A/N: What's this? A new chapter within a week?! My fingers are on fire!
Honestly though, the response to last chapter was amazing - thank you so much to everyone! And please, everyone reading this should go and check out Aegaen on YouTube if you haven't already. They're an amazing artist and they recently did a picture of the Scarlet vs Ruby fight from last chapter! I love it so much!
On a more serious note, this chapter comes with a mild TW: mentions of suicide and gore will follow.
Chapter Forty One
"I'm worried," muttered Tsunami as she paced back and forth.
"You're always worried," said Starflight, carefully eating into a papaya in his talons. Tsunami had brought him down to the Prey Centre - they'd come down after the breakfast rush. They hadn't had any time together in a while, and she wanted to change that. But of course, their conversation had inevitably turned to work, which was why she was pacing right now.
"We haven't heard from the Jade Winglet in days," Tsunami said through gritted teeth. "The last report from Thorn said the mission was a success but that they disappeared. Is no one but me concerned as to where they might be?!"
"Yes, we are," said Starflight - and Tsunami didn't know if his seemingly endless patience soothed her or irritated her more. "But there's very little we can do right now. They're all grown adults, and our enemies haven't used them for ransom, so we know they haven't been captured."
"But what if they're injured? Or worse, dead? Or worse, stuck somewhere?"
"How is being stuck worse than dead?"
"Can't you see I'm trying to make a point, Starflight?" The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.
Starflight had an uncanny ability to even make his expression look sarcastic. "Funnily enough, I can't see much of anything these days, Tsunami."
She winced. "I'm sorry." She paused, and a wave of guilt overcame her as it always did when she was around Starflight, was aware of his condition, and was also aware of the power her brother had to fix it. "Starflight… if you could fix your eyes… would you?"
"The healers have told me several times that no cures can bring my eyes back," Starflight said, setting his papaya aside to stare at the floor. "I've accepted that."
"But what if we found an animus object to heal you - oh! Or what if we found my sister! Anemone could magic your eyes better! Would you want that?" She didn't know if she wanted him to say yes, or no, and relieve her of the guilt she'd been carrying for not fixing him sooner.
Starflight seemed to think for a second. "Well, I-"
Footsteps ran by the archway. Tsunami spun in time to see Sunny barrel in with the brightest grin on her face. "Clay's back! Clay's back! Clay's back!" and then she was gone again.
Tsunami helped Starflight hurry as fast as he could to the entrance hall. When they arrived, Sunny and Glory were already there, and Clay was shaking off rain from his wings. Tsunami heard alarms in her head when she saw her adoptive brother. He had cuts and bruises all over him - one eye was nearly swollen shut!
"What in the waves happened to you?!" she demanded.
"Got captured by Scarlet," he chuckled, and then winced when even that seemed to cause him a little pain. "But it's okay now, no big deal."
"Clay," said Glory in her restrained-frustration voice. "That sounds like it should be a very big deal."
"No but it's not, because Scarlet's dead."
Silence. Starflight stammered. "Come again?"
"Yeah - Ruby made a formal challenge against Scarlet and won. She's dead. I saw the whole thing."
Sunny looked from one to the other amongst the group. "Does this mean… it's over? No more nightmares? She's finally gone?"
Clay smiled and pulled her into his wings. "Yeah, Sunny. She's finally gone."
"Where's Peril?" Glory asked before anyone else could get in on the celebration. That was a good point, Tsunami realised. Usually she would stick to Clay like sticky sap. But now the firescales was nowhere to be found.
"Oh, she had to leave," said Clay, shrugging. "Something about finding her friends in the rainforest."
"WHAT?!" said several voices at once.
"WHY would they be in the rainforest?!" demanded Glory.
"When did this happen!?" squeaked Sunny.
"Clay, that seems like that should be something you need to worry about!" snapped Starflight.
"AM I THE ONLY ONE WORRIED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE WHOLE JADE WINGLET IS MISSING?!" shouted Tsunami.
Clay's big stupid goofy grin was infuriating. "I don't need to worry. I trust that Peril has got this. And more importantly," he held up something that he'd been holding in one talon. A glittering sapphire in the shape of a star. "I found this on Scarlet's body. Something big's about to happen. I don't know what or how. But I thought we could use this to find out what and then mobilise our forces when we do know."
Tsunami stared at Clay for a moment. Then she marched over to him and punched him in the shoulder. He flinched and moaned at the pain, but then she was throwing her wings around him. "Clay," she said, "you are such an idiotic genius!"
The rainforest felt… strange. It had been years since Turtle had last been here, but he remembered it differently to this. Before, birdsong and the calls of monkeys could be heard amidst the chitter of insects, like the rainforest had its own music. Colour had been present in every tree and scents of so many flowers had made every corner feel new and rejuvenating. But now, that had all changed. Amidst the trees, every shadow seemed to grow larger and deeper than the last. Often the forest was eerily quiet, and the odd bird screech felt out of place and like a warning. A wind through the canopy felt like a thousand voices whispering, spying, reporting. Gone was the place of warmth and home, now the rainforest was spooky and filled with danger. Turtle couldn't be blamed for believing that behind every tree lurked an enemy waiting to strike.
Since they'd rested at the river, the Jade Winglet had flown through the night before finally arriving at the outskirts of the rainforest the next morning. They'd decided to combine Qibli and Winter's plan; heading west as far as possible and then cutting to the coast. Kinkajou was the one to lead them, as she was the only one who knew the forest well. Turtle had given Winter his pinecone that made him un-note-worthy. The IceWing was the one amongst them most likely to stand out, so he needed every advantage. They all followed Kinkajou in silence so as not to draw attention, but Turtle couldn't help but feel that the silence only added to his anxieties. Kinkajou was unusually quiet, her eyes focused but filled with worry. Turtle didn't know what was going through her mind, and wished he could offer her some comfort.
