Pale winter light shines through the skylight of a frosty root ceiling, revealing the entry room of Nakino’s den at the Grandfather Tree. The last time I was here, this first room housed nothing but fallen leaves, dried-out bedding, and musty scents. Today, with the specter of illness hanging over the aerie, the room is filled with sick Kin waiting patiently for treatment from the overworked healer. Lying on the ground with their wings drawn over their back, they raise their heads as our flock of three enter the den on harried talonsteps. The relief drains from their faces as they understand none of us are the coal-plumaged healer on their rounds to offer relief. Indeed, as heartbreaking as this scene is, none of us are here for those stricken by the mysterious illness. Our interest is in the group of Kin at the back of the den, hovering above a small, ash-plumaged fledge.

Moments ago, we were able to slip through the branches of the Grandfather Tree without attracting a lot of attention. As we landed in the clearing, a talonfull of Kin noticed my arrival and perked their feathers in concern. But then Bonello landed beside me, and all eyes shifted to him. I suppose Chevils don’t often visit other aeries, so the arrival of one in the middle of the day caused quite a stir. Whatever the case, Bonello took a moment to idly preen his feathers, giving us the perfect opportunity to slip away and rush over to Nakino’s den in the roots.

Now that we’re finally there, Kuro wastes no time moving past the ill Kin to reach the crowd at the back of the den. As they sense her approach, they part like moving water, opening a path to the ash-plumaged fledge lying on the floor.

Frida moans lightly as Kuro approaches her. Lying on her side with her eyes closed and wings drawn open, blood-soaked moss covers where her wing curves along the top of the appendage.

Kuro stands above her sister and draws an unsteady breath. “Frida…”

Kuro’s sister moans lightly before opening her eyes. As they focus, a smile forms across her muzzle. “Kuro.”

As Enyll and I approach, Kuro drops to the ground and nuzzles her head against Frida’s. She releases a frail cry, one of relief mixed with anguish. “Tell me what happened.”

After taking a moment to gather her strength, Frida speaks slowly. “I was flying with Assi near Craggy Bottom. We smelled Litsha, so I decided to land and stalk it. At first, I was confused... the scent was fresh but unmoving. Eventually, I came upon the roots of a large tree and found it butchered there. I knew it was suspicious, but I was so hungry that I thought it was worth the risk.”

Kuro’s wings droop in apprehension. I have a bad feeling about this, too.

“By the time I heard them, it was too late. They flew from the branches or around the trunk. I’m not sure. All I know is they were on top of me quicker than a gryhawk. Moth, and another Exile I didn’t recognize. They…” she trails off, and her gaze slides from Kuro to her injured wing. She tries to flex it but winces in pain. “Nakino says they attacked the weakest point. Kuro, he… Nakino says I’m moonbound. I’ll never fly again.”

I slam my eyes shut, and my heart shatters. She’ll never fly again… oh, Goddess, what a terrible fate! There are times when I wish the flock had access to the medical techniques we had in the Farlands, and this is one of them. A Dragon with broken wings is like a Lemur with broken legs. How can a Dragon survive in the flock if they can’t fly? How will she hunt prey? Or return to White Mountain to see her Grandmother? How…

As my mind strews in misery, Kuro whimpers in anguish. I open my eyes to see her openly weeping into Frida’s neck. Unwilling to see her upset, Frida angles her head and lightly preens Kuro’s neck feathers. I’ve never seen Kuro this vulnerable before; even when she thought I had turned into a Lemur, she was more composed than she is right now. Goddess above, this is awful.

“But Kuro,” Frida speaks softly, her fangs still between Kuro’s down feathers. “We still have each other, right? Mom and Dad never had a second chance. So please, don’t be—“

“Where did they attack you?!” Kuro erupts, whipping her head away from Frida. For an uneasy moment, she stares at Kuro but says nothing.

“Moth chased Figano earlier today,” a fledge from the crowd speaks out.

“Yeah,” another drakon responds. “I was flying past Relno’s Leap when Moth flew from an island above me. I tried to fly away, but he just wouldn’t leave me alone. When he finally caught up, he told me that Relmoon was waiting at Vito’s Forest.”

Kuro flicks her tail and unleashes a menacing growl. She gives Frida one final look and rises to her talons, muscling her way past me and Enyll with her wings half-open. As she passes us, I exchange a worried glance with the copper drakon. Even prey could figure out where Kuro was going. Someone has to stop her!

“Kuro?” I raise my head and call out. “Kuro, wait!!”

