Kire
(#29793414)
Which genius decided to stat a water dragon as a Mire Flyer?
Staticord
Fisher King
Click or tap to view this dragon in Predict Morphology.
Energy: 48/50
This dragon’s natural inborn element is Water.
Female Imperial
This dragon is on a Coliseum team.
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Collapse the dragon details section.
Personal Style
Apparel
Skin
Scene
Measurements
Length
20.66 m
Wingspan
18.46 m
Weight
6984.51 kg
Genetics
Swamp
Crystal
Crystal
Aqua
Facet
Facet
Brick
Underbelly
Underbelly
Hatchday
Breed
Eye Type
Level 25 Imperial
Max Level
STR
117
AGI
8
DEF
5
QCK
70
INT
5
VIT
25
MND
5
Biography
The siblings, Podder and Mrize, stared at me. "What? Why aren't we going to the Mire? It's the fastest way! And we've already started training there!" Their questions and exclamations came so fast that I couldn't tell which mirror was saying what. I looked down at them. Small but fierce.
"Come on guys, everyone knows I do most of the fighting there. None of your crew ever gets a hit, except maybe with the wartoads. And besides, I want to spend my time turkey hunting, not fighting the same old enemies as always. You might get a few scratches in, since I'm not used to these enemies," I tried to reason, with far-from-flawless logic.
"Oh, it's more dangerous?" asked Podder, his light blue eyes turned up to me. A smile began to form. "Well, I'll do it if you'll do it," he told his brother. Mrize nodded, grinning. "Count me in."
I almost felt sad, watching them leave. I'd gotten attached to the pair, watching them push themselves even further after I'd trained them to the normal level. They barreled through the Grove, Cave, Falls, and Savannah, well past what other dragons their level could usually do, ever seeking a new challenge, while dragging along a third bewildered dragon with no fighting experience. And then—
Why. No, ugh. You got your treasure, they've got at least four levels over 99% of the dragons out there serving. You did a good job, they did a good job. Everyone's happy. This isn't a sad moment.
—I shrugged the feeling away. Waved and shouted a final "have fun, good luck", that sort of thing, as they dived into the water. Stood there for a few moments, as their shadowy forms melted into the blue, as the bubbles and ripples their impact had created dissipated into the waves. Turned and— uhh
"So, yeah, and I guess that's it?" Completely forgot he was here.
"Sure. Yeah."
The awkward pause began stretching between us like that high note in Terr's solo in Quatrain. It takes a good amount skill to craft the right next sentence that can make the present feelings of awkwardness be forgotten. Yep, and here you are making a terrible analogy rather than the response you need.
"Hey, if you don't mind me asking, why'd you want to come?" We were walking side by side along the shore now.
Laser blinked once, and for a moment I was afraid I'd asked a stupid question. "Oh, we're sort of friends? We hung out a couple of times, so it felt like a good idea to see them a last time before they left."
"Aw, that's nice." Quick, think of some words to continue this conversation—
"Sorta weird though, the whole time thing. I mean, they remembered and were happy to see me, but it was obvious that I was way more distant to them than they were to me. If you catch my drift.
"Ha, tell me about it! I train these dragons, and a few months later, they come back looking years older and telling me about their grandkids."
"Pfft, I know! Let's see, Mrize had Aphos, Grezif, Nilque, and Hiklach, is that right? With... Carp? I feel bad, I'm going to forget all these names. Never even met any of them, Mrize just wouldn't stop talking!"
I'd trained every single one of them, and had their names and attributes documented in a ledger safely stored in my grove. But that'd be a strange thing to reassure Laser with. "Yeah, and Pod's got Ridreis, Warius, and Taspin with Macody, and I believe Warius has a few kids of her own! Gah, Pod and Mrize must be older than the two of us combined!"
"Well, you're not wrong, but I do think that culturally, the Greenpod crew's very lenient on what an appropriate age to have hatchlings is."
"Yes, that's true, it's one of the reasons they chose the arch," I told Laser. His eyes opened a little wider, evidently interested in this new granule of information. I continued. "Many other places are unhappy with it, and saw it as an aspect of the culture they'd try to convert out."
"Huh. I mean, I personally find it a little weird to think about, but rationally, with being well-informed and physical, emotional, and mental maturity and stuff, and obviously free will, it doesn't seem wrong." I wasn't the closest of friends with Laser, but he tended to spill out his opinions without restraint when speaking with me, although he was always pretty quiet at the start of conversations. I didn't know him well enough to know if this happened with all of his other friends. You really should though.
I felt a little sting of guilt.
"Yeah, I agree. But I guess the question is, who determines if you've got sufficient emotional and mental maturity? It may be better to set an arbitrary age threshold by which as significant majority of people would have this maturity. Or if they don't, they've got as much maturity as they're going to get, so might as well let them."
"But should it be that way though? People act like having hatchlings is a right. Seriously though? Bringing new lives into a world, having so much control over the first few months or years of a living dragon? That's a privilege, it's irresponsible to allow just anyone to have it." He paused, possibly to catch his breath. "Ugh, it confuses me. It feels like a right and a privilege at the same time."
"Dragons have been having hatchlings since the deities created them. Even if it was better, there's no real way to turn this into an enforced privilege short of a dystopia-style controller guy. Which is worse."
"Hence the 'it confuses me'. I don't know which side I'm morally obligated to lean towards, or which one I want to. If the hypothetical dystopia guy only controlled this one aspect, only bad or unworthy people would be denied this privilege. People who don't deserve it wouldn't get it. But that still doesn't float right with me."
