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Chapter 44: Three dragons watching over a little one
Watching over the scene with the little one still on his back, Kraydirn leaves his room while his eyes do not drift away from the magical one, his mind as thoughtful as ever.
- "Cuxt uthu hute cerux uthu soumvu yenuv surh nestoq ythe Ayirn? Yth kotuf iole." Says the feathered one in a somewhat relaxed tone as he steps forward.
Turning to face him, Akhanta is somewhat surprised by her kin's answer, and the young seer can see in her mind how doubt and suspicion has taken far more space.
- "Kes lieju uthu soumeiuf ignum ythe istumvia?" Asks Akhanta to her, uncertainty present in her voice, though it seems clear for the seer she does not suspect the other of real ill intent.
- "Ko"
Still having doubts, the great dragoness glances at the feathered kin, her gaze almost pleading for help, before concluding as she sees him trusting Ayirn, a sense of safety touching her.
- "Aquj yth omku kotuf uthu. Ythe yenuv holcu..."
Nodding in agreement, the dragoness' thoughts shift along that of others, doubts leaving the mind of some to be replaced by another, though less important one.
- "Cuxt heij uthue hute sefrye sif ghyt nestoq yl toijyl?" Asks the magical dragoness, now having her attention drawn toward the young one, her mind speculating about what they do together.
Kraydirn was about to speak, but fully seeing and realizing the little seer is behind his neck, laying on his feathered back, Ayirn cuts him, her mind coloured by surprise.
"Tho surh omus uthutias uiqout? Yth utnay Kraydirn, heij uthu hute ghyt iole hute afcunem tho sif surh velt ikus sim Zu?" Asks the dragoness in a tone far from serious as a little grin forms on her face.
Stepping forward to satisfy her curiosity, the dragoness is answered quite quickly as Akhanta slightly moves aside, her gaze still a bit focused in such a moment.
- "Yth feshute esimte ythias dezfue, kes emio yth hute kasarh prita tho sif heia muvol dusmi oje u dusmieltan, yth hute lumu tho omus ythias uiqout." Says Kraydirn in a clear voice as he casts a quick glance to his young companion, the little prayer he did with him coming back to his mind.
- "Uthu, hute lumu yl toijyl usmo uthutias tushok?" Says the magical kin with moderate surprise, before delving in past memories of discussions with the feathered one, and realizing she kind of expected such a situation would happen.
"Yth soumhute yenuv kenib uthu soumeiuf ghyt iole yl fefmyl uthu hute jernup altarkaunen… Nelkemu prita ythias kumista feshur surh ojmik." Adds Ayirn as she remembered of the time her kin was coming back with the young one, being more than tired.
- "Uthu heia okutes sif surh nelkemu Ayirn, uthutias etilmu kes kanene surh masnuriken."
Turning to face Akhanta, the magical dragoness stays silent for a short moment, thoughts coursing through her mind concerning her and an unexpected feeling of further acceptance.
- "Yth ykane uthu. Cuxt… heij uthue hute sefrye sif ghyt?" Asks the dragoness, her mind shifting to more mundane matters.
Staying still on the great one's back, Darkstalker watches his two guardians' minds getting thoughtful as they look at each other. From such realms, ideas of an immense room for him to do any kind of tests and exercises is what comes the most, so the little seer is not clueless when Kraydirn answers in his tongue.
Satisfied with her kin's words, the dragoness of blue and green turns away, preparing herself to follow the others as they walk toward the exist. But as the group reaches the exit, Akhanta interrupts everyone with her words.
- "Cuxt yl toijyl kovtur omus uthutias uiqout prita moekanehan ust yl almylodiu?"
Staring into the dragoness, the feathered kin shows surprise only for a second, before answering with a calm voice.
- "Yihe tho kasarh iole..."
Expressing doubt, the great dragoness steps forward, allowing her to reach the nightwing when she leans closer. Gazing into his eyes with her mystical blue ones, the majestic guardian utters a few words that the young seer nods at.
