Revamped
The Sands of Tomorrow
Qibli paced the length of the dune, his talons digging into the warm desert sand as his mind raced with possibilities. The sun was setting over the SandWing kingdom, casting long shadows across the desert, but his thoughts were far from settling.
"The prophecy can't be true," he muttered to himself. "It just doesn't add up."
Ever since he had found that scroll buried deep within the royal archives, Qibli's mind had been buzzing with questions. The scroll spoke of an ancient prophecy, one that foretold a great cataclysm that would soon sweep across the desert and change the fate of the SandWings forever. But the wording was strange, vague, and didn't match any of the prophecies he had studied before.
"Qibli, are you still obsessing over that scroll?" A voice called from behind him.
He turned to see Moonwatcher gliding down to join him, her silver scales catching the last rays of sunlight. Her dark NightWing eyes were filled with concern as she landed softly next to him.
"I'm not obsessing," Qibli said defensively. "I'm just... analyzing."
Moon raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Right. You haven't slept in two days."
"I can sleep when I figure this out!" Qibli shot back, but then sighed, knowing she was right. He hadn't been able to rest since the scroll came into his possession. Something about it just didn't feel right, and if anyone could crack the mystery, it was him.
Moon gently touched his shoulder with her wing, a comforting gesture. "I'm worried about you. You've been under a lot of pressure lately. Maybe this prophecy is just another ancient riddle that doesn't mean anything."
Qibli shook his head. "I don't think so. There's something real here, Moon. I can feel it. If we don't figure it out, something terrible might happen."
Moon frowned, her gaze drifting toward the distant horizon. "What do you think it's about?"
"That's the problem," Qibli said, frustration creeping into his voice. "I don't know. It talks about a storm, but not a physical one—a 'storm of change.' It says the 'Sands of Tomorrow' will bury those unprepared. What does that even mean?"
Moon was silent for a moment, thinking. "A storm of change could mean something political. A coup? Or maybe... something bigger, like a shift in the balance of power."
Qibli nodded slowly. "That's what I thought too. But who would lead it? Queen Thorn has ruled fairly and wisely. No one wants another war."
He sat down, staring at the sky as the first stars began to twinkle. "I just wish I could figure it out. There has to be a clue I'm missing."
Moon sat next to him, her presence calming. "Maybe the answer isn't in the scroll. Maybe you need to look around you."
Qibli frowned. "What do you mean?"
Moon hesitated, her gaze softening. "You're always thinking ten steps ahead, Qibli, always planning for the worst. But sometimes... the best way to solve a problem is to stop thinking and start feeling. What's your instinct telling you?"
Qibli blinked. His instinct? He was used to relying on logic, on strategy, on cleverness. But Moon had a point. His gut had never led him wrong before, and something about this prophecy tugged at his heart in a way that defied cold analysis.
He closed his eyes, focusing on the words of the prophecy, letting them sink into his mind, not as puzzles but as a feeling.
"The Sands of Tomorrow..." he whispered.
And then, like the flicker of a flame in the dark, something clicked. His eyes snapped open.
"It's not a storm of power or war," Qibli said, his voice tight with realization. "It's a storm of time. The prophecy isn't about a political change—it's about a generational one."
Moon tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
"The Sands of Tomorrow... it's talking about the younger generation of dragons. Us. The dragons who will inherit this kingdom, who will shape it. It's not a warning of destruction—it's a warning that if we don't prepare for the future, the mistakes of the past will repeat themselves."
Qibli stood, his heart racing with excitement. "That's why the prophecy felt so strange. It's not predicting a single event, it's predicting a slow shift, one that we're already in the middle of. We're the 'Sands of Tomorrow,' Moon! And the storm is our responsibility to change things for the better."
Moon's eyes widened as she processed Qibli's words. "That... makes sense. It's not about a disaster we have to stop—it's about making sure we don't let the future go the wrong way."
Qibli grinned, relief flooding him for the first time in days. "Exactly. It's not a catastrophe we're supposed to prevent—it's a challenge we have to face head-on."
Moon smiled, her worry lifting. "So what do we do now?"
Qibli looked out over the desert, his mind already turning toward the future. "We start by making sure the SandWing kingdom is prepared for the changes that are coming. We'll gather the younger dragons, train them, teach them what we know. We'll make sure they understand their responsibility, that they're ready to lead when the time comes."
He paused, his smile softening. "And maybe... we make sure that the mistakes of the past aren't repeated. That there's no more war, no more fighting for power. That this kingdom stays strong and united."
Moon nodded, her own resolve hardening. "I'll help. We can do this, Qibli. Together."
Qibli's heart swelled. He had always admired Moon's calm wisdom, her ability to see things from a perspective he often missed. And now, with her by his side, he felt ready to take on the future, whatever it might bring.
"The Sands of Tomorrow are ours to shape," he said softly. "And I promise, we won't let them be buried."
And with that, Qibli and Moon set off toward the SandWing palace, ready to prepare their world for the challenges of tomorrow.
The fact that it actually sounds good and not fucking horrible scares me... like a lot a lot. Ik most ppl joke about how ai is gonna steal jobs and shit but yknow... first comes the ai artists and now this...
