It was raining. Lightning flashed through the sky, and Falcon huddled beneath a protruding rock that offered some protection from the downpour. An enormous NightWing advanced on her, black tail lashing furiously. "Scared of the water?" she snarled. "GET OUT HERE NOW!" With a glare, Falcon shuffled out from her shelter. "What is it?" she growled. "Battle training," Pathteller snapped. "Fine," muttered Falcon, walking to the center of the island, where Pathteller taught them how to fight. It was less teaching than claws-on battling, and even though Falcon rather liked fighting with the other two dragonets, but fighting with her NightWing minder was completely different, and far more painful. Without warning, Pathteller lunged, silver-dappled wings outstretched. For a moment, Falcon's wings strained uselessly against the clips that pinned them to her body to prevent her and the other dragonets from escaping the island where they were being raised to fulfill the prophecy. "That's not fair!" she hissed at Pathteller, dodging the NightWing's vicious claws. "Do you think your opponent will be FAIR in BATTLE?" roared Pathteller. "Do you think my wings will be bound in battle?" challenged Falcon, so overcome by the injustice of it to remember to never talk back to their guardians. "I'M your teacher," Pathteller growled, narrowing her dark eyes. "EVERYTHING. I DO. IS FAIR." She bared her fangs. "No dinner tonight," the huge black dragon decided after a moment. "Maybe that will teach you one respect, you worthless little runt. Now attack again, and this time, know that anything I do is fair." "Finally, that's over," sighed Falcon. Fresh scratches were slashed across her red-gold scales, and her ribs ached from being slammed into the rough ground. "I heard her yelling," a sympathetic voice called from behind her. Tide, the smallest of the three dragonets and the "wings of sea" from the prophecy caught up to her. "What's your punishment?" he asked. "No dinner," Falcon told him with a shrug. She'd had worse. They all had. Tide nodded. "I'll slip you some fish," he promised. "You don't have to," mumbled Falcon. "But I want to, and it's only fair," Tide pointed out. Their conversation was interrupted when a serrated claw slashed Tide's ear. "You," Tundra, their second minder, screeched. "Are coming with me for hunting practice!" The silvery IceWing bared her teeth and raised her whiplike tail threateningly. She was always acting as though they would argue with everything she said, even though the few times they had argued, they had certainly learned not to, ever again. "Yes, Tundra," Tide agreed, following her to the area of the island where hunting practice was performed. "Falcon, you come with Beaver and me," a gentle voice ordered. Falcon turned and saw Tern, the dark green SeaWing who taught geography, history, and every other subject that did not involve clawing the dragonets or physical activity. Standing next to him was Beaver the MudWing. Beaver was a great friend in every way. He did, perhaps, challenge the guardians too much to be safe, but he was extremely close to both Tide and Falcon. The brown dragonet twitched his bound wings, glanced at her scratches, and glared at Pathteller, who was taking off to hunt for food. "Come on now," Tern coaxed softly. If only Tern hadn't been teaching Tide each tribe's strengths and weaknesses when it had been the NightWing's turn battle training. He would have stood up for Falcon. But of course, she thought bitterly. That is why the other minders only abuse us when he isn't around. She followed him to the classroom, at the edge of the island. Tall, huge, jagged rocks encircled the entire island, to tall for the dragonets to clear without wings, and too slick and steep to climb. Over in the classroom section of the island, the rocks ended in ledges, so it was mostly dry, which protected the chest of scrolls safely tucked the the corner. "Now," Tern began. "Are you okay?" Beaver whispered as Tern launched into one of his interesting lessons about the prophecy. "Fine," Falcon answered. Beaver's golden-amber gaze looked at her skeptically. "Okay, it hurts," Falcon admitted. "But I'll live." Tern cleared his throat, and both dragonets turned to listen. "The three NightWing princesses, Lifestealer, Scrollwriter, and Swiftflier, banded together to murder there mother, Queen