Utopia

[Rikugurl]

Misato/Misato, Okinawa, Japan
July 16, 2012 A.D.

Wheels to a bicycle spun, carrying a short man with dyed brown hair across the sidewalk, his pace lax and the smile on his face indicated that he was enjoying the summer breeze, the sun at his back. It was a perfect summer day and during the weekend, he didn't have to worry about the hustle and bustle of life in Tokyo. His pace grew a but quicker before turning into a little niche behind an apartment, the man hopping off the bike and putting it in storage. Before he closed the shed, he grabbed a plastic bag that had been hanging on the handle and locked the door. Up three flights of stairs he went, heading down a narrow hallway to the door 33.

He gently knocked on it and a beautiful woman opened it, nearly a foot taller than the man standing before him. "Nah, Yoko~ Don't you look nice~?" The short man grinned, seeing her eyes roll playfully but she allowed him in, closing the door behind him. "You said that this morning!" She was in her late twenties but looked like she was just 18 years old. "What's in the bag?"
"A little something for Asami." He hummed, placing the bag on a small take, slowly taking out an elaborate plush. It was of a dragon.
"Keiyuu... you get something for Asami but not Natsu or Shiori?
"Eeeh? I have three daughters and no sons, lemme splurge on who I want to. Besides, she's the baby."

He moved past her into a small room, peering inside at the baby in the crib. Quietly stepping in, he placed the dragon down beside her. Soft fingers ran through the little black locks as he sang to her softly.
"♪We sleep with the dragons,
in the hidden lair.
We sing their call,
in our every prayer.
Through our eyes,
their world is clear.
Their forgotten song,
our heart can hear.
They guide our way,
through the darkest night.
We use their wisdom,
to give us sight.
Through our voice,
you hear their cries.
Their fire can be seen,
deep in our eyes.
They are alive,
deep in our minds.
In us the dragon,
you can find.♪"

He pulled away and turned, seeing his wife watching him with a smile. Dragons were a very important part of this family's life. Even their last name was Tatsuya, meaning 'become dragon'.
"She's getting so bi---" The man paused, glancing at the floor with his wife. A shake. Was there an earthquake? Before either could talk again, the floor began to shake again and this time, didn't stop. A panicked look was shared between the parents and quickly, they started rushing through the house, grabbing some water and blankets. The woman ran to the baby in the crib, the little girl grabbing her new plush while the man awoke his two other young daughters, hurrying them out of the house.

By the time they got outside, the ground was shaking harder, the whole block now on the streets.
"WHAT'S GOING ON!?"
"LOOK!"
"WHAT IS THAT!?"
People were crying, shielding their eyes from the son as they pointed up at the sky.
The new family looked up as well, their eyes widening as they saw something very large heading down towards the earth. A newscast that they had been monitoring ran through the two's head. There was a large meteor heading towards Russia, one that they couldn't stop. Why were they seeing it here, in Japan?

The crowd erupted in panic as the sky above them seemed to set on fire, the ground below them erupting from the pressure.

Kama, Japan
April 2035 A.D.

"Aaaaaaaaaaah!!" Dirty fingers reached down, gripping onto a bloody wound that now bubbled and festered from infection. The woman fell to her knees, nearly dropping her child who she had been carrying for days. The land around her was leveled, nothing but sand and dirt for miles. The red sun above her head bore down heat that would set ones skin aflame if they stayed under it too long. The elders spoke of days when things flourished from the ground to give shade. Breeze would bring relief and water would cleanse a man's soul. These things were all lost under the sand and death.
"Mommy!" The child's face was slick with dirt and grease, the world around them nothing but hues of tan, brown and copper. The great lush mountains were nothing but large piles of sand, the ocean once surrounding then now nearly dry.
"Go child! Keep going!"
"But-"
"Leave me here, I will only slow you down."
"MA---"
"GOOOOO!!!"

The little girl, tears hardly cleaning her face, gave her mother one last look before grabbing a very ragged dragon plush, rushing back into the crowd who were looking for a safe place in the modern day hell. Her eyes closed, hugging the plush tightly.
"♪They are alive,
deep in our minds.
In us the dragon,
you can find.♪"
A boy who was passing by with his father took her hand and together, their blistered little feet carried across the dunes of sand. Her tears were quickly buried under the swirling sand, forgotten like everything that fell under the blowing wind.

Odin, ? ? ?
? ? ? A.A.

"Here."
A fire flickered in one of the many thousand caves along the cliffs that one overlooked the ocean. The thought of the ocean was lost to the last few humans that walked this earth. To them, the open area of sand was nothing more than an intent in the land. These caves would house dangerous new creatures which years ago, people thought were born from the radiation; normal reptiles increasing in size and strength. Now, with so little people, no one knew what radiation was and new theories became truth. They were always here and there would be more.

"What's this?" A young child took the bag of fluff that he was sure was suppose to be in the shape of a Tile. "A Tile?"
"No. This is a dragon... or at least was." The elder woman, whose teeth were completely gone, her head bald and an eye missing. She hunched over the fire, her single eye watching the boy closely as he studied the figure. Under her rag-like clothes, she was missing pieces of her legs, deteriorated from the remaining radiation that still lived in this location. To her, it was just a phase of dying, thinking it was natural to just waste away. She knew no better, only living with her grandchild in this cave, safe from the sun and 'Tiles'.

"What is a dragon?" The boy asked.
"It's is like a Tile, but much larger. They are great beast unlike the Tile we have now. They don't eat flesh and protect those who guard them. They are loyal and wise."
"Were they once real?"
"I... I don't know. This was given to me by my mother, who received it from her mother and so forth. I don't know if they were around but I know the Tile must be related. I saw one the other day with little flaps on it's back. Looked like wings."

"They are the only ones changing!" The boy grunted, looking down at the plush. "They grow bigger, stronger, faster... and now you think they'll have wings? How will we ever survive?"
The old woman laughed, shaking her head. "We have changed to. We're dying. We don't need to survive. Our kind have lived long enough."
"Then how come we are still here?"
"Because of our song."
"Song?"
"Yes, grandson, our song:
♪They are alive,
deep in our minds.
In us the dragon,
you can find.♪
Remember this and you will pass on this doll to your child. Our blood must continue. We are the people of the dragon. A new people will be born... ones that are stronger and will tame the Tiles."

? ? ?, ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ?

"Staaa..." A woman fell against the rocks, the dust and debris falling under her bare feet. A toddler was close in her arms, his hair bleached from the radiation of the land. His eyes were pale when he looked up at her. He was dirty and only rags were wrapped around him, though the temperature was unbearably hot the further they climbed the crater. Now, only a few miles from the top, the woman could walk no further. There wasn't a drop of water or food. The few people she traveled with, the idea set in her mind, were all dead. Beyond the crater was a tale of fresh water and live things. Colors that were once forgotten and something cold would await them there. She and her son were the only ones left.

As she panted, gazing up at the cliffs mocking her, she saw a hole that was just the right size for her child. There, she knew he would be cool. There, she knew he would live a few days longer. With the last of her strength, she lifted the boy up and he grasped the ledge, slowly crawling inside, his natural curiosity sinking in. As his little eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could hear his mother's voice just outside.
"♪In us the dragon,
you can find.♪"

When the boy tried to turn around, his little hand pressed up against loose rocks and suddenly, he started tumbling down, down into a well carved tunnel.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" He screamed but it could only echo up so far and when he landed, the wind was knocked from his little lungs, the world becoming dark.


Slowly, pale eyes opened, only seeing a glow covering the melting cave walls. His little body ached and all he could do was lay there and cry. It was cold here. Where was his mother's warmth and where was the little plush that would take all his fears away? Suddenly, his eyes went wide, hardly having enough water in his body to form tears, when he heard the sound of a low grunt. The child carefully got on his hands and knees, looking behind him to see large lizards that were twice the size of him. They were white and their scales glistened from the pool of light nearby. His little eyes scoped the large cave, seeing about half a dozen large ovals, all broken near the top and empty inside. He did not know that they were called eggs or what they meant.

But it was the smell that made him forget where his mother was or that little plush that he would hold and crawled towards it. As he did so, his hands became wet, red in color, the liquid quickly staining his rags. When he found an opening around the circle of creatures, he saw what the smell was coming from. Something larger and red, the juices pouring out from gaps across it. The lizards were biting into the thing, ripping away brown fur and stained their pure color from the feast.
So, watching all the reptiles around, the child too buried his face into the warmth and for the first time that he could remember, he ate.

When there was nothing left but bones, the little boy took a rib and nibbled on what was left, his stomach full but the need for nutrition wild in his body, demanding more. The rest of the creatures headed to the watering pool, drinking a few gallons to wash away their dinner.
The boy paused when something slithered behind his body and he glanced back, seeing a large white tail. He followed it, watching as it coiled into the darkness and for the first time, he looked up, looking into two glowing round orbs looking down at him. This creature was nearly a hundred times bigger than he and the bone in his hand dropped.
The creature pulled its head down, now appearing in the light to reveal silver and white scales across it's face, it's large multiple wings spreading.

