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Connections (FR)
Topic Started: Tuesday Apr 22 2014, 06:29 PM (246 Views)
Akinai
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The Southern Icefield is not known for being hospitable. The frozen wastes have left hunting and foraging near impossible to visitors, and the extreme temperatures have claimed more than its fair share of lives. Because of the harsh conditions, the residents here tend to be just as cold and unforgiving as the weather itself.

So when a small group of dragons, guided by one of the former residents, is trying to find their way in this region, it is a strange day indeed. But the leader of this budding clan is eager to find allies, even if it involves traveling in this frozen hell...


(Current dragons present: Makina, Razor, Nadia, Rime, Kaya, Fume, Idemili, Cytaez)


Makina crouched down on her perch, trying her best not to shudder as another chilling wind blew. The small grey Fae had abandoned flight over a day ago, when an especially strong breeze caused her to flail about wildly before landing in a nearby snowbank. Instead, her second had offered a spot on her back for her to cling on as they traveled towards their destination.

Up ahead, a large black Guardian led the way. It had been some time since Nadia had lived in her home clan, but she knew the way well enough. The only issue was getting these less-hardy Light dragons there in one piece. She, her brother, and the two others who had originally traveled with her would be fine, but...

Makina shared Nadia's sentiment, looking back at her weary clan. Three dragons- another Fae, a Pearlcatcher, and Skydancer, looked merely winded from their long travel. Their eyes marked them as natives of the Icewarden's domain though, so they had way more than likely dealt with harsher conditions. The second Pearlcatcher and lone Coatl seemed far more haggard, the former holding onto her pearl in a death-grip as if afraid she would lost it in the snow. Her “perch” was just as tired, even stumbling a bit.

Are we almost there, Nadia? We'll need to find shelter soon if not,” Makina called out to the Guardian.

We can keep going,” a voice below the Fae grumbled. The large blue Guardian was unable to hide the weariness in his voice though. “It can't be much further, and we haven't passed any caves for over half a day.

We can't speak to any possible allies if half the clan is dead before we get there,” Makina pointed out. She was glad that only a portion of them had made this journey; Zerach, a fellow Light member, was keeping an eye on the rest of the clan while the rest journeyed to the Tundra to meet Nadia's former clan leader. The hatchlings would have perished long before they would have reached their destination, and there had to be somebody to watch the lair while they were gone. Some scavengers didn't care if a location was abandoned or not before they started looting, and they couldn't afford to lost any valuable treasure or research.

We'll be there very shortly,” Nadia replied, looking back at the young clan leader. “A group of us showing up without warning may be a shock for some of the members, however. One of us needs to go on ahead and inform Zorayda.”

“I'll go,” a small voice replied, barely heard over the winds. The second Fae fluttered forward, managing to keep aloft with ease. “Will be faster, and I'm less likely to be attacked by a rogue clan.”

Get there quickly, Rime,” Nadia said, looking at the much-smaller dragon. The two were siblings, though it was near impossible to tell from looks alone. As the white Fae flitted away, the remaining former natives looked about uneasily.

I don't see why we had to come back,” the Ice Pearlcatcher grumbled, his black hide sticking out like a sore thumb on the landscape. His fire-red wings did him no favors in hiding as well. “Nadia and Rime could have handled negotiations just fine without us.”

It is formality, Fume,” the Skydancer replied, her voice sounding almost automatic. The charcoal dragon's gaze looked unfocused, as if she was trying not to think about where she was. “Besides, what would Zorayda say if some of us had stayed behind at the Ruins?

Fume snorted at the response, staring straight at the other Ice dragon. “Don't try to be formal, Kaya. You're just as unhappy as me to be back.

Kaya didn't reply, only stared in the direction Rime had gone. The other dragons huddled together for warmth, and waited.
Edited by Akinai, Tuesday Apr 22 2014, 06:31 PM.
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TheProtobabe
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(Current dragons present: Technically all, but right now I'm just using Zorayda, Lancewing, Kune, and Sombra, with appearances from a few others.)

The cloaked matriarch stood at the promontory of an iced-over jut of stone that poked out a ways from her clan's home. Chilled winds ate through the velvety fabric as though they weren't even there, but the Iceborn dragon was used to the cold, so it didn't bother her as much as a few others that lived in her clan. Her bright, pale eyes scoured the skies for the arrival of other dragons--they were due in since two days ago, but the journey into the Southern Icefields was far more difficult for dragon flights unused to the weather. Zorayda worried whether she should have sent her own dragons to speak with Makina's clan.

