Chapter Text
Journal log 1
By FierceTeeth of the NightWings.
Hello, I guess. I’m not sure how to start things off, however I have found some scrap pieces of paper and have gotten the urge to write my thoughts down on them. So, HERE I AM I GUESS, writing my thoughts down on old dusty paper that'd probably fall apart if I press too hard. But, what I have to say is too hard for me to vocalize right now. Things have been strange for all us NightWings the past few weeks. As much as I want to forget all that has happened, I feel it is also important to write down and I need a way to put my thoughts together so my mind doesn’t run wild. Right now, about several hundred NightWings are just wandering around the ruins of the old City of Night, all in a stunned state. All processing what in the three moons has just happened as we tend to our wounds. So let me explain what has happened from my perspective the past three weeks.
Actually, this story started about eight months ago. For generations us NightWings lived on a volcanic island, 8 months ago it was about to explode and it would’ve killed us all. We were weak, we were dying, suffocating on ash, half starved and now we were facing complete extinction. Less and less healthy NightWings were hatching and our Queen, BattleWinner, didn't help in increasing our numbers. She was ruthless, executing anyone for the smallest disobedience or if she considered them a liability.
We had a plan to overwhelm the RainWings and take over the rainforest, we were desperate and we felt like we had no other choice. If we asked the other tribes for help, they would’ve seen how weak we really were and would've likely taken advantage of that. Especially since we had been gloating about how superior we are to the other tribes for so long, despite that feeling more like a lie the longer we spent on that island. So we did what we thought we had to do in order to survive, that’s all we really wanted and we’d do anything in order to live.
While we did end up in the rainforest, it didn’t go at all how we expected. Our queen had died when the volcano finally did explode, along with a few dozen others who had all gotten trapped or hit by molten lava. Thanks to the Dragonets of Destiny helping the RainWings stand their ground and our cowardly princess bowing to the RainWing Queen, Glory. We became a second rate tribe, being bossed around by RainWings. I wasn’t having it. HOW COULD OUR PRINCESS BETRAY US LIKE THAT? She was a weakling from the start, she never could live up to her name, Greatness.
I looked to my right and left. Beside me was StrongWings, my partner, and to my other side was PreyHunter, a reliable NightWing. I whispered to them my plan and we instantly put it into motion. While everyone was freaking out, we sneakily grabbed the weakest of the Dragonets of Destiny, Sunny and snuck out. PreyHunter had a useful enchanted item, called the Obsidian Mirror and it allowed us to spy on any dragon. We checked on the other Dragonets of Destiny once we were a safe distance and they didn’t even notice that Sunny was gone, they were too distracted dealing with all the NightWings. Kind of almost felt bad for Sunny, but it gave us the edge we needed.
We were going to give up Sunny to one of the SandWing princesses, we were going to end the war of the SandWing succession, I was going to save the NightWings, free my tribe from RainWing control and bring us back to greatness as its new queen. However, Sunny managed to slip from our grip. No biggie though, we still knew where the other Dragonets of Destiny were hiding. During the succession war, everyone was after the Dragonets and any information about them would have granted us so much in rewards! So the three of us pushed on.
This journey was hard for us. We were weak from malnutrition and we kept wheezing up soot that had been deeply rooted in our lungs. We had to take constant breaks from flying, just so we wouldn’t pass out. Even StrongWings, the strongest one out of the three of us and who had never flown so far before, struggled the whole way. Nights when we slept were the worst, we didn’t know who or what might find and attack us. It felt so cold without the extreme heat of lava around us and it constantly rained for the first few days of our trip, soaking us to the bone.
It didn’t help that StrongWings wheezed as he snored and PrayHunter kept snivelling in his sleep as he repeatedly had the same nightmare about his mother force feeding him after he had refused to eat. I can understand why she did that though. On the island, food was scarce and who knows how long it would be until she could get another piece of food to feed her child. So few dragonets are born each year and less lived to adulthood, we couldn’t afford one dragonet starving to death.
Slowly, we left the rainforest, flew over the mountains and made our way through the hot desert. We felt more comfortable where the air was hot, but the winds were harsh, blowing sand in our eyes. I swear, I can still find specks of sand in my scales, IT’S SO IRRITATING. Eventually we arrived at the Scorpion Den, where we planned to find ourselves a messenger to inform Princess Burn that three NightWings have knowledge about the Dragonets of Destiny that would help her win the war.
