This fanfiction contains spoilers for books 1-10 of the main Wings of Fire series. It also has spoilers for Legends: Darkstalker and possibly for Winglets 1-4.
I do not own Wings of Fire.
The queen of the sea was deep in debate with Thorn, the ruler of the SandWings, and so she didn't notice when her advisor quietly slipped out off the room.
She'll never find out I left, Moray told herself, glancing back towards the hall where Coral was conversing with the SandWing queen. She's busy, she won't notice if I'm not worshiping her every waking second. And what she doesn't know and won't find out… well, it won't hurt her. Much.
Moray didn't know exactly what she was getting into, but it seemed worth it. She's never win a challenge battle against Coral, and she couldn't challenge any of the queen's daughters, if they became ruler of the sea. She needed more help and training than her father Shark could provide- and before another queen rose to power.
Taking a last look at the SandWing stronghold, she was greeted to fiery reds and pink from the setting sun in the west. She took a breath of the dusty air, lacking the salty tang of the sea breeze. Moray turned back around to the desert expanse and by the position of the sun, found a generally south-southeasterly direction, and set off in search of the Scorpion Den.
After a few U-turns, grumbles, and desperate rackings of the brain to try to remember if the Den was really south-southeast from the palace, Moray finally glimpsed the silhouette of a large wall in the distance, and noisily flapped as fast as she could- which wasn't really that fast at all-the whole way there. (Moray was never exactly the best flyer- and why fly when you can swim?- but apparently SandWings didn't have this kind of logic.) Twenty minutes later, she arrived.
There were no guards. Moray entered the Den easily- but it was getting to that certain compound that was the problem- there were dragons everywhere, and she couldn't be sure where that alley was supposed to be. Moray sighed and rummaged around in a bag she kept around her neck for a letter she had received a few months ago.
Find the gate with the vultures carved into it, it read. Moray glared at the scrap of paper. Thanks a lot, sand snorter, she thought, making a mental note to curse the dragon who had sent her the letter when she saw him- which, with luck- a lot of luck, by the look of things- she would soon.
Eventually she found it, after many pleas for directions from passerby who steadfastly refused to tell her anything and looked at her, suspicious and hostile, like she just came down off one of the moons (SandWings were SO weird.) She tentatively opened the gate, and twisted herself down the winding alley…
It came to a stop at a solid brick wall.
Was this all a joke? Moray wondered, but something inside her said, check the letter, and so she did-
It wasn't there. Moray puzzled over this for a second, until she saw a SandWing smirking at her, walking down the alley in her direction. He gripped a scroll in his talons. "This important?" He grinned at Moray, holding it out, cocksure, teasing.
Moray lunged. The thief's eyes widened, like he didn't expect her to fight, and he dropped the letter, running away.
Moray sighed in relief, she didn't know for sure that that would've worked. She turned back around to the wall. Push in the brick fifth from the left, twenty-fourth from the bottom…
As Moray did so, a lever was revealed, and she grabbed it and it turned…
A secret door. Of course, she thought, as Vulture's complex sprawled out before her.
Gold covered every visible surface. There was so much of it, it almost seemed to be oozing off the walls- which were then pockmarked all over with emeralds in the doors and rubies in the walls. Moray's eyes darted around hungrily- she couldn't help it- but she reprimanded herself.
If I handle this correctly- if- I'll have WAY more treasure than this.
"You," said a voice. A hooded SandWing nodded at her, and a necklace with some kind of bird or something carved into it bumped against his chest. "You the SeaWing Vulture's been waiting for?"
"Yeah- um, yes. Show me where he is," Moray answered, trying to sound more regal and imposing then she felt. That'll be important when I'm in charge, she thought, as the hooded dragon led her through the complex. Just think of it- play this right and I'll be queen of the sea.
They passed a gold-clad statue of a SandWing, stabbing her venomous tail into the heart of a screaming SeaWing. Still, she thought. I should be careful.
She was escorted to a pavilion, where the walls, floor and columns were still as extravagantly decorated as the rest of the compound. A large SandWing, hooded and caped like the dragon with the bird necklace, with golden chains draped elegantly over his wings. lounged on a dais that looked like it had been slathered in treasure- apart from some kind of drab wooden box in the center of it, that seemed extremely out of place in the ornate compound. The dragon himself was watching the box absently, his gold-dipped claws tapping idly on the tiled floor.
Vulture.
"Sir," said the guard, and bowed to Vulture, who looked up from the box. His crooked snout caught the dim torchlight, making it seem to shift in an eerie way. He grinned ominously.
"Ah, Moray, Moray, Moray," Vulture slithered. "I take it you got my letter?" He didn't wait for her answer. "Come up here." He motioned for her to join him on the dais. "You may go," he told the guard.
Moray frowned. This one's going to be difficult, she noticed, a feeling of dread creeping into the pit of her stomach. Harder to manipulate someone if I'm being manipulated myself. Not that I'm good at manipulation, anyway…
"Yes," she answered carefully, walking slowly up to join him on the dais. "This had better be important, SandWing. Queen Coral can only tolerate my absence for so long." Moray thought that was pretty good, then realized she sounded like she was joking.
Vulture smiled a small, tight, wicked smile. "Of course- yet that is precisely the reason. Your queen doesn't like when you don't… serve her…" He glanced sideways at her, as if he had dropped a gigantic thunderbolt at her feet. The box next to him- no, it was some kind of maze, Moray realized- made a pathetic squeaking noise. Scavengers- for entertainment, probably.
