Dragon's Savagery

*Cassae's POV*

It's been several years that the dragons had been hassling us consistantly. Chromatic dragons hunted our kind, that's just how it was. We're fragile, like birds, and so are easy to dispatch. The conflict had gone all the way to before the First Flowering, when the Quessir split into five major realms. Well over twelve thousand to twenty-four thousand years ago. Outside of our documents range. Lost information to us. Perhaps other Quessir have the information, but it doesn't really matter, does it?

What did matter was that the last week was astoundingly lacking in attacks on us. Then a grey dragon came two days ago. If grey dragons are known for anything, it's visciousness. They enjoy nothing less than total decimation of their targets. It's not even for a meal. Either way, yesterday's attack orphaned my little sibling and I. He is now my responsibility, since our other family members have their own children or responsibilies to manage. We were both mourning loss of our parents, and I had to be more careful.

I often assist with fighting the dragons off, usually white, blue or red dragons. This grey dragon was entirely unexpected and not satisfied no matter what. The Arrakocra were also under attack this time. Normally the dragons ignore them, but not this grey. We were tired and our Elder's were talking about moving. Talasphir thought it was the only reasonable thing to do. Not that everyone agreed. We'd fled to these areas at near extinction ages ago, and now we were close to looking at it again.

Currently, I was holding my little brother and preening his glorious wings. My own wings were large, white, and fluffy. His were the color of the midnight sky, and suited his body size at current. Though, he is merely two years old. Lael was a precious boy with eyes that looked like fractured light blue glass, with hair like fresh snow. My own hair was silvery-white with my eyes being silver, with the broken glass look as well. I always thought it was from my families proclivity for glass smithing. Either way, Lael was a smart boy, though seemed to have reverted to a baby like state after our parents passed. He's unwilling to eat, sleep, or use the restroom on his own. I worried, but we'd only just lost our parents.

"Cassae, you need to take Lael below before the dragon comes." Ivellios said. "It will likely be soon."

"Yes. Is someone preparing the banishment spells? We'll need at least four ready." I replied.

"It's being set up. It's not quite ready yet." Ivellios answered, before turning away.

I set Lael in my chair and donned my glassteel armor. Glassteel is a favorite of Aril-tel-Quessir, or Al Karak Elam. Winged Folk, or Winged Elves. We figured out how to transmute glass to being unshatterable, we shaped it into weapons and armors before giving it a steel-like consistency. We could even further smith it, like Dwarves do their ore works. When I reached for my weapons, Lael began to cry. I hurriedly equipped them and picked the boy up. Cuddling and comforting him. Trying to at least. It wasn't really working. He'd realized I was preparing to join the fight against the dragons again today.

I couldn't fault him for not being the happy boy he was merely weeks ago. I began to fly to the bunker with him, it'd be safer for him there, though claustrophobia was abundant in our species. The bunker was quite spacious considering everything. Feeling how hard Lael was sobbing, I paused at the bunker's entrance.

"Thia, trade stations with me for today." I said to the woman who is meant to guard the bunker.

"You know we aren't meant to trade." Thia said, appearing to refuse.

"Their parents died yesterday, soul shattered, let the boy keep his sister today." Aust said.

"I wasn't really refusing." Thia argued. "I will do it. Just quiet him so he doesn't draw attention to the bunker."

"I am trying." I replied. "Lael, hear? I will stay with you."

Lael appeared to shudder and tried to calm himself. It turned into shuddering gasps, with large tears still rolling down his small face. My heart broke over this, and my heart broke more that I was unable to vent my own grief, because I had to tend to Lael. I was an adult, so it was expected of me, at a hundred and four years old, I was expected to be responsible. The alrams went off, Aust and I sealed the bunker shut. Lael had gone eerily quiet with fear. Thia was better off to fight in my place because Aust's body was no longer in good condition. His mind slips at times, too.

