Vari

(Starting clan-crazycritter1)
Vari is a friendly, trusting Skydancer. He likes to explore the edges of the Boneyard and likes to try to explore border Flights. Vari has wanted to meet other dragons of other elements, even though he knows nothing about them.


FutureMopie's Clan

---

Vari trudged along the dark forest, feeling himself bristle uneasily. There was something eerie about this place.. He just wanted to get out as quick as he could. Then-
"Hey! Hey, Kid!"
A voice hissed. He jumped, startled.
"Y-Yeah?"
A black wildclaw, with wings a sky blue, stepped out of the shadows. His yellow eyes seemed to glow in the dark.
"Who are you?" The wildclaw barked, and Vari felt himself shrink.
"V-Vari."
The wildclaw frowned, eyes narrowing.
"Are you lost?"
Vari paused, then nodded vigorously.
"Come with me, kid. You can stay with us for a night."
Vari nodded again, scrambling after the mysterious dragon.
"Excuse me but- who are you?"
"The name's Balkan." Balkan grumbled, leading him into a clearing. Several dragons of all shapes and sizes stared at him with unblinking eyes.
"Do you train in the coliseum often?" Balkan asked suddenly, spinning on his heel to stare at Vari.
"We could reall use a third member. If it wouldn't be too much of a hassel."
Change: Level 4 to level 5


Nightkeeper Sanctum (Darkesty)

As Vari walked through the Tangled Wood, he noticed glowing sprites. Curious, he soon followed them. They lead him to an ancient, rusty gate, covered in thorny vines. He walked through them and found a lair. He wondered if this was how all lairs in the Tangled Wood were.

Glowing shrooms, and thorny roses were everywhere, as were violets. He had not yet seen a place like it, with such haunting beauty. He saw a small group of dragons nearby, all which seemed to not have noticed him yet. He approached them and spoke, "H-Hello! Where am I?". The dragons turned to look at him, a spiral spoke "You're at Nightkeeper Sanctum. Do you need our assistance?". "No.. I was just passing by" Vari answered the spiral. "Well you're welcome to stay the night here." Vari thanked the spiral and joined their conversation. They talked about dragons of other elements, sharing their experiences with the other places.

The next morning, it was time for Vari to leave. He was excited to meet other dragons.

Peacewielder's Clan

Vari woke up in a hollow made of stone. Wait, he didn't remember any stone hollows built. Especially in the Southern Icefield. The scent of blood hit his nose. Three imperials - two blue and one purple - and one purple Nocturne were being slaughtered by a large dark purple Guardian.

A blue Skydancer let out a yowl. "Shimmer! No!" He lunged for the dragon and dived for his throat. He sunk his teeth in the dragon's throat and let go. He staggered and fell, bleeding. "That's what you get for killing my friend and granddragons." he hissed.

A midnight-colored Coatl darted out of a den and leaned on him. The Skydancer's eyes gleamed with grief as he looked at the bodies. Vari watched as dragons buried them and sat silent for the night.

Four months had passed. Vari had been hunting all day. He dragged his elk across the snow towards camp. Sparkle and Crystal were waiting for him. "Vari!" Sparkle called. "Someone came here to take you back home."

A black Wildclaw with blue wings appeared out of the shadows, his yellow eyes gleaming. "I have returned."

Vari took a pace back. Balkan looked evil. Crystal and Sparkle darted into a den. "Talk all the time you need. We'll leave you in private."

Balkan hissed and lunged. Vari wailed and took flight. He didn't know where he was going.

----

Starhaven (Kiwicide's Clan)


Vari traveled north-west, his sparkling wings taking him right into the Crystalspine Reaches where he almost crashed into one of the jagged spires. He veered left and zipped past another dragon before crash landing on the Starfall Isles. "Ugghh..." Vari groaned and rolled over. One wing was aching and his head was throbbing. Before he could even right himself, Vari heard something land beside him.

"Are you alright?" Nezeir asked as he circled around the newcomer. He'd never see this Skydancer on the island before, at least not that he could recall.

Vari jumped at the sudden voice and scrambled to get away from the strange dragon. After what he'd seen in the Ice domain, Vari was wary of strangers. He eyed up the pale blue Mirror who cocked his head to the side in confusion. “Um... hello?” The Mirror said and took a step closer which only made Vari scramble backwards some more.

“Okay... “ Nezeir shook his head. “I’m Nezeir, leader of the Starhaven clan. If you need anything, and I think you might, come up to the cliffs if you can.” Nezeir gave the strange Skydancer one last look over before taking off towards the cliffs of Starfall Isles.

Vari watched him leave and once Nezeir was out of sight, he scanned the area around him for any others. Thankfully he was alone. Vari struggled to get back on his feet and over to a shaded spot where he could rest and better assess his wounds. He was positive he pulled a muscle in his wings. “Great, now I’m stuck here.” He muttered to himself. Vari could see the cliffs from where he sat and wondered what sort of dragons were up there. Starhaven didn’t sound like an intimidating name, even if the Mirror who claimed to be the leader looked very intimidating.

