Creative Corner

"Ta-dah!" Redge says for the fourth time in the last ten minutes, but this time she can see the water and the fish therein for herself, so. And anyway, the entrance requiered a presentation like that, hidden as it is. She might concede the two times inbetween as unlucky accidents, though.

After a long minute considering the water, Caesar nods. Approval she's surely getting too old and their relationship too fraught to want in any case.

But, well, they did go to some lengths to uncover it. Now she's the only one here to present it.

"Do you think we should settle down in this area?" Caesar asks, and woah, okay everyone who ran off, you're missing out, apparently!

"Settling down is an option now?" she asks, because she never did learn when to shut up.

He shakes out his mane. "It should at least be up for consideration occassionally. Periodically?" He shifts, says "Access to water and fish is no small thing," but not in such a way it makes her want to gnaw his antlers off.

Redge realizes it's not about taking a permanent place of residence at all. No it suddenly becomes clear, to her horror, that he's making an effort.

...probably Trouble has known and been smug about this for a while. That, or she doesn't know at all. Doesn't care, perhaps. There do not appear to be any thoughts to think about this which don't make it worse.

Should she ask about it? Would that...?

A scream dashes all those possibilities. They both jerk around, then pause for a moment, waiting, even though it doesn't stop to start again, just goes on and on and on.

They run. Following it to the main tunnel, where of course they find the terrible sound of it leads deeper down away from outside and its light.

"How much of this did you explore?!" Caesar asks.

Not enough, obviously. Or maybe, now, too much.

---

Notes:
I started off to strong and it killed all my momentum. Or maybe it's this shows secondhand embarressment that only allowed me to watch 17 minutes so far in the last three days, the same 17 minutes I've been in the coli. Send help?

Ascan helps lead Caesar to their second fish hole-source-thing. There he catches Esz attention and after a moment of playing dumb she lashes her tail in aggrived compliance and sneaks away with him. Neither Caesar nor Redge notice.

Esz waits till surely they're far enough away they won't hear, as the reverse is already true and, still quietly, asks, "What the hell is their problem."

Ascan stuffs the edge of a wing in his mouth to muffle his laughter. When she glares at him he waves all available limbs. "You're right, you're right," he whispers. "They're silly!"

"As ever." She nods. "Not that I'd describe them like that."

They halt to look down a branch-off. The whole, sole, reason Ascan went along searching was to get to explore places like this. This place. But now the opportunity is here, it's... The experience not living up to the hype again. By silent agreement they move further along.

"No? I suppose their grieviances with each other might be more serious, but."

"In that case they should just split," Esz says, merciless. And then, because words can always make a situation worse, "Or kill each other."

Almost certainly he would have found it funnier when he was a Mirror, but as it is he launches himself at her and coils tight, for something to hold onto and a tiny little bit in reprimand.

She adjusts her posture and he winds differently to hold on and so it follows she'd adjust her posture again, till they're both compfortable while she walks. Then Ascan slips off to stick his head down this next branch-off. Esz heaves a sigh.

For a minute they stand there in the dark in silence.

"Are you going to do a little magic, or should I?" she asks.

"This is a terrible way to go about things. In larger lairs, how do people see anything?"

"Ask Caesar about it later, or Trouble."

"I'm still trying to have her teach me alchemy."

"What has that got to do with anything? Don't answer that. If she did agree you'd probably grow bored within a day. The point is," she almost hits him over the head with her gestures, "are we going to continue? We can just leave."

Obviously they can. Ascan just doesn't want to yet. He spits a tiny little bit of lightning. It illuminates the cavern, which, while big, appears to be a dead end. He actually considers this preferable, as at least this way they won't get lost. Thus decided he heads on forward, to peruse the stuff strewn and stacked about.

Esz... doesn't follow along, that he can tell. He stops, twists around and when he still can't tell what's going on gets ready to ask about it.

Before he can, lightning crackles, because, well, of course. Except, it really does crackle, instead of flash, as she holds it in a tiny ball hovering over her upturned paw. A steady light, instead of a quicksilver attack where the illumination is more an occassionally useful byproduct. Ascan stares till she tosses her head in an insufferably self-congratulatory manner.

