Bond of Power (Private with Athena)

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Storm felt the beat of his heart in his chest as he walked. The desert sand felt unpleasant underneath his talons. It suck in between his talons and bugged him. Why did he even join the Ki'Sha in the first place? He had that thought a lot. It was in the literal worst place in all of Nuira. The desert. It was TOO HOT and made everything feel as dry as a bone. He just had to keep in mind that this MIGHT be temporary. He had to figure that part out once Daydris was gone and he had Sarah again.

Oh, his beautiful daughter. How he missed her. He tried not to think about her, but it was inevitable. It felt like a piece of his heart was missing that nobody could fill. He shoved the thoughts away that maybe she wasn't alive and kept walking. He searched the faces of the dragons in the tribe, trying to swallow his hope in case it was false.

There were rumors that a new dragon had joined the tribe. A pure white dragon. An ice dragon. Why would she join a tribe in the desert,
though? his mind nagged. She's more vulnerable to heat, since she is an ice dragon. He pushed his legs forward, wondering where she would be.

There. A flash of white. Was it her?

"Athena!" he called out, knowing that he would probably look like an idiot if it wasn't her. By this time his heart beat wildly as he tried to find her.

(the two A's, wow xD)

To the wyvern, the situation seemed hopeless. The girl was being as stubborn as they come. Everything about her body language screamed; Go away, I hate you,
go die in a hole. Twin plumes of blue mist, similar to her own, poured out of her nostrils, which were quivering in anger, one might say. But Athena knew she was more scared than angry. The tremors that crept along her cerulean spine weren't aggressive, her lip wasn't curled back in a snarl. She was displaying defensive behavior.

Throwing teenagers into battle? Daydris is sicker than I thought. Her talons curled. The only reasons SHE'D been around fights at Storm's age was because of the circumstances surrounding her. For a moment, her expression softened slightly. She's far too young. Then she reminded herself that this female was just another soldier, another enemy. She tried to take joy out of the idea of wringing her neck, but...


Ayato leaned towards her slightly as she whispered to him, an amused look crossing his face. For a moment, she hesitated at his question. Her blue eyes, wolfish in their shape and intensity, drifted to the younger pair. "Hopefully not," she said quietly.

She shook her head. "Wouldn't want to get my talons dirty before I get them into Daydris," she added quickly. Her tail swished, sending a yellow arc of sand through the air. She lifted her head slightly as Ayato rose, scales gleaming in the morning sun, and spoke. She arched a brow at his words. Meet death with honor... she thought numbly.

-----------

Someone spoke, -the older male, she assumed- and his words chilled her to the bone. Die... I'm going to die? she thought. Her jaw clenched. She'd been taught; show no fear, be strong, be brave, no tears. But the fear was creeping up her back, like a shadow falling across her. She couldn't help it, she shuddered like a leaf in wind.


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Athena met Storm's eyes as he shifted his gaze to them. The look he gave her said enough. Ayato was terrifying her out of her wits, though she was... well, to a trained eye, she wasn't hiding it very well, but she was somewhat holding her nerve. Still, better we leave them alone, she said, getting to her feet. She gave Storm a subtle nod and then gestured for Ayato to follow her. She twisted around, leaving a print in the sand where she'd been resting.

She spread her wings. Hesitated. Then leaped into the air. She drove herself up and up through the sky until Storm and the girl were just specks down on earth, before leveling out into a glide. The wind sliced under her wings and hissed in her ears, helping to cool the waves of emotion washing over her like a tsunami.

If Ayato joined her, she didn't meet his eyes. She stared straight ahead, like a soldier. She wasn't sure what she was feeling, exactly. Here she was, one step closer to murdering Daydris for what he'd done, atoning for Hera's death.

Heh... I could never make up for that one, she thought.

"I never imagined a teenager being our prisoner. We never even had soldiers when I was there. Just scouts for prey and stuff." Her eyes narrowed. She tried to keep her face a mask of stony indifference.

---------


As the wingbeats faded, Lamina dared to open her eyes. She turned her head slightly and looked up at Storm. What he was saying, how softly he spoke... some of the tension seeped out of her body. But...
Daydris said- a voice in her head began to protest.

