Chimalma

**** Wysteria is a smaller secondary territory of Twisting Lights located high up in the Cloudsong. It is a collection of docked airships and hot air balloons that belong to Twisting Lights. This secondary territory is far from Twisting Lights

Lair:

Chimalma gazed out at the sweeping horizons before her from the bow of her airship. It was a magnificent craft built from thousands of light weight bamboo reeds, cedar planks, and ash carved masts that reached far above her head. Being an Imperial, Chim was already among the giants of her kind and so the scope and size of this vessel that held her would look like a craft built for the Gods to someone watching below. The shape of the ship resembled that of the old sailing ships that teams of dragons commanded in the waters across Sornieth. However, the air ship had large kite-like wings fanning out from its sides and golden sailing masts that seemed to reach on forever higher towards the heavens. The body of the ship was painted in hues of rich green and vibrant reds that culminated to the glittering figurehead of a beautiful Sunsea Pseudo.

Chimalma closed her eyes for a moment, inhaled deeply and then exhaled a long drawn out breath. Her ship was one of the largest in the fleet that was docked and tethered up in her clan's section of the Cloudsong, collectively called Wysteria, and was aptly named "El Dorado" meaning the golden. The female Imperial smiled and opened her eyes once more. She was the leader of this band of the Clan of the Twisting Lights; whose founders often stayed in the clan's ground Territory near the Twisting Crescendo. As a result of the clan recently being granted the right to a section up in the legendary Cloudsong, the leaders decided to nominate a chief to oversee the smooth running of the new territory. Chimalma had been extremely new to the clan at this point and was astounded, if not flattered, at their choice and confidence in her. She was not even a native born wind dragon but a previous resident of the Fishspine Reef where she had been born. It all seemed like it had happened ages ago but in reality it happened less than a year ago.

"Chimalma. Chim!" A tiny annoyed-sounding voice in her ear called her back from her reminiscing.

One of her golden ears twitched as she felt stray gusts of air blowing past it irritably. She blinked and then glanced towards the source of the nuisance and was not surprised to see a tiny orange black butterfly Fae buzzing around near her antlers.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and raised her eyebrows, "What is it this time Icarus?"

The dark-faced Fae scowled darkly and wrung his little paws in irritation, "Everything. Everything! The catering is all wrong. Crystal is refusing to finish the decorations on the upper deck balustrade of the Lanser II and the Firecracker. Saxon still hasn't fixed the Morkatamia's anchor rigging and Odiron still hasn't shown up yet! He was supposed to arrive 3 hours ago to set up all the music but he's completely missing. This is setting up to be the worst Minstrel Jamboree we've ever HAD!" The poor Fae seemed to get even more worked up the longer he kept talking.

Chimalma sighed in a soft kindly way and shook her head in amazement, "Icarus... this is the first jamboree we've ever had."

The Fae gritted his teeth, "No I heard lasts year's masquerade was fabulous. The clan partied for the entire week! If we keep going the way, we are we won't even get to the party part at all."

"Last year we both weren't in the clan and the masquerade took place down in Twisting Lights. You know it’s far easier to set things up down on the surface. Supplies gets there faster and there are more dragons around to lend a helping hand. Up here in the Song we have challenges to meet every day. We just have to learn to do things a little differently up here." Chimalma said in a sage-like voice.

This didn't appear to appease the agitated Fae and she heard him snort softly, "Yeah and while we're learning to do that everything will be ruined."

Chimalma sighed and turned around towards the exit platform that reached out from the loading dock towards one of the railing gates of the ship’s hull. She chuckled and shook her head, "Come on. Let's see how bad it really is."

This seemed to perk Icarus up and he immediately took the lead flying quickly out and in front of Chim's snout, his red aviator cape swirling in the wind, and pointed down the row of smaller ships behind the El Dorado with the expression of a conquistador, "To the Morkatamia then! You need to see what Cookie and Bloohound have been cooking up for the Windwood feast tonight and Fantasia should be around somewhere hopefully helping Crystal with the decorations."

Chimalma wasn't at all worried about the preparations for tonight's opening festivities. Cookie and Bloodhound were the best chef and baker in the clan. They had traveled all the way from Twisting Lights, a 2-day journey by airship, to prepare the banquet here in Wysteria. Icarus was just a perfectionist and it really didn’t take much to send him flying into a rage when something as important as the jamboree came around. He could be unbelievably bossy and rude; not to mention a little stuck up due to his illustrious parentage but she knew there was more to him then his surly attitude.

Once they crossed a fair distance of the floating platforms that connected the different harbors of the Cloudsong, passing smaller airships and tethered hot air balloons along the way, they came to another grand airship that was nearly the size of the El Dorado. Instead of wide and high reaching sails however, the Morkatamia was a dirigible ship with an immense helium-filled balloon that carried the sleek brass hull. The body of the ship was a mostly closed cabin with at least ten stories of crystal windows and a broad upper balcony that looked out across the sky. The brass-lined body was attached to the balloon by massive cables anchored in strategic points across the ship.

