Mowkie
Queen Meow
I'm honestly not sure if this is still the route I wish to take...but I figured, since I'm waiting to be accepted into the site as an official member, I would share a little on the book I had started. I hope you all enjoy. <3
Prologue
The smell of fear rides across the skies like an angry dragon, fire burning everything in its path as its wings cut like razors through the clouds. Hatred burns so deep within the soul that all eyes are blinded by its sheer power. Pain writhes through the tendrils of the mind, clambering through, over, and under every tiny sinew so that all that is felt is pain, fear, and hatred. No room is left for love. None for compassion or joy or understanding. All that is left is pain. So much pain.
She hears the heart of a flame beating beside her as her body lies motionless on the hard earth, its constant, soothing beat calling to her in a rhythm none can truly comprehend. She knows deep down that she cannot answer its call yet...she knows that, somewhere, there is just too much left for her to do. And yet, the blanket of pain and fear and hatred seems to lift as she hears the sweet rhythm of that flame. Darkness begins to take over as a silver light reaches out, calling her name.
What is her name? She can't even remember. All she remembers is the pain scorching through her body and mind like acid in water. All she knows is the hatred that drives through her very soul like the sharpest of dragon's claws. All she feels is the fear coursing through her veins like tiny, angry beasts ready to rip her apart from the inside out. And then, there is the beating of that flame and the silver light that reaches for her in the darkness. Oh, how she wants to go to that odd little light.
But it reminds her of another light. The light of a flame that brings back her memories. Her compassion, her love, her understanding. She remembers the warmth of that flame, how it reaches into her soul and keeps her warm even when she is angry and cold with despair. She hears that memory calling her back to the blanket of fear and hatred and pain. It calls her deeper, beneath the acid and knife, to a part of her that can never be touched by such things. To the part of her that is not alone.
~Aki...Aki, come back to me...please, sister...come home.~
Aki. That is her name. A simple name with simple meaning. Aki...light. Silver and pure, despite all that has been left for her to bear. But then, if she is Aki, then who is calling her? It is not the flame, for she now realizes that the rhythmic beat has suddenly stopped, and that there is no longer any darkness. She is back with the burden of fear and pain and hatred, but this time she has claimed more than that. This time, she has pulled forth the love and compassion and understanding that is deep within her. So deep, in fact, that it is not truly within her, but held in the heart of another creature. One impervious to such humanistic weakness. Yes, it is held within the heart of her dragon.
~Come home, sister. You are almost there!~
That voice, so gentle and melodic. So compassionate. It is the voice of a better half. Strong and courageous and pure of spirit. She calls her sister from the depths of her hatred and pulls away the blade that pierces through her very essence. But wait...there is another voice.
~Aki, be strong...you are almost free of this curse. You can do this.~
Deep and thrumming, like a singing whippoorwill, the voice called to her soul just like the first. It gives her strength and courage to push away the fear. Whatever could make her forget such a voice and the face that could go with it? He speaks again, giving her strength enough to clear away the acid that burns through her mind and spirit.
~Come on, you have it now.~
Her eyes open, but she does not see the faces that match the voices. Instead, she sees above what made her fall into her despair. The cries of dragons pound her ears as an army of colorful scaled beasts collide together in an all-out war. All around her, fire and chaos reign without forgiveness. Wings are shredded, and precious dragons fall to the earth, creating craters in the ground that can never be fixed. And above, she can see the tears of a Goddess trying desperately to calm the madness without truly interfering.
Oh, how she wishes to retreat from this curse! Her eyes close as the knife once more tries to insert itself into her soul. A knife of hatred that, if dug too deep, can surely kill her. But then comes those voices again. The voices of strength and courage and compassion. Voices that can cure her of this madness. This disease that plagues her so that she can do what she was meant to do.
~Aki, do not give up! Never give up on yourself.~
~Only you can stop this, Aki! You must, for the sake of our world.~
~Never give up. Never surrender.~
But why should she be the one to do this? Why is it her destiny to stop the endless madness? She, who was so weak and feeble as to let fear and pain and hatred drive through her and create a curse of usurping madness and chaos, was supposed to end it all alone?
~You are never alone, my daughter...remember that.~
With a gasp, Aki sits straight up, her eyes opening wide to see nothing but the darkness that fills the cavern. Around her comes the breaths of sleeping dragons as her body is enveloped in the warmth of her Pactmate, who now stares at her with glimmering blue eyes that look like an endless sea of stars. She is holding her bare chest, gasping for air, feeling as though the knife that had crippled her dream still holds fast to her soul.
