Chapter Three
For the next five months, the RainWings and the Dragonets of Destiny were on the run. They fled to the no-man's-land between the rainforest and the Mud Kingdom, and all along the Claws of the Clouds Mountains. They found that they could not stop in one place for too long. As wherever they went, Morrowseer would send bands of NightWings to hunt them down. It seemed he was serious about exterminating them - that, or he really wanted his daughter back.
Sunny didn't know how to feel about that last revelation. She didn't know how to feel about a lot of the things Morrowseer had revealed that fateful night. On the one talon, she felt like a butterfly underfoot, crushed and insignificant. All the years she'd spent hidden underground, away from the sun, away from a family that might want her, through all the terrible things that had happened to her and her friends, she'd had faith. She'd always believed that there was a reason for everything in her life. There must be a reason that she looked odd, that she'd found herself with dragons from other tribes she could call her brothers and sisters. There had to be a reason that for every dire situation she and her friends had found themselves in, they'd always managed to get away. That reason had been the prophecy, that destiny wouldn't allow them to fail.
But now, she had to accept that it wasn't real? It was all made up so the NightWings could take over the rainforest… There was no reason behind bringing her friends together. There was no reason behind why she looked so abnormal.
Sunny couldn't ever remember a time in her life where she felt "small". But now, she felt tiny. She felt worthless.
After their initial escape from the rainforest, Sunny had feared that her friends would all go their separate ways. After all, there was nothing tying them to some grand destiny, they could go home and live normal lives. Clay could find his real siblings, Tsunami could return to her mother and be a true princess of the sea. Obviously Starflight and Glory had nowhere to go, unless they thought to flee to opposite ends of the continent to escape the NightWings.
Sunny had tried to argue that they should stop the war, prophecy or no. But the others brushed her off, in that way that always infuriated her. Oh Sunny, always the dreamer, give her something shiny to distract her. They now thought the war was someone else's problem to fix.
Their goal now was just survival. Even if they did split up (which none of them had thought about in any seriousness), it would be unwise to do so. Morrowseer's hunters were tracking them and would likely pick them off if they tried to separate. Thanks to the camouflage of the RainWings, they could move with virtual invisibility. But they always had to keep moving. If they weren't on the run from the NightWings, the other tribes were not welcoming either. Despite the fact that Queen Ruby appeared to be disinterested in the war right now, they couldn't trust that wouldn't change. Even so, Queen Moorhen was still Burn's ally, and they had to avoid her and her patrols as much as possible. And they couldn't run back to Queen Coral, as she only had her Deep Palace to offer refuge and only Tsunami would be able to reach it.
By now, the RainWings were exhausted and weary, the Dragonets (though being eight years old now, nearly nine, they weren't considered dragonets anymore) were running out of places to hide. They dared not go west, unknowing of what awaited them. Burn would likely kill them. They still had no idea where Blister's base was, and considering that she was likely working with NightWings (if their alliance was still in effect), it was best to avoid her completely. They still had yet to meet Blaze, but considering she was allied with Queen Glacier of the IceWings, none of them could survive the subzero world of the Ice Kingdom.
They needed sanctuary. Desperately. Though they all grabbed food and sleep where they could, they were pushing their bodies to their limits. Because of it, anyone's injuries could not be treated properly. Poor Starflight was now completely blind.
With no one willing to do the impossible and no one listening to her, Sunny grew tired of waiting, and so decided to launch herself into the mission. She slipped away in the dead of night, when her friends had decided to hide in the Diamond Spray Delta. And she made her journey west.
It took her a week to go over the plains and through the Mountains to the hills before the desert. Only when she reached there did she realise her folly: she had no idea where she was going. Once again, Sunny had rushed in blindly on faith. On the belief that things would work out. Now that sense of security had been ripped away from her and it left her feeling self-conscious and isolated.
