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The ebony-scaled dragon prowled through the dense forest, carefully stepping forward in search of his prey. His dark-blue plated underbelly brushed against the thick undergrowth that was shaded beneath tall trees. As he slinked between numerous trunks of deciduous trees, he stalked a large buck. The deer was much larger than any normal deer, even its antlers would prove dangerous to the dragon that was nearly twice its size. With the quick beating of his heart, the dragon moved faster. He spotted the buck and quickly outpaced it. Soon they would come to a clearing, and that was when he would strike.

The young dragon's sapphire eyes quickly scanned the forest again. His pupils narrowed to slits and darted from tree to tree, ahead of him and behind him. Something wasn't right. The dragon cursed and sped faster, determined to see the end to his hunt. Claws gouged the earth beneath his massive weight, tearing loose soil and flinging it into the air. His scales slinked together like chainmail armor and his footfalls crushed sticks and twigs, emitting enough noise for the deer to hear. The animal darted forward after realizing its imminent doom. Just then the hunter and its prey entered a large, grassy clearing. The dragon smirked arrogantly and sprang into the sky, immediately overcoming the deer in one powerful burst of energy. With his claws, the dragon rendered the animals flank as he surged forward. It collapsed in the midst of its sprint, tumbling to a stop. The dragon avoided the buck's prestigious antlers as it fearfully flailed about and waited for the precise moment to finish it. In a quick motion, the dragon's head lunged forward, jaw open with dagger-like teeth bared. His maw clamped down on the deer's neck, breaking it and ending the creature's life with a simple twist.

With a triumphant roar of victory, the young dragon held his head to the sun. He felt accomplished, though he knew he could do so much more. Life was boring without a challenge, so he had decided to find one. He picked the strongest deer out of the herd and hunted it successfully, but it was not enough. He wanted something to truly test his mettle.

The dragon winnowed through the deer's carcass, eating only what pleased him. It seemed like a waste of food, but that had not been his objective. He thought of the deer more like a trophy of sorts.

Suddenly, a large gust of wind sounded behind him with a pounding thud instantly after. The dragon whirled his head around and was surprised to see a white dragoness fiercely staring him down. A plume of white feathers protruded from behind her two straightly curved horns and to the base of her head--she was a foreigner to these lands. Crimson eyes peered beneath her furrowed brow, and her teeth were bared menacingly. "What do you think you are doing?" she asked intimidatingly.

The dragon licked his maw clean and tersely replied, "Eating my meal." He exhibited no fear, but an inkling of concern began to grow inside his mind. The dragoness seemed to be nearly the same age as him, and she was smaller in size. But the way she presented herself was quite chilling. "You're hunting on my grounds, whelp!"

"You're no older than I!" He scoffed at the accusation. "These are my clan's lands; I am free to do as I like!" The dragon wore a smug grin.

The dragoness growled viciously and unexpectedly charged the black dragon. His eyes widened and he gasped in a short breath. The distance between them wasn't that far, but the speed with which she moved was frightening. She swiftly went from a solid stance to a full sprint in an instant like a bolt of lightning. He narrowly escaped her attack by promptly jumping to the side. The dragon slid to a stop and was immediately stunned. The dragoness had shifted her energy toward him just a moment after he jumped. Without any time for reaction, her body slammed into his side like a boulder. He winced, feeling pain shoot through his spine as he landed forcefully on the ground. The dragoness' relentless onslaught continued. She pounced on top of him, pressing her forepaw to his neck. Her sharp claws found his plated scales, but they could not penetrate his thick, natural armor.

The dragon grinned and thrust his hind-legs into her belly, gouging her white underbelly scales with his talons. She cried out and was immediately pushed off by his powerful legs. While he had the opportunity, the ebony dragon rolled over and stood up, taking a stance. He growled fiercely at the dragoness and bared his teeth. Blood dripped from her underside and fell into the grass. The fire in her eyes burned even brighter.

The black dragon was about to press his advantage, but he heard his name shouted from above. "Raevocrei!" A verdant-green male descended from the sky and landed between the combatants. "What are you doing?!" He was the dragon's uncle.

Raevocrei glared and growled at the white dragoness. "She attacked me! I defended myself, Seirin."

The dragoness clutched her wound, holding her forepaw tightly against the bleeding gash. She looked brazenly at the larger, green dragon. Seirin looked at her for a moment. Raevocrei could easily see his pity. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

Her glare only intensified. "Yes."

