaning in.

Jinx let out a hesitant chirp, but soon folded her wings over her eyes, so that she couldn't see through them. A few seconds passed, and Jinx could hear rustling in the bushes, growing closer and closer.

"Alright, you can open them now." Amanita said, her voice like distant chimes.

Jinx removed her wings from her eyes, and before her was Lucky, dressed in the simple working attire of the rest of the garden staff, simple grey gloves and boots. She could hardly believe it. Lucky was working in the garden? This was anything but isolated from her!

"So, Mother was rather fuming, but I managed to convince her to go easy on your pal. It was kinda hard and I didn't want to push it, but I said that if we kept her to this private garden then none of the nobles would see her- uh- mongrelness. I didn't mention that this private garden is also our little hang-out point." Amanita laughed. "I knew it'd probably be good for both of your mental healths, and likely wouldn't get Mother too mad."

Jinx ran up to Lucky, tried to embrace her in a hug, though it felt awkward in all the wrong ways. The memory of yesterday and the Crowtongue poisoning memory did kind of make it hard to hug without at least remembering painful and nauseating feelings. Still, to see Lucky again, and to know she'd be able to see her for a long time- it lit up her heart.

"I'm so happy to see you." Said Jinx.

"Me too." Lucky smiled, curling her talons around a rosebush. "I was worried that- that I'd be alone in the dark forever."

"To be honest, I worried about the same thing." Jinx smiled before looking to Amanita. "Thank you too, sister."

"It's no big deal." Said Amanita, grinning. "Now let's get back to class before the teacher freaks. You can see Lucky now whenever you've got some free time."

Jinx nodded, and waved goodbye to Lucky before going in, watching the sunlight close behind the doors. At least there was some light still left in this palace. Her mother may not care- but she had her sisters. Both of them.

Chapter 17: Dressed In Red

Eight of years, dressed in red, hanging from her neck a striking eye of a gem. Golden lights playing beneath its spectral finish, casting reflections on the solemn grey halls. Mother did not show up for this one. She must've been busy. Still, Lucky and Amanita were keen to show up, her elder sisters bringing with them flowers and baubles.In the middle of the table was a fine array of baked goods, small pies and muffins adorned with blue-purple fruit much alike to Jinx's scales in colour. The servants milled about the room listlessly, taking dishes from the distracted nobles who glanced in the princess' direction for not even a single second.

"Is this how every hatching day goes on in the palace?" Whispered Lucky. "It's so... dull. I can't see a single smile in this room."

"I guess we have to make one then." Jinx grinned, baring fangs nearly grown to their full size. "Be quick!"

"Wha-" Lucky had barely any time to react before one of the small fruit plunked against her face, leaving a blue splatter on her pale features. Lucky stood still for a few seconds, then a tiny laugh came from the dragoness.

Jinx laughed too. That was a good day.

Nine years of age, dressed in red, hanging from her neck an arrangement of rosy pink pearls. The Queen showed up for this one, taking keen note of her daughter's "reforment" into a proper heir.

"I am glad you have committed yourself to reforming your behavior, despite our initial troubles. You are a determined one, and that may serve you well." The Queen raised a fine glass of wine to her maw.

That was the first compliment (in a sense) she'd heard from her mother in a long time, yet it sat like a stone in her stomach. Was she not determined when she stood up for her friend's life, despite the poison in her veins? Yet, she did not want to anger or worry her, so she replied in kind.

"I am glad to be back with you." Jinx cut an end off of a muffin with a dainty knife. "I think it is good to mend that which is broken, and our relationship is one I value much so. I don't want to disappoint you."

"Good, good." The Queen said. "Be rest assured that I have noticed your work. Your writing, manner of speech, and poetry has improved so much over these odd couple years."

Huh? Had it really been that long? It felt like yesterday.

"You are worthy of our legacy. The Crowtongues need not hold you anymore, but heed your word in future days."

Yesterday was a long time ago. Jinx knew what was real, but this was too much. Perhaps more frightful than the prospect of visiting the Crowtongues was the thought of giving them orders one day as Queen. She left her ninth birthday in tears.

The tenth year was special. She was a dragoness now. A true potential heir, clad in not just red, but with gold banded horn-rings as well. She could tell that Amanita felt threatened by such a prospect, as she refused to show up to the next party. Lucky was still present, however, and as the Queen left, she took Jinx aside to the gardens.

The sunset was a crimson glow, playing up the already dramatic tones of red on her scales, and casting a warming glow across the kingdom. Lucky was fully grown now too, her white scales sharp and talons calloused from years at work. Yet it had all paid out, in this brilliant garden. Vibrant as the setting sun, flowers curled about their tails.

"How do you feel about becoming Queen?" Whispered Lucky, looking off into the clouds.

"I already said I don't like the Royal Game... and I still do not." Jinx let out a huff. "Amanita knows her way around here, she'll be a better queen than I can ever. Besides, I think she really wants this, and I already know I don't."

"But if you hate the way things are around here, couldn't you change that when you become Queen?"

"I don't know."

"Are you afraid of becoming like Red-Cloth?"

Jinx's jaw was agape, yet no breath came out. Lying like a corpse, she reached a talon along the soft underbelly of her neck, almost trying to pick out words with her talons.

"I don't want that power. I'm like you, I'm a scamp at heart. No manner of fancy lessons can change that. I wouldn't be able to handle the crown, and if I ever made a mistake- sea-gods know I'd never forgive myself." Jinx struggled against her own heaving chest. That reminder, of the deadly things that ran in her blood, of the silver crown that hung so close to her line. If Amanita were ever to die- or be killed- she struggled to cope with such a thought.

"We all make mistakes, right? So even if you made a few blunders, you'd still be our best shot at getting through these hard times. After all, you said it yourself. You are like us, like me, like Sodalite and Geist and Dice." Lucky said.

"But when- IF I'm Queen, my mistakes could mean life or death." Jinx remembered the lolling tongue of the Crowtongue, hearing the cheers despite knowing his innocence. The foulness of her mother's words. "I don't want to kill anybody."

"Maybe sometimes a few sacrifices are worth it. I'd die a thousand times to our family back together. If you don't believe in being Queen, that's fine... but I think you could really make a change."

"Really?"

"To this entire island."