History of the IceWings

Historia: Tale of the IceWings


Chapter 1: Era of Ice

Before the IceWings, the world was bleak and lifeless. Nothing but rising, majestic snowy hills as far as the eye could see. Almost no life lived in the mountains, only the casual icy dragon rogue, who would seek the mountains for refuge. Reptilians and dragons alike who didn't possess a natural resistance to the cold would tend to avoid this place. The tundra, taiga, and mountains of this realm were simply something beyond the other tribes. And it lasted this way for quite a long time.

Until the ElderWings came along. The ElderWings hailed from a faraway island, much smaller than Pyyria. They spread all throughout the new lands of Pyyria, some heading to the hot volcanoes, others to the lush mountains. A few traveled towards the barren icy landscapes to settle down and live in small groups. It was relatively peaceful.

That was, until Ice came along.

Ice came from a rogue family of ElderWings whom had been living in the mountains since forever. His mother's name was Tyrania, and his father's name, Heinskal. His mother died when another vicious rogue attacked their home, leaving Ice with his father when he was just fifteen years old. When Ice was twenty three, he left to go out on his own. He had much pent up aggression after his mothers death, and when he encountered a vicious rogue, took all that pent up energy out on them. He then proceeded to do this to any other rogues who would attack them.

Soon enough, Ice had grown a reputation around the mountains. Even rogues on the outskirts of the mountains knew his name. But that wasn't enough to satisfy Ice. He wanted more. Rather than just killing anyone Ice stumbled across, he decided to have them join him, creating a small, feral pack, that he led ruthlessly. Very few dragons were allowed to join, and these dragons were only the strongest of Ice's foes that he had come across.

Eventually, he started allowing females to join his small pack, and before long it became a small clan. With the increasing size of the pack, Ice decided he was going to need a permanent home, where they could settle down, and not have to worry about the ruggedness of the icy mountains. Even if Ice could survive on his own, it was unlikely that a whole group of roughly thirty dragons was going to survive just wandering the snowy countryside.

And so the great leader and rogue led his people deeper into the frozen territory. Deeper than anyone had ever been before. Some died along the way. Some question if the leader had lost his mind, taking them so deep into the icy tundra. They passed great mountains, and had to fly across a large gorge, where the wind blew against them with all the force of the gods. Most of Ice's followers had given up hope by the point.

That was, until Ice finally announced that they had arrived. All the dragons were shocked, and quickly started to unpack the supplies that had brought with them. The area wasn't anything special. A small valley with a large mountain, and behind the mountain, it dropped into the ocean rather steeply from a cliff side. There was a forest opposite to the mountain, as well, but most doubted anything edible lived in there. Not that they still wouldn't hunt, though.

Twenty members. That's how many dragons were left after the journey. But the ones that were left were quick to start building. Even they could stand the cold, this freezing wind was unbearable. The ones who knew how to build were directed by Ice, who ordered they unpack supplies and start making small village. It was a long and hard job, taking nearly five years, and along the way, five more dragons died. But by the time those villages were finally done, that wasn't the only thing that was worth celebrating over.

Hatchlings! With twenty dragons, not including Ice himself, and six females, they were bound to have hatchlings eventually. Nearly seven hatchlings were hatched in the spane of those five years that lived. That was two more new dragons than what they had loss. This gave Ice some hope. This meant that dragons COULD in fact, live out here in the cold wilderness. And they could thrive, too. Not just survive, but live!

So once the villages were finished, roughly twelve homes, Ice decided it was time to start organizing this group a lot better. He would send out hunting parties of the strongest dragons, and they would bring back food such as moose, elk, mountain lion, and many others. Dragons were trained personally by Ice to become strong warriors and fighters for the clan. Rumors of this icy clan somehow spread out from the mountains, attracting other rogues that had heard of Ice's powerful leadership. Their measly population of fifteen soon rose to nearly fifty dragons after just another ten years. New villages were built to encompass this, spreading the clan even large, giving it more territory.

Ice wasn't only a powerful leader, he was also incredibly intelligent, manipulative, and smart. He ruled his people fairly, if not with an iron fist, and made unique renovations and compromises with the rogues outside of the territory. He also helped with much of the building, and was a great politician.

Soon, new rumors would begin to reach the territory of Ice. Rumors of things called 'tribes'. These tribes were led by dragons known as Fire and Night, Sea and others. They called their tribes after their own names. This gave Ice an idea. His clan was thriving, and growing larger than he ever could have imagined. So, after reaching one hundred dragons in the population, when Ice had grown to be nearly 62, he announced something that would change history forever.

