The Mating Call (Book 1) Chapter 2

The Mating Call (Book 1,) Chapter 3 con

The Betrail Of Maverick (Con)

Ella decides to let Nightmare come forth so she can tell The Story about Maverick. Ever since she was the one who killed him, Nightmare had changed. She had become cold-hearted, distant, and untrusting of all dragons except Ella and Gaia. Ella had to fight harder than she had in a very long time to keep her Lycan under control. Vic Jackson, Godfather to the Vampire Mafia Family, had seen firsthand how cold-hearted Nightmare could be when he witnessed her killing the NightWings. So, he had asked Nightmare to be one of his assassins, and she agreed if he would be in an alliance with the DragonWolfs, all clans, which meant all of Blackwater Bay and all the Dragons. He agreed under the condition that he could turn her and Ella.

Nightmare told him that he would have to discuss it with Ella. He looks at her and asks, "May I speak to her?" Nightmares nodded yes as she closed her eyes as Ella took back over. Vic gives her a few because he knows that the switching drains Ella, and if anyone wants to attack her after switching or shifting, as the wolves called it, This would be the time, for it left her human side tried and weak and valuable. Vic also knew what made Nightmare so dangerous. She had all the knowledge and training that Ella had, plus she was also Kerrigan.

The Kerrigan came to be when the hunters took her and experimented in labs underground for two years till she broke free after Chuck, one of the three that did the experiments, was drunk. Ella was barely strong enough to overpower him—making it upstairs, killing the five there, and escaping after causing an explosion that knocked her out when she barely ran out of the barn before a truck exploded.

Ezio was drinking beer at the water tower with his beta Cole when they heard the explosions and saw the black Smoke. When he looked at Cole, jumps down and ran towards the Smoke with Cole on his heels, screaming, "We are running towards the rogue territory." Ezio didn't care, for he had seen humans at his border and found their camp, so he wanted to ensure they weren't causing issues. Then he smelt a lovely scent, which caused him to stop in his tracks. He shifted back into human form and quietly walked to where the smell was, and he saw a female lying on the ground, her heartbeat slow and faint.

Cole catches up to Ezio just as he walks up to the female hybrid. "Ezio, lookout, she could be rouge." just as the female eyes shoot open, a look of fear and anger shine in her purplish-blue eyes stare back at them, her hands up in defense as she suddenly stands to her feet. Ezio sees the crescent moon tat on her wrist. Cole mind- links the others as he watches his alpha Ezio and the girl. "i am no rouge." Ella snaps, looking at the two men. Ezio breathes in and smells the burnt bodies of the men she killed. "You did all this?" "Yes, I had to, to get away from hunters." She collapses on the ground, and Ezio catches her before she hits the ground." As I said, Ezio becare she made be rouge." "She isn't rouge Cole. That is GHE Gaia and Alphas Jack's daughter Ella." The older wolf's voice said. Sniper comes walking forth. Hello, Ella. The last time I saw you was before you went missing." "Hello, uncle." and then she faints. Ezio looks at his men and back at the ashes that was once a barn—Hunter's as he shakes his head and carries Ella back to the hospital.

Ella wakes up. She looks around and sees Ezio asleep in a chair beside her bed as a nurse walks in. "Your awake good ." "How do you feel?" "Like shit." Ezio stirs as he looks at Ella. Then Ella hears her father's voice as tears fill her eyes. "Where is she, Ella, my baby girl?" He walks through the door as he, looks at Ella as he walks and hugs her. "Dad," as Ella hugs him tight, tears run down her cheeks. Jack turns her loose. "Thank the Goddess, your okay." "I never gave up hope." "Where is mom?" "She is in a meeting over a plague that has hit the dragons, plus helping with your sister Luna's wedding." "My sister, she is the Luna?" Yes, but enough of that." "Let's see if the Doc will let you come home." He turns and walks out as he goes to find the doc. Ezio looks at her. So, tell me of these hunters." "It's too bad you killed them." "We could have gotten some info on them." "I did what I had to do." "The doc said you are free to go, so let's get you home." As her dad lays some clothes on the bed, Ella moves the covers, grabs the clothes, walks to the bathroom to change, walks out, and leaves the hospital. Ella wasn't happy to see her sister because her being luna meant she and Zack were mates.

They leave the hospital as soon they pull up to Cresnet Blood moon coven. Ella gets out of the SUV and walks up to her Home. Two years since Nightmare had killed Maverick. "How did the dragon plague come back?" She asks her father as he shakes his head. "His wife came back long enough to bring forth some of the plagues that were left over, and of course, no one knew how to make the antidote, and you weren't here." "Well, I need to get busy and make some more." As she walks to her spell room and begins to prepare the antidote. Soon Ella had the treatment ready as she handed it to her father here, took it and gave it to the sick, and then make shots to give to everyone else as she heard her mother's and sister's voices.

"This doesn't mean that I am giving up the Coven. Ella runs to her mother. They cling to each other as Gaia kisses her cheek. Then looks at her sister. Ella growls low as she looks at her sister. "The Coven is mine, and I am GHE witch, and that is precisely what it means you will give me my Coven back, Luna or not." "Now, girls." As Gaia looks at both of her daughters. "Ruby, you will give Ella back her Coven now she is back, and Ella will be taking back her role." "But mother." "No, but Ruby." "You will do as I say." Ruby glares at Ella as Zack walks in, and Nightmare screams MATE." Zack feels it, too, as he stares at Ella. He has not seen her since the day the hunters got her. Ruby looks at Zack and Ella as Ella growls and lunges for her sister, and Zack stops her. "Ella, stop," Zack screams. I reject you as my mate." Ella stops in her tracks as Nightmare howls. Being denied by your fated mate is worse than death as Ella turns and runs from the Coven.

