Yordraan: A land of endless wonders. Vast rolling lands, roaring tides, trees twisting towards the heavens.
Massive landmasses floating in the sky with thick vines tethering them to earth.
An enormous tree that reaches into the heavens with a kingdom built within and around it.
Many creatures freely dwell in these lands. Humans, beastkin, fantastical creatures and of course.. dragons.
The creatures that rule the skies like no other. Thick scales, strong muscles and a short temper.
In the past, mighty wars were waged between humans and dragons. After countless years of bloodshed exchanged between the two races, peace began to emerge as the dust of conflict slowly began to settle.
The dragon race suffered a mighty blow to their already dwindling population. This is where the decision to strive for peace began to take hold. The dragons begrudgingly followed through with this decree of peace, regardless of their overwhelming pride.
After roughly fifty years of this peace, the dragons began to live the way humans do. They established governments and even went as far as building kingdoms with similar hierarchies and class systems.
Many dragons longed for the traditional days, this way of living became the new norm for many of their kind. Those who rejected this way of life, became resentful of the humans for destroying their ancient traditions.
Thus, they abandoned these kingdoms and became wanderers and renegades, forming factions to overthrow humanity's stranglehold on their kin.
They will even fight with their own kin to accomplish this goal..
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At this very moment of time, high up in the night sky, effervescent beasts were wrapped in conflict. Several of them seemed to be ganging up against a single slender dragon.
Their cries pierced the starry horizon as they cleaved the clouds high up before a bright pearl in the sky.
It appeared to be female with a strong yet graceful form.
Her azure scales glistened brilliantly in the silver moonlight.
Deep cuts covered her body, saturating the night air with a crimson mist aroma. She chuckled as she struggled against the fellow sky reptiles.
"Hehe! Is that the best you can do?" Her voice was proud with a cadence of malice.
Six, no, seven of these beasts battled relentlessly with her, but her experience in combat was like no other as she evaded most of their attacks in the sky.
A cold blue lightning flowed through her shimmering body, capable of vanquishing many of her foes with the cry of a thousand birds resounding through the air.
However, they had their own abilities that filled the sky with colorful fireworks. That, and compounded with their sheer numbers overwhelmed her, regardless of said experience.
*FOOOOSH!*
A lucky hit connected to her under-wing.. A strike that couldn't be seen by the naked eye as it resembled a strong displacement of air that cleaved her.
This attack made her fall unconscious as she slowly plummeted towards earth.
Four remained as they flew in place, watching her spiraling descent.
They gathered their breath as they spoke with exhaustion in each of their voices.
"*Huff* What a troublesome female!" The voice of a scoundrel resounded.
"Indeed! Well, her arrogance got the best of her in the end!" The second firm voice exclaimed.
"S-should we confirm the kill?" A timid male voice sounded.
"Don't bother, you sensed it too, didn't you? Her soul resonance vanished the second that attack connected, she's long gone.." The final silhouette said as they flew off shortly after into the dead of night.
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The next day in a lush valley brimming with wildlife. Birds and insects sung songs of life, filling the land with a warm and welcoming allure.
The sun shined a vibrant light through the flickering trees that laced the rolling hillsides.
One could exhale a deep breath of crisp satisfaction to the grandeur these lands give off.
A thin man in his early thirties walked atop the hillside. He had long jet-black hair that was braided, running down his back. He carried various pouches on his satchel that contained the fragrance of crushed and powdered plantlife.
He raised his bright blue eyes in the direction of the rising sun and exhaled a deep and relaxing breath.
"Nice morning.." He muttered to himself as he took in the majestic scenery.
He continued on, gathering plants and fungi then stuffing them in his many pouches. He entered a forest with mossy logs littering the ground. Walking along them he scanned the area for other forms of plantlife.
Looking up, he noticed some freshly broken branches overhead.
"Hm!? What that from that odd thunderstorm last night? But there's no burn marks.."
Not long after, he spotted something in the distance. A blueish beast, clad in scales which glistened in the flickering sunlight that danced through the leaves above.
It was seemingly unconscious, hence the man was hesitant to approach. However his keen eyes noticed something about this beast. It had cuts littered about it's scaly body and was barely breathing.
This caused the man to dash towards the wounded creature with the intent to assist. He leapt on top of a log and was about to jump down to her.
Although it sensed his presence and stood up on it's four feet and shouted threateningly.
"Stay back, human! I may be injured, but I'm still more than capable of defending myself against the likes of you!"
The voice sounded feminine, but was nevertheless imposing, deep and intimidating.
She was fairly average size for a lesser dragon. They commonly were slightly larger then humans. This one in particular was 10 feet from the head to her jagged webbed tail fin.
The man halted his dash then extended a polite greeting before the blue reptile.
"Many apologies, fair dragon. But you appear to be in injured. With your permission, I would wish to treat your wounds."
Her eyes quietly glistened amethyst as he continued to speak her way.
"You see, I'm a herbalist and I have medicine that could ease your pain and hasten your recovery."
The dragon poofed it's proud chest forward and scoffed at the man's sentence.
"Hah! Relying on the hands of a human to heal me? Just leave me be.." The creature suddenly seemed crestfallen as it turned and limped away on her only good three legs.
"Heh.. You dragons sure are stubborn." The man huffed teasingly with a smile.
Looking over her shoulder, the dragon slowly spun around and huffed bitterly.
"You must understand. Stay away from me, you'll be in danger if you don't.."
"Is that a threat?"
The man jumped three feet down off the mossy log he was standing along. He was now at eye level with the amethyst jewels that looked back at him in question.
He extended a handshake toward the winged reptile.
"My name is Borris Remfur, a herbalist."
The azure dragon glanced back at the man's face who seemed to have a rather calm demeanor. She could sense that it wasn't a facade that most humans would put on to deceive her.
She didn't return the handshake, but she decided to give him her name.
"Vassirth of the Silverwing clan.."
Her voice was less imposing but was actually rather serene.
Borris nodded and spoke with exuberance. "Nice ta' meet cha, Vassirth. Would you still protest the idea of me assisting you?"
Vassirth for whatever reason felt the need to trust this man. Something about him made her feel calm. Vassirth remained reticent but gave a nod of approval, letting out a annoyed sigh.
"Very well.. have it your way.."
Borris happily huffed and opened one of his bags and sifted through his belongings.
He then pulled out a container and spoke excitedly.
"This is a special salve for treating and sealing open wounds! Just let me apply this then you can be on your merry way."
Vassirth turned her head away from him, muttering under her breath.
"Just be quick about it.."
