The Chosen Few out of Youth

The Chosen Few out of YouthThis page belongs to C H A R. 
This fanfiction takes place in the Fallenverse AU.
== P R O L O G U E ==
Twelve years ago… 
In the coldest, darkest cave in all of Pyrrhia, a young IceWing crouched, ears perked attentively as she listened to the voices above. 
‘And you’re sure she didn’t come here?’ A harsh voice demanded, anger edging his words. ‘Positively sure? You do know that lying to me is a crime? You do not want to become an enemy of Queen Snowfall as your sister had.’ 
A calmer voice spoke, voice light and cool. ‘Yes, Cyro,’ He said with a sigh of impatience. ‘I’m sure. And yes, I will tell you if she comes by, alright?’ 
Obviously angry at his calm words, Cyro poked around the room experimentally, most likely hoping to find something suspicious. The young dragon crossed her talons and hoped he wouldn’t find the trapdoor leading to the tiny cave she hid in. 
Cyro hissed, and the young dragon crouched lower, her scales brushing the cold ice. ‘Fine,’ Cyro said finally. The young IceWing heard the door slam shut, followed by an irritated snort of annoyance, and the IceWing could finally let out the breath she had been holding in.
Light poured into the cave as talons pushed open the trapdoor. ‘Get out of there, quickly,’ He muttered, his dark blue eyes narrow and stiff. 
The young dragon crawled out of the cave. Her scales were dusty and stained with dirt, but that would be okay. ‘Thank you, Fractal,’ She said with relief painted across her face. 
‘What did you steal, Crescent?’ Fractal demanded fiercely, a look akin to anger passing through his eyes. ‘Better start talking now.’ His words were harsh, but Crescent still trusted him with her life. 
Hesitantly, Crescent held out her armband. Silver, with a small stone etched in the middle. It looked like obsidian. Dark, with tiny flashes of silver. 
The older dragon’s face was stormy as he took it in. Crescent knew that he could tell what it was. ‘The Moonstone, of all things? Why did you do that?’ He demanded harshly. ‘You’re ruining our entire bloodline, everything our parents and grandparents have ever worked for. And for what? So you can use it for your own selfish reasons?’ 
Hurt, the IceWing recoiled, clutching her treasure closer to her chest with trembling talons. ‘Animus magic is not to be toyed with,’ She snarled fiercely. ‘We have to destroy it as soon as possible. Who knows what damage it could bring? Queen Snowfall will wipe out the whole world with this.’
‘Now you’re making excuses,’ Fractal said. ‘I’m not going to let them arrest you, but I won’t help you beyond this. Our family has been working on this project for centuries, and you’re going to destroy it? Just like that? Is that your plan, Crescent?’ 
Crescent scowled, keeping her talons tightly wrapped around the crystal. ‘It’s for the best!’ She snapped. ‘I don’t want this hurting anybody. Father told me the risks it could have. It could cause corruption, he said, remember?’
Fractal snorted. ‘And you think you, a small insignificant dragonet, can handle it better than the IceWing queen?’ His words were cold as ice. 
Crescent flinched. ‘Better me than the queen of the IceWings,’ She snapped. ‘Think of the consequences.’ 
‘We need this, Crescent,’ Fractal said, his voice lowering to an urgent whisper. ‘The NightWings stole this gift from us; we’ll have it back. And it’s almost complete.’ 
Crescent held her ground. ‘It’s for the best,’ She said quietly. ‘I can feel it. Please, trust me on this.’ 
Fracture shook his head. ‘Get out of here,’ He said. Not harshly, but it stung nonetheless. He pushed a map and a pouch into Crescent’s talons. ‘Go.’ 
~ 𖤓 ~
Nine years ago…
Some dragons thought that madness set in slowly, over time.
Some others think the opposite. That it came in a quick blink. 
Others thought that it was always there, lying in wait. Lurking. 
Crescent didn’t know what she thought of it. The descent into insanity was often spurred by things, she thought as she traced a claw along the armband. 
Was she going crazy? 
Was this the consequence of her actions?
The voices in her head. Those were real, were they? The darkness that had started to seep under the scales where she wore the armband? 
