Reed and his siblings are out with some SkyWings when some IceWings attack. They fight but when a retreat is called they fall back. They hide in the Forest until long after they are sure the IceWings are gone. Privately, Reed wonders if he is doing right. He wonders if his siblings wish they had Clay instead. As everyone starts talking his siblings begin to voice their disbelief in the war, and their wish that Clay will end it soon. Some even wish to join the Talons of Peace. Reed realizes he needs to make a decision about their future, but they assure him he doesn't have to make it yet.
Starflight drifts in and out of consciousness - wondering about Sunny and listening as some dragons discuss him. Eventually he wakes up and finds himself in a room filled with young dragonets like himself. Some are friendly while others are hostile. Looking around at the other dragonets, Starflight realizes they all look unhealthy and smell of decay. Someone realizes Morrowseer is coming and they all scatter. Morrowseer enters the room and commands Starflight follow him to meet the queen.
A hostile Morrowseer who refuses to answer any of Starflight's questions leads him to a chamber filled with dragons. Everyone is talking about attacking but they fall silent when the two dragons enter. Starflight looks around, scared that all these hostile dragons might be able to read his mind. He also realizes the lava everywhere and that these dragons don't look to healthy either. He notices a circle with holes on one wall, with a weak looking dragon in front of it. He feels this cannot be the powerful NightWing queen. He then realizes the circle behind her with the holes is where the queen is - hidden from her own tribe but watching all. Everyone starts talking about the escaped RainWing and the MudWing that was with her. Everyone starts talking over each other until the dragon in front of the queen speaks for the queen. She announces that queen Battlewinner wishes Starflight to explain everything. Starflight is placed in an awkward position of protecting his friends while appeasing his tribe and saving his own life. He admits that he thinks the RainWings might be planning an attack. A new dragon arrives, interrupting the meeting. His name is Vengeance. He feels the RainWings are no threat. He also has Deathbringer prisoner, accusing him of treason. Princess Greatness, who speaks for the queen, reminds Vengeance that he is in trouble for disobeying Deathbringer and hunting in the forest while the dragonets were there. Vengeance throws Deathbringer into the room, next to Starflight, calling him a pet of princess Greatness, and announces he was conspiring with the enemy. Deathbringer tries to silently ask Starflight something, but Starflight cannot figure out what. Deathbringer says Vengeance has no proof - Vengeance states that he does and accuses Deathbringer of not killing the dragonets. Deathbringer looks to Starflight, and Starflight realizes what the dragon wants. He silently tells him that the dragonets are alive. Deathbringer looks relieved, and he and Vengeance go back and forth in their argument. Princess Greatness interrupts to pass sentence on Vengeance. For disobeying orders, endangering the tribe, and irritating the queen he is sentenced to death. Four guards grab him and before Starflight realizes what is happening they throw him into the lava.
Starflight doesn't leap back in time (Deathbringer does) and gets hit with the lava. Deathbringer grabs him and lifts him up as Vengeance tries to escape the lava, splashing it everywhere. Starflight looks to Deathbringer, who looks somber. He realizes this might be Deathbringer's fate as well. Deathbringer thanks Greatness, but she orders him returned to a cell to be dealt with later while the charges are investigated. As Deathbringer is led away he looks back at Starflight, but Starflight doesn't know what he wants. Greatness dismisses everyone until tonight. She tells them to hunt if they are allowed and she orders Morrowseer to see if he can get more information from Starflight. Morrowseer takes Starflight hunting. Starflight realizes that the NightWings don't feel like his tribe. He also learns that Morrowseer is so indispensable to the queen that he has permission to always hunt, even though there is not much prey on their island. Starflight asks so many questions - especially when he finds out that NightWings eat carrion food - that Morrowseer deduces who his father is.
Starflight asks after his parents and Morrowseer tells him that his father is alive but his mother is dead. Morrowseer grills Starflight on the RainWings but he misunderstands Starflight's answers and assumes Glory is the same as the rest if the RainWings. Starflight doesn't bother to correct him. Morrowseer takes Starflight to see his father, Mastermind. Starflight hears someone following them. It is the alternate NightWing, Fatespeaker. Morrowseer is furious that Fatespeaker has followed them but allows her to continue with them. Fatespeaker is friendly to Starflight. She tells him that their destiny lies together. As they talk Starflight realizes just what Fatespeaker is - a dragonet to replace him.
Starflight drifts in and out of consciousness - wondering about Sunny and listening as some dragons discuss him. Eventually he wakes up and finds himself in a room filled with young dragonets like himself. Some are friendly while others are hostile. Looking around at the other dragonets, Starflight realizes they all look unhealthy and smell of decay. Someone realizes Morrowseer is coming and they all scatter. Morrowseer enters the room and commands Starflight follow him to meet the queen.
