Wings of Honor: Bad Moon Rising

Chapter 10: Intel

Marvin's POV

"But you can't be." Moon startled me, whispering.
Sora stirred blinked at her, but turned back. I had made no progress. Their scroll had nothing I didn't already know about IceWings. Her mind was drowned under a sea of mud. It was only in context did all the pieces point to her motives. What frightened me more was the fact Darkstalker was talking to Moon again. I carefully made my way back to Grace, feeling her out and climbing onto her back.
What did I miss?
Not much. She knows now.
...this bracelet was supposed to keep me that way forever.
So what happened? Moon questioned. Why are you awake now?
It's broken, he plainly said. After two thousand years, almost anything becomes weaker. Something must have jarred it and snapped it off.
That's why you take care of your shit. Or make it so heavy duty so it can't be broken reasonably.
The earthquakes? Moon pondered. There was a comet six months ago — as it passed by, there were a lot of earthquakes and strange weather.
Comet?
I don't know about no comet.
That's when I woke up, Darkstalker said, so you're probably right.
Apparently it was very important.
Yeah, I guess.
Moon stopped for a moment.
Six months ago was then I stated having my nightmares. The ones about Jade Mountain falling. Am I seeing visions of something that could be caused by Darkstalker's awakening?
Most likely. Darkstalker had a real nasty impact I gathered from Moon. Future Moon.
I'm not actually a monster, no matter what the scrolls and ghost stories say, he responded. Can't you tell?
Where are you? Moon asked instead of answering. Gaining a smirk from me.
That, I don't know. Somewhere dark. Covered in stone. I can't move. I can only... think. He let out an odd, rumbling sort of chuckle. Perhaps you can see why I was so pleased to find you. I can hear others, but no one else can hear me. Makes for a lot of very boring, one-sided conversations.
I wouldn't have known how to respond to that. Moon had no idea either, talking with a legendary monster of the Nightwings. Even I had a few pangs of pity for his situation. This wasn't fair, this was against the Geneva Convention.
I'm not a monster, Darkstalker said again, more quietly. It seems history has painted me that way, but perhaps that's what happens when you disappear before you can tell your own story, and only your enemies are left to finish it. Or your best-friends-turned-enemies, apparently.
I hung my head. Something about this felt strikingly familiar.
War doesn't say who is right, only who is left,
Moon rolled back to the Darkstalker section of the scroll, and I caught my first glimpse of the dragon. An admittedly handsome, dark face stared back out at us. He had the silver scales in the corners of his eyes, as well.
Formidable dragon, Darkstalker said with mild amusement. I rolled my eyes at his self promotion. I suppose that's true, but it is not my fault I was born with these powers. I think you know something about that.
I've never plotted to steal any thrones, though, Moon pointed out. Or killed my father.
Both me and Grace stifled our gawfs.
I think you would, if you'd had my father. I saved the tribe from him, Darkstalker argued his side. He was a lot worse than I am. This scroll's version of the story is highly oversimplified. As for being king — why not? Just because we've only ever had queens, does that mean a king is impossible? Why would I have all these gifts if I wasn't supposed to use them to lead and protect the tribe?
It was as if our minds were grasped with a strong grip, trying to pull us in. Me and Grace hid our hisses of pain. Moon winced, running her talons along her head.
Listen, Darkstalker half commanded. I could see the future, but not just any future — all the possible futures.
I felt Grace gasp.
Do you understand what that means? I could have guided the tribe along the best path, to safety and glory and power and everything else. At each crossroad, I would have known the right thing to do. I loved my tribe, Moonwatcher. I would have been the best ruler they'd ever had. I know it; I saw the futures where I was king, benevolent and beloved, married to Clearsight with six little dragonets of our own. Those were possible. They could have happened, if anyone had faith in me. He paused, then went on. She saw them, too. Clearsight had the gift of prophecy, as strong as mine. She knew those futures existed ... but she also saw the ones where I turned toward evil, destroying instead of protecting. She didn't believe me that I could avoid those paths. In the end, I guess she didn't believe in me at all. I wonder what happened to her.
We sat in silence. I heard Moon's mind turn.
This is going to sound weird, Moon began, but I kind of want to give you
a hug right now.
I just nodded, Grace nodded with me. Darkstalker just barked a laugh.
How did she surprise you, then? Moon asked, curious. If you could see all these futures — how did she trick you with the bracelet?
I heard Darkstalker sigh. I had too much faith in her. He said. I saw the possibility that she would betray me in more than one future — but further down the line. I didn't want to believe it, so I never studied those paths, just as she was supposed to stop looking down my darker paths as well. Up until the last moment, even with visions of blackness pressing against me, I still thought I could change her mind — that I could talk her into trusting me so we could fly into our bright, perfect future.
An unfamiliar version of a growl echoed through Moon's mind. It was Darkstalker. Moon was already trying to disypher it.
What was behind it? Bitterness, revenge, despair? Loneliness?
I never saw any of this back then, though, he said. I suppose prophecy doesn't extend two thousand years forward, not even for me.
So you don't know what happens next? Moon asked.
All I can see is darkness, he said softly. All I can do is hope.
Hope for what?
Hope for someone to set me free. You, specifically.
Suddenly, Moon jumped up, flinging the scroll onto the floor, making me wince. Its wooden clang alerted anyone with ears within a fifteen mile radius. Starflight turned towards us, while Sora looked up from her scroll and blinked in suprise.
"Sorry." Moon tried. "Just — had a thought." How can I set you free? she cried. I'm nobody. We have no idea where you are. And you're — you're —
The most dangerous dragon in Pyrrhia history? Me, Grace, and Darkstalker said drily, we thought. You shouldn't believe everything you read, Moon
Even if I did agree to do it, Moon thought back, which I'm not saying I will ... how could I?
There's something I need, Darkstalker began.
"Moon!" Kinkajou called, sticking her head into the library. Scaring the hebejebes out of Grace. "Didn't you hear the three gongs? We have to get to history class! Sora, you too!"
Sora scrambled to her feet, dropping her scroll with a clatter, fumbling about trying to roll it back up. Moon picked up her scroll, wondering if she could skip class somehow. She kind of wanted to keep talking to Darkstalker, which would be hard to do in a cave full of dragons all thinking at the top of their brains.
Yeah, classrooms are not necessarily the best thinking places. Unless the teacher is a class 2, and he starts going on and on and on. Then you can think.
I felt Grace roll her eyes, starting after Moon.
"Hi, Starflight! I'm superexcited," Kinkajou exclaimed. "I don't know anything about history. I have a million questions for Webs. Like, what's the Scorching, and is it true there used to be scavengers everywhere, and who started the Talons of Peace, and what's the big IceWing tragedy from the past, and —"
A scream of terror suddenly echoed through the tunnels. Causing me to take in a breath. Adrenaline started dumping into my system. My hairs raised on my arms, instinct was screaming.
"Help!" somebody shrieked. More screams and the clamor of running dragons joined the chaos. "The SkyWing! She's here to kill us all!"
Shit!
I slid the Spirit of America out of its leather holster.