Welcome!

Today was a busy day, particularly for Celi and her beloved rider. So into record keeping, specifically the art of the chart, were they that the glass dragon hadn't even had a thought about rising gloriously. True, she had thought about it, and had been pondering over what she might do, but felt when the need arose, she would be ready with any number of things, perhaps even a tried and true favorite of hers. Meanwhile, Carpediem and Celi had gone about the days, sketching up known pairs so far that year, or adding a note to a previous pair that names would need to be added beneath them.

And then of course, there were also portraits of riders and their dragons to do, (Carpediem had a curious dream of painting every dragon and rider in the entire academy, and at one time even attempted to sketch any tainted he saw. An obsessive hobby, but one he enjoyed. He was always present at the Laying, and hatchings, sitting with Celi, having his sketchbook and pencils, sometimes watercolors if he could afford them...Such was the life of the freelancer. Things had been getting easier now that the war was over, and he had had a unique opportunity to draw in better detail those elusive, once possessed creatures whom had returned home.

The events from morning til now had gone well, their clients had behaved with little moving and fidgeting, and Celi had gotten to gossip with another lady dragon, and also sculpt a bit of glass things now and then. However, towards the end of the day, just before the sun began to fall, the Glass dragon stretched out, shaking her lovely scales down like wind-chimes and excused herself from the session, internal fires having been stoked in some way.

Taking a running leap into the air, the massive, yet slender glass dragon rose into the sky and began to fly, her destination in mind. Soon enough, she had arrived at the watery gardens, the still, reflective surfaces of the water just what she wanted. Swooping and circling, and rising high above, the Glass dragon began to manipulate some panels of glass she'd made a few days before in preparation for the days flight. Layer over layer, circling over and adding to it, she had made almost what looked like a giant version of the glass flower she prided herself in making for her eggs. Except this larger flower was arranged to capture light and reflect it, to bounce light if you will. That done, she flew off and gathered a few things she needed, setting up a ring of lanterns behind each set of 'petals', and worked through the night detailing them. She raced the moon, having gotten an idea for how it might look in the morning as the sun set. But alas, her goal was well within reach as she set the last petals in place, ringing one of the ponds that was large- well, big enough to hold a water dragon or two, but not huge as some other ponds and lakes were here. Her job completed, she rested, saving her strength for the moment it would arrive fully.

She timed her rest well, waiting for the sun to begin its journey again. And, just as the sky began turning its colors, she launched herself up, hovering in the middle of her masterpiece, proud but not vain. Just as the sun wakened and rose over the Academy, who's shadow had blocked its light until this very minute, the beams of light struck the glassy flower, and lit it like a jewel, reflecting and refracting the light back and forth, making her already multicolored reflections look cast in light and shimmered off of the gilded gold and blues and every color imaginable as she flew within, each turn of her head, each flap of her wings and twist of her tail brought new perspective on color. The spirit of inspiration tilted her head back, and let her voice resonate through her curved and twisting ornate horns, the voice that escaped her echoed and wavered, like the angels come to earth.

“Come, waken yourselves my dears, rise with me, show me your worth, your beauty, within and without, in voice or song, in flight or fancy, in hide and scale or object shared. Come, for all the world today is ours, the morning rises with us!” With that she sang on, her lusting song bidding any male who wished to try and impress upon her. And male, any faction, she would judge them all equally with no hate for any.

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OOC: Okay here's how this works, any male tainted or sekkaien may join, she is a bit of a riddler so her words dont specifically mean the dragon itself must be beautiful- Celi sees beauty in all things, from the broken to the whole, the glorious to the meek. They may perceive it as a chance to bring objects they think are pretty too. Also NPC's are allowed ;3 I'd like this flight to go quickly so it may have only a round or two. Celi's scales in light look a lot like This

((Entering NPC Air Volare))

It had been years. Years that the crimson storm had lain impotent with his grief. His dearest mate that he'd ever had in his life had passed on just before his most recent offspring had come into the world, hatching from her egg in all her brilliant and smug glory, only to bond to a friendly little scholar girl. To see her had filled him with joy, but it was not a joy that could dampen his grief that he carried like his own personal storm cloud hanging dourly overhead. Still he fought, on the front lines with his wing, bringing down the Tainteds that wished to do them harm. Still he upheld every duty and responsibility he had. But his sorrow lingered. Only now, five years after his dear Alona's death, did he feel the familiar stirring that called to male dragons all over the Academy.

