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A dragon flies through the roaring storm.
The thief of the large red egg, curiously, not followed by any dragon. He was reaching the mountains, safe and sound, in a successful stealth operation.
As he landed nearby it, he knocked the door in a certain pattern but it was not opened.
“Come on! The entire sea is falling over me right now!” The dragon yelled.
“If you can understand me, what is the secret password?” The dragon inside said.
“Ugh. I like Sand.” The dragon said. “Now Dune, open this thing!”
Dune then opened the rock, allowing his friend to enter:
“Oh, Hvitur!” Dune exclaimed. “I never saw an IceWing who liked sand!”
“Haha. Too funny, I didn’t laugh.” Hvitur said, while swiftly entering the cave, quickly drying himself using his breathe weakly.
As the storm roars outside, untamed, inside the cave, Hvitur approached the other eggs, carefully putting the red one near them “There you go, little dragonet, safe and sound.”, then Hvitur headed to his fellow guardians in the next cave.
“Hvitur, you made it!” Asha said, the happy MudWing flapped her wings and tail, nearly jumping on Hvitur for a moment, but running to nearby him instead; He was the last of them to arrive in the so-called Night of the “Thieves of Eggs”.
“Yeah, I made it. And no one even followed me!” Hvitur posed and claimed his pride.
“Are you sure of that?” Dune exclaimed. “I think I have seen some shadows outside of the cave in the storm…”
“I am sure. The SkyWing’s palace was… With shortage of guards. I am not sure.” Hvitur shrugged. “Perhaps, them all were out for the war?”
“Empty?! There must be something very bad happening here…” Webs noted.
“Shh Webs. You worry too much…” Dune commented.
“Well, saved by the war, one last time” Asha sighed.
“What is happening to you Asha? I feel your wings shacking, but not from cold…” Hvitur said, looking at her.
“Its just that… Is anything that we are doing right? Is… All this egg thief story really what we are meant to do?” Asha said, her look was deep and real, powerful enough to make everyone there think their actions for a moment.
“But Asha, you also stolen an egg yesterday. Why are you just thinking about this now?” Dune said, confused.
“I… I didn’t steal it…!” Asha said, nervous. “My sister would be a terrible mother for her dragonets, I made a deal with her and… I bought the egg. I couldn’t have taken it without permission…”
“You did what Asha?! Don’t you realized what you have done?!” Dune yelled. “Nautilus said extremely precisive that we shouldn’t tell or reveal our identities to anyone! Now they are going to think that the Talons of Peace are a bunch of egg thieves!”
“And you just tell us that now??” Dune yelled. “All our plan could be already over before it even started!”
Dune moved to the corner, while Hvitur approached Asha. “You… Did a poorly choice, Asha.” Hvitur said, in the most natural tone’s possible. “I understand that… Its not from your nature do that, but didn’t you believed in our cause?”
“I did! But I never thought we would go that down to achieve this!” Asha sobbed.
“Asha… Listen… We are all nervous right now. But…” Hvitur tried to appease her. “Look, think how many dragonets are being stolen from their parents, while the war rages and no one takes care of that… Think what horrible things are happening to them…”
“What is your point…???” Asha cried.
“My point is… We are not going to kill those dragonets… Or mistreat them… We have the duty to make them grow up and stay together, as a true family that they shall be. We are their parents now Asha, all of us. If we are disunited, so will them be.” Hvitur said. “And these times, division is what war wants to feed it… And we, the Talons of Peace, will not let it happen.”
“Hmph. Great speech Hvitur.” Dune said, ironically. “But we still have big trouble in our talons.”
“Look to who are worried now…” Webs commented.
Before Hvitur could response, a strange knock struck the entrance rock. An unexpected one…
“What… What is that?! Hvitur, you said no one followed you…!” Dune whispered.
“B-But no one did…!” Hvitur whispered.
“What if is Nautilus??” Webs said.
“Of course not… Nautilus said he would just come tomorrow at morning.” Dune said. “Unless…”
“Unless perhaps he came earlier?” Hvitur said.
“Ugh. Alright…” Dune said. “Webs, prepare our secret exit, if we have to get the hell out of here, Hvitur and… Asha, stay near the eggs. Remember the emergency plan.”
All them rushed into their positions, Dune assumed his position nearby the rock. It was big enough to don’t be moved easily, Dune moved it a little and prepared himself.
“Here we go… Ok…” Dune whispered. “Hello. Reveal yourself! Who are you?!”
