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Begun on: Thursday, April 19, 2012

(Yes, I know it took forever to finish and post. Don' like it? BITE ME!)

Born to War Short-story.

By: Fallar Rasyre

!!!WARNING DISCLAIMER!!!

:

Read at your own discretion.

This story contains NO (Soooorrrrryyy!) explicit sexual interactions, between humans, non-humans, males, females, or hermaphrodites. It does however have occasional mentions of vague sexual details. Nothing explicit.

The author takes all responsibility for, NOT causing you have personal enjoyment that will NOT result in damages to personal property or messes upon others.

If you are not bother by the aforementioned lack of certain thing, then I've just two final words to say to all you furry/scaly/smooth skinned, lil critters...

TO BAD!

Sorry folks, this just isn't one of my usual yiffy material's.

>^.^<

Some entities in life, have a brief existence, others still enjoy or curse the long lives they can be blessed or alternately burdened with.

This is one such tale. A tale of a being, brought into life, and born to wage war beyond comprehension, quarter, or mercy.

'Ware the Dragon who frowns, lest you should turn your back to a smile ...

Awakening.

War. It was the first thing it's mind awoke to knowing without having learned it itself.

Tactics, menuvers, plans, ideas, strategies. all bestowed upon it from the moment it's mind found First Awareness, and with that awareness and gruesome knowledge and intellect, came with a rapid, voracious, nearly insatiable, hunger for further learning.

Thus the three-gemed dragon eyes opened unto it's surroundings, looking upon a lake of raw, fluid, liquid power some would dub with the name of Ether. Mana it's newborn mind whispered the word, as it shifted position, making waves in the stuff that both was a physical and non-physical force, substance and yet nothingness both, the very cradle and source of the creatures birth by forces unkown.

As it's three sets of eyes scanned the vast chamber it had come into existence within, each set of eyes occasionally moved independently, examining different things of interest, a ruby gaze here, a sapphire glance to something down there, emerald look cast up there. a myriad of facinating things for the fresh young mind to study and admire.

It was thus the latter of the three sets of glowing eyes settled upon the walls and ceiling, instantly riveting it's fullest attention yet in it's newborn life. gems. and not just one kind of them, they ranged the rainbow of spectrums, from the glass clear diamond, to the deep dark purple of a amethyst, each gem aglow with it's own internal light source. a geod. it's birthplace and of-a-sorts egg, was a massive geod. easily the distance of a football field in diameter, half that again in height.

The newborn startled at a sudden sound, taking a few minutes to locate and identify the source as itself, echoing from it's own thick throat in a happy rumbling, reminiscent of a purr. it turned it's attention back to the walls of the geod-egg, exploring and upon finding one perfect specimen, for each gem, plucked it from the wall with as much difficulty as plucking a pearl from the surface of a warm piece of butter.

Thus as it plucked it's last specimen, the geod pulsed in a silent, but visual, thump. a wave of light, eminating from the unknown depths of the lake of mana, upwards towards the apex of the geod-egg. another pulse followed immediately after the first ended, followed by another after that second ended. a chain had begun, each pulsation of light more rapid then the last in a accelerating rthyme that began causing the lake to glow.

The newborn began to shift and glance around, snorting in nerviousness and trepidation, but no fear, that would never be a known thing to it, for possibly many a long eons yet to come. so as the light show continued to speed up and grow brighter with each revolution, the dragon dipped it's head, taking a long deep drought of the rich mana it floated within, while it's eyes warily watched the progress of lights. not noticing how a low sound that began to ascend in audibility with the greater revolutions of the energy-pulses threw the geod-egg began to manifest, a vague warning of what is about the occur.

The "Hatchling" suspicious, but unconcerned in it's naiveity, continued to drink from the mana-pool. enriching and empowering itself and collecting a vast well of magical power that would last itself for it's entire life if used sparingly or rarely with huge magik's.

Scaled ears turned this way and that, as the sounds, now audible to even a humans lame level of hearing, began to irritate and annoy the Hatchling.