Volare didn't wish to try. Didn't wish to chase any females, for none of them were Alona. None of them were the Forest dragoness he'd held so dear to his heart. The war had ended, leaving a sudden, crushing void within him that he tried to ignore. He dreamt of her when he slept, and every time it was the same. His duty done, his vengeance wrought upon the creatures that stole her away, her vision told him only to rest and move on. To remember her, but not to condemn himself to an eternity of loneliness. Whether or not the specter in his dream was truly his lost mate was irrelevant. It was the message he was being sent.

He even ignored their calls for as long as he could, but after several days of females rising and calling for potential mates, his bodily desires and instincts finally took him over. Perhaps it was his dream vision, or perhaps it was the end of the war. Either way, the barricade that locked him stoically away from most of his female kin stared to falter. And another call rang out once more.

Gathering his feathered form, he perched on his ledge to survey the Academy and search for her. He couldn't see her. This was his last chance to resist the call, his last chance to preserve his celibacy for his lost mate. He clenched his silvery eyes shut and grumbled to himself. The female's call that had so aroused him only seconds before was not his Alona, nor would it ever be again. His body didn't care. But the whispers in his heart told him only what he needed to hear. The same echo of the words he heard so often in his dreams.

Let go, Volare.

He opened his eyes and spread his crimson and grey wings. With the speed and grace only an Air dragon could even hope to achieve, Volare launched himself from his ledge and followed her voice. Though, when he found her, he backpedaled in the air, hovering for a moment as her shining form slipped through the currents of his element like an ethereal ghost. And he had nothing to give her but guarantees of his strength and prowess. He felt suddenly ashamed, feeling as though he didn't even have his heart to give. Perhaps he could make up for it in some way that she would at least appreciate, even if she did not choose him. That would be enough, at least, to know he still had it in him to impress.

Volare called to her, hovering as a gentle rise of air held him aloft, displaying his bright crimson, white, and grey plumage to her, though it was hardly anything in comparison to her beauty. "Volare answers you dear one," he said with a respectful bow of his head. Everything to Volare was done as proper as possible on ceremony as often as possible, from courtship to battle. He might seem a rigid old bird, but those that knew of him and his experiences knew that underneath it all was a dragon that truly, deeply cared about every cause, every person, every dragon he ever came in contact with. Even if this stunning female didn't know him, perhaps she would give him a chance to prove it.

((Just for your reference, since I have no art of him currently, this is at least what his feathers/coloring resembles so you can at least try and mentally picture him :} ))

Mire hadn't bothered to keep track of how many nights he'd spent away from Arcyanis, scouting for females and losing every one of them. Now, he'd finally returned to his quarters with the masked man he called his rider. At least they'd shared apologies, Arcy for his teasing and Mire for his embarrassingly childish outbursts. For now, they'd call a truce; Arcy would withhold comments about Mire's flight performance, and Mire would reciprocate by refraining from any jabs at Arcy's attempt to get back into his former profession as a blacksmith. So far the arrangement had been working well, though the first day was more of a tense harmony than a proper one. But for now, Mire had allowed himself to relax, stretched out on the floor of his quarters, eyes half-closed with Weiss resting on the bulge of his wing muscles. The little fox gargoyle was naturally not too fond of heat, and so preferred to spend his days curled up next to Mire rather than on Arcy's shoulder when he was in the forge.

Normally Mire would have been up now, but all his running and flying and chasing had tired his body and mind out enough that he felt justified in sleeping in. It was one of those days when he absolutely didn't want to do anything today... he hoped to the Rider that a female wouldn't summon for males today. He could use a day off, and though he knew he could at least try to resist, it didn't seem to him that he would be able to succeed.