"Excellent," he says, trying for bland and missing, apparently. With a snort she turns to do inventory of her own.

The purpose of the room is not immediately apparent. There's not enough free floor space for it to have some living purpose, but storage doesn't seem right either, despite the ambudance of - stuff. Chests and furniture(?) and cloths and weapons and trinkets and long withered body parts and-

"-oh! A book." He pounces on it. It's - utterly unusable. To him. Maybe someone else will be able to make out the writing. Though disheartened, he resolves to take it with him to present to the rest of the clan.

Just then the chest the book sat on opens to reveal teeth and an enormous tongue rather than any more expected contents. Ascan stares till the tongue touches him, at which point he finally reacts, by flailing backwards into some other stuff. It goes crashing down, partially over him, but then there's another crash and a yelp from the direction of the light, because he manages to startle Esz right along with him, good job. Understandably the light fizzles out, grounded by a thing or other, he thinks, still unconcerned, and then the screaming starts.

---

Notes:
Better late than never. Instead of continuing on with trying to watch the show I've switched over to a horror podcast to coli to today.
On a more story topic, I'm gonna try to have them have some nests again soon. But I can't quite decide on pairings. According to the rules all current dragons are free to breed as they want, but the clan can only support two nests at a time. Should I just try for the pretties offspring or have it decided randomly, or?

Caesar experiences a flashback to the last pained shrieking he was witness to. On the other hand, Redge appears not to make the connection.

There isn't enough time between starting to run and arriving at the scene to state more than a single demand, so his entirely unwanted vindication shall remain private.

Esz found herself some change. And not just a 'patterns coming in' kind, which he might have been able to be understanding about, as supposedly everyone goes through that at some point. No, this is the whole, painful species included deal.

She... He can't look at her straight on. It's - no. And so, he doesn't.

Even in the meager gleam of his highland garb, there's a lot else going on in the cavern for him to focus his attention on.

Ascan's twisting about in the air. In that dizzying way Spirals always do. Which, Caesar can fit inside compfortably, this lair has plenty space everywhere he's seen so far, but not enough to make flying an attractive idea. Flying should never be an idea in enclosed spaces. Just then Ascan throws out a magical attack, its deliberate weakness barely making up for its existence as lightning shouldn't ever be thrown around in enclosed spaces either, helpfully illuminating what has the floor moving like that. Because the floor is moving, rather than it being some trick of light and shadow, because the floor isn't the floor at all but a whole bunch of mimics sprinkled between all the random stuff strewn about.

Caesar lifts a wing for Ascan to rest on and also scare him half to death with their presence, apparently, and has that be enough for now while he deals with all these would-be problems. He spares a glance for the other two, but Redge has the situation as well in hand as can be had.

He runs out of opponents before the screaming tappers off. With Ascan safely wrapped around him he has no reason to put it off any longer. He turns.

The scene remains a horror show. Possibly worse than what Redge went through. Or maybe that's the location. A space has been cleared for Esz to writhe directly on the cavefloor.

"Do you know what set this off?" he asks.

Shuddering, Ascan swings his head from side to side while gesturing with one paw at a spot of debris.

Right. It doesn't matter now, right at this second. Redge knows better than to carelessly and needlessly touch anything, and with all enemies dealt with, there's nothing else for him to do. If he has overlooked one, Redge can deal with it. Since she looks like she'll stay.

"We're going to wait outside," he says, loud enough to catch her attention. She spares them half a glance. With no protest coming, Caesar does as he said.

Once outside in the fresh air where the scream hardly reaches them anymore, Ascan slips off to curl into a miserable little heap on the ground. "Is Esz going to be alright?"

Excellent question! Caesar flops down and worries at how to answer.

---

Notes:
Found a light egg today. That brings the bounty for this festival up to two eggs, six genes, one new vista, 22 chests and enough festival familiars and apparel to make me satisfied, considering I've only really done three days of it.
Storywise I'm so looking forward to when everyone's second generation and more, that I can stop torturing them.
The new egg total is four (4).

