ACT I

Chapter 1

Upbringing

Any morning in the desert was a rising one. The heat built on rather fast at whatever elevation the sun was in, and it took only about an hour for all the cooled sand to turn blazing hot once more. Most homes however... always had some kind of deterrence from the heat. A particularly favorite choice of the masses was a crystal that produced a mild wave of cool air. Not very cheap but affordable and desirable, as they recharged via solar power and gave off an icy touch... this cooled down the interiors of most homes in Scorpio.

And the old Cathedral was no exception. Only difference was it had four separate crystals all to itself, due to it's incredible size and number of rooms. It was a space to behold this old, strange dragonic church... which long ago worshiped a far different religion. Or perhaps it was a minority belief and just so happened to give rise to what once was... a beautiful structure. Now in ruins it was a giant L-shapes building. The gravestones had been removed long ago, leaving an open yard of stone and dirt. A few plants did make this place home, either desert vines or some tough durable green-leafed bushes. The stone was cracked, and some of the shingles worn away... even the steeple was beginning to come apart.

Still it's interior was vast; and in comparison? Very serene. Polished floors with solid stone walls and old chandeliers. But the one quality that stood out; at least a Cathedral normally would not possess... There were flocks of young dragons running about, hollering and playing, racing down hallways or lazily sprawled around the open rooms, sleeping, eating, etc.

Most of them were three of the four main elements if not all. Fire, Electricity, and Earth. Not many of them over the age of ten or eleven. And the majority were younger than five, scampering on soft baby paws, tiny claws clicking and skidding loudly, tails whipping about through the giggles and coes of the youngest hatchlings.

At the very last of the bunk rooms down the longest hallways, furthest from the main chamber of the Cathedral however; was a chamber packed with aging bunk-beds built into the walls and covered with anything anyone would offer; pillows, blankets, rags, carpeting, cotton, even some mirrors with damaged wood frames.

There was one bunk third before last on the left wall that was still occupied. A sleeping dragon, perhaps... nine years of age by the looks of it. With wings not much bigger than his head(Which was fairly large given the anatomy of young dragons) and thick paws, a twisted tail, and red frills on a bright orangy-scarlet body. He had tiny blades on his wings and one curved blade, grown out from his tail that he had so comfortably wrapped around his right leg. Laying on his right side facing the wall. And by the Ancestors did the little thing snore.

It had to be at least noon judging by how high the sun had gone up since dawn. And yet he persisted on sleeping like so, while all others were out and about. No matter.

Two sets of horns, about his size actually. Nonchalantly waddling through the doorway, so short their horns barely exceeded the height of the ground-floor bunks. One baby blue dragon... or should I say dragoness; female, with bright yellow horns that curved back down her neck, dark blue freckles running along her body and rump, and her tail ending in a five-pronged fan of straight, sharp, metal-like rods. She was nothing special as far as her looks went, but she had the the fiercest yellow eyes to match her horns and wings, as well as her darker yellow underbelly. But she was not an ice dragon-despite her coloring-in fact this female was an electric dragon. Katirin, but most called her "Kat" for short. Slender as expected for a girl her age.

The second was a stumpy looking earth dragon, token color for his kind; a thick forest green, studs of olive along his back and tail, tan brown belly and red frills across his thick, broad cheeks, hazel eyes, and curled goat horns. His wings were thick and rather short, with brown membrane, though unlike Terrador; this particular male had a spiked hammer at the end of his tail, double sided meant for level swings. He was-as most earth dragons were- rather weighty, thick, and muscled... proper, if not under the expected standard by some condition given his occupancy in the orphanage. Bismuth was his name... none could really come UP with a nickname for him.

Two of the three born under this same roof. The only exception was Katirin, who had been given to the orphanage at a very young age after her father's untimely demise at the hands of traitorous work-hands... not a warrior, but in fact a trader who both smuggled, and dealt for all sides of the war. Scum in terms of most, helping both Dragons and Apes. Some might say it was a fitting end to have a hammer clubbed to the back of his head... but unfair to the poor daughter who called him "Daddy". Luckily her family's fate was soon forgotten merely days after she was placed here.

