Callicara

Callicara
she(individual), they(collective)


They didn't realise it was anything strange. When Callica talked about her "brain sister", the adults just shrugged it off as a child playing with their imaginary friend. And when the little wildclaw started talking differently and correcting everyone who called her by that name - "my name's Kara, not Callica, silly!" - well, they just thought she was messing around. A bizarre, prolonged game.

Neither Callica nor Kara understood why the adults treated them in that way. They tried to tell their parents that no, they're not playing. But it was a hard thing to explain. And really, they weren't entirely convinced that everyone else didn't have a secret brain sibling too. They would get really lonely otherwise!

But as they grew, the adults and even their friends started to cast them concerned glances whenever Callica referenced her sister. So they learned to keep quiet. And when it was Kara's turn to take control of the body - well, it took a bit of practice, but she learned to imitate her sister. Just pretend to be Callica. It didn't feel right, but they both knew by now that the only alternative was to be shunned for who they were. And they didn't want that.

Together they grew. Together they learned. And eventually, together they left home. It was just too hard for Kara to keep up the mask, and Callica hated seeing her sister so stressed and upset. They roamed for a while, but everywhere was the same. They found friends, and tried to explain, but for some reason it scared everyone away. So, in time, they accepted their fate: to be alone, together.

Their wandering took them through Dragonhome's barren plains, and the Tangled Wood's thorny, inhospitable forests. At first, they avoided the Plaguelands. Instinctive revulsion paired with horror stories told to them as a child kept them away. But on their travels they encountered a band of Nature dragons on their way to aid Plague clean up the disaster caused by the First Seed... and it seemed like a good cause, something to give them direction, so they followed.

And that was how, by some twist of fate, they ended up at the Wyrmwound as the Aberrations revealed themselves. Callica and Kara were cautious, of course, and they had their own business to attend to; they never sought anyone out. But over time, as the Aberrations integrated into draconic society, they met some. And spoke.

At first, they hid their dual nature... they feared being rejected, and it was so buried in their psyche now to hide that they struggled to express how they truly were. But then they met Irich and Tyr. It was at the annual Wyrmwound ritual the Aberrations undertook, casting themselves into the cauldron to be born anew. It was just idle curiosity that lead the pair there, and indeed there were many other dragons of other breeds engaging in the festivities -- excluding, of course, the part where the Aberrations dove into the toxic slurry.

They caught one dragon staring at them, body streaked with vibrant red and putrid green, with many eye-pustules scattered across their skulls. One of the Aberration's heads tilted, and whispered something to the other, which was still staring. Callica squirmed a bit. Creepy, said Kara silently