WoF: Tidal of Despair | Prologue

“Hey, Moon! Catch!”

    Moonwatcher gasped as another scroll was sent flying her way. She lunged after it, claws nicking its wrinkled paper just enough for her to keep it from clattering onto the ground and unraveling down the hallway. She sighed in relief, quickly gathering herself back up.

    “Fatespeaker, come on. You know I wasn’t paying attention that time.” Moonwatcher waved the scroll up at the smirking dragoness perched atop the wood shelf full of unsorted scrolls, some older than the Jade Mountain itself. The NightWing named Fatespeaker flicked her tail proudly over her talons, eyes glittering. Her midnight black scales almost hummed in amusement.

    ”What’s the point of having your powers, then, if you’re not going to use them?” she mused as she tapped her head with her longest talon.

    Moonwatcher rolled her eyes with a small smile. “Ever heard of ‘personal thoughts’?” She shook her head before looking at the old scroll. “Migration of Seagulls. Ooh, sounds like something you’d read, Fatespeaker,” she joked before sliding it under the M section of the library’s collection.

    “Hmm, sounds like more of something a MudWing would have interest in. After one reads it, they’ll be tracking seagulls for days with their always hungry stomachs.” Fatespeaker chuckled lightly.

    “Actually, a SkyWing would have great interest in such scrolls,” Starflight stated as he brushed off the large wooden desk near the entrance of the library. “Did you know that they are raised to know the flight patterns of birds, which is why they’re such grand aerial dragons? They study how hawks and eagles dive after their prey, and they use their new intellect while training and fighting. Seagulls are excellent gliders, so a SkyWing would most likely learn from them on how to conserve their energy during a long flight, and-”

    “Okay, I think we get it, Starflight.” Fatespeaker picked up another scroll, and her snout wrinkled when she caught a faint whiff of fish. “Webs, really?”

    Starflight huffed irritably, ruffling his wings. “Well, at least I can ramble and get things done around here at the same time. The new students arrive in a couple days, and you two have done nothing but talk and talk and talk. Moonwatcher, you haven’t even prepared your own classroom, or even have a single clue on how to present yourself. I may sound like an old grump, Fatespeaker,” he said, twisting his head up towards the said dragoness for a brief moment, causing her to clamp her jaws shut, “but what would your mother think about this behavior? You want to teach young minds, not show them another dragonet. I know this is your first year, but you need to be both serious and helpful.” As if he picked up the sudden drop of the young dragoness's happiness, he then hastily added, “But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun... time to time.”

    Moonwatcher sighed ruefully, wings drooping. Starflight was right. She had done absolutely nothing for the Jade Academy, other than place a few scrolls into their respectful places and decorate a few of the caves with Sunny here and there, and she even visited Stonemover a few times. Other than that, she was either away from Jade Mountain to be with her mother, Secretkeeper, or was goofing off with Fatespeaker. Of course, she and Fatespeaker had grown practically inseparable through the years, but that wasn’t an excuse to not help the others.

    Oh, how much Moonwatcher wanted to help the smart Starflight and the wonderful Sunny and the helpful Clay and the experienced Webs and the enthusiastic Fatespeaker and even the loud and fierce Tsunami. But, in all honestly, she was too stressed and panicked to even think for her own part. If she was asked how it was doing, she’d simply say “great”, and then just push it off for another day. She was dearly wanting help, desperately wishing to tell Sunny that she needed guidance, but her fear of what would happen would drown her silent pleas. Whenever she thought about teaching dragonets, or even walked past the cave made for her class, she became extremely anxious and usually fled to somewhere where she could think, which was anywhere far away from Jade Mountain. It felt too much like her first day at the Academy fifteen years ago whenever she thought about it, so many dragons drowning her mind and nearly suffocating her.

    And now that the new students would arrive so soon, Moonwatcher couldn’t help but feel like a turtle stuck on its back during an avalanche.