“I’ll just stay here. Maybe my wings will be okay after a rest.” He said and settled in for a nap, although he wouldn’t be completely relaxed in a new environment. Or so he thought. He wasn’t sure when he’d actually fallen asleep but when he awoke the sun was setting and his stomach was rumbling. Vari groaned in annoyance and attempted to move his wings which still felt a bit sore. He again looked up the cliffs and could see lights and heard the distant sound of music. “They can’t be that bad, right?” Vari stood and stretched his wings. He wasn’t sure if he could make the short distance and looked around for the best way up. Upon searching, he spotted a staircase made of wood that lead up to the cliffs. Vari headed up them carefully, wary of the creaking boards as he went.

At the top he was met with music and laughter. He could smell food cooking and spotted several fires with dragons tending to pots and spits. Dragons of all ages were talking and chatting. The clan of Starhaven was nothing like he’d ever seen before. Everyone was so lively and happy.

“So you finally came up.” Vari jumped at the sudden voice and looked over to see Nezeir smiling at him. Beside him was another Mirror who’s face was hidden behind a spiked helmet.

“I... um... yeah.” Vari stuttered then cleared his throat. “I heard the music from down there and wanted to see what was going on. This is your clan?” He asked and Nezeir nodded.

“How are you feeling?” Nezeir asked. “If you need any help with injuries you should speak to Grimala. She’s pretty good at fixing us up.” Nezeir lifted a claw and pointed to an older, green Guardian.

Vari looked to where he was pointing and nodded. “Thanks.”

Nezeir chuckled a bit. “Well help yourself to the food and if you need a place to stay come see me.” With that, Nezeir turned away and the Mirror with him followed after, saying something to Nezeir that Vari didn’t catch.

Vari was still confused but also felt at ease. This clan didn’t seem scary at all. He could definitely stay here for a while. And as he wandered around he noticed there was quite a collection of dragons of all sorts. Different breeds and elements, even plenty of children. He was met by an Imperial as white as ice who had two small Mirrors at her feet, both of which were excited to see a newcomer. She greeted Vari with a smile and the children offered to play some games with him. The Imperial introduced herself as Niami and offered him some food. As they ate, they talked about the clan and Vari told her of his travels. At the end of the night he’d learned a lot from just one dragon and wanted to know what the others had to share. So he found Nezeir in the company of the armored Mirror, an armored Wildclaw and a deep-red Imperial covered in gold. Nezeir offered him a bed and welcomed him to stay as long as he liked.

A month and a half past and Vari learned so much from the dragons of Starhaven. He heard from dragons who hailed from several different flights but they all found homes in Starhaven. Everyone there didn’t seem to care at all if the clan was in the Arcane domain or not, it was the company of each other that they valued most and that was something Vari found so endearing of the Starhaven clan.

At the end of his second month, Vari found it was time to leave. He’d made good friends and learned a lot from the dragons on Starfall Isles but there were other places to visit, some that were even recommended to him by his new friends. His departure was bittersweet. He would miss his new friends at Starhaven but he was excited for the friends that awaited him.

---

Oceanreach (ChihoriAnigma's Clan)

His confidence regained after his two months at Starhaven Vari flew off into the air after receiving many hugs and a few gifts from the friends he had made there.

He carefully navigated his way through the many dragons that always flooded the skies in Starfell Isles, especially during this hour when so many were returning from work. He daydreamed as he flew.

He was imagining in great detail what the Flameforger's Festival would look like above Emerglow Hearth and what types of dragons he would meet there when something careened into him, knocking him head over heels and sending jars of all kinds of things flying everywhere.

"Isa!" he heard someone yell in an extremely annoyed tone of voice, and a moment later a beautifully patterned black and blue tundra helped him land on his feet. Before either of them had a chance to say anything a black and red? pink? purple?-the color of his wings was hard to place-spiral landed in front of them, grinning, a bit contritely.

He dropped his load of jars on the ground which Vari now noticed was a wide balcony in front of a cave opening. He backed away slightly, still wary of strangers' lairs after what he had experienced in the Southern Icefield.

"Sorry about that, man," the spiral said, still grinning.

"He doesn't look where he's going," the tundra said with a heavy, long-suffering sigh. "One day you're going knock a fledgling out of the air, Isa. Imagine doing that to Meg."

The spiral's grin immediately dropped and he looked actually contrite for a moment. Then his grin returned. "So, who are you?" he asked cheerfully, hovering in the air right above Vari for some reason known only to himself.

"Um...I...I'm Vari. I'm on a trip to meet dragons of different element from around the world."

"Cool!" the tundra said and started chatting away about the trips she had taken and wanted to take. Vari was drawn into the conversation and it wasn't long before they invited him in for dinner and offered him a spare nest to rest the night.

The clan was the smallest one Vari had ever met but that just meant that dinner was a cozy affair, though the hatchling, Meg, kept putting bugs on the table.

In the morning it really was time for him to leave Starfell Isles but he vowed to come back to visit, both Starhaven and Oceanreach, as this clan called themselves.

---

Clan Paladin (Saraceaser)

It was a long, weary venture, but Vari found his way to the Sunbeam Ruins, having almost gone completely full circle. As it was, the sun was setting, but it was a warm presence and he let his feathers soak in the last rays as he flew high above. But, of course, he would have to find somewhere to stay for the night.

His wings ached after flying for so long, even with the added benefit of being a Skydancer. Sighing wearily, Vari landed in the middle of the Mirrorlight Promenade, taking a moment to look around in awe; in the dying golden light, the alabaster ruins all but glowed. There were many Dragons here, most in small groups, others watching as hatchlings played and ran through the ruins like they were in a large playground.

