- "No one wants me. No one can even touch me. You saw that. I was born with too much fire. Usually when dragons like me hatch, the SkyWings drop them off at the highest mountain peak. That's what my mother was going to do, but Queen Scarlet saved me and killed her to punish her."
- — Peril
Template:Infobox Character
Peril is a female SkyWing and Queen Scarlet's former arena champion. She has eerie, fiery blue eyes, coppery-orange scales with gold veins running through her wings, and a long, "capable" tail. She was born with too much fire, as a result of absorbing almost all of her twin brother's fire while still in their egg. She is therefore able to burn through almost anything on contact. Her mother is Kestrel. Her twin brother, whose name was going to be Ember, was killed when they were newly hatched by Kestrel in order to save Peril. In Escaping Peril it is revealed that Peril's father is a RainWing named Chameleon in his SkyWing form. She is the main protagonist of Escaping Peril, the eighth Wings of Fire book, and one of the second dragonets of destiny.
Biography
Pre-Series
Peril was born to her mother, Kestrel, and Chameleon/Soar. The egg she hatched from held twins, a rare occurrence, but while Peril was still in the egg, she absorbed her twin brother's fire. This left him with too little fire and her with an abnormally large amount. Because of this, Kestrel was banned from the breeding program to prevent her from producing any more similar offspring. Even though it was proven that it was Chameleon/Soar that was the real problem.
After Kestrel tried to escape with her dragonets, Queen Scarlet told her to kill one of the dragonets, and she and her remaining offspring would be spared. Kestrel did so, choosing the dragon with too little fire to sacrifice in Queen Scarlet's name and killing him with her own claws. However, Scarlet then went back on her word and decided to kill the remaining dragonet and put Kestrel on trial for no specific reason -- most likely purely because she was Queen and had the power to do so. Kestrel then attempted to flee with her daughter, but her talons and palms were burned as a result of Peril's blazing scales, leaving strange burn scars on her palms (which are later mentioned by the dragonets). Kestrel had no choice but to escape, leaving Peril behind, as SkyWing guards were approaching.
Peril, colored by stuffed, lineart by Joy Ang
After Peril was taken back to the queen's palace, and raised into a young and dangerous dragon, Queen Scarlet told Peril lies about her past to cover up for Kestrel's flight. She told the dragonet that Peril herself scorched her twin brother to death while they were still in the egg, and that her mother had tried to kill her, but Scarlet had saved her and punished Kestrel severely.
Scarlet also deceived Peril into thinking she had to eat black rocks (possibly coals) everyday to survive. Scarlet made certain that Peril would have to stay in the palace and not break free from her control if she ever found out the truth about Kestrel. When Peril, angry at the queen, stopped eating the rocks as a young dragonet, Scarlet poisoned her food, which made her very sick. But once Peril began eating them again, the queen ceased poisoning her food to fool her into thinking the rocks were necessary to her survival.
As a young dragonet of about a year and a half old, Peril was kept in a cage of black rocks, similar to the ones she "had to" eat, by Scarlet. On the day before the brightest night, Scarlet had her "new toy" demonstrate her capabilities to Burn, Princes Hawk and Vermilion, and Princess Ruby, by burning the 7 SkyWing eggs scheduled to hatch that night to ash. Peril seemed worried that Scarlet would be mad at her for burning the egg handed to her, and hesitated before Scarlet ordered her to burn the rest of them.
Peril could burn through any substance -- making her invulnerable yet cursed (as she couldn't touch any other dragon without burning them). Due to her invulnerability and ability to easily burn opponents to death, she was raised by Queen Scarlet to become her arena champion. Peril killed hundreds of dragons in the arena without a second thought, becoming a "monster" who didn't know how to be "nice". Thanks to Queen Scarlet, killing was the only thing Peril knew and was "good" at.
The Dragonet Prophecy
The dragonets had noted that their SkyWing minder, Kestrel, had odd burn scars on her talons, but had never asked her where they came from.
Clay and Peril
Later, when Clay was taken prisoner, Peril befriended him and began to develop strong feelings for him because he was the only dragon who really understood her. When Clay told her that when he hatched, he was supposedly so vicious towards the other eggs that the guardians had to throw him in the river, (later proven to be his bigwings instincts), Peril suggested that maybe they were both born to kill. She seemed pleased at the idea someone else was like her.
