The tribe was gathered together outside of the tent.
At the front was a young couple, only a few years into adulthood. A tall, yet surprisingly toned earth dragon, who stood with his head high and posture stiff. Leaning against his strong, brown scales, was a smaller, yet stouter dragoness of the flame. Her bright yellow scales making it easy to mistake her for a lighting dragoness for those whom were not able to see the orange of her belly and horns. Around them stood the majority the tribe, waited, hoping, dreading for the tent flap to be pushed aside and the healer to step through.
The only member of the tribe who did not wait with the rest was the leader. Tall and slender, the dragoness had her eyes set on the distant horizon, their thoughts far from this moment, thinking over the events that had lead up to this moment... not just the single life that was in the balance, but also why that life was under such threat. The factors that had altered their way of life so severely over the last years.
Finally, finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the tent flap was pushed open. The collective dragons held their breath as one, as the dark blue healer dragon stepped out of the tent, their eyes swiftly locking onto the eager eyes of the couple... only to reply with a slow, sad shake of their head. The earth dragon sagged, their stiff posture collapsing instantly as grief overtook them. The dragoness lifted her head, nuzzling her mate gently as the tribe crowded round. Othering their sympathy and comfort with words and touch, hope to help ease the pain that the couple was going through.
As the grief of her tribe washed over her, the leader's eyes would close for a brief, few moments Allowing herself to join her tribe in this sorrow until her eyes opened once more, and more pressing concerns would lift up their head. Their strong, unwavering voice cutting through the hubbub around the couple, through even as the eyes of the tribe turned to her, she did not turn to meet their eyes.
"Five dragons. We have lost five dragons within the span of a single season. Five dragons who ranged from youths that had so many years to look forward to in their lives to dragons in the prime of their adulthood, strong and swift and stout. Brought low by the harsh reality of the wildlands. I have lead this tribe as your chosen leader for over 70 years, and never have we suffered losses so serve." A pause, a moment for her words to settle into the minds of her tribe. For the truth to be acknowledged and the truth to be read before she continued.
"Once, we numbered nearly 100 dragons. In the last 15 years, our numbers have declined until today, there is only 10 of us left. As proud as we are to be the strongest and most resilient of dragons, proud as we are to live within the Wildlands, instead of seeking the easy shelter of the civilized life. We cannot ignore the truth any longer, without the trade with the civilized dragons, we cannot flourish within these lands. So now I leave the choice to you all... do we stay here, fighting for as long as we can, until these lands claim us all? Or do we admit defeat, admit that these lands are too dangerous for even us, and turn to rejoin the civilized dragons?"
The hubbub rose once more, the tribe talking amongst themselves, discussing the truth of their leader's words discussing what would be best for them all. One voice, however, rose above the rest, calling out to the leader that stood apart from the sad remains of her tribe.
"But mum-"
"I know Saden." The leader said, cutting off her son's complaint before it could even begin. "I know what awaits me at Warfang. I know who awaits me at Warfang. But it's been nearly 90 years since then, those demons have long become silent. There is no reason for me to run from Warfang if it is what my tribe desires." The adult shadow dragon who spoke had no reply, grumbling under his breath as he turned his gaze away. The leader waited as the discussion continued, waiting for several minutes as it rose and fell as point and counterpoint were raised. Eventually, though, it began to settle down. The dragons making up their minds about their fate. "All those in favour of joining civilization, raise your wing."
There was a flurry of movement before at least the leader would turn to face her tribe. It only took a brief scan of the dragons before her to note that all but Saden had lifted a wing up into the air. Her eyes dropping down to the youngest of them all, a dragoness who was in that phase of adolescence where her body was lanky and awkward. Yet her wing was raised regardless, a look of stubbornness on her face as she met the leaders gave. For a few moments the leader met it, and when the youngling did not wave, a small smile graced the leader's lips before their head was lifted once more.