Borris then quietly applied the salve. He then noticed the wounds were rather deep and serious, more so than he originally thought. Deep cuts that resembled claw marks along with a semicircular burn mark under her wing. He couldn't help and ask with concern written on his face.
"What happened to you? These look pretty severe.."
Vassirth grumbled while talking over her shoulder at him.
"None of your business.."
Borris sustained his look of concern as he finished his procedure.
"Well.. whatever happened, you're in no condition to move around, let alone fly. The wounds would reopen if you attempted such.."
Vassirth folded he wings back to her side and let out a somewhat soft voice.
"You needn't worry about me.. I can handle myself.."
Vassirth hobbled a few steps until she staggered slightly, clasping her shoulder as Borris chimed in shortly after.
"You're not fine, Vassirth! You need time to recuperate!"
Vassirth gathered herself and looked over at Borris.
"Then what do you propose?.."
"You can stay with me and my son until you get better! We live on the outskirts of a peaceful town, so you won't draw attention from the townspeople if you were to stay with us."
Vassirth gave a queer look at the disheveled man who smelled like a bouquet of summer flowers.
Most humans would never offer keep to a dragon -- let alone heal their wounds with medicine.
Vassirth became amused as she cracked a slight smile.
"Tell me, human; why do you trust me? Most humans would steer clear of my kind.."
Borris gave a hearty laugh as he explained with cheer.
"Heheh! Well~ I do have some friends that happen to be dragons, so I tend to be more understanding then most."
He said with a voice as sincere and innocent like a jubilant child.
Vassirth agreed to let this man lead her to his house to recover. She was also secretly curious about this odd human. She struggled to keep up with the man's unusual route back to his home. The path he took was rather obscure and shrouded with dense foliage.
After an hour traipsing through the woods, they stood before a hilltop that overlooked a fairly large village that was nestled at the base of the mountains.
The town was also host to a large expanse of farmland that hummed with the rotating blades of wooden windmills.
Currently, Farmers were tending to these lands under the warm sun.
The village was still pretty far, but one could see the small specks of people that moved about below.
Vassirth could easily see the tiny beings faces from here with her dragon sight.
Most dragons have an astonishing eyesight that could be compared to an eagle's. The one's that don't have this gift are commonly the flightless drakes.
Borris could tell that Vassirth was focusing with her vision. When a dragon does this, it is visually noticeable since their pupils narrow into vertical slits.
Borris gave a light nudge to Vassirth's torso with his elbow.
"There's no need to inspect the townspeople. They're just average farmers going about their daily routines. So there's nothing to fear, but they are rather uneasy around your kind."
After a brief moment passed, they made their way to a small lone wooden house nested closely between two massive trees. Smoke was twisting out of the cobblestone chimney with the scent of hickory filling the air.
"Here we are." Exclaimed Borris as he hopped down towards the wood shingled house.
Vassirth slowly followed while observing the surroundings.
A small garden sat nearby with various lush and colorful plants.
An outdoor firepit with large mossy logs that were being used as seats surrounded it. The area was simplistic, cozy and inviting.
As they approached, Vassirth passively acknowledged the fairly large town in the distance. It was located at the base of a mountain range which this area overlooks it by a few miles. It could easily be referred to as a city with the population looking to roughly in the thousands.
However the buildings weren't too massive nor elaborate since they appeared to be made of wood with thatch roofs.
There did to appear to be more extravagant homesteads, but they were few and far between.
"Why don't you live with the rest of the humans down there?" Vassirth asked as she followed Borris to the house.
"Simply put, this location is ideal for my profession. It is close to many ingredients I use in my concoctions. Sure, it's a pain to travel to town for supplies, but it would've been a greater pain to walk so far for said ingredients. So I settled in between."
As they reached the door of the house, Borris reached for the handle of the door as it abruptly swung open. Dashing out was a young boy with mid-long wild silver hair. He had rather drab clothing with patches upon the knees. Roughly at the age of 12 with a look of exuberance written on his face as he rushed out.
"Father! I'm done stoking the fire for you, can I please go outside and-" his sentence was halted upon laying eyes on the azure reptile behind Borris.
Not fear, but confusion struck him as he responded. "Who's this? She doesn't look like she's from around here."
Vassirth glanced back at this odd child who didn't seem intimidated in the slightest. Most humans normally show some level of fear when in the presence of a dragon. However this child doesn't seem perturbed at all.
"Odd.." She muttered. "Do you not fear my kind, child?"
The boy grinned brightly. "Ofcourse not! One of my friend's happen to be a dragon. Although I've never seen your type before!"
Sounds familiar, Vassirth thought to herself as Arther then began asking endless questions towards her.
"What kind of dragon are you? Never heard of one with blue scales in the books I've read! Are you an Un'dula dragon? Or a Fra'neer?"
As he continued to bombard Vassirth with these questions, he advanced closer with exuberance in his eyes.
The boy became rather rambunctious as Borris stepped in to settle him down.
"Okay, Arther, relax. Vassirth isn't here for pleasantries and play, she's here to recover from some grievous wounds."
Arther was so distracted he didn't even acknowledge the cuts up and down the dragon's body up until now.
"What?- What happened to you?"
"None of your business, child.."
Vassirth coldly said while dismissively waving the back of her talon through the air in his direction.
"Hm? Okay.." Arther huffed politely in response as he turned his attention back to Borris. "Anyway, father, can I go out and play?"
"Alright, Arther. Just make sure you return before dark!" He shouted as Arther already began to run off with a carefree smile, returning words over his shoulder.
"Will do!"
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Elsewhere in a small village, cries of pain filled the air and the scent of blood followed.
Shortly after, mobs formed with farming tools in hand as they brandished it before a large wounded reptile. Covered in cuts and bruises, it stood, glaring down at the rats that appeared before him.
A small human leg hung from its maw, dripping with blood from being freshly removed.
It's thoughts rushed with euphoria from the effects of consuming human flesh.
It was said that if dragons consume human flesh, it creates a rush of adrenaline and regeneration at a cost of one's sanity. They become blood drunk, blind with violence and seeking an additional fix.
It snarled before the farmers who quickly became intimidated before the ravenous beast.
"Hmhmhm! More foolish bags of meat.."
*Flop!*
Dropping the human leg from it's mouth, it aimed it's red gaze in the direction of the farmers who unanimously became paralyzed with fear.
Trembling, they slowly backed away as the red demon drew nearer, waiting for the right moment to strike.
*Shtick!*
An arrow stuck at the reptile's feet, halting it's movements and casting it's look over the fearful mob.