His long, ratty hair fluttered when the lizard sniffed him, his eyes closing when its tongue ran across his face.
"What are you doing here, human child?"
A voice ran through his head, the tone of a gentle woman.
The boy blinked then giggled. "Mama!" And with no fear, his arms reached out and wrapped them around the creature's muzzle.

? ? ?, ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ?
(12 years later)

A blood soaked sharp shard from the cave walls ripped through strand after strand of fried blonde hair, the remains littering the cold, wet ground. Around him, the corpses of six elegant, white winged lizards laid. His breath was harsh, blood oozing from the rips in his skin. His pale eyes were wide with trauma, his hands shaking and he continued to cut his long hair, the length nearly passed his ankles.
There was a shaking of the cave and then brightness, the large creature turning to her den. Whatever catch she had brought for her children dropped in pure shock of the sight.
"What have you done, Ku!?"
The voice boomed through the cave of the human's head.

The boy, now taller than before, looked up, eyes standing out around the dark circles.
"Survival of the fittest, mother, just like you said. They do not share your offerings with me so I rid of them so I can survive."

The giant beast leaned over, sniffing the bodies of her offspring. As she did so, the boy ran a hand over her neck, loving the feeling beneath his skin. "I am your only one, mother. I am your strongest child and only I shall live. You are a Divine creature, the creator, you should only have strong children."
The creature glanced back at him, her growling becoming minimal.
"Though I do not have wings or scales, I am like you. I'm a dragon. Show me the world outside the cave, you no longer have to shied me. too. Take back your world, mother. You did the best for these..." He motioned the dead 'dragons' scattered about. "So now that they failed you, you no longer have to worry about them and you can start rebuilding. Everything will feel your love and I will be by your side, giving you my strength. Please, mother..."

Arcaid
Divine's Inaugural Era

Water trickled down pale skin, washing away the dirt and grime that gathered around his ankle and feet. The thin fingers paused across his skin, hearing a heavenly lullaby coming from afar, though it carried as if he wasn't lost in a thick, luscious forest. It was because her voice was not carried by the cool winds blowing around the crater, but in his head. His thin body rose from the pool, like he was under the spell of her voice, turning to face the walls circling around the land, seeing a large cave mouth in the distance where she was. Slowly, he moved through the water, reaching the bank and felt something flutter against his skin. A fine cape that gave his skin shelter and warmth.

Large black winged creatures with feathers across their bodies dropped the clothes upon his back, having waited until he came from his bath to properly dress him. When he was younger, he called them Kaas, since it was what they sang. Divine then told him of their true name and that they were a gift for him. Created after a taste of the boy's blood, his ancestors saw these 'birds' all the time and they were great and magnificent creatures. She brought them back, giving them more intelligence and they bowed to only him. It was his first gift and each year, she would create the world in which his ancestors once knew. The sun's heat was banished from the crater, only it's comfortable warmth and light allowed to pass the spell. Trees, ferns, flowers grew, bearing fruit and berries for a healthy snack. Animals of old returned only here. Deers frolicked while fish swam in the streams now created.

The vines made way as the man walked across the soft dirt, following the song. He knew of this song, for it was very special. It was his the day Divine found him, the day when he was reborn and hence, his birthday. She sang this song when she was creating something. Carefully, he climbed the rocks to her cave where he was born and ventured down the cold, slippery hall towards the den. Unlike the years before, she spent her time here often now, hardly walking around her small haven. Her voice continued to sing in his head when after she spotted him, her wings outstretched around the ground as if hiding something. Her song was so perfect, he couldn't find the strength to ask her why she called him here.

Instead, he walked closer, his bare feet slashing some in the small puddles around the cave floor. Slowly, her wings opened, revealing what she had been hiding from him for these few days. In the circle she created with her tail, there laid six human toddlers, all cuddled together for warmth. They all wore black, mocking the man's robes, except for one, who wore pure white. Their hair all matched; light and reflective.
"White hair is the most beautiful gift of the spirits."
Pale eyes looked at the dragon, whose song had ended without his notice.
"What are they?" The man asked, pulling some of his bleached hair back behind his ears.
"Our children."
The man knelt down and looked over each one until his eyes landed on the one that stood out from the rest. He was the smallest and his hair had a tint of lavender in it.

"This one has a flaw." He said plainly, grabbing one of the many shards around the cave before raising it and hearing a growl. He glanced up, seeing the protective glare in the dragon's eyes.
"Leave him."

Skyflyer Nest
Divine's Inaugural Era
(100 miles from Arcaid)

Rags were pulled away, allowing a man to pass through them. They acted as a shield to keep the sand and heat out of the ruins of the ancient building where the Flyers people lived. They did not know where these ruins came from, who built them or when they were made but it was now their home, tens of miles above the land, overlooking the bareness of their planet. They were people of the sky and as they soared high above the clouds, they could see inside the crater, seeing the beautiful world that had grown within. Their life mission: To one day live there and flourish. It was easier said than done for a magical barrier kept them from getting too close. This was where Divine lived, a magical mighty dragon who created this world and the beast who inhabited it. They believed they had to prove to her that they were worthy to live in her haven.

The man walking up the narrow ledge was the leader of the Flyers. He was think and frail but his heart was strong and he was a powerful speaker. His father had gathered these people from all across the sands, bringing them together and to shelter, teaching them to work together and how to survive with what they had. There numbers could be counted on both hands and food was becoming scarce. It wouldn't be long until the Flyers, like the rest of humanity, disappeared. All they could hope for was that if a member died, that they would have enough meat to go around. Laws and taboos of the ancient time no longer applied in the present, cannibalism being one of the only means to have clean, fresh food. Even if a creature fell in the sands, there was a high possibility that the meat would already be spoiled by the time they could get down to it.

This was the life now in Divine's Inaugural Era. Survive or die. At least for the Flyers that is. Their were other people who lived underground, who they have been fighting with for as long as they could remember, their goals exact. They were going to reach the crater but only one of them would. If the Flyers landed on the ground for too long, they were sure to be attacked by a Chaser.

"Jet?"
A female's voice lured the man to turn around, his eyes soft and kind, his ragged long, dirty hair blowing in the sunset.
The woman was round, though not due to fat or hunger but because of the child she had inside her. She was dirty, like the rest, but her rags had a feminine flare to them. "Leasep.... leasep, Jet. Ourf oysb aveh eenb ornb ot ouy... ew...ew illw aveh on oodf fi ouy... fi ouy..."
The man frowned, slowly turning and walking back towards the woman who in return fell to her knees, gripping his hand as she began to cry. "Ew illw lla ied! Ew ustm ate neo ro---"
"ON!" The man snapped, his lips twitching and his eyes suddenly wide at her request. "On!" His hand pulled away, pushing passed her and back through the cloth to disappear inside, leaving her behind to grovel in her despair.

It didn't take long for the man's eyes to adjust to the dark corridors in the palace ruins, finding his way through the cold brick halls and towards a large room atop some broken stairs. There, he laid eyes on his beautiful lover, who looked washed out but still holding onto life. Before her, he saw the infants. Four little boys, all wrapped up in the cleanest cloth they had. He knew this was no good for his people, the number of mouths to feed increasing but just seeing them for the first time, he knew they would grow up to be strong and brave and they would make it to the crater.

Landchaser Den
Divine's Doublet Era
Present time (Years later)

"DADDY! DADDY! DAAAAAADDY!!!" A little boy hurried through the dim lit tunnels of the underground world, minding his step the best he could as he held something tight in his arms. He was careful as the tunnel grew stepper downwards until he came to a large room where two dragons were being suited up. Metal and leather wrapped around them, to hold goods and to use as protection. One was large and black, it's eyes small and pale, most-likely blind and as it looked around at the little boy, he could see a large drill at the end of it's snout, the tool a natural piece of the lizard. The other was almost impossible to see. It was a stealth dragon, it's colors constantly changing to adapt to its surroundings.

"Daddy, look!" The boy walked around the background colored creature, seeing a man pulling the saddle on it tight. The man had long black hair with random streaks of grey throughout, indicating his older age. He was built and tan, his fingers rough and his face lean. However, despite his rugged appearance, when he looked down at the child, his face lit up as a father's should when seeing their child. An eyebrow rose when something was pulled up to his face, seeing the big nostrils and golden eyes look up at him. "Ah... a terrible terror. Where did you get it?"
"Outside! I gave him some of our strips and he followed me in! We've been playing all day." The boy giggled, holding him close.

"What did I tell you about playing outside by yourself?" The man asked, placing a hand on his hip while he leaned on his invisible mount.
"But daddy! He was whimpering and I couldn't just leave him! Please, dad, can we keep him?"
The conversation caught the attention from the younger man with the driller dragon, making him look around to eaves drop.
The elder sighed and closed his eyes, considering the question. "Alright---"
"YES!"
"But you're responsible for taking care of it and training it!" He called, the boy already heading down another tunnel. "OK! I'M GOING TO GO SHOW MOM!"

