Of Feathers And Flames- A Wings of Fire AU RP

[_-Captain BRM-_]

This is ridiculously good, Cap.
I’m trying to track down the other installments but they don’t show up in the BYC search because they’re in spoilers, where do I need to look in this thread to find the rest of them? I’m soooo invested in this already, you’ve done a brilliant job!

(also highkey crushing on Tobe atm don‘t mind me-ee)

That makes my day, RD, cuz Tobe's my maaannn.

Ah, I have the others spread throughout... But... This is my first rough draft Like, even now the story doesn't necessarily line up through and through because I know what I'm changing for the second draft.
I plan for 70k-80k words, and I'm at 25k atm. It's a lot of work But I'm determined to stick with it. I've been working on it since June, which freaking kills, I think through every scene in my mind, which sllloowwsss mmmeeee dddoowwwnn-
So, basically I winged it at first, and the first maybe 7k words are garbage cuz I didn't know what I was doing, but now we're heading somewhere
Idk, man, I'm pretty hyped to keep plunkin away at this thing... That second draft will be a life saver, and obviously we need more on the characters and Tobias needs a freaking arc *which is in the works atm, just not yet necessarily installed in the story*

I can try to find those other parts later, RD!

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

My gosh, Harper's whole freaking rant towards the beginning was so blunt and REALISTIC I love it. I love all of this.

For Harper I just think of this freak:

And then it all just runs-

 

[-Kiwi-]

Spoiler: Of Heart & Sol - Part 11

The bruising beneath Sol's collar only worsened, his scales swelling up around the metal band. Harper got off of work and spent the entire afternoon with Sol, just like Fox had. She wouldn't let me say anything or participate in her 'training', so that their relationship was 'authentic.' Well, no relationship was conceived, and as the day turned to night Harper grew agitated in her defeat. Sol was always stubborn, and all I could do was sit there and watch, my muscles aching.

Harper finally gave up around 10:00 pm, and I asked her if we could remove the collar so that I could inspect the swollen scales. She led me to Fox's small infirmary, and Sol trailed along behind. Sol did not like the band, and understandably so. He held still as Harper removed the collar, then ducked away when it slid off his neck. I called him back.

Beneath the collar I found a puncture wound between two scales. It had swelled greatly, leaving a deep rut in the dragon's neck from where the collar had prevented the scales from expanding. There was much discharge. I could tell it hurt, and I could see the muscles twitching in his shoulders as I worked to bring down the angered swelling.

"Right here," Harper muttered, inspecting the inner side of the collar from where she sat atop the counter, "there is an injection capsule."

I lowered my hands from the wound and frowned, glancing towards Harper. "Is it occupied?"

"Yes. A vial." She pried out the small tube, holding it between her middle and forefinger.

"Is it filled?"

"Ah, maybe, like, ¼ or ⅛. I don't know, I was very bad in math."

"Math has nothing to do with it," She tossed me the small vial, and I scrambled to catch it.

The clear liquid shook in my trembling fingers, as I searched for a label. I found nothing on the glass, but when I tipped it up to view the sealed cap I recognized the branding.

"Oh," I whispered, wincing.

Harper met my gaze with a bland look. "It cannot be that bad." She sounded unimpressed.

I blinked, struggling to focus on her mismatched eyes. The bold blue iris caught my gaze with inevitable prominence.

"Well, it's a sedative."

Harper shrugged. "So he's high like every other dragon in The Den, wow, how crazy is that,"

"No.." I studied Sol, who did not meet my gaze. "He isn't high. It's only to calm him. I bet it affects him mentally, too, which might actually attest to why he hasn't built a relationship with either you or Fox."

"Well. Being scared of Fox is a little understandable, you know, he's a little crazy, I wouldn't want to be his friend either,"

"So- Fox… did this?"

She nodded, twisting a long, dark braid around in her fingers. "At least gave whoever suggested the idea permission. Why do you look so upset, Tobey,"

I scoffed at the nickname. "He shouldn't be on this. Not when we're still learning him, not when he's so confused."

