[center][b]Shattered Royalty Lineage and Lore[/b]
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/3365031][img] https://i.imgur.com/onve3XQ.png
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[img]https://i.imgur.com/n82N35B.png[/img]
[indent]DJ and Hazard fled the spires as soon as they were adults. Tired of being outcasted, they founded the Shattered Outliers in the Barrens, hosting visitors and collecting resident after resident in their home of misfits. Years later and the scraggly safe haven transformed into a sprawling fortress, protecting all of it’s citizens.
As the founders, they never faced opposition on their right to rule, and their reign was peaceful and fair. When dragons from neighboring clans started questioning them, threatening to annex the lands, DJ and Hazard knew that they had to do something to prove they belonged, once and for all. What did the nobility have that DJ and Hazard didn’t? Lineage, and a pedigree, but most importantly heirs and powerful allies.
They didn’t want their safe haven to be disrupted, so they did what they had to do. They invited neighboring bloodlines, dragons who’s lineage was respected and were worthy of being good mates to their children and strong allies in battle. Rumors fly of a planned coup. Unsure when or where it will happen, DJ and Hazard begin the preparations of founding their bloodline and maintaining their power.
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[center][u]Index[/u][/center]
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/65271630][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/652717/65271630_350.png[/img][/url]
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/3365031]Shattered Royalty Lineage Lore Page (You are here!)[/url]
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/drs/3365036#post_3365036]Shattered Royalty Lineage Registry Page[/url]
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/baz/3452227#post_3452227]Shattered Royalty Lineage Sales Page[/url]
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/3365031/1#post_57721344]Prologue[/url]
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/3365031/1#post_59732657]Arc 1, Chapter 1[/url]
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/3365031/1#post_59877347]Arc 1, Chapter 2[/url]
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/3365031/2#post_59977801]Arc 1, Chapter 3[/url]
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/3365031/2#post_59991697]Arc 1, Chapter 4[/url]
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Our story is still in progress, always evolving. Write your own destiny. Live every day like it might be your last, and face every fear and rise.
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/65271631][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/652717/65271631_350.png[/img][/url]
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[center][pinglist=23198] [pinglist=36942] [pinglist=36944] [pinglist=36943][/center]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/FsYDGjp.png[/img]
Shattered Royalty Lineage and Lore
DJ and Hazard fled the spires as soon as they were adults. Tired of being outcasted, they founded the Shattered Outliers in the Barrens, hosting visitors and collecting resident after resident in their home of misfits. Years later and the scraggly safe haven transformed into a sprawling fortress, protecting all of it’s citizens.
As the founders, they never faced opposition on their right to rule, and their reign was peaceful and fair. When dragons from neighboring clans started questioning them, threatening to annex the lands, DJ and Hazard knew that they had to do something to prove they belonged, once and for all. What did the nobility have that DJ and Hazard didn’t? Lineage, and a pedigree, but most importantly heirs and powerful allies.
They didn’t want their safe haven to be disrupted, so they did what they had to do. They invited neighboring bloodlines, dragons who’s lineage was respected and were worthy of being good mates to their children and strong allies in battle. Rumors fly of a planned coup. Unsure when or where it will happen, DJ and Hazard begin the preparations of founding their bloodline and maintaining their power.
Index
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Our story is still in progress, always evolving. Write your own destiny. Live every day like it might be your last, and face every fear and rise.
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[img]https://i.imgur.com/n82N35B.png[/img]
[center][u]Heirs at the Shattered Outliers Stronghold[/u]
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/98698087][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/986981/98698087.png[/img][/url]
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[center][u]Lyricstriker[/u][/center]
Lyric is the eldest, and she certainly acts like it. She’s not afraid to push her other siblings around, although she does watch out for them and protect them. She loved anything shiny, especially necklaces with big gemstones or other pretty minerals. She love imitations as much as she loves and cares for her real gemstones, and she also enjoys flowers. She gardens occasionally but mainly enjoys walking through the palace gardens and admiring the blooms of whatever is in season. Her favorites are the morning glories and moonflowers which grow together, and she’ll sit and listen to soft music in the morning.
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/98698088][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/986981/98698088.png[/img][/url]
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[center][u]Technopyre[/u][/center]
Pyre is the second child, and she took after both of her parents in terms of skills. She loves swords, and almost never walks around unharmed. She’s not afraid of being attacked, she just loves to spare and train spontaneously. She’s a little bit quieter than Lyric and the two complement each other well. Pyre is used to being overlooked at parties and hiding in the back, but that’s just fine for her. Her favorite type of music is EDM, and while she’s tried composing some, she’s never really been good at it. She’s content to sit back and listen to her favorite artists, oftentimes training to the beat of them. She loves reading, and when she’s not training she can be found in the library, a nose in a book.[/columns]
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/100145165][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/1001452/100145165.png[/img][/url]
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[center][u]Songfire[/u][/center]
Song was far more cunning than she let on. As the sixth child, she perfected the art of blaming everything on her brothers and letting them take the fall for her mistakes. Of course, she matured as she got older, but she never lost the skills needed to get her way when it mattered. Her favorite things include listening to music, and she prefers pop over all other genres. She’s more interested in securing whatever stable position of power she can rather than shooting for the crown directly, but she plans to pull strings behind the scenes.
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/101968767][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/1019688/101968767.png[/img][/url][nextcol]
[center][u]Spinforce[/u][/center]
Spinforce is a bundle of chaos disguised as a dragon. She thrives on the energy of arguments, of paintball fights and of duels. Oftentimes she tries to rally her siblings into playing some sort of game, and if she can get Acidriff on her side than the rest fall in line. Surprisingly her chaotic energy and Clashtrack’s selective sabotage meshes well together. Spinforce appreciates someone looking out for her and Clashtrack appreciates her refreshing and complete honesty. Spinforce is in charge of ensuring the house runs smoothly. While she does handle some paperwork, she ventures out and does daily patrols to ensure everything is running smoothly. She notes down complaints and suggests areas of improvement to Lyricstriker and Acidriff, and also points out areas of concern to Clashtrack.
Spinforce desperately wants a strong match, she wants to feel like she belongs in the family and the best way to do that is to ensure she's helping uphold her family legacy. She wants to make her parents proud and establish a lineage of her own.
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/101968768][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/1019688/101968768.png[/img][/url][nextcol]
[center][u]Breakbeat[/u][/center]
Breakbeat has always loved flowers much to the amusement of his siblings. Acidriff shared his love and he was teased mercilessly by Spinforce, but Breakbeat often cutely interrupted meetings with a fistful of freshly picked flowers for the council and whoever was visiting at the time. Growing up his passion for florals never faded, and he often designed floral patterns that wove through his gear.
Breakbeat isn't concerned with power and is perfectly fine to watch the race from the sidelines. He's comfortable as a mere soldier and advisor for whichever of his siblings win the race. He does want a small family eventually, so maybe one of the suitors will share his same passion for flowers, or at the very least tolerate his small personal garden.
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/103887847][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/1038879/103887847.png[/img][/url][nextcol]
[center][u]Acidriff[/u][/center]
Acidriff was always polite as a child and when he grew up he perfected his negotiation skills and tactics. He often sits on meetings with DJ and the other ambassadors, helping forge treaties or settle disputes. When he's not sitting in a meeting he's enjoying nature, flying over mountainsides and visiting the villages out there. They've come to love him, and sometimes if he has the space Acid will add mail and a parcel or two to his pack and take it back to the capital. The only village who doesn't tolerate him are the harpies, the feathered faction doesn't like visitors and often sends an ambassador or messenger to Acid when they need anything.
Acid is looking for love, and hopes he can find someone who wants to share his travels with him. He's not super interested in power, he just wants a nice family to settle down with and have hatchlings.
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/103887848][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/1038879/103887848.png[/img][/url][nextcol]
[center][u]Perilverse[/u][/center]
Perilverse has always been attracted to explosions and fireworks, much to the dismay of her caretakers. As a hatchling, she walked off in search of the latest entertainment often enough to be labeled a troublemaker, and every celebration would leave her squealing with joy at the explosive nighttime displays.
She's intelligent and cunning when she needs to, but has a zero drama policy which leads to her disdain for most politics. Her current aspirations include competing with her siblings to see who will take over their father's guard, and Peril started training from a young age to order a squad. Her squad includes several other dragons around her age, and the group of five have been training together since they were little. Peril would do anything for them, and they feel the same way. Whoever tries to court them will have to win the affections of her squad.
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/103887849][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/1038879/103887849.png[/img][/url][nextcol]
[center][u]Radioriot[/u][/center]
Radioriot knows that he's not the obvious first choice for a successor, but that doesn't mean he's not willing to try. He's a fierce warrior who learned early on which battles to pick and which ones to let your enemy think they've won. He vies for attention with his older siblings for DJ, each wanting to prove they have the best leadership qualities.
Radioriot doesn't have a quick temper, but he does have a low tolerance for dragons who are less than loyal or approach him with impure intentions. With that said, he's looking for someone honest in a partner. He's fine if his partner wants to jump through hoops to achieve power, but they would be dropped at a moment’s notice if Radio thought they were pulling any games on him. Radio’s hobbies include caring for animals, and he has a certain strange fondness for goats.
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/103887850][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/1038879/103887850.png[/img][/url][nextcol]
[center][u]Clashtrack[/u][/center]
Clashtrack is the youngest and realized attention is on him in a way it's not on his other siblings. Oftentimes, he’s overlooked by suitors, visiting royals and other ambassadors, and he fully uses this to his advantage. He learned how to sneak around at a young age, perfecting his ability to move silently when he was small. He was the hide-and-seek champion, and later learned how to evade even his father’s best trackers. He learned how to forge signatures, stage accidents, and lurk when someone thought no one was watching. The few times Hazard or DJ has signaled their dislike of a visitor or worry about reining someone under control, Clashtrack has been able to drive them away or grab the gossip needed to keep them in line. His favorite type of music is EDM, and he often trains to the beat. He's training as hard and as fast as he can to become a master at several different types of martial arts, but Clashtrack prefers to work alone.
Clashtrack isn't necessarily looking for love, and any suitor will have to prove that they love him for his personality and not his power. He has a feeling if anyone tried anything funny that he'd be able to cause them a world of hurt and pain that would make them regret ever looking at him.[/columns]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/FsYDGjp.png[/img]
Heirs at the Shattered Outliers Stronghold
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Lyricstriker
Lyric is the eldest, and she certainly acts like it. She’s not afraid to push her other siblings around, although she does watch out for them and protect them. She loved anything shiny, especially necklaces with big gemstones or other pretty minerals. She love imitations as much as she loves and cares for her real gemstones, and she also enjoys flowers. She gardens occasionally but mainly enjoys walking through the palace gardens and admiring the blooms of whatever is in season. Her favorites are the morning glories and moonflowers which grow together, and she’ll sit and listen to soft music in the morning.
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Technopyre
Pyre is the second child, and she took after both of her parents in terms of skills. She loves swords, and almost never walks around unharmed. She’s not afraid of being attacked, she just loves to spare and train spontaneously. She’s a little bit quieter than Lyric and the two complement each other well. Pyre is used to being overlooked at parties and hiding in the back, but that’s just fine for her. Her favorite type of music is EDM, and while she’s tried composing some, she’s never really been good at it. She’s content to sit back and listen to her favorite artists, oftentimes training to the beat of them. She loves reading, and when she’s not training she can be found in the library, a nose in a book.
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Songfire
Song was far more cunning than she let on. As the sixth child, she perfected the art of blaming everything on her brothers and letting them take the fall for her mistakes. Of course, she matured as she got older, but she never lost the skills needed to get her way when it mattered. Her favorite things include listening to music, and she prefers pop over all other genres. She’s more interested in securing whatever stable position of power she can rather than shooting for the crown directly, but she plans to pull strings behind the scenes.
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Spinforce
Spinforce is a bundle of chaos disguised as a dragon. She thrives on the energy of arguments, of paintball fights and of duels. Oftentimes she tries to rally her siblings into playing some sort of game, and if she can get Acidriff on her side than the rest fall in line. Surprisingly her chaotic energy and Clashtrack’s selective sabotage meshes well together. Spinforce appreciates someone looking out for her and Clashtrack appreciates her refreshing and complete honesty. Spinforce is in charge of ensuring the house runs smoothly. While she does handle some paperwork, she ventures out and does daily patrols to ensure everything is running smoothly. She notes down complaints and suggests areas of improvement to Lyricstriker and Acidriff, and also points out areas of concern to Clashtrack.
Spinforce desperately wants a strong match, she wants to feel like she belongs in the family and the best way to do that is to ensure she's helping uphold her family legacy. She wants to make her parents proud and establish a lineage of her own.
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Breakbeat
Breakbeat has always loved flowers much to the amusement of his siblings. Acidriff shared his love and he was teased mercilessly by Spinforce, but Breakbeat often cutely interrupted meetings with a fistful of freshly picked flowers for the council and whoever was visiting at the time. Growing up his passion for florals never faded, and he often designed floral patterns that wove through his gear.
Breakbeat isn't concerned with power and is perfectly fine to watch the race from the sidelines. He's comfortable as a mere soldier and advisor for whichever of his siblings win the race. He does want a small family eventually, so maybe one of the suitors will share his same passion for flowers, or at the very least tolerate his small personal garden.
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Acidriff
Acidriff was always polite as a child and when he grew up he perfected his negotiation skills and tactics. He often sits on meetings with DJ and the other ambassadors, helping forge treaties or settle disputes. When he's not sitting in a meeting he's enjoying nature, flying over mountainsides and visiting the villages out there. They've come to love him, and sometimes if he has the space Acid will add mail and a parcel or two to his pack and take it back to the capital. The only village who doesn't tolerate him are the harpies, the feathered faction doesn't like visitors and often sends an ambassador or messenger to Acid when they need anything.
Acid is looking for love, and hopes he can find someone who wants to share his travels with him. He's not super interested in power, he just wants a nice family to settle down with and have hatchlings.
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Perilverse
Perilverse has always been attracted to explosions and fireworks, much to the dismay of her caretakers. As a hatchling, she walked off in search of the latest entertainment often enough to be labeled a troublemaker, and every celebration would leave her squealing with joy at the explosive nighttime displays.
She's intelligent and cunning when she needs to, but has a zero drama policy which leads to her disdain for most politics. Her current aspirations include competing with her siblings to see who will take over their father's guard, and Peril started training from a young age to order a squad. Her squad includes several other dragons around her age, and the group of five have been training together since they were little. Peril would do anything for them, and they feel the same way. Whoever tries to court them will have to win the affections of her squad.
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Radioriot
Radioriot knows that he's not the obvious first choice for a successor, but that doesn't mean he's not willing to try. He's a fierce warrior who learned early on which battles to pick and which ones to let your enemy think they've won. He vies for attention with his older siblings for DJ, each wanting to prove they have the best leadership qualities.
