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He really shouldn’t be doing this, he could get in serious trouble. But the heat made him feel extravagant and alive. Down beneath the crashing waves of the deep blue, he felt like he was living, of course, but up here, under the sun’s light, he felt glorious!
Obsidian stretched out on the warm sand above the Leviathanwing Kingdom. His dark scales absorbed the sun’s light with ease, making him somewhat sleepy. It felt great.
But if any Leviathanwings noticed him on the surface, he would be scolded, no doubt. The tribe was wary of the surface, but he didn’t really know why. Judging from the rumors he heard swept around in the tunnels of the kingdom, it was because they feared a legendary dragon.
Ghostmaker.
Ghostmaker, from what Obsidian understood, was an all-powerful dragon with the ability to read minds and predict the future. He also possessed animus magic due his genetic makeup. He was a Nightwing-Leviathanwing hybrid.
Obsidian, of course, was spooked by the stories he heard, but he paid them no mind. He knew that if Ghostmaker was still alive, for some reason, he probably wouldn’t harm his own tribe.
No, he would probably join them and live among them like any other Leviathanwing. But still, his tribe also feared the worst. Which, after the semi-recent events that unfolded, Obsidian somewhat understood their fear.
The Leviathanwing tribe had suffered a great illness with an unknown cause. The disease had wiped out around thirty percent of the Leviathanwing population and killed the Queen in the process.
Now the tribe was fully recovered with two new monarchs. Queen Sapphire and her best friend, Queen Blacktip. The two dragons were doing a pretty good job of leading their tribe.
Aside from his worries about being caught, Obsidian’s life was rather grand. He, fortunately, hadn’t lost anyone dear to him. His parents were still alive and he had a small circle of friends that he loved being with.
All was well for him.
And so Obsidian drifted off on the sands, enjoying both the heat and the soothing sounds of the crashing waves.
His nap didn’t last long as the sun moved just beyond the tropical palm trees of the surface. The sudden disruption in the sun’s waves caused the dragon to slowly wake. Thankfully, his nap had only lasted an hour or so and, judging by the looks of it, he had not been caught by anyone.
And so, as swiftly as he had swam up to the surface, Obsidian shot down to the depths of the Leviathanwing Kingdom. The water was cold, causing the dragon to pause for a second before continuing on.
He left the sun’s light behind, heading into the frigid darkness below. He didn’t like it all that much, but hey, it was home. A place where all of his loved ones lived and where most of his life took place.
So other than the cold, he truly couldn’t complain much.
During his swim down, Obsidian froze to stop and watch the nearby fauna move around in the waves. Another thing he enjoyed about the surface more. The prettier fish usually stuck near the light.
He shrugged the realization off and continued making his way back to the kingdom. At times, he wanted to refer to it as ‘his kingdom’ but he knew that some of the other royals would jump at it for it.
‘You’re kingdom? You’re never going to rule it!’
That wasn’t what he meant, but ok.
Now that he thought about it, there were quite a few royals who were uptight and rude, not only to Obsidian, but to some of the subjects as well. Thankfully, the Queens were pretty delightful, especially Blacktip.
Queen Sapphire was young and already full of knowledge. She was strong and despite her age, she was an excellent leader. Queen Blacktip was outgoing, protective, and very strong.
Obsidian smiled at the thought of them.
Finally, he returned home. The caves of the kingdom stretched out before him, like a never ending maze of stone. He entered, a sense of familiarity washed over him. Obsidian relaxed.
Home.
The Leviathanwing territory was, and hadn’t always been (according to some), a channel of caves with large pockets. These pockets and tunnels were filled with air, but the entrance was still submerged.
Most of the pockets were large and had a particular purpose. There was one that served as a kitchen, a ‘main hall’, a library, an area to train soldiers, a living area for the commoners, one for the royals, and one for the Queens.
Obsidian entered the first air pocket.
This one wasn’t designed for anything in particular.
His aim was the main hall. Sure, he wasn’t too good at talking to his tribe members, but he certainly didn’t mind sitting amongst them and listening to what they had to say. Obsidian was friendly, but in a kind of socially awkward way.
He had no idea why, but for some reason, dragons would have to approach him to start a conversation. The Leviathanwing just never had the right words in mind. Once a topic was chosen by the other dragon, however, he could slowly sink into the conversation.
And so the wet dragon shook off his scales, letting out a ‘brr’ as he did so. He travelled inside the long tunnel. The journey to the ‘main hall’ pocket was fast as it was the first major pocket after the entrance pocket.