We were brought to Thorn, this was back before she became the new SandWing queen. Back then, she was the leader of the Outclaws. In return for sending a message to Burn, she demanded to know where MorrowSeer was and PrayHunter informed her that he had died. She didn’t seem to like this answer, she lunged at him as she yelled, demanding that he tell her the truth. This frightened PrayHunter and he fought back out of self defense, then Thorn STABBED HIM THROUGH THE HEART. Killing him for telling her the truth and defending himself when she attacked him.
This of course spooked StrongWings and I, but we stood our ground. We were at least going to go down fighting to our last breath. THEN SUNNY CAME OUT OF NOWHERE AND INTERJECTED. She confirmed that MorrowSeer had burned to death when he was swallowed by lava, his large body unintentionally blocking most of the lava from seeping through the tunnel into the rainforest. Sunny convinced Thorn to spare us, instead we were locked away in a cell and fed small lizards. Things had not gone to plan AT ALL, but at least I had StrongWings by my side. They had put us in the same cell, so that was nice I guess. Though that also meant I was stuck beside his annoying, snoring snout! Not that I minded too much, but there wasn’t much room and he was snoring RIGHT IN MY EAR.
Two weeks later, when Thorn became queen, we were moved into the palace dungeons. Again we were locked in the same cell, next to a ranting, raving SandWing that had been driven mad with how long they’d been there. However we were well fed and we were permitted an hour a day out into the arena to stretch our wings and get some fresh air, under strict supervision of course. But things were still not how they should’ve been and even more was now wrong. The SandWings were given an Outclaw for a queen instead of the strong warrior with a birthright to the throne, Princess Burn.
After almost seven months of observing the guards, plotting and eating dried camel meat, WHICH I BECAME QUITE SICK OF, I managed to convince a guard to set us free. They were a SandWing named Saguaro and they were loyal to a secret fourth SandWing heir, one with a birthright. Onyx, the secret daughter of Prince Smolder. She was so secret that even Smolder apparently didn't know of her existence. Something else I should note before I move on, a few days before we were set free, I felt a tremor in the earth. It felt distant, so I didn’t think much of it at the time, but little did I know that this was something. Or rather someone, that would not only get in my way, but change everything.
Saguaro and Onyx had already allied with the crime ringleader Vulture, who had taken control of the Scorpion Den after Thorn and her gang moved out. I promised I could get them all of the NightWing tribe on their side if they helped me free my tribe from the RainWings. I got four dragons. StrongWings, Saguaro and two others. Not that it mattered anyway. We just needed to get in, rally the NightWings together and I was going to challenge Queen Glory for the right to be the NightWing queen. Win, free the NightWings, make the RainWings bow to us instead. Then fly back to the Scorpion Den, this time with the NightWings, then we’d all storm the castle, get rid of Thorn and put Onyx on the throne. Then our tribes could go on living with everything restored to how it should be and everyone’s happy!
At least, that’s how it should’ve gone. OF COURSE NOTHING IN MY LIFE GOES RIGHT AND I COULD NEVER DO SOMETHING GREAT! I just wanted to be my tribe’s hero, to do something important, to be someone. However nothing could’ve prepared me for what happened next. In those past seven months I had grown stronger and healthier, I was ready to take on Glory. I just needed the others to distract that traitorous DeathBringer, but the one who stood in our way wasn’t DeathBringer.
Oh no, it was none other than FREAKING DARKSTALKER??? The most nightmarish of all NightWings, the crazed animus dragon that made himself invincible and used his magic to kill others in horrific ways, the one whose name was only ever spoken in hushed whispers. The very dragon of ancient tales that would make dragonets cry and grown NightWings willingly throw themselves into the volcano if they ever saw. WAS. STANDING. IN. OUR. WAY.
He didn’t scare me though, I wasn’t going to let anyone stop me from saving my tribe. Besides, the NightWings deserve a proper queen, not a lousy RainWing or a nightmare of a NightWing. But before I could do ANYTHING, he used his magic to turn a vine into a chain that wrapped around four of us, it felt like a snake constricting our limbs until we were secure. One of the SandWings was spared, but I saw their eyes gloss over as they became complacent and was sent to give Vulture a message. I was trying not to freak out as I felt his dark magic constricting me, for a moment I felt like all self control was slipping away. Then eerie calm, like everything was normal, even though something deep within me was screaming that something was horribly wrong.
