Wings of Honor: Bad Moon Rising

Chapter 11: History And Hostiles

Grace's POV

Queen Scarlet shot through Starflight's mind as he leaped over the desk. She's come for us. "Find somewhere to hide!" He cried to Moon, Kinkajou, and Sora. He stumbled forward, talons outstretched. "Don't let her see you." Which way to the Great Hall? He thought frantically. I have to get there. I have to protect them.
"Who?" Kinkajou yelped. "Who are we hiding from?"
Sora curled into a ball on the reeds, trembling. Horrible images were emerging from the swamp over her brain: dragons on fire, dragons screaming, spears bearing, a little brown dragon with blood running down her neck as she plummeted to the ground.
I clutched my head, as did Moon. They weren't just coming from Sora, they were from all around me. Anyone who was in a war was having flashbacks. I could barely think straight.
Raindrops. It's all in the raindrops. I tried to think.
Raindrops. Moon tried
That's not going to work here! Suddenly, Marvin broke through. Everyone's too panicked. Find an anchor, a calm voice. On me. Focus on me Moon and Grace.
I tried grabbing hold of Martin's certain voice. He was right behind me, rubbing my neck. I suddenly heard Carnilian's voice.
She won't hurt me, she was thinking, wary but unafraid. I wonder if she remembers me.
So it's not Queen Scarlet, we realized. Or Carnelian would be way angrier than that.
Starflight was already hurrying away to the Great Hall, his wings brushing the rock walls on either side, his talons reaching forward anxiously.
"I have to help him." I said. No one could hear me over the chaos, except one.
"Go."
I laid my invisible wings on him, guiding him through the passageways. I flashed images of the pathway to him, so he could see for a few moments at a time. It was too chaotic to question anything.
"Aren't we hiding?" Kinkajou asked behind me.
"Is that what you want to do?" Moon asked, next to her.
"No!" Kinkajou said, flaring green and purple and white and yellow in dizzying spirals. "I thought that's what you would want to do. But chasing after him to see what's happening is MUCH more exciting!" I love my clawmate! she thought ecstatically, bounding along beside Moon.
We burst into the hall. A copper colored Skywing stood in the center of the cave.
Peril!
Her head was on a fast swivel, staring wildly around with glowing blue eyes. Smoke and steam rose from her shimmering, metallic scales.
All but three dragons had fled, not including the five of us. Winter and Icicle blocked one of the tunnel entrances, glaring at the mad Skywing. Carnelian was also nearby, watching her. Two dragons, a Sea and Sandwing, lie unconscious on the floor. Nobody we knew.
"Who's there?" Starflight called, his voice shaking. Moon realized that he was trying to look brave, but that he was almost paralyzed with fear. His visions of the former SkyWing queen were intensely replaying over and over in a never ending circle of terror, most of them featuring Starflight bleeding in some kind of arena while she laughed. But the dragon he was afraid of was not Queen Scarlet. Marvin knew who she was, Moon didn't even try to look into Peril's mind, it was like touching an inferno. I couldn't read a single thought in the blaze. My head felt hot, very hot.
"That's not Queen Scarlet!" Moon called, touching his shoulder.
"It's not?" Starflight said.
I sent him an image of the dragon ahead of him. His wings collapsed with relief.
"Peril!" Clay shouted as he hurried into the cave, moving fast despite his limp. "You came!"
Oh, great. Tsunami thought, trailing right behind him.
Peril instinctively shrank away from Clay, but the wall of flames in her mind cooled for a brief moment as she looked at him. I caught a stab of fierce, desperate love and guilt, and then the fire enveloped anything intelligible again.
Clay didn't seem to notice her pulling away; he took one of Peril's talons and pressed it between his. A sickening sizzling sound and burning smell rose from his scales where they touched, but when he let go, the burn healed over almost instantly.
Fire resistant scales. I have the same thing Grace. But I can also deactivate Peril's scales in a small area around her. I had to in order to ride her to the Invincible City.