Clinking armor made her arch her long neck to see a much larger dragon swoop in, chocolate wings opened as the Imperial landed gracefully behind his leader.

"Any sign of them?" Kune asked her as he walked up alongside. Zor sighed and turned back to look upwards.

"No, not yet..." she froze suddenly, however, tail tip twitching. "Wait..." A tiny speck moved against the clear sky, barely visible. It was small, but it could have been either a Spiral or Fae dragon. Yep, those were definitely wings... looked like a Fae, given the broadness of them compared to its tiny body. "Someone's here." It had to be one of the Light clan, because hardly any dragons just took a flight for no reason in freezing temperatures. "Where are the rest?"

A second Wildclaw appeared suddenly like a ghost at Zor's other side, silver goggles glinting as he looked up into the sky. They were old, but with polishing and care they'd been restored enough to use as weak binoculars.

"It's Rime," Lancewing said shortly. Zor's feathers perked up in excitement and nervousness. Perhaps he could explain why the others were missing? She glanced at the azure Imperial on her right and Kune nodded. He shook his mane and roared loudly, attempting to get Rime's attention.
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It took only a moment for Rime to get his bearings once he took to the sky. Having been hatched in these lands, it was fairly easy to find a landmark and head straight towards the last area Zorayda's clan had resided. As he took flight, the tiny white Fae let his mind wander.

It had felt like ages since he had left here with Nadia, his sister wishing to see the other flights of the world. The fact that others had followed was hardly surprising- Kaya felt she had little to offer to the clan compared to her brother, and Fume was extremely hotheaded for an Ice. When he had left along with Nadia though, there had been some remarks among the other members.

“We'll be leaving tomorrow at sunrise. We probably will not return for a long time, if ever.”

“But... why?” One of the newer members, a Wildclaw, was staring at Rime in confusion.

“You know Nadia. She wants to help everyone.” Rime was packing what few possessions he had and mentally going over what all would be needed. Leaving the Icefield meant traveling across the ocean, which meant that hunting would be scarce. Perhaps bringing rations would be the best bet...

“No, I mean why you? You never agree with Nadia's tirades. Why now?”


Silly hatchlings...” Rime muttered, shaking his head at the memory. For an Ice flight, he had been told that his home one was especially chatty for one of their flight. After that conversation, the Fae believed that nosy could be safely added to the list as well. What he decided to do was his business. Nothing more, nothing less.

A familiar roar shook Rime back to his senses, the source coming from close by. Looking about, he was able to make out three familiar shapes.

Clanmother!

Rime quickly made his way down to his former clanmates, choosing to hover in front of the larger dragon, an impressive blue Imperial. “Much appreciated, Kune,” the Fae said, nodding his head.

Let others make their own conclusions. For now, I have a job to do.

Seeing the worried look on Zor's face, Rime directed his attention to the Wildclaw matriarch. “Well met, Broodmother Zorayda. Leader Makina sends her greetings, and her group lies a few hundred kilometers to the north.
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As reptilian as Zor's face was, a great smile split her maw as Rime circled around and landed gracefully before all of them, greeting the matriarch enthusiastically.

"Well met, Rime!" she exclaimed, walking over to him on clawed toes. Kune stayed where he was, not wanting to put weight on the promontory--who knew if there was a snowdrift or something that would settle with his immense weight. Zor nodded as Rime explained that the others weren't too far off, then turned to Kune.

"Kune, would you mind gathering some rations for them? We'll go meet them and make sure they get a little energy to fly the rest of the way. Just a few mouthfuls for each should do--Rime, how many did you say there were? And Sombra, Lancewing, you're coming with me to greet them as well." Her mate and their daughter didn't argue, even as her tone became businesslike. She gave Rime a readied nod as Kune quickly grabbed a deer, a swordfish, a few herbs, and a satchel of insects. The azure Imperial offered a few of the last item to Rime before they readied to take off, the white-and-grey Fae directing them to where the gathering of Makina's clan currently stayed.

It wasn't long in the howling winds before they came across the ragtag group, all huddled for warmth. The flying group of Zorayda's clan lighted nearby, the matriarch's heart swelling with joy even before her pale eyes landed on all the familiar faces. Kune offered the little food they brought while Zor straightened her cloak, a little nervous about meeting another clan leader.

