Note: This is only the second draft of the story. The focus of the second draft is to clean up major issues with the plot, structure, world, and characters. It will still have plenty of wrinkles and messiness, but it shouldn't be as bad as the first draft was.
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The afternoon sun glinted off the waters of Lonely Lake, making it sparkle. As lakes went, it was very small, and it was named Lonely, because of its secluded location. As secluded as it got in Calahr, anyway. The woods closed in around the water, leaving only one clearing along the southern bank, the side furthest from Central, and nearest to the peaks.
It was the best place in all of Calahr for some peace and quiet, without heading into the peaks. As such, it was the favorite hangout spot for Red and his friends, though the time they spent together had been dwindling.
This afternoon, of all afternoons, Red needed the escape. Only Zephyr had been available, but that was okay. Even if they couldn't get the whole group together, at least there was someone he could waste the day with, and of all dragons, that happened to be Zephyr. His first and best friend.
Red lounged on his belly, with his forelegs stretched in front of him, and his wings tucked loosely at his sides. He could enjoy the view of sparkling water until the sun set.
"Ahh, I miss the old days!" Zephyr sighed, drawing Red's attention.
He watched with a raised brow as his friend chugged the second half of his drink, then tossed the empty bottle onto the growing pile. The blue dragon wasn't a light weight, that was for sure, even taking into account that the dreck they were drinking was weak as spit.
"You and Violet were close as can be, Moon and Night were disgustingly lovey-dovey, and we could hang out everyday!" Zephyr said, grabbing another drink. "No job, no real obligations, just us."
Zephyr had, as usual, put himself in charge of supplying the booze, which was fair, considering that he always drank more, out of the two of them.
"I think you're remembering it over fondly," Red snorted. "There was always some sort of trouble, and you were always at the center of it."
"Not always!"
"Weasel? Hopper?"
"Damn." The blue drake took a swig. "You wanna talk about a shitty love life? Least I've had relationships."
Calling either of those a relationship was incredibly generous, and Zephyr hadn't done anything non-casual since that fiasco at the ball, over a decade ago. Red didn't want to hear about relationships from Zephyr of all dragons, best friend or not.
"Gimme another," Red said, sitting up.
"Another? Haven't you already had more than your usual?"
"Only one more, let's make it two."
Zephyr handed one over. "You know, you're kind of a stud, you could get plenty of nesses if you wanted."
Red choked on the first swig of his drink. "Creator, don't say it like that. Besides, you know I'm not looking for anything right now. Got too much other shit to deal with."
"Starting to think you don't feel attraction to anyone, if not just super repressed. Whatever, maybe it's for the best. Can't have both of you down for the count. Night's being so lame, he should be out drinking with us, not holed up in his room all day."
"They were dating for forever, it can't be easy."
Zephyr grumbled into his drink, then a look of startled realization crossed his face. "Shiiiiit... aren't you supposed to go have dinner with your fam? Won't you be late? Your sister's visiting, yeah?"
"Damn it, Zephyr..." Red downed a huge gulp. "Forget about it."
"Nah, you weren't planning on skipping, were you? You never getta see Violet anymore!"
"Don't talk much when we do see each other."
"Just make up already, it's been years! Bet you don't even remember why you argued. Somethin' stupid, prolly."
"Guess it was, but that doesn't change the fact that we've barely spoken in years, I wouldn't even know what to say. Besides, that's the least of my problems."
"You can't avoid your dad forever. Coward."
"Don't know why you care so much in the first place." He took another long drink.
"I got a million brothers 'n sisters, and don't talk to hardly any of 'em. But I got Cove. You and Vi were like me and Cove, once. Don't know what I would do if I lost Cove, and I always hate to see you throw away your relationship with her."
"I think you've had plenty to drink." Red sighed.
"I know exactly what I'm sayin'!" Zephyr scoffed.
"Maybe you should go home? Leave the drinks with me."
"Not going's just gonna make it worse, 'n no more booze for you! Can't show up late and drunk, be worse than not going."
