The EarthWing, the Rogue, and Two Half-Siblings (Baldirak, Rylatha)

97 years ago......

Joelcia flew along the edge of the Lush Forest, patrolling the EarthWing borders. The sun had just gone down and because it was early fall, the air had already cooled. The stars were beginning to become visible, though the day's clouds still covered them. Head-strong and almost always serious to the point of being stoic, Joelcia was a Guardian that did her job and only that. And she did it well. Many of the other female Guardians looked up to her, the males respected her. Scales the color of sand covered her entire body. Tree bark colored scales appeared occasionally, accenting her face, wings, and paws. Not to be forgotten were the moss green scales that seemed to mimic the very thing for which they are named, creating elegant--if random--patterns of so inelegant a thing on her sides. When she curled herself up amongst the rocks, the Dragoness disappeared completely, the moss forever branded onto her hide only adding to the illusion. And her eyes... like two sapphires. They were the darkest blue the precious gem could be and appeared to stare straight into one's soul. Many a dragon found themselves suddenly a bit uncomfortable when looking into them. Or perhaps it was just Joelcia's personality. But in the light of the sun at midday and the moon at last light, her eyes shone like the clearest water and seemed to soften her otherwise hardened expression. It was a favorite joke among EarthWings that only time the Guardian was approachable and pleasant was at those times.

Joelcia had started her patrol at the northern border and had, going clockwise, just reached the southern border. In the distance, she saw a dark figure that was undeniably a Dragon. From her higher vantage point, she couldn't quite tell how big the Dragon was, but they were probably bigger than 85ft, which was her own height. She began her descent for a better look. As Joelcia got closer, she could see that the Dragon was male. And as she thought, taller than herself, by 10ft at least. As the moon was uncovered by the clouds, she could make out ash colored scales. 'A NightWing?' she thought. Not that their tribe affiliation mattered. Whoever they were, they were way too close to her tribe's territory. But as Joelcia got closer, and a wind blew toward her, she could smell the Dragon. And it wasn't a smell she knew to belong to any tribe. Her sapphire eyes widened when she realized this was a rouge. Rouges were solitary, as far as she knew, only meeting to breed. And they wanted nothing to do with tribal dragons, never going anywhere near a tribe's borders... So what was this one doing here? It didn't matter. All that matter was that Joelcia protected her fellow EarthWings from all threats day and night. Lucky, the rogue didn't appear to be aware of her approach yet, and she used this to her advantage. Opening her maw, she released a ball of acid that hit the rouge in the center of his back, between his wings.

~~~~~~~~

Zeno was wandering near the EarthWing border. Maybe the scent of fall leaves drew him here. Perhaps he'd been hunting prey that took refuge in the Forest and he contemplated the risks of following it. Or perhaps he just simply wanted to be in this particular place. Whatever the reason, he wasn't supposed to be so close to this place. He knew this and didn't care. Zeno was 96ft tall. The scales that covered his body were an even mix of ash grey and pine green. His claws were jagged, with one on each paw being longer than the rest. His eyes were jade green and commanding. He had a personality to match. Zeno was arrogant and demanded respect from all for nothing in return. He was generally hated amongst the rogues. And he didn't care. He looked out only for himself. As Zeno turned to look at the Forest again, he suddenly heard a sound and felt a pain between his wings. It was a burning pain that ate away at his scales enough to take a few off. He looked up and around to see a Dragoness pass over him. Growling, he started to take to the air, only to have the burning pain at his back turn into a searing pain which prevented him from flying. "Come down and face me!" Zeno snarled as he looked up again.

Joelcia circled back around and shot another ball of acid at the rogue's paws as she landed a few feet away. "Gladly." she replied as she stared him down. She had been right; the rogue was taller... by 11ft. Her eyes found the rogue's and locked on, unafraid.  A growl left her maw as she began circling around the male. Joelcia noticed his claws. 'I'll have to watch out for those,' she thought. Other than that, the Guardian saw nothing threatening about the Dragon before her.

Zeno growled and jumped back when the acid ball struck the ground, just inches from his paws. He hissed and mimicked the Dragoness' movements, circling around her. He stared her down as if his gaze could turn a Dragon to stone. And given that he couldn't fly at the moment, he wished it could. The Dragoness smelled like a tribal, mostly likely belonging to the one whose territory he stood so close to; he didn't bother trying to remember the tribe's name. It made him madder. And yet... he admired her attack. He found it... well, smart. He certainly didn't know any rogues who were smart enough to go for a Dragon's wings first. Shaking his head, Zeno hissed again and lunged at the Dragoness....

