This group of dragonets seem trustworthy so I think I'll tell them my story. Lightseaker thought calmly to herself as she took a shaley breath and shook out her wings.
She then explained to them everything that had happened to her. From a normal day at school, to coming home and finding a crime scene and her mother, Truthfinder's dead and blood-stained body.
Lightseaker turned to face her two friends with curious and excited amethyst eyes. There next class was tree gliding practice, which was Lightseaker's favorite class of the day.
"Are you ready to go tree gliding, Lightseaker?" Silverwings asked while smiling at both Lightseaker and Cleverclaws with a bright smile. Lightseaker nodded eagerly in excitement.She was really good at tree gliding, she grinned even wider at the thought. The reason that she's so good at tree gliding is probably because of her RainWing half... yes, you heard that right, Lightseaker's a hybrid, specifically, a NightWing-RainWing hybrid.
"You bet I am!" she grinned in excitement and her tail began twitching back-and-forth with eager anticipation. Her two friends laughed quietly and with one last glacé to each other, the three friends made their way outside into the sunny and cloudless bright blue sky.
"Alright students, line up and I'll pick the groups of dragonets that will be tree gliding together," their teacher, a kind and sassy RainWing named Rose spoke up in a gentle but firm tone of voice.
Hmmm… I wonder if I'll be with Silverwings and Cleverclaws? If I were to be put in a group with them it would be the best day ever! Lightseaker thought to herself with a hopeful smile on her face. The NightWing-RainWing hybrid smiled wildly when she caught sight of another one of her friends,. She was a RainWing-NightWing hybrid with dark purple scales, indigo wings, and light purple eyes.
"Hay Treejumper! Over here!" Lightseaker called out happily to the small black-and-dark-purple dragonet. She turned and her face broke out into a wide grin when she saw Lightseaker. The small hybrid laughed and motioned fir Treejumper to come join her with a flick of her tail.
The four friends made smalltalk with each other while Rose assigned the groups of dragonets. Lightseaker, Treejumper, Silverwings, and Cleverclaws have all been friends since they were newly hatched dragonets.
The light was fading by the time Lightseaker could see anything other than waving grass. The lowering sun in the west tinted the sky a dusky orange, and the trees of the small clearing ahead of them were casting long shadows.
"Three moons! That is so amazing!" Lightseaker cheered while doing happy loops in the air. Her three friends smiled brightly at her and after a few moments of silence, they all raced threw the trees. They tucked their wigs to their sides and spent toward the ground at an unnatural speed.
The four dragonets ended up crash-landing into the grass, landing on top of each other in the process. They came to a sudden halt, hitting the ground with a very loud crash. Lightseaker blinked and shook out her wings, still a bit dazed from the rough landing they had just had. But the shock soon turned into surprise and pretty soon, Lightseaker broke out into a fit of giggles as did her friends once they had recovered from the shock of it all.
Eventually they stood back up to their talons and they shook out their wings, still laughing and giggling from time-to-time as they did so. Once they had all finally calmed down enough to start breathing properly again, the four of them slowly began to make there way in the detection of Lightseaker's home.
The sight that met their eyes that day would be one that Lightseaker would never forget. Blood was splattered in puddles on the floor right in the doorway that led into the hut.
Lightseaker stepped inside with shaking talons and a feeling of dread pooling in her stomach as she slowly entered the livingroom. With a shaky breath, Lightseaker slowly and consciously stopped into her home. And what she saw made her stop dead in her tracks.
Her mother, Truthfinder, was laying on the floor with multiple stab wounds and one of her wings was slashed, her throat had been slit and blood was pooling out of her belly like a raging river. Lightseaker couldn't move, she felt like she was going to throw up. Her friends were standing behind her, their eyes as wide as dinner plates. They just stood there, frozen in place, eyes wide and their faces were as white as a bed sheet as they gazed upon the crime seen that was right in front of them.
"I-I… I-I think I'm going to be sick!" Lightseaker muttered, turning away and racing outside, stumbling over to a nearby bush and growing up the contents of my stomach. She was shaking and she felt really hot, Lightseaker took a shuttering breath and slowly made her way back into the house.
