Alright...so, I have no idea how high the word count on this thing is going to be when I'm done writing it. By the time I post this chapter, the word count will definitely be 200k for sure. All that I'm going to say is that I'm not done here.

Well, anyways...let's see how well Aldy does when it comes to dealing with Queen Coral. Will he do alright? Or will Coral show her ugly side?

CHAPTER 7: REFLECTIONS ON THE WATER

Late Morning, January 25th

"T-T-T-Ta-Talking...a...a...a t-talking...s-scavenger...wha...why is the...?"

"Aldy, you better know what you're doing here..." Tsunami thought as she grinned nervously at the sight of her previously regal mother, Queen Coral, stuttering in shock once she found her voice, and looking between her and Altamir while pointing at the latter, very clearly utterly baffled that humans could talk. Anemone was worse - she was just staring at Altamir in silence, speechless, with her mouth hanging open.

"Heh...eheheheh...uh...right..." Tsunami chuckled awkwardly, now realizing that she was the one who had to introduce someone, "...I...I need to introduce you to someone. Um...mother, this is Altamir. His kind are actually called 'humans', not 'scavengers', and...yes, they can talk." As she did, Altamir then started walking to them.

"They can..." Coral then looked more than a little mortified, as if starting to realize something. "Oh, dear...erm...have they always been able to...?"

"Indeed we always have, Queen Coral." Altamir bluntly replied, having his right hand on his right hip. "Always. If anything, we're the other side of your coin."

"Oh no...oh, three moons..." Coral shook her head, talon to her mouth. "I am...I am so sorry about that, I never knew..."

"We both know it's not me you should be apologizing to." Altamir sounded like he was trying to keep ahold of himself. "Us humans should be the brothers to your kind's sisters...and yet I find myself having to save my kin from yours when I shouldn't be having to do that."

An awkward silence followed, the only sound being Altamir's footsteps as the little human walked towards the three of them before stopping in front of them at a distance probably only twice that of his own height. Tsunami noted that Anemone, being only...maybe two years old(?), was barely taller at the shoulder than he was at all.

Speaking of Anemone, she raised one of her front talons...and then Tsunami saw a small patch of red from where her talon had been on the floor. Altamir noticed as well.

"Oh...by the way, your littler daughter's bleeding." Altamir informed Coral.

"Is she...?!" Coral looked down and was alarmed when she saw the blood. "Oh dear! I am...I'm so sorry, Anemone..."

"Ugh..." Anemone groaned in what sounded like a mix of frustration and embarrassment.

"I must ask," Altamir tilted his head at Coral, "but what's with tethering her to you? Seems counterproductive."

"Well, I'm just doing it to keep her close to me to keep her safe..." Coral protested.

"By watching me every second?!" Anemone sounded irate.

"Perhaps you believe you are..." Altamir shook his head. "...but expecting a...two-year-old dragonet to keep up with an adult in flight is the opposite of 'safe', Queen Coral. Far from it, it's dangerous. I saw you quite literally dragging her through the air, and more than hard enough that her wings, which are much smaller than yours, couldn't keep up, at that. Let's not get started on the hard landing...and you could have yanked her into that horn on your tail by accident..."

Coral gasped and looked at her tail, seemingly realizing what Altamir was talking about.

Altamir sighed. "Just...let her off the tether. Let me look at her...I can help her."

So, Tsunami watched as a sheepish-looking Coral reluctantly unhooked the cord from Anemone and then pulled it back. Anemone looked relieved.

"Thank you, Altamir."

"That's appreciated, but I'm not done. You might need to roll over on your back so that I can look at what you've...sustained from that landing. Might be more than just your front talons."

"...huh? Uh...okay?"

And Tsunami then watched as, just like that, the smaller SeaWing rolled over on her back for Altamir, who set to work immediately. Tsunami could see Coral and Anemone both being astounded when Altamir actually started using his healing magic on the smaller SeaWing dragonet, and even Tsunami herself couldn't help but be awed at watching when, after he'd cleaned the wounds out (specifically, on both of her front talons and both of her back talons, as well as the underside of her tail near the tip), he made them...vanish like they'd never been there in the first place.

"They're...whoa...how did you...?" Anemone was in the middle of astoundedly asking as she rolled back up to her talons...

...when Coral asked it for her. "How did you do that?"

"Oh, right..." Tsunami scratched the back of her head, realizing that she still had to do this part. "So, uh, mother? I'm not sure if you know this, but...we dragons aren't the only ones who have animi. Humans have them too. And Altamir is one."

Coral's already wide eyes went the widest that Tsunami had seen them so far. "Do they...is he..?!"

"Yes and yes." Altamir sighed again. "Though, I do see how you're worried. Just so you know...our 'animus' works a bit differently than yours does. For you, usage of it erodes mental stability. For us, it drains our physical stamina...as in, if we use too many big spells we can't handle, we will likely end up killing ourselves from exhaustion. So, while we still need to be careful with using it, you need not fear a mad rampage from spell usage like with 'your' animi."

"...erm, very well." Coral nodded reluctantly. "I...suppose that that's how you were able to...appear like that?"

"It is." Tsunami answered for Altamir. "It's...also why he was able to get me here. I know you said that you always knew I'd find my way back here, but...really, I wouldn't be here without him."

"Truly...?"

"For better or worse, yes truly." Altamir rolled his head on his shoulders. "If you wish to hear the details..."

"Go on..."

At Coral's anxious reply, Altamir began. "So, Webs did his...deed in the service of an organization called the 'Talons of Peace'...perhaps there were rumors that he did it for them already, but there's your confirmation. Anyways...as a result of it, she was 'raised' with four other dragonets of other tribes underneath a mountain by Webs and two other 'guardians', one being a SandWing and another being a SkyWing, and whom neither of which I will name for...reasons. And...well, I say 'raised' the way I do because your daughter and those other dragonets were not treated very well by those other two 'guardians' in particular, and while Webs apparently didn't partake in such ill treatment, he did nothing to stop it, and would even claim it was somehow 'for their own good' when it wasn't." He clearly saw just how furious Coral was at the mention of such things, and nonetheless continued. "Indeed, such treatment was ill enough that, just under a week ago, she and the other dragonets hatched a plan to escape those 'guardians'. Unfortunately, the mountain that they were being kept under was in SkyWing territory...and it didn't take long for Queen Scarlet to...happen upon them."

Coral's fury froze into horror. "S-Scarlet?! Did she truly-?!"

"Yes, she did." Altamir answered very honestly, Tsunami grimacing as she...remembered. "It was at Scarlet's arena where I found them, badly wounded already from mistreatment by her and her guards, and in order to rescue them from her and preventing them from being killed by her for her amusement on her hatching day 'celebration', I quite literally had to kill her and...perhaps forty or so of those guards back first, and then I had to make make a break for it with the five of them practically bundled under my arms just to save them from her."

Coral's demeanor shifted yet again to astonishment. "You...killed Scarlet? You...managed to...you actually...? How did you...?"

"It...would have to be seen to be believed." Tsunami shrugged. "Though, he did take out another forty SkyWings by himself in...ten to fifteen seconds at the most yesterday...let's just say it's part of what he can do as a human animus."

"Oh...I...see." Coral, after an astonished pause, then began to ask Altamir a question. "Um...Altamir, since you were at Scarlet's arena, did you happen to see...?"

"'Did I see' whom?" Altamir tilted his head at Coral.

But then Coral shook her head. "...actually, that can...wait for later. But...in all honesty...thank you, Altamir...thank you for saving my daughter from that mad SkyWing and getting her away from Webs and those 'guardians'."

"It's no problem on that end..." Altamir shrugged himself. "...I do things because they need to be done, and not for the accolades." Then, Altamir looked at Tsunami, and then back to Coral. "Though, if I have your gratitude for saving your daughter...perhaps, in turn, you can humor her and I on something, Queen Coral?"

"'Humor' you?" Coral perked her head at Altamir in turn. "What do you wish for me to 'humor' you on, then?"

Tsunami wondered what Altamir meant for a bit, but then she saw him briefly glancing at where the other four dragonets were...and then she realized. "Oh...well, here goes."

"It's with regards to those other four dragonets. So...I know that the situations in which they were brought up together with your daughter was...not good, to say the least. However, in spite of that, and in spite of them being different tribes from both her and each other...the five of them are quite close to each other and care for each other quite dearly. Actually, their relationship with each other is practically like siblings."

"Is it truly...?"

"It is." Altamir nodded.

"If that's so, then perhaps I could...know who they are?"

"Well, one of them is a RainWing named 'Glory', one is a NightWing named 'Starflight', one is a...SandWing named 'Sunny', and one..." Altamir then breathed in and out, seemingly aware of what he was about to ask Coral. "...I know that this may get your hackles up at first, but we can explain this, the last one is a...a MudWing named 'Clay'."

Indeed, this caused Coral to arch up to the point where her scales were practically standing on end...

...but then Altamir stopped her with a raised hand. "I know, Queen Coral, I know. I know. The MudWing tribe is enemies with your tribe. You are at war with them. They're aligned with Burn. I know. With regards to Clay...will you at least allow me to explain here?"

After a few seconds, Coral gave a grumbled sigh...kind of like how Tsunami herself would when dealing with Glory. "...go on."

"Alright. So...Clay is not loyal to Burn. He is not loyal to Moorhen. And he is not loyal to the rest of his tribe. With Burn in particular...well, she was with Scarlet the day that she intended to have him and his friends burned alive by a Firescales SkyWing for 'festivities', so just on self-preservation alone, why would he be loyal to her? As for Moorhen, similar deal; why would he be loyal to a queen who aligned herself with the queen who wanted to have him and his friends die for her amusement? And for his own tribe...well, it turns out that unlike with your daughter and the others, who were all kidnapped in their eggs, Clay...well, his mother quite literally sold his egg to the talons for a few cows. Only members of 'his' tribe that he has good relations with are his six blood-siblings we encountered on the way...and even then, he was having them flee to neutral territory in the RainWing forest so that they wouldn't have to fight and die for Moorhen or Burn. It is to your daughter and the other dragonets with which his loyalty lies. And he is very loyal to them and your daughter."

Coral was silent for a few seconds, eyes narrowed...before she gave another grumbled sigh. "...very well. I suppose then, if you're being honest, that I'm...not against meeting him and them for myself. So, you're going to lead me to them?"

"You're guessing we have them waiting outside the palace?" Altamir glanced at Tsunami before then answering. "Well, we would do that...but Tsunami and I came to the conclusion that such would be too dangerous for them, as Clay could be mistaken for an enemy, leading to him and the others being potentially attacked and killed...so we've hidden them somewhere closer. Much closer."

Coral then started arching up again. "You...brought them into my...?!"

"Coral, we didn't have a choice!" Altamir suddenly barked. "I value their lives and safety much as you value the lives and safety of your daughter. I had to do this; they have nowhere else to go! You're willing to do whatever is necessary for your daughters, aren't you?!"

Coral was silent for a few more seconds, then gave yet another grumbled sigh. "...where are they hidden?"

"If I show you where they are, will you promise that you won't react with hostility or try to have them imprisoned or killed? And will you keep that promise?"

"...yes, Altamir."

"Very well." Then, Altamir made a motion with his hand, and pointed to where the other dragonets were.

Tsunami's heart began beating like a drum as she saw Altamir reveal to Coral where the other dragonets were, and that Coral could now see them.

"Oh no...please don't do it, mother...please don't break that promise..."

Tsunami was badly worried that Coral wasn't going to keep it, especially as she looked like she was a scale away from calling for her guards or trying to attack them. If she did either...things would get ugly, especially with Altamir looking himself like he was about to make his sword appear in his hand.

Before she could stop herself, she was already walking over to the other dragonets, with Altamir then getting on her back while she was mid-step, and she could see Coral and Anemone following her out of the corner of her eye. Doing her best to be brave, she then went and stood beside Clay, the other three hiding behind the MudWing who was their 'big brother'.

And then Coral stopped in front of Clay. Okay, so she was at least a little smaller than Morrowseer, but Coral was still a huge dragon, something that she showed as she towered over Clay, Glory, Starflight, and Sunny, all four of them looking very nervous at the sight of her.

"Is it true then, Clay?" At least Coral called him by name. "That you want nothing to do with Burn and Moorhen? That your loyalty is to my daughter rather than your tribe?"

Clay nodded slowly. "...it's...it's true, your majesty. It's true. It's all true." Ah, good, he listened to her when she asked him to.

"...alright then..." Coral sighed one more time, this time not grumblingly. "...if they're this dear to you, Tsunami, and if it's this clear that they're loyal to you and not someone who is an enemy of ours...then I won't have them harmed, ejected, or imprisoned." Tsunami sighed in relief...though, Coral wasn't done. "But...if they're going to stay here...you will have to keep them at either your side or at Altamir's side. That, and the guards will have to be informed of this...arrangement if they're to not regard them as enemies or intruders."

"I'm sure." Altamir nodded. "Though, perhaps if these four were to...wear something to aid in signifying that they're not enemy intruders? I was planning to have Tsunami have them as her 'retainers'...if you know what I mean."

"'Retainers'? I...yes, I suppose that would have to do. Though, for 'wearing'...the only thing I can think of for that is armor...and I doubt my guards would be so eager to lend that to them."

"Well, it's not like they need to do it directly, Queen Coral." Altamir replied. "I have a way around that."

"...you do?"

"I do...just give me a minute."

Tsunami then watched as Altamir then ran over to Riptide (while noting the...disgusted look that Coral was shooting at the young guard/soldier when Altamir did so), then had a quiet exchange of words with him before Riptide then laid down, on Altamir's apparent request. Then, as Tsunami was watching, Altamir put his hand on the armor that Riptide was wearing...and then the armor briefly glowed orange for a moment or so. After that happened, he then ran back over to the other dragonets - three moons, he was far faster than he looked on just his legs - before he skidded to a halt in front of them.

