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| Cover artist | Joy Ang |
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| Published | June 28, 2016 |
| Page count | 400 |
| ISBN | 9781338053616 (hardcover) 9781338053623 (paperback) |
Darkstalker is the first book in the Legends series. It features Darkstalker, Clearsight, and Fathom as its point-of-view characters.
Prologue
In his room, Arctic brainstormed animus enchantment ideas with a first-circle IceWing whose name he forgot. Near the end of their talk, he realized she was Snowflake, his betrothed, arranged by his mother. They stepped onto the balcony, meeting a chatty NightWing watching the sunset, struggling to stay warm. She rambled about the cold and the scenery’s beauty until an annoyed Snowflake left. Alone with the NightWing, who revealed her name as Foeslayer, Arctic talked with her extensively. After her complaints about the cold persisted, he enchanted a diamond earring to keep her warm, gifting it to her despite the IceWing animus rule limiting magic to one grand tribal gift. Arctic later fled the Ice Kingdom with Foeslayer.
Part 1
In the SeaWing palace, young dragonets, including Prince Fathom and his friend Indigo, lined up on the beach for an animus test conducted by Fathom’s grandfather, Albatross, under Queen Lagoon’s orders. Skeptical, Albatross tested them with coconuts; Fathom’s accidentally broke several of Albatross’s ribs, revealing his animus powers. Albatross reluctantly congratulated him.
Darkstalker’s earliest memory was inside his egg, hearing his parents, Arctic and Foeslayer, argue about thrice-moonborn dragonets. A NightWing, Foreseer, predicted Darkstalker’s hatching on the brightest night. As Foeslayer moved his and his sister’s egg to a high, stable spot, their argument intensified. Sensing danger in a vision of frozen claws and blood, Darkstalker cracked his egg to protect his mother. He identified Arctic as his father, hating him despite Arctic’s love for Foeslayer. Exploring his precognition, Darkstalker saw powerful futures with his sister but chose not to summon her with animus magic, wanting Foeslayer’s full affection. Foeslayer named him Darkstalker, overriding Arctic’s objections, who named his sister Whiteout, later favoring her.
Days after the test, Albatross summoned Fathom to the Island Palace’s sunset beach, revealing the Summer Palace. Fathom suggested enchanting plants for a canopy, but Indigo, spying, was caught. Albatross threatened punishment, but Indigo’s concern for Fathom made him relent. Fathom secretly enchanted a piece of wood into a living octopus, gifting it to Indigo, who named it Blob.
In her library study, Clearsight recorded visions when her father urged her to worry less. She pondered the looming Royal SeaWing Massacre, then agreed to start school at three. She worked on a timeline scroll for future events, accepting a likely path with Darkstalker.
Darkstalker, returning home from hunting, overheard his parents’ argument in front of Whiteout. Arctic revealed a message from Diamond offering amnesty if he killed his dragonets, escalating tensions.
At an Island Palace party with SkyWings Sunset and Eagle, Lagoon boasted about her animus dragons, angering the guests. Albatross, disagreeing with Lagoon’s enchantment plans, was threatened with replacement by Fathom. Enraged, Albatross slit Lagoon’s throat, starting the massacre.
Clearsight, preparing for school, avoided Darkstalker. Flying, she foresaw the massacre and Fathom’s grim futures. In her seer class, she outshone others, realizing it wouldn’t help her. She worried about Allknowing’s envy.
During the massacre, Fathom thought Albatross’s act was accidental until he killed Sunset, injured Eagle, and slew Fathom’s parents and cousin. Hiding, Fathom was found by Albatross, but Indigo intervened. Fathom killed Albatross with magic and healed Indigo’s near-fatal wound, fearing he’d become like his grandfather.
Clearsight, free from Allknowing’s class, met Listener in Room 3A. Whiteout asked if she was Darkstalker’s awaited dragon; Clearsight confirmed, noting Whiteout’s trust. Waiting under a tree, Clearsight met Darkstalker after he defended Whiteout from bullies. Overwhelmed by visions, she returned to reality, and Darkstalker promised not to read her mind.
