Snow and Romance and... danger (Destella)

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I'm sick of being tossed around by storms....
Snowscale painfully got up, his left foreleg bent at an odd angle. He snarled quietly to himself and promptly fell down a hole into a large, spacious cavern.
"Oh fantastic..." he muttered under his breath, fully aware that he was dead meat if a monster found him.
He wandered for a few moments, keeping his injured forearm close to his body. After a moment he could take the pain no longer, and fell to the ground with a roar of dismay.

"You and the lake have something in common then: beauty." Without hesitating Snowscale slipped into the water. He dove for a moment, before coming back to the surface with a mouthful of water. He sprayed it playfully at her before diving again. He then suddenly popped out of the lake and managed to pull Destella into the water, laughing as he came back down in a great splash.

Des’s feathers gained a red tint at Snowscale’s comment, not able to say anything in return. Then she smiled as she watched the drake slide into the water. Then she watched as he dove. Snowscale then popped up and sprayed her before diving. Destella let out a playful ”Hey” before she was then pulled in.

The serpent lifted her head quickly before looking at Snowscale with a smile and a laugh. ”I’m going to get you for that!” She then splashed water at her love with her wings.

Snowscale made a sound somewhere between a squeak and a laugh as the waves washed over him. He smiled a bit and dove again, using his wind breath to geyser water straight upwards like a geyser. He popped back up to surface and coughed out a bit of water. He forgot that water came down after it went up, and his geyser ended up pouring itself on his head.
"Well it's good to know that gravity still works."

Destella couldn’t help but laugh at Snowscale before diving. She swam up to Snowscale and circled him before leaping out of the water, and splashing him along the way. The serpent then landed again, chuckling at the fun she was having.

Snowscale finally stopped his splashing about and drifted further out into the lake. He got up at the other side and shook himself off, his eyes looking straight up. Stars twinkled at him from a small hole in the ceiling, which Snowscale took as the arrival of twilight. He smiled a bit and lay down, watching Destella.

Destella swam for a while longer, enjoying the water as she did. It was hard to believe something like this even existed, let alone under a freezing mountain. She even got a good look at some of the fish!

After some time, Des began to get a bit tired and swam over to Snowscale, shook off, and coiled next to him.

Snowscale was silent for a few moments. "Have you ever felt one emotion but you just didn't know how to express it?"

Destella thought for a moment. She knew the answer was yes, it was the feeling she had around Snowscale, but her shyness seemed to peak back out. She finally smiled, looking at her love as she did. ”Yeah. I have.”

Snowscale smiled. "I just wish that I could forget all I've seen. The things I have caused other dragons to feel. With Firebrand always at my back, I pushed myself away from everyone. But now he's gone, and there is nothing besides myself between the future." Snowscale twined his tail with Destella's. "And to think this all started with nothing but a broken wing and a storm."
Part of Snowscale was very uneasy about thinking of the future. Of dreaming of things that might never happen. Of pulling up his hopes and then getting them smashed into his head.
Another, and the most dominant part, didn't care. He was here. She was here. Life couldn't be better.
Now the only thing to survive are the monsters. Which is to say, my chances of survival are a lot better than yesterday's. Snowscale dared to think to what might be. To a future where he and Destella settled down, where the two could live their lives together, maybe even have a family.
A sudden jolt went through Snowscale, coming from the stone. A feeling of immense grief, fear and agony washed over him, and he gasped in surprise. Rayg's voice came through the stone. RUN! THEY'RE HERE! STRAVEN IS COMING--!
Silence.
And then the laughing began. Quiet at first. But then it pealed into insane cackling, and a twenty-foot tall THING walked out of the tunnel on the opposite end of the lake. It was like nothing Snowscale had ever seen. It was standing on tow legs like a human, but it wore clunky red shoes. Blue, blood-splattered pants and a blood-drenched shirt made Snowscale's stomach heave. The creature's gray skin was the color of ash, but it's face was the worst.
Sharpened teeth dripping blood grinned at him, and a red sort of paint was around his lips and eyes. His eyes looked like twin sparks, lit with the light of utter insanity. Two puffs of blue hair jutted from the side of his head, and he wore a small blue cap. In his hands were knives as long as Snowscale's leg, and they were covered in blood. The blood had the scent of Shade, and it was clear that these knives had cut through him like paper.
"Hello, little dragons. Had enough love time? I hope so. Ready for the true test? Would you dare test your mettle against I, Straven, Deity of Demons and Master of Massacres? Come, come, don't be shy." His insane laughter tore through the air, sending shivers through Snowscale's body.

