TTotBD Chapter 1-1
The sun shone brightly in the afternoon sky, high above the black mountains bordering the Syvian forests. Clouds slowly drifted across the sky with the mountain peaks cutting straight through them. A stream ran through the forest at the base of the mountains, flowing calmly by the black dragonet drinking from it.
The fresh water tasted cool to the young Auron, flowing steadily past as he dipped his snout into the water to drink. Birds chirped within the trees, uncaring of his presence. In Auron's mind, the sounds of birds were calming.
Only having recently becoming a dragonet, his spines were nowhere close to being sharp, and his wings were not nearly developed enough to carry his weight in the air and likely wouldn't be until much later in life. He pulled his snout out of the stream and looked with both eyes up at the mountains above.
"There you are!"
Auron turned and yelped as a gray form slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. He squawked as he thrashed around, throwing his assailant off him. His wyverness friend, Caveras, stumbled away before falling onto her rump. She fell onto her back as she began laughing.
"Not funny, Caveras," Auron grumbled. "You really scared me!"
"You should've seen your face!" she cried, getting back onto her feet. She wasn't much older than him, though due to his Animan heritage, she was a good deal bigger than him. Her scaleless hide was a rather light shade of gray, and her green eyes gave off the look of a trickster.
"You looked like you saw a ghost!" she said, still laughing.
"You think that's funny?" he asked, smiling himself.
Before she knew it, Auron had tackled her to the ground. She yelped and tried to throw him off, but he managed to position himself right between her wings. Finally she rolled over, throwing Auron off. Before he could get back up, she pinned him down only for him to throw her off again. The two continued to wrestle with each other, both laughing and giggling loudly. Even though Caveras was bigger, Auron was able to use his smaller body to more easily squirm out of whatever hold she bound him in. They continued for several minutes before they finally stopped, both panting for breath, neither of them having bested the other.
"Draw?" Caveras asked.
Auron chuckled and shook his head. "I'll win someday."
"No, I think I'll win first," Caveras said, sticking her tongue out at him. Auron responded by playfully shoving her with his wing.
Both of the dragonets laughed as they began to walk through the forest, heading back to town. It was only midday, but both of them knew they shouldn't be out for long, especially on their own. It didn't take them long to find a dirt road back home, and before they knew it, they were already standing in the streets of their home town.
Syvia wasn't very big, being more of a backwater town in the middle of the forest and thus not necessitating any protective walls. The town was built in a way that it integrated with the forests and rocky terrain surrounding it. With equal parts open plains and rocky slopes, it was the ideal home for Earthwings and Skywings alike. Most of the houses had rather elegant designs, relying mostly on timberwork for its structure with intricate designs and calligraphy carved into the wood to add to the appeal. All around, the two could see decorations being put up in anticipation for the coming celebration.
"Can you believe it?" Caveras asked excitedly, her eyes shining. "The summer festival is just in a few days!"
"I know!" Auron said, nearly bouncing. "This'll be the first one I've ever been to!"
"Oh, you'll love it," Caveras said. "There's going to be lots of food, music, dancing, games, and-"
"And you two being in a lot of trouble!"
The two dragonets jumped. Not far down the road, a young Catalan Skywing was making her way towards them, her face wrought with a mix of worry and frustration.
"I've been looking all over for you, Auron!" she said when she finally caught up to them. "You can't just wander away like that when I'm not looking!" She shut her eyes and shook her head. "What would your parents say?"
"Yeah, I know," Auron said, nervously scratching his neck. "Sorry, Iris."
"And you," Iris said, turning to Caveras. "Your father's been looking for you; he's really worried."
"He is?!" she cried. She immediately began to scramble away. "I didn't even realize. I'll go to him right now!"
Before either of them knew it, she was gone. Iris sighed and turned back to Auron, whose head was hung low in shame. Immediately her face softened and she stroked his head.
"Oh, how can I stay angry at a face like that?" she thought out loud. She moved beside Auron and nudged him with her wing. "Come on, it's almost time for me to take you home."
Auron nodded and walked beside her, his expression of shame quickly turning into a bright smile. Iris herself was rather young, about halfway through being a drakeling. She'd taken up the job of watching over Auron while his parents went off doing jobs outside of town. Her skin was a pale pink color with a few white markings around her face, mostly around the eyes. Her Skywing heritage gave her a slim body, allowing for more maneuverability.
"So, are you excited for the summer festival?" she asked with a smile.
"You bet!" Auron chirped, but a look of apprehension was visible on his face. "I am a little nervous about it, though."
"Don't be," Iris said, holding him closer. "It'll be fun, trust me." Auron took her word for it and continued walking with her. It didn't take them much longer for them to reach Auron's home, where Ausor was already waiting by the front door.
"Dad!" Auron cried, rushing over to his father.
"Hey, son!" Ausor said, hugging his son as he collided into him. "How did the day go?"
