Iskandar
(#46140621)
Level 10 Guardian
Familiar
Satin Pocketmouse
Click or tap to view this dragon in Predict Morphology.
Energy: 0/50
This dragon’s natural inborn element is Water.
Male Guardian
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Personal Style
Apparel
Skin
Scene
Measurements
Length
13.9 m
Wingspan
19.83 m
Weight
10805.16 kg
Genetics
Ice
Basic
Basic
Gloom
Alloy
Alloy
Dust
Basic
Basic
Hatchday
Breed
Eye Type
Level 10 Guardian
EXP: 248 / 27676
STR
8
AGI
7
DEF
7
QCK
6
INT
5
VIT
7
MND
5
Biography
________________
|
» I S K A N D A R «
Prophet Of Darkened Waters |
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» Biography
Iskandar stands as a pinnacle of draconian power; a sea of a hundred abyssal eyes along a hide of iridescent ice that peer into every facet of every reality. Every whim, every desire, every want, can be made clear to him if he so desires, and it's in even the darkest of depths that he can find a way through. He's a guide, a prophet, mindfully aiding his chosen charge through thick and thin to find a means to an end. He cares and he nurtures; a father figure to the shaded behemoth and all of those she calls her own. As he steps forward into the centre piece, Iskandar needs no introduction. Before the denizens he forever stands; a stoic figure of blackened ice and frozen waters with those hundred blinking eyes casting unto each his unholy judgement. These are all faces he's seen a thousand times before, from a thousand different viewpoints in a thousand different places. He knows each as he would a child and he is their eternal watcher. As one moves, an eye snaps to fixate of them and, even as he looks absently in another direction, Iskandar watches. He sees all and reports directly to the matriarch of any activity that raises suspicion. When one has so many eyes, it's difficult to not see - even when one doesn't want to. His head then shifts to the side for one of his smaller eyes to fixate on one dragon who dared approach the leviathan in the centre and, with a low rumble that resonates through the ground beneath his feet, Iskandar addresses them for all of those around him to hear. "I see you're curious, child." The large male makes a sound reminiscent of a chuckle - the merry sound like the deepest, darkest depths of the abyssal sea. He shifts a large wing the same colour as that abyss out to the side in silent invitation and inclines his head. "As you should be. I have seen much and you so very little. Approach me further, little one, and allow me to show you what I have seen. Perhaps then you shall understand." |
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 APPEARANCE A large older male guardian, Iskandar wears very little in terms of regal attire, nor do his scales have a particular iridescence to them like some young dragons do. Instead, Iskandar relies on both his presence and the multitude of dark abyssal blue eyes that run along his sides to portray his status within the clan, garnering him respect from the youth. |
SIGHT Iskandar's eyes grant him not only a permanent 360 degree view of his surroundings, but a different sort of sight entirely. He can catch glimpses into every future, every possibility, and each choice he makes is meant to ensure the perfect outcome he has foreseen.This often leaves him a very neutral dragon, and having him on one's side is a sure indication to being on the right path. |
RESIDENCE In an attempt to keep as neutral to Shal'anir's denizens as possible, Iskandar is often alone in one of the deepest boughs beneath the great tree. He rarely comes out unless the queen calls for his council, but does appreciate company when it's given - a pleasant 'surprise', as he likes to call it. Does tend to be a bit of a loner by design as well as choice. |
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Attachments Impure «
The bough of the Prophet was one few dragons of Shal’anir were ever given sanctity to enter. It was one of the deepest, darkest caverns beneath the shaded behemoth and none except the matriarch and the prophet himself were given safe passage all the way down. Shal’anir herself would turn on those who tried to reach the prophet without authorisation, and so it was a great honour for two of her finest warriors, Eidolon, War General, and Phalanx, the Grey Wolf, to be allowed down into one of her innermost sanctums.
It was a beautiful sight to behold. An open cavern; the walls formed of the very roots of their home, and it stretched out far enough to allow for a dozen or more imperials to take flight and not touch either side. Stalactite formations hung low from the ceiling in varying shades of blue, their wicked ends winking in the soft glow cast by the small pockets of bioluminescent mushrooms that grew around the cavern. Stalagmites had also formed, which had to be carefully maneuvered around to not be impaled upon them, and dark moss grew on the cavern floor, softening footfalls to almost nothing. Somehow, the scent of the earth pleasantly mingled with the subtle aroma of the Sea of a Thousand Currents itself, soothing all who entered.
