****Castle Wyvern

"Get it, get it, get it!" cried Ariana excitedly as her brother and Uncle Lex battled it out on their newest video game, but exactly whom she was rooting for neither knew nor cared so long as one or the other came out the victor.

Nearby their father, Brooklyn, watched with amusement as he and Sata played a popular modern Japanese board game, which unsurprisingly, Sata won most of the time.

Though he always enjoyed seeing members of his clan enjoy themselves during difficult times, his small smile hid a worried and burdened soul.

His rookery brother, Broadway, had spent the last three nights recovering from injuries he had received in the last battle in a growing gang war, in the castle infirmary. Though most of his injuries were healed with the miraculous regenerative properties of natural stone sleep and the excellent healing talents of the clan's new exchange member, Kwan Yin of the Chinese Xanadu Clan, Broadway had not yet come out of a depression that resulted from an occurrence he was refusing to speak about.

Angela had refused to leave his side the whole time, even with her own injury fully healed, yet she had very little success in comforting her lifemate.

Though Brooklyn's other rookery brother, Lexington, enjoyed himself with his younger rookery brother and sister at the moment, the former Timedancer was well aware that the smaller gargoyle still struggled with his own problems.

Though Lex had steadily learned to accept his irremovable cybernetic implants as both a blessing and a curse, he had no doubt learned to make them his own. Still, Brooklyn knew all too well that Lex felt isolated because of this and made him, if not counting the clan's eldest member Hudson, the clan's last unmated male.

Brooklyn had thought about this off and on for the past couple of years since Lex threatened to become almost estranged with him, but Brooklyn would not mind too much if Lex took his daughter, Ariana, as a mate when she is old enough.

But somehow it also seemed too awkward and weird, and Lex and Ariana would never see each other as other than a fun uncle and big brother role model and his brother's daughter and fun younger rookery sister.

But it could still be a possibility.

Of course, there was now a new unmated female in the clan closer to Lex's age, and a very attractive one at that. If Lex and Kwan Yin got to talking they could find out if they had plenty in common.

But on the other hand, what concerned Brooklyn about this was the possibility of how the Xanadu Clan leader, Mei Hsing, could politicize it and turn it to her advantage, because her second, Chiang Yun, also had the features of horns and a beak. Though such traits were common enough to the gargoyle race, Brooklyn could practically see the wheels turning in Mei Hsing's head when they first met, despite a cold emotionless outer countenance, and she had already proven to be intelligent and capable enough of using such controversy in her favor.

Even if Brooklyn was well aware of what would happen to Lex in the distant future, the causes of which he did not know nor wanted to know, all that mattered now was that he wanted Lex to be happy with what he had now.

Even if Brooklyn had promised to stop trying to be a matchmaker for Lex, it did not stop the armored gargoyle from teasing the olive webbed winged gargoyle, especially how a certain part of his body was lucky to not be cybernetic.

Aside from the well being of his brothers, Brooklyn also worried for Goliath and Elisa. Though Goliath has always been a pillar of strength as leader of the clan, Brooklyn could tell he was worried, and as second in command he shared those worries to a strong point.

The news of Goliath and Elisa's first child together was indeed good tidings, something even he did not see coming, yet there were great concerns about Elisa's health and how she will be effected by this pregnancy. Also what weighed heavily on Goliath's mind was setting a good impression of his clan with their other guest, the Xanadu Clan elder, Li Shen.

Li Shen had so far demonstrated a more open mind and tolerance than his clan's leaders, but also still showed a strong skepticism about an open alliance with humanity, and hence had spent much time speaking with Goliath, Hudson, and Xanatos.

All Brooklyn knew was he hoped it was all a step in the right direction.

But despite all of the good, the clan still struggled with much conflict.

Aside from a gang war between crime lords and the syndicates that seemed to be spreading across the city, the clan had not had any direct confrontation with Thailog since his takeover of Nightstone Unlimited from Demona several months ago. The only battles having been by proxy with Coldsteel, Goliath's fight with the dark sorcerer Darius, and the new enigmatic gargoyle Typhon.

It was suspected that Thailog also had Sevarius and the Ultra Pack in his employ, which just put the clan further on edge.

Aside from Othello's claimed sighting of Demona over several weeks ago, there had been no sign of the long time rogue gargoyle. This just made Brooklyn worry more since he now offered friendship to a gargoyle whom he once only had a strong grudge against after she had used him for her own vengeful vendetta.

Aside from all of this, he was sure there was something else he should be concerned with, but he just could not put his talon on it.

"Brooklyn," a voice said sharply.

"Hm?" he jumped at the mention of his name that broke his musings to look at Sata, who evidently had called out his name several times already.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Babe, did you say something?"

"I said it's your turn, my absent minded Love, but clearly you don't notice that. What troubles you?"

"Nothing."

Sata just gave him a sharp knowing look.

Giving a deep reserved sigh he said, "A lot. Broadway's better now but he's not out of the woods yet, he's not acting like himself anymore. And then there's all the usual crap with the street crime, Thailog and his goons. And I'm worried for Goliath and Elisa and their new baby. I share some of Elisa's concerns about how it will be viewed by other clans and the rest of humanity, and I'm sure it'll be difficult on both sides. But I can't help feeling like I'm forgetting about something, or like this is the calm before the next storm."

Sata moved her seat next to Brooklyn and gently stroked his beak in comfort. Though no words were truly needed between the lifemates, Sata quietly said to him,

"Whatever conflict will unfold next we will face together, and the clan will need your strength. And you know you will always have mine. For now, My Love, don't let these troublesome thoughts burden you and let's finish our game."

"Why bother," Brooklyn groaned, "You win all the time."

"That's because I cheat," she said teasingly.

Brooklyn gave his cool green lifemate a dirty look, but she just gave him a wily smile.

He just chuckled and embraced his lifemate, at the same time there was cheering by Ariana for Lex winning the videogame while Graeme just moped.