This story was written by Simmer-Lepius. Please do not steal anything on this page.
What was Scarlet’s life like before the series began? What sort of dragon was she, and what caused her to become what she was?
How much can one dragon’s choices affect the future?
In the SkyWing nursery, tiny dragons rolled on the cushioned floor, beating their wings and kicking out with needle sharp claws. One dragonet, a small orange female, yelled as the claws of a red dragonet clipped her snout. “Hey! Cerise, that
hurt!” She rubbed her snout, wincing as a smear of blood showed on her claw. The other, red dragonet sat up on her haunches.
“Sorry Scarlet!” She chirped, not sounding very sorry at all. “You must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time!”
Scarlet frowned at her. “It’s Princess Scarlet!” The young orange dragonet rolled her shoulders and sat up taller, in a pose she hoped was regal and imposing. Cerise snorted and then laughed at her. “Don’t laugh!” Scarlet yelled. “I’m going to be Queen one day, and you’ll just be my servant!”
Cerise just laughed harder and bowed mockingly at Princess Scarlet. “Oh wow, I’d better be nice then, wouldn’t want little Scarlet stomping on my tail” Some of the surrounding dragonets laughed with her. Scarlet felt tears welling up in her orange eyes.
She turned around and fled to a corner behind a platform, out of view. She could still hear Cerise taunting her, and the laughter of the other dragonets. Scarlet wiped a tear off her cheek as it rolled from her eye. She coiled up in the corner, sniffing and staring at a cobweb in the corner.
Suddenly, the laughter stopped. Scarlet peered around the base of the flight platform, to see the slim figure of a red SkyWing draped in rubies in the entrance. It was Mother. Scarlet pulled herself out from behind the platform, but Cerise beat her to it.
“Mother!” squeaked the red dragonet, smiling widely.
Mother beamed down at Cerise, and Scarlet felt jealousy stab her in the chest. “It’s my favourite dragonet!” The Queen said, picking up Cerise in her talons and nuzzling her snout.
Scarlet slunk forward, not meeting the eyes of the other dragonets. “Hello, Mother!” She said cheerily. The Queen’s red gaze scanned the orange dragonet.
“Oh, it’s you.” Mother said, sounding disappointed. Scarlet felt like her mother was stomping on her heart.
She tried again to get Mother’s attention. “Cerise was being mean again! She clawed me!” Scarlet whined.
The Queen didn’t even look at her. “Cerise was just trying to toughen you up! She wants you to be strong like her!” She exclaimed, tickling Cerise lovingly.
“Yeah, Scarlet!” Cerise said tauntingly, “Toughen up!”
Scarlet felt the tears brim in her eyes again. Anger boiled in her chest. “I hate you both. I hate you Mother, and I hate you Cerise.” She spat, and ran out of the entrance to the nursery, left open by Mother.
Outside, the sun had warmed the rock under Scarlet’s talons. All around her, dragons smiled and laughed. They joked and danced. Scarlet was envious, and she was angry. Why couldn’t she be this happy? It’s not fair! She thought, and ran further.
Princess Scarlet hid herself under a rocky overhanging, almost hoping to hear frantic talonsteps searching for her. None came. Scarlet put her head in her talons, and this time, she let her tears fall. No dragon loves me, I am a wretch and I am worthless. She told herself firmly, repeating what her mother and sister told her a million times over. And something hardened inside her.
That night, thunder rolled overhead. Still, no dragon had come for her. When it began to rain, Scarlet looked out at talons dancing, and heard dragons laughing still as the rain poured. Their talons should have been bound. How dare they be happy when she could not. How dare they not realise she was missing.
Scarlet growled softly. She would be Queen. And every dragon here tonight would pay. Mother would pay. And Cerise...
Scarlet’s mind flashed with an image of Cerise bleeding, Cerise burning, Cerise with a broken neck. She would pay. She would pay very dearly indeed.
Look Out SkyWings. When I am Queen, your lives will change.