Chapter 8

Darkness was falling over the continent, over the many great kingdoms and tribes of Pyrrhia. Sunlight replaced by gradually brightening moonlight, as the three moons made their presence known. Two crescents and one full. Their glows ever far reaching, down, down to all life below. And onto a certain silvery object, swaying as though it had a mind of its own, when in reality that was pure crazy talk. An earring couldn't move by itself, but with how effectively it reflected the moonlight, one could not be blamed for thinking such a thing. Perhaps it was alive! Or perhaps the dragon it belonged to, just kept it sparkly clean, and perhaps he was just simply moving so quickly, it swung with every fast step!

Seemingly alone, Claw walked at a brisk pace. Emerald night vision eyes, and his sharp sense of hearing, both doing their own duties to watch out for any more potential unwelcome visitors to the rainforest. He had known, somehow, that whoever had appeared back in United Wings was gone, but he wasn't taking any chances trusting a weird feeling beyond the single time. They could still be out here, maybe more than just one. The air was much more still now, when compared to the abundance of noise during daytime hours. Night life reigned. Insects, nocturnal animals, even an Owl could be heard hooting it's hoots some distance away. All background sounds, nothing to suggest the threat was lurking about, unless the occasional rustle of brush was more than a simple scampering mammal. 'I could be leading them straight to the clearing, but, who are they exactly? The wars are over, we are all united. Why would somebody want to reignite the conflict?' It didn't make any sense to the young NightWing, though he hoped by finding Wisetooth he could get some answers. More specifically to the question of, where in the three moons did this earring come from? Claw had liked it as just a simple fancy accessory, but it was twice now it had given him a weird ominous feeling. In the same day too. 'There's something he isn't telling me, I know it!'

Interrupting his thinking, a subtle snap fills his ears, makes him exit his thoughts immediately and freeze in place. Going stiff, tensing those muscles. Having to fight to keep his heartrate under control, and to not fall into a state of panic. A soft wind delicately blows, and Claw flares his nostrils, attempting to scent the air. Catch any unfamiliar smells. It had come from somewhere behind, in the shadows of the wilderness. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Nothing more happens, nothing follows the sound, and he was still alive. Still here and standing, despite appearing to be all by himself. If it had been the danger he feared it to be, surely they would have taken the chance to attack? 'Three moons Tidal! Where are you? I'm getting seriously creeped out here.' What didn't help matters, was just how close he was to the NightWing Clearing. When his nostrils flared, cooked fish filled his senses. Roasting over a fire, the smell of smoke mixed in. However hungry or not hungry young Claw was, he could never resist a good, tasty fish. It quelled some of his anxiety, though couldn't smother it all down, and he didn't want it to. He had to focus, be vigilant, and this time fish could not distract him from the looming threat he knew could still be here. A dim glow soon catches the NightWing's attention, ahead of him and to the right. Past the outline of a giant, furred spider. Attached to its huge web it had so impressively crafted for itself. The sight made him shiver, but not for very long, as he knew what the glow was. Or more like, who the glow was.