“Hi! I know that the Talons of Peace were hidden in some cave through these mountains! Are they you?” A female voiced sounded, excited. “Are you them? Or am I knocking the wrong door?!”
Dune looked for a moment. Its wings were black, it couldn’t be Nautilus, actually, through the harsh storm and rain, he couldn’t actually have told what dragon was… But as a flinching lightning crossed the sky, its wings barely changed color upon light, suddenly Dune realized.
“A NightWing… But how? Or better… What do they even want here?” Dune thought, he narrowed his eyes and prepared his tail, as he opened a little more the entrance.
“What do you want, NightWing?! Shelter or food or some magic idiotic object?” Dune demanded.
“Hey! It’s a really big storm out here…” The NightWing put her face nearby the opening of the cave. “Even if you aren’t the Talons, can I stay here for the night?”
Dune barely could get it correctly. This NightWing wanted to enter there, even if, she doesn’t know who they are?? “What is happening here? No adult dragon is that of a fool… Impossible, this must be a trap… I am sure the NightWings are up to something against OUR cause.”
“Please! I have an egg here! I just wanted to cooperate!” The NightWing exclaimed. “Please!”
Dune faced a hard decision, does he let or not the NightWing. “I can’t… If anyone knows about our plans, if the truth is out… We are done… And these NightWings, with their… I don’t know! Telepathic mind or something…”
“A true soldier does not let anyone behind… That’s what Six-Claws taught me, when he himself saved me, when he didn’t have to risk himself any further.” Dune whispered, his heart was racing, of stress and sorrow. If it meant, save a single life more, was worth that risk?
Dune made his last decision.
“Are you alone out there?” Dune demanded. “Say the truth… If not we will have to…”
“Yes!” The NightWing answered, desperated, clawing the rock.
“Ugh… Come in.” Dune opened the entrance enough for the dragon to enter and quickly closed it.
As the NightWing entered, everyone was in shock and curious, the female walked around for a bit, then rested in the middle of the cave with her egg. Asha approached the mother and asked. “What were you doing out there, in this storm? With your egg?”
“We don’t know if its really her egg…” Dune said, his tone was always if he committed a mistake and was ready to undo it.
“Calm down everyone…! Let our guest here explain herself.” Hvitur said, soundly, flapping his wings to ease the dispersion and focus there.
The NightWing sighed for a moment, then started to talk, holding her egg firmly. “I am Farsight. And this is MY egg. I have been flying over Pyrrhia for the last weeks, trying to find those who they called Talons of Peace.”
Dune immediately gasped and yelled. “Wait… How do the NightWings know what we were planning?! How did this information spread?!”
“Calm down, Dune…” Hvitur said slowly to him.
“Huh. Calm down? You are an IceWing, Hvitur!” Dune yelled. “From all of us, you should be the most disgusted by its presence here.”
“Dune.” Hvitur shouted, firmly. “Not now.”
“This NightWing already know it was us!” Dune yelled. “We are done here, we are DONE.”
Dune walked into the corner again, crouching and shacking as everyone looked at him, he shouted. “Stop looking at me!!” But they did not stopped.
“Asha, please take of our guest here, I am going for Dune.” Hvitur said, signing for her with his wing.
As Hvitur went to calm Dune down, Webs and Asha stayed with the strange NightWing pacifist. They stayed in silence for a moment, until Farsight was who whispered. “Is he always like this?”
“Well, no… That’s his first time, that’s why I am baffled.” Webs commented, shacking his wings, nearly uncontrollably. “That’s why I imagine there’s something bad to happen to us all.”
“Shh. Webs. Calm yourself down too.” Asha said. “Look Farsight. Dune is a former soldier, he was not supposed to be like this, but I think we are all stressed.”
As minutes passed, things calmed down for a bit, Asha was clawing the rocks bellow her, could that NightWing there have discovered everything because her sister simple told everybody? It was a terrifying thought, but perhaps, not that far from reality, well, there was just one to discover.
“So, huh, miss Farsight?” Asha asked nicely, but nervously. “What did you wanted with the Talons of Peace? And how did you discovered them?”
The NightWing stayed in silence for a moment, but then decided to speak "I... I wasn't supposed to say it but... I mean, the matter is that I wished to me and my daughter here to take part of something bigger... Something like, fighting for peace!" As she stopped for a moment, she looked around and then immediately continued "So that's why I need to find the Talons! Do you know them or are you them?!"
