The flight to the Sky kingdom was uneventful. They flew all night, occasionally stopping for Alex to change dragons, as Kinkajou slowly got tired, or to stop and rest. Moon or Clay would go out and hunt, while the others sat, rested, and talked.
Except for Alex and Qibli. While the others rested, Alex had requested lessons on how to actually use the dagger. He didn't like the idea of having a weapon, despite how right it felt, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him. He was much smaller compared to the other dragons, especially the Mudwings and Skywings, if the tribe was anything like Peril and Clay.
And so, after a bit of hesitation, Qibli agreed. He taught him simple tricks and moves, like how to use the dagger defensively. Alex had insisted upon a more defensive style, as he had never harmed another dragon, or wished too.
Qibli seemed much more accepting of Alex's idea, so they spent a majority of their time resting training. Alex was taught how to deflect, parry, and dodge. At least against Sandwing attacks. One night, he learned different dragons had different fighting styles when he had seen Winter slightly smirking at him. Feeling confident, he asked the Icewing a simple question. "What's got you smirking?"
"The look on your face. You may be able to handle Qibli, but you wouldn't last thirty seconds against a dragon that actually knows how to fight." "And what are you, some kind of fighting expert?" Alex asked, though his confidence faltered a little as Winter's smirk only grew. "Not an expert, but Icewings are taught how to fight at a very young age. Sometimes even enlisted in the army."
"That sounds horrible. But if you're so confident, then come over here and prove it." Alex quickly regretted challenging the Icewing as they suddenly leaped at Alex. With a small yelp he ducked under Winter as they went over him, turning around to retaliate but Winter was faster. Much faster. He had already turned around and was swiping at Alex quickly.
While Qibli had been slow and careful, Winter was quick and ruthless, not even giving Alex a moment to think. A few seconds later, Winter was proven right as he suddenly swiped at Alex's legs with his tail, successfully knocking him over with a small oof. Instantly, the Icewing was on him, holding his serrated talons against his neck. "See? You may be able to handle someone simple like Qibli, but against a true warrior, you wouldn't stand a chance." "I'm not simple, you're simple" Qibli muttered quietly, mock offense on his face as he sat next to Moon, seemingly moving there when Winter leaped.
"Alright alright, point proven. Could you move your claws away from my neck now?" Chuckling softly, Winter pulled back and helped Alex up, who shook off some dirt that had gotten on his scales. "So what, do different dragons fight differently?" "Of course they do. Each tribe has different features, which give them different strengths and weaknesses. Just look at all of us and note our differences." Winter said, walking back to his spot next to Moon.
Heart slightly pounding, Alex sat down, placing the dagger next to him and looking at the others. He had looked at them the first day he arrived, but he didn't notice many features. Looking at them now, he really did notice how different they all were.
First, he looked at Qibli. The Sandwing flashed a small smile as Alex looked over him, noting his narrow shoulders and slightly slim build. Qibli was a little more built than Alex was, but his other features, like talons and teeth, were different. Alex's claws and teeth were more pointed, while the others were slightly curved. And of course, Alex noted the deadly stinger on the end of Qibli's tail, which was currently coiled inward.
Next, he looked at Moon, who was just a little more muscular than Qibli, but still pretty slim. She didn't look like she had anything that could be used in a fight, aside from talons and teeth, so Alex moved on.
Winter, who he looked at next. Out of all of them, Winter was probably the most muscular out of the three of them, no doubt from their supposed early training age.
One of Winter's legs was thicker than both of Alex's combined, which wasn't saying much, considering the difference in size, but it was still surprising. The Icewing had more on his body than the rest of them, Alex quickly noticed, as his eyes fell on the various spikes Winter had running down his neck and back before ending, though he saw some more on his tail. After that, his eyes drifted towards those serrated claws, which were on his neck a minute ago. Shuddering softly, he moved on
After Winter, he looked at Turtle. Much like when he first saw him, Alex didn't really notice many features of the Seawing that could be used in a fight, aside from the larger tail he had compared to the others.
Next was Peril. Alex didn't really need to look at Peril, cause after reading the Skywing scroll about firescales, he knew that all she had to do was touch someone and they'd die. Or get close to it.
The next dragon he looked at was Clay, who was by far the biggest and bulkiest of them all. Clay still looked like a brick in Alex's head, a brick with tree trunks for legs, a neck, and a tail, with another brick for a head. Aside from his incredible size, Clay didn't have much going for him either.
Lastly, he looked at Kinkajou, who was slightly bouncing in place like always. Much like Alex, she was kind of small compared to the others, but not nearly as much as Alex. She was incredibly slim, like a snake with legs. Apart from the longer and thinner tail, Kinkajou didn't have many features either.
