Darkstalker's Puppet

This is actually based on a dream I had.
== Prologue ==
Ashenfoot
The volcano rumbled, promising death and doom.
Ashenfoot was flying towards the hatchery. I should have put her in the hatchery the moment I'd laid her. She tipped her wings to dived down. Presence, who stood by the entrance, shuffled his feet. "Evening." he tipped his head. "That's your fourth egg, right? Let's hope this one hatches this time."
She landed. "I'm thinking of calling her Darkmoon." she said. "Or Spiritchaser."
"You sure it's a her?" he said. "Oh of course. NightWing mothers always know."
She laughed. "We'll see. I'm fairly sure."
The volcano rumbled and she lost her balance, claws slipping from the egg. The egg fell off the ledge and she screamed. Presence's mouth fell open and his whole body tensed as Ashenfoot dived after it. Her wings tucked in as she followed her egg. The egg landed with a splash in the black water, and popped back up to the surface. She opened her wings a tiny bit too late, as her body smacked into the water. Both her wings jarred, and she gasped at the pain.
Paddling without using her wings, she swam over to the egg. The egg had turned over into an illuminated patch of water, and she noticed that one of the full moons was poking out from behind a cloud. It's the brightest night, of course. she thought. She's going to hatch on the brightest night. How amazing.
Then to her surprise, the egg shimmered, turning a light silver. She stared at it, and then heard the thump of talons on the beach behind her.
"Ashen? Are you alright?" he asked, concern in his voice.
"Yeah, I'm fine." she said. "My egg... It's silver."
Presence's eyes went wide. "There was a legend that if a NightWing egg changed colour under the moons the dragonet inside would be given a special power." he said in a low voice. "Because the island is constantly covered in clouds and the hatcheries are underground, the NightWing powers are gone forever. That's good because..." he paused. "But now she's got the power of a full moon." he said. "The last full-moon hatched dragonet we had was in... The Darkstalker's time, a thousand years ago today."
Ashen frowned. "What powers will she have?"
"Either mind-reading or prophecy because it's just one moon that appeared."
The egg splintered and buckled. "Ashen, she's hatching! Congratulations!" Presence exclaimed.
Ashen smiled at the beautiful dragonet in her talons. "Hello Spiritchaser. Welcome to the world."
The dragonet reached out to touch her nose, and then lay back to watch the moon as it vanished behind the clouds again.
== Chapter 1 ==
Spiritchaser
Spirit spread her wings. The fresh air curled around her as she flew silently through the woods. She'd been sent on a mission by her commander, Presence. She'd joined the NightWing 'army' a while ago and had mainly guarded the island against intruders. Now, she was on the mainland for the first time. She'd been told by her commander to send a message to the Queen of the SeaWings about the incoming hurricane, who assumedly would then tell the rest of the queens. The storm had missed the island - just - and it was heading towards Pyrrhia, or so the scientists had said. She landed on the beach, feeling the sand under her claws.
The above-water SeaWing palace had been built by Albatross - a SeaWing animus who lived 1000 years ago - and it was well hidden. She'd used something enchanted by her tribe's animus dragon to get here. They'd made the most of the animus gift. It wasn't hard to spot an animus, they usually had an IceWing-like feature, like an extra pair of horns around their head, or blue-tinted blood. She crept through the gap in the stone that she'd been told about by a fellow soldier, and came out into the vast space of the inside of the palace walls.
Her eyes flew open. This place was even bigger than she'd imagined it.
She spotted the deep kelp green scales and the glittering crown of the queen, and swooped down to meet her in the air. "Your Majesty." she ducked her head. "Sorry if it's a bad time I-"
"No no not at all." the Queen waved one talon, looking slightly frustrated. "What is it your scientists have spotted on the horizon?" I hate NightWings, they're so mysterious and vague. Why not just live on the mainland? It isn't that hard to forget a nightmare monster that doesn't exist anymore.
Spirit blinked, taken aback. "It's just that... There's a hurricane in eight days... We thought..."
"What? Is there another dragon with you?" she frowned and her guards looked at each other.
"No no! No, just me." she said, provoking a suspicious thought from the queen.
"I just wanted to say so you could prepare. It headed straight past our isl- where we live and is on a direct course across the continent."
The queen nodded slowly. "Alright." Does she want me to tell the rest of the queens? Well, apart from maybe the SandWing queen, she's been giving me some bother. "I will tell all of the other queens."
Spirit's eyebrows raised. I should tell the SandWing queen then. Sandstorms are the worst, especially when they last a couple of days. I should perhaps also search the mountains for any dragons who live on their own...
She bowed respectfully (as much as she could in the air) and flew back to the hole, and out into the clear sky. I hope I can make it to Queen Silt and patrol around the mountains before the storm hits. I hope.
== Chapter 2 ==
Darkstalker
He woke, the walls pressing in around him. He blinked, and his eyes adjusted. By his left talon there were some mouse bones, as if the small rodent had crawled in a hole that happened to lead to his cave and died.
He suddenly felt very... lonely. He couldn't say scared. He was an animus, he wasn't scared!
Then he remembered. My talisman. he growled. Clearsight.
He shifted about uneasily. If only he had his talisman, then he could escape!