She decided to head for the two day journey north. If Glacier was keeping Blaze anywhere, it would be as close to the Ice Kingdom as Blaze could physically tolerate. Sunny knew the north of the Kingdom of Sand was disputed territory in the war, with neither Burn nor Blister's forces able to gain a foothold in the region. The IceWings were very tenacious and ruthless in protecting the land that Blaze had promised them should she win the war.
Sunny managed to slip by into the rocky tundra where the desert gave way slowly to snowy expanse. By some lucky chance, she managed to find a lone fortress on one cold night. The SandWings guarding it didn't appear all that suspicious. In fact, apart from a few odd looks at her weirdness, they let her come right in as soon as she said she was the SandWing from the prophecy.
It was horrible to introduce herself as a "dragonet of destiny" when really, no such thing existed. If the prophecy was fake, then she was lying to these dragons, giving them false hope. But what choice did she have?
Luckily, Queen Glacier was on official business at her palace, so she wouldn't be making any surprise visits. Even luckier, Blaze just waltzed right out to Sunny, no extra guards, no waiting chains, no precautions of any description.
This kind of tactless lack of sense was a recurring trend with Blaze, Sunny noticed. She and her friends had often joked about Blaze being brainless when they'd played-history back in the caverns where they'd grown up. But Sunny had never thought it would be so close to the truth!
"Oh my gosh, you are weird looking!" was the first thing she said. "What's wrong with your tail? Why are your scales the wrong colour?"
She reached out a talon and Sunny subtly shifted her wings out of reach. It now bothered her to hear those comments, to be so strange. When she'd had faith in some big destiny, it had protected her from the hurt those words caused. "I don't know, but I'm still the SandWing in the prophecy."
"Where're the others?" Blaze gazed out at the dark frosty hills. "Have you come to choose me? I bet you have!"
"Well, not - that is, I mean… Well, why should you be queen? You know, instead of your sisters?" Despite the fact that she had come here with a purpose, and that Sunny knew she shouldn't care (her friends would remind her that it was no longer her problem), she was curious.
"Because I'm nicer and prettier than they are. Obviously? I mean, haven't you met them? Aren't they both awful?"
"What if someone tried to challenge you? What would you do?"
Blaze looked scandalised. "Ouch. That's rude. I'm a much older dragon than you. I've been in a battle - more or less. And I have this deadly tail. And anyway, Glacier can always come and kill those that threaten me."
"But that wouldn't be fair!" Sunny exclaimed. "That would violate all the challenge rules!"
"Who cares?" seeing this wasn't getting the right reaction, she quickly added. "I'll be such a great queen that no one will want to challenge me."
After everything she'd been through, everything that she'd seen and learned, Sunny felt the temper she'd squashed down for years start to bubble up to the surface. "You know what? You might be the least awful out of your sisters, but things are going to get hard. So much harder. Blister and the NightWings are going to make everything worse for all of us, and you need to get your head out of the clouds before they swallow up you, your people and your allies!"
Blaze had tried to placate her, tried to get her to stay and meet Glacier and tell her all about the doom-and-gloom she'd spoken of. But Sunny wasn't stupid, and she was too upset. She didn't stop until she reached the warm sands of the desert and the sun was on the eastern horizon. Then, she curled up in the comforting particles, and drifted off to sleep to stop herself from crying.
She was awoken by a rotten smell. The wind was blowing in from a different direction now. She followed it, until she found a pit. It was just like the one outside the Sky Kingdom. The aftermath of a battlefield, the dead left to bloat and rot in the sun. Each pair of eyes gazed up at Sunny, asking why she hadn't stopped it. Their wounds told the stories of their gruesome deaths, their faces told her their misery.
Horrified, Sunny had bolted. She didn't care if she wasn't careful this time, she just wanted to get back to the mountains, back to her friends. Perhaps that was why she almost got caught. A SandWing patrol had almost been upon her before she knew it! And then, erupting from the dunes below came a squadron of dragons, SandWings fighting SandWings. Sunny didn't know which factions they fought for, but the ones who set the ambush all looked hardier, meaner, somehow. They were also the ones who won the fight.