He was about to talk when Moon gestured to Kinkajou, slightly poking her fangs and scales. Confusion sparked in his mind as he looked back to Kinkajou, or rather, where she was. "Kinkajou? Where'd you go?" He heard no response and looked around, his concern slowly rising, as was his heartbeat as he called out again. Hearing no response, he stood up. 'Kinkajou?!" Silence. Concern slowly changed to panic as he frantically looked around for the Rainwing. Then he heard a splat and a weird hissing sound.
Curiously, but still panicking, he looked towards the sound and his curiosity only grew as he saw a strange black liquid on a patch of grass. He reached out to touch it but was stopped by an invisible talon. He pulled his arm back and jumped when he heard a small giggle. "I'm not that scary am I?" "Kinkajou?! Where are you?" "Right in front of you silly."
Alex squinted in confusion and nearly jumped as KInkajou suddenly appeared in front of him. Instead he just wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, stripes pulsing rapidly. "Aww. I missed you too" She joked, giggling again as she lifted Alex, who let out a groan of disapproval, and hugged him back. There were quiet giggles and snickers from the others as Alex was put down
"What the hell was that?!" He asked when he was standing again. "It's a Rainwing thing. We can change our scales to match our surroundings, pretty much making us invisible." "And what about that… stuff?" He asked, gesturing to the still hissing goop. "Rainwing venom. We can shoot it from our teeth-" She opened her mouth and poked her two front fangs "-and if it lands on anything organic, it burns. In a sense." "So like fire?" "Much worse. Fire can kill you. Rainwing venom will only make you wish you could die. It's… not a pleasant sight or feelings…" White and blue flashed across her scales momentarily as her expression slightly saddened, before perking back up as she looked at Alex. "So you've got invisibility and acid spit. And you're just now telling me?!" "To be fair, you never asked. Not to mention this whole prophecy situation. Wouldn't wanna reveal our secret weapon right?" Kinkajou replied, moving back to her spot.
"If you all have these crazy abilities and invisibility scales, why are you scared of me? And don't you dare say "looks can be deceiving". Moon has seen my thoughts about violence and all that since I got here, so she knows I wouldn't think of doing anything drastic like killing a dragon, let alone destroying a whole continent."
"Yes, and to be honest, we're just as confused as you are Alex. After seeing your thoughts, your memories… your love for Kinkajou…" Alex blushed slightly at that, somehow forgetting Moon could see everything in his head. Kinkajou just beamed and looked at Alex, that small teasy grin returning. "I don't think you are capable of something like destroying Pyrrhia, but the prophecy mentioned you specifically. Not by name, but by description. I've been trying to think of a reason why it would mention you ever since we left Jade mountain."
"Maybe it mixed me up with someone else. Maybe there's another striped dragon out there, one who doesn't have the same… feelings as me." "Alex, if it wasn't you, then you most likely wouldn't even be here. Prophecies are confusing, but they're hardly wrong." Qibli said, half lounging next to the log, but still alert.
"That's another thing, how did I even get here? Last thing I remember before coming here was talking to my mother then sleeping. And you guys said I just dropped from a shadow."
"That's another thing we're trying to figure out. We've never been so blind when it came to a prophecy-" "Was that a joke about my light sensitivity?" Moon continued, partially ignoring Alex's question. "We've always had something to go off of, but now we just have you and some lost civilization."
Alex just sprawled out on his back, a small sigh of frustration escaping his lips as he stared at the night sky. "What… What happened to the other dragons that were mentioned in prophecies? The dragons that were evil and all that specifically.."
The others went silent, only the crackle of the fire and the rustling leaves in the wind reaching their ears. Alex waited for a minute then sat up, confusion on his face as he looked at the others, who were all just sharing glances. "Nevermind. Judging by your looks, it was nothing good." Alex sat up as Moon opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Alex as he walked over to a nearby tree and climbed up surprisingly quickly. One second he was on the ground, the next he was curled up on a branch. "Not to sound rude or anything, but I'm going to sleep. Got a lot of stuff to think about… Goodnight."
The others hesitantly said goodnight as well before also going to curl up, except for Kinkajou. She was looking up at Alex, thinking if the branch would hold them both or not before he interrupted her thoughts. "Not tonight Kinkajou." "Oh… ok… Goodnight Alex. I love you." Alex didn't respond. He could feel his mates gaze on his back, but he was too lost in his own thoughts. Mainly if they would all be safer if he pushed them away, Kinkajou especially. A few minutes later, he fell asleep, his thoughts fading as he drifted into a dreamless sleep.
The next morning they continued their flight to the Sky palace. Alex had protested against flying in the day, but was shot down when they said the palace wasn't too far and they could make it by nightfall. So now they were flying in silence, the Sky palace appearing as they rounded a mountain. He couldn't see it because of the late morning sun, but he heard somebody say the palace was just ahead.
