Seka's Den

Seka shook her head clear of the snow. It was winter and she always had fond memories of her times with her old friends across the seas, during winter. Her dear love Fevren, the white fox...

Never play in the snow with a white fox, she reminded herself with a grin. They hide altogether too well!

She formed another snowball with her amazingly dexterous hoof-hands, packing it down harder than necessary. She could hear someone's feet crunching in the snow, coming around the tree, and she aimed her ears at it.

Standing, suddenly, she bolted out of cover and threw her snowball, then dove back for cover rolling in her warm leathers. She glanced back up just in time to see the snowball landing smack on the face of her --

Someone she didn't know!

"Oh! Sir! I'm -- I'm sorry-- I --" She gasped, laughing in spite of having just slammed a snowball right at someone she'd never even met.

But this someone was very odd. He was standing, and clothed, but he... Had no fur. No scales, not a feather on him. No muzzle, his face was flat!

He was a human.

"I think that was uncalled for," the man said. His voice was pleasant, and he had an unusual accent that Seka couldn't place. And she'd been to quite a number of lands.

"Sir, forgive me, I was ... well, we were playing," she looked behind her, wary, but still did not see her friends. "In the snow. You know. Snowball fight. It's winter and all."

"Yes, I can see that." The man said, still getting white powder off his eyebrows. He had an unusual leather garment on, it looked like it was meant to keep him quite warm, and he had an insignia of some sort on his shoulder. Seka tilted her head and looked at it.

"Where do you come from, human man? There are no human lands near here. Only past the stars."

Her statement somewhat startled the man. "Well... I actually come from East Rock. It's ... well, it's a place where dragons live."

Seka jumped and clapped her hands together, "dragons! I know several dragons. Are they very wise?"

"...Wise?" He stammered, "well, some of them might be a bit... Most of them aren't all that bright. We ride them, against threats to our world."

Seka's big eyes fixated on him, "that sounds like tremendous fun."

"Well, it is if you don't mind the idea of getting burnt to death, or falling, or --" he suddenly shut up, twisted his head around and made some mocking noise to an invisible 'friend' near him. Seka looked over his shoulder, blinking.

"Ah. My dragon. Perhaps you'd understand better if you met him." The man whistled and a large blue colored hide-skinned dragon approached from over one hill. Seka looked it over. She'd never seen a dragon such as this, her friends in the dragon hills were not at all like this one. They had scales, for one thing.

They were wise, for another. Not wise-guys. The blue dragon snuffled his nose close to Seka, and he almost poked himself on her dark horn.

She smells nice. A good candidate nice.

"Is that so," replied the man, to the mental voice. Seka's jaw dropped open.

"It can speak in my mind?" She whispered. Just then several other critterfolk came from their hiding places, among tree branches and under pillows of snow. Two white ermine, a beige feline female, and several other hoofstock stood behind Seka staring open-mouthed at the human ... Perhaps at his dragon, but more likely at the man because humans simply didn't exist here. Dragons did.

"Let's start this over," the man said, extending his hand. "I'm D'run, and this is Oskerth. We're search riders for Ryslen."

One of the ermine crept up to Seka, and tugged on her leather skirt. "What's a ryslen?"

"Hush, Jiba, it's where their dragons live, I think." Seka nudged the small white ... child? away from her and shook the man's hand. "I am Seka, these are my friends. You just happened to come along during a good round of play is all."

"I think it can be forgiven," D'run said, smiling. His nose was reddened by the chill, but he had a cheerful cast to his eyes. "If I get the next toss in."

Over a mug of steaming cocoa, Seka told D'run about herself. The dragon remained outside, but there was a host of young children of all species to play with him. They flocked around, remaining at a distance, until D'run announced that Oskerth didn't mind them being near him.

"And when my mother was taken, I didn't quite know what to do... So I consulted with my friend Slorin. He's the dragon." Seka said. Most of what she'd told D'run went right over his head. She'd told him about thieving and arrests and meetings with far-distant folk, and her father -- sounded like a right-bastard, he did! Trying to get ahold of some big magical doo-dad which Seka managed to hide away before he'd found it.

"Slorin... That's hardly a name for a dragon," D'run said, but Seka tilted her head. "We've always had dragons named something ending in a th-sound. It's just our way."

"Well, Slorin is a wise mage. He'd helped me before, and helped me learn a bit of magic for myself. Just enough to defend myself against father when he came for my horn..." The siamese-marked grey-on-graphite unicorn female gazed sadly into her mug. "My mother survived... He'd left enough of her horn root in her skull that it grew back over time. I've not seen her in quite some time though. She's far away and protected by our family retainers."

"That's good," D'run stated. "If she was assaulted by her own husband... that just isn't right."

