The flames of the forge grew hotter as Khepri continued his eternal work. Hammers pounded against metal, sending sparks into the half-lit night. The percussive rhythm of metal on metal filled the air, steadily keeping time. If one were close enough to listen, they would hear the hum of an old forge-song rising from the lips of the diligent snapper.
It was the Flameforger’s Festival. A new year had begun.
Bonegnasher laughed, his guffaw joining the other boisterous noises that filled The Siren’s Call. The tavern had grown busy, if only because of the continued patronage of the tundra and his friends. While Bahat had found himself growing comfortable within the palace walls, Bonegnasher found himself searching for something more. He had found it with Pomona and Karma. The two dragons were nearly fully grown now, and they sought adventure wherever they could find it. True, there was not much happening in The Forgotten Kingdom since his mother had taken the crown and Heaven had disappeared, but surely it was only a matter of time before something came up.
A few tables away sat Violet, a spiral Bone had approached a few times in an attempt to get to know her (to no avail), and Zeal, a skydancer who seemed far more interested in Karma’s mother than his own date. The tavernkeeper had spent most of her evening serving the table, and had not taken her eyes off of the sleek dragon.
Bone tried not to think too hard about that his own child would be the half-sibling of Seaberry. The thought weirded him out, and he was embarrassed at how quickly he had hoped the older wildclaw might fall for him. He saw now that it was foolishness, especially since Bailaduel had made herself scarce since the wedding. He was convinced she had left the city altogether. Though a part of him had been seeking to ignore the fact that he was very close to being a single father, his friends couldn’t seem to let him forget.
“Look, all I’m saying is that I still haven’t met my father properly,” Pomona said, slamming down her empty tankard. She had just finished her third drink, and her voice had hit that gruff, gravelly tone that Bone found endearing. He was constantly in awe of her vocal range. “Now, that’s not his fault. He’s not himself. Virtue says that your mom claims he was different before he was tortured on the orders of my aunt, but it still hurts like crazy. I basically grew up an orphan. I know you have your parents and your brothers and they are great, but don’t deny your child a father simply because you don’t have the guts to step up and be one.”
“That’s not what I’m saying!” Bone exclaimed, growing a little tired of the topic. “It’s just not my thing! Bahat his much better at this sort of thing than I am. Look at Bohrium! THe two are practically inseparable, while Bohr will barely give me the time of day!”
“Because you’ve been out galavanting with us!” Pomona pointed out. “And look, I’m not complaining, I love spending time with you, but it takes time. And there’s no way I’m going to be your excuse for copping out on your kid like that.”
“She has a point,” Karma added, taking a small sip of her own beverage. Her eyes narrowed as a toothy grin crossed her face. She was beautiful in the way her mother was, though she held none of the same tact and charm. It was almost as if she rejected the way her mother carried herself. “I don’t even know who my father is. I’m not even sure my mom knows, considering her habits, though surely the kingdom has a small enough breeding pool that it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out if she even put in the effort. If she knows, she hasn’t told me. Do you really want your child growing up not knowing their proper family?”
“Exactly!” Pomona exclaimed, raising her empty glass to her friend and grinning ear to ear. “And we are more than happy to be the weird aunts if that’s what it takes!”
“Oh, you two are definitely the weird aunts!” Bone grinned, hoping he could change the topic soon.
“Actually, technically your kid is going to be my aunt! Or half-aunt anyways.” Karma made a face as she spoke, though her eyes sparked with humor.
“Stop reminding me,” Bone rolled his eyes. “This is already weird enough as it is. I can’t believe Bailaduel-”
Suddenly, all activity in the tavern was interrupted by the door swinging open. A slim wildclaw slipped in, accompanied by a skydancer covered in a multitude of pink eyes. Bone watched as Seaberry’s jaw dropped for a moment before she collected herself again and moved from Violet and Zeal’s table to her position at the counter. The wildclaw sauntered in, looking around like he owned the place. Bone felt as though he should know him, though he had never actually set eyes on him before, at least, as far as he could recall.
“Jett, I had no idea you were still around,” Seaberry said. Her tone was friendly enough, but her face told a different story. Her eyes were narrow as she sized up the former prince and his friend.
“Oh, baby, I’m not going anywhere!” Jett purred. The skydancer beside him, who Bone supposed must be Scoril, seemed uncomfortable at his open flirtation. “Get us some drinks.”
“And I don’t suppose you have any way to pay for it?” Seaberry asked, pasting on a fake smile. “I don’t know if you recall, but you're not king anymore.”
“Don’t worry about that, sunshine, we have a means to an end,” Jett winked. “Why so cold? I thought you liked me.” The wildclaw seemed hurt.
