Life was as normal.
The air in the Canyonlands was hot, even on days when the wind howled through the crags. On a day like this, any dragon could catch the wind with little trouble, quickly soaring up and up and above the clouds, able to look down on the world with sharp eyes and an exhilaration that was like none other. Yet, today, Runeric didn't feel like flying. He lay beneath the shelter of a familiar old tree, half-dozing as he stayed leaned back against the trunk. Light filtered down from the midday sun, casting dapples across his resting form.
There was a lot to think about, lately. He'd come here to do just that, settling down in his favorite spot to look out over the valley below them and sky above. His family had not been doing as well these last several months, one very important individual particularly. His twin sister, Ebonyria, had seemed.. distant. She kept saying she was fine, but Rune knew her almost as well as he knew himself - sometimes better, he thought. She'd begun to get listless here, in this same, secluded place where they had lived for several years now. Try as she might to hide it, her lethargy was obvious, and any time not spent sleeping was spent doing barely anything at all.