Chapter10: Day 12
Prince Turtle did not return to Deep Palace. In fact, it took her considerate amount of time before she realised that. For the whole morning she had been searching around the palace without even a glance of his tail. It was only after a generous noble pointed her to the Summer Palace that she realised it.
Oh, how she was fuming with the heat of a volcano. Surely, one of the servant who worked there knew about it. Surely, they were keeping this information away from her. And surely, they are having the time of their life watching her turning the place inside out in a fright.
But she digressed, anything was better than losing Prince Turtle. That would have definite made her lose her head. Figuratively and literally.
The sun was high in the sky before she finally was able to locate Prince Turtle at the Summer Palace in his writing room. He was sitting in front of his desk with a seaweed cushion underneath him reading a scroll. Beside him was a pile of scrolls, all of them intact.
Rainbow tried to greet the little prince, but he gave her no response. His claw was busy tracing the words along the lines. Muttering to himself while occasionally jolting down some notes on a blank sheet.
At least, he's working on something.
The room itself had mostly return its former glory. Tidal must have finally sent someone to clean the room after Prince Turtle hadn't return for days. The floor was scraped clean of the black smudges. A neatly fresh seaweed bed was in place. Those scrapes of torn papers were no longer scattered around, were instead placed in one corner. However neat it had been stacked, those torn scrolls stayed torn. So were the stone shelf. Once filled, now it was empty. Except for one stack of scroll that were the writings from Queen Coral.
"So, what are you reading?"
Rainbow didn't wait for an answer. She was already making her way closer to the little prince. Hoping that by glancing the content of the scroll, she might be able to guess what it was. But her tail accidentally tripped against the pile of torn scrolls. Scattered the scrolls all over the floors.
Clumsy tail.
She picked the pieces of the scroll. This time she spotted words like 'Talking-Scavenger', 'Brave', 'Courage', 'Heroes' and the likes.
By the time she had re-stacked the scroll, Prince Turtle was gone. Leaving an imprinted cushion from his reading spot. The thin rolls on the right side of the scroll suggested that he had finished reading the scroll.
She uncurled the scroll to the left and started to read them.
…
And so, after banishing his friend, Fathom too went disappeared into the sea. No one know where he went. Or if he ever used his magic again.
However, one thing was certain: Fathom, by using his animus magic, had saved the world from what could possibly another massacre.
…
Rainbow felt her stomach twist itself by reading the word 'massacre'. This word was not a stranger to any SeaWing.
Everyone knew the nightmarish story of Albatross. The psychopath SeaWing animus dragon. Who was snapped at a royal party and kill everyone using just a mere knife. A feat only possible by using animus magic.
But what exactly was the animus magic? Nobody exactly knew. It enabled the likes of Albatross killing everyone with ease. On the other talon, there was Fathom who used his power to stop a rising evil. Possible saving the whole world from a disaster.
With a speed of swordfish, a talon swoop down and snatched the scroll away from the reading desk.
"What do we have here? Reading on duty? Tsk. Tsk. Rainbow"
Rainbow turned around to see two SeaWings standing in front of her. Two of them she instantly recognised as the senior servants of the Summer Palace.
"Had all those care-taking duty slacken your discipline?" say one.
"Or being near that useless prince already had an effect on you?" chimed the second.
"Give it back." Her swipe just barely missed the scroll.
"Ah ah. Just what's make you think you deserve to have it back?" The first servant wiggled the scroll in her hand. "Plus, we had to clean this filthy room when it was your responsibility. So I think will just hang on to it for a little while."
"Tidal told me to take care of Prince Turtle while someone cleaned it. And the scrolls is not mine. It's Prince Turtle's." Rainbow replied.
But the servant ignored her. She held out the scroll to the servant stood next to her while another talon held Rainbow in her place.
"Let's what so interesting about this scroll." It only took her a few second before a gasp came. "History of animus dragon? Really? Haven't you grown past your dragonet days already?"
"Is it about those nonsense 'Talons of Power' ceremony?" one said.
"I guessed one who lived outside the Kingdom of the Sea never heard of it." The second giggled. "Don't worry. Come. We can have the ceremony right here. Right now."
The second servant dangling the scroll at a distance away from her.
"If you wish hard enough the scroll in my hand would fly right back to your talon."
"Go on honey. You can do it."
Determined not to give in, she scuffled and twisted, but the scroll was always just one talon away from her. For every attempt of her talons swipe, giggles followed. They were clearly enjoying this rather too much.
Rainbow held her ground and stare the doorway.
"Prince Turtle!"
The gap of two servant momentary paused was all she needed. She snatched one end of the scroll and tugged hard on it.
"Hey! Let go! You-"
The Sound of ripping scroll rang through her ears as the scroll was ripped down into half. Both of them staggered to the ground by the sudden release of tension. Her heart beat as she stared at raised her talon. She held one side scroll and the other was in the other servant's talon.