~Bad dream, sister?~
She smiles at the mercury-colored dragon, her body relaxing as she finally realizes that it was only a dream. Then, slowly, she moves to the dragon's head and leans against it, whispering softly as to not wake the others, "Yes. I am sorry to wake you, Xaria. It was only a dream."
But was it really? Even as the dragon goes back to a gentle sleep, Aki sits awake for the remainder of the night, wondering just what that dream could mean. If it was really something that is to happen. For the rest of the night, she is plagued with the thoughts and wonderings of that dream, but Akihanna Lyrail, daughter to a dragon, has no idea just how real her vision is going to be.
Chapter One
~Come, children! It is time for a flying lesson.~
Xaria's head droops low at her mother's call, a small thrum of excitement emanating from her crest as her wings flutter at her sides. Allara, a great Kallydran Dragon with glittering onyx scales and white eyes gleaming with strange green and blue nebulas, raises her head to the ceiling, smiling down at her mercury-colored daughter before setting her gaze at the human who stands beside the young dragon.
~Aki, child...what troubles you?~
Aki, who stands dazed with her hand resting on the swirling scales of her Pactmate, raises her swollen eyes at her dragon mother, her silver hair in tangles across her shoulders, now clothed in thick furs sewn together in strong leather throngs. To anyone with little intelligence, it’s obvious the young woman didn't sleep much at all the night prior. To Allara, it is as plain as the two suns that now shine brightly over the horizons outside the tunnels that houses the family of dragons. The great onyx sighs, lowering her head so that her massive nose can touch Aki, who nearly falls over at the force behind it.
Even as she stumbles, Aki speaks, regaining her balance. "Nothing, Allara. I am simply tired is all." Despite her ability to speak directly to Allara's mind, Aki speaks aloud, her lips and tongue welcoming the numbing sensation that the Ihnakxas, or dragon language brings to them. For Aki, Ihnakxas is a natural tongue. One that she has grown up with since she was very small, despite the fact that her human lips simply can't process all of the sounds and annunciations.
Allara huffs a smoky breath, knocking Aki to the ground as her scaly brow furrows, her mind speaking once more to the girl.
~Do not lie, child. Tell me what is wrong. You are so distraught that I simply cannot let you fly this day!~
At this statement, Xaria seemingly deflates, looking over at her Pactmate with disappointment and sadness. She knows what’s wrong with Aki, but they’re both still so young, Aki only being sixteen while Xaria is no more than twenty years, still barely an adolescent by dragon standards. The young mercury-colored dragon cranes her neck so that she faces Aki directly, studying her as she rises to her feet unsteadily.
~She had a nightmare, Mother, but she wishes not to discuss it.~
Allara pauses, pulling her head back so that she once more looks down upon her children. She studies them, pondering over what she should do. Her mind wanders briefly, her eyes settling on Xaria. The young dragon is only half Kallydran, her father having been a Ytemah from the Northern Skies. The glorious onyx color that blessed only the Kallydran Dragons is heavily diluted by the swirling mercury color of the Ytemah, creating strange, moving shadows that dance vividly across her daughter's scales. The twirling horns that stretch from the young dragon's head are not a lonely pair as they would be on a Kallydran, instead twisting around a second, straight pair, creating an odd duet. In fact, the only thing about Xaria that is truly of the Kallydran lineage is her dual breath weapon. And then, there’s Aki, a child long ago lost in the Plains of Varon, picked up out of mercy and brought back to be raised in the way of the dragon. Allara knew when Aki made the Pact with Xaria that she was special.
Once again, her belief in Aki is reinforced. Aki had a vision - one that Allara knew had been long in coming for many years. The great Kallydran Dragon knows deep within her heart that this vision is a gift from Inhalla, Mother of All, Queen of the Gods. And if it is one that would keep Aki, who sleeps deeper than a stone, awake for the rest of the night, then it’s certainly one of terrible foreboding. So, making a decision, Allara spoke.
~Very well, then. We shall fly tomorrow. Aki, you and Xaria help the Arykn Inhillya tend to the new hatchlings. It is, after all, feeding time.~
The two younglings bow slightly and begin heading towards the back cavern, Xaria slowing her pace to keep Aki steady before deciding to lift her Pactmate up by the back of her pelt shirt and place her on her scaly back. It’s at this time that Allara turns, her long, serpentine body almost curling in on itself as she looks to her daughters.