~~~~~~~~

~Present Time~

Rylatha was padding through the Lush Forest, her ruby and golden necklace hung upon her neck. The necklace usually wasn't there, in fear of it falling off or getting broken in training. But, she had missed her mother, Jolecia, and decided it was time to wear it once more. It hung around her neck and shone like fire. It was almost as if a spark was within.
But, Rylatha felt... lonely, this day. She walked around, calling for her mentor (and close friend):

"Baldirak? Baldirak? Are you about?"

Baldirak was in a larger clearing of the Forest, laying in the center of a circle of five large pillars. His claws were dug into the ground. If his eyes were open, one would see that they had darkened. The tip of his tail flicked back and forth slightly and a low growl rumbled in his chest. Though in a sort of trance, Baldirak was still aware of the world around him and could faintly hear Rylatha calling for him. He hit the ground with his tail to guide his Student and friend to his location.

Rylatha followed the sound of the thump and her friend's scent, picking up the pace. When she arrived to him, her ruby necklace given by Jolecia caught the light, making it seem as if fire was flaring within.
"Hi, Baldirak Sapiens Draco," Rylatha said, and she smiled.

Baldirak usually didn't like to be bothered when he was using his sight, but he was always happy to see little Rylatha. His voiced seemed to echo as he spoke. "You could always call me Dirak, Rylatha. How are you, today? Well, I hope." He opened his eyes, which paled again as he pulled his claws from the ground. He turned to face his Student, laying his head on his paws as he rested.

"Great, thanks, Dirak." She smiled. "What about yourself?"

"Ah, wonderful!" he smiled back. "I am doing well. But what brings you here, Little Goddess? I didn't expect to see you until tomorrow."

Rylatha shuffled her paws on the ground, making the leaves rustle. She sat down and flipped her tail over her paws and began in a quiet voice that steadily got average:
"I got lonely. And... I began to remember the days when I weren't. The days when I had my mother."

~Flashback in Jolecia's point of view~

"Okay, little one, I must go," Jolecia told the tiny EarthWing in her claws, barely older than a month. The baby was nawing happily on a piece of apple, though her toothless jaws didn't allow her to bite it completely. At her mother's words, she blinked up at her and said, "Lo." Though she couldn't understand the words, she put her paw on Jolecia's face.
"Don't tempt me..," Jolecia told her daughter, tears spilling out of her eyes. "I must go to war... Or you may not live in the Lush Forest in 10 years."
She hesitated. She hadn't named the child yet, but she had been thinking...
"Your name is Rylatha. In the ancient language it means 'lovely and kind'. Please, live up to earn it. And..." She slipped a golden rope onto Rylatha's neck. It had a beautiful ruby hanging upon it. "Please, keep this. And remember me."

~End of Flashback~

(Yes, Rylatha can remember alot of things, even before she was a year old~

Baldirak listened quietly and nodded. "I see... and I understand. Well," he stood and stretched. "You'll always have me for those lonesome days, Little Goddess." He smiled and picked up the smaller EarthWing, giving her a hug. It was when he went to set her down again that he noticed the necklace she wore.

~Flashback, Baldirak's point of view~

"When will she be here, Father? It's been hours!" the young Baldirak whined. He and his Father, Zeno, sat at the edge of the EarthWing border. As they did every night, Father and Son sat waiting for the latter's Mother to appear. Baldirak usually sat in patience, barely uttering a word. But tonight he was very excited, because his Mother had said she would have a surprise for him. The young dragon heard his father sigh irritably. He was about to apologize when he heard his Mother fly past. Baldirak looked up to see Joelcia circle around and he ran over to where she landed.

His Mother had barely touched the ground when he began rattling questions off at her. "Mother, you're here! What's the surprise? You said you had a surprise for me, remember? Can I have it now, Mother? Can I, please?" Baldirak bounced around excitedly as Joelcia laughed. But his excited turned to impatience again when she walked past him to greet his Father. "Mother... can't you say hi to Father after I get my present?" He was about to walk over to his parents, determined to get an answer, when he received a none-to-happy look from Zeno which strongly encouraged him to sit and keep quiet. Which he did. After another agonizing minute, Baldirak was allowed to move and properly greet Joelcia. He hugged her and then noticed something new about her: a ruby attached to a gold rope... ~End of flashback~

Baldirak looked down at Rylatha. "What shall we do today, hmm?"