"Nearly every dragon in The Scorpion Den is on some form of sedation. It's a way of life, Tobey."

"It's the easy way out, Harper."

"Ach,"

"What about when we're in the arena with no resources? You can't logically keep him on this." I set the vial down against the counter and the glass echoed. I flexed my sore fingers, then glanced up at the SolarWing, wondering how much of his true self I had seen in the past weeks.

Harper sighed and tossed her braids over one shoulder. "You trust Fox so much." Her tone sounded condescending, but perhaps it was only her sharp accent. She laughed softly and turned her gaze up to the ceiling. "There is no friendship between the two of you. That is ridiculous." She lowered her gaze and sniffed. "Maybe there is an alliance. Not really, though. He's using you to get what he wants, Tobey, you are so oblivious."

"Well." I started, contempt laced throughout my tone, "then why would he offer freedom? If I was a tool he would keep me."

"Ay, Tobey," Harper gave me a look of mocking compassion. "I have become a slave to this lying man, who has learned that keeping them on his side, as a willing participant, is easier than by force." She scowled. "I taught him that."

"Alright."

"He told me the same thing he tells you, he told me of freedom, and money, and fame-" she held my gaze, her eyes narrowed with deadly sincerity, "he told lies, Tobey. So many lies."

"Alright." I leaned up against the countertop edge.

Harper sighed. "You don't much trust me." Her expression remained a clear display of cunning boredom. Yeah. I didn't much trust her.

"Alright." Maybe I smiled a little at my own contemptuous behavior.

"And yet I did not choke you out or inject sedatives into your friend. How strange. Your reasoning is absolutely corrupt," she rolled her eyes.

I gave an exasperated scoff, "Alright."

"You are nearly as confused as your dragon." She snapped.

"What do you gain by turning me on Fox? My help? You want me- what, to kill him?"

"Perhaps it will clear my conscience."

"You are such a liar."

"Don't accuse me of that, you don't know what you are saying."

"Give me a reason to think otherwise, Harper."

"Shut up."

I took a breath, yet said nothing, turning my attention back to Sol.

Harper leaned back, shaking her head.

No one said a word.

Finally she asked, "How old are you?"

I unscrewed the lid off a quart of lidocaine, my fingers cramping all the while. I reached for a damp rag. "I'm… twenty-one."

"Mm." Harper replied. "You are a physician?"

"My apprenticeship lasted four months. I know enough. I'll be of use in the arena."

"So you quit?"

"No."

"Your teacher quit." I could hear her devious smile.

"No. He died."

"He died?"

"He died."

Harper cleared her throat. "Plot twist," she murmured quietly.

I dabbed the rag into the lidocaine, then pressed it gently to Sol's neck. My gloveless fingers tingled.

"Are you nervous for the arena?" Harper questioned.

"No." It was an absolute lie.

"You should not trust Fox so much."

"Shouldn't I?"

"That is truth, do not sound so annoyed.

"I don't care about truth." A defiant lie.

"Ahh. That's why you're here, isn't it? They didn't care. Because our culture is askew and truth is subjective." She smiled.

I hesitated.

"This is what happens when mankind is left to make 'truth,' Tobey. Then we become our own gods. What is it they say now about- oh, ah- Love. Love." She groaned. "Love is love. So stupid, oh my gosh,"

"Spare me your rant."

"Okay. But you see how morals are tossed aside? Even the law has become subjective. We want what we want when we want it. I think that is a very stupid problem. It means there is no truth. And when truth is absent…" she lowered her voice, "corruption takes it's place."

I nodded in agreement. Sol released a long sigh, and I repositioned the rag.

"Where have you learned your morals, Tobias?"

"Who said I have morals?"

"Fox said you said you couldn't kill a man."

"Jeez."

"Mm."

I bit my lip.

"And so you have morals. That is impressive, Tobias."

"And yet," I mumbled, removing the rag from Sol's neck with numb fingers, "morals don't save you in the arena."