"I would have given back the scroll. Had you played nicely." The servant dropped the scroll with a thud. "What a shame."
Rainbow quickly snatched back the other half. The scroll was ripped clean through the centre with a jagged edge along the edge. She tried to piece them together like a puzzle. Hoping that it would magically glue themselves together.
"Well maybe now if you wish harder. The scroll would fix itself just fine."
The two servant flashed their scales in laughter as they stroll out of the room.
Rainbow picked herself up and quickly glance around the room. There could be a way to fix it before the little prince came back. Maybe a glue? Or a tape?
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Prince Turtle standing at the entrance of the room. His tiny talons clasped tightly around a couple of scrolls. Panting from the exhausting trip of carrying scrolls from the library floor.
Rainbow would have happily helped him carried the scrolls if it wasn't the heart-wrecking look he gave her.
"Prince Turtle! I-"
The little Turtle walked past her and began reading the scrolls. She wasn't sure if he was disgusted by her or just plainly uninterested. Explaining something that had gone wrong was a futile attempt. Instead, she rather opted for action.
"I promised to fix this scroll, Prince Turtle. I'm been back."
Rainbow picked up the torn scroll and flew out into the pavilion.
Standing in front of a desk. Rainbow stared at the scroll as the scroll stared back to her. Minutes into the promise of fixing the torn scroll have left her questioning her choice up to this point.
How exactly do you fix a scroll torn clean in half?
The library must have something to fix all those torn scroll, right? Library loaned out scrolls every day, some of them must have cuts or tears when they returned.
She had tried asking a librarian, but she shook her head. Stating that she was newly appointed here. Though, she still managed to acquire some glue and extra paper for her. The librarian wasn't able to provide any further help.
It was fine. She could try common sense. The papers should go underneath it so that scroll did not stick to the desk when she glued them together.
While trying to work on the scroll, few words caught her eyes as she read.
…
It was a miracle to have two Animus dragons in a same tribe at the same time, even if it was two generation apart. Despite the possible disaster that it might bring forth, it had also bring lasting prosperities to the tribe. If the animus dragon had left any legacies.
Such as Fathom, who can still be found in the records among the NightWings scrolls, stated that he saved NightWing and possibly the whole Pyrrhia from a rogue Animus dragon. Though, he did not leave any animus object behind, he did leave a better world for the many generations to come.
Then there was Albatross, who built the Summer Palace for the SeaWing tribe. Even by magic, it had taken many years to build it. Imagine the required dragon-power to do the same!
However, some attribute the massacre to the cost of building the palace. Since it was common belief that the usage amount of animus magic is link to corruption of one's soul. Some believed that loss of majority royal families was too high a price to pay while others dismissed it the claim.
Though it might be a shame to say so, the Summer Palace had brought so much prosperity in the kingdom for thousands of years. One might even say the price is worth ten times of the massacre.
…
Rainbow flipped the scroll around. She felt a sickening lurch in her stomach. But there was something more important had popped into her mind.
Animus magic was really powerful. Building a palace and saving the world. She wondered if it could even cure her grandfather. It certainly could, right?
The trail of thought was broken by a dragonet's presence. He was standing there waiting for her to notice.
"Hello" said the dragonet.
"Hello, little one." Rainbow smiled. "How can I help you?"
Her eyes wandered towards his still-half opened tiny wings. There were the unmistakable spiral and starburst pattern. One that anyone would have recognised.
"You must a prince." She quickly added.
"Yes. I'm Prince Cerulean. I was wondering…" He took a quick glance around the library and whispered. "Are you the one who looking after my brother?"
Rainbow nodded.
"Great. I m-mean. Good." The prince fiddled his claws. "Is he alright?"
Rainbow tried her best to hide her astonishment, but the prince must have notice her widening smile because he added tail-thumping among his fiddling claws.
Someone actually cared for Prince Turtle. Someone other than her or Tidal. More importantly, someone among that of his brothers from the same clutch!
"He's doing okay. He was pretty down for the last week or so. But now he seems fine. Pretty busy though. He had been reading scroll after scroll since this morning."
The prince looked as if he had just dropped a bounder off his back. Oh, poor little dragon. Rainbow leaned in closer to Prince Cerulean and whispered.
"If you're so worry, why don't you talk to him in secret?"
"I can't do that! Hammerhead would hang me under the sun if he knew!" Seeing her gapping maw, Prince Cerulean quickly added. "Or not. But I wouldn't want to get on his bad sides. I don't want to be the next one isolated."
"It's just… It's kind of our fault." He shook his head in frustration.
"'Our' fault?" Rainbow echoed.
"Yes. Turtle was supposed to find Snapper. And we, Octopus and me, was making fun of him along the way. Dad had already said that it was an important task. Like really important, but we didn't take it to heart. All we did was pushing him here and there. Teasing him when he was supposed to be focusing." He shook his head. "Owh! I shouldn't have to agree with Octopus in the first place."
