Roleplay

Dash peeked over Sholka's shoulder to get a good look at the sprawling red landscape zipping by beneath them. "I was going to ask how he was able to absorb the Shade energy, yet not be affected by it himself?"

One could see rough looking clans of barbaric dragons occationally, infected things that were beyond recognition.

"I'm not sure, why don't you ask him? Dev mind giving me a claw getting Tim up here?"
"Ughh fine but you owe me one." He snapped his fingers, and with shade summoning magic Tim appeared looking very displeased and disgruntled at having being summoned so crudely.

Dash had to take a minute and discreetly chuckle at the disgruntled look Tim gave to Devastation. For all of his frustration, Dash still found the Psywyrm rather cute. "Hello Tim, might I ask how you are able to absorb so much of the Shade energy from Sholka, without it affecting you?"

Now that he thought on it, Dash didn't really feel Sholka's energy. Though he knew it was there, the tingle was in the back of his mind and he could see the physical manifestations of the energy. Was his suppressed sensation because of Tim? Or perhaps he was so excited he had ignored it?

Tim closed his eyes and sat down, before a soft and elegant voice echoed gently in Dash's ears.

"I don't absorb, so much as I deflect the negative and distribute to others to even it out. Most of the time, no-one notices a change, although new-comers usually feel unsettled before they get used to the sensation, and then it's like it was never there. The more dragons or beastclan around, the better for everyone. The reason it feels so calm now is because of the raider clans below us, and Devestation who seems to enjoy the brooding sensation. He made a request to have it mostly deflected to him."

"I promise I'm not crazed, it's tingly and cool. And I guess I don't get angry because I'm already Shade-born."

Sholka hummed for attention. "We're here."
As he landed gently, one could only see what seemed like more endless desert wastelands, with the exception of a single stone-like Skydancer wearing a helmet, scarlet feathers, and a blood-rusted cleaver at her hip.
"That's Nahnu. Dunno when she started hanging around or when she'll go. Just avoid her if you can."
Nahnu began approaching, arms opening wide as if looking for a welcome hug, and if one blinked they would miss how quickly she grabbed the cleaver and swung it down heavily, only for Dev to deflect with magic.
"Dear Plaguebringer, she hits hard" He wheezed.
Sholka chuckled and walked past, thumping a hollow piece of rock, making it slide to reveal a massive hole lit with lights, lamps, candles, and magic.

Dash was in the process of recording the explanation Tim and Devastation gave him when they landed. Once on the ground he slipped free of Sholka's back, but before he could thank the Imperial his attention fell on the solemn Skydancer approaching with her arms opened. He was on the verge of questioning the situation when she attacked Devastation. Dash, stunned as he was, stumbled back and into Sholka's side... or someone's side he wasn't really paying attention to where he landed.

Thankfully, the little Fae deflected the blow. "By all that is... great googlymoogly... what is that?!"

A white wildclaw well known for being a mass murderer who went by the name of Melquist launched up from the hole and right to Nahnu, drawing her attention from them as he began to excitedly chat with her, dodging each blow easily as she seemingly casually taslked back.

Sholka and Dev ignored them, as this was a regular occurence now for them. "That is the entry to Sugarsand for larger dragons such as myself, Niji who is one of the protectors, and a few other residents or guests. There is a smaller entryway at the other end for smaller dragons. If you like, Dev can show you the way, or you can follow down this way. It's steep so most smaller dragons fly it, but you can walk."

Dash nodded blindly to the answer about the entrance, his attention was more on the two outside of it then it was anywhere else. "And that Skydancer?" he asked, redirecting attention back to her and the Wildclaw that joined her.

"Thats Nahnu, and the Wildclaw is Melquist. No idea how either of them got here, but they are now, and they haven't killed anyone from Sugarsand, but they have kept raiding clans away." Sholka answered calmly.
"Are you coming down? Melquist will be back later giddy as a hatchling high on Sugar, and Nahnu will remain above ground."

Dash nodded, following quickly behind Sholka. Once out of sight he looked around the entrance of the clan and to all of the points of light that banished the shadows to the small corners of the corridor. The beauty of it, all of those points of light jumbled together to form a mesh of drake made stars, managed to sooth his racing heart. He simply wasn't used to the excitement he was exposed to at SugarSand.

He shook the bothersome thoughts away and attempted a misdirect to preoccupy his mind. "How far down is your lair?" As he waited on a response he turned his attention to Devastation next to his father and that's when it really dawned on him that Sholka was indeed Devastation's parent. A thought occurred to him there after. "Tim, could it be that Devastation appreciates the excess energy because it's from his father?"

Dev was first to respond, cutting Tim off.
"Who knows? Probably, but it just feels tingly and exciting."

Sholka sighed and went on to answer Dash's first question.

"It rangers from not very deep to at least a kilometer down at it's deepest. Smaller dragons have their rooms closer to the surface entries, and larger dragons deeper down, but this is the main room, where everyone gathers to eat, for meetings, or to just hang out."

The hallway emptied out into a massive chamber at least 40 meters high and easily double or even triple that wide. Even the largest Ridgeback or Imperial would fit comfortably inside. Along the walls many other hallways had their doors. Some large and some only big enough for a fae to fit. Same went along the roof of the cavern. Several dragons milled about casually, hatchlings playing tag through the tunnels and large space. However one dragon stood out, a tiny fae with scales traumatic enough to scare a guardian if they were all uncovered at once. He was yelling at a coatl covered in bright paints and green goggles, clearly a brewer, the fae a scavenger.

"Ignore those two yelling, they do this regularly. Forekai will collect things to sell, Gabriel will go ahead and just take whatever he wants without thinking to melt it all down into goo or whatever."