As he walked along, Vari noticed another Skydancer having a hard time pulling a cart shelved high with potted plants of all kinds. He paused for a moment, indecisive, but felt bad for the poor Dragon that was clearly struggling. Walking up behind the cart, he braced and started pushing from the back.

"Oh!" He looked up and saw the other Skydancer turn back to him, deep red eyes lighting up in delight. "You're pushing it? Thank you! I would never be able to pull this all the way home before dark," she explained, voice strained as they continued, slowly but surely. Vari, who was putting all his strength into pushing, just gave her a sheepish smile.

After that, they were silent for a while till they finally arrived at a massive castle-like structure, and Vari look up in awe as they passed through a large archway in the side of the great walls that seemed to surround the complex. Inside, the other Skydancer directed them to one of the many smaller off-shoot buildings before they finally stopped. By this time, night has well since fallen, but they still passed quite a few Dragons.

"Thank you so much! Oh, and my name's Blossom, by the way," she explained as he watched her carefully look over all the plants before turning to him fully.

"My name's Vari... Um, what were you going to use all those plants for, if I may ask?" He asked sheepishly. The elder Skydancer smiled at him.

"They're new plants I've ordered from the Viridian Labyrinth for my herb garden, since I am the Clan's head herbalist," she finished with a proud glint to her smile. She then blinked, looking up at the sky.

"Oh my, it's so late! Hm, well, do you have anywhere you need to be? You can come have dinner in the Great Hall with me, and perhaps sleep here for the night?" She kindly suggested, and Vari nodded in gratitude. As she led him through the many corridors of the main castle-like building, Vari spoke up.

"Um, if it's alright, might you be able to teach me a bit about herbalism and such?" He asked; he really was interested, since it always did seem like an interesting subject. Her smile widened, gaining an excited glint.

"Of course! And while I'm at it, why don't I teach you a bit about some basic medical procedures? You never know when you might need it!" She said before going on an entire explanation about the basics of herbalism.

(Change: Level 5 to Level 7; Gained Regeneration)

Clan Improbable (seige)
Foraging Grounds

Vari’s brain felt stuffed with knowledge. He wished he had a way to write it all down. There were so many plants and so many ways to use them. Tisanes, poultices, powders, and tinctures --- he’d never remember it all.

Three Coatls rounded a nearby rock, murmering in their strange humming language. Vari felt a twinge of fear, but did not run away.

“Oh! Hello,” said one of the coatls, switching seamlessly into Draconic. “I’m Samus, and these others are Kinsei and Emberscral. We are healers from the Clan Improbable. Who are you and what brings you to our foraging lands?”

“I’m Vari, a traveler.”

Kinsei spoke then, “Hello Vari. When we’ve gathered our plants, would you like to return to our lair with us? There was a stand of Sugary Prickleleaf around here. Have you seen it? It’s ever so good for so many things.”
“Upper respiratory inflammation, mouth ulcers, boils . . .” mused Vari.

Three Coatl heads whipped around to stare at the Skydancer.

“D-d-did I say something wrong?” Vari stammered.

“Not at all. You’re a healer, then.” Emberscral enthused.

“Well, no, but a friend taught me some basics, “ Vari explained, “But it’s just so much to remember.”

Samus nodded, “It is a lot to remember, that’s why we have books..” She scrambled in her pouch and handed him a book, “Like this one. You can keep it. I have several other copies. None of us remembers everything. Except maybe Merion. He’s forgotten more than any of us can ever hope to know.”

“But he’s old.” interjected Kinsei. “Who knows how much we’ll know by the time we’re his age?”

Emberscal picked up his basket, “We’ll never be one of the leading authorities on pearl contamination, at any rate. We must finish our gathering, Vari. Will you join us for a late meal at the lair?”

All Vari wanted to do was dive into the book. “I don’t think so, but thank you. And thank you for the book I have so much more world to see.” He adjusted the strap around his hip.

Vari lifted off into the air, skillfully executing a loop and a barrel roll while he waved to his new friends.

Change: Level increased to 8
Gift: Red Healer’s Reference


Nightkeeper Sanctum (Darkesty)

Vari soon found himself in the Tangled Wood, once again. He had no recollection of how he got here, but he might as well find a place to rest. While the forest was forever shrouded in darkness, the glowing mushrooms made just enough ambient light that he could see Soon he noticed the familiar sprites, coming to lead him to safety.

Once he was at the lair, a new guardian approached him. Flowing candles surrounded her, "I heard you were here once already. Why do you return?". Stunned, Vari took a moment to recollect his thoughts before he spoke, "I found myself in the forest and was looking for a place to stay". The guardian soon noticed the book he had and gestured to it, "I assume you're a healer, right?". Vari nodded, explaining he was still learning. The guardian lead him to a small chest and pulled out a robe, "It is our custom to help our guests, so do take these vestments. I'm sure they will be more useful to you than they will be to us". Vari thanked for the gift, before putting it on.

He spent the night with them and learned more useful ways to apply healing magic. Soon he was ready to continue once more.
Item received: Brilliant Healer's Vestments

---

smthelj's clan (outskirts)

Deciding to let his wings rest after the trip over the Sea of a Thousand Currents, Vari descended into a small grove in the Wind domain. After about half an hour of enjoying the sights and the fresh air, a voice suddenly startled him out of his reverie.

