Sunbeam Lair Rain melts down from the stars

@Asterr
and sorry if this doesn't make sense oops

His belly growled, his hunger growing yet again despite his meal of a rabbit a small while ago. Though the male supposed he should've expected this, for he had continued his long trek amongst the vast terrain since his brief hunting break. At this rate the constant gnawing at his stomach would become a feeling even more familiar than the rough ground against his pawpads. However he had to continue. Turning back was an option long gone now.

But when a familiar scent hit his nostrils, all complaints of hunger had been swept away by the new alertness that took over. His nose lowered to the ground, tentatively sniffing and tracking down the scent as his hopes grew and grew. Though faint and covered with the mixed smells of many other creatures, there was no mistaking it - it was her!

It was as if his aching muscles had been refreshed with a new found energy lighting inside him. The wolf begun briskly walking again, before speeding up into a trot and then breaking into a sprint. He had found her, and his efforts had not been in vain! He even dared to pause for a few fleeting moments, a long howl now erupting from his throat. "A-Asterr!" Oh how he had longed to allow a melodious sound filled with something other than melancholy to leave his jaws.

Through the weeks following her heat, there'd come a noticeable change in her composure. Brief spells of nausea had started to hit her and, though they were rare and lasted for only short periods of time, they often made her day seem terrible. It was an unusual thing to experience, for never before had she been sick prior to what she believed was a pregnancy. Asterr had always been a healthy child, looked after carefully since birth to ensure her immune system was always being strengthened. And so, not only was it something new to her, but also something that was considered to be concerning. Yet, in spite of the assumed weakness her body was experiencing, she'd yet to feel a sort of pressure that might imply her conscious state was near to being overthrown. Draco had been keeping to himself, offering to her his wisdom when requested, but otherwise not intruding upon her day-to-day decisions.

Along the borders she'd been trekking, ages having seemed to of passed since she'd last patrolled her own borders. It was often, as of late, that she stuck primarily to the inner reaches of the territory, guarded by the cavern from the world outside. Yet, there was a part of her that knew it to be necessary that she check on things every now and again, and so she'd been doing just than when a howl had erupted. It was quickly that she'd realized it to be close to her current position, and so her course was altered slightly in order to have her heading towards the voice's owner. From his tones alone, she'd been unable to recognize him, even after he'd called out her name. So long had it been since she'd seen her family, and so young had her siblings been at the time of her departure. Voices had since matured from the soft babbling of a hatchling, leaving her unaware of who the other was—that is, until she'd been able to set her gaze upon him.

There was no way to deny the male's Draconid lineage, his form being so similar to her own and his scent bringing forth a nostalgic feeling within her. Caution was shed and she'd approached without an ounce of hesitation, posture amicable. Always had a smile pulled at the corners of her lips, and she'd stopped not after having gotten close to him. Rather, she'd moved nearer, touching her nose to his shoulder as a display of both trust and recognition. She was uncertain of who he was for sure, still, knowing only that he was younger than herself and a member of her family. "What is your name?" the girl had asked after having pulled herself away from him, wondering if he was a brother, cousin, or something else entirely. "Forgive me for not knowing, but understand that it has been quite some time since I have been with our family." There was no way for her to remember everyone, though she certainly had tried.

His eyes widened slightly when she appeared, filling with wonder and awe at finally laying his eyes upon her. His sister, and the vessel for their beloved god, Draco. Despite her absense for the majority of his life, the male had grown up with fondness for his sibling, hearing countless stories about her from his family members. But now here he was, finally able to be in her prescence after so long.

He stiffened ever so slightly when she touched her nose to his shoulder, surprisingly unused to the contact after his travels alone. That and the wolf had never been too openly affectionate in such manners, kind words from the heart being what he preferred to exhibit. After a few fleeting heartbeats his body finally relaxed, eyes flitting closed as he took in the moment.

They fluttered open again once the female had pulled away, now taking in all of her features up close. There was certainly an ethereal and regal aura to her, one that left him in awe and with not even traces of doubts of her legitimacy. "My name is Nekoda." He mentally scolded himself for expecting the older Draconid to recognise him beyond that of their lineage. After all Asterr had left their tribe when he was merely two weeks old, when he was still a squealing hatchling that could barely see the world for himself yet. With a gentle nod of his head, he murmured, "I understand,"  before elaborating more with his introduction. "I am your younger brother. I have recently passed the mark of one year since my birth into this world." It had been a proud milestone of his, albeit one spent alone. Nekoda had wished to spend the occasion with the tribe, but he had chosen to embark on his journey beforehand. If he had left any later, who knows if he would have made it to Asterr's location at this time, or if he would have made it at all.

But enough about him. The male was keen to know of Asterr's wellbeing, of her experiences since leaving the tribe and more. "How are you, sister?"

A name was offered, and it was only then that all of the pieces had finally fallen into place. She knew who he was, she'd been there for his birth, but to see him after so much time had passed was rather shocking. He'd grown quite a bit, of course, around a year having passed since his birth. It was disappointing that she'd not been there to watch him grow, but she did not regret her choice to leave. It had been a need to acquire more knowledge that had drawn her away, something that the elders and her parents had all understood. For though she served as the current vessel, she'd never been meant to linger within the land of her family. Always had she been meant to embark on a journey of her own, to claim for herself a new settlement, and that she had. It was a shame, really, that she'd not yet been able to send word of her doings back to her family, but seeing her brother there now assured her that they'd not been made upset by her lack of contact.

