Wavedancer

Boa/Saddle/Sailfin

God-Touched of the Watery Depths Co-Ruler of the Lair Loyal mate to Skywing Warrior of the Wavedancers Compassionate Thoughtful Protective

Even though you were created to be a child of Ice, you will proudly live your life as a child of Water. I have given you life, nurtured you until you were old enough to leave, given you a name and a purpose. Go now, young one. Your mate awaits you . . .

Wavedancer blinked as she opened her rich blue eyes. She looked around the darkened sea before craning her neck up toward the faint light above. Kicking in her powerful hind legs she tucked her wings close to her furry body as she paddled her way up, closer and closer to the light.

Breaking the surface she gasped for air. How had she managed to breathe for so long under water? Then again, where was she?

Looking around she swam closer to shore, hauling her soaking body onto the sandy beach, giving a huge shake, water splashing everywhere.

"Watch what you're doing, tundra."

At the voice, Wavedancer froze. There was another dragon there.

"Yes, you," the voice said, low, deadly sounding, "the one as blue as the water and looking like a drowned bumble."

She watched as a sleek shape emerged from the foliage near her, tongue flicking out as the mirror's eyes blinked. He kept his head low to the ground, wings slightly spread, looking more than ready to attack.

"What? Tidelord gave you no tongue?" the mirror asked.

"I have a tongue," Wavedancer said, slightly annoyed by this posturing, "I just have nothing to say about it."

The mirror snorted at that, circling around her toward the water's edge. He said nothing, equally rich blue eyes shifting to the water. "I've been waiting here for a long time," he finally said, "waiting, watching . . . "

Wavedancer blinked at that before she tilted her head to the side. "You?" she asked almost incredulously, fur poofing out some, "you can't be the one! You're nothing but an uncivilized brute."

"I've heard other children of the Tidelord as they have come around, some having just been released, others coming back to pay homage to the god who created them," the mirror said, "words, some meaningless, others full of information. I know some of this world from what they have talked about."

Nodding, Wavedancer lifted a foreleg, shaking some wet sand from her fur. "And what will you do with this information?" she asked, gazing at him out of the corner of her eye, leg still held off the sand.

"Use it," the mirror said as he shifted quickly, seeming ready to attack.

Wavedancer instinctively drew in a deep breath, feeling the magical energy swirling inside of her, more than ready to be used.

"Not to attack you but to help you," the mirror said, though it was quite obvious by the tenseness of his muscles and the rippling of his wings he was no doubt ready to retaliate against her, "after all, why attack the one the Tidelord sent as my mate?"

Wavedancer swallowed a bit harder than she had meant to at that. How could she live with someone as rough as this mirror was?

"My name is Skywing," he said, "the Tidelord said I would find my mate as a reflection of my home, and that, my tundra, is you."

Nodding, Wavedancer breathed a sigh of relief, a bit of magic escaping in a faint cloud before her. "So . . . we need to find a place to start our lair. That is what we are here to do, right?"

Skywing nodded. "Follow me," he said, "I have a place in mind. It will need a lot of work . . . but I'm sure even a tundra will be fit enough for the job."

Wavedancer scowled at that but held her tongue, following the magenta mirror into the water, finding his choice of cave to be adequate to their current needs.

With that out of the way, they mated, a full nest of eggs their reward.

Once rested, Skywing went about making sure their new lair was secure, bringing back plants for Wavedancer as well as meat for himself. Once their clutch had hatched they both set about teaching their children how to hunt, how to fight, how to defend the lair. As well as how to show compassion for those in need and to allow anyone who needed aid to stay at the lair as long as they needed to. No questions asked.

Little did two of their offspring realize that, one day, that knowledge would come to benefit them as they found themselves in charge of the lair, soon named after their mother. “We were given this chance to return for a reason,” Wavedancer said, “we were tasked with removing all traces of the Shade from our lairs. We still have a connection to the Tidelord. Even though we are here, on Sorneith, it is almost as if we had never left.”

“We can feel the power within us,” Skywing said, wings ruffling some as he looked between his mate, daughter and the Guardian they had hatched not too long after their first nest had hatched, “growing, pulsing . . . Wanting to break free.”

"As it has wanted to since we came back, only this time it's too strong for us to keep in check for much longer," Wavedancer said, "I wanted to warn the three of you before we allowed the energy to change us however it will. Just in case . . . "

"Mother, do not say things like that," Shyrza said, "we cannot lose you again."

"This is the Tidelord's will, wherever he is," Skywing said, "we have no choice in the matter."

Shyrza nodded, taking a step back as her parent's forms began to glow. The light increased until it was too blinding to look at. When it faded she gasped. "M-mother?"

Wavedancer blinked. She could no longer feel her furry legs. Her body seemed longer, heavier than she remembered. She tried to reach up and scratch her jaw only to find she really had no legs. Any attempt at movement caused her to shift a bit on the rocky floor.

"Ok, what just happened," Wavedancer heard her mate say, "you look like some winged snake."

Shifting her head, Wavedancer blinked. "You do too. So I guess this is what the Tidelord wanted from us . . . Though . . . We're going to have to move our lair considering a good portion isn't flooded so those who do not wish to swim can stay dry and, well . . . "

"We'll have to carry you to the water," Shyrza said, "let me get Yuhuang and Anmarie to help move the two of you. I know, definitely, an Imperial will do the job."

"This is humiliating," Skywing grumbled, "especially since I no longer hunger and no longer want to roam in a pack. I even don't want to start a fight . . . "

"So it not only changed you physically it also changed your personality," Shadow rumbled out, the Guardian looking between his mate, Shyrza and her parents Wavedancer and Skywing.

"I don't think it changed us that much," Wavedancer said, "except to finally mellow my mate out."

Skywing snorted at that but said no more.

"It will take time to get used to these new bodies and see what they can do," Wavedancer said, "for the time being I want you three to lead the lair as you had when we were gone. I know you will do a great job."

"Thank you, mother," Permafrost said, "it's going to take a bit to get used to your new scent but I'm sure we will."

Wavedancer nodded as she waited for the lift to water so she could move again, no room in the cavern for her to really flap her wings.

Definitely things were changing on the world and she only hoped it was for the better. If not, she knew her lair would step up to the challenge and meet any adversary head on.

Of that she vowed.