"Say, my good man, would you perchance happen to have a health potion on you?"

Vari almost jumped into the air from surprise. A short distance from him a Skydancer was laying on the ground, his colours making him blend with the forest floor.

"Or maybe you have seen my lovely mate around?" The Skydancer continued from below. "Long legs, short arms, luscious plumage, beautiful green eyes-"

"No, I haven't," Vari hurriedly interrupted, "but more importantly - are you hurt?!"

Indeed, the other Skydancer's hind legs and tail bore deep wounds that were oozing blood through the slapdash bandages. The dragon - named Arcell - explained that a monster tore into him from behind as he was trying to get away.

Vari took a deep breath and shot a glance at his reference book. This was the moment he got to put all his healing knowledge to the test.

Arcell was delighted to learn that Vari could cure him, and some tension immediately drained from his body as a healing spell was cast.

"You're a godsend, truly!" He rambled. "And to think I was getting ready to call our clan leader for backup. An insufferable git, that one, and- WATCH OUT!!"

Vari whirled around. A huge Bonepriest was rushing at them from the bushes, rapidly closing in. With no time to think and no desire to abandon his patient, Vari squeezed his eyes shut and struck at the beast in desperation. He felt a sudden primal power rush through his limb right before the impact, and heard Arcel gasp in amazement.

Cracking open one eye, he saw the giant centipede staggering from the punch, right before a Wildclaw jumped on it from behind and finished the job.

The newcomer turned out to be the very mate Arcell was looking for - Acquanetta, and she hauled the still recovering dragon up on her back without much ado. Vari politely declined the offer to spend the night at their lair. Arcell bemoaned the lost opportunity to chat with "a man of culture", proclaiming himself to be forever in his debt. Acquanetta grunted and said that it was probably for the better. The three parted ways.

Lvl increased to 11.
Learned Mist Slash.

---

Clan Oses (Aontacht)

It was only a few days later when Vari came upon a rather surprising sight- for being in the Viridian Labyrinth and not the Shifting Expanse at least. Far above the high tree tops a huge ship (Oses gilded beautifully into the side) flew, or rather levitated as there didn't seem to be any way for the ship to move; there were no wings or thrusters or anything, 'Perhaps it's powered by magic?' Vari thought to himself, observing the vessel.

Besides the lack of anything obvious that was making it sit in the air, the ship was odd for another reason. Instead of being made of metal or planks of wood, the entire ship appeared to be made of huge roots connected together, all glowing faintly with the colors of cyan and verdant. Viri's eyes rose as he considered the other strange thing about the ship. The roots that made up the hull seemed to originate from a huge tree (Of a species he didn't recognise), which also glowed faintly. In the branches of the tree her could see small shapes (from his perspective) flitting around. As he watched, one the largest shapes seemed to spot him, and it wasn't long before the dragon (who he soon saw was an Imperial) glided down to him.

"Hello there, welcome to Clan Oses. I take it your not from around her?" The Imperial asked, his voice gruff, and somewhat hard to understand.

"You look like a tourist!" A much smaller, but monotone, voice squeaked. Then Vari noticed the second dragon, a fae, perched on the horns of the Imperial.

"Well, I suppose you could say that." Vari said "I'm traveling the world, meeting clans and learning all I can! My names Vari by the way, and it's nice to meet you. You have an amazing ship!"

"Thank you" The Imperial grumbled. "My brother and I built it about a century ago. That aside, it's a pleasure to meet you as well. My name is Iaoth, and this is my daughter, Imo."

"Pleasure." The fae copied. Suddenly, an idea seemed to come to her and she bounced up happily. "Hey! Do you want to see the ship? I mean, it's getting late, so if you have nowhere else to be..."

Vari chuckled. "Sure, I would love to see it! You don't mind if I stay the night, do you?"

The Imperial shook his head. "No, of course not. Stay as long as you need, or want." So, Vari stayed the night, after a rather lengthy tour from the small fae (who seemed to have taken a liking to him), and many of the resident dragons chuckling as he passed by with her. It wasn't until he was talking to the ship's cook before breakfast that they explained that everyone thought Imo has a crush on him.

Though, as the sun came up, Vari knew he wouldn't be staying. The ship was amazing, and all the dragons were very welcoming. When he told Imo that he planned to leave soon, she just smiled at him. "You don't stop for more than a night huh." She shook her head lightly. "Before you leave though, I made you something!"

The fae darted off before he said anything, and returned not long after with a lei of daisy flowers. "I wove this last night! Don't worry about them wilting, they're charmed to stay fresh. It also has a protection charm on it. It's not very strong, and it has to recharge after each use, but it may prove in handy one day!"

At noon, Vari waved goodbye to his new friends who happily gave him a basket of food for the road and their promise that he could return anytime. As he turned away into forest, he heard Imo call out loudly. "Take care!"

He smiled.

Gift: Daisy Lei

---

Clan Improbable (seige)

“Pardon me, Miss, but there’s a stand of Sugary Prickleleaf somewhere near here. Have you seen it?”

Samus frowned at the rocks, leaves, and feathers she was trying to fashion into a healing charm for infected wounds. “There’s some dried in the pantry, or do you need fresh?” she muttered without looking up.

Vari smiled and cleared his throat, “Fresh is best for a poultice.”

Samus sighed and wrapped the unfinished charm in a square of linen. She rose and finally looked at her interruption, “VARI!”