Bismuth's tale was much like any other who's egg had hatched in this cathedral... orphaned by the casualties of war, unable to read the fate of any family-if he had any left alive. He was only a year older than the female at his plucky side, as they neared the sleeping fire dragon.

You might say the Earth dragon should have done the dirty work. But no, in fact it was the electric female to who the job. Both of them climbing up to the second bunk, and looking over the edges, exchanging glances before she hopped up into the bed. It seemed as though she was disgusted with the sleeping male dragon... but at the same time evil, and sinister.

The girl ruthlessly placed both her paws on the drake's shoulders, before shouting, "Seere, wake UP!", and then violently shaking him in order to jolt him back to conscientiousness.

And boy did the fire dragon scream, "Ah-Ah-Ah-AH!", tongue rolling out as she actually choked him at one point, eyes wide and he even struggled a bit, "ACK! I'm awake! I'm awake!", he cried through his asphyxiation, "Too Tight!", while he very well could have survived, Katirin did release the male.

"You're so lazy!", she whined with a hard, unimpressed glare.

Bismuth, who all the while remained leaning across the edge of the top bunk gave a hard snort and a laugh, "So you choke him, right?"

"Uh huh!", it seemed Kat, while small and cute possessed one of the hottest egos in all the orphanage. Not many matched her fiery attitude and stubborn ways, threatening to smack Bismuth off the side of the bed by getting in his face about it, "He needs to wake up earlier! We can't always just guard his breakfast from other guys!"

Seere all the while coughed loudly, and sat up, sniffling and rubbing his eyes, giving a hard, morning-ridden sneeze, "OW!", and rubbing his paw across the mark she left on his neck, "I'm sorry okay? I just had the best dream!", he flopped forward, wings raising and his tail wagging a bit, "I was some kinda amazing Dragon Lord! And you two were my servants!-"

"Stop right there!", the female butted in, pushing her paw into his snout and shutting him up forthwith, "If ANYONE's a Dragon Lord! It'd be ME! Just cuz I'm smarter! And I wouldn't be a Lord! I'd be a Queen!", but her-in male terms-GIRLY way of putting it got an eye roll out of both her year-older friends, "And you two would be my servants!"

"Says who?", Seere asked, cocking a hard brow, and grinning a bit.

"Says me! Cuz I'd be the queen!", before giving him a hard shove.

"Whoa! Wait!", the male tried scrambling for his blankets but unfortunately, they were not as secure as he had hoped. The moment he got a hold of them in his tight claws, did they fly backwards with him, and off the top bunk, landing a loud "OWW!", the moment he hit the carpeted hardwood floor. Covered in his blankets Seere whined, and rolled around in hopes of getting free, and within a few moments of struggling he popped his head out from underneath the blankets, "I missed breakfast?!", he cried out, before looking down at the sheets, hearing his belly grumble.

"Pfft! No! We hid it so no one would eat it instead.", Kat rolled her eyes, shrugged, and spread her equally small wings, leaping out of her bed and trying to glide to the ground, hitting her rump first and grunting, narrowing her eyes at Bismuth who climbed down instead, landing beside her.

Yes this was our trio... Seere, Katirin, and Bismuth. Fire, Electricity, and Earth. All they needed was an Ice dragon and they might have a complete set of elements.

"Sweet!", Seere hopped out of his mangled blankets, scrambling to his paws, "Where'd you hide it?"

It was that particular question however, which caused the young dragoness to quiet down. She began to ponder, rubbing her head, and flapping her small wings, "Uhm... I don't know. Bismuth hid it!"

"What? Nuh Uh!", he protested, falling onto his behind when the female glared him in the eyes, "I did just as you said and made sure nobody saw where you put it!"

"Bismuuuutth!", she hissed, complaining and groaning, laying on her belly, and resting her head in her paws with a stubborn grumble, "You're so stupid sometimes!"

"So... I don't get breakfast?", Seere inquired, scratching his forehead and staring at his two companions with confused eyes, "Awww!", before he himself plopped onto his rear. Well at least Lunch was coming shortly, maybe some salted meats and water would smite his growing hunger. After all in an orphanage it wasn't fatal; but it wasn't all that smart to miss a meal.

