CounterPart

3 | To Pantala and beyond

Squid didn't know what to do with his life.

All his childhood, he'd spent growing up in a cave in the Night Kingdom, with four annoying and loud Dragonets.

But also, with a clear future ahead of him, a purpose to fulfill, and a carved path to take. Nautilus always told him he was special, he was a prophecy dragonet.

And then in the space of two or three months, five other annoying Dragonets shattered all of that, leaving Squid... where exactly?

Three moons, why did every dragon he meet have to be so. Damn. Annoying??

No, Squid was still important. He had to be. Because the alternative... he couldn't be just a normal SeaWing.

He'd helped the 'real' destiny Dragonets, hadn't he? Hadn't he flew away to protect them - YEAH, THAT SHOULD BE A SCROLL - "Squid's self sacrifice through the mountains to save his friends"

Friends might be a stretch. But it sounded cooler than acquaintances.

Squid blew out steam in frustration as the thoughts pelted through his head. Would his father just hurry up so he could stop wallowing in doubt?!

"Q-Queen Coral," he was pleading. "P-Please let me come with you. I was your best general, remember?"

"Yes," Coral snarled, "Before you abandoned your tribe to join some useless talons of peace dragons!"

"I-isn't peace better than war?" Nautilus stammered. Honestly why couldn't he just get himself together??

"I am not flying with a traitor!" Coral yelled. Another reason Squid hated her.

"Respectfully, Queen Coral, no-one said he had to fly with you," Squid looked up to see who had said that, but immediately thrust his head down again. In the name of the moons, it was the 'real' Dragonets of Destiny. The eye-scorching little yellow one, at that.

"What?"

Squid reckoned that if her daughter, the annoying fierce SeaWing, hadn't been there, she might've roasted the SandWing alive.

"No, no listen to me, please! This trip is open to all, so Nautilus could come, right, but you don't have to see him the whole time? He could come with my group?"

Of course, of course they made the destiny Dragonets squad leaders. And not him.

Coral grunted and squinted at her daughter. "Tsunami? You agree with this?"

"N- YES! WONDERFUL IDEA!" She gushed, after Sunny stepped lightly on her tail. Squid fought back a snicker. At the pain. Not her.

Queen Coral meanwhile growled. "Fine. I don't care what you do with him, but I don't want to see his face again."

Sunny nodded eagerly. "T-thank you, Queen Coral. We appreciate it."

As soon as she was out of earshot, the destiny SeaWing snarled. "Some of us don't. What are you going to do with him?"

Sunny shrugged, and Squid watched awkwardly from behind his father, waiting until they paid him the attention he deserved.

"He can come with my group. This trip is open to all, Tsunami!"

Squid coughed lightly.

"Well, the Queens were supposed to keep back some dragons. What's next, all of Pyrrhia?"

Squid coughed again, this time louder.

"The talons of peace raised us, and you think they're still traitors?!"