Taking one wary glance behind him, and not seeing or hearing anything more, Claw quickly keeps on moving. Toward the reassurance of the glow. The light in this darkened place. Careful to avoid the spider, and eager to bump wings with his good friend who was there to meet him. "Any luck, Tidal?" He'd ask in a low whisper, continuing to be cautious of any possible prying ears. She responds with a gentle shake of her head, the bioluminescence along her cheeks still present, but reasonably dim. "I scouted out my side and couldn't see or pick up on anything unusual, just a normal night in the rainforest. Annoying insects, animal eyes in the darkness, limited lines of sight." She shivers too, sharing that same distaste of this place when all light leaves it. "Why are we out here Claw? Why didn't we just head to the village when we can actually see where we're going?" It was an understandable point to mention. After all, in the morning, they could all travel together and keep equal amounts of eyes on their surroundings. Rather than only Claw's eyes being of any decent use. He brings up his talons to fiddle with the earring, staring at the dull sight of a log on the ground. Half of his face being slightly lit by the SeaWing's glowing cheek patches. "Because it couldn't wait. This couldn't wait. Someone came to our den Tidal, someone with not very nice intentions. I know you think this is just some practical joke, and believe me, I don't blame you." Their gazes then lock, green eyes to those purple eyes. Worry to concern, fear to doubt. "But I swear, neither me or Camu are messing around. Have we ever gone to such extremes to spook you in the past?" Maybe that had been the wrong question to ask, because one of Tidal's brows soon raise, and she could remember clearly when the joking duo had gone to such extremes. The NightWing realises this pretty quickly and adds. "Okay, maybe we have, but I swear to you this isn't that." He checks behind himself again, toward where the snap in the shadows had originated from, past the arachnid who appeared all too calm considering the current situation, blissfully unaware of the predicament of the two dragons. Tidal observed her friend's body language, his overall demeanour, the...cautious nature of his movements. She did have to admit, she'd never seen Claw like this before, and he wasn't very good at pretending. "Alright, I'll bite. So, what's your plan?" He didn't turn around at being prodded about a plan, to be honest, he wasn't even sure who he was watching out for. Or why he was acting like this. Did whoever arrive at the den go there with ill intent, or was he just being paranoid for no reason? Why was he trusting a gut feeling, an earring?

"There you are!" A voice suddenly erupted, relief seeming to fill its tone, though the young dragon doesn't pick up on that. He almost jumps out of his scales in fright, whirling around to face the 'danger' and clumsily stumbling into the spider's web. Falling to the ground in a terrified heap of sticky silk. Heartrate elevated, breaths coming out in fast exhales, the whole realisation that his gut feeling had been right hitting him all at once. "Wow." A familiar face then emerges from somewhere behind Tidal, coming up to stand by the SeaWing's side. Revealing herself to be Acai, of all dragons! "Now that is something you don't see every day. The great prankster himself, getting a taste of his own medicine." She had to hold back a laugh, amusement rife within her scales, shimmering yellow all over. 'Ugh, why did it have to be her?' Claw thought to himself, embarrassment battling down the fear. Slowly getting back onto his four feet, extending out his wings and shaking off the gripping web. Trying to regain at least some dignity. "Did you know she was there, Tidal?" He understandably asks, doing his best to avoid making eye contact with that smirking RainWing face. Moons above, she'd never let him live this down. "I'm as surprised as you, she just didn't make me jump like a jellyfish." Tidal had an air of amusement about her too, though it wasn't as obvious. Once the comedy of the event had died down, and the NightWing's heartrate wasn't going so fast, Acai resumes her more strict personality. The one he was accustomed to. "Why are you both creeping around out here? You do know your clearing is just a small way behind me, right?" Claw's gaze shifts to his SeaWing friend, then back to those scales transitioning back to their orange colours. The usual look for Acai. "Before you even think about it, we are not lost! Yes, we know the clearing is right over there, but we've had...a rather strange encounter. Not that you'll believe me, I'm the 'great prankster' after all." His tone sounded dismissive, deflated, uncaring almost. He was known for being the joker, the troublemaker. Why would Acai have any reason to listen to the words coming out of his maw, and take them seriously?

