Syrupy secrets (info)[]
Syrupy secrets is a fanfiction written by the user Partypanda13579. It's an AU in which Clearsight was cursed with immortality, and is being held captive by the queen of the hivewings. There are several notable change-
OKAY I CAN'T TALK IN A REALLY FORMAL WAY, THIS IS MY P A S S I O N PROJECT!!!!
okayokayokay so basically the changes I've made from canon include:
- Most canon characters do not exist. Queen Wasp is replaced with the more morally grey Queen Tiger, and her sisters don't exist either. The protagonists are replaced with my own OCs (OHMYGOSH I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL YOU ABOUT THEM EEEEEEEEEEE) and Clearsight is the only character from canon.
- Hivewings with no venom who are descended DIRECTLY from Clearsight can, in some cases, develop the ability to see the future and/or read minds.
- Silkwings are treated with more respect, and are allowed to choose their own jobs and spouses. Discrimination against them is more subtle, and isn't the point of the story
- The tree wars didn't happen exactly as they did in the books. Queen Fairyfly (the predecessor of Queen Tiger) interrogated Clearsight about the Leafwings endlessly, believing that they were plotting against her and the Hivewings. Clearsight implored her not to go to war, and told her that the Leafwings weren't planning anything, but Fairyfly didn't believe a word. They went to war, and the Silkwings were caught in the crossfires. Queen Monarch (Yes, she still exists.) found out about Clearsight, and tried to start a jailbreak, but only managed to get into the prison for a few minutes before Clearsight warned her to get out. The only advice that she could say in time was what she believed was the most helpful. "Tell the Leafwings to get to the poison jungle. You all need to leave the hives. The Silkwings too." The Silkwings helped the Leafwings hide, moving in a crowd so that only the Silkwings would be seen. When the Leafwings were all into the jungle, the Silkwings were caught. Monarch was imprisoned, and later “taken care of”, and the silkwings lost most of their rights. Queen Tiger granted them the rights that they currently have, in order to earn more favor with them.
- A lot more, but you'll learn those in the actual fanfic!
Now that you know about the new Pantala, let's meet our cast of characters! (this list contains minor spoilers, but like- I can't explain the characters without mentioning what the story is ABOUT.)
Stingstripe - a Guardian. Stingstripe is very rude, standoffish and sarcastic. She believes that if she avoids getting close to anyone, and never allows herself to care about anything, that she'll get through life more easily. She's very smart, and glided through school very easily, with little to no effort. When confronted with the life-altering revelation of Clearsight's imprisonment, a choice must be made. Sometimes you have to let yourself care. Sometimes you have to let yourself try.
Lacey (Lacewing) - Lacey is a 5 year old flamesilk who went through metamorphosis a bit too early. She's very small, and her wings are quite thin and easily injured. Her larger than life personality more than makes up for what she calls "deceptive daintiness". She doesn't remember much from before being imprisoned, and is a bit ditzy. The chemicals that were used to keep the captured flamesilks "docile" left lasting effects of dizziness and confusion, but as the fog clears and more memories emerge, she realizes that her past is more complicated than she's been led to believe. Some memories are hard to relive, but the key to the future may lie within her past.
Honeypot - a Guardian who also works at the Candy shop, Honeypot is trying his best to manage the sticky situation. In his defense, It's pretty hard to:
- Hide flamesilks in the basement (A FELONY)
- Cope with the guilt of allowing such a majestic and kindly dragon to be imprisoned so cruelly
- Cope with the guilt of deciding NOT to allow such a majestic and kindly dragon to be imprisoned so cruelly
- Make a plan to free clearsight
AND at the same time figure out why he keeps hearing voices that match suspiciously with what other dragons say a few minutes later. He really needs a hug, and is trying his best.