"Welcome back!" She told her former Ice members, and grinned at new ones. "And welcome for the first time. I hope your travel wasn't too difficult?"
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It was Idemili who spotted them first. The lone Shadow had been staring towards the horizon, thinking wistfully of warmer lands when she saw an all-too familiar greyish speck heading towards them. Upon registering just what she was looking at, the Pearlcatcher immediately perked up. “It's Rime! There are others following close to him as well.

Thank the Lightweaver. Makina was beginning to think the Fae had taken off on his own; no one besides Nadia could tell what Rime was thinking, and the dragon always seemed... condescending? It was always as if he was observing for something to happen. Either way, she pushed these thoughts aside and pulled herself from the pile to properly greet the new arrivals.

Whatever Makina had been expecting when meeting another leader, especially one of a large clan, it was nothing like her first impression of Zorayda. Nadia had mentioned that the Broodmother was a Wildclaw, but not what she looked like. The raptor-like dragon wore regal clothing, with a cape that complimented her purple hide. Though most of her face was covered by a violet cowl, it was easy to see that the Ice dragon was full of pride and joy as she greeted them all with a large grin.

It was a long flight, but we all got here relatively unharmed,” Makina replied, giving a respectful nod to Zorayda. It was hard to resist the urge and pull her own cowl further over her head; being around another leader was already a little nerve-wracking. Upon seeing that the Imperial that had arrived as well was handing food to her exhausted clan, the Fae willed herself to relax. Everything would work out fine. “You're Zorayda, I assume? I'm Makina, and my clan thanks you for the help. Is it far to your lair?
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It was a much larger group than Zorayda expected, but she gave a respectful nod to the new faces all the same. Dragons of all colors, flights, and sizes faced them, and at the head of them all was their leader, Makina the Fae. Zor's feathers flattened a bit in nervousness. Though her clan was huge, and she'd been around herself for years, she didn't often meet other clan leaders face-to-face. Mostly, she sent either Kune or Fialov as couriers and messengers with letters back and forth, but this was a special occasion. Makina's clan was young, just starting out, and they hopefully would forge a strong kinship with Zor's Ice clan.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad you are all safe," Zor told the Fae. "I am Zorayda, matriarch of this clan. Our clan isn't too far off; we can lead you all there when you're ready. I'm sure they'd love to see familiar faces, as well as new ones," the leader grinned. Her eyes sought out Fume and Kaya specifically. Fume's parents would be thrilled to see him, but she had a feeling Kaya wouldn't be as happy to see her somewhat self-absorbed brother, Thanatos. The Skydancer had others in the clan who would likely be more excited to see her, however.

Sombra stepped up and looked up to smile slightly when she caught eyes with Nadia. Zor's eldest of hers and Lancewing's hatchlings respected and admired the large Guardian and often was found sticking close by.

"Welcome back," the black armored Wildclaw greeted calmly. Zor's eyes softened a bit at the display, but she turned back to Makina.

"Whenever you're ready, follow us," she told the fellow clan leader. The dragons readied for flight and made their way to the protective ice cavern in the Snowsquall Tundra--the cold forest that served as their large home.
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Kaya and Fume's expressions changed as they locked eyes with their clan leader. Kaya had been fairly quiet about the family she had left behind, but she seemed reluctant to return. Fume, on the other hand, had to prevent rolling his eyes. The Pearlcatcher had complained many times about his parents, saying that they always treated him like a hatchling.

Nadia, on the other hand, had been in good spirits when she saw Zor's entourage arrive. Upon seeing Sombra, the Guardian's normally neutral expression changed as she greeted one of the matriarch's many children.

Haven't seen her that happy since the clutch hatched,” Razor remarked, gazing fondly at Nadia.

Makina gave a small smile at hearing Razor's words. Her second had fathered a clutch with the Guardian, though time would tell if they would become more permanent mates. All of the hatchlings save one had found new homes already, to which both Nadia and Razor seemed proud of. It still boggled Makina's mind to no end that one would bid farewell to their children, or even pick a mate so quickly.

Once everyone had regained enough energy to travel the dragons took flight, with Makina's clan following closely behind. Once the Ice lair was within sight, the Light dragons stared in awe.

