Siren wasn’t getting any bigger. Where her brothers were shooting up like weeds the tiny child felt like she was stuck in place. Maybe she really did have a curse over her head, it really felt like it with how much she tripped over her long fur. Her height seemed to stall but her fur length hadn’t. Her tail was twice the length of her body easily, and even with her mother’s help it was tangled and matted. Not at all princess-like.

She felt lonely too. Inc was nearly invisible these days, her mother distanced herself from her, and even though Chimera bothered her she would have preferred his annoyances to feeling like this. Alone. Her head hung and her ears drooped as she walked the beaches of the main land. For a long time she debated going and seeing Mort. He’d said he would look out for her but she realized that he was too busy with his own princely duties to keep a pretty blue eye on her. She’d been content with her random family members keeping her company but she still felt like something was missing.

Maybe she would have to just take care of herself. The idea of being royalty seemed so much different than her mother first told her about. She was dirty, disheveled, and no one wanted to play with her. She hummed lightly as she stopped in the sand and reclined onto furry haunches. She didn’t see the massive lizard racing up behind her with its jaws as big as her agape and ready.

The young heir made his way along the border of the Armada, walking the familiar route of his patrols. His mind was on the movements of his fight training, the sensation of a balanced body, and well-executed strikes. He let his mind lull into a sense of familiarity, forgetting to keep his eyes and ears peeled. His paws taking him forward, well his mind wondered different routes entirely.

He began to walk along the borders that aligned with the Empire, a familiar scent slowly bringing his mind back to the present, the dreams of fighting days fading away, and he blinking, looking about himself and how far he had come across his patrol.

What had he scented again? - Oh, yeah, Siren. He looked up, and found the Princess, her eyes looking elsewhere. Movement brought his gaze a little further, and, oh! He started to run. “Siren, Siren, behind you! Quick,run towards me!” he wasn’t close enough to cut the lizard off unless she started to move.

Siren didn’t have a purpose. She was too dainty and delicate to train to be a warrior like Mortis would be. Or he already was, especially compared to the tiny princess. Her physical presence was miniscule and she was frightened of all things new. Even if she wanted to be brave and take care of herself the task seemed impossible. She was too little, and too scared to try. Her dismayed thoughts continued until she heard Mortis call out to her.

Pale pink ears perked and dual toned eyes lifted to the winged boy, not registering quite what he said. She felt like she was moving in slow motion as she turned around instinctively. Seeing the lizard as big as she was sent a squeal from her lips as she tried to back towards Mortis. Siren scrambled over the sand and tripped over her own fur as the monitor leapt towards her. It’s jaws wrapped around long fur and pulled. Siren’s brows knit and she clenched her jaw as she pulled back, now that she was at odds with a real monster she wasn’t giving up without a fight.

Mortis closed the gap as quickly as his paws could take him. Wings spread out evenly along each side, much like an airplane as they cut through the air. She turned to him, little emotion registering on her expression, as she began to look behind her, and then began to run.

For a moment he thought she would make it, that they would meet in the middle, and he would be in a position to protect her from the danger. In the next, she was tripping, and he would realise he would not make it in time/ with an angry growl, he lowered his head, tucking on any extra speed he could, not slowing as he stampeded down the beach.

When he reached them, he leapt over the small frame of Siren, snatching at a lizard ear as he sailed, tugging it hard. The ear tore free, and the sudden release threw his balance. When he landed, he landed hard, and tumbled to the side. Wings hitting the earth on either side, and his chin touched the sand.