Saturday was pain.

I had fallen asleep in the lounge Friday night, and neither Sol nor Harper woke me. So that's where I stayed. All weekend. A stupid couch (Saturday morning Harper offered to drag me to my room and I told her to die, so technically there was a way out, I was just too stubborn and stupid to take it).

My muscles were stiff. I couldn't walk. Subjected to lying on a couch, I slept for hours. Just as Fox had warned. I should have heeded his words.

Harper let me be. She offered food sometimes, but I turned her down. Sol stayed close, unless Harper was present. Then he'd sulk in the back corner until she left. The alive light in his eyes refreshed my spirit. On Sunday fever struck, and all I could do was die and sleep and such. Harper stayed closer then. Over the past month plenty of miserable things had happened to me, and my brain seemed to think it a fine time to catalog all my mistakes. There were too many.


At 8:00 Monday morning, Julius opened the lounge door.

Sol stood aloof in the corner, studying Julius as the man entered the room.

A shiver crept down Julius' spine when he met the dragon's gaze, finding an unhinged intelligence in the SolarWing's golded eyes. The collar had been removed. He silently cursed Leuria.

"Hey, there, Tobe." He approached the leather couch and stood above the man.

Sol growled.

"Call off your beast. I had that collar on him for a reason."

Tobias met his gaze with a condemning look. "Leave it, Sol." He mumbled.

Sol heaved a sigh.

"How you feeling, Tobe?"

Tobias swallowed and trained his gaze on the ceiling above.

"You're gettin that martyry look back in your eye."

"This will kill me." Tobias took a careful breath. His forehead shone with sweat.

Julius leaned over Tobias, who shied away, and he covered the man's mouth with one hand, and pulled him into a sitting position with the other.

Tobias' burning fingers dug into Julius' wrists, and tears seethed behind his wide eyes.

Julius held him for a tense moment, then pulled his hand away from Tobias' mouth, feeling Sol's attentive glare. Tobias lowered his head, and Julius could feel the stiffness in the man's back. "Easy there, Tobe."

Tobias kept his head tilted downwards, hiding his face behind thick, dark hair.

"Breathe, Tobe."

The man released a quick breath, then stiffened again.

Fox gave a gentle laugh.

"This will kill me." Tobias sighed, a dull comedic air to his words.

"You'll warm right up once you start moving again."

Tobias rubbed his eyes, still keeping his head down. "I think I'll get sick."

"Come on, I'll help you walk."

"No."

"You gotta start moving."

Tobias did not reply.

"Look man, we need you active. Gotta help us with Sol."

"I'll be sick."

"Harper told me you haven't been eating. Doubt there's anything to throw up."

Julius eyed Sol warily as he reached for Tobias and pulled the man to his feet.

Tobias muffled and cut short his initial cry of pain, but that did not stop Sol from advancing with a low growl.

"Call him off, Tobe." Fox warned, holding the man close.

Tobias took a sharp inhale, jaw clenched. He failed to gain his footing.

Sol bared his white teeth, and Julius gave Tobias a jerking shake. "Call him off."

Tobias hissed. "No, Sol."

The dragon's growling subsided, but his pointed glare did not. He snarled and continued his approach.

Tobias tried to stand, but only fell harder into Julius, and they stumbled back a step.

"Tobias, I swear I'll put that collar on myself," Julius hissed.

Tobias pulled away, trying to shrug Julius off. He tottered and Julius caught him.

Sol snarled again and barred his shining teeth in the light.

"Sol!" Tobias shouted, doubled over in Julius' arms. He gripped Julius' shoulder in order to steady his shaking body. "Sol, leave it."

The SolarWing took a livid breath, but he ended his approach.

Julius continued to support Tobias, who was still gripping his shoulder. He looked away, trying not to make eye contact with the SolarWing, who was actively staring him down.

Tobias coughed.

Fox tilted the man's sweaty face to look him in the eye. "You're taller, Tobe."

Tobias swallowed hard and blinked tears. "Just what I always wanted." He whispered.