"I know! I get that feeling too. And to be clear, I'm trying to help lay out an argument for the opposing side, not shut you down."
"Aa sorry, yeah, sorry if I sounded like I was treating you as opposition. Good arguments are always welcome when you're tackling moral ambiguity. Even if I don't like it much." His claws began to drag a little more on the ground as he walked. Though it was hardly an important topic, the futility at unresolved doubt was not something he enjoyed. I didn't like it much either. But as before, I decided to argue the other side. Not because I actually believed it, or it was important to consider, just for fun.
"You know, some say moral ambiguity is the salt of life."
"Hff," he laughed. "Really."
"No seriously, have you ever read a book? A lot of the, uh, acclaimed ones are supposed to leave you questioning morality."
"Been talking to Rior recently, have you?" This time, I gave a short huff of laughter. "No, I was asking about that expression. Salt of life? What?"
"I've heard it somewhere before. You know, obviously not the 'moral ambiguity' bit, but saying that something 'is the salt of life' is definitely a thing."
"It doesn't make sense though! Like, are we talking all those ionic crystal things or just NaCl?"
"I don't think the original coiners of this phrase knew what ions are. It's likely an older saying."
"Okay, so I feel like I get the implications, but the analogy doesn't match up."
"How so? Not disagreeing."
"First, what function does salt serve? It makes food taste better sometimes, but too much will make it taste bad. You can't survive with none, but I heard once that people who constantly eat high amounts of salt throughout their lives run into health problems later on. Not sure if it's the sodium or chlorine that does it.
"Ah, but one more thing. It's possible for the tongue to get acclimated to salt. Someone who has a bit of salt in all of their food will eventually have this as a baseline, so they may need more salt to feel that they're tasting the same amount of saltiness as someone else. If you catch my drift."
"Huh, I've heard the 'some societies are addicted to sugar' argument but not a salt one. Interesting."
"Well, I don't think they're dependent on it, but sure, seeing certain amounts of salt or sugar as a norm. Anyway, back to the topic."
"Yeah, so let's assume you used the expression the way it was intended. Moral ambiguity, according to some, is something that makes life taste better, or more interesting and maybe fun."
"Correct, and maybe too much will send you into an existential crisis and be not fun, or too little makes life boring or even bad tasting, because if right and wrong is black and white, you end up with the Itirion problem."
"I suppose we could say that just like different types of food have different optimal levels of salt, different lives have different optimal levels of moral ambiguity."
"Moving on then. You can survive with an excess of or without moral ambiguity. But spiritually? Salt is to your physical sensations and wellbeing as moral ambiguity is to your emotional and spiritual."
"Exactly! And moral ambiguity is definitely relative, different for different people, with different values and experiences. Just like saltiness!" We both stopped walking, and looked at each other for a moment. And wow, maybe we weren't the closest of friends, but the feelings I was feeling felt great. Dial it back, don't use the same root word three times in the same sentence.
"Wait..."
"Huh?"
"I forgot to mention another expression they use on the continent, which I'm now realizing this is derived from. 'Something is the spice of life'. Usually used with the word 'variety'."
"Huh. Does that analogy hold?" Even though it was true, it seemed to dry up the conversation a little. Not that Laser would ever think less of me for something like this, he could fly conversations into brick walls like a pro.
"Eh, I guess spice also has situations and ranges where it's good for food, but I doubt it has much documented health implications. But it is possible to get acclimated to it."
"So salt is a better then? It's got an extra facet."
"Haha, sure. Though... weren't you arguing that the salt analogy didn't match up?"
"Heh yeah, that was my initial claim. Welp. Going to revise that then, 'salt of life' is a good expression that holds up its end of the analogy."
"NOPE. No. Whyyyyy..."
"You're retiring that phrase from your vocabulary now? Where it's been living for all of, uh, two days?"
"Nah. I'm going to reclaim it!" Though we were speaking quietly, I still noticed the entertained, half-joking tone in his voice.
I couldn't stop myself from smiling. "Here." I passed him the book, keeping it open to the page I'd stopped at. The shining golden lettering on the cover, the faint glow it emitted in this dimly lit corner of the library, and the author's name indicated that it was likely published somewhere in the Sunbeam Ruins.
Adages Through the Ages: A Guide to and History of the Sayings of Sornieth
by Ilure Anteza
Yeah, glowing titles might look cool, but they're a pain to read for us non-Light-or-Shadow dragons. I guessed that, like many light books with this style, there was a less bright version or edition printed throughout the rest of Sornieth. Wonder why this library bought this copy. Or maybe it was donated?
Laser finished reading. "Agh, this... my life has been a lie! I don't think reclaiming the phrase is an option, it's too far gone." he whispered, waving his talons dramatically in the air.
I gave him an eyeroll and he laughed, then handed the book back to me. "Are we, uh, checking this out, or are we done here?"
"Your choice, but I say put it back. If we want to read the rest of it, and it is a pretty interesting book, we can get a version that's less... shiny."
"I'm sure the library back at the arch would like a copy of this, you're right, it's interesting. Let's swing by the bookstores when we're buying the stuff we're supposed to from this island's shopping area."
"Sure. Oh, but there should be a better name than shopping area for the collective. Like, the MP, TP and AH are all taken, what are remaining names for the whole buying or selling or trading areas?"
"Dude, last time we talked about language we ended up flying for five hours to Cerulean to find a book. As you are aware of, because we are standing here right now."
"I am aware."
"So do understand when I say I'm not going to answer that."
