Chapter Text
During a particularly strong snowstorm just south of the Icewing Palace and main recruit training facility, a group of newly trained recruits made their way toward an Icewing tavern, the Icewings all laughing and celebrating while they powered through the storm before they reached the double doors. Pushing the doors open, the group flooded in.
The old Icewing who owned and worked at the tavern felt his shoulders drop slightly, letting out a sigh as he watched the cluster of rowdy Icewing dragonets move to one of the larger tables, which was pushed nearly against the wall of the tavern. most of the Icewings took their seats on the long bench seats that hugged the wall, while the rest pulled seats from other tables, sitting down at the table.
"What can I get you lot?" The old Icewing tavern owner called out to the group, a few Icewings of the group looking over their buddies' heads at the owner as they called out what they wanted.
"Frost beer!"
"Snowberry Cider!"
"Ah, get me a water, old drake!"
writing down all the requests on an empty scroll, the old Icewing flared his nostrils before he handed the scroll to the three Icewings, who were his daughters and son.
"Make these, I want these lot gone" He huffed, the eldest of his children taking the scroll, moving to her two other siblings before they began to make the drinks for the thirteen. Moving back to the main bar counter, he picked up the glass he was cleaning before when a new Icewing came through the doors, one that made the old Icewing drake's eyes light up slightly.
"Neyric, my boy! How are ya! Same as usual?" His voice suddenly full of life, while the younger-looking Icewing dragonet came up to the bar, taking a seat on one of the many sitting stools. His body was mostly white, while many cool, pale, mint-coloured patterns criss-crossed along his body and wing undersides, dancing along in ways that seemed almost magical.
"Hey Tarnok, yeah, the same please" Neyric, unlike the normal Icewing living in the Kingdom, was not only one without his parents, but one who was looked down upon, made fun of, and constantly had ice, rocks and other small objects thrown at him while fellow Icewings referred to him as the "Half-breed"
Tarnok gave a nod, rubbing his small spiked beard with a forepaw before he called for a Aurorashiner. This got the attention of the recruits, with one standing up, making his way up to where Neyric sat, while at least half the group followed what must obviously be their leader.
"Hey kid, this is our space, now beat it" Yet Neyric was having none of it as he rolled his eyes, shaking his wings slightly, a bit of snow slipping off his left wing and onto the right forepaw of the Icewing recruit who had just threatened him. "Did you hear me you seven circle freak"
Tarnok was currently cleaning another one of the glasses when he glanced up from the glass at Neyric, staring at the young Icewing for a few seconds before he returned to his cleaning.
"Look, mate, I don't care if you just came from your egg, or you got in by bedding the General, but if I were you, I'd fuck off", Neyric simply said, staring right at the Icewing recruit, watching him falter for a few seconds until he gathered himself. By that time, Neyric had turned back, placing his forepaws slowly on the countertop while Tarnok slowly moved the few polished glasses that were on the countertop to the cabinet behind him, knowing that things were about to turn ugly.
"Wha- Hey! That's no way to respond to a member of the Queen's Army! You know there are thirteen of us and one of you, right, freak!" He reached out to grab Neyric's left shoulder, only to have his snout slammed into the countertop, with Neyric gripping his neck tightly with his left forepaw.
A few of the Icewings shuffled on their paws, a few less looking at each other, while Neyric kept the now struggling Icewing pinned in the classic nerve pinch move before he lowered his snout until it was close to the Icewing recruit's right ear.
"Numbers don't matter if you have no idea how to fight" He then let go of the recruit, letting him stumble back while the rest of the group moved forward a few steps. Neyric got off his seat, moving into the empty, wide-open floor of the tavern, his tail swishing along the dark oak flooring as he got into a fighting stance. "Well, who first?" He smirked as the first Icewing charged at him, letting out a battle cry.
Meanwhile, the General of the Icewing army landed not far from the tavern. She didn't want her newest recruits getting into trouble, yet her subtle fears were answered when one of the Icewing recruits came flying out of the double doors, crashing into a snow bank with a bloody snout. He got up, spat a few teeth out, and charged back in.
"What on the great Ice dragon is..." She and her small group of three officers peered through one of the large front windows, watching the group of thirteen recruits attempt to attack and disable a lone seventh-circle Icewing. She watched the mint coloured drake move in a way she had only seen in the most well-trained. The best of the best, if you will.
Neyric dodged swings from an Icewing, three of whom missed Neyric completely, with the third accidentally colliding with one of his fellow Icewing recruits, knocking him out cold. "Zero! Gah! Look what you made me do, you little prick!" as he swung at Neyric again, the smaller, mint-coloured, pattern-covered Icewing continued to flawlessly dodge all attacks, before he decided to go on the offensive, landing blow after blow onto each and every Icewing he went after.
