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The Adventurers of Outset Island: A Pinkerlocke

Day 4: Aerborne Seraph

Sentence: Breed a Nest Adopt a Dragon

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The climb up the pagoda tower was treacherous. Much of the wood had rotted away, leaving large, gaping holes for many floors down. Arataki took the lead, being the smallest and lightest of the party, to figure out the safest route. The building was very clearly abandoned, it did not look as though any dragon had been here in quite some time. They could not imagine two minor deities hanging out here, though they would not be surprised if it was haunted. Sometimes, out of the corner of her eyes, Arataki swore she saw movement. Whenever she turned to try to get a better look, she saw nothing, though they swore the scent of rot permeated the air even stronger.

Just behind the coatl, Nausicaa followed, wings outstretched as much as she could in this enclosed space. The guardian hatchlings were seated on her back in various states of wakefulness, both for safety and for sleep. There had been a couple of near-misses where the mouldy wood gave way beneath the imperial's weight, and Nausicaa had to catch herself before she or the hatchlings fell through the floor.

Trailing behind the rest of the party was Chaotic. They were the reason the party was ascending the ruins of Windkeep Tower by foot, instead of flying.

"You know, you could have flown up without me," the gaoler grumbled as their foot slipped into yet another gap. They caught themselves, gripping the wall with their wing-hand.

"Arataki was right, we started this quest together, we finish this quest together," Nausicaa grunted. "That's what a party was supposed to do."

Arataki felt a glow in her chest at Nausicaa's endorsement. It felt as though the party's resolve had returned, now that the end was in sight, and Arataki was feeling more certain that this adventure would bind them together as a proper team.

They were near the top now. Night had completely fallen, and a brilliant expanse of stars dotted the sky through the gaps in the walls. From Arataki's judgment, there was one more level left to go before reaching the beacon fire. This floor was just as rotten as the previous ones, but the quality of the broken-down furniture was better than anything Arataki had seen in her life. It was nicer than any of the rubble on the previous floors as well, this must have been where very important dragons stayed.

The stairs creaked as Arataki ascended. She found herself admiring the intricate carvings in the wall, depicting dragons of legend. There was a bit of gilding left, making the images shimmer with an almost life-like quality. They wondered what it would have been like to see the tower in its prime. Even half-rotten, the workmanship was beautiful.

"Melliny would love this, this is exactly the sort of thing she wants to incorporate in her designs someday," Nausicaa nodded, a slight smile crossing her face for the first time in a while. "Maybe I'll travel with her here someday and show her."

"You seem to care a lot about your sister," Arataki said gently. She remembered how Nausicaa had snapped when she insinuated that Melliny was her daughter, and she was not sure it was a good idea to bring her up, but they wanted to break the ice.

"Of course I do, she's my sister," Nausicaa said sharply.

She did not turn to look at Arataki, making the coatl wonder if she had said something wrong. She did not mean to imply that the imperial resented Melliny. The glow Arataki previously felt in her chest dimmed, replaced by the gnarled claws of anxiety.

"Why do you keep talking about the walls? Look at that door!" Chaotic called from the back.

Arataki turned her head to face the landing at the top of the stairs. They did not know how they did not notice it previously. It stood, gleaming pink, paint looking far too fresh for a decrepit ruin. The wood was inlaid with golden filigree, forming the shape of intricate cherry blossoms. The handle was also golden, engraved with delicate swoops, and Arataki reached out to touch it.

It was a sliding door, and Arataki pushed it to the side to reveal an expansive suite. It was so large, it took up the entire level of the tower. Unlike the previous levels, it looked like it was newly built and furnished. It was filled with elegant seating, delicately carved out of wood with pink and mint green fabrics. Vases filled with flowers adorned almost every surface, and the walls that were not open to the wind around them were covered in portraits of many, many dragons. Around the edges of the room, decorative silver and gold suits of armor sat, keeping an eye on the happenings within. They all held swords, like they were standing to attention, ready to attack should danger enter the room.