Ella went to her favorite place. She had hidden her journal there as she pulled it out and began to write, letting Nightmare tell her story of what had happened and what she remembered about Maverick.

Ella shakes her head and looks at Vic. "So, you wish to turn me?" "If I do this, do we get your alliance for all DragonWolfs and dragons and no hunting on our lands unless it is an enemy?" Vic nodded yes, and Ella moved her hair, exposing her neck as Vic leaned in, sinking his fangs into her neck as he drained her enough so she could be turned. He pulls his fangs and bites his wrist, placing it on her lips. "Drink." She does so as she falls back and convulses as she is turned into a vampire hybrid.

Nightmare: "I'm *sorry, my love. I know it's the worst thing. I know it hurts, and you're not all right, and you're angry and want to punish the DragonWolfs, but you have to fight the anger and the darkness. Maverick, I'm so, so scared. The things I've seen in the future because of this — the things that happen to* you*, the things that you do, and what you become — it's all so dark, I almost can't see the light anymore. I'm afraid we're losing our bright paths …*."— Nightmare to Maverick.

## **Description:** Nightmare had large dark purple eyes, black scales, and black wings. She was beautiful and sleek.

**Personality:** Deeply kind, willful, severe, often worried and harried, Nightmare was often known to be the voice of reason towards both Maverick and Fathom. She was selfless and open-minded, willing to admit to her faults and others. Although Nightmare preferred compromise over confrontation, she was not afraid of conflict and would try her best to do the right thing, even in the face of danger or oppression. She wanted to be a dragon who created order from the chaos. Maverick described Nightmare as brilliant and empathetic, though sometimes she laid it on a little thick. She was the most brilliant DragonWolf ever, and her foresight power was unique.

Nightmare was obsessive about the future, often spending her time exploring different potential timelines to try and find the best outcomes. She thought that if she could see every possible future, surely she could make sure they got the right one. She disliked prophecies for this reason as without their vagueness and crypticness. She could give everyone accurate information on how to lead a better future. Her brain never stopped, constantly tracing paths forward to different ends. She was often very severe or nervous due to her ability to see many possibilities. However, it is a testament to her selfless nature that she was willing to delve into an unknown, muddy timeline to prevent the potential futures where she released Maverick by staying in Pyrrhia. She is also quite determined, proven after venturing to save the dragons from the storm in Pantala.

Nightmare often approached other dragons with patience and diplomacy. When she first arrived in Pantala, she believed she would love her future dragonets with all of her heart and would track their futures to keep them safe. She was also kind and understanding, as shown in her letter in the Book of Maverick. She loved the tribes of Pantala and her descendants, even though she had never met them. As the letter went on, Nightmare got more mature, and on her deathbed, she said not to look into the future and to stay in the present.

Biography The Jade Mountain Prophecy: *Moon Rising* *Talons of Power* When Maverick returned to Jade Mountain Academy, he politely requested Starflight to find scrolls on his beloved Nightmare, wondering what had become of her after his betrayal. Nightmare was mentioned a few times by Nightmare and appeared in a scroll about animus history. Additionally, when Moonwatcher expressed her concern for giving the NightWing students powers, Maverick said that she reminded him of Nightmare, also asking if everyone was sure Nightmare never had dragonets. Nightmare is later mentioned when Maverick returns to his school in the Solderine Kingdom, finds the remains of his painting of Nightmare, and restores the picture with his magic. Turtle thought the proportions were all wrong, particularly in the little talons and oversized head, but noticed that Nightmare's eyes made it look like she had loved the painter.

Turtle later set a white marble with a blue moon shape inside it near Maverick's feet while he was distracted, intending to see his reaction. Since most of the dragons thought Ella & Nightmare were dead. The tremendous animus noticed it and thought Nightmare's ghost was still there since Turtle was invisible due to the enchanted stick's spell. He picked it up and tried talking to Nightmare, thinking her spirit might be listening. After a while, he accepted that Nightmare was not alive anymore, and he threw the marble angrily into the trees and left the old NightWing school. *Darkness of Dragons*: Nightmare appeared while Moon, Qibli, and Kinkajou were at the old NightWing Palace. Moon and Qibli noted her to be acting very strangely, as she was trusting and forgiving of Maverick, even though she was the one who imprisoned him for being evil. Moon noted to Qibli that she was unlike the Nightmare Listener wrote about. Her suspicions were correct as Qibli followed Nightmare and Maverick to an obscure area of the palace, where they discovered that Maverick had enchanted another dragon to be like Nightmare. When Maverick realized she could never be his true love, he turned the Dragon back to their original form, which turned out to be a frustrated Fierceteeth.

### Nightmare slips the moonstone bracelet off her and onto his arm, putting Maverick to sleep. Nightmare then kneels beside him, resting her talons lightly on his neck. Nightmare drags Maverick far back into the cave, tears falling from her eyes. Nightmare rolled Maverick against the back wall and checked the bracelet to ensure it was securely fastened around Maverick's arm. Then she filled the cave with boulders from the hillside, piling them up to hide Maverick inside. When that was done, she found another mountain where she could watch and wait for the earthquake to come. She thought about all the futures she saw and grieved that in the end, Maverick and she never had a happy future, never getting married or having dragonets together. She saw possible futures where if she returned to the NightWing tribe, dangerous things would happen, one of them Nightmare missing Maverick so much that the temptation to produce and release him became too strong. She even considers staying with him, lying down in the avalanche's path, and waiting to die. Nightmare remembered a long-ago dream from a scroll she used to read, stories about the lost continent and secret tribes of dragons that lived there. She could see a future where she was an explorer, going out and finding new worlds and places no NightWing had ever been or imagined. She knew that the future was in her talons now, and she could do anything she wanted to do.

