The Prince of Night and Rain

Chapter 10

I didn't draw this one, I colored it. These are Ripnami dragonets. Seagull is 5, Aqua is 4, Seaspray is 2, and Emerald is 5 months old. I'll only mention them all except Seaspray, who will be seen briefly in the next chapter. 

Indeed Peregrine was right, he did return quickly, only an hour later. Nightshade was surprised, she didn't show so on her face, but her black and grey scales blossomed with yellow and her mind wondered how. She quickly fixed her scales, but her mind still marveled at his speed. Shadowscale, on the other hand, wasn't so surprised. He knew first hand how fast SkyWings flew, after all, he was best friends with one.

"We should rest for the night. I know a cave nearby-"

"Mother told me about this place... She said that when she, Clay, Tsunami, Starflight, and Sunny came here, this place was littered with bodies of dragons, and one could have been Clay's sister..."

Peregrine turned to his friend, seeing how he was staring down into the delta, as if expecting zombie dragons to start coming out of the ground to attack him. 

"Death is just a part of war." Peregrine said in gently voice. "Be glad that we aren't in one. We are in a time of peace."

"There could be another." Shadowscale said, turning towards Peregrine with a sad look in his eyes. "If the missing dragons has something to do with the other queens..."

"You think so?" Peregrine asked. 

"No." Shadowscale replied. "But it's always a possibility we can't ignore." If they are considered the missing that is... or it could be that the missing will help me find whoever she is... prophecies always use play on words to mess dragons up... at least that's what Moon and Qibli said...

"Which queen? Not... you don't think... Queen Ruby has anything to do with it... do you?"

Shadowscale shook his head. "No, not Queen Ruby, Thorn, nor Coral. They three have dragonets and care deeply for them. I highly doubt that they'd kidnap dragonets even if it was to start a war... no, I'd say Queen Moorhen or Queen Snowfall, since their the only ones who don't have any dragonets yet or feeling towards their dragonets... But I also don't see either kidnapping dragonets. Queen Moorhen wouldn't put her tribe in another war, she cares too much. I don't know much about Snowfall, except that she is paranoid after the Dark King's plague. I doubt she'd want a war primarily because she's already witness so much death... "

Shadowscale sighed, rubbing the back of his neck then shook his head. "Peregrine's right, let's worry about this in the morning. Take us to this cave you where telling us about."

Peregrine nodded and jumped into the air. "It's this way, just a short flight. And I mean short even for you guys, so... yeah."

Shadowscale nodded and took off, with Nightshade close behind. They followed Peregrine for a short distance then landed next to an opening of a small cave, just big enough to fit all three of them. "Here we are, sorry it's not large and luxurious, but it should do for tonight."

"It's perfect, thanks Peregrine." Shadowscale said as he entered the cave. He searched for a spot then lay down. Peregrine squeezed himself on the left of Shadowscale and Nightshade to his right. Her black scales began to slowly bloom some pinks, but where quickly blotched out before Shadowscale could notice. Soon, all three of them fell asleep.

~☆~

Shadowscale woke alone in the cave. The sky was still dark, and the moons seemed to have been exactly where they where when he fell asleep. What the- He thought as he rose to his feet. He glanced around, but there was no sign that any other dragons had been in the cave with him in the first place, then that's when it dawned on him. Wait, I'm probably still dreaming...

He stood still and sighed, listening, knowing that there are times when his dreams tell him important things when they are this clear. That's when he heard a faint sound coming from outside of the cave, it sounded like talon steps of a dragon. A calm, gentle rhythm as if whoever it was, was in no hurry at all. He expected a phantom Peregrine, or Nightshade, or anyone he's seen before. He didn't expect to see an unfamiliar SandWing poke her head in the cave. She was tall, having to bend over with elegance so she could see him inside the cave, and had a graceful stance to her. She had wide warm, kind black eyes that where somewhat alluring to Shadowscale, eyes that seemed to promise that everything was going to be okay.

She smiled faintly at him then pulled out and began to move. Shadowscale hurried after her, "Hey, what's your name?" He called when he exited the cave. She turned to him again and smiled reassuringly then lifted into the air. Her pale yellow scales catching the silvery moonlight and she almost seemed to emit a faint glow. Despite the dappled, light brown triangle pattern on her wings, she almost looked like the midday sun. She turned in mid air and stared down at him, as if waiting for him to follow. The Prince extended his own wings and jumped into the air. She smiled again and turned back around and began to fly.

They flew in silence for about an hour, and as the moon began to set, the mysterious SandWing seemed to get brighter and brighter, along with the sky itself. She flew faster and faster, checking behind her every once in a while to be sure he was still following.

"Wait, are we going towards... Jade Mountain?" He asked the mysterious dragon. She didn't answer, but when they landed on one of the entrances, he knew that it was, indeed, a yes. 

"So... again." Shadowscale asked. "What is your name? Who are you?"

The mysterious SandWing only smiled once more at him, as if reassuring him that he could trust her, and that all would be revealed in time. She then snapped her wings open and began to glow brighter and brighter and warmer. Just when it became so unbearable that Shadowscale had to cover his eyes, the light and warmth vanished. He opened his eyes once again to see that she was gone, leaving him alone on Jade Mountain.

I guess... this means Jade Mountain Academy is our next stop, why? I have no idea. He thought as he eyed the mountain he was on. He then suddenly began to shake, like an earthquake hitting him hard and heard the distant voice of Peregrine calling his name. And that's when he opened his eyes to see the glare of the morning sun beating down on him.

~☆~

"Hey, it's time to get up. Decide where we should check first?" Peregrine asked, anxious to get away from the Sky Kingdom for a bit.

"Yes." Shadowscale said. "Jade Mountain Academy. I want to check on the RainWings and possible hybrids going there too. Just to see if all that disappeared only having RainWing blood was just coincidence or not."

"Right." Peregrine replied. "So, eat first than on to Jade mountain?"

"Yes." Shadowscale replied, then not even two seconds afterwards, his stomach produced the most ferocious growl, that if he didn't know better, he'd assume an angry dragon had found them. "But let's DEFINITELY eat first."