Glisten

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When Wiuin comes over the horizon of the Summerstorm Stream and sees a ship as wide as the stream itself, towering so greatly that it blocks out the sun with its mast, with a massive sail breathing to life in the harsh winds, he knows that there’s only one dragon who he’ll find onboard. He knows he’ll have to stop, tug his boat onshore, let the bigger ship pass, and wave to its captain as she sails by.

That’s because the captain of this massive ship is Glisten. Glisten is a great and expert pirate who has been sailing for most of her life. Wherever she goes, she strikes fear into the hearts of dragons. She has gathered countless riches from her years of plundering and pillaging ships, raiding them for every coin of treasure onboard and robbing the sailors blind.

The only reason she leaves Wiuin alone is because she’s cut a deal with the Clan of the Striking Bolt. She has been given free reign of the Summerstorm Stream for her piracy purposes, uninterrupted by the land’s guards, as long as she doesn’t disturb Wiuin and leaves him to his quiet little travels.

But Glisten isn’t the only pirate on the Summerstorm Stream. And she shares a mutual hatred with the other.

Shoresway is furious that another pirate is sailing what he considers to be his waters. And Glisten is furious in return that he dares stake claim to the stream at all. Glisten may be a dastardly and wicked pirate, but she knows that nobody can “claim” the land. There’s a difference between patrolling the land to chase out harmdoers, and thinking the land belongs to you. And Glisten despises Shoresway for thinking he can do the second.

But mostly, Shoresway is mad because Glisten is just a better pirate than him. Unlike him, she has carried out successful heists and raids. Unlike him, Glisten’s presence strikes fear into the hearts of naive sailors. Unlike him, Glisten has a sense of direction, and can navigate to the ends of the ocean and back, traveling anywhere she pleases. Unlike him, she’s intelligent and crafty. Unlike him, her boat actually manages to stay afloat.

Shoresway hates that there’s another pirate in the Summerstorm Stream, especially one that’s just so much better than him. What’s the point of sailing these waters and harassing these sailors if another pirate has cleaned everybody out already? Someone smarter, craftier, able to cut deals with the local clans?

And Glisten just hates that he’s there at all. How dare he call himself a pirate, when he’s so absolutely useless? How dare he think of himself as a sailor, when he can barely stay afloat? How dare he stake a claim to a river which no one can own? It’s an insult to her way of life, in her eyes, and she is determined to put an end to his shenanigans.

In addition, in a prejudiced sort of way, Shoresway just can’t believe he’s being bested in his own craft by a dragon who’s not even elementally aligned with Water. How can an Ice dragon be a better sailor than him, a better swimmer than him, a better pirate than him? Is that even possible? It doesn’t matter whether or not it’s possible — because Glisten has done it, and he has been bested.

The rivalry between the two runs deeper than the Summerstorm Stream itself. But isn’t it interesting how much they look alike? Isn’t it interesting how the colors and patterns of their feathers match? Isn’t it interesting how they look like siblings when they bicker? Isn’t it interesting how sheerly identical they are?

Maybe, just maybe, blood runs thicker than water.