"Alright, you four, I need you to all stand straight up..."

So, the four of them did, and after a few seconds...

...all four of them suddenly had the same sort of armor as that which Riptide was wearing materialize on them, in the same area, on each dragonet, as where Riptide wore his, and yet also sized just right for each of them. They were startled a bit when they suddenly saw (and felt) it on them.

"Oh! Uh..." Starflight uttered in reaction to this...

...while even Coral was a bit startled also. "...well, I...is this another 'ability' of yours, Altamir?"

"Yes, it is." Altamir nodded. "I'll just say that part of one job I once had involved fitting armor onto dragons. Either way...I suppose that should get the point across about them 'not being intruders'."

"...I still must say that part of me cannot believe that I'm...doing this." Coral sighed yet again. "But given your...strength...and that you clearly have no intention of letting me do otherwise...and if it's for my daughter..."

...oh...yeah...Tsunami was guessing that part of why Coral was agreeing with this was because she seemed to remember what Altamir was capable of. She seemed to realize that, if Altamir could do something like what he did against those SkyWings, then no amount of guards were going to stop him in case he decided that she needed to become 'headless' like Scarlet had. It seemed less like Coral was agreeing to this voluntarily, and more like she was doing it because she knew better than to try and pick a fight with someone who was that much stronger than her.

Either that...or it was because he was an animus - again, SeaWings in general seemed to be really afraid of animi.

Or both.

Royal guards could be tedious to deal with...though, to have a royal court without them would be akin to having a shepherd's pie without the meat.

So, Coral inevitably called them, though she did promise beforehand that it would not be to seize, harm, or kill the other dragonets. However, before Coral could order them otherwise, several of the arriving guards, either not realizing what was going on or having not been properly informed of it, had rushed at Clay, Glory, Starflight, and Sunny, clearly attempting to do one of those three things...

*THONK!*

...before slamming themselves against a magical barrier that he'd then quickly placed between them.

As he saw the dazed, smarting guards groan from their newly-acquired headaches, Altamir then turned to Coral, not pleased, impressed, or amused with the queen at all.

"I..." Coral looked rather embarrassed, perhaps (and hopefully) at her guards' impulsiveness. "...I was about to say 'guards, they are not intruders, they are my daughter's retainers'. My apologies..."

"They're accepted..." Perhaps she was truly sorry, or perhaps she was saving face in front of Altamir because doing otherwise would make her look bad given her guards' recklessness, so Altamir decided to make sure with the tone of his voice that she...knew. "...however, know that I've been playing nice thus far for the sake of your daughter having a better reunion with her mother. That can and will have its limits."

Altamir hoped that he'd sent the unspoken message...namely, that if Coral couldn't keep a handle on her guards, she would find herself with a fair few less of them than before. Going by how she proceeded to begin to hammer out that the four dragonets were, again, not intruders (and that included Clay), and that the guards were to leave the four alone, she did seem to get that message.

But already, Altamir now had at least one eyebrow perpetually-raised at her, to put it one way. Oh yes, her care for her daughters did seem genuine...if misguided...but that was one thing. Her not being able to keep her overzealous guards from lunging at the dragonets was another thing - an actually good queen would prevent that from happening. And that wasn't getting into how she regarded Riptide for...basically no reason. He was starting to have...concerns, to say the least, with regards to whether or not she was a good queen - better than Scarlet, yes, but any queen could be better than THAT one, and that alone did not make a queen 'good'.

Altamir and the dragonets had agreed, before they'd reached Keos, that they had to be prepared for the possibility of Coral being a bad queen. And that, if Blister was with her, then she could (and, knowing what Tsunami had said about her, she would) likely be a bad queen claimant. Given where they would be, though, they would additionally have to navigate Coral's court. With politics being at play, they'd have to keep their pieces close...if they saw anything odd, stupid, ridiculous, outrageous, or the like, then they were to nonetheless keep their reactions to themselves if and when possible, and to outwardly just play it off, so that they could then, ideally, discuss it somewhere later. If anyone were to do the talking towards the court, and particularly if such absurd behavior from Coral, Blister, or one of the members of the court had to be confronted, Altamir was the one who would preferably do it.

Like now. Despite the guards having prematurely gone after them before things could be explained, Altamir was glad that the other dragonets held to that...even though he could see the fear in their eyes as things were happening...

...gods damn it, he needed to work harder. That was a close call, and he knew such just as much as they did. He could not lose them. He could not afford to do so whatsoever.

Well, he was now aware that he'd likely have to bring out, for the first time, a certain something. A certain something that he'd remembered that he'd made very shortly before his…his death. If and when he did, he hoped it would work, and work well.

Regardless, after a few minutes, things with the guards had been finally worked out...for the time.

"There. The guards should understand that the four of them pose no undue threat now. Hopefully, there won't be any repeats of...that."

"Hopefully." Altamir ran his hand through his hair at Coral's words. He knew full well that he and the others would have to expect anything here, regardless of what Coral said. Dragons, like humans, could have a propensity to be willing to do anything to enrich themselves or increase their social status, and as such, 'friends at the court' were rarely ever genuine. Blister, if she was less-than-benevolent, could perhaps bribe or order a guard or other official to try and assassinate them or frame them...

...ugh, right, Blister. He would have to deal with her eventually. Altamir did not look forward to it.

Soon, Altamir was now watching as Coral took a necklace stringed with pearls off of herself - a spare one, apparently - and then gently put it around Tsunami's neck.

"Here...you're so unadorned, my beautiful dragonet." Coral seemed to be somewhat back to her 'on a cloud' demeanor like she was in when she first laid eyes on Tsunami. "I have to start making up for all the presents I missed giving you." She did still seem to be somewhat...ambivalent about the other four being there, but it seemed that she understood by now that wherever her daughter went, they went.

Speaking of the other dragonets, it did look like Glory (who had shifted her scale colors into something more like that of a SeaWing's) and Starflight at least seemed to find the scene a bit...saccharine...and rather jarring compared to what they'd had to deal with mere minutes ago. Clay and Sunny didn't seem like they were in the 'saccharine' camp, but they were certainly in the 'jarring' camp.

Altamir supposed he couldn't completely blame either...but his attention was also on Anemone, who was staring at Tsunami. Oh...oh dear. Was she...was she jealous? Or...was it her being afraid of having gone from being dragged around to...tossed aside?

Altamir was about to go over and ask the younger SeaWing Dragonet...but then he heard Tsunami saying to Coral that she wanted to ask her something. At that, Altamir then looked at Anemone and gave the 'come here' motion to her, and then did it again as he then began walking over to Tsunami and Coral. As he did so, Anemone seemed to get what he was asking of her and followed him to the two other royal SeaWings.

And then Tsunami asked her that something right as Altamir and Anemone had finished approaching. "So...what's wrong with Riptide?"

"She asks a good question, Queen Coral." Altamir seconded the question to signify that he was there as well. "I noticed the way you looked at him...you certainly don't seem to like him. I have no idea what an eight year old dragonet who was likely drafted into your army or your guard would do to incur such, but..."

"He's Webs' son."

Coral's sudden blunt reply genuinely seemed to catch Altamir off guard, and it certainly caught her friends off guard as well. Tsunami herself...well, she was caught off guard too...but mainly because of the 'bluntness' part, and not as much as the others.

Well, that confirmed who Webs was in relation to Riptide, at least...she didn't expect to get the answer so suddenly, but oh well.

"...Webs is his father?" Altamir perked his head at Coral saying this after a few moments. "I...well, I didn't know that before. Though...what does that have to do with anything?"

"What does it..." Coral then shuddered. "...everything! Webs' betrayal has tainted his bloodline! Nasty family...not fitting company for royalty by any means. We keep him as far away from us as possible...hm?"

And then Tsunami looked at Altamir again after briefly focusing on Coral...and he was looking at Coral a certain way, which seemed to have gotten Coral's attention. Tsunami wasn't seeing anything 'strong' emotions-wise (though that was to be expected), but he had this look as he was doing so as if he had just seen Coral sprout three heads.

"...do you mean everything that you just said, Queen Coral?" Altamir's voiced sounded like he was questioning Coral's sanity.

"Do I...but of course I do, Altamir! Every single word! I cannot let Riptide and his tainted blood near my-"

"Then by your logic, I should have killed my mate rather than loving her as I did."

And then it was Altamir's turn to cut Coral off in turn with a voice that crackled like thunder. Silence came instantly after he finished. Tsunami and her friends were looking at Altamir with wide eyes, while it was now Coral and Anemone's turns to be caught off guard.

"Erm...what?!" Coral mumbled with even wider eyes than Tsunami and her friends had. "You...?" An equally wide-eyed Anemone was staring at him in shocked silence.

"Ah, right, I should explain." Altamir then sighed as he began. "So, my late mate whom I beloved as long as she lived...she was a fellow human named 'Tamuriyah'. Lovely soul, well-regarded by nearly all who knew her, wonderful mother for the children whom I raised with her. Contrast with her father, a walking stain named 'Frahatava'. Absolutely disgusting excuse for a human. He treated her and her siblings abominably...constantly beating them, constantly piling insult after insult upon them, frequently threatening to murder them if they dared 'step out of line' - he felt that he was entitled to do whatever he wanted with them just because he was their father. He even sold one of her brothers into slavery."

WHAT?!

Tsunami could tell that everyone else present - Clay, Glory, Starflight, Sunny, Coral, Anemone - was basically reacting just like she was at hearing that last bit, it striking like a bolt of lightning.

"D...Did he...did he truly...?! That's...barbaric...!"

"Yes, Coral, he did, and it was. It was because of his misdeeds that he became my second ever kill...and one I've never regretted. Here's the thing...Tamuriyah could have absolutely been just like how her father was...but she wasn't and never was. She knew and saw and felt first-hand what it was like being on the receiving end of someone like that, and she swore to never become like him. And she indeed never did. And that was true for the entire century that we were together, and it was even true the day she died soon after turning a hundred and fifteen."

There was another silence for a few seconds, before Altamir then continued.

"I know you clearly believe in this 'tainted bloodline' idea...but the thing is, even back a long time ago, such a particular idea was mocked as archaic, outdated, and decrepit. Because that's the truth here; bloodlines do not determine someone's morality and trustworthiness. If you are to gauge such a thing, you gauge their actions, their decisions, and what they themselves are like instead. And Riptide has not given me or your daughter any reasons to regard him as being like Webs. Webs was a coward who stole from you and your daughter. Riptide has only given to you and your daughter and is part of the reason why her and you have reunited, and while he has his moments of fear and worry, it's to be expected from his age, and it's not to the extent of cowardice. One can also count on Riptide to stand up for someone, as he did for your daughter to Shark, whereas Webs was willing to stand by and let those other 'guardians' try to murder one of your daughter's friends."

Coral was quiet before she responded. "...you're asking me to trust Riptide?"

"All I'm asking is that you at least give him a chance, Queen Coral." Altamir crossed his arms. "Perhaps give him an assignment to prove himself...perhaps assign him to your daughter and her friends to aid her in making sure that no 'brilliant thinkers' among your other guards attempt to attack them? Or..." Altamir then paused for a bit, before a torch seemed to be lit within him, to put it one way. "...ah, right. There's a bit of a...problem that your daughter has, Coral."

"A problem?" Coral then looked at Tsunami... "What problem?"

...while Tsunami was looking at Altamir with a perked head in turn. "Good question, what problem?"

Then, Tsunami was reminded of which one as Altamir answered Coral. "Well, you see, it involves her...shaky knowledge of Aquatic."

"Huh? Oh...uh oh...oh no...no no no no no, not in front of...Aldy, this is not a good time!"

Coral looked both worried and irate at once. "Her knowledge of...oh dear, did that creature Webs not teach her? Or not properly?"

Altamir seemed to share her mood on something for once. "Afraid not. Apparently, he'd lied to her that it was for mating...he never told her that it was an entire language...nor did he bother to, well, teach her it, about it, or how to use it. I found this out because Riptide was the very first other SeaWing that wasn't Webs whom she'd ever met in her life, and she...well..."

Tsunami felt herself flushing red in embarrassment as Coral saw this and then asked Altamir. "...she what?"

Altamir scratched the back of his little head. "She apparently wanted to try her talon at Aquatic with the very vague knowledge of it that she had...and it was a mess. Namely, she ended up unknowingly saying to him, 'Hey, sparkling teeth, I totally love three of your claws but not the others, and I wish your nose was a herring so I could eat it, and also your wings sound like sharks snoring.'."

A silence of a different flavor reigned...one that entailed Tsunami blushing harder than she ever had before in her life. And then she heard a certain noise, and she then saw the other dragonets, as well as even Anemone, quivering their lips and covering their mouths, clearly trying hard not to laugh...as if Altamir repeating that in this dead-serious, business-like tone made it the funniest thing ever to them.

"Oh, three moons no...ALDY WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

She was not living this down...

...three moons, even Coral was trying to keep herself composed when hearing this. "I...erm...I...yes, I can...yes, I can see that. But...how did you know exactly...?"

"Because Riptide was able to translate her accidental phrase to him word for word." Altamir, by comparison, didn't seem to have an issue keeping a straight face. "It seems that the boy has genuine talent with Aquatic...actually, if you want to confirm, I could call him over..."

"...go ahead." Coral responded with a bit of hesitation.

"Thank you, your majesty." Altamir seemed the closest to 'pleased' in a while, as he then turned in the direction of Riptide, who was still around, albeit on the periphery of things. "Riptide! Come here!"

