Follower Sorcerer Father
"Magic in the talons of a young dragon is very powerful...he will become great."
"...He was the only one who desired my attention enough to pursue what I enjoyed."
'There was something in me that longed for the darkness that dwellled in the shadows...sometimes you had to dwell in the darkness in order to preserve the light.'
"This young dragon needs a home...here is where his heart truly belongs."
|
|
______ My father taught me practically everything I know.
He was a kind, gentle dragon. Even though he is an Imperial and I am a Skydancer, he treated me with love and respect. Talus showed me how to forage in the woods, how to take down a dragon several times my size, how to serve and help others in any way I could.
It was Nyx, however, who taught me magic.
My mother was always a distant figure in my life. It was almost ironic since she was a Skydancer like me.
Whenever I asked her to read me a scroll, she told me she was busy and to go to my Father. When I begged her to tuck me in at night, she said that Talus would do it. Once I even pleaded to come with her on one of those long journeys she was always going on...I'm sure you can guess how that went.
There was one thing, however, that almost whenever I asked my Mother for she would stop and teach me.
That was magic.
Another stroke of irony was that my Father despised magic altogether. He tried to push me into other fields, to experience different things, and while I entertained them I always found myself heading straight back to the power of spells in my talons. It both intrigued and allured me.
Maybe it was because my Mother never spent time with me and that was the one way I could gain her attention, but be it personal or professional interest, I knew that magic awakened me like nothing else.
I began practicing day and night, memorizing spells and using them on the nature around me.
One day Talus confronted my Mother. He berated her and told her I was following a path that could only end in darkness. He said it was her fault.
Life was strained and it always felt like we were walking a tight line, that if we slipped and fell off any love between Talus and Nyx would disenegrate altogether.
Everything was forever changed, however, the day that an Imperial radiating icy coldness walked into our clan.
Dragons turned their heads and everyone stared. The dragon was tall, elegant, and stern. His arcane purple eyes scanned the dragons assembled before him and he hissed, flicking his tongue out. He folded his wings back, and it was obvious he was waiting for someone.
Talus was mending a new den not far off, and the Imperial of Nature lifted his head and gazed as well. A growl formed in his throat.
At the strange silence and low growl, Nyx peered out of her den. She blinked in surprise at the new dragon and then her eyes flashed with anger. "What do you want, Louri?" She hissed, her claws curling menacingly. Even though they hadn't been speaking for weeks now, Talus silently moved to his mate's side in support.
Louri blinked calmly at them and then turned his head...towards me. I froze in fear as I stared up at him. There was only one word to describe the look in his eyes as he gazed at me: cold. Cold was all I could think, and it seemed as though the temperature dipped down several degrees as he locked eyes with me. Despite his purple eyes that displayed his Arcane heritage, no one would hesitate to label him of the Ice element.
Not breaking eye contact, he spoke in a crisp, clear tone. "I'm here for your son." He said.
Nyx squared off with the strange dragon, an angry growl escaping her throat. "I have plenty of other dragonets. Why this one?" The protective tone in her voice caused me to blink at her in surprise. It sounded as though she actually cared for me.
Louri smiled, the type of coy smirk from a dragon who knew that he could get what he wanted. "And yet out of all of them, this one is the only one who shows an interest in magic."
Nyx looked over at me, and I was startled to see actual fear in her gaze. "Leave, Louri. You can't take him."
Louri smiled. "You know I can. I am the one who taught you magic. My power is greater than yours, daughter."
I gaped, looking between the two. I tried to shuffle back, but the commanding gaze of Louri froze me on the spot.
"Magic in the talons of a young dragon is very powerful, especially for one who is yet not sure of his way in my life. I could train my grandson to follow in my talonsteps, and he will become great."
"As great as me?" Nyx hissed in a scathing tone, bitterness filling her voice.
Louri regarded her as coldly without a trace of fondness or emotion in his eyes. "You did not embrace the darkness, Nyx. Your powers are worthless without a cause." He turned and then approached me, his stride long and elegant...deadly.
I was still a hatchling and frozen in fear, trembling from head to tail. Just as I could feel his frosty breath caress my nostrils, my parents exploded into an attack.
Talus clouted the icy Imperial over the head with a talon and bit his ear in a viscous technique I'd never seen before. Nyx was just a step away, her eyes closed and muttering some sort of spell as her talons began to glow faintly.
Louri let out a roar of surprise and whipped around, unleashing a stream of power that threw Talus off of him. Nyx opened her eyes as she muttered the final lines but Louri lunged on top of her, swiping at her face. Nyx let out a cry of pain as the spell broke and she struggled with the Imperial on top of her.
Meanwhile, Talus was breathing heavily, trying but failing to get up. A trickle of blood dripped from his mouth as he fought for strength.
Nyx was faring badly, and the dragons of the clan who tried to help were thrust back from Louri's frigid magic. It didn't help that most dragons were out on daily duties.
As I watched my grandfather pin my mother down and my father struggle for breath, something welled up inside me. My fear kindled into protective anger and it streamed out in a well of power that gushed out and knocked Louri off of Nyx.
Nyx has the distraction she needed and murmured a spell quickly, knocking Louri to his feet again. The great sorcerer's energy was drained and his face pale. He shot me a venomous look that he quickly turned to Nyx. "I'll be back." He hissed, trying to patch his broken horn. "And next time it won't be so pleasent." He lashed his tail and then was gone, dissapearing through the thick trees.