"When we didn't hear from you, we assumed you weren't coming." Tsunami grumbled.
"I thought I could find her," Peril said, tearing her gaze away from Clay. She was talking about Scarlet. "But she's nowhere. I don't know where else to look. I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Clay said wholeheartedly. "We're glad you're here."
That's only true for him, Moon thought. Not remotely for anyone else. Peril's lucky she doesn't have mind reading. Almost every dragon who knew she was here was brimming with hostility, fear, fury, or, in most cases, all three.
Not every dragon.
"We don't have a group for you." Tsunami said, folding her wings back. "We didn't know you were coming, so there's a SkyWing in each winglet already."
"I don't have to stay." Peril mumbled softly. She edged back a step, toward the outside.
"But I want you to!" Clay said. "If Scarlet's looking for you, too, we'll all be safer together. Don't worry about the winglets, we'll figure it out." He shot Tsunami a frown. Don't scare her away. She deserves a second chance.
Tsunami rolled her eyes visibly, but a memory of Peril saving Clay's life kept her from saying the rest of the snappish things in her head. "I'll go ask Sunny where we should put you," she said instead, and swept away.
"She can't stay here!" Winter suddenly barked, startling everyone. He stepped forward, jabbing a claw at Peril. "That dragon killed more than twenty IceWing prisoners. She was Queen Scarlet's favorite weapon. It's one thing to force us to work with deceitful NightWings and lowborn SandWings, but a straight-up murderer? No one is going to stand for this."
"Besides, she's dangerous," Icicle pointed out in a smooth, high-pitched voice, like she had lots of experience talking and ordering and compromising. "Whether she's still working for Queen Scarlet or ... not." The tone of her voice made it painfully clear which one of those she believed.
"A lot of dragons have done things they need to be forgiven for," Clay pointed out. Marvin nodded. Just around the corner, I felt Tsunami hear him, pause and wince. "Especially in the war. The agreement between the queens was amnesty for everyone, no grudges, no revenge."
Easy for him to say, Winter thought bitterly, then the IceWing from the mountains shot through his head, along with one word: brother. "Fighting in battles, following orders from your general, that's normal warfare," he said. "Killing prisoners while they're chained up, or forcing them to fight a monster — how is that forgivable?"
It's not. That's a war crime. Marvin shook his head.
Peril seemed to be shrinking and burning hotter at the same time. Her eyes, blue as my flame, glowed at Winter through the smoke. She looked ready to fight her way out if need be.
"Even Queen Ruby hasn't agreed to pardon that dragon," Icicle pointed out. "She's been banned from the SkyWing palace, hasn't she?"
"All the more reason to welcome her here," Clay wanted her to stay. "Where starting over and second chances are the whole point." He smiled at Peril again. She lashed her tail and ducked her head. "Come on, let's go see the others." Clay added diplomatically, waving Peril toward the tunnel where Tsunami had disappeared.
Icicle turned to Winter as they left after them and hissed, "I'll send a messenger to Queen Glacier tonight."
The gong sounded twice, echoing through the tunnels.
"Time for history!" Kinkajou said cheerfully, over the tense situation. "Come on, Winter!"
Icicle gave him an amused, arch look. How adorable, a RainWing with a crush on my brother.
Winter shifted his wings uncomfortably and started after Kinkajou. She thinks it's funny, but if she knew what I've been feeling — who I've been thinking about... I nearly yelped when he slammed a wall of ice down over his thoughts, almost hard enough for Moon to feel the vibrations in her own skull.
You okay?
Yeah. Fine.
We followed them deep into the mountain. Staying close and dogging students. There were fewer fire globes and lights, although I could still see clear enough. Kinkajou, on the other hand, stuck closer to the flames. None of us liked the closeness of the walls or the eerie darkness.
The history cave was covered in maps, with well worn edges curling up. There were different shapes and borders of the same place, Pyrrha. A whole load of scrolls were piled haphazardly all over the place, boarder it the room. Way too many for the amount of racks present.