"Kids..."
"Xigbar, you're really going to let him train a terror?" The younger of the two asked, his curly brown hair matching his eyes.
"Why not? He should have the childhood I never had. Besides, it will teach him how to capture and train a larger dragon when he gets older." Just as his sentence finished, the dim lights around them slowly turned color, now glowing red.
"Someone touched down..." The younger smiled, licking his lips and was about to mount his black scaled beast when he was grabbed and tugged down. "Leave 'em... we already had a good meal this morning. No point in wasting our energy for another one. We have plenty of animals living underground with us to feed off of... the Flyers will die sooner or later without us hunting them."

Skyflyer Nest
Divine's Doublet Era
Present time

"Nnnnnnnngh...." Sweat beaded down from dark, soaked blonde hair. Something long, red and wet started to lap at the young man's feet, making him toss and turn in his sleep until blue true eyes slit open, seeing the round room in a glow from the sunset. His head was foggy and it took a moment to get himself together, grabbing the blanket he used as a bed, though he was still hot, and wrapped it around himself. When he felt something ticklish against his feet, he glance down and pushed his foot against the dragon's face. "On, Verrill..." Slowly, the boy stood, his legs shaky and weak. Thin fingers pulled up the ratty tunic, revealing a stomach that his belly button nearly touched his backbone, his ribs protruding against the skin and his pelvic bone sticking up over his pant line.

"Ungryh..." He mumbled, stumbling across the room to an opening in the side of the building. He pulled the rags away, looking out over the sandy land. He needed to find food. "Omec." He called, the black dragon easily crossing the room to stand by his side. The beast looked shocked when the boy suddenly climbed onto him. It grunted and motioned to the pile of straps and rags close by but the boy shook his head. "On imet! Lyf!" With the command, the dragon jumped from the ledge and beautiful black wings spread, beating down one to bring them into flight. The pile of rags and leather was riding gear and protection from the sun. Even if it was unbearably hot, the people of this land needed to cover every inch of their body to protect their skin, including their eyes. The sun was not completely down yet so this blonde was putting himself in quite a bit of danger for not only leaving with his daily clothes but for leaving by himself too.

Starvation sometimes drove a person to do reckless things.

"Verrill!" The boy called after some time, pointing down at one of the many dunes. There, he saw something laying on the sand, still and dead. The dragon dived, he too forgetting the fear that down below, a Landchaser dragon could be waiting for its own daily feast. The Landchasers were advanced enough to make alarms when something heavy touched down around their territory, alerting them instantly. If there was something dead on the ground, a swoop was the best choice or only touching down for minutes.

The sand blew away when the smaller dragon settled in for a landing, the boy on his back peering down to not that it was a dead mole. He jumped from his friend, his feet landing hard before he toppled over. The mole was grabbed viciously and without prepping, he sank his teeth into the fur, hoping for something ripe and---
"UUUUUUGH!!!" He spat it out and tossed it aside, his face not red but black with rotting, tainted blood. "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!" Dirty fingers gripped his hair, his eyes shutting tight for tears to fall down his face. "Oooon....." While his master was going into hysterics, the dragon turned to eat the creature, the toxins not harming it's strong stomach unlike his master's. When he was finished gobbling up the food, his snout was grabbed and his golden eyes peered down into his master's broken blue.

"Ate em.... ate em, Ver!" The boy begged, making the dragon uncomfortable. "Leasep.... od ti! ATE EM!" His fist slammed down against the beast's snout, though no harm was done, the boy not having enough strength. "Tupids...." The blond sobbed, his forehead touching the warm scaled. Verrill whimpered, lapping at his master's dirty face, tasting the salty tears.

[Reno]

A yawn reverberated across the gray, dusty halls, the shadow of the man falling across the slits of orange-red light that was spilling in from rips in the rags covering the windows and doors. His blue eyes darted to the wall, regarding his shadow, which made his small stature look more impressive and tall and his spiky hair more wild and fierce, like a thousand little spines were on his head. He hesitated, simply regarding himself, and one might think him vain.

And then his shadow slithered.
“BOO!” He called, his voice echoing loudly and his shadow jumping right off the wall, shifting shape as it turned all yellow in sudden nervousness.
And was no longer his perfect copy as the dragon settled onto his feet and started walking alongside of him, huffing in annoyance, her body turning white.
“Ah, Iris, ontd eb ikel hatt. Ti asw eallyr oodg, eallyr.” He said.
Though she wasn’t as large as other dragons, really the size of great cat beasts that once roamed the land that were now only in legend, she still held magnificence to her. She was a long dragon, spines all along her back and her tail ending in a little arrow point. Her ears were curved almost elfishly, and she had a pair of horns that curled like a goat’s erupting from her forehead. Her wings were large, able to be wrapped around her body or up over her head if she wished, the insides nice and smooth, soft to the touch. But most precious of all – she was a mood dragon. Her scales changed according to how she – and oftentimes how Sora himself – felt. She could also use this ability to camouflage herself –but she was still learning how to control that. She turned her head away from his words.
He tilted his head, before bouncing in front of her, leaning down some, “Ouy antc eb adm ta hist acef, anc ouy?” He gave her a wide, bright grin that earned him many nicknames from the others. Her rose-colored eyes, the only part of her that never changed color, glanced at him. She gave a little huff, but when her color turned to a pretty sky blue and she gave a little smile of her own he knew he was forgiven.

They continued on their way, the teen stopping at his destination as he pulled aside a rag into a room, calling as he stepped inside, “Roxa-AH!” He jerked back, as not two but four large eyes and numerous teeth were suddenly snarling at him, sending him on his ass. There were some snickers, even from his own partner, making him huff at the two.
“Very funny Nyx, Lux!” Sora crossed his arms. The two dragons who looked almost identical except one was white and the other was black, shared a glance and they probably would have done something more mischievous was it not for the voice that spoke up,
“Rongw onguet Sora.” A voice said testily, pale hands reaching out pat the large snouts of the dragons before they shifted away and revealed a similarly built blonde to the brunette. One might even imagine their faces where the same shape, if they were so leaned by hunger.
“Does it matter? It’s just you.”
“Esy ti attersm!” The blonde crossed his arms, his voice full of chastisement that made Iris turn a pretty gold of amusement. “I ouldc aveh eenb apturedc yb a andchaserl!”
“They aren’t that smart Roxas. Their heads are full of the sand they live in!” Sora laughed at his own joke, but at the other’s further strictness he sighed and changed to the right tongue. “Ellw, ti si oury hifts. Van si mpatienti.”
“Othingn ewn heret.” Roxas rolled his eyes but nodded. “I illw eb a omentm.” He headed back to where he his bed was, hopping over one slim neck of the dragons. Sora, as he often did, regarding them curiously.

It was known as a Hideous Zippleback; a dual-headed dragon. Unlike the cool green and yellows of the normal species, this one was shades of white and black, where one head was all black and the other all white, and when they’re necks conjoined to their body so did their colors, creating a pattern of white and black all the way down to their tails, until they split into two and forming a Y, becoming black and white again. It was a curious creature, with one heart but two minds, where one created gas and the other created a spark to make an explosion of fire. The white dragon was known as Luxra, meaning ‘light of the sun’ – named because of the sun, at its highest and hottest point, was bright white. She was the spark dragon. Nyxyin was the black dragon, name meaning ‘night of black’ that Sora knew implied the days when the moon was not out and the sky was nothing but dark, dark nothing. She was the gas dragon, spurting out clouds of dark purple and blue clouds. It was said once that there are stars in the sky, like pinpricks of light as tiny as grains of sand but if that were true, the sky was too full of dust to ever see them.
Too bad the only thing they shared, besides a body, was their love for pranks. Otherwise, they were at each other’s throats – literally!

“Nda Ven?” Roxas called, returning with different clothes and a shifter – a device made of metal that was used to clean their short supply of water of filth and salt.
“I ma ttendinga ot imh extn.” Sora announced, the blonde giving a nod before calling to his dragons. The brunette watched in amusement as the dragons got into a small fight about who the blonde should ride, making clear blue eyes roll as he reached up, yanking on either’s horns before mounting Luxra. She gave this smug little smile and they turned around, before leaving out from the back of the room through the gaping hole in the wall covered in rags to the outdoors. It was the only way Roxas could enter and leave his room these days, since his dragons had grown so large and he had to move to the only room with a knocked down wall and space for the two.
He heard it was quite miserable on windy days, but for some mysterious reason, Roxas liked it. Sora hadn’t quite discovered why yet.