Feeling for him, Akhanta recoils and turns to face the entrance, passing through it to leave the great one's chamber before the others follow…
Feeling content on the colder feather of the great dragon, Darkstalker does not put that much efforts in the blocking of others' thoughts. Somewhat looking at the walls rich in drawings and lore, sometimes receive the glance of the kins, finding himself shifting in focus between the trio of guardians, the young seer relaxes himself the time they arrive at destination, as he kind of need a break after all, before engaging in another "training" session. Beside, the little hybrid has not eaten that much since what? More than a few hours? It would be nice if there was something to fill his stomach…
.
Stepping inside the final corridor, the thoughts of each dragon change to varying degree as they approach the great and familiar entrance.
- "Cuxt… lieju alkanyl surh lihotu?"
To Ayirn's question, the two kins nod, before the dragoness' gaze focuses on the young dragon.
"Lieju uthu surh lihotu toijyl? Aqerh uthu tunis eusho zaij." Adds the magical one, her mind picturing him on the ground.
Turning his eyes to Akhanta, then to Kraydirn, the little one only takes his breath before descending from the giant body of the winter dragon, climbing cautiously to the end of his tail before stepping on the floor.
Seeing everyone is ready, Ayirn stands and puts her front paws on the heavy doors. Taking her breath, the great dragoness then opens the gates with a continuous and unflinching push of her giant talons. After a few seconds, a loud thud is heard as the two monoliths stop moving.
- "Masnurik sim yl dezfue ust jteqimun." Says Ayirn as she steps forward with satisfaction.
Somewhat running in the immense room to keep with the giants' pace, the young one quickly halts as they do, and their gazes all point at him before shifting to each other. Staying still and watching from below as the great ones talk, the nightwing does not have to wait for long before they come to a conclusion.
Recoiling in preparation just before their gaze once again stumble upon him, Darkstalker is in no way surprised when it is Akhanta who takes a step forward, a clear idea in mind.
- "Lieju uthu surh lihotu toijyl?" Say the dragoness lowering herself to the little one's level.
Nodding immediately, the nightwing wastes no time as he runs away, starting the exercise in manner less expected. Rolling her eyes and glancing at her kins, the dark blue dragoness exchanges a few words with them before venturing into the young hybrid's pursuit…
That simple game of the giant running after the nightwing could have been played for longer, but after a few minutes of watching the pair, one of the great one starts to walk, his black and white shape making a greater appearance in each of the players' view, until the little one dives to the side and the dragoness halts.
Looking at the feathered kin and hearing a few words from his mouth, Akhanta stays there, retaking her breath and a little break even as everyone knows she is not really tired. But despite that, Darkstalker remains wary of her and Kraydirn, as he can somewhat see in their mind the new things he is the center of, and beside, their aura strengthen more than a bit, that the distant seer can sense immediately.
In an instant, the feathered giant rises a talon and power starts to radiate from it. A few seconds later, the infused paw faces him and an icy wind begins to be felt. Not taking his eyes off of the great one, Darkstalker runs to the side, preparing for whatever move his adversary has in store.
But to his surprise, Kraydirn only walks. Yes, he can and will use his powers at any opportunity, but the dragon of black and ice only walks when he could do so much more…
Blinking, the young one stares once again at Akhanta who is coming for him. Growling at himself for his moment of inattention, the little seer changes direction in his running, making sure to never allow her to get any closer while keeping track of her feathered kin.
But a few minutes is all it takes to prove he is not up to the task. During that brief but intense period, the nightwing had to jump away and hastily change direction many times, efforts that he can not help himself but grow tired of doing, until one more burst of arctic wind allows the great dragoness to finally pass beside him, circling him with her dark blue scales and marking his defeat.
- "Uthu hute tarkaun uthumej alteinmyl peuj ysil..., ikul uthu hute ghyt uthutias sulmy toijyl." Declares Akhanta, her gaze a supportive one for the young seer still catching his breath.
Staring back, Darkstalker does not need words to answer and bring a smile on his guardian's face, before another kin comes and speaks with appreciation despite the deepness of his voice.
- "Vezkit, uthu hute ghyt alkanene, abesun jyin scilvuhen sim u temylkesyl jyin yl tumok hute surh ueryk." Says the feathered one that never ceased to watch him and his little body, while the memories of younglings trying their best come to his mind.
But before the seer can know more, the atmosphere becomes far more magical as a great dragoness approaches, her mind coloured by a more a pronounced curiosity reflected by the quick gaze she cast at him before turning to her kins.