    Moonwatcher closed her eyes, harshly shoving the thoughts of multiple eyes staring at her once more, and let out a ragged breath. “I don’t even know why I even took a role to teach dragonets. How am I even going to educate them with these flimsy talons?” She clenched her claws weakly before slamming them down and giving a hiss of frustration.

    “Moonwatcher, you’re doing it again,” Starflight warned with a worrying edge to his voice. “I know you’re thinking that you’re just a useless waste of space, but I also know that you’re wrong.” He tapped a talon against the desk to gain her attention. “You’re going to do so much for the Academy. You’re going to teach the students about the many different powers out there, and the good and the bad effects of them. You will teach them what they can do to others, like Stonemover and… Darkstalker.” He paused for a moment, shuddering, before continuing with a voice that obviously showed he wished he hadn’t even said the name of the wretched drake. “You remember Princess Anemone, right?”

    Moonwatcher nodded solemnly as she reached into the back of her mind and pulled out the image of the elegant white SeaWing princess, brushing right past the memories of Darkstalker.

    “Well, let me tell you something.” Starflight flared his wings slightly, enough for Moonwatcher to see the spiraling silver specks imitating stars along them. “She dearly wanted to join the Jade Academy, and she got that wish, but she was terrified about what the others would think about her because of the powers she held. But, now that we have you to teach about animus’s and mind readers and much more, dragons with such powers won’t be so afraid. They will feel safe. Besides, I’m pretty sure you’ll get along well with Mockingjay. She wouldn’t have come to the Academy at all if it weren’t for you.”

    “Mockingjay?” Moonwatcher narrowed her eyes in thought. The only Mockingjay she could recall was Glory’s daughter, but she only knew rumors about her. She never got to meet the princess in person, or even get a sight of her, for that matter. “Why?”

    Starflight slowly tapped the corner of one of his sightless eyes, and Moonwatcher hesitantly reached up to brush the silver teardrop scales beside her own eyes.

    And that’s when it hit her.

    “She’s a mind reader like you, Moonwatcher.” A faint smile flickered onto Starflight’s snout as he spoke. “And I hope you teach her, and all of the other students, well.” With that, he whisked out of the library in search of Tsunami, leaving Fatespeaker and Moonwatcher to swallow the exciting information.

    Well, for Moonwatcher, it was like swallowing a cold boulder.

    “Ooh, did you hear that, Moon?” Fatespeaker’s wings fluttered excitedly as she landed neck to the frozen Moonwatcher. “We’re going to have another mind reader within our midst! And, a royal mind reader at that! Glory’s mystery daughter! Do you think she can foretell the future like us?” She handed the unmoving Moonwatcher the scroll that smelled of fish, and the poor NightWing flinched, nearly crushing the scroll in her shaking talons. “Ooh, what if there’s other dragons with magical powers? Maybe an animus! Or a-Moon, are you alright?”

    Fatspeaker’s racing mind was too much for Moonwatcher. All the thoughts of dragons with powers coming to the Academy for her to teach was overwhelming, and once more, Moonwatcher felt as if she were drowning. Her chest felt too small for her rapidly beating heart, and she couldn’t stop from grinding her teeth in pain.

    “I-I need to get out of here.” Without another word, Moonwatcher tore out of the library, scroll still tightly gripped in her claws.

    “Wait! You’re leaving me alone with all of these unsorted scrolls?” Fatespeaker cried in confusion, wings drooping to the ground. But her words were left unanswered as the future NightWing teacher flew away.

    Moonwatcher’s wings scraped against the walls painfully as she flew down the narrow passageways and past many different caves. She ignored the pain; all she wanted to do was fly as far away from the Jade Mountain as possible and never return. Her vision was becoming blurry as tears of fear threatened to rise.

    And so she didn’t see the two SandWings walking in her path.