"...me? Er, you want me to...?"

"Yes, you. Come here!"

"...oh, alright!"

Riptide did sound reluctant, but he then walked to them, looking rather wary, as if knowing that he was in the presence of his tribe's queen...his tribe's queen who had wrongly judged him for something that wasn't his fault. Then, he stopped in front of them, still looking wary.

"Erm...what is it Altamir? And...your majesties?"

"We just wanted to confirm on what Tsunami said when she first met you. Sparkling teeth, loving your claws, nose herring, shark snoring...she said that to you by mistake, didn't she?"

"...yes. Yes, she did." Riptide confirmed, still looking nervous.

Altamir then looked at Coral again. "See? The boy's got talent...granted, it may be an otherwise-tribe-wide thing, but still, I do believe we could have him show her around the palace and explain what's in it, help her keep her friends on her dragon, help her learn aquatic...that sort of thing. Perhaps you might fancy giving him such an assignment if he's to prove himself to you that he's not his father?"

Coral looked at her front talons for a few moments before she sighed. "...very well. Riptide, you have a new assignment, and it's as Altamir suggests...but know that I'm only giving you so many chances at it. If you cannot prove yourself to be unlike Webs..."

"Then there will be consequences, yes, yes." Altamir nodded...before turning to Riptide again. "Though, Riptide...with regards to Webs..."

But Riptide, suddenly no longer nervous or afraid, focused on Coral, bowing and then speaking stiffly. "I am honored that you're giving me a chance to be unlike the dragon who abandoned me to steal your daughter's egg before I was two years old, your majesty."

...

...oh. Oh no...

...that was...oh three moons...

...yeah, no, there went any remaining sympathy Tsunami had for Webs. Particularly as Riptide walked away a few steps before sitting down nearby, as if either waiting for when Coral departed to other business, or to follow her to follow Tsunami if Coral wanted to show her somewhere. Even Coral herself seemed to be mortified just a bit by hearing this, as if perhaps realizing that she'd been treating him badly for no reason...

...wait, there seemed to be more to her mother's reaction than just that. Why was that...?

...ah, carp, that'd have to wait for later. Not enough to go off of here right now. Oh well.

Either way, though...Coral was soon leading the group down some levels of the multi-floored pavilion, Tsunami noticing stares from other dragons who were on the floors that they were passing by (apparently at the four strange dragons wearing armor typical of the guards), before they then got to one floor that was about...four down from the top, Tsunami was sure. Apparently, Coral was wanting to show her to someone who was a dear friend of hers.

Near where Coral stopped were some cauldron-like...things and a long grey table. On one end of the table was an apparently unfinished scroll, and in the cauldrons were more scrolls.

"Ah, that there is my work-in-progress." Coral said to Tsunami with regards to the unfinished scroll. Then, she turned away and called for someone. "Whirlpool, come here!"

As Coral did that and then went over to one of the cauldrons, Tsunami caught Anemone (who was still with them) looking rather exasperated, then looked at and picked up a statuette of a seahorse that was heavy and very detailed...but that had a rather dragon-like head for some reason. Still quite beautiful, though.

"Wow...who made this one?"

"Oh, that, dear?" Coral then looked over herself and saw what she was talking about from...whatever she was doing. "Orca made it and those. She was my oldest daughter and a talented sculptor." She sounded rather sad when she said this...

...that, and she said 'was'. Was this 'Orca'...dead?" Given that she heard Altamir talk about his old dragon companions and his mate Tamuriyah the same way (at least before he confirmed that they were dead)...yeah, Tsunami was pretty sure that this was the case.

Though, what happened, then? Wasn't it supposed to be the case that none of her daughters survived long enough to be-

"Ah, my apologies for my lateness, your majesty...and your smaller majesties."

But before Tsunami could finish thinking about that, another SeaWing emerged from one of the lower floors and then landed in front of Coral and bowed to her, and his voice attracted Tsunami's attention to him. He had scales in shades of frog-green, darker on his overside and lighter on his underside, and he had a large, golden hoop of an earring in one ear, his talons also being stained black much like Coral's were.

Tsunami didn't exactly know why, but this dragon was one she could already tell would be trouble...as in, it felt as though it was somehow written all over him that he was going to be trouble. Maybe it was the way that his voice, slow and oily, had a sound that felt like squids crawling into her ears. Maybe it was the way that the smile of his mouth didn't seem to reach the rest of his face, nor his eyes when he opened them...he seemed to be, sounded like, and came across as the definition of 'shifty'.

"No, no, no, it's fine, Whirlpool." Though, a chuckling Coral seemed to not be paying attention to such a thing. This got a raised-eyebrow from Tsunami...to say nothing of Altamir, whose eyes were pretty much locked on the dragon as if regarding him as a potential enemy to kill and looking him over for potential strengths and weaknesses.

Well, when Whirlpool stood up again from bowing, he then went to a table and focused on a scroll in front of him. Dipping a claw of his into what seemed to be a sort of black/very dark-gray liquid (and the apparent source of the stains on both his claws, and possibly Coral's as well), he then moved it to the scroll and began what seemed to be him writing words into it.

"...oh, so that's ink?" Tsunami asked.

"Yes, dear." Coral nodded, now with an armful of scrolls. "It's a special mixture of squid ink and a touch of whale's blood, made in such a way that it never fades. Immortality is worth a few claw stains, isn't it?"

"Even if those claw stains are immortal themselves?" Tsunami grinned, joking to distract Coral from Altamir's utterly searing (though not-yet unjustified) suspicion of Whirlpool, and mentally noting how the black stains looked kind of like really bad attempts at painting claws.

Coral actually laughed. "Yes, even then! Whirlpool put the recipe together. He's a terribly clever dragon." Then, she peered at what Whirlpool was writing. "Ah, brilliant! Exactly what I was thinking! This is an exciting one, isn't it?"

"Certain to win all the awards in the kingdom, your majesty." Whirlpool oozed with a voice that made Tsunami's scales crawl.

Then, Coral went and piled four scrolls into Tsunami's front limbs. "These four are my favorite. You can read them all tonight, then I'll give you four more tomorrow."

Oh. Uh...so, Coral wanted her to...read these? Well, alright then...

...though, this was more of Starflight's thing (good thing she could keep him and the others at her side like this), and by her own admission, she was kind of a slow reader. She didn't hate reading, and she could even like it on occasion...but only if there were exciting and/or interesting stories and heroines that she liked. Otherwise, she'd honestly rather be fighting something.

Coral seemed to notice her apprehension, and then pointed to one particular scroll. "Start with this one, dear."

Then, Tsunami realized which scroll it was.

It was The Missing Princess.

"I...I've read this one!"

"You have?"

"I have! It was my favorite!"

Coral sounded positively delighted. "Truly? That's wonderful to hear! I wrote it for you!"

?!

This made Tsunami's brain slide to a halt for a second as she then looked between Coral and Whirlpool. "Wait...what? You...you actually-?! You...wrote...the?!"

"Yes, dear, I did." Coral nodded again, waving her talon at the various scrolls in the cauldrons. "I wrote all of these. I'm quite prolific, really. Whirlpool here simply makes it so that they can be swiftly copied and distributed all over SeaWing territory...and wherever else we can reach. My communications herald Moray is in charge of the underwater printings, and makes sure that they go to all the schools, but Whirlpool also organizes my readings here. Isn't he brilliant?"

Tsunami was pondering what Coral meant by brilliant, and taking in the fact that Coral had...quite the scheme going when it came to distributing her scrolls...

...but then Coral leaned closer and whispered in her ear. "And don't you think he'd make a fabulous king one day?"

Wha...

...what the...

...did her own mother just imply that she should...

...uh, what exactly was she supposed to do here? Whirlpool did not look anywhere near her age, and he just looked and felt so slimy, with those weirdly small teeth, those eyes that look pale and blobby like those of, say, frogs, and that smile that, once again, didn't reach those eyes...

Tsunami then felt several pokes from down low on one of her front talons, and then looked down and saw Altamir, who seemed to have heard and realized what Coral was implying, and was looking very concerned (and also quite angered that Coral would do such a thing).

He motioned with his little hand to bring her head down to her, and then asked her quietly, "...did she just ask of you what I think she did?"

"I...yeah, I...I think?" Tsunami nodded to him, and then asked of him something that tasted bitter in her mouth for her to have to ask of someone. "Uh...help?"

Altamir drew in a very sharp breath, then looked at her again in a way that...made him look like a...a dad or something. Something that no one else in her life had truly been so far.

Then, he asked Tsunami to do something. "Go and ask Whirlpool how old he is."

"How old he...?"

"Yes, how old he is. It's for a good reason."

"Uh...if you say so..." Swallowing the lump in her throat, Tsunami raised her head up and then looked at Whirlpool, who saw her do this and smiled again in what was clearly his attempt to be charming. "...Whirlpool?"

"Yes, your majesty?"

Trying not to react too hard to his slimy voice, Tsunami then asked him. "I'm...simply asking, but...how old are you?"

"54 years old. I've been serving your mother ever since she first became queen two decades ago."

54 years old. 54 years old. Fifty. Four. Years. Old. And, oh three moons, her mother really thought it was a good idea for her to...?!

Altamir clearly was thinking what she was thinking, for he then walked over and got Coral's attention. "I guess you were...offering her something, Queen Coral? And Whirlpool also in turn?" He sounded like he was holding in his temper as hard as he could...and Tsunami had to admit that he had a huge amount of willpower to keep himself together this long since a certain...event.

"Oh, but of course, Altamir. I think my daughter deserves something lovely...Whirlpool also, for his faithful service."

Tsunami tried to hide how she was inwardly cringing so hard that she thought she'd break herself in half somewhere when she heard her mother say that.

Altamir clearly still saw through her when he briefly looked at her, and then looked back at Coral and shook his head. "Oh, I'm sure that's the intention...however, I do believe that there may be some...complications."

"...what complications?"

"Well, two things. For one, there's the...age difference between the two of them. I know you might try and tell me that age is 'just a number', but while it's true to an extent, the key is 'to an extent'. A difference of half a century is well beyond 'pushing it', I'm afraid. Additionally, there's that while Whirlpool seems...open to the idea, Tsunami herself...isn't. Far from it, she finds the idea revolting."

"Does she?" Coral then looked at Tsunami herself and apparently saw her facial expression. "But...come now, I'm merely..."

"Yes, I know, Coral. But trying to do such a thing with circumstances like this...it will only lead to misfortune for all involved if you attempt to have the parties 'go through with it'. I have seen such a thing happen more than once, and I know what I'm saying when I say that perhaps it's best for both of them that we find another, different way to reward Whirlpool."

"But...I...oh, alright then." Coral seemed very dismayed, as if she somehow didn't realize the very obvious problem with trying to throw a dragon 48 years older than her...at her.

Tsunami, though...she was obviously relieved. VERY relieved. "Ah, thanks, Aldy." Yeah, needless to say, if there were a list of dragons she was ever going to consider for, well, being her mate and all (which, admittedly, wasn't very long at all), Whirlpool would be an easy dead last for the reasons Altamir had brought up with Coral. As for who was at the top...

...she had to admit that Riptide was honestly starting to look better and better. And why wouldn't he? He was nice, he was polite, he was respectful, he was trustworthy, he wasn't shifty or slimy, and he seemed to be just as charming and talonsome as Whirlpool could only ever wish to be. That, and he was WAY closer to her age at just eight to her nearly-six.

Now, obviously, she wasn't wanting to start REALLY looking at him that way just yet, as she still basically just met him, and she was still wanting to figure out whether or not she wanted to become someone's mate, or take someone else as her mate, at all, not to mention that she wasn't sure how he would feel if she did decide to start...considering him. Given that Altamir had only just gotten her mother, the queen of the whole tribe, to back off from regarding the poor dragonet the way Whirlpool quite frankly deserved to be, and who his 'father' was...Riptide would probably just get scared if that same queen's daughter decided to start, well, having a thing for him right now.

It would probably be a better idea to start at 'friend' with him first. Then go from there. Yeah, that was a better idea.

But then, two dragons, one larger and probably higher-ranking than the others, arrived from another level and landed, and the larger, higher-ranking one began to speak. "Your majesty, I..." Though, as soon as she began speaking, the dragon's voice trailed off. "...oh...I...didn't know we had...guests to come with the returning lost princess. Particularly not a scavenger as part of the..."

"Human." Altamir then spoke up and corrected her. "That is the proper name of my kind."

The dragon froze upon hearing Altamir speak. "...is it...?"

"Uh, yes." Tsunami then answered. "That's his kind's name. And also yes, he can talk."

"Indeed." Altamir nodded. "I myself have a name of my own, and my name is Altamir. Now, I...assume you were here for your queen?"

"...yes, I was." The dragon then recovered her composure very quickly. "Erm...anyways, your majesty, my apologies for interrupting whatever it was you were doing, but Urchin came with some rather strange news. I thought it would be something that you would want to hear."

"I'm very sure, Moray. You're good at knowing what's best." Coral seemed...quite warm with Moray. Tsunami wondered why...

...until she noticed that Moray's scales were a very similar gray-greenish color, and that along with her eyes...was she related to Shark, and by extension Coral?

Speaking of Coral, at her praise, Moray briefly gained a sort of smug-ish smile across her face. "But why else? I had the honor of excellent training alongside the greatest queen in Pyrrhian history."

Tsunami, at hearing this, exchanged looks with Anemone, whose face had more exasperation written all over it. Clearly, she'd seen...a lot of this for someone so young. Good grief...and yep, this Moray was definitely related to Shark, given that her demeanor was pretty similar as well to what his had been when Tsunami, Riptide, and the others had encountered him outside the palace (at least until Altamir scared it and his scales right off of him).

