Prologue

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Wind whipped at Tortix's ears. Hail pelted down at her back and face, as if it weren't already hard to fly. She wished she could have stayed at their hidden cave, but with Birch's missing talon, Tortrix had to carry the last egg; The Sandwing. The Sandwing egg was black, with sand-coloured ripples and white flecks, reminding Tortrix of stars. It was obvious that the Sandwing had Nightwing heritage, but they couldn't get rid of it. It suited the prophecy; "Dragon of Sand, supposedly unwanted". Tortrix brushed her talon over the shell of the egg, slowly rolling it in her claws. The word "Orphan" was lightly etched on the surface of the shell.

Poor thing. Tortrix thought to herself. She could remember the day Ceja almost crushed it in the desert.

~Tortrix and Ceja, the Sandwing guardian, were out in the desert, searching for more lizards to eat. The sun was blazing hot on Tortrix's brown and black scales, and gave her a bad sunburn the next week.

"Lizards shouldn't be this hard to find." Ceja had snarled. Ceja paced in a circle, growling as he kicked up a fair amount of sand. Something black glistened near Ceja's feet, but was soon hidden by the shade of his talon as he began to take another step.

"STOP!" Tortrix cried, leaping at Ceja's shoulder. She toppled the Sandwing over, although that was not her intention.

"What was that for?" Ceja snarled, smoke rising from his nostrils. He heaved himself upright, shaking sand off of his dusty brown scales. Tortrix turned slowly, her remaining antennae twitching cautiously. She lifted the black object out of the sand, dusting it off carefully.

"It's an egg. ." Tortrix stated, a hint of confusion in her voice.

"Well, put it back." Ceja growled. "It's parents surely put it there for a reason." Tortrix rolled the egg over slowly, frowning as she stared at a word inscribed on the surface.~

Tortrix sighed. She could see the large spire known as Thunder Mountain, a towering peak in the center of the Claws of the Clouds mountains. Thunder Mountain broke through the clouds but, due to the prophecy's desire, the eggs had to hatch in the eye of the storm. She looked down at the silver Sandwing egg. It had turned this colour only an hour after the moons rose on this stormy night. Tortrix angled her shoulders, beginning to flap her four wings as hard as she could. Two of her wings were torn from a battle two years prior, which made it difficult to fly in such a way. Tortrix could feel the dragonet within the egg press against her talon. It was only a matter of time before it'd crack the shell.

Then, suddenly, crack. A large crack had splintered across the surface of the egg, and Tortrix could see, through the small gap from the crack, a black and dust yellow dragonet. The small dragon had her back pressed against Tortrix's palm, with her small feet pressed against the opposing side of the egg. Tortrix beat her wings faster, barely being able to see the ledge on which Ceja and Birch were settled. Birch was looking over the rough stone outcropping, his face shifting from joy to horror.

"TORTRIX!" Both Birch and Ceja cried in unison, leaping off the ledge. Tortrix gave them a confused frown, turning her head to the left ever so slightly. In a swirl of red and orange, Tortrix's body was thrown against the jagged stone wall. She twisted her body around, clutching the Sandwing egg close to her chest. Sharp claws racked Tortrix's neck, making her yowl with pain. In a blur of cream and dusty scales, Tortrix was set free. Birch grabbed her arm, beginning to pull her away from the fight. Tortrix could see Ceja fighting several Skywings, three of which were pulling at his wings. And, far below them, a silver egg plummeting to its doom. Tortrix forced herself into a dive, tears forming at the corner of her eyes. She must've dropped it when Ceja pulled the Skywing away.

"TORTRIX, NO!" Birch cried, beginning to follow her.

"Help Ceja!" Tortrix called back.

"No- Tortrix, look out!"

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