I don't want to die. But shouldn't I want to die for my family? To bring the Deeogon home again? Restore order to the group? she wondered. She was confused, muddled, her brain still slightly fuzzy from the knock to the head.

He's just manipulating you! He's probably associating with the ones that STOLE our Deeogon!

"Please," the purple dragon said. Lamina hesitated. Then she got an idea. She gestured with her eyes to the seaweed binding her snout and then arched an eyebrow at him; it's not like I can with my mouth trapped.


"Lamina," she said. If she wanted to gain his trust, she had to give him her name. Besides, what harm could it do? She didn't plan on sticking around anyways. Her talons twitched, the only sign she wasn't as willing as she was making herself out to be.

Needless to say, this female really disappointed him. Her show of what she perhaps thought was brave and rebellious only came off as cowardly, weak, to Ayato; and there was where his dissatisfaction began. She had had what Ayato thought were the marks of a potential warrior: She had been skilled, deadly in her manipulation of her magic, managing to hold out against two (oh, whoops, three) dragons at once for quite a few impressive minutes...

Yet here she was. Not even the pep talk Ayato used with his Ugaans worked; it only served to scare her, rather understandable actually, seeing he was the enemy in her eyes: Someone who could possibly kill her, and he could not scorn her fear of death. A shudder racked her body as her jaw locked tight, displays of fear that she failed horribly at hiding. How young, inexperienced really, was the pretty vase in front of him?

All guilt previously felt at Storm dissipated at his blatant request to dismiss Ayato, who was an Aliugaan, and he bristled at this, before remembering that oh, these uncivilised baboons have no order at all and this isn't Ki'Sha, and that he'd have to prove himself through physical prowess. He watched Storm's disgusting (- no, Ayato caught himself, what about truly admirable but useless anyway, gotta need to be nicer to settle his guilty conscience, ha ha -) attempts to use peace to calm the female with an amused eye, snorting quietly to himself before he spoke again, still sounding as scornful as he was earlier.

"Unfortunately, purple one here is right. We won't be hurting you unless truly necessary, because this one-" jerking his head at Athena, unwilling to reveal her name, or had they already? he couldn't remember, "holds our purple friend in high regards. She says Storm will surprise her. We're all relying on you." He shrugged and turned, unfurling his wings and leaping into the air, the wind lifting him up and away. It slipped underneath his billowing wings, a stream of coolness whistling past. A sensation he was familiar with, having taken to the skies countless times in his life.

There was a beat of silence as Ayato glided into place next to Athena, soaring rather aimlessly. They were only here to give Storm space to work his "magic" after all. At her comment, he snorted once more, brushing away (or tried to) a wisp of cloud that touched his face. Scornfully he said, "You are, but I'm not. I've seen younger captives. Hatchlings barely into their teenage phase being used as messengers and caught." He laughed loudly, the sound echoed by the empty air. "They were my neighbours, some of them. My only friends."

//I'm sorry for not replying. ;-;

Storm was grateful when Athena and Ayato turned and took off into the blue sky; but not before Ayato kept talking of course. He just ignored him and waited tolerantly as their wing beats of both faded into the distance. Finally, I can think without Ayato breathing down my neck, he thought with relief.

Turning to the female once again, he watched as she pointed to her bound jaw. He apprehensively lifted a talon, hesitating. If this turns sour, Athy and Grumpy Scarf are never going to let you live it down, Storm. Deciding it didn't matter at this point anymore, he cut the vines binding her jaw shut.

He took his talons away quickly just in case she tried to snap at him. Instead, she replied with her name. "Lamina."

Storm gave her a small smile. "Nice to meet you, Lamina. My name is Storm."
Now before I continue on with anything else, how are your wounds? You got scarily close to dying I am pretty sure," he remarked, glancing down at the wounds.

Storm continued. "Anyways, we need to know where Daydris is and any important information about him. For example, does he have more troops hunting us down? He then realized he might be overwhelming her. He needed to keep this relaxed so she would trust him. "No rush, though. You must be confused right now; but I promise you, you can trust me. I won't hurt you."

Storm.


She arched a brow slightly. Storm. It suited him. Somehow, the fact he had a name made him even less intimidating. Instead of jumping straight into interrogating her, he... asked about her wounds? Lamina paused at this. The enemy, caring about her wellbeing? He was faking it. He had to be. Yet he seemed so trusthworthy. His eyes seemed so... warm.

