Where had the time gone? Runt closed his eyes calmly, nostalgia thick in his mind; he had little more to do in these recent days than reminisce, remember the places he’s been and the things he’s been through. Life before Dragonhome was cloudy and almost unremembered by the coatl, but there were scraps that remained in remote corners of his mind. The Viridian Labyrinth was the setting of many of these memories. Runt could vaguely picture the lush forest lair he’d been born in, vivid blooms in reds and pinks and purples. He could also picture his parents, a pair of guardians, who had helped him in his move to Dragonhome when they decided it would give him a better life than he would have with them. Little else could be recalled about his childhood home, he would admit mournfully, but he had been just a child, and not much more could be expected.


When he’d first arrived, he’d been just a hatchling. The other dragons cared for him, kept his belly full, kept him safe, and kept him company, when he wanted it. There were other his age, still learning how to exist among the clan, but the one that had stood out to him the most was Roseblush. Her first day in the clan, she had walked up to him with a wide smile, introducing herself, an addition to Dragonhome from The Sunbeam Ruins. Much like him, in her way. She, too, had been ushered out of her clan as nothing but a hatchling, fresh to the world, with no experience to call her own. As friends in the beginning, Roseblush and Runt grew. Once they were old enough, the two would work alongside the other dragons, providing food for the hungry, providing shelter for the weak, and showing new additions how to adjust to life in The Earthshaker’s domain. Almost within the blink of an eye, Runt and Roseblush were no longer merely new members, or liabilities. They were part of the family - still young, but with a voice that was heard and respected. Rising members in the clan, watching it grow old, just as they were.


Another blink of an eye. Roseblush and Runt hatched their first nest together. Beautiful pink infants, electric blue circuitry across their scales, just like their parents. Nearly perfect copies, in their own rights. More nests hatched, and their children would fly out of the lair once they were old enough to make that decision. Each and every one would smile at their parents, eyes bright with wonder and excitement, wanting to make their marks on the world. Some joined faraway clans and had children of their own. Others disappeared, self-exaltation, left to serve the deities they pledged loyalty to. No matter where they went, the two of them understood that they were simply following in the footsteps of their parents, who had done just as they had, and joined other clans in search of new stories to tell. Age caught up with them, though, and soon, Runt and Roseblush stopped hatching nests. Instead, they found companionship among the others in the clan, now old and tired, their faces lined with age and experience. This clan, nestled away in Dragonhome, had been the only place they had ever truly known. The only place where they felt safe and secure. Laying in his nest with Roseblush, Runt smiled simply, finally opening his closed eyes and resting his gaze on the mountains far off on the horizon. A quiet snore came from his partner, and he chuckled softly.

This is home. It always has been, and it always will be, until his body rests under Sornieth’s crust, his soul finally joining The Earthshaker. Until then, though, he and Roseblush could simply enjoy their old age, surrounded with friends and family.