Venix

Pain, it was all Venix had known for moons, the burn scars on his face and neck sore from infection and mistreatment and his muscles stiff from the cramped space of the cage his captures had placed him in.

When he had escaped from the Tangled Woods to the Southern Icefields he hoped he would find some freedom, instead he was captured, burned and sold by bounty hunters to be used as a slave.

It was a day like any other, the cold wind grazing his scales as he curled up on himself, desperate to find some warmth, when suddenly a loud cry came from the caged Dragon next to him, he looked over to her to find her dead, one of the Mirror Dragons that had been keeping them hostage above her.

"No evidence left behind," The Mirror hissed moving towards Venix.

Venix flinched as far back as the restricted cage would allow, scared but unable to cry for help with his damaged vocal cords.

Suddenly a sky blue Guardian crashed into the hostile Mirror, leader mark visible on their scales.

"I will give you one chance leave or die for your sins," threatened the Dragoness a Runic Mirror and Moon Coatl coming to stand beside her.

The remaining five Mirrors rose to challenge her.

"Well look who showed up, the traitorous reject," an orange Mirror addressed the Runic.

"I'm not the one that bent to an Emperor," hissed the Runic before the Mirror pack attacked.

The battle was a flurry of claws and teeth and despite being out numbered, the three clan Dragons were clearly winning, the large Guardian's strength and elemental blessing more than enough to overpower the small pack, and with the help of the smaller Runic that fought effortlessly besides her, the battle was soon won.

The Guardian turned to the Runic as soon as the last Mirror fell.

"Zek are you ok?"

"Of course I am dummy," Zek replied licking the largers muzzle.

"Cry, one of them is alive," called the Coatl and only then did Venix realise they were looking at him.

Cry approached on cautious claws lowering herself in front of the Spiral to make herself look less threatening.

"Are you ok? your safe now we're not going to hurt you, I need you to be brave and back up as far as you can while we get this cage open, can you do that?"

Venix nodded.

Wordlessly the Coatl heated his claws, easily cutting through the metal allowing it to fall away.

Shaking Venix tried to thank the clan Dragons but instead ended up violently coughing as his lungs failed him.

"BLIZZ!" Cry cried as she shot forward to brace the Spiral.

Blizz with careful claws examined Venix's wounds "the burns are infected and it appears he has unrepairable internal smoke damage to his throat, but I won't know till we get him back to camp,"

"Pain..." Venix managed to croak out.

"I know but your in safe claws now, we'll care for you as long as you need," exhausted from the sudden events Venix passed out in the Dragoness' claws.

...

It was three day's before Blizz existed the healers den.

"How is he?"

"Recovering, though I doubt he'll ever be able to talk again, there's just to much damage done to his vocal cords, if he was a fire Dragon maybe but as a shadow Dragon," Blizz looked back to the den where Venix slept sympathy filling the Coatl.

"You recognised it to, didn't you, the mark those Mirrors wore,"

"The Emperor,"

"There where fire Dragons among them Blizz, his influence is growing larger, how long until he has all of Sornieth is under his claws,"

Both Dragons remained silent as they looked up to the star scattered sky.

"Have the stars spoken to you recently,"

"They have, they speak of war Cry, you can't ignore it forever, Ice will face Ice and only one will emurge from the frost,"

"Then a war they will have, but I will not forsake those in need,"

"I know you won't,"

The Guardian stood and walk a couple of paces before looking back to Blizz.

"Come, we have much to prepare,"