"Are you ok Light?" Cleverclaws asked while looking at her friend with a worried expression on her face. Lightseaker shuffled her claws and slowly nodded while taking a seat on the couch that had recently been built by a NightWing blacksmith named Dawnlight. The NightWing-RainWing hybrid sighed softly and curled up into a tight ball, her eyes unfocused as she stared straight ahead of her at the wooden walls of the living room with a blank look on her face.
"Who could've done this?" Silverwings quiatly asked, her voice wracked with greed as she stared at the many wounds that littered Lightseaker's mother's scales.
Lightseaker sighed softly and shrugged her wings, lowering her gaze and staring down at her talons.
"I don't know Silver, but whoever did this is gonna pay! I'm gonna go outside and think of a plan. While I'm gone, can you guys right down a list of suspects?" she asked them. Silverwings and the others nodded their heads and with that, Lightseaker slowly patted outside and out into the crisp and chilly midnight air. She would need some time to think of a plan, but in the back of her mind, Lightseaker knew that she couldn't dwell on her growing anger for very long. After all, she needed to keep calm and stay focused on the situation at hand.
Lightseaker laid on the roof for a long time, gazing up at the stars. Her mind kept flashing back to the events of that afternoon, it felt likes hours as she sat outside staring up at the setting sun.
Lightseaker lowered head head as tears began welling up in her eyes. In reality, it wasn't just one dragon that died that day, but two dragons, one of them being Lightseaker's father, the other was Dandelion, a RainWing who'd developed a severe disease that messed badly with her brain.
Her dad's name was Snake, he was a RainWing with the most beautiful light blue-and-purple scales. Snake met her mother Truthfinder after she had fled from the volcano that the rest of her tribe had lived on for most of their lives.
She had fallen in love with him and about a year or so later, they found out that Truthfinder was gonna be a mother. Yup, you guessed it, that egg was in deed Lightseaker's egg. Her mother had always wanted more dragonets but sadly that would never be the case. A few days after Lightseaker hatched, her father was killed in the middle of the night by a mentally-broken RainWing who had had no idea what she had done until it was already too late.
Lightseaker pushes her wings off the ground as hard as she could to get them moving, when she was finally air-born, Lightseaker took off, soaring through the open sky. The sun had set, emitting a dim golden glow across the flooded plains. The crescent moon glinted on the other side of the horizon. First things first, Lightseaker needed to inform Queen Glory about what had happened. Lightseaker took a deep breath, shook out her wings, and continued flying in the direction of Queen Glory's treehouse.
Lightseaker was pacing outside while at the same time trying to think of who could've killed her mother. The NightWing-RainWing hybrid sighed softly and spread her wings. First things first, she needed to inform Queen Glory about the situation.
Lightseaker flew as fast as she could to the Queen's treehouse. She knocked on the wooden door and when she got a confirmation to enter, she slowly. Queen Glory looked a bit amused and concerned when she saw Lightseaker's disheveled appearance. Her talons were bloodstained, her wings felt like they were on fire because of all the flying she had done, and her eyes were bloodshot. She had stayed up all night trying to think of a plan while also being kept awake by nightmares.
"Three moons child! You look as if you've just come from a crime scene or a blood bath," the Queen remarked with an amused gleam in her eyes as she stared at Lightseaker's blood-stained talons and overall rigid appearance. She sighed and lowered her head, not wanting to look the older dragon in the eyes. With a deep breath to prepare herself, Lightseaker began to explain the events that had happened over the last 24 hours.
"Three moons! That was... a lot of grim details," Glory finally said once Lightseaker had finished recounting her recollection of the events that had transpired earlier that day.
"We need to start an investigation, Lightseaker, I want you and your friends to gather up all of the RainWings and NightWings together, then have them gather in the center of the rainforest, I'll right a report and inform the other queens," Glory explained and Lightseaker bowed to Queen Glory before making her way out of the treehouse.
It took some time but eventually Lightseaker and her friends gathered up all of the RainWings and NightWings in the center of the forest. Once they had all landed onto the forest floor, Queen Glory was already there waiting for them.
Many of the RainWings and NightWings were whispering amongst themselves, no doubt wondering what was so important that all of the queens needed to attend this gathering.
"Please be quiet everyone! We need your undivided attention!" Queen Glory exclaimed in a serious tone of voice that made everyone shut their mouths.
Once everyone was silent, Glory began speaking again.