Destella smiled at both her love’s words, and his tail twining with her’s. She moved close to Snowscale when he mentioned his broken wing. She just gave the white scaled dragon a nod before responding with ”I know. I guess sometimes things that seem bad at the time will lead to something greater.”

The dragoness stayed close, thinking about what life would be like without having to worry about Firebrand. Des wondered what the future held for her and Snowscale. Would the find a new den together at some point? (She hopes not.) Maybe they would have a family of their own at some point?

She was soon torn from those thoughts, hearing something through the odd stone. Then she heard a soul-shaking laughter. When Des finally saw what this voice came from, her feathers went pale. The creature spoke to her and Snowscale with a menacing tone. All she could do was sit there, shivering from fear.

The creature named Straven grinned. "Ah,
yes, you are right to be afraid. I have slain more dragons than you have scales and feathers, and have yet to be slain by a mere---!" The monster froze as a screeching bellow and his face flashed in fear, and another thing Snowscale had never seen dashed into the room.
Ronin was atop its golden back, his two knives drawn. The beast looked like a golden-feathered bear with the face of an owl. It screeched again and actually attacked the twenty-foot tall monster before it.
"NO! NOT AGAIN! PLEASE! I'LL GIVE YOU ANYTHING! I'LL LEAVE THEM ALONE--!" the creature screamed as the owl-like bear started tearing into his flesh as if it were nothing but water. Black blood splattered onto the floor and into the water, drawing the larger fish near. The creature fell, making a moaning sound, and its flesh started knitting back together. At least until Ronin thrust his knives into the hunk of meat that was once a terrifying monster. The flesh dissolved, leaving behind only dust, ash, and a strange black book.
Snowscale was struck speechless. The owlish bear turned in his direction, its eyes boring into his.

Destella just watched in fear, her tail gripping tightly around Snowscale’s. She was frightened of everything going on, from the demon’s demise to the odd creature that now stood there. She was doing all she could to not Flash the odd looking thing.

After a few moments of silence, Destella finally let out some nervous words. ”Snowscale, what is that thing?”

It was not Snowscale who replied, but Ronin. "His name is Jeffry. It's okay, they're friendly. Snowscale is the one that's your size, and the one that looks like that serpent we encountered is Destella. Friends. Not bad dragons."
As if he understood Ronin, Jeffry ceased looking fierce and chirped. He splashed into the lake and started swiping the fish out of the water.
"W-what was that thing... Straven?" Snowscale stammered.
Ronin sighed. "One of Firebrand's allies,
albeit a forced alliance. He killed a friend of mine and nearly destroyed Silvergleam. He, well, had a hand in my death, as well."
Snowscale couldn't say anything. This, the Vilidin, and the recent terror was too much to take in all at once. Ronin seemed to sense this, for he fell silent.

Destella wasn’t sure how to respond to what she was hearing, except to be worried about any ally of Firebrand’s. She did have one other question though. ”W-w-wait. How d-do you know us?”

Ronin looked at Destella. "Remember?
Cave? Hiding? I was the one Rayg sent as a diplomat?Ring a bell?" Jeffry actually caught a fish and chirped happily.

Oh, she responded, realizing who this was. The dragoness still wasn’t sure about this Ronin guy, but still better than Firebrand or the other one. ”So, why are you here, and can we go a day without someone trying to kill us?”

Ronin laughed. "Believe me, I'm pretty much threatened with death every day myself. But, now that Firebrand seems to have lost interest, hopefully he'll leave you two alone. I can't guarantee Straven though. He's one who can hold a grudge. He'll be back, but not anytime soon." He smiled and washed off his knife in the lake. He looked like he was about to say something, but Snowscale interrupted him.
"What's Silvergleam?"
Ronin looked at Snowscale curiously. "What? Did I say something about....." He stopped and then suddenly laughed. "Your first mindbreach! Wow, that was FAST. Are Skywings just naturally adept at magic items?" Snowscale shrugged. Ronin looked at Destella, probably expecting her to know.