Obsidian honed in on the distant sound of voices and with a little more pep in his step, he made his way to the ‘main hall’.
Like usual, the pocket was nearly full with busy dragons. It was a wonderful sight in Obsidian’s mind. When the disease had struck the tribe, the only bustling that occurred was the rushing of medics and frantic dragons carrying their deceased loved ones.
He shivered. What a horrible time it was.
The Leviathanwing turned his attention back to the busy dragons in front of him. He listened in, hoping to gain some insight on their days. Sure, it was considered nosy and rude, but it was just another way Obsidian stayed informed…
Even if he felt somewhat strange while doing it.
“But she’s not even a royal?”
“I think she is, maybe, a distant one. Did you see her scales?”
“White… right.”
“So we should be fine.”
“The Queen’s haven’t let us down yet, right?”
“Hm… I don’t know….”
Obsidian pulled away. Who were they talking about? He listened in again, but found that their words were still harsh and full of hate. Unless this she-dragon was a bloodthirsty murderer, there was no reason to talk about her in such a way!
He moved away from the dragons, hoping to escape their horrendous words of hatred and spite. Obsidian despised such teasing and ill-placed insults. The Leviathanwing opted to leave the ‘main hall’ and instead travelled back to his domain, where his parents resided.
As soon as he entered, they caught onto his strange mood.
“Are you alright, Obi?” His father, Fangtooth asked.
Obsidian sat down next to his parents, “There’s a group of Dragons in the main pocket talking about a she-dragon behind her back. They keep insulting her!”
Tanzanite, Obsidian’s mother, made a sad clicking sound with her tongue, “I’m sorry about that dear. Were they dragonets?”
“No,” Obsidian answered, “And that’s what made it even worse! They’re fully grown dragons bullying another dragon!”
“Do you know who?” His father leaned in.
“I have no idea.” Obsidian sighed. “She has white scales… and they weren’t sure if she could be a royal.”
His parents looked at each other before looking back at Obsidian.
“Do you know?” He asked.
His father nodded, “I believe so.”
“The Queens are planning on choosing an heir to the throne.” His mother explained, “They chose a lovely dragoness named Rosethorn. I’m not sure why the choice has faced such stigma, but it has certainly stirred the tribe up.”
Another nod from his father.
“Rosethorn.” Obsidian felt as though he had heard the name. White scales with red markings fluttered to his mind the harder he thought about the name. Rosethorn, yes. If Obsidian remembered correctly, Rosethorn was a dragoness who was part of the royal family. Her parents had died during the vile disease, snuffed out just like any other dragon.
His green eyes closed as he pondered about the dragoness further. Why wasn’t she the right choice?
“Stigma,” Obsidian repeated, “Why?”
His father shrugged, “Not quite sure, bud. Maybe because she’s a distant relative of Queen Sapphire’s?
That wasn’t a good enough reason for Obsidian. He fiddled with his claws as he felt a hot rage burning up within his core. “That isn’t a great reason… surely there has to be something else? Was she a criminal or something?”
Obsidian’s mother shook her head fiercely, “Dear moons! No! She’s just a royal Leviathanwing! She suffered from the disease like the rest of our tribe did!”
So she wasn’t a hybrid of some sort, not that Obsidian had anything against hybrids. She wasn’t a criminal… so it was just because she wasn’t a direct heir to the throne? He tried his hardest to not roll his eyes.
“I know it’s frustrating for you, Obi.” His father wrapped a wing around him. “Trust me, it isn’t pleasant for us either.”
His mother moved in on the other side of him, mimicking Obsidian’s father’s movements, “We think how the tribe is handling this situation is absolutely foolish! They’re acting like a bunch of dragonets!”
Obsidian flopped down, “I agree. I really don’t like seeing fully grown dragons acting like… like this.” He tried to keep his cool. Bullying was one of the worst things created by dragon-kind and thankfully, he hadn’t had to deal with it all too often, but now, it was everywhere.
At least there wasn’t any bullying on the surface, beneath the warm rays of the sun, listening to the crashing waves on the shore…
“Mom’s making us some dinner soon.” Fangtooth gave Obsidian a light shake, a kind smile placant on his face. “Any requests?”
Obsidian, pulled from thought, stuttered at first, “Uh, su- wait.” He paused, thinking about it, “Maybe some squid tonight?”
“Alright!” Tanzanite moved away, already heading off to grab the necessary ingredients.
“Nice choice!” His father stood up fully, tucking his wing back in. Obsidian gave him a large grin. Obsidian’s parents had always been this loving and joyful, so whenever the monarch went out and heard about the violence of the world around them, he became utterly frustrated and confused.
