Wings of Fire: Winter is Coming ((DISCONTINUED))

Chapter 7: Classified Information

"There you are, Envy! I've been waiting for you. I'm proud that you won the Loyalty Training."

Envy stared up at Stonesky, an elder NightWing, probably older than Destinybringer, who looked like a normal NightWing-- black scales and black, silvery scale-speckled wings and a craggy, dropping face, though there was a gradient of light gray forming along edges of his wings and tail. Stonesky flicked his tongue as he gazed upon the smaller dragon. "Only dragons who aren't scared to kill others are allowed on these special tours--"

Stonesky suddenly stopped talking.

"Your wings," he then states. "They're green. Green like moss, or glittering emeralds. That is one unique oddity, the first one I've seen stand out so well."

"Is that a bad thing?" Envy questioned.

"Of course not. It allows you to stand out from the others, at least. Now, enough talk. You most likely know me as Stonesky. I am here to give you a tour around the home of the Avlapex. If you have any questions, please, tell me. That's the reason why I'm here-- to give you a response to the things you want to know."

Envy almost built the nerve to ask "who is Alzeros and what evil scheme is he planning?", but he knew that Stonesky would never give him the answer to that, or at least the actual truth. Searching Stonesky's mind won't work, either-- Envy could never obtain much information unless Stonesky was actively thinking about whatever the truth was, and that thought exactly would probably never pop up anytime soon, no matter how much Envy attempts to make the old dragon think about it.

Connect the pieces together later on, Envy reminded himself. He may as well make due of information about the boundaries of Alzeros' hideout. 

The NightWings flapped out of the library den and into the skies. During the flight, Stonesky began to talk with his unusually loud, yet creaky voice. "Toarel has already given you the basic introductions-- this place is the hideout of Alzeros' group called the Avlapex. We've been here for a while, about a decade or so, but our group really began to thrive once Alzeros found out that he's animus."

"Animus? Alzeros is an animus?" Envy beat his wings harder, before keeping them unfurled to glide beside Stonesky. "Aren't animus dragons known for going.. completely insane and power-hungry?"

Envy shuddered at the memory of himself torturing his father when he went completely unstable with the Gem of Tyranny. He forced that memory away in an instant, and he focused on the situation at hand.

"Indeed, he is animus." Stonesky hovered in place for a few moments. "Once our leader realized the powers he held, he was intelligent enough not to make the same mistakes Prince Albatross and Darkstalker made... using too much magic. Alzeros only uses his magnificent power when he absolutely needs it."

"What did he do with it?" Envy flapped a bit closer. He was genuinely intrigued by this great Alzeros dragon. He really sounded like some sort of god.  

"Well, he began to make a few changes," the elder NightWing stated. "First, he moved the Avlapex to this box canyon, so there's always a natural water source and prey nearby, and lots of space to add different rooms. Then, with his mighty power he created a large canopy to shield the hideout from curious minds who dare to witness our extraordinary organization without proper permission. Allow me to show you the canopy."

Stonesky flew upwards, flying towards the canopy that seemed to stretch endlessly from all sides. In this place, you can forget the color of the sky, once under the canopy there is only green, green and green. Envy could only rely on the torches for him to see clearly and the small holes in the leafy layer that allowed bands of sunlight to gleam through, creating small dots of light that scattered around almost every surface of the ravines. As Stonesky and Envy flew above the canyons and closer to the canopy, the prince noticed a large green tree python yawn, and long, slender fangs unhinged from its upper jaw. Envy flinched. He doesn't remember information about pythons, a type of constricting snake, having fangs like a viper or a rattler.