thrown to the wolves

Birds called, filling the empty silence with life. Her body twitched, sensation returning to her numb body once still and cold with death. The silver dragon felt softer somehow and warmer than what she was used to. She could hear the roar of her pulse in her ears and the thump of her heart in her chest. Endellion was alive again. Odd gemstone eyes fluttered open, lifting her head and taking in sight of the strange claws- paws outstretched before her. Her paws. Somehow the dragon had become a warm blooded, furry four legged mammal of some kind.

Slowly she inspected this new body of hers for defects or oddities and was pleasantly surprised by how strong her new body felt. The body of a predator. Good. Even if it was a downgrade from her dragonself at least she wouldn't become someone's dinner five minutes into her new life or only eat grass for the rest of her days.

She rolled her shoulders and sighed at the absence of wings. As a dragon she could have swallowed this land with her shadow as she soared through the air. The Silverflame would miss flying, but losing them was the price she paid to live again. An unexpected reward that she would not squander.


@Kei
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Even as their numbers sat, Kei felt more and more comfortable wandering further with each passing day. Arenrak had offered little to interest her. That didn't mean that the land didn't have a purpose—its own value to provide to the world. It was certainly beneficial to have at their doorstep between the plateaus that sheltered the rising jungle and the widespread range that gave them a view of what was to come.

They would need to expand their reach, know what lay beyond the wild grass and cracked earth, to the deserts north and the mysteries south, but Kei was the Order's only qualified Ronin, and presently, the only qualified teacher. Kyo was catching up fast, but there was only so much he could do when it came to questions or their way of life. But for now, that didn't matter. For now, she could focus on watching their flank, or really head, given the only way to their serenity was the mouth of a dragon.

Ahead of her path, she saw something glint in the light. A pelt so white it was difficult to miss amongst the yellowed grass, not to mention...the large built frame. Kei had never been a big wolf, but it did make her itch with something the moment a wolf towered over her, even if it wasn't intentional. She bit her lip, eyes glancing to the north, before noticing there was no distinct scent trail, or really any scent trail to lead the other here. Almost like she just appeared...

The dragon chuffed, hoping to draw the woman's attention as she eventually decided to approach. “Yo.”

---

Ignore long starter I ramble entering threads

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Fresh from her awakening, Endellion's new senses were almost too overwhelming for her. The wind carried scents richer than anything her dragon nose could perceive and her ears were far more sensitive than the ear holes of her dragon body. It hit her with a wave of vertigo and the Silverflame wobbled like a newborn deer before her rump hit the ground with thud. It appeared that her new mammal body did not want to cooperate with her. Due to her sensory overload she failed to seperate the scent of an approaching wolf from that of the wolves that had passed through. Yo, the strange greeting was directed at her and the Silverflame’s brow furrowed. The wolf spoke in a foreign tongue she was unfamiliar with and so she communicated her confusion with the universal gesture of cocking her head.

Perhaps it was a form of greeting in the wolf language. She cleared her throat and tested the word for herself. “Yo,” she parroted the word back in a completely serious and deadpan tone.

“Did I greet you in the wolf tongue correctly, warmblood?” Endellion followed up with a question, hoping the common tongue was suitable for communicating. The only other language she was familiar with was the draconic tongue and she doubted she would have much use for it now. It hit her then that she likely wouldn't be able to speak to another of her own kind again either, nor the people she protected who had diligently learned to speak her language. She’d thought them foolish at first, too wrapped up in her dragon pride to see their sincerity. A pity that she'd never told them how much she cared about them. All those years and generations of human hatchlings. Endellion had never set aside her damn pride.
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The dragon cocked a brow as she was mimicked in a rather stiff manner for...a fairly casual greeting. The woman tilted her head at her, almost as if she were confused by the greeting herself, which was only confirmed moments later. “Warmblood?” Cultures had their own lexicon of terms, but warmblood seemed strange for two wolves. “Uhhh, yeah?” Wait, wolf tongue? Kei's brows furrowed, “You know you are a wolf too, right?”
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The confusion seemed to be contagious between the wolf known as dragon and the dragon turned wolf. Endellion merely nodded when the wolf repeated warmblood in a question, affirming that she was indeed a warmblood, as if that was what she was confused about. She didn't realise how odd it was for her to call another warmblood when she was no longer a cold-blooded dragon. Old habits die hard.

