As I said in my last Hawks' Backstory project, I'm just being extra-active before my hiatus to get out all those projects I need to share. This is the part of Hawk's backstory that explains her anger/fear at both of her species, and why she was at JMA at the first place. Gore/Abuse warning Hawk trudged grimly down the echoing hallways of her home, her jaw clenched and smoke clouds puffing out of her nose with temper. "That git," she snarled, raking her claws down the carpet, slashing the manky brown rug into ribbons. She had just been confronted - yet again - by Cormorant and he had pushed her too far this time. Hawk had only given him a MINISCULE scratch on his snout and he had shrieked like she had snapped his horns off and shoved them down his ears. Come to think of it, she wished she had. Cirrus, her mother, had come running, her orange eyes red-rimmed with exhaustion, and she had pulled Hawk away from the gang before Cormorant's mother came and scratched Hawk to pieces. Well, she could've TRIED. Hawk sat down and wiped her eyes fiercely, NO she was not going to cry. She would not be a foolish dragonet. Hawk opened the door to her scruffy room with one claw, and curled up on her manky pillows, not bothering to lock the door. She knew her mother would come soon - tell her off, probably. Well, Hawk would be ready. Hawk tented her wings above her head and sighed, curling her tail closer around her, and making sure the tip of the barb wouldn't pierce her skin. She closed her eyes wearily. Maybe... maybe she could have a quick power-nap. To get her strength up for when mother came. Or perhaps a longer sleep? Even Darkstalker needed to sleep, and he was probably the strongest dragon in Pyrrhia. When he was still around. Just as Hawks' eyelids were drooping closed, she heard her door creak slowly open and her mother poked her rather annoying vibrant red snout around Hawks' door. "Hawk?" she called softly. "Go away," Hawk muttered, still half-asleep. "Hawk get up," Hawks' mother shook Hawk - TOO HARD Hawk thought grumpily - and glared at her sternly until Hawk gave her her attention. "Yes, mother?" Hawk asked, glaring at her claws in a way she hoped was a sassy I-am-not-interested-in-whatever-you-want-to-say-you-grumpy-camel. She pulled her wings tighter to her body and flicked a overhanging ruff spike out of one eye. "Hawk, I was thinking," her mother said, her voice still stern. "I know how hard it is for you. All those other dragonets disliking you from being different from them. But I know a place where they accept dragons with terrible magic and vicious powers." Hawk shifted uncomfortably on her feet. Is that what I am to her? she thought, feeling hurt but trying to cover it up by impatiently flicking her tail barb. A dragon to send away? A dragon that would feel at home with dragons that have 'terrible magic' and 'vicious powers'? "And," her mother continued, breaking through Hawks' dark thoughts. "A place where you can get proper education instead of spending your days brooding in a classroom with disorganised, lazy teachers and bullying dragonets. I am talking about Jade Mountain Academy." Hawk pricked her ears, but kept her eyes staring at her claws, and curled her lip to expose one sharp fang. "Fine," she spat at last. "Anywhere is better than this." Her mother studied Hawk with one cold, orange eye. "I will try and find you a spot." She withdrew her head and closed the door with a small thud. Hawk sighed in relief. I'm glad that fox-brain has finally gone. Why can she never just leave me alone?! Can't she see all I need is peace and not weak, stupid sympathy that is for lazy rain wings and foolish sea wings and mud wings. Then Hawk remembered something that sent a shiver of vicious glee mixed with mild apprehension spiral through her heart, making her chest twist peculiarly. Last time Gopher had bullied her, she had made a deal with him. Him and her would battle out their feelings, and whoever won would either get to bully the other for the rest of her life, or get some precious more minutes of peace in daily life. When Hawk made sure her mothers' talonsteps had faded completely, she got to her feet and stomped to the door. When she was sure the coast was clear, Hawk flung the door open, sending wood splinters flying and the door banging wildly in its frame. Hawk folded her wings by her side, lifted her head, and curled her lip, stalking up the hallways and trying to act like she normally acted, and not like she was about to practically get scarred. The raggedy carpet underneath her talons slowly was replaced by a long strip of smart velvety red carpet, and the dragons passing Hawk now had bangles and jewellery. Hawk let a low growl rumble eternally in her throat as dragons passed. Some ignored her, too swept up in their precious jewellery to notice, but more of them stopped and stared at her coldly, (continued in Notes and Credits)
