A Brighter Future Ahead

AN: I hope you enjoy this last calm chapter before the massive storm that's about to start in the next chapter.

In other news, in case there's anyone who hasn't read or didn't see my announcement at the end of the last chapter I posted for Dragons Change, I'm planning a new story that'll take this one's place once it's done. There's a poll linked on my profile that has some information, so if you all could give it a click and vote on it, I'd appreciate it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Wings of Fire.

Darkstalker:

"You want to run that by me again?" Fathom asked, his tone suggesting he didn't exactly agree with his plan.

The two of them had returned to the Rainwing village not long ago, and he planned on telling Anaconda that he was going to the Sea Kingdom as his first stop on his revenge spree. He didn't really owe the Rainwing Queen anything, but he figured he could stay on her good side before he ultimately stabbed her in the back.

However, that's not what Fathom was upset about—mostly because he hadn't told the Seawing that part. No, the part that didn't sit well with Fathom was that he wasn't exactly in a discriminatory mood. Any Seawing that got in his way was going to die because he really didn't care about collateral damage at this point.

"I'm going to the Sea Kingdom to find out who's responsible for Clearsight, and then I'm going to kill them and anyone else who gets in my way," he finally repeated, not slowing his march to the Rainwing Queen's pavilion.

"That's what I thought you said," Fathom mumbled. Then, he ran forward and stood in Darkstalker's path.

He stopped and narrowed his eyes at the Seawing. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Talking. And you're going to listen," came Fathom's declaration. Darkstalker studied him for a minute before relenting and agreeing to hear him out. "I know you're going to want revenge for Clearsight no matter what I say, and if you want to kill the dragons responsible for her death, that's fine—well, not fine, but…whatever. But it's the 'anyone else' part that I won't stand for."

"You won't stand for it?" Darkstalker challenged the Seawing. "And why is that?"

"Because you can't just kill innocent dragons!" Fathom yelled at him, incredulous that he even had to say it. "They didn't have anything to do with Clearsight's death, and if they attack you, it's under orders. You can't blame them for that!"

"I most certainly can…Now get out of my way." That was the only warning Fathom received before he brushed past the flustered Seawing and continued on his way.

"If you do this, you'll have proven everyone right by being the monster Pyrrhia fears!" he yelled after the apathetic Nightwing. Darkstalker just ignored him and kept walking. He didn't care what anyone else thought of him. Besides, hadn't he already proven himself several times over that he was a monster? "Clearsight believed you could be different!" Darkstalker froze upon hearing that, and upon seeing that his words had some effect on him, Fathom pushed his advantage. "She saw what everyone else couldn't! There's a difference between revenge and straight up murder—neither of which she would have wanted."

"Clearsight isn't here anymore," he spoke softly, his voice dripping with grief.

Fathom walked in front of him again and placed a claw on his shoulder. "I know," he whispered sympathetically. "But killing everyone in sight would be betraying her memory—especially when she worked so hard to prevent in the first time."

The Nightwing nodded, remembering the screams of the dragons fleeing the Nightwing Kingdom—fleeing him—after he used his magic to make Arctic disembowel himself. He remembered wanting revenge on the Icewings back then for taking his mother away from him. Clearsight had stopped him back then, and though she was gone, it seemed she was stopping him now. "She always did want what was best for me," he whispered. "Alright," he finally agreed, to which Fathom smiled. "We'll do this quietly. We'll find out who sent the assassin, kill them, and get out."

Fathom nodded. "In that case, you might want to start with Commander Trench. He's my sister's top general, and if anyone would know anything, it's him," Fathom revealed.

Darkstalker just stared at him. "And how long have you known this little nugget of information?" he asked, slightly annoyed that he hadn't heard anything about this.

Fathom just shrugged. "The whole time, I guess."

"Right…" The Nightwing just rolled his eyes and motioned for Fathom to start walking again, which he did. But this time, they were walking side-by-side, showing that they were in this together.

Once they arrived at the Queen's pavilion, they were allowed entrance immediately. Anaconda looked up from her desk and studied them carefully. "Can I help you two?"

"Don't play coy," Darkstalker snapped. "You have us under surveillance at all times. I know you know what happened."

She hummed before nodding. "Yes, I do indeed. My condolences for your loss, by the way." Darkstalker grunted his thanks. "Now, is it too much for me to assume that you want to do something about this tragedy?"

"We're going to the Sea Kingdom," Darkstalker declared.

Anaconda drummed her talons on the desk and hummed in thought as she looked at the map of Pyrrhia on her wall. "Yes, I suppose I can allow that."

"I wasn't asking your permission," Darkstalker stated bluntly.

Anaconda froze momentarily before relaxing and looking up at him. "Oh? Then why come to me at all?" she asked.

"I figured I owed you this at least for giving us a place to live. But this is going to happen no matter what you say." Darkstalker had to prevent himself from rolling his eyes at his blatant lie, but he kept a straight face and his mind blank just in case she was attempting to read his thoughts. The dagger should protect him from that, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Very well," she relented with a sigh. "If I cannot stop you, I might as well help you. But first, do you even have a plan as to where to start looking for your answers?"

"We believed it best to start with Commander Trench," Fathom answered her.

She nodded. "A good idea, but it might also interest you to know that the Icewing Queen is currently in the Sea Kingdom, as well," she revealed. And suddenly Darkstalker was very glad he had come here. "And Pearl has recently been in contact with Vigilance." And there's another very interesting tidbit of information he was glad to have learned.

"Thanks for the information," Darkstalker said as genuinely as he could before turning to leave.

"There is something you could do for me while you're there, too," Anaconda said, and Darkstalker turned to show he was listening. "My daughter, Cobra, has been a prisoner in the Sea Kingdom since not long after she left. I was hoping you could rescue her for me."

Fathom gave him a look suggesting that he was hoping he would agree. And he figured it would be fair since Anaconda had given them some good intel. "I'll do what I can," he assured her.

AN: I'm going to try to post another one of these every few days until its done because it is nearing the end.

Until Next Time

AdmiralCole22