At one point, Kinkjaou paused and cocked her head, large ear tilted up as she listened. She turned to the others, shook her head and pointed a claw further west. "We're too close to Wind Canyon," she whispered. "We need to head this way."
"What's Wing Canyon?" Qibli asked.
"A big gorge. It runs very deep with a tiny creek at the bottom. It goes all the way to the ocean."
Winter frowned. "Shouldn't we follow it, then?"
"Winds are funnelled straight from the coast and into the canyon. Makes it too dangerous to fly, your wings'll get ripped out from under you."
They didn't argue with her anymore and followed as she went further west and then south. The trees were too dense to fly, but they covered a lot of ground as they walked at brisk pace. Winter seemed to be suffering a little in the Rainforest's heat and humidity. He would often snort and shake his head, though he dared not open his bright white-blue wings to fan himself. Finally, by noon, the trees began to thin and they reached the coast. Turtle tried not to let the comfort of the sea give him a false sense of security. The NightWings could just as easily be patrolling the beaches as they would the forest. Knowing they had miles of coast to cover and too little time to do it in safety, Turtle picked up a coconut shard and enchanted it to lead him to Fathom's Sanctuary. They knew a rough estimate of where it might be, thanks to Jerboa's directions, but this would lead them right there. Flying low over the shallow waves, they all followed Turtle for another hour… and then they found it.
Just a small stretch from the beach, near the centre of the coast boarding the rainforest kingdom, they found a lagoon. Its waters were a brilliant crystal blue, the sands on its beaches almost bone white. It looked like something straight out of a fairytale. Two sides surrounding the lagoon were cliffs almost three-dragons high, making it feel as if this place was safe and secluded. Turtle could imagine how this was perfect for a SeaWing hiding away from the world - tucked away from the rest of the world, access to the sea, able to bring in any fish back home. Vibrating in Turtle's palm, the coconut shard said this was the place. This was Fathom's Sanctuary.
Winter found the house almost by accident. Well, it wasn't much of a house. A small stone cabin barely big enough to house all the Jade Winglet comfortably, now crumbling and overgrown with vines and shrubs and young trees. They all worked together to clear away the overgrowth, tearing out the plants until they found the doorway. The wooden door crumbled at the slightest touch, and inside was… quiet. There was a hole in the wall that must've been a fireplace, rotting barrels for storage in one corner. There was a desk full of small carvings, all discoloured and covered in moss or rot. A mattress full of mice was pushed against one wall.
"This feels… odd," murmured Winter, gently picking up one of the carvings that looked in the vague shape of a SeaWing. "It's like Fathom was just halfway through his day and then just vanished. Nothing here suggests he grew old and put things away for the final time."
"What is it we're supposed to be looking for, exactly?" asked Kinkajou.
"Um," Qibli looked a little uncomfortable to realise he didn't know. "Not sure. Maybe Jerboa meant for us to find something magical?"
Winter opened a barrel and looked inside. "Any kind of clue to tell us how to get to the Night Kingdom."
"Like a map?" Kinkajou snorted. "That'd be convenient."
Turtle tapped a claw on his chin, deep in thought. Fathom was a SeaWing, an ancestor. If Turtle was all alone, far away from anyone he knew and loved, the silence would be what might drive him crazy with loneliness. He'd want something to give the illusion of talking to someone. Like a pet, or a diary or…
He glanced up at the ceiling, all along the corners until he found it - a stone that looked different from the others. It was an old SeaWing practice: that on the island pavilions in the Bay of a Thousand Scales, there would be secret airtight compartments. Documents and precious things would be kept inside to keep safe from usual tides. Though they had invented waterproof paper and his mother had pioneered the ink that would work even in the ocean, the practice was still kept. So Turtle only had to reach up and find the catch that would allow the stone to open… and there, inside, he found it.
A stack of papers, bound together by a piece of cord. Sealed as they had been in the compartment, they were well preserved, and Turtle could make out the ink on the pages - words! He read just a few lines, and realised immediately what it was - a journal. Fathom had written down everything!
"Guys!" Turtle said, his voice barely above a whisper, as if he feared this might break something magical. "I think I found it…"
They heard him, and when they crowded around him and saw what it was he'd discovered, an awed hush fell over the group. Qibli gathered some wood from the rotting barrels, put them in the fireplace, and set it ablaze so that they all had light with which to see by. Having this journal in his hands, reading the words on the page… Turtle felt something strange in his heart. Fathom wrote in similar fashion to Turtle, the same words and phrases he might've used. It felt like Deja-vu, like he'd seen this before.
Something warm stroked his wing, and Turtle nearly startled, until he realised it was Kinkajou. She gave him a small smile. "Read it."
Taking a deep breath as if that alone could steady his pounding heart, Turtle did.
I find myself writing this, after days and days of travel, and I don't know what compels me to do so. Maybe, now that I have finally stopped running, the quiet feels too much. I have to write it down - maybe then it'll all start to make sense to me. I can find where it was that I went wrong.
Darkstalker, my brother, he's gone. I knew, but Clearsight confirmed it, and now I don't know what to think. A part of me is so sad I could weep - he was my best friend, the only person who looked out for me, who understood me. The thought that I'll never see him again… is it terrible of me to mourn him? But another part of me is relieved. Towards the end he was so vindictive, so cruel, and with all that power he was nearly unstoppable. Clearsight managed to get him to wear the bracelet - the bracelet I enchanted, the spell that broke my vow. So long as Darkstalker is wearing it, he will sleep in eternal slumber. I made sure he wouldn't have nightmares, that seemed too cruel even if some might say he deserved it.
I wonder where he went so bad, what was the turning point that put him on the path of evil. Clearsight said it wasn't one singular thing, but multiple little things that all added up. But even so, when I look back, I cannot find where it was that I might've seen the signs. Was I that oblivious?