In the center of the room, on the largest couch, sat two dragons. In the center was a tiny pink fae, dressed in clothing so fine Arataki could almost see through it. Gilded leaves stretched out across her wings, adorned with pink gemstone grapes. Curled around her was a giant purple guardian. He wore golden armor, and lanterns hung from his wings. He sized up the party, glaring at them as if he expected them to attack the fae he was so diligently protecting.

"Happy Jamboree, come and sit, I've just made some tea," the fae gestured to a tray of teacups surrounding a pot. Sure enough, steam was rising from the spout. It smelled of the rose tea Loveletter liked to make, and Arataki instantly felt their stomach grumble.

Arataki sat down, waiting until Nausicaa and Chaotic took their tea before she accepted hers. They took a sip, surprised to find that it in fact tasted exactly like Loveletter's favourite tea. Their aunt had always claimed it was a secret blend.

"How did you get a manaberry blend this fresh so far from the Starfall Isles? It loses all flavour once it reaches lower concentrations of magic," Nausicaa's eyes were wide as she stared at her teacup in awe.

"Manaberry? This tastes like marsh choker tea!" Chaotic's brow furrowed. "It tastes bitter and cold, not sweet!"

"It's a special blend of my own making," the fae grinned. "It is magically imbued to taste just like whatever tea most reminds you of home. I am Fenn, Deity of Home and Hospitality, and the handsome guardian behind me is my husband Elric, Deity of Protection. It is so nice of you to visit, we do love company. Windkeep Tower has become so empty since it has fallen, though we still consider it to be one of our many homes. Having dragons join us here reminds us of better days."

"We aren't just here to visit, or bask in your presence or whatever," Nausicaa said, setting down her teacup. "We have been sent here to bring something we believe belongs to you."

The imperial shifted her wings awkwardly to reveal the hatchlings on her back. Most of them had fallen completely asleep, but the darkest-scaled child was staring at her parents with wide eyes.

"It was Fenrir who sent you on your quest, yes?" Fenn chuckled. "How did you know?" Arataki asked. "We sent the clutch to him specifically. He and his husband have been wanting another nest, but obviously they cannot have any of their own. While Elric and I raise many of our children ourselves, sometimes we gift clutches to those who long for hatchlings but are unable to produce their own," Fenn explained. "Ever the devotee, I am not surprised that Fenrir was worried of stealing from us, but those children were freely given." "So you are saying we came all this way for nothing?" Nausicaa could not keep the growl out of her voice as her teeth flashed. "No, not for nothing. We will grant them names, and then I would appreciate it if you all could return them to their rightful parents." Fenn explained. "And be careful with them," Elric growled. "They may not be full blooded gods, but they are still precious and powerful dragons." Arataki felt a chill run down their spine. It was clear from the massive guardian's rippling muscles that he could rip all three of them apart in a blink of an eye if he wanted to. He seemed less trusting than Fenn, and she did not want to get on his bad side. "Elric, these are good dragons. I can see their noble spirits, and the threads of may one day bind them together as their own sort of family," Fenn turned to her husband. The guardian dipped his head and closed his eyes. It was clear that whatever his personal opinions, he took direction from his wife. "Now, for the names. Elric, it looks like there are two for each of us," Fenn grinned. "The one with his eyes open, he has a lot of spirit. I can tell he will be a brave warrior, he needs a good strong name. I will call him Berengar," Elric rose to his feet, moving to touch the dark-scaled hatchling with his nose. The newly named Berengar let out an enthusiastic growl and jumped to headbutt his father, causing Elric to chuckle. "He? I thought- oh!" Arataki's eyes widened. "You can tell their gender this early?" "Only for our own children, it comes from being gods within the domain of family. How can we truly care for them if we do not know and love them for who they are?" Fenn said softly. The fae fluttered to the next hatchling, the black and green-blue one who had found the eggs resting in Arataki's sling.

"You shall be Iohn," Fenn announced. "I cannot see all of your path, but it is a twisting, shadowed one, and you will need a lot of courage to navigate it."

Elric then touched his nose to the sleeping purple hatchling.