It wasn’t madness. Crescent knew that much. The tiny voice in her head grew louder each day, as did the pain in her wrist. 
It was the corruption that grew in her mind. 
It was the Moonstone. 
~ 𖤓 ~
Six years ago… 
Fly. Fly. Fly. 
It was all Jackal could think. Her heart pounded in her ears as she soared through the night sky, her sandy wings beating furiously against the cold winds. The SandWing clutched the egg in her trembling talons, determined not to drop it. 
I won’t fail her. Never again. 
She could still remember the agonized expressions on Lightfinder’s face as she died, the corruption overtaking her until she could no longer bear it. She could remember the IceWing, with her dark, manic eyes. She could still see the crushed eggshell, the strangled dark dragonet - Atlas, she thought his name was - who had died under his mother’s claws. She could remember Lightfinder’s horror as she came back to reality.
This won’t happen. I won’t let it. 
She clutched the fragile egg. She could feel it squirming in her talons, shaking. 
They’re behind me. 
Jackal didn’t dare look. She knew that one small delay would cost her and the dragonet’s life. And it was all she could do to keep Lightfinder and Angler’s dragonet safe. 
So she kept flying. 
Hours passed. She didn’t know how long, her brain overloading. The sky was completely dark, as though inks had splashed across it. Stars speckled the night sky, too beautiful for such a night. Underneath, the scenery blurred as she flew, mountains shifted into rolling hills and then dense forest. Her wings were faltering, she knew, and her arms were weak from carrying the extra weight of the egg. 
Finally, Jackal’s wings spasmed, and she stopped, letting her wings beat as she twisted around frantically to look behind her. There was nothing beyond the greenery of the forest, but that did nothing to comfort her. She knew that it was out there, lingering. 
But this was the best she could do. She couldn’t risk falling out of the sky, so she tucked in her wings and dove into the forest, nearly caving in her skull as she collided with thick oaks. Can’t afford to die now, she thought grimly, twisting through the dense greenery. 
Slowly, she descended to the ground, talons sinking into soft earth as she looked around desperately. She could see the cracks etched into the egg, clearly it was about to hatch. She had to find a safe spot… 
The SandWing struggled through the forest, ripping through the bushes until finally, she came across a pile of oak logs piled together. A hut, perhaps, but fallen. Perhaps something or someone had lived here ago; clearly not now. It would be a shelter for the night. 
Jackal crawled inside the gap, where a door might once have been. It was barely big enough for her to fit in. She gently placed down the egg onto the mushy ground, scraping together a pile of waterlogged leaves to make a temporary nest. It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do for now. She gently set the egg down in the middle. 
Another crack slit down the side of the egg, and it wobbled, once, twice. Jackal froze in uncertainty. What am I supposed to do now?
Jackal held her breath as a dark blue snout pushed its way out of the dark eggshell. Bright blue eyes blinked open at Jackal helplessly as the dragonet tried to escape the eggshell. Splintered pieces of eggshell splattered the marshy ground. 
Holding the egg close, Jackal stared helplessly at the struggling dragonet. Should she help him? What if she made it worse? Hesitantly, she pried off a piece of the eggshell, and a dark head popped up. The dragonet let out a squeak as he tumbled out of the broken pieces of eggshell. 
The dragonet was the first hybrid Jackal had ever seen. His scales were midnight blue, with tiny splotches of light blue on his snout, wings, and horns. He had gills and webbing between his spines, courtesy of his SeaWing father, Jackal supposed. He had glowstripes too, which appeared to be lighting up on random. That didn’t seem to be normal. Was there something wrong? Had something happened during the hatching?
Gently, Jackal picked up the squirming dragonet in her talons. ‘It’s okay,’ She whispered to him. ‘It’s safe. You’re safe. No one will hurt you here.’ The dragonet calmed, slightly, quivering in her talons. 
A pause, then Jackal spoke again, quietly. ‘Inkstone. That was what they wanted to name you, right?’ She thought that she could remember that. ‘You’ll be safe, Ink. I promise.’
== C H A P T E R O N E ==
The pain began midway through his flight. 