Radioriot doesn't have a quick temper, but he does have a low tolerance for dragons who are less than loyal or approach him with impure intentions. With that said, he's looking for someone honest in a partner. He's fine if his partner wants to jump through hoops to achieve power, but they would be dropped at a moment’s notice if Radio thought they were pulling any games on him. Radio’s hobbies include caring for animals, and he has a certain strange fondness for goats.
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Clashtrack
Clashtrack is the youngest and realized attention is on him in a way it's not on his other siblings. Oftentimes, he’s overlooked by suitors, visiting royals and other ambassadors, and he fully uses this to his advantage. He learned how to sneak around at a young age, perfecting his ability to move silently when he was small. He was the hide-and-seek champion, and later learned how to evade even his father’s best trackers. He learned how to forge signatures, stage accidents, and lurk when someone thought no one was watching. The few times Hazard or DJ has signaled their dislike of a visitor or worry about reining someone under control, Clashtrack has been able to drive them away or grab the gossip needed to keep them in line. His favorite type of music is EDM, and he often trains to the beat. He's training as hard and as fast as he can to become a master at several different types of martial arts, but Clashtrack prefers to work alone.
Clashtrack isn't necessarily looking for love, and any suitor will have to prove that they love him for his personality and not his power. He has a feeling if anyone tried anything funny that he'd be able to cause them a world of hurt and pain that would make them regret ever looking at him.
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[img]https://i.imgur.com/n82N35B.png[/img]
[center][u]Heirs Forging their own Bloodlines[/u][/center]
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[center][u]Discowar[/u][/center]
Disco is the fearless third child. She’s unafraid to stand up to her siblings or what she feels is right. She’s loyal to the core, but break her trust and it will never be the same. She’s an archer and often goes bow hunting, proud to support her family by cooking the delicious prey she catches, and after years she became a pretty good cook. Besides cooking what she hunts, she loves to bake cookies and decorate them. She wants the crown, but not if it means fighting over it or betraying her siblings and undermining them to look the strongest. Other hobbies include hiking, travelling, and writing.
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/100108432][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/1001085/100108432.png[/img][/url]
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[center][u]Stormsample[/u][/center]
Storm is the fourth child, and he grew up falling asleep to thunderstorms and fascinated by them. When given the option to choose his name, he gladly chose something after them. He’s a little more reserved but gets louder the more confident he is. His favorite things besides tracking storms are creating wind chimes, and he often visits the glassblower looking for scraps and not-quite-perfect projects to finish his creations. He always wanted to travel, and decided he would strike out on his own to found his own safe haven, and he took a few of his close friends before setting off.
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/100108433][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/1001085/100108433.png[/img][/url]
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[center][u]Trackburn[/u][/center]
Burn has an unhealthy love for fire and all things arson-related. As the fifth child, it let him get away with quite a lot growing up, and the little troublemaker turned into a mild prankster as he grew up. He loves making people laugh, especially his nestmates and other siblings. He never got into weaponry like all his siblings and didn’t have the family enthusiasm for music, so he felt a bit out of place. He decided that as much as he loved his family, this wasn’t his forever home, and he set out to find the perfect place to call home.
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/100145164][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/1001452/100145164.png[/img][/url]
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[center][u]Cinderflow[/u][/center]
Cinder is an easygoing soul that loves to have a good time. The seventh child, he loved sneaking out to go to parties, and he doesn’t care what music they play as long as it’s loud. He’s rowdy, and always challenges Pyre to a fight, usually after a drink or two, and always loses. It’s been a running joke between them, and Pyre is his closest sibling and the only one he still can’t beat. He goes with the flow, and decided after he grew up that seeing the rest of the world and traveling was more of his cup of tea.
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/100145166][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/1001452/100145166.png[/img][/url][/columns]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/FsYDGjp.png[/img]
Heirs Forging their own Bloodlines
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Discowar
Disco is the fearless third child. She’s unafraid to stand up to her siblings or what she feels is right. She’s loyal to the core, but break her trust and it will never be the same. She’s an archer and often goes bow hunting, proud to support her family by cooking the delicious prey she catches, and after years she became a pretty good cook. Besides cooking what she hunts, she loves to bake cookies and decorate them. She wants the crown, but not if it means fighting over it or betraying her siblings and undermining them to look the strongest. Other hobbies include hiking, travelling, and writing.
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Stormsample
Storm is the fourth child, and he grew up falling asleep to thunderstorms and fascinated by them. When given the option to choose his name, he gladly chose something after them. He’s a little more reserved but gets louder the more confident he is. His favorite things besides tracking storms are creating wind chimes, and he often visits the glassblower looking for scraps and not-quite-perfect projects to finish his creations. He always wanted to travel, and decided he would strike out on his own to found his own safe haven, and he took a few of his close friends before setting off.
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Trackburn
Burn has an unhealthy love for fire and all things arson-related. As the fifth child, it let him get away with quite a lot growing up, and the little troublemaker turned into a mild prankster as he grew up. He loves making people laugh, especially his nestmates and other siblings. He never got into weaponry like all his siblings and didn’t have the family enthusiasm for music, so he felt a bit out of place. He decided that as much as he loved his family, this wasn’t his forever home, and he set out to find the perfect place to call home.
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Cinderflow
Cinder is an easygoing soul that loves to have a good time. The seventh child, he loved sneaking out to go to parties, and he doesn’t care what music they play as long as it’s loud. He’s rowdy, and always challenges Pyre to a fight, usually after a drink or two, and always loses. It’s been a running joke between them, and Pyre is his closest sibling and the only one he still can’t beat. He goes with the flow, and decided after he grew up that seeing the rest of the world and traveling was more of his cup of tea.
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[img]https://i.imgur.com/n82N35B.png[/img]
Other featured dragons:
[center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/35651926][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/356520/35651926.png[/img][/url]
Emera is a gentle soul, often seen as regal. He tolerates hatchlings and has a soft spot for them, but could never see himself taking care of them. He's a philosopher, oftentimes thinking deeper than required. He's been friends with Majesty and Inferno since they were all young, and he has plenty of stories of their youthful stupidity getting themselves into trouble one way or another. Majesty and Inferno are both stronger fighters than Emera, but Emera is the most book-smart of the trio, oftentimes pointing out poisonous plants before the other two accidentally poisoned themselves or warning them of other dangers.
He's always searched for his own mate, and has never given up on the idea that his true love is out there somewhere, just waiting for him. Inferno tried to set him up with a few ladies at one point in time and Emera had a few flings with them, but they all rubbed him wrong and left eventually. They came and went with the seasons, but it had been a long time since Emera looked at someone with rose-tinted vision.
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/60295298][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/602953/60295298.png[/img][/url]
Gossamer can't imagine a life without her twin. He's been the only constant in her life as they drifted from clan to clan before finally finding acceptance. Gossamer is prideful, spirited, and occasionally stirs up trouble. Opaque watches from the sidelines and oftentimes takes pity on her, helping her with the punishment chores and patrols. Gossamer has become an avid hunter in the clan, and is particularly good at catching smaller prey items. Her attitude can be hard to put up with, but if she decides to do something there is no force on any world that can stop her.
She used to race in an illegal racing circuit. The treasure was good and it paid well, even if she did get occasionally scratched and cheated on. It was enough to afford them a comfortable lifestyle, but Gossamer got bored. She moved around every few months, dragging Opaque with her, until they finally settled here. She challenged Flash to a race, and Flash won by several body lengths. Determined, she challenged Flash again and again, coming close a few times but never able to beat the racer. Gossamer has always said that she won't leave until she's beaten Flash, so she's here to stay for the unforeseeable future. The clan, of course, is delighted to have another troublemaker, and prays for the day that Gossamer's antics cease.
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/60295297][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/602953/60295297.png[/img][/url]
The less adventurous, but more polite twin. Gossamer is all the entertainment he needs, and oftentimes he would be up late in the evening tending to whatever wound she acquired. He's intelligent, a little bit shy, and is the polar opposite of Gossamer. Somehow they get along, and the two have a strong sibling bond. Opaque has always had a love for music, and can often be heard humming or dancing when he thinks no one is watching.
When Flash defeated Gossamer and Gossamer decided that she wanted to stay, Opaque didn't have much of a choice. He went along, bewildered by the strange group of dragons. Several of them had energy that matched Gossamer's and it was intimidating to say the least. Hazard took a liking to Opaque, and helped him get settled in. Opaque has since become an excellent tracker and has a remarkable patience with hatchlings, teaching some how to identify the tracks and other marks of beats that they hunt.
[/center]
Other Heirs:
[img]https://i.imgur.com/FsYDGjp.png[/img]
Other featured dragons:
Emera is a gentle soul, often seen as regal. He tolerates hatchlings and has a soft spot for them, but could never see himself taking care of them. He's a philosopher, oftentimes thinking deeper than required. He's been friends with Majesty and Inferno since they were all young, and he has plenty of stories of their youthful stupidity getting themselves into trouble one way or another. Majesty and Inferno are both stronger fighters than Emera, but Emera is the most book-smart of the trio, oftentimes pointing out poisonous plants before the other two accidentally poisoned themselves or warning them of other dangers.
He's always searched for his own mate, and has never given up on the idea that his true love is out there somewhere, just waiting for him. Inferno tried to set him up with a few ladies at one point in time and Emera had a few flings with them, but they all rubbed him wrong and left eventually. They came and went with the seasons, but it had been a long time since Emera looked at someone with rose-tinted vision.
Gossamer can't imagine a life without her twin. He's been the only constant in her life as they drifted from clan to clan before finally finding acceptance. Gossamer is prideful, spirited, and occasionally stirs up trouble. Opaque watches from the sidelines and oftentimes takes pity on her, helping her with the punishment chores and patrols. Gossamer has become an avid hunter in the clan, and is particularly good at catching smaller prey items. Her attitude can be hard to put up with, but if she decides to do something there is no force on any world that can stop her.
She used to race in an illegal racing circuit. The treasure was good and it paid well, even if she did get occasionally scratched and cheated on. It was enough to afford them a comfortable lifestyle, but Gossamer got bored. She moved around every few months, dragging Opaque with her, until they finally settled here. She challenged Flash to a race, and Flash won by several body lengths. Determined, she challenged Flash again and again, coming close a few times but never able to beat the racer. Gossamer has always said that she won't leave until she's beaten Flash, so she's here to stay for the unforeseeable future. The clan, of course, is delighted to have another troublemaker, and prays for the day that Gossamer's antics cease.
The less adventurous, but more polite twin. Gossamer is all the entertainment he needs, and oftentimes he would be up late in the evening tending to whatever wound she acquired. He's intelligent, a little bit shy, and is the polar opposite of Gossamer. Somehow they get along, and the two have a strong sibling bond. Opaque has always had a love for music, and can often be heard humming or dancing when he thinks no one is watching.
When Flash defeated Gossamer and Gossamer decided that she wanted to stay, Opaque didn't have much of a choice. He went along, bewildered by the strange group of dragons. Several of them had energy that matched Gossamer's and it was intimidating to say the least. Hazard took a liking to Opaque, and helped him get settled in. Opaque has since become an excellent tracker and has a remarkable patience with hatchlings, teaching some how to identify the tracks and other marks of beats that they hunt.
Other Heirs:
[img]https://i.imgur.com/n82N35B.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/FsYDGjp.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/n82N35B.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/FsYDGjp.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/n82N35B.png[/img]
@pinglist-36942
@pinglist-36943
Some news and general updates!
First of all, the prologue has been completed. It will be posted directly after this. The prologue is about 3,000 words long and I'm expecting the chapters to be 5,000-8,000 words long, so I'll be posting them here and eventually linking them to a free-to-access online publishing for easier reading since I know some folks won't want to read books on FR forums! Right now I am planning on posting the chapters on Quotev, Wattpad, and Ao3. They will be available to people who do not have accounts on those sites and also for free on the forums.
Speaking of chapters, I plan on publishing one chapter a month for all of 2025. Yay! I have three fun arcs to this story planned, and boy I cannot wait. :)
I've updated the first post to link between the story forum page, which is this one, and the dragon share page, which will have the registries and kiddos for sale.
Lastly, DJ and Hazard have nested early with twins for Halloween. I will be keeping both twins from this nest, but I've decided to only keep one hatchling from their January first nest and part with the rest, which means as long as they don't wegg me there will be hatchlings leaving my lair! lol.
Onto the story, which continues on the next post. Feel free to post after telling me what you think, or send me a pm!
[center]Featured Characters:
[b]Storm Solace Syndicate Court (SSS)[/b]
Lord Swordstalker and his second-in-command, Viscount
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/96759995][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/967600/96759995.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/97024485][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/970245/97024485.png[/img][/url]
The members of the court
Solstitium, Vienna, Duskfall, Equinox, Liana
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/98116754][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/981168/98116754.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/9561669][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/95617/9561669.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/49014267][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/490143/49014267.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/98075295][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/980753/98075295.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/98292234][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/982923/98292234.png[/img][/url]
Other SSS members
Nile, head of the guard, and Atara, the messenger
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/39540683][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/395407/39540683.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/47963634][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/479637/47963634.png[/img][/url]
[b]Shattered Outliers Stronghold (SOS)[/b]
DJ the Queen and Hazard the King Consort
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/65271630][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/652717/65271630.png[/img][/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/65271631][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/652717/65271631.png[/img][/url]
Majesty, trusted advisor, and Inferno, head of the guard
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/34617255][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/346173/34617255.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/32744283][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/327443/32744283.png[/img][/url]
[/center]
Some notes on the world:
Since FR time is wonky, especially when it comes to dragons real ages and lore ages, I'm going off of something similar to the Wings of Fire.
This story isn't cannon and assume all dragons are a similar size unless mentioned. I'm not mentioning specific breeds, or places on Sorienth's map, or anything more than basic Flight Rising lore as I still haven't sat down and read it from beginning to end.
Assume it takes about six months for an egg to hatch, starting from conception and ending with the hatchling breaking the shell. Dragons are mostly fully grown and 'legal adults' at the age of eight but dragons can live anywhere from 100 to 120 years on average with the oldest individuals living to about 140.
Certain medical and technological advances have been made, but there is no complex electric-powered machines, just very simplistic ones. There is magic and a variety of types, but it is not common, and depending on the type and region one may be an outcast for it.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/FsYDGjp.png[/img]
@Shattered Royalty Lineage: All Updates
@Shattered Royalty Lineage: Chapter Releases
Some news and general updates!
First of all, the prologue has been completed. It will be posted directly after this. The prologue is about 3,000 words long and I'm expecting the chapters to be 5,000-8,000 words long, so I'll be posting them here and eventually linking them to a free-to-access online publishing for easier reading since I know some folks won't want to read books on FR forums! Right now I am planning on posting the chapters on Quotev, Wattpad, and Ao3. They will be available to people who do not have accounts on those sites and also for free on the forums.