Instead he just continued his little sweep of the ruins to the other side of them. It wasn’t ideal exactly since the boys, minus the third-born Vanitas who was thrilled to get his own room, didn’t want to be apart. But their dragons couldn’t all fit together and adjustments had to be made. Sora had to constantly remind the blonde they were only a walk away from one another.
A short walk even, because within two minutes he was at his door which was no door, just another rag thrown up for privacy. He pushed it aside calling, “Veeeee-“
And like before he was drawn up short. But this time not from a dragon trying to scare him, but rather at the emptiness the room held. Verril was not the largest of dragons, but he still took up space – and his absence was impossible.

Unless Ven was already gone.
“Ouy ontd hinkt…” Sora said hesitantly, glancing to his dragon who was turning a mixture of black and white, mimicking the zippleback. She was nervous... and annoyed. This was Ven, afterall her face seemed to say. He frowned and nodded, before turning and running to his room, her feet pounding behind him so he could get clothed and her strapped up for the flight ahead of them, trying to remain calm when inside he felt his own emotions raging around. He knew, the minute he mounted Iris, he failed because she changed to a purple-blue of fright. He shut his eyes taking a few breathes and when the colors dimmed enough that showed he was calming down, he urged her to the edge of the room, his eyes squinting in the falling light. “Etsl og!”
Her wings spread and they soared outwards.

The sun was really dipping low so that it was only an outline of red in the sky, burning the sand a bloody haze. He hoped he wasn’t about to find his sibling in a similar state. It was when, a few minutes of flight later, he spotted the black speck in the distance that his heart settled some. He guided Iris down towards the ground, having to coax her into landing on the ground, knowing as well as anyone that in moments a landchaser might erupt from the ground for a kill. When he didn’t immediately spot Ven though, he panicked. “Verrill, heresw Ven?!”
The dragon lifted his wing, showing him a crumbled, curled up form of his rider who must of collapsed in the scorching heat. He hurried over, brushing his fingers over his brother’s forehead where blonde spikes where stuck to his skin, feeling the heat radiating from him. “Shit…”


It would be hours into the night before Ven awoke again. He was groggy and sleepy, noticing the sound of metal cranking nearby. He started to sit up, but a blonde just like him caught him at it and stopped in what he was doing, hurrying over and placing a hand on his shoulders to keep his weakening limbs from giving out under him and knocking out the few brain cells he might have left. “Teadys.” Roxas said softly before reaching out and picking up a glass full of shimmering liquid. “Icen nda lows. Illf uory tomachs.” Ven drank it greedily and another glass too, his stomach filling up enough to stop complaining and keeping the starvation at bay for just a little longer. Roxas laid him back down to let the water settle.

Ven took the time to glance around, realizing he was in the well room, accounting for the cooler air. Even though they lived in the sky, they knew water came only from underground. So, the well room was built a level of rock above the ground, the archaic ruins many miles above. The rock was drilled through into small caverns and then they dug and dug and dug down until they found water and created a well. Once it drive duo, they left the cavern, broke open a new one, and dug a new well. Though they were above land though, eventually everyone feared one day a landchaser would catch wind of their actions and come to attack which is why only those with strong, large dragons were allowed to be down there to bring up the day’s supply of water.

And, of course, idiot blondes who unintentionally try to kill themselves by leaving to hunt before evening.

“Ouy rea uckyl ti asw Sora how oundf ouy nda otn… nyonea lsee!” Roxas sighed, his eyes shifting to the shifter that helped turned the often brown or muggy water bright and clear and deliciously fresh. The invention was made by the very blonde ailing below. Ventus had always been very clever and good with his hands, able to make things out of seemingly nothing. “Hatw erew ouy hinkingt, unningr ffo ikel hatt?”

[Rikugurl]

Swirled blue eyes still looked dim, the blonde teenager still hanging onto life by just the thread of a rag. If it wasn't for his night fury, the black dragon named Verrill that he had befriended when he was just a little boy, he wouldn't be alive, cooked through from the blazing heat of the land and used as some sick leather for the Chasers. Even with the water filling up his empty sac of stomach, it wouldn't do much good for long. He heardly heard the question his brother asked, hearing a ferocious snap just upstairs where he was sure the night fury and the Zippleback were fighting. Verrill had always been aggressive with the other dragons, always being overprotective of his friend and master.

"I..... I oneg adm....on oodf orf eeksw...." His gasped, his throat still dry from the sand that managed to clog his lungs. "I.....antc aket eht ainp nya orem.... ustj antw ot ied." His body went limp against his brother, finding his heat unbearable but nuzzling up to it anyway, the warmth drawing him into a deep sleep.


Down below and a few miles away, a curly haired brunette walked down the tunnels, heading towards a large room that radiated warmth. This was the center of their den and the heat coming from this room was distributed to the entire Chaser people. It was their leader's room, the largest one in size not because of comfort and luxury but because of the sizes of the dragons within. The largest dragon was pressed up against the far wall, the beast sleeping as usual, it's large, heavy, fat wings wrapping around its body. This dragon's wings stored enough fat that it expelled the warmth from them and heated up the entire den. This dragon was probably the most important Chaser dragon because it was what kept their life underground comfortable and lured their food into the tunnels, the underground creatures looking for warmth to make nests and to rest.

This dragon wasn't actually their leader's but their leader's lover, Ida, who was leaning up against the dragon, using a piece of fat wing as her pillow. She was wearing her night wear, which was a little looser than her day clothes, her hair down over her pale body, the skin never seeing the sun before.
It was the leader who the teenager saw next and straightened when we was spotted.
"S-sir..." The boy started when the red eyed, rough looking man approached. "I came with a concern about... your brother. We had a signal that indicated that there was something that touched down on the surface and he did not call a search. He was.... too busy with his son who had just brought a Terror into our den. If I'm not mistaken, those are two major offenses..."


Above ground miles away in the Crater, a young man dipped purple colored fruit that grew in clusters into the clear, cool water before pulling them out and giving them a shake. They were gently placed in his other hand to hold while he turned and walked across the field, his bare, pale feet falling over the soft, crisp, green grass. Some deer moved aside some from their grazing to let him by, the vines around the craved, cave palace moving to accommodate him. He walked up a flight of stairs, his free hand pulling up his long white robe so he wouldn't trip and headed down the hallway, pausing at a window and pulling the curtain away. Clear, water colored eyes peered out at the darkness, the palace overseeing the vast desert that the rest of the world had become. A piece of fruit was placed in his mouth while his eyes searched the landscape, seeing a mighty structure far away that looked like an oversize ant hive.

Within seconds, the curtain was drawn closed and the man in white pulled away in shock, seeing who had disrupted his gazing. He had to look up slightly, seeing another young man with long, silver hair looking down at him, his eyes a glowing green. "Now, now, brother. What did father say about looking out there with such a face? They will find peace once they all lay dead. Once they are all dead and gone, mother will expand and make the rest of the world great. They are the ones in the way... we shouldn't feel bad for them." The man in the black robe smiled, placing a pale hand on the while silk of his brother's shoulder. He blinked and frowned when the one in white pulled away, his clear eyes darkening before he turned, walking off to a large door, opening it and slamming it shut.

[Reno]

OOC: Until you remember his name, I'm calling him Caleb XD

Roxas regarded his slumbering brother with sad eyes, sighing as he laid beside him, not tired since he had been napping all day, but still wishing to offer him some comfort. He knew how Ven felt though, the hunger in his own gut making the days long and restless. The pain never quite went away. But nor had they ever gone so long without a fresh bite to eat before. He wasn't even sure, if he had been the one to find his sibling... if he would of tried to of saved him, or just turned him in as food.

He was beginning to think, to worry, that the few creatures left on this world were also dying out and soon there would be no food left. For any of them. What will they do then? Would they really resort to eating their own even? He tilted his head to regard the ceiling, hoping that someone would return from their hunting parties. With any hope, with food for them.


Red eyes narrowed, before the black-haired male gave a sharp nod. "I see... then I'd best have a talk with him." He dismissed the other, giving a glance back at the woman nestled with her dragon. He turned on his heel leaving through a different tunnel to where his brother's abode would be.

Just outside their door, spluttering nonsense and giggling like a little boy might - he wouldn't know, his son had been grown to be serious and smart, not silly and useless - was his nephew Caleb with the terrible terror Hayner had mentioned. But when his shadow fell over them like a great hulking beast at his back, there was no more fun as the boy looked back, his eyes going a bit wide at the sight of his scary uncle.
"Is your dad in?" He asked gruffly. The boy gave a small, timid nod that made him roll his eyes, before he stepped into the room. Sure enough there he was, with Aqua. She caught sight of him first, her sharp eyes narrowing at the sight of him.

At least in mates, he couldn't find much flaw in Aqua. She was strong in both will and physical prowess. And she didn't take any shit from anyone, not even him.
"Hatori?" Aqua asked, her tone holding no real respect to it.
He crossed his arms irritably, "Still need to work on those manners Aqua."
"Well that would ruin the fun though. What do you want?"
He scowled a little. Yes, not a lot of flaw, but damn was she annoying. His eyes instead darted to Xigbar, "I heard from Hayner that something touched down on the surface and you refused to go and get it. That you were too busy with your offspring and his little pet."


