Mourning the Clan of Resting Wings
The dragons of Windkeep Tower had made an almost unanimous decision to push off the beginning of their Brightshine Jubilee festivities in honour of the falling of their greatest and oldest allies.
"It's what they would have wanted, so we shall live in darkness one more day before celebrating the light." Fenn announced to the dragons gathered below her balcony. The news had spread quickly after Kyra's arrival, but most dragons couldn't believe it until they had heard something official.
A heaviness covered the normally cheerful clan. Businesses closed in honour of the once noble shadow clan, and while the rest of Sornieth celebrated the Jubilee, Windkeep tower sat in somber silence. Even the beacon fire had been put out for the first time since the tower's building had reached completion.
For the first time, the whole clan was in mourning.
"Magiere? I didn't think you'd come in today." Lin looked up from his book, surprised. "You just heard your old home was completely obliterated. I wouldn't blame you if you needed to take a break from your studies."
Magiere laughed. "That old dump? No, Legba, Duskrunner, and everyone I might have possibly cared about there is long gone. Why should I care what happens to the rest of them? They cared nothing for me, no one missed me when I was gone, not even Dusk, and he was my mate!"
"You don't even care that Eth is gone?" Lin asked.
"Stop asking me silly questions! I left to pursue something greater, and you are building me into that! So stop trying to make me feel things and teach me some more magic!" Magiere growled.
Lin shook his head. "No, magic is about balance, and you have to feel that balance in your heart. Your heart has gone callous and has been stone a long time. I thought I was good at moving stone, but it appears you have learned nothing of use. Acknowledge the feelings you have within, don't push them away, and once you have remembered how to use your heart, then you can return for more lessons."
"Fine! It appears you don't care for me either! I'm done wasting my time!" Megiere snapped, and raced out of Lin's suite. As she ran, she felt a tears run hot down her cheek and she cursed. Lin couldn't have got to her! The Clan of Resting Wings was nothing. Nothing! And she was far better off without them, wasn't she?
"Come on Banella, I know you are difficult to work with but there's no need to be this melodramatic!" Kaladin rolled his eyes. "Is this because of your birth clan? Because you hated them, didn't you?"
"This has nothing to do with it! Stop badgering me, Kaladin! I'm a dragon of shadows, putting together a performance for the Brightshine Jubilee is below me. If you want to betray your birthright, be my guest! Just leave me alone, you're a big boy, work on your own!" Banella shouted at the pearlcatcher and slammed her door in his face. She retreated into a dark corner of her suite and pulled out a pair of letters. She lit a tall, gothic candlestick and began to reread them.
CleverDual wrote on 2018-06-13 17:52:32:
My dearest sister.
I am so sorry for everything.
I didn't mean for this to happen.
If I could go back and change things, I would.
Our clan is under attack. Dozens of dragons have been murdered in the night. I fear that Brazil and I wo
No one is safe anymore. The whole clan is filled with fear.
I can't help but wonder how long this will go on. There is an investigation running. They are trying to find the rebels.
A few dragons have talked about moving the clan. Several have left already.
I don't know how we will survive this.
I suppose you got what you wanted, sister. The clan is falling apart under my lineage's rule.
I miss you. I desperately wish things had gone differently between us.
I wish there was a way to path things us between us. However I do not believe I have much time left.
Mom and Dad loved you. Every day.
I love you, Banella.
Goodbye my dearest sister.
I'll see you on the other side.
Basil.
I am so sorry for everything.
I didn't mean for this to happen.
If I could go back and change things, I would.
Our clan is under attack. Dozens of dragons have been murdered in the night. I fear that Brazil and I wo
No one is safe anymore. The whole clan is filled with fear.
I can't help but wonder how long this will go on. There is an investigation running. They are trying to find the rebels.
A few dragons have talked about moving the clan. Several have left already.
I don't know how we will survive this.
I suppose you got what you wanted, sister. The clan is falling apart under my lineage's rule.
I miss you. I desperately wish things had gone differently between us.
I wish there was a way to path things us between us. However I do not believe I have much time left.
Mom and Dad loved you. Every day.
I love you, Banella.
Goodbye my dearest sister.
I'll see you on the other side.
Basil.
CleverDual wrote on 2018-06-13 17:52:32:
Hey Princess,
Basil and Brazil were killed tonight.
Things are changing.
Now would be a perfect time to make a move.
Maybe I'll see you soon, princess.
Leo
Basil and Brazil were killed tonight.
Things are changing.
Now would be a perfect time to make a move.
Maybe I'll see you soon, princess.
Leo
Both letters haunted Banella. The first one filled her with emotions she had thought she had long buried. How dare her sister forgive her after everything? How dare her sister take the high road and rub her victory in her face over and over! how dare she write this letter, and bring back the memories of their shared childhood, before Banella had sworn vengeance on her sister and her bloodline for taking the throne from her. Her sister couldn't still love her after all that, and neither could her parents. it was just basil, being once again blinded by optimism. Her family had shown her nothing but disrespect.
And then there was Leo's note, short and to the point, just like everything was between the two of them. She didn't know why she didn't run to him, didn't take advantage of the opportunity to finally take her sister. Was it because she too feared for her life? Or was it because her sister's sentimentality had gotten to her? Was she truly a coward after all of this? Was she soft? Was she everything she had tried not to be?
