Chapter 9

"Yep, you're right. Are you crazy?!"

That had been the initial reaction from Acai, after those few moments of stunned and disbelieving silence. She berated Claw the entire way to the NightWing Clearing and to Wisetooth's hut, though she quietened down once they all arrived at the elderly dragon's home. Her loud, and admittedly obnoxious voice had drawn many eyes onto them when they passed through. Claw just ignored the stares and gritted his teeth while having to listen to the sound of that RainWing's voice scolding him the entire time. The barrage of words seemed to be never-ending. "What if it's dangerous?! Why do you even have it?! Do you even know where it came from?! Moons above, and tasty fruits alike, give me strength! I can't believe you!" And this carried on, and on, and on. It was a blessing in disguise when she finally stopped, and the NightWing sighed a quiet sigh of utter relief. He didn't know any more than she did about this earring, only that it looked cool on his ear. That's all it was to him. A fashion accessory. How was he supposed to know it had hidden powers?

Her scales had taken on a colour Claw hadn't seen before. Red, mixed in with her usual orange. What light from the moons that could break through the canopy above, and the glows from the nearby hanging firefly lanterns, showed off these patches of scary colour. He knew enough about RainWings to know that red, didn't mean good. Thank the stars and Galilean himself, that Tidal was accompanying them, otherwise the NightWing may not have made it this far. With a furious red painted dragon shouting down his ears. Standing outside the vine draped entrance, Claw speaks up. "Hey Wisetooth? Are you in there?" He'd ask gently, not wanting to let his overly worried and spooked mood, stress out the village's elder. Doing his best to keep all that contained, else he might have a literal breakdown. Some shuffling would be heard inside, the sound of a scroll being rolled up and put away before footsteps approached the vines from the other side. Parting as Wisetooth snaked his head through, standing higher and taller than all three of the younger dragons before him. Wearing his usual disapproving expression across that moody face. 'Moons, does he ever smile?' Claw managed to think to himself, that fear dying down only for a second, before the seriousness of the situation returned to him. In a rough, low voice, "What is it?" Wisetooth asks, just getting straight to the point. Although not making any assumptions as to what could be leading his student, a SeaWing and a healer to his hut in the evening. Certainly a combination of tribes he never thought he'd get to see in his lifetime.

The young NightWing now hesitated, fidgeting on the spot, knowing his mentor must have seen that he was wearing the earring by now. After a few seconds of tense quiet, and Wisetooth raising one of his eyebrows while he waited impatiently, Tidal saves the scene before things got too awkward. "We had an interesting experience, let's just say that. An experience we don't really want to talk about here in the open, where anyone could be eavesdropping." A subtle bump to Claw with her tail, and he quickly nods his head a few times in agreement, stammering out his words. "Y-Yes, right! A-And I thought, because why wouldn't I, to come to you about it. Since, you know, you're my mentor and all." Wisetooth rumbled a deep growl within the furthest reaches of his black throat, his sharp gaze narrowing over the trio. Noticing that the RainWing hadn't spoken yet, he slowly turns his attention onto her, whose scales were now shimmering with greens. "Is that why you are here?" It all came down to Acai, the dragon who had been the most vocal, the most outspoken of the three about this whole ordeal. And the one who was always against Claw and his ways. She forced her fearful eyes to look away from those dark orbs piercing into her very soul, staring at the NightWing and SeaWing who stood beside her. A thoughtful expression crossed her facial features, gaze flicking to a bug going about its way and crawling across her talons. So blissfully unaware of the dangerous creatures who stood tall over it like giant statues, who could end its life in a single heartbeat. Yet, that didn't happen, and Acai watched it go about its nightly routine. Disappearing into the shrubbery. "Something happened, I know that much." She spoke quietly, eyes closing before a sigh was exhaled from her maw. Tail flicking anxiously and returning her now resolved gaze onto the old dragon. Giving a firm nod. "Yes. That is why we are here, and Claw got quite shaken up about it. As you can probably tell, he isn't his usual self."

