Growling Thunder -Open!-

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The flight to the Stormcallers had been generally uneventful, save for an occasional flock of birds to look at, or a glimpse of another traveler. Leaving the Aeria mountains, Shula felt a bit exposed after what had happened last night.

The thick grass and foliage had transitioned to sandy dunes long ago, the cloudy sky turning clear as they entered the Verula region. For her, the heat was a luxury, the warmth the desert offered a comfortable temperature for the young fire dragon. Spreading her tiny wings slightly, Shula sighed in content.

She could see the city up ahead, the great ball of thunder and lightning looming in the distance. "There it is!" she exclaimed, standing up on Silver's back and pointing. Joy turned her expression bright as she hopped up and down, although after a few seconds she slipped and almost fell, so she sat back down.

One could see the distant figures of dragons circling the storm, some departing, some entering the dark clouds. Shula's tail wagged with glee. It was a bit boring, but the Stormcaller City was her home, and it was always nice to come home. "I'll take you to meet Atlas first! He's very friendly, but he doesn't like stealing." His views on justice were certainly different to Shula's. The amount of times he had lectured her on the nature of thievery was so high she had lost count.

Leaning back, Shula relaxed, and enjoyed the ride.

Seeing that Cara won't be doing much, feel free to skip me until you decide it's time for her to reappear. xD Sorry for keeping you two waiting. --

(it's totally fine!)

Shula's eyes lit up like stars when Silver accepted her apology. A small smile appeared on her face as her little tail twitched in joy. "Yay! Thank you, Silver!" she exclaimed, standing up and hopping up and down for a moment or two. “Perhaps it all has turned out for the best anyway. You are not just another pile of bones floating about in a windstorm, and my scales are still intact,” Silver was saying. The crimson hatchling nodded in agreement. The image of the winds ripping her apart sent shivers up her spine.

Returning Silver's grin, Shula observed as she walked with the grace of a swan towards the bathroom. “I do agree with you, however. Aside from the weather, this place certainly seems like the treatment I was hoping for,“ the large dragoness uttered. She shrugged in response. "They treat the guests like roywalty," she said, pronouncing 'royalty' completely wrong. Her speaking skills had never been top notch, something Agnes had tried and failed time and time again to fix.

While Silver was in the bathroom, Shula amused herself by sniffing around the room and leaping from one bed to the other. She was tempted to ring the bell, but decided against it, lest she irritated Silver again. When she grew bored of that, she hopped up onto the windowsill and observed the city. It was massive! She could see the whole place from here! Settling down onto her belly, Shula resembled a red cat in the way she rested as she waited for Silver to return.

"Shula!" she called out eventually. “I am surprised you would want to leave a place such as this! It seems like it would be paradise to most younglings!” she exclaimed. Shula huffed, shrugging even though she knew she couldn't see her. "This place is nice, but the Orphanage stinks!" she replied, inspecting a talonless paw. "Besides, I want to see what's outside the storm!" By now, she knew all of the streets near the Orphanage off by heart. Exploring them had become utterly dull, and robbing spoons and things had lost their excitement, so she'd turned her attention to the outside world.

She reached up with a talon to play with the one turquoise earring that remained. She was sad to have lost the other one, but it couldn't be helped. Her golden wing earrings twinkled like stars in the light streaming through the window.


(Hmm, so now what? XD)

Silver closed her eyes as she listened to Shula’s explanation, thinking of it as a bit of music while she relaxed. The pristine dragoness had now realized how much she actually enjoyed conversation while bathing. It was somehow soothing to simply feel clean whilst fulfilling the need for interaction.

It was interesting to hear about how bad the orphanage was. At least how bad it was in Shula’s perspective. In a way she reminded Silver a little bit of herself.

The ice dragoness had grown up in a lifestyle that simply felt uncomfortable. Like she was wasting her best years inside a home with people who she didn’t care for—a feeling that was sadly mutual. She wanted so badly to leave...and so she did. Not too long after that was when she and Shula had met for the first time.

Two dragons that just happened to meet each other in a forest.

Silver didn’t throw the word ‘fate’ around loosely, but their meeting each other certainly felt like fate. Like there was a reason for them to have met, and for them to have saved one another from harm. Perhaps it would be prudent for the two to stay together, and see just how their story unfolded.

The ice dragoness gasped silently as she realized that she’d been drifting off to sleep. Perhaps now was a good time to leave her bath before she wound up taking a nap and missing their meal.

Slowly, she lifted herself from the cold water and back into the warm air of their room. She shook off as much of the water as she could before grabbing her jewelry and stepping out of the bathroom. The dragoness made her way to what she presumed to be her bed and set her satchel and jewelry down for the moment before turning her attention to Shula.