(This character is NOT based on the rp character by the same name that is owned by @Longanberry on the canon wiki and was one of the characters originally planned for this fic)
Harp - one of the only Pyrrhian dragons! Well, a Pantalan/Pyrrhian hybrid. Harp is an Ice/silk who flew over from Pyrrhia. She’s a historian, and spent a lot of her time before migrating to Pantala in the ancient Nightwing Kingdom, looking for artifacts. She found one of Clearsight’s timeline journals, and followed the map to Pantala. She’s honestly only there for research, but unfortunately Tiger kidnapped her, demanding to know why she looked the way she did. She was raised in the Icewing kingdom, but is excited for a change of pace. Her entire life has been spent trying to learn about where her dad came from, and she isn't about to let a little kidnapping stop her.
Lightningbug - Honeypot’s brother, a temperamental temple guard. He’s very gruff, and attempts to avoid other dragons. Recently, his dreams-- No. Nightmares. Have seemed almost prophetic. As his visions of the future become more and more powerful, he’s faced with a terrifying decision. Should he tell everyone about what Tiger is planning? About the flamesilks and the Leafwings? About Clearsight? Or should he quietly allow his home to be ripped apart by untold secrets. And why hasn’t he had these visions before? Why is he the only one?
Beech - a quiet Leafwing, Beech is fond of daydreaming. He’s often lost in thought, usually needing to be yelled out of a daze by an annoyed teacher. He loves music, and is good at finding lost objects. He’s very kind to other dragons, and doesn’t worry too much about being found by Hivewings. They’re just dragons, right? But his youthful naivete is soon challenged when he’s chosen to be a part of a patrol that reveals secrets that even the queen would never dream that the Hivewings were capable of
Rhododendron - loud and easily excited, Rhododendron is always ready for a challenge. She loves sparring with her friends, and throws her best effort into everything she does. She’s best friends with Beech, surprisingly. I can’t come up with an edgy description of her character arc, she’s just a ray of sunshine who loves getting to help with the spying mission. She’s really good at sculpting. She struggles with setting boundaries due to her eagerness to help anyone with anything
Spicebush - Spicebush works at the candy shop, and is a very sassy dragon. She has a bit of a soft spot for dragonets, despite being overly critical of pretty much everything and everyone. She tries her best to keep her friends from getting into trouble, and cares a lot despite her usual rudeness.
Damselfly - Spicebush's adopted daughter, a hivewing and temple guard. She's mostly a background character, but I wanted to list her just to be thorough.
Sable - Calm, cool, and collected, that's Sable. She isn't fazed by much, and often talks about the most terrifying things as though they're completely normal. She loves reading horror novels, although she often needs to put them down halfway through out of frustration with the characters' idiocy. She's quite sassy, and always has something to say about the topic at hand. She's also Stingstripe's only friend.
Chapters will be released every week, on either Thursday or Friday. the first one will come out later today! If I write really fast I might treat y'all to two chapters a week, but we'll start s
2 CHAPTERS OUT NOW!!!!
Syrupy Secrets (the fanfic itself)[]
Chapter two[]
Stingstripe[]
Stingstripe was not exactly the most approachable dragon in the world. Nor was she the type of dragon that would care enough to notice how unapproachable she was.[]
She didn’t care about many things at all. School was one of those “many things at all”. Other dragons were responsible for a lot of those “many things at all” as well. Dragons were weird and unpredictable, sure. Worth Stingstripe’s time? Not really. Boring? Yep.
She pondered this fact as she meandered languidly about her home, brainstorming ideas to avoid the upcoming ceremony, preferably without her father noticing.
“Stringstripe, you need to be getting ready.” A voice rang out from several rooms away, disrupting the delightful procrastination of the evening. It was Stingstripe’s overbearing- albeit (debatably) well-meaning father.
Stingstripe didn’t know why she had to go to the Guardians’ ceremony. It was purely theatrical. Well, she did technically know, her father was insistent on their family being an “active and helpful part of the community”. But she didn’t know any of the dragons who would likely be chosen as Guardians of Clearsight.
She doubted that anyone could know them. Most of their lives had been spent frantically hoarding extracurriculars, volunteer hours, and good grades in order to even have the slightest chance at being one of the guardians. The only positive thought that she had about her attendance of the ceremony was that she’d get to see the crestfallen faces of those who weren’t chosen. It was a powerful sort of feeling, being allowed to experience a twisted sort of pity for those who looked down on her.
