Eclipse of the Moon

Prologue

The silver glint of the moonlight was still upon the calm waters of the lake, the crest beaming from above peacefully. The owls were singing their sorrowful melodies from the trees above, their eyes gazing upon the body of water. The dark grey clouds swirled from above, thunderbolts crackling through the night sky.

Amongst all the nature flew a dragon, soaring above the waters below. Her wings glided, barely dipping into the water and creating ripples that echoed through it.

Her eyes were hypnotizing purple that swirled like whirlwinds, and her scales were the lightest of blues with hints of navy dotted around her tail. She had a thin, elongated body that was similar to a serpentine creature.

Cupped in her talons was a bright, shiny aquamarine egg with dark splotches of greenish blues. She held onto it warmly against her chest, determined to get it across the lake and to the forest where it'd be safe to hatch. She'd have to be quick, as the egg already had a small crack edged into the shell that was spreading slowly.

The dragon's name was Pyra; she was an outcast amongst her tribe as she joined the peacekeepers in order to keep a balance throughout the wars. She was banished from her tribe for being weak because she could not kill another dragon, and let one escape.

The egg she held was the only thing she had left, as she couldn't trust her mate with it. Her mate's name was Adrian, he had smashed all of the other eggs in a rage. Pyra kept her last offspring safe from him, and took care of it all by herself. She left her home and the rest of her family to keep it safe from the others, it was a rather small egg that would be incompetent to the others.

Pyra gazed upon the scenery around her, mountains rose from the ground like a huge barrier. This was the perfect place to hatch her offspring, she just knew it.

She could see her breath in the air as it drifted away, closing her eyes with a smile. She tilted her head down to see the calm waters below, ripples dancing upon the surface peacefully.

There were tiny grey flashes bolting past her talons, as she reached down to touch them. An orange fish swam by in a hurry, as she dragged her talons against the water joyfully. The nights here were so peaceful, especially in the autumn where the leaves on the trees would shift into reds and oranges. Pine trees were littered amongst them, aligning the mountain edges.

The moon was but a thin silver crest gleaming down onto the waters below, as stars danced in the night sky like a silhouette. They twirled and leaped through the navy blue abyss, swirling in circles and leaping from place to place majestically.

Pyra joined their performance, whirling through the air with a smile stretched across her face, as if her spirit would never wither away. Her body twisted into a rhythm like a speeding bullet as she swung herself upwards and dove down into the clear waters below.

Her eyes widened as she raced through the waters, her wings kept close to her sides as she whirled and whirled around in circles. The fish around her were mere flashes of bright orange and deep silver as she swirled, this was the most freedom she ever had.

In moments, she burst out of the water to join the rest of her starry friends, her talons glistening in the soft moonlight. Her wings shimmered with dew as she spread them widely and twirled around in the air with ease.

Then, she looked down at the ripples she had created, which danced and matched perfectly with the stars above. With a keen grin, she bolted down to a tree, her egg still in her talons. She held onto the tree's branches and climbed her way up to the tip.

Her eyes twinkled with excitement as she placed her egg onto a branch safely, piling bright red leaves onto the shell. It rumbled as the crack grew, branching off into different directions. It seemed as if it was a painting unravelling, and appeared to be a dragon's face.

Pyra perched onto the branch excitedly, almost crushing it under her talons as she leaned over the egg. The shell began to shatter swiftly, cracks squiggling through.

She watched attentively, her tail coiling around the branch with anxiousness. The cracks spread and the shell began to crumble on itself like an earthquake as it rumbled furiously.

Then, in a sudden moment the eggshell shattered into a million tiny pieces, and out rolled a tiny hatchling. Pyra peered into its cute little blue eyes that glistened with tears, as the dragonet yawned and slouched over on its back.

She smiled graciously and cupped the little one's snout in her talons, excitement piled up inside of her. The hatchling tilted her head adorably and fluttered her tiny wings, looking up at the moon that was slowly descending down behind the mountains.

"I'm going to name you Cielast," her mother said gently, picking the hatchling up with her talons and reaching her into the sky. "Awrk?" questioned the little one, staring down at Pyra.

"You are destined to be an amazing dragon that will one day stop the catastrophe." She paused for a moment with a nervous smile, kissing her hatchling on the forehead. "And one day you will become queen of your own kingdom, and I will be there every step of the way... I promise."