“Took you long enough,” he grumbled playfully.

“Look at you, Vestments and all. Very dashing. Let me get us some refreshments as we can have a nice gossip.” Samus beckoned to a hatchling and dispatched them with specific instructions.

They settled on a mat made from elk hides. “Where are Kinsei and Emberscral?” Vari asked.

Samus nodded her thanks to the returning hatchling, “They’re off teaching forging skills to a group of hatchies.”

“Tell them I said hello. I actually came here to thank all three of you. Without the book you gave me,” he gestured to his side, “I might never have understood my own curiosities and leanings. I’m not the aimless traveler I was.”

“Stop.” Samus held up a talon. “I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say that you are quite welcome. Now, tell me all about where you’ve been and what you’ve been learning.

They sat and nibbled and talked. Vari told of his travels and trials and learning. Samus spoke of her studies in using carefully modulated electricity in scar remediation. Each took copious notes on what new knowledge the other had.

Vari began gathering his things to leave and Samus excused herself to the storage area.

“Make sure you leave room for this,” she said, handing him a Red Healer’s Beacon.

“So long as you have room to store this,” passing over a large bundle of dried plants, stones and feathers that were rare in the Expanse.

“Thank you,” they said simultaneously and laughed.

“Will you come again? . I’ve so enjoyed seeing you.”

Vari made a final adjustment of his belongings, “Of course I will. Till we meet again, my friend.”

Samus smiled, “Until then.”

Vari took a few running steps and lifted into the air. A precise snap-roll encompassed his wave.

Gift: Red Healer's Beacon


The Aquafire Clan (O1iviaDragon)

After leaving Clan Improbable, Vari felt tired and—if he was being honest—a little lonely too. During many of Vari’s long and perilous journeys, he had met so many dragons and all of them had someone, whether it be a friend, a mate or a sibling. Vari didn’t have anyone like that. Sure he had friends in many clans, but he didn’t have a traveling companion to experience all of the highs and the lows. Although, what dragon would want to travel such great distances with him?

Vari shook his head and tried to chase away the thoughts that lingered in the back of his mind. Perhaps he needed a nice long break to recoperate...

Vari stretched out his wings and glided on the Southern winds. He never considered going on vacation before so he wasn’t really sure where to go. The skydancer figured he would just soar until he found a good spot to spend the week. After a few hours in the air, Vari drifted over the Sea of a Thousand Currents and spotted a small island amidst the sapphire blue water. Vari seen other small islands during his flight over the Sea of a Thousand Currents, but this particular island caught his eye because there was a giant tower, made entirely of polished conch shells, built in the center of the island. Vari folded his vermillion wings and dived through the air to get a closer look. There were dragons of every color, size and shape milling about the island. A guardian and nocturne dragon on spread their wings and flew to meet Vari in mid air.

“State your purpose for entering the Aquafire Clan’s territory before I blow you out of the sky!” The guardian growled.

Vari jerked backwards at the sound of the female guardian’s words and struggled to find a quick explanation, “I—Um. I was just—“

“Umira, that’s no way to treat a guest.” The nocturne scolded his companion and then, faced Vari. “You’ll have to forgive my mate. She is a little grouchy after almost losing her most precious charge and lover.”

“Hey, the lover part isn’t set in stone,” Umira snarled as she poked her mate in the shoulder with the tip of one of her faceted wings.

“With a handsome face like this,” the nocturne purred as he gestured to his head, “I think you can argue that it is.”

Umira rolled her ruby-red eyes and cursed the Gladekeeper beneath her breath. Then, she narrowed her eyes at Vari again. “My threat still stands,” she hissed.

“What she means to say is,” the nocturne said as he hastily fluttered between Vari and his mate. “Welcome to the Aquafire Clan! What brings you to our humble island?”

“Well, I am a traveling healer of sorts.” Vari replied. “But I have—“ been looking for a nice spot to enjoy a small vacation, he intended to say.

“Ooooooooooh! A healer! I should have known by the look of those dashing vestments. I, too, am a master of the fine art of repair.” The nocturne exclaimed.

“And that by that he means we have enough healers so it probably be best if you le—“ The last bit of Umira’s words were drowned out by the sound of a sudden explosion.

Vari, the nocturne dragon, and Umira all looked back at the island, only to see that the palm trees on the island’s outermost edge were on fire.

Umira swore and quickly narrowed her blood red eyes on Vari. “Can you treat burns?”

“Yes.” Vari replied with an nod.

“You’re hired.” She stated and looked to her mate. “Let’s go, Neo.”

With that, the three dragons flew strait towards the fire. When they arrived on the scene, a manticore, with wings that were literally on fire, rushed to meet the three dragons. Vari thought creature may had been hired by a beastclan to attack the Aquafire Clan. The skydancer dug his talons into the sand and braced himself for a fight. However, as the manticore closer, Vari noticed that there were tears in the creatures bright yellow eyes.

“Fiora, did you do this?!” Neo gasped with widening emerald eyes.

“I-I-I tried to st-stop it, but I k-k-kept making it worse and worse,” Fiora admitted between sobs.

“Did you hurt anyone?” Umira growled.

“I th-think I hit Zowzu.” Fiora managed to say.

Before Neo or Vari could react, Umira knocked Fiora into the sand as she charged strait into the wall of flames.