- "Lieju yl toijyl surh aljtarkaunen prita u toij ust olkashy?" Asks simply, in a somewhat blunt tone the dragoness, her mystical aura pulsating a little more as she says her words.
Finding himself near the three kins, but not forgetting to get closer to his guardian, the young one listens to her answering in doubtful tone, before turning to him, her massive neck bending to allow her blue eyes a stare at his being.
- "Lieju uthu surh aljtarkaunen…?"
Recoiling, the dark blue dragoness turns back to her kin and rises her head, thoughtful for now, not unlike the others. After such moment, Akhanta speaks, just to have Kraydirn nodding and talking just after, signing the little conclusion. So turning away from them, the great dragoness walks forward, having a few words for Darkstalker.
- "Ignum yth toijyl."
Silently, the young seer follows at his guardian's side, moderately excited as he saw from their mind that they wish to do some "magic" with him...
Halting after a little walk into the room being far longer the he thought, Darkstalker remains on his spot, between a few glowing crystal of differing colours, while the grand dragoness stands down, settling her massive but magnificent form of the ancient and marked floor.
- "Lieju lihotuprita u toij ust olkashy?" Asks Akhanta innocently, her face lightened by the neat glow of her risen paw.
Seeing him rising his own paw in response, the dark blue guardian starts by manifesting an etheric cloud just above her claws, waiting for the young one to interact. After a short moment, the mass of essences is shared between the two, and with a bit more focus on the little one's part, the cloud becomes his.
Seeing the result, Akhanta musters some of her power and connects with the essences the little hybrid holds, gradually giving more until the glowing sphere becomes a radiant orb partially engulfing his body, its light almost hiding the stressed expression of its wearer as he struggles to bear such a potent object.
"Ythe tunis konles iole." Says the dragoness as she retrieves the mass of essences, quickly reabsorbing what it contains before focusing on his little pupil.
Leaning her head, the guardian only has a few words told in a kind voice for him.
"Uthu hute ghyt masne. Yth eiuf heia feltarn oje iole vaieb toijyl."
Standing up, the great dragoness makes a few steps away, only to encounter her kins. From his relative distance, the young seer can spot that they are not impressed, but Kraydirn seems to manage that reaction far better than Ayirn whose curiosity is growing, though to her credit, she does make the effort of keeping in check such thoughts of her mind.
Doing some effort Ayirn? Good, but you'll do far better than that before I'll tolerate you when I'm not pressured to…
Concluding, the trio of great dragons turns once again to him, a new idea in their minds. And putting his feathered talons before the young seer, it is Kraydirn who first presents himself, his approach sublimed by the slight unfolding of his black and featheredwings.
- "Toijyl, ythe hute cerux sif gystis uthu azeiw olkashy. Niotu uthumej oje heij ajek sif surik linf surh alvarke." Declares the great dragon in a clear tone, power surging in his body while his stare is an inviting and more ambitious one.
- "Kes ghyt heia mesita aljalest, yth surh tsekat prita uthu." Adds Akhanta, her gaze and mind remaining prone to help before she looks back at her other kin.
Stepping forward and coming last, the magical dragoness stays a bit more distant than the rest, though her gaze is not devoid of will. So it is time for the exercise to begin...
Stepping to the side, the dark blue giant lets her feathered kin making his grand move. Focusing on himself, Kraydirn mobilizes his own power to the point his heartbeat can be heard and seen in details by everyone, making Darkstalker step back cautiously.
A tad fearful but standing and determined as he feels his own heart beating faster, the young one is not so surprised when the kin abruptly deploys his wings and stands up, unleashing his essences in a burst of white and blue light that turns into snow seconds later.
The little seer was prepared for that, remembering how influent the dragon of winter could be when he wanted to, but what he was far less prepared for, however, was for his adversary to stand down directly, falling with all his weight and slamming his potent talons on the floor, liberating enough energy to shake the ground and make the nightwing fly away by instinct.
Now in the air, Darkstalker comes back to his senses, starting by stabilizing the flight he initiated with desperate beats of his wings. Despite his lack of altitude in the room, the doubtful hybrid succeeds in avoiding and crash and maintains himself in the air, all thanks to the essences that decided to overwhelm his wings.
