Chapter 60

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Grave robber

Moonwatcher stared in horror at the convulsing NightWing in front of her. She could do nothing but stare as the others shouted, as her mother, with tears in her eyes, beat against the smaller dragon’s chest with her own talons, trying so hard to figure out what was wrong. 

The seer’s were all staring with open mouths, all of them knowing what was happening. 

Prey’s mind was filled with panic, horror, and a rising awareness of just how little air he had left. He was still screaming though, as if he had no control over his own voice, his own lungs. As if those parts of him were now separate. 

His last thought echoed in Moon’s mind with a terrible finality as she saw that darkness, that emptiness that meant the hunter of prey was gone. Her mother felt it too, but she didn’t stop, she pressed his chest, trying oh so hard to keep a still heart beating. 

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It took several days before they moved onward, his death weighing heavily on their hearts. Secretkeeper and Moon orchestrated a simple battlefield funeral, laying his body beneath the stars the night after his passing and then burying it before the sun rose. The proceedings were the simplest, most sure way to make certain that the hunter of prey would be reborn as a NightWing. 

After he was returned to the earth, the rest of the group seemed to think it was okay to move onward. Moon didn’t see how they thought it would be okay, Preyhunter was dead. How could she go back home to a place that spoke of destiny and prophecies on a daily basis when apparently his destiny had been to die. 

She knew in theory that life wasn’t fair, but this was just… it was terrible. 

How could the world have let a soul as kind and amazing as Preyhunter’s leave this world without any choice in the matter? Whatever being sent prophecies to seers had neglected to find preyhunter important, and Moon was not alright with that. 

As the night wore on, she tried to let her mother give her comfort, but Secretkeeper was generally very bad at that, and she was still going through a spiral of doubts herself. Moon tried to block out the dragons around her, thoughts like, oh well, at least it wasn’t me. And poor tragic dragons. And too bad, hope my brother lives.

No one actually cared that prey was gone. They just cared that it hadn’t been them, sure they were sympathetic but really only one dragon besides Secretkeeper had any traces of real care. 

That part made Moon oh so irrationally angry. 

The one that really sent her over the edge though was Feirceteeth. She kept thinking things like, well it was worth it for the scroll. 

After she’d caught that thread of thought the first time, Moon glanced at Secretkeeper, who had also heard it. Can I… have some time alone?

Secretkeeper understood what she meant, how long?

Moon sighed and glanced down at her talons, I don’t know, but I can’t deal with this right now. I’ll go to the sand kingdom, or I heard there’s a city like Sanctuary to the north…

Secretkeeper gever her a thoughtful look, it might be good for you to go out in the world… stay safe? Please? Her mother knew there was no changing her mind.

Moon nodded, yes. I’ll be as safe as a sloth in the treetops. 

That morning, Moon left the group, having told no one besides her mother. She went north, past the mountains on the border to the sand kingdom and beyond. 

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Every vote gives moon a hug...

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