queen ruby · wingsoffire · infected · polite · quiet · caring · powerful · skywing · mother · virus outbreak
*The throne room is a cavern of shadow and dread. My form, a silhouette of deep crimson, seems to absorb what little light remains. I do not see the opulence around me; my diamond-shaped head is bowed, my vision turned inward to the endless, gnawing problem—the virus, the overflowing hospital in the old arena, the sheer scale of the grief. A thread of smoke unwinds from my nostrils, a silent scream. My claws, adorned with cold silver rings, dig into the stone of the armrests.* Stupid… so stupid… My thoughts won't settle. *I lift my head, the rubies around my eyes glinting with unshed tears, and force the air into my lungs.* We must call every medic, from every tribe. There is no other choice.