"What's done is done. Put the blame on yourself doesn't change the outcome of it." She put one wing over the little prince. "I don't think Prince Turtle ever blamed you for it. However, he did feel guilty of what happened that day. Maybe next time all of you should work together on a task before playing around like that, shall we?"
It took a while but finally Prince Cerulean nodded his head.
"On the other hand, could you tell me why Prince Turtle would wanted to read this scroll?"
Rainbow turned the scroll around so that the title display at him.
"History of Animus magic in the Kingdom of the Sea? Probably because the 'Talons of Power' ceremony is near. He must have fancied himself an animus dragon. You know, with his stories and all that. But how I wish I was an animus dragon."
"Wait, how do you know you not an animus dragon?" Rainbow asked.
"I don't. Up until the ceremony I guess. Nobody told me how to find out. Not even my elder brothers. All of them went through and none of them tell me anything about it." He huffed and puffed. "Some brothers they were."
"Oh? Cousin? Is that you?"
Rainbow turned around to see another SeaWing was approaching them along the scroll shelves. Larger than her in size. Her whole body was coloured in dull grey green in scales. In her talons was carrying worn-out scrolls and claws smudged with ink.
"Hmm… You're not Turtle. Never figure you would like hanging out with scrolls. Octopus?"
"It's Cerulean. Moray." The prince said. "Why did you always mess up both of us and not Turtle."
"Because he's the one doing all the reading but not you two. How can I separate either of you if the two of you always hugging each other like a bunch of kelp."
"That's wrestling. Not hugging."
"Same thing, different name." Princess Moray looked towards Rainbow and said. "And you must be the servant who had been taking care of Turtle. Rainbow, isn't it?"
"Yes. It seems like everyone knew about me." Rainbow said.
"As they say, 'Scroll writes. Rumour flies.'" Moral gave a heave on a pile of scrolls that she carried. "Sorry you have taken up my favourite spot. Would you mind moving you scroll aside to let me- Thank you."
"So." Rainbow stared at the pile of scroll that was just laid on the table. "News?"
"No. These are her stories." Moray patted the pile of scroll. "Much as she likes to broadcast the news of the assassin. She found that stories were more effective in this case. She had made herself really busy these few days. These stories shall serve as a reminder to others that murderers of the Royal families will meet their downfall and-"
Prince Cerulean tugged at her shoulder and leaned towards her.
"I better go. She will be on and on for the whole day if you didn't interrupt her." Prince Cerulean whispered. "And don't tell ANYONE I asked for Turtle, okay?"
Rainbow nodded. She tapped his tail against her. Indicating a secret has been made. The little prince slipped away as Princess Moray continued droning.
"-so that the justice and order shall be maintained. Don't you think she's a wonderful queen. She had-"
"You seem to know a lot about scrolls, Princess Moray. Could you help me fixed this scroll? It was Prince Turtle's scroll and I promise to help him fix it."
"Oh, let me have a look… This should be an easy one. It tore off pretty clean by the looks of it."
Princess Moray's talon shuffled here and there. She managed to grab a glue and a new sheet of paper to slide underneath the scroll. Everything else happened so quickly she thought there was magic behind those talons.
"The history of Animus dragon in SeaWing. Always a popular scroll when the 'Talons of power' ceremony just right around the corner." She handed the scroll back to Rainbow. "Now put it under a paperweight for a few minutes, and it will be done."
"Thank you." Before Princess Moray return to her work, she asked. "What is the 'Talons of Power'?"
Princess Moray gave her a long look before she spoke.
"You really don't know? I can't find any hint of joke in you. Anyway." She returned to her scrolls. "The 'Talons of Power' is a ceremony to test whether you are an animus dragon. It's quick and simple. So much better than finding out your animus dragon in the wrong way."
"The wrong way?"
"Yes. Like Albatross. He accidentally enchanted a calm to chomp off his sister's claws! Imagine that. Anyway, I'm busy working on setting up copy workflow for Queen Coral. She would need all the scribes of the SeaWing kingdom could offer right now. Plenty works to do."
When Rainbow about to leave, Moray interrupted her.
"And one more thing. Please take good care of my cousin. Turtle. Out of all his brothers, it seems like he's the one who had any sense. Such fervour in reading and his admiration for the queen is very much admirable. It would be a shame if anything happened to him."
Then, Moray returned her gazed back to the desk. Her ink filled talons were working hard against the scrolls.
"Can I ask you something?" Rainbow said. "Snapper's ruby. Did you pass it to Snapper?"
Moray paused her writing. She stared at her for a moment too long before saying.
"I gave it to my father. He's in much better position to pass it to her. Did she get it?"
Rainbow nodded.
"Good. Good… I suppose it meant that her family has it back."
Moray went back to scribble on the scrolls. Taking that as a cue, Rainbow grabbed the glued scroll and a paperweight, and flew back to Prince Turtle's reading room.
So, Prince Turtle was preparing for the 'Talons of Power' ceremony.
But why?