Why couldn’t the rest of the world be like my home? Why did dragons fight and hurt each other with their claws and words? Why can’t we all band together and be friends?
He just couldn’t understand it. He had asked his friends and his parents about it, but they always shrugged and told him different possible explanations.
His father always said that some dragons were just ‘built for being mean, Obi’.
That would be such a horrible way of life, wouldn’t it? Being built for being mean… doesn’t being mean take energy?
Obsidian moved deeper into his home. He eventually sat down, flopping his tail over his front talons. He felt stuck and unsure as to what he should’ve been doing at that exact moment. And so he waited for his parents to finish making dinner.
Once the meal was complete, the family sat down and began eating. The conversation, thankfully, was a much happier one, one focusing on the good news that had been spreading throughout the tunnels.
“That’s great!” Tanzanite smiled, “So we’re expanding soon?”
Fangtooth nodded, “We sure are. Some of the soldiers and workers are working on expanding the tunnels here real soon so we’ll have even more room!”
Obsidian listened in, happy to be with his parents. He silently thanked the moons every night that his closest family members had been spared during the wave of disease. He had no idea what he’d do without them.
Towards the end of dinner, the topic of Rosethorn was brought up once again.
“Obi,” His mother started, “Why don’t you go and try to find Rosethorn?”
Obsidian gave her a somewhat confused look.
“Then you could talk to her, get to know her, make her feel comfortable during these times.” She suggested, “You two could be great friends!”
“You are family, after all.” His father chuckled.
Right.
All of the monarchs were related, one way or the other, which meant that Rosethorn was probably a distant cousin of his or maybe she was a closer cousin… there was only one way to know for sure.
“Alright,” He beamed, “That sounds good! Maybe I could invite her over for dinner sometime soon then too!”
“That’d be a wonderful idea!”
The conversation lifted Obsidian’s mood, giving him hope for the dragoness. He would make it better for her. He tried not to think about how she felt right in this current moment and instead thought about her future.
She would become a true Princess, an heir to the Leviathanwing throne, and she would have Obsidian as a close friend, one who would protect her and help her if she ever needed it. Well, as long as she actually wanted him around, of course.
The Leviathanwing nestled up in his nest in his own little cave. He laid still, staring at the cave’s walls, thinking about the future. It wasn’t long until he faded away into the world of dreams.
Dreams of the sun and the glorious beach filled his mind. Obsidian sat on the warm surface with his friends. They were all here, smiling and laughing with him. His parents, his distant cousins, his friends.
At one point in the dream, even the Queens showed up and conversed with them.
But something suddenly shifted.
The sky above darkened and everyone’s mood changed, they became fearful, scurrying around and begging to be set free. They climbed over each other, bellowing about how things could’ve been different.
And then a massive dragon appeared.
Their features were obscured for an unknown reason but as far as Obsidian could tell, this dragon probably wasn’t friendly. They stared down at the group and their wings reached the sky.
They seemed to pierce the sky.
Obsidian opened his eyes and took a deep breath. Just a bad dream. He rubbed his arm and stretched. Today was the day he was going to go find Rosethorn and become friends with her, even if the other dragons of his tribe disliked it.
He smiled at the thought, pushing the nightmare back to the far reaches of his brain. The Leviathanwing greeted his parents with a grin and they all traveled to the dining hall together to enjoy breakfast.
The family ate together, conversing about what they had planned for the day.
“I was going to go gather some more food for dinner tonight,” His mother said.
“Hopefully Rosethorn will be able to join us,” His father added.
“That would be nice.” Obsidian closed his eyes, bathing in the thought. Making new friends was one of his most favorite activities, even if he wasn’t exactly good at it. Actually, he wasn’t too good at it at all and would sometimes stumble over his words like a flimsy dragonet.
Nonetheless, he liked having company around.
“Well, well, well,” A pale Leviathanwing moved over to the family, “If it isn’t Obi and his awesome parents!” Her voice was somewhat snarky, but Obsidian knew better.
“Chalcedony!” Fangtooth exclaimed, “How are you?”
“I’m doing splendidly!” The fellow royal fluttered her wings. She showed off her scales as if someone was watching her intently, “How are you?”
“Doing well,” Obsidian’s mother smiled at her.
“Any plans today?” His father asked.
Chalcedony placed a talon on her chin, “Other than being incredibly awesome? No, I don’t think I have any plans in mind.”
Obsidian gave her a weak smile. Chalcedony was literally one of the most confident dragons Obsidian had ever met. She had enough confidence for the whole tribe to share.