In a cave from her visions, Clearsight asked about Darkstalker’s IceWing heritage and first spell—a scavenger doll for Whiteout. They met Current, a massacre survivor, and helped him. Darkstalker enchanted a scroll to hold his powers.
Post-massacre, Fathom, Indigo, and Pearl survived among SeaWings, with Eagle alive from the SkyWings. Queen Pearl banned animus magic, and Fathom lied, saying Indigo killed Albatross, swearing off magic and dragonets. Pearl assigned Indigo to the Royal Guard, leaving Fathom in pain.
Darkstalker showed Clearsight his enchanted scroll, revealing a painting of her. They enchanted a moonstone bracelet, a temperature-regulating blanket, and a self-reading history scroll. Arctic discovered Darkstalker’s animus powers, leading to a tense exchange. Clearsight’s prophecy for Arctic prompted her to take the scroll for safety.
A year later, Queen Pearl sent Fathom to the Night Kingdom to warn Darkstalker about animus dangers, with Indigo, Lionfish, and Wharf accompanying him, despite Fathom’s guilt.
Part 2
Two months after Arctic learned Darkstalker was an animus, the tribe celebrated him as their first. Darkstalker, Arctic, and Foeslayer attended a SeaWing welcoming party at the Night Palace, leaving Whiteout behind. Queen Vigilance introduced Darkstalker to Fathom, who was anxious, accompanied by Indigo and other guards. Sensing Fathom’s unease, Darkstalker suggested a soul reader enchantment. He proposed enchanting an earring to ease Fathom’s worries, but Indigo threatened him with a knife. Fathom calmed her, and Darkstalker, sparing her, showed them the palace.
Clearsight and Listener planned to free scavengers, stuffing them into sacks and releasing them at North Beach. An IceWing ate one, and Clearsight’s vision revealed an impending invasion.
Back at the palace, Indigo searched for threats while Fathom called himself the danger due to his magic. Indigo reassured him, sparking a conversation.
At sunrise, Darkstalker enchanted himself invulnerable, testing it with a dagger. He then crafted a soul reader, inspired by Fathom.
Clearsight warned Queen Vigilance of an IceWing invasion at North Beach during the next two new moons. Impressed, Vigilance named her top seer. Darkstalker showed the soul reader, insisting it cost little of his soul. Indigo blocked his attempt to read Fathom’s soul, but Fathom allowed it.
Weeks later, Fathom’s bond with Darkstalker and Clearsight grew. Darkstalker left the soul reader for Fathom, but Indigo suspected manipulation. Darkstalker, overhearing, called her paranoid, revealing he’d tested it on Arctic, confirming his suspicions. Fathom’s test showed no change, and Darkstalker jokingly dismissed evil concerns.
At Clearsight’s, she worked on IceWing maneuver reports. Darkstalker reminded her of her Hatching Day, and they celebrated in a forest with fruit and fire. Darkstalker gifted Dreamvisitors to connect them forever. Clearsight foresaw Foeslayer in danger, and they left Fathom, who kept his Dreamvisitor.
Darkstalker learned Foeslayer, after fighting Arctic, discarded her enchanted earring and flew off. A paper enchantment showed her heading to the IceWing camp, likely summoned by Queen Diamond’s magic. Darkstalker wanted to kill Diamond, but Clearsight warned of Snowfox’s potential NightWing genocide. Blaming Arctic, Darkstalker grieved Foeslayer’s loss.
Clearsight researched animus magic in the library. Queen Vigilance ordered Darkstalker to propose war-ending enchantments, like a stick to kill all IceWings. They settled on an invisible shield to kill intruding IceWings. Clearsight confronted Darkstalker, noting their bright futures fading. He pleaded to focus on remaining paths.
At dinner, Clearsight discussed her seer powers with Fathom. Darkstalker invited him to watch a lightning storm, but Indigo objected. Fathom gave Darkstalker an Indigo-like carving. When Indigo broke Fathom’s goblet, suspecting a spell, Darkstalker denied it, mistakenly calling her “Violet.” Fathom trusted him.