It was with a slow, brief wave her tail that she'd said, "You have grown so much." For a moment, she couldn't help but wonder if those born alongside him had turned out just as well as he had. There was also a question lingering on the tip of her tongue, the girl having become curious of whether or not her mother had bore more children in the dragoness' absence. The query, she'd decided, was best saved for another time, and so her focus was placed back upon the present. "I remember when you and the others were born," voiced the girl. "Seeing you here now after having grown so much... it makes me glad." Asterr had created for herself a family through the founding of Ryūjin, but none of them could ever replace those that she'd left behind. For as it was, the bonds shared between each Draconid member could rarely ever be outdone.

Asterr's turn to respond had arrived and, though she was far more interested to hear more about him, she'd moved along with the way he'd started to steer the conversation. "I am well, dear brother," was her immediate reply, deciding it best to refrain from sharing with him her recent doings. It was not something that she wished to concern her brother with, for doing so would only cause an unnecessary strain to be placed upon forming bonds. In time, she would tell him, but for now the topic would be left alone. "Are you passing through, or am I your reason for having left home?" was asked instead. "Family is always welcome here, if you wish to stay." After all, if she were to turn Nekoda away, then she'd be turning her back on everything she'd been raised to believe—which wasn't at all something she'd ever do.

He felt a surge of warmth at the older Draconid's words, a gentle smile now gracing his features. Though she had been absent for the majority of his life, the bonds between them felt no weaker than those between his littermates and himself. "Seeing you well makes me glad, too. I have always wanted to meet you, Asterr." He was relieved, to say the least. Relieved that she was doing well and he could see it for his own eyes. "That is wonderful to hear."

Her next question was one he should have expected, though one he had not given much thought despite it's significance. He didn't want to admit how large a role Asterr had played in his decision to leave home, or how he hadn't really planned out what he would do once he had found her. But it was certain that it was pointless to simply leave after travelling for so long and such a distance. Where would he go to anyways? It wasn't like he knew of any other places he could go to, and he would rather settle with his sister than extend his travels in a heartbeat. "I hope I am correct in assuming that you have established your own tribe. If that is the case then I would like to stay - for a while, at least - before I decide which path to embark on next." The familiarity of the Draconid Tribe was something he would miss dearly, but he had managed to fare by himself this far. Besides, he had his sister here, and he would trust those she trusted. The new lifestyle would be a good experience for him, after all that was yet another reason for him resisting the pull of the comfort zone of the Tribe. 

At the same time Nekoda was always plagued with anxiety at the thought of the Tribe facing danger or troubled times during his absense. But whether he was there or not during such times wouldn't matter too much, for they would prevail through anything. They always had and always will.

Last post from me. Welcome, Pija~!

Within her there resided an iota of guilt, a morsel of regret for having left whilst her siblings had been so young still. How long, however, she'd not lingered on the feeling, for she knew that it would have been far worse had she stayed. It was better that she'd departed, even if doing so had caused for her to miss out on watching Nekoda and his siblings grow up. To stay would have destroyed her; the flame that burns within every member of the Draconid line would have been smothered until hardly even embers remained aglow. The notion alone of such a fate befalling her was worrisome, truly, and perhaps even the only thing that she was capable of fearing. Should the fire of a vessel die out, then Draco would be permitted to walk the earth once more, and the destruction destined to be left in his wake would leave not even the purest of souls without a burden to bear.

Thoughts of what could have been, of the disasters that she was born to prevent, were wiped clean from her mind once Nekoda's voice was once again heard. His being there now assured her that she'd done the right thing, and that she'd not failed her family in any way. There existed a great bond between them, still, even though they'd never actually met before; though Asterr had been there for his birth, as well as had seen him prior to her leaving so long ago, she knew not of the man that he'd grown into. That was, however, something she had a desire to learn about, and so his words were most pleasing to the girl's ears. Her smile seemed to grow, reaching her eyes with ease. Had his interests lied elsewhere, she would have allowed for him to head off on his way, but the fact that he would stay was, by far, a better decision.

"You will fit in well here," said the dragoness, assuring him that she led the tribe. "You will start off as a commoner, as you know as well as I do that favourtism cannot be displayed. We would not wish to go against our family's ideals, would we?" The inquiry was, of course, rhetorical, softened by a chuckle that had chosen to hang from her latest words. "Come, I will show you around." Just as the last of her sentence would leave her mouth, the girl would turn and motion for her brother to follow her into the lair. Should he follow, the chieftess would proceed to show him several key sections of the lair before leaving him to get settled in and, perhaps, find a place to rest.

"N-no, of course not!" Nekoda replied to her question despite it's rhetoric nature, instantly shutting his mouth once he realised that with her soft chuckles and mentally smacking himself. His attention was brought back to Asterr as she offered to guide him around, and with a nod of his head, the male proceeded to follow the dragoness. He entered the lair tentatively, glancing around at the new surroundings and what was to be his home from now. The pack did not differ too drastically from the Ryujin Tribe, though he was sure he would come across foreign obstacles and matters that would baffle and confuse him. At least his sister was here to assist him through all of that, though, and he would try his best to learn their customs and fit in. "I thank you, dear sister." And with that he retired to his own sleeping quarters, intent on getting some decent rest for the first time in a while. He would get to meeting and greeting his new companions once he awoke the next morning.