But they didn't try to put her in chains, or be especially mean to her. They just bundled her under their wings and escorted her further south. An encampment close to one of the oases was their destination by early afternoon. A large male with six claws on each talon lead Sunny straight towards the central tent. He didn't speak much, despite Sunny's best efforts.
Inside the tent was a female SandWing, maybe twenty years old. She was large and well built, though not nearly as big as Sunny's guard or Morrowseer. The six-clawed male (imaginatively named Sixclaws) called this female Thorn, and she was apparently the leader. Thorn and Sixclaws had a short conversation, mostly about the circumstances of how Sixclaws had found Sunny, before he was hurriedly dismissed. Left alone with this female, Sunny felt very small and unsure.
"Um," she started uneasily. She didn't want to be captured again! But what could she say to get out of this? Admitting her identity to Blaze had worked out better than expected. Maybe it would work again here? "I-I'm a Dragonet of Destiny!"
Thorn quirked a brow as if to say 'really…'
"Yes. So… so you should let me go. Because I have a war to stop and… stuff."
Thorn began to circle her, looking her up and down, talons poking her odd tail. "Hmm, you are a little unusual."
"I know." Sunny said. "It's alright though, I don't mind. It's just the way I hatched."
"On the brightest night, eight years ago…" there was an odd look in Thorn's eyes.
"Yes."
Before another word could be spoken, another SandWing burst into the tent. He was probably a year younger than Sunny, freckles speckled across his face just like Thorn. A scar ran a jagged line across his snout.
Thorn sighed at the newcomer, exasperated. "Qibli, this is a private discussion."
"I'm not leaving you alone with no stranger." he said, brown eyes fierce with determination for Thorn, suspicion for Sunny. "All prophecy-like or not."
"Your loyalty is charming, but I think I can handle this dragonet as well as you can."
"It's better to have backup." When Thorn sent him a pointed look, his tough-bodyguard act slipped a little for the very corner of a smile. "I'll be quiet."
"Well, that I do have to see." Thorn chuckled, and then she returned to a bewildered Sunny. "You, what's your name?"
"Sunny."
A strange breath seemed to be expelled from Thorn's lungs. Qibli piped up, "Why're you all weird looking?"
"What happened to being quiet?" said Thorn.
Qibli shrugged sheepishly. "Forgot."
"Well, I don't know why," Sunny answered the question, "My egg was found out in the desert, alone, by a dragon named Dune. He took me to be raised by the Talons of Peace, along with the other Dragonets of Destiny. After all, I fit the prophecy…" saying those words hurt now. And she remembered Kestrel's words the last time they saw her. Sunny's egg had been abandoned outside the Scorpion Den. "And my parents clearly didn't want me."
Thorn suddenly snarled. Sunny ducked away from the sound, but before she could get far, Thorn snatched up her talons and held them tight. "He didn't find you, he stole you! He knew where I'd hidden you for your own safety, and he betrayed me. I wanted you. You were the only thing I ever wanted. And I've done everything I can to find you!"
It was suddenly hard to breathe. "You're… you're…"
"Yes, Sunny," Thorn nodded, eyes glistening. "I'm your mother."
Qibli looked from one to the other. "Wait, what?"
Sunny launched herself at Thorn, wings going as far around her as she could reach. Thorn laughed and enfolded her in her own wings. Everything was warm, everything was love. "I knew you didn't really abandon me!"
"I knew I'd find you one day." Thorn - her mother! - whispered back. "Didn't think you'd come flying right into my patrol, though. Funny, brave little dragon."
"But, what were your dragons doing out there?"
"I run a band of misfits and rejects and deserters, called the Outclaws." said her mother proudly. "We got tired of the endless fighting among the princesses. So we chose to oppose all of them. We protect the citizens they won't. Whether it's stopping their conscriptions, or helping a destroyed village, or guarding oases from apathetic armies."
