Hybrids of Hope or Hell

Chapter Two : Hemp

Sunlight caught silver and moonstone jewellery, creating blinding flashes like bright stars. Blue and green battered horns swayed side to side as Cuckoowasp shook their head, "No, what is that?"

Frantic blue eyes again scanned the solitary environment for unwelcomed listeners, Eclipse's silver scales mimicking the short bursts of light of Cuckoowasp's adornments. "It's a prophecy," she explained in a hushed voice, almost as if they were two dragonets trading rumors, "I don't know the whole thing, only very important people get to know stuff like that. But it's about six hybrid dragons born under three blood moons."

Surprise shot across the hivewing's scales, "that's when I- ...I mean, what do you remember about it?"

"All I really remember is something about some of the hybrid dragons appearances, and they need to...fight someone...and they'll either end the world or save it..."

"Three moons that's grim..."

"It sure is." Eclipse agreed leaning against a tree, "but then, most prophecies are little bug."

"So what? A handful of hybrid eggs that hatched on three blood moons will either end the world or save it? Save it from what?"

"No one really knows, and that's the thing with prophecies. They're just so vague. Anything could could happen, we have no idea what six hybrids will do. There are more details about the prophecy, like the species combination, but that's all kept secret by the elders..."

A dark blue talon tapped against a pale green spiked chin as Cuckoowasp thought, "it would really help narrow down the search if I could know all the information."

"Oh yeah? And how are you supposed to find six secret hybrid dragons that are spread out across the whole continent?"

Cuckoowasp stopped for a moment, staring blankly at the nightwing as they processed the question. 'Why do I even want to look for these dragons? Because I harbour false hope that maybe I'm one of those dragons in the story? Because then at least I would know why I am the way I am, and... I would finally feel justified in existing...' The hivewing had become entangled in their spiraling thoughts, quickly realising how long it had been since either of them had spoken. "We could stop by each kingdom mentioned and ask around about strange looking dragons?" They finally answered.

"Oh...and that's a simple task is it?", Eclipse replied, wringing their claws together as they interrogated the stranger. "You go to every kingdom and ask 'hey, have you seen any odd looking dragons around here?', that won't go well for you."

Grey eye's squinted at the nightwing as Cuckoowasp frowned, suddenly they turned on their heel and began to walk away. "Well it's not like I have anything better to do." Something deep inside of Cuckoowasp was clawing at their ribs, almost as if their fire had become sentient and was trying to burst right through their flesh. They would never dare explain how they felt to Eclipse, not like they could. Something instinctual, downright primal was urging Cuckoowasp to gather the hybrids before it was too late.

"Hey where are you going?" Eclipse called, hurrying after Cuckoowasp. "You're not planning on doing a continent wide search on your own, are you?" Genuine concern seemed to worm it's way into her words, however it was heavily overshadowed by the tone of surprise.

Giving her a quick side glance with green-grey iris', the dark blue sclera illuminated the coloured ring, "yeah, I'm going to go to every single kingdom on the continent and ask 'hey, have you seen any odd looking dragons around here?'" Sarcasm suffocated the repetition of Eclipse's earlier words as the two stood for a second before the hivewing began walking once more.

"Oh, so you're just that eager to get yourself killed, huh?" Eclipse responded, her tone slightly annoyed as she continued, "you do realise, there's a good possibility that the dragons from the prophecy haven't even hatched yet? Or they're still eggs for dark's sake..."

"I'll just tell them I run oddities show, they'll believe me with how I look. And look, I never asked for your help, so why don't you just leave me to my 'suicide mission'" Cuckoowasp growled at the dark silver dragon, trying to walk a little faster to give her the hint to leave but their unusual gait made it a struggle to keep that up for long.

Eclipse, to Cuckoowasp's annoyance, stayed in stride with them. "First of all, I'm not going to let yourself get killed, even if you are being super dumb little buzz bug." Her talking came to a halt as she noticed the other's obvious limp, "and second, can you slow down a bit? I swear, you walk way too fast for your body to handle."

Foggy forest coloured eyes shifted from Eclipse's midnight blue ones to the ground briefly at the mention of their struggle to walk. "I'm fine, and I will be fine... as soon as you leave me alone." The hivewing slowed down a bit as Eclipse had asked, but gradually enough that the other wouldn't notice it.

The nightwing narrowed her eyes at Cuckoowasp, noticing their attempt to slow down subtly. "You know, you're the most stubborn dragon I've ever met..." She spoke, a mix of bemusement and annoyance in her voice. "You'll really go all the way across the continent just to look for some mythical hybrid dragons? Even though we don't even know if they exist yet? That's... really stupid, you know"

"Look. I don't know how to explain it to you but it feels like something is warning me, screaming at me that I need to find these dragons."

"You...what?" Eclipse replied bewildered, "something is screaming at you? In your head? Dark help me..."

A frustrated puff of smoke left Cuckoowasp's mouth at the other dragon's words, "That's not what I meant. It's more of a gut feeling. It's different to the usual voices."

Stopping in her tracks, Eclipse's eyes went wide, "you...hear voices...in your head? What do you mea-" before she could finish her sentence, a large hold opened up beneath her, the ground falling away into nothingness as earth waterfalled into the new ominous space. Stark blackness swallowed the dragon whole.