It was as the magic approuches a crescendo, that something changed. a soft whisper flowed threw the dragons nubile young mind, making it pause as it listened to the soft words that echoed in gentle, tender warmth within. "Take heart my dear child, for your trails may be many and at times... harsh and difficult. Know only that I will never waver, in either my love or faith for you and your success. Unto me you are born, unto me you shall be someday returned. Trust in thy heart and mind to judge wisely, and let not the worry and hatred of another weary you, for your kindnesses shall bear you to safe harbor's and gentle arm's."

Horn-crowned head raised up at these words, as it looked around slowly for the source, and for first time uttered a soft, purely bass voiced word. "...Mother?" And as if by speaking aloud triggered it, the charged power the pulsations had genenerated and collected at the peak of the chamber, came thundering down upon the greatly-horned behemoth, casting him into a void like some demented kaliodescope of light and prisms.

Arrival.

She stood upon a precipice, watching the battle unfold with frightening surety for the attacking side, which began making a horrid rthymic beat in mocking challenge of the victory they knew was coming. the dragoness watched with a growing cold building in her gut, clenching and relaxing her taloned hands.

She was a fine example of her kinds humanoid phase. long, powerfully muscled tail, double-set of wings, neatly folded upon her back, marking her as a female of much distinction and aged past the difficult years of a single-winged-youth into full maturity. a complete three-horned crest-to-spine ridge atop her skull, with a slim and narrow snout with a healthy number of pristinely white fangs, with vibrant hazel eyes that truly shifted colors by her moods. a subtle array of curves marking feminine figure deliciously, beautifully accented with lean muscles settled upon that draconic frame nicely. with a layer of gray scales covering all, with greens along the edges of those upon her torso, head and wings, and reds on her limbs and tail.

Her head and a ear turned slightly as a messenger scurried up the tunnel behind her, gasping and panting for breath, his hooves noisily announcing his arrival. "M'lady, M'lady! Th-they are pushing us back! pushing us towards the cave mouth, they have ballistae, catapults and some evil Dwarvin construct throwing bladed rings into our ranks! M'lady, your orders?"

She eyed the combatants from her perch, gazing down upon the mixture of the two forces clashing off and on, the opposing side a army of men, Dwarvin, and a race that simply named themselves "The Kindly Cursed" that resembled nothing more then a mixture of a corral snake, a bat, and a lion all mixed together in sadistic mockery of a humanoid phase.

Her allies and the army she stood behind atop the cliff-face, were a ragtag assemble of creatures the others attempted to enslave, from the noble Draakin of her race, feral and humanoid phases both, and the naturally magic and land gifted Eltven of the forests and grasslands, to ruggedly handsome and honorable half-bestial equine, half-man of the Ciantou such as the messenger standing behind her, and lastly the two kin species.

Ether-born breeds of what men and Dwarvin refered to rudely as "Demons and Devils of darkness" and The Cursed called "the Corpseless Ones," but dubbed themselves as the Lorvtal, a astoundingly beautiful breed of semi-human looking entities that bore smooth tails and wings, some of the older ones having horns, fangs, and even more rarely, two-toed paws for feet, most of there species prefered to be naked, although they did make use of a bare bit of cloth to cover themselves around the other humanoid species out of curtesy and respect.

the other of the two Ether-born races, was a strange breed, while truthfully sharing the same species, their members of the opposite sexes were as different from each other as a Draakin was to a man.

Most often manifesting in the difference of there gender, although that wasn't always the case. the males generally possessed flesh forms, with ghostly torso's and wings. the females were the contrast to the males, where they are just as much opposites, the same ghostly look manifested in the places it didn't on the males, sporting wings of iridescent and gleaming feathers where the males more looked to be made of smoke-made-flesh.

Rarely though, are males and females of the Porlkast sometimes possessed of neither aspect of the former mentioned, and instead were born more closely resembling the Lorvtal and Draakin mixed. regardless both species of The Etherkin manifested magical arms and armor that sprang from nothingness at their will, although the Porlkast were a exception, rarely were they seen without their trademark helms which had a slit for the mouth and eyes which they so often wore around other races that obscured what the face beneath looked like, only removing them for those they considered the deepest of friends, or loved ones.