Speaking of chapters, I plan on publishing one chapter a month for all of 2025. Yay! I have three fun arcs to this story planned, and boy I cannot wait. :)
I've updated the first post to link between the story forum page, which is this one, and the dragon share page, which will have the registries and kiddos for sale.
Lastly, DJ and Hazard have nested early with twins for Halloween. I will be keeping both twins from this nest, but I've decided to only keep one hatchling from their January first nest and part with the rest, which means as long as they don't wegg me there will be hatchlings leaving my lair! lol.
Onto the story, which continues on the next post. Feel free to post after telling me what you think, or send me a pm!
Featured Characters:
Storm Solace Syndicate Court (SSS)
Lord Swordstalker and his second-in-command, Viscount
The members of the court
Solstitium, Vienna, Duskfall, Equinox, Liana
Other SSS members
Nile, head of the guard, and Atara, the messenger
Shattered Outliers Stronghold (SOS)
DJ the Queen and Hazard the King Consort
Majesty, trusted advisor, and Inferno, head of the guard
Some notes on the world:
Since FR time is wonky, especially when it comes to dragons real ages and lore ages, I'm going off of something similar to the Wings of Fire.
This story isn't cannon and assume all dragons are a similar size unless mentioned. I'm not mentioning specific breeds, or places on Sorienth's map, or anything more than basic Flight Rising lore as I still haven't sat down and read it from beginning to end.
Assume it takes about six months for an egg to hatch, starting from conception and ending with the hatchling breaking the shell. Dragons are mostly fully grown and 'legal adults' at the age of eight but dragons can live anywhere from 100 to 120 years on average with the oldest individuals living to about 140.
Certain medical and technological advances have been made, but there is no complex electric-powered machines, just very simplistic ones. There is magic and a variety of types, but it is not common, and depending on the type and region one may be an outcast for it.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/n82N35B.png[/img]
[center][b]Prologue[/b][/center]
[indent][b]Storm Solace Syndicate Court (SSS)[/b]
“This month it was a healer who showed up at their doorstep, and last month it was a weapon’s maker. I wouldn’t put it past them to accept any criminal or degenerate with open arms,” Vienna snarled.
“Calm down,” Swordstalker said, “We don’t know for sure. This session was held not to declare war, but to review our most recent findings.” The dragon sat back down on his haunches. He was not the oldest, he was not the wisest, and he was not the most cunning of the group, yet their previous leader saw something in him that was enough to declare him as his second and next in line when he passed. Clearly, this group did not see what he saw. It didn’t matter, because they weren’t in charge, he was.
“We don’t know their intentions,” Sol said, orange feathers ruffling before she settled back down in her chair. “Perhaps we should do more work to investigate our neighbors.”
“Neighbor is a strong word for a parasitic clan,” Duskfall said, “My family has owned rights to the land that borders theirs for centuries and they are uprooting tradition that has kept us alive, causing an uproar.”
“If your family is concerned with the actions of degenerates then perhaps they are weaker than implied,” Liana said with a smirk. “Isn’t your noble bloodline’s claim to fame strength and agility? Or did that die off with the last generation?” she asked sweetly, leaning over the table.
Duskfall snarled, there was a reason they weren’t seated together, and that was because at times like these he wanted to hear her scream and choke on her own blood. Another day, another day. “Maybe–”
“Enough,” Swordstalker said, “I’m not listening to you two bicker.”
“We have larger problems to worry about,” Viscount said, the stoic second speaking for the first time since the meeting had been called. “Nile, please, continue your report.”
“Right, thank you, sir,” Nile said, fighting the urge to adjust his armor where he could feel it slightly slipping. “This puts their total population count at about fifty.”
“See?” Sol said, “Nothing to worry about. Fifty is barely a clan, much less a house.”
“How come good old Duskie is here then?” Liana asked with a smirk. Blue eyes twinkled with mischief as Duskfall bristled.
“If you paid attention you would know that their numbers have been steadily rising,” Vienna snapped, “Fifty is this month. Two months ago it was forty. At this rate they will outnumber us in two years, and then what?” He looked around as the table fell silent. “Even worse is they seem to be collecting warriors, outcasts, those who are not wanted for some reason or another by other clans. The troublemakers, the dangerous. What then?”
Swordstalker sighed, a talon running down his face. “Nile, was there anything else notable to report?”
“No sir,” Nile said with an eager shake of his head, “But I will bring fresh findings next week.”
“Keep an extra close eye on the new recruits, and I want to know what trades they are completing, and with who,” Viscount said. “Dismissed.”
Nile nodded before making a hasty retreat, wanting to avoid the shouting match that would likely occur in his wake.
“So,” Liana said, leaning back. The blue dragoness looked around the table. “Any of you nobles have a clue on how to stop them?”
“We could perhaps pursue a legal route,” Equinox offered up.
“Ah! His majesty speaks,” Liana said, “We are delighted to finally have your input.”
“I don’t waste my words,” Equinox said, wings canting before they relaxed again. Yellow and gold feathers caught the light that filtered through the stained glass windows and glowed from the chandelier. “Bickering like a peasant is beneath me.”
“Everything is beneath you,” Sol muttered, quiet enough that only Duskfall and Vienna could hear, the latter smiling slyly at her.
“Pardon?” Equinox asked.
“Everything is falling through,” Sol said louder. Green eyes squinted as she looked over her own scrolls and ledgers. “At least, that’s what will happen if we don’t put a stop to this. We don’t have to take them out, just find a way to stunt their growth, limit their population.”
“That way they can never grow large enough to become a serious threat,” Liana said, “I like the way you think. Surely there’s some old crummy tradition they aren’t following where we can revoke their legitimacy?”
“They’ve filled all the correct paperwork and have kept up to date on everything,” Viscount said a bit dejectedly. “I’ve tried several times to find a hole in their plans, but their sanctuary and government are legit.”
“I’m sure we’ll think of something dear,” Sol said, flashing Viscount a smile. Vienna frowned.
“What kind of government are they registered as?” Liana asked.
“I didn’t think you knew the difference,” Duskfall muttered, grinning when he saw it had the intended effect of making Liana silently snarl but not being loud enough that Swordstalker or Viscount could clearly hear.
“Founded as a monarchy with solid plans to shift towards an aristocracy, and then a republican parliamentary in the far future depends on how large their clan grows,” Swordstalker said.
“But legally, a monarchy now?” Viscount asked.
“Yes,” Swordstalker confirmed. The hulking midnight and ultramarine dragon shifted to a more comfortable position before he pulled out more scrolls, and copies of the paperwork the monarchs had provided him.
“And I assume all their paperwork was filled out correctly and on time?” Liana asked. “Worst case scenario we have enough weight to make their transitions to an aristocracy or a parliamentary difficult, costly, or a general pain.”
“Who’s their heir?” Equinox asked. “Perhaps we can reach out to them and see if they are easily manipulatable.”
“Heir?” Swordstalker asked, looking through his scrolls. “I’m not seeing any heirs listed here, just DJ as the matriarch and Hazard as the king consort. Although they decline to use their titles,” he said with a scoff.
“If they have no heirs, no line of succession, that is something we could exploit,” Liana said.
“Do we have confirmation?” Sol asked.
“Where’s your favorite spy, anyways?” Vienna asked.
“Viscount, find Blitz and confirm the lack of an heir,” Swordstalker said, and Viscount nodded, leaving the room briskly. “The rest of us will determine how to act accordingly assuming there is no heir.”
“It’s a monarchy, so there must be a biological heir,” Equinox said, “It would not be a proper monarchy otherwise.”
“I don’t think they care about proper,” Duskfall pointed out with a small sneer.
“Well, they signed documents saying they were a proper and legitimate monarchy, so they better start caring soon,” Liana pointed out.
“True,” Duskfall said, surprised he agreed with Liana on anything at all. He doubted it would last for long, and didn’t count on the blue weasel’s support in the future.
“We can’t immediately abolish their government on the basis it has no heir,” Equinox said, “That would be unjust.”
“Who cares about justness when our people are threatened?” Vienna asked.
“True,” Swordstalker said, “But if we were to respond to one instance of breaking the law by dissolving their authority as a government, we are stooping to their level.”
“We are better than that,” Equinox said, “Well, at least some of us are.”
“Yes, we are better than that,” Sol said. “We will present our case properly to them, and then present it to the presiding court if they refuse to comply. That is the only thing we can do. Without the presiding court’s approval, we cannot take action against them without the approval of other clans, which could lead to strains in our own alliances.”
“Let’s not consider that,” Swordstalker said a bit quickly, taking out a new scroll. “What timeline will we give them for declaring an heir?”
“Ten years,” Liana said, “Which, before you say it, I know is generous. It’s meant to be generous. They can either clean their circus act up or we will have a solid case against them.”
“And what if they visibly clean their case up but we are still worried about them?” Vienna asked.
“Well,” Liana said, “I suppose in ten years we will be having a similar meeting, only at a war table.”
There were quiet murmurs between pairs and trios, discussing other important information such as new trade routes and the latest gossip. They waited for Viscount to return, and he did not disappoint.
“Took you long enough,” Swordstalker said with a teasing smile.
“You try finding a spy that does not wish to be found,” Viscount said, a slight smile betraying his serious tone. “Blitz reported that there are no heirs. No heirs, no hatchlings, and not a single known blood relative.”
“Perfect!” Sol said, clasping her talons together, “Let’s start making a list of demands then.”
-----
[b]Shattered Outliers Stronghold (SOS)
[/b]
A small dragon approached the stronghold. Atara was far from the strongest and far from the smartest, but she was fast and loyal and that was all that mattered.
“A message for the queen and the king consort,” she said to the royal guard.
“From who?” Inferno asked, a bit weary. He recognized Atara, and while he didn’t blame her, she was usually the bringer of bad news.
“From the Storm Solace Syndicate Court,” she replied honestly, showing Inferno the seal. She could not leave until the message was hand-delivered to DJ herself, the seal unbroken.
“Very well,” Inferno said, motioning for the much smaller dragoness to follow him. “I’m not sure what their schedule is today, but I can arrange for a place for you to wait outside.”
“Thank you,” Atara said cheerfully, almost jogging to keep up with Inferno.
“Majesty,” Inferno said, popping his head into the other dragon’s office. “What are DJ and Hazard doing right now?”
“DJ is signing some paperwork she’s been putting off for the better part of two weeks, and Hazard is out roughhousing with the hatchlings,” Majesty said.
“Well,” Inferno said with a small smile, “Please fetch Hazard and I’ll tell DJ she has another excuse to avoid her paperwork. We have a messenger with a sealed message from the SSS.”
Majesty sighed. “She better be done with her paperwork by now,” he mumbled, “Otherwise it’s going to take another week for her to find the time to sit down to finish it.”
“It’ll get done eventually,” Inferno said, “I’ll make sure of it.”
He headed down the hallway, beckoning for Atara to follow him as Majesty filed out and headed in the opposite direction. The hallways were lit in an almost homey fashion, and Inferno inwardly smiled at the blue and gold banners that were occasionally hung.
Inferno tapped on the door three times before opening it.
“What brings you to my humble office?” DJ asked as the door swung open, setting down whatever paper she was in the middle of reviewing. “An excuse to take a break from paperwork, I hope?”
“Yes,” Inferno said with a nod before Atara came into view.
“From the Storm Solace Syndicate,” Atara said, almost on her tiptoes to hand the scroll to DJ.
“Why, thank you,” DJ said, gently extracting the scroll. “I assume Hazard is on his way?” She asked Inferno, and Inferno nodded.
“I sent Majesty to track him down,” Inferno confirmed.
“Alright,” DJ said, “Please escort our guest back after she’s had some refreshments of course,” DJ added with a small smile in Atara’s direction.
Atara beamed before Inferno led her out, and DJ sighed, exasperated.
“Nothing good can come of this,” she grumbled, looking over the sealed scroll and adding to the pile of paperwork.
“I heard there was bad news,” was the first thing Hazard said after he all but barged through the door.
“I assume it’s a threat of some sort,” DJ said, “The syndicate likes making them more and more creative.”
“Ah,” Hazard said, noticing the sealed scroll. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense! Open it! I have a bunch of new recruits who would love some hands-on experience.”
DJ carefully cut the seal. “To whom it may concern–”
Hazard interrupted with a snort. “I think they are the concerned ones.”
“True,” DJ added with a smile before she began to read. “It has come to our attention that you have filed for autonomy of your territory.”
“We did that two years ago,” Hazard huffed. “Skip to the good part?”
“You mean the end?” DJ asked with a smile before she skipped to another paragraph and kept reading. “There are certain expectations of a monarchy, one of which is a suitable heir. We were informed that you have no such heir, and thus, your monarchy cannot be considered a suitable government for your territory.
“We trust that this was not your intention, so we will not be making a complaint to the higher court. However, we expect that all of the requirements of a monarchy will be fulfilled and met in a timely manner. This includes, but is not limited to, an heir that is related to the matriarch with a suitable mate. We feel that a decade is more than enough time to rear and train a replacement, and we will refrain from filing a complaint with the higher court in the meantime.
“Signed the Strom Solace Syndicate. What a joke,” DJ muttered, passing the scroll over to Hazard.
“This is none of their business!” Hazard exclaimed.
“No,” DJ said, “I suspect either they are threatened by our presence and rapid growth or they are looking for an excuse to annex our territory.”
“Well, either way, at least we are doing something right,” Hazard said, reading the last couple of lines quickly before he handed the scroll back.
DJ carefully filed it away for safekeeping. “Heirs,” she said with a shake of her head. “We are not ready for hatchlings, not now.”
“Will we ever be?” Hazard questioned. “It’s not like we have a choice. Besides, look at everyone we’ve helped so far. Would you rather explain to them why they have to leave, why the only sanctuary they’ve ever been welcomed into with open arms is shutting down for good?”
“No,” DJ muttered, “I just wish our relationship had remained professional.”
“On paper,” Hazard said with a sigh. “I know, I know. I don’t think they would be swayed with negotiations.”
“No,” DJ said with a shake of her head. “Maybe we can paint Majesty our colors, pass him off as our heir.”
Hazard choked out a laugh. “I don’t think he’d agree to that,” he said, “But I would pay to see it.”
“Any estranged relatives you can tolerate that have mysteriously contacted you?” DJ asked with a huff.
“No,” Hazard said, “Although I’m sure we could forge some papers.”
“I’m afraid the legitimacy would be questioned at some point in time or another,” DJ said. “Worst of all, we don’t have the members or the resources to transition to an aristocracy or a republic now.”
“This is a mess,” Hazard grumbled. “I assume we’ll need to find someone trustworthy to raise the hatchlings as well.”
“And why would we do that?” DJ asked, “Do you think we can found a government but can’t raise reliable citizens and good heirs?”
“Oh, sure we can,” Hazard replied, “But tell me, how do you feel about stepping down for say, seven years, while you take care of our children?” When DJ made a face, Hazard continued. “I feel the same way. Both of our presences are needed to run this place.”