"It was great!" Auron said. "I got to play with Caveras in the woods!"
"After he decided to sneak away from me," Iris added teasingly. "I swear, he can't even follow the simplest of directions."
"He takes after me; of course he doesn't," Ausor said, shooting her a wink.
"Isn't that the whole reason you and Ister are out here in the first place?" she asked. "Your inability to follow orders, that is."
"Mmm, more I just felt some orders are better left ignored," he said, stroking his son's head. Auron nudged his head in his father's hand and purred happily. He looked back up at Iris and gave her a more serious look. "Thanks again for all your help. It means a lot to us."
"Don't mention it," Iris said with a smile. "I need to go now; got some things I need to take care of."
"Oh, before you go," Ausor said, reaching for the coin pouch sitting beside him. He tossed it to her and she caught it in the air. "Your payment for your work today."
Iris held the pouch in her hand, noting its weight with confusion. "This is a good deal more than what you usually pay me. Are you sure?"
"Just consider the extra a heartfelt 'thank you' for everything you've done," he said, smiling at her.
Iris smiled back and nodded. "Don't hesitate to reach out to me again; I enjoy having your son around." She smiled warmly at Auron. "Even if he doesn't enjoy listening to me."
Auron stuck his tongue out at her and she flicked hers back at him. The three of them laughed before Iris headed away and Ausor guided Auron into their home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Tell me a story!" Auron chirped.
"Again?" Ister asked, holding Auron close. The two were laying side-by-side in the parents' bedroom while Ausor was working in the other room. Ister hadn't come home until later that day and by then she was about ready to pass out. Auron, having not seen her all day, insisted he rest with her that night. The room was very dark, with the day having already turned to night and only the light from the hallway being any source of light for the room.
"I've all but run out of fairy tales," Ister said.
"Then how did the world start?" Auron asked.
"How did the world start?" Ister repeated, nervously scratching her neck. "Oh dear, that's a pretty long one."
"I don't mind," Auron said, snuggling up with her.
"Well, if you insist, then I'll tell it as best as I can," she said.
"Thousands of years ago, our earth was not just lifeless, but harsh; it was impossible for any form of life to survive. The ground was constantly moving, the temperature continuously shifted from burning hot to freezing cold, the waters were uncontrollable and the air was poisonous and unstable. No other word could be used to describe it other than 'chaos.'
"In the midst of this chaos, however, the seven spirits eventually came and brought the world to what it is today." Lightly gesturing with her claws, Ister began to list the spirits. "Earth stabilized the ground and gave us the mountains, grasslands, and forests; air purified the atmosphere and brought about the laws of wind and sky; fire and frost worked together to balance out the hot and the cold; water quelled and tamed the seas and gave water its life-giving quality; and finally, light and darkness stabilized the sun and the moon to give us day and night."
Auron sat and listened, mentally picturing the duties of each of the spirits as Ister recounted them. "So what did they do after?" he asked.
"Well, they went into the earth, and now they constantly watch over our planet to make sure everything stays in balance. At least that's what we in Cinum like to believe. We even have temples in cities and shrines scattered around the country in their honor."
"Do you think we could visit a shrine one day?" Auron asked.
"Perhaps one day," she said with a smile that almost instantly faded. "However, with the way the country is now, I'm not so sure."
"Why? What's wrong with the country?"
Ister shook her head, looking down. "It's not something you need to know about right now."
Auron pouted but otherwise didn't press the matter. However, another thought came to his mind.
"You said there's seven spirits," he said. "Are all the subspecies related to them?"
"They are, actually," Ister said, her face brightening again. "Each of the seven spirits has a variant associated with them, each one having their own unique qualities."
"Could you tell me?" he asked.
Ister shook her head and chuckled. "There's no end to what you want to learn, is there?"
"Please?" he begged.
"Oh, alright," Ister said, laughing at her son's insistence. "Well, there's seven different dragon subspecies, each of them named after one of the spirits and each bearing a special gift and a distinguishing feature." She gestured to the room Ausor was in. "Earthwings, like your father, have claws built for climbing and navigating on rocky terrain. You can tell that he is an Earthwing because of the mane on his neck, and they are usually brown or green in color."
"But couldn't he just fly?" Auron asked. "What would he need those claws for, then?"
"That's a good point, but an Earthwing's wings are not built for flying, and are usually best for gliding over short distances," she said. "Your father, for instance, can only fly for short periods of time. It's why he typically tries not to venture out too far."
"What about the others?" he asked.
"Well, Skywings, on the other hand, are built for flying; they possess massive wings and slim bodies to make them superior flyers. You can tell someone is a Skywing by the lack of any scales on their body. Almost all of them are some shade of gray, but some are known to have azure or pink hides instead."
"Like Iris!" Auron chirped.
"Yes, like Iris," Ister said with a nod. "And I believe your friend Caveras is one too."
