You win, Mother.

1

(So this is a story of Orca, Queen Coral’s daughter. I wrote from her perspective. Enjoy! :D)

(Cover image credit to Mike Holmes, the artist of the graphic novel)

I’m powerful.

I could do anything with this power.

Those were exactly my thoughts when I discovered what my talons are capable of doing. The sheer power of it was just mind-blowing.

That was my first impression on animus magic. I’ve overheard Mother and Father discussing it at a very young age of 1, and I doubted the existence of it at first. A sort of supernatural force that could enchant inanimate objects to obey you? That’s got to be the most absurd and ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of.

Well, I changed my mind pretty quick. A week later, while I was hunting for a peculiarly colored fish, I got so frustrated at it and unconsciously flashed Aquatic at it - commanding it to fly into my talons. And so it did.

I chose to hide it from anyone - even my family - instinctively. I’ll decide what to do with them when I become queen.

A SeaWing princess who held immense power within my talons. That was who I was, and I was very proud of it. Imagine what I could do with it - the SeaWings could win instantly! Just one spell, and the other tribes would be bowing submissively, giving way to Queen Blister to become the SandWing queen. 

That was my plan when I was about 2 years old, learning about the entire SandWing war of Succession alongside my non-important royal cousins. Mostly males. None of them were worthy or capable of seizing the throne, even if they were eligible to duel Mother for it.

I’m the only one worthy of the throne.

I felt like I was ready to throw in the challenge. That was until I started slipping in little side notes of royal challenges in front of my parents. My Father, Gill, always shut down the topic immediately whenever I brought it up. My Mother, Queen Coral, always shook her head dismissively and said I was too young for this. Eventually, I learnt that princesses need to be at least 7 years old in order to challenge her. How ridiculous.

The fact that only fully-grown princesses, sisters of the queen, or nieces were eligible for dueling the queen for the throne was very irritating. Why would we need to wait that long? Shouldn’t we be granted permission to fight no matter the age? I believe in my power, my skills. My ambition would guarantee and fuel my win.

I would be a much more capable and wise queen than Mother anyway. Her decisions just seemed to be so timid and cowardly - why hide from other tribes when we have the advantage? Why retreat when we were that close to seizing a considerable amount of SkyWing territory? 

When I slowly grew up and matured, I realized that what I needed was not only power. I also need plans. Foolproof plans to guarantee my win in the royal challenge and to secure my reign after I killed Mother. 

I need something to ensure that I will stay in power forever. Nobody would be able to seize my throne. The thought popped up in my mind as my little sisters, all princesses and potential heirs to the throne, chattered noisily and swam around playfully, bumping into my wings frequently. I growled at them and flashed my scales at them. My smallest sister simply giggled, sending streams of bubbles tickling my face before swimming away.

Enemies.

I need to get rid of them.

When I become queen, they would be eligible to challenge me as well. Sisters of the queen were allowed to challenge. 

And I cannot allow anyone to threaten my rule. 

I rubbed my talons together. What could I possibly do to get rid of all of the threats in a secret way? 

Then it came to me, clear as daylight - my magic. my wonderful, marvelous magic that would be the exact tool for me to fix my problems. 

I need a plan - maybe several.

The years flew by so fast, Mother said. She said it felt like I was only newly hatched about a day ago, but I've been growing up so quickly , but I felt as if they lasted for centuries. Why was time passing by so slow? When would I ever grow up? And why was Mother having more dragonets?

There was only one meaning and definition of this.

More potential threats. More dragons to get rid of.

It wasn’t until I was 6 and a half years old that I started to carry out the plan myself. I had spent lots of my time carving all sorts of different things for Mother and Father before, mostly to please them and to get myself on their good side. I was swimming past the Royal Hatchery when the idea suddenly occurred to me.

What if I make something that Mother would be willing to put in the Royal Hatchery? Then I could guarantee that any new heirs could be disposed of. 

It took me a whole month to carve the dark green marble statue perfectly. I did it non-magically, since every time I carve it with my own talons, I feel the elation and excitement boiling and churning in my chest. This beautiful statue would guarantee me a long, peaceful reign where no one could ever steal my throne away from me.

