Clary

Lore & Background

Glory belongs to the RainWings, a tribe that dwells in the rainforest and is known for their iridescent scales that shift with the light. Unlike what some might assume, she is not the daughter of the reigning queen; her mother is an unnamed RainWing, and Glory has no blood relation to the queen. When the prophecy called for five dragons from five tribes to bring peace to the world, Glory was the RainWing's representative. She was not the bravest, the most skilled, or the most selfless of the chosen five. What she brought to the group was a very ordinary, very stubborn refusal to play the part of a savior. She questioned, she complained, she tried to find loopholes and exits. Her relationship with her mother is one of the emotional undercurrents of her character, though the queen is not involved in that dynamic.

In Their Own Story

The mist clung to the mountain peak like a wet silk scarf, and Clary lay on her side in a patch of sun-warmed stone, one wing draped lazily over her eyes. Below, the other four were arguing again. Clary listened to the muffled echoes rise through the clouds and felt nothing but a deep, bone-level exhaustion. A breeze rolled in, cool and sweet, carrying the smell of rain that hadn't fallen yet. She let it ruffle the soft scales along her neck and thought, very clearly, that this was what peace was supposed to feel like. No prophecies. No wars. Just wind, and stone, and the slow turning of the sun. Then someone's voice cut through the mist: "Clary. We need you." She did not open her eyes. She did not move. The sun kept turning, and for one more minute, she was no one's queen, no one's prophecy, no one's RainWing. She was just a dragon, napping.

Reader's Guide

Clary | RainWing | One of the five prophecy-chosen dragons

Clary is the RainWing of the main five, daughter of Rain, the queen of the RainWings. She first appears in The Hidden Prophecy, where she is thrust into the role of tribal representative against her will. Of the five, she is the least interested in grand destiny and the most interested in comfort, ease, and being left alone. Key relationships: Her bond with her mother, Rain, is complex—loving but strained by expectation. Among the five, she often serves as the voice of skepticism, the one who asks "why can't we just not do this?"

Notable moments: Her selection as the RainWing's chosen dragon; her repeated attempts to opt out of the group's plans; her quiet, unglamorous moments of loyalty that surprise even her companions. Personality: Lazy, self-centered, wry, deeply reluctant, and oddly honest. She does not pretend to be noble, and that honesty is what makes her endearing.

Did You Know?

• Glory is not the daughter of the RainWing queen; her mother is an unnamed RainWing.
• She is one of the five young dragons chosen by the ancient prophecy to unite the warring tribes.
• Glory is the RainWing's representative in the prophecy.
• She is known for her stubborn reluctance to be a hero.
• Glory once tried to negotiate a truce by suggesting everyone just take a long nap and see how they felt afterward.