Inside the arena, Peril attended to Clay's scratches and wounds by pouring mud on his back and later helped him rescue his friends. Later on, Queen Scarlet forbade Peril from watching Kestrel's trial. Peril mentioned that she hadn't been prohibited from doing so before, and so she decided to hide behind Clay and watch the trial in secret. She then learned the truth about her mother, who turned to be Kestrel, and angrily called upon the Champion's Shield so she could try to protect her from execution. Though this ultimately resulted in the death of Peril's older friend Osprey, Peril did buy her mother some time, though she said, "I may not want you to die, but I don't want to know you." and later regretted this.
Peril by Lightningstrike
She attempted to help Clay and his friends escape, only to betray them to Scarlet so that she wouldn't have to lose Clay, who she had grown strongly attached to and slightly possessive of.
She was pitted against Clay in Scarlet's Arena for the Champion's Shield face-off. Peril wasn't used to dragons fighting back, giving Clay a slight advantage. Clay attempted to convince Peril to be friends, while Peril tried to get him to abandon the other dragonets for her, but Clay refused to. Due to his strength, Clay had pinned her down (but would never have killed her) when the supposedly sleeping Glory spat her corrosive venom at Burn, who pushed Queen Scarlet into it's path, causing the arena to erupt into panic. At this moment Peril relented and helped Clay and his friends escape.
After Clay and his friends escaped, it was briefly thought that Peril could be a dragonet of the prophecy (replacing Glory, the "last minute replacement" for the prophecy), but it was quickly realized that Peril was too old. During the escape, Peril made peace with her mother Kestrel, although she did not leave with her, claiming that they'd meet up one day to learn more about each other. This never happened, however, as Kestrel was killed by Blister in the epilogue.
The Brightest Night
When Ruby claimed the SkyWing throne, she exiled Peril from the Sky Kingdom because of her abilities, claiming that she was dangerous, and threatening her with death if she ever returned. Ruby also thought that Peril had murdered her sister, Tourmaline, as a young dragonet. Peril left, and began searching for Scarlet, the only mother she had left.
Sunny found Peril sneaking around Burn's stronghold, intending to free Queen Scarlet from Burn's clutches. At that time, Thorn and the Outclaws were attacking the stronghold trying to save Sunny, and were vastly outnumbered. Peril asks about Kestrel, and is told about the SkyWing guardian's fate; she is overtaken by sorrow, upset that she would never get to know her mother.
Sunny begs Peril to stop the fight between the Outclaws and Burn's soldiers. Peril does so, but only so Sunny would let her free Scarlet.
Later, Sunny and Peril follow Smolder and Thorn into the tower housing Burn's collection, and Scarlet. Scarlet orders Peril to free her, and Peril claims that she will do only when Sunny is out of the ex-queen's reach. Scarlet becomes angry, and Peril refuses to free her. The group then leaves without Scarlet.
While Smolder takes Sunny and Thorn to the stronghold's library, Peril frees Scarlet and they fly away towards the Sky Kingdom, but Scarlet leaves Peril and disappears into the wilds.
During the choosing of the SandWing queen, Clay is bitten by a dragonbite viper, and its venom rapidly begins to spread. Denying that Clay will die, Peril tackles him, stabs her talons into his leg, and burns out the poison. Although Clay has fireproof scales, Peril's claws put him in terrible pain; he thrashes, trying to stop her, but several other dragons hold him down. Although Peril left a nasty scar, her talons did save his life.
Moon Rising
Peril comes to Jade Mountain Academy at Clay's request. Many students are afraid when she arrives, and Starflight thought that she was Queen Scarlet, as he hears screams about a SkyWing. They give her a room by herself because they already have a SkyWing in each winglet, although it is possible that she will be put in the Jade Winglet after the death of Carnelian.
Tsunami is not happy about Peril coming to the school but Clay reasons that every dragon deserves a second chance. Winter and Icicle are appalled that the dragonets allowed her to attend, as she had killed many IceWing prisoners in Scarlet's arena. In the epilogue, Scarlet enters Peril's dreams using a dreamvisitor. Peril's dream is shown to be filled with several Scarlets chasing her through the SkyWing Palace, and burnt dragon corpses popping out to attack her.
Winter Turning
Peril was seen in the epilogue of Winter Turning as Darkstalker was reading her mind while she was pacing in an empty cave. Her mind was described as a blazing mess of flames. Her dreams were haunted by Scarlet and her heart was given entirely to Clay, the only dragon she couldn't hurt.
Escaping Peril
Peril has been loyal to Queen Scarlet, who used her fatal firescales to kill countless dragons in the SkyWing arena. Now, Peril is loyal to Clay, the only dragonet who has ever been her friend. So when Queen Scarlet threatens Jade Mountain Academy, Peril sets off to find her former queen, stop her, and save the day, no matter what it takes.