He tilted his head and gave an amused hff noise. I stood up from leaning against the bookcase, and placed Adages Through the Ages back in its original slot. "Come on, let's go."
We walked back down the aisle between the bookcases, stepping as softly as we could. Multi-breed locations were nice and probably had good, forward-thinking intentions in mind by the creators, but as an imperial and a guardian, we both felt loud and intrusive in the library. After all, our footsteps and voices, even when trying to be quiet, were much louder than a coatl, or especially a fae would usually hear from their peers or even environment.
"Okay, but now I want to go check out that play. Like I don't need to see it, but a script would be nice."
"You just said that you were aware of us being in a library."
"Huh, that's not what I meant by check out, but I'll take it! Do you know where the room with it would be?"
"Yeah, just follow me." Laser didn't get off the arch much, I'd guess this was about his third time in Cerulean Square, first in its library. I'd visited this library a couple of times before, so I knew its simple layout well.
An hour later, the two of us were sitting on bean bag chairs (which were awesome and I was considering getting some for my grove), hunched over the script. It had been too late in the afternoon to do the shopping trip we'd been sent on, so we'd decided to check out the book and bring it back to the inn we were staying the night in. Marlite's Mansion.
As the story goes, a dragon named Marlite in the clan that lived in Cerulean (clans are a common thing) had gotten rich, and built a mansion in the medium-sized town. He filled it with whatever he liked, and spent all his time alone with his stuff. An investment eventually ended poorly, and he was scrambling for money (not to survive I guessed, but to pay off property taxes or whatever). He began renting off a small portion of his mansion to anyone who needed a place to stay. Finally, even as he was earning enough money to pay off all his expenses, he kept the business going, turning about three quarters of his mansion into an inn. As he did so, he got to know more people and their stories, and returned to his pre-riches state of interacting with the clan and other dragons. Today, Marlite's still living in his quarter of the mansion.
So yeah, we've got the "being rich doesn't bring you true happiness" and "being a loner is bad" morals. Woo. Okay, being happy without being rich and socializing isn't bad. But the implication that, had we stopped elsewhere in the story, the ending was a happy ending but the the middle wasn't a happy middle... Eh. Quaint little origin stories were never really a huge selling point for you, a good story is just a single candy button on the cake that is an inn. Other parts matter more, like the actual accommodations. I poked my bean bag.
"Hey, break time over? Let's do Act 2!" Laser was particularly into the play, despite its obvious "salt of life" shortcoming that we'd find at some point, according to Adages Through the Ages. He'd come up with a bunch of theories on where the plot would lead, noting dozens of little abnormalities and clues. And the first act was mostly just scene-setting. I nodded, took a last swig of water from my bottle, and turned the page.
"New character! I think it's your turn?"
He skimmed the rest of the page. "If I get Limoch, you'll get this Acrent guy. Okay." He cleared his throat theatrically, and began reading.
"Trumpets sound. Limoch: My friends! Our evergreen trees are dusted with the first flurries of winter. Once, for all dragons except those of the Southern Icefield, such sights were unwelcome, frightening, even! Chilling."
"Laughter. Hahahahaha." I said unconvincingly, acting out the cue written for the others at the banquet.
"For centuries, though we appreciated the long winter nights, the heightened dangers of disease, freezing, and starvation during this season brought fear with them. Fear of death, fear of loss, suffering, helplessness. And so, we did not enjoy the gift of the darkened skies, the dimmed sun. On the coldest days, some even began to lose faith in our deity." Laser paused for effect. Old dragons seemed to have a lot more loyalty to their deities. "It was a sentiment especially popular among our flight, after all. Our Shadowbinder had never created dragons, children, unlike every other one of the Eleven. They say the Lightweaver created pearlcatchers to be her favored children when imperials proved to be monstrous after their deaths. So having no children, did the Shadowbinder favor us all equally? Or did she love none of us? We know the answer now, but at the time, some doubted."
"The Shadowbinder demands respect, but she is not one for blind faith — see see the symbolism is that shadow dragons have good night vision so they're not blind in the dark, in the shadows of their deity, and a lot of them can adjust well to seeing in all light levels too—" I nodded. "She is not one for blind faith. She does not give freely, but rewards come to those who earn them. What is true now was true in those years. The growing size of the flight and the elemental power that we shadow dragons tapped into every day was evidence enough for most, and they did not falter.
She, however, could see the discontent. The sadness despite the darkest months of the year. And crafted the perfect solution.
The last festival of winter, the Trickmurk Circus, was those of the shadow dragons. More so than any other festival, this one centered on games. Trick, circus, this was about honoring a deity on the surface but was truly about happiness, for her people. Why not start the winter with something of this sort as well?
So one year, not long ago, she forever erased the thought that she did not care for us. At the start of that winter, the longest night of the year, she hid eggs, scrolls, and of course the living stones, throughout all Sornieth, gifting us all a new breed, yes, but also the ability to enjoy winter for what it truly was: our flight's season. And the nocturnes answered the other question, of if she loved us, all of us. A breed whose instinct it is to mimic does not speak to one who despises other breeds. It was possible that she did not see us as her children, but without a doubt, she felt for us. Feels for us.
Which brings us to tonight. In a few minutes, the sun will fall below the tree line. Strange chests will be hidden throughout the land, mimics in every venue. And it begins: Night of the Nocturne!"
"Cheering. Woo." I tapped the table a few times. "Knocking, from door."
"Limoch: Ah. Another guest? Friends, begin the dinner." Laser turned his head to the side and spoke more softly. "Fal, would you like to come with me to greet them?