"No it is not. But he killed his brother, and my brothers as well... I suppose that some day I ought to find a way to stop him." Her voice sounded distant and somewhat fearful of that actually happening. "Once..." she continued to gaze at her drink, "once he'd tried to do this to me, and Slorin interrupted him -- he was caught in a magical feedback for a century or more... It was so frightening..." She closed her eyes and D'run placed his hand on her shoulder.

"It's done. And you're well. And," he grinned, "Oskerth thinks you'd be a good rider for one of Ryslen's dragons. What do you say, maybe you could come back with your own dragon?"

Seka looked back up, half a grin on her muzzle. "It's worth a try. I've lived a long time, you know. And I've never 'had' my own dragon..."

"Well, do you have to finish up any business here? We could head back soon."

"Let me pay my bill and keep everything up and up." She winked, and wandered to the barkeep. Apparently he'd had her in this place before, perhaps she'd weaseled her way out of payment that time. But this time, she went upstairs and retrieved her meager posessions, and deposited the bag near the door.

"You travel pretty light," D'run said.

"I'm a thief," she whispered. "I can get whatever I need when I need it. Or," she said more loudly, "I can work for a living..." Others in the tavern laughed loudly at that.

When they went outside, D'run had to shoo off several children and some adults who had decided that Oskerth was quite the good snow-toy.

They mounted up and secured Seka's things, and took to the sky. The snow had begun again, and as they went into the air it got heavier. But Oskerth wasn't bothered by the cold, his human mount was safely bound in warm clothing, and Seka was well-used to hard weather.

They cleared a mountain area, Oskerth was unwilling to simply go between and arrive at Ryslen again. Something was bugging him. They came over the crest of a hill, and Seka took in a breath -- "no, this is --"

"What?" D'run yelled over the wind.

"This is my father's keep! Tell him to turn back! He'd just as soon fry us where we fly!"

The Flurry sands were totally crowded with humans, elves, dragon kin and ... well, more humans. More of them than Seka had ever seen. She had remained clear of her father for as long as she could, but since they were both on the sands as candidates, they had to remain somewhat close to one another. People stayed a little clearer of her father. Good.

Distracted, the whole bunch of hatchings went on before Seka shook herself awake. There were some truly beautiful dragons being hatched from these eggs, and none of them at all like Slorin! They were smooth, scaleless, and so small! She could hardly imagine what Slorin had been like when he hatched!

Laughing, she watched an egg hatch and a two-horned little nose poke through the shell. The cranberry-colored dragoness bolted out from her shell finally, and swept by the girls.

Catch me if you can! her mind clearly beckoned.

"Come back here Caelestith!"

But if I come back, you'll catch me, Seka!

"That's the idea, silly!" Seka laughed, but followed the dragoness out, to feed and clean her up. Oh, how this day would be a fine story to tell! And the kids would just adore Caelestith!

Everyone else is doing it, Cael thought. I want to do it too.

"You will have to wait, my sweet. You're way too young to fly." Seka announced.

NO! But look, she's --

"Nope."

But--

"Nope." Seka glanced at her dragon, whose sharp horned nose sulked down to the ground. "Nope. You're not old enough, and I want to be prepared. In the mean time, you can still be thinking of who you'd want to be with in a flight."

OH! That I know! Oooh, well, there's him -- and him, but he's ... The dragoness darted her head back and forth thinking of blues and browns and whites all at once.

"That monumental moron..." Seka hissed, as she tightened her grip on Cael's neck. "What does he think he's doing?"

I think he thinks he will destroy the town, and then gloat about it when he gets back to his castle.

"Well maybe we should cut him off before he does that!"

My thoughts exactly, my friend.

The pair swooped over the township of Gleenburg, a small but healthy port town. Their dragons were not the only ones in the sky, but they were the only ones with riders. Seka and her father both teleported back with the intent to find old friends -- Seka with the idea that they'd think it was so cool that she'd bonded a dragon. Siban, with the intent to steal their wealth and political power.

The cranberry colored dragoness let out a huge bellow and then a blast of flame came from her mouth. Seka aided the burst with a magical amplification spell, and the fire engulfed the dark sapphire dragon and his equally dark rider.

But they came through unscathed, and Seka grumbled.

"You'll never stop me!" Siban shrieked, madly.

Seka sighed. Maybe she wouldn't stop him completely, but perhaps delay him just a bit, now and again. That's all she really needed to do.

After their successful flight at Enzan Shi, contributing beautiful new offspring to the nexus, Caelestith lingered.

The eggs had hatched, and her two lovely offspring went their separate ways. The optimistic little Xalasith, berry red and full of fun, and banana, er, Cebiraeth who was berry yellow... Completely silly. It was a nice change from the seriousness found at home.