He announced that they were becoming a tribe. And their tribe would forever be known as the IceWings.

Chapter 2: Age of Renovation

Nearly two hundred dragon years after the reign of Ice, a new ruler stepped forward. By now, the villages that had been created long ago in that desolate wasteland of ice had now expanded. It had graduated into the tribe Ice had envisioned it to be. And now it was about the time that this tribe had an official leader. Because while yes, Ice had been their leader, he had never really gone about things the way a king or ruler should. Mostly because their petty tribe wasn't big enough. But no longer.

Alcatraz, the next leader of the IceWings, was infamous for being even more ruthless than Ice. Ice's son, Jevai (Pronounced He-Vye) did rule for a little bit after Ice, but his rule wasn't all that noteworthy, aside from the fact that he did take on the name of leader officially, but didn't call himself anything like king or emperor. He helped to keep everything running smoothly, and did set up some borders, but that was about it.

Some would say Jevai wasn't a good leader. Others thought he was too soft, and too controlled by the ruthless Ice before he died. Alcatraz, on the other paw, was the exact opposite of the passive Jevai. Alcatraz wasn't as manipulative and smart as Ice was, but he did know what he wanted. He was the son of Jevai, and quickly grew to become much more hated than his father.

Alcatraz pushed the dragons to do things they weren't used to. He ordered them to bring most of the food they found to him, leaving very little for the rest of the dragons. He also hoarded any treasure that anyone found, keeping it locked away in the ruler's private quarters, which was a cottage slightly bigger than the normal ones. But this wasn't enough.

Alcatraz soon banned the keeping of treasure in one's home, and ordered that all treasure be brought to him. Then he announced that all dragons must talk to him under the name of King Alcatraz, and any who disrespected him would be beheaded on the spot. Dragons were terrified of Alcatraz' power, so they did whatever he said.

Then Alcatraz decided he didn't want to hang around in a stuffy cabin anymore. He hated the log cottage. So, taking his newfound power, he decided to build a castle fit for a king. This castle would be positioned atop a large mountain, tall and proud, for the whole world to see. And the best part? Alcatraz didn't even have to do any of the work. He hired architects to design the building, then ordered the commoners to build it. If anyone refused to help create the massive palace, they would be killed on the spot.

And so work on the massive project was started right away. Many dragons died, being exposed to the harsh conditions, but in the end, the castle was finally completed. It hadn't been able to be built right where Alcatraz had envisioned it, but it was still pretty close. It was just below the mountain, rising high, above the villages below.

It had a courtyard, and nearly three hundred rooms. By the end of it, many dragons were ready to start a revolt. They had had enough of Alcatraz. A large rebellion started, nicknamed "Slaughter at the Palace of Ice". Many dragons were killed in the fighting, including Alcatraz, who fell sickly and died at the ripe age of 54 from an infected wound across his side.

After the manslaughter, a new king rose up from the ashes. His name was Shixuezen. And thus ended the rule of the Ice Dynasty. Under Shixuezen's rule, the people of the IceWings became much more at ease. Shixu was a fair ruler, and while he may not have been as strong as Ice, he still was quite intelligent and one of the strongest leaders of the IceWings have had since the great Ice.

But Shixu wanted more than just territory. He craved knowledge, as well. That is why he greatly influenced his tribe mates to pursue lives of knowledge and discovery. They were able to craft even more valuable weapons and armors to protect them better, as well as creating other inventive devices, such as ways to keep the temperature moderate so that they weren't freezing to death all the time, even if they were IceWings. After all, the temperature is very cold where they live. Shixu even made changes to the palace.

But perhaps, none were more valued for their scientific studies than the late Valora. She was a dragoness who investigated the realm of the ice territory. With the spread of their empire, they would need to know more about the habitat. The dragoness made many treks to the mountains up above, doing research on the local fauna and flora. She also discovered the massive salt water lake, which later turned out to be a bay. Thus, it was called Valora's Lake.

Valora, alongside many other adventurers, also adventured up and around the Frozen Highlands, some even daring to scale Snow's Peak. However, no one was ever able to do it. And no one would be able to do it for years to come.

