"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
07-31-2019, 05:32 PM (This post was last modified: 07-31-2019, 05:39 PM by Dracarys.)
DRACARYS
I have never been nothing. I am the blood of a dragon.
“You will know what you ask for, seeking to trade protection for strength.”
She remembers the words. The words of the fairy ring loud and clear in her mind. Those words had haunted her ever since she had come down from the Mountain, but they also had filled her with determination. She wanted more than ever to be a dragon—to be strong and mighty.
All she had to do was simply take. Take what was hers. It always had been hers to take—at least she was told she could. The world was hers her father had told her one day. She didn’t want the protection she had been born with. She wanted to have strength like the dragons.
“You must take something, or someone, valuable from someone you love.”
Strength is what it required her to take from someone she had come to love. Dracarys had never dreamed of easily making a friendship with another. Sure, she had plenty of opportunities to make friends with others, but with @[Felicitey] it had been entirely different. The blue girl liked the winged mare instantly—even if she was jealous of her wings and stealing her monkey.
“You must return what you take after a few weeks and make sure they know you took it.”
A few weeks have passed now since she saw her friend. It had been a difficult couple of weeks. Keeping Dexter from her beloved friend (perhaps even someone she might consider her best friend) had not completely settled with Dracarys. The blue girl had never truly cared about anyone or bothered to feel sympathy for others either until she decided to take Dexter.
There had been many moments she considered returning the monkey back to Felicitey. A couple times she started making her way back to the meadow but only to back around to go back to Loess. She was torn between taking her friend’s companion. Deep down she knew it was wrong. Felicitey was probably have the worst time ever—she imagined at least. She knew she had to be strong in the choice she had made. There was no going back now.
Dracarys made her way back to the meadow during the early afternoon. The day was beautiful—the sun shining brightly down across the meadow, the blue-sky sparkling, and a few clouds dotting across—but she felt a knot within her stomach. It made her feel sick standing here at the border of the meadow.
Dexter sat on top of her back, hanging onto her mane. The blue yearling snorted with annoyance as her silver-blue eyes scanned across the horizon. Today was finally the day she could give Dexter back.
“I’m sure she is here,” she says softly to Dexter. She also hoped that the winged girl was truly here.
The blue yearling makes her way into the meadow. Her pace is slow at first, feeling shameful for the moment she will have to meet face to face with Felicitey. But then she realizes it all will be over soon. The sooner she returns Dexter to the buckskin girl, the quicker she can get rid of the guilt that is drowning her.
Dracarys picks up her pace suddenly. Her head is held a little higher now. She searches across the green grassland, ears flickering here and there. “Felicitey?” She calls out loudly. “Felicitey!” Her voice blurts out more. “Are you here?” Her gaze glances across the meadow wildly, feeling her heart beginning to race and the knot in her stomach tighten more.
She had been lost, completely and utterly lost, with out Dexter. That moment watching Dracarys take off with Dexter had been blindsidingly unpredictable. The girl had not even hinted that she was jealous of Dexter. She had respected her and tucked away her wings when she saw that it had unsettled her. She had tried to lighten the mood when it had ghosted over in discomfort of war talk. What had she done to her to make her want to hurt her in this way?
She had taken Dexter for granted, this is the one thing she had learned since Dracarys had stolen him away. He had been her one constant. Her mother couldn't find her hooves on solid ground for more than a day or two at a time and her father had little to nothing to do with her.
She missed his fingers working through her mane at night to lull her to sleep, and his gentle tugs to remind her that he was always there.
She had found herself curled up on a low thick branch for most of the last couple weeks. Only coming down and morphing into equine to feed herself. She had watched Dracarys carry Dexter off, stunned into lioness form but to confused to do anything but stand there with her toothy jaw hanging in disbelief. That tree is where she found herself today on this perfect day.
Her golden tail dangled solemnly in the space between her and solid ground. She did not hear Dracarys calling for her across the meadow, after all she was still deaf in one ear. If Dexter bad been there he would of alerted her to Dracarys presence, but he wasn't there and so she remained there golden lioness body curled up beneath the shade wallowing in self pity.
As Dracarys came closer Felicitey felt the familiar tug on her mind that was Dexter and her ear perked in excitement. Her heart pulled tight beneath her chest in anxiety. She thought she must have imagined it, but maybe he had escaped Dracarys grasp and found his way back to her. Suddenly her small lioness form unfurled as she dropped from the low branch to the green glass below, a silent call to Dexter as she snuck through the meadows growth.
