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Description

The golden desert sands swept under talon as the hybrid slowly paced outside of the healer's hut in Possibility. Mother had collapsed suddenly without warning while they were out shopping, she couldn’t breathe and kept on coughing out what little air she was getting. Inside the adobe hut, there were mumbles and whispers of things the hybrid couldn’t, or just wasn’t allowed to hear. A sandwing poked his head outside the door, slowly trotting out to carefully approach the worried dragonet, who was staring at the dragon like she waited for the word of god. The sandwing’s mouth held tight as he looked down at something clasped in his talons, ultimately sighing.

“Is my mother okay?” The dragonet’s voice trembled, quaking with her body, to which she had to sit down for the granted fear of bad news. The sandwing looked away from the dragonet’s eyes, squeezing the object in his talons gently, before passing it to her. The ring...

“She said to give it to you.” Burrow’s gruff voice sounded choked with the desert sands, “Your mother is very sick right now. Mayfly is doing everything in her power, but don’t be surprised if she doesn’t make it.”

Legacy was right to sit down. An overwhelming wave of nausea, stricken from fear and anxiety, caught her breath. Her mother might die. ‘Father is still out there looking for the two of us,’ she thought. ‘Mother can’t protect me now.’ She could feel her tears start welling again. Burrow awkwardly reached out his wing to Legacy as a sign of comfort, and she latched onto his arm, struggling to breathe amidst her choked sobs.

She had met this dragon several times before, mostly in the markets, and he was the one that helped bring Coldwings back to the healer’s hut, while most onlookers stared at the to-be corpse in hopes of looting any last riches from the dragonet’s talons. He had offered the duo minimal help upon reaching the city of misfits, though it was still more than what others even would think to do, finding them a place to stay and hiring her mother on as a medicine maid. Despite his rough disposition, he was truly dedicated to the well-being of dragons, be it his patients or anyone else who needed help. Never fared too strongly on the emotional side of things, he came off as cold and blunt, with enough care to calm a crying dragonet and enough sternness to keep the chaotic, traumatized dragons at bay. A soul she’d never forget.

“Ahem.” The two snapped their heads up to look back at the doorway where there soon appeared a mudwing, a crown of flowers placed atop her head. Mayfly, the medicine dragon of Possibility. Despite her large, friendly appearance, she was quite stern, more of a no-nonsense character, which left the care of the patients down to Burrow, her head apothecary. “She is awake, but not for long. She doesn’t have much time left.” There was little remorse in the dragon’s voice- “If you want to say goodbye, do it now.”

Legacy let go of Burrow’s leg, almost autonomously following the mudwing into the hut, through the examination room and back to the infirmary, which was mostly open except for a pair of dragonets who suffered some tail stings from an ambush earlier in the week. The black dragonet stumbled up next to the bedding where her weak mother lay. Her breathing was still hampered, but she didn’t look in pain. Her eyes peeked open at her daughter standing before her, though they had already started to glaze. Her voice was barely a whisper, “the ring…”

Legacy quickly held up the ring in her quaking talons, sliding it on her wing thumb like mother had it, though it was still loose, almost falling off when she tucked her wings down. “Y-yes mother, right here.” Legacy sniffled a reply, nearly choking in the process.

“Good…” and thus she put her head down, coughing out harshly, closing her eyes with a smile and ever so softly singing like she had all those nights ago, when they first escaped Crookedskull and his ire.

...remember you are not alone… I’ll be here… standing... beside… you…

The large dragon’s chest rose once more, before falling, and quickly falling still. The dragonet whimpered, placing her head down on her mother’s chest, smothering herself with her wings and limbs in a final hug goodbye. “You swore by the moons, mother…” Legacy sniffled, Burrow gently grabbing the dragonet by the shoulders to drag her off the corpse. In the low light of the room, the dragonet was able to see the full extent of her mother’s condition. Thin skin showing off her mother’s thin frame, her spikes rough and claws damaged. Old wounds festered, while fresh ones bubbled with pestilence. A sorry sight of a dragon that most others would have put down before this point, but the dragoness kept her daughter’s life well protected, far ahead of her own. The fact that her mother wanted her to keep her ring was a sign of acceptance in her mind. ‘Mother is always here with me.’

“We can bury her here… she’s done enough work for us to deserve such treatment.” Mayfly gestured to the body, grabbing one end of the sling and gesturing for Burrow to take the other end supporting the body, escorting it out of the room, and leaving the dragonet in the room that smelled of death and sadness.

“Are you alone now?” She heard a raspy voice behind her. Turning around, one of the two dragonets had woken up, watching the scene unveil before their very eyes. “You look too young to even fend for yourself… go find the orphanage, they’ll help you find a new family.” All Legacy could do was sniffle at the thought, slowly following the short procession out to the garden where her mother would soon lay in the dirty pit, decorated with pretty flowers and good-scented herbs to cover up any scent of immediate decay.

Suddenly, her mother’s voice seemed to resonate through the back of her head, haunting, like a spirit’s should.

“Rise again, this is your legacy…”

This installed a new sense of happiness and vigor in the dragonet. Her mother really was there after all.

