The Wildclaw hurried off the stage, trying unsuccessfully to doge all the well-wishers and autograph seekers that had started to congregate around him, demanding the poor dragon’s attention. Caught in a large crowd, the clearly nervous performer began to shake, his head darting around as he tried to find a way through. Not all the dragons who had watched the performance were unaware of the WIldclaw’s sensitivities, however, and one Coatl in particular was beginning to get a bit fed up with the mob….
Moldavite
Wind Born
(Dual Mage:
Wind/Earth)
Hissing in irritation, Moldavite rose to his feet from the corner where he had been sitting, watching the performance. Couldn’t these dragons see how shy and nervous that poor dancer truly was? If someone did not do something soon, the Wildclaw was going to have a panic attack!
Dave turned his head, scanning the crowd. Where were Oberon and Titania, with their rather impressive seasonal explosions, when you needed them?
He knew, of course, that the two volatile Faes were not at the Cloudsong this year. After years of attending the festivities, they had decided to take a break, and just relax at home. It might have had something to do with the fact that Titania had caught Oberon eyeing Centauri—now a fully-fledged, very pretty adult Tundra—a little too closely a few days ago. The resultant magical show had thoroughly entertained the rest of the Clan, and drained both the furious Titania and her not at all contrite mate to the point of true magical exhaustion. Neither Fae would be moving very far from their personal cave for some time…though the magical hum of contentment emanating from that particular cave strongly suggested that the two had already made up from their fight, with gusto.
All the same, Dave thought, it would have been useful to have them here right now, distracting everyone around them with their usual antics. Still, there were other ways…Ah! There! Weaving his way quickly through the still clamoring dragons, Dave slipped up beside a Ridgeback who was also watching the trapped dancer trying to make a retreat.
“He doesn’t look too happy, does he?” Quadrangla turned towards Moldavite without any surprise as he arrived beside her, having sensed his presence from the moment she entered the room earlier.
“No,” Dave agreed, “He does not. I fear the poor dragon is far too shy for this crowd.” The Mage smiled somewhat sadly as he slid into a seat beside her. “Not uncommon for the truly superb artists, you know,” he told her, “They often become lost in their art, and have a hard time interacting with the world around him.” He paused, eying his companion. “It’s a pity there isn’t more than one of him,” the Coatl added lightly. “If the crowd had more choices, than he might be able to slip away, and regain his equilibrium before his next performance.”
The younger Mage tilted her head, a thoughtful look in her eyes. “Yes, a pity,” she agreed. “Whether he wishes to dance again or not, he should have some time to recuperate away from this crowd.”
“Yes.” Dave nodded, turning back to watch the area around them, searching for the rest of the scattered Clan. He was quite certain that he had seen Seaspray earlier, and he knew that Capheira was sleeping in the apartment. It was time to try to gather the wayward dragons together, as they all needed to be back at their rented balloon by nightfall. Now, where could Equinox and Solstice have gone?
Beside him, Quadrangla began to hum softly, echoing some of the tunes from the dance. Moldavite smiled and relaxed into the impromptu reprise. The Ridgeback did not always try to make music, but when she did it was always a treat to hear. And he certainly had no objections to reliving the memories of that superb dance while he tried to work out where the myriad dragons from his Clan had gotten to.
It began slowly, a gentle harmony that teased the ear, suggesting something without actually offering it. Then, as the music continued to entice, an image flickered in the air, just in the corner of the eye, the merest suggestion of something rather than the reality. Startled dragons turned towards the mirage, only to find it to have moved, or to have disappeared altogether. Within a very short amount of time, dragons were moving back, shaking their heads in some confusion, staring around as if searching for something. Not all those present were affected, but enough had been entranced by the memory of the dance that a large hole opened up in the crowd around the shy Wildclaw and his musician partner, who were quick to take advantage of their good fortune.
Dave watched with immense satisfaction as the two dragons quickly slipped away, leaving their adoring fans somewhat confused. It seemed that the Mage Adept had been taking lessons from more than just Oberon lately….and she had learned those lessons well. “Masterfully done, my dear,” he murmured softly.
Quadrangla blinked at him, apparently startled out of her reverie. “What?” She broke off her humming, glancing around the room. “Oh, the dancer is gone!” She smiled. “I guess he had his own way of dealing with crowds.” Standing, she flicked her wings back into place behind her. “I’m going to join Sesapray for a bite to eat. Care to come with?” Without waiting for an answer, the Ridgeback strode through the now dispersing crowd, stopping only briefly to scoop up a small plush doll and return it to the crying hatchling it clearly belonged to.
