The Foreign Prince

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Author Notes
This is a fiction involving one of my original characters, Arcturus. After using it in a few RPs but not really getting far enough to develop him, I have instead decided to reuse ideas from the RPs I used him in, and write his story as a fiction instead.
With that said, I wanted to thank again the players of the Rock Academy RP and Jade Mountain Academy - 2nd Year RP, because most of the inspiration for this story comes from these two threads. And I've really had fun a lot of playing as Arcturus in both RPs !
(I kinda want to roleplay a bit more as Stargazer next... The Wings of Discipline RP could have been really fun, due to the different personalities of the players there. Oh, yeah, maybe I should mention the players too, but... isn't that impolite?)
Anyway, please enjoy the story, and feel free to leave feedback: negative or positive, as long as it's constructive, it'll help me improve the way I write, or maybe even the way I roleplay !
Prologue
(Two weeks prior to Arcturus's birth...)
"Mirage, I am sure you are getting worried over nothing. Our child is, without a doubt, going to be a great IceWing one day.'", said Altais.
"Yes, but...", replied Mirage, with a tone of uncertainty in her voice. She was worried about many things, but mainly her dragonet, that was about to hatch soon.
"I don't want it to be in danger'", she thought.
"It doesn't have to know the truth. It can just... live as a normal IceWing, here, in Possibility.", she muttered to herself.
Mirage was right: sometimes, you have to lie to protect someone. The issue is, when the person you are lying to finally finds out, they may not understand your intentions, and blame you.
"Come on, I'm sure it'll be strong enough! Just let it grow up, it'll make its own decisions.", replied Altais, in a comforting tone, a wide grin over his face.
Mirage still felt uneasiness. She had spent most of her life in Possibility, and she had been only a few times in the Ice Kingdom, only getting echoes of what happened there through IceWings passing by Possibility, or when the guards of Queen Glacier's Palace happened to come to Possibility to capture whoever had offended the current IceWing queen.
Ever since she had gotten access to the throne, she had been... slightly less violent and tyrannic than the previous IceWing queens, but she wasn't exactly a model of kindness either; going as far as to chase subjects that had been getting on her bad side all over Pyrrhia. What happens to them is unknown, as little news is given aside from "They are currently being held by Queen Shiver for not respecting the queen's authority".
She also was one of the reasons which made relations between IceWings and the other tribes even more difficult; she was snotty, stuck-up, and loved to look down on the other tribes, and more than all, she despise hybrids, and she goes as far as to regard IceWing hybrids as abominations, believing that "these half-blood creatures should join the collection of frozen dragons in the Diamond Caves".
Not only this, but because of her bending the rules to her whim, the whole circle ranking system that had been in place for so long in the IceWing society had became shaky: some families that ruled at the top of the rankings found themselves falling to the depths of the rankings, struggling to preserve their place inside the Palace; and some of the lower ranked IceWings had made quite the ascension to the higher circles. It was a game where everyone were gambling their lives, in a way, because royals weren't exempt from this either, and strings were being pulled by families to try to make their progenies be at the top again, no matter the cost.
This was what worried Mirage. Her child with Altais wasn't born yet, but, as an IceWing, it would eventually find out and ask about the Ice Kingdom, and, for sure, the queen wouldn't know about them, put them at the bottom of the rankings, and make a public example out of them, as to why IceWings shouldn't be born outside the Ice Kingdom.
Saving her dragonet's life was a desperate act, but she was determined. She had to prevent her dragonet from ever setting a single talon too far in the Ice Kingdom.
"If it means that Altais will hate me, so be it. I am not letting Shiver put a single claw on the scales of my child.", she thought, grumbling.
Chapter 1
(Seven years and a half later...)
"What do you mean, I have to attend an academy?", Arcturus asked. He had heard about academies, they were springing up all over Pyrrhia, and the newly found Pantala, ever since the five Dragonets of Destiny had founded the Jade Mountain Academy, and the students of the Jade Winglet made it even more popular by defeating an animus NightWing hybrid that had sinister plans for the world.
"Arcturus, I believe it is for your own good. You are seven and half a dragon years, it is more than time for you to finally get to know more about the world outside of Possibility.", her mother, Mirage, said in a rather calm voice. She had been worried about letting Arcturus open up to the world, but... this was inevitable. She couldn't keep her son in Possibility for his entire life, and he had to learn about the world. Possibility had no academy, so Arcturus only had a very basic education, knowing bits of information about Pyrrhian tribes thanks to scrolls his mother and father got him.