A man standing atop a nearby house with a silver bow in hand. Clad in a dark red tricorn hat aswell along with a coat that twisted in the breeze. He shouted sternly down at the beast.
"So you became desperate enough to hunt human flesh to recover from your wounds, hm? What a shameful thing for a dragon resort to! Pity on the poor and innocent souls you claimed for such cheap thrills!"
Jumping from the rooftop, he firmly landed whilst gripping his hat atop his head while on the way down.
Raising his gaze that matched the garb he wore, he peered at the farmers who turned his way in disbelief.
"Get lost!" He sternly shouted at the crowd. "You fools are no match for him!"
The farmers were still a bit stunned by the beasts malicious aura -- along with the man's insane bravery. They nevertheless nodded at the mysterious man and stepped aside.
The reptile began to let out a chilling laugh. "Hmhmhm! Amusing.. A human thinks he could down me? Certainly a jest!"
As his words fell, the winged beast began to charge towards the man who remained calm with a smile emerging on his face.
"So.. he decided to come at me head on, hm? I accept such a bold challenge."
Suddenly a female voice resonated from the coiling silver bow in his hand at that very moment.
"You don't mean to.. Vincent!"
*Chuckle..*
In an instant the bow gave off an instantaneous flash of white light. As the beast slowly jumped towards him in the air. He was greeted with the end of a spearhead plunged between his eyes.
"!!" The onlookers became silent in astonishment of what they witnessed before their very eyes.
The mysterious man plunged the spear into the head of the beast, a spear of which seemingly appeared in place of his bow.
As the dragon froze in place from suffering this fatal blow. Shock and disbelief followed.
"H-how!?.." it muttered as it fell to the side, lifeless.
After a moment of silence, rhe farmers fell to their knees, praising the man who seemingly brought forth a miracle before their very eyes.
"We thank you, sir! You avenged our children and friends in one fell swoop, whereas we failed miserably.."
They all lowered their heads before him in gratitude. He simply ignored them and kneeled before the red scaled monster riddled with scars.
The blood soaked spear in his hand pulsed gently as a voice echoed out. "Ha! Was that really necessary!? I'm covered in blood now! Hey! Are you listening, Vincent!"
The villagers calmly watched the mysterious hunter quietly kneel down before dead creature.
"Hmph!" He grunted in annoyance. "I was lucky. If this dragon wasn't so injured, this fight would've ended differently. In addition to that, he was blood-drunk and didn't even resort to utilizing his soul resonance! Damn!"
He huffed as the farmers raised their heads.
"Um.. sir, are you talking to yourself?" One of the farmers cautiously asked.
The mysterious man turned his crimson gaze at the farmers who laid eyes upon his face for the first time.
He appeared to be fairly young, roughly in his late twenties with pale and almost sickly complexions on his face. Long and silver-like hair twisted and danced akin to the stars above. Most notably, pointed ears somewhat stemmed upwards from the side of his head.
"Is he.. a dark elf!?" Openly exclaimed one of the farmers in disbelief.
Dark elves were said to be extinct, if not, exceedingly rare. It was hard to say due to the vastness of the world and the many forests they are known to dwell in.
However he shook his head with a smirk emerging on his face.
"Not entirely.. Names Vincent Rignheardt, Human and drow blood flows in these veins."
"Hey! Damn it, Vincent! Get this blood off of me already!" The spear pulsed as the voice made a snarky reply.
Oddly enough, the farmers didn't take notice nor respond to the spears comment as they returned to their feet.
"Well, whether you be human or not, you saved our town from that tyrant and we owe you our lives for that."
As they thanked him, Vincent stood up and glanced over his shoulder at them.
"Don't thank me. I didn't come here for heroics or anything of the sort. I'm currently looking for someone, and this monster may have something to do with her."
Vincent walked aside, bypassing the farmers who thanked him regardless of his aloof attitude.
After a few steps outside of the village, the silver bow in his hand began to speak to him once more.
"Now why did you have to be so cold to those people? You really have to work on your social skills, Vincent!"
Vincent remained silent as he continued to walk down the sunlit trail, underneath a canvas of green velvet.
"Are ya hearing me!?-"
"-Artemis." Vincent calmly interrupted as the silver bow became stunningly hesitant.
"Uh! What?"
"Which way?"
The bow pulsed a faint blue as it spoke with bitter annoyance. "Is that all you have say after blatantly ignoring me for the past few minutes!? And the first thing outta your mouth is asking for directions!? What an ungrateful Oathkeeper you are!"
Vincent sighed with a sarcastic smile. "Which way, pretty please?"
Artemis fell silent momentarily until she spoke in defeat.
"Ah~ roughly six miles west.."
"Good girl." He calmly responded in a mocking manner.
"Pfft!"
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Meanwhile, Vassirth slumbered in the rather small dwelling whilst curling on top a bedroll.
She thought to herself as she laid awake.
"As long as I keep my soul resonance in check, no danger should come of this place.. I was foolish, thinking I could handle this on my own.. I'm certainly not as young as I used to be. In my prime, I could've handled those reprobates with a snap of a finger. Unfortunately he's right.. I've gotten too stubborn in my rapidly declining youth.."
"Hm?" Nodding up, Vassirth caught a wiff of a warm delicious scent.
Her violet eyes blinked over the shoulder of Borris cooking in the hearth. A crockpot bubbled gently as the blue reptile analyzed it over his shoulder until he noticed her odd behavior.
"Okay~ what's going on with you, Vassirth?"
"Hm?" She responded whilst standing up from her sitting position.
"Your burning it." She said with slight apprehension.
"So~ you have an eye for the culinary arts? Can't say I've met a dragon who is-"
"-Step aside." Vassirth interjected as she almost forcibly pushed Borris aside.
She grabbed the stirring utensil with her azure talon and took over the cooking station.
"Rather brash, no?" Borris snickered.
Vassirth huffed with a pouting expression on her scaly lips.
"I most certainly will not consume burnt stew as long as I'm here." Her scrunched up demeanor waned. "Anyway.. do you have rogtune spice?"
"Ah!- um!.. what is that?" Borris said in a stupefied manner.
"I'll take that as a no." Vassirth set her sights on the other assortment of spices that were laying about and made use of them with the rabbit stew.
"Here, try it." Vassirth said whilst extending the ladle in Borris's direction.
Upon tasting it, his tastebuds were overwhelmed with amazement as his eyes almost watered with tears of joy.
"Amazing! I didn't know I had spices capable of such flavor!"
Vassirth chuckled. "You're a herbalist, are you not? Surely you would be capable of brewing an edible stew with your talents."
Borris sighed. "Sadly, no. I just don't have a knack for that field. My talents excell at mixing curatives and the odd sort. They make a far better profit nowadays."
