A pretty Butterfly picture! Taken by me at a butterfly exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London!

They wait in the great Valley. Standing in squares, weapons and wands ready. Their uniform is dark against the green valley around them and their silver skull maks glow in the sunlight. Their King has informed them and given them their orders. The High Queen knows they are there and they are sending warriors. Stand your ground and fight. Enforce your power and weaken the will of the Shifter scum. That is what he had told them. He had also told them of what he had seen in the High Queens mind. That the white-haired dragon girl is very sick. That the poison hasn't finished with her yet. That her dragon siblings under no circumstances were going to leave the academy. They weren't going to leave her. That is what he had uncovered in the High Queens mind and without the Dragons and with the power he now fills his soldiers with, this would be an easy victory.

Through the link with his soldiers, the NightShade King allows some of his own power to feed through, strengthening them in the battle to come. They grin behind their masks as they wait. Adrenaline fills them as they prepare. It would not be long now. The Shifters will be so desperate to avenge their precious dragon queen, that they would not allow time for them to get away should they be running. 

So, they wait for the Shifters to arrive and for the slaughtering to begin. There is a rumble in the distance. They are coming.

"Get ready!" their commander shouts. They draw their weapons and prepare. The rumble sounds again. Low and deep. Clouds begin to form in the skies. Not regular clouds, they realise. But thick and dark clouds, almost like smoke. Deep breaths are taken by the NightShades as the sound gets closer and closer. As the Shifter army marches toward them. Then, there is silence. An odd silence.

A screech fills the air and a dragon appears from the clouds. It's huge body appearing from the thick clouds and a huge roar fills the tense silence and echoes around the valley. The NightShades all step back and gasp. Fear spreads through them. Why is there a dragon here? They saw in the High Queens mind that none of the siblings would leave their sister's side! The dragon is a terrifying sight to behold as it swoops toward them. Before they have a chance, the dragon roars again though this time a wave of blazing fire follows it. As the dragon sweeps low to the ground, it burns everything in its path. The NightShades have hardly any time to react as the Dragon flies over them.

Toryn roars, his anger surging through him as he burns them. They were there, waiting. Just as had been predicted. The other royals ride on his back, but there is no need for them to fight. He wants nothing but to destroy them so he does. Their screams are loud as they are all engulfed in the flames. It takes only three sweeps before the whole group of them are destroyed and the rest of their kind are wiped off of Shadow. He lands again, roaring to the sky and letting out more flames, just to make sure. Then he takes off and goes back to the academy as though it were nothing. An easy slaughter and one he will feel no guilt over. The High Queen had said that they wouldn't be expecting him and she was right. It had taken some convincing. He had not wanted to leave his sister. But Serenity and Tanya had convinced him to go. Saying they could guard Isla in the short time he was gone. He wanted to play with his kills but decided it better to get in and out quick so that he could be back with his sister as soon as possible. He returns to the training field, landing and allowing the Royals to get off his back.

"That was terrifying," Oliver says to Toryn. Toryn just huffs lowly and takes off again, flying around the academy and joining his sisters in flight. Somehow, all of them have established a mental link instead of it being through twins only. As a last attempt to save Isla.

"How did it go?" Serenity asks. 

"I got them all," Is what Toryn replies and even though he destroyed them, he knows there is still someone out there hunting his sister. So they all continue to watch, vowing that nothing like that will happen again.

He watches from the woodland as the other NightShades burn. He feels nothing toward them. No anger at their deaths. It is a good thing, really. Now, he could get on with his work in peace. Of course, the Dragons would get in his way and they are not to be underestimated. That is what his king has done. Underestimated the Dragoheirs and their loyalty to each other. He jumps down from the branch he was leaning on and races into the forest, looking up through the canopy to see the dragon flying overhead. There is no doubt that the beast is spectacular to look at. His sheer, terrifying size and layers of spikes and scales make him look like a creature that is both beautiful and deadly. He sighs, wishing he could fly like the dragons could. A soft growl leaves his throat as the dragon disappears and he continues to run. Don't wish for things that won't happen. Just get on with your job, he tells himself as he appears on a cliff edge that overlooks the academy. A grin crosses his face again as the dragon lands in the distance, dropping off his passengers. Then he takes off again, flanked by the other two beasts. Getting past them is going to be a challenge. One he may not be able to overcome. But trying will still be fun.