The sounds that drifted to our ears from outside were horrendous. More death and agony. I was holding Lael, still, for my own comfort as much as for his. When I caught myself beginning to resent Lael for not being able to help our friends and allies in this fight, I set him down. I stroked his face and took a moment to look at him and remember all the things I loved about him. The least of which was that he was my baby brother. I didn't want to let myself have negative feelings towards him. It wasn't his fault our parents had died.

Suddenly, the doors to the bunker were thrown open. The grey dragon was right there and was starting to open it's mouth to breath its breath weapon on us all. Aust threw himself into it's mouth with his blades digging into the dragon's throat. Enraged, the dragon snapped it's mouth shut, chomping Aust in half. I launched into an attack on the dragon. This enraged him further as he swallowed what of Aust was in his mouth. The dragon didn't care about my attacks and snagged several children from inside the bunker, flinging them towards the ground. He swiped with his claws and tore what skin of mine wasn't covered by armor, and damaging one of my wings.

I cast a spell to try and impact him further, but to my horror, Lael had tried to flee the bunker and the dragon grabbed him up in his taloned hand. Before I could do anything for my brother, the dragon, with glee in his eyes, squeezed Lael to death. I screamed and flung myself at the dragon stabbing a dagger into it's eye. The dragon flung Lael off to the side and, though my wing was damaged, I lunged after Lael's body and wrapped my arms around him as we plummeted.

The dragon, in its rage, grabbed me and flung me upwards into the air, ripping and tearing at me with it's claws. My allies activated a banishment spell, just as the magic went into affect, the dragon grabbed me and Lael's body. The three of us were sent somewhere else. Enraged, it shrieked. With nothing it wanted to target nearby but myself, and knowing my wings were damaged beyond the ability to fly, the dragon screamed its rage once more, and squeezed me before flinging me towards the ground. I did my best to wrap my wings around myself, with Lael's broken corpse in my arms.

With my tattered wings and newly broken bones, I plummeted into a building while the dragon used it's lairing action to go home. The initial impact into the roof of the building rattled me, crashing through the second floor tore my left wing from my body, and the final impact- landing- knocked me unconscious.

When I awoke, my body ached, though didn't appear to be broken any longer. With a great deal of alarm I realized my brother was no longer in my arms. ":Lael,:" I said, knowing he couldn't answer. Praying he would.

As I began to open my eyes, a man's voice answered, "Try to take it easy.. You've been through quite a bit."

I turned my head to look at the person who spoke, saw a Goblin. Glancing around, I saw an Elf, and a Goliath as well. Then on a seperate table, and I realized then that I was on a table as well, I saw Lael's body. ":Where is this?:" In spite of the soreness of my body, I began to get off the table, looking at Lael.

":This is my town, Dueling Rivers.:" The Elf answered. ":Don't try to move your wing.. It is being repaired.:"

":It is to heavy to raise.:" I replied, I moved to Lael, and rested my forehead against his. ":I am sorry, Lael.:"

"Someone coming to fix him." The Goliath said.

It occured to me then, that the other two had been speaking Common. This meant I was being rude. I had to think for a moment before I could respond to the man, I turned my eyes on him and said, "To fix the dead?"

"Yup. Dead easier to fix than wing." He replied. He reminded me of Aust.

"Then, I am willing to pay with my chest plate. It is Glassteel." I said slowly. "It would more than cover any material used to repair myself and.." I paused, trying to curb the grief, "..to bring Lael back."

"You should use metal for armor. Protects bones better." The Goliath said.

"Glassteel is unbreakable... Avariel bones are hollow like a birds." I explained, I unlaced the armor at my sides.

"If bones are weak drink milk." The Goliath replied.

I didn't respond to that. Instead, I finished removing my chest piece. And said, "I believe this is the.. Material plane? If so, the chest piece went for over nine thousand gold when last it was noted that Avariel had business with humans. Or I can craft Glassteel for you."