Sharpclaws," the dark green SeaWing continued. "Scrollwriter devised a cunning plan to lure her mother somewhere Lifestealer, the largest, oldest, and most vicious of the three, could ambush and kill her. Swiftflier, the youngest, used her charm to lead Sharpclaws to where Lifestealer was lying in wait. The plan succeeded, but then none could agree who was to be queen, each claiming they had played the most important role. In a rage, Lifestealer drove the other two out and commanded the NightWings to follow her, and to kill her sisters if they showed there faces on the island again. Scrollwriter and Swiftflier, knowing they would be slaughtered if they ventured back home, formed alliances. Scrollwriter allied herself with the MudWings and the SandWings. Swiftflier has the SkyWings and the SeaWings on her side. And Lifestealer, knowing she needed more backup, convinced the IceWing Queen, Queen Ptarmigan, to set aside their past tribe rivalries from the long ago war, the war from even before the last prophecy featuring dragonets, but the IceWings had still hated the NightWings because of it, and ally with her. And after the RainWings and the NightWings together didn't work out, and the NightWings have located another, good island north of the Ice Kingdom, so they are close to their IceWing allies. So now RainWings have refused to have anything to do with the NightWings and the war, even though they have been able fighters ever since Queen Glory's reign. The war has lasted for years, and then one day a NightWing came to the mainland. Pathteller. She announced that she had delivered a prophecy: Three are rising from the gloom, to cease the-" Here Falcon tuned out. She'd heard this lesson before, and she was tired of hearing the prophecy. In her opinion, Pathteller should stop worrying about how the dragonets "turned out", as she put it. If she really foresaw the three dragonets ending the war, wouldn't it mean that they would eventually all be very capable? "Falcon? Are you paying attention?" Tern's voice cut sharply through her thoughts. "Wha- yes! I am!" she lied. Tern's peered at her with disbelieving pale green eyes. "Then could you repeat what I just said about the NightWing princesses?" he pressed her. Falcon closed her eyes, trying to remember what she knew about Scrollwriter, Lifestealer, and Swiftflier. "Uh- well, Lifestealer is really vicious- but, uh, she's brave, too, and Scrollwriter is very smart, right? And she's an author. But she's also kind of evil? Swiftflier is really nice, but she's not very smart." Tern smiled slightly. "All true, Falcon, but I was saying how it is rumored that none of the NightWing candidates for the throne will become queen. That it is possible that an animus-touched object could make the holder queen, regardless of their ancestry, similar to the SandWing Eye of Onyx. Some of these rumors were heard by Lifestealer, and she has made it her privilege to exterminate any animus dragon she could get her claws on." "Yikes," whispered Tide. "That's horrible. It wouldn't be a dragon's fault if they were animus. As if the animus curse itself wouldn't be bad enough, but you have Lifestealer to watch out for." Beaver shrugged. "It sounds kind of reasonable to me. If there were no animus dragons to worry about, you could fight for the throne without wondering if someone will hand the power over to someone else." Tern cleared his throat. "It is widely known that none of the sisters will ever give up the throne. They each want it desperately. Lifestealer and Scrollwriter desire the power in being queen. Swiftflier wants access to the royal treasury. She loves jewels, and wears an assortment of different rings, bracelets, necklaces, medallions, and more adornments. Scrollwriter-" "TERN?" Pathteller bellowed, interrupting his lesson as she descended onto the island. The dark emerald SeaWing turned in her direction. "I'm in the middle of a lesson," he told her calmly. "Well, finish it up! I need to speak with you!" Tern sighed. "Can't be anything but bad news," he murmured, more to himself than anyone. "I'll finish the lesson tomorrow," he told Beaver and Falcon. "Go eat the prey she brought." Beaver rose to his talons, his stomach growling. "Finally! I'm starving!" he exclaimed. "I can't eat," sighed Falcon. "Pathteller's punishment." Beaver shrugged. "So what? Tide and I will share." Falcon