'Onyx' is an adult female SandWing princess who was introduced in Moon Rising (book)|Moon
Rising. She formerly attended Jade Mountain Academy as a member of the
Gold Winglet. Named after the Eye of Onyx, she was hatched as a fugitive
in the Kingdom of Sand and raised in isolation by her mother, Palm
before her death. She currently resides in the SandWing stronghold,
recovering from a serious leg injury with her father, Smolder.

## Description

Onyx is large and muscular, with pale yellow scales and branching black
lines tattooed on her horns and neck. She has small black diamonds
embedded between the scales along her wings and wears a metal amulet
around her neck that contains the twisted hunk of skyfire that killed
Palm. The stone is bound to the amulet by copper wires. One of her hind
talons was crushed during a sandstorm, injured to the point where she
will likely never be able to walk on it again. She has a rangy,
black-diamond-studded form and very black eyes.

## Personality

Onyx dislikes being questioned, and while she typically acts nice to
other dragons to their faces, she often rolls her eyes and makes fun of
others behind their back, and believes that the most beautiful things
should also be threatening. She also dislikes most dragons and was quick
to threaten vengeance against the SandWings who defended Thorn as their
queen. She is furious, impatient, hungry for power, and snappy.

## Biography

left
Pre-Series
Onyx had lived on her own
in the desert with her mother for her entire life, raised in secret and
far away from royalty, hoping that it would discourage her from taking
the throne. Many years later, her mother was killed by a fragment of
skyfire falling from the sky on the false brightest night. After that,
without her mother's guidance, she began her search for power, teaming
up with Vulture and enrolling in Jade Mountain Academy as part of a plan
to take the SandWing throne. There she spied on Sunny to see if she was
a considerable challenger to the throne and therefore, another dragon
that stood in the way of her quest for power. Moon first learned that
she is ambitious and after the throne when Onyx temporarily took off her
skyfire.

-----

### The Jade Mountain Prophecy

left Moon Rising
At
first, Onyx was depicted as just another student at the academy, if not
older or removed. Moon once thought that she could be a suspect for the
Plants#Dragonflame cactus|dragonflame cactus bombing at Jade Mountain
Academy until Onyx removed her amulet that contained the skyfire, which
allowed Moon to read her thoughts. Moon caught her thinking: "This is a
tiresome distraction from my plans. Maybe if I go back to the desert and
try a different approach." She then looked at Qibli, thinking, "They say
this one is her third wing. Maybe if I …" before her thoughts were cut
off by her skyfire being returned.

She questioned Webs on the first day of history class, "There has never
been a queen in history who was not descended from the royal family.
Does that mean now anyone could become queen?"

left Winter Turning

In the epilogue, at Jade Mountain Academy. Darkstalker listened to Onyx
speak to someone he did not know, plotting to overthrow Thorn. She
complained to the unknown dragon that "she couldn't get near the
daughter," referring to Sunny. Onyx also said, "I thought I had an idea,
but then he up and vanished from the school," referring to Qibli. Onyx
then stated that "There's one more option if I stay a bit longer. A
dragon, as loyal to that Thorn character as anyone, and I think she's
connected to one of Thorn's generals." The dragon she had in mind is Ostrich, as she kidnapped her in Darkness of Dragons so
that she could get to Six-Claws, Ostrich's father. Onyx then thought to
herself, "I will be queen within the month, whether that old dragon
helps me or whether I have to kill him and do it myself."

left
Darkness of Dragons
Onyx and Ostrich
were missing. Qibli deduced that they may have been kidnapped, or that
Onyx had kidnapped Ostrich, and flew off to find them.

Onyx was revealed to be part of the Talons of Power and working for Vulture to try to ascend
the throne. She had been trying to find out if Sunny wanted to challenge
Thorn for the throne in the future, which she discovered the answer was
"no," and had since been trying to find a way to get close enough to
Thorn to challenge her under Vulture's strict regulations. The reason
she was talking to herself was shown to have been communication through
the Obsidian Mirror with Vulture.

She was a part of the Talons of Power's attack on the SandWing
stronghold and attempted to assassinate Thorn. Her attempt was foiled by
Qibli, who spotted her, and instead she had to directly challenge the
queen. During the challenge, she revealed who she was and Smolder
desperately tried to get her to stop fighting. When the sandstorm kicked
up, she and Smolder hid in the dungeon hosting Prickle, her aunt. Onyx's
hind leg was badly injured during the sandstorm. Qibli suspected Smolder
possibly caused it to prevent Onyx from challenging Thorn again.

