Amaris

Art by Decay

Amaris -Clan Founder- --- Stoic --- ---- Enigmatic ---- ---- Nonchalant ---- ███████████████████████ Strength ██████████ Dexterity ██████████ Intelligence ██████████ Wisdom ██████████ Charisma ██████████ Amaris may be the clan founder, but he's not very active in the goings-on of the rest of the dragons. He spends most of his time on research explorations away from the clan home--which started as literally just his base camp. No one except BonBon knows what he studies, and even she often doesn't know why. All clan decisions go through him, just out of respect mostly. Amaris doesn't really care what goes on as long as it doesn't interfere with him personally, and is in some way useful. Though, he's not opposed to stepping in when a leader is needed and he's quite good at it as well. Companion Comet Apparel A friendly celestial body. (Starfall Celebration 2014 Holiday Item) 0 Pink Chalcedony Minerals & Ores The Crystalspine Reaches, once granite mountains, are now entirely made of chalcedony after extreme arcane vortices warped their physical properties. Prolonged exposure to this radioactive silica can make non-arcane dragons very ill. 45 Fallout Whisper Insect These moths fly erratically around the sites of Arcanist's experiments. They make your tongue glow when eaten. 41 4 Adopt by Momo1013 Adopt base by cosmo, edited by Fantastea

Adopt by Rooty Art by Cliones Adopt by Emberglo Art by Brit Art by Slenderfreak Adopt by Fantastea Adopt by LavendarAmethyst

Gijinka design made by Momo1013 on recolor.me Art by Benthos Art by Spookery. Art by Spookery. Art by VodkaRising/ClanCrow Adopt by Fantastea Art by Jazzyleia

As the clan comes together, Amaris finds themselves at a standstill, unable to hand off some of the lesser work they have been given. It may be due to their secretive nature, or it may be something else entirely, but even with their achievements done and their goals accomplished, they continue to carry the burden on themselves. Perhaps it is a sense of duty, or an urge to protect those they are with.

They are their best during the night, and most powerful in the mind's eye. This may play into the way they are unable to prioritize their workload, but this also makes their instincts rock-solid. Using this, they may strive to obtain more knowledge by any means necessary, or to further their career.

With this in mind, it is hard for them to be wary about obstacles and consequences, as they have achieved so much with so little effort. This is not a bad thing all the time, but their drive and ambition have left them reckless.

There was a dragon under the tree.

Kamra paused in the middle of the well-trodden road, frowning into the gloom. This was the least inhabited, though not necessarily safe place, in the Star Wood Strand, so she wasn't surprised a dragon or two might end up taking a break here. But the Fae was sprawled on his stomach, fins contorted into an uncomfortable position. A battered cloak covered him and a worn satchel, but that was all his possessions, as far as she could tell.

"Dear me, that's certainly not something you see every day," she said to herself, carefully approaching the dragon. She took mental note of the scrapes and bruises he had, not to mention that giant hole in the tree above him. "He must've fallen from the sky, poor thing. A monster attack?" she wondered aloud. "No, it looks like it's just exhaustion. Didn't even have enough left for a shielding spell," she said, truly concerned. Fae dragons usually had unlimited magic in places like the Star Wood Strand. What would've worn this dragon out to the point where he couldn't absorb magic in the Strand?

Well, no bother, the woods were dangerous, and she didn't want to leave him at the mercy of the many beings that stalked the woods. Carefully picking up the Fae by his scruff, she nudged him onto her back. The Fae's crests wavered like the first quiver of a butterfly's wings. His eyes opened into magenta slits.

"Oh, how lovely, you're awake," Kamra said as she headed back onto the path. "You must've been through a lot, but don't worry, you're safe now." She noticed how his fins twitched in something like a flinch. "Don't worry, I'll take care of you," she soothed. "You'll be fine."

The Fae didn't struggle in her grasp, proof that he was truly out of energy. Kamra shook her head at that. "Poor dear, you must've gone through quite a lot to end up like this. I do believe you're running a fever. Let's see... what could I use to fix that? Feverfew? Marigold?" she mused to herself. "Do I still have a jar of that healing ointment I got the last time I visited the Marketplace? Where did I put it? Behind the cabinet? Bookshelf? I'm going to need some paste and bandages, too. Maybe I can just use that old blanket..."