“Oh, I like you well enough,” Seaberry said, stopping to check the wildclaw out before turning to fill a couple glasses. “I just have other things to worry about. Like your daughter, for instance.”
“My- daughter-?” Jett seemed to grow paler. He followed Seaberry’s gaze to where Karma was sitting. The spiral beside Bone flinched, taken aback by her mother’s words. She was now sizing up the wildclaw with great interest, comparing her own segmented wings to Jett’s.
“Oh please, don’t tell me you didn’t notice the eggs when you snuck away before dawn,” Seaberry said, sliding the drinks across the counter to the newcomers. “I know what we had was a fling, I’m not a fool, but the least you could have done was take some responsibility for your actions. Though, considering how you failed to show for your own wedding, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“I swear- I didn’t know-” Jett blabbered, eyes darting between Seaberry and Karma as if trying to make sense of it all. He sheepishly slid a few coins across the counter to pay for the drinks, and Seaberry snatched them up without taking her eyes off of him.
“Her name is Karma,” Seaberry said, apparently accepting his explanation, though she still examined the coins with suspicion. “Stay, go, meet her, don’t, it’s up to you. I just thought you should know.”
Bone suddenly felt a wave of respect for Seaberry that he hadn’t before realized. She, like him, had been saddled with an unexpected egg and had the other parent run off without another word. Not to mention, she had done all this with Bailaduel as her only family. Bone soon found himself feeling grateful for his own parents and brother. Even though he would be raising a child without their mother, he wouldn’t be doing it without family.
The tundra was so caught up in his thoughts that he completely failed to notice Jett and Scoril making their way to his table with their drinks until they were sliding into the booth next to him. Karma was glaring at Jett, looking more angry than Bone had ever seen her. Beside her, Pomona wore a sour expression in solidarity with her friend.
“Karma, it’s nice to meet you,” Jett said, holding out a hand. A bracelet jangled on his wrist, a precious yellow stone jangling against the metal band. Karma didn’t take it. Jett took it back, not seeming to upset. He turned instead to Bone. “You’re Age’s kid, right?”
Bone just nodded, still trying to figure out what he made of Jett. His skydancer friend made him uncomfortable, the way she had her eyes on everyone in the tavern, pupils darting around with a skittish energy.
“Yeah, I thought so. You were just a hatchling when I started my reign, but you haven’t changed all that much” Jett said wistfully, leaning back and eyeing the three young dragons with curiosity.
“Where have you been?” Karma suddenly asked, with all her usual bluntness.
“That my dear, is a complicated question to answer,” Jett whistled.
“How hard can it be?” Karma growled. “You have to have been somewhere!”
“We were,” Jett exchanged a glance with Scoril. “Though if you want the deets, you have to promise me that you can keep a secret.”
“Jett…” Scoril interrupted, eying Jett nervously.
“What? New recruits can’t hurt,” Jett shrugged. “Besides, Karma’s my daughter. You think I shouldn’t have the chance to get to know my daughter?”
Scoril looked uncomfortable, but didn’t say anything.
“Okay, you can drop the act. I don’t care about what you have or don’t have, what matters to me is that you haven’t been here, and my mother has been working her butt off to make ends meet for us,” Karma pointed out. “I am perfectly happy to go back to acting like I don’t know who you are. I’ve grown up fine without a father, and I don’t need one now, especially one that’s as big a jerk as you. It’s clear you care for nothing but yourself.”
Jett flinched, but was not put out.
“If that’s the way you want it, then I’ll give my offer to somebody else,” Jett said smoothly. “However, if you want to know where to find me at any point, just go to the east edge of the market district. I don’t want to force something that’s going to make either of us unhappy. If you want to know me, I want it to be on your terms.”
Karma just stared at him. As soon as he realized his daughter wasn’t going to respond, the wildclaw nudged Scoril, and the pair moved over to Zeal and Violet’s table, where they began to speak in hushed voices. Bone tried to read their faces. Zeal seemed intrigued, while Violet looked a little nervous. Bone was eager to figure out more, the wildclaw’s offer interested him. What secrets did the city hide? Before he could find out, however, he was pulled back into his conversation with his friends.
“Can you believe him? Sauntering in like that, like he owns the place,” Karma spat. “My mom sure knows how to pick ‘em, doesn’t she?”
“She’s been fawning over Zeal all night,” Bone commented.
“Of course she has,” Karma shook her head. “I swear, the sooner she realizes that none of the guys she likes are any good for her, the better. Otherwise I’m going to end up with more siblings with daddy issues.”