"Just a few minutes ago, Lightseaker informed me that she and her friends entered her home to see the sight of blood tracks. And in the living room, her mother was found dead with multiple stab wounds and her throat was slit. We will be interrogating each and everyone of you. Lightseaker, Silverwings, Cleverclaws, and Treejumper will be questioning you." She paused for a moment before continuing, "after all, they were the witnesses who found Truthfinder dead in her own home."
"Up first: Maple, please come forward," Lightseaker said, hissing and glaring at the creepy and sketchy RainWing. She used to be a science teacher in the school but she got caught doing deadly and dangerous experiments in her classroom.
"What?! I would never harm Truthfinder! I swear on my life! I mean, yes, we didn't see eye-to-eye, but I would never lay a talon on her. I've tried to show her some of my experiments but she always told me that it was too dangerous for her sweet and innocent little dragonet." Maple said while making air-quotes with her talons. Lightseaker huffed in distain at Maple as she continued to talk and talk about how she was being accused of committing a terrible crime just because she got fired from the science lab for mixing so called harmless and dangerous chemicals together that should never be mixed.
"OH FOR THE LOVE OF STARCLAN! Just answer the question!" Silverwings growled angrily. "Were you near Lightseaker's home or not?" she questioned with a glair and a twitch of her tail.
"No! No! No! I never said that you stupid dragonet! I said that I had shown her some of my experiments but she had yelled at me to leave!" Maple sniffed with a hoty and smug expression.
"Yeah why do you think? You got fired from the science lab because you were testing dangerous experiments and you were caught mixing a lot of suspicious chemicals together that should NEVER be combined!" Lightseaker snapped at Maple with a cat-like yowl. Her tail lashing wildly behind her and her eyes burning with fury as she dug her claws into the grass of the forest floor.
"Hmph! Now that's just rude! I'm a scientist for crying out loud! That's my job!" Maple said while trying to defend herself. But she was failing badly at it.
Lightseaker flicked her tail and called the next suspect to the stand. "Risktaker!" she called, sweeping her gaze over the older NightWing with a feeling of unease pooling in the pit of her stomach as she watched him step forward.
I wonder what he has to say on the matter? Lightseaker wondered to herself as she silently observed the large NightWing. His eyes scanned the watching crowd of dragons as he slowly patted over to the center of the clearing.
Lightseaker sighed softly and flicked her tail, she sighed again and turned to look over at Cleverclaws, who looked at Lightseaker with a puzzled expression on her face. They didn't know who had done it yet, but to find the answers, they would have to wait and see what Risktaker's testimony would bring to the stand.
"I want whoever it is to just come out and admit that they killed Truthfinder!" Cleverclaws quietly hissed into Lightseaker's ear. While she was talking to Lightseaker, the smaller NightWing's eyes were narrowed into slits as she glared at both Maple and Risktaker.
"I've never really interacted with Truthfinder, but I have seen Maple go to her house on more than one occasion." The older NightWing narrowed his eyes at Maple as he continued speaking. "She would always have some sort of strange new experiments when she visited Truthfinder," as Risktaker explained what he knew of, all the listening dragons just stood there, slack jawed, not believing what they were hearing. Not only had Maple lied about never trying to harm Truthfinder, but she according to Risktaker, Maple would often have strange things when she would visit Lightseaker's mother. For all any of them knew... Maple could've very easily poisoned Truthfinder with one of her concoctions.
"I never did any such thing! I only visited Truthfinder once, and I never brought anything because Truthfinder had clearly made her opinions known." Maple cut in. Lightseaker whipped her head to stare at the RainWing with narrowd eyes. She had changed her story yet again.
"Maple, that's not what you told us before," Lightseaker cut in, jumping into the conversation. "So, did you visit Truthfinder or didn't you?" she questioned, frowning at the dark green RainWing as she spoke.
"I told you, I only visited her a few times!" Maple snapped, she was clearly getting irritated. Lightseaker scowled and stared at her in disbelief.
Silverwings was the next to speak up and begin the questioning.
"Risktaker, do you have a witness who can testify your statement?" she asked him, tilting her head to the side and narrowing her eyes. Risktaker nodded and a NightWing with black scales, silver wings, and dark green eyes stepped up beside Risktaker. Her name's Silverwind if Lightseaker remembered correctly. Silverwind is his girlfriend, and there's no doubt about that. Lightseaker had seen them tithed on more then on ovation, but that was only speculation.