“Umira!” Neo shrieked as he ran after his mate.

Vari hesitated for a moment. Everything was happening too fast. There were likely dragons burning to death on the other side of that wall of flames. However, in order to get to them, Vari was probably going to get burned too. It didn’t have to be that way though. Vari didn’t know these dragons. He could run away right now...

But what kind of healer would he be if he did that?

Vari shook his head, narrowed his gaze on fire before him and jumped.

He would never be the kind of healer who choose to save himself before others. Never.

Vari took in a deep breath of the salty, ocean-scented air as he sat down—for the time in hours— within the safety of the healer’s tent. The fire had been put out quickly in a clan made of many water dragons. Finding and treating all of the dragon that had been burned was the hard part. Neo and Vari had spent hours applying burn ointment to those who had been harmed. Most of the dragons (which did include Umira, Neo and Vari) that had gotten caught in the fire had minor burns that were fairly easy to treat. Zowzu, the bogsneak dragon Fiora had supposedly ‘hit’, had gotten the worst of it. All of webbing between his wing bones had been devoured by the flames. The fire had also left red, angry boils where Zowzu scales used to be. Vari had thought the bogsneak was dead when he had first seen the dragon. Fortunately, Zowzu had only been rendered unconscious when he was found. Although...

Vari glanced at Zowzu, who had been laid on top of some woolly blankets on the opposite side of the healer’s tent. The bogsneak dragon still hadn’t woken up yet and that worried Vari. For the last several hours, Neo and Vari had taken turns watching the bogsneak and applying burn ointment to his wounds. Umira had stationed herself outside of the healer’s tent to make sure no further harm would come to Zowzu.

Neo had told Vari that Zowzu had come to the Aquafire Clan when he was just a hatchling and Umira had raised the bogsneak as if he was one of her own. Vari couldn’t imagine what Umira was going through, knowing that her adoptive had been hurt so badly and being unable to do anything about it. Vari had never known his parents or his siblings, but he had made some dear friends during his travels. Just the thought of something bad happening to Samus, Emberscral or Kinsei made Vari shudder. He didn’t want imagine how he would act if something bad actually did befall upon his good friends.

*Rustle. Scratch.*
Vari pulled himself away from his thoughts and jerked his head in the direction of the sound just in time to see Fiora slip out from under the curtains of the healer’s tent. When Fiora looked up and met Vari’s gaze, the manticore’s jaw went slack and her golden eyes went wide. For a few moments that felt like hours, the manticore and the skydancer just stared at each other. It occurred to Vari that Fiora was probably expecting him to yell at her. Once the flames had died out on Fiora’s wings, she had come back to the Aquafire Clan and tried to help get the injured dragons to the healer’s tent. Umira and several other members of the Aquafire Clan shooed the manticore away and roared at her when she got to close to those who had been burned.

Vari’s muscles tensed. He didn’t know the extent of Fiora’s power yet nor was he aware of just how well she could control it. For all Vari knew, Fiora may be able to set the entire healer’s tent ablaze. Although, could Vari turn away a creature with a such desperate desire to make things right?

“Hello, Fiora,” Vari managed to say with a weak smile. “Have you come to see Zowzu?” The skydancer hadn’t fully learned the ins and outs of Fiora and Zowzu’s relationship, but he did know for certain that they were close enough to consider each other family.

“We have.” Fiora responded with a nod.

Vari cocked his head to the side. “Um, I’m sorry, but did you just say we—“ The skydancer suddenly closed his mouth as he saw a long buttersnake slip out of the manticore’s thick mane.

“This is my father, Avocado.” Fiora explained and gestured towards the buttersnake with her paw. The long, winged snake slid onto the ground with ease and kept turning his in every direction possible in order to fully take in his surroundings. However, the buttersnake hissed once he saw Zowzu and darted in the bogsneak’s direction. It looked like the snake was going straight for the bogsneak’s neck.

“Oh my!” Vari shouted and prepared to use mist slash on the buttersnake to keep it from harming Zowzu.

“Wait! Vari, stop! My father—he’s Zowzu’s familiar!” Fiora cried.

Vari processed the weight of Fiora’s words and halted his attack in the nick of time. The skydancer watched as the small buttersnake wiggled onto Zowzu’s thick, mangled neck. Tears began rivet down the buttersnake’s scaly cheeks.

Fiora winced and looked away from Zowzu and buttersnake. “This—this is all my fault,” she muttered with trembling lip.

Vari looked at the the poor manticore and wished he knew what to say. Fiora had almost killed someone and reeked havoc upon her clan unintentionally. Her clan mates no longer trusted her and probably wouldn’t for a long time. What could Vari possibly say to make Fiora feel better about that?

Fortunately, Fiora’s father took it upon himself to comfort his daughter. He wriggled off of Zowzu and coiled around one of his daughter’s legs. The buttersnake said something in language Vari had never heard before.

Fiora managed to laugh a little after she heard what her father said. “Dad, I don’t think you understand how fire extinguishers work.”

Fiora looked at Vari and gave the skydancer a weak smile. “Thankyou for letting me see my uncle.”

“Oh, it was no trouble,” Vari replied with his own weak smile. He looked back Zowzu. It had been an hour since he had last applied burn ointment on the bogsneak. “Hey, before you two go, would you both mind helping me apply burn ointment on Zowzu’s burns?”