Valnata sighed and looked at the short, roan colored Ciantou, shaking her head slowly as she spoke in a dejected tone, "Nothing, Hurn'tii, nothing. They have proven we are little match for what they can muster against us." She laid a gentle hand on the startled Ciantou stallion-youth, patting his lowerback gently. it was a good thing though that she had, as a frighteningly silent but powerful shockwave, suddenly from nowhere, shook the very air and earth itself as if protesting her simple words of acceptence. the short Ciantou stallion managed to keep himself and her standing, although many down on the battlefield, among both sides were not so lucky, could not keep there footing. doubly so when a second, but far longer, shockwave struck again from that unknown source.

Hurn'tii gasped and pointed upwards. "M'lady Valnata, look up there! What is that thing?" the dragoness didn't respond immediately, still rather shaken by the silent shockwaves, but finally manages to register the stallions words and glance up, only to do a double-take and gasp in intense alarm.

Hovering above the battle, was a nearly perfect sphere, devoid of color save a deep unchanging blackness, swirling among intense light likewise swirling with the black. she then noticed how it began to grow gradually paler, becoming bit-by-bit see-through, revealing a vague shape within. looking upon it, it abruptly filled her with a deep and growing, very unsettling dread, which she could not for the life of her put a name to or a reason behind. All she knew for a certainty, that object was a omen. but for good or ill, she knew not yet.

Awareness.

A void, a bubble perhaps? whatever the thing was that encased him presently, it reminded him something of an egg. An egg? What is a egg? He wondered, briefly cunfused at the source of the knowledge he had, that just simply supplied him with information unheeded, before he continued pondering,Why do I know what one is, if I haven't seen such a thing?

He gave a snort, glancing around as he noticed the thing containing him changing, growing translucent, gradually transparent to a ever increasing degree, resulting in a blinding brightness made visible from above that made him squint in discomfort The suns. his mind again supplied, before he glanced around, starting to notice things outside the sphere that became rapidly noticabe and intriguing to his fresh young mind. such as the odd specks down below upon the ground, they almost resembled ants from this vantage point.

With a profoundly, nevermind absurb, silly soft POP! the bubble encasing him suddenly broke, dumping him to fall like the proverbial boulder he was, instinctively tucking up into a spiny and scaly armored ball that plumets rapidly towards the ground, directly dead center of the presently empty line between the two wagging armies...

• Valna -

Valnata and Hurn'tii watched with shocked surprise, as that orb within the sky burst apart in a glitter of shining motes. leaving the thing that had occupied it to streak for the ground with horrific speed, taking all of ten seconds to fall to it, barely giving the two armies time to register it's presence and retreat even a vaguely safe distance.

When the object struck it shook the earth frighteningly hard for something so small, throwing up a huge cloud of dust and debree, the latter rained back down in lethal projectiles of boulders and stones, varying from a small hut in the biggest, to the size of a mans head of the smallest examples.

Valnata, stared quietly, for several long seconds. then turned and plucked up the startled Ciantou stallion, leaping off the ledge to glide towards the front lines. she gently dropped the stallion, allowing him take the last few feet of the fall easily in a brief gallop behind her, while she glided further on and alighted at the edge of the crater, pausing only but briefly before scrambling down into it, calling out softly. "Are you alright? Whatever you be, speak, that we may know you yet live!"

• Mana-borne Hatchling -

...A voice? he slowly opened a eye, earning a startled gasp from the speaker, as it saw the glowing object that is his ruby eye threw the dust. he slowly untightened his curl, slowly unfurling himself from the protective ball he'd landed as, opening his other eyes as he turned and exhaled noisily, clearing the dust from around his head and the speaker in one breath. that illicited a stunned gasp, first at the size of his head, then the shape of it, and lastly, the fact of his three sets of eyes and that each glowed with a different gem-like hue.

He studied the smaller creature with facination, a brief taste of the air with twin nostrils and tri-forked tongue, supplied the answer of the stranger being a female, which his eyes then acknowledged by that internal store of knowledge that continued to unlock in immense amounts that would stagger other such creatures, such as the female before him. he extended his head, giving soft, curious snuffs at her in curiousity, while she stared, wide-eyed and frozen in fright and cunfusion.

