The day was as clear as one could get, the skies were nothing but vast pools of open azure. The sun shone down warmly, and for those in the Delta, it was clear that it was a good day. A diminutive MudWing by the name of Lichen was on a mission. He had been elected by the Delta to serve as an intermediary between them and the Queen, relaying information from the palace to the Delta. It had been a grueling two days of travel to make it to the city, the gem of the MudWing Kingdom. It had been a while since he'd made a trip to the palace, which had then made his sudden appearance to the courts all the more bizarre.
The pillars of the building's interior halls stretched towards the heavens, large tapestries fell down to the floor. Multiple wingspans in length, each told a separate story of The Mud Kingdom's many victories. Lichen was alarmed by the beauty of this place, as it contrasted the mud and clay buildings surrounding it. From what he'd heard, this palace had undergone new renovations, which would explain the new contrast. The SkyWing Queen had ordered for quartz and marble to be shipped to the gem of the Delta as an act of supposed goodwill, but any dragon with half of a brain understood that this was a political move. It had infuriated Queen Moorhen a great deal, as this was Scarlet's subtle way of telling Moorhen 'your palace is an embarrassment to me'.
He shook his head. Lichen was not here to sightsee; he was here for answers. More importantly, answers concerning the Delta's star dragon, Stork. He embodied all it meant to be a true MudWing, and as such, he had gone off to be an ambassador for the MudWings in the SkyWing courts. However, it had been years since anyone had seen him, and it had worried many dragons that he hadn't sent a letter back to the Delta in a year. Lichen held his own beliefs as to what had happened to Stork, but his suspicions were ungrounded and shaky at best. He was basing this theory off Scarlet's reputation, as it was a rather infallible variable. A part of him wanted to ask outright what had befallen their Bigwings, but Lichen knew better. He would have to ask a series of carefully chosen questions first, subtly working his way to the one he really wanted answered.
Reaching the end of the hall, Lichen stood in front of two grand wooden doors. They held a very brief synopsis of MudWing history and folklore, all intricately carved out in the wood. The small dragon pushed past the doors and entered into the Royal Parlor. To be frank, this room was nothing more than a show of wealth to make an alliance with the MudWings seem promising for reasons other than their military might. The many gems embedded in the walls glistened in the light of the sun. A large round table smothered in papers sat in the middle of the parlor. Looking in that direction, Lichen could make out a few maps, some letters containing the SkyWing seal, an odd package or two, and some books. He was too far away to read the book spines for any extra information, but they seemed to be important if they were being housed on this table.
"Lichen! So you didn't drown in all that mud from the Delta! Must say, a bit surprised seeing how small you are, but it would be a glorious death to say the least."
That mid-ranged voice with a slight twang was instantly recognizable. It belonged to an old friend and fellow scholar. As Lichen turned to confirm his suspicions, his snout was buried within the wings of Crocodile. Lichen grumbled to himself as the larger dragons squished him before stepping back and giving that same familiar toothy smile.
"When I heard that a sickly little dragon with a small limp was seen wandering the palace, I knew that the rumors had to be verified by my own eyes. Sure enough, here is Lichen in the flesh! Three moons above, it has been a while since we walked the capital grounds together." Crocodile mentally calculated a few numbers before nodding, as if satisfied with the conclusion he'd reached. "Two and a half years give or take a month."
Looking at Crocodile again, Lichen admitted it had been too long since he'd shared in fellowship with this meat head. A smile finally graced Lichen's face.
"Yeah, I may have skipped out on a few check-ins with the registrar's office since becoming an intermediary. It's a breath of fresh air to know that this palace hasn't changed you, Crocodile."
As sweet as the reunion was, that instant was overshadowed by Stork's absence. A pained expression desired to fall upon Lichen's face now, but he retained the smile in order to not worry Crocodile. The anxiety would only be felt ten-fold by the soul in front of him. Stork and Crocodile had been tied together by the hip when they were younger, and the two often wrote to each other in the spare moments they had with their jobs. Truly, these friends were as close as they came.