"Thanks to Thorn," Qibli jumped up proudly, "we've helped dragons from the Scorpion Den to the northern pits. Not even the great crime lords mess with us!"
"So, what happened with the patrol?" Sunny asked.
"Those were Blister's." said Thorn. "Her captains are hand picked because they're almost as ruthless as she is. Had that band caught you, they would've tortured you for information they knew you likely didn't have. Whenever we see them, I kill them, and I expect my Outclaws to do the same."
"But… they can't all be bad."
Thorn sighed. "Its not my favourite part of the job, but if you want to lead dragons, you have to show them you're willing to get your claws dirty, beetle."
"Beetle?"
As if it surprised her to be caught out, Thorn laughed. "That was my pet name for you, when you were still in the egg."
"Wait," said Sunny quickly, an idea forming in her mind. "If you're Outclaws are so well respected, maybe you can help me! It's my friends, the other dragonets of destiny!"
And so Sunny told her mother her tale. From escaping the caves she'd been raised in, to her captivity in the Sky Kingdom, to the trip to the Kingdom of the Sea. And then she told her about the rainforest, about the NightWings' horrible plan, and how she and her friends and all the RainWings had been on the run for months. Thorn was quiet throughout, only asking the occasional question. Qibli wanted to ask many more questions, Sunny could see him trying to chew on his own tongue so as to not interrupt. But as her story continued, his eyes grew wider and wider. The only thing Sunny left out, was the part where Morrowseer had admitted the prophecy wasn't real. That felt like something personal she needed to keep.
"Oh, Sunny," murmured Thorn softly, and pulled her daughter in for another hug. "I know what you want to ask. But I can't help all the RainWings. Blister is making a push throughout the Kingdom and my Outclaws need to oppose her in any way we can."
She frowned and pulled back enough to look up into her mother's face. "Won't she be too preoccupied? Burn will kick her out same as she always has."
"By all the snakes!" Qibli gaped at her. "Haven't you heard?! Burn's dead!"
"What?!"
"It's true," said Thorn. "Rumour has it, Blister sent her sister a two-headed dragonbite-viper. It's a snake whose venom is so powerful it can kill a full grown dragon in one bite. Burn had a collection of wierd-things. I don't know what happened, but Prince Smolder - Burn's second in command - announced it a couple months ago. The entire desert has been in turmoil ever since."
Sunny could hardly believe it. One of the SandWing sisters, dead already? And Blister was taking over the Kingdom of Sand? This couldn't be good! It had to have something to do with Blister's alliance with the NightWings. With two thirds of the split SandWing army under her control, would that mean she now had the means to fight a war on two fronts? Fight Blaze and help the NightWings capture her friends?!
"I-I have to go!" Sunny shrieked. "My friends - they might be in danger!"
"But what can you do?" Qibli asked.
"Warn them, move them, do something!"
"But you said you'd already gone through most of the mountains. Where're you gonna hide now?"
That was the ultimate question, wasn't it? Sunny had come out here looking for help, but she still had yet to find it. What haven existed in this world where she and her friends would be safe?"
"There…" Thorn said slowly. "There is a place you could go." she met Sunny's eyes. "Jade Mountain."
That rang a bell. "Kestrel said something about getting a message through the dragon at Jade Mountain…"
"There is a dragon there, trapped, forgotten… he could help you. But I'm not sure…"
"Mother…?"
Thorn cracked a smile. "I've been called many things, but 'mother' is by far the strangest and best at the same time." Then she grew serious again. "Alright… Sunny? The dragon at Jade Mountain… he's your father."
Sunny blinked, and then all her questions came pouring out. "What? How? Why? What would a SandWing be doing up there? Why is he imprisoned?"