    “Duck!” The largest SandWing shoved the other away, leaving Moonwatcher to slam into him. She let out a cry as her flight was suddenly cut off, and she crashed in front of the two SandWings. One was a sunny gold while the other a pale tan with familiar dark freckles and a scar running across his snout. Moonwatcher slowly staggered to her feet, shaking her clouded mind with a sharp groan of pain.

    “Moowatcher?”

    Said NightWing froze with a wince, knowing that voice all too well, even if it had been so long ago since she last heard it. She sullenly scooped up the scroll and looked up at the worried faces of Sunny and Qibli, wings twitching anxiously to taste the winds of freedom outside of the mountain. Her heart felt as if it would leap out of her throat at any moment.

    Qibli rubbed his now hurting head after having a NightWing practically run over him. “Yikes, you’re more dangerous than I last remember. And… Moonwatcher? What’s wrong?” He sidled up to Moonwatcher, letting his warm scales brush up against hers. His mind was silent, which meant he still remembered her mind reading powers, but it was just what Moonwatcher needed, and she couldn’t help but rest her head on his shoulder.

    But, for some reason, Qibli’s presence seemed to feel too much like a rueful dream.

    “Moonwatcher is going to be helping us teach here, Qibli,” Sunny said warmly, though her mossy green eyes still shone in worry. “She has been… well… her wings aren’t quite folded right about it, in all honesty.”

    “Oh.” Qibli glanced down at the hunched Moonwatcher before wrapping a wing around her in a tight hug. It felt as if a ghost was sliding up over her spine. “Well, at least I know someone I trust is going to be educating my nephew about some manners.” He smiled brightly.

    “Nephew?” Moonwatcher whispered, chest tightening even more.

    “Of course! If he were here right now, I’d let you meet him! But, alas, I just came to see how thing were rolling around here. Now I learn my best bud is going to be a bigger part of the Academy!” He gave a chuckle. “My, my, you haven’t changed a bit, Moon! Just don’t go making any new SandWing friends, or I might just be a bit jealous.”

    At that, Moonwatcher couldn’t help but grin ever so slightly. “I won’t Qibli.”

    “There’s my Moon!” Qibli gave Moonwatcher another bone-crushing squeeze. “I hope teaching here sounds more exciting than it should.”

    “Qibli!” Sunny rolled her eyes before shooing him away from Moonwatcher. “You can chat with her in time! Right now, she needs to get busy!” She winked at Moonwatcher. “I’ll take care of Qibli until you’re ready. Now, go get your cave ready for the students!”

    “I’ll see you again soon, Moon!” Qibli sang over his shoulder with a smile truer and brighter than the sun.

    It was then did Moonwatcher awake, the memory of Qibli’s smile burning her brain like a lost fire. Her chest ached and burned, as if the fire inside of her had been abruptly put out after raging like an inferno, and her talons were clutched tightly enough she nearly drew blood.

    It couldn’t have been a dream… His touch felt so real; she swore she felt his warm scales for the briefest moment. And his words kept ringing in her mind. And that hopeful smile…

    “I’ll see you again soon, Moon.”

    That was the last thing he ever said to her.

    It was only a dream of a future that could have happened. Another dream to only prove to Moonwatcher that the SandWing friend she once had was truly gone.

    The NightWing looked down at her curled talons when something wet and cold, yet strangely warm, landed on them. A small tear was making its way through her claws before landing on the scroll below, the one she had been reading before drifting off into the heart-aching dream. Moonwatcher furiously wiped at her face, blinking away the non-dream tears.

    Oh, Qibli… if only you knew how much we all miss you…

    Moonwatcher glanced at the candle near to burning out next to her, it’s small amount of heat feeling all too much like a SandWing’s. She reached for it, greatly tempted to stamp out the flickering flame, but when her eyes caught the words written on the scroll, she hesitantly pulled back. As she read each and every word, her heart carved a deeper and deeper hole into itself.