We set off after her, leaving Frida’s side to follow Kuro onto the roots outside the den. Once there, she opens her wings, preparing to take off at the edge of a root that leads down into the clearing under the tree.

Snow crunches beneath my talons, turning my feathers cold. “Kuro, what are you doing?”

“I’m going to kill him,” Kuro snarls, refusing to look at us . “The only thing Relmoon deserves is death!”

She growls and slams a talon against the ground, her hatred for Relmoon so consuming she can’t stand to even think about him.

Enyll joins me at my side. “Kuro, it’s a trap. Don’t you get it? Relmoon and his flock are going to ambush you!”

Kuro’s feathers shoot straight up. She flicks her tail and whips around to growl, “I don’t care. I’ll kill them too. I’ll kill anyone who thinks they can attack my family!” She lowers her head and bares fangs. “You wouldn’t stand in my way, would you, Enyll?!”

“You utter featherbrain,” Enyll growls back. He flips his wings open but stands his ground. “Are you trying to fly to Maki today? You can’t kill his entire flock by yourself!”

“Watch me,” Kuro thunders. “The next time you see me, I’ll have Relmoon’s horn.”

I sniff, trying to hide my rising irritation. Enyll’s right. It’s so obvious; Relmoon knows how much Kuro loathes him, so he’s using it to manipulate her into a trap. He sent Moth to attack Frida because he knew Kuro couldn’t resist taking revenge. And just to ensure she knew where to go, Moth chased after a random Kin and told them where Relmoon would be waiting. How is she so blind? She’s putting herself in mortal danger for no reason!

Feeling helpless, my heart rate spikes and my hackles rise. I’m not immune to the sounds of other Dragons arguing. Something inside me, something bestial and instinctive, feeds off their anger. When I hear the power of their hatred, I can’t stop it from fueling my own emotions.

Enyll takes a deep breath and lowers his head. “No,” he says firmly. “Kuro, I won’t let you go.”

The soot-plumaged Kin stares at him, unflinching. It’s like she knew all along that Enyll would oppose her.

“Frida will be devastated if she loses her sister. To say nothing of what Asha will think.”

Enyll flashes a glance at me. For a moment, I feel like concurring with him before my better judgment stops me. I agree with him, of course. I can’t imagine the anguish Frida will endure if she loses her sister on top of losing her wings. But taking sides with Enyll will only serve to upset Kuro even further. I don’t want her to feel that way, but… what else can I do? Even if I joined Kuro to fight Relmoon, we wouldn’t stand a chance. We experienced just how big his flock was in the ancient building to the south. To oppose them again would be suicide.

Kuro flashes a glance at me, and for a fleeting moment, I see remorse across her face. But it quickly passes, and her brow furrows deeper in anger. “So, you would stand in my way,” Kuro says, baring fangs at Enyll. “Are you sure about that?”

Across the aerie, more and more Kin are being drawn to the argument. Surely, even they can understand just how unreasonable Kuro is to defy Relmoon alone. How can they see clearly what Kuro is blind to? She’s flying into a trap! She’s going to die!

Enyll growls and lowers himself into an attack posture. “I am opposing you. Someone has to save you from yourself, Kuro. And it’s—“

Without warning, Kuro roars and lunges for Enyll with her jaws open and talons outstretched! The copper drakon sees it coming and tries to leap out of the way, but Kuro is far too quick. She extends her claws and strikes a glancing blow against Enyll’s shoulder, causing blue blood to flow freely down his foreleg. Shrieking in pain, he bounces off his talon and steadies to counter Kuro’s recovery. Enyll snarls and rears back, ready to deliver an attack of his own.

“STOP!!!”

I collide with Kuro, ramming my left shoulder against her flank in a deliberate attempt to disrupt her counter-attack. Negative emotions overflowing, I snarl in defiance as Kuro stumbles backward towards the entrance of Nakino’s den but manages to stay upright on all four talons. She steadies herself and stares at me aghast, not expecting the one she loves to intervene in her attack on Enyll.

Standing before the copper drakon, hackles raised, and feathers puffed, seething emotions dictate my speech. “Kuro, you…!! Stop acting like such a fweghing idiot!!”

Kuro stands unmoving, too shocked to react. Across the aerie, the Kin on the branches and roots stare at me in shock. Nobody expected me to lash out against Kuro, least of all me. Why am I…?

Negative emotions regain control. “You’re going to DIE if you try to attack Relmoon!! Don’t you care at all about your sister?! Who’s going to take care of her when you’re DEAD!?”

