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Luoma
Aug 26, 2018 18:50:41 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Aug 26, 2018 18:50:41 GMT -5
⚞☊⚟ | This is not our world. Our world has seen glimpses of this in pools and fairy tales. Dragons abound at one time, and elves are clever. Humans live in constant competition within this world called Luoma. Many fantastical creatures live here, by night or by day, and they each have their own stories. Listen, now, to the Tales of Luoma, and find within it the wonder of the world you remember from childhood tales. | ⚞☊⚟ |
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Welcome ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃🜋 News 🜋 ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ "Eternity Awaits" 19.07.12 "Hard Break" 19.03.28 "Silence" 19.01.19 "Missions" 19.01.12 "Terror Watch" 19.01.05 "Growth Spurt" 18.12.17 "Matters of Survival" 18.12.17 "Discovery" 18.12.17 "Cathedral of Bones" 18.12.17 "Resting Place" 18.12.17 "To Evolve" 18.12.17 "Pining" 18.12.16 "Falling Flame" 18.12.16 "Encased In Flames" 18.12.16 "Denial" 18.12.12 "Homecoming" 18.11.01 "Packing Up" 18.08.30 "Fierce Protector" 16.11.11 "The Journey" 16.10.16 Thread Created August 2018 ⚞☊⚟ | Greetings and Salutations! This is a thread all dedicated to the stories within Luoma. Since it's not necessarily a chapter book, I've put it here in short stories. First off, though, I just want to say thank you for reading it >^.^< Advice and feedback are always welcome, whether here on the thread or via Direct Message. ((Or that epic discord that scrolls along the top of the site. I got me one of them, too.))
In other news, this is completely my brain child, but if you ever want to do anything with this, like make a character or write your own story in Luoma, let me know! I would love to know what else goes on in this world, and it would be cool to see what you think happens elsewhere. Let my chilluns have play dates with your chilluns >^.^< Don't kidnap my child, though. Not cool, man. |
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Luoma
Aug 26, 2018 18:58:21 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Aug 26, 2018 18:58:21 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Directory ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉In this section will be various characters from Luoma and their respective stories in chronological order. Have fun, and feel free to re-read stories if more than one character interacts with each other >^.^< Not Really A Character but it's here if you wanna read it
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Luoma
Aug 26, 2018 19:07:12 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Aug 26, 2018 19:07:12 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Codes ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉For Titles [font color="0000FF"][font size="5"]┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ [a href="http://lazywriters.freeforums.net/post/134/thread"]┃[/a]✠ title here ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉[/font][/font] For Subtitles [font color="16cbf1"][font size="4"]┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃🜋 title here 🜋 ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉[/font][/font] For Dark Indents [font color="f1f1f1"]xxxxx[/font] For Light Indents [font color="f6f6f6"]xxxxx[/font] For Dividers 3abe3f
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Luoma
Aug 26, 2018 19:32:04 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Aug 26, 2018 19:32:04 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Fierce Protection ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict where humans and elves and dragons all fought, though no one could remember why anymore. All that was left was the fighting. The blood soaked the earth, and cries filled the night like water in a cup. Somehow, in all the turmoil and pain, in all the chaos and death, there was life. From opposing sides came a love to inspire tales, though it ended in nothing more than claws and teeth and swords. So goes the story of old.xxxxxI awoke to bright sunlight and a boot to the ribs. The rest of the unit was already up and about, but I had somehow missed the roll call. My squad must have been in a particularly bad mood if they'd waited this long today. My ribs smarted and my ears rang with the sounds of insults accompanied by a handful of orders. "Breakfast" was a meager affair of cold bread and last night's stew. It was eaten quickly and silently, then we moved out. xxxxxThe marching was not as much patrolling the kingdom borders as it was mechanical movement over and over again. Nothing unexpected ever happened out here. It gave everyone too much time to think. How were our families back home? Were the dragons done yet, or had we hunted the last of them? Most of the others would be wondering when the elves would just give up and hand over their majiks. Me? I wondered what the weather would be like. xxxxxFighting was nothing new to me. My earliest memories are of a smoking building. A charred hand clasping at the sky. A bloodied sword. As I grew up, the others despised me because of my parents. Who knew when I would turn my halfling mind against them? I certainly never dreamt of such traitorous actions, though that never stopped the others from taking out their issues on me. These thoughts and more ran through my head as the leagues passed by underfoot. The monotony was known to put men to sleep on their feet. xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict, but love somehow found its way into the war. A young man and woman came together on the battlefield, fighting against a common and scaly foe. There, the two found companionship beyond that which their respective peoples thought possible in a world where the largest worries were to protect your own skin. But these two were much different. They ran away from the battles, the blood, the fights. They ran to a quiet and peaceful place to raise a child. And yet, even there, the war found them, and it did not find them kindly. So goes the story of old.xxxxxWhat was that?! The whisper carried around me in a nonsensical echo. What was that? The mysterious sound drummed against my ears in a familiar pattern. The sky seemed to press in through the leaves overhead as I looked up. Pressure hit my head in waves as the sound grew louder. I prepared my weapons even before the commanding officer ordered it. A crossbow with its loaded bolt and a short sword loosened at my hip. Apparently, we had not managed to hunt them all. This one, though, would definitely join its fellows. xxxxxI ducked behind a tree for cover as the rest of the patrol scattered in a panic. Heat blasted the earth and burst in all directions, propelled by the enormous bellows of leather wings. A roar shattered the sky as my troop began to fire, some with trepidation, others fear. My aim remained steady, and my mind cold as ice. One bolt down. Load the next one. The next bolt shot. Duck back behind the tree and attempt to reload faster. xxxxxThe ground trembled as the dragon landed. Trees snapped as the massive tail lashed behind it, and the wind from the enormous leather wings buffeted the trees and my squad hiding within them. In a sudden fit of motion, the dragon spun with a blast of flames. Screams sounded around me, and the fires began eating every living thing. Heat crawled by in waves that immediately set my skin to sweating. My short sword slid out of its sheath. This heat had ruined my crossbow, and the shimmer of it everywhere would throw off any attempt at an aim. I moved forward, toward the scaly beast that clawed at trees and tiny humans. Screams and cries of pain echoed around me as the flames spread at an ever-increasing rate. A harsh snap, and a tree began to fall somewhere very close. xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict where even the strongest bonds of love could not survive. Even as love ran, the conflict devoured all, even a little cottage for three in a secluded valley. Fires ate at the timbers lovingly carved into a home, and strangers trampled the remains. The three who lived there were not spared. The traitor and the enemy were slain, but the halfling child was allowed life. Young though it was, the child became part of the service that had just created an orphan. So goes the story of old.xxxxxBright lights blinded me as I opened my eyes. Before I could try to sit up, a hand pushed me back down into something soft and warm. A bed, maybe, though a warm wetness oozed uncomfortably around my knees. Hurried conversation commenced in a hushed corner as the doctor explained what happened. Apparently that tree had fallen closer than anticipated. Most of the wood shards had been successfully removed while I was unconscious, but there was one in particular that would have done more harm in coming out than it would in staying in. This all felt rather familiar. xxxxxAfter some convincing, I was allowed outside to sit in the sun and relative quiet. Whispers followed me in an unusually large number, but I could have sworn there were even more hostile looks than normal. The small house must have been an impromptu medical base, since the rest of the villagers seemed to cast curious eyes at the people inside. Their gazes hardened or dashed away when they found me, though. Whatever had happened while I was unconscious had not helped these people trust the likes of me. xxxxxThe sun was warm, and I tilted my face towards its light. My superiors should be here soon, so I might as well take advantage of this respite while it lasted. I sat on the ground, feeling a strange grate in my knee. When it was bent completely, a small bump pushed at the stitches painfully. I stretched out the leg and relaxed into the heat from the wall behind me. xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict that devoured every soul. Young and old, male and female, innocent and guilty, warrior and family, human and elf, the conflict devoured them all. Some lost their souls in the blood, some in the punishment of early death. For some, though, the punishment was life. The life of a halfling was as much punishment as the death of its parents, for the life of this child was despised by both sides. It was forced to act like a warrior long before most others would have. Marching and killing and marching and living, the halfling child moved on. So goes the story of old.xxxxxI awoke to a not so gentle prodding of my temple. When my eyes opened, they looked upon the visage of a young girl dressed in a homespun tunic of red and blue. Her short brown hair had a single braided lock that almost hid in her straight bob. She was a cute little thing. The rest of my squad had talked about having young girls or young neighbors back home and how they were all so innocent and charming. xxxxx“You snore,” the girl said earnestly before giggling and skipping away. I watched after her, confused, but decided it wasn't worth it to get up. Most of the adults around the healing house glared at me from behind raised hands, giving the familiar crossed fingers to ward against evil. Whatever the little girl had wanted, I laid back, unconcerned and wanting rest. My squad was normally noisy in the mornings, and this quiet was a welcomed respite from my normal routine. xxxxx“Aren’t you going to chase me?” a familiar young voice asked. I opened my eyes again and spotted a small brown bob quickly disappear behind the building’s corner. “The others said you would chase me,” she said again, sounding a bit disappointed. Innocent, maybe, but she was definitely charming in her own way. I let a smile tug against my lips before I replied. xxxxx“Now, why would I chase you, fair maiden?” I called out, resting my head once again against the wall. The answering reply was faint, and slightly grumpy. I laughed a small laugh and painfully got to my feet, using the side of the building as support to make my way toward the girl’s corner. My knee grated at being bent, and the stitches pulled and pulsed uncomfortably. xxxxxWhen I reached the corner, I leaned down, slowly poked my head around, and quietly said “Boo!” to the children gathered there. They all went squealing away, and I smiled broadly at their innocence. There was the girl with the bob and spun dress. Another girl wore her small braid and apron over a dusty grey tunic. The two boys wore similar trousers, though the apparently older one had lost his shirt at some point. Judging by the redness of his shoulders, the kid was used to it. I straightened and turned around, almost running into the chest of a very large and very angry villager. xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict where only the strong survived. Strong in strength, the dragons commanded fear. Strong in majik, the elves demanded respect. Strong in arms, the humans dominated all. Strong in wit, the halfling avoided destruction. Strong in heart, the child asked for trust. The strong arms, majik, and strength thought nothing of the strong heart or the strong wit and discarded them to be trampled underfoot. The strong wit noticed this and thought to better itself by becoming more like the strong in arms, but none would take its plea, and so the strong heart was all that was left. So goes the story of old.xxxxxMy wrists hurt. My throat was parched. I swear, these stockades were built too low to kneel and too high to sit. It was probably on purpose, considering these things were supposed to be a punishment. Sadly, they had become regular friends of mine as of late, as had Alice. The sight of the brown bobbed girl made me smile. I waved from my pinned position, and she came skipping up in her favorite dress. xxxxx“I brought a key!” she said happily. She always brought random keys when I was here, which had been fairly often since the army no longer wanted me and I had nowhere to go. My squad wasn't worth the name anymore, and my poor commanding officers seemed to think I attracted the dragons with my majik. It was a silly notion, but I'm glad they left me here. xxxxx“Why don’t we go give it back?” I suggested, letting her try the key before lifting the stocks off. I’d served my time already, so there was really no need to wait for the magister. These old locks would open with an amateur lock-pick. They weren't even worth the practice. xxxxxWe walked through the village holding hands. She said it was for me, since I still limped quite a bit, but I went along with it. The village adults would not hurt me while the girl was present anyway, so it kept pain away for a while. Houses turned from stone to sticks as the street went from cobble to dirt beneath our feet. The fields were out this way, and I began to wonder where Alice was taking me. xxxxxToday, the key belonged to Alice’s mother, a surprise I was not entirely prepared for. The furious female of the large farmhouse came barreling out of the house, almost instantly chastising her daughter for a myriad of things; stealing, shirking of duties, and outright disobedience were among the long list. Her skin shook loosely around her chins as she trembled in rage. The thin, oily hair hung in a messy bun that lost more shape as the scolding continued. I marveled at the words that flew from the woman’s mouth, and in my stunned state did not react in time. xxxxxWith a sudden vengeance, the portly woman lashed out at her daughter. Alice did not cry out as the loud smack resounded, but the redness forming on her face gave testament to the strength behind the blow. As the angry woman raised her hand once more, I moved. I did not think, but simply stood staring in defiance at the suddenly flabbergasted woman. It was a familiar pose, and the memory of a sting spread across my own cheeks. xxxxx“I don’t know where she gets it,” I said quietly. How could such a wonderful child come from such a terrible woman? I turned and held out my hand. “Could you help me back?” I asked Alice. Her eyes darted from me to her mother before she quietly took my hand. The woman behind me attempted to once again start railing at the child, but I ignored her and the scared glance Alice sent over her shoulder. We walked for a time before I asked, “Is that where all those bruises come from?” xxxxxAlice didn't speak for a while. The dirt was just starting to transition to cobble again before she shook her head. “Sometimes Papa gets mad at Mama and me,” she said, “and sometimes I just fall.” I tightened my grip on the young girl’s hand. I couldn’t leave the child in such a household. It reminded me too much of after the fires. There had to be something I could do. I knew what kind of damage that kind of environment could make. I thought until the houses turned back to stone around us. xxxxx“I have an idea,” I said, dropping to my uninjured knee so we could be eye level. Alice had to stop, but she didn’t look entirely at me as I continued. “If I said I could find us a place without bruises or angry Papas, would you come with me?” I asked quietly. This one girl had been the first to show me kindness in a long time, and I wanted to do something in return. If there was anything I could do, I would do it. xxxxxAlice shifted on her feet, and I worried slightly. Would this innocent child come with me? I did not want to leave her, but I did not want to force her to go, either. If she refused now, maybe the best I could hope for would be time to convince her. Plant the idea, and water it until she really wanted to go. Finally, she said, “Don’t tell Mama.” When she looked me in the eyes, hers were filled with tears, so I quietly reached up and brushed them away. Her skin was warm and her tears hot, but I didn't care. If I protected this one creature, I would be happy. xxxxx“Alright,” I said, “I will take you to a place without bruises.” She smiled at me, and for a moment, I was flying. This would work! Alice would let me take her away from here and protect that innocence before the fighting could stain it. I beamed down at Alice, but as she looked over my shoulder, her face blanched. I never knew what hit me, though I assume it was something hard. xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict, and it destroyed the dreams of many. The strong lost dreams of peace as they fought, and the weak lost dreams of grandeur as devastation rocked the world. Somehow, a small dream began to form. A dream of peace and safety, of a place where a halfling and a child could go without pain. The halfling vowed, and the strong of heart trusted. The strong in arms were threatened by this dream, and despite the great conflict the strong in arms moved. So goes the story of old.xxxxxPain. That single sensation blocked out all semblance of thought. Agony burned away all other feeling. Torment, all focused on one place. I think I cried out, but the only thing in the world was the pain. Why? Hands held me down as I tried to escape the pain. The pain sat there for an eternity before it moved away and I was allowed to pick up the pieces of myself that had been shattered. Suddenly, more pain, though not as intense as before. Why? xxxxxI was roughly thrown into a stone, cold room, and the sound of old metal creaked and clanged behind me. Rough voices called behind me, and curses about majik and kidnapping echoed around the dark cell until a heavy door thundered shut somewhere high above. The pain faded, though it remained present as ever. Why? I crawled to a pool of water fed by a leak and looked down. What I saw by the torchlight took my breath away. xxxxxAngry and red, a mark stood boldly in the center of my forehead. It was crude, but the symbol was there. It was the symbol of traitors and miscreants and possessors. The large and angry dot did not stand alone. Radiating from the mark were four pointed arms reaching for my brows and hairline. The imitation of the familiar ward made it more painful than the iron they had used to burn it there. The two combined marks puffed up as I watched, and I felt the swelling in my brow. Sluggishly, my mind registered what had happened, and I continued my examination in the dim light. Just below my eyes were knife slits, the blood coagulating as I stared, incredulous. Had the marks not been enough? Had I not been blindfolded, would they have gone for the eyes instead? xxxxxI crawled pitifully back from the light, wincing as my injured knee took my weight. What of Alice? Was she alright? I needed to get out, to fulfill my promise, to protect her from this blasted war. A thought occurred to me at that point. What would she do if she saw me like this? I no longer looked like the halfling she had befriended. I bore the mark every child was taught to run from. With my face bloodied and swelling, would Alice even recognize me? Could I stand it if she rejected me now? No. I couldn’t. xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict where dreams were few and prejudices high. Every action was read twice and thrice over through muddy pools of popular beliefs. Elves were evil, conniving thieves to all but the elves. Dragons were power hungry war mongers to all but the dragons. Humans were ungrateful plotters to all but the humans. And what of the halfling? The halfling was judged to be both human and elf, though none of the glories of either. The elves rejected it outright, not even letting such a thing into their cities, but the humans were different. They tolerated the halfling and watched with suspicion every interaction. They used but did not trust the halfling. So goes the story of old.xxxxxA time passed, marked only by the progressively longer intervals between one gruel and the next. My face had now mostly healed, though I no longer looked to the puddle for fear of the deadly scars left behind. When I noticed the puddle had thawed completely, I realized just how long Alice had waited. I stood, as if to leave, but one look at my thin legs and trembling hands stopped me. Again, I was reminded of how successfully I had taught myself to ignore my body's signals. xxxxxAn elder hurried to my cell at some point, carrying a bright torch. He had been the first visitor since the adults had finished with their taunting, but even that had been before the puddle froze. He asked for my help in a desperate voice, to which I responded with silence. The light from his torch burned my eyes, and I turned away from it. He offered freedom, wealth, anything I desired. When I looked back, an old sword was in the man's hand, the bloodied hilt held toward my cell. I finally consented, and he dragged me out of my bars and into bright sunlight. xxxxxThe scene was complete chaos. Men running everywhere, and others dashing for supplies. A familiar booming sound drummed my ears, but it had been too long. The mysterious sound held a familiar pattern I tried to place as I shifted my sword and weight. The sky seemed to press in against the stone houses around me as I looked up. Pressure hit my head in waves as the sound grew louder, and I finally remembered. xxxxxThe resulting conflict was terrible. The dragon had only to land, and the battle was his. The uneducated farmhands were slaughtered mercilessly, becoming obstacles for me as I sliced with my borrowed sword at wing and tail. One strike to the shoulder struck to bone, and the sword stuck as the dragon pulled away with a bellow of rage. Fire flew from it, igniting rooftops in a deadly blaze. It began stampeding, and I limped quickly after it, terrified at the direction it had taken. xxxxxThe dragon’s talons crashed through the roof of the shelter, crushing stone walls and bone alike. Children wailed in the sudden confusion, and those unable to fight scattered from beneath the beast. Alice was not among them. There was the other girl, and those two boys. Her mother's form lay collapsed under a beam she thought would protect her. xxxxxI limped under the dragon, searching for the brown bob and red tunic. Talons and tail danced furiously over me, creating more obstacles until I spotted her. Quickly, I tore Alice away from the sight of corpses, and together, we rolled to safety. Now, without a weapon and a terrified Alice cradled to my chest, the dragon turned. xxxxxThere was no one left to fight it. Bodies lay around it, and though the sounds of children crying rose from houses nearby, no mothers comforted them, and no fathers stood in doorways to protect them. It was just me, Alice, and the dragon. The only thing I could do was stare death in the eye. The dragon lowered its head and looked at us before it rumbled, “Don’t you fear death?” xxxxxThe question was unexpected. I could smell old meat between its teeth, as well as the rotten egg of sulfur on his breath. I moved a hand to cup Alice more firmly to me as the dragon's head drew near. “Great dragon, I have faced death my whole life. It no longer holds importance to me,” Alice trembled in my grasp as I spoke. I tightened my grip on her shoulders. This girl would make it, even if I didn't. “Spare this innocent! Her spirit has not been crushed by this accursed war!” I called out, protecting the child as much as I could. I had to do something for her. xxxxxA strange look came over the dragon. It was something like regret mixed with resignation. I saw his eyes grow dark as something was recalled. Once more, it spoke. “May this be my final act in this war,” it trumpeted to the sky, “To spare a life instead of take it.” From the ground, this baring of the throat was an immense measure of trust. Wings flared, and the tail lashed behind in one final throe of battle. xxxxxA sudden rush of wind created by wings, and the beast was gone. The dragon rose in tight spirals, then dashed off the way he had come. The sun slowly sank and flashed off of the retreating scales and a sword embedded in the shoulder. He flew with the weight of an entire village’s snuffed out souls, yet somehow his wings were light from the sparing of two. After a long silence for the realization to set in, I looked down to Alice in my arms and said quietly, “Ready to go on an adventure?” xxxxxThe young girl reached up and gently traced the scars imprinted on my face, and I winced, having forgotten they were there. They had healed badly, and the skin over them was a deep red instead of the typical silvery white. I looked down at Alice and was surprised I didn't see fear or revulsion in her chocolate eyes. “Fierce protector,” she mumbled quietly, then stronger, “Let’s find the place with no bruises.” xxxxxThere once was a time of great conflict. No one cares to deny it. It was long and full of pain. It was shortly filled with times of love. It was harsh, and souls barely survived. It was a never-ending tide of dying dreams. But, amidst the chaos and the prejudice, the world moved on. Dragons were defeated and elves driven off the continent. Time moved on, and a halfling grew into a fierce protector, chasing a dream of peace and safety with the strongest heart determined to find the light in the dark. So goes the story of old.
