Incoherent Perspectives

We arrived at the Sunburst Aether council six days before the supposed election. From old scrolls Aurora loves reading I've learned that the Sunburst Aethers have the same schedule before the election. Two weeks prior, find runners, this year there are three. One week before, get to know the runners, and head to the polls on election day. The Sunburst Aethers relied on that very schedule. Without it, things can go downhill... fast. Their region itself had its own polls but they couldn't spend time to get to know the possible queens as the council did. On the ballot this year were Estelle, Altair and Stargazer. All dragons who knew the previous queen personally before they ran had the option to run. These three were all friends of the previous queen - Queen Eleni - before she became queen. From the old scrolls in Aurora's quarter, it said the record for most names on the ballot was eight.

So it never entirely breached double digits. Upon entering, one of the runners was quick to greet us. A dragon with white scales with specks of blue across their form. Similar to Helia. "Great to meet you!" she says, "I'm Altair and I am running for queen this year." Altair had a joyful smile as she happily held a talon out in greeting. “Welcome to the Sunburst Aether council! I’ll be the new queen around here!” The declaration echoed through the crowds, each word carrying an air of arrogance and entitlement. However, the suspense heightened as another dragon’s voice resonated in the distance. Altair couldn’t conceal her disdain, rolling her eyes with an exaggerated sigh. As the commotion settled, a figure emerged from the crowd, an Orange and White-scaled dragon, a unique type of Sunburst Aether, I'd assume. Her smug expression hinted at her confidence, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she was Stargazer. "If you are the second candidate then where is Estelle?" I asked. Stargazer's expression turned dead-serious as if she was silently telling me not to pry. Then with a quick and dismissive tone, declared, “She died.” The revelation hung in the air, leaving a void that begged to be filled with more details. Cassius, breaking his silence, asked the inevitable question, “How?” The strained atmosphere persisted, and it became evident that Cassius and Dawn, despite the turmoil, had chosen silence over confrontation.

“She was murdered,” Stargazer replied nonchalantly, causing skepticism among the crowd, even the dragons around began whispering amongst themselves. It wasn't only the question, how would she know? But also how nonchalantly she said it. It was then that the pieces began to fall into place. Stargazer’s demeanour, the sudden demise of Estelle, and the inexplicable tension within the council suggested a sinister plot.

“Lesser the better,” Stargazer shrugged, brushing off the gravity of the situation. As she strolled away, an evil grin cast in Altair’s direction, I couldn’t ignore the red flags waving frantically in my mind. It hit me like a lightning bolt – Stargazer was the mastermind orchestrating these mysterious candidate deaths to manipulate the election. The realization gripped my senses as I connected the dots: eliminate competition, create chaos, and position herself as the only viable candidate.

“After her!” I bellowed, urgency lacing my command. Asteria, Lumina, Dawn, and Aurora sprung into action, chasing Stargazer through the bustling crowds. Panic flickered across Stargazer’s face as she attempted to vanish into the sea of dragons.

Cassius, torn between pursuing justice and compassion, observed the turmoil. The sheer terror etched on Helia’s face caught his attention. “I’ll stay back with her. I didn’t want to go with Dawn anyway,” he declared, a sense of responsibility guiding his decision. I nodded approvingly, acknowledging the unspoken agreement. As the pursuit intensified, the unravelling mystery hinted at a deeper conspiracy that threatened the very fabric of the Sunburst Aether council. Shock, surprise and terror all came across Altair's face as I could hear the distant crowds cheering. "What are you doing?!" Altair said in an angry whisper. "Protecting your council," I responded.

"Wait, my council?"

"Yeah, Estelle's dead and Stargazer is going to become a prisoner, you win by default." Altair's expression said it all. "This is all so sudden," she said. I shrugged nonchalantly. "Can you take Helia and Cassius to an extra room you have in the castle or something?" I asked. Altair nodded slowly. I could tell she was still trying to process all that was going on. As Altair left with Heli and Cassius a petite guard with black, sparkly scales and galaxy-like eyes came up to me. It was Andromeda from the last time I was here. She had a smile on her face which was weird to see on a serious Sunburst Aether guard like her. I almost forgot all the guards here were female. "We got her," Andromeda said and all the onlookers began cheering "Palace guards are taking her into custody, hopefully, she gives the identities of the Assassins sooner rather than later or else she'll go through interrogation which isn't fun. You and your Embers will be seen as heroes, I'll tell ya that much." Andromeda wore a content smile afterward. I'd imagine catching the mastermind lifted a huge weight off the council's shoulders, knowing next year's election will be the first proper one in two years.