The Lost Heir (book)

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Wings of fire: the lost heir. Art by Joy Ang

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The Kingdom of the Sea

Wings of Fire: The Lost Heir is the second book in the series. It was published January 1st, 2013. It features the Seawing Dragonet Tsunami as the main protagonist. Tui T. Sutherland has debated on calling this book The Princess Murders. 

Summary

"The Wings of Fire saga continues with a thrilling underwater adventure — and a mystery that will change everything!

The lost heir to the SeaWing throne is going home at last...

She can't believe it's finally happening. Tsunami and her other friends of destiny are journeying under the water to the great SeaWing Kingdom. Stolen as an egg from the royal hatchery, Tsunami is eager to meet her future subjects and reunite with her mother, Queen Coral.

But Tsunami's return to the home she never knew doesn't go quite the way she had always imagined. Queen Coral welcomes her with open wings, but there are undercurrents of malice swirling in the waters of the Sea Kingdom. A mysterious assassin has been killing off the queen's heirs for years, and Tsunami may be the next target. The dragonets came to the SeaWings for protection, but this ocean hides secrets, betrayal —and perhaps even death."

Plot Synopsis

Prologue

The prologue begins with Webs waking up on a stream bed. He thinks of the Dragonets and emerges from the river. Stepping into the woods, he comes across the SeaWing Nautilus and the IceWing Cirrus. Webs explains how the dragonets escaped as the MudWing Crocodile arrives. Nautilus and Cirrus question Webs further and decide to kill him, mentioning a "backup plan." Cirrus pins Webs, but is incapacitated by Crocodile, who tells him to flee. After she catches up with Webs, Crocodile explains that Queen Coral, queen of the SeaWings, might grant him mercy. He contemplates this as Crocodile flies away.

Part One

The story begins with Tsunami standing on a beach. Starflight tries to order the others back under the trees, but no one listens to him. Starflight begins worrying about all the dragons looking for them after Glory possibly killed Queen Scarlet (see Dragonet Prophecy). Clay begins rambling on about the tiny fish in the shallow water. Tsunami and Starflight then get to arguing, to which Sunny reacts by asking Clay to intervene. Glory then teases Clay about his being a "Bigwings." Clay explains that they should get to the SeaWings as fast as possible. Starflight then hears wingbeats and bolts for the trees.

Tsunami dives into the water upon seeing a patrol of SkyWings approaching. Sunny chases after Starflight, while Clay finds a mud shelf and Glory camouflages (see RainWing) in with the sand. The SkyWings shoot past (See SkyWing) and the last one stopes and looks around. Tsunami, thinking he saw Sunny, attacks the dragon. Clay comes to Tsunami's aide, and helps drag the SkyWing into the ocean. After the soldier passes out, Tsunami and Clay haul him onto the onto the beech. There, Clay tries to "fix" him, much to Glory's displeasure. The others soon arrive and get mad at Tsunami for attacking him. Starflight then asks Tsunami and Clay to go get a fallen tree, which they place on the soldier's shoulders. Then, as they leave, Tsunami casts a longing glance over her shoulder at the sea.

Four days later, Tsunami wakes up on an island in the Bay of a Thousand Scales. She contemplates the recent events concerning Starflight. Then dives into the ocean. She fights the currents to the next island, where she spots another SeaWing. She stalks him and watches as he performs some kind of 'ritual' with another SeaWing. The second SeaWing then leaves and Tsunami catches up with the first one. He seems startled to see her. She points to the surface and the SeaWing flees. Tsunami gives chase and pins him after he head-slams a whale. The dragon flashes his stripes at Tsunami. Tsunami responds in kind, causing the dragon to look confused. They swim to the surface. The SeaWing follows momentarily, but stops and flashes his stripes again. Tsunami imitates him and he lunges for her. Tsunami than attackes him and flies back to her friends. The SeaWing follows her and asks what is wrong. Tsunami tells him that he attacked her, but he denies the accusation. He then says Tsunami said she liked him. He claims that Tsunami said, quote, "Hey, sparkling teeth, I totally love three of your claws, but not the others, and I wish your nose was a herring so I could eat it, and, also your wings sound like sharks snoring." Tsunami laughs at this. The SeaWing tells her to leave because he thinks that a SeaWing that does not know Aquatic, is not a SeaWing. Then he attacks Clay, whom he mistakes for an enemy. Tsunami then sets him straight a few points (after Sunny tries to stop the SeaWing) by telling them that they are the Dragonets of Destiny.