[center][b]ow[/b] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=57546763] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/575468/57546763_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] "Let's not tell anyone I passed out," Esz says first thing after she comes to. Or, first thing she consciously says, anyway. Redge, yep, that's her in the shine of this helpfully lit candelier the presence of which she just isn't going to question, makes both a noise and gesture of extreme disdain. At Eszs priorities? Or just, at her? "We should have known better," she says, because they should have and she's in too much pain to watch her mouth. Redge continues to abstain from engaging her in ill-advised conversation. Which might not be a blessing, actually, since Esz thus feels the foreign need to fill the silence. "Not that I know what happened. At all. I mean, I could make some guesses, there's a limited number of options, surely, but. It's that difference between knowing something and believing it, you know?" She makes to gesture and no no no abort. ...why is she lying on her back, anyway? With all paws in the air? "I don't think I do," Redge says, voice carefully, dangerously controlled. "Tell me, what is the difference?" Between lying on your front like Icewarden intended and being spread and pinned like this?? Ah, no. Esz just about stops herself from shaking her head. "Well, I know, [i]intellectually[/i], that there're places which aren't desert, with... different... weather. But to say I believe it, is..." she pauses. "Please imagine me gesturing expressively." An intake of breath sharp enough to move the candle flame. And yet, Redge doesn't ask in how much pain she really is. Kind of, probably for the same reason Esz stays quiet about whether they're safe here, since there might, probably, had been enemies, and also where Ascan, and Caesar, got to? Inconsequential stuff like that. "You mean the difference between being told and experiencing something yourself?" "This would work better if you talked in a timely manner, before my thoughts got the chance to run away from me again," Esz's mouth, which has no association with her at all anymore actually, says. A pause, during which Redge stays herself from obliterating her, verbally or otherwise. Then Esz thinks to continue running her mouth, since then there exists a chance whatever comes next might serve as a distraction. "No. If I guessed I'd hardly be told? Unless we're talking strange like me telling myself? And it makes sense that other places wouldn't be desserts! And... different weather, too. Cos why would there exists words and stuff for all these things otherwise, if they didn't exist? Words have to come from some need. So it stands to reason other biomes are out there." She flings out a paw. She curls around that paw. When she can breath again, and she thinks she might have screamed some more, but who could tell, not her, she lies there and keeps very still. "...there are words for things that don't exist." After a moment of questionmarks Esz latches onto this statement. "Yes!" she says, and indeed, her throat hurts. More than the rest of her body hurts? The baseline is like that right now. Weird. Too deep into pain territory. "And for things that could theoretically exist. Or exist somewhere we can't verify. Planets. Out there." Her paw twitches, unruly, but she physically can't move it. Point two for the bodys ability to just shut down sometime! Now if she could pass out again. "But there are also phrases and proverbs and stories and mentions in non-fiction books. You get me?" Redge hums but only pretends to consider it for a short time. "I concede the point." Esz preens internally. "Of course you do." "Don't stretch your luck." "I'm hurt!" "..." "I mean, you have to go easy on me. Because I'm hurt!" "Esz, darling, I don't have to do anything, ever." Redge rubs the pearl against her chest, possibly to polish it? Really bring out its shine? "Which, you don't either, but." She lets the sentence hang there. Because, yeah. She sure has no energy to feel rebellious now. ---------- [b]Notes:[/b] I am still writing! It's just that the current snippet, not this one, the one three after this, is fighting me every step of the way. I already wrote it out twice, and I think I'm gonna have to trash the current draft and do it [i]again[/i]. By comparison I don't feel unhappy about this anymore at all.

Ginn howls with laughter.

"It's not something you'd notice!!" Esz tries to insist.

Ginn can't speak for anyone else, can't even look around, but he remains disbelieving.

Luckily Kekki sits near, to say that which he cannot. "Changing species is not something one'd notice?"

Esz emits the kind of high pitched sound he'd previously only found birds capable of. "It's not something you'd think to pay attention to!" she tries next, and okay, that he might believe.

"For what it's worth, you're pretty." Kekki sounds significantly more good-natured about this new development than he would have thought, Ginn can tell even over his wheezing.

"I'll be sure to appreciate it some other time, but at the moment it ain't worth a thing." Possibly Eszs marked dismay would soften anyone.

