Unazaki

If we extended shifts like so, then…….. we might be able to reduce the time needed to payback our partners. Maybe? But would that even make any meaningful difference? Tapping his claw on the table, Gellidus continued to ponder at his latest predicament. An individual project, 1 of many among the subjects in the semester, and which was currently causing him to stumble in ways that that made him nostalgic for his days back in the Ice Kingdom’s own educational institutions. Just as it was back then, the final year projects were a significant step above the others that he’d undertaken so far, requiring him to really think about how he was going to apply the concepts that he’d learned so far onto a hypothetical situation, often with no clear cut and correct answer. The only advantage that he had right now was that the subject in question was somewhat related to economics and business, 2 areas that he was innately familiar with given his prior background as a Merchant Associate for

Damn this lifestyle. This feels exactly like how it was back home all those years ago. Final years are the same everywhere…… Exhaustion permeating every part of his body, the IceWing dragged himself back into his dormitory room after surviving another brutal week of school project deadlines, his eyes barely keeping open and his tail dragging behind him. It must’ve been a dreadful sight, but he took comfort in the fact that many others were just like him, sporting their own signs of exhaustion with sagging tails and wings, bloodshot eyes and an all-round dishevelled appearance to some extent. Gellidus was on his 5th and final year now at the Pyrrhia Pantala Alliance University. After many years on the island, much of which he spent as a student, the IceWing was finally approaching his graduation from the academy and would be obtaining his Laureate certification within a year. “Just have to survive another 12 more months…..” He muttered to himself, a fond smile on his face despite

So, it’s been 4 years since I joined huh? Time really does fly by when you’re busy. 4 years since the IceWing had first enrolled into the University. 5 years since Gellidus had first stepped foot onto Isle Mezzo. 5 years since he had decided to go where no one in his family had gone before, a place far from the Pyrrhian continent. A place far from home. A place where dragons of all kinds mingled and worked together, more or less. Here today, perched on a ledge near the peak of 1 of the Crystalline Mountains, Gellidus celebrated his 14th hatchday with a day of peace and tranquillity, reflecting on his journey so far on the island. What he’d learned. How he’d grown. Taking in a deep breath, he inhaled the crisp, cool mountain air into his lungs, mixed in with the aromas of calming chamomile and soothing frankincense essential oils emanating from the small bottle beside him. The IceWing breathed out a relaxed sigh. He recalled how he first arrived on the island, bright eyed, eager

It was finally over. After a gruelling few weeks where deadlines of all kinds from exams, practical assessments and projects all seemed to come together, Gellidus had finally liberated himself from the student gauntlet. It was an incredibly harrowing few weeks, and not just for him. Students of all years and from all across the University were cracking under the strain too, even the more bookwyrmish ones like himself. The IceWing had even heard 2nd hand accounts of mental breakdowns among some of them who were unable to cope with the stress. All in all, it was a harrowing experience, and his 4th one to boot since enrolling here! At least I only have 1 more year to go after this. Gellidus had thought ruefully as he half walked, half dragged himself out of the exam hall after his final paper. Black tea, coffee and even a potent combination of the 2 had long since started to lose its effects on him, and it showed. His movements were sluggish, reactions delayed, tail dragging on the

School terms were always brutal towards the end. Despite widespread acknowledgement of the issue and efforts to remedy it over the years, there was still no end in sight for the dreaded end-semester crunch, where all manner of assignments, projects and exams came due 1 after the other. It was a nightmare, and no matter how much Gellidus had steeled himself against it, he still found himself back where he was all those years ago back in the Ice Kingdom’s own educational institutions. Namely, extremely sleep deprived and stressed out over grades. Yesterday was rough. Between having a late afternoon test and needing to prepare for another this morning, it was all that the IceWing could do to keep himself awake. As it was, he was already on his 2nd cup of coffee, the black beverage steaming away on his desk as Gellidus worked to pack away the various scrolls that he’d borrowed from the school’s library. They numbered 6 in total, all relating in some way to engineering, the subject of