Fal: Of course. Are you expecting anyone?
Limoch: Not that I can recall. Perhaps it is a traveller, or a messenger?" He stopped for a moment, giving time for the characters to walk to the door. We both imagined Limoch opening it.
"Good evening."
"Acrent: Good eve. I apologize for my un...announced arrival. I am searching for someone in the area— Do you know of the Galeths?"
"Limoch: Regretfully, no, I do not. However, if you'd like, friend, you are welcome to join us for the night. It seems you've come a long way."
"I couldn't possibly ... thank you. I was just about to ask about nearby inns. Thank you."
"Fal: Hi, I'm Fal. Here, let me find a seat for you."
"This isn't necessary, please show me to a room—"
"No, it's the first night of the Night! No one should be left alone."
"I—"
"Acrent, this is my friend Diasser. Diasser, Acrent. Would you mind if he sat next to you?"
"Diasser: I can't very well refuse now, can I? But yes, of course you're welcome."
"Acrent: Very pleased to meet you."
The dinner wears on for a while, all sorts of conversations occurring and doubtlessly dropping hints that will become relevant in the future. Laser started a list.
"Ok, we've got Limoch turning down Maeg's request for something, Izz and Pirsol trash talking Diasser, a bunch of comments on politics and other external events, so we should watch for the Tagnot forces entering the scene at some point. Unless that was a real historical thing, just to set the story?"
I shrugged. "I have no idea. But we're looking at Acrent joining Fal and Diasser to make a friendship trio, probably. Acrent's a little older, I think, but I don't think Fal would let that stand in the way."
"Or they both like him initially, but his reasons for searching for 'the Galeths' rip their friendship apart. May or may not be resolved happily or satisfactorily."
"Oh, yes, might not be big, but some friendship struggles could happen. Izz and Pirsol would either make it worse or put pressure on them to stick together, I don't know, but they would interact."
"Yeah. Also! Limoch's totally evil. As the character with the most power so far, it makes sense. And epic twist, the wise old guy every loved was secretly working against them all along!"
"I lean that way too, but I'm not going to bet on that. He could be neutral or tricked or blackmailed or something. But yes, his position of power will likely be a barrier for the protagonists, even if he wants to help them." I flipped the page. "Ready for the next sce— oh, oof, sorry."
"Wow, alright, lucky you. I guess I got the big NotN speech last scene, it evens out."
I began. "Acrent: Huh. It's so peaceful. I don't think anyone knows. Or I could be wrong. Ha! Not likely.
Viz. I don't know if speaking with someone who's not here or to myself is worse. I'll keep to you though, it's lonely. Ack, focus.
Here's what I know. I have no idea what the Galeths are, but that was the only word the guard gave me. The person tasked with watching the only gate into that tiny cave that you entered and disappeared from. I asked around, read some books, and ended up in the middle of Shadow territory. On the first night of NotN. Lucky for me, that means I get two weeks of festivities as my cover before the other side realizes the real reason I'm here.
What other side? With the Galeths or against it. Them? Viz, I know some people were giving you trouble before you left. Or were taken. I know all this has something to do with your research, maybe they didn't want it made public, maybe it was powerful and they wanted exclusivity. Maybe they just hated you for some reason.
So yes, me, the person who met you a month before you were gone, it's me who's looking for you. Everyone else who might've got accused of being part of a crime ring and are stuck in the city, if not a prison. The story's pretty convincing too, but I know it's because they might come looking for you, and the other side needed to prevent that.
To be completely honest, I think what you were doing was important. Not enough to sacrifice my safety though, however, your friends were very insistent that you were in trouble, though they didn't care to specify what kind. And then I realized your notes were gone, and no one actually knew what you'd found out. Within three days, my entire life becomes dedicated to finding your knowledge, and eventually you.
Well, spontaneity is is salt of life, your friends assured me when I told them how ludicrous this was. I told them to hire an adventurer or something, a detective, they could easily afford it with some pooled money. I would have paid for it too. But it was impossible. Whoever they hired, if it was for the money, the other side could pay more, and spin the story to make them look the moral ones. Your friends needed someone who'd do this for you. Or at least, for your work."
"Alright, there it was."
"I didn't know it was going to be in a monologue, I thought it was supposed to tip off someone about his origins and be plot relevant."
"No, it's supposed to tip off the audience. Kind of like allusions."
"And it's a horrible failure that no one at the time caught. I guess dragons didn't bother to learn much about other flights back then. That wouldn't tip off anyone today."
"Yeah they'd probably think Acrent was rock salt guy from earth or a really good fire cook."
"Not a water dragon from the SotC."
"Exactly. But is being from water plot relevant?"
"Good question, can you flip to the casting section? I think the audience should have see his eyes at this point, to tell if he's native or not."
"Sure. Oh, huh, he's from light. Pursuit of knowledge, that makes some sort of sense."
"Wonder if he'll run into trouble, you know, being a light dragon in the Tangled Woods and all."
"And wow, he's a spiral. I totally had a tundra vibe."
"Hey, don't stereotype. Besides, he didn't say anything about smelling, and his convenient storytelling summary was thorough enough, he remembered all the important stuff. Not particularly energetic though."
"So it wasn't a stereotype! But well, what did you think he was?"
"Uh... I know it's impossible, but I imagined a ridgeback. The size difference means it's unlikely the play would call for someone like this, and as we know, he's been in water at some point. I don't know why I was imagining that."
Yeah, that's weird. I wonder why a spiral though. Small spaces? Spying?"
