Moonlit Rebellion

Chapter Two

“To hatch a dragon is not to win. It is to be chosen. The egg judges the soul more than the soul chooses the egg.”

— Instructor Selien, Light Element

Soft candlelight spilled across Skye’s bedroom, illuminating the scattered remnants of a life she was preparing to leave behind.

Beyond the open balcony doors, the ocean stretched into the darkness, its restless waves catching the last traces of moonlight. Salt and damp stone filled the air, accompanied by the distant cries of nocturnal creatures from the forests below.

Skye stood barefoot on the balcony, her hands resting against the cold stone railing.

She had been there for hours.

King Thalion’s words continued to circle her mind, each repetition tightening the knot in her stomach.

Rhylar Thornshield is coming.

She had spent four years preparing for Scaleborn Academy. Four years of combat training, elemental studies, and sleepless nights imagining the moment she would finally leave Nightshade behind. She had dreamed of choosing her own path and proving herself worthy of the royal blood running through her veins.

Never had she imagined her departure would come with the threat of war hanging over her kingdom.

Skye tilted her head toward the horizon, watching the darkness give way to delicate streaks of pink and orange. Dawn approached, painting the ocean in colors so beautiful they almost made her forget the uncertainty waiting beyond the castle walls.

Almost.

A faint sound came from behind her.

Skye turned sharply, one hand instinctively lifting as amber light flickered across her fingertips.

Then she relaxed.

A small girl stood in the doorway, watching her with wide, icy-blue eyes. Golden-white hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, catching the candlelight until it seemed almost luminous.

Luna.

Skye’s younger sister.

“What are you doing in here?” Skye asked, lowering her hand. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

Luna ignored the question and crossed the room, carrying something folded carefully in her arms. She laid it across the golden velvet sheets, revealing a fitted wine-red shirt, matching trousers, and a cloak embroidered with intricate golden designs.

Skye’s breath caught.

Her Scaleborn uniform.

For a moment, neither sister spoke.

Luna ran her fingertips over the delicate gold stitching, her expression filled with wonder.

“I can’t wait until I’m old enough to go to Scaleborn,” she whispered.

Skye rolled her eyes, though a smile tugged at her lips.

“You have plenty of time to regret saying that.”

“I’m serious!”

“So am I.” Skye left the balcony and dropped onto the edge of the bed beside her sister, nudging her shoulder affectionately. “How about we start with hand-to-hand training before you plan your grand entrance into the academy?”

Luna gave her an unimpressed look.

“I already know how to fight.”

“Of course you do.”

“I do!”

“Then perhaps you can demonstrate by surviving one of my training sessions.”

Luna scoffed, but her smile betrayed her.

Skye reached for the uniform, letting the wine-red fabric slide through her fingers. The material was softer than she expected, yet remarkably strong. Golden embroidery curled along its edges in patterns resembling dragon scales.

“It really is beautiful,” she murmured.

“From the color to the stitching,” Luna agreed. “I wish I could see you wearing it.”

Skye looked at her sister.

For a fleeting moment, she was no longer a princess preparing to enter the most dangerous academy in the kingdoms. She was simply an older sister sitting beside the girl who had followed her through the halls, stolen sweets from the kitchens with her, and listened to her endless stories about dragons.

Leaving Luna behind hurt more than she wanted to admit.

Her sister would grow taller. Her voice would change. She would learn things Skye wouldn't be there to teach her.

And one day, Luna would stand in this very room, preparing for her own journey to Scaleborn.

Skye wondered whether their father would look at Luna with the same fear he had hidden behind his stern expression that morning.

She hoped not.

They sat together in silence, admiring the uniform and imagining the future they had discussed so many times.

Eventually, Skye exhaled and folded the garment across her lap.

“It’s time.”

Luna’s smile faltered.

Skye changed into the fitted uniform, adjusting the material until it sat comfortably against her skin. The deep wine-red contrasted beautifully with her fiery hair, while the golden embroidery caught the candlelight whenever she moved. She fastened the cloak around her shoulders and secured the clasp at her throat.

