Tigerblood

Ping Esmara

Registered Koi Types, which redrange-black-redrange is not. But Swapped Showa Sanshoka? Yessssssss. Range: Copper-Brick / Maize-Midnight / Copper-Brick

Some hatchlings, Andromeda immediately screams, ''SHINY!'' and declares they are staying. Others -- well, at least Tigerblood -- she contemplates for some time, then goes off into her own little cubbyhole in the lair... and when she comes out, declares, ''KEEPING!''

Tigerblood doesn't yet know for sure what the lair's leader has in store for him, but the company is good! He especially likes going out with the other Spirals and flopping on Light In Dark's back when they get tired.

(In truth, Andromeda is in a dither, because she thinks he could be SO KYOOT, but there are so many ways!) Tigerblood has spent some time being a work in progress. Not a shabby fellow, but still a bit common. He hunts for the lair from time to time, or helps train those who are destined for other homes and would like to practice with equals instead of being dragged into fights far beyond their skills, to learn from watching the hunt-master October (and from being pounded a lot by the things they're hunting).

And now... now, there are strange, new dragons wandering about in the markets -- like Tundra, but with far longer claws, and horns. They're baffled by everything they see. They have strange opinions on the luxuries some dragons prefer or take for granted.

Their eyes are ice-colored, and Tigerblood... His grandfather was from Ice flight. Something stirs in his swift-beating Spiral heart.

Something is calling to him, and he winds his way above the gatherings where dragons sell potions or trinkets, buy contracts and supplies. He watches the heavy-furred ones, and he yearns.

''There's a magic,'' Nixie said, alighting beside Tigerblood as he coiled restlessly, watching as the newest hatchlings were taken to the market squares and shown how to put down their names for contracting to other lairs. ''You've seen how it works, with Lani. You were there. You even considered it yourself.'' It wasn't clear how the dark Fae knew these things. It never was, and there was no use in asking.

Tigerblood sighed. ''But they've only recently come from the Icefields.''

''There's a magic,'' Nixie repeated in her quiet Fae monotone. ''You have to decide what's calling to you. You must. Or you will fly from here and serve the gods, despite your parents. Despite the leader. Despite what you want yourself.'' She fluttered her crests at him in some obscure Fae meaning, then fluttered her wings likewise and was gone, off on her own errands at the market.

Tigerblood tied himself around the tree-branch, got stuck, and dangled for a while. Yearning.

''Seeker!'' Andromeda announced, leading one of the shaggy Gaoler dragons into the open place that the lair's diggings all debouched into. ''Seeker looking for Shade!''

One by one, the various dragons of the scrublair emerged from their midday napping spots. Spiral Xiu coiled amidst her Imperial mate's horns, Skydancer Tigris riding Ivory's back and warning him that he wasn't to wander off with strange dragons again... Ridgebacks and Mirrors, Coatl and Wildclaws...

And Tigerblood, of course. He coiled amidst one of the low, twisted trees that the lair's Tundras kept alive, and tried to be still and watchful, despite his nature.

Their Snapper, Light In Dark, strode forward. ''It's an honor, Seeker. I don't think we've dug up any Shade here, but of course I can lead you around the area.''

The Gaoler was gray and white, with curling antlers like a crown around her head. ''I will take you up on that. But first I would like to sniff about. This land is...'' She looked around at the arid surroundings. ''...very different from home.''

Hunt-master October said, ''We've dug wells, of course, in the lair proper. Have you had a drink recently?''

The Gaoler prodded at a flattened waterskin that hung from a mostly-hidden-by-fur belt around her waist. ''I would not say no to a refill.''

Royal Midnight intoned, ''Then we should bring you down to the best well. This way.'' Imperially, he strode for one of the lair openings, with the Gaoler following. She sniffed about as she walked, like the Tundras -- but more alert. Seeking danger. Nodding her antlered head at the other dragons who followed along curiously.

Tigerblood tried to wait till everyone had cleared out... But then his Spiral urgency took over and he darted into the cave like a red and black arrow.

Sadly, even an arrow had to weave through the assorted dragons who were also following curiously. If Imperial antlers weren't in his way, similarly-sized Fae or his fellow Spirals were. The lair's few Pearlcatchers also fluttered along, and Tigerblood bounced off one's pearl in his attempt at headlong flight.

So it was that by the time he got to the domed well-room -- with easy access to the cauldron, for the Bogsneaks and familiars who tended it -- the Gaoler had drunk her fill, replenished her waterskin, and was now sniffing dubiously at one of the corridors that led from the larger chamber.