"We are not worried about payment, Child. We did not heal you because we wanted monetary gain." The Goblin said.

The Elf then said, "If we wanted money, we could have just taken the armor and thrown you out. I will expect help fixing my roof, though, you living myth."

I stared at them for a moment and said, "I will try to assist. I know glass smithing, this house is mostly sturdy wood.." I looked back at Lael. My body protesting the movement. The room we were in was barely large enough to keep the claustrophobia at bay. Much like that damned bunker. Many didn't know of our existence. I was minutely surprised over his knowing of us as a myth.

The Elf asked, "How did you get here?"

"My village prepared banishment spells, four. To try and stop the dragon. I stabbed it's eye out when he killed.." My voice choked a little, "Lael. It took us with it when banished."

"Bad dragon. Kershka will break it if it comes back." The Goliath said.

I said, "You are Kershka? I am Cassae, and that will be Lael, again."

"And where is your village, precisely?" The elf asked.

".. That is.. difficult to answer. It is called the Aerie of the Snow Eagles. Avandor." I answered. "It's a layer to Arborea."

"That's going to be difficult to send you back to a place we don't know it's location." The Elf replied.

"I can not guarantee anyone is there, still. They discussed relocating before the attack." I sighed. "I don't know if they settled on any place to go, but once the dragon was banished, they had to have spoken more on it. The children were attacked directly."

"So you don't even know if your village will be there even if you make it back there?" The Elf summed it up.

I nodded, a door in the house opened, then closed, with a Lion Folk walking into this room and directly to Lael. She placed a hand on him and began to hum a tune. Two human children trailed behind her.

"Hello, you look better now." The boy child said.

I looked down at him, amused, rather than insulted by the child speaking out of turn. Perhaps that was the way of this plane. I wasn't sure how to respond to the child. So I agreed, saying, "I am not as broken." I looked back at Lael. Not sure I believed them entirely.

"Can I see your eyes?" The girl child blurted. Then she corrected herself and said, "Sorry, that was rude."

In response, I lowered myself, and said, "My eyes are unusual to you. It's fine. Mine are not as pretty.. as Lael's." My eyes turned to him, before I looked back at the child. She approached and I noticed that rather than meet my eyes, she looked lower on my face.

"Thomas, look, her eyes look like metal." The girl said.

The boy, Thomas, squint looked at me and said, "I wouldn't recommend trying to block anything with eyeballs."

"There is a spell called, 'Eye Bite'. I do not know it." I said, to amuse the kids.

"Does that mean your eyeballs bite something or do you summon an eyeball that bites something?" Thomas asked.

"Neither. Your eyes become black voids and you cast Asleep, Panicked or Sickened on a person." I said. "It is an odd spell."

"That has nothing to do with biting." He said, offended. "Unless you bite them when your asleep. That'd be weird."

"What school is that spell?" The girl asked curiously.

"Necromancy." I answered, turning my gaze back to my brother.

"Necromancy has weird spells." Thomas said.

I agreed. After an hour had passed, Lael took a deep breath, and opened his eyes. He cried, then, for our mother beginning to sob and say, ":Amille.:"

":Oh, Lael, she is gone, but I am here.:" I said, smoothing his hair. He looked at me for a moment before flinging himself at me, continuing to cry while I tried to sooth him.

"I was expecting tears." The Elf said, rubbing his ear, "I was not expecting this."

"I apologize. He is a baby, still. And I am a failure at soothing him." I apologized.

The Lion Folk woman, took out a lute and walked out of the room, beginning to play a song, "Keep whining Tilton. Your distress brings me joy."

"Little girl, I can still drag you out back." The Elf threatened.

"That would interrupt my spell. I can't recommend it." The woman retorted.

"And what spell are you doing in my house!" The Elf, clearly 'Tilton', demanded to know.

"Oh, shut it." She said. Her voice sounded further away.