If only it worked that way.
She wasn’t too fond of commoners, either, which gave her a larger sense of pride, unfortunately. This was one of the only things that she and Obsidian disagreed on. Other than that, the two were surprisingly good friends.
Family, actually.
“What about you?” Chalcedony peered at Obsidian with a large smirk on her face, “Got any super special plans today?”
Obsidian swallowed, “I’m going to go find Rosethorn and become friends with her.”
Chalcedony took in his words, thankfully, Rosethorn wasn’t a commoner and so she responded joyfully, “That sounds pretty good! Hey, if she’s any fun, doubt it, please send her over to me! I’d love to meet a new, funny, fresh dragon!”
And with that, Chalcedony turned tail and walked away, probably to go converse with other royals.
“My,” His mother laughed, “She’s still just as confident as she was when she was a dragonet.”
“And just as full of herself,” His father muttered.
“Fangtooth!”
“What!? You know she’s always been a little much for me- She’s like a niece to me though! I do like having her around, but I just woke up!” Obsidian’s father practically cried.
Obsidian’s mother folded her arms, “You could be a little nicer to her,”
Obsidian and his father exchanged glances. If Leviathanwings could sweat, his father would be absolutely drenched.
The conversation continued and once the family had finished their meal, they returned to their abode to start their days.
“Be safe, dear!” Tanzanite called after her offspring.
“I will! Love you guys!” Obsidian called back.
“Love you!”
Obsidian set off to locate Rosethorn. Hopefully she wouldn’t be with the Queens in their domain right now. Or, well, if she was, oh well. It wouldn’t be a bad thing, after all.
The Leviathanwing stumbled over his own thoughts, trying to think of how to approach the dragoness. There were many ways he could start the conversation, many incorrect ways as well.
He decided to start simple.
With his resolve hardened in his mind, he continued his search and eventually located the to-be-heir in the library.
Obsidian slowly and calmly approached her. His heart raced with excitement as he had finally found her.
“Hello,” He started.
She looked up at him, her eyes slightly widened, “H-hi-”
Nervous. He swallowed, “My name is Obsidian!” He stuck out his claws, “What’s yours?”
She looked down at his claws, “Rosethorn,” She answered. There was a pause before she shook his claws.
The interaction was awkward for a little while longer, that was, until Obsidian started opening up to Rosethorn. He explained what he was interested in, minus his fascination with the surface, and what he spent most of his time doing.
He treated her like any other dragon.
And from then on, the two became friends. Not entirely close friends, but friends nonetheless. Unfortunately the following night, she didn’t join him and his family for dinner. The next day though, they met up in the library to talk some more.
Time passed and soon Rosethorn was announced as the new heir to the throne. It took a while, but the Leviathanwing tribe eventually accepted it. Life started to go back to normal again.
No more bullying and everyone was happy once again.
Rosethorn was introduced to Obsidian’s friends and she had made some of her own, both royals and commoners.
The Leviathanwing Queens were also able to form a sturdy alliance with the Seawings, which not only helped them diminish any conflict between the two tribes, but also opened up new trading opportunities for the two underwater tribes.
All was going well.
“Hey Obsidian?” Rosethorn approached him.
“Yes?” Obsidian, who had been staring at a scroll full of various recipes, looked up at his friend.
“I heard that you like the surface.” Her voice was hushed now, “Is that true?”
How would she respond? He couldn’t lie to her. They were friends, after all. “Yes. I really like going up there.” He looked up at the ceiling, imagining the open blue sky and the shimmering sun.
“Why?” Her question was simple, but it provoked Obsidian.
“We should go somewhere else,” He smiled, “I might get a little… overzealous about this topic.” He laughed a little.
Rosethorn gave him a light smile and a nod. “Alright.”
The pair located an empty cave.
He decided to start, “I like the surface because it has so much to offer. There are plenty of new plants up there, animals, food…” He licked his lips before continuing, “And the sun is super-duper warm.” He stretched his wings, “It feels like a giant hug when I’m under it.”
Rosethorn listened intently.
“And there are so many pretty colors up there too! It’s almost like a coral reef up there!” His tail wiggled, “It stinks that we’re not really supposed to go up there though.”
“Do you think he’s real?” Rosethorn finally asked.
“Who?” Obsidian was caught off guard by her sudden question.
“Ghostmaker… Do you think he’s real?” Rosethorn looked up at him with concern.
He shrugged slightly, “I don’t really know. If he is real, I don’t think he’d hurt us. If he isn’t, then by the moons, there are some really creative dragons around here!”