Fathom watched the storm with Wharf, not Indigo. Returning, he found Indigo gone, with a letter in her handwriting—held by the carving—saying she left for safety. Shocked, Fathom kept the carving despite Darkstalker’s brief hesitation, convincing himself Indigo was safer without animus magic.
Part 3
At a game pavilion, Clearsight, Listener, Darkstalker, Fathom, and Whiteout played scales-and-squares. Clearsight noticed Arctic watching from the shadows before a dragon, ]]Quickdeath]], stabbed Darkstalker’s heart. His invulnerability spell saved him, and Lionfish, Fathom’s guard, killed the attacker. Darkstalker, hiding his spell, claimed the spear missed. Listener disagreed, and Clearsight, unsure, demanded to know who hired Quickdeath. Thoughtful identified him, and Darkstalker vowed to find the culprit.
Privately, Clearsight confronted Darkstalker about his survival, and he admitted to the invulnerability spell. Fathom, scared, was urged by Clearsight to learn about Darkstalker’s scroll, which appeared in both good and bad futures. Darkstalker suspected Arctic, confronting him at home where Whiteout, acting oddly, wore a glass seashell necklace. Arctic denied involvement, and a parchment enchantment revealed another dragon hired Quickdeath.
Clearsight awoke with a headache from nightmares of Darkstalker’s evil. Spotting Queen Vigilance and Allknowing in the palace garden, she learned Allknowing, despite being fired, prophesied Darkstalker would kill the queen. Vigilance doubted Clearsight’s defense, suspecting her earrings were enchanted. Removing them, Clearsight saw terrible futures and realized Vigilance hired Quickdeath. She fled, telling Fathom, who questioned Darkstalker’s forgiveness of Indigo.
As Clearsight warned Darkstalker against killing Vigilance, they shared a vision of Arctic taking Whiteout to the Ice Kingdom. Flying to the Kingdom of Sand, Fathom saw dead IceWings at the NightWing border, killed by Darkstalker’s shield. Darkstalker enchanted a beetle to remove Arctic’s protective earring and a dagger to stab his foot. They found Arctic, who planned to trade Whiteout to Queen Diamond for Foeslayer. Darkstalker silenced Arctic with a spell and discovered Whiteout was enchanted.
At the Great Diamond, Darkstalker forced Arctic to confess he’d trade Whiteout and a NightWing map for Foeslayer. Horrified, the crowd watched as Darkstalker ordered Arctic to mutilate himself, killing him. Whiteout revealed Clearsight took the scroll and awaited Darkstalker at Agate Mountain.
Clearsight, with Listener, urged dragons to flee the Night Kingdom if danger arose. She gave Fathom the scroll to stop Darkstalker, enchanting her moonstone bracelet to affect only him. Fathom discovered Darkstalker’s invisible ink spells, including one trapping Indigo in a carving. Using his magic, Fathom restored Indigo, confessing his love, and they fled.
At Agate Mountain, Darkstalker confronted Clearsight for stealing his scroll. She predicted an earthquake would collapse the mountain, a metaphor for his fall. As he grew angry, Clearsight slipped the enchanted bracelet onto him, putting him to sleep. She sealed him in a cave with boulders, awaiting the earthquake. Recalling a dream of a lost continent, Clearsight embraced a future as an explorer, free to shape her destiny.
Epilogue
Five years after Darkstalker’s defeat, Indigo watched her three dragonets, Clearpool, Ripple, and Cowrie play noisily with Blob, their pet octopus. They begged for stories, including one about villains. Indigo, uneasy, admitted some dragons were truly bad and needed stopping. Fathom countered that no dragon was entirely evil. Indigo hinted at knowing a villain—Darkstalker—without naming him. When the dragonets pressed for details, she deferred, saying they’d learn when older. Alone with Fathom, she reassured him he’d saved Pyrrhia by stopping Darkstalker, urging him to embrace their happiness.