Half an Hour later, Alex was still in the library, but by himself. Kinkajou had left to go have 'suntime'. When he asked what suntime was, she said it was simply a way to recharge her scales or something like that. Regardless, he was alone and reading a scroll about how the Skywings used to worship the sun.
It was surprisingly entertaining, so much that Alex didn't even notice Qibli suddenly sitting next to him. The Sandwing patiently waited for a minute or two before Alex noticed he was no longer alone, dropping the scroll and mumbling an apology. "No worries, just came to check on you." Instantly, Alex was a little wary. "Why now…? " He questioned slightly squinting at QIbli. "Because KInkajou is having her suntime. If she was here, I wouldn't be able to talk to you properly. You haven't known her very long, but I imagine you can already tell how easily excited she gets." That made a surprising amount of sense, Alex thought. And Qibi was right, he did indeed learn Kinkajou easily got excited.
"Anyway, what's on your mind my little striped friend?" Qibli asked, looking at Alex intently. "Do you really need to ask? I imagine it'd be pretty obvious." "Ya, figured you'd say that, but asked anyway to be nice. Got any ideas to save Pyrrhia?" Alex sighed softly and leaned back a bit. "How could I when I don't even know what I'm supposed to be looking for? I don't know anything about this place, let alone how to save or destroy it… not that I would destroy it." He quickly added as he noticed Qibli squinting slightly. "This is all just so… weird. For multiple reasons."
Alex relaxed as Qibli stopped squinting. "Ya, that's understandable. Being part of a prophecy is stressful. I was part of one once. Admittedly it didn't specifically mention me, but I was still part of it." Alex gave a small smile at Qibli's little jab, slowly relaxing further, not even noticing he was on edge.
His smile slightly dissipated as he remembered what Moon had shown him, specifically Qibli's decapitated corpse. If the Sandwing noticed his sudden pensiveness, he didn't comment. "Well Kinkajou had the right idea to look at old Skywing history. If there's a lost city under any mountains, it'll definitely be in the Sky Kingdom. Maybe we could even ask Queen Ruby when she gets here." "That's if they decide to not kill me on the spot." Alex retorted, glancing at the scroll he had been reading. "Don't be like that. The Queen's aren't that dramatic. Admittedly they might consider it, but they're all fair and reasonable." "I can't tell if you're trying to be comforting or not." Qibli chuckled at that. "You'll figure it all out eventually I'm sure. Anyway, nice talking to you." Qibli stood up and went to leave, but turned around as Alex was about to continue reading.
"Another thing. If Winter talks to you –Icey dragon, brooding, grumpy–, He might seem harsh and rude, but he's just being protective of his friends. His tribe prefers bluntness and honesty, so try not to hide anything. He'll know. Also maybe try and compliment his looks or something. He loves that." Alex was about to respond, but Qibli was gone before he could say anything. He frowned slightly at Qibli's statement. That last part was a little weird… but he seems friendly enough. He went back to reading, finishing the scroll after a few minutes. He reached for another before realizing he had them read them all. Wow… I didn't think I was reading that much…
Unsure of what to do next, Alex decided to explore a bit. "I'm going for a walk" He said to Starflight as he walked past the blind Nightwing. Starflight looked like he was about to object, but Alex was already gone. He walked down the empty halls, admiring the various tapestries and other things adjourning the walls. He wandered for a few minutes before he heard splashing down another hall. Curious, he followed the sound. The splashing slowly got louder as he got closer, eventually walking into a large, open cavern with a lake. Alex couldn't help but silently admire the surprisingly luscious cavern. There were patches of moss and some kind flower scattered around the walls, and Alex even noticed a couple small plants.
It wasn't until he heard another splash that he remembered why he had come this way, looking at the water and seeing the Seawing and Skywing from before. He was about to turn away and go back before Turtle called him over. Reluctantly he walked over, keeping a good distance between himself and the other two. Peril snorted softly as she looked at him, while Turtle just smiled and crawled out of the water. "Hey Alex, I thought you were with Kinkajou?" Asked Turtle, sitting next to Peril.