Chapter 3: Celestial Discovery

Shixu was certainly not the last innovative thinker of the IceWings. He had many sons and daughters after his reign. The son that inherited the throne, Balthor, wasn't as innovative as Shixu was. However, he was a beloved dragon for his power and ability to care for the people. He started to do some renovations when it came to the buildings. They were upgraded, and he conquered new territory for the IceWings. It wasn't long before the small tribe had grown to encompass most of the snowy mountains. But this still wasn't enough for Balthor. He wanted more. But he couldn't very well do that with untrained personnel.

So he decided to start training his tribe mates. All dragons were taught how to fight in war. He spread his territory far out beyond the reaches of their previous home, having it encompass all that was snowy or cold. Soon, they had an empire, rather than just a small tribe. It was everything Balthor had ever desired. He was ruthless in battle, but kind when it came to his soldiers. He passed away at the age of 77, being known as the dragon who conquered the ice.

After Balthor's reign, he had a son and a daughter. The daughter was extremely adept in magic, and the son in combat. The son, as the first in line for the throne, took control as the king. The son's name was Fahel, while the daughter's was Seisha. Fahel and Seisha ruled the kingdom together, ruling fairly and equally among their subjects. They also expanded upon the IceWing territory rather nicely.

However, there was one big obstacle that was keeping the IceWings from reaching their full potential, and this was the snowy pass that you needed to cross in order to enter the heart of IceWing territory. Getting across was incredibly dangerous, and almost always guaranteed death. Until then, the only way to reach the outer territory of the IceWings was to take a long, winding path around the mountains.

But not for long. Under the instructions of Fahel, Seisha was instructed to craft a bridge with her magic. The mystical bridge was created sturdy, so that it may never break from the harsh violence of the elements. While the trek across the bridge was still dangerous, it wasn't nearly as dangerous as flying. This bridge made traveling across the IceWing territory much easier, and the two leaders were greatly rewarded for it. Fahel died at the age of 55 due to disease.

Fahel's sons, Resma and Shenkong, were the next in line for the throne. However... While technically, Resma was suppose to rule over the IceWings, Shenkong was an extremely aggressive, not to mention beloved, dragon. As to be expected, civil war soon broke out. Those who followed Resma, and those who followed Shenkong. After almost ten years of war, an assassin sneaked into Resma's room and slit his throat while he was sleeping. Shenkong, as thus, became the new ruler of the IceWings.

But this caused even more civil unrest. The IceWings that followed Resma greatly disliked Shenkong, as they believed he was unfair towards their population. Multiple attempts on Shenkong's life were taken. A small rebellion even surfaced. Many dragons were locked up or killed due to their riots and rebellions. And this greatly angered Shenkong. He started to advise discrimination against the rebellion, in hopes it would quell. However, this caused even more riots, as the two groups would begin to discriminate against each other.

Shenkong had finally had enough. From that moment on, he ordered that any dragons who still supported his brother be killed. This proved that Shenkong was even more violent than Resma had been. Some regretted supporting him in his cause. After this announcement was made, however, it didn't immediately quell the rebellion. Thus, much blood was shed on the battlefield. Thousands of dragons were killed in a bloody massacre, as innocent hatchlings to armored dragons were all slaughtered by armed warriors of Shenkong.

The slaughter continued. Rebellion after failed rebellion would continue, one of the most famous being the Battle of Iiak. This was probably the largest the rebellion was able to grow to. It almost won over Shenkong's tyrannical dictatorship, but in the end Shenkong had won just by sheer strategy rather than numbers. The grotesque slaughter of innocents and guilty alike soon carried news towards the other tribes. Dragons of the NightWings and EarthWings saw this as a great opportunity to conquer territory, while the tribe was weak from inner turmoil. This caused the tribe to lose much of the territory it had gained from Balthor, the outskirts of the territory, around the coast.

This invasion caused Shenkong to be furious. In a blind rage, he killed his two best guards, and his own son. His mate fled in a flurry of terror with their eldest daughter. The daughter and mate were later brought back to Shenkong, and he beheaded both of them, believing them to secretly be working for Resma, despite the fact he was dead.

Absolutely steaming from the truth that his mate had supported Resma, Shenkong ordered an attack on the foreigners attempting to conquer his territory. The fight was long and futile, and eventually, Shenkong was able to reclaim half of the territory he had lost, but due to his lack of numbers, they still were never able to reclaim the territory. When Shenkong died at the age of 50 due to assassination, the land that he had worked so hard to reclaim was soon stolen away again, even more this time.