A hostile Morrowseer who refuses to answer any of Starflight's questions leads him to a chamber filled with dragons. Everyone is talking about attacking but they fall silent when the two dragons enter. Starflight looks around, scared that all these hostile dragons might be able to read his mind. He also realizes the lava everywhere and that these dragons don't look to healthy either. He notices a circle with holes on one wall, with a weak looking dragon in front of it. He feels this cannot be the powerful NightWing queen. He then realizes the circle behind her with the holes is where the queen is - hidden from her own tribe but watching all. Everyone starts talking about the escaped RainWing and the MudWing that was with her. Everyone starts talking over each other until the dragon in front of the queen speaks for the queen. She announces that queen Battlewinner wishes Starflight to explain everything. Starflight is placed in an awkward position of protecting his friends while appeasing his tribe and saving his own life. He admits that he thinks the RainWings might be planning an attack. A new dragon arrives, interrupting the meeting. His name is Vengeance. He feels the RainWings are no threat. He also has Deathbringer prisoner, accusing him of treason. Princess Greatness, who speaks for the queen, reminds Vengeance that he is in trouble for disobeying Deathbringer and hunting in the forest while the dragonets were there. Vengeance throws Deathbringer into the room, next to Starflight, calling him a pet of princess Greatness, and announces he was conspiring with the enemy. Deathbringer tries to silently ask Starflight something, but Starflight cannot figure out what. Deathbringer says Vengeance has no proof - Vengeance states that he does and accuses Deathbringer of not killing the dragonets. Deathbringer looks to Starflight, and Starflight realizes what the dragon wants. He silently tells him that the dragonets are alive. Deathbringer looks relieved, and he and Vengeance go back and forth in their argument. Princess Greatness interrupts to pass sentence on Vengeance. For disobeying orders, endangering the tribe, and irritating the queen he is sentenced to death. Four guards grab him and before Starflight realizes what is happening they throw him into the lava.
Starflight doesn't leap back in time (Deathbringer does) and gets hit with the lava. Deathbringer grabs him and lifts him up as Vengeance tries to escape the lava, splashing it everywhere. Starflight looks to Deathbringer, who looks somber. He realizes this might be Deathbringer's fate as well. Deathbringer thanks Greatness, but she orders him returned to a cell to be dealt with later while the charges are investigated. As Deathbringer is led away he looks back at Starflight, but Starflight doesn't know what he wants. Greatness dismisses everyone until tonight. She tells them to hunt if they are allowed and she orders Morrowseer to see if he can get more information from Starflight. Morrowseer takes Starflight hunting. Starflight realizes that the NightWings don't feel like his tribe. He also learns that Morrowseer is so indispensable to the queen that he has permission to always hunt, even though there is not much prey on their island. Starflight asks so many questions - especially when he finds out that NightWings eat carrion food - that Morrowseer deduces who his father is.
Starflight asks after his parents and Morrowseer tells him that his father is alive but his mother is dead. Morrowseer grills Starflight on the RainWings but he misunderstands Starflight's answers and assumes Glory is the same as the rest if the RainWings. Starflight doesn't bother to correct him. Morrowseer takes Starflight to see his father, Mastermind. Starflight hears someone following them. It is the alternate NightWing, Fatespeaker. Morrowseer is furious that Fatespeaker has followed them but allows her to continue with them. Fatespeaker is friendly to Starflight. She tells him that their destiny lies together. As they talk Starflight realizes just what Fatespeaker is - a dragonet to replace him.
So something is going on here. I thought at first that the NightWings were invading RainWing territory to expand their knowledge, but now I no longer think that. The NightWings are living on a dying island and they are running out of food. But what makes Morrowseer so special that he gets to eat extra? And just why is queen Battlewinner hidden from her own tribe? As for Morrowseer's alternate dragonets of destiny, prophecies don't work that way. At least, not usually. Why is he so dead set on manipulating the prophecy he had?
Fatespeaker at least seems nice. As for Deathbringer, I hope Starflight is able to take him with him when he escapes. Though, the more I think on Deathbringer and Glory, the more questions I have.
Clay has feeling for Peril, but I'm not sure they fully extend to love (though, she clearly loves him). Deathbringer is clearly in love with Glory - and Glory at least returns some of those feelings. But do dragons normally mate outside their tribe? If they do they can't really produce a half breed dragon. There are no half RainWing/half NightWing dragons running around. So do they favor one parent over the other? Like perhaps the mother (since she is the one to birth the egg)? Does one bloodline win out or do you get a mutt? And if the answer is mutt then why haven't we seen one? Glory and Deathbringer can't be the first two dragons from different tribes in the entire history of Pyrrhia to fall in love...
Fatespeaker at least seems nice. As for Deathbringer, I hope Starflight is able to take him with him when he escapes. Though, the more I think on Deathbringer and Glory, the more questions I have.
Clay has feeling for Peril, but I'm not sure they fully extend to love (though, she clearly loves him). Deathbringer is clearly in love with Glory - and Glory at least returns some of those feelings. But do dragons normally mate outside their tribe? If they do they can't really produce a half breed dragon. There are no half RainWing/half NightWing dragons running around. So do they favor one parent over the other? Like perhaps the mother (since she is the one to birth the egg)? Does one bloodline win out or do you get a mutt? And if the answer is mutt then why haven't we seen one? Glory and Deathbringer can't be the first two dragons from different tribes in the entire history of Pyrrhia to fall in love...
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