And then, damn his luck, an unmistakable call reached his ears. But it wasn't the feral roar of a lust-crazed female, but one more soft, gentle... almost angelic. As Mire snapped his head to gaze out to the sky, he caught sight of probably the most spectacular vision he had ever seen. An immense streak of color, glittering in the light, a living rainbow with unrivaled grace for her size. No turning back now, definitely...

With a heave of effort, Mire dragged himself to his feet, dislodging Weiss. The marble fox just barely caught himself with his tiny wings, then reprimanded Mire with a gravelly growl. "Weiss, my little friend, go find Arcyanis," the Water commanded the little fox, who merely huffed and trotted to Arcy's bed without any inclination to obey Mire. Of course, Mire had no intention of enforcing his half-hearted commend, and instead launched himself out into the air to follow the dazzling Glass female. As he laid his eyes on her entire enormous form, Mire's breath caught in his throat, eyes wide and wings almost faltering. She was absolutely stunning, a beautiful example of color and form that he had never laid eyes on before. But wait... had he, in fact? Something seemed vaguely familiar about her, and somehow significant. He should know who she was...

And as he drew ever closer to her, entranced by her lilting song, he glanced at the glassy feathers near the tip of her tail, and noticed a sight that instantly clicked in his mind. One feather was missing, and the size of the surrounding feathers estimated the missing one at nearly six feet long. Six feet... the same size as the glass feather that Arcy kept as one of his dearest possessions. And now her name flooded to him, spoken many times by Arcy in reference to the feather. "Celiostiahle..." he spoke, and somehow he hoped she had heard. Perhaps she would even recognize him as the partner of that broken man who she had soothed and comforted nearly a year ago. "Lady of Glass, it is an honor to be in the presence of one who holds so much meaning to my rider. My Arcyanis still treasures the feather you graciously gave him before I hatched." He had no doubt she would remember, as judging by what Arcy had said, he had been remarkably pitiful that day, plagued by hallucinations and sleeplessness, on his knees and begging just to be near her Glass egg. "I hope, perhaps... maybe I can repay you for your kindness."

He withdrew a little bit to allow her more space to continue her breathtaking display, and cast his eyes around in search of other suitors. That was when he caught sight of the huge glass flower she had clearly created, which caught the light and redirected it to shine back onto her scales and multiply her beauty tenfold. It... it actually made his heart sink a little bit. What was he doing chasing a female of such aesthetic perfection? He was worth nothing in the way of beauty. He had no flashy colors that could compliment her light display, no delicate frills to flare out, no fine proportions or truly beautiful features. He was just a brute on the outside, a beast born for battle, physically incapable of showing any emotion on his solid-cast face. Could he win her heart with his lack of visual beauty? His first competitor was an Air, adorned with well-kept feathers in appealing shades of crimson and grey, and a sweet note in his voice. But he did not have a personal connection to this female like Mire did. But even Mire found it so difficult to muster up true emotion, and the sincerity of his voice to Celi at first was an anomaly, a real feeling. A year of growing up with restraint in his voice made every sincere emotion confusing and hard to express.

He would think of something. He'd show her that he appreciated her contribution to Arcy's life and well-being. Perhaps he could use his element in a display... water reflected and refracted light well. Not as well as glass, but he could make it beautiful. He could try... but would he succeed? Suddenly an idea popped into his head and he dropped from his current altitude, diving to circle one of the lakes before slipping under the water as quietly as his bulk would allow. What he had to do was display the beauty that his element could create, right? And his name, Mire... it implied mud, gunk on the bottom of a lake, one of the ugliest things in creation. Yet mud was fertile, and spawned beautiful things. While he was under, he pumped his tail to head to the shore, then skirted the silty edges of the lake, snapping off a series of plants near the roots and ending by bursting back out of the water with the addition of a clawful of water lilies. As he regained his altitude, he tried to arrange the plants into a bouquet, his own display of beautiful life that emerged from the ugliest primordial ooze. "It may not be much, but... it is what I find beautiful..."

