The SeaWing Civil War: Part I

WARNING
This page contains violence, blood, and other forms of mature content.
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 This story is loosely inspired by this thread. 
 Written/Edited By: Isis The Masked Dragon 
=Prolog =
Sheets of freezing rain and crashing white breakers smashed into pitch black crags rising into a darker sky. The only illumination the dim nights of two moons and the cracking of lightning. The roaring waves making it impossible to hear anything, let alone the whispers of a dying dragon. Bakara stood upon those black crags, a look of rage and hate burning in his eyes. Beneath his talons writhed a thin dark blue green SeaWing writhed. The other SeaWing might have been screaming, might have been crying. His words were stolen away by the wind. But should there have been no wind, the cries would have fallen upon deaf ears. Bakara tightened his grip around the second SeaWing, his talons digging into the other SeaWing's throat. Blood oozed from the blue green SeaWing's throat, being quickly washed away by the pouring rain. He began thrashing, fighting to get away from Bakara even harder. Bakara didn't let up. He dug his claws in deeper. The second SeaWing clawed and beat at Bakara's arm, to no avail. Bakara had come to far. He wouldn't stop now. He couldn't stop now. The second SeaWing's struggling lessened more and more as Bakara held him. The roaring of the wind and crashing of the waves reached a crescendo as the blue green SeaWing mumbled something then lay still, dead. Bakara let go of the second SeaWing, taking a few steps back wind and rain buffeting him. He'd done it. Bakara had killed the blue green SeaWing. Killed his brother. As he watched the blood of his slain sibling was quickly being washed from the rocks. The only thing left was to dispose of the body. Bakara shoved his brother's corpse off the cliff, watching as it disappeared beneath the frothing dark waves. Turning away from the edge of the cliff Bakara spread his wings and took off into the inky sky, his silhouette briefly outlined in the flashes of the lightning. He wasn't finished yet.
=I. The Assassin and The Opportunist =
Warm sand shifted beneath Bakara’s talons as he strode through the small costal shanty town, White Sands he thought it was called. It had barely been 12 hours since Bakara had killed his brother, Devilray and he was already planning a second murder. Bakara had a purpose, a mission to finally achieve his goals for power and to be noticed. He had a plan too. A well thought out and incredibly simple plan. All it needed was an assassin. But not just any assassin. The reason Bakara was in the dreary little seaside town was that it was rumored to be the current home of a NightWing assassin going by the name of Shadow. Bakara wanted Shadow because the NightWing was incredibly good at his craft and didn’t ask to much in return for his services. He was vicious and truly enjoyed taking the lives of others. Bakara had no lust for death, he was merely an opportunist doing whatever was necessary only when it was necessary. Killing Devilray was more personal than the dragon Shadow would be killing. Bakara needed dragons like the NightWing to do some of his dirty work and take the fall should anything go wrong. It wouldn’t go wrong, but it was good to have a patsy. Bakara halted in front of a run-down looking shack. It was nondescript and looked just as decrepit as the many others around it. The only indication that the house’s occupant was anything other than the norm was the painted black dragon skull with a set of wings behind it. A well-known symbol for an assassin. Bakara rapt his talons against the door of the shack and stood back, waiting for an answer. A second passed and the door was cracked open, and an eye peered out at Bakara. “What do you want?” The voice was male and had a gruff rumble to it. 
“I’m looking for Shadow, he live here, yes?” 
“Yeah. Wait a moment.” The door closed and minuet passed. Bakara was about to knock again on the door when it was again opened, but fully this time. Framed in the doorway was a large onyx colored NightWing wearing a necklace of pointy bones, probably teeth. Tall and heavily muscled the NightWing was rather intimidating, to the average dragon. Bakara wasn’t impressed. The NightWing stepped aside and gestured at Bakara to enter the house. “Go straight. First door on the left, can’t miss it.” Bakara nodded and brushed past the NightWing into the shack. Bakara walked down the short hallway and entered the first room on the left, as he’d been instructed. Two dragons stood in the room, a second much skinnier NightWing and a short SeaWing, male and female respectably. Bakara didn’t know who the SeaWing was, but he assumed the NightWing was Shadow. Shadow whispered something to the female SeaWing, and she nodded and headed over towards the doorway Bakara stood in. The dark colored SeaWing took a step to the side to let her pass as Shadow beckoned Bakara further into the room. Shadow was very tall and very thin, almost to the point of malnourishment. His scales were a shabby coal color, almost washed-out looking. A dark red scar traced its way across Shadow’s bottom jaw and throat in a jagged line. To Bakara, it didn’t look that well healed. The NightWings entire appearance was striking, but what drew Bakara’s attention the most were Shadow’s eyes. They were a cool storm grey, nothing particularly interesting, but it was the look that resided within them. A cold and empty detachment, slightly unfocused and yet watching Bakara’s every move. Paired with an unsettling toothy grin, Shadow was quite a bit disturbing. 