"Ohhh stop whiniiing!", she stood, and flapped her hard wings, "Lets get out of here! This rooms way too cold!", despite living in the blazing desert, almost any building in this city who housed someone with sense possessed a frost crystal. An ice blue gem forged with the artificial power to create a cool environment. And when the young dragons slept, a lower temperature was chosen because it put their cold-blooded bodies to sleep much faster. And this room unless you were out and about was one of the coolest, kept at a righteous sixty degrees during the day, and forty-five at night. To most creatures that called Scorpio their home, a mere fifty degrees was considered freezing!

The three hustled on out, turning the corner and down the hallway, laughing, and actually racing. Seere as their esteemed leader despite Kat's nasty persistence to refuse to even be considered beneath him. But generally he held the trio together. Shoving and racing his way to the top. Bismuth was far to modest, and Katirin was... well she was female! No way was he going to let a girl surpass him; common male logic.

They blended right in with all the others save for being some of the oldest orphans in the cathedral. Seere, Kat, and Bismuth were actually part of a larger group of young dragons, perhaps fifteen total, each of whom practically dominated all the numerous others. In fact there was probably somewhere around fifty parent-less drakes in the building as a whole. The oldest ruled the roost for obvious reasons, but that didn't mean they all got along with one another, in fact almost like a cliché highschool; they had cliques.

Small groups of dragons divided by perhaps their will to believe they were better than others, simply enjoying having the highest say out of all the other hatchlings. Some loners who shied away. Others who simply wanted to have a carefree life. And the the few who formed their own groups for numerous reasons; one being that they didn't want to be part of another. It's just how kids worked sometimes.

Seere and his trio? Perhaps one of the longer parties. They weren't the meanest, nor were they the biggest. But did they let their lack of numbers hold them back? No. With Kat's ferocity, and perhaps Bismuth's significant size, not to mention Seere's more than friendly leadership, coupled with an ambitious desire to be top dog when it all pooled into one simple name-tag... they were a force to reckon with! At least they liked to think so.

It all came down to an actual face off, which happened just about as often as they normally would between rivals. And just about any adolescent had a rival, right? In an orphanage? Fifty or so children? It was bound to happen.

The moment Seere went prowling around a few closet doors, his friends in tow they seemed to grow cautious. A certain group tended to chill around these parts. A group they seldom wanted to encounter... not out of fear, just because... well... they were jerks to place it simply. And poking around on their "Territory" was practically asking for a rough-housing confrontation. When he gently peeled a small closet open, Katirin called out to him.

"Seere~! If they catch us we're doomed~!", in a hissing whisper... it seemed even Kat was repulsed by how ridiculous this conflict could become.

Bismuth was keeping watch, a few feet ahead of the two, one of his paws being nibbled in his teeth, eyes wide as he looked both ways, hoping they wouldn't be spotted. He, despite his heritage as a powerful earth dragon... actually shook, and mumbled to himself, "Maybe we should go guys? I don't think Kat hid the plate in there, Seere... Please?"

"Well we only have so many closets left to check!", the young fire dragon's rear was all that showed, the rest of him fishing around on the shelves, and around the cleaning supplies, "This is dumb!", he complained, when he popped his head back out a mop was strewn over his face, much like a wig full of dreadlocks. An irritated look in his eyes as he narrowed them at Kat, "Are you suuurrreee you don't remember?"

"Why would I bring it here?!", the blue dragoness suddenly retaliated, only for both Bismuth and Seere to burst toward her, and cover her mouth, "Mmm MM!", she complained, eyes looking both ways and crossed her forepaws with a stubborn, muffled groan. Nodding for them to let her go. She heaved and let out a gentle sneeze, rubbing her snout, "Well... could be worse."

"Hey! Guys check it out!", Seere hissed with a grin, looking out and smirking before he went back in, and dug around, "Looks like Fezzini's been holding out on us!", he didn't find his breakfast, but what he did find was something much better. A small sac full of marbles!

"Whooaaa!", Bismuth came plotting over, losing his nervous edge as Seere dumped the contents between the three.

"Marbles?", Kat asked, and rolled her eyes, "Boys are so stupid sometimes~", completely tasteless of the sparkly, patterned, and colorful objects. She was a rough kinda girl... but she wasn't that into certain things male's found fascinating.