“I’m sure some lovestruck couple would be willing to assist as practice,” DJ said, “We can start searching soon.”
“Our timeline is really running short,” Hazard said, “We’ll need to get working on this hatchling business soon.”
“Just a few nests,” DJ said, “Just enough to ensure one of our unfortunate spawn desires power, but not too much of it.”
“With our genes, what could go wrong?” Hazard asked, and it was DJ’s turn to laugh. “Oh, what? I get I’m not your first choice, maybe not your second, and maybe not your third, but I have impeccable genes and a great personality which is more than the cardboard cutouts that call themselves the Syndicate’s Court can claim.”
“That is true,” DJ said. “We have the problem of finding a suitable match, however.”
“By the time our heirs are of age, I’m worried we might grow enough to become a serious force to be reckoned with,” Hazard pointed out. “The Syndicate will likely try to meddle, see if they can’t get one of their own to be arranged.”
“Well,” DJ said, “We’ll just have to reach out ahead of time and make sure that doesn’t happen. Find other bloodlines, not commoners, so that way the court doesn’t have any reason to reject our heir.”
“Anything for our people, and our children,” Hazard said.
“I’m sorry you were dragged into this,” DJ said. “If I had known marking your name down as my consort would have brought all this upon you–”
“Hey,” Hazard interrupted, putting a talon over DJ’s. “I agreed to follow you, to help found this place. We wouldn’t have named it the Shattered Outliers if we weren’t shattered or outliers. I meant I would stand by your side, through thick and thin, and I meant it, whatever the future may bring. The vows I took may have been platonic and not romantic, but I meant every word. We’re going to fight them, beat them at their own game, and then we can go back to what we’ve always done, which is welcome everyone with open arms and provide a home, a safe haven, to anyone who needs it.”
DJ was silent for a moment, trying to find the words. “Thank you for your support,” she said at least, her voice wavering but not cracking. “Gods, they aren’t going to like us.”
“They don’t have to.”
[/indent]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/FsYDGjp.png[/img]
Prologue
Storm Solace Syndicate Court (SSS)
“This month it was a healer who showed up at their doorstep, and last month it was a weapon’s maker. I wouldn’t put it past them to accept any criminal or degenerate with open arms,” Vienna snarled.
“Calm down,” Swordstalker said, “We don’t know for sure. This session was held not to declare war, but to review our most recent findings.” The dragon sat back down on his haunches. He was not the oldest, he was not the wisest, and he was not the most cunning of the group, yet their previous leader saw something in him that was enough to declare him as his second and next in line when he passed. Clearly, this group did not see what he saw. It didn’t matter, because they weren’t in charge, he was.
“We don’t know their intentions,” Sol said, orange feathers ruffling before she settled back down in her chair. “Perhaps we should do more work to investigate our neighbors.”
“Neighbor is a strong word for a parasitic clan,” Duskfall said, “My family has owned rights to the land that borders theirs for centuries and they are uprooting tradition that has kept us alive, causing an uproar.”
“If your family is concerned with the actions of degenerates then perhaps they are weaker than implied,” Liana said with a smirk. “Isn’t your noble bloodline’s claim to fame strength and agility? Or did that die off with the last generation?” she asked sweetly, leaning over the table.
Duskfall snarled, there was a reason they weren’t seated together, and that was because at times like these he wanted to hear her scream and choke on her own blood. Another day, another day. “Maybe–”
“Enough,” Swordstalker said, “I’m not listening to you two bicker.”
“We have larger problems to worry about,” Viscount said, the stoic second speaking for the first time since the meeting had been called. “Nile, please, continue your report.”
“Right, thank you, sir,” Nile said, fighting the urge to adjust his armor where he could feel it slightly slipping. “This puts their total population count at about fifty.”
“See?” Sol said, “Nothing to worry about. Fifty is barely a clan, much less a house.”
“How come good old Duskie is here then?” Liana asked with a smirk. Blue eyes twinkled with mischief as Duskfall bristled.
“If you paid attention you would know that their numbers have been steadily rising,” Vienna snapped, “Fifty is this month. Two months ago it was forty. At this rate they will outnumber us in two years, and then what?” He looked around as the table fell silent. “Even worse is they seem to be collecting warriors, outcasts, those who are not wanted for some reason or another by other clans. The troublemakers, the dangerous. What then?”
Swordstalker sighed, a talon running down his face. “Nile, was there anything else notable to report?”
“No sir,” Nile said with an eager shake of his head, “But I will bring fresh findings next week.”
“Keep an extra close eye on the new recruits, and I want to know what trades they are completing, and with who,” Viscount said. “Dismissed.”
Nile nodded before making a hasty retreat, wanting to avoid the shouting match that would likely occur in his wake.
“So,” Liana said, leaning back. The blue dragoness looked around the table. “Any of you nobles have a clue on how to stop them?”
“We could perhaps pursue a legal route,” Equinox offered up.
“Ah! His majesty speaks,” Liana said, “We are delighted to finally have your input.”
“I don’t waste my words,” Equinox said, wings canting before they relaxed again. Yellow and gold feathers caught the light that filtered through the stained glass windows and glowed from the chandelier. “Bickering like a peasant is beneath me.”
“Everything is beneath you,” Sol muttered, quiet enough that only Duskfall and Vienna could hear, the latter smiling slyly at her.
“Pardon?” Equinox asked.
“Everything is falling through,” Sol said louder. Green eyes squinted as she looked over her own scrolls and ledgers. “At least, that’s what will happen if we don’t put a stop to this. We don’t have to take them out, just find a way to stunt their growth, limit their population.”
“That way they can never grow large enough to become a serious threat,” Liana said, “I like the way you think. Surely there’s some old crummy tradition they aren’t following where we can revoke their legitimacy?”
“They’ve filled all the correct paperwork and have kept up to date on everything,” Viscount said a bit dejectedly. “I’ve tried several times to find a hole in their plans, but their sanctuary and government are legit.”
“I’m sure we’ll think of something dear,” Sol said, flashing Viscount a smile. Vienna frowned.
“What kind of government are they registered as?” Liana asked.
“I didn’t think you knew the difference,” Duskfall muttered, grinning when he saw it had the intended effect of making Liana silently snarl but not being loud enough that Swordstalker or Viscount could clearly hear.
“Founded as a monarchy with solid plans to shift towards an aristocracy, and then a republican parliamentary in the far future depends on how large their clan grows,” Swordstalker said.
“But legally, a monarchy now?” Viscount asked.
“Yes,” Swordstalker confirmed. The hulking midnight and ultramarine dragon shifted to a more comfortable position before he pulled out more scrolls, and copies of the paperwork the monarchs had provided him.
“And I assume all their paperwork was filled out correctly and on time?” Liana asked. “Worst case scenario we have enough weight to make their transitions to an aristocracy or a parliamentary difficult, costly, or a general pain.”
“Who’s their heir?” Equinox asked. “Perhaps we can reach out to them and see if they are easily manipulatable.”
“Heir?” Swordstalker asked, looking through his scrolls. “I’m not seeing any heirs listed here, just DJ as the matriarch and Hazard as the king consort. Although they decline to use their titles,” he said with a scoff.
“If they have no heirs, no line of succession, that is something we could exploit,” Liana said.
“Do we have confirmation?” Sol asked.
“Where’s your favorite spy, anyways?” Vienna asked.
“Viscount, find Blitz and confirm the lack of an heir,” Swordstalker said, and Viscount nodded, leaving the room briskly. “The rest of us will determine how to act accordingly assuming there is no heir.”
“It’s a monarchy, so there must be a biological heir,” Equinox said, “It would not be a proper monarchy otherwise.”
“I don’t think they care about proper,” Duskfall pointed out with a small sneer.
“Well, they signed documents saying they were a proper and legitimate monarchy, so they better start caring soon,” Liana pointed out.
“True,” Duskfall said, surprised he agreed with Liana on anything at all. He doubted it would last for long, and didn’t count on the blue weasel’s support in the future.
“We can’t immediately abolish their government on the basis it has no heir,” Equinox said, “That would be unjust.”
“Who cares about justness when our people are threatened?” Vienna asked.
“True,” Swordstalker said, “But if we were to respond to one instance of breaking the law by dissolving their authority as a government, we are stooping to their level.”
“We are better than that,” Equinox said, “Well, at least some of us are.”
“Yes, we are better than that,” Sol said. “We will present our case properly to them, and then present it to the presiding court if they refuse to comply. That is the only thing we can do. Without the presiding court’s approval, we cannot take action against them without the approval of other clans, which could lead to strains in our own alliances.”
“Let’s not consider that,” Swordstalker said a bit quickly, taking out a new scroll. “What timeline will we give them for declaring an heir?”
“Ten years,” Liana said, “Which, before you say it, I know is generous. It’s meant to be generous. They can either clean their circus act up or we will have a solid case against them.”
“And what if they visibly clean their case up but we are still worried about them?” Vienna asked.
“Well,” Liana said, “I suppose in ten years we will be having a similar meeting, only at a war table.”
There were quiet murmurs between pairs and trios, discussing other important information such as new trade routes and the latest gossip. They waited for Viscount to return, and he did not disappoint.
“Took you long enough,” Swordstalker said with a teasing smile.
“You try finding a spy that does not wish to be found,” Viscount said, a slight smile betraying his serious tone. “Blitz reported that there are no heirs. No heirs, no hatchlings, and not a single known blood relative.”
“Perfect!” Sol said, clasping her talons together, “Let’s start making a list of demands then.”
Shattered Outliers Stronghold (SOS)
A small dragon approached the stronghold. Atara was far from the strongest and far from the smartest, but she was fast and loyal and that was all that mattered.
“A message for the queen and the king consort,” she said to the royal guard.
“From who?” Inferno asked, a bit weary. He recognized Atara, and while he didn’t blame her, she was usually the bringer of bad news.
“From the Storm Solace Syndicate Court,” she replied honestly, showing Inferno the seal. She could not leave until the message was hand-delivered to DJ herself, the seal unbroken.
“Very well,” Inferno said, motioning for the much smaller dragoness to follow him. “I’m not sure what their schedule is today, but I can arrange for a place for you to wait outside.”
“Thank you,” Atara said cheerfully, almost jogging to keep up with Inferno.
“Majesty,” Inferno said, popping his head into the other dragon’s office. “What are DJ and Hazard doing right now?”
“DJ is signing some paperwork she’s been putting off for the better part of two weeks, and Hazard is out roughhousing with the hatchlings,” Majesty said.
“Well,” Inferno said with a small smile, “Please fetch Hazard and I’ll tell DJ she has another excuse to avoid her paperwork. We have a messenger with a sealed message from the SSS.”
Majesty sighed. “She better be done with her paperwork by now,” he mumbled, “Otherwise it’s going to take another week for her to find the time to sit down to finish it.”
“It’ll get done eventually,” Inferno said, “I’ll make sure of it.”
He headed down the hallway, beckoning for Atara to follow him as Majesty filed out and headed in the opposite direction. The hallways were lit in an almost homey fashion, and Inferno inwardly smiled at the blue and gold banners that were occasionally hung.
Inferno tapped on the door three times before opening it.
“What brings you to my humble office?” DJ asked as the door swung open, setting down whatever paper she was in the middle of reviewing. “An excuse to take a break from paperwork, I hope?”
“Yes,” Inferno said with a nod before Atara came into view.
“From the Storm Solace Syndicate,” Atara said, almost on her tiptoes to hand the scroll to DJ.
“Why, thank you,” DJ said, gently extracting the scroll. “I assume Hazard is on his way?” She asked Inferno, and Inferno nodded.
“I sent Majesty to track him down,” Inferno confirmed.
“Alright,” DJ said, “Please escort our guest back after she’s had some refreshments of course,” DJ added with a small smile in Atara’s direction.
Atara beamed before Inferno led her out, and DJ sighed, exasperated.
“Nothing good can come of this,” she grumbled, looking over the sealed scroll and adding to the pile of paperwork.
“I heard there was bad news,” was the first thing Hazard said after he all but barged through the door.
“I assume it’s a threat of some sort,” DJ said, “The syndicate likes making them more and more creative.”
“Ah,” Hazard said, noticing the sealed scroll. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense! Open it! I have a bunch of new recruits who would love some hands-on experience.”
DJ carefully cut the seal. “To whom it may concern–”
Hazard interrupted with a snort. “I think they are the concerned ones.”
“True,” DJ added with a smile before she began to read. “It has come to our attention that you have filed for autonomy of your territory.”
“We did that two years ago,” Hazard huffed. “Skip to the good part?”
“You mean the end?” DJ asked with a smile before she skipped to another paragraph and kept reading. “There are certain expectations of a monarchy, one of which is a suitable heir. We were informed that you have no such heir, and thus, your monarchy cannot be considered a suitable government for your territory.
“We trust that this was not your intention, so we will not be making a complaint to the higher court. However, we expect that all of the requirements of a monarchy will be fulfilled and met in a timely manner. This includes, but is not limited to, an heir that is related to the matriarch with a suitable mate. We feel that a decade is more than enough time to rear and train a replacement, and we will refrain from filing a complaint with the higher court in the meantime.
“Signed the Strom Solace Syndicate. What a joke,” DJ muttered, passing the scroll over to Hazard.
“This is none of their business!” Hazard exclaimed.
“No,” DJ said, “I suspect either they are threatened by our presence and rapid growth or they are looking for an excuse to annex our territory.”
“Well, either way, at least we are doing something right,” Hazard said, reading the last couple of lines quickly before he handed the scroll back.
DJ carefully filed it away for safekeeping. “Heirs,” she said with a shake of her head. “We are not ready for hatchlings, not now.”
“Will we ever be?” Hazard questioned. “It’s not like we have a choice. Besides, look at everyone we’ve helped so far. Would you rather explain to them why they have to leave, why the only sanctuary they’ve ever been welcomed into with open arms is shutting down for good?”
“No,” DJ muttered, “I just wish our relationship had remained professional.”
“On paper,” Hazard said with a sigh. “I know, I know. I don’t think they would be swayed with negotiations.”
“No,” DJ said with a shake of her head. “Maybe we can paint Majesty our colors, pass him off as our heir.”
Hazard choked out a laugh. “I don’t think he’d agree to that,” he said, “But I would pay to see it.”
“Any estranged relatives you can tolerate that have mysteriously contacted you?” DJ asked with a huff.
“No,” Hazard said, “Although I’m sure we could forge some papers.”
“I’m afraid the legitimacy would be questioned at some point in time or another,” DJ said. “Worst of all, we don’t have the members or the resources to transition to an aristocracy or a republic now.”
“This is a mess,” Hazard grumbled. “I assume we’ll need to find someone trustworthy to raise the hatchlings as well.”
“And why would we do that?” DJ asked, “Do you think we can found a government but can’t raise reliable citizens and good heirs?”
“Oh, sure we can,” Hazard replied, “But tell me, how do you feel about stepping down for say, seven years, while you take care of our children?” When DJ made a face, Hazard continued. “I feel the same way. Both of our presences are needed to run this place.”