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Luoma
Aug 30, 2018 21:24:59 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Aug 30, 2018 21:24:59 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Packing Up ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ xxxxxAfter the dragon attack, I hadn't thought to prepare for them. My only goal was to collect supplies for one halfling and a young girl. The only people left in the village were women, children, and me. Most of the sickly hadn't escaped the shelter, so we didn't even have them at our disposal. There was no hope of us burying all the dead, so the bodies were simply left as they were, half buried and filling the air with a stink even children could smell. Their houses were beginning to stink, too, but there were plenty of supplies to be gleaned from these abandoned homes. xxxxxAlice and I spent the days gathering supplies and keys from various houses that no longer had occupants to yell at us. The keys were for her, as were most of the supplies. I had to keep her fed if I wanted to keep her safe. The mothers who still sat in their falling houses never really liked me, but now they outright threw things at me to keep me away. They squatted in their doorways like territorial mutts while I dodged pans and stones. Some of the better pots I kept as gifts. I suppose their actions were justified in their minds. I survived when an entire village of men died to that dragon. Obviously, I had used some kind of majik and could turn against them at any moment. I was a danger to all of them. xxxxxThe mamurra came under the sun’s fading light. They weren’t from our world. At least, their original ancestors weren’t. Large and white, these creatures haunted the forests and hills in packs anywhere from a few members to a few dozen members. Regularly, these packs would chase after and attack those who traveled by night, though they were rarely seen away from established feeding grounds. Maybe it was the smell of the place that drew them. Luckily, I was close to Alice when it happened. She and a couple of her friends were playing in the village square while I ransacked the clothier's shop. I had just slid a new key onto Alice's string of treasures when we heard the screams. “Alice! Together!” I cried. I emerged from the shop with a frantic glance toward the eerie cries. Two sharpened butcher’s knives jumped to my hands as she ran to my side, just like we’d practiced. The other children gathered around as well, something I hadn’t planned on them doing. xxxxx“He’s my Protector. Get your own,” Alice said. Her words made me grin, but when the first mamurra rounded the bend, all the children cowered behind me. Not like I was any less scared, but my mind remained ice. These mamurra, these ghost hounds, ran through the streets on heavily muscled legs. Wide heads supported on thick necks held bottomless black pits where eyes should have been. Most terrifying of all, though, was the leader of each pack. The Marca bled from these pits almost constantly, and their thick fur turned a deep crimson, their fangs sharper and longer than most. Just like the dragons. Only smaller, and more of them. Never mind, don't think of them as dragons. New enemy, new tactics. xxxxx“Alice, get in the smithy. Grab the pokers and blades there and swing them at anything that tries to come in,” I told her. The other children followed her lead like scared little ducks. First one, then another disappeared into the building. As Alice slammed the door shut, the red coat of a mamurra rounded the corner into the main square. I threw myself at the Marca. I had to keep it distracted to give Alice and the others a fighting chance. Maybe if I could wound it enough, we could get out and away from this death hole. xxxxxOur tussle lasted longer than I had wanted. My knives were great for hacking, but I hadn’t been trained in them like I had for the crossbow and sword. They sank into crimson fur and my cries mingled with the canine creature I fought. Pain flared in my shoulder as teeth tried for the neck. I retaliated with a hack at the ribs. Whines and and howls echoed just as freely off the dying village as my grunts and cries. With a final swing, I managed to hit something vital. When I stood above it once more, I was as red as he had been, and I had an audience. xxxxxI stood before the smithy door as a semicircle of mamurra growled and snapped at the air. Some had red muzzles, while others seemed to have bathed in what blood the village had left to give. They snarled, all two dozen of them, but none of them advanced. As the Marca bled out at my feet, I noticed a graying tint spread across the limp form. xxxxx“Alice! Are you alright?” I called into the smithy. I didn’t take my eyes off the mamurra, afraid of what would happen if I did. One stepped forward, but it retreated as I brandished my bloodied knives. xxxxx“I have a sword!” Alice said triumphantly, emerging from the smithy with her prize in hand. Immediately, the mass of mamurra surged forward. xxxxx“Stay back!” I yelled at them, and to my surprise, they obeyed. All but one mamurra retreated back to their original places out of reach. Alice made a small sound, but stood strong, brandishing her sword in the doorway. The mamurra who had remained stood as still as the buildings on the edge of the square. As I watched, the black pits of her eyes began to bleed. As if wine had spilled across the rest of her coat, all her fur turned crimson. When she stepped forward, I moved in front of Alice, and the new Marca froze. xxxxxThe mamurra shuffled on the edges of my vision as their new leader ducked to her belly, folded back her ears, and began to crawl towards me. Grunts and sounds that weren't quite barks came from those surrounding us. From the ground came a whine that sounded almost as loud as the mill that no longer ran, but I still heard Alice’s words. xxxxx“She looks like my Protector,” she muttered from behind me. Even though Alice seemed upset about it, I quickly grasped what might be happening. xxxxx“Alice, stay here. If anything happens, jump inside and bar the door, got it?” I said. Thankfully, Alice did what I said, and I was left with the grovelling Marca. I lowered my knives, but I did not put them away. The Marca seemed to take that as a sign and began to crawl. xxxxxWhen the canine reached me, she rolled onto her back, showing me her belly and the red fur there. Carefully, I reached out a hand. With surprising speed, the Marca jumped up and began to lick at the blood on my hand. In my surprise, I pushed at her broad head with my other hand. The knife cut her lip and made a mark on her folded ears, but I hadn't intended injury. Instead, where I had pushed her, a half-moon glowed briefly before darkening to an almost black on her fur. xxxxx“It just used majik! Momma was right! Jack, Milly, we have to go!” I heard a young voice shout from inside the smithy. Immediately, all the mamurra began to growl intensely. A small shriek came from inside, but when I stepped back to better protect the door, all sounds stopped. The growls silenced. The children within scarcely breathed. I held up a hand, and all the black pits followed it. xxxxx“Is it safe, yet?” Alice said from within the smithy. She seemed to be impatient and bored. Hopefully she wouldn't get any ideas with these dangers so close by. xxxxx“Maybe,” I said over my shoulder. The pack responded to my voice with all tails rising to erect positions. “Send out one of the others,” I suggested. If this was going to hurt anyone, I was not letting it hurt Alice. One of the boys was pushed out, and he looked up at me with terror-filled eyes. The kid's lower lip trembled, but I didn't give him a smile. I would protect Alice, even if I had to sacrifice another. xxxxx“Come here,” I told him brusquely. Apparently, I needed to be more specific, though. As the child reached me, so did the new Marca and a couple of the other mamurra. I quickly snatched up the child, but nothing seemed to happen. The boy - Jack maybe - started to cry, but none of the mamurra reacted. They all stared up at me with black eyes in white faces. “This one is a friend. Do not eat him,” I said. The canines milled about me, but the Marca quickly licked the poor kid’s foot and paced in front of me until I had space to put Jack down, which I did very slowly. The boy thrashed slightly and clung to my leg once I put him down, but he didn't die, so I counted it as a win. xxxxxCautiously, a single white form crawled forward, much like my Marca had. I stood over Jack as he cried, but I was pleasantly surprised when the mamurra simply licked at the boy’s hand. On an impulse, I grabbed one of Jack’s hands and placed it on the mamurra’s wide head. A similar crescent glowed on that brow before dissolving into a similar grey mark as my own. “You take care of this one,” I told them. With tail wagging, the mamurra licked at the tears still on the boy’s face, but it didn’t do anything otherwise life threatening. This might even work. xxxxxCarefully, I repeated the same process with the other children in the smithy. They cried in varying amounts, but nobody died. Alice was the hardest. “I don’t want another Protector! I have you!” she yelled at me. The poor grovelling mamurra began to whine, but I crouched on my good knee and got level with her. xxxxx“Don’t think of it as another me,” I told her, "Let me be your Fierce Protector. This one can be your Protector. They'll answer to me. That better?" I almost told her to think of it like adopting a pet but decided against the analogy. Not only were her pets not the best of creatures, but the mamurra seemed to understand at least a little of what I said. “Think of it as making another friend, as if we’re joining the pack.” Immediately, the mamurra began to bay into the night, those with companion children happily walking circles around their charges. Their braying could split the night much faster than a wolf’s howl, and they happily shredded what was available in their circle. “We are pack,” I tried again. This time, there was a number of yips and excited barks among the baying. Alice seemed to think her new companion funny enough to pat, which luckily resulted in the same crescent mark. Now that we’d avoided one crisis, there was another. xxxxx“Momma’s never gonna take me back! I’ve been majiked! I’m not human anymore!” one of the boys cried. His mamurra seemed distressed at the boy’s lack of enthusiasm and broke into a deep whine. I was inclined to leave the whining things to their own devices. Alice was here and safe and might have a new guard in case another dragon showed up, so I was content. xxxxx“Tommy! We’re alive because of the majik! Your momma always hated you, anyway! We’re going to a place with no bruises, but there’s going to be majik plenty if it keeps us alive. You wanna go back to your momma? Go!” Alice said. I was surprised at the sudden ferocity, but the comment seemed to strike true. Tommy grew quiet, and though he and his mamurra walked at the back of the pack, they followed us as I led Alice to our supplies and gathered them. It was high time we left this village. xxxxx“Alice! Alice, can I come with you?” the other girl said, “Can I go to the place with majik?” xxxxx“I suppose you can come, Milly. Jack can come, too if he wants,” Alice said loftily. The moment was slightly ruined as a scream echoed from what should have been Tommy’s house. Calls of monsters and cursed ones flooded from a feminine voice, and Tommy ran back to the pack, tears staining his face. A new bruise was forming on his jaw that bled slightly due to the impact of whatever had struck home. xxxxx“I told you Momma wouldn’t take me back! Now what do I do?” Tommy wailed. With a sigh, I stopped by the old bakery. xxxxx“I suppose I’ll take care of you, then,” I said. Some of the loaves were still salvageable, and I dumped them into the small bag I carried. Alice shouldn't have to share her food with anyone else. xxxxx“You?! I want to go home!” Tommy said. I sighed and collected a little more food and moved among my new charges. As I walked down the street, the pack followed, happily licking at my hands and feet in the most distracting way. They jumped and bayed and raced forward and back, though never in front of me. xxxxx“Tommy, we can’t do it on our own yet. It’d be better to live with a halfling than die because of your mother. I bet he’s nicer anyway,” Jack said. He walked among the mamurra as the most comfortable with his furry white companion despite his dramatic introduction. Though he had to reach up to pet the large creature, he scratched the canine’s ears and neck thoroughly. The mamurra reminded me of a big dog, but I quickly shook that thought from me. They were monsters known for their killing prowess, even if this pack was acting strangely. xxxxx“I’d rather live with Momma than die with a cursed halfling! It kills everyone it comes in contact with! The troop. This village. I bet it even cursed its own family to die!” Tommy yelled. I winced at the accusations. It had never actually occurred to me that I might be the problem. Would my presence really bring harm to Alice? xxxxx“I didn’t die,” Alice pointed out from beside me. I didn’t hear Tommy reply, but he apparently still followed as I led the rest of them out of the remains of the village. Their words troubled me, but I tried not to let it show. That was one thing I had learned as a kid: give them any hint, and they'll pounce on the weakness and doubt. xxxxx“What makes you think the halfling is a he? I think she’s much more like my mom than my dad,” Milly said, “and I think she can hear you. You should be nicer.” I smiled slightly at their debate of my gender, but I had to look twice when I glanced their way. Even though I wasn’t sure even the Marca could carry my weight, Milly rode her mamurra like a horse, which made sense, considering her parents’ role in the village. She continued her conversation with the boys as I focused forward again. xxxxxAlice tapped my arm as we entered the trees. “Are you a boy or a girl?” she asked when I looked down at her. I smiled and put a finger to my lips before focusing again on the pack of mamurra. Large canines known for killing things now followed my lead. Was it because I’d killed their Marca? That didn’t make sense. Another one walked on my other side, occasionally nipping at other mamurra braisen enough to come close. Was it because of the blood? If it was, I wasn’t going to wash it off until Alice and I could safely escape them. Were they herding us for future food sources? I'd never heard of the tactic before, but if humans, elves, and dragons had come up with it, why couldn't other species? xxxxxI continued to walk into the night. A chill filled the starry air, reminding us all that summer was coming to a close. The mamurra followed, and eventually the children fell asleep. Milly slept on her mamurra while Jack attempted the same. Tommy was dragging his feet as his mamurra clamped careful jaws on the kid’s coat until I broke and put him on the dog’s back so they wouldn't fall behind. Alice took some convincing, but she eventually allowed me to put her on the mamurra’s back. They had surprisingly broad shoulders that made carrying children like this rather simple. It was strange to see the children sleeping at at almost chest level, but I resisted the urge to let my guard down. xxxxxAs the sun rose, the Marca took the lead. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but my brain was getting tired, and I’d just about lost any idea of what to do next. My supplies were heavy on my shoulders, and my knee felt pressured and weak. I followed the Marca warily until we reached a roomy cave. I hadn’t even realized how drained I was until I slumped to the floor. xxxxxThe Marca curled up next to me as the rest of the pack settled in for a nice rest. Those with charges let them gently slide to the floor in various states of awareness before curling up around them. The cave quickly went from chilly to a cozy warmth shared by all the large, furry creatures. “You won’t eat us, right?” I asked the Marca drowsily. In response, I got a lick on the hand I raised to brush back my hair. I chuckled and curled up on the floor. Why wouldn’t they, though? Why were these large canines with the capability to handily eat them following him and carrying children? We Are Pack
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Luoma
Aug 31, 2018 3:13:47 GMT -5
Post by Ranger on Aug 31, 2018 3:13:47 GMT -5
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Luoma
Sept 6, 2018 17:07:04 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Sept 6, 2018 17:07:04 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ The Journey ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxDarkness clung to the walls like some possessive creature, reaching out to pull the Civati back into its protective safety. The darkness seemed to know of the terror lying above the ground, the danger hiding within the light. Of course, the Civati did not listen. She knew that her purpose here was more important than staying safe with her people. She wound through the tunnel as it twisted and turned, confident in the darkness. Even though she could see just fine, all four of her wide, pointed ears swiveled at the sounds of her footfalls bouncing around the tunnel. Because of this, she was aware of her final destination before she came upon it. At the last corner, the darkness grudgingly gave up its hold on the being, though it stretched as far as it could until it dissolved into a hazy grey. xxxxxThe being that stepped into this hazy light was dressed in a simple light grey tunic. In her hand was a walking cane of purest black, harvested from the grove of trees where her people lived. Across her shoulder rested a horn of purest silver. It was with this horn that she marked her errand. The Civati raised a paper white hand, blemished only by a midnight blue birthmark. She shielded her large, pale blue eyes from the alien and ghostly light. Her long hair hung straight down her back, its color reminiscent of the darkness she had lived in since birth. After a moment, she pulled a veil of the same cloth as her tunic over her eyes and carefully climbed up the rocks to the high spire that jutted out into the cavern. xxxxx“Zemni-vat, envoy of the Civati people, hath come as requested by Majus, beast of the heavens. Upon what dost thou desire to converse?” the being announced into the cavern in a sonorous contralto. Zemni’s voice echoed in the aching emptiness, and for a moment it felt to her as if nothing existed but her voice and the stone beneath her bare feet. The echo faded away before a raspy rustling could be heard far below. The dark concealed whatever lay there, though the light would have done the same for any Civati in this position. xxxxx“You came,” a rumbling voice replied, shaking the very stones with its lower intonations. “I almost thought you would leave me here to be found by the others. Zemni, I wish to discuss a pact of sorts.” Majus paused, nervously resettling his torn wings. Zemni stood, silently prodding him to continue. It was not hard. Not many sought out the Civati anymore, much less a dragon. “I search for shelter, hopefully indefinitely,” he said, a hint of desperation entering his voice. That was a strange tone for a dragon to take. Since it came from one of usually extreme ego, she had to make sure it was genuine. xxxxx“Majus, beast of the heavens, thou knowest to seek indefinite asylum among the Civati is akin to shunning the heavens themselves,” Zemni reproached gently, “No beast of heaven can truly be contented among us.” Why would one of the Overworld request sanctuary within the caverns and crevasses of The Mount? The last to contact them had been a call to arms. xxxxx“Beast of the heavens,” Majus spat, a shower of sparks falling from his jaws, “The others shunned me first. My kind have started a war, and I am tired of fighting in it. The Civati are the only place left untouched. I ask again, please give me shelter.” An old wound flared in the fighter’s shoulder, and he acutely felt the tears within the membrane of his wings that would never let him fly again. “Please,” he whispered, “This is my last chance.” xxxxxZemni stepped closer to the edge of the precipice and leaned out, shielding her eyes to get a better look at the dragon. Through her veil, she saw light from the entrance fall through Majus’ wings, and a silver scar seemed to pulsate at his shoulder. Dark tales came with those scars. “Majus, thou hast acknowledged the Civati neutrality in matters pertaining to the Overworld. Wouldst thou be capable of refraining from bias as well? Wouldst thou be a valuable constituent of the Civati people?” xxxxxMajus ground his teeth together. He had not anticipated such questions, though they were only logical once he thought about it. “Zemni, I cannot lie. I still hold bias against certain others in my world, but I can also help. I can protect the Civati from outsiders, and I can heat your homes and melt metals. I can be a barrier once my scales finally harden. I can move mighty loads and help to build,” he said. He tried not to conserve his dignity. He'd already tried that and gotten rejected for it. This was his last chance. Even if it was a huge fall in importance, if he could just find somewhere to hide, he could rebuild from there. Majus tried desperately not to think of how long he may have to abandon the sky behind him. xxxxxZemni looked silently at Majus, the dragon standing before her with his head bowed in supplication. He had told the truth, which was all she had wanted from him. A liar was bound to return to the Overworld, but his other ideas sparked her interest as well. With a smooth motion, she brought the horn from her side to her lips and blew into it. The sound that came out was as pure as the silver it came from. Long, straight, and simple, the single note reverberated around the cavern, shaking stalactites into a vibrating chorus of tones. Among the glorious music came the distinct sound of stone sliding against stone. One side of the cavern split apart to reveal a large tunnel sloping steeply down and into the safety of darkness. The darkness clawed its way into the room, as if knowing another charge was waiting for it, waiting for a chance to escape the dangers of the light. xxxxxThe horn left Zemni's lips, and when the sound faded, she announced in a strong voice that carried to the heart of the Mount, “Welcome, Majus-vat, member of the Civati!” Majus raised his head, stunned, and watched as the small Zemni agily made her way to the floor of the cavern. She motioned for him to follow, a grin peeking out from under her veil. Carefully, Majus followed the little Zemni, shortening his steps to keep her within sight. This became exponentially more difficult as the wall closed behind them, cutting off the outside light. xxxxxZemni paused to remove her veil, glad to be back within the protective darkness. “This way,” she said before starting forward on quiet feet. Her brow furrowed in thought as she contemplated how to explain this to the others. Peku-vat most certainly would object. His brother might be more accepting and open to new things, but Peku-vat would fight this tooth and nail. As the stone passed, Zemni composed herself for the confrontation she could sense coming. A calm face, calm words, and logical defense. Those might cool Peku-vat, but they would also convince whoever else he had convinced to come with him. xxxxxThe tunnel emptied out into a large cave barely illuminated by softly glowing mosses and worms, the gentle tinkling of water providing a calming backdrop. A glance at the brightest corner revealed a small pool of water surrounded by a modest collection of the moss. At the center of the cave stood a small group of figures dressed in a style similar to Zemni. They milled about as if agitated, but all whispers stopped when Zemni stepped into the room. One of them stepped forward, his bushy red brows low over smoldering eyes. xxxxx“Zemni-vat, what hast thou done? Is thine own mind with thee today? Thou knowest of the war and our neutrality, yet thou hast returned with one who participated in the fighting!” the male exclaimed, waving his arms emphatically. Majus watched, confused, as the small member seemed to contradict almost all rumors of a united Civati people. The angry Civati turned to the others still huddled behind him and declared, “I ascertained thusly before Zemni-vat’s election, did I not? She is not fit to be Guide!” xxxxx“Peku-vat, neither jealousy nor pride become thee. I have Guided the Civati thus far, and shall continue as best I am able,” Zemni said, gently putting a hand on the peeved male’s shoulder. Turning to the rest of the gathered, she said, “Welcome Majus-vat. He hath offered to Guard.” The gathered, including Peku, gasped, and whispers broke out to join the water’s cheerful bubbling. Double sets of almost feline ears twitched and folded in concert with their tones. xxxxxMajus carefully lowered his head and rumbled quietly, “Is something wrong?” Zemni patted the dragon’s snout and made a hushing gesture before turning to the others gathered before them. She seemed to him nervous, but regal. It was a sight he would not soon forget. xxxxx“Allow us passage, and the Civati will be Guarded once more,” she said proudly. A few quickly moved aside at the words, but that was not enough for Zemni. The black staff in her hand suddenly burst into motion. It stopped just as suddenly before the brow of the nearest Civati, and though Peku attempted to appear undisturbed, his eyes locked on the black wood now barely brushing his brow. "As Guide, my request to thee is to allow us passage. As Guide, my purpose is the shepherding and care of us, the Civati. As Guide, I have concluded this to be the most beneficial course of action. As mine own charge, dost thou desire to contradict that which I have ascertained?" xxxxxMajus blinked as the peaceable Civati seemed to debate among themselves. A number of things struck him as very odd. For one, Zemni had moved that black staff as if she could and would use it proficiently. Her movements had been fluid, and he had only seen one opponent with two legs who could move with such precision. Then there was the tactic Zemni took when confronting Peku. First, she had singled him out with the staff. Then she told him precisely what her role was and how that related to him. Majus didn't expect to see the Civati use similar tactics to the ones his superiors used on new recruits. It effectively turned the rebel leader into a simple trouble maker. xxxxxThe tactic seemed to work, as those who supported Peku moved aside. Peku was the last to move, but he finally did. Zemni's staff whisked back to her side, and she walked through the gathered group. Majus followed after the proud female. Glances flew to and from the dragon as his tattered wings walked by, but no other words were said. For a time, even Zemni walked without saying anything. The frequency of the moss shrank until Majus was relying almost completely on the sounds and smells of Zemni in front of him. xxxxxAfter a time of tunnels and dark, Zemni suddenly spoke again. "The Civati began as a people of the Overworld who dwelt with the moon instead of the sun,” she explained as they walked down a corridor almost too small for Majus. “Born of the dreams of others, they reveled in the newness of night, where possibilities are endless.” The corridor definitely felt endless to Majus, but he held his tongue. He scented dust, but also heard a strange pulsing in his ears that he couldn't quite identify. It seemed to be coming from the stones by his wing, but it was so quiet he couldn't pinpoint it. xxxxx“Others who dwelled with the light shunned and despised the Civati because of their strangeness, and eventually we came to dwell here, within the protection of The Mount,” Zemni continued, waiting for Majus ahead in the tunnel by the sound of her voice. “They soon discovered our origins and exploited our weakness, as our dreams are our physical lifelines, closely akin to a beating heart,” she said, pulling out an orb that pulsed slowly with an ethereal midnight blue light. The light glowed and dimmed in time to the strange pulsing Majus had been trying to ignore. At this point, though, all the light Majus could see caught and held his attention. He watched as Zemni turned and placed her dream against the stone wall. For a moment, the light just reflected off the wall, but then the outline of a large door began to glow with the same ethereal light. xxxxxWhen the door opened, a rainbow of soft light cascaded from a large and long corridor. It took a moment for Majus's eyes to