Hello again, my friends!
This is a story that, alongside Our Sanctuary, that I have been looking forward to sharing for a while. Like Our Sanctuary, the objective of this story is to explore the world of my other fic, Finding Peace, and The Darkest Eclipse AU. However, while Our Sanctuary is an analysis of Winter's character and shows the aftermath of The Pantalan War in the Darkest Eclipse AU, Into the Darkness will focus on elements that were introduced in Finding Peace as seen from the eyes of characters who are, at first, unaware of them.
In terms of the timeline: Into the Darkness takes place in the middle of Finding Peace, but the events of the story run parallel with it.
Now, without further ado, let's take flight!
"We do not fear the unknown. Rather: We fear what possibly lurks within. Because once we approach the unknown, we do not know if something is waiting to pull us inside with it. If we are pulled into the unknown, we do not know what will happen afterward."
"What do we do then, when we are so far into the unknown that we are unable to see the light?"
"I believe there is only one thing to do: Dive deeper until we have made the unknown, known."
-From the works of the SilkWing writer, Helicon.
Circa 4,409 AS (After Scorching)
If there was something that Surf envied most about most of dragon kind: It was the sense that when you returned home, whether that be a place or a state of mind (to this day Surf still did not understand what Mantis meant by that definition of home) after a long journey, it would feel like a weight was taken off of your wings and the world seemed to take a breath of relief. No matter what the next day would bring: at least you were in the safety of your own home and, if you were especially fortunate, had others around to recount stories of your adventures.
Yes, a simple feeling like that made Surf envious. Especially since the home of his hatching, the small island of Adderin, had felt more like a place he worked rather than somewhere he had lived for almost his entire life. That was not to say that he did not enjoy returning to Adderin, the island of his birth. But home was supposed to be a place where one would not have to keep secrets, or at least not a multitude of secrets, that kept your family at arm's length...and that you were almost like a stranger to them.
Even if Adderin was the place he returned to in between his travels, sadly it was not the place he felt safe...let alone did he feel comfortable around his family. Not when even his mate did not know the full extent of what it was he did.
And then there were his dragonets: Vapor, Tide, Wave...and his oldest dragonet, and only daughter, Tempest: The bravest of his beloved dragonets.
Every time he left Adderin it was painful knowing he would not see them for months on end and miss parts of their lives. Returning was even more painful, as he would never be able to tell them of his time away.
While Surf flew south of Phyrria, to the lone island of Adderin just several miles of the Rainforest Kingdom's coast: Surf felt this flight, one he knew like the back of his talons, was much more painful than the ones before.
Just under an hour ago, Adder had departed from Jade Mountain Academy. It had been a short visit, once in which the Prince of Adderin took the time to visit his oldest dragonet during the near end of term conferences. It had been something he had not planned to do, nor had his beloved mate, Emerald, have the time to visit their daughter in the academy as she focused on Adderin's political affairs.
After having completed what was required of him along the Sand/Ice Kingdom border days ago, Surf has felt relieved when he could make a detour to the academy. Telling the SandWings and IceWings that accompanied him to return to Adderin, Surf traveled to the academy built within the continent's largest mountain so he could visit Tempest.
Even if it was just for an hour, Adder enjoyed every second of his time in Jade Mountain. He enjoyed walking with his daughter, listening to her chat away about everything that had transpired in the term so far. While Surf was not one to show his emotions, he could not stop the pride that bubbled in his heart as he met Tempest's friends and teachers.
Which made his departure painful...and seeing her saddened expression when he told her he had to leave did not make it easier.
He had promised Tempest he would see her when she returned home from the Academy...but, in reality, he was not sure if he believed his own words.
Not when he carried an item in his bag, an item not of this world, which just seemed to become heavier the closer he flew to Adderin that night. By the time he had arrived at the island, the moons had already started to rise into the darkening sky, one moon was a small crescent sliver in the sky while the other two were closer to being half-moons.
The village of Adderin, located not far from the island's northern coastline that faced the Phyrrian continent, was lit by torchlight. Despite the time of night, where many dragonets on the island would be going to bed, Surf could just imagine that there were still many dragons roaming around the village.
This suspicion was true once he landed on the shore, his talons and fish hook-like claws digging into the cooling sand. Making his way towards the village, Surf heard the ever-present chatter of dragons as he entered the village's bustling marketplace.
Despite being an Outer Kingdom territory, one that was in Phyrria's southern-most boundaries, the island was still a popular place for merchants and visitors who heard of the small island. With merchants from both the Sea and Rainforest Kingdoms visiting, most of the dragons on the island were SeaWings and RainWings, but there were still dragons from other tribes that either visited or lived on the island.
Many of whom Surf called his friends and companions.
Almost as soon as he entered the marketplace, Surf saw the eyes of most of the dragons he passed brighten up excitedly at his arrival.
"Ah-ha! There he is, the prince returns!"
"Hey, Prince Surf, good to see you home safely!"
