"I still can't believe we're related to her," Thorn shook his head.

   The royal triplets had just come out of one of their lessons about the Kingdom of Sand's dark history, and it was quick to turn onto the topic of Beetle rather than the brutal and bloody skirmishes along the border close to Possibility and the steppe with the SkyWings back when Queen Skyfire- the grandmother of the current SkyWing queen, Queen Amber- held the crown.

   Ray snorted, hopping in front of the pair and twisting around, walking backwards. "I can," he grinned.

   Thorn and Scorpion raised a brow, Ray's grin only widening. "Really?" Thorn asked, "how?"

   "Scorpion has her face."

   He had to duck out of the way of Scorpion's swings as she swiped at the prince with her talons, narrowly missing his snout as he laughed. "I do not!" She hollered, chasing after him as his laughter turned into playful screeches as the two raced down the hall, Thorn shouting words of caution before chasing after them.

   "Do too!"

   Ray looked over his shoulder in time to scream as Scorpion lunged, tacking him to the ground as they rolled across the carpeted floor. Thorn trotted up beside them as Scorpion rolled on top, shoving on Ray's shoulders to pin him to the ground. Ray began to complain and whine, Scorpion reaching out to messily ruffle his frill.

   "How is it that we're supposed to be turning nine soon, yet you both still act like dragonets?"

   "Because we actually like to have fun, ever heard of that?" Ray snickered from on the floor. "It must be so hard to imagine, but some dragons actually like-MFPH!"

   "The only one who likes to act like a dragonet is Ray," Scorpion brazenly replied, pushing Ray down, "not me."

   "Yeah, but you're no better."

   She raised a brow, "in comparison to Ray?"

   "I'm right here!" Ray twisted, wedging his hind talons underneath Scorpion to kick at her gut, giving him enough room to slip backwards and pull his shoulders out. She tried to grab him again, but he managed to slip away with a cackle.

   The stronghold's corridors were quieter than usual, only the occasional pair of patrolling guards passing by or servants quickly ducking around corners carrying baskets or piles of dishes with a guard watching over them as they passed. They must be getting ready for the celebration, Scorpion watched another group of servants slip past, turning to quicken her pace and catch back up with Thorn and Ray as they turned down another hall to their right, heading deeper within the palace. Turning down corridors and pacing down spiraling stairs.

   "It would be so much faster to fly there," Ray grinned, shuffling his wings.

   Thorn scowled, "don't even think about it, you wreckless dragonfly."

   "The courtyard's just down the hall," Scorpion rolled her eyes, "you can handle walking a bit longer.

   He groaned, hanging his head back dramatically as he complained, his winning falling on deaf ears. It didn't take the prince long to grow bored from being ignored, so he turned his attention to Thorn. The two began to lightly bicker as they walked, with Scorpion following silently behind them, listening as if their lighthearted argument were nothing more than white noise as her mind began to wander.

   Their history lesson with Dromedary had taken a quick turn onto the topic of Beetle once Thorn and Ray managed to pry what her and Cactus' conversation on the rooftop was about. The advisor was only a few years younger than Camel- close to Cactus and Vulture's age- and was by far the youngest of the royal advisors, still having been a dragonet during the old queen's reign. While Dromedary was supposed to be teaching them the intertribal relationships and disputes, Ray's pestering had turned the lesson away from Queen Skyfire to Queen Beetle.

   Normally, at this age, Ray and Thorn wouldn't have even been a part of Scorpion's lessons. Most princes had the choice to stop any tutoring after the age of seven, but Ringtail and Camel wanted to treat their sons just like any of their daughters. The royal triplets had no objections when they were young, and even now she spent most of her time with the two princes where she could, the only exception being when she was dragged off for her own lessons from the older advisors who were there to 'prepare her for her future.'

   "Beetle struck fear into the hearts of many, and few followed her with utter-most loyalty." Dromedary's voice seemed to echo, "her show of power shook the tribe: mass executions of supposed traitors and spies making dragons keep their heads down out of fear. When the other tribes began to poke around, traveling SandWings became violent out of terror for the fear of being accused of treason." During the lesson, Scorpion couldn't help but see the worried look in their advisors eyes as she spoke about the Queen who haunted the Desert Kingdom's past.