## Relationships

### Palm

Palm was Onyx's mother. Onyx and Palm were roaming the Kingdom of Sand,
avoiding guards, when a piece of the comet crashed down and burned
through her mother's head, killing her. However, Onyx did not seem to
care much about Palm's death and said she used to "snore and tell weepy
stories and expect her to care" as well as attempt to get Onyx not to
care about taking the throne. Onyx also said Palm was not very
emotionally stable, had a lot of nightmares, was super paranoid, and
would have kept her buried under a rock forever if she could have.

### Smolder

Smolder is sincere towards his daughter, and wanted to get to know her
before she challenged Thorn. However, Onyx did not seem to want anything
to do with him, and was only focused on the SandWing throne. She pushed
him away when he attempted to help her, and hissed furiously when he
carried her to safety after a severe sandstorm.

### Tamarin

Tamarin was Onyx's clawmate at the Jade Mountain Academy, who was hurt
badly in a fire. Onyx looked at Tamarin's injuries with apparent
concern, but it was later revealed that Onyx thought that if she acted
totally devastated about Tamarin's injuries, she would be able to keep
the cave they shared all to herself instead of getting a new clawmate.
Inwardly Onyx seemed to not care that Tamarin was harmed. Onyx does
admit that Tamarin was at least a quiet and agreeable dragon to share a
cave with, and that Palm was much worse. Tamarin seemed to think Onyx
disliked her, but was always nice to her, though Onyx did not realize
how much of her emotion Tamarin can detect.

## Quotes

But that's my point. Does this mean now anyone could take the
throne and become queen? Could that happen to other tribes, too? I mean,
it sounds like asking for chaos and rebellion everywhere. That's all I'm
saying.
to Qibli Moon Rising
142

-----

Yes [it hurt], but that is half the point. If I could endure
that much pain just for a little beauty, imagine how much I could handle
in a battle, or for my own survival. I think the most beautiful things
should also be frightening.
to Ostrich
Moon Rising
239-240

-----

I don't see why I have to care about dragons from other tribes,
but it seems to be expected, for some reason. At least Tamarin was a
quiet, agreeable dragon to share a cave with; she didn't snore like
Mother or tell weepy stories and expect me to care — like Mother. Ugh, I
hope they don't give me another clawmate. Perhaps if I act totally
shattered, they'll let me keep the cave all to myself.

thinking about the explosion Moon Rising

243

-----

That's right, admire me, fear me, wonder about me. You all have
no idea who I am or what I'll be one day. One day soon. No more hiding,
Mother. I make the decisions now.
thinking about the other
SandWing students Moon Rising
241

-----

Oh, I didn't do it. No, this rock just fell from the sky one
night. It went straight through her head, leaving a burning hole behind,
and over she went. That's when I thought, Well, time to join the world.

about Palm's death Moon Rising

240

-----

I chose not to choose a side. None of those dragons were fit to
be queen.
about the war Moon Rising (book)|Moon
Rising
238

-----

By all the serpents, I hope they do catch whoever did it so we
can stop blithering about it. This is a tiresome distraction from my
plans. Perhaps I should go back to the desert and try another approach.
Or … they say this one is practically Thorn's third wing.

thoughts about Qibli and the explosion Moon Rising (book)|Moon
Rising
245

-----

That was my original plan. But someone told me I'd never make
it all the way into the palace to issue my challenge. Someone convinced
me my plan would work better if we delayed long enough to spread a bunch
of rumors first. Someone thought it would be a great idea for me to go
hide myself away at that idiotic pacifist school so I could find out
more about the queen's daughter.
to Qibli
Darkness of
Dragons
103

-----

I'm only taking what's mine. My throne, my crown.
to
Thorn
Darkness of Dragons
162

## Trivia

  - Onyx is the oldest student attending the Jade Mountain Academy, at
    the age of nineteen.
  - Onyx was named after the Eye of Onyx, hinting towards her royal
    heritage.
  - Onyx is the dragon who thought of the name "skyfire."
  - Pronghorn noted that Onyx does not like music.
  - Onyx thinks that the most beautiful things should also be
    frightening.