The Guardians, or Guardians of Clearsight, were assigned to honorably help all of Pantala by doing…something? Their duties were blurry and undefined. Many assumed that their job was to interpret the book, since the dragonets chosen every 20 years were usually the smartest. But, considering that a lot of them were bigger and stronger, some believed that they were meant to fend off some sort of terrifying outside threat. Perhaps Leafwings. A small but vocal group of Hivewings believed that the Guardians themselves could foretell the future.
Stingstripe definitely didn’t fit the criteria to be chosen, and the only friend that she did have didn’t either. Sable didn’t even make it into consideration, being a Silkwing. Meanwhile, Stingstripe herself skillfully evaded the attention of anyone who was anyone. She didn’t get bad grades, or get in trouble, but she consistently managed to use her natural intelligence to skate through life with the minimal amount of effort.
“Do I really have to come with you?” Stingstripe complained, dragging her talons, claws scraping against the steps as she descended the stairs to the living room. If she couldn’t convince her dad otherwise, she’d simply annoy him.
“Yes, and stop scuffing the floors. I’m sure you won’t want another task added to the moon of chores you’ll have to do if you don’t stop arguing.”
Stingstripe narrowed her eyes, tail flicking aggressively. “Fine. Sable will be there, apparently, so it won’t just be boring old dragons.” She shot a final glare behind her, and bounded out the door to make her way to the ceremony.
The treestuff path outside of her home wove itself throughout the hive. She hovered a few inches above the ground, keeping an eye on the gigantic crowd. Silkwings and Hivewings were all flying towards the temple. From a distance, wings, antennae, and tails seemed smushed together into some sort of kraken, the dragons indistinguishable from one another as they all tried to be the first one to arrive.
Stingstripe stretched her wings, allowing the sunlight to warm her scales before the flight at hand. She needed to hurry if she wanted to know who would be chosen. Then again, she didn’t want to, so she could wait for a bit. The silkwing dragonets and their parents were using the webs to make their way to the Choosing. There weren't quite as many dragons on the webs as in the air, but the journey was definitely slower.
As Stingstripe prepared to launch off of the bridge, she paused for a moment. Was that-..? Amid the crowd of overeager dragons, she saw a familiar face.
“Sable! C’mere!”
The gray and white silkwing turned to see who was talking, and her face lit up. “I haven’t seen you in months! Where have you been?”
“The Lost Kingdoms. Where do you think? My dad got started on all of that Hivewing superiority nonsense again, and thinks I should stop talking to you.” Stingstripe replied, rolling her eyes. “Do you need a ride to the ceremony? I notice that my isolation wasn’t long enough for you to sprout wings in my absence.”
Stingstripe’s father had never liked Sable. Her and Stingstripe had met because Sable’s mom was dragonetsitting to earn some extra scales on the side. She also didn’t mind that her social outcast daughter had found a friend just as weird. Unfortunately, Stingstripe’s father DID mind. He went from complaining that she didn’t socialize enough to criticizing her only friend in the blink of an eye, and periodically filled all of her time with chores in order to keep her away from the other dragonet. Apparently Sable wasn’t ‘worthy’ enough.
Sable blinked. “Sure. We should find a seat farther away from the action so that we can catch up on what’s been happening, though. Your dad really needs someone to talk sense into him. Like maybe the Basilisk of Silence Hollow. And that talk needs to involve a lot of eye contact.” she grinned.
Stingstripe groaned. “I can’t keep track of all the monsters from the books you’re reading, which one was that?” Sable had always loved horror novels. The more gruesome, the better.
“...Only the star of the BEST book EVER ! It can turn a dragon to stone with a single glare!” Sable answered, orange eyes gleaming.
“Ah. Alright. I get it. But considering that he’s lived this long with a HEART of stone, that wouldn’t do much.”
The two bantered for a while, until Stingstripe noticed a steady decrease in the number of dragons flying overhead.
“Let’s head there now, or we might not be able to snag a seat at ALL.” She suggested, gesturing towards the temple in the distance. The oak and quartz speckled building was surrounded by eager visitors.