When they landed, they were all surprised to see Queen Ruby waiting for them, sitting with her tail resting on her talons. They all bowed, except for Alex. He just stood there, trying to figure out who was all here. "Imagine my surprise when Tsunami dreamvisits me and tells me you're coming to look at our archives" "We meant to ask you before, but it slipped our minds." Moon said as they stood up.
"Well, I must say that I've already looked for anything pertaining to this lost civilization. I have found nothing. If you believe you may be able to find something, be my guest. But he must remain hidden." Ruby said, flicking her tail at Alex as she finished. "What? Why? I haven't done anything." "Yes, but news travels fast around Pyrrhia, especially when a prophecy is concerned. I am understanding of your situation, but others may not be as understanding. It's for your safety as much as theirs. They don't trust you. Some may even be as bold as to attack."
Alex was about to snap back, to say something along the lines of how could he possibly hurt anyone, but was cut off when he heard some might even attack. Instead, he just nodded slightly and gulped.
Half an hour later, Alex was sprawled out on probably the comfiest bed he's ever laid on. Like Ruby had said, he had to remain unseen, so now he was in a private room, away from prying eyes. Kinkajou had left with Moon and the others to go look through the archives, saying she'd be back in an hour or so to check on him. Peril had flown off somewhere, probably someplace that wasn't a room filled with paper.
His own room was fairly comfy as well. He had a bed against one the walls facing the door, an empty desk with a couple drawers, a window that had its curtain drawn closed, giving the room a slightly dim light. There were a couple carpets, made of some sort of smooth silk.
Letting out a small sigh, Alex sat up and froze slightly. At the foot of the bed, staring at Alex with those empty eyes was Darkstalker. "What do you want?" "I want to get to this lost city so we can fulfill our destiny." "Your destiny. I don't want to destroy Pyrrhia." Darkstalker only smirked as he jumped onto the bed. "Whether you want to or not, we will destroy Pyrrhia. We will fulfill the reason we were brought here. Whether you want to or not."
Alex opened his mouth to respond but could find no words. He tried again and found no words a second time, so he just snorted at Darkstalker. "Oh, don't be like that. You'll come to accept it, sooner or later." "I won't. As long as I'm in control, none of that will happen." "You seem to be forgetting." Darkstalker began as Alex felt cold steel brush his jaw, his own claw holding the dagger as his body mimicked Darkstalker. "I can control your body as much as you can. But I won't. If those other dragons you call 'friends' learn of me, we'll never make it to the city."
The dagger dropped away and Alex relaxed slightly, a small sigh of relief escaping his lips before he looked at Darkstalker. "If you don't want to be discovered then stop appearing out of nowhere! They're starting to realize I'm hiding something, so if you do get discovered, it'll be your own fault. I may not be able to say anything about you, but others still notice my reaction when I see you."
"Well how else am I supposed to make sure you don't reveal my existence?" "You can already control my thoughts, voice, and body! I couldn't even if I wanted to. Either way, I wouldn't want to risk you hurting Kinkajou. I still remember what you said. You might not care about them, but I do."
Darkstalker went silent at that, squinting at Alex thoughtfully. "Fair point. But it's just so fun terrorizing you." "If you keep terrorizing me, they'll learn I'm seeing something they're not." "Another fair point. Alright, fine. I'll stay hidden, but I'll still be listening." "Good. Go away and stop giving me heart attacks." Darkstalker glared at Alex, slightly frowning before once again pressing the dagger against Alex's throat. "Don't forget. I'll be watching." Then he disappeared with a small chuckle, much to Alex's relief as he put the dagger away, right as the door opened and Kinkajou walked in.
"Hey Alex. Destroy any continents or anything while I was gone?" Alex didn't respond. He was too absorbed in his own thoughts. It wasn't until he felt talons on his paw that he blinked and looked up, Kinkajou's worried face in front of it "I'm fine… Just thinking about things." He forced a small smile and placed his paw on hers, giving a gentle squeeze.
"You keep saying you're fine but I don't believe it. Alex, I can see when you're absorbed in your thoughts. We all can, and we can tell something is bothering you. Please, tell me." She said as she climbed onto the bed, laying in front of Alex, not taking her eyes away from his.
Alex looked into Kinkajou's eyes. Those beautiful dark green eyes that made him want to tell her everything. But he couldn't, for everyone's safety. With a small sigh he looked away from her, but kept his paws on hers.
"I just… did we rush into things…? I love you Kinkajou, more than anything, but I can't help but feel like we rushed into it. Especially with all this prophecy stuff. Not to mention what happened to other prophecy dragons like me. I… I'm scared, Kinkajou. I don't want to die."
He looked back at Kinkajou, back at those wonderful eyes. She looked back. For a moment they just laid there, staring into each other's eyes when she pulled him into a kiss. It was just a small one, more like a little smooch, but it still sent shivers down his spine. The next thing he knew, Kinkajou was once again spooning him, her arms wrapped comfortingly around him with their chests together.
