Author's Note[]
This story will contain death, gore, and betrayal. You have been warned. Also, you can only edit this story when you are fixing a grammar or spelling problem, please and thank you. The SeaWings have evolved to talk underwater after 2000 years.
written by insanity
Book Summary[]
2000 years after Book 15 of Wings of Fire (from Part 1)...
The SkyWings and SeaWings are in the middle of war. What was originally an argument about an island of the Bay of a Thousand Scales that was close to the Sky Kingdom has grown into much more than what it was intended to be. With the SkyWings and SeaWings forcing other tribes to join them on their side, all the tribes of Pyrrhia are now included.
Marlin never wanted this war to happen. He never wanted to be included. But by the time he found out, it was far too late. With the SeaWing queen disappearing without a trace, it is Marlin’s job to track her down, before the SeaWing Side loses the war. He’s confident he’ll be able to save her, but with no clues, and no knowledge of how long it will take, his confidence is slowly fading. When an unlikely friend falls into danger, Marlin must do the right thing. And sometimes, the only way to make a right choice is to betray your tribe.
Alpine will do anything for her tribe. She is a loyal guard. At least, before the war. Alpine's brother, North, completely supports the SkyWings. But Alpine isn't so sure. As she is thrown into more and more dangerous battles, she has to accept the fact that this war isn't something good for the IceWings - it isn't good for any tribe. Alpine needs to do something - fast - to prevent the tribes of Pyrrhia from destroying each other, before it's too late. And what she needs first - is a key.
Information[]
SkyWing Side (SKS): SkyWings, SandWings, IceWings
SeaWing Side (SES): SeaWings, MudWings, NightWings
Neutral: RainWings
Queens:
SandWings: Queen Caracal
MudWings: Queen Arrowhead
SkyWings: Queen Nimbus
SeaWings: Queen Starfish
IceWings: Queen Glacial
RainWings: Queen Jaguar
NightWings: Queen Obscure
How Things Have Changed[]
- RainWings are more like the other tribes, but they’re still stereotyped to be lazy and avoid using their venom when possible
- There was a NightWing - IceWing War a few decades ago and the Great Ice Cliff was demolished
- Along with a council, SeaWings have a new role called Messenger-guards, and they take messages back and forth and do important, secret missions for the queen. Only her most trusted
- Over the centuries, Pyrrhia has slowly lost contact with Pantala, but there are still legends about the lost continent and the dragonets of destiny
Six years ago...
Prologue: Starfish[]
The hurricane came closer. Some walls of the Island Palace II looked like they were ready to fly off, and lightning slashed through the clouds. Starfish surveyed the palace, making sure all the SeaWings were evacuated. Only two remained. Her mate, Shellfish, and Krill, her most trusted advisor, clutching an egg to his chest. It wobbled every few moments, and Starfish remembered that Krill’s egg would be hatching soon. “Starfish, is everyone out?” Shellfish asked, arriving at her side. “Yes, I -” Lightning illuminated the sky, blinding her. A burning smell filled the air, followed by the tang of blood. A shrill cry came from her side, and she turned in time to see Shellfish plummeting toward the water, his eyes closed. “No!” Starfish shrieked. “Krill, save him!” She turned toward Krill and saw him fumbling with his shaking egg, and at Starfish’s cry, he glanced up and the egg tumbled out of his talons. “Shellfish! Krill!” Starfish cried. Krill met Starfish’s eyes, apology etched in every scale of his snout. Then he dove - after his egg. “What are you doing?” Starfish shrieked. Krill didn’t respond, and disappeared into the water with a splash after the blue egg. Seething with rage, Starfish jumped into the water after Shellfish herself. She already knew that she would be too late, but as she snatched up Shellfish’s limp green tail, she spotted a cobalt blue egg drifting in the current, toward her. Where’s Krill? She saw the blue SeaWing far from the egg, up near the surface, fighting three enormous sharks off. They all stared hungrily at the egg, and gnashed their teeth impatiently at Krill. More sharks appeared behind the others, and one of them looked straight at Starfish, in a weird way...Starfish twisted around and smashed her tail into the shark behind her, immediately killing it. She looked over at Krill, who was being ambushed by eleven sharks, all large and brutal. She caught the egg before it drifted out of her reach, and looked back up at Krill. He was being torn apart by the sharks, the vicious creatures taking bites out of his corpse. The scent of iron met Starfish’s nostrils, and she glanced down at the egg. Before Krill’s betrayal, he’d been Starfish’s best advisor, if not most trusted anymore. The dragonet that hatched would be worthy, like its father. This dragonet will be good. I don’t want anyone to judge it. I’ll just tell them that Krill was trying to get to the Deep Palace, but sharks caught him. And I just managed to save the egg. Krill’s mate, Spray, had died of a mysterious sickness that had plagued the SeaWings a month after she’d laid Krill’s egg. The name she’d chosen, right before she’d died, was Sailfish. But I’ll do them one better. I’ll name it...Marlin.