He craned his neck to look up, lodged in the ceiling was a scroll. He laughed, and it echoed. He could see it was not his talisman, but just for a second he thought it had been.
He wondered how long it had been since Clearsight had slipped that bracelet on his wrist. Darkstalker suddenly felt angry. How did he deserve to be locked away? Why and how had he not seen the betrayal?
He growled, talons clenching.
Suddenly in his mind, he heard a voice. No... Not here. No one there either. I would hear them if they were there... What if someone finds out about my power? How would I explain this? I hope I can make it to the Queen of the SandWings in time...
His eyes lit up. Perhaps this other mindreader could help him. Maybe he could use her to become king of Pyrrhia, if she found his talisman for him.
He opened his mind and said, Hello.
== Chapter 3 ==
She stopped in the air, landing so she wouldn't fall out of the sky. What.
The charming voice echoed through her mind again. Hello.
She blinked, staring at her claws. Her vision was not blurry, so she can't have been hallucinating. Am I imagining this?
There was a sound like laughter in her head. No.
Who are you? she demanded. Are you a mind-reader?
You could say that.
She growled. Well I can't talk to you right now, I need to get to the Sand Palace.
...Why?
She snorted. Well if you're a mind-reader, then why can't you see it?
Wings opening again, she prepared to take off. Wait! I can help you! came the voice again.
How can you help me? Show yourself already!
Ah. That's the reason. I can't.
So how can you help me? 
Well first of all, you'll have to help me.
Spirit grumbled deep in her throat in frustration. This is a waste of my time.
Please wait! the voice said. Please let me explain. If you help me, I can warn the Queen for you. Even better... I can stop the hurricane in its tracks.
How?
I am an animus, haven't you guessed?
Suddenly she began to feel very cold. A mind-reading animus? Can you see the future?
So you've figured out who I am? Smart.
She felt frozen in fear. You're the Darkstalker, aren't you? she thought slowly, with a minute shiver. I'm speaking to the Darkstalker.
You are correct, Spiritchaser. Nice to meet you.
== Chapter 4 ==
Presence
He stood on top of the mountain. "Can you hear me?" he called over the wind. "Spirit? Where are you?"
Staring intently at the mountain range, he scanned the nooks and crannies.
Where could she be?
Rain was starting to fall and he shivered. He took off, and was immediately shoved by the air, which was a ferocious tailwind.
He landed on the next mountain, and spotted her. "Spirit, we have to get out of here." he begged, and then he saw the dragon's face. "Who are you?" he asked. This was not a NightWing like he had originally thought, but a SkyWing with black frostburns all along his wings and body. The dragonet was frozen, and felt cold to the touch. He shuddered and withdrew his claw. "It's getting to bad out here, I'll have to wait it out in a cave." he said aloud. Then he lifted up the statue and brought it into the nearest cave with him and started a fire using one of his flammable pouches as kindling. He placed the dragonet gently by it, and curled up to sleep further in the cave on a ledge.
He woke to silence. The wind had stopped. He lifted his head up from the hard stone floor, and over to the fire which had long been extinguished.
He felt something under his wing, and saw the SkyWing lying against his warm underbelly, shuddering in his sleep. His breath rose and fell, and every now and then his claws would clench and unclench. 
Presence smiled, but then regarded the frostbite scars. He sighed, and saw that the black patches were reasonably smaller than before. They might not be frostbite... they might be burns. But how did he get them?
Getting up gently so as not to wake the sleeping dragonet, he reached for the healing herbs in his other pouch and picked one leaf out of the bag. He sighed. Why hadn't he restocked? 
He crushed it, and breathing a tiny puff of smoke onto it, setting it alight and he gently blew it out again. The leaf smouldered and he placed it softly on the SkyWing's wounds, each in turn. They gently closed up and he chucked the herb into a pool of water.
When he looked back at the SkyWing, he was awake and blinking sleepily.
He smiled, and the dragonet collapsed again. He ran forward to catch him, and noticed for the first time the odd-looking birthmark at the nape of his neck.
== Chapter 5 ==
The hurricane winds whipped around her but she was assured by Darkstalker that she would be fine.
She shivered, and felt warmth meld across her wings. Thanks.
Now enter the cave. he said.
She did as he said. As she got further in, she could hear a faint breathing. The rocks around her shifted.
"You've found me." a booming voice echoed around the cave. Spiritchaser realised that the material around her was not rock, but scales. Darkstalker's scales. 
The giant dragon before her grinned. "Well I must say you're smaller than I thought." his skin and scales were bound tightly to his bones, he looked ragged and tired but still alive with passionate energy. Passionate about what?
"My eyes are open." he said. "I can feel."
She frowned, still sceptical. "Yeah, sure."
His claws scratched against the stone. "I think I can get myself out..." 
He writhed and heaved and wriggled, but still couldn't get loose. "Maybe you could...? No. I need..." he took deep breaths. "I need my talisman. It's a scroll. Maybe... maybe you could find it for me?"
She was filled with such sudden willing to please him that she smiled and said, "Of course I will." then she frowned, touching her head. What was that? Why did she feel like that?
Darkstalker was too busy grinning and so she didn't think he'd realised her reaction.
WipCategory:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Content (Queen Dusk)
Category:Fanfictions (Semi-Canon)