Description

The golden desert sands swept under talon as the hybrid slowly paced outside of the healer's hut in Possibility. Mother had collapsed suddenly without warning while they were out shopping, she couldn’t breathe and kept on coughing out what little air she was getting. Inside the adobe hut, there were mumbles and whispers of things the hybrid couldn’t, or just wasn’t allowed to hear. A sandwing poked his head outside the door, slowly trotting out to carefully approach the worried dragonet, who was staring at the dragon like she waited for the word of god. The sandwing’s mouth held tight as he looked down at something clasped in his talons, ultimately sighing.

“Is my mother okay?” The dragonet’s voice trembled, quaking with her body, to which she had to sit down for the granted fear of bad news. The sandwing looked away from the dragonet’s eyes, squeezing the object in his talons gently, before passing it to her. The ring...

“She said to give it to you.” Burrow’s gruff voice sounded choked with the desert sands, “Your mother is very sick right now. Mayfly is doing everything in her power, but don’t be surprised if she doesn’t make it.”

Legacy was right to sit down. An overwhelming wave of nausea, stricken from fear and anxiety, caught her breath. Her mother might die. ‘Father is still out there looking for the two of us,’ she thought. ‘Mother can’t protect me now.’ She could feel her tears start welling again. Burrow awkwardly reached out his wing to Legacy as a sign of comfort, and she latched onto his arm, struggling to breathe amidst her choked sobs.

She had met this dragon several times before, mostly in the markets, and he was the one that helped bring Coldwings back to the healer’s hut, while most onlookers stared at the to-be corpse in hopes of looting any last riches from the dragonet’s talons. He had offered the duo minimal help upon reaching the city of misfits, though it was still more than what others even would think to do, finding them a place to stay and hiring her mother on as a medicine maid. Despite his rough disposition, he was truly dedicated to the well-being of dragons, be it his patients or anyone else who needed help. Never fared too strongly on the emotional side of things, he came off as cold and blunt, with enough care to calm a crying dragonet and enough sternness to keep the chaotic, traumatized dragons at bay. A soul she’d never forget.

“Ahem.” The two snapped their heads up to look back at the doorway where there soon appeared a mudwing, a crown of flowers placed atop her head. Mayfly, the medicine dragon of Possibility. Despite her large, friendly appearance, she was quite stern, more of a no-nonsense character, which left the care of the patients down to Burrow, her head apothecary. “She is awake, but not for long. She doesn’t have much time left.” There was little remorse in the dragon’s voice- “If you want to say goodbye, do it now.”

Legacy let go of Burrow’s leg, almost autonomously following the mudwing into the hut, through the examination room and back to the infirmary, which was mostly open except for a pair of dragonets who suffered some tail stings from an ambush earlier in the week. The black dragonet stumbled up next to the bedding where her weak mother lay. Her breathing was still hampered, but she didn’t look in pain. Her eyes peeked open at her daughter standing before her, though they had already started to glaze. Her voice was barely a whisper, “the ring…”

Legacy quickly held up the ring in her quaking talons, sliding it on her wing thumb like mother had it, though it was still loose, almost falling off when she tucked her wings down. “Y-yes mother, right here.” Legacy sniffled a reply, nearly choking in the process.

“Good…” and thus she put her head down, coughing out harshly, closing her eyes with a smile and ever so softly singing like she had all those nights ago, when they first escaped Crookedskull and his ire.

...remember you are not alone… I’ll be here… standing... beside… you…

The large dragon’s chest rose once more, before falling, and quickly falling still. The dragonet whimpered, placing her head down on her mother’s chest, smothering herself with her wings and limbs in a final hug goodbye. “You swore by the moons, mother…” Legacy sniffled, Burrow gently grabbing the dragonet by the shoulders to drag her off the corpse. In the low light of the room, the dragonet was able to see the full extent of her mother’s condition. Thin skin showing off her mother’s thin frame, her spikes rough and claws damaged. Old wounds festered, while fresh ones bubbled with pestilence. A sorry sight of a dragon that most others would have put down before this point, but the dragoness kept her daughter’s life well protected, far ahead of her own. The fact that her mother wanted her to keep her ring was a sign of acceptance in her mind. ‘Mother is always here with me.’

“We can bury her here… she’s done enough work for us to deserve such treatment.” Mayfly gestured to the body, grabbing one end of the sling and gesturing for Burrow to take the other end supporting the body, escorting it out of the room, and leaving the dragonet in the room that smelled of death and sadness.

“Are you alone now?” She heard a raspy voice behind her. Turning around, one of the two dragonets had woken up, watching the scene unveil before their very eyes. “You look too young to even fend for yourself… go find the orphanage, they’ll help you find a new family.” All Legacy could do was sniffle at the thought, slowly following the short procession out to the garden where her mother would soon lay in the dirty pit, decorated with pretty flowers and good-scented herbs to cover up any scent of immediate decay.

Suddenly, her mother’s voice seemed to resonate through the back of her head, haunting, like a spirit’s should.

“Rise again, this is your legacy…”

This installed a new sense of happiness and vigor in the dragonet. Her mother really was there after all.