Wings of Fire: Dragons, Steel, and Pom-Poms

XXI - Tintenfische Things (i)

>On a rock outcrop, somewhere in the Kingdom of the Sea_

Cuttlefish felt like he was figuratively bonking his head against a rock.

He was also literally bonking his head against a rock, but that was only tangentially correlated.

He felt stuck. Enclave life was dull and dreary for the sprouting dragonet, but that was nothing new. That had always been the case, for as long as he'd lived here. (Indeed, his entire life.)

Living in an undersea rock outcrop far removed from the warm currents of the Kingdom of the Sea by vast dark waters was boring. That was a reality he'd grown used to. A feature of life. He and his friends had always managed to content themselves on mundane adventures and bouts of play. Mako always made sure to have them study scrolls and complete homework assignments, even when doing so served no practical purpose for them all the way out here. What use did any of them have for learning scrolls, when no-one uses writing or reading on a regular basis?

That had always been the same. But something was different, now. Cuttlefish had this feeling that he had something new to do.

A subtle, nagging feeling that he nary noticed; much less put a claw on. He had this faint inclination, like a muted scent originated from afar; something important was happening. Or perhaps it was supposed to be happening? Perhaps it will come to happen? He just couldn't place it.

Cuttlefish listlessly lifted his forehead off the rock he had bonked it against with a low snort. The same dry rock in the middle of the ocean he had visited but a few times before. It was difficult to manage getting out here on his own, given his friends Oyster and Clam were both rather apt at sniffing him out. The two together always made attempts at concentration impossible. They were always together.

Today though, he had managed to make his way out to this outcrop, a small rock not much bigger than he was that barely poked above the waterline; distanced by a good swim away from the enclave, on his own. Clam and Oyster were predisposed with tutor Mako, thus not able to follow him. He was partially sitting on the rock, but most of his body was floating in the sea. Only his shoulders, forelegs and neck out of the water.

Despite himself, now that he'd been out here on his own for a decent while; he found himself somewhat wishing they were here anyway.

It was quiet out here. Endless blues of sky and sea- disturbed only by lively whisk of tired breeze, and lazy roll of restless sea.

Within such tranquil milieu; Cuttlefish could listen plainly to his thoughts running into the proverbial sandbar.

The blue-green SeaWing dragonet glared at the blank scroll before him. The vacant parchment glared back. Mocking him for his inability to put cohesive thoughts to writing.

Cuttlefish huffed. WELL, maybe if I didn't just have this one scroll and had some scrap paper, I could practice and figure out what it is I want to write without messing up my only scroll, I would have written more stuff!

The blank document did not relent upon Cuttlefish's incredibly super reasonable objections.

Well, written any stuff, I guess.

Cuttlefish sighed, reaching up and rubbing his snout with a webbed talon. This whole personal project of his wasn't going anywhere. He was still trying to make his own informative scroll regarding scavengers. Specifically, regarding the massive water-borne constructs they had encountered so long ago.

It wasn't actually very long ago. Cuttlefish knew, but it certainly felt like it. Happening across those scavengers and their enormous metallic hulks had been, without a doubt, the most interesting thing he could remember occurring to him and his friends.