My newest cousin was a beautiful soul. Mother says she looks like Voraer, like the one who tamed the shadowy mare who was my grandmother - or was it the other way around? When I first met her, I knew she was family - there simply was no doubt, no question. She was of my blood, bold and fearless like fire, and yet subtle and stubborn like the shadows that always linger on a fire's edge.

Golden scales shimmer in the midday sun, as Akaith dances above me, always enjoying the heat brought on by the fiery orb that hangs in the sky. She was a dragon, immune to fire's heat, rather, she enjoyed its burning ways warming her scales. I wander beneath the shadow she casts, smiling a small smile at her antics - soon enough, I would be able to join her. My wings grow, and I stretch and tone them every day, standing on the edge of my home and peering over the sea, allowing the strong salty breezes to fill my sail-like wings. Both my sister and me grow stronger every day, and if we try enough, we can glide a few strides at a time with a breeze behind us, and some momentum given to us by our hooves. Even now, I increase my pace below Akaith, and spread my ever-increasing wingspan, flicking my tail to sense the direction of the wind, and shivering with joy as my weight is lifted from the loam. With Akaith's encouraging song above me, I perform a downward sweep of my wings, and feel myself be propelled forward at (what feels like) great speed. My tail twitches, and I feel myself careen sideways as it acts as a rudder I do not yet know for certain how to control.

Legs splayed, I return to the ground, triumphant despite the shortness of the escapade. Akaith, above me, chortles a peculiar song, and dives so that her claws rake through my tufty mane in a playful manner. I call to her, a happy song, before tucking my wings against my side once more and continuing on our way.

With my song, a curious thing occurs. A strange, smudge of oddly luminous darkness appears by my side, and upon my mind, I feel a bizarre presence. With a snort I greet the strange entity, wonderment brimming my youthful mind. Akaith dips again, flying alongside the smaller, darker outline that is clearly draconic in shape. What are you? I wonder silently, my voice unable to form words for spellbinding curiosity seems to have paralysed my tongue. A sound that was akin to dragonsong sounds from the creature flying beside me, and within my crown, a warm, deep voice replies, I am Daryth!.

"Daryth?" The word blurts from my maw, questioning in nature and bringing my mother's dragon closer to me still. We have stopped moving now, and Daryth continues to fly about me in a playful, affectionate, circular manner. I cannot help the smile that spreads across my lips, and the feeling of happiness that surges within me feels like it did not originate within me. Come, come, we must see the new one! Delighted, excited, melodic tones sound in my cranium, and I am reminded of my original path this day. Akaith seems to accept his strange presence with nothing more than a draconic, queenly greeting, and so I am inclined to do the same, even finding comfort in the mental embrace that his appearance has gifted me with too.

Our arrival at the scene of the new life hatching is quiet, as I stretch out to greet my aunt and her bonded with a smooth muzzle and low whicker - it takes me a moment to realise that Daryth has disappeared, his absence is as noticeable to me as his presence just was - I feel emptier. But I am distracted from his absence by the activities of my younger cousin. Pulling my legs into a trot I approach her, lowly greeting her, my tones a purr similar to that which Akaith produces, though right now said golden queen is chortling a friendly welcome to the new life that dances about the hooves of Tandavi.

"Welcome," I say with earnest lining my tones, mimicking the way my own mother has greeted newcomers to the lands with expertise. "He's strong." I say, unsure what else would be fitting to comment on. I proffer my cousin a smile, wondering what it is she feels from him - is it similar to what I felt when Daryth arrived by my side? I longed to find out, to learn and discover, but these things take time - I wondered idly whether I would ever see Daryth again… How on earth did he appear in the first place? Looking fondly at Natraj, I simply admired the beauty of the bond my mother spoke so fondly of - I glanced at Akaith as she settled upon my withers, knowing that through her eyes, my mother was also present here, also giving her welcomes and blessings.

What a wonderful world we live in.

[ Idek what this is... But whee Amaris ~ Tandavi thread! ]