Hailstorm

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

— Hailstorm to Winter, Winter Turning

Hailstorm is a young male IceWing who was introduced in Winter Turning. He is an IceWing warrior of the First Circle and currently resides in the IceWing Palace.

Prior to the events of the main series, Hailstorm was captured by the SkyWings. For years after his capture, he was trapped inside a "mask" of Pyrite that erased his own thoughts and memories and replaced them with those of Pyrite's.

Appearance

Hailstorm has silvery scales, long glittering silver-and-white wings, and fierce white claws. His eyes are bluer than Winter's or Icicle's, as blue as the arctic sky. He is tall and has crinkles around the edges of his eyes when he grins.

Personality

Before the enchantment, Hailstorm was the type of dragon who could laugh at what others thought about him. He was, or is, a confident, energetic dragon who cares greatly for the safety of his family. He was loved dearly by his parents, Tundra and Narwhal, his sister Icicle, and Winter. Both his parents favor him and Icicle more than Winter, even after he returned home in Winter Turning. During the Diamond Trial, Hailstorm chose his brother Winter over his ranking and allowed Winter to escape the Ice Kingdom with Foeslayer. After his transformation, he was jittery and unsure.

Biography

Pre-Series

As mentioned in the prologue of Winter Turning, Hailstorm and Winter go searching for scavenger dens in SkyWing territory. Shortly, they encounter fourteen SkyWings and Hailstorm talks them out of capturing Winter. The SkyWings take him prisoner instead of Winter and bring him to the SkyWing Palace, where it is made sure that "no one can find him." Winter was left behind as a messenger to run back and tell the IceWing queen so Hailstorm could be used as ransom. Hailstorm is then taken to the SkyWing Palace, where he is turned into Pyrite by Chameleon using Darkstalker's Talisman.

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The Jade Mountain Prophecy

Moon Rising

At the beginning of Moon Rising Icicle and Winter both believe that Hailstorm is dead. They assume he was killed by the NightWings during their "rescue" of Starflight.  Queen Scarlet tells Icicle (using a dreamvisitor) that Hailstorm is alive, and she can get him back if she kills the dragonets of destiny. These thoughts are is overheard by Moon, who cannot identify the dragons speaking. She also hears 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 continues to protect Starflight and Moonwatcher, telling Icicle that it wasn't Moon's nor Starflight's fault, and that Scarlet was the one who killed Hailstorm. Icicle reveals that he is not dead, and that Scarlet is keeping him captive. At the end of the book, Winter sets out to find Hailstorm and Icicle. The rest of his winglet join him soon after.

Winter Turning

The prologue of Winter Turning details 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 convinces them to only take him, and they oblige, knocking him out and bringing him to Scarlet, leaving Winter to flee to the IceWing kingdom. He wakes up in Scarlet's throne room, having a brief conversation before another dragon puts the "Pyrite-mask," made by Chameleon, on him. This turns Hailstorm the IceWing into Pyrite the SkyWing. Later, Winter recalls a hunting party that included Hailstorm. He remembers Hailstorm eagerly hopping from foot to foot and notes 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 is useless, believing that the wearer could never remove her necklace, or 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 wouldn't have to live with two sets of memories. Winter then takes Hailstorm along his journey with Qibli, Moon, and an injured Kinkajou, to the town of Possibility. In Possibility, Hailstorm spots a SkyWing soldier named Eagle, which he remembers from Pyrite's memory. This causes some problems for the group, as Eagle swoops down and demands how Hailstorm knows his name.  Hailstorm finally recollects 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 (the highest position), who was currently Winter. His parents set it up so Winter, their least favorite child, would be killed by their most promising children, 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 couldn't 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'd see Winter ever again because Winter would never be able to return to the Ice Kingdom.

Escaping Peril
Peril mentions, that Scarlet must be pretty furious because they (the Jade Winglet) escaped with Hailstorm.

Talons of Power

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 is a punishment for what happened between him and Winter, when a messenger came. Hailstorm asks if his parents are getting better from the plague, and the messenger replies by saying that they are getting worse. The messenger says that there was something else and that "The queen of the IceWings is dead", dramatically ending the book with the passing of Glacier. He doesn't know what to do at first but then hopes that his brother is okay.

Darkness of Dragons

Hailstorm is shown with his father and Snowfall at 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 arrives, his "expression was petrified and trapped and anguished and a tiny bit relieved as well." The reunion is cut short by the NightWing scouts arriving, and he helps to kill one while another kills his father. He and Winter are shown briefly grieving for their father before leaping into battle. He is 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.

Family Tree

More

Glacier

Several Dragons

Narwhal

Tundra

Crystal

Snowfall

Mink

Hailstorm

Winter

Icicle

Quotes

"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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"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

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"I- I- I thought we were friends."

― to Eagle (thinking that he was currently Pyrite)

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

― to Winter during the Jade Mountain Battle

Trivia

• Hailstorm is one of the few dragons known that was changed into another dragon by animus magic.
• He was hatched in the same year as the dragonets of destiny, but after the Brightest Night.

Gallery

• Reference by Platypus the SeaWing
  Reference by Platypus the SeaWing

References

de:Hailstorm fr:Grésil