“I’m sure some lovestruck couple would be willing to assist as practice,” DJ said, “We can start searching soon.”
“Our timeline is really running short,” Hazard said, “We’ll need to get working on this hatchling business soon.”
“Just a few nests,” DJ said, “Just enough to ensure one of our unfortunate spawn desires power, but not too much of it.”
“With our genes, what could go wrong?” Hazard asked, and it was DJ’s turn to laugh. “Oh, what? I get I’m not your first choice, maybe not your second, and maybe not your third, but I have impeccable genes and a great personality which is more than the cardboard cutouts that call themselves the Syndicate’s Court can claim.”
“That is true,” DJ said. “We have the problem of finding a suitable match, however.”
“By the time our heirs are of age, I’m worried we might grow enough to become a serious force to be reckoned with,” Hazard pointed out. “The Syndicate will likely try to meddle, see if they can’t get one of their own to be arranged.”
“Well,” DJ said, “We’ll just have to reach out ahead of time and make sure that doesn’t happen. Find other bloodlines, not commoners, so that way the court doesn’t have any reason to reject our heir.”
“Anything for our people, and our children,” Hazard said.
“I’m sorry you were dragged into this,” DJ said. “If I had known marking your name down as my consort would have brought all this upon you–”
“Hey,” Hazard interrupted, putting a talon over DJ’s. “I agreed to follow you, to help found this place. We wouldn’t have named it the Shattered Outliers if we weren’t shattered or outliers. I meant I would stand by your side, through thick and thin, and I meant it, whatever the future may bring. The vows I took may have been platonic and not romantic, but I meant every word. We’re going to fight them, beat them at their own game, and then we can go back to what we’ve always done, which is welcome everyone with open arms and provide a home, a safe haven, to anyone who needs it.”
DJ was silent for a moment, trying to find the words. “Thank you for your support,” she said at least, her voice wavering but not cracking. “Gods, they aren’t going to like us.”
“They don’t have to.”
@pinglist-36942
@pinglist-36943
A reminder that this can also be read on [url=https://archiveofourown.org/works/67174861/chapters/190531841]Archive of Our Own[/url] for easier reading!
Featured Characters: (In order of appearance)
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[img]https://i.imgur.com/n82N35B.png[/img]
[center][b]Blossoming Affairs[/b][/center]
[indent][b]Shattered Outliers Stronghold (SOS)[/b]
The castle was bustling with an energy that hadn't been seen in nearly a dozen years, not since the inauguration of DJ and Hazard as matriarch and patriarch. The newly formed clan had poured their heart and soul into a festival, and now, with the suitors arriving, they not only had the excuse to throw a party, but the finances and resources to make it a blast.
Extra hands were hired for the special occasion, and old servants mixed and clashed with the new as they struggled to make everything perfect. Decorations were color-matched, and the halls were ombre as the theme colors changed from room to room. There were floral decorations of all kinds, and they worked hard, knowing that not a single scale could be out of place. Everything had to appear perfect, and they knew it was more than just a fancy feast they were serving for the bloodlines who showed up from all over.
Tonight was the first night where the heirs and suitors would gather together, the best chance to make a phenomenal first impression. The servants took the challenge in stride, and DJ wisely allowed those more well-versed in decoration to take over. The royal family retreated as orders were barked out as last-minute decorations and arrangements were made. It seemed as though the party was in good hands.
The suitors were settling in, or at least they were supposed to. There’d been a separate wing sectioned off just for them. The royal family and close family and friends slept in the East Wing, the North Wing’s few guest bedrooms remained open for other travelers, the South Wing was for their servants and other hired hands, and the West Wing had been cleared for the suitors. The staff who lived there previously were moved to the South and North wings. It had been a headache to prepare, but it seemed everything was falling into place.
They hoped the lavish party and generous rooms that had been redecorated spoke for the Shattered Outliers, that they weren’t just some merry band in the middle of nowhere. They belonged with the rest of the bloodlines that traced centuries back to their founders, and their tiny but mighty clan was a force to be reckoned with and a potentially powerful ally. DJ hated the show.
She leaned over the railing, watching as yet another noble arrived. There were ten of them, and this should be the last to arrive. He was just another spoiled brat from another filthy rich family, but she was pleased to see that some brought weaponry with them. If Hazard didn’t trip on the way down, he’d enjoy a spar or two.
There were quite a few prestigious bloodlines represented, and if DJ wasn’t careful, she could slight them all and make powerful enemies. She hated playing politics more than anything, but if it would keep her extended family safe then it was more than worth it. She had to showcase her power, but could not give up too much of it.
She was aware that many of the suitors were vultures, just waiting for their chance to seize any available opportunity for power. There were a few that were particularly nasty, but she was sure if worse came to worst that her family could defend itself. Her sons and daughters were young, not naive. They knew why the suitors were here as well, and while DJ didn’t think they were immune to manipulation tactics, she hoped they were smart enough not to fall for any devastating traps.
She had six months to claim an heir before the Syndicate reared their ugly heads. Just six months for one of her children to find true love, something DJ hadn’t found in all her years. True, she had Hazard, but she loved him more as a brother and anyone close to the family could see. For all they tried to pretend, even their own children pieced together the puzzle of their relationship.
She’d worked too damn hard to let it all crumble away. She hated to put the pressure on her children, but there were nine of them representing the Shattered Outliers here. At least it didn’t put the pressure on any one of her children, but it didn’t ease her worries in the slightest.
“I hope one of them finds true love,” Hazard said, stopping his paperwork to lean over the balcony as well.
“They deserve what we never had,” DJ replied.
“The suitors are settling in nicely,” he reported, “And our little ones are chatting like swallows.”
“Not so little anymore, huh?” DJ asked with a smile.
“No,” Hazard agreed, “But still just as loud.”
DJ barked out a laugh. “Make sure they aren’t too loud,” she said, “And by the gods, I hope they remembered their etiquette lessons.”
-----
Sorrel wasn’t sure what he was doing here, to be quite honest. Great-grandson of the Deceived Gilded King, and, ironically, he was supposed to deceive his way into becoming king here.
That was what he’d been told when his family sent him on his way with treasures and jewelry for him to wear and show off. They were so eager to send him away, so eager for him to find his place in the world that wasn’t by their side. He wouldn’t forget their slights when he was in power.
If the princesses were as stuffy as his cousin,s he could escape in the middle of the night, but surely there had to be one tolerable and sane fool here. If they weren’t tolerable a little accident could be arranged, that’s what someone of noble descent did, right?
He wasn’t optimistic, but at least the Shattered Outliers weren’t as bad as the rumors made them out to be. Perhaps his cousins were being annoying and degrading on purpose, but the sprawling gardens beneath his balcony were truly stunning. Abyss and gold saffron feathers were hit by the sunlight as he looked over the carefully cultivated oasis. While the surrounding territory was a barren desert, the imported trees and flowers thrived with specialized care.
The almost lavish but not quite palace had it’s own little charm to it as well. It was nothing compared to the sprawling hallways where he grew up, but he was starting to think that maybe the change was a good thing. After all, if he wanted revenge, he needed a functional stronghold, not a pretty target. Functional the stronghold was, it was a hub of all functions and was actively in use instead of on display like an art gallery.
He decided he wanted a head start and slid in his hoop earring. It was from his brother, and perhaps one day Sorrel could invite him over and watch his face fall as Sorrel greeted him from his throne.
There was a commotion in the hallway, had been all morning from the suitors moving in, and Sorrel decided he wanted to get a better look at the garden and halls before their feast. To do that, he had to cross the battlefield of moving luggage.
He stepped out into the hallway and was almost immediately slammed into by a smaller dragon.
“Watch it,” she hissed, and Sorrel looked half amused and half bewildered, unsure of which emotion would win the war on his face.
“Hello, I’m Sorrel. Who might you be?” he greeted as she picked up a box that fell during the collision.
“Doesn’t matter,” she said, “I’m here for the throne, so stay out of my way.”
Sorrel gave her a soft smile; he knew how to deal with annoying creatures such as herself. “Aren’t we all? Would you honor me with your name, at least?”
“It’s Rajani,” she said, “But most people call me Raj. Now out of my way! Someone misplaced my bags, and now I have to track them down.”
The dragon, hardly half his size, managed to have a presence larger than him. She was sure she could handle all of the boring politics that snooty royals could conjure up, and on top of that she was sure to woo one of them over. It didn’t matter which one, she’d make sure they shot up to the front of the line.
Rajani turned around, only to run into another brute. “Watch it!”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, his purple feathers raised in alarm as he shuffled out of the way. When Rajani left, he looked around, bewildered. “Do you know where room 203C is?”
“Just one door down,” Sorrel replied, “At least, I think. I’m 201C.”
“Thanks,” he said, flashing Sorrel a grin before shuffling down the hallway.
“Need any help?” Sorrel offered.
“I’ve got it,” he said, “My folks just overpacked, and it was heavier than I expected.”
“They realized you’d have stuff here, right?” Sorrel asked, half joking half serious.
The light blue dragon flashed him a grin. “Oh, they know. They are just worried, I’m not the oldest but I’m the first to go this far away. I’m Larimar by the way.”
“Sorrel,” Sorrel introduced. “I’m off to explore a little, but I’ll see you at dinner?”
“See you then,” Larimar confirmed, before slipping into his room.
-----
It was half an hour before dinner when Lyricstriker got the knock on her door. She didn’t know whether to expect a prank or an announcement of some change of plans, and she would have cursed if it were a servant announcing a delay. She didn’t want to keep letting the pit of anxiety in her stomach build up.
When it was Technopyre on the other side, she relaxed.
“What’s the matter?” Lyric asked.
“I don’t know what to wear,” Pyre said, and Lyric opened the door further, a wordless offer to come in.
“There’s something else wrong besides just your wardrobe,” Lyric said, looking her sister up and down. She truly didn’t look that terrible, though the colors didn’t match up exactly.
“I’m just so nervous, I can’t afford to make the wrong impression.”
“Hey, if anyone’s going to make the wrong impression, it’s Riot,” Lyric said confidently, earning a surprised but genuine laugh from her sist. “And as for the suitors, I’ve been watching them all morning.”
“That’s not creepy at all,” Pyre remarked, letting Lyric fuss over her wing drapes. She was a warrior, she wasn’t used to dressing up like this.
“Gathering information is crucial,” Lyric informed her. “Most of them have old bloodlines, I’m eager to meet them.”
“They’re just more snobs,” Pyre complained, “The last time the Syndicate visited I thought my ears would fall off from how annoying Equinox was.”
“These ones are different,” Lyric said, “They will all be vying for our attention, which is so much more entertaining. Now back to your original problem, we need something powerful for you. You need to stand out,” she continued, holding up a pair of hoop earrings. “It’s a shame these aren’t your color.”
Pyre stood still as Lyric fussed over her. “These might do,” she muttered, combined with some head shaking, led to Pyre feeling ridiculous as her sister draped more of her soft silks over Pyre’s hardened body. She wasn’t used to this at all.
“Thank you,” Pyre said, trusting her sister’s opinion.
“Well,” Lyric said, stepping back to admire her work. “I think it’s about time we headed down for dinner.”
“Right,” Pyre said, fiddling with one of the silks.
“Oh, it won’t be as bad as you think,” Lyric said as they walked down the hallway. “Relax, try to have fun.”
“How am I supposed to do that when I’m so worried?” Pyre asked.
“Your worries will be for nothing,” Lyric reassured her.
The doors opened for them, and the once familiar dining hall had been transformed into something out of this world. Pyre’s eyes flicked from the new chandelier to the red and blue decorations that called the walls and tables their home.
They weren’t the first to arrive, but they weren’t the last either. Pyre counted Clashtrack, Spinforce, and Breakbeat missing, although she really wasn’t surprised about Clashtrack. He was either hidden somewhere or would be fulfilling the bare minimum social obligation expected of him. She wished she had the nerve to copy him.
Lyric brightened next to her as they took their usual seats. As the eldest, they were awarded certain privileges, and one of them was sitting so close to their parents and away from the chaos of their younger siblings.
There was a toast, but all Pyre could focus on were the faces of her siblings. Every time she glanced at the suitors one of them was always uncomfotably staring back, sizing her up. She remained quiet, smiling when appropriate.
“Try to have fun,” Lyric said before she scooted out of her seat. She strode towards where the suitors were on the other end of the table and confidently plopped down between two of them, preening at the attention.
Food first, mingling second, and Pyre wished she was as confident in politics as she was with a sword. The chefs had outdone themselves, and the dishes were a welcome distraction. She was fine with her sister taking the lead and all the attention. Pyre knew Lyric wanted to find true love, but truly, Pyre wasn’t concerned. Either she found love or she didn’t, but one way or another she had to actually talk to the suitors. Losing the crown wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, but losing the crown because she couldn’t find a date was pathetic.
-----
“This is going to be a huge waste of time,” Perilverse said as soon as she was certain there were no nosy fools.
“What, the suitors? The courting? Something else?” Clashtrack asked.
“Mostly the suitors,” she said, "Which is stupid because I know time will be taken away from my training. If I lose too much time, I’ll lose my squadron or they’ll lose trust in me. And on top of that I have to deal with royalty, actual pampered royalty. It’s going to drive me insane.”
Clashtrack chuckled. “Learn how to use it to your advantage, Peril,” he said, “Besides, you never know who you might meet.”
“I’ll tell you who I’ll meet, a stuck-up royal,” Peril said, “If I wanted one of those I would have taken one of those sneaky ambassadors up on their offer when they visited a few years back.”
“Thank gods we were all too young,” Clashtrack said, “Otherwise I think they would have asked.”
Peril’s snout wrinkled. “They were twice our age! Did you see the way that one leered at Lyric?”
“Just be thankful our parents knew how to protect us,” Clashtrack said, remembering how their parents had stood firm and not allowed the ambassadors to linger longer than necessary.
“And now it’s up to us to protect them,” Peril pointed out, “Or did you forget the reason we’re even here to begin with?”
“I didn’t forget,” he said, “But it’s evolved since then. You can’t say our parents’ actions were all driven by duty throughout our childhood. They’ve set us up for success in every way they could.”
“I suppose I’m more worried about the timeframe,” Peril said with a sigh, “Six months to figure out who you want to spend the rest of your life with? You can’t tell me that’s enough time, Clash.”
“I know you haven’t, but the others have been prepping for this. There’s no pressure for you specifically to find a mate. Besides, if you mate anyone you regret, I’m sure I could find a way to handle it,” he said with a sly grin. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d put his unique skillset to use, and it most certainly wouldn’t be the last.
“Handle it?” Peril asked, “You mean in your own little saboteur way, don’t you.”
“Of course,” Clashtrack confirmed, still grinning. “And the same philosophy goes for my own mate. If they don’t treat me with respect, they go. This isn’t romance, this is a partnership for power.”
