Khaja

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Khaja ran her claw over the map in front of her, brow furrowed as she examined their food situation. The areas around the den that had been picked clean of food were marked with dark black kohl. The map, once a pale yellow, was smudged with so much black that Khaja could no longer see anything but the den itself. How fitting, she mused. The almost charred, ruined look of the map was how she was starting to feel about their hope for the future.

Venia, who had brought her the map, shifted nervously from foot to foot and scratched at her scar. "Khaja, I- I don't know what we're going to do. We keep going further and further away from the den, but there's just not enough..."

No, Khaja thought, there really isn't. Even with all of the dragons that she had sent away, paying other clans for their continued care in this time of famine and drought, the ribs of the clan's primary hunters and fishers, especially, had started to become too prominent. They often expended the most energy, and took the least food. Dajjal, in particular, was starting to look almost emaciated- the constant fighting that he did in a desperate attempt to keep the clan vault flush with gold and the Stormcatcher's eyes off of their clan required enormous amounts of energy, and his body could not keep it up without proper sustenance.

Her clan was fading.

She sighed. "What of the water?"

Venia ducked her head and gestured to the map with a single claw. "Blue parts are where we know that there's water. We've had to start taking the water supply of other clans nearby, so I've been sending high-level dragons only. There have already been fights."

The map was devoid almost entirely of blue, appearing only at the very edges. Khaja could see the remnants of it closer to the den, but they had all been crossed out with red 'x's.

The Queen regarded Venia. She was the clan's resource manager as well as the dragon who went to the auction house and marketplace on behalf of the clan. Her mate, Kala, was her bodyguard, and was among the first to leave the clan almost a year ago. In all that time, Khaja had never seen Venia as stressed as she appeared to be now. Not when her mate left her, nor when she was attacked on the road... Never. Khaja knew from years of experience that for the Tundra to look so grave, the situation had to be even more terrible than she'd realized.

Rolling up the map, she handed it back to her. "Thank you, Venia. Could you perhaps send Calculus and Kalahari in here, please? I need to speak with them."

Accepting the map, Venia nodded and left, dejection and worry seeping from every part of her body. She had clearly been hoping for a solution from her leader. "Yes, my Queen."

Khaja folded her hands together, elbows on the stone slab in front of her, and stared at the black staining her claws. She knew, in her heart, what had to happen, and she'd known it for a while. When she had killed Akura and taken her place as Queen, she'd also taken on the responsibility of providing for those under her reign.

It was times like these where the weight of her crown on her head felt like the world was upon her shoulders, like it was too heavy to bear. Like it was perhaps not worth bearing.

As she thought about the visible ribs and parched tongues of her clan, of the aching hearts of those left separated in the struggle, her resolve hardened. While there would surely be a protest, and enacting her plan would be a very long, trying process, it was the only option available to them.

She would not let this ash on her claws turn into blood. Not again.

Just as she made up her mind, Calculus and Kalahari entered, dipping their heads into a nod deferentially at her. As two of the oldest, most well-traveled members of the clan, they knew immediately that something was in her mind, and simply waited for her to speak.

She drew herself up, her snake, Asha, sliding from around her leg onto the ground by her feet again. "My friends," she said, gravely. "I have a task for you." Taking their silence as an indication to continue, she rasped, "I am sending you to the earth territory, in the mountains. I need you to find a cave, large, even larger than this one, and then one of you return to me while the other stays." She saw the knowing gleam in their eyes, the lack of judgement or discontent, and soldiered on, "I need you to find us a new home. We are leaving Lightning." They nodded, smiling slightly, and she knew that they were pleased with her choice. As they turned to leave, she closed her eyes, and she prayed that her clan would live.



Khaja
Sahara
Acacia
Scorpia

Snake's name: Asha


Staged a revolt against Akura and took over as queen on 6/19/17
She's queer as heck but doesn't have a label because I'm projecting art by Valkael Art by Nocturnisthedark

art by ReadingHell

by Dreamson