Rosethorn gave him a little giggle, causing the Leviathanwing to smirk. He loved making her smile, he was like a big brother to her now. He had to protect that lovely smile.
“Why?” He asked, “Did someone mention him? Or-”
“Well,” Rosethorn’s gaze fell to the ground and her demeanor shifted, “I heard the Queens discussing him. And… they know you go up to the surface.”
Obsidian’s stomach garbled nervously and his heart sank.
“They aren’t mad, but they wanted me to come ask you if you thought he was real or if you had seen him up there.” She continued.
“I haven’t.” Obsidian replied. “I would’ve told someone about it if I had.”
Rosethorn nodded, “Alright.” She adjusted herself, “Well, if you don’t mind, I’ve got some studying to do.” Her voice was hushed again.
“Aw, fiddlesquids,” Obsidian muttered, “Oh well, I hope you have fun,” He paused, “As much fun as studying is, anyway.”
She gave him another smile, “See you later, Obsidian!”
“See you!”
His mind returned to Ghostmaker. Why had she acted so strange when discussing the dragon? And why were the Queens talking about him? Maybe they had just brought him up for no reason…
Maybe not.
Obsidian spent the rest of the day looking through various recipe-scrolls, hoping to find something absolutely delicious to bring home and show his mother. He eventually found a recipe for octopus that looked too good to be true.
With the scroll in his hands, he checked out and started the journey back to his den. Before he could make it back though, he was stopped in the main cave.
It appeared as though almost every single Leviathanwing was there.
Snail droppings! Was there a big meeting today and I missed it? Is this what Rosethorn was actually coming to do or something? Oh no, what if I made her miss it as well!?
Obsidian quickly hurried over to the group and sat down. He listened intently, hoping that he blended in.
I wonder what the meeting’s about-
He didn’t have to wonder much longer.
The two Queens stood in front of their tribe with Rosethorn and another, much larger dragon. A dragon covered in dark scales.
The dragon from Obsidian’s nightmare.
He listened in.
“This dragon means no harm!” Queen Sapphire announced, “But if he does secretly have foul intentions for our tribe, then he will be punished.” She gestured to the dragon, “He will be under royal supervision for the time being.”
Obsidian poked a nearby dragon on the shoulder, causing them to jump.
“Who is that?” He asked.
The dragon looked at him incredulously, “Are you serious! Didn’t you hear?!”
“I wasn’t here-” Obsidian tried to defend himself.
“That’s Ghostmaker.”
The name made his scales freeze up. His eyes moved up to study the massive dragon again, the dragon from his nightmare.
Ghostmaker.
He was here, standing in front of the whole Leviathanwing tribe, or at least, a majority of the tribe. The dragons stared in awe at the massive hybrid. His wings glinted like the night sky and he watched the tribe intently with a slight smile on his face.
Obsidian wished he could read minds. He wished he could see what the massive legend was thinking about right now. Did he have good intentions for Obsidian and his tribe?
Of course he did, the Queens wouldn’t have brought him down here if he didn’t.
He thought back to his conversation with Rosethorn earlier that day. Aha. That’s why the Queens had been discussing Ghostmaker, perhaps they wanted to find him. Obsidian might’ve been one of the only dragons to encounter him on the surface, after all.
But what about Rosethorn studying? Did she actually go up to the surface instead to find him? He’d have to ask her about it later.
“He will be residing in the Throne Room,” Blacktip announced. “If any of you are concerned, please, fear not, we would never put our tribe under any danger.”
Ghostmaker gave a light smile to the tribe, “I’m happy to be here,” He boomed, “I can’t wait to be amongst my tribe once again.”
Is that all he really wanted?
Throne Room.
Under supervision.
Yes, Obsidian could visit him. He was a royal, after all. And Ghostmaker would probably be put under a spell to keep him in place. The Queens certainly weren’t stupid, that’s why they had done such a great job watching over the Leviathanwing tribe.
Obsidian trusted them.
Once the energy died down and the Leviathanwings returned to what they had been doing before the meeting, Obsidian approached the Throne Room. His heart pounded in his chest and he rubbed his arm nervously.
He entered.
Sure enough, Ghostmaker sat in the middle of the room. There weren’t any other visible dragons, but Obsidian was positive that he was still under supervision with the use of Animus spells.
Something that he could’ve helped with, if they knew about his magic.
“Hello,” Ghostmaker’s voice was already soothing. He looked at Obsidian with piercing eyes. “And who might you be?”