"Aww that ones so cool!", Bismuth rolled onto his back, holding a crimson red marble, clouded with darker shades of red in between two claws, eying it very closely, "Where'd he get em?"

"Beats me~", Seere mumbled, happily poking them around with his claws, rolling them on the floor and just feeling their smooth, spherical texture. He much admired the touch of these kinda things, poking his sharp tongue out at all the different colors flooding his eye-sight. There were so many! Like twenty or so marbles that the so called "Fezzini" had collected.

"Pfft just wait til Fezz sees you! You both are really in for it then-", maybe she spoke to soon.

A herd of screaming hatchlings came charging through, ages four to seven, all chased by the bigger younglings, from the far end of the hallways, merely twenty meters away. And only one needed to spot the trio fishing around in that familiar closet room. The big group rushed on by, but most of them stopped when a broad brown-orange male halted in his place, and cried out in an angry tone, "Hey! Those are mine!"

The hatchlings that didn't stop immediately would merely end up coming back in a group.

Seere was frozen, as was Bismuth, and Kat had yet to turn around and face the bigger male behind her. They were all very small compared to adults... but for certain size really did matter.

"Seere! You're dead!", the male growled. Three other younglings about his very age came thrashing up from behind, while the rest of the kids gathered around, forming a thin circle of onlookers, keeping quiet.

"Hey Fezz! What's up?", yes, Seere was legitimately concerned, smiling toothily, and showing very clearly as he snatched the red marble from Bismuth, and began to put the spilled marbled back into the bag, "These are really really nice marbles!"

"Shut up, Stupid!", he snorted, bumping Kat forward, getting a yip out of the younger female as he sent her tumbling into her earth dragon friend, getting the two piled onto one another, "You're sooo dead!", he repeated just like before.

But Kat wouldn't have any of that shoving nonsense, scrambling to her paws and growling... which was rather cute, yet intimidating to anyone her size perhaps, getting in who appeared to be Fezzini, "Hey! Watch it, Jerk! I'll sock you one right here, right now!", she showed her teeth, chest to chest with him.

But the much meaner fire dragon, though at first fazed, frowning and even flushing... he wouldn't have any of that, growling and grinning, "Gee I didn't know Seere and Bismuth had their Girlfriend do the talking!"

That just about did it. Both males cringed when Katirin whipped around, face red with either rage, or a flush, "Girlfriend?!", she scoffed, mouth agape as her pretty eyes burned with a powerful flame, stepping forward with a hard, hatchling's growl, "You wanna go Fezz?!", almost demanding he stick to his guns just so she had the opportunity to wail on him if given the chance.

"I don't hit little girls!", grinning madly back down at her, tempting the female to strike him then and there. Though in truth he didn't actually think she would, thus he flinched when Kat took a swing of her left paw.

Luckily, Seere was there to save the day, "Whoa! Guys! Cool it!", getting between them and pushing his paws against Katirin's chest, sliding her backwards along the ground as she tried to climb over him.

"Let me at 'em! I'll rip his stupid head off!"

Fezzini actually seemed relieved, smirking and showing his cockiness and brash attitude once again, "Boy you guys sure are dumb! She's probably got rabies or something, Cerana even says so!"

"You're a liar!", Kat screamed in her defense, fighting Seere to have a go at the offensive child, struggling, flailing her claws, "I don't have Rabies! Cerana would never say that!"

Bismuth burst forward, getting in the other orange-brown child's face, "Take that back, Fezz! You're just being a jerk!"

"Guuuys~ Maybe we should just calm down, else Cerana might show up!", but all the hatchlings around them wouldn't have it, they were peeled on watching this intently. Seere wasn't outgunned just yet, holding Kat down before he shoved her as well, glaring hard, and turning to face the other four.

Fezzini had his own friends at his side, him and two others bushing back against the earth dragon with hard glares of their own, "What are you gonna do about it, Bismuth? Cry to Cerana for help?", the male mocked, having a full year on the younger dragon.. while Bismuth was large-as most Earth dragons were-being younger still gave Fezzini the size advantage he needed, matching him if only a few inches taller than Bismuth himself.

"Yeah!", piped up one of the others, another earth elemental, aiming to back his rude ally, even down to scrapping with these three. They were all for a rumble...