Lael had settled himself some, listening to the two bicker. Tilton left the room, "I swear to the Gods, if you are destroying more of my house!" A second later he said, "Oh. Well, carry on."

The kids went to check out what was going on. Kershka seemed to laugh a bit, and the Goblin came closer to check on Lael. Lael seemed to have gone silent again, at least he was calming his tears now.

"Well, it would seem the spell went off without a hitch." The goblin said. "Are you two hungry? I am sure we could scavenge something around here."

"We would appreciate it. You all really want no payment?" I said.

"Indeed. No payment." The Goblin said in a gentle tone.

":Lael, this man helped us, when you feel up to speaking, I would like you to say 'Thank you'.:" I said to Lael, then I looked at the Goblin, "Thank you, then. For helping us. I needn't understand why to express gratitude."

He shrugged and said, "If nothing else, Tilton would have brought you back, just to get an answer."

"To what?" I asked.

"Why a dragon dropped you through his roof. He's very particular about his retirement home." The Goblin said.

"Is he not young to retire?" I asked, confused.

"Who? Tilton?" The Goblin asked. After I nodded, he said, "He is, very, just a boy, really."

I thought he was being sarcastic. "Quessir do not usually retire until around six hundred fifty years in age."

"He decided he wanted to retire young." The Goblin responded, amused.

"... Is it peaceful around here, then?" I asked.

"That's a difficult question. It's more peaceful now, I would say." He replied.

"Are there dragon assaults here regularly?" I asked.

"No. There are a couple of dragons around here, but they don't assault anyone." He answered.

"Chromatic?" I inquired.

"Metallic." He stated.

I relaxed and said, "Then I should settle Lael and I around here. Chromatic dragons hunted my kind to near extinction and are doing so again. Metallic dragons do not tolerate chromatic."

"No, they do not. I am pretty sure one of them is still trying to find that grey." He agreed.

"I should make a gift for the dragon," I decided.

"Daddy!" The girl child ran back in, "Snow fixed up Tilton's house!"

"Oh, did she? I suppose I'll have to go take a look at that." The Goblin replied to the girl.

The Lion woman, Snow, walked back in finishing her song. The magic laced within the beautiful music she played cleaned the room and our clothing. She called it a nifty spell and I mentally agreed. Snow bid everyone a good day, teased Tilton, hugging Kershka before leaving. She told Tilton she'd talk to him later.

The goblin and the girl child asked me questions, which I answered while gently rubbing Lael's back. After I'd answered some of their curiosities the goblin waved us into the kitchen. The children appeared to leave for the moment. I hadn't paid any attention to what they'd said.

"Why is it that your people stay away from the material plane?" Tilton asked suddenly.

"Covert racism?" I asked. "Many of the Aril Tel Quessir consider land dwellers to be lesser."

"Lesser flyers, certainly." Tilton said.

"In many cases only other avian creatures are considered equal." I told him. "I don't personally have any inclination to look down on others.. Unless I have to."

"Well, I wouldn't recommend flying any time soon, until that heals." Tilton replied.

"It's a shame." I sighed. "When it is healed I can take you or the Goblin to the sky, I will not drop you. I think Kershka is a little outside my abilty, though."

"Kershka likes staying on ground." Kershka said, looking nervous.

"It is a good thing you are large, then." I said.

"No bird take Kershka away." He agreed.

"A fear I wish we could all put aside." The Goblin said.

"I am not a cruel person, I wouldn't take anyone off the ground that didn't have wings, or didn't want to. Just as I would hope that Lael and I would not be caged. Avariel are afraid of tight or enclosed spaces." I said.

"Not good information to share with most people, but it is good that you won't do that." The goblin said.

"Comsider it my own way of making things even. I know your fear, you know mine." I said.

"I feel it's a valid fear of anyone's to be swooped up into the air." The Goblin retorted. "But indeed, we are even."

Tilton was preparing food. "I would hope you do not have any food allergies, because I do not know them."

