Hailstorm

"I would have said the same thing, brother. But I sacrificed myself for you once already, and it was the worst thing that ever happened to me. You can't imagine how it feels to know what I've done — to have these memories in my head. I want my life back. I want my self back. And I won't get it if I reach my hatching day in last place. I have to be first again."

— Hailstorm to Winter, Winter Turning

Hailstorm is an adult male IceWing prince who was introduced in Winter Turning. Formerly a warrior of the First Circle, he currently resides in the IceWing palace.

Prior to the events of The Dragonet Prophecy, Hailstorm was captured by the SkyWings and imprisoned within an animus-touched mask named Pyrite.

Description

Hailstorm is tall, with silvery white-and-blue scales, long glittering silver-and-white wings, and fierce white claws. His sharp, alert eyes are as blue as the arctic sky, bluer than Icicle's or Winter's, and they crinkle around the edges when he smiles. He is large, with a snout that is longer and narrower than Pyrite's, and sharp, silvery spines.

Personality

Hailstorm is arrogant, confident, and full of energy, smiling often. Winter once described him as a long-lost hero with a bright future and the bravest dragon in Pyrrhia, who would have fought tooth and claw to be free. Winter knew his brother would have had a laughing comment about his new Circle ranking, but after being subjected to the Pyrite enchantment, he was described as a lost dragon, torn in two, rigidly perfect on the outside but melted altogether on the inside, and a dragon who killed fellow IceWings in service to a queen he hated. Despite this, he is brave and determined not to express fear. He is exceptional, too valuable to discard, and laughs about what other dragons think of him. He spoke to Foeslayer without a tremor of insecurity in his voice, and refused to kill Winter during the Diamond Trial, despite the fact that winning would have allowed Hailstorm first place in the Circle rankings.

Biography

Pre-Series

As mentioned in the prologue of Winter Turning, Hailstorm and Winter go searching for scavenger dens in SkyWing territory. Shortly, they encountered fourteen SkyWings and Hailstorm talked them out of capturing Winter. Winter was left behind as a messenger to run back and tell the IceWing queen so Hailstorm could be used as ransom. Hailstorm was then taken to the SkyWing palace, where he was turned into Pyrite by Chameleon using Darkstalker's talisman, making sure that "no one can find him."

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The Jade Mountain Prophecy

Moon Rising

At the beginning of Moon Rising Icicle and Winter both believed that Hailstorm was dead. They assumed he was killed by the NightWings during their "rescue" of Starflight. Ex-Queen Scarlet told Icicle (using a dreamvisitor) that Hailstorm was alive, and she can get him back if she killed the dragonets of destiny. These thoughts are overheard by Moon, who cannot identify the dragons speaking. She also heard Icicle mention him in her thoughts during the assembly after the cave explosion. While attempting to kill Starflight, Icicle told Winter that she was doing it for Hailstorm. Winter continued to protect Starflight and Moonwatcher, telling Icicle that it was not Moon's nor Starflight's fault and that Scarlet was the one who killed Hailstorm. Icicle revealed that he was not dead and that Scarlet was keeping him captive. Winter left Jade Mountain Academy to begin his search for Hailstorm and Icicle. The rest of his winglet joined him soon after.