"I was. We were in the Library reading Skywing history for some kind of hint on this 'lost city in the mountains' thing." Turtle nodded, while Peril snorted again at the mention of Alex mentioning Skywing history. "Where is she now?" "No clue. Last I saw her she was heading out for suntime. I finished reading the scrolls after Qibli stopped by and talked with me about this prophecy stuff. After that, I felt like exploring."
"She'll probably wake up in about half an hour, if i remember Suntime properly…" Turtle tapped his chin thoughtfully as Alex noticed steam slowly rising from his side closest to Peril. "Is that normal for you?" Alex asked, slightly worried as he pointed at the steam. "Oh. That's nothing. Just the water evaporating from being close to Peril." Turtle said, turning to look before looking back at Alex. He squinted slightly as he remembered a topic he had read, of Skywings born with too much fire. "Does she have… what was it? BurnBody? BurnScales?" Alex frowned as he failed to remember the term. 'Firescales." Peril said, now properly looking at Alex. "Yes. That… I read what happened to dragonets- i think that's the term here- born with Firescales… How did you survive?"
Turtle's eyes widened slightly as he gestured for Alex to not say anything, but he noticed too late, as Peril was suddenly on top of his, her snout dangerously close to his. He could feel the heat radiating from Peril's scales. "I survived because my mother tried to save me. She failed, and instead I was used as a murder machine and a toy for a tyrannical queen's gladiatorial pleasure." Peril snapped, glaring at Alex. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but if you ever try to hurt KInkajou or any of my friends, I will personally burn you to nothing but a charred hunk. Got it?"
Alex nodded vigorously, letting out a small sigh of relief as Peril stepped away, more steam rising from her scales as she suddenly submerged herself in the water. A loud hiss came from the water as it boiled around the Skywing. Alex was about to apologize to Turtle when Peril came back up, glaring at Alex but a little less hostile. "I'm sorry. My raising isn't exactly a pleasant memory…" "I-its ok… I shouldn't have asked something like that when we barely know each other." Alex noticed Turtle slightly relax as Peril apologized, smiling softly as he gently squeezed her talon.
Alex stared at Turtle in confusion, then to the still boiling water, then back to Turtle. He was about to ask why when Turtle saw his confusion. "I accidentally made myself practically invulnerable a few years ago during a fight with my sister.. My scales are as hard as diamonds, stuff like that. It's how I can touch Peril without, well, dying." Alex just blinked again before giving a small nod, still a little confused. If Peril was literally on fire, and Turtle was invulnerable, why did he see their corpses…? The vision flashed in his head. Peril had her wings and talons torn off. While turtle had his gills sliced open.
Alex clutched his head as his thoughts were suddenly overwhelmed by an unknown voice . Not even invulnerability or Firescales will be able to protect them. Alex opened his eyes and let go of his head as the unknown voice disappeared. He was breathing heavily and slightly shaking when he felt a wing over him. He jumped at the sudden touch, turning to look and seeing Turtle's concern. "Are you ok?" Alex just stared, trying to figure that out himself. "I… I don't know… I-I remembered something that Moon showed me…" "What was it?" Asked Peril, a small amount of concern in her eyes. "I-it was a vision… a-a possible path she said…" Alex slightly shook his head, concern growing further as he struggled to speak. "You… you were dead." He finally spoke, looking at both Peril and Turtle. They froze at that before looking at each other then back at Alex. They were about to ask how when Alex was overwhelmed again, clutching his head and letting out a choked gasp. His head was filled with visions… no, plans. Kinkajou dead at his feet. The Jade Winglet dying by his claws. The Queens bowed to him. Then he heard it. The same maniacal laugh he had heard in the vision showed him.
He was vaguely aware of Peril and Turtle saying his name, their concern for him growing. He heard Turtle say something to Peril, then she was gone. Then he heard a different voice. The same voice from earlier. We are going to have such fun, my striped friend. My name is Darkstalker, and we are destined for fantastic things. The laughter filled his head again as he looked up and saw the rest of the winglet running in. Kinkajou looked worried the most as they surrounded him.
He didn't have a chance to say or hear anything as darkness began to cloud his vision. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was Kinkajou's worried expression.