Those were the greetings he always received from the dragons he passed. Friendly, and welcoming after Surf spent months away from home. Despite the happiness in the voices of the dragons he had both grown up with and known for years, however, the use of the honorific "Prince" made Surf flinch.
It was a title that was always given to the matriarch or patriarch of his family. It was the title of his grandmother, his great grandfather, and many others of his family who settled on the island decades ago. By no means was he of royal blood, he was not related to the SeaWing royal line, it was a title that had stuck to his family since the first settlers of Adderin.
And it was a title Surf had come to despise ever since he received it. Because it meant he spent so little time at home, with his mate and dragonets.
But the citizens of Adderin did not need to know that. Not when they were always supportive of him and Emerald.
Passing through dragons in the marketplace, he greeted his fellow villagers as he made his way towards the eastern section of the village...until Surf arrived at a two-story building that was painted a turquoise color. The front door, painted dark blue, had three yellow crescent moons painted at the top.
When he approached the door, Surf's tired grey eyes looked up at the three moons painted at the top…
A faint memory flashed in his mind.
A small aqua green dragonet, only four months old, her little talons dipped in yellow paint, sat atop his head while he lifted her to the top of the door. He just barely saw the bright smile that covered her face.
How far his brave Tempest had come…
Taking a sigh, he carefully pushed the door to his family's home open and stepped in.
The house was faintly lit at the moment, though lingering warmth confirmed that there was at least a small fire still lit in the living room. Making his way through the slightly cramped entrance hallway, and into the open family room: Surf was greeted with the sight of a pale green SeaWing dragoness sitting in the middle of the room, reading over scrolls with the faint light of embers in the fire pit offering her light to read.
Smiling, he quietly stepped towards her...and draped a wing over her side.
The dragon's head lifted, almost startled at the feeling of his wing over her. But slowly, she relaxed as she turned to look at him, her green eyes, with glasses over them, looking into his grey ones.
"Darling…" She breathed, happily as she wrapped her wings around him.
The feeling of warmth filled his heart as he felt his mate's wings around him. He felt tired but rejuvenated as he realized the one dragoness who knew all of his secrets, yet still loved him, was here in front of him.
"Emerald," He sighed.
Pulling away, husband and wife looked into each other's eyes. Emerald's happy gaze slowly shifted to concern when she looked at his eyelids, noticing the dark circles over them. He felt her talons reach up and caress his cheek.
"Oh Surf…" She breathed.
He sighed, nodding as he stroked her talons with his.
"I'll be leaving tomorrow morning," He said, revealing information he wished was not true.
"But...you just got back home!" She protested.
"I know…" He sighed, slowly unslinging the bag around his neck and placing it on the floor between them.
Opening the bag: He pulled out a box, made entirely of black stone.
"I will put it in the Deepest Cave...rest for the night, and say farewell to the boys tomorrow, and leave," Surf explained.
The tip of Emerald's tail swished back and forth, irritably. She wanted to say something, but she knew there was nothing she could do. What it was Surf was obligated to do was something that could not be negotiated with. Not when his duty ensured not just Tempest and his son's safety, but the rest of Adderin.
"They're getting worse…aren't they?" Emerald asked. "You're leaving more frequently."
He did not answer his mate. He did not want to.
But his silence only confirmed her suspicions, and he knew she was right.
Weird things were happening in the world...Even as a Somnus, a traveler of the Dream World and master of dreams, Surf knew that things were bad. Things from the Dream World were crossing into the Waking World. Two worlds never meant to exist within each other.
While things were not getting worse, that did not mean things were getting better.
If nothing changed, then this would be a world his dragonets inherited.
And it scared him…
Closing his eyes, he wrapped his talons around his mate's, who wrapped her talons tightly around his.
"I...visited Tempest," Surf said, trying to change the mood of the conversation. Sure enough, the mention of their oldest dragonet's name made Emerald's smile return. "She is doing exceptionally well…"
"Of course," Emerald answered. "She gets that from you."
This made Surf chuckle. He wasn't sure about that...but whatever his daughter inherited from him, even his Somnus magic was tempered and refined by the qualities of her mother.
The two sat together for a few quiet moments, but even while they enjoyed the quiet time together: The black stone box served as a constant reminder that Surf's time at home was limited. Closing his eyes, and giving an exhausted sigh, Surf picked up the box into his arm and stood up.
Emerald gave him a disappointed stare but nodded...understanding what he needed to do.
"I'll take it to the cave, and then...I'll spend the rest of the night home, and the morning with the boys." Surf explained.
It was not much...but he hoped it would be enough time to spend with his family.
While the regret was present in his mate's eyes, Emerald managed to give him a small smile.
"Okay, then we will make it be enough," She whispered, her tail twining around his own.
With a smile, Surf stood up as he slid the black box into his neck bag. Together, he and his mate left their home...and for the Darkest Cave.
Afterward, he would mentally prepare for the long journey west: To the Amethyst Islands near Pantala.
Where the inhabitants of the islands had no idea what was about to engulf their home.