And unfortunately for Shenkong, he had no heirs. That was, until Resma's daughter, Gloria, stepped forward. She had secretly been hiding away with a band of rebels after her father's death. Her mother had been killed, so she had to rule the IceWings by herself. Many welcomed her with cheers and shouts to be their ruler, as Shenkong had seemed to sink into insanity with his last moments of life, and even those that had once supported him had cheered at his funeral.

The IceWings, however, were still in turmoil, and Gloria wouldn't be able to help them on her own. And Shenkong still had a secret service of assassins that were fiercely loyal to him. So one day, when Gloria was on her way to a diplomatic meeting with the NightWings, a large group of assassins attacked her and her guards. All the guards were killed, but somehow, Gloria was able to escape alive. But unfortunately, now she was stranded in the snow, with two broken wings.

Gloria would have frozen to death, had it not been for a mysterious light that illuminated her vision. At first she thought she had died and gone to heaven. But when she opened her ice to the cold wind, she growled at herself for thinking that at all. But she quickly became entranced by one of the most beautiful, handsome dragons she had ever seen. They told her they had saved her from battle, but only for her to spread the word. It turns out that that dragon had been a god. They said they were the god of war, and they were greatly disappointed in the slaughter that had been created by her uncle.

The god of death promised her that he would help to restore the IceWings back to their former glory, but only if they were to pledge their loyalty to him, and devote their lives to them. Gloria, of course, profusely promised to the god of war, and like that, they was gone.

When Gloria returned, many temples were erected in honor of the gods. For without them, Gloria would have surely perished. It was also then announced that from then on out, all leaders would be chosen by the gods. But little did Gloria know, that by coming into contact with the great dragon gods, the history of the IceWings would be changed forever.

Gloria died at the age of 67. She had four children. The eldest, a dragoness named Mary. Mary ruled the kingdom the same way her mother had, with frequent rituals dedicated towards the gods in respect. Mary died from sickness at the age of 27, and died without any children. But it wasn't long before a new dragon would rise up to take the throne. And thus ended the Shira Dynasty. But what would arise next would be a marking point of dragon history, much like with how Ice had founded the tribe.

Chapter 4: Tribe's Revival

When Mary died, the IceWings became a dark and desolate place. True, there were Gloria's other three children, but two of them died under mysterious circumstances, and the one who remained, the youngest, at 23, named Lithirai, never had children. While she did rule for an average time, up until she was 45, no big discoveries were made while she ruled, and her rule was more or less uneventful. While Gloria was able to reclaim the territory that had been lost back, with the lack of a leader, the serious threat of tribal collapse was upon them.

A mysterious dragon, known only as Iceshard, rose to power, thus beginning the Flar Dynasty. Iceshard, while documents are uncertain, is believed to have founded the ranks for the IceWings. He believed that all dragons shouldn't just be grouped into fighters and non fighters. After all, some dragons were proficient in other things. So while yes, these ranks had always technically existed, no one had given them names, and official given them out to citizens until Iceshard came along.

The ranks included tracker, guardian, healer, vulcan, hatchling, trainee, elder, and lieutenant. Lieutenant was a new rank that was developed by Iceshard, since he believed that, due to an absolute monarchy, that was why the IceWings fell into chaos. So by appointing a lieutenant, he put a strain on his own power. Of course, not that Iceshard needed a strain. He was loved by his tribe, and was believed to be a very kind dragon, the kindest that they had ever received.

While yes, it is true that Iceshard never made any real progress territory wise, during his reign, he did many things to help the tribe with their own inner strength. During the war, the castle had been severely damaged, and never fully repaired. So Iceshard decided to take it upon himself to rebuild the palace. But how were they to do that, you may be wondering?

Aurozite.

In the ages around between when Shenkong and Mary were ruling the IceWing territory, a precious mineral was discovered by a group of IceWings while they were hiking through the mountains. The mineral was incredibly cold, and magically sturdy. No fire could melt it, and it could also emit light, under the right circumstances. It was a miracle mineral. And only around this time did they start learning how to harness it.

The mineral, around the end of the war with Shenkong, started to be produced and crafted into weapons and armor. This was perfected by Iceshard and his royal vulcans. The mineral, as chosen by Iceshard, would make a lovely new castle. And so, the beautiful castle was recreated in a new image. However, with the advanced mechanics of new, it was able to be built up on the mountain this time, just like the great vision of the late Alcatraz.

