Heng

If she was being honest with herself, it wasn’t a surprise. Her clan had always been against her; she’d heard their whispers as she went about her day. Heng should have been paying more attention, but she rarely cared what anyone else thought. In fact, only her mate really mattered.

And Jian was the same as he’d always been. Aloof when he settled down for the evening, and rumbling with pent up energy as he flitted through the air, lightning crackling beneath his wings.

She’d been watching, as she always did, that fateful evening. There was a storm brewing in the distance, her mate’s doing no doubt, and her current brood were huddled under her wings. With whispered breath she told them about their father, about the debt of gratitude they owed him. About the benevolence the demi-god bestowed upon them.

And her children, willful and wild as they were, were finally finally listening. Wide eyes were fixed on the churning sky and a blossom of hope was welling in her chest as she watched. This clutch might finally be the one.

As the first rumble of thunder rolled over them all, she knew it was time. The tiny dragons all scampered off to collect their offerings, their eyes mirroring the static electricity in the air. They were strong. Strong in the ways that their elder siblings were not. Strong in the ways that mattered- in the ichor that buzzed in their veins.

She moved quickly then, brushing off the wide slab of stone that lay unused for so long. Delicate runes were carved deep into its obsidian face. Long dried, rust colored flakes clung to the divots and natural flaws of the stone. Even in the faint touch, she could feel the buzzing energy held in the stone. Could almost hear the low chant of voices overlapping onto each other.

The scrape of claws and the delighted chatter of voices brought her back to her senses. With a grin, she ushered them together, nosing over their chosen offerings with a critical eye.

Zephyr rushed forward her favorite doll clamped firmly in her teeth. Her wings buzzed by her sides and she spun in excited little circles around her mother’s feet. The small hatchling spent several nights in front of the fire weaving the doll- if she squinted, Heng could almost say it looked like Zephyr. Pale, straw colored leather and discarded tufts of her own hair.

Pushing their sister away, Skye and Rai nuzzled up to their mother’s nose with contented chirps. Tightly bound bundles of sage and rosemary were held up for inspection and Heng hummed her approval. The twins had taken to gardening as soon as they could walk, preferring to spend their time out in the garden than anything else. The stench of earth clung heavily to their scales even with the pile of herbs they placed onto the altar.

Hanish held a handful of colorful gems in his pudgy hands. He stood a distance away from the other hatchlings, hopping in place. As he gingerly placed his offering on the stone, the runes glowed faintly. He giggled, eyes darting up to his mother.

With a light paw, she nudged them all forward, their claws clinking like glass as they settled down, eyes gazing skyward. The first drops of rain started to fall- fat, cold drops that darked the ground into a slurry of red clay and mulch.

It was time.

The runes glowed, challenging the brightness of the lightning overhead. Swirls of magic coiled around their limbs, demanding and insidious.

The sickly sweet stench of ozone grew unbearable. And suddenly bolts of lightning struck the ground around them. With a flourish of wings, Jian landed. His eyes were pure anger, lightning sparking across his scales. He stood at his full height, a rumble budding in his chest. Drops of water dripped from his scales and his claws dug into the earth.

She’d never seen him angry.

“This is-”

“Leave.”

Flinching back, she turned towards her children, a frown marring her features. Clearly they weren’t good enough. They blinked owlishly back at her, one of them slowly yawning.

Jian snapped forward, his frame coiling into a wall of barely contained fury. Still, his tail was gentle as it coiled around the hatchlings and drew them close to him. The stone behind him lit up with a bolt of condensed lightning, shattering it in one fell action.

Raw energy spilled up from the broken runes and bubbled up into the air. It tasted rotten. Spoiled. And Jian growled as it brushed against his scales and took flight.

Without a backward glance, he took to the air, the only thing he left in his wake was the wide eyed stare of his once-mate.

She should have expected the summons. The Council was notoriously strict and antiquated about all the wrong things. The whole group was made up of the clan elders, and they ruled with an iron fist. They would never see what she was trying to do. They would never see how she was trying to help them all.

They only saw her as a threat. A threat to their livelihood, and a threat to their plush jobs and the ease of their lives. In fact, not even Jian could talk sense into them. Not that he was doing much talking this time. He stood in the corner, looming over the Council, a dark aura crackling around his frame.

Heng was beyond furious. She would have left even if the Council hadn’t demanded it as “penance.”

She didn’t say bye to her children. She didn’t see her mate. She didn’t even bother to pack. As soon as the sentence dropped, she turned tail and stalked out of the hall. Ignoring the yells trailing after her, she stormed out of the territory.

Heng just... left.

Once she was well away from the clan’s borders, she took a shaky breath. They didn’t want her around, that much was clear. And fine. She would show them.

Turning her nose to the air, she paused. There was a familiar presence in the air. It was the same buzz that surrounded the altar- that oozed from Jian’s presence.

That was new.

With quite a bit of trepidation, she set out after the trail. It would be interesting, after all, to see what would happen.