Night and Day Difference

Note to all who read this: The names of the dragons in this story are only the approximate meanings of their true names in Draconic. The dragon language is much more varied and complicated than that of humans, and uses more sounds than the human tongue can create. I translated this story recently on one of my trips to Dranix.

-Datura-

Datura walked down the hall, her moon-white claws clicking and her inky tail softly scraping against the stone. The red-gold light of veins of lava within the bronzy stone was just brighter than she preferred. Her pale golden eyes were squinted slightly, their pupils constricted into tiny slits.

Why had Inferno wanted her? According to her internal sense of time, it was midday—the time she preferred to be asleep. The Peacekeepers knew that about her. Whatever the Fire dragon wanted from her, it must have been important.

She yawned and entered the great room. Inferno was there, along with several other noble dragons she recognized. So this was a meeting of royalty.

Datura sped her pace slightly and took her place by Inferno.

“What on Dranix is so important that I need to be awake at this hour?” she asked, sitting down and curling her tail around herself. She yawned again and looked outside through the cavernous main entrance. A set of pale, dragon-shaped figures were flying through the volcanic territory, toward the Fire dragon palace.

“We have a dragon princess who just notified us a few hours ago that she is coming to create an alliance with us. She would likely be insulted if even a single noble among the Peacekeepers did not appear when we welcome her. I’m truly sorry for the need to wake you up.”

Datura huffed a little sigh and looked at Inferno. “I understand. Who is this mysterious princess?”

Before Inferno could answer, Datura heard the rushing of several sets of wings and turned her gaze back to the entrance.

Three Light dragons landed on the ground with barely a scraping of claws. It was obvious which of these was the princess Inferno had spoken of; she held her wings and nose in a haughty manner, and her eyes were lined with swirling gold paint. The detail that confirmed the most that she was royalty, though, was the set of tiny round golden scales in a curving line underneath each of her eyes. Her cloud-white scales looked like they had been sand-polished several times before she came here.

Datura sat a little more stiffly. She had not been expecting to see this dragon here. Her jaw tightened, almost imperceptibly, and she stared at a spot of volcanic activity through the main door, refusing to make contact with the princess’s unusual purple eyes as she came farther into the room.

The dragon on the princess’s left came forward a few steps after the princess and the dragon on her right halted. Datura could have mouthed the words that he said well before they left his mouth, but she did not dare move. She had no desire to draw attention to herself.

“Presenting Princess Morning Glory of the Light Dragons, the joy of our eyes, who has condescended to meet with the Peacekeepers in order to help her tribe.” the dragon said, and backed away to a respectful distance, his head down.

Inferno left the group of nobles that he was sitting with and approached ‘Princess Morning Glory, the joy of our eyes’. Datura would have snorted if she thought she could get away with it.

He dipped his head in the formal greeting of one noble to another.

“We are thankful that you have thought to join our ranks.” he said, his voice uncharacteristically deep and rich. He truly sounded like the king that he was. “I will introduce you to the nobles who have already pledged themselves to our cause, and then we can discuss your terms for your tribe joining us.”

Morning Glory had set terms? Datura had not done that when she had rebelled from her own tribe and joined the Peacekeepers. In fact, she couldn’t think of a single other dragon who had set terms for joining the group. The Light dragon princess was so…insufferable.

“Very well.” Morning Glory replied. Scorn shimmered in her eyes for a mere instant before being replaced by her usual, less malicious haughtiness.

Inferno then called each dragon behind him up to be introduced to Morning Glory face-to-face. Very few of them knew her personally, that much was clear. The violet-eyed princess was only vaguely polite to them, her main attitude being dismissiveness.

After seven other dragons were introduced, Inferno called for Datura.

“Presenting Datura, princess of the Shadow dragons.” he said.

Jaw tight, Datura stepped forward and dipped her head. Morning Glory did as well. As her head was lowered, Datura saw the purple eyes burn with hatred beyond anything she had thought was possible. They lifted their heads in unison, and Datura retreated from the angular dragon more quickly than the others introduced to her had, forcing her expression into neutrality as she sat once more and curled her tail around her legs.

The introductions lasted five more minutes. After they ended, Inferno dipped his head.

“We can now discuss your terms for joining the Peacekeepers.” he said.

Morning Glory flicked her tail and glanced at Datura. “I have changed my mind about the previous requirements I spoke to you of. As of right now, my only terms for joining your Peacekeepers are that you banish the Shadow dragon princess from among your ranks.”

-Morning Glory-

Morning Glory basked in the feel of the sun on her wings, secure in the awareness that any dragon below could see her slender form clearly, and that they could not help but admire it. Her reflective scales ached from the seven thorough sand-polishings she had done, but she didn’t care. She was used to it, and it was worth it to be able to dazzle everyone around her.

She soared higher toward the sun, soaking in the clean heat before diving through the magical borderline into the smoky Fire dragon territory. She was certain that King Inferno would agree to her conditions for her tribe joining the Peacekeepers; very rarely was it that an entire tribe joined the group at once, and her requests were certainly reasonable.