Perhaps the most wondrous sight within the cavern, however, was not the stalactites hanging from the ceiling, or the mushrooms that sprouted out of the ground and from the walls formed by Shal’anir’s roots. Instead it was the large abyssal pool of water that acted as the centrepiece that drew one’s eye; an impressive body of water that should have been impossible so deep beneath the earth. Yet, it was there, ripples moving across the mirror-like surface and concealing the true depths of the pool from those who stared into it. The sights were enough to stop both Eidolon and Phalanx in their tracks. Neither had ever been granted access before, and although both had some understanding of what Shal’anir held, they’d not been expecting such a beautiful sight to greet them. Truly, Shal’anir was a blessed place.
The prophet himself stood at the opposite end of the cavern, watching the two warriors as they approached. With two long lines of deep blue eyes embedded in stark white scales along his hide, and wings the colour of the large pool of water before him, Iskandar was an impressive sight to behold, even in comparison to the caverns he resided in. He was Shal’anir’s prophet, after all, a worthy position of one who saw so much, and demanded respect wherever he went. He usually preferred to watch from afar and not interfere with the happenings of the clan, for while his eyes allowed him small visions, these visions dictated his every move - lest he irreversibly change the flow of time for generations to come. If Iskandar requested a meeting, then this meeting had been set from the moment he’d drawn his first breath.
“Prophet,” Eidolon greeted with a respectful bow once he was close enough. Beside him, Phalanx did the same, closing her eyes in a show of trust before once again standing to her true height. “You requested our presence.” It wasn’t a question and Iskandar didn’t address it as one.
“I did,” he rumbled, the eyes on his side watching both Eidolon and Phalanx at the same time. The thousand abyssal eyes always had the same cold, unfeeling look to them, unlike Iskandar’s primary set. Yet, even they looked... sad, as the prophet gazed at them. His tone, too, wasn’t as it should have been. He almost sounded mournful, as if he was seeing a dragon for the last time. The thought made Eidolon’s stomach turn.
“I have reason to believe that Shal’anir herself is unwell,” he then went on to explain, the eyes on his side now focusing solely on Eidolon as he looked to Phalanx - watching her closely and scanning her expression. “I have felt it in my meditation. Something stirs beneath Shal’anir, warriors, something as old, if not older, than She herself.”
Eidolon’s gaze of forest green switched to Phalanx with uncertainty. Beneath her wolf pelt, the shadow guardian’s expression remained impassive. Sensing Eidolon’s gaze upon her, Phalanx looked back to him for a moment, before breathing out a soft huff and looking to Iskandar again. Her message was simple. Listen.
Unwilling to argue with the one who saw all, Eidolon inclined his head for the prophet to continue. “I have reason to believe that, whatever it is, it’s been here for much longer than we have, and has simply been dormant since our arrival.” As Iskandar spoke, Phalanx watched with an attentiveness that was always there, but was increasingly heightened around the prophet. Eidolon knew why - and it wasn’t simply because she had a duty to fulfil. The ice white guardian reminded her of someone she held very close to her heart, someone who had been taken as her Charge over her mate himself, and her feelings towards the prophet were intertwining with those she had for the one she had lost. This feeling was no doubt mutual, despite how distanced the prophet tried to be, for Eidolon had noticed that the older guardian spoke to Phalanx with a tenderness reserved only for a father to his daughter.
“Despite my many attempts, I’ve never been granted a vision that details Shal’anir’s beginning, and so I cannot be truly certain what this threat is. Our queen has confirmed that she, too, has begun to feel a disturbance in the shadows, and that the song Shal’anir sings has changed to--”
As Iskandar spoke of the rising threat beneath Shal’anir, there came the sound of water shifting from the pool behind them. Immediately Eidolon’s instincts ran high, and he swung his body around to face the source of the sound. Beside him, Phalanx made a similar movement as the sound came from the pool again. It should have been impossible, for there was no way for anything to get in or out of the pool. The sound of something travelling through the water came again, much closer this time. Phalanx looked back at Iskandar, whose gaze was focused intently on the pool. Whatever words were about to leave his mouth were now all but lost.