Rylatha smiled as Dirak hugged her, and said, "No need to call me that. You're my mentor!" She batted at his paw playfully with her tail, and chirped in answer to his question, "How about a game? It's been FOREVER since I played with someone else."

97 years ago...

"Is this the best you can do? I was hoping for a challenge." Joelcia had pinned the rogue twice now and was actually enjoying this fight... if you could call it that. The EarthWing stood over the bigger dragon, her claws digging lightly into the soft-scaled flesh of his throat. An almost playful smile tugged at the corners of her maw. But with a growl, she jumped back as the rogue's tail came up to coil around her left forepaw. Of course, this very paw that had been keeping the Dragon from getting up. With a hiss, Joelcia tried wrenching her paw out of his grasp, to no avail. And the rogue started to get up.

Keeping an eye on the Dragoness at all times, Zeno tried to get up without sacrificing the hold he had on her. It was an awkward affair, but he figured it out. Of course, it's worth mentioning that however quickly he did so, his movements were slowed by the painful burning between his wings. And yet, the tribal had made no attempt to get away... 'It has to be another trick,' he thought. Zeno had fallen for the same trick twice already. "You want a challenge do you? Well, I'll be happy to oblige." The rogue then yanked his tail back, bringing the EarthWing forward, and brought his forepaws up to scratch at her with those unnaturally long claws.

~~~~

Joelcia hissed as those claws tore into her. She opened her maw, spewing acid onto his paws and tail, freeing herself. She backed away to look at her chest. Two long scratches went down it, a little blood trickling from them. But most notable was the burning pain. The EarthWing lunged at the rouge while he was still dazed from the acid...

Zeno let out a roaring hiss as the acid hit his tail and paws. He was forced to release his grip on the Dragoness and he stumbled backwards, desperately trying to wipe the acid off on the ground. He looked up in time to see the Dragoness come at her and he met her challenge, lunging at her as well...

Both Dragons grunted as they collided. They quickly became a blur of wings, tails, and legs. Each snapped at the other's throat, tried to rake at the other's eyes. Joelcia used her strong tail to try to push the large male away from her; Zeno used his to do the same. Both only stumbled a little. Zeno then brought his left wing forward--though doing so caused him pain--up into the EarthWing's face while his tail snaked between her legs, wrapping around two. Joelcia felt his tail, but distracted by his wing, she didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. The Dragoness fell onto the ground with a rumbling thud. Her tail sought to return the favor, but the rouge was already towering over her, keeping her pinned with one paw. Zeno looked down, an almost smug expression on his face. "Now, what to do with you? Do I... let you live?" His long claw lightly scraped against Joelcia's jaw. "Or do I... kill you?"

~~~~

Present day...

He chuckled and smiled again. He loved Rylatha's energy, which was very infectious. "Alright then! What game should we play? You pick."

~Flashback with Jolecia~

Jolecia faced the EarthWing, mane on her neck bristling.
"But Ajax, it's your heir!" she exclaimed, pointing to the small green and brown egg with her tail. The egg shuddered, as if in fear.
Ajax growled. "I never wanted a child," he spat to her. He glared down at the egg with a scornful expression on his face. "Hatchlings are nothing but burdens." He stared menacingly at his former mate, green wings spread as he hissed. "I want nothing to do with it."
Jolecia stepped forward, tears welling up in her sapphire blue eyes. "But..."
She gasped in shock as the male lunged forward and locked his claws in Jolecia's shoulders. His sky blue eyes flared, and he bared his fangs. He thrust his snout into the female's face.
"How many times do I must repeat myself?" he demanded. "You're nothing to me." He snapped his head towards the egg, which wasn't far away. "And this egg deserves to die."
Jolecia watched in awe as Ajax slapped his tail at the egg, forcing it to leap away from him. The two had been standing in a spot in the mountains. The egg had just been thrown down the mountainside.
"AJAX, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Jolecia cried with pain in her voice. She summoned up the strength to heave Ajax off her, and she burst into the breeze and folded her wings to her sides. She could see her egg was still falling. She dived down at incredible speeds, her plummet giving her the speed of a SkyWing. She stopped to hover as she caught the egg in her paws. She let out a relieved sigh as she saw that the egg didn't seem to be harmed anywhere.
Jolecia turned her gaze up to the sky, only to see Ajax, the egg's supposed father, soaring away as fast as an EarthWing can go. Jolecia felt no loss. She was pained to leave her son, Baldirak, along with her mate, Zeno. But she knew her older hatchling was in good hands.
Jolecia stared down at her egg. She pressed her nose to it. "Don't fret, little one," she murmured, cuddling it with her cheek. "That dragon isn't your father. I lied."

