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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 06/18/2014 5:19 PM

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It was not a skull, but the bone white, shelled countenance of a male Carapace Paragon. The rest of the his body, save for the spikes on his tail, was a dappled mix of pitch black and dark green, which made his face stand out in the darkness. Upon his back were a set of six, iridescent dragonfly wings, glowly eeriely in the moonlight. His eyes, too, looked rather sinister- two red orbs floating in the deathly mask that was his head. Karin felt something tighten within her. Was Ralkner sure that this fellow could be trusted?

"Is this your daughter?" the Carapace rasped, stepping into the den. If a rattlesnake could talk, Karin imagined it would sound like him. "She seems perfectly fit."

"Oh, she's not the one who's sick," Ralkner explained. He pushed past the apothecary and pointed to Rafale, sleeping soundly in her nest. "The hatchling is the one I want you to look at."

As the stranger walked towards Rafale, Karin sidled up to her father and whispered in his ear. "Um, dad, are you sure this guy is...reputable?"

"I'll have you know that I'm perfectly trustworthy!" the Carapace hissed in response, turning to glare at her. Karin jumped. She hadn't expected the doctor to be able to hear her. "My name is Mercurio. I travel all around the world, making curatives for anyone who needs them. Your father was wise to seek me out. There is no one better qualified to treat your sister than me."

"Karin, please give our guest some respect," Ralkner scolded. "He's come a long way. We need to let him do his work."

Karin flinched. She wasn't used to being reprimanded, and it stung like a wasp. Glowering, she backed up into a shadowy corner of the den and made herself comfortable. So be it, she thought. I guess I'll just sit here and watch what this creep does.
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"If everyone is one, none will be afraid."

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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 06/18/2014 5:41 PM

Ralkner went to nudge Rafale awake. The Pipe let out an exhausted, confused chirp, slowly lifting her head to examine her surroundings. When her eight eyes landed on Mercurio, she screamed shrilly, perhaps making the same visual mistake as Karin, and scrambled out of her nest. Ralkner blocked her way with his foreleg and drew her in.

"Shh, it's all right, Rafale," the father murmured. "Daddy's here. You don't have be afraid of anyone."

"For a supposedly sick hatchling, she sure runs fast," Mercurio grunted. "Let me take a look at her."

Ralkner gently pushed his trembling daughter towards the apothecary, who began sniffing at her in earnest. Mercurio grumbled contemplatively and proceeded to angle his head this way and that, examining Rafale from all directions. He ordered Ralkner to hold the baby still as he placed one finger on her neck, counting her pulse. Finally, he put his ear to her chest and listened to her breathing.

"Is there any history of illness in your family?" Mercurio asked, scratching something into the dirt.

"No, but my mate...died laying Rafale's egg. She bled out after she pushed the egg through."

Some more scratches were laid down. "Has Rafale been sick prior to this?"

"She caught a bit of a cold in her first few days, and she always seemed very tired after playing. I didn't think much of it at first since most hatchlings do the same, but then she began to look...blue. I might also mention that we had to help her out of her egg. She was having a hard time breaking free."
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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 06/18/2014 6:00 PM

Mercurio took note of this and spent a moment pondering all that was said. After a minute or so of thought and continuing to observe Rafale, he cleared his throat and gazed sharply at Ralkner. "Well, it's not any kind of disease. Hatchlings can pick up nasty viruses and bacteria that may cause similar symptoms, but I didn't smell anything on her suggesting that. It shouldn't be from that cold she got, either."

Ralkner's tension started to ease, but then the Carapace held up a hand. "I wouldn't get too excited though," he added. "What your daughter has is likely to affect her for the rest of her life."

The Voidbringer's expression dropped. "What...does that mean?"

"I suspect that your daughter suffers from a congenital defect in either her heart, lungs, or both. Her vitals are low, and this blue tint is generally seen in hatchlings that have difficulty getting enough oxygen in their bodies. This may have been caused partly by the birth complications your mate faced. This also might be a genetic mutation gone awry. In any case, your daughter will be physically weaker than most dragons, though on the bright side, her condition is not necessarily fatal. Just make sure she doesn't exert herself too much and give her plenty of rest. I can even recommend some herbs to keep her strength up."

