Euthora-Roul ~ Fyreborne

I've somewhat remastered this fic. I am going to continue working on it, of course, seeing as I have the entire thing pretty much planned out, writer's block is just being a bitch. For those of you who don't know, this is the second plot in the tetralogy that includes Kel en Myyr, a freeform roleplay after Fyreborne, and a second fic after the freeform. Later chapters of this will spoil parts of KeM, but they're minor and will probably have happened in the SP by the time I get there in writing. The table of contents will go up to what I have written, not just what I have posted. The chapters will not be spoiler'd, so be warned. That's why I have the table of contents.

Table of Contents
● Chapter 1
● Chapter 2
● Chapter 3
● Chapter 4
● Chapter 5
● Chapter 6
● Chapter 7
● Chapter 8
​

 

Chapter 1

Tap tap tap.

Irisidion "Thunderscale" opened an eye as the faint noises interrupted his rest. He looked at a nearby rock shelf, where four cream-colored, speckled eggs faintly glimmered in the dim cavern. As the calm sapphire eyes observed the round shapes, the only noise for several minutes was the slow, deep breathing of a nearby slumbering white dragon and the pinprick dripping of the stalactites as the condensed liquid water fell from the tips to the rocky floor below. The cobalt-blue dragon blinked once, then lowered his head again. I must be hearing things, Irisidion thought to himself as he closed his eyes and began to fall back asleep.

Crack.

Irisidion looked up again, vaguely startled by the sudden noise, caused by one of the eggs having fallen to the cavern floor. He looked at where the egg had fallen, and there among the eggshells was a brilliant silver dragon, no more than a foot long, tripping over its own wings and tail as it frantically looked around with bright vermillion eyes. The hatchling opened its jaws and made an irritated rasping noise before stepping off of its right wing and flaring the two webbed limbs as a small tongue of fire escaped from the dragon's mouth.

Irisidion turned his head and nudged his sleeping mate. "Arise, my love," He murmured to her, "and witness our children's first awakening."

The snowy white female opened her honey-gold eyes and looked at Irisidion tenderly, then looked over to where the silver was still getting used to his newfound senses and limbs. As they watched, the newborn hatchling flicked his bladed tail, before glaring at it and biting down, then releasing it with a startled cry when crimson blood began to trickle out from the four neat puncture wounds.

Irisidion chuckled and reached out with a claw to draw the hatchling close and comfort him. "Silver as starlight," He muttered, licking the hatchling's wounded and bleeding tail, "and that shall be his name." He looked at the newly named hatchling fondly. "Your new name is Starlight. Learn it, and make your foes learn to fear it, Starlight Thunderscale."

"I do believe the others are hatching," The white said suddenly, looking at the remaining three eggs. One was shaking violently and emitting loud taps, faint scratching sounds were coming from another that was only slightly moving, and the third showed no signs of hatching any time soon. Suddenly, as if it knew it were being watched, the most active egg stopped, then after what seemed like half a minute to the anxious parents it burst, leaving a golden-copper male standing among the remaining two eggs. The copper gazed around calmly, unlike his brother, who looked at him with ruby eyes sparking almost jealously.

Then the copper saw his older brother and, with a snarl, opened the bright red-on-green fans on either side of his head, rattling them as he glared at Starlight with brilliant forest-green eyes. Starlight returned the glare maliciously, opening his own armored fans and rasping out a challenge to the copper, who accepted it by leaping down from the rock shelf and rushing his brother. He's barely gotten a few feet before Irisidion grabbed the copper's tail and pulled the two hatchlings farther away. Unable to get their claws and teeth into each other, the two of them rasped and growled and snapped their jaws as the two parents looked at each other with a hint of concern.

"Two males and they're already at each others' throats- almost literally," The white said sadly.

Irisidion nodded silently, slightly preoccupied with keeping the brothers apart. "Assuming Starlight doesn't kill his brother," He said, "this one needs a name too."

The white gazed at her son thoughtfully. "Mimring," She said after a minute. "Radiance. It's Drakine, in any case. Can't name all of our children in English."

Irisidion chuckled again and raised the copper, who by now had quieted down but was still glaring at Starlight with hate. "Your name shall be Mimring Thunderscale," Irisidion told the hatchling who was now dangling by his tail from his father's claw. Newly named, Mimring blinked at his father before jerking, startled, as the other egg that had been tapping suddenly split in half and a brilliant blue hatchling, almost the same shade as Irisidion himself, slowly rose from the eggshells.

Irisidion put Mimring down and watched the third newborn. The blue looked around quietly, then lay on the shelf beside the still-lifeless fourth egg, watching his two brothers with amber-yellow eyes. Mimring and Starlight returned the blue's gaze, not making any move to attack him as they had each other.

"At least one of them is a calming presence," Irisidion said dryly, picking up the blue with a foreclaw and bringing it closer. The hatchling meeped, then looked up at his father. "His scales shine like an ice-covered lake," The dragon muttered. "And Icelake is such an ironic name." He looked at his mate. "Objections to the human-inspired name?" He asked amusedly.

The white licked her mate's face. "None at all," She crooned, nudging his neck with her snout. Then she drew back and looked at the last egg, which was still not moving. "It should have hatched by now..."

"..." Irisidion gazed at the fourth egg for a minute. After a while had passed without it making any noise or movements, he sighed and coiled his tail around the white's feet, nuzzling her shoulder blades where the two great wings were folded tightly against her back. "Three out of four isn't bad for a first clutch," He reassured her. Then he pulled away rather suddenly as a loud snarling arose from a few feet away, and Irisidion busied himself with pulling copper away from silver and attempting to lecture the two hatchlings into not quarreling. Icelake watched it all, then looked at his mother, his expression almost saying, This is going to be a long childhood.

 

Chapter 2

In the darkness of the cavern, the only noise besides the faint dripping of a nearby trickle of water was a faint scraping noise, like smooth metal against rock. Is was a slow, cautious noise, befitting of the creature that caused it, a dark metallic shape lurking in the shadows, its emerald eyes casting about casually as it sought out its target. The young dragon raised his head and looked around the wide base of a stalagmite, narrowing his eyes as he strained his vision.

Where is he...?

