Eyes for gold

legend: the hybrid and the pirate queen (part 1)

In the outskirts of the Mud Kingdom, a young couple—a SeaWing male and a MudWing female—watched over a single egg. Their nest, once filled with five eggs, had been ravaged by an attack that destroyed all but one. Now, they guarded it with their lives, knowing the dangers their child would face if their secret was ever revealed.

The SeaWing couldn't stay away for long. His absences might raise suspicions in the Sea Kingdom, where loyalty to Queen Coral was absolute, and treachery was unforgivable. The MudWing, too, lived in fear—fear of her tribe's disdain for hybrids, and worse, fear of Queen Burn discovering the dragonet's existence. A hybrid born in the Mud Kingdom would be a scandal too tempting for the ambitious SandWing queen to ignore.

Yet they stayed together, risking exile—or death—for the chance to protect their love and the fragile life growing inside that single remaining egg.

The MudWing carefully turned the egg, its smooth surface catching the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the swamp's canopy. She hadn't seen her mate in days, but she wasn't worried. He was a fighter, fierce as a hurricane and slippery as a wet fish in enemy talons. She knew he would come back to her.

When he finally arrived, the sight of him stopped her cold. His shimmering blue-green scales were streaked with blood, and deep gashes lined his sides. She rushed to him as he stumbled into the clearing.

"About time! What took you so long?" she demanded, her voice sharp with worry.

He collapsed under the shade of the tree, panting. "Ambush. Queen Blaze's forces—and a small platoon of Burn's. I barely got away."

She gasped, running her snout along his injuries. One claw mark, deep and jagged, had torn through the smooth scales on his flank. Other cuts, smaller but clean, hinted at the claws of a SandWing—or worse, one of her own kind.

"This war is tearing us apart," she murmured, resting her head against his neck. "I hate taking orders from Burn. I hate hiding from our tribes. Why can't dragons like us just be together?"

He leaned into her, letting her warmth soothe his pain. "One day, love. When the war is over, and a new SandWing queen sits on the throne, we'll be free. We'll take our dragonet far away from all this."

"If we survive," she whispered, her voice heavy with doubt.

They fell silent, letting the stillness of the night wash over them. Beneath the sprawling branches of the tree, the egg rested between them, its delicate shell glowing faintly in the moonlight. A fragile promise of a future they could only dream of.

Hope was their shield—a fragile hope for a future free from violence, where hybrids could exist without fear. In the Mud Kingdom, the SeaWing and MudWing clung to this dream as they guarded their lone egg. Meanwhile, in the depths of the Sea Kingdom, another story was unfolding.

In the shadowy expanse of the ocean, where light barely pierced the water, a pitch-black female SeaWing fought with a savage fury. A jagged scar zigzagged across her chest, a testament to her battles. Her claws tore through the water in a flurry of rage-filled swipes, and her powerful tail lashed out like a battering ram, scattering her attackers.

She caught one soldier in her jaws, her teeth sinking deep, and flung him into a coral reef. Blood bloomed in the water like crimson ink, curling and swirling around the combatants. "Leave," she snarled in Aquatic, the language of the SeaWings. Her voice was a low growl, carrying through the water.

But the soldiers pressed on. Their allegiance to Queen Coral and Queen Blister left no room for retreat, even against an opponent as fearsome as this. The female fought with unmatched strength, but her movements were growing heavier, slower. The captain of the platoon paused mid-attack, his eyes narrowing as he noticed her labored breaths and the subtle curve of her belly.