Of Feathers And Flames- A Wings of Fire AU RP

[_-Captain BRM-_]

Eclipse started at Sol, once again in shock, her face expressionless. Horror threatened to bubble into her mind, building as she ran his words through her mind again, trying to understand.
She wanted to understand. So truly wanted to understand.
But... how? How could she understand? Sol hadn't intended to become a killer, but he had. The Den had made him into one, and he clearly regretted that. Eclipse couldn't even find herself shocked that Tobias had become a part of it too- perhaps, part of her still couldn't find a natural innocence in humans. But in a dragon? One who had been raised in his tribe. Raised as a royal to care for his citizens as a superior, as a leader. How could he turn into a killer?
Sure, half a decade in the Scorpion Den could no doubt change you, but Eclipse hadn't realized the extent of a dragon's conscious it could take away.
She recalled the Cloudwing they had encountered that night. How long had he been in the Den? Longer than Sol? Would the Solarwing have become similar or just like him if he'd stayed in the Den longer? If he'd been raised differently before the Den?
"How... exactly did you change so much? Why didn't you hold on to what you knew before the Den?" she said slowly, her gaze locked intensely with his.

@_-Captain BRM-_

Sol forced his gaze back on Eclipse.
"My mind was stolen from me, and with it my morals. I fought long and hard for what was right when I first arrived at the Scorpion Den. But then-... When you can no longer think for yourself? Then it gets... Really hard."
Sol scoffed.
"Still no excuse. I was so mentally broken, there was nothing for me to find morally right in my mind. I had zero information about my life, who I was, where I came from. This is all stuff I've gathered over the years- and it comes back. It comes back."
He sighed.
"Gen? That hybrid.. he was key. We met again in the arena, and.. and seeing him brought back a lot of memories. And honestly- so did Helios. It's strange.."
Sol didn't finish, eventually dropping his gaze.

 

[Blue Raptor]

(guess who stopped getting notifications again )

Oo! Oo! I know, I know!

You!
Is that right, did I get that right?

Sunspot was dragged out of sleep by the sounds of dragons talking. She opened one eye sleepily. “Can you guys… not be so loud?” She mumbled.

“SORRY,” Cas whispered melodramatically in her direction, trying to hide a smirk.

 

[-Kiwi-]

Oo! Oo! I know, I know!

You!
Is that right, did I get that right?

“SORRY,” Cas whispered melodramatically in her direction, trying to hide a smirk.

Sunspot glared at the SkyWing with one eye, huffing a cloud of smoke in his direction.

 

[Blue Raptor]

@_-Captain BRM-_ @-Shade-

Sunspot glared at the SkyWing with one eye, huffing a cloud of smoke in his direction.

Cas snorted a laugh. “Anyone know when we’re gonna get to the checkpoint place?” He asked the surrounding dragons, trying not to look at Tobias. He slid down to lay in the floor, “I’m BORED.”

 

[-Shade-]

Sol forced his gaze back on Eclipse.
"My mind was stolen from me, and with it my morals. I fought long and hard for what was right when I first arrived at the Scorpion Den. But then-... When you can no longer think for yourself? Then it gets... Really hard."
Sol scoffed.
"Still no excuse. I was so mentally broken, there was nothing for me to find morally right in my mind. I had zero information about my life, who I was, where I came from. This is all stuff I've gathered over the years- and it comes back. It comes back."
He sighed.
"Gen? That hybrid.. he was key. We met again in the arena, and.. and seeing him brought back a lot of memories. And honestly- so did Helios. It's strange.."
Sol didn't finish, eventually dropping his gaze.

@_-Captain BRM-_ @-Shade-

Cas snorted a laugh. “Anyone know when we’re gonna get to the checkpoint place?” He asked the surrounding dragons, trying not to look at Tobias. He slid down to lay in the floor, “I’m BORED.”

Eclipse ignored the Skywing, her mind working through everything Sol had just said, trying to think of what to say next.
"I didn't know the Den could do that," she breathed, moving her eyes to the ground as well.
"That's why you wanted to bring me to Tobias, isn't it? Because you didn't know who your father was anymore."
Realization was slowly drawling into her mind, the question she'd been wanting to know for so long. She finally understood.
"You thought that I would know something about Helios. Things you didn't know, but you didn't want to confront your father. Because of what the Den turned you into?"
She kept her voice low, hoping not to draw attention from any of the other dragons.

@_-Captain BRM-_

 

[-Shade-]

A silent war had commenced, and Vel unwillingly gave in to a groggy sleep. She barely heard the CloudWing's voice before exhaustion stole her mind.

Alicanto watched the Rainwing drift off to sleep, his tail twitching slightly as he did.
She actually fell asleep. With both of us right here.
His eyes slitted, little ideas and plots flicking through his mind. He glanced over at Ajax.
He can still fight just fine, and she is obviously vulnerable. I can still use my warping. Maybe...
"Ajax," he rasped, shifting his head to look at the hybrid. "How far away are we from the Scorpion Den?"

