Aster

Gaoler won in Alexina's Raffle, 28.06.2019.

There’s something in the shadows. Siergiej has sensed it long before the rest of his flock did, but he kept the warning to himself. It was a test, after all. The journey to the Shadow Flight, the escape from the drought that hit Shattered Plains – all of it, to find someone worthy of taking charge.

So far, there was no one who could have replaced the old King. No one, despite his four loyal warriors, that even sensed the danger.

Siergiej kept a watchful eye on the shadows around them and when he finally spotted their stalker, he couldn’t held back a threatening growl. It was one of his kind, a young female, if his nose wasn’t mistaken. Her colours blended with the night and were it not for her eyes – multitude of them – he would have missed her, too.

She knows that he knows that she’s there, but she neither attacks or runs. She remains hidden, observing from her spot on the tree as Siergiej’s court, his warriors and then his subjects, move along the woodland path. The King is the last, the strongest of them all, to close the procession. He stops, directly under her and waits.

“Who are you?” She finally asks. “Why are you trespassing on my territory?”

Siergiej raises his eyebrow – her territory? She doesn’t smell like pack, nor does the forest around her smell like her. It might be true that it’s her home Siergiej’s flock is invading, but she is alone and therefore, unable to defend it.

He snorts, looks at the starlight sky above and ponders. The Gaoler in the trees is gone before he decides that he doesn’t really care.


*


Aster’s furious and scared in equal measure. A large flock of Earth Dragons crossed over the border, ventured into the forest and now started to unpack on her, favourite clearing. To top it all, there was not one, but six other Gaolers with them – bigger and stronger than her. Even if she could do something against Guardians or Pearlcatchers or Spirals, she has nothing on her own kind.


“I’m not giving up,” she mutters under her breath as she flees from the biggest of the dragons before he makes up his mind.

“I’m not giving up on my home,” she says again, her voice stronger, conviction cemented in her eyes.

Aster’s power lies in her mind not in her muscles.

For the next week, she remains hidden in the shadows, watching carefully how the new lair is being built – destroying her favourite napping spot in the process, the heathens! – and bidding her time.


*


“What happened to my nest?”

Maddie, the weakest link in the flock, is the first victim. Her carefully built nest, furnished with feathers and grass, lays in ruin, all muddied and wrecked. Other dragons start to gather around, looking mildly curious but mostly vindictively amused. Maddie is close to tears by the time she sees that her prized collection of rock is scattered all around the clearing.


*
The next day Slope spends helping her mate to find his familiars. Four snow rabbits, all perfectly tamed and housebroken, are missing. Dragons start to point their paws – Maddie keeps to herself the whole time, avoiding attention at all cost – and soon, two fractions emerge.

Those in favour of joining the Shadow Flight and serving Shadowbinder and those who want to stay loyal to Earthshaker and turn back.

Shazra wants to stop the infighting, but the King stops him.


*


After a week, their camp is in chaos. Only the Gaolers’ nests hasn’t been tapered with. The King doesn’t care for any sort of investigation and Shazra, his second in command refuses to help either.

Siergiej knows better than to catch the female Gaoler that’s responsible for their misfortune. To the contrary, he appreciates her efforts to keep them of her land – but also knows it is futile. They’ll stay. Or at least part of them will.


*


“Don’t hurt my hedgehog,” Siergiej says, not bothering to open his eyes. The Gaoler female freezes in the middle of stealing his familiar. “He likes strawberries and belly rubs.”


The next second she’s gone, melting into the shadows. Siergiej opens his eyes and finds himself short of a friend and a collection of trinkets.