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Chapter 2: Beginnings hidden no more

Near a fire encaged by stones, its hissing sound occasionally cut by the sudden coming of heavy tools and glass, Thoughtful seems… annoyed. Annoyed because of all that he has gone through recently, producing a mass weighting over his mind while his situation shows no sign of bettering. But still, holding his pipe and the molten substance at the end, the nightwing does what he has done so many times before.

- "You should relax more than a little before holding the tools of our labour... Before you pay for that mistake in burns and cuts." Says the deeper voice of a father watching, his gaze devoid of doubt like his judgement.

- "I'm doing fine enough father, you should worry about Whiteout more..." Replies the younger nightwing, his eyes frowning in the attempt to put the weighting beam under his full control.

- "To worry about her instead of you? Now is not the time to ignore what troubles you son, even if the young dragoness is in a state far worse than you." He says firmly, and hearing such words with conviction, Thoughtful can only be drawn to him.

A shattering sound resonates as his paws snap, marking the start of a more embarrassing moment as the mentor comes to his apprentice's side.

- "Your work is done for now son. Go to rest with your lover, you need it more than you think, just like your mother..."

Starring into his father's eyes for a bit longer, it is with a bit of shame that the night dragon leaves the furnace and its tools. And watching him go, Shadedtail follows him into the next room, a humble place where the dragoness of black and snow lays...

Settling at her side, Thoughtful does not wait to support his partner, his wing extending to offer a partial embrace. And having stared back at him but also at his father, she begins to feel better. A fact reflected in her lighter voice as her tail curls on the polished floor.

- "My dearest companion in these times, please never forget to share your aura with mine and those that bear a wind of encouraging colours. I don't want you to fall like the domain of slumber whispered in my ears in the darkest of times…"

- "He will not, because he will remain at my side. It is already uncertain whenever we will truly have a fitting time with my mate again… I won't let that kind of mistake to be made with my son." Shadedtail declares, his protecting yet rather blunt stance shocking his son.

- "Father, why be so firm about it? I don't need to stay that close to you all the time, and my mother isn't separated from us like you suggest she is. Soberclaw is just… distant for now."

- "Distant? Do you understand the kind of situation our tribe is in? Must I remind you of the kind of powers Vigilance may use in such dire times?"

Hearing his words, Whiteout's lover looks at the ground where a carpet of spiralling motifs is, in a silence of defeat. And covering him with her snowy wing, the young dragoness can only stares at the father, before speaking with her heart, her eyes panicking.

- "Night and cold pierce each other, tear each other. The wounds they deal to all a mindless justification to jump into the pit of despair..."

- "Please Whiteout, stay with us. Thinking about things you have no power over will take from you the joy you have left." Thoughtful replies immediately, a talon passing over her neck to support his matching companion.

- "Unfortunately my son is right. We do not have such a power at the moment. Worrying on such a scale is pointless."

- "But everyone has power! I know the devouring pitch black and scream are so easy to hear and see, but there is... something we can do."

Blinking at her words, Shadedtail sights as he delves deeper into his own thoughts. Yet after a long moment of silence during which the son continued to take care of his lover, his embrace furthering along her body, the older one concludes.

- "I admire your resolve young Whiteout, but for now we must prepare for the worsening of the war. And then we can start to save others…"

…

Flying over the fully mountainous landscape of Pyrrhia, though not without an inextinguishable feeling of being out of the natural realm, two sandwings are reaching their goal. With a known group of dragons in sight, the dragoness exchanges a glance with his companion before letting him take the lead, her eyes now gazing upon the lands like it was the strangest of gems.

- "It seems your words are proven right…" Mutters Drytongue as she watches over the landscape and most notably the collapsed mountain. The light that taints their wounds a foreign and unsettling one. As for what is above, clouds of movements and shapes seeming slightly off are what occupy the sky.

"So that is indeed what you saw with your group, right Dryspine?"

- "It is, though some cracks over what's left of Agate mountain seems to have spread and grown… But I am not sure, so we'll have to conclude only when the others give us their reports."