“Sounds good, bu-” Sable said, getting caught off guard by Stingstripe suddenly lifting her off of the ground, wings buzzing. “You could’ve warned me, snail-face.”
They zoomed towards the temple, landing in the seating area towards the back of the outside of the building. The elegant building had a majestically swooping roof, and the oaken exterior glistened with flecks of quartz that shined like stars. Any other dragon would be swooning with appreciation for the architecture and beauty, and talking about how great Clearsight was.
But Stingstripe had never understood what was so special about a dragon being able to see the future; her own life was as monotonous as possible. Every day was predictable. It wasn’t fun exactly, but she took pride in knowing that the dragon whose legacy inspired this annoying gathering wouldn’t have been special at all nowadays. Except for the Guardians, everyone here would leave, and it wouldn’t matter the next day. Nothing would change. Nothing at all.
Right?
Chapter two[]
Stingstripe[]
Stingstripe watched as Queen Tiger flung open the doors of the temple, emerging dramatically. Her voice seemed to boom across all of the hives, and it was likely possible for it to reach even to the dragons left behind on the bottom layers of the towering structures. She stood at a wooden podium adorned with gems, two amethyst shards seeming to stare out of the front like eyes. Stingstripe wondered if they were meant to mimic Clearsight’s allegedly purple eyes.
“My loyal subjects,” she began, addressing the entire crowd. “I welcome you here today to congratulate five new Guardians of Clearsight. Five new dragonets chosen to preserve the knowledge of Clearsight’s vision of prosperity for all of Pantala. But first, we must offer our sincere appreciation to our current- well, I suppose, former, Guardians.”
Five tired looking dragons came through the temple doors, eyes darting to look at the entire crowd, seemingly expecting an attack. They each seemed to be about 25 years old, and their claws tapped nervously on the blue carpet that stretched out of the temple’s entrance.
“These dragons have dutifully advised our kingdoms for the past twenty years, They have dedicated their lives to their role, and we must offer our thanks.” the queen continued.
A cheer boomed from the crowd. “Thank you, Guardians.” Although no one knew exactly what these dragons were meant to have been DOING, they trusted Tiger implicitly. This was obviously a problem, if you asked Stingstripe. What if their queen told them to jump off a cliff with their wings tied behind their back? Would they obey? What was the point in loyalty, if it only led to hollow responses devoid of meaning. Well, her life was arguably hollow and devoid of meaning, but it was a choice. A method.
“But now their job is done. We must all make way for five new dragonets to take up this role. Of course, our former Guardians will be compensated with enough scales to support them for the rest of their days, as is expected. Their new role will be as occasional advisors to our new Guardians, who for the next year will be Guardians in training.”
Stingstripe rolled her eyes. Their compensation was obviously only because they had never been trained to do anything else. They probably just sat in a cave all day eating honeydrops. Sable noticed the dismissive gesture and gave a glare of mock disapproval, before falling victim to a fit of (mostly) silent giggles.
The queen gestured towards the seating area. “Go ahead.” she said to the former guardians, watching as they made their way to sit with family and friends, evidently very relieved to be free. “Now, let the real ceremony begin!”
Queen Tiger reached into a box next to the podium, pulling out a small scroll. “Our new Guardians have been carefully selected based on integrity, participation, and wisdom.” she gazed at the crowd, focus lingering on several hopeful candidates, who had spent years trying to be chosen. Noticing the attention, their faces brightened, although some seemed apprehensive.
“My first selection is a shy, sweet, and mild-mannered dragonet. I’ve yet to meet someone who’s witnessed him utter even a single unkind word, and he routinely brightens everyone's day. He’s always followed the rules, but is quick to do what’s right, no matter what, even if he may hesitate.” She drew out her description, building suspense. “Our first Guardian of Clearsight for this generation is…Honeypot!”
A few feet away from Stingstripe, a pale yellow dragonet blinked rapidly, seeming confused. His golden brown wings buzzed nervously. He had golden brown stripes across his snout, talons, and tail, as well as black and white freckles all across his body. He looked around, making sure that he hadn’t been mistaken for someone else, and proceeded to fly towards the temple, his expression displaying pride and apprehension blending with confusion.
