Fortresses were supposed to protect and stand for eons to come. As the dragon queen hurried through the stone corridors of the fortress, mere weeks after her rise to the throne, the fortress shook. But it wasn't an earthquake nor the mountain's dormant volcano. It was all the dragons throughout the fortress fleeing outside.
The queen launched herself outside through a doorway leading to a courtyard, soaring high above the ramparts. Dragons gathered in the air around the mountain and fortress, all riveted on a flying figure soaring through the mountains in the distance. The sun shone at the figure's back, making whoever it was a silhouette.
The queen took her position at the front of the gathered dragons, her guards flanking her sides. Snow from the mountain's peak tumbled down from the thundering sound of hundreds of wingbeats and growls.
The snow glittered and the sun shone in the dragon's eyes. But they waited for the figure. Judging from the size of the figure and distance, whatever it was, must be enormous.
Coming closer, it was revealed to be a gleaming black dragon with scattered scales of deep blue to purple to silver and gold, shining like a black opal gemstone.
To be continued...