Orca dug her claws into the sand nervously, but kept a plastered smile on her snout. The end of her tail twitched in apprehension. Three years ago to this day, Orca had taken part in her Talons of Power Ceremony. This time, it was her younger siblings, River and Torrent, who were participating in it.
Orca knew that animus magic ran within families, but she was almost certain that her younger brother and sister, along with any other members of her family, were not animuses. After learning about the royal IceWing animus line, Orca had enchanted a small amethyst inlaid in a golden bracelet that her mother had given her for Orca's hatchday to heat up when animuses or enchantments were around, and so far it had only detected her own handiwork and other ancient enchanted items. For example, when she had brought the bracelet to the Summer Palace created by Albatross, the gem had gotten so hot it burnt her scales.
So, Orca logically didn't have any reason to be worried about more animuses at the ceremony. Yet, it still unnerved her, and she couldn't wait for the ceremony to end.
Torrent stood by the shadow of his twin sister, Princess River. Orca wore only a minimal amount of jewelry (for a SeaWing Princess, at least, Orca wore her golden bracelet and a small silver chain from her neck carrying a golden pendant in the shape of a dolphin on it, embedded with ruby eyes). River, on the other claw, was covered from snout to tail with precious metals, gemstones, and of course, pearls, the paradigm of wealth symbols in the Sea Kingdom. River had clearly taken inspiration from her mother's looks. Strands of multi-colored pearls were slung around her neck, and two gold bands were wrapped around each of River's horns, contrasting with her shimmering violet scales. Similar bands of gold wrapped around her neck and tail.
Torrent, on the other claw, was dressed much more modestly; he had only a silver chain placed around his neck. But both of the two siblings looked excited for their ceremony; like almost all of the dragonets in line, each of them waited impatiently for their turn.
Whirlpool eventually reached the royal siblings. He asked River to direct her coconut, but unsurprisingly, there was no effect. From Orca's distance, Whirlpool looked even more crestfallen than River.
Whirlpool quickly twisted his snout into his usual smug grin, and moved onto Torrent. The same result came; the coconut didn't move. Orca felt relief, but also a pinch of dismay. She had almost been hoping that there was someone else she could share her powers with.
The rest of the ceremony continued with no surprise. There were no animus dragons among this year's batch of two-year old dragonets.
"What a shame River isn't an animus," Queen Coral said, walking over to her eldest daughter, "it would sure help us win this war, and it would have been a great skill for a successor to have. Imagine all the good she could've done for the Kingdom!"
"Yeah," Orca replied, lost in her own thoughts. Was hiding her powers really the right thing to do? If Orca revealed her powers, she could help the Sea Kingdom in so many ways. In time, she might be able to create an enchantment giving the SeaWings an infinite supply of fish, or stones which could cure dragons of any illness, or a spear which renders the dragon holding it unbeatable in battle.
The animus princess opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by her mother.
"Of course, having an animus in charge of the kingdom might not be such a good idea after all," Coral interrupted, speaking what appeared to be her own train of thought out loud. "Queen Fen got so bloodthirsty at the end that her last remaining brother had to murder her in her sleep, and we all know what Albatross did. I suppose it's better than not that River isn't one. I wouldn't want to place a horrific burden like that on her."
Orca nodded quietly. That was why she couldn't use her powers to help others out. If she used them too much, she would lose her soul, and end up killing the rest of her family. It wasn't fair. She glanced down at her claws and felt a shiver crawl up her spine. Her tail twitched slightly. That wasn't something she wanted to think about.
"Well, it's no matter now," Coral smiled. "I have business to attend to with a member of my council; ask Gill to take you and River back to the Deep Palace."
The SeaWing queen stretched her wings, and royally trotted into the surf, before diving underwater. Orca sighed and walked up the beach towards where River and Torrent were standing.
"This way, Torrent," River ordered pretentiously. She looked a bit unhappy that she hadn't turned out to be an animus, but she was trying to hide it. "Move the rocks and shells out of my path so that I don't stub a claw on one. A princess should never have to stub her claws."
"Yes, River," Torrent reluctantly complied. He moved a few of the shells and rocks out of the way of his twin sister lethargically.
"That's Princess River," River demanded. Orca wondered where she got that tone from, their mother had at least one humble scale on her body.
"Yes, Princess River," Torrent grumbled, continuing to move shells and rocks to keep River's precious talons unscathed.
Orca rolled her eyes and sighed. "River, stop ordering around your brother," Orca requested.
"You're not my queen," River hissed back, her forked tongue flickering in and out of her jaws. "I don't have to do anything you say!"
"I'm your older sister," Orca replied calmly, "and Coral put me in charge of you two until we find father. So yes, you do."
"Oh yeah?" River replied. "Well, I'm an animus princess, so I outrank you, and if you try to order me around I'll turn you into a squid."
What might have been an immature but harmless comment to any other dragonet did not sit well with Orca. "Shut up! What do you think this ceremony was for?" she snapped at River, a growl behind her words. "You're not an animus, you're just a bratty, spoiled dragonet."
River gave a "hmph" in content, a smirk on her snout, satisfied that she had succeeded in angering her older sister. "My powers just haven't developed yet," she claimed. "Give it another year, and I'll have won the war for us. Now, Torrent, hurry picking up those shells or I'll turn you into a squid!"
Orca bristled in anger, her ear twitching. While River glanced away to see if her brother was doing an adequate job of his menial labor, Orca quickly murmured under her breath, "I enchant the sand in front of River to turn into a rock and stub River's claw."
River suddenly yelped in pain. "Ow, ow, ow!" she yelled. She rolled onto her back, and flailed her talons around, as if it would relieve the pain somehow. Torrent snickered, but quickly put a claw over his snout to hide it. After River finished her spectacle, she climbed back onto her four paws, wincing in pain slightly. She quickly noticed the rock that had caused her injury, and picked it up, examining it. "WHAT IS THIS?" she yelled at Torrent in a rage.
Torrent shrunk back in fear. "I'm sorry," he quietly whispered.
"No you're not," Orca replied for Torrent, walking between the two dragonets. "You don't have to listen to her orders." She turned to face River, baring her sharp, pointed teeth. "Watch where you're walking, next time. And don't ever try to order Torrent around again." She growled menacingly at her younger sister.
Orca was a few years older than River, and a fair amount larger, so the younger dragonet was clearly intimidated by her. Tears started to form in River's eyes, and she gulped. The young princess vigorously nodded in submission to her older sister.
Orca, satisfied, turned back to Torrent. "C'mon, let's go find Father," she calmly suggested.
After Orca and Torrent started walking away, River took a few deep breaths, relaxing herself. She glanced at the rock she had stubbed her claw on. Something about it just seemed off. It was a beautiful rock, almost unnaturally round. She squinted at it for a few more seconds before she ran off towards her siblings, keeping the rock safely held in her talons as they pushed past the ground.