adjust to the comparitively bright light. When he could see, he looked inside curiously. The walls were carved with shelves, and all of them were filled with pulsating orbs like the one Zemni held. “The Civati of old ordained a Guard to protect all their dreams, though none hath come forth to reclaim the position since the last one bequeathed their dream to another. This is what thou wilst protect for the endurance of thine stay, Majus-vat” she said, squinting up at him through the light. xxxxxMajus was stunned by the proposition. All of these orbs were the hearts of a Civati. He could hardly comprehend it. Had there always been so many? Where were they all living? Then it dawned on him what Zemni had asked of him. "Zemni, I can't. These are precious. You shouldn't trust them to an outsider like me," he said. Zemni simply closed her sensitive eyes to the light and gave his scaly hide a friendly pat. xxxxx"So do not exist as an outsider to us," she said. xxxxxOf course, Majus did not start by guarding the Dream Vault. There was an adjustment period where he had to go from an outsider to a member of the Civati. He started by guarding the main entrance and learning the customs of the people. The Civati enjoyed both Silence and Song, and times were set up specifically for both. After some stern instruction from the rigid Peku and his more flexible brother, Billibojo, Majus learned to walk lightly during Silence, and he even joined his reverberating bass to the harmonies of the Civati during Song. xxxxxHis diet consisted of mostly fungus and plants now, with the occasional fish thrown in for flavor. This was perhaps the hardest part of joining the Civati. Majus quickly realized that asking for anything more resulted in flinty glares and whispered remarks of “mongrels.” He desperately missed the taste of venison, and occasionally he thought of sneaking back to the Overworld to just get a taste and maybe stare at the sky for a while. Reason luckily kept him under the mountain. Zemni occasionally brought him his food, mainly to ask up on how he was doing. xxxxx"Zemni, is there a—" Majus paused as Zemni held up one pale finger. "Zemni-vat," he corrected, "is there a reason you only eat fish and plants? Surely the Civati are able to hunt larger prey." Zemni sat on the cave floor and looked up, as if reading a page before making an opinion. xxxxx"Dost thou recall our origins and the dreams we Civati spawn from?" she asked. Majus nodded carefully, wondering how this had to deal with a food source. "There are instances in recorded history wherein these others you wish to hunt have spawned a Civati of their own," she said quietly, "These are thinner, smaller, and find existence more difficult to retain. Adrift, they spawn one season and bequeath their dreams to another within the turning of the moon. Knowing this, wouldst thou still exhort the Civati to hunt these creatures?" xxxxxDiscussions like these continued through the meals. Majus grew more comfortable with traditions and conversations, slowly learning just how few had ever seen the sky. Other Civati talked and ate with him, some of the younger ones asking about the war and his experiences. Zemni came less and less often as time progressed, but their conversations were still wonderful. He always learned, and though he didn't know it, she always relaxed. Both enjoyed their discussions, but they both had other duties. Majus began helping expand the tunnels within the Mount as new Civati joined their number. He attended "Plantings" when a dream was passed on and a black seed was sown in their memory. Usually, he kept busy, trying to think only of the Civati he lived with and not the sky he’d left behind. xxxxxMajus walked through a few of the hastily enlarged tunnels on his way to the most recent building project. His constant hard work had earned him the favor of most of the Civati, and he tried to repay their kindness of sanctuary as best he could. Almost, he was a true Civati, but some still viewed him as an outsider, especially considering the discovery of carved clouds by the entrance. He could read the smallest of currents in the tunnels to orient himself toward the large door. His hearing and sight had adapted as well, growing more appropriate for the darkness within the Mount. Eventually, he even began to think of the sky only rarely. xxxxx“Didst thou hear of the elven cousins?” one Civati whispered, perking Majus’s ears in curiosity. He slowed as he came toward what looked like a bend in the tunnel. News rarely made its way down this far, as visitors were few and far between for the Civati. xxxxx“A tragedy,” another whispered. It felt as if the conversation would continue, but the sound of a silver horn marked the start of Silence, and the conversation stopped quickly. The tone reminded Majus of the first time he had heard the sound of that silver horn. Zemni still visited him on occasion, though recently they had been drifting further apart, their infrequent visits growing strangely formal as Majus began to understand Zemni's role in the Civati world. xxxxxThe other voices remained silent, and Majus decided he should move on. He walked carefully back to his now regular post by the Dream Vault. The passage had been widened and polished by the friction of his scales against the rock until it was smooth and now reflected the light of the dreams down the tunnels in a kaleidoscope of pulsing colors. xxxxxMajus entered and sat at the door for a moment, basking in the light of his post. From what he could tell, the personality of a Civati could be traced back to the kind of dream they came from. Peku’s was a fairly violent dream, and some of the happier dreams spawned optimistic Civati like Leta. Zemni’s, though, was special. Majus had examined every orb within the Vault and had yet to see one the color of midnight blue. Each new one that formed was as beautiful as the rest, but none had the same midnight blue as hers. xxxxxMajus carefully counted the dreams on his shelves until he was sure all the dreams were where they should be. That finished, he curled up protectively in the small depression by the door. He was about ready for a short nap when he heard echoes from down the corridor. He listened carefully until words eventually became apparent in the general din that was the earth moving. That particular sound was magnified during Silence, and it put his teeth on edge to hear the rocks over his head resettle or the layers under his feet shift. xxxxx“All gone,” said the echoes, “The fault is their own!" then, "Be not offensive.” One of the voices sounded like Peku, one of the Civati who still begrudged Majus his trust. The dragon wondered what he could be talking about briefly before his staple meal arrived with one of the happier Civati, though her smile seemed slightly forced. Peku was not the kind of Civati to break the Silence for no reason, but his reasons were occasionally thin or ill-considered. The fact that he had thrust his need onto another, making this cheerful Civati break the Silence, frustrated Majus slightly. There wasn't anything he could do about Peku, but he smiled and made a motion toward the happy Civati who had brought him the meal. xxxxxTogether, they moved into the Vault. Majus made as little sound as possible, occasionally settling a dream more securely into its niche as they moved. He was looking for a particular dream. The Civati following him nervously pushed back rosy yellow bangs as they walked. This was a place of openly displayed hearts, so Majus understood the nervousness. Finally, though, he found the dream he was looking for. Careful as could be, he twirled his tail around the rosy yellow dream and lifted it off the shelf. His talons were too sharp to risk actually picking the dreams up, but his tail still worked just fine. Slowly, he lowered the dream in front of the Civati following him and watched as their eyes widened. He always loved that expression. Most Civati never held their dreams, lest they damage it or lose their heart. They left them here in the Vault, and though Majus loved his new home, he despaired at the lack of interaction. The dreams he could get into Civati hands glowed brighter for days, and their color grew more vibrant in comparison afterward. xxxxxIn this way, many years passed, though the passing of time was lost on Majus. He Guarded and let Civati hold their dreams and ate small fish and plants from below the Mount. Sometime in the duration of his stay, his visitors marked a noticeable stiffening in his scales. The Mount groaned more often, and the Dream Vault was expanded. Majus was counting the softly glowing orbs when a polite cough came from the front of the Vault. There stood a tall Civati with a simple light grey tunic. In her hand was a walking cane of purest black, harvested from the grove of trees that grew nearby. Across her shoulder rested a horn of purest silver. The Civati raised a wrinkled white hand, blemished only by a midnight blue birthmark, and shielded her large, pale blue eyes from the light of so many dreams. Her long hair hung straight down her back, its color so white it almost glowed itself. xxxxx“Majus-vat,” she said, her voice no longer clear, but still as strong as the day she had called him. Zemni-vat? When had she gotten to be so aged? “Majus-vat, there is a thing I need to discuss with thee,” she said. xxxxxMajus sat and lowered his head to her level in respect. “What is it you wish to converse about, Zemni?” he asked softly. It must be important for her to break Silence like this. She called the times herself, so she knew exactly what was going on. He was slightly nervous in the Guide's presence. She hadn't visited in a long while, and he wasn't entirely sure how he should react to her sudden visit. xxxxxZemni paused before continuing. “Majus-vat, thou hast served us Civati well. My dream hath begun to grow cold, and I fear I will no longer be able to Guide the Civati.” Zemni paused for breath and pulled out her midnight blue dream. Its pulsing glow was now fluttering and barely lit up Zemni’s hand. Majus feared the implications. He had never thought he'd need to witness Zemni's Planting. He closed his eyes, but Zemni continued as if driven to get the words out. xxxxx“The Civati hath grown beyond that which The Mount can sustain,” she said. A pause as she leaned against his lowered head. “The Mount groans, and soon will fall in on all the Civati if we do not relocate.” Zemni looked at Majus carefully, pain in her eyes. He could feel the pain and gaze, and he opened his eyes to look at her dimming dream. “The Civati must leave The Mount to inhabit somewhere new, but I will not survive to see it happen,” she said, caressing the guttering orb. His eyes darted up to hers, but she no longer looked at him. xxxxx“Mine own dream is unique,” Zemni said. Majus was confused by the change in subject, but he let it be. “It is an ominous dream, one that giveth premonitions of the future.” After a moment, she slowly moved to Majus’s shoulder. As carefully as he could, the dragon lifted Zemni like he assumed she wanted, letting her rest on his neck in silence. Zemni didn’t stay there, though. Quietly, the Guide climbed up between Majus’s horns and took a few deep breaths. She reached up a tired hand and held the dream on Majus’s forehead, then moved the silver horn to her lips. xxxxxInstead of the pure tone from their first encounter, the sound that came from the horn was three wailing blasts that reverberated around the Vault. In a flash of light, Zemni’s dream melded itself to Majus’ forehead, and in the following echo, a small voice said from far, far away, “Majus, I bequeath mine own dream to thee. Guard faithfully and Guide wisely.” xxxxxFutures lay before Majus, and he scampered to his feet, trying to understand them all. The Mount falling. The sea. White canines invading from the West. A valley with steep cliff walls. Humans blasting holes in trees. Forest fires and natural disasters. When he finally stopped seeing doubles, a crowd of Civati had gathered by the Vault door, worried about the vibrations they felt in their Dreams. Majus took one shaking step forward, then decided to break the Silence. xxxxx"I entreat you to help me Guard you," he said. His voice shook, but the words made it to them. Wide eyes looked at the Guard while Majus lowered himself under the weight of the futures he saw. "Gather, all of you, and pack only the necessities. We need to leave the Mount," he said. Protests immediately broke out, but a short growl later and they were silent. "As Guard, it is my duty to protect. As Guard, I must ensure the safety of the dreams. I intend to perform my duties to the best of my abilities, and that means leaving the Mount. Now go," he said. For a moment, nobody moved. Lurching to his feet, Majus roared, "Your Guard has spoken!" xxxxxAfter Majus had sent someone to get all the extra fabric they had, he began to lower the dreams. One by one, the Vault emptied of its light. He didn't have time to think on what was happening, only on getting the dreams and their Civati out of the Mount. It wouldn't be until much later that he would notice a crawling midnight blue invade his scales, but already his eyes had turned to a bright blue. When at last the final dream was placed in the hands of its Civati and all had been given a veil to protect their eyes, Majus said, "Civati, those that I Guard, it is time to leave. Come to me with your insecurities, but do not stop. We must evacuate." xxxxxThrough the large doors Majus had Guarded when he first arrived, the denizens of the Mount escaped toward true clouds and safety. From outside, the mountain seemed to develop a stream of light that flowed quickly down its midnight forest. Majus was the last to leave, a small horn of purest silver clutched in his claws and some few precious seeds taken from the grove of black trees. With a glance over his shoulder and a fond glance toward the patient sky, he trumpeted a call of nine in hurried succession, and the Civati traversed the night of the Overworld for the first time in millennia. The Mount crumbled behind them not days later, compromised by all the tunnels and caverns created during Majus’ duties as Guard. xxxxxMajus-vat led the Civati for many generations, and the positions of Guide and Guard merged into one. Majus held the first position with the help of Zemni’s dream until he could no longer protect the Civati in their new home from the war that still raged in the Overworld. Now, all male holders are named Majus-vat, and those females who take up the position are named Zemni-vat in memory of the two who began the journey to find a new home for the Civati. All are spawned of a midnight blue dream and carry a horn of purest silver, whose sound echoes through the ages to that first encounter long, long ago.
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Luoma
Nov 1, 2018 14:17:35 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Nov 1, 2018 14:17:35 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Homecoming ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxAfter leaving the protection of the Mount, not everyone felt at ease. Majus helped set up a watch rotation and harbored beneath his wings those who attempted sleep. Many found it difficult to adjust, and there were more than a few who were struck blind by the sudden light they traveled through. xxxxx“Majus-vat, a word with thee?” a young Civati inquired. xxxxxMajus stopped his cloudwatchng and snaked his head in the bright Civati’s direction and said quietly, “What is it you wish to talk about, Leta-vat?” He felt badly for those he had under his care whose dreams were of happiness, like Leta. This was not a journey he'd wish upon anyone, but those who dreamed of happier things had it tougher. xxxxx“What are we to do about the Silence and Song? Many of our eldest desire a balance, though they themselves ascertain the need for stealth in such foreign lands as these,” Leta said. Her hands twisted before her, and though she didn’t look at Majus, he could see the worried flick of her large ears. xxxxx“Leta-vat, I will not be upset with you, nor with those whose complaint you bring to me,” Majus said. He reached out one clawed foot toward her until she put her hand on it. “I know the Silence and Song must balance, and I have thought on this matter long. I believe I may be close to a solution of sorts, but let us wait for the Gentle Light to shine so that all may hear of it first,” he said. Leta looked about ready to object, but he nudged her gently with his claw. “Go. Sleep while you may. I will Guard you as best I am able,” Majus reassured her. xxxxxDespite his advice, Leta was one of the first to awaken by that moonrise. Her yellow hair had yet to be cut, so the greenish tint had begun to show in earnest at the ends of her rippling curls as she emerged from under his wing. Peku, unfortunately, was not far behind. xxxxx“Majus-vat, thine inabilities to mind the queries of thine dependents appalls mine sense of justice,” the redhead blurted. Majus simply blinked at Peku and sighed. xxxxx“Peku-vat, your intuition is always a blessing, but in this surface world, I am more accustomed to the dangers inherent in inhabiting this place. Please, wake the rest. I shall endeavor to Guide you in this,” Majus said. Peku stormed off again, but Leta remained. She stayed until the rest had awakened and emerged from under his wings. Grey veils covered all eyes, but some leaned more heavily on one another than the rest. xxxxx“Majus-vat, what dost thou desire to convey?” a voice called from the crowd. Another joined in, “Should not we continue journeying while the Gentle Light still graces the heavens?” Before any more grumbling could drown him out, Majus sat up and flared his wings. xxxxxThose wings were ratty old things. Torn so badly he could never fly, and scarred elsewhere by rocks and fire and thorns. In his youth, they had been a brilliant red. Now, they looked almost comical. Grey cloth had been sewed into the leather so as to prevent any more blindness during the Harsh Light of day. Around those patches and where the stitches had set were growing patches of a red darker than any scale he had ever worn. It had hurt, but Majus hadn’t objected to becoming more able to protect his people. xxxxx“Civati of the Mount,” he called out to them, “My appreciation for your patience is only outweighed by my desire to Guard that which I was brought to protect.” Many Civati shuffled in the crowd, unsure why this meeting had taken place. Majus didn’t hold many meetings of this scale, but they were always important when he did. xxxxx“My adoptive people, I know it has been a struggle within yourselves to keep the Silence and Song within such unbalance, but those who I would Guard against would surely hear such beauty in this time of war and seek to crush it,” Majus continued. Many of the eldest began to grumble again, but the youngest among them nodded and whispered agreement. “I have ascertained that there remain four avenues to balance. The first is simply to return to a state of Song and Silence, as when the Mount was still our home. This avenue would bring down against us more than I might handle alone. If this way is chosen, all Civati must master the ways of self defense to better survive the attention the Song would bring,” Majus said, pausing to listen to the grumblings of those in his care. This was the least adaptable option, since it would require this passive people to learn how to fight. The elders knew how to use their black walking sticks to joust in sport, but if they taught the younger generation, it might work. Such a drastic change in theology however, might not. xxxxxOnce the crowd quieted again, Majus continued, “The second path toward Song is a quieted time. Now, the purpose of Song remains to offset the Silence, so this avenue would have us practice a longer, quieter song than what remained in the Mount.” Here he held up a scaled leg to hush the crowd. “You all obviously find this option distasteful as well, so I will progress. The third option is to disguise our Song into the sounds of nature itself. None in this place would question the sounds of cricket, frog, bird, and wind, though too many owls might raise the Guard of those around us and lead to a need for the first avenue,” Majus said. This idea seemed to take more to the taste of the Civati around him, but those who were oldest and most set in their ways glowered at their neighbors. xxxxxSomeone from the crowd, Billibojo most likely, called out “What is the fourth avenue you spoke of?” Majus smiled into the crowd. That one was older than many he knew, but Majus admired the adaptability of the Civati, even imitating his own way of talking to a degree. xxxxx“The last avenue I can conceive is to find and claim an area untraveled by others and begin again,” Majus said. There were many gasps throughout the gathered Civati, and a few confused looks from those more skeptical members. xxxxx“Majus-vat, dost thou know of such a place as thou hast described?” Leta spoke from the front of the crowd, and all gazes turned expectant and hopeful as they looked toward the dragon who led them. xxxxx“Leta-vat, your words speak what the rest hope for. The mountains east of here are the most probable location for such a haven. There are a number of valleys accessible only by flight in that range. So, also, are there mountains whose sheer size present a danger to flying over. If the Civati would desire to claim one such valley as their own, I would endeavor to Guide you true and assist you into such a place,” Majus said. Leta turned a distinct shade of pink at his praise, but she still joined with the resounding cheer that arose at the end of his small speech. xxxxx“Now, my adoptive kin, let us make haste. Should any retain doubts or conceive of a question concerning our current course, let them bring it to me as we travel; however, until we arrive at our destination, I ask that you attempt the third avenue during our Song,” Majus said. He’d noticed Peku in particular hadn’t cheered as enthusiastically as the rest. With one motion, Majus knelt, and those too old or too young to travel swiftly clambered upon his broad shoulders and back, riding all the way down his spine and even to his tail. It was an awkward way to travel for Majus, but the weight of so many Dreams upon his back helped remind him why he was Guard and why Zemni had chosen him as Guide. xxxxxThree nights they traveled, sleeping and recovering strength during times of Harsh Light. When they finally reached the base of the massive mountain range the Civati would be calling home, those who had doubted had been convinced, and some who had believed were beginning to doubt. They looked up at the height of each peak and grew tired at the sight of such a climb ahead. It was at this point that Majus began carrying more than just the very old and very young. xxxxxThose with enough energy ranged ahead, scouting trails and bringing news to Majus as they climbed into the mountains. Every Civati helped their neighbor, and those riding upon Majus began to voluntarily switch out with those who didn’t, whispering encouraging words as they passed those more tired than they. xxxxx“Rest, and think of what it will be like to not walk.” xxxxx“Our destination cannot be further than yesterday.” xxxxx“Almost there.” xxxxxThere came a night when even those words grew quiet, and Majus made a choice. He gathered his adoptive people and spoke to them again. “Civati, I know this journey has taken its toll on your bodies and minds. Rest this Harsh and Gentle Light within the protection of these caves while I search ahead,” Majus said. He was interrupted very noisily by a certain red Civati. xxxxx“Dost thou desire to abandon thine duties as Guard? What should happen to us, should thou not return to us?” xxxxx“Harken, my kin, to the words Majus-vat utters. I believe he hast thought of our plight and wishes it over with quickly,” Leta said to her people. She and those near her looked toward the dragon with hope, while those around Peku continued to grumble. At a nod from Majus, Leta continued, “Civati, look to thine reflections. Thou burden the young with years they have yet to earn, and thine elderly yearn simply for rest. Allow Majus-vat to Guard thine energy and ascertain the ways in which to Guide thine steps.” xxxxxFor the first time since leaving the Mount, the entirety of the Civati people slept under stone instead of under patchwork wings and dark-rimmed scales and grey cloth. A watch was set up of those willing to give up their rest, and Majus made last minute arrangements. A time of meditation was set up while he was to be away as well, in the hopes that thinking ahead would rejuvenate the spirit as well. xxxxx“Leta-vat, a word with you,” Majus called as the rest retreated from the coming sun. The bright Civati came forward and stood before the dragon’s lowered head. “Leta-vat, I wish you these. Keep them safe for me,” he said. xxxxxLeta gasped as a small pile of black seeds and a horn of purest silver fell into her outstretched hands. “Majus, I cannot take these. This horn is for the Guide alone,” she said, trying to put the thing back in his grasp. She suddenly stopped and flushed, quickly blubbering, “Majus-vat, excuse my over familiarity. Mine words were ill thought, and I intended no disrespect to thine adoption!” xxxxxMajus gave a deep chuckle as he pulled away. “All is forgiven, Leta-vat. Please, keep the horn safe while I move forward. It is important not only to me, but also to our people. Should something happen and I am unable to return, give it to Peku-vat. He may be abrasive, but he knows what is good for the Civati and will know how to start choosing the next Guide,” he said. As tears began to fill Leta’s eyes, Majus moved his snout against her. “Do not fear. I am not completely helpless,” he said, grinning and showing his sharp teeth. xxxxxThose next two days were difficult for the Civati. They were lost without their Guide, and they were skittish without their Guard. Even the newest members felt it, though there was one who was born beyond it. With a bright, blinding light, a green Civati made his first appearance at Majus’s side during his travels. Majus had been returning when this young one appeared, and he made even more haste, knowing that the others would need this one. xxxxxAt his arrival on the evening of the second day, the Civati rejoiced. Majus thought they looked tired and scared, but many shoulders relaxed as they recognized his form. Many cries of delight also rose up as the newest member of their kin was shown to them. He remained almost glued to Majus’s dark red scales, but the dragon saw how brightly his dream glowed at this meeting with the people he’d been told about. xxxxxLeta approached and lifted the horn of purest silver, smiling as she said, “Name him, Guide, and welcome him as our kin.” xxxxxMajus was surprised, then berated himself. He should have been thinking of a name since the young Civati had appeared. “I request that you hold this for me, Leta-vat. I do not wish to break such a precious thing,” he said quietly to Leta. She smiled back at him and positioned it in a way that might be easier for him to use. He thought a moment longer, then lowered his head to the horn. Blowing gently, he brought out a single tone as pure as the silver it came from. Loud and simple and long, it reverberated around their cave, and when the echoes died, Majus proclaimed, “Welcome, Mathias-vat, member of the Civati!” xxxxxFrom that cave, the Civati journeyed more toward the southern end of the mountains. When Majus had made the journey alone, he had moved faster, so instead of the single night it took him, now it took them multiple nights. They traveled over mountains, and Majus shuttled them across a small canyon. Through all of this, Mathias never left his side, despite Majus urging him to socialize with the other Civati. The green Dream was a quiet one and rarely spoke. The first time was on the last day of their Journey. xxxxxThe night had been spent shuttling Civati up the steep side of a mountain. Leta noticed that Mathias was not on the dragon’s back like normal and went looking for him. Just a little higher, on a thin outcrop of stone, the green Civati stood, looking down on a lush valley below. Waterfalls cascaded down the opposite side of the valley, their water feeding the roots of trees untouched by human, elf, or dragon. xxxxx“Mathias-vat,” Leta said, “What dost thou look upon?” When she reached his vantage, her questions halted in her throat. xxxxx“Home,” Mathias said quietly. That single word ran through the Civati as quickly as the sun’s light colored the clouds that morning.