When we were dragonets, I knew he was mistreated - the adults made no attempt to hide that he was their thing, a weapon, a tool, nothing more. He tried to hide it, but I knew that they beat him and pushed him to his limits to train him into being what they wanted. Yet whenever he came home he was the sweetest dragon - he'd even sneak me treats. I know now that Queen Vigilance and the other NightWings wanted me to join their "program", to be another animus at their beck and call. I know Darkstalker was the one who shielded me from that - he knew how afraid I was of my powers, and he protected me from being forced to use them. But as a result, he had to take the brunt of the abuse. I tried to turn a blind eye, and maybe that was selfish of me. Especially when the program was finally explained to me. That Darkstalker was the product of generations of selective breeding, to create the perfect specimen - a flying ability equal to a SkyWing, a talent in combat equal to the SandWings, strength comparable to MudWings. As well as being gifted in telepathy and foresight. Animus magic was the last ingredient, and they cultivated it from Arctic and timed it perfectly so Darkstalker would hatch on the Brightest Night. And once he was here, they wanted nothing but perfection. Whiteout had no powers, so she was useless, and Darkstalker would do anything, endure anything, if it meant keeping her safe.
Maybe I took his protection for granted. Maybe it was wrong of me to expect him to bear this burden and use him as my shield. But after what happened with Albatross… I was so broken. Perhaps that is my share in the guilt for this tragedy. When my brother was mistreated, my silence was compliance.
"I knew it!" Winter said, jolting Turtle from his immersion. "I knew the NightWings plotted to steal Prince Arctic from us!"
"Fathom seems so sad," Kinkajou said. "He can't blame himself for what happened when he was a dragonet."
"Read on," Qibli urged. Turtle turned the page; the next entry was dated a few weeks after the first.
I finally finished my home. This is to be my exile, my Sanctuary. The RainWings don't bother me, perfectly content to ignore my existence so long as I stick to the sea. I'm happy with that. The world of dragons is no longer for me. I don't have Clearsight's appetite to learn about the unknown and go to lands lost to time. Besides, someone has to stay in Pyrrhia in case he wakes up again. If my life will be dedicated to that watch, then so be it.
But lately, my mind has been cast back to think on Vigilance. Darkstalker was so angry with her. She wasn't a great queen, I'll admit - she was vain and paranoid. Even when her kingdom was at war, she didn't let that stop her from throwing her grand parties or tourneys. And she never once visited the front lines, never once participated in a battle, or so Darkstalker told me. It always irked him that she wasn't involved, that she was prepared to make decisions that put the lives of her soldiers in peril, but never once came to see the conditions in which they were fighting.
More than that, I know he hated being her toy. As Darkstalker got older and left his dragonethood behind, the queen relied on him more and more. He was her animus, the same way Albatross had been to Queen Lagoon. She would parade him around her court, showing him off and the things she could command him to do. And as the war went on, and she became impatient for results, her requests became more and more depraved. And after Darkstalker saw his mother die on the battlefield, he was lost to grief and anger. I know now that he blamed himself, and he wanted to vent that anger. Vigilance was just the one to provide him with a target to direct that vengeance. When she had IceWing prisoners, she would summon Darkstalker, would ask him to use his magic to extract information from them in the most gruesome ways. Maybe it was her who fostered cruelty in his heart, maybe she was the one who nurtured his vindictive side, taught him how to harness it and bring it out. And with Darkstalker's power and his intellect, he could think up a dozen different ways to make a dragon suffer.
She was impatient to explore the darker regions of his incomparable imagination. Who knew how many more 'amusing deaths' still waited to be conjured from the dungeon of his tortured mind?*
Increasingly, during this period, he began to escape to my estate, fleeing from the horrors of his own imagination to take refuge in the innocent laughter of our dragonethood. "It's so peaceful here," he told me once in a rare moment of confidence. "It's the only place in Pyrrhia where I don't dream I'm drowning in a sea of blood." *
I never told Clearsight any of this. Perhaps I should have. Maybe she could've stopped things before they went too far. But I couldn't bring myself to betray him. He was so lost after Foeslayer's death, and Clearsight fretted too much over the future, I didn't want her to overreact and take it out on him, not when he needed our support. My pity was his undoing.
The next entry was only a day later.
The dreams - or memories, I don't know which is which - they won't stop. Vigilance was the key to all this, I'm sure of it. She kept pushing, wanting tighter and tighter control. I remember now. A few months before it all went to hell, she'd begun to suspect that Darkstalker wasn't loyal. He was meant to be marrying Princess Celestial, but kept delaying. I know now that Darkstalker was putting spells on Vigilance to keep her agreeable with his wishes, but his spell was not ironclad - he allowed her enough freewill that she began to go beyond his limitations. It only proved to make her more on edge, more prone to find enemies where there were none.
She'd suspected Darkstalker of having a dalliance with someone other than the princess, but she didn't know exactly who. So she had Darkstalker followed, and saw that he often spoke to a serving girl - she didn't know at the time that said dragoness was just a messenger, relaying secret love-notes between Darkstalker and Clearsight. The girl had been too stupid and had not looked at the notes herself, so she didn't know what was in them. It might've saved her. Vigilance thought she was plotting treason with Darkstalker and so had her arrested. Then, she'd summoned Darkstalker to the palace, to confront him with an image of his "lover" being executed.
I wasn't there in the palace myself, but I paid the guards to tell me what transpired. They were all too eager to spill the gossip.