Seeing the young one moving above their heads, the kins are somewhat surprised, exchanging a few words before forging a plan, with Akhanta going in pursuit of the little dragon while Kraydirn simply walks at a calm pace, and finally Ayirn oddly stays where she is, not even turning her head to follow anyone with her eyes…
Still flying, Darkstalker starts to tire himself, his body seeming to be not as resourceful as everyone thought despite still retaining great powers. So casting a quick glance at every great one, the nightwing decides to land, losing altitude and momentum until one last but powerful flap in front of him allow him to touch the floor with his talon.
Catching his breath, the young one sees his guardian approaching, but does not even make a single step away as he knows catching him is not the only plan she has for him.
- "Mylfus uthubetreia xymryan?" Says the dragoness in an unserious tone, her gaze somewhat relaxed while she bears a little grin to tease.
Walking closer, Akhanta fully realizes how tired the little hybrid is, her blue eyes frowning slightly as she understands the state of his being to an almost terrifying degree.
"Toijyl, lieju uthu kasarh u fumij?"
To her suddenly more attentive voice, the nightwing can only look further into her, and after a moment of watching her mind, nods in response.
Folding her giant talons, the great dragoness settles down, voicing another question as images of colourful crystals appear in her mind, followed by a positive but mundane feeling.
"Uthu suroxon tegusen, lieju uthu kasarh sif olmaf?"
Not truly understanding her, Darkstalker fully dives into his guardian's mind, and after spotting nothing tense that is remarkable enough, he nods in acceptance.
"Aquj uthu yenuv muka uthutias ijopt, ignum yth." Says Akhanta as she turns her back, now walking in direction of her kins.
Following his dragoness, the young seer quickly finds himself near three talking dragons as to his surprise, a discussion between kins starts. And after a bit of trouble in convincing another dragoness and many different expressions made in relatively little time, as well as many thoughts, the great ones seem to have found common ground on what to do.
Being called out, the nightwing immediately comes into the group of giants and begins to walk with them, all the while staying close to the dark blue talons of a dragoness…
Leaving the gigantic room and its decorated heady doors, the group spends little time in reaching their destination, and even less in opening its entrance when Kraydirn uses the full strength of his talons, pushing to each side the doors depicting the pair of young ones.
Now that all have entered in the old resting room, Akhanta almost glances at him and speaks up, eyeing the bed nearest to him, and what surrounds it.
"Uthu tunis toeik ognut yihe uthu kasarh toijyl…" Says the dragoness as she approaches the shelf, having in mind the young one's tiredness.
Understanding her, Darkstalker quickly reaches the bed, climbing on its soft fabric to fully lay there with comfort, in a manner that almost surprises him when he instinctively stretches his limbs.
I guess my body was really that tired, an obvious consequence of playing cat and mouse with giants… Well, better to rest than to be exhausted, even in your own house, and beside, I can be sure my new caretakers always plan to test me...
Frow his resting position, the young seer watches Akhanta turning her back with a grin, joining her kins in their talk. After a short moment, the three seek in the nearest shelves for some crystals, opening compartment after compartment that sometimes inflict a feeling of disappointment or surprise when the opener looks inside…
Coming back with many gems floating around them, the trio seems to think that what they have is enough for the little seer who stares back at them, still a bit surprised there is nothing else, nothing less raw to satisfy his hunger.
Approaching and putting her gems on the desk first, the dark blue dragoness lowers her head before speaking in a kind tone.
"Iole soumvu yenuv surh wulen prita uthu, oem fiku ufyl ythe somul u ijopt nestoq iole..."
Presenting a bowl that was levitating behind her, Akhanta puts it over the table, and with no delay, pours the ingredients inside, manipulating and melting the precious stones with a risen talon and moving fingers.
So you're not lacking in magic one bit? Maybe I should have thought of levitating an object at my will sooner… But then Clear- my so called promised lover would have complained, she is too wary of the futures after all…
A moment passes, and the bowl once only filled with melting and shining dust, now has its content closer to a soup as a lot of water is added. Looking at him, the great dragoness finally offers the bowl to him.
- "Thanks" Says the nightwing to dark blue giver, his tone a simple one as he first cast a glance at her before focusing on the meal.
