Chapter 5

Calypso

The blue skies reflected the light off the water. Calming waves crashed against the stone as dragons flew about. Some were swimming into the depths while others were in the sky. Each and every one of them a different color.

"Calypso!" a red dragon came up to another. "I was wondering where you were!"

"Hey Hibiscus," Calypso replied. Her purple white tail was draped in the water.

"Aren't you and Brimstone coming to the party soon?" Hibiscus sat next to Calypso.

"If we didn't mother would ground us," Calypso grumbled. "I'd rather not go."

"It is for you two, isn't it?" Her friend asked.

"Yeah but so what?" Calypso sat up. "Just because we're royalty doesn't mean we need to attend every party and every dinner."

"It's kind of your job to attend those," Hibiscus pointed out.

Calypso growled out loud. "I just don't want to attend everything. I know I will when I'm queen but right now, I'm a dragonet. Dragnets shouldn't have all the responsibility on their shoulders."

"Great someones cranky." a sarcastic voice called from the air.

"Ha ha," Calypso said dryly. "We have to get to the party soon, Brimstone."

Brimstone was a light yellow with splotches of bright yellow throughout his wings. "I know." He was also her brother. "We should head there soon."

"Fine," Calypso got up and opened her wings. "Don't expect me to mingle much."

"I won't," Brimstone snickered. "But mother will."

They flew on towards the palace. The palace itself was made of slate and marble. At sunrise it had looked as if the palace was made of pure gold. The party the Queen was holding was in the courtyard outside the palace walls surrounded by pools of water. In the pools were fish ready to be served to the guests. Almost everyone in the tribe was invited, which didn't surprise Calypso. Queen Azule loved to throw extravagant parties whenever she could.

Calypso hovered over the landing platform watching as Brimstone and Hibiscus landed and looked for another friend. Calypso suppressed a sigh as she landed. As she did, dragons swarmed her with smiles. She walked through them with a fake smile saying thanks. As she walked through she caught the sight of Cobalt and Brimstone. She walked faster, almost ramming into a dragon she didn't know.

"Oh sorry," she said to him.

He took one look at her and smiled a toothy grin. "No problem, Princess." he tilted his head in a bow then walked away.

She watched him go with a fascination. She then shook her head and walked over to the two. "Where's Hibiscus?"

"She went to go find Current." Brimstone looked at her. "She said he was at one of the pools trying to catch a fish. Knowing him he's gonna be there all night." he laughed.

Calypso couldn't help but laugh too. Current may have been the fastest in their friend group but he was a terrible hunter. She flicked her tail for the two to follow her as she made her way through the crowd. She spotted Current and Hibiscus, more likely heard them, and made way to them. Current was in the pool diving down to snatch up a large sea bass.

Hibiscus was at the edge laughing at him. "Current, you'll never catch them like that."

Current came up with a scowl on his face. "If they would hold still for two seconds," he grumbled.

"Current, face it," Calypso came up next to them both. "You are a terrible hunter."

"Ha ha princess." he dove back in after a fish.

"I doubt he's going to catch one." Cobalt sat down at the edge watching as current snapped at fish.

"I agree." Calypso smiled. She dipped her head in slowly not to scare the fish away. Currents splashing was scaring the fish away from him. She waited for the right moment. A small blue tuna was swimming in her direction. She waited as it got closer then snapped her jaws around it. She pulled up her head showing off her catch.

Current gave a hmf. "Oh stop it." she tossed the fish to him.

He caught it with a surprised look. "I can catch my own fish." he exclaimed.

"No you can't." Hibiscus laughed.

He rolled his eyes and ate the fish. Calypso looked around for her mother. Usually Queen Azule would be adorned in the finest jewels and pearls. Calypso caught sight of her mother next to her uncle. Calypso beckoned for her brother and walked towards the two royals.

"You were always the first one to everything, Azule," her uncle was roaming on.

"Mother." Calypso interrupted seeing the relief on her mothers face.

"Hello young ones," Archipelago groaned. He was a lot older than Azule was. You could see his battle scars from when the tribe was threatened by the Stormwings 30 years ago.

"Hello uncle." Calypso and Brimstone replied.

"I suppose it's time now, isn't it?" The old dragon looked towards the queen.

"Yes it is," she nodded with a smile. "Follow me you two."

Calypso looked at her brother who in turn looked at her. Their mother hadn't told them anything about this. They followed her through the crowd watching for tails and wings. They were headed for the front of the party where the music was being played. Four dragons each with a different instrument sat atop a huge flat rock.

Azule stood on top of the rock telling the dragons to stop the music. The music stopped and soon all heads turned towards the stage.

"I welcome all of you," her voice boomed through the crowd. "I thank you for being here today. I know my children do as well."

Calypso looked up to her mother.

"I want to say this to all of you. Your future Queen is an outstanding dragon. She is no longer a dragonet tonight. Tonight she has turned 8. A year worth remembering." she flicked her tail for the two of them to come up by her.

"My children," she put her wings around the two of them. "The only twins in the tribe. They are grateful for you all tonight."

Cheers arose from the crowd including several happy hatching day wishes. Calypso tried her best to smile at it all. She wished she could run off the stage and bury herself in the water. Brimstone looked as if he would do the same.

"Thank you," Azule said finally. "Enjoy the party."

Azule let Calypso and Brimstone go back to their friends.

"That was so uncalled for." Calypso shook herself as she got away.

"Mother means the best," Brimstone tried.

"The best for who?" She growled instead.

"Maybe we could go now. Get out of here while our scales are intact." he looked around.

"Good idea. Let's get the others." Calypso made way to the pool the others were at.

As they came up to the other three they heard them laughing. Crescent was there with a snail shell in his talons. He was tossing it to the others.

"What you doing?" Calypso came up to them.

"Nothing really." Crescent replied.

"Not gonna lie, it's a little boring here." Hibiscus whispered.

"How about we get out of here?" Calypso mimicked her hushed voice.

"Really?" Current asked. "Won't they miss you two?"

"We were already put up on the stage," Brimstone told them. "We can leave when we like. We are royalty after all." He stood up and put a talon on his chest as if he were on a throne.

Hibiscus stifled a laugh. "I guess you're right."

"Come on guys. Let's get out of here." Calypso started away. The others followed her all the way to the take off platform. Each one of her friends, red, blue, black and yellow, took off into the setting sky. She followed them. They usually hung out in the shimmering forest on Weeping Island. It was a quiet forest that some believed to be haunted. They all knew for a fact it wasn't. It was just the eeriness of how dark it was and all the noises from the animals.

She was the first to land on the island. Her claws touched the sand with a soft thump. It was always a little spooky around here. As the others landed Calypso went off towards the beach. She stopped when she saw something in the sand.

"Guys!?" She called to them. "Come here."

The other four came to her and gasped. There in the sand was a talon print. That wasn't what they were gasping at. Blood filled the print and leaked around it.

Calypso turned fast at a snap in the tree line. A dragon wheezed from afar. "H-help."