~Oh, and Aki.~ Xaria pauses as Aki looks back at the onyx colored wonder. ~Try not to get eaten. You know how hatchlings can be.~ As expected, this statement forces a smile onto Aki's face as she nods and turns back towards where the Arykn Dragons were headed. Already, they can all hear the younglings crying for food, and somehow, they all know that despite not being able to fly, they’re once more going to have their hands full.
~
The day-to-day chores of a family of dragons, or Fymirkna, as they call it, always fill the entirety of the day. Each member has a specific task that’s assigned by the Father, or Indrinis, and everyone is expected to do that task every day to earn their place in the Fymirkna. In this particular social group, the Arykn live their days showing kindness to nature and raising their young to be gentle to all things. Each morning, the younglings are taken out into the light of the two suns, Ovakai and Kinakova, where their pure silver hides can gain resistance to the heat of the day and their sensitive eyes can adjust to the intensity of the light. Then, the Mothers, or Inhillya go hunting to feed the youngsters.
It’s upon their return that Aki and Xaria pitch in. Because the young Arykn Dragons are no larger than a horse, their portions have to be made smaller, and someone has to cut the caught game while the Inhillya entertained their younglings. Aki, having created a fine knife using a sharpened stone, chops the meat into smaller portions while Xaria grabs and tosses them to the hungry crowd of dragons. Happy chirps and squeals sound for hours as each baby eats their fill before curling up in the sunlight to nap. The first two years of a dragon's life are always filled with this routine, and all members of the Fymirkna have to make sure that future generations have the greatest health. Aki and Xaria are no different, despite the fact that neither is an Arykn Dragon.
Exhausted and covered with the blood of the animals that now fill the bellies of each baby dragon, Aki plops down by the shore of Silver Tail Island, home to the only Arykn Fymirkna in Kabola, placing her feet in the cool waters of Lake Waconiba. This shore is the only part of the entire islands that is not at least a hundred feet above the waters. Behind her is the mountain that houses the Fymirkna and keeps them from the watchful eyes of the humans on the Mainland. She looks towards Xaria, who now sits beside her with a sigh, spreading her shimmering wings out to soak up the sunlight.
"We will be called upon soon. Would you like to swim while we still have the chance?"
Xaria gives Aki a smile before leaping into the water with a great splash that leaves the girl still on dry land completely soaked. Muttering softly to herself, she leaps in after her Pactmate and chases her into the depths of the lake. She can feel the laughter of her dragon sister fill her mind and soul as she catches her shimmering tail and pulls herself forward. Slowly, still holding her breath, Aki makes it to Xaria's back, smiling as her eyes look about the lake bottom, amazed as always at the sheer beauty of the underwater world. She feels comfortable now that she is clean, and her long, silver hair waves behind her like a visible breeze. As expected, however, her breath does not hold long, and she taps the back of Xaria's neck twice, asking her silently if she can rise to the surface.
~You really should practice your magic, my sister. If you did, you could create us a bubble to breathe under the water.~ This is said as Xaria pushes towards the surface, rising in mere seconds so that Aki can breathe a gasp of air. Aki rolls her eyes after taking a moment to cough up some of the water she had accidentally swallowed and glowers at Xaria.
"You say that as if I haven't been practicing. My magic just feels locked for some reason, Xaria. I can't quite explain it...but it feels as though there is still something I am missing."
~Mother says you are a prodigy for a human. After all, you are the first human to make the Pact in almost a thousand years! So you must have magic.~
Aki looks away from Xaria's face, suddenly feeling ashamed. Her dark blue eyes swirl with a sudden lack of confidence, and her arms cross over her chest in a self-conscious manner. "I can't help it, Xaria. I am trying, but it's just as though my Aura will not allow me to progress any farther. That is why I have been spending so much of my free time working on my hunting. After all, what am I to this family if I can't even hunt?"
Xaria's face softens as she turns and swims back to shore. ~I am sorry, Aki. I did not mean to upset you. We will find a way together. After all, that is what we are meant to do, no?~ Aki remains quiet for a moment, pondering her Pactmate's words carefully before nodding.
"Yes, you are right. I cannot do this alone, but that's why I made the Pact with you, is it not? We are in this together, and we always will be." She mirrors the smile that had crossed Xaria's face before turning her gaze ahead and looking towards the shore. It’s around this time that both dragon and human hear their names called, for it’s time for the evening meal and then a lesson from Allara.