• Valna -

By the wings of the first Draa, and the barsongs of the Eltven! she swore mentally, staring in frozen terror at the monster before her, this creature was a mockery of every Draakin alive! Three pairs of eyes, where all others had but one. a literal crowning of mighty horns, where others had frill, short horns, or even both atop the fronts of their heads. thrice the size of most Draakin, twice that of any of the oldest of elders. and most heinous and profane of all, no wings, none to speak for at all, where every last single member of Draakin blood bore at least one pair from first birth or hatching, to five pairs for the most wing-blessed life.

She flinched and cringed as the creature moved it's huge head forward, flickering a three-point tongue in and out like some newlifed Draakin, Thank the sky-marks for some small semblances! one similiarity at least to Draakin kind, a second occured moments later, as it began sniffing in deep, long, billows sounding breaths at her, while she stood stock-still in fear. when it accidently bumped her, she made a silly and pathetic squeaking noise, making the creatures head raise to peer intently at her snout with curiousity and interest.

She is then floored and stunned with what occured next.

"Sound? You make funny noise?" the huge head tilted sideways, modular ears twitching as it listened. She was stunned to hear it speaking, haltingly albiet, but speech all the same, and the clearest Draa-leng at that.

She jumped as the creature turns it's head as another spoke above, from the crater rim, unable as yet to see what lay in the crater's epicenter just yet. "Lady Valnata? Be you safe and whole? Speak, Lady, speak that we know you are unharmed and live down there."

Valnata swallows and squeaks a answer, having clear her throat briefly as she tried again, in a more stable, calm voice. "I-i'm fine. This... this is not quite what I might of expected to find within this Lightfalls hole." the one above gave a comment to others nearby before speaking up again. "Lady, we need get you up from down there swiftly, you are upon the front-lines. Tis very unsafe for you, do you not recall that?" She scowls and turns in irritation at that practically childish reprimand to answer, only to jump as the huge head gave a low, threatening growl, that shook the very air with the depths of it's bass.

• Mana-borne Hatchling -

The Others noises and words upset the Brave One before him, so he answered best he knew how, with a deep rumbling from the depths of his chest. satisfied with there frightened noises and following silence, he turned back to her, head lowered to look at her six-eyes to two-eyes. he watched her, suddenly taken with a intense and eager delight with the site of things that fluttered abruptly behind her. his head immediately moves to inspect them, finding a odd emotion at seeing those interesting things attached to her back, but pulls back from trying sniff when she made that original sound he realized wasn't so pleasent to his ears.

He rumbles more quietly at her, jerking his nose in direction of the things upon her back. "What those?" he watches her as she made a odd movement of her face, glancing back at them then him again, responding in a soft murmur he heard easily. "M-my... my wings?" he listened to the sound making a pleased rumble, before trying the word himself. "Wwwingssss... I like wings. Look fun. How I get wings?" he watched her take a surprised look, then hesitating and respond softly. "I... I don't know if you can or not... your not the same as me. Your... your a bit... different."

He thought that over and then shrugged it off, no point thinking on it. if she said he couldn't get wings of his own, he believed her. she had them after all, he didn't, that was enough for him for now.

His head whipped around at a sudden odd whistling sound, only to grunt as a large, long object struck and shattered against him, filling the air with a pleasent and unpleasent scent. Javelin, a weapon for battle. he gave a surprising noise as that thought filled his mind, then got a stranger sense of delight at the word that followed, a simple, brief word, but one that flooded his chest and belly with a pleasurable heat and energy in it's simplicity. War!

Battlerage.

The Brave One was quick to scurry up the edge of the impact crater, fleeing into the shelter of those armed individuals above, whom he could readily see and make out threw the murk of his landing, while they could not. he stood up and made a swipe at the remaining smoke and dust, dispersing it with that simple motion by means of a gust of wind. only then did he rise to his feet and reveal his full formidable height of a stunning twenty feet at the peak of his tallest horns.

This of course caused no small amount of alarm among both factions, unsure and frightened of it being a unknown species allying itself with one or the other force. but with the exception that one side, did not, nor would not, wait to take the risk and see just who it owed fealty towards. the army of men, Dwarvin and The Kindly Cursed, launched an attack.