"I don't know if there are any." I said, then I looked at Lael. I preened his feathers some. Lael was looking around. He didn't seem to like this room much. When he looked up at me and saw me looking at him, he nuzzled my chest. I stroked his head while he did so. ":There now, Lael. You're a good boy, aren't you? Will you speak?:"

I gave him a moment, before I decided he wouldn't talk after all. I smiled at him and said, ":That's ok. You can take your time and begin to speak again at your pace. I will not grow angry with you.:"

Lael stretched his little wings out, then tucked them back in. ":I will take you outside shortly and you can fly, then.:" I told him. ":I can't chase you right now, though. My wing fell off, and these people put it back on, so it is healing.:" He looked at my wing and touched it. It was very painful, but I kept myself from showing Lael. I did still flinch slightly, but Lael didn't notice.

"Careful, little one. A lot of things are being sewn together right there." The Goblin told him.

":He said to be careful, a lot of things are being sewn together there.:" I repeated for Lael. "He has only just turned two, he only understands Elvish and Auran currently, and only speaks Elvish enough to be understood."

":My apologies, little one, I will speak in a language that is easier to understand.:" The Goblin said in flawless Elvish.

Lael looked at the Goblin then. "I will start teaching him common." I said. Lael was still looking at him. "I appreciate your effort at being understood by him. He hasn't spoken since yesterday morning."

"It sounds like you two have been through some traumatic experiences as of late, it's understandable if he doesn't wish to speak." The Goblin said in a gentle tone.

"Thank you for your understanding." I said.

Tilton had finished making the food he was preparing. He directed his friend to set up the table and I offered to help, shifting Lael to my hip.

"Alright, plates are right over there." The goblin directed me.

I followed his direction selecting the number of plates I was told to retrieve, enough for each of us, and the two kids. Though, I was clumsy on my feet, keeping my wongs tucked closely allowed me to not drop anything, I set the plates before chairs, and Tilton served the food, directing people where to sit, since it was his house. He seemed to be trying to be grumpy, or maybe he was grumpy and trying to not be? The two kids arrived back at this point with treats for everyone.

Lael was looking at the strange bread the girl had given him. When he poked the middle of the bread, Elven Pillow she called it, I said, ":Why don't you try a bite, Lael?:"

With the encouragement, Lael ripped some off and tried it. He then scarfed the bread with great enthusiasm, which made me smile. ":Slow up, a little next time, ok?:" I started sharing the one the girl gave me with him after trying it myself. It was sweet and dissipated like spun sugar.

"He truly seems to enjoy it." Goblin said.

"Many Quessir do enjoy sweet things. The texture is like spun sugar." I replied, a smile still on my face. I'd lost Lael, too, just a short time ago, and now he is enjoying himself. It made me happy to see this.

"My name's Bryna, by the way." The girl, Bryna said.

"That is a nice name, Bryna." I said.

"Thank you. What color do you and Lael like?" Bryna asked.

"Lael likes purple colors. I like this color." I said, taking a rhodonite stone out of my pocket and showing it to her. It was pink and black with flecks of white and gold.

"Ooh. That's pretty." Bryna said.

"A late friend named Aust gave it to me." I said. "Aust often said he was like a penguin."

"A penguin..?" Bryna asked.

"A black and white flightless bird that lives in frozen places." I explained. "To be fair, he went mad four years ago."

"Why did he go mad?" Bryna asked.

"Sometimes great age and loss does that." I said after a moment.

The girl nodded thoughtfully and said, "Your wings are pretty. Lael's too."

"I always thought my wings were plain and over large." I replied. "Lael's looks like the sky at night. Your hair is also lovely, and matches your eyes. I didn't think metalic eye colors were natural outside of Avariels."

"Yes, yes, you are both pretty, now will you actually eat?" Tilton said waving his hand with the words.

Bryna laughed and I glanced at him before saying, "You are a very good cook."