I soon grew to realize Fox was really quite famous. He was a busy man, working around a busy schedule. He and Harper spoke vaguely about a 'team' in the arena, which he had failed to mention previously, and I realized that he was a rotten cheater. I wasn't against it. His cheating increased my odds of survival.

The arena game would be hosted some 3,000 miles away, deep in the wildwood. It was a forest of sorts, but carefully crafted into hazardous death-land, home to more apex preadetors than prey, making us two-hundred contestants an easy dinner choice.

It made for good sport, anyway. Watching 200 people get ripped apart by animals and each other- the perfect way to enjoy your blasted evening.

I fostered a deep bitterness towards my life in that last week. I believe it had been conceived by self-pity.

The moment after Fox left that room (after making me walk circles until my muscles reset, all while threatening to drug Sol with an accursed collar) I walked to the bathroom, and I looked in the mirror, and I just stared at myself, wondering how the heck I had ended up here. How could my life possibly suck so badly. I stared at the chemical-created biceps, and I shook out my suddenly chin length hair, and I realized I really was taller. I thought about the arena, and I leaned forward on the counter top, dragging my finger through my greasy, sweaty hair. I was so mad. Because I'd rather be mad than depressed, which was inevitable. Depression would come afterwards, I thought. I wasn't going to blame him. And I wasn't going to blame Fox, either. I blamed myself, which really did conjure a devastating and cruel bout of depression.

It wasn't until Sol peeked his head around the doorframe two hours later that I realized my self-pity would get him killed. He needed me. Maybe I needed him.

We made eye contact through the stained mirror above the sink. His innocent eyes. Worried. Worried for me. The careful way he watched me with sincere concern. He anticipated my reaction.

I turned to face him and we looked at each other for a while.

Then I nodded. He dipped his head.

A mutual understanding over unspoken words.

We had each other and nothing else. Not even out own lives belonged to us. If they ever did.

It was a hard thing to realize.

He was why I refused to give up. Because I found little satisfaction elsewhere in my life, and he was the one thing I loved. The one thing I had a drive to live for. Depression was thick in my mind, and a loss of purpose weighed heavily on my heart. With what little effort remained, I pushed my full focus on Sol.

The arena was coming.

The words infected my mind, spreading like a plague until it overtook my thoughts.

Oh, Sol. I couldn't protect him in the arena. I could help him, though.

Over the course of two days I had selfishly contemplated whether life was worth living. But then I looked up at that dragon and I thought of Cersei, and determination flooded through every particle of my mind.

It was worth living.

I was given it for a reason.

Life is a gift. Don't throw it away.

The arena is coming.


I had gained forty pounds, grew an inch and a half (much to my resentful delight), and my hair had grown roughly three inches. I could not begin to fathom what strain the process must have put my body through. But I regained strength quickly, and by the week's end I felt fine.

Fox and Harper were kept busy by agendas unbenonced to me. Sol and I reigned over the lounge. We trained. I could not get him to speak, but he learned to nod his head, to shake his head, to shrug, and to smile. The smiling part was fake and looked stupid, but it made me laugh and that was enough to convince Sol to continue on doing it.

Friday morning Harper told me to clean up the lounge, and when I asked why she said 'shut up', and I told her to die again, and she left. Friday night the (clean) lounge hosted a meeting of two dozen people. Sol and I stalked outside in the hallway, listening as they talked late into the night. Fox dictated and called shots, silencing those pushing sound opinions. They spoke of the arena, and the more they conversed, the more I realized Sol and I were just a small, tiny little piece of a very, very large operation. I fell asleep there against the wall. In the morning I woke up in the hallway, and walked into the lounge, and found a stranger sleeping on my sofa, a beer can yet clenched in his wrinkled fist. Fox and Harper were gone.

Well then.

Sol and I trained in the study.

He obeyed commands on the double.

He was smart. So smart.