Regardless, Moray went on. "Now then...apparently, a dead dragon has been found a few islands over from the palace."

Coral yawned, as if she'd heard this time and again before. "Oh, dear...isn't that sad. Well, what happened?"

"We don't know yet." Moray shook her head. "Though, that's not the strange part here. Rather, it's that the dragon isn't another SeaWing...but a SkyWing."

This instantly changed Coral's demeanor. "WHAT?! A...SkyWing?! That close to the...?!"

Upon hearing, Tsunami's mouth moved before she could stop it. "SkyWing?! Altamir, did you leave one lying around after you killed...?"

By the time she stopped her mouth, Coral, Moray and the dragon that was accompanying the latter, whoever he or she was, were now looking at both her and Altamir, the latter two in particular looking at Altamir as if he had somehow sprouted nine or so extra heads.

"...what?" Moray had the same confused response as Shark did when Altamir had pulled that flaming sword on him, only with the fear replaced entirely with confusion.

Altamir saw this and sighed. "Ah, right...erm, to repeat what I've told her majesty...I've killed quite a few SkyWings along the way - yes I can, I have my ways - and it might be the case that I may have killed one and then, well, left that one lying around, as the returning princess suggested. It wasn't just those two groups of forty."

"...is that so?" Coral asked, her brow raised.

"It may be the case." Altamir shrugged. "If I did, then her majesty has my apologies for getting her worried over a threat I've already eliminated." He was obviously covering for Tsunami's foot-in-mouth moment (that she was now embarrassed by), so Tsunami reluctantly let him, even though she knew that neither she nor him and the others had encountered ANY SkyWings after they left the mainland. "I can go check if you wish to be reassured."

"Truly?" Moray then asked herself.

"Yes, truly. Is that alright with you, Queen Coral?"

"I...yes, it is. If you can, then please do so."

"Thank you. Now then, Moray...where did this 'Urchin' say...?"

As Altamir then asked the details on where the SkyWing was, Tsunami looked at her friends, and at Riptide (who, to be fair, was more or less a 'friend' as well). All five of them had been silent...but all of them were very confused. She didn't need to ask them to know that they didn't recall encountering any SkyWing anywhere on, over, or even near the islands.

Neither did Tsunami. Who was this particular SkyWing, and how did the SkyWing get there? Did a SeaWing patrol kill the dragon in question and fail to report it?

Oh well, they'd probably find out pretty soon. Tsunami got the feeling that Altamir was going to take him and her friends (and perhaps Riptide) with her, so right now, she was going to ask Anemone to hold these scrolls for her until she and the others came back.

Well, at least Tsunami and the other dragonets would be afforded some room to breathe after having had to deal with Coral's obnoxious, brown-nosing, boot-licking-filled royal court for what was already more than long enough. At least for a few minutes.

Though...he knew full well that investigating the mysterious death of an unknown SkyWing wasn't exactly the sort of thing one would usually call 'relaxing'.

Coral had been apprehensive, to say the least, about the idea of Tsunami joining him in his investigation of this dead SkyWing, saying that she 'didn't get [her] daughter back just to lose her again'. Altamir had replied by showing her the long form of his blade all wreathed in flames, and then saying that whatever threats attempted to target Tsunami would be facing him first, and that he wouldn't let a single one even get close. At that, Coral relented, and when she did, and after Anemone had agreed to hold those four scrolls for Tsunami (helpful little princess), Altamir warped himself, as well Tsunami, the other four dragonets, and Riptide, to the island where the SkyWing had been found dead.

Currently, they were standing at the top of a tall cliff, against which the waves of the sea crashed, roaring and rumbling below them. Far, far closer to them, there was dried blood near the edge of the clifftop...as well as bloodied talonprint in the rock. All of which they were inspecting.

"Hm...well, I definitely don't think it was just a fall that did this one in." Glory remarked, her, Clay, Starflight, and Sunny still wearing those pieces of SeaWing guards' armor that they would likely continue wearing for the foreseeable future (or at least as long as they remained at the SeaWing Palace). "Especially not with that there." It was obvious that she was referring to the talonprint.

"Indeed." Altamir agreed, standing in front of the dragonets and noting the age of the talonprint. "Seems to be about a day or two old if it's still this prominent. Any longer, and it would be more faded."

"So it wasn't very long ago." Starflight nodded. "Well, any ideas as to what happened?"

"It could be that a passing soldier killed this one and then either didn't report it or hasn't gotten around to it yet." Riptide suggested. "I've heard of that happening before."

"Maybe." Tsunami shrugged. "As for how the body got down there...maybe the soldier killed the SkyWing up here and then just let 'em fall down there when the other dragon was dead? Or maybe the soldier wounded the other dragon up here so that the fall would do it?"

"...this is getting a little morbid." Clay cringed a little. Right, the MudWing boy didn't like bloodshed...to be fair, neither did Altamir.

"Anything involving death is going to be morbid, Clay." Glory dryly replied to the MudWing, before turning to Altamir. "Maybe you could bring the body up here so that we could, you know, get a better idea as to who the SkyWing is and what happened, Aldy?"

"Glory, that's kinda gross..." Sunny looked a bit disgusted.

"If it's what needs to be done, we'll do it, Sunny." Altamir sighed. "I'll go get it. You six wait here."

With the dragonets nodding, Altamir then turned and gingerly stepped to the edge of the cliff, then got down and, after giving the dragonets a silent reminder to stay put until he came back up, began a steady, controlled descent downward through the air.

As he descended, Altamir began taking mental notes on the SkyWing's appearance. Relatively large for a dragon, perhaps only a bit smaller than Coral. Scales colored crimson and dark red, with an underside and wing membranes colored similarly to Clay's underside and wing membranes, except a tinge more towards 'orange'. And, as he landed near the dragon, he could tell that the dragon was female, and that there was an oddly-shaped burn-mark across one of her cheeks that didn't look recent.

Unlike the gaping hole in her chest. Or the slit throat. This SkyWing had not died well, to say the least.

There was still blood on this lower outcropping in the cliffside where the deceased SkyWing was laying, though it seemed at least relatively dry. Indeed, this cadaver was likely a day or two old.

Though, that's when things got strange. Altamir knew fully well that any dragon of any tribe with sharp enough claws could slit another dragon's throat with them. That wasn't what was strange.

No, it was the aforementioned gaping hole. Altamir didn't know of a way that a SeaWing could inflict THAT sort of fatal wound upon another dragon. The throat-slitting, certainly, but not 'gouging a large hole through the chest from behind'. That, and upon looking up, there didn't seem to be any dried splashes of blood consistent with her having been impaled on a rock as she fell, nor did he find any such rocks that could have done so along the cliff face as he looked up.

But there was one tribe that was capable of doing such a thing if things were right...though it would involve taking the other dragon by surprise.

So, Altamir, aware of the possibilities, assessed the body, and...sure enough, there were the signs of SandWing venom in the wound. This could only mean that a SandWing had impaled his or her tail through the SkyWing's chest from behind.

Wanting to confirm, Altamir used his 'abilities' on the corpse to 'go back in time' to when the SkyWing was killed. This, though, was where things got interesting.

Altamir saw the moment that the SkyWing was impaled from behind by a SandWing, sure enough...but he noticed that the SandWing was female and wearing jewellery and what was apparently regalia of some sort. Additionally, standing aside her was a very large NightWing, large as a fully-grown bigwings MudWing, standing near the SandWing as she did the deed.

Well...it was only a matter of knowing who the SandWing and NightWing were now. Altamir did have a few ideas, but obviously, those were, again, just ideas.

His investigation of the manner of death and who did it done for now, he then grabbed the SkyWing's body in his magical hold, and then began ascending through the air, pulling the body up with him.

As he did, he looked up and called out to the dragonets. "Going up! Make way!"

"Got it!" He heard someone, probably Tsunami, call out in turn.

Then, he finally got to the top, though he stopped short of properly lifting the body up over the cliff just yet, as he wanted to prepare the dragonets for what they were about to see. "Alright...about to bring this up, though I will say before I do that things are...gory. Cause of death seems to be a slit throat as well as a gaping hole through the chest, likely caused by a SandWing Tail Barb. Unclear as to what the fall did with regards to her death, but..."

"Ugh...I told you guys that this is morbid!" Clay grumbled, clearly not liking what he was about to have in front of his eyes.

"Of course it is...but you heard Glory." Altamir shrugged. "For identifying features...crimson to dark red scales with an underbelly and wing membranes closer to the color of yours, Clay, just a tad bit more orange. Also, there seems to be an old burn-mark across one of her cheeks."

As soon as Altamir said this, he saw the demeanors of Clay, Tsunami, Glory, Starflight, and Sunny suddenly start to shift very noticeably, while Riptide looked confused by their reactions.

"Oh...uh..." Starflight looked like he was trying to say something.

"What is it?" Altamir then asked, not missing the changes in their faces.

"...um, bring the body up here, Aldy." Starflight then said very rapidly. "I don't know for sure, but..."

Having a suspicion as to why Starflight said that, and why the other dragonets seemed to agree with him, Altamir then, with a raised eyebrow, indeed went ahead and brought the body up. As he did, and as he set it down in front of the dragonets...

...he saw the five's demeanors shift far more dramatically than before, and when he set the body down and walked around it, they were all shocked and looking at first the body and then each other with wide eyes and open mouths, a still confused Riptide standing by.

"Wait, hold on, do you recognize this dragon?" Altamir asked, realizing that there was only one reason why they would react that way.

"We know her very well, Aldy!" Sunny answered, still clearly taken very off-guard by having recognized whoever it was. "Too well!"

"Too well...and what do you mean by that? Who is she?!"

Then, Tsunami dropped the burning dragonflame cactus on him. "Kestrel! Aldy, that's Kestrel!"

!

Now it was Altamir's turn to have his own mouth fall open. He looked at the deceased SkyWing again, and then looked back at the dragonets.

"What?!" Altamir belted out in what was admittedly a higher pitch than he would have wanted to use, nonetheless wanting to know if he was hearing this correctly. "This is...this is Kestrel?!"

"Y-Yeah, th-that's her!" Clay nodded choppily. "There isn't anyone else that looks like that...at least that we know of!"

"I...can't believe she's dead." Glory shook her head. "I mean, she and Dune were supposed to kill me and all, but still...it's pretty surreal seeing her like...this."

"Especially since we knew her for so long, for better or worse." Starflight agreed with Glory...though after Tsunami looked at her, he clarified. "Mostly 'for worse'."

Altamir heard what the dragonets were saying and knew what they were saying, but he didn't pay much attention to it...

...especially as he felt the sheer frustration welling up within him.

This...this was meant to be his kill. This was supposed to be his kill! He was careless...he let another dragon steal that which was meant to be his task to do!

He'd promised the dragonets that he'd make sure that they'd never be troubled by those 'guardians' again, and they'd made it clear that they'd have liked for him to have been the one to do the deed of eliminating their tormentors. And yet, twice now, that had been taken from him. First Dune by Scarlet (though that had happened before he'd even known about the three-legged, one-winged male SandWing, which would have been fine if it was the ONLY instance of it happening), and now Kestrel by...whoever the female SandWing was.

He couldn't do anything, right, couldn't he? He was meant to end these tormentors, to avenge these dragonets' honor...and yet...

"Well, it's definitely a...mystery of how she got here, and how she got so far in..." Riptide, meanwhile, was speaking, before he noticed Altamir. "...uh...guys? I think Altamir's not happy about something."

"He's not..." Starflight's voice shifted immediately once he apparently saw what Altamir was looking like. "...that looks like an understatement, Riptide!"

"Aldy? Hey, Aldy!" Clay called out to Altamir as he saw the dragonets approach him when he looked up. "What is it? What's the matter, Aldy? What's wrong?"

"Come on, Aldy!" Sunny pleaded. "Just tell us what it is, okay? We just wanna know what's wrong!"

"I...I..." Altamir struggled to get the words out through his reddened vision. "...I..."

"You, you what?" Tsunami beckoned. "What is it, Aldy? Something that's got to do with Kestrel?"

"...I...she...she..."

And then it burst out at once.

"...SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY KILL!"

Altamir could see all six of the dragonets jump back at just how loud he had to have been there. He stood there, panting hard at both what had left his throat with such force, and also at that he'd scared the hell out of the five dragonets he was supposed to be protecting again.

And yet...those five weren't as phased at before, and somehow seemed to bounce back quickly, with Glory leading. "Oh three moons, that was loud...okay...Aldy?" Then, the young RainWing brought her head down to him. "Aldy, breathe. Breathe." Then when Altamir didn't give her attention, Glory grabbed it. "ALDY, BREATHE! Breathe! Breathe. Breathe." So, Altamir, with some effort, listened to her, and at least tried to breathe. And tried...and tried...until he was at least sure that he was breathing. "Okay...you there?"

"Ugh..." Altamir clutched his forehead with his right head. "...I...I'm there...at least I think..."

"Well, 'thinking' that you're 'there' is better than not at all." Glory then looked directly in his eyes. "Now...what's got you all worked up about Kestrel?" Altamir then saw that the dragonets seemed more concerned with him than they were with the dead SkyWing behind him. "What's this about her being 'your kill'?"

The next minute or so was a blur, but the dragonets did seem to figure out what Altamir was...getting at.

"So," Glory asked, "...you wanted to kill Kestrel because you wanted to 'avenge' how she'd treated us?"

"She was the one who gave the five of you the worst of it..."

"And...you're upset because whoever this SandWing was got to Kestrel first?"