"What is your name, young one?"

"My name is Ahkaeirvah, daughter of Varzul," she replied proudly, lifting her head.

Seirin smiled gently and bowed his head respectfully. "I am Seirin. And this is..." The green dragon motioned for Raevocrei to speak.

The ebony-scaled dragon was appalled. He sat there, taken aback with his jaw dropped, staring at his uncle in disbelief. "Seirin, you can't be serious!" The dragoness now had a smug grin across her muzzle. She had clearly won.

"Oh, but I am! The conflict is over, and you injured a beautiful dragoness."

"But I-" Seirin shot him a very persuasive glance, nearly scaring the spirits out of the young dragon. Raevocrei sighed and reluctantly said to the dragoness, "My name is Raevocrei. I am sorry for injuring you." He sounded sincere, despite what roiling emotions welled inside of him. The way she acted was almost like his sister: stubborn and annoying.

Ahkaeirvah approached him, arrogantly swaggering over to him with a satisfied grin. The fire in her crimson eyes had calmed, though her spirit raged on. "Thank you, Raevocrei. I will be fine." She lifted her foreleg and revealed the gash below her stomach. Only one claw had penetrated her hide, and it didn't go very deep. She was hardly harmed.

Seirin smiled and chuckled. "Raevocrei, your father has requested your presence; that is why I came. When he said you went East, I had no idea that you would have gone this far! Ahkaeirvah, you are welcome to come with us so we can heal that pesky wound of yours."

"I- I'm not sure," she replied uncertainly. The offer seemed to take her by surprise, and she lost her confidence.

"Seirin!" Raevocrei objected. His tail lashed behind him, displaying his disapproval.

"It is the least you could do. Besides, she isn't from around here and probably doesn't know much about the area." The older dragon looked reassuringly at Ahkaeirvah. "Please feel free to come along."

She glanced at the black dragon, and despite his stern glare, she agreed to tag along. The trio departed near noon and traveled until dusk. During their journey, Raevocrei was adamant in his opinion. He disliked her. He admitted that she was beautiful, but that did not matter to him. The fact that his uncle had allowed Ahkaeirvah to come to their home vexed Raevocrei. Because she was attractive, he figured that it was just a ploy made by Seirin to get under her tail. And that angered him even more.

For some time Raevocrei wondered why his father had so urgently sent his uncle to bring him home. He couldn't think of any particular reason, so it must have been a surprise of some sorts. His thoughts roamed to Ahkaeirvah again, and before he pushed them away, he remembered his older sister, Ahrei. Hope welled inside of him as he thought of the possibility of her returning. It had been nearly a year since she departed with her mate, and he missed her greatly.

While they flew the dragoness was admiring the scenery. Their clan's land was immense, filled with two different biomes: the forested foothills that stretched before a range of mountains where the clan's dens resided. The mountains loomed like giants, visible from anywhere in their territory. Icy peaks pierced the sky and peered down between the clouds above.

Before they arrived Raevocrei saw his father already waiting at the outcropping to the entrance of their private den. His scales were black, an even deeper shade than Raevocrei's. Every inch of his hide was the same obsidian-like color. Identical to Raevocrei, his father had two pairs of horns crowning his triangular head, one below the other jutting behind their thick skulls. The pair on top curved upward, and the smaller pair below curved slightly upward. "Go on ahead, Raevocrei. It must be important," Seirin said. "I will take Ahkaeirvah to our healer."

Raevocrei acknowledged his uncle and descended until he landed next to his father. His claws scraped against the repeatedly gouged stone as he came to a stop. "What is it, Father?" His expression was grim, and his golden eyes were sullen. It wasn't good.

"Come inside, son." His wing stretched out and guided Raevocrei into the den. Inside it was dim, lit only by a flickering fire in the center of the living area. The young dragon's mother sat next to it, seeming to be carrying a heavy burden. Her eyes were glued to the dancing light that reflected across her gem-like, sapphire hide. Raevocrei's heart beat deeply, feeling fretful.

"Mother..." he said, worried. Her deep-blue eyes met his, and there he saw her sorrow and pain. His stomach churned unpleasantly.

"Raevocrei..." She nuzzled him tenderly as he sat directly next to her. He tried to comfort her and wrapped a wing around her body while placing a paw on hers. The fire's radiating heat tried to calm him, but he felt like a nervous hatchling.

