Avila

More of the Story…
“So in conclusion,” Bartholomew, or The Doctor as most others called him, lectured, “your job is to infiltrate the clan that Core has settled down in and fill me in on everything!”

I’m very interested to see what goes on inside my precious little boy’s mind…

Bartholomew’s thought snapped Avila back to the present. She’d been having the most wonderful daydream but if he knew she hadn’t been paying attention she would have been in big trouble.
Of course, as Bartholomew knew, she didn’t need to listen to the whole briefing because she’d heard it all in his thoughts before he’d even opened his mouth. But the dragon was crazy egotistic, and he loved hearing the sound of his own voice, so Avila had to sit through hearing the whole same thing twice. More times really, because he was constantly thinking about what he was saying while he was saying it.
“Yes sir!” Avila sang, getting to her feet and stretching. “So I’m leaving tonight?”
“Indeed!” Bartholomew said, pleased.
“Ok, then I’ll go get some rest before then.” She called as she danced out of the room before his thoughts about running a few more tests on her before she left could fully form.

She was escorted to Core’s, and now her, new home by a stern, yet secretly kind, soldier of Bartholomew’s named Pennant.
The two of them parted ways a few miles away from the clan and Avila traveled the rest of the way on her own.

Avila bounded through the air, reveling in the deliciously powerful gusts of wind that battered her about the skies.
I’ve never had so much fun flying before!
She marveled, twisting through several loop-de-loops.
This is what it must be like, living in wind territory, I’ll bet Bartholomew’s Core is having the time of his life out here!

It ended up taking her about an hour longer than it should have to get to her new home, she just kept getting distracted.
When she finally saw the quaint, recently rebuilt town below her, it took all of her self control not to land right in the middle of town square, reminding herself that it’d be more polite to land outside and walk in.
And it was a good thing she’d walked in too; because it was on her way in that she met her first new friend.
A Pearlcatcher was leaning against a tree, casually balancing his soul pearl on one claw as he stared up at a family of birds nesting in the canopy above him.
He was an interesting looking fellow, his body and wings were beautiful and shimmering in facets of purple and silver, but his face was covered in the veil of a beekeeper’s hat, and his clothing overall was quite a bit too plain for his pretty coloring.
His mind was wandering between daydream and reality, making it hard for Avila to pinpoint his thoughts.
She decided to like him immediately.
“Hi!” She said cheerily once she was only a few feet away. He jumped, fumbling with his pearl for a second before catching it in both of his front paws. He turned to glare at her, Avila watched his mind race through all of the people who might have startled him, before stopping short when he realized that she was a complete stranger.
“My name is Avila.” She supplied before he could get the words out.
She listened, fascinated, to his first impression of her, she hadn’t met anyone new since she’d gotten her powers.
Gosh, she scared me, why would she just walk right up to me and say hi? Is she some kind of extrovert? Huh, she’s kinda pretty though… but she really should drink more water. Her scales are looking a little flaky. Oh no, dude, I’m starting to sound like Coal! Wait a second, is she waiting for me to respond? What did she say again? Oh right, her name! So I should reply with my name right?

“S-SilverMane.” He said out loud. “That’s my name. But, uh, most people call me Silv”
Avila grinned, delighted by this odd dragon; she made a note to drink more water. “It’s nice to meet you Silv! I’m moving into your clan, so we might be neighbors now!”
“Huh-?”
“See you around!” She called, already bounding away towards the village.

That was… strange.

She heard Silv think from behind her. She grinned.