“Aren’t you the least bit curious about what he had to say?” Bone pushed. “What if it’s the sort of adventure you’ve been looking for. Besides, maybe he won’t be all that bad when you get to know him.”
“You do realize you’re talking about the dragon that ordered by father be captured and tortured to cover his fiancee’s tracks when she asked him, despite the fact he knew full well he was innocent? And that Scoril is the very dragon that made him snap?” Pomona asked. Though Bone could see a twinkle of curiosity in her own eyes as she glanced at the other table.
“Yeah, but you want answers, don’t you? Don’t you both? Maybe this is the way to get them!” Bone tried to tell himself he was just trying to help his friends, but he couldn’t deny the thrill that coursed through him as thought of the adventure and mystery the wildclaw seemed to offer. “Besides, if Scoril is who made him snap, maybe she’ll know how to get him back to normal!”
Pomona considered his suggestion for a moment, exchanging a glance with Karma, who looked unconvinced.
“You two go ahead and do what you want, but don’t blame me if this comes up empty,” Karma said, rolling her eyes.
“You wouldn’t come with us?” Bone’s heart dropped.
“Oh, I’d come with you, but only so I could laugh at you when you realized I was right all along,” Karma smirked. Bone couldn’t help it, he smiled back, shaking his head. Karma was right. It was a silly idea. And yet, he couldn’t get the thought of the undiscovered secrets the city held, and the thrall he felt to discover them.
“Jett’s returned, I can feel him.” Koraki said.
“What?” Age said, looking up from the nest she had been tending. In addition to her impending grandchild, she and Accident had recently had another egg to add to their growing family. She had scarcely noticed the corven’s entrance.
“Jett. He’s been off my radar ever since he disappeared. But he’s back, and I need to find him,” Koraki insisted.
“What do you mean?” Age asked. “He’s not king anymore, why is it so important? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve been worried about him myself, but isn’t your duty to the throne?”
“You see, that’s what I thought too, but I’ve been doing some digging,” Koraki said, smiling a bit. “It appears whatever magic binds me to Jett doesn’t bind me to the royal line and its continuation per say, but instead my loyalty is bound to him and his bloodline, in order to ensure its safety and continuation, whether that be a royal continuation or not.”
“Oh,” Age said, heart sinking. She had grown to enjoy the corven’s friendship and camaraderie. She had hoped he would even come to join the council. It would be nice to get a beastclans voice, to add further perspective.
“I’m not an ordinary talonok, Age,” Koraki explained. “I-”
Their conversation was interrupted by Bahat bursting through the door, Bohrium fluttering behind him. In the mirror’s arms was an egg, and it was moving violently, cracks beginning to appear on its murky surface.
“Mom, have you seen Bone anywhere?” Bahat asked frantically.
“No, I haven’t, I thought he was with you two,” Age said, looking up with concern. “Is the egg-”
Bahat nodded, then used a word Age hadn’t thought her eldest son had known. Concern flashed in the mirror’s eyes, and Bohrium fluttered down beside the egg, his expression a mix of curiosity and worry.
“It’s okay, we can deal with the hatching. The most important thing is that the child doesn’t come into the world on their own. Bone can make the rest up later,” Age said, immediately falling into a rhythm of action despite her anxiety. She had been having concerns about Bone ever since the egg’s formation, and now it appeared that when he was needed most, he had failed to show up.
RNG, you've got to stop giving me one-egg nests in this pinkerlocke. Seriously, it's getting out of hand. Let's check our tally:
- Topaz and Larkin have 3 eggs, 1 survives (Age)
- Ivi and Izak have 2 eggs, 1 survives (Jett)
- Age and Accident have 3 eggs, 2 survive (Bahat and Bone)
- Nevaeh and Khepri have 1 egg (Pomona)
- Seaberry and Jett have 2 eggs, 1 survives (Karma)
- Bone and Bailaduel have 1 egg
- Age and Accident have 1 egg
Just let me write sibling lore, please! Apparently the RNG thinks I shouldn't write sibling lore, because neither of the remaining Sisters of Virtue are biologically related either, it just had to go and kill off Harlowe and Hayze so Hollyn was the only one left! Age and Accident are the only ones allowed to have multiple children right now, apparently.
In exciting news, my C nest hatches tomorrow (Today? I'm posting this right after rollover, though I'm waiting until I wake up in the morning to hatch my egg). My grandfather's funeral was today (yesterday?) so I could really use some good happy dragon excitement!
)
. All joking aside, Pinkerton can be very fickle he gives you good pulls when you least expect it and then dumps endless food and battle stones on you as payment. Yikes a dozen battlestones sounds painful...