Multiple catapults, ballistae, and that bizarre bladed-disc launching device were fired at his crater, attracting his attention. he watched some of them arc upwards into the sky, some flying directly towards him, all with unearring accuracy for him. He watched a few seconds more then crouched down, a arm across his face. the result that followed was the giant ballistae bolts and rocks, broken and shattered upon him harmlessly, the ring-blades however, struck with resounding *Kwaaang!* sounds and rebounded back into the ranks of there owners, doing it's intended work on them instead.

Billowing a blast of heated breath in sudden excitement, power surging threw his blood in a cocktail of hormones and chemicals that makes him absolutely giddy. Rumbling, he straightened up, and immediately began walking towards the Playful-Ones. They seemed just as eager to play as himself! More small weapons were used against him from distance, even some magic.

The weapons didn't bother him as much, the magic however makes him itch uncomfortably, swiftly earning his annoyance and then anger. He pulls back a hand, as a soldier charged recklessly with a battlecry. Only to vanish in a burst of reddish mist and flying debree of ruined equipment and armor. He stooped to pluck up a chunk of metal, crushing it into a rough sphere, before sending it tumbling at frightening speed into the armies before him.

War! This was no unpleasent thing to this yet-nameless-entity. This was a game and sport, one he was ultimately equipped for. When a Kindly Cursed came upon him, it was to die in a only instant-long-scream, to a barest use of his Breath. He turned and jumped, spinning in the air, until he came down with a fist that made a shockwave from the epicenter of his fist. He laughed suddenly, the sound beautiful, but frightening in this display of smooth and peerless power. He danced among their number, singing a happy sound between his sweeps and strikes, his lunges and blows.

When a group attempted to amass to overwhelm, it was to perish to the supernaturally fatal beauty of his Breath. Filling the air with ash and smoke alike. What were they to one such as him? Born of pure power and the very depths of his Mother and given upon this place to shed his easy dislike of these whom didn't resonate with their surroundings, like the Brave One and her wards had.

• Valna -

"Lady Valnata! I insist that you withdraw, immediately!" The lady ignored him, the soldier addressing her, as much agape as many of her forces and friends, staring at the carnage and violence this newly Lightfallen creature was wrecking upon their foes. A cry of astonishment and fright issuing from her and many others, when a blast of harsh light errupts from the creature's mouth.

"By mine ancestor's scales, horns and wings. This one is unlike any Lightfallen ever before seen." The opposing army realized they were being decimated. In their desperation, half of it was in full retreat, the other recklessly charging forward, avoiding or ignoring the Dancing-death among them. She stiffened as she realizes this and screams to her fellows to ready themselves.

She needn't of worried. A roar of light made a roaring wall of flame before the blithely charging force making for her and the rest. she grimaces, seeing it hardly stopped the force that heedlessly rushed threw, alighting themselves with the flames-killing half as many as made it threw. She took a blade from a nearby warrior, whom raised his tower shield and stood before her at the ready, several others surrounded her as they braced themselves for the on-rushing force.

She raised her voice to be heard over the battlecries of the incoming foes racing head-long for her forces. "Stand your ground! Make them pay and harshly for their foolishness!" She turned briefly, casting a last look at the Lightfallen routing the enemy army with such a brutally efficient abandon. The last thought go threw her head, before battle was joined with the wave of fighters, "What force in existence would make such a creature so powerful and delighting to wage such ceaseless and wanton devastation as it?"

• Aftermath -

Valna sighs heavily, slumping as she sat herself upon a rock, looking around herself wearily. The battle was over. It had been a one-sided coup the moment the Lightfallen had risen and waded without worry or hesitation into the opposing faction determined to bring death and misery to her own faction.

She listened only vaguely to the runner's relaying information to her: Loses, injured, how many-if any-of the enemy army had surrendered themselves. What things they had salvaged from their foes camps and belongings left behind in their mad rush to escape or engage in battle.

Valnata glances up, noting the silence that suddenly had fallen, blinking as she saw the Lightfallen approuching her with such astonishing silence and grace. Not even a blemish marked the creature, where-as she herself had gotten cuts, bruises and a broken wing in the skirmish that'd followed it's rampage. "Fun foes. Not last long, though..."

