Sunday, June 23, 2019

the lost heir: part five

Tsunami realizes Blister has given herself away. She wants to accuse Blister publicly but stops herself. Lately she has been pausing to assess and question instead of immediately acting on information. She glances to Starflight, who is shocked, and realizes he heard Blister's slip up too. He shakes his head at Tsunami, signaling to wait. Blister asks after the "secret weapon" and Coral agrees to show her. She tells Whirlpool to accompany herself, Blister, and Anemone. Tsunami moves to follow but Coral insists she stay behind, as it isn't very interesting. Anemone insists, however, that Tsunami come along. Coral clearly isn't happy and Tsunami notices the look she and Blister exchange but after Tsunami fawns over the idea of spending more time with her mother she agrees. They head to the weapons room and Tsunami recognizes the armor on the wall that someone who tried to kill her wore. She then sees the demonstration that Whirlpool has Anemone do. As Anemone makes inanimate objects move Tsunami realizes her sister is an animus. Blister asks how long until Anemone is ready. Coral says soon but Anemone says years. Coral and Blister move to the side to talk quietly. Whirlpool stays with the sisters so Anemone sends a pearl necklace flying so Whirlpool will follow it and leave them alone. Once he is gone Anemone begs Tsunami to save her. Tsunami doesn't realize at first what Anemone means. But Anemone explains how they want her to use her powers to cause massive destruction in the war. She also admits she is terrified of her powers because the greater magic you try to accomplish the more likely you are to go insane. Tsunami promises to save her sister by finding out who the assassin is, figuring that once that problem is solved Coral will let her out of the harness and start trusting her. Anemone isn't buying it, though. Tsunami tells her sister her theory that Shark is behind the murders so Moray can inherit the throne. Anemone isn't sure. She feels something is off about Moray but she doesn't think Moray wants to be queen either and besides, Shark has spoken in the past of the possibility of a king instead of a queen. Tsunami tells Anemone to stall for time by making mistakes in her training. Coral comes over to them but before she can give Anemone new orders everyone notices Blister freezing. Then they hear sounds coming from above.

Coral wishes to call her guards but Blister stops her. Instead Blister, Coral, and Anemone sneak up to see who is there. Even though she wasn't invited Tsunami follows them. Blister grabs the dragon and throws him at a shocked Tsunami. Coral recognizes Webs immediately. He begs the queen for mercy but she attacks him, much to Tsunami's horror. There is a loud crack when Coral strikes Webs's head and he falls unconscious. Tsunami flies after him, trying to save him. She screams to Clay to help her and he arrives. Between the two of them they catch Webs and lower him to the floor. Tsunami is upset when Webs doesn't wake up. Coral is furious with her for saving Webs and the rest of the dragonets arrive. Tsunami lies and says she figures Webs might have some information. Blister points out that Webs might know how someone keeps sneaking into the hatchery to kill the eggs. Coral allows Webs to be woken up, however Webs has no information. He admits to drugging the hatchery guards in order to steal the egg. Webs says that now he knows the dragonets are safe he will accept whatever punishment. Coral wants to start with destroying the Talons of Peave from stealing from her. Tsunami feels that this is wrong because even though the Talons stole the eggs they only did it to end the war. Starflight points out that if it wasn't for the Talons then Tsunami would be dead. Tsunami is shocked to realize Starflight is right. If she was never abducted then her egg would have been smashed just like all the others. Another dragon arrives to announce that they have found another intruder. They bring forward Riptide.