Asha and Webs looked at each other for a moment, confused, "What is the thing you weren't supposed to say? Tell us, and we will give you the right direction..." Asha proposed. The NightWing was unsure for a moment, uncertainty, but as the storm raged in the outside, the only worst thing it might happen to her is to be pushed into that rain and thunders again "I... I was sent by my mate working for the NightWing Queen, in the Paradise Island, he sent me in order to map the continent, find interesting base or any settlement area for us-"
Suddenly Dune snarkled from the corner with Hvitur "ARGH! I knew... She IS in fact just a NightWing spy working for whatever queen is theirs! They want to control all of us, as usual!" As he said, he approached Farsight, nearly boiling in rage and she holded her egg firmly at her talons, making a cocoon with her wings, yelling "NO! Listen... I don't work for the Shadows... I am from the Paradise Island! A volcanic island to the north... The volcano erupt years ago, queen Valiant died, famine widespreaded... We are dying! We need a new home, but even our current queen wishes no harm to any dragons! We aren't in the condition to any war..."
"Tell every lie you wish NightWing... Your kind manipulates us and are always in the shadows... Only Onyx truly knows how many innocent lives your kind have taken from us!!" Dune screamed running into her direction, but Hvitur managed to take his tail and hold him in position, rather easily. "Dune! Control yourself!" Silence spread through the cavern, to the point of only the raging storm outside was loud enough to be listen; the dragons looked at each other and then their attention went to the NightWing.
"Farsight... For your honest words, I tell you also the truth." Asha said, being holding her breathe for a moment, "We are the Talons"
Reactions were mixed, from gasps to Dune scolding Asha immediately afterwards, "What are you doing Asha?! Did you seriously ruined our plan for a second time?! Are you KIDDING me?!" Asha then give her talons to Farsight in the ground and then pointed to where they put the other eggs, in safety, then she said calmly, "I am not. This NightWing come from a distant land, for the longest time, seeking for peace. And she come here by no wishes but her own, she wishes to be part of us. I am not sending her away."
Asha and Dune exchanged looks, while Farsight put her egg into a large comfy nest for the other eggs, looking at them for a few moments, suddenly Asha surged over her side and said "Is everything right? Farsight?" The NightWing looked at her, with a small tear rolling her snout "Thank you... Asha... Thank you... I do believe that our dragonets here, are the only... way to unite... to stop the madness that this war and continent are in..." Asha could only give her a smile and a small hug with her wings, saying, "I do believe just as much. They are the carriers of the future, future that we are destroying right now, but when the day is right, they will take at their own talons and make themselves our new world."
"Nice daydreaming, Asha... But they still eggs today, in the real world." Dune said as he went to his cave, still looking at the two dragons. "But..." He suddenly stopped, "Hvitur is right. Our desunion only gives a grim hope for an inevitable failure. More than anyone here, I saw war in the frontlines... And I have... The deepest hopes, the deepest desires to end it." He finished, looking at his missing front leg, then entering to his cave, Hvitur just nodded to the void going after his own cave.
"Well Farsight, this 'situation' is far from over, but for now, we rest." Asha said, moving torwards her own cave, but then looking back to the NightWing who wasn't moving, "Huh... I don't think we have a cave for you here, but you can certainly stay with me here... Hello?" The NightWing didn't respond, but kept looking at the eggs, perhaps out of emotion or curiosity, it was an unique occassion, to meet the Talons of Peace and their important project... or was it?
"Oh oh... Sorry Asha, but could I sleep here, with my... I mean, the eggs? Perhaps they will get cold this night? Farsight replied to Asha's thinking, she was surprised, well, they did indeed have blankets and nest acessories for the eggs, it was well planned, but, perhaps she could just let Farsight to stay with her egg, "Its... Fine Farsight, just please cover the eggs with those blankets there and find one suitable for yourself." Asha responded as she entered in her cave, "Thanks, Asha." Farsight said. Asha already in her cave, could only care about find some good position to rest after all the problems she had to deal just few moments ago, but deep within her mind, she knew she had to be careful about the NightWings, 'Perhaps this one might be fooling us to steal the eggs? I don't believe in such things coming from her, she is connected with their queen, but, she come to us... And I don't think their telephatic stuff can get there from that far... I... I need to rest, too many worries for no answers..." Asha closed her eyes and mind in an attempt to sleep.
Hours passed and the raging storm calmed to a typical rainy foggy morning in the early hours, the day the Talons expected for the longest time, their leader Nautilus was to come from his shelter in the Sea Kingdom to supervise the operations and finally carry the announce of the future dragonets to fight against all the odds to face the hungry war, the struggle however, was about to begun, when the eventual brightest night comes this day of the year, the night the eggs usually hatch under their gods' blessings, it would be a day full of expectations and happiness, although with a rough start...