With Iceshard's proud rulership, the IceWings were able to successfully be brought back to life. Remnants of the war could still be found here and there, but for the most part, peace and tranquility had returned to the Ice Kingdom. Not to mention the fact that their borders still held, despite the turmoil, and they were once again the proud tribe they had once been.

The lieutenant chosen by Iceshard to be the next leader was Snowflare. She was also his sister, which, of course, meant that this was a more or less form of monarchy. Snowflare ruled fairly and most everyone loved her, and she is widely considered one of the most beloved dragons that had ever ruled the IceWings. With her power and grace, she was able to lead the IceWings into a new age.

Chapter 5: The Icy Epidemic

It was a long and glorious reign, but when Ice was about 55, he finally retired, stepping down from his position. No one is quite sure why he stepped down, as he was still quite healthy, and could have ruled the tribe for much longer, had he chosen to stay in control. He had never had kids, and instead, handed the position of leader to his deputy, or so he called her.

This new leader, Snowflare, was a well known and beloved leader, as mentioned above. However, there was something unique about her. There had been something different about Iceshard, as well, but it hadn't been quite as well noticed as when Snowflare took her roll as queen of the IceWings. But there had secretly been a deal made between the gods and the mortals. Back when Gloria encountered that dragon god. He hadn't just saved her life. He had made the tribe stronger. In more ways than just ridding them of war.

He blessed them with semi gods.

These leaders were blessed to receive power from the gods when they stepped up to rule. This was to ensure that no battle ever took place again like the one Resma and Shenkong had fought. And it worked quite efficiently. Shrines of dedication were made to honor Snowflare and her achievements as a great and strong goddess and leader. Her power was incredible. Unlike anything in the history of the IceWings. Thus, it kept any disobedience from the other tribes at bay.

But that wasn't the only opportunity that opened up with Snowflare's new power. The tribes were going through a time of peace. Many groups were making alliances, and for the first time in recorded history, all the tribes were able to peacefully share a meeting together. Many treaties were signed, and borders began to blur as friendships were formed. Some might have said this was good. No more risk of invasion, after all. But others thought this was very, very bad. It could threaten the entire population of the IceWings.

Most didn't care, however. For once, all six tribes were at peace, with the exception of the LightWings, due to them being a relatively recently formed tribe. There was never any war, and the tribe leaders would frequently visit each other on friendly trips, rather than diplomatic ones. The IceWings, SkyWings, and EarthWings had an especially close relationship during these times. Due to this close relationship, these years of peace were referred to as the Enlightened Era. Many said the gods were the reason for this peace, and no one argued with them.

However, Snowflare was quite young. Only 12 years old, and ruling the tribe. The only reason she was appointed queen was because Iceshard, her brother, was growing old, and he did not have any heirs of his own. And it is believed that the gods had helped Iceshard make that decision for a reason, for merely a couple years after electing Snowflare as his successor, Iceshard fell deathly sick, and passed away shortly after.

But that was the one enemy that the IceWings' peace. Disease. Before Snowflare had time to react, a deadly epidemic swept through her people, eating away faster than the war between Resma and Shenkong. Even the queen herself fell ill. Luckily, due toher godly immunity, she was able to survive. The rest of her tribe? Not as lucky. Thought it wouldn't be the worst plague to slip through the IceWings. It killed nearly 25% of the IceWing population. It was then on out known as the "Cold Death" due to the fact it was caused by incredible drops in temperature.

This wouldn't be the last of the IceWing's turmoil that wasn't dragon related. They would soon run into many more problems. This time with a new species. Reptilians.

Chapter 6: Soulless Times

While yes, when Snowflare was leader, and they had spiritual peace and power, they were under good rule, the crowds believed Snowflare was simply way too young. So a new dragon was appointed to follow Snowflare's footsteps. While yes, she isn't technically a part of Snowflare's family, she is still considered to be part of the Flar dynasty, due to the strong relationship she had developed with Snowflare. And like Snowflare, she was also a goddess.

This dragoness was known as Frostflare. She had come from a tragic past, and had started out as a lowly rogue who joined the tribe, and quickly rose through the ranks, befriending many high ranking officials, including the lieutenant of the time, and the queen. No one is quite sure why Snowflare handed her rank over to Frostflare. Some say the queen disappeared, and that Frostflare was elected as queen due to her closeness to the previous, younger queen. Others say that it was because Snowflare was young and inexperienced, so she had decided to give the position to Frostflare in order to give them a leader with more experience.