Relationships: Maverick & Nightmare was Maverickr's soulmate. Maverick loved her without reserve or hesitation and mostly reciprocated. He was enthusiastic about their relationship and tried to make her happy and safe. He disliked that she worried over their futures so much but loved her wholly. However, the tragedy of Hope's presumed death shattered him, and he became indifferent towards her free will and happiness, although later apologizing for her imagined presence. He tried to keep her focused on the happy futures where they had dragonets but ultimately manipulated Nightmare's ability against her will, even seeming defiant and indifferent when confronted. Although Maverick lied to himself about this attempted manipulation of Nightmare being the best thing for her, it was really about keeping her from knowing about his schemes. Their relationship ultimately failed due to Maverick's actions, and Nightmare is not to blame. Nightmare loved Maverick very much and tried her best to keep their futures bright, but eventually had no choice but to betray her beloved by trapping him in a cave within Agate Mountain with a bracelet enchanted by Fathom. She mourned him — and their possible future dragonets — for a long time after he was trapped and never moved on, even after relocating to Pantala.

### **Sunstreak:** Immediately after Nightmare arrived on Pantala, she was greeted by two dragons, one of which was an unnamed LeafWing and one of which was Sunstreak. Nightmare tried to speak to them in Dragon, and surprisingly Sunstreak responded in a largely influent form of Nightmare's native language. Sunstreak and Nightmare were then in a romantic relationship, getting married, and growing close enough that Nightmare spoke about her previous life in Pyrrhia and her former love and soulmate, Maverick. They had four dragonets, Commodore, Jewel, Orange, and Tortoiseshell.

Family Tree: More, Swiftwings, Unnamed, Whiteout, Maverick, Nightmare**,** Sunstreak, 3 Dragons, Shadowhunter, Eclipse, Fierceclaws, Commodore, Jewel, Orange, Tortoiseshell Prophecies: *These are user interpretations of her prophecies, and while they have been reviewed and deemed accurate by parts of the community, it is essential to note that they are **not** stated in canon.* ProphecyMeaning: *"Beware your two queens; beware your power. Your claws will betray you in your final hour."* To Arctic, warning him that his doom will be caused by his claws, power, and two queens — Queen Vigilance, who welcomed him into her tribe's Home, and Queen Diamond, the queen of his tribe and Arctic's mother. This comes true when Maverick enchants him to disembowel himself. *"The SeaWing brings death. The SeaWing brings salvation. Don't let him come. He must come, or all is lost."* Referring to Fathom and how he would be a necessary friend to Maverick, someone who will unknowingly push him to fulfill his dark motives.

Quotes: *"It's not that simple, […] It's not 'here's your life, that's how it will be.' It's every possible life, all the things that* could *happen to the tribe and me, and it all depends on what I do next. But there are so many - I can't keep track-and the further I look into the future, the more confusing and random it gets…."*― Nightmare, telling her father about seeing the future. *"I'm looking for clues about how animus power works. There's so much we don't know. Can one animus spell override another? Is there anything animus magic can't do? Do different spells affect their souls in different ways, or are they always the same? But all the scrolls are about IceWings, and it sounds like they've always restricted their magic so much that no one's had a chance to find out anything. Of course, no one wants to run experiments on animus dragons, even if you had more than one at a time for comparison, to see who goes evil first. So it's all anecdotal, and …."* ― to Vigilance "It's *— well, it's complicated — there are so many consequences — and spells can go wrong, especially with a war scenario where it's all so chaotic. It's an unspoken rule that tribes don't use animus magic in war. Because if we use animus magic,* they *might retaliate with animus magic, and then it gets … well, terrible…."* ― to Vigilance *"You can't wipe out a DragonWolfs I think of all the little dragonets who aren't part of this war. You're not a dragonet-killer, Maverick."*― to Maverick, "*We don't want to keep out all the other tribes. The NightWings are famous for our intertribal relations and open trade partnerships. Our scrolls and artwork are sold across the continent. Dragons bring us new ideas and inventions, and discoveries from all over. We lose all that if we close our border, especially with violence. We lose everything that makes us who we are."*― to Vigilance *"I'm sorry, my love. I know it's the worst thing. I know it hurts, and you're not all right, and you're angry and want to punish the DragonWolfs, but you have to fight the anger and the darkness. Maverick, I'm so, so scared. The things I've seen in the future because of this — the things that happen to* you*, the things that you do, and what you become — it's all so dark, I almost can't see the light anymore. I'm afraid we're losing our bright paths …."*― to Maverick. "*Thank you for being you. I hope your life is everything it should be."*― to Listener  *"Maybe it started the first time you lied to me. Or it could be losing Foeslayer and being unable to do anything about it. Maybe it was all the small moments where you felt threatened, powerless, or out of control, and all the things you did to fight those feelings … Or maybe it's just part of you, something you hatched with. Maybe that's what you got from your father and your magic. Maybe you would always turn out this way, no matter how I tried to save you."* ― to Naverick *"I've been reading everything I can find about her. I found papers she wrote in school and stories about her by a friend named Listener. Nightmare was brilliant, the most brilliant NightWing who ever lived. This is the first time anyone's ever been able to navigate multiple futures in their visions the way she did. That's why Maverick loved her."* ― Moonwatcher to Qibli about Nightmare *"In this book are my visions of what is yet to come. Some of it seems small, but I have included everything, even if I still need to tell why it's important. I leave this in the Hope that it will make life better for both our tribes. I hope you will use it to protect the dragons around you, especially the most threatened ones, regardless of who they are and how you think you feel about them."* ―Nightmare, about the Book of Nightmare.

