The winner is Roadent1241. Below is her story.
Every Lunar dragon on the moon's surface stared at the newcomer. They didn't seem disturbed by the lack of gravity, instead seemed to glide along with every step they took. A thin white object was held in its mouth, and the slender silver oriental dragon that was approached shrank back as a muffled question was asked, their voice indistinguishable from gender.
"May I speak with your leader? Your king or queen?"
It blinked and darted off towards a cave in the surface, kicking up moondust. It slithered through the cave like it was water and came to the centre of the moon, hollowed out to allow an audience. Tunnel entrances littered the walls around them, and moonstones varying in sizes lit everything in a soft white glow. The two frilled dragons looked up. He bowed mid air.
"Excuse the intrusion, but there's a guest. An outsider. They wish to see you."
"Describe them."
"White body blending with purple paws, purple feathered wings with a second set of gnarled leather. Relatively sure they're both used, somehow. There's a spiked ridge along their back and tail ending with a large tuft, and I'm not sure whether they're wearing a crown of some sort themselves, but they certainly have two sets of antenna. Not to mention the armour and the weapon. Some sort of sheathed stick."
"I see. They don't appear to have an element?"
"No."
"Interesting. Send them down."
* * *
Eventually the stranger came down, wings tucked close and claws scraping the walls as they struggled through, dropping the white object which floated out of sight.
"Sorry for making a mess."
"Welcome, stranger. What is your name?"
The stranger used their four wings to propel themselves to the floor and glid to a stop, managing a bow. Their antenna floated in the air, more clearly visible in the light.
"My name is Kafit. I hope you don't mind that I brought you a gift... wherever it's gone."
The Lunar Queen swished her tail and brought the thing into view.
"You may relax. What is this?"
"A white rose, from one of the planets I have just visited."
"Thank you, it’s unique." The tail swept it aside gently. "What is the purpose of your visit?"
"I come to bring you a warning. There is a species called Zikran taking and experimenting on anyone unlike them they find. I'd hate for one of yours to be taken."
“What do they look like?”
“A lot like you, with rounded but sleek smooth bodies and claws that retract when they’re not on a flat surface. They can walk either on their hind legs or all fours. They have large fangs and they’re mainly black with purple splotches and eyes, I believe.”
“Interesting. May I ask how you know this?"
They hesitated.
"I'm one of their experiments. A mutation, they called me."
The queen and her king glanced to themselves then around at the tunnels, as an audience had gathered and were muttering to themselves, supposedly relating the information to those still on the surface, as it was during meetings.
Kafit glanced round, trying not to show their nerves. “Do I need to slow down?”
“No, it’ll be relayed seamlessly. You’re suggesting we should prepare for battle?”
“Unless you can make this place look uninhabited, yes.”
She nodded and her frill extended as she gave an unheard but vibrating cry. She waved Kafit closer to huddle between the leaders as the others started swarming in, filling the rounded hall up. Dragons cling to the ceiling but there was breathing space left for everyone. Those that couldn’t fit simply stayed in the tunnels, and the strongest and keenest of sight and hearing guarded the outer entrances.
A faint pulsing could be heard.
There were already murmurings of a different kind going on, and those were hushed with a sharp huff from the queen. She kept her voice hushed when she spoke.
“May I ask about your past life?”
“Before I was experimented on?”
She nodded.
“You may, but I don’t know what to tell you.”
“You don’t remember your former self?”
Kafit watched the queen, scanning her face.
“Fragments. Mostly pain and fear.”
“Any home? Family? Clan? Your frills suggest you may have been a queen once.”
They shook their head.
“I don’t remember. They might have removed those memories.”
“That’s alright. You’re safe here. You may stay if you wish.”
“Thank you, but I have other places to warn.”
“You may in due time, for now, you may rest.”
“Thank you.”
“A couple more things? I notice the other purple rose behind your frill. Perhaps you were a nature keeper?”
Wings twitched slightly in a shrug.
“What about the armour? It is unusual for dragons to wear garments.”
“I thought it best to protect myself in my vigilante mission. You understand.”
She nodded, eyes scanning around.
“And the name Kafit?”
“A word they heard another species call one of their flying creatures, they said.”
* * *
A long calming time passed until Kafit was disturbed by the new vibrations in their antenna, a persistent rumble that bounced against the pulsing. The queen was already awake and staring up at the ceiling, past the sleeping dragons above and the pulse beat faster.
Kafit watched her and tilted their head. The queen seemed to flinch and looked down to the outsider. The king raised his head on feeling his mate move. She kept her voice hushed again.
“Do you know what that is?”
“That’s their ship. They’re probably scanning for us, but they probably won’t find anything.”
“Scanning as in echolocation?”
“Exactly. You can go back to sleep.”
The three lay their heads down, and within a matter of minutes the pulsing stopped. Dragons awoke as screams echoed through the tunnels, and all tried to huddle closer into the Hall.
Eventually a tunnel was left open and a Zikran came through, as un-dragonlike as described. It, with its brethren close behind, sailed through the air and sliced through the variations of Lunars while using them as stepping stones towards the king. Blood floated, staining anything it touched red.
* * *
It took a good long while but the king Lunar was eventually secured onto the Zikran ship.
“I see the rose worked.”
“It did. Only on her. I’m almost disappointed.”
"How did you know it was her lifebeat powering the barrier?"
"You know my ears."
“Good work regardless, Kafit. Leave those who escaped. Onto the next planet.”
“Yes, Sir.”
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