Prologue

Pyrrhia

The three remaining guardians were huddled around five dragon eggs.

"How long is this going to take?" hissed Kestrel the Skywing guardian

"As long as it takes," replied Dune, the disabled Sandwing

"I can't see a thing in this cave," grumbled Kestrel

"I can," said Webs, the Seawing, supplied unhelpfully

"Well," replied Kestrel crossly, "not all of us can see in the dark."

"Then let us take them to the other cave," said Webs, "the one with the whole in the roof."

"Why bother," asked Kestrel, "it is not like the little worms cannot get into any trouble, anyway. So that is just more unnecessary work."

"You don't know much about baby dragonets, do you?" asked Webs, with his characteristic sigh, "also if you did not want to move them, why were you complaining about not being able to see?"

"Besides," Dune added, "I don't want to lose any of them in the dark."

"Fine," snapped Kestrel glaring at Webs, "let us make it quick."

With that Webs grabbed the Rainwing and Seawing eggs, while Dune and Kestrel grabbed the others and hurried into the next cave. Webs and the others set the eggs in the circle of light caused by the three full moons.

"Better?" asked Dune, looking at Kestrel

Kestrel merely growled and sat down to wait, puffing out a small flame every now and then in exasperation. After a while, the three moons came into full view through the sky illuminating the eggs with moon light. Webs and Dune lifted their heads towards the moons, staring at the phenomena that was the three full moons.

"What is wrong with the eggs?!" Kestrel growled suddenly

The two other dragons quickly whipped their heads around the stared at the eggs. The Nightwing eggs that had been as black as obsidian when Morrowseer delivered it, was now as silver the light of the moons. Meanwhile the Sandwing egg had taken on a hue of beaten gold.

"I don't know anything about Nightwing eggs," said Dune hesitantly, "but Sandwing eggs do not do that."

"Maybe it has something to do with the prophecy," said Webs hopefully

"Or they are just defective," snarled Kestrel

Suddenly there was a tapping noise from the red Mudwing egg.

Far away in the Mud Kingdom on the same night, a cluster of six Mudwing eggs sat in the mud waiting for their Big Wings to help them out of their eggs. But their Big Wings was gone, sold by their mother. After waiting a long while, the largest egg in the cluster began to shake and crack as the dragonet inside understood that it was his job to help his siblings since their Big Wings was no longer there.

Closer to the cave, in the Sky Palace, a deep cooper colored Skywing named Topaz snuck down the hall out of the hatchery clutching her only surviving egg, a small very red, runty egg. She knows that she should not be doing this. She should be obeying her queen, but she could not let the Queen destroyer her only living child. It could not be the Skywing dragonet from the prophecy, it said, "the largest egg on mountain high, will give to you the Wings of Sky" and her egg was small and runty. But if all the others were killed than this would be the largest living egg on "mountain high".

"Stop!" cried a voice from behind her

Topaz turned just in time to see guard leaping onto her back

"Ah," Topaz screeched as the guard pull the egg out of her talons

"Don't you know that Queen Scarlet has order that all Skywing that will be hatched on Brightest Night are to be destroyed" the guard snapped as he turns to walk away

"Please," cried Topaz, "don't take it away. It is my only surviving egg, and my mate is death, please don't take away my only dragonet."

The guard stopped and looked at the egg in his talons, before looking back at her,

"What was his name?" he asked

"Whirlwind," said Topaz staring at the guard hopefully, "he used to be a palace guard before he got reassigned."

"I remember Whirlwind," said the guard still looking at the egg, "he was a kind dragon and a good friend."

Topaz sniffed and looked down.

"Here," said the guard holding out the egg to her, "I will tell the Queen that it hatched early today because it was runty. But if I were you, I would stay around the palace for a while, so she won't suspect anything."

"Thank you so much," cried Topaz grabbing the egg and hugging it to her chest

The guard nodded and turned to go

"What was your name?" asked Topaz

"Ozark," the guard replied as he disappeared down the hallway toward the throne room.

One year after the Brightest Night

Thorn was desperate, she could not find Stonemover anywhere and now Dune, that camel faced traitor, had stolen her only egg. She had looked ever where for all three, but Thorn had had no luck. Thorn had even gone through Stonemover's tunnel looking for him, but nothing. This would be the third time, that Thorn had visited the Rain Forest on the other side of the tunnels, she had continued to go back hoping that he would leave some message for her. But like always there was nothing from Stonemover only three sweet but rather confused Rainwings or rather two confused Rainwings and one sweet Rainwing dragonet who look like see was about one year old.

"Who are you?" asked one of the Rainwing

"I am just looking for someone," replied Thorn, "a tall back dragon?"

"We have been having enough problems with this one that we have not had time to look for any other dragons," said the other Rainwing

"What is its name?" asked Thorn looking at the green and pink dragonets, who was trying to climb a tree

"We haven't found any that suits her," said the first Rainwing, "do you have any ideas?"

"Hm," said Thorn looking at the baby Rainwing, who unlike the other Rainwings liked to remain in the same two colors, "how about Oleander?"

"Oleander," said the second dragon puzzled, "what is that?"

"It is a plant that grows at the edges of the deserts and is frequently green and pink, like this dragonet," said Thorn

"Oleander, I like it," said the first Rainwing thoughtfully

"It is also poisonous," added Thorn sardonically

As if in response to Thorn, the dragonet bared it fangs and shot two small drops of black liquid that melted a leaf that had angered her.

"Well it seems to suit her," said the second Rainwing

"I hope you find whatever you were looking for," said the first Rainwing as the three Rainwings moved into the forest.

