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ArgenteaMoon
Entry Eleven
Voltaic was impressed with Noir's performance in the battlefield today, he was certainly quick. He wondered, if he could run escort missions or deliver messages to nearby clans? He scowled slightly as he thought these words, What was he talking about? They knew no one else, and have not seen another dragon for weeks.
He returned to the proximity of his lair, and heard the youngest of the clans chirping away, they were playing at the gate, getting the last of the sun before night fell. Coronia, the red tundra, was growing a lot quicker than the other two, was it because he was lightning born? Only stormcatcher knew. "Hey children, What did you get up to today?" He asked, laying down on his side and relaxing his wings a little. The children scampered up to him in greeting. Sonata, the Mirror, licked his face affectionately, before jumping back down and nipping Garrik's tail. He yelped, but still he did not speak.
Coronia was vastly different to Garrik. He was energetic and spoke very fast, but it seems as if he cannot focus on one subject at a time. "We made stormcatcher dolls!" He cheered, triumphantly pulling out his doll - it was supposed to represent their deity somehow.
It was scruffy and was missing an eye and had a strange smell to it. "What is it that you stuffed it with, Corr?" The spring guardian asked, tossing his head away in slight disgust, but did not show it as so not to upset the red tundra. "With this!" He ran back over to the ransacked pile of materials, and returned with a tuft of fur in his mouth.
"Where did you even get that..." He asked softly, before Garrik caught his eye. He had his own Stormcatcher in his claws, it was much neater and could pass as a decent doll. "Garrik...That's wonderful. You did this all yourself?" He smiled slightly, it was hard talking to this kid, the whole not speaking deal. The purple dragon nodded once, and nudged his head into the soft material. These kids certainly made the lair much more lively. "Ack!" He winced, and lifted his paw. There was a hanging white Mirror clamped to the end of it, drooling slightly. "Gryryyyhrhh.." He growled playfully, before the Guardian placed him back on the floor.
"I'd better go check in with MBoss, come in soon okay?" He said, looking them over once more, before entering the Lair. It was dotted with torches and some carvings lined the walls. He heard a rhythmical thumping of wood further down the hall. What was that woman up to? He entered and saw her back to him, working away. Her ridges along her spine vibrated slightly when the wood struck the object each time. She didn't even notice his presence! Voltaic cleared his throat, as to notify her of his arrival. "Sorry to-" The ridgeback cried out slightly in surprise and hustled to hide the object in her claws. "Voltaic! You are back so soon- ahm, let us leave this room." She said, quickly leading the male out of the room, and back into his own room.
Well wasn't that obvious she was hiding something? A sly grin started to cover the guardians face, as he leant in to the Ridgeback. "What was THAT?" He quipped, chuckling slightly. She frowned slightly, before returning to her professional composure. "Regardless....Report of Noir?" She continued, staring straight at him. "He is quick, pretty quick. Dodged a lot of attacks, and knows when to flee." Voltaic rolled his eyes slightly, recounting his day with the adolescent. "Yes, he was cocky, but I think he has learnt." He stopped, and waited.
"And where is the boy now?"
"He said he went out foraging, looking for a medicinal plant. He should be back soon."
"The boy is not always truthful." MBoss said sadly.
"MBoss...I am sure he will return shortly. Have faith in Stormcatcher."
"...Maggie."
"What?"
"My name...Maggie.." The ridgeback hid her face slightly, embarrassed. But she wanted Voltaic to know her real name.
"Why are you so embarrassed? It is a nice name, It sounds like a Leaders name." The guardian nudged the female slightly with his shoulder, "I mean, I dont even know what Voltaic is. What is a Voltaic?" He chuckled slightly, anything to get the ridgeback to smile again. She was always so serious, but when she let loose a little, she was beautiful.
A small purr omitted from her throat slightly, and that was probably the closest he was going to get to a laugh.
There was a sound of rapid hooves leaving the lair, but Voltaic and Maggie did not hear them. There were familiars running in and out all the time, there was no need for alarm.
Sonata barked slightly as the Woman Centaur that Noir had nursed back to health, rushed out of the proximity of the lair and into the thicket. The sun had set, and the orange light started to leave long dragging shadows across the plateau.
