The storm raged, thunder crashing as lightning split the night sky. A white shape struggled against the howling wind, wings straining with each powerful beat. Hvitur clutched his precious cargo closer, feeling the warmth of the egg through his scales.

Just over these mountains, he thought desperately. Then we'll be safe.

He'd managed to slip away from the SkyWing palace undetected. The secret cave was so close now, a sanctuary amidst the chaos. But then his heart clenched as he remembered his other burden – the hybrid egg stolen from the IceWings.

Oh, Avalanche, Hvitur's thoughts filled with sorrow. You'll never know the daughter hidden beneath all of this.

A heavy sigh escaped him, quickly swallowed by the raging storm. Suddenly, razor-sharp claws wrapped around his body. Hvitur didn't even have time to cry out before he was slammed onto a rain-slicked rocky ledge.

A voice like rolling thunder hissed: "Bind his mouth."

Hvitur found himself surrounded by dragons, their scales glistening in the flashes of lightning. He took a deep breath, preparing to unleash his frost breath, but the lead dragon's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Quickly!" she snarled.

Talons roughly forced Hvitur's snout shut as panic rose within him. The eggs – he had to protect the eggs. But as ropes tightened around him, Hvitur realized with growing dread that his mission, and perhaps the fate of all Pyrrhia, now hung by the thinnest of threads.

"Too late." The SandWing's forked tongue flicked in and out, tasting the rain-soaked air. "You won't be using your freezing-death breath on us, ice dragon."

"He was carrying this, Queen Burn," said one of the soldiers, carefully handing over a dragon egg.

Hvitur's heart raced, a flicker of hope washing through him. They hadn't discovered the hybrid egg. It remained hidden, safe for now. He watched anxiously as Burn squinted at the egg through the relentless downpour, her black eyes glittering dangerously in the flashes of lightning.

"This is not an IceWing egg," she hissed, her venomous tail lashing behind her. "You stole this from the SkyWing palace."

The IceWing met her gaze defiantly, unable to speak. Steam hissed around his snout where the searing hot chains met his frigid silver scales, creating a small fog that swirled in the turbulent air. Despite the pain, Hvitur's thoughts raced. The hybrid egg was still concealed, but for how long? And what would become of the SkyWing egg now in Burn's talons?

As the storm raged on, Hvitur knew the fate of both eggs – and perhaps all of Pyrrhia – hung in the balance of what happened next on this treacherous mountain ledge.

"Hmm," Burn hummed, her eyes narrowing as she regarded the IceWing before her. "Strange. I'm sure Queen Glacier mentioned some sort of loss on her side."

Hvitur remained silent, his eyes flicking between the SandWing and the SkyWing egg she held captive. This wasn't his battle; he had no allegiance to the IceWings. His sister, Blaze, commanded the SandWing army, and he had no desire to cross her. But this egg... it was more than just a SkyWing dragonet. It was a potential piece in the prophecy, and he would ensure it fulfilled its destiny, even if it meant betraying his sister.

"You thought you could sneak away unnoticed, didn't you?" Burn continued, her voice dripping with contempt. "My ally, Queen Scarlet, has eyes and ears everywhere. Her lookouts reported an IceWing thief, and I decided to teach you a lesson myself."

"This is a SkyWing egg about to hatch," Burn mused, turning the egg gently in her talons. "Now, why would your queen send you to steal a SkyWing dragonet? Could it be..." Her eyes gleamed with malicious delight. "Could it be because the brightest night is upon us? The prophecy is about to unfold, and you IceWings seek to control the outcome."

Hvitur remained silent, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Ah, but you're not one of Blaze's soldiers, are you?" Burn's smile widened, baring her sharp teeth. "You're one of those pathetic peace-loving dragons. A member of the Talons of Peace, perhaps?"

One of the SandWing soldiers snorted. "You mean they're real? A bunch of weaklings dreaming of an end to the war. Unchain him, Burn. Let's see what this ice dragon is made of."