Father sat on the other side of Raevocrei and began speaking. "Nearly a month ago, there had been a large conflict among the northern clans. A war broke out over territorial disputes and led to a slaughter. From what I understand, the war is nearly won by the largest clan, but..." He paused, stifling a broken voice. "It was too late." His crimson eyes filled with grief looked at Raevocrei. The young dragon knew what he would say next. Tears already formed at his eyes. "Your sister was killed."

Raevocrei grimaced and held his head down, uselessly trying to hold back his tears. They fell profusely from his cheek as he wept. Now it was his parents' turn to comfort him. They held him closely and mourned with him. It seemed like ages as the minutes crawled agonizingly by before any of them moved. After a long moment of silence, Raevocrei's father said, "What happened is over. We must move on, but let us never forget our loved one. Ahrei wouldn't want us mourning her death."

Raevocrei wiped the tears from his eyes and sniffed. He would never see her smiling face again, the sister he loved so dearly. For nearly every day since her departure, he had thought about her, thinking of how he missed her, wishing he could see her. He never had the opportunity to say a proper goodbye before she left. The young dragon bared his gritted teeth, abruptly removing himself from his parents' grasp. "I need to be alone."

"Raevocrei?" his mother called. "Please stay with us." She looked dismally at her son. He knew she hated to see him upset.

"Sorry..." he said without turning back. He leapt to the skies and flew up the mountain, ascending until he couldn't anymore. He stopped above the clouds where the air turned icy and where there was little oxygen. A small outcropping jutted from the mountain's side, providing more than enough space for him to lie down. The dying sunlight bathed the rock in an auburn glow. Raevocrei often flew up here when he was upset. It calmed him. The only sounds he could hear were his own breathing and the wind gusting by. There was no one else; he was alone.

A few minutes ticked by as he sulked to himself. Raevocrei heard the faint beating of wings and sighed. There was only one dragon who knew where this spot was, and that was his best friend, Kasheimah. He must have heard the news, too.

But to Raevocrei's surprise it was not Kasheimah; it was Ahkaeirvah. Her brilliant white scales were hard to see among the puffy clouds, but it was no doubt. Raevocrei growled as she nearly landed on top of him. Her breathing was difficult and came in labored pants. A bandage was wrapped around her belly, covering the wound he caused. He scoffed and rudely asked, "Why are you here? And how did you find me?"

Ahkaeirvah folded her wings and replied, "Seirin told me to come find you and have you take me to the hot springs."

"The bandage would come right off! And I don't have time for that."

"He said it would help it heal... but I can find the springs myself anyway." She looked at Raevocrei, never meeting his eyes, and nervously scratched her forearm. "I... I watched you come up here. What's wrong?"

He huffed and lay on his stomach. "As if you would care--and as if I would care to tell you!" Two white paws promptly stamped right next to Raevocrei's head. She was standing directly in front of him, exhibiting an angry, fiery glare. White, dagger-like teeth were bared menacingly between her lips.

"I get that you don't like me, but you don't have to be such an arrogant ass!" Her white claws scratched the ground next to his snout. "I just want to help!" Ahkaeirvah suddenly calmed and backed off slightly, tilting her head away from him. "I... I think everyone needs someone else."

Raevocrei released a frustrated sigh and avoided making eye contact as well. "I don't need anyone. You wouldn't even understand."

"Like hell I wouldn't!" she retorted firmly. Her white claws forcefully dug into the stone, scratching the surface easily. "I guarantee I've been through worse and seen worse things than you."

Anger replaced Raevocrei's frustration and fed off of his sorrow. He suddenly stood up and shouted in her face, "I don't care!" An emotionally painful look spread across Ahkaeirvah's muzzle. Her jaw dropped, and she trembled. He broke her calm composure, and she wasn't sure what to do. Wordlessly, she left him.

Raevocrei watched her go. Emptiness consumed him, and now he felt even worse. Tears streamed from his eyes as he wept again. Ahkaeirvah was only trying to help him, and he forcefully pushed her away as if he hated her. He had no real reason to dislike her. If anything, she should be the one hating him. Raevocrei realized his mistake. It was one he couldn't take back.

The icy cold temperatures crept into his body while he lay there sulking. The chill gripped his bones. After nearly an hour of thought to himself, he decided to apologize to Ahkaeirvah. She deserved better than what he gave her.