I'm glad you guys are happy, and it was a nice surprise to have them both live for certain
I can't guarantee it'll last though and I'll definitely need to redo stats before going through the coli again. Plus Maki will be growing up tomorrow so that'll shake things up since I'm using hardmode coli rules. (Never again.)
Day 24
Chapter 10
The passing of weeks saw much activity in the fisher-village of Saltwind Heights. Streets bustled with villagers and guests as the stall owners heartily announced their wares to passers-by. Fresh fish and seafood was hoisted frequently from the ocean, fisher-dragons gathering to celebrate record catches which were displayed with pride before being served in the main hall for everyone to enjoy. No trouble at all afflicted the peaceful settlement and what few maren had shown up were only interested in trade.
During this time Ilmatar made leaps and bounds in her recovery, attention occupied completely by the newest life to grace Sornieth: the tiny emerald fairy-like Fae she'd named Makani. As was true for their kind it was only a matter of days before he opened his large eyes, revealing a very odd sight. A mix of the usual ruby red of the Plague Flight from which the egg had originated and the green of the Wind who had harboured it for the last few weeks. Everyone had gathered to marvel at the spectacle. Changes were happening all across the world not limited to odd eye colours such as this.
Gossipers spoke of a new tree growing in the Scarred Wasteland of all places. A tsunami had swept the lands around the Sea of A Thousand Currents. Crystal Mountains surging across the Starfall Isles. Many, many great occurrences alongside the disappearance of their own Twisting Crescendo. Just what was happening?
One dragon disallowed to join in the inspection of the hatchling was Vin, whom Saira had banished from the building Ilmatar was recovering in for fear his concoctions would make things worse or ill affect the young one. After a bout of arguments the noodle-like dragon had vanished. No one knew where he'd gone and frankly neither Sai or Matar really cared at this point. So absorbed as they were by tiny Maki. And tiny he truly was. Saira marvelled at how such a small creature, even while still in his egg, had survived the Coatl's misadventures thus far. It so easily could have been dropped or squashed or eaten or... The list was endless. And the Skydancer had taken it upon herself to explain it all and praise Matar for the miracle that was the egg's survival and safe hatching despite being abducted by a gull – which was
still perched on the windowsill – and kidnapped by the maren.
Thanks to the care of the village Matar recovered quickly from her ordeals. Soon enough she was out of bed teaching Makani how to walk and make the first attempts at flight. Which proved difficult due to their different wing structures. Regardless the tiny Fae picked up eagerly on the lessons and in no time at all was bound around faster than one could keep an eye on him. Being so small, however, games turned into panicked searches as he managed to squeeze himself into nooks and crannies no other dragon could dream of fitting inside, leading to a lot of frantic hours figuring out where he'd gone. In the end it was his sad peeping when he'd gotten lonely or hungry that lead the others to him, to which Matar would scold him very, very gently, boop him on the snout and find a tasty bug for him to nibble.
Speech was another thing entirely. Matar often let Saira take over while she went out to stretch her legs around the village now that she wasn't bedridden and came back to what sounded like them chattering. But she couldn't be completely sure if it was from both sides. The Skydancer had taken to the hatchling like a mother duck to a duckling much to the Coatl's frustration, following him around and talking to him in the soothing voice only her kind could manage. One day, having returned from another strengthening walk Matar peeked her head around the doorway to see how the pair were getting on. Saira was beaming and Maki had learned how to wave, fins slightly flared and upward-raised as he rolled around a piece of shale Matar had brought back a few days ago. His mouth moved and sounds reached her ears but she passed it off as hatchling squeaks as she'd always done.
“Well?” Saira said, tilting her head slightly at Ilmatar.
The red dragon blinked, confused. “Well what?”
“Aren't you going to say “hello” back? He's been wanting to talk to you all day.”
“He... has?” Fear grabbed Matar's chest. “He... said hello? He's been talking?!”
Saira nodded gleefully. “So quick! I've known Fae to adapt and learn quickly, given their Arcane roots but never experienced it myself. You should be proud. I know I am and I'm not the one who hatched him.”
Slowly Ilmatar plodded over to the pair, setting herself down slowly so not to sir up too much air movement to knock the little green dragon over. She did that once or twice. It was embarrassing. He'd made peeping sounds akin to laughter though but she did not want to hurt him by accident. Although now it seemed a new barrier had become apparent. “Hello Maki.” She cooed at the Fae, whose yellow fins flared out in excitement at being replied to. Matar grinned, trying to hide the worry that was now picking at her.
Again Makani's mouth moved. Matar strained her hearing to catch what he was saying, desperate to finally hear his voice. He kept going. She kept listening. Saira was smiling widely, looked at the Coatl, concern replaced joy. “Matar?” The Coatl was crying. And not out of happiness.
“Please tell me it was the maren, or being under water for so long, that did this.” she whispered, throat tight.
“Did what?” the elegant creamy dragon replied, antennae twitching wildly as they took in the childlike wonder of Maki and the sudden despair of Matar. “What are you-” she broke off, realisation hitting her like a brick. “...oh. Oh no.”
Two pairs of green eyes locked. “What is he saying?” Ilmatar's voice was trembling as she fought back the tears. “All I can hear is squeaks and buzzing but you... you can understand him, can't you? And not cos you can... you can feel...”
Saira inclined her head, glanced down at Makani who was now staring at them, head tilted as he listened, back to the Coatl. “I am so, so sorry Ilmatar. It had not occurred to me that...”
How had neither of them thought about it? Coatl dragons had developed their own way of “speaking” by humming to one another and deciphering meaning from vibrations. It had taken many, many long years for them to learn to communicate with the other races once they'd stepped foot out of their volcanic birth-lands. But one in particular still had complications to this day. Fae, for all their intelligence, were only capable of producing a monotone when speaking verbally, relying on their fins and crests to display emotion. To a Coatl's ear structure the monotone was translated instead to the buzzing and squeaking as Matar had described since the constant vibration could not be perceived properly.
With a cry Ilmatar snatched up Makani, nuzzling him as she sobbed. There was a buzzing sound. She broke down. The Fae flitted back to not be soaked, looking to Saira for answers.
“Little one,” the Skydancer sighed, thinking how best to explain to one so young. “Your mother... You hear us, yes?”
“Hear you.” Maki squeaked, fins drooped slightly, head crest splayed in sad confusion.
“You hear how our voices are... different? To yours?” Maki wrinkled his nose as he tried to understand. Saira tried again, mimicking a monotone herself. “How you speak like this.” Then in her normal sing-song tone, “And we're like this.”
Fins and crest flared in understanding. He nodded. “Why though?”
“Because we are different dragons. You are Fae.” she carefully poked his chest with a thin finger, then lay her hand on her furry chest. “I am a Skydancer. And Mata- your mother is a Coatl.”
“Cwah-tal?” Makani repeated, sounding out the syllables. “Funny word.”
Saira grinned, wrapping her arm around the still-sobbing Ilmatar who was doing her utmost to
please understand but failing. “It is. But Fae and Coatls... they can't... Hm. Coatls hear differently to us. Like you speak differently.”
“So Cwah-tals hear flat when we hear song?”
Saira pursed her lips, considering the description. “Coatl can't hear flat.” she corrected.
Maki's fins closed and drooped low. “But I speak flat. If I speak flat and mother can't hear flat, how mother hear?”
A tear left Saira's lime-green eye, soaking into the fur. “She can't.”
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