Avila craned her neck, looking around. She had been through the entire village, introduced herself to pretty much every occupant, and she still hadn’t found Core.
She didn’t want to start asking around but she was starting to get worried. Was Bartholomew wrong about what clan Core lived in?
Bartholomew was never wrong.
Just when she was about to give in and start running around shouting his name, she heard an unfamiliar voice.
“Thank you so much, Core! Without your help, gathering all of those herbs would have taken me ages!”
Avila jerked her head around so fast her head spun as she tried to pinpoint the source.
And then there he was.
Core smiled a perfect smile at the glittering, purple Spiral he was walking alongside, somehow managing to make juggling four enormous sacks of medicinal herbs look elegant.
“You are very welcome, madam Crystal. I’m happy to help.”
He’s such a charmer!
Crystal giggled internally.
Avila nodded silently, then started walking over to the duo, her eyes fixed on Core.
His mind was… unlike anything she’d ever seen before. It was like every thought and memory was surrounded by… emotions?
She’d never been able to pinpoint the exact emotions a dragon was feeling, she’d always just guessed, usually accurately. With Core, it was like she was actually
feeling
his emotions, yet she could tell them apart from her own.
She shook her head, trying to jar the unexpected feelings out. But they were still there.
The hard work of gathering the herbs, digging in the dirt, flying against the rowdy winds put him at peace, it distracted him. He adored and respected Crystal, because she was caring and motherly. He was interested to see what Coal would make for dinner that night, he had never really liked food before he’d first tasted the Guardian’s cooking.
And beneath it all he was terrified.
For some intangible reason Avila couldn’t understand he was constantly terrified.
It was almost like the fear he felt was programmed into him, like it was a part of who he was.
“Hey,” Avila said nervously, trying to force the cheer she’d had earlier back into her voice, “my name’s Avila, I just moved here. Do you need help with those?”
Core turned to reply, a polite smile automatically coming to his face. But when he saw her he paused, recognition flashing through his mind along with a memory…

A younger version of Core followed The Doctor down a dark hallway. Avila noticed that his vision was a little blurred, his steps wobbly, he’d probably just been experimented on. Fear was everywhere.
It clung to every surface, accumulating in the shadows, practically dripping off of the twisted half Bogsneak walking before him.
Avila could hardly breathe.
A flash of movement caught Core’s eye from the other end of the hallway. He looked up woozily, trying to figure out what it was.
As they came closer Avila realized that it was a large Guardian dragon who she didn’t remember, and curled up asleep on his back was… her?
Yes, it was a little Avila. She only looked to be a few days old at most, which explained why she herself didn’t remember it.
Little Core stared at her, his head cocked to the side as if he was trying to figure out what she was.
The Doctor noticed his slowed pace and turned around, then followed his gaze to Avila.
“Ah, curious about our new friend, are we?”
Core nodded hesitantly.
The Doctor grinned giddily, his face disgustingly distorted by the expression.
“Well, she just came in from the Crystalspine Reaches and from what we’ve seen of her, I think she’s going to be very fun to play with.”
Core didn’t really understand anything The Doctor said after that, just a ton about brains and emotions and stuff. He even said something about “attuning your minds to each other” whatever that meant.
None of it made any sense to Core, so he just kept looking at the little dragon.


Avila and Core blinked out of his thoughts at the same moment, staring at each other.
Something warm sparked around Avila’s image in Core’s head.
Love.
But not romantic love, it was more… innocent? No, more protective. It was… brotherly.
Yes. That was the right word.
She had known this incredibly handsome dragon for a grand total of ten seconds and he already thought of her like a little sister.
Great.
She sighed.
A real smile, not automatic politeness, came to Core’s face.
“Oh no, Avila,” surprise coursed through him, and everyone who had heard, at his familiarity, “I’m perfectly capable of carrying the herbs by myself, they’re not that heavy.”
Avila made a face, if he saw her as a little sister, he’d
get
a little sister.
“Yeah, sure they’re not heavy,” she stage whispered, “but you look really weird and awkward carrying them all at once. I’m doing you a favor, don't refuse me.”
Everyone stared at her. Then Core laughed. A genuine laugh.
“Yes, I suppose this would look rather odd wouldn’t it?”
He carefully lowered the bag he’d had hanging from his tail to the ground. Avila swept it up, grabbing the one he’d had balanced between his shoulder blades too.
Core opened his mouth to protest, then shook his head, smiling.