"Then, let's read on to find out!"
Heh, you sounded like a cheesy bad advertisement."
"Hey, I thought it was appropriate. There's a nonzero chance this turns out to be a cheesy or bad play, considering the inaccuracy that made it through the editing process."
Reflections
Previous Familiars: Wartoad, Construction Mith, Amaranth Moth, Sapling Speaker, White Rot Deer, Whisper, Fungal Garden, Acid Ant, Marsh Kelpie, Furry Fiddle
"Come on guys, everyone knows I do most of the fighting there. None of your crew ever gets a hit, except maybe with the wartoads. And besides, I want to spend my time turkey hunting, not fighting the same old enemies as always. You might get a few scratches in, since I'm not used to these enemies," I tried to reason, with far-from-flawless logic.
"Oh, it's more dangerous?" asked Podder, his light blue eyes turned up to me. A smile began to form. "Well, I'll do it if you'll do it," he told his brother. Mrize nodded, grinning. "Count me in."
I almost felt sad, watching them leave. I'd gotten attached to the pair, watching them push themselves even further after I'd trained them to the normal level. They barreled through the Grove, Cave, Falls, and Savannah, well past what other dragons their level could usually do, ever seeking a new challenge, while dragging along a third bewildered dragon with no fighting experience. And then—
Why. No, ugh. You got your treasure, they've got at least four levels over 99% of the dragons out there serving. You did a good job, they did a good job. Everyone's happy. This isn't a sad moment.
—I shrugged the feeling away. Waved and shouted a final "have fun, good luck", that sort of thing, as they dived into the water. Stood there for a few moments, as their shadowy forms melted into the blue, as the bubbles and ripples their impact had created dissipated into the waves. Turned and— uhh
"So, yeah, and I guess that's it?" Completely forgot he was here.
"Sure. Yeah."
The awkward pause began stretching between us like that high note in Terr's solo in Quatrain. It takes a good amount skill to craft the right next sentence that can make the present feelings of awkwardness be forgotten. Yep, and here you are making a terrible analogy rather than the response you need.
"Hey, if you don't mind me asking, why'd you want to come?" We were walking side by side along the shore now.
Laser blinked once, and for a moment I was afraid I'd asked a stupid question. "Oh, we're sort of friends? We hung out a couple of times, so it felt like a good idea to see them a last time before they left."
"Aw, that's nice." Quick, think of some words to continue this conversation—
"Sorta weird though, the whole time thing. I mean, they remembered and were happy to see me, but it was obvious that I was way more distant to them than they were to me. If you catch my drift.
"Ha, tell me about it! I train these dragons, and a few months later, they come back looking years older and telling me about their grandkids."
"Pfft, I know! Let's see, Mrize had Aphos, Grezif, Nilque, and Hiklach, is that right? With... Carp? I feel bad, I'm going to forget all these names. Never even met any of them, Mrize just wouldn't stop talking!"
I'd trained every single one of them, and had their names and attributes documented in a ledger safely stored in my grove. But that'd be a strange thing to reassure Laser with. "Yeah, and Pod's got Ridreis, Warius, and Taspin with Macody, and I believe Warius has a few kids of her own! Gah, Pod and Mrize must be older than the two of us combined!"
"Well, you're not wrong, but I do think that culturally, the Greenpod crew's very lenient on what an appropriate age to have hatchlings is."
"Yes, that's true, it's one of the reasons they chose the arch," I told Laser. His eyes opened a little wider, evidently interested in this new granule of information. I continued. "Many other places are unhappy with it, and saw it as an aspect of the culture they'd try to convert out."
"Huh. I mean, I personally find it a little weird to think about, but rationally, with being well-informed and physical, emotional, and mental maturity and stuff, and obviously free will, it doesn't seem wrong." I wasn't the closest of friends with Laser, but he tended to spill out his opinions without restraint when speaking with me, although he was always pretty quiet at the start of conversations. I didn't know him well enough to know if this happened with all of his other friends. You really should though.
I felt a little sting of guilt.
"Yeah, I agree. But I guess the question is, who determines if you've got sufficient emotional and mental maturity? It may be better to set an arbitrary age threshold by which as significant majority of people would have this maturity. Or if they don't, they've got as much maturity as they're going to get, so might as well let them."
"But should it be that way though? People act like having hatchlings is a right. Seriously though? Bringing new lives into a world, having so much control over the first few months or years of a living dragon? That's a privilege, it's irresponsible to allow just anyone to have it." He paused, possibly to catch his breath. "Ugh, it confuses me. It feels like a right and a privilege at the same time."
"Dragons have been having hatchlings since the deities created them. Even if it was better, there's no real way to turn this into an enforced privilege short of a dystopia-style controller guy. Which is worse."
"Hence the 'it confuses me'. I don't know which side I'm morally obligated to lean towards, or which one I want to. If the hypothetical dystopia guy only controlled this one aspect, only bad or unworthy people would be denied this privilege. People who don't deserve it wouldn't get it. But that still doesn't float right with me."
"I know! I get that feeling too. And to be clear, I'm trying to help lay out an argument for the opposing side, not shut you down."
"Aa sorry, yeah, sorry if I sounded like I was treating you as opposition. Good arguments are always welcome when you're tackling moral ambiguity. Even if I don't like it much." His claws began to drag a little more on the ground as he walked. Though it was hardly an important topic, the futility at unresolved doubt was not something he enjoyed. I didn't like it much either. But as before, I decided to argue the other side. Not because I actually believed it, or it was important to consider, just for fun.
