Chapter Text
A thousands broken words resonate in the minds of those who hear nothing, a million images flash in the minds of those who can not see, a billion shades colour the mind of those who can not feel. Trapped in perfectly still cages inside a greater one that travels through the sea of stars, no dragon could ever tell the passage of time until, after a lasting journey none have been aware of, their glorified container finally crashes.
The old shell starting to burn not long before meeting the new lands, some transcending knowledge and incomplete memories finish to paint the passengers' thoughts. As they pierce the skies and hit the earth, a single, unforgettable name makes itself known, the paralysing cold no longer absolute as eight dragons picture a helpless god…
My thoughts coming back to me alongside my senses, I feel myself being slowly thrown out of my chamber that rolls away if the sound is any hint, my body touching a new soil apparently conquered by grass. It feels… nice, odd but nice. By the moons, what did I sleep in?
Yet, tired as I am, I don't stand as quickly as I thought I could, my limbs all choosing to relax like that of a sleepy dragonets trying to avoid some sudden pain. How reassuring can that be as I breathe a strange but soothing kind of air, the shapes of my siblings I loved I imagine to be close to, whispering kind words we always told each others in the night.
But I know that scene cannot be true, how foolish of me it would be to believe in my family now.
I, Terrestra of the mudwings, never have been born as my heart desired, that I realised when fate chose another to be strongest of my clutch. Decades later, our queen had to declare war and I saw how Rootbreaker wasn't so sure when choosing us over the bearer of the crown, my quest to surpass her in the eyes of my siblings became a failure that pushed me to leave.
Still, I was far from alone before the immense artifact took me away. Even now dragons may need my help, I have to try. I think to myself, betting on the prospect those I last remembered working with shared the same fate as me. My talons mustering all the strength I need, I raise my body more quickly than I open my eyes, my earthly wings spreading wide as I discover this new world for the time.
I can barely believe my eyes as I turn away from the blue of the grass to gaze upon the closest thing to a forest which stands before me, countless trees reaching for the magenta skies only to give up halfway through, reconnecting to the land. Seemingly orange by nature, the blue, purple vines and leaves that aren't of these living arches cover the most of their trunks. Then there are the mountains dominated by green and silver from which rivers begin like veins of a grand being, and above, clouds so thick little of the lone moons light pierces through, while the sun is one I gladly do not cross the gaze of.
- "Where… am I?" I inevitably mutter in confusion and partial awe, taking a quiet moment to observe a tall tower from afar, a structure whose top emits a pale light, before remembering my goal. My head quickly turns back and spots the elaborate can I walked away from, I see similar devices on both sides of the craft, barely obscuring the imposing frame of that which seems to have brought us here, its body of reddened alloy cracked and fuming like broken vase that was just pulled out of a furnace.
Oddly enough, I recognise more than a little of what's damaged. Yet, I don't doubt others may be inside these large cylinders. So choosing straight, I lunge for the nearest one, my talon already touching the fractured glass before I remember something. With claws approaching a panel and its many buttons, I close my eyes to better see a matching image, the details of such technology becoming clearer…
Determined to open it, I step aside to grab the bottom of the container, and after a forceful pull of the crank that almost feels jammed, I push open the glass surface. Gas almost as cold as frostbreath escapes and I know better than to stay near it, as my eyes recognise a familiar face.
"Voiecyon, is that you?!" I dare to ask, my eyes widening as I see the nightwing I had for close companion twitching, his breathing resuming at a barely noticeable pace inside the odd cell. For this situation I don't hesitate, taking a step forward to grab him by the chest, my paws ignoring the cooling fluid as I make sure to bring him out of this. The muscles of my belly had to be called out as well for the task, but that is a small price to pay to save a friend.
"There, breathe, I'm here for you." I tell him in a voice more desperate than I thought, my gaze fixated on my unconscious partner for the time it takes him to wake up. Fortunately for me, a few minutes is all it takes to tell he seems to suffer no side effects, the proud, knowledgeable dragon of perhaps the most advanced tribe gently is swinging his tail, rubbing the bluish grass and exotic flowers that surround us all. Perhaps all is well despite everything...
- "What- what happened?!" I hear another say, the rougher and louder voice coming from an icewing I also recognise, our gaze crossing almost immediately.
"Terrestra, is that you?" I hear him question, his widening eyes coloured by relief as he sees me standing strong, a wing of mine covering the one I just rescued in foreign ground.
