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Qibli had to circle the area a couple of times to find a suitable place to land. Finally, he spotted what looked like an entrance to a shallow cave and dove towards it. The place was just big enough to hold a couple of dragons comfortably and since Qibli was by his lonesome self it suited him just fine. “I’ll spend the night here", he thought, "it shouldn’t be too cold”. Still, he flew down towards the forest below and found some logs and large branches on the forest floor. He brought his haul up to the cave, piled them in the least drafty corner and set them on fire. He thought about hunting, but it was getting dark and he didn’t know the area at all. “All the same, probably won’t be able to eat now anyway.” Qibli was one of those dragons who lost appetite when stressed and recent fight with Moon sure qualified as a stressor.
Qibli circled the spot by the fire and plopped himself so that he could both stay warm and watch the night sky out of the entrance. He tucked his wings and tail in, stretched his front paws, lay his snout on them and stared out as the first stars began to appear in the sky. His wings ached after the long flight so he hoped that he might be able to get some sleep after all. In the distance below he could see fires of the Sanctuary gleaming as little stars while the lake below him reflected stars and the rising moons. “It’s beautiful here, peaceful. Hmm, I guess that makes it the right place for Talons of Peace to have their headquarters. Did he managed to find some peace after all? Oh, Winter, I am so, so sorry…” Qibli closed his eyes with a sigh.
The thoughts of his last argument with Moon were whirling in his head. Will she be able to sleep tonight? Fuck, how did he managed to screw up his relationship with the two dragons, who were the most precious to him in all Pyrrhia, so badly? Where were his smarts?” Except he knew. His hyperactive brain saw all the possible outcomes of his actions, and yet, he couldn’t stop himself from acting the way he did. As much as he tried to control himself, occasionally hormones, fears and frustrations would take the best of him and he would follow the path that he knew would lead to fights and regrets. Oh, so many regrets.. “I can’t change the past,” he reminded himself, “not without animus magic anyway. I will fix this mess. I swear, I’ll find a way. As long as he is alive, I will make it up to him somehow. I’ll get the Ice Wings to accept him again, I’ll take him to Moon, I’ll do anything and then if they both hate me, so be it. At least my conscience will be pacified. I hope.."
Qibli tried to unclench his teeth and roll into a ball. He covered his eyes with his tail and willed himself to rest. He tried breathing deeply and focusing on the air coming in and out of his nostrils. He realised his technique had been a success after he woke up some time later and saw all three moons high in night sky above the forest. The fire had almost gone out, so he threw remaining logs on it and breathed a small plume of fire to kindle them. He surveyed the sky and the grounds below and settled back. He knew he won’t be able to sleep now and resigned himself to wait for the dawn when Prince Winter was known to come down to the lake for a morning swim. He went over his simple plan of action: “Catch Winter alone on his way to the lake, apologise for two years of misery he had cost him, explain that he and Moon had broken up and urge Winter to go find Moon in the rainforest. Qibli knew this was not nearly enough to make up for stealing his friend’s first love, but this was the best he could do for now. He will work on the Ice Wings’ acceptance once Moon and Winter are happily together. Sure, Moon said that she had chosen Qibli for a reason and that if she wanted to choose Winter, she would have done so two years ago, but surely Winter can make it work. Surely, those perfect white scales, strong body and tragic face will work on her eventually, once Qibli is out of their way, right? How can it not? Winter was, let’s face it, beautiful. He was also smart, courageous and loyal. Sure, his temper and his sense of humour could use some work but once he has Moon, he should mellow, and his funny side will come out more often.”
Moon… Qibli sighed. She looked… sad when they parted. He would have preferred for her to get angry, shout and shoot flames at him, but then it wouldn’t be Moon. Her logic and compassion hurt more than an angry blast of flame over his head ever could. He hated that her calm gentle voice only fuelled his frustration instead of having a calm effect on him. He didn’t like being the emotional one in the relationship. And the few times he managed to provoke an emotional response her words cut him to the bone. Why was he such an idiot? Why did he say that?
