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"Axx, pay attention." Bunz scoffed.
Bunz was a rarity in Raven Hallow. While Seitou's treaty with the Beastclans encouraged us to bond to our familiars, most bonded just enough to fulfill the terms of the treaty and nothing more. But I had found the Crepe Connoisseur necessary to improve my baking.
"Sorry." I quickly apologized.
I had nearly ruined the crepe with my lack of attention. But a slight motion made sure no part of it didn't get burnt to a crisp.
Bunz nodded and I allowed my mind to drift off again. It felt good to not be on the edge all the time especially after a Dracomorphs mission. Due to not wanting to risk my familiar being possessed by one of the demons, I had kept him safe in the clan.
I again thought about the fact that Cassie was convinced the things trying to take over Sornieth weren't demons. She also doubted that they had any connection to the Shade.
Bunz turned and I followed his gaze to see Birchurawkp enter our home. Like the rest of the homes in Raven Hallow, ours was made with a combination of rock and mud so that dragons flying overhead couldn't easily see it. I was about to greet my Birther when I saw how tired they were.
"What's wrong?" I asked. "And can a few crepes solve it?"
"Why have Marco and Rachel refused to worship?" Birch asked as they dropped their satchel by the door. "Did they begin fighting on your latest Dracomorphs mission?"
As set down by Seitou, Raven Hallow had a unique form of worship that many dragons didn't fully understand. There had been one too many times Metis had had to get a Warrior to turn away a dragon due to them not understanding.
To my clan breeding was the ultimate form of worship. But it wasn't hedonistic and most who worshiped didn't think of their partners as lovers. This form of worship ensured that the Plaguebringer had more soldiers and that there were more dragons being hatched than dying.
Though my Birther was distraught, I knew they would never force another to breed against their will. There was always a three day window after worship was requested to deny. If a dragon denied worship they didn't have to state a reason. I don't know if Birch made the rule because they were disgusted by breeding or their caring for others was that great. The fact that they had worshiped for a long time to hatch me spoke volumes about the depth of their caring. Though they sometimes got too caught up in their work to properly show that affection.
"Usually when dragons come back from a high stress situation, they are inclined to worship." Birch said and started to pace around the room. "By worshiping a dragon is allowed to not be bothered by the rest of the clan. So after returning from something like a Dracomorphs mission, they want to ensure that they can emotionally and physically recover before being called on again. And since they denied worship I am forced to let them be."
"Why are you so upset about Marco and Rachel not worshiping?" I asked while I made sure that the crepes weren't ruined.
"Their offspring would fit in perfectly with the Revelers of the Wasteland." Birch explained as he stopped pacing. "The clan is close to ours."
Sometimes the small size of our home made me worried when my Birther started to pace. The main room fit a kitchen, dining room, and just enough room that a dragon could enter comfortably. Elfangor and Birch had their own room as they were married and I had a smaller one.
As I continued to cook, I thought on the opportunity Seitou gave hatchlings that were never meant to stay in the clan. Worship was not made for the clan but the Plaguebringer and dragonkind. So the majority hatched weren't allowed to stay. It was good that Seitou was also not cruel enough to send defenseless dragons out into the wilderness.
Seitou had decided to give hatchlings to other clans so that they would have a better idea of Sornieth and their place in it. Then once they were adults they were allowed to leave. Sometimes, like in the case right now, hatchlings were used as a way to build alliances. Though there were many cases where, once they grew up, dragons decided to spend their lives elsewhere. When a clan refused to let a dragon from Raven Hallow go, or they mistreated the hatchling, Seitou turned his full wrath on them.
"So you believe the hatchlings would stay with Revelers of the Wasteland." Bunz said with a brief nod. "What makes you so certain?"
"Their offspring would look very similar to most of the dragons in that clan." Birch explained. "Those that look similar to the rest of a group tend to be accepted by that group. Then they, in turn, feel like they have found a family."
"Can the alliance still be saved?" I asked. "Or was Rachel and Marco worshiping the only way?"
"I would never let worship be the only solution to any problem, son." Birch reassured me.
"What diplomat does Seitou intend to send?"
"Rin. Even though I thought that Rachel and Marco would accept the call to worship, I also knew that the most unexpected things can happen. So I suggested to Jademoon to have one of his diplomats study the Revelers of the Wasteland. We both agreed that Rin would be the one to make an alliance if Rachel and Marco failed to worship."
If Seitou had felt an alliance with the Revelers of the Wasteland was important he wouldn't have agreed to send Rin. While my Birther and Jademoon held important positions in the clan, Seitou always put his claw down on important decision. Rin was a good diplomat but didn't have the same acclaim that Cassie or Vornz did.
Was Seitou certain he could defeat this other clan in battle and that's why he didn't care about diplomacy? Would Elfangor, my father, lead the fight?
"The crepes!" Bunz shouted excitedly.
The familiar would only shout like that if the crepes were done. So I rushed to put the desserts on plates. The smell made my mouth water and I had to resist eating all of the crepes in one large bite. The last time I had attempted that...Crepe Connoisseurs can hit really hard.
"Perfection, dragon." Bunz said with a proud look on his face.
"Rachel and Tobias' anniversary is soon." I said, glad of Bunz's pride. "While all of us are Dracomorphs, when we're not out on a mission we go back to our other departments. Rachel is a Warrior and Tobias is a Yun-Harla. Both could be called away at a moment's notice. So while they both need the rest that worship would bring, they've decided to spend time celebrating their anniversary instead."
My Birther's eyes widened in embarrassment. They pulled their wings close to their body as if to hide themselves from the world.
"I will apologize to them first thing tomorrow." Birch said. "I should remember that most dragons celebrate such important moments in their lives as that affects who will agree to worship."
"Birther," I said to ease the tension and handed them a crepe. "Tell me what you think."
Birch nodded and started to eat the crepe. They took their time and seemed to be studying every small detail. Unlike others, they thought if you replied to quickly than dragons would think that you were lying. So they ate the crepe very slowly.
"So?" I asked nervously.
"Your familiar is correct." Birch said once they finished the crepe. "The crepe is perfect."
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