Moray shook her head, trying not to sound confused with Vulture's last, somewhat ominous comment. "Get to the point."
"You want to be queen, but you'd lose any challenge against Coral." Vulture's tongue flicked in and out of his mouth. "You need help."
"And you think you can provide it?" Moray regarded him sternly.
"Certainly… for a price."
Moray cocked her head. "I can give you any amount of money once I'm queen." Three moons, I sound completely incompetent. Maybe that's how I'll negotiate this, playing dumb… it shouldn't be hard.
"Not money," Vulture said, turning towards her, suddenly serious, dropping his playful, bantering tone. "I want to rule the SandWings."
Now Moray was definitely confused. "But- but you're male," she stammered.
He frowned. "So was the Darkstalker."
Moray shivered. She's heard so many tales about his return, and she had seen that Albatross ghost he sent to the Kingdom of the Sea. She knew it was just an illusion, but she still had been afraid of it. It was hard to act loyal and grovel worshipfully to your queen when you were scared out of your scales. "Point taken," she told Vulture. "So how, exactly, do you want me to help you with that?" Making him king- he was asking a lot- but wasn't anything worth it, for the throne?
"I need an animus under my control," he hissed, softly, quietly, his hypnotic eyes boring into hers. "A powerful one. I need you to bring back the Darkstalker- under my command."
"And how would I do that? Not even animi can bring back the dead," Moray said. "Unless he didn't die- wasn't he immortal? Gone, but not dead. So then- you'd need another animus- less powerful- to get him back, wherever he is, and then-"
Vulture nodded. "And then, whatever I want."
"We want," Moray added. "I control him too. I won't let a stupid SandWing use me and then steal my throne." She caught herself too late. Three moons, Moray, don't insult the one dragon you need help from.
"Very well," Vulture said, raising a brow, "but now the moment of truth. I suppose you're wondering where you fit into all this?"
Moray opened her mouth, then closed it. Actually, that had never crossed her mind. Why DOES he need me for this? she wondered, until eventually she found the answer.
"You need an animus- this is about Anemone, isn't it? Or that- that prince, Turtle…"
Vulture gave her a pleased look. "Precisely. Anemone- or that pathetic prince, as a backup- will give us the Darkstalker, and he will give us our thrones."
Moray realized something. "Wait, why do I need you, then? Can't I just convince Darkstalker to give me my throne, and leave you starving in the streets?"
"Because you'll never convince Anemone to bring him back, without me." Vulture smiled maliciously. "And once he is back, I'll word the spell to put him under my control."
"I'll lose my chance at a throne if you control him. I doubt you can keep promises, SandWing, so I control him, too."
Vulture thought for a moment, considering, then nodded. "Very well. There's our deal. You give me Anemone, and I give you the Kingdom of the Sea."
Moray exhaled. "Deal."
It was only on her way out of the compound when she realized that as soon as Vulture got ahold of Anemone, he wouldn't need to give Moray anything at all- deal or no deal.
So… hey. I'm Lavender, and this is my first fanfic, so don't expect it to be good or make rational sense or anything like that. This story takes place at Jade Mountain Academy 15 years after book 10, and the main characters are my crazy OCs and, yeah. Enjoy, then.
Oh, and here are the Winglets. I've expanded JMA to include all the hybrids popping up nowadays…
Jade Winglet-
IceWing- Caribou
RainWing- Hibiscus
SeaWing- Auklet
SkyWing- Cliff
NightWing- Ironclaws
MudWing- Heron
SandWing- Buzzard
Hybrid- Dawn (SkyWing/SeaWing)
Hybrid- Smokecrystal (NightWing/RainWing)
Hybrid- Sparkle (NightWing/RainWing)
Gold Winglet-
IceWing- Polar
RainWing- Tapir
SeaWing- Wave
SkyWing- Canyon
NightWing- Sunstealer
MudWing- Toad
SandWing- Coyote
Hybrid- Tremor (SkyWing/MudWing)
Hybrid- Obscure (NightWing/RainWing)
Hybrid- Legend (NightWing/RainWing)
Silver Winglet-
IceWing- Snowdrift
RainWing- Frog
SeaWing- Bay
SkyWing- Oriole
NightWing- Stormcaller
MudWing- Rush
SandWing- Lizard
Hybrid- Strobe (NightWing/SandWing)
Hybrid- Python (RainWing/SandWing)
Hybrid- Mud (SandWing/ SeaWing)
Copper Winglet-
IceWing- Gelid
RainWing- Poinsettia
SeaWing- Cobalt
SkyWing- Anu
NightWing- Malice
MudWing- Terra
SandWing- Javelina
Hybrid- Windward (SkyWing/SandWing)
Hybrid- Blizzardkeeper (NightWing/IceWing)
Hybrid- Wraith (NightWing/SeaWing)
Quartz Winglet-
IceWing- Floe
RainWing- Kiwi
SeaWing- Torpedo
SkyWing- Persimmon
NightWing- Malevolence
MudWing- Riverbank
SandWing- Roadrunner
Hybrid- Thundersnow (IceWing/SkyWing)
Hybrid- Peacemaker (NightWing/ RainWing)
Hybrid- Dew (RainWing/SeaWing)
Yeah, yeah, I know, but MudWing names are hard. You try to come up with a decent name for them, then. It's harder than it looks, isn't it?
And it takes me forever to write, so don't expect Chapter One like tomorrow or anything. Gimme three weeks or so. Or a month. Or a year.
Have a happy life and all that, etcetera, etcetera.