"You know, some say moral ambiguity is the salt of life."
"Hff," he laughed. "Really."
"No seriously, have you ever read a book? A lot of the, uh, acclaimed ones are supposed to leave you questioning morality."
"Been talking to Rior recently, have you?" This time, I gave a short huff of laughter. "No, I was asking about that expression. Salt of life? What?"
"I've heard it somewhere before. You know, obviously not the 'moral ambiguity' bit, but saying that something 'is the salt of life' is definitely a thing."
"It doesn't make sense though! Like, are we talking all those ionic crystal things or just NaCl?"
"I don't think the original coiners of this phrase knew what ions are. It's likely an older saying."
"Okay, so I feel like I get the implications, but the analogy doesn't match up."
"How so? Not disagreeing."
"First, what function does salt serve? It makes food taste better sometimes, but too much will make it taste bad. You can't survive with none, but I heard once that people who constantly eat high amounts of salt throughout their lives run into health problems later on. Not sure if it's the sodium or chlorine that does it.
"Ah, but one more thing. It's possible for the tongue to get acclimated to salt. Someone who has a bit of salt in all of their food will eventually have this as a baseline, so they may need more salt to feel that they're tasting the same amount of saltiness as someone else. If you catch my drift."
"Huh, I've heard the 'some societies are addicted to sugar' argument but not a salt one. Interesting."
"Well, I don't think they're dependent on it, but sure, seeing certain amounts of salt or sugar as a norm. Anyway, back to the topic."
"Yeah, so let's assume you used the expression the way it was intended. Moral ambiguity, according to some, is something that makes life taste better, or more interesting and maybe fun."
"Correct, and maybe too much will send you into an existential crisis and be not fun, or too little makes life boring or even bad tasting, because if right and wrong is black and white, you end up with the Itirion problem."
"I suppose we could say that just like different types of food have different optimal levels of salt, different lives have different optimal levels of moral ambiguity."
"Moving on then. You can survive with an excess of or without moral ambiguity. But spiritually? Salt is to your physical sensations and wellbeing as moral ambiguity is to your emotional and spiritual."
"Exactly! And moral ambiguity is definitely relative, different for different people, with different values and experiences. Just like saltiness!" We both stopped walking, and looked at each other for a moment. And wow, maybe we weren't the closest of friends, but the feelings I was feeling felt great. Dial it back, don't use the same root word three times in the same sentence.
"Wait..."
"Huh?"
"I forgot to mention another expression they use on the continent, which I'm now realizing this is derived from. 'Something is the spice of life'. Usually used with the word 'variety'."
"Huh. Does that analogy hold?" Even though it was true, it seemed to dry up the conversation a little. Not that Laser would ever think less of me for something like this, he could fly conversations into brick walls like a pro.
"Eh, I guess spice also has situations and ranges where it's good for food, but I doubt it has much documented health implications. But it is possible to get acclimated to it."
"So salt is a better then? It's got an extra facet."
"Haha, sure. Though... weren't you arguing that the salt analogy didn't match up?"
"Heh yeah, that was my initial claim. Welp. Going to revise that then, 'salt of life' is a good expression that holds up its end of the analogy."
"NOPE. No. Whyyyyy..."
"You're retiring that phrase from your vocabulary now? Where it's been living for all of, uh, two days?"
"Nah. I'm going to reclaim it!" Though we were speaking quietly, I still noticed the entertained, half-joking tone in his voice.
I couldn't stop myself from smiling. "Here." I passed him the book, keeping it open to the page I'd stopped at. The shining golden lettering on the cover, the faint glow it emitted in this dimly lit corner of the library, and the author's name indicated that it was likely published somewhere in the Sunbeam Ruins.
Adages Through the Ages: A Guide to and History of the Sayings of Sornieth
by Ilure Anteza
Yeah, glowing titles might look cool, but they're a pain to read for us non-Light-or-Shadow dragons. I guessed that, like many light books with this style, there was a less bright version or edition printed throughout the rest of Sornieth. Wonder why this library bought this copy. Or maybe it was donated?
Laser finished reading. "Agh, this... my life has been a lie! I don't think reclaiming the phrase is an option, it's too far gone." he whispered, waving his talons dramatically in the air.
I gave him an eyeroll and he laughed, then handed the book back to me. "Are we, uh, checking this out, or are we done here?"
"Your choice, but I say put it back. If we want to read the rest of it, and it is a pretty interesting book, we can get a version that's less... shiny."
"I'm sure the library back at the arch would like a copy of this, you're right, it's interesting. Let's swing by the bookstores when we're buying the stuff we're supposed to from this island's shopping area."
"Sure. Oh, but there should be a better name than shopping area for the collective. Like, the MP, TP and AH are all taken, what are remaining names for the whole buying or selling or trading areas?"
"Dude, last time we talked about language we ended up flying for five hours to Cerulean to find a book. As you are aware of, because we are standing here right now."
"I am aware."
"So do understand when I say I'm not going to answer that."
He tilted his head and gave an amused hff noise. I stood up from leaning against the bookcase, and placed Adages Through the Ages back in its original slot. "Come on, let's go."
We walked back down the aisle between the bookcases, stepping as softly as we could. Multi-breed locations were nice and probably had good, forward-thinking intentions in mind by the creators, but as an imperial and a guardian, we both felt loud and intrusive in the library. After all, our footsteps and voices, even when trying to be quiet, were much louder than a coatl, or especially a fae would usually hear from their peers or even environment.