“If I wanted a mate at all, I’d want it for love,” she said, “Someone who’s worth taking time out of my training schedule for.”
“You’ll find someone,” Clashtrack promised. “It might not be now, but it will happen. The next six months will be chaotic at best, but you’ll be fine.”
“I’ve got your back,” Peril said.
“And I’ve got yours.”
[/indent]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/FsYDGjp.png[/img]
I hope you enjoy! <3
@Shattered Royalty Lineage: All Updates
@Shattered Royalty Lineage: Chapter Releases
A reminder that this can also be read on
Archive of Our Own for easier reading!
Featured Characters: (In order of appearance)
Blossoming Affairs
Shattered Outliers Stronghold (SOS)
The castle was bustling with an energy that hadn't been seen in nearly a dozen years, not since the inauguration of DJ and Hazard as matriarch and patriarch. The newly formed clan had poured their heart and soul into a festival, and now, with the suitors arriving, they not only had the excuse to throw a party, but the finances and resources to make it a blast.
Extra hands were hired for the special occasion, and old servants mixed and clashed with the new as they struggled to make everything perfect. Decorations were color-matched, and the halls were ombre as the theme colors changed from room to room. There were floral decorations of all kinds, and they worked hard, knowing that not a single scale could be out of place. Everything had to appear perfect, and they knew it was more than just a fancy feast they were serving for the bloodlines who showed up from all over.
Tonight was the first night where the heirs and suitors would gather together, the best chance to make a phenomenal first impression. The servants took the challenge in stride, and DJ wisely allowed those more well-versed in decoration to take over. The royal family retreated as orders were barked out as last-minute decorations and arrangements were made. It seemed as though the party was in good hands.
The suitors were settling in, or at least they were supposed to. There’d been a separate wing sectioned off just for them. The royal family and close family and friends slept in the East Wing, the North Wing’s few guest bedrooms remained open for other travelers, the South Wing was for their servants and other hired hands, and the West Wing had been cleared for the suitors. The staff who lived there previously were moved to the South and North wings. It had been a headache to prepare, but it seemed everything was falling into place.
They hoped the lavish party and generous rooms that had been redecorated spoke for the Shattered Outliers, that they weren’t just some merry band in the middle of nowhere. They belonged with the rest of the bloodlines that traced centuries back to their founders, and their tiny but mighty clan was a force to be reckoned with and a potentially powerful ally. DJ hated the show.
She leaned over the railing, watching as yet another noble arrived. There were ten of them, and this should be the last to arrive. He was just another spoiled brat from another filthy rich family, but she was pleased to see that some brought weaponry with them. If Hazard didn’t trip on the way down, he’d enjoy a spar or two.
There were quite a few prestigious bloodlines represented, and if DJ wasn’t careful, she could slight them all and make powerful enemies. She hated playing politics more than anything, but if it would keep her extended family safe then it was more than worth it. She had to showcase her power, but could not give up too much of it.
She was aware that many of the suitors were vultures, just waiting for their chance to seize any available opportunity for power. There were a few that were particularly nasty, but she was sure if worse came to worst that her family could defend itself. Her sons and daughters were young, not naive. They knew why the suitors were here as well, and while DJ didn’t think they were immune to manipulation tactics, she hoped they were smart enough not to fall for any devastating traps.
She had six months to claim an heir before the Syndicate reared their ugly heads. Just six months for one of her children to find true love, something DJ hadn’t found in all her years. True, she had Hazard, but she loved him more as a brother and anyone close to the family could see. For all they tried to pretend, even their own children pieced together the puzzle of their relationship.
She’d worked too damn hard to let it all crumble away. She hated to put the pressure on her children, but there were nine of them representing the Shattered Outliers here. At least it didn’t put the pressure on any one of her children, but it didn’t ease her worries in the slightest.
“I hope one of them finds true love,” Hazard said, stopping his paperwork to lean over the balcony as well.
“They deserve what we never had,” DJ replied.
“The suitors are settling in nicely,” he reported, “And our little ones are chatting like swallows.”
“Not so little anymore, huh?” DJ asked with a smile.
“No,” Hazard agreed, “But still just as loud.”
DJ barked out a laugh. “Make sure they aren’t too loud,” she said, “And by the gods, I hope they remembered their etiquette lessons.”
Sorrel wasn’t sure what he was doing here, to be quite honest. Great-grandson of the Deceived Gilded King, and, ironically, he was supposed to deceive his way into becoming king here.
That was what he’d been told when his family sent him on his way with treasures and jewelry for him to wear and show off. They were so eager to send him away, so eager for him to find his place in the world that wasn’t by their side. He wouldn’t forget their slights when he was in power.
If the princesses were as stuffy as his cousin,s he could escape in the middle of the night, but surely there had to be one tolerable and sane fool here. If they weren’t tolerable a little accident could be arranged, that’s what someone of noble descent did, right?
He wasn’t optimistic, but at least the Shattered Outliers weren’t as bad as the rumors made them out to be. Perhaps his cousins were being annoying and degrading on purpose, but the sprawling gardens beneath his balcony were truly stunning. Abyss and gold saffron feathers were hit by the sunlight as he looked over the carefully cultivated oasis. While the surrounding territory was a barren desert, the imported trees and flowers thrived with specialized care.
The almost lavish but not quite palace had it’s own little charm to it as well. It was nothing compared to the sprawling hallways where he grew up, but he was starting to think that maybe the change was a good thing. After all, if he wanted revenge, he needed a functional stronghold, not a pretty target. Functional the stronghold was, it was a hub of all functions and was actively in use instead of on display like an art gallery.
He decided he wanted a head start and slid in his hoop earring. It was from his brother, and perhaps one day Sorrel could invite him over and watch his face fall as Sorrel greeted him from his throne.
There was a commotion in the hallway, had been all morning from the suitors moving in, and Sorrel decided he wanted to get a better look at the garden and halls before their feast. To do that, he had to cross the battlefield of moving luggage.
He stepped out into the hallway and was almost immediately slammed into by a smaller dragon.
“Watch it,” she hissed, and Sorrel looked half amused and half bewildered, unsure of which emotion would win the war on his face.
“Hello, I’m Sorrel. Who might you be?” he greeted as she picked up a box that fell during the collision.
“Doesn’t matter,” she said, “I’m here for the throne, so stay out of my way.”
Sorrel gave her a soft smile; he knew how to deal with annoying creatures such as herself. “Aren’t we all? Would you honor me with your name, at least?”
“It’s Rajani,” she said, “But most people call me Raj. Now out of my way! Someone misplaced my bags, and now I have to track them down.”
The dragon, hardly half his size, managed to have a presence larger than him. She was sure she could handle all of the boring politics that snooty royals could conjure up, and on top of that she was sure to woo one of them over. It didn’t matter which one, she’d make sure they shot up to the front of the line.
Rajani turned around, only to run into another brute. “Watch it!”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, his purple feathers raised in alarm as he shuffled out of the way. When Rajani left, he looked around, bewildered. “Do you know where room 203C is?”
“Just one door down,” Sorrel replied, “At least, I think. I’m 201C.”
“Thanks,” he said, flashing Sorrel a grin before shuffling down the hallway.
“Need any help?” Sorrel offered.
“I’ve got it,” he said, “My folks just overpacked, and it was heavier than I expected.”
“They realized you’d have stuff here, right?” Sorrel asked, half joking half serious.
The light blue dragon flashed him a grin. “Oh, they know. They are just worried, I’m not the oldest but I’m the first to go this far away. I’m Larimar by the way.”
“Sorrel,” Sorrel introduced. “I’m off to explore a little, but I’ll see you at dinner?”
“See you then,” Larimar confirmed, before slipping into his room.
It was half an hour before dinner when Lyricstriker got the knock on her door. She didn’t know whether to expect a prank or an announcement of some change of plans, and she would have cursed if it were a servant announcing a delay. She didn’t want to keep letting the pit of anxiety in her stomach build up.
When it was Technopyre on the other side, she relaxed.
“What’s the matter?” Lyric asked.
“I don’t know what to wear,” Pyre said, and Lyric opened the door further, a wordless offer to come in.
“There’s something else wrong besides just your wardrobe,” Lyric said, looking her sister up and down. She truly didn’t look that terrible, though the colors didn’t match up exactly.
“I’m just so nervous, I can’t afford to make the wrong impression.”
“Hey, if anyone’s going to make the wrong impression, it’s Riot,” Lyric said confidently, earning a surprised but genuine laugh from her sist. “And as for the suitors, I’ve been watching them all morning.”
“That’s not creepy at all,” Pyre remarked, letting Lyric fuss over her wing drapes. She was a warrior, she wasn’t used to dressing up like this.
“Gathering information is crucial,” Lyric informed her. “Most of them have old bloodlines, I’m eager to meet them.”
“They’re just more snobs,” Pyre complained, “The last time the Syndicate visited I thought my ears would fall off from how annoying Equinox was.”
“These ones are different,” Lyric said, “They will all be vying for our attention, which is so much more entertaining. Now back to your original problem, we need something powerful for you. You need to stand out,” she continued, holding up a pair of hoop earrings. “It’s a shame these aren’t your color.”
Pyre stood still as Lyric fussed over her. “These might do,” she muttered, combined with some head shaking, led to Pyre feeling ridiculous as her sister draped more of her soft silks over Pyre’s hardened body. She wasn’t used to this at all.
“Thank you,” Pyre said, trusting her sister’s opinion.
“Well,” Lyric said, stepping back to admire her work. “I think it’s about time we headed down for dinner.”
“Right,” Pyre said, fiddling with one of the silks.
“Oh, it won’t be as bad as you think,” Lyric said as they walked down the hallway. “Relax, try to have fun.”
“How am I supposed to do that when I’m so worried?” Pyre asked.
“Your worries will be for nothing,” Lyric reassured her.
The doors opened for them, and the once familiar dining hall had been transformed into something out of this world. Pyre’s eyes flicked from the new chandelier to the red and blue decorations that called the walls and tables their home.
They weren’t the first to arrive, but they weren’t the last either. Pyre counted Clashtrack, Spinforce, and Breakbeat missing, although she really wasn’t surprised about Clashtrack. He was either hidden somewhere or would be fulfilling the bare minimum social obligation expected of him. She wished she had the nerve to copy him.
Lyric brightened next to her as they took their usual seats. As the eldest, they were awarded certain privileges, and one of them was sitting so close to their parents and away from the chaos of their younger siblings.
There was a toast, but all Pyre could focus on were the faces of her siblings. Every time she glanced at the suitors one of them was always uncomfotably staring back, sizing her up. She remained quiet, smiling when appropriate.
“Try to have fun,” Lyric said before she scooted out of her seat. She strode towards where the suitors were on the other end of the table and confidently plopped down between two of them, preening at the attention.
Food first, mingling second, and Pyre wished she was as confident in politics as she was with a sword. The chefs had outdone themselves, and the dishes were a welcome distraction. She was fine with her sister taking the lead and all the attention. Pyre knew Lyric wanted to find true love, but truly, Pyre wasn’t concerned. Either she found love or she didn’t, but one way or another she had to actually talk to the suitors. Losing the crown wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, but losing the crown because she couldn’t find a date was pathetic.
“This is going to be a huge waste of time,” Perilverse said as soon as she was certain there were no nosy fools.
“What, the suitors? The courting? Something else?” Clashtrack asked.
“Mostly the suitors,” she said, "Which is stupid because I know time will be taken away from my training. If I lose too much time, I’ll lose my squadron or they’ll lose trust in me. And on top of that I have to deal with royalty, actual pampered royalty. It’s going to drive me insane.”
Clashtrack chuckled. “Learn how to use it to your advantage, Peril,” he said, “Besides, you never know who you might meet.”
“I’ll tell you who I’ll meet, a stuck-up royal,” Peril said, “If I wanted one of those I would have taken one of those sneaky ambassadors up on their offer when they visited a few years back.”
“Thank gods we were all too young,” Clashtrack said, “Otherwise I think they would have asked.”
Peril’s snout wrinkled. “They were twice our age! Did you see the way that one leered at Lyric?”
“Just be thankful our parents knew how to protect us,” Clashtrack said, remembering how their parents had stood firm and not allowed the ambassadors to linger longer than necessary.
“And now it’s up to us to protect them,” Peril pointed out, “Or did you forget the reason we’re even here to begin with?”
“I didn’t forget,” he said, “But it’s evolved since then. You can’t say our parents’ actions were all driven by duty throughout our childhood. They’ve set us up for success in every way they could.”
“I suppose I’m more worried about the timeframe,” Peril said with a sigh, “Six months to figure out who you want to spend the rest of your life with? You can’t tell me that’s enough time, Clash.”
“I know you haven’t, but the others have been prepping for this. There’s no pressure for you specifically to find a mate. Besides, if you mate anyone you regret, I’m sure I could find a way to handle it,” he said with a sly grin. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d put his unique skillset to use, and it most certainly wouldn’t be the last.
“Handle it?” Peril asked, “You mean in your own little saboteur way, don’t you.”
“Of course,” Clashtrack confirmed, still grinning. “And the same philosophy goes for my own mate. If they don’t treat me with respect, they go. This isn’t romance, this is a partnership for power.”
“If I wanted a mate at all, I’d want it for love,” she said, “Someone who’s worth taking time out of my training schedule for.”
“You’ll find someone,” Clashtrack promised. “It might not be now, but it will happen. The next six months will be chaotic at best, but you’ll be fine.”
“I’ve got your back,” Peril said.
“And I’ve got yours.”
I hope you enjoy! <3
@pinglist-36942
@pinglist-36943
A reminder that this can also be read on [url=https://archiveofourown.org/works/67174861/chapters/190531841]Archive of Our Own[/url] for easier reading!
Featured Characters: (In order of appearance)
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/98698088][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/986981/98698088.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/98698087][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/986981/98698087.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/96031544][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/960316/96031544.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/97744540][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/977446/97744540.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/100145165][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/1001452/100145165.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/101968768][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/1019688/101968768.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/97426415][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/974265/97426415.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/103887848][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/1038879/103887848.png[/img][/url]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/n82N35B.png[/img]
[center][b]Introductions[/b][/center]
[indent][b]Shattered Outliers Stronghold (SOS)[/b]
“I don’t know how you do it,” Pyre said, shaking her head.
“Well,” Lyric said with a smile, “It helps when they’re not too bad looking.” She adjusted her earrings in the mirror, making sure they were as symmetrical as possible.
“Floating from suitor to suitor? How do you even have time for all that?” Pyre asked. It had only been a week since the suitors arrived, and already Lyric had gone on four dates. Four! Sure, Pyre had been asked, but she’d always deflected.
“You clear your schedule,” Lyric said with a shrug. “Sorrel’s my favorite so far, he was such a gentleman on the first date. I really hope he doesn’t disappoint me.”
The black and blue dragon huffed. “I thought you said Larimar was your favorite yesterday?”