"Damn right, I am." He said. "Now eat your food."After a moment, he asked, "Who is this child to you?"

"He is my baby brother. Orphaned yesterday by the same dragon. I'm the only one who would take care of him." I answered.

"Is he the only family you have?" Goblin asked.

"He is my only sibling. I have other relatives, probably. I'm not sure who was lost today." I told him.

"I feel instead of sending you home, we should pull them here." Goblin commented.

Not having a good answer for that, and with Tilton's further prodding to eat, I made more of an effort to do so. I didn't have a particularly good relationship with food. Most usually I dined alone with no one to observe my habits, and lack of appetite. Lael always has a healthy one, though. Lael patted my arm suddenly and pointed at something on the plate. ":You like that?:" I asked. He nodded, and I smiled at him in response.

Kershka slid more of the stuff towards Lael. Lael gave a big smile, showing off his dimples, more than happy to have some more of it. I finished my plate about the time Lael got full. With another big smile Lael said, ":Thank you.:"

Kershka gave a big smile in return and said, "You're welcome."

I repeated in our tongue for Lael, then used a hankerchief to clean up his face and hands. "Thank you for the meal, and all of your help."

"If you need more of our help, then you can just ask." Goblin said.

"If I need it, I will ask. If you need help, though I am lacking, feel free to ask as well." I replied, then looked at Tilton, "I can clean the dishes, if you'd like."

"By all means, sink is in the back." He replied.

":Lael, behave while I clean up the dishes, ok?:" I told him.

Lael nodded and I began to collect the dirty things, then took them where he indicated the sink was. Bryna started playing with Lael to keep him entertained. The places for everything made perfect sense for them to be for the purpose of cleaning the dishes. The place for them to dry also was clear and made perfect sense. I marveled at the reasonableness of a man's home making sense. Aust's home never had. Nor had Ivellios'. I had figured it was a difference between men and women. I hummed a soft tune while finishing my task.

After I'd finished it, I returned to Lael. Lael was having quite a bit of fun playing with Bryna and Thomas. While I was watching them play, Tilton asked, "What do you all do when you aren't dealing with dragons?"

"Many venerate the gods, others spend time with family. Mostly we fly and study. We tend to be quite clumsy on the land." I answered.

"So no common goal as a culture? No desire for change?" He asked.

"There are two sects, warlike and peaceful. Young are raised with both societies and are allowed to choose which path they prefer. Warlike are geared towards war and power, they spend their lives defending our race. They know no mercy and no surrender." I said. "Peaceful Avariel dedicate their lives to philosophy, scholarly pursuits, and or art. We prefer problem solving through diplomacy and reasoning. Individual persuits are permitted. Does this answer you?"

"It tells me there is no true common goal of your people, even though you are constantly under assault." Tilton replied.

"In particular, no. There is clear reason as to why we were nearly driven to extinction to the point our wingless brethren think us myth." I agreed with him. "I've not had permission to speak on matters for long."

"You need permission to being up survival of your species?" He asked.

"Children are not permitted to speak unless called upon. Even our society does not consider our youth as matured until they are around a hundred years old." I replied.

"Foolish notions." He said.

I nodded and looked back at Lael. I asked, "My weapons didn't happen to make it here, did they?"

"Yes, indeed they did." Tilton answered, and led me to where he'd set them neatly.

I'd looked up from the weapon towards the ceiling I'd come through. "It is amazing that the ceiling was repaired so well. The roof is, as well?" I asked, then collecting my weapons, and putting the arrows in the quiver on my hip.

"Indeed, she has quite the handy spell. I will need to have her stop by Saturdays to clean the place up." Tilton said.

I laughed lightly, then said, "Would you like some of these arrows? They have glassteel heads. They hurt a fair bit more than barbed arrowheads."

"I would like to study them, yes." Tilton replied.

I removed several arrows and offered them to him. "There are few who can make glassteel. I am one such remaining smith."