Red held eye contact as he finished his bottle and tossed it on the pile.
"Fine," Red sighed. "Just go home and don't make a nuisance of yourself. You don't need anything else to drink either."
"Always the responsible one," Zephyr said.
"Only 'cause you and Night are such a disaster. One of us needs to keep our faculties."
Zephyr stuck his tongue out, "Get goin', I'll clean up."
"As long as cleaning up doesn't involve dumping the empty bottles in the lake and pissing off the lahnya."
"That only happened once, and it was one bottle. On accident!"
Red could believe the accident part, but he wasn't feeling charitable enough to concede. If they weren't such close friends, he wouldn't tolerate even half of Zephyr's antics.
"You're lucky I like you." Red sighed, giving himself a good stretch after having sat there most of the afternoon.
"Oh, I know that," Zephyr said, popping open another bottle and taking a swig. "Can't imagine why though."
"You're supposed to be cleaning up, not getting more drunk."
"It's just one more, and this stuff is weak as piss. Quit nagging, you're already late."
He gave his friend a last look of displeasure before taking off. As much of a wreck as Zephyr was in general, he'd never been as reckless with alcohol as Night was.
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The home of his youth came into sight over the treetops. A small meadow, bordered by a few berry bushes, with a den in the middle. A large blanket was spread out on the ground in front of the den, and the family was milling around it, setting food in the center and finding their places on the edge.
He swept, a little unsteadily, into a landing at the edge of the clearing. By the time all four feet were on the ground, the whole family had spotted him, and a few choice individuals ran over to greet him.
The fastest of those choice individuals was his little sister, Poison. "Red! You made it!"
She tackled him in an embrace that nearly knocked him off his feet, through a combination of two facts. As a sixteen year old, beginning her third year of warrior training, she had more weight to throw around than when she was younger, and he wasn't quite sober.
"You never visit," Poison complained. "I wanna show you what I've learned in training! Can we go flying again? It's been forever since we went flying!"
Before he could even think to respond to any of that, Poison wasn't the only one begging for his attention.
"Uncie Wred, Uncie Wred!" Violet's three little daughters had caught up.
The lighter blue one started running circles around him, chanting his name. The black one pounced on his tail and was attempting to wrestle with it. The third, with dark blue scales, sat down and scrutinized him with comical severity, her pale green eyes narrowed.
"Something wrong, Blackberry?" He asked the little one.
"You late," she said.
"Ah, that's true..." She must have been listening in on the grown-ups. "You see, I would have been here on time, but I had to fight with a monster first."
"A monster?" Blackberry cocked her head, curiosity blooming on her face. The other two appeared at her side, their interest also piqued.
"Yes. A tall, lanky thing, with smelly breath." Zephyr would probably find that description more amusing than offensive.
Three pairs of purple and green eyes widened, and they leaned forward in their places, eager to hear more.
"Was it scawy?" The black one, Lavender, asked. She looked like she wasn't sure if she should be scared or not herself.
"Not really, but he does like to play tricks, and I couldn't let him go around messing with everyone."
"Did ya beat 'im?" The light blue one, Sky, asked. She wriggled in place, as if too excited about the story to sit still.
"Of course! But he did make me late for dinner." This little tale wouldn't stop everyone else from being mad at him, but at least it entertained his nieces.
"What are you filling their heads with?"
Red looked up and met Violet's gaze. He must have been too focused on the little ones to notice her approach. "Oh, nothing."
"Uncie Wred fought a monster!" Lavender announced.
"Did he?" Violet raised a brow. "Well, you'll have to ask your uncle for more monster stories later, go with your father and wash up for dinner."
There was a chorus of complaints, but they ran off to do as their mother said.
"Sounds more like you were out with Zephyr," Poison said.
"Smells like it too." Violet sighed. "What were you thinking?"
Before Red could respond, he spotted their mother coming up behind Violet.
"Poison, go help your siblings," Emerald said.
The young ness rolled her eyes and groaned, but headed back to the picnic blanket. Their siblings didn't seem to be doing anything other than waiting though.