growled. "I can't let you," she declared stubbornly. "You can't stop us," laughed Beaver. Before Falcon could say anything else, Pathteller apparently having ended her discussion with Tern, shoved a raw fish under Beaver's snout, and a damp, feathery bundle in Tide's face. It took Falcon a moment to realize the pathetic lump was a seagull. "Nothing for YOU!" Pathteller snarled. "Until your battle skills improve!" She left them to eat, bits of deep blue and dark purple flashing against her obsidian-black scales as she stomped away to speak with Tundra now. Probably so they can exchange today's failures by us, Falcon thought stonily,as Beaver and Tide exchanged prey. Beaver set the bird on fire, licking yellow flames that were almost immediately quenched by the sheets of icy rain that still poured from the dark, slate-colored clouds. But it scorched it enough. "Here." Beaver ripped away a part of the gull and set the smoky meat at Falcon's talons. "Thanks," Falcon mumbled around a mouthful of gull. Beaver nodded, then started gnawing at his portion. Tide nibbled the fish. When they had eaten their fill; well, not exactly their fill, they never really got enough. More like, when there wasn't any food left, the dragonets played a game with the fish bones until Tundra approached. She whipped all of their snouts with her tail for no reason, then barked, "Bed. NOW!" Beaver hissed. "What was that for?" he challenged. Falcon muffled a groan. Beaver was by far the most rebellious of the dragonets. "Because you deserve it!" Tundra snarled, striking his snout. But her ice-blue eyes clearly stated a different message: Because I can, and the only one who would stop me is Tern, and he isn't watching now, is he? Beaver started to speak, but Tide and Falcon dragged him away. Tundra's serrated claws had left four slashes. Blood oozed slowly and trickled past his mouth, onto his neck. The MudWing dragonet flared his wings, dislodging the other two. "Come on," Tide mumbled in his ear. He sighed, but willingly went with them. Falcon stood up, rock dust clogged in the cracks between her scarlet scales. "Let's move, before Tundra scolds us for being to slow and goes for us again." The dragonets hurried over to the edge of the island, where three crude indentions, one on top of the other, were blasted into the tall wall of stone that surrounded the entire place. Rainwater dripped down the towering boulders, far too steep and smooth to climb, and slid into their sleeping places. Falcon jumped into hers, hissing as she landed, with a small splash, into a shallow puddle. She did her best to sweep the water out with her tail, but it was still damp and moist and unpleasant. The three minders talked on the opposite side of the island. Falcon wished things were different. She wished her parents, whoever they may be, hadn't left her egg alone atop a mountain. But then again, she wouldn't have met her friends. They were her family. And they had a destiny.
(For one, I don't want ANYONE telling me "Didn't you read The Brightest Night? NightWings can't really see the future!" But at the end of the Brightest Night, it said in a small note from the author or whatever, that in the upcoming Wings Of Fire books, a NightWing dragonet would actually see the future. So at least some have powers. And BTW, XD, I was up until about 1:30 in the morning writing the prophecy and designing the characters, lol. Also, I wanted to say, I wasn't thinking of Kestrel, Dune, and Webs. My minders are different. For one, Pathteller and Tundra are equally horrid, not like Kestrel being a little meaner than Dune. And Tern is not a coward. He tries to stand up to them and protect them, but Tundra and Pathteller have learned to only abuse the three when he isn't around.) ~The Prophecy~ Three are rising from the gloom, To cease the clawing, snapping doom Three to end an endless fight, From the darkness comes a light For wings of sea, look closely for, a pale blue egg, left on the shore The MudWing egg, hidden alone, Without a tribe, siblings unknown And cast away, in windy cold, the wings of sky glint red and gold Of three who steal and write and fly, One shall live and two shall die Once two of these three are killed, The prophecy shall be fulfilled No more needless blood to shed, No more countless dragons dead, The war may end, peace may be near… The dragonets are here