The chains were roughly pulled from Hvitur's body, causing him to wince in pain. The SandWing soldier leaned in close, her breath hot against his scales. "Do you truly believe in that old NightWing's prophecy? Do you think a few dragonets can bring an end to this glorious war?"

Hvitur glared up at her, his eyes flashing with determination. "The dragonets are coming, and they will choose the next SandWing queen. All of Pyrrhia has suffered enough. The prophecy—"

"The prophecy is a sham!" Burn interrupted, her voice echoing in the rain-drenched cave. "Those dragonets you hold so dear are nothing but runts in a world meant for the strong. And this egg..." She held it up, her talons tightening around it. "Is it one of your precious dragonets of destiny?"

Hvitur went rigid, his eyes fixed on the egg. He had to buy time, to ensure the egg made it to its destined place. "Leave it alone," he choked out, his voice hoarse with fear.

Burn tapped the egg lightly with one talon, a mocking smile on her face. "Hello in there! Are you one of the chosen five? Are you ready to end this war and bring peace to Pyrrhia?" She paused, then barked, "Answer me!"

"No one would harm a dragon egg," Hvitur said, his voice shaking.

Burn rolled her eyes. "Don't be naive. In this world, anything can happen. And if those 'wings of sky' don't show up..." She began tossing the egg from one talon to the other, her smile turning cruel. "Well, it would be a sad, sad story, wouldn't it?"

With a dramatic flourish, Burn pretended to lose her grip on the egg, letting it fall from her talons and over the edge of the cliff into the darkness below.

"No!" Hvitur cried out, lunging forward. But Burn was quicker, slamming her massive claws down on his neck, pinning him in place.

"So much for destiny," she sneered. "Your little movement is as fragile as that egg. It won't take much to crush it."

Hvitur struggled beneath her weight, his voice hoarse with despair. "You're a monster. The dragonets will come, and they will stop this war. Our prophecy will be fulfilled."

Burn leaned down, her breath hot against Hvitur's ear. "Even if they do come, it'll be too late for you. And who's to say they'll choose peace? Perhaps they'll embrace the glory of war, just like their ancestors." With a swift movement, she ripped her poisonous tail through Hvitur's wings, shredding them as he screamed in agony.

The IceWing's screams echoed through the cave, his body going limp as Burn flung him over the edge to join the shattered egg below.

"That was boring," Burn muttered, shaking her head. "Let's find something else to entertain us."

The three dragons spread their wings and took to the sky, the rain and darkness hiding the small, pulsing egg nestled safely in Hvitur's pouch.

🖤🖤🖤

In the aftermath of the treacherous events that transpired on the ledge, a rusty red dragon, Kestrel, landed with a heavy sigh. She scooped up the discarded pouch, her yellow eyes widening as she recognized its contents. "So, that bugger did get his brother's egg. A half-and-half monster, just what we need." With a dismissive flick of her tail, she took flight from the ledge, leaving the broken body of the IceWing behind.

Kestrel navigated the stone walls of the labyrinthine caves beneath the cliffs, her wings brushing against the damp surfaces. She breathed out a plume of flame to illuminate her path, venturing deeper into the mountain's heart.

From the shadows, a voice hissed, "You stand with the Talons of Peace?"

"Kestrel? Is that you?" came the cautious query.

"We await the wings of fire," Kestrel responded, her voice steady. A blue-green SeaWing emerged from a side cave, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the eggshell in her talons.

"Not that it'll do us much good now," Kestrel snarled, her frustration evident. "Hvitur is dead."

The SeaWing, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, asked softly, "Did he at least get his brother's egg?"

Kestrel nodded, holding up the pouch that contained Avalanche's egg. "He did. That bugger, I thought he'd never go against family, but here we are."

The SeaWing blinked back his tears, his gaze fixed on the precious egg. "At least there's some hope left. We'll make sure this one fulfills its destiny, even if it's the last thing we do."