Qibli x reader: Chasing Stars

Chapter 11

 I thought about Darkstalker for the rest of the day as I explored the tunnels. I thought about what it must have been like to be trapped in stone forever. I also heard flurries of anxieties and fear about how dangerous Peril was. If Queen Scarlet was bad, Peril was apparently worse. But she hadn't seemed that scary when I'd met her. I thought about her powers, her fiery touch, and having powers you can't control, and what you choose to do with them.

Qibli followed me around, not even bothering to hide it. Some dragons whispered about this, but Qibli silenced them with a glare. 'You aren't going anywhere until I find some way to make sure you'll be okay.' He thought. I didn't mind very much.

I eventually realized I was going to have to talk to someone. Worse, I would have to talk to a NightWing. One from the tribe, so no friendly ones like Starflight or Fatespeaker.

There were four others at the school. Bigtail wouldn't be much help. Which left Mindreader, Mightyclaws and Fearless. 

I searched the school carefully with my mind, and I found Mightyclaws alone in the art cave.

I didn't know if this was a good idea or not. Mightyclaws was one of the more outwardly friendly dragons, but I could see jealousy in his head.

I hesitated at the entrance of the art cave. Normally the cave would have been full of sunlight, but it was twilight now. Qibli stared at me. "Painting? This late?" He yawned. "Qibli... I'll be fine for now. You can go to sleep." He protested, then got cut off by another yawn. "Come by if you need anything." He mumbled, leaving.

A black dragon stood in the middle of the cave, considering an easel with a canvas on it. He wasn't as thin as he had been when I'd met him five months ago. But he looked as though he hadn't filled out quite much.  He had a round belly, but his face was still lean, with sharp jawbones and deep hollows beneath his eyes. Even after six months of clean rainforest air and healthy eating, he still had a hint of a rasp to his voice and his claws shook slightly when he reached for something. He thought about food almost constantly.

Until something distracted him, at least. Like, for instance, me.

"Hey." He muttered, neither welcoming or hostile. 'I never know what to say to her.' 

"Hi." I said nervously.

He messed with a few small jars of paint at a table beside him, then glanced over again. "You here to paint?" He asked. 'Or stare at me awkwardly?'

"Uh, yeah." I murmured. How could I ask him questions when I couldn't even get two words out? I grabbed some paints and settled down near him.

I had never tried painting before. There were so many different varieties of brushes, it amazed me.

I picked one out and brought it to my easel with a few shades of blue and green.

Mightyclaws didn't say anything, but his thoughts were like an electric current. I listened to them, then decided to speak to break his annoyed thoughts. "Do you like it here?" I asked.

He stopped twitching his tail, and he simply stared at his painting. "I guess." 'It's more like the fortress here than the rainforest, except it smells better and there's sunshine, prey, and dragons of all colors.'

"It's weird being around all the tribes. Isn't it?" I tried.

"Definitely." he said right away. "We were always told to stay away from them unless we were on a mission. Like, to deliver a prophecy, or put the fear of NightWings in them. Otherwise, stay away so they don't figure us out."

"That we're ordinary, you mean?" I asked. 

He flicked his wings irritably. "NightWing's aren't ordinary." 'Of course she would think so.' "We're more intelligent than any other tribe. We shape the world, the other dragons just live in it."