"She is," Auron said. "There's a lot of Earthwing and Skywings around here."
"That there is," Ister said. "Moving on, Firwings are built to survive in extreme heat. They are resistant to natural toxins as well, and can even learn to breathe fire once they get older. They usually have red or orange scales, but all of them have black scales closer to their claws." She looked up as she began to recall a memory. "I believe Caveras' father is a Firewing."
Auron nodded, remembering him despite only seeing him once. His relation to Caveras was odd; despite her being a wyverness, her father was actually a pterogon, a type of wyvern that used their wings as forelegs as well. However, because her mother was a wyvern, Caveras came out as a wyvern. Such events were possible with dragon species that were closely related, however they were very rare.
"Frostwings, on the other claw are, well, interesting, in my opinion," she said, chuckling. "They don't lack scales in the same way Skywings do. Instead, they are covered snout to tail in fur."
"Fur?" Auron asked, tilting his head.
"Yes, fur," Ister said. "It helps protect them from the cold; after all, that's what they're built for. Much like Firewings can breathe fire, Frostwings can breathe, well, frost. I believe their fur is always either white or blue."
"Do you know any Frostwings?" Auron asked.
"I think there's one Frostwing here, but he and I have never really talked at all."
"What about water? Is there a subspecies for them?"
"Waterwings, yes," Ister said. "Waterwings are built for swimming and surviving underwater. Much like Skywings, they have slim builds to help with this, and their gills and many fins are what give them away. However, they cannot fly very well since their wings are built for swimming, not flying."
"What about their colors?" Auron asked.
"I don't believe they have any set colors," Ister answered. "They come in a wide variety of colors and almost always have some sort of pattern on their bodies, sometimes even mimicking those of some forms of fish."
"Are there any Waterwings here?"
"Sadly, no," Ister said. "The majority of them live near the coast on the east side of Cinum, where they can access the oceans more quickly. You might find a few here in the west, but it's very unlikely."
"I'd like to meet a Waterwing one day," Auron said, trying to imagine what one looked like.
"They're usually very pretty, I'll give them that," Ister said, chuckling.
"There's still two more subspecies," Auron said. "What are they?"
"Oh yes, the last two," she said. "These last two you won't see very often, if at all; they're very rare and many don't even get to see one."
Auron looked up at her and listened intently, his eyes beaming as he was already invested in these last two kinds.
"The first are the Lightwings," she began. "Lightwings have highly reflective scales that can be flared to create bright flashes of light--assuming you're in the right lighting and angle your scales correctly. What truly separates them from the rest, however, is the fact that they, under special circumstances, can access a special state of mind which gives them unique abilities and powers, such as the ability to detect life."
"Whoa," Auron gasped, trying to imagine what such a power would be like. "Do you know any Lightwings?"
"Of course, my dear," she said, flaring her wing out. "I am one."
"Whoa, really?!" he asked, suddenly on his feet as he looked at his mother's wings. "Those feathers give it away don't they?"
"You catch on quick," Ister said, smiling at him as she folded her wing back. "Lightwings also tend to have white or golden scales, like what I have."
That is so cool! Auron thought, gazing in awe at his mother.
"There's still one last variant for me to tell you about," Ister said.
"What is it?" he asked, lying down beside her again.
Ister suddenly grew nervous, apprehensively eyeing her son and all of his features. "They're called Darkwings," she said. "Their scales are darker to allow them to blend in with the darkness and they have night vision so they can see in the dark. You can tell that one is a Darkwing from their spines and wings and their black or purple scales." She looked away from him, shuffling her claws as she debated whether or not to continue. "And like Lightwings, they can access unique powers under special circumstances, but unlike Lightwings, their powers are more...destructive."
"More destructive?" Auron asked, trying to picture such powers. "Hey mom, do you know any Darkwings?"
"I do, actually," she said, moving her face to look him directly in the eyes. "You are one."
"I'm a Darkwing?" he asked, his voice softening. "So, you mean I can see clearly in darkness and blend in with it?"
"Of course," she said. "Ever wondered why you were able to see perfectly at times when your father and I weren't able to see anything?"
Auron tilted his head as he tried to recall it. Now that he thought about it, there were a few times where his parents weren't able to see very well and yet he could see just fine. Looking around the room, he was suddenly aware of how sharp and detailed everything looked despite there being very little source of light. He'd always thought that's how people normally saw things--he didn't know he had anything like night vision!
"And I must be honest," Ister continued, "I can hardly see you even now."
"You can't even see me?" Auron asked, surprised.
"Well, I can see a little of you," she said. "But for the most part, you just look like another part of the shadows."
Auron beamed when she said that, his mind immediately going to all the possible ways in which he could pay Caveras back for all her scare pranks. Ister looked down at her son, her face a mix of joy and worry. She kissed her son lightly on the forehead before curling around him.
"You're very special, Auron," she said. "Don't let anyone make you feel otherwise."