A sharp, stabbing pain shot up his left wrist, and the young IceWing faltered in the air, wings flapping as he tried to regain his balance. Almost as quickly, the pain faded into a small ache, before flaring up once again, shooting tendrils of pain across Crest’s arm. He stiffened up, clutching at his wrist as he slowly descended to the floor. 
Wings faltering, Crest spiraled to the ground slowly, clutching at the silver armband, inset with a small black stone with silver streaks, on his wrist. As he fell, a single silver circle, suspended by a necklace, swung forwards and backwards. 
The IceWing landed on the ground clumsily, flinging open his pale gray-blue wings, his serrated claws digging into the marshy turf as he found his balance. 
He pulled off his satchel and let the items inside spill out onto the earth. A single moon globe, along with a canteen of water, a parchment scroll, inks and brushes, a few wolfskins and thin ropes to bandage wounds. There was no visible injury, but it was better safe than sorry. Crest decidedly did not want to fall out of the sky. He would accept death if he had to, but he refused to fail his mission. 
Everything in his life had led up to this moment. Well, not particularly this day or this task, but Crest knew that he was approaching the day. His endgame was near, and he would either die, or the mission would finally be completed. 
For Queen Snowfall, he thought, thinking of the new queen of the IceWings. Queen Glacier, the old queen, had passed recently due to a magic-induced plague. That was partially the reason Queen Snowfall was so obsessed with this project, to put an end to the possibility of any harm coming to the Ice Kingdom. 
But more importantly, to bring animus magic back to the IceWings. 
This was Crest’s entire life purpose, what he was hatched to do. It had been the job of his parents, and all of the generations before that. It was his duty; he knew that the moment he opened his eyes and emerged from his egg, that this was his mission. 
To succeed where his lineage had not, to bring his legacy full circle. 
But he had to finish this mission first, which meant doing something about the pain. 
Ever since Crest had put the armband on - possibly the most precious artifact in the entire Ice Kingdom, even more important than Queen Snowfall’s crown of power - there had been a small, dull ache in his that had slowly been growing. It hadn’t hurt much before, and Crest had certainly never expected it to bother him now. 
Crest pulled off the silver armband covering his wrist, then checked it thoroughly, inspecting each silver scale. The scales underneath looked a tiny bit discolored, but that could have been a coincidence. He frowned, running his claws along the scales once more, but no bone jutted out of its place, and nothing appeared to be broken. 
He drew the last item from his pouch. The Gift of Recovery, which included a glittering set of opals that, once in contact with any injury or pain, would heal - or at least the pain would subside. Perhaps Queen Snowfall had known this would happen, and had given it to him. 
After all, she had warned him that taking on this task involved many possible risks, and it could result in death. It was, after all, an untested and new artifact. 
Cautiously, Crest rubbed the healing stone across his wrist, the pain subsiding into a mild throb. He then wrapped the wolfskin bandage around it, tying it securely with the rope. 
Finally he was done, and the IceWing stood upright, testing his weight on the possibly injured arm. He didn’t feel unbalanced, which was a good sign. His arm still had a dull ache, but that would be fine. Certainly not painful enough to bother a First Circle IceWing like him. 
The young IceWing dragonet flared open his glittering wings and took off into the air, soaring through the pale clouds.
~ 𖤓 ~
The sky was cloudless, and the early dawn sun shone against Crest’s gray-blue scales as he flew on towards his destination. Jade Mountain, it was called. 
The dull ache in Crest’s wrist had grown over the night, and in the morning when he had taken off the armband, some of the silvery scales had looked slightly darker, and somewhat fused together, as though his scales had melted overnight. He tried to tell himself that this was okay. Queen Snowfall had told him that this task could be dangerous, even deadly. But he had chose to do it on his own free will.
Crest gritted his teeth against the pain and flew on, his gleaming wings catching the wind as he flew onwards towards the Claws of the Clouds mountains. As he flew, his mind wandered, drifting away. 
‘Queen Glacier,’ A younger Crest asked as he followed the queen through the halls of the gleaming Ice Palace. ‘What happened to my family? Why don’t I know them?’ He saw the dark shadows passing across her face as he spoke. 