Vassirth moved the crockpot out of the flames to simmer as Borris looked on.
"Vassirth, you wouldn't happen to be a mother, would you?"
Vassirth's movements flinched as she lowered her head. The webbed fins on the side of her head flicked slightly upon hearing Borris ask that.
He could easily spot her turbulence as he apologized. "Sorry, I didn't realize it was a loaded question."
Vassirth's eyes narrowed in sadness as she spoke in a crestfallen manner. "No. It's only natural for our kind. We are commonly born sterile without being gifted with the privilege of parenthood like your kind is."
Vassirth turned to Borris with a look of heartache. "I sometimes envy humans. You get to experience the joys of parenthood whereas I'm destined to never experience such."
"So is that why you're so reckless?" Borris asked bluntly, with a rather concerned expression.
Vassirth scoffed stubbornly. "Pah! Like you humans know what it's like. Your kind is abundant throughout this world as mine is slowly dwindling and dying off.."
Borris apologized with a look of regret. "Sorry, I guess that was rather insensitive of me."
"Hmph! That it was, but think nothing of it." Vassirth said with her amethyst eyes glaring to the side.
"Anyway, may I ask where the mother of this household is?"
Borris returned a crestfallen expression. "My wife died shortly after giving birth to Arther."
Vassirth sighed in equal regret to Borris's expression. "I guess when it comes to insensitive questions, this makes us even."
Borris lightly chuckled, dismissing the rooms gloomy air. "Hmhm, Think nothing of it. It happened a long time ago and I've come to terms with it. Though it truly does illustrate how fragile human life can be. But you could also say, that's what motivated me to excel in this vocation."
Vassirth glanced at the shelves above that were littered with medicines and unknown substances.
"I see. I take it she suffered from an illness?" Vassirth asked.
"Something like that. It was an illness that stuck with her since she was born. I managed to find remedies that helped her condition, but I couldn't find a way to cure it outright."
Borris stood up and looked at the evening sky outside the window.
"I was amazed she was able to conceive a child in her state, it was nothing short of a miracle. Regardless of the loss I suffered, I wouldn't trade it for a anything as long as my son continues to draw breath."
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Within the nearby town below, countess people carried about with their daily business. Smith's thrashed their hammers, peddlers haggled their wears. The town had a vast market of goods that gave off the scent of cooked meat, vegetables and hot fires sparking iron towards the skies.
It was simply robust and peaceful with cheerful laughter filling the air.
"Excuse me sir!" A vender called out to a passerby. "You look like you could use a new garb that would suit a noble like yourself!"
Turning to face the vender was none other than Vincent with a polite yet annoyed expression. "Thanks but no thanks! I'm actually rather busy and I'm not in the need of new clothes."
A bracelet on Vincent's wrist echoed a familiar female voice. "Ha! That's what you get for wearing such a flashy outfit! You're drawing too much attention from the peddlers around here!"
The vender was slightly disheartened but was still nonetheless friendly. "Aw, that's a shame. Forgive me for my intrusiveness, sir, but you're not from around here, are you?"
Vincent was somewhat surprised as he responded. "What makes you think that?"
"Hm!" The jolly vender chuckled. "Call it intuition, my friend! You just seem like you walk a different stride then the regulars that pass through the market."
Vincent turned his eyes to the side as he responded with a smirk. "Indeed your astute eyes are right on the money."
"Hah! I thought as much!" The vender resounded proudly, practically beating his chest in cheer.
"If that's the case, let me inform you about this place we call home."
The vender swept his gaze at the distant farmlands and the hundreds of houses stacking upon eachother nearby.
"This is Domville, the village of plenty! Since we are nestled at the base of vast mountains, we are abundant in our crop yields year around due to the streams that runoff the peaks. As a result, we've grown significantly in numbers after the past few decades. So much so, we could actually be considered a city at this point."
Vincent glanced at the nearby venders as the man gave his spiel. He noticed strange types of rare flora that didn't seem possible to grow in this area. He recognized a six-sided indigo flower that only grew on cliff faces, a life-threatening task for a mere human to undertake.
Vincent then turned his attention back as he asked with a stern expression. "Is there something else you're not telling me?"
The vender became befuddled, sensing his seriousness. "W-what do you mean?"
Vincent mentioned the flower that the other vender had nearby and described the method of how they are acquired.
"I see.. I guess I should also mention the other thing about this town."
The vender leaned forward and answered Vincent's question in an almost clandestine manner. "Ya'see, we also have a trading deal with a dragon fortress atop one of these mountains nearby. Even though you can't see it from this angle, it's up there where the sun settles in the evening."
Vincent became astonished upon hearing this as he replied in kind. "You're actually in a trading deal with dragons? That's quite something."
The vender thought differently about Vincent's words as he hung his head shamefully. "You say that like it's a good thing."
Vincent angled his head at the vender as he elaborated. "Sure, the goods they give in return have outstanding value and usefulness. But everytime they come here, an overwhelming sense of unease falls upon the market. Many of the settlers have suffered loss at the talons of these creatures, and it shows. I myself, are one of those people, and I don't approve of seeing those things coming to my town.. They simply cannot be trusted!"
Later, Vincent pondered what the middle aged vender spoke of. He seemingly talked to himself as nearby children played.
"This town seems to live in a completely different world then what we're familiar with. Never would I imagine that a town would consort with dragons, at least, outside of the Yorda citadel."
The female voice pulsed within the bracelet on his wrist. "Indeed, things have started to change in the last few years. Although they may have an underlying fear, they are still willing to associate with them, for moderate gains at least.."
"Does it bother you, Artemis?" Vincent said as he sensed a mild displeasure in the female voice.
"In a sense, yes. That would mean the purpose of which I was created makes me an obsolete relic of the past.."
Vincent lightly chuckled in response. "Hehe! Then that makes two of us!"
Artemis concurred as Vincent relaxed on a bench where it was stationed between the town and the farmland.
He took a moment and a deep breath not long after asking the silver bracelet a question.
"So, You're sure Vassirth is alive then?"
"I'm positive, she's trying to conceal her soul resonance from detection, however it can't fool me! Tracking her kind is what I was made for!"
Artemis said as she chuckled aloud with pride in her voice.
Vincent put his hands above his head and slumped on the bench. "Then there's no big rush then. I should catch some shut-eye before I hunt her down."
He was about to doze off as a ball nudged against his foot. He raised his head to see a boy with wild platinum hair, grabbing the ball next to his foot.
"Sorry mister! Didn't mean to disturb you!"