Though the doctor's words were not entirely grim, only one thing rang through Karin's mind. Defect. Defective. My sister is defective. My mother gave her life to lay that egg, and how did the baby turn out? Defective. With such a flimsy body, she won't be able to do anything on her own, and dad will probably make me take care of her again. That's it. I'm going to be a babysitter forever.

Defective.

Defective.
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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 01/01/2015 6:17 PM

Rafale improved as she aged. The herbs worked their magic, and that frightening shade of blue no longer appeared in her silvery scales. She was now the same size as the full grown deer which occasionally wandered across Wood tribe lands. However, she still tired more quickly than the other young Paragon in the tribe. Play dates were extremely short, for it only took a few minutes of romping around to leave Rafale totally out of breath. The little Pipe always crept back to her den dejectedly afterwards; she loved being outdoors and desired to run around the entire territory. But Ralkner chided her whenever she expressed this wish to him. "Your health isn't that good, child," he'd tell her, gently tapping the top of her head with a claw. "You need to stay close to home so papa and sister can look after you, and so you can get lots of rest."

On Karin's part, she slowly grew to detest waking up every morning. She normally thought that time flew too fast, faster than even she could on her swift wings, but the years spent watching Rafale grow up were slow. Between constantly watching her sister and going out to gather the herbs Mercurio prescribed for the yearling Pipe's medication, the Voidbringer found little time for the hobbies she once enjoyed. Even when taking care of Rafale together with their father, Karin lacked the chance to go on her morning flights with friends.
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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 07/21/2015 1:58 PM

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One day, while Ralkner was out hunting, a blue and white Pipe Paragon with brilliant green and black feathers landed outside of the den. She stepped inside to find Rafale playing with a pile of moss as Karin was dozing off to the side. The Pipe sighed and rapped on the den wall a few times to get the sisters' attention. Rafale's head shot up, and Karin let out a low moan.

"Falling asleep while on your babysitting job?" the Pipe said, looking back and forth between the two.

"Sister, sister!" Rafale cried. She hopped over to Karin and shook the Voidbringer's shoulder, finally jolting her awake. "Who is this?"

Karin pushed Rafale to the side and stood slowly. She rubbed her eyes and blinked at the visitor. In her drowsy state, she thought for a moment that her mother had magically come back from the dead, but eventually the face clicked in her mind. "O-oh, Nina!" she gasped. "What are you doing here?"
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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 07/24/2015 12:55 AM

Nina strolled to Karin's side. She looped her arm over the Voidbringer's shoulders and gave Karin a gentle squeeze. "What am I doing here?" she repeated. "Checking in on you, of course! I haven't seen you flying in ages, dear! I was wondering what my good friend and rival has been up to. But I guess you've been doing the same old stuff, hm?"

Nina glanced over at Rafale, who was looking back at her with wide, curious eyes. Karin groaned and nudged their guest back towards the mouth of the den. "Let's talk outside," she said. "I need some fresh air. Rafale, you better stay put, all right?"

Rafale pouted, but she lowered her head in subordination. "All right," she sighed. "I want to go outside too, but if that's what you say..."

She waved goodbye to the older Paragon and resumed her little game with the moss pile, not seeing the look of relief on her sister's face.
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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 07/24/2015 1:17 AM

Karin yawned and stretched her entire body once she and Nina were outside. Now that her good friend was here, she desperately wanted to return to the plain and fly somewhere far together, leaving her sister and her stress behind. But she knew better than to do that. If their father returned and she was gone, she would never hear the end of it. Karin proposed a short walk around the heart of the territory instead.

"She's a handful, huh?" Nina began, as they moved away from the den.

"Who, Rafale?" Karin replied. "Ugh, tell me about it. All I want to do is hang out with you and everyone else, but my dad is ridiculous. He thinks something will happen to Rafale if she even goes unsupervised for one second, and when I'm not watching her, I'm supposed to help get her food, or medicine, or whatever. And then I feel guilty for being mad because Rafale always says she loves me and I'm cool."