Fiora’s golden eyes went wide. “You want me to help? Aren’t you afraid I will burn everything?”

Vari frowned and asked, “Should I be concerned?”

Fiora looked down at her paws. Her father murmured—what Vari assumed was—encouragement to his daughter.

“My wings only catch fire when I try to fly, but for precautionary measures I have to stay away from those I have already burned, hatchlings and the elderly.” Fiora explained.

Vari smiled. “Well, you need to fly to apply burn onto a dragon so I don’t see the harm in helping.”

And with that the skydancer, the manticore and the buttersnake got to work. Vari demonstrated how to correctly apply burn ointment to a dragon’s fire-eaten skin and then, Fiora and her father mimicked the skydancer with ease. While they worked to complete their task, the three talked and laughed. Vari learned that Fiora’s father, Avocado, was in fact Fiora’s biological father. Fiora explained that her father was mated to a parda and when one crosses a parda with a buttersnake they would always get a manticore. Once in a blue moon, the children of a parda and a buttersnake would possess fire or earth powers. Vari, in turn, told Fiora and Avocado about the many travels he had made and the dragons he had met.

When Avocado, Fiora and Vari had finished lathering Zowzu’s burns with ointment, the two familiars said their goodbyes to Vari and snuck out of the tent.

The following days fell into a pleasant normality. Vari would watch Zowzu for a couple hours and then, Fiora and Avocado would visit him and Zowzu in the evening. Vari learned that Avocado had the ability to change the color of any object he touched, which was what helped him sneak Fiora into the Healer’s Tent without Umira knowing. Vari grew to love Avocado and Fiora’s company.

And as the days passed, the thought of leaving Fiora left a pang of heavy sadness in Vari’s chest.

Although when Zowzu woke up from his coma and his wing’s webbing was almost done regenerating, the leaders of the Aquafire Clan, Nira and Leon, told Vari that they would be more than happy to give him a permanent home in the Aquafire Clan. Vari admitted that he needed time to think it over. The skydancer knew he would miss all of the friends he had made in the Aquafire Clan dearly, Fiora especially, if he left. However, Vari knew he would miss the thrill of traveling across the world just as much...

The skydancer’s feet lead him to the shoreline later on that day. The sun had begun its descent into the dark blue Sea of Thousand Currents. The once-sapphire skies had turned to a warm amber hue. Vari could feel a faint, cool breeze flow through his feathers as the waves washed against the sandy beach. His mind was still whirling.

“Vari!” The skydancer looked ahead to the sound of a familiar voice and saw Fiora running down the beach to meet him. Vari grinned at the manticore. He could tell that a heavy weight had been lifted off of Fiora’s shoulders once she had learned that Zowzu was awake and on the road to recovery.

“What took you so long?” Vari teased.

Fiora stuck her forked tongue out at the skydancer and said, “Be glad I didn’t try flying here for quickness sake, Mister.”

Vari laughed and then, asked, “What brings you here anyway? Other than me of course.”

Fiora rolled her eyes. “You aren’t going to accept Nira and Leon’s offer right?”

Vari was taken aback. “You don’t want me to accept it?”

Fiora signed and looked out to the vast expanse of sea. “I’ll miss having you around sure...but, Vari, it stinks to be stuck on an island when there are so many wonderful things to be see beyond the horizon.”

Vari followed Fiora’s gaze to the large rolling, sun-licked waves. He thought about all the clans he visited and the dragons he had encountered. There were indeed many wonderful things beyond that horizon...

“But there are so many wonderful things here,” the skydancer finished his thought aloud.

Fiora snorted.

“I mean it, Fiora. And besides, I’d miss you,” the skydancer countered.

“Sure, sure,” the manticore said with a wave of her paw, “It totally has nothing to do with the fact members of the Aquafire Clan get an unlimited supply of free food.”

“Hey, I not the kind to make important decisions based on food!” Vari growled as he gave Fiora a playful shove with his wing.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Vari’s head. “Wait, what if you came with me?”

“I can’t fly without cooking people, Vari.” Fiora said with a voice glanced in ennui.

“I could carry you so you won’t have to fly!” Vari exclaimed with growing excitement.

“Well, that could work,” Fiora mused, “Although, I’m not sure how my folks will react.”

“We’ll tell them together,” Vari said with a grin.

Fiora rolled her eyes. “You are absolutely insane, Vari,” the manticore stated right before she was certain she was going to became a traveler.


Gift: Conflagrant Ambassador


Art by O1iviaDragon

Clan Demonspite - DTEvie

He left the Aquafire Clan feeling well-rested and calm, his strength and motivation restored. He soared over the Sea of a Thousand Currents, rising higher and higher until the waves turned into ripples, and then a solid block of shining blue. He could see the ghastly red of the wastelands to the north, the crackling blue ozone of the eastern expanses, and the dull glow of the volcanos in the south. He turned to Fiora, who stared out the waters with him, her wings crackling as she flapped to keep herself steady.

"What do you think?" he said, flying closer to her, "Where are he headed next?"

She paused for a second, before replying quietly, "I've never seen the Starwood. Apparently the blossoms lighting up every evening is like the forest being lit by a blue fire."

Vari nodded, and began to smoothly glide down towards the sea, Fiora following closely behind him. He smiled, remembering the friends he'd made last time he was at the Starfall Isles, and looking forward to what their journey would bring.

