Inscrypion x Wings of Fire : Leshy's Endgame

Chapter 16 - Darkstalker

Darkstalker had, after two more long months, finally been considered well enough to move around without anyone keeping an eye on him, and not a moment too soon. Queen Vigilance seems to have finally decided she ought to invite him to her palace. He was sitting with a scroll in front of him. The care he took made it obvious that it was one of the two scrolls that have been animus-touched. He had rolled it up and left after he was alerted and came back to a word jar, which he realized by this point was when his story simply couldn't be turned into a card.

Darkstalker's first meeting with the queen was... odd, to say the least. Somehow, Arctic had carefully done or said something to make it clear his animus magic is to be kept secret from her. Rather, she asked him over to take over Professor Truthfinder's job for once and tell him that his and Leshy's card game was getting too out-of-talon. When he accidentally revealed his secret to her (having fully been expecting to have known), it quickly became awkward and moved into a more private room of the palace, one room that no guards were near.

What had once been a disciplinary lecture to him that Truthfinder was giving Leshy (as Leshy, at least, was not as open about it as Darkstalker was) turned into Queen Vigilance assuring him that she wanted to know how he felt he could best use his magic, be it his animus magic or whatever mysterious enchantment is placed on the (as Darkstalker called it) "Scroll of Stories."

She was mostly wanting him to stop the war with the IceWings, but her personal suggestions never felt quite right... just a little too violent for him. He, nevertheless, promised her he'd think about it himself. They discussed the SeaWing massacre for a minute, Darkstalker bringing up that Leshy is friends with two of the survivors: Hecate and Fathom. He was excused at that moment.

More and more invitations came. Darkstalker found less time to enjoy his new power as a "Scrybe" as Leshy started calling those with such power after yet another meeting with Hecate. The NightWing queen wanted him to be with her often, inviting him to dinner parties, tea, hunting weekends, races, tournaments, games, even requesting an explanation on the game he, Leshy, and Hecate have been working on. She, admittedly, was not good at it in the slightest. If he or Clearsight (who had been learning from Hecate and Whiteout as she said that Leshy is quite a bit too off-putting) were to challenge her for the throne, it makes him wonder if he could potentially use the game rather than actually fight her.

It was as if Queen Vigilance was more interested in what his power could give to her rather than frightened of what could happen to him. She wanted him near her as often as possible, to make him dependent on her. Even when Darkstalker tried pulling his small stunt again (to a lesser extent than before, only being absent for a week), she insisted that he stay at the palace where he could be comfortable and healthy until he snaps himself out of it.

Darkstalker, too, liked the meetings. It gave him a feel for things. There were always new areas to see and take inspiration from. The queen's personal museum was his favorite spot for that. And, of course, it gave him an excuse to keep an eye on the queen and ensure she doesn't do something that, now that he's unable to be evil anymore in the slightest, he can't agree with (not that it has really happened yet).

Clearsight was a problem though. It was as if the bringing up of her being queen did something. She refuses to see Queen Vigilance for any reason under any situation. The rare time she does see the queen, she immediately glances away and pretends to have not noticed her. And, of course, every time Darkstalker asked her to come with him, she refused. However, as he sat, once again, doing the same thing he was when the invitations started coming, he received another. However, the reason was... different.

A welcoming party... as he saw the reason, a vision crossed his mind of a group of SeaWings approaching the palace. It was strange, but not something to dwell on. He didn't see any reason to. He looks in his jewelry chest. He takes out a silver earring. He's had an enchantment planned... something to deal with the bullies Whiteout faces. He hasn't worked out the ideas, but he'd rather not have to always be, admittedly, nasty back to them. However, surely he can put it on right now while it's normal. Besides, silver is in style among the dragons who frequent the palace from what Darkstalker noticed.

The other accessory was a tail band, a much more recent trend among all NightWings. His, in particular, wraps around his tail exactly five times, the silver it's made of carved to look like dragon scales. It was, in his opinion, heavy and embarrassingly unwieldy, but at least it was enchanted to have two particularly useful things it can do... and it is a must, considering that one thing it does is that it keeps Peacemaker away from him and make him unable to come back (the other being that anyone who has thoughts of hurting him instantly falls asleep). As soon as he puts it on, the half-RainWing blinks out of existence.

Arctic, his moonstone necklace covered by a jet-black, emerald-studded necklace, pokes his head in. "Are you still primping?" he asks in a demanding tone. "The queen is not going to be happy with anyone if we embarrass her, so I'd rather not let tardiness be the thing that kills her mood."

Something about the way Arctic said that makes Darkstalker pause. Vigilance had never gotten mad at guests before, but he can assume it won't be a good idea to make her mad, especially when he so recently put himself near-firmly in her favor. He exits his room after putting his two most important scrolls in his bag along with his deck, sideboard, and two candlesticks that can each hold three candles (Leshy came up with a three-lives mechanic that he says came from Hecate, though Hecate's mind said that it was Leshy that gave her the idea).

Whiteout and Leshy are in a heated argument (the closest to a proper Foeslayer-and-Arctic-esque argument he's heard from them) over whether or not the former should be allowed to keep her Ouroboros card (now doing 600 attack and having 600 health compared to the measly 1 and 1 when she first got it). And Foeslayer, adorned with emeralds and moonstones to complement the necklace Arctic hides his moonstone necklace behind, is waiting on Darkstalker and Arctic.

Foeslayer adjusts Arctic's necklaces and Darkstalker picks up on her thoughts. It'll be alright. Arctic's idea is clever. It's just what Darkstalker needs.

"Me?" Darkstalker asks, suddenly suspicious. "What do I need?"

"Stay out of it for now," Arctic growls at him. "You'll learn soon enough."

Foeslayer sighs before resting her wing against Darkstalker's and patiently saying "Whiteout, be good while we're gone."

"No wild parties, either of you" Darkstalker jokes to Whiteout and Leshy, hoping that the argument doesn't get worse.

Whiteout, without missing a beat and still glaring at Leshy, says to her brother, "You're the one going into the wild."

"Let's go," Arctic snaps, thoughts racing through his mind of Vigilance turning away the SeaWings... or killing them if anyone embarrasses her racing through the IceWing's mind. That adds a little more urgency to the whole thing. Darkstalker doesn't give Arctic a chance to say anything more.

However, something feels... wrong. He can guess that one of the visitors is Hecate's mysterious friend who he's never seen and only heard of from her, Leshy, and Clearsight. However... there was an enchantment he had written shortly before Arctic entered his room, and on it was the copper-wired bracelet he borrowed from Clearsight and claimed that it'll "add a little extra flair to the game." A total lie, but a necessary one, and she probably knew already long before he asked for it, which will lessen the blow if there is one at all.

"Enchant this bracelet so that, once Clearsight of the NightWings puts it on, her scales will be invulnerable to harm of any sort, heal her instantly if she is injured, and shield her indestructibly from any threat of death. It will do this then swap itself with the bracelet currently held by Darkstalker of the NightWings and the IceWings before losing any and all enchantments placed upon it."

If he sees Clearsight, he'll give her both it and a duplicate (with one of the moonstones being replaced with a sapphire) that only has the enchantment to block mind-reading then explain what he had done, leaving the choice up to her. He will be explaining what he did before giving her the original though... it would not be good if she is rendered effectively unable to be killed and doesn't want it for whatever reason.