The blue-green Seawing stood at the very center, waiting as everyone began to gather in a circle around him. I got the impression he liked the dimmer, more underground feeling. I remembered him because he brought in that big load a fish to the Prey Center, although he was quite a bit older than the other Founders. He had... some level of regret that he couldn't shake. It persisted, even as he began to focus on the upcoming lesson.
Why is he here? How did he get that scar on his side? Moon wondered.
I sidestepped to the corner, watching as more and more dragons filed in. I slipped every incoming mind into the raindrops, letting them fall away into a gentle background.
16 dragons. Including us. Marvin's mind accidentally betrayed.
Moon was doing okay, thanks to the same trick. She didn't look or feel overwhelmed or confused.
I can think my own thoughts... thanks to...
Then she shifted to think of me for a moment.
There was that flash of a Nightwings in the Prey Center. The voice, it's also a experienced mindreader. Then that third voice. It called my name, then another... Grace?
Shoot. She's onto us.
A little. I'll be careful.
She shifted back to notice Icicle and Sora were on opposite ends of the cave, they didn't even acknowledge each other.
Good. They're keeping their distance.
I blinked when I suddenly realized that Bigtail and Pike were clawmates.
That must be an uncomfortable cave to sleep in tonight.
Marvin couldn't hide his smirk.
Bigtail cast Moon a glance, then dismissed her. He diddnt want anything to do with her.
Oh.
My own wings drooped.
And he's a Nightwing village Nightwing.
Don't let him get to you Grace. You're perfect just the way you are.
Pike slid past Bigtail, and almost nicked him on the snout with his wing.
Carnelian was sitting in a flanking position, watching over the entire cave and entrance. I was surprised she didn't acknowledge the other Skywing here. Moon checked it for me.
Flame, she scoffed, shooting him a glare. Talons of Peace.
Talons of Peace?
A resistance group of sorts. They're a complete mess, but they did keep Sunny, Clay, Glory, Starflight, and Tsunami safe.
Oh. So what's Flame's relation?
Apparently he was hidden away, and that scar wasn't from a battle. He earned that scar from a scuffle with another "false dragonet," a SandWing... named Viper. Me and moon stepped out of his mind, the queasy feeling of his incredible rage was something I really didn't need.
Kinkajou found a small blue and gold colored Rainwing, with foggy eyes I noticed. She dragged a surprised Moon over to her, super excited to have Moon meet her best friend.
"Moon, this is Tamarin. Tamarin, Moon is our new best friend. She's super funny. Moon, can Tamarin touch your face?"
I'm super funny? Moon thought. In what universe?
"It's all right, I don't have to," Tamarin said in a surprisingly calming voice, smiling. Moon noticed the pale film across Tamarin's eyes and remembered that the RainWing was blind.
"You can."
Moon let her talons touch Tamarin's, and the RainWing brushed her claws gently across Moon's scales, horns, and snout. We got a shivering glimpse of a world without sight, of Tamarin's quiet competence and immense concentration.
Ughh. Marvin shivered. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't be able to see again.
Images of his beautiful Vally, the Central Vally. Gonzales, his family. Momma, Daddy, his younger brother Gregory, and everyone he left behind.
"Have you figured everything out yet?" Kinkajou asked Tamarin. "She had the rainforest all memorized, but of course this is a whole new place," she added to Moon. "So Queen Glory arranged for her to come early and spend a few days walking all the tunnels. I bet you know Jade Mountain better than anyone now."
"Ha." Tamarin remarked. "Well, I'm getting used to it. It's useful to have walls, in a way."
"I can't wait for suntime, though," Kinkajou stated. "Moon, after this we're going to go sleep in the sun for the rest of the day. Want to join us?"
"Uh — no, thanks," Moon declined her offer. She'd seen RainWings doing that before, but it still seemed odd to her.
"Everyone sit!" Webs ordered. I unconsciously found myself sitting, Marvin hanging on for dear life at the sudden slope.
A muscular SandWing, a lot older than the others, darted into the cave and sat down next to Tamarin. "Hey," she whispered. "Did I miss anything?"