"You haven't heard from Stork, have you? I checked the incoming SkyWing mail only to find nothing from him. It is quite odd that he hasn't said anything in the past two weeks. I was just curious." Crocodile's tone cut Lichen's heart straight through, as his suspicion of Stork's fate was only growing stronger with this new evidence.
"I'm sorry, Crocodile. We haven't seen him in the Delta for three years now. He's been off making this land a great place in the eyes of the world. And we hope he'll come back home sooner rather than later. We all know he can't live without a mud bath for too much longer." Lichen tried to couple this joke with a light laugh. It did not come out that way. Worry quickly tainted his laughing tone, and obviously set Crocodile on edge.
Lichen backed off slightly, lowering his head in order to cover the pathetic excuse for a laugh as nothing more than a cough. But it was too late. His cover had been blown. Lichen scolded himself as he recalled how perceptive Crocodile really was. Despite his outward appearance, Crocodile had a sharper mind than most, but he was also an emotional dragon. If Crocodile caught even a slight hint of Lichen's suspicions it would be over. Stork's best friend would throw the palace into chaos at the mere notion of an attempt on the Delta-dweller's life. That uproar would mean an even longer wait to meet with the liaisons, a delay that Lichen could not afford. If he wanted to get into the council chambers on time, he would need to head that way now. Covering his suspicions through further conversation with Crocodile was not possible. Instead, Lichen used the excuse of the registrar's office to escape the growing look of scrutiny within his friend's eyes. 'Trust me Crocodile, I will learn the truth.' was the message conveyed within the smaller dragon's eyes. Crocodile seemed to understand and walked off towards the viewing deck.
Lichen felt the nerves in his stomach settle a little. It appeared that the palace had changed a few things about Crocodile for the better. Now knowing that his friend wouldn't go on a tirade, he darted down the corridors of the palace's east side. It was here where all information was recorded and processed before getting stored within the vaults. It was also here where Lichen had to meet the liaisons for his weekly reports. With that thought, the nerves jumped back to life. He could only imagine the scolding that Communications Major Silt would hand him. In an attempt to collect himself, Lichen again envisioned the visage of Stork flying off towards the SkyWing palace with that goofy smile of his. He tried to remember the rush of pride he felt on that day, knowing one of his friends would make all their lives better one step at a time. Seeing that foolhardy face once again filled Lichen with all the confidence he needed, although he still wished he could muster more as he slid into the Registry Division.
To his surprise, Lichen made it part-way towards the desks without being noticed. That was, until someone sidestepped in front of him. The freshly polished armor and hulking figure betrayed this dragon's identity as none other than Silt herself. Lichen only had a brief instant to brace himself before the yelling ensued, and in his attempts to look away from her eyes, he noticed something alarming. Those plates were SkyWing forged, meaning that the local suppliers of armor were being put out of business in the capital. It was just one more way for the Scarlet to dig her talons further into the cracking MudWing core.
"Intermediary Officer Lichen. What a pleasant surprise. Now, with the formalities out of the way... YOU WANNA TELL ME WHY YOUR PUTRID FACE HAS BEEN PLASTERED ACROSS MY DESK FOR THE PAST FOUR MONTHS?! NO? WELL THEN LET ME FILL YOU IN ON THE DETAILS! YOU SEEM TO HAVE MISSED A FEW BRIEFINGS!" The hostility in Silt's voice was like venom running through his veins. Four months without experiencing her flavorful reprimands made this verbal lashing particularly ruthless. Silt took a moment to collect herself, and started again in a calm voice, "The office called for a criminal class report on you when you failed to show up to FIVE consecutive check-ups regarding the Delta. Now, being the merciful dragon I am, I have graced you with a choice. Either you hand in your credentials now and leave for the Delta, or you serve here in the capital for the next three weeks straight. No breaks, no excuses, no leaves. Explaining yourself will change nothing. Pick one now."