Hawk even spotted two smirking and pointing at her unusual spiky ruff. Hawk managed to shove past two nattering female sky wings who glared at her and whispered in dramatic voices about how she had apparently nearly stabbed them to death and how she should have her barb cut off. Which Hawk thought went too far. Stupid meerkat-headed lizards, she thought broodingly. They don't know ANYTHING, they don't even have barbs! She turned around, fixed her eyes on them and snarled, just audible for them but inaudible for the rest of the pulsing throng. One of the sky wings pretended to swoon into the others' arms, while the other dramatically caught her, and growled pettily at Hawk. Hawk swung around and stalked off, head held high. Speak to the barb! she thought triumphantly. Finally, the crowd began to thin out as Hawk continued to stomp through them, keeping her eternal growl going so that the dragons knew to stay away. At last, there was only a few stragglers that Hawk had to make it through, and they knew how to stay out of her way. As soon as they spotted her, they hurried away, clutching their bags full of jewels and gold and muttering about 'rouge hybrids'. Hawk spotted a clearing in front of her, spying it through a couple of tall, marble pillars. The clearing was full of sand, with a small circle in the middle for a slab of rock to sit patiently, slowly baking in the sun. Just beyond the slab of rock, in a loose circle, as a large gang of sky wing and sand wing dragonets. Each dragonet had a cracked horn ring on their left horn, and their eyes stared unpleasantly as Hawk approached. In the middle of the circle, there was Gopher. The male sand wing dragonet, just a month or two older than Hawk, was sitting down, surveying her coldly with his dark, soulless eyes. As Hawk shoved past two tall sand wings, she sat down, and unsheathed her claws. This is it, she thought. This is the day where I teach this scavenger-brained frog what a hybrid can do, what a hybrid can BE. A low chant emitted from the throats of the sky wings and sand wings, like a whisper first but growing louder and louder, until it was a grating roar. "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHTTTT!!" There was no need for words. Gopher drew himself up to his full height, and sprang for Hawk. Hawk ducked and rolled as Gopher's claw grazed the side of her neck. "Too slow," Hawk taunted as the sand wing collapsed onto the floor behind her. Gopher's eyes sparked in fury and humiliation and he got up again. This time it was Hawk who made the next move. Hawk lunged for him, managing to catch hold of one of his horns and slam his head onto the rock. Gopher howled in agony, and reared up, flinging Hawk off and sending her smashing onto the ground with a sickening crack. Stars exploded behind Hawk's eyes and she gasped for breath, severely winded. No! You can't let his camel-breathed idiot win! she thought, her chest heaving. She could see Gopher through the pain, stalking towards her, his eyes sparking with cruel triumph. Hawk let out a deep breath, closing her eyes. She was ready for him. As Gopher got prepared to pounce on her head and rake his claws down her eye, Hawk reared up and rammed her horns into his soft underbelly. Blood squirted into Hawk's eyes and she blinked, trying to get rid of the ghastly crimson film. Gopher let out a scream and staggered backwards, clutching at his belly with one claw while blood dropped onto the floor like berries, staining the grey stone. The gang of sand wings and sky wings' chant rose in the still afternoon air. "Fight! Fight!! FIIIGGGHHHHHTTTT!!!" Hawk crouched on the ground, trying to catch her breath. That move had really winded her, and she regretted it profusely now. I could've done a simple claw slash move! That would've done good damage and wouldn't have winded me! Hawk you really are a useless jerboa... She could hear Gopher gasping in pain somewhere near her, but she couldn't lift her head just yet, she just needed to get a little more breath and then... Gopher raked his claws down Hawk's leg. Pain exploded in Hawk's mind and she let out a roar of agony, blowing a jet of searing flame into the sky. She staggered forward and collapsed onto the floor, wings fluttering like leaves in the wind. She couldn't do it... she knew she couldn't.... The pain was quickly marching from her leg up to her head, numbing her mind and causing her to let out another, feebler scream. Hang on... a claw mark couldn't do that... Panic thumped in Hawk's head, mixing with her agony and causing her to shudder, eyes rolling back into her head. Gopher had stabbed her with his venomous barb. In her leg. She could see Gopher swimming in her vision, his gloating smile, blood dripping from his chest like some sort of horror-show. Hawk was hot... now she was cold, so, so cold... as if it was winter.... She shuddered and jerked feebly, slowly, the pain from the barb sting shuddering up from her mind to her eyes. Until all she could see was red.