“Be ready,” he warned, voice low and steady despite his uncertainty. “This vision has not yet been granted to me.” That was, to say, that Iskandar didn’t know what was about to happen. He said nothing, however, about not knowing the outcome. Neither Phalanx nor Eidolon needed anymore information, however, for, to them, their job was simple. Protect the prophet, and protect Shal’anir.
From the pool suddenly burst forth what could only have been described as a horrific amalgamation of some sort of Shade essence. It was huge, easily towering over all three dragons in the cavern and brushing against the stalactites that hung from the ceiling. It was nothing like a dragon at all, nor any sort of distinguishable figure. No legs could be seen, for only the torso of the creature rose above the quickly darkening waters, but it had a pair of arms that ended in wicked claws of black that flashed and pulsated varying shades of grey. It had a set of horns that spiraled and twisted upwards, a gaping maw filled with teeth like daggers - edged with whatever poisonous magic the creature was formed out of. Two white, unblinking sockets stared down at the three dragons before it, and it gave a horrific, ear-splitting shriek of undeniable rage at the trio. It appeared to be made of pure and utter hatred, its gaze seething.
“What is that thing?!” Eidolon exclaimed, voice carrying utter horror at the sight of what had appeared in the once beautifully serene cavern. “Is that what’s threatening- agh!” He had no time to finish his sentence before the amalgamation of pure hatred swung out and tossed the midnight imperial aside, sending him flying towards the cavern walls with a sickening crack and dull thud as he hit the ground.
“Eidolon!” Phalanx’s cry of horror echoed around the caverns. By the wall, the imperial stirred, but didn’t immediately get up. It wasn’t the best response, but Phalanx knew she didn’t have the time to risk rushing to her beloved’s side. She had a job to do now, whether Eidolon was beside her or not.
Phalanx reared up and flared her wings with an almighty roar, now driven by the blow her mate had taken. The back of her throat took on a dark midnight shade in warning before she then slammed back down onto the ground and let loose a massive jet of shadowy flame. The whole area around her was blanketed in it. Phalanx’s flames didn’t burn as normal fire would - it bound, constricted, and suffocated all who breathed it in; choking them on their own fears before their lifeless bodies would fall twitching to the ground. However, when the creature should have backed down, it only advanced. Phalanx’s fires did nothing but anger it, and as it swiped the shadows away, it was with the same irritation a dragon would swat away a fly.
“That didn’t even do a thing!” Phalanx cried out, backing up a few steps to gain herself some distance in the inevitable event the amalgamation would strike out again. She looked to the prophet, who regarded her with the same expression a dragon who was looking at a loved one for the last time would wear. “Iskandar, what is this thing?! It didn’t even flinch!”
Iskandar stared up at the behemoth arising from his sacred pools in horror. “It must be a small essence of that which plagues Shal’anir,” he exclaimed, the tone of his voice more panicked than Phalanx had ever heard it before. Even considering what had appeared in front of him, Iskandar never usually responded this way. Something else was amiss. Something that was enough to shake even the steely nerves of the hardened dragon. “Be careful, Phalanx, we don’t know what it’s-”
The horrific amalgamation suddenly let out another paralysing screech, spreading its arms wide and aiming it towards the dragons beneath. Phalanx had given Iskandar her attention for a moment, and, although her head snapped up at the sound of the gargantuan creature now moving towards her at breakneck speed, she simply wasn’t ready for the sheer power that it had. If it had been able to knock Eidolon to the side as easily as a blade of grass in the wind, it was no doubt capable of at least grievously wounding Phalanx, if not outright killing her, in an all out assault. From the sidelines, Eidolon’s heart dropped to the very pit of his stomach as he realised what was about to happen, and he forced himself up and off of the ground to try and reach his mate, but even he knew he wasn’t going to make it. His limbs felt like lead swimming in a pool of tar, and the desperate cry that was torn from his throat was raw with fear. He saw Phalanx steel herself, raise her wings, and lower her neck close to the ground in a defensive position, for there was no use in running. For a moment, their eyes met. Her purple eyes burned with pure adrenaline and her entire body was poised to brace for the inevitable impact, but somewhere in his heart, Eidolon knew it wasn’t enough. Phalanx knew the same, judging by her expression, and as she stared back at the creature as it shrieked another challenge, it was with the same unshakeable resolve a dragon took with them to a war they knew they would die in that she echoed that challenge with a earth-shattering roar of her own.