What the proud young male was not aware of, however, was the cleverness of his brother. Not easily fooled, the silver had long since heard Mimring coming and taken an almost unknown route up the cavern wall to a narrow ledge not far from where the copper was, though far closer to the cavern ceiling than the adolescent was comfortable with. Starlight poked his head over the edge, glaring down at his unwitting sibling and releasing an involuntary snarl--

Mimring jerked and looked straight up at the ledge where Starlight had just pulled back his head and foreclaws in a hasty attempt to stay hidden, but it was too late. After finally sighting his prey, Mimring backed up, gave a rasping roar, and breathed a jet of red-orange fire at the cavern's rocky wall.

Starlight crept farther away from the edge, both siblings forgetting for a moment that they both were unaffected by fire. Upon realizing no harm would come to him, Starlight darted back to the ridge's visible edge, roaring a challenge to his younger brother before leaping down, landing on his feet, and snapping his sharp silver snout at an equally angry Mimring. Latching his jaws onto the copper's left wing, Starlight pulled back his head, eliciting a shrill cry of pain from his brother.

No sooner had the echo of the screech faded than the sharp clicking of talons striking the rocky floor arose as Icelake raced towards the quarreling brothers, and upon reaching them the smaller blue thrust his head between the combatants, using his horns to pry the two apart. The larger siblings stood on either side of their brother, glaring at each other, red eyes meeting green as the scarlet dragonblood dripped from Starlight's fangs and the wound on Mimring's wing. The silver had his mouth slightly open, tongue-tip resting between the two front-most lower fangs as he tastes the air and his brother's blood. A faint growl escaped from Mimring's throat upon each breath the copper took, and eventually his upper lip curled back into a grimacing snarl as both of them, almost as if from an unseen signal, bunched up their hindquarters to spring at each other again.

Neither of them got the chance to. Icelake, now frantically calling for the brothers' parents, had made enough of a racket that Irisidion had come in no time. The formidable blue gazed sternly at his two aggressive sons, who wilted under the stare and approached the great dragon meekly, hoping to alleviate the lecture they knew was coming. Icelake sighed with relief and approached Mimring to begin licking his brother's wound clean.

Irisidion made an exasperated noise, somewhat of a cross between a growl, a hiss, and a sigh. "Why are you two constantly fighting?" He asked plainly. The brothers blinked, not knowing how quite to answer the question, until Starlight spoke up.

"He was hunting me, Father," The silver said plaintively. "I was on the rocks and I saw him below, and when he heard me he flamed, and-"

"Shut up, you liar!" Mimring interrupted angrily, hissing between his teeth and jerking towards his brother so suddenly that the ivory claws made a scraping noise against the floor. "You were stalking me from those rocks, if I hadn't flamed you, you'd have jumped down to-"

"Enough," Irisidion said loudly. The young dragons, even Icelake, all shrank under the stern weight of their father's voice. Observing the trio with crystal blue eyes that for a moment looked like someone had trapped fire in sapphire, the adult dragon flared his wings, furling them around his offspring as a low growl rumbled deep in his chest. Icelake curled up near Irisidion's right foreclaw, tucking his head under his wing as if to avoid notice. Mimring resolutely looked at his own claws, refusing to lift his head to meet his father's fiery gaze. Starlight, on the other hand, defiantly met Irisidion's glare, slate-gray back plates raised as the sparkling silver scales bristled in anticipation of a brawl.

Irisidion was not to be baited by his own son, however, and with a sigh he slowly folded his wings against his back again. "Enough quarreling," He said finally. "You aren't humans." Mimring glanced up, forest eyes briefly connecting with sapphire before dropping again to examine the adolescent's ivory talons. Icelake looked up fully, giving his father undivided attention.

Starlight snorted and looked away for an instant, then sat back on his haunches and patiently coiled his tail around his legs as he awaited the end of his father's speech. The blue looked at all three of his sons in turn, before licking each one on the crest and standing up. "More eyes to watch means less chance of humans managing to kill us off," He told them quietly. "Don't try to kill each other- it's not worth the risk." With that being said, Irisidion turned around and walked deeper into the cave.

The young brothers watched him go. "Well, that was certainly fun," Starlight said mockingly as he turned his gaze towards Mimring. "You were shaking like a rabbit, brother. Lucky I didn't mistake you for such, or I might be having myself a feast right about now."

"Shut up, Starlight," Mimring shot back, fans extending.

"Guys, you heard Father, don't fight," Icelake said weakly, looking from one sibling to the next.

Starlight shrugged. "All he said was to not try to kill each other. But whatever. Mimring's not worth my time anyway." Without another word, he leapt atop the rocks and sauntered away. Mimring glared after him, then sighed and went in the same direction Irisidion had. This left Icelake alone, left to his own worried thoughts, as an almost overwhelming sense of dread for the future came upon him. Letting out a startled, frightened squeak, he shivered violently and somewhat hastily went to find the comforting presence that was his mother.

 

Chapter 3

Icelake sighed as he contemplated his reflection in the shallow pool of water near the cave wall. The massive cavern was silent, save for the distant, deep breathing of the hatchlings' parents as they slept, tails intertwined with each other. Mimring had gone off near the cave entrance to practice flying, and Starlight had gone in deeper to hunt rats and anything else he could find in the cave. It had been nearly six years since the three of them had first opened their eyes and seen each other... nearly six years of the copper and silver quarreling and Icelake attempting to break up the fights before having to call his mother or father...

Icelake dipped his tail into the water, dragging the blade across the slick surface and making waves. He was smaller than his brothers still, rather frail for a Plated Firedrake, only about thirteen feet long from snout to tail blade. This was in comparison to his siblings- Mimring at around eighteen or nineteen feet and Starlight, the largest, at a full twenty-one feet long and a wingspan to match. Starlight was ahead in so many ways... first to hatch, largest, first to point out how much stronger he was than Mimring... interestingly, the copper was much faster than either of his brothers, he was the first to master flight, though he never boasted about it. He knew that in a brawl, Starlight would overpower him.

The young blue stood, looking around with topaz-golden eyes as he listened intently. Somthing wasn't quite right, some subtle sound beneath the slow intake of air that the siblings' parents took as they dozed and the dripping of the water from the stalagtites above, making Icelake uneasy. The noise rose in volume, then quickly died down again, a sort of clatter, followed by almost feral snarls... Icelake suddenly realized what the noise was and hurriedly followed the sound towards the cave entrance.