She took a deep breath and released it. "I...I want a break," she continued, "but I'm not getting any."
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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 07/24/2015 1:51 AM

They passed by Rhama and gave nods of acknowledgement to the Lavamancer. They came to a creek that ran through the woods and paused for a moment to listen to it. Normally, the sound of the water soothed Karin's nerves, but the more she thought about Rafale now, the more her heart beat in agitation. She wanted to shout into the sky and have nobody hear.

"It's not only my father and sister," she huffed, staring down at the creek. "It's other Paragon in the tribe, too. They're all so sorry that my mom died, and they're always saying my dad and I are so strong for taking care of Rafale, and I just..."

Tears started running from each of Karin's four eyes. She crumpled onto the forest floor and buried her face in her elbow. Nina smiled sympathetically, lowering herself next to her friend. She stroked the top of Karin's head and watched as the Voidbringer's body began shaking with sobs.

"W-why can't I have a normal sister?" Karin cried. "W-why the hell was she even born? She k-killed my mother and now I have to live with her f-f-forever! Am I...am I selfish for wanting that?"

"Oh gosh dear, you're not selfish!" Nina exclaimed. "I mean, if I were in your scales, I'd totally have moments where I wished my sister was gone. It's not wrong to want time for yourself. And I definitely think your dad is being unreasonable. Maybe you should talk to him? I also want to see you at our flights again, Karin. How am I supposed to try beating you at flying if you're not around?"
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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 07/24/2015 2:07 AM

Karin let out a short laugh in between her raspy, heavy breaths. "Hah, you're still looking to beat me? Fine, if that's what you want, I guess I'll try talking to my dad... But gods, I'm so scared of doing that, Nina. I'm afraid he'll explode on me."

The Pipe gave her a few firm pats on the shoulder. "Well, you never know if you don't try. Come on, give it a shot! My rival isn't someone who gives up easily, right? Keep your chin up, dear. I'm sure you'll find a way to compromise."

They stayed by the creek until Karin's tears stopped. When the Voidbringer recovered, they headed back towards the den, and Karin was relieved to see no signs of Ralkner's return. She said farewell to Nina and thanked the Pipe for the encouragement. After watching Nina vanish behind the trees, she went inside and found Rafale waiting for her, the lump of moss completely destroyed.

"Welcome back!" Rafale chirped. "Hey, you never told me who that was."

"Her name is Nina," Karin replied. "She is...well, was one of my flying buddies."

"Was?" Rafale tilted her head and frowned. "Did something happen that made her not your flying buddy anymore?"

Karin suppressed a grimace. "No...nothing happened. Don't worry about it, Rafale."
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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 07/24/2015 2:31 AM

Ralkner returned around noon with a large elk and dropped it at the den entrance. The three of them gathered around to feast on it, and Karin ate more than usual; she suspected the crying had taken some energy out of her. After the family was full, Ralkner took the remains to an area where the Wood tribe kept extra prey for any dragon to take. All the while, Karin pondered when would be best to approach her father about Rafale.

An opportunity arose at night after Rafale fell asleep. The Pipe tired early and slept early, leaving Karin and Ralkner awake by themselves. The older Voidbringer was busy tidying up the den. Karin watched in silence as she gathered all her courage. You can do this, she told herself. Remember what Nina said. You don't know until you try.

She inhaled, exhaled, and stepped up to Ralkner. "Father," she said, "I...I wanted to talk to you about something."

Ralkner looked up at his daughter. "All right, but do it quietly. Rafale needs her rest."
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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 07/31/2015 1:12 AM

Karin lowered her voice to a whisper. "I've been thinking about how...Rafale has affected our lives," she began. "I know she isn't very strong and we have to look after her. But shouldn't I look after myself, too? I spend every waking hour getting things for Rafale or just babysitting her. I haven't had time to do things I like in forever. I talked to Nina today and it made me think about flying with my friends again. Shouldn't I at least get some kind of break?"

Ralkner remained silent for what seemed like an eternity. His face contorted at first, but it gradually relaxed. He let out a heavy sigh and nodded. "I understand, daughter. I was so focused with Rafale that I didn't think about you. I'm sorry for that. You can go fly with your friends tomorrow morning. I still want you to take Rafale with you, though. I have to go hunting for the tribe again, and I don't want to leave her alone in the den. Is that acceptable?"