~Flashback Over~

Rylatha hopped excitedly, grinning. "Oo, hide n' seek? It's a fun game. What do ya say?"

(I can't highlight my dialogue. My computer's mouse isn't working, so I'm using touch screen, so yah..)

Baldirak smiled. "I haven't played hide-and-seek since I was a Hatchling. Oh, but I quite love the game. Alright, I'll count first, and you hide. Find a good place, now." With that, the EarthWing lifted his left wing to veil his face, closing his eyes for good measure, and began counting. "One, two, three..."

Rylatha giggled, and scampered off through the trees. She didn't go far; she found an immense oak that was nearly twice her size. The playful trainee locked her claws into the trunk of the tree and began the climb up it. She got to a high branch, and it appeared as if the glossy leaves engulfed her, concealing her. But... ah, she forgot one thing. And she couldn't get it. Not now. Dirak was probably done counting...
What she was worried about was her necklace. It had been snagged on a branch, and snapped off Rylatha's neck. Now it was laying on the ground.
"Uh-oh..."

"Thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty..." Baldirak finished counting as he lowered his wing and opened his eyes. Standing, he stretched a bit before walking around. "Ready or not, here I come!" His eyes scanned the trees then lowered to the ground. "Now, if I were hiding from me, where would I--" Something blinded his left eye for a second, a glint of light. His head lowered to find the source of it, and he found a necklace on the ground. It was a ruby on a golden rope. If old age hadn't yet killed the Dragon, the sudden stopping of his heart surely would. Ever so carefully, he picked up the necklace. "What is this doing here?" Baldirak spoke in a whisper. "I haven't seen this since... Could it be that Mother is still alive...?"

Rylatha gazed down at Baldirak, curious at his words, which revealed that he recognized her mother's charm. She took a deep breath and soared down the tree, wings outstretched. The light from the sun played on her green scales and glistened upon her mane. She landed in front of Baldirak and looked to him with pained, orange eyes. She stammered, "That is my mother's... S-she died long ago..."

Baldirak almost didn't hear her, so lost was he in his own thoughts. But then--had he heard right? Did she say that this necklace had belonged to her mother? He looked down at the young Goddess before him and lowered his head down to her eye level. With an almost cold tone, he replied, "This belonged to my Mother."

Rylatha tried to comprehend her mentor's statement, unsure what this meant. She was a little stung by his cold tone, but she held his gaze, and put one of her paws on his muzzle. She fixed him with a pleading, injured orange-eyed stare and said, "Jolecia was my mom, too."

It wasn't that the old one didn't believe Rylatha--or perhaps it was exactly that. Either way, for a long minute, Baldirak stared a his Student in disbelief. And then he listened to her words again... She'd said her name, his mother's name. Blinking, his gaze looked down at the small paw on his muzzle. A puff of air left his nostrils as he sat and lifted his head. "She was?" he asked finally, his voice quiet.

Rylatha nodded quickly. She was beginning to fear that her teacher didn't believe her and was starting to think she was a liar. Startled, she blurted out in a rush:
"Yeah! I mean, yes, sir!" She had learned to respond to adults with 'yes ma'am' or 'no ma'am' and 'yes sir' or 'no sir'.
"I never knew who my dad was, though," Rylatha added quickly. "All I know is that I look like him." She gazed down at her glorious green scales. She remembered Jolecia was the color of desert sand, not forest green!

"That's... you don't have to call me 'sir'..." Baldirak's gaze lowered to the necklace again. Again, he was silent for a long time before speaking. "I'm sorry you didn't know him, your father. I knew mine... I don't suppose... Our mother isn't alive any longer, is she?"