Pandora

•Chapter 13•

It was around nighttime. A young, thin Wyvern was yelling loudly as she flew, asking her father if they were there yet for the fifth time.

“Nearly, Bria,” He answered her. “It’s a bit far from our home, remember. Not everyone in our family lives close to the palace.”

“Yeah, but why?” Bria asked, beating her wings once in the air. She was about half his size now and was growing rather quickly, though her flying still wasn’t exactly the best. Behind them, her sister Pandora was flying as well, looking spaced out.

“My sisters and our parents didn’t like living amongst so many others,” Father explained.

“Oh.” Bria said. The rest of the flight was quiet, and a few minutes later they had reached the edge of what appeared to be the rocky coast of Vardiland.

“Lights,” Pandora observed quietly, dipping her neck downwards.

Bria looked down as well and saw gleaming orange lights far below, along with a flat spot of rock with other Wyverns there, a small group of about ten.

‘Dad’s family is big,’ Bria thought.

They flew down towards the ground and the three landed simultaneously. Pandora hid behind Father quickly, but Bria was bounding forwards to meet everyone. “Bria, wait up!” Father called.

She ran to the group and nearly smacked into another dragon, who let out a small sound of surprise and glanced down at her. “Hi!” Bria said.

Father caught up with her and happily greeted the Wyvern Bria had crashed into. He then looked up and asked, “Are my sisters here?”

Bria listened for the Wyverns’ answer before Father’s eyes flicked upwards. He smiled slightly.

Bria followed his gaze and watched as someone flapped down and crash landed on the floor. A light and dark gray Wyvern ran over to them, her face alight with happiness. “Wiiind!” She squealed. She wrapped her wings around his face and whirled him around, Father letting out a muffled protest in surprise. “You’re here, you made it!”

“Sasha!” Wind exclaimed as he was released. “Yes, of course I did! Where’s Lune?”

Another Wyvern touched down a few moments later. She had dark violet eyes like Wind’s, and came up to them with a welcoming smile on her face.

“Hello, brother,” she greeted.

“Sister,” he said with a low teasing tone.

Lune grinned and looked over at Bria, her tail flicking. “Well hello there, Bria,” She greeted.

“Hi,” Bria said nervously.

“I hope you’ve been behaving,” Lune said to her, her sharp eyes staring sternly down.

“Of course, yes, I am,” Bria insisted.

“Well that’s good to hea–” She suddenly let out a startled cry as she spotted Pandora standing by Wind’s wing. She nearly jumped back and drew herself up indignantly, turning her head away and holding up a wing to block her view. “Good Obelisks above, you brought that thing with you, too?”

“It’s only Pandora,” Bria said.

“Ugh! Take HER out of my sight! I can't believe you took it here.” Lune said to Wind with an astonished tone.

“Stop it,” Wind said firmly. “Come here, Pandora.” He gestured for her softly and she scrambled up closer to his side, her inverted eyes watching Lune curiously.

The older Lightning Wyvern still had her gaze turned. “I swear, Wind, you were either a horrible mate, or Eeli woke up to see that thing watching her sleep one morning.”

Bria heard Wind growl quietly.

Sasha watched them from where she stood, looking like she wanted to interfere but not daring. Bria noticed Pandora looking over at her and the two locked eyes. Sasha gave her sister a nervous smile.

“Let’s just go and say hi to the others,” Lune insisted with a shake of her head, turning and walking away.

Wind, Pandora, Sasha and Bria followed, Pandora watching silently from beside Wind as she walked. Bria looked around at the glowing lanterns and chatting group, and another young Wyvern ran past her, calling, “Coming through, oops, sorry!” as she went.

They came to a small spot and all sat down, and Wind let Pandora back down onto the ground. Pandora walked up to Bria and settled next to her.

“Everyone seems to be having a good time,” Sasha said.

Wind was glowering at Lune.

Bria bit her lip in apprehension, both excited and worried. Sasha, on the other talon, was not as enthusiastic. “Hey, Bria, Pandora, let’s go get something to eat, shall we? Follow me.”

Bria looked up at her and then back at Father, before sighing and following along. Sasha led them to a spot where some food had been set out, and she walked over and got into a conversation with one of the other Wyverns.

Bria sat down, her wings flopping to either side of her. Pandora stayed gladly by Sashas’ side, watching her talk with the Wyvern. “Who are you?” Pandora asked.

