Of Past and Future: The tale of a Traveller
Disclaimer: Lemme check.. Nope. Don´ own Star Fox or the characters, Nintendo owns ´em. I do own a copy of SFA though, and Skysoar and his family are mine.
The first part of the chapter is a flashback, in case you happened to be interested.
Oh, and one more thing:
"This" means that a person is speaking.
This means the text is the author (that would be me) speaking or translating the Draconian pieces.
Do enjoy.
Chapter 3- Memories and Caring
It had been a warm autumn day. Skysoar had been training in the mountain range and was returning home, travelling through the autumn forest. Suddenly the wind brought the smell of smoke to his sensitive nose. The wind was blowing from the east.. where his home was. A sudden feeling of dread washed over Skysoar as he accelerated his pace from walking to running. "Dachar.. Protect my family with thine sacred breath.." Skysoar thought, praying to the Draconian deity, the Dragon of Ages.
When Skysoar reached the hilltop overseeing his home, the smell of smoke was overwhelming. The small wooden structure serving as their humble abode had been set ablaze. Skysoar rushed down the hill to his house, screaming out the names of his wife and daughter.
"Torrent! Cloudkeep! Gar´shar´ai!" My beloved ones: Gar´- (my) shar (love, beloved) + -´ai (plural)
He got no answer. Undaunted by the hellish flames, Skysoar entered his burning house to hind his mate, Torrent, a beautiful red Draconian lying in a pool of her own blood in her room.
"Ner.. Torrent.. Gar´shar´rann.. Ner!" "No.. Torrent.. my love (female).. No!"
Skysoar found no trace of their White daughter, Cloudkeep, and proceeded to drag Torrent out of the burning building. It was clear, however, that she was already beyond mortal help. She had breathed her last before Skysoar had even arrived.
Mourning over his beloved, Skysoar proceeded to check the sand surrounding the house for tracks. There! Five creatures in boots had came from the south. Five had left.. with two leaning on the others. Skysoar grinned darkly. Torrent had put up a fight. One of the intruders had been carrying something when they had left. Cloudkeep?
Skysoar kneeled down and sniffed the air. The Draconian sense of smell was superior to most sentient races, approximately at the same level then that of a dog.. with some Draconians more like at that of a bloodhound. Skysoar got back a bundle of sensations from his sensitive nose. Beyond the smell of fire and smoke.. Five humans in leather equipment.. charred flesh.. human and Draconian blood.. Cloudkeep. Her scent made Skysoar´s golden eyes burnt dim red for a moment. She had been alive. Skysoar would find her of die trying. Wait.. What was that? There was a scent Skysoar could not recognize at first. A dusty and spicy smell.. like burned herbs.. Incense? Yes. Incense. Who would go around smelling like incense? Maybe a priest.. but what kind of priest would attack a Draconian dwelling posing no threat whatsoever?
Skysoar rose and shook his head. He would get nowhere just sitting there. He was ready to follow the scents imprinted in his mind. First he would have to bury Torrent..
Skysoar was awoken from his thoughts by the high-pitched sound of a crying baby. He shook his head, scolding himself for his sudden weakness.
"It is not safe here.." Skysoar thought. "Let us return to the cave. This wind cannot be good for the health of the child.."
Back at the cave Skysoar dispelled his armor, the steel plates dissolving back in to the nothingness Skysoar had conjured it from. The child had begun squirming in Skysoar´s hands, whimpering slightly. Instinctively Skysoar raised the child up to his chest, sharing what heat his body could offer with her while whispering in a low voice.
"Scha´vachh, dal´rann.. Daar gar´grel´dynn, dal.." "Silence, little girl.. Feel my heart beat, child.." The child calmed down and seemed to look for something from Skysoar´s muscular, scale-covered chest. She whimpered again when she did not find what she was looking for. It took Skysoar a moment to realize the child was hungry. Skysoar was perplexed; he had not the faintest idea what to feed her. He was certainly unable to give her milk (like mammalian species used to feed their young) and Skysoar was fairly sure the child was as yet unable to eat meat. Skysoar went through his meager food supplies and found the berries he had been collecting from the woods. Maybe.. Skysoar made the berries into a smooth, thin paste and proceeded to dip his claw right index claw- not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed bad pun intended into it. He carefully offered the claw to the baby who smelled it carefully before licking the claw tentatively. She soon noticed the sweet flavor and licked the appendage clean. Skysoar smiled to himself. This was not so hard. Soon he had fed all of the paste to the child.- After she had had enough, the child quickly got drowsy. Soon she was sleeping in Skysoar´s arms. She was so calm.. and still she had been in mortal danger earlier this day. Skysoar´s smile faded. Tomorrow he would have to take care of the dead. Having the child with him would make things more complicated. Skysoar could easily live by hunting for food and foraging for edible plants- but the child could not. She would need food and constant protection.. things he would maybe be unable to provide her. He could easily fend for himself and survive for long periods without food, but she was so fragile and vulnerable..
- He had decided. He would gather supplies for travel and try to find their way to a town.. There he would be able to get help. Skysoar sighed deeply. He was tired. Tomorrow he would need to see to the dead and to check the remaining wagons for supplies. Skysoar eyed the sleeping child wearily. Skysoar could easily withhold the cold night without any kind of fire with his reptilian make, but the child could not. She had to stay warm..
- "The great Draconian Skysoar, the Traveller, terror of bandits.. working as a living tent for a toothless fox-child. If only Torrent would see me now.."