What he saw when he arrived had him backing up slightly before holding his ground and taking a few steps forward. Mimring and Starlight were engaged in a full-on battle, scrabbling at each other with claws extended and tearing fangs exposed. As Icelake watched, Starlight leapt atop his copper-scaled brother, wrapping his tail around Mimring's neck and latching his fangs into Mimring's left wing where it met the shoulder. Mimring struggled to throw his brother off, opening both wings and flapping as he tried to turn his head enough to bite at the silver- Starlight tightened his grip on his brother's neck as he jerked his head back, tearing the wing muscle and eliciting a pained cry from Mimring before the outburst was cut short by the choking tail--

Icelake was suddenly there, trying to get into the small space between copper and silver and opening his wings to pry the two apart. His wings successfully provided the leverage needed to force Starlight to release his hold, and the silver leapt away, foreclaws and snout sticky with brilliant red and wings half open as he glared across at Mimring, ignoring Icelake's presence as he observed his equally angry brother with malevolent hatred. The blood from Mimring's wounded wing dripped down towards his left claw, the red fluid seeming to outline the golden copper scales before coating the ivory talons. Mimring's emerald eyes were only half-focused, his jaw slightly open as he took in the air that had been denied him while Starlight had attempted to suffocate the young dragon. The three were as still as death except for Mimring's labored breathing, and so when Starlight crouched to leap over Icelake and at his rival again, Icelake took the opportunity to call out into the cave, desperately wanting to wake his mother or father but not wanting to leave the brawl in case he needed to pull the two apart again...

A blur of silver sailed past Icelake and collided with Mimring, who had not seen the attack coming and was now trying to fend off the potentially fatal slashes of his brother's front claws- the two began to claw at each others' eyes and throats as Icelake, still calling for his parents, rushed once more into the fray. As Starlight and Mimring continued to slash at each other, the harsh sound of the sharp talons striking scale hurt Icelake's ears as he leapt to thrust himself between the combatants, placing his head between them as if to use it to pry them apart once more...

... A fatal mistake.

A flash of white and red- a blood-coated claw- and Icelake emitted a shrill cry of pain as the sharp edge sliced at his neck. Too late, the heavy, hurried footsteps signaled Irisidion approaching to stop the fight, but it was no longer needed. The high-pitched shriek that had been uttered by the smallest of the three brothers had been enough to give Mimring and Starlight pause, and they stood, bloody and injured, still as stone as they gazed at their now dead sibling in shock and horror, the pale blue throat slashed wide open, the blood pooling beneath the wound. And as the two brothers stood, unable to believe what had happened, Irisidion came into view.

The large blue looked around sternly, but as his gaze fell upon Icelake, his ocean-blue eyes widened and Irisidion blinked several times as if trying to clear them. His jaw parted slightly, as if he were about to speak, then the massive dragon closed his mouth and shook his head. "... You two, get back in the cave," Irisidion said hoarsely, not looking at either of the brothers as they exchanged looks. They backed away from their father, until reaching the shadow of the cave, and then Starlight hesitantly turned around and walked more directly into the cave, Mimring trailing behind. Irisidion turned his head slightly to watch them go, then sighed and lay down, curling his tail around his son's body and drawing it closer to the protective wing.



Starlight had his ears flat against his head, scales bristling, refusing to look at either his mother or his sibling as he briskly walked up to his ledge and lay down, head on his foreclaws as his ruby eyes gazed into the darkness with a sort of dull but remorseful anger. Mimring, on the other hand, glared up at his silver-scaled brother angrily, a faint growl rising in his chest. The silver simply glanced down at Mimring, vermillion eyes seeming bored. "What do you want now?"

Mimring snarled his response. "This is your fault!" He snapped. "Ice wouldn't be dead if you hadn't slashed at him!"

Starlight looked away from the fiery emeralds that were his brother's angry eyes. "You were slashing at him as well. It could very well have been you," He pointed out quietly.

"I'd never harm my brother."

Starlight snorted at this. "My wounds say differently, brother," He replied coolly.

"You aren't a brother to me and you weren't to Ice." Mimring continued to glare at the unreachable silver. "You're just some spirit-forsaken scorchback that can't deal with the fact that Ice and I are both better than you'll ever be. And you killed him to get rid of the competition."

Starlight returned his gaze to the angry copper below. "Are you done yet?" He asked, keeping the torrent of hurt out of his voice. "I'd like to get some rest."

"You don't even feel sorry, do you?" Mimring snarled. "You just want to sleep. You don't deserve to live after what you did."

Starlinght curled up, back facing Mimring. "Go away already, would you?"

Mimring snarled softly, then turned and stalked away, limping slightly but scales bristling in fury.

Starlight closed his eyes. That idiot copper doesn't know what he's talking about, The silver thought. He drew his wing over his injuries, curling up tightly in case Mimring came up and tried to kill him as he rested, regaining his strength after the fight.. Stupid brother of mine... Just because I hate HIM doesn't mean I hated Ice... I didn't kill him...

... Did he?

 

Chapter 4

Finally rested, Starlight opened his ruby eyes, still curled on his ledge. For a moment he wondered why he'd gone up there, then shuddered when he remembered. Raising his head, the young silver flicked out his tongue to clean Mimring's blood off of his claws and snout, the sandpaper-like surface rasping against the dried blood and the smooth, metallic scales. After a few minutes of cleaning his scales- and with the taste of blood still lingering in Starlight's mouth- the young dragon yawned and stretched, then leapt down from his ledge without bothering to go down the path along the wall. He landed absolutely noiselessly, claws sheathed, crouched low to the ground, casting his gaze about the cavern. He glanced slightly to his left, rolled his eyes, and grinned. "May I ask exactly what you are doing?"

Mimring whirled around with a snarl, ears flat against his head, red-and-green fans fully extended as Starlight stood before him, silver scales bristling slightly but the adolescent made no move to attack. The copper's tricks were slightly predictable now- hiding behind a stalagmite, watching the path leading down from Starlight's ledge- in fact this path led right past the stalagmite, easily within striking distance of the wicked blade on Mimring's tail. Starlight was somewhat used to this trick, and so he'd been working on landing silently after a long jump. He wasn't sure why he'd decided to just leap down instead of taking the path- he hadn't seen Mimring. He was just thankful that he had landed behind his very angry brother.