"I have chosen to honour you today, Darkstalker, with a little entertainment of my own devising," the Queen had said. "I think you will agree that I have studied your art with some distinction and I would welcome your opinion on my choice of subject." And Darkstalker had stood for a moment grimly contemplating the sight that met his gaze before turning back to the Queen. The guards say that, when he spoke, the chill of his voice would've frozen the entire Kingdom of the Sea: "I see you have learned nothing under my tuition, Your Majesty. I find your choice of subject vulgar and tedious, the work of an amateur who has failed to understand her artistic limitations." *
In her fury at his insolence, she'd sent him back to the front lines. She recalled him back to court within a week, in time for her Jubilee Ball. That's when she'd discovered the truth - that Clearsight was the one whom he loved. From that moment on, it was a silent war between them, a game of control and dominance. And I was pulled into it. I should've realised what was about to happen, but I didn't want to see it. I wanted to believe that everything would calm and we could go back to the way things used to be.
Looking back, I should've seen Vigilance for what she really was when she summoned me, alone, to the palace and showed off to me the latest magical creation Darkstalker had enchanted for her. I knew she wanted me to replace him, that this was her test and her warning. I'll never forget it.
* "There cannot be another monarch in the world who possesses a palace such as this," I assured her fatuously. "You have a great jewel of architecture and a servant who is truly without equal in this world."
The Queen frowned and flicked a speck of dust from her shoulder. "As he has served me, so may he serve others. They say his fame has already spread throughout Pyrrhia and that the Queen of the RainWings now seeks to lure him from my service."
I'd felt my mouth turn dry with apprehension. "I'm sure your majesty may quite safely ignore such malicious rumours. Darkstalker's loyalty–"
The Queen laughed abruptly. "Do you think me foolish enough to believe in that drake's loyalty? He owes allegiance to no one, as I believe you know very well. Darkstalker is entirely without scruple of any kind. He is a murderer – and worse than that, a thief."
"A thief?"
"I know he plots against me, he believes himself my equal." she said. "There was a time when such shameless arrogance amused me, but I find I am increasingly driven to my last nerve by his insolence. A dragon such as he is not to be trusted with state secrets." *
The next was when she tried to capture and execute Clearsight. When Arctic took Whiteout. And when my brother finally lost his mind.
The next entry was dated six months later:
It's today. The first anniversary. I find it hard to believe that it's only been one year. I can't eat, I can't sleep. I can't stop thinking about that day. It doesn't feel like a year ago. Maybe if I write it down, it'll finally clear out of my head, and I can rest.
When IceWings killed Darkstalker's mother, he was broken. He mourned for weeks, barely getting out of bed, barely eating. Clearsight and I were with him and helped him as much as we could. But he wasn't the only one who mourned. Arctic and Foeslayer had always had a difficult relationship. He resented her for having to leave his tribe, blamed himself for the war, and the fact that their happily-ever-after was so messy made them both question whether it was worth it. But deep down, I believe that they genuinely loved each other - Arctic wouldn't have done what he did if that weren't true.
Arctic waited until the Jubilee celebrations were underway, when everyone would be distracted. He'd enchanted a necklace for Whiteout, that would make her obedient, compliant, and make her behave like a normal dragon. Whiteout was always odd, but it was what made her so unique, so beautiful, so compassionate. She always knew what to say to me to make me feel better in the early days. Arctic made her… not her. I don't know if he meant to remove the enchantment later, but it didn't matter. He escaped the Night Kingdom with Whiteout, and meant to fly with her all the way to the Ice Kingdom. Darkstalker and Clearsight saw his intentions in their visions, and so we all gave chase. When we confronted him, Arctic said he was going home. He would trade NightWing secrets in exchange for Foeslayer's body. Whether he thought Queen Diamond still had hold of her or if he thought his magic strong enough to bring back the dead, I don't know. Whiteout would be given as a bride to whomever Diamond chose, so that the royal bloodline could continue. Arctic was grief-stricken and not thinking clearly. That's my only explanation for why he would do this, because we all knew that his plan wouldn't work. Diamond would kill Whiteout, and Arctic would never see his wife's body.
Darkstalker was enraged. He and his father had never liked each other. Arctic saw Darkstalker as the living embodiment of how his love was built on a lie. And Darkstalker had wanted a father who loved him, who would guide him and teach him; and was disappointed when Arctic fell short of those expectations. Darkstalker was so angry at his father's betrayal, at him stealing Whiteout… he wanted him to hurt. So he put a spell on him… one I didn't think was possible…
He enchanted Arctic to obey his every command.
"What?!" Qibli said, wide eyed. "That's not possible! Magic can't enchant dragons, only objects… right?"
"If Darkstalker did that…" Winter murmured, and if it were possible, he looked like he'd turned a shade paler. "He took away his freewill, reduced him to little more than an object, a puppet…"
Turtle read on:
We then all returned to the Night Kingdom. I was so scared, I didn't know what to do but follow. I still regret my cowardice, even today. I didn't do anything. Darkstalker had us land on a stage in the diamond quarter. There was already a crowd of NightWings there - present for the Jubilee festivities. Darkstalker got their attention and told them all what Arctic had done, and commanded he confess to it: that he would give up their secrets, use his magic to help his tribe win the war. Darkstalker then rallied the crowd that they shouldn't suffer a traitor's presence. When Arctic argued back, Darkstalker had him cut out his own tongue. And then he… he…
He ordered Arctic to disembowel himself. Those words will haunt me until the day I die: "Take your talons, open your stomach, and show us all what you're really like on the inside. Pour your life out on this stage."
Kinkajou clapped her talons over her mouth. "I think I'm gonna be sick…"
"Three moons," Winter whispered faintly. He wobbled and had to sit down before his legs gave out from under him. "I knew he murdered him but that… that was evil. There can be no doubt now - a dragon capable of that is not redeemable."
Turtle felt woozy as he skimmed the next few lines. "It says the NightWing tribe were terrified of him after that. But he only made it worse when he went straight to the castle, killed the Queen on her own balcony, and threw her body over the side. That was when he declared himself king."
Qibli's wings fidgeted. "Does Fathom say anything about their famous battle?"
