Wings of Honor: Bad Moon Rising

Chapter 6: A Tepid Timeline

I did not go gently into the quiet night. A nightmare engulfed me.

I found myself at Jade Mountain again, but it was different. Different no matter, everything was covered in hellfire! An avalanche ran down the slope, engulfing dragons as they were caught. Lightning and Thunder shook the ground. One poor soul was electrocuted brown, he went streaking down with a trail of smoke. The screams. So many dragons screaming. I tried to close my eyes and clear my mind. But when I opened them again, I was met with crowds of dragons scrambling to escape. A Sandwing, engulfed in flames. His scales turning black as a Nightwing, screaming in pain. A Rainwing, pale white, with speckles of blood as a bolder caught her tail.
"No."
I held my head, falling to my knees.
"No! I stopped you. I stopped you!"
But the volcano answered. I watched in horror as a bolder was flung high, straight towards me. I got up to run and dodge it. But it was too fast, and I... was too late.

I startled myself awake. The dream was faint, but the emotions hung on. I opened up the tent and looked outside. Grace was brushing up against the tent, snoring. The sun was barely beginning to peek over the forest and the horizon, casting long, gold beams through the mist.
Stretching and testing my legs. They were sore, but I was determined. I snacked on a D bar, and set out with my MKB to scout out the area. I circled in an ever widening patrol. The river wasn't a half hour march away, so water wasn't a problem. The forest was quiet. A little suspiciously quiet. Taking out my compass again.
"Take me to the first campsite."
The compass spun around twice, confusing me. Then it settled on a single spot.
"Huh."
I started forward, into the golden ground. Through the trees, a familiar forest. I kept my bearing, inching forward. It was a short walk at my own quick pace. I followed the compass until it turned sharply the other way.
"Wha—?"
I realized I was in a small clearing. A familiar clearing. But there was nothing here.
"Huh. What if..."
I turned around and walked a short way, looking at my compass. It turned right around. I walked back, and it went around again.
"It should be right here. But it's not."
There was nothing but forest here. There was no trace a camp was ever here. The fire pits were gone, the grass undisturbed. There were no nicks in the trees where we sunk stakes to hold the chutes. It was as if nothing was here. Like nothing was ever here. I looked down at my compass, but it still spun and showed me that I was standing on top of it.
"But it's wrong. Here, let's make sure it's dialed in. Take me to Jade Mountain."
The compass spun right around, pointing north of where I was.
"That looks right."
I followed it again. Following it out of the forest. The sun was about up when I came across Jade Mountain. I was set up on a small mountain looking into the entrance. Taking out my glasses, scanning over the countryside. I saw the Jade Mountain sign.
There was actually some activity, a few dragons here and there. I was out of range for my mindreading, so I couldn't hear what they were thinking. A lone Nightwing stood at the entrance, menacingly. She—I assumed she—was standing next to a table and rack of scrolls. Behind her, I saw a large, woven-vine banner with purple and white flowers spelling out Welcome Students! in dragon speak paws and symbols.
Welcome students? Did they have that up all the time? I never noticed.
Only now did I begin to recognize the Nightwing there. She had a faint teardrop scale, but it definitely wasn't Moon. Fatespeaker had a similar scale, although she couldn't read minds. I was under the impression that she could sense emotions though. So... an empath.
Watching over, a few dragons came and went, some through the main entrance, a few through the Prey Center. I counted only eight individual dragons, though I figured there were tens more enrolled. It was still very early in the morning, and I figured more students would arrive later in the day. I guessed it was only around five, maybe 5:30. Still pretty early, and the sun still casting everything in gold. But my compass wasn't lying. Things weren't adding up. My trip brought more questions than answers. Packing up, I retreated back into the forest. Melding back into the shadows, I returned for camp.