Nodding in agreement with her pointed snout, the dragoness continues her flight as her acolyte shows the way. A focus on his team being something even the stained place and its atmosphere can hardly take from the younger sandwing…

Landing on the relatively warmer soil, not far above from the forest of fir trees surrounding the vast area, the younger sandwing is first to join the rest of his team. With some members being more than welcoming in their stance while others still watch over the territory, and what seems to be the nexus of all this uncanny magic.

- "Dryspine and Drytongue? I suppose you flew a bit faster than expected…" Comments the skywing closest to the coming pair, a faint smile appearing on his snout as he steps closer.

- "Really? Then it is good news… But returning to what matters, can you show me what you have found after hours of watching over Agate mountain and around?" Replies the leading dragoness, her voice becoming fully serious as she takes a look around.

- "I will, follow me."

Marching forward with confidence, the equipped skywing quickly surprises his follower when he halts not long after, his gaze turned at the mountain's ruined top and its aura.

"Before we fly to the crater's center, I must inform you miss Drytongue that the magical atmosphere has slightly lessened in intensity, but is still disorienting. It may also be that such a thing is affecting our health, so we better be quick."

Glancing at the dragoness which seems to think more deeply, Dryspine finally speaks up a moment later when he sees no opposing sign from her.

- "Then we will be quick Keenfang. Take the lead and don't worry, we are still far from fully exhausted."

Nodding at his words, the skywing waits not to run and soar in the sky, quickly followed by the two sandwings. And now that everyone is focused, the group can head for what the team has been observing lately…

Going for the now fallen zenith of Agate mountain, Drytongue can discover how far it has collapsed and been corrupted. Sensing the unsettling atmosphere getting more intense, the dragoness nonetheless stays focused and patient to satisfy her curiosity. And quickly, she spots the intriguing shapes of a few over the more than coloured center.

- "What are your team doing there? Do you have the slightest idea of what that spot and the nightwing over are?" The older sandwing asks, her voice tainted by doubt but remaining firm.

- "We can speculate, but you will surely find now is not the appropriate time for it. So to be quick, magic seems to be at its strongest there, where the nightwing dragoness lays."

- "Have you gotten some informations about her?" Asks Dryspine, genuinely interested as he glances at his leading companion.

- "Beside the fact she is unconscious, none. But maybe things have changed, we'll see…"

Having said that, it is in silence that Keenfang continues to lead with his larger wings, the two sandwings having no trouble with the area even if there is an unshakable sense of ominousness to it. And soon, the trio reach the black dragoness…

Still laying on her side over the almost mystical soil, the battered nightwing is at the mercy of the sandwing and skywing present at her side, as well as the coming ones. And despite knowing of what to expect, it is the younger sandwing who is unsettled the most, a detail his acolytes do not miss.

- "Just stay focused Dryspine. If you can't bear that sight, look at your team members or even at me."

Blinking, the dragon slightly shakes its head before regaining his thoughts, and with a thankful nod for Drytongue and her words. Before the skywing asks a much needed question, the gazes of the two now on him.

- "So how has her state evolved? And have you gathered anymore information concerning her?"

- "She is still unconscious, even if her body can react to our touch and shake at times. I'm really not sure about what we should do for her, but at least her wounds are healing slightly." Answer the sandwing in a mildly tired voice before doing a little check on her.

- "He is right, we have tried, but it is not with our means that she will wake up. As for her identity or anything else concerning her, we do not know. But we have taken a lot of notes, so maybe another in our organizations could know…" Adds the female skywing in a similar tone.

Having listened to their answers, the sandwing dragoness finds herself deep in thoughts, trying to conclude the best course of actions. Some glance at her while the sky remains stained by magic, but fortunately for them, Drytongue is not one to waste time when choosing.

- "Then that nightwing dragoness shall be brought to our healers and under our roof."

Turning to the skywing dragoness, she waits not to give orders.

"You, if you aren't too tired, shall fly to our outpost and inform my dragons that we are coming back with her, and at a slower pace."