Her blue and amber eyes peered above the long grass that hid her as the familiar voice of Dracarys finally made it to her ears. How dare she come back here!? After everything she put me through she comes back calling for me? Anger bubbled in the pit of her stomach as she made her way closer, slowly, quietly.
Dexter could feel her pulling him in as she neared and quickly jumped from Dracarys side scurrying away into the tall grasses, he did not want to be mixed up in what was to come. He could sense Feliciteys anger, and though he liked Dracarys - she had been nothing but kind to him while he was away, he did not blame Felicitey for feeling how she did.
When Felicitey was close enough she leapt from the grasses hoping to collide with Dracarys settling herself on top if the girl, teeth bared but her claws remained retracted. She would wait to hear her piece but she would not let her anger go unnoticed It's pretty brave of you, or stupid, to wander back into the lions den after what you did.she spat at the girl. I thought we were friends she said indignantly.
felicitey
who do you think you are? collecting your jar of hearts.
I have never been nothing. I am the blood of a dragon.
Her ears continued to swivel in different directions. Silver-blue eyes jumped from one horse to another quickly as she continued to search across the meadow. She could feel her heart beating so fast. It felt like it was in her throat now.
Dracarys licks her lips, noticing how dry they have become. She shook her head. Her emotions were running high. She has to be here! The blue girl thinks, determined.
Suddenly, Dexter jumps away from her. She quickly gasped. “Dexter!” She yells, fear ringing in her voice. Her eyes dart quickly to see where he disappears into the tall grass. Dracarys takes a few steps forward to chase after the monkey, but she is quickly pushed back by something heavy.
The blue yearling falls onto the ground. She screams loudly surprised by it all. Her eyes open wide, and fear fills them quickly as she stares at the beast upon her. Large teeth—though not as fearsome as an adult lion’s would but are still frightening to her—stare her in the face.
Dracarys heart is racing faster than ever. She gulps loudly when she hears @[Felicitey]’s voice. Shame quickly consumes her fear as she stares back at the young lioness.
“I-I-“ Dracarys tries to find her words. She swallows hard, trying to grasp for anything that can make sense for what she has done. There probably was nothing she could do. The yearling sighs heavily.
She closes her eyes, feeling even more shame take over her where she cannot even look at Felicitey. “I’m sorry Felicitey,” she says finally after a long moment of silence. “I’m really sorry!” She opens her eyes, looking at the young lioness in the eye. “I had to do it,” she confesses. “I had to do it or I would never become a dragon…” Her voice drifts off quietly.
Felicitey watches the girl beneath her with fierce eyes as her tail twitches back and forth aggressively. That is, until Dracary admits to her doings and why she did it. She pauses for a moment, her body still. As she takes in this new information.
A dragon.
Like her mother, she supposed.
What was she suppose to do with this information? Dracarys was really her first friend. She liked the girl the moment she met her. Her blueness had perked her interest and her personality had made it final, that she indeed liked Dracarys. But, she stole from her. No, she kidnapped her best friend and left her defeated for days.
Finally, with out really making much of a decision yet her eyes softened but only a smidge. With a frustrated huff she pushed off of Dracarys pacing a few feet away, turning in frustrated circles as she thought. A dragon. You had to steal Dexter away from me to become a dragon? she wondered outloud. It did not take long for Dexter to find a pause in her pacing and jump to Feliciteys back. Almost as suddenly, while Dexter wrapped his tiny fingers into her fur, rubbing away all the tension from all the familiar places, she began to cry. I was so lost with out him.
Dexter chattered to her while he soothed her. He tried to tell her that Dracarys had been good to him, that she had not hurt him, and that she needed to calm down and understand.
felicitey
who do you think you are? collecting your jar of hearts.
I have never been nothing. I am the blood of a dragon.
After admitting to her crimes, Dracarys remains silent. She watches the young lioness carefully. Uncertainty fills her, barely touching the finer parts of her features. She tries not to show it, but she cannot conceal her emotions right now. They were running too high for her to control.
The blue yearling is not sure what will happen. She tries to read every emotion and movement that she can from her friend. Dracarys liked @[Felicitey] dearly, but not truly knowing how she felt when her world crumbled was almost frightening. Her stomach knotted with fear—not because she was scared for her life, but because she thinks she might have lost her only friend.
Dracarys, holding her breath all of this time, exhales heavily when the lioness moves off of her. The blue girl slowly sits up. She carefully keeps an eye on the girl, watching as she circles in anger. Her ears flicker forward with concern. Dexter jumps on, soothing Felicitey. She is at least thankful that the monkey is here to help sooth her now.