There was a chuckle behind the other who had been so rudely shoved off, the other turned around to see another with silver hair kept shorter to meet his shoulders, though his eyes too glowed faintly. "Yazzy, you should know not to get on his nerves. He is so very... sensitive."

He tilted his head, murmuring thoughtfully to himself, "He's always been a bit different to us. The way he keeps his hair, the clothes he wears, the isolation he keeps. Mother always said he just needs more patience." Another chuckle, before he hopped down on the same stair his brother was at. "He will see it our way someday."

[Rikugurl]

And as if Roxas's prayers had been answered from Divine herself, the sound of horns blared through the building, indicating that a hunter was back and with a catch. It took a few shakes for the blonde with a small little ponytail wrapped up in twine to be aroused awake, his brother's words above him being nothing more than a fog. He hardly felt being pulled, dragged by his arms across the cold floor towards the stairs, hardly understanding the call of his dragon to come and help him. He moaned, feeling cold, wet scales over his bare arms and the room started to spin when he was brought up the spiral stairs. He heard a chipper tone, his brother Sora, coming near, telling him something that he could not comprehend.

And then, he was looking into blue eyes, much like his own, though he knew they weren't of his brother's but of his father.
"Ventus? Tays ithw su littlea hilew ongerl..." He felt a cool hand run over his cheek and then, everyone was gone, leaving him there to fade in and out of life and death. Why was everyone being so cruel?

In the main hall, everyone burst out from their hiding, trying to keep cool from the sun, and gazed upon the large catch that laid in the middle of the room, atop of fire pit to cook the meat. It was a bear, a large beast with a giant snout and powerful arms and legs. It was large one at that and rare. How it was so large and well nourished was beyond the mouth watering Flyers but the questions were all dismissed, everyone quick to get the meat cooked and served. Their would be their first feast in weeks.
Blue eyes instantly looked over the fire that was already raging, seeing through the flames who the hunter was who brought his wish.

Axel.

The man whose wild, red hair fell over his burned skin in a rugged, yet beautiful way. The loincloth around his thin hips fell perfectly over his body, accentuating his long, scared and shapely legs. His body wasn't just covered in scars and burns but of ink too, reminding them all that he was not a born Flyer like them. He was an Unbroken. The Unbroken was another set of people on this world who were neither a Landchaser, a Skyflyer or a Divine. They were their own people, crazed by the sun and lost all and any form of humanity. They were wild and brutal, killing anything and everything in sight whether it be human or animal or dragon. They had no language of their own but specialized in Dragonese, knowing only the ancient tongue of the flying lizards.

Axel was no exception, being found for dead in the sands almost 8 years ago. He knew no language except Dragonese and fought the Skyflyers who were trying to give him aid at them time with all the strength he had left. Winning the boy over with water, food and shelter, he slowly became as civil as an Unbroken could. He now considered himself a Flyer, and the hunter of his people.
And of course, the dragon trainer.
As his green, wicked eyes peered back over the flames towards the blonde boy, the large dragon behind him, known as a Monstrous Nightmare, scowled, the dragon one of the most fierce beasts on this world.

It was emerald green, scarlet and purple, it's eyes a cold yellow that would rip right through you. It had extra claws and a slightly poisonous bite, fast, violent, stubborn, and tenacious. In battle, it's the first to arrive and the last to leave. And of course, it lived, breathed and did everything with fire whether its coughing, sneezing or laughing. His name was Xiuhcoatl, meaning 'Fire Serpent' and a play of words as a Monstrous Nightmare was known for their attack strategy known as Fire Jacket, the dragon coating itself in fire, and attack as it's flaming from nose to tail. Everyone called him Xiu though for short.


The man, who usually wore his hair up in a ponytail during the day to keep it out of his face, now had it down, the black and silver-grey locks fluttering over his dark skin. He turned his head some, looking back at the man who shared similar features, though his eyes were a red while the man in the den's was a gold. He pulled away from his workstation where he was sharpening some of his knife and turned towards his leader, slowly strolling towards him, not minding the female's glance. The man, known as Xigbar, stopped inches away from the other, their height closely matching.
While they were staring each other down, the little boy pushed through the cloth that gave the little den some privacy and quietly raced to his mother, wrapping his arms around her legs, the little Terror following behind.

"He's not my offspring, he's my child, Hatori. We haven't gone back to the primal states, have we?" He growled. "And my son is and always will be more important to me than anything else on this Divine forsaken world, got that? Last time I checked, oh mighty leader, we're not starving. We're not dying. We're living and actually doing pretty well. Why would I risk my good life and energy on some Skyflyer who obviously has nothing on them but bones if they're willing to step on our territory? They wouldn't be worth the fight with the dragon accompanying them. The Skyflyers are pretty much dead as far as I'm concern. What we should be doing is less hunting and more tunneling so we can get into the Crater. Hayner is better use to us if he shut shit squealing little mouth and got his dragon to make us some new tunnels."

He leaned in closer, his teeth clenching as the golden eye narrowed. "Don't you ever come into my den, asking me why I didn't risk my life for no good reason and questioning my parenthood ever again, Hatori. I will fight by your side and give you my strength but I'm not going to endanger my family as a whole for some ancient pissing match. I want to give my son the childhood I never had because when we were young, things weren't so good."

[Reno]

Roxas swallowed as his eyes met Axel's his limbs always getting a little tremble to them whenever he did and he did not know why. He was not sure if it was fear that made this so or something else he could not quite yet identify. Even his dragon, where as any dragon usually did not strike him in any emotional way, made him a little weak.

That was because he had a very rare talent with dragons that he had discovered in his youth. He was a Dragon Siren. He had a voice like no one else's and his song alone was able to sooth most of the beasts into a peaceful submission. He usually used this technique with his own pair - his song able to calm their quarrels within moments.

But right now, he didn't feel a tune in his throat. In fact he wasn't even quite sure he could speak.

"Ven, come on, eat." Sora was coaxing.
"If he doesn't want his share - OW!"
"May Divine curse you Van!"
Roxas was brought back to himself as he turned, seeing Vanitas holding his hand where it must of been reaching for Ven's portion and instead got slapped by Sora. The eldest of the twins had little patience for Van these days, whose greed was getting out of control more and more every day.
Golden eyes rolled the black-haired male going back to his meal, grumbling loudly, "Divine... yeah. She already did that."
"Vanitas!" Runa snapped, making the boy flinch. At least he was still afraid of his mother. "Enough."
"Yes mom."

Sora shook his head, striping off some of the meat on Ven's plate and waving it in front of him. The blonde blinked blearily a few times catching the scent, not completely conscious as he snatching the food from him and ate it. His eyes turned down, focusing on the food and then he reached for it, but Sora caught his wrists.
"Whoa, slow Ven or you'll make yourself sick!" After making sure he wouldn't eat everything in one big bite, he turned to his own meal. He turned his eyes to the man by the fire, his gaze always have a ferocity to it, but he only smiled to him, "Thank you Axel."

And Sora, being Sora, meant it for so many reasons.


It happened fast, suddenly Xigbar was pushed up against the wall, red eyes narrowed into golden and Hatori snarled, "Now isn't much better Xigbar. I thought wisdom was supposed to come with age - are you such a fool you don't realize how fragile things are? Without food we do not have strength to get anywhere you fool! I remember starving so many times as a kid; food that seems to come and then stop just as suddenly! A meal is not something you PASS UP BECAUSE YOU FUCKING WANT TO! We do not HAVE that luxury until we ARE in the crater!"

He scoffed in disgust and shoved his brother before spinning on his heels and stomping towards the doorway. He looked back with a glare though, "If I hear of this treason again Xigbar, you won't have to worry about any danger to your little family anymore. Because I'll make fucking sure it stops existing."

He left them then, Aqua frowning as she rubbed her son's back, soothing him with soft shushes, before glancing at Xigbar. "Well, that ended well."

[Rikugurl]

The red, narrow eyes looked back towards the eldest twin, his face grim and serious as usual until something rare was shared; a handsome smile that was as rare as a Divine sighting. "Ouy ontd aveh ot hankt em..." He called softly over the crackling of the fire. He pulled his thin fingers up, running them though his hair to pull it all to one side, revealing his sweaty neck before taking a large chunk of meat from the bone, easily ripping through it. It was definitely a feast, everyone having more than enough food to fill their empty stomach. It may not seem like enough to them, having starved for nearly two weeks, but it would hold them over until the next game caught.

Axel was their only hunter, his skills with dragons and his vicious inner nature perfect for the job. But they needed another and Roxas had been interested, along with Van. Unfortunately for Vanitas, he had a problem listening to anyone besides his mother so he was not allowed by his father to be taught. He wasn't very happy to see Roxas in danger though and was afraid of what sort of things Axel might have in store for him during training. They needed to make more members, not lose them.