Tsunami tries to insist that Riptide is innocent but Coral isn't interested. She orders both dragons thrown in prison for being with the Talons. Blister argues that they must have killed all of her eggs. She offers an obviously flimsy excuse of the Talons killing all the eggs so they can put Tsunami, who they control, on the throne. Coral agrees with her and considers the assassination problem solved. Tsunami is horrified and Starflight tries to point out how illogical their idea is. However Coral and Blister are uninterested in the truth. Coral orders the egg returned to the hatchery but both Tsunami and Sunny object. Coral points out that every queen has been born in the hatchery and Tsunami sees her mother's comment as a dig at how she isn't worthy of the title. Tsunami agrees to return the egg so long as she can stay with it and as long as when the real assassin is caught Webs and Riptide will be freed. Coral doesn't want to make such a promise but Tsunami points out that if Coral is right then she has nothing to lose. Blister is upset by the idea of the bargain. Coral agrees to Riptide's freedom and Blister looks relieved, making Tsunami wonder why Blister wants Webs dead. Tsunami's friends are worried because now they can't protect her if she is in the deep palac but Tsunami is determined.

Tsunami settles down with the egg to wait. She doesn't have long before she hears a scraping noise. As she looks around the room she realizes the statue of Orca has moved. Suddenly the statue attacks her. Tsunami calls for help from the guards her mother promised but no one answers. She places herself between the statue and the egg. She realizes the statue must be enchanted by an animus, but it can't be Anemone because she is too young. As she fights the statue she realizes it is spelled to attack any heir when no one is around to help them. She also figures out that Orca must have been an animus and spelled the statue herself. Even though she is injured Tsunami manages to trap the statue. The egg hatches and she takes her sister from the room.

Tsunami is on the beach, watching her baby sister. Her friends are there and they debate the future queen as well as their next move. Starflight insists that Blister should be the queen but everyone else points out that he once called her the most evil of the three sisters. Coral, Anemone, and Blister arrive. Coral tells tsunami that Orca's statue has been destroyed so no more eggs will be attacked. She is also able to tell her that Orca spelled the statue. Tsunami points out that Coral has to let Riptide go now. Coral agrees but figures she has to banish him from her kingdom and send him to the talons of Peace. Tsunami offers to take Riptide with her when they leave, spilling the news that they are planning to go. Blister is furious with this news, especially after Clay hints they should also meet with Blaze. She forbids them from leaving. Tsunami tells her she can't do that. Blister counters that the Talons of Peace want her to be queen, almost slipping and saying NightWings instead of Talons of Peace. Blister insists they have to stay where she can keep an eye on them. Tsunami is furious, and accuses her of wanting to keep them as prisoners. Coral is disturbed but then Blister starts arguing that all she means is the outside world is a dangerous place. Tsunami appeals to her mother, arguing that if Coral takes them prisoner then she is no better then Scarlet or the Talons. Blister drops a hint that she knows who really killed Gill and Tsunami realizes her secret is about to be exposed. She braces herself but before Blister can say more Starflight exposes her for murdering Kestrel and wanting Webs dead. Unsure who to trust and in fear of losing her daughter, Coral orders Tsunami and her friends locked up.

Even though we now know Coral is innocent I want to cast back to Clay's egg. So remember how Clay's egg was special? It was red which meant he was born with the power to resist fire? I had wondered if animus eggs were special too and that is why Coral guarded Anemone's so closely. That would have lead credence to the theory that Coral is killing her eggs and that she only spared Anemone to use her. Especially since the fact that using large amounts of magic drives the animus insane - and Coral clearly doesn't care that this is Anemone's future if she pushes her too hard. However, we know now Coral is innocent and completely unaware that Orca was an animus as well. 

I am a bit disappointed in the Orca is the bad guy reveal. Too much is left unexplained. Coral having no problem with pushing Anemone so hard she can kill her. Coral lying to Tsunami. The odd behavior of Shark, Moray, and Whirlpool. I feel like something is missing. It is too neat of a turn of events - convenient just like Coral and Blister deciding to pin the murders of Webs and Riptide. Don't get me wrong, I believe that Orca's statue is the culprit, but it doesn't explain any of the other odd things going on.

I do have to say, dragons are not very nice people. They seem to only care about using people. Tsunami and her friends are the only real exception. Everyone else is wrapped up in plots, schemes, trying to get what they want, and justifying their cruelty. 

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