“Are you Shadow?” Bakara asked. Was he stating the obvious? Sure, but he asked for posterities sake. This rail thin NightWing might be another laky.
“I am he.” Shadow said. His voice didn’t really match his appearance. It was higher pitched than Bakara expected, but just as slithery. Bakara nodded. 
“I’m sure you can assume why I’m here?” 
“You want someone to die.” Bakara nodded. 
“Yes. Your set of talents make you quite appealing. Especially your willingness to take on difficult jobs.” Shadow giggled, his smile widening. It was a creepy laugh. Just as high pitched as his voice and as unsettling as his appearance. 
“What can I say! I like a challenge.” 
“Hmm, yes. I’m aware.” Bakara said. “I need you to kill someone very important, far more important than anyone you’ve ever killed before. I need you to kill a queen.” 
“A queen?”
“Yes. A queen. My queen. I need you to kill Queen Coral, and I need it done sooner rather than later.” Shadow nodded, a slight shiver running through his wings. 
“I can do that. So long as she’s above water I can do it.”
“I can insure that.” 
“What do I get in return SeaWing? Killing a queen is a major crime, as you said bigger than anything I’ve ever done before. I’m going to require a hefty reward.” Bakara nodded. 
“I’ve thought of that. Kill the queen and you can have anything you want. Your heart’s desire. Money, power, girls anything. If you can think it, then I can make it happen.” Shadow’s face changed slightly. Almost imperceptibly. Had Bakara not been watching the NightWing so closely he wouldn’t have seen it. For the first time Shadow’s eyes had substance behind them. The blankness was gone, replaced by a hunger. Designer. Greed. Bakara knew he had the assassin hooked, he just needed to reel him in. “So do we have a deal?” Shadow nodded.
“Yes, yes. I will kill your queen SeaWing. Just make sure she’s above water.”
“In a week and a half from now Coral will be at the newly constructed Island Palace. She always has 4 guards around her, and there are a total of 30 guards in the palace at any time. Many of her sons will be there too but they won’t be much of an issue. Kill her then hide and wait for my signal to come out. Got it?” Shadow nodded again. “Good. A week and a half assassin. Prepare as needed.” Bakara turned around and left the room, returning down the hall and out the door back onto the street. The second faze of his plan was in place. There really was no going back now. 
=II. Kill The Queen =
Spineshank crouched behind a cylindrical stone column, crouched behind the opposite column: his sister Supernova. They were keeping watch outside the twin doors of the throne room within the SeaWings island palace. Spineshank’s older brother Shadow was behind the doors, with the queen. He liked to kill without any witnesses including his younger siblings. Spineshank didn’t like this job. He didn’t like being here, in this palace. He was uncomfortable around such opulence. He also didn’t feel right about killing a queen, even though he wouldn’t be the one to take her life. Though he was a bounty hunter, and an assassin Spineshank had no passion for violence like his older brother, or the many others in his profession. The NightWing felt forced into this life. He never really had a choice in the matter of what he was going to do with his life. He had never known his parents. Being raised without any real home or any form of guidance or care by an emotionally detached and morally lacking elder brother didn’t often lead to a stable mental state, and a dependency on the aforementioned brother even though he’d never done anything to encourage it. To say that Spineshank had a difficult dragonet hood would be an understatement. Shadow always seemed drawn to the darker, deadlier side of life, and he often brought Spineshank with him. When Spineshank was nine or so, things changed. Shadow had found a dragonet, barely a year old in the wreckage of some town. A NightWing like them. Odd, but then again what was normal for the brothers. Spineshank didn’t know what Shadow might have done to the dragonet had he been alone with her. He had suspicions though. Spineshank was there though and so he convinced his brother to bring the dragonet with them as they continued with life. Shadow didn’t technically agree, but he never once said anything against it. Spineshank named the dragonet Supernova and from that moment on vowed to give her a better dragonet hood than he had, even though he was still very much a dragonet himself. Spineshank did everything with his power to prevent his adopted sister from being exposed to the violent life that Shadow led but he could only do so much. It wouldn’t be long before Supernova was going along with Shadow and Spineshank on one of their killing jobs. Spineshank succeeded in keeping Supernova from ever taking a life or witnessing a death though she would quickly grow to learn what death was. He’d kept her “safe” for 10 years. Now as he sat, his back against the rough stone of the column Spineshank wondered if he’d truly done anything to help his sister. By staying with Shadow Spineshank put Supernova in many dangerous situations, like today. The punishment for killing a queen or being accomplices would almost certainly be death. Was his life worth it this time? To help some shady SeaWing, just so Shadow could get his killing fix and a bit of money to keep a roof over their heads? Spineshank wondered if Supernova was having the same reservations about this job as he was. The tall NightWing was about to ask when the twin doors burst open and Shadow strode through them, his face and chest soaked in blood. “Killed the queen.” He said, a huge grin stretching across his face. It was a look Spineshank knew well. For many years it had given him nightmares. “Bakara will be pleased.” Shadow looked at Spineshank, grey eyes flashing. Though Spineshank was both taller and more muscular than Shadow, he shrank back when his brother’s gaze was turned upon him. The cold dead fish like eyes that haunted his dreams. “Have you seen him? He said he would be here.” 