   No one liked to talk about it, and in most cases Camel saved the advisors from doing so, so she could be the one to teach her dragonets about their grandmother by taking them down the Memorial hall, one on one.

   Advisors treated it as though it were shameful, as if even just saying the tyrannical queen's name would resurrect her from the dead. Most things within the palace that resembled her had been covered up, or moved down into the lower levels of the stronghold where very few dragons roamed. Leaving the few that remained as a permanent mark within the palace; Beetle's stained glass piece in the royal library and the two iron soldier statues who sat within the throne room, facing the entryway with sharp and hostile eyes, yet blank lifeless stares.

   "-orpion?"

   She blinked, "hm?"

   Ray snorted with a grin, "you zoned out again. Did Dromedary's lesson give you the spooks?"

   Scorpion raised a brow, unimpressed, as Thorn continued to walk ahead of them less than half a tail length away.

   Ray continued, waving a talon. "I was asking what part you're excited about for our hatching day. I'm excited for the music and dancing."

   Scorpion grinned and Thorn let out a groan, "oh please don't get her started-"

   "The arena fights."

   Ray barked out a laugh, giving his brother a nudge. "Oh come on, thorn bush!-" Thorn scowled at the nickname- "You've gotta be excited for something too."

   Thorn gave a weak shrug, looking unsure, "not really?"

   The halls around them grew brighter, the walls illuminated by warm beams of sunlight that made Scorpion's scales burn comfortingly. The faint whistle of a breeze reached her ears, the corridor lined with more windows- smaller than most in the palace, but tall and thin. Still large enough for a dragon to leap through with their wings tucked in close- opening the room to the fresh air filtering through the courtyard and giving them a view of the open space.

   A large box line dome surrounded by pillar walls shaped like arching windows, each towering doric column talon-carved with details covering every inch of their surface, giving them a packed and wild look as if you were looking at a carving of the desert rather than a column.

   Patches of cool shade scattered across the ground in a speckling array that rippled and danced like an oasis' surface, the treetops made up of lush palms with bundles of ferns climbing their roots, vibrant succulents that clung to their bark or the scattered rocks below, and small blooming cacti huddled around the layered trunks that overlapped like dragon scales. The chittering of small desert birds filled the air: cactus wrens, small black-throated sparrows, and doves that cooed from the safety of the palace walls occasionally spotted with a bundle of branches or a pecked away nook for a nest.

   The dragons in the palace didn't disturb the chirping wildlife, which encouraged them to stay in the courtyard where it was safe from the hungry gazes of vultures and hawks that circled in waiting for any of the small birds to venture out too far out into the open air. Flowers lined the sandstone pathways, a vibrant trail of warm pinks and yellows with the occasional red flower.

   By the sparkling oasis stood a small gazebo, its roof casting the inside in a cool shade where a small group of speckled geckos rested, watching the three dragons with wide blue eyes. Open and airy, the dome roof held strong with the support of six short pillars that spiraled just above their heads, chest-level walls filling in the spaces between them with their own tiny archways, giving the Gecko's the perfect getaway once the triplets got too close for their comfort.

   Scorpion's ears twitched as Thorn went on.

   "I don't know how to explain it without sounding like Sundance."

  "Shoot," Ray nodded, stepping out onto the soft sand.

   Thorn pondered for a moment, lips pressed thin as he thought. "Being the main focus."

   "Being the center of attention?" Scorpion glanced back as she led them to the small pavilion, watching as Thorn nodded.

   "Well lucky for you," Ray wrapped a wing over Thorn's shoulder with a smile, forcing the other prince to walk with him in stride to escape his stumble, "we'll be the center of attention for the whole day, by the entire kingdom!"

   Scorpion snorted with a flick of her tail, "I don't know about you, but being the center of attention doesn't sound all that exciting."

   "You just don't like to have dragons practically hanging off of you," Ray shrugged.

