Chapter 45: Growing Up
"Do it again." Quartz hummed in his native tone.
Rubywing set a determined look on her face and took a deep breath in. When she exhaled, a great gust of wind wound its way around the room, growing in intensity until it became a swirling vortex of wind. Papers and scrolls were swept up in the storm. Tapestries were torn off the walls, the rig lifted slightly off the floor. The only things that remained motionless were the father and daughter, relishing stoically in the power of it all, as if they didn't notice the way their feather's ruffled in the gale. A small smile formed on Rubywing's face while her father's narrowed gaze gave nothing away.
"Good." Quartz hummed again. There was no need to use common draconic with his daughter. All of their interactions happened solely in the melodic tones of coatl.
Rubywing ceased the storm, gently using her magic to return everything to where it should be. Then the wind stopped completely. Rubywing didn't say anything, but inwardly glowed at her father's praise. it was few and far between.
"You have come a long way, Ruby." Quartz smiled slightly. "And just out of your hatchlinghood. Just think of what you'll accomplish!"
"Am I ready, Dad?" Ruby asked, feathers perking. "Can I see the outside world?"
"I think you're ready to fend off any possible dangers. I don't see why you can't go to Windkeep Tower to see what you can see. You've earned a bit of a reward." Quartz smiled. "But I am far too busy to take you. I must keep a low profile. And you cannot go alone. There are too many who wish me harm and if they knew you were my daughter-"
"I'd blow them all away." Rubywing suggested. "You did say my magic was getting stronger. Or Tess could take me." Quartz had been unable to throw out Querida's familiar. The manticore was set of protecting the child in her mother's absence, and had acted as a sort of nanny for the young coatl, stopping Quartz from taking their training sessions too far.
"We cannot rely on you and Tess alone. You are both far too precious for that." Quartz reminded her. "No, I have hired a guardian for you, to keep you safe and help you further your magic."
"A guardian? Am I its charge?" Rubywing asked excitedly.
"No, I don't mean the breed." Quartz said. "Guardians have proven to be untrustworhy in the past. Their definitions of 'safe' vary. If you can find the right one, they can be a valuable tool, but finding the right one can be difficult. No, he's a coatl, hailing from the Southern Icefields. His loyalty has been proved to be absolute, and he has been hired with the sole job of keeping you safe."
Rubywing had never met any dragons apart from her father, and her mother, who she hardly remembered, so the prospect of meeting someone new was exciting, and even more so when she realized this guard might end up as a friend. Ruby wondered what it would be like to have a friend.
"When does he arrive?" Rubywing asked her father.
"Tomorrow." Quartz confirmed. "Kulshan will be meeting him at the port and will escort him here. Now go to your training room and practice some more before supper."
"Thank you, Dad!" Ruby exclaimed, a huge grin splitting across her face.
"Ah! What did I say about not showing your emotions too clearly?" Quartz corrected.
"Sorry, I keep forgetting." Rubywing sighed, then pulled her expression back to a cool observance.
"That's better." Quartz flicked his tongue. "I don't want anyone else to know more about you than they have too, and that includes your guard."
"Ah, Rammus, how good to see you! Do you have any mail for me?" Dremasul asked, looking up from his book. His suite was dark, lit only by the two small lanterns that flitted around him wherever he went.
"Not this time Uncle Dremasul, I just wanted to pay you a visit!" Rammus grinned, walking in without waiting for an invitation. "Shall I make us some tea?"
"Ah, yes, that sounds lovely!" Dremasul said, half distracted. After so long of having to distance himself from those he loved for their own safety, he found it difficult to allow himself to spend much time with his family. Everyone visited from time to time, but no one more than Rammus. The young wildclaw seemed fascinated by his ancestor and visited at least three times a week.
Soon, the kettle had finished boiling and Rammus poured two cups of tea. It was then that Dremasul noticed how grown up the youger wildclaw was looking. Somehow, without him realizing it, he had grown out of his hatchlinghood. He was lanky now, not yet fully grown, but getting there.
"So, how are you liking your job as courier?" Dremasul asked, taking a sip of his tea.
"It's great! Mom has said that now that I'm older and have gotten the hang of in-clan deliveries, I can start making out of clan deliveries!" Rammus said. "Unfortunately that means I'm not going to be able to visit as often, but I'm going to get to have my own adventures! I'll come back with more epic stories to tell and you won't have to do all the talking anymore!"
Dremasul laughed. "I'm proud of you. The world is vast and wonderful, and every young dragon should have the chance to see more of it. Just be careful, alright? The world is beautiful, but not everything is safe."