“I’m Obsidian,” He answered. “I’m part of the Leviathanwing royal family. I’m a cousin of Queen Sapphire.”
“Obsidian,” Ghostmaker repeated the name, “Ah, well, you already know my name, so it would be rather foolish for me to tell you.”
“Ghostmaker,” Obsidian breathed. “Is it really you?”
The massive dragon nodded, “I have returned home!” He spread his wings slightly, “I’ve come to aid my tribe, to show them a better way of life.”
Better way of life. “What does that mean?” Obsidian sat down, just a few tail-lengths away from the legendary dragon.
“It means I have a few plans for this tribe.” He reached out with a claw, “I want to help, but it seems as though most of your tribe doesn’t trust me.” Ghostmaker stared at Obsidian, “Tell me, Obsidian, do you trust me?”
The Leviathanwing thought about it for a minute. Of course he didn’t trust him as much as he trusted his friends, but something in his heart told him that Ghostmaker had no bad intentions for him and the tribe.
“I trust you.” He responded.
Ghostmaker flashed a toothy smile at him. “Thank you.”
Obsidian felt the pit in his stomach shift a little. Had he just done something absolutely terrible? Only time would be able to tell, right?
The legendary dragon moved a little in front, he didn’t stand, but he let his wings fall idly by his body. “Then it’s safe to tell you my plan because you trust me.” He placed his claws on his chest, as if his heart was melting from absolute glee.
Because I trust you. Do I? Obsidian frowned slightly but gave the dragon a nod. What do you have planned?
“You see,” Ghostmaker started, “I have a wonderful idea, but it requires complete cooperation.” He lifted his wings, “I’ve been around for quite some time, living on the surface. I’ve seen war and sadness. I know what the other tribes have to offer. I know how wonderful the surface is…”
Obsidian winced a little.
“You agree, don’t you?”
“I do.” Obsidian nodded again.
Ghostmaker smirked, “Then you know how stupid the whole ‘we need to stay underneath the waves’ rule is, especially since I’m here now. I won’t hurt my tribemates.”
The royal sighed a little, relieved. Unless, of course, Ghostmaker might’ve been lying. Again, only time would tell. For the time being, Obsidian remained in front of him and listened to his plan.
“I think it would be in our best interest to move the tribe to the surface.”
“Oh no,” Obsidian cut in, “I don’t think the Queens would like that.”
“They don’t,” He frowned, “I’ve brought the idea up to them.” He shook his tail, “So I was thinking, perhaps those who wish to live on the surface can do so… and I will rule over them. I will be the King of the Leviathanwings that live on the surface.”
“But if the Queens don’t think that’s a good idea…” Obsidian looked at the hybrid.
“Who cares?” Ghostmaker laughed a little, “It’s up to the dragons of the Leviathanwing tribe, not them.”
“But-” He tried to interject.
“It’s a marvelous plan.” Ghostmaker shook his head, “And I’m sure it’ll work out. These dragons need to see how brilliant the surface is.”
Obsidian’s gaze fell to the floor. Splitting the tribe right now would’ve been one of the worst ideas ever. They had just built up an alliance with the Seawings and had finally settled down without any conflict. Splitting them at a time like this?
It would be war amongst Leviathanwings. The Queens would never allow it.
“By the by,” Ghostmaker stood up, “Do you know where the library is?”
“I do,” Obsidian snapped out of his own thoughts, “Why?”
“Can you lead me there?” The hybrid smiled, “I wish to know how much my tribe’s culture has changed since I’ve been gone.” Before Obsidian could object, he added, “And you are a royal, after all.”
He was right.
Not wanting to upset the legendary dragon in front of him, he helped Ghostmaker leave the Throne Room. He led him to the library, where Clione, the Leviathanwing’s master strategist, was reading a scroll.
Clione would know how to handle him. Obsidian cautiously led Ghostmaker over to her.
The two dragons looked at each other and in that single instant, Obsidian saw a glint in Clione’s eyes. While they talked, Obsidian tried to de-stress by reading more scrolls containing recipes.
Eventually, royal guards entered the library to keep an eye on the dragon, which, in turn, granted Obsidian his freedom from the gut-wrenching situation. He fled to the surface. Making sure that no dragons followed him, he swam up as fast as he could.
The warmth of the afternoon sun flooded his scales, causing him to let out a joyous sigh of relief. He was away from Ghostmaker.
He pulled himself up onto the beach, happy to leave the dragon behind.
What just happened? He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his mind. Ghostmaker, a dragon who was hundreds of years old, had just talked to him nonchalantly and had discussed a plan that was absolutely foolish.