Stingstripe was stunned. Honeypot hadn’t even been TRYING to be a Guardian. Not that she had taken the time to notice exactly, but she thought that she knew most of the prospective candidates. A murmur ran through the crowd, and confusion was abound, so she could probably guess that her failure to notice had nothing to do with her general lack of concern. Well, that was odd. According to her father, there was always a wild card or two. Nothing to worry about. She didn’t care one way or another, but analysis was always more interesting than a mind-numbingly boring ceremony.
The queen smiled at Honeypot, and continued her spiel. “The second guardian is one that I don’t doubt that you saw coming. She’s always strived for perfection, and participates diligently in community activities.” Stingstribe groaned inwardly. She was obviously referring to Warble. She was smart, always the top of the class. She wondered how someone in such a position of power could choose such a snobby, stuck up, bullying brat for something regarded as an honor. Stingstripe remembered her disdain for the proceedings, and looked away from the queen, trying to ignore the ceremony.
“Our second guardian is…Warble!” The queen said, unnecessarily, considering how many dragons would’ve bet their lives on Warble being chosen. Warble, a white (although, she was likely just a really pale yellow) dragonet with black rosettes and an oddly spiky tail, seemed absolutely ecstatic. Good for her.
“For our third Guardian, it took some time to decide between two dragonets, both equally promising. Our final choice is a studious young dragon. He’s fairly quiet, and is quick to help anyone in need. The third Guardian is…Skipjack!” The queen called out into the crowd. The brownish orange and black Hivewing flew over to the temple, calm and collected, acting as if he was expecting to be chosen the entire time. Stingstripe didn’t know Skipjack very well, but according to Sable he was ‘handsome’. Blegh. He acted like he was better than everyone else, never talking to anyone. Well, she couldn’t judge.
“The fourth Guardian was an instant decision, and it was without question that we would choose him” That was odd, Warble seemed to be the only sure choice. But Stingstripe didn’t know much about the clique of dragons who all thought that they had a chance. “My choice for the next Guardian is a very serious dragon. He can do what needs to be done without any beating around the bush. He’s always been reliable as a source of information without bias, and he’s never defied a direct order.” The queen took a deep breath, seeming pensive. “The fourth guardian chosen today will be…Karaku- Wait, am I pronouncing this right? Karakurt!.” A black dragon with red spots flew towards the temple, landing daintily. He sat smugly, tail curled around him. He seemed mildly annoyed at the mispronunciation, tail flicking. He showcased his venomous fangs with an eerie smirk.
Stingstripe blinked. Karakurt was never known as one of the ‘smart’ ones, and wasn’t an overacheiver like many of the others. All that she knew was that he was mean. Other dragonets panicked to avoid him in the schoolyard. He had once threatened to push Sable off of the webs, and had only been punished with a slap on the wrist. Their standards have dropped, I see. She thought, orange eyes narrowed.
The queen looked at Karakurt, holding his gaze for a long moment before snapping her attention back to the scroll. “Our fifth and final choice today was pondered over very carefully. The fifth dragonet chosen is usually the one that ends up being the leader of the pack, so to speak. The one who innovates. The smartest. Someone special. We have chosen a dragon whose intelligence and resourcefulness allow her to get through anything. A dragon whose insights aren’t always appreciated, but are usually accurate.” Stingstripe allowed her attention to wander. What would she do after the ceremony? Maybe she’d run off to the nearby candy shop with sable, get some chocolate, and play 20 questions like the good old days. “The fifth Guardian will be…Stingstripe!”
What?
She flew towards the temple, orange scales gleaming in the sun. A beam of light reflected off of the black outlined golden orange stripes on her talons, briefly blinding her. Her wings buzzed as she flew unsteadily, eventually landing next to Honeypot, purposefully avoiding Karakurt. She sat there, mind reeling. What was happening? Why her? She wasn’t exceptional, she wasn’t special- The thing about “insights”? She would sometimes guess things about other dragons for fun, and-
She stood there, frozen in place, eyes wide. Stingstripe’s face was usually stuck looking mildly shocked, with a gold-orange starburst pattern around one eye, and the black outline of one on the other. But now, faced with actual surprise, pure, blood-curdling alarm, she looked almost like a caricature. A clown.