In a strenemous show of self-control, Ginn reaches some measure of composure. He breathes deeply, but indeed he's fine now, he's good. Free from laughter at last, he noses at them both in turn.

Esz flinches. As he remembers how he hurt, he pays it no mind. Even if it's three times worse than what anyone else had, and it might be(?) it will get better for sure. Ginn trusts that.

In a case of displaced affection he noses at Kekki again, who lets go enough to nuzzle back after a moment.

Esz new form is pretty. Slight, and pretty. Maybe even somewhat practical, if it works in a camoflauge capacity at all. The pattern intends it, he thinks, it's just the colors which don't really lend themselves to the enviroment. But his opinion really means nothing here. Ginn steps close to Esz again and without touching makes to rub his head against her.

She sighs. "Probably it will be cool later. When it doesn't hurt so much." For her sake, he hopes that's true.

The two descent into an unrelated discussion Ginn doesn't care to keep track off. His gaze drifts.

Caesar and Redge lie on the far side of camp, each with their noses in respective books though they're sniping at each other as usual at the same time. Ascan sits with them, possibly just because he has yet to find the strength to distangle himself. Physically. In other senses he seems compfortable enough to swing his head back and forth between them as they speak.

Inbetween their two groups reside Prawn, Trouble and everyone's familiars. The former meets his eyes. Not interested in doing his own thing, just too big and compfortable to move over to any one group and thus lazily listening in on everyone instead? This theory sees itself confirmed when he huffs at something Kekki says.

Upon the partys return Trouble spend three minutes looking Esz over and then promptly took control of the entirety of the spoils they choose to bring, for serious reasons and also giggles, and she hasn't surfaced since. It mostly looks like garbage to Ginn, and not the high-quality garbage previous generations way back when put down to pick up again in a second but forgot and which could totally still be used for its original purpose if only anyone had a clue what that purpose was because scrap metal remains durable enough if it's buried under sand for the mayority of the year. No, this was the vaguely mouldy everday kind of garbage, and if any of it helped her figure out what caused the change Ginn would be very surprised indeed.

"-can't believe you didn't notice! Until someone said something! Esz!"

"You wouldn't notice, okay, you just wouldn't!!"

When Trouble surfaces from her current project, the color of the storm indicates the sun, seldom that she has seen it, has long since set and indeed most of the clan lies sleeping. Only Prawn remains alert, on something like watch, while Esz lies curled with her eyes tightly shut, trying to sleep and not managing it for the pain.

Trouble has plants to ease pain and a conoctation meant to send someone to sleep, but she hestiates to offer either, as it might react badly with what did this. She thinks she has almost isolated the cause, stopping herself before she turns to take another look. For anymore insights she needs to check out where it happened, she reminds herself, and deliberately, and under Prawns amused and unwelcome gaze, walks a couple steps away.

She's hungry.

It's a nice night.

She could go get herself something that hasn't sat in the camp since the day before. Get some more of those pain easing plants while she's at it. Esz should be fine to take something once it's been a day, and the way she feels right now she'll definitely still want it at the time, and for a while after. Most likely the source of the disproportionate pain is the age of the agent. Abadoned lairs are - like that. The dragons leave or die and their stuff lies to fester. And conocations become more potent or just more pain inducing, it lies to reason. Makes perfect sense! After all, if one leaves something to simmer in the cauldron for longer, the property of that changes also. Why shouldn't the same be true for once you've taken it out of the cauldron? The lack of heat just turns the timeframe from a couple hours to a couple years. Years to change something in new and interesting ways! Like being more painful.

Which is why Trouble should go get more pain easing plants! Those lose potency with time spent stored.

When she hestiates Prawn turns questioning, rumbling quietly after a moment. She walks over around sleeping clanmembers and sticks her face close to his, to have to make the least possible noise to be understood. "Has Esz eaten anything since they've come back?"

Injuries has dragons hungry, since they need energy to heal, but at the same time pain might make them relucant to eat. And changing takes a lot out of a dragon as well, while she is in plenty of pain. So when Prawn answers in the negative with some dismay, Trouble considers it justified to be concerned.

