Kaszanka

Nest of Problems Kas is the only one of her siblings who did not have trouble with hatching, though she has had other difficulties since then. Her sister hatched too early and her brother hatched too late. Kaszanka hatched right on schedule. It was the only day she was ever on time. Bad Timing Sometimes Kas is too early, but not during those times when it is polite to be a little early. She's early when it's embarrassing to be early, or so early that it's borderline absurd. Shortly after her hatching, she was meant to formally meet her mother's adoptive father ... who also happened to be the King of the clan. She was so worried about being tardy and so certain she would be late that she waited outside his chambers for two hours, dozed off for three minutes, awoke with a startled screech and, thinking she had slept much longer, smashed headlong into the chambers, interrupting a deeply significant meeting with two Beastclan ambassadors. The meeting had already not been going well but the startling interruption caused the more aggressive of the two to attack Kaszakna, forcing the King to handle the problem by devouring the Serthis Ambassador on the spot. This had a small silver lining in making the other ambassador much easier to work with, but the whole ordeal scarred Kas for life. She was never early to visit the King again ... which of course meant she was always unacceptably late.

More often, Kas is late. Sometimes just a little bit late, but usually she is inconveniently late. She is easily distracted and has a terrible sense for the passage of time. She once arrived to her own hatchday celebration an entire day after it was supposed to happen. Her friends and family then had to quickly reassemble the whole affair and try to pretend it wasn't actually the day after her birthday, though the truth came out eventually when Kishka became confused and misspoke about the matter. Her sister felt so badly for letting it slip and making Kaszanka feel bad that she never spoke to Kas again, which was arguably worse.

It's even possible for Kas to be both early and late all at once. Once while attempting to meet up with a group of friends for a trip to Clifftown together, she first showed up an hour early, then when no one else arrived, left . . . only to realize her mistake and come back half an hour late, just as the rest of the group had given up and left without her, causing Kaszanka to feel the need to sprint after them in a desperate flurry, or risk being lost somewhere on the road between the Keep and the town. As a result, she crashed into the group and caused all of them to tumble headlong down several hills and lose the road. They never made it to Clifftown, but were rescued when a patrol from the Keep found them and escorted them safely back home a few hours later.




prompt: 'Kas's . . . issue . . . has now caused her even bigger problems! There is an important meeting or event that she is, as usual, not on time for. In this case, it causes her to end up completely separated from her clan, and ultimately, she ends up in a new home, perhaps thanks to the aid of some friendly dragons.'


The day had finally arrived when it was time for King Sovri to make his yearly tour through the Clan of Singing Blood's lands, taking note of any complaints and problems within. Kas had expressed interest in helping with the proceedings, and though dubious, the King eventually acquiesced to her request on the condition that she show up exactly on time; not one minute too early or one minute too late.

Unfortunately for Kaszanka, her fatal flaw inevitably reared its head. Striving to not be either early or late, she managed to accomplish both at once. Kas showed up to the predetermined meeting place several hours early, thinking she could hide nearby and wait until it was the proper time to arrive. She curled herself into a particularly large bubbling crater, resolving to keep a keen eye on the horizon for the perfect moment to show herself and impress the King with her punctuality.

The hours passed agonizingly slow, but Kas would not be swayed from her goal. And indeed, had she chosen a different place to hide, all might have gone according to plan. However, when the time came and the King and his entourage arrived, Kaszanka found herself unable to leave her hiding place. The sludge within the crater had seeped around her body and in-between her scales during the hours she had spent inside, making it almost impossible to move. All she could do was watch, desperately trying to escape her self-made prison as Sovri waited, increasingly impatient for her arrival.

Too embarrassed to call out for assistance, Kaszanka struggled against the sucking sludge that held her captive. Once she had finally freed herself, it was already too late. Kas had watched as the King sighed, shook his head in disappointment, and beckoned for his attendants to follow him, the procession making its way out of sight.

However, Kas was determined to make up for her mistake, and she quickly flew after the group without knowing the route they were set to follow. The Scarred Wasteland seemed inclined to foil her best efforts; the still unfamiliar surroundings lead Kas astray, farther and farther from her goal. As always, she lost track of time as she wandered the wastes, spending countless days and nights that found her further from home than she had ever been.

Eventually Kaszanka finally stumbled to a halt, exhausted, and finally took a moment to look around. What she saw frightened her to her very core; a heavy mist clung to the air as far as the eye could see. It was dense but had a cloying sweetness to it, and the more she breathed it in, Kas found that for once in her life, the anxious urgency that clung to her heart and mind was starting to dissipate. She spent an unknown amount of time wandering serenely through the fog, shedding her worries and fears like the molting of a serpent.

As time stretched on, a lone figure appeared on the horizon. Though Kas did not know who it was, she was not afraid. Rather, in her excitement, she flew towards the shadow making its way to her. As they drew closer to each other, the silhouette became clearer, and Kas could see that it was not one dragon, but two: a pair of regal Imperials eyes her curiously as they approached her.

“Greetings, Kaszanka,” the first dragon spoke, her voice soothing and rhythmic to the ear. “We are glad to meet you in person.”

“Your passage through our lands was foretold by the Oracle,” continued the second Imperial, her husky cadence a discordant contrast to her partner. “We have come to bring you into our fold.”

Then, they spoke in unison, opposing voices weaving harmoniously to deliver the best news of Kas' life: “You are perfectly punctual, as expected.”