A Brighter Future Ahead
AN: A lot of you have asked for longer chapters regarding this story, but I'm afraid I can't oblige on that issue. Hear me out, though.
The way I have this planned out, longer chapters would only make the story overall sound and read worse than it does. The chapters are meant to be short, with only a single scene since POVs switch almost every chapter. I know that sounds a bit far-fetched, but you'll just have to trust me. Later chapters might reach around the 2k word mark, but right now, the chapters will remain at the same length.
I'm sorry if that takes away from your enjoyment or your faith in this story, but I hope you guys will understand.
Disclaimer: I do not own Wings of Fire.
Clearsight:
As Darkstalker had suggested, Clearsight had taken Indigo on a supply run onto the nearest shore of the rainforest. The hot-tempered Seawing certainly wasn't happy about leaving Fathom alone with Darkstalker. Or maybe she wasn't happy about being so close to hostile territory. Or maybe both…
Yeah, it's probably both.
Clearsight was on edge, too. Like most Pyrrhians, she had heard of the Rainwings' cruelty to those found trespassing in their territory. It made her wonder how they would react if they found out that they were about to start cutting down trees.
Indigo was silent as the two walked along the tree-line. Right now, they were just looking for vines. It wasn't hard to find good vines, and they had collected a nice pile of them when Indigo finally exploded, "I CAN'T BELIEVE HIM!"
Clearsight looked at her as if she had grown a second head. "Who?" she asked. She probably already knew, but she wanted to be sure.
The Seawing glared at her, "Who do you think!? Your psycho boyfriend may act nice now, but he'll never truly change! He'll fall into his old tricks as soon as he gets tired of living normally!"
"Don't you think you're being a little hard on him?" she tried in a gentle tone.
"Do you really think I care?" she shot back. "I don't trust him. It baffles me that you still do after everything that happened… I can't decide if you're naïve or just stupid." Her tone had slightly softened on the last part.
Clearsight stopped with a small frown, but Indigo kept walking. Once the Seawing realized she was walking alone, she turned around in confusion. The two of them weren't exactly friends, but neither did they dislike each other. Clearsight knew that Indigo had trust issues, and she could understand why that was the case. It wasn't hard to imagine what it must have been like to watch an animus—her best friend's grandfather—murder everyone around you.
Darkstalker almost did the same thing…just on a much larger scale.
However… "I trust Darkstalker because I still have faith in him. I believe that he has as much potential in being a great father and caring friend as he does in being the dragon that could potentially destroy the world." Indigo just raised a skeptical eye ridge, so Clearsight explained. "His fa—" She shook her head and started again. "Arctic hated him ever since he hatched. He was never supportive of Darkstalker, and his mother didn't have the time to constantly watch over him. The only guidance he received was from the teachers at school and even then…"
She shook her head again and sighed, "He's never really had someone that believed in him. You've seen the worst side of him, but he's also the most loyal friend and kind soul you will ever meet. He just…needs help sometimes."
Indigo still wasn't convinced, however, "You really believe that a dragon like Darkstalker can be anything more than what he is?"
Clearsight's frown deepened, "Then why do you believe that Fathom is anything more than an animus? Why do you believe that he should be given a chance and not Darkstalker?"
Indigo's eyes hardened and she looked away with a snarl. She didn't answer, though. Instead, she began storming down the beach again. "Let's just cut down a damn tree already!"
It was easier said than done. The only thing they had to work with was their own claws which quickly became blunted from hacking at the trunk of a decent-sized tree. When they got just under halfway through, they used their raw strength to push the tree over. It fell with a resounding thud.
It had taken several hours to get to this point. Clearsight's shoulders slumped when something else dawned upon her. How were they supposed to cut the trunk into logs that could be carried?
Apparently, Indigo realized the same thing, "Um…how are we supposed to carry this back?" She looked over to the Nightwing and sighed when she realized that Clearsight didn't have any ideas, either.
Clearsight thought for a moment. She didn't think Indigo would like her plan, but she tried anyways. "Well—"
"Absolutely not!" she shook her head adamantly. "I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no!"
"How else are we supposed to?" she huffed. "I know I sound like Darkstalker when I say this, but it would only be a small spell."
Indigo shot her a glare, "It may be a small spell today, but how long until he starts falling into old habits?" Clearsight looked away at that. She has a point.
"Maybe we could—" She was cut off again, but not by Indigo. The sound of a snapping branch followed by angry hissing sounded from the nearby trees. The Seawing froze before glancing at her with a sense of panicked urgency. She mouthed a single word…
Rainwing.
With that single utterance, the threads of fate came slamming to the forefront of her mind without warning. She collapsed in a silent scream as visions and images were seared into her brain.
A Nightwing assassin prowling around a quiet island in the night among four sleeping dragons. He pulls out a dagger and stands over the male Nightwing before uncertainty and doubt stay his blade. He looks over at the female and plunges the dagger into her heart.
…
Fathom was standing over Indigo's broken and bloodied corpse, a distant look in his eyes as rain falls and lightning cracks in the sky. He leans down and kisses his lover's forehead as a single tear falls down his cheek onto the rain-soaked sand. He closes his eyes as he slits his own throat.
…
Darkstalker strolling through dozens—no hundreds—of Nightwing corpses with a murderous gleam in his eyes. In the background, an erupting volcano spewing ash and lava into the sky as he roars out a challenge to all who would dare oppose him.
…
"NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed when the visions stopped. When she looked around, Indigo was gone, undoubtedly chasing the Rainwing to prevent him from revealing their location.
She took to the skies without hesitation and flew back to their little island, a single question echoing through her mind: Is he destined to become evil?
Can it not be stopped?
AN: Hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you thought about the foreshadowing.
Until Next Time
AdmiralCole22
