Solstice

Solstice was blessed by the Lightweaver, hatched when the sun reached its highest peak in the clear blue sky. Feats of magic and physical power come easily to him, and those who meet Solstice can't help but admit that he is incredibly handsome. Solstice's vanity has brought him misfortune throughout his long life, however, and the elder mourns the loss of his youth while maintaining a proud, confident veneer. He genuinely believes he deserves to be treated like royalty, and expects it - when it's not delivered, he's even more of a pain in the neck than usual.

Solstice's commanding presence allowed him to take hold of the uncontested position of harbormaster at Sunbeam Grotto. Very few vessels ever approach the territory, but he quite enjoys being the voice of authority who gets to tell them what they can and can't do (mostly the can't).


Solstice preens as he returns to his quarters with the message; it's not often that his services as a harbormaster are needed, let alone respected to such a degree. Such a shame this Captain won't be able to land in Sunbeam Grotto proper, so he could meet a dragon who treats him with the deference he deserves. Yet, as he reads through the message a second time, there are certainly no couriers available to return a reply in a respectable timeframe. What to do...what to do? He hauls himself to his feet, plucking the letter from the escritoire and tucking it into his scarf before trotting out to the beach in search of a one-time courier.


A soil-colored Nocturne alights on board La Fortuna, awe evident on his face before he remembers himself and passes a missive to Captain Ragnall. By the way he lingers awhile before leaving, and how he lacks the sigil of Sunbeam Grotto's postal dragons, it's clear he's not trained as a messenger.


Taio returns to Solstice's den absolutely glowing; he speaks dreamily of a ship that sails by air, and all the fantastical mechanisms employed about the deck to keep it afloat. Solstice admonishes him for his unprofessionalism - if you ever wish to be a proper messenger, he chastises, you will keep your eyes and hands to yourself. Solstice shoos the solemn Taio out, and begins to pen a followup message to apologize to the Captain for his choice in messenger.



Well. That was unexpected. Solstice feels a tiny inkling of remorse at his haste to admonish the young dragon. Was he ever so naive and guileless to let his eyes wander, to betray his emotions on his face? He supposes not, as he can't remember any such feeling. He squashes down his guilt and folds up the letter he'd penned yesterday, stamping it with a seal so there's no chance his green courier might break another rule of the profession. He's about to head out in search of Taio when he hears a knock at the entrance of the cave.

"Come in," he starts to say, but the visitor has already entered - Mudpuppy, with a furious look twisting his age-withered features. He really should have invested in skincare sooner, Solstice observes with an air of superiority. All that sun and saltwater truly dries out the scales.

"What gives you the right?" Mudpuppy demands, and though his voice is no louder than a conversational tone, Solstice feels something quake.

"Whatever do you mean?" Solstice replies, doing his best to sound nonchalant, as if Mudpuppy had just interrupted him in the middle of his daily harbormaster duties. He had, but they usually weren't any greater than twirling a fresh quill between his claws as the unopened ink bottle and empty parchment stared up at him from the desk's surface. Usually - but not today.

"My grandson is sulking about the beach as if he's just had his heart shattered. Phoebe says you were the last dragon he talked to, and I imagine -" with the way Mudpuppy grits his teeth, Solstice believes 'imagine' is a gentle substitute for 'accuse' - "you have something to do with his sudden gloominess."

"A strong accusation," Solstice says, leaning back in his seat and allowing his eyes to flick over to the letter laying unfolded on the desk. Mudpuppy notices, of course, as was his intention.

"What is this?"

"An offer for Taio to take up an apprenticeship. I was about to deliver it to him, actually, when you...arrived."

Mudpuppy snatches the letter from the desk and holds it up close, eyes scanning the parchment. The tension in his body by no means relaxes, but he no longer looks like a sea serpent ready to strike.

"And who is this 'Captain Ragnall?'" he finally asks, having reached the end. He tosses the letter back on the desk, which Solstice supposes is better than tearing it in two.

"I haven't a clue; this is only the second correspondence I've received from her, and it seems as if it'll be the last. The date of her ship's arrival was detailed within - why don't you go down to Redrock Cove then, see if you can introduce yourself?"

"I just might." Mudpuppy looks like he wants to say more, but he whirls around and stalks out of the den before he does. Solstice lets out a sigh - shame the game of verbal chess had to end so soon - and stands to go bring Taio the two letters.


Taio appears on deck of La Fortuna yet again, carrying a letter with a wax seal. He is much more subdued than his last visit to the dirigible, and wastes no time in bringing the letter to Ragnall. He lingers while she tears it open with a claw and begins to read.


Taio doesn't peek over the edge of the coarse paper - that would be most unprofessional - but he watches Ragnall's eyes closely as they scan back and forth over Solstice's words. When she reaches the bottom of the letter and looks back up at him, he squeaks out what seems to be a many-times-rehearsed articulation -

"If your offer still stands, I'm very interested in accepting an apprenticeship on board La Fortuna!"

---

Sol and his son arrived in Sunbeam Grotto without knowing it was the home of their cousin Sunset. The duo was passing through Churnscar Wharf when they overheard travelers headed in the opposite direction discussing a peaceful coastal retreat not far from the wharf. After Solstice interrupted their conversation, the group directed them to hike a fair ways up the beach to the west.

Upon their arrival, the father and son were treated with the utmost hospitality - they were led to a spacious, furnished cave den to share during their stay, and they were invited to share meals with the rest of the clan. Not only that - they were then treated to a tour of the clan's amenities by an overeager apprentice, and finally introduced to the clan's elders, who had just dispersed from a meeting. Sol squinted over the crowd at a familiar orange and blue hued dragon - and when she turned to meet his gaze, both dragons' minds were transported to a time far in the past...a sepia-toned memory of two young dragons playing and soaring in the sky at the border of Lightning and Light played in the dragons' minds....

Solstice had laid eyes on his cousin, Sunset! The pair rushed towards one another and immediately began to catch up on their lives apart. Sunset introduced Sol to her mate, Mudpuppy, and in turn he introduced her to his son, who had been trailing behind him since their entry into the clan. Solstice immediately noticed, though, that parts of her story didn't add up - Sunset recounted her story of discovering the clan and meeting her mate, as well as her recent venture of extending her own lineage across the globe. It seemed she skipped over or avoided any details of her adulthood, after the clan was founded - preferring instead to talk of recent events, such as what her children were up to. Sol remained amicable throughout the rest of the conversation, but vowed to piece together the story that was being withheld.

After returning to their den, Solstice told his son Hiraeth of his suspicions. How dare they lie, he seethed. Ever the voice of reason, Hiraeth replied that maybe, rather than avoiding the truth, now was not the time to share whatever happened in between the lost time. Sol acted as if he were placated by the words, for his son's sake, but within him stirred confusion and resentment as he plotted to uncover the story - the whole story.