Back when Gellidus was a small dragonet, he used to enjoy playing in the snowy tundras of his icy home. Whether it be frolicking in the snow or even making fun, admittedly misshapen sculptures out  of it, his younger years were an endless source of entertainment that the IceWing always looked backed fondly on. It was also something that he missed greatly since becoming older, and especially once he moved to Isle Mezzo. Between having to maintain a more professional appearance around himself, and now the island’s much warmer weather, there simply wasn’t a chance to partake in any of the snowy, icy games that he used to enjoy so much. Or so he thought. Nobody really knew how, but a group of somebodies from the University and Alliance itself decided to build several snowdragons out in the Crystalline Mountains. Gellidus was somewhat miffed that he could’ve missed such an event. “Damn, should’ve paid more attention to the recreational boards.” He had muttered to himself when the news

Gellidus was no stranger to oceanic travel. At this point now, he’d done it more than 3 times since he first arrived on Isle Mezzo, taking what was basically an annual rite of passage back home to the Ice Kingdom to visit his family over the summer months. Today though, things were a little different. He wasn’t booked on a ship sailing up north. Oh no. He was sailing down to the south of the Pyrrhian continent, and the IceWing wasn’t even going to be on the ship when it finally docked in the Old Night Kingdom. For reasons that utterly escaped him, the NightWings had an animus shield around the entirety of the Old Night Kingdom. 1 that was absolutely harmless to everyone else, but utterly lethal to IceWings like him. Somehow, nobody had bothered to dispel the damn thing in the few centuries since Darkstalker’s demise, even during the days when relations between the IceWings and NightWings were a lot more amicable than now. What in Pyrrhia’s name were all the animus dragons

Winter was the best time of the year if you asked any self-respecting IceWing. Long gone were the searing temperatures of summer, replaced with the blissful cold embrace of winter. Oh yes, the snowy season had finally come to Isle Mezzo, and Gellidus and practically all of his compatriots were loving it. While it was nothing like what the Ice Kingdom was like, it was close enough, and that was reason enough to celebrate. Settlements all across the snow-covered island had been decked out in festive decorations of red and green as dragons and humans of all types welcomed the cold with open wings. Unlike him, practically all of them had covered themselves in some form of winter gear to guard against the delightfully frigid temperatures. Well, most of them anyway…. Gellidus corrected himself as he passed a small shivering SeaWing as he made his way through the streets of Mezzo Town. No way that thin scarf is enough to guard against anything. Poor guy…… He wasn’t alone too, and by the

Food fairs. Glorious melting pots of different cuisines from all across the world, they were often an experience to behold, delighting ones sense of smell, taste and vision with their offerings. When one was in town, you’d be hard pressed to miss it. If not for the news and smells, then surely the throng of dragons and humans congregating on one would’ve made you aware. Gellidus was easily 1 of those dragons. Having such an inquisitive and adventurous palette, the IceWing loved food fairs and everything they came to represent…….. and offer up! From raw octopus so fresh the chopped tentacles were still squirming, to vegetable stews bursting with so much flavour that they vied with some of the best steaks he’d ever had for best meals ever. There was always something new and good to look forward to at these fairs. This one was no different, even if it did leave somewhat of an………. Interesting odour in the air, if Gellidus was to put it nicely. He wasn’t the only one to have taken

After many harsh, scorchingly hot weeks, summer had finally passed on Isle Mezzo, heralding the arrival of the cooler autumn season and with it the start of classes once again at the Pyrrhia Pantala Alliance University. Where there were once empty halls, students of all tribes now roamed the halls of the school, rushing off to wherever they needed to be. Gellidus the IceWing was 1 such student, sliding his way through the throng of multicoloured scales to his next class, a sense of weary dread already forming within him. Statistics and Statistical Calculations A subject covering some of the more intermediate and advanced mathematical concepts, including their real-world applications to better the lives of dragons and humans the world over. Feedback had been incredibly mixed about the course, with what appeared to be an even split of opinion being those finding it too hard and those finding it to be manageable. Gellidus had thought long and hard about it before committing to the