Prologue
The smell of fear rides across the skies like an angry dragon, fire burning everything in its path as its wings cut like razors through the clouds. Hatred burns so deep within the soul that all eyes are blinded by its sheer power. Pain writhes through the tendrils of the mind, clambering through, over, and under every tiny sinew so that all that is felt is pain, fear, and hatred. No room is left for love. None for compassion or joy or understanding. All that is left is pain. So much pain.
She hears the heart of a flame beating beside her as her body lies motionless on the hard earth, its constant, soothing beat calling to her in a rhythm none can truly comprehend. She knows deep down that she cannot answer its call yet...she knows that, somewhere, there is just too much left for her to do. And yet, the blanket of pain and fear and hatred seems to lift as she hears the sweet rhythm of that flame. Darkness begins to take over as a silver light reaches out, calling her name.
What is her name? She can't even remember. All she remembers is the pain scorching through her body and mind like acid in water. All she knows is the hatred that drives through her very soul like the sharpest of dragon's claws. All she feels is the fear coursing through her veins like tiny, angry beasts ready to rip her apart from the inside out. And then, there is the beating of that flame and the silver light that reaches for her in the darkness. Oh, how she wants to go to that odd little light.
But it reminds her of another light. The light of a flame that brings back her memories. Her compassion, her love, her understanding. She remembers the warmth of that flame, how it reaches into her soul and keeps her warm even when she is angry and cold with despair. She hears that memory calling her back to the blanket of fear and hatred and pain. It calls her deeper, beneath the acid and knife, to a part of her that can never be touched by such things. To the part of her that is not alone.
~Aki...Aki, come back to me...please, sister...come home.~
Aki. That is her name. A simple name with simple meaning. Aki...light. Silver and pure, despite all that has been left for her to bear. But then, if she is Aki, then who is calling her? It is not the flame, for she now realizes that the rhythmic beat has suddenly stopped, and that there is no longer any darkness. She is back with the burden of fear and pain and hatred, but this time she has claimed more than that. This time, she has pulled forth the love and compassion and understanding that is deep within her. So deep, in fact, that it is not truly within her, but held in the heart of another creature. One impervious to such humanistic weakness. Yes, it is held within the heart of her dragon.
~Come home, sister. You are almost there!~
That voice, so gentle and melodic. So compassionate. It is the voice of a better half. Strong and courageous and pure of spirit. She calls her sister from the depths of her hatred and pulls away the blade that pierces through her very essence. But wait...there is another voice.
~Aki, be strong...you are almost free of this curse. You can do this.~
Deep and thrumming, like a singing whippoorwill, the voice called to her soul just like the first. It gives her strength and courage to push away the fear. Whatever could make her forget such a voice and the face that could go with it? He speaks again, giving her strength enough to clear away the acid that burns through her mind and spirit.
~Come on, you have it now.~
Her eyes open, but she does not see the faces that match the voices. Instead, she sees above what made her fall into her despair. The cries of dragons pound her ears as an army of colorful scaled beasts collide together in an all-out war. All around her, fire and chaos reign without forgiveness. Wings are shredded, and precious dragons fall to the earth, creating craters in the ground that can never be fixed. And above, she can see the tears of a Goddess trying desperately to calm the madness without truly interfering.
Oh, how she wishes to retreat from this curse! Her eyes close as the knife once more tries to insert itself into her soul. A knife of hatred that, if dug too deep, can surely kill her. But then comes those voices again. The voices of strength and courage and compassion. Voices that can cure her of this madness. This disease that plagues her so that she can do what she was meant to do.
~Aki, do not give up! Never give up on yourself.~
~Only you can stop this, Aki! You must, for the sake of our world.~
~Never give up. Never surrender.~
But why should she be the one to do this? Why is it her destiny to stop the endless madness? She, who was so weak and feeble as to let fear and pain and hatred drive through her and create a curse of usurping madness and chaos, was supposed to end it all alone?
~You are never alone, my daughter...remember that.~
With a gasp, Aki sits straight up, her eyes opening wide to see nothing but the darkness that fills the cavern. Around her comes the breaths of sleeping dragons as her body is enveloped in the warmth of her Pactmate, who now stares at her with glimmering blue eyes that look like an endless sea of stars. She is holding her bare chest, gasping for air, feeling as though the knife that had crippled her dream still holds fast to her soul.