"This is my clawmate Onyx," Tamarin said.
She had black eyes, like the other Sandwings I've seen, but she had little black diamonds embedded between her pale yellow scales, all along her wings. Jeez, that looked painful. She wore a metal amulet around her neck, branching black lines were tattooed on her horns and neck, earning my and Marvin's look of distain. Her gaze was sharp, studying the others in the cave, and her mind was like drifting sand. Moon tipped her head and also realized that Onyx was as hard to read as Turtle. Nothing came from her mind but that same weird quiet buzzing noise.
How is she doing that? Darkstalker? Can you read Onyx and Turtle? Am I just not powerful enough?
There was a pause, but then he answered.
No. They are both impenetrable to me as well.
Really? Are they just really good at shielding?
I'm not sure. I've never seen mental shielding advanced enough to
block me, and who would have trained them? But perhaps my powers have grown weaker over time. Or perhaps this kind of shielding evolved over the last two thousand years.
Marvin sighed.
It's skyfire. I bet Onyx has it in her amulet. Turtle in his bracelet. I think I already told you this.
Yeah, the magic rock that blocks mind readers?
Yeah. That one.
Moon studied Onyx, then glanced across the cave at Turtle. For all she knew, the two dragons had nothing in common that she noticed. How could they both be the only dragons immune to mind reading? Well... she diddnt know the one thing we knew they had in common. We all looked to the teacher once he started talking.
"Some of you might know who I am," Webs said, clearing his throat importantly. "For those of you who don't, my name is Webs, and I used to be part of the Talons of Peace. You may have heard of my son, Riptide, who is the new leader of whatever the Talons of Peace is becoming. I was one of the guardians who raised the dragonets of destiny. I taught them the history of Pyrrhia, and now they've asked me to teach it to you. So, we'll start at the beginning, with the Scorching."
"I have a question," Icicle suddenly interrupted. Gaining everyone's attention.
"Already?" Webs said, a bit in disbelief. "I haven't even begun yet."
I already know where this is going. Class 1. Webs is definitely a Class 1.
"About that SkyWing," Icicle pressed on. "The one who burns everything she touches. Have there been other dragons like that in history? Aren't they terribly dangerous? I mean, even frostbreath doesn't work on her. So how have tribes dealt with dragons like that in the past? Is there a way to kill her?"
Marvin wanted to hit his face so badly.
"That's... rather a gruesome topic for our first day," Webs sputtered.
"I'd like to know more about Thorn," Onyx spoke up.
Oh Jeez.
"You mean Queen Thorn," Qibli snapped.
"It's unprecedented, right?" asked Onyx, ignoring him. "There's never been a queen in history who wasn't descended from the royal family. Isn't that true?"
"Well, not exactly —" Webs tried.
Regain control Webs.
"Queen Thorn is the best queen the SandWings have ever had." Qibli flared loyally. "If you think you could do better, maybe you should challenge her for the throne."
"But that's my point!" Onyx said sharply. "Does this mean now anyone could take the throne and become queen? Could that happen in the other tribes, too? I mean, it sounds like asking for chaos and rebellion everywhere. That's all I'm saying."
"Er, but it's rather an unusual — I mean, given the Eye of Onyx — and the situation with the three sisters — this is hardly an appropriate —" Webs flapped his wings around, his mind spinning.
Come on Webs. Marvin thought through his teeth. Back on track.
This might be a good chance to get some answers, Darkstalker whispered in Moon's head.
There was just so much going on right now!
"Are we going to learn about the NightWings?" Moon suddenly blurted out, interrupting Webs. Marvin sucked air. "I mean, historically, like, maybe two thousand years ago? Like, where they lived, or, um —" Where they buried the Darkstalker? How am I supposed to nonchalantly ask THAT question?
Nice save.
