Hello again everyone!!! I was so happy reading all your replies on chapter one and felt super motivated to keep writing!! I locked in and finished chapter two as soon as possible!! The first four chapters are just introducing the main characters and some of the plot, soon everything will start coming together! Next chapter might take a little longer to come out, though. Anyways, hope you enjoy!! ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.☪ .* :☆ﾟ. “Torment!” A brusque voice thundered from the neighboring chamber of the cave Torment resided in. She grimaced. She had always hated her name. And dealing with her father, Strongmind, was never pleasant. Nonetheless, the brawny NightWing stood up and routinely made her way towards the hollering. “Father.” She dipped her head in address of the glowering charcoal black dragon who glared down at her with obvious irritation. “Torment, Morrowstalker is arriving later today with an… important task for you.” Her father looked away from her as he spoke. Torment knew that Morrowstalker made her father just as uneasy as he made her. Despite being her uncle, Morrowstalker was as far away from being his family as a venomous snake a rat’s. “You’ve no need to fear,” He looked at Torment, sensing her nervousness. “This is good news! Morrowstalker is giving you a chance to prove yourself!” That did not sound like good news. In fact, that was worse than what she’d originally thought. Torment’s family was in an…. unsavory business. Almost her entire bloodline were assassins. All for the honor of the NightWings, of course, but when your family name is drenched in blood, not many dragons wish to correlate with you. Her father always told her that those who disapproved were not true loyal NightWings, but Torment knew they avoided them for a very justifiable reason. Torment had evaded soiling her claws for as long as possible, but she always knew she’d eventually have to complete this right of passage. “Hey,” A familiar voice interrupted her dreary thoughts. her sister, Perception, had flown through the cave opening, violet eyes surveying the room, searching for the next subject of her biting sarcasm. Her eyes locked on Torment, as they usually did, and she sneered. “Morrowstalker’s here. He wants to see you.” Torment steeled herself and stepped out of the cave, finding her uncle standing to the side, overlooking the ledge. His piercing yellow eyes narrowed as he caught her gaze, raising a talon and beckoning her to walk closer. Torment obeyed, trudging towards him and exhaling to prepare herself for what he might say. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke. “So.,” His voice was gruff, and seemed to hold within it years of barely suppressed ire. “I take it you know what I’m here to tell you.” He did not phrase it as a question, even if Torment didn’t know he would not stop to explain. “I have a job for you.” Torment swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry despite the mental preparation she had undergone for this day. “Your target is an Icewing. Not just a random one, she is one of the queen’s right-claw dragons.” Torment looked up, despite the matter-of-fact way Morrowstalker told her the target, she still felt incredibly uneasy. A high profile dragon for her first kill would not be an easy task. How would she even manage to make it all the way to the Icewing kingdom, sneak into the palace, and complete the task without freezing to death at the border or straight up killed by a guard? Morrowstalker seemed to sense her mind’s turmoil, as he began to explain the scheme. “Your target will be vulnerable, and most importantly; unguarded. Our intel tells us that she is attending a place called Jade Mountain Academy.”
Torment eyes narrowed in confusion. “Isn’t Jade Mountain Academy for dragonets? Why would she be going there?” She finally managed to ask. Morrowstalker’s mouth twitched up in what could have been irritation or twisted amusement. “She is a dragonet. She’s around your age.” Torment’s heart sank even further. She was going to have to kill a dragonet like her? Killing an adult dragon was one thing, but it seemed even more appalling to even consider ending a dragonet’s life. “I don’t want to kill a dragonet.” she told him simply. Morrowstalker eyed her with fiery indignation in his eyes at being contested, but he did not lash out. Instead, a serpentine expression crossed his face, and he opened his mouth to speak in a tone dripping with condescension false pity. “I know it must seem… difficult when faced with a situation like this, but this is important. It’s our family’s one chance to get back in the good graces of the queen. What’s one dragonet compared to our legacy?” Torment sighed, she had heard this a million times. Her family had once been royal assassins, until a failed job soiled their name, and they were disgraced by the queen, forced to reside in the outskirts of the kingdom, taking jobs beneath their dignity. For years, attempts were made to reacquaint themselves with the queen’s goodwill, but thus far, all were futile. “Don’t you want to do this for your family?” Morrowstalker inquired. Despite his even tone, Torment saw danger in his gaze. “Even if you don’t do it, someone else will. There would still be the same outcome, besides the fact you would be disavowed from our family, for your failure to take responsibility. And no one wants that, do they? Don’t you want to make us proud?” For a moment, Morrowstalker simply stared at her, gaze dark. Torment felt herself cracking under those eyes and the ultimatum he had given her. She heaved a tired breath, and gave her answer. “Alright, uncle. I’ll do it.” Morrowstalker smiled, although it looked more like an animal baring its teeth to her, and gave his reply. “Excellent. You’re making the right decision.” He told her, although they both knew she didn’t have much of a choice. Torment had dozens more questions raging through her head like an approaching thunderstorm, but she settled on one; “How am I supposed to get into the academy?” Morrowstalker sneered in amusement. “Simple. You will be attending Jade Mountain Academy yourself. Once you have acclimated, you will find your target, finish the job, and fly home.” Torment didn’t hear the rest of what he said, her mind stuck on the first sentence. They were sending her to the academy?! Like as a student? She couldn’t wrap her head around it. She stood there, still as a statue before managing to choke out her next words. “I don’t want to go to the academy!” she protested. She would have said more had she not been so flabbergasted. Morrowstalker’s expression turned to one of mirth at her angry outburst. “We all have to do things we don’t want, Torment.” He told her. She could practically feel the smugness radiating off of his scales. Without giving her a second glance, he reached into a small bag he was carrying, taking out a crooked knife and a piece of paper. He handed both to her, and turned around one last time. “Study your target, your father will fill you in on the details of our plan. You leave in a week.” Without giving her the chance to answer, he spread his wings and took flight, leaving Torment behind. For what felt like hours, Torment stared at the knife in her claws, and then her gaze turned to the piece of paper. On it was a simple sketch of an Icewing, with some information about her, but that didn’t catch Torment’s eye. She instead read the dragon’s name over and over, dead silent and filled with an increasing dread. Moonstone. ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.☪ .* :☆ﾟ. First: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1142280007/ Next: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1298438353/