He could remember one of the older dragons, of the First Circle, speaking to him about it earlier that day. Crest could still remember the dragon’s cruel sneering voice as he told him that his family were traitors who Queen Glacier had killed under her claws for disobedience. He remembered his face flushing in anger and shame at the words. 
How could his family have done such a thing? Why would they betray the Ice Kingdom? 
Queen Glacier looked down at him, her spiked tail rattling against the icy floor. ‘You do not need to know,’ She said simply. ‘Your family line were alchemists, loyal dragons who helped me with my task.’ She paused, then darkness overcame her face once more. ‘But your aunt…’ Crest saw the brief flash of anger that flashed across her eyes. ‘She was a traitor, that is all that you need to know. Your father was her sister, and helped her escape.’
‘What did she do?’ Crest asked curiously, stopping in his tracks and staring up at the queen, who towered over him. ‘Why is she a traitor? Is that why all of the dragons don’t like me and call me a traitor? And what about my mother, why did she die?’ 
Queen Glacier’s smile looked forced. ‘You do not need to know now, boy,’ She said, her voice cold as ice. ‘You will not be like her. You will be a loyal dragon, and serve me.’ She nudged him forward, towards the courtyard where the other dragonets above the Third Circle ate their meals. ‘Go now. The other dragonets will be waiting.’ 
Crest nodded eagerly, too young to brood for long. He darted down the halls, half slipping on ice as he ran towards the sound of giggling laughs and cheerful voices. 
Now, in the present day, Crest’s jaw tightened as he flew. He knew now, of his aunt’s crimes, his father’s assistance and death, and his mother’s exile. That was the reason he had agreed to undertake the most dangerous task in the Ice Kingdom. 
He would make this work, he knew. He couldn’t afford to fail, especially since Queen Snowfall was depending on him to do this properly and atone for his family’s actions. 
He had to. 
== C H A P T E R T W O ==
It was a hot and humid night at Sanctuary. Especially in the marketplace, where dragons were crowding around the stalls in their frenzy to get their talons on the best goods before the stalls closed for the night. Ink slid through the busy throng of dragons, although it was so crowded that being pushed through would have been a better choice of words. 
‘Hey! Ink!’ 
The young hybrid dragonet stopped in his tracks, blinking as he turned around. A SandWing dragonet with pale cream-colored scales and a conch-shell earring on her ear was trotting beside him, her barbed tail curling mischievously. ‘What’s up?’ 
‘Hey, Ecru.’ Ink beamed at his friend cheerfully. ‘Nothing really, just finished buying some food.’ He showed her the satchel he was carrying. ‘You know, for Jackal,’ He added, naming the SandWing who had adopted him years ago. 
‘Cool, cool,’ Ecru said with an easy smile, nodding eagerly. ‘Anyways, gotta go, see you tomorrow!’ She flashed him a grin before darting into the crowd of dragons, gone before Ink could blink. That was the way Sanctuary was; a busy and face-moving place. 
Before long, Ink found himself in front of his wooden hut, and pushed the door open. Jackal was already there, lying on one of the perches, reading a scroll through dark eyes. Ink dropped off his satchel on the wooden table, and Jackal looked up from her scroll. 
‘Back already?’ She asked him wryly, her lips curving into a smile. 
‘Yep,’ Ink said with a goofy grin, nodding. ‘Not many people today.’ 
Jackal merely nodded, turning her attention back to the scroll. Ink took his cue and left, bounding into a small section of the house he called his room. He pushed back the curtain and settled himself onto the hammock that suspended from the low-hanging ceiling. 
Ink curled himself up into a small ball, resting his snout on his talons. He closed his eyes, his breathing slowing as he slid into sleep. 
When he opened his eyes, he was somewhere entirely different. The dreamscape, he called it. He could feel cool air brushing against his scales, the soft grass under his talons. 
‘Ink.’ 
The dragonet turned to face who had spoken. It was a midnight blue dragonet, watching him with empty, dark eyes. Atlas, his dead brother. Ink didn’t know how he’d died - he had never met his parents, and Jackal refused to tell him - but Atlas has been appearing in his dreams ever since Ink had opened his eyes. 