"Very well. We shall Vein to rest, honouring him and wishing for the ancestors to accept him kindly. Once we have done so, we shall pack up and leave. Our time as frontier dragons is over." With that said, the leader would turn away once more, looking out to the horizon. The healer would duck back into the tent, the young couple following to retrieve their lost son, to prepare him for his final rites. The rest of the tribe breaking apart to pack up camp and prepare to leave, Saden looked at his mother a few moments in concern, before heading to do the same. Leaving the leader alone, thinking about what had led to this moment... and what awaited her in the future.
"Wo zei tsou do tsi xe̞os tow, fei peyx tsogos tso gukonoz tsäbok." The scholar muttered to himself, reading over the ancient scroll and the wisdom found within. "Yet no force, blank, stop light's power, not even time's, blank, ending tread." He would then repeat, translating the old language into the modern tongue with the ease of many long years of practice and experience. "Let's see... do can mean, bench, can, name, so, huge and team... out of them, only can fits the sentence. Whilst tso have never, remove and slimness of a person... first option there, obviously." With this decided, the scholar would turn away from the ancient scroll, writing down the common translation on fresh, new scroll.
"Yet no force can stop light's power, not even time's never-ending tread." The scholar would speak, saying the words out loud as his claws carefully manipulated the quill down those very words. Once he was finished writing this sentence, he turned his attention back to the rest of the passage, and what this new line meant in the context of the story it told. "No force can stop lights power, huh? So they're saying that this time controlling monster was defeated by an agent of light? I wonder if they meant a literal wielder of the light element or the metaphorical representation of light? It is popular to represent light as a source of hope, love, dreams, or just general positivity after all. Light is by far and away the rarest element." The scholar would mull over the question over for a few more seconds before shrugging, returning his attention to the magically held and preserved ancient scroll. Before he could continue his translation, however, a knock on his door interrupted him.
"Just one second!" The scholar called out, putting his quill down carefully to ensure none of the ink would spill over onto the parchment before a wave of his claw sent the ancient scroll back into an alcove in the wall. Only then would he turn his attention back to the door. "Alright, you can come in now."
There was a slight pause before the door swung open, revealing two dragoness'. Both belonging to the element of ice. Through where one had the more common blues of the element, the other dragoness was nearly entirely white in colour, with only the light hints of blue to her belly and horns. This white dragoness was rather sturdily built, with the helmet and armour which she wore explaining why. She was a guard, one with an elaborate insignia stretching across her chest, repeated across her sides and on her forehead. Showing to the world that she was not just any guard, but the head commander of them. The other dragoness meanwhile, was not as well built, though she was no slouch who let her body grow soft either. She bore no armour, but instead was wearing a simple purple dress, one that only just hid her belly. Seeing the two dragoness' waiting at his doorway got a swift reaction from the scholar - a large grin breaking out across his muzzle as he pushed himself up from his lying position.
"Blissa! Firi! And to what do I owe the pleasure of having my humble office graced with the presence of two of Warfang's most beautiful dragoness?" The guard would not even blink that this dramatic greeting, but the smaller of the two dragoness' would flush red and duck her head a little, even as she replied.
"I'm not that pretty granddad..."
"Oh yes you are Firi." The scholar insisted, stepping forwards in order to nuzzle the young dragoness affectionately, even as his words made her duck her head even more. "You and your mother are very much two of the most beautiful dragoness in the city! Why the only reason that me and Blissa here don't have to beat suitors of you with a stick is that they know better than to mess with a dragoness who has been personally trained by Warfang's guard commander! They know full well that you can beat the crap out of them if they treat you wrong!"
With a chuckle, the scholar would step back, a sly smile crossing his muzzle now as he asked. "On that note, has my little girl got her eye on anyone, hmmmm?" Firi's blush would intensify under the relentless verbal assault from her grandfather. "I'm pretty sure that new Sergeant Coale has had an eye on you for a while, and would love it if you decide to approach him! Or maybe a big buff drake isn't you type hmmm? Perhaps a slim and swift messenger has got your eye? I think Cyclos seems to linger around quite a bit, hoping to get a chance to talk to you~"
"Granddad! Enough!" Firi would whine, stepping forwards in order to give the scholar a push, only earning a laugh from him in response. Blissa would just sigh before speaking up herself.