It smiled at her charmingly, making her blink as he crouches down, looking at her injured wing. She hisses warningly when a digit was extended to perhaps prod at her wing. It's hesitation was only brief, before gently stroking her wing, making her gasp in shock at it's nerve and the pain. She was about to chastise it, until a surge of power overwhelmed her, leaving her gasping on her hands and knees, blinking as she slowly looks back, stunned to find her wing completely mended.

"All better!" Came the happy and pleased rumble from above. She looks up, blinking as she's picked up and placed upon her feet, held their for a few moments while the trembling of her legs eases. She looks up at the brightly and widely smiling creature. "Thank you..." She murmured, quietly astonished. Then her swift mind registered the deed done. She straightens and immediately points to the badly injured members of her factions. "Mend them! Swiftly, Lightfallen, mend them before they expire!"

It blinked it's three pairs of eyes, nodding and turned scanning the field. Thrumming thoughtfully, it got up, beginning to walk among the injured and dying. Stooping here and there to offer it's amazing ability to heal as it does. Valna turned, catching the runners attention, "All of you! Hurry, fetch as many as you can, ferry the most badly injured to it! Make haste, and pass the word!" She turned, taking wing as she began to put action to her own words.

The next hour or two passes in a blur of activity as they gathered the wounded and dying, bringing those they can to the towering creature for healing. They were not successful with all of them, but many were saved with this being done. Whenever he came upon one whom had long since expired or had already passed, he took a spare moment to make a odd gesture or two, and murmur something, before passing on in continued hunt of those to mend.

The Lightfallen creature, despite having woven death and disaster among the enemy, healed and helped foe and friend alike. Leaving both sides members dazed and stunned. Many of those whom had been near death, or had been deceased for only a brief time, were left least interested in further conflict. Voicing vehement desire for no further stake in the war, and even banded together to retreat to a area away from the field, of which shockingly were numbering a heavy amount among members of not from one, but both armies.

• Mana-borne -

He didn't understand why the Brave One desired he mend others beside herself, but he had obliged. It wasn't a difficult task. It was somewhat fun, locating those that required his gift-touch. A task made briefer and less fun by the Brave One and others bringing him directly the ones whom required his gift-touch.

For reasons he couldn't understand though, whenever he found or was brought one whom was not capable of receiving his gift-touch, it filled him with a inexplicable sense of hollowness and cold discomfort. He couldn't place a name to the sensation, so finally he stopped the Brave One to ask her about it. She gave him a surprised expression, before her expression turned soft and made that odd feeling in him again. "It's called sorrow, or remorse, noble-one." She extended a hand to stroke his hand, then continued her searching.

He muled this information over as he continued his work, thinking on the words as he rumbles quietly in discomfort. Sorrow? Remorse? He didn't like them. They weren't fun, like his game earlier had been, nor pleasent like talking with the Brave One was. He looked over to her as she was stopped by one of her fellows, listening and then nodding. He turned away, finding another one-tettering on the edge of loss.

When the Brave One came over, it was give a gasp and cry of surprised relief, before rushing over and helping the dazed and troubled looking quad-leg sit upright. "Hurn'tii, by my ancestor's tails, I am glad he saved you." She hugged the quad-leg, who blinked quietly, before looking up at him.

When he offered a slight smile, it was see the quad-leg blink and suddenly recover his wits, giving a soft huff and extricate himself from the female and get up. "Thank you, Lightfallen one. I owe you my life." He watches the quad-leg tuck a foreleg and lower himself with the other, torso bent forward and arms swept out in a odd manner. He tilted his head, rumbling curiously, before the Brave One said softly, "It's called a bow. A gesture of respect."

Blinking, he rumbles in amusement. So that's what it was? Others had been doing it to him often during his using his gift-touch. He rolled his shoulders and crouched down, nudging the bowing male and making him grunt in surprise. The quad-leg peered up nerviously, before the Brave One made that pleasent sound called a laugh. "I think he wants you to rise, Hurn'tii..."

• Valna -

Laughing softly still, she watches Hurn'tii do so nerviously, prancing in place as the imposing Lightfall shifts position and then sat down. She's impressed with his elegant grace and ease-of-motion. No wasted effort, nor strain or struggle in anything the Lightfallen creature did.