We're going to have to work a lot harder to expand our own lair to such a size, Makina silently remarked.

It's so large! No wonder your old clan can live in such a place,” Idemilli said to Kaya, looking down.

We have observers,” Cytaez, the Coatl, noted. The serpentine dragon had been fairly quiet the entire journey, though his spirits seemed to be higher now that they were heading towards shelter. “Must be odd to see newcomers.”

Nadia, is there anything we need to know?” Makina, still unable to weather the winds, had transferred perches from Razor to the female Guardian. “She's your former leader, how should I seek an alliance?

Nadia shook her head, obviously amused. “Stop treating this event all formal, for once. Zor is extremely laid back for an Ice dragon. Speak normally, and you will be fine.

But Rime said...”

Rime is a dragon of tradition. Now, act like a leader and do your clan proud.” Nadia was now descending, circling slightly as she looked for a good spot to land. The other members of the group did the same; Cytaez had opted to head towards two other Coatls, while Fume was trying to avoid the gazes of the other Ice dragons. Kaya, on the other hand, landed as lightly as possible and tried to stay discreet.
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Zor had to chuckle mid-flight when the Pearlcatcher remarked on her lair's size. If only she knew...

"It wasn't always like this! We started out so small... it's really thanks to the Icewarden for granting us a larger space for our growing family," she shouted across the cold wind. They banked in and spiraled closer to the sparsely forested open area in front of the ice cavern Zor had taken for her clan. Quite a few nests could be seen scattered in dug holes here and there, using pine needles and branches to protect fragile dragon eggs from the cold of the tundra. A few dragons could be seen tending to their nests, including Koirin, Fume's mother, and Abraxas, Sombra's current clutchmate.

"Welcome to our lair!" Kune called from ahead of the Light flight. It was indeed a sight. Zor's ice sculptures littered the landscape (a perk that came with her unusual talents and interests), various dragon hoards were piled up in the middle of being organized, piles of bones being created into tools and apparel... it had every sign of a large, active dragon clan.

They lighted on hard snow, where several of Zor's clan had gathered to greet them. A few hatchlings bounced at Zor's clan's feet, excited to see newcomers, while a few elder dragons of the clan warmly greeted their old friends back. Some of the newer Ice clan members introduced themselves. It was all loudness and clamor and movement for several minutes while they all settled in. Zor interrupted this to speak.

"All of you! We have food and shelter available for everyone in the caverns. Feel free to head on in, though mind the familiars and little ones underfoot. And take care not to break my ice sculptures, please!" She added the last thing in a mere panic as several dragons began stampeding towards the den entrance. She smiled and shook her head a bit before locking eyes with the small Fae leader of the Light clan.

"Now then, did you want to discuss all the business and formalities right away, or did you want to relax for a while first?" She asked. She wasn't sure if Makina was a formal sort, so she thought she'd offer to get the business part over with in case the Fae was impatient.
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Makina had to prevent herself from chuckling as she heard the matriarch's warning about the ice sculptures. The works of art seemed to be everywhere, as if the creator worked wherever took their fancy. It seemed like each flight had their own quirks. Back at home, it was piles of books they had a surplus of; while slightly more durable than ice, knocking over a carefully stacked column of them still made a huge mess.

As the other dragons headed inside, Makina dropped down from Nadia's back and made her way over to the Ice leader. The wind had died down enough where it was easy to fly the rest of the way, and the Fae was sure she looked silly clinging on to a larger dragon for support. She caught Razor giving her a smirk as he headed inside and had to resist the urge to tackle the Guardian's face. It was his idea to start a clan. If the giant blueberry hadn't said a word on their first meeting she would be somewhere much warmer. Maybe even reading one of her favorite novels...

Well, too late for it now. The clan was slowly growing, and now she was face-to-face with a leader from another flight. As she heard Zor's question about formalities, Makina's answer came easily enough. “I think there would be a mutiny on my claws if I went straight to business and left as soon as possible after such a long journey,” the Fae admitted. “We'll stay for at least the night if you will have us.”
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At Makina's denial of wanting to take care of business and formalities first, Zor's stiff and polite demeanor deflated.

"Oh, thank goodness. I was hoping you'd say that," she answered with relief, letting her cowl down. At Makina's request to stay the night, Zor looked almost startled. "Only a night? You can stay as long as you like, you know," she offered. "There's supposed to be a blizzard coming up soon, according to the sharp eyes of some of my clan members. Maybe you'd like to stay here until it peters out to keep your troupe safe?"

