Eyes for gold

legend: the hybrid and the pirate queen (part 2)

Two years later, in the mighty ocean, Silvereye raced her brothers across the surface, their wings cutting through the waves with effortless speed. The finish line was a small, jagged island just visible on the horizon. Silvereye led the charge, her determination pushing her through the strong current, followed by Whisker, his powerful strokes churning the water behind him, and Kelp, bringing up the rear with a nervous glance over his shoulder.

Silvereye reached the island first, claws digging into the wet sand as she turned to face her brothers with a triumphant grin. "Ha! Showed you I'm the quickest!" she declared, flicking droplets of water at Whisker as he emerged from the surf.

"Yeah, but I'm the strongest!" Whisker shot back, shaking water from his wings. "And I only lost because the current decided to drag me sideways!"

"Come on, you two," Kelp panted, splashing onto the shore. "It's just a race. Mom said it's supposed to be fun, not a battle."

Silvereye rolled her eyes and darted toward the undergrowth without a second thought. "Come on, let's explore!" she called over her shoulder, already disappearing between the tall, sun-bleached trees.

"Wait! Silvereye!" Kelp hurried after her, stumbling as his claws sank into the loose sand.

Whisker groaned, shaking his head. "Of course she's already breaking Mom's rules." With a resigned sigh, he followed them into the dense foliage.

The island's interior was an eerie maze of twisted roots and scattered ruins. Broken marble columns rose from the ground, their surfaces weathered by time but still bearing faint, intricate carvings. Kelp stared in awe at the crumbling remains. "Is this... SeaWing architecture?" he asked, running his talons over the smooth stone.

Silvereye had already climbed to the top of a collapsed archway, balancing on its edge like a queen surveying her kingdom. She spread her wings wide and grinned down at her brothers. "Behold, peasants! Queen Silvereye of the SeaWing Empire commands you to bow!"

Whisker smirked and gave her a mock salute, stepping into his role with exaggerated flair. "Yes, your radiance! What are your orders, oh glorious queen of treasure and tides?"

Silvereye struck a regal pose. "I decree that all dragons shall bow to me! And raids shall be sent to bring me the shiniest treasures in all of Pyrrhia!"

"Pretty sure real queens don't talk like that," Kelp muttered, staring nervously at the ruins around them. "This place feels... strange. We should go before we get caught."

"Oh, don't be such a sea snail," Silvereye replied, hopping down to the ground. "There's nothing dangerous here! It's just an old island."

"But if Mom finds out we broke the rules..." Whisker began, but the words froze all three dragonets in place.

The thought of their mother's wrath sent a shiver through them. She was loving, yes, but her lectures were loud and relentless, and her punishments—like being grounded from swimming—were even worse.

"Fine," Silvereye relented with a sigh, flicking her tail. "Let's go before Kelp worries us to death."

Reluctantly, the three dragonets returned to the shoreline and began the swim home. As they approached their cave, they noticed something had changed—the kelp curtain that once hid the entrance was gone, leaving the space open to the ocean.

Their mother waited for them near the entrance, her sharp eyes softening as they swam up to her. "My little ones," she said warmly, spreading her wings as the dragonets tackled her in unison, tipping her over onto her back.

"We're only getting bigger, Mom!" Whisker declared with pride.

"And quicker!" Silvereye chimed in, puffing out her chest.