It turned out to be none other than Arther, the son of the hilltop herbalist.
Vincent remained silent as he attempted to return a polite nod, but it came off as slightly intimidating with cold crimson eyes aiming in his direction.
Artemis spoke freely. "Geez, Vincent! Way to spook the kid!"
"Hm?" Arther angled his head at the bracelet on Vincent's wrist.
"Say, mister, how did you do that?"
Slightly annoyed but mostly disinterested, Vincent responded as he slumped back into position.
"Do what?"
"You know, make that voice come out of that bracelet! Are you a ventriloquist or something?"
Suddenly Vincent's eyes became wide awake as he sprung to his feet in astonishment. "What!?" He shouted. "How is a child like you able to hear Artemis!?"
Arther cautiously backed away from Vincent with an uneasy smile. "Hehe! Hey now, I'm just asking a simple question! And.. her name is Artemis?"
Arther blankly glanced at the bracelet.
Strange.. Arther recalled experiencing something like this before.
Although.. He'd rather not think about something that might upset him. After all, Artemis probably was nothing like *him*..
After Arther briefly observed the bracelet, Artemis spoke cheerfully.
"Hello!"
"Hehe!" Arther chuckled innocently. "Say, that's really cool! Where can I get one of those talking brackets!?"
Vincent utilized an ability to secretly speak with Artemis in his mind. He didn't think he had to do this here, but around this particular child, it was necessary.
"Artemis, how is this possible? I can't imagine a kid at his age is able to detect soul resonance? It takes years of training!"
"Hell, I don't know. I can't say I've heard of it in the hundreds of years of my existence. Perhaps he's something of a prodigy?"
After a moment passed, which seemed like a few seconds. Suddenly a young girl called out to Arther from afar.
"Hey! Arther!" A girl who appeared to be similar in age to Arther ran up. Short blonde hair that touched her narrow cheeks swayed as she stomped up to him. She dressed like a summer flower with a short dress that rivaled the sunset along with black slacks underneath.
Dispite her appearance, she had rather brash mannerisms.
"Where have you been!?" She shouted angrily towards Arther as he was readying himself to run away from her.
He retreated slightly with a nervous cadence to his voice. "Uh, nowhere important, Crislye!" He said as he bursted into a sprint whilst throwing the ball aside with laughter following.
The girl gave chase as she continued to threaten him while running after.
As they ran out of sight, Vincent looked on as Artemis interjected. "Seems like a normal kid to me."
Vincent still befuddled, gave a nod. "Yeah, so he seems.."
Casting his hand aside, he spoke firmly. "Nevermind that child, let's continue to where Vassirth is."
"What about rest?" Artemis asked.
"Like I could rest after experiencing that. Besides, I shouldn't waste anymore time with that dangerous beast on the loose."
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Atop a nearby mountain, carved against a vast cliffside was various cubbies with stone balconies outcropping each entrance.
Scaled beasts danced in the sky as they occasionally landed on these balconies. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, accompanied with the faint sounds of cheer in the air.
They socialized and worked on these platforms throughout the day. Torches lit the indoor sections that resembled caves with stylized patterns carved on the walls.
A large meeting room with sunlight beaming through a skylight resting on a table made of insulated wood.
This cavern was the house of the Ziesioss clan. A Furion race of dragons, a common race known for their fiery temperaments.
It was appropriate to their appearance since they are clad in blood red scales with an amber underbelly. Three horns with slight inward curves on each side of their face, making their heads resemble a thicket of cruel rose thorns.
Four of the adults sat upright across from eachother as they shared a serious discussion.
An elder wyvern who emanated resolute wisdom from his being.
An adult male with lavish golden rings on his fingers.
His snarky mate who had similar jewelry tightly wrapped around her horns which resembled blue clear crystal rings.
And finally a middle aged male with an apprehensive glint in his scarred pale eye.
"So what's the news on the sudden surge of soul resonance that occurred yesterday?" Asked the scarred dragon as he glanced at the elder wyvern.
With cracked and worn scales, he raised his eyes with a gleam of wisdom in his direction.
Calm and wise words left his dry serrated mouth.
"The wyvern council contacted me about that subject. Supposedly, a group of six powerful rogue dragons are on the loose in this area."
The scarred middle aged dragon cautiously asked with curiosity in his breath. "How strong are we talking here?"
"According to our scouts and the info given to us by the wyvern council, they all are roughly class 4 or higher."
"!!"
The whole table fell silent upon hearing the elder wyvern's words fall.
Including a fairly young red drake who secretly eavesdropped the conversation from outside the skylight.
"Class 4!?" Snarled the middle aged red dragon. "What are such powerful beings doing all the way out here!?"
The elder calmly responded as he glanced to the side towards where the young drake's hidden.
He could sense her presence, but he nevertheless continued his conversation without alerting the meeting.
"Supposedly they were fighting with a single dragon, she fell one of them but they gained the upper hand in the end."
"Sounds rather arrogant and stupid to take on that many! Hehehe!" Remarked the jewelry covered male dragon who displayed a boastful personality before his mate.
She rolled her eyes at his almost pompous laugh.
The female raised her voice in annoyance at her mate. "Enough of your dumb remarks, Xiodaan!"
The elder spoke as the two quietly bickered between eachother.
"The dragon who fought the group was allegedly none other than Vassirth of the Silverwing clan."
"!!" The two's bickering halted as the whole room's attention was drawn towards the elder.
"Wait.." exclaimed the pompous dragon as his voice became a falsetto. "THE Vassirth!? I didn't know she was still alive!"
The female covered her face in embarrassment from her mate's overzealous outburst. "Relax! You're embarrassing yourself!.."
The middle aged dragon was rather composed regardless of hearing such alarming news. "It is rather odd. Why is Vassirth taking on such a suicidal mission? Dispite her reputation, she must be past her prime at this point of her life."
The elder sighed. "I can't say what's going through her mind, but nevertheless she is involved in this crisis. Thus, it would be ideal if we were to assist her in the capture of these dangerous dragons before they make their way here."
"Foolishness!" Angrily shouted Xiodaan, slamming his fist on the wooden table. "Why should we get involved with a battle that has nothing to do with our clan! It sounds like these rogue dragons have more of a quarrel with Vassirth than anything!"
"DON'T RAISE YOUR VOICE BEFORE THE ELDER!" Bellowed the scarred dragon whose face curled in disgruntlement.
Xiodaan quivered back into a sitting position out of intimation of the warrior who leered his way.
"Coward.." His mate quietly huffed in Xiodaan's direction.