As the queen made her final speech, the crowds seemed to thin out. She took a deep breath, preparing to dismiss the ceremony. “Thank you all for being here today. Goodbye. Remember to wish luck to our new Guardians. Clearsight smiles upon you.” She seemed to be rushing everyone out of the area.
The queen looked at the new guardians, a spark in her eyes. Stingstripe could tell that she was planning something. Something that no one would expect. She glanced behind her, making eye contact with Sable for a fleeting moment. Something in her friend’s face seemed to clearly convey, despite the distance, the words “Good luck out there.” The spotted silkwing made her way to the webs.
Warble stood up straight. “Thank you for choosing me for this great honor, your majesty. I can assure you that we are all gratefu-”
The rest of the guardians immediately chimed in with thanks, Stingstripe a few seconds two late. Karakurt pronounced the words very exaggeratedly, seeming to believe that he was surrounded by dragons incapable of detecting mockery. Honeypot thanked her very genuinely, smiling ear-to-ear. He seemed so thrilled to be recognized for something, and was walking with a spring in his step. Skipjack bowed his head slightly, his voice only a mumble.
Queen Tiger’s jaw tightened slightly, and her tail twitched. She spoke in a quite nonchalant tone, talons gesturing dismissively. “No need to thank me. This is just a job. It’s pretty honorable, but it’s not like we’ve crowned you as the new princesses and princes of the Hivewings.” Stingstripe fought back the urge to laugh, despite the situation. Queen Tiger continued. ”The ceremony is all bells and whistles, something to please the kingdom. You don’t have to talk all formal, and you don’t have to call me “your majesty” or “Queen Tiger”. Just Tiger.”
Warble blinked. “Yes, your- I mean, okay, alright, coolio, Tiger, my dude. I mean-”
“That’ll do for now.” Tiger snickered, and looked at the other Guardians. “I suppose that you’ll be wanting to know what you’re meant to do, exactly. What your job is.”
She nodded towards the doors of the temple. “Follow me.” The Guardians-in-training followed Tiger, steps tentative. Well, except for Stingstripe. Her talons always seemed to refuse to obey her orders whenever she was anywhere that demanded more respect than a sleazy restaurant that you’d visit while lost between the hives, and that never legally existed. She tripped over her claws and fell flat on her face, prompting a chuckle from Karakurt and a helpful outstretched talon from Honeypot.
“Thanks,” she said, despite getting up on her own.
Skipjack turned around to face her, being a place ahead in line. “Are you alright?” he asked.
“I’m fine, I’ve survived more than a stumble-”
The group continued on their way, Tiger in the lead, with Warble following behind as eagerly as a duckling following its mother, Karakurt behind her, and Skipjack, Stingstripe, and Honeypot in the back.
Eventually, they reached their grand destination. The place that they’d been waiting to see for their entire lives. The place that was central to their training, and their lives after this point.
Stingstripe said it first: “A…wall?”
Honeypot blinked rapidly, looking at Tiger and then at the wall in front of him. “I think it’s a door…”
“I would ask how you knew that, if your precocity wasn’t the reason that I chose you.” Tiger remarked, looking down at Honeypot. He glanced away, embarrassed. “Now, there’s still a chance to bow out, if you don’t think that you’re ready. We can cope with four Guardians, or even three. We can even choose new ones. But once you step through this door, you’ll be sworn to secrecy, pledging allegiance to this role for the next twenty years.”
Karakurt rolled his eyes behind Tiger’s back. Warble stood up straighter than before, and her eyes narrowed. She seemed to be telling herself, as well as the others, that she could handle this. Skipjack was grimly determined, his face set in stone. Honeypot looked absolutely terrified, but showed no sign of giving in. Stingstripe, however, had never wanted this, had never cared enough to even wonder if she wanted it. Maybe this would be the thing she would care about,
Stingstripe shook her head rapidly. She couldn’t think like this. A chance to get out of this mess had presented itself, and she was going to take it. She had to take it. But she had been chosen as the fifth guardian. Tiger thought that she would be the “leader of the pack”. That Stingstripe would be the most innovative, the most…special. Someone saw something in her. Apathetic Stingstripe, lazy Stingstripe, had been CHOSEN for something other than an unwanted chore. This was something that other dragonets would’ve killed for, and she wasn’t about to give those idiots a chance to snatch it up.