"Yes," Risktaker nodded his head, flicking his tail at Silverwind as he spoke. "I have a witness, I've never really liked Maple, I've always thought that she was a bit sketchy." Risktaker admitted while glaring at said sketchy RainWing.
"Now that's just rude!" Maple growled, "I can't believe that you're accusing me of killing Truthfinder! How dare you! How could you say something so cruel?!" Maple hissed again while lashing her tail back-and-forth.
The NightWing shook his head and hissed right back at Maple. "I think you stabbed her with a knife laced with poison!" Risktaker hissed, his eyes shining with anger and pure hatred. I nodded in agreement, Lightseaker believed Risktaker, well, at least she thought she did. The NightWing-RainWing hybrid turned and swept her gaze over all of the gathered dragons.
"Hold up Risktaker, how did you know that Maple was carrying a knife laced with poison?" Silverwings interjected, narrowing hee eyes suspiciously. "Did you see Maple stab Truthfinder? Or were you the one who killed her?" she asked the older NightWing.
Her eyes were blazing with furry and her tail lashing as glared at Risktaker.
"I did no such thing!" the NightWing replied with a low hiss. "I know that crazy RainWing did it! Who knows what kind of things she uses!" the NightWing hissed while glaring once more at Maple, who growled and lashed her tail.
"I may do strange experiments and I may mix strange things together, but I NEVER use poison for anything! Even I'm not that mousebrained and stupid!" the RainWing retorted back with a low growl.
Lightseaker sighed and put her talons on her chin in thought.
"I think Risktaker is the culprit!" one of the NightWing dragonets in the crowd yelled. She was a small dragonet with jet-black scales which were dappled with indigo streaks. Her emerald green eyes were blazing with anger, making her look almost like an angry cat. She growled lowly and hissed like a dangerous snake ready to haunt down its prey.
"I agree with Moonflower!" Lightseaker shouted. The smaller NightWing blinked and stared at Lightseaker before glaring once more at Risktaker, who just turned his head and stared down at Moonflower with a mix of anger, disappointment, fury, and betrayal all shining in his eyes.
"How shameful! My own daughter is even accusing me of killing a worthless little dragonet's mother? No wonder Nightwatcher left us! It was because of you and your ungrateful attitude Moonflower!" Risktaker snarled while glaring down at Moonflower, who hissed at him and turned her head away.
"So you are guilty! You just admitted to killing Truthfinder! Do you deny it Risktaker?" Tsunami spoke up, narrowing her eyes at the older dragon.
"Lightseaker's not worthless! She's a kind and caring dragon! And unlike you, she actually has a heart! You never once cared about me or mom! Do you wanna know the real reason mom left us? She left us because of you!" Moonflower yelled at her father with a mix of tears and boiling hatred shinning in her green cat-like eyes.
"Well! Well! Well! It looks like the mouse has been caught by the cat!" Lightseaker quipped while glaring at Risktaker and Silverwind. Maple hissed and opened her jaws, the black venom sizzling as she shot out a large amount of the deadly poison from her mouth. The last thing Lightseaker saw was the horrified faces of her friends and the shouts of her name. As her vision began to blur, Lightseaker tried to remain standing but it was no use. In the end Lightseaker knew there was no use trying to fight off the poison. And with one last look at her friends, Lightseaker's eyes began to close and she let the darkness wrap her in its blanket-like cocoon of warmth and nothingness.
"So how long have you all known each other?" Sleet asked, turning to stare at Frostfire, who jumped and stared up at her with nervous and fearful eyes.
"O-oh, ummm, not for very long," Frostfire replied in a small voice. Sleet frowned and looked at the young dragonet who had gone through so much in her young life. She's seen more horror and death than even a fully trained IceWing soldier.
"Well, it's getting late, I think we should be heading back," Sleet said, pointing with a talon at the sky to prove her point. The others paused what they were doing and looked up to see that the sky was a dusky orange and the fading light was casting long shadows in the snow.
The light was fading by the time they could see anything other than falling snowflakes. The lowering sun in the west tinted the sky a dusky orange, and the walls of the huge palace ahead of us were casting long shadows.