~Bad dream, sister?~
She smiles at the mercury-colored dragon, her body relaxing as she finally realizes that it was only a dream. Then, slowly, she moves to the dragon's head and leans against it, whispering softly as to not wake the others, "Yes. I am sorry to wake you, Xaria. It was only a dream."
But was it really? Even as the dragon goes back to a gentle sleep, Aki sits awake for the remainder of the night, wondering just what that dream could mean. If it was really something that is to happen. For the rest of the night, she is plagued with the thoughts and wonderings of that dream, but Akihanna Lyrail, daughter to a dragon, has no idea just how real her vision is going to be.
Chapter One
~Come, children! It is time for a flying lesson.~
Xaria's head droops low at her mother's call, a small thrum of excitement emanating from her crest as her wings flutter at her sides. Allara, a great Kallydran Dragon with glittering onyx scales and white eyes gleaming with strange green and blue nebulas, raises her head to the ceiling, smiling down at her mercury-colored daughter before setting her gaze at the human who stands beside the young dragon.
~Aki, child...what troubles you?~
Aki, who stands dazed with her hand resting on the swirling scales of her Pactmate, raises her swollen eyes at her dragon mother, her silver hair in tangles across her shoulders, now clothed in thick furs sewn together in strong leather throngs. To anyone with little intelligence, it’s obvious the young woman didn't sleep much at all the night prior. To Allara, it is as plain as the two suns that now shine brightly over the horizons outside the tunnels that houses the family of dragons. The great onyx sighs, lowering her head so that her massive nose can touch Aki, who nearly falls over at the force behind it.
Even as she stumbles, Aki speaks, regaining her balance. "Nothing, Allara. I am simply tired is all." Despite her ability to speak directly to Allara's mind, Aki speaks aloud, her lips and tongue welcoming the numbing sensation that the Ihnakxas, or dragon language brings to them. For Aki, Ihnakxas is a natural tongue. One that she has grown up with since she was very small, despite the fact that her human lips simply can't process all of the sounds and annunciations.
Allara huffs a smoky breath, knocking Aki to the ground as her scaly brow furrows, her mind speaking once more to the girl.
~Do not lie, child. Tell me what is wrong. You are so distraught that I simply cannot let you fly this day!~
At this statement, Xaria seemingly deflates, looking over at her Pactmate with disappointment and sadness. She knows what’s wrong with Aki, but they’re both still so young, Aki only being sixteen while Xaria is no more than twenty years, still barely an adolescent by dragon standards. The young mercury-colored dragon cranes her neck so that she faces Aki directly, studying her as she rises to her feet unsteadily.
~She had a nightmare, Mother, but she wishes not to discuss it.~
Allara pauses, pulling her head back so that she once more looks down upon her children. She studies them, pondering over what she should do. Her mind wanders briefly, her eyes settling on Xaria. The young dragon is only half Kallydran, her father having been a Ytemah from the Northern Skies. The glorious onyx color that blessed only the Kallydran Dragons is heavily diluted by the swirling mercury color of the Ytemah, creating strange, moving shadows that dance vividly across her daughter's scales. The twirling horns that stretch from the young dragon's head are not a lonely pair as they would be on a Kallydran, instead twisting around a second, straight pair, creating an odd duet. In fact, the only thing about Xaria that is truly of the Kallydran lineage is her dual breath weapon. And then, there’s Aki, a child long ago lost in the Plains of Varon, picked up out of mercy and brought back to be raised in the way of the dragon. Allara knew when Aki made the Pact with Xaria that she was special.
Once again, her belief in Aki is reinforced. Aki had a vision - one that Allara knew had been long in coming for many years. The great Kallydran Dragon knows deep within her heart that this vision is a gift from Inhalla, Mother of All, Queen of the Gods. And if it is one that would keep Aki, who sleeps deeper than a stone, awake for the rest of the night, then it’s certainly one of terrible foreboding. So, making a decision, Allara spoke.
~Very well, then. We shall fly tomorrow. Aki, you and Xaria help the Arykn Inhillya tend to the new hatchlings. It is, after all, feeding time.~
The two younglings bow slightly and begin heading towards the back cavern, Xaria slowing her pace to keep Aki steady before deciding to lift her Pactmate up by the back of her pelt shirt and place her on her scaly back. It’s at this time that Allara turns, her long, serpentine body almost curling in on itself as she looks to her daughters.
