Claws of time

Chapter 7- Meeting Darkstalker

The two NightWings led me down a long black marble hallway, where every three steps there was a mirror. It was an interesting decoration choice, but now was not the time to focus on the interior decorations. At the end of the hallway the two NightWings knocked on a door, "Queen Vigilance, we have a possible IceWing intruder that was sent by Queen Diamond." Vigilance threw the door open in a panic, "What, where!" She looked down at me frantically, "Perfect, you already caught them. Bring them in here, be prepared to kill him though if they try and attack." I gulped nervously, "Queen Vigilance," I bowed my head, "I assure you I am not here to harm anyone." Vigilance looked at me skeptically, "Then what are you doing here, I know Diamond did not send you to make peace with us, she only wants us dead." She hissed angrily at me. "I have a message for Arctic? There's a scroll in my pouch, if I or someone else may deliver it to him that would be appreciated." I pulled the scroll out of my pouch and held it in my talons. "You wait here, I'll summon him. They're supposed to be here for a party soon anyways." Vigilance left the room, leaving me and the two NightWings. After a while of trying to convince the NightWing guards I was not a threat, I overheard a bunch of wingbeats approaching the balcony on the other side of the room. Thinking it was Vigilance and Arctic the guards led me over to the balcony, but it turned out to be a group of four SeaWings. The SeaWings landed on the balcony and looked at the two NightWings and me. I stared at two of the SeaWings for a moment until I realized I recognized them. Fathom was the dark green SeaWing, and that purple dragon was the one he saved that night. "You must be Fathom? We've been expecting you." Fathom nodded, "Yes, I'm here to visit Darkstalker and warn him about his use of Animus magic." The two NightWings nodded, "We have a room prepared for you, take a left from here and go down the hall, you should be able to find it." The darker green NightWing pointed his tail towards the door. "You're looking for Darkstalker too?" I asked curiously, "Could you give this to him and tell him it's for his father, Arctic." I handed the scroll to Fathom. Fathom looked at me confused but took the scroll anyways, "Uhm, sure?" Fathom looked towards the purple SeaWing with bewilderment, and walked out of the room.
The sun had already started to set before Vigilance and another NightWing that had what seemed to be smaller IceWings scales underneath his wings, was this Darkstalker? "To answer your question, yes I am Darkstalker. Why did you want me to give my father a scroll that had a proposal from Diamond?" I blinked at him confused, "Oh I didn't realize it was some kind of trade off. I didn't really question what the scroll was about, I just took it and went." Darkstalker glared at me, "You didn't think to second guess what the scroll was about, when it's directed towards a well known animus 'traitor and runaway.' obviously she would send him something like that." I shook my head, "No...I was just following orders. Plus I was also excited to finally be welcomed back into the tribe after all these years." I shrugged, how was I supposed to know the new queen was going to try and split up a family over in the Night kingdom, it had been 2,000 years, I don't know which tribes are at war or allied and what not. Darkstalker looked at me confused, "You've been gone for 2,000 years? How are you not dead? Unless... are you an animus as well?" I blinked in surprise, "Oh, you're a mind reader, I thought at first you just guessed I was looking for you, well I suppose no hiding my thoughts then, huh?" Darkstalker chuckled, "Nope." "Well then... in that case, yes I am an animus. About 2,000 years ago I left Pyrrhia to go to a new continent called Pantala and was only recently called back here by the new IceWing queen, Diamond. She sent me here to give your father a scroll, and I never really questioned why." Darkstalker looked up at vigilance, "Don't worry, he's telling the truth." He walked over to me and bumped his wing with mine, "A lot of people are looking to talk with me recently, especially this worried little SeaWing-" I cut him off, "Fathom?" Darkstalker looked at me curiously, "Yes... how do you know Fathom?" I looked down at my talons, "It's a... It's a long story." My mind flashed with scenes from Albatross's murder. "Oh my... you were there during the massacre?" I nodded slowly. Darkstalker groaned, "Don't tell me you're also afraid of Animus magic?" I shook my head no, "I'm not, that wasn't the first time I had seen an Animus gone rouge. However, I use my magic carefully." Darkstalker tilted his head curiously, "And how many times have you used your magic?" "Nine times for small enchantments." "Aren't you Icewings only permitted to use your magic once? Is that why you were sent away all those years ago?" Darkstalker guessed. I nodded, "Yeah... that's basically the reason." "So... you think after using your magic seven times they'll really let you back in the Ice kingdom." I stopped to think about what Darkstlaker had just said, he did make a good point. But if I wasn't welcomed back, then why would Diamond call me back? "Because she wants to use you and your magic, until you turn crazy, then, she'll probably kill you. Diamond is considered to be a mad queen afterall, so it only makes sense that this is her plan." Darkstalker did make another good point, I trust that he would know more about Diamond than I would, considering he's grown up with her being the queen, and not on another continent for 2,000 years. "Exactly. Don't trust Diamond, instead trust me, and maybe help me out a little? I have lots of questions and maybe you could help Fathom get over his fear of animus magic?" Darkstalker held up one of his talons as if he was presenting something, "What do you say?" I took Darkstalkers talon in mine, "Sure. Are we going to go bug him now, I'd assume not, he's probably sleeping. Oh I should too." I hadn't realized how tired I was until I mentioned sleeping. "I'll let you rest for now, I know you're tired." I smiled, "Thanks." Vigilance turned to me and assigned the two guards to show me where I could stay for the night.