The SeaWing introduces himself as Riptide. He asks about Webs and Tsunami explains a few things. He then offers to go get Queen Coral, but Tsunami refuses, saying, "How would she feel if you told her you met her missing daughter and did not bring her to the palace?" Riptide protests, but again, Tsunami insists on bringing her friends. Riptide then uses seaweed to blindfold Clay and Sunny. Then the six dragons fly over the sea and towards the summer palace. En route, they meet Shark, Tsunami's uncle and Queen Coral's brother and Chief of Defense. Tsunami acts defensive towards him. Shark then orders the soldiers to kill the dragonets and bring Tsunami to the Palace. Tsunami knocks one soldier out and forces Shark to bring all five of them to the palace. They swim under water for a long time, surfacing occasionally to breathe in a subaquatic tunnel. then they emerge in the summer palace.

Part Two

As Tsunami emerges from the water, she notices all the blue-green faces staring at her. She remembers the stripes on her wings that Riptide mentioned earlier and lights them up. She then tries an "I'm home!" speech, but ends up embarrassing herself. Riptide leads the dragonets to the top of the pavilion, a stone structure, twelve stories tall. Each level, Riptide explains, has a different purpose. At the top level, Riptide tells the dragonets that an animus SeaWing designed it by animating the stone to grow into shape. It took ten years to complete. Minutes later, Queen Coral arrives. Tsunami is thrilled to see her mother, but is shocked to see another dragonet with Royal Stripes on her wings with the Queen. Riptide tells Tsunami that the dragonet is her sister, Anemone.

Tsunami growls at Starflight and asks why he didn't know about Anemone. He claims that the scrolls, particularly The Royal Lineage of the SeaWings: From the Scorching to the Present, were old and outdated. Glory notices this and comments on this. Before Tsunami can even react, Queen Coral lands and embraces her, quoting the homecoming scene of The Missing Princess. Anemone complains that her claws hurt. Coral then explains to Anemone that Tsunami is the dragonet that she lost six years ago. Tsunami introduces herself, and Coral asks about Webs. Coral shouts at Clay saying, "WHAT IS A MUDWING DOING IN MY PALACE?" Tsunami explains by saying that Clay is her friend. Coral then tells the guards to place the dragonets in Blister's cave with a guard. Coral tells her that the other dragonets will be fine. Tsunami tells Coral about how Webs never let her near the ocean or taught her Aquatic. Outraged, Coral states that she will execute him.

Coral gives Tsunami a strand of smooth white pearls, claiming "I have to start making up for all the gifts I missed giving you." Tsunami notices dark stains on Coral's claws. Coral calls them the "Perils of my job. Well, my hobby, anyway. My art you might call it." Coral then takes Tsunami to the 8th level of the pavilion, the library. Coral then introduces Tsunami to Whirlpool, claiming that he will make a fine king someday. Tsunami the notices Anemone quickly hide a hopeful expression, and wonders how much the little dragonet could clear up. Coral explains that she loves to write and gives Tsunami four scrolls 'for her to read tonight.' One of them is The Missing Princess. Tsunami then tells Coral how that scroll is her favorite. "Really?" Coral asks."I wrote it for you.

Just then, a SeaWing baring a resemblance to Shark appears. Coral identifies her as Moray, Tsunami's cousin. Moray kisses up to the queen for a moment before explaining that there is a dead SkyWing a few islands form the Summer Palace. Coral immediately goes to see the dragon, with Shark, Moray, Tsunami, Anemone, and another dragon, Piranha, close behind. when they reach the island, Tsunami is exhausted. She then looks down at the dead dragon. Shock quickly subsides to disbelief. The dead SkyWing is Kestrel. And someone had 'clearly murdered her.'

Tsunami is met with conflicting thoughts all the way back to the summer palace. She eventually decides to go see her friends tomorrow and tell them everything then. Coral returns from a war meeting with Anemone. The three SeaWings fly to a waterfall and swim under the bottom of it. There, is an under water bedroom. Tsunami collapses into her bed and falls asleep. She wakes up the next morning to find Anemone watching her. Startled, Tsunami fears that Anemone was trying to kill her. Anemone signals for her to be quiet, then tries to say something in Aquatic, forgetting that Tsunami never learned to speak the language. Anemone tries again and remembers, frustrated. Tsunanmi inspects the harness, which she guesses grew with her. Anemone signals Tsunami to follow her to the surface, which Anemone in barely able to reach. She expresses her relief that Tsunami in home, claiming that, "Maybe you can make her less crazy, or she might set me free now that she has you!." Anemone claims that she in happy she no longer has to marry Whirlpool, but Tsunami says no to the prospect of marrying that dragon. She also states that she does not have the time to get married.