The Fae shivered on her back. His fins trembled in a sickly movement.

"Oh, dear, you've caught a cold as well," she said, worried. She paused for a bit to nestle him into her fur, wrapping her shawl around his body. She hurried on the rest of the way, berating herself. "That's what you get for not diagnosing him properly, Kamra, you should've known Fae dragons get cold without their magic, especially this deep into the forest. I do hope I'm not too late."

It took her half an hour to get back to her lair. Kamra could've taken a shortcut, but she didn't want to risk it with an injured dragon. She could almost feel time ticking away, but she reminded herself that safety was far more important than speed at the moment. Besides, healing was unprofessional when rushed, and she had no desire to botch a healing spell, especially when it might mean an abrupt and unentertaining death for her patient.

"There's my lair," Kamra finally called out, breathless, gesturing with her head the small den made of branches and stones. It was a tightly-woven dome, covered with the softly glowing foliage of the Star Wood Strand. "I'll heal you right up, no worries," she told the Fae. "I'm sure I've got enough medicine for your scrape, though I'm low on bandages." she nudged her way into the den. A warm blanket of heat wrapped around her, and she felt the Fae's shivering lessen. She laid him gently out next to her flaring hearth and started treating his wounds.

It was maybe a little more than an hour when she finally finished - having lived by herself for so long, Kamra wasn't too sure how to keep track of time; there'd never been a particular need for it. "I'm glad your wounds are shallow, or I wouldn't know how to treat them." she told the Fae as she taped the final few cuts together with a bit of magic and bandages. Finally, exhausted, she sat back. "There you go. You'll all set, a couple days of rest will do you just fine." she paused as she reached for another log to feed to her fireplace. "By the way, my name's Kamra. What's yours?"

There was a faint, almost inaudible murmur of sound, laced with feverish exhaustion and maybe a hint of delirium.

"... Amaris."

***

There was a Tundra in the den.

Amaris stared in confusion from the pile of feathers and fluff he was tucked into. He was in a high place, which was good, it was always safer being in a high place - except for the small problem of him not knowing where in the Starfall Isles he was. He looked around. He appeared to be in a den made of tree branches, woven together to form a snug, waterproof space. Drying racks of herbs took up one side of the den, and a rickety bookshelf of tomes took up the other. In the centre of the space was a glowing fireplace, and next to it a mound of furs that appeared to be a bed.

The place he'd been tucked into was a nest made of woven branches, stuffed with soft fabric. He was pretty sure that the material was 100% Tundra fur. He knew Tundras shed their fur daily, especially in non-freezing places like the Starfall Isles, but he still had no idea what he was doing here. Or what that Tundra was doing here. Or honestly, anything in the first place.

"Oh, are you awake, dear?" Amaris' fins shot up in alarm as the Tundra suddenly appeared before him. There was a faint scent of cookies in the air, though he hadn't seen any kind of cooking equipment around. He hoped the Tundra wasn't carnivorous. He'd met a few of those in the Southern Icefield and that was not something he wanted to go through again. "Wonderful! I was starting to think you'd never wake up," the Tundra said cheerily. "I wasn't sure if my herbs were helping - you had quite the fever there. Do you feel better now?"

Amaris stared at her, uncomprehending. She didn't seem to mind. "Let's see... scanning spells... scanning spells..." she picked up a runestone that Amaris recognised as a temperature runestone. "Would you mind if I took your temperature, hon?"

Amaris hesitated, but he was pretty sure if she was going to eat him, sell him off to slavery, or sacrifice him to an entity, she would've done it when he was sick. He nodded slightly, prepared for any catastrophic betrayal. But all the Tundra did was tap the runestone against his forehead and read the data.

"Ah, looks like you still have a bit of fever in you," she said, laughing. "Don't worry, I have the perfect remedy!" she went over to the fireplace and produced a misshapen wooden bowl. "Soup!" she came back to Amaris' nest. "It's just made of herbs and stuff. I added a few bugs, I wasn't quite sure what you ate."