As stated by Tui, Nightmare was one of the most straightforward characters to write because "being that worried and imagining a million futures is like being a writer in the middle of a story." Nightmare made the only known travel route between the two continents, hidden in the back cover of the Book of Nightmare.Nightmare is dead and never coming back, though she was initially considered to be brought back to life as a zombie. Nightmare learsight married several different husbands throughout her life, including Sunstreak. She created the HiveWing tribe, which is made up of her descendants. Nightmare lived for a very long time. Nightmare is one of the only known god-like figures in the series. The other god-like figure is the Great Ice Dragon. Listener calls NightmareMoonbeam.

**NightWings**, also known as **night dragons** to humans, are a Pyrrhian dragon tribe currently residing in the Rainforest Kingdom, alongside the RainWings, within the tropical Rainforest in lower southeast Pyrrhia. Queen Glory now rules them.

The NightWing tribe previously lived on the Talon Peninsula, also known as the lost city of night, otherwise known as the old Night Kingdom. After Maverick murdered Prince Arctic, the NightWings moved to the NightWing island off the northern coast of the Sky Kingdom and remained there until the NightWing Exodus. They were secretly allied with Blister towards the end of the War of SandWing Succession. (King) Maverick briefly ruled a large portion of the tribe in the second arc. Only fifty or so NightWings stayed in the Rainforest during this time.

**Description:** A typical NightWing egg, NightWings are based on monitor lizards. They have been described as having forked, pitch-black tongues and dark scales, usually black or in shades of dark green, blue, or purple. They also have silver, white, gray, purple, dark green, or blue underbellies and dapples of silver scales running along their necks. Their wings have silver scales scattered across them like night sky stars, forming different patterns. These patterns are genetic.NightWings have been described with black, dark blue, dark brown, purple, or dark green eyes. They have straight horns. NightWings can melt into shadows and blend into the night sky due to their colors and wing patterns. Mind readers have silver teardrop scales by the corners of their eyes, and empaths like Fatespeaker will also have them.

**Diet:** On the volcanic island, NightWings mainly ate carrion. They would bite their prey, poisoning it with bacteria inside their mouths, leaving it to decrease. After it was dead, they would return to eat it. On the island, seafaring birds could be found. They would also hunt in the Rainforest, including sloths, and may have gathered some fruit. While living on this island, most NightWings ate once weekly, contributing to their malnutrition. After relocating to the Rainforest, NightWings began incorporating fruits and vegetables into their diet, though they continue to eat meat, except for sloths.

In the time of Maverick, hunting was very similar to other tribes. They ate hawks, fish bears, squirrels, rattlesnakes, and wolves. They cooked their food, including roasted nuts and baked bear, and had access to cheese. They would also purchase fruits from RainWing merchants.

**Abilities:** NightWings are a nocturnal tribe that can blend into the night sky and shadows. They have a strong sense of smell and powerful night vision. They can also breathe fire, and most modern NightWings have harmful bacteria in their mouths, which can poison animals with a single bite. However, it is noted that after searching through the corpses of dead NightWings, no venom was found in their teeth.

NightWings hatched under one full Moon have the power of mind-reading or prophecy, and those hatched under two have both. Dragonets hatched under three full moons will have both capabilities, which have been made stronger by the Third Moon. NightWings once thought that the third full Moon gave animus powers, though this was later disconfirmed, as animus powers are passed on genetically. The power of the gifts varies, such as Nightmare having strong foresight. When the NightWings moved to the volcanic island, knowledge of these powers was forgotten, possibly on purpose. NightWing eggs touched by moonlight will turn an eerie polished silver color, while untouched eggs remain an ebony black.

Mind-reading NightWings can observe the thoughts of those around them. They cannot 'rummage around' in another dragon's head but hear thoughts as the Dragon thinks them, often only picking up on jumbled words, pictures, and emotions; thoughts are louder and more robust to the mind reader when they are touching the former. In the time of Maverick, dragonets were taught ways to block out the minds of others. However, this practice was lost over time without powers. Mind readers can project their thoughts to one another to have mental conversations, and influential mind readers may be able to block the visions of prophets. Dragons with this power hatched under a blood moon can project their thoughts onto any dragon, not just other mind readers.

Prophetic NightWings can see flashes and visions of the future. Occasionally, they will have a true prophecy, manifesting as words rather than a vision in the Dragon's head. In the time of Maverick, prophets would sometimes take common visions and translate them to sound like accurate prophecies. Mighty prophets may be able to look into the future and follow individual timelines. Futures are 'webs,' overlapping and quickly mixed up. Prophets hatched beneath a blood moon can see terrible events and natural disasters with particular clarity. When NightWings deliver prophecies, their eyes glow, and their voices become low and shivery.

## Empowered NightWings: Allknowing

Nightmare, Maverick, Fatespeaker, Foreseer, Jewel-eyes, Listener, Mind reader, Moonwatcher, Morrowwatcher. Seers Truthfinder, Vision, Whiteout

#### **Animus magic:** NightWings have animus dragons, with the earliest known powers tracing back to the NightWing-DragonWolf hybrid Maverick. All known animus NightWing dragons are descended from Whiteout, as she carried animus genetics, while Maverick did not have dragonets. They may have had animus magic before Maverick, as they once believed the third full Moon gave animus magic. In modern times, they are likely expected or forced to use their powers for the good of their tribe.

**Society Modern era:** NightWing society is changing significantly as they adjust to life in the Rainforest. Many of them were bitter due to their queen being a RainWing, and although some have become more accepting of the idea, Glory's queenship is quite controversial among them. However, they still contain a tribal aura of mystery and spookiness.