He landed a series of fast-paced punches and slashes, drawing blood to pool at each wound he inflicted. He continued to dodge attacks as if he knew when and where they would strike, and this was obviously getting under the recruits' nerves as their attacks became less organised and more desperate.
Neyric grabbed hold of the tail of one recruit who tried to use his tail to knock Neyric over, yet instead, Neyric dug his sharp talons into the recruit's flesh, which was followed by an ear-piercing cry.
Neyric, with all his might, swung the larger Icewing around, letting him go, watching with a smirk as he slammed into all of his still-conscious friends. The one who had started the fight looked at Neyric with anger pumping through his blue veins before he looked to his left and right, staring at his friends as he shouted out in frustration.
"Kill him, somebody kill him!"
Yet Neyric was completely focused, his heartbeat controlled, his breathing trained as he shifted his stance to one that no one below the third circle should know of. The general couldn't believe what she was watching. She felt complete disappointment and embarrassment in her new recruits, yet she couldn't help but feel the itch to know more about this single dragonet who had completely dismantled her recruits.
One of her officers reared his head back, eyes narrowing before he swore in ancient draconian. That earned him a wing slap across the back of his head, making him glare at his General before they focused back on the fight.
Neyric suddenly dashed to the right when the leader threw himself at him. In a split second, Neyric was able to completely stun and disable him, leaving the leader paralysed on the floor. The reactions were from anger to surprise to slight fear.
"Well, you lot going to continue this shit, or are you all going to fuck off and run back to your fucking army!" Neyric finally roared out, watching the remaining Icewings still standing while others woke up. Some had broken fingers, claws ripped out, a few had scales torn off, while two had wings that were obviously broken.
"I'm not going to die over some fucking runt! Let's get the fuck out of here!" One of the Icewings suddenly said, making a dash for the double doors, blood dripping from his mouth and badly bruised face, while the rest followed, two of them carrying their leader out the doors, while the General glared at her recruits, it seemed powerful enough to turn any dragon to ice.
Neyric, of course, came out with a few wounds. The largest being a gash on the side of his neck. He spat out a few broken teeth and wiped away the blue blood that coated his scaled jaw before he placed a small bag of golden coins on the counter.
"For the damages and drink, Tarnok, " he smiled faintly at the elder Icewing, who in return gave a nod, placing Neyric's drink on the counter. Grabbing his drink, Neyric left the building, the doors swinging open for him to an open world where the storm had by now passed, leaving a much calmer, open evening sky, with the three crescent moons slowly following the setting sun. That was until he looked to his left, noticing the one person he Really didn't want to see.
*Ah fuck my life, now you've done it, Rick*
No one moved. Neyric stared at the group of four while they stared back at him. the only sound was the soft breeze that blew over the icy landscape. Iskarra was the first to start the conversation.
"What is your name, young one?" She stared at him, head tilted to the side slightly, ears twitching as she waited for a response from him.
"The lowest ones never share their name" He growled, talons digging into the snow and ice below him while he kept a grip on his cup of drink. He then noticed two of the officers behind the General move around her, and he was about to make a remark on them when she lifted her wings, preventing them from moving further forward.
"How would you like to join the Icewing army?" The offer stunned the three officers, making them almost choke on their breath when the sound of Neyric letting out a growl filled their ears.
"Why don't you take your "special" army friends and fuck with someone else, You lot failed me earlier in my life, and i'll never look at you the same ever again. You got my Father killed, failed to save my Mother, who three male Icewings raped and killed, and even lied about the murder scene when the higher-ups were questioned!. So yeah, Fuck you and your recruits!"
Instantly, one of the officers barked at Neyric, yet the General snarled at him, making the younger officer back off, falling back behind her while she focused back on the young Icewing.
"You can hate me all you like, curse me out, swear. Moons, even take your anger out on me. Though I think you will make a fantastic recruit, maybe even Captain if you impress me with your fighting, just like in the tavern there," She shuffled her wings slightly, waiting for his response, watching him glance down at the snow while he still held his drink in his left forepaw. They stood there for what felt like a whole year, the General watching the young Icewing, her eyes narrowing, watching his tail movements, seeing how his wings twitched.
She knew she was getting to him, she was close to him accepting, all she had to do was push one last time.
"Your Father would want you to join. What is the point of such a potential young, handsome Icewing like yourself staying on the outskirts, hunting for scraps?" She added on. This earned a reaction from him, watching as he looked up from the snowy ground to her, the feel of his heartbeat, the tension filling his muscles, while he stared at the General, while she narrows her eyes, almost staring into his very soul as the three officers with her remained quiet, seeing that familiar glint in his eyes that she had seen a thousand times before.
*Got you*