"He did it himself." Thorn muttered. "He thought he was a danger to everyone around him. So he exiled himself into the Mountain. I tried to convince him, tried to make him live a life with me - but he wouldn't. Not even when I told him I was with egg. Eventually I had to leave him to live his life - or lack thereof - how he wished. I had to focus on you, on surviving the war long enough to meet you."
"Why would he do that? Why was he so dangerous."
Thorn made a face like she'd eaten a really bad camel. She looked from Sunny to Qibli, but he seemed just as interested in hearing this story too. "Errr, you see, um, there's no easy way to say this. But… Sunny? Your father… he's an Animus. A NightWing Animus."
Sunny could still hardly believe it three days later as she beat her wings harder and harder to drive her through the winds that heralded the coming storm.
Her father was a NightWing. Sunny was a hybrid!
Deciding that her mother couldn't help her in her quest, Sunny had chosen to follow her advice and find her father. Thorn hadn't wanted her to leave, had tried to bargain and plead that she stay and join the Outclaws. And for a brief moment, Sunny had been tempted by the warm, loving wings around her. But she couldn't abandon her friends. Couldn't leave them to die.
Even if this plan seemed like suicide.
She didn't really know why it was more shocking to her that her father being a NightWing was more troubling than him being an Animus. From her time in the Kingdom of the Sea, Sunny knew of the legend of Animus dragons. It was said that they could do anything, enchant anything to do whatever they liked. But every time they used magic, a piece of their soul was lost as the price. If an Animus used too much, they would eventually turn evil.
But even knowing that, it was the whole NightWing bit that had Sunny more worried. What if her father turned her and her friends over to Morrowseer? Wouldn't he care more about his precious tribe than her? But her mother assured her that her father - Stonemover - wasn't part of the NightWing tribe anymore.
"I met him when he came to the Scorpion Den." Thorn had told her. "He was quiet, earnest, and sincere. Unlike anyone I'd ever met before. Over many visits, we slowly fell in love. He showed me that he was the one that built the secret tunnels for his tribe, but he wouldn't explain what they were for. Then one evening, I saw a big NightWing, word around town was that he was looking for Stonemover. When I told him, he said it was Morrowseer, and became so frightened. He left me that night. Ran away to Jade Mountain, said it was for the best, that the world should forget him, his tribe never find him. To protect me. I never understood why."
Sunny tried to understand it as well. Jade Mountain loomed ahead, massive and imposing. It was the tallest mountain in all of Pyhrria. She'd spent the entire afternoon combing along its great sides to try and find a cave entrance or something!
She turned to her companion - Qibli. "Find anything yet?"
"Might've," he called back. "Up on the south-west side. Come on!"
Thorn had insisted that if her daughter was going back into potential danger, she would need protection. Qibli hadn't liked being volunteered. Thorn was his duty, he said, he had to protect her, had to help her in any way possible. It had taken an hour, and many different styles of persuasion, but eventually Thorn had gotten him to come around. There was no one she trusted more. Qibli had been visibly upset by having to leave Thorn, but he did as she bid loyally.
His devotion was so great that Sunny hadn't been able to stop herself from asking: "Is Thorn your mother too?"
He laughed, his first smile since they'd left the Kingdom of Sand. "Moons, no! She saved me from my mother. Besides, as I understand it, there's only ever been one egg for Thorn - and that's you."
Over their time travelling, Qibli's initial frostiness had vanished, and he followed her lead without question. Sunny found his confidence rather reassuring. So when he said he spotted an entrance into the mountain, she didn't second-guess him. Qibli had quite the brain and a knack for observing things, she'd noticed. They found the cave entrance and landed in the dark and dry - narrowly avoiding the start of the downpour outside.
Sunny found a tree branch that must've blown in some time ago. With a quick breath of fire, she ignited the ends, and they had enough light to see by. "Well, let's go find my father."
"Totally looking forward to it…" Qibli murmured, looking around at the jagged stalactites and stalagmites that pointed at them like they were trapped in some gargantuan mouth.