----
Fear rendered the black guardian frozen. He stood there, with the soft rose in his jaw, eyes locked with one of the archers. The arrow was adorn with a red feather, and the arrow tip looked like a regular arrowhead. What was he going to do? His wing twitched slightly and unnerved one of the Centaurs, causing him to shoot the arrow at the ground, a mere meter away from Noir's snout. It snapped him out of his trance and he writhed his body around. He roared loudly, his voice reverberating through the hollow trees. The other centaur took its chance and shot at the dragon. Being the agile dragon, and high on adrenaline, he narrowly missed the arrow. The beastclan enemies scurried to pull out another arrow, Now was his chance - Fight or Run?
Dont be an idiot! Run!
He quickly turned tail and fled, he ran as quick as his claws could carry him, the thicket too thick to fly out of. The centaurs pursued him, firing rouge arrows at him. They managed to keep up with him, but the arrows only just in range. The thicket started to thin as they approached the Shifting Expanse. He could see the sky! The dark, star-filled sky. It was night. Wait, he could see the sky! Unfurling his wings, he shoved himself from the ground as hard as he could, and flapped for dear life. He lifted himself into the air, but moments after he was airborne, one of the arrows pierces the thin skin that connected his right wing to his body.
He descended quickly and cried out in desperation and pain. There were more hooves approaching. The two rangers trotted up to him and pulled out some thick rope. Noir thrashed about, swinging his heavy tail from side to side, as he tried to stand back up. The red feathered arrow stuck painfully in his wing, rendering him unable to fold it safely.
The hooves got louder, Where was it coming from?
The beastclan centaurs spoke to one another, and the female pulled out a hatchet, as the other readied the rope. This was it!
There was a flash of white and a spurt of blood, as the hatchet-wielding centaur was suddenly on the ground, writhing in pain and drowning in its own blood - a blue feathered arrow stuck in its throat. Was there a war between two clans? The partner dropped the rope and went to the dying centaurs side, when the hooves finally arrived.
It was the centaur he had been nursing back to health! "You!" He croaked, and the blue centaur stood her ground, arrows poised. Speaking in their native tongue, she seemed to shout at them, and they fled. Leaving their weapons behind. "They will be back - stronger. We must go." She hushed in draconic, leaning down to help the Guardian up. "You...Knew i was in trouble?" Noir teared up slightly, before he cried into her shoulders. He had never been so scared in his life, and to think all this time Voltaic and Mum had been risking their lives just to bring food home.
---
The moon was at its highest when Noir and the centaur made it back home. The ridgeback was sitting at the peak of the lair, her glowing cyan eyes glinting in the dark. She glided down to greet her son, and to scold him, and to hug him. It was a very strange situation to be in, but when she touched him, Noir grunted in pain. The arrow was still lodged in his body.
"We'd better take a look at that..." MBoss whispered in a calming tone, as the hyperventilating guardian nestled into his mothers arms, finally calming down. Voltaic entered the room, with a wet fabric. "You showed me this Noir." He said, "So you know what to expect." He said rather calmly. It was an antiseptic concoction, and applying it to open wounds hurt a lot, but it cleaned it out and prevents infections. It was an original recipe he came up with, back when Voltaic had his eye infection. Nodding once, he glanced away, biting his lip as he anticipated the pain. The material was applied and a burning sensation lashed across his body and caused him to cry out in pain. He sobbed slightly, but he would be strong. This was stormcatchers will. He will die another day.
After the arrow was removed, he was left alone to rest. He fell asleep almost instantly when he laid his head down, and broke out into a sweat throughout the night. He awoke early in the morning, and sat up quickly. He glanced at his skin and noticed blotches started to appear all over his body. Oh no...He was infected! A young Coronia was out of his bed, having gotten a drink in the night and passed Noir's room just at this moment. He stared at a moment before forcing a loud whisper, "Whoa! You got spots!" And giggled, running back to his room.
The guardian stared wide eyed, before laying back. He was still sweating, but...Spots? Blotches? Blemishes? What were they? They were not raised or felt scabby at all. They were a lighter grey in the center, and lined with thick black lines around it.
OOC: I scavenged two stormcatcher dolls today. Two!
