Yayy look a new fanfiction! Uh... this is in the future. Like, Thorn's still queen, but all the events of The Poison Jungle and The Dangerous Gift are behind us. We look ONLY TO THE FUTURE!
Prologue[]
As the moon rose over a silent desert, a blue-black figure made her way over the sands. She was headed for a hut, far to the north. Finally, as the air turned freezing cold, The Fortress came into her view. The black dragon knocked quietly on the door. She was answered by a thin SandWing who, the black dragon noticed with a shudder, was missing an eye. "What? She's not here. She hasn't been here for what, twenty, thirty years now?"
"I'm not here to see Blaze." the black dragon said with a voice like silk. "I'm here to see the Commander." The SandWing who'd answered the door flinched.
"Y- you're-" he said.
"Umbra, yes." the black dragon said. "Can I come in now? It's rather cold." The SandWing stepped aside and led Umbra into the Fortress. As the two sets of talons echoed down the empty halls, Umbra wondered why it was so blank? Blaze had lived here, why wasn't it gaudy? "Right through here." the SandWing said, unlocking a door with the keys around his neck. Umbra nodded respectfully, and entered. The first thing she noticed was the painfully elegant SandWing. Her white-gold scales reflected the candlelight; it made her look almost divine. "I know who you are." the elegant SandWing said.
"And I you." Umbra replied smoothly.
"Take off the silly hood." the SandWing said. "You don't need to conceal your identity here." Obligingly, Umbra pulled the hood and cloak off of her black feathers. "Anything else, Commander Alula?" Umbra asked, stepping closer.
"No, sit." Alula said, gesturing to a seat. "You are on of the best mimics I know." Alula continued as soon as Umbra had sat down.
"I try to be good." Umbra replied. "But- I don't quite believe in using it for bad purposes."
"I believe that all you lack is resources." Alula said. "You lack the assistance you need to be a truly great spy." Umbra stood up suddenly.
"N-no." she said. "I won't spy on anyone, not even for you, Alula!"
"What, even for redemption?" Alula replied. Umbra stiffened, and Alula went on. "I can get you pardoned. I can get you your life back."
"No." Umbra said, so quiet it could have been the wind. "No one could do that. Not for me."
"I could." Alula replied. "Come on. You hated the solitude, I know you did." Umbra thought for a moment. To have her life back- after so many years- it was more than she'd ever hoped for. "...Okay." she said. "What do you need?"
Part One[]
Chapter One[]
WIP