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The worst of it was over.


Aryale could taste the lie in the words whenever they were spoken, trying to soothe over the fact that it could have been worse. Though she had agreed heartily that her father being dead would have been much, much worse. That Miryath could have been hurt so badly she'd never fly again - and there was some talk she would possibly not recover from what damage had been done. She had found tears she never knew she had so readily available - and wept into arms she both had known would take them and a few she'd not expected. Mostly, though, she'd wept into Yaguareth. She'd held her close out of joy and now also out of sorrow.

Crying is not shameful, she'd reminded, lovingly accepting all of her feelings. Get them out so they do not fester and allow for rot. But there had been feelings besides woe.

There was anger and it burned in her heart as she sat there next to her father, holding his hand and squeezing it tightly. Yaguareth's presence twined with that same anger, the young green tucked up next to Miryath outside where both dragons could actually fit. Be angry. They were both allowed to be angry - and they could nurture it for now. The Red Star wouldn't know what hit it when they could fly and fight.

"Y' thinkn' 't som'th'?" A'star's words were horribly slurred as his mouth fought with what half of his face was missing. "A lot of things," Aryale admitted. "Y' wan' tell y'da'?" He pressed, squeezing her hand back weakly.

She was going to cry again.

Miryath had seen much better days and now she would see no worse ones with the condition her rider was in. While she looked fine by comparison to A'star, his own questionable state left a certain grey tinge to her hide. To any dragon, she looked far more awful than she would have to human eyes - hurt and beside herself. Her head hadn't lifted from where it sat lamely in the sand, where a leg would have once been for it to rest on, when Yaguareth had come to lean against her...and for Kleoth it would still not move.

There are better things for children to see than this corpse, she answered glumly, orange barely tinting grey eyes.

Yaguareth leaned into Kleoth's touch for the moment she had it before moving to stand by her sister as she leaned her head up against Miryath's in turn. If you are a Corpse then the Red Star got the better of you - and I don't believe that it did. she pressed, only earning a sigh of displeasure in answer.

Company that wasn't a familiar face was a breath of fresh air for A'star, who withdrew his hand from where he'd been brushing it over his daughter's cheek to try and sit himself up. Aryale was quick to find more pillows to help keep him that way. "Y' m'st b' Arrr'l's frien?" he greeted as best he could while Aryale kept her flinch of distress out of his line of sight - easy to too if she stayed on his left side, really.

"This is probably as good of time as any," Aryale answered, trying to not sound glum and barely toeing on the positive side of the line. This was a potential future that awaited her as well, but she would have taken it in a heartbeat for herself right then to keep him in one piece.

Without the energy to even mantle her wings at the two young dragons, Miryath simply huffed and sighed again, barely leaning her head back against that of the two young dragons. Oh how big they would be before A'star could even walk again. Still, she clutched the depths of her woe tighter to her chest, shifting her weight so it rested solely on the remaining of her front legs. I am not healed enough to swim and I am brought food whether I want it or not, Miryath stated, thinking again to Theath's plea that she eat - as though she had it in her to hate her most beloved. She could never.

Then you desire to waste away your life and the energy of yours sitting here to sulk? Yaguareth asked, not pulling her punch in the least. Perhaps less kind than Kleoth and her nurturing hearts would have been, but Yaguareth couldn't see the use in sulking. Miryath almost snapped back at the young green, who mantled her wings at the ready for it. Why not have some joy while he cannot? Give him good feelings while he is healing?

"Ah, one of th' twins," one could have read some fondness into the tone as A'star twisted to look outside where Miryath was having her standoff with Yaguareth. Briefly, he frowned, pushing into his lifemate - They are young. Indulge them. Then, he spoke, "My Mirrr..Miiryath," he struggled with the quick change of syllables for a moment, "is also a twin." and of this, he seemed very proud. "Th'rr's always som'th'n spec'l 'bout them," he added, certain Phryana already knew how a bond between those who had shared a shell could be.

