Roleplay

“So do you think these Water dragons we’re meeting will be anything like Riverstone?”

Skye’s question came accompanied by a cheeky grin so Crossfire assumed she was only joking. Still, he offered her a quizzical glance as she trotted along beside him, her little legs taking nearly five strides for every one of his. The lights from her augmentations cast glittering blues across the darkness of their surrounds; he kept thinking they were being watched, but no, it was merely a trick of his eyes.

He mused a moment longer on her question. “Doubtful,” he replied eventually. “I get the impression River is more of an anomaly than accurate representation of all Water folk.”

Skye rolled her eyes. “Why do you say that? Because she’s crazy?”

“No. Because I’m fairly certain most Water dragons are better at their predictions than River,” he corrected.

“So… Because she’s crazy,” Skye laughed. “How close are we anyway? I’m kinda sick of trying to keep up with your giant steps.”

Crossfire smiled softly. “I’m sure we’re close. I think I can hear waves.”

“I hope so, I definitely feel like we’ve crossed the entirety of Sorneith at this point. Here I was thinking it was going to be an adventure. Meeting up with a Water clan to hammer out an alliance and really what we’re doing is walking ourselves to death. This is why Venin didn’t want to come.”

“Venin didn’t come with us because he has more important things to attend to.”

“Uh huh,” Skye deadpanned, her face expressionless. “Sure, he has responsibilities I get it.”

They emerged through the last of the trees then, the twisted grey boughs giving way with unexpected suddenness to reveal a stretch of rocky beach. The sun, concealed as it was by the canopy in the Woods, sank slowly below the horizon to their right. Brilliant warm colours bled across the dimming sky. Both Crossfire and Skye paused for a long while to watch, the beautiful watercolour of reds and pinks and oranges something they didn’t see much. Well, not as much as Crossfire might like anyway.

Skye blinked at it, her face scrunching up, eyes squinting against the glare. “Wow it’s so bright. I don’t think I like it.”

Crossfire huffed. “Don’t be silly. It’s lovely.”

He was sure Skye was about to fire back a witty reply to that (probably a jab at his ‘romantic nonsense’) but her gaze whipped away. Crossfire swivelled his head around to find whatever had caught her attention.

A little ways down the beach and slightly closer to the water stood a pair of dragons. One, a regal Guardian in jewels that sparkled in the dying sunlight had wings as blue as the sea; the other, a Tundra with fur almost as dark as their homeland was garbed in red and silver armour. They both watched Crossfire and Skye with interest, stepping forward to meet on the gravelly ground.

Skye prodded his side. “See, they at least both look like Water dragons. What was Venin thinking when he appointed your great luminescent butt as the clan ambassador? You don’t look like a Shadow dragon no matter how you squint.”

“Thanks, Skye,” he whispered fighting back a shiver of laughter. “Your faith means so much to me.”

“No worries. But hey, at least I’m purple.” She skipped forward then, beaming, to meet with the representatives from the other clan.

(Sorry it got so long! D:)

(@reliquiaen No worries. It's great! Sorry I didn't reply right away. I wasn't aware you had replied. XD)

The hard stones rapped against each other with every footstep from the Water Clan dragons as they walked towards the two newcomers. Wavewing was quiet as she was gauging the Imperial and Wildclaw, but her mate was more chatty and excited.

“Wow! Look at the size of that Imperial! I wasn’t expecting to see such bright colors from a Shadow dragon! Oooo, but the Wildclaw looks to be more Shadow-like. And armor too! Perhaps he has a few stories to share of combat,” Coldfur rambled on with excitement.

Wavewing lifted her brows in skepticism, “Perhaps that Wildclaw is a female warrior like Joan, and armor doesn’t mean that they’ve seen much combat. Don’t get too far ahead of yourself in assumptions.” She paused. “Although… I am surprised to see such a bright dragon from a Shadow Clan,” Wavewing said quietly, as though she was speaking aloud her own thoughts.

Coldfur gave a look of mock surprise. “Don’t tell me that I have some competition here!”

Wavewing laughed. “No, my Dear. I’m just as curious as you about these dragons. Unfortunately, I do not have the sight as Cassandra or Rhapsody, but somehow I get the feeling that this will be the start of something wonderful.”

