Wings of the Crystal : The Lost City

P r o l o g u e

                                    ✿
          A half moon glowed on smooth granite
   boulders in front of the RainWing path,     turning them silver. The silence was broken only by a ripple of water from the swift black lake and the whisper of trees in the RainForest beyond.
     There was stirring in the shadows, and from all around lithe, big dark shapes crept over the rocks. Claws glinted in the moonlight. Wary eyes flashed like Amber and hazel. And then, as if on a silent signal,  the creatures leapt at each other, and suddenly the rocks were alive with wrestling, screeching dragons.
     At the center of the frenzy of scales and claws,  a massive, thin SandWing with black diamonds running down his scales pinned a fully black NightWing to the ground and pulled up his head triumphantly. "ColdEye!" The SandWing growled. "How dare you try to invade the RainForest? We are in the war!"
    "After tonight, Snake, the RainForest will just be filled with emptiness when all of those Lazy creatures they call themselves dragons are slaughtered!"  The NightWing spat, his cold, Gray-blue eyes staring Furiously into Snakes.
    A warning growl came from the shore, shrill and anxious.
    "Look out! More NightWings are coming!"
       Snake turned to see sleek dark bodies sliding above the flat hills below the rocks. The furious NightWings bounded up silently up the hill and hurled themselves into battle.
    Snake glared down at ColdEye. "You may fight like Our Ancestors, but you and your dragons do not belong in this RainForest!"  Snake bared his fangs as his tail rose to stab him as the NightWing struggled beneath him. But Snake held his tail up, his ears raising.
    The desperate scream of a SandWing rose above the clamor. A wiry NightWing had pinned the dark SandWing, with beautiful scales, down flat on her belly. Now he lunged toward her neck.
       Snake heard the cry and let go of ColdEye. With a mighty leap, he knocked the enemy dragon away from her. "Quick Egypt, run!" He ordered, before turning on the SandWing that threatened her. Egypt scrambled to her claws,  wincing from a deep gash on her shoulder, and raced away.
      Behind her, Snake spat with rage as the NightWing sliced his snout. Blood blinded him for an instant, but he lunged forward regardless and sank his claws into the hind leg of his enemy. The NightWing squealed and struggled free.
        "Snake!" The roar came from another massive SandWing. "This is useless! There are too many NightWings!"
     "No, widow. Sandwings will never be beaten!" Snake roared back, leaping to Widow's side. "Their trying to slaughter the RainWings!" Blood was welling from his snout, and he shook his head impatiently, scattering scarlet drops onto the rocks.
       "The SandWings will honor your courage Snake,  but we cannot afford to lose more of our soldiers." Widow urged. "Queen Sandstone would never expect our dragons to fight against these impossible odds. They will not attack if we leave now. They have been spotted."  He met Snake's brown Eyed gaze steadily, then reared away and sprang onto a large boulder at the edge of the trees.
        "Retreat, Sandwings, retreat!" He yelled. At once, the dragons squirmed and struggled away from their opponents. Spitting and snarling, they backed toward Widow. For a heartbeat, the NightWings looked confused. Was this battle so easily won? Did the Sandwings already lose their first battle? Then ColdEye roared a jubilant cry. As soon as they heard him, the NightWings raised there voices and joined their general in caterwauling there victory.
       Widow looked down at the SandWings.
With a flick of his tail, the dragons lifted to the air and flew worriedly back to their kingdom.
     Snake followed last, hearing the last call of ColdEye."don't worry, will plan to slaughter them another day!"
       Snake hesitated at the edge of the hill and glanced back at the bloodstained battlefield. His face was grim, his eyes furious slits. Then he leaped into the sky after his army.
.
.
.
In a deserted clearing, the Sandwing Queen sat alone on a sharp, large Boulder, outside the town. She stared at the clear night sky. All around her in the shadows were the small crickets in the sand and the night birds crowing.
    A small, Sand Pattered Sandwing with black at the tips of her wings and Crest emerged from the dark section, her clawsteps quick and soundless.
       The Queen dipped her head in greeting. "How is Egypt?" She sighed.
        "Her wounds are deep, Queen Sandstone." Answered the Sandwing, setting herself on the night-warm sand. "But she is strong;she will heal quickly."
      "And the others?"
"They will recover, too."
The Queen sighed. "We are lucky not to have lost any of our army this time. You're a gifted medicine dragon, Pyramid." She titled her head again and studied the stars. "I am deeply troubled by tonight's defeat. Sandwings have not been beaten by NightWings since I became Queen." She murmured. "These are sometimes difficult for our tribe. The season of spring is coming, and there have been fewer Dragonets. Sandwings need more dragons if it is to survive."
       "But the year is only just beginning," Pyramid pointed out calmly. "There will be more when summer comes."
     The Queen twitched her broad shoulders. "Perhaps. But our training young must go to school and come back strong and healthy. If Sandwings must protect their territory, then we must have new dragons as soon as possible."
        "Are you asking SwiftWings for answers?" Sighed Pyramid gently, following the Queens gaze and staring up at the swathe of stars glittering in the dark sky.
        "It is at times like this we need the words of ancient dragons to help us. Has the SwiftWing tribe spoken to you?" The Queen asked.
        "Not for months, your majesty."
    Suddenly a shooting star blazed over the desert. Pyramid's tail twitched and her claws clenched the sand floor.
      Queen Sandstone's ears perked up, but she remained silent as pyramid continues to gaze upward.
       After a few moments, Pyramid lowered her head and turned to the Queen.  "It was a message from SwiftWings," she murmured. A distant look came into her eyes. "Invisibility alone can save our tribe."
      "Invisibility?" The Queen echoed. "But invisibility is feared by all the tribes! How can it save us?"
     Pyramid shook her head. "I do not know," she admitted. "But this is a message from SwiftWings, so it must be true your majesty."
      The Sandwing Queen fixed her clear hazel eyes on the medicine dragon. "You've never been wrong before  pyramid," she hissed. "If the SwiftWings have spoken, it must be so. Invisibility will save our tribe."