Wings of fire - qinter

chapter 5

"WHERE have you been?" she hissed in a malevolent voice that sent chills down his spine. "Erm I was... just at the healing cave?" Qibli mentally slapped himself in the forehead for such an unconvincing excuse, Qibli! why is your brain not working this morning?  "A very likely story" she rasped in her-voice-but-not-her-voice, Qibli noticed a raspy echo in her voice like when speaking in a tunnel, almost as if her voice was being used by someone else.

He looked uneasily at moon, unsure of how he was going to get out of this, then something flickered behind her vivid green eyes and she walked out of his cave, taking her menacing glow away. Qibli let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and he relaxed his mucles, he had sort of expected her to attack him. Alright that was some VERY suspicious behavior, he thought, peering out the cave entrance to see if Moon was still there, definently DO NOT trust her whith anything important until you figure out what in the moons that was.

Qibli snuck down the mostly empty corridor over to the prey center, hoping to catch the sunset. He skirted quickly out of the cave hoping to avoid everyone, then lo and behold he smacked head first into a very agitated prince turtle. "QIBLI!" he shouted, scales flashing and shifting from one side to another "Qibli, whatever you do DO NOT look or talk or exist in front or near winter!" Qibli had never seen Turtle freak out this bad before, I mean, sure turtle IS kind of nervousand paranoid all the timeish but HE IS FREAKING OUT right now, like a cactus bomb just exploded his brain! " Woah! calm down turtle! what happened?" he asked. Turtle inhaled deeply and settled on being ANNOYINGLY twichy and jittery instead of full blown panic, "well! um... er...... you know what it really isn't anything, i was just way overreacting" he slumped down and smiled weakly. Qibli also silently let out a bfreath of relief, after seeing moon acting like her brain had been sent to one of the moons he did NOT need a bigger problem. "Alright turtle 'night" he said and then he turned to the prey center.

Later he snuck into the cave holding his breath and was relieved when he saw Winter's elegant glittering shape slumbering on his ledge. Qibli took a moment to appreciate the beauty, he noticed the way that even in his sleep Winter held his head and wings whith an careful tilt. He noticed the way that when the moonlight fell on his scales he looked like a giant opal, curved and glittering. He listened to the soft rhytymatic sound Winter made when he breathed and made his spines clatter together. Qibli thought Winter looked like a diamond swan right now, graceful and beautiful, then the spell was ruined when Winter twitched and began snoring softly, ah, well it was good while it lasted. But for now, sleep, Qibli truged over to his camelskin pillow and fell into a deep slumber, resting his tired muscles.

"Help!"  The cries came softly at first, lightly stirring Qibli but not yet waking him. "HELP!" it came more strangled and desperate this time.

 Qibli sat bolt upright, in his years of outclaw training he had spent grueling days upon days training so that he could make himself wake up whenever he wanted. This was essential for an outclaw because they had to be able to wake up in the middle of the night to warn and protect others if an unexpected sandstorm hit or if the den was under attack. 

Qibli perked up, listening for the cry. "help! please! I need to be free!" Qibli bolted out of the cave entrance, talons skidding on the rough stone floor, the voice seemed to be coming from Moon and Kinkajou's cave. Oh no! he panicked, Moon was totally NOT normal or sane earlier that day, what if she was doing something to kinkajou? Alarmed by this thought Qibli burst into Moon's cave, all claws and venom, then he stopped abruptedly. He had sort of expected to walk into some kind of fight scene and was preparing to protect Kinkajou, however what he saw shocked him. 

Moon was somehow bound to the bed, terrified out of her wits and looking normal. The vivid green glow was gone from her eyes, instead replaced whith frenzied panic. Kinkajou was gone, Qibli started forwards, only to be met whith a very solid peice of air. "Shhhhh" Kinkajou turned to him whith her green eyes full of concern, holding a talon to her lips, well maybe, it was hard to tell.  Kinkajou lowered her voice, motioning to Qibli to do the same, " psst, she was like this way before you arrived, i think she might be going kookoo" "No Kinkajou," Qibli replied softly"i think it might be a curse, or maybe..."  or maybe Darkstalker. Qibli mentally slapped his brain, no, Darkstalker was gone. He walked towards Moon and flung off her blanket of large green leaves, he started backwards In shock as he saw what had been holding her down.

There was a thick band of metal, lined whith inch-long thorns and spikes on the inside. There were several more on her wrists, ankles and neck. Qibli could see that moon had been strugling to get out, her neck and chest were bleeding, penetrated by the cruel iron spikes. 

Qibli saw Kinkajou go pale green in horror behind him, "Moon" he whispered hoarsely. Aside from her terrible physical state, Moon was going berserk, he seemed to be fighting something invisible. Kinkajou however took in nothing but the pain her friend was going through "MOON!" she shrieked, scrambling to her friend and desperately trying to tug the metal bands away; " I'm going to get help" she whimpered and bounded away into the passageways, Qibli was about to follow her before he saw a sharp, pale shape loom behind him.

He heard a low hiss and then a sharp pain on his head for the second time that day. The pain seemed to sear his mind until he fell to the ground, unconcious.

A/N: hi, finall finished this one. sorry for the Phatchungus wait. 🐸