Deepest blue

Tsunami glared at the report, knowing exactly why Scarlet had decided it was a good idea. It was Tsunami's own fault for not consulting her about the IceWings. Now Scarlet was holding something arguably worse above Tsunami's head. She set the report down and Foam gave her a hesitant smile.

"So, uh, from your expression, it's not good?"

Tsunami sighed and set her head down on the desk, "it was my own fault."

Foam cleared his throat as Tsunami mourned her stupidity, "what, was your fault, might I ask?" 

"Scarlet got her revenge for me keeping the IceWings from her." 

Foam frowned and raised an eyeridge, "what did she do?" 

Tsunami lifted her head, "she got an entire base with a stable greentop production." 

Foam gaped at Tsunami, looking at the report with a new appreciation, "isn't that good though? We've been looking for a way to make them stable since we found out what the plants could do!" 

Tsunami glared at the report, "well, yes, it's all well and good, except, Scarlet refuses to share her greentop. She explains in the report how it was done, but apparently, it won't work at very many other bases, so I need to find something for her to hold over my head so she'll feel that we're even. Otherwise, she won't share her greentop." 

She slumped her head back onto the desk and Foam gave her a wide-eyed look, "what about the spies and secrets you gave her?" 

Tsunami sighed, remembering the loss of such beautiful tools, "apparently she's still mad, and that only counted for part of her compensation."

Foam looked out the window with a troubled glance, "that queen is absolutely impossible..." 

"She just likes to watch me squirm." 

"I think that's just her entire personality." 

Tsunami snorted and looked up at Foam, finally noticing the look on his face, "alright, what happened?" 

He sighed, "two things. Echo returned from the mission and would like to talk to you later today about something. And the second thing... Remember Frost?"

"The IceWing who decided to live alone in the forest a few weeks ago?" 

Foam nodded, "he appeared at the base late last night, apparently, he wants to ask you something."

Tsunami frowned, "is he still here?" 

Foam nodded, "he came back just a few hours ago." 

Tsunami pushed the troubling report aside, "alright, you can send him in now."

---

The IceWing came in when Foam left, looking around Tsunami's office with a concerned and curious expression. He didn't look nearly as angry as he had the last time Tsunami had seen him. 

He sat down across from her and waited. Alright then, apparently Tsunami had to talk first. "So what was it you wanted to discuss?" 

Frost shifted his position, "um... so I've heard about dragons that are magical, how rare exactly is that?" 

Tsunami blinked, "you mean animus dragons?" 

Frost nodded, "yes, I think that's the word."

"Well, animus dragons have existed for as long as there have been tribes. It's genetic so you would get it from your parents. The SeaWing royal line has had it for a very long time, and my sister is an animus, part of the reason she's so dangerous." Tsunami gave him a curious look, "why do you ask?" 

Frost frowned and pulled something out of a bag at his side, "I think I did something?" 

It was a tiny blade, small enough that Uhar might be able to wield it, but it would still be difficult. Most dragons would probably break it by accident if they tried. "A scavenger sword?" that was the only creature who might use something like this.

Frost nodded, "yes, this belongs to a Scavenger. I might have... uh... accidentally killed a MudWing with it because he was threatening a Scavenger den..." 

Tsunami blinked at the tiny blade and looked at Frost's normal-sized talons. "How in the moons does that work?" She sincerely doubted that Frost could stab anyone besides himself with such a blade, she certainly would have no control over such a small thing. 

Frost set the blade on her desk without a word, "well, I was really mad at him because he was threatening to eat my Scavenger, almost did too." A glow of pride erupted from the IceWing, "I stopped him though, he's dead and now the den is safe." 

Tsunami squinted at the blade, wondering if she was missing some huge revelation. Perhaps the blade was hiding some secret. Maybe it was poisoned and Frost had pricked the MudWing with it. "Alright? But how did you kill a MudWing with a scavenger blade? I could get a scavenger pulling it off, but how?" 

Frost frowned, "that's... a more complicated answer?" he hesitated, leading Tsunami to wonder if he was really alright. He didn't elaborate though, only thought for a long moment. Tsunami decided she was getting nowhere with this, so she reached for the blade, wanting to examine the weapon of death. Perhaps she was merely looking at it wrong and it was a perfectly reasonable weapon for killing. 