Lichen grimaced. He'd been anticipating comeuppance, but not in such brutal fashion. His commander had just yelled at him, presented him with criminal charges against the crown, and threw an option to either quit immediately or slave away in the capital for the next three weeks into his cowering mug. It was like a nightmare that kept adding on to itself. The intermediary bowed as low as he could. His posture made it seem like he was trying to sink into the floor. Reverence would keep him alive currently, that much he knew.
"I will stay here for the next three weeks. Thank you Commander for your generosity." Lichen tried to fill his voice with genuine appreciation, but his shocked tone betrayed how he truly felt.
"Those weren't my orders, Lichen. The Queen's council decided those would be the options placed before you. I personally would rather have you kicked out of the Kingdom for treason, but it appears others favor you being around still. Enjoy that while it lasts." Silt was extremely sharp with him today. It could be that he simply hadn't experienced this in a while now, but she seemed to be even more bothered than normal. He was considering asking what the issue was, but ultimately decided against it. Asking her about this would be tantamount to suicide.
After the commander had stalked away, Lichen quickly submitted his reports from the past months. It took about as long as any other Delta report did, numbering casualties and wiping names off the census. Having done that somber task, Lichen was now free to enter the Information Parlor. In this room, liaisons and scholars all worked together to record reports and pass down information to other parts of the kingdom. Lichen made his way through the sea of dragons, spotting the one he wanted to speak with, Crane. This dragon was solely responsible for sending and receiving updates from ambassadors and diplomats in foreign kingdoms. If Stork had been doing anything in the SkyWing courts, Crane would know.
Lichen reached the table that housed the dragon's collection of papers and books. All of them seemed like political publications, something Lichen was not interested in to say the least. Crane was sitting behind a rather large stack of books, which Lichen moved to the side in order to face the dragon. Crane reacted with startled yelp. Clearly, he wasn't used to being bothered. After squinting for a few seconds, Crane seemed to recognize that it was Lichen.
"Ah, Lichen. Come to finally check on the reports, eh? It's been a few months since you graced my desk, meaning that something must really be bothering you. I know how much you hate politics." Crane's voice did not house any weight of anxiety or concern, which lifted Lichen's spirits slightly.
"Your memory serves you well, Crane. How have things been going around here recently? Having not been here myself, I see some pretty obvious changes from eight months ago." Lichen had finally reached the dragon he wanted to speak with. Now came the grueling process of grabbing information as subtly as he could. Raising any alarms that were not meant to be raised could spell disaster for Lichen.
"Things have been going I suppose. The political scenes have not changed recently. Most kingdoms are still getting used to following a SandWing, so that has been interesting to read reports about." Crane seemed to be lazily filling in the gaps for Lichen, something that was not appreciated. Sadly, it was all he had to work with.
"Has there been any word from Stork recently? We miss our favorite MudWing. He hasn't said anything to us in the past year now." Lichen was gambling here. If Stork was a taboo topic here in the capital, he had no doubt he'd be silenced next. Using the façade of generalized concern, Lichen could likely slip past this possible taboo and learn more about what happened to Stork.
Crane did not seem to tense up at the mention of Stork, nor did he seem to raise his guard. Then again, Crane's current attitude made it seem as if his mental guard was nowhere in sight.
"Let me see. We have a basic report about possible payment for MudWing involvement in wartime efforts. It has yet to be passed. Another report detailing Stork's negotiation of natural resources to be invested back into the Delta, as well as some foreign resources. It too has yet to be passed. Again, a report about an amendment to the wages for MudWings in the wartime effort. Seems he's lowered the wages slightly, probably trying to find middle ground with Scarlet I reckon. That has yet to be passed as well. Aside from that, it seems that Stork has simply been sitting in the courtrooms all day listening and giving his opinions." Crane closed the book that he was reading from, seemingly content with the answers he'd provided.
