Chapter 11: Day 13

If Rainbow didn't know, she would have thought Prince Turtle was deliberating on playing hide-and-seek with her. Another morning she spent waiting for the little prince in his writing room. And again, another disappearing act.

It was until high noon that she decided to leave the room to search for him. With no clue whatsoever, she had to content herself by asking nearby dragons and glancing around the Summer Palace.

With a stroke of luck, she managed to spot a conspicuous dragonet lurking along the cliff wall surrounding the pavilion. It was easy to picked out his green among the brown mud cliff wall. He was trying to move between the crevice of the cliff while hiding in a certain angle. Probably trying to trail somebody out of her sight.

Such movement may have evaded his target's attention. It certainly would have drawn all the others' attention to him. She took flight and flew toward him.

"Prince Turtle." She feathered her landing besides him. "What are you doing?"

The little prince scrambled to his claws. Launched himself against the wall and hugged it for his dear life. Rainbow quickly apologized to him while soothing him with her wings. It was until Prince Turtle saw her face that he finally calm down.

"I was e-erm watching the scenery from here. Enjoy the view-" But Prince Turtle stopped at the look of her unconvinced tapping. "I was following someone but don't tell anyone. It's really important."

"Who are you-"

Before Rainbow could finish her sentence, Prince Turtle pushed her into a crevice of the wall. From the gaps of crevice, she could see a dull green SeaWing flew away towards the pavilion. That must be the dragon Prince Turtle was following.

"Quick. Not much time until he's back."

Prince Turtle flapped his wings and drove himself into a cave in the cliff wall. That cave probably was where the green SeaWing came from. She hastened herself to follow Prince Turtle's wing beats into the cave.

Standing at the cave entrance, she saw Prince Turtle had already pushed open a door and, with an hourglass in his talon, trotted into it. Besides each door carved a name into on a sign, she went closer and examine the carving. Many of the name had a familiar ring.

Lagoon, Pearl, Tempest, Moray…

"Prince Turtle… I don't think we should barge in places like these."

She stood at the doorway peered into the dark room. It was not a lavish room that she would have expected of a room for the council members. There an old chest, a writing desk with an hourglass dripping sand, and a lot of shelves filled with scrolls in all directions.

Among the shelves, there was Prince Turtle. Scurrying for something between scrolls. His feet were scraping against the edge while dangling his tail among the topmost shelves.

"Prince Turtle! Please be careful."

As if on cue, Prince Turtle's legs slipped away from the shelf. His bottom half of his body turned into a pendulum, swung sideways wildly while his talons trying painstakingly gripped anything that could pull him up.

"Turtle!"

Rainbow ran forth with arms extended. She caught him just in time as Prince Turtle loosen his grip and landed right into her arm. Her talons scraped against the floor as they collided.

"Are you okay?"

Prince Turtle curled in her lap, still stunned by the fall. After she gently rocked him, He finally nodded.

"Maybe I should do the searching in the higher shelves while you search for the lower ones."

His frightful eyes soften. He then lower his gaze and said.

"Alright. Thank you."

"So, what I'm looking for?"

"Any scroll that have titled 'Animus' on it."

Prince Turtle slipped out of her talons and began searching again.

Animus.

No doubt of it. It had to be related to the 'Talons of Power' ceremony. Maybe would find out the reason behind these later. With whispering pain in her knuckles, She managed to pick out some scrolls before Prince Turtle tugged her tail and pointed to a top-empty hourglass on the desk.

"Time to go. The meeting is going to be ended soon."

Prince Turtle grabbed the hourglass, and they scrambled up the scrolls she picked out, back out to cave entrance and just she was about to take flight.

"Wait. I forgot to close the door." Rainbow said.

As she went back closed the door, she noticed the sign beside the door. It was craved with a name that had a familiar ring.

Whirlpool.

"Quickly." Prince Turtle's voice echoed in the cave.

With a stack of scroll under her arms, she and Prince Turtle flew out of the cave. Up into his writing room.

Prince Turtle shook his head. And shook it again. The cycle repeated itself as he dropped one last scroll to the ground. He heaved a sigh and then shook it one last time.

"It's no use." He let his wings flopped to the ground. "None of these scroll has anything to do with it."

"It?"

He gave her another hesitation. Rainbow sighed inward. Still, it was a better response than talking to a coral.

"Talons of power." He looked at her then lower his head. "I guessed it was pretty obvious. Everyone knows about the ceremony. The one took it to have sworn not to tell. And the one who didn't, are usually the one waiting to take one." He tossed the scroll aside. "I would have taken my chances with my elder brothers, but the punishment made it impossible. So they would definitely not tell me anything about it. But even without the punishment, I doubt they would." He scratched his head and continued. "So, I have been searching every scroll about it. In the libraries, in my mother's reading shelves, and even Whirlpool's room. But I found nothing. Nothing about how they conduct it and where did they conduct it. There was no record of it anywhere."