The cave turned into a passage and the two dragons followed it down. It didn't take long to branch out, and soon Sunny found herself inside a masterwork of caverns and underground fresh lakes and secret openings onto valleys. There were enough tunnels down here to house maybe a thousand dragons! Qibli stopped them from getting lost, marking their progress by carving symbols on the walls they passed.
Eventually, they found their way to a cave near the summit of the mountain. The stalactites having been cleared out from the entrance and within. And there, at the back, lay a large NightWing. He was bigger than Thorn, but certainly not as big as Morrowseer. When their torchlight flickered over his dull, scratched up ebony scales, his eyes blinked open. Green eyes - just like Sunny's.
"Oh…" Sunny said, the entire speech she'd rehearsed flying out of her head. "So, um, hi! I'm Sunny…"
He didn't respond, just stared.
"I'm Qibli," said Qibli. "Are you Stonemover?"
That surprised him and he answered in a creaking voice. "Yes."
It's really him, Sunny wondered in amazement. She wasn't quite sure what she was feeling. Joy? Disappointment? He was just laying there… Why?
Stonemover went to sit himself up a little bit, as if to speak to them better. But then his face contorted in pain and he laid back down. His wings dragged along the ground. That was when Sunny noticed… His wings were crippled.
She gasped. "What happened to you?!"
He glanced at where the bones had been broken and malformed, the joints and membranes shredded and ruined. He sighed. "I had to do it. Snapped and crushed them. So I couldn't escape this place."
Sunny thought she might be sick. The only entrance she and Qibli had found had been more than half-way up the mountain. The only way in or out was with wings. But to mutilate himself…?! Qibli took a step forward, eyes scanning Stonemover. "If you can't hunt, how're you surviving?"
Stonemover didn't answer at first. He lifted his head to a ledge up the rockwall and poked his snout into a bundle of sticks and straw. An indignant squawk erupted and a feathered head popped out. A hawk looked down at all three dragons most indignantly, as if it didn't fear them at all.
"This… is Dinner," said Stonemover in his slow, grating way. "We have a… symbiotic partnership. She brings me food, and I scare away any predator who would smash her eggs."
The bird gave another loud shriek, as if it were reprimanding Stonemover for waking it up unnecessarily, before hunkering back down its nest to sleep again.
"You trained it," Qibli whistled. "Impressive. Wouldn't give my wings up for it though."
"Had to," he groaned. "To protect Thorn."
"From the NightWings?" Sunny asked. "Why did you leave them? They're your tribe, aren't they?"
"Couldn't keep doing it. Couldn't go along… with their plan anymore. Wasn't right… They would hurt Thorn if they found out… about us. So I left. To stop the NightWings from using me again."
"Because you're an animus?" said Sunny.
Stonemover's eyes flickered back to her, up and down. That had definitely surprised him. "Who are you?"
"I'm…" she faltered, how was it suddenly so hard to just say it? "Okay, the truth is, I'm your daughter. Thorn is my mother. I just found her - wow, only a few days ago. She told me about you - and I wanted to come meet you. I hope that's okay?"
Had she talked too fast? Stonemover looked like he was in shock. "I can't believe I have a daughter…I used to dream - I would think about what our dragonets would look like…"
"Bet you didn't picture me." she said ruefully.
For the first time, his lips twitched into an expression other than melodramatic despair. Sunny might almost say he looked amused! "And I bet you didn't picture me, either."
"We need your help," said Qibli.
"Oh! Yes, right," she shook her head - focus, Sunny! "Morrowseer and the NightWings have taken over the rainforest. He's after me and my friends. We need your help."
"Me?"
"Yeah," Qibli nodded. "They need a safe place to stay. And whilst Jade Mountain is big enough, Morrowseer's bound to notice a load of dragons coming and going all the time. But you're an Animus! You can make it so Jade Mountain's completely safe: Morrowseer and the NightWings won't find it, and no one could get in except us."