"But, Mother... What if I am in the same winglet as a grumpy SkyWing ? Or an evil NightWing ? Or if a RainWing threatens me with its venom ? Or worse, if I am with one of these Pantalan tribes we know so few about ? I've heard they can control plants, or shoot silk, or even give some rather nasty stings", he said, in a confused voice.
"Arcturus, stereotypes only bring discord. All SkyWings aren't necessarily grumpy, not all NightWings are evil, most RainWings don't attack on sight, and the LeafWings, the SilkWings and HiveWings would only do so if you are a threat to them", she said, trying to reassure Arcturus.
"But what if I meet another IceWing?", he then asked.
This was a valid concern. Most of the IceWings he saw in Possibility lived there because they had fled the Ice Kingdom to live independently, and when guards used to come around to capture IceWings that were considered "criminals", Mirage would always hide Arcturus in the basement of their home. It had always been this way since Altais left Mirage and Arcturus behind.
Arcturus knew little about his father; he had been with him for the first three years of his life, and out of the blue, he had vanished. He had also noticed his mother's worried expression anything he brought up his father, but before he would get another word out, she would always avoid the subject by either scolding Arcturus, changing the subject, or pretending not to have heard what Arcturus said.
"It'll be alright. I'm sure you'll be okay", Mirage said, with a smile.
"I'll lead the way to the Jade Mountain Academy, but after that, you will be on your own. And remember: no dropping out. I may be your mother, and I do care about you, but... if you are a bad student, you know things will go wrong.", she added.
Arcturus sighed, and then nodded. He didn't have much of a choice. He then went to prepare his belongings, which mainly included a few scrolls, a thin, pale blue scarf that his parents gave to him on his second hatchday, and a small, luminescent sphere that his father gave him before he mysteriously left on his third hatchday.
Soon enough, he and Mirage took flight in direction of the Jade Mountain Academy, making detours to avoid IceWing guards or territories where IceWings aren't really appreciated.
Chapter 2
After two long days of travelling, Mirage and Arcturus eventually arrived at the Jade Mountain Academy. The principal, a SkyWing, came to greet the two IceWings.
"You must be Arcturus, I suppose.", the SkyWing remarked. Arcturus was surprised by the SkyWing's morphology: they were tall, had a wingspan that was bigger than most of the SkyWings he had seen in Possibility, and their scales were a crimson red. However, judging from the tone of the SkyWing's voice, they didn't seem to fit in the "grumpy SkyWing" category that Arcturus always had imagined. The tone of the voice was also deep enough to give away the indication that they were male.
Surprised, and shy, but still confronted with the beginning of a conversation, Arcturus tentatively said "Yes... And, you are?".
"Ah, sorry, I should have introduced myself first. My name is Glider, and I am the principal of the Jade Mountain Academy.", the SkyWing replied. "Your mother told me everything there was to know about you, young Arcturus", he then replied.
"Everything... about me?", Arcturus curiously asked, looking back and forth between Glider and Mirage.
"Yes, everything. But, there is no need to feel concerned, your mother just gave me recommendations and advices on how you used to live. You have a rather... different lifestyle, compared to the other IceWings, so I needed that information to make sure that you won't get in any trouble with them.", Glider said, in a relaxed tone.
Hearing this, Arcturus turned towards his mother, and looked confused. The only thought that came to his mind was "What did he mean by this ? How am I special compared to the other IceWings ?", and there were many questions that he wanted to ask his mother, but, instead, she just smiled and replied "Don't think about it.".
Glider then faked a cough, to get the two IceWings' attention, and said "Well, now that everything has been said, I imagine that it is time for you to start your life here as a student. Are you ready?".
Arcturus shook his head. "No.", he replied.
Glider and Mirage looked at him in surprise for a moment, not expecting this answer. "Arcturus, you must stay here. This isn't a recommendation or anything, this is an order. I... No, I don't care what you think, you have to stay here. And don't even think of asking me why.", Mirage said, in a firm and strict tone.
Deep down, she wished it could have been different. "If Arcturus could have stayed in Possibility... I wouldn't have signed him up for this school... No, Mirage, get a hold of yourself; he is old enough, he needs to see the world, he needs to learn, and he can't stay in Possibility any longer.", she told herself.
It was Arcturus's turn to look surprised. He looked at Mirage in disbelief, as if he had just been abandoned by his mother. Glider put a talon on the young IceWing, and tried reasoning him by explaining that his mother was right. He said that no dragons should reach their eighth hatchday without attending an academy.
