another hundred miles ● asteri

[bai shi]

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THE KINGPIN

golden lung dragon & black jaguar w/ vitiligo & platinum silver fox. unknown age - ancient. bai shi lynn lingré. proper chinese name is lin bai. prefers lynn if close. they/them. blind. wind element & electric element. firstborn son of jerisidie lingré & current head of family/general. courting delilah evergarden & halo mercer. kingpin of alithís evgenis. demiromantic gray-asexual. parent of veris, arvin, leoku, erian, flos, kekhai, evarhi, and laeglin. elder brother of ramona, uncle of quennel and cosette.

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lavender hung in the air like a sweet rain, sprigs crushed under talons and heavy muscles. the scent of a river had drawn the dragon in, seeking a place to rest their weary body, tired of the day's affairs. they had broken away from their land for the time being, traveling in hopes of finding someone to aid their family and them. bandits had taken over their land in the time that they had been away and sickly, thinking themself on their death bed at that time. now they were back, and they were risking being run out of their territory, and only had their daughter at their side and she was far too young to have to fight so hard to keep her home. a low growl erupted from the serpentine golden dragon, blind blue eyes sweeping over the grounds unseeing, traveling in an unknown land. coming after them was the scent of electricity sparkling through the air and ground, temper flaring. they were not pleased, and they were hurting.

the scent of the river had drawn them in, making them think that they might find some rest on a riverbank, to cool their feet and take a drink from, but they couldn't smell any sources of water now that they had closed in on the scent - instead they found a distinctly canine scent.

[SirDio]

Asteri

"The stars listen, so don't say anything you'd regret."

Asteri had been relaxing from the heat, though it was beginning to cool down significantly. She had situated herself under a tree, where she was sprawled on the ground. Then she caught a scent of something unknown.

She lifted her head as footsteps approached, and a sort of reptilian scent hit her nose. She looked around before spotting the large Lung Dragon, their golden scales causing Asteri to blink rapidly. Then reality hit her and she scampered to her feet. Her tail tucked between her legs, she leaned her head forward, legs shaking as she spoke.

"I-I'm sorry, but are you - lost? Do you, ahm, seek assistance..?" Her voice quivered, and she often found herself unable to speak for a moment.

[bai shi]

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THE KINGPIN

golden lung dragon & black jaguar w/ vitiligo & platinum silver fox. unknown age - ancient. bai shi lynn lingré. proper chinese name is lin bai. prefers lynn if close. they/them. blind. wind element & electric element. firstborn son of jerisidie lingré & current head of family/general. courting delilah evergarden & halo mercer. kingpin of alithís evgenis. demiromantic gray-asexual. parent of veris, arvin, leoku, erian, flos, kekhai, evarhi, and laeglin. elder brother of ramona and hope, uncle of quennel and cosette.

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soft was the voice that reached their ears, the dragon bringing their head closer to the ground, scarred eyes sliding to half closed. a female wolf stood before them, her nervousness rolling off in a wave that reminded them of their children when caught doing something that they shouldn't. amusement rippled through them, "be at ease my dear. i might be big, but i am no threat to you. lost? i fear that is closer to the truth. i havent traveled this land before i lost my sight, i have very little clue of where i am. is there by any chance a river nearby?", they rumbled deep in their throat, breath puffing out over the grasses and dirt.

"i ask for the water for my injuries and for a drink, i dare not fly in this land without an understanding of it's layout. my name is lin bai, but please call me bai shi. what's your name my dear? oh, forgive me if this body is too big and flashy. i can take a smaller form if you would feel more at ease." they smiled as kindly as they could manage, pain written in their scent and expressions. wounds decorated their legs and jaws, made by smaller animals about the size of a cat towards a moose.

[SirDio]

Asteri

"The stars listen, don't say something you'd regret."

She listened to the dragon, her body and mind slowly relaxing as she realized they wouldn't mean any harm. Slowly, her tail was brought back from between her legs and said legs stopped wobbling. A slight pang of sadness hit her as they spoke of blindness; she couldn't imagine walking if she didn't know where she was going. At the question of a river, her head swung slowly from side to side, then she let out a soft sigh, "If my memory serves correctly, there is a river behind me."

She flicked an ear as she listened intently, icy eyes focused on Bai Shi's scarred ones. As they spoke of injuries, her eyes drifted to the wounds on their legs, their jaws. "Bai Shi - such a nice name. My name is Asteri." She smiled slightly, "And there's no need to take on another form - I feel much more at ease now that I've heard your voice - had you been sharp spoken, I may have been a bit more on, ehm, edge."

She looked behind her, toward the direction she said a river was, then back at Bai Shi, "If you want me to, I can acompany you to the river - it's only a few minutes walk."

[bai shi]

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THE KINGPIN

golden lung dragon & black jaguar w/ vitiligo & platinum silver fox. unknown age - ancient. bai shi lynn lingré. proper chinese name is lin bai. prefers lynn if close. they/them. blind. wind element & electric element. firstborn son of jerisidie lingré & current head of family/general. courting delilah evergarden & halo mercer. kingpin of alithís evgenis. demiromantic gray-asexual. parent of veris, arvin, leoku, erian, flos, kekhai, evarhi, and laeglin. elder brother of ramona and hope, uncle of quennel and cosette.

