Kallai

Kallai is a kind soul with a heart of gold. Handsome, generous, and humble, he'd be any girl's dream if it wasn't for his truly awful stutter. His guardians had assured him that he'd grow out of it as a hatchling, but unfortunately that never happened. He became close with Shani, a Coatl with not much to say, and they were happy to play together quietly. As he got older however, his speech impediment began to affect his life. Assigned as a guard under the Gatekeeper Natch, no one - dragon or otherwise - would take him seriously and often ignored his warnings, invading the territory and refusing to leave without coming to blows. All of this greatly irritated Natch, who while apathetic to most everything did his job and did it well, and once sufficiently annoyed told Kallai to get rid of the stutter or beat it.

Upset and angry, Kallai was at a loss. He had been trained as a guard from a young age - it was all he knew. He became moody and brooding, and not even Shani could cheer him up. After just over a week of this behavior he was approached by one of the last dragons he expected: Azira, one of Nimrav's adopted daughter's and the clan's messenger and scout. Home for a few weeks after one of her many trips abroad, she'd noticed the younger Wildclaw's dark demeanor and sought to perhaps lift his spirits a bit. She chatted to him and told him stories of her journeys and he commented when appropriate. What astonished Kallai was that she didn't seem bothered at all by his stutter. Even Nyah and Nimrav, his caretaker and his teacher, would look at him pityingly and hold their breath while he tried to stammer out what he wanted to say. Only Shani, silent as she was, was able to ignore it. Except... except Azira appeared not to mind it either. It was refreshing.

Over the following days Kallai began to participate more and more in his conversations with Azira. She would only smile and listen attentively and patiently while he was speaking, which made him smile and listen actively in return. They became fast friends, playing and chatting together while Azira was home, and Kallai missing her and her smile and her voice while she was away. While Azira was away on a particularly long trip all the way on the other side of Sornieth, Kallai had an epiphany.

Azira had taught him to laugh. She had taught him to joke and laugh and sing silly songs. She'd taught him what it was like to connect with someone on a verbal level, and while a lot could be said with sight and touch, words brought a different sort of intimacy. But with Azira things were different...

Azira had taught him what it was like to be loved, and how to love in return.

When she returned, Kallai greeted her with a fierce joy and newfound passion that took her completely by surprise. When he told her he loved her without the faintest hint of a stutter, she cried.