“That was simply refreshing,” Silver said with a smile, enough cold water still on her scales that the heat didn’t bother her yet. The lack of dirt on her scales felt just as good as the cool water too. She eyed the hatchling, then looked at the large clock.

It was nearing the time for their lunch, and she suddenly regretted her decision to take a bath first. Shula was still dirty, just as the cold bath water was. Part of her wanted to ring the bell for assistance in getting the hatchling ready...but as it stood there was perhaps not enough time left.

The white dragoness put her ruby jewelry away inside her leg-satchel, then pulled out a pair of sapphire earrings wrapped in silver metal. In addition to that, she brought a very intricately designed silver and sapphire necklace that covered a large portion of her chest. It had a beautiful floral pattern with the gemstones embedded into the center of the flowers.

“Caramina will be here any moment,” Silver mentioned, noting that it was approximately ten minutes until her return.

The eastern-looking dragon had asked to be referred to as ‘Cara’, but Silver’s upbringing told her otherwise. She swore she could still hear her mother’s voice scolding her for referring to others by nicknames.

“I think that once we get back from our lunch and our tour, you are certainly due for a bath.”

(Now we can have Caramina come back and get some grub :3)

(yaaay!)

A dragon zoomed by the window, almost making the scarlet scaled dragonet jump out of her scales. She sat up a bit to watch him as he flew off, broad wings beating. She found her own wings copying his movements. Oh, how she wanted to fly. She glanced down at her useless wings. Really, there was just the basic bone structure, and no scales, not even bones sticking out to hold the skin together. Reaching up with a paw, she stroked the inside of the bones. It felt.. velvety, soft. Useless.

Sighing, she settled back down and remained silent as a mouse until Silver emerged from the bathroom, gleaming like a white diamond in the light. She observed, for a moment locked in a trance by her beauty, as the large dragoness moved towards the bed and placed her jewellery down on it. Her head turned towards her and gave her such an enchanting smile she had to return it with a shy tilt of her lips. “That was simply refreshing,” Silver uttered. The red hatchling just nodded.

Tilting her head, Shula observed in her place on the windowsill as Silver swapped her red jewellery scheme for a blue and silver one. Somehow, the sharp, matching colours made her seem even more powerful. "I like those ones," Shula said, gesturing to her earrings with her snout, "They make your eyes twinkle." Offering her a toothless grin, Shula rose and trotted silently along the windowsill, hoping onto one of the fancy wooden columns and perching there like a bird, ready to take flight.

“Caramina will be here any moment,” Silver uttered, and Shula beamed, tail twitching in delight. "I like her! She's nice!" she exclaimed. It was true. Caramina was very charming, at least to the hatchling. She wondered if she was a noble or a high ranking dragoness. That would be cool.

“I think that once we get back from our lunch and our tour, you are certainly due for a bath.” At this, Shula's eyes narrowed suspiciously as a grimace formed on her face. She gave Silver the most unamused expression she'd seen on her so far into their friendship. She shook her head, sticking out her tongue in disgust "Bleh."

(Silver will probably have to force her into the bath XDDDDD)

A sound like music drifted through the air, two beats signalling that it was two, the time Cara had promised to reappear - and she did, right on time, raising a paw to give two sharp knocks against the polished wood door. She smiled, wondering how they liked their room, and couldn't help but lean forward slightly to hear what they were talking about as she waited for the door to open.

"-due for a bath," she heard Silver saying, then Shula's sound of disgust, and huffed a breath of laughter. She hastily withdrew from the door when she heard soft footsteps padding against the carpet, and the door swung open. "Your self-designated tour guide is back," she announced, flaring her wings as if to emphasise her statement. "You look lovely when you're refreshed," she added, stepping back from the door to let the two come out. "and I hope you two liked the room?" bending a warm smile at Shula and wriggling her claws in a funny sort of wave.

She led them down another set of winding corridors, chatting merrily: "I hope we don't have to go through the Tempest Ring anytime soon, I swear it makes me age. Also, two is the time we Stormcallers usually have lunch, so maybe you'll get to know more about us after interacting with them! Oh, and see that tapestry? Pretty, isn't it?" She paused to point at it, and it depicted thick tomes with aster flowers twining around it; "wisdom, devotion," she informed them before continuing her walk.

They passed a tapestry depicting a dragon locked behind prison bars, and Cara chose not to comment on it, letting them interpret it themselves. She barely had time to say anything more before they reached what she called the dining room: A long table was in the middle, holding up an array of food, while tables both round or rectangular was scattered randomly about the room.

