Gift or Curse?

Chapter Eight

The next day, Cinder and Queen Amaranth accompanied Kite to the peak where she had left the body of the SkyWing who had given her the necklace. The shroud-wrapped shape had been on the mountain for a week since his death, so apparently the date Kite had left had been successful.

As the trio approached the mountaintop, they saw a small orange figure sitting somberly by the body. He barely looked up as Kite landed just behind him.

For a moment, Kite stood there, looking at the wind-rippled shroud. The orange SkyWing next to her gazed at the body as well, not saying a word.

Kite finally broke the silence. "Did... Did you know him?"

The male dragon next to her nodded. "Condor," he said, his voice hoarse. "He was my uncle."

"I'm sorry," Kite said, bowing her head.

"He was a great dragon," Amaranth said from behind them. "Loyal to his tribe, even when not all his tribe was loyal to him."

The dragonet's gaze fell on the date Kite had scratched into the rock. "Seven days?"

Kite nodded, gazing at Condor's body.

The orange dragonet lowered his head, then took a deep breath and blew fire across the shroud-wrapped body. The cloth caught fire, and smoke rose into the air.

As Condor's body burned, Kite took the necklace from around her neck and handed it to the orange dragonet.

"We found Eagle's heir," she said softly. "Take this, to remember your uncle."

The orange dragonet wiped his eye and took the amulet from her.

When Condor's body had burned to ashes, the dragonet turned to the rest of them, and only just seemed to realize that Queen Amaranth was standing there. He began to sink into a hasty bow, but Amaranth stopped him.

"No need," she said. "Please, stand."

When the dragonet looked her in the eye, she continued. "Did you know what that necklace was?" she asked gently.

The dragonet nodded, touching the red glass.

"His goal has been fulfilled," the queen said to him. "Would you like to help develop it?"

The dragonet stared at the ground for a while before nodding again.

"What's your name?" Cinder said.

The dragonet glanced at her. "Wren."

As a gust of wind lifted and scattered Condor's ashes across the mountainside, Kite's heart lifted. A new chapter had been ushered in on SkyWing history. There was much to do; track down the remaining members of Goose's organization, research more about animus magic, find a way to break the news gently to the tribe. But the animus gift had been returned, after three thousand long years. Once again, magic was alive in the SkyWing tribe. The possibilities were endless.