Before you start reading this, I just want to clarify something: the things that happen in this story are heavily based off of the tenth book of the series, Darkness of Dragons. If you have not read that book, then I suggest you stop reading this right now. Again, this story is FILLED with spoilers for Darkness of Dragons, so if you haven't read the book, stop reading right now. Go finish the book or something, THEN come back and read this.

For everyone still here who has either read the book or just doesn't care about spoilers, thank you for choosing to read my story, and I hope you enjoy!

Prologue

There were two things Qibli remembered of that night: the hourglass and Darkstalker's outstretched talon.

The NightWing looked so tempting, his pure black scales glittering even below the surface of the ground. His eyes sparked and twinkled, like little thunderstorms behind his pupils, just waiting to be unleashed.

That was how strong this dragon was; he simply radiated power, even in the darkness of the cavern. That could be me, a voice whispered at the back of Qibli's head, but the young SandWing tried to ignore it.

That voice came from the darkest part of his mind, the part shrouded in shadow, writhing with dark thoughts that he kept hidden away from anyone he was close to. But though he didn't want to admit it, back in that corner was a desire for something he so desperately wanted, something he had craved for as long as he could remember.

Power. Raw, unbridled power.

And here it was, right in front of him, on a silver platter.

Darkstalker cracked a smile, revealing gleaming white teeth sharp as daggers. "Well?" He asked, his voice welcoming and warm, like an old friend inviting him over.

Heart thumping, Qibli stood, frozen in place, his limbs stiff as stone. "I...I..." he stuttered, his brain racking to come up with the right choice.

This was Darkstalker. His enemy, the evil one. The one who was known to manipulate and abuse his power to bend others to his will. The one who had attempted an entire IceWing genocide for something that had happened two thousand years ago. The one who had brainwashed Winter, and causes him to breath frostbreath on Qibli's arm.

Yet here he was, ready to give Qibli the keys to unlimited power, to be gifted the ability to do anything with just a simple command. All he had to do was say yes. So what was stopping him?

Biting his lip, Qibli glanced down at his talons, where the soulreader sat, clasped on his talons, black sand against white. Good against bad. Normally, most of the world would think of white as good and black as bad, but the soulreader proved otherwise. Who was to say that good and bad where always black and white.

For so long, Qibli had thought of Darkstalker as a bad Dragon. But if he was willing to grant so much power to Qibli for virtually nothing, was he really all that bad? Qibli, come on, he's using you! A voice at the back of his head screamed, the voice of reason in a sea of pure desire.

Darkstalker's smile wavered, sensing Qibli's indecisiveness. "Choose wisely, Qibli," he warned, his smile fading slightly. "You're much more clever than most other dragons I've come across. In fact, you have more good ideas in a day than most dragons have in their entire lives."

"With your intelligence, who knows what that power could unlock?" Darkstalker continued, a voice as smooth as silk and warm as honey. Qibli shifted uncomfortably, still wondering, but his choice was beginning to lean, and Darkstalker could sense it. Knowing that he was getting to him, the dragon smiled and straightened up.

"Think about it. You may go to an eestemed school now, but what about afterwards? What about after Queen Thorn no longer holds the throne? You'll be tossed back into the Scorpion Den, another discarded street rat, scrounging for food."

Qibli found his talons trembling, hot tears stabbing his eyes, which he quickly blinked back. He was never going back to the Scorpion Den. Never.

"But with such potent magic at your talon-tips...think about it." Darkstalker soothed, grasping Qibli's shoulder. "You would never have to live on the streets; in fact, you could return to the Scorpion Den and rule it, make it a better place."

"Those NightWings and IceWings above, about to kill each other...you could stop it with just a single word. You could protect all your friends, your loved ones...your rule coukd make Pyrrhia a better place."

For years living under Queen Thorn's roof, Qibli had grown accustomed to seeing what true, beautiful, good-hearted leadership looked like. Queen Thorn was a great queen, but even she had her limits. She couldn't change the minds of the dragons who still commited crimes. She couldn't bring food or health to every dragon in the world.

But maybe an animus could.

Maybe Qibli could be that animus.

Quickly, Qibli glanced down at the soulreader in his talons; mostly black, with a little white. But what if he corrected the world? What if he shaped it to perfectionism? This sand could be all black, and finally the world would be a safer place for everyone. His family. His friends. Everyone. He could be the hero this world needed. All he had to do was say the words.

Slowly, Qibli reached out, and took Darkstalker's talon in his own, shaking it firmly.

"Alright, Darkstalker. You've got yourself a deal."