Sunny hadn't thought of that. She'd just thought to ask her father's permission to use his 'property' as a sanctuary. Afterall, if her father wanted solitude for so long, having a load of dragons just show up would be a bit rude. But Qibli had a point. With her father's powers they could make sure their enemies could never find them.
Stonemover sighed - he sighs a lot, Sunny thought. "I can't."
"Because of your soul?"
"No, I literally can't." He spread his talons in a helpless gesture, the joints popping where he hadn't used them in so long. "My power is not my own."
"What're you talking about?"
"Animus dragons are dangerous… magic is a curse…" Stonemover's voice dropped even lower with old bitterness. "After so long, we go mad. It hurts our souls. The NightWings had a bad one… many centuries ago… We learned from it. Made it so it couldn't happen again."
Sunny and Qibli leaned forward unconsciously, eyes bright with curiosity in the torchlight.
"One of my ancestors… an Animus named Glassreader… he cast a spell that restricted his magic, and all those of his bloodline. So that they could not cast a spell… without the permission of their Keeper."
"Oh, that's clever!" Qibli said. "So they always had someone to second guess their spells to make sure there weren't any dangers in it. And then even if they went bad, they'd need permission before they used magic to kill everyone. Which, obviously, they wouldn't do!"
"So you can't cast any spell unless your Keeper tells you to?" Sunny asked. "Who is it?"
She had a sinking feeling who it would be before her father confirmed it. "Morrowseer."
"Oh, that's just great!" she cursed, slamming her tail in frustration. "Yeah, sure, Morrowseer's totally gonna give us permission to set up a super-secret-base that he can't get in to!"
Qibli's wings gave a weird tremble. "Does he know you're here?"
Stonemover shook his head. "He probably thinks I'm dead… and is glad of it. He was never satisfied with the role of being my guardian that he'd been born into… That's why he climbed to the Queen's ear. Saved her life when she nearly froze to death… He wanted more…"
"Born into?" Qibli said.
Stonemover nodded. "Animus power runs in the blood of my family… So do the Keepers… Morrowseer's ancestors were the first. It has been in his family ever since. His bloodline… are the only ones who can do it."
Sunny grabbed hold of Qibli's arm, maybe digging her talons in a little too hard. Her heart was pounding. What were the chances that she found out she needed one specific dragon, who just so happened to be right where she needed them? Just as Sunny had been about ready to give up on the idea of destiny, here was proof!
"Qibli!" she whispered excitedly. "I know exactly who we have to find!"
As expected, the RainWings and the other Dragonets of Destiny had had to move on during the couple of weeks that Sunny had been away. But her friends had cleverly left clues for Sunny to follow. There had been happy reunions and of course Tsunami and Glory had yelled at her for being so reckless and worrying them all to death. But they'd all been so happy to be reunited, that Sunny's fears of them all splitting up had been vanquished.
She'd then led her friends and a very nervous Moonwatcher back to Jade Mountain. Moon had been keeping to herself the past few months, Sunny had noticed. Whether because she sensed that no one trusted her because of who her father was, or living on her own for so long had made her that way. Sunny didn't know, but she was now willing to extend the olive branch.
She and Qibli led the other five to Stonemover's chamber and explained their big plan: that Stonemover would create a magical shield around Jade Mountain so that no one could find them, wouldn't even know they were there, couldn't even get in unless invited. And Moonwatcher was going to give him the permission to cast the spell. And then Sunny and her friends and the RainWings could stay in peace, could operate as a resistance against Morrowseer and Blister and the evil things they were going to do.