Tsunami asks a few more questions, which Anemone hurriedly answers so that the two sister can return to their beds before Coral wakes up. When the Queen does awaken, she gives another strand of pearls to Tsunami, these purple and oddly shaped. The three of them then go to the Council meeting on the 6th floor of the pavilion. Tsunami is given the pool marked 'Dragonet Care', to sit in, as it's occupant Tortoise is absent.

After embarrassing herself by eating before anyone else, Coral wonders what had happened to Gill, the SeaWing who was driven mad by the SkyWings by having not given him water. He was killed by Tsunami, imagining that he was Queen Scarlet. Tsunami soon learns after a confession from Coral that Gill was Tsunami's father. She feels incredible guilt after this, wanting to be alone. But Whirlpool insists on giving her an aquatic lesson. After learning nothing from it she goes out to the island that lookes like a dragon skeleton and meets Riptide there. He gives her a proper lesson and she leaves back to the palace.

While swimming through the tunnel, a dragon attackes her. She is saved by Riptide and heads to alert her mother. Queen Coral is reading to a bored Anemone of how she chose Gil to be her husband. Tsunami informes her that someone attacked her and Coral is conerned about her eggs thinking that they will smash the eggs. She gatheres her council and they head to the deep palace.

The deep palace looked like coral growing out of a caveren. They head inside to the hatchery. Tsunami sees a statue called Orca which she knows is her dead sister. She hears Corals rage of fury and sees the limp body of the blue hatchling. Coral exits the hatchery and Tsunami pickes up the last egg beleiving she can protect it. Queen Coral is attacking the failed dragonet care council member Tortise. She killes her and spots Tsunami with the egg. She beakones her to hand it over but Tsunami refused and flashes her stripes saying I will protect. Coral heads to the surface with Anemone and Tsunami and they argue about the egg. Coral eventually gives in and Tsunami gets a harness for the egg but it dosen't fit. Anemone touches it and it shrinkes to the egg and her size.

She swims back to the summer palace in a stom worried about her friends. She gets lost but eventually finds Riptide who showes her the way. She meets up with her friends in the caves and finds that Coral has chained up Clay. She convinces some gaurds to unlock him and they head into a dry cave. Tsunami gets Sunny to kepp the egg warm from the heat emiting from her scales and they fall asleep.

When Tsunami wakes she finds that a SandWing is watching them sleep. She finds out from the SandWing that she is Blister, the middle sister. Tsunami and the dragonets come to breakfeast after Blister convinces Coral they shoud come. Tsunami loudly says that Lagoon and Shark disobeyed Coral and gets them in the dungeon. They then talk about Kestrel who Tsunami forgot to mention to her friends about. In the commotion Blister backs Tsunami up by saying it could be shocking seeing a dead body of someone you knew. Then she says especially when you've wanted to slash her throat yourself once or twice in your lifetime-right. But Tsunami realizes that Coral never said anything about her throat being slashed.

Blister then whants to see their "secret weapon" and Tsunami followes them curious. Whirlpool takes of a strand of pearls and tells Anemone to make it crawl across the room. On her second try she obeys and Tsunami realizes she an animus. Blister and Coral go off to talk privatly and Anemone makes the pearls go off the edge causing Whirlpool to follow. Anemone explaines that every time an animus uses their poweres they lose a bit of themselves and she scared for that to happen. Blister and Coral finish talking but they then hear a noise from the canopy.

Blister flys up to see what the noise is and grabs a dragon, Webs, out of the canopy leaving a hole. Coral is still angry at Webs and she attacks him throwing him off the edge. Tsunami found herself going to save him and Clay helps. They land on the library level and the other dragonets follow. Coral questiones her why she would save him and she lies saying they could use him for information about the Talons of Peace. Webs wakes and Coral forces him to explain how to get in the hatchery. He said he drugged the gaurds with help from his wife. Queen Coral says she put his wife in battle and it was a bloodbath. Coral then wanted information about the Talons for revenge from stealing for her. Tsunami is upset that she dosen't really care that a dragonets life was ruined. Starflight then says that Webs saved her life by stealing her egg because she would of been murdered as well. Urchin comes and announces that they found a dragon outside of the palace. They bring him in and it's Riptide.