He brought us before Queen Glory and revealed to us that he was DarkStalker. StrongWings had always been afraid of him, so naturally he started freaking out and DarkStalker used his magic to force him to bow and pledge allegiance to him. I wasn’t gonna let this stand, I was willing to challenge DarkStalker, he didn’t scare me. But he did manage to charm me with help from his magic, he seemed so alluring as he told me about the Lost City of the Night and promised to take me there, it was so hypnotic.
Looking back, it feels sickening. He made me forget everything else I ever had, my will, my dreams and my relationship with StrongWings, I was no longer myself. I didn't even register when we were led into a dark, cramped prison and I was put in a cell separate from StrongWings. I barely seemed to care less as Saguaro yelled at me for a solid hour about how much I had messed up. I didn’t care about anything else, all my mind was on was going to the old NightWing kingdom and helping DarkStalker restore our tribe to greatness.
He released StrongWings and I the next day, I flew next to DarkStalker as we led about a quarter of our tribe out of the rainforest and to the talon peninsula. When we arrived, everything seemed so amazing and grand! We were once something grand and we were about to be again! Of course all this was a false illusion created by DarkStalker, we didn’t realize how much everything was crumbling apart.
What really makes me want to throw myself into the heart of the volcano on our old island home, is what DarkStalker would do to me next. I didn’t react as he told me how much I reminded him of ClearSight, I didn’t, no couldn’t resist as he used his magic to mold me into the perfect copy of her. All my memories were replaced with hers, I saw them all, especially the ones with DarkStalker. She truly had loved him once, but he manipulated her, used her, tricked her and she left him when she uncovered his lies, revealing what he really was. AND WITH GOOD REASON TOO, BRO IS TOXIC. I’d rather put up with my annoying brother then look at DarkStalker's smug face again!
Thanks to some convincing from Moon, he gave up trying to make me ClearSight, but it left me dazed and confused. My mind was foggy and I wasn’t sure who I was supposed to be. For reference on how recent this was, THAT HAPPENED LITERALLY YESTERDAY! It makes me feel so sick. He then sent me to pass on a message to the IceWings that we were declaring war. Just hours later, we met the IceWings at Jade Mountain to fight.
There were a few thousand IceWings and only several hundred of us, we were greatly outnumbered. However, we had DarkStalker and he had enchanted us to be stronger, more durable and fast. For our smaller number we were decimating the IceWings, though they had also been weakened by a plague that DarkStalker had cast upon them. We all stopped as we suddenly gained the ability to hear each other’s thoughts and fears. They were just as confused, scared and manipulated as we were. It was so overwhelming and irritating.
Then just as suddenly, all of us NightWings present at Jade Mountain were teleported to the Black Diamond, a huge open area in the middle of the City of Night. DarkStalker then teleported himself back, leaving the rest of us confused. For some reason my annoying little brother, StarFlight and his equally annoying girlfriend, FateSpeaker had been teleported along with us. With DarkStalker gone, they announced to us that he had been using his magic to manipulate us and that our choices were not entirely ours.
We just scoffed and looked at them with disgust, how could these two NightWings be having such traitorous thoughts? They explained that our unwavering loyalty to DarkStalker was because of the enchantment he put on us and that they had animus-touched earrings that made them immune to DarkStalker's spells. StarFlight called out to me as he held out a duplicate earring as he begged me to put it on. I reluctantly agreed, only to prove him wrong and to make him shut his annoying snout.
I attached the earring to my ear and instantly I felt my mind clear. I hadn’t realized that there had been this dark fog clouding my mind, but now it was gone. I had to fight back tears as the realization of what I had gone through finally dawned on me and I flew over to StrongWings as quickly as I could, begging him to put on the earring as well. He hesitantly took it from me and put it on, as he did I could see the look in his eyes clear and brighten. We hugged and cried, finally free from DarkStalker's control.
The other NightWings looked at us confused, but started taking the earrings that StarFlight and FateSpeaker handed out. They only had a few dozen, so we had to pass them around. As each dragon put one on, they’d start to cry, some would curl up and start screaming, some looked sick. It was so jarring, our tribe was not used to expressing so much emotion, we were so used to hiding how we really felt behind false superiority. On the island, whenever a NightWing would start crying, someone would hit them upside the head and yell at them to stop showing weakness. But right now, we were all too overwhelmed by despair.