Silence passed until the elder spoke up. "Listen, we needn't attack these rogue dragons until we learn what their intentions are. After all, their target could strictly be Vassirth and Vassirth alone."
"What of Domville?" Asked the scarred warrior dragon.
"We'll avoid any unnecessary panic to befall that town. Our scouts will patrol and prioritize the city center. If those dragons approach, we'll take immediate action before they arrive."
After listening in on the conversation, the young drake began to take her leave.
Walking into the sunlight, she wore relatively loose silver spiked bracelets on her wrists, along with a matching choker.
With a look of concern aimed in the direction of Domville, she readied a leap into the clouds.
Like a ruby star shimmering in the clouds, she flew with a leisure glide until a voice called from behind.
"Neirlylth!~"
Glancing back with a look of annoyance, she heard the source of the pathetic cry of her younger brother.
"Nubiru.."
Lowering her decent, she found herself over a sea of vast redwoods. Landing atop a branch of a nearby tree, Nubiru landed next to her, catching his breath.
Neirlylth could see that Nubiru looked somewhat identical to his father, but had his mother's amber scales. He was a reddish orange, a rather unique pigment for a Furion dragon. His personality was rather different than the rest of his clansmen.
He was still young with a carefree heart and eyes full of a golden luster.
"Geez, Neirlylth! Why are you in such a hurry!?" He asked as he caught his breath.
"None of your business.." Neirlylth exclaimed.
"Hmmm?" Nubiru teasingly snorted as he continued with urgency entering his voice.
"Grandwyrm told us to stay in Cravenhearth during the next few days. It's too dangerous to go out on your own!"
Neirlylth rolled her eyes at her brother's words as she turned away, walking along the firm thick tree branch with the grace of a cat.
"Don't worry about me, Nubiru. I can handle myself."
"B-but!"
Neirlylth turned back with a resolute expression. "I said; don't worry about me. I have some errands to run."
Nubiru eyes widened with a snicker. "Oh~ I see." He said as he shuffled next to her. "Is it that human friend of yours?~"
"He's NOT a friend!" Neirlylth snarled in denial as she swiped the air angrily in Nubiru's direction.
Jumping back, he giggled. "Hah! I knew it! Imagine if Father knew you were friends with a human!? He'd lose his mind!"
"You're not gonna say a word!" Growled Neirlylth as she inched towards Nubiru in a threatening manner.
"And what if I did? What will you do to your little brother to keep your secret?" Nubiru asked mockingly.
Neirlylth struggled to keep her anger in check as she let out laboured breaths. She tried to devise an intimidating threat that would keep her pesky brother from spilling his guts.
"I will sear you tongue out so you would never speak again.." Neirlylth said with wrinkles and daggers appearing on her face.
"Ooooo! Scaaaary~" Nubiru said as he remained unhindered by her threat.
He playfully hopped away from Neirlylth as she pursued him in the trees.
She doesn't intend to hurt him and Nubiru knows it. Therefore it made it very difficult for her to persuade him from telling.
As she pinned him to a tree, Nubiru giggled. "Hehe! If you want me to keep quiet, let me go with you!"
Neirlylth was taken aback from his request, he never seemed interested up until now.
"Why!?" She exclaimed as she loosened her grip.
His golden eye slits brilliantly glistened with curiosity as he spoke.
"Well.. Because everytime you come back from visiting this human, you seem, happy. Father can't see it, but I can. You've actually changed from the mean sister you used to be. If you were you two years ago, you really would've tried to sear my tongue out!"
"Hmm..." Neirlylth sighed dejectedly. However she couldn't argue that he was right. Her father was strict and had a strong commitment to the traditions of the Ziesioss clan.
That tradition ofcourse, was to never befriend a human. One can trade or make peace with them, but one must always live apart from them.
It was a simple lesson her father drilled in her head since she could take flight.
Neirlylth looked at her younger brother with golden eyes of defeat.
"Fine~ we have a deal."
"Wha- really!?" He exclaimed in jubilation clenching both fists to his chin.
Neirlylth found slight amusement in his excitement as she cracked a smile.
"But I warn you, most of the stuff humans do is rather boring."
"I don't care! Just lead the way!"
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Together they flew above the treeline, Neirlylth caught the faint sound laughter in a nearby marsh.
Landing on the trees above, She calmly watched, observing and listening to who appeared to be Arther and Crislye. They seemed to be chasing critters in the swampland.
Nubiru quietly landed next to her, joining in observation.
"What are they doing? Hunting?" Nubiru whispered as he peered down at the children below.
Arther sunk his hands into the murky water and lifted a glowing blue frog, which was as big and round as a soccer ball.
He struggled with the frog's squirming until it slipped from his grasp.
"Damn!" He cried as he gave chase to the frog that hopped towards the mushy bog.
*Stomp!*
Landing from up above in front of the frog was none other than Neirlylth. Capturing and pinning down the frog with her red talons.
"Playing with frogs now?" Neirlylth said with a smirk. "You humans do some strange things."
Arther's eyes widened with exuberance as he let out a wail.
"Neirlylth! I wasn't expecting to see you out here!"
"I wasn't expecting to end up here either." She said as she folded her wings to her back after her aforementioned pounce. "Although, I figured you might've been somewhere out here, can't say I was expecting it to be the swamp."
Neirlylth glanced up at Nubiru who stayed up in the tree, hesitant to reveal himself.
Neirlylth picked up the helpless blue frog and handed it to Arther who then placed it within a small wooden cage.
Not long after, Crislye pouted, approaching with a jealous scowl.
"~Anyways, us humans are busy. So if you don't mind, go back to whatever it is you dragons do."
Neirlylth let out a snicker at the little girl who stared daggers at her. "Arther, why are female humans so hostile?"
An amused chuckle left her malicious form as she sat upright with her sharp teeth showing themselves in a teasing manner.
Arther answered with an innocent smile. "I don't know. For some reason Crislye acts like that when you show up."
Neirlylth unleashed a hidden smile as she devised a mischievous performance.
"Oh, Arther!~" Neirlylth wailed in a melodramatic way. "Do you think Crislye is a dragon-hater? Please be my worries not!"
Crislye stomped her foot as she argued. "Hey! Stop that! That's not the reason!"
As they conversed, Nubiru watched his sister behave like a completely different person. It was nothing less than baffling to him.
*Crack*
The branch that Nubiru rested on began to give and break from his weight.
"Gah!?"
He cried as he plummeted to earth.
*Plop!*
Thankfully for him, the marsh softened his landing, leaving little to no injuries.
This did however draw everyone's attention, including Neirlylth who rested her palm to her face in embarrassment.