Altamir gritted his teeth and buried his face in his hands. "I...I can't even...I can't even be someone of my word. You yourselves made it clear that it was something you...would have wanted to see...and I said that I'd ensure she and those...others...could never again do what they did or tried to do. And yet now I stand, denied being able to keep my word by some scorpion-tailed twat, because of course I just had to be too gods-damned slow!"

The frustration spiked enough for that last word to make the dragonets flinch back, and Altamir winced when he saw them do this...but yet again, they were somehow barely fazed.

"O-Okay..." Starflight scratched the back of his head, "...okay...Aldy? I'm...just saying and all, but there might have been a bit of a mix-up there. A miscommunication. Look, we know we said that it 'would be nice' to see you...put an end to them to make absolutely sure that they couldn't try to murder Glory or imprison us again...but it wasn't a hard requirement or a 'command' or anything."

"What Starflight said." Tsunami agreed. "It was just a 'what-if' comment about how, again, it would be nice. Like, it would have been really satisfying to see you take her out after how she treated us and tried to murder one of us and stuff, but keeping us away from her and her away from us so that we didn't ever have to see her ugly mug until she finally bit it is perfectly acceptable for us."

"Yep." Clay also agreed. "Keeping us safe and free and keeping anyone from killing or kidnapping or imprisoning or hurting us is what we really want, Aldy. You're doing that just fine."

"Yeah, Aldy. You're not gonna make us hate you just because you didn't do this one specific thing that isn't really necessary."

Altamir just sighed when Sunny followed Clay in agreeing with Starflight and Tsunami. Gods, these dragonets were quick to forgive him...too quick.

Riptide, meanwhile, was apparently a bit…bewildered at what he was seeing. "Oh…um…well, Altamir seems to be quite the…character here."

Now Clay himself sighed. "Sorry about that, Riptide. He's not having a good time, and he's really hard on himself."

"…I see. So he's been through some...things?"

"You have no idea, Riptide." Tsunami replied. "Let's just say that what he's been through means that it would be easier to list what he hasn't lost."

"...oh...yeah, that's rough."

"...I think you need a bit of time to cool off before we get back to the palace, Aldy." Glory stated. "We can't really go there with you all like this, you know."

"Coral will shed all of her scales prematurely if we take longer than a few minutes, knowing Tsunami is with us." Altamir responded with a grumble, hating that he was being a bother and dragging them down.

"Yeah, so what?" Tsunami asked rhetorically. "If she sees that I'm all safe and sound and stuff, and we tell her about what specifically happened with Kestrel, that should distract her scales long enough for them to shed normally."

And so they waited for...what was probably two or three minutes...at least Altamir was sure.

Then, after that, Altamir saw Clay looking at him, the young MudWing and all of the other dragonets still looking very worried...because he'd made them so...damn it.

"Better, Aldy?" Clay asked gingerly.

"I...I've been better."

"Yeah, we can tell, buddy." Tsunami sighed. "But...well, I think it's time for us to get...back to the palace and all. You gonna be ready for that, Aldy?"

"I'll have to be." Altamir replied, mentally cramming everything that could get in the way to the back of his head to resume the truly Heraklean effort of making sure that the dragonets would be safe and free and whatnot without looking...unhinged. "And...at some point, we'll have to work out how we're going to communicate underwater. I'm the only non-SeaWing here who knows Aquatic...and I still don't exactly have a smooth way of making sure it's not a one-sided conversation."

"Hm? Oh, right!" Clay remembered, as did the other dragonets. "SeaWings spend a lot of time underwater, don't they?"

"It's literally in our tribe's name, Clay." Tsunami rolled her eyes. "Hope you can work something out, Aldy."

"As soon as possible." Altamir nodded, starting the preparations to warp himself and the others back to the palace.

...

So, when they were ready, Altamir warped himself and the six dragonets back to more or less the same exact spot where they'd warped away to this other island from...and it took Coral, Anemone, Whirlpool, and the other dragonets present a few seconds to realize that it was them. Though, when they did...

"Oh, darling, you're back! Are you alright? Did someone harm you? Did Riptide trouble you? Did-?"

"She's fine, Queen Coral." Altamir rubbed one of his temples in exasperation. "And no, Riptide didn't cause any problems...and I don't think he's going to." Altamir could see in Coral's eyes that old habits died hard - she'd probably been raised with this sort of 'blood' belief if she clung to it this tightly like she was right now - so, he decided to distract her from it. "Now...about that SkyWing."

"...the SkyWing?" It worked, at least. "Was this one indeed a kill of yours that you..."

"...left lying around?" Altamir shook his head. "Actually, no it wasn't. Though, I will say that I frankly wish it was, regardless of how careless it would be, because that SkyWing was female and was also none other than Kestrel." When he said that, he saw Coral's expression change, and he sighed. "Yes, that Kestrel. Pity I wasn't able to kill her myself, but given how she tormented your daughter and her friends, it's safe to say that her death is for the better."

"Better indeed..." Coral did agree, but then grew worried again. "...but how did she get so close to here? And why? Was she trying to steal my daughter from me again?!"

Altamir looked at the dragonets, as well as at Anemone, before he responded. "We don't know. Unfortunately, her body provided no pieces for that particular puzzle, to put it one way. Only thing we do know is that whoever killed her was both a SandWing and wanted her very dead - slit throat, impaled with a SandWing tail barb through the back of her chest, and thrown off a cliff on top of it. Though, knowing her and what she was like according to your daughter and her friends, it sounds like she was very 'good' at making a great deal of enemies while she was alive. So there's that."

"Well, that certainly has to be..." Coral was nodding when she suddenly seemed to have something hit her. "...SandWing? Did...oh, I suppose Blister must have done it, then."

"Blister?" Altamir raised his eyebrows. "Does she...do things like that regularly?" Meanwhile, Anemone gave those four scrolls back to Tsunami.

"Erm...well, she does occasionally travel 'in-and-out' for...'business'." Coral explained. "I've never questioned it, as it's never harmed anything...though it worries me that she had to, herself, clean up a mess that guards and soldiers should have cleaned up on their own."

"There are times where the pigeon slips past the falcon...or where the fish evades the shark." Altamir shrugged. "At least in this case, the bird didn't give the manticore the slip."

"Perhaps so," Coral then clenched her talon, "but still, this is something that should not have happened. I shall have to make sure that it doesn't happen again." It was then that Coral's attention turned to the five dragonets that Altamir had fought hellishly for. "Tsunami, dear, I don't know if you'll like hearing this, but...your friends are likely to be the last dragons of other tribes that we let in here for quite a while."

Tsunami sighed and then shrugged. "Fair enough. We weren't intending on bringing anyone else anyways. As long as the guards still remember to leave us alone, that's what matters."

"...very well then...and good, because I shall have to attend a meeting with the council on the matter of Kestrel." Then, Coral drew in a breath, as if having to ask something that she would have been unwilling to otherwise. "Riptide?"

"...yes, your majesty?"

"If Altamir says you can be trusted to be a guide for my daughter around this palace, can you...can you indeed do that?"

"I will, your majesty." Riptide bowed, a little less stiffly than last time.

"Alright..." After that, Coral turned her attention once again, this time to Altamir himself. "Altamir?"

"Yes?"

"You said that it was dangerous to tether Anemone to me, didn't you?"

"I did. I mentioned the hazards of doing so. Her wings can't keep up, and that object on the tip of your tail might..."

"Erm, yes, yes." Coral rapidly nodded. "If that's so...then perhaps I can trust you to...keep her safe, just as you have with Tsunami?"

"You can." Altamir nodded. "I think that Tsunami would want me to do so as well."

"Very well then...I shall be going to the council for that meeting." With that, Coral then left.

But then, once she was elsewhere, Altamir added something to what he'd said to the SeaWing Queen. "Without suffocating her."

When that was said, Anemone sighed in what was very clearly relief. "Ugh, thank you. I thought it was never going to end. I mean, I don't hate her, but..."

"...you need room to breathe?"

"Yeah, that."

"I know full well. Plants certainly do need their sunlight to thrive, then again."

Yes, indeed, the poor girl needed some air to breathe in. Altamir could tell.

...

So, with that, Riptide was now officially doing what he'd previously been doing informally before Coral had first reunited with Tsunami. Namely, showing the group around the palace and explaining what things were and how they worked within it, as well as the various functions that various different dragons performed. With Anemone now with them, she, rather astonishingly, was more than able to 'fill in the blanks' whenever Riptide either didn't know something or had trouble remembering. It didn't take long for Altamir to realize that she was a very smart dragonet for her age…though, then again, he knew full well that underestimating a dragonet's intelligence was a common mistake many adult dragons made. One that, for once, he himself didn't make.

But…he also learned some other things about Anemone. Things that he couldn't mention to the other dragonets yet, but that he would have to at some point. One of those things was something that he had suspected from the moment he first saw her. The other was that, having been around Coral every waking moment for basically all of her life, as well as how smart she was for her age, she most certainly knew some very sensitive intel. Intel that would be both very useful for him, but very destructive in the wrong talons. While he certainly made sure that he'd be going about it in a way that wasn't suffocating her like Coral was (and sure enough, Anemone seemed far happier that someone wasn't constantly breathing down her neck all day and all night every day and every night), he knew that protecting her would be of extreme importance. On top of the fact that she was both a princess and, well, a dragonet.

Now, meanwhile, Altamir knew that this 'guiding' was mainly for the other dragonets…but he made sure to pay attention, wanting to properly get the layout of the palace, and its inner workings, all memorized, as one would never know when such information could be useful. In the meantime, however...

...he was recognizing that, while his sword and bow had served him well and absolutely still would in certain situations, he wasn't a hundred percent sure if it would be for the best to solely stick to them, and there were certain situations where they wouldn't be the most practical. Which was why he would now have to consider using something...new. It was that aforementioned something he'd made before his…death. It was something that was still rather experimental, but that he was hoping would prove just as effective as when he'd tested it.

Black powder was a sort of substance with Panchalan origins that arrived on Pyrrhia during the latter half of his reign. While having its uses and also potential, it was also regarded as being finicky and dangerous by most in the portion of his old life when it was present on Pyrrhia, who had considered it no more than a curiosity and more trouble than it was worth beyond a select few of those uses.

To be fair, it was indeed finicky and dangerous, and there were various different instances where he'd either directly witnessed, or witnessed the aftermath of, various incidents involving the substance. By and far the most common usage for it was in fireworks displays on special occasions, and even then, it wasn't unheard of, or uncommon, for casualties both human and dragon to result from such things either landing on them or going off prematurely. Additionally, setting such things off in dry or arid locations could start wildfires, and even without such a factor, setting such things off in places that had a lot of wooden structures could still result in large conflagrations. As a result, literally all of the realms under his rule had regulations as to the usage of fireworks…regulations that, if not followed, would result in someone either missing a limb, missing hair, having a great deal of burn scars, some mix of the above, or even dying.

Other uses, proposed and (semi-)realized, for black powder was usage as a weapon and in weaponry. Altamir grimly acknowledged that this was something that was likely to have happened (well, at least possibly, anyways) on a large scale eventually had he not put a continent-wide scale stop (at least for the most part) to warfare, as he had to admit that weaponizing the substance's fiery, explosive nature against an enemy was a very novel idea. Though, there were a few reasons other than the aforementioned lack of war and warfare that such usage mostly never caught on anywhere in Pyrrhia.

There were generally two different ways to use black powder in a weaponized, deliberately destructive fashion. One way was to pack it into a casing of either stone or metal with a fuse on it, light that fuse, and then throw it at an enemy or object. Again, a novel idea; such resulting objects, commonly known as 'bombs', were very damaging and destructive, and usually either destroyed or at least damaged whatever they were used, be they objects or (potential) enemies, and in the case of the latter, body armor would be rather ineffective.

The other way was to utilize it in smaller amounts to propel projectiles out of the barrels of certain handheld devices. These devices, which came to be called either 'guns' or, more formally, 'firearms', were also a novel idea usage of the substance; the projectiles in question had incredible velocity behind them, several times more than that of arrows or crossbow bolts, and could pierce not only bodies but even, again, body armor, and perhaps even the thickest of it, at that.

That being said, there were…issues with reliability. Issues that were the main reasons why such a weaponized usage, again, never caught on with any real significance.

With bombs, sometimes they would go off as they were supposed to…and sometimes they would not, particularly in humid air. Sometimes, they took a while (or at least longer than they should have) to go off, and sometimes they didn't go off at all. Conversely, sometimes they went off early…sometimes much too early, leading to the would-be thrower sustaining life-threatening injuries (as in, 'missing limbs and heavily burnt and bleeding profusely' sort of life threatening), and that was when such injuries weren't such that they were instantly fatal. The phrase 'hoist with one's own petard' was one that originated from a rather infamous instance of an overconfident Tarantine inventor blowing himself up by way of premature detonation of a 'petard', a type of experimental breaching bomb with a strange name that was meant to be stuck to surfaces or walls (that had been the man's own invention).

And with guns…well, the issues were at least partially similar, including the 'humid air' problem. Sometimes, the gun would fire as planned. Also sometimes, however, certain things would happen. Sometimes the gun either wouldn't fire at all, or wouldn't fire right away, resulting in either a missed target or someone or something getting shot that/who shouldn't have been shot otherwise. Sometimes, the gun would fire…with too much force, resulting in the gun being damaged or destroyed, and by extension its user being seriously injured or worse.