“I’m right here.” Spineshank looked to his left to see the dark blue green SeaWing from the shack in White Sands, and five others. “Judging by the copious amounts of blood on your scales that Coral is dead?” Shadow nodded. “Fujikawa, be sure.” Bakara said gestured at a stocky grey blue SeaWing. The SeaWing nodded and skirting past Shadow, entered the throne room. 
“Do I get my reward now?” Shadow asked. Bakara shook his head. 
"No, not while I still have a use for you." He pointed towards the throne room. "Follow me and I'll explain." Bakara turned to two other members of his entourage, a rail thin lime colored SeaWing and a second darker green and less skinny SeaWing. "Keep watch out here." They both nodded and took up positions in front of the twin wood doors as Bakara, Shadow, and the remaining SeaWing entered. Supernova and Spineshank moved out of their way and came to stand a few feet away, where the corridor intersected with three others. 
"Does this feel wrong to you Spineshank, like we've done something wrong, like really wrong?" Spineshank looked down at his sister, seeing the look of uncertainty on her face only affirmed his prior feelings of misgivings about killing the queen. When Shadow had told them about what they were going to be doing, Spineshank was astonished. Killing a queen, the figurehead and leader of an entire tribe was quite the step up from doing the dirty work of some two bit criminal or the occasional corrupt noble. This job would have ramifications that could have devastating effects on the SeaWings, and the rest of the continent, let alone on the trio should they be caught. It might even start a war. Spineshank knew that it would be a fruitless endeavor to try and convince Shadow to not go through with the job. Once his older brother decided to kill someone, only death would have a chance of stopping him. So Spineshank went to the Sea Kingdom with Shadow, misgivings weighing him down. Having Supernova put a voice to his concerns made them real, and warranted. 
"It does." Spineshank said. "We shouldn't have been here, shouldn't have helped him do this." Supernova's face fell. Spineshank could see in her eyes that she felt the same way he did, probably since the beginning. 
"What do we do about it then? We're already here, at the scene. Coral is already dead. We're accomplices to the worst crime anyone could commit."
"We could try to run. Hide from the guards and leave, get as far away from the palace and Shadow." 
"Leave Shadow? We couldn't do that, he's our brother. He would never abandon us somewhere." Spineshank winced slightly. That was exactly something that Shadow would, and had done before. Leaving Shadow was something that Spineshank had been contemplating for some time now. It was becoming to much for him, the criminality and the constant danger. One day Shadow would get himself killed and that was perfectly alright with Spineshank. 20 years of living with such a demented and disturbed individual such as his brother had slowly been destroying Spineshank from the inside out. This mission to kill the SeaWing queen was the final nail in the coffin that was Spineshank's dependency on his older brother. In that moment, Spineshank made the only choice he believed was right, both for his sanity and to truly complete the only goal he had in life, to keep Supernova safe. 