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Luoma
Dec 12, 2018 15:43:01 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Dec 12, 2018 15:43:01 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Denial ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxEveryone starts out young and innocent, including dragons. His first and most cherished memory was seeing his mother for the first time. Nobody had to tell him who he was looking at or why she was so beautiful in the setting sunlight. As quick as he could, he crawled out of his shell and stumbled awkwardly to her side. xxxxx“Majus,” she said in a voice as creamy as fresh milk, “You will kill for me.” xxxxxYears later, the dragon named Majus wondered why those had been her words. Why would he kill at all when there were so many balconies to jump and glide to? The others who hatched with him were bigger for sure, but they didn’t kill, either. He carefully prepared his wings and launched himself off another ledge with glee. xxxxxA stray wind gust threw the dragonet through the air. His wings, not used to the force needed to keep himself upright, fell up like useless pieces of cloth. The ground approached at increasingly faster speeds until a set of sharp claws bit into his tail. His screaming turned from terror to pain to simple, paralyzing fear as the larger dragon carefully brought him to safety. xxxxxAlmost as soon as he was safely earthbound, the larger dragon started dragging him through the stone structures he knew to be home. They were wide, open places where a dragon could easily glide through a door or a window whenever they needed, and Majus could hear the conversations in each room lull as his protector dragged him by. xxxxx“Nasinsti, your runt is doing it again,” a bored voice said. Majus sat quivering next to his sandy savior, not daring to look at his mother in her lounging glory. xxxxx“Thank you, Zanu. It’s good to know somebody else is looking out for the future of our people,” Nasinsti said. The room Majus sat in was mostly white, though webs of inlaid silver and black painted abstract designs on the marble columns and ceiling. Each of the arching windows here sat across the room from a dip in the floor where a number of eggs sat. There were lots of windows in this particular room. “Majus, look at me,” she commanded. xxxxxMajus had to squint through the glare that reflected off of Nasinsti’s scales and devolved to staring at the pillows she lounged on. She reclined among a large pile of bright pillows and blankets, all blues and purples and greens that complimented her metallic gold. His mother was growing big again. “Majus, did you try to go flying again?” his mother asked. Before the small red dragon could attempt an answer, she continued, “You know that your wings aren’t strong enough, yet. You should be doing your exercises with Zanu and her little Japa daily, but I know you haven’t. What am I going to do with you?” xxxxx“My queen, if you allow it, I would like to take him in as my own. You have many young soldiers looking for your attention. I can give this one more specialized training, and you can get updates whenever you want,” the sandy dragon said. Majus’s eyes flew from the pillows to his mother’s eyes in an instant. She wouldn’t! Momma loved him! xxxxx“Yes. That is a wonderful idea. Come back to me when he can fly, and we’ll discuss what to do after that,” the golden dragon said from her pillows. Majus stumbled as Zanu pulled him back, still not sure he could believe what was happening. xxxxxThe next few nights, Majus couldn’t eat. Something felt wrong inside him, and even though he tried to put down some of the grouse and bird Zanu brought to him, it was always on the floor again within the hour. Majus grew weaker and weaker. Did Momma not love him? xxxxxThere came a morning about four days after Majus came to live with Zanu where things changed dramatically. His room was invaded by a dark blue ball of living energy. She bounced around his room, messing up pillows and curtains and generally making too much noise. xxxxx“What are you doing? Why are you still in bed? You smell bad. You should take a bath. Oh! Are you Majus! Mother said you were coming to visit for a while, but I haven’t seen you. Aren’t you that dragon from my flight classes? I thought you were a little older than me, but I guess you’re a lot older. Well, a lot as in a couple more clutches than I first thought. You’re not as old as that grumpy queen, are you? Gee, I hope not! You’d be way too small for anything if you were that old. Are you grumpy, too? Don’t be grumpy! We should totally be friends! Wanna be friends? We’re friends now. Hey, how about we do friend stuff! I heard there are meat pies in the kitchen today. Let’s go grab some and watch the funny cook make faces at the walls! C’mon! It’ll be great! Promise!” xxxxx“Japa. Silence. Majus is feeling ill, though he’s almost over it. He has no time to go play with you right now,” Zanu said as she passed by in the hall. The blue dragon—Japa apparently—seemed to shrink and nod and wink all at the same time. “In fact, didn’t I tell you to go do some more wing exercises?” xxxxx“But Mother! My wings are already tired, and those exercises are boring! I want to do fun things with Majus. We’re friends now!” xxxxx“I see.” Japa’s mother seemed less than pleased as she came into the room. Compared to the small dragons within, she practically filled the room. “If you’ve been making friends, it is high time you did your exercises. Come on, Majus. Up!” xxxxxMajus rose, weak and tired, and barely managed a glare at the little blue dragon before following Zanu out to the courtyard. “Why are you glaring at me? I didn’t do anything. Oh! Is it the friends thing? Did you want to keep sleeping? I don’t think I’ve ever met a dragon who could sleep as much as you do,” Japa chattered. Majus ground his teeth together as they walked. “Mother’s strict, but she makes really good stew. I bet your mother couldn’t do that. Could she? That would be cool! A stew cook-off! My mother would totally win, though. What about yours? Can your mother do anything interesting? She must be tiny if she had you. That or your father. My father’s out in the war. Is yours? I wonder if they’ve met. I wonder if our mothers have met! Have they met? That would be fun. They could talk about interesting things together, but I guess if your mother is as boring as you are, she’s not going to be any fun to talk to, either.” On and on the little blue dragon went until he couldn’t stand her badgering any longer. xxxxx“Stop it! I don’t care about you or your friendship and your momma probably doesn’t love you, either!” Majus snarled. He stumbled along behind Zanu as the little blue dragon stopped in her tracks halfway through the doorway they’d been walking through, a look of deep hurt in her eyes. xxxxxMajus didn’t learn how to fly that day or the day after. In fact, Japa learned to fly before he did and wouldn’t stop teasing him because of it. “It’s because you’re so mean! You’re big and heavy and mean! No wonder your wings don’t work.” xxxxx“I am not heavy! You’re bigger than me, too, so it can’t be that, Japa. I bet it’s all your hot air that’s got you flying up there and not any kind of skill!” Majus was stuck in the courtyard doing exercises until long after he’d started hiccupping sparks and accidentally setting things on fire. He’d even started learning fighting techniques in the afternoons when he finally managed to take off on his own power. xxxxx“Finally! Majus, do you have any idea how furious your mother is with me? I promised her you could fly, and it took you years—years—longer than any of the other dragons in your clutch and for three clutches after,” Zanu said, her tail lashing in agitation, “Now, get up there and build some endurance. I don’t want you touching the ground before I come back.” xxxxxIn the coming months, Zanu kept Majus outside. She never let him touch the ground until his wings gave out above him, and he always fell asleep exhausted. Despite the hard training, Majus didn’t hate the sky. The walls of the courtyard he practiced in were tall and always seemed to loom in on him, but the sky had always been out there waiting for him to find it. Flying, however, was something Majus definitely hated. He vowed to himself that if only he could make it over that wall, he would never have to fly again, but his mother and his keeper had other ideas for him. xxxxxWhere Japa had flown first, Majus had fought first. The day he could easily fly over the walls of the courtyard and beyond without fear of falling or a shortness of breath, the two of them were put into a large class of other young dragons. There, they learned the basics of self defense and attacking smaller targets. xxxxx“Majus, I heard the teachers all like the ferocity you use with the targets during class. Good job, but don’t let it go to your head,” Zanu said at dinner one night, “You’re still far behind your clutch if Japa is in the same class.” Majus frowned at the meat he tore apart, refusing to look at Japa. She’d either have that smug look, or that sad, pitying look. Majus hated the pitying look more. At least Japa would fight back when she was smug. xxxxxMost of the classes were terrible. History was an excuse to explain how horrible elves were and how barbaric humans were. The queen is always right. Our glorious generals have led us to victory these ways. Arts were better, though still terrible. He was allowed to carve what he wanted, or he could burn things or build a weapon if he wanted. Sometimes they could paint, but there were only dark colors and golds and reds, and the teachers never liked what he came up with. Flight class was exhausting on any good day. Mathematics were simply boring. Even the literature class just repeated the same praises and analyses of war heroes. Combat class was the best, though. Majus could snap at anyone he wanted, and the teachers would only tell him how to do it better. xxxxxAs the younger clutches grew up and got bigger and bigger, Majus grew little by little. Japa was much bigger than him, now, but there was only so many jokes she could use before even she got tired of landing on the floor. Even her pity look changed after loosing so many sparring matches. xxxxxThe only issue Majus had with combat class was the group fighting exercises. Nobody seemed to like him, and he didn’t like them much, either. They usually tried to use him as sacrifice during their games, but Majus just bit them harder when he was thrown against them next time. xxxxx“Nasinsti, your runt is doing well,” Zanu announced. They were back in the white hall, though there were different eggs in the indents now. xxxxx“Is my little Majus getting enough blood to justify his scales?” the queen asked. Majus stared at one of the spirals inlaid in the floor by his claws. Nasinsti didn’t expect him to answer, anyway. “It looks like he’s grown, too. That’s good, but he’s still much smaller than his clutch mates. I hope that isn’t his adult size,” she continued. xxxxx“Don’t worry, my queen. He’s not yet reached his first 100. He still has some growing left in him,” Zanu said. The golden queen looked particularly pleased and made a gesture with her long tail. “Majus, out. The adults need to talk,” Zanu said. Majus quickly disappeared from the meeting. For some reason, his eyes still hurt every time Zanu took him to see the queen. It must be all that bright light focused in one spot. xxxxxAt the end of the next week, Majus was taken from his school and put into the barracks of training soldiers. Instead of “Newbie” or “Fresh Blood” as some of the other new transfers were called, his nickname immediately became “Runt.” It stuck, and even after the others had lost their names, Majus was still referred to as “The Runt.” xxxxxIt was difficult for Majus. Being in the barracks, he realized just how small he actually was. In the school, the other dragons had been bigger, but not by much. Here, everyone was the size of an adult. They completely towered over him like Zanu did whenever she scolded him. Soon enough, though, his nickname gained a designation. xxxxx“Fiery Runt” they called him when he left. It was a tribute to his scales, but also to his tendency to use his flames in creative ways during brawls and practice. He would spit at another’s claws or breathe out whenever his teeth bit down. The instructors began teaching his techniques in classes, though carefully. It was easy to dull claws and talons and put mouthguards on teeth, but it was much harder to make fire a safe fighting strategy to practice. xxxxx“Fiery Runt, you’re up for deployment. Report to your nanny,” a rough voice called. There were a number of chuckles from the dragons lined up for deployment. Everyone knew that Zanu was his caretaker. Even his brothers and sisters held it over him when they could. Majus made a few snarling comments, but he made sure to keep his voice down so the commanding officer wouldn’t hear. xxxxxIn Zanu’s office, Majus stood at attention, waiting for the words that would determine his future. “Alright, runt, Kanesa special forces. Have fun, don’t die, please Her Majesty, all that,” Zanu dolled. After so many years in her care, Majus wasn’t sure why he hoped for something a little more personal. “What are you doing? I still have 35 of your brothers to get through before I even start assigning your sisters, much less everyone else’s soldiers. Now, move it.” xxxxx“Yes, ma’am. One request: Don’t assign Japa with the same voice,” Majus said. He left before the sand-colored dragon could respond. He wouldn’t let her see his face. He was certain it looked monstrous. xxxxxA few years passed in the Kanesa base as Majus trained specifically for the special forces. He was beginning to think that life was nothing more than a series of exercises and drills that must be repeated until he dropped to the ground in exhaustion. He wasn’t the runt anymore, though. Majus learned to respond and live by a code name. xxxxx“Young Flame, your form is loose. Tighten up, freshie.” xxxxx“Three extra freshie laps around the base for you, Young Flame.” xxxxx“Young Flame, are you going to let him say that about you?” xxxxx“Good reflexes, Young Flame. Now do it again.” xxxxx“Young Flame, show these freshies the fire trap.” xxxxx“Go kill for the glory of our Majesty, Young Flame.” xxxxxYoung Flame fought and trained in Kanesa base until he became part of the grey stonework, but hidden inside him was Majus, sitting on the tallest hill and staring at the sky beyond the pointed walls, wishing he were there instead. xxxxxHis first mission was to a seemingly random human settlement. As one of the Kanesa, he had been sent on his own for something so simple. All he had to do was go in, hunt a few barbarians, and bring back any decorations the pitiful place might contain. The sky was overcast that night. Perfect weather for a small-scale surprise attack if one could fly. xxxxxWhen he reached the small settlement, Young Flame dove from the clouds. Amid the tiny wooden structures, cries rose as the humans recognized the form hurtling at them. For a moment, Majus enjoyed the feel of the wind rushing by without the effort of flying, but then he was landing. Like a giant stone thrown from some god’s fist, Young Flame hit the ground in a roll, toppling most of the buildings and flattening a number more as he stood. xxxxxAs it was, the buildings rose to about the same height as Young Flame’s shoulder, and maneuvering once he was among them was a pain. In frustration, fire flew from his jaws and caught at the nearest buildings. As flames lit up the night, Majus heard the first cries of terror his presence brought. xxxxxThat mission was a success, as was the next, and the next. Young Flame’s reputation continued to grow among the Kanesa troops with each mission he completed. He became a kind of legend who would go out on solo missions and come back without a scratch. Once, Young Flame went missing for almost three years, but he came back victorious as ever. That particular fanfare was more boisterous and widespread. At this point, Young Flame also began to collect an air of disquiet about him. He would return from every mission, but he wouldn’t say a thing until he’d been up to the tallest point in camp for almost a full day. In busy times, he spoke not a word while he remained in camp. xxxxxIt was during one of these quiet times that a small voice asked in disbelief, “Majus? Majus, is that you?” Something small stirred in the red dragon as he stared at the sky. It was just turning to night. The stars would be beautiful tonight. “It is you! Majus, what happened?” xxxxxYoung Flame turned to look at the dragon who had obviously mistaken him for someone else and was thrown back into a time much warmer, but with similar skies. “Japa,” Majus breathed, “are you still so full of hot air you can fly?” xxxxxThe small blue dragon grinned and looked up at him. “You got big! If I told my bunkmate that I knew when you were the smallest in the class, she wouldn’t believe me!” she said, “When did you hit your growth spurt? Couldn’t have been recently. You have to be almost 900 by now.” xxxxxMajus looked back up at the stars. “Guess I’ve just been growing bit by bit. I haven’t been keeping track,” he said, “But what about you? I thought you were going for scouter patrol.” xxxxx“I was, but Mother decided you guys could use a bit of help with aerial combat,” she said pompously. They both chuckled at her comment, though Majus felt tired just remembering how she could make even the most difficult maneuver seem effortless during school. “By the way,” Japa said, looking around, “You don’t happen to know about a mysterious dragon who goes by Young Flame, do you? He’s supposed to hang out up here after missions, and everyone down at the barracks is just dying to see him. Did you know he's completed over a hundred missions already? I hear he's supposed to be some bloodthirsty brute.” xxxxxMajus didn’t respond until Japa looked at him, and when he did speak, his words were directed to the stars, “Young Flame is a dangerous dragon. He accomplishes his missions through any means necessary. Each scale is covered in the blood of those he’s killed, and he is never allowed to leave survivors. Young Flame is a terrible monster, and the queen wants everyone here to be like him.” xxxxxJapa stared at Majus, watching as he stared at the emerging stars. “Remember when we were young and you first tried to be my friend? That meant a lot to an orphan like me. Thanks for that,” Majus said, turning to his old housemate. xxxxx“Wait. I thought the queen was your mother. I didn’t know you were an orphan,” Japa said, pity edging in on her voice. xxxxxMajus blinked slowly and turned back to the night sky. She didn’t understand. How could he make her understand? “An orphan is a child unwanted and unloved by their parents. Honestly, I feel bad for all the queen’s orphans, but I don’t pity them. Pity doesn’t do justice to their desire to be noticed,” Majus said. xxxxx“Young Flame! It’s meal time. Better come get your grub before some newbie gets it,” a voice called from below them, “Flyby, you better not be bothering our next hero. Get down here, before I assign you extra laps, newbie!” xxxxxMajus sighed and slowly turned back toward the meal hall. By the time his claws hit the entrance, Young Flame already had the confident stride that carried him swiftly through the hall. He grabbed his meal and its substantially larger portion and took it to a corner where he could watch the new kids come in. They all looked so young it was almost painful. Part of it might have been the fact that he now towered over them, but that wasn’t all of it. xxxxxThe newbies looked nervous but excited as they walked into the dining hall. They shuffled and jostled in an attempt to assert some inner hierarchy of dominance. Somehow, all the newbies managed to get their food without dropping it, but Majus noticed that not everyone got to eat it. xxxxxAt the end of the long table the newbies had claimed, there was one dragon who was scrawnier than the rest. His food seemed to have been “donated” to the lucky cause of feeding the biggest newbies of the mix. Grand. When the bullies continued their actions, Majus sighed and looked to his half-finished meal. xxxxxYoung Flame approached the newbie table and set down what was left of his meal. It was a quiet placement, but everyone was suddenly quiet and staring at the large red dragon. xxxxx“Eat. The drill sergeants will use up all that energy,” Majus said quietly. Then, Young Flame turned toward the biggest newbies with a hard gaze and said, “And you better not complain when you start throwing up tomorrow.” The dining hall was silent as he walked out. They were children. How long before this place turned them into killing machines?