Amaris eyed the floating insects in the soup. He was rather selective about the types of things he ate, because you never know what might give you a third eye in the Starfall Isles, but right now? Those grasshoppers were looking pretty good.

His eyes narrowed, feverish mind clear despite the heat. Grasshoppers that were gray with specks of purple. Those were a rare breed, found only in the -

"Strand," he realised.

The Tundra blinked. "Yes," she said. It was hard to read her expression when she didn't have fins. She offered him a plate of charred toast that he really did not want to touch. "You're in the Star Wood Strand. I found you passed out on the road - gave me quite a shock, not many dragons wander here, even by mistake."

Amaris' mind raced. The Star Wood Strand was notoriously dangerous, unless you were extremely lucky. The Tundra seemed to be native to the Strand, so he was safe for now, assuming she could be trusted.

"Don't worry too much, dear, I do have a bit of magic," the Tundra said, handing him the bowl. He poked at the grasshoppers, fascinated by their eerie glow. "This place is shielded from the monsters outside. You're safe here." He stared in horror as she dumped an entire potato chunk in his soup. "Eat up!"

Amaris looked at the potato in disgust, then at the Tundra's hopeful expression, then at the potato again. He was pretty sure he would die if he tried to eat the spuds, but he also didn't want to be rude to his host. He nibbled a bit at the potato, and when the Tundra's back was turned, vaporised it with a blast of magic.

"Wow, you finished that fast!" the Tundra said, and Amaris almost spewed soup. He hadn't realised Tundras could move so quickly and silently. "Would you like more potatoes, dear? They do keep out the cold, or my mama always said." Amaris tried to keep a straight face (and fins) as he shook his head. The Tundra settled down before him with another bowl of potato soup. "You must be a traveller, huh?" She asked as Amaris nommed on the grasshoppers. "I don't get many visitors this time of the year, or any time at all. Where are you headed to?"

Amaris shrugged. His travels were sporadic, taking him to wherever he could do his research in peace. He hadn't planned on ending up in the Strand, but it did seemed to be the least populated place he could find in the Starfall Isles, so he was fine with it.

"You know, travellers usually have a couple of outposts they rest at during their journey through the Starfall Isles," the Tundra continued. "I'm quite surprised I found you here, since none of them are close by."

Amaris flicked his fins up and down in a shrug. He'd heard of the outposts before, but he hadn't liked the atmosphere - noisy, dingy, full of exhausted dragons with bad attitudes. He'd rather freeze to death outside than stay at an outpost. Glancing at the entrance of the lair, he couldn't tell if it was nighttime or daytime - it was always eerily dark in the Star Wood Strand. Not that he cared. Night or day, research was research. Time didn't matter as long as he was learning something, as long as something was getting done.

He couldn't deny it got lonely, though...

Amaris didn't realise it when he fell asleep. He was only vaguely conscious of his bowl being taken away, of his nest being warmed by magic or some other heat source. A soft blanket was tucked around his small body, a blanket that smelled like the Tundra. On other occasions, he would've pushed the blanket away, would've run, would've separated himself from this show of kindness, because he didn't want to be hurt again.

But this time, he just let himself sink into a comfortable sleep.

Amaris didn't have dreams, but at least he could pretend to have a home for a little while.


***

The next few weeks fell into a routine that seemed oddly familiar. Kamra woke up each morning to see the Fae gone. He'd return at lunchtime, carrying whatever interesting (and possibly volatile) bits and bobs he'd found and ask her about them. She'd teach him, or do her best trying, and he'd fly out as soon as he was done eating.

Kamra worried about him. Despite the fact that Fae dragons usually recovered quickly in magical places, she wasn't sure Amaris was better off flying around than in a bed. She also wasn't sure he should be so eagerly gathering things from the Star Wood Strand. She knew most of the flora and fauna in the foresty patches around her home were harmless, but she had no desire to prove herself wrong. Instead, she just hoped for the best and let the Fae go as he pleased. He seemed to have a knack for staying alive, and she wasn't about to question it.