"Yes leave him. Supernova, I know that you don't like to think about it but Shadow is an awful dragon. He's done terrible things, this worst of all. You can't let your loyalty to him cloud your judgment. It's too late to help him, it always has been but we can still get out of here and to try and live normal non criminal lives. We don't have to be his accomplices anymore. I don't want to leave without you, but I am leaving. I've made my choice, and helping Shadow and the SeaWing, Bakara isn't it." Spineshank could see tears welling up in the corners of Supernova's eyes but she held them back and said,
"I understand. I'll go with you, and leave Shadow." Spineshank knew exactly what Supernova was feeling. Many a night had he agonized over leaving Shadow, but he'd always remained either out of fear or the small bit of love he maintained for Shadow, no matter how much the older NightWing did to destroy it. This was the best thing for everyone. Spineshank looked over at the double entrance doors with the throne room beyond them, but only saw the lime colored SeaWing standing before them. Hadn't there been two earlier? Spineshank hissed a curse and looked back down at Supernova. He grabbed her. "There were two guards outside those doors before right?!" He hissed. Supernova was confused, but when she too looked back at the door her face fell. 
"Yes, there was." Spineshank swore again. 
"They must have heard us, we need to leave now. Bakara's a careful dragon, I know that much. He won't like us trying to leave as we might mess up his plan." "Whatever it is"
"Right." Spineshank and Supernova ducked down the corridor to the left as Spineshank heard the distinctive sound of the double doors swinging open. They needed to run. 
Any chance of stealth was ruined the moment Spineshank and Supernova began running, but they weren't a moment to soon as when Spineshank looked over his shoulder he saw the second door guard, a azure blue SeaWing, and the grey blue one from earlier chasing after them. The NightWing had been right when he'd assumed that his and Supernova's conversation had been overheard and that their plan would interfere with Bakara's. As they ran Spineshank did his best to try and remember the path they'd taken through the palace to arrive at the throne room. All the halls looked the same to him, especially at speed. To make things worse, many of the halls they ran down had large windows in the walls and had the siblings had more time they might have been able to open one and escape through there. Left, right, right, straight 50 feet, another two lefts. With every hall they turned down Spineshank knew they were becoming more and more lost, and both he and Supernova were loosing stamina. They couldn't keep this pace up for much longer. The SeaWings probably couldn't either, but there wasn't anywhere the duo could hide that they wouldn't eventually be found. Still Spineshank had to think of something. Again he looked over his shoulder, confirming that the SeaWings were still on their tails though slightly farther back. "Spineshank! Look ou-!" Supernova shouted and Spineshank turned to look ahead again seconds before both he and Supernova collided with a dark ocean blue SeaWing, causing them all to fall against the marble floor." 
=III. Shinedown =
"Good for you, you hurt everybody, Good for you, you hurt everyone, Good for you, you love nobody, Good for you, you owe no one." Shinedown mumbled under his breath as he walked along. The words distracted him from dwelling too much on what he was doing, or going to do. In his head running away from home was so easy. He never felt any guilt or had any second thoughts. It was a bit presumptuous of him to assume that his leaving would actually effect anyone enough for them to feel sad about it. Not being noticed, or truly cared about was just what it meant to be a SeaWing prince. Shinedown hated just about everything about being a prince. It was probably selfish of him to think that, seeing as he had just about everything that he could ever want. Just about everything. What Shinedown craved more than anything were three things. 1: Adventure. Being a prince was a rather sheltered existence, typically exploring and adventure beyond SeaWing territory was frowned upon. 2: Notoriety. Shinedown had many brothers. Many of them had done interesting or important things that got them noticed. Shinedown too wanted to be noticed by others. To be remembered for something he'd done. 3: His mother's approval. On the surface it could be seen as the same thing as wanting notoriety, but this ran much deeper. As he was male, Shinedown was never as important to his mother as one of his three female siblings. Sure Shinedown was jealous of the attention they got from their mother, and yes he wanted some of that care and attention for himself. That was natural though. It was totally normal for someone in Shinedown's position. Shinedown hoped that by leaving the palace, the royal family, and his tribe itself that he would be able to accomplish all three of his goals. To leave home and do something that would bring him to his mothers attention, and the attention of everyone while satisfying his desire for adventure. That was the goal. All Shinedown had to do was go through with it. He continued to walk, heading for the northern most exit lost in thought and not paying much attention to his surroundings when around the next corner two NightWings appeared, running very fast. Shinedown couldn't step out of their way in time as one of them shouted "Spineshank! Look ou-!" and then they collided with Shinedown, all three landing in a heap. Shinedown struggled under the weight of the two NightWings, fighting to get out from beneath them when suddenly they were both gone, pulled up and off him. Someone grabbed Shinedown's arm and pulled him to a standing position, but not letting go once he was again upright. Shinedown recognized one of his brother's Phorcys, and two others he didn't know by name but remembered their faces. 
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