   "And you do." Scorpion ducked her head, stepping under the shade of the gazebo and making her way around the centered table made of stone built into the floor and surrounded by cushions.

   "I was aiming more for Camel and Ringtail's attention," Thorn pulled away from Ray, but was pulled back in for a final squeeze before being let go in favour of Ray slipping in after Scorpion, taking his spot across from her. Thorn huffed, following the pair inside and sitting down at the other end of the small slab table.

   "So," Ray started with a grin, resting his arms on the tabletop, "I was thinking-"

   "Bet that hurt," Scorpion snickered.

   "Aaaaanyywaaaayys," Ray rolled his eyes, "I was thinking we could go to the markets."

   Thorn shot their brother a scowl, and Ray met it in turn with a sheepish smile, quickly adding on before Thorn could go off on the idea.

   "Just listen before you start chiding me like mom, okay? Pretty please with a cacti flower on top? Thank you."

   "I didn't even say anything yet!" Thorn grumbled, crossing his arms.

   "No," Ray pointed at the other prince, "but you were gonna."

   "Get on with it Ray," Scorpion cut in, "or you'll give Thorn a heart attack just thinking about what idea you've come up with."

   "Excuse you, I come up with lovely ideas. You both just have no taste." Ray leaned over the table with a grin, "I want us to do something special, just the three of us! I heard about this jewelry stall in the market just outside the palace." He shot a glance at Thorn, "we won't even be far from home."

   Thorn gave him a puzzled and suspicious look, "and where did you hear of this place?" he asked.

   "Roadrunner," Ray replied, as if that was all the other prince needed to soothe his worries.

   Now it was Scorpion's turn to butt in. "You've been talking to that watcher-in-training a lot lately," she said, resting her chin in her talon. "What's got your interest so piqued?" Ray never stayed content with anything for long, so it was quite the surprise when he hadn't grown bored with this supposed new face in the palace.

   Roadrunner was one of the two watchers-in-training for the Wingery, the three old dragons in charge of watching the dragonets of those who worked within the palace having finally decided to choose their successors after decades of service and no words of retirement. Ringtail had tried to convince them they deserved the break, but all three stubborn old camels refused. In fact, this was the first in years that they even thought of training their successors and the future watchers who would raise the possible future princesses and queens.

   And from what Scorpion heard, it was a long two years of deciding, possible candidates waiting on bated breaths.

   The dusty brown coloured SandWing that had caught her brother's eye came from one of the many dens within the desert, and her family often traveled to the strongholds market to sell their crop of brightsting cacti. It wasn't long after she moved into the palace that Scorpion noticed how often Ray seemed to slip away and would be found watching the wingery from one of the balconies.

   Scorpion grinned, "you finally got the guts to talk to the poor dragon?"

   Ray scoffed, waving his talons before continuing on, ignoring Scorpion and turning back to Thorn who still looked just about as unimpressed as some of the advisors that had to listen to Ray's blabbering. "She told me that there's this SandWing in the market who engraves the jewelry you pick with whatever you want!" He paused, "well, most of them anyway. So I thought we all could go do something special for our ninth hatching day."

   "Ray," Thorn sighed slowly, "we're royalty. We can just get that done here without leaving the stronghold-"

   "Because, Thorn, that's not special!" Ray argued, "we're the ones doing the engraving! We can go out and get it done like normal dragons, and have it be something special we do, not just something brought to us like literally everything else."

   "I was saying it's just easier-"

   "And well I'm saying you're just boring." Ray turned to Scorpion with a hopeful look, now ignoring Thorn's glare, "Sooooo? What d'ya think? Sound fun?"

   "Oh, so now I get to be in the conversation?" Scorpion laughed at Ray's pout, shaking her head with a smile, "it sounds fun-" his fate lit up with a grin- "it'll be even more fun by sneaking out to do it."

   "No, we are not sneaking out!" Thorn shot up, pointing a claw, " Camel and Ringtail have guards everywhere for a reason! We're royals, in case you both have forgotten. And you-" he snapped at Scorpion, turning his talon to her, "stop encouraging him."