The Morkatamia was a travelling ship the clan often used to transport multiple dragons between Twisting Lights and Wysteria. It was typically moored up in Wysteria seeing as Twisting Lights had its own travel ship, Kite Rider, that had its home down on the surface. It was useful to have two travel ships in both locations because many dragons of the clan often came and went across the two territories. Dragons didn’t always make the journey by airship but it was faster than flying and the dirigible aircrafts often made the journey quicker than the sailing ships like the Lanser II or the Firecracker. The only exception to this was the El Dorado. With its massive sails, ace flight crew, and in favorable wind conditions the El Dorado ways easily the fastest ship in Wysteria.

Icarus reached the aft door of the Morkatamia before Chimalma and quickly used a flashy spell that gave him large glowing tentacles to open the metal door on the side of the ship. Chim slipped in behind him and immediately walked through the twisting hallway and up the service stairway towards the galley and dining room in the belly of the ship. It was oval shaped room with large circular windows on both sides that allowed passengers to see out all across the whole sky. The space itself wasn’t the most luxurious but it was comfortable and with all the fantastic jamboree decorations everywhere it looked awesome.

Chimalma glanced around, "I think they've done an excell--"

Just then something exploded and a large, furry, red and white tundra was thrown through the two swinging doors that led off to the kitchen. He hurtled across the room like he'd been shot out of canon and landed right into Chimalma's waiting arms. The tundra didn't say anything at first, he seemed a bit dazed, but he had silly grin on his face nonetheless.

Icarus had frozen at the sight of the explosion and then he was shouting, "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?! LOOK AT THE ROOM! ITS DEMOLISHED!"

Another male tundra, this one black and white, came through the kitchen doors that were now belching streams of black smoke. He coughed several times and then said in a calm voice, "Well I'm no baker but I'm quite certain souffles shouldn't explode when you take them out of the oven."

Chimalma ignored them both and glanced down at the tundra in her arms. Patches of his coat were black and sooty and slightly smoking but other than that he didn't look too bad. His head lolled and that silly grin of his grew wider as he mumbled, "Is the dessert done yet? I need to finish the dressing..." Then, still with that dazed and glazed look, he frowned, "Who let all these birds in and why do they keep flying around my head?"

Chimalma glanced at Cookie, the black and white tundra who had just spoken, and raised an eyebrow questioningly. Cookie opened his mouth to answer but shut it when Icarus started up again after he spotted a glimpse of the kitchen through the still swinging doors. Immediately he zoomed off towards the other room and they suddenly all heard his cursing bellowing throughout the ship. Who knew Fae's could yell so loud? Luckily his rage was somewhat muffled by the doors which had now stopped swinging.

Cookie frowned, "Well don't look a me I didn't do it."

Chimalma set Bloodhound down and watched as he sprawled across the floor in a heap. Then, wincing at another echoed curse from Icarus, said, "What happened?"

"I'm not sure... I was just finishing up the entrees when suddenly there was a flash and a boom and Bloodhound went flying," He replied simply.

"The lights were pretty..." Bloodhound muttered incoherently.

Another Imperial came crashing in from another stairway just then and gasped at the carnage of the room. She was a silvery female dressed in green silks whose face was normally kind and gentle but was now looking horrified. It was Crystal, the official kite maker for the clan who was in charge of the decorations for the festival this year.

She gasped, “Wha…what?! I heard a bang and…Bloudhound! Is he okay?! Fantasia! Get down here, its Bloodhound!”
Bloodhound grinned again and slurred, “I’malright. Did you like the cake?”
Chimalma frowned at this latest utterance from the poor baker at her feet. Before Chim could answer however, an elegant and beautiful guardian had come up from behind Crystal. She looked just like Bloodhound and her white and red scales brightened the entire room as she entered. She was another decorator and mage who lived up in Wysteria most of the year. She was also Bloudhound’s mate.

Before anything more could be said by anyone however, there was shrieking growl from the kitchen, a flash of light from a fire blast, a yelping cry, and a dark male pearlcatcher came sprinting out from behind the doors crying, “It was only a little joke Ic! I didn’t know the whole thing would blow up?”

The pearlcatcher was perused by an enraged Icarus whose entire body was now set aflame, “A JOKE?! YOU’RE THE ONE IN CHARGE OF THE PYROTECHINICS! HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW IT WOULD BLOW UP?! GET BACK HERE TIZOC!”

The pearlcatcher named Tizoc did not listen however and bolted past Cookie, Bloodhound, and Chimalma in a flash heading for the exit to the ship. Icarus blasted after him leaving a trail of smoke and burning carpet behind him.

Chimalma groaned and turned to Fantasia, “Stay with Bloodhound. I’ll go get them.” She saw the guardian nodded quietly as she came and sat down by the Tundra.

Chim turned and went after the two dragons. She reached the end of the hallway to the aft door to find it open and smoking. They’d be lucky if the entire ship hadn’t caught fire by the end of this. She dived out the opening to see the tiny figure of Icarus hurling boulder-sized balls of fire towards the Tizoc who was hastily trying to dodge them all. They had flown some yards away from the dock and were in open sky.