Her blue and green eyes gleamed with satisfaction when the wolf confirmed she had greeted her correctly and that she had learned her first word of the lupine language. How fascinating. She was very keen to learn more about it. A request to hear more words of the wolf language tickled the tip of her tongue, but she was silenced by the revelation that she was also a wolf.

“I am?” Endellion asked with the same serious delivery. Her features remained neutral, but her mood was betrayed by the childish wonder in her gem-stone eyes as she looked down at her paws with fascination. She lifted one paw and gently poked at her face. A long snout and two pointy ears. “It appears you are correct, warmblood. I have become a wolf,” the wolf shaped dragon confirmed in the same neutral tone.

“Then can you teach me more of the wolf tongue?” Endellion asked looking at the wolf intently.
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Become a wolf. This was starting to sound familiar.

Kei tilted her head with a quirk of her brow, “If you became a wolf, what were you supposed to be before?” She'd bite the chance that she was talking to some raving loon. This land has surprised her enough already that it was worth asking before judging.

“I'm not— sure I understand? You seem to be talkin' just fine. Maybe 'cause you're a wolf.” There wasn't any attitude behind the way she said wolf, but it did feel important to restate. You know. Before she found some tree to climb and try jumpin' out of like she could magically fly.
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There was no judgement from the little wolf. Surprising considering her impossible claims. Changing shape wasn't exactly an everyday occurrence. Endellion felt encouraged by her open-mindedness and decided to share some of her story. Without grand proclamations or theatrics, Endellion merely stated rather blandly. “I was a dragon.”

Her eyes lit up and she grew the slightest bit more animated despite her stone faced expression. “Now I am both,” she said with a note of intrigue in voice, giving her flat tone a little more life to it. “I am not displeased with this form. My scales are soft and my blood is warm. It is pleasant,” Endellion remarked, her eyes half closed, enjoying the sun warming her fur.

“A wolf shaped dragon,” Endellion corrected when the little wolf told her she was a wolf.

“I am speaking of ‘Yo’,” she pronounced the greeting slowly so that she did not mispronounce it. “It is a wolf tongue greeting, is it not?” the confused seven hundred year old lady asked. Wolf culture was as alien to her as her new body and she was trying her best to fit in.
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Kei blinked, her face plain with a slight squint of her eyes but a world of awe behind them. She was looking for some sort of sign to tell how trustworthy this wolf's words could be. Dragons were...well, she knew of them. The old order had an extensive history with dragons, but they had long since retreated to their holes of solitude or died off. In all honesty, she sided with the opinion that they had gone extinct.

Before words could form on her lips, the woman continued shaking Kei back to the present and drawing a stifled laugh from her throat. “Oh, uh, well it's a greeting, but I don't know if it's wolven exactly. Just, uhhhh, casual common? ...Um, sorry, dragon?” The Kaicho shook her head clearing it of the growing fog “Where— how? A dragon hasn't been seen or heard from in—” Generations. Again...reincarnation was on the table, but was it really possible to be reincarnated from thin air?

The elders had always seen it as the continuation of life, but maybe life didn't always start at birth. It had been rare enough to be aware of a reincarnation that they only had mention of it in the scriptures, but she supposed there was sense in it. Everything was connected after all, who were they to dictate how energy ebbs and flows together? Everything the Order knew was simply what they had gathered from observation and practice over the years through masters and elders.
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While the little wolf contemplated the existence of dragons, Endellion was enthralled by fluffiness of her own fur. She brushed her face with one of her fore paws and rubbed it against her cheeks. Such softness was unknown to a scaled beast whose tough hide was not as sensitive as her delicate wolf flesh. It was pleasant to feel. Naturally that made her curious if all wolves were as soft as her. Her gaze fixated on the little wolf’s silky black fur and she was suddenly filled with a childish impulse to touch it.