- "Yes, it is me Coldwing. Are you alright? I think we all felt the shock…" I reply with the same feeling, the white dragon almost rushing to me with open wings, his eyes casting a quick glance at the resting one before joining my side. Yet, staying true to his queendom's customs, he hurries to keep his wings close to his back, a little embarrassed.
- "So I wasn't the only one… Do you think he is alright? He sure is taking his time to wake up." The icewing answers me, his colder talons checking on our nightwing's neck, a similar gesture to mine that he feels the need to complete at a faster pace, probably a reflex of the soldier he has been in the current war.
"He seems alright, but that I can't be sure for the others. We better rescue them now, so be ready." Concludes Coldwing, his eyes spotting the containing devices that have yet to be open while the imposing vessel still stands half lodged in its dark and reddish trench, something he struggles even more than me to comprehend. But still, he doesn't let that distract him.
Passing by a skywing who quickly gives us help, the dragon not so confused nor too tired at the moment, we waste no time in unlocking one more of the dragon sized boxes, our newly acquired knowledge making the task easy enough even if the thought a fire may start does cross my mind. Meeting up with the last three, however, fear creeps into our minds after seeing the reddish taint on the other side of the glass windows.
- "They aren't dead, are they?" Asks quietly our fiery companion named Sunshy, her feeling of dread one I try to tame with a wing of mine and my collected voice.
- "No, I don't think so, but they shall not be free from these… containers as long as they are gravely wounded and we don't have the proper means to accommodate them." Saying that thanks to my new knowledge, I can see she isn't fully convinced, but time is of the essence. And that, Coldwing understands the most as he begins to move one of the heavy cylinder away from the crashed structure that feels more than warm, our help readily given in his task before we all do the same two more times.
- "So there are eight of us?" Firmly asks our icewing companion as we take away the last elaborate crate that contains a dragon, the badly damaged vessel and its imposing machinery no longer such a threat now that we are far enough. And soon, the nightwing wakes up surrounded by three cold cages and an exhausted mudwing while Coldwing leans toward the last, a paw on his chest to check the heartbeat.
- "Unless our eyes all deceive us, you might be right..." I hear the sky dragoness saying as her attention is drawn to one of the small chambers, her expression is a sad one as she looks into its glassy shell stained by crimson, our eyes vaguely making out a sandwing resting inside wearing a necklace. Of course it doesn't feel right to let her stay like this, doubting if the one she seems strongly attached to will return. So I come to her side, my voice lower as I ask a simple question as she glances at herself, a claw rubbing her chest and further behind.
- "Do you recognise who is inside?" She doesn't look at me nor the rest of the very world before us, the wind a force she ignores, but her answer can't sound neglectful, not that I would believe her to behave as such unless the worst happened.
- "I think I do despite the blur. This opal the sandwing wears, it belongs to my mate. I remembered him wearing it just before we were taken into this… thing." Sunshy says to my surprise, fuelling my curiosity as I lean to her side but not too much, no wing nor tail circling her should she not want it.
- "You already remember that moment?" I sincerely question, only to confuse her for a second. Her expression shifting to one of understanding then sorrow, her wings resting on the blue of grass. Truly, the skywing needs someone to comfort her, and that dragon may be me. You can let it out Sunshy, I'm here to listen.
- "Did you know I was with eggs when we dug out artefacts in that last cave, and even before? I do think they'll make it. But without him, I…"
- "He'll make it of that cold prison." Answers a familiar voice, the dragon as white as snow turning to face us despite his professional grip on Voiecyon, the nightwing staying quiet, his preference to listen perhaps being the reason.
"If your eggs can make it out alive just like you did after everything you went through, your mate will as well, or at least, he will with our help. Believe me, we icewings are quite stubborn as a tribe, and that includes not giving up on our potential descendants. Well, for those who didn't choose to betray them that is." He adds with no doubt in his voice, the dragoness no knowing what to say yet feeling somewhat less burdened than before, a bit of moisture forming in her eyes...
Having settled near a great chunk of what might as well be granite, the spot that wildlife didn't spare feeling safer for all of us in spite of its vivid shades. Those awake begin to think of less pressing matters. I, like the others, share the thought we are no longer in Pyrrhia, the colours of this realm ones that really don't match our original world, yet everyone seem to have their own view and interpretation.
- "So I assume nobody knows about the lands we have landed upon?" Asks Voiecyon as he looks around with fascinated yet concerned eyes, his voice clear and genuine now that he is fully awake. As for his body, it appears almost proud, standing without struggling unlike the other of my tribe who has yet to open his eyes, poor Soilkeeper.
