Moonfall, #2
The Ballad of Falling Dragons
by Sarah A. Parker
Contents
Chapter 87
Overview
Veya, imprisoned beside a failing Kyzari, receives a parchment-lark apology from Kaan. A hidden miskunn, Uno, kills the guard and engineers their escape, insisting Veya keep an iron shackle to survive Moonfall. As they flee the tunnels, a Fate Herder gently attends to Kyzari, then forcefully herds them toward safety.
Summary
In the cells, Veya panics as Kyzari’s breaths rattle and fade while a masked guard waits to claim Kyzari’s diadem for Arkyn. A battered parchment lark evades the guard and reaches Veya, carrying Kaan’s apology to Kyzari and plea for her location. Veya tucks the message into Kyzari’s hand and, believing there’s little hope, cradles Kyzari through stories of Elluin and Kaan to ease her passing.
The guard suddenly collapses in a pool of blood as two disembodied pink hands nudge keys toward Veya’s lock. The illusion drops, revealing Uno, a small miskunn, who calmly says she is rescuing them. Uno unlocks Veya, warns Moonfall is coming, and refuses to remove Kyzari’s iron shackle, insisting it must stay on if Veya is to live.
After sensing Kyzari by touching her with her tail and turning pale, Uno urges haste. Veya carries Kyzari while Uno leads them through dim tunnels, choosing a route by landmarks and scent. At a fork, a silver Fate Herder—adolescent Sabersythe-like—emerges, fixates on Kyzari, and, after gentle whines and licks that stir the Aether Stone’s glint, cushions Kyzari with its ribboned mane.
The Fate Herder’s demeanor shifts from tender to commanding as it prowls and snarls, driving Veya, Kyzari, and Uno down the right-hand passage. With Moonfall looming and Kyzari fading, Veya follows, accepting the creature’s guidance as their only path to survival.
Who Appears
- VeyaImprisoned narrator; comforts a dying Kyzari, receives Kaan’s lark, and escapes with Uno’s help while keeping an iron shackle.
- KyzariGravely injured and near death; holds Kaan’s message and is tended to by a Fate Herder during the escape.
- UnoStealthy miskunn rescuer; kills the guard, unlocks cells, warns of imminent Moonfall, insists on keeping iron on Veya, leads the way.
- Fate HerderSilver, Sabersythe-like beast; gently licks and cushions Kyzari, then forcefully herds the group toward a chosen tunnel.
- Masked guardArkyn’s jailer watching for Kyzari’s diadem; attempts to seize the lark, then is killed before the escape.
- KaanAppears via parchment-lark apology to Kyzari, seeking her location; his message fuels Veya’s resolve.