"Mmmmm....nnnnnngh!" Ven shook, wanting to eat everything in sight but his brother was smart to slow him down because he would be throwing up everything he took in. He took a large bite and forced himself to put down the meat completely, chewed and swallowed before repeating. Luckily, the dragons around the room weren't interested in eating the meat, already able to eat the dead things their masters couldn't and not all too hungry.

After awhile when the food was getting sucked from the bones and the organs that they couldn't eat were put out to dry for other things, the hunter stood and stretched before turning and snapping his fingers some to wake up his sleeping beast, the two heading away towards the highest tower in the ruins.
Though Roxas was fixated on the thin, tall man, he couldn't ignore the call of the eldest brother to help him carry Ven to his own room for the night. He would have to sleep with his full stomach so it could sink in.


"UGH!" Xigbar snapped, loosening his clothes that had grown tight from the tug, glaring at the opening of their den. "That bastard. He would be the idiot that would kill perfectly healthy members of his people over something like that. Treason he says..." He turned to the two staring at him and growled. "Are you starving!? Are you!?" He asked, looking first at Aqua then at his son, Caleb. The little boy coward behind his mom, shaking his head. "No, daddy..."
"That's what I thought! NO ONE IS! We have breakfast everyday, lunch too if we want it! Why the F---"
He stopped himself, seriously not wanting to curse in front of his boy, not like his brother had a problem doing so.

He headed over to his workbench in silence but didn't get very far until he was sprinting to the mouth of the den, yelling out into the tunnel. "AT LEAST MY FAMILY HAS A FUTURE OF SPREADING OUR NAME, HATORI! AT LEAST MY SON DOESN'T LIKE DIIIIIIICK!"


Down a few passages and up a ladder or two, was the den of the leader's son. It was large and warm from his mother's dragon like everyone else's but also because of his bed-mate. Together, their bodies mingled under bear skinned blankets, their skin heated and sweaty. Tanned arms reached up, lazily wrapping around the strong neck of the tanner man beside him. "Mmmmmmmm, tired." He mumbled, his dark blue hair sticking to the skin below him. His name was Ienzo, the mastermind of the Landchasers. He was the one who stringed the lamps together, creating electricity underground and inventing the censers on the surface for when heavy objects touched down. He made the warning signals and was maybe the only person left outside of the Crater who knew how to read and write.

[Reno]

Roxas swallowed hard, watching the way those hips swayed. What was it about him that intrigued him yet left his skin prickling like he was zapped by an Electricsquirm? He was so caught up in his thoughts, it took Sora awhile to make his voice heard.
"Roxas? ...Hey, Roxas? Are you listening to me?"
"Huh?" Roxas shook his head and looked at Sora, who was midway into lifting Ven, "...Oh uh, alright!" He hurried over to help, wiping from his mind all thoughts of that dangerous red-head. It was slow going for them, but eventually they got to the blonde;s room, nestling him up under the blankets. Roxas left shortly thereafter, going back to his job in the well room.
Sora, however, stayed by his side until Ven was asleep, certain it, for once, would be peaceful. He left his sibling, going back to his room and looking back at his own dragon. "You ready Iris?"
She changed to a brilliant red, making him smile as he got on her riding gear. "Alright, let's go!" The two of them swept out into the night sky, Sora bending over her low as she changed from red to black, so they were camouflaged in the night sky.

He had been doing this for weeks now. He hadn't quite found his purpose in the clan yet, unsure what he was truly meant to do for his people quite yet. All he knew was, he hated to see everyone suffer and wanted to change things. Everyone said they would find peace with the Crystal Dragon - Divine that is. But Sora constantly questioned exactly what it was they needed to do to get there. What proof did she need to see they were worthy? Was it really the death of the Landchasers? Or was it something more? That was why he was on a mission - to find their worthiness.


Aqua rolled her eyes, smacking her forehead some. "BRAIG!" She snapped, using the man's true name. "Get in here!" She stood, walking over to him as he came back, "Stop shooting your mouth on like this, it's not helping anyone!" And then she reached up, grabbing a fistful of his hair, yanking it some. She hissed in his ear, "And if you keep frightening our son, and I'll tear out your balls and feed them to you so you can't make any more, got it?"


"I'll take that as a compliment." Came a brash chuckle, a hand rubbing the skin of his lover's lithe back. Blue eyes regarded the other, never tiring from regarding the other's slimmer form. He was sort of dainty, kind of like a woman - but there was no mistake of his masculinity. But more so than anything, he enjoyed the other for his pleasant and intelligent company, unlike every other male around here who would rather bash heads like bulls than speak of things that actually took brain power. He in fact was allowing Ienzo to teach him to read - it was an enjoyable sort of past time though one they could not spent much time on since he and his dragon too were hunters and were often busy with one task or another.
His father always had and endless amount for him it seemed.

[Rikugurl]

"Good girl..." A gentle voice soothed an even gentler looking beast. She had brilliant crystal eyes that matched beautifully with her baby-blue hued scales. Unlike most dragons, this one had feathered wings like a great eagle, and her snout was pointed like a beak. She had sharp claws but they were not for hunting but to help cling on walls for her to eat at the bugs within. She was known as Yue, the Windwalker dragon. She was an offspring of Divine herself and she nuzzled her brother as he ran his fingers over her smooth scales. Her wings spread, allowing him to climb up onto her back and she slowly walked towards the edge of the palace's wall before jumping off and soaring away into the night.

They were vulnerable out here, all in white under a silver moon but the Divine children had no intention to stray far. It was forbidden to fly outside of the Crater but even he had some adventure in him, the outside world interesting to him. When they flew far enough, he could feel the magic barrier that kept the outside world from the Crater and instantly, he could feel the climate change and Yue had to put more strength into her wings. She was a Windwalker, able to actually walk on wind but because there was none outside of the Crator, she had to use her wings. They swooped up and down, enjoying what they could see in the land around them though it wasn't much, it was still quite interesting.

Or at least it all was until something happened. The man a top the dragon had not caught the slight shine of a buckle or the flash of blue eyes under the moon but Yue did and she made a sharp turn, making the man's long, silver hair whip behind him. He only had a moment to look up, seeing something solid in the air fly up above him but when his eyes caught that of the other rider, the moment seemed to slow down, the two riders studying each other for it was the first time either had seen someone of their kind. And just as that moment was created, it ended, Yue giving a shrill before turning back to the Crater, her flight speeding to get away. She was naturally afraid, not really having anything to defend herself or her brother if the other dragon attacked.


The ragged cloth was move and just as the boy peeked into the well lit room, something sharp was at his throat, nearly cutting into his skin instantly. Roxas stood frozen, feeling the heat of the other to his right before the blade was pulled away. "Roxas.... what did I tell you about sneaking up on me like that?" The hunter's voice was nonchalant, the dagger being thrown across the room, slamming into a piece of dead wood. The Nightmare glared at the young blonde from across the room, some smoke emitting from his nostrils until a hand was placed between them. "Nee-ya." Xiu huffed and turned his head away, laying it on the ground to continue his slumber.
When the redhead looked back, he gave the boy a grin. "What do you want? A little late for training. Thought it would be in three more suns."


A golden eye twitched, his scalp stinging from the pull. It rolled to look beyond the bluette at the little boy who was holding onto the Terror in fright. The man gave a sigh and gently took the woman's wrist, easing it out of his hair. "I'm sorry...." He apologized, stepping passed her to his son, ruffling his hair. "Time for bed, it's been a long day...."
Not long after, the three, as a family, laid in bed, tucked under their own bear blankets to keep warm, the little boy in the middle of his parents. The green dragon that was no larger than an ancient dog was curled up on the boy's lap, almost purring when the boy continued to pet him. "So mom, can I keep him? Please? I know uncle Hatori doesn't like them but we're best friends!"


"Tch~ You're so full of yourself, Terra." The younger grinned, planting sweet little kisses on the man's strong chest. He soon found himself nuzzling his face into the junction of the brunette's neck, running his fingers through the course hair. "So... any plans for when we reach the Crater? I heard we're only ten miles from it now. If I'm correct, it will only take another moon cycle to reach it. The first thing I want to do, even before writing down everything I see, is to take a bath in the cold, clean waters with you~"

[Reno]

Sora honestly did not expect to find much more than the usual. Bones littering the sand from meals picked clean, crevices created where the underground tunnels of the landchasers had collapsed or were long abandoned. But every once and awhile he would get lucky. He would find a precious piece of metal that would become part of the reigns or a buckle to their belts, or just something Ven could tinker with and possibly create something utterly new. Once he had even found something truly special that was unearthed by the ever shifting sands. It was a circular piece made of a material no one knew of or recognized. It was strange to the touch, softer than metal but less durable and edges seemed to be a bit melted from days under the sun.

What was truly wonderful was the middle part though. This surface was always cool to the touch and reflected his image in it, though strangely because a crack went down from edge almost to the other end, disrupting the picture. He wasn't sure what this treasure was, but he kept it. Thought maybe if he offered it to Divine, she would let them in.