- "Well, we aren't dreaming, are we?" Replies the icewing, his sarcastic tone fading quickly as he frowns when watching over the group. The sealed devices keeping in stasis the three last dragons, ones he feels suspicious of, their panels appearing almost flashy.
- "No we aren't, but we did get to dream of many things. At least I did." I hear the black dragon answer before turning back to us, his gaze crossing that of Coldwing's, then mine and then Sunshy's own.
- "He is right, and due to that I was able to learn how to open these oversized cans, just like you were." I confirm to the three awake, the dragoness less interested as she eyes the shell keeping her mate, fate really didn't spare her... Our white companion, however, appears to be deeply thinking, glaring at the fuming remains, the broken design of the vessel that carried us in search of answers.
- "If that can make you feel better, I myself don't feel like I'm even close to fully understanding the machine that took us away from Pyrrhia." Comments our night dragon as he partially extends a wing to his side, the partner accepting that warmth and opinion while I nod quietly. Still, Sunshy feels somewhat alone, a situation I can't do nothing about, and neither will the others.
- "If we are to awaken Shorttail and the others, we need to prepare the place first." I say, leaning to her side before facing my companions, a determined look in my eyes and theirs. Let's hope we have it in us.
"Any suggestions?" Fortunately, the moment I say it, neither the icewing nor the nightwing gave up on their nature, the first proposing to gather simple resources with tooth and claws since we lack tools while the second speaks of crafting them, then building a solid shelter and finally beds from fitting materials.
- "I will stay with Soilkeeper, someone may be needed to watch over him and those still in cages." Declares the dragoness as her tail circles the still sleepy mudwing, her decision one we accept as we turn our back to face the foreign form nature has taken over the lands.
Walking on a soil covered in countless blades of grass and petals, our white companion is first to reach the nearest tree. Its imposing form is obviously drawing an arch branching into smaller ones, the main part being one that might as well support us all if the gripping plants haven't weakened the trunk too deeply, perhaps a vain thing to hope, as the original dark orange is obscured by deep blue, a lighter shade of orange and some red.
- "Otherworldly or not, these vines better live up to my expectations…" Mutters Coldwing has he lays a paw upon the invaded surface and makes some small "birds" flee, a faint grin appearing on his snout as he cuts through the slithering and clinging specimens.
- "I must say these would make a great place of study. If I was a royal researcher, there would be nothing better to work on for the next decades if not centuries." I hear my black companion say as his gaze misses a lot of plants and animals much to his displeasure, his talon reaching the arching tree just after mine to help.
- "Happy to see you don't take your fate even a little badly." I naturally reply, my words making our icewing lightly chuckle for once, leaving Voiecyon to respond with a snort. Seems like he still got a bit of his ego.
Still, we have work to do and so we employ the full extent of our claws and fangs to cut some vines of varying thicknesses. And as turns out, these colourful plants are quite resistant if our attempts to cut them didn't show it, none us coming close to tearing apart a single of the big ones.
- "Great, now let's find some stones." Declares the white dragon, our eyes quick to spot the smooth and the hard looking ones among the grass, one of us hesitating not to pull a rock out of the earth and revealing little worms. Though said rock only gets to live so long as his claws finish to crush it, a growl escaping his snout as green shards and dust fall from his paw.
Having better luck with my chunk, I realise there might be a pattern to recognise pieces of similar solidity. With renewed hope when the piece I throw away doesn't shatter, we three don't take long to find satisfying stones again, then enough of them to potentially build some tools. Keeping the small pile we made and occupying himself by sharpening them, the nightwing watches us use all of our strength to tear a branch out of the imposing trunk, the next resource we need to build a shelter.
- "I hope these will finally end the trouble." He says, paw branding a few sharpened rock chunks more akin to blades. Immediately taking one, Coldwing tries it on the targeted nod like he and his kins were taught at such a young age, eventually breaking the connection after a much needed roar. And seeing this, we have little choice but to follow in this path, my paw tightly gripping the gift of my companion as I take on distant branch…
Coming back to Sunshy and the four she remained with, I realise the other member of my tribe has just woken up, good news for us as he may be apt to contribute or at least walk without help since here isn't the best spot for a shelter. And Voiecyon seems to have the idea too as he reaches for the skywing's side, his voice sure enough when giving his request like the more intellectual and refined type he used to behave as.
- "Sunshy of the skywings, I think we have done enough to gather the resources needed for a shelter. Yet, it would be foolish not to make it around the nearest tree, are you ready move the containers with us?" He asks with a tinge of doubt, the dragoness he faces accepting her role without protest, her focus put on the same chamber as before. Hopefully in her situation, she has the will not to give up.