"Dad, are you done trying to embarrass Firi to death?"
"Maaaaaybe." Was the mischievous reply, an equally mischievous smile on his face as he turned his attention to Blissa. "If I can get a smile from my absolutely stunning daughter I might!" Stepping forwards, Blissa would find herself swiftly wrapped in a loose embrace, with the scholar's nuzzling against her insistently. For a few moments, she would resist, trying to keep a disciplined composure as benefiting of her rank. The barrage of nuzzles was too much, however, especially as the scholar knew exactly where her ticklish spots were! A first it was small, a tiny quirk, a slight upturn of those lips. As soon as that composure was broken through, the rest soon followed as Blissa broke into laughter.
"You are incorrigible dad," Blissa said, shaking her head as she nuzzled the scholar back, with the scholar simply chucking in mirth as he let Blissa go.
"And proud of it!" Sitting back, the scholar simply admired the two dragoness' before him. His daughter and granddaughter... in his mind, they truly were amazing. "So, what does bring you two here?"
"A new tribe of frontier dragons have recently arrived in order to become citizens. They also stayed themselves to be the last tribe of frontier dragons, and honestly, I can believe them." Blissa said simply, prompting a thoughtful expression to cross the scholar's face as he sat down.
"Frontier dragons, huh? It's a good thing that Warfang has been expanded ahead of schedule thanks to the moles and of dragons working so hard. Otherwise, we might not have room for all of the newcomers here!... Still, that doesn't explain why you're here. As much as I love getting this news, and I'm curious to learn about these new dragons, there's no need to come and tell me right away."
"Dad..." Blissa said, the hesitation in her voice getting a quirk of the eyeridge from the scholar. "You know the standard procedure with frontier dragons, you're the one that came up with it after all... That's why I'm here." Finally, Blissa explained the reason that his daughter and granddaughter had come to visit his office, yet the scholar could only blink in confusion.
"But... the standard procedure I came up with, that's using familiar faces to help ease the frontier dragons through the probationary period, to help them get settled in, to find their way around and the laws they have to follow. But, I don't know any frontier dragons. So why did you come to me?"
In response Blissa said nothing, simply looking at her father. Looking and waiting for him to think the situation over. Thinking about just why Blissa might come to fetch him, why Firi was here as well despite having her studies to get into... until, eventually, realisation came to him. "Oh... ooooh... it's... her... isn't it?"
Blissa slowly nodded her head, watching with concern clearly glimmering in her gaze as the scholar turned his head away from his family, taking several moments to try and compose himself as his foreclaws scratched against the wooden floor. He would take a deep breath, then another, before turning back towards his girls. "Well, I always did hope I could introduce you to her someday. Let's go and great our esteemed guests, shall we?" The scholar smiled bravely at his girls, yet it was clearly shaky and uncertain. Firi stepping forward to nuzzle her grandfather reassuringly before pulling back and giving him the room needed to step forward. The scholar walking down the corridor, flanked by his family as he headed to greet an old acquaintance.
The tribe leader could barely restrain herself from pacing back and forth within this large Hall. The journey to warfare tank been long, yet easy. Meaning that there was little trouble in drama to buy her mind to keep her thinking about the present. Which in turn meant that she had a lot of time to think that the future to think about the dragon in there she was waiting to wait after so many years apart. Thoughts that did not help her nerves, because for every scenario in which her mind imagine the meeting's going smoothly warmly, at mine would come up up two or three scenarios where the meetings were filled with anger, resentment, or worse of all, coldness.
Trying to distract herself the tribe leader would turn her attention to the other Dragons of the tribe, gauging their emotional state in this current time Unsurprisingly, Saden loved the most anxious of them fall, even looking frustrated to an extent. There was Igneoa and Terbis, the young couple whose loss proved to be the tipping point for her. They were talking quietly to one another, the weight of their grief still obvious in their posture, yet the leader had no doubt they would recover and perhaps try once more for a family.