Riviere sat on the very edge of the aerial entrance to his quarters, his forepaws curling around the edge and his finned tail tucked around his haunches. Since this entrance faced the east, this was a pose he often adopted, watching the sunrise. But today was different; he stared at the brightening horizon with unseeing eyes, lost in thought and the rhythms of his body. He had chased a female for the first time only a few days before, the air dragonness Kestrel. He had lost, but he did not dwell on it; her mate was her choice. Rather, now that he had given in to the desire to chase once, instincts were stronger and harder to ignore, and he could hear another dragonness calling in the early morning light. He and Keli had not spoken about why he had returned so tired the other morning. He didn't know if she knew the reason or not, while he preferred to think that she hadn't noticed anything, in the past he had underestimated his rider's perceptiveness.

Suddenly there was a tiny movement beside him, and a hand touched his leg. The water dragon nearly jumped out of his skin, turning to look down at his side, surprised to find his rider next to him. She still wore her sleeping clothes and had obviously just padded across the room to him. Keli smiled up at him, and he backed away form the edge and laid down. She went to the side of his head and scratched behind his fringe. "Why are you awake so early?" Riviere asked, feeling fond of his rider. "Normally I don't wake you for another hour."

She chuckled and patted his scales. "You think very loudly, dear Rivi," she said. "Are you going to chase again?" At his surprise, she snorted. "Oh please. The whole Academy is talking about the fact that the females are all rising. It's not like I am completely incompetent." Then her expression softened. "I'm glad you are chasing, Riviere. You should go again, if someone is calling you." She stopped scratching and gestured towards the entrance. Riviere looked longingly out the door, then back down at her. Keli patted him and stepped backwards with a yawn. "Well, whatever you decide, I'm going back to sleep," she declared, walking away from him.

Rivere watched his rider disappear under her blankets again, and then he rose to his feet, eyes searching the morning outside for the calling female. He looked over his shoulder at Keli, then back out the door. It bothered him that she seemed to know him better than himself, but he could not deny it, the longing pulling him out the doorway was strong. With two strides he leaped off of his ledge, snapping open his long, narrow wings once he had space, his blood beginning to pump as he surged through the air, a lean arrow surging towards the source of the call.

The water dragon nearly froze in his flight as he finally tracked down the source of his desire at the water gardens, stunned by the beauty of the scene. There, a slender glass dragonness that he did not recognize was in the center of a massive glass flower, her scales glittering and glowing a myriad of colors in the morning light. Recovering, Riviere swooped towards her, flying low.

"Good morning," he greeted. "I am Riviere, and I am pleased to be here to chase you." Sure, many people would think that he was very stiff, being so formal, but to Riviere, a self-proclaimed gentledragon, anything other than the utmost courtesy was shameful. He regretted that he had lost himself so quickly in the last flight, completely forgetting himself. This time, he was more determined to prove to the glass that he would make a fine mate. An air dragon and another water were already present, but Riviere did no more than give them a nod in acknowledgement. This was the dragonnesses' time to shine, and he was going to give her his full attention.

Salus
((Talked to Bloo- Lithias flight is happening after this as far as timeline is concerned :3 ))


Watching the sun rise was one of his more relaxing leisure activites and Salus watched in calm, almost meditative quiet as the first rays of light begun to ripple across the horizon, the first color of the day coming in great waves of purple, red and gold, chasing away the greyish darkness of predawn mist. Gradually more and more light begun to flood over the horizon, casting long shadows across the ground and making the wet grass sparkle like a bed of diamonds. A low sigh rose from Salus' chest and he turned his gaze away. The sight of a new morning would never grow old on him but another day meant another day of gruesome work in the Infirmary aswell. He still had a few hours before his shift begun and his rider was still sound asleep in his bed. Soon enough they would have to get ready for work but for now, he could just lay there and watch the Academy wake, watch all those dragons and humans begin to bustle about, the first calls rining through the courtyard. It was a day like any other and yet... it wasn't. There was something in the air. Something different.

His silvery eyes scanned the sky and he frowned as well as he could, searching for what he knew must be there somewhere. As he caught sight of the shimmering blueish shape, slender and far off from where he sat, his heart leapt for a moment and then sank again when he realised he had mistaken the rising female for someone else. Desperation sometimes did that to your eyes. Made you see things you wanted to see instead of the truth. Truth was... he had mistaken the Glass for another lady briefly once before and he blamed it on the distance, the same blue tinged glossy sheen to their hides... and pure despair at the sight of any female rising that was not the love of his life. But... once again he rose to his feet, pausing thoughtfully as the light seemed to explode around the glassen lady, a myriad of colors washing over her hide and her surroundings. He smiled warmly as he leapt into the sky, taking a slight detour as she summoned the males. A display of beauty, hm? He knew exactly what he wanted to do for that...

