Sunbeam Lair a longer table, not a taller fence

@Kaori

the return trip to uaine gorsedd would be pushed back even further. after the conversation with moonshine, bhediya returned to the lair to commune once more with empyrea. the cave was silent, the only sound being the gentle rustle of overgrown grasses, brown but standing, shielded from the worst of the storms. 

immersed in the experience, the seraph found herself whispering to the beings and hearing them whisper back. the moon would soon rise over the cavern and aatma would look upon her, gifting her the next set of instructions.

Lost within these lands that she once traversed with ease, she felt as if all hope may be lost, too; every mountain looked the same as the next, the range stretching on for such great lengths that she wondered if an end even existed. There was a worry that lingered within her thoughts, telling her that she may never be able to locate her place of birth—but then the voice was silenced, an ascent up the mountain revealing to her a path, one that she could remember walking countless times before; she found herself drifting into an autopilot-like state, her legs moving whilst her mind drifted far ahead of her physical form—

Home, it reached for. Home.

Finding the entrance was easy for her, like second nature, and she slipped inside as if she never left. It was just as she remembered it to be, so vibrant and full of life—but there was a new emptiness to it, like something was missing.

Rather, like someone was missing.

Her mother was not there and with her, she kept Draco’s presence; this was how it would always be until a new vessel is born and the current abandoned. But she recalled there being another, once upon a time—Zennyo Ryūō, the former guardian of the lair, gone with her sister. There were no dragons left to guard her former home, leaving it to feel lonelier than ever before. And, for the first time since she left the Draconids, Kaori wondered if coming back was a mistake.

ve bachche mere hain.

the seraph swayed as she recited the chants, voice barely above a whisper. aatma was making his ascent over the world, the silver eye of the spirit king staring down through the split ceiling. he spoke to her, commanded her — those children belong to me, he'd said.

main unhen aapaka naam sikhaoonga.

the distant fall of footsteps broke bhediya's trance. she began a slow turn and stood, stretching to loosen her muscles. a breeze along her underbelly pushed her forward in the direction of the cavern's opening. hello? she called out, then waited for a response.

Lacking in the spirits of those she so desperately sought but not lacking in life entirely. A voice found its way to her ears, sounding from further within the cavern; she wondered if she should seek out the owner, the tone soft and feminine, yet unfamiliar. Drawing in a deep breath and shedding her worries, her upset, the young dragoness delved deeper into the lair she so loved. Lured in by the voice that called out, she searched for it, speaking only when her eyes landed on another pelt just as darkly painted as her own.

“Hello,” she greeted in return, allowing some space to remain between them. She stood upright, confidence coating her stance, and patient. She did not recognise the other female, the way various tufts of fur seemed to curl unlike any other wolf met before. But that also meant she was not of her former home, a soul brought there by reasons that differed from her own.

the moon shone high upon his daughter this night, illuminating her coarse coat with murky sapphire — eyes reminiscent of the sea. bhediya stared for a moment, calling at a whisper, you're beautiful. she'd been left unable to focus on anything but the stranger's captivating appearance.

she noticed the sylph's dominant (cautionary?) stance and halted, wondering if she'd intruded. i don't believe we've met before, she said, but...this is as good a night as any for introductions.

Taken aback, she could do little more than stare, at a loss for words, when the other spoke once again. You’re beautiful, came the remark, replaying in her head. She felt herself dragged back to her childhood, the face of a boy flashing through her mind; compared to the beauty of a night, a flustering thought to have. She shooed the voice away, urging it to leave no matter how desperately it tried to linger—that boy was of the past, she knew, his face gone from her vision for quite some time now.

“Thank you,” she called back, her own voice soft—uncertain, or perhaps nearly doubtful. No matter, she hid her doubts away, hoping that they might disperse if ignored. And ignoring them was easier to do as the other female continued to speak. “I do not believe we have, either,” she continued. “My name is Kaori Draconid.” As much as she wished to declare the lair her home, she held her tongue—for there, too, lingered uncertainty behind the statement, as she wondered if it could truly be her home when she was the only dragon that remained.

had she said something wrong? bhediya dropped her tail, tucking it loosely between her legs. on her face was writ an apology, clear for kaori to read. there was a slight pressure added to the air between them; she sat down in an effort to have it alleviate. 

bhediya, she replied. the surname of her childhood had long since been forgotten, partially by both choice and lucky happenstance. there were too many memories attatched, curses that she didn't want passed onto any of her young.

i've taken home in this little cavern. you can join me, if you'd like. she waited expectantly for the draconid's answer, hoping she would come forward.

Kaori was the observant sort, whether it be by nature or something taught. She took notice of the dropping of the woman’s tail, followed by an unspoken apology—confounded, she could no better determine the reasoning for it than she could come up with something to say. Had her own expression betrayed her, whilst lost in thought? Ah, she would have to remember to practise better self-awareness. No matter, she brushed it off, for now, deciding it may be best to leave the exchange as an event of the past, rather than further drag it out and cause more upset.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Bhediya,” the girl continued with instead—only to pause moments after, at the mention of home and an invitation. There was an indescribable feeling that overcame the Draconid, something she was not so sure she ever felt before; she was immediately overwhelmed by strong, defensive feelings but, whatever else lingered with it, she could neither name nor place. “You have taken this cavern?” she questioned, hoping that perhaps she may have heard incorrectly. “This cavern is my place of birth and it has always been my home. Have you sought peace with the dragons and been given their blessings prior to invading our domain?” A wolf invading the lair of a dragon—were these feelings akin to those felt by her ancestors?

the pressure soon grew to an unbearable weight which sat on the seraph's shoulders. there hadn't been any scent markers for her to pick up on; just a few months prior, this is where courtfall sat. so if it was truly kaori's home, why hadn't she been there to claim it?

bhediya chose not to grow defensive, as she sensed the other had. rather, she listened to what she had to say and took a moment to mull over the words. i don't know any dragons, she sighed with a shake of her head, this cavern was empty. it had been for some time.