"We may learn more about the NightWings, but not today," Webs said grumpily. "As NONE of this is RELEVANT to TODAY'S TOPIC, which is the Scorching. Ahem." He gathered up a bunch of scrolls and thrust them at Turtle. "Give these out, one to each dragonet. We'll begin AT THE BEGINNING. That means over five thousand years ago, before there were tribes or kingdoms, back when scavengers swarmed over the whole continent. Unroll your scrolls to the first map, please."
Moon just took her scroll from Turtle with a sigh.
Poor Moon.
It was worth a try. Darkstalker commented.
You said there was something you need. Moon thought.
I felt Marvin tap me, motioning towards Moon.
Yes. If you can find it, and bring it to me, then I could free myself.
Moon thought of the general reaction to Peril.
If they were so terrified of me, how would everyone react if I brought back the creature from their nightmares! Could Darkstalker be trusted any more than Peril? Even if she is, would anyone else believe it? And wouldn't they all hate me even more than they already did, for being the one to bring him into the light again?
Then she scrunched her face into a scowl.
Wait... why can't you use your animus power to free yourself now? Moon asked. There were those animus-touched tunnels from the rainforest to other parts of Pyrrhia — couldn't Darkstalker just make one of those and pop out wherever he wanted?
There was a long, nervous moment. All three of us held our breath. Me and Moon had the same idea: Darkstalker would suddenly burst through the mountain and appear right in front of us.
I can't. Darkstalker said softly.
Why not! Moon asked back. Now me and Marvin were both curious.
He chuckled sadly. I was too smart for my own good.
"There are many stories about life before the Scorching." Webs kept teaching, oblivious to what was going on. "After so many thousands of years, it is hard to know which ones to believe."
What do you mean? Moon asked.
I had a truly brilliant idea. He answered. After what Albatross did — the massacre — we realized that animus magic took a little of your soul every time you used it. So I gathered all of my power and put it in a ... a vessel. Do you see what I mean? If the power wasn't in me, it couldn't turn me evil. I could use the vessel to cast my animus spells — as many as I wanted — without ever being affected. I thought this would prove to Clearsight that she didn't have to worry about me. I would always be myself, and what happened to Albatross would never happen to me.
Of course, that means I need my object of power in order to use it — and of course I didn't have it with me when Clearsight betrayed me. Wherever I am now, it's not here. But if I had it back, I could get myself out. You wouldn't have to do anything except bring it to me. Please. I need your help, Moon. I just want to be free. After two thousand years ... can't you imagine? Is that so much to ask?
I took in a shaky breath.
Moon rolled a corner of the scroll between her claws.
Transferring the animus power to an object — that did sound like a brilliant idea. Had any other animus ever thought of that? Maybe Darkstalker was telling the truth. Maybe he wasn't evil, and never would have been.
No.
Bring it to you, she thought, which would mean finding it and then finding you and also figuring out how to get it to you. Not that simple.
No shit Sherlock.
I'll help you, he promised. A desperate promise. Any way you need. Please don't take away my only hope. Please tell me you'll at least think about it.
I tried very hard not to et my heat lurch. I knew, she was his only hope.
"Most of the pre-Scorching stories would best be described as 'legends' or perhaps even 'fairy tales,' " Webs was droning on. "It is unlikely that scavengers were ever capable of being as organized or advanced as some of these imaginative fictions would have us believe."
Pshh! Came from Marvin, randomly focused on the lesson as well.
"Stories often change and grow over time."
Like Darkstalker's story? Moon thought. Everything we know about him was passed down by those who defeated and feared him. Maybe there's more to it. But how would I know?
You don't. History is only written by the victors.
War doesn't determine who is right, only who is left. Ran through Marvin's mind again.
Moon glanced around the cave — at her winglet, at these new friends who had accepted her so far. If they found out about my powers, would they be afraid of me? The same way Clearsight and Fathom ended up fearing Darkstalker? Would they think I was dangerous or cursed? Was my mother right, that they'd reject me and maybe even want to kill me? Moon curled her talons in and took a deep breath.
All right, Darkstalker, she promised. I'll think about it.
I hung my head. Even I was thinking about it.