Regardless of the reason she had failed to act, Banella was left with two unfortunate truths. The first was that Basil and most of her bloodline was dead, meaning that everything she had worked for, the years she had spent trying to one-up her sister, were for nothing. All her life's work was meaningless now. The second was that Leo too was almost certainly dead. The one dragon she might have ever loved, even if that was long ago when she was young and naive. The one dragon who supported her visions and had always been there when she needed someone.
In other words, Banella now had nothing, and though she was a fantastic actress, she refused to even risk the possibility of seeing how much the loss of her birth clan broke her. She was supposed to be stronger than that. She had always been stronger than that.
Nymph flew over the Sea of a Thousand currents, skimming the waves and ignoring the joyful shouts and songs of celebrating dragons. The Clan of Resting Wings had not been her home for very long, but it had still been a home, and now it was gone. The dragons she had met, the streets she had walked, all gone.
Inwardly, she wondered if she had still been there, whether she would have been able to stop the rebels from killing the royal line and destroying the clan. Probably not, as the palace would have been full of guards and warriors, but Nymph couldn't help but wonder.
Sighing, and remembering that thinking about the past wouldn't change it, Nymph banked and began to make her way to the cliffside hut she shared with Colm. If the rebels wanted to exterminate the royal line, they weren't done yet, and those living in Windkeep Tower would need top protection if the rebels ever came looking for then. Nymph couldn't save The Clan of Resting Wings, but she sure could save those that remained. She had to focus on that.
India had been a wreck ever since she had heard the news. She was grateful that Runeclaw had offered to keep the Copper Lotus running in case the bereaved wanted a place to meet outside of their suites, because India sure couldn't run it in her current state.
Her sister was dead, as were her parents and the rest of her family, and the only reason she and Juliette were still alive was because Ivi had given her sister her daughter to flee with. If India had refused to take Juliette, they would be dead too. And now, she would never see her family again. She had never thought that would be the case. At least her sister's granddaughter lived on, in Kyra. She would have to look out for the young wildclaw, it's what Ivi would have wanted. her sister's granddaughter would be safe hands.
For the first time, India was grateful Juliette was so busy with Thorburn. She didn't want her niece seeing her like this. Juliette didn't know about her heritage, and it would be so much better if she lived without the grief and fear that accompanied it.
As soon as she stopped crying, she would be sure to talk to Fenn to make sure Windkeep Tower was safe from any rebels who wanted to finish the job.
"Why did you go?" Kyra asked as she lay her head on Kulshan. The two had been lying on Kulshan's bed for hours, crying together about the horrors Kyra had faced and the losses she bore.
"I wanted to be worthy of you. I wanted to give you the world." Kulshan admitted, voice cracking.
"You idiot." Kyra said with a small smile. "You are my world. You have always been my best friend. You could have come to visit me in the palace anytime you wanted. My family wouldn't have minded. You always have to go and make things way more complicated than they need to be."
"I just want to be the one you deserve. You are so perfect, and you could have so much more than just me." Kulshan told her.
"You don't need to prove anything to me. I love your grand gestures and poetic words, but all I really want is you, for better or for worse. I just want to be a part of your life. You have no idea how angry I am that you disappeared like that! I thought you were dead! I thought you didn't want to be friends anymore that you had found something else!" Kyra told him. "But I suppose, in the grand scheme of things, I'm glad you left of this great quest, because if you hadn't, we might be dead. You've given me a new place to be. So in a way, and gosh, this is going to be so cheesy, you have given me the world. You've given me a reason to keep living after I've lost everything else, because I haven't lost you."
"You really mean it?"
"Of course I mean it, you doofus. And don't make me say it again, because you're the cheesy dragon in this relationship, not me!" Kyra laughed. It felt good to laugh after all these tears.
"Kyra, there's something we need to talk about-" Kulshan began, trying to think how we was going to explain Quartz, and his contract.
"Kulshan, I know you love me. I've known since we were hatchlings, and if you need to hear me say it too, I love you. There, you have it now. I love your stupid face and your heroics and I am not letting you leave me again." Kyra laughed.
"Kyra, there's something important-" Kulshan tried again.
"Whatever it is, it can wait." Kyra said. "Let's just stay in this moment, okay? Because things have been really rough for me, and I don't want to think of any of that anymore." And with that, she kissed him.
@CleverDual @Alwaid @zzzhorses @Skyeset @ScrivenerRook @Kizzan @clarax @lilastar @tigressRising @Disillusionist @Aetherstorm @rainphee @RiaFire11
Proper Brightshine Jubilee updates start tomorrow! Today, I wanted to check in on some dragons we haven't seen in a while and explore how the dragons I have who once lived in the Clan of Resting Wings were reacting to the news! I didn't quite catch everyone, as Carmen is the child of @CleverDual 's progens, but I caught everyone else!
The letters were written by CleverDual in her lorebook in one of her last updates before she moves to a new lorebook. It's going to be great, because her last arc was some of the best writing I've seen from her yet and I'm really looking forward to seeing what her new clan will bring! I'll be sure to give y'all a link when she posts it!
I hope you are all enjoying the Brightshine Jubilee! I am really really loving it!!! Sorry for the lack of update yesterday, I was working all day (though I spent most of my day taking a trip out to the amusement park, so it was a pretty good day!)
Also, as I was writing the last scene I suddenly realized Kyra and Kulshan are lowkey like Amy and Rory from Doctor Who.
