A Brighter Future Ahead

AN: A chapter featuring Darkstalker for all those who wanted one. The next one will, too, since this is mostly just his thoughts about stuff so far. Next chapter will have more exciting things in it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Wings of Fire.

Darkstalker:

Darkstalker was currently at the Rainwing defensive lines just outside the northern border of the rainforest. There was mud everywhere—a fact which he was beginning to detest. Every time he tried to clean it off, he would only succeed in spreading it around, so he eventually just gave up. So in summary, he was wet from the recent rains, covered in mud, and stuck in a forward camp with a battle no doubt on the way. And he was away from Clearsight.

All in all, he was in a rather foul mood, to say the least.

I can't believe I actually agreed to do this, he thought to himself. Why should I care if the Mudwings attack the rainforest?

Because you like living there, one of the voices he had been hearing said. Don't bother denying it. There's no shame in serving Anaconda in order to get a better lot in life.

I serve no Queen, Darkstalker shot back.

Tell that to Anaconda, the second voice snarked. You've served her every whim since you came to the rainforest, and you know it. The voice's own observation seemed to enrage it. And where is your pride!? How weak must you be to bow to a Rainwing!?

ENOUGH! Darkstalker shouted at them. They were both silenced, though he knew that wouldn't last for long. Darkstalker sighed to himself. These voices were beginning to wear on him, but he didn't think telling Clearsight was the best thing to do. She would just worry more than she already was.

The first voice wasn't so bad, at least. It was around all the time, yet it tried to be kind and optimistic and Darkstalker didn't mind talking to that one. In fact, he had started telling the voice his troubles and worries, and it had actually tried to comfort him. It even helped him sort through a few of them, and the two of them had simply talked about whatever when Darkstalker was bored. Strange as it may sound, Darkstalker actually liked having that voice around, and he even considered it to be a friend, of a sort.

The second voice, though…

That one was a different story altogether. It only reared its ugly head when he was stressed or angry—like right now—and took every opportunity to rile him up. It was aggressive and violent and tried to convince Darkstalker to do all kinds of unsavory things. If there was one word to describe the second voice, it would be 'malicious'. And it grew more so the angrier he became. Honestly, Darkstalker was starting to fear that second voice.

Because how long would it take before he could no longer resist doing what the voice asked of him? How long would it be until he was the monster?

Darkstalker sighed once again as the voices started filtering back in. They were fighting with each other like usual, and he was fast starting to get a headache from the constant bickering. The best he could do is try to ignore them, so he tried to focus on other things.

He thought back to when he told Clearsight that he was leaving to come up here. She was horrified that he had agreed and begged him not to go. She had claimed that terrible things would happen if he left, but, for better or worse, he hadn't listened. He promised that he wouldn't join the fight no matter what—that he would leave if the Mudwings attacked.

Eventually, with tear-filled eyes, she simply told him to leave. She said if he hadn't learned to listen to her by now, then he never would, so whatever happened as a result of his decision was his own fault.

He had left feeling guilty for upsetting her so much and saddened that she had so little faith in him. He knew he didn't have the greatest record when it came to determining right from wrong, but he wanted so badly to believe that the Rainforest could be the place they called home. He didn't trust Anaconda—not even close—but he was giving her the benefit of the doubt.

He recalled the little Skywing animus that Anaconda had adopted. Most dragons in Pyrrhia believed that animus dragons were dangerous—and his own actions had strengthened such sentiments—and, as such, many of the Queens persecuted or executed animus dragons whenever they were discovered. Maybe Anaconda was the exception, though.

Perhaps she was giving animus dragons asylum because no one else was. It was certainly possible, but Darkstalker wasn't naïve. Even if she was granting animus dragons shelter, it came with strings attached. After all, having even a single animus was enough of a deterrent to prevent other tribes from attacking, but what if she had three? Or ten? Or twenty?

What happened when Anaconda controlled the majority of all animus dragons on Pyrrhia?

Darkstalker paused in his walking to ponder that thought. What would she do? The two things he could immediately think of was either to guarantee the Rainforest's safety for…pretty much ever. Or she would use them to threaten the other Queens and force them to bow to her.

That second option sounded bad at first as he didn't think one Queen should have that much power, but the more he thought on it, the better that idea actually sounded. But maybe instead of one Queen ruling all of the tribes, each tribe would retain its own Queen, but they, in turn, would bow to a High Queen. Then, the High Queen could focus on inter-tribal issues and leave the day-to-day operations to the Queens.

If all of Pyrrhia bowed to a single High Queen, it would certainly lead to an eventual peace. There may be dissent at first, but in time, the Queens would eventually grow accustomed to the new order. Darkstalker looked down in thought. Peace across Pyrrhia sounded like a worthy goal to him, and he decided then and there that he would speak to Anaconda about this idea. If that was her end-game…

Maybe serving her wouldn't be so bad.

AN: So Darkstalker is still hearing voices, but for now he's still in control of his own thoughts...Or is he?

Until Next Time

AdmiralCole22