### Maverick era: In the time of Maverick*,* NightWing mothers typically named their dragonets. The tribe also functioned nocturnally. NightWings of higher status lived in higher homes on the cliffs. In contrast, lower ones lived closer to the bottom, where less desirable dwellings were. They also appeared to value knowledge and reading, as they had an extensive library and honored the first librarians of the kingdom. In Nightmare's time, the NightWings were famous for their intertribal relations, open trade partnerships, literature, and artwork, which had been sold across the continent. Dragons from over Pyrrhia brought them new ideas, inventions, and discoveries. Most dragonets started school when they were one year old. NightWings had a centuries-old feud with the DragonWolfs due to the legend of Foeslayer and Arctic, known as the NightWing-DragonWolf War. The rivalry is at least on pause as of *Darkness of Dragons*. Ancient NightWing nests were depicted as bowls of carved stone lined with black fur, and eggs were typically hatched atop high mountain peaks.

Names: NightWing names may be descriptive of the Dragon's personality (such as Thoughtful, Greatness, Wisdom, and Listener), relate to an aptitude or job (such as Mastermind, Deathbringer, or Quickstrike), describe or link to their physical appearance (such as Bigtail and Strongwings), or be night-themed (such as Starflight, Eclipse, and Moonwatcher.) Their names may also be inspired by the NightWing powers (names such as Fatespeaker, Mindreader, and Morrowseer.) Most NightWing names are meant to give a sense of strength or mightiness.

All unknown Empowered Nind-reader, seer's Assassins: Allknowing, Battlewinner, Bigtail, Chameleon, Nightmare, Commodore, Maverick, Deadlyclaws, Deathbringer, Discretion, Eclipse (DoD), Eclipse (L1), Empowered NightWings: Farsight, Fatespeaker, Fearless, Fierceclaws, Fierceteeth, Firefly, Foreseer, Greatness, Hope, Jewel (NW), Jewel-eyes, Listener, Mastermind, Mightyclaws, Mind readers, Mindreader, Moonwatcher, Morrowseer, Morrowwatcher, Obsidian, Orange, Peacemaker, Preyhunter, Prudence, Quickdeath, Quickstrike, Secretkeeper, Seers:  Shadowhunter, Slaughter, Smokeseer, Starclaws, Starflight, Stonemover, Strongwings, Sunny, Swiftwings, Thoughtful, Tortoiseshell, Truthfinder, Tunesmith, Unnamed characters, Vengeance, Vigilance, Vision, Weirdling things/I!I microwave tournament I!I, Whiteout, Wisdom.

#### Students at Jade Mountain: Bigtail (formerly; deceased), Fearless, Mightyclaws (formerly; currently making new homes for the NightWings in the Rainforest), Mindreader, Moonwatcher

NightWings appear to have excellent night vision but can not see in total darkness as well as SeaWings can. Hope mentions that NightWings are trying to readjust to their natural (nocturnal) schedule in *Darkness of Dragons*. NightWings are shown to be very loyal to their tribe and have an arrogance similar to the DragonWolfs. Morrowseer once explained to Starflight: "We assumed NightWing superiority was something all NightWings hatched with." Tui considered the mention of the Darkest Night, a night where all three moons are new, to be present somewhere in the NightWings' stories. In the audiobooks read by Shannon McManus, all NightWings speak with a British accent, except for Starflight, Fatespeaker, and Moonwatcher, who were raised away from the NightWings and did not develop this accent. NightWings can hang from the ceiling like bats. This is depicted in the graphic novel. In Maverick's era, all NightWing dragonets owned these scrolls: *Geography of Pyrrhia, Myths of the Lost Continent, Ten Little Scavengers (Recipes included!),* and *Goodnight, Moons.* NightWings have the most POVs of any tribe.

# Vigilance: "*Yes. Very poetic. But I don't recall anything about an underwater attack focused on North Beach in the next month.*" — Vigilance to Allknowing, Maverick.

## Relatives Daughters: Unnamed NightWings

### Descendants: Greatness, Battlewinner (possibly). **Vigilance** was an adult female NightWing. She ruled as queen of the NightWings during Maverick's era. After Nightmare's warning, she fled to NightWing Island along with her tribe.

**Description:** Vigilance had sharp, pitch-black eyes. She wore an ostentatious crown, and her wings were loaded with diamonds. Arctic described her as regal and radiant. She had a thin and sinister smile.

**Personality:** Vigilance was sharp, glowering, suspicious, intimidating, and intelligent. Much of her apparent menace came from the fact that she spoke very little, allowing the dragons around her to fill in all the gaps with their nervous chatter. She was also profoundly paranoid, killing off perceived threats long before they were genuinely dangerous. She was anxious, shortsighted, and not very susceptible to flattery, as she found compliments highly suspicious. She enjoyed trifling with nervous dragons by remaining silent. She loved conducting business whenever it might seem peculiar to other dragons and adopted an aura of furiousness and chilly stillness when she was displeased. She was not particularly concerned about the effects of what animus magic would have on a dragon, as she was only interested in what it could give her. She often spoke in hisses and was entirely willing to eliminate entire tribes if given a chance. She was not prone to expressing effusive gratitude. She was described as foolish and idiotic. Nightmare guessed that Vigilance thought she was better at shielding her thoughts from mind readers than she was.

Biography The Jade Mountain Prophecy: *Moon Rising*: She was mentioned in the scroll *The Animus Histories* as the NightWing queen Maverick planned to overthrow. *Talons of Power*: When Maverick showed Moonwatcher and Kinkajou around the lost city of night, they looked at Queen Vigilance's caves. Maverick mentioned that he was surprised the queen could take much of the treasure with her when she fled.