Lichen, on the other talon, was not content at all. Stork was obviously busy. It was evident from the bills he'd been trying to push all this time. What made his scales blaze was the fact that none of the bills had even been passed yet. None. Stork worked days and nights to write these documents, and Lichen knew he tried to make it fair on all sides for both SkyWings and MudWings. Was Scarlet truly that indignant? Why wouldn't Moorhen just leave Scarlet's clutches already! It was infuriating that Stork was working towards nothing at the moment. He was serving a Queen that couldn't care less of his opinions. Lichen just wanted to yell at someone, something. But this was not the place nor was it the time.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Thinking clearly again, Lichen saw the evidence as to why Moorhen wouldn't leave Scarlet's side. Stork's bill about natural resources made it obvious enough. The SkyWings were simultaneously taking what the MudWings had, and replacing it with their own wares and resources. In a way, Scarlet was terraforming the kingdom into some interment zone where they would keep their expendable troops. Lichen's teeth grinded against each other. As he learned more, it only added to his frustrations. The dragon turned to leave, tired of this palace already.
"Where are you off to Lichen?" Crane's voice sounded from behind. It held the same dull tone of boredom as before, so Lichen felt no inclination to respond.
The doors closed behind him, and Lichen was again within the quiet halls of the east wing. His head was spinning with anger. How could his kind have fallen so low? Why were the SkyWings so determined to undermine the legitimacy of the MudWing kingdom? Did the world really see them as some joke of a society? Stork's reasons for becoming a diplomat were growing clearer. Maybe he stayed in that forsaken SkyWing palace day and night to let the world really see what his people were like. This revelation only bolstered Lichen's resolve to find Stork. His fate was written about somewhere in that parlor, Lichen knew it. He just had to find the right dragon to ask.
The dragon took a moment to simply laugh at himself, shaking his head. He made it sound so easy to find Stork. The reality was Lichen might never know what happened or is happening to his friend in the mountains. That fact alone created a pit in his stomach. The idea alone that Lichen might never find Stork was sickening. Was he really that powerless here? Was the palace trying to hide Stork away from the Delta? Who was in control here? Lichen's questions led him down this rabbit hole for what felt like an eternity. It seemed that more had changed in this palace than just the marble walls. Something far more sinister was at play here. Whatever that evil plan was, Stork was somewhere trapped inside of it. Not just Stork... the whole of the MudWing kingdom.
But the same problem arose once again as Lichen continued to ponder. Who could he talk to about these suspicions, these theories of a SkyWing ruled marshlands? No names had come to mind, well, not helpful ones anyways. The dragons he knew in the Delta could only fight. Their critical thinking skills were... underdeveloped... to say the least. Any dragon he knew in the palace had probably written him off as a criminal now. Lichen grimaced, clutching thin air within his talons. He took another look around the hall with judgmental eyes. Yes, a veil of darkness and mystery was cloaking itself over the marshes. If he didn't act fast, it would ensnare the Delta as well as it had already done with the palace. The sheer uneasiness he felt was vivid, like a dragon scrapping its talons across his scales.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Night eventually fell upon the palace. Torches illuminated the interior halls and rooms, casting a new look upon the walls as Lichen wandered. He was still preoccupied with the events from that afternoon, trying to find a way to piece all the information together. Without any additional help, Lichen realized this was a far-fetched goal. Trying to solve this alone was akin attempting a Scavenger hunt without a snout. Weary from the day's events, Lichen made his way back towards the east wing. His quarters were housed there since he was technically an intelligence personnel. The halls seemed to be much longer than they were before, but that could also be due to the fact that Lichen was running on nothing but a few rabbits from yesterday. He did need to eat soon.
Passing by the doors to the Communications Plaza, Lichen could hear very faint whispers. It wasn't that late to be sure, so whatever was being discussed was whispered for the sake of keeping it secret. This is what Lichen needed to hear. He pressed the side of his head against the door gently, focusing on the voices inside.
"I figured something was going on here, Lichen." Crocodile's voice invaded Lichen's other ear. It was so startling that the poor dragon almost fainted, but he kept his footing. Lichen was trying not to alert those inside of his and Crocodile's presence.
"Yes Crocodile, something is happening. And I have a feeling that these dragons know something about it.." Lichen whispered, pointing a talon at the door he was up against. Crocodile carefully placed the side of his head against the adjacent door, listening in with Lichen.