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it was strange to feel relief that she would offer them such an aid, as much as it was a  irritant to their pride to need aid. they couldn't help the deep rumble in their throat, a soft croon escaping them before it could be held back. her name was a name that held a deeply important place in their heart, a name that their first mate had borne. taking a deep breath, they soothed the frantic knocking of their heart. this could not be their asteri, no.

had it been him .. they would have had their ears scolded from their head and then given the affection they had been denied since his death. "a rare and beautiful name. i apologize ... someone very, very dear to me once held that name as well. ah, my tongue is usually very sharp, ask any of my friends and enemies. gentle voices take you further than harsh ones." they would quietly murmur. "any amount of guidance would be wonderful." they respond, accepting her offer.

They were loathe to leave her side, if only because she was friendly, or if it was her name. They felt .... comforted by that fact.

[SirDio]

Asteri

"The stars listen, so don't say anything you'd regret."

Asteri listened intently, letting a gentle smile grow wider as Bai Shi talked. It was rare for her to give anyone more than a tired, slim smile, but she couldn't help herself. She looked away bashfully at the compliment given to her name, but looked back. "Don't apologize - for some reason, I feel comforted that someone else once had my name."

She blinked, as light hit her eyes at a specific angle, and her eyes became a splash of Aquamarine for half a second. She had moved her paws, directioning her body toward the river. "Very true - I've met people who spoke so sharp, with fowl language, that I couldn't get used to them." She knew that was a lie - She didn't meet anyone with that sharp of a voice, but she did know of wolves like that, flesh and blood relatives, they denied to be.

"We should get the walk going - We've kept the river waiting long enough."

[bai shi]

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THE KINGPIN

golden lung dragon & black jaguar w/ vitiligo & platinum silver fox. unknown age - ancient. bai shi lynn lingré. proper chinese name is lin bai. prefers lynn if close. they/them. blind. wind element & electric element. firstborn son of jerisidie lingré & current head of family/general. courting delilah evergarden & halo mercer. kingpin of alithís evgenis. demiromantic gray-asexual. parent of veris, arvin, leoku, erian, flos, kekhai, evarhi, and laeglin. elder brother of ramona and hope, uncle of quennel and cosette.

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listening to her words and movements they couldn't help the soft smile and rumble in place of a purr, "he would be happy to know another shared his name, if not younger than he." they chuckled softly, golden scales glowing in the sun's blissful light, warming them to their core. "he would have scolded my head from my neck by now. he was one man with a sharp tongue if i've ever heard one.", they shared in soft recalling of the fiesty male that had long ago caught their attention.

"the river is best to appease before she leaves her banks", they smiled, ears hidden by their antlers flicking when she moved her paws, waiting to let her lead. the heat even here was intense, they moved to her side that was closest to the sun, offering their shadow wordlessly as a cool reprieve from the heat. the sun had slowly begun it's descent towards the loving arms of the horizon, painting the sky in beautiful intricate colors, entwined so peacefully, occassionally patterned with myriad mosaics of wispy clouds.

[SirDio]

Asteri

"The stars listen, so don't say anything you'd regret."

She nodded as the spoke, a loose, airy chuckle leaving her throat as she listened to Bai Shi. As they moved to stand beside her, her eyes yet again caught the light and became that aquamarine color before their shadow blessed her. She murmured a 'Thank you' before setting off on light, skinny feet.

With the sun slowly reaching the horizon, she kept a short distance between her and Bai Shi, and before long the quiet murmur of the river was heard. She stopped as she saw the river, basking in Bai Shi's shadow for a very quick moment.

"I used to play in rivers with my family, but we stopped after a while." Her voice faltered as she stepped to the bank, turning to look at Bai Shi.

[bai shi]

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THE KINGPIN

golden lung dragon & black jaguar w/ vitiligo & platinum silver fox. unknown age - ancient. bai shi lynn lingré. proper chinese name is lin bai. prefers lynn if close. they/them. blind. wind element & electric element. firstborn son of jerisidie lingré & current head of family/general. courting delilah evergarden & halo mercer. kingpin of alithís evgenis. demiromantic gray-asexual. parent of veris, arvin, leoku, erian, flos, kekhai, evarhi, and laeglin. elder brother of ramona and hope, uncle of quennel and cosette.

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following quietly behind and beside her, they wandered peacefully aside from the soft exhales of sharp air, pain lancing whenever their steps were off center, the wounds decorating their legs aching although treated and cauterized. there would be no infection there but the herbs had worn away some time before, left with angry swelling around the injuries. hearing the sound of the river and its scent flowing over their nose, they rumbled in relief.

hearing her speak of her family, their gaze softened, "why did you stop if you dont mind this old dragon's curiosity? oh. this is delightful" they huffed as they followed the sound of the river the short distance, great talons sinking into the mud before their feet sank in, leaving four toe imprints. the cold water lapping over their burning hot scales gave such a feeling that they could not forget, or compare it to. the chill soothed the heat seeping from the angry wounds, their tail drifting in soft slow sie to side movements, bending their head to lap from the cold water.

[SirDio]

Asteri

"The stars listen, so don't say anything you'd regret."

"My father thought it stupid to visit only to play, but my mother persuaded him to let us go. When my mother died, her words left his mind and we never went to rivers unless we chased prey or fished there." Her voice kept faltering, speaking of her father, and there was a strained sound to the way she spoke. As if she hated mentioning her father. She sighed deeply before walking slowly into the water, her footsteps cautious and shaky for a moment before she could relax.

"My brothers didn't question him, but I always did, and I got the ass end of most things." The strain was back as she spoke of her brothers, a frustrated huff coming from her nose as she sat down in the water.