Spellbinder

"Do you really believe every lie she spews from her maw?!" Windfront seethed, his fur bristling.

Offended, Spellbinder scoffed, "Of course not!"

"Then why must you follow her every word?! Surely you've learned from last time,"

"Yes, but this one will work," the bright blue ridgeback hissed to his lab partner, "Clarity has deemed it so!"

"Oh, you and Clarity," the imperial's scorched snout twitched, revealing a sharp-toothed snarl, "She speaks in such a manner to beguile y-"

"The Eldest Sister agrees," The ridgeback tilted his head, wires gently falling into his face, "She spoke of the darkness of the abyss and the bright light of clarity. She spoke of them coming together and producing something beautiful and terrifying and powerful,"

Windfront stood, still bristling, but silent. His sorrowful eyes were hidden behind nearly-opaque goggles, revealing nothing of his expression.

"Not only that, but Dove read our success in her cards, Crane in her birds, and Comet in the stars above. Surely you trust their judgement,"

Windfront pounced on the pause in Spellbinder's frantic yammering, "And what of the Haruspex? What was her ruling? What of the Soothsayer, the Medium, the Archivist, even?"

"Is The Oracle's word not enough for you, Windfront?"

"Why should it be?"

Spellbinder sighed and plucked his mask from the desk beside him, "The Soothsayer spoke of two becoming one... The strength of persistence and endurance. The Medium sang of truths beyond the grave, ancients chanting in our honor. The Archivist simply nodded,"

"And the Haruspex?" Windfront insisted.

"She spoke of the Wyrmwound. She spoke of the power contained within it, waiting to be harnessed. She spoke of the Herald's insistence that we never return to the lake, how she came back changed, after that night... How that was exploitable,"

"Is that so?" Windfront huffed, looking to his feet, "And you believe them?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Spellbinder spat, "If the words of all the Assembled Augurs didn't convince me, I wouldn't have any place within the Whelk, would I?" He realized he'd stepped toward the other dragon as he spoke, his nose mere inches from the others'. "To work against their word is to work against the very will of the clan, isn't it?"
He paused, continuing slowly, "Who would you be to stop me..?"

Windfront's whiskers twitched, his gaze trained on Spellbinder's face, but he said nothing.

"So you'll allow it?"

(1/363 with color scheme (as of 11/26/22))