While Obsidian enjoyed the surface, he knew that bringing other Leviathanwings up here would cause conflict amongst his tribe, especially if Ghostmaker wanted to crown himself King of said surface Leviathanwings.
Could he even do that?
Did he have royal blood in him?
Obsidian moved along the beach, trying to recall everything he had heard about the Leviathanwing-Nightwing hybrid. He had Animus magic, he could probably read minds… Why did he still want to live on the surface?
Wouldn’t he want to be with his tribe-mates down beneath the waves? They were safe down there.
Obsidian continued walking along the beach, eventually, he stumbled upon a massive cave. The dragon stared at it, his brain still going a mile a minute. He brainlessly wandered by it.
The Leviathanwing opened his wings, letting his scales absorb the sun’s glorious warmth. His nerves settled as he did this.
“Get away from here!”
Obsidian jumped upon hearing the unfamiliar voice. He sprung backward and turned tail. Had he been caught? Was someone going to scold him? Perhaps a young dragonet had played a prank on him…
The royal shook his head.
His gut told him to investigate. He argued with it at first, not wanting to disturb who was in the cave, especially if they weren’t a Leviathanwing. Nonetheless, his legs cautiously carried him back to the cave.
He peeked inside, trying to stay close to the ground as he did so. He kept his wings folded by his side and his tail still.
Two dragons sat inside.
The larger of the pair was holding the other down, trying to silence him. Obsidian’s eyes widened as the full scene clicked in his mind.
A dragon that looked like a Skywing was holding down a young Leviathanwing. The Leviathanwing wriggled under the Skywing’s grasp, trying to break free. In a single swift movement, Obsidian whirled around and dove into the waves.
Surely, he wouldn’t be able to handle the situation properly. The Queens, however, would know exactly how to take care of the issue. He swam as fast as he could, faster than he ever had before and immediately rushed into the caves.
He barreled through the tunnels, practically slamming himself into the walls of the Throne Room. Thankfully, Queen Blacktip was sitting inside. Her eyes widened upon seeing him.
“Obsidian! What’s wrong?” Her voice was stern.
Obsidian gestured above them, “A Skywing! He- They have a Leviathanwing! A dragonet!”
Queen Blacktip stood up, “Show me.”
The pair left the Throne Room and swam up to the surface. Obsidian prayed to some unknown force, praying that the Leviathanwing dragonet was alright and unharmed.
What if he was too late?
What if he should’ve handled the situation himself?
Upon hitting the surface, the pair opened their wings and flew to the location of the cave. Usually, Obsidian was a pretty poor flier, but when fueled by fear and adrenaline, he flew just as well as any Skywing.
They flung themselves into the cave.
“Stop!” Queen Blacktip cried. She stood in front of the Skywing and opened her massive wings.
Obsidian stayed behind her, watching the scene unfold.
The Skywing dropped the light pink Leviathanwing dragonet and frowned. They approached Queen Blacktip. She stood her ground.
That’s when Obsidian noticed how peculiar the Skywing looked. Most Skywings, from what he heard, had warm colored scales like fire. This one, however, was covered in pale scales, almost like an Icewing. But they looked exactly like a Skywing otherwise.
“What are you doing here?” Queen Blacktip growled.
The Skywing remained still now, “I’m an assassin.” He explained, “I was sent here to kill a few of your kind.”
“Who?” Queen Blacktip asked. She pointed to the Leviathanwing dragonet, “Them?”
The Skywing shook his head, “No,” He thought for a moment, “I’m here for Barracuda, Requiem, and Dottyback.” His tail lashed, “I already took care of Requiem and Dottyback, from my understanding, is already dead.”
Queen Blacktip took another step toward the assassin, “I can’t let you continue. You will not be allowed to harm my tribe.”
The Skywing ignored her, looking past her and Obsidian.
In a flurry of movements, the Skywing rushed past Queen Blacktip and dodged Obsidian’s advances. He wasn’t able to even touch the dragon, but found that his scales were insanely cold.
As he charged outside, he yanked a spear out of a bag he had been wearing.
Obsidian followed the Skywing, angered. Queen Blacktip did the same, she bolted after the assassin, ready to grab him. As they both lept for him, they realized what he was after.
Three Leviathanwings sat outside of the cave, their eyes wide.
“What are you doing here!?” Queen Blacktip yelled.
They had no time to respond as the Skywing lifted his arm and pelted the spear at them. Obsidian tried to grab it out of the air and was unsuccessful. One of the unnamed Leviathanwings jumped in front of the spear, taking the sharp object into their side.