"You shall be Linu, you will walk a different path than your clutchmates, but you will live your own full and vibrant life." Elric said, looking at the child with more softness than Arataki had seen in his eyes yet.

"Which leaves me with the last one," Fenn announced, stepping over to the pink and blue hatchling. She was looking at her with eyes of deep sadness.

"Melissent, my poor sweet child. It is my hope that your fate will be different than the one I see. Elric and I, we are not proper fate-seers, but the glimpses I do get, you are so lost. May your name remind you of the joy of your hatchlinghood, and the vibrancy you carry." Fenn said, resting a hand on her daughter's head.

Arataki was filled with such dread in that moment, it felt out of place in the cozy environment of Fenn and Elric's realm. Up until now, everything had been joyous, but there was such a blanket of sinister energy, it chilled them to the bone. They almost thought they could feel the eggs at their side thrumming in response, but that was impossible.

"You," Fenn turned her gaze on Arataki, eyes harsh and intense. "Those eggs that are at your side. You should throw them away and leave them behind. Nothing but doom and destruction can follow those children, they should never have been brought into existence."

"What are you talking about, they are just hatchlings!" Arataki took a step back, tail flying protectively over the eggs. "How can you know who they will be?"

"An evil magic forged them," Elric growled. "It is best they lay forgotten, their hatching delayed as long as possible. Do not bring those children home with you."

"Hold on, how can you say that you know who they will grow to be? Evil magic or not, they will make their own choices! You can't hate a dragon before they are even born, before they have a chance to prove themselves!" Arataki did not know where her sudden burst of courage came from, but she was fired up now. How dare such pinnacles of kindness and comfort deny the same to innocent hatchlings?

Her eyes flashed to Elric, convinced that the guardian would take this opportunity to turn her into red mush on the ground for her insolence. He was glaring at Arataki, but he did not move, he seemed to be waiting for Fenn's signal.

The fae took a deep breath. "Perhaps you are right. Every dragon should be given the opportunity to choose their own path," Fenn fought to regain her composure, though Elric's eyes still blazed with a violent fury.

"If these eggs are so evil, where did they come from?" Chaotic asked.

"I dare not speak his name," Fenn looked away. "Look, you better leave, and go fast. Someone else seeks these eggs, and you must not let them grab ahold of them."

There was a sudden gust of wind, and the gods disappeared, leaving behind a rotting shell of a room. The tower swayed dangerously, and for a moment Arataki was certain it was going to collapse. A storm raged outside now, and wind lashed at everyone's scales. Arataki missed the warm spring night that had accompanied them during their arrival to the tower.

"Let's get out of here," Nausicaa gasped.

She didn't need to say it twice. Those that could fly were soaring down the stairs more than running, and Chaotic stumbled behind, half-falling down the stairs. Every moment that passed, Arataki was more certain they would be buried beneath rubble.

As they reached the bottom floor, there was a sudden crack. A beam that supported the ceiling was crashing down directly towards Arataki. She froze, folding their wings over the eggs, knowing that they would do precious little to stop the heavy wood from shattering them.

There was a flash of lightning, and suddenly a large, ragged form was in front of them, holding up the beam. They were adorned in bones and tattered rags. Their mane was uneven, and parts of their skin was rotten. Their eyes gleamed an unnatural red-black, unaligned with any element that Arataki recognized. At first, she thought they were a monster, but the more she stared, she realized they were a dragon.

The gaoler set the beam down carefully, and followed the party as they dashed out of the tower. It was still standing, but Arataki was glad to be out of that death-trap. Though, more importantly, Arataki was sizing up the newcomer. They looked terrifying, and the coatl couldn't help but feel like this was who Fenn had warned them about.

"You," The gaoler fixed their unnatural eyes on Arataki. "Give me the eggs."

"Who even are you!?" Chaotic exclaimed. They seemed unafraid of the newcomer, and was now right in front of their face. "Why would we do that?"

"I have been tasked to protect them. I am Coating, a disciple of The Devil, and the eggs you are carrying are his spawn."

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