Runaway

Chapter 1
Talon prints etched the hot sand. Cactus trudged through the unforgiving desert. He looked back. The cliff village was far behind him now. He didn’t care about that. They probably didn’t want him anyway. Looking ahead, he saw nothing but waves of heat across the sand. Cactus opened his wing. Being born with only one wing he was unable to fly. It was this that kicked him out of the village. The dragon residence of Sand was strict with their rules. Like ‘All pure male dragons as soon as they turn 5 are immediately enlisted in the war.’ Or ‘all non pure dragons are sacrifices to the spirit of Thorn’ Cactus shook his head. He didn’t get it. So what if he wasn’t perfect. He still had a fighting spirit. Cactus had tried multiple times to convince the war leader that they would need ground troops… No luck with that. So now he was a young flightless dragon left in the Sands of Peril as a sacrifice with a small food pack and a canteen of water. Cactus shot a jet of flame in the sky, hoping a passerby would see him and take pity or something. No luck. He fanned his spines across his back to try to cool himself – but to no avail. Cactus looked up into the sky. White cumulus clouds were beginning to dot the vast blue dome. It looked so cool and refreshing. He remembered his older sister Aloe telling him that the clouds were really small drops of water hung high above. He missed his kind caring sister, possibly the only one that didn’t stare or make fun of him. The clouds grew in white puffs. Cactus wished he could soar into them and feel the drops run across his scales. Cactus quickly looked around, and then in a desperate state he flapped his one wing in a feeble attempt to fly, but only succeeded in flopping like a dying spikedace in the hot sand. Cactus growled quietly. Shaking the sand off his tan scales, he dug a small depression and curled in it panting. Being a desert dragon he was able to survive intense heat and sunlight and go for a month with no water. None of that crossed his mind however. All he wanted to do was fly back and prove himself to the general. He was sure he could go into battle. The crippled sand dragon heaved a great sigh and fell into a restless sleep.

Thanks! I'm having a fun time creating him!
Also in general I'm a slow writer, so if I don't update for a while you guys can definitely let me know!

He was on the edge of a huge cliff, surrounded by pillars of salt. The sky was dark gray with cumulonimbus clouds. Pine trees were below him with a crystal river snaking its way among them. He was also aware that he had two wings, not just one. Before he could take off however, a voice behind him made Cactus freeze immediately. “Cactus” He turned. There was a huge female sand dragon with black rocks embedded along her face. She had a kind smile but there was sadness in her deep black eyes. A crown of thin gold wire rested between her horns.
“W-Who are you?” Cactus stammered.
She chucked “Little dragon I am Queen Dune, you're tribe's old queen.”
Cactus racked his brain among the history lessons that Aloe taught him. Then he remembered. “You’re the good queen that Thorn banned from the village!” he exclaimed.
“Yes.” The queen said solely. “My son Thorn wanted to be king. After losing the battle against our father, he barely escaped with his life. Beaten and humiliated he tried to take over the rest of the nearby villages. Succeeding he crashed the Humans village and built an army to sabotage our kingdom. We were already weak from the summer drought.1” She looked down. “He kicked me out and finished his father off. I retreated into hiding waiting for someone to find me. I alone can bring back our kingdom back, but I will need a young forgotten dragon like you and a human.”
“But why do you need me? You’re a Queen! Why can’t you just use your mighty power to go back?” Cactus said, and then instantly wished he hadn’t. The queen looked at him. “I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that” he said quietly, bowing his head.
“Well you are stubborn, which will help you on your journey.” She looked at the sky which was growing lighter. “I must leave now. I will send a signal to you.”
“WAIT! Don’t leave me!” Cactus said, lunging forward, but she was already fading into the oncoming mist.
“I will be with you in your dreams, small one. Go…” Queen Dune said her last word echoing in his brain.
“NO!” Cactus yelled. He could feel his complete right wing fading along with the world. The sky grew lighter. Suddenly he was falling to his sleeping form below.
“Go” he heard the queen's voice softly. He tried extending his wing, but he only pitched sideways. Flailing, he pummeled to the earth.
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Cactus jolted awake. Feeling as if he was still free falling he gripped the sand tightly in his claws. Breathing deeply, he laid there for a while, the queen's words still etched in his head. He reached under a snake skin pouch on his wrist and pulled out a small turquoise carving of a fennec fox. It was only as big as his palm with big ears and a bushy tail. It looked up at him as if to say; ‘I’m a survivalist so let me show you how to tie a square knot.’ Cactus gripped it tightly, and then he tucked it back into the pouch. Standing up the crippled dragon shook the sand from his scales and looked farther on the horizons. No sign from the queen. So he trudged on, into the vast unforgiving desert ahead of him.