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Chapter 7: A day of heartful reflections

The sun stands above, having risen since a few hour to bring light that bathes the lands and restores the blue of the sky. Birds fly and sing while the fresh wind blows over the meadows and few but standing trees, lonely are they if not for the presence of a young pair. Truly, it is under an atmosphere all too natural that the two seawings finally wake up, with the purple one rising first to break the peace...

- "Fathom, it is time to wake up. Cone on, Pyrrhia won't wait for you and neither would I!"

Startled by the sudden voice and her touch, the prince is quick to do as expected, even if he feels more than a little bothered, his body shaking from head to tail while his wings rub the branches of their crude shelter. And watching from a few steps away, Indigo with a teasing grin.

- "Indigo! Can you stop doing that prank?" Fathom says with a growl, his heart beating fast enough to be noted.

- "You have taken a good rest, so it doesn't matter that much if I push you to wake up…" Replies the young dragoness, fully ignoring his accusatory gaze as her tail innocently rubs his.

Knowing she will not regret anything, Fathom sighs as he begins to look away. At first spotting the wounded paw of his beloved and remembering why, then checking on their satchels and finding out the magical scroll has remained still in its case, his claws shaking a little while holding it, the green dragon finally decides to steps outside. And leaving the bare shelter, though not without giving it a quick glance, he and Indigo begin to wander over the lands they have chosen at last.

"So do you have anything planned in mind my prince? We are quite free… for now, or at least nothing suggests we are not." She says while facing the lavish hills, her voice an inspired one until she turns to him, her finned tail circling while she partially folds a talon, the one bearing a bandage at the end.

- "Yes, we should be. I haven't seen any dragon lately, did you Indigo?" He says while turning to better gaze at the distant lands and their horizon, his wings covered in motifs extending slightly as he seeks a dragon that has yet to come.

- "I did not, but it doesn't cost to take a look today…"

And so for a prolonged moment, the couple scrutinizes the sky and its limits. But no matter what, the only shapes which might be that of dragons remains little more than dots, entities too far away to ever spot them. However, the young prince is not done as even if none of tribes could bother them for now, the surreal clouds from yesterday have not left. In fact, they seem to be more… exited than before.

- "Still worrying about these accursed clouds?" She simply asks, though her voice betrays an underlaying form of annoyance.

- "Why aren't you afraid of them? Even normal dragons, no matter their tribe, would be stressed by such a sight."

Starting to ponder about her partner's words, Indigo can not hide from his shifting gaze nor ignore the stance he seems to adopt, his wings rising while he turns to her, but not fully.

"Yet if you can keep your will until the end… Maybe it is time we go to Agate Mountain, just to be sure."

More than startled, the purple dragoness needs a few seconds for her reaction to show, her voice a truly worried one as she faces him, her long tail twitching.

- "Why do you think that?"

To that simple question, Fathom seems to falter, his head now looking down with wings falling on the grass, a scene that softens his lover's gaze...

- "I'm not sure Indigo, but I just can't… remain there, watching as something truly stained by magic remains for us to see. I can't stay there while magic may be cursing Pyrrhia again..." The prince admits, his voice getting shaky while his deeply uncertain eyes inspire a kind of pity in the other's heart, but also something else.

Though fortunately for him, his purple partner is not one to leave him like that, her wing quickly covering his back as she leans into his side.

- "It is okay Fathom, I'll stay with you no matter what… And I must say that I do understand why you think that way and respect that." She says as her caring body settles down just after his, her voice firm yet clearly affectionate.

"So you truly think we need to check on Agate Mountain? That we need to accomplish that one quest before truly settling in peace?"

Seeing him think intensely then nod, she does not need more to gently hold his talon with her own, the bandage touching his scales.

"Then we will, I promise you…"

And so the young pair starts their day with trust and energy, Indigo still leading the hunt through the prairies while the other follows, his more joyful gaze not forgetting to check on his mate. For a good hour, the two would use of their talons more than their wings, simply running at their own pace, catching their prey, and hunting the next one after eating a small but well earned meal.

Fortunately for the prince, his beloved remains keen, athletic and determined enough as she often pursues rabbits of all animals. Of course, he could suggest her to seek easier and greater preys, or even hunt seriously at her side, his body bearing no wound that would slow him down, but Fathom finds it charming the way the young dragoness run after humble and fearful prey to the end...

Plunging her fangs into the rabbit's flesh, her draconic form coming to a halt as her claws scar the grassy earth, it is with a cry of victory that Indigo presents her latest reward.

- "Excellent my dear, I didn't expect you would catch this one, but you did." Says the prince as he bridges the gap with her, his gaze a happy one if a bit repulsed by the blood dropping from her mouth.

- "Of course I did!" She replies briefly after letting the corpse fall, freeing herself to speak pridefully with extended wings.