For the first time, Scaleborn felt real.

Not a dream. Not a distant promise.

A destination.

She crossed to the low wooden table in the center of her bedroom. Its four corners had been carved into different dragon breeds, each with distinct horns, scales, and sweeping wings.

The table had belonged to her mother.

Skye had never asked why her father kept it in her chambers, but she had always treasured it.

Beside the carvings rested a simple bow and a bundle of arrows. Protective and defensive runes had been etched along the bow’s limbs, though its construction remained plain and dependable.

Skye checked the strings before turning to Luna.

“Could you grab the bow and arrows for me?”

Luna gathered them, examining the runes.

“Protection and defense,” she observed.

“Among other things.”

“Will they be enough?”

Skye paused.

“Enough for what?”

Luna lifted her gaze.

“The woods.”

Skye took the bow and rested a reassuring hand on her sister’s shoulder.

“I know the woods. I’ve walked those paths since I was little.”

“That doesn’t mean they’re safe.”

“No,” Skye admitted. “It doesn’t.”

She secured the bow across her back and slipped the quiver over her shoulder. Next came her satchel, which she filled with several books, empty glass vials, and the supplies she needed for her journey.

Luna watched her pack, growing increasingly concerned.

“Wait. You’re leaving now?”

Skye tightened the straps.

“Yes.”

“But Father said you were leaving in the morning.”

“Plans change.”

“Skye.”

Something in Luna’s voice made her stop.

Her sister stood beside the bed, twisting her fingers together. For all her excitement about Scaleborn, she was still young enough to believe the people she loved could always be kept safe simply by asking them to stay.

Skye knew better.

She crossed the room and pulled Luna into her arms.

The younger girl clung to her, trembling slightly.

“The woods are dangerous at night,” Luna whispered.

Skye closed her eyes.

“I know.”

“Then why are you going?”

Because Rhylar was coming. Because her father had looked at her as though he feared he might never see her again. Because if she waited until sunrise, the castle would wake, questions would be asked, and someone might try to convince her to remain behind.

And because, beneath all those reasons, Skye felt something drawing her toward the River of Tears.

She couldn't explain it. She only knew that waiting until morning felt unbearable.

“I was raised in these woods,” she said softly. “I know my way around. I’ll be fine.”

Luna pulled back enough to look at her.

“You promise?”

Skye brushed a strand of golden-white hair away from her sister’s face.

“I promise I’ll do everything I can to come back.”

It wasn't the same as promising she would be safe.

They both knew it.

Luna’s eyes filled with tears, but she nodded.

Skye kissed her forehead before reaching for her bag.

“Please tell Father where I am once I leave the castle.”

Luna’s expression shifted to alarm.

“You want me to tell him you’re leaving early?”

“I’d rather he hear it from you than discover an empty bedroom and send the entire royal guard after me.”

“Skye!”

“What? It’s a perfectly reasonable concern.”

Luna gave her a look that would have made their father proud.

Skye grinned and pulled her into one final hug.

“I love you, little moon.”

Luna squeezed her tightly.

“I love you too.”

Then Skye stepped away before she could change her mind.

She slipped into the corridor, leaving the warmth of her chambers behind as the cold halls of Nightshade stretched ahead. The castle walls had been built from stone quarried beneath the Shimmerdeep Ocean, reinforced with ancient dragon cryo-breath to withstand the elements and the passage of centuries.

Torches flickered in their iron sconces, casting long shadows across the floor.

Skye moved quietly through the sleeping palace, descending winding staircases toward the lower gates. She passed the great hall and its darkened windows, then crossed the gallery where portraits of her ancestors watched from gilded frames.

At the end of the corridor, she paused beneath the carved likeness of her mother.

For a moment, she considered turning back.

She could return to her chambers, crawl beneath her golden velvet bedsheets, and wait for the sun to rise. She could pretend the morning was ordinary.

But the kingdom was changing, whether she was ready or not.

Skye lifted her chin and continued