Slowly raising his head from under the murky swamp water, Nubiru exchanged eye contact with both Crislye and Arther.
Arther openly gasped with exuberance in his breath. "Wha!? Neirlylth! You didn't tell me you had a little brother!"
Crislye glanced Arther's way with a squint. "Wait, how can you tell it's her brother!?"
Arther smirked. "Isn't it obvious, Crislye!? They look so similar!"
Crislye stepped back with a frantic shrug. "Hey, I don't know these things! I'm not crazy like you are!"
Neirlylth opened her mouth to speak. "Astute observation as always, Arther. That embarrassment, is indeed my younger brother; Nubiru."
She hobbled over to Nubiru, tugging and pulling him out of the swamp water.
Nubiru shyly looked at the two children before him. This is the first time he's been so close to humans. He's never been allowed to go so far from Cravenhearth without a guardian.
Since Neirlylth is with him, he rationalized that she'll testify to their parents about his whereabouts.
Crislye hunched down at the submissive little drakling who was actually rather similar to her own size.
Avoiding eye contact, Nubiru nervously stepped away from her.
"He's actually kinda adorable -- for a dragon!"
She spouted with a scrunched up face towards the shy critter.
Nubiru slinked behind Neirlylth in a desperate attempt to evade everyone's gaze.
Neirlylth sighed while peering under her wing at her nervous little brother.
"Why are you afraid? They're just humans!" She grumbled unpleasantly at him as his voice wavered.
"Ah! Well, I've just heard a lot of stories from father of what their kind is capable of.. So I'm just playing it safe.."
Neirlylth turned her head towards Crislye who had the look of a delicate flower that leaned forward gently.
This caused Neirlylth to let out mocking laughter. "Hahaha! Really now! How can you be afraid of something as delicate as that!"
She said while extending her index finger in Crislye's direction.
Crislye kicked water in Neirlylth's direction as she yelled. "Hey! Enough already!"
Neirlylth maintained a smile as she returned a massive splash of water, soaking Crislye to the bone.
"Hehehe!" Neirlylth snickered as she angled her gold slivers at Arther who began to splash her back at her that very moment.
Nubiru's defenses lowered as he slowly became enthralled in the joyous atmosphere surrounding him.
The four played with laughter filling the dank swampland of dismal plants. After awhile of play, they huffed in exhaustion on a giant mossy boulder.
"Great.." Crislye sighed as she ringed out her soaked sunset coloured dress. "How am I going to explain this mess to my parents?"
Arther laid flat on his back as he wiggled his index finger in the air. "Do not worry about such trivial things! It's just water, Crislye, it'll dry out!"
Neirlylth held an amused expression as she whispered playfully in Arther's direction. "Why do humans wear clothes anyways? If you didn't, then females wouldn't have to worry about it getting wet."
"Well~ Humans don't have thick scales like dragons, we get cold rather easily."
Nubiru found himself amazed as he watched his sister behave like she was one of them. He never seen this side of her before.
When she's at Cravenhearth, she seems cold, distant and high strung. But here, she seems playful, devious yet relaxed.
Arther remained relaxed on his back as he glanced Nubiru's way.
"So, Nubiru. Care to share anything?"
"Hm?" Nubiru responded openly with a head tilt. "What do you mean?"
"Y'know. Do you have any aspirations? What kind of things do you like?"
Nubiru never considered such thoughts, nor has anyone asked such a question.
"I.. Not really.." He responded with difficulty. "You?"
"-here it comes.." Crislye muttered with a joking smile along with Neirlylth.
Nubiru glanced at them with puzzlement as Arther took a deep breath before unleashing a speech. "My dream is to see the world! I wish to see everything!"
Arther gazed into the wild blue sky, envisioning the vast world as he poured his heart onto his words.
"The Sky islands of Imperia! Giant flying islands made of Aerodite, a rock that is lighter than air! Foust Magi tower! A secret tower in the mountains that houses magicians who learn mysterious magical arts! And finally, Yorda citadel! A massive fortress built inside the hollows of a tree that reaches the stars!"
Arther found himself standing, clenching a fist in excitement, unable to contain himself.
He remembered reading descriptions of these lands in text, thus yearning to see these vistas with his own two eyes.
After psyching himself up, he relaxed his grip shortly after with a sigh. "That's what I wanna do when I grow up.. But dad says it's an unrealistic dream. He says there's no profit in adventuring the world, instead I should focus on learning a trade of sorts.."
Crislye held a crestfallen smile. She could sense Arther's anguish and desired a way for him to fulfill such dreams, even if it is indeed a useless trade like his father claims.
Neirlylth chimed in. "Well he is right. After all, it would be much easier if you could just fly away, hm? But alas, you were born a mere human."
Those words slipped out her mouth without even considering what she said as Arther lowered his face into shadow.
"Uh, well.." Neirlylth struggled to apologize as Arther let out a disheartened chuckle. "Heh, You're right, Neirlylth. At times I envy your kind in that regard.."
"S-sorry!" Neirlylth shrieked aloud. "I didn't mean it that way!"
As Nubiru observed Neirlylth's behavior directed at Arther, he realized something.
Is.. HE the cause of my sister's change in behavior? Not humans in general, but this one human alone?
"Enough of the sappy stuff!" Shouted Crislye, interrupting Nubiru's rushing thoughts as the others fell silent.
"You two always find a way to get all worked up over nothing!"
Neirlylth huffed with a smile. "Yeah. The human female has a point."
"My name is Crislye! Not *human female!*"
They bantered until the sun lowered with vibrant orange overtaking the sky.
Crislye was ready to return home as she extended an invitation outward. "Anyone wish to walk a girl home?"
"Uhh?" Arther openly exhaled a sigh of confusion until Crislye chuckled. "Hehe! Obviously you, silly! The two dragons can fly themselves home!"
Neirlylth leaned up, exclaiming aloud. "Actually, I'm gonna tag along."
"Hm?" Crislye peered with skepticism in her breath. "Okay~ what's with you? Your acting rather different today, Neirlylth."
Neirlylth rubbed the small spines on he back of her neck. She grumbled in mild discontent. "I most certainly am not! You're always suspicious of me!"
"That's a rather aggressive response!" Crislye yelled, accusingly pointing at her. "You're hiding something, aren't you!?"
Arther extended his hand in Crislye's direction, halting her brash behavior. "Relax Crislye, just let Neirlylth come along."
Crislye rolled her eyes with a huff. "Hah~ fine. But you really are dense, Arther!"
"What for?" Arther responded innocently with a bright grin.
"Nevermind.." Crislye grumbled.
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Some time passed as the sun slowly rested upon the mountains overhead.
