Some kind of dragon au

[occulthymns]

[Before you lies a picturesque kingdom of forests and fields and farmlands. Mountains rise up in the distance, and set at the edge of a massive lake is an elegant castle with tall spires. It looks out over the land - forests surrounding the lake, a small but pleasant medieval town pushed up against the castle walls, farmer's fields further out.

The land itself is fertile and full of wild game, unsual plants, and natural wonders like crystalline caverns and waterfalls. Rivers of all sizes wind their way down from the mountains, which alternate between covered in fir trees and bare, jagged rock with mazes of caves hidden within.

Dragon AU go!]

Comments

[dark_to_dawn]

[Ughn. There's a smart one. The silverscale's irritation is clear in his eyes and he sinks his head down on his paws again.]

Then I want something in return.

[Clear enough now, whelp?]

[didneyworl]

Oh...okay, sure. Like what? [ He doesn't exactly own anything at all, yet. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[Great. He thinks he can still see some of your eggshell behind your facefins, tiny.]

You know what obsidian is?

[didneyworl]

[ R U D E he is like at least like only five or ten years from adolescence! ]

...Nope. What is it?

[dark_to_dawn]

[No, really? He certainly acts younger than that. Innocent too.

In response, Riku merely lifts his wing again, revealing the boulder he obviously values. The shining black stone gleams sharply in the sunlight, swoops and slices depending on its surface.]

This. It's a type of stone.

[didneyworl]

[ He was babied. Mom loved her runty runt. ]

Wow... It looks like the lake! [ Shiny and reflective like it's surface, anyway. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[...gag. Ven's awe is expected now and Riku folded his wing back in front of the stone.]

Does it... Find me one. Size doesn't matter. And I'll give you a lesson.

[Even silverscales had their hoards.]

[didneyworl]

[ don't be rude ]

Okay! [ But hmm, one slight problem with that. ] Where do I find shiny black rocks?

[dark_to_dawn]

[Oops.]

Try down. [And indicated the lagoon with a sweep of his tail. True, he'd already picked the place nigh-clean, but a second pair of eyes couldn't help. Might've missed one or two...

And while he knew there were more elsewhere in his territory, he didn't want Ven coming back covered in mud again.]

[didneyworl]

[ Riku, you butt. GIANT BUTT. Ven follows the direction in which he indicates, canting his head a little. That's going to be a bit of a task, wow. But if it means he'll tell him how to make fish fly out of the water...

Ven barks and pulls himself out of the water so he can shake off, already starting to look a little more perky. Some of his energy's come back, and he'll nod. ]

Okay, I'll look. I'll be right back!

[dark_to_dawn]

[You can't get something for nothing, you know. Life lesson number one, whelp.]

Not just any black rock.

[It's just a reminder, letting him know he'll be "judging" whatever he brings back. Obsidian is different than just "black rock" after all. But his eyes are back on the smaller drake again, studying him.

The lagoon itself is fairly wide and rather deep, with a bed of plants, sand, stone, and more down at the bottom of its vaguely-conical-shaped bed. Should make for an interesting dive... And there's plenty of fish in there too.

But remember... no touching.]

[didneyworl]

[ Impossible, he's going to touch everything. Hopefully Riku isn't expecting him not to muck up and around anything he encounters in the water there, because otherwise he's about to be mightily disappointed. Ven's never actually swam before either, so his first foray into the lagoon's probably a little embarrassing to watch.

He takes overly-large steps as he tries to stick mostly to the places where his paws can touch, nosing through reed and vegetation and silt and smoothed rock beneath the water's surface as he starts his search, leaving a ckloud in the water behind him as he goes. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[Hey, he's not stupid. He already told the whelp to look and don't touch and the goldscale bitty came back covered in mud and algae. Definitely touching happened. So he's expecting the same overly-energetic behavior below water too. Only bonus is he won't be dredging mud all over the shore.

Until he gets a look at that response. Nosing around the water's shallow areas. It doesn't take him long to lift his head again and peer at the drake with a narrowed gaze, head tilted just enough that his horns are gleaming in the sunlight again.

Suspicion.]

I covered the shore already.

[didneyworl]

But you pointed to the whole thing... [ And and )8 deep water... ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[...

...

...]

You can't swim.

[didneyworl]

[ Hurk. He freezes up for a second, but pretty quickly his facefins are flapping and his tail smacks against the water. ]

I've just never done it before...!

[dark_to_dawn]

... [*sigh*] That would mean you can't swim.

[didneyworl]

It can't be that hard! [ HE CAN TOTALLY DO IT )8 ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[Don't you dare go make him save your innocent foolish tail...]

How long can you hold your breath?

[didneyworl]

[ But his tail is adorable. One day it will grow out and be long and pretty D: ]

...I dunno. I've never held it before.

[dark_to_dawn]

[Of all the dragons to flop into his territory...]

Forget it. [There is no helping this one.] You're on your own for food.

[didneyworl]

But I can do it...! [ quickest write-off ever, wow ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[He's not here to babysit.]

You wouldn't even know how to start. [And promptly lifts himself from the stone and shoves. Legs and wings tuck to his body, leaving his entire figure a streamline, serpentine shape as he arches over the shore and plunges into the lagoon like a sword blade.

...crap, what if he followed?]

[didneyworl]

[ That is exactly what's going to happen, actually. As soon as Riku goes in Ven whines and paces at the deepest point he's able, chuffing anxiously, before he just goes for it and jumps into the water, scraping and clawing at the water rather uselessly for several seconds. At least until he realizes water doesn't work like ground and he can't just walk through it. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[He hears the water breaking above him and the sudden clawing at liquid is all he needs to know exactly how unfamiliar this much water is to the goldscale. The silver drake curves under the water and his neck arches to the side to swing his head and glare upwards towards the surface. The fish, at least, scatter like flies.

Nostrils clamped together, maw shut, he could stay underwater for quite some time. But... for now, he'd just circle far below and watch. If Ven's natural instincts kicked in and he dragged himself back to shore, all the better. If not...

Guess he'd have to do something with that sorry butt.]