Almost all of their more serious arguments ended the same way. Whether it was about keeping their cave in order, his scales clean or his constant scheming in check, his last argument, thrown at her in frustration never changed: “If you wanted somebody more clean/neat/noble/dignified/handsome/quiet you should have chosen his royal Icewing nephewness.”
Qibli cringed even as he thought of it now, but for some reason he couldn’t use Winter’s name in these situations. Somehow that would have made it more real, like naming the shadow that stood between them from the very beginning. Like admitting to Moon that he was the lesser dragon out of the pair of her suitors. Like bringing out into the open all the doubts he hid in the dark back alleys of his mind. But she wouldn’t have it. She wouldn’t indulge his insecurities and avoid the subject. She stood there, looking sad and all the more beautiful for it and he hated himself for hurting her. She didn’t flinch and sugar coat, not for him, not for anyone. She looked him in the eye and gave it to him straight: “Qibli, I have made my choice. I chose you! I was the one who flew to dig you out of the desert sand and bring you back, not the other way around. Why do you keep saying this? Why you keep bringing him up? Why you keep thinking that way? My choice is a done deal for me, done and dusted. But what about you? Have you actually made the choice, or did you just follow me because it was the obvious thing to do, something that was expected of you in that situation? Maybe you need to think about that! Maybe it’s you who should have chosen Winter! After all, it is you who keep bringing him up! It is you who keep talking about how much better Winter is! It is you who keeps sending him all those letters and keeps tabs on him! Oh, you didn’t realise I know about your Sand wing spies among the Talons of Peace? I don’t need to be a mind reader to put two and two together Qibli. And I am pretty sure I don’t say his name in my sleep! It’s one thing to worry about a friend but you are completely obsessed with that Icewing!” Moon turned and left, lashing her tail angrily and for once Qibli was left speechless and didn’t follow her. Instead he burst into the sky and flew as high as his wings could carry him as if furious wingbeats could clear the turmoil in his mind.
Things didn’t improve after that day. Him and Moon avoided each other and after she complained one night that his scales felt like they were on fire, Qibli moved his bedding to the Sand Wing dorm. He chose a spot as far away from the other Sand Wings as possible. His was afraid of what he might mutter in his sleep and well, his scales did start to radiate unusual heat when he thought about things. Things like deep blue eyes of a certain Icewing, his shiny white scales, his strong powerful cold body that could cool Qibli’s overheated scales if only it was next to him. If only his prince would envelop him in his beautiful shimmering icy wings, maybe then Qibli would finally be able to stop burning both in body and mind. “Maybe he’ll blast you with his Ice breath! That should work, eh Qibli?” he thought to himself bitterly. “Feel like dying yet, you dumb sand-snorter? Why would Winter even look at you now? You flew off with his first love and haven’t even been back to visit? You could have gone to see him when Moon went back to the rainforest to visit her mum! Why didn’t you? Isn’t he a friend you care about?” But even as he was having this furious argument with himself Qibli knew the reason. It was selfish and cowardly, but Winter’s silence was still preferable to the outright rejection and a blast of frost breath to his face, which Qibli thought he deserved, being a girlfriend stealing desert viper that he was.
But then one day everything changed. A breathless and grief-stricken Sand Wing messenger delivered the awful news to Jade mountain. Queen Thorn died from the complications of egg hatching and Onyx became the regent queen until such time that Queen Thorn’s dragonet comes of age. “And challenges her, and somehow manages to kill her” Qibli thought grimly, for he was under no illusion that Onyx would give up the throne willingly.
After this devastating news Qibli’s sources told him that Vulcher and Cobra were back in favour and were striding around Sand Wing palace like they owned it. That pretty much made Qibli an exile. He had no desire to see his family, not to mention they might try to kill him on sight.