## Family Tree: **Vigilance.** Several Dragons, Several Generations, Unknown, Battlewinner, Greatness

Quotes: *"Ah, […] Seers. Always so illuminating. You may speak."*― to Clearsight  *"Yes, […] Very poetic. But I don't recall anything about an underwater attack focused on North Beach in the next month."* ― Allknowing, comparing her prophecy to Nightmare's vision. *"You work for me now. Move into the palace tonight."* ― to Nightmare  *"Call a war council meeting. […] I want everything you know about this attack written out by morning."* ― to a NightWing general and Nightmare  *"Hmm, […] And of all my death scenes, which comes the soonest?"* ― to Nightmare Vigilance was awake at all hours. Vigilance often held parties.

Lost city of night, also known as the **Night Kingdom**, is an ancient city inhabited by the NightWing tribe during the era of Maverick. It is located south of the Kingdom of Sand on a peninsula known as the **Talon Peninsula**. The city was abandoned soon after Maverick publicly murdered Arctic and was quickly forgotten. Most of its landscape slowly sank into the ocean for thousands of years. It did not appear on any known Pyrrhian maps and was only rediscovered when Maverick reinhabited it during the events of *Darkness of Dragons*. It was then re-abandoned and is currently uninhabited.

**Description:** The kingdom's terrain consists of a vast landscape of caverns and ravines, glowing with firelight and echoing with the flutter of wings. The domain is surrounded by a series of sharp-edged mountains known to the DragonWolfs as Maverick's Teeth. Secret canyons and caves are carved into the rock across the terrain, some stretching towards the distant sea.

The bottom of the cliffs contained rivers and spaces for the lesser NightWing homes. The more prosperous or influential NightWing structures were built higher and were more skylit, closer to the stars. The terrain is quite rocky, with canyons and outcroppings. Caves delve deep into the mountains, and the coast is lined with rocky black-sand beaches and littered with tide pools and half-flooded caves. There are also dragon-made lakes and dragon-planted forests.

In modern Pyrrhia, the peninsula has become considerably smaller, damaged by earthquakes, avalanches, and tidal waves. Maverick began rebuilding the city with his animus magic before transforming into Peacemaker. During its brief inhabitance by the modern NightWing tribe, firelight dotted the kingdom. On the edge of the cliffs, there is space where the land dropped sharply below them, veering down into a long rocky beach. It contains an enormous cave whose interior is a world of emerald green and vaulted ceilings. Phosphorescent moss and algae cling to the rocks, walls, and stalactites, giving the cave an eerie glow matched by chandeliers of glowworms above. Water dripped softly, and a creek ran through the cave, connecting some tide pools and circumventing others. The cave became warmer and quieter the farther back it went, and there was a sloping ledge of rock above one tide pool containing starfish and anemones. The sound of wind whistling through deep ravines can be heard throughout the kingdom.

## Notable Features: Borderland Mountain: is the mountain within the lower reaches of the NightWing palace. The area has a forest and a lake.

### Nightmare**'s** Home includes several rooms, at least one bookshelf, and a front entrance. The structure is built more than halfway down the cliffs of the city. A ledge borders the front door, and the house has a fireplace. Nightmare's bedroom contained several scrolls and inkwells and was quite messy the morning before she attended school.

Nightmare's Home was a structure belonging to Nightmare, Nightmare's father, and Swiftwings during the era of Maverick. It was located within the lost city of night. Ella would let Nightmare come forth so she could visit her parents. Her taste was a lot different than Ella's. Purple was Nightmare's favorite color, with many purple crystals hanging from her bedroom's ceiling.

**Description:** Nightmare's bedroom contained several scrolls and inkwells and was quite messy the morning before she attended school. The Home includes several rooms, at least one bookshelf, and a front entrance. The structure is built more than halfway down the cliffs of the city. A ledge borders the front door, and a fireplace surrounds the house.

**History Legends:**  Maverick Before Nightmare left for school, Nightmare was seen in her room, leaving a mess of the room as she paced around it. Before she left her Home for her first day of school, she knocked over a bookshelf near her front door. Maverick's Home had a pale blue door leading into a sunlit room adorned with white rugs, glittering crystals, and a couch in the middle. One wall was lined with scrolls tucked into little niches. There was a fireplace with a painting of the family done by Whiteout on the mantle, the picture painted in shades of blue and making the family appear more related than in real life. The kitchen was described as "impossibly clean" and had tools that Nightmare had never seen and could not imagine how to use.

# **Maverick's Home** was a structure belonging to Arctic, Maverick, Foeslayer, and Whiteout during the era of Maverick. It was located within the lost city of night.

**Description:** Nightmare's Home was described to have a pale blue door, which led into a sunlit room adorned with white rugs, glittering crystals (Nightmare assumed this was to make Arctic feel more at Home), and a couch in the middle. One wall was lined with scrolls tucked into little niches. The kitchen was described as "impossibly clean" and had tools that Nightmare had never seen and couldn't imagine how to use. There was a fireplace with a painting of the family done by Whiteout on the mantle, the picture painted in shades of blue, making the family appear more related than in real life. The entrance was built with an archway that led into a small, cramped living room. It contained a fireplace and a table with four places. Several back rooms and a talon-washing station could be accessed through a hallway. On Hope's side of her and Arctic's bedroom were blanketed in a corner.

**Notable Features:** Maverick's room was down the hall from Whiteout's room, and his sleeping spot was marked by a pile of neatly folded purple and white blankets. He also had a trunk, where he would keep extra blankets and a few weapons. His desk was bare except for cloth and three inkwells containing black, royal Blue, and emerald green ink. There was a scroll rack by the desk, and behind it was Maverick's scroll and an invisible inkwell hidden behind a stone in the wall.