Tsunami admits she has been takeing Aquatic with Riptide and not Whirlpool to save him. Coral suspects he is working for the Talons and Tsunami says its alie but Riptide looked down at his talons. Blister cuts in and says there working together to kill the heirs to the throne to use Tsunami as a bargening chip. Coral is exited by this idea and believes it. Starflight then explaines that it wouldn't work because the murders started two years before they stole Tsunamis egg and Webs couldn't have flown there and back because he was underground. Coral and Tsunami make a deal she would let Ridtide go if she caught the murderer. Tsunami realizes Blister wants Webs dead but for unknown reasons. Glory points out the murderer will kill Tsunami as well.

Part 3

Tsunami is in the hatchery and its pitch black. She has one of her mothers spears and then she hears Scraaaape a few time and saw that the statue is moving. The statue attacks her and cuts one of her gills it then steps on her and breaks some of her ribs. Tsunami fights back and yanks out its eyes which has no affect. She grabs the narwhale spear while its looking for its eyes. The statue attempts to walk over her to the egg and Tsunami realizes that an animus enchanted the statue. While she thinking the statue leaps at her and she stabbs the spear into its chest she notices that it crumbles a bit away she gets the idea to trap it. Another rib breaks and then she loges the spear into the statues moulth and jammed the other end into a nest. The statue attempts to escape but Tsunami grabbes the egg just as it breaks open. A little green head with green eyes blinkes at Tsunami and she says hello in Aquatic. She swims over to the door and opens it. The statue freezes. Tsunami has a theroy of who enchanted it, she believes it was Orca.

They are on the beach and Tsunami is is allowed to name her. She comes up with the name Auklet. Tsunami questions Starflight of why he likes Blister so muchnow and he dosen't say. Coral anemone and BListeer come down and say Orcas statue is destroyed. Tsunami still beliveves that Shark attacked her in the tunnel. Clay says that they are leaving and Blister wants them to stay ,to chose her. She nearly says the NightWings wants her but she says the Talons want her. Blister says to Coral that Tsunami killed Gil, but Starflight says that Blister killed Kestrel. Coral unsure of who to believe scoops up Auklet and flys away. Tsunami is put in her prison.

The prisons are islands with water flowing down around them. Tsunami attemts to stop Riptide and Webs but can't. in the water are large eels that Glory is afraid of. Tsunami tries to question Starflight about them but he can't remember.  Glory says that they can shock dragons and kill them if charged. Sunny says that she hears wingbeats and Glory spots someone comeing. It turnes out to be and unharnessed Anemone and for Tsunami she enchants a spear to find her attacker it turnes out to be Whirlpool. He is impressed and admits that he wanted Tsunami dead so he could marry Anemone. Then he muses that he could marry Auklet. Anemone swings the spear across Whirlpools head and he falls into the moat. The eels give out a shock and possibly kill him. The dragonets vote for if they want Tsunami to jump through the moat and its tied. Tsunami jumpes through and survives. She frees the dragonets and Riptide and Webs. She then askes Anemone to come with them but she refuses. SUnny hears the wing beats again and a fire bomb is droped throught the canopy.

In the doorway of the cave a MudWIing is there, it turns out to be Crocadile who is a tratior. Glory uses her venom on her and she jumps in the lake. Tsunami spots her mother and Anemone who are throwing the scrolls, Anemone is still unharnessed. Tsunami talks to Riptide and her last words to him were  All right squid-brain The dragonets escape the palace but as they do Blister stabs Webs with her tail. He says it misses his heart but it's still poisonus. They are on a beach again and Tsunami has the idea to go to the RainWings. The book ends with her thought So the Kingdom of the Sea wasen't my home after all I wonder is anywhere ever will be.\

Epilologue

As Morrowseer and Blister discuss the problematic dragonets and the events in the SeaWing Kingdom, Nautilus approaches, after being beckoned over by Morrowseer. The SeaWing explains his back-up plan to Blister, and tells her about the false draognets. Morrowseer suggests taking the best options from each group and mentions recruiting assasins.

Excerpt

To read an excerpt of the book click here

Trivia

Each of the books have been released on the first of the month.

The first two books so far have both ended with the main protaganists thinking a phrase.

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• Wings of Fire: The Lost Heir
  Wings of Fire: The Lost Heir