Winter Turning

The prologue of Winter Turning detailed the SkyWing abduction of Hailstorm. He had taken Winter near SkyWing territory to try and find him a scavenger den, but the two are caught by fourteen SkyWings, including the last living daughter of Scarlet, Ruby. Hailstorm convinced them to only take him, and they obliged, knocking him out and bringing him to Scarlet, leaving Winter to flee to the IceWing kingdom. He woke up in Scarlet's throne room, having a brief conversation before another dragon placed the "Pyrite-mask," made by Chameleon, on him. This turned Hailstorm the IceWing into Pyrite the SkyWing. Later, Winter recalled a hunting party that included Hailstorm. He remembered Hailstorm eagerly hopping from foot to foot and noted how confident and energetic he was. He also split off from Icicle and Winter as soon as he had the chance. A while later, a dragon named Pyrite (Hailstorm), from the Talons of Peace who was traveling with the Jade Winglet was revealed to be Hailstorm, under a spell. The enchantment given to the necklace had specific conditions, that Winter thought may have been meant just for Hailstorm, like being completely loyal to Scarlet, believing the wearer was useless, believing that the wearer could never remove her necklace or else she would die, and to have no memory of the former identity. After the Pyrite necklace was removed from Hailstorm, he remembered very little about his previous life, as his memories were mixed and confused with those of Pyrite's, stopping him from thinking clearly and giving him a heavy inner layer of self-doubt. He considered putting the Pyrite necklace back on so that he would not have to live with two sets of memories. Winter then took Hailstorm along his journey with Qibli, Moon, and an injured Kinkajou, to the town of Possibility. In Possibility, Hailstorm spotted a SkyWing soldier named Eagle, which he remembered from Pyrite's memory. This caused some problems for the group, as Eagle swooped down and demanded how Hailstorm knew his name. Hailstorm finally recollected all of his memory after being reintroduced by Winter to the Ice Kingdom. The morning after arrival in the Ice Kingdom, Hailstorm was placed at the bottom of the Seventh Circle, the lowest of possible ranks of the Circle rankings system, while Winter was promoted to the first place in the First Circle, the highest rank. Unfortunately for Hailstorm, it was just before his seventh hatching day. This meant he would be permanently placed in the Seventh Circle, and exiled to an outpost unless the Diamond Trial was performed. In order to regain his place back in the First Circle, where he was before his capture by SkyWings, he must battle whoever was in first in the First Circle, who was then Winter. His parents set it up so Winter, their least favorite child, would be killed by their most promising child, Hailstorm, even telling Hailstorm the rules and what was expected to do to ensure his victory. Hailstorm was supposed to defeat Winter in the trial, but instead, he let him live as he could not kill his brother for what he had done for him. The brothers bid each other farewell and as soon as Hailstorm stepped out of the caves, he knew it was probably the last time he would see Winter ever again because Winter would never be able to return to the Ice Kingdom.

Escaping Peril
Peril mentioned that Scarlet must be pretty furious because the Jade Winglet escaped with Hailstorm.

Talons of Power

Hailstorm was first mentioned when Turtle told Kinkajou that she helped save Winter's brother and stopped Scarlet. In the epilogue of Talons of Power, Hailstorm was seen touching the spot on the wall where Winter's name had once been. He was shivering violently from fever, thinking that the sickness was a punishment for what happened between him and Winter, when a messenger came. Hailstorm asked if his parents were getting better from the plague, and the messenger replied by saying that they were getting worse. The messenger said that there was something else and that "The queen of the IceWings is dead", dramatically ending the book with the passing of Glacier. He did not know what to do at first but then hoped that his brother was okay.

Darkness of Dragons

Hailstorm was shown with his father and Snowfall before the Battle of Jade Mountain demanding to know Darkstalker's location, standing behind them, "frowning stiffly, like a dragon in a play trying to be the most serious and menacing character." When Winter arrived, his "expression was petrified and trapped and anguished and a tiny bit relieved as well." The reunion was cut short by the NightWing scouts arriving, and he helped to kill one while another killed his father. He and Winter were shown briefly grieving for their father before leaping into battle. He was then later seen fighting the NightWings back to back with Winter and was teleported back to the Ice Kingdom with the other IceWings, due to Anemone's spell.

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The Lost Continent Prophecy

The Dangerous Gift
Hailstorm was mentioned multiple times in the first chapter. He was described to be in the adults' wall and rigidly perfect on the outside. He was also stated to "not have annoyed Snowfall at all today," noting that he might have talked to or irritated Snowfall prior the book. He was also mentioned to still be recovering from the Pyrite spell.

The Flames of Hope
Hailstorm appeared in Lynx's memory where he captured her as a hostage during a game.

