At the City Lord's Office
"What have the surveyors brought back?" Katz Tanz asked the steward who had the surveyor report. After Karl Koreen had returned and reported the definite occurrence of a dragon. Surveyors were sent out to confirm and scout the location of the dragon.
Only, the content of their report was startling. Though they did confirm the whereabouts of the dragon, the context was rather frightening. A red dragon was already enough, but out there, there was something capable of killing that dragon.
Katz felt another headache brewing up.
A dragon and now this!?
In the report it detailed that there seemed to be a fight, as the ground was scorched with deep gouges left in it, presumed to be the dragon's flailing. However, the surveyors couldn't determine what the dragon had been fighting. There were no visible footprints, no other disturbance in the essence flow aside from the red dragon and no traces of another being.
The only thing that allowed the surveyors to confirm the presence of another being was the single puncture wound that the dragon suffered.
It was unbelievable, for something to be able to cleanly pierce through a dragon's scale and even simultaneously kill it was an unimaginable feat. Of course, none of the surveyors, nor the city lord were aware of a dragon's weakness. It wasn't common information after all.
"Sigh, one problem solved only for another to pop up," the city lord was lost, "I guess the only action would be to find this other beast. Send for some more scouts and surveyors to find any traces of abnormal activity in the area."
…
Standing up on the wall, he watched the distant trees and the long plains. Being positioned on the wall was usually rostered for recruits, to get them accustomed to their role and train discipline.
The little not so little white chick was flapping its wings and hopping along the parapets of the wall. Yup, the little white chick was no longer little, nor was it a chick anymore. Birds sure do grow up fast. Being distracted from his job, Jeffrey started to play with the white bird.
Until he suddenly grabbed it. Looking around, he spotted Kelli trying to 'steal' his bird.
"Aww, come on, I never get to touch it," she whined, "Can I just touch him, just once?"
"No,"
The instant rejection had Kelli feeling down for about two seconds before her face lifted, this had been the norm over a couple of days being together. Marius and Bryoni were located a bit further away from the two on the wall.
"You're mean,"
"..."
"By the way, does she have a name?"
This was a good question. But it also raised more questions. Was there even a need for the bird to need a name? It was just a bird.
"Does it need a name?"
This query shocked Kelli.
"Of course it needs a name!
It's such a cute bird and you didn't give it a name?!"
This didn't answer the question.
"Anyway, if you're not gonna name it then I will,
from now on, your name will be Verafisiodolfonocturna,"
Having just come up with a good name in her opinion, she looked satisfied and full of herself. Contrasting to how she usually looks, she would only be so energetic when animals were involved.
"No," Jeffrey did not like that name, it sounded like a mash of random words and very superficial in meaning.
In contrast, another name in Jeffrey's mind felt more fitting for the bird,
"Lily,"
"What?"
"Her name is Lily, not the gay one you said,"
"Ehh, but my name was cool and epic, and yeah," it seemed that the name had little thought behind it.
Whereas, Lily was a very sentimental and symbolic name for Jeffrey. Probably no one else knew this, but Lily was essentially the only person aside from his father that made his heart feel warm and the only person that Jeffrey actually knew in the village. He was thinking of taking her in and having her live with him. Yet, she was murdered in cold blood by that lizard, yet it was also his indecisiveness to take her in which was also a factor in her untimely demise. But it was still the lizard's fault. He would never forgive that lizard or any lizard for that matter.
It looks to be that Jeffrey has some trauma or vendetta against lizards now.
Anyway, back onto the topic at hand. Lily was a very major figure in Jeffrey's life. And this made her name deeply sentimental and tender in his heart.
Naming this bird Lily also meant that he found the bird worthy to give the name to it and NOT because Jeffrey couldn't think of any other name. Which also meant that Jeffrey probably wouldn't be eating it anytime soon considering he took the time to name it.
To what Jeffrey had gathered so far, the white bird now dubbed Lily had shown some prowess in manipulating nighttime elements. Mainly the moon and the shadows.
This brought back a story Jeffrey's father had once told him, apparently, back when his father was in his prime, he would venture out into the lands with a group of his close friends. One of his friends had a type of fire hound, which could spew flames and cut through steel. His father often reminisced about how convenient and strong it was, being able to 'smell' danger and melt through obstacles.
Maybe Lily could do the same? Probably not. But Lily would probably be useful in her own way, maybe to hide in the shadows or gather moonlight, or something.
As Jeffrey reflected on the glory days of his father, a certain summoner walked up onto the walls.
"Wait, why are you here?"