Taking the Reins? (IceWings)

Snowblaze grumbled slightly to herself as she stood at the top of her tribe's current mountain home. They'd just... existed for so long, but it made logical sense, but they could try to do more than just survive, but that would put everyone in danger.... Gah! Snow wished her brain would just pick one way of thinking right now. She looked out, sighing a little. She had to think.

The dragoness would finally get up and walk back into the cave though, looking at anyone there as her icy tail barb dragged along the floor. She sat down, thinking more before getting ready to speak.... Except she had nothing.

"Isolation, something truly made of madness and despair under the guise of peace, silence, and humbling the exiled or isolationist. Many have wanted to it, spouting their disdain of loudness and crowds, let alone even a loved one or a colleague. As time goes on in a lonely state, one would go from wanting that peace and quiet to truly having a desire to speak to others in months to come, see them again even though they do not realize it. It'll continue as hearing "things" in the corner, feeling something tap on your shoulder or perhaps a soft whisper of chill on the back of your neck; only for nothing to exist there. Chatter in the head becomes loud vocal arguments and riddled thoughts, eventually, one would succumb to seeing "things." Some day, if isolation persists, one would become paranoid and suspicious and leave the mind, no matter how intelligent or wise, to degradation and eventual madness. "Isolation," is far more damaging than actual wounds."

That was a personal excerpt of what happened to one such Royal Guard, Gemna; one of the last IceWings. It had been nearly months, if not a year, since he'd seen another of his kind, straying from this new, "Mountain Kingdom," as he loathed close spaces. It wasn't until recently that he rediscovered the remnants of the failed ice tribe, a very small, surviving collection of individuals. It was enough that Gemna couldn't help but fly here about three times a week, collecting material and food out of simple kindness. And despite protests from others who asked him to stay Gemna was adamant about it.

It was a white lie that he chose to remain in his home, rather, Gemna studies and watches the Great Wolves from a distance, away from all others and even his home. It gave the wyvern something to do and perhaps gain a knowledge of these beasts. He hungered fir knowledge, even carefully scouring the ruined kingdom for answers when most wolves were away hunting in their packs. A scroll here, a relic there, Gemna was careful and weary of what he chose to take and what to leave behind, and re-recording history the best he could from ruined scrolls and scripts. Nowadays, he seemed more a scholar than a royal guard... But these remnants had no real leader at all, instead, lived in a community of few.

The mountain was protective enough, the Great Wolves seemed... Intelligent, just enough to keep away from a defendable place they would need to climb. No, instead they stay in the flats and the tundras of the icy realm. Gemna was on his way yet again to see how the dragons were. He flew through the harsh and cold winds that would easily affect other species, but not him. Gemna was nearing the mountain when he could already se le a glimpse of a dragon. Dragoness mind him. Any time Gemna visited it always seemed more like an inspection, seeing what goes where and so forth, and of course, Gemna was always brutally honest with no regard with how he spoke, despite any attitude. This much was true toward Snowscale.

As he landed on an edge of a high-up entrance he noticed something bothering the smaller dragon. Normally Gemna would leave it alone however couldn't help but ask bluntly, "Is something the matter?"

The fifteenth son of Atarijor I was curled up in one of the dens inside the IceWings' mountain home. He was sleeping, or trying to at least. Nightmares were one of the permanent effects of the Wyvern's early life and the only one that couldn't be reversed to any extent. The former captive-born slave heard a voice outside and got up. He peered out to see Snowblaze and another Wyvern he wasn't familiar with. Atarijor crept out of his den and ventured toward them warily. "Wyvern give name now?" Atar still struggled with normal dragon life. He wasn't accustomed to seeing others gathering outside of routine situations he'd grown up with. One in particular involved giving his name to one of his human masters; a roll call, to make sure all the dragons were accounted for.

Snowblaze stopped when she hear a dragon flying in, looking back to see Gemna. She sighed again, motioning and waiting for him to catch up as she continued to walk inside. It was cold out for the halfbreed.

"No. I'm not fine!" Her brain was clearly geared to emotions right now, making the out burst much more prevellent as her mind flipped to logic again. "Sorry.... My mind hasn't stayed in one place today. This time she spoke in a cold tone. "We haven't had an Alpha stay long enough to lead us anywhere. It's just...." She then heard Atar, sighing a little as she motioned to him.

"Yes. You can. You don't have to ask me every time." The odd dragon would slide her icy barb on the floor, producing a scraping sound.

Ignoring the not so fluent dragon, Gemna have a scornful look to Snowblaze; the same one he normally wore when a dragon either did what she just did or he found something extremely simple, petty, or stupid. Sometimes all four of those. He remained silent for a moment then began to open his mouth before shutting it back. So, a community wasn't enough it seems, the old, 'We have each other,' Charade falling down when people realize they have no leader. To Gemnas criticism a tribe leader made no difference, well, that was a controdiction. He believed there should be a leader yes, however if the entire group were willing to stay strong and make decisions, such like a democracy, then one wasn't needed. Clearly this wasn't the case.

"No one else has the courage to actually do something like that," Gemna finally stated when the scraping of Snowblazes' tail became annoying, "People either grow lazy or comfortable in their situation, and they'd rather have others take charge and deal with it. We have creatures out there yet we would rather avoid them at all costs instead of trying to figure out a plan to-"

Gemna was rambling again. He cut himself off and shook his head, then drew in a sharp breath and continued, "If you want something done, then get it done. The SeaWings are near extinct, and so are we. This... Situation has grown stagnant. And what would you do about it?"