"Yeah. Whilst Darkstalker was distracted with the Queen, Clearsight and Fathom hatched their plan to stop him. They knew he couldn't be stopped conventionally. So they used a bracelet - Darkstalker had gifted it to Clearsight years ago so that her mind couldn't be read by mind-readers. Fathom put a second enchantment on it: that when Darkstalker put it on, it would put him in an enchanted sleep from which he couldn't wake so long as he wore it."
"They had to work with what they had."
"Fathom then battled Darkstalker," Turtle continued. "Mostly to distract him so that he wouldn't see the futures and see Clearsight's plan. But mostly because after the executions, the NightWings were terrified and trying to escape the city, and Darkstalker was using his magic to trap them in, to force them to obey. Fathom wanted to stop it. They battled across the city, exchanging spells, fighting claw-to-claw. Fathom was just buying time, because he knew that with Darkstalker being immortal, he would eventually win. Fathom even hit him with a bolt of lightning and that didn't keep him down for long! It ended when Darkstalker threw Fathom down, and Fathom used one last spell to send him to Clearsight."
"That's when she must've put the bracelet on," Kinkajou said. "Her plan worked."
"There can be no doubt now," Winter stood, his tone grave. "Darkstalker is evil and Moon is in danger. She surely can't know about this - she wouldn't be okay with this!"
"What else does it say?" Qibli asked.
Turtle read through the next few entries. "It says that that's when the NightWing tribe left the continent. They fled in fear that Darkstalker would come after them so they went far away, to an island, and never came back. It mentions Jerboa! She and her mother were there, they found Fathom in the rubble and helped to heal him. All three of them then went north and found the Cove. Clearsight met them there briefly, before she decided she didn't want to stay in Pyrrhia any longer - she wanted a fresh start. So she went west, to find the Lost Continent."
Qibli frowned. "I thought that was a myth."
"When Clearsight left," Turtle read on, "Jerboa 1st showed her true colours. Clearsight had tried to warn Fathom before she left, but he was still taken by surprise. Fathom learned something from Darkstalker, and so made himself impervious to other animus magic. But though she couldn't enchant him, she could still physically imprison him. Fathom speculated that she wanted to steal his magic somehow. But little Jerboa helped him escape. He tried to take her with him, to save her from her mother, but the spells upon her meant she couldn't go too far, and her mother just magicked her back. Fathom was forced to leave her behind. That's when he decided to no longer involve himself in Pyrrhia's affairs, when he chose to live in seclusion and found this sanctuary."
"Yes, yes, we know that!" Winter growled impatiently. "Is there any mention of where the Night Kingdom is?"
Turtle leafed through a few pages, his eyes raking over the words. There! "Oh! Fathom mentions… Sometimes I look west, and a shiver races down my spine to remember all the misery, all the death, all the horror. I'm glad no one goes past the mountains. It's better that way. Let that corner of the continent stay deserted."
"Sand and snakes!" Qibli gasped. "The Night Kingdom is on the talon peninsula!"
Kinkajou screwed up her snout, confused. "But from what I remember, most maps show the talon peninsula as too small to hold a significant kingdom."
"It must've been larger two thousand years ago," said Winter. "Earthquakes, tsunamis, coastal erosion, could've all contributed to its destruction."
Qibli hopped to his feet. "Well, now we finally know where we're going! Let's gather what we can and…"
Turtle wasn't listening anymore. He decided to let the others handle any other details about their journey. Something was calling him to read on. So he sat in the corner by the fire, and continued to read. Fathom wrote more about his life. Remembering all the good times he had in the Night Kingdom, how he and Darkstalker used to be best friends, brothers in all but blood. It made Turtle sad to realise the tragedy of the whole situation and why Fathom felt such intense guilt. He further wrote about living in this sanctuary, about his life of seclusion and how he was slowly starting to accept what happened and move on. At one point, Fathom even contemplated returning to the Kingdom of the Sea and finding his sister again. And then one entry caught his eye, dated five and a half years after Darkstalker's fall.
I can't believe it. I found her! I thought she'd left me, all those years ago, but here she is! I was just out past the reef; the seals were migrating late this year, and I thought it a good opportunity to catch an old fat one. The meat might last me several weeks, but the blubber would be good for candles. That's when I saw her.
Indigo.
She'd been sent by my sister years ago, to retrieve me from the Night Kingdom. We'd fallen in love, and I was ready to run away with her, to find my soulmate and start a new life. I wanted what Darkstalker and Clearsight had. But then, abruptly, she just left. No note, no message as to why she abandoned me. We'd been bickering, mostly about Darkstalker - Indigo didn't trust him, insisted he was evil and using me. I thought maybe she'd given up trying to convince me and that's why she left. Now I know different.
When I approached her, she seemed so… off. She didn't recognise me, her mind seemed to be in a daze, she could barely string a sentence together. Such a contrast to the bright, witty, focused Indigo I knew, I thought for a second she was someone else. But no, she had the same birthmark, same scars, there's no way it isn't her! I brought her back to my Sanctuary. She didn't know how doors worked. It's like she's forgotten everything, like her brain has been wiped clean. Maybe she was injured, or maybe this is some kind of disease. I don't know, but what I am sure of, is that I'm going to take care of her.
Already I know she won't be much trouble. She can't hold a conversation, but she can make her needs known to me. At one point in my life I wanted to marry her, and one of my vows would've said "in sickness and in health". This is sickness and I won't abandon her to it. I still love her. I can't bear to leave her like this.
The next entry was a few weeks later.
Indigo is improving. I think. It's very hard and very draining, if I'm honest. Everything that I try to teach her seems to not sink in, like her brain's not absorbing any information. Or she's just continuously forgetting. But I'm willing to take every success I can. I cried when I got her to say my name last week.