"Of course!" Rammus laughed, his innocence clear. "I'm just glad to be able to help Mom and Grandma more! I want to have adventures like they did!"
"And I'm sure you will. Are you going to take Runeclaw with you?" Dremasul asked. As the two wildclaws had shown up in the clan at around the same time and they were around the same age, the two of them had grown quite close.
"He's still really busy at the Copper Lotus." Rammus explained. "But when he has some time off, then definitely!"
"Good. Adventuring is always better when you aren't doing it alone." Dremasul smiled, remembering his more recent adventures with Pyrite, Plagueheart and Pennar. It seemed like ages ago. Maybe it would do him some good to get out more.
"Speaking of which, we're planning a family dinner during the Brightshine Jubilee. Please come this time, everyone misses you." Rammus pleaded.
They aren't in danger anymore. You can be close to them. You aren't cursed. Dremasul reminded himself. Then he met Rammus's eyes. The young wildclaw was so hopeful. He couldn't let him down. "Alright, I'll come."
"Great! I'm going to see if Runeclaw can come too! And I'm sure Mom and Grandma are going to be inviting loads more people." Rammus said, smiling. "It's going to be great!"
Dremasul couldn't help but crack a smile. Seeing Rammus gave him so much hope. Maybe he should get out there more, and find himself a job in Windkeep Tower other than his role as an undertaker, guiding souls to safety, which as of yet had not been a job he had had to do. He should make the most of what he had.
"Well, I should get going, my lunch break is almost over!" Rammus said with a grin. "It was great to visit again, I'll see you again soon!" And with that, Rammus left, leaving Dremasul alone again, but in a much better mood.
"Thank you for your help today." India told her adopted son as he put away the last glass. "I don't often say this, but you work far more than you should."
"I can't leave it all more you!" Runeclaw grinned a twisted grin. "Besides, like you always say, it keeps me out of trouble."
"Well yes, that is certainly true." India laughed, remembering the times as a hathcling she had found the young wildclaw causing mischief around the tavern. That naughty streak was still not entirely gone, but she would almost go far to say that responsibility was growing on him.
"So can I please go now?" Runeclaw asked, shifting his weight from one foot to the other to stop himself from leaping up and down.
"Yes, you can go. But I want you back before midnight!" India shouted after Runeclaw as he raced off. "And if I hear you've been bothering Colm again-" India stopped. He was too far to hear her now. She shook her head, and hoped she wouldn't have an angry pearlcatcher at her doorstep the next morning.
Runeclaw relished the feeling of the wind as he ran. Running felt so freeing, and he loved it far more than flying. He had plans to meet up with his best friend, Rammus, but someone stopped him before he got to the post outpost.
"Hey Runey!" Juliette laughed. The other wildclaw had never made too much of an effort to get to know her adopted cousin, which is why this caught him off guard now.
"Not now, cuz', I have business to attend to." Runeclaw snapped irritably. He had seen the stress Juliette's longer and longer absences had left India with. Now that he was old enough to pick up shifts at the Copper Lotus, Juliette had dropped her shifts completely and was now focused on what she called her mechanical business. The only time he saw her was when she and Thorburn came in for drinks, and even then she made little contact with the staff at the Copper Lotus.
"What if I said I have something better to offer?" Juliette asked, eyes gleaming.
"This better be good..." Runeclaw growled.
"Oh, it most certainly is!" Juliette promised. "Here, come with me."
Reluctantly, Runeclaw followed. he hoped this wouldn't take too long. He followed his cousin as she led him to a crevice in the cliffside. She slid inside, and Runeclaw follwed, finding himself in a cave of sorts. There, Thorburn was waiting.
"Hey kid, I am in need of a bit of a hand, and you fit the bill. What do you say to picking up a side job?"
Hello all, I'm back!!! I've had a really busy weekend, so I haven't really been able to get around to much writing! But now it's time to show you what life is like for the 3 kiddos!
Also, in unrelated news, I am really frustrated because today I decided to check on Pennar to see how his travels are doing as a traveling dragon and I discovered that he's been exalted... My last traveling dragon was exalted too, and I wanted both of them back at some point... I mean, I know I have no control over it and he's technically not my dragon anymore once I send him away, but it's still frustrating. Especially since I really wanted to have Pennar return to the story. Now I have to figure out what I want to do with his character... Sorry for this long thing, I just wanted to vent some of my frustration...
Call me Ari!