She looks to where Esz lies alone, which can't be good for her state of mind either. Not that Trouble knows anything about her new species - Nocturne, was it? - but she was Tundra before and that will have left some marks, like a desire for clan and nestmates nearby, especially in bad times.

But, she isn't even wearing her clothes, being made to take part in a cuddle pile right now just isn't an option.

Trouble slides a wing over Prawns head in caress as she goes over to their foodstores. She picks up meat and insects and plants and walks over to Esz, where she dumps all of it. Ignoring the frankly balefull face Esz makes Trouble says quietly but in a sing-song voice, "Time to eat, lightningstrike!" hoping her example will make her at least choke down a part of it.

"If you don't shut up, I swear to Stormcatcher I'll dump all your trash!" Prawn starts with a roar and ends with a whisper, finagling some control halfway through and not wanting to wake Esz now she's finally dozed off.

Far from chastisised, Trouble huffs.

He - doesn't think. And so it comes as a suprise to him as much as anyone when he pulls off the straps of bags and slings, spilling all over the ground the disproportionate share of the clans supplies he carried for half a day without complaint. After a moment of staring at the mess same as everyone else, Redge snorts and Ginn cracks up, which causes enough of a shock to have Prawn turn and stalk off in a snit. Hesitiating would definitely be the worst. 'Hesitation is death in a fight.' And it's certainly a sign of weakness in an argument, or at least when it comes after an outburst of your own.

Confidence, on the other hand, is lightning. No matter what happens, act like things are always going as expected. That's how you...

Prawn stomps to a stop. He doesn't really know how he'd end that sentence.

He does know that if Trouble said one more word about not getting to take a look at that lair, no matter how under her breath, he really would lose it quite spectacularly.

She wanted to see it, everyone gets that. And it might have helped her figure out some of Eszs situation. Okay. But even to just plain satisfy her curiosity. Fair enough.

Yet they'd all been - inconvenienced, by the Harpy scare. A sighting, not a full-on encounter and with a fight avoided noone else got hurt, but to continue that way they'd gathered up all their belongings and booked it. People's safety was the most important thing, they'd felt.

That, and. The last time they had a harpy encounter. Well!

With such thoughts at the forefront of his mind he can't even feel anything when he almost harms Caesar when the other appears next to him in that sneaky way that is going to get him broken ribs or wings eventually. Caesar holds very still.

At least he comes alone.

As the only other one capable of handling the weight for any length of time and between the two of them the one with the smoother gait (and manner of flight) besides, it falls to Caesar to support Esz, who is not nearly recovered and drugged to the wings in any case.

Prawn, in turn, got to carry most everything else, a disproportionate share of the clans supplies. And okay, so, each according to their ability, each according to their need, but when he's upset and worried and tired-

"How are you?"

"No."

-he doesn't need Trouble to.

Esz is really the only one with cause to complain, to have to move while in such shape.

"Did this wake her?"

"Esz? Nah, still really out of it. We're making camp here, now, though. Best not try her anymore, and the others are tired also."

Prawn just about holds his tongue. Caesar hasn't done anything, after all. Or maybe that's the problem. Trouble certainly is. His.

Caesar shifts. When he doesn't react with violence or otherwise, Caesar again makes to drape a wing over him. "Do you want to come take it out on whatever as we get food? Or do you want to sit here and not have anyone bother you?"

Both options sound about equally appealing. Sometimes Caesar is good at this. But the first one would be more practical. Productive.

Prawn reflexively wants to choose the second out of spite. Which.

"Ask me again? Later."

The wing on him goes a little heavier. Caesar nods, "Of course, of course. I'll - come by again in a little while."

Only when Prawn makes a noise of assent does Caesar slide away.

Alone now, or at least left to his own devices, in peace, Prawn sits down and. Relaxes. Clears his mind. Let's things come as they do.

His nestmates are kept from approaching, he can hear them faintly. He lies only a couple bodylengths from where he dumped the stuff. He's hungry.

He thinks he might like a familiar of his own. To cuddle, or bat around.

---

Notes:
Did you know Nocturne had the same rarity as Imperials? Because I didn't.

