Wings Of Fire | #2 | The Lost Heir | Switched Dragonets AU

Chapter 24

One of the new-hatched dragonets was playing in the sand, while the hatchling with indigo scales slept under Moon's black wings, fast asleep. "Achoo!" The dragonet sneezed. "Well, stop putting sand in your nose then," Anemone scolded. "Have you chosen a name for them?" Ostrich asked. "I'm trying to think of the perfect one's," Anemone said. "Maybe you should call them Walrus and Otter," Kinkajou suggested. "They aren't a WALRUS or an OTTER! they're much more dignified than that!" Anemone said. The unnamed emerald green dragonet continued to play in the sand, and the indigo-scaled one still slept under Moon's wing. "Very, very dignified," Kinkajou snarked. "She's awfully cute," Umber commented. Kinkajou then turned her head to Moon. "Moon, what is going on with you?" Kinkajou asked, "And why are you licking Blister's talons?"
"I am not," Moon said. "You really are," Anemone said. "I just think she'd be a good queen," Moon said. "No, you don't, back under the mountain, you said she was kinda evil," Kinkajou commented. "Blister's smart, she's better than Burn or Blaze," Moon said. "I don't like her," Ostrich said. "Really?" Moon asked. "She called me 'sweet', like that's all you need to know about me," Ostrich said. "But you are sweet," Umber said. "I don't like her either, we need to meet Blaze, maybe the stories about her brainlessness are exaggerated," Anemone said. "Doubtful," Moon muttered. "So, are you done here, Anemone? We can go an look for Blaze?" Kinkajou asked. "I-
Suddenly, Anemone heard wing flaps, when she looked, it was her mother and little sister, Queen Coral and Tsunami, the little emerald dragonet squeaked at them as she ran to Tsunami. "Have you picked a name for them?" Tsunami asked. "Do you want to name that one?" Anemone asked. The little dragonet snuggled her snout into Tsunami. "How about. . . Auklet?" Tsunami asked. "Fine by me, Mother?" Anemone asked. "Auklet's perfect," Coral said. The SeaWing queen then shifted her eyes to the second dragonet. "What about the other one?" Coral asked. "I've chosen. . . Isla, Princess Isla Of The SeaWings," Anemone said. Coral shifted her eyes to the sand. "Orca's statue has been destroyed, it was so beautiful, too, I can't believe Orca was an animus and hid her powers from me," Coral said, "We'll have to examine all her carvings, too."
"We're sure it was Orca?" Anemone asked. Before we destroyed it, Tsunami reanimated the statue and made it reveal it's orgins, it said Orca plain as day," Coral explained. Coral put Auklet in Tsunami's talons before she began to go on. "Orca carved that statue and dedicated it to the hatchery shortly before she challenged me, I gather she expected to win, so she was setting up a way to get rid of her possible heirs and challengers," Coral said. Coral pat Tsunami on the head as Auklet began to fall asleep in her talons, then shifted her eyes and turned her head to Anemone. "It explains her last words. . . She said, 'I did this all wrong, you're going to rule forever, Mother, no one can stop you now,'" Coral explained. "But. . . If Orca's statue was the assassin, who attacked Anemone in the tunnel?" Umber asked. "Whoever it was, we'll catch them eventually, that's how stories work," Coral said. But this isn't a story! Anemone thought. Then Anemone remembered. "You said you'd set Pike free when we found the real assassin," Anemone said. "I know I did, but I'm not sure what to do with him, clearly he can't stay in my kingdom," Coral said. "Maybe he can come with us," Anemone said. Then Anemone shut her snout, but Queen Coral had already heard her. ". . .With you? Are you going somewhere?" Coral asked. Anemone, think before you speak! Anemone thought. "I don't belong here, Mother, you have three daughters now who could be great queens," Anemone said, "But I have to go stop the war, with my friends."
Blister began to walk over to Anemone. "And how do you plan to do that?" Blister asked. "I don't know, we'll figure it out," Anemone said. "We were thinking we should go meet Blaze, just to be fair," Umber said. Umber! You're just as bad as me! Anemone thought. "But it won't we- I mean that we think you're- "No, no one is leaving," Blister interrupted, "I am your choice, the Ni- The Talons Of Peace want me," Blister said. "Oh? Do they know that?" Kinkajou said. "It's not their decision anyway!" Anemone said. "Your lives could be very easy from here on, all you have to do is tell everyone you've chosen me as the next SandWing queen," Blister said, "And you can do it from here, where I can keep an eye on you."
"Where you can keep us prisoner, you mean," Anemone snapped. Blister turned her head to Moon. "Don't you have something to say about this, NightWing?" Blister asked. Isla began to wake up and waddled towards Queen Coral as Moon shifted her eyes to the sand, even she knew Blister wouldn't be queen- or that none of them would choose her. "Useless!" Blister yelled. Kinkajou gritted her teeth, she was about to pounce and snap her teeth open, and use her venom on Blister, but Umber stopped her on the last second. "There is something wrong with you, isn't there? But you're the dragonets I have, and I'm not letting you go," Blister snarled. "My dear, I'm sure they'll choose you after meeting Blaze, no one could ever choose her," Coral said. "Perhaps, but first they have to survive that long, you know how dangerous it is, remember poor Gill?" Blister asked, "My dear friend, the world is even more ruthless than you think."
"Would you like to know who exactly killed your husband in the arena?"
"What are you saying?" Coral asked. Anemone's pupils dilated. Please don't let her find out this way! Anemone thought. Suddenly, Moon jumped in. "You should also know Blister killed Kestrel and is lying about it, and she wants Webs dead for her own reasons, not yours," Moon said. Blister snapped her neck at Moon, growling at her, Kinkajou then stepped in and wrapped her wing around the NightWing, growling at Blister. "Don't listen to them, Coral, dragonets never know what's best for them," Blister said. "I think we can be sure prison isn't it, though, and you should address my mother as Queen Coral," Anemone snapped. "I don't know what's going on, but for your safety, Anemone, your staying here," Coral said. Coral took Isla off the sand, and Auklet out of Tsunami's talons, Tsunami's pupils dilated. "Mother! Think for yourself for a change!" Anemone yelled. Queen Coral, Tsunami, and Blister flew off with Isla and Auklet as the guards began to corner the dragonets, Tsunami turned her head real quick to see Anemone, before she was tugged by their mother, they'd come to The Kingdom Of The Sea looking for safety, and instead they were prisoners again.