To Moonwatcher,

It’s great, being back home in the desert. Of course, it’s going to be terribly boring without you and Winter and Kinkajou and Turtle. I’ve already asked Winter if he wanted to visit me, but he stated he’d roast within ten seconds flat. To be honest, I can totally see him all baked and shriveled like a giant cooked lizard. Maybe you could come visit sometime, when I’m not busy with my new warrior duties. Speaking of which, duty calls! I’ll be waiting!

~Qibli


    A small smile flickered onto Moonwatcher’s muzzle. She gently rolled the scroll up and set it aside, revealing three pieces of parchment paper beneath. She let her wings sag sadly, dread creeping into her chest. She picked up the top one: another letter from Qibli.


To Moonwatcher,

    Killed my first Kudu today! It was a crazy experience, really, since they’re supposed to be extinct or something. I have its head hung up on my wall. Creepy, right? Winter will be so jealous.
    Also, say congrats to Glory and Deathbringer for me! I always knew they were going to hitch together at some point. I would love to come and tell them myself, but my warrior duties have me up to my neck. Oh, and tell Kinkajou I caught her a pet scavenger, just like she wanted! Although, I’m half tempted to keep him myself. Ever heard of a scavenger that could speak dragon? Yeah, me neither. I’m going to bring him to the forest with me once I finish my warrior duties for her. As always, I’ll be waiting!

~Qibli


    Moonwatcher turned to the second, this one newer than the last two letters.


To Moonwatcher,

    You’ll never guess what I’m doing in two weeks! I’m coming back home! I’ll finally be able to give Kinkajou her pet scavenger, and I’ll be able to rub all of my greatness in Winter’s face, now that I’m a full-fledged warrior. Heck, I may even be the chief warrior soon!
    I do not have much time to write this, but I wanted to give you something before my return. I found this stone on one of my scouting missions, and it reminded me of you. Hold it by a flame, and you’ll see why. I forgot what kind of stone it was, but I’m pretty sure Starflight will be able to tell you. I’ll see you again soon, Moon.

~Qibli


    Moonwatcher silently set down the papers and pulled the necklace that hung loosely around her neck over her head. She held the tiny black and purple stone over the candle, and watched as what looked like a series of stars lit up the ceiling.

    “A starstone,” she murmured, remembering the way Starflight stated it as if it were a lost treasure. She remembered looking at it for the first time, the day Qibli was found...

    And so she deeply knew what the last letter held. As many times as she read it, it never seemed true, and yet it was. She had hoped it was just a lie, and within a few days, Qibli would come bounding through the forest like the hopeful dragon he was.

    But he never did.

    Clutching the stone to her chest, Moonwatcher picked up the last letter and read it with teary eyes.


To Moonwatcher the NightWing,

    We are deeply saddened to report the death of Qibli the SandWing. Do not fear, he has died with great pride and dignity, saving a young dragonet from a dragonbite viper. Alas, Qibli the SandWing was fatally struck by the viper, and was unable to be saved in time. We hope you are grieving as much as we, but Qibli the SandWing shall not be forgotten.
    May your future be filled with hope.

~Chief Anaconda of the SandWings


    Moonwatcher set the papers into a row, glaring at them in both anger and sadness. Soon, though, her gaze fell onto the only window in the small cave, her expression growing soft. She could see the stars twinkling in the clear night sky, and she knew, one of them was Qibli, forever smiling down at her.

    For some odd reason, the thought of Qibli always watching her gave a warm feeling in her chest. Determination? Hope?

    Whatever it was, Moonwatcher would teach the new students arriving for Qibli. To make him proud.

    Stay safe, Qibli.

    With a sigh, Moonwatcher blew out the candle, leaving darkness to envelope her form, small compared to the world, as she left the cave.

    And yet, she swore she heard a soft voice as she walked down the empty passageways, the voice of a young SandWing she once knew.

    “I will, Moon. I will...”