“No!”
Eidolon could see nothing but a huge mass of writhing obsidian for a few short, but painful, seconds as the amalgamation began to furiously attack its target. Scale was torn from bone and a large shape was clearly tossed around in its’ grasp, but the roars that echoed forth were not those of Phalanx. The creature stabbed and slashed with wicked claws, shrieking at its foe in a frenzy, but didn’t remain long. From the other side where Eidolon couldn’t see came another roar, this one much more familiar to him, and another flash of purple flame shot past the creature’s gnashing jaws. While it did little to cause the amalgamation pain, it was a deterrent, and with another ear-splitting screech of victory, the amalgamation could be seen to… dissolve, for lack of a better word, back into Iskandar’s sacred pools - forming oily black wisps on the turbulent surface before completely dissipating. It didn’t take long for it to completely disappear into the darkening waters. A few waves broke the edge of the pools, splashing the dragons with water now tainted with the foul magic that had emerged. However, if it weren’t for the memory now permanently seared into their minds, and the fact that the air was saturated in that same magic, it would have been difficult to believe that anything had ever been amiss.
There was then a low rumble, and attention was drawn away from the pool to the source.
Iskandar lay prone, side heaving and blood pooling on the cavern floor. Deep gashes were engraved into his side, his heavy scales having done nothing against the fury of whatever had emerged from the pool, and, as the great dragon slowly raised his head, Phalanx was greeted by the sight of another grisly wound on the left side of his face. To the side of him, Eidolon was slowly picking himself up from the dirt to make his way to the prophet’s side. To him, it was very apparent what had happened.
It was a selfless act. With the wake of the creature, a vision he’d kept so carefully hidden away had come rushing forth. Iskandar had foreseen Phalanx’s death months prior, but only that - her death. He saw the shadow guardian bleeding out on the cavern floor, body torn to shreds and choking on her own blood whilst black magic slowly began to creep up her limbs and claim her for itself. The last image Iskandar had seen was her eye; widening in abject horror and indescribable pain as the rich purple shade faded into black. Dead, broken, tainted black.
Iskandar had made efforts to prevent growing close to the other guardian during his time here, but, despite these best efforts, had still penultimately failed in his duty to safeguard the future of Shal’anir. While he hadn’t known what would be the death of Phalanx, it had dawned on him as soon as the amalgamation had sprung forth that this was what had been hidden from him. Phalanx would make her last stand to protect the prophet, which would cost her her life. A necessary sacrifice. Yet, Iskandar couldn’t allow it. The sinking feeling in his stomach as the two warriors had entered his sanctum had no doubt been a subconscious realisation that he was, in a way, leading Phalanx to her demise. When he should have stood aside and let it happen, he simply couldn’t.
Iskandar had just been able to push Phalanx out of the way, but not without getting caught in the crossfire himself, and so had taken the hits meant for the female guardian. He’d inevitably saved her life, and, with the few moments he’d granted Phalanx, she’d then been able to intimidate the foul creature - at least then. Not before, however, Iskandar had already been irreversibly damaged.
“Prophet..?” Eidolon wasted no time rushing to the injured guardian’s side and, as the other went to stand, gently pushed him back down. “Easy, Prophet, don’t try to stand yet.” Eidolon did a quick once over of the pale guardian. It was difficult to see exactly how badly he’d been wounded, for his sides were now more crimson than ice, but he could see particularly grim injuries on his flank and shoulder. As Phalanx moved to Eidolon’s side, clearly shaken by the sudden attack of the amalgamation and being pushed so suddenly, one of Iskandar’s eyes stared unseeing at them.
“He.. saved me,” Phalanx breathed, looking to Eidolon.
Eidolon let out a low grunt to show he’d heard, but didn’t meet her gaze. He was fixated on Iskandar, who gave a pained growl as he shifted, once again trying to right himself. “He knew.”