—-
Qibli stood next to Moon, looking at Alex's unconscious body. "What happened?" He asked, looking at Turtle and Peril "We don't know. He was talking to us one moment then he was clutching his head." Turtle replied, also looking at Alex. Kinkajou sat next to Alex and pulled him close against her chest, Lime and Blue appearing on her scales. Everyone stared at Kinkajou for a moment, all thinking the same thing. "Moon, can you see anything in his head?' Kinkajou asked after a minute, now looking at the Nightwing. "Nothing I haven't seen before. He's just worried how he'll do all this."
"Well something obviously happened in his head." Winter said, the Icewing slightly concerned himself. "I can't see anything different in there though. Maybe it's just the stress of this whole situation." Qibli tapped his talon against chin thoughtfully. "Must be some extreme stress to get a headache and pass out…"
"Whatever it is, maybe we should take him back to the dorm. Give him some time to rest." Kinkajou said, still holding Alex. Everyone nodded reluctantly as Kinkajou stood up, placing Alex on her back as she began to head back to the dorm
—-
. A few minutes later, she walked into the dorm. She went over to the firepit and gently placed Alex on the cushion they had slept on the night before, once again curling around him protectively. Soon Moon walked in, sitting on her own cushion as she looked at Alex and Kinkajou.
"I'm worried about him…" Kinkajou eventually said, not taking her eyes off Alex. "I am too… but i can see it in his mind, this might all be unpleasant for him, but he won't give up. He's not that kind of dragon." Kinkajou just nodded slightly. "I shouldn't be doing this…" Moon said after a few minutes of silence, causing the Rainwing to turn and look at her friend. Moon continued "You play a bigger part in his future than you think Kinkajou. I can't say too much because it might change the future. But you play a vital role in his journey." Kinkajou looked like she was about to ask how, but decided against it, looking back at Alex. "I'll try." was all she said.
—-
Alex woke up around sunset. He didn't know how long he was out for, all he knew was that he had a splitting headache. He couldn't remember anything from before he blacked out. He grumbled quietly as he tried to get up but was stopped. He looked down and his face instantly went red. Kinkajou's arms were wrapped around him, holding the small dragon close to her chest. Alex had no idea if this was intentionally done or not, but he found it… surprisingly pleasant.
Alex found himself comfortable and wanting to stay there. If it weren't for the approaching voices, He probably would have. He quickly clambered out of Kinkajou's arms, who let out a small groan and curled up, right as the rest of the winglet walked in. Alex tried to act casual, that he had been doing something else, something that wasn't being spooned by the large dragoness.
He quickly shoved the thought away as he remembered Moon was a mindreader, hoping she didn't see. The small smile crushed that hope. He glanced away, his blush deepening, and saw a stick of grapes. Slowly, an idea formed in his head. He saw Moon raise a brow in question, no doubt seeing the plan. Don't say anything. Just get everyone to an open clearing on the mountain or something. Alex walked over to the grapes and picked them up. "Kinkajou told me you guys had magic here once… said magic would be able to duplicate stuff right?" Alex asked, turning to look at the rest of them
"Yes. What makes you ask?" Turtle asked, raising a brow at Alex. "I… want to do something for you guys. Despite this whole… situation… you've all been nice to me. Mostly, anyway." He noticed Peril shrink slightly, while Winter just stared. "And I've been the opposite… I have an idea, but i need a lot of grapes for it. Could you do it?"
Hesitantly, Turtle walked over to his and Peril's corner, rummaging through a drawer before pulling out what looked to be pieces of a bowl. Alex looked in confusion when Turtle brought it out and put it back together like some kind of puzzle. "How is a bowl going to-" Alex was cut off as Turtle just smiled, taking the grapes and placing them in the bowl. "Twice as much please!" Alex stared in awe as the grapes doubled. "Wow…" was all he could say as Turtle handed the grapes back to Alex and went to put the bowl back. "Thanks." Alex took a few grapes and ate them, smiling softly as his plan solidified. Now he just had to put it into motion.