"You're late again," Emerald groaned when Poison was gone. "You live just over in Central, but you're always late! Violet doesn't get to visit us often, couldn't you try a little?"
"Mom, it's fine," Violet said. "Haven't we all come to expect as much anyway?"
"I just lost track of time," Red lied.
"Don't try that excuse with dad, especially not with alcohol on your breath. We all know you were out drinking with Zephyr and Night again."
"Just Zephyr."
"Does it matter?"
"I guess not." He didn't know if Violet was even aware of their friends' break-up yet, but at the moment he couldn't expect her to care.
"It's bad enough you're late," Emerald said. "Why would you choose today of all days to go drinking?"
"I only had a couple."
"You're a terrible liar," Violet said, an oft repeated sentence.
"A couple more than usual," he admitted. "Do I seem drunk though? That cat piss Zephyr dregs up is practically flavored water, and my usual is next to nothing." Mostly because someone needed to be clear headed enough to deal with Night and Zephyr when they were drunk.
Violet frowned, then gave him a good shoulder-to-shoulder shove. Well, a good shove for a ness who spent all day in a clinic. Regardless, it made Red stumble, just a bit. If he'd seen it coming, he could have braced against it, easily.
"That doesn't mean anything," Red said. "I'm perfectly coherent."
"If a bit loose with your language. Just don't start spouting words like 'piss' around the rest of the family," Violet said. "Especially not the little ones, I don't need them picking up that kind of language."
"And try not to start anything with your father," Emerald added. "I'd like things to go well, for once."
"Start something?" Red scoffed. "Do you even hear the way he talks to me? He's the one starting shit!"
"Language!" Violet hissed. "What did I just tell you?"
"I understand," Emerald said. "But you don't have to react."
"This isn't going well," Violet said.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Red said. "I'll try not to disappoint."
"Seriously, your attitude needs to improve before we go sit down. Dad's going to be a pain regardless, because you're late. You don't need to make it worse."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it..."
"We shouldn't make them wait any longer," Emerald said. "Look, Wind's already sitting down with the little ones."
With a lot of inward moaning, groaning, and sighing, Red followed his mother and sister over to the rest of the family, with Violet shooting him warning glances the whole way.
"Look who finally decided to join us," said his father, Spark.
"Yes, well, coming is always such a difficult decision," Red replied, which earned him a pair of sharp looks.
"Since we're all here," Emerald said, "Shall we eat?"
Slowly, hesitantly, everyone started serving themselves portions of the food. There were freshly picked berries, mushrooms, tubers, tender greens, and roast venison. As for family members present, of course there were their parents, Violet with her husband and three daughters, and Red's four younger siblings.
Poison and Smoke went right for the venison, Gem started with mushrooms, and Pierce picked at the berries.
The former three were all in warrior training, and after having completed two years of it, their physical condition contrasted with Pierce. He was already what one might call a runt, shorter than average, and as a scholar of history, he also got less exercise than the other three, making him look even slighter in comparison.
Additionally, Pierce always carried himself like he didn't want to be noticed, shrinking even smaller than he already was, taking up the least amount of space, and staying well out of everyone else's way. Red knew it wasn't just natural inclination either, it was behavior that had been, quite literally, beaten into him.
Red flicked his gaze towards Smoke. The gray brute was acting as normal as could be, but Red knew the violence underneath. It was a violence that probably made him a terrifying opponent in a fight. Zephyr also had such violence within him, but Zephyr's violent tendencies had been directed towards protecting those weaker than himself. Smoke was just a bully.
Even as a hatchling, he'd been more... bitey, than the others. Pierce had always been reserved, and sensitive, surely a product of their mother smothering him, but he hadn't always tried to be invisible, or shied away from others. That was Smoke's doing.
Back before he'd moved out, Red had mostly gotten in the way of Smoke's harassment, simply by being around. Might it have gotten worse afterwards? He didn't actually know if it was still going on either. Surely they'd matured beyond that by now? Sixteen was a bit old for such childish cruelty, it was probably okay now.
