A/N. I personally love the headcanon that Peril knows some jargon and technical terms because of Osprey but lacks many of the simpler everyday language because ~no social life lol~
Hopefully this chapter is more cohesive than the last, forgot to mention that this isn't (at the moment) beta'd, so if that matters, here you go.
Enjoy!
(Somewhere in the southern half of the Claws of the Clouds mountains)
Peril wanted a house. It was a strange wish, she knew, but it was one she had nonetheless. She might be free now; not bound to any one place, but she wanted somewhere to call hers. A secret place, just for her where she could go whenever she wasn't welcome anywhere else. Somewhere constant, because, stars above, consistency evaded her like the plague nowadays. Somewhere safe to store her stone, because she couldn't carry it everywhere with her, that would be ridiculous. She didn't have a bag - y'know, firescales - and if she did bring it with her, she might drop it and lose it. Which, not happening.
The copper dragon was currently pacing around a lake within a small valley between mountains. It was one of the better places she's slept in, as the bank was primarily stone and the water was clean enough to drink. It'd be a nice place to stay - greenery lined the ring of mountain that surrounded her, producing a nice scenery - and that brought her back to her first thought.
So, a house. Or she could call it a home, whatever. It's not like she could build with wood or use bricks or rocks with no way to transport or make binders like mortar - so probably not a traditionally walled building. But, yeah, that was what was bugging her. Maybe she could do something about that.
Oh! She could now!
Peril smiled to herself. Progress already! Fantastic. This was a… goal, right? Having a thing you want and working towards it? She had a goal now!
Peril paused for a moment, thinking over her definition of 'goal' - her track record for her goals was, she shivered, not great. But this doesn't affect other dragons, so she should be fine this time around.
Probably.
Honestly, she wouldn't be surprised if she somehow messed this up so bad it causes the Sky Kingdom to collapse.
Uh.
…
Anyways, building a house- or home, whatever. That's the plan now. That was what she's going to do. One problem though.
Where should she start?
Did she even want to build it here? How was she going to do this? Peril flicked her tail in frustration, hitting the water and producing a small wall of hissing steam. This place was nice - primarily stone with some surrounding vegetation further up the mountain sides that encircled the lake. It was relatively hidden, had a surprisingly clean water supply and little flammable material. It was, for all intents and purposes, perfect. Except for one small detail.
It was far too close to that damn town.
Peril knew that she was probably overreacting, that she was being paranoid, but there was just something about that place…
He claws clenched, slightly warping the granite beneath her. She was getting in her head again. Maybe one day she should visit the town to prove she was wrong, but that day was not today.
Peril couldn't really think of any other place that she could live. The desert was unfamiliar to her and she'd have a hard time finding food and water, as most water sources are surrounded by cities and towns. Mostly everywhere else had too much grass or trees and the snowy north was owned in its entirety by the icewings. So that left her the mountains. Too far north and she'd be infringing on Ruby's territory; too far south defeats the whole point of leaving Jade mountain.
Her stomach grumbled. Perhaps she should eat breakfast first.
Moon sat on Possibility's bridge staring at the morning sky, vast and cloudless and bright, occasionally disturbed by a bird flock or two. It was, really, a calming sight. Or, rather, would've been if not for the ache in the back of her mind. Something was supposed to happen soon, but it couldn't. She didn't know exactly what it was or how to explain it, but there was this… push and pull tugging in her subconscious, which usually meant a vision, but with normal visions there was only pull. It was a strange, surreal feeling.
"Hey, are you okay?" Moon turned around to find Qibli approaching her. "You've been quieter than usual today. Is this about Winter? He'll come back, you know." He settled beside her on the bridge, nudging her reassuringly with his wing. Moon shook her head, staring blankly into the distance.
"It's not about Winter. It's… I don't know." She sighed, "My… I think it's my future sight." Qibli cocked his head, equal parts curious and concerned, beckoning her to continue. "I… It's hard to explain. I just… I feel that something is… off. Like the timelines want to settle on an impossibility. Like a river running into a mountain; the land leads there but there's nowhere left to go and the water just keeps adding up." Qibli gave a nervous laugh.
"Nothing too serious, I hope." He said, as much to himself as to her, but it was said lightly. Moon smiled, appreciative of his concern and optimism.
"Yeah. I wish Turtle was here…" Moon turned back to gazing out into the horizon.
And thus her silent birdwatching was resumed, one dragon more, backgrounded by the soft rustle of leaves and the bustle of the city.
Breakfast officially obtained! Although it was as blackened and scorched as usual. Never before had that bothered Peril, but this wasn't before. She's had months to herself after being banished, feeding herself, finally thinking for herself.
This. Was absolutely rancid.
It was rough and flaky and dry, so dry. It was bitter and brittle and stars, why was it so dry? Peril made a face and her tail swished irritably against the smooth rock. This explains why she had a sore throat half the time, not to mention her drinking habits, but just how did she go so long only consuming basically ash? But this wasn't something she could really change, not by herself. This was something that she had to live with. Though, honestly, she was fine with that (except for the dryness). Just being aware of her situation and the fact alternatives existed was enough for her. Although, actually, how did she get her nutrients if all the 'food' she ate was cooked so thoroughly? Wouldn't, like, the, um, proteins and that be destroyed? Or was she being silly?
But! The important thing was that she had decided to make her home - that word still felt weird - here in this small intermontane. That word resurfaced when she was out hunting whilst thinking about this whole ordeal; she had learned it from one of Ospreys geography lectures about The Common Geographical Features Of The Sky Kingdom. At the time, she didn't give them much mind - they were interesting, sure, but wouldn't really make her a much better champion - but now she treasured those memories of him.
Peril let out a small breath.
So, that goal she had? Time to do something about it.
A/N. Things start happening. If the chapters are too short let me know and I'll see what I can do, but this is a length I know I can consistently manage with my studies.
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