It was a couple hours into the night when Alex finished preparing everything on the mountain clearing. There wasn't much here, just a couple logs to sit on, and a big rock for Peril. In the middle of the logs was a large campfire, yet to be lit. A few feet away, a large cauldron made of rock was filled with a purple liquid, with matching rock cups. He had gotten a bit of help from Moon and Kinkajou, as everything was way too big for him to carry on his own. Ready Alex thought. He had no idea if Moon could hear his thoughts or not, but he hoped she could. A few minutes later, he heard wingbeats. Smiling to himself, he started a fire that was larger than him, rubbing his throat after lighting the flame, thinking how unpleasant it always was to breathe fire just as Moon and the others landed.
He could see the confusion on all their faces, except for Kinkajou and Moon, who just smiled and giggled quietly. Alex smiled himself, glad Moon had succeeded in getting the winglet up here for his little party. He walked over to the big rock and crawled onto it, making it easier for them to see him, though it kinda was hard to miss him with his glowing stripes. "This is what I was planning." Alex began, looking at them all in turn.
Moon, Winter, Qibli, Turtle, Peril, and finally Kinkajou. His gaze lingered a little on the beautiful Rainwing, his heart and striped pulsing faster slightly. With a small blush, that was thankfully hidden by the dark, He continued "I had Moon bring you up here to get to know each other better and stuff like that. I'm not too sure if I've gotten off on the wrong foot with some of you" He glanced at Peril and Winter for that, the former shrinking slightly. "But I made a family recipe of wine for us to enjoy." He gestured to the rock cauldron. "I don't know if you have wine here or not, but if you do, I can bet that you haven't had wine like mine."
He saw Kinkajou giggled slightly at the small joke, making Alex smile further himself. Within the next couple minutes, they were all seated around the fire with a cup. Alex sat next to Kinkajou on one log, Moon sat with Qibli and Winter on either side of her, and Turtle sat Peril next to the rock.
"How do we know it isn't poisoned or anything?" Winter asked, looking suspiciously at the wine. "Well for one, there's nothing that could poison a dragon at Jade Mountain, nor do I know how to poison a dragon. Two, Kinkajou was watching me the whole time. Third, I'm trying to avoid being a destroyer and all that." Alex replied, taking a sip of his wine. It tasted like a mix of cider and wine, but there were a couple hints of something sweet and sugary. Kinkajou took a sip of hers next, shuddering slightly at the surprising sweetness of it before taking another, longer sip. Next was Moon and Qibli. Moon simply smiled and licked her lips. Qibli did the same, but he did a bit of an exaggerated lip smacking and tongue flicking, drawing a giggle from Moon. Then Turtle and Peril. Turtle took an actual drink instead of a sip like everyone else, smiling and thanking Alex before taking another. Peril was slightly hesitant. While Alex was smart enough to make the cups out of rocks so Peril could actually hold it, she still worried about when it touched her lips. Only after Turtle gave an encouraging nudge did she tip it, taking a very small sip.
Before anyone knew what happened, Peril had emptied her cup in seconds. Alex stared at her in surprise, as did everyone else. The Skywing licked her lips with a satisfied hum before noticing the stares, smiling sheepishly "I-i've never had wine before." "Well, good to know I make good wine at least." They all laughed at that while Peril went to refill her cup.
The last to drink was Winter. Alex could tell the Icewing was still suspicious, even after everyone else had taken a drink. Winter just idly swirled the liquid in the cup frowning at it. Alex's mood slightly fell as Winter refused to drink. It wasn't until Moon gave a stern look at Winter that he eventually took a sip. Alex unintentionally gripped his own cup, which was much smaller than everyone else's, for obvious reasons. He was practically on the edge of the log as he waited for Winter's response.
He slowly put down the cup, his forked tongue flicking out as he judged the taste. After a few agonizing moments, Winter simply nodded with a faint smile. Alex let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding and relaxed. "Hope you're not all planning to just sip wine and sit here all night." Everyone looked at Alex, slightly confused, Moon and KInkajou included. "I said I planned to get to know you all better, and that's what I plan to do. With a game." "What kind of game?" Asked Kinkajou, slightly bouncing in her seat. "A game from my world, called Truth or Dare. The rules are simple. I ask one of you truth or dare, you pick one. If you pick truth, I get to ask a question that you must answer truthfully. You pick dare, and I get to choose something you have to do. Ranging from small things, like standing on your head, to big things, like kissing. They have to be reasonable things that are possible of course. Whoever gets asked after the first person will choose a person, they choose the next person and so on." Alex smiled softly as he took another sip of his wine. Everyone else had refilled their cup at least twice by now, except for Alex. He never took much part in festivities back home, but he still knew how to handle his drinks."Ooooo, that sounds fun! We should play!" Exclaimed Kinkajou, hints of gold splashing across her scales. Everyone agreed, even Winter, who was slowly relaxing himself.