   "Thoorrnnnnnn!" Ray complained loudly with a whine, "come on, it'll be fun!"

   "Mom literally told us this morning about someone with enough guts to sneak into the palace! We'll be walking oases out there!"

   Ray rolled his eyes, wings drooping to the floor dramatically as his tail went limp like a dead viper. "Fine, we'll do it your way. What do you want so you can come? Name it."

   Thorn's glare hardened. "Were you just going to sneak out anyways!?"

  Ray paused, shooting Scorpion a glance before looking back at Thorn. "Nooo...?"

   Their brother gawked at the two of them, sucking in a deep breath and letting out a sigh, dragging a talon down his face, rubbing the space between his eyes. "We should at least go with another dragon at least. It will make Camel less furious if she finds out."

   "Dea-"

   "And I mean trained guards. Not some random dragon you pick off the street that's too scared to say no."

   Ray groaned with a huff, "you're no fun, but deal."

-~-~-~-{𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊}-~-~-~-

   "You're both sure Camel won't be mad about this?" Thorn asked, warrily glancing around them as they picked their way through the streets.

   "She won't," Scorpion tried to comfort him, flicking her tail to draw him in closer beside her as they walked. "We have escorts, just like she wanted us too. She never told us we had to tell her."

   "You're just finding a loophole in her rules."
   Scorpion shrugged, keeping up with the rest of the group.

   Ray and Roadrunner paced ahead of them, the watcher-in-training was a dusty brown coloured SandWing with freckles and light brown spots along her back and some lighter spots along her neck, reminding Scorpion of the belly of a falcon. Her wings were a darker, greyish-brown, matching her frill. Strapped across her front with a leather buckle were an assortment of small pouches and a scroll sheath, a small coin sack looped around the thick leather and jingling softly with each step Roadrunner took.

   Escorting through the streets were three armed guards, adorned in their silver and gold tipped armour. Two escorted them from the sides, while one led them through the bustling streets with Roadrunner quietly calling out directions for him to take and clear the way. It hadn't taken Ray long to find the unsuspecting guards making their rounds around the palace, and once they had gotten their shifts covered by some of the guards off duty in the barracks, they were off into the city surrounding the stronghold once it had past noon.

   Even with the sun holding itself up high in the sky, its warmth raining down in a blazing heat that made the sands themselves begin to cool, it was already starting to creep back down to the horizon towards the north. Beams streaked across the ground at sharp angles, reaching under overhangs and tarps, warming the sand that had been chilled by the casted shade used to keep market stalls and the dragons running them cool during the day. Some stretched across the expanse of the open market, casting whole sections in light shadows that seemed almost impenetrable when standing outside under the sun's glare.

   SandWings were bustling around them, some with dragonets in tow that would stop and stare at them with wide, sparkling black eyes that shimmered in awe. The guard in front made sure that no one blocked their way as they padded through the crowded streets, hollering orders with sharp snaps or growls. The roars of vendors sliced through the murmur and shouting of the market, deafeningly alongside the screeches of caged animals. The air had a mixed smell of spices, diced fruit and cooking meats, and the fresh scent of ground flowers used to make fresh dyes or paints.

   "Live chickens! Get your live chickens!!"

   "Freshly diced cactus fruit! Come and get your cactus fruit! Full o'plenty of water!"

   "Aloe vera pulp for any burns! Hey you, yeah you! I bet a SeaWing like you could really use some of this!"

   "Roasted lizards! Roasted lizards!"

   "Coconuts! Get your coconuts!"

   Scorpion's ears pinned back with a scowl at the noise, a frantic rustling of feathers coming from her right with another SandWing to her left bickering with a stall owner. A stall with live caged chickens pulled out the screeching bird from its cage, holding it by the neck with their talons as a SandWing standing across the table pulled out a small leather pouch tied off with string.

   I don't think I'll ever complain about the noise in the palace again, she flicked her ears, as if trying to shake the noise away.

   A pair of SandWings walked past with wooden poles braced across their shoulders, pails of water hanging on either end as they trekked across the sand and wove through the busy streets. As she watched them walk past, the pair passed a long wooden board covered in pinned papers that rustled in the light breeze. The board itself was large, taller than Scorpion and nearly as big as some of the stalls a few wing lengths away from it.