@Little Baby Bean

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

Eclipse ignored the Skywing her mind working through everything Sol had just said, trying to think of what to say next.
"I didn't know the Den could do that," she breathed, moving her eyes to the ground as well.
"That's why you wanted to bring me to Tobias, isn't it? Because you didn't know who your father was anymore."
Realization was slowly drawling into her mind, the question she'd been wanting to know for so long. She finally understood.
"You thought that I would know something about Helios. Things you didn't know, but you didn't want to confront your father. Because of what the Den turned you into?"
She kept her voice low, hoping not to draw attention from any of the other dragons.

@_-Captain BRM-_

"Oh, geez, Sherlock." Sol closed his eyes, trying to follow Eclipse's logic. Gosh, she had connected dots much faster than himself, especially due to his living in self denial for the past five years. But yes.
That was exactly how he felt. That was exactly what he had done. She was so right.
"That's my life, Eclipse," Sol murmered, his voice weak with shame.

@-Shade-

 

[-Shade-]

"Oh, geez, Sherlock." Sol closed his eyes, trying to follow Eclipse's logic. Gosh, she had connected dots much faster than himself, especially due to his living in self denial for the past five years. But yes.
That was exactly how he felt. That was exactly what he had done. She was so right.
"That's my life, Eclipse," Sol murmered, his voice weak with shame.

@-Shade-

Eclipse was silent for a long moment. She hadn't entirely expected to be right, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense.
The Lunarwing glanced down at Shard, the little dragonet deep in sleep. Eclipse carefully let go of her, letting her rest on the transport floor and sliding backwards away from her.
She stood up slowly and paced across the short distance toward Sol, carefully settling down beside him. She carefully rested her uninjured wing over his back, keeping her gaze focused on the ground, the silence settling between them again.
"Sol," she finally said, quietly. "You shouldn't blame yourself for what the Den did to you."
Eclipse turned to look at him, trying to catch his gaze.
"I know that it's hard to let go of guilt, but you are leaving the Den now, and I know you wouldn't want that life back if you had the choice. It's like what you and Tobias have told me. I can't go back and change the fact that Roe is gone, no matter how much I blame myself or regret it, there's nothing I can do. There's nothing you can do about what happened in the Den. All we can do now is keep moving forward."

@_-Captain BRM-_

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

Eclipse was silent for a long moment. She hadn't entirely expected to be right, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense.
The Lunarwing glanced down at Shard, the little dragonet deep in sleep. Eclipse carefully let go of her, letting her rest on the transport floor and sliding backwards away from her.
She stood up slowly and paced across the short distance toward Sol, carefully settling down beside him. She carefully rested her uninjured wing over his back, keeping her gaze focused on the ground, the silence settling between them again.
"Sol," she finally said, quietly. "You shouldn't blame yourself for what the Den did to you."
Eclipse turned to look at him, trying to catch his gaze.
"I know that it's hard to let go of guilt, but you are leaving the Den now, and I know you wouldn't want that life back if you had the choice. It's like what you and Tobias have told me. I can't go back and change the fact that Roe is gone, no matter how much I blame myself or regret it, there's nothing I can do. There's nothing you can do about what happened in the Den. All we can do now is keep moving forward."

@_-Captain BRM-_

Sol nodded, excepting to Eclipse's comforting affection. He leaned against her, demonstrating his appreciation towards her gentle words.
"I'd love to restart."
He let his gaze wander to Tobias' slumped, sleeping form, a fond glint in the dragon's eyes as he watched protectively over his friend.
"Oh, I was- I was so scared." Sol whispered, the subject in his mind switching quite suddenly, his focus on that night's unfortunate events. "Oh, Eclipse." Sol closed his eyes. "Thank you. You followed me out... to- to the blasted desert. I am such a fool." He gave a weak, awed smile, then let his words sit for a moment. He hesitated, at a loss for what to say next. "I don't know what to tell you," Sol admitted. "But thank you? Thank you."

 

[-Shade-]

Sol nodded, excepting to Eclipse's comforting affection. He leaned against her, demonstrating his appreciation towards her gentle words.
"I'd love to restart."
He let his gaze wander to Tobias' slumped, sleeping form, a fond glint in the dragon's eyes as he watched protectively over his friend.
"Oh, I was- I was so scared." Sol whispered, the subject in his mind switching quite suddenly, his focus on that night's unfortunate events. "Oh, Eclipse." Sol closed his eyes. "Thank you. You followed me out... to- to the blasted desert. I am such a fool." He gave a weak, awed smile, then let his words sit for a moment. He hesitated, at a loss for what to say next. "I don't know what to tell you," Sol admitted. "But thank you? Thank you."

Eclipse smiled. Something felt so good about that. She had hardly been around another dragon in years, and the only good thing she could consider having done that wasn't out of her own self-interest had been rescuing Sunspot. If her experience in the Den had changed her in any way it was in this- she realized how much time she'd wasted hunting the Nightwing. She had been selfish, she had been rash. Maybe before she had fully come to accept and realize that, her subconscious had already learned the lesson.
"Of course," she murmured quietly to Sol. "I didn't realize how important Tobias was to you until after that, but now I understand." She stared up at the ceiling.
"Three moons. I actually, finally, understand."

@_-Captain BRM-_