"Okay, but now I want to go check out that play. Like I don't need to see it, but a script would be nice."
"You just said that you were aware of us being in a library."
"Huh, that's not what I meant by check out, but I'll take it! Do you know where the room with it would be?"
"Yeah, just follow me." Laser didn't get off the arch much, I'd guess this was about his third time in Cerulean Square, first in its library. I'd visited this library a couple of times before, so I knew its simple layout well.
An hour later, the two of us were sitting on bean bag chairs (which were awesome and I was considering getting some for my grove), hunched over the script. It had been too late in the afternoon to do the shopping trip we'd been sent on, so we'd decided to check out the book and bring it back to the inn we were staying the night in. Marlite's Mansion.
As the story goes, a dragon named Marlite in the clan that lived in Cerulean (clans are a common thing) had gotten rich, and built a mansion in the medium-sized town. He filled it with whatever he liked, and spent all his time alone with his stuff. An investment eventually ended poorly, and he was scrambling for money (not to survive I guessed, but to pay off property taxes or whatever). He began renting off a small portion of his mansion to anyone who needed a place to stay. Finally, even as he was earning enough money to pay off all his expenses, he kept the business going, turning about three quarters of his mansion into an inn. As he did so, he got to know more people and their stories, and returned to his pre-riches state of interacting with the clan and other dragons. Today, Marlite's still living in his quarter of the mansion.
So yeah, we've got the "being rich doesn't bring you true happiness" and "being a loner is bad" morals. Woo. Okay, being happy without being rich and socializing isn't bad. But the implication that, had we stopped elsewhere in the story, the ending was a happy ending but the the middle wasn't a happy middle... Eh. Quaint little origin stories were never really a huge selling point for you, a good story is just a single candy button on the cake that is an inn. Other parts matter more, like the actual accommodations. I poked my bean bag.
"Hey, break time over? Let's do Act 2!" Laser was particularly into the play, despite its obvious "salt of life" shortcoming that we'd find at some point, according to Adages Through the Ages. He'd come up with a bunch of theories on where the plot would lead, noting dozens of little abnormalities and clues. And the first act was mostly just scene-setting. I nodded, took a last swig of water from my bottle, and turned the page.
"New character! I think it's your turn?"
He skimmed the rest of the page. "If I get Limoch, you'll get this Acrent guy. Okay." He cleared his throat theatrically, and began reading.
"Trumpets sound. Limoch: My friends! Our evergreen trees are dusted with the first flurries of winter. Once, for all dragons except those of the Southern Icefield, such sights were unwelcome, frightening, even! Chilling."
"Laughter. Hahahahaha." I said unconvincingly, acting out the cue written for the others at the banquet.
"For centuries, though we appreciated the long winter nights, the heightened dangers of disease, freezing, and starvation during this season brought fear with them. Fear of death, fear of loss, suffering, helplessness. And so, we did not enjoy the gift of the darkened skies, the dimmed sun. On the coldest days, some even began to lose faith in our deity." Laser paused for effect. Old dragons seemed to have a lot more loyalty to their deities. "It was a sentiment especially popular among our flight, after all. Our Shadowbinder had never created dragons, children, unlike every other one of the Eleven. They say the Lightweaver created pearlcatchers to be her favored children when imperials proved to be monstrous after their deaths. So having no children, did the Shadowbinder favor us all equally? Or did she love none of us? We know the answer now, but at the time, some doubted."
"The Shadowbinder demands respect, but she is not one for blind faith — see see the symbolism is that shadow dragons have good night vision so they're not blind in the dark, in the shadows of their deity, and a lot of them can adjust well to seeing in all light levels too—" I nodded. "She is not one for blind faith. She does not give freely, but rewards come to those who earn them. What is true now was true in those years. The growing size of the flight and the elemental power that we shadow dragons tapped into every day was evidence enough for most, and they did not falter.
She, however, could see the discontent. The sadness despite the darkest months of the year. And crafted the perfect solution.
The last festival of winter, the Trickmurk Circus, was those of the shadow dragons. More so than any other festival, this one centered on games. Trick, circus, this was about honoring a deity on the surface but was truly about happiness, for her people. Why not start the winter with something of this sort as well?
So one year, not long ago, she forever erased the thought that she did not care for us. At the start of that winter, the longest night of the year, she hid eggs, scrolls, and of course the living stones, throughout all Sornieth, gifting us all a new breed, yes, but also the ability to enjoy winter for what it truly was: our flight's season. And the nocturnes answered the other question, of if she loved us, all of us. A breed whose instinct it is to mimic does not speak to one who despises other breeds. It was possible that she did not see us as her children, but without a doubt, she felt for us. Feels for us.
Which brings us to tonight. In a few minutes, the sun will fall below the tree line. Strange chests will be hidden throughout the land, mimics in every venue. And it begins: Night of the Nocturne!"
"Cheering. Woo." I tapped the table a few times. "Knocking, from door."
"Limoch: Ah. Another guest? Friends, begin the dinner." Laser turned his head to the side and spoke more softly. "Fal, would you like to come with me to greet them?
Fal: Of course. Are you expecting anyone?
Limoch: Not that I can recall. Perhaps it is a traveller, or a messenger?" He stopped for a moment, giving time for the characters to walk to the door. We both imagined Limoch opening it.
"Good evening."
"Acrent: Good eve. I apologize for my un...announced arrival. I am searching for someone in the area— Do you know of the Galeths?"
"Limoch: Regretfully, no, I do not. However, if you'd like, friend, you are welcome to join us for the night. It seems you've come a long way."