"Alright, I'll go first. Turtle, Truth or Dare?" Asked Alex, turning to look at the Seawing.
"Dare"
"Oo, daring tonight. Alright. I dare you to… lay upside down on the log for at least three turns" Turtle grinned as he did that, chuckling slightly as he looked at Qibli. "Qibli, truth or dare?" 'Dare. Hundred percent. Show me what you got" Qibli grinned smugly at Turtle, eager to see what he'd get. "I dare you to… spin in a circle until you get dizzy"
"Piece of cake." Qibli said, standing up and walking a fair distance away before beginning to spin. Everybody laughed at Qibli as he occasionally teetered, and after roughly half a minute, he stumbled back to his spot, grinning smugly. "Told you. Easy. Winter! My favorite Icewing. Truth or dare?"
"Truth" He said, his icy demeanor slowly melting away. "Aw, you're no fun. Alright…" Qibli tapped his chin thoughtfully as he stared at Winter, the wine no doubt starting to affect everyone. Except Alex.
"Is it true you think I'm the most handsome, charming, irresistible Sandwing ever?" Qibli asked, putting on his signature smile as he looked at Winter. "Of course not. You missed submissive" Winter flashed a grin of his own as Qibli faltered and blushed, at a loss for words. Moon giggled between the two. Qibli just sat down, visibly flustered. Winter looked at the remaining dragons; Kinkajou, Who was still bouncing on her seat, Peril, Moon, and of course, Alex. "Hmm… Peril. Truth or dare?" Alex Saw Kinkajou droop a little, but she was quickly bouncing again as she finished her fifth cup. "Truth." "If you could get rid of your Firescales, Would you?" "Absolutely. Moon. Truth or dare."
"Mm, Dare." By now everyone was starting to feel tipsy. Literally and figuratively. Even Alex as he finished his second cup, while everyone else was nearing their tenth."I dare you to lay on Winter like he was a bed." Everyone blinked at that, while Moon just looked at Winter with a small smile. "Wouldn't be the first time" She said as she rolled winter onto his back, much to his dismay, sighing contently as she laid on his chest. Winter glared at Peril with a look that read I'll get you for this
"Kinkajou. Truth or dare?" "Dare!"
Moon looked at Alex and Kinkajou, a twinkle in her and a grin on her snout.
"I dare you to kiss Alex." And There it is. Alex knew it would come out sooner or later, but he didn't expect Moon to give it to Kinkajou and him. Though he couldn't say he disliked the idea of kissing KInkajou. He was tipsy enough now that he was getting careless, forgetting Moon was a mindreader, not noticing the twinkle in her brighten as he thought about Kinkajou. Speaking of Kinkajou, she was staring at Alex, bright pink, yellow, magenta, and green on her scales. Alex saw everyone watching them intently, Even Turtle, who had flipped after Peril's turn.
"Well, this is gonna be a little awkward" Alex joked, gesturing to the difference in size between the two. Kinkajou thought differently as Alex suddenly found her snout against his, his face turning a deep red at the suddenness of it. Soon enough though, after the surprise faded away, he began to enjoy it, even going so far as to lean into it. The kiss lasted for what felt like hours, but was only a little over two minutes. Kinkajou slowly pulled away, but not completely, staying a couple inches away from Alex.
Due to their difference in size, Alex was practically looking up while Kinkajou brought her head down. They sat there, huffing against each other, staring into the other's eyes. Alex was about to get back to the game when she kissed him again, this time licking his lip slightly. Confused, he opened his mouth further, and Kinkajou's tongue shot into his, wrestling and twirling around his own. Alex was so caught off by this action he let out a subtle moan. The two of them had forgotten the others were even there, staring intently at the making out dragons. After that, the rest of the night was a blur.