"Wine?" Emerald asked the group, opening a bottle of red berry wine from the eastern kingdom, something of a rare treat.
Red opened his mouth, caught a glare from Violet, and thought better of it. If he asked for a glass, she looked like she might try to break it over his head. "None for you," was her clear sentiment. Their mother probably wasn't inclined to give it to him either. Damn, could things get any worse?
He tried to keep his gaze averted as his mother served glasses to all of the other adults, except Wind, who didn't drink, ever. Red had never gotten an explanation as to why, WInd got uncomfortable when asked about it, even indirectly, so he assumed it must have been some sort of bad experience in the past.
Wind didn't like talking about himself much in general, so Red felt like he hardly knew his brother-in-law, even taking in consideration how little they saw each other overall. He knew that Wind was an orphan from the northern border, where most orphans seem to come from, and Violet met him when they were working at the same clinic, but little else.
Thinking about it, he had the same sort of abused nature that Pierce did, though to a lesser extent, like he'd managed to regain a bit of confidence. If that was an accurate assessment, it was little wonder he didn't like talking about himself, and the reason he didn't like drinking.
Though he didn't know Wind well, Red never got the sense that he was anything but kind and loving with Violet and their family. If Red had any right to have opinions on Violet's life anyway.
"So, Red," Emerald said, "What have you been up to?"
"Just, the same as usual. Work, hanging out with Zephyr and the others, more work."
"Still no special ness then? Are you still friends with Dawn?"
"Mom, she's just a friend, and I'm only twenty eight, just because Violet's already married-"
"I know, I know, but a mother likes to ask."
"He's hardly mature or responsible enough for a relationship, let alone a family, anyway," Spark added.
"Yes, I'm sure you know all about that," Red said, trying really hard not to scoff.
Red would never forget how close his father came to abandoning them after Slate died. He actually had left for several days. Sometimes Red wondered if it wouldn't have been better if he really did leave and never come back. Of course, if that were the case, Poison and Pierce wouldn't be around, and it wasn't fair to them to think about such things.
Losing Slate had been hard on all of them, Red would have given anything to have his brother back, but Spark had seen fit to take it out on everyone else, Emerald was the careless fool who let it happen, and Red was the useless, defective child that should have drowned instead. That last part had never been put into words, but the resentment was obvious enough.
Very mature and responsible.
"You can't even get a decent job," Spark said. "All you do is stand in place all day. By the time I was your age, I was already Queen Orchid's personal guard."
"I guard the palace, where she lives, and if you haven't noticed, there's a distinct lack of young princesses running around right now. Not to mention, you only got that job because you're her favorite big brother. Nepotism isn't exactly impressive."
"Say what you want about it, you've clearly failed to leverage your position as her nephew."
"That feels like cheating, who would actually respect me? Not to mention, she has about a million nieces and nephews, she can't give all of us special treatment."
"You said yourself that I'm her favorite brother, and you're supposed to be my son."
"You were, at the very least, the two of you never talk anymore, outside of a professional capacity. Speaking of your job, I know you're intentionally scheduling my friends and I so that we don't have many of the same days off. Thanks for that."
"Clearly, I should have scheduled Zephyr to work today, that was a mistake," Spark said. "I would have, but Night's alcoholism is out of control right now, he's unreliable. I might recommend we fire him."
"Spark," Emerald said reproachfully.
Sure, just kick him while he's down, that'll help. It's not like it wasn't fair for someone to lose their job if they're unreliable and can't do it properly, but Spark was vindictive. He'd probably been waiting for a reason to fire any and every one of them.
"Your friends aside," Spark said, "I suppose it isn't fair to expect much from you anyway. As you are, standing in place all day is probably the only thing you're suited for."
"Oh yes, your favorite talking point, we can never go one conversation without mentioning what a useless warrior I am, if I can barely fly. Yet somehow I managed to make it through my training in the top of my class. What a mystery. It's not as if flying is only a minimally useful ability for anyone who isn't specialized in aerial combat, that would be a silly idea! No, I'm just a defect who only got by because my aunt is the queen, right?"