After his short detour, he made his way swiftly towards her, holding something carefully between his paws, invisible due to his shielding claws. He paused a short way off, letting the other males before him pass by altough he was slightly surprised to find them waiting rather than trying to show off what they had brought. None really sang or danced in the sky... they only... seemed to hover? Had he misunderstood her? With a mental shrug he flew forward and up towards her as the second water male had made his arrival clear. He spun as he rose, allowing the light of the glass flower and the sun that had only just begun to rise fully into the sky play across his body, lightening the vibrant hues of his feathers and scales. He did not glitter and shine such as she did but his hide was clean, his feathers straight and unruffled.

"Today your colors outshine even me, dear Celiostiahle!", he called to her as he approached, a warm draconic smile on his face. Unlike poor Mire, his face was actually very good at performing human motions, something he had trained over many years in the Infirmary, interacting with humans until it had become second-nature to him. He was in a rather cheerful mood it seemed and he circled her once, approaching gently and without pressure that might be understood as applying he already owned her. Which clearly he didn't.

"It is hard to match your wonderful show of light and color... and yet... there is nothing more beautiful and diverse than life itself..." he sung, carefully opening his forepaws wide enough so she could glance through at what he held, his delicate talons shaping a careful prison. Three chicks sat on his paws, where he had kept them very carefully. One was pristine white, with a red beak and a tiny red cockscomb on its head. The next was yellow through and through, the beak hardly tinged into orange, even the eyes glittering golden in the light cascading upwards from the flower. The third and final was pitch black with a tiny patch of white feathers on its face like a white mask, beak and feet equally dark. Salus held them out for her, careful not to drop either of them or shake them too badly which was actually requiring quite the effort in the air. It was entirely up to her to keep them or turn them down and do with them as she pleased. Raise them - and he suspected her rider might just not enjoy that part - or eat them on the spot. Despite the fact that Salus had never eaten flesh or fish in his entire life he understood the need some dragons felt to feast on what once had been alive and he... accepted it. He still hoped she wouldn't eat them immediately, though. Annoying peeping sounds or no... they were kinda cute and fluffy and adorable after all. And he could not... quite... see the beauty in chewing such a thing up.

Replaced this post below <3

The great Glass swooped and turned, twisting in the air this way and that, the dawns light ever increasing, cascading colors shining off her scales. The petals of the giant glass flower acted like prysms, letting any number of colors shine through, and not only on her but the others who were there too. The first to arrive, a little air, Volare, gained Celi's attention with his striking colors, and when he spoke she tipped her head to acknowledge him, and seemed entranced by such colors on an Air. He had answered, but perhaps with his own coat of feathers. The reds and greys were quite lovely and she did enjoy such lovely things as feathers, but almost as soon as he had arrived, a water soon came after. She let out a deep rumbling purr, hovering her wings, which probably created some level of gusts. “How glorious you are, such contrasting colors!” She commented, before the second to arrive caught her attention.

This one, unlike others of his kind seemed quite different. Unique, this water was the perfect melding of his parents, that metallic water. She seemed to recognize him, and soon it clicked, that his rider was one of those whom had been granted her permission to care for and touch the glass egg the year before. Yes, she remembered him indeed, a boy whom had, for some reasons she still did not know, had broken down before her glass egg, weeping or comforted by the warmth of it. She had not felt the need to pry, but had given him something then. And now his dragon was chasing her, oh how the world turned! Though, as she watched, he seemed to spin away and fly off, and for a moment she thought he had lost his nerve, and perhaps had decided to bail. Twisting about, form mimicing a glassy serpent for a few seconds, she followed his flight with her eyes, and watched his visual representation of himself, from mud bringing forth the flowers. Life from what was otherwise murky. Clever! With a smirk, she circled the water and twisted her great long neck about to sniffle at the flowers- carefully, lest she inhale them. “Such beautiful flowers, brought from one whom is also beautiful- For we are all glorious now.” And it was so! The colors of the prysm-flower she'd made did indeed make each in turn stand out.

