Pactli (Champion)
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Backstory
Portal Code
You keep this code handy, as a reminder of the escapade you like to call:
The Wide Open Door
Life in the aerie was simple and quiet: harvesting moss and berries, helping hunters with their catch, playing in the aerie pools, and looking forward to flying lessons.
Then, one day, strange small creatures calling themselves both “scientists” and ”humans” appeared in your aerie. They expressed as much delight as surprise at finding themselves in a world of what they called “dragons,” and carried a fascinating array of devices. They seemed to recognize your aerie pilot's authority immediately, and proved quite civil and respectful, soon earning his friendship and trust. The aerie followed suit, and the pilot sent messengers to nearby aeries at the scientists’ request.
After a long conference through the night, your pilot announced that a permanent portal connecting Ati-Xitlec to the scientists’ Earth was to be established in your very own aerie. Naturally, you were thrilled, and eagerly offered to help construct the portal. Your offer was accepted in good humor, despite your young age; friendly scientists and oquichtin kept finding tasks to keep you busy.
Perhaps some of those tasks were designed to keep you out from underfoot while they accomplished some real work, but you minded little, since your tasks kept you nearby and could watch the portal grow.
Within days, the portal was complete and ready to activate. With some fanfare, the population of your aerie and that of the nearest three packed into the portal chamber, and the pilots looking on, your pilot keyed in the initialization sequence. The portal roared to life, and the crowd of oquichtin roared in approval.
Your delight crumbled to disappointment when your pilot declined to allow you access through the portal, tempered not at all by the fact that he had denied access to everyone in the aerie, including himself. Despite his attempts to soothe your indignation, you could not be appeased, and watched longingly as one select oquichtli hunter accompanied the scientists through the portal.
When he returned, and your pilot sequestered himself in conference with him, you tried visiting the portal again, only to find the way guarded and barred by apologetic but equally unrelenting sentries.
That evening, you and your lover slipped past the guards and through the portal under cover of its noisy operation.
You found yourself in a dazzling world of towering, glittering square hills and mountains, full of new and strange smells and sounds, where you were soon roped into helping contain an illness. Reasoning that the plague afflicting the humans would not prove contagious to your species, you agreed, and acquitted yourselves handsomely of your stealthy peccadillo by not only rounding up several dozen victims but also by retrieving a formula for a cure thought lost.
It was then that your pilot showed up, furious and ready to give you a tongue-lashing; but he relented upon learning of your successful first foray from one of the more influential humans involved, and agreed to allow you occasional use of the portal provided a chaperone came along. In the face of such fair terms you could hardly help but sign on.
The best part is, your chaperone quickly realized you were more than capable of taking care of yourselves, and cheerfully gives you free rein while he goes off to explore more of this fascinating world.
Someday, perhaps soon, you'll not need to keep this code secret anymore.