“Well, if you have a good feeling, then I feel confident that this will work out well. You may not have the sight, but your intuition is pretty sharp,” as Coldfur gave a loving nudge.

She gave a warm smile to her mate, and they both continued along the shore in silence. Once they reached the two Shadow dragons, they gave a slight bow.

“Greetings! It is so wonderful to finally meet dragons from the Arca Reliquary. My name is Coldfur, and this is my mate Wavewing. We, along with the rest of Clan Crescentstar, want to express our hope and excitement to create an alliance between both of ours clans,” said the Tundra in formality. Wavewing gave a warm smile, “I hope your journey here was a smooth one.”

(@Crescentstar711, again, apologies for the delay. My health was not at its best this week. u.u)

Skye didn’t even pause as the other dragons headed up the beach to meet them. She didn’t wait for Crossfire (she knew well enough that he was more than capable of keeping up); but for someone who’d been caught in an ambush before, she didn’t seem to spare much thought for the possibility that this was all some grand ruse. Crossfire shook the notion from his head quick smart. That was no way to go into this discussion; they seemed like lovely dragons after all.

No doubt that worry was simply Venin’s cautionary voice telling him to be wary.

“Hey there!” Skye was exclaiming happily as he caught up. “I’m Skye and this slow moving mountain is Crossfire. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She did pause then, eyes glittering as she took in the Tundra’s armour up close. “That’s so shiny,” she added. “How do you keep it from tarnishing living in the ocean? Do you live underwater or on an island? Either way the salt air can’t be good for metals.”

“Skye,” Crossfire muttered. “Breath. Let them catch up.”

She rolled her eyes at him, but did at least stop speaking for the minute.

“It is delightful to meet you though,” he agreed, bending his neck respectfully. “We must apologise that our clan leader could not be present for this. There was a… crisis during our New Year celebration that required his attention. He sends his regards.”

“By crisis,” Skye put in with a wide smile and little air quotes, “what Cross means is that Venin’s daughter thought it would be funny to let loose all the familiars and they made a huge mess and now she’s in a lot of trouble.”

Crossfire’s flat look was mostly ignored. That tale – and the irresponsible heir to the Reliquary that went with it – hardly made a good impression. Thankfully, neither of the Water dragons seemed offended by the story.

“So,” Crossfire added before Skye could say something else that might come across as too familiar. “Where would you like to begin?”

(@reliquiaen Very sorry it took so long. My replies should be more frequent after this.)

Both Wavewing and Coldfur smiled at the thought of all the familiars being loose during a celebration. Luckily the incident didn’t sound like it caused anyone harm and reminded them of the two young Pearlcatchers back home, typically getting into mischief due to their ever curious minds. Always stirring up some trouble, but it keeps the lair all the more interesting, thought Wavewing. Coldfur was also amused by Skye’s curiosity and energetic nature. He would definitely like to entertain the Wildclaw’s questions… but only after the treaty was finished.

“Well,” stated Coldfur, “as for any clan, there are rules and expectations that are set for the safety and well-being of its dragons. This is dependent on the culture and experiences of the clan, but when an alliance is formed, there must be a compromise between both clans’ expectations,” he said formally, giving a courteous nod to the Shadow dragons. “Therefore…”

Wavewing interjected, “To be fair, to go over all the rules in formal detail may be a bit tedious,” giving an apologetic smile to her mate, “so let’s make it brief. Our clan is very open to a variety of cultures, due to our diverse population, so any intolerances are considered offensive and prohibited.”

“Differences that require resolution and compromise can be achieved between the dragons in conflict or by a mediator, such as myself or Wavewing,” continued Coldfur as Wavewing took a breath. “Other than that, actions that are considered purposefully harmful are also prohibited and would be quickly dealt by the clan as a whole in terms of sentencing. We also…”

Wavewing looked into the distance when Coldfur went onto the topic of dragons being “purposefully harmful.” Recently, there was a severe incident with the pair of Plague Flight ambassadors, Elegy and her mate Dirge. Elegy was always jealous of her sister, Cassandra, but one day she took it too far, attempting to overthrow her sister with the aid of Dirge. Luckily, they were stopped in time before they completed their scheme. No one was killed, with only a few seriously injured, but the clan was in an uproar afterwards. It took weeks to make a decision, but in the end, both dragons were exiled. I wonder how they’re doing, thought Wavewing, who always wished for the best for others.