“Larimar didn’t give me flowers this morning at breakfast,” Lyric pointed out, “And he was a bit stiff at our date. He’d be better suited to Spin or Peril, not that he knows that just yet.”
“How can you know all that?” Peril asked. She was good at reading intentions, but not in a socializing way. One had to know what every shift and twitch meant when you were sizing up an opponent, but she couldn’t just translate that to mind games. She knew that the suitors were fake, at least some of them, but she couldn’t figure out what they were trying to redirect her from.
“Sometimes you can just tell. Oh, don’t be like that, they’ve all been fawning over me as the eldest,” Lyric said, “They think it will get them closer to the crown, but they don’t know our parents.”
“Evidently not,” Pyre said, “And all their fake fawning just makes me even more reluctant to see any of them. I’m not looking for something fake, I’m looking for something real. No offence.”
“None taken,” Lyric said with a toothy grin. “Just keep pushing them away, take some time for yourself and figure out who you want and then if any of them meet your criteria.”
“What are your criteria?” Pyre asked.
“Easy on the eyes, compatible personalities, and a bloodline that will scare off the Syndicate. That little flower boy can only hug people. The spoiled noble gives me a headache. I’m not even going to bother to ask how Impulse got here with his ‘heritage,’ and Repent is too busy sucking up to have any personality whatsoever,” Lyric said, wrapping up the last touches of her outfit. Gold and blue scales were perfectly accented with starry jewelry and a simple yet elegant robe. “That leaves Sorrel and Larimar left, at least for the boys. Sorrel isn’t as highly regarded in his house as Larimar is, but the House of Talos is by far stronger than the House of the Forgotten. He’s got ties to the House of Ignis, but again, not strong enough. At least not for me.”
Pyre blinked, taking in the information. “You really know you’re stuff,” she said, “Did you get that from your conversations?”
“Oh, no,” Lyric said, “I traded Clashtrack. He wanted additional insight into all the male suitors in exchange for their backgrounds, probably to play his politics. I’m not too concerned about him meddling, at least not yet.”
“I can’t see him meddling in a match,” Pyre said. She knew her brother better than that. “In whatever trials our parents come up with, yes, but he’s not cruel enough to manipulate who we are spending the rest of our lives with.”
“Hypothetically,” Lyric said with a grin. “Now, I’m almost late for that date, but I’ll catch up with you after. You’ll hear the juicy details after dinner!”
“Do I have a choice?” Pyre asked, trying to sound exasperated but failing.
“Nope!” Lyric said, “And don’t stay in the North Wing all day, otherwise you won’t meet anyone! Have fun!”
-----
“Are those your favorites?”
Lyric looked up from the twisting vines with their pale blue flowers. “Yes,” she said, scooting over a tiny bit as Sorrel slid into the seat next to her. His abyss and copper feathers shone in the light, the iridescence painting a new picture. “They’re not popular with decoration because they only bloom in the morning and at night, and sometimes I watch the transition from night to dawn.”
“We didn’t have morning glories,” Sorrel said, “But we did have moonflowers back at home. They grew on the perimeter fences and were quite stunning, especially when one flew over them.”
“I can imagine that,” Lyric said. “I planted these when I was younger, and they’ve become a favorite in the Stronghold for our graveyard shift patrolers.”
“My favorites were always the orchids, I loved how bright and vibrant they are,” Sorrel said, “I had one that hung in my windowsill.”
Lyric perked up at that. “Would you like to see ours?” she asked, “I’m sure I could arrange for one to be taken to your room.”
“That’s very kind,” Sorrel said, a small smile gracing his face. He was always so serious, and every time Lyric got an emotion to filter through, it felt like a small victory.
They admired the orchids for a while, and Lyric caught Sorrel’s eyes wandering back to the same flower. It was beautiful with its sunset colored petals, and as soon as Sorrel left, she flagged down the gardener to have it delivered. They had dozens of gorgeous orchids, and after making sure it wasn’t one of her brother’s sentimental plants, she was confident it wouldn’t be missed.
It was hard to tell if Sorrel was the dragon for her, but at the very least, the gift would make her look good in the eyes of the House of Talos. She reminded herself that this courting period wasn’t just about finding her mate, but about creating as many strong connections as possible.
She took off her starry attire and wondered what else she could dazzle Sorrel with.
-----
“Might I have a moment of your time, my lady?”
Songfire looked up from her studies. They were very important if she ever wanted to run a kingdom successfully, and while the inventory statements were boring, they were vital to running the stronghold. She’d known for years how they ran and her siblings had the same knowledge, but it never hurt to be up to speed on their status.
“What can I help you with?” Songfire asked politely, setting down the book for show. Standing before her was a green and black dragon, gold and green adornments dripping off of him. She’d seen him around, but for the life of her couldn’t remember his name.
“I’d like to give you this token,” he said, pulling out a box and opening it. Inside was a dazzling gemstone, one that Songfire couldn’t identify but was sure was worth something based on the way it was smoothly polished and barely imperfect. The chain was either silver or imitation, and it complemented the dark purple crystal perfectly. “I’d like you to have it, no strings attached.”
Songfire had to stop herself from snorting, no strings attached? He might as well have said then and there he wanted a favor from her, or her hand. “Thank you,” she said instead, mustering up her most sincere smile as she slipped it on. “It’s beautiful.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, “My name is Voxis, my lady, and I’ve searched far and wide to find a place that I’d be proud to call home.”
“Well,” Songfire said, forcing herself to sit still, “I hope you find what you’re looking for.” If Voxis thought he was the first to say this line, he was mistaken. Others had similar phrasing, but she’d been able to escape, but now all she wanted to do was bury herself in the inventory statements. What a sad day it was to want to disappear into the most boring book in the library!
“I was wondering if you were free, perhaps later today?” Well, at least he had the decency to recognize that she was in the middle of something.
“I’ll be free this evening, after dinner,” Songfire replied. Hopefully, that would give her enough time to run through a variety of scenarios to figure out how exactly she wanted to play this. That and it gave her enough time to fake an excuse or someone to legitimately need her help.
“Wonderful,” Voxis said, bowing slightly. “I shall see you then.”
Songfire huffed as soon as he left the library. “Boys,” she said, picking up the book again. On her shoulder, Topaz shifted, the little gecko finding another comfortable perch.
-----
As if the week couldn’t get any worse, his flowers weren’t doing well. One moment, they were fine, and the next one of them had some sort of fungal infection. The cure came a few days too late, and Breakbeat was struggling to keep it alive. He poured every ounce of love and care into that plant, and it had the audacity to continue to wilt and defy him.
It was one of the many flowers with purple blooms he cultivated, and this one, especially, had given him lovely petals to use in his garlands and pressed bookmarks the year prior.
The suitors were a close second, stressing him out nearly as much as his plant was. They all thought that him hunkered over his plant was the perfect time to approach him and ask how his day was, or if he wanted to share a meal with them.
“Just a moment of your time,” Rajani said, all smiles as she tried to woo him.
“Not now,” Breakbeat said, starting to lose his patience. He had to concentrate, what was he missing? Surely there was some fertilizer that would give his plant the boost it needed or a chemical he could spray on without damaging the plant further. “I’m busy now and later.”
Rajani frowned, Breakbeat just barely catching it out of the corner of his eye. “Don’t tell me you’re giving up on a date for some flowers,” she said, and when he leveled a glare at her, she changed her tone. “I mean, it seems as though you’ve already poured all your love into it. Maybe you deserve a break?”
“I can’t take a break right now,” Breakbeat said, praying for the strength to get through this awkward conversation. Rajani was the most brazen of the bunch, and she seemed to take his gentle refusals as encouragement to try harder. He recategorized his problems, the little dragon was enough of a nuisance to create a new category just for her. Plants, Rajani, and then the rest of the suitors.
“Please,” he said after she asked again, “Just leave me alone for now.”
“Fine,” Rajani said, seeing it was a losing battle. “Can I expect to see you at dinner tonight?”
Breakbeat wasn’t a fan of the communal dinners. Before the suitors, there was a communal dinner with his family and close friends several times a moon cycle. Now they were expected to show up at least every other day, and playing politics was far too draining. The original intent of a sense of community and coming together was warped and turned into a competition of who could hold their attention the longest. It was becoming a pain, something Clashtrack managed to slip away from but Breakbeat had yet to master. Feigning sickness might work one night, but he was really beginning to get sick of all of this nonsense.
“Maybe,” Breakbeat replied after an extended moment of silence.
“Amazing!” Rajani said with a smile that might have been sincere. “I’ll see you there. If I beat you, I’ll save a seat for you.” Her mission objective met, she walked away to terrorize whoever else was on her list.
“Just great,” Breakbeat muttered, able to refocus on his plant.
“That would not have been a good match.”
Breakbeat jumped, nearly cursing at his brother. Clashtrack had the uncanny ability to appear out of thin air, and he didn’t have a chance, especially when Breakbeat was concentrating and distracted.
“You must teach me your ways,” Breakbeat muttered while Clashtrack grinned. It wasn’t the reaction Clashtrack was hoping for, but it was amusing to him. “I have got to get better at sneaking around and avoiding these suitors.”
Clashtrack just chuckled. “You might be a bit too flowery for that,” he said, “But let me know if she gets too out of hand.” He spared a glance in the direction that she left, as if to confirm she was really gone. “She’s become a nuisance to all.”
“I know,” Breakbeat said, a little too loudly. “Can we just kick or out or something?”
“Not without risking the wrath of her family,” Clashtrack said, “But she does come from a relatively minor house. Still, they are close in proximity to us and seem willing to aid us in reining in the Syndicate. We just have to hang in there a little longer.”
“Has anyone caught your eye?” Breakbeat asked, not looking up from his plant. He knew Clashtrack wouldn’t take it personally..
“No, not yet,” Clashtrack said, a bit awkward. “There are some powerful bloodlines here, but none that have caught my eye.”
“Waiting for love at first sight?” Breakbeat asked, and Clashtrack rolled his eyes even though he knew Breakbeat wouldn’t notice. “Or perhaps a lord instead of a lady to sweep you off your feet?”
“Nothing of the sort,” Clashtrack said with a snort. “I don’t believe in love at first sight, and the couple needs to be able to produce heirs of their own to qualify. Besides, I want a confident personality.” He paused, reflecting for a moment. “I want a relationship, not a worship. So far, almost all the suitors have been running around trying to do anything and everything to make us fall in love. That’s not a good foundation for any kind of relationship.”
Breakbeat blinked. “That’s actually a really fair assessment,” he said. He couldn’t recall a single suitor he’d spoken with that wasn’t swooning over him and trying to earn his favor.
“What are you looking for?” Clashtrack asked.
“I don’t know,” Breakbeat said honestly. “I’m not gunning for the crown, not that anyone knows that, but I know I’m still expected to at least try and foster relationships. True love is just a bonus, what I really need is someone who I can at least tolerate for the rest of my life, with the potential for more.”
Clashtrack nodded. “Just keep your head down around Rajani,” he said, “I’ll do my best to redirect her when I can.”
“Thanks,” Breakbeat said, looking up to flash Clashtrack a smile. “You’re the best.”
Clashtrack said his goodbyes before slipping away, always clearing every hallway before moving. He didn’t care about the staff, they were used to his presence, but now was not the time to be stalled. His skills had proven to be useful yet again, and slipping in and out of places silently was something he almost did subconsciously.
His supposed mysteriousness didn’t help with the attention he was getting. His siblings, parents, and friends had gotten used to his quiet demeanour, avoiding social situations and a constant observer. He’d hoped his mask of almost apathy would be enough to scare the suitos off, and some took the hint, but others took it as a challenge. Luckily, he was always three steps ahead of them at any given time.
The very least he could do with his skillset was help his siblings. Oh, he wanted the crown, but he didn’t want power at the cost of destroying his family. He refused to let it come to that, and knew at the beginning of this challenge he’d have his work cut out for him. In addition to keeping the peace between his siblings, poor Lyric was having a hard time with all the attention she was getting and so was Pyre.
Nearly everyone was on his list, with Radioriot having it the easiest. His brother’s low tolerance and quick temper meant he wasn’t afraid to snap at the suitors, unlike the rest of his unfortunate siblings.
Technically, there wasn’t just the crown up for grabs. Hazard’s official post as the head of the guard would eventually need to be filled, with Technopyre, Perilverse, and Radioriot vying for that in addition to the crown. Internal and Foreign affairs was being split between two dragons, with Majesty and Emera sharing the duties. If Clashtrack couldn’t get the crown, that post was his second-best option. Even better, it didn’t require any mates or heirs while still giving the dragon in question enough power to sway the stronghold.
He checked the next hallway, spotting Perilverse well before she spotted him. His mind raced. If Clashtrack won the throne, he could help Perilverse inherit the guard. Acidriff or Lyricstriker would be easy enough to get along with, and–
“Hey there,” Perilverse said. She was dirty, covered in the arena sand, and half tracking it all over the palace.
“How’s your squadron?” Clashtrack asked.
“Still a mess,” Perilverse admitted. “Trix and Javelin have been beating us up.”
Clashtrack smiled, remembering how tough his lessons with the pair had been. While they were officially in charge of training new recruits, Perilverse put in a request a few moons ago to have her squadron personally tested and trained.
“I’m sure you’ll be able to push through it,” Clashtrack said. He’d read the reports, they were advancing in their training just fine.
“Normally, I’d agree,” Perilverse said. “But with the suitors arriving, I haven’t been able to spend as much time with my squad as I’d like. I’m supposed to be their leader, I can't be absent.”
“That’s fair,” Clashtrack agreed.
“And then the suitors themselves, I can’t find a single good match!” Perilverse said, “I like someone, spend time with them, and then they can’t even tell a rapier from a saber!”
Clashtrack actually laughed at that. “Well, better than not liking any of them,” he said.
“Of course you would be picky,” Perilverse teased. “All your snooping around and you haven’t found a single one that’s caught your eye?”
“No,” Clashtrack said, his eyes narrowing playfully. “None of them are good enough.”
“Well, if you’re not looking for yourself, the very least you could be doing is window shopping for me,” Perilverse replied, “Unless you don’t have the skills for that?”
“Oh, I have the skills,” Clashtrack said, “I’ll find you a good match, hopefully someone who knows a rapier from a saber.”
“They better!” Perilverse said, the siblings grinning as they gossiped about the new arrivals.
They’d get through this, Clashtrack thought. Maybe it didn’t have to be so bad after all.
[/indent]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/FsYDGjp.png[/img]
@Shattered Royalty Lineage: All Updates
@Shattered Royalty Lineage: Chapter Releases
A reminder that this can also be read on
Archive of Our Own for easier reading!
Featured Characters: (In order of appearance)
Introductions
Shattered Outliers Stronghold (SOS)
“I don’t know how you do it,” Pyre said, shaking her head.
“Well,” Lyric said with a smile, “It helps when they’re not too bad looking.” She adjusted her earrings in the mirror, making sure they were as symmetrical as possible.