"Fezz! Just take your stupid marbles and let it go!", Seere butted in, shoving the sac into his chest, and pushing him back as well, "Bismuth just ignore him! He's just lost his marbles.", both a means of ending on a joke, and perhaps a taunt as Seere pushed his friend backwards, "Let's get out of here before Cerana see's!"

"Hey!", Fezz had dropped the bag, trying to catch as they spilled all over the stone floor, "Seere, you little Punk!"

"I don't have rabies!", Katirin cried out as Bismuth and Seere put themselves between her and the others and began to guide her back, "I'm not gonna take that! I can take him!", she tried to climb over the two but they wouldn't have any of it.

"Lighten up, Katy. He's not worth it.", trying to talk sense into her, smiling with a mock grin... in actuality he felt pretty good about what he'd said to Fezz not moments ago, "Hehe... lost his marbles..."

Speak of the devils. Two, perhaps three struck the back of his head rather hard, whipped by Fezz in a fit of anger, the orange-brown adolescent growling, gritting his fangs, "I'm talking to you, Seere!"

"Ow!", the fire dragon plopped onto his belly, and held his paws on the back of his head, rubbing it hard, "Owww! That hurt!", he whined, shutting his eyes, and growling all the same.

"Seere, you okay?", Bismuth asked, before growling and puffing out his chest. He stepped between his friend and the attackers, "Watch it, Fezz! I'm gonna-"

"Gonna go cry to Cerana?!", they all teased simultaneously, putting the younger earth dragon in emotional retreat. Bismuth stepped back, trying to keep level, gritting his fangs and shutting his eyes.

"No! I won't!", Bismuth defended himself.

"Yeah! He'll whoop you all good!", Katirin spat. When you were raised in an orphanage you either grew up a spineless beggar, or a tough little lizard. And she wanted a piece of it, backing her earth friend up the moment Seere was too weak to step between them.

"Oooh! What ya gonna do Kat? Pull my horns and try and give me rabies?", Fezz mocked.

"Shut up!", she flared his small wings, puffing out her chest as well, "Put your marbles where your mouth is! If I sock you one good one I get ALL of em when I make you cry for you're mommy!", she didn't really think about what she'd said... Katirin knew very well any hatchling in this building didn't have parents. And just shouting that not only hurt Fezz... but it might have also upset Seere or Bismuth in the process. But lucky for her... friends were friends.

"Fine!", Seere suddenly rolled to his feet, turning, bumping between Katy and Bismuth, a bruise on the back of his head, "Are we gonna do this or not?!"

"Yeah!"

"Grrrr!", all Seven of them growled, Fezz and his three compadres, and then the trio now taking up the mantle of war! The younger audience was squeaking and cheering on, most of them taking the side they thought would win... and being children they chose Fezz' group. More numbers meant they'd win! Right?

"Get em!", Fezzini shouted, and burst forward, paws extended, wings unfurled as he aimed to tackle someone.

But as they charged, so did the trio, "Raaah!", they all screamed, before they mashed into a head-on collision of tiny teeth, paws, and tail weapons, wrestling around, biting, nipping, and tugging. It wasn't much of a battle so much as it was just a dispute between toddlers.

And Seere was caught right out in the middle of it, getting pinned hard under one of Fezz' friends, before rolling, and kicking him off into another, "Haha-AH!", yanked back by Fezzini himself before the older dragon was attacked by Katirin.

"This'll teach you for saying I had rabies! Cerana Likes me better than you! Dumb male!", she got him on his back and tried to claw him down.

"Get him, Katy!", Seere encouraged with a laugh, before pausing, closing his mouth and looking up behind him. With Bismuth wrestling hard with another nearly his size... no one watched the other earth dragon, "Uhm...", he had a good five inches on Seere, "Hi!", he smiled, and rolled out of a stomp of forepaws.

The battle was epic! At least to them it was, given all the cheering of the younger drakes around them. But... to an adult?

"What is the meaning of this!?", the voice was aged, motherly if not upset and even aggravated. The mere sound of her voice stopped the fight dead in it's tracks. With Seere pinned, Kat on top of Fezzini, and Bismuth simply weighing down one of the others while a forth was trying to tug him off.