Relationships

Winter

Hailstorm is Winter's elder brother. He viewed Winter as amusing and much more fun to tease than their sister Icicle, but after Hailstorm was captured by the SkyWings, Winter blamed himself heavily, and there was an old familiar guilt surrounding his brother. Winter thought that even if he returned to the Ice Kingdom and was placed at the bottom of the Seventh Circle for deserting Jade Mountain Academy, it would have been worthwhile if Hailstorm could have returned home. Hailstorm's disappearance also hurt Winter very much each time he thought it happened. Winter was able to push aside the Circle rankings and the opinions of Glacier, Narwhal, and Tundra in favor of doing whatever was necessary to rescue his brother. Hailstorm thinks Winter is courageous and honorable, and when Hailstorm was attacked by Foeslayer during the Diamond Trial, Winter rushed to save his brother's life without a second thought, though he could have won the Trial; he cares more about Hailstorm's life than the rankings. Before Hailstorm's capture, he and Winter would often go hunting together, and it is one of the things Winter missed most while his brother was imprisoned. When Hailstorm saw Winter for the first time since the Diamond Trial during the Battle of Jade Mountain, his expression was petrified, trapped, anguished, and a tiny bit relieved. Both brothers entered the battle against the NightWings together after they mourned the loss of their father.

Family tree

More

Glacier

Several Dragons

Narwhal

Tundra

Crystal

Snowfall

Mink

Hailstorm

Winter

Icicle

Quotes

"The currents are mine to command! Can you catch me? No, you cannot! No one can! I'm the commander of the sky!"

― to Winter

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"They come from the trees, [...] No need to panic, little brother. We're here for your weird little obsession. So get excited!"

― to Winter, about humans

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"But I know I've been fighting for Queen Scarlet in the war. I remember bowing to her. Worshipping her. I fought — I killed IceWings for her. Or was it a dream? Maybe I'm still myself and I'm only hallucinating memories of being an IceWing."

― to Winter, about living under the Pyrite mask

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"I look at that river and think, I can't swim. But I remember diving into dark green oceans studded with drifting pieces of ice. I look at my claws and think, I'm clumsy and useless. But I remember winning every competition — I remember being at the top of the rankings. I feel like the air is too warm and I can't wait to go home and roll in snow, but I imagine being surrounded by IceWings and I immediately want to kill them all to protect my queen."

― to Winter, about living under the Pyrite mask

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"I — I — I thought we were friends."

― to Eagle (thinking that he was currently Pyrite)

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"My brother acted rashly and without oversight. But he did so to save my life. I would have been executed within hours if he had not saved me in time. He was courageous and honorable in his time away from the Ice Kingdom. I am prepared to attest to that before the queen."

― to Narwhal, about Winter's behavior

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"I would have said the same thing, brother. But I sacrificed myself for you once already, and it was the worst thing that ever happened to me. You can't imagine how it feels to know what I've done — to have these memories in my head. I want my life back. I want my self back. And I won't get it if I reach my hatching day in last place. I have to be first again."

― to Winter

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"You know I can't. You're the one who rescued me. You're my brother. I'm not going to murder you now, so you're just going to have to do it to me."

― to Winter during the Diamond Trial

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"Thank you, brother. I hope — I hope one day I'll see you again."

― his last words to Winter before leaving the Diamond Trial

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"Would you fight alongside us? Even after ... What we did to you?"

― to Winter during the Jade Mountain Battle

Trivia

• Before being captured by the SkyWings, bad luck was not ever something that wandered into Hailstorm's life.
• Hailstorm battled an orca whale before he was one year old.
• Hailstorm reached the top of the dragonet Circle rankings on the same day that Icicle and Winter were hatched.
• Before being captured by the SkyWings, Hailstorm and Winter would hunt together in the Ice Kingdom. It is one of the things that Winter had missed the most while his brother was imprisoned.
• No IceWing had ever been placed first in the dragonet rankings for as long as Hailstorm had been.
• Hailstorm specialized in fighting SeaWings.

Gallery

• 
  Hailstorm from Winter Turning (graphic novel), by Mike Holmes
• 
  Reference by Your smol local fren

• Art by Mike Holmes, from the Wings of Fire Graphic Novels
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References

de:Hailstorm fr:Grésil pl:Grad ru:Град