Twisting upwards again, Celiostiahle spotted another water dragon, this time one more like the typical fashion, long bodied and thin frame, with sails about him. He himself was quite nice to see as well, and his statement that he was here to chase momentarily puzzled the great Glass. Had she not spoken of them to bring her their own beauty? Either in themselves or, if they so wished, in something to present her? And while his attention was rapt on her, she too watched him. How the colors of the dawn shone and weaved over his scales...Lovely indeed. She trilled a note, turning to circle back around near the second water, whom she now knew was Riviere. “A lovely morning to you to, dear Riviere. I know your mother well, Claw of the wing we're in.” Yes, she had paid attention to the young ones, this one from a hatching prior had been lovely too. But, in the edge of her vision, she spied a creature that seemed to radiate color even before letting his wings guide him into the heart of the inner flower.

Her gaze was one made to see details, and details she took in for this one. From nose to tail he was a rainbow, and even for a rosemary, was quite bold to court her. She remembered him from before, he who had such a great heart, had fled her last flight, but returned this year. She was glad to see him, and rumbled a purr of greeting, but before she could welcome him, she hovered in place carefully, looking at what he'd brought. Indeed, he was right- today she did manage to shine more than he, but she would never admit it aloud. “Dear Salus, one born in the blooms of the Khanna Blossoms, I daresay none truly match your color indeed..” but her rapt attention was soon locked on the tiny birds, each lovely, and not something she would ever harm. Tiny birds were not much of a feast to her. Crooning softly, she purred. “Yes, life is the most beautiful thing of all, so clever of you Salus.” She did not reach to take the birds herself, fearing that they would not be safe in her own talons during a flight. She did however, have plans to keep them, and make sure her rider helped raise them. He owned a golden eagle, shouldn't she have some pets too?
Moving up and away from them, she continued her dance until the sun had just a tip of light touching the top of the flowers. Deep in concentration, she mused over things, her abilities giving out such inspirations to those who saw her then. And, like the year before, her eyes closed and she let herself drop from the sky, looping here and there- somehow she found these maneuvers to be the best way to think. When she righted herself again, she cupped her wide wings about Salus and Mire, the clear, blue-toned sails bathing them in a light colored like herself. “You have both brought me much to see and think upon this morning, and it is between you whom I must choose. Both offerings equal, showing their worth in balance.”

Turning to Salus, the great Glass sighed out a gentle breath. “Your offering brings me great joy, and I will raise these birds to grow into beautiful examples of life. I feel you know and have seen much beauty in your life, and perhaps your heart beats more true for another, and that love is more precious than anything here.” she smiled gently, kindly as she could. “I would love it if you could bring these chicks to my wing and leave them with my rider, and I do hope you'll stop by to visit them in the future too.” She then twisted her neck about to see Mire and nuzzled him-carefully. “You have shown me that beauty does not always lie in the most obvious places, but sometimes deep within. Your name suggests one thing, but your heart gives another. From the murks grow hidden things of use or greatness, such as a flower that blooms on water. I do believe that between us, we can create something quite grand, wouldn't you say?”

To the last two, she gave an apologetic glance, wishing somehow everyone could leave a winner, but in such things, there could be only one choice, --or two, if she were like some other females. But today, only Mire stood out vastly for her. However she would not dismiss them without nothing for their efforts...

“All who came may, if they so wish, take a petal from the blooming glass, keep it as a token, or trade it for something you may wish to own. There are large petals, and little petals, and some in-between. All of them lovely, and detailed to the t'.”
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OOC:
Celi's so kind! she would have picked everyone if she could have! It was all very tricky to decide.
In the end, I randomized my finalists and Mire was the winner!

Having successfully arranged his bouquet, Mire clutched it close to him, as though it was incredibly precious, and circled Celi a few times, fascinated by the scintillating colors of her scales. He only partly paid attention to the other suitors, and only acknowledged them with nods. He was determined this time around not to spend time agonizing over the performances of others... perhaps that had been his major flaw in the past. He did not bother to glance into Salus's paws to see what he carried, and he did not notice that Volare and his own half-brother Riviere carried nothing. For now, all he could do was continue to circle and await her decision.

