Survival

War and Survival were born into a clan that roamed between the Blight Sanctum and the Abiding Boneyard. When the hatchlings knew how to disembowel their enemies, at a day old, they were introduced to the rest of the clan, where they were found to be the most brutal and savage of the newest hatchlings. Because of the promise they showed, the two babies were paired off and told they would be mates. Survival, older by a week or two, stared at the younger and weaker male and sneered. Before she could say any snide words, War launched his tiny body onto hers and bit her ears and wingtips until she curled into a ball and the elders pulled him off. When she opened one eye and looked up to War, she saw him grinning evilly and with a matching smile she decided he was worthy of her company.

As they grew, they decided to leave their clan. So one moonless night, when the grey clouds were holding the promise of greasy rain, they stole away. They crossed the border into the Shadow flight and, because they were excellent hunters and could blend with the shadows so well, they hunted their way leisurely across the land. Clans that crossed the path of the young Hounds were perplexed when their best food disappeared from the cookfires, or when their hunters went missing in the nights. One hunter did return, but she was addled and spouted tales of low growls herding her to a blind gully, where she was assaulted and bit by attackers that she couldn't quite see. Her body was covered high and low with teeth-marks and she swore there were numbers untold swarming over her. Just when she thought she would be harried to death, she felt her hunting pack lifted from her wings and only then did the attack stop, which was when she fled for home.

When War and Survival rooted through the young hunter's pack, they happily ate the rations and drank from the wineskin, but were stumped as to how to use the fortune-telling cards they found. Survival made to toss them aside, but War felt a pull to the useless pieces of stiffened paper, and he snarled at his mate as he snatched the cards from her. Survival was startled, but shrugged off her mate's odd behavior as they moved through the gloomy afternoon.

Days later, they found ruins on a cliff that overlooked the tumultuous waters that separated the Shadow flight from Nature flight. With a glance, they agreed to spend the gloomy day in the dubious shelter of the ruined building and fly across in the darkest part of the night. So they dozed lightly until the sun fell below the horizon and prepared to move to their next adventure. Halfway across the waters, they spotted another dragon flying across the waters, nose pointed to the wild greenery on the opposite bank. War squinted his eyes, then nudged his mate and pointed out a second dragon flying behind the Bogsneak and to her left, barely visible in the night sky. Intrigued, the couple adjusted their course and followed the pair of Bogsneaks. Just short of two hours later, the spooky blue dragons landed with a small stumble outside a boggy swamp, then they strode confidently into the thick wall of leaves. Without hesitation, War and Survival followed the warriors into the lands of the nameless clan. The strange Bogsneaks were greeted with love and respect, and Survival felt a twinge where her heart would have been if she had one. Suddenly, she craved the respect the two strangers commanded, and at the odd feelings she fled the glen.

War was confused as he followed his mate, and when he caught up with her in a shaggy cypress tree, he soothed her as best as he could, with gentle bites to her ears and rough head-bumps. Survival surprised herself as she described her odd feelings, and War took a moment to think hard on her words. When he spoke, his solution seemed so simple that both dragons were startled. Yet, with no other plans, they both agreed to try it.

War and Survival flew into the very middle of the nameless clan's lands and found a group of various dragons going about their nightly tasks. Survival cleared her throat and announced their arrival, and stated that the mated pair would like to live with the clan. An elegant Tundra stepped forward and introduced herself as Enchanter, and accepted them into the family.

And it really was that simple. War looked at Survival, and they both looked at Enchanter. Then, with broad grins, they were introduced to the other dragons just before given a home to share high in a treetop. Their clan tasks? To keep the other Veilspun tricksters in line.