There was no yelling or punishing each other for crying, we just huddled together as mass hysteria took over us. We screamed and cried until we simply became too tired. I saw my brother and his girlfriend standing there, hugging each other. I wanted to yell at them for not letting us exist in peaceful bliss, but StrongWings wrapped his huge wings around me, holding me in a gentle but firm hug. I just collapsed into him, I was so exhausted and I missed him. He was still much bigger than me, but I have grown a bit since we had left the volcanic island. We’re not so boney anymore, not as filled out as we should be, but we’re not the skeletons we used to be. We are more healthy, stronger, and we have fresh air to breathe. There is food, there is shelter, we are home, we are free from DarkStalker's control and for now we are safe.
I hope he doesn’t come back, but it’s been a few hours now and there’s been word going around that he disappeared. Good, DarkStalker better stay away. StrongWings is currently curled around me, snoring. Oh great moons how I’ve missed his snoring. It’s not as labored anymore as our lungs have finally been cleared of soot, but there is still a bit of a raspy edge as his large rib cage rumbles.
As I’ve been writing this, other NightWings have been clearing out, heading back to the rainforest and Queen Glory. Glory had allowed us to make our own choice of whose rule we wanted to live under, and made it clear that we were welcome back anytime. Though I don’t think that invitation will extend to me and StrongWings, given that we did plot to murder her. I give up on that now, I’m simply too tired of my plans being foiled. It seems like at every turn of my plan to take control of the NightWing tribe, something would come along to stop me. I GET IT NOW UNIVERSE, you made your point clear that, that is not the path you want me going down.
BUT I STILL PLAN TO LEAD. There’s about 27 of us still here, there’s this large cave in one of the mountains that we’ve all roosted up in as all the old buildings are too unstable to be staying in right now. StrongWings and I went up here to get away from all the hysterical dragons and others just started joining us. At first I wanted to yell at them to go away, but I’m too tired for that, besides they are being pretty quiet so I guess I’ll put up with them. I recognize a few, like DeadlyClaws, SmokeSeer and a few others, the rest are just faces I’ve seen in passing. Everyone else seems to be choosing to return to the RainWings, pathetic. Even without DarkStalker we can still transform this place into something livable!
Though some of us choose to stay, so I guess we can get things going and see if anyone else decides to join us. For now we are just resting for the night, it's just starting to get dark. Some, like StrongWings, have already fallen asleep. Some snoring, simply too tired to dream, though I can hear someone in the back, tossing and turning. Muttering something about fighting DarkStalker, I hope they win against him! Someone needs to beat that guy up, even if it is just in a dream. I can hear someone else AND THEY WON'T STOP COUGHING! They're currently downing their fifth bucket of water someone else brought them, trying to stop the coughing, nearly drowning themself in the process.
That's about all that I can really hear, anyone who is still awake is either silently staring off into nothingness or whispering words of comfort. It's strange how much we've changed in just several months. Normally we'd be snarling at each other for being too close or yelling SHUT UP! Or just resolving to straight up violence. To be honest that's mostly me. I want to snarl and yell! I want to shove that coughing dragon's head into the water filled bucket and hold him there until he actually drowns, just to SHUT HIM UP! But I'm just simply too drained to get angry, and StrongWings has wrapped himself completely around me, holding me in a death grip.
I suppose some of the others are too tired to care as well, but I suspect that some of them have grown soft. On the island we had to be tough, it was a kill or be killed world. Though I guess we're not on the island anymore, are we? Well good riddance, I'm certainly not going back! Now we can build a new life for us here, in the ruins of what we once were long ago. Yes I still believe that we can regain what we lost one day and I'm going to be the one to pioneer it! To build us a place we can call our own! Not a small patch of loaned land. A place where we can grow, to be healthy and strong! To not have to live in constant fear of death, safe from DarkStalker's manipulation. Where we can just live in peace. Yes, that's all I really wanted for my tribe, that's all any of us ever wanted. That we've dreamed of.
It will take a long time to make that place a reality. We have a lot of work a head of us, but one step at a time and we'll get it done for the future generations! Though the beginning of that will have to wait until tomorrow, I'm exhausted. I'm also running out of light and paper. I wrote a LOT, wow. I didn't think I had THAT MUCH to say! I guess I just needed to rant about things for a while. It did seem to help me not yell at anyone by keeping me busy. Someone else did notice this and was supplying me with more paper as I wrote, but they've gone to sleep now. If I find more paper I might write some more, it's actually nice writing out my thoughts and reading over what I wrote. Certainly helps to get an insight into my mind, especially since I don't tend to share my thoughts. But I think that's enough for now. I got some string to tie all these papers together, so I'm going to do that and go to sleep.
Good night.
-FierceTeeth