"I told you, royal guards are trained the most in will and body, far more than normal soldiers are. So I would not have been be apt to protect you if I could not fiercely fight and run should I have a wounded paw." She announces with same attitude before her eyes turn to the dead prey, her wounded talon being kept folded.

- "I know, but if it becomes too much of a hassle, then call me out. I don't want you to delay your healing after all..." Replies the green seawing before putting his claws on the bitten rabbit, showing little hesitation as he cuts into its little limbs.

- "Do not worry my prince, that wounds will heal in due time. And a few days after that you will have forgotten about how bad it was."

To her confident words, Fathom keeps his gaze on her, his stance a pretty judging one as his claws move little.

- "Indi-"

- "There is nothing to worry about, and even if there was, you would use your magic to save me like you did a week ago." She tells without hesitation, her wilful gaze facing his with wings rubbing grass as they unfold.

- "You are right about that, but you should be more cautious about what you ask."

- "And why not? Too long you have waited and endured by fear of your own powers messing everything, even when I was at your side just as you secretly wished." She says in response, her other paw reaching the prey's blooded corpse and meeting his.

"I will tell you this as much as I need, your magic doesn't make you evil, your actions do. And every time you used of your magic, you saved me and your tribe, you made Pyrrhia a better place." She adds in a gradually calmer voice, finally deciding to fully lean at his side.

"You… You can not be sure for the last spell I made." The young animus says, his wings somewhat rising against his dragoness.

"Sure, I did enchant the bracelet so Clearsight could banish him as he needed to be stopped, but… Did I make the right choice? Could I not have made something differently to stop his madness? It's just… I feel like he couldn't hear me yet I had so much time..."

Watching her love getting consumed by doubt, his horned head falling in defeat, the royal guard lets go of her heated opinion, preferring to silently support him. So with his wing pushed away and her own covering his back, the purple companion brings what he needs the most.

At this moment, Fathom could continue to voice his doubts, to let his more negative feelings and memories out, but he chooses only to stare at his mate, a mix of worry and relief colouring his eyes.

- "And yet you still want to help others and protect Pyrrhia… My prince, if you feel yourself being courageous enough, why don't you start with something simple?"

Following her own words, the seawing dragoness finally extends her other talon for the both of them to see. As expected, the bandage is still there, still tightly covering her wounded paw as a testament of Fathom's care and humble skill. And now, it is being taken out by his lover's claws, cautiously yet undeniably.

- "Here. If you are ready, you can whisper a few words and heal the scar… Or do it later, or wait for it to heal naturally. The choice is yours."

Seeing no intent but that of waiting for him to choose in his partner's gaze and voice, the young prince begins to think deeply about the matter, his tail rubbing her scales while doing so.

Looking at her scarred paw, it is undeniable that the wound feels nasty, able to inflict pain as it is so unlike the fabric of a healthy skin. It is tempting, just a little tempting to use magic to immediately get rid of that, to clean the dirty sight of it and make the life of another dragon a little better. However, what is at play goes well beyond such a simple concern…

With his wings twitching over the grass and the flowers, Fathom remembers well how magic can be disastrous when its wielder is corrupted, how everyone heard of it consuming the soul, and how it brought him deep misery since the massacre done by Albatross. His grandfather was merciless that day, and his twisted words shall be ones he never forgets, and yet…

And yet his view of magic can no longer be that simple, not when he saved his love and the rest of his tribe that day. At first he did not even consider that fact, so afraid was he by the nightmarish event, but things have changed more than enough to shift his view.

He is no longer the one that cower all the time, the one that lets his fear make him feel fully worthless, the one that lets fate decides for him, nor the one that would go as far as giving up his life and great love for the tribe. He is prince Fathom of the seawings, but now, he plans not to return to the tribe that does not want him anyway, but to live his happy life with the one he is so found of, while also not letting a clear evil happen, no matter matter how clumsy and messy he gets while trying to fight it.

Looking at the horizon, in direction of the mountain crowned by shades of unreal colours, then back into Indigo's eyes, the animus takes a deep breath then answers, his voice hesitant yet clear for both.

"I shall heal that scar, your scar, if I have to. We will fly to Agate Mountain, and if that wound is too much for you to bear, just call me out and I'll heal it."

It is after giving such an answer that the prince wraps her beloved's paw once in the tissue once again, making sure that part is protected before resuming their life. And as he does so, the prince realizes how lasting Indigo's proud and supportive gaze is, which is all he could ask for today...

…

Over the queendom of night, the sun remains high in the clouded sky, and laying on the grass of her garden, a mother watches her surroundings bathed in clear light, albeit hidden by the branches of the closest tree. It is, of course, not common for nightwings to keep their eyes open under the day, especially not when one would gain a lot from resting, but things are different for Soberclaw.

It seems fate has chosen that she would be prone to premature awakenings while voices she can hear from her neighbourhood are… not something to be hopeful about. However, it appears that the nightwing dragoness is not alone as she spots the coming shape of someone else.