Whatever the reason, Frostflare was a slightly stricter queen that the one before her. She did a variety of things to trace them back to their military roots, such as increasing border patrols and the amount of guardians that patrolled the castle. She also set up another castle, somewhere deeper in IceWing territory, sort of as a get away for the IceWing royal family.

This castle sort of became a smaller city, though the homes were more spread out than at the central command. The castle, like the main palace, was also made of aurozite, so that it may never melt or break. It had roughly 300 rooms, making it smaller than the main palace, which was growing and expanding, and had about 500 rooms now, after it had been rebuilt. It had a more stoic appearance, with a bit of cobblestone and other rustic features added to it.

A beautiful establishment fit for the beautiful queen and her mate. Though, Frostflare wasn't nearly as military based as the previous kings and queens before the Flar Dynasty. She, like most of the rulers of Pyyria, were much more flax now then ever before. Like Snowflare, she would frequently visit large gatherings and hang out with the other tribes. Despite the border controls, due to the friendly air of the tribes, there were never any fights if someone were to cross the border.

More or less, the border patrols were just a way of Frostflare being a little more cautious than her other leaders, but she was still a peaceful, if not a bit unstable, queen. Due to her past, she did lean a bit on insanity's edge sometimes, but most of the time she was pretty level headed, trying to help her tribe in the best way she could fathom. Though, she did have pretty good forsight. For the increased patrols did help them win one battle.

The battle against the reptilians.

It was an unexpected fight. The reptilians had been a race of people that had lived among the dragons for generations, only in hiding. They had been around since the ElderWings, and like the ElderWings, had evolved to share different characteristics similar to the terrain in which they lived. The reptilians lived in clans, much like the tribes of the dragons. No one is quite sure who caused the attack, though. And many believed that it was an organized group of all tribal reptilians, from Nightclaws to Iceclaws.

The attack was out of nowhere. For years, the reptilians had faced prejudice and discrimination, being seen as a lesser and savage species. This invasion didn't get very far, though. Due to the precautions Frostflare had taken, they were able to hold off the attack, and soon got rid of the reptilian pestilence. Though this wouldn't be the last time in Pyyria's history that the reptilians attacked. Though, after this, the IceWings encouraged discrimination of IceClaws, and the reptilians were once again driven back into hiding.

There were many ceremonies and celebrations held after this magnificent event. The gods blessed the IceWings, along with the other tribes. There had been no way the reptilians could stand up against gods. Nothing really eventful happened after this attack. The IceWings continued to go on, growing and prospering. That was, until Frostflare disappeared.

Some claim it was a kidnapping. But again, reasons were unknown. She just seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. But now, the IceWings were without a leader and a goddess. They started to become desperate. It wasn't like their leader to just randomly disappear like that, after all. With her disappearance, the IceWings began to fall into chaos once more. And no one would dare step forward, should the queen goddess return, and inflict her rage upon them for betraying her.

That was, until one little Auroran Ice Dragon showed up.

Chapter 7: Return to Power

Her arrival was just as quiet as Frostflare's had been. Having previously been an orphan and rogue, Trinyah joined the IceWings at the mere age of 15, having decided to live with them after a long time of debate. The only reason she had stayed away from joining a tribe before had been because she liked having freedom. But she enjoyed the tribe equally much.

She was perfectly content with being a tracker, and helping the tribe in whatever way she could. After all, Trinyah quickly became well known throughout the tribe due to her friendly personality and spirit. She was always eager to help cheer people up, and brought a certain light to the tribe. Many dragons started to feel happier despite the circumstances, and this gave the dragon gods an idea. With the queen having disappeared for almost fifteen years, they needed to act fast.

And besides, no one would argue with the words of the dragon gods. So, like before, when the gods had chosen Iceshard to become the ruler, then chose Frostflare, they rose up, and declared Trinyah as queen. Many people were shocked, as Trinyah was but 16 when this was, but then again, Snowflare had been queen at the age of 12, so it was all relative.

At first, Trinyah was overwhelmed. But with the support of her many friends, she was able to conquer over her fears and attempted to rule fairly. There was a great festival, and many leaders attended, happy that the IceWings were finally returning to strong power. Great leaders such as Gemini and Sleenia arrived, due to them having a somewhat friendly relationship with Trinyah.