Asha was one of the first ones to wake up, in antecipation for the events to unfold in this day, she was immediately presented with an angry Dune moving torwards the nest, already yelling by the morning, 'not ununsual considering this is the aftermath of yesterday...' Asha thought. "Hey you! Who allowed you to sleep nearby those eggs? Get away from there, you magnetic-trouble-attractor NightWing!" Dune yelled for Asha's annoyance but she immediately chocked, "Magnetic? Attractor? Using all your scholar degree insults, huh Dune?" Dune's look wasn't in any way funny, but certainly the crippled SandWing could barely stand against others in that place, regardless of militar training.
"I swear... Of course it was you, Asha, you accepted this dragon here, you of COURSE let she sleep nearby the eggs, trusting absolutely that she wouldn't try to steal them in the middle of the Night, which is when those trencherous NightWings make their evil deeds!" Dune complained, but Asha just raised one of her brows and snarked "Well... Who was the magical key to open easily the entrance Dune? Of course not me. She wouldn't be able to escape unless she managed to sneak and take the key from your night terrors." Dune snorted and continued in his way to the eggs. "Well, today by the evening, with the full moons, these little worms will finally hatch and we will start to get some action here... Only by Lichanura they might not be spoiled brats..."
"They won't be Dune, unless you keep complaining about them to eggs." Hvitur replied going out of his cave yawning, "Heh... Always remember that they can listen to you from within the eggs Dune, they will enfuriate you for the rest of your days!" Hvitur continued to mock to Dune's disgust. "Hmph." Dune snorted going to the entrance, "I sincerely hope Nautilus comes really fast to here and that he knows what he is doing...". Hvitur continued his stretching from the morning "Ha... Relax dude, he will come here just by the evening, we still have a long day that... ARGH. Ah. I still think you need some stretching IceWing therapy Dune, it helps a lot to shackle the ice from our soul, preparing bones and muscles for the day."
"IceWings are... Insane... Their environment and costumes to survive that place... No thanks!" Webs said coming out of his cave, with his wings shacking only by the thought of cold. "Come on... Its harsh, but not that bad." Hvitur replied, thinking for a moment "Ok... Perhaps its just harsh." Silence then spread through the cave, the only sound coming from the faint rain outside, when Asha commented, "Well, who is going to hunt today in the rain?", shacking heads through the cave aside, Asha knew she was the only one who liked to fly through a non-storm rain, so she went up to the entrance immediately after say, being followed by Dune; just as they reached the big rock, it started to shake before Dune using the magical key to easily move it, as Asha gasped, Dune yell. "What is that?! I didn't even..." The entrance opened and from it, came a SeaWing from the fog.
"Nautilus?!" Dune exclaimed surprised. Responding shortly after entering, it was him. "Yes, Dune. Greetings Talons of Peace! Today for this very important moment, I decided to come very early due to the urgency of this matter, wasting no precious minutes, I brought a bag full of fish for your gentlemen and lad-" Nautilus halted his speech after realizing the presence of Farsight in the cave nearby the eggs. "W-What? What is the NightWing doing there?! H-How?!" Asha immediately run torwards him and tried to explain the situation "Yes! She is with us now!", "S-She is?" Webs commented, "Yes! She brought us a NightWing egg in order to allow them and herself to participate from our mission to bring peace to all of Pyrrhia!"
Nautilus stayed in silence for a moment, but reacted fast, "Alright! Miss...?", "F-Farsight." She answered, "Alright Miss Farsight! Regardless of our previous plans, the Talons always have room to welcome those who also seek our noble goal to bring peace to Pyrrhia! A honour to have the presence of your NightWing entity as well." He then settled down from his flight, opening the bag and offering everyone a big salmon direct from the Bay of Thousand Scales. "Here food to all our ladies and gentlemen! Fresh salmon from the bay, unique delicacy of a healthy SeaWing breakfeast!"
"Oh, salmon! It makes me remember from my cozy iglu in the glacial waters! We were a fishing community and salmons were quite the delicacy of the place!" Hvitur commented. "Those salmons seem amazing from the bay! It might be easier to catch them there with the waters little more warm!". Nautilus laughed, "Ha, exactly Hvitur, I knew my old friend here was a fisher! I expect more Dune to go fish one day out of his desert than Webs will gain courage to fish alone." Everyone laughed, except Webs, of course "Hey! I know how to fish alone! Its just that, I was taught by my mother that fishing alone might not be efficient, more dragons cover more territory and desorganize their schools.". It didn't helped to improve his case, as Nautilus laughed even harder, "I swear to you Webs, that SandWing dragonet over there will catch a miserable crab from the shallow sea before you will desorganized a school of salmon!"
