Wings of Fire: The Endless Hunt (Fanfiction/Fantribe)

Prologue

Alpha Dark runs a talon over his antennae and antlers. Another year, another Job Ceremony. Another long list of dragons waiting to learn their new job. He never really felt the need for the theatrics, but he would do anything for his people, no matter how ridiculous it seems.

Swooping down from a higher floor of the Hollow, he arrows towards the stage, intending to land dramatically before his audience, who instantly quiets as they spot him. He sweeps past two long banners in shades of deep blue and green with "Welcome, dragons of the future!" woven into them. Dark lands with a soft thump and folds back his four grey wings. He stares down his audience, looking over every dragon he can. Here are his people, ready to serve, and he would need every last one to take them to the bright future he envisions.

A swarm of dragonets and their parents stare back, waiting, their green and blue and purple and grey eyes are full of nervous excitement.

"My friends, my subjects, my tribe" he begins, raising his voice so as to be heard. "Welcome to this year's Job Ceremony. Tonight your dragonets have grown and are ready to take on the responsibility of serving the tribe. Tonight they learn their true purpose."  he pauses, teasing the audience with his silence, before continuing.

"You ten, come stand with me upon this stage and learn your purpose." He telepathically signals the few he needs.

The first few no-longer-dragonets shuffle awkwardly away from their parents and up onto the stage beside Dark. They watch him expectantly as he unrolls a scroll and quickly scans through. "Welcome everyone, your newest hunters! May their claws feed our tribe so we may grow stronger and prosper!"

The audience applauds, just like they do after every announcement in the ceremony every year. Dark continues, giving the new dragons their jobs. Not his favorite or most exciting responsibility, but a necessary one. He would rather be out there shaping the world with his own claws instead of assigning the work to others.

Dark bids the audience a good rest of their night as he finishes, and they leave as quickly as he had gone through the ceremony itself. Eventually, the only dragon left is a tall, skinny, lonely purple dragonet. It is immediately obvious no parents had shown up to accompany her to the ceremony. Where are her parents? Dark wonders, glancing around. How strange, this is such an important moment for her and nobody came.

Dark decides to approach her, making quick graceful strides across the smooth black floor to close the distance. "You there, what is your name?" he asks.

The dragonet, no, no-longer-dragonet, looks up at Dark with curious wonder and burning hope in her green eyes. "I'm Tenebris," she chirps with a hint of confusion in her voice. Her antennae wave slightly, echoing her confusion.

Dark nods and consults the scroll again. "A good name for a good little dragon. Listen, child, you have a very important job." How could I have forgotten her? I know I wanted someone for this job. Is she really that forgettable? Sudden annoyance rips through him. Did the Committee of Jobs choose someone WITHOUT MY PERMISSION?

She blinks up at him and her wings shake a little with anticipation. She seems to vibrate with nervous energy from every scale.

"Yes, you are to join the ranks of my personal agents. You will carry out my will all across The Hunt."

The dragon gasps. "Me? Really? I-I'm honored." She throws herself into an untidy bow with her long tail flopping awkwardly behind her and her four large wings at odd angles. "T-thank you, Alpha Dark."

"Your training begins tomorrow." Dark hands her a small folded piece of scroll with the necessary information on it. "Do not be late."

As he strides away, he can hear her babbling on behind him. Something like, "I won't let you down," and "You can count on me."

I'll make a proper agent of her whether she was chosen by someone else or not, he thinks. Once I'm done, it will be time to start flying towards my future, starting with getting rid of that Woods cursed committee.