“I’m ready.” She said, in unison with the others, as the queen took a deep breath, opened the door, and presented what they had been chosen to be the only ones allowed to see, allowed to know about, assigned to protect.
They all descended a quartz staircase. The area grew darker as they went downwards, with flamesilk lanterns becoming more sparse as they continued. Just as it seemed like they would be trapped there forever, they reached another door. It was tall, made of oak wood with flecks of gold. There was a loopy silver handle, intricately carved with engravings of eyes, wings, and books.
Tiger nodded towards the door. “Go ahead. You can come out and ask me if you have any questions.”
Without even stopping to think, Stingstripe stepped forward, grasping the handle and pulling it towards herself, sprinting through, and plunging herself into this room where everything would change, into chaos. The room was massive, black walls decorated with glowing flamesilk. The floor was cold and bumpy-
No, those were…chains? Was there someone in here? Stingstripe looked up from the floor, eyes darting, alert for any threat. She unsheathed her tail stinger, flicking it dangerously. And that’s when she saw her.
A massive black dragon, with purple, tired eyes gazed up at Stingstripe from the corner of the room. “Oh. Hello. ” she said, smoothly. “I would invite you in, but I see that you’ve already made yourself comfortable. I hope you don’t mind if I don’t make you tea.” she gestured to the chains on her wrists.
Stingstripe froze, and there were several audible gasps from the other Guardians in training, behind her. Clearsight was chained up in the basement of the temple. Had she not been paying attention in the yearly field trip? She was sure that Clearsight was revered, adored, several other verbs in the past tense that she was too alarmed to think of.
Warble spoke up. “Are you…Clearsight?”
The black dragon’s face softened. “Oh, Warble-” Clearsight (if that was who she really was) seemed to be…looking at the future? Her eyes glazed over, and she looked somber.
“How do you know my name?” The black and white hivewing squeaked, trembling. That was odd. The most cold, calm dragon in all of Pantala was putting up a facade all along. She was scared.
“I am Clearsight. The one that you’ll have the honor of keeping imprisoned for the next twenty years, if you ask your queen.” Everyone was silent, hanging on every word. “Although, this one’s a bit squeamish. Not that I’m complaining, she’s humane enough to have removed the chains on my snout, and I can talk again. She’ll probably tell you that I’m in danger or something like that. Wings above, why does no one ever interpret the name literally.”
Honeypot stepped through the door, eyes wide. He looked like a lost puppy. “Who would do this?”
Clearsight’s tail swished, expression darkening. “You’d be surprised”, she stated.
A/N:
Phew, that was a long one! I was going to cut it in half, but realized that nothing was happening in this one, and went HYPER ZOOM ZOOM FAST mode.
I realized that I had never ended up describing Stingstripe or Sable in much detail, so there's some description snuck in. It would've been in the first chapter, but by the time I realized, it was already posted.
Our main cast of characters for this portion of the fic has been introduced! A lot of these guys will be very important later on.
A fun piece of trivia for y'all:
Warble is meant to take the place of a scrapped character, which was an ice/silk hybrid, but then I realized that Silkwings probably wouldn't be able to be guardians, and an Icewing would be impossible. But I already had a picture in my mind, so Warble is a mostly white HiveWing with black rosettes and she's SO pretty and I love her <3 she's a little brat but she's my little brat.
There'll be a post with some random rambling about characters and trivia soon, since this actually has a lot of history! stay tuned!
Oh, I almost forgot- So that I don't give y'all whiplash, I should let you know that the next few chapters will focus on some other characters, and it'll all circle back to Stingstripe and the other Guardians in about 4 chapters. Don't worry though, it's the same plot! It just offers some exciting new angles and AAAAAAAAA I can't wait to share it with everyone <3