Phalanx looked surprised as she looked down at the many-eyed guardian. As she watched, Iskandar forced himself to raise his head. Immediately he looked to where Phalanx had been, his expression shifting to horror when she wasn’t there. However, when it should have shifted to relief as he then saw her stood before him, Iskandar’s look of abject horror only grew worse. “Prophet?” Phalanx’s voice wavered, and her gaze flitted to Eidolon’s with uncertainty.
“I..” Iskandar went to raise himself up onto his forelegs, before flinching and quickly stilling again. “I.. I can’t see.” The Prophet’s voice, usually so steady and calm like the waves that caressed the shore of his birthplace, dropped in what was pure, unmistakable fear. “I can’t see.”
Eidolon’s brow knitted in confusion as he lowered his head, breathing out a soft sigh. “Calm yourself, Prophet,” he murmured. “You’re shaken. Give yourself a moment.” Yet, despite his calm words, Eidolon could clearly see what the problem was. While most of Iskandar’s abyssal eyes were still intact, the one on his shoulder looked to have been torn out by the creature. The socket was nothing more than a bloody, shredded mess and where an azure eye should have stared out at them in the cold, cruel, and impersonal way they always did, there was nothing.
Iskandar either didn’t hear, or chose to ignore, Eidolon’s attempts to calm him. “I can’t see,” he repeated, “I can’t see, I can’t see, I can’t see.” His terrified gaze then fixated on Phalanx; casting the shadow guardian in a look of absolute horror and causing her heart to sink even further than it already had.
“What have I done?!”
The bough of the Prophet was one few dragons of Shal’anir were ever given sanctity to enter. It was one of the deepest, darkest caverns beneath the shaded behemoth and none except the matriarch and the prophet himself were given safe passage all the way down. Shal’anir herself would turn on those who tried to reach the prophet without authorisation, and so it was a great honour for two of her finest warriors, Eidolon, War General, and Phalanx, the Grey Wolf, to be allowed down into one of her innermost sanctums.
It was a beautiful sight to behold. An open cavern; the walls formed of the very roots of their home, and it stretched out far enough to allow for a dozen or more imperials to take flight and not touch either side. Stalactite formations hung low from the ceiling in varying shades of blue, their wicked ends winking in the soft glow cast by the small pockets of bioluminescent mushrooms that grew around the cavern. Stalagmites had also formed, which had to be carefully maneuvered around to not be impaled upon them, and dark moss grew on the cavern floor, softening footfalls to almost nothing. Somehow, the scent of the earth pleasantly mingled with the subtle aroma of the Sea of a Thousand Currents itself, soothing all who entered.
Perhaps the most wondrous sight within the cavern, however, was not the stalactites hanging from the ceiling, or the mushrooms that sprouted out of the ground and from the walls formed by Shal’anir’s roots. Instead it was the large abyssal pool of water that acted as the centrepiece that drew one’s eye; an impressive body of water that should have been impossible so deep beneath the earth. Yet, it was there, ripples moving across the mirror-like surface and concealing the true depths of the pool from those who stared into it. The sights were enough to stop both Eidolon and Phalanx in their tracks. Neither had ever been granted access before, and although both had some understanding of what Shal’anir held, they’d not been expecting such a beautiful sight to greet them. Truly, Shal’anir was a blessed place.
The prophet himself stood at the opposite end of the cavern, watching the two warriors as they approached. With two long lines of deep blue eyes embedded in stark white scales along his hide, and wings the colour of the large pool of water before him, Iskandar was an impressive sight to behold, even in comparison to the caverns he resided in. He was Shal’anir’s prophet, after all, a worthy position of one who saw so much, and demanded respect wherever he went. He usually preferred to watch from afar and not interfere with the happenings of the clan, for while his eyes allowed him small visions, these visions dictated his every move - lest he irreversibly change the flow of time for generations to come. If Iskandar requested a meeting, then this meeting had been set from the moment he’d drawn his first breath.
“Prophet,” Eidolon greeted with a respectful bow once he was close enough. Beside him, Phalanx did the same, closing her eyes in a show of trust before once again standing to her true height. “You requested our presence.” It wasn’t a question and Iskandar didn’t address it as one.