“…always keeping our warriors in peak condition, we expect them to train daily, both the mind and body,” continued Coldfur, “although not everyone is at the same level of aptitude, as some must focus more of their time and effort on other responsibilities. Still, we expect all of our dragons to be able to defend themselves in times of trouble.”

Uh oh, I let him ramble again. Wavewing quickly brought her tail to Coldfur’s lips. “So yes, we can always go into more length and detail when you visit our lair. We are more than happy to answer any questions with any of our specific clanmates’ responsibilities and cultures,” she said with a smile. Changing the subject, she said “Our lair is located on an island above the Leviathan Trench and is quite difficult to reach due to the strong winds and thick fog surrounding it. It is why most of our dragons swim below the waves to avoid the danger of the sky. However, we do have strong and agile dragons that can assist others in reaching the island. They have rescued a few dragons already who were in danger nearby. Most are simply lost in their travels and need assistance. Others seek our help in times of need, and we are always willing to lend a claw and wing to them, as long as their needs are genuine and good.”

“Which is what our alliance stands on,” continued Coldfur, puffing out his chest to emphasize the importance and sincerity of his statement. “Your clan had extended its kindness on our clan, which we admired,” referencing the gift that was delivered a few months back, “Any thoughtful act, whether small or large, is considered important in our clan. We hope to be able to return this kindness for many years to come, both during good times and bad. Our resources, strength, and abilities are available when you need them – all you have to do is ask.”

@Crescentstar711,
(So sorry for the delay. ;u; I meant to have this posted two days ago.)

Crossfire had to admire how thorough these Water dragons were with their clan. It honestly caused him a moment’s pause thinking about how chaotic their lair must look in comparison. Especially in regards to dealing with misconduct. Perhaps he should bring that up later with Denara and Ukase.

“That’s awesome,” Skye was quick to say then. “Our leader, Venin, has much the same view on differences. To each their own and all that.”

“Venin is rather a pacifist,” Crossfire felt the need to add. “While we do ensure we have warriors capable of defending our borders at all times, he finds prevention is often the best cure.”

Skye skipped a little closer to Coldfur and Wavewing then, a sly smile on her face. “That’s why he was so keen to appoint an ambassador to the beastclans,” she stage whispered. “Better to have friends than enemies.”

Crossfire smiled at her words. “More or less, yes. We would be happy to aid you in any way you might require. Should that be as simple as a place for messengers or travellers to stay on their journeys or to help you defend your lands in times of strife or even a guide through the Woods. All you need do is send word.”

“And,” Skye put in, “if you hear a single word of complaint from Venin about combat, that’s just him being a grump. He’s not much for socialising.”

“Should any of your clan ever need a place to stay, our hearth is always available,” Crossfire finished. “I must also confess that our parchment stores are currently being held hostage by our librarian,” he muttered, trying not to sound ashamed or embarrassed. Although Pencil’s proclivity for being over-possessive when it came to books and scrolls was hardly his problem. “So if you wish to put our alliance to some physical form, we are unable to provide that at the moment.”

“Pen’s a little bonkers,” Skye informed them happily. “We don’t have parchment with us, is what Cross is saying. But that’s a preference thing. Some clans don’t bother with signed alliances. There’s this one clan of Snappers we met once, and they pass all their agreements down verbally. Like, how good are their memories for that kinda thing?”

“Skye,” Crossfire sighed, smiling.

“Sorry.”

Wavewing nodded in understanding at the problem of a dragon’s over-possessive nature. When their clan first started out, supplies were scarce, and items such as paper were hoarded by the dragons who needed them for their craft or occupation. Thankfully, the clan had a few solutions since that time, which has made life easier.

“Yes, we had some issues with paper in the earlier establishment of our clan. Two of our dragons, Operetta and Gregorian, were notorious to bicker at each other for hoarding the paper from the other. Operetta is the one in charge of writing down the factual, cultural, and even artistic information, and she has quite the extensive library. However, Gregorian is the one who keeps the history of our clan and composes a multitude of chants. Both needed a large amounts of paper and… let’s just say it caused so many problems that Operetta’s mate, Etude, had to step in to try to make a concoction that would make paper, or at least something similar to what they used, rather than depend on the trading for it from other clans” explained Wavewing.

