Proboscis Book 1: Clouds Parting- A Wings of Fire Fanfiction

~ Prologue ~

It was a dark, dreary night, fog hovering just above the water and creeping over the two spires of rock that signified the Horn Islands, just off the coast of the north side of the continent. The thick, swirling mist prevented any view of the beautiful scenery on the horizon. Overhead, three blood moons shone in the otherwise pitch-black night, each one dazzling the night sky like a ruby. Clouds obscured the rest of the sky, smothering the stars and leaving only the moons to shine down, making the fog glow bloodred. The moons each cast down bright purplish-red spotlights, illuminating the haze even more. The columns of light vanished for a moment, reappearing seconds later. The glare started spinning around and around, faster and faster, until all three became purple blurs in the sky.

In the centre of each column, a small, purple-black sphere began to grow, and then the three dark orbs floated closer and joined together, becoming larger and darker. It immediately began to suck up the mist, growing bigger the more it consumed. The fog disappeared into the sphere, leaving the Horn Islands bare and visible. The black globe slowly floated to the ground, taking the shape of a swirling dragon. The big, wispy creature settled gently onto the ground, its glowing red eyes shining in the light of the three moons. It tilted its head up to examine the Horn Islands, particularly the spires of reddish-purple rock twisting into the low-hanging clouds, the tips invisible over the thick clouded layer.

Now that the fog was gone, the creature could see in every direction. To the south, the rocky CrystalWing caves shimmered red in the light of the blood-red sky, the crystals shining with the same colour. To the east, dark, craggy canyons marked the VenomWing Canyons, covered in sand and red rocks. In the sky to the west, the creature could barely see the CloudWing kingdom, looming overhead without ever casting a shadow. To the north was a huge, open sea that, if the legends were true, would eventually lead to faraway continents, full of strange and unknown dragons.

"Ssssoooo . . ." Chaos hissed, wisps flicking in and out of their mist-like body. "Thisss isss Proboscisss . . ."

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Pathfinder was flying toward Proboscis. His black, star-speckled wings were beating steadily toward the continent. He was one of the few NightWings who had inherited powers from the moons, once they started living in the rainforest. A CloudWing named Stratosirrus had escorted him across the ocean, saying that the dragons on this new continent needed help. Sure, the trip might have been tough so far, he thought. There was that time when we went without food for five days, the time when that hurricane almost plummeted us into the ocean, and also the time Stratosirrus got badly scratched by a pack of angry timberwolves. Pathfinder looked at the injury and was ashamed when he saw it had become a scar. If I had never come, he thought with deep sadness, this wouldn't have happened. The two figures had just landed on a small cliff overlooking the northern ocean of Proboscis when Pathfinder's head began to throb painfully. Not now! he thought, frustrated. I need to help these dragons first! Wait until after I do that! It was no use. He tried to call out to Stratosirrus, who was already swivelling back to face him.

"S-Stratosirrus! It's happening!" A new burst of pain arrived. The vision rushed in, sweeping over him with the force of an avalanche. He fell, shaking uncontrollably, and Stratosirrus lunged to catch him. Images of a black soul-like dragon crept through his mind, and words were bubbling up inside him, unable to be stopped. When he spoke, he didn't sound like himself at all.

"When the raven crows,

And a cold wind blows,

Black dragons will take flight,

Coming to wrong the right.

When the sky shakes,

And the ground quakes,

Jet-black dragons swoop down from the clouds,

As thunder booms each shattering sound."

Beware the newest dark command,

Beware the one with power.

Beware the coldest in the land,

Beware the darkest hour.

Cursed with power from the Bloodmoon Night,

Dark scales shining, hiding from light,

Mindless and empty like a hollowed-out tree,

Five dragons hold the key."