As for her apology, A'star offered what of a smile he still had to. "Anytime's a good time. Better th'n m'dau't'r hidin' all her friend's away - like th' boy," the last bit was jabbed pointedly at Aryale who had it in her to look offended. "I am not hiding anybody!" she protested.

Only at A'star's leanings, did Miryath recoil back and set her fangs aside for a more worthy fight. He was right - she was being petty to try and fight a child. It would be worse for her ego if she somehow lost too. One must feel sorrow to really feel joy - I will not cut short my agony.

At this, Yaguareth stomped one of her little feet, spreading her wings indignantly. I know what yours looks like and I will not mince it - you have forever to familiarize yourself with your agony if you so wish. But do not let it move in so easily. she protested, leaning into Kleoth briefly as though drawing from the motherly support the gold radiated.

Miryath turned her one grey eye upon Kleoth, rumbling deeply in her chest. Ah, but I will find what value I had is quickly replaced in strong young greens who are eager and willing to fight. There is more value in that, my dear.

"There are no secret friends. If anything, Yura is hiding all his friends away across the sea!" there was a notable lack of disappointment in Aryale's voice, however. She'd come to terms with having to hold the fort here while Yura ran away from his family. Aryale would wear the shackles her entire life - and was glad to still have them now.

At Phryana's words, Aryale leaned over with a grin - "Nah, we're family now! Kleoth and Yaguareth are us too, yeah?" Which was odd when some of their class would inevitably make eyes at each other down the road, but it was really an analogy for the moment, rather than the long term.

A'star chuckled at his daughter's frankness. "G'd. Sh'll ne' sum'f th's s'n. S'll you."

A broken cup may be used as something else, but what it was is still replaced by a new cup. And no matter how useful the broken cup is in it's new role, it will always been seen before anything else as a broken cup. Miryath's words were forceful now, but she did not rumble for them. Your truth is ideal and you mean it kindly, but it steps over sacrifice and pain. I gave my body - as did my rider - and I will not be able to do so again. I will not fight, and I may not even fly. At best, I am a warning of things to come for those who do not do better.

Yaguareth answered Miryath with a light hiss of displeasure - she wasn't wrong, but also - Even if your broken cup is seen first as that, you've not become a momento to just be sat somewhere to be looked upon wistfully!

Aryale elbowed Phryana before offering a wide smile. "You and Kleoth'll have us if anything goes south! And we all have each other! Thread'll have another thing coming to knock us out of the sky!" But she knew it was possible - and that simply being caught in a drop wouldn't rescue them from all possible fates.It could mean living with complicated feelings and a complicated body.

"G'd. G'd. H've th' c'fffff'dnce t' b'l'v th'. It'll m't'r." It wouldn't be a bane against everything, but A'star could rest easy knowing that his eldest hadn't had a new uncertainty planted into her by his condition. By his fate.

I will not deny you that vision, Miryath relented, though she still certainly seemed displeased. Yaguareth was prepared to continue the argument but Aryale likewise silenced her dragon, her voice like hands pulled a determined canine's face away from some tasty treat it had discovered - Let her be. She will appreciate it more when it is not fresh and raw. When the youth of their dragons with an impending future that had just been ripped from her felt less like salt in it.

Instead, she leaned into Kleoth briefly before moving to find a place to lean up against the older dragon as well.

"Yaguareth will beat her to it," Aryale answered, though nothing in her tone implied she was trying to one-up Phryana for sharing it. They both simply had fairly passionate lifemates. It was something A'star was proud to see. Though her brightness dimmed only a bit as the goldrider reached out to touch her father's hand.

A'star made some attempt to run his thumb over Phryana's fingers as he offered something that could have been considered a smile. "Goo'. N' I'thin' y' shhh' l' m' res' b'for y'r mothhhh'r get h'r." if he'd had more face for it, Aryale would have called him out for being cheeky with them. "Oh, Faranth. I definitely don't wanna be here when mom shows up - you two are so schmoozy!" Aryale was obviously indulging him, though.

He was obviously making an excuse to get some more rest - and for them to perhaps not seem to piteous towards him.