Arch of the Lost Ruin

The First Sign

I wasn’t even close to being ready, and he already threw the fitter again. I growled playfully as I ran after the fitter’s flight, sketching out its course. When the fitter was very close to the ground, I jumped, and closed my eyes, hoping that the fitter would just fit in my mouth. I opened my eyes as I felt a sinking feeling, and next thing I knew, my body crashed into the ground. To make it worse, the fitter fell right on top of my head. I snarled in frustration and immediately recovered to my paws, ready to smash the thing into pieces.

“Easy there, tiger.” Rynoarc padded up to me before I could send it to the moon, “Don’t worry, we can practice again.”

I pouted and placed my rump on the ground, my blood red eyes in flames. I couldn’t impress my father, and that was the most disappointing thing I could ever do.

“What is with this dust?!” My mother’s familiar disgusted voice rang through my ears, and turn to her direction to see her returning with Delphyra, “What have you been doing, Rynoarc?!”

“A little fetch, sweetheart.” Rynoarc casually grinned, padding over to his mate, looking down at her, because she was almost half his size.

“The dust is flying everywhere and you know how sensitive my nose is.” Evalyn sighed, trying to bat away the dust that came before her muzzle.

“Yes, dear.” Rynoarc smiled, then looked over to Delphyra, “Why are you so willing to travel a half day’s journey just to take a bath? We don’t need it.”

“Because, baba, I want to keep myself clean.” Delphyra answered, her half-accent showing.

Delphyra and Mynona had our accent, but only a little. Ours was what our father called british, and since Delphyra and Mynona were hybrids, they have half our accent. I felt pity for them.

“Please, Delphyra, we’re not those type of society where we keep ourselves clean.” Evalyn said, turning to Delphyra also.

This coming out of mom was rare. She is a lady of patience, manners, and everything a lady was.

“This is rare, mama, coming out of you.” Delphyra said simply, somehow reading my mind.

This was also rare, Delphyra talking back to her godmother who was so much more than she was. I wish I had her guts.

“Young lady,” Rynoarc frowned, “make sure you stay in the radius of our camp from now on, we don’t want to get you lost. Never mind that, follow me. We need to have a talk that has been halted for some time.”

Uh oh. A talk? With Rynoarc? I had the urge to eavesdrop, but again, I didn’t want to talk with him either. If I did, mum would probably punish me with more lady lessons!

Delphyra was trying hard to roll her eyes discreetly, but the whole world would see it if she did it publically. Evalyn and I watched as Rynoarc led Delphyra down the hill of the camp, a grave ambience spreading invisibly around them.

Evalyn sighed, after they were out of sight, “Elixa, please, go catch your sister and go to sleep. You both need it.”

I nodded, and scampered down the hill, careful to take the long way so I didn’t run into Delphyra and Rynoarc.

When I woke up this morning, I was full of energy. Usually my sister woke up first, but today is the opposite. I woke up first and nudged my sister to wake up as well, but Raevyn growled, indicating that she wanted to sleep for a bit more. I shrugged to myself and leapt out of the den, finding Rynoarc sleeping next to Evalyn outside, under the dark morning sky, Tessalyn sleeping closeby.

“Da! Daaaa!” I yipped, bouncing on his head, biting his ears, trying to get him to wake up.

Rynoarc mumbled someone inaudible, so I tightened my grip on his ear, making him jerk up and slightly howl. “All right, I’m up! I’m up!”

I giggled, jumping up and down around my father and mother, who was struggling to sit up and locate me, “Let’s go train!”

Rynoarc chuckled, licking my mother’s cheek, “That’s what you want? Why did you have to wake up everyone?”

I looked around. Tessalyn was getting up on her paws, a huge yawn escaping her muzzle. Delphyra and Mynona were also getting up, glaring at me through their half-angry, half-groggy eyes. Raevyn was the only one who seemed fine with my morning interruption.

“Raevyn’s all right.” I shrugged, glancing back at my sister, who was beginning to walk up to me, then I looked up to my father once more.

Evalyn sighed, softly laughing with my father, “You are such a pawful, Elixa.” She stretched, straightening on her paws again, in her usual lady-like position.

“Elixa, I think Rynoarc’s had enough of you today, darling,” Tessalyn spoke, her pale tan pelt brightly shining in my eyes, “I have to train you, too.”

I stifled a sigh. I didn’t want to say that I don’t like Tessalyn’s lessons, but I just preferred Rynoarc’s more. I didn’t mind her, though, at least I didn’t get my mother’s lesson again.

Rynoarc smiled toward my godmother, “You know, you don’t have to. I can handle the little beast.”

“I know, Rynoarc, but she’s got some morals to learn. It’s part of her life.” Tessalyn replied, her voice soft like the dawn that was stretching over the horizon.

“I would love to join you in teaching Elixa, but unfortunately, I have to teach Delphyra some things.” Evalyn looked sharply over to the blue-haired hybrid, her red eyes glinting with negative connotation. Her grave ambience quickly filled the conversation between us.

“That would be wonderful, Evalyn, thank you.” Tessalyn smiled, “Your sister will be joining also, Elixa.”

“But what about our training, da?” I whined, putting on my display of heartbreak, lowering my ears to add to the solemn performance, “With the fitter?”

“Fitter?” Rynoarc blinked, his pale eyes in complete confusion, “What in the world is a fitter?”