‘I would like to ask you for a request,’ Atlas started, settling down on the grass with his tail curled around his arms. 
Ink blinked in surprise and delight. Normally, it was Atlas who held all of the answers. He knew practically everything. It was a nice change to have him ask Ink something this time. ‘What is it?’ He asked with a smile. 
Atlas’ eyes were dark. ‘I think you should leave Sanctuary,’ He said finally. ‘I do not think that you will be safe if you stay.’
Eyes widening in surprise, Ink stared at his brother. ‘Leave Sanctuary?’ He echoed. ‘Why won’t I be safe here?’ Questions poured out of him like a rushing river. ‘Where would I go? Surely Jackal would protect me if something happens? Not that I wouldn’t protect her, but what I mean is…’ He trailed off, taking a deep breath before starting again. ‘What I mean is… Jackal wouldn’t let me leave. She says I’m only safe here, since some of the queens don’t like hybrids, and… well, there’s what happened to you, and mother, and father.’ 
‘Yeah, sure,’ Atlas said scornfully, flicking his tail dismissively. ‘You’re six. Nearly an adult, and definitely not a dragonet anymore. You can’t live your whole life in one place.’ He leaned closer to Ink. ‘Don’t you want more in life than this?’
Ink frowned. ‘I’ve been to many places,’ He started, but Atlas cut him off. 
‘Ink.’ Atlas’ dark eyes were stormy, and his voice had a sinister undertone to it. 
Uncomfortably, Ink shredded a leaf under his claws as he thought. ‘Okay,’ He conceded. ‘I’ll think about it.’ He paused for a moment, then brightened. ‘Where do you think I could go?’ 
Atlas smiled. ‘What about Jade Mountain?’
‘You mean, where the Dragonets of Destiny are?’ Ink asked, starting to warm up to the idea. Apart from the fact that he would have to leave Jackal, who had been taking care of him since he was a newly hatched dragonet, an adventure sounded nice. A new chapter of his life. 
‘That is correct,’ Atlas said, inclining his head slightly. ‘I hear there’s an academy there.’ 
‘I’ll think about it,’ Ink repeated. Then a sudden shadow passed across his face. ‘But, Atlas… What is this danger you’re telling me about? Why won’t I be safe at Sanctuary?’
Atlas’ tail flicked from side to side. ‘I can’t tell,’ He admitted darkly, deep in thought. ‘But there’s a shadow in the future.’ He paused slightly, watching the emotions on Ink’s face. ‘Have you changed your mind?’
Ink hesitated, but his excitement was growing, overpowering his uncertainty. An adventure sounded incredibly exciting. Besides, Atlas was right. He didn’t want to spend his entire life in one place, even if it was a large city. He wanted to do something with his life. Perhaps this was the best way. 
~ 𖤓 ~
Ink yawned, his eyes blinking open, still drowsy with sleep. From the paper-thin leaves that served as a window, rays of golden sunshine shone. Ink rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust to the early morning light before pushing open the curtains and bounding out into the main room. 
Outside, Jackal was already awake and sitting by the table, gnawing on something fried on a stick. Ink guessed that it was probably quite late into the afternoon. Still, he felt exhausted and completely drained, but that was normal for him when he talked to Atlas. 
Then the details of last night’s dream came rushing back to him. Thankfully, his talks with Atlas always were easier to remember than typical dreams. 
‘Good morning, Jackal,’ He called over to her. The SandWing’s eyes lifted to face him, behind a pair of crooked silver-wired glasses. 
‘Finally awake,’ She huffed. ‘Thought that I would have to dump ice water on you.’ 
Ink smiled, taking the other seat of the table, taking one of the kebabs by the stick. They ate in silence for a while, until finally, Ink spoke. ‘I want to ask you a question,’ he opened, his talons shaking nervously. Jackal raised an eyebrow at him, gesturing for him to continue speaking. 
‘I want to go to Jade Mountain.’
Jackal stiffened, her eyes flashing with something like fear, or perhaps anger. ‘And you want me to come with you, or are you asking for my permission?’ She asked, her tail tip flicking to and fro. 