As queen, Trinyah tried her best to rule fairly, and she was one of the most caring queens that the IceWings had ever seen. She did a variety of things to help the IceWings, such as increasing hunting patrols and festivals. She loved to have fun, so this wasn't all that surprising. Alongside making new alliances. She formed alliances with both the SeaWings and the newly formed LightWings. But there was something troubling on the horizon.

Frostflare was back. It had been roughly four months before Frostflare returned. And she was quite mad that her position had been taken. She argued constantly with the gods, and Trinyah tried to avoid the fights, seeing as it wasn't her fault. The gods would not be persuaded, however. They had made their chose, and anyone who would dare argue with them would be quickly dealt with.

But while people liked Trinyah, the queen and goddess did not like being the center of attention. She didn't like being the focus of fights, and she didn't enjoy the stress. Not to mention the fact Frostflare had lost her goddess abilities, so she was also quite mad about that. So, after only ruling for roughly a year and a half, Trinyah vanished, though not before Snowfall was appointed leader.

Chapter 8: Savagery

What happened next was a complete and utter bloodbath. Snowfall was elected queen by Trinyah, and of course, the gods obliged, giving Snowfall her goddess abilities. No one is sure how it came about, but Frostflare also became lieutenant. Some claim it was out of fear that Trinyah wished for Snowfall to make the former queen the new lieutenant. Others claim it was a threat made by Frostflare. But whatever the reason, the former queen seemed mildly grateful for it. Until, that was, she learned how to challenge the queen.

It was an unexpected turn of events. Not since Resma and Shenkong had the leaders challenged each other for the throne in a battle of blood and teeth. However, this fight did not evolve into civil war, or have a variety of soldiers involved. It was just a tussle match. Just like the rogues and ElderWings of old use to have when fighting over territory. It was quite violent and savage, but Frostflare had challenged her for the throne officially, and backing out would only guarantee defeat.

So Snowfall accepted the challenge. The fight was administrated by an old friend of Frostflare and Snowfall's. The gods watched in horror as the two fought. It was an unfair battle. Snowfall clearly had the upper hand due to her godly power, but Frostflare had a vicious, demonic side to her that she had never exposed. Many believed that her godly side had come from the god of death, and thus, the reason for her demonic nature. Much blood was spilt. Before either could deliver the finishing blow, the gods descended down to the mortals.

They were enraged by the fighting of the queens. They had specifically created the leaders as a higher power so that a war may never break out again. However, this put an obvious flaw in their plan, as Frostflare had been able to keep up relatively well with Snowfall, despite being weaker. She, after all, still had a bit of goddess inside of her. This just wouldn't do. So, the gods came up with a plan. Something that would surely keep the tribes from fighting within each other, and outside of each other.

Semi gods.

These semi gods were suppose to be fiercely loyal to their leader, so that they may never usurp them. If they were to try, their powers would be lost. Leaders could no longer wield the power of the gods for themselves, as they were deemed irresponsible and unworthy. If the semi gods were to try to leave the tribe, or join a new tribe, their powers would also be taken away. It was true that the gods could never completely remove the god essence from someone, but they could make them become much weaker because of it.

After the gods announced this, they ordered Frostflare and Snowfall to stop fighting. Of course, the two obliged. The gods would never admit their mistake in giving away Frost's position, but they did allow the former queen to rule alongside Snowfall. At first, the ruling was rocky, but it slowly created a friendship. The rule of Trinyah, Snwofall, and Frostflare would soon be come to be known as the Winter Era, though no one's sure why. Perhaps due to Trinyah's last name being Winter.

So, who was the first dragon graced with semi goddess abilities? Why, none other than Solstice Equinox Wolf, the healer and great friend of the former queen Trinyah. Solstice was a mother of seven when she heard the news of her blessing. She was mated to SilverWolf, a SkyWing, and had been fiercely loyal and had served the tribe for many years. The news shocked her, but she was determined to serve her tribe well.

All ran smoothly with the new queens and semi gods in place. It wasn't long before Frostflare soon had healthy hatchlings. Solstice's hatchlings also grew up, and had hatchlings of their own. Snowfall attended diplomatic journeys alongside Frostflare. The two of them even attempted to make peace with the FireWings, though that ended in disaster, all because of the healer, Wisp, refusing to give the child AuSurath back to Gemini.

A few things the queens did while they ruled. They added many new ranks, along with the ranks of Citizen and Scholar. Many custom ranks would be added as well by later queens and kings.