Nodding at her voice of authority, said dragoness is rather fast when it comes to soar in the sky, her powerful wings blowing at the others while she leaves the mountain.

"Now call out the rest of your team, we have a battered nightwing to escort..."

…

Laying on the beach while the sky is full of stars to give the moons company, two seawings stay close to each other. With their eyes closed, the pair of green and purple seems quite happy under the crude shelter made near a palm tree. But despite the absence of something too noisy reaching their ears, the prince and his love will soon wake up as some silent figures leave their tropical forest, the gazes of all not missing them.

Stepping over the sand of the beach, the sound of their steps overwhelmed by the blowing wind and the waves endlessly crashing into the sand, a group of dragons shows itself. With their shapes partially covered by the night, each of them approaches the sleeping pair and their possessions until they circle them...

- "Seawings, what are you doing near the rainwing domain?!"

Hearing the booming voice of an unknown one, Indigo is first to wake up, followed closely by Fathom. Her eyes immediately staring at the armed rainwing in front of her, she is quick to get into a battle stance while her partner stays behind, shaking.

- "W-Who are you?" Asks the prince, his voice so full of doubts the pointed spear of the nearest one flinches.

- "A watcher and a guardian of the rainforest just like my companions. And you two, who are you to be there?"

Glancing around to spot the five other dragons as well as the partial focus they have on her bare shelter and its content, Indigo frowns. But quickly, she shapes her anger in fitting words, her protective stance unflinching.

- "I am Indigo, royal guard of the seawings, and the one behind is Fathom, prince of the same tribe. Whatever you think of doing, you better think again because queen Pearl won't let your mistakes go unpunished!"

Blinking at her words, the closest rainwing cast a quick glance at her peers before making a few steps back. And in silence, all six of them relax their hold on their weapons, making them fall partially.

- "Is that so?" Asks cautiously another rainwing on the beach, his voice neither soft nor too hostile.

- "If the markings of the green one matches that of the dynasty, then she is right." Replies another as the two seawings wait for them to act.

- "But I-I don't understand, why are you threatening us?! We haven't done anything wrong nor broken your laws, right?" The prince says in his most nervous voice, the attention he draws to himself making him regret his courageous act.

- "My prince is right, we haven't entered yet in the Rainforest. You can not condemn us if you serve your queen." Adds Indigo as she brings herself even closer to her partner, her face still as determined while she keeps an eye on everyone.

A long moment of silence follows as the rainwings exchanges many glances, but in the end, it is Fathom of all dragons who decides to speak.

- "How about we leave and forget this ever happened? This way, no one gets into trouble…"

Turning to him, his purple lover does not seem to like his proposal. But against what she thoughts, a spear reach the sand.

- "We will report our encounter, but you will suffer no trouble Fathom of the seawings, just like your companion."

Having said his words to the prince, the rainwing turns her back before talking to her teammates.

- "Our work here is done. I will inform those who need it while you continue to watch over border."

And with that, the speaker soars in the sky with a spear held by her tail, blowing over everyone as her wings fiercely bring her higher…

Staring for longer at the five others who turn back to venture on the edge of their queendom, Indigo looks away when she feels her partner's touch.

- "I'm alright Fathom, just bit nervous and… frustrated." She says in a rather tired voice, her purple eyes asking for the support he gives her.

- "I know, I myself did not know how… that event would have turned out. But we always stay together, right?"

- "Indeed, I will not squander our true chance at love now that we have it… But we still have to find a better place to settle at. Any idea?"

Blinking at her last sentence, the green dragon feels uncertain once again, his head lowering before he answers in that common voice she would prefer not to hear.

- "Maybe we can fly back and choose a spot close to the sky queendom?"

- "I suppose that's a simple but effective choice, though we will have to remain on our guard and adapt..."

Having said that, Indigo begins by grabbing her satchel, and like her, Fathom prepares himself for their flight. Now that the two properly wear their own satchel with the appropriate content, it is without complain if a little unfocused that the pair ascends in the sky, under the light of the moons and stars...