“A– a cousin of your Sasha and your father,” He said with an anxious look.

“So we all share blood,” Pandora said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too,” The Wyvern said to Pandora, looking both nervous and intrigued.

Bria let out a small bored groan. She looked over at where Wind was now talking to Lune in an angry voice, and Bria glanced back at where Sasha and Pandora were. She stood and lowered her body, sneaking away towards Father.

“You don’t get it,” Wind was saying to Lune. “You didn’t even know Eeli.”

“I met her several times!” Lune insisted. “Don’t tell me who I don’t know.” She fiddled at the ground with two of her claws, before saying, “I’m just trying to help you. That child is–”

“There is nothing wrong with Pandora,” Wind said in a voice full of venom as he protected his daughter.

“She could be a curse,” Lune said in a pleading voice. “Her eyes alone are terrifying to look at. And soon enough every dragon in the kingdom will know about her.”

Bria sat down in a hidden little hollow in the ground, watching them from a distance away. She felt a storm of fury burn in her chest at Lune. ‘How could she talk about my sister that way?’

Wind sighed deeply and shut his eyes, his head aimed at the ground. “Go ahead and think what you want, Lune.”

“I’m still older than you and Sasha, you know,” Lune said with a hint of a smile on her face. “What happened to sibling respect?”

“I try to respect you,” Wind said as he opened his eyes back up.

“That’s funny, you’re funny now,” Sasha joked. “Since when?”

“Are you trying to make this lighthearted?” Wind asked her.

“I just don’t… like arguing with you. I’m sorry.”

“You should be. I’m only trying my best.”

“And I’m only scared of some things.” Lune answered.

Bria clicked her tongue and sunk back down into the hollow before crawling out, having heard enough of their conversation. She bounded quietly back over to the other Wyverns, millions of stars glittering overhead in the sky like fireflies.

As she reached them she slowed down to a stop and glanced around. Her gaze searched for her sister and Sasha. They were no longer in the spot they’d been when she left them. She couldn't spot them in the group at all. “Pandora?” She called.

“Oh, hey, you must be Bria,” A Wyvern looked down at her with welcoming blue eyes, and Bria squinted and nodded as they asked a question about Wind that she couldn't quite focus on. Her eyes looked around once more and she let out a tiny huff of air in disappointment. ‘Where’d they both go?’

***

Sand squished and shifted underneath the Wyvern’s long claws. Sasha was sitting by the sandy part of the beach, away from the others with Pandora by her side. She looked out at the snarling waters at the edge of the coastline and the moon’s light bouncing off the far away horizon. Her talons flexed in the dark sand and she flicked her tail, glancing at Pandora. “You like it here?”

“What is this called?” Pandora asked softly, not quite answering her question. The young dragon was holding up her arm with a talonful of sand held between her claws. It sifted through and spilled out, falling back onto the ground slowly, and Pandora watched it with mild interest in her eyes.

“That’s sand,” Sasha answered. “You’ll find a lot of that here.”

Pandora bobbed her head in a small nod. They were then silent for a few minutes, the only sound being the distant murmuring of the get-together behind them and the gentle crashing of waves.

“Y’know,” Sasha began, “I think you look really, really cool.”

Pandora looked up at her.

“And I’m sorry about my sister. What she said, I-I think otherwise. We’re family. We gotta look out for each other, right?”

She had her head turned to look at Pandora, and Pandora seemed to gaze quietly into her eyes. She didn’t expect what happened next. Pandora stood and lifted both her talons to Sasha, gently grabbing her face. Sasha froze as the black and white eyes stared deeply at her with an unreadable look, and the feeling of her strange talons holding Sasha almost frightened her.

Then Pandora let go and dropped back onto all fours. She turned around swiftly, glancing across the sandy ground as if looking for something. She looked down and then placed her claws in the sand, dragging them through in a deft motion. Sasha watched in silent puzzlement as Pandora continued, maneuvering around Sasha in a circle and etching her claws through the sand, turning, walking backwards and doing it again without looking up once.

“What is…” Sasha tried, staring. Pandora finished and backed away, before tipping her head up at Sasha and pointing down with one sharp claw.

Sasha lifted her neck and glanced down and around. Her pupils shrunk slowly in confusion as she did. Dozens of shapes in the sand surrounded her. She couldn't have any idea what it meant.

It was like a giant mass of rocks, all falling down around her.