“I did,” he rumbled, the eyes on his side watching both Eidolon and Phalanx at the same time. The thousand abyssal eyes always had the same cold, unfeeling look to them, unlike Iskandar’s primary set. Yet, even they looked... sad, as the prophet gazed at them. His tone, too, wasn’t as it should have been. He almost sounded mournful, as if he was seeing a dragon for the last time. The thought made Eidolon’s stomach turn.
“I have reason to believe that Shal’anir herself is unwell,” he then went on to explain, the eyes on his side now focusing solely on Eidolon as he looked to Phalanx - watching her closely and scanning her expression. “I have felt it in my meditation. Something stirs beneath Shal’anir, warriors, something as old, if not older, than She herself.”
Eidolon’s gaze of forest green switched to Phalanx with uncertainty. Beneath her wolf pelt, the shadow guardian’s expression remained impassive. Sensing Eidolon’s gaze upon her, Phalanx looked back to him for a moment, before breathing out a soft huff and looking to Iskandar again. Her message was simple. Listen.
Unwilling to argue with the one who saw all, Eidolon inclined his head for the prophet to continue. “I have reason to believe that, whatever it is, it’s been here for much longer than we have, and has simply been dormant since our arrival.” As Iskandar spoke, Phalanx watched with an attentiveness that was always there, but was increasingly heightened around the prophet. Eidolon knew why - and it wasn’t simply because she had a duty to fulfil. The ice white guardian reminded her of someone she held very close to her heart, someone who had been taken as her Charge over her mate himself, and her feelings towards the prophet were intertwining with those she had for the one she had lost. This feeling was no doubt mutual, despite how distanced the prophet tried to be, for Eidolon had noticed that the older guardian spoke to Phalanx with a tenderness reserved only for a father to his daughter.
“Despite my many attempts, I’ve never been granted a vision that details Shal’anir’s beginning, and so I cannot be truly certain what this threat is. Our queen has confirmed that she, too, has begun to feel a disturbance in the shadows, and that the song Shal’anir sings has changed to--”
As Iskandar spoke of the rising threat beneath Shal’anir, there came the sound of water shifting from the pool behind them. Immediately Eidolon’s instincts ran high, and he swung his body around to face the source of the sound. Beside him, Phalanx made a similar movement as the sound came from the pool again. It should have been impossible, for there was no way for anything to get in or out of the pool. The sound of something travelling through the water came again, much closer this time. Phalanx looked back at Iskandar, whose gaze was focused intently on the pool. Whatever words were about to leave his mouth were now all but lost.
“Be ready,” he warned, voice low and steady despite his uncertainty. “This vision has not yet been granted to me.” That was, to say, that Iskandar didn’t know what was about to happen. He said nothing, however, about not knowing the outcome. Neither Phalanx nor Eidolon needed anymore information, however, for, to them, their job was simple. Protect the prophet, and protect Shal’anir.
From the pool suddenly burst forth what could only have been described as a horrific amalgamation of some sort of Shade essence. It was huge, easily towering over all three dragons in the cavern and brushing against the stalactites that hung from the ceiling. It was nothing like a dragon at all, nor any sort of distinguishable figure. No legs could be seen, for only the torso of the creature rose above the quickly darkening waters, but it had a pair of arms that ended in wicked claws of black that flashed and pulsated varying shades of grey. It had a set of horns that spiraled and twisted upwards, a gaping maw filled with teeth like daggers - edged with whatever poisonous magic the creature was formed out of. Two white, unblinking sockets stared down at the three dragons before it, and it gave a horrific, ear-splitting shriek of undeniable rage at the trio. It appeared to be made of pure and utter hatred, its gaze seething.
“What is that thing?!” Eidolon exclaimed, voice carrying utter horror at the sight of what had appeared in the once beautifully serene cavern. “Is that what’s threatening- agh!” He had no time to finish his sentence before the amalgamation of pure hatred swung out and tossed the midnight imperial aside, sending him flying towards the cavern walls with a sickening crack and dull thud as he hit the ground.
“Eidolon!” Phalanx’s cry of horror echoed around the caverns. By the wall, the imperial stirred, but didn’t immediately get up. It wasn’t the best response, but Phalanx knew she didn’t have the time to risk rushing to her beloved’s side. She had a job to do now, whether Eidolon was beside her or not.