Kekki really feels Ginns sentiment, provided she understands it correctly as 'everything is happening so much and I don't like it, I'd rather it not'. Though she knows she should, she doesn't quite dare ask for confirmation, and so she'll just have to wonder. That's the limits of non-verbal cross-species communication. Though whether she'd really get more of a read if the other dragon were a Tundra, well, she won't be able to prove now.

Since with Esz full Nocturne she's the only Tundra left and all.

And now Kekki feels bad about feeling bad, which is just about the most useless thing.

She's allowed to feel bad! And disappointed and worried and envious and overwhelmed! What's the harm, as long as she is not mean about it?

Prawn was a little mean about it yesterday, but he's also right back to pretending nothing is wrong. So she can't really go up to him and commiserate.

There's Troubles issues, which yeah, uh-hu.

Then Esz, who on top of everything else not fun right now, will also have to get her clothes redone. Refitted. Just plain pick out a new outfit because the old one is a bust.

"We don't have the means to adjust pieces of iron armor," Redge says. Kekki won't even try guessing at what has her upset. "I mean, we can try," she says, sounding far from enthusiastic, "but the end result of a first attempt likely won't be wearable."

"Or if it is, it won't have much in the way of protective properties?" Ascan guesses. He seems okay-ish. Like, it happened days ago and he bounced back already?

Which leaves Caesar, who Kekki can't read at all. She doesn't exactly spend a lot of time with him? Certainly not one-on-one, or deep talks about their feelings and worries. It should be fair to assume he's as stressed out as anyone?

They're going to need to hole up in an actual cave. Lair, preferably. Everyone says so, they had agreed, it's the smart thing to do. Can't be attacked at rest that way, not with the same ease.

Which will take a load of everyone's shoulders, have them much more relaxed, or so Kekki hopes.

With a plan thus in hand, that just leaves them with the problem of finding a place.

Harder than they had made it seem before, somehow. Is it the region? Is it how just when you need something all of it disappears not to be found again till the need subsides? Or do they just have too many criteria, got too selective?

"How do you make a lair yourself, anyway?" she asks, because, well, the information is bound to come in handy someday. If she lives.

The dragons turn to Caesar. Next to her Ginn laughs a little. It is funny. Kekki thinks he, Trouble and Redge probably already have some idea. They weren't as fast to come to attention as her nestmates, didn't perk up as much? Which could be age or exhaustion, but.

Perk up they do. And listen, too. Even if Caesar had told them before, he'd still know more.

"I don't know about other places, and have only the faintest idea on most species and species specific lairs. So I don't really know about Tundra, for example," he begins after a moment. "But in the Shifting Expanse we lightning dragons do cave lairs, and we primarily do that by letting Ridgebacks do all the actual work of carving into the stone with all their spines. Guardians occassionally, if they can be pressed into service or they see a need. And then other than that, individuals or pairs might carve out personal living quarters for their own..."

Caesar waits outside, Esz groggy on his back. He wonders whether he should speak or keep silent and leave her to it. Hopefully this lair would be the one and he'll not have to concern himself primarily with her much longer.

He's not good with sick dragons, something he only realized on this occasion.

She'll get better, once they settle down and she can rest uninterrupted, and will soon go back to flitting about with crass humour. Yet while Caesar really really believes this, he'll still feel better about the situation once others take over looking after her.

And once he's maybe not completely alone with her. Like the gods thought to give him a break Ascan comes rolling out of the dark.

"No nasty suprises in there, then?" Esz asks, apparently much more with it than he gave her credit for.

Ascan flies another circle, and yeah, that's the good kind of excited, before deciding to just wrap himself around Caesar also, the better to talk. "It's perfect! We think."

"What does that mean?" he asks, while Esz trembles with the effort not to laugh.

"That means, the place is cleared out, close to completely, no dragon made things left behind, just some things from some animals staying...?" Ascan trails off. Wound around him, he can't help noting how Caesar tensed up.

Esz, bless her, proves even hoarse with pain she's apparently more with it than the entire rest of the clan by saying, "No dragon things at all sounds kinda suspicious...?"

Softer than he wants to, Caesar hums agreement. Even beyond how it wouldn't help, he can't go in there. Instead, he turns to look over the plain.