Destella just stared at Snowscale, then at Ronin. ”You didn’t say something about him killing you and your friend? With your mouth at least?”

Ronin grimaced. "No, I did say that. Straven killed one of my friends, and played a role in mine." Jeffry chirped in sympathy.
Snowscale stared at the halfling. "You're dead?"
"I was. But, there are.... ways... to bring someone back or see them again. Take Shade for instance. His mate died right before his eyes. And yet she is alive, and he has a daughter. I died at the hands of my family."

Destella gave Ronin, then Snowscale, a saddened look, with her red feathers turning blue in the process. She knew hydras could kind of relate, but she was no hydra. The serpent-like dragon finally spoke up as she thought about what the human had said. ”I’m sorry to hear that. At least you can get a second chance.”

Ronin shrugged. "Chances of me getting anywhere in life are pretty slim now. With me here and all. Sometimes I miss my old life.... even the whipping and the torture. What I'll miss most is what you two have.... you have each other and Tessa is....." The halfling sighed and sat down.
Snowscale realized he had something in common with Ronin: loneliness and torment. He nodded and said "I know how you feel. I have seen too many dragons I loved die right in front of me." He twinned his tail with Destella's, and Ronin gave a faint smile.
"Well, may your time together be good.
Twilight says it's time we head off. Keep in touch?"
"I'll keep in touch." Snowscale promised. Ronin smiled sadly and walked out with his downbeat trailing behind him.

Des gave Ronin a nervous, sad smile as he explain some of what his life was like now. She thought it sounded like Snowscale’s life, from what she knew. The serpent did receive some comfort when she felt her love twist his tail around her’s, which she returned by squeezing it tightly, and was happy that Snowscale was willing to tell the human-like being about that. It seemed to help some at least.

Then, as he left, Roin asked them to keep in touch. When Snowscale answered that he would she just gave a nod of agreement. As she watched him leave, the serpent turned to Snowscale and leaned against him. She then told the dragon ”It’s odd. It’s bot good and horrible to know you’re not the only one to go through something like you did.” Her mind silently stayed in this thought for a moment before something else surfaced.

It was this “mindbreach” thing he talked about. It honestly had her curious. Did that mean they could read minds? She turned her head to Snowscale, giving a curious looked. ”What do you think this “mindbreak” is?”

Snowscale frowned. "I'm not sure. I just thought I heard him speaking while his mouth wasn't moving. I saw.... things like Straven running rampant through a city he called Silvergleam.... and Straven threatening a thing that looked like a female human,
only it was not a human... Holiness is what he called her, a half-elf. And something that looked like a human bear called a bugbear, named Gauret, killing Straven.
And that weird owl-bear creature. I saw that in his mind...." Snowscale staggered as if seeing all this had drained him, but at the last second righted himself. "Ronin said something about a Skywing being adept at using magical items.... do you know anything about it? Anything about my tribe?"
Snowscale's old torments came back to him: how he had never fit into the tribe, how most shunned him, how he was viewed as bad luck. Snowscale knew almost nothing about his tribe, and yet quite a bit about a few other tribes. He had heard of the huge Earthwings, and the marine Seawings, but in all his wanderings he had never seen one.
Which leads me to wonder if I ever really will fit in anywhere.

The dragoness gave Snowscale a concerned look when he told her what he saw. It took her a moment to process, but she was able to answer. ”I-I think I saw some of it too, not clearly, but it sounds... familiar.”

Then Snowscale staggered, causing Destella to try and catch him before the dragon regained his balance. Then he asked about his tribe. Des had to admit, she didn’t know much either. Her fear of crowds had lead her to live away from the others, Lightwing or Skywing. The serpent could only frown as she shook her head. ”I don’t know. The only thing I really know about our tribes is they have an alliance, Skywings tend to be laidback, and Lightwings can be vane.” She then thought to herself. And they tend to stare at me because of my colors.

"Oh."
"Maybe someday, Snow. One day you'll find your parents. And then i can hit them for abandoning you." Snowscale remembered Starshine saying to him. His wings dropped down a bit, but he pulled them back up and said, "Well, I guess it doesn't matter where I'm from or who my parents are as long as I have you. Although it would be nice to meet them...."