Starlight snapped his jaws impatiently. "Going to answer me, copper?" Starlight knew full well what his brother had been up to, but still, even now, he couldn't resist teasing Mimring- or insulting him by not even calling Mimring by name.

Mimring snorted. "Nothing of your concern, silver," He replied cooly, returning the insult. Starlight only grinned, satisfied that he'd gotten on his brother's nerves.

"Well, if it doesn't concern me, I'll just be on my way," Starlight said smoothly, still grinning smugly at his brother. He turned away, knowing that if the copper made any move to rush him, he'd hear the sharp clicking of Mimring's talons on the cavern's hard stone floor. Starlight started to walk away, his own claws tapping against the ground as he stalked past a couple of stalagmites--

Something bright blue flashed by him and a thick wall of ice quickly formed in front of him, blocking Starlight from going any further in that direction. He froze for a second, not from his brother's sapphire flames but by sheer surprise, and then turned to look at his equally shocked sibling, who was standing in a position as if about to give chase if the ice wall hadn't appeared.

Starlight didn't question this newfound fire of his brother's. He knew vaguely that the ability could potentially run in the family, but he hadn't expected his brother to carry it. Spectrum Firebreath was an incredibly rare ability found only in Firedrakes, mutated from a gene for fire that could adapt to various conditions- burning hotter in a cold environment, catching something on fire even if the object was damp, catching on dragon scales- it was a formidable ability- if Mimring could learn to control it. And by the looks of it, by the startled expression on the copper's face, the young dragon hadn't even known he had the ability, hadn't had a chance to train it.

Starlight resolved to not give Mimring that chance. Things would turn out very badly for him if he had a sibling who hated him- both by the instinct for dominance and for the death of Icelake- and had the ability to act on it. There was no telling what the fire could potentially do... Starlight took a breath to calm himself, exhaling it as a small tongue of brilliant red-orange flames. Mimring blinked his verdant eyes, narrowing them as Starlight straightened into a more confident, upright position. Mimring matched this pose, tail whipping at the air as if the copper expected Starlight to attack. But the silver made no move to strike. He simply stood calmly, watching his brother with seemingly amused but cold, analytical crimson eyes, before turning wordlessly back to the wall of ice and melting it down with a burst of fire. Starlight glanced back at his brother briefly, as if to gauge his reaction, but Mimring's face was mostly expressionless, save for the shimmering glint of hatred sparking in the emerald irises.

Satisfied with himself, Starlight stalked away once more, his claws making a splashing sound as he walked through the shallow pool of water that had been the wall of ice. Mimring watched him go, tempted to freeze the silver in place and leave him to die of frostbite.

But knowing that overgrown lizard, he'd squirm his way out of it...

Snorting, Mimring walked in a different direction to find his father.



Irisidion raised his head from his claws, azure eyes straining until his copper-scaled son emerged from the darker area of the cavern, the young dragon seeming hesitant at first, as if unsure whether to approach. Irisidion understood Mimring's apprehension, even if it was unneeded. No matter which of the siblings had dealt the fatal blow, both were responsible for their smaller sibling's death, but Irisidion wasn't angry at either of his sons. The only emotions he felt at that moment were sorrow for his dead son and relief that the other two had survived. Irisidion nodded at Mimring in an invitation to approach.

Mimring walked the rest of the way to his father, curling up against the blue-scaled side when the great dragon lifted his wing. The copper settled into a comfortable position, then arched his neck to look up at his father's gaze, for once soft rather than stern. Sapphire eyes met emerald briefly and the two rested in companionable silence for a few minutes. Then Mimring broke the silence. "Father."

"Hm?"

Mimring opened his jaws slightly, about to ask a question, then thought better of it and decided to say something completely different but equally important to him. "I think I have Spectrum Firebreath."

This caught Irisidion's attention. "Oh? And what makes you say that?" He playfully nuzzled Mimring with his snout.

"This." Mimring reared his head, looked at a section of the cave wall, and released a thin jet of the same blue fire that had raised the ice wall and stopped Starlight from walking away. The ground where it hit instantly slicked over with ice, and spread a few feet in every direction along the ground. Irisidion looked on with a strange sort of pride, gazing down at his son, who stood smugly, proudly, staring right back at his father.

"Very nice," Irisidion praised. "Spectrum Firebreath is a rare ability indeed. Have you done anything else?"

"Not yet, Father," Mimring replied, settling back into his former curled-up position.

Irisidion coiled his tail around himself and Mimring. "You'll be able to soon enough. And I do believe the Fyrebornes were looking for a Firedrake with the ability."

"Fyrebornes, Father?"

Irisidion nuzzled his son again. "An elite group of different species of Firedrakes that reside in the region and protect us all from any organized attack by the humans." He stared off into the shadows, eyes darkening slightly. "They are the very top of the elite, it is told. Their leader is the last living true Firedrake. They'll only accept the best into their ranks. Speed, strength, endurance... intelligence... They're looking for all that." Once more, Irisidion looked at Mimring and grinned. "You and your brother barely ever leave this cave. You're too young to have heard the tales. Perhaps you'll run into them when you're grown and have your own territory. Perhaps you'll make the cut." The massive dragon stood and stretched his wings, yawning. "Or, perhaps not." Irisidion nuzzled Mimring once more, then turned and walked towards the cave entrance to prepare for a hunt.



Mimring sat outside the cave entrance that night, gazing at the stars as his tail hung off of the ledge that overlooked the valley that was his parents' hunting grounds. One day soon, he and Starlight would be old enough to hunt with their parents, and not too far off would be the day the two would leave to establish their own ranges. Competition for a decent hunting ground would be fierce, but he felt reasonably confident with his newfound ability. Those with powers always had the advantage, as he knew from his father's tales of striking down enemies- and entire human cities- with his command over the potent element of electricity.

One day Mimring would match his father's exploits. Maybe even surpass them.

And maybe, just maybe, run into the Fyrebornes at the height of his power.

 

Chapter 5

Mimring whipped his tail forward, the blade slicing through the air as the young dragon pivoted, wings flaring to the side. There was an almost squealing screech as a long gash was cut in the three-foot thick ice he faced, a huge pillar that Mimring had spent perhaps the last ten minutes building up to a reasonable thickness. Mimring stepped back slightly, then lunged forward and his tail carved yet another deep slash into the frozen pillar. He growled, and lunged once more, this time his sharp fangs latching into the ice. Using his teeth as a hold, he wrapped himself around the pillar, claws latching on for a better grip as he pulled back his head. Then he began to strike, almost like a snake, biting the ice and scarring the pillar.

