A Fire in the Rain

Baldirak's eyelids lifted slowly as he awoke. His maw opened in a yawn before he lifted his head suddenly in reaction to a drop of rather cool water that hit his snout.  "...It must be Monday. It always seems to rain on Mondays."And indeed it was raining, a fine mist that chilled a Dragon/Dragoness to the bone if he/she didn't start moving around to warm themselves. With another yawn and a stretch of his wings, the old one rose to his paws and shook the clinging droplets from his hide. One by one, he stretched his limbs then looked around. His pale gaze lifted to the sky to watch the misty rain fall. There was an overcast, the clouds grey like ash. Baldirak looked down again and started walking through his tribe's territory.

As he walked, the raindrops became bigger. What had been a soft pattering that was reminiscent of leaves being blown across the ground, was now a slightly louder sound. The raindrops fell onto the leaves and rolled off to plummet to the ground below. Baldirak sighed. These bigger drops were colder and made flying a miserable thing. The Advisor sighed as he stopped to rid his scales of the cold rainwater. Only to have it quickly replaced with more. As much as the rain annoyed him, he loved the smell of it. His lungs expanded to take in the scent. He continued to walk, making his way through the Lush Forest and to the EarthWing's eastern border.

Along the way, he stopped to hunt. He went to his usual spot along a path that deer frequented. He nestled himself between two trees whose trunks were covered with moss, which helped to conceal him. With his tail, he picked up the branch he used to kill his prey, both ends of which were sharpened like a spear. His nostrils flared as he snorted lightly. It occurred to him that the rain, annoying as it was usually, would further his concealment by washing away his scent. "Focus Dirak," he thought to himself as he waited. "You can continue your love/hate relationship with the rain later." After a few minutes of waiting, a doe and her fawn ventured onto the path. Baldirak simply watched them, smiling slightly as he watched the fawn, no older than a few weeks. She went everywhere her mother would allow, curious yet cautious.

Mother and daughter soon left, heading no doubt, to the river. A half hour passed before a small herd of six, five does and a buck, came onto the path. Baldirak picked out the smallest of the does and one that had an injured leg. With the speed of a striking snake, his tail, armed with the branch, shot forward toward the latter of his chosen prey. The branch pierced the neck for a swift death. He swung his tail the other way toward his other target, giving the small doe the same quick end. Bringing his tail back to lay the branch on the ground, he stepped onto the path as the rest of the herd bounded off into the distance. He picked up his prey and sat as he began to eat. When he finished a few minutes later, those minutes spent cleaning his teeth with a bone, he buried the bones and left the scraps for scavengers.

Baldirak continued on. The rain started to let up, finally, enough that flying wouldn't be so miserable. His wings spread, lifted and lowered until he was hovering over the ground. He climbed higher until he was over the canopy. He flew the rest of the way to the border, past it and into the neutral territory between EarthWing and FireWing tribes. Landing with a ground-shaking thud, he looked around the clearing, hoping to find some of his friends... and make new ones.

Night stretched their wings out and yawned. Sutoraiki sighed as she woke up to her alter-egos arguing. Suto told them two to shut up then set off into Neutral Territory. she flew into a tree looking at an EarthWing who seemed to be staring gloomily at the sky. She flew into the clearing and landed on top of him.

Serena was up to no good again. She was in the Earthwing territory, and she couldnt see anyone around through the fog. She opened her maw and a bright blast of lavender shot out of it and onto the biggest tree she could find. What was great about her fire, is that the puny rain couldnt put it out. Serena took cover in another nearby tree, knowing the fire would spread, but the tree she was on could not catch flame. She was hiding for one reason: To see an EarthWings reaction. She hated them, along with many other tribes.