She began to walk slowly behind the other dragons, all of whom were greeting old friends and new alike. Koirin had gathered her son in her arms and wings gleefully, cooing and fawning over him.

"Oh, Fume, you've come back to see your mama and papa! Look how much you've grown, oh my little hatchling!" Obviously the young Pearlcatcher was not fond of this treatment, something his father, Xin, had observed. He stood nearby, trying and failing to hide the laughter bubbling up from within his chest. Off in another side of the cavern, Thanatos the Coatl had greeted his sister out of courtesy, though he began to go on a rant about himself and all the news he had about the apparel he'd gathered. He didn't seem to notice her obvious lack of enthusiasm, nor did he really care.

Sombra had followed Nadia in and was chatting about their latest clutches of hatchlings, Kune was talking to the Coatl from Makina's clan, and Lancewing stayed somewhere in a corner, watching everyone carefully and making sure everyone was getting along. He always did tend to police everything even if he didn't have to.
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At hearing the news that a possible blizzard was on its way, Makina stiffened in fear. It had been a hard journey in fair weather alone; the chances of all of them making it back home while battling the elements was likely impossible. “I... we may need to accept that offer,” Makina replied, stumbling over her words a little in shock. “If you and your clan need assistance though, we will gladly help out.” She followed the Wildclaw further into the lair, looking about idly. This far in, it was possible to see the true treasures of this domain. Small piles of treasure were being sorted out by a couple of dragons and- by all the gods, they had books here too. Most of them were wrapped in an ice-blue binder, their titles foreign. The Fae made a mental note to ask Zorayda about those later as the two leaders made small talk.

As for the other members of the Light clan, they had already begun to socialize with the others. Fume was trying and failing to free himself from a very clingy dragon. A female Pearlcatcher who looked almost exactly like the young male was the culprit.

Mother, I'm not a hatchling anymore!” Fume squirmed in Koirin's grasp, clearly embarrassed. “I could even start my own clutch if I wanted!” Upon seeing that his father was watching the entire spectacle, Fume glared balefully at the Ridgeback. He did not want to be embarrassed in front of his new clan!

Kaya listened to her brother rant on, trying her best not to fall asleep as the Coatl went on about his black cape for the third time. Thanatos had always been a little vain, even more so when he had been one of the lucky few who had harnessed enough magic to change his species. “Yes, brother, that's wonderful,” the Skydancer muttered, tempted to pull a few feathers out of her brother's wings. After all, it would ruin his perfect plumage.

Nadia had stuck close to Sombra, listening closely as the young Wildclaw showed her her latest clutch and discussed the last batch of hatchlings who had left. Razor, seeing that Idemili was unsure where to go, had joined the Pearlcatcher so she would not feel left out.

Rime, on the other hand, was observing the situation. The Fae had rolled his large eyes when he saw Cytaez make his way over to the other Coatls. The young male had yet to find a mate, so he was likely already flirting with any potentials.

And yet, something was bothering Rime to no end. Zorayda's clan had accepted the Light clan almost immediately, and talks had not even begun yet. He had expected at least some reluctance, given Makina's lack of a title and claim. Perhaps his old clan was more lenient than he thought.

Seeing that Lancewing was scrutinizing every dragon present, the Fae flitted over to the large Wildclaw. “I don't believe any of them will start anything,” Rime remarked. “It was a long trip, most of them would not even have the energy.
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Zorayda heard the unpleasant shock in Makina's voice at her announcement of an upcoming blizzard, but didn't comment on it. Instead, she nodded her head and graciously led her guest further inside the warm den.

It was expansive, to say the least. About four Guardian dragons could have stacked on top of one another and still their heads wouldn't brush the top of the crystalline caverns. It was endlessly deep, with at least twenty other passageways that led to variously sized pockets and rooms. Some of these were tiny, but the Fae and Spirals didn't mind the smaller spaces. The one in the center was given to the matriarch and her current favorite mate, though sometimes her hatchlings would sleep there as well. The ice walls were covered in claw-carved shelves, stacked with organized items--including dusty old tomes, scrolls, artifacts, glass jars, and various trinkets, including jewelry and dried flowers trapped in glass or ice panels. Zor caught Makina eyeing a few of the old books they'd collected and smiled secretly, her dragon's pride making her swell with how impressed the Fae looked by their clan's hoard. The matriarch frowned slightly when she noticed the dark Coatl, Thanatos, wheedling on as he usually did to Kaya. If she remembered correctly, the two siblings hadn't exactly seen eye to eye over the years, and their parents--Chiron and Persephone--had fawned over Thanatos much moreso than Kaya. They'd both been Skydancers until Thanatos expressed his wishes to change his form to something more suitable to his own tastes.