Though, even with firing issues aside, guns weren't necessarily guaranteed to hit the target (or at least, not the one that should have been hit, again), not to mention that operating and reloading them was both a pain and a half and very tedious. 'Early models', referred to as 'gonnes' or 'handgonnes', were particularly bad, as their operation involved holding the gun with one hand tucked under the shoulder while using the other to hold a hot pricker over a touch hole in the gun to hopefully fire it as planned. This clumsy operation lead to such weapons inevitably being given the crass nickname of 'gonads' by soldiers testing them who quickly grew to hate them; Altamir remembered one particular instance where a unit of soldiers who had been assigned to test them literally got on their hands and knees and begged and pleaded with him personally to 'give [them their] crossbows back' after too many instances of burnt hands, such did they hate the devices (for the record, Altamir granted the request on the spot, having seen the guns' unreliability').

The 'later models', referred to as 'harquebuses', were…slightly better, as they mechanized the process by having serpentine levers that lowered slow-burning matches onto flashpans that would ignite the black powder, propelling the projectile out the barrel, allowing the user to use both hands when aiming the weapon. But even then, it was still complicated and awkward. To avoid accidentally igniting the gunpowder, the match would have to be removed while loading the gun…something that was very unwieldy and ungainly, because the match alone would have to be held with both hands during removal. In some instances, the match would also, well, go out, and no lit match equaled no fire, so the shooter would have to go and take it out and light it again. That, and just to (somewhat) accurately fire the thing, the average human would still have to put the gun on a fork rest, as it would often be too large and cumbersome otherwise.

The whole process of operating a harquebus was so frustratingly complicated that manuals had to be written just so that one could know how to operate them, and those manuals ranged from 13 to 28 'steps'. Even the shorter, simpler one involved cleaning the barrel, pouring in the powder, tamping the powder down, loading the bullet, driving the bullet down, putting in the stopper paper, driving the paper down, opening the flashpan cover, pouring in the flash powder, closing the flashpan, clamping the fuse, and opening the flashpan again just to be able to finally pull the trigger and fire the thing. Expectedly, the process was also slow, and the very fastest one at the task was able to get a 'blistering' rate-of-fire of…two shots a minute.

Two. Shots. A minute.

Comparatively, a good archer could get six to ten arrows a minute, a good peltast could throw four javelins in half a minute (and a good slinger could hurl at least an equivalent number of stones a minute), and a good arbalist with a good crossbow could get four or five bolts off a minute, and all of those weapons, while more physically demanding in the 'brute strength' sense, were otherwise much simpler to wield and much more practical, and with (at least potentially) better accuracy.

Not to mention that they weren't prone to exploding in one's own hands like guns were, or going off when they shouldn't have gone off, or having recoil that could bruise and even break bones.

Indeed, one particular incident that summed up the issues that black powder guns had was when one young soldier did everything more-or-less correctly when it came to the procedure of operating and firing a harquebus, but then the thing didn't go off…or at least not immediately, for when the young man then turned the gun around and looked down the barrel as to try and figure out why it wasn't firing (something that anyone would have realized in hindsight as being an absolutely terrible idea), it promptly DID fire. Right in his face. What happened to his head as a result was a description that wasn't for the faint of heart, and his comrades were horrifically traumatized by his demise.

So, predictably, plans to arm soldiers with these sorts of weapons were soon shelved (or shelved again) afterwards each time such attempts were made. And as such, fireworks were basically the only thing that black powder was truly used for on Pyrrhia while Altamir was alive.

That being said, Altamir had eventually realized that, despite the lack of reliability of black powder when it came to weaponization, the basic idea of guns and firearms and whatnot (propelling a small/small-ish but powerful projectile at high velocity to hit a target with precision) was a very good one, one that, if the reliability and accuracy issues were properly dealt with, could result in something very powerful, very efficient, and very deadly.

And so, in what turned out to be the very last year of his life, Altamir had taken the same approach with such things that he had previously taken in his youth with his magical bow - just as that bow didn't need external arrows, he'd make firearms that were magical in function and operation and didn't need things like ammunition, black powder, matches, or paper to fire…nor would they need reloading.

So he'd made several of these sorts of guns in that final year, all of different types and for different purposes. One thing in common, though, was that while only he could use them and make them work, they all had these grips that made them easy for him to hold, paired with good triggers that were easy on the hands. Each fired magical projectiles that were (comparatively) small but extremely powerful, flying out the barrel at rates of speed that were quadruple-digit figures in terms of 'meters per second', and he could fire them as often as he could pull the trigger (and some of them were such that he could hold the trigger down and they'd keep on firing at rapid rates). Altamir had no idea just how powerful those projectiles specifically were, but for most of the guns in question, there was enough power for those projectiles to very decisively pierce dragon scales, tear through dragon flesh, and smash through dragon bone and armor, and he was fairly certain that he could fell even the largest dragon with as little as a single shot if he aimed well enough. The only two that weren't powerful enough to do this(or at least weren't so for sure) were the ones that were deliberately made to fire even smaller projectiles for reason of being specifically used against non-dragon enemies…but even then, a projectile from one of those two was still more than enough to put down even a bear, let alone even the biggest, most-well-armored human foe.

Either way, it was a very good thing that he had made them, because he was now in a situation where such things would be necessary. Namely, with civilian dragons and dragonets flying around in here on top of the dragonets he was already protecting. Yes, his bow and sword had served him well and still would in certain situations, but his bow had an issue with overpenetration against dragon foes unless he 'held back' the 'arrows' (and that was when one wasn't talking about the explosive 'arrows' mode), and his sword in its long form left him worried that he might hit someone behind him with it while trying to hit someone in front of him. In a situation like this, he'd need something more precise - something that could kill dragons, but only the ones he was aiming for, and not (really) risk collateral damage.

The one he'd be using here was one he called the 'Magnum'. It was twelve inches long and seven inches tall, with the bottom four inches being for the inch-wide grip as well as the trigger guard and the trigger, which were a quarter-inch wide and a fifth of an inch wide, respectively. The top three inches were for the two-inch-wide barrel casing, within which was the eleven-inch-long, one-inch-and-a-fifth-wide barrel. When he (and only he) pulled the trigger, out fired a projectile a mere quarter of an inch narrower than the barrel itself, one that had a velocity of 1500 meters per second (over four times the speed of sound). Given the size of the projectile, he was fairly certain that the "pounds of force" value of just how much force the projectile had would have to be "tons of force", and even that would be in the hundreds for sure. And that was if the projectile were a typical metal one…it was not. No, much like with the 'arrows' from the magical bow, the projectiles were a sort of magic 'hard flame' that had…different properties, to keep things short, properties that, along with the aforementioned force, made the also-aforementioned 'felling the largest of dragons in a single shot' possible (though, in practice, it would probably take a few shots). That, and because of the way the gun worked (with it being magical and all), there would be basically no recoil.

One downside that it did have (at least in its 'normal' form) was that it was very loud and had a sound report akin to a bolt of lightning striking nearby, and such would not only not serve any 'covert' or 'stealth' purposes, but would also damage the hearing of any dragon or human nearby with sound alone if fired. So, he'd made a 'suppressed' version that was no less powerful, but also brought the sound down to a minimum - oh, it still made A sound, but now, it wasn't a particularly loud one, being merely a muted 'pop' that someone could dismiss as some other, more common/incidental noise, like a dropped object or a door closing, or a dragon setting down an object or landing on a stone floor, and so on - particularly in a crowded urban environment. Like this one. That, and the potential hearing damage would be more or less a non-factor. The way he differentiated this version from its 'base' version was that this version had a barrel extension that added another four inches to the barrel.

Well, anyways…he was now faced with the reality that he would be putting it (and, by extension, the guns that he'd made in general) to field usage for the first time. It had worked quite well in practice tests in his old life (as had the other guns, for that matter), but how it worked 'in the field' was what would matter the most.

So, now, as he was listening along as Riptide and Anemone were wrapping up the 'tour' of the palace, and in mental preparation for usage of it, he summoned his Magnum in its 'suppressed' variant to his right hand. It was entirely metal (of the same black metal that was in his sword, specifically), though with the grip being shaped and grooved so that, again, holding it was easy on his hand and wasn't uncomfortable. The barrel casing was blocky in shape, albeit with rounded edges and side 'faces' that curved inward going up, with a squarish front-end around the round, circular opening of the round, circular barrel. Maybe it wasn't the most 'elegant' shape, but if it worked, it worked. That, and at the top of the external barrel casing, there were these sorts of 'sights', or 'iron sights', or whatnot, that…well, they aided with aiming, and helped make it easier for him to hit his target more accurately.

Accurately enough, hopefully, to properly pick off Whirlpool if that slime did something…beyond toleration.

Meanwhile, Riptide was still wrapping things up as they were all on the stony wall-shores of the waters that the pavilion rose from. "Well, I think that's about it for the 'touring', I guess. I…do hope it's been helpful."

"If you have any questions, you can ask one of us." Anemone added, clearly having a bit of fun playing the part of 'adorable little tour guide'. "We'll answer…as best as we can." Though she said that last bit with a shrug, clearly understanding that she and Riptide were both still dragonets.

"I'm sure." Altamir nodded, making sure that, if he was to have the Magnum in his hands without firing it, he didn't have a finger on the trigger. "It's only right to thank the two of you for this little tour…this sort of information will definitely be a help in this place."

"Yeah, it would…" Sunny agreed…though she then looked at Altamir and caught sight of what he was holding. "...uh, Aldy?"

"...yes, Sunny?"

"What's that you're holding in your hand?"

"Hm?" Altamir then noticed that, upon Sunny seeing him hold what he was holding, the other dragonets now had their attention on him. When he saw this, he sighed and raised it up a bit in his hands. "Oh…just something new to deal with a…bit of a problem that I have here."

"What problem?" Clay asked.

"...I know I generally use either my sword or my bow, but I have realized that I would likely run into some…issues were I to use them in here. Things like collateral damage."

"I think that particular concern is a no-brainer, Aldy." Glory said in a tone that made it clear that she knew very well just what he was talking about. "So that's why you have that?"

"Yes, it is." Altamir nodded. "This way, I can be a little more 'precise' when dealing with enemy dragons should we run into any here."

Tsunami, whose back he was on again, was looking at the thing with a tilted head. "Well, okay then…it looks kinda small, though. But knowing you…let me guess, it's way more powerful and stuff than it looks?"

"It is." Altamir nodded. "I've tested it. Even the biggest of dragons would be felled by it."

"Well then, good." Starflight nodded. "Won't ask how it works though…I guess you have your ways?"

"I do." Altamir then unsummoned the weapon to prevent any chance of an accidental discharge.

Though, Altamir then noticed something, or rather someone, roughly 50 yards along the shore to his left. There was a small emerald-green-colored SeaWing, probably a dragonet given his size, just laying there near the water's edge, rather listlessly, with what seemed like some sort of golden armband around his left forelimb just above the elbow, and some sort of pouch hanging from around the base of his neck. Altamir could tell from here already that this dragonet did not exactly look happy - instead, rather looking like the world's unhappiest squashed frog. Altamir wasn't exactly a bundle of joy himself, granted, but…

…the presence of this SeaWing piqued his interest for some reason. "Who's that over there?"

"Huh?" Anemone, who was also on his left side, looked in the direction where he was pointing. "Oh, him? Uh…that's Turtle."

"Turtle? You know him?"

"Yeah, he's one of my brothers. I think he's four years old."

"He is? How many brothers do you have?"

"Um…28, I think?"

Altamir and all of the other dragonets (save Riptide) stared at Anemone awkwardly when that left her mouth. Altamir himself was trying to wrap his head around why she would have so many dragonets.

So were the others, as was indicated by Tsunami's bafflement. "...excuse me, what? You…run that by me again? Does she really have-?"

"She does." Anemone nodded, having clearly seen some…things, to put it one way. "She keeps trying to have more daughters, but she keeps losing my sisters in their eggs, and my brothers…well, they're kinda just…there."

"Is that why he seems as though he hasn't ever seen the sun with that demeanor of his?" Altamir then asked, aware of the other dragonets listening in.

"Part of it." Anemone shrugged…though she then looked a little pained. "But the other part was…something that I really don't wanna talk about right now."

"Given your face, I'm not going to question that." Altamir then looked back at the young SeaWing, who was apparently Turtle. "Though…I will say that something about him has my…attention. Perhaps I could meet him?"

Anemone looked at him with wide eyes for a second or two before shrugging. "I…I guess so? But…I don't know how he's gonna take you talking to him. He's probably gonna get scared so much that he falls over and flails on his back like his namesake or something."

"That's already happened at least once with a different dragonet." Altamir sighed. "It seems as though everyone and their mother reacts that way to me merely speaking." Then, Altamir asked more about Turtle. "Well, what's he like?"

"Well, he's really nervous, and he's kinda sorta afraid of just about everything. I haven't seen him a lot, granted, but it's like it's pretty common for him to be just laying there like that. His brothers kinda ignore him."

"Do they? Well, that'd certainly do it. We humans and dragons are social creatures; loneliness can literally kill." Altamir had made up his mind. "I guess I'll have to be his interaction, then. Any way I should go about it, Anemone?"

Anemone had one of her front talons to her chin, as if thinking about how, before she responded. "...maybe if you're on my back first so that I'm the first thing he sees? Then you can get off and say hello to him?"

"...sounds like a plan." Altamir nodded. "Hope you don't mind, Tsunami…"

"Nah, I don't." Tsunami shook her head. "Just make sure she can hold you up."

"I'm not what one would call 'large' when it comes to size, Tsunami."

So, Altamir got off of Tsunami's back, then walked up to Anemone. Smaller than her big sister that she was, she was still 12-13 feet or so long from the tip of her nose to the base of her tail, and she was still taller at the shoulder than he was at all. He was reminded of, say, a quite large horse when it came to her size…though she was obviously still bigger than even that because of her wings and her tail. She would more than be able to support his weight…hells, she could probably fly with him on her back just fine if he tried to have such happen.