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Luoma
Dec 14, 2018 4:48:38 GMT -5
Post by Ranger on Dec 14, 2018 4:48:38 GMT -5
oh nooooo Majus nooo D:
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Luoma
Dec 16, 2018 19:50:27 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Dec 16, 2018 19:50:27 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Encased In Flames ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxYoung Flame, a bright red dragon fighting for his queen-mother, flew close to the trees tonight. This was an infiltration mission from his Kanesa special forces squad. These barbaric humans were supposedly attempting to create something that could kill a dragon mid-flight. That was dangerous, and the queen needed information and possibly a few tiny heads. The hard part about this was going to be letting himself get captured. xxxxxYoung Flame set down in an unassuming clearing and waited. He’d need first light to make this work best. Outright attacking the large and fortified settlement would be easy, but it would also make the barbarians more likely to want to kill him after. They needed to find him on their own, and he shouldn’t make any aggressive moves. That would make the humans curious and feel more emboldened to take him into custody. xxxxxThis would also be an excuse to practice his two-leg speech. Listening was one thing, but speaking was another. How the small, fleshy things could make so many soft sounds was beyond him, but he was trying. Being able to interrogate prisoners was worth the frustration, though. xxxxxAs Young Flame prepared for his role, he made himself a place to nest for the rest of the night. After that was prepared, he would be able to injure his wing as practiced. An injured dragon was much less of a threat than an uninjured one. xxxxxWhen all was prepared, Young Flame threw himself at the ground. He was prepared for the popping sensation and held in the natural cry of pain that he felt building inside him. A careful curl later, and the red dragon was ready and waiting. A good, steady breathing, as well as his head out from under his wing, exposed to any passing humans. Visibly closed eyes were easier to trust, especially if he sat with his dislocated wing on top. And now all he had to do was wait. xxxxxIt was sometime around midmorning when the scout brought back enough humans to capture him. Their smell of sweat and filth reached him before the soft clinking of muffled armor did. Even if they were silent, any sane dragon would get one whiff and fly off. For the sake of the mission, however, Young Flame remained still and opened his eyes only after the mutterings and clinks of armor were loud enough to wake the dead. xxxxxSlowly, since slowly was the only way to appear unthreatening, Young Flame opened his eyes and raised his head. He took his time blinking away imaginary crust from his eyes, but he didn’t yawn. That would have caused plenty of alarm. No. Instead, the dragon visibly flinched when he finally “noticed” the humans on the ground below him. A quick flare of one wing, then a small sound of pain. Look scared. Focus entirely on those in front so the squad they’ve stationed behind can throw the net. xxxxxThe plan worked extremely well. When the net was thrown, Young Flame thrashed just a little, knocking over one of the nearby trees for special effect. What he wasn’t expecting was the dart to his wing joint. The whole thing went numb, but soon after, so did his entire left side. He swayed and toppled to the ground, and this time his sleep was real. xxxxxWhen Young Flame woke up, he was somewhere cold, dark, and covered in stone. He rose and cautiously explored his new space. It seemed to be about five paces by four, and he could almost stand upright, but his horns just kept hitting whatever ceiling was there. One corner had a small puddle he drank from sparingly. If he listened carefully, he could hear chains moving and the sound of stone grinding against stone. The humans had managed to catch him, but it was a much more secure prison in reality than he had anticipated. xxxxxWithout anything better to do, the red dragon launched off of one wall and crashed into the other. When he’d finally put his wing back where it should be, he noticed the ceiling moving above him. Apparently his actions had gained him some attention. His eyes were not prepared for the searing lance of light that came down from the edge of the stone box he was in. xxxxxA small voice called down, and Young Flame saw the small head of a human silhouetted in the light. Whatever she said, it was too fast and garbled for him to make any sense of it, and though he tried to get a word in, the small head disappeared and was replaced by the sound of grinding gears again. Young Flame was confused, and he spent the next long while pacing the perimeter of his cell, muttering two-leg words to himself. xxxxxWhen the ceiling moved again, Young Flame was ready for it. He listened carefully to the quick garble that was the human speech and attempted a translation. Something about healthy side effects? Maybe something about temperament. He was confused, but at least this time, they threw down a deer carcass. Young Flame was almost loath to eat it, but instead he rationed it. The smell had something of a day on it, so it wouldn’t keep for too much longer. He did manage to keep it until the next one was thrown down. xxxxxLife within the stone cell took on a certain rhythm. Young Flame would pace the outer edge of his cell until food was thrown in. Then he slept until the ceiling opened again. Next, he would work on stationary strength exercises upon the growing plateau in the center of his cell. After, he would scratch into the ceiling a view of the sky he remembered. Then it was walking again. xxxxxThe floor of the cell took on a strange form. Instead of the flat it had been, it was now a gently sloping nest where Young Flame could comfortably rest. The puddle remained in its corner, deepened after a bit of time where the water had escaped into the groove his pacing had created. Each time the ceiling moved, he was more and more ready to speak the human tongue. At this point, he’d begun to understand regularly what the small head was saying. They were constant updates on how he fared, apparent health, and aggression levels. There was something they were putting in the deer he was sent, but he couldn’t figure out what. xxxxxIt was after a long rest when Young Flame said his first words in his time of captivity. As the head retreated, he lifted his own and ground out a feeble “Wait.” The human head paused in the middle of retreating and slowly came back. xxxxx“Big Red? Ye can speak?” the small thing said. xxxxx“Mmmyes,” Young Flame said. The strange sound was difficult to make, but he had figured out it had something to do with the tongue. xxxxx“Jordan! Jordan, the thing speaks! It speaks!” the human crowed, its voice retreating from the crack. Soon, there were two humans leaning by the light. “Do it again! Speak!” the high-pitched thing demanded. xxxxx“I am not some pet to be ordered about!” Young Flame muttered in the precise dragon language. He paused, gave a small flame life on a sigh and tried again. “Nnot a,” Young Flame tried again, though he paused at the unfamiliar sound, “Am mmmYoun Fame.” xxxxx“What? That didn’t make sense. Ye need to try again, Big Red,” the original human said. xxxxx“Sally, no. I think he’s saying his name. Aren’t you?” Jordan said. That voice was much less grating on the ears, to Young Flame’s relief. xxxxx“Mmmyes. Am mmmYoun Fame,” he tried again. xxxxx“Youn Fame? That’s a weird name, isn’t it? Wouldn’t think dragons had names beyond Killer, Slasher, and Murder,” Sally said. xxxxx“Hush, Sally. Now, Mister Dragon. Is Youn Fame your name?” Jordan asked from his place in the light. xxxxx“No. Cannot make human soft sounds,” Young Flame said, turning his head to one side, slightly ashamed at his lack of ability. xxxxx“Soft sounds?” Jordan said. The human sounded confused, but he quickly said, “Young Flame? Is that it?” xxxxx“Mmmyes.” xxxxx“And how can ye speak our language? None of the others ever spoke as they burned down villages,” Sally said. xxxxx“Hear. Try,” Young Flame said. xxxxx“And is there a reason you spoke up?” Jordan asked. Young Flame shuffled his wings and stared down at his dull claws and the dusty red scales around them. xxxxx“Bored,” he rumbled quietly. The two humans withdrew for a moment, and Young Flame almost panicked. It was a strange feeling. The last time he had panicked had been many long years ago. The memories brought back a small smile and a strange longing that almost hurt. xxxxxWhen the humans returned, they found Young Flame crouched on one side of his prison and stretching one wing to the other side. “Young Flame, what are you doing?” Jordan said. xxxxxThe red dragon looked up at the humans in their tiny sliver of light and let his wings go limp. He brought himself over to their side and attempted to look up through their small crack. “Sky,” he rumbled, “miss sky.” xxxxx“Well, you’re never gonna get back to it, got that you murdering lizard?” Sally cried at him. Young Flame quickly pulled back from the crack as she stormed off. Never? He trembled his way to a back corner as Jordan began attempting to apologize. xxxxx“Young Flame, I’m sorry. She didn’t mean it. It’s just, we’re in the middle of a war, you know? Tensions are going to be high,” he said, but the dragon wasn’t listening. xxxxx“No,” Young Flame whispered to himself, then louder “No!” Bodily, the large dragon began throwing himself against the walls of his compartment. “No! You’ve taken my sky! My sky! Give me back my sky!” His screams were incomprehensible to the humans who crouched at the entrance. xxxxx“Young Flame! Young Flame, please calm down!” Jordan yelled, but the dragon inside was no longer Young Flame. Young Flame was a trained soldier, war tested and ready for any fight. Inside the box was a young runt of a dragon who couldn’t fly, staring at the top of stone courtyard walls and wishing he could escape the torturous flying lessons within them. Only now, the courtyard had a roof. xxxxxMajus threw himself at the crack, slamming into the wall and clawing at the ceiling. “Ive sky back! Ive back!” he pleaded in the human tongue. When the ceiling began to close, his language reverted back to his own, harsher tongue. “No! No, give it back! Don’t take my sky! I won’t fly away! I can’t fly! Just let me look! Give me back my sky!” xxxxxThe ceiling closed, and for a long time after that, Majus did nothing but throw himself at the walls and ceiling of his cage. When he ran out of energy, he continued to claw at the ceiling until his claws were nothing more than bloody stubs. Majus tried melting the rock with his fire with little success. What did melt only dripped down onto him, creating small burn marks on his scales. His next thought was to use his own horns. As he lay on the floor of his cell, Majus laughed at himself. xxxxx“Young Flame, the up and coming hero for our great queen, reduced to sniveling and defacing his own horns simply because he can’t see the sky,” Majus scoffed. If the dragon only had the energy to raise his head, Majus was sure he’d do it anyway. It was as he lay empty and exhausted on the floor of his cell that the ceiling started to move. xxxxxQuickly, Majus shuffled toward the light. “Stay back, demon!” a voice called down in the human tongue. xxxxx“Young Flame, please, stay where you are,” Jordan said. xxxxxMajus slowed his movements to a crawl but did not stop. “Sky,” he whimpered, “ive it back.” xxxxx“Young Flame, please stop. You’re hurt, and I want to help, but you need to back up,” Jordan pleaded, preparing the elevator that would drop him into the dragon’s cell. xxxxxMajus didn’t hear him or didn’t listen. His claws fit through the larger crack this time. Through this crack, the dragon could see a sliver of blue, and he reached for it. He curled his stubbed and bloodied claws around the lid and just rested there, looking up. “My sky,” he whispered, as if saying anything more would drive it away. xxxxx“Young Flame, what have you done? What have we done?” Jordan said. Majus could feel something prodding at his claws, but he didn’t care. The sky! He could see it! xxxxx“Jordan, sir, we need to close off this project. It’s getting too dangerous,” a voice said. Majus began to panic. Close? That would mean no sky forever. xxxxx“No. We made a lot of headway. We just need to get this dragon’s cooperation and we’ll be able to win this war,” Jordan said. The man was too preoccupied to notice Majus grip the stone harder. It wasn’t as thick as he’d thought, which meant something must be sitting on it to keep it down. The humans had to have gotten him in here somehow, though, which meant this could slide out some more. xxxxxAs the humans debated close by, Young Flame writhed inside his cell. He gripped the edges of the ceiling and pulled with all his might. When the mechanics above him began to screech in protest, the humans finally took notice. They scrambled as Young Flame pulled against their machine and screamed when bursts of flame emerged from the crack. xxxxx“Young Flame! Please, stop! Please! I’ll let you see the sky, just please don’t make them hurt you!” Jordan called to him from the safe distance he had been dragged to. Young Flame ignored the man and instead bit the edge of the ceiling and lit his fire. His body curled under him, scratching at the ceiling with his rear claws. They were still sharp, and as the machine struggled to keep the lid closed, the weakened ceiling gave way. xxxxxYoung Flame had been right about a large object sitting on the ceiling. It was the machine itself that moved the slab of stone. When it gave way, there was a thunderous cracking and a cloud of dust, and suddenly Young Flame was free. With a roar of triumph, the red dragon shot out of the hole and into the sky. Seasons had changed since he’d been captured, and the time showed. His tired wings could not support his weight in the air, and he crushed a large wall as he fell. xxxxx“Fire!” Arrows flew through the air as Young Flame stared at the sky. As soon as they hit, though, his attention was brought back to the humans. His original mission had been to find the dangerous weapons that the humans were developing and destroy it. With a righteous vengeance, Young Flame vomited fire at everything within the wall where he currently sat. Down came the observation tower, and down came the wall. xxxxxYoung Flame crashed through machines and buildings, lighting on fire anything his flames could reach. Human soldiers attempted to stop him or kill him, but they didn’t last long. From experience, he kept his wings close and watched his tail. No one would take him back to that skyless box! Anyone who tried would get burnt to a crisp! xxxxxWhen he was finished, Young Flame sat at the pinnacle of what had been a prosperous city. The keep lay in shambles at his bloodied feet, and the sky was filled with ashes and smoke. There would be no more box. No more humans. The dragon didn’t even know if he’d killed that Sally and Jordan pair, since they’d always been nothing but shadows from inside his box. They’d be nothing but char now, anyway. xxxxxMajus wouldn’t have minded killing that Sally lady, but he was saddened by the loss of Jordan. In retrospect, the human had seemed at least somewhat respectable. He definitely hadn’t been a barbarian. Maybe, under different circumstances, they could have been friends? A year ago, Young Flame would have scoffed at the idea of befriending a barbarian, but Majus wasn’t upset by the thought. xxxxxWith a sigh, Majus turned toward the rising sun and set off toward home. He limped terribly, but he stretched his wings with a smile on his face. “My sky,” he sighed. xxxxxOver the next three months, Young Flame walked back to the dragon kingdom. His claws grew back in, and the scars on his hide faded to a slight speckle of lighter scales. Every day, he worked on wing exercises, and at the end of three months he flew victoriously back into the Kaneda base. There was a magnificent celebration, but Majus wanted no part in it. xxxxxSlowly, the red dragon walked to the tallest point in the camp and looked up. There it was. His sky was there, waiting for him.
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Luoma
Dec 16, 2018 21:22:42 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Dec 16, 2018 21:22:42 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Falling Flame ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxThe sword dug at his shoulder, but Majus didn’t care. He had killed his last, and he’d make the others back at Kaneda base see that. The sun glinted off the red dragon’s scales as he flew ever north and toward the dragon kingdom. Maybe they’d let him teach flying lessons or astrology. He’d been studying the stars at night. All he needed was a suitable mentor to tell him what was actually up there. xxxxxThe reception at Kaneda base wasn’t as friendly as normal. Instead, there was a buzz of unease as the others noticed the human sword still stuck in his shoulder when he landed. A younger blue dragon quickly scampered up and pulled the weapon free, resulting in a small trickle of blood. xxxxx“He doesn’t even bleed,” a newbie whispered. They were quickly hushed by their companions, but Majus didn’t mind. They could be in awe of him, but he wasn’t going out on any more missions. Not if he had his way. xxxxx“Flyby, where is the commander?” Majus said. There was some more muttering from the now gathered crowd, but the blue dragon silenced them. xxxxx“Young Flame has returned! We all know his routine, so this must be serious. Make way and don’t eavesdrop,” she said. Majus was pleasantly surprised at the level of command the younger dragon could exert on this batch of newbies. She was still a small dragon to him, but everyone seemed small. At least Japa could take care of herself with her training as Flyby. xxxxxAt the entrance to the commander’s building, Japa stopped to drive off the stragglers that thought they were stealthy enough to sneak up and listen in. It didn’t matter that the place was shielded by the constant whistling of wind. Majus walked in, wings held tight to his side as he ducked through the doorway. xxxxxThe interior of the commander’s quarters were surprisingly still. Papers rustled softly under stylized weights, but the general warmth and stillness warred with the soft screaming of the wind outside the entryways. xxxxx“Young Flame,” a large black dragon said, “it is surprising to see you so soon after a mission. Did something happen?” xxxxx“Sir, I’d like to quit,” Majus said simply, his absurd courage riding the exaultant wave he still felt. The commander of the Kaneda special forces simply looked at his larger companion for a moment. xxxxx“What are you saying, precisely?” the black dragon asked. His tone was low, but it wasn’t a growl. Not yet. xxxxx“Sir, I would like to retire from the Kaneda special services. I distaste all this killing and would like to stop performing it.” xxxxx“You can’t do that.” xxxxx“What? Why not? I’ve served our queen for years, and I certainly believe I could teach young dragons.” xxxxx“That is precisely why you cannot stop. Young Flame, you may be unaware, but everyone here looks up to you. All the newbies get an earful of the feats you have accomplished. Your presence pushes them to fight for our glorious queen as hard as you do. Some even want to be better. Soldier, you are turning into a war hero. What would happen to morale if you announced that you were about to quit?” xxxxx“What is he doing?” The quiet question came from the doorway. Japa stood there, staring at Majus as if he were somehow turning colors he shouldn’t be. Suddenly, the blue dragon rushed over and said, “Was it the wound? Young Flame, we can stitch that up! You’re still strong. Even if you get a couple scars, you’re still amazing!” xxxxx“See what I mean?” the black dragon said simply, “Young Flame is a legend among the special forces. You haven’t been to the soldier schools, but there are entire hordes of younglings who want to meet you. If you drop out of the forces, all those potential soldiers for our illustrious queen’s war would feel disheartened, and a disheartened soldier is a dead soldier.” xxxxx“But they’re being sent out to kill. Commander, these are children!” Majus exclaimed. xxxxx“Are you saying our wise queen is wrong?” This time the black dragon’s voice growled. xxxxx“Of course he doesn’t!” Japa burst in, “He’s just tired and confused.” xxxxx“Are you contemplating treason Young Flame?” the commander said. Majus stared in horror at his commander. What was that? He wasn’t planning treason. How could not wanting to kill be considered treason? “I see. Young Flame, I will address this issue with Zanu at her earliest convenience. Until then, you are to remain on active duty. Dismissed.” xxxxx“Young Flame! What’s going on?” Japa exclaimed once they were out of the commander’s station. The red dragon looked at his younger companion. She was so innocent. He wrapped one large wing around her small frame then casually left. She followed him all the way to the highest point in camp, but he didn’t respond to any of her outbursts. “Majus, talk to me! What’s wrong? You come back and suddenly you’re acting weird. Talk to me!” xxxxxOver the next week, Majus waited for a response. When he wasn’t being pestered by Japa, the newbies were pretending to accidentally be in the same room. After that time, he only spoke seven words before he was sent to his next mission. Japa had noticed her mother’s appearance and came to ask Majus again, but the look in his eyes was different. xxxxx“Japa, stay safe. Don’t die. Stay sane.” Majus's large wings only released her after three deep breaths. xxxxx“Majus, what does that mean? Don’t walk away from me! What’s going on? Majus?” xxxxxThe next day was supposed to kill him. Majus was sent on a solo mission, just like usual. A morning patrol was sent out, just like usual. Unusually, those two typical things intersected. The patrol found Majus flying toward his next destination like the good soldier he was supposed to be. The first one who dropped on him hit a wing. xxxxxWhat the patrol did was finish a legend. Young Flame would go out in a blaze of glory and become the hero this generation needed. All for the glory of the golden queen. Of course, Majus fought back. This surprise wasn’t anticipated. The mission was assigned straight from Zanu. However strong he may have been, an entire patrol was too much for him. xxxxxA horn snapped. Wings were bent out of shape. All scales turned red in the aftermath. What happened to the patrol was blamed on the humans and elves, the large gouges caused by a new majik. Those who were there knew what happened. xxxxxAs it was, though, that patrol never returned, not because of an unprecedented cooperative effort between elves and humans, but by a single dragon big enough to tower over all his assailants and driven by a sudden elevation of adrenaline. Of course, their numbers gravely wounded him, but he was finished with them before they finished him. xxxxx“Don’t come back, runt. My queen is displeased with you. You are dead to us,” Zanu said. She was the only one left, and she had managed to pin Majus with a claw to the throat. Her claws drew blood, but she pulled back after a good death glare. “Don’t die. Don’t get seen,” she said over her shoulder. xxxxxZanu left Majus there as he bled on the ground. There were a number of tears in his wing membranes as he stumbled away from the bodies behind him. He didn’t know why Zanu left him alive, but he was fairly certain she wasn’t supposed to. Without anything else to do, the red dragon wandered into a fairly sizable cave where he promptly collapsed due to a significant amount of blood loss. xxxxxSometime after Majus was drifting along the border of awareness, his mind was suddenly brought back to the land of the living by a particularly high-pitched screaming coming from somewhere behind him. Carefully, cautiously, and as quickly as he could manage, the red dragon turned deeper into the cave to see a number of elves gathered behind him. Two held balls of flames as if they’d been returning from some cave stroll while a third was covered in symbolic runes, specifically on her closed eyes. The last of the party looked to be the one who had screamed, and she currently held out a rather pointed sword in his direction. xxxxx“Defend me from those who wish me harm!” the last one screeched. She let go of the sword, and though Majus was surprised that it floated where it was, it did not attack him. This seemed to puzzle the others with her, but the elf covered in tattoos stepped forward and held out a hand. xxxxx“I apologize for the rude actions of my friends. Since you are not screaming, and the others are not attempting to burn you, I assume you have no ill intent. I am called La Kamika, the leader of this small delegation. These are my handlers, Lor Vantu, Lor Amano, and Marloha. Please forgive her. Who might you be?” the old elf said. Majus definitely knew she was old, even if her red hair didn’t show a strand of silver. La Kamika carried herself in a manner that reminded him of the retired teachers, though he was confused why she wouldn’t open her eyes. xxxxx“I am Young—I am Majus. Apologies for startling you,” he rumbled slowly. The flame bearers seemed surprised that he spoke at all, but their defensive positions didn’t loosen. Deciding that it couldn’t hurt to ask, Majus continued, “As it is, I am currently in need of a place to stay. Do you know of any nearby?” xxxxx“La Kamika, this dragon is large, even by their standards. I would suggest not trusting him,” one of the flame bearers muttered to the old woman. xxxxx“Lor Rista, be thoughtful. I smell blood,” the old woman said, “Majus, do you have something preventing you from returning to your own people?” xxxxxMajus looked at his wings, then grunted as he shifted to an almost standing position. “It seems my queen does not want me any longer. If you know of a place to hide, I would appreciate the knowledge. If you do not, I will continue on my way,” Majus said quietly. He didn’t think they would take in an enemy, but it was worth a shot. xxxxx“You can hide in death!” Lor Amano hissed. xxxxx“Calm! Majus has not threatened our safety with this request,” La Kamika said. xxxxx“Does that mean he’s running from the war? An entire species did it once, so why shouldn’t a giant dragon be able to?” Lor Vantu said. xxxxx“I don’t think we should take him in,” Marloha mustered, “but I have heard that the humans are looking for dragons in a city southeast of here.” xxxxx“You’re right. Our cities would currently not appreciate a dragon within their protection, but I can bring it up at the next meeting,” La Kamika said. She turned toward Majus and waved a hand at him. “You should travel west and see the human city of Larem. Be careful in your approach, but announce your presence.” xxxxxMajus lowered his head in a bow to the strange group of elves. “Thank you. Stay living,” he said before turning out and leaving the fire, sword, and old elf behind him. Larem, huh? Majus watched the skies anxiously on his way east, hoping to avoid any more dragons. Compared to them in the sky, he was a walking target. His wings were so torn, he couldn’t hope to fly more than a few paces if he tried. That compounded with the certain knowledge that the patrol he had killed was meant to have killed him sent chills down his