She claimed not to know of any dragons—permission was not sought after, a message to the stars yet to be sent. Anger began to bubble up beneath her breast, engulfing her heart and seeking to take hold of her soul; her tail lashed behind her at first, then grew eerily still as Kaori realised her behaviour. Drawing in a long, deep breath, she eased her nerves and quelled what anger threatened her so; she was not a malicious wolf, her people the peaceful sort.

“Empty but not unclaimed,” she explained. “The dragons were always meant to return here—although, I suppose I am the only one now to honour that.” Anger easily morphed into sorrow, the realisation that her family truly would not be joining her finally settling; and without her mother or her sister, the lair was destined to remain without the spirit of one of the great dragons to protect it.

Perhaps that was where her true pain stemmed.

you're a dragon? bhediya asked. her voice was low, non-judgemental, but genuinely curious. the different cultures and customs that grew in these wilds, their bounty perplexed her. rather than being put-off by kaori's declaration, she found herself longing to know more.

a moment of silence passed. if i need to ask a.. dragon for.. permission, then i can ask you, right? it was more of a formality. bhediya planned to settle here irregardless of kaori's answer because like the dragons, this was the dwelling place of empyrea. knowing that, how could she leave?

and if you want to return, i've already said that i wouldn't mind the company.

Whilst the sentiment was appreciated, Kaori felt at a loss. A dragon or not, she knew she was not the one capable of offering or taking away permissions—she was not a vessel like her sister or her mother, she did not possess a direct link to the stars and those that inhabited them; as much as she wished to have been born with such a blessing, she was but another of the ordinary, a dragon through ancestral blood but not in soul. And yet—

“Why do you want to stay here?” she found herself asking, wishing to understand. “There are so many lands, so why have you found yourself attached to this one?” For her mother before her, it was due to Zennyo Ryūō, a dragon’s spirit bound to the cavern. His presence inspired her to stay and granted her the safety she needed to birth her children—and, in exchange, her firstborn was taken as a vessel, allowing the dragon’s spirit to walk the earth once more.

bhediya knew that their beliefs did not align — not on the surface, anyway. kaori seemed genuinely distressed by this ordeal and while the seraph did not wish to further this offense, she did want to give a real answer. would the draconid take this as an insult?

heaven speaks to me here, she explained, shifting somewhat uncomfortably in her seat, i can't hear them anywhere else, but their voices are so clear in this cavern. without breaking her gaze, a paw lifted to rest between her hip and underbelly. i want my children to commune with them, the same way that i do.

Kaori was silent whilst the other spoke, attentive. She heard of heaven before but it was a concept she did not fully understand—perhaps it was where those not in the favour of the dragons went when their time on this earth was no more. But that it had a voice to it was something new to her, Bhediya the first to tell of communicating with it, as well as the first to call it a them as opposed to a place.

And for that reason, she wished her children to reside there.

The dragoness’ gaze drifted towards her abdomen; whether she fully understood the other woman’s reasoning or not mattered little at this point, given that hatchlings were to be involved. Meeting her eyes once more, she said, “I do not know about this heaven that you speak of but... if you feel something within this cavern, I can understand wishing for your hatchlings to feel it, too.” Was that not why her own mother remained there? And then why she also returned to her true home, when Airi decided to vanish?

“I would like to stay here, as well,” she admitted shortly thereafter. “I have not been blessed with hatchlings of my own but I would like to do right by my family by staying here, nevertheless.” Perhaps, should it still remain, she might take up residence within her mother’s former hideaway—she wondered if any of the herbs remained, although the logical side of her brain insisted the years away would have rotted them by now.

ready to wrap?

hatchlings, kaori called them. it was a sweet name, one that bhediya thought might be worth remembering. thank you, she said, nodding her head as a sign of respect. please, i'd love that. the more, the merrier; this cavern was much too large for a body as small as her own.

she stood once more, taking a few steps forward. my companion, kukulkan, he stays here, too. bhe hadn't seen him for most of the day, but that was alright. she didn't doubt that he planned to keep his promise. can you tell me more about your family? the dragons? she asked, visibly eager to learn more.

like a burrito

To be home again but with those unrelated to her felt… odd, to say the least. She knew not what to think of it, hoping that the answers may find her over time. But, for now, she simply wished to relearn the workings of her childhood home—from her mother’s hideaway to the darkened woods where spirits were once said to lurk, she needed to see it all again, now through the eyes of an adult.

Revealed to be joined by another, Kaori said, “I hope that I may meet him.” If he were to stay there, too, then should she not familiarise herself with him? Any others that may come, too—it is something her mother would instruct her to do, after all, had she followed the younger dragoness there.

Interest expressed resulted in visible surprise—she was the first to express interest in her family since her return. “I can tell you all of the tales of my family’s history, in time,” she promised. Perhaps she might eventually be able to teach the woman’s hatchlings, too, just as she had her younger siblings. Perhaps, perhaps…