Mimring snarled when he noticed a distorted silver figure on the other side of the pillar. The figure moved slightly, and a sudden burst of red-orange hit the pillar, the flames melting the top half of the icy structure into a shallow pool at its base. Starlight dipped his head to take a drink of the cool water, then raised his head to look at Mimring. "What on Euthora are you doing, brother?" The dragon drawled, watching Mimring with amused vermillion eyes.

Mimring narrowed his own sharp green eyes as he warily looked at his brother. "How long have you been here?" He asked, ignoring the silver's question.

"Quite a while, actually," Starlight said plainly. "I was watching you from over there at first though." The dragon nodded to a cluster of stalagmites that he was known for hiding in when he wasn't near his ledge.

Mimring snorted and disentangled himself from the remnants of the pillar, warily taking a drink from the puddle as well. His eyes tracked Starlight's movements, but the larger sibling wasn't doing much more than watching his brother with a bored look on his face. Mimring looked up again. "Just a bit of practice in case I get into a fight," The copper said pointedly.

Starlight yawned. "Plan on starting one, brother?" He asked.

Mimring glared at his sibling. "Stop calling me that. You aren't family to me."

"I'll take that as a yes." Starlight suddenly snapped his jaws at the air, looking mildly irritated and causing Mimring to jerk back with an involuntary growl. Starlight simply looked at the copper. "Relax, that wasn't an attack," He said, sounding almost bored.

Mimring simply continued to glare.

Starlight laughed quietly, then turned wordlessly and walked away, toward the path along the cave wall that led to his ledge.



Starlight's mouth itched horribly. He couldn't figure out why it itched so badly, but it made him want almost desperately to sink his fangs into something, tear it up, rip it with the lethal fangs so the urge to bite would be relieved. He was up on his ledge, on his stomach with his claws unsheathed and his tail hanging off in the open, his luminous ruby eyes staring out into the cavern. He could see the partially melted ice pillar from his vantage point, abandoned by his brother who had had his fill of training. He remembered Mimring biting at it, and vaguely wondered if it would keep the itch in his mouth away.

Well, only one way to find out...

Starlight bunched up his legs and opened his wings, then took a running leap off of the ledge, gliding near the cavern ceiling towards the ice pillar. It was much harder than he'd expected, there were no updrafts in the stagnant cave and maneuvering around the stalactites was proving difficult in the still air--

Fwaaak!

"Gah!"

Starlight's wing slammed right into a stalactite he hadn't spotted and he started to drop from the air, but reflex took over and he twisted slightly to dig his foreclaws into a crevice on the side of the stalactite. Using only the strength in his forelegs, he slowly managed to get his hind legs around the tooth-like rock projection, then wrapped himself around the stalactite just as Mimring had wrapped around the ice pillar. This done, he looked around and sighed. He was higher up off the ground than he liked, and his wing ached too much to try to turn his fall into a flight. His claws were firmly hooked onto the crevices in the stalagmite, he would be able to stay up there for quite a while...

"Father," He called out into the cavern, his voice echoing within the stony confines. Starlight continued to call out for a few minutes, and just as his calls took on an edge of worry, he heard heavy footsteps and looked down to see the great blue dragon walk into view, looking around with a confused light in his azure eyes.

"Up here, father," Starlight called down quietly.

Irisidion looked up, startled, and asked, "Why in the world are you up there, Starlight?"

Starlight shifted uncomfortably and looked at his ivory claws. "I was trying to fly in the cave, father."

Irisidion shook his head, then walked directly under the stalactite. The blue glanced up, then said, "You can let go of the stalactite, Starlight."

Starlight released his hold, falling from the ceiling, wincing as reflex made him open his sore wing to slow his descent. Landing heavily upon his father's back, he looked up to meet Irisidion's gaze, slightly apprehensive- not fearing a scolding, but something more- he hesitated leaving his father's back for the same reason Mimring had hesitated to approach. But after a few seconds he did leap down to the floor, glancing at the ice pillar before looking back at the massive blue-scaled dragon before him. Irisidion seemed to know that Starlight wanted to say something, and so he waited patiently for the silver to speak up.

Starlight couldn't hold his tongue any longer. Plaintively yet bluntly, he asked, "Father, you don't hate me, do you?"

Irisidion blinked- not expecting this. The young dragon's ruby eyes were anxious, and it almost physically pained Irisidion to think that his own son was worried about this. He bent his neck to nuzzle Starlight, to comfort him. "Of course I don't," He murmured. "I don't hate you, nor your brother. I'm glad the both of you survived. I just..." Irisidion trailed off, looking at his son, who seemed slightly reassured. The two stood in silence for several seconds, before Irisidion nuzzled Starlight again. "You should get some rest. You and Mimring are going on you first hunt tomorrow." The silver's eyes widened with excitement at the news.

"What are we hunting? When tomorrow are we going? Will we-"

Irisidion chuckled, cutting off his son. "You'll find out tomorrow." With that, he turned to walk away.

Starlight watched him go, then irritably snapped his jaws which had not stopped itching. He looked back at the ice pillar, then leapt at it- biting down onto the cold surface as hard as he could. The ice made a faint squeaking noise as the long fangs pierced it- and Starlight felt a fluid in the bite marks as he withdrew. Thinking it was water from the pillar, he flicked out his tongue to drink it, then jerked his head back and hissed as the terrible taste was not remotely what he'd expected. He looked at the fluid- it was clear at first glance, but with a very faint yellow tint to it. He flicked his tongue out again at the ice itself, to get the taste out of his mouth, but stopped as his tongue passed under his upper fangs. The taste wasn't stuck in his mouth- it was coming from his mouth.

After a moment, he struck like a snake at the ice. The liquid made a slight hissing noise as it corroded the frozen water. Starlight stared at it and blinked.

So, my brother has Spectrum Firebreath, but that won't help him against a poisonous bite...