I don't think she's in any pain. She's just a very simplistic creature right now. She knows how to fulfil her bodily functions - she drinks when she's thirsty and eats when she's hungry. She wanders off sometimes, so I have to keep an eye on her, but she's not anxious or confused. The ignorance has at least granted her some bliss. No matter how I try to prompt her, though, she cannot remember anything about her life. At least she seems to enjoy my company. Every time she sees me, she smiles, and my heart melts a little like it did when we were dragonets.
But lately, my mind has been torn. My magic means that I have the power to fix her. I could just say a few words and restore her memory. But now I'm left wondering if I should. I never wanted to use my powers again, but for Indigo I'd break that vow over and over if it meant keeping her safe and happy. The only thing that holds me back is a moral question. I found out yesterday that she's afraid of magic.
It was just a little spell. I hadn't caught enough fish for both of us, so I duplicated the amount. But when Indigo saw the magic, she freaked out! She was terrified but couldn't communicate why. It took me an hour to calm her down. Maybe some instinct inside her is reminded of what happened with Albatross and that's what triggers her? Or is it something else?
Either way, it gives me pause on using magic to heal her. I won't force her like that, it's not right. Maybe over time, I can convince her to trust magic, or at least trust me. I will admit that there is another fear which holds me back. If I restore her memories and she leaves me again… I don't know if I'll be able to bear it.
Turtle's talons were shaking as he realised that the last entry in the journal came only a few weeks later.
Indigo is gone.
I waited too long to fix her. I dithered about with my spell, trying to get it right. I don't know if it's because of her life alone in her condition, or if it's something I've done. But for the past few days she just seemed… content. Like she knew something was coming. Was she sick and didn't realise? Was there some underlying condition that she couldn't communicate with me?
The past two days, she laid by the fire, curled up and content so long as she was warm. She hardly moved, not even to eat or drink. It concerned me, but whenever I came home she would just smile so sweetly at me, and would purr whenever I was near her. This morning, she just seemed so happy whenever I was beside her that I decided to leave my fishing nets and just stay with her. We lay curled up together for hours, just listening to each other's breathing. In a weird way, it was oddly satisfying to just exist with her.
And then, as the sun set, she turned her head. I remarked that she looked sleepy. She smiled and said "Fathom funny…" And then she closed her eyes and just… didn't wake up. I stayed with her for a long time, crying, grieving. When I finally accepted she was gone, I went outside and built her a raft. I filled it with all her favourite flowers and the fruits she liked. I then carried her out and laid her on her vessel and then set it alight before I pushed her out to sea. I watched her go until her blaze faded into nothing, and my heart went with her. That's when I realised that I don't want to be here anymore.
Darkstalker was right. I am too afraid of my own power, and it cost me the dragon I loved most. Darkstalker would've fixed her the second he found her. But I was too much of a coward. Now they're all gone and I'm the only one left. It's too lonely here. I don't want to be alone anymore.
So I write this final goodbye, to whichever curious RainWing might stumble upon this someday. Maybe Darkstalker will dream of me. Should he ever wake up… I hope he knows that I loved him till the end. Goodbye.
Turtle was crying, tears streaming down his face, his chest heaving in quiet didn't even realise he was until the journal ended. A fierce swell of emotion, of bereavement, coursed through his veins and made his chest hurt with the pain. And the thing is, he didn't even know why. Why was he weeping so much for dragons he hadn't even met. For words on a page?
Something touched his tail. It was Kinkajou, wrapping her tail around his. "It's okay, Turtle."
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, wiping at his eyes quickly. "I don't-"
"It's okay," she said again, her smile warm and filled with compassion. "You found his words. He wasn't forgotten. That's good enough for him, I think. It was destiny."
"Destiny?"
"Find the tale of the brother lost…" she quoted and shrugged. "Don't know why it was important, but I think this was meant to be. Keep it. Pour over his words and someday let others know how he lived. Not as a coward, but as a hero. Like you."
Turtle couldn't stop himself. He pulled her into his arms, into his wings, and hugged her. Her warmth was soothing, her heartbeat in his ears matching his own. Just hearing her breathe was enough to soothe this ache in his heart. "I love you," he whispered.
The moment seemed to be suspended. He knew she heard him, could feel her muscles shift when she recognised the words, could sense the shift of colour on her scales. For a second, she pulled back, stared into his eyes and -
"Okay!" Qibli burst back into the hut, a grin on his face. Kinkajou and Turtle jumped apart, but the SandWing didn't seem to notice. "We got everything ready!"
"If we leave now," said Winter, coming in after Qibli. "We can make it to the Night Kingdom just after dusk."
Turtle stuffed the papers of Fathom's journal into his satchel and carefully wiped at his face to rub off any excess tears. He was about to follow the other two males, when Kinkajou suddenly put a talon on his shoulder.
Her ears were alert. "Wait! Something's not right…" and then she turned her scales invisible.
Shadows burst through the door. They came so fast, Turtle thought for a second that the ghosts of this place had sprung up from the grave! They pounced onto Winter first and tried to wrestle Qibli. Turtle saw flashes of speckled star-like wings and realised it was the NightWings! How had they found them?! They'd been careful and… The fireplace! The smoke must've alerted them!
A roar. Another NightWing was rushing towards him! Turtle tried to back up, to give himself room, to find an object to enchant. He grabbed hold of an old carving, as the NightWing grabbed hold of his shoulders. A spell was just forming in his thoughts - he would make them all fall asleep in an instant! But before he could, the NightWing kicked him in the gut, causing Turtle to double over, winded. The NightWing snarled as it grabbed hold of his head, and slammed him into the stone wall.
Instantly, the world went dark, and Turtle knew no more.
