30 Years after The Flames of Hope, Pyrrhia and Pantala hasn't been better! Peace has been established between the tribes, the continents have established trade routes, and there hasn't been any big conflicts or wars in years!
The calm before the sto...
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— Art by u/rainwing222 —
(Five years after Flames of Hope...)
Jerboa looked towards the sea, at the docks with a legion of ships looming over the horizon. This once quiet beach was now the location of a busy and loud trade center. Beautiful views tainted by dragons. But this time she actually needed something from there. Once the ships docked, she made it up to a worker, asking for any mail for her. With a suspicious glare, he grabbed a box and gave it to her. They probably thought she was in a cult. She couldn't really blame them, though. If she had to bring what was in the box to someone, she'd be suspicious as well.
She sighed and took the box, thanking the icewing and making it back home. She still lived in the same hut, but she added a few upgrades. It was now much bigger, with even more rooms. She placed the box down in the middle of the kitchen to prepare a fire to cook. Before opening it, there was a note on top, saying:
"Thank you for taking this off me, Jerboa. Any longer with him and I would've broken the thing. I believe you will last much longer with him than I. And if it comes to it, I know some more other people you can lend it to. If you ever need me, just send me a message."
-Badger
Badger was a hivewing she met a couple years back. They quickly became friends, then pen pals. She enjoyed talking to him; a feeling all too rare nowadays. She couldn't really risk talking to anyone after what she did. Of course getting rid of the current generations animus was the right thing, but this has caused an even bigger divide when the first animus child was born. It was a hard life for her to live, and it was about to get harder.
She sighed as she cut open the box, revealing a rather fancy vase. Engraved on its light blue base was a drawing of a massive nightwing being praised by a group of smaller nightwing. "Heh. Maybe Badger was wrong," she chuckled to herself. "Maybe he's not in this thing." She placed the vase on a counter in the kitchen, making sure it was far from the edge. Even if it was fake, she had to be carful.
Returning to the fire, she placed a teapot over it. Making sure it wouldn't tip over, she stared at it for a few second. "Jerboa," a voice called, making her eyes go wide. Worried, she turned her head to the vase, expecting to hear it again. And just as she suspected, someone was talking to her.
HE was talking to her.
"Ah, so glad you can hear me," Darkstalker chuckled. "So, you're the person Badger is drooling over? You two seem close." Jerboa let out a snarl, heading to a different room. "Wait, where you going?" He asked, his voice not seeming to get any further away; in fact, he was getting louder. He was talking to her in her head. "Don't you want to hear what he said about you?"
"If he wanted to tell me it, he would say it to me," she retaliated. Heading to her closer, she pulled out a rather sturdy safe. She started dragging it to the kitchen, having little to no difficulty with it.
"Oooo, spicy, are we?" Darkstalker asked. "I'm gonna have fun breaking you." Jerboa rolled her eyes, opening the safe to reveal two styrofoam pieces. She pulled the pieces out and fitted the pieces on the top and bottom of Darkstalkers vase. "Quiet, aren't we?" He mocked. "I know what you're doing, and the vase is only a temporary solution," he pointed out. "You'd have to bring me everywhere. I get louder the further you are from me, and I can only whisper oh so quietly."
He was right, unfortunately. She'd have to carry him around. It'll be risky, but Badger had sent her a note a couple weeks ago. He had forgotten to bring Darkstalker to work. And the nightwing didn't even try to warn him, or make any sound. It was only until he got to work that Darkstalker talked. Imagine Jerboa's surprise when she heard about how he turned deaf. "I don't care what it takes," she replied. "As long as you never get to see the light of day."
Darkstalker let out a loud laugh, making Jerboa jump a bit. Was this a joke to him? "I can see through your eyes, Jerboa," he pointed out. "I see what you see. I know what you know. Ooooo. What if you're about a nightwing? Your cover will be blown instantly. Oh so many possibilities!" Jerboa growled and put the vase into the safe. It slid in easily. Hopefully the styrofoam will be enough to stop it from breaking in the safe.
"And more reasons not to free you," She said to herself, dragging him into her closet. "Plus I got rid of animus magic. Now the only dragons with animus are the newborns." She went back to the kitchen. Seeing the water boiling, she got it out of the fire and poured it into a cup, placing the teabags in the hot water.
"Oh but that's where you're wrong," Darkstalker replied. "I'm technically dead, so my animus should be fine. But, you told me your dirty little secret." Jerboa let out a gasp, coming to realization with what she said. Now the most infamous dragon in Pyrrhia knew what she did. If he were to tell any dragon this, her reputation will be ruined. Animus dragonets we're being bullied because of her, and they won't forgive her. Why would they?
Deciding to try to get her mind off everything, she heading back out to the dock, sitting down to watch the sunset, the ships leaving over the horizon. She had to admit, it was quite beautiful. But of course, he had to ruin it. "Wow, this is such a great view," he commented. "I would love to watch the sunset with you."
"I'd be a corpse before you're free," she hissed.
"Hm, that's quite a wait," Darkstalker snickered. "Wait, you can die?" That was another thing to fail she realized. She was still as fragile as any dragon, if not even more. If Darkstalker were to be freed, the only one who could possibly stop him are a couple of dragonets. "Eh. I'll know sooner rather then later," he continued. "You think my cult realized they should free me instantly?"
Of course Darkstalkers return brought in a new cult of nut jobs who believes his way is the right way. Badger wasn't the first owner of the vase. A nightwing had found the vase. Instead of freeing Darkstalker instantly, they thought they should have gifts prepared. They were too late when a traitor took the vase and sold it to Badger. "They won't find me," she assured. "And if they do, I'll kill them."
"Hah! You can't kill that many dragons!" He roared in laughter. "But you can try! In every future I win. And who's going to stop me?" Jerboa sighed; nobody could beat Darkstalker, especially since the vase would bring his animus magic back when he's free. It was only a matter of time before the cult found her, and him. She just had to pray that the new animus' could stop him.