He helped steal our princess. It's because of him we're all going to die. Her expression hardened again. "Death isn't an issue. As long as I fulfil my purpose," she stated, arching her neck and giving him a haughty glance. She then looked up at where the two adults had flown from. Deeogon... Athena. She'd been so close to her leader. So close! She hadn't gotten a good look at Athy, but she was certain that was here. White scales, feathers on her back, blue eyes. It had to be her.

She almost didn't hear Storm, as wrapped up in her thoughts as she was. When his words registered, she scowled at him."Allow me to summarise this scenario," she said, with all her notorious feisty attitude. "You kill my comrades, knock me out, keep me prisoner, and now you expect me to spill all of my group's information. Yeah, I see the logic." I have to get out of here, and fast.

She hissed at Storm, drawing her head back. "There are more of us. Many more. We're coming for our stolen princess. You and whoever you work for, whatever Satanist cult you're conspiring with, you stole Athena! YOU RUINED US!" she bellowed at him, before wiggling and squirming for a moment. She lay her head on the sand and breathed heavily.



------------------


Athena listened with wolf's ears to Ayato, her wings tilting back and forth to catch the air currents that swept underneath her toned body. She lowered her head slightly. Children... they probably couldn't even spell bloodshed by the time they were killed.
Probably the last thing they saw though.

She looked at him as he uttered; some of them were my only friends. She gazed at him for a long, long moment as the silence ticked by.

"I'm sorry." She said it quietly, but the meaning went deeper. She was sorry for him losing the ones close to him. Sorry for their families that had to receive the bad news. Sorry for the children who gave their lives for a fight they probably knew nothing about.

Athena looked down at the coast below. Down at the water. She closed her eyes, wrinkles appearing in her forehead. There was something she had to ask of him. Something she had to say. Because the dragons they were dealing with... they'd stop at nothing to get her back and she knew why. It was life or death for them. As it was for her. And Ayato was the only dragon she could trust to keep a promise, apart from Storm. She hated owing. Hated owing Ayato most of all, but she had to ask him. Why should he do this for you? You're just another Ugaan flying in and out of his city. You're not even from the tribe.

"... Ayato." She looked at him, eyes glowing a bit as the sheer intensity of her emotions stirred her magic. Trepidation. Wariness. Wariness of trusting another with a promise to do with Storm. "If... if something happens to me. If I don't make it out of this alive..." I probably won't. "Promise me you'll get Storm out of there." Her jaw was tightened. Her teeth braced against each other as she awaited his answer.

Promise me you'll protect him.

Ayato had long since hardened himself to his emotions, allowing himself to feel only what he thought would benefit him in the current situation. But sometimes, sometimes they would leak through anyway, constricting his chest just for that brief moment before loosening, seeping into his eyes in the form of irrational tears. He blinked them away, his eyes stinging, and he thought that it was just the wind, and the memory of being free- or at least, the imitation of it. Athena's voice jerked him back to the present, a harsh pull.

Sorry doesn't do anything, he thought but didn't say. "I'm sorry too," he agreed anyway, wishing to make the ones on the other side of the fight pay. A fight that he'd long since fled from, a distant memory he cast into the abyss of forgetting. He caught the wind with his wings, was lifted up and pushed down as he thought, absentmindedly carving a turn to ensure he didn't fly too far. They soared in silence, too many thoughts and worries lingering between them.

He returned his gaze, hers simmering with an intense force behind it, one he couldn't quite name. Wishing to dissipate the tension but knowing he couldn't, he said heavily, "Don't be a fool. Storm wouldn't leave you if you were on the verge of death, and neither would I. But yes, for your sake I shall try." He glanced down; he couldn't see Storm but knew he was somewhere down there; when would they go down?

Storm watched Lamina intently as she seemed to soften a bit before hardening a moment later, to his dismay. Can't she see I am trying to help her out of this situation? He thought as she started yelling at him. He stayed silent as she ranted, starting to get nervous. His front talons clenched and unclenched the grainy sand beneath him. He usually did that when he was nervous or thinking.