"I couldn't possibly ... thank you. I was just about to ask about nearby inns. Thank you."
"Fal: Hi, I'm Fal. Here, let me find a seat for you."
"This isn't necessary, please show me to a room—"
"No, it's the first night of the Night! No one should be left alone."
"I—"
"Acrent, this is my friend Diasser. Diasser, Acrent. Would you mind if he sat next to you?"
"Diasser: I can't very well refuse now, can I? But yes, of course you're welcome."
"Acrent: Very pleased to meet you."
The dinner wears on for a while, all sorts of conversations occurring and doubtlessly dropping hints that will become relevant in the future. Laser started a list.
"Ok, we've got Limoch turning down Maeg's request for something, Izz and Pirsol trash talking Diasser, a bunch of comments on politics and other external events, so we should watch for the Tagnot forces entering the scene at some point. Unless that was a real historical thing, just to set the story?"
I shrugged. "I have no idea. But we're looking at Acrent joining Fal and Diasser to make a friendship trio, probably. Acrent's a little older, I think, but I don't think Fal would let that stand in the way."
"Or they both like him initially, but his reasons for searching for 'the Galeths' rip their friendship apart. May or may not be resolved happily or satisfactorily."
"Oh, yes, might not be big, but some friendship struggles could happen. Izz and Pirsol would either make it worse or put pressure on them to stick together, I don't know, but they would interact."
"Yeah. Also! Limoch's totally evil. As the character with the most power so far, it makes sense. And epic twist, the wise old guy every loved was secretly working against them all along!"
"I lean that way too, but I'm not going to bet on that. He could be neutral or tricked or blackmailed or something. But yes, his position of power will likely be a barrier for the protagonists, even if he wants to help them." I flipped the page. "Ready for the next sce— oh, oof, sorry."
"Wow, alright, lucky you. I guess I got the big NotN speech last scene, it evens out."
I began. "Acrent: Huh. It's so peaceful. I don't think anyone knows. Or I could be wrong. Ha! Not likely.
Viz. I don't know if speaking with someone who's not here or to myself is worse. I'll keep to you though, it's lonely. Ack, focus.
Here's what I know. I have no idea what the Galeths are, but that was the only word the guard gave me. The person tasked with watching the only gate into that tiny cave that you entered and disappeared from. I asked around, read some books, and ended up in the middle of Shadow territory. On the first night of NotN. Lucky for me, that means I get two weeks of festivities as my cover before the other side realizes the real reason I'm here.
What other side? With the Galeths or against it. Them? Viz, I know some people were giving you trouble before you left. Or were taken. I know all this has something to do with your research, maybe they didn't want it made public, maybe it was powerful and they wanted exclusivity. Maybe they just hated you for some reason.
So yes, me, the person who met you a month before you were gone, it's me who's looking for you. Everyone else who might've got accused of being part of a crime ring and are stuck in the city, if not a prison. The story's pretty convincing too, but I know it's because they might come looking for you, and the other side needed to prevent that.
To be completely honest, I think what you were doing was important. Not enough to sacrifice my safety though, however, your friends were very insistent that you were in trouble, though they didn't care to specify what kind. And then I realized your notes were gone, and no one actually knew what you'd found out. Within three days, my entire life becomes dedicated to finding your knowledge, and eventually you.
Well, spontaneity is is salt of life, your friends assured me when I told them how ludicrous this was. I told them to hire an adventurer or something, a detective, they could easily afford it with some pooled money. I would have paid for it too. But it was impossible. Whoever they hired, if it was for the money, the other side could pay more, and spin the story to make them look the moral ones. Your friends needed someone who'd do this for you. Or at least, for your work."
"Alright, there it was."
"I didn't know it was going to be in a monologue, I thought it was supposed to tip off someone about his origins and be plot relevant."
"No, it's supposed to tip off the audience. Kind of like allusions."
"And it's a horrible failure that no one at the time caught. I guess dragons didn't bother to learn much about other flights back then. That wouldn't tip off anyone today."
"Yeah they'd probably think Acrent was rock salt guy from earth or a really good fire cook."
"Not a water dragon from the SotC."
"Exactly. But is being from water plot relevant?"
"Good question, can you flip to the casting section? I think the audience should have see his eyes at this point, to tell if he's native or not."
"Sure. Oh, huh, he's from light. Pursuit of knowledge, that makes some sort of sense."
"Wonder if he'll run into trouble, you know, being a light dragon in the Tangled Woods and all."
"And wow, he's a spiral. I totally had a tundra vibe."
"Hey, don't stereotype. Besides, he didn't say anything about smelling, and his convenient storytelling summary was thorough enough, he remembered all the important stuff. Not particularly energetic though."
"So it wasn't a stereotype! But well, what did you think he was?"
"Uh... I know it's impossible, but I imagined a ridgeback. The size difference means it's unlikely the play would call for someone like this, and as we know, he's been in water at some point. I don't know why I was imagining that."
Yeah, that's weird. I wonder why a spiral though. Small spaces? Spying?"
"Then, let's read on to find out!"
Heh, you sounded like a cheesy bad advertisement."
"Hey, I thought it was appropriate. There's a nonzero chance this turns out to be a cheesy or bad play, considering the inaccuracy that made it through the editing process."
ReflectionsPrevious Familiars: Wartoad, Construction Mith, Amaranth Moth, Sapling Speaker, White Rot Deer, Whisper, Fungal Garden, Acid Ant, Marsh Kelpie, Furry Fiddle
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