Siengfree

Life gave me nothing, so I'm giving it all of me.

Seingfree wasn't born, she was brought into existence. Seingfree was alone, it was dark and she was alone. But she wasn't scared. Her animal instincts took over for her, making her sniff and listen for any possible food. Seconds later, she froze, her instincts telling her to be terrified. She stood completely still as she heard huge footsteps around her unfamiliar lair.

An unfamiliar dragon came forward, looking cowardly and pathetic. They said no words, only looked lost inside their own coat of fur. Seingfree watched as the dragon flicked their ears about, searching for something. Seingfree was disgusted, but her curiosity overpowered that feeling.

As she approached, she quickly realized that the dragon was double her size, but she figured she'd be able to scare them enough into submission, if she needed to. The two finally met eyes, both faintly glowing plague red in the dark unclaimed lair.

The furry large dragon approached quickly with paranoia, but not hesitation. That dragon had figured out something before Seingfree even considered it.

Seingfree was a female

And the other was a male.

They didn't know each other's names, let alone, their own names. They didn't know what it meant to speak or to meet. They only knew what their animalistic instincts told them.

Breed.

Creating five eggs upon a first try was an incredibly lucky thing to do, it was a gift that many other dragons wished they could have, but they didn't know that. With in a week of existence, Seingfree had five children. Four days after she named herself and three days after she knew the name of her mate, she had full responsibility of five newly hatched beings. Luckily, Seingfree told herself, not letting another soul know her thoughts, these children could be raised, cared for, nurtured, and have two healthy willing parents.

Seingfree had to leave to get food, to take care of the lair's inhabitants. Whom, she cared for deeply.

Her trips outside of the lair cavern led her to learn impeccable vocabulary. That was the greatest attribute of her travels. Unfortunately, these travels brought many hindrances to her simplistic life. She learned that the leader of her clan was a horrifying tyrant that was often disguised otherwise. She also learned that there were a lot more dragons, and a lot of them, were a LOT bigger than her. She also learned that to make it back to her home, hands full and unhurt, she had to fight.

Seingfree found herself battling unrecognizable creatures. She found with every hostile encounter she was able to find weakness and strategic flaws within her opponents, but more times than not, she was not left unscathed.

Seingfree was too small and there were too many of them. She was a fairy-like dragon fighting primitive monsters, she barely stood a chance. She needed help.

When at the lair, she looked at her once mate, Videanon and only saw weakness as he tended to the children, who slowly were losing their need for him. She turned her nose up at the idea of him fighting by her side. She went out to where the dragons much bigger than her hid.

She wanted big. She was small, that was her only flaw. She could attack, be nimble, be lethal... If they were her size.

She wanted obedient. Seingfree knew exactly how to fight and whomever she were to recruit would need to listen to her masterful strategy.

She wanted loyal. This dragon would be defending her, her clan, and her family. This newbie would become a part of that family.

An unnamed Pearlcatcher approached. The first Pearlcatcher Seingfree had seen in person. She had heard a lot about them, but was surprised to see this one was probably about only a head taller than Videanon. Her color matched Seingfree's own. She felt loyalty bloom as their claws scratched in a "handshake." Her color, her lack of name, and her willingness intrigued Seingfree, reminding her of herself.

Others approached, but none made Seingfree's heart soar or her imagination wander. It was the one that made her heart drop, her imagination collapse, and her hope, along with her faith, falter that made her confident that he was the one.

Fireweaver was his name. A forsaken light Bogsneak that was utterly unimpressed with her intentions spoke out to her in a more than rude tone.

"Excuse me?" She called out to him, interrupting her own conversation with her newly bonded Pearlcatcher friend.

"I said 'What do you know about pain?'" He answered, not raising his eyes from his one hand folded around his other. "You speak of getting hurt, protecting your lair, and making a family." Seingfree waited for him to finish, her nose scrunched up hard. "You say you want to endure this pain so that others won't have to." He stands. "You think going out and getting attacked by mice and dryads is pain. You don't know anything about pain." He looks right at her with a horrifying glare. He is standing tall with his neck fully extended, the true potential of a Bogsneak. Seingfree feels her chest become concave, her mind fill with chills that circulate a hundred times over, her hopes of finding someone understanding and patient falls apart. He was right.

"... I don't," She admits, her pride not faltering. "But I am willing to know everything about it so that my family doesn't have to." Seingfree watches his pupils dilate, but his cold expression remains. "Everything I have, my family, I won't let their lives be taken because they have to fight for me. Their lives are theirs to make. My life is to give them everything I can." Seingfree hold her breath for just a moment. "Life gave me nothing, so I'm giving it all of me. For my family."

His face finally softens and he relaxes. "That's what I wanted to hear." He smirks at her. "You got a lot of passion, kid."

"I know-"

He cuts her off, "But you have a long way to go."

She gulps. "I can handle it."

He walks right up to her, five times her size. She stands her ground.