spine. xxxxxQuickly, he thought back to that strange elfling who had protected the human child. He’d promised not to kill again, hadn’t he? If that was true, did that make him a liar? He’d come home and killed a patrol of his own kind. The mangled forms of that patrol followed him all the way to Larem, where he’d finally managed to make it to the city without needing to kill anything but his meals. xxxxxThinking back to his conversation with the elves, Majus let out a casual roar. He needed to get the humans’ attention without seeming threatening. A flame burst through the sky was distinctly more threatening. When the knights of the area came running out toward his hulking form, Majus quickly lowered his form into a relaxed crouch, placing his forehead on the ground in the dragons’ respectful bow. His strange position seemed to make the knights pause, and when they saw the state of his wings and form, Majus could hear confused whispers around him. xxxxx“Greetings,” Majus rumbled in the two-leg tongue, “I mean you no harm.” Personally, he was pleased with how his speech had improved since the last time he’d spoken with humans, but these knights were less impressed. xxxxx“State your name and business!” one of them, probably a commander, demanded. xxxxx“I am Majus, and I seek a place to hide. I was told the humans of Larem were looking for a dragon and came in the hopes of sanctuary,” Majus said. He kept his head down and body relaxed, but he listened for the sound of movement. xxxxx“Sorry, Majus, but we cannot have some war monster wandering our streets. I hope you understand,” the commanding officer said. Majus was about to respond when he heard it. Someone moved with that slow gait that meant they didn’t want to be noticed. Majus jumped up, but it was too late. Two short bursts of whistling ended in a suddenly drowsy feeling as Majus fell to the ground and the knights scattered around him. xxxxxWhen he awoke, the darkness told him all he needed to know. However, this place was so small, he couldn’t stretch out. There was no need to pace this box, since he could feel the closeness of the walls all around him as he lay there, crumpled to the ground like some discarded deer waiting to be eaten. As he became more aware, he could feel the coolness of water below his talons. It was narrow, but surprisingly deep, as his curious claws found out. xxxxxImmediately, Majus felt his pulse quicken, and he worked terribly to keep it under control. This wasn’t like last time. He could talk to the humans this time and convince them he wasn’t a threat. It wouldn’t be a catastrophe. The sky was there. He just had to patiently work towards it. xxxxx“Is this him?” a voice said from somewhere by his tail. Majus tried to turn to look at whoever was speaking, but his head hit the ceiling, and his size was too large to turn around. “This one barely fits in here! How did you bag such a giant?” xxxxx“This one came in by the forest and asked for a place to hide. The guy volunteered, which was plenty suspicious. Didn’t think he was this big, though,” another, more familiar voice said. xxxxx“How interesting! Hello! Are you awake in there?” xxxxxMajus guessed this last remark was directed at him, so he moved his tail by where he assumed the humans were. “Greetings,” he rumbled, “Are you the one in charge here?” xxxxx“Oh! It talks, too! Yes. I am in charge around here. Good observation! Now, I’m afraid that I must leave you as you are, but either an assistant or I myself will come back to check on your behavior regularly, alright?” the voice said. xxxxx“Please wait,” Majus said, “Could I request a temporary favor?” There was silence, but the ceiling didn’t move, so he assumed that was a good sign. “I would like to see who I talk with, but this cell is too small for me to turn around. Would it be possible to request this of you?” he asked. xxxxx“You’re right. That is an issue. Unfortunately, we have nothing but your word that you won’t just attack all of us as soon as we give you some motion, so that will have to wait until you have proven yourself trustworthy. Well, off to examine our next sample!” The voice drifted away as something ground to a close behind him. He couldn’t tell if it had been the ceiling this time, but he could finally attempt to get into a more comfortable position. xxxxxWithout anything better to do as he waited for the check-ins, Majus began to carve on the walls he could see. True to their word, the head human came back regularly, usually sending someone in to carry some dead animal toward his head. He couldn’t tell if it was the same human who decided to be brave and feed him, but he was definitely sure that the head human was coming by less and less often. xxxxxNow, only the assistants came by. Eventually, it was just the feeder. At some point, Majus had run out of wall to carve, so he’d shifted his weight and began carving the other side. These carvings were intricate, swirling clouds and spiraling stars above them, all detailed with small dragons and birds, some even reflecting those he had once known back home. xxxxx“Hello! Meal time! Please stay still so I can get you your food,” a voice called from the back. xxxxx“Thank you. I have shifted slightly since you were last here, so please be careful,” Majus said. The sounds of grunting came closer to his head until there was a small thud that announced his food was here. xxxxxFor some reason, though, the brave human didn’t decide to go back to the entrance. Instead, they asked, “Why are you so complacent?” Majus, about to test his food, paused and mentally searched for a solution. xxxxx“Honestly, this is not the first time I’ve been in one of these, though I think this one is smaller,” Majus said slowly, “Last time, I drove myself mad trying to find the sky and ended up killing a number of your kind. I regret it, and this time the head human has promised to let me turn once I have proven I will not run or attempt to hurt your kind.” xxxxx“The sky?” the curious human asked. xxxxx“Yes,” Majus chuckled, “I may have a distaste for flying, but the sky is beautiful, is it not? It’s always been patient for me.” xxxxx“Do you know a dragon named Young Flame by any chance?” xxxxxMajus grew silent, and instead of answering asked, “How do you know that name?” His voice was quiet and almost broken. Had he done so much harm that even the humans knew his cursed Kanesa name? xxxxx“My great-great-gramma said that she was part of these projects at the very start of them. They caught a dragon who talked to them, though he talked funny the way my ma tells it. All ‘am youn fame’ and all that. Turns out, he’s the first one who ever spoke to us with human language. The scientist in charge of that place wrote down everything about that dragon, including his name.” xxxxx“And why do you want to know of this dragon?” Majus asked quietly. xxxxx“I want to know which one to aim for.” xxxxx“If you want my opinion, you’d better focus on your own survival first. Young Flame was terrible, but he disappeared after his last mission. Even if he was supposed to be the next dragon war hero, I don’t think he liked the killing. I know I don’t.” xxxxx“So you did know him!” xxxxx“Nobody knew him!” Majus snapped. Pulling his head toward the wall, he quickly took a deep breath and let out a small puff of hot air. “Listen, I’m sorry. Just, please understand that this is a bit of a sore subject with me.” xxxxx“Is it because you hate flying?” xxxxxMajus chuckled slightly and moved his head back to look for his meal. “I suppose you could say that.” xxxxxFrom then on, the human who brought him food was always the same one. The only reason Majus knew was because they stopped to talk with him. “What do you do down here all day?” he was asked once. xxxxx“Would you like to see?” Majus asked. The human responded with a sound of excitement, and Majus chuckled at their energy. “You’ll have to trust me enough to climb up by my horns. I don’t want to singe you on accident.” xxxxx“Why wouldn’t I trust you? In all the months I’ve been bringing you food, you haven’t tried to eat me once,” the human said. Majus smiled and moved his head toward the sound of the human’s voice. After some clumsy climbing, they were both ready for Majus to show off his work of boredom. xxxxxCarefully, Majus breathed out a constant, small flame that lit up the wall before him. It was covered in detailed etchings of clouds and dragons mid-flight as they danced with birds that reflected the light softly with his flame. On the ceiling was a beautifully detailed sun whose rays played with more clouds and the stars among them. On the floor was a sky view of a tranquil river flowing through a forest of trees. All of the surfaces Majus could reach were covered in the tiny carvings. xxxxxThe human on his head let out a small gasp, and as Majus ran out of breath said, “That was beautiful! How did you learn to do that?” xxxxx“Trial and error,” Majus said, lowering his head, “and a lot of time with nothing to do. I think I am running out of space, though. I may have to experiment with the use of my back claws.” xxxxx“Is that what it looks like?” xxxxx“The sky? When you’re flying in it, there’s so much more than just the image. There’s wind in your wings and ears. The birds call out to you while the sun warms your back. There’s just nothing like it. Nothing at all,” Majus said. xxxxxAfter that, the human began to change again. They also seemed to be coming in larger intervals, but Majus waited. Sometimes, he could catch the hint of something moving beyond his cell, but most of the time it was quiet. xxxxxWhen something finally happened, it wasn’t the sounds he was expecting. Where once there was a solid wall behind him, suddenly there was nothing but air and a series of gasps as armor shifted and clattered together. xxxxx“Stay where you are, dragon! We will attack if needed!” xxxxxThis voice had a strange inflection to it. Curious, Majus called back, “Greetings. Does this mean the elves have taken over?” xxxxxThere was a stunned silence as his ability to speak sank in. “Have you been here long?” one of the elves asked. xxxxx“Maybe. Hard to tell time in this position. Think I could come out? I wish to see the sky,” Majus tried again. xxxxx“Hold still.” xxxxxTo Majus’s pleasant surprise and wonder, the ground beneath him began to slide out beneath him. As he sat still, the cave he’d been in slid past him. When he made it to the empty space beyond, he attempted to stay in his crouched position, but without the support of the wall at his back, he could feel himself sliding into a sprawled position. xxxxx“I told you to hold still, beast!” xxxxx“I’m sorry. I don’t remember standing being quite this difficult,” Majus said. xxxxx“Ma’am, look at him,” one of the elves said in awe. xxxxx“La Tor, please call over our commanding officer.” Majus struggled to maintain his sitting position until a number of wide, supportive portions of metal met his side. “Please, rest. Your state is reprehensible, even by prisoner standards.” xxxxx“Please, I’ve done little more than rest since I got here. I only wish to see the sky again,” Majus said, but he couldn’t resist the pull of gravity. His side rested against the ground, and then the elves helped to rest his head comfortably next to him. When he looked up, though, he let out a small cry. “Where is the sky? What have you done to it?” he whimpered in his own tongue. xxxxx“Lor Omaru, I have arrived, and I think this human might be able to help us figure out what is going on here,” a commanding voice said. xxxxxAs Majus looked toward the ceiling, a small voice reached him. “This one was recorded as Majus, ma’am.” xxxxx“And what is the reason for his current physical state, human?” xxxxx“The thirtieth head scientist decided he would be good for the experiment. First records show that he arrived at about this size, but since this was the largest container we have, they were unable to give him one larger.” Majus listened only partially, feeling like this voice was at once familiar and not. “When the thirty-first head scientist took over, the goal of the project was changed, and this dragon no longer fit the parameters well. It was at this point that he was slotted for euthanasia, but there was one worker who took pity and asked if he could attempt to tame the dragon. He and his kin have cared for it since.” xxxxx“You make it sound like dragons are beasts. How do you justify fighting a war against beasts, human?” xxxxx“Dragons are intelligent, but so are wolves. We simply perform population control.” xxxxxAt this point, Majus placed why the voice sounded so familiar. “He wanted to fly,” he said quietly, closing his eyes as he remembered all the conversations. “He had a life mate and hatchlings of his own.” xxxxxThe human screamed in terror, and there were sounds of a small scuffle. Though Majus tried to look at the sounds, it was too much effort to move at the moment. xxxxx“Are you one of the hatchlings, then?” he asked, “Or did the hatchlings have hatchlngs?” The sounds stopped, and soon the human was placed before his eye. The poor thing was shivering, but she didn’t struggle any more. xxxxx“How can you speak like this?” she asked quietly. xxxxx“Trial and error,” Majus said with a small smile, “and there isn’t much else to do when you can’t move.” xxxxx“Majus, what was your relationship with this human’s progenitor?” an elf said. He was tall for an elf, but even though his silver head only reached the human’s shoulder, he definitely had the situation under control. xxxxx“He brought me food, company, and sanity,” Majus said, “But what happened to the sky? Hatchling of my friend, where have you put the sky?” xxxxx“It seems this complex was built underground as a defense measure against the escape of a dragon. We can take you out to the surface if you would like,” another elf said. This one was female, with tattoos on her forehead and arm depicting something representing a hawk. xxxxx“I would rather walk,” Majus said with a small smile, “But I would gladly accept your aid.” The female elf nodded and motioned the group back, giving him space to attempt to stand. Majus had to struggle, but he found his feet below him. Metal beams bent and provided support as he walked away from the small gasps behind him. xxxxxOutside, the sky wasn’t exactly easy to see, but the stars that showed through the occasional pillar of smoke was beautiful to him. “Majus, when was the last time you had a decent meal for a dragon of your size?” an elf said. It sounded like Lor Omaru, but Majus didn’t turn to check. xxxxx“The trees were green when last I hunted. Not the new green, but the deep green. The humans have brought me deer, though, so I haven’t starved,” Majus said to the stars. xxxxx“Dragon, your frame says otherwise. You are clearly starved beyond the point of understandable malnutrition. Your body also seems to have sustained injury as well. These humans almost killed you with a lack of food, so I will understand if you wish to take out your anger. I can have a selection brought forward for you,” Lor Omaru said ominously. xxxxx“They almost killed me, but I have killed so many of them. I suppose I should be mad, but I’m glad just to see the sky again,” Majus said. There was a bit of a hushed and confused conversation behind him as Majus continued to look at the sky. He leaned more and more heavily against the supports, though, until his body was once again on the ground. xxxxxWhen he woke again, Majus was inside a large stone birdcage with a selection of humans tied to their bars. They all squirmed as he stirred, but when he noticed them, he stilled. Something was strange here. xxxxx“What is the meaning of this?” Majus asked the nearest human. xxxxx“You monster! The elves have majiked it to speak our language! Don’t trust a thing this animal says, alright?” This came from a rather important looking figure tied to a bar not too far off. There was a general chorus of agreement from the other humans, but they quickly fell quiet. xxxxx“Dragon! We have rounded up the humans responsible for your current deplorable condition. Exact your vengeance upon them!” an elf called out from somewhere behind him. A sudden strength flowed through him, but he still rose only slowly. xxxxxFrom his place in the central square, what was left of the city was on display. There were elves gathered at various points of interest, especially around his cage. On the roof of a nearby tavern and sitting in the floors of others not quite abandoned were elves of various age and gender, and all of them had tattoos somewhere on their person. xxxxxWithin the cage, one of the humans broke. “Please! Have mercy! I don’t want to be eaten! Please! Don’t kill me! I have a daughter, see? I need to go back to her!” xxxxx“Shut up!” the important looking one said, “I told you, they’ve done nothing but majik a monster into speaking our words. There’s no way this thing’s going to keep you alive just because you have family!” xxxxxMajus felt another surge of energy and something malignant enter his thoughts, but he leaned down to the broken human and whispered, “When I let you go, don’t run out. Those elves will kill you on the spot. Come towards me, and I’ll try to get you back to your hatchling.” xxxxxOf course, the moment his careful claw cut her bonds, the human was off and running out into the waiting crowd. His prediction proved accurate, and he sighed slightly. The others, thankfully, stayed where they were, but he paused at the important one. xxxxxSuddenly, his thoughts turned to eating this particular human. How hungry he was, and how bright its blood would be. There would be no better thing in the world than to satisfy his cravings with the thrill of battle. xxxxxRising, Majus looked toward the elves with a determined glare. “Whoever is doing that, stop. You asked me to exact my vengeance, but messing with my mind will make it yours, and thus make you liars and thieves. Now please stop,” Majus said, his voice low enough to vibrate the tiles on some of the houses. Instantly, the need to feed faded, and he looked down to the humans. xxxxx“I want them to run,” he said, “and I wish to give chase. There is no better thing than a good hunt.” Hopefully the humans would understand what he was getting at while the elves didn’t. Majus saw a couple glints of understanding here and there, but not in all of them. “I will give you until the count of ten,” he said as he cut the bonds of the last human, “Now lead the way. One. Two. Three.” xxxxxInstantly, the humans were running. Elves backed away from them, and someone majiked away the bars of his birdcage, but still he waited. “Eight. Nine. Ten. Here I come,” Majus said. His count had ended with a chorus of elves counting with him, and they all cheered as he began walking after the scattering humans. They were running off in groups, and he chose to follow the one that looked most obviously in danger of not understanding what to do. xxxxx“Won’t you attempt to find your escape tunnels?” Majus taunted, “Or are you going to try the wilds outside these city walls? Will you make it the far?” The elves were definitely following him, but there was nothing he could do about that. They wanted to see him eat something, and that thought almost made him lose his appetite altogether. Their thirst for blood was almost terrifying, but he had dealt with this kind of thing before. Granted, that particular mission hadn’t had him as a prisoner in his own scales, but it was a close enough situation to draw from. xxxxxMajus chased a human into what appeared to be a stable. There were still horses left, and when he pushed his head into it after the human, he pushed them into the back and hissed when they screamed. Quickly, he killed one of the horses, making sure to smear his muzzle a bit. He gave the human a single blink before careening back out of the building. His horns had ruined the entrance quite a bit, but he quickly took an experimental huff of air. xxxxx“There are more that way!” a helpful elf cheered among the hollering. Quickly, Majus followed the directions, hoping the human made it out before the elves figured him out. For a moment, he contemplated killing these elves to get away, but his brain recoiled from the thought as a mangled dragon patrol manifested before him. Not only had he promised himself he wouldn’t kill, but the elves were majiking him again. Majus let out a small growl, then stopped. xxxxxThe dragon lowered his head to the ground and took a deep breath. “Running to the woods, are you?” he said to himself. Of course, there was no scent there, but he needed an excuse to leave the city. He followed the “scent” through various alleys that were much wider when he was through them. He lost a good number of observers as his chase suddenly lost steam, but there were still a number of more powerful elves following him. xxxxxJust as Majus was about to leave the city, the elves still following seemed to catch on. One caught his leg in a grip of stone. “Let me hunt,” Majus growled back at them. xxxxx“Your hunt is in here, dragon. Come back.” xxxxx“Leave the dragon alone!” a human voice cried. Majus instantly tried to shield them, but the elves simply used their majik to quickly deal with the troublesome thing. xxxxx“If you’re going to kill a prisoner of war, do it quickly. Now, come before we decide we are done with you.” xxxxxMajus was stuck where he was. His body had energy, but no stamina, and when he looked at the body of the human who had tried to help him, he just couldn’t stand it anymore. As he paced back to the center under the elves’ watchful eyes, his chest heated and cooled with each breath. xxxxxBack into the birdcage he went, but he didn’t wait long. Once all the elves disappeared again, he grabbed the bars in his jaws and began a slow, hot flame that licked at the stone and scales that held it in. When he finally chewed off a goodly portion of the wall, he climbed out and began depositing the molten rock on various buildings on his way out of town. xxxxxWherever he threw up the magma, wood caught fire quickly. He had no energy to run, but his purposeful stride carried him to the guards, where they tried using their majik to trap him again. He could feel enchantments and transmutations working to stop him and put out the flames, but he wouldn’t stop. xxxxx“Halt, dragon!” the elves cried. When he continued to keep moving, they attempted to threaten him with death. He was already so close to starved, he didn’t care. Eventually, the elves ran from the giant red dragon who apparently felt none of their majiks, and he quickly escaped outside the city walls. xxxxxThe forest that had been there when he was captured was driven back a significant distance, and even there, the trees were much younger than he remembered. Somehow, he made it into the cover of the trees and deep into the cover of night. When his body finally collapsed from pure exhaustion, he heard footsteps behind him. xxxxx“Dragon, please don’t attack us,” a human voice said. Majus groggily turned his head toward the sound and saw three humans huddled around a large deer carcass. “As thanks for your mercy,” one said, gesturing to the food. xxxxxMajus could feel the draw of the food, but he couldn’t work up the energy to get to it. “Sorry, but could you please bring it closer? I’m afraid I’ve run out of their energy,” he said, slowly turn his head into the bowing position that seemed to put so many people at ease. He held it only as long as it took the humans to drag over his food and back away before he devoured the meal. xxxxxWhen the deer was gone, he laid his head down. One of the humans shuffled forward. Brave of them, but maybe they just noticed how tired he was. “Dragon, thank you for saving us. We didn’t deserve that mercy,” they said. xxxxx“I have resolved not to kill, human, but your thoughts are on the right track. Starving out a prisoner is not an honorable thing to do,” Majus said. xxxxx“Dragons always kill, no matter what you think. It’s in their nature. Come on, Dolores, we need to keep moving,” another human spat. xxxxx“If that’s so, how did this one resist killing us?” the human Dolores retorted. She then turned back to Majus and said, “She’s right, though. Most other dragons would kill anyone. What were your plans?” xxxxxMajus let his tired mind think for a moment before he responded. “I encountered some elves before coming to Larem who were on a diplomatic mission to some third party. I don’t think it went well, but since it obviously wasn’t human, there must be another, neutral party out there,” he said. The dragon released a hot puff of air before continuing, “That one’s predecessor mentioned a destination to the south of here. Delegations would go that direction looking for assistance. Elves don’t like the south, and if it was dragons, the queen never told any of us¬¬¬. I think I’ll go that way.” xxxxxThere was the sound of shuffling, and when the red dragon looked toward it, the humans had disappeared. Though he knew he wanted to rest, the threat of the elves behind him pushed him to his feet again, and he moved forward. His wings ached, and the joints he had been resting on creaked with each motion as he headed south. He hunted his fill each morning, and then again at dusk until an observer wouldn’t be able to see his skeletal structure. As the trees faded away, he grew increasingly worried that a passing dragon would recognize him and attack. There was one instance in the plains when a young dragon suddenly dropped in front of him. “Stranger! State your business and purpose!” xxxxxMajus was about to answer honestly, but he thought better of it. This tiny dragon was just a child. He wanted to avoid a fight with them if at all possible. “I am a special force agent working for her majesty the queen, may her radiance shine. I have been commanded to keep my mission a secret, but I can see you are a loyal soldier, so I will trust you with that much,” he said. xxxxx“Imposter! The queen has been dead for years!” the young dragon said. xxxxxMajus stared at the bristling young thing and felt unexpected tears come to his eyes. This seemed to disarm the poor young soldier. They seemed to waiver as Majus felt his knees give way. His queen—no—his mother was dead. Had been for years. “I didn’t know,” Majus said weakly. xxxxx“What mission did she send you on that you wouldn’t know or have contact with her for years?” the soldier asked. xxxxx“I,” Majus started, “I can’t tell you.” His wings fell, and he pressed his head into the ground before him to ward off the growing headache. “I have been gone for a long time. She was in perfect health when she sent me away!” At this point, Majus was yelling at the ground. He wasn’t sure why, but it was definitely scaring the poor child before him. xxxxx“You need to come back to the Nest,” the young dragon said carefully. With a swift motion, the larger dragon hit his head against the ground, then raised his head. xxxxx“I need to make an impossible request of you,” Majus said hoarsely, “Tell no one of me or my mission.” He looked the soldier in the eye. “I will return when I have finished what she requested of me. Please, let me have this.” The young soldier seemed hesitant, but he stepped aside and waved a wing. As Majus passed, though, the soldier spoke again. xxxxx“How did that happen to your wings?” he asked quietly. xxxxxMajus paused and said in a low voice, “I received these wounds in the service of my queen. May you find a kinder fate.” Majus left behind him a very confused and worried young warrior as he traveled toward the reclusive hint of a people known only as the Civati.