   Most of the posters and scraps of scrolls nailed into the board were too small to read, but the neatly pinned one's in the center popped with large bold words scrawled across their tops above sketches that seemed to stare into her soul.

   WANTED.

   The cold hard faces of IceWings stared back at her- a few were SandWings with scowls and curled lips, but most of the wanted posters were of the neighbouring kingdom to the north- through sharp, narrowed, pupil-less eyes. Faces outlined by ridged spines training along the back of their necks like manes, pointed ears pinned with sharp jaws and pointed snouts. There were dozens pinned across the board, each with hefty prices underneath their names and crimes, some wanted dead or alive.

   "Any new faces?" Thorn asked, coming to a stop beside her as he peered at the board across the dusty street, the guard beside them pausing his steps as well. He frowns, "there's more missing than before."

   Scorpion's eyes glanced down at some of the separate posters, with MISSING instead of WANTED. Most of the faces were young, some dragonets or others no older than herself, and others well into their adult years. There were five missing posters, all SandWings peering back at her from the lifeless sketches on the thick pages that gently rustled in the faint breeze.

   "I heard Jackal and Sandstorm talking about it a few days ago," he stepped closer towards the board, the guard following close behind and keeping an eye on the other dragons wandering nearby.

   She stared at the faces that lifelessly looked back at her. They all were recent, listed as missing only a few days ago, the oldest month prior.

   "Are you two coming or what?"

   They turned back to see Ray and Roadrunner- along with the other two guards- waiting for them. Ray cocked his head, nodding towards the direction of the jeweler and raising a brow.

   "We're coming you impatient lizard," she called back, ignoring his shout at the insult and turning back to Thorn. She nodded her head back to the others, "come on, before Ray has a heart attack from waiting too long. You know how whiny he gets." Scorpion grinned, Thorn letting out an amused snort as the two turned and made their way back with their guard close on their tail, following silently behind them.

   "It's just a little bit further," Roadrunner said quietly, pointing out the last set of directions to the lead guard, "Gohar shouldn't be packing up yet, and you can't miss him."

   Ray leaned towards Thorn and Scorpion, "what were you two eyeing up over there?"

   "The new missing posters."

   "There's more?"

  Scorpion raised a brow, "you've noticed?"

   "When you're gone for your own lessons, it's all he's-" he gave Thorn a light shove with his wing- "been able to talk about lately."

   "It's interesting," Thorn defended, "I've been helping Ringtail set things up so he can send someone to look into it."

   Scorpion was about to ask more, but Roadrunner's excited 'there!' made her stop. The dusty brown SandWing was pointing off towards a tucked away stall half covered by a tent in the back.

   The front of the stall looked small, a simple stand with a few table shelves on either side and display racks made of carved wook and almost looked like fancy bird perches, holding necklaces and bracelets of varying shapes and sizes. In the distance, Scorpion could see the outer market wall made of thick limestone separating it from the rest of the city. Sitting behind the stand with crossed talons was a SandWing with pale yellow scales that blended into a dull orange-brown along his spine, dappled in dust-like specks. Tattoos wrapped around his neck in the shape of thin, twisting brambles or thorns, weaving together like an intricate web. Piercings lined his dusty blonde sail, small shimmering gold and silver rings that clicked when he shifted.

   The lead guard looked back at Roadrunner. "That's the one?" he asked.

   She nodded, "that's him."

   Gohar perked up at the sound of their approach, a small cloth in his talons, gently polishing a small amber necklace. "What can I-" his black eyes shot open in surprise, wings pressing stiffly against his sides as he straightened. "Y-your majesties," he dipped his head in a respectful bow from where he stood, "what can I do for you?"

   Ray grinned, standing next to Roadrunner and brushing her wing. Scorpion couldn't help but notice the way both of their frames stiffened, as if they were both nervous by the touch but Ray spoke without a hitch. "Roadrunner told me about your engravings, so I just had to drag these two-" he swept a talon in her's and Thorn's direction- "out of the stronghold to get some."