He was just about begin bragging about his current pretty mate when Zor came upon them with a pleasant look on her face.

"Ah, hello Matriarch Zorayda. I was just telling Kaya here about--" Thanatos began, but Zor held up a claw and he paused.

"I'm glad I found you, Than," Zor began, trying to sound as formal as possible. "I have a mission for you, if you please. Our antler collection needs to be rearranged, organized, and labeled, so if you could do that to make it look as nice as possible for our guests, I'd be very grateful."

Thanatos's feather puffed up importantly and he nodded. "Of course, clanmother," he answered, and tottered off to go do so. Zor gave Makina and Kaya a knowing look.

"You just have to know how to manage them..."

Meanwhile, Xin finally burst out laughing near Koirin and their son, Fume. "All right, all right, Koi, let the boy be," he admonished her. She backed away, but not before straightening a few strands of Fume's mane.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just... I just missed you, darling," she told her son, resting on Xin's side as the ridgeback joined her. "You'll have brothers and sisters coming soon, don't you know? Your father and I laid a clutch of three eggs," Koirin said, and both of them seemed to glow with pride. The two really did enjoy being parents, it was just that sometimes, their smothering style made Fume feel eager to get away and claim his freedom.

Off to the side of the gathering, Lancewing snapped out of his watch when a small Fae dragon approached, seeming to be watching the others like the larger Wildclaw.

"Rime," Lancewing greeted in his flat tones, though he wasn't insincere. It was nice to see the old clan back, even if they didn't belong here anymore. "Mm, I know that," the dark Wildclaw answered to Rime's comment, though he fidgeted a bit and looked a bit like he was caught in the act. He stayed silent for a moment as he watched Zorayda speak with guests and show Makina around. She seemed... happy.

Lancewing sighed.

"It's so strange... any other clan would have been much more wary, so much more hostile. Especially in these icy landscapes, where resources are scarce. And yet..." He gave the clanmother a fond look. "She welcomed that Fae and her flight instantly. So strange."

He quit speaking and began watching again, his eyes a million miles away.
Edited by TheProtobabe, Sunday May 4 2014, 07:23 PM.
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Once Thanatos had ambled out of earshot, Makina burst out into laughter. She had seen the distraught look on Kaya's face as they had approached the two, and that Coatl practically radiated pompousness. It was hard to believe the two were siblings. “By the Lightweaver... I know you said Thanatos was a narcissist, Kaya, but that was something! Were his wings dipped in gold?

Probably a new addition,” Kaya mumbled, giving a sigh of relief. Dealing with her brother was always a trial. Remembering that her former clan leader was also present, the Skydancer tipped her head in respect to Zorayda. “You saved me what would have likely been an hour-long sitting. Did Thanatos interrupt your meeting?

We were just heading your direction, I think,” Makina replied, looking back towards the entrance. The Ice leader's words about a storm were still fresh in her mind, and the snow did look to be falling a little heavier outside. That meant they were effectively stuck into place until the weather was more calm. Stuck in a place with about a score of dragons who don't know half of us... the thought made the Fae fidget a bit in place.

Actually... Kaya, you may want to pass the word to the rest of the clan that we may be staying here for a while. Also, inform Razor-” Makina paused in mid-sentence, then turned to Zorayda. “Did you wish to speak of an alliance leader-to-leader, or did you want our seconds to be present as well? I'm pretty new at this, so...” the Fae's cringed slightly as she realized what she just said.

At the same time, Rime shook his head in annoyance at his leader's actions. He was glad to see that Lancewing shared his thoughts on the matter about the two clan leaders acting strange. In a more formal setting, a clan matriarch or patriarch would quickly assume dominance- to show weakness could mean a loss of land or members if they judged their leader unable to perform their task. He almost voiced his opinion to Lancewing, then remembered that the Wildclaw looked up to his leader almost to the point of worship. To say that Zorayda was doing anything incorrect would likely end in anger or violence.