 

Chapter 6

Cadences of green and brown grazed the sparse woods below the ridge the two young dragons perched on, several feet away from each other and under the watchful eyes of their parents. The breeze played lightly along the treetops, as if the wind spirit Taelos herself was feeling whimsical on that day, the sun Cor blazing high in a cloudless sapphire sky. Zyel's and Taelos's creations mingled down in that forest. As the two adolescents watched, a squirrel scrabbled up a tree, a hawk took flight, a rabbit fled into its hole. A wolf howled in the distance, then more howls from the rest of the pack in a rising crescendo. What they could see was small game, sure. That was all they'd have to hunt. The two were just supposed to practice hunting today; it was a small thing, but both of them were quivering with excitement.

Starlight extended his claws thoughtfully. Mimring's back plates rose in anticipation. Irisidion chuckled at the two, at how eager they seemed. Of course, the first hunt was a significant day for any young dragon, and these two were obviously no exception. The blue turned his head to gaze at his mate in her honey-golden eyes, before the two silently nudged their offspring off the ledge.

Both panicked for an instant before instinct took over, copper-gold and silver-blue wings flaring and flapping wildly, the turbulence making it difficult until the two separated from each other, growling slightly. At each other. At their parents. At being pushed off the ledge with no warning. Red and green eyes glared at their father.

Irisidion chuckled again, sitting on his haunches and folding his wings. "Have fun," he said amusedly, as if nothing had happened. The white female coiled her elegant tail around her mate and nuzzled him, then nodded assent at her sons.

Mimring snorted and turned to fly off, only to discover Starlight was already fifty feet ahead of him. With an angry roar that sounded much more like the rasp of sandpaper against stone, the copper took after his brother in an effort to catch up. It wasn't difficult to do. The larger silver was of course a bit slower than Mimring, and the crimson eyes glanced back at his vengeful brother before his azure wings adjusted ever so slightly, adjusting his course in a turning dive, emulating his father without even knowing. His wings spread out almost like a cape, he dove towards the forest. His heavier body made him faster in a dive and Mimring snarled in irritation as he followed.

Starlight smirked. Of course the softscale would pursue him. For a moment Starlight planned his next move- pulling up sharply so that Mimring would crash- before spotting a brownish tan hooved animal.

Deer! It was big game. His wings furled, angling into the trees- close quarters, making it difficult to fly- the deer had spotted him and was now fleeing from the young and ambitious dragon that had his claws splayed to grasp his prey-

A flash of golden copper struck and the deer was gone. Flaring his wings wildly to prevent himself from crashing, Starlight landed clumsily, looking around in bewilderment for his vanished quarry. A chuckle from behind him and to his left sent him whirling around, snarling at the smug-snouted Mimring, who perched easily upon a torn and blood-matted deer corpse. The copper's tail blade was raised like a scorpion's, the silver edge glinting in the light of the sun. A distant call; Irisidion looking for the two. Starlight glared at his brother, who narrowed his eyes in challenge. It now went beyond their fraternal feud. It was no longer two brothers fighting for dominance of the nest. It was now between two rival predators, dueling for rights to the kill.

This was it.

Starlight struck as a snake, his silver-edged tail blade colliding with Mimring's as the copper blocked, creating a harsh, metallic clang as Starlight's blade kept going. The result was Mimring hissing in surprise, withdrawing slightly, a chip missing off of the mithril blade-edge. The copper narrowed his eyes in defensive, frightened hate, shouting something which Starlight ignored in favor of making a second lunge. Claws scrabbled over the hard-packed ground as the duel progressed, tree trunks and rocks gaining more slashes than the two young dragons themselves. Their spines quivered with adrenaline, wings and armored fans flaring, even going so far as to attempt to use the barely-grown blades on the joints of their forelegs.

And then Starlight tackled his brother, sending the both of them tumbling into a ditch; a stray tree branch tore a wound into the unarmored part of the silver's leg, but this red-eyed fury ignored it. Rasping growls and metallic clashes and cries of pain emanated from the ditch, emphasized and punctuated by short gouts of flame, which only served to create an atmospheric orange light from the trees and brush. Mimring broke away briefly, beating his golden-bronze wings powerfully almost as if to fan the flames, though it would have no effect on his brother. Wildlife scattered from the scene and, as the curling smoke arose from the forest, the two heard their father's roar.

They completely ignored it. Irisidion had sighted the smoke and was angling through the cloudless sky to reach the brawl, but with how densely packed the trees still were, he was unsure what he could do even if he got there in time.

The silver's viper-like fangs snapped for his brother's neck but met the armored plates on his shoulder instead. One bite! Starlight thought angrily. One bite and I win. He felt the venom dribble out of his fangs and onto the orichalcum-mithril plate as the teeth could not penetrate the armor, but Mimring did not seem to notice. He was too preoccupied with gaining the upper hand, attempting to get his blade into position to strike at his brother's neck. Copper-scaled claws slashed for the vermillion slit-pupiled eyes but did not reach the yielding membrane; instead they bounced harmlessly off of Starlight's crest. And this opportunity did not go unnoticed. As Mimring's claw arced towards the silver-scaled face again, Starlight snapped his jaws forward, his fangs locking into his sibling's soft, unarmored wrist. The liquid flowed out of his fangs and into Mimring's bloodstream. Mimring hissed sharply, sensing something wrong as he pulled away, bleeding profusely from his wrist.

Starlight hoped it was enough, but couldn't inject more as a torrent of pitch-dark flame spouted at him from his brother's maw. The silver's eyes widened in instinctive fright as he took off through the hole the flame had burned in the forest canopy, catching a glimpse of his sapphire-scaled father as he fled from the obsidian inferno that followed him as his brother gave chase. Irisidion gave a distant call, but neither brother heard it; Starlight was too busy flying for his life from his brother who had seemed to have gone feral. Mimring gave a chilling sound that almost sounded like an adult dragon's roar, but with the telltale rasp of an undeveloped throat.

And so Starlight fled, fled south, unsure of where he was going but uncaring as long as it was away from his fury of a brother. Over the forest pass in the region of Kurasa. Towards the Southern Range. Gradually Mimring seemed to divert from his course, satisfied with having driven his brother away. Starlight looked back only once, and was met with black fire barely grazing his face. The heat was incredible, almost unbearable even for a Plated Firedrake. And so he kept flying, out of sight, as Mimring finally landed on a rocky mountain ledge and gave a single, feral roar before collapsing from exertion and venom, leaving Irisidion free to approach his remaining son. And Starlight did not look back.