"But… Sunny…" Clay had tried to say in his best way, to make sure he wouldn't hurt her feelings, because he was so caring and awesome like that. "We don't have to fight…"
"But I want to." she stood tall, her face resolute. "If we don't, then this war is going to be without end. It'll go on and on and on. Dragons will wonder why we didn't save them. Everyone always thinks it's someone else's job to save the day. Someone else will fix the world. But someone has to stand up and do it. And I want to be that kind of dragon. I want to give all those dragons out there hope, hope that this war can end, that we can build a better world!"
Oddly enough, it was Glory who immediately nodded her head and stood by Sunny. "I agree. Morrowseer and Blister won't stop - not for anything. I say we not only stop them, but kick them back down to whatever holes they crawled out of."
"And we could get other tribes to join us," nodded Starflight, "The IceWings and MudWings would help, seeing as they opposed Blister most directly."
"And the SkyWings and SeaWings too!" Clay said, excitement building in him.
They all turned to Tsunami and she gave a dramatic sigh. "A big fight on our hands with slim chances of success but a great way to stick our talons up the noses of those who deserve it? You had me at hello."
And so it was decided, they would form a rebellion. They would really fight to stop this war.
Moonwatcher was very quiet, daunted, as she was told her new responsibilities. Animus magic of the NightWings could be controlled by her. Stonemover seemed a little awkward, having to meet the daughter of his jailor and now deferring to a seven-and-a-half year old when he was probably four times that. As well as the fact that he was being asked to use his magic again. A risk to his soul.
Sunny stepped up beside him whilst the others were still talking. She put one talon on his, and was surprised with how warm he was. "If you really don't want to…"
"If it… makes you safe…" he murmured slowly.
"Hey! Quick question!" Tsunami said loudly. "What if Morrowseer or any of his NightWings get close enough to read our minds? Is the shield gonna stop him hearing our thoughts too?"
Stonemover gave out a weird barking-cough that took Sunny a moment to recognise as a laugh. "That… won't be necessary. NightWings haven't had the powers of old in over two hundred years."
Everyone stared at him, stunned. Then they swivelled their heads on Moon for confirmation. If it were possible, she looked ready to bolt. Tucking in her shaking wings, she nodded mutely.
"Okay!" Qibli crowed with triumph, a stick in hand from where he'd been writing in the dirt of the cavern floor. He'd taken it upon himself to come up with the exact wording of the spell, so that they could be sure nothing would be left out or the magic couldn't go awry. They all gathered round to observe his work, nodding with enthusiasm. Yes! This was going to be perfect! Qibli turned to Moon with a sideways smile. "Care to do the honours?"
She nodded reluctantly, and stepped forward. "Um, S-Stonemover? I… I'm not sure how to do this. But… Okay. Stonemover, I give you permission to cast the magical shield around Jade Mountain - according to how Qibli's written it."
"Nice," the SandWing nodded. "Specific and to the point."
His praise seemed to let Moon relax a little bit.
Stonemover stretched his neck and squinted his eyes to read the words in the dirt. He cleared his throat and pressed his talons into the stone. "I enchant an invisible shield to stretch around Jade Mountain and its surrounding valleys. May it protect all those within from detection from the outside, so that it seems that the Mountain is uninhabited and uninteresting. Have the shield prevent any and all dragons from entering its borders unless they are invited inside. Only the dragons standing in this room right now shall have the power to extend that invitation, and no other. Once invited, that dragon may come and go as they please but shall be excluded should their invitation be rescinded. May this shield be unaffected by any other magic, until I enchant it again to be undone."
That last line had been Sunny's idea, in case Blister decided to kidnap Tsunami's sister, Anemone, and use her magic to take down the shield. Tsunami had growled murderously at the thought of anyone touching her little sister.
When the spell was done, was it Sunny's imagination, or did she feel a slight electric tingle race across her scales?
"Did it work?" Starflight asked, twisting his head to look around, even though he was blind and a blindfold had been tied across his eyes.
"I… I think it did," said Glory wondrously.
"We did it!" Sunny cried and leapt for joy. "What're we waiting for? Let's get the other RainWings! Let's go! Let's save the world!"