When the the blue female finished her angry speech, Storm waited a moment as she laid her head on the sand. He took an anxious glance at the sky before continuing. "Look," he started softly, "I am so sorry for your friends getting killed. I really am. I tried to stop my friends from doing it, but they are much more... violent then I am.

"Oh, and you think we are from a satanist cult? No way. And I didn't "steal" Athena. She's my friend. She decided to. Not me." He paused for a few moments. He watched the salty water lap against the shore, collecting his thoughts. They are going to be back soon, I need to get this done quick, Sleeping mist puffed out of his nose in frustration. Remain calm, Storm. You got this. Just be your weird, kind self, and she will see that you are telling the truth.

He tried again. "You know. My friends are going to be coming back soon. And they are going to hurt you if you don't open up. They will get the information out of you if I can't. But I saved your life and really don't want you to be tortured. And I can prove it. Why would I have sealed your wounds? Why would I go through all the trouble to stop your bleeding and save your life if we were going to torture and kill you anyway? It doesn't make sense. So I am giving you one more chance. Please help us." He kept eye contact the entire time. There was no trace of anger or lying in his voice. Just sincerity.

Angry tears were beginning to gather in Lamina's eyes. Determined not to let this... this heathen perceive her as a weakling, she clenched her jaw and fought them back. Dead. Dead. All dead. Marin. Tori. Luko. All dead.
They were my friends, she thought. Then, Deeogon Daydris' voice whispered in her ear, as if he were talking to her. Now is not the time for mourning. Now is the time to get out of here.

Storm began to speak. Lamina's eyes, dark and blue like the ocean, darted to him and narrowed like a cat's. He spoke with such sincerity, his forest green eyes shimmering with such kindness, compassion, that she felt her guard beginning to slip. The tension began to seep out of her muscles. His apology stunned her. An enemy, apologising for the deaths of her comrades?

Maybe he's telling the truth. He didn't seem so bad. She watched with a very still expression as Storm continued to try and soothe her. His claim to have no part in Athena's disappearance made her scoff, but she still listened. The blue and teal dragoness curled her body towards him slightly as she listened intently to his words.

A puff of purple smoke suddenly pooled out of his nostrils, which were flaring with frustration. He had a comforting aura about him. He was almost... he almost reminded her of herself. He was different from the other two, as was Lamina different from her comrades. Perhaps that had something to do with her age...  A pang of loneliness, old as she was, filled her chest and she had to force it back down.


She met his eyes and paid him attention as he tried to convince her, a desperate plea that resonated in her bones. The threat of his 'friends' (how could a kind soul such as this want to hang around with a princess and a rather fierce looking warrior?) coming back to hurt her sent chills of horror up her spine. She bristled.

Lamina took a deep breath, and said in a whisper; "Okay."






------------------------



After that, a heavy silence settled between them, like a thick, opaque fog that seeped into the gap between two mountains. Athena flew alongside him in silence, choosing to appreciate his company. Her mind drifted to her tribe. Home. Well, what she had once thought was home.


I'm going back to my family. Her talons clenched, both in anger and... and fear. Athena would never dare admit it, but... she was afraid. The weight in her stomach was churning like a raging sea.

When she met Ayato's eyes, everything else faded away, leaving just the twin spheres of endless blue that she could get lost in. She wanted to look away from their sheer intensity but held her own. It was like hovering above an ocean threatening to suck her deep into its abyss and never let go. Terrifying and electrifying all at the same time.

At his words, some of the weight in her stomach was sucked out, leaving her feeling lighter, relieved. He would try.

She allowed the emotions she guarded so religiously behind the facade of a cold, uncaring character to seep through. Her mask of stony determination falling away to reveal the softer, grateful expression that she hadn't worn in years.

"Thank you," she said softly. She held his gaze for a moment longer, feeling as if she should say something else, something more, but she chose to look away. She glanced down at the beach, where she could make out two bodies; one an exotic purple, the other a silvery blue, both shimmering like the crests of summer waves.

"Let's head down," she said, her professional, hard voice back in place. She folded her wings slightly and began a steady spiral to the ground, angling her body for a speedy but controlled descent. She let out a noise that resembled a snow leopard's 'bark' to let Storm know they were coming.