Knowing the bases of the culture of each tribe is fundamental for a dragon, it allows them to mature, get past the rumours and stereotypes years of conflicts have engrained into most dragons' minds, and more: studying, and socializing allows dragons to develop their own personalities.
Mirage then gave one last look at Arcturus, nodded, closed her eyes for a moment, as if someone had announced her terrible news, and she told Arcturus goodbye, in a tone that hid regret. She then took flight, and probably headed back towards Possibility.
Arcturus could just stare as Mirage became smaller and smaller, and eventually vanished out of his sight. Glider then brought him back his senses by gently tapping his head and saying "Hey, we should probably head inside. You know, almost everyone has arrived already, so maybe you could try socializing with the others while I will try to prepare myself and greet the last few students that will arrive?".
Chapter 3
While Arcturus did follow Glider's order and went inside the academy, he stayed away from the other dragonets. Was it because of his introverted nature ? Was it social anxiety ? Lack of trust ?
No one could tell for sure, not even Arcturus himself, but he made sure to stay away from anyone else. After all, he would only be at the Academy for a year, then he would be back in Possibility, or discovering the world by himself. What was even the point of socializing ?
Not only that, but there were also other IceWings. Mirage told him how trusting them could be dangerous. They could be sons or daughters of IceWing royalty, who would be curious enough to try to find out more about why Arcturus was so different from the others, or worse.
Deep inside, he wanted to socialize with a dragon from another tribe, believing they would be more trustworthy than the ones of the tribe he normally belonged to, but... no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't muster up the strength to speak to any of them, or stereotypes would rush back into his head. Can I really trust a SkyWing ? Should I really be anywhere near a NightWing, when it could be reading my mind, or foreseeing a dozen ways to dispose of me ? Would it even be wise to be near a MudWing when IceWings were at war with them during the SandWing War of Succession ?
So much doubt, so much insecurity, made Arcturus feel powerless. This wasn't Possibility. This wasn't the small village where he used to know most of the dragons. This place was much more exhausting, it was like he was fighting himself every second. It was like his own voice was echoing in his mind, with words as sharp as dragon teeth.
His doubts were cleared away when, without realizing it, the last few dragonets arrived, and Glider, along with a few more adult dragons, closed the doors of the main hall, and cleared his throat.
"Ahem. Dragonets who have flown from every corner of Pyrrhia and Pantala ! We are, as the staff of the Jade Mountain Academy, honoured to welcome you here ! This place, as you know it, has been the source of many events that have shaped this very own continent, and the way tribes interact with each other. More importantly, this place was founded by the Dragonets of Destiny themselves, and this alone has been enough of an argument to convince most of you to join. Some of you, however, see this place as a chance to shape the future of their own tribe, or as a way to find their place into their tribe, sometimes as a last resort. I, as the principal of this academy, wish to tell you one thing: all of you, standing before me, are equals here. There is no such thing such as a "privileged" dragonet, your ranking, your social position, your past doings are all meaningless here. You are all students. The only thing that we, as the staff, expect from you, is to get along with each other, learn the meaning of cooperation, study hard to become the pride of your respective tribes, and spread the word that years of violences, stereotypes, selfish desires have only lead to innocent blood flowing."
Glider's speech left most of the dragonets speechless, though reactions varied from dragonet to dragonet; some were in awe, some had no visible expression on their faces, some had a "Are you joking?" expression, and some looked down, as if they didn't want to be here.
Arcturus didn't feel impacted much by the speech: he was just here to fulfill his mother's wish, and nothing more. He would pass the year with great marks, learn as much as he could, then set out to find the truth about his father.
"Before I end this speech, I want all of you to know one thing: the upcoming three days will serve as a way to get familiar with each other and your environment: You will all be free to roam the academy at your own leisure and pace, socialize as much as you want, sleep if you wish so, spend your days in the library or eating in the Prey Center, no, don't do the last one honestly, you'll fall sick. But you will all be on your own, without classes occurring. On the evening of the third day, a schedule will be published, and copies of it will be available in every dorm, indicating which classes you will have this year, where and when do they happen. Now, with that said, I will proceed to create the Winglets. Since we value every single one of you as precious, all the Winglets are named after precious stones."
As he said so, many dragonets started getting excited. Some were hoping they would be in the same winglet, some couldn't wait to head to the Prey Center to eat something, some wanted to read scrolls until their body would drop. All this agitation was cut short by Glider starting to enumerate through the dragonets.
Chapter 4
(More flying in soon...)
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Canon)
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Genre (Adventure)