"All I'm saying is this, we cut our losses and burn these papers to ash. They aren't worth anything anyways!"
"You're wrong. Those documents are everything to us. Keeping them locked away is the smarter choice. That way when Scarlet eventually turns on us, we can use this as a means to throw the other tribes at her. Maybe even save the capital from total destruction.."
"You act like you know Scarlet. That witch is crazier than a SeaWing in the desert. No one knows what she'll do at any time. Hedging our bets that she will attack us in the first place is idiotic. Have you seen the money she has poured into the palace recently?! We are talking about thousands of gold pieces. Don't you get it, morons? Scarlet isn't interested in invading us. She already has. Those documents are nothing more than a hoax for the Delta to escape from this enslavement. I don't know about you, but those mud lickers down there can stuff it if they think they are getting out unburned."
The other two dragons seemed to grow silent, as if realizing the validity of this third dragon's opinion. Well, that confirmed Lichen's first theory. The palace was being invaded. Scarlet was simply doing so invisibly and under the guise of goodwill. Her political moves on the MudWings had proven to be an effective enough strategy for her to avoid getting her talons dirty; well, dirtier. Lichen gave an inward sigh, realizing the downtrodden state of the capital. Some, such as Silt, seemed unshaken as their duties wouldn't be hindered either way. These three sounded defeated. Lichen felt that most of the palace personnel had similar mental states.
"Yeah, if we are going down, we might as well take the Delta with us. They are subjects to the Queen after all."
"Agreed. We'll bring it up in court tomorrow. For now, perhaps it is best that we head our separate ways."
A general consensus was reached between them all and the dragons' voices slowly faded away. Waiting a few moments, Crocodile and Lichen entered the plaza casually. There were no signs that anyone else was around. They dashed over towards the table the dragons had just been sitting at, searching everywhere for any piece of information. All the while, Crocodile and Lichen were in frantic discussion.
"Did you not see any of this coming, Crocodile?! You are an intelligence officer for the Queen. And yet you picked up on none of this?" Lichen hissed lightly, siphoning through the shelves around for any out of place books.
"I had heard rumors, but Queen Moorhen sent me on a mission to gather intelligence on the RainWing borders before all of this really started going down. She gave me the commands to station myself there until something worthy of note occurred. Sure, it was an odd command for a detective, but I simply assumed it was for a good reason. Protecting the borders I suppose.." Crocodile slowed his statement down towards the end, a cross expression covering his face. "Protecting the border from the laziest tribe in existence...- she sent me out there for nothing!"
The evidence for foul play had long since been confirmed, but this kept adding to the pile. Whatever was happening, Moorhen knew of it. She was playing an active role in the downfall of her own kingdom. Had their Queen given up hope as well? Was the MudWing kingdom truly lost to the SkyWings already?
"Any luck finding the papers they were talking about?" Lichen broke the moment of silence, a frustrated tone in the back of his voice.
"None. They no doubt took them with them. If those papers were worthy enough to be considered for the vault, I doubt they'd simply be left in the Communication Plaza's 'pristine' tables. Crafted from only the best timbers in the Claws of the Clouds Mountains." The contempt in Crocodile's voice was mildly comedic for Lichen, but the situation made that joke a subtle reminder that another tribe had buried itself within the MudWing core.
This trip to the castle was going to last more than three weeks. Lichen knew that. With everything that was happening, shoes needed to be filled. He assumed that most, if not all the court had given up hope of trying to fight against Scarlet's oppressive invasion of deodar tables and marble walls. He needed to gain a seat in that courtroom, not just for the Delta's sake, but for the sake of MudWing civilization. These thoughts were interrupted by Crocodile's echoing voice. Lichen had been absorbed in his mind for the past few seconds, not realizing that Crocodile was now at a separate table rummaging through another pile.
"Let's check through here, just in case." Crocodile began sifting through the stacks of papers, muttering their contents to himself.