Rafale felt her flutter in her chest. The truth was she didn't want to take her sister along, but the thought of finally doing her daily flights again meant more. "Y-yes!" she breathed. "I'll make sure she doesn't go far. Maybe Rhama can even help watch her."
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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 07/31/2015 1:23 AM

And so the night ended happily. Karin drifted off to sleep and dreamed of her wings cutting through the air once more. When the sun rose, she was the first of her family to get up, and she went to find herself a bit of breakfast while waiting for Rafale to rouse. After downing a bit of deer from the tribe prey stores, she returned to find her father and sister standing at the den entrance. Ralkner was smiling warmly; Rafale looked ready to burst in excitement with her tail swishing back and forth.

"Karin, Karin!" she cried. "Daddy said you have a surprise for me!"

Karin couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, I do. Do you want to come see it? It's a bit of a walk, though, so you have to be ok with that."

The young Pipe nodded vigorously. "I'm not afraid of a walk! Sometimes I think you and daddy worry too much!" Karin suppressed a snort. I wouldn't call it worrying for me, she thought.

"Don't stay out too long," Ralkner said. "And remember to get Rafale a bit of food on the way."

"Will do, dad," Karin replied. "Come on, Rafale, let's go."
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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 07/31/2015 1:33 AM

The Voidbringer had never seen a bouncier child in her life. For all their father's talk of being careful, Rafale hopped and skipped through the territory as if she were a rabbit, and even Karin occasionally found it hard to keep up with the youngster. They arrived at the plains in what seemed like record time, and it was only then that Rafale finally plopped into the grass, breathing heavily.

"Whoaaa," the Pipe gasped, gazing at the wide expanse around her. "I've never seen this part of the territory before! What's over there beyond those mountains?"

"That's the Fe'gan range," Karin answered, walking up to her sister. "The Metal tribe lives there, but we don't mess with them. They're strong, and I hear their leader rules over them with iron talons."

"Why don't we have a leader?" Rafale asked, tilting her head inquisitively. Karin could only shrug.

"I honestly don't know. I think we used to, back when we still fought with the Metal tribe, but they haven't invaded us in a while. I hear they've been too busy digging tunnels of some sort."
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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 07/31/2015 1:41 AM

Rafale stared at the mountains in wonder before turning back to Karin. "So, what's the surprise you have for me?"

"I was going to give you a little flying demo. None of my friends are here yet, but I can show you first. They say I'm one of the best fliers in the tribe, you know."

The Pipe let out a squeak of delight. "Oh, I've always wanted to see you fly! I remember you used to talk about flying all the time! I never got to fly before since daddy is too scared of my health... But I think watching you will be enough!"

Rafale backed away to give her sister some room for take-off. Once she was far enough, Karin stretched out her legs and flapped a few times experimentally. She got a running start, her claws tearing up dirt and grass as she dashed forth. Then, with a mighty pump of her wings, she lifted into the air, extending her face towards the brilliant sun. It had been so long that she wobbled a bit initially. But she soon recovered her balance and was whirling and twirling through the sky just like before.
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Re: Look Out For Her (Self)

Postby Thunder » 07/31/2015 1:50 AM

On the ground, Rafale watched, jaw hanging wide open, at the intricate stunts her sibling performed in the air. She almost didn't notice Nina approaching and jumped when she finally saw the other Pipe appear at her side. Nina flashed her a grin and proceeded to follow Karin into the blue. The two friends began an aerial dance, dipping, soaring, and flying vertically so closely that their bellies almost touched.

Rhama, too, arrived on the scene. The Lavamancer settled in the grass next to Rafale and blinked down at her. "It's a lovely sight, isn't it?" she asked the younger dragon. Rafale couldn't even take her eyes off the spectacle while answering.

"I...I love it!" she declared. "It looks so fun and so...so beautiful! I knew sister was good, but not this good. I...I want daddy to let me fly too, so I can be like sister!"

Rhama chuckled and returned her gaze to the Paragon pair overhead. "I hope he will. Even I know that flying is a wonderful thing, though I wasn't born with wings."
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