It's my turn? I never realised, so sorry! --

Ayato lifted a shoulder in what seemed like a nonchalant shrug, the action not interrupting the steady rhythm of his wingbeats. "Don't thank me for something that hasn't happened yet," he only said, but commented nothing more on the matter, letting the silence droop, heavy as a raincloud. He was unable to stand the emotion that softened her battle-weary, battle-scared face, yet at the same time, he was too prideful to break off the stare first-- So needless to say, he was grateful when she did, exhaling as if his burdens were in that heavy breath of air.

Her mind was clearly elsewhere, and so was his. He couldn't shake off the memory of his friends who went and never came back. A memory he had long since buried, yet was once more rising to the surface, ever since he had spoken of them to Athena only a few moments ago. He wished now he hadn't brought it up; years of collective regret were now rising up to crush his throat, burning it with bitter tears.

He was glad for the distraction when Athena gave the order to go down. It was shameful to want to avoid thinking about his dead friends, but still. He began a steady descent at the same speed as Athena, like two coordinated warriors. Which they, perhaps, were, Ayato mused, starting slightly at her bark. Huh. It was so like her, not to use words. He didn't say anything, but he knew she was aware of what he was wondering: A thought perhaps shared by both of them: Has Storm managed to convince the prisoner yet?

If not, what next?

// Hey, guys, I am so sorry I took so long... Life.

Storm waited in anxious anticipation during the silence that had followed his words. Come on, he thought, trust me. Please. He watched Lamina's expression for any giving idea of which direction her mind was going. He could see tears gathering in the corners of her eyes before she blinked them away angrily. Then, her demeanor suddenly changed. She met his eyes. She has beautiful eyes, his mind whispered quietly to him. He shoved the thought away.

"Okay." Was all Lamina said. He breathed out a breath he hadn't noticed he was holding. Then, he heard a sound from the sky and looked up. Athena and Ayato were spiraling down. He glanced back at the blue dragoness. "Do you mind if they hear this too?" he asked in an anxious tone. "If you would prefer to talk to me alone, I could tell them to leave for just a few more minutes."

Storm wanted to make sure that Lamina was comfortable. After all, Athena and Ayato were scary, especially with how willing they were to become violent.

//Sorry this is kinda short.

"I'm thanking you now in case I'm not around to say it when it's due," was her response, spoken without much emotion. As they spiraled down towards the sand, Athena noticed some of the vines once binding the female were gone. Her eyes widened as her talons clenched, but she relaxed when she realized their prisoner was still immobilized. What the hell are you doing?! she wanted to yell, wanting to hit Storm over the head for risking a facefull of a breath attack, alone and without backup. Cursing and muttering furiously, Athena fanned out her wings to further slow her descent. Next time we're alone together, I'm giving him a long talk on common sense. She was furious because she was paranoid, about leaving Storm alone with that thing and knowing she'd probably try sweet talk her way into his head. Because Storm was trusting and believed in the best of dragons and was kind and sweet and losing him would destroy her all over again. Permanently, this time.


-----

Lamina didn't know why, but she felt she could trust this strange purple enigma. Daydris and her peers had warned her through the years about outsiders not from Home deceiving her into letting her guard down, then slitting her throat. The stories she'd heard about outsiders, especially the ones that invaded and resulted in Athena's disappearance- had given her the shudders.

Yet this one was different, somehow. His eyes were wide and clear, radiating warmth and kindness. The dragons she'd killed -the dragons that had haunted her waking and sleeping hours alike- had eyes filled with rage, shock, radiating hatred in their final hours. Thus far, Storm was the first outsider who hadn't tried interrogating her with rougher methods. She'd been imprisoned once before, and had scars on her belly because of the long hours suffered in that camp.

She looked up, hearing a strange barking noise, almost like a large cat. Ka-waaaaargh! it sent her scalp tingling. Now that she could see and was no longer disorientated, maybe she could get a better look at her other captors.
She looked at Storm and inclined her head in a small nod. "They don't have to leave.. I just don't want to talk to them." She didn't want to give the impression of being a complete coward, although she knew they probably already saw her as one. She shifted her dark eyes to them again.