I stand on the roots, gasping for air while my whole quakes. I haven’t been this upset since the morning I left Vareica. Back then, Duncan was able to interrupt my argument with Mom before my fury could be unleashed against her. But here, nothing’s holding me back. I’m on a feather’s edge, erupting with impassioned rage, and I don’t even know why.

Enyll approaches and stands beside me. “Even Asha understands how foolish you’re acting. Don’t you get it, Kuro? How much of a featherbrain you are?”

With that, Kuro’s face changes from shock to fury. Her feathers bristle, and her tail lashes behind her. “You… either of you… you don’t even know what it’s like to lose family. To watch your parents die!”

“I lost my family the moment I became a Lithan!” I snarl. “I watched my only two friends draw their final breaths! Don’t tell me I don’t know about heartbreak, Kuro!!”

Kuro snorts. She flares her wings and stands tall above me and Enyll. For the first time since the day we met, I feel intimidated by her size. “That’s why we’re different, Asha. You watched Calypso die because you were weak; incapable of taking actions to protect his life. You could have helped him, but you didn’t! And that’s—“

At that moment, I lose myself.

I explode forward, yearning with all convictions to attack Kuro. You desecrated Calypso’s name! How could you say such heartless things?! I have no plan, no place to aim my seething rage. As I race towards her, I don’t even see her face. All that’s real is anger and fury.

Something strikes my neck, lancing hot pain down the side of my flank. My forelegs buckle, and my body tumbles towards the ground. Another force interacts against my back and propels me down. It’s Kuro’s talon.

“Agh!!”

My body collapses as I hit the ground and slide along snow-covered roots. I skid to a halt and cry out in anguish from the pain of fresh wounds against my neck. Reeling in pain, I open my eyes to see Kuro standing above me, a potent cocktail of pity, remorse, and fury scrawled across her face.

“Kuro!!” Enyll roars. Out of the corner of my eye I watch him splay his wings but maintain a measured distance from the angry drakaina.

She looks at Enyll, frowns, and then quickly gazes back at me. Her brow furrows deeper, and for a brief moment, I see pain in her face. Pain that quickly gives way to acceptance. She gathers herself and steps away with a loud grunt. Warm blood flows down my neck as I groan in pain, still reeling from the force of Kuro’s attack. I clench my eyes and try to stand up but slip sideways against the snow.

ROARR!

The sound of wingbeats fills the air as Kuro quickly takes off in search of Relmoon. Moments later, the air is still again.

“Asha!!” Enyll shrieks, running to my side. “Good Keuvra, are you alright?! She—“

“I’m fine,” I deadpan, rising on unsteady talons.

Enyll stares at me, muzzle agape. “Asha, you should see Nakino! That wound—“

“Yeah,” I say, shuffling my wings of snow. “I need to do what I came here to do.”

I turn towards the clearing beneath the tree and hobble past Enyll, using the top of my left wing to slow the bleeding on my neck. A Kin from the branches above lands on a nearby root and asks if I need help. I ignore her.

“Asha?” Enyll calls out from behind me. “Asha, what are you—“

“Enyll!!” I bark, flicking my neck around. His feathers flatten at the power of my voice. “Help me carry the log.”

I flick my ears behind me, pointing toward the lichen-covered log resting in the snow. I turn around and continue my labored walk to the spot where we landed.

“Hey, wait a wingbeat!” Enyll shouts from behind. Muffled talonsteps approach, and a moment later, he’s walking beside me. “Asha, what are—“

“There is always a choice, and Kuro just made hers. There’s no point in dwelling on it.”

She told me not to worry about her. She told me I could grieve for the loss of my mentor, or I could choose to carry on, living the life I wanted to live. A life free from those who would try to manipulate me and my family. A life without those who would sacrifice themselves for petty revenge.

I choose to carry on without Kuro.

This is the path my mentor would want me to take.

Enyll stares at me with his muzzle agape. It seems he’s having trouble accepting my decision. But before I can lash out against him, his expression softens. “Alright, fine,” he rumbles. “But please, have Nakino take a look at your neck when we get back to his den.”

I scoff and flick my tail. “Yeah, whatever…”

Ignoring the stares of gawking onlookers, I turn about and march across the snow to retrieve the log and complete my divine edict. I’m sick to my stomach, embarrassed that I ever allowed Kuro into my life. If she seeks death, then so be it! She’s made her choice clear, and so have I. I choose to live for the family that grieves for me and the Kingdom whose Princess is absent. Ever since I became a Lithan, all I’ve wanted was to see their faces again, no matter the cost.

I won’t allow my feelings for one arrogant Dragon to get in the way!