"Where do you stay when you're resting during your journeys?" she asked him once over a hot, bubbling dinner. Amaris' fins had twitched in what she thought was surprise. "Ah, you don't have to tell me, I just get curious about these things," she corrected hastily. "I've never been much of a traveller myself, so I just wonder."

Amaris studied the fire. "It doesn't really matter. Anywhere works."

"Don't you have a place where you want to go back to?" she asked. "A lair? Someone like you should have a lair and clanmates to support you."

He frowned at her. "You're not part of a clan either."

Kamra shuffled her paws, embarrassed. "Well, haven't you ever wanted to be part of one?" she amended.

Amaris shrugged. "Not really. It's fine. Being alone is fine." he started into his soup, making it clear he didn't want to talk. Kamra studied him, worried, but she couldn't deny that she had no right to scold him, when she wasn't part of a clan, either. Still, everyone deserved a home. Everyone deserved a family.

She wasn't sure if that was just something she knew, or something she wished for herself.

"How about you?"

Kamra looked up with a start. Amaris didn't look at her, so she wasn't sure if he'd spoken. The Fae wasn't the kind of dragon to start conversations. But his fins were canted towards her even if his eyes weren't, so Kamra answered.

"I suppose I've always wanted to be part of one," she said, shuffling her paws. "But it's not like I've ever had the chance to." Or was brave enough to. Kamra hated to admit it, but she hadn't always been the most sociable dragon. It'd taken her years to come out of her own fur to speak to others, and by then, everyone had already...

Well, that wasn't important, was it? All that mattered was that she was alone.

"Why don't you go join one?" Amaris asked.

Kamra fluffed up her fur, though she wasn't particularly cold. "It'd mean leaving this place," she said. "And I've fallen in love with it too much for me to let it go." She smiled at her food. "It's fine, even if nobody's around, this is my home." And it was cold and lonely at times, but she didn't think she could bear to leave this little hut even if it meant a better life. If she was a Guardian, she thought, this place would be her Charge.

Amaris nudged a chunk of potato with his tail, fins wavering. "I'm almost done with my research here," he said, tone conversational, and Kamra felt her heart skip a beat. She'd met researchers before, and none of them ever stayed in one place for long, but still...

"Where will you go after this?" she asked.

Amaris shrugged. "Wherever the stars take me," he said shortly. There was a tremor to his fins she wasn't used to, and with a start, she realised he was afraid.

Afraid, of what? Kamra could think of too many things. The darkness, the monsters, the Beastclans that roamed the wilderness. There were many things a dragon could be afraid of.

Or maybe Amaris was just scared of being alone.

She pulled her head up, watching his fins the way she'd learned over the past few weeks. Then, taking a deep breath and mustering the courage she didn't have, years ago, she spoke.

"You know, if you want, you're always welcomed here."

Amaris' fins shot up in surprise. He looked at her, eyes wide. Kamra soldiered on.

"I mean... my den's a bit out of the way, so it's not like you could find it unless you search for it, and you'll probably have to built another den to keep your equipment... but if you ever wander by, or if you need a place to rest..." she inhaled. Let it go. "This place is my home. And it can be yours, too."

Amaris stared at her for a long time, to the point where Kamra was fairly sure she would be roasted alive from the pure force of her embarrassment. Then he ducked his head, almost shyly, and dipped his head in what she thought was a nod.

"Okay," he said, so quietly, she would've missed it if she hadn't been waiting for it.

She smiled. "Okay."

And so they drank their soup and ate the toast Kamra always made, a bit burnt on the crusts where she'd placed them too close to the fire. They sat in silence beside the fire, faithfully warm and everlasting, where Kamra could snooze in her pile of blankets and Amaris could rest in his little bird's nest; where the Star Wood Strand could be considered safe and where this little hut was nothing, but at the same time, their everything.

And in the shared silence there was a sense of coziness, disturbed only by the soft chirping of birds beyond, where the two dragons didn't have to look at each other, didn't have to speak, but could be comfortable all the same.

And neither of them were so lonely afterwards.