Frost's eyes flicked to her talons and they widened, he stashed the blade before she could touch it. "No, I... I don't think that's wise. Let me... letmejustexplain..." 

Tsunami sighed and withdrew her talons, giving him an impatient look, "please, take your time, I have allllll day." 

Frost blinked and finally rested his talons on the table, tiny sword between them, "I think I'm an animus." 

Tsunami blinked slowly as she tried to register that sentence. "What?" 

Frost winced and glanced off to the side, "I told the sword to kill him and it did." 

"How does that-" Tsunami took a deep breath, trying to calm her confused heart, "I find it hard to believe that the IceWings don't test their dragonets for the powers." 

Frost blinked, "you mean you don't have any records of the genocide?" 

Tsunami glanced at him, confused, "what does the genocide have to do with this?" 

"Animus magic doesn't work in the ice kingdom. Or at least, it doesn't work the closer you get to the old palace." Frost said, "the NightWings did that to make extermination easier." 

Tsunami let out a long breath, alright then. She could figure this out. "Are you alright with me telling Aurora about your powers?"

Frost blinked, "yes, just tell her that I'm not coming back. You said it's genetic?" 

Tsunami nodded, "parent to child." 

"She can test my family or something, they'd love to serve the queen, as much magic as she wants." 

Tsunami blinked, did he... not know? "There is a cost to the magic." 

Frost blinked and glanced back at her, suddenly looking worried, "what... is the cost?" 

Tsunami frowned, "every time you use your magic, you lose a little piece of yourself. Your soul."

Frost looked at her in horror for a few long moments before he looked downward to stare at his talons. Yeah, he hadn't known. At least he knew now? 

"It's probably best if you limit yourself, set up a strict guideline, like 'only if it's life or death' or 'only for big important things that will help a lot of dragons.' you don't have to, but if you go insane, just think of how many will end up in the crossfire." Tsunami smiled weakly, "I won't ask you to enchant anything for me, if you want to help that's entirely your choice. But believe me when I say that Orca seemed like almost a good queen at first, then she kept using it." 

Frost nodded slowly and Tsunami decided it was time to change the subject, "so what does the sword do?" He glanced up at her, confused, his mind still in another place, "the scavenger sword, what did you enchant it with?" 

Frost blinked and looked down at the blade with a worried expression, "anyone who touches it can talk to Scavengers..." he passed it nervously between his talons, "do you think I've already lost my soul?" 

Tsunami snorted, "Frost, I'm sure that someone without a soul wouldn't worry about not having one, you would be all murder death kill and not have any time to worry about if you're secretly-" 

The distinct squeak of the door sounded as Echo barreled inside, tailed by an apologetic Foam. "sorry, he got past me while I was distracted!" 

Tsunami nodded to Frost, "if you're still worried about it later we can talk again, in the meantime, you might want to get back to your scavengers." Who in the world preferred to spend time with Scavengers? Tsunami wasn't judging, but it was still distinctly odd. Apparently, they had a language and everything...

Echo glanced at Frost, "Scavengers? What are those?" 

Frost blinked, pulled out of his solemn stupor, "only the most intelligent creatures in the world. They make swords and cities." 

Echo blinked, "I'm going to have to ask you about it later, I need to hear this..." he turned toward Tsunami, "sorry for barging in, but I remembered something important that Glory told me to pass along."

Tsunami frowned, "go on?" 

"Orca knows about the greentop, and she knows what it does. Glory has continued on her assignments and estimates that she will be back by the invasion. Also um... whoever told you about the greentop in the first place might be in danger." Echo frowned as if wondering who the spy might be. 

Tsunami gasped though, she had completely forgotten about Turtle. Bah, brothers... 

She had five of them and still failed to remember who was who. Especially since she didn't actually know Turtle, he'd reached out to her, sharing information after realizing just how unstable Orca was. 

They'd only ever met through letter. 

She turned toward Foam with an anxious glance, Turtle was his brother too, and he knew about the valuable information they'd gotten from him in the past. "Echo, Frost, you're dismissed, I need to deal with this in a timely manner."

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Press the little star in the corner to pay respects for Frost's soul!