However, not all the other hatchlings had found their way to a bond. Several actually were made to remain on at Enzan Shi, because they had been ill or injured at hatching. Caelestith watched as the healers set to work fixing them, or helping them eat.

I wish that ... well, aren't they cute?

"They are, but..." Seka said, scratching her neck and pulling her heavy fingers through her matted mane. "What are you looking at, Cael?"

This one, her face is so sad. Why are you sad, little one?

Because everyone will be off to hunt and fight and kill, and I do not want that.

Seka furrowed her eyebrows, "most dragons do. You're a bit unusual. Who are your parents?"

Eoth and Everesth, said the bronze marked brown female. She turned away again. I think they may be ashamed of me. My brother is very bold, I am not like that. I will not like to hurt things.

"But how would you eat?"

I do not have that much regret for killing, animals are just beasts are they not? She peered up at the siamese-marked unicorn. You are not a beast, are you?

"Nope!" Seka laughed. "Come along with us, if that's all right with the hosts here."

But Seka, Caelestith warned privately, we do fight. All the time.

But we do not go off to die, we are immortal. My father and I will fight eternally, but neither of us is about to give in.

She gathered the dragonet up, something of a handfull, since she would be a reasonably good size. "You'll like it in our keep, since I bonded Caelestith we've had time to put a castle up and everything. It's nice and protected."

I can sense that you are not telling me everything, the hatchling replied.

Eviraith, things will be easier to explain if you see it for yourself, I didn't really understand it either, until I started flying with Seka. Cael said. The little hatchling's eyes whirled blue-green.

Then I will be happy to go with you and wish you good luck from the ramparts.

A young dragon tended by an older one, Seka decided that nothing could be better! There were things both she and her bond knew that would come up, and Cael could confer with the little one about those far better than the unicorn morph ever could. Even an immortal mage didn't know what it was like being wobbly on four legs with two big wings to heft around!

It was about when Eviraith was half-grown when they explained the full situation at home such as home might have been. The dragoness pondered, and decided that bravery was as important as commitment, and she was committed to protection rather than offense.

2022

At some point, without even realizing it, Seka, Siban, and some others from 'their' world, seemed to be finding themselves upon another, calling itself Dragondeep. Even Seka's insane father realized that they needed to keep their dragons from the huge ones locally. No one knows exactly where Siban's keep moved, only he and his group. But Seka has moved in with those others with dragons to a place called the Never-Ending Grotto. Where offworld dragons like hers are welcome, and where there are plentiful protections against incursion or scrying.

And also at some point, Seka met up with a particularly dashing, incredibly annoying and highly unusual man named Lance Ravenquill. Because Seka wasn't 'from here', she didn't realize the significance of him being an upright gryphon. After all, she was an upright unicorn? But on Dragondeep the Wyldkin population is not necessarily as exotic as her homeworld's. He passed himself off as some kind of hybrid - which he was - but not the kind that he claimed. Because Lance was definitely more than meets the eye, as a shifter, able to become that gryp--er, Griffin (they even seemed to pronounce it slightly differently here?). He caught more than her eye, and soon enough there were magically-enabled, hybrid Unicorn Griff Shifters out there.

Seka didn't realize until her daughter was old enough to perform some number of spells, that 'griffs aren't allowed to do that' - and she was warned by Lance's father Lane Ravenheart, to make sure that when she taught Siska anything, she do it carefully, and in private.

Seka liked Lane, even if he passed himself off as a badass she could tell that his intentions were by and large for the best. Not like her own father's, not like that murderous son of a bitch. And she watched as Siska's grandfather doted upon the brilliantly marked green unigriff, with a touch of sadness that spoke volumes to the right eyes.

At some point, her father would certainly come looking for her, and discover that 'he has grandkids'. And he wasn't afraid to use whatever horrible arcane means he had to find her and this place. He knew that it existed, but not where, and they intended to keep it that way.

But with two more dragons to reinforce the protection that the Grotto has, and an adept if unspecialized mage in the form of Seka herself, hopefully that point in time will be distant.

Dragon:

Dragon Lineage:

Mates and Descendants:FLIGHT at Cy's Valentine's Day festival - Partrnered rose-marked white/red Immortal Honor; offspring Ardere Vitus (Sanguineus Cor), Perpetual Enmity, Undying Devotion
- Partnered fire-water Ryudotailang, offspring Aodhfin

ANOTHER FLIGHT at Enzan Shi's Fiery Fall Festival! Partnered Yellow Xerbith; offspring berry red Cebiraeth, banana Xalasith
And it is from there, that a certain new addition to the ranks at Seka's keep was made... (had been on its own page, now here all in one)

Dragon:

Dragon Lineage:

Mates and Descendants: