Pyroclast

Jewelry-Maker; Hunter; Air Patrol

Pyroclast jolts awake at his foster-sister's call. He has been overly tired and sleeping too much of late. He drops out of the tree and lands beside her.
She immediately begins speaking in low tones, in rapid-fire Coatl, directing his incompletely-awake attention to the changes in her body. She seems largely metal, and a shining circuit traced over her skin and feathers.
Their conversation helps him finish waking. it seems likely that his exhaustion is related to the transformation in Stormgard, and which Basaltic discovered before she left. Seeing it up close, the Coatl is right--its lightning origin is undeniable. If it is connected to CIndercone's mystery disaster then there are likely others involved. They have to speak to the other ex-Cindercone dragons to see.
And so they set out. Each will find another CIndercone-born dragon--or, perhaps Aare or Haskaharr should be included as well--and speak to them, try to ascertain their condition. They will leave each other notes in this tree, to avoid duplicating. And they will meet again when they can.

As they part ways, he sets out toward the Seaside Lair, thinking again about Cindercone. He hopes his blood-father and foster-mother are making it through whatever it is.

*

Pyroclast was looking for Wintersky, but Haskaharr found him first. The fiery Pearlcatcher was grim when he told him something was badly wrong with him, and he needed to bring him to Arquen.

The thought intruded in Pyroclast's mind--he is going to ruin everything!. He dismissed it as nonsense: ruin what, exactly? His ability to speak to the other former dragons of Cindercone? But here was one right here calling him away! It gave way to an equally nonsensical temptation to run, but he was far too tired to escape in a straight chase even if he listened, so he followed Haskaharr.

The Pearlcatcher did not wish to answer questions, so Pyroclast was frustrated on the brief return. When they arrived, Arquen put a set of restraints on him, and Strychnos, who was standing by, bit him, injecting venom and what felt like an endless stream of Nature power. Then the Tundra explained the situation--there had been an Arcane curse, spread by Topaz the Spiral; she had been slain, and they were now rounding up those affected by it.

Since then, he has sprouted a matching set of gnarled, half-charred-looking miniature trees, which Arquen checks on, as seemingly they indicate the condition of his recovery.