The male of the pair had dark blue scales, darker than her own, and wore a scarf. Odd piece of attire, she thought, tilting her head in her curiosity. That was when she noticed it sagged slightly, as if it had something wrapped inside... She racked her brain to try figure out if he'd had a weapon inside the scarf, but the battle was still a hazy blur for her. She remembered the sound though, her friends' dying shrieks and cries- She shuddered, pushed them to the back of her mind for now.

The female- Lamina's eyes settled on her. She was white, covered in scars and had stormy eyes that could turn a dragon to stone. The pair were intimidating. Lamina found herself shrinking back, but corrected herself and raised her head, meeting their gazes with narrowed eyes, not allowing her fear to betray her. She seems familiar... Daydris described Athena as- her eyes widened. But it couldn't be.


----


Athena touched down but didn't approach, instead waiting for Storm's cue. She gave him a look that said; well? as she arched a brow.

At Athena's thanks, Ayato gave a scoff from deep within his throat and looked away, trying to hide how unsettled he felt. Being thanked was about as foreign to him as dry land to a fish, and with it came waves after waves of questions, assaulting his brain the way an ocean crashed against a shore. Why was Athena thanking him? came the first. He knew it definitely wasn't because of their friendship, or whatever friendly sentiments they shared--because neither existed. But rather...

From what he understood of her, Athena would beg for those she loved but not for herself. Which meant... She might want to sacrifice herself, or that she thought it was very likely she would lose her life. No-- No! That couldn't happen! Why somebody who he had just begun to warm up to? Bleakly, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of situations would await them when they arrived at Daydris's place. What he knew, however, was that he would attack and defend with all the fervor and rage he could muster.

His dive down towards the beach was slightly more rapid than necessary. When Ayato slowed, spreading his wings with more aggression than necessary, the sight he beheld was enough to earn yet another scoff from him. What the hell was Purple doing, unbinding their prisoner? Had he lost his mind? What a blindly trusting fool. Yet, he thought as he landed on the soft sands, perhaps a second chance could work wonders.

Allowing the prisoner to scrunitise him, Ayato stood still and without complain, no trace of his earlier distress on his face. He carried a small smirk, his gaze wandering. Waiting for Storm.

Storm watched as Athena and Ayato landed in the sand near him. He could see the disapproval in Athena's eyes for cutting some of Lamina's bonds, but he ignored it. He did want to smack the smirk off of Ayato's face, however. He held up one talon for them to wait where they were. He turned back to Lamina. "Now," he started again softly, "What were you going to tell me?"

His heart started to beat faster in his chest. He knew this would be a pivotal moment in their quest to find Daydris. Plus a small part of him was still worried that Lamina was going to attack or lie to them. He was also aware of the two other dragons watching from behind him, making him feel like he was being judged for the way he was approaching this situation.

He tried not to show any of this in his eyes, however. Storm didn't want to make Lamina uncomfortable, as he knew this was still a very fragile situation and didn't want her to change her mind.

Storm lifted a talon and Athena stiffened slightly, flicking her tail briefly in front of Ayato to keep him from approaching. She met Lamina's eyes, and her insides turned to water when she realised the young female was beginning to recognise her. Athena didn't pray, she didn't believe in Gods, but she prayed anyway. Prayed to any higher power, if one existed, that would listen, that Storm and Ayato wouldn't find out. Please. Please. Not like this. She kept her anxiety carefully concealed behind a mask of calm indifference, but her hide was itching. She shifted her weight and swished her tail, biting her lip.


----


So focused on the dragoness that seemed so similar to the descriptions given at debriefings, Lamina almost didn't hear Storm. She shifted her gaze to him and blinked her tealish blue eyes. This is it, she thought. She took a deep breath.

"My fami- my clan resides in the Ectan mountains, southwest of here..." the words felt slimy on her tongue, for more reasons than one. "They're in this... valley, ravine, of sorts. You can't see it from the sky." She met Storm's eyes and felt her talons unclench. "I... can help you get inside. But... why do you want to go there?"


---------

Immediately, Athena stiffened. She made vague gestures at Storm's back to tell him to shut his mouth, but he couldn't see her. Giving a muffled growl, she thought fast and snorted loudly, trying to get his attention. If Storm looked at her, she would shake her head slightly; don't ask, a strange desperation in her eyes. If he didn't, she would begin to breathe heavily.