Behind her, Moldavite stood himself, having noticed “Green” and the young Pink Guardian also making their way towards the refreshments, a clearly much more awake Ira tailing them. That only left Equinox and Solstice…and there they were, entering the room. Smiling, Dave headed after Quadrangla, gathering the others of the Clan with a wave. It was tine to regroup, refresh themselves, and then settle in for the final night before they headed home…
Moldavite
Wind Born
(Dual Mage:
Wind/Earth)
Hissing in irritation, Moldavite rose to his feet from the corner where he had been sitting, watching the performance. Couldn’t these dragons see how shy and nervous that poor dancer truly was? If someone did not do something soon, the Wildclaw was going to have a panic attack!
Dave turned his head, scanning the crowd. Where were Oberon and Titania, with their rather impressive seasonal explosions, when you needed them?
He knew, of course, that the two volatile Faes were not at the Cloudsong this year. After years of attending the festivities, they had decided to take a break, and just relax at home. It might have had something to do with the fact that Titania had caught Oberon eyeing Centauri—now a fully-fledged, very pretty adult Tundra—a little too closely a few days ago. The resultant magical show had thoroughly entertained the rest of the Clan, and drained both the furious Titania and her not at all contrite mate to the point of true magical exhaustion. Neither Fae would be moving very far from their personal cave for some time…though the magical hum of contentment emanating from that particular cave strongly suggested that the two had already made up from their fight, with gusto.
All the same, Dave thought, it would have been useful to have them here right now, distracting everyone around them with their usual antics. Still, there were other ways…Ah! There! Weaving his way quickly through the still clamoring dragons, Dave slipped up beside a Ridgeback who was also watching the trapped dancer trying to make a retreat.
“He doesn’t look too happy, does he?” Quadrangla turned towards Moldavite without any surprise as he arrived beside her, having sensed his presence from the moment she entered the room earlier.
“No,” Dave agreed, “He does not. I fear the poor dragon is far too shy for this crowd.” The Mage smiled somewhat sadly as he slid into a seat beside her. “Not uncommon for the truly superb artists, you know,” he told her, “They often become lost in their art, and have a hard time interacting with the world around him.” He paused, eying his companion. “It’s a pity there isn’t more than one of him,” the Coatl added lightly. “If the crowd had more choices, than he might be able to slip away, and regain his equilibrium before his next performance.”
The younger Mage tilted her head, a thoughtful look in her eyes. “Yes, a pity,” she agreed. “Whether he wishes to dance again or not, he should have some time to recuperate away from this crowd.”
“Yes.” Dave nodded, turning back to watch the area around them, searching for the rest of the scattered Clan. He was quite certain that he had seen Seaspray earlier, and he knew that Capheira was sleeping in the apartment. It was time to try to gather the wayward dragons together, as they all needed to be back at their rented balloon by nightfall. Now, where could Equinox and Solstice have gone?
Beside him, Quadrangla began to hum softly, echoing some of the tunes from the dance. Moldavite smiled and relaxed into the impromptu reprise. The Ridgeback did not always try to make music, but when she did it was always a treat to hear. And he certainly had no objections to reliving the memories of that superb dance while he tried to work out where the myriad dragons from his Clan had gotten to.
It began slowly, a gentle harmony that teased the ear, suggesting something without actually offering it. Then, as the music continued to entice, an image flickered in the air, just in the corner of the eye, the merest suggestion of something rather than the reality. Startled dragons turned towards the mirage, only to find it to have moved, or to have disappeared altogether. Within a very short amount of time, dragons were moving back, shaking their heads in some confusion, staring around as if searching for something. Not all those present were affected, but enough had been entranced by the memory of the dance that a large hole opened up in the crowd around the shy Wildclaw and his musician partner, who were quick to take advantage of their good fortune.
Dave watched with immense satisfaction as the two dragons quickly slipped away, leaving their adoring fans somewhat confused. It seemed that the Mage Adept had been taking lessons from more than just Oberon lately….and she had learned those lessons well. “Masterfully done, my dear,” he murmured softly.
Quadrangla blinked at him, apparently startled out of her reverie. “What?” She broke off her humming, glancing around the room. “Oh, the dancer is gone!” She smiled. “I guess he had his own way of dealing with crowds.” Standing, she flicked her wings back into place behind her. “I’m going to join Sesapray for a bite to eat. Care to come with?” Without waiting for an answer, the Ridgeback strode through the now dispersing crowd, stopping only briefly to scoop up a small plush doll and return it to the crying hatchling it clearly belonged to.
Behind her, Moldavite stood himself, having noticed “Green” and the young Pink Guardian also making their way towards the refreshments, a clearly much more awake Ira tailing them. That only left Equinox and Solstice…and there they were, entering the room. Smiling, Dave headed after Quadrangla, gathering the others of the Clan with a wave. It was tine to regroup, refresh themselves, and then settle in for the final night before they headed home…