Surprisingly though, the expert healer does appear to take an interest in Claw's words, noting how his tone wasn't its normal mischievous self. Sitting herself down beside the SeaWing, tail curling around her talons, the tips of them weirdly stained with a yellowish paint. "You've intrigued me." Her sun-coloured eyes then narrow with interest, sharply focused on the one dragon she'd usually not listen to. "But I swear, if this does end up being another stupid prank, I'm going to tell everyone how I managed to scare you." Leaning forwards, the amused smirk crossing her face again as she whispers, "And I'll include every little embarrassing detail." Not needing anything to egg him on, Claw tells Acai the total truth. From when she left him and Camu previously in the day, all the way up until now. The expressions on her face shifted every so often. From doubt, to slight worry, to suspicious. He could see the RainWing piecing this all together in her working mind, attempting to figure out if the story flowed well enough with no gaps, to ensure her 'nemesis' wasn't lying. Eventually, everything was said, leaving the three dragons of differing tribes in total silence for a long minute. Tidal's purple eyes flicking to Claw's horns and then quickly away, which he didn't notice, far too focused on what was going to be uttered by the one who had every reason to doubt him the most. "An intruder in the rainforest, inspecting your den, and then leaving? Is he pulling my tail Tidal, or actually being honest for once?" As he had feared, she didn't sound convinced just yet, but hopefully he had someone else to back him up. Someone who didn't have a reputation of telling fibs. "I can't say for certain." She shrugged, though not unkindly, knowing how unusually worried the NightWing had been the past few hours. "This isn't like him, at all. Skittish, afraid of his own shadow, I don't even want to mention that he has a spider on his horn." Yep, that didn't help. "W-What?!" He shook his head vigorously, desperately almost. And when that didn't work, he creeped a paw slowly closer to the one horn and then smacked the dreaded arachnid off into the dark wilderness surrounding them. Giving a mighty shiver afterward, brushing the rest of the horrible web off of himself. "Would've been helpful to of known that thing was on me! Gah, moons above, I HATE spiders!" Claw's little outburst made Tidal nod to herself, as if she'd been testing a theory of some sort, "And a strange new fear of the eight-legged insects. I may not be able to say, with absolute certainty, that someone was at the den." Looking to Acai, she'd finish, "But something has spooked the spookster, and I don't believe he's making any of this up." Great Galilean, hopefully that was enough. Composing himself again once rid of that spider, the three fell into silence for a second time. The NightWing idly reaching up a paw to feel around his horns just in case.

At last, after what had felt like the inevitable eruption of a volcano, Acai speaks up. "Claw." She begun, having a reasonable tone in her voice, "The War of SandWing Succession is over, that huge banana snorting NightWing is gone, and we've united with the land across the sea!" Now is when she was sounding, just a tad exasperated, it becoming clearer and clearer to pick up on. "So one dragon, who you don't even know which tribe they were from, came by your cosy lair and then left." Her wings suddenly shot up, almost knocking Tidal off her feet, in a display of bewilderment. "Why is that so scary to you?! Come on! Think! Everyone lives in peace with one another now, we can go wherever we want. It could have been another NightWing, or even a RainWing curiously stopping by to check out your cave." Acai's words were filled with reason, not jumping to any dangerous conclusions as to who the mysterious visitor was. Claw begrudgingly admitted to himself that she was making a whole lot of sense, it really could have been anyone. Of any tribe. 'But if so, why didn't they say anything? Not even a hello?' While a small battle started to rage within his mind, Tidal did have to agree with this more logical answer to his problem, "If I'd been awake during this, it really would have made things a lot easier. But Acai may be right Claw, the times of war and conflict are done. Look at me for example, if there really were any threats to the continent, do you think the general I answer to would allow me on these trips every so often? No. He'd want me by his side, in the Kingdom of the Sea, fortifying and defending our Summer Palace." Ugh, he wanted to believe all of this, he really did. That there was a more innocent answer to the whole ordeal. He couldn't just go on a gut feeling, his thoughts shifting to how he'd known they were a threat. How he'd known they were gone, and when it was safe to relax. Sighing quietly, the NightWing touches the one thing near his horns that wasn't a creepy-crawly, a certain something that was a lot shinier. "You're both going to call me crazy for saying this, but I don't care, I already look like a complete rock muncher." With a long, deep breath, and having two sets of mixed emotion eyes locked directly on him, Claw just comes out and says it. "I think Wisetooth was right, my earring might be animus-touched."