Today, however, he found something even he had not expected. Another dragon. He gripped onto the reigns of Iris tightly, ready to bolt should the dragon turn ill towards him, when they were caught, even in their camouflage.
And his breath caught as the dragon twisted, revealing to him the sight of his rider. His eyes went wide, leaning far over the side of his mount, just staring at... utter perfection. He had never seen a man quite like him before, with perfect, clean skin, bright eyes and hair that matched the shade of the moon. And then in a flash, like it was all a mirage driven by the heat, he was gone. "Was that...?" He whispered, unable to even think the words. the... the impossibility!

A Divine... was it a blessing?

He drove Iris closer to the Creator, paying her no mind when her closer changed to black with nervousness, hovering about a half mile just beyond the land of paradise, but his eyes looked and looked and the one he had seen was gone now. He sighed softly, and tugged her away, "Come on Iris, I think it was just a trick of my mind..." She growled, feeling insulted since she had seen them too, but merely turned and took a new lead in the endless desert.

Neither knowing of the eyes watching them ponderously from the trees.


Limbs shivering for a whole new reason this time, Roxas swallowed thickly before facing Axel bravely. Unbeknowst to him, he was studying him as carefully as he could, the wildness to his hair that made it look like flames dancing. The glimmering of green eyes that held secrets and mischief. The sharp, lanky angle of his body that spoke little of meat in his life but much of harsh upbringing. And yet nothing he saw told him why each time he gazed at him, his knees grew weak and his stomach flipped. He turned his eyes away, instead regarding the dagger in the wall, wood having crumpled up around in in a thousand tiny splinters, "I just wished to come by to thank you."
As Axel said the same thing he told Sora, he shook his head, "Do not pretend you do not like the gratitude Axel." For a moment they stood there in silence and Roxas mumbled, appealing to the other's boasting nature "Tell me about it. The hunt. How you took it down. I can learn just as much from your stories as I can from trying it myself."

It certainly was not because the sound of the man's voice made everything inside of him shiver, like a beautiful and rare cold front passing over his skin.


Aqua stared down at her boy and the little dragon, then glancing at Xigbar with a raised eyebrow. Finally she sighed, "I suppose it would be alright Caleb - but you are to take care of him. Got that? Meaning you need to make sure he gets fed, is cleaned up after and is trained. Understand?"
The boy just gave her a wide grin that secretly filled her heart with a maternal happiness, though when she was having him she sure had a lot of things to bitch over in her tone. Of course, most of it had been reserved for Xigbar and how she wanted him to be devoured by Divine.


Terra grinned at the thought. Bathing was not a luxury they could often afford since water itself was sparse and dried quickly when revealed to air. The most they ever cleaned were wounds - otherwise they just lived in their own filth. A real bath sounded kind of nice...
But Terra licked his lips, "I think I'd rather just eat everything in fucking sight." It had been sad, once, that everything in Paradise could be eaten. That they had seen the Divines chewing on stalks of green. Not just animals, but the greens too. Of course, it had been said by those who were half-crazed with starvation and no one truly knew anything. "I have a dream of getting as fat as my mother's dragon."

[Rikugurl]

"Haaa....haaa....." Panting fluttered from the silverette's lips as he stumbled back down to earth, falling from his sister's back and onto the cold, wet grass below. He slipped and nearly fell, his heart pounding with his eyes one the sky. He no longer saw that outsider, though he felt like his eyes were burned into his mind. Never had he seen an outsider and the way he was following was as if he was crazed to eat him. Were they truly such savages? Yue on the other hand laid on the grass, resting her wings while her brother nearly hyperventilated until his breath caught, feeling something solid and warm stopping his mad dash to the palace. Slowly, he blinked and swallowed hard, not realizing that his face was flustered and he was shaking something bad.

His head turned and he looked up, seeing his tallest and eldest brother before him, looking down at him with glowing green eyes. His hair was the longest and his body strong but not the strongest. Each and every one of his siblings, in the form of humans, had their own talents. He was sure he had none except for things that didn't really matter. His eldest brother was a leader, Kadaj being the fastest, Yazoo being the smartest, Loz being the strongest and his only sister Fujin, the defender. As for him, he was a dreamer he supposed.
Mother always did say he was special.
"S-sephiroth..." He whispered, his voice handsome but shy.

When his brother asked him what the matter was, the shorter silverette looked away, then back up at the sky where the outsider had been peering down from, cast away from the magic around the Crater he was sure. "I... I.... f-fell asleep in the meadow... and had some dreams that were upsetting. I best head to my quarters..."


A red eyebrow rose, his ears picking up the sound of an irritated tail. Xiu did not like company, let alone anyone besides Axel. They weren't known to be friendly, even when trained for years upon end. Everyone was sure that if Axel didn't know Dragonese, he wouldn't have gotten so close with the Nightmare. That or that Axel forced the dragon to listen to him. The once Unbroken man told of a tale that when he was a younger boy, his first dragon was a Slitherhawk, whose named was Shesha. He loved her to death but one day, they came upon a nest and Shesha was lost in battle, eaten alive my a Nightmare. This Nightmare to be exact. Axel had become so furious that he grabbed the Nightmare by his nose and shook him so hard and tackled him down, being able to live through the Fire Jacket attack and break the dragon's will.

Many couldn't believe it at first but seeing was believing and with all the burn and scar marks on the young teenager at the time, they couldn't deny the story. They also couldn't deny seeing Axel, still mounted on his dragon, when the Fire Jacket attack was put to play. It seemed like his body was use to the intense lick of the flames. Some say he's a legend, some say that he's still quite mad.

Nonetheless, the thin, frail looking man walked around the fire that was set in the middle of his room before falling down against a sitting stone, his narrow green eyes looking through the flames at the other.
Slowly, his eyes closed and he leaned his head back, inhaling deeply. "I could smell it. The panic. The fear. There is no wind so it sticks like sap in the air. Something had surfaced that did not understand the heat of the sun or the sand. Something large. It left a trail in the sand, no matter how much it changed from the shifting. It was heavy, big and slow, the footprints not very far from each other. It smelt the rot from the old ruins, of some other creatures that were looking for shade from the sun. It had headed there and nearly reached it by the time I came upon it."

His eyes slowly opened, though they starred straight up at the ceiling, lost in the moment. "I told it that I was there, that I would bring him home for us to feed on only to see it run and waste the only energy it had left. It looked frightened and tired, it's mouth full of froth from the heat, it's little black eyes burned from the sun. It fled to the ruins but I didn't see them. I called upon the flames and they surrounded me, bringing me into a numbing state, my mind only focused on bringing that beast down and back to my people. I.... I can't possibly explain the feelings in words. It is like.... Divine herself gave me all her power and might as we blew through solid walls, swerved through falling bricks and beams, chasing the beast down until were were upon it, the shrinking filling my ears and the smell of blood staining my nose."

His eyes rolled to look at the dagger which he had thrown into the beam. "And then I sank the metal into it, hearing the muscles and tendons rip under my power as I thanked it for letting me and my people survive. Just as quick as Divine's power flew through me, it was gone and I came back, chard and weak, feeling Xiu's tug before we were back up and off towards the Nest. And here.... here I am." He turned to look at the blonde again, his eyes becoming darker. "You can either feel the hunt or you can't... there shouldn't be much teaching to be done but to hone in on those senses that will soon become natural."


"Hahaha, as fat as your mother's dragon?" The man chuckled, slowly rolling off the man, onto his stomach. His blue eyes peered through his long, bright hair. "If you get that fat, you wouldn't be able to move... then what would I do with you?"

[Reno]

"I see..." Sephiroth said contemplatively, glancing out towards the edge of their paradise to where it became nothing but sand and death. "That would be wise."
Riku brushed off his white clothes, noting with displeasure of white stains on his clothing. But as he turned away to head back to the palace which walls shimmer and glittered with crystal magnificence, Sephiroth spoke again. "There's not much out there." Riku looked back, meeting the cold gaze of his brothers, "Never forget that Riku."


Roxas settled nearby on the floor, his feet curling under him like a child waiting for a bed time story, and the instant Axel began his tale he was drawn in. There was a level of passion in the way Axel told his stories, and it would be much to his brother's chagrin if he told him he enjoyed them most. After all, Sora himself for a story-weaver, spending much of his time creating tales of heroics of their clan or mystical encounters that lead to their survival. Much of it was just fancy and fake though, while everything Axel told was the truth. Something was exhilarating and real about that.

Roxas had, according to his brothers, always been a bit grounded despite living so high. He thought fantasy were things for children and, at the dawn of becoming a man once his first hunt was successful, he was ready to put away childish things. He aspired to become a man well worth everyone's regard - and to be a hunter was the greatest standing possible. Well, next to be the leader of course.

He swallowed some as he heard of the red-head thrashing down walls with his dragon, imagining instead it was him on the hunt. Adrenaline from his thoughts zinged through him, the fire that surrounded Axel was instead within him. The chase, the cornering, the surrender, the kill...