The room's walls were a pale blue colour, a red carpet woven through with gold threads covering the floor. There were several more storeys above them containing more tables and chairs, most of which were a pleasant pistachio green colour. Pillars held up the ceiling, while a massive chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a beautiful glow on the entire room.

Caramina waved at a male (maybe Atlas!) and led Silver and Shula over to the table.

Shula didn’t look too pleased at the prospect of a bath, which was worrisome to Silver. Especially because they were going to be sharing a room together.

The image of the youngling laying a talon on the bed without washing herself was extremely discomforting.

Silver looked once again at the clock as a sound emitted, indicating that it’d struck the hour and was officially time for their lunch. It was most definitely a later lunch than she was used to, but decided to simply try and fit in with the customs of her current environment, instead of whining and nagging the whole time like she wanted.

The ice dragoness nodded at Shula to follow along. “Come now,” she said, “we do not want to be late. Even though this place is your home, we must behave as polite guests.”

Just as Silver opened the door, she was pleased to see that the knocking she’d heard was none other than Caramina. The other dragoness had a delighted smile, then proceeded to compliment their refreshed look. Silver looked to Shula and tilted her head a little. The hatchling certainly didn’t look refreshed. Then again, at least she wasn’t wailing at the top of her lungs like before.

Nevertheless, Silver bowed her head at the compliment before sweeping through the door and following their tour guide. She kept checking to ensure that Shula was following along, just in case the rambunctious youngster decided to wander off.

In response to the question about whether the room was adequate, Silver gave a small smile. “Yes, of course. The beds could certainly be bigger, but other than that the bath is absolutely outstanding. I could not have asked for a better first impression of Stormcaller hospitality...if one does not count the Tempest Ring.” She grimaced, “and yes, I too do not wish to go through that again anytime soon. Lest I end up losing a scale.”

The pure white dragoness purposefully avoided eye-contact with Shula when she said that. There was no bitterness anymore, but she simply didn’t want to reopen old wounds.

Silver considered herself an appreciator of art, in some shape or form. She liked depictions of real-world beauty rather than anything too abstract. This was why when Cara had pointed out the tapestry, the dragoness hummed thoughtfully, as though she were sampling a taste of the Stormcaller culture.

It was admittedly a bit of a shock to see another tapestry that depicted a dragon in a prison. Upon observing the image, she leaned down and whispered to Shula. “It looks as though they might have had a bit of trouble with someone in the past. Keep your ears out for any information that you think might be suspicious.”

After saying that, she lifted her head and watched their guide with a sincere smile.

Once the trio entered the dining room, Silver was astounded. There was more food than there were dragons to eat it, and the interior design was the most beautiful she’d seen. It gave her ideas for how she wanted to decorate her own cave.

“This place is absolutely astonishing. It is hard to believe that dragons could be so organized as to construct something so beautiful.”

Silver returned to reality when she looked down to Shula once more. “What would you like to eat, by the way? Certainly nothing too...stringy. Perhaps a nice soup?”

Shula hated baths. She hated water. She hated being wet. She most certainly would not like to be washed. Images of being shoved face first into the bath by her Caretakers had nurtured a deep hatred of cleaning time in the hatchling.

A sharp noise made her ears stand on end. She looked at the clock, fins held out. She couldn't read the time, but she hoped it meant it was almost time for food. She was starving. “Come now,” Silver was saying. “We do not want to be late. Even though this place is your home, we must behave as polite guests.” Shula didn't understand what timekeeping had to do with manners, but nodded anyways, trotting to the door obediently.


The large dragoness opened the door, and a familiar face came into view. Shula beamed at Caramina. At the mention of the word 'refreshed,' she glanced at Silver sheepishly. She probably looked like some sort of dusty ball of scales compared to the gleaming, queenly dragoness that was her friend. She returned Cara's wave with a little bashful flick of her talons. "Mmmhm! It's great!" she responded to her question.

Watching Silver exit the room, Shula padded after the pair, not really paying attention to what was being said and admiring the halls. She moved like both a puppy and a cat, her gait a bouncy trot, but her movements silent. She gave Silver a grin each time the dragoness glanced back at her.

"-I could not have asked for a better first impression of Stormcaller hospitality...if one does not count the Tempest Ring.” Shula's ears leaned forwards at the words 'Tempest Ring.' “and yes, I too do not wish to go through that again anytime soon. Lest I end up losing a scale,” Silver finished. She didn't look at her, but the hatchling still dipped her head slightly in shame.