They let out a horrendous cry and fell to the ground.
“Turquoise!” One of the Leviathanwings cried.
Enraged by the hostile dragon, Obsidian pursued him. Queen Blacktip was already ahead of him, chasing after the assassin. Obsidian shot past her and reached out for the Skywing.
His teeth bit down on the assassin’s tail, sinking his teeth into the oddly covered scales. The Skywing stopped and gave him a horrible laugh.
What?
Pain. Absolute pain. Obsidian’s teeth seemed to freeze up and the scales around them turned a sickly pale.
Obsidian drew back, letting Queen Blacktip make her move on the Skywing. She collided with him and carefully flung him to the ground. She struck the dragon, scratching at him.
He fought back, leading the Queen to tear his throat out with her strong claws.
Obsidian landed down next to the now fatally wounded Skywing with a huff. His face burned as the ice travelled a bit further. Blacktip looked at him and his teeth before giving him a command.
“Please,” She panted, “Go get help!”
Obsidian clicked his teeth before rushing into the water.
“Go get Queen Sapphire or Ghostmaker!” The second Queen called out. Obsidian nodded before diving into the blue waves. His muscles ached and his vision faltered as he tried to swim as fast as he could.
He reached the cave, drenched and with frozen teeth. He rubbed his claw over them for a split second before continuing. He would have to stick his head over a geyser or something later.
Later. I need to help… Turquoise. He picked up his pace, recalling the look on the Leviathanwing’s face as the spear sunk into his scales. His heart sank. Would he be too late?
He frantically looked around.
They weren’t in the Main Cave.
They weren’t in the Throne Room.
Fiddlesquids. Obsidian brushed past the other Leviathanwings who stared at him in awe.
He ran down the tunnels, checking every den.
“You!”
Obsidian froze, “What? Who?” He turned around to see the pink Leviathanwing dragonet from earlier.
“You helped save me!” He squeaked.
“I uh- I think so,” Obsidian frantically looked around, “Hey, uh, little one-”
“Octopus.” He said.
“Yes, Octopus, can you help me find Ghostmaker?” Obsidian could feel his teeth freezing further. Soon, he would be able to speak. What if Turquoise was already-
“Oh! Follow me!” Octopus turned around and dashed off.
Obsidian followed him. He kept his mouth wide open now to prevent his teeth from freezing together.
The dragonet tried to remain ahead, but Obsidian was already nearly ahead of him. “Right down here!”
The library, of course!
Obsidian rushed ahead into the library. Sure enough, Ghostmaker was sitting amongst various scrolls.
“Ghostmaker!” Obsidian yelled, “I need your help!”
Ghostmaker raised his gaze to the Leviathanwing, a slight smile already on his face. “Hello, Obsidian~”
Obsidian slid in front of him, “Ghostmaker,” It was much harder for him to speak now, “Queen Blacktip,” He paused, he had to choose his words wisely. “We need your help on the surface,” Another pause, “There was an attack.”
Ghostmaker looked down at his scroll, as if he hadn’t heard any detrimental or shocking news. “And what do you want me to do about it?”
He knew. He had to know, right?
“You can help heal them!”
“Who?”
He knew Obsidian was having a hard time speaking.
“The injured Leviathanwing!”
Ghostmaker looked up at him, “Ah, well if you had told me that one of my tribe-mates was injured, maybe I would’ve helped sooner.” He chuckled and stood up, “But before I aid you, I need you to promise me something.”
Octopus stood by Obsidian.
“I need you to pledge your loyalty to me,” Ghostmaker smirked.
“What? Why?” Obsidian nearly choked on his own tongue. He could no longer feel the appendage.
“I haven’t had too many good experiences lately,” The hybrid explained, “I want to know I can trust you.”
“Don’t do it.” Octopus whispered. “He’s probably a trick.”
Obsidian stared at the legendary dragon in front of him. If he said no, it might cost Turquoise his life. It would be Obsidian’s’ fault. He couldn’t say no.
“Alright. I pledge.” Obsidian squeezed his eyes shut, the pain in his mouth was unbearable.
In a flash, the pain went away. He opened his eyes to see a distressed Octopus and a smirking Ghostmaker.
“Alright.” He approached the royal, “Then let’s go fix this mess, alright?” He casually walked past Obsidian. He looked back at Obsidian and in that moment, the weight came down on him.
He was loyal to this dragon now, he would have to remain by his side as a loyal subject. Even after this whole ordeal was over, Obsidian would belong to this strange dragon.
What have I done?