   Thorn snorted, "as if you could 'drag us' out."

   "I so could."

   He raised a brow, "could you drag Scorpion?"

   She snorted.

   Rolling his eyes, Ray turned back to Gohar who watched the interaction with wide, black eyes, blinking in a mix of shock and astonishment. The merchant cleared his throat, eyes darting between the three royals. "All three of you?"

   "Yes," Ray nodded, "we're looking for something that'll match each of us."

   Behind them, their escorts sat with their backs turned, observing the streets as they clutched their spears tightly and sat like the statues on either side of the throne room. Their eyes shielded behind the casted shade of their helmets, giving their faces a skull-like appearance as their gazes swept through the passing crowd.

   "Is there anything you're looking for specifically, your highnesses?" Gohar asked, hanging the amber necklace on one of the perches hidden away near the back of the stall, tossing the cloth from his talons into a small pail.

   Ray glanced back at Scorpion and Thorn, his eyes shifting between the two of them with a thoughtful hum that had them both giving him a puzzled look. "Maybe something small," he said at last, turning back to the merchant, "piercings?"

   Gohar nodded, "that I can do. Any preferences? Earrings, hoops, horn piercings-" Scorpion shuddered at the mention. It was one of the more time consuming and painful ways a dragon could change their body alongside jewel studs, but it was something she never would have the guts to do to herself- "wing rings-"

   "How about wing rings?" Ray smiled back at them.

   Scorpion's eyes began to wander, trailing down the rest of the display arranged along the wooden table and across the varying arangent of jewelry hung from several layered perches or sorted in small, carved wooden boxes with tiny pieces of scroll glued along the edge with tiny writing saying the type of material used to make it. There were shimmering horn cuffs with intricate engravings covering every inch of its surface, glistening rings of an assortment of sizes all displayed on a thin wooden pole, and all kinds of necklaces that gently clicked together in the gentle breeze that ruffled through her sail, cooling the scales along her back.

   One piece that caught her eye was an intricate pearl necklace made of a thin, wiry silver line strung with opals and pearls, laced together like a spiderweb full of dew drops. Holding itself together like the upper half of a harness, the centerpiece of the jewelry was a soft pink pearl that was small enough to fit snugly in Scorpion's large palm. Hooking one talon through the wires, she carefully lifted the necklace off it's display, the sunlight making all the tiny pearls and moon opals shimmer with an innocent sparkle that made the face of a young SeaWing flash though her mind.

   Sapphire would like this, Scorpion thought, pivoting her wrist to watch the colours bounce off each smooth pearl and tiny moon opal. A flutter brushed the inside of her ribs at the thought of the SeaWing princess, making the scales along her sail twitch.

   Sapphire was the youngest princess in the SeaWing royal family, the second heir to the throne following behind her older sister Maelstrom. The two kingdoms' ties were close due to the relationships built between their Queen's when they themselves were princesses. This bond only grew stronger with their dragonets who'd race around the palace after one another during visits. It had been a long time since the last time Scorpion had been able to see them, almost a year, and she could already feel her excitement in seeing her friend again after so long.

   Scorpion moved to put it back when it slipped from her talons, falling down onto the sand with a light thump. As she reached down to grab it, a dark brown- almost black- set of smaller talons grabbed it first.

   Scorpion felt sparks shoot through her mind, head snapping up. Did a dragon sneak past the guards- speckled maroon surrounded by obsidian black met the melted gold coloured eyes of a NightWing.

   His dark scales looked almost brown in the sunlight, his silhouette split as half of him stood under the cover of Gohar's stall. Smooth grey horns curved up from his skull, and long spines ran down along his back like an untameable tuft in a SandWing's frill- a camel lick. He had broad shoulders with a thick tail that rested in the sand behind him. Wings tucked, she could just make out the pitch black dusted with tiny star-like speckles that made them look like a piece cut out from the night sky.