Whiteout's room contained many paintings of DragonWolfs and NightWings flying together. Most were done in shades of blue, and Maverick describes some from Whiteout's "*Wishful Thinking*" series. There were also many pictures of constellations, the three moons, and starscapes.

## History Legends Maverick takes Nightmare to his house to show off his talisman to her. Here, Arctic discovers that Maverick is an animus while Nightmare is visiting the place.

### Unlike the southern shores' smooth sandy beaches, North Beach is an expanse of rocky and pebbled beach at the north end of the Night Kingdom peninsula. It faced a bay with the Kingdom of Sand on the far side, just out of dragon eyesight but close enough that most NightWings avoided it. There are giant boulders strewn on the beach. It has also been noted that dragons have practiced swimming there.

Flora/Fauna: Wildlife **Animals:** Bats, Bears, Birds, Hawks, Owls, Sparrows, Camels, Crocodiles, Fireflies, Fish, Koi, Long-finned fighting fish, Glowworms, Goats, Monkeys, Tamarin monkeys, Moths, Pink Fairy Armadillos, Rabbits, Rattlesnakes, Scavengers, Squirrels, Starfish, Thorny Devils, Tortoises, Vultures, Wolves, **Plants:** Algae, Anemones, Bamboo, Cattails, Cinnamon, Ferns, Flowers, Chrysanthemums, Roses, Fruit, Apples, Bananas, Kiwi, Lemon, Pomegranate, Strawberries, Grass, Lettuce, Moss, Phosphorescent moss, Nuts, Onions, Pinecones, Plankton, Seeds, Sugar cane, Tomatoes, Trees, Evergreens, Pear trees, Pine trees, Truffles, Turnips, Vines

History The Jade Mountain Prophecy: *Moon Rising*: The lost city of the night was mentioned when the Moon delivered the Jade Mountain Prophecy. This prophecy contained the lines: *"Jade Mountain will fall beneath thunder and ice. Unless the lost city of night can be found."*

### Legends *Maverick:* The lost city of the night was the primary setting in Maverick and was Home to the NightWing protagonists, Maverick and Nightmare. At the end of the book, the NightWing tribe flees the kingdom under Nightmare's warning about Maverick.

Foeslayer stated that the Night Kingdom was protected by an "unbeatable" air defense team. The Night Kingdom shrank due to Maverick's magic. Lower-ranking NightWings lived at the bottom of the Night Kingdom, while upper-ranking NightWings lived closer to the stars in the higher parts of the kingdom.

Pantala (pronounced "pain-the-la"), also known as the **Lost Continent** by the dragons of Pyrrhia, is one of the two known continents in the *Wings of Fire* series, the other being Pyrrhia. Its existence was hinted at occasionally before being confirmed at the end of *Darkness of Dragons*. It takes multiple days of traveling from the west of Pyrrhia to get there. The Pantalan dragon tribes include SilkWings, HiveWings, LeafWings, and the extinct BeetleWings.

**Description:** Pantala is a dragon-shaped continent consisting primarily of grassland and savanna biome. It is covered with tall grass, though there are occasional sinkholes underfoot. All over the continent are watering holes and rivers, which are often dry. Pantala also has a rainy and dry season, with moderate to hot temperatures. The most prominent landmarks of Pantala are the Hives, which are connected structures that host most of the continent's SilkWings and HiveWings. It has several landmarks aside from the Hives, including Lake Scorpion, Beetle Lake, Dragonfly Bay, and the Poison Jungle. The jungle is in the top right of the continent, on the 'head' of the continent. Within the Poison Jungle are the Snarling River and the Gullet River, where the neck and mouth would be if Pantala were an actual dragon. The whole continent was covered in forests until Queen Wasp took over.

Notable Features The Abyss: The abyss is a pit located underneath Lake Scorpion, which was the location of the brain of the Othermind and was described to have something glowing and green within it. It was explained to have been acting strangely "for the first time in years" since the Othermind escaped the Poison Jungle. Whispers were mentioned to have been coming from it, reaching the upper caves of Raven's village. Inside the abyss is a throne room where the corpses of Freedom and Cottonmouth used to sit before they were defeated. The anomaly has presumably stopped since the Othermind was defeated in *The Flames of Hope*.

## Flora & Fauna: Wildlife

**Animals:** Antelope, Bats, Birds, Cockatoos, Crows, Hummingbirds, Long-necked gray-and-white birds with smaller birds on its back, Pigeons, Seagulls, Skylarks, Starlings, Blue tree frogs, Capybaras, Chinchillas, Crocodiles, Deer, Elephants, Fish, Eyeless fish, Koi, Gazelles, Giraffes, Humans, Insects, slugs, and bugs, Assassin bugs, Beetles, Bombardier beetles, Bullet ants, Butterflies, Caterpillars, Cicadas, Earthworms, Fire ants, Fireflies, Flies, Grasshoppers, Mosquitoes, Red centipedes, Shining beetles, Snails, River snails, Tree slugs, Tsetse flies, Wasps can kill an elephant with their venom, Vampire ants, Venomous centipedes, Jaguars, Lizards, Monitor lizards. Gila monsters, Lions, Monkeys, Marmosets, Orange monkeys, Tamarins, Panthers, Rabbits, Scorpions, Sharks, Snakes, Anacondas, Black mambas, Dragonbite vipers, Rattlesnakes, Underwater snakes, Spiders, Squids, Tigers, Toads, Water buffalo, Whales, Wildebeests, Zebras