Nyx ran over and helped Talus up, glancing over at me. Darkness clouded her gaze, but I just looked at my talons, shocked.
______ That night, I heard Nyx and Talus talking in their den. Curious, I quietly padded over and hovered at the enterance, listening.
My heart twisted as I realized that they were talking about me.
"He's very powerful, you know that Louri will be back." Nyx growled.
"It's your fault. I told you not to teach him that cursed magic. Now he's in trouble. He's been trained to one day serve the deities and be exalted like his siblings when he grows up. Now his future is challenged by the fact that his sorcerer grandfather wants to claim him."
"You should be supporting me! I'm trying to think of what to do!"
"You put all of us in danger, Nyx. I told you from the beginning no magic. You said you were happy to leave it behind. The only reason that the dragonet does it is because that's the only way you'll spend time with him."
"It's...not like that..you have to understand..."
"I understand just fine." Talus snarled hoarsely. "You're being a mother like your father is to you."
"It's..it's because I'm afraid of getting close to him!" Nyx said in a voice heavy with emotion, sounding heartbroken. "His siblings don't care for magic and I treat them the same. He was the only one who desired my attention enough to pursue what I enjoyed. I've had dragonets before you, Talus, just like you me! I've seen the leaders exalt them...and although I knew it was for the greater good, it tore my heart out." The beautiful Skydancer began to weep bitterly. "I thought that having little emotional attachment would be better than to love them more than my own soul -even though I do- and then see them being sent away, and knowing I'll probably never see them again."
I couldn't take it anymore and burst into the tent. I ran into Nyx and hugged her fiercely. "Please don't cry." I said. "I'm right here. I'm not afraid to be exalted."
Nyx looked down in surprise at me. Talus was lying on a cot nearby, recovering.
Nyx turned to Talus. "He has to go." She said, her voice thick with sadness.
Talus turned away from me and it stabbed my heart. "Fine." He growled thickly, heavy emotion in his voice.
Nyx inhaled deeply and stared into my eyes. "You're going to join another clan." She said to me in a quiet tone.
I tilted my head in confusion.
Nyx sighed. "It's the only way for you to be safe. If you join another clan, it'll be harder for Louri to find you."
I backed away in shock. "B-but...I always thought I'd grow up here, with you and Talus! What about my siblings? I always thought I'd be exalted and serve the deities!"
Tears edged into Nyx's eyes. "It's for the best." She said, looking away. "You'll go tomorrow."
______ The next morning I was woken up early and had to say goodbye. I had to find the place I'd go myself, before my new clan found me. I was terrified. What would they do? Would they like me? How could I fit in?
Talus had trouble saying good-bye to me. I felt bad for picking the path he had never wanted, but I knew it had to be the way, although I still wasn't quite sure WHY. My mother, however, didn't even show up, which I couldn't understand. It was a last blow to my heart, but I pushed it away. I was going to make my own dragon, and I wasn't going to fit into the mold of anybody else.
I don't know what happened to my parents after that, but I know they had only one more hatching of eggs after me. Then Nyx split and went off to another dragon, and Talus was left utterly heartbroken.
Anyways...I was soon ushered into my new Clan, a clan of Fire. A Mirror dragon named Flix welcomed me. He had brought me along with two other Skydancer hatchlings, and he promptly decided to give us our own names.
I was slightly shocked. For me and my siblings, we were told that we wouldn't be given names until just before exaltation. I didn't protest, however, as we were gifted with them.
The proud, slightly arrogant male Skydancer was named Ferannus and the gentle, calm blue-and-purple female was gifted the beautiful name of Hania. I was named Allenis. I was so pleased that I kept walking around, whispering my name to myself. It felt like music to my ears.
I spent my next few days at the clan. My connection gew with Ferannus and Hania, and within just a couple of days being in such a strange and foreign place along with them forged a bond as though we were siblings.
Flix and his mate Verde were kind. I had everything there was to be happy, but I wasn't.
It just....it just didn't feel right.
There was something in me that longed for the darkness that dwellled in the shadows. Despite what my father had said, I didn't think that all darkness was bad.
Sometimes you had to dwell in the darkness in order to preserve the light.
Flix noticed that I was feeling off and he spoke to me. After I finally poured my heart out, he looked down at me gently. "I understand." He said quietly, then turned. "Come with me."
I looked back. "But what about-"
Flix interrupted and shook his head. "They can see you later. Come." He turned and flicked his tail as he strode down the path
I followed him, curious.
Before long we reached a place with tall, dark trees. I was slightly frightened, yet at the same time it fascinated me.
Flix brought me into the woods. "Mirage?" He called.
A beautiful golden dragon stepped out. "You called me. What is it?" She asked, flicking her tail.
I looked over at Flix. He had known. He'd arranged this.
Flix looked down at me. "This young dragon needs a home, and I think that with you, here, is where his heart truly belongs."
Mirage looked at me. "Is that true, Skydancer?"
Now was my chance.
It was the first time in my life that I'd ever had to make a big descion by myself. I managed a small nod.
The mirror smiled. "Then you are welcome. I am glad to see you here."
I looked back at Flix, and he was smiling.
I turned back to my leader and puffed my chest out. "Lead the way." I said boldly. "I'm ready."
|
|
|