   Pierced into either ear was a set of gold studs much like her own, just smaller, tiny specks against his complexion that matched his gleaming eyes. Perched on either side of his head just behind his eyes by his temples, were pearly white scales that popped, matching the tiny stud-like scales lining down his sides. They caught the sunlight like the opals hanging from the necklace clutched in his claws. They were eye-catching, momentarily drawing her gaze away from the pools of melted gold that stared at her, staring back owlishly.

   Scorpion paused for a moment. Do NightWings get jewel studs? She pondered as she stared, eyes narrowing as her face twisted into a thoughtful frown. They looked like scales, but the way they shimmered looked similar to the way opals or IceWing scales did in the sunlight.

   She also didn't take NightWings for the kind of tribe to view the painful process of getting jewels embedded into their scales the same way that SandWings and most SkyWings do, especially those who had one or several carved or wedged in every nook and cranny on their bodies. The ones around Scorpion's eyes ached enough after the procedure, that she didn't think she'd be getting more done any time soon- but that close to the eyes? Scorpion shuttered at the thought.

   He smiled, "I think you dropped this, your royal highness."

   Scorpion's eyes narrowed further as he held out the necklace, shooting a quick glance towards the guards behind them.

   "Honestly, these NightWings look to only cause trouble!" Sundance's remark made her ears pin back, and something in the NightWing's face twisted to a frown, but it was gone just as quickly as it came.

   "You should go before they realize you're here," she warned, sitting herself upright as taking the necklace from his talons carefully, the NightWing blinking down at his claws in surprise- expecting the jewelry to be snatched from his grasp. "They won't take kindly to someone slipping by their watch."

   The NightWing shot another glance towards the guards and nodded his head. Without another word, and a quick bow, he backed away before slipping out of sight between the stalls, Scorpion watching him for as long as she could until his tail whisked out of sight.

   "Oooo, what's that?" Ray pressed on her shoulder as he leaned over to look at the necklace in her claws. "I never knew you liked pearls and opals! I thought that was more of Sapphire's thing."

   "Personal space," Scorpion nipped, holding the necklace out of her brother's reach. She shoved at him with her shoulder, one of their guards looking back to check that they were alright, before turning back to the sea of dragons passing by.

   Thorn snorted, rolling his eyes as he pulled out a pouch filled with gold coins that jingled within his grip. The prince turned to Gohar, "do you provide the piercing as well?"

   The jeweler nodded his head, accepting the pouch from Thorn to peer inside. "I do, it doesn't cost much to add."

   Scorpion held up the pearl necklace. "Make sure there's enough for this too."

  "You're getting that?" Ray leaned over her again, ignoring the rougher shove he got this time. He grinned, pressing closer to her, "awww, is that for Sapphire?"

   "Ray," Thorn turned to give his brother an exasperated look, "leave Scorpion alone before she sets your sail on fire."

   "She would not," he said, draping his arms over her shoulders like a pelt, wearing a smug grin.

   "I would."

   "Not."

   Scorpion rolled her eyes with a huff, ignoring the blabbering coming from her brother as he moved his sights onto Roadrunner, chatting away without a care in the world for his sister who he decided to use as his perch to lean upon. Due to her size, the princess was hardly phased by her brother's weight, even as he leaned most of it against her with his head pressed against the side of her neck. Ray was a touchy dragon, more so than Scorpion and Thorn ever were, but she couldn't deny the warm feeling it gave her- no matter how many times she tried to push him off, he'd find a way to win and Scorpion would be left ignoring him in her defeat.

   She couldn't fight against the smile that pulled at her face as Ray slouched a bit more onto her shoulders, continuing his conversation with the watcher-in-training.

-~-~-~-{𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊}-~-~-~-

   By the time they made it back to the familiar stronghold of thick towering limestone and sandstone walls that arched over them like a shield of talons in the vast desert, the sun was starting to creep down into the horizon, turning the sky a shimmering orange with a mixed array of vibrant pinks off to the north where the sun glowed just above the dunes. The sandy hills cast long shadows that stretched across the ground like pits dug from giant claws, the palace casting one of its own that stretched across over half of the city.

