Oroch

In her younger years, Oroch was known for her terrifying presence in battle, literally tearing through enemy ranks like they were nothing more than weeds.

Her claws and teeth were always stained with blood.

She was Indomitable. Barbarous. An Unstoppable wall of razors and muscle, of crushing strength and pitiless brutality.


No Longer.


Despite what she did, Oroch became disillusioned with war. With fighting. With the blood of other dragons.

She just wanted to leave.

And eventually, she did, abandoning her duties and settling in with a peaceful, quiet clan, seeking to redeem the mountain of bodies she laid behind with a new frontier of helping others, laying those blood-stained claws and teeth to rest, now using them to catch prey for her clanmates.

---

When on her hunting trips, Oroch often takes a few routes to plentiful grounds, often using her keen eyesight and sense of smell to determine where the best catch of the day would be.


But a particular beach-side route would be more special than the others.


She would hear singing; always sad, longing melodies, of sadness and isolation, that touched her soul, as she had to bear those same struggles. The crushing sense on being alone on the field.

Eventually, she started to use the route more than the others, if only to hear those beautiful, lonely notes on the wind.



Curiosity would inevitably take over, as the ridgeback yearned to meet the one who could sing with two voices.

And on one of her hunting duties, she would take her time to actively track down this dragon, flying above, along that same beach, judging how close she was by the increasing pleasant noise.


After while of gliding around, present yet hidden in case she was caught, she managed to determine the approximate location of the lonesome dragon, and began her descent before landing a bit farther away.


The song grew louder as she approached, and Oroch couldn’t help but join in, singing in a quieter, appreciative tone.

Unfortunately, despite her attempt to not introduce herself too brashly fell short, and the other dragon, what seemed to be an Aberration, noticed her and immediately stopped singing, staring at her with a look of fear.


The Ridgeback was never the best at stealth, anyway.


“Why’d you stop? Your voice is wonderful, really."


The aberration looked both of their heads to the side, away from her, refusing to speak. She was definitely very shy.


Oroch quickly noticed this, and, in an attempt to make herself less intimidating, relaxed and lowered her spines and wings, letting them droop, and softening her look into one of concern.

The aberration was still silent, yet there was an aura of stress and heavy social anxiety around her.


Oroch sat herself on her stomach on the warm, sunbaked sand, gazing outwards at the calm lapping waves along the shore.


"I pass by this location almost every day to hear the songs that you sing while on my hunting trips for my clan..." Oroch awkwardly messaged her claws along her neck in between her spines. "...And to find my new purpose beyond a life of...just bloodshed..."


She didn't notice the aberration steal an unsure, shy glace at her.


"I...understand if you don't want to talk, really. I've met dragons of your ilk before..."


There was a pause.

Well, perhaps she should get introductions over with, as the awkwardness was bordering on unbearable levels.


"...ah, I may as well introduce myself...."

"The name's Oroch....care to tell me yours? I mean, you don't-"


"Irarubo." The aberration, Irarubo, suddenly spoke.


"Hm, that's....a nice name, really. It fits you. Rolls off the tongue too."

It really was a nice name; it was simple and easy to pronounce, yet wasn't a usual name to be heard.


The aberration was cautiously watching her now, wary, yet intrigued by her presence.


Oroch struggled with what to come up next; she wasn't really an avid talker herself, but she didn't want this encounter to fall away out of nowhere.


After a while of trying, the ridgeback sighed, and decided to just continue to watch the waves, the sunset, and listen to the sounds of sea birds.


It was nice, sometimes you didn't need to say anything at all, and let the scenery speak for itself.

It also allowed Oroch to remember something.


"Oh! I also found this on the way here."

The aberration, Irarubo, turned her heads to her.


Oroch lifted out something, a Giant Sand Dollar, in a rather nice condition as well, from where it rested between her forelegs, gently shaking off the sand slightly covering it, before placing it back down and nudging it towards Irarubo.


"Here, you have it. I have no use for it myself, but i'd thought you'd like it, considering you seem to like being at this beach all the time. For privacy reasons, of course."

The aberration's eyes widened; perhaps the sign that she hasn't really been gifted before.


She carefully picked it up, tracing the pads of her claws over it, awestruck by the detail on it's surface.

It was endearing, to see the look on the dragon's face change to like that of a hatchling being gifted a new toy or other interesting object.


The Ridgeback gave a light, genuine grin and chuckled, before getting up and sightly shaking herself off to dislodge the sand off of her underbelly scales, with the other looking up from the sand dollar at them inquisitively.


"Well, i would like to stay and just have company for a little while longer, but i've got a clan to feed, and i might get in trouble for being too late from my hunting trip, so perhaps i'll be seeing you around in a few days. Farewell!"


Oroch turned away, but not before waving goodbye, before taking off into the twilight sky, crimson wings beating as she went.

She definitely would return.