There's just one problem: a strangely persistent SeaWing, Turtle, insists on coming along, too. Turtle is worried about his friends, who left to search for Scarlet and haven't returned. Peril is worried that she might accidentally burn Turtle -- or burn him on purpose, for being so annoying -- and frustrated that she keeps saying and doing the wrong things. She can't escape her firescales, and she can't escape her reputation as the deadliest dragon in Pyrrhia.
So when she's offered a chance to trade everything for a second chance, Peril has to decide who she's really loyal to . . . and whether her own scales might actually be worth saving.
Coming soon
Abilities
Peril's talons and scales are so hot that they can burn through almost anything, including all forms of fire-resistant metal, such as the wires used to hold prisoners in Scarlet's arena. She cannot, however, burn Clay, as he was hatched from a blood red egg and has fire resistant scales but not completely fireproof. In The Brightest Night, Peril was shown to be able to burn Clay; however, she had to stab her talons into his leg to do so.
It is confirmed that Peril also has other average SkyWing abilities, like flight skill, and can breathe fire.
Personality
Peril tends to be moody and is awkward at first, probably due to never speaking much to anyone else.
Despite this, she is not a cold-blooded killer, just someone who has nothing else to live for. She believes it's what she was born to do, and that she can't do anything else. When she is offered the chance to go with the other dragonets, she replies that she shouldn't be able to go until she has figured out how to make her own destiny. She is shown to be sympathetic and caring at times, particularly to Clay -- hinting that she is not the psychotic killer that she appears to be. Peril is also rather possessive and clingy, even going as far as betraying the dragonets to Queen Scarlet in exchange for being able to keep Clay.
In The Dragonet Prophecy, Peril is quite cheery and upbeat, and is shown to be strangely enthusiastic about fighting in the arena and killing other dragons -- possibly because she was raised to do so and was never told it was wrong. After the fight with Horizon, she doesn't seem to have much of a problem with the fact that the SandWing had violently killed himself by burning himself on her scales, besides the fact that it had been "poor form" for Horizon to commit suicide instead of fighting back.
By the events of The Brightest Night, and the second series, she is noticeably more gloomy and brooding. Peril seems to be guilty and see herself as a monster because of what she did in the arena, and feels that it is her responsibility to find Scarlet to protect Clay. In Moon Rising, Moonwatcher sees inside her head; to her it is an inferno and is too hard to read. The flames did, however, subside when Clay was near her, enabling Moon to feel Peril's strong love for him.
Relationships
Ex-Queen Scarlet
Growing up in the Sky Palace, Peril saw Queen Scarlet as a mother figure; Scarlet made Peril the arena champion, cared for her and gave the orphaned dragonet a place to live. Despite this, the queen often lied to and misled Peril, such as about the fact that she must eat special black rocks to survive with her condition and about the circumstances of her abandonment. It is more likely she was merely using Peril for her twisted idea of entertainment, and in reality had no motherly feelings for her. When Peril finds out the truth about her mother, she feels betrayed by Queen Scarlet and turns against her, and destroys the painting of Queen Scarlet on the wall in her room.
However, in The Brightest Night, Peril frees Scarlet from Burn's tower -- although she did do so somewhat unwillingly. After Scarlet disappears, Peril also goes off to look for her, indicating that she still might care about the ex-queen to some degree.
In Escaping Peril, Peril is placed under an enchantment to be loyal to her. Despite this, she overcomes it, showing loyalty to Ruby instead.
Clay
Peril is hopelessly in love with Clay. Clay is the only dragon Peril feels she can speak to, and she even goes so far as to bring him mud to heal his wounds and (albeit charred) food when he's Queen Scarlet's prisoner. Clay is the only known dragon that can come in contact with Peril without becoming burned. Peril quickly becomes defensive and eventually extremely possessive of Clay, going so far as to betraying him, Tsunami, and Starflight to Queen Scarlet just for the sake of keeping him with her. Peril also later saves Clay from a dragonbite viper bite towards the end of The Brightest Night.
So far, it would appear that Clay may return Peril's feelings, because he is very affectionate towards her. Clay has so far demonstrated that he is a very honest dragon, and the feelings he has shown for Peril are most likely genuine. Clay also sees her other side -- the conflicted, lonely dragon who just wants a family. In Moon Rising, Moonwatcher had a vision involving an orange-brown dragonet "she had never seen before" in it along with adult versions of Clay and Starflight. This dragonet is very likely the offspring of Peril and Clay, as Peril has a very unique coppery-orange color due to her abilities. This dragonet has likely inherited Peril's copper-orange color mixed with Clay's mud-brown color.