   Roadrunner was back in the wingery to help sort which dragonets were going back to which parents before the only SandWings who'd be roaming the dimming halls were guards on patrol. Scorpion had stayed with her brothers for the rest of the evening, until the stars started to peek through the sky and headed off for her room. Now alone, laying upon to plush cushions and light blankets that made up her nest, lined in a gold frame with flowy red drapes that only allowed her shadow to be seen from the other side, Scorpion let her mind wander as she stared out her window and up at the glowing moons that peered back at her through the opened curtains.

   Scorpion's talons gently rubbed the smooth gold rings now pierced through the main body of her wing, close to her side. They were small, light enough to not pull harshly on the thin skin that webbed the sensitive limbs, but heavy enough where she could still feel them. Her wing was still a little sore, a dull throb occasionally rolling across the delicate skin in warm waves.

   It was a feeling she was used to by now with her embedded rubies and earrings. The worst had to have been the rubies, which made her wonder how high Sandstorm's pain tolerance was to be able to have several dozen gems wedged between her scales. And then Vulture with small studs of onyx lining either side of her frill, running down along her spine.

   One of Scorpion's claws carefully curled, hooking around to feel the inside of the small rings. They couldn't fit all the way through, her talons were too big for that, but they fit enough for her to feel the engravings on the inside. She could tell her brothers writing apart easily, Ray's being dramatic and sharp while Thorn's was smooth and flowed together like ribbons.

   P. Thorn 4999 AS.

   P. Ray 4999 AS.

   Each triplet got two rings with the others names written inside after they'd scribed their names down for Gohar to engrave into the thin gold. It had been Thorn's idea to add the year with their names, to remember when they'd gotten them. Especially with the new year just on the brink of the horizon.

   5000 AS, Scorpion stared up at the three moons that glowed brightly in the dark sky, turning the sands outside a mix of dark blues and shimmering silvers. Something about it felt strange.

   Sure it was just a new year, but it felt like they were moving into a new era, something different. This would be the last brightest night for another century, and the whole kingdom would be in celebration- not only for the festival held for the ninth hatching day of Queen Camel's youngest dragonets, but also for the moonlight festival that took the Sand Kingdom by storm: full of music and dancing and singing, the streets full of life and joy. Queen Pearl of the SeaWings was bringing the entire royal family to visit, extending their stay for the brightest night celebrations.

   Scorpion couldn't help but think about the small bubbly SeaWing that stuck to her like glue when either would visit the other. Whenever Sapphire came to visit, they'd rush for the courtyard so Sapphire could swim in the cool water while Scorpion stayed on the sandy shore. There were times the other princess practically begged her to get into the water with her, either here or back at the SeaWing Summer Palace. She smiled fondly at the memories, remembering the feeling of the cold water lapping at her scales and splashing up at her belly.

   "Come on!" Sapphire whined from where she stood in the centre of the shallow pool, "it'll be fun!" As the young SandWing's scowl, she continued. "It's not that deep, come on, try it! If you do then I'll try some of your lizard tails."

   Scorpion couldn't resist that, if not the cries from her friend who waited for her as the SandWing dragonet slowly began to step into the pool. The water was cold, a shiver raking its claws along her spine, making her sail shudder. The water swirled around her elbows as she pushed her way in deeper, holding up her wings to keep them dry.

   "Are you afraid of getting your wings wet? Come on, I'll dunk you in!" Prince Squid teased from behind. The older dark green prince was standing in one of the other shallow pools a few wings lengths away with Vulture and...

   Scorpion jolted from the memory, sucking in a sharp and heavy breath. Her heart ached, a dull pain shooting waves throughout her chest. The SandWing's tail shook, a low clicking rattle filling the quiet air as she grabbed the ruby pendant that rested against her chest, her claws tracing its edges, smooth after years of fiddling. The static that filled her mind following the memory began to fade, along with the sharp ache. She clenched her teeth, the muscles in her jaws twitching as she glared at nothing, just aimlessly staring at the floor, covered in silver streaks of moonlight.

   It's always the older memories, she turned towards the window, her talons stiffening around the ruby, pressing it deep into her palm, always the ones as a dragonet.

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- MindlessTyper