'Moons, she actually sided with us.' The NightWing certainly felt surprised, though relief was what washed over him the most. Now it was just a matter of whether or not Wisetooth would take them seriously, those all-knowing eyes that had seen so much, once more staring hard. Thoughtful. After what seemed again to be another dragging silence, "Very well. Let us discuss this further, in private." He sounded slightly reluctant, but did move back, his head disappearing behind the vines. Taking a deep, calming breath, and with a reassuring nod from Tidal, Claw leads the trio inside. Greeted by the all too familiar sight of his mentor's hut. The memory staff, or whatever it's true name was, secured in the usual spot. Adorned upon the wall, one lock close to its top and another close to the bottom. Keeping it in a vertical pose. With only the older dragon having the keys to access it. Usually, Claw would feel somewhat excited over coming here. Seeing the staff, knowing he'll get to dive into his memories, and be scolded again about how he shouldn't mess around with potentially dangerous magical artifacts. Instead though, the few rays of moonlight which broke through the blanket of leaves high above them, seeping into one of the only windows, illuminated those petrified draconic faces and figures upon the staff's base. Giving it a menacing aura. A sinister appearance. Quite the contrast to how it often made Claw feel. In the shadow of night, it almost seemed to take on a completely different identity. Hm, was someone trying to say something? He could swear...

"Claw! Hey, wake up!" Somebody was, in fact, speaking to him. Shouting actually. His whole body being shook by webbed talons, finally snapping him out of whatever trance he'd just fallen into. Not that he was aware of anything happening. Shaking himself awake, the comforting sound of the rainforest did return to his ears. As though before, something had been smothering them, and had only just stopped. "Not his usual self at all." Wisetooth grumbled, observing. The silvery glint of the wing earring upon his student's ear not escaping his notice. Seemingly dismissing the strange ordeal, the elder dragon eventually turned away from the group and headed toward the back wall. Which wasn't much of a wall at all, more like, vertical row upon vertical row of scrolls. All fitted and kept nicely arranged in their slots, in an order that only Wisetooth understood, one nobody dared to disorganise. Despite being the oldest dragon in their village, not much was truly known about his past. Who he once was, what he had accomplished in his long life. He wasn't much of a talker and didn't approve of just openly discussing more private manners with just anyone. "Are you alright?" A look of concern was spread across Tidal's blue face, one front foot still placed on Claw's dark shoulder. Directing his attention to her, he did his best to put on a smile, though was visibly still shaken by all of this. "Not really, but then, this has been quite a day." Scales shimmering into a light blue and green mixture, the RainWing stands at Claw's other side. It still felt weird to him, that Acai was on his side in this, when during his whole year in the rainforest, he'd done nothing but cause her trouble. Always getting Camu into his schemes, painting her as the boring big sister. The duo having even learned to speak at the same time, just another way of freaking her out! Yet here she was, through everything, and that was what surprised him the most. Well, unless Wisetooth came back to them with some shocking revelation of course.

Distracted for a moment by a light tingling in his ear, the sound of steel clanging down upon the round table in the middle of the room would be heard. Quite a large table too but kept mostly bare of any valuables or possessions. The older dragon wasn't much for fancy decorations, nor displaying his life for all to see, whoever did come to see him. And maybe what was now laying there upon the table, was one reason why he hardly got many visitors, aside from the fact that he just didn't like to be disturbed. "Go ahead Claw, look at it." He told the young dragon, without giving any further explanation. Understandably so, this confused Claw, hesitant at first but soon deciding his mentor more than likely knew something he perhaps didn't. Walking closer to the full moon shaped table, curious and wary emerald eyes gazing down upon the object. The confusion would strike again. Sharp metal stared back, with a lethal tip and worn brown hilt. Remains of some kind of dried substance stained parts of the otherwise gleaming steel, dark in colour. Dark red? It chilled Claw to his core upon realising it was blood. And as though on cue, the same pulling sensation grasps his mind once more. The longer he stared at the weapon, the more he felt himself being dragged toward somewhere. Just like back in his parents' hut, back in United Wings. The NightWing strained mentally to stay in the present moment, to not allow himself to be taken wherever it was this feeling wanted to take him. Mercifully, Wisetooth takes the dagger away carefully, his focused gaze never leaving his student. Risking to turn away only a few seconds, putting the blade back where he kept it, before returning to the table. A slightly grim expression now placed upon his worn scaled face. Claw released from the hold that had been placed upon him, visibly relaxing and giving his head a gentle shake. Snapping back into the now again.