Phalanx reared up and flared her wings with an almighty roar, now driven by the blow her mate had taken. The back of her throat took on a dark midnight shade in warning before she then slammed back down onto the ground and let loose a massive jet of shadowy flame. The whole area around her was blanketed in it. Phalanx’s flames didn’t burn as normal fire would - it bound, constricted, and suffocated all who breathed it in; choking them on their own fears before their lifeless bodies would fall twitching to the ground. However, when the creature should have backed down, it only advanced. Phalanx’s fires did nothing but anger it, and as it swiped the shadows away, it was with the same irritation a dragon would swat away a fly.
“That didn’t even do a thing!” Phalanx cried out, backing up a few steps to gain herself some distance in the inevitable event the amalgamation would strike out again. She looked to the prophet, who regarded her with the same expression a dragon who was looking at a loved one for the last time would wear. “Iskandar, what is this thing?! It didn’t even flinch!”
Iskandar stared up at the behemoth arising from his sacred pools in horror. “It must be a small essence of that which plagues Shal’anir,” he exclaimed, the tone of his voice more panicked than Phalanx had ever heard it before. Even considering what had appeared in front of him, Iskandar never usually responded this way. Something else was amiss. Something that was enough to shake even the steely nerves of the hardened dragon. “Be careful, Phalanx, we don’t know what it’s-”
The horrific amalgamation suddenly let out another paralysing screech, spreading its arms wide and aiming it towards the dragons beneath. Phalanx had given Iskandar her attention for a moment, and, although her head snapped up at the sound of the gargantuan creature now moving towards her at breakneck speed, she simply wasn’t ready for the sheer power that it had. If it had been able to knock Eidolon to the side as easily as a blade of grass in the wind, it was no doubt capable of at least grievously wounding Phalanx, if not outright killing her, in an all out assault. From the sidelines, Eidolon’s heart dropped to the very pit of his stomach as he realised what was about to happen, and he forced himself up and off of the ground to try and reach his mate, but even he knew he wasn’t going to make it. His limbs felt like lead swimming in a pool of tar, and the desperate cry that was torn from his throat was raw with fear. He saw Phalanx steel herself, raise her wings, and lower her neck close to the ground in a defensive position, for there was no use in running. For a moment, their eyes met. Her purple eyes burned with pure adrenaline and her entire body was poised to brace for the inevitable impact, but somewhere in his heart, Eidolon knew it wasn’t enough. Phalanx knew the same, judging by her expression, and as she stared back at the creature as it shrieked another challenge, it was with the same unshakeable resolve a dragon took with them to a war they knew they would die in that she echoed that challenge with a earth-shattering roar of her own.
“No!”
Eidolon could see nothing but a huge mass of writhing obsidian for a few short, but painful, seconds as the amalgamation began to furiously attack its target. Scale was torn from bone and a large shape was clearly tossed around in its’ grasp, but the roars that echoed forth were not those of Phalanx. The creature stabbed and slashed with wicked claws, shrieking at its foe in a frenzy, but didn’t remain long. From the other side where Eidolon couldn’t see came another roar, this one much more familiar to him, and another flash of purple flame shot past the creature’s gnashing jaws. While it did little to cause the amalgamation pain, it was a deterrent, and with another ear-splitting screech of victory, the amalgamation could be seen to… dissolve, for lack of a better word, back into Iskandar’s sacred pools - forming oily black wisps on the turbulent surface before completely dissipating. It didn’t take long for it to completely disappear into the darkening waters. A few waves broke the edge of the pools, splashing the dragons with water now tainted with the foul magic that had emerged. However, if it weren’t for the memory now permanently seared into their minds, and the fact that the air was saturated in that same magic, it would have been difficult to believe that anything had ever been amiss.
There was then a low rumble, and attention was drawn away from the pool to the source.
Iskandar lay prone, side heaving and blood pooling on the cavern floor. Deep gashes were engraved into his side, his heavy scales having done nothing against the fury of whatever had emerged from the pool, and, as the great dragon slowly raised his head, Phalanx was greeted by the sight of another grisly wound on the left side of his face. To the side of him, Eidolon was slowly picking himself up from the dirt to make his way to the prophet’s side. To him, it was very apparent what had happened.
