𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 - 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙

Chapter 19

     "Her brothers' names were WHAT?!" Eclipse barked.

     RainFall tilted her head in confusion.

     "Their names were Ragged and Storm," she repeated.

     Eclipse felt dizzy. She was almost seeing two of RainFall.

     I have a cousin!

     "Um- RainFall..." Eclipse began. "My father was Storm."

     RainFall's eyes stretched wide. "Whoa! You're my cousin!"

     Eclipse nodded.

     "Can I meet Storm?" RainFall asked excitedly, her voice high-pitched. "Or have I already met him and just don't know it? Where is he?"

     Eclipse winced. "He's... he's gone..."

     RainFall's face fell as she understood.

     Eclipse took a deep breath. "And since you're now a member of Pacree Sky, and since you're my cousin, you deserve to know what happened to him... I- I... ended him. B- but I'm not like that anymore! It was a very hard time in my life, and I know that's not an excuse, but I really, really hate myself for it and it never leaves my mind."

     RainFall was silent, and refused to look Eclipse in the eyes.

     "I'd guessed you'd done something really bad when I first started talking to everyone in Pacree Sky, based off the dirty looks some of the Drolgons were giving you," she said quietly at last. "But I just want to know... do you think he deserved it? Was he a bad Drolgon?"

     "Huh?" Eclipse tilted her head. No one had ever asked her that question before. "No, I don't think he deserved it... but he used to... he- he hurt me... um... mentally, over and over, if you know what I mean. So he wasn't a very good Drolgon, for the most part. I do believe there was some good left in him, though, even if it was a pretty small amount."

     "Interesting," RainFall muttered to herself. "I'd say it's good I didn't meet him and be utterly disappointed by him, then."

     Eclipse made a noncommittal throat noise, uncomfortable with the conversation the longer it lasted. So, seeing her chance to change the topic, she called Solar and FeatherCloud over to meet RainFall.

     "Hi!" RainFall said cheerily to them once they were flying nearby Eclipse and once Eclipse had introduced all of them. "I just discovered that I'm your cousin. My mother and your father were part of the same litter."

     Solar gasped, and started rambling about how cool that was, and FeatherCloud gave RainFall a silent, respectful nod.

     Eclipse left her sisters and her cousin to chat, and she turned to PolarBear.

     "Dear spirits, I thought that conversation would never end," PolarBear groaned. She glared at RainFall.

     Eclipse knew PolarBear didn't like RainFall because of how loud and seemingly naïve RainFall was, so being stuck between the two was a little uncomfortable.

     Eclipse just laughed off PolarBear's harsh comment, and asked the Pacree Hail Drolgon about life in the mountains with her Pacree.

     "It's cold." PolarBear shrugged. "We live in igloos or in caves in the mountainside. I snows a lot, so Pacree Hail Drolgons have very thick coats and short limbs to prevent frostbite. We also have really strong, curved claws on our paws and wings to climb better, since we live in the mountains. We don't need to make fires to keep warm; we never have. Also, everyone's so sickeningly friendly. I personally think it's because the climate's so cold that if we're nice to others they'll share their warmth and we won't freeze. Although, as you can tell, I don't apply to that stereotype."

     Eclipse enjoyed hearing about Pacree Hail, but soon their shift of pulling the raft was over and PolarBear soared off to be with her Pacree.

     Eclipse joined Sapphire again with RainFall, and introduced the two. Rowan, Rodin, Hailee, Ruby, Bee, Starspeaker, and        Brooke also flew over to them.

     Soon they were so caught up in chatting that they almost didn't see the shoreline of Praïsa on the horizon.

     The Pacrees, led by Empress Cinnabar, landed on the beach. Eclipse was hit with memories of touching down here with the entire dragon city from the Quest.

     She smiled.

     Just like a new era began for the dragons when they arrived here, a new era has begun for the Drolgons. An unknown future awaits us.