So here he was, two dragons most precious to him gone from his life. Qibli grieved but that didn’t stop his unyielding brain from going down various future paths. He could go after Moon and get her back, but after the happy reunion wouldn’t they run into exactly same problems they are having now? He could go to the kingdom of the sand and together with Smolder and the rest of Thorn’s faithful plot to overthrow Onyx and install her daughter on the throne. But that sort of thing would go against centuries of queen killing in a duel to the death tradition and he knew the majority of Sand Wings won’t accept the queen who took her throne that way. Maybe he should go and protect Thorn’s daughter, but with him there that would just attract his murderous family unnecessary attention to the one he is trying to protect. There were enough Thorn loyalists in the palace and the Sand Wing army, so Qibli reckoned Onyx would think twice before attempting to murder the little dragonet and risk a revolt. No, this was not the right time to return to Sand Wing kingdom.
In his heart Qibli already knew the answer of what he must do, he just let his mind come up with convincing justifications for rejecting the possible alternatives. All his life he tried to make dragons like him, but what about the dragons that he liked best? One was dead, another gone to the rainforest possibly not wanting to be with him ever again, and so that left his best friend, his gorgeous, tragic, unforgettable Icewing Prince. Okay, so Qibli haven’t heard from him in over a year, Winter stopped replying to his letters after a while but Qibli’s sources told him he was still with the Talons of Peace, fighting their missions, fighting with other Talons, fighting with himself… So what if he hates him now? They became friends before, maybe if Qibli played his cards right Winter will forgive him and then maybe they can be friends again? Or at the very least Qibli would have done his amends and if Winter still hated him then the Icewing can blast him with frost breath to his face and put him out of his misery. In Qibli’s mind this was a better way to go than having his brothers jab him with their barbed tails or his mother cut his throat with some nasty pointy thing.
Qibli set his jaw, stretched his limbs and faced cave entrance and the coming dawn. His wait was almost over. Sky was breaking out in shades of pink and blue and the moons were pale globes about to disappear behind the mountains. Soon he will see his Ice Prince and throw himself at his mercy. By the end of today Qibli of the Sand Wings would be either working hard to regain his best friend’s trust or he would be a frozen iceberg at the bottom of a very cold lake. Qibli sat at the entrance of the cave where he had a good view of the sky, the lake and Talons’ settlement in the distance and took a deep breath.
For all his vigilance he almost missed Winter’s approach. Icewing was just a speck of white between the grey morning clouds that hung above the lake. He was flying much higher than Qibli expected and was gaining altitude even now. ‘What is he thinking?” frowned Qibli as the white dragon disappeared behind clouds. Short moment later he saw streamlined shape hurtling at full speed towards the lake. Winter’s wings were closed around his body and he was falling out of the sky like a shooting star. ‘What?.. Three moons, no!’ Qibli scrambled for space that would allow him to stretch his wings and take off and basically dropped off the cliff’s face. He beat his wings furiously to stay in the air and gain height. He spotted Winter’s falling body and flew towards it with all the speed his wings could master. He prayed that he could intercept it before it would hit the rippling surface of the water and whatever dangers might be hidden beneath the dark blue waves.
Qibli’s instincts took over as he sped towards his friend. Waters rippled below him as he was descending sharply, always aiming for a spot a dragon length below the falling Icewing. He could see Winter clearly now, his polished white scales gleaming in the rays of the morning sun. Qibli forced his wings to work harder and put on a burst of speed. The impact of the collision took them both below the surface of the lake. Qibli’s body reeling as if slammed into an iceberg, his mind screaming at him to get to the shore. Qibli propelled himself with his tail and hind legs forward, where he knew the sandy shore of the lake was, even as the force of Winter’s descent took them both deeper into the icy darkness of the lake. Winter was still cocooned inside his wings and didn’t move. This was freaking Qibli out and desperation gave renewed strength to his now very cold limbs. Winter’s body hit the shore first and they rolled in a tumble of white and gold until coming to a stop beneath pines that grew near the water’s edge. Qibli’s talons were gripping his friend’s shoulders in a death grip, his wings plastered to his body and covered in sand, his barbed tail safely rolled away from Winter’s body, thanks to Sandwing’s ingrained habits. Winter was limp and unmoving below Qibli’s smaller body.