Curious, it is after a lone moment of hesitation that Soberclaw comes back to her house's entrance, her wings falling further than she would have liked. Using of slow and gentle paw, the dragoness finally enters with enough grace to be quiet. However, the other one awake did not miss her, and to her relative surprise, it is none other than her son.

"Thoughtful? So you are having trouble sleeping as well..." She says almost in whispers, closing the door behind a swing of her tail.

- "I do, such voices outside are quite unsettling… and even more when you think about it…"

- "I am sorry you have to go through that, but there little we can do except take it in such dire times…"

Having said that, the mother exchanges one last glance with him before heading to kitchen, the younger nightwing naturally following her. Today is a day when the ones awake feel weaker and somewhat dizzy, which is why she takes a bucket of water before moving to the old furnace, its fire little more than embers yet great enough to bring warmth among little flowers.

- "Do you want to drink as well? You seem even more tired than I…"

Thoughtful was about to answer, but a scream resonates loud enough in their quiet house for him to stay silent. And seeing that, the older one is quick to reach him, giving up the bucket to extend a wing over his many scales.

- "Why?" He finally utters with wide, unfocused eyes.

- "I… You may have already heard this, but some of our tribe mates are very unhappy about the orders they may receive, and it seems one of our neighbour got a terrible one recently." She says honestly, her wing desperately trying to sooth the son while she knows the brutal truth can not be hidden.

- "I understand, father did not hide that from me, in fact he seems quite vocal about his fear and disdain toward the current state of our tribe…"

- "You know how he is, none of the ones he loves are spared of his real thoughts on the queendom's situation, far from it." She says, letting out a chuckle that quickly fades.

Looking away, her son still watching her despite the slight dizziness of his gaze, Soberclaw finally plunges her snout in the bucket, tasting its water for a moment before presenting it to him.

- "Thank you mother…" Says the young one as he starts to drink for a long moment, a faint smile appearing on the adult's snout as she retrieves her wing...

"But... what is your plan?" He asks after recoiling his head for the bucket, the mother seeming startled as she takes hold of the item.

- "What do you mean Thoughtful?"

- "I mean that… since the situation is so dire, what are we going to do?"

Seeing the sincere worry of her son's words, his gaze fittingly pleading, Soberclaw thinks for a moment while he watches, silently waiting for an answer.

- "We will do what we can my dear… Your father and I know how grim the future may look, but we can manage that. I believe together we can…" She finally says, gently putting the bucket aside as her tail curls.

- "And if things turn for the worse?"

- "My son, why are you imagining such a thing?" She asks in return, her stance strengthening with a worried gaze.

- "Because… because our tribe is falling, everyone sees it. I promised to Whiteout that I would protect her and give her the best of life after everything she went through, but…"

- "But you feel like you can not… My dear Thoughtful, you are pressuring yourself way too much, you should ask for our help the moment you feel overwhelmed." She completes, finally giving the comfort her son needs with a hug, her whole body settling so she can be at his level.

"We are your parents, we are here for that."

- "I know, but I'm afraid. Afraid you can't always be with us mother…" Thoughtful admits with a reluctant voice, his gaze so full of feelings that the mother wonders if he is on the verge of crying or sleeping.

- "I… I know it is hard for all you when I'm not at home, but I have a job and duties to the tribe. I know they can get in the way, but I have no choice." She responds in a lower tone, Soberclaw's gaze also getting charged with with heavy feeling like regret, pushing her to surround the son further.

- "Are you sure you have no choice mother? Even if the queen were to… to…"

- "To what?" Ask the nightwing dragoness, fearing what his mind may come up with, but also determined enough to see it through.

- "To order your presence on the frontline."

Having her eyes widen then narrowing them, the mother curl her neck, bringing herself to look down with fallen wings as her mind gets heavier.

- "I would do my duty to the tribe. Some need to be on the frontline to defend everyone from the icewings. I know it gets very ugly, on both sides, but unfortunately we are at war." She finally answers after mustering all of her will, yet the son's gaze remains worried and deeply judging.

- "And what if we never see you again? What if something very bad happens when you aren't there?"

- "…"

- "Mother, can you tell me if you have the strength to save us if it means going disobeying the queen." The son finally says, his paw reaching her talon to complement his pleading gaze.

- "Of course I…"

Cut in her own by uncertainty, Soberclaw's eyes go back and forth between the young one and the ceiling. In a single moment, she has been so unsure of herself, her form beginning to shake as she tries desperately to continue her own sentence. Until she closes her eyes and takes a long breath before reopening them, her gaze truly meeting the son this time.

"I would disobey even the queen I must, to save all of you…"

Having said that, the mother does not waste time in hugging Thoughtful, using of her wings and tail to keep him at her side dearly. And for a few long minutes, the two stay like that, Soberclaw not caring if tears begin to fall while her son stays in place, surprised by how vulnerable yet heartful his mother would get, though not regretting that moment one bit...