Chronicles From the End of an Age

The Perfect Mate - 16Yrs BTA

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"No, no! It's not right!" Shyal snapped in Drakin, clawing at the ground in agitation.

The light dragoness was sitting in front of a large mirror. Her golden scales twinkled with polished brilliance. Strings of silver adorned her outstretched wings and golden brambles laced with jewels curled up the base of her horns. The talons on each of her paws were long and sharpened to a razor edge. Flower essence had been rubbed into her scales, creating the scent of a sunny spring day. But it still wasn't enough. Her scales didn't shine enough, and her jewels, while beautiful, seemed to lack the quality she needed.

The three human servants working tirelessly around her flinched as she spoke, but continued to work, rubbing polish into every crevice of her scales. It frustrated the young dragoness as she tilted her head, looking at herself in the mirror with narrowed and studying eyes. She got up from where she was sitting, causing the three servants to back off for a moment as she turned around, studying herself from every angle and gritting her teeth.

"You... you look beautiful, mistress," stuttered one of the younger servants, a young woman with shabby brown hair and a simple green dress.

"You think I don't know that," snorted Shyal, not even giving the woman a glance, "But it's not enough. My scales aren't glowing! I want them to glow! Like... like Yila's... or Pedria's!"

It was unfair how naturally stunning the two of them were. A biproduct of the equilibrium they achieved with their elements. They didn't even have to polish their scales or adorn themselves in jewels to stand apart. Their scales were jewels, a golden brilliance that put all others to shame. Something that seemed impossible to replicate. It agitated the young dragon because she had tried so hard to reach her own equilibrium. Then she would be the one that everyone would look at with awe and fear. Then she would be perfect.

She sat down again, look at herself in the mirror from the side, second-guessing the thought for a moment. She did look pretty perfect. Many of the upper-class drakes were all over her, vying for her attention. She didn't know how many times she had been asked to join with one as one of their mates. The dragonesses were always slightly jealous of her as well, either following her or hating her. A fact which she relished in. But still... it wasn't enough. None of the really important dragons paid her any attention at all. That was to change tonight.

She snorted, looking at her servants who stood, soaked garments and dripping cloths, seeming a little unsure of what to do next, "What are you all standing there for? Clean this place up. There is nothing more you can do now."

They rushed to her command, dragging away the large wooden buckets of water and putting away the great assortments of jewels that she had pulled out in preparation. She winced a little at the squealing of the bucket against the white pearl floor.

"Pick it up you fools!" she growled, followed by several apologies as they struggled to haul the bucket up from the ground, their heavy breathing only slightly less annoying than the grating of the bucket against marble ground.

She turned back to the mirror with a frustrated 'humph', studying herself again with a practiced eye. There was nothing left to fix. Nothing that she could think of that would give her the extra wonder that she was looking for. Nothing except perhaps bursting into equilibrium. She flicked her tail in annoyance. It would have to do. At the very least Pedria already had a mate, and Yila didn't seem interested in finding one, yet anyway.

She took a deep breath and nodded her head, before twisting around and walking out of her room. The pearl castle she lived in had been made by her parents several centuries ago. A massive pearl building that stretched high into the sky. Not as amazing as the royal palace of course, but it was pretty close. As she walked she had to hold her wings out somewhat so the silver strings on her wings didn't get all bunched up. Beams of white and yellow sunlight pierced through glass windows with celestial radiance. Stone statues and carvings lined the walls each depicting different light dragons in a myriad of poses. The roof stretched several dozen dragon lengths high, and the hallway was wide enough to comfortably fly through.