Qibli and Winter struggled against their restraints, but there wasn't anything they could do. The NightWings had secured them tightly: bindings on their snouts kept them unable to use their fire and ice, and short chains on their wrists and ankles meant they couldn't manage more than a shuffling walk. Their wings and tails were bound too, and even as they were escorted through the Rainforest, two NightWings held blades against their throats to be sure they wouldn't try anything. Not that they would've. One of the burliest NightWings was carrying an unconscious Turtle on his back, so even if the two drakes tried to escape, they couldn't leave without their SeaWing friend.
The attack had been efficient and precise, Winter couldn't fault them for that. The group had been completely unprepared, and the NightWings had hit them hard and fast. Turtle, their biggest asset, had been rendered unconscious quickly, and the other two had been overwhelmed. Kinkajou had disappeared - Winter could only hope that she'd remained undiscovered, and that hopefully she could organise their rescue. So many "ifs", one shake of Qibli's head, and Winter knew they couldn't rely on anyone but themselves. The NightWings had taken their satchels, which included Fathom's journal and their magical-communication-seashells. By a stroke of luck or genius, Qibli had had the foresight to put the shards of Skyfire they'd found into a makeshift anklet that the NightWings hadn't thought to remove yet. Though Winter didn't know how much they would help in this situation.
They walked for an hour through the dense rainforest, the NightWings saying very little but growls and hisses in their direction. Finally, they seemed to be getting close to their destination. A NightWing pulled out two large leaves and wrapped them around their heads to blindfold them. Winter could only guess that they'd reached the outskirts of the NightWing village, and they didn't want them to know the layout. Blindly, he trudged on. Somewhere, he could hear dragonets, could hear the clanging of blacksmiths and could smell blood from a recent kill. And then the noise was muffled and they were descending a small flight of stairs. Ah, they were to be placed in a dungeon.
The blindfold was whipped off, but before Winter could get his bearings, he was shoved forward and half fell into a cell. Qibli was thrown in right after him. The walls of the cell were wooden, the ground mere dirt. Their chains were secured onto a hook in the floor, preventing them from moving far. One NightWing held their mouths shut, one snout in each talon, as another removed the bindings. Winter tried to struggle, to summon his frost breath if he could just get his mouth open - even an inch! But the grip was freakishly strong. Then, the same other NightWing forced a muzzle onto their snouts; it would allow them to speak, but not to use their fire or ice. Finally, they were released. Then the strong NightWing came in an ungently threw Turtle's prone body to the floor. Winter winced - poor drake was gonna feel that one when he woke up. Without another word, their captors gave one final hiss and then slammed the door shut.
"Great," Qibli muttered when they were both sure the NightWings had exited the prison. "How're we supposed to get out of this one?"
"That's what they all say, lads," came a voice from the cell next to them. Winter tried to shift his weight to see if he could maybe see between the planks of wood separating their cells. The voice sounded male, but Winter couldn't tell which tribe he was from. "How do we get out of here? There's got to be a way! Trust me, there isn't. Best to just lie back and wait for a miracle."
"We are not giving up!" Winter snapped, outraged at the suggestion. They had to get out, they had to get to Moon!
"Fine," said the voice. "Waste your time and your energy trying to escape; the stress will only make you age faster. That's why I gave up - I'm not wasting perfectly good looks."
"Is that why they put you away?" Qibli asked sarcastically. "Because they needed to contain your roguish handsomeness?"
The voice laughed. "Good guess. But no. I'm in here because I showed mercy to his lordship's enemies. In my defence she was a really cute RainWing. Far too much of a waste to kill someone as clever and pretty as her."
"Wait," Winter blinked, surprised. "You're a NightWing?"
"Aside from the two of you," came another voice from the cell on their other side, "you're the only prisoners in this dungeon who are not NightWings."
"Well, if we're all being so chummy: I'm Qibli, dashing street-rat of the Scorpion Den, and this is Winter, dashing prince of the IceWings."
Winter threw Qibli an exasperated look. "You really don't know when to shut up."
The SandWing shrugged. "When faced with the possibility of death, I gotta last kicks anyway I can."
The male voice chuckled. "You two are cute. If it's introductions you want, I'm Deathbringer: the greatest NightWing assassin and champion of being a pain in Morrowseer's backside. And the lovely lady on the end, is Secretkeeper, our regent's… what are you, his wife or ex?"
"Do shut up, Deathbringer," sighed the female. "I do not have the energy to keep up with you today."
Winter felt his breath freeze for a moment. "You're Moon's mother."
A pause. "You know Moon?"
"We're good friends of hers," said Qibli gently.
"Please," Secretkeeper's voice suddenly sounded desperate and tired. "Tell me how she is! Morrowseer won't tell me anything, I just want to know if she's safe!"
Winter hesitated. Should he tell Secretkeeper that Moon was in danger right now because she was with Darkstalker? Since learning all he had from the Journal, there was no doubt in Winter's mind that Darkstalker was a real threat. But did she need to know that? Finally, he said: "She's well. I managed to communicate with her a few nights ago. She sounded… happy."
Secretkeeper sighed. "That's good."
"Have you been stuck in this prison this whole time?" Qibli asked. "Surely between the two of you, you'd know how to get out of here?"
"There is no way out," said Secretkeeper. "My husband made sure these cells were inescapable."
"Told you," Deathbringer said in a sing-song voice. "Pray for a miracle."
"Nothing is fool-proof," argued Qibli. "Wherever there's a problem, there's a solution!"
"You sound just like my husband," Secretkeeper said wistfully.
"Um, no offence, but I'd rather not sound like an evil megalomaniac."
"He wasn't always like this," she argued gently. "When we were young, he was ambitious, yes, but his heart was in the right place. He wanted to help save our tribe, more than anything. That's why I loved him - because he wanted to make a better life for us. Morrowseer poured himself over scrolls, there was nothing he liked more than the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge is the death of innocence: as he learned more about the tribes from our spies and our research and histories, he saw the cycles of violence and prejudices amongst the tribes. And as time passed and the situation with the volcano grew worse, he became more jaded."