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Luoma
Dec 16, 2018 21:54:35 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Dec 16, 2018 21:54:35 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Pining ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxRumors spread of Young Flame. The dragon didn’t bleed, and the monster fought like an animal. He was a loyal dragon to the illustrious queen. He always came home uninjured was his insane ability to heal. Their hero wasn’t there now because of the forethought of that very same queen. He would come back in our greatest time of need and save us from our enemies like the hero he was. xxxxxJapa hated the way the others talked about him. It was all full of awe for the warrior, and even the newbies who had never met him talked as if he were the one and only dragon who had saved their nest from being crushed by a kurrapa stampede. Japa hated it. xxxxxNo matter how great these dragons made him sound, they wouldn’t know how amazing he was. Nobody knew that he was grumpy in the mornings or that he had a habit of eating rabbit only on every third day. They would never know that he looked at the stars every night. That he hated every life he took after he disappeared the first time. Everyone else might know Young Flame, but only she knew who Majus had been, and she didn’t believe the queen had sent him to some forest cave to wait for a moment of need. xxxxx“Flyby. Flyby!” Japa blinked quickly and glanced around her. “Flyby, you might be the best flier ever, but you shouldn’t fall asleep on our laps. The newbies will get the wrong idea,” a bright purple dragon said next to her. xxxxx“Sorry, Immune,” Japa said, giving her friend a small smile, “I was just thinking.” xxxxx“About Young Flame again? Come on, girl! You know he’s not coming back anytime soon,” the little dragon said, “He’s supposed to come back when we need him, but we’re winning the war. He’s not coming back for a good long time.” xxxxx“Immune, do you ever think there’s something wrong with how he’s remembered?” xxxxx“I don’t know. I wasn’t the one who could talk him off of that hill every night he was back. How did you do that, anyway? I definitely wasn’t getting any kind of signals from him, but you still made it work. Everyone else who tried just got ignored.” xxxxxThe two of them banked around the north tower before Japa responded. Softly, she said, “I knew him.” xxxxx“Well, that’s easy, but how did you get so close? I mean, I know I transferred in after you, but you two were already friends when I found you.” xxxxx“Not like that. Young Flame is his code name. I knew him before he was that.” xxxxx“Oh my queen! You knew his civilian name? No wonder you two were so comfortable with each other.” xxxxx“Immune, it wasn’t like that.” xxxxx“Then what was it like?” Japa shot her friend a look that was intended to make them stop talking, but apparently something got lost in translation. “I get it! I’m totally getting all the deets from you later, though,” the purple dragon said as Japa pushed her wings just a little faster. Soon enough, she was alone again. In a moment, though, she had caught up with the straggling newbies. xxxxx“Better hurry up your butts! If I catch you, you’re getting another lap, newbies!” she called out to them. She saw them pump their wings with an energy born of desperation. Looked like someone had already given the poor things the notorious newbie laps. She slowed down just the smallest bit, though she continued prompting them to more speed until she reached the front gate. “Looks like you get home free this time! Keep up those wings, newbies!” xxxxxThe dark blue dragon turned toward the buildings at the center of camp. Some food would be nice after that workout. Before she could get too far, though, a weight landed on her back, forcing her down into the path. xxxxx“You need to watch your back at all times, Flyby! Never know when an elf might try to majik you!” xxxxxSpitting a pebble out of her mouth, Japa complained, “Not fair, Nothing! You know nobody can sense you. Even a human has more presence than you do.” xxxxx“That is true, Nothing. You should let her go, but I know good reason not to,” a familiar voice said. xxxxx“Not you, too Immune!” Japa bemoaned. xxxxx“Of course, me too! Nothing and I wouldn’t be twins if we weren’t always together.” xxxxx“Why shouldn’t I let her go?” xxxxx“You’ve gotta hear this! Flyby knew Young Flame’s personal name! She was going to run away before I could get her to answer my questions, but you caught her for me,” Immune said. xxxxx“What? Really? I totally want in on this! Let’s go to the storage hut to talk,” Nothing said, their voice getting more and more excited. xxxxx“Guys, no! I have stuff I have to do. I’ll tell you about it later,” Japa tried, but she was hoisted up and ferried to a small building in the shadow of the large hill Kaneda base was built on. xxxxx“No way are we letting you get away that easily,” Nothing said. xxxxx“Yeah! If you don’t tell us now, later will never get here,” Immune agreed. xxxxxJapa was escorted into the storage hut, and the three young dragons found various piles of rations to sit among. The twins were difficult to distinguish if you didn’t know them, but she’d been in the same combat classes with them since before their assignments. Japa looked at Immune and their bright purple form, seeing both the feminine and the masculine there. Nothing had a strange absence of either in their slightly darker scales. The story was that Immune stole Nothing’s gender when they were hatching, and that’s why they could practically read each other’s minds. xxxxxAfter their brief staring contest, Japa broke. “Fine! I’ll tell you! Young Flame was his code name, but you know that.” xxxxx“Yeah. Everybody knows that,” Immune said, “but what’s his real name?” xxxxxNothing looked slightly affronted, but then their eyes turned to Japa with the same intense curiosity. “As long as you promise not to tell another soul,” Japa warned. After the two bobbed their heads, she continued, “His name was Majus. He’s a lot older than I am, but when we were little, we’d practice flying together. He was a bit of a runt, but my mom seemed to take his size as a challenge, since our queen wants soldiers to fight in her war.” xxxxx“Wait, you’re Young Flame’s sister?” Nothing interrupted. xxxxx“No! It’s not like that. Mom trained us together, but he wasn’t my brother,” Japa said, ducking her head under a clawed foot. xxxxx“I see what’s going on here,” Immune said with a smirk. xxxxx“What? Am I missing something?” Nothing asked, looking to their twin. xxxxx“It’s not something you’d understand, but our little Flyby has a crush on the big old war hero.” xxxxx“No! I do not have a crush! I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Japa exclaimed, trying to hide within her wings. xxxxx“Is that what that is?” Nothing asked, “Well, who’d have guessed.” xxxxx“I did. I’m pretty good with these things,” Immune announced proudly. xxxxx“I’m not saying another word,” Japa muttered from behind her wings. xxxxx“Oh, Flyby, we’re sorry! Please don’t stop. You said he was a runt, right? How’d he get so big, then?” Nothing asked, bumping their purple wing with hers in an attempt to get her to come back out. “Please?” xxxxxJapa lowered her wings, a slightly smug look on her face. “You know how you’re supposed to finish growing by your assignment?” she asked quietly. xxxxx“Of course! Everyone does. It’s part of dragon maturity. At that age, they start developing more in the wings and… well,” Nothing said, their statement petering out at the end. xxxxx“Everyone except Majus,” Japa said, poking her friend in the wing, “He didn’t grow as fast as anyone else. In fact, he only grew about a claw’s width every year. He was still pretty tiny when they shipped him here.” xxxxx“That’s why he’s Young Flame, isn’t it!” Immune exclaimed, wings flaring in excitement. xxxxx“Yeah! He must have still looked like a child when they assigned his code name,” Nothing said. xxxxxJapa nodded sagely and continued, “You saw for yourselves that he was larger than anyone else whenever he came to eat. That’s because he kept growing. I’m not even sure if he’d ever stop, given good conditions.” xxxxx“That sounds like a weird mutation I read about once,” Nothing mumbled to their tail. xxxxx“Nothing, you always read about random things. Remember that one time you read about the Albatross beetle?” Immune said. xxxxx“Yes. That species has been dead for almost a natural lifespan. They were incredibly large beetles with feathered wings instead of the usual insectoid ones. Some of the queens even rivaled a young dragon in size,” Nothing said, raising a claw and posing like some school teacher. xxxxx“See? It’s been dead for almost 7,000 years, and you still learned about it,” Immune teased. xxxxx“What about that weird humanoid? You called them something like duarve,” Japa said, getting in on the ribbing. xxxxx“They were dwarves, and they’ve been extinct for far longer than the Albatross Beetle. Too many mining experiments hitting lava tubes,” Nothing said, though at this point they were beginning to understand the ribbing nature of the other two dragons. “I’m not the only one who knows weird stuff, though. What about you, Immune? I saw you trying to hide your majiks notebook earlier.” xxxxx“Hey! That’s useful stuff! Did you know the elves might be the cause of the mamurra? Their summoners tried to create the illusion of an intelligent, sentient creature, but they got one that only took orders, so they set it loose and it bred with the local wildlife,” Immune said with a decidedly affronted look. xxxxx“I actually did not know that,” Japa said, “How’d they do that?” xxxxx“Well, the elves have a few basic types of majik, which you can tell based on their tattoos, but there’s tons of variations on the main four, so they’re a little difficult to untangle,” Immune began. xxxxxBefore they got very far, Nothing interrupted, “Don’t you get started on one of your lectures, or we’ll be here until lights out!” xxxxx“Wait!” Japa said, a look of concern on her face, “What about supper? The newbies will eat everything before we get any food at this rate!” xxxxxThe twins looked at each other with mild horror before the three of them were running out and away toward the meal hall. Somehow, they managed to get some rations that seemed at least marginally warmer than the air itself, and Japa sighed in contented relief. She was about to get up after finishing her food and leave when Immune pulled her back to the table. xxxxx“Don’t think we forgot about you,” they said, “Now, spill it.” xxxxx“We know the Young part of Young Flame, but what about the Flame?” Nothing said as they sidled up closer on the other side. xxxxx“I can tell you that one!” a green dragon said as he sat down, “You know all those breathing holds we learn in training now?” All three of them nodded, and the stranger continued where he left off. “They say Young Flame developed those while in flight school,” the green dragon said. xxxxx“No way!” Immune exclaimed, “He invented a whole new set of moves all on his own?” xxxxx“That’s totally amazing! I want to be like him someday!” Nothing agreed. The poor green dragon looked slightly uncomfortable as the purple twins started targeting him with question after question. xxxxx“Can you really control the intensity of the flame within your jaws?” xxxxx“Do you know how he came up with those moves?” xxxxx“What are your thoughts on a cloak of fire?” xxxxx“Do you really think he never bled?” xxxxx“Did he ever speak with you?” xxxxx“Did you know him?” xxxxx“Immune! Nothing! You’re scaring him,” Japa said, taking pity on the poor male. Her friends glanced at her, the male, and then each other. Quickly, they pulled themselves off the table and back into their seats, both looking suitably ashamed of themselves. “I’m sorry about them,” Japa said to the new dragon, “They mean well, but they are rather excitable.” xxxxx“When you say it like that, you make us sound like problem children,” Immune said in a slight pout. xxxxx“You’re the problem child. I’m not the one who broke our shell early, remember?” Nothing pointed out loftily. xxxxx“Are they always like this?” the new guy asked. xxxxx“Most of the time,” Japa said, “You must be new, since you don’t seem to know about them already.” xxxxx“Yes, actually, though I’m not sure I’m what your group calls a newbie. I transferred from another training camp as soon as they’d let me. Kaneda camp is the place to be, since Young Flame trained here,” he said, “The name’s Ga—Scar. Do you all use code names all the time?” xxxxx“Yes,” Japa said, “They’re a first line of defense, and they let strangers know about the general strengths of their allies with a glance. I’m Flyby, the best at aerial maneuvers for almost ninety years.” Japa pointed to the twins as she explained, “This is Immune, and this is Nothing. One of them is the best spy in the business, and the other is unaffected by elf majiks. Guess which one is which.” xxxxx“This is boring!” Immune said, “Did you come to see Young Flame? He’s gone now, but you’re not missing much.” xxxxx“He was one of those silent and brooding types who always went to the top of the hill in camp and stared at the sky for hours on end. He never talked to anybody before he came down,” Nothing said, poking at her rations. xxxxx“Well, he would talk with one dragon, but she had to be really special and didn’t show up until later in his career here,” Immune pointed out, and Japa immediately threw up her wings against the twin stares. xxxxx“I told you guys, it wasn’t like that!” Japa said, trying not to look Scar in the eye. xxxxx“You were on speaking terms with the great Young Flame?” Scar said, and she could practically feel the adoration in his gaze. xxxxx“She totally was, but she refuses to tell us anything about their conversations,” Nothing pouted behind Japa’s wing. xxxxx“Right? She’s been friends with the hero since before they both could fly, and all she says is that the big hunk of red scales isn’t her brother or her crush,” Immune stated. Japa immediately stiffened and turned on her neighbor. xxxxx“You promised,” she hissed, “Not two hours ago did you promise.” xxxxx“Flyby, wait! They didn’t mean it,” Nothing tried to say, attempting to get Japa to back down. xxxxx“No! Both of you promised not to tell anyone. Anyone!” xxxxx“Flyby, that’s not really a proportionate reaction,” Scar said. xxxxx“What did you say?” Japa’s icy growl turned to the new dragon in the group. She saw him visibly swallow before she said in a gravelly voice, “I’m overreacting to my friends spilling a secret to the first stranger that talks about Young Flame. A secret they promised not to tell anyone ever. I guess I had better take myself out before my overreacting ruins your gossip session.” xxxxxThe three dragons had little time to protest as Japa quickly flew out of the large entry to the mess hall. Before they could pursue her, she careened into the air. Her anger kept her warm far into the atmosphere where she started blowing flames above the clouds in her fury. They’d promised, and the first chance they got, both of them spilled! Why had she even told them? It’s not like they’d understand, anyway! Eventually, Japa cooled enough to realize she was too high and too tired to fly safely. xxxxxShe wasn’t in a hurry to land, so her descent took her in lazy gliding circles that ended on the crown of a very familiar hill. She beat her wings one final time and came to a stop. There was one stone up here, worn flat after so many scales had brushed against it. Japa found the flat stone among the grass and sat on it, looking up at the sky as the moon rose in its graceful orbit in leu of the red dragon who normally would. xxxxx“Flyby?” a cautious voice said. xxxxx“Scar, I don’t know what you’re doing, but I’m not in the mood,” she said, still looking at the clouds that skittered across the sky. xxxxx“Flyby, listen, I’m sorry for earlier. I’d heard the others talking about Young Flame, and I got excited when you seemed to be the one with answers,” he said, coming up next to her. xxxxx“I said I’m not in the mood,” Japa said. She could feel her anger in the pit of her stomach, but she didn’t have the energy to snap at the green dragon. xxxxx“Well, then, what are you in the mood for?” Scar asked. Japa was surprised by this strange transfer. Of all the dragons she expected to care about her personal opinion, this stranger wasn’t even on the list. xxxxx“Right now, I’m in the mood for stargazing,” Japa said quietly. xxxxx“Mind if I join you?” Scar asked. Japa made a small noise that could have been taken as a yes and went back to studying the stars. There were so many to look at, but she couldn’t seem to figure out why they could hold her attention as much as they did. xxxxxAfter a long silence, Japa finally said, “I wish I could find out why he did this.” Scar turned his gaze toward the dark blue dragon, as if waiting for a response. He finally got one as she continued, “Young Flame used to come up here after every mission. He’d been doing it since before I was assigned here, so when I found out about the mysterious veteran everyone was talking about, I came up to see him.” A smile crossed her face as she lowered her gaze to consider stars not quite so high up. “I started out inviting him to fly with me, but he seemed to like the idea little more than when we were younger,” Japa said. xxxxxScar gently put his wing against hers as she paused to breathe. “We used to be great friends, the two of us, but after I found him on this hill, I didn’t know who he was,” Japa said, closing her eyes, “Our first meeting, I knew something was weird. At that point, I didn’t know he was Young Flame, but when I asked him if he knew about the dragon hero, he gave one of the saddest answers I have ever heard in retrospect.” xxxxx“What did he say?” Scar asked gently when Japa did not continue. xxxxxJapa slowly turned from the sky and looked directly at the new dragon. “Young Flame is a terrible monster, and the queen wants everyone here to be like him,” she quoted coldly. She watched as the green dragon’s face went from confusion to horror. “Young Flame was a great dragon. All of dragon kind sings his praises and waits for the day their courageous hero will return,” Japa said, “But you know what? Young Flame wasn’t courageous. He was sad, and if anyone found out, I’m sure the queen’s plans for his legend would go to the Dark.” xxxxxJapa and Scar stared at each other for a few long, silent minutes. Japa’s neck was arched and taut, her wedged head staring the green dragon straight on as her tail lashed behind her. Scar, in contrast sat with his wings half-extended, as if wishing he could fly away while being pinned to the ground. xxxxx“Immune! Wait!” a voice whispered, “You’re going to interrupt them.” xxxxxJapa and Scar turned toward the form of a purple dragon crawling up the hill in the dark. “This is probably not a good time,” Immune said, “but I’m sorry.” xxxxx“You’re right this is the wrong time,” Scar said. Japa was slightly confused at the huffy tone, but she let it slide as Nothing crawled forward as well. xxxxx“We should have known better,” Nothing said, “We were just so excited to know something about such a great hero that we didn’t think about why you were keeping it secret.” xxxxx“Yes! We’re both so sorry. We weren’t thinking. We won’t do it again!” Immune said as both twins pushed their foreheads into the ground. xxxxx“Do not promise me,” Japa interrupted before they could continue, “Your promises are not what they could have been, but I’ll forgive you.” The dark blue dragon climbed off her small pedestal and approached the two dragons before her. “How long have you been waiting to apologize?” she asked quietly. xxxxx“Since you flew off without us!” Immune blurted out. xxxxx“No. We hadn’t realized how bad it was at that point. After watching your flames run across the sky for an hour. That’s when we knew we needed to apologize,” Nothing said quietly, “After you stopped spitting fire above the clouds, though, we lost track of you.” xxxxx“We weren’t listening to your conversation, though. We got here just a minute ago, and you were just staring at Scar, so I assumed,” Immune said. Their voice trailed off, leaving the rest of the sentence unsaid. xxxxx“Nothing, Immune, please raise your heads,” Japa said softly. When they did, she approached each twin and pressed her head against theirs. “We are friends, right?” Japa said to them, “How could I not forgive my friends?” xxxxxScar came trundling down to them, and it was at this time that Japa finally noticed the reason for his name. In the moonlight, a silver scar ran from his shoulder and down his side to end in a stump. Where a powerful hind leg should have been, there was only scarred flesh and air. “If you forgive them for something like this so easily, they’re just going to do it again,” he pointed out, “If they betrayed you once, they’ll do it again.” xxxxxJapa sat before her friends and extended her wings to their full span. “They will only speak of Young Flame with me. I will not share more secrets with them. However, if some stranger approaches and threatens them, I will stand for their honor,” she said. xxxxx“We would do the same,” one of the twins challenged from behind her wings. A slight smile spread on her face as she raised her head proudly. xxxxx“Mistakes are normal. If you can’t see that, it’s no surprise you think that way,” Japa announced, “Now come on, guys. I’m tired, and the patrols will be enforcing lights out soon.” Together, Japa and the twins climbed down the hill and went to their assigned bunks, leaving Scar to do whatever it was grumpy dragons do on clear nights like this. xxxxx“He was sad, huh?” the green dragon said to the sky, “I wonder if it had anything to do with how these commoners treated your brilliance.”