"Fireweaver."

"Seingfree."







"Farlornicai, could you please take these papers to my son?" Seingfree asks her fellow clan leader and founder.

"I'm on it," The sweet Pearlcatcher replies, already on her way.

"Seingfree," Videanon says meekly.

"Gwynefer, where is Phareverona? I asked her to be here by sunrise."

"I think you already know the answer to that," Gwynefer replies with snarkiness. Seingfree gives her a flat eyed look. "I'll get her."

"Don't get distracted!" Seingfree calls after her before she closes the door.

"Seingfree..." Videanon tries again.

"Why has no one fixed my helmet yet!?" Seingfree hits a fly trapped in amber off of the small table to release her frustration.

"I told you," Itzaonvre coos. "I decided to use the money to get wing guards instead."

"...Seingfree..."

"Why would I want wing guards? I want to be able to see, not fly." Seingfree argues, trying to remember Itzaonvre's earlier recommendation.

"Seingfree."

"You have been hit in the wings more than the face, Winniehun told me so." Itzaonvre says that with great reassurance. Seingfree remembers their previous conversation.

"I do trust her judgement..." Seingfree pauses. "Alright, toss the helmet."

"Ender wanted it," Itzaonvre tells her.

"Seingfree." Videanon grows irritated.

"'Ender,' what is that? Did my son tell you to call him that? Don't let him change his name, I named him! Bring him in here immediately. And WHERE IS PHAREVERONA?!"

"Seingfree!"

"What?!" Seingfree finally turns towards her first, and only (one time) mate. She is half his size but six hundred times as intimidating.

"I've been trying to speak to you for days," Videanon sounds genuinely ******. Seingfree forces back a smirk upon realizing he might have grown some balls.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" She sighs and slumps against the table with her front legs and rests on her haunches.

"Yes, obviously, this is all so important."

"Watch your tone," Seingfree warns him. The door opens. Seingfree picks up a stone orb and throws it at the door. "I'll call you in if I want to see you!" She shouts. She huffs a breath and looks back to her weak, annoying, ignorant counterpart. He places his claw on top of her own. She almost gags.

"I need you here." He says with more conviction than she'd ever expect.

"I am here."

"No," He closes his eyes. "You know exactly what I mean."

"We've had this conversation before," Seingfree gets up and flutters to the door, to let him out. "You take care of the children."

He puts his body between her and the door to stop her. "They're not our children, Free. I want to take care of our children."

Seingfree widens her eyes, turning up her lip to let her teeth show. "Don't. Ever. Call me that." She shoves him to reach the door. "Every dragon here, every being that breathes here, every living thing here, they are all my children." She opens the door. "Whether they are yours too," she looks him in the eyes. "I don't give a damn."

He looks at her, letting her know that she sounds as scary as she feels. Then he glares at her, marching out the door. He bumps her, giving her a taste of her own medicine, but she doesn't care.

"Fireweaver!" She shouts openly and happily when she sees her friend outside her door. "Where is your wife?" He winks at her. The two laugh together, closing the door to have a, for once, peaceful conversation.







"Left!" Seingfree shouts, watching Farlornicai attack right. "For the love of filigree, I SAID LEFT!"

"I got it!" Fireweaver dives past the Pearlcatcher to catch the enemy Seingfree asked for.

Seingfree is down for the round, waiting for a charged attack. She shouts at her team, trying to get them to follow directions, but Farlornicai is complete scattered in her mind the morning.

Neither of the enemies dissipate, both get to attack. Both choose Seingfree.

"Woah!" Farlornicai sounds scared and dazed.

"Wait!" Fireweaver tries to slow the fight.

"I'm fine!" She spits out along with spit mixed with red. She coughs.

"Left!" She has to wait another round.

Both her cohorts attack the left, the creatures still stand. Both attack her again. She whimpers, feeling the pain rising from her core.

"They're targeting her!" Farlornicai shouts, sounding so distant.

"You need to defend!" Fireweaver calls out to her. But she knows she can't defend, she needs to get a charged attack in to help her teammates, but if she's hurt anymore, her team won't survive without her. She charges. She hears Fireweaver yelling curses at her. They attack again. Only one hits her. She gives her best plague attack she has.

The creature dodges.

Seingfree is hit once more and her world goes dark.





"I don't know what to do." Seingfree complains. She confides in the nurse of her clan, Winniehun.

"You need to rest, that what you should do."

"That's not what I meant." Seingfree scoffs at herself. "How am I going to face them? I failed. I put them in danger." Her expression goes sour, her lip trembles, tears form, impairing her even more. "I didn't have to attack... But I did... And look at me now."

"Hey," Winniehun places a rag upon her head. It feels nice. "You all put yourselves in danger every day. They know the risks as much as you do."

"I... I just wanted a team. I didn't want to care about them this much." She lets out a single sob. "They're my family... I can't let them get hurt."

"I'm sure they think the exact same thing about you."