Wings of Fire Tales The Sovereigns Cults

Chapter 3 Heartbreak

 (Glyph) 

Sigil had been missing. He had been gone for half of the night and Glyph was starting to get worried. Not only was that but his father gone too. Neither Glyph nor Nightseer knew where they were.

Then a soldier came to the house. Glyph recognized the soldier to be one of the trainees named Neolith. He had come to tell both Glyph and his mother that Sovereign had died in battle.

"What do you mean there was a battle at the trial?" Nightseer chokes on her word and Glyph can see the tears about to burst out of her eyes.

"I mean, the Icewings attacked us. Your husband fought bravely into the heart of the battle, but sadly did not survive. He did not die in vain though. Sovereign fought in battle to protect us, the battle was won, but at a cost." The soldier says with a blank expression as if he did not know how to respond.

Nightseer looks down at her talons and then to Glyph. She sadly nods her head and wishes the soldier a good day. As she shuts the door she turns to Glyph who looks confused and terrified.

"Glyph, Sweetheart, where is your brother? We need to speak with him." Glyph hadn't seen Sigil since he told him that he was going to the library.

"I thought he was here." Glyph squeaked and then looked outside; panic written on his face.

"Come on we need to go find him." She says with wavy breaths and worried eyes.

As they lift off into the air Glyph can see his mother's wings shake and her eyes fill up with tears. Glyph isn't so sure how to respond to this and feels confused. He didn't know what happened exactly to his father just that his brother was missing.

***********

It had been hours and still no sign of Sigil. He had expected him to be at the library, but when he had went it was empty. He asked a few dragons if they had seen him, but all replied "no". He had been missing for half of the night he started to wonder if the Icewings got him. His father was gone so is there a chance that Sigil was gone too.

The thought of his brother's dead body was disturbing and heartbreaking. The thought of what the Icewings might have done was enough to bring tears to Glyph's eyes. Yet, the images flashed through his head like lightning in the sky. The screams and the image of his dad lying on the ground.

As Glyph starts to fly home, he wants to try and look again.

"What if I missed something? What if he was at the library or down by the waterfall. I need to find him." Glyph thought, as turns around and heads back towards the library.

As the sun comes up it shines brightly on Glyph's back and the hot pink sunrise was enough to blind Glyph. As the clouds from yesterday roll out the new blue sky rolls in. Below him, fresh snow covered the ground below him. Winter had been at the Night Kingdom for the first time this year.

A small black figure comes into view and Glyph can see his brother sitting down in front of the library. Glyph forces his tired wings forward and lands next to Sigil. He wraps his wings around his brother and lets the tears come.

"Glyph! What's wrong?" Sigil asks frantically wrapping his wings around Glyph.

"Dad! He's gone you didn't come home I thought they had got you too!" Glyph says crying into his brother's shoulder.

"Wait what happened to father?" Sigil asks standing up and taking a step back breaking the hug between his brother.

"He's dead!" Glyph responds his voice shaking and his eyes filled with tears.

Sigil's eyes go wide and he asks how, but Glyph just tells him to come home and that Mother would explain. Sigil had never been close with their father, but the emotionless dragon standing in front of Glyph surprises him. He expected Sigil to be slightly more frantic; instead he just stood there staring at Sigil clueless.

They both lift off into the air together and fly back home in silence.

*******************

When they got back to the house their mother's sobs come from her and their father's room.

Glyph and Sigil make their way into their parent's room. He sees her sitting in a corner clutching one of Sovereign's pictures as well as his fur blanket that she had given him. "Mother?" Sigil asks with a voice that sounds heartbroken. "Are you ok?" He hurries over to her and looks at her crying.

Nightseer's face is stained with tears her eyes are heartbroken. However, her sadness aside, she clutches the picture and blanket violently as if she wanted to tear both to pieces, but couldn't. Her dark, black eyes looked up at Sigil who was knelling down beside her. She tries to wipe her tears away and force a smile, but can't.

"Yeah, of course Sweetheart, I-I'm fine..." She tries desperately not to let her real feelings show.

"What...What happened to father?" Glyph asks knowing what the answer was, but wanting to hear the whole story.

"Your father was a hero today." Nightseer gasps trying to stop her sobbing. "He protected us. He fought bravely, but he lost life doing so."

Then that's when Sigil saw the tears and hurt enter his eyes. He starts to cry and as his tears roll down his face like a gentle stream, their mother wraps her wings around both dragonets.

********

The family had been summoned to the Queen's castle, after all Sovereign was the Queen's brother. When they arrived Sigil stood in the court yard looking around like he was trying to find someone. Glyph stands next to him and asks what he was doing but gets no reply.

"Come on boys." Their mother beckons them inside the castle.

The Queen sits on her silver, obsidian, and sapphire throne with her daughter sitting next to her. Both looking elegant, but with sad and pain filled eyes. Queen Duskstar takes a deep breath in and lets out a wavy sigh.

"My Queen." Nightseer bows her head.

"Nightseer. My brother's body was found and we have these to give to you." The Queen states not wasting any time and getting straight up what they were summoned here for.

Two palace guards came out of the dark carrying Sovereign's cloak and his locket. Nightseer takes the cloak and locket carefully in her arms.

"Sovereign was a loyal soldier and a fearless one at that. He led the battle to attack the IceWings. It a shame he did not survive." She tries so hard not to sound sad, but her constant sighs gave her away.

"The IceWings have never been fond of us, but to lead an attack for unknown reasons, it just doesn't make any sense." She shakes her head and rests her face on her talons.

"Then maybe we should lead an attack on them." Glyph and Sigil's mother suggest sounding cold and harsh. "They took lives from us we should to them."

"That's what I need to discuss with you." The Queen says lifting her head and giving them a sly smile.