Mates. Rime gave a snort at the thought, shaking his head once more. The thought of doing every action on emotion never ceased to annoy the logical Fae. The Icewarden's teachings stated endurance and strength. The Lightweaver's followers preached reason and logic above all else. Yet these two leaders seemed to counteract both of these preachings in every sense of the word. The whole issue left a sour taste in his mouth, and he flitted away from the now-silent Wildclaw. This would require more thought.
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Zorayda had to smile as the Fae leader laughed at Thanatos's antics. The Coatl was certainly full of himself, but even so, the Clan mother worried for him. He would never last in another Clan with this attitude. They'd tear him to pieces. Still, he was worth a laugh and now and then.

" Yes, Thanatos is a handful at times. He has his good moments however, so don't tease him too much, please." Zor sighed. She glanced at Thanatos's mate and and nodded. The poor dear had to put up with much from him, but she could see past his bravado and into his heart. The Thanatos had much to answer for with his sister, there were times when he would show a rare moment of selflessness and courage. It had probably been quite a few years since something like that happened, but the Clan mother still felt a little bad for laughing at him. Then again, many dragons told her she was too soft. Perhaps it was her protective Guardian dragon side.

" Sorry Kaya," the Wildclaw said apologetically. " I knew he would come find you first; self-centered though he may be, Thanatos really does love you. Though, he's the favorite child first and then your brother," Zorayda sighed. " Hopefully his mate will work on his behavior in the meantime." She gave the dragoness in question a sharp glance with her piercing eyes. Making sure not to keep the uncomfortable silence up for too long, the matriarch tilted her head at Makina and listened as the small Fae suggested including their seconds in the meeting that was about to occur.

" Hmm, that's probably a good idea. Why don't you go get… uh, Razor, was it? And I'll go get Lancewing. He's probably keeping watch at the entrance. Silly males." She gave the other leader of respectful nod and gave Kaya a warm smile before making her way towards her firstmate.
------
Lancewing was puzzled at Rime's behavior. First the dragon was friendly, even reassuring the Wildclaw that nobody was planning on attacking or causing a ruckus, then after Lancewing had made that one simple comment about his mate, the Fae had gone off grumbling to himself. It was curious, to say the least. But before the dragon could mull it over in his head, the mate he had just been talking about appeared before him with a smile on her face.

" Lance, I need you to come with me. Makina and I have decided to include our seconds in this meeting. It's probably just going to be stuff about the logistics of becoming ally clans. So many of our old flight have joined Makina's clan that it seems it's going to be an easy merging. Though," Zorayda hummed to herself, looking upwards. " I'd like to see how well they battle. Perhaps we should arrange a sparring match at some point. A dragon's not a dragon unless he shows his teeth," she finished with a wicked grin.

Lancewing simply shook his head. " I think you're being a mite soft, but I believe that you won't steer us wrong. But if they make one wrong move," he growled. " I'm not going to go easy on them."

Zorayda sighed and shook her head, though an appreciative smile curled the edge of her maw. " I don't expect you to."

The wind howled outside more fiercely than before. It seemed the blizzard would arrive sooner than they thought. The matriarch tightened the cloak around her shoulders. Even as an ice dragon, she could feel the biting chill of the air cut right through her flesh and into her bones. This would not be an easy storm to handle, even for experienced dragons such as they.
Edited by TheProtobabe, Tuesday May 6 2014, 08:17 PM.
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Dog of Hellsing
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Hollow and Blank

The two Tundras sat separate from the rest of the little convoy that had been sent to the Icewarden's domain. One was a young female, her furry coat a dull denim shade. Bright blue speckled her wings, and maize crackle wove around her form. Her teal eyes were currently staring into nothingness, her face devoid of any expression. Beside her was a red-coated male, not much older than his companion. His fur was covered in brighter red stripes and spots of the Clown pattern, and the bare portions of his wings were the same icy hue as the barren land around them. Like the female, his expression was empty, dark pink eyes seeing yet not seeing.

"Coming," the younger said after a moment in a dead monotone that not even the blandest of Fae could achieve.

"Yes," replied the male, sharing the same tone. Neither moved or spoke after that, despite the bustling of the other dragons they were traveling with. Snow was whipping around them; a storm was coming, a dangerously powerful one, and the group wouldn't reach their destination before it swept over them. Their leader, a Wildclaw named Darron, was currently calling orders as the party hastily piled snow into a makshift shelter and used their magic to work it into something that would protect them.