When the story was done and Axel was narrowing him with his gaze, the blonde frowned, feeling as if he was being chastised or challenged. Axel was a natural hunter, and it would be of little surprise to think some skinny, scrawny, small blonde could ever measure up. His eyes narrowed in response, straightening up to make himself appear taller, and said with a sure voice and a mysterious smile, "Don't worry Axel, soon I'll be the one telling tales to you."

I'll make you proud and the rest of the clan respect me. He thought secretively to himself.


"Hmmm..." Terra tilted his head, some of his brown bangs falling across his face, and he smiled, "Hmm, guess you'll just have to roll me to wherever I want to go. Besides, you sleep on me all the time, I think you'd appreciate the extra bit of cushion."
There was a laugh, the sound nice to hear. There wasn't much to laugh about these days. Terra reached out, brushing away some strands of hair as he leaned closer, kissing him softly.
He swore if it weren't for Ienzo, he wasn't sure he would have much of a reason to live...

[Rikugurl]

During the next moon, silver hair fluttered over the soft, silk robes bleached of white, the knot of his mother's symbol being tied around his neck and the clasp fastened to keep the cloth together in the front. He slipped from his room, carefully walking down the massive halls that were made for them when they were children, all six nver having a hard time racing through them. Today, he had thought of going to mother to tell her of the outsider he saw. Of course, he realized it was not clever to do so, knowing that he had broken a rule of leaving the Crater and of course, she may alreay know of what he did. He was not approached during his bath so if she did know, she was letting it slide for now.

So why was he climbing the stairs to meet his sister for flight again?

Instead of seeing Yue at first, he ran into another sister, one that shared his same form. They literally bumped into one another, the two quickly dusting themselves off. "Riku?" The woman's voice asked, her tongue not very active. Her eye was a bright red, different from Riku's aqua and the other's brilliant green. "Excuse me..." The man pardoned himself, moving passed her slowly. He only glanced back, seeing her watch him before turning away. He caught the sight of her face under her hair that fell over one side, seeing the shimmering of scales.
He frowned but turned, heading towards Yue and petting her gently as he suited her for flight.

When he mounted her, she shifted uneasily, not too thrilled that he was daring enough to put them at risk again. What if they hadn't gotten away so easily? Still, with a pat against her neck, she flapped her wings and rose, the silverette scouting around to make sure they weren't seen before they were off, out of the Crater.


Fire was blazing in the pit located in the middle of the room, a pot that had been crafted sitting over it, melting other metals within.
"Oh, Roxas.... these are perfect." The blonde examined some shiny pieces of metal that his brother had found last night, though it wasn't as much as usual. Sora explained to Roxas that the sands probably didn't move so well yesterday, never mentioning his run in with the Divine. Now they wondered where their eldest brother was at the moment.
"I will melt these down and make new harnesses with the bear skin we got last night. Can you please go get me a bucket of water?" The matching blonde was off, leaving his talented middle twin behind in his room to work on the mold.

Ventus was back on his feet, feeling like new again after the feast. His father was wise enough to take what was left and make dehydrated meat for them all to snack on when the hunger reared its head again. This should hold them well for at least another week if they could not find another catch. As he was gently pushing some mud into shape, which he used for belt molds, he heard the rags to his bedroom push away. "That was quick, Ro---" Blue eyes looked up and he stumbled, everything he was working on falling to the floor with a bang. "V-van..." His eyes grew dark, seeing his black haired, golden eye twin walk into the room, Verrill instantly growling.
"Didn't I tell you that I never want to see your face in this room again?"


Down the hall, the blonde who was about to head to the Well Room was stopped, seeing a girl a bit younger than him (by a few months), peering out of her room. "Roxas?" She called, the blonde walking over to her slowly. Her parents had died after a Landchaser raid, leaving her orphaned but alive. She was the only female of the twin's age so it could become tense when she was around. Luckily, she was a weaver, her job was making the clothes and blankets that the Flyers used. "You'll start your hunting tomorrow...? I will pray to Divine that you become a man your first night~"

[Reno]

Another pair was out tonight yet again, this time the brunette solely focused on his task as he studied the sand. "Ah, there Iris!"
She chirped back to him, seeming the gleam as well as her wings pulled up and her nose pointed down and they dived. It was an exhilarating feeling, the wind pushing his hair back and fluttering his clothes around, the jump in his throat as they fell and fell to their possible doom only for, at the last second, those wings to open and with a jerk Iris was pulling them up gliding in a U-shape. Her claws just barely touched the sand clamping around the metal piece with ease. Then she was flapping her wings hard, getting back up into the sky and leveling out with ease. Before it would take them many swoops to get it right, but now they did it without any effort at all. Her wings were perfect for gliding, which made a perfect dragon to go out with to collect supplies because she did not grow tired as easily from constant flapping.

Sora studied the ground for a short time, wondering if they set off the alarms, but then said, "Alright, what did we get?" He angled himself low over his dragon, reached around to grab the large metal piece she held and sat up when he had it. He held it up, studying it curiously. "My, it's... some kind of weapon!" At least, that's what it appeared like. It was just a long, extremely thin that at one end had a split to it at the end, another piece arching off and creating an L sort of shape. He imagined there had to of been a handle at one point, but the materiel was long gone if there was. "We'll have to show it to Axel." Sora said to himself, "Perhaps he could find use.... for..... it?"

Iris tilted her head back, making a confused little roar that was more like a cheep, her master's distraction - while not uncommon - a bit worrisome. He was looked off to the right so she did as well, giving a squawk of surprise when she noticed there was another dragon in the air though much further off. And it wasn't just any dragon - it was that white one. The windwalker.

And... what were they DOING?!

Sora's eyes went wide watching the dragon hovering down and - oh no. "Iris!" He called, gripping her reigns and kicking in his heels. She gave a growl of complaint but shot off for the two, both of them watching as they landed in the sand. He unconsciously started ticking down the seconds, knowing just how fast those landchasers responded when they knew something heavy was on their land.


Golden eyes narrowed at the tone, stalking forward some, not too hindered by the growls from Verrill, "Now now Venny, is that any way to talk to your own flesh and blood?" Blue eyes watched him mistrustfully, standing up as he drew closer and flinching a bit when his wrist was grabbed. Vanitas hissed at him, "You should be dead you know? Another meal for us."


There was a smile at the praise, Roxas nodded, "I hope so too. Thank you Lilo." She smiled, her cheeks flushing as she ducked a little more inside. She was always so shy around him; he couldn't quite understand it. It made him wonder if he was kind of scary; but then he looked at Axel and realized if he was scarier than him, he had a major malfunction.

[Rikugurl]

"Good girl..." Riku patted his sister's neck as he jumped down from her back, looking around the baron wasteland of the world outside of the Crater. The sand was freezing cold against his bare feet and felt strange under his toes as he walked around a bit. Yue groaned, looking around herself but not seeming as interested, or thrilled. If anything, she was a little scared being out here. She chirped some as he walked behind her, leaning over to run some of his fingers along the sand, digging into it and letting it seep through. It was a strange feeling, one he didn't feel back at home. He knew Divine gave them everything they needed but this was so new, so different. Why didn't they have sand inside the Crater?

When he stood straight again, he peered up at the sky, just to see what the stars above looked like out here where there was no ozone left and only saw something solid and black coming down from the sky instead. His aquamarine eyes widened and he heard Yue cry out as the black dragon and his rider came down upon them.


"Is that any way to talk to your own flesh and blood?" Ventus snapped, seeing Verrill sneak around the room, his eyes fierce
and his teeth drawn, guarding the door so Van wouldn't be able to get out so easily. It was a rule, that if a dragon strikes down a human, they would be hunted and killed. A life for a life. Verrill wasn't the smartest dragon but he knew that of Van threatened his master's life, there was little he could do. The black haired twin was crazy enough to do anything he said. And so it happened, a sharp tool was taken from Ven's work bench and placed against the blonde's throat, the gold eyes of the boy dark as he ordered the dragon away from the door or Ven was dead.

"Veer---" The blonde struggled some but he was pulled towards the hallway that was too small for his dragon to roam, the black fury whimpering when his friend was pulled behind the rag and out of sight.
"L-let me go!" Ven cried, wishing he was strong enough to pull away and break free from his wicked brother but no matter how much he ate or drank, his strength would never be enough.


"Ut?"
Eyes peered up at the lights, seeing them, dim red. Something heavy was on the surface. The periwinkle head rushed from his den and looked down the tunnel, seeing the lights grow a deeper red in the direction of which the weight was. "TERRA!" He cried, quickly rushing down the path, the brunette coming from the same hole and was kick on the smaller's heels. As they crossed the intersection, they were nearly run over by a large dragon who was already in hunting mode. The rider on its back was Terra's uncle, a grim look on his face as he headed down the redder tunnel. "HURRY UP!" Xigbar called back, the deep red indicating that there was quite a weight. Something big was up there.