Osprey

"You told your guards- I know, for I was one of them-"

— Osprey to Queen Scarlet.

Osprey was an elderly, crippled, male SkyWing with sort of washed-out red scales and poor vision. His tail was paralyzed when a scavenger tried to steal his treasure and impaled it with a weapon, most likely a sword or dagger of sorts. This disability made it impossible for him to fly, because having a fully functioning tail is necessary for balance during flight. He seemed to have befriended Peril, being one of her only friends. He acted as the defendant for Queen Scarlet's trials before he was killed by Queen Scarlet for revealing too much information about the Champion's Shield to Peril.

Biography

Pre-Series

In his youth, Osprey guarded countless tons of treasure. One day, a scavenger came to steal the treasure and managed to paralyze his tail before Osprey ate it. He lost the ability to fly because he needed his tail for balance in flight. He gave all of his treasure to Queen Scarlet in exchange for residence in the SkyWing Palace. Osprey served as the defense on SkyWing trials, but usually made very poor arguments to avoid being beheaded by the queen. He was also one of Queen Scarlet's guards when they went after Peril's mother, Kestrel, for he says, "You told your guards-- I know, for I was one of them--"

He later became a friend and mentor to Peril after Kestrel was forced to abandon her. Osprey told her many stories of his youth. He was assumed the one to have told Peril about the Champion's Shield, since Peril said it wasn't his fault that she knew. 

The Dragonet Prophecy

Osprey served for the defense during Kestrel's trial. He explained the circumstances of how Queen Scarlet ordered Kestrel to kill one of her twin dragonets before changing her mind, forcing Kestrel to leave her surviving child behind. Scarlet decided to kill Osprey along with Kestrel, but Peril intervened and called upon the tradition of the Champion's Shield for her mother. After Scarlet discovered that Osprey told her about the SkyWing traditions, she grabbed him in her talons and dropped him out of the sky from high above the arena, breaking many of his bones. Because of his paralyzed tail, he was completely unable to fly and his tail just weighed him down even more. He soon died of his wounds.

Trivia

• He is suspected to be "kidney-breath", a character shown in the Escaping Peril prologue who always told Ruby that the secret to a long life was eating a goat kidney every day, and commenting on her long neck.
• An osprey is a diurnal, fish-eating bird that dwells near the ocean.

Gallery

• 
  A typical SkyWing (colored), by Joy Ang
• 
  A typical SkyWing (lineart), by Joy Ang
• A typical SkyWing from the German publication, by Max Meinzold
  A typical SkyWing from the German publication, by Max Meinzold
• Reference by Platypus the SeaWing
  Reference by Platypus the SeaWing
• A typical SkyWing by Joy Ang colored by Heron
  A typical SkyWing by Joy Ang colored by Heron
• Osprey by Destinyfollower2233
  Osprey by Destinyfollower2233
• Scene from The Dragonet Prophecy
  Scene from The Dragonet Prophecy
• File:OspreybyHerontheudwing.png
• By Snowflake
  By Snowflake
• 
  Osprey Ref- QueenClam
• 
  Scarlet killing Osprey by QueenClam
• File:Screen Shot 2015-01-13 at 9.33.08 AM.png
• File:Randomskywing.png.png
• 
• 
  SkyWing Sigil by Platypus the SeaWing
• A real osprey
  A real osprey