The next evening, Venom fluttered around her room excitedly. Insight sat plaintively on the balcony of his nest. Venom had built it into the wall at eye level. There was a rope ladder that led to the floor, and a walkway that led up to Venom's bed. She was proud of it, and Insight kept making tiny changes to it every day, to suit his preferences. His leg had healed since last night. It had turned out to be a SandWing venom wound. Some careless dragonet probably caught his leg in the market. with some bright-sting cactus, he was able to walk normally again.

Now, the SandWing happily decorated the outside of her hut with the full-moon silver discs. She had spent all morning scrubbing her scales in the river so their pale color radiated light as much as heat. Insight watched her carefully, studying the way she swept her tail close to her, keeping it out of other dragons' way.

Venom finished her decor, and strode back inside. Her gray-green eyes gleamed. She sat under her bed, and reached into a niche in the rock. Insight watched Venom pull out strands of opal and silver jewelry. She then looped them around her neck several times. She checked her arm band, and slipped on a white gold ring.

Venom caught Insight staring at the treasure.

"Oh, of course. I wouldn't forget you, Insight." she smiled, reaching back into the niche. A moment later, Insight was wearing a simple metal bead bracelet as his necklace, and had a silver ring fitted over his wrist. Venom watched the scavenger chirrup happy noises, gazing at the treasure.

"All yours, guy.' Venom smiled. She finished adjusting her jewelry, and scooped Insight up into her talons. Insight crawled onto her shoulder, as he and Venom swept out of the hut.

Outside, the night glittered with stars and a giant full moon that hung in the air like one of the IceWing's moonglobes. Dragons decked in jewelry and furs were headed to the boardwalk, where the festival was. Many went in groups, scales of sandy white, that glowed in the moonlight. Orange and red, shimmering fiery reflections in the silver discs that hung from every surface. Some scales so dark, Venom only knew there was a dragon there by their glittery moonstone jewelry.

With too much excitement in her scales, Venom took off into the air with a whoosh of her wings. Insight chattered angrily at her, then settled again on her shoulder.

The night air was crisp as she flew, but still quite warm. Down below, the music got louder. Dragons were dancing, clapping, singing. Venom tucked her wings in and barreled for the boardwalk. Her wings flared open and caught her safely before lowering her carefully the last few feet onto the bridge.

The boardwalk was decorated to the teeth in glittering moon discs and lanterns that flickered with their white candlelight. Bejeweled dragons danced in pairs along the bridge, thumping their talons on the wood, clapping wings together, and shooting plumes of fire into the air. They laughed, and sang along with the beating drums and plucking strings.

Insight immediately slid off Venom's shoulder and made himself scarce by rushing over to the numerous large tables piled high with food. She knew her pet would be fine. He was well-dressed, well-bejeweled, and there was a tag around his neck that said 'PROPERTY OF VENOM THE SANDWING'.

Dragons that drummed away on old gourds or hollowed logs beat out the tempo to which dragons were dancing. Venom's tail thumped against the walk to the beat. She decided to stay off to the side for a while. Venom trotted happily over to the feast tables. Snatching a boiled chicken, she ate quietly on the sidelines, watching the other dragons move and twirl.

she waited a while, ate three fish and downed a goblet of cider. Venom was teempted to go dance on her own, but she would stick out like a sore thumb. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar-looking SandWing. Wait a moon-scorching moment! It was that dragon who ran the blanket store! She was sure his name was Singe.

Venom sat still, regally, and waited. The SandWing caught her gaze and smiled, trotting over to her.

"Hello!" he said. This dragon's voice was much deeper than she suspected. "Venom, correct? I've seen you on the merchant's bridge. You are the artist, right?"

Venom nodded. "Yes, that's me. You're, Singe, right?"

"Sting, actually." He corrected.

"Oh, my apologies. Names aren't my strong suit." Venom slumped a little. She was so sure his name was Singe.

"That's quite alright. Say, would you care to dance?" Sting asked. He stretched one talon out, and bowed his head. Venom smiled, and took his talon in hers.

