Lantern

Lantern, being a young Imperial, had to deliver small cargoes from one end of the clan to the other. On the day of the month of Trickmurk came an important errand, to deliver fish to the dragons of the northern shadow clan as a gift, but for this it was necessary to cross the sea. One was obliged to be paid well for this.

"Though for such gems, but why me?"

"All the couriers are busy preparing for the festival. In a couple days, the shadow clan has the Trickmurk Circus Anniversary Festival, and you know how dangerous they can be. We must make every effort to strengthen our cooperation. For our purposes" - The Director of the delivery office explained the situation to the young one, and ladled her a map and a couple crates of cargo, loading it on her back for better carrying. If we don't deliver the treats to the northen clan, we might lose our possible friends, and you and me losing our jobs. I know it will be hard for such a tiny (12m) Imperial, but I asked for help in case-"

"It's fine, I'll be fine. At least I won't cross paths with my brother. His sisters are always whispering things about me."
She was about to leave the delivery office.

"ROBIN!" - something surprised Lantern. - "What are you doing here? You and your sisters should be halfway through delivering stuff for the Trickmurk Circus festival!!!" - Lantern shouted out, spotting a dark blue colored Imperial that looked like herself.

"Sis, were you seriously going to fly alone? Your first flight travel that's farther than the tip of your tail to your muzzle and already you think you can handle it alone?"

"Please don't tell me that-"

"You can't be left alone."

Lantern wanted to push Robin away, but he anticipated as always and deflected the Lantern's claws blow. The one ability that helped Robin survive all threats - foresight of the future - had saved Imperial more than once.
"You're always picking on me! Did you even once worry about our family? I had to work all day while you and your crew were chasing the pillars of smoke you put up."

There was a commotion in the delivery room and the two were asked to leave before they trashed the counters with valuables.

"You're not flying with me," - she said, tempering her fervor.
But Robin remained calm. His native ice element wouldn't let him lose his temper. Built to guard, the sibling, though younger than her, escorted Lantern to the door with a cold stare.

"So you won't be on my radar again," - Imperial said before she left the takeoff bay of the delivery office with lightning speed.

...

On the first day of the festival, the shadow dragons eclipsed the sun in their honor. Lantern was on the open sea, and should have reached the shore very soon, but the lack of a landmark disoriented her. "Where is the direction? I should have taken a landmark of some sort." She continued to fly in circles in the same spot for hours. "This map is worth NOTHING!" - Imperial freaked out, ripping the map apart, it's scraps catching the waves.

"Hey, lost?"

Lantern was glad she'd met a dragon-path along the way, but it was only HIM, descending from the cloud tops.

"I said don't fly after me." She was utterly desperate, having spent half a day thrashing around looking for the right path.

"Did you?" - Robin flew into the waves, fishing out a few snippets of the map and bringing them straight up to Lantern's face - "I wonder who dropped this? How unkind ay-yay-yay-yay-yay- AY!-" Lantern gave Robin a peck on the cheek, but then rested her muzzle on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. You know how much I hate you after our parents divorce. And why did you fly after me? Now we're lost together, congratulations, your persistence will ruin you."

Robin had been holding a pocket compass the whole time. Noticing it, Lantern didn't utter a word.

"I love you too, sister"- He hugged her, staggering in the air. Several of the ropes on the cargo broke from the friction of the scales.
"Okay, okay, enough sentimentality! I forgive you this time, but this will be my last flight with you."

"Indeed..."

They continued their journey together.
Robin the whole way was trying to guide Lantern down a longer path.

"Is it not getting to you or something? We were supposed to reach the Northern Shadow Clan as early as yesterday. You were the one who scolded me for veering off the path."
"Whose fault is that? I'm just trying to guide us to a safer path."
"I followed the map, don't talk down to me, and it's no more dangerous than a land canyon where no one lives."
"But-"
"I'll box you up and throw you into the sea if I ever hear from you again."

The argument continued for a while, and then both fell silent. The silence was interrupted only by the flapping of wings.
And now they had almost reached the shore. The unevenness of the bottom beneath them was beginning to show as Lantern spotted something very precious.

"What's that in the water? Pearls? They're worth a fortune, enough to cure my big brother! The TRUE brother! Robin, are you seeing this?!"
"Stop, dont!!"
He grabbed Lantaren's hind paw
"GET OFF" - she kicked his head hard, sending him down to the rocks where he landed on his back between two rocks. The ropes failed, and heavy crates of fish fell on top of him, falling from Lantern's back. Not heavy enough to severely injure, but enough to shackle him to the rocks. The female Imperal paid no attention to her brother.

Taking to the sky, Lantern spun down to reach the bottom.
The landing. Splash. Waves.
A dragon underwater.

"Where the hell are they, they were just around the corner!" - Lantern thought to herself, sinking lower to the bottom, passing vegetation.

A small glint caught her attention again. She had almost reached the bottom.

"There you are, my beautiful, my lovely, the jewelers will give a lot of gems for you."

As they approached, the pearls disappeared. And reappeared as if playing with the young Imperial. Buried in the sand, reflecting the light like eyes in the night.

"Gotcha!"

Undermining them with a claw, a red liquid poured into the water. "Pearl" poured red, and Lantern realized it was the giant creature's eyes too late when she was in close proximity to its snout.
She tried her best to float upward, fighting off the creature's huge paws-like tentacles. The Undertide of unprecedented size, enraged by young Imperial's interference, was dragging her deeper and deeper to the bottom. Lantern could not move, either from fatigue or from being enveloped by the monster. Careless attempts to escape resulted in wounds from the venomous fins that slowly stopped any movement. Lantern accepted her fate.

...

Something swam down into the depths past her...

Crates?


Suddenly, an icy breath froze a few tentacles of a huge serpent, allowing Lantern to scramble up to the open air. Gulping down oxygen, she swam to the surface - to the rocks where there were broken fish crates and scales from the collision with the surface. With the realization what happened, she tried to return back to waters.
But laying on the rocks, Lantern couldn't move from the poison. She watched as the air bubbles reaching the surface became fewer and fewer. More and more chunks of ice floated up.

Until the waters subsided.