Part 1: The Quest[]
Chapter 1: Marlin[]
Marlin dove underneath the waves and stretched out his wings, a weak current brushing past him. Marlin followed it with one wing in it and soon arrived at Pebble Village, the village he was assigned to bringing messages to the queen from. The SeaWings who lived in Pebble Village were extremely poor - they were pearl divers and seaweed farmers, and they received money by sending seaweed to the Deep Palace and the Island Palace II once every week. Marlin waved to a few of the dragons, and soon arrived at the platform in the middle of the village. There was a slate on the top of a stone ledge, and Marlin picked up the slate and placed it carefully in his bag, then twisted to go back up to the surface. Wait no, Starfish is supposed to be in the Deep Palace right now. Marlin turned back around awkwardly and followed the currents to the underwater canyon where the immense coral palace lay. Marlin nodded to a few of the soldiers. "Where is the queen?" he flashed to a guard he'd become friends with who was four years older than him, a dragon called Poseidon. "In the meeting room. She's promoting a few messengers to messenger-guards, you'd better be there." Marlin slapped one of his talons against his forehead. He'd forgotten. How could he? He himself might be promoted this hour. "Right, thanks for reminding me," he replied, and swam over the staircases up to the meeting room. He burst through the large doors and quickly took his place by the side, reminding himself he still had to take Starfish her message. " - Good, Oyster. Now, Marlin, come forward," Starfish announced from where she sat on her coral throne. That was close. He hesitantly took a step closer to the queen. "Get a move on," Oyster hissed, passing by him. Oyster flicked Marlin with his tail and Marlin stumbled over to Starfish, folding into a bow. "Rise," Starfish commanded, resting her tail on Marlin's shoulder. Marlin slowly stood up, meeting Starfish's eyes. It was intimidating to be the center of the queen's gaze. Marlin shifted nervously. "Marlin, do you promise to be a loyal guard through and through?" Starfish flashed. "I do," Marlin replied. "Good. Waterfall, come forward." The pale blue SeaWing shot Marlin an excited look and walked over to Starfish. "Waterfall, do you promise to be a loyal guard through and through?" Starfish asked, using the same words as before. "I do," Waterfall answered, her eyes shining. Starfish smiled faintly, then flashed, "This meeting is adjourned. Four messengers have become messenger-guards - Torpedo, Oyster, Marlin, and Waterfall." Torpedo? Really? Starfish had never shown much appreciation for Torpedo, but there she was, her head raised as she stood beside Oyster. Starfish waved her wing and left. Marlin followed her, Torpedo quickly exiting after. I need to give her the slate. Marlin guessed she'd gone to her living chambers. They were on the same floor as the meeting room, since she held meetings all the time. Marlin knocked on the door to her chambers. "Hello?" he flashed, hoping that if Starfish was inside she would manage to see the glow. Nothing happened. Marlin hesitated, then twisted the knob and peeked inside. There was a large coral bed with seaweed blankets and some coral furniture, but there was no sign of a queen. He looked into the next room, but again, there was nothing. Maybe she's heading to the Island Palace II...I'll ask if anyone's seen her. "Queen Starfish?" Marlin flashed. He didn't see anything. Huh. That's weird... Marlin exited the room and asked every SeaWing he saw if they'd seen Starfish. Most of their responses were: "I last saw her when she went to the meeting room for the promotion." Two hours had passed, and Marlin hadn't made any progress. In an hour, it'd be time for dinner. Marlin sighed and slumped down in his chambers. "Hey, Marlin." It was Waterfall and her younger sister, Beluga. "Hello," Marlin replied. "You've been asking everyone where Queen Starfish is?" Beluga asked curiously. Marlin avoided looking at her. Waterfall's younger sister was the creepiest dragon Marlin had ever met. She looked extremely intelligent, even though she was only three years old, and she seemed to know everything. "Well, I saw her walking down the hall toward her chambers, but you say she wasn't there?" Marlin nodded. "And I need to give her this message." He held out the slate. Waterfall suddenly looked alarmed. "Beluga, I'm sure Starfish will be at dinner," she replied. "She's probably doing things in the Island Palace II." Beluga's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure she didn't go to the tunnel?" she flashed slowly. Waterfall's eyes widened. She grabbed one of Beluga's wings and dragged her sister outside of Marlin's room, despite her sister's protests. That was weird. Marlin wondered what they meant by secret tunnel. He wasn't a curious dragonet, though - when he heard the words secret tunnel, he instantly thought, Well, that's dangerous. It sounded like something that Beluga would know. Marlin decided that Starfish was at the Island Palace II, and knew she would be at dinner. When it was time, he went to the banquet hall. Usually, he wouldn't eat here, but when you were a messenger-guard, you ate at one of the side tables. Marlin took his place at the seat labeled Marlin, Messenger-Guard and looked around for Queen Starfish, reaching inside his leather bag to bring her the slate. But she wasn't sitting at the head of the table in the middle of the room. In fact, when Marlin looked around, she wasn't even in the room. There was no doubt to it now. Something was wrong. Queen Starfish would be here, unless she couldn't be. The SeaWing queen was in trouble.
Chapter 2: Marlin[]
Tidal, Queen Starfish's best advisor, stood beside her chair. He clanged two metal plates together, quieting everyone in the dining hall. "Today, four..." Tidal trailed off as he glanced at Starfish's empty chair. "- uh - today, four messengers have become messenger-guards. Torpedo, Oyster, Marlin, and Waterfall. They will say their thanks before our meal." Tidal looked over at the empty throne again, and a few SeaWings noticed his gaze. They began murmuring. "Er - due to Queen Starfish's absence - I'm sure she's very busy - I will begin myself."