3 | A Seriously Demented Dragon
Nightstar's mind hadn't lifted from last night, even when his silly new friends were doing everything in their power to distract him. It felt like someone had placed a heavy weight on his spine, and he'd been carrying it around all morning.
It didn't help that one of these friends was his younger sister, either. Cloverpool was prancing around him like some sort of reindeer, chanting. Maybe a ritual, then.
"Worrier worrier worrier worrier worrier worrier worrier worrier worrier -"
"You know I'm ignoring you, right?" Nightstar deadpanned. Sometimes Cloverpool felt like an annoying little goblin in his ear.
"That's rude and disrespectful." She stuck her tongue out. "I'm going to fly all the way back to your dormitory and burn your stuffies."
"No you won't!" He hissed.
"Oh yes I will!" She sang.
AAAARGGHHH. SIBLINGS. THEY ARE THE WORST.
"Well yes, that's only fair. I'm being fair." Cloverpool said.
"You're being an idiot." Nightstar seethed. "Kelp, come on. Back me up here. She's being unreasonable."
"I'm not involved!" Kelp barked, thrusting up his claws on surrender. Kelp was mainly SandWing, but he had a little SeaWing too - instead of a ruff he had dull green webbing that flopped over his head and round green eyes.
Nightstar resorted to thwacking Cloverpool's side with his tail as he strutted on ahead.
"She isn't completely unreasonable." Kelp hissed in his ear as the two of them scattered forwards.
"You're only saying that because you gave a cruuuuush on her." Nightstar teased.
"I do NOT!" Kelp protested. His ears flushed a shockingly furious red.
Cloverpool cut in. "He obviously doesn't. Or he would've asked me to the icebreaking ball next moon, instead of sitting in the corner like a reclusive turtle. And I would probably have preferred going with a friend, instead of big-toes Mcswishytail."
"Halfmoon." Kelp whispered into Nightstar's ear.
"I know." He assured.
"Anyway, that ship has sailed." Cloverpool brushed her frills out to their full extent several times, and a scattering of iridescent particles tinkled down to the floor. Nightstar noticed Kelp looking incredibly self conscious as he stepped delicately over them.
If only ... Striker was here to make a joke about Clover's scales falling out to old age.
I can do that.
A prompt eyeroll and swipe of Cloverpool's tail told him that he could not in fact do that without facing ample amounts of ridicule.
Nightstar stormed off down a corner at the first possible opportunity, leaving Kelp and Cloverpool to trundle in the opposite direction, still very much oblivious to Kelp's furious crush.
He hadn't been walking long when his eyes caught on something on the wall that hadn't been there before.
A snail. Nightstar smiled and lifted a talon. Crawling sluggishly, the snail slid onto his outstretched claw and Nightstar lifted it up to his eye to give it a toothy grin. Snails, slugs and insects hadn't bothered him like they freaked out Cloverpool - and so naturally he began to walk to her cave to hide his little friend in a curtain or something.
As he did so, his scales rippled with an undercurrent of unease, though he wasn't sure if it was just the strange atmosphere that clung to the halls or the empty hole Striker had left in his heart.
His ears flicked at a faint sound up ahead. The rhythmic swish of paper against stone.
As they rounded the corner, Nightstar saw a figure standing near one of the dormitory doors, stretching up to tack a piece of parchment to the wall. The dragon's wings shifted, revealing familiar pale orange scales.
“Sky?” Nightstar called, bemused.
Sky turned, his gaze flickering over them before he smiled softly, though there was a shadow of weariness in his expression. "Oh, hey! I didn’t hear you coming."
"Sky? What are you doing here?" Nightstar asked.
"Helping out. Are you a student?"
"I'm Nightstar." He mumbled.
"Three moons!" Sky yelped. "Prince Nightstar? Glory's son!"
"Glory's other prince." He reminded Sky gloomily. "Cloverpool's the heir."
"So? You're still royalty - I should be bowing to you! Eep! Sorry, your highness most majesty!" Sky fumbled to his knees so clumsily that a wad of parchment fluttered from his claws, and landed on the stone in front of Nightstar.
Nightstar stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he read the bold, urgent letters on the parchment:
WARNING: BEWARE OF A MYSTERIOUS KILLER ON THE LOOSE
The dragon responsible for multiple attacks remains unidentified. Please stay within the academy grounds at night and avoid going out alone. Report anything suspicious to staff immediately.
Detectives on the case have recognised serrated claw marks on one victim. Stay wary of IceWings and SkyWings!
(Headcanoning that SkyWings also have serrated claws as they live on mountains)
His heart skipped a beat. Nightstar blinked, trying to process the words.
Three moons.
He felt dizzy all of a sudden.
I was right. I was RIGHT. Mother NEEDS to know this!
“Is this serious? Here? I thought - I - Mum said Jade Mountain was safe from this!”
If it isn't, why did I come at all?
Sky nodded, his goofy expression hardening slightly as he stepped back from the poster. "Yeah, well... it’s been happening outside the academy, but... it’s getting closer. Dragons have gone missing, and it’s like no one has a clue what’s really going on. Believe me, I wish we could all be friends and get along with each other!" Sky cried at the end.
"Enough time in the dragon society will teach you that dragons tend to value control over power, and the two are very different." Nightstar said quietly.
"Where did you learn that?"
"Grandeur." He muttered abashedly. "Sky, do you think it could come here? To Jade Mountain?"
Sky hesitated. His normally light voice was pitifully low. "I don't know. I mean, we’re safe here. The teachers and guards are all doing their best. But... whoever this is, they're clever. And fast. And probably a little bit insane."
Nightstar felt a cold weight settle in his chest.
"Do we know anything about the assassin?" Nightstar asked, trying to keep his voice steady. "I mean - Deathbringer's an assassin - but it's not him, is it?"
"No! By the Great Ice Dragon, no! Your father is absolutely not responsible. Don't ever say that, Prince Nightstar."
After a moment, Sky adjusted the poster one last time and then turned to him. "Anyway, just... be careful, alright? Don’t go wandering off, even during the day. Not that I don't think you could handle it." He winked. "Only Glory would kill me if you did. And probably Snowfall. Maybe your sister. Oh, Deathbringer would get to me first." He giggled.
"Yeah." Nightstar said absently. He wasn't really listening anymore. "Sky?"
The SkyWing turned to him, blue eyes glittering, making his pale scales stand out against the light.
"Help me relocate this fella?" He held up the claw with the snail on it, and Sky's face lit up with glee.
"SNAILS! Nightstar, that's a SNAIL - you know what snails are, right? Some of the IceWing Dragonets don't! Would you believe that? Snowfall won't let me have any at the palace, says she doesn't want me to inspire Mink's next obsession. You know about that, right? I'm staying with the IceWing QUEEN - Temporarily, of course. I wonder if she'd like me to bring back a snail. They're just so cute, right? Or ... Or PANDAS! AREN'T THEY ADORABLE -"
Nightstar completely shut of the voice after a while, and let Sky babble on all the way they walked.
Surely... nothing could break through the walls of Jade Mountain Academy?
It's been done before. Why couldn't it happen again?
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No words on the absence ;-;
School is chaining me up again in terms of revision.
Anyway so for context, Sky just came to stay with Snowfall as a visitor for a while. Y'all know what will happen with that :3
Till the next chapter! You know what this book is so far lacking?
MURDER.
~ Solar out
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