"Maybe we did rush into things. Maybe this is a bad idea considering the prophecy. But I love you just as much Alex. Do you have any idea how long I've waited to find a mate? Somebody to call my own? Somebody to hold me in their arms whenever I've had a bad day. Or to hold them in my arms." She teased, flashing a small smile at Alex. He just grumbled and pressed his head against her shoulder to hide his own smile.
"I've waited years Alex. For years I had to watch my friends be happy, be loved. And while they had someone to go to about their inner conflicts or problems, I had nobody. Everybody sees me as a bubbly, friendly, hyper rainbow. Which is true most of the time. But even I have problems I need to talk about. But I never could, for a few reasons."
"What reasons?"
"I was scared. Scared of sharing my problems. Everyone sees me as the friend that's always happy and kind, always there to cheer up others if they were feeling down. So I just buried my own problems or ignored them and tried to be the friend everyone saw me as. But the more I saw them all being happy and loved, the more I wanted it. I tried to find someone. Multiple times. But it never clicked. I couldn't find the dragon that I want to spend the rest of my life with."
Kinkajou pulled Alex closer, her scales turning deep blues and grays as tears welled up in her eyes. "My life hasn't been the best, Alex. As a Rainwing, most dragons see us as lazy dragons who do nothing but lay around in the sun and eat fruit, even after Glory became Queen. She worked to make us a respectable tribe, and she did. For the most part. But before Glory, things were much worse…"
She paused, letting out a small sniffle as she recalled the memory of the old Nightwing volcano. It was a memory she didn't like at all. She was considering changing the subject when she felt a paw on her cheek. Looking down at Alex, who was looking up at her with concern as wiped away a tear. He smiled softly and only then did she find the strength to continue.
"Years ago, before Glory became queen, I was kidnapped. I was only four or five at the time, so I was an easy target. I was taken to an island with a volcano. There was no life there, apart from the Nightwings. They're changed now, so don't worry about it. The air was filled with ash and smoke, there was no sun or fruit, just clouds and rotten animals. I wasn't the only one taken. Around twelve or so other Rainwings were taken, all so they could study our venom. A few even ended up dying. But we all held hope. Hope that someone might find us, save us. We were there for weeks when hope was beginning to die, then Glory was captured too. I could tell she wasn't like the other Rainwings. She wasn't afraid to fight or to use her venom on others. Anyway, she became queen, saved us all, and turned us into a proper tribe."
Alex laid there, looking at Kinkajou and listening intently. When she finished talking, he placed a paw on her cheek again, sharing a small, caring smile as he pulled her into another quick kiss. It lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough. She began to openly cry, holding Alex close. He did the same.
"Despite all that…" He began, gently lifting her head as tears continued to fall. "You stayed strong. You still tried. I'm not going to say something like I understand, because I don't, but the fact that you stayed strong, the fact that you never gave up, it makes you stronger than anybody else could be. Not physically, but emotionally. And that just makes me love you so much more. You're beautiful, Kinkajou. And strong. Amazing, breathtaking, awe inspiring. I could go on, but I won't. You get what I'm saying."
He smiled still, pressing his forehead against hers. Though he had to scoot up a bit to do that. "Don't let anyone take that away from you. And I promise that as long as I'm here, I'll be the one to hold you close - don't say it, I know you're thinking it - whenever you've had a bad day or just need someone to listen. I promise I'll do my best to protect you. No matter what."
Kinkajou let out a sound that sounded like a mix between a sob and a laugh at Alex's joke. She had indeed been thinking about it. Slowly she embraced Alex, wrapping her arms around him, still sobbing quietly. "I promise, that if I have a choice, I'll be with you every day Kinkajou. Till the end of our lives." He said, accepting the embrace as he placed his head on her shoulder.
"Thank you. I love you Alex."
"I love you too."
They laid there silently, embracing each other. Slowly the tears stopped, her deep blue and gray scales slowly shifting to magenta, yellow, and light blue. The room was silent, only the occasional breeze making sound.
The two laid there for what felt like over an hour, just taking comfort in each other's warmth. They probably would have laid there all day too, but Kinkajou reluctantly pulled away, wiping at dried tears as she stood up. "As much as I'd love to lay here and snuggle, I gotta get back to Moon and them. They're still looking through the archives. Starflight would have a field day there."
"Oh… Alright. Stay safe."
"I should be telling you that. When I get back, then you can show me just how much you love me. I did say a kiss would work until later." Kinkajou flashed that teasy grin at Alex, who was blushing slightly at her insinuation.
He just nodded slightly, unable to find his words. She giggled and with a sway of her hips, she was gone.
He was both excited and afraid of what would happen that night.
The next few chapters are gonna be from the others perspectives. You'll see how they're faring, thinking, stuff like that. First up is Turtle and Peril.