OAKEN
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Oaken broke through the canopy of summer green leaves and stuck his shaggy head up in the air. A breeze picked up the strands of his brown hair and tugged gently, urging Oaken to follow it's currents to other areas. But Oaken had different plans today and couldn't humor the wind. His pointy nose, framed with freckles, picked up an unusual scent. And this scent begged to be investigated. 
Like all forest elves, Oaken knew every leaf, every fiber of the plants in his little domain. And today something was about to happen. The trees hardly stirred in the gently breeze, the bushes were alive with rustling gossip and the grasses stretched to hear what was being talked about. Flowers opened their buds and showed off their beauty, but to no avail. Today nobody was watching them. 
Trailing the scent like a hunting dog, Oaken rose up from the canopy, extending his wings and, hovering like a colibri, checked his bearings. Oaken was wearing brown bamboo-fiber trousers, a green hemp shirt and a bright orange sash that was made from flower petals. His wings were a dark olive green and they shimmered in the sunlight.
Deciding the enticing smell came from the west, Oaken headed in that direction. The forest stretched on below him in all directions. Oaken knew from stories that it was surrounded by large mountains that protected the forest elf realm from outside dangers. Most forest elves were solitary, preferring to commune with nature in solitude but every so often they would come together and celebrate certain important events. At those gatherings they would sing songs, tell stories and exchange information and new insights. Some would find someone to spend some time with and some might bring children that hadn't been there before. Like magic, there was always room in the forest. 
As Oaken neared the place of interest, he dove back into the canopy, camouflaging his approach from whatever had his part of the forest in a frenzy. Sneaking below branches, carefully treading through the undergrowth and avoiding dried leaves underfoot, Oaken wondered what could be wrong. Could another elf have come for a visit? Though usually they let the wind carry an announcement. The possibility of strangers had not even entered his mind, but that's just what Oaken happened upon.
"So where are we?" the human asked. 
Oaken hid behind closely woven branches of a climbing plant and listened. The human, a man, was much taller than him and he sounded annoyed. His voice seemed to boom in the quiet forest and his air of hostility was what had his forest in a twist.
"I couldn't know we'd end up somewhere unknown. I had to make a split decision in that jump." a larger reptialian creature with wings and a red-coloured hide answered. 
Oaken knew he was seeing a dragon but it was the first time he'd actually seen one outside of books. The vote was still out on dragons. Some insisted they were bloodthirsty beings that reigned with fire and terror, while other insisted they were evenly tempered and even friendly. So far, this dragon seemed to belong to that latter category when you compared it to the human.
"What did happen?" the human asked.
"We were pulled sideways and I had to lock an image in my mind to make sure we wouldn't be stuck. I chose a forest since that would lower chances of discovery if we were to land in a world where dragons aren't common knowledge."
"And? Can we get out?"
"I don't know. This place seems to be magical. No matter where we fly, the forest keeps on going."
"I noticed that." 
The dragon remained silent and lifted it's head up. Oaken stiffened. Who knows what dragons could do.
"I smell a lot of greenery." the Dragon said, "no traces of other humans."
Oaken relaxed,
"But there is a magical creature nearby."
Stunned and shocked, Oaken went over his options. Fighting was out, he was outnumbered and tiny compared to the dragon and it's rider. Fleeing might also not be a possibility with the dragon having such a keen sense of smell. Trying to reason then?
"We won't harm you," the human called, "well that is if you don't wish us harm."
Which earned him a whack from the dragon's tail. Oaken giggled and quickly clasped his hands in front of his mouth, but it was too late, now the human had also spotted him.
"What's your name?" the man called, seemingly put at ease by the size of Oaken.
"Oaken." the elf said carefully, "and yours?"
"I'm Selverat, I'm a dragonrider from Akelara and we seem to be lost on your world."
"Could you point us on our way, please?" the dragon added with a pointed look at it's rider.
"Yes, that too." Selverat added. 
"The forest extends forever," Oaken said, "But if you wish to be at the mountains you'll reach them and the border to the outside worlds. It shouldn't take you long to get there."
"Thank you." the rider said, earning bonus points from his dragon.
"Would you like to come visit our world?" the dragon asked.
"Can I?"
"Certainly. We're always looking for new candidates to bond to dragons. You might find one that is just right for you. And should you just want to visit and return here then I can bring you back."
"Do you trust us?"
Oaken nodded, feeling that he could at least trust the dragon. 