Crislye returned to her farm house nested in the prairie.
As she climbed over the perimeter fence, she gave a farewell wave as she rushed to the house near the cornfield.
Arther then turned to Neirlylth with a look of concern.
"Okay, what's been bothering you, Neirlylth?"
It was easy for Arther to sense Neirlylth's true feelings. Even in the short while of their friendship, he was able to pickup on subtle cues from her behavior.
Neirlylth then informed him about the dangerous dragons on the loose as they stood in the orange open fields of grass.
After hearing the information, Arther became somewhat nervous as he spoke. "Oh.. so that's why you're acting differently from how you usually are. I thought it might've had to do with Nubiru."
He said as he glanced at Nubiru who eavesdropped nearby. Unfortunately Nubiru wasn't very good at hiding his presence.
So it was obvious to Arther who could easily see him hunched behind a rock that barely covered his body.
Neirlylth spoke with caution in her voice. "I'm just saying, don't go venturing out during this time of crisis."
"Okay, mom~" Arther replied in a joking manner whilst he turned away rubbing his ear.
"Hey! I'm serious! Just!- be careful.."
Neirlylth said not long after irritation followed.
"Ah! Whatever! Do what you want, get yourself killed and left lying in a ditch somewhere, you silly human! Come on, Nubiru, we're leaving!"
"Ah! Okay.." Nubiru replied as he gave chase after Neirlylth who readied to take to the sky.
With a flap of a pair of wings, Neirlylth became airborne as she flickered like a ruby in the setting sun.
Arther rubbed his disheveled platinum hair with a self loathing grumble. "Ah, stupid, Stupid! Why am I so bad at this!? I hope Neirlylth doesn't hate me for that.."
He knew Neirlylth for roughly one year, but he always saw her as a good friend. He believed that Neirlylth saw it that way as well, but regardless, His mind was flooded with her golden glare and her ruby-like scales that glistened brilliantly.
She was indeed a hot-tempered one, but was also a decent person who cared for others, underneath her hard scales.
Arther quickly made his way home before it got dark, banishing any self-loathing thoughts that lingered in his mind.
Upon arriving home, he was greeted with the aroma of a hot stew in the air.
The smell was caught just outside the entryway of the quaint house between two trees.
It was something unfamiliar to him, he was so used to his father's burnt and barley edible cooking. He wasn't expecting a decent smell to linger in this household for at least a million years.
He opened the door to see an azure dragon lying in peaceful slumber on the bedroll near the fireplace.
His father sat at the table mixing remedies that had a slightly bitter scent that stagnates the stew's aroma.
"Ah, just before dark I see!" Borris exclaimed in Arther's direction as he approached the table where a warm stew patiently waits.
Arther sniffed above the bowl as he glanced at his father. "Did you finally have a breakthrough with cooking, dad?"
Borris became somewhat ashamed as he looked over his shoulder at Vassirth who slept on her side.
"~Actually.. This was the work of her."
Ather giggled uncontrollably. "Hehehe!~ here I thought you finally learned how to cook! Hehe! You should learn a thing or two from her, dad!"
Borris jokingly threatened Arther as he sarcastically waved pestle like a beating stick. "Hey! Remember who raised you and helped give you life, boy! The lack of respect from kids these days!"
Arther happily giggled as he leaned back in his chair. "Hey, I'm just saying, it would be nice to have a meal like this everyday!"
Arther ate the stew almost in one gulp like he hadn't eaten something so delicious in his entire life.
"Pah! Okay, I could get used to this!"
Arther turned his gaze back his father who continued his work. A moment of silence came across them as Arther opened his mouth to speak while swinging his legs in the chair.
"Dad? What did mom look like?"
"What brought this on?" Borris responded as his mixing movements halted.
"Well.. It's just been bothering me lately. I always seen what she looks like in my dreams, and I wonder if it's close to what I imagine she is.."
Borris raised a mildly saddened but resolute expression. "If I told you what she looked like, wouldn't that tarnish the image that gives you comfort?"
Arther lowered his head onto the table, slightly perturbed as he muttered through his arms. "Maybe.. But I still want to know.."
Borris softly smiled, dismissing his anxiety as he stood up and walked towards a dresser. Opening the top drawer he pulled out a long red scarf.
"This was your mother's. She always had a weakness to cold weather, due to her illness."
"So that DID belong to her." Arther responded with bright realization. "I always assumed it was yours."
Borris crack a soft smile. "Yes.. Since she was bedridden for most of her life, she never had a chance to see the seasons change. Regardless of her health, I did my best to help her do just that, even if it put her in danger."
Arther raised his head slightly. "What did she look like, though?"
Borris sighed deeply. "I think that's enough for now.."
Arther whimpered in disappointment. "Aw, come on, Dad! You have to tell me!"
Borris turned with a look of quiet pain written on his face.
"Sorry Arther, I'm just not strong enough to recall such details.."
Arther could see the pain in his eyes. A subtle pain, pain that could be felt by the tension in the air.
"O-okay.." Arther whispered cautiously in an attempt to quell his father's heartache.
"So, uhh.. Did you give mother this scarf?"
Borris lightened his mood as he became nostalgic.
"Oh yes, it was actually hand-picked by her. (Cost me a small fortune.)" He quickly muttered under his breath as he continued.
"She said she liked the color, said it reminded her of home. The summer sunset was always a brilliant crimson red - just like this scarf."
Borris then handed it to Arther who rubbed his face in it.
He tried to smell her scent that may have lingered within the soft stitching.
A smell of winter oak was stuck to the threads, immersing him into the world where she lived.
"You can keep it. Take good care of it, Art." Borris said as he rubbed the top of his silver haired son.
Arther giggled. "Hey, stop it! I'm not a kid!"
"Oh yes you are! Don't give me lip, young man!"
As they playfully bantered, Vassirth listened with her eyes facing away. Lonely amethyst jewels narrowed into sadness as she envisioned an outcome taking place in a different reality. Her heart burned with sorrow as she fell into a depression, holding back tears that flowed off into streams of blood in her eyes sockets.
Dragons don't cry tears of water, but rather, tears of blood..
Sadness to a dragon is exceedingly more painful than one can imagine. It's very rare for these creatures to express enough sadness to shed tears. The pain of sadness and loneliness is only held by dragons who underwent a long life of suffering.
Vassirth buried her head in her arms as she tried to return to sleep as the father and son continued their wholesome conversations.
The night grew dark and the moon sat high over the small lonely house. A red coated man stood just outside the window of the house, looking over his shoulder inside.
"Finally found you, Vassirth.."