After Skobeloff's response, both of the twins nodded with only slight hesitance. [color=77DD77]"Me and Pleexem also both swear not to tell anyone,"[/color] Tamba said.

[color=C8A2C8]"Y-yeah,"[/color] Pleexem stammered. [color=C8A2C8]"Sure."[/color]

[color=silver]"Okay,"[/color] Fogdance said. She turned her eyes up towards the ceiling as she began her tale. [color=silver]"I don't know when I first realised I wanted to be a mother. I've always had a skill for nurturing and teaching younger dragons. Even when I was a drake myself, I always found myself naturally trying to aid and protect those younger than me. It was instinct. So, when I was going to have my first clutch of eggs, you can imagine I was very excited. Me and my partners had at eleven eggs, and while I knew that most of the raising of drakes is done by their House, I expected at least one of my children would end up in Tessith. Regardless, I promised myself I would do my best to support and care for all of them, wherever they ended up."[/color]

Fogdance gives a heavy sigh, and all three drakes are able to see obvious pain in her expression. [color=silver]"However, things didn't go how I expected. Out of those eleven eggs, only two hatched."[/color] She lowers her head. [color=silver]"It... happens sometimes. Not often, but it happens. Just one of those cruel facts of life."[/color] Her eyes start to shine with tears. [color=silver]"Everyone tried to comfort me, of course, tell me it wasn't my fault. Truthfully, I don't know if there is anything I could have done differently, but the fact is, I had lost nine of my children."[/color] She brushes away an emerging tear with the back of her claw. [color=silver]"To make matters worse, the two that survived did not end up in House Tessith. You may have met them. Their names are Hopa and Aziri."[/color] She attempts a weak smile. [color=silver]"I am very proud of them both, and I do what I can to support them. However, the sad fact is, at the end of the day they belong to their Houses, not to me. I cannot be there all the time to protect them, to brush away their tears and scare away their fears."[/color] A edge of coldness starts to enter her tone. [color=silver]"And that... that started to make me realise how flawed Dragon society truly is, how the Houses may not be the ideal way to raise and care for our young."[/color] She starts to look at the three drakes in the room. [color=silver]"I know I probably shouldn't be saying such things in front of young, impressionable drakes, but if the Council thinks you are all old enough to go on such missions, perhaps you are old enough to start questioning the world around you."[/color] Her eyes stop on Skobeloff. [color=silver]"So, after some time of grieving and trying to get by, I decided that I would try and have a new lot of eggs, raised outside the safety and structure of the Houses. Me and another dragon, not of my affinity clutch and one who I will keep anonymous for their sake, decided to have a clutch of eggs outside of the confines of the Houses. We would raise in secret, caring for them ourselves. Then, when they were at least of winged drake age, we would present them to the Council. We would show them how good our children, how they had grown to be fine dragons without the system restricting and influencing them."[/color] She gives a small, sad laugh. [color=silver]"We honestly thought we could change society, that we could bring down the Houses and show them a new way, a better way."[/color] She sighs again. [color=silver]"But, just as before, things didn't work out the way I wanted."[/color]


[hr]

As the drakes and Alpin stepped out onto the river's surface, they notice the water feels solid enough for them to walk on, feeling not unlike walking on a sheet of glass. However, before they can fully comprehend this, all four of them are suddenly pulled beneath the surface. For Stargaze, this isn't too unusual as she seen Echo do this trick before, but it will be a little disorientating for everyone else as they realise that, despite being underwater, they can still breathe and speak like normal. They all seem to be contained within a large bubble of air that is slowly being pushed forwards, into the mouth of the cave. During their journey, they will notice that just like on dry land, there is not any sign of life beneath the water either. No fish, plankton, nothing. Just the swaying of water plants, and even that seems more stilted than it should be.

Eventually, the bubble bring them back up to the surface, where they find that same cave Fellwing saw in her vision. And, just like her vision, the pale orange winged drake can be seen, lying and resting on the rocks. They raise their head as the group emerges. [color=ffab72]"Back so soon, Echo? Were you able to find something better to-" [/color]They stop mid-sentence as they realise that they are not addressing the elemental. They get to their feet immediately and come bounding over. [color=ffab72]"Thank the moons! I was starting to think the Council had forgotten about us!"[/color]

While it is dim in the cave, there is enough bio-luminescent plants to provide a light source, allowing everyone to be able to see this dragon. While it takes a moment, Shieldwing will eventually be able to recognise them. Though he can't recall their name exactly, he will know them as a dragon he used to see hanging around his rival and bully Stonescale. However, despite being able to recognise them, it doesn't seem this drake has recognised Shieldwing yet, as they are beaming happily at all of the drakes.