HATCHING
It was late afternoon when the call went out, joy-excitement-anticipation rippling through the Clan, caught and amplified by other dragons until the whole Clan was wrapped in the feelings. The candidates were quickly gathered and ushered to the gemstone sands, where they were directed to the little nook claimed by Aethet once again.
Several eggs shivered and twitched, eggshell flexing and tiny cracks beginning to form as the hatchlings within scrabbled for freedom. Everyone waited with baited breath, watching, waiting for the first hatchling to emerge. Nothing seemed to change for one. Long. Moment— With a mighty crack, the first egg shattered in half, sending the mottled blue hatchling tumbling free onto the gemstone sands with a sharp yip of surprise. Aethet chirped and leaned down, nosing the Water back onto her feet and welcoming it. Another egg hatched and revealed a Ripple. Both hatchlings proceeded to bond one of the waiting candidates.
Meanwhile, three more eggs cracked open, the dragonets within tumbling out to fall into a tangle of multi-colored wings-limbs-claws with a chorus of shocked chirps and protesting whines. Fiksai, Aethet’s bond, knelt at their side and helped the three hatchlings up, straightening out an Earth, an Air, and a Wood and gently brushing away the worst of the gemstone fragments clinging to them.
“Stone,” Fiksai said, tapping the Earth’s muzzle with a clawed finger, then “Chime,” to the Air and “Vine,” to the Wood.
Stone butted his head against Fiksai’s arm in thanks and then turned to give the candidates a considering look. As Stone rose to his feet at last, having apparently made his decision, two more eggs split open and spilled their contents onto the sands. Curious, Stone turned to look, and blinked at the two nearly identical Ices who were staring each other down, tiny crests flat and eyes narrowed, though he had no idea what had offended them.
With a small shake of his head, Stone turned away from his siblings and trotted up to Oaken, giving the elf a light headbutt while contentment-love-care spun between their minds.
“Oh,” Oaken murmured as he ran his hands over Stone’s bark-brown hide and listened to his new companion’s pleased rumble. “Hello there.”

STATS
Parents: Aethet x Thoniel 
Adult name: Linden 
Clutch name: Stone 
Element: Earth 
Gender: Male 
Personality: home-loving, earthy, flexible 
Potential Colors: Browns 

ABILITIES
Petrification - an expanding blast that petrifies anything caught in it 
Earth based magics - Magic of the earth, involves soils, rocks, volcanoes, and so on 
Earth-based Teleportation - requires earth close by to teleport 
Linked Teleportation - the ability to link with another teleporter and be brought along as a passenger 
Projective Empathy - can project emotions to those around them, with practice can pick up emotions too Drakkarel's Gift - the ability to share their Elemental-based skills with any bond 
Verbal Speech

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ADULT
Oaken had told Linden all about his home world. About the vast forests and magic, about the other elves and the occasional festivals and gatherings. About how the world accomodated itself to it's inhabitants. Linden, who'd once been nicknamed Stone, wanted to see the ring of mountains that enclosed the world and all the other places Oaken had described. 
But he also wanted to stay close to his origin, to the clan and the other drakkar. It was a difficult feeling to have. To dream and yet to not want to take the first step. Maybe that was why Oaken's simple nature came with a solution that was a bit awkward but also perfect:
"Why don't we travel back and forth? We can have two homes."
"Wouldn't that be too tiring?"
"All we have to do in between is have fun and rest. The world provides for us anyway."
Linden thought about it. The world wasn't all fun and games, but if it was like that in Oaken's world then maybe they could make this work. Having a favourite vacation spot wasn't bad either. 
"Let's try it." Linden nodded.

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Oaken impressed at Clan Akelara
Lantessama Isle.