Lichen took it upon himself to investigate the administrator's desk. This plaza was usually locked at night anyways, with guards around it at all times. Apparently the demoralization of Scarlet had shown the MudWings that they had better things to do rather than watch a stack of papers. As for the doors needing to be locked, Lichen thanked the three dragons who were previously here for not remembering to do that. It was unclear when they would have another chance like this, so taking full advantage seemed optimal.
Opening the drawers, Lichen saw books and letters all stamped with red marks. No doubt these were letters and books that were scheduled for retirement into the vault or a fire. He quickly fanned through the contents, examining each one as carefully as he could within the span of a few seconds. Then he stopped. Lichen was glad he didn't have anything to eat today, he would've likely thrown it up right there. On the front of this letter was an official SkyWing seal with the name 'Crocodile' written on the envelope. This.. was a letter from Stork.
Lichen only made it about half way to Crocodile before collapsing onto the ground of the plaza. Tears were pouring down the young dragon's face. No.. no no no. This couldn't be real. Crocodile's voice was drowned out by Lichen's own thoughts as he began sobbing in the middle of the plaza. The older dragon slowly looked towards the letter on the ground, and his wings fell to his side. There was 'Crocodile' written across the envelope.. with a line drawn across the name. Crocodile crumpled to the ground, his eyes a mix of hatred and distress.
"STORRRRRRRK!!" Crocodile's roars shook the pillars of the plaza as he gripped the note, pulling it tightly to his chest. Whatever was in here was all that Lichen and Crocodile needed to know. They were sure of it. But neither could bring themselves to open the letter.
That line across Crocodile's name meant that Stork was dead. It was his chosen symbol to let them know when Scarlet had enough of him. They just, never thought it would happen so soon. It had only been three years.., he only had three years of nothing but stress just to die in those mountains. Lichen couldn't bear it. He couldn't imagine the agonizing death that befell their best friend, their brother. No doubt, the guards would be coming for them soon. They needed to leave this place. But, Lichen couldn't bring himself to stand. This was Scarlet's way of sending a message to the Delta.
Crocodile smashed his tail into the administrator's desk, sending the wooden structure flying across the room in little pieces. His pupils had narrowed to thin slivers as anger broiled up within him. Lichen slowly found the strength to stand. His tear stained scales would not bear a happy face for quite some time. After all, he'd lost his best friend. What drove him to stand was not some sense of sheer willpower. It wasn't because he knew he had to leave. No, Lichen stood because that was the only way Stork's death would not be in vain. They still had a letter to read, no matter how painful that letter might be.
"Crocodile, we.., we need to leave. Now.." Lichen's voice could not match the determination of his spirit.
"I know. The Delta is a long way off from here, Lichen. We best start flying."
The younger dragon nodded his head. They no longer needed to know what documents those strangers were talking about. Both Crocodile and Lichen had full faith that Stork would fill them in, one last time. The Delta needed this letter. They needed to hear the sorry state of their capital, and the diabolical plans that were being hatched there. If the Delta was to survive this, they would need to be informed. They would need a reason to fight.
Thinking of that fact, Lichen half-smiled to himself. "Seems like his work isn't over yet, Crocodile.. Turns out our BigWings needs our help, for once."
That statement alone was equal parts painful and encouraging for the both of them. Finding the will to fight currently was an enormous task. The Delta would rejuvenate their spirits. This palace's dark shroud was becoming too much to handle as the two threw open the plaza's south-facing window with a grunt. The winds met them immediately, blowing a fresh sense of life along their scales. Stepping through this window would make them both fugitives from the MudWing authorities, and they both jumped without hesitation. Lichen gave up on his dreams to find a seat in the council that instant. The palace was incapable of saving itself from within, so Lichen and Crocodile would have to find another way to save their homeland. Flying up into the sky, the two could see the Claws of the Clouds mountains, covered in the night sky's darkness. With a somber tone, the two banked to the left slightly, starting their two day trip towards the west banks. There, they would read the letter in the presence of a large assembly, and send messengers throughout the Delta to proclaim whatever it was that Stork wanted to tell them before he died.