Ink let his wings slowly drift to the floor. ‘I would go by myself,’ He said. ‘And explore the world, go on an adventure.’ He beamed at the last words. 
Jackal tilted her head to the side, taking off her glasses and placing them on the table. Her brow was furrowed, as she considered his words. She didn’t look exactly happy, or reassured. So the last thing Ink expected her to say was: ‘Very well.’ 
Ink blinked in surprise. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting; an argument, perhaps. Protest. ‘You would let me go?’ He asked, eyes wide. 
Jackal gave him a wry smile. ‘I wouldn’t want you to go. I fear for your safety, especially after what happened to your…’ Her voice faltered, and she sipped water from a cup. ‘But I can’t keep you here forever,’ She went on. ‘You’re not a dragonet anymore. You’ll want to make friends outside of here, have fun, fall in love. You won’t be able to do that if you are stuck in a city.’ 
Ink smiled. ‘Thank you,’ He said in a wobbly voice, throwing his star-speckled wings around the SandWing. ‘I don’t know when I’ll be back but…’ He hesitated. ‘I promise I’ll come back.’ 
Jackal nodded, putting her glasses back on and focusing her attention on the scroll once more. A long-lasting silence fell, until the older SandWing looked up and glanced sideways at him. ‘When are you going to leave?’ She asked him. 
Looking up, Ink met her gaze with a smile. ‘Are you in a hurry to get away from me?’ 
‘Oh no,’ Jackal said with a croaky laugh, widening her eyes innocently. ‘I would never do that to my beloved foster son.’ 
Ink grinned. ‘Okay then. I think I’ll leave tomorrow morning,’ He decided uncertaintly, flicking his tail. ‘Is that okay with you?’ He blinked at her.
‘Of course,’ Jackal said with a nod. ‘Be safe, will you?’ 
Nodding, Ink smiled. 
== C H A P T E R T H R E E ==
Cowrie was rudely awoken by icy water splashing across her snout and wings.
The SeaWing dragonet let out a surprised yelp, jerking upwards and flaring her wings. ‘Hey!’ She protested indignantly, shaking her head vigorously to shake the cold water out of her ears. Droplets of water splashed to the rocky floor. 
An orange SkyWing dragonet stood next to her, grinning mischievously. ‘Good morning to you, too,’ He said with a smirk, his pale amber eyes flashing with amusement. 
‘Very funny,’ Cowrie said, flicking water at his face. He laughed, dancing away to avoid the droplets of water. 
Kite grinned at her. ‘Seriously though, it’s time to wake up, sleepy-sloth.’ He twitched his black-and-white tipped wings. ‘Class is about to start, we should get going..’ 
Cowrie rubbed her eyes. ‘Okay, fine, I’m coming,’ She said, quickly leaping to her feet. A silver wired bracelet strung with seashells - cowries - clanked against her blue scales as she followed Kite out of the cave. 
Outside, the hallways were filled with dragonets milling around. Cowrie slipped through one of the dimly lit passageways and flew down, into the Great Hall, the main center of Jade Mountain Academy. Kite brushed past her and landed with a soft thump, darting to a group of SkyWings chatting in the corner. 
Cowrie glanced around. She had been at the academy for a week or two now, but the Great Hall never failed to amaze her every time. The entire place was huge, enough to fit hundreds of dragons with room to spare. Gray-blue stalagmites protruded from the tall ceilings, and banners with announcements hung from two of the tallest spires. 
‘Hey, Cowrie, over here!’ A voice called over to her, and she spun around, spotting eyes blinking eagerly at her from the other side of the cave. It was a group of three, one was a gray-green RainWing with dark eyes, one was a small silvery blue IceWing with a silver necklace, one a dark purple NightWing with pale underscales. Her winglet. Cowrie spread her wings and glided over, landing softly on the stone, joining her friends. 
‘Hey,’ She greeted them with a happy flourish of her tail. 
‘Hey, yourself,’ The IceWing, Ermine said gruffly, giving her a curt nod. 
== C H A P T E R F O U R ==
Golden rays shone upon the grassy meadow, the last glints of sun before it set behind the mountain peaks in the distance. A cold winter breeze blew through the air, but that didn’t bother Crest. After all, IceWings were meant to withstand cold temperatures. 