As a dragon she had never been able to touch smaller, more fragile creatures. Her strength and massive size would have crushed or knocked a little wolf flying. Endellion began to creep closer, slowly so she did not startle the little wolf. Her paw lifted and she tried to gently pet the little wolf on the shoulder with her massive paw.

“A casual greeting… ” she echoed, centuries old brain working hard to study this new information. “I see. Then this is how I will greet you from now on, warmblood,” Endellion decided, nodding her head seriously. Friendly greetings naturally meant you were close with someone so Endellion assumed this was a way to build a relationship. She’d never had a friend before and she had her heart set on becoming the little wolf’s friend.

Having had the time to process Endellion's claim of being a dragon, the little wolf cut short the conversation about casual common and questioned her. Endellion cocked her head, neutral features never changing despite their mutual confusion. “I was known as Endellion the Silverflame. A great silver dragon and guardian of the gwaed arians, — silver bloods” she added, speaking the name of her people in the dragon tongue. “If you have not heard of me, perhaps our homes are in different lands. Yours where my kind have died and mine where we still live,” she suggested, knowing how large the world was. She had flown many wing beats of it and still never reached the end.
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Kei wasn't exactly a touchy-feely wolf, at least not with people she didn't consider herself close to. @Kyo liked to invade her personal space and push her buttons, but he had a level of playfulness that she was familiar with. Endellion's was more childlike — curiosity and boldness that a pup might have without the watchful gaze and correctives of a parent. Maybe that was why she did not shy away from the sudden touch, even if her muscles tensed. “K—Ryū is fine.” The dragon cleared her throat, “My name—”

Old habits died hard, and it had been so long since she had to follow the Order's rules. Her name didn't matter when she was lands away, and no one had even heard of the Jade Rose. She wasn't sure what to make of the dragon turned wolf, but she had no reason to doubt her. A wolf would have to sell their unfamiliarity with their body and voice, but it was clear that Endellion's was genuine. “I've heard of Edhen and Wylon, but not an Endellion. They belonged to a region called Shoni if... that rings any bells.”

Even if the names differed it didn't mean that their lands weren't connected in some way. However, Kei had only been to Shioni a few times, more often needed to keep an eye on the Syndicate in Nuyama. “There was a war many many years ago against the dragons. The pack I'm from brought peace to end it and taught wolves and dragons alike to understand each other.” Not that they were experts by any means. The dragons did more of the teaching; the Order just provided the means to learn openly and with respect. “The Draghoda worship you— er, your kind.” Although that was about as much as she knew regarding the costal pack.
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Endellion let out a soft hum as her paw pad brushed the soft velvety fur. She wanted to touch more, but there wasn't enough time. There would be plenty of opportunities later to enjoy the feel of fur. For now there was much to learn from Ryu. “Ryu. R-y-u. R–y–u,” the Silverflame spoke the name, pausing between each delivery and saying it slower each time. “It is a good name. My ears want to hear it again and my tongue wants to speak it,” she admitted, monotone voice softening with approval.

“They are unknown to me. And I do not hear any ringing of bells,” Endellion replied, ears pricked and straining to listen to the sound of bells. Bells typically belonged in churches or towers. Perhaps there was one nearby.

“I am from a land known as Dyfed,” she offered the name of her hatchland, wondering if this was familiar to Ryu. “In Dyfed it was humans who dragons lived alongside. They hunted us in packs because they feared us and some worshipped us too.”

“Ryu?” Endellion repeated her wolf companion’s name again partly because she enjoyed saying it and partly because she had something important to ask her. “Could you teach me the ways of the wolf like your people did before?” she requested, setting aside her pride as a wise dragon to learn something from someone much younger than her chronological age.
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Oh, if she only knew what it meant. There was irony in a dragon liking a name that translates to dragon. “It—” Kei paused to chuff, “It's a saying. Like, bringing something to memory, not actual bells.” Unfortunately, wherever Endellion was from did not ring bells for Kei either. It was less surprising when she mentioned 'humans' whatever those were. “Not sure I've seen one of those. They don't sound too different from wolves, though.” Another creature that bit at the unknown or fell to their knees in fear for something they didn't understand.

