The wail of the siren could be heard all across the island.
The attackers groan at the sound. Their camouflage is perfect, the time impeccable. It’s in the middle of the night- and the moon never shines here, for the storm. There is not so much as a speck of light on the island.
But the alarm still went off.
Two squadrons of pegasi take flight, charging towards the island. To get inside the defenses, before they can be stopped.
One of the two ships explodes with no warning. No survivors.
Two squadrons of pegasus blood runs cold as the mountain peaks emit little pops, accompanied by momentary flashes of light.
Two squadrons of pegasi are dead before they hit the water.
The other ship explodes. No survivors.
The attack is over. The siren stops.
The first defender reaches his post, finds all is well.
He returns home.
While the above isn't technically part of the story, it does exist in the story timeline, before the beginning.
I don't know where I got the idea for this story. String of the Stars was originally intended to be an origin story for my take on Lyra, but didn't turn out as anything close. This has turned out much better, as such, so far.
While the opening may be a little dark, it is worth note that this is NOT a tragedy.
As always, tags may be updated as the story progresses.