It was a selfless act. With the wake of the creature, a vision he’d kept so carefully hidden away had come rushing forth. Iskandar had foreseen Phalanx’s death months prior, but only that - her death. He saw the shadow guardian bleeding out on the cavern floor, body torn to shreds and choking on her own blood whilst black magic slowly began to creep up her limbs and claim her for itself. The last image Iskandar had seen was her eye; widening in abject horror and indescribable pain as the rich purple shade faded into black. Dead, broken, tainted black.
Iskandar had made efforts to prevent growing close to the other guardian during his time here, but, despite these best efforts, had still penultimately failed in his duty to safeguard the future of Shal’anir. While he hadn’t known what would be the death of Phalanx, it had dawned on him as soon as the amalgamation had sprung forth that this was what had been hidden from him. Phalanx would make her last stand to protect the prophet, which would cost her her life. A necessary sacrifice. Yet, Iskandar couldn’t allow it. The sinking feeling in his stomach as the two warriors had entered his sanctum had no doubt been a subconscious realisation that he was, in a way, leading Phalanx to her demise. When he should have stood aside and let it happen, he simply couldn’t.
Iskandar had just been able to push Phalanx out of the way, but not without getting caught in the crossfire himself, and so had taken the hits meant for the female guardian. He’d inevitably saved her life, and, with the few moments he’d granted Phalanx, she’d then been able to intimidate the foul creature - at least then. Not before, however, Iskandar had already been irreversibly damaged.
“Prophet..?” Eidolon wasted no time rushing to the injured guardian’s side and, as the other went to stand, gently pushed him back down. “Easy, Prophet, don’t try to stand yet.” Eidolon did a quick once over of the pale guardian. It was difficult to see exactly how badly he’d been wounded, for his sides were now more crimson than ice, but he could see particularly grim injuries on his flank and shoulder. As Phalanx moved to Eidolon’s side, clearly shaken by the sudden attack of the amalgamation and being pushed so suddenly, one of Iskandar’s eyes stared unseeing at them.
“He.. saved me,” Phalanx breathed, looking to Eidolon.
Eidolon let out a low grunt to show he’d heard, but didn’t meet her gaze. He was fixated on Iskandar, who gave a pained growl as he shifted, once again trying to right himself. “He knew.”
Phalanx looked surprised as she looked down at the many-eyed guardian. As she watched, Iskandar forced himself to raise his head. Immediately he looked to where Phalanx had been, his expression shifting to horror when she wasn’t there. However, when it should have shifted to relief as he then saw her stood before him, Iskandar’s look of abject horror only grew worse. “Prophet?” Phalanx’s voice wavered, and her gaze flitted to Eidolon’s with uncertainty.
“I..” Iskandar went to raise himself up onto his forelegs, before flinching and quickly stilling again. “I.. I can’t see.” The Prophet’s voice, usually so steady and calm like the waves that caressed the shore of his birthplace, dropped in what was pure, unmistakable fear. “I can’t see.”
Eidolon’s brow knitted in confusion as he lowered his head, breathing out a soft sigh. “Calm yourself, Prophet,” he murmured. “You’re shaken. Give yourself a moment.” Yet, despite his calm words, Eidolon could clearly see what the problem was. While most of Iskandar’s abyssal eyes were still intact, the one on his shoulder looked to have been torn out by the creature. The socket was nothing more than a bloody, shredded mess and where an azure eye should have stared out at them in the cold, cruel, and impersonal way they always did, there was nothing.
Iskandar either didn’t hear, or chose to ignore, Eidolon’s attempts to calm him. “I can’t see,” he repeated, “I can’t see, I can’t see, I can’t see.” His terrified gaze then fixated on Phalanx; casting the shadow guardian in a look of absolute horror and causing her heart to sink even further than it already had.
“What have I done?!”
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» Art «
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» Notes «
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- The eye on his right shoulder has a grisly scar over it and is effectively blind. As a result, and due to the events leading up to the injury, Iskandar can no longer see the future of Phalanx's brood
- All his eyes blink separately
- If you think he hasn't seen you, he definitely has. You can't always see him, but he can always see you
- Couldn't fit more in this bio if I tried
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