Limus, the loyal healer who had been by her side longer than Saden was alive, was walking between the dragon. Heading shifting back and forth, checking up on the tribe just as much as she was doing... old habits die hard after all. Shaye was lying on the floor, looking so relaxed that it was almost like they were going to fall asleep at any minute, and honestly it likely wasn't far from the truth. Shaye never did take the same pride in strength as the others did. Avis meanwhile was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement. Bless his young heart, that air drake seemed to find practically everything exciting, with making new friends right at the top of the list. Hayle was silent, eyeing the decorations of the hall with a materialistic gleam in his eye. No surprises there, he had fled from civilization for being too eager to help himself to a five finger discount... what was surprising, however, was that Cendis was sitting next to Hayle, talking quietly. Being that Cendis had the strongest sense of morality out of the entire tribe, with she and Hayle often getting into a squabble because of it. Then again... they did always seem to be uncannily aware of the other's location and state of mind...
Making a mental note to see how their relationship might develop in Warfang, the leader allowed her gaze to drop down to the dragoness that had curled up underneath her wing. The youngest of the group, Kindra. Kindra soon noticed the gaze on her and smiled softly in reply, stretching her neck upwards in order to give the leader a gentle nuzzle.
"Don't worry grandma, he'll be ecstatic to see you again, I'm sure!" Despite herself, the leader could only smile at Kindra's attempts to cheer her up. A smile that would last only a few short seconds before transforming into a sigh and a quiet admission would come from her lips.
"That's what I'm afraid of." Kindra's smile turned into a look of confusion, yet before she could even open her mouth to ask what her grandmother meant, the doors would swing open, and the leader's head snapped round.
And there he was.
He... wasn't as big as she was expecting him to be.
She had expected his physique to be similar to old fire Guardian, Ignitus. Or perhaps even that of the earth Guardian, Terrador. Yet, it seemed that he had gotten... soft, for a lack of a better word. She always imagined him as a warrior, as a fighter. Imagined him as having hard, strong scales and a powerful body to go alongside with it. Most likely bearing scars here and there, yet never enough to make him frightening, or dangerous look. Yet, here he was. Standing before her, clad in the grey robes of the scholar. His legs looked like they weren't even capable of hauling himself up a long flight of stairs, let alone be used to grapple or kick opponents. His great, curving horns looking blunted and weak, so much so that she felt like she could smash them with one, solid hit. The contrast of reality compared to what she had been expecting was so serve, that for a few moments she thought she had mistaken the drake before her for someone else.
But then her gaze locked with his eyes. Those warm, golden eyes that seemed to be filled with a never-ending pool of love for the world he lived in. Eyes, that so long ago, used to comfort her, to reassure her, to ease the weight of the world of her shoulders. Eyes, that so long ago, haunted her life and her dreams, full of sorrow and anguish for the choice that she had made. Eyes, that had recently returned to her life, both in dreams and now in reality. Filling her heart with a storm of emotion that she had little hope of discerning.
Eyes that studied her, as much as she was studying him, and she had to wonder what he saw. Was he surprised by how sturdy and stout her form was? Especially compared to what he had likely seen before of her body. The scars were definitely new, the broken left horn more than the others, but that wasn't unexpected considering her chosen lifestyle. The horns were likely shorter than what he was expecting as well, having been put to great use over the years in the Wildlands. Through perhaps most importantly, she had to wonder, what would he see in her emerald eyes? Would he see the mistakes that he had made, which lead to that fateful decision so many years ago? Would he see a dragoness, who had gone through so much in life, yet would never bow, would never break to the pressure of the world? Would he see a proud dragoness, one who took pride in the fact that she was the last of the frontier dragons to leave the Wildlands behind, or would he see past that, and take note of her regrets for waiting until so many had been lost before leaving behind a life that was not worth living?
Whatever he saw in her eyes... she knew that at this moment, he only had eyes for her. And she only had eyes for him. The two dragons, so long apart, now reunited. Spoke nearly in union, naming each other for the first time in decades.
"Spyro."
"Cynder."