Then she started to cry.
The blue year drops her gaze, suddenly feeling water running down. She blinked a couple of times, not realizing what was happening. Her sight became blurry as warm wet tears fell down her blue cheeks slowly.
“The fairy on the mountain told me I had to,” she mumbles, “She said if I wanted to trade protection for strength, I would need to steal something valuable from someone I loved.” Her gaze drifts slowly back to Felicitey. The tears began streaming down faster. She pauses for a long moment. Her mouth begins to feel dry, but she knows she has to explain more. Felicitey has to understand—she has to make her.
Dracarys licks her lips and then sighs softly. “I never had any friends until I met you, Felicitey.” It had never crossed her mind to ever make any when she was younger. Simply everyone was a steppingstone, and she had the world in her hands (or so her father told her). “And since we started talking, I loved every moment of it,” she admits. It felt wonderful to not think about the problems she was having in her life. However, she could never truly forget about her one ambition. “But I’ve waited long enough for the right opportunity to come. I’m sorry it had to be you. I’m sorry I took Dexter. I’m sorry you felt lost without him…” She trails off.
Her gaze is soft as she looks at Felicitey and she falls silent.
Dexter had calmed the tears away shortly after the other girl started and she swallowed hard as she watched the girls regret bubble to the surface, how hard must it have been to deceive a friend in order to become what was rightfully yours in the first place. she thought.
She stopped pacing sitting down on her haunches for only a moment before getting back up and moving to Dracarys. She rubbed the top of her lioness head under the girls' chin and moving up along her cheek rubbing away the tears that had fallen. You would look beautiful as a dragon. she said softly backing away to take in her friends gaze. I hope you will always be my friend, Dracarys. I hope that once you complete your quest you'll come find me and show me just how brilliant you are, but always remember what you had to do to get there and maybe one day you will be able to help me. she says her large paws scratching gently at the ground.
She did not know where life would take them. She was not so nieve to think that life might not tear them apart or that this moment right now would forever be a rip in their friendship., but right now she had the power to decide to forgive Dracarys.
She smiles a large lopsided grin in the girls direction. Friends forever?
felicitey
who do you think you are? collecting your jar of hearts.
I have never been nothing. I am the blood of a dragon.
She had never thought of opening up to someone like this before. Instead, the blue girl had always kept her thoughts and emotions in check. It was simply the way she had been raised. Being strong and independent was what she was taught to be, but she didn’t know it would always be this lonely.
Dracarys knew if she was to try to save whatever friendship she had left with @[Felicitey] then she needed to know the entire truth. Perhaps it was not only strength she was looking for. Maybe being a dragon meant knowing when to admit you have been wrong too. There was more than just strength in being a dragon after all.
The blue yearling continues to watch her friend as soon as trailed off from her wrong doings. Felicitey had calmed down thanks to Dexter. She then sat down near her. Dracarys wondered what she was thinking. She almost wished she had been born to read minds now. Then suddenly, Felicitey comes closer to her. The young lioness rubs her head under her chin and along the cheeks of where her tears were beginning to dry now.
Soft words are spoken to her. A brief expression of surprise touches her features for a second. Dracarys meets the gaze of the young lioness as she backs away from her. Her ears flicker forward with anticipation as her friend speaks. Happiness gleams quickly in her silver-blue eyes and all traces of her previous feelings of grief fade away.
Dracarys stands up quickly, excitement beginning to fill every attribution of her face. “You really think so?” She asks quietly at first, but the joy within her is beginning to burst. There was no chance she was losing her friend today. “I hope to always be your friend too, Felicitey. You are the best of friend I could ever hope to have!” She says with joy as a smile grows large and wide across her lips. “I will never forget your kindness, Felicitey! You will always have my help when you need it.” Dracarys promises. She would never forget the kindness her friend showed her today.
If anything, she didn’t know how wonderful it was to meet Felicitey until now. The yearling never thought that their meeting would end up coming to this. She made her first friend. And now she was finally becoming a dragon!
“Friends forever and always!” She says in reply and then lets out a soft neigh of excitement.
Dracarys quickly takes a step to the right, excitement bursting through her long legs, towards the mountain. She glances from the young lioness to the mountain then back to Felicitey. “I have to go now! I have to tell the fairy I completed her quest, and then I promise I will show you!” She bursts and takes another couple steps towards the mountain. Dracarys halts quickly and then turns around and rushes to Felicitey. She rubs her head against her feline friend quickly. “Thank you! Thank you!” She quickly says, and then runs off towards the direction of the mountain.
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