“Floating from suitor to suitor? How do you even have time for all that?” Pyre asked. It had only been a week since the suitors arrived, and already Lyric had gone on four dates. Four! Sure, Pyre had been asked, but she’d always deflected.
“You clear your schedule,” Lyric said with a shrug. “Sorrel’s my favorite so far, he was such a gentleman on the first date. I really hope he doesn’t disappoint me.”
The black and blue dragon huffed. “I thought you said Larimar was your favorite yesterday?”
“Larimar didn’t give me flowers this morning at breakfast,” Lyric pointed out, “And he was a bit stiff at our date. He’d be better suited to Spin or Peril, not that he knows that just yet.”
“How can you know all that?” Peril asked. She was good at reading intentions, but not in a socializing way. One had to know what every shift and twitch meant when you were sizing up an opponent, but she couldn’t just translate that to mind games. She knew that the suitors were fake, at least some of them, but she couldn’t figure out what they were trying to redirect her from.
“Sometimes you can just tell. Oh, don’t be like that, they’ve all been fawning over me as the eldest,” Lyric said, “They think it will get them closer to the crown, but they don’t know our parents.”
“Evidently not,” Pyre said, “And all their fake fawning just makes me even more reluctant to see any of them. I’m not looking for something fake, I’m looking for something real. No offence.”
“None taken,” Lyric said with a toothy grin. “Just keep pushing them away, take some time for yourself and figure out who you want and then if any of them meet your criteria.”
“What are your criteria?” Pyre asked.
“Easy on the eyes, compatible personalities, and a bloodline that will scare off the Syndicate. That little flower boy can only hug people. The spoiled noble gives me a headache. I’m not even going to bother to ask how Impulse got here with his ‘heritage,’ and Repent is too busy sucking up to have any personality whatsoever,” Lyric said, wrapping up the last touches of her outfit. Gold and blue scales were perfectly accented with starry jewelry and a simple yet elegant robe. “That leaves Sorrel and Larimar left, at least for the boys. Sorrel isn’t as highly regarded in his house as Larimar is, but the House of Talos is by far stronger than the House of the Forgotten. He’s got ties to the House of Ignis, but again, not strong enough. At least not for me.”
Pyre blinked, taking in the information. “You really know you’re stuff,” she said, “Did you get that from your conversations?”
“Oh, no,” Lyric said, “I traded Clashtrack. He wanted additional insight into all the male suitors in exchange for their backgrounds, probably to play his politics. I’m not too concerned about him meddling, at least not yet.”
“I can’t see him meddling in a match,” Pyre said. She knew her brother better than that. “In whatever trials our parents come up with, yes, but he’s not cruel enough to manipulate who we are spending the rest of our lives with.”
“Hypothetically,” Lyric said with a grin. “Now, I’m almost late for that date, but I’ll catch up with you after. You’ll hear the juicy details after dinner!”
“Do I have a choice?” Pyre asked, trying to sound exasperated but failing.
“Nope!” Lyric said, “And don’t stay in the North Wing all day, otherwise you won’t meet anyone! Have fun!”
“Are those your favorites?”
Lyric looked up from the twisting vines with their pale blue flowers. “Yes,” she said, scooting over a tiny bit as Sorrel slid into the seat next to her. His abyss and copper feathers shone in the light, the iridescence painting a new picture. “They’re not popular with decoration because they only bloom in the morning and at night, and sometimes I watch the transition from night to dawn.”
“We didn’t have morning glories,” Sorrel said, “But we did have moonflowers back at home. They grew on the perimeter fences and were quite stunning, especially when one flew over them.”
“I can imagine that,” Lyric said. “I planted these when I was younger, and they’ve become a favorite in the Stronghold for our graveyard shift patrolers.”
“My favorites were always the orchids, I loved how bright and vibrant they are,” Sorrel said, “I had one that hung in my windowsill.”
Lyric perked up at that. “Would you like to see ours?” she asked, “I’m sure I could arrange for one to be taken to your room.”
“That’s very kind,” Sorrel said, a small smile gracing his face. He was always so serious, and every time Lyric got an emotion to filter through, it felt like a small victory.
They admired the orchids for a while, and Lyric caught Sorrel’s eyes wandering back to the same flower. It was beautiful with its sunset colored petals, and as soon as Sorrel left, she flagged down the gardener to have it delivered. They had dozens of gorgeous orchids, and after making sure it wasn’t one of her brother’s sentimental plants, she was confident it wouldn’t be missed.
It was hard to tell if Sorrel was the dragon for her, but at the very least, the gift would make her look good in the eyes of the House of Talos. She reminded herself that this courting period wasn’t just about finding her mate, but about creating as many strong connections as possible.
She took off her starry attire and wondered what else she could dazzle Sorrel with.
“Might I have a moment of your time, my lady?”
Songfire looked up from her studies. They were very important if she ever wanted to run a kingdom successfully, and while the inventory statements were boring, they were vital to running the stronghold. She’d known for years how they ran and her siblings had the same knowledge, but it never hurt to be up to speed on their status.
“What can I help you with?” Songfire asked politely, setting down the book for show. Standing before her was a green and black dragon, gold and green adornments dripping off of him. She’d seen him around, but for the life of her couldn’t remember his name.
“I’d like to give you this token,” he said, pulling out a box and opening it. Inside was a dazzling gemstone, one that Songfire couldn’t identify but was sure was worth something based on the way it was smoothly polished and barely imperfect. The chain was either silver or imitation, and it complemented the dark purple crystal perfectly. “I’d like you to have it, no strings attached.”
Songfire had to stop herself from snorting, no strings attached? He might as well have said then and there he wanted a favor from her, or her hand. “Thank you,” she said instead, mustering up her most sincere smile as she slipped it on. “It’s beautiful.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, “My name is Voxis, my lady, and I’ve searched far and wide to find a place that I’d be proud to call home.”
“Well,” Songfire said, forcing herself to sit still, “I hope you find what you’re looking for.” If Voxis thought he was the first to say this line, he was mistaken. Others had similar phrasing, but she’d been able to escape, but now all she wanted to do was bury herself in the inventory statements. What a sad day it was to want to disappear into the most boring book in the library!
“I was wondering if you were free, perhaps later today?” Well, at least he had the decency to recognize that she was in the middle of something.
“I’ll be free this evening, after dinner,” Songfire replied. Hopefully, that would give her enough time to run through a variety of scenarios to figure out how exactly she wanted to play this. That and it gave her enough time to fake an excuse or someone to legitimately need her help.
“Wonderful,” Voxis said, bowing slightly. “I shall see you then.”
Songfire huffed as soon as he left the library. “Boys,” she said, picking up the book again. On her shoulder, Topaz shifted, the little gecko finding another comfortable perch.
As if the week couldn’t get any worse, his flowers weren’t doing well. One moment, they were fine, and the next one of them had some sort of fungal infection. The cure came a few days too late, and Breakbeat was struggling to keep it alive. He poured every ounce of love and care into that plant, and it had the audacity to continue to wilt and defy him.
It was one of the many flowers with purple blooms he cultivated, and this one, especially, had given him lovely petals to use in his garlands and pressed bookmarks the year prior.
The suitors were a close second, stressing him out nearly as much as his plant was. They all thought that him hunkered over his plant was the perfect time to approach him and ask how his day was, or if he wanted to share a meal with them.
“Just a moment of your time,” Rajani said, all smiles as she tried to woo him.
“Not now,” Breakbeat said, starting to lose his patience. He had to concentrate, what was he missing? Surely there was some fertilizer that would give his plant the boost it needed or a chemical he could spray on without damaging the plant further. “I’m busy now and later.”
Rajani frowned, Breakbeat just barely catching it out of the corner of his eye. “Don’t tell me you’re giving up on a date for some flowers,” she said, and when he leveled a glare at her, she changed her tone. “I mean, it seems as though you’ve already poured all your love into it. Maybe you deserve a break?”
“I can’t take a break right now,” Breakbeat said, praying for the strength to get through this awkward conversation. Rajani was the most brazen of the bunch, and she seemed to take his gentle refusals as encouragement to try harder. He recategorized his problems, the little dragon was enough of a nuisance to create a new category just for her. Plants, Rajani, and then the rest of the suitors.
“Please,” he said after she asked again, “Just leave me alone for now.”
“Fine,” Rajani said, seeing it was a losing battle. “Can I expect to see you at dinner tonight?”
Breakbeat wasn’t a fan of the communal dinners. Before the suitors, there was a communal dinner with his family and close friends several times a moon cycle. Now they were expected to show up at least every other day, and playing politics was far too draining. The original intent of a sense of community and coming together was warped and turned into a competition of who could hold their attention the longest. It was becoming a pain, something Clashtrack managed to slip away from but Breakbeat had yet to master. Feigning sickness might work one night, but he was really beginning to get sick of all of this nonsense.
“Maybe,” Breakbeat replied after an extended moment of silence.
“Amazing!” Rajani said with a smile that might have been sincere. “I’ll see you there. If I beat you, I’ll save a seat for you.” Her mission objective met, she walked away to terrorize whoever else was on her list.
“Just great,” Breakbeat muttered, able to refocus on his plant.
“That would not have been a good match.”
Breakbeat jumped, nearly cursing at his brother. Clashtrack had the uncanny ability to appear out of thin air, and he didn’t have a chance, especially when Breakbeat was concentrating and distracted.
“You must teach me your ways,” Breakbeat muttered while Clashtrack grinned. It wasn’t the reaction Clashtrack was hoping for, but it was amusing to him. “I have got to get better at sneaking around and avoiding these suitors.”
Clashtrack just chuckled. “You might be a bit too flowery for that,” he said, “But let me know if she gets too out of hand.” He spared a glance in the direction that she left, as if to confirm she was really gone. “She’s become a nuisance to all.”
“I know,” Breakbeat said, a little too loudly. “Can we just kick or out or something?”
“Not without risking the wrath of her family,” Clashtrack said, “But she does come from a relatively minor house. Still, they are close in proximity to us and seem willing to aid us in reining in the Syndicate. We just have to hang in there a little longer.”
“Has anyone caught your eye?” Breakbeat asked, not looking up from his plant. He knew Clashtrack wouldn’t take it personally..
“No, not yet,” Clashtrack said, a bit awkward. “There are some powerful bloodlines here, but none that have caught my eye.”
“Waiting for love at first sight?” Breakbeat asked, and Clashtrack rolled his eyes even though he knew Breakbeat wouldn’t notice. “Or perhaps a lord instead of a lady to sweep you off your feet?”
“Nothing of the sort,” Clashtrack said with a snort. “I don’t believe in love at first sight, and the couple needs to be able to produce heirs of their own to qualify. Besides, I want a confident personality.” He paused, reflecting for a moment. “I want a relationship, not a worship. So far, almost all the suitors have been running around trying to do anything and everything to make us fall in love. That’s not a good foundation for any kind of relationship.”
Breakbeat blinked. “That’s actually a really fair assessment,” he said. He couldn’t recall a single suitor he’d spoken with that wasn’t swooning over him and trying to earn his favor.
“What are you looking for?” Clashtrack asked.
“I don’t know,” Breakbeat said honestly. “I’m not gunning for the crown, not that anyone knows that, but I know I’m still expected to at least try and foster relationships. True love is just a bonus, what I really need is someone who I can at least tolerate for the rest of my life, with the potential for more.”
Clashtrack nodded. “Just keep your head down around Rajani,” he said, “I’ll do my best to redirect her when I can.”
“Thanks,” Breakbeat said, looking up to flash Clashtrack a smile. “You’re the best.”
Clashtrack said his goodbyes before slipping away, always clearing every hallway before moving. He didn’t care about the staff, they were used to his presence, but now was not the time to be stalled. His skills had proven to be useful yet again, and slipping in and out of places silently was something he almost did subconsciously.
His supposed mysteriousness didn’t help with the attention he was getting. His siblings, parents, and friends had gotten used to his quiet demeanour, avoiding social situations and a constant observer. He’d hoped his mask of almost apathy would be enough to scare the suitos off, and some took the hint, but others took it as a challenge. Luckily, he was always three steps ahead of them at any given time.
The very least he could do with his skillset was help his siblings. Oh, he wanted the crown, but he didn’t want power at the cost of destroying his family. He refused to let it come to that, and knew at the beginning of this challenge he’d have his work cut out for him. In addition to keeping the peace between his siblings, poor Lyric was having a hard time with all the attention she was getting and so was Pyre.
Nearly everyone was on his list, with Radioriot having it the easiest. His brother’s low tolerance and quick temper meant he wasn’t afraid to snap at the suitors, unlike the rest of his unfortunate siblings.
Technically, there wasn’t just the crown up for grabs. Hazard’s official post as the head of the guard would eventually need to be filled, with Technopyre, Perilverse, and Radioriot vying for that in addition to the crown. Internal and Foreign affairs was being split between two dragons, with Majesty and Emera sharing the duties. If Clashtrack couldn’t get the crown, that post was his second-best option. Even better, it didn’t require any mates or heirs while still giving the dragon in question enough power to sway the stronghold.
He checked the next hallway, spotting Perilverse well before she spotted him. His mind raced. If Clashtrack won the throne, he could help Perilverse inherit the guard. Acidriff or Lyricstriker would be easy enough to get along with, and–
“Hey there,” Perilverse said. She was dirty, covered in the arena sand, and half tracking it all over the palace.
“How’s your squadron?” Clashtrack asked.
“Still a mess,” Perilverse admitted. “Trix and Javelin have been beating us up.”
Clashtrack smiled, remembering how tough his lessons with the pair had been. While they were officially in charge of training new recruits, Perilverse put in a request a few moons ago to have her squadron personally tested and trained.
“I’m sure you’ll be able to push through it,” Clashtrack said. He’d read the reports, they were advancing in their training just fine.
“Normally, I’d agree,” Perilverse said. “But with the suitors arriving, I haven’t been able to spend as much time with my squad as I’d like. I’m supposed to be their leader, I can't be absent.”
“That’s fair,” Clashtrack agreed.
“And then the suitors themselves, I can’t find a single good match!” Perilverse said, “I like someone, spend time with them, and then they can’t even tell a rapier from a saber!”
Clashtrack actually laughed at that. “Well, better than not liking any of them,” he said.
“Of course you would be picky,” Perilverse teased. “All your snooping around and you haven’t found a single one that’s caught your eye?”
“No,” Clashtrack said, his eyes narrowing playfully. “None of them are good enough.”
“Well, if you’re not looking for yourself, the very least you could be doing is window shopping for me,” Perilverse replied, “Unless you don’t have the skills for that?”
“Oh, I have the skills,” Clashtrack said, “I’ll find you a good match, hopefully someone who knows a rapier from a saber.”
“They better!” Perilverse said, the siblings grinning as they gossiped about the new arrivals.
They’d get through this, Clashtrack thought. Maybe it didn’t have to be so bad after all.