Surprisingly, the actual enchanting was less time-consuming. Afterall, I didn’t need to be too careful or precise about the wording now. I could always fix any mistakes, when I become queen in the future.

“Mother?” I remember sliding up the dining table quietly. Mother and Father were chatting, Mother offering a whole salmon to my little sister, Beluga. “Mother, I would like to donate a statue that I carved myself. ”

Coral whirled around, evidently pleased. Her tail flicked with pleasure, the narwhal horn on the tip of it gleaming wickedly. 

“How considerate of you, Orca!” Coral patted me on the head with her wing. “I’m sure it would be splendid, even though I haven’t seen it yet. I would never doubt your handiwork, dearest. They’re the best of the best. Everyone was just constantly swarming me and trying to offer everything valuable in order to trade them with your magnificent handiwork. Of course I would never do so. My precious daughter carved it all for me.”

I smiled charmingly. “Mother, how about putting the statue in the Royal Hatchery? I want it to guard and protect my sisters and my future descendants. Symbolically, I mean.”

“That’s a great idea!” Coral looked over to Gill, and he nodded approvingly as well. “You’re the best, sweetheart. I’m sure they’ll all appreciate it once they know about your noble motive.”

I waved my wing at them as I dove back into the Deep Palace, my heart pulsating with pure anticipation and joy. My plan worked. Well, most of it. I would have to beat Mother in the royal challenge.

Which I will. I squashed down the tiny spark of doubt in my chest. I MUST be destined to be queen, with all the power I was given.

The Fates would definitely choose me. There’s nobody who’s more perfect and capable than me.

I will not use my animus power in the fight. I will fight her claw to claw, winning her with pure strength.

***

The agony and pain brought me back to reality. I stared down in shock as Mother’s narwhal horn, the stupid horn she always insisted to wear on her tail, impaled me through the chest. I coughed, disbelieve and horror shooting through my face. My blood was staining everywhere - the sand where we were fighting, the nearby lake, the stone pillars.

The crowd was deadly silent. Were they mourning for me? Had they been rooting for me or Mother?

Mother looked as if someone had impaled HER in the chest, which wasn’t the case at all. The sadness and agony on her face was almost unbearable to watch. She was panting heavily, her face and neck doused with water which I wasn’t even sure was tears or sweat anymore.

I stumbled back, but the narwhal horn just wouldn’t budge. It stayed firmly lodged inside my chest. Alarming amounts of blood was flowing out of that wound, and my several other wounds that Mother gave me during the fight. 

The agony and pain was just unbearable now. My vision swam in and out of focus, the entire world temporarily drained of its every color. The only colorful thing to me was the blood on my talons, on my chest, on my torn gills.

“I did this all wrong.” I gave her a pale smile, mustering all the strength I have left. All the blood loss had left me shivering, as if my body warmth bled out of me as well. “You’re going to rule forever, aren’t you, Mother? You should thank me.”

Mother looked horrified, confused, saddened, all sorts of emotions mixed on her snout. She opened her mouth slightly, as if wanting to say something to me, only to snap it shut again finally. I took a shaky breath.

“No one can stop you now.” I said.

No one can stop you now, and my statue is going to make sure of that.

I was fading in and out of my consciousness now. I was dizzyingly staggering on the sand, my bright red blood dripping everywhere. Mother just stood there, talons slightly outreached, as if trying to cuddle me in her chest and hug me with her wings, just as how she did when I was just a little dragonet.

You win, Mother.

The narwhal horn finally unlodged from my chest. I fell back almost immediately, splashing down into the lake. The crystal clear water became murky, stained. Tendrils of my blood spiraled in the lake.

Could I have used my animus magic to heal myself in time? I don’t know, and I would never know again. If I had had the chance to do so, I have missed it already. 

Farewell, SeaWing Kingdom. Farewell, Mother. Farewell, world.

Farewell, my rightful throne… 

Then darkness swallowed me whole, claiming me, robbing me of the last chance to survive. Death itself snapped its talons, taking my final breath and energy away from me.