King of The Dragons (Wings of Fire X Monster Hunter)

Part 2: Chapter 18, 19, & 20

(3rd Pov Tsunami)

Tsunami dropped three cauldrons onto the cave floor - one packed with fish, one with clear water, and one with seaweed-mushroom salad. She'd found them on the kitchen level, unguarded, so she thought they might as well go to them.

Sunny seized the salad cauldron and shoved her nose into it. Starflight peered at the fish, and then, without even asking the others if they'd mind, he shot a burst of flame into the cauldron, which left the fish blackened and smoky tasting.

"Hey," Tsunami protested. "I like them raw."
"Overruled," Glory said. "Raw fish is gross."
"Raw fish is awesome," Tsunami insisted.
"You have unreliable taste," said Glory. "You think your terrifying mother is awesome."
"She is not terrifying!" Tsunami said. "She's a wonderful queen!"
"That is what the scrolls say," Starflight pointed out through a mouthful of charred fish.
"I agree to disagree about the fish," Stormcaller said popping a fish in his mouth and grabbing two others. "Queen Coral can be a good queen, it just depends on who you ask."

Tsunami looked up at the cave ceiling and shifted from talon to talon. "Er," she said. "well. Apparently she . . . wrote a lot of those herself."
"Really?" Starflight blinked in astonishment. "She's a writer? I had no idea. That's so - I mean, I wish I - do you think she'd read something I -" He stammered to a stop and fidgeted for a moment with the cauldron. "it's cool, is all," he mumbled, shoving a fish in his mouth.

"That's one thing we have in common, I guess," Stormcaller said, trying to get a fish bone out from in between his teeth. Starflight looked at him.
"What," Said Stormcaller, lifting his wing. Under it was a satchel that Tsunami forgot he even had. Stormcaller reached in a pulled out a scroll. Starflight opened his mouth to speak.
"You can read it another time," Stormcaller cut him off.

"Anyway," Tsunami said. "it's not just the scrolls. Her subjects think she's a great queen, too." 'Most of them. I think.'
"Compelling," said Glory. "Except for the part where she's killing off her own daughters."
Tsunami stared at Glory, too shocked to respond.
"Well, wait," Clay said. "That's just a theory."
"A good theory." Starflight observed. "With her daughters dead, and no sisters either, no one will ever be able to challenge for the throne. She could be queen for a hundred years and die peacefully in her sleep instead of in combat."

Sunny pulled the egg closer to her and patted it reassuringly.
"No!" Tsunami blurted. "you're so wrong! She would never - you haven't seen how protective she is. I mean, look at how she takes care of Anemone."

"Like a crazy dragon," Glory interjected, waving a smoky fish at Tsunami.
"Coral isn't crazy enough to be considered a crazy dragon," Stormcaller explained.
"It's a good way to make herself look innocent," Starflight offered. "Besides, think about when the murders started." He waited, with an "isn't it obvious?" look on his face.

"Oh dear," Clay said, rubbing his head. "Did we really study this?"
"I don't know either," Sunny whispered to him.
"Starflight," Tsunami growled. "Just tell us."
"Very well," he said. "It was right after the only challenge Queen Coral has ever faced. Her first clutch of eggs had only one female in it-"
"Orca," Tsunami guessed.

Starflight nodded with a pleased expression. "You do remember! She challenged the queen almost the moment she was full grown. I'm sure Coral was more shocked than anyone. Especially when Orca almost killed her. Queen Coral only won by accident, impaling Orca on that narwhal horn she has on the end of her tail."
"So?" Tsunami said. "Why would that make her murder all her future daughters?"

"Seriously?" Glory scoffed. "She saw how close she could come to death. She realized if she let any of her female children grow up, she might be dead within seven years. Much easier to kill them all in their eggs, or as little dragonets, before they become a threat."