Qibli’s heart was beating furiously and his breath was coming out in ragged gasps. He looked down. Winter’s face was just as beautiful as it was in Qibli’s dreams. Thinner, paler, with sharper edges and darker shadows, it was still his brooding Icewing prince beneath him, just like Qibli fantasized in the depths of the night. With Winter’s ice-cold scales beneath him, Qibli felt his body heat starting to rise and a dumb grin spreading across his muzzle. “Yo!”
Winter opened his pale blue eyes and piercing cold hatred stared back at Qibli. The risings of an ice-breath gurgled deep in Winter’s throat. “WTF are you doing here?” hissed the Icewing. He shoved Qibli off and stood up.
“I should be asking that!” breathed out Qibli in indignation. “WTF was that death drop? If you are trying to kill yourself, I know some dragons who would love to help!”
Hatred in prince’s eyes turned to confusion. “What? What are you talking about? It’s a dive, not a death drop, you imbecile!”
“Da fuck it is! You’ll smash into the rocks at the lake’s bottom at that speed and you are dead!” yelled Qibli, now confused, angry and horny all at the same time.
“Rocks?” asked Winter incredulously, “the lake floor is covered with the softest mud in the world! You are a bloody moron Qibli, didn’t change one bit. Why the fuck would I want to kill myself anyway? Just because my tribe threw me out and my best friend stole the dragon I liked? Go screw yourselves, all of you! I aint’ dying for that shit!” Winter’s tail was lashing furiously now. Qibli’s heart skipped a beat and he stared at his friend.
“What?” asked Winter.
“Nothing.” If Winter thought of him as best friend in the past, there was still hope of repairing the relationship. Qibli felt the grin coming back.
“WTF are you doing here Qibli?” asked the Icewing.
“I came to see you.”
“Why now?”
“Staff happened.”
“Oh, yeah?” Winter sat down. “Like what?”
“Why did you stop answering my letters?” fired back Qibli. Icewing looked away. “Its better that way. You’ve got your life and I’ve got mine.”
“Not anymore” sighed Qibli and told his friend of the events that led to his visit.
“Wait, what?” interrupted Winter, “you had dragons spying on me? Who the fuck was that? I’ll blast their face off! WTF Qibli? Why would you do that?”
“You were not answering my letters. I was worried.” Qibli shuffled his paws self-consciously.
“So, what have they told you?” asked Winter.
“You know, stuff. Like where you go for a swim every morning and other stuff”.
“Oh yeah?” asked Winter with a wicked smirk on his muzzle. “Anyway, so your queen is dead, and your girlfriend dumped you. Sucks for you. Still doesn’t explain why you are here.”
Qibli stared over the lake and sighed. “I guess I am here to say that I am sorry for going off with Moon. You were always the better dragon for her. And now you have a chance to prove it.”
“Oh, so now, I get a shot? After you are done with her? Is that it Qibli? Is that your grand gesture here sand-snorter?” Winter’s nostrils were billowing with a dangerous looking white steam and Qibli took a quick step back.
“No! That’s not what I meant Winter! I just wanted to say I am sorry that I’ve fucked up our friendship, and I am sorry that I went after Moon knowing how you feel, and well, just sorry for everything, ok? I’ll get out of both of your lives now. Just wanted to let you know that she went back to the Rainforest, and, yeah, it’s up to you now. Do what you want.”
Winter snorted and sat down. Somehow, he didn’t look elated to find out that his first love wasn’t involved with anyone, he looked sad. “You really are a moron, you know. With all your scheming I thought you would be smarter.” He shook his head and looked straight at Qibli. “She went after you two years ago, not after me! And if she wanted me, she would be here herself. She is that kind of dragon. That’s why we both liked her, no? But it’s not her who is here, it’s you! So why, Qibli, why?”
Qibli could feel Icewing’s gaze burrowing into him. He took a deep breath and met that ice blue gaze, just like he imagined he would. “Yeah, it’s me. Sorry for the disappointment. What you see is what you get. I guess I came here because you were my best friend. I screwed up and I am sorry. I don’t want to lose you too, but if you can’t stand the sight of me than I’ll leave.”