~Oh, and Aki.~ Xaria pauses as Aki looks back at the onyx colored wonder. ~Try not to get eaten. You know how hatchlings can be.~ As expected, this statement forces a smile onto Aki's face as she nods and turns back towards where the Arykn Dragons were headed. Already, they can all hear the younglings crying for food, and somehow, they all know that despite not being able to fly, they’re once more going to have their hands full.
~
The day-to-day chores of a family of dragons, or Fymirkna, as they call it, always fill the entirety of the day. Each member has a specific task that’s assigned by the Father, or Indrinis, and everyone is expected to do that task every day to earn their place in the Fymirkna. In this particular social group, the Arykn live their days showing kindness to nature and raising their young to be gentle to all things. Each morning, the younglings are taken out into the light of the two suns, Ovakai and Kinakova, where their pure silver hides can gain resistance to the heat of the day and their sensitive eyes can adjust to the intensity of the light. Then, the Mothers, or Inhillya go hunting to feed the youngsters.
It’s upon their return that Aki and Xaria pitch in. Because the young Arykn Dragons are no larger than a horse, their portions have to be made smaller, and someone has to cut the caught game while the Inhillya entertained their younglings. Aki, having created a fine knife using a sharpened stone, chops the meat into smaller portions while Xaria grabs and tosses them to the hungry crowd of dragons. Happy chirps and squeals sound for hours as each baby eats their fill before curling up in the sunlight to nap. The first two years of a dragon's life are always filled with this routine, and all members of the Fymirkna have to make sure that future generations have the greatest health. Aki and Xaria are no different, despite the fact that neither is an Arykn Dragon.
Exhausted and covered with the blood of the animals that now fill the bellies of each baby dragon, Aki plops down by the shore of Silver Tail Island, home to the only Arykn Fymirkna in Kabola, placing her feet in the cool waters of Lake Waconiba. This shore is the only part of the entire islands that is not at least a hundred feet above the waters. Behind her is the mountain that houses the Fymirkna and keeps them from the watchful eyes of the humans on the Mainland. She looks towards Xaria, who now sits beside her with a sigh, spreading her shimmering wings out to soak up the sunlight.
"We will be called upon soon. Would you like to swim while we still have the chance?"
Xaria gives Aki a smile before leaping into the water with a great splash that leaves the girl still on dry land completely soaked. Muttering softly to herself, she leaps in after her Pactmate and chases her into the depths of the lake. She can feel the laughter of her dragon sister fill her mind and soul as she catches her shimmering tail and pulls herself forward. Slowly, still holding her breath, Aki makes it to Xaria's back, smiling as her eyes look about the lake bottom, amazed as always at the sheer beauty of the underwater world. She feels comfortable now that she is clean, and her long, silver hair waves behind her like a visible breeze. As expected, however, her breath does not hold long, and she taps the back of Xaria's neck twice, asking her silently if she can rise to the surface.
~You really should practice your magic, my sister. If you did, you could create us a bubble to breathe under the water.~ This is said as Xaria pushes towards the surface, rising in mere seconds so that Aki can breathe a gasp of air. Aki rolls her eyes after taking a moment to cough up some of the water she had accidentally swallowed and glowers at Xaria.
"You say that as if I haven't been practicing. My magic just feels locked for some reason, Xaria. I can't quite explain it...but it feels as though there is still something I am missing."
~Mother says you are a prodigy for a human. After all, you are the first human to make the Pact in almost a thousand years! So you must have magic.~
Aki looks away from Xaria's face, suddenly feeling ashamed. Her dark blue eyes swirl with a sudden lack of confidence, and her arms cross over her chest in a self-conscious manner. "I can't help it, Xaria. I am trying, but it's just as though my Aura will not allow me to progress any farther. That is why I have been spending so much of my free time working on my hunting. After all, what am I to this family if I can't even hunt?"
Xaria's face softens as she turns and swims back to shore. ~I am sorry, Aki. I did not mean to upset you. We will find a way together. After all, that is what we are meant to do, no?~ Aki remains quiet for a moment, pondering her Pactmate's words carefully before nodding.
"Yes, you are right. I cannot do this alone, but that's why I made the Pact with you, is it not? We are in this together, and we always will be." She mirrors the smile that had crossed Xaria's face before turning her gaze ahead and looking towards the shore. It’s around this time that both dragon and human hear their names called, for it’s time for the evening meal and then a lesson from Allara.