Staring at the colourful and crystalline soup for a short moment, the young one slowly approaches the recipient from his mouth while still hearing the mind of others, and not so surprisingly, it is Ayirn who feels the most annoyed at the moment, even if her face barely reflects that.
Drinking the content, the little seer is once again mildly shocked by its strong taste, though that does not stop him from consuming it, and soon all that was inside the bowl is now in his stomach.
Was I that hungry?
- "Cuxt uthu hute surh efton tegusen th suroxon…" Utters Akhanta as she watched his young one drinking all of the bowl's content, the flashing memories of happy younglings mercilessly eating finally pushing her to smile.
- "Ikul pemku alineuj peuj ythe." Adds Kraydirn, who vividly remembers the last they took their meal together, in a grand room with a table full of gems and colourful mixtures inside numerous recipients.
- "Yth pyteya kones, yihe zult dueti th ajek yl aeistu." Confirms Ayirn, who is reminded of the same memory as the feathered kin, of them filling their stomachs with a lot of things, even if the manner they did so was polite.
Taking a single step toward the nightwing's bed, the dark blue giant turns her gaze away to stumble upon a gem distinct from others, and after focusing on it no more than a second, brings it by levitation to the desk at the side. Looking at the shining green stone and its aura, the young one hears his guardian mutter some words.
- "Iole malek soumvu yenuv ifyat uthu u toij, iti aqerh uthu kasarh u leaqis."
Feeling the raw kindness of her mind, the little hybrid smiles at Akhanta, taking the vivid gem in his paws before she turns back to her kins, exchanging a few glances and starting to speak only to be cut by the feathered one.
From his comfortable fabric, Darkstalker watches curiously the dragon of winter approaching along his guardian, his mere presence bringing a shadow and cold, though the essences and mind that can be felt from being sway away any potential fear, especially as the great one walks slowly and politely, almost like a noble figure, but not really as his mind reveals he truly acts in a way that is more… personal.
- "Tolys iole toijyl, yth kenib th ajek heia alest scilvuhen sim heij yth muka, ikul iole surh pemku u urtone mulisur, uyl yth hute soumvu yenuv mulys sim uthu almikest." Says Kraydirn, his voice deep but gentle underneath as he takes one of the countless feathers on his fierce but magnificent body and puts it on the desk, near the spot of the gem was before.
- "…Thank you…" Finally says the little seer staring back at his feathered caretaker, his voice unsure but still above a silence of confusion.
Putting down the green gemstone on his desk, Darkstalker grabs the cold feather between his claws and starts to analyse it, answering his captivated mind, all under the more or less interested watching of the great dragons. The first thing the hybrid realizes, is how big the black feather is, being almost as long as his entire talon which holds it.
The second thing he gets, is how solid the object is, with its "backbone" somewhat bending but resisting fiercely the moment he tries to press it further. As for the vane, it is like a light but strong fabric, one that can be pierced but that repairs itself very easily. Frowning and rubbing more harshly the whole feather, the young one learns that if he wants to really damage it, he will have to do much more than that…
Well, I can't use that to write, that's for sure. But at least I get to learn a bit more on how a feathered dragon is possible… Though I should not find that unexpected, the membranes of our wings can be badly damaged and never fully heals from some wounds after all…
That was, and that is still a problem, the war just made it more obvious. If I had my magic back, I would immediately enchant something to repair the wings of any dragon that it touches. Yes, that is would be the right thing to do, not just for me, for my sister, or even my tribe, but all of Pyrrhia...
- "Toijyl, lieju uthu okutes sif toeik prita kalup mylmyl?" Asks Akhanta as she gently lays a paw on the young one's bed, bending heavily the fabric, but not annoying him too much.
Glancing at the dragoness attentively and listening to her mind, the young seer gets her question, and decides to put down the grand feather on the desk, such object making a sound that is not unsatisfying. And after a moment of reflection, Darkstalker regains his confidence and answers.
- "Hie"
Blinking in surprise, the great dragoness quickly understands the situation, and partially turns away to discuss with her kins, while the nightwing lowers his body and relaxes a little more, feeling content to be allowed to have peace among such otherworldly and great dragons. What the future has in store for him, what challenges are on his way… can wait a bit.