All seven of them had guilty expressions as they stared into the ever potent eyes of their care-taker. Cerana.

"They took my marble collection!"

"He said I had rabies!"

"They said I was wimpy!"

"Fezzini threw his marbles at me!"

In the midst of these complaints the elder dragoness closed her tired eyes, and remained quiet for the duration, until she let her wings open, "Alright alright... The rest of you...", meaning all the younger hatchlings, "Out out out... Go on. This does not concern any of you.", despite the numbers of Awes and whining she received.

Seere blinked, and then shoved the Earth Dragon off of him when he got the chance, rolling onto his bum and letting his head fall in submission to the much larger adult.

"Now now my little ones, that is enough out of you.", she craned her head to them all, "I'm afraid I only have so long before I must tend to the hatchery yet again...", two eggs had come in not many days ago, and as expected of her, and welcomed by her very soul... Cerana would not refuse the protection of them.

"But Cerana!", Seere butted in.

"No no... My little Seere I will not hear it. If you and you're friends cannot keep your snouts out of Fezzini's business then I will separate you accordingly...", she let her head down and touched her much bigger maws to the young drake's forehead, "You, Katy, and Bismuth will spend the rest of the day outside... away from Fezzini and his friends."

"But! It's summertime! And it's so hot out there!", Katirin complained.

"Shhhh!", Both Seere and Bismuth elbowed her... if they got to go outside then they could sneak out!

It took a moment to register, before she piped up, and nodded, "Oohhhh."

"Haha!", Fezzini mocked however, grinning as he knew both he and his pals would be rewarded indirectly with the much cooler interior of the Cathedral.

"Fezzini!", Cerana turned her head to him, knowing that despite the fight being each and every one of their faults combined... he likely had something more to do with it, "You and your friends will stay here. Clean up your toys and behave yourselves...", getting the nods she expected.

"They're not toys~...", he grumbled though, flushing as he felt he was above the childish word "toy".

She stepped between the two gangs, having the break apart, "And I expect all of your to return by dinnertime... Seere your breakfast is by the front door take it on your way out.", her regal nature was admirable, nodding to the young fire dragon, and nudging the three out. She kissed the bruise on the back of Seere's head, though it was hardly noticed.

"Yes!", he pumped his paw, a prance in his step as he happily strode alongside his friends.

Katirin rolled her yellow eyes, shaking her head, "Males...", but she wheeled around and looked up at her elder, "Cerana? I don't have rabies do I?...", widening her eyes with the softest of whimpers... god it was almost too much for the inexperienced caretaker.

The old female looked down at her, tilting her head, and smiling with a light chuckle, nuzzling her off, "Of course not, dear... now off you go. Don't keep them waiting..."

"I told you so!", she suddenly stuck her sharp tongue out as Fezz retreated out of sight, "Stupid head.", she smiled, shutting her eyes and whipping around, trotting after Seere and Bismuth.

"Happy?", Seere asked.

"Hmhm! Very.", she smiled, like him there was a prance in her walk.

They looked at Bismuth, who followed with a soft expression, staring at the ground as he kept at their pace.

"Hey, come on don't listen to them. You showed em up when you pinned that dumb electric dragon on the ground!", Seere cheered him on, smiling nice and toothily, tail wagging even as they scuttled down the long stone hallways. Either bare or carpeted before entering the main chamber. The tallest ceilings in the building

"Yeah! Electric dragons are so wimpy!", Kat laughed, trotting at his side, before stopping and clearing her throat, "I mean... well not ALL cuz... I'm pretty strong and-Oh shuddup!", she growled, and hastened after.

Bismuth laughed very gently, "Yeah!... Mmm...", he looked at his paws, smiling, his tail starting to wag a tad, "You're right. Hey come on I think I smell crisped salmon!", the moment they were all at the front door, leaping up, and pulling the handle down, and opening the large double doors with a loud, creaking moan... just a crack so they could slip out. Bismuth rushed down the path with a content giggle... rushing down the path and out to the road.

"Wait! There's always fish in the market place~", Seere's eyes lowered out, and a smile grew on his face, before rushing out.

"We're not even near the-!", Kat yipped, and darted after them, "Don't leave me behind! Why do we always get Crisped Salmon?!", she almost cried as she charged to catch up. The trio losing themselves to the density of the lower district of the great Desert City.