She blinked suddenly at a thought, peering up at the creature, before asking, "Do you have a name, per chance, Noble One?" She watches as it turned it's head. "What is name?" She blinks, then looks at Hurn'tii, whom rubs his neck and looks back at her. "It doesn't have a name already? Isn't that unheard of? I thought all the Lightfallen were born with names."

Valna frowned in disbelief, looking at the puzzled creature with cunfusion. "They... Are." She rubs her jaw, unsure how to take this odd revelation. A Lightfallen whom has no name? It was utterly unheard of, impossible and unknown. She then turned to Hurn'tii as he said, "Well, I will call it Raun." She looks at him in amusement. "Raun?" She inquired, curiously. That was the Ciantou word for a few things, but most commonly it meant kindness or gentle.

Looking at the Lightfallen, she blinks and slowly smiles. That would work... That would work very well. "I think, this Lightfallen, will have several names." Hurn'tii peered at her questioningly. With a exaggerated bow, she smiles up at the creature, before intoning in a respectful voice, "As the Ciantou have given you a name, so too, shall the Draakin. I shall call you, Toulk." Hurn'tii laughed quietly. "Strength? That's the best you can think of, Lady Valnata?"

She scowls at the young stallion, whom only laughed the harder. "Why not call him, Heavy-foot, or I know! Tall Warrior!" The laughing stallion slapped his own side, before quieting as the tall creature rumbles. "I like. I can use them together?" Hurn'tii blinked, perking up with interest. "Raun-Toulk? Kind Strength?" Valna looked at them thoughtfully. Then slowly smiles. "No..."

The other two peered at her suddenly, as she looks up at the three pairs of eyes, green, red and blue. Purring quietly, she said softly, "Raulk. Raun-Toulk. Gentle Strength." The creature perked it's ears, then smiles broadly. Nodding in satisfaction. "Like Name." Hurn'tii considered it a moment, then nodded as well, smiling himself.

• Hurn'tii -

"Gentle-Strength it is, then." He stomped a hoof firmly, stamping once more, then a firm clap to make it official. He then blinks and laughs, just realizing something. "We don't even know of Raulk's gender!" Lady Valnata blinks in surprise, then blushes fiercely. "By Skymarks thats right... We may of ill-named our new friend." They both looked up at the towering Lightfallen, whom blinks at them curiously.

Raulk huffed, before asking them questioningly, "What is 'gender' mean?" Hurn'tii blinks, tilting his head, as the Lady blushes anew. Coughing daintily, she said cautiously, "Gender, means the difference between a creature in a certain aspect." She hesitates, then motions herself. "I, am a female. Or as my species calls my gender, dames." She then motions at him. "Hurn'tii, however, is a male. Or a stallion, as his people prefer."

Hurn'tii nodded, speaking up, "My peoples name for a male is stallion, and a female is a mare. A young male is a colt, and a young female a filly." He motions to Lady Valnata. "Her people call their males bulls, and youth of either gender hatchlings." Raulk listens intently, nodding and looking back and forth as they motion or explain. Then rumbles quietly. "What gender Raulk?"

Suffice to say, the Lady and himself are taken aback and abashed, looking at each other then the Lightfall creature. "We... Do not truly know. You are new. You could be a male or female, Both or neither!" Raulk frowns in cunfusion, not obviously comprehending. Hurn'tii sighs, rubbing the back of his neck, then peered at the Lady. "Lady Valnata, maybe you have a better way to try explaining?"

Valnata blinks a bit, studying the imposing and powerful creature obviously. She then gave a soft smile, before saying, "It doesn't matter. In the end, Raulk will know." She pats one the impressive creature's arms. Even sitting, it towers over both himself and her, by a good two feet still on her part, and three on the stallions.

With another sigh, the stallion peered at the Lady and Lightfallen Raulk. Watching them as they conversed and talked, the creature's words halting and childish at times. Raulk, it's presence, was a unknown omen, Hurn'tii decided... But for good or for ill? Only time, would eventually tell, what this new born and power incarnate creature's path would lead to and become.

Only time would tell, what this Walking-Immortal, would ultimately be to and in this world.

• Fin -