As time went on, Frostflare began to get steadily and steadily more unstable. She would sometimes sneak out of her own palace, and disappear for days at a time. Snowfall attempted to follow her sometimes, but often would get lost, and have no choice but to return back to the castle. Frostflare was soon pronounced dead. Little did they know that this wasn't the case. But they would soon have more important things to worry about than a fake death. For real death was on the horizon.

Chapter 9: The Great Crossing

First it started with the collapse. It is believed that the aurozite in the castle was unstable to be used for such a long time, and they think that other dragons may have had a factor in that, as well. But it didn't collapse all at once. Bits and pieces of it started falling off, and this was enough to warning Snowfall and any family she might have that the palace would collapse at any moment.

And then came the disease. It was much worst than the disease that Snowflare had battled against. It also killed nearly 50% of the IceWing population. IceWings were desperate, and the gods didn't know what to do. There was only so much they could do to help before the dragons started relying on them. Some say that the gods were angry at the queens for disobeying the order to never fight, and so planned to wipe the race out.

But the IceWings were stronger than that. The the plague threatened the lives of the IceWings, and the palace was collapsing, and the kingdom was suffering political turmoil, they still figured out a way to survive through all of this. Snowfall tried her best to keep the Icewings safe and happy, but there was only so much the queen could do on her own, with Frostflare missing.

Luckily, the plague did not last long. After taking only 50% of the IceWing population, in completely died out. And boy, were the dragons ever thankful for that. But it wasn't long before the palace soon collapsed. Luckily, everyone had already evacuated the location of the crashing palace. Snowfall had even begun to rebuild the new one.

But then Frostflare returned. She was violent and unpredictable. Some were scared she might attack the queen again. To their relief, she didn't, though she still seemed a bit confused, like she didn't know where she was. The IceWings, and gods alike, were beginning to wonder if these dragons were really fit to rule. But they didn't have to think for long.

Before long, a dragoness named Rayla arrived. When the IceWings heard she was the daughter of Trinyah, and rightful heir to the throne, they rejoiced. The Winter dynasty could continue on yet! Out of sheer overpowering, the citizens appointed Rayla as the new queen, accepting her rather quickly. It isn't quite known what happened to Snowfall and Frostflare, but they say Frostflare killed herself, and Snowfall ran off, enraged by her people's betrayal.

Rayla quickly helped to rebuild the palace, building it even bigger than it had been before. She also had a formal ceremony, much like her mother did. Solstice continued to serve under Rayla, helping her and trying to get rid of any remainder of the disease. However, Solstice herself had fallen deathly sick, as well. She soon recovered, but not without paying a steep price.

It wasn't long before attempts on Rayla's life were had. While walking to the palace for an important meeting, she was attacked by a group of rogues, and announced "dead". The IceWings mourned her. Not only that, but the assassins had also killed Rayla's only daughter, Aura. The rule of Rayla had come to an end after just six months, and thus ended the Winter Dynasty.

After Rayla's "murder", a new queen was elected by the gods. This queen was known as Lynx. She also happened to be Solstice's daughter-in-law. Lynx ruled fairly and proudly as queen, until her disappearance just a few years later. She had helped to build the castle, but it still wasn't finished.

After Rayla, the kingdom began to go through an era known as the Dark Era, where little was accomplished. When Lynx became queen, the previous semi goddess, Solstice, disappeared. Many other ice dragons disappeared as well, leaving the realm of ice empty and lonely.

Next, Crystal became queen. The goddess who became the semi god after the sudden disappearance of Solstice was Glacier. Glacier is believed to have ruled alongside Lynx. And then Glacier was announced dead by the gods, and a new god was chosen for the IceWings when Crystal became queen. Their name was Nihlus.

Soon, like Lynx, Crystal disappeared. Like Lynx, she helped to finish the palace that had been destroyed. Who finished the palace? Why, none other than Apolis, the next leader of the IceWings after the great queen's disappearance. Apolis was a rather outgoing dragon. Like Trinyah, he arranged many festivals and worked out alliances with a variety of tribes, most notably, the SkyWings.

Unlike Trinyah, he was a very military oriented leader. He announced that the IceWings would be an oligarchy, removing it from a monarchy or matriarchy. This wouldn't last long, though. Apolis also added many new, militaristic ranks, yearning for his tribe to become much stronger than before.

However, like all the great leaders before him, Apolis stepped down. No one is sure why. But for the strangest reason, Aplis gave his title over to the least expected person.

Virgo, the wolf dragoness.

Chapter 10: Year of the Wolf

[To be added!]