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Luoma
Dec 17, 2018 8:25:54 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Dec 17, 2018 8:25:54 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ To Evolve ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxCamping is usually an enjoyable adventure, but the activity tends to get tiresome when it becomes a necessary part of survival for months on end. Although the entirety of the Civati population could comfortably hide beneath Majus’s wings during the Harsh Light, that was nothing like a permanent residence one could call a home. xxxxx“There are mountains all around us! We could finally escape the Harsh Light for good!” xxxxx“We do not want a repetition of what occurred at the Mount. We should build individual mounds to live in.” xxxxx“What if we cut down the trees and use their wood like the humans do?” xxxxx“What do the elves do? It must be more comfortable than the humans, however clever they are.” xxxxx“Elves do little better than camp themselves, but what about the dragons?” xxxxx“Idiot. Do you wish to expose yourself to the elements even more?” xxxxx“What are we to do for shelter, then?” xxxxx“Majus-vat, please do something for us,” Leta said to Majus, “We may have arrived, but we are lost.” The small yellow Civati had crawled out from under the dragon’s immense wings before the sun had disappeared behind the tall mountains around the valley. xxxxx“A good rise to you, Leta-vat,” Majus rumbled in greeting. He could feel all the small Civati under his wings as they rested, and though he was loathe to wake them, this conversation needed to be had. “I have heard the murmurs. There was once a technique I heard the dryads used before they disappeared into the sea, and I am considering it,” he said. xxxxx“The dryads sailed away from the continent?” Leta asked. Her head tilted to one side, both sets of her ears mirroring the motion. xxxxx“They did not sail, little one,” Majus said, suppressing his chuckles so he wouldn’t disturb the other Civati still sleeping under his wing, “The dryads disappeared into the sea, but they did not sail. They were driven out of their forests by the humans’ need for building materials until there was only one place left for them.” xxxxx“Did they drown?” a young voice asked from somewhere above Majus’s head. xxxxx“Mathias, come down and join the conversation,” Majus said, tilting his head to one side so the small green Civati would slide off and have to join. “To answer your question, no. The dryads did not drown, but they changed. The stories tell that they transformed into nymphs who grow trees in the seas and oceans around the continent,” he finished. xxxxx“What about the dryads prompted you to consider their shelters?” Leta asked him. xxxxx“Supposedly, while they were still living in the land forests, the dryads molded their trees into places to live,” Majus said. He saw the confused looks on the two Civati before him and smiled. “We cannot mold the trees as they are, but if we can create homes that sustain themselves and grow larger on their own, it would solve our shelter problems. However, we are unable to mold the trees immediately, so this idea would have us wait even longer than we have. That will be difficult for us, since we have finally made it to the end of our Journey.” xxxxx“Patience,” Mathias said. xxxxx“I’m sure the others would understand, Mathias-vat, but I do not wish to press our family more than is necessary,” Majus said to the small green Civati. xxxxx“Our family?” Leta asked. She seemed confused by the term he had used. xxxxx“Yes,” Majus said, “Where I was adopted from, young members were born very differently. It involved one male and one female, and the young that came from them were considered their responsibility. Since the Civati do not operate under such rules, I have been using a comparison with Mathias. I was adopted by the Civati and became your brother. Now that I am Guide and Guard, you all are my responsibility. Where I am from, it would be as if a blood brother rose up and filled the role of one of the parents to lead his siblings.” xxxxx“I was not born with you, but you are all family,” Mathias said. His solemn eyes locked on the brighter Civati with the same intensity he used for everything. xxxxx“But what does blood brother mean?” Leta asked, avoiding the eyes locked on her. xxxxxMajus twisted his face as he thought of a suitable explanation. “On the Journey, you witnessed how when a Civati fell and got a small wound, their body sent a red fluid to the surface. That is blood, and in cultures where it is important to know whose mother and whose sister one is, a family is considered to all have the same blood,” he tried. xxxxx“So, when one bleeds, they all feel it?” Leta asked. xxxxx“Something similar, yes,” Majus said, giving up slightly on defining such a strange concept to her. He couldn’t think of a way to explain it that wouldn’t be more confusing. “In my case, family is more of a bond than shared blood, which is why I can make the comparison,” the dragon finished. xxxxx“How delightfully maudlin,” a sneering voice said from a red head. xxxxx“Good rise to you, too, Peku-vat,” Majus said to the peevish Civati, “Did I wake you?” xxxxx“No,” Peku said as he crossed his arms over his chest, “though it appears that many of the Civati wish to speak with you this Gentle Light.” xxxxx“Please gather the Civati once the Gentle Light is fully visible, then. I wish to work this through together,” Majus said. He dipped his head toward the red Civati with his request. That should work to keep the elder appeased for a time. xxxxxWhen the moon finished rising above the mountains, the Civati were ready and waiting for the dragon to speak. “Civati, I wish to welcome you all home, but I would not be a proper Guard if I did not keep you safe from the elements,” Majus said. His tone was not commanding, but his size helped to make the sound travel over them with seeming ease. Without hurrying, Majus continued, “As we did when discussing the Song, I wish to put forward a number of options and reveal to you what the dream Zemni-vat bequeathed to me has shown in more recent times.” xxxxxThe crowd of Civati and their glowing dreams drew instinctively closer. In the past, Majus made decisions and explained them as they went. If he was asking for a discussion, then that meant he could not figure out the correct path on his own. xxxxx“As I see it, there are many ways we can provide shelter for ourselves,” Majus said with his head lowered toward them, “We can find or carve out own caves out of the mountains around us. Too much, though, and we risk bringing down the walls that protect us from the outside. This rock is soft, so consistent carving would weaken it to the point of collapse, but if we limit the amount that is carved, the mountains should remain steadfast for many, many years.” There were some heads that bobbed as they thought of this, though the faces Majus could see looked like they were waiting for the other options first. xxxxx“I have heard the thoughts to use the trees around us like the humans do,” he continued, “This is not a bad idea, but I would caution against this. It is much too easy to become confident in the quick and easy use of these materials. Without careful vigilance, the valley will be stripped of trees in the next hundred years.” There were a few surprised looks as Majus watched them. The surprise glowed on the faces as he spoke, then faded to a simple concentration as they considered what their approach had to offer. xxxxx“Another option is to continue using my wings to protect you from the elements. However, despite my seeming ageless existence, I will eventually grow old. That end is still thousands of years away, but at that point, I will not be able to Guard you,” the dragon said. There were a number of gasps in the crowd as he bluntly confronted his mortality, but Majus smiled comfortingly. xxxxx“Like I said, that end will not come to pass for a long time yet. However, there is one more option I would like to discuss with you,” Majus said. The crowd waited expectantly as Majus lifted one giant wing to gesture at the valley. “If we use the trees as they stand and mold them into living pods, then we may feasibly be able to create a sustainable source of shelter for as far as I have been shown,” Majus announced, “However, before you grow excited with this final option, be aware that it will take years to train the trees to grow as we want. I am not even certain we will be successful with the first trees we attempt. Please keep this in mind while discussing among yourselves. I wish to Guide you well, so offer me sights only you can see.” xxxxxMajus watched with pride as his family began to discuss with their neighbors the benefits of each course of action. They even continued speaking when they climbed upon Majus’s broad back to do their regular exploration of this strange new valley they were calling home. They walked the perimeter, where Majus cleared the path of trees for those behind him. He heard them discuss mixing strategies and ideas, and when he called for Silence, he could feel the weight of each Civati deep in thought. xxxxxToward the end of the Gentle Light, Majus froze mid-step. Bilibojo and Mathias had been sitting upon his head, discussing their own ideas, and now an image of their combined ideas rooted Majus where he stood. The base of the valley walls were covered with a layer of glistening rock, and behind that rock lay a single ring of tunnels and small carved abodes. Outside, the trees glowed with the dreams and Civati resting in their sculpted boughs. Unconsciously, Majus began to laugh. It was such a simple answer! xxxxxWhen he told the Civati what he had seen, they all seemed ecstatic, and even Peku stared off in awe at the future Majus described. They started that very night. Whatever the Civati carved from their tunnel, they brought outside to the waiting dragon. There, he seemingly ate the jumble of rocks, heating his mouth and the contents inside until it was liquid and he could then slather it on the base of the cliffs. Whatever they took from the mountains went right back to them, reinforcing the walls just outside the large tunnel. xxxxxMeanwhile, Mathias and Leta led a group of Civati each night to look for large, healthy trees they could mold to become shelters. When it came time to escape the Harsh Light, the Civati gathered under Majus’s wings, and when they began carving the small sleeping quarters within the walls, the young voluntarily let their older members take the first few. xxxxxIt was a busy few years, only slowed by the incessant raining that happened once a year. As Majus had predicted, though, once the Civati finished their tunnel and the apartments within it, the trees were ready to be inhabited. The Civati grew adept at weaving the trees into living homes for themselves. Some even began experimenting with a second level on their trees, opening up more possibilities. xxxxxAfter the tunnel was finished, however, there wasn’t much for Majus to do. Each Civati carried their Dream, so there wasn't a Vault for him to Guard, and the new valley seemed a perfect place for them, so there wasn't much need to Guide. He visited the Civati around the valley and called the Silence and Song, but other than the occasional quarrel, he was largely unneeded. There came a time when only one Civati remained with him during the Harsh Light. His green head remained firmly under Majus’s wing or atop the dragon’s skull, climbing the extensive horns there. xxxxx“Mathias-vat, you should create a home for yourself,” Majus said one night, “You are the best weaver, and I know you assist the others wherever we stop, but would you not like a tree of your own?” xxxxx“I will help family, but I want to stay with you,” Mathias said. Majus paused in his study of the landscape and looked under his wing at the Civati. xxxxx“I am honored by your sentiment, but I will not be here forever. You should find others with whom you wish to live,” the dragon rumbled softly. xxxxx“That is why I want to be with you now,” the green Civati said. There wasn’t much Majus could think of to challenge that logic as he felt the soft weight that was Mathias scamper up to his brow. “What are you doing?” he asked once he was seated in his usual spot. xxxxxMajus chuckled and said, “I am trying to be useful. You know how you can see part of at least one wall of the valley from wherever you stand? I hope to make a map so that none will become lost so long as they can see the walls.” Majus studied his surroundings just a bit more, then turned to the wall. “I will carve in these landmarks where they stand, and next time I come by, I will carve beside them, so that travelers will know what lies beside the current mark.” xxxxxMathias traveled with the giant dragon as he carved an image for the lake they passed. Majus made note of where the moon rose, and also where the cliffs created the natural entrances to caves where the valley’s rivers ran out. He noted the portion of the valley dominated by fruit trees, and he made a small monument on the edge where the Civati first entered their new home. Majus carved the direction of the sunset and the location of the “Sunless place” past the falls that fed the main river in the valley. He observed the clouds that seemed to constantly form around the peak of one mountain and brought rains. Mathias then helped identify the entrances to the tunnel that ran the perimeter of the valley, and Majus took notes on them as well. xxxxxBy their third trip around the valley, other Civati were joining them for short times. “I have heard tell that a brother by Fruits found a new way to weave.” “The sisters by Sunset are taming one of the wild creatures in the area.” “Our family at Lake are sending a group to the center to sow the black tree seeds.” Majus gladly helped them along, since his traveling speed was much swifter, and the added conversation was very welcome. xxxxxMathias and Majus continued to make their circuits around the valley, carving new details each night until the entire wall of the valley was covered above the canopy with delicate and intricate carvings depicting the interactions of the nearest landmarks. Within the swirling carvings were images of dragons and elves who peeked out of fanciful clouds and swirling stars. Humans made occasional appearances as well, but the real central species was the Civati people themselves. To commemorate their entrance to the valley, Majus carved a large Civati carrying many dreams. Since it was a landmark, it went all the way to the valley floor. Entrances had a simple column of fanciful designs, but this particular landmark was the most detailed. xxxxxOne thing Majus never learned about, though, was the way the Civati emulated him. Within the tunnel, it became a personal challenge to decorate the walls in and around one’s apartment with images personally important to the artist. Within the trees, Civati carved the limbs with names and images, often leaving messages as they moved between the pods woven from living branches. At first, they used stones for their carvings, but some clever Civati noticed that the scales Majus dropped around the valley were harder to break and could be sharpened to a more permanent edge. Each scale was split in half to make attaching handles easier. The blades of these knives were a wine red, the sharpened edge a shade of midnight blue. xxxxxWhile he was carving, Majus was also introducing new Civati to their family. Binti-vat, Japa-vat, Micah-vat, and Jespet-vat. Zanu-vat, Moya-vat, Yarem-vat, and Korim-vat. Larem-vat, Harite-vat, Amu-vat, and Vorcim-vat. All of these and more Majus named, and all he greeted with the same words. xxxxx“This is your family. There will be troubles, and there will be arguments, but best of all there will be joy. Welcome home.”
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Luoma
Dec 17, 2018 8:47:59 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Dec 17, 2018 8:47:59 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Resting Place ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxLaughter surrounded Majus as he lowered his wine-red wings and let the younger Civati slide down from his considerable height. The valley they currently lived in was extensive in its own right, but to a dragon of his age, it was only a short walk to get from one end to the other if he had the energy to walk. As homes went, it was quaint and lively, even beautiful in the moon’s glow. Everywhere one looked, there were small creatures with grey cloaks flitting through the large trees that grew here. There was only one spot in the entire valley the Civati did not turn into their home. xxxxxOn the northern edge of the valley, an immense cliff face rose from the ground to such a height that sunlight rarely made it to the base. The place was devoid of growth, but not of life. Majus was careful of his immense size. Since arriving, he had almost regularly toppled large swaths of trees trying to get places, so his later travels stayed within the paths of the river, usually causing trees to fall on its edges when he walked to places he had not been to in some time. He also used the perimeter of the valley to move around without causing too much damage, but that had also been when he’d had the energy to walk. xxxxx“Majus-vat, come on an adventure with us today!” a young Civati called to him. Majus took his regular naps in the shadow of this immense cliff where anyone who needed his guidance knew where to come. The young ones especially came to him, but it was rarely with problems. xxxxx“Where are we going today?” the colossal dragon rumbled. His bulk rose high above the canopy as he lay there, and the young Civati all giggled and pointed up. Smiling, the dark dragon looked up as well. “The sky, huh? Always a constant companion,” Majus said. He slowly lowered his head and let the young Civati climb on from the tallest tree nearby. When they were all aboard, he asked, “Are we all ready for a trip to the sky?” xxxxxAmong the chorus of cheers, Majus heard a single voice call out below him “No.” The voice was much more mature than the ones on his head, and Majus could instinctively picture the tumbled green hair and intense gaze below him. xxxxx“If you want to join, Mathias-vat, you must join us quickly,” Majus said. Almost before he was finished speaking, the small green Civati had vaulted up the dragon’s hard scales with the ease of much practice. The dragon waited for the shifting on his head to still before raising his head. xxxxx“We have taken off! Can you see Lake from here? My old eyes cannot see that far anymore, but you should be able to see it,” Majus said, oh so slowly moving his head up from the ground. xxxxx“I can see Guardian from here!” xxxxx“Really? Where?” xxxxx“I see it, too! Look over there!” xxxxxMajus let them look a while longer before starting a slow decent. “Wait! Go higher!” a young voice called. The sentiment was picked up by the rest of those atop his crown, and Majus smiled as they grew more and more excited. xxxxx“Hold on. If we go higher, flying may get more difficult,” he said. Slowly, the old dragon shifted where he had been resting and brought himself to a standing position. The massive set of horns atop his head breached the mountain’s cover at this point, but the young Civati were still safe. “If you get cold, let me know,” Majus said. It was mainly to Mathias, who would let him know if the altitude was too much for the children. xxxxx“Higher!” the young ones called again, but this time Majus didn’t move. He looked to the top of the cliff he slept under, saw the puny closeness of it, and resisted. xxxxx“I’m afraid this is as high as I can fly,” he said to the chorus of disappointed Civati children. As slowly as he had stood, Majus lowered himself once more. His vision blurred sickeningly for a minute as his head lowered in elevation, but he recovered quickly enough. After the young Civati all dismounted, Majus asked, “Did you learn something from this adventure?” xxxxx“Flying is cold!” xxxxx“The Valley is huge!” xxxxx“Sunset is closer to Guardian than the Falls.” xxxxx“I saw more mountains over the Edge!” This comment was followed by a small cacophony as the young Civati argued whether it was a new mountain or one of mountains that made up the Edge. Some believed there was nothing beyond the Edge, and when Majus heard this, he felt himself astonished. xxxxx“Why do you believe there is nothing beyond the Edge of this valley?” he asked the Civati. xxxxx“Well, we never leave, right? And there is nothing that comes in, either. And all the family I know have been spawned here under your Guard,” the child said. xxxxx“Do you know of the Journey?” Majus asked. He looked to the faces of those around him. Most held confusion, though a couple looked like they had heard of it somewhere before. “I have a mission for you,” he told the Civati, “Go ask your family about the Journey. When you have heard three different tales of the Journey, come back and tell me if you still think there is nothing beyond the Edge.” xxxxxAs the young Civati all scampered away, Mathias turned to the dragon and asked, “Why?” xxxxx“Why what?” Majus said back, “Why did I take them into the sky? They are a great source of energy to one as old as me, and they always have something new to do. Why did I send them to find the story on their own instead of simply telling them myself? While they are out asking, those doing the telling will remember, and those nearby will hear. It is not a good thing to forget the world, even if you do not participate in it.” xxxxxMajus looked at his little charge and blew some hot air in his direction. The green Civati had spawned at the end of the Journey, and though Majus had continually attempted to get him to join in with his family, he had simply stayed glued to a wing or a horn since that first Gentle Light. “What do you remember?” Mathias asked. xxxxxGently, Majus closed his eyes and remembered a time long, long ago. “I remember a little blue dragon with energy for days. I remember a golden dragon I wished knew me. I remember the brothers and sisters I made, and I remember the camp I made them in. There is always room for Jordan, and I will never forget his assistant’s descendants. The halfling who inspired me stays with me still. I will remember the hardiness of my fellows, the ingenuity of the humans, the enthusiasm of the elves, and the sky that always waited for me.” The dragon opened his eyes again and looked up, saying, “It always looked wonderful. Did you know that, Mathias? The sky is a place where things look even slightly better. It may hurt to get there, but in the sky, everything is beautiful.” The old dragon turned toward his young companion and asked, “What do you remember?” xxxxx“You,” Matthias said. Majus waited, knowing words weren’t Mathias’s strength. “Small you, big dreams. There is kindness and compassion, as well as stubbornness and grace,” the Civati finally continued, “There is art and patience, and there is will and loneliness.” xxxxxWith a careful glance, Majus asked, “And did you remember what I requested?” xxxxx“Do not remind me! You are not that old yet. Surely you will live another year,” Mathias said, looking at once affronted and hopeful. xxxxx“No, I do not believe I will.” Before Mathias could interrupt, Majus continued, “By my account, I have survived almost 8,000 summers. It is a flawed count, since much of it was locked away from the sky, but even a modest count puts me at over 7,000.” xxxxx“Billibojo-vat has lived for longer than that!” Matthias objected. xxxxx“Billibojo-vat is an impressive Civati, but I am not. I am a dragon, and in that perspective, I should have died years ago,” the old dragon sighed sadly. xxxxx“Majus-vat, is all well here?” Leta asked, emerging from the nearby trees. xxxxx“Yes, Leta-vat. I apologize if my speaking disturbed you,” the dragon murmured, moving his immense head in a tiny motion toward the newcomer to the conversation. xxxxx“Mind it not,” Leta said, “We have grown used to the way our homes echo your voice. It has a calming tremor to it. I simply felt your voice and wanted to speak with you.” xxxxx“I see. You have excellent timing, Leta-vat. I was about to ask Mathias-vat to look for you and another. Now he does not have to,” Majus said. The little green Civati crossed his arms and looked off to one side. “Mathias-vat, please give the seed to Leta-vat,” the dragon said gently. xxxxx“No!” Mathias said. Majus sighed as Leta began to chastise him for his attitude, but the dragon gave his head the smallest of shakes. xxxxx“Leta-vat, please close your ears for a moment,” Majus asked. When she had covered her ears and turned away, the dragon turned his attention back to Mathias. “Mathias, look at me,” he said, and when the Civati did, he continued, “You know how much I care for the Civati, but what I am about to do is not for the Civati. It is for Mathias, to Guide him to the best future I have been shown for him.” Mathias turned away from Majus, but his posture relaxed slightly. “Now, please give the seed to Leta-vat and find Billibojo-vat and bring him here. There is a thing we must discuss with them,” Majus finished. xxxxxReluctantly, Mathias walked over to the yellow Civati and gave her a small seed. Majus watched as the small creature walked purposefully off into the trees before speaking to Leta. “Leta-vat, I require a favor of you,” the dragon said. xxxxx“Anything, Majus-vat. What can I do for you?” the yellow Civati said excitedly. xxxxx“I require that seed by the Dream Zemni-vat bequeathed to me. Will you take it there?” Majus said. Leta had a puzzled look on her face, but she climbed the tallest tree nearby and onto the massive platform that was his snout. Majus felt her walk up to his brow, then search for the small Dream still embedded within his scales. “Good. Thank you, Leta-vat. Mathias will need the seed back,” Majus said. xxxxxAfter a while of nothing happening, Leta asked carefully, “Why did you wish this seed up here?” xxxxxIn answer, Majus said, “Leta, let my family in the future know that I love them.” Leta sat by the tiny midnight blue Dream. It was smaller than a single scale, but it did not quite blend in with the dark rims of his natural scales. Before she could question Majus further on his answer, there was a flash of light. When Leta was no longer blinded, she sat not on wine red scales, but on midnight blue that appeared from under it, as if the light had blown away a layer of old paint to reveal what lay beneath it. xxxxxWhen Leta reached the ground again, she stood staring at the face of the dragon who had been Guide and Guard for most of her memory. “The wind is gone,” she heard a broken voice say. She turned around to see Mathias and Billibojo staring at this massive creature. The elder Civati carried with him a horn of purest silver, and Leta watched as he raised it to his lips and let out three loud blasts to echo about the Valley. xxxxxMathias was the first, but his voice was joined soon by unseen Civati across the Valley. They all raised their voices in a unanimous cry that silenced all else. Before Leta allowed herself to join in, she stumbled to Mathias and folded his limp hands around the small seed. When he paused for breath she told him, “He said you would need this.”
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