"What made him go to the extreme of wanting to take over the continent?" asked Winter.
"I convinced him to seek out Queen Oasis. It was rumoured that she was a hard dragoness but a fair queen. The SeaWings and MudWings were too busy with each other. The SkyWings were too proud, and the IceWings hated us. Oasis was the only one we could turn to, she might help us. Morrowseer exchanged correspondances with Oasis in secret and I believe he was getting somewhere with her. But then…"
Qibli sighed. "But then Oasis died."
"Yes," Secretkeeper's tone was sombre. "She was killed before any alliance could be cemented, dashing our last hope. And in the chaos that ensued, Morrowseer watched his last good plan turn to ash. I think it did something to him. He lost all empathy for any other tribe - they were letting us starve and die amidst the smoke and pollution, so why should he care for them… He became so focused on his work, on devising the plan to take the rainforest with Battlewinner, coming up with the prophecy. And throughout it all, my eggs were dying. Moon's was my last attempt. I refused to watch another egg die before it even had a chance to live. That's why I betrayed my tribe, betrayed my husband. I loved him, but I love my daughter more."
"She misses you," Winter found himself saying, his heart moved to pity. "There wasn't a day that went by when she didn't think of you. She blamed herself for your fate."
"Oh, Moon," Secretkeeper sighed. "She always did put the burden of everyone else onto her shoulders."
"You can see her again. We know where she is, how to get to her. If she knew you were coming, she'd be there in a heartbeat."
"Your attempt to rally me is transparent, IceWing," she said. "But thank you. All I will say, is that if you wish to escape, you must wait for nightfall."
"Why?" Qibli asked. "What's-"
There was a clang as a door opened from above. Was it Winter's imagination, or did the temperature in the dungeon just dramatically decrease? Loud footsteps echoed closer and closer. Their cell door was yanked open, and in the doorway stood the biggest NightWing Winter had ever seen. If not for his mass, then his golden eyes would be instantly recognisable from the day all those months ago at Jade Mountain. Morrowseer. He stepped into the cell, another NightWing behind him, holding a torch. Winter growled, wanted to snap his teeth and let his frost breath loose. But the muzzle prevented him.
"Well, well," drawled Morrowseer stoically. "It appears Scarlet's information was actually correct."
"If you want to interrogate us," Qibli quipped, "you'll have to start making sense. But I can speak crazy to crazy if that'll make you feel better."
Without even looking in Qibli's direction, Morrowseer backhanded the SandWing so hard his head flipped to one side. Winter snarled in outrage! He tried to lunge for Morrowseer, but his chains held him back.
"If you dragonets wish to test my patience, go ahead," Morrowseer said in a monotone. "This conversation is merely a formality. Your presence is all I require, not your information."
"We won't tell you anything about the rebellion!" Winter hissed savagely.
"Typical IceWing: not the brightest or the best. I already know who you are, I remember you from that day. I know that you are all good friends with my daughter."
"You want us to betray our friend to you?" Qibli half-growled. "Great father you are: torturing your daughter's best friends just to get information on her. Makes me glad I don't have a dad if you're the typical example."
"I do what I must," Morrowseer fixed a golden glare on the SandWing. "For the good of my tribe and the good of my daughter. Even when I want things to be different, there is a duty to fulfil. I wouldn't expect either of you to understand."
"You're right," Winter shot back. "I can't understand genocide and conquest and all the other crimes you've committed. At least Moon managed to get away from you before you could spoil her with your evil."
"That'll change," said Morrowseer. He wasn't rising to Winter's bait, just dismissing it entirely. "I have you two-" Turtle made a tiny noise in his sleep, causing Morrowseer to glance at him, "-or rather, three. When Moon hears that I have her friends, she will come running to me. If it's one thing I know about my daughter, it's that her soft heart makes her weak."
Qibli snorted derisively. "Am I supposed to be frightened? Nice try! You don't even know where to find her."
The corner of Morrowseer's lip twitched into something that almost looked like a smile, but turned out to be the creepiest thing Winter had ever seen. The NightWing held up a stack of papers in his talon, and with a chill, Winter realised he was holding Fathom's journal. "Oh, but I do. You very helpfully provided me with directions. I should've guessed the old Night Kingdom lay on the talon peninsula."
Winter and Qibli exchanged a look, a quiet panic in their eyes. Had they just given their enemy the key to his plans? Had they just put Moon in even more danger? Morrowseer handed the journal to the NightWing behind him, a skinny fellow with glasses perched on his snout and bloodshot eyes. And then Morrowseer pulled a knife from a belt strapped around his ankle. It gleamed in the firelight of the torch.
"I want my daughter back," said Morrowseer. "She has something I want. When she knows that you're here, she will come. But to be sure that she takes my message seriously…"
Morrowseer pounced. He slammed into Winter like a boulder, knocking the air from his lungs. Winter lay stunned for a moment. He could hear Qibli roaring, trying to pull against his chains, but to no avail. Morrowseer grabbed hold of Winter's head with one talon, and it was enough to bring the prince back to his senses. He tried to kick and buck and thrash, but Morrowseer's sheer size and weight rendered his struggles useless. The NightWing had such a cool and calm expression, his golden eyes were frightening! He pushed the blade to the side of Winter's head, the point against his ear. Winter panicked and tried to move, but he was held tight!
With one quick thrust, Morrowseer sliced down. Blue blood pooled onto the floor.
Winter screamed.
A/N: * = Loving paraphrasing Susan Kay
I'm curious if anyone would be interested in a written out timeline of this AU? I know some of the dates and changes can get confusing, so I was wondering if anyone would like me to create a timeline so they can get it all in their head? There'll be no spoilers for future plot twists, and I'll add to it as things are revealed. But I wanted to see if anyone wants it first. Please let me know in the comments!