Then he looked her in the eyes and said.

"Do you know anything about 'Talons of Power'?"

"Sorry. I don't. I had never attended one before." She replied.

"Never?"

"I didn't live here until recently."

"I see…" Prince Turtle said. "I guessed It wasn't possible to test everyone in the Kingdom of sea. There is just way too many of us. Whirlpool wouldn't have the time either. They most likely just spend their time testing against the Royal family because animus dragons had appeared in the royal lineage." He heaved a sigh. "But because no one knew whether Fathom ever returned to the Kingdom of the Sea. They just started testing everyone. Royalties first, then the nobles, and the rest, everyone else. Believing that Fathom descendants might be could be anyone."

Rainbow nodded slowly. In her heart, she was glad that Prince Turtle willingly to open up to her. And that was one of the longest explanation she got for the ceremony itself.

"So… What do you think about animus dragon?" Fiddling his claws, Prince Turtle sat opposite of her waiting for her answer.

"Animus dragon? I don't know…"

She took a glance at the scroll all over the floor. There was titled "Animus dragon in IceWings", "Theory on Magic and Animus dragon" and the likes. She might be able to tell him something if she had read all of these. The only things she knew about animus dragon was from the short reading session she had with Prince Turtle's scroll.

She spotted the disappointing look in his eyes, and she said.

"Well, I do know that Animus dragon is really powerful. Albatross made this whole place by his own talon, right? It had brought so many great wonders to the SeaWing tribe I don't think anything else can compare! Then again, he did also make a massacre that no SeaWing would ever forget about." She said.

Prince Turtle winced at the mention of massacre (who won't?) and asked.

"Do you think all animus dragons are evil?"

"I don't think so." Plucking the words from her grandfather. "I don't think anyone is inherently bad. Animus dragon are dragon after all. No one is born to hurt others deliberately. But a dragon with this much power. I guessed it would be tempting to do something bad."

"But I believe that if an animus dragon with a good heart, would never turn evil without any reason. Fathom, wasn't it? Hadn't he defeated an evil dragon while not becoming one? I'm sure he's a wonderful dragon." She said.

"But Fathom disappeared after that. I wonder why." Prince Turtle murmured.

Rainbow went to his side and laid a wing over him. For some reason, he empathized them. All those animus dragons. He seemed to be a sensitive fellow.

"Well then, what do you wish if you were an animus dragon?" Without waiting for his answer, she continued. "I would wish for a world without sickness. Wouldn't that be great? No more suffering. No more mourning. Dragons would just spend more time with each other and lives a happy life."

"But wouldn't that also meant dragons wouldn't die except of accident?" Prince Turtle asked.

"Oh no. Dragons would still die of old age. Sickness and ageing are two different things of a same result. When we grow old, our body lost some of its ability to fight sickness. And therefore, fallen to the disease. But dying of old age is like your gill doesn't work you any more and passed away. Hopefully peacefully."

"That would make the healers out of job, wouldn't it?" He stared upward, thinking. "But what about a heart attack? Does that consider a disease or ageing?"

Good question. Given that she observed most old dragon suffered from them, a heart attack should be an ageing problem. But there are also cases of heart attack at young dragons too. Some say it was because they were born with a weaker heart. Others said that everyone would eventually catch them, and it was all just a matter of time.

"I don't know. I guessed a healer would be able to tell you that." Rainbow clenched her teeth and sighed. "The truth is my grandpa was suffering from an unknown illness. We have gone all over the sea to look for a cure but none of them work. It took away all of our savings. When I first heard of animus magic, I thought that would be my golden ticket. But there is no animus dragon for a long time in our kingdom."

Rainbow gave him a weak smile.

"I know. Selfish of me. But maybe. Just maybe. There is still hope for my grandpa. Even it was just a wishful one."

"So how is he now?" Prince Turtle asked.

"He's doing fine. I suppose. But he started coughing again." She said. "If he only he can give himself the same ingenuity of health care rather giving me all those life-lessons."

"Where is he now?"

"At the Garden of wounded. Jade green scales. Straight horn and rain-drop pattern under the wings. Can't miss him." She said.

Prince Turtle nodded slowly and fell into deep thought.

"Well then. Since these scrolls are not going to be useful. Might as well we return these scroll to-"

Then she saw the empty cushion where Prince Turtle once were. And quickly glanced towards the doorway.

"Sorry. Got to go. There is something I need to do." Prince Turtle said before closing the door. Leaving the echoes of his talons in her ears as he left the cave.