"I hope I do too," said Thorn to herself as she when back into the tunnel.

In Blister's Hideout on the Bay of a Thousand Scales, Blister placed the floor of the bedroom. From the open windows, where one full moon shone brightly, and back to her nest egg and then back to the window. Her mate, Morrowseer, meanwhile sat as still as a shadow staring at their egg.

"Who would have thought that you as all dragon would be an anxious mother?" he said jokingly trying to lighten the mood.

Blister merely glared at him before returning to the window.

"Do Sandwing eggs usual turn gold?" asked Morrowseer concern creeping into his unusually claim and collected voice.

"Sandwing eggs are sand colored not gold," said Blister still looking out the window

"Well," said Morrowseer the concern becoming more obvious, "our egg is gold."

Blister turned the quickly, staking back over to her single egg. Sure, enough it was deep golden color rather than the usual sandy color of Sandwing eggs.

"Maybe it is because it is a hybrid?" asked Blister anxiously

"Probably," said Morrowseer placing his wing around his mates back to try and comfort her.

Suddenly there was a cracking noise and the egg shelf cracked and split in half. Inside was a golden colored Sandwing with a black a large row of black scales down her entire body with Nightwing like spikes embedded in her neck crest and small tear drop silver scales by her eyes.

"She is beautiful," said Blister picking the dragonet up and staring into her daughters' eyes.

"She?" asked Morrowseer looking at his new daughter and smiling, "yes, she certainly is."

Far away from Blister's Hideout, the Nightwing Volcano rumbled ominously as a two-year-old dragonet, Nightshade, followed his newly assigned teacher, Deathbringer, through the halls of the palace.

"I hope I don't make the same mistakes that Quickstrike made with me," thought Deathbringer

"Why do you call your mother Quickstrike rather than mother?" asked Nightshade curiously

"What?" asked Deathbringer confused

"You were just talking about her," said Nightshade innocently

"No, I wasn't," said Deathbringer stopping and turning to face his young charge

"Oh," said Nightshade looking at his talons, "I thought I heard you say that you hoped that you won't make the same mistakes as Quickstrike made with you or something like that."

"No, I did not say that," said Deathbringer placing a claw under Nightshade's chin and gently raise his head, "but I did think that."

"You thought that?" asked Nightshade puzzled

"Do you often get hear dragons say things without them actually saying them," asked Deathbringer

"Yes, all the time," said Nightshade softly, "is something wrong with me?"

"No," said Deathbringer out loud and then in his head, "but you can read minds like the Nightwings of old."

"I can read minds?" asked Nightshade heard Deathbringer's thoughts

"Yes," said Deathbringer out loud and then continued in his mind, "it would probably be best you keep these powers to yourself, young brother, there are many dragons here who would do horrible things to you and others if they knew. Do you understand?"

"Yes," said Nightshade wrapping his wings around his 'big brother'

"Good," said Deathbringer smiling, "now let us start training."

Three years after the Brightest Night.

Slipstream swam swiftly through the halls of the Deep-Sea Palace looking for his brother, Turtle. He had been napping in the coral garden when he had saw Turtle swim with a heartbroken expression. Slipstream had tried to follow, but Turtle had managed to disappear, so Slipstream had gone looking for Octopus and Cerulean who he had seen playing with Turtle early.

Octopus and Cerulean had told him how Turtle had failed to find Snapper, resulting in the death of all the female eggs. They also told him what Gill had said and the Queens reaction, as well as his brothers plans to 'exile' Turtle by ignoring him.

Slipstream had disagreed with his brothers plan and had left to find his young brother and nest mate.

"Turtle?" Slipstream flashed in aquatic, "are you okay?"

"No," Turtle flashed back, his arms full of his precious story slates, "leave me alone, Slipstream."

"Octopus and Cerulean told me what happen, Turtle," Slipstream replied, "it was not your fault."

"I fail my father, my mother, the Kingdom, and ever more so my sisters," Turtle flashed sadly, trying to push past his brother, arms full of slates

"What are you doing with all those slates?" asked Slipstream concerned, those slates meant everything to his brother.

"I am going to get rid of them, somewhere were no one will every be able to find them," snapped Turtle, pushing past Slipstream and swimming away from him fast.

Slipstream debated whether or not to follow his bother to stop him from doing something that he might regret later, however by the time he made up his mind to follow his brother, turtle had disappeared into the vast expanse of ocean.

Five years after the Brightest Night.

"You can come with me Frostbite," said Shard. Shard was Frostbite's medical teacher, best friend, and father figure.

"Why?" challenged Frostbite, "why should I desert with you and become a traitor like your brother?"

Shard winced at the mention of his lost brother, Hvitur, before turning towards his friend.

"Because we both know that war isn't for us," answered Shard, "and we care about dragons no matter what tribe they are. If we, sorry I mean if I stay, I will be helping only the dragons of my tribe and hurting the dragons of the others tribe, and I cannot live with that, can you?"

"If you go," said Frostbite angrily, "then you go along and friendless."

"If you stay you will have to be taught by Snowslide," Shard retorted

"That least I won't be a traitor," snapped Frostbite

Shard signed and slung his bag around his neck and walked to the door of his house, before he turned and looked at Frostbite and said,

"I am going to the Scorpion Den to lay low for a while. If you walk out this door with me, then we can go together and help all the tribes of Pyrrhia."

"If you walk out that door," Frostbite retorted angrily, "then you will no longer have a friend in any tribe."

Shard looked sadly at Frostbite for a long moment, then turned and walked out the door alone. Neither of them noticed that the other had tears in their eyes as their only friend left them forever.