Riptide
Template:Infobox Riptide is a SeaWing with sky blue scales and deep blue eyes so dark they are almost black, along with dark blue horns. He was introduced in The Lost Heir as a member of the Talons of Peace. Coral seems to dislike him for being the son of Webs, as she thought of his family as traitors and cowards. He is Tsunami's love interest; he taught her some Aquatic.
Biography
Riptide hatched two years before Webs, his father, fled the SeaWings in the middle of a battle. Webs later came back and stole Tsunami from Queen Coral's Royal Hatchery so that she could fulfill the prophecy. Because of this, Webs became his tribe's most notorious traitor. Although Riptide had absolutely nothing to do with it, he suffered from his father's actions. Queen Coral hated Webs for what he had done, and she strongly distrusted Riptide (saying that betrayal runs in their family). She assigned Riptide the lowest of duties, guarding the border SeaWing territory, as far away from the SeaWing palaces as possible. Riptide had been interested in knowing more about his father ever since. Because of this, he joined the Talons of Peace to find out about his father, though they told nothing except about Webs except that he was safe. He secretly passed on SeaWing information for years.
The Lost Heir
He later discovered The Dragonets of Destiny on SeaWing territory and brought them to the Summer Palace of the Sea, after being questioned by the queen's brother, Shark. Coral finally met her long-lost daughter Tsunami, and then revealed to her that Webs was his father and Riptide could not be trusted after sending him back to his post. Tsunami, however, felt it was unfair to punish Riptide for what his father had done. Riptide followed Tsunami from a distance afterward, and helped her repeatedly at sea. He wanted to protect the Dragonets of Destiny, and is shown to seem to be very fond of Tsunami. After Tsunami's first lesson of Aquatic with Whirlpool, which turned out to teach her nothing, she went to Riptide. Riptide taught Tsunami some basic Aquatic, and they became friends. Later, when Tsunami takes on the role of protecting Queen Coral's last female egg, Riptide shows her the way to the Summer Palace. When Tsunami returned to the Summer Palace and went to see her friends, Riptide left before he could be noticed away from his guard post. After he left, Glory accused Tsunami of liking Riptide, and she immediately denied it.
The following day Webs was found at the Summer Palace and Coral decide to later execute him for his crimes. Soon after, Riptide was found sneaking around outside the palace as well. Coral accused Riptide of working with his father and threw them both in prison despite Tsunami's pleas not to. Coral was convinced that Webs was the assassin that had been killing off her heirs for years. She wanted her egg, which was being guarded by Tsunami, to be put back into the royal hatchery. However, Tsunami knew that Webs was not the assassin and the egg was still in danger. She made a deal that if she caught the assassin, she had to let Riptide go. Coral, thinking that she already had the assassin, agreed. That night Tsunami stayed in the hatchery with the egg. The assassin turned out to be the statue of Orca inside the hatchery. Orca had secretly been an animus dragon and had enchanted the statue to take out any potential threats to her being queen. Orca never became queen though, as she was killed during her challenge to become queen. The statue remained their after her death, killing Coral's daughters for years. Tsunami defeated it and saved Queen Coral's last daughter. The statue was later destroyed by Coral.
Coral agreed to release Riptide as promised, but said he could not stay with the SeaWings. Tsunami and her friends had decided to leave the Kingdom of the Sea, and Tsunami suggested he could come with them. Blister, however, who was at the palace at the time, didn't want the dragonets to leave. To keep them all from leaving, Blister got Queen Coral to put the Dragonets of Destiny in her prison. Anemone, Tsunami's younger sister, slipped away from her mother and freed the dragonets. The dragonets then released Riptide and Webs from their cage, and prepared to leave. Riptide then revealed to Tsunami that he had joined the Talons of Peace in order to learn more about his father, though they told him nothing. Tsunami was mad at Riptide for lying to her, but at the same moment the SeaWing palace was attacked. The SkyWings had followed Webs to the Summer Palace, and launched a carefully planned attack. The Dragonets of Destiny and Webs escaped, but Riptide stayed to fight the SkyWings. Tsunami wasn't sure she had forgiven Riptide for lying to her, but she did hope to see him again.
The Brightest Night
He is seen when Sunny, Tsunami, and Ochre go to the Talons. There, he explained a few of the significant members of the Talons of Peace, such as Flame's Mother, Avalanche. He is is also present at Burn's Stronghold near the end of the book, and helps to hold Clay down while Peril burns the poison from the Dragonbite Viper out of him.
Personality
Riptide greatly cares for Tsunami, and he may have a crush on her. He also wants to avoid getting his father's reputation. He is displayed as being nice, but always seems a bit mysterious, shown when hesitating to tell Tsunami that Webs was his father or that he was working for the Talons of Peace.
Quotes
"I certainly did not! You said you liked me, and that you'd followed me all the way out here to tell me that." (To Tsunami when they first met.)
"That's not usually how I introduce myself." (to Tsunami when apologizing for not telling her that Webs was his father.)
Tsunami:" Did anyone tell you that you should never be a spy?"
Riptide: "I think I'd made a splendid spy."
Trivia
- The first phrase Riptide taught Tsunami in Aquatic was "squid-brain."
- He has been mistakenly depicted as turquoise, like his father Webs, in some fan art, though he is sky blue.
- Though he does work for the Talons of Peace, he has kept his secret for years.
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