]	''Is something wrong?'' Royal Midnight asked. ''What does this lead to?'' the Gaoler said, which wasn't a reply. Youko, a vividly yellow ''Bogskink,'' fluttered her wings in remembered distress. ''Oh, that's where those hatchlings were.''

''Those hatchlings?'' the Gaoler said.

Royal Midnight answered delicately, ''It was a large clutch. Most of them were Bogsneaks. They, ah, created a bog for themselves. The floor still hasn't dried out entirely, even though they nearly all went off to fight the Shade, some time ago.''

''Hmm.'' And the Gaoler slipped into the corridor. Royal Midnight exchanged a glance with Andromeda, and the two followed.

Nixie hovered in the corridor after them, and shook her head. ''The room is too small,'' she murmured. ''Leave them to it.''

It wasn't long before the trio of dragons returned -- no matter how many eternities had passed in Tigerblood's Spiral heart -- with the Gaoler saying, ''No, it's not truly broken through -- but there's something Shade-touched down there. I wouldn't dig further.''

''You hear,'' Andromeda said to the Ridgebacks, seriously. ''No digging further there. Something in the mud. Maybe from cauldron. Those children.'' She shook her head ruefully.

''Do you believe we need to move the lair, Seeker?'' Royal Midnight asked.

She sat and picked muddy dirt off her long, sturdy claws. ''Might be safer. But it'd still need watching.'' She looked around thoughtfully, considering the various Tundras. Her gaze rested on Kusha, the eldest, with his gray coloring and white-touched mane, and Ice eyes. She opened her mouth.

''No!'' Tigerblood wailed, and flung himself forward in a blind panic. ''Nonononononono!''

Startled, the Gaoler reared back at the appearance of a Spiral immediately in front of her face, and Tigerblood followed, reaching out his small armwings in a gesture that even he didn't understand.

The Gaoler thumped her tail in alarm, and before anyone could snatch the Spiral out of the way, a huge chunk of ice manifested around him, falling to the floor.

''Tigerblood!'' cried an ice-colored, arcane-eyed Spiral, zipping over to land beside her encased child and begin scratching at the chunk with her tiny claws. ''Tigerblood! Is he all right? Will he be all right?'' ''I... I'm sorry,'' the Gaoler said, ''I don't know -- he's not blessed by the Icewarden... I didn't mean to harm--''

(Above them, a small, dark Fae read from a scroll in a monotone buzz.)

The small berg cracked. Then again, and again, with sounds like breaking branches. Twin antlers broke free, as if the ice were an egg that was suddenly too small for a fast-growing hatchling within. Silver Bandit zipped away to hover with the rest of the Spirals at a safer distance, near the top of the chamber, while the Ridgebacks and Guardians spread their wings to defend the rest of the onlookers, wincing as shattering ice sent little shards into them.

And when they lowered their wings...

A shaggy Gaoler stood amidst the former prison, in vibrant reds and oranges and severe black, all dappled with snow-white patches.

''Oh,'' said the former Spiral, shaking his head and turning in a slow circle as he tried to see his own antlers. ''Oh, grandfather. So that's what I needed. I understand now.''

The Seeker pondered her new kin and scratched her shoulder with a hindclaw. ''Well, I suppose there'll be someone to keep a nose out for further Shade problems, at least.''

Bringing another former Spiral back to the lair was... not what Tigerblood had thought he'd be doing that night. Which was certainly better than plunging frantically into the market whose lights had been rivaling the lightning flashes for brightness, chasing after a terrible Shade-scent that had been growing stronger and stronger.

He kind of wished Nixie -- and Bisera -- would talk about things to other people before this sort of situation happened. Obviously they'd been aware of something. But seers were weird, apparently.

So was the stumbling female who half-clutched his back with her wing, staggering along beside him. (He hoped that she didn't decide she needed to fight him. She was a little bigger. Not in any shape to fight anyone, at least. ...he hoped his side-scales weren't rubbing through her fur, too.)

Finally, he got them back into range of the other lair-mates, and Light in Dark got under the Gaoler female's other wing, so she could be guided to where Wildclaw Lani was strewing rugs and fabrics to make a soft bed that would still be near enough for Tigerblood to keep an eye on the Shade-mud room.

As he and the Snapper helped the female settle, she whispered up at them, ''Why are you helping me?'' He gently bumped her antlers with his. ''Shh. It'll be all right. Rest now.''

April 1, 2022 fortune: Have you asked why is your familiar?