Crest swooped down to what appeared to be a clearing surrounded by pines. It provided good enough shelter, at least for the night, he decided, hovering in the air and beating his wings as he observed the area. Shaded, and if he stayed under the cover of the trees he wouldn’t be seen by the prying eyes from above. 
Even though there was no war of conflicts between the IceWings and the other tribes currently, Crest didn’t think that the SkyWings would be happy, seeing an IceWing in their territory. 
Crest tucked in his wings and dived down, spreading his wings to halt his flight as his front claws touched the ground. He paused and looked around. Nobody. That was good. 
The sun was beginning to sink faster, and darkness fell over the clearing in a matter of seconds. Crest sat down by the trunk of a tall pine, curling his spiked tail over his front talons, deep in thought. 
Roughly five days before I make it to Jade Mountain, he thought. That should be good enough. I’ll stay for a week there, check in with the students, write the report and leave. He frowned, then added to his mental bucket list: and check the library for scrolls on animus magic.
Crest watched as the last glimpses of the gleaming orange sun disappeared behind the dark silhouettes of the mountainside. Night fell, and he watched the stars sprinkling across the inky black sky, his mind still captivated by his constant thoughts. Overhead, pale silvery clouds drifted across the crescent moon. 
A pang of hunger drew him from his daze, and he stirred. The young IceWing reached for his satchel, where a small pouch of caribou jerky was tucked on the outside. He unknotted the small pouch and tossed it into his mouth, chewing and swallowing it. After swallowing, he tucked the pouch back into his satchel, staring at the night sky with pale blue eyes. 
Suddenly, another bright slash of pain flared up in his wrist, and the IceWing gritted his teeth, taking off the armband to rub the scales underneath. In the past few days, the scales had gone from slightly discolored to seemingly fused together, with raw, exposed skin underneath. He took out his healing stone and gently caressed the wound. 
Seems like something worth telling Queen Snowfall when I get back home, he thought grimly as the pain slowly faded. He put the armband back on and put away the stone. 
Crest tucked in his satchel close to his chest, then curled himself up to sleep. His eyes began to drift shut, until a loud rustling noise from the trees jerked him back to full attention. The IceWing froze in spot, his ears pricking to listen. Judging from the loud racket, it must be a dragon. There weren’t many creatures that could make such a loud noise, after all. 
Slowly and quietly, Crest shifted back onto his feet, crouching down into a pouncing position. The dragon might not be hostile, but he did not want to be taken by surprise. Better safe than sorry. His muscles tensed as he prepared himself to pounce. 
The dark outline of a small dragon appeared as they pushed their way through the dense forest. Crest’s eyes narrowed into slits as he watched the dragon walk into the open clearing, unaware of the IceWing watching him. 
Just as the dragon drew closer, Crest gathered all of his strength into his back legs and sprung, landing easily on the dragon. The newcomer was small, smaller than Crest, and he guessed that they were probably still a dragonet. 
He placed his claws on the dragon’s fragile wing membrane, his back claws planting into the ground the dragonet so that he could not escape. Crest narrowed his eyes down at the dragonet, noting the webs between his claws and the pebbly texture of his scales. A SeaWing, he guessed, but what was a SeaWing doing out in the Claws of the Clouds mountains? 
The SeaWing dragonet struggled pitifully, but quickly gave up, obviously realizing that struggling more would result in his wings being torn by Crest’s ridged claws. One of the first fighting techniques he had learnt; how to immobilize a dragon before they could do any harm. 
‘Who are you, and what are you doing here?’ Crest demanded fiercely, pressing his claws down harder, not hard enough to draw blood, but to make a threat. ‘Tell me or I’ll rip out your throat.’ 
To his surprise, the dragonet didn’t whimper or cry for help. Instead, he blinked up at Crest, not looking at all fazed. ‘Oh, I’m Inkstone, or Ink!’ The dragonet beamed. ‘But whichever works fine. How are you?’ 