"Sounds fun."

So Sting swept off with Venom, into the sea of dancing dragons. Took her wing his his, and began to twirl alongside the other pairs. Their tails entwined, careful of the barbs. The twirling suddenly stopped. with tails still locked together, both SandWings stepped out and flared their wings, before coming together again and continuing their twirl.

At the sound of the biggest drumbeats, the dragons clapped their wings together, throwing their heads back and prancing around the boardwalk. Sting spun Venom with a flick of his tail, and Venom found her own tail wrapped around that of a muscular SkyWing. Partners had changed, and Sting was twirling away with the SkyWing this one was just dancing with. The bid red dragon smiled at her, took her wing gently, and led the next bout of twirling and clapping.

"Hello there, SandWing." The SkyWing said to Venom sweetly. "How are you on this wonderful evening? My name is Ash. I am very honored to dance with you."

"Why thank, you, Ash." Venom replied, as the two swung out and opened their wings. His were much, paler than she'd imagined... His whole body, a toned, down, ashy red, sprinkled with smoky black scales here and there. Not a normal coloring, but very pretty nonetheless. His broad shoulders were draped in few strands of elegant white-gold chains, and an earring in the shape of a flame hung from his right ear. "My name is Venom, and may I say what a lovely dancer you are?"

"Many thanks, Venom." he bent his neck, so the two bumped foreheads. "This full-moon festival is one of the best I've attended. The musicians have really stepped up their game."

Venom laughed. "Yes, they have much improved since the last festival. I hear the new music teacher is a SeaWing named Swirl. He's very talented."

 Ash smiled. "It was lovely dancing with you, but I must return to my beloved Flicker now." he said, twirling Venom for the last time. "Perhaps I'll see you and that handsome partner of yours a little later tonight?"

"Sounds, lovely. It was a pleasure meeting you, Ash" Venom nodded as Ash swept her back over to Sting, taking the wing of his orange SkyWing partner; Venom assumed it was Flicker.

After three more trade-offs in the dance -where Venom met a scarred SeaWing, a frumpy NightWing, and another wiry SandWing- the song had ended. Dragons dispersed to the feast tables or stayed for the next dance.

Venom and Sting decided to grab a bite to eat, where they met up with Ash and Flicker. The four dragons sat and ate and talked for quite a long time. About their lives, now and during the war. Flicker used to be one of Scarlet's loyal soldiers, Sting turned out to be a servant in Oasis' palace as a dragonet, and left for the Scorpion Den with his parents. Ash however, was never part of the war. His tribe wanted to kill him, for some reason, and he fled to live in the wilderness until the war ended.

That's when the ground began to tremble.

Dragon's screamed, some took to the air. Some ran for cover under the bridge. Dragonets cowered at their mother's feet. Fathers shooed their loved ones to safer huts. Shrieking filled the night and scattered flames dotted the sky above. Insight came scurrying into Venom's arms as a wave of wind and dust came hurtling into Possibility. She covered her face with her wings as Sting threw his own around her. Between her claws, Venom watched Ash try to shelter Flicker, but she hurtled into the sky. Her war instincts told her to fight.

 The explosion came out of nowhere. Northeast in the Claws of the Clouds mountains, a billowing cloud of smoke and ash shot up with a flash of orange fire. That was the Sky Palace. A roaring of grinding and growling rang out overhead.High above Possibility, a squadron of hulking, unnatural, metal, things flew by. Venom's mind flashed back to her painting. Those were it. Those were the same giant birds in the bloody landscape.

The birds flew past Possibility, and swerved to glide overhead again. Their wings didn't flap once. It was unsettling.

Wings of dragons shot into the sky, attempting to bring down what was obviously a threat. As the enemy flew by again, several dropped things that looked like dragons eggs; Bright red and black. Instincts took over in the dragons. Some in the air dove for the falling eggs. Others ignored it, bent on sinking their claws into these destroyers.

Flicker was one of those who dove. The last thing Venom saw, was the SkyWing clutching the egg close to her heart, before all of her vision was overcome with the white blinding light that ensued.