Blackberry

Blackberry felt a dull ache in her right forearm. Weather is shifting soon, probably going to rain, she thought to herself. The imperial rolled her shoulder a couple times, trying to ease the tension. She didn't have to look to picture the pale scars there her obsidian scales couldn't cover. No matter how much time passed, the memory of her sister's fangs sinking in was not one she was ever likely to forget. Lucky to keep her arm, Bloodmeadow had said. Yeah, she had felt real lucky. Still, I was the first to go for the throat, Blackberry thought ruefully.

Fueled by jealousy and a sense of entitlement, Blackberry had gone after Nightwolf. The imperial shook her head at the recollection of her younger self. Back then, Nightwolf's success had seemed so unfair! Blackberry was the older sister, she should have had the chance to train and prove herself first. Those trials, successes and subsequent responsibilities should have fallen to her. Yet Nightwolf, crazy unpredictable Nightwolf, had rapidly risen up the ranks to elite warrior and enforcer status. Everything Blackberry wanted, the honor and prestige, Nightwolf had achieved swiftly. And to make it even worse, it seemed that Nightwolf could have cared less about those things. They were all just some secondary effect of the bar imperial's efforts towards her true goal. Nightwolf might as well have spat in Blackberry's face. With those thoughts consuming her, Blackberry had confronted Nightwolf.

When Nightwolf merely brushed off Blackberry's concerns, the obsidian imperial had started to see red. She had lashed out against her younger sister, physically and verbally. What Blackberry had said exactly she couldn't recall now, but based on her mood she knew it had been ugly. Still, Nightwolf had done nothing but block her blows, one by one, until Blackberry was exhausted and gasping for air. Nightwolf had barely broken a sweat.

"You don't deserve any glory," Blackberry had wheezed.

With a growl of frustration Nightwolf had replied, "You can keep all the stupid pomp and circumstance. I don't risk life and limb to boost my ego. None of that matters when dealing with death and survival."