"Seere wait up!"

"Only if Bismuth slows down!" the fire dragon laughed, moving through the alertive, active crowd, under the blazing dun the citizens provided excellent shade... otherwise the hatchling had to run... their paws would burn if they stood on the cobblestone too long.

Transition~

"The flight returns!", someone shouted, as claws pointed to the air, and creatures began to cheer, dropping their usually daily business as the outer walls were swooped over with a number of... dragons. Perhaps two dozen of them, returning from battle in the far off regions. Some wounded, other's bearing new scars, and some waving back... either out of spite, or to project a positive feeling.

"Whoa! Come on guys! Come on!", Seere squeaked, rushing to the edge of the edge of the wall. Him and his friend were on the middle-class district; behind the second layer of walls, squeezing through the crowd's feet and hopping up onto the balcony railing, his tiny wings spread, a smile on his face... full of wonder.

"Seere, what's the big idea?!", Kat demanded, squeezing up next to him, and then finding herself in awe as a dark green dragon swooped a few meters overhead them, making her fall back into Bismuth... with which they both popped back up at Seere's side.

"Whoaaa! Look at em!", Bismuth let his jaw agape, turning to his friend... who was far more entranced than he himself, "The warrior dragons...", he mumbled, before chirping as another adult passed overhead.

"So what?", Katirin asked, pouting, resting her head on a paw, and just blandly watching, though her tail wagged as an electric dragon shot overhead as well... okay so it wasn't all bad. Her element got just as much praise as any other's, "Just a bunch of dumb soldiers...", though she kept up her tough-to-please act.

"Yeah...", Seere whispered, resting his head on his paws, smiling just a bit, his eyes wide and glimmering with wonder, "Ever wondered what it would be like to fight... just like them?... To beat up apes just cuz we were sposed to?..."

"... That does sound kinda fun...", Bismuth admitted, and grinned a bit, "We'd be the strongest of them all!"

"As if! I'd be the fastest, Strongest... and the prettiest of course!", Katy puffed out her chest, her eyes lowering as she extended her front paw, and retracted her other to give a rather... perhaps seductive pose? Before murring with delight, "They'd all fear me!", she pounded her paw on the granite railing.

But their fire dragon friend had quieted, tilting his head, and watching as the last few passed overhead... a Fire dragon adult, who spat a bout of flames into the air, and regained altitude as they returned to the huge spires at the center of the city... going to the very top of the sky it seemed... where they would enter the huge towers that stood nearly as tall as the butte the city was constructed around... thousands of feet high, "... Wow...", he breathed.

To be a warrior? To just be able to fly? And breath fire? That was like a child's only dream when all he had were stories to build an imagination off of.

"I'm gonna be just like that one.", he smiled brightly, closing his eyes and suddenly hacking upward, trying to spit a blast of fire just like the adult had done... but to no avail.

"Haha!", Katirin mocked, and poked her friend hard in the chest, "Can't be a soldier if you can't even spit fire!", while it sounded mean... she did have a point. At least Seere figured she did, pouting, and groaning as they both looked to Bismuth... who had a small fish in his teeth.

"... Whrat?", he asked, chewing it and speaking at the same time, "Ish good!", smiling through his food, wagging his thick tail, and flaring his wings.

"Hehe...", Seere smirked, and hopped down, amidst the cheering, and now dispersing crowds, "Come on guys! Let's go find something to do before Cerana sends the night watch after us again!"

"Haha! Yeah!", Kat whooped... now that sounded fun! They usually liked to think of it as a game of tag when they actually were found. As if there was no dark wars... and that every night fire rose into the sky and they huddled down in the safety of the Cathedral underground was all just an act... Scorpio was never close to being taken in the first place... no army had ever breached it's multiple walls...

Life was good! For the hatchlings.

End Chapter two. Giving a rather broad view of life to the youngest during the Dark Wars. Mind you this is a little while before Cynder even, so things haven't quite gotten bad just yet. Seere, Katirin, and Bismuth are growing up very soon.

And in the next chapter? Well we'll just have to see how that works out. Might not be as long, or just as IDK. Charming length in my opinion... six thousand words ish.

Please R&R