Chapter 3

The NightWing Clearing. Yes, it was quite a straightforward name, but it hadn't been Claw's choice to make it be called that. More of a collective decision between all the Night dragons who dwelled here. They figured rather than come up with some form of creepy, or off-putting name, why not just be simple about it? And so it was, that their part of the rainforest, was titled 'The NightWing Clearing.' Claw would've called it something much cooler, perhaps 'Salvation', referring to them as a tribe. Moving on from their past mistakes and becoming a much better tribe again. Strong. Trustworthy. Honest. Everything they weren't during those turbulent times of the war. Well, maybe except for a few of them, that Dragonet named Starflight just for one example.

"Have you got it, Mother?" Claw asked in a hushed whisper, as the two NightWings stood outside the entrance to their home. It was your usual midday time in the clearing today. Everybody had finished their morning duties. Such as catching fish and other prey, or helping the RainWings to collect fruit, while being told time and time again to not try eating the sloths. So for now it was quiet, but Claw didn't want to risk speaking any louder than he had, never know if that Wisetooth might just suddenly emerge in his usual menacing way out from the brush beside their home. His Mother, after taking a quick look around them, nods and points inside. Standing watch at the doorway as her son enters, purple eyes peeled for a certain elderly, and grouchy NightWing.

The interior of their home, was interesting to say the least. It always appeared as though a tornado of knickknacks had rampaged its way through one half, while a calm gentle wind blew over the other. Keeping everything in order. The half that wasn't Claw's belonged to his Father, Shade. A desk over piling with architecture and history scrolls, as well as books recently too. 'Moons above help us.' These weren't the knickknacks, oh no, those came in the form of a mountain's worth of objects from his expeditions. Rocks. Paintings. Weird devices that didn't seem to work anymore, whatever purpose they may have once had. Some jewels scattered about here and there. A goblet on the windowsill. Relics from the war. It was too many things to list in one sitting. Claw never tried going through it all, it just hurt his brain.

Shimmer's half on the other talon, was spotless. She didn't like clutter, and so kept everything she ever needed in a chest, all neatly organised and not hazardous at all to any Dragonets who may end up wandering in here. Rather than a wall dotted with maps of the two continents, and indecipherable scribbles all over them, hers had something that always warmed young Claw's heart to see every time. Diverting his gaze away from his chaotic Father's side, he happily stares at the large painting that hung above the chest. All of them. Together. As a family should be. Shade, Shimmer, Claw and... huh. That was odd, why did he suddenly feel as though someone was missing from the painting? He looked at it all the time, admired it, cherished it, wondered who had such amazing art skills to get his cheeky expression done properly.

'Wisetooth, I swear, if that stupid staff has done something to my head...' Shaking off the lingering thought of loss, Claw focuses on what he came here for. Unclasping the chest and opening it up slowly, not wanting to somehow ruin the organisation of his Mother's things. Reaching inside and scanning over the few scrolls she had kept in there, in order of title. 'Anatomy of Sloths. Curious Wings. Ah! Gotcha! Flying 101.' Delicately, he slots the scroll out from its snugged spot between its fellow knowledge brethren and undoes the lid. Gently tipping the tube that holds the scroll upside down, and instead of information about flying dropping into his grasp, a small silver wing earring was there in its place. He still had absolutely no clue where this piece of jewellery had come from. One day, it was just there, on his ear. The young NightWing took such a liking to it, that he decided to wear it, whenever he could. Which tended to be when he wasn't around his mentor, who seemed to have quite the distaste for jewellery. Ugh, did he like anything that wasn't his precious memory staff?

It was just an earring. A single, harmless little earring. No animus enchantments, no nothing. Claw didn't understand the hassle, chalking Wisetooth up to just being paranoid that anything jewellery related could be animus touched. Pfft, as far as Claw was concerned, he was still sane and normal. No thoughts of murder were in his mind, and never would be. Uncaring of what that NightWing would say if he saw him, he reaches up to one of his ears and puts on the silver wing. Letting it dangle there, in quite the fashionable way. That silvery moon colour contrasting with his dark scales rather well, almost matching the stars dotted across his young wings. Giving it a gentle tap with a single talon, making it sway, harmlessly, from side to side. 'Believe whatever you want to believe Wisetooth, keep being as scared of this earring as you like, but I'm the one who wears it, and I'm also the one who hasn't turned into...

...wait. How do I know that name?' Claw then felt a pull, a tug. As though his brain was being dragged toward something, somewhere. He growled in irritation and gave his head a good firm shake. Making the sensation dissipate slowly and return his brain back to a thankful normal. "Darkstalker?" The name, that name. It made his entire scaly body shiver just hearing himself say it out loud, but why? Claw didn't know who this Darkstalker was, should he know? No. Stop it, what does it matter? He had the perfect life here, right? No need to dwell on anything from the past. Everything was okay now. He wouldn't have to save anyone, be the hero of some yet untold story, or stop a great evil. Claw was Claw. Right here and right now. In the present moment. The future is all he had to think about, what kind of dragon did he intend on being? 'The best kind.' So, with refocused thoughts, he carefully closes the chest and heads back outside...

...only to get the fright of his life!