𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 - 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙

Chapter 18

    They'd been travelling to Praïsa for a day and a half.

    It was a lot quicker to get to Praïsa when they were being led by Empress Cinnabar, who'd been there and back many times.

    Sapphire had been sticking close to Eclipse the whole flight, and Eclipse enjoyed her company.

    They joked about things around them and chatted about the situation for a while, and when they weren't speaking, they were doing flying tricks together and laughing.

    Eclipse caught SkyChaser and Solar gazing happily at her and Sapphire a couple of times, and waved to them.

    Sapphire and Eclipse's siblings were very lovey-dovey, and they were murmuring to each other and cuddling in the air somehow for most of the flight.

    Eclipse rolled her eyes, and dove down to the big raft because it was her turn to pull it alongside PolarBear (a Pacree Hail Drolgon that Eclipse had made friends with during the flight) and RainFall (a former rogue Drolgon that they'd met along the way who'd wanted to join Pacree Sky).

    Eclipse dove into the water, strapping the seaweed that Ragged (who used to be pulling the raft before her) had left behind around her torso.

    "Oh, hi!" RainFall called from Eclipse's right where she was strapped to the raft as well. She was a little younger than Eclipse, and she seemed quite naïve, but she'd also learned a lot more hard lessons than she as letting on.

    Eclipse nodded a greeting to her and PolarBear, who was on her left. She also smiled at Wind, who was resting her head near where Eclipse was.

    Wind was on the raft because of her injuries; she couldn't swim or fly, so she needed to be pulled across the water on the raft. There were also other injured and elderly Drolgons, as well as mother-Drolgons who'd recently brought their Drolgonets into the world.

"So, RainFall, tell me more about your life as a rogue Drolgon," Eclipse prompted.

"It was very laidback," Rainfall replied wistfully. "My mother and I lived in a wide grove next to the mountain range along the Southern coast for most of my life. I always wanted to explore. And I was so fascinated by the Pacrees; I've always wanted to live in one. I just really love the idea of sleeping right by your Pacree-mates where you know you'll be protected. It's such a tight-knit community."

"We're you and your mother... close? Did you get along?" Eclipse asked.

"Oh, yes!" RainFall laughed. "She's very kind to me and she was always trying to protect me as best she could. It made me sad to leave her behind, but... I just always knew I wanted to travel the world and see new places, and I knew I couldn't do that if I was still living with my mother."

"I see," Eclipse replied. "Do you know of any other family you might have?"

"Yes." RainFall looked out as the waves on the horizon, making a thinking face. "I don't know my father, but my mother said once that she remembered her parents and siblings slightly. She said her mother and father were happy, but they didn't want Drolgonets; so when three came, they named them and sent them off to Pacree Sky without anyone seeing them. My mother's name was Loon, and her brothers' names were Ragged and Storm."