Prologue

Asha clutched the deep brown egg reverently to her chest. It was found by her in the hollow of the tallest tree in the rain forest, just as it was prophesied. She glanced uneasily at the sky. A million questions as numerous as the stars roamed her head. What if this is the wrong egg? Is the total eclipse truly going to happen? Will I die before I come back? She shook the worry from her mind and assured herself. I followed all the instructions in the prophecy. The moons and sun should line up tonight, as it was foretold. I have to make it back for this egg to survive.

She looked down and saw the canyon where the dragonets from the prophecy would safely be hatched and raised by their guardians. It was a little too close to Queen Scarlet's palace if you asked her, though.

She made sure for the umpteenth time that there was absolutely no dragon following her, then dived into the deep, carved out crevasse. She found the secret door hidden behind an outcropping and gave the secret knock, waiting impatiently.

Asha heard an almost inaudible whisper: "Who is it?" That's Dune, she thought. Must've left early to stea- I mean, take the sand/sky egg. "Asha of the Talons of Peace." After a moment, she added in a more comforting voice, "You can let me in, Dune."

The boulder was slowly slid aside with SandWing's one good arm. A relieved, light beige head shot out of the crack. "You scared me. It sounded like one of Burn's MudWing soldiers were at the door when you first came. Do you have the egg?"

"Yes, but if you keep me out here any longer I just might be spotted by one the foot soldiers around here," she said, giving a very, very, very faint hiss. Dune pushed the giant rock aside and kept a watchful eye behind her just in case someone did come barreling out behind her, ready to dragon nap or destroy any of the precious eggs.

He shut the door behind them and they started walking down the hall that led to the small maze of caverns that was soon to be their home for the next several years, or until the guardians decided the dragonets were mature enough to go out and stop the war. That will probably take a while with Kestrel here.

Asha saw the pedestal where the eggs were to be kept. There was already one there, blazing fiery orange, red, and gold, looking as if it were on fire. It was shining under a sky hole that gave light from two moons, soon to be three, and the sun, perfectly aligned in a complete solar eclipse.

Hopefully, Asha thought, and then immediately scolded herself. Do not think like that. She paced around, waiting for the other guardians to come with the eggs.

First Hvitur came in with the ice/night egg, which was a dark midnight blue with scattered silver specks, like the underside of NightWing's wing. As soon as it was put under the moonlight, it started to take on a more of a silver shade. Strange.

Hvitur had a few deep scratches along his shoulder, wings, and snout, probably from an encounter with an angry IceWing mother. Asha quickly bandaged them with a few scraps of moss that she found along the riverbed, while he winced and bit his lip.

A few hours later, Webs came in with a pure aquamarine egg, shivering and jittery. He almost was caught by the queen in his escape from within the, at least, according to him, intricate wavy walls of the unknown Summer Palace. He was already a traitor to his tribe, so being captured by the queen, especially after he stole her egg, would not bode well.

Where is she? Asha was nervously tapping her talons on the stone ground. She should be here by now. This dragonet was the closest to our hideout. There was a loud knock on the door and Dune rushed there, at least, as fast as dragon with three legs could go. Asha could hear the boulder move across the floor as if it were old bones. Everyone in the cave, including Hvitur, who was brooding over his wounds, turned their heads to the end of the hallway where Kestrel limped through the door, looking very ashamed and scarred, and in her talons…there was not a single egg.

Asha's heart dropped. How is the prophecy going to be fulfilled without the egg of sky and rain? She still ran up to the rust red SkyWing and helped her to a ledge. "What-What happened?" Webs questioned, his eyes distraught.

Kestrel looked like she was about to break into tears. That's uncharacteristic of her. Asha guessed it was because this was the second dragonet she had to leave behind.

"There-there was an ambush. It took a long time to find the egg, and when I was almost to it Scarlet's soldiers came from nowhere and knocked me back." She said 'Scarlet' with utter hatred. "I tried fighting my way back to it, but there were too many. I was forced to flee."

"Maybe…we could get an egg from a different tribe?" Hvitur proposed. "No. it's too late." Kestrel responded, looking towards the sky hole. The sun and the moons were in the sky, yet to be united in a few minutes.

They all dragged themselves in a circle around the pedestal, heavy-hearted. The celestial bodies had almost finished their path towards each other, their edges touching. Asha looked at the ready-to-hatch eggs.

Then, the bright spherical orbs in the sky formed a straight line, casting an enormous beam of light at the eggs as if the last light from the covered sun was cast on them. All the dragons surrounding the platform were blown from their positions.

When Asha could see again, she rushed over to the ring of tiny, newborn dragonets lying on the stone floor. Please be okay…please be okay…She picked up the limp forms, felt their heartbeats, and breathed a sigh of relief. They were alive.

These are the dragonets that will save the world…