Pax Romanus: Peace by Superior Firepower Vs. Pax Estatus Unis: Peace by Government Cover-Ups
By
DragonLady of Avalon

A/N: TAKE ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS AND I WILL LET ROMANUS "PLAY" WITH YOU AND FEED WHATEVER REMAINS TO MY ULTIMA DRAGON!!!

I tapped my light leather boots, tan and brown, well-kept and used only for dress on the earth-covered floor. I looked down at my tunic-dress, a lightish brown with darker hide-strings crisscrossing across my midsection like a belt and over my chest. My white hair was freshly washed, my claws cleaned and scraped, and my tail and horns polished until the almost metallic silverness glinted in the artificial light that mimicked the sun back home.

I fluttered my wings nervously. The crowd of youngling cubs was starting to part, a good sign that Romanus was on his way. The young ones stayed apart from him because he was borderline bipolar, one minute icy cold and the next flaming fierce.

Heck, many of those older than us stayed away from him.

I waited patiently for him, something I had learned to do over our time together as Romanus had a bite like shark. I saw his brilliant red hair first, always a sign of his coming, a red streak after the crowd parting. He had a rare color for hair, vivid blood red that glowed during the night and turned a purple sheen during the day. His eyes were yellow and cold, shining with an animal fierceness. His kind had often worn black because it made them harder to see at night and living in a volcano that was still active turned all colors dark over time.

He had his head down, long vivid hair in his face askew over his horns. His wings flapped dully, in themselves a yawn, as he kept his tail in a slight arch behind Romanus' short body, inconvenient and uncomfortable, but it is the most we can do with our tails.

He approached me and I felt his dark cloud circle him once more. He was annoyed at having been awakened while the artificial sun still mimicked its living counterpart that swung an asteroid belt around itself; a grim graveyard of our Prides. Romanus did bow his head respectfully, but he didn't speak, merely stared at me as if demanding a reason for being awake at such an hour.

"Don your armor!" I grinned.

The redhead glowered at me with an annoyed expression. He growled deep in his throat, alternating the notes into his resonating chamber. "Romora says we are ready to make contact with the Earthlings," I explained. "It may be late for us, but it is reasonable for them. We do want to make a good impression, right?"

I stressed the good impression part. Romanus was either evil-tempered or coolly indifferent. This put off many when meeting him.

"I hope we can make this place our new home," I continued, and then silenced myself. The children were easily upset by the passing of our homeworld and I didn't want to upset them or Romanus, son of Alpha Carthage.

Romanus didn't even flinch. It reminded me of how different he was from the rest of us. Our traditions dictated that families are a close-knit group. Each cub gets as much care from an aunt and an uncle as from a mother and a father. Romanus seemed to have the same upbringing, but he was so neutral when someone spoke of our home, long turned to ash.

There were rumors that Romanus was the last in a bloodline of Elementas, magic-wielders whose power had driven them to madness and extinction. The remaining survivors of generations ago were reported to keep careful control over their emotions, less risking all.

"This way, Sparkey," I smiled, using what some called a derogatory for the Fire Nymphs (note the some. Many Sparkeys I met actually seem to like it).

:30~

Romora was much prettier than me. Her hair was long and thick, a luscious marble-blue like her horns, whose veins of deep navy underlined the robin's egg so delicately. Her horns swept back over her head, keeping her head streamlined. Her wristspikes were more like finned quills, rudders to the second pairs of claws Romanus and I have. Romora's tailblade was a bit wider than ours, as well, also a rudder.

Her blue tunic matched her hair and her horns, more or less my pattern but still marbled in the same tones as her features.

I never could quit comparing myself to this beauty. She knew she was pretty and she liked playing in make-up just as much as tinkering in her machine shop. It had been her with the help of her students that had made the radio-thing we were using to contact the Earthlings.

She held the control button in her delicate azure claws as I sat in my throne with Romanus to my right and Romora to the left. I leaned back into the silver chair, trying to look "the part" but my insides were twisting upon themselves. I was about to puke.

Romora waited for me to hum my blessing and she hit the button. Immediately, the blank gray screen filled with life and lit up to a scene of Nymph-likes huddling around outdated computer equipment. They were mostly male and sweating buckets of blood, eagerly watching their own veiwscreen as well as the computers.

"Greatings!" a male in a puke green outfit, pressed and cleaned, said, too nervous to stand himself.

"My name is General Thomas and I am the head of the military department for the United States of America. To whom do I speak?"

I leaned back, eyes closed, pretending to be a female Romanus and answered, "I am Matriarch Tyla Mneth of Moon Pride, Sai-Wielder, Daughter of Matriarch Leeria of Moon Pride. On my left stands Matriarch Romora Miara of South Seas Pride, Whip-Wielder, Daughter or Matriarch Atlanta of South Seas Pride. On my left stands Alpha Corinth Romanus of Red Flame Pride, Glaive-Wielder, Son of Alpha Carthage of Red Flame Pride."

The Earthling blinked and paused, "What do you want here on Earth, my lady?"

Even Romanus couldn't hide the giggles as we girls doubled over in a fit of laughter and somehow I managed to choke out, "Take me to your leader!" with a sly smile.