**Plants:** Arrowroot, Bamboo, Basil, Beans, Garbanzo beans, Berries, Pale white berries, Breath of evil, Bushes, Pricker bushes, Cacti, Carnivorous plants, Bladderworts, Cobra lilies, Pitcher plants, Roridulas, Sundews, Venus dragon-traps, Carrots, White carrots, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Eggplants, Exploding stars, Ferns, Flowers: Bright flowers, Bromeliads, Forget-me-nots, Honeysuckles, Lotus flowers, Night blooms, Orchids, Sleepflowers, Sun lilies, Trumpet creepers, Violets, Water lilies, Fruits: Apples, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Citrus, Clementines, Coconuts, Kumquats, Lemon, Limes, Manchineel fruits, Mangoes, Nectarines, Oranges, Persimmon, Raspberries, Sandbox tree fruit, Tangerines, Ginger, Ginger root, Grass, Hemlocks, Hogweeds, Honey, Ivy, Kale, Lichen, Macadamia nuts, Makahiyas, Mimosa pudicas (also referred to as touch-me-nots), Morning glories, Moss, Phosphorescent moss, Mushrooms, Mycelium, Nettles, Night blooms, Okra, Papyrus, Potatoes, Reeds, Marsh reeds, Seaweed, Seeds and seed pods, Blister bush seeds, Winged seed pods, Sleep lilies, Smoke leaves, Spider plants, Sticky white berries that are only deadly to mammals, Taro, Tea leaves, Thorn balls, Thorn bushes, Trees, Baobabs, Chokecherries, Manchineels, Sandbox trees, Tubers, Vines Clematis vines, Greenbrier vines, Honeysuckle vines, Kudzu vines, Strangler vines, Waterwheels, Weeds, Yams

There is no animus magic on Pantala due to its extreme prevalence in the second arc. Even though there are not meant to be any trees outside of the Poison Jungle during Queen Wasp's reign, some are on the Dragontail Peninsula. It is stated that most of the peninsulas other than the Poison Jungle are also dangerous to dragons. However, it is unknown if it was a HiveWing lie or not.

**BeetleWings**, along with the LeafWings, were the first settlers of Pantala. They were first introduced unnamed in The Lost Continent and were formally mentioned in The Poison Jungle. They were eventually bred into extinction after the arrival of Clearsight, splitting them into the HiveWings and SilkWings around 4,500 AS.

**Description:** BeetleWings were described to have four wings butterflies, beetles, or dragonflies. When hatched, BeetleWings grow up without wings for a few years, then get them later, similar to SilkWings. All known BeetleWings had bright colors, identical to SilkWings. Clearsight thought they were more beautiful than even RainWings. Only two pure-blooded BeetleWings have been mentioned in the series so far: Sunstreak and a small unnamed lavender BeetleWing dragonet Nightmare saw in a vision.

**Abilities:** Like their HiveWing descendants, some BeetleWings had insect-like powers. They were rumored to have antennae and an ability to shoot venom from their fangs, similar to RainWings. It was mentioned in Sequoia's retelling of the Legend of the Hive that they used flamesilk to burn bees out of the sky.

**Names:** There are only five named BeetleWing individuals, four of whom are BeetleWing-NightWing hybrids. All of them were named after various butterfly species. BeetleWings in: Characters by Tribe or Species, Pantalan tribes

# BeetleWing Unnamed characters: Commodore, Jewel (NW), Orange, Sunstreak, Tortoiseshell, Unnamed characters

Along with LeafWings, BeetleWings were the first dragons to inhabit Pantala, as both tribes originated from Pyrrhia. According to the Legend of the Hive, the two tribes were refugees who could never return to Pyrrhia, settling in Pantala to escape trouble. When Nightmare first came to Pantala, the BeetleWings were all the same, just living in different places, similar to how SapWings and PoisonWings lived separately but are all still LeafWings.

# Sunstreak "*You save us. You safe now, too.*" — Sunstreak to Nightmare, *The Lost Continent*

## Personality: Nightmare considered Sunstreak to be kind and funny. Upon first meeting her, he gave the NightWing a small smile and spoke to her gently. He seemed to be very proud to call Pantala Home.

Biography: *The Lost Continent*: Immediately after Nightmare arrived on Pantala, she was greeted by two dragons, one of which was an unnamed LeafWing, and one of which was Sunstreak. The NightWing tried to speak to them in Dragon, and surprisingly Sunstreak responded in a largely influent form of Nightmare's native language. Relieved, she attempted to warn Sunstreak and his LeafWing companion about a devastating hurricane due to strike Pantala soon. Sunstreak seemed unconcerned, but Nightmare explained that she had precognitive powers and knew the storm would kill many dragons if they did not move inland. Sunstreak spoke with the LeafWing in Pantalan, and they agreed to heed Nightmare's warning and relocate the dragons living along the shores of Pantala. Once the relocation was complete, Nightmare envisioned her and Sunstreak falling in love, marrying, and having four dragonets together: Commodore, Jewel, Orange, and Tortoiseshell.

## Family Tree: More, Swiftwings, Unnamed Whiteout, Maverick, Nightmare, **Sunstreak,** 3 Dragons, Shadowhunter, Eclipse, Fierceclaws, Commodore, Jewel, Orange, Tortoiseshell

Quotes: *"The old language."* ― to Nightmare (*The Lost Continent*, prologue) *"Some little, […] Much old."* ― to Nightmare (*The Lost Continent*, prologue) *"Whyer you here down?"* ― to Nightmare (*The Lost Continent*, prologue) *"See that."* ― to Nightmare after she warns him of an incoming storm (*The Lost Continent*, prologue) *"Move all. We will do."* ― to Nightmare (*The Lost Continent*, prologue) *"You save us, […] You safe now, too."* ― to Nightmare (*The Lost Continent*, prologue) *"Your rootplace, […] Where?"* ― to Nightmare (*The Lost Continent*, prologue) *"Pantala."* ― to Nightmare, telling her where she was (*The Lost Continent*, prologue)