They passed a big tapestry, showing a dragon in what looked like a cell. Shula briefly paused to stare up at it, tilting her head. Wonder what they did. Feeling cold air brush her face, she turned her head slightly to listen as Silver spoke. “It looks as though they might have had a bit of trouble with someone in the past. Keep your ears out for any information that you think might be suspicious,” the regal dragoness murmured, just loud enough for her to hear. "Maybe he tried to start a revolushin," Shula suggested. That was the first thing that popped into her head. Maybe he didn't like Queen Imperia? With a flick of her tail, she darted after her friend as she moved away.

The carpet smelled divine. Shula wanted to get on her belly and roll in it. She held back from doing so, however, fearing she'd be stared at. Oh, and the food. The smells came from everywhere, roasted meats and stews and pies. Shula inhaled deeply, almost dribbling with how much her mouth was watering. Silver, too, seemed impressed, although more by the appearance of the room than the actual meals. Shula's earrings flashed like stars as she glanced around the room. It was certainly fancy.

Feeling a piercing gaze settle on her, the child looked up, fins stretching out, to meet Silver's ocean blue eyes. “What would you like to eat, by the way? Certainly nothing too...stringy. Perhaps a nice soup?”
she was asking. Shula considered the suggestion for a few moments, humming as she put on her 'thinking face.' "Okay!" she nodded and grinned, showing all of her toothless gums.

As Caramina started leading them towards a table, Shula noticed her wave at a dragon, who returned the gesture with a sweet smile and a wave of his paw. She studied her the ebony dragon munching on some pie for a moment before she recognized him.

"Atlas!" Shula called to him, not really caring for her 'indoors voice' at that moment. A couple of dragons glanced up, before returning to their meals. The eastern dragon jumped and sharply looked up. His eyes settled on her and his facial features relaxed. He beamed waved to her, whiskers lifting up to float next to his face. He made them wave at her too, and Shula giggled before following Silver to the table.

For a moment, the chair looked too high for her, but Shula wanted to impress her two friends, especially Silver, and crouched down. Counting to three inside her head, she spread her tiny wings for balance and leaped upwards. Her clawless paws scraped at the seat of the chair for a moment, thankfully not ripping it open, before they found purchase and she climbed up. Shaking herself out, Shula shot an expression of both smugness and delight at Caramina and Silver.

Short, sorry! Not really in the mood for writing, but I don't want to keep you two waiting, either. --

Shula's antics and how Silver responded to them often brought a genuine smile to Cara's face with little to no effort on her face. Truly, they were adorable together, and it was heartwarming to watch them. Of course, she kept her thoughts to herself, though she wondered not for the first time what chain of events had forged such a strong bond between the two. She decided to leave the question for later, however, not wanting to seem like she prioritised satiating her curiosity over their wellbeing. She would wait until they replenished their energy with Stormcaller delicacies.

Caramina couldn't help but worry about whether Silver would approve of the taste, however. Despite being given the impression that Silver was not intending on residing here permanently, she couldn't help but want to give the ice dragoness the best impression possible. It was natural, she supposed, and her mind wondered to Silver's little companion. Had Shula had ever been given a chance to taste the food in the palace? What exactly were hatchlings fed, anyway?

At her knock, the door swung open to reveal the two. Silver accepted her compliment with a regal nod, and Caramina couldn't help but feel a bit admiring of the icy dragoness's composure; she strove to hopefully attain that level of dignity and grace someday. Following Silver's gaze to Shula, she observed, "... Well, Shula doesn't look quite as fresh." She bowed her head formally. "My apologies for giving you two so little time to freshen up."

She nodded at Silver's comment, offering, "I'll arrange for a bigger bed to replace your current one." Then she informed Silver, "The bath refills by itself, so you don't have to worry about waiting for it to fill up. You just need to set the temperature." To Shula she smiled, and said, "That's good to hear." Unable to hold herself back, she bent down and patted the little one on the head.

Realising that she probably sounded overly eager, she fell into silence, but the dam broke and words spilled out again. She really couldn't go without explaining the tapestries, though it was mostly to disguise her growing worry as they neared the dining room. Would Silver like it? Would it be too simple? Too noisy? Her paws were clasped against each other, the only sign of her anxiety.

Much to her relief, Silver seemed to like the place, and she let out a soft sigh. "I'm glad you like it," she murmured sincerely, and smiled at the compliment directed towards her Tribe, barely holding herself back from shouting a thank-you. Something she was sure Silver wouldn't really appreciate, she guessed.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Shula yelled Atlas's name, and Cara waved to him too, before continuing to the table. She watched, impressed, as Shula managed to clamber up onto the chair without damaging it. At least, not visibly. At Silver's mention of soup, she said obligingly, "I'll get some for you then."

She would reappear a few minutes later, two bowls of soup in hand, and she set them down in front of the two. Watching nervously.