 

Chapter 7


20 years later.


A shot of flame. A streak of oranges and reds and yellows. Blazing forest! The dragon roared in glee as the deer scattered before his flame. Weak, prey animals! Only thing they were good for was food. And so he hunted. He dove through the inferno, the brilliant, beautiful flames catching onto his scales of brightest gold and copper hues, tinting them with an indescribably intense light. The heat framed his head like a Nightmare's mane, his emerald eyes sharply focusing on his quarry that fled before the wrath of the hunter. Tree! Dodge! Tree! Swerve! The dragon's sheer aerial acrobatics were, as far as his twenty-six-year-old experience proved, unmatched. Folding his wings to shoot through the trees as he dove. Flaring them again as he rose above the canopy of the trees. Diving again, scaring the deer further. The herd was helpless before his might!

An azure shot- a wall of ice, and the deer were forced to change course. Pitiful creatures. Two grasping claws extended and two deer were denied the right to see another day. And as the rest of the deer fled on, the dragon landed, releasing his double kill as he rested on his haunches, bronze wings folding and tail coiling in content. And Mimring fed. Before him, the ice was quickly melting into water, the heat of the dying flames still too much for the frigid barrier even as they ran out of fuel behind the proud young dragon. A snap of his jaws, a snap of the spine. Such was the relationship between predator and prey, dragon and deer. A cruel relationship, but a needed one all the same, The dragon mused quietly as he downed the animal.

Twenty years since he'd driven off his brother, sixteen since he'd left the nest. He'd learned from Irisidion that, aside from the events up to Icelake's death, he and Starlight had led rather normal lives until Starlight had been driven off. Two males, struggling for dominance of the nest; one ultimately succeeding, the other dying or being driven away. And then usually dying. So, by all odds, the scorchback silver was long dead. And serves him right, too, Mimring snorted, a small plume of flame emerging from his snout. Mimring had been spared all those years back from his brother's venom; he wasn't sure how, but as he grew older assumed that the young dragon's venom was only potent enough to make ill(which had happened), rather than kill.

Mimring was jerked from his thoughts at an interesting sound nearby. Something... rolling? A scent familiar, similar to but tamer than that of deer. And a more bitter scent- Mimring growled, looking towards the source of the noise and scent. His claws snatched the remaining deer corpse as he stood more fully, wings spreading as he prepared to take flight. The sound of guttural, unintelligible voices confirmed his suspicions.

Humans.

The copper had had his dealings with humans countless times over the years, usually involving spears and swords and fire and the occasional shapeshifter. He'd even been netted once, but a year after leaving the nest, but he was older, wiser, faster, and larger now. The bipedal creatures were more proliferous than any other animal, especially as they continued to strike down those sapient creatures that matched their numbers- shapeshifters and dragons themselves. Intolerant race. He braced himself to fight or fly as the voices neared. A horse whinnied, the rolling ground slowly to a halt. A human shouted in what sounded like annoyance, but Mimring didn't understand the language. There was a quieter, terse voice, then several seconds of dead silence, save for the nervous noises the horses made.

A sound of sliding metal- several swords being drawn. Mimring tensed, black-tipped spines quivering in anticipation, as the humans crashed through the trees. And stopped. The dragon found himself glaring down at a party of three humans, who looked up at him in shock, as if not expecting to see a dragon quite as large as Mimring's thirty-foot length. They were barely even armored, wearing mostly leather, and only one carried a shield in addition to the long broadswords. They stared at the dragon. Mimring stared back. This went on for several seconds before a younger male approached, chuckling; Mimring immediately caught his wild, woody scent and knew he wasn't human.

One human looked angrily at the man and barked out something irritably; the shapeshifter shrugged and calmly replied in the same voice that had sounded before the humans had charged. Shining blue eyes regarded the humans and dragon in general amusement as the shapeshifter's left hand came up to brush his wavy brown hair from his face. Then he said something further; it almost sounded scolding, then taunting as he grinned widely and the human shouted at him. Mimring's snort reminded the human he was still there, and from his safe distance of several meters, the human pointed his sword at the dragon. "Prepare, dragon, you die," He said in broken Drakine.

Mimring narrowed his eyes, raising his tail blade menacingly. The human cowered slightly. "I think not." The dragon's voice had a growling cadence, the roll of thunder before the storm. It even surprised Mimring himself. It certainly didn't reassure the would-be dragonslayer as the copper crouched to leap. The silver-edged blade, still chipped from the last fight with his brother, whipped at the air. "I'll make this simple to understand, human," he growled condescendingly. "You are human. I am dragon." The grammar was broken; Mimring's tone was dripping with sarcasm. "You have leather vest. I have scale. You have steel-tempered scratching stick. I have flame!" A gout of fire erupted from his jaws at the last, roared word; the humans scattered and fled, leaving the shapeshifter chuckling again as he remained. The men shouted from a distance, and the rolling sound started again quickly. Mimring swung his head to glower at the shapeshifter. "You, too."

The shapeshifter waved a hand dismissively. "I've no wish to harm you, dragon," He said in shockingly fluent Drakine. "Spirits know I just love seeing humans squirm. You see," He continued, eyes gleaming mischievously, "I told them this. 'There's a dragon nearby,' I said. 'Very young. I smell its youth. There, beyond the trees.'" He chuckled. "They did not know young does not mean small. They're used to forest dragons, you see," The shapeshifter clarified.

Mimring snorted, claws digging deeper into the deer's side. The shapeshifter eyed it hungrily. "Perhaps you should be on your way," Mimring muttered, folding his wings again.

The shapeshifter shrugged. "I can catch up with the humans easily. I know their route well." He paused. "But I thought Plated Firedrakes were a mountain-dwelling species?"

"This forest is my hunting ground when I crave deer," Mimring replied, eying the shapeshifter warily. "The only trouble is that humans pass through fairly often."

"That'd be because we're between two towns. Kurasa and Rverai," The shapeshifter elucidated. "Plus the shrines of Rae and Myyr. We're pretty much halfway between them, Darkshroud Pass."

"I don't particularly care."

"Perhaps you'll care about this, then." The shapeshifter lowered his voice. "Those humans who were here before? Those are merchants, on their regular route between Kurasa and Rverai. I was employed to travel with them and scent out danger. We pass through so often I'm surprised we haven't crossed you yet."

