Sam

Sam may be the most elegant dragon to ever find a home with Tiamat's clan. Appearances are deceiving, though - he* is one feisty Imp and enjoys the rough n' tumble life as a Coli grinder. Once he was old enough to fight, he followed Tron and Nightspring into battle and has been clawing his way up to the top ever since. His battle partners are Ani and Ruby, much to the clan's amusement and Tron's consternation.

After a day of Coli grinding, training, digging, and scavenging, the clan's battle dragons often break off into duos and trios to spar and strategize. Much of Sam's time is spent with Ani and Ruby - Ruby had never participated in Coli before accepting Tiamat's invitation to her clan, so Sam and Ani tasked themselves with training her as best as they can. But sometimes he finds Tron and Nightspring and the three of them tussle for hours. After one such sparring session, Nightspring excused herself to go clean her pink bow. Tron tried to follow but was stopped by Sam winding his tail around Tron's left foot.

"Come on," he said, spread his wings, and flew up the steep side of the mesa to a high ledge. He didn't have to see if Tron would follow; the Guardian always did.

This high, they could see the tesla coils, rods, and spires of the Lightning Farm and the huge web of electricity-laden cables crisscrossing the desert from mesa to mesa, including theirs. The bright snap of hot blue lightning drowned out the stars.

"So I asked Ti about the Search," he said.

"Oh no," was Tron's immediate response.

"Is it true?" Sam asked. "About your charge?"

Tron spent an inordinately long time poking at a pebble near his claws before saying anything. "She shouldn't have told you that."

"She didn't. I'm not stupid, I can figure this out. We Imps aren't just pretty or good at levitating during a fight, you know."

"Yes, you were also the biggest headache when you were a hatchling. Even Varda was better behaved."

"Kept you on your toes, though," Sam said wickedly.

"So you did."

The stormy morning found them still on the ledge, Tron's wing sheltering Sam from the rain. Hati found them, too, and Tron's familiar kept guard until they woke, staring up at the heavy clouds and waiting for the moon to come back.

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Eight days since he last saw Tron and Nightspring, and he didn't like it one bit. The others sensed his mood on the second day and wisely stayed away, except Flawlessly who'd tuck him under her massive wing and lull him to sleep with songs their mothers knew. His best distraction at the time was Skoll, a fearsome fiery wolf of a familiar who was endlessly fascinated with fire and the sun.

On the sixth night he crept up to the lair's entrance and sat next to Ru and Helena, who were standing watch. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Don't know what you're talking about," Ru replied but Helena shifted uneasily.

"Where'd Tron and Nightspring go?"

Ru considered his question for a second and then said, "Deep into the Mire. It's unfamiliar territory and we need many capable dragons to map it for the rest of us."

Sam huffed. He, Ani, and Ruby had been fighting their way through the Boreal Wood, but at least they reported back at night. Ani was becoming a better healer so their trips back to the lair for Ru's healing touch are less frequent. But they came back every night. What could Tron and Nightspring be doing out there? Was the Mire that dangerous? Other clans from the Shifting Expanse and other domains of the gods have been sending out dragons to the Mire; don't they all know what's to be expected in the swamps and murky woods?

"They'll bring back fine things for us to eat and barter with," Helena said. "Those Psywurms are terrible, though. Ancalagon threw out all the magnetite; they kept interfering with the lightning generator Datalink's been working. But that rich iron ore, that's useful."

"You should come to the Wood with us, get some of the ore from the Yetis," Sam said. "They're not a fan of electricity, or fire."

Helena shook her head. "No thanks. I prefer using my fire in the workshop."

"Suit yourself," Sam said. He peered out at the sky. The moon was bright tonight and he thought, Hati must love it.

Eighth day he's curled up in his corner of the lair, valiantly ignoring Skoll's attempts to drag him out into the sun. He knows the others are already awake and grooming each other, donning their apparel, bonding with their familiars, and feasting on the lair's stores. He should join them since the plan is to head out to the Boreal Wood - Ani talked up a storm last night about forcing a friendship on a Yeti until Ruby pointed out that a Yeti could punch him out cold and what would Ru say when she finds out? - and he's hungry, but he'd like a couple more minutes of sleep.

Which is how he misses the sudden rippling sounds of activity starting from just outside the lair and the whoosh of wings as dragons cleared out of various sections of the recently expanded lair. He doesn't miss Skoll yipping and Hati howling an answer, and jerks his head straight up.

There's a Wildclaw in the lair, standing just a foot away from him. His eyes are electric Lightning blue, he's obsidian all over except for the network of stonewash circuits, and there's a tell-tale scar over his eye, now faded with age.

"Tron? What - you're - no way."

"Yes... way." Tron is smaller than Sam now, and still adapting to his new form. He keeps listing to the side, still finding his equilibrium, but for the most part he looks... Wildclaw.

What is Sam supposed to say? Wildclaw scrolls are incredibly hard to come because they're worth so much and dragons will spend weeks in Coli trying to earn enough to buy such valuable things. Was this why Tron and Nightspring were gone for over a week? To acquire a scroll and give Tron time to adapt? For him?

"You're of age now," Tron says, swishing his tail in a rare show of anxiety. "Today, to be exact."

Sam uncoils himself from the tight circle he was in and, with a flap of his wings, lifts off the ground. He curls around Tron, marveling at he is now the larger dragon, and arranges his wings just so to shelter the smaller dragon.

"Is that why everybody cleared out of the lair?"


*he/him pronouns, please. Sam insists, and Nightspring will eat your face off if you refuse.