"So all these months, all those times I told you something wasn't right about that earring of yours, and it appears as though I was right." The older dragon's words surprised Tidal and Acai, but not Claw. He knew how full of knowledge Wisetooth was, so it didn't shock him as much that those experienced eyes had already sussed out the reason for them all coming here. Humming in thought, lifting a talon to tap against his scaly chin, said experienced eyes narrowing at that 'innocent' little earring. "You saw the staff; it pulled you toward it. Saw the dagger, same result." He didn't sound too urgent, or too worked up for that matter. Remaining in his calm, cool demeanour. Whatever system was inside that head of his, carefully figuring things out. Thinking it to be useful, the young NightWing decides to speak up, "It happened two other times before those, as well." Now he really had his mentor's full attention, the look in that old gaze not one he had seen before. Pushing past the overwhelming urge to shiver thanks to his building nerves, Claw continues, "In my parents' hut when I first put it on. And then the time where I knew I needed to see you, back at the den, when Camu and I had to hide from another dragon." Wisetooth's brow raised at the mention of 'another dragon', and so Claw quickly added, "I know it sounds innocent enough! Believe me, Acai here had the same reaction when I first told her." Her eyes locking with the elder for confirmation, and she firmly nods in response, becoming slightly more confident in his presence but still not willing to spend more than an hour here. With that support from the RainWing who had immensely shocked him tonight, he'd continue, "Camu knew before I did, that something was wrong, and when this mystery dragon checked out our den? I felt that pull, though it was more aggressive. My heart raced; my mind began to drift. Thank the moons they left when they did, because I don't want to know what happens if I allow the earring to do its weird magical stuff to me!" Claw exclaimed, getting visibly a little worked up about all this. How could he not? The earring had been harmless to him, every single day he had worn it. And now, all of a sudden on this day, it had decided to act all strange. He knew the name 'Darkstalker' when he'd never heard it be uttered before, he felt loss when staring at the family portrait in his parents' home even though nobody had been left out from it, and miraculously he had also known when it was safe for him and Camu to stop hiding. All because of a simple piece of jewellery strapped to his ear, which now was certainly anything but simple.

This definitely wasn't how Wisetooth had been expecting to spend his night. Once peaceful, lost in his own relaxation, however he did relax. Now confronted with something very challenging, puzzling even. But then again, he did like a good mystery, it gave his old mind something to work on. To dwell on. To try and figure out. Far better than simply reading scrolls. He stood there, unmoving save for the rising and falling of his chest in those slow breathes he took. 'What is going on inside that head of his?' The younger NightWing thought, waiting alongside his two friends. Yeah, Acai. A friend? Just add that to the list of weird occurrences today. Having mostly composed himself, Claw speaks in a softer tone, a talon tapping once against the floor. "I've come here for answers Wisetooth, because I know you have them. If not from you figuring out my earring was what bought us here, and managing to set it off so easily. Then from all those lessons! The memory staff. You want to discover that part of my past I can't remember, don't you? Just as badly as I do?" A silence enveloped the hut afterward. Tidal and Acai giving one another uneasy glances, both having never been told this from Claw. That he was using some kind of staff. Trying to learn more about something from his past, and that he was being given 'lessons' from the NightWing village elder. Whatever that meant. They were having some questions of their own arising, though didn't speak up, allowing Claw to have this potential moment of reveal. Unwavering from the barrage of words, Wisetooth looked upon his student with a newfound sadness. Wait, sadness? An emotion other than grumpy, disapproving, and strict? His head bowed slowly, those old eyes closing, his voice more kind than the young dragon had ever heard it before. "There is so much, none of us yet know." Okay, that was cryptic. Collecting his thoughts, his gaze opens and stares directly at Claw, though his head remains bowed. "We know you were born on that dreadful volcano, as were many, if not all of us. We know you fled the Queen's capture, with your rebellious and stubborn nature. We know one of our own went after you, small army in tow, to bring you back for punishment." Wisetooth did then waver, aged eyes shifting toward the only window in his home, narrowing in a deep thought. Watching the delicate wind caress the foliage outside.

"And that dagger? We know it belonged to you."