Dododex
ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion
Pandora
• Chapter 5 •
Izzabee stood silently by the wall, watching the Poison Wyvern pacing before her. She inhaled deeply, nodding as he spoke to her in his firm and anxious tone. She tried her best to listen, despite losing his attention rather quickly.
“I’m telling you, no more festivals like that for a while. Too much for my brain to handle.” He said, still pacing, his tail switching left and right.
“You were barely even there,” Izzabee said slowly.
“It was so crowded! Let the Ice Wyverns host their full moon thing. I don’t mind missing that.” He said with a small wave of his wing. Izzabee sighed again, and he glanced at her. “You’re paying attention, right?”
“Yes, Toxin. I’m listening.” She replied.
“Good good good good,” He said, pausing from his pacing for a moment. “Why else did I want to talk to you?”
“I wanted to talk to you, actually,” she reminded him. “About the new hunter that joined.”
“I already heard about them, what about it?” Toxin asked, tapping his claws on the ground restlessly.
Izzabee sat down with a small grunt, feeling especially old today. “Her name is Bria. Pandora’s sister.”
Toxin stopped from his fidgeting. “Wait, really? That’s great! We should meet her as soon as we can. No, wait, scratch that. You should meet her.”
“If this is simply to find out more about her sister, I’m not doing it,” Izzabee said. “She’s just as normal as any Wyvern here and doesn't deserve all these staring eyes and dragons looking to figure her out.”
“But… She’s not normal,” Toxin said quietly. “Look, I just want you to meet with her and learn about her. Talk to her. Ask how she and her sister are doing.”
“You just want her to be our contact to Pandora?” Izzabee said, saying it as a statement and only barely a question.
“Well you don’t tell her that part,” Toxin said anxiously.
“I’m not doing it,” Izzabee said.
“Oh come on, please!” Toxin said, coming up to her with pleading eyes. “Please please please, Izzabee, you beautiful dragon! Do it for me.”
Izzabee stared down at him and his pathetic little expression. She sighed deeply and rolled her eyes. “Ugh, you’re lucky I raised you so well. Fine.”
“Thank you, Mother,” Toxin breathed.
“But first I’m just going to get to know Bria and see how well she’s doing so far with being a hunter.” She turned her head to look over the balcony at the territories below and the group of hunters that had just taken off. Toxin watched them go as well, sitting back and folding his wings close to his chest. She looked in mild fondness at him, his green eyes reflected with light as he thought to himself. “Good.” He said.
“I’m gonna have to wait till they get back,” Izzabee said quietly.
“All fine,” Toxin said dismissively.
“Alright, it’s settled then. I’m going to go for a flight.” She said, walking towards the entrance to the balcony. Toxin flicked his tail in farewell and she padded back into the palace, heading down the stairs with the end of her wings brushing the smooth wooden walls.
She passed another Wyvern as she went and hopped down and glided the rest of the way down to the end. She’d make sure to see Bria later tonight, or perhaps tomorrow if she wasn't able to today. Her back claws dug into the floor for a moment before she jumped and flew upwards out of the palace. She beat her teal and yellow wings as she flew.
Toxin, who now stood alone on the balcony, watched the small blur of Izzabee as she flew away. He found himself blinking and thinking some more, his curiosity of the new hunter and her strange sister at its highest.