“It’s not like that.” sighed Winter, “things got complicated. If Moon stood here instead of you, she would be disappointed.” Qibli’s heart skipped another beat at these words, but before he could say anything Winter stood up and turned towards the lake. “You ruined my morning swim, you know.”
“Well, so sorry for saving your miserable life, your highness!” yelled Qibli at the Icewing’s back. He watched as his prince entered the lake running and dove under the dark blue waters. Qibli wasn’t a strong swimmer, but he followed anyway. He could have sworn the water sizzled as he dove. “I must be generating more heat than I realise” was the last thought he had before an ice boulder slammed into him, knocking out his breath. Qibli choked and splattered and fought vigorously to get to the surface. He managed it for a split second, just enough to gulp a mouthful of air, before being dragged under water again. Winter held him in tight embrace and propelled them both towards the bottom of the lake with his tail. Winter was physically bigger and a much stronger swimmer. Qibli’s feeble attempts to get free yielded no results. Winter slammed Qibli’s head full force into the mud on the lake’s floor. He held it there and made sure Qibli had a mouthful of dirt in his mouth before finally letting him go. Qibli struggled towards the surface, gasped for air and spat out mud and seaweed. Winter surfaced dangerously close to him and laughed, “That was for being a shitty friend and stealing Moon from me.”
Qibli finally got clean and caught his breath. “Fuck you, Icewing!”
“Oh, yeah Sandwing? Maybe it’s you who will get fucked today!” Before Qibli could react, Winter grabbed his front paws and was biting down hard on his neck. Qibli cried out with pain. “And this is for setting spies on me. Bet your little Sand Wing buddies didn’t tell you that Icewing princes like it rough? Oh, don’t look so shocked viper. I’ve fucked every Sand Wing snitch you’ve sent here. And all of them were as overheated as you are now.” For the second time that week Qibli was too shocked to say anything. Winter bit down again, his cold body pressing into Qibli’s, his wings enveloping them both. Qibli’s body was reacting on its own, his cock hardening and pressing into Winter’s belly. Winter looked over his shoulder and with powerful beats of his tail swam to shore, Qibli still in his icy embrace.
Winter came first, shuddering over Qibli while his pale blue scales rippled all over with the dark blue waves. He lay spent on top of Qibli but the Sandwing wasn’t satisfied yet. He shoved Winter off and got on top of him. “Not so different from us, are you prince? Fucking strangers in the dark alleys, just like the dirty street robbers do. But I bet you are dying to get fucked, aren’t you, you little aristocrat?” Qibli grabbed the delicate white muzzle and shoved his cock into it. He groaned with pleasure as the cold blue tongue went to work all along the length of his member. “Suck it hard, prince, just like you always wanted to!” Qibli came with a throat grumble and a plume of smoke. His eyes were glazed over with pleasure when he looked down, but when he met the piercing blue gaze of the Icewing he suddenly felt small and self-conscious. It was Winter who reached out and gently licked his muzzle. Qibli had never known such tender kisses, dragons after all are pretty fierce creatures, even girl dragons. He answered in kind and wished this would never end. They held each other close, as if afraid that this was another one of their feverish dreams and that the lover they pined for all these years will disappear like morning mist.
When Winter suddenly broke off he looked shy and uncomfortable, “Look, about what I said before, Sand Wing spies and stuff.. It’s not like that, ok? It’s just, you were with Moon and I.. “
Qibli’s tail lashed from side to side. “Just how many of your lovers do I need to kill? Is this lake going to be big enough for all the corpses?”
Winter reached out and wrapped his cool shiny wings around Qibli. “None of them matter. None of them were you.”
Qibli’s heart pounded in his chest.
“I am sorry too”, Winter continued. “For not writing back, for not figuring this shit out sooner.”
“It’s all good, mate. We can figure shit out together now, but not before breakfast. I am starving!” declared Qibli and playfully bit his lover on the shoulder to prove his point.
“Hey!” yelped Winter in surprise.
“Last one to the base is a rotten egg!” yelled Qibli as he launched into the sky. The Ice Wing prince smiled and admired the golden scales glittering against the morning sun for a second, then spread his wings and rose to the skies with the lightness he hasn’t felt in years.