"Oh, not, like, nothing," Ascan physically backpedals, almost slipping off. "Just. Nothing one could get even the faintest use out of. Because at some point after animals must have come in, made it their home and kinda ruined the little one would not have taken. Though? If there was a problem with the area or whatever, wouldn't the inhabitants have taken the important stuff and run?" He wiggles. "Thereby leaving plenty behind??"

"If you say it's fine..." Caesar can't tell whether he believes that.

Before he can dig himself deeper, Esz drags the conversation onward. "What about the size of it?"

"Ah! Yes, it's not, like, gigantic, actually rather managable especially with its room distributions, only ever one chamber deep away from the main hallway - oh, you know what I mean! - but those are plenty spacious. Then there's the second entrance, hidden even better than this one, an escape route type situation, we think. No water or anything, but we had seen a source on the way so this should be fine regardless." Ascan punctuates this by his weight shifting weirdly - an enthusiastic nod.

Caesar reserves judgement. Nothing else he can do. Not that it's up to him in any case. He has a little veto power, if there are concerns, but other than that the clan will have to decide as one.

More waiting. Fortunately Ascan has no problem talking (and talking and talking) about the lair and whatever, thereby occupying Esz. Sure the spiral will notice if she develops a problem, Caesar can concentrate on monitoring their surroundings.

Redge watches Esz fly under her own power for - the very first time, actually. Tundra don't really do that whole flying thing, after all. Nocturne however, it would turn out over the next few days, do it well, in their particular way.

For now she feels compelled to point out, "All dragon species have their own way of flying."

Trouble snorts, the rustling of her crest and wings only just not covering it up.

"Are you okay?" Redge asks. She'd been sitting on the question for so long that it just falls out now.

No reaction from her nestmate. She wrestles with the urge to shout. Like so many, this isn't a situation which would benefit from adding the attention of more dragons to it.

Long after she's given up on any notion of getting an answer, Trouble rouses herself enough to say, "I'm tired," in what doesn't quite pass for a non-sequiter.

"We'll stay here," Redge says. "The lair is excellent. Things will be better with a secure home base." She believes it, which makes it easy to resolve to fight anyone on the point.

Not that she figures anyone would. Life isn't the breeze and hearth she would have discribed it as in her hatchling time. Or maybe that's responsibility, dragging them all down.

When Trouble speaks again it's on an unconnected topic, essentially small talk. Redge lets her get away with it, though she doesn't contribute much to the conversation. Doesn't need to. Soon Trouble switches tracks, perfectly able to talk about her interests without any input and only the sporadic assurance there's still comeone conscious in earshot.


Everyone mellows out in the following days. The lair has enough chambers for the clan to spread out a bit, which it hurts her to attribute the dragonshare of improvement to. But lately noone quite dares wander off on their own so it's the only way to get some much needed distance, sometimes. Can't always sit on top of each other, as much as you love someone.

The rest comes from the dearth of Harpy sightings and signs.

"Absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence," someone points out rightly.

"If we don't know where they are, they likely don't know where we are, though," Prawn counters with timid obstination.

"Does it matter?" Kekki asks from where she lies snuggled up to Caesar. "Either we are ready to go before the next encounter, or we have to move when they force the issue." Redge tries and fails not to read anything into her physical position relative to everyone else.

Ginn growls, silencing everyone with both the novelity and vehemence of his speaking up, till Trouble agrees, with no enthusiasm whatsoever, "We have to make a stand at some point."

A moment passes, in which someone could have and noone thinks to shoot the thought down. So for a bit this pretty new idea has everyone afflutter.

She catches Caesars eyes. When he shakes his head and keeps quiet, it falls to her to call the discussion back to some order.

With the pros and cons of things already bandied about it is a simple matter for Redge to list them concisely and ask, "Then, does everyone agree for us to stay here with no end date, a decision to be revisited periodically and also as circumstances demand?"

They don't, not everyone, not that evening. So the decision is postponed, everyone given a day to think on things, come up with arguments for why not. Most did agree, after all, so it's not that the proposal is a bad one. It's just that everyone has to agree, for the clan to make such a decision. Long lasting consequences. Could breed hostility.

Not that she thinks their issues, Ginns and Prawns and even Caesars, aren't more personal in nature.