Tizoc, who was indeed supposed to be the pyrotechnic specialist on the Firecracker, seemed to be shouting apologies that apparently wasted on deaf ears as another fire ball was hurled at him. Once Chimalma got in range of the two of them she growled, “Alright that’s enough from both of you!”

Icarus didn’t stop however and continued charging his next fire ball so Chimalma sucked in a deep breath and shot a torrent of water at him. The Fae recovered and sputtered angrily, “What’d you do that for?!”

“I thought you needed a little cooling off, “Chimalma snapped back coldly.
Tizoc, the idiot, let out a small chuckle and Icarus rounded on him for another go. Chimalma was faster however and got in between them. Then she snarled at them both, “Come on you two.”

Then she brought them both back down to the top deck of the Morkatamia, carefully flying under the balloon and landing precisely on the deck. She noticed the others had come up from the galley. Fantasia was helping Bloodhound and Crystal was talking quickly with Cookie. They all stopped when they noticed Chim. Chimalma rounded on the two off them the minute her claws touched the wood, “What do you think you two were doing? What happened down there?!”

“I found this sneak hiding in the blown up kitchen with one of his used fireworks. I knew as soon as I saw him that he caused the explosion,” Icarus growled furiously.

“So you felt the need to nearly burn down the ship?” Icarus scowled but looked away from her and refused to respond. She glared at Tizoc for an explanation.

“I-I didn’t mean for the whole kitchen to blow up. Honest!” The pearlcatcher sputtered and then shrunk under her lethal gaze, “I just wanted to give Bloodhound a bit of a laugh with a little fire cracker. He got me earlier. I just didn’t realize the fuse to the other firework got caught in the oven’s flame. Really…”

Chimalma closed her eyes and sighed wearily. She knew Tizoc was telling the truth. He could be a huge clux and a prankster but he wasn’t a lair. Before she could do anything, Icarus slumped to the ground with a gasp. She glanced at him and was shocked to see tears in his eyes. He was gazing around the deck of the ship. One of his fire balls had come close to the balcony and burned up all the paper lanterns and candles. Part of the deck was blackened and charred too. Icarus gazed at these things and then looked at the black smoking floating up from the stairs heading down to the kitchens. His shoulders slumped and his voice was tiny, “Why…? I only wanted this year’s Jamboree to be perfect… Now it really is all ruined.”

Tizoc lowered his head in shame and wouldn’t look at anyone. Crystal’s face seemed close to tears now too, “My Dad is going to here soon… I wanted to show him everything we’ve done.”
“Has someone been making brownies?” Bloodhound laughed suddenly contrasting the sad moment with his foggy mind. Fantasia sighed and shook her head, “What a mess this turned out to be.”

Chimalma stared at them all for a moment before stomping her foot to the floor of the deck, “No! This is going to be the best Mistral Jamboree we’ve ever had if it kills me!” And she closed her eyes and summoned all the magic she had. Swirls of gold traced their way down her body and suddenly the entire deck was shining with golden light.

***

It was nighttime and Wysteria was lit up with ships and hot air balloons of all colors. Music was playing and dragons danced and laughed. The Firecracker sailing airship was slowing drifting across the stars piloted by Tizoc who was showing off the most amazing fireworks. Crystal was dancing along with her father Odiron’s music. Bloodhound was back in his right mind and carry large trays of decedent pastries and cakes chatting with avidly with Fantasia who faithfully walked beside him. Cookie put on a show with his cooking skills and prepared the most amazing dishes.

Chimalama was back on the deck of the El Dorado watching the festivities from a far with a soft smile on her face. Icarus appeared beside her at some point but didn’t say anything for a while. They watched Tizoc’s fireworks light up the sky for a long time until Icarus uttered, “They really are pretty.” He nodded to the most recent firework and then said quickly, “When they’re in the sky I mean.”

“And when they aren’t being fired from a flaming Fae intent on murder,” Chimalma added with a chuckle.

Icarus was silent for a minute before answering, “Yeah your right.” She could her the shame buried in the depths of his voice.

She turned to to him and grinned, “It all worked out.”

“Only because you have some major magic skills,” He said a little bitterly.

Chimalma shrugged, “Oh I don’t know. Everyone helped out in the end.”

“Yeah…”

She smirked at his depressed expression and nudged him gently, “Happy Mistral Jamboree Icarus.”

“Happy Mistral Jamboree Chim.”

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All credit for these go to the original artists:

In terms of sails, this is the best representation of what the El Dorado looks like except it does not have all the sails underneath it like this picture shows. The body sails of the El Dorado are also a lot bigger and wider than the ones on this ship. Also the body of the ship looks far more ornate and artistic much like the old British sailing ships seen back in the day. All the sails on the El Dorado are a bright golden color.

The Lanser II...

The Morkatamia...

**** Sky ship landing bay in large waterfall cave in the side of beach cliff side in Twisting Lights