Finally, she brought herself between him and Salus, and Mire's vision shone a vibrant blue as her wings stretched over them both. Now, his own hide appeared a stormy blue-grey, with vibrant blue-green striations... almost like what was considered a normal Water. Even Salus's magnificent hues turned to blue gradients, tinged with his normal colors, a sight that any female would have enjoyed. And when the great Glass mother began to speak, she addressed the rainbow Rosemary first. Mire listened intently and honestly was surprised to hear her turning him down. Could it be true that Salus was only chasing half-heartedly? Mire had not been around long enough to know the story behind all the older dragons, and certainly did not know that Salus had had a devoted mate in the past. He had no way of knowing that Salus would soon find his love again, and would soon be able to share his past joys with her. Perhaps Celi knew something none of the others did, or perhaps it was just a gut feeling, but she truly was turning him down.

Mire's heart leaped when Celi turned to him, and as she gently nuzzled him, his breath caught in his throat. She... she was choosing him? His days of failure were over... he'd won. He'd claimed the heart of someone truly special to everyone in his family, himself included. He'd have a child, even possibly children. He'd make his parents and Arcy proud, and provide happiness to Celi. "Celi..." he breathed, meeting her eyes, confidence welling up. "I'd be honored to join you." He paused to allow her to address those she had not chosen, offering for them to take a petal from the glass flower she had created. Mire sighed softly and winged away from the flower, curving his body above her and lightly tracing a claw against the side of her neck, then descended to be beside her again. He needed nothing but her company now. The others could have their consolation prizes, as he already had one of her feathers back in his quarters, and now he had her affections. "Let us fly, Celi. This means the world to me, and I have no doubt our creation will be as beautiful as you are..."

Salus watched with quiet intensity as Celi flew about, apparently trying to sort her thoughts, chasing a decision more than anything. He watched and for once was patience and calm. Her reaction to the tiny birds had pleased him greatly and her refusal to eat them was something he highly approved of. But it had not forced her to make a decision on the spot. No, she was still considering, still trying to figure out her partner. And he hovered in silence as she did so, his forepaws slowly beginning to ache from the awkward posture. But he was used to that. Holding a wound tightly shut until someone could see to it wasn't really that much different. And then as she rightened herself again, her wings enveloped two of them, two of the four that had come for her, narrowing down her options noticably.

Salus was not... surprised to be among her favorite, feeling a certain, odd connection to her. Kinship. Understanding. Seeing a soul as kind as his own, a heart perhaps even larger than his. And as she rejected him with her gentle voice, he smiled warmly. He felt no anger or remorse at being rejected, nothing but quiet joy for her having found someone more suitable for herself. Much like when in many years past he had backed out of a flight amidst a thunderstorm, worrying about Shrikes safety and his own brother, leaving the female no other choice but choose the remaining brother, he knew it was alright. That it was good to be this way. That nothing bad would come from it. No harm. That Celi would find joy without him. And that knowledge was oddly... rewarding and all he needed to know today.

His smile deepened as he watched her nuzzle Mire gently, watching the young waters stunned expression. He chuckled gently and shook his head. Youngsters. He slowly begun to drift away from the pair, giving them room as she slipped away. "I will deliver them to your rider... And take care of them until you return.", he told her gently, not quite sure if it quiet voice would actually reach her. She might already be busying herself with... other things. He did however take her up on her offer and scooped down to pick up a tiny one of the glassen petals. For an instance he considered trying to take the largest and most outstanding of them, chuckling in childish glee as he considered how ridiculous that would be. He would have love to just... ...be an idiot about it. But he probably was much too old for that already. Besides... he had three young birds to take care off and those lifes were more important than being stupid and knowing it.

Some other day perhaps.

For now... he would just remember the days when he had still been with the love of his life. For Celi had been right of course. His heart beat for another. Always would. And altough he liked Celi a lot... it was more a friendly thing rather than true love. As long as she was happy... he was statisfied.