Sonnae

It's not unusual for other dragons to feel intimidated by Sonnae. This Imperial is gruff to the point of rudeness. He has also earned a reputation as a fierce warrior: He may not be one of the best (yet!), but it's only a matter of time. He is very hard-working and excels in his training. Most dragons have nothing they want to say to him -- but those who take the time to get to know him better will find that he has a great heart. Many dragons think it unusual, given that Sonnae came from less-than-ideal beginnings.

For there was not much love for Sonnae when he was a child. He was, at a tender age, abandoned by his original clan.

It was a cloudy day when they left him. They fed him one last time, so that he would sleep, and he did. When he woke up again a few hours later, they had gone. His pale and beautiful mother...His father, who looked like him...All the dragons of his clan had gathered up their belongings and gone on. But they had left him behind.

He remembers hurrying after his clan, trying desperately to catch up to them but getting left farther and farther behind until he lost the trail completely. He thought he glimpsed his mother ahead -- a flicker of pale light. For a moment, he was elated. It had been a mistake! They had come back for him! But as he rushed forward, he saw that he was nearing the edge of the forest. The pale light he had seen was actually patches of sky. When he realized this, he sat down, too shocked to cry out. They had flown away, leaving no trail for him. He had really and truly been left to his fate.

For a long time, he sat there, turning it over. Why had they left him? What had he done? They were dragons of the Viridian Labyrinth, where there was food and water for plenty, even a clan as large as his. They could not have left him due to lack of resources. They had not been attacked and forced to flee -- he would have woken up if that had happened. What had he done? What had he...?

And then it hit him like a sword stabbing into his belly: It wasn't because of what he'd done. It was because of what he hadn't done. A hatchling such as him, small and vulnerable, was a burden to any clan. Perhaps that was why he'd been left behind....

Those thoughts sank in, driving deeply, and still he refused to cry. He would not cry. No...If his own clan no longer wanted to take care of him, then that was fine. He would take care of himself instead.

He wandered through the Viridian Labyrinth, hunting and eating what he could. He learned which beasts were safe to eat, how to track them and dispatch them. He learned where to find clean water. He discovered shelters, places to hide. Survival took up most of his time -- but there were quiet moments, especially at night, when he remembered his previous clan. He was angry at being left behind -- and the anger grew and grew, slowly turning him into a ferocious beast.

Another clan of dragons found him later on. By then, Sonnae was practically feral. He would not let anyone touch him, and he became aggressive when he wanted food or drink. Most dragons soon gave up, calling him uncivilized, more like an animal than a proper drake. The only ones who could handle him were the warrior Gaellian and his mate, Halinka. They were a lot smaller than Sonnae -- but they were definitely stronger. And they would not give up on Sonnae. Not as his birth clan had.

This was their greatest strength, and it endeared them to the Imperial child. He submitted himself to their upbringing. In time, he was calling Gaellian and Halinka his father and mother, and according them the same respect. His adoptive parents, for their part, were strict, but not unkind. Slowly but surely, they helped Sonnae become a civilized dragon again.

Gaellian found in Sonnae a kindred spirit, and he accepted the child as both his student and his son. He tutored the young Imperial in the ways of battle. Sonnae proved to be a willing student, eager to defend the clan that had given him a home. They had accepted him when his own parents had abandoned him, and he was determined to do his best for them.

He had been a burden as a child, and so he had been thrown away. He would no longer be a burden. He would be a great help to his clan.

And he would protect them all so that no hatchling or dragon need ever be abandoned again.

The feral hatchling, Sonnae, has now become one of the clan's main members. Those who don't know him that well regard him as something of a rebel. Those who do know him see someone they can rely on, a dragon who will do anything to protect his clan. It is his mate, Emily, who is his staunchest defender -- she saw past his fierceness to the loyal soul beneath and won his heart with her love and compassion. Sonnae, in turn, treats her tenderly and with great kindness. He is a ferocious warrior, it is true -- but he is in no way a heartless one.

~ written by Disillusionist (254672)