And indeed, she did support his weight, also just fine. When he got on her back, it didn't feel like she was having that hard of a time holding him up…then again, at only 63 inches tall and with a weight ranging from 120 to 130 pounds, he was a small adult even for his own kind to begin with.

"Wow, I'm actually letting a human ride on my back." Anemone remarked. "Uh…well, let's go meet Turtle."

"Indeed, let's." Before they went, however, Altamir turned to the other dragonets first. "Though, I want you six to follow from…ten or so steps behind. If he's a flighty, frighty sort of dragonet, probably wouldn't do well to have six bigger dragonets crowding around him…at least just yet."

"Gotcha, Aldy." Tsunami nodded.

And so, on Anemone's back, Altamir started approaching Turtle. He didn't know what he was going to be dealing with when it came to Turtle, as while the dragonet seemed more like he was the type to run or hide upon feeling threatened, there was one key similarity that he shared with Anemone that Altamir was wary of…something that potentially made Turtle very dangerous. He had to be at least somewhat careful here, needless to say.

When Altamir and Anemone were ten steps ahead of the others, those others then slowly started following him and Anemone. By this point, Altamir and Anemone were half the distance from the young green SeaWing that they were before. As they got closer, Altamir could see that the SeaWing, while apparently very nervous and fraidy, was also looking quite lethargic with eyes half-open at best, as if the life had been drained from him, and while he at least didn't look like he was starving or anything, Altamir could tell that he also looked to have...just a tad bit of a weightier build than normal for a dragonet his age, to say the least (of course, it very certainly wasn't something to shame him over, and, granted, it was not to an absurd extent, and likely still nowhere near enough to impair his movement...but it was also still enough to be noticeable)...though even then he wasn't particularly large, being...perhaps 20 feet long from nose tip to tail base at most, and likely only 9 feet tall if and when standing up, so he was still smaller than Sunny.

Then again...both humans and dragons tended to 'let themselves go' more and not be quite as able to keep themselves focused on keeping themselves in shape when in miserable periods of their lives or less-than-ideal living situations, and this certainly seemed to be the case here. Perhaps it was also that he'd taken to losing himself in food to distract from...whatever it was that troubled him, and that might have been a part of it, because, again, the poor boy looked miserable.

But, anyhow...when Anemone was close enough, she gently called out to him. "Hey, Turtle."

Turtle seemed like he thought he was...somehow being a bother upon being spoken to. "Hm? Oh, am I bothering..." But then he saw Anemone, and was startled. "...you...?! A...Anemone?! Wait...wh-what?"

"No, you're not 'bothering' me or anyone, Turtle." Anemone giggled. "I just wanted to say 'hello'."

"Oh...uh...'hello'?" Though, Turtle then asked what was obvious. "But...h-how did you manage to get away from Mother like that?"

Anemone chuckled a bit awkwardly. "I...um, yeah, that's a story for later." It was then that Altamir saw her look back at him briefly before replying further. "Well, there's...someone who helped me get her to let me breathe, and he wants to meet you."

"Does he? Wait...is that a...?"

As Turtle was in the middle of asking Anemone something, presumably about what or who that on her back was, Altamir carefully dismounted the younger SeaWing princess and then took a few steps forward towards the SeaWing prince, who notably stood up from where he was laying upon seeing him clearly.

"...that's a...I can't believe it...there's a...!"

Turtle was probably in the middle of remarking about how there was a...'scavenger' in the palace - gods, he hated that nickname for his kind by now - so Altamir decided to greet him.

"You're...Turtle, aren't you? I don't think we've met before."

"..." Turtle's voice trailed off, and he had his jaw fall open much like how his mother and sisters previously had, before... "...WHA-GOWAH-"

*SPLASH*

"-NGH! Wha...h-h-how...how is the...the...the...?!"

...true to Anemone's prediction, he became so startled by Altamir speaking that one of his talons slipped in the water, causing him to accidentally roll himself into the shallows, and true to his name, he flailed about on his back there as if his mind had been scrambled or something similar by Altamir revealing he could talk.

Altamir sighed... "Yes...second time..."

...while Anemone just rolled her eyes. "Oh...get up, Turtle, you big dummy! Come on, he's not gonna bite you or anything!"

"U-Uh...o-okay? It...just...I'm sorry, it's just that I...never saw one of his kind talk before...!"

"Well, it seems like everyone here is having their moment of that with me." Altamir shrugged and shook his head. "I will say that it's something that...very much shouldn't be happening, such 'moments'...though it's not because of anything on your part, Turtle."

"Yeah, definitely." Tsunami agreed, having apparently gone and approached Turtle as well. Altamir briefly looked to make sure the other dragonets were staying back - and they were, thankfully. "You really do like apologizing for things that aren't your fault, don'tcha, buddy?"

"I..." Turtle's eyes widened for a bit as he then noticed here. "...oh, I almost thought you were Mother for a second there...but you have-"

"-a different voice and I'm also smaller. Yeah, yeah, I know." Tsunami nodded. "Now then, Turtle...you wanna say hello to your big sister?"

"Huh? I...well, I-waaaaah-!"

Before Turtle could finish saying whatever he was saying, Tsunami stepped forward and then picked the younger dragonet up (which, to be fair, certainly didn't seem difficult for the older SeaWing Princess, given her large size for her age and fairly-well-muscled build, and Turtle being that much smaller than her) before pulling him into a hug, wrapping her wings around him for good measure, patting him on the back (for the record, she'd done the 'pick-up-and-hug' deal with Anemone earlier, but the latter was far less startled than Turtle was). Turtle looked like he had no idea what was going on...

...while Anemone just giggled like the mischievous little sister that she could now finally be. "Eheheheh...oops, I forgot to tell you...Turtle, this is our big sister Tsunami. Our big sister. She's back. She was the one stolen, but she's back."

"R-Really? She's...uh...welcome back, Tsunami?"

Tsunami chuckled. "Heh...you're welcome for the welcome, Turtle." Then, she looked at Altamir, and when he nodded... "So...I'm just gonna say here...I did bring along some...friends, to put it this way. I will admit that they are of other tribes and all...but they are not 'your enemies' or 'intruders' or whatever. So don't panic when you see them, okay?"

"...o-okay...?" Turtle didn't look...particularly enthused to meet new dragons. Particularly those of other tribes, as Altamir could tell by his shrinking within Tsunami's embrace.

And thus, it was then that Tsunami introduced Turtle to Clay, Glory, Starflight, and Sunny. Altamir did feel that Tsunami was being...a tad bit inconsiderate of the idea of doing things at Turtle's pace, as he certainly noticed that the poor boy looked terrified, shrinking further yet into Tsunami's forelimbs as the other dragonets met him...but perhaps it was a figment of Tsunami's personality that she felt that just hiding from things wasn't the way to deal with them, and to be fair to her, Turtle did...settle down somewhat after it was made clear to him that the four dragonets posed no threat to him, not even Clay. Though, admittedly, Clay did have to explain himself yet again as not being aligned with Burn and Moorhen because of the whole deal of him and the others having to be rescued from Scarlet.

"Wait...you...you're...you're telling me that he...rescued you all from...from Scarlet?!"

"Yep, he did." Glory nodded. "Pretty mind-blowing, isn't it?" A few of the other dragonets rolled their eyes at Glory's punning.

"I...yeah, it is." Turtle still seemed...bewildered by the idea, to say the least. "But...how...?!"

Starflight shrugged. "...I'll admit that it has to be seen to be believed. Once you do, though, you'll definitely believe it alright."

"...o-okay." Turtle nodded shallowly. "...h-he's a friend, though, r-right?"

"Friend?" Sunny then giggled, as if finding the question amusing. "Of course he is! And the best we've had from any adult or grown-up!"

"He's protected us from everything that's been thrown our way since he first saved us from Scarlet." Clay agreed. "And he doesn't like other adults treating us dragonets badly. He'll keep you safe too." Going by how Tsunami, Glory, and Starflight all nodded...they clearly agreed as well.

But Altamir...Altamir was...baffled. Particularly by a certain word Sunny used to describe him.

"...friend?"

Did they...did they regard him as a...a friend?

That was...

...no, no, no, that couldn't be right. Perhaps in the past, when he'd first saved them, but...

...but now?

No. That was...that was...that simply wasn't what he was now. Now he was little more than a bodyguard, a weapon, a drawn sword, a hatchet man, one whom and which they'd direct at any dragon who wished to harm, imprison, capture, kidnap, or kill them. He knew that, and he very well knew that. Surely, this should have them merely been covering for how he'd scared the scales off of them more than once.

And yet, they instead insisted on calling him...a friend...and not only that, but without irony and with sincerity, even!

Altamir sighed. These dragonets...they had to have been some of the kindest souls on the entire continent if they were to regard him this way. For and to someone like him, they were simply being too kind.

Far too kind.

But what remained of his sense of duty demanded that, if they were to regard him as being of value like this, then it would be cowardly of him to stray away from his task at hand. His task of defending and protecting them from each and every threat that they encountered.

Blister really shouldn't have gone and stolen Altamir's kill like that. He'd saved them from those 'guardians', he had every right to be the one to kill Kestrel. But, of course, Queenie Sandbrain just had to go and rob him of that.

Either way, though...he may have been better than she thought at hiding it, but yep, the poor guy was still in a funk, as that flare-up that he'd had when he discovered Kestrel had been killed by someone else indicated. Then again, it still hadn't been that long (only two days) since the Scorching was revealed to him, and no number of days since that reveal would change the fact that everything he worked for was still basically a burning ruin, to put it one way.

Which really sucked, especially when he was still out here doing things for them that no other adult would. Like keeping the other guards away, making sure that Anemone wouldn't be suffocated by Coral anymore, and in particular, keeping that slimy old thing Whirlpool away from her and shutting down Coral's attempts to marry him to her. He deserved to be proud of that last one in particular, damn it! He'd been a thousand times more like a father in that one moment than, say, Dune had ever been as a 'guardian' in six years!

Well...at least he was in a state that was...somewhat functional for the time being and all, at least. Though, key word 'somewhat', as he was still very humorless and joyless...granted, it was better than 'not at all', but it was still hard to watch.

So...anyways, the rest of the day was spent doing...whatever, basically. Exploring the palace, Altamir and Riptide keeping the other guards away, and even getting some little bits and pieces of history on the place...that sort of thing.

And also, of course, there was also that their little group was growing in size. It had initially just been six; her, Clay, Glory, Starflight, Sunny, and Altamir. But now there was Riptide, as well as Anemone and Turtle, so it was now up to nine...

...make that ten, because there was also now a three-year-old, grayish-blue dragonet named Pike who was with them.

Oh yeah, right, Pike. When Coral finally got back from that meeting or whatever an hour or so later, she thankfully didn't try to 'take back' Anemone, probably seeing that Altamir was doing just fine at keeping her safe. She did, however, insist that Pike go with them, because apparently, he was supposed to be Anemone's retainer or something if Anemone were to not be by her mother's side all the time.

Pike was...an interesting little dragonet, Tsunami had to say. He already had a nick in the ear...according to him, it was from fighting another dragonet about his age after the latter insulted how his late parents died in battle. Those parents were, also apparently, a pair of high-ranking dragons in the SeaWing army who had earned Coral's respect, which explained why Coral would assign this otherwise random three-year-old orphan to do something so important.

As for what he was like...well, if it wasn't made obvious by the nick in his ear, he had a temper; he could get all heated, and apparently he, again, tended to get into fights with other dragonets his age. Granted, it's not like Tsunami was in any position to talk about tempers - if anything, he kinda reminded her of herself - but he also badly wanted to be taken seriously...even though he was a cute little dragonet who was less than half the size of Sunny.

Okay, that was probably just a little bit rude...and maybe she was being the desert calling the water dry, given that she and her friends had the same problem being taken seriously until Altamir showed up.

But...well, the kid didn't need to be all stiff and joyless about stuff (they had someone like that already in Altamir), so Tsunami and the other dragonets made some effort to try and get him to lighten up just a bit. And, luckily, it did seem to work - as time went on with him, he did lighten up just a bit. He still wanted to be taken seriously, and that was fair and all, but at least now, he wasn't constantly acting like he was under army inspection or something like that.

Eventually, of course, things started getting darker light-wise, because it was clearly getting towards nighttime, and they needed somewhere in the palace to get settled in. Coral did offer the royal sleeping quarters to her, but for two different reasons, Tsunami turned it down. For one thing, they were underwater, and while she, Anemone, Turtle, Pike, and Riptide were all SeaWings, Clay, Glory, Starflight, and Sunny...weren't (and neither was Altamir). For another thing, given that the guards had tried to...rush those four earlier, Tsunami just didn't trust that they wouldn't be set upon by the guards again nearly enough for her to leave them somewhere else.

So she and Altamir opted to have the group use one of the empty, unused guest caves. She had to say that this was a pretty nice cave with a nice view of the rest of the Hidden Palace. Much bigger than the portion that she, Clay, Glory, Starflight, and Sunny were made to sleep in back in that old cave that they were kept in, on top of it. Apparently, this was supposed to be one of the really 'lavish' sort of guest caves usually reserved for visiting rulers...which, given the ongoing war, wasn't really a thing that happened nowadays. Oh well, it was a nice steal.

Once they were settled in, though, Altamir had Anemone, Turtle, and Pike find ways to keep themselves busy, with Riptide watching them, as he apparently wanted Tsunami, Clay, Glory, Starflight, and Sunny somewhere else in the cave to talk to them about something.

"Okay, Aldy, what's it about?" Tsunami asked as she and the other four dragonets sat down in front of Altamir. He looked like he had something on his mind in that little head of his. Tsunami was hoping that it would be about what was...going on with regards to him...