I believed he could speak, but he chose not to. Sometimes I'd ask him a question, and he'd open his mouth, and I would wait for a reply, and he would make no sound. Other times I'd say something and he'd cock his head at me or stare into the distance, and I avidly worked to follow every flicker of emotion which crossed over his expression. He had memories of some sort. I began to think of possible trigger words.


Sunday evening Fox took me to a 'restraunt.' It was a bar. We sat in a tall corner booth, and drank, and said nothing. Fox was too lost in excited thoughts to say much. We left for the arena in under nine hours.

"Have you competed before?" I asked, trying to read his excited expression.

"Nothing like this, Tobe. This a big one. Way different than them little matches you go see here in The Den." He shook his head and grinned. "Lots is at stake, but it hard to get much more prepared than we are." He laughed, hysteria laced through each breath. "This a big one.

We quieted again, and I spent a good half hour mulling over his words.

"You play pool, Tobias?"

I smiled a little and shrugged. "Yeah. I can play."

"Then let's."

"Alright."

We played a warm up match, and Fox talked while I pocketed five stripes back to back.

When the table had been set for our official game, I let Fox break. He aimed well.

I was stripes. 0-2.

"Let's see it, Tobe." He leaned on his stick.

I pocketed a stripe, and then another. My third turn I miscalculated and ricocheted a solid in.

"Thank you." He gave a quaint nod as he moved around the table.

"Anything for you, Fox."

He pocketed his solid and send the cue ball in after it.

"Thank you." He tossed me the yellowed ball and I caught it.

"Anything for you, Tobe."

A small crowd gathered, mostly there for Fox's half drunken stories, but they asked to meet me, too. Fox joked, and talked, and habitually grinded chalk over the tip of his stick.

"Tobe," he'd say, "show us how it's done." And so I'd show them. Then he'd give a cool smile, and elbow one of his partners, and aim, and do well. Rarely did he scratch. Never did I scratch.

Our little audience teased when I won, and Fox shook my hand. "One more round, Tobe."

He said that about twelve more times.

"You're good, Tobe."

It was one in the morning.

"You're drunk, Fox."

He just laughed.

There you go, some 3,500 words cowabunga, dude-

@-Shade-
@-Kiwi-

This is ridiculously good, Cap.
I’m trying to track down the other installments but they don’t show up in the BYC search because they’re in spoilers, where do I need to look in this thread to find the rest of them? I’m soooo invested in this already, you’ve done a brilliant job!

(also highkey crushing on Tobe atm don‘t mind me-ee)

AGHHHHHH I LOVE OT AHADHABJSDJKHDJHJADJHGD AMAZING CAP. I LOVE HARPER. I LOVE TOBE. I LOVE THEM ALLLLLL SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEE

 

[RDchicken99]

I get two different notifs in two different threads and both are Kiwi going absolutely feral

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

I get two different notifs in two different threads and both are Kiwi going absolutely feral

I know it Aw, Kiwi.

RD, you need to get in the pm... I'll have to start a new one...

 

[RDchicken99]

I know it Aw, Kiwi.

RD, you need to get in the pm... I'll have to start a new one...

I’ll be busy scratching on the door like a cat wanting to come inside

 

[-Kiwi-]

I get two different notifs in two different threads and both are Kiwi going absolutely feral

I know it Aw, Kiwi.

RD, you need to get in the pm... I'll have to start a new one...

I've had a ton of energy and been in a good mood all day, life is GIVING for the first time this week fr. Im gonna jinx it for myself though watchhhh

 

[-Shade-]

Shrike’s expression flickered over to one of annoyance and his sharp gaze darted to Eclipse. Though he growled at the dragoness, his feathers had begun to lower.
“There ain’t no more ‘we.’” Shrike snapped, taking a step back. “You’re a fool if ya ever thought there was. Me an’ Kapok are leavin’.” The CloudWing took another step backward. “An’ I suggest gettin’ rid of the murderer, before he gets y’all killed. Not that I care,” he muttered, stealing a hateful glance at Sol’s lowered head and scoffing.
Without waiting for a reply or rebuke, the feathered dragon swept past them and into the bunker.