They could see the glittering observatory from miles away, nestled deep in the trees of the Starwood Strand. It wasn't big, made of a shimmering grey rock, but huge lens caught the light as it pointed skyward, acting as a colossal landing light. They drifted down, careful to stay within the sights of the telescope so that they wouldn't scare anyone on the way down.

They landed on the deck of the observatory, just in time to catch a small grey fey dash out through the doors, laden with research materials and lighting up a sharp pink spell aimed towards them

"State your purpose," she snapped, "State your purpose or I'll send this comet straight through your skull"

Vari froze in shock. He hadn't encountered anything this violent in his time at the Aquafire Clan. Luckily, Fiora came to his rescue, stepping in front of him, her wings flaring.

"We're just here to look around, we're not going to hurt you," Fiora bit back.

The fae didn't look any more appeased, holding a steady glare at the new threat. It didn't seem like either of them were going to back down any time soon, and the situation could easily escalate into a fight. Vari tensed his wings instinctively, ready to flee if things got more serious.

But before either of them could get at each other's throats, the door behind them opened, and a beautiful imperial stepped out. She was draped in a cloak that sparkled with starlight, but the wings beneath it were even brighter. Her body was patched with pale blue and white patterns, cut with a line of glittering purple. She lit up the observatory deck like a string of lanterns, a bemused smile in her lilac eyes. Vari was smitten.

"Now, Eris, I don't think they mean any harm."

Her voice was low and soft, and clearly had an effect on the fae. Eris gradually lowered her spell, but kept her glare fixed on Fiora.

"How about," she continued, stepping between the dragon and the manticore, "We find out what they want with us when we get back to the clan. They don't look like they're about to hurt anyone—"

"That manticore's definitely got it in for me," Eris interrupted, prompting a snarl from Fiora.

"Come on," Vari said soothingly, "Let's just talk about this back at the clan."

She smiled at Vari with a hint of irony, as if they were old friends laughing at a silly argument. He smiled back instinctively, feeling the beginnings of a friendship form.

"It's this way."

A few days later, Vari found himself settled comfortably in Clan Demonspite. Although they hadn't made the greatest first impression, he and Fiora ended up with a small space of land and a soft bed there. As Fiora explored the Starwood Strand as she'd always wanted to, Vari began to get to know the residents of the clan, especially Rhen.

They spent more and more time together as the weeks went by, Rhen showing him the Arcane ways of their clan, and Vari regaling her with tales of their travels in return. Over long nights of talking, Vari would find himself dozing off beside Rhen, lulled to sleep by her lilting voice. After this had happened a couple of times, Fiora teasingly suggested they share a room and give her more space in hers. It seemed to make the most sense, so they moved in together.

More time passed and they grew closer, until finally they acknowledged the growing affection between them that had become more than platonic. Their bond grew closer, and Vari found himself wanting to settle in Clan Demonspite more and more. With Rhen starting to mention hatchlings and the possibility of a family, he knew he had to make a choice. He spoke to Fiora about it, and she hesitantly agreed to put down roots there.

Vari and Rhen started a family soon afterwards, six wonderful hatchlings that Vari loved with all his heart. Some of them shared their father's wanderlust and went to explore far off clans; others felt the call of the gods and pledged themselves to service. Vari had never felt so warm, surrounded by those he loved and who loved him. But something kept pricking the back of his mind, stopping him from being completely happy, and keeping him restless.

He resolved to talk to Rhen about it, catching her alone one evening to talk, like they had so many times before. She sat down nervously, sensing something was wrong, clenching the edges of her starry cloak with her claws.

"Rhen you know I love you, right?"

"That's never a good start," she replied wryly, "but yes, of course."

He sat down next to her. He wanted to be as kind as possible with this, but for some reason he couldn't quite look her in the eye.

"I really love it here, it's amazing, and I want you to know that you've made me so happy and I'm so glad that I met you and stayed here and it's just been so wonderful—"

"You're rambling, dear," she interrupted gently, "What's wrong?"

"It just feels so much like home here," he started again, "And it's making me think of my real home, and how long it's been since I saw my old friends. They'd so want to meet you but I don't want to force you to leave your own clan, but I don't think I can stay here and be happy, and I know that's an awful thing to say, but I don't know what else to do..."

He trailed off, finally gathering the courage to look at Vari, and feeling a stab of pain as he saw tears gathering in her eyes.

"I think I knew this would happen," she replied, "When I first met you, you seemed like a dream but your eyes were always on the horizon, looking for the next place to go. I thought I might be able to give you something to stay for but I know that you need to keep moving. I wish I could come with you, but I also have a life back here. I love you, but I think this is where we have to part ways."

They didn't say anything more than evening, holding each other silently through the night instead.


As Vari prepared to go home, Rhen helped him pack up his things and tidy up. Fiora was happy to come with him, trying to ease his heartbreak whatever way she could. The last day he spent in the clan was teary, with most of the dragons there sad to see him go, but wishing him well on his way. Rhen walked him out to the observatory to say goodbye. Fiora flew ahead to give them some privacy in their goodbyes.

As a parting gift, she gave him a ring that exactly matched the colour of her eyes, to remember her by. They hugged one last time, and Vari slipped it on his claw. Turning away, and feeling Rhen's gaze on the back of his wings, he met Fiora in the sky and began to head home.

Gift: levelled up to 12, pastel spinel ring