Part Three: The Assassin

"No-" Megalodon snarled, shaking his head as Victory stood in front of him, his tail lashing across beach sand ", You will not go near that vile creature as long as I live, Victorious Rain."

"Grandfather-" Victory steeled her nerves and hobbled towards the larger and older dragon, her talons dragging on the beach where they stood, "- I have the right to know why this has happened to me. You cannot deny me this."

"I deny you access to this prisoner of WAR, Granddaughter," The massive seawing said with a flare of his wings, scattering grains of sand over her back and head ", There is no reason to subject yourself to the horror of what your alleged ally has done to you."

"Perhaps so-" She snapped back at him, shaking her head, "- But I am within my right to judge the terrors against me. No one else."

"Your Highness-" Arious interrupted the arguing dragons before they could continue yelling at each other "- If I may interject my opinions?"

Megalodon glowered at the pair of dragons before him, eyeing them with his one good eye. Victory watched as his talons curled into the ground, sand covering his talons and webbing.

"You may, Prince Arious of the Skywings," The massive seawing growled ", but remember that this Kingdom is not ruled by the way of the Skywings."

"Of course," Arious nodded with a bow of his head ", I must press my regards that no investigation had gone into the actions of Swampdweller of the Mudwings. Nor has there been any questioning of the dragons spent in time with him."

Victory glanced at Arious, tipping her head to the side.

What is he doing?

But the sky dragon continued.

"The mudwing has spent much time with the royal family that there is the implication of foul play, my Lord," Arious stated strongly ", I do not wish to imply that the royal family had done something to alter the actions of the mudwing, but I do believe that there should be an investigation in his reasoning and the taboo actions he has taken."

Megalodon glared at the Skywing, his eye narrowing at the younger male. Victory felt herself instinctively moving towards the sky dragon, her wing brushing his wing and twining her tail with his. Never had she seen a dragon not related to Megalodon speak to him in such an accusatory way. This was new, and Megalodon wasn't reacting poorly.

That's stranger.

Victory stepped forward, releasing her tail entwined with the sky dragons, "Grandfather... What's going on?"

The dark seawing growled and turned away from her, his tail lashing behind him as he stepped towards the crashing waves on the beach.  Victory leaned towards the older dragon, her hobbling talon steps rang in her ears as she reached the older dragon's side. She brushed her wing against his side, leaning into the warm older dragon. His massive wing unfolded and wrapped around her, pulling her close to his massive frame.

"I hold fear, Victorious Rain," The older dragon muttered to her ", Fear that your Skywing may be correct on the account of interference in that Mudwing. But I have reason to believe that there is evil in that dragon."

"Grandfather..." Victory leaned her nose into his side "... Please. What's wrong?"

Megalodon tipped his head down to her, brushing her cheek with the end of his snout, before sighing and lifting his head. The dragon dug his talons into the sand under his talons, his tail creating a wave in the beach.

"Wavetamer has been free with her Animus magic for the past year," The wizened dragon replied, stronger than he had before ", Freely casting spells of little to no matter, and some larger of great power."

"What kind of spells?" She asked, lifting her head to the great older dragon.

"Any spell a dragon would pay for," Megalodon grumbled, shaking his head ", They've been calling her a witch and a sorceress."

Victory started, her eyes widening as she stared up at her grandfather, shock written across her face. 

Wavetamer using her magic so publically and freely? Perhaps not freely, but more than she had used in the past. The hybrid dragoness was not terrified of her magic, but she had been careful with it for as long as Victory had remembered. Perhaps she didn't know her sister as well as she thought she did.

If it was Victory's job to protect her younger hatching mates, she was doing a poor job of it. 

"This is all my fault..." Victory said with a shake of her head.

"No-" Megalodon comforted her "- This is not your fault."

"I should have been HERE my whole life, Grandfather," Victory stifled back a sob ", I never should have been in the Ice Kingdom. I should have been here with my real family."

"Victorious..." The old dragon sighed, tipping his head down ", You cannot blame yourself. Not when I should have kept my eye on your siblings. You are not to blame."

"Let me lead this, King Megalodon," Arious suddenly interrupted ", Let me see what I can find for you. I can persuade these dragons better than anyone in the Sea Kingdom."

Megalodon closed his eye and took a deep breath, sucking in air and releasing it. 

"Sea snails and fish brains," The dragon sighed and shook his head ", Fine- But you will take guards to the dungeons, there will be no physical interaction, and there will be no speaking of this to Yarra. She... She doesn't need to suspect Wavetamer or Sea Horse"

Victory nodded, detangling herself from her grandfather and starting towards Arious, "Yes Grandfather."

"And Arious?" Megalodon growled, eyeing the sky dragon with interest.

"Your Highness?" Arious nodded back, meeting the eye of the stately dragon.

"Take care of her."

And the dragon turned away from the pair, slinking into the ocean not far from them. She had almost forgotten that they stood on the beaches of the Island Palace. Victory turned to Arious, his wings held out to her, and she fell into them.

"What are we going to do?" She muttered, resting her head on his shoulder ", How are we going to do this?"

"We're going to talk to your sister," He whispered back to her, holding her up with his wings ", Then we'll go to Swampdweller."

"We should see if Archunter knows anything..." Victory said, wiping her eyes despite her lack of tears "... He must have seen something in a vision."

Arious hesitated, then nodded, "I don't think his visions are reliable, Victory, everything seems... Wrong when he talks about them."

Victory glanced up at him, cocking her head to the side, "What do you mean?"

"I think he's cursed..." Arious said with a speculative look on his face "... Animus cursed."