@Crestcrazy2
@_-Captain BRM-_

 

[Crestcrazy2]

@_-Captain BRM-_ @-Shade-

Shrike barred his teeth at the SolarWing and growled back, attempting to resist the urge to step back from the larger dragon.
“Oh yeah?” Shrike said, feigning respect with a cocked head and widened eyes. “Does that include murdering dozens? For FUN? Being.. I dunno.. crowned CHAMPION OF THE ARENA??” The CloudWing’s anger flooded back into his expression, unwilling to be suppressed.

Eclipse winced at the Cloudwing's words, glancing rapidly between Helios and Shrike before quickly sliding past Sol, her wing brushing his as she stepped between the other two.
"Now's not the time, Shrike," the Lunarwing said curtly, shooting the Cloudwing an irritated look. "We can talk about this later, but for now, there are more pressing matters to discuss."
Eclipse leveled her gaze on the small, feathered dragon, fully expecting him to challenge her.

(Yeah, I know, I lied, it's already here Cap)
@_-Captain BRM-_
@Crestcrazy2
@Blue Raptor

Shrike’s expression flickered over to one of annoyance and his sharp gaze darted to Eclipse. Though he growled at the dragoness, his feathers had begun to lower.
“There ain’t no more ‘we.’” Shrike snapped, taking a step back. “You’re a fool if ya ever thought there was. Me an’ Kapok are leavin’.” The CloudWing took another step backward. “An’ I suggest gettin’ rid of the murderer, before he gets y’all killed. Not that I care,” he muttered, stealing a hateful glance at Sol’s lowered head and scoffing.
Without waiting for a reply or rebuke, the feathered dragon swept past them and into the bunker.

Helios glared down at the cloudwing, Shrike apparently. He didn’t know how to answer, his mouth fell slightly open as he contemplated what the dragon had said. The Lunarwing always sticking beside Sol was now almost infront of him, warding shrike off. Shrike turned and left with an air of annoyance, clearly not wanting to stay any longer.

Helios closed his mouth with a snap, his teeth gritted as he told himself not to burn the tip of the cloudwings tail off as it swept out the door. He turned to his son, whose head was lowered in obvious shame.
“Sol…it wasn’t your fault. Nothing you did in there was….well, you. That was all just the humans mind games, don’t let it eat away at you son.” He said, his voice low and unsure. Before Sol could respond, Helios was talking again. “Come home, Sol. I know you don’t remember what it was like and you might hate it for all I know, but I want you to give it a chance. Please?” He asked, smiling at him as he waited for Sols head to rise.



@Blue Raptor

@-Shade-

@_-Captain BRM-_

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

Helios glared down at the cloudwing, Shrike apparently. He didn’t know how to answer, his mouth fell slightly open as he contemplated what the dragon had said. The Lunarwing always sticking beside Sol was now almost infront of him, warding shrike off. Shrike turned and left with an air of annoyance, clearly not wanting to stay any longer.

Helios closed his mouth with a snap, his teeth gritted as he told himself not to burn the tip of the cloudwings tail off as it swept out the door. He turned to his son, whose head was lowered in obvious shame.
“Sol…it wasn’t your fault. Nothing you did in there was….well, you. That was all just the humans mind games, don’t let it eat away at you son.” He said, his voice low and unsure. Before Sol could respond, Helios was talking again. “Come home, Sol. I know you don’t remember what it was like and you might hate it for all I know, but I want you to give it a chance. Please?” He asked, smiling at him as he waited for Sols head to rise.



@Blue Raptor

@-Shade-

@_-Captain BRM-_

(Aw, wot a good daddy)

Sol released his clenched jaw. "You're wrong. It was all me. I did do those things." He took a breath and it audibly shook. "I regret it so now, but it won't erase what I've done. So. If we can't move past that, then," he raised his head slowly, "then this comes to an end. But I do," he whispered. "I do want to come home."

@Crestcrazy2