Coldfur chuckled in memory, “It takes a lot to move Etude to do anything for another dragon but whenever Gregorian and Operetta fought, thankfully mostly by words since neither one would dare lift a claw in battle, Etude heard quite the earful later from Operetta complaining about the other dragon. It would always interrupt his experiments, which made him quite angry. The turning point was when they started bickering outside Etude’s laboratory – Operetta was going to throw one of Etude’s chemicals at Gregorian. Etude stopped her in her tracks and sent them both away… I’ve never heard a Fae roar like that.” He couldn’t help but grin at the thought.

Wavewing looked guilty, “We should’ve handled the problem sooner, but with everything going on at the time with the clan, we had our claws full. Thankfully with the help of Pastoral, who takes care of all the plants on the island, she started a separate garden for Etude, which he then used the plants in his laboratory to create the stores of paper for the entire clan. Ever since then, both Operetta and Gregorian have been content and have even worked together in an almost pleasant manner. Etude still works on a variety of combinations to create other types of paper – he has even made paper that can withstand salt water! He’s quite driven to just experiment and work in his lab.”

The Tundra gave a wink to the Shadow dragons, “If we can ever get the process from Etude, we’ll be sure to share it with you. He’s pretty anti-social and secretive of his work, so it’s quite hard to get anything out of him.”

“Unfortunately,” said Wavewing, “we did not bring some of his paper with us. We typically like to have our alliances written down, as memory can be less than dependable at times.”

“We only have one Snapper amongst our clan at the moment,” said Coldur to Skye, thinking back to the breed's notable memory, “but we can’t always tell if he remembers everything he hears. He tends to not talk, so it is a bit of a problem communicating with him. Good listener though.”

The Guardian smiled, “Some say many dragons of our clan approach him to just vent or say their secrets. They know he wouldn’t breathe a word of anything he has heard."

Both dragons nodded to each other and looked back to Crossfire and Skye. "We can set a date to invite you and perhaps other members of your clan to our island where we can formally write down our agreements and celebrate the alliance. However, if you wish, we can always meet at your lair first or another neutral area such as this one. Whatever is most convenient and comfortable for you and your clan.”

@Crescentstar711,
(That's okay, RPs are good for prompting bios. c: Also, I'm back at uni in a few days so my replies might slow.)

“At least Pen shares,” Skye muttered softly after hearing the story of the bickering dragons. “She lets us write letters; Aphid even has permission to use her ink for historical documentation and accounting nonsense. That’s crazy.”

Crossfire hushed her, hoping the other dragons hadn’t heard her call them crazy. “Just different,” he told her. “Besides, you must not have seen Pen get mad at Callana.”

Skye only blinked, but he could see the formation of something no-good flicker behind her eyes. He made a note to keep Bereave away from her for a few days. If they started planning to get Pencil riled up they’d all be locked out of her library for weeks. That wasn’t something he wanted to live through again. Especially not if they were going to need paper any time soon.

“Parchment that is resistant to water?” he asked softly, just wanting to be sure. “That’s quite a feat. I’m sure if nothing else it would be fascinating to see.”

Coldfur nodded in agreement.

“Okay, that’s impressive,” Skye noted.

“Yes. Well we can convey your invitation to Venin and set up a date to meet,” Crossfire suggested. “I’m sure Venin would like to be there to see the alliance signed.”

“Well it’s his authority we need, Cross,” Skye pointed out.

“I can do it,” he reminded her. “That’s why I’m the ambassador: so Venin doesn’t need to be at every meeting.”

She only rolled her eyes. “Perhaps another neutral location? We could sign the parchment somewhere awesome…” She trailed off, thinking – no doubt – about what location would be suitably ‘awesome’. “Oh! There’s an island just over that way,” she waved a claw in a general eastward direction, “it has this crumbling old temple on it with a giant gnomon on the northern cliffs. Very cool place. We could sign it there?”

Crossfire nodded. “That would be acceptable. And if you wanted to return for celebrations – to either your lair or ours – we could do so afterwards?”

Skye beamed. “Maybe Liqueur will throw us a big party.”