At this point, Red barely registered that other members of the family were evacuating the area. Wind and the little ones had been among the first to go, with Pierce not far behind.
"Here we go again with your temper tantrums," Spark sighed. "Most dragons grow out of that as children."
"You know what else most dragons grow out of as children? Saying whatever the fuck they want, to whoever they want, without a bit of care!"
"If you can't keep your temper in check, it's a wonder you haven't found yourself in a lot more trouble over the years, you're entirely too sensitive. I suppose Zephyr has rubbed off on you in many ways."
Red let out a harsh laugh, "Creator, you love to act all high and mighty, but I can never be more of a fuck up than you are. It must be nice, having your little sister there to sweep everything under the rug."
A look came over his father's face that made his blood run cold. Spark's eyes changed, like something had snapped, and he no longer recognized anything other than the need to fight. His hand shot up. Red only had a fraction of a second to see it, before his own gut reaction took over, and he cringed, bracing himself.
But no blow came, and when Red looked again, Spark still had his hand raised, frozen for a moment as he grimaced with anger and curled his claws into a fist before lowering it.
Though there had been no strike, Red's heart pounded with a fear he had not experienced since childhood, a feeling of helplessness and vulnerability, at the mercy of someone he could not fight. Emerald and Violet were dead silent, and the brief glance he sent their way revealed their stricken expressions.
"You know nothing!" Spark snapped, pulling Red somewhat out of his stupor. "Do not speak to me about things you don't understand!"
Red drew a deep breath, trying to keep steady, but there was still a shakiness to it. He had a hard time getting angry again, he was too stunned. Spark, his father, had never struck him, nor threatened to, before. Not with anything other than his words. Of course, no one had ever thrown the past in his face like Red just had either. The things Spark had seen, experienced, and done with his own father was a topic avoided entirely.
"Are you okay?" Violet asked, trying to get closer to him, perhaps with the desire to offer some form of comfort.
Red pulled away from her and looked towards his father. Spark grimaced and turned away, heading inside. His father had never been the first to leave either. Next, Red looked to his mother. Emerald looked as stunned as he'd felt. Her green gaze flicked between her son and where her husband had disappeared.
"I can't believe he almost hit you," Violet said. "I can't believe you said that!"
"Guess I was asking for it," Red snorted, his gaze falling to the half empty bottle of wine.
"Red..." Emerald started, but didn't seem to know what to actually say. She never did know what to do about them.
He picked up the wine bottle and stretched his wings.
"You're just going to leave now," Violet said, more statement than question.
"Why stay?"
"You could apologize."
"For what?"
"You weren't exactly in the right either."
"I'll never get an apology from him." Red shrugged his wings. "I'm not not feeling particularly apologetic right now either."
"Even if he doesn't say it," Emerald said, "I'm sure he regrets what happened."
"Silent regrets mean nothing, and he has a lot more to apologize for than just this."
"Can we at least talk about what happened?" Violet asked. "Are you okay?"
"I don't need your comfort!"
Violet's eyes shone with hurt. "Yeah, I guess you've never needed me."
Red took a breath to speak, then let it go. She shook her head and left. There were a lot of things he wanted to say. Things he'd wanted to say for a very long time.
I miss you.
I'm sorry.
I'll always need you.
He'd probably never get up the courage to say any of it. He didn't know how she would respond, if she would forgive him, if he even wanted her to forgive him. She'd tried to apologize and make things right multiple times over the years, but he never wanted to talk.
"What happened to you two?" Emerald asked. "You used to be inseparable."
"Things change."
She stared, he carefully avoided her gaze, and silence reigned until it was starting to get terribly uncomfortable.
"I should go talk to your father..."
"I'm not keeping you here."
She sighed, and headed into the den with an air of reluctance. Red watched her go. Everyone else had gone. It was time for him to do the same.