Kestrel

Uh-oh, looks like this majestic nocturne wandered a little too far from his lair #136580, Prescott), and now he's off to see the world! If ever you feel the urge to exalt, he'd really appreciate it if you could just return him home instead, or to the 'Dragons Off To See The World' thread, here.

Owners I've Had:
#136580, Prescott
#85643, Eowyn
#98183, KittyAoba
#142118, Lpshoper
#136580, Prescott
#45393, Spooner
#280325, PottedGalaxy

Travel Log
Kestrel had been cast out by his former owner. Tired, hungry and uncertain of what path to take, a clan in the Foxfire Bramble known as the Forgotten Clan took him in and gave him food. When he explained his situation, they suggested he travel the world like others had before he came along until he could finally find somewhere to call him home. They said farewell, promising him that they would always be there for him should he ever decide to return.

He found his way to a clan deep within the molten scar led by the dragon Arwen. Enchanted by it's uniqueness and hidden magic, he decided to stay. Time moved differently there, however, and one day he realized he had been there far too long, and that it was time for him to move on.

---

Kestral's travels led him through the Shifting Expanse and all the way to the Sunbeam Ruins. Tired from his trip, he landed on top a crumpling ruin in the shady edges of the Hewn City. Settling in to rest for the night, he was startled as another dragon landed next to him. The other Nocturne, dark with the exception of his own pale belly, tilted his head to look at Kestral curiously and thoughtfully.

Seeming to come to a quick decision, he introduced himself as Kuronue, and invited Kestral to come to his clan's lair for the night. Kestral, who hadn't been looking forward to camping out there, readily agreed. Kuronue laughed, then motioned for Kestral to follow before taking off.

They flew further along the edges of the city until they reached a building that seemed in better shape than most of the others. It had a wide entry way, big enough for even the largest of Imperials to enter. The doors of the massive building were set wide open, only a set of curtains hanging on the inside blocking the casual viewer's sight in. Kuronue lifted the edges of the curtain and motioned Kestral in, where he promptly bumped into a huge, ice-coloured Imperial. He heard Kuronue make a delighted sound behind him, before watching as the darker Nocturne actually flew up and landed on the Imp's back, right between his shoulder blades. Kuronue introduced the Imp as Kurama, his mate. Kurama greeted Kestral quite politely, and together, the pair led Kestral down into the lair proper.

The underground space was huge, with a vaulted dome roof that opened to the sky above, showing the starts of twinkling stars above. Many curtained tunnels of various sizes led off from the common area, dragons coming and going from most of them. He was led off to one of the lesser used tunnels, where Kuronue hopped off Kurama's back, letting the huge dragon head off to do whatever while Kuronue went back to being his solo guide. Kestral was told that this was the guest wing, where he'd be staying for the night until he could see the clan heads in the morning, if he decided to stay longer.

Kestral noted that the wing he was in, while huge, lacked the life that the main hall of the lair had seemed to radiate. The place was as little used as it looked. It was clean, no dust to be seen, and the bedding when he looked into a curtained room looked soft and comfortable, but it was... lonely. When he muttered this out loud, Kuronue laughed, telling Kestral that they never leave their guests alone. He'd have company. As the one who brought him here, Kuronue would also be spending the night in the wing. That was a surprising comfort. Kestral found himself not wanting to be alone in that lonely wing.

While Kestral was once again looking around, Kuronue dug out some food from somewhere, and soon his nose was filled with the scent of the food. Kuronue grinned and offered a packet, which the lighter Nocturne accepted gratefully. Once they were both done eating, they settled in to sleep.

Morning dawned surprisingly bright, Kestral waking to sunbeams in his eyes. Kuronue, who appeared to be wide awake already, grinned cheerfully at him. Looking up, Kestral realized that the roof of this room was shockingly high as well, letting in the sunlight, though it seemed from an angle. He was told that the guest rooms were designed like that so that the guests would be comfortable. The skylight could be closed easily enough in the winter and bad weather, though.

That aside, Kuronue led Kestral back to the main area, which seemed to have been transformed overnight into a dining hall. It seemed every dragon in the clan had to be there, chattering happily and eating their choice of food. Most of the dragons even had familiars at their heals or perched on them, eating their own foods. It was bright and lively, the sun beaming down through the skylight above, lighting the area with warm summer light. Honestly, he wasn't exactly comfortable with it, being a Shadow dragon. Kuronue seemed to notice Kestral's discomfort and patted him on the shoulder with a smile. He told him that he'd soon get used to it if he decided to stay for a while. Given that Kuronue was also a shadow dragon, and that there were many other dragons with shadow eyes milling about, eating, laughing, talking with friends, and all around seeming comfortable with the light, Kestral had no choice but to believe him.

Time passed, and Kestral indeed found himself becoming accustom to the light. Early summer passed into mid autumn, and he had to wonder where the time went. He enjoyed spending time with the dragons of the Blue Lotus clan. everyone was friendly and got along well with everyone else. Fights were solved quickly and peacefully. Honestly, the Nocturne had never seen anything like it. Still, it was getting about time to move on. He'd miss this clan, but... he wanted to see what more was out there. And so he bid farewell to the friends he'd made, wished the clean leaders well, then headed off.

He still had much to see, after all.

---

Kestral flew through the dim night sky, allowing the stars to aid him in his journey. He closed his eyes and allowed the cool zephyr to rush past his nose, cooling his body. With his vision obscured, he felt his wings being clipped by an unknown force. He quickly opened his eyes and apologised to the Skydancer who had bumped into him. She was understanding and asked him where he was headed, and he confessed to being a lonely traveller. To his surprise, she explained that her clan welcomed travellers, and he returned with her.

...Back to the Forgotten Clan. They had upgraded the lair, and the clan was more bustling with life than ever before. He was overjoyed to be reunited with them, and spent a lot of time catching up with their members, old and new. He also heard the tale of Kovu, a retired traveller who had a near death experience whilst out travelling. Kestral felt bad for the dragon, though Kovu assured him that his new life was just as grand as the last.

But the travelling bug caught Kestral again, and he soon took off to journey more of Sornieth. Like before, he was always welcome back.