Delphine

Being a scout for Guardian Draco means having to put up with the head scout and his far too serious attitude. Honestly, Delphine would prefer to do as much exploring as possible with Elavan, but that would mean going to the warmer parts of the world. So, she sticks close to home and brings seeds to her sister, the head gardener. Easily distracted, Delphine isn't the best scout: She follows the bugs that fly by while she is supposed to be on look out, she gets so invested in collecting seeds for her sister she doesn't hear orders, and her reports tend to range from what interesting things she saw rather than if there was any trespassers. This upsets Rex, but entertains his father. He calls her "the heart of the job".





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The Dustcarve Dig.
Delphine had been to Dragonhome before to help during a Rock Breaker Ceremony event. It had involved a mysterious expedition, so she was familiar with dig sites and tunnels. "Guardians be mindful our your size!" She called cheerfully towards her much larger party members. "Tundras be mindful of your fur!" she chirped to herself as she navigated a particularly dusty patch of stone. Last time she was here she came back looking Stained in Bronze. She was excited to be back and had already gotten distracted by the number of dragons from so many flights. Eventually Aveline got her attention and directed her towards Velya. along the way it dawned on the scout that something felt familiar in the air. the four unloaded their supplies and as the guardians went about offering their assistance, Del sniffed the air. It smelled of excitement and anticipation but there was another something. She couldn't put her claw on it but it was so intense she found herself not only turned about and away from her party, but actually wandering in the direction, following the familiar scent.
Razzy's daughter had come for her some time later, concern written on the seer's face. "Aveline is helping the Fire dragons with the blasting powder. I was going to offer assistance with the wood beams but [unnamed] is taking care of that." she explained. "When i noticed you were gone i tried to scry you and found something... worrisome."
Already the tundra began to have an idea of what she was smelling. "I wish to speak with Aveline before we jump to any conclusions. I think she'll know her father better than we do."
It wasn't a happy thought. The whole clan was terrified Draco was going to be reckless and venture here without a word. If he HAS in fact done this their duty to the clan would be to return the guardian home. But still... what if this is what he needs? She doesn't know the stoic dragon very well but if he is anything like his son then he would without a doubt be seeking closure with a frightening determination.
That night as the dig crew rested and Clan Guardian Draco's representatives gathered together in a feign attempt to discus the happenings of the day, Aveline spoke up.
"I'm worried my dad knows about the dig." She spoke more to her mushroom and centipede stew than her party.
Delphine nodded. "I smelled him -faintly- when we arrived." she set her own bowl down. "I don't know if he has left, but i was able to follow his scent north west of the dig."
"whats north west of here?" [unnamed] asked, his tone calm but his body tense.
the seer looked to the scout. Delphine nodded. "If memory serves, north west of here is Cairnstone Rest."
Aveline stood and began to leave camp.
"Aveline you can't go after him!" Delphine scrambled to get before the guardian. "Not yet!"
Her flames roared as she silently watched the smaller dragon. "I know you're worried about your father, but please, hear me out?" the flames lowered to their natural state. "Thank you."
"I don't know your father well- not at all really. But i know he has gone though trauma and lost. a kind that only a fellow guardian can understand. Its why your mother and the rest of the clan are so worried. I can't imagine losing part of yourself. would it be too bould of me to say it would be like a tundra who can not smell?" the avocado dragon felt her body deflate with grief at the idea. the sunset dragon nodded, eyes closing to hide her tears.
"Guardians are never seen again after going though something like that, Del." she said. "No one knows what will happen if my dad relived that moment- if he'll be brought back to the full blown grief of it or if something worse will happen." Aveline lowered her head, gritting her teeth as tears fell. "I don't want to lose my dad, Del."
The tundra didn't hesitate to hug the Guardian as soon as she could. "And you won't. You won't lose your dad, and we won't lose our leader." she gave the guardian's head a squeeze before pulling back to look her in the eyes. "We need to rest. Tomorrow, we will find him. We won't let him do this alone. Because you and i know we can't stop him."
Symone and [unnamed] stood and draped their wings over the smaller guardian. "Shes right." the eldritch guardian whispered. "none of us could stand up to him. If he wants to do something we can't stop him-" he was cut off by their wine colored companion.
"We can talk to him. We can try. and if we fail it is our duty- to a friend, a family member, and our clan's leader- to stand by his side."
Delphine nodded at the seer's words. Aveline had settled down, laying on her stomach and quietly crying as her friends comforted her. Delphine couldn't help the smile on her face- they were going to help Sornieth, Earth Flight, Dragonhome, Velya, and Draco in one swoop.
the four slept in the pile that night, unaware of someone watching them.
End of Phase Three.
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