"With all due respect sir, Nautilus. Its not funny." Webs commented to a careless SeaWing, who then thought about its new member of the Talons. "So NightWing, Farsight, right? Do you NightWings fish?" Nautilus asked to what seemed an eternity for Farsight to respond "Well, y-yes, we have some nests that we use to capture fish.". An answer which Nautilus wasn't surprised but confused "Oh well, I see, NightWings and their ways to difficult stuff, really... I could keep talking about my precious salmon, but that's just for breakfeast, Talons get ready for today at night! I have my bigger announcement."
"Well right, I am tired of listening to salmon right now, Nautilus." Dune complained, followed by Webs "For once I agree with you.", followed by a chuckle of Nautilus, "Oh well, enough of my fish tales then, go rest my noble Talons, we will go for the announcement in a few hours, for the start of the brightest night!" All the Talon guardians went to their daily doings through the hours passed and they rested, a more calmer day than the usual, without doubts. Asha gathered with Hvitur and Farsight nearby the nest and watched, excitedly for the newcomers to the world they would teach and hope they could promote feelings and smiles that would stop wars.
Hours later...
All the Talons gathered in the central part of the cave, from the sky hole, the three brightful moons shined over the land and through the hole, representing the new brooding of dragons to hatch through the whole continent of Pyrrhia; They antecipated the eggs cracking with a small council for the choosing of their names, based on each species' preferences; it was all decided: "Clay, Sunny, Tsunami, Sapphire and Starflight". Nautilus approached them and cleared his throat for his speech about the Dragonets and their objectives thought and planned for so long.
"Talons of Peace! Today the sake of our objectives have finally arrived! We a group of dragons who decided to challenge destiny, by challenging our youth to carry on their voices for peace. The dragonets were chosen and now, our task is to build them into a team of friends, siblings if their hearts tell so; and challengers for the worldview they are going to fight out there! The horrors of our enemies will hunt them down, trying to silence all voices against their raging war and mindless killing, and its our task to train them to pass our tests of adaptation, voice, strength, unity and perseverance; only through these features, they shall be able to fight those who will silence them. I am finished, Talons, there they come!"
Just as soon as Nautilus ended his speech, the eggs cracked; the first one to get out was the MudWing Clay, he looked around and immediately noticed the SeaWing hatching, Tsunami and went up for her egg, triggering reactions. "What is he doing?!" Dune yelled; "Is he destroying the egg?" Webs exclaimed the question, but soon it was Asha to explain "No! He is only 'helping' Tsunami to get out of their egg! Its a common instinct we MudWings have... It means we are recognizing our family..." Her words caused silence among the Talons, until Hvitur proclaimed "Oh well! There you go, a bit of MudWing for we all to learn!" Hvitur then murmured "Well, if we only were like this..."
Then the SandWing and SkyWing eggs hatched as well, causing Dune to change his reactions. "Oh... Look at the SandWing... She is so... Funny looking... Like a golden yellow... She is special..." His words would have fell into deaf ears, but Dune knew he liked Sunny, since it was him to took her egg, until Hvitur took his shoulder "Are you fine Dune? Ohh... She is like a golden sunny herself! Too much for your heart, Dune?" Dune looked at the dragonet once more, "Yes... I saw so much in my soldier days... That the hatch of life... Is so precious...", Hvitur nodded and went to his way to Sapphire, "Oh! Our SkyWing! Her tones are incredible! I only hope she is not as angry as the others...", Hvitur commented.
And then, at last, the NightWing egg hatched and in expectation for it, it was its mother, "Oh, Starflight...! Its a male!" Farsight commented. "Something... wrong?" Asha said at her back, "No! I always thought it was going to be female, but I love my boy no less! Perhaps one day, he can return to our island, with... Better ideals than our NightWings who hatch there..."
Nautilus approached all the dragonets and their Talon guardians and concluded that night, "He will, Miss Farsight. They all will teach adults to be better. Many will oppose them, mainly a certain SandWing in our SeaWing palace; But they united won't shut down their brains to this mindless continent, that I am sure of... Dragonets for Peace! The battle starts now!"