Mimring snorted again. "I care why?"

"Fast food, if you can catch them away from the cart." He shrugged. "Besides, I heard that dragons hoard jewels and precious metals, including Durasken gold coin. The merchants are fairly wealthy, as far as human standards go. Got a hoard yet, firedrake?"

"A scant one," Mimring admitted reluctantly.

The shapeshifter grinned. "May be worth your while, then, to claim their coin."

Mimring eyed the man. "Why do you tell me this, shapeshifter? Just who are you?"

Blue eyes surveyed the dragon in amusement. "Just another shapeshifter that dislikes humans. You can call me Darcim." A distant shout to the north, and the shapeshifter looked toward the source. When he spoke again, he sounded bored. "And that'll be the humans." He looked back at Mimring. "May our paths cross again, dragon." With no further words, the shapeshifter became a strange-looking bird with a long neck and tail and flew north.

Mimring remained there, considering Darcim's words as he looked at the cooled deer corpse. His appetite gone, he gave a short growl and flew off, leaving the deer for the scavengers. Bronze wings angled for the mountains, toward the ridge that had been his home for about the last decade.

A hoard... I do need to build it up... He mused, a tongue of flame emerging from his snout at the thought. When he finally did reach his ridge, he sat perched upon it, looking towards the city in the north. It was barely visible from his vantage point, but well within a day's flight... perhaps even a day on horse-pulled wagon... The dragon grinned. An ambush would work well.

 

Chapter 8

A distant roar echoed out over the still night air, shattering the silence of the late autumn's midnight and disturbing birds from their roosts. Rae in her full pale beauty climbed overhead, approaching the peak of her arc as the smaller Shyr trailed behind; interstellar orbs of silver and white illuminating the sleeping landscape below. A subtle breeze caressed the treetops, creating a soothing and distinctive rustle. Barring the roar from earlier, the night was calm, tranquil, and Starlight was not fooled.

Red eyes glared out from the entrance of his cave at the starry sky. A distant nebula visible to his acute vision arced across the skyscape perpendicular to Rae's path, a brilliant crimson that was more dangerous than any could know if they were not night hunters. The moonlight glinted off of his silver scales as he waited. The Plated Firedrake's lean frame clearly displayed he'd been starving as of late. He had to hunt. But he couldn't leave his cave, not with his newfound rival vying for the near-perfect hunting location.

The roar pierced out once more, closer, and Starlight responded with a guttural ferocity that even caused a dragon in a neighboring territory to wake up and roar at him: a precaution to ward off any enemies. Silver-edged black whipped at the rocks as his tail twitched, the male's roar ending in a hostile snarl. Something shifted in the nebula's visible shape and Starlight crouched, the spines on his back standing erect and his vividly bright red-and-green fans flaring out.

I know you're out there.

Something starry black and red dove down at him, immediately eliciting a jet of flame that illuminated the area for a several meter radius. The Stellar Wyvern wheeled out of the way, roaring as Starlight turned to face it. The bipedal dragon clung to the cliff face above the cave entrance, and Starlight glared at it, narrowing his eyes and growling a deep, threatening rumble. Bits of flame lingered on the rocks, casting a fiery light on the platinum-colored scales of the cave owner. "Not tonight, you're not."

The wyvern hissed from its perch, claws gripping the rough surface just out of reach of Starlight's tail. "You can't stay at your cave forever, firedrake," The wyvern replied in a distinctly female voice, causing Starlight's growl to increase in volume. "Sooner or later, you're gonna have to hunt. Or would you rather starve?" She climbed out of the way of the jet of flame that blasted against the cliff. "Fiery temper, I see."

"Rasst," Starlight spat. "Go find a hydra to bother. I'll have none of it." His claws extended and furrowed the loose soil on the ledge as his scales bristled.

The Stellar Wyvern snorted, blinking deep orange eyes at him. She dropped from the cliff wall and stood fully erect, black claws splayed on the ground with her fiery red wings held out slightly for balance as most wyverns stood. The two glared at each other for several seconds before the other dragon chuckled. "I'll be back soon, firedrake~" Starlight let out a harsh snarl as the wyvern flew off again, all but vanishing against the nebula.

His stomach growled.

Starlight sighed, knowing he had to hunt,but he couldn't risk leaving to do so and having the spirit-forsaken wyvern return. Having her nestled in his cave upon his return would put him at a distinct disadvantage, and he might not be able to reclaim his cave. He was a poor hunter during the day; sunlight was too vibrant and made him shine like one of those metal sheets humans called a mirror. It would alert his prey and draw the attention of hunters, which he certainly did not need.

But then, he didn't need to starve, either.

The young dragon walked to the edge of his perch and sat, first looking at the sparse woods below, sliced in two by a river. Then he turned his snout starward, sighing and spreading his wings slightly. Starlight's spines and scales were finally beginning to settle from the confrontation, but a wisp of flame came from his exhale. Ruby eyes closed as he strained his senses. His next words were a mere mutter; "Taelos, spirit of the summer wind, guide me: what path do I take next?"

An expected silence ensued, and Starlight sighed. It was autumn, granted, but Taelos was said to preside over the summer-born; he'd let himself hope that the wind spirit would answer. Then again, if the spirits cared anything for a sole firedrake struggling to survive, they'd have intervened by now and guided him onto a life that wasn't so difficult. Driven out of his own home, chased into the southern reaches of Durasken's mountains by both humans and dragons alike, and forced to endure that grating Stellar Wyvern who had her eyes set on his cave...

An oddly warm wind caressed his face, the air current shifting direction from east to north. The silver opened his eyes in surprise. Was this a response? Starlight stood, looking around as if expecting to see Taelos herself, but of course there was nothing but the wind and the twin moons. Only then did Starlight think about the direction the wind was moving. North... into the heart of Durasken.

He stood there for a moment, his hunger and eagerness warring with one another. The dragon shifted impatiently on his four claws, extending and retracting them to steel his nerves. His stomach gave a growl reminiscent of a dragon hatchling, and almost of their own accord his wings spread in preparation to take flight. He would hunt, then sleep. In the morning... his journey would begin anew. And if the wyvern comes, she comes.

With a roar, Starlight Thunderscale vaulted off of the ledge and into the open air of the night.