Omari

"We need to talk!"

Unwillingly opening his sleep-crusted eyes Omari squinted at the shadow towering above his curled up body, blocking out the sun. Essks voice was surprisingly soft and rather unfitting for her muscular soot-stained appearance. But there was not the slightest hint of the usual humor in her gaze today, so Omari knew that he was completely ruined. Unfortunately his "little" experiment has not slipped by as unnoticed as he wished.

Uncurling himself slowly while sorting his thoughts, he finally stood up to face her. "About what?" He knew exactly that playing the innocent wouldn't work on her, but maybe it would buy him a little more time to come up with a good reason, excuse or at least a witty remark. Of course Essks didn't buy it and her gaze instantly turned a few nuances colder, even though that seemed impossible. She was clearly done with words, simply picking him up with her deadly maw like a dragon mother would carry her hatchling and leapt into the air. After a short flight during which he was dangling in the wind like a soft-boiled noodle, they landed on one of the many platforms of The Cloudsong. There really was no need for words. The bamboo forest was still smoldering and thick clouds of smoke were darkening the sky. Little flakes of ash were falling like snow. Some water mage dragons were trying to get the situation under control, slowly gaining the upper hand. A beautiful, yet oppressive sight.

"About almost burning your own home down? OUR home?"

It was unnecessary for her to say it - her voice being a cold, hard hiss now matching her gaze. His ears flattened to his skull. How was he supposed to answer that? He could tell her the truth - that he saw the most wondrous visions of the past, present and future in the huge fire and they fulfilled him like nothing else. She wouldn't understand, as she has never been a pyromancer. Fire was merely a tool for her to help her forge her armor, so she was constantly surrounded by it, but didn’t have his kind of soul-deep connection. He forced himself to look at her and was surprised to see so much sadness and resignation in her face now. Probably matriarch Eistir has sent her to punish him?

"You... saw things again in the flames, didn't you? Listen, you can't just continue to burn everything down like that. You of all dragons should know how dangerous fire can be..."

She touched his face with her claw in the light-reflecting area, emitting a clicking metallic sound. The accident in the forge. Molten metal and pain, so much pain all through his tiny hatchling body. He almost didn't make it, but Laelynn did a hell of a job patching him up again, using magic on top of her usual herb-based healing methods. Since then the metal has been a fixed part of his body, merged with his scales, a living armor more or less. Maybe less, as it was getting more in the way of his movements sometimes than actually protecting him.

"I didn't mean to, Essks, not like this. I'm sorry!"

"I know you won't like this... suggestion, but you will come back to the forge with me, so at least someone can keep your fire contained in the future."

The forge. So returning to this traumatic place from his hatchlinghood was his punishment. He half expected to get banned if his forest fire was discovered, therefore maybe the forge wasn't that bad. Was he really sorry though? Looking down on the almost extinguished fire he was irresolute. Has last night’s breathtaking experience even be real? It definitely did feel more like a dream. The fire’s weakly glowing embers were reflecting in his eyes and the shiny metal skin parts, bringing them to irrepressible life once again.