"Should we say?" the denim Tundra asked as the others scurried this way and that, fighting against the bone-numbing wind that seemed to be blowing constantly. Despite not being in their winter coats and thus the lower portions of their bodies being bare skin, neither seemed to notice the biting chill.

"Were told not to," answered the older male. He stood then, and so did the female; Darron was calling for them, telling them to help dig up sticks and branches to brace the hardening walls of the shelter so it wouldn't blow down. The two Tundras strode over and started to carry out the task given to them, but were stopped when Darron approached a moment later.

"Hollow, Blank," he muttered, addressing the female and male respectively. "You two have been staying away from us ever since we left the Starfall Isles. Did Rende tell you something?" Rende was the Clan's Priest, blessed and cursed with the power of the Tidelord to see into the future.

"No," replied both Tundras in their emotionless voices. Darron stared at them, a chill that had nothing to do with the cold worming down his spine. The two dragons never showed emotion, not once. They never had since wandering into the Clan together, though they'd come from separate places. Both had gone directly to Rende, who'd acted as though he'd been expecting them (which had most likely been the case). They never left the Imperial unless directly ordered to, and they never, EVER left each other, no matter what. It was eerie, how they acted and spoke. It was almost like they weren't dragons at all, but empty shells...

Darron shook his head and left the two Tundras to get back to their task, pacing back and forth nervously as he oversaw the construction of their shelter. The group was on their way to meet with his old Clan in an effort to strike relations between the two. Being native to the Icewarden's lands, Darron knew storms and blizzards could whip out of nowhere. But a doozy like the one that was quickly bearing down on them...

"I just hope Zorayda and the others don't worry too much..." Darron sighed, not letting himself think too much about whether the group would need the concern.
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Akinai
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Seeing that Zorayda was already heading off towards her own second, Makina thought it would be best if she would be the one to speak to Razor after all. Leaving a thoughtful Kaya behind, she flitted off towards where she had last seen the large Guardian.

Razor was still keeping close to Idemili. The shy Pearlcatcher was looking in Rime's direction with a sad gaze; she had noticed her former mate's reaction to the conversing leaders, as well as the way he had silently stormed off. “Even here, he's still criticizing everything,” Idemili murmured, clutching her pearl tightly to her chest.

And even here, you worry too much about events you cannot change.” Razor grumbled back. He had watched Rime and Idemili's relationship since the beginning, from their “formal” courtship to their sudden break soon after their only clutch had hatched. Both sides had seen their courtship in different eyes- Rime had taken it as a way to strengthen clan ties, and Idemili believed it had been true affection. The entire affair disgusted Razor, and he had little patience for either dragon's argument on the matter. “Leave him be, and move on with your life.

Still, how can someone be so blind to emotion?” Idemili shot back, genuinely annoyed.

RazorI'msoglad to see you,” Makina blurted out, moving to hover in front of the two dragons. In her rush to derail their conversation, the Fae didn't realize that her own words had been hurried as well. It wasn't until the two dragons gave her twin confused looks that the young leader had noticed her mistake. Slowing her words, she tried again. “Razor, we're going to be meeting with Zorayda shortly for an official meeting. Seconds are invited, so mind following me?

The Guardian's confused gaze did not change. “Official meetings generally mean the leader and their firstmate. Would it not just be you attending, then?

Every leader has a second, mate or not,” Makina replied, shaking her head. The young Fae gave a slight smirk and added “Besides, you helped me create this. I'm taking you along, kicking and screaming if need be!

Razor barked out a laugh at this, the loud sound attracting the notice of a few dragons. One of them was Nadia, who looked over at her mate with a strange expression. “A Fae dragging along a Guardian, that would be a sight! All right, where to then?

Likely towards the center of the lair, but something seems wrong.” Makina finally noticed that the lair was almost eerily quiet, save for her own clan socializing with the Ice dragons. The others fidgeted about, looking towards the exit as if waiting for an event that had long since passed. “I doubt they would be anxious over a blizzard, so what's got into them?

Let's find out, then,” Razor replied, nodding to the Fae leader. The two made their way deeper into the cave, where they assumed the Ice matriarch and her second awaited.
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