Her ear twitched forward at the sound of her name, her tongue clicking with hesitance before weighing her options. “Well, I could, but my home isn't very public with our teachings.” A dragon though, one turned wolf would have a lot of learning to do in order to fit in or even survive. @Feng was proof enough of that, though Endellion at least wasn't trying to jump off a mountain. “If you want to learn from me or how my people live, you should know there is no going back. You would be one of us, which means a life of seclusion and, when necessary, secrecy.”

“Full disclosure, we aren't bad; we actively work to keep balance in the world, but if we are open with hows or whys, there will be groups who want to stop us. Groups that take too much or seek power beyond their own means. If that's not a life you can live by then I suggest you find another teacher.”
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It was somewhat disappointing to learn that there were no actual bells nearby. Endellion liked the way they chimed. “I see. Then no, it is not ringing the memory bells for me,” she spoke the saying clumsily, but there was a brightness in her gaze that showed how excited she was to have learned a ‘saying’. “Are your memory bells ringing?” she asked, keen eyes observing her for signs that she had heard of Dyfed. The existence of dragons seemed to be the only commonality that the lands shared. Wolves in Dyfed had always avoided her. Had she known they possessed such intelligence she would have tried to communicate with them.

Her curiosity itched at her like she was going through one of her yearly molts upon hearing about Ryu’s people. As a dragon she had lived the life of an observer, only interfering with the world around her when necessary. The isolation had worn a hole in her heart over the centuries. Being a part of a greater whole was something she craved. This time she would not be an observer. “Your people helped dragons,” Endellion remarked, this was all she needed to be convinced that they served the greater good. “I would like to be a part of your mission and learn from you. What would you require of me?” she asked, her voice held a note of passion as she did. Prior to being reborn as a wolf she wouldn't have given much thought to fate or destiny, but there was something that felt right about the decision she was making.
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Admittedly, it was a bit amusing listening to the dragon wolf speak. Kei wondered if she sounded the same when she first learned Common or Korean. “No, can't say they are.” Different lands then. The Order had scoured far and wide to map what they knew of the world, but it was always so much bigger. Maybe another order wasn't such a bad idea after all. How many years had the Jade Rose stood, and still they only knew the three regions bordering? There were others with their own plights and creatures.

Fortunately, even with their differences, Endellion seemed to resonate with their goal. “Well, that's a bit of a loaded question.” The dragon huffed trying to find the best place to start, “You'll have to learn the culture first as an Acolyte. Each wolf picks a path best suited to them, and then you'll train under the teachings of that philosophy. I can explain more back at the temple; most of the process isn't for the ears of outsiders.” She'd gesture over her shoulder with her snout to the grassy pleatus behind her that braced into the mountainside and thick jungle.

“The pleateus act like gates to our borders. They funnel to one major opening that leads along the shores. What tunnels or narrow paths exist beyond the main gates are less safe. Some have traps to keep out trespassers. Nothing deadly, but enough to keep unwanted visitors in place until we arrive to question them. I can show you the path to the temple once we're in Naiwaki, but it will be a bit of a hike.”
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A stiff nod was given when Ryu confirmed no memory bells were ringing in that small head of hers. Endellion was still under the illusion that a sound of bells would ring in her mind when something seemed familiar to her. It had never happened to her as a dragon before, but wolves were different. Endellion felt as if she were a hatchling again learning everything all over again. There was something exciting about it and sad. If she were still a majestic silver dragon she could have offered to be the orders guardian dragon, but she supposed that could still be the case. Scales or fur couldn't change who she was on the inside “You will be my warmbloods and I will protect the order as your guardian dragon,” she declared, her odd eyes gleaming with pride that she had found a new purpose in her lupine life. “The path that allows me to do this is the one I will follow,” the wolf dragon affirmed, having already made her decision without learning about the potential paths she could take. Endellion’s resolve was as hard as her scales once were.

“I will follow as fast as these soft claws allow me to. They are not as swift as my wings were,” she replied, letting a little grumble about her lack of wings slip through her neutral mask. It would take some time for her to get used to walking everywhere.
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