Gemna was normally scornful, and amused, by complaints like this. Though it seemed like a cold attitude, he didn't have the time nor patience for whiners and free loaders. It was one of the reasons he strayed from this place. Well, he was more on the antisocial side but regardless there were various other reasons he wouldn't list.

Snowblaze couldn't help but growl a little as Gemna spoke, stopping as she spoke, her mind swapping to it's hotheaded nature.

"Do you honestly think I like this situation? I wish it was different. I want to be ale to do something! It's just...." She seemed to cool off a little, shaking her head. "Let's face it. I'm a hybrid, Atar is a mental mess, and you seem to disappear. I'd like to try and get things done, but I don't think that'd work...."

"Then do something about it," Gemna bluntly states, himself growing aggravated internally due to the dragoness' poor attitude and shortsightedness, "Did you think I have been sulking about like the rest of you? Hm? I've been recovering broken relics and ruined scrolls and tomes, rewriting our history from scripture of the royal palace. Mind you, this is also entering the territories of the Wolves, risking my hide to help preserve some semblance of our tribe. Besides keeping each other cozy, pray tell, before you give another piss poor answer, what will you do to bring this tribe alive once more?"

At this point Gemna was in front of the other wyvern, his cold and emotionless gaze piercing Snowblazes. It might seem like insult, however he was trying to open the other dragons' eyes and actually think. They would rather wallow in their little caves while Gemna did what he could to save remnants of the tribes lore for a real leader. But that wasn't him, it couldn't be, for the wyvern refused duties when others had simply sat around and hunted when needed.

Snowblaze's mind was all over the place right now. What was Gemna trying to get at? She finally growled, hitting her tail against the cave floor.

"What are you saying? You think I.... I can't even keep the way I think in one place half the time and you're suggesting I.... Have you been going more than finding old scrolls and books while you've been out there? I'm just a guardian, and a hybrid at that." He blaze eyes looked down after she said this, closing them to take a quick breath. She'd slowly look back, seeming to take in what she just said, sounding much more monotone this time.

"Even if I could.... Who would even agree to it?"

Gemnas cold gaze be we left Snowblaze, from the moment she struck her barbed tail to when she looked away, the weight of his words hitting finally. The question then came as to who would approve of Snowblazes ascension. For years the IceWings had become little more than memory, and they will remain that way even after extinction. Gemnas response was a cold one yet cooley said, and possibly truer than other he had spoken.

"They do not decide who can and won't be one leader, the moment they tucked their wings and bowed their heads in defeat were the moment their lives were forfeit. Our history of various leaders is... Complicated, however no one has that right to seem you unworthy, and if they do? So what? I cannot myself for I know I will become a tyrant, however you're different. Many leaders cone from many places, even ranks far below that of a Guardian. Some even came from nothing, others had everything handed to them, what makes you different? Take it, seize the moment and bring our people to a new glory... And I will aid you in this quest to make sure you know what you're doing."

Snowblaze looked down, letting a slight sigh slip into her horns that let out a quiet, resonating call in return. She couldn’t.... She.... The hybrid closed her eyes, looking back up before finally seeming to speak.

“You would help me with this?” She seemed to be slightly more relaxed, looking at Gemna as she thought a little more. “If I actually did this, where would I even start?”

Gemna didn't frown, he didn't assume that same scowl he always gave, but remained quiet and relaxed. He thought for a moment and replied to Snowblazes comment cooley this time, "Yes, I would. And we start with that announcement. Those who would challenge you would deal with me. Once the announcement is made, we begin with reorganizing our ranks, a head count of our people of you will. We then make this mountain more defendable, and once refurbishing is done, I can begin to bring in the recovered and repaired items I've collected over the years. Firstly, we make that announcement of your ascension. We do things once at a time, and in time you'll better grasp your role."

Everything seemed to hit Snowblaze at once as she finally realized what she agreed to. She.... Dang.... The dragoness looked down a little as Gemna spoke about the next steps. It was difficult for her to exactly be confident about this. When Gemna finishes, the odd’ly formed dragon would think, taking a breath.

“Does everyone need to know now?”

That typical scowl grew on the ice wyverns maw, and said, "Yes, everyone must know. We need to let everyone know so that they are not in the dark about it. And now would be a better time than never, I would rather get it over with than let it settle in the back of my mind, if I were you."

Gemna was more steadfast about this than Snowblaze from his point of view. She seemed to lower her head, no confidence whatsoever, and it was something that needed changing. He was not of comfort, he shown very little at all, but it wasn't up to Gemna to provide comfort. He chose that path, one that was arduous and solitary mostly, but he couldn't see a tribe go downhill any further. And he'd rather it be Snowblaze than done imbecile... Or a Gemna himself, who'd he know would turn into a tyrant. Leading isn't particularly for everyone, and he didn't trust himself with that kind of power.

Snowblaze took a breath, looking back up as she finally seemed to make up her mind.

"Fine. But I best warn you I'm not an orator. There's more than one reason I became a guardian." She would slowly walk by Gemna, but would then stop, turning back to him. She didn't say anything, but she still wasn't sure about this. Then again she never thought someone would actually think she could be a leader either. She'd finally nod a little, slightly more confident.