Completely baffled, Crest loosened his grip. Had this strange dragonet just… greeted him, when Crest’s claws were inches away from his throat? He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. There was something not quite right about him. ‘Answer my question,’ He said stiffly, ‘What are you doing here, in the mountains? It’s a long way from the ocean.’ 
Ink grinned eagerly, looking excited. ‘I’m going on an adventure,’ He said with a gullible smile. ‘What about you?’ He paused, then added, ‘Could you please let me up? It’s kind of uncomfortable, and no offense, but, you know, it seems too early for this kind of intimacy.’ He blinked hopefully up at Crest. 
Crest stared down at him uncomprehendingly. ‘Why?’ He demanded. ‘That doesn’t answer my question. Why are you here? Adventure is a stupid answer.’ 
‘Jade Mountain!’ Ink beamed eagerly. ‘Oh, did you know, that’s where the Dragonets of Destiny are!’ He grinned from ear to ear. ‘Isn’t that cool?’ 
Frowning, Crest stared at the dragonet. Suspicious, he was. Going to the same place as Crest at the same time, without giving any other reason except for adventure? That was definitely not a coincidence. 
‘Could you let me up, please?’ Ink asked again, though his radiant smile remained. ‘Please? It’s a little uncomfortable.’ 
Finally, Crest loosened his claws and let go of the weird dragonet. ‘Try something and you’ll find my claws ripping through your face,’ He said threateningly, sitting down, his tail curled. 
The dragonet beamed at him happily. ‘Thanks!’ He said cheerfully. He didn’t seem interested in running away, which Crest found peculiar. Why was he still here, talking to him?
A pause, then Ink looked at him. ‘Oh, why are you here, actually?’ He asked curiously, and Crest felt himself stiffen up. ‘I mean, I don’t think we’re close to the Ice Kingdom, like, at all.’ 
‘None of your business,’ Crest responded frostily, flicking his tail so that it rattled on the ground. ‘And I’m tired, so please leave me alone.’ He strained to make his voice as polite as possible, but it didn’t seem to be working. 
Ink didn’t seem to be listening. He leaned closer excitedly. ‘Ooo, is it a secret?’ He asked eagerly. ‘You can tell me, I promise I’m super good at keeping secrets. If you want, of course.’ 
I sincerely doubt it, Crest thought, but didn’t say. ‘As I said, none of your business,’ He snapped stiffly, pushing the dragonet away from his personal space. 
‘Are you going to Jade Mountain too?’ Ink pressed, waving his tail eagerly. A pale blue stripe lit up on his snout, but the dragonet didn't seem to notice or care. ‘Oh, are you a student there?’ 
Crest chose his words carefully. ‘I’m not a student at Jade Mountain,’ He said cautiously, digging his claws into the grassy turf. 
‘But you’re going there?’ Ink asked, not falling for his trick. ‘I promise I won’t tell anyone if it’s top-secret IceWing stuff. Really.’ 
Crest hesitated, but he really did doubt that this SeaWing would tell anyone. He seemed to be harmless, almost too innocent, in fact. ‘Yes, I am going here,’ He said reluctantly. 
Ink’s pale blue eyes lit up in excitement. ‘Oh, that’s awesome!’ He said happily, eyes shining. ‘If you don’t mind, we can fly there together!’
I mind very much, Crest avoided saying. ‘No, thank you,’ He said in a chilly voice. He didn’t want to travel with some low-born SeaWing, and besides, if Queen Snowfall knew, she was sure to drop him down all the way from the rankings. But to be fair, if he ended up succeeding in this mission, his rank was sure to stay in the First Circle forever. 
‘Why not?’ Ink asked, not meanly, but just with bright curiosity. ‘I promise I won’t be annoying, really.’ He paused, then added in a slightly less cheerful tone, ‘You know, having some company would be nice, that’s all. Don’t you get lonely, flying alone?’
‘No,’ Crest said, although inwardly he felt a dull ache in his heart. He was lonely, not that he would say so to the peculiar SeaWing. The other IceWings always treated him like an outcast, as though his father and aunt being traitors would make him a traitor. ‘I like being alone. It’s fine.’ 
Ink frowned, clearly unconvinced by his lie. ‘
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)
Category:Fanfictions (Semi-Canon)