Rainbow picked up the scrolls on the ground and stare at them.

"You could have at least told me where you went."

She shook her head. Then, smiled.

She was not sure how long later. But when she saw Tidal, he was standing by the door to Prince Turtle's writing room. He nodded at her as she came back with a bucket of water and a mop.

"Hi Tidal. Is everything alright?" Rainbow asked.

"Stole the very question out of my snout." He grinned from ear to ear. "Everything going well. More or less. Thanks to you."

Rainbow still remembered that frightening moment of hesitation as her talon touched the ruby in her satchel. Between presenting in front of everyone and hiding behind the crowd, she would have preferred the latter. Had she done it, she would not able forgive herself for allowing those angry mob to overcome Tidal. Especially when he had done so much for her.

"I was afraid they might hurt you." She replied. "They were so angry I thought they might tear off your limbs."

He chuckled and said.

"In Deep Palace, only a fool would try anything and think they could get away. But I'm still forever grateful of your action. Standing up for me like that. However, I'm hoping that you could clear things up with me." He gave a little cough before saying. "Like the ruby for a start?"

With trust in her gut, she told him everything. Turtle hiding in the room. She followed him out in the dark ocean. Snapper and the earthquake.

"So my hunch was right. You did nothing of evil. Only strange deeds. Like the coral that almost dragged you out of the room. I have never heard anything like that before. Are you sure it wasn't some current dragged you along?"

"I'm pretty sure that I was being dragged by the coral. But now come to think of it. I wasn't sure any of it was real any more." Rainbow replied.

"But you did end up with Snapper's ruby. That's a reason to believe it was real. But I would have wished Prince Turtle wasn't there to witness that horrible scene." Tidal said and Rainbow lowered her head in response. "I'm not blaming you for it, Rainbow. It was an unfortunate event. However, I can't help but wonder how Prince Turtle managed to find Snapper out in the sea. Especially during the night."

Tidal held the door opened for her and gestured inside.

"Never mind that. I'm more concerned about the prince. Come, we'll talk inside."

Tidal dragged two cushions out from the corners, and they sat opposite to each other.

"So how was he?"

Rainbow would love to say that Prince Turtle was on the road to recovery, but something was off. The way he was so nervous all the time, doesn't strike her as a fine way to live.

"He had finally responded to me and my words. But there is something wasn't right in him. The way he twitched and fiddled. I don't know how to put it in words."

"Like his whole body warped in jellyfish's stings?"

"Yes, just like that. And that thing about 'Talons of Power' ceremony. He seems to be obsessed with it."

"Every dragonet is." Tidal chuckled. "What's not to be obsessed about it? Magic that does anything. Magic that follows you everywhere. It's every dragonet's dream."

"And magic that made you crazy." She said.

Tidal nodded gravely.

"Dreaming magic is all fun and good. Until someone had to pay the price." Tidal said. "But I bet he was trying to figure out how does the ceremony work."

"Do you know how it works?" she asked.

Tidal was about to say something, but instead he gave little thought before saying.

"I do. And my guess is that you had never attended one." He scratched the side of his temple then said. "I'm sorry, but there is a rule stating that anyone who attended the ceremony must not reveal the proceeding to anyone who didn't." He shrugged. "Even so, I did love to tell you about it. Since you wouldn't happen to have a chance to attend one any time soon. But given that the ceremony is only a week or so. It's best that I don't spill any beans until the ceremony is over." Tidal gave her a rueful smile. "Perhaps after the ceremony, Prince Turtle would tell you all about it. He ought to share this rare occasion with someone."

"That someone can only be me." Rainbow sighed. "This 'Isolation'. How long do you think it usually last?"

"A week or so. Sometimes, it stretched to two." He said. "But the duration of punishment had always been clear from the start. For someone laid down a punishment with an indefinite time frame. Even I, who had worked here for decades, had never seen anything like that before."

Rainbow winced at that thought. Seeing how much Prince Turtle had suffered throughout the first week. She couldn't imagine he was able to live through his life like that. Her only consolation was that currently there was something in his mind other distracting him from his loneliness.

Tidal placed his talon over hers made her realized that her talons felt sore for clenching hard on the cushion.

"They are brothers. You, the one servant who cleans the gathering hall, would know their bonds with each others. They are made stronger by blood. Trust that they will forgive." Tidal said.

Trust. Maybe she could put a little more faith in their brotherly love. But she definitely could trust him. If he was right, Prince Turtle might only need to hold on a couple more days before the isolation was lifted. Then, she would return to her usual duty and taking care of her grandfather.

Tidal grabbed a scroll from floor and said.

"So, lets start putting these scrolls up in shelf and have our lunch later, shall we?"