...though that hope was dashed pretty quickly when he got straight to the point...on something else entirely. "It's about Webs."

This made Tsunami go a bit tense, and Starflight repeated the question back to the human. "It's about Webs?"

Altamir nodded. "Yes, it's about Webs. About what you five want me to do with him were he to show up here." When he looked at all of them in the eyes, he continued. "Previously, three of you wanted me to at least entertain the idea of giving Webs a chance at mercy if he acknowledged his wrongdoings, didn't make any excuses for them, and promised to do better, and the other two of you were mixed on the idea but weren't necessarily against it."

Glory sighed. "Well, yeah, but that was then. Now, though...we're not so sure about if we're exactly open to that anymore."

Tsunami shook her head. "Not with how Webs went and abandoned Riptide to go steal my egg. And all that which he did ended up doing to Riptide. That, for me, is a serious deal breaker for the idea of asking you to spare him."

"Alright then..." Altamir then looked at the three who had asked him to give mercy a chance with Webs. "And what about the rest of you? Starflight?"

"...I will say that the reason why I wanted you to spare him was because I thought that he did an alright job teaching us stuff, and that he would probably be okay if you got him away from Dune and Kestrel and Morrowseer, because he was...relatively nice when it didn't come to something involving them. But...yeah, I'm not really asking for that very hard now, I'll admit."

"Me neither." Clay agreed. This surprised Tsunami a bit, since he and Sunny were the ones fighting for the idea the hardest back then. Though, Clay cleared it up pretty quickly. "Him abandoning Riptide like that reminds me way too much of...of Cattail." Oh yeah, right, that walking slime in the form of a MudWing...Clay and his siblings must have gotten their kindness and friendliness from whoever their now-dead father was. "He...he did the same thing to Riptide as Cattail did to me."

"And the same thing to Riptide as he did to us?" Glory suggested. "Just in a different way?"

"Uh-huh." Sunny nodded. "I mean...I want to see the best in other dragons...but you can't just do that to your own dragonet like that! Poor Riptide..."

"Poor Riptide indeed." Altamir nodded himself and again, before crossing his arms. "Well, now that none of you concretely want me to spare him...what would you have me do instead? As you would have wished for me to do with Kestrel had she not already been dead when we found her?"

Tsunami and the other dragonets all sat there looking at each other in silence for a bit, Tsunami thinking it over and seeing the others thinking it over too. Yeah, Webs did do some nice things here and there, and it did seem like he'd be willing to acknowledge that what he did was wrong if Dune and Kestrel weren't there anymore to keep him in lockstep with them.

But...well, at least it had seemed that way. Until the truth between him and Riptide came out.

Now, a not-insignificant part of her felt as though Webs was the sort to be willing to neglect and/or abandon dragonets or whatever as long as he thought that he could justify it or just explain it away to frame it as though he was merely 'doing the right thing'. Granted, the rest of her did still feel as though Webs wasn't necessarily a 'malicious' or 'evil' dragon, just one who was very lacking in any sort of spine...but still, she couldn't just ignore that part that was saying otherwise.

Well, of the five of them, Glory was the first to say anything in response to Altamir's question, and she said it with a shrug. "Honestly, Aldy...I don't really care what you do with him at this point. Kill him, spare him...whichever option you wanna take, really. Just...keep him away from us either way, okay?"

"Yeah, and keep him away from Riptide, too." Tsunami added. "He doesn't want anything to do with that dragon."

"Alright, fair thing to ask." Altamir nodded, Tsunami noticing the subtle but present anger in his eyes. "And you three?"

Starflight shrugged himself. "I'm on the same scroll as Glory and Tsunami."

"Me too." Clay sighed as he added.

"Me three." Sunny added next after Clay did, and with a small nod.

"Very well then." Altamir then crossed his arms. "I was asking all of this because I am now strongly considering killing him if and when he gets here. You know how I am about dragons who mistreat their dragonets. If he can't give a straight reason as to why he did what he did, and if he refuses to see the evil in what he did, then he will die by my hand, and no amount of his undignified begging will prevent me from killing him."

Three moons, Altamir was doing that thing with his voice again. That thing where he didn't raise his voice at all, but made it very clear that he was absolutely furious. He'd done it before with Cattail, and he'd done it again with Coral after he'd stopped those guards trying to rush her friends. Even the third time around, it was still more than enough to be pretty bone chilling, even though he was clearly directing it at someone else.

Yeah, Tsunami had figured pretty well by now that Altamir had quite a temper. But, again, who wouldn't after having had their life's work destroyed?

Well, either way, after that, she and the other dragonets then briefly discussed with Altamir the matter of that one MudWing who was apparently tailing Webs, agreeing very quickly that, if they encountered her, they were to first kill that MudWing and then abandon the palace for elsewhere. Then, once that was out of the way, they and all of the other dragonets spent a decent portion of the rest of the time before they'd go to sleep for the night reading those four scrolls that Coral had given to her.

It became clear pretty quickly that the other dragonets didn't like the scrolls quite as much as Tsunami had in the past. And honestly...neither did Tsunami herself. Well, it wasn't like she DISLIKED them now or anything...she just found them to simply not be as good as before. This was even the case with The Missing Princess...yes, she still liked it, but now she found it...decent. Not a 'masterpiece' or anything like she used to believe it. It probably had to do with how she'd met Coral herself now, and observed a few...less desirable things about her, like her carelessness, her weird belief in 'tainted blood', how she treated Riptide, and how oblivious she seemed to how shady and shifty and slimy Whirlpool was. Altamir himself didn't say much other than that he'd 'read better'.

But then...as she was reading with the others, there was one particular dragonet of those others that her mind kept drifting to.

Riptide.

Tsunami didn't know just what it was about him. She'd found herself getting...pretty protective of him more and more today. Part of it had to be how he'd been treated by other SeaWings...but there was something beyond just that, she could feel. Was it because...

...oh, three moons, was she seriously falling in love with him or something like that?

Okay...well, obviously, there could be worse. She had to say that he was pretty nice and pretty good looking, and so far he was actually trustworthy. Not to mention that while he DID worry about stuff and get nervous and all...it was the normal, sane sort of 'worried and nervous', and he still had a good spine on him. Yeah, he may have been Webs' son - at least by blood anyways - but he was definitely NOT Webs...which was a very welcome thing.

But...well, she just didn't feel like she was ready to start straight-up seeing him that way just yet. First, she was in a situation where she couldn't exactly drop everything to go for him like that. Second, she was pretty sure that, given that Coral still didn't like the guy, she would probably flip herself inside out were Tsunami to say that she was 'considering' Riptide. Third, she wasn't sure if she and the others were going to be able to keep Riptide with them in the event of that female MudWing getting into the palace and them having to evacuate as a result. And fourth...

...she was just still trying to wrap her head around the idea of seeing someone that way at all. This was...this was all entirely new to her. The whole notion of having a...a mate. As in, she certainly knew what it was...it was just that she had never considered the idea of herself having one. She didn't HATE the idea...she just didn't know what to do about it.

She would...yeah, she'd have to ask Altamir about it...when he was in a better state of mind than what he was in right now.

After a while, they decided to stop reading the scrolls, and the dragonets, Tsunami included, were all starting to get ready to go to sleep. Altamir, however, seemed to be...well, he was doing everything but relaxing or winding down. No, he looked like something was...eating at him.

Uh oh. "Hey, Aldy, what is it?"

"Hm? Tsunami?"

"You look like something's eating at you. Is something wrong?" After getting a few stares, Tsunami then clarified. "Uh...specifically?"

Altamir had his hand to his chin...that was his 'thinking pose', clearly. "I have a...suspicion...alright, so I have many of those already, but one in particular stands out." It was very much like that of a dragon doing the same thing...ugh, why did she ever consider humans to be pets, pests, or prey? Stupid magic curse...

"What specific suspicion?" Riptide asked.

Altamir then looked straight at Riptide. "About that NightWing you mentioned as being the 'most previous visitor'."

"Oh...him?"

Altamir nodded, and then crossed his arms. "Mhm. You said he was quite large and ill-tempered, didn't you?"

"I did. I did say that he was really big."

"How much specifically so?"

"He was bigger than her majesty."

When that left his mouth, he then seemed to realize just how...awkward that sounded in hindsight. Especially with all the stares that came his way.

"Phrasing." Glory deadpanned. "Also, which 'majesty'? This one, this one, or the one out there?"

"Th-The one out there."

Altamir, though, seemed to be ignoring Riptide's awkwardness at wording things. "So, Queen Coral?" When Riptide nodded, Altamir then leaned his head further into his hand. "I have noticed that Queen Coral towers over even Clay, so if that NightWing is to be larger than even her..."

"Then...what?" Starflight asked. "What are you getting at, Aldy?"

It was then that they all had their answer to that from Altamir. "How large was Morrowseer?"

The moment he said that, the mood of at least half the guest cave darkened instantly. Tsunami could feel her blood freeze and her scales stand up on end at the mention of the dragon who ordered her chained up to that pillar in their old cave, and also at what possibility Altamir had raised.

"...Morrowseer?"

"Yes, Clay, Morrowseer." Altamir replied. "How large was he specifically? Much as Coral towered over you, was Morrowseer larger than even that?"

"...yeah, he was." Then, it seemed to hit Clay too. "Wait, you mean that the NightWing that Riptide was talking about...are he and Morrowseer...?"

"The same dragon?" Anemone then cut in. "Yeah, that's him. That's his name...is he bad?"

"Absolutely." Altamir replied again, this time much more sharply. "Is he here in this palace, Anemone?"

"I...I don't know?" Anemone shrugged nervously, seeming to pick up that Morrowseer's presence here would be very bad. "I didn't see him very often..."

Altamir didn't wait for Anemone to say anything else. "Everyone, stay here and do not leave this cave. I'll be back."

Without waiting, Altamir began sprinting for the cave entrance - three moons, he could run - and then did the whole 'turning invisible' thing right before he left the cave.

Tsunami didn't realize until after the human left the cave just how hard she was breathing. Or how hard her heart was pounding.

She hated being scared. She hated being terrified. She hated being frightened out of her wits. She hated it. She absolutely hated it.

But...d-damn it, she and the others came here to get somewhere safer after all the nonsense with Scarlet...and the dragon who ordered her chained up in a cave and tried to have Glory murdered being in the very same palace as her was anything but safe!

Oh, three moons...now she had to worry about Morrowseer trying to snatch them or kill them while they were asleep or when they weren't looking...or doing something to them.

Then, she felt someone put a wing over her. Tsunami flinched there, before realizing who it was. It wasn't Clay who did it, like she thought it was...

...no, it was Riptide. "Hey, you okay, Tsunami?"

"...no." Tsunami shook her head, not having it in her to lie about how she felt. "No."

"Well...I was asking because you and Clay and Glory and Starflight and Sunny are all really not happy about this 'Morrowseer' guy being here...he's bad news, isn't he?"

"You have no idea Riptide." Tsunami clutched the area where she'd been chained around. "We got here to be safe...and him being here is the complete and utter opposite of that."

"...I'm sorry about that." Riptide sighed as he then embraced her and held her closer. "Given how Altamir reacted...he doesn't react like that for nothing, does he?"

"He doesn't. I hope he does something about that dragon..."

As she said that, she returned the embrace as best as she could. She badly hoped that Altamir could go and kill Morrowseer or somehow drive him out of the palace or something. Her life, and her friends' lives, depended on it.

"Aldy...please don't let us down..."

Apologies for the cliffhanger ending there...and also to how long this took. Chapters being big and blocky might be a thing for the duration of the story...

...well, for this chapter, we finally get to know Coral a bit better...key word 'a bit', as her less savory traits have yet to come into the fore or be fully revealed. For now, her negatives are limited to her temper and her recklessness and carelessness...at least of what we directly see from her. Let's just say that Altamir's presence is making her act more reasonable than usual in an effort to avoid pissing him off to the point of getting the killer of Scarlet to regard her as an adversary...though she's already getting on his nerves.

Also, doing a little bit of experimenting here...playing around with a few 'what-ifs' to see how it would affect things as a result. What if someone managed to back Coral off of imprisoning the other dragonets, and what if they were able to stay by her side more consistently in the palace? What if Riptide was able to stay with them and get some more 'screen-time'? What if Anemone was able to get some figurative air to breathe much earlier? And what if all the rest of the DoD were there with Tsunami to confirm the death of Kestrel?

And also...TURTLE. Yeah, he's here early. And...Pike too, I guess. They'll get more dialogue next chapter, but this is to set things up for them.

Though...Altamir's working his scaleless hide off. Having to play 'advocate' for the dragonets, having to negotiate with Coral, having to keep the dragonets safe (as usual)...all this while he's still more than reeling from the Scorching. I put that scene of him 'flaring up' like that about Kestrel having been killed by someone else rather than him, as well as that bit where he's confused by them regarding him as a friend, to show that he's still not in a very good state of mind, and that having to pretend otherwise is quite draining for him...which isn't helped by the rather unhealthy mindset that he currently has.

And he's only going to have to work harder, because Morrowseer is here. And the next chapter is going to be more intense than this one.

But he has some new weaponry into the equation. Better for being more precise and having less collateral damage...key word less. He'll still use his bow and sword for certain situations, and he's certainly not 'retiring' them...but even he knows that those two things do have their limits when it comes to usage. I will admit that the foreshadowing for it from before this chapter could have been better, but I did mention 'black powder' as early as the sixth chapter. That, and he's kinda sorta the pioneer when it comes to making ones that are reliable and actually work...and even then, these are technically still 'experimental'.

Well, I do hope that I got the characters' characterizations good enough...or at least close enough...hope the reception to them will be alright. Anyways...see you next chapter.