She wanted to keep her tribe safe. They were imperfect, but they were like family to her. She was thankful her father had given her the privilege of making this alliance. The Peacekeepers were an influential group and could help prevent her tribe from shrinking any more than it already had. The wars had taken a heavy toll on them.

Morning Glory flew faster than she usually preferred, hoping to escape the stifling, smoky atmosphere sooner rather than later. Volcanic heat was not refreshing, completely different from the sun’s warmth. And worse, the smoke might have sullied her scales. Her escort struggled to keep up. She had longer wings than the average Light dragon.

Once she got close enough to the entrance of the bronzy Fire dragon palace, she folded her wings in and dove down through the doorway and opened her wings slightly, slowing her fall enough that her claws barely scraped the floor. Her escort landed quietly behind her.

A small crowd of noble dragons in nearly every color were gathered together to greet her. The most striking one was a petite Shadow dragon, her scales velvet black and her slender tail wrapped lightly around her legs. Her limpid golden eyes stared at some point past Morning Glory’s shoulder. Small, round silver scales made curving lines under those eyes.

Datura.

Morning Glory stifled the instinctive snarl that nearly contorted her face. She would not grace that dragon with the knowledge of how she had hurt her.

The dragon to her right sauntered forward and heralded her presence.

“Presenting Princess Morning Glory of the Light Dragons, the joy of our eyes, who has condescended to meet with the Peacekeepers in order to help her tribe.” he said.

Morning Glory knew that he didn’t truly mean what he said. Datura was the joy of the Light dragons’ eyes. They did not really love Morning Glory as they pretended. Her tribe had never seen past the beauty of her scales, and they did not even appreciate that fully after they had seen Datura. It was disgusting, really. No matter how hard Morning Glory tried to help her tribe, she knew that the shallow bunch only cared about her looks. And, according to them, Datura was more beautiful than her.

King Inferno approached Morning Glory and dipped his head respectfully. “We are thankful that you have thought to join our ranks.” he said. “I will introduce you to the nobles who have already pledged themselves to our cause, and then we can discuss your terms for your tribe joining us.”

“Very well.” Morning Glory replied. She looked over the group of dragons in front of her. A strange assortment, uncomely in their widely varied colors, gaudier than a group of parrots. Her eyes lingered on that hated black dragon, that Datura.

One by one, the dragons came up to greet her, and she responded distantly, bored before the introductions even began.

She tightened her claws against the stone when Datura was called up. Datura, who stole the affections of Morning Glory’s tribe from her at the Dawn and Dusk games. Datura, who acted so oblivious, but how could she be? She was so beautiful that every dragon that she passed by turned their head to watch her. So beautiful that even now, seven years since she last came to the games, the Light Dragon tribe still spoke of her captivating appearance. So beautiful, that in those Dawn and Dusk games, several of the Light dragon tribe had cheered for her instead of their own princess.

Datura came up to Morning Glory.

“Presenting Datura, princess of the Shadow dragons.” King Inferno said.

Datura dipped her head. Morning Glory forced herself to do so as well, refusing to show this dragon the hurt she felt. Hot hatred seared her chest. She forced herself not to hiss at the beautiful female as she straightened and watched her take her place once more. She clung to her one victorious memory of that dragon, when she had gotten Datura disqualified from the Dawn and Dusk games, and tried to forget the betrayal she felt at the disappointment from her tribe when Datura was forced to leave.

As the rest of the introductions took place, Morning Glory couldn’t help but obsess over how Datura had marred her life, how her tribe forever after considered her to be second to Datura, the princess of a different tribe. She didn’t pay attention to any of the names that were announced. She could not be part of the Peacekeepers if Datura was a member as well.

After the introductions ended, King Inferno dipped his head again. “We can now discuss your terms for joining the Peacekeepers.” he said.

Blazing heat bubbled Morning Glory’s blood. She did not care about the conditions she had sent the Fire dragon king any more. She didn’t care about the increased safety that joining the Peacekeepers would bring. All she knew is that she never wanted to see Datura again. She flicked her tail glanced at the dark figure.

“I have changed my mind about the previous requirements I spoke to you of. As of right now, my only terms for joining your Peacekeepers are that you banish the Shadow dragon princess from among your ranks.”

The gathered dragons recoiled. Datura’s eyes widened. Only King Inferno remained composed.

“Princess Datura has been a reliable member of the Peacekeepers for the last six years. Why on Dranix do you want us to banish her?”

Morning Glory curled her mouth into a snarl. “She did not show me proper respect when she greeted me.” She glanced at the ebony dragon again.

King Inferno shook his head. “I’m very sorry, Princess, but I will not banish one of my members simply because she did not give you the level of respect you expected. Do not forget that she is of equal rank with you and does not need to grovel when greeting you.”

Morning Glory hissed. “If that is the case, you can forget ever having my tribe’s cooperation in your efforts.” She dipped her head with a sarcastic tilt and turned her back on the gathered dragons. She walked to the entrance with her head high and her wings held out. When she reached the opening, she pushed her wings down hard and launched herself into the air. After a moment, her escort followed.

She winged through the air, pride and humiliation warring in her chest. She knew at that moment that, somehow, she would destroy the Peacekeepers.

With that thought, she sped home.