Starflight
Peril is unable to speak to Starflight in his cell, because he is too nervous. Later, Starflight comes up with a plan involving Peril moving the black rocks to help them escape. Peril doesn't seem to mind the idea of being lectured by Starflight.
Tsunami
Tsunami refuses to speak to Peril while in her cell, and doesn't trust her, mainly because of Peril's relationship with Clay. She thinks Peril is a psychotic murderer, and trusts the SkyWing even less after she betrays them to Queen Scarlet. When Clay suggested Peril could come along with the dragonets, Tsunami replied, "Over my charred, dead body." However, she was grateful towards Peril for saving Clay later on in the series.
Tsunami also was quick to suspect Peril of planting the dragonflame cactus bomb in Moon Rising, though Sunny pointed out that this was impossible.
Kestrel
Peril is shocked to find the truth about her mother. At Kestrel's trial, Peril asks Queen Scarlet for the Champion's Shield, meaning if she wins the battle, her mother will be released. Despite this, Peril deeply dislikes her mother. When Kestrel asks to speak to Peril, Peril says, "You killed my brother. You left me here. And it's your fault my friend is dead. I might not want you dead, but I don't want to know you."
Peril was, however, devastated upon learning of Kestrel's death.
Turtle
Her traveling companion in Escaping Peril. They seem to have platonic feelings, and trusts her with his secret of being animus. When she was with Queen Scarlet, he followed her to try and save her. Throughout Escaping Peril she wonders whether or not to like him, to be his friend, and whether or not he was using her. Eventually she starts trusting him and they become friends.
Quotes
"You killed my brother. You left me here. And it's your fault my friend is dead. I might not want you dead, but I don't want to know you."
"I'm your friend! You don't need them!"
"I'm not, well... It's not fair! The others can have any dragon! I only want you!"
"No one wants me. No one can even touch me. You saw that. I was born with too much fire. Usually when dragons like me hatch, the SkyWings drop them off at the highest mountain peak. That's what my mother was going to do, but Queen Scarlet saved me and killed her to punish her."
"I had this whole plan. Where I saved you (Clay) after her (Kestrel) and you liked me most of all."
"I guess I didn't need you. I turned out all right without you."- To Kestrel
"I can't help you. I have to rescue Scarlet while everyone is distracted with that battle outside."
"You can't die! I won't let you!"
"I don't have to stay."
"Yes, I am Queen Scarlets notorious death monster."
"This dragon could change everything."- Darkstalker talking about Peril's destiny
"You wouldn't kill yourself like that, would you?"
"All of my friends are old and always tell the same stories. But you're blazing."
"Moose." - When meeting Turtle in Escaping Peril
"Oh! Right. Hello. Thank you for not screaming or fainting or throwing a crocodile at me." - When meeting Turtle in Escaping Peril
"But -- But I burnded it." - Talking to Scarlet about a SkyWing egg
"It's a town full of dragons and more than half of them aren't too fond of Queen Scarlet. At least, they really, really don't like being asked about her. They tend to throw things. Which they also do when you set even the smallest basket of snails on fire - by accident, mind you. Frankly, I think they should rename the place Unnecessary Violent Overreaction." - In regards to the town Possibility, talking to Turtle
"MUSHROOMS AND MONGOOSES" - To Moonwatcher through her thoughts
Stop dying and listen to me! - To Winter shortly after she runs into him
Why hide when you could burn your problems? - When Turtle makes her hide to overhear Ruby and Clay's conversation.
Trivia
- In The Dragonet Prophecy, Peril uses "blazing" as a substitute for "awesome". She has noticeably stopped doing this by the time she reappears in The Brightest Night.
- According to Kestrel, Peril hatched a year before the dragonets of destiny, who were all six years old, therefore she is a year older. Dragons are considered adults at age seven - Peril could now be regarded as an adult SkyWing instead of a dragonet.
- Peril is said to have a unique scale and eye color that no other known SkyWing has. This may be a trait of "fire-born" SkyWings, or just special to her.
- Icicle confirmed that IceWing frostbreath does not affect her. Peril said that it just made the area numb for a few minutes.
- It has been confirmed by Moon that Peril's mind cannot be read by weaker mind readers, due to her fire. However, it was shown in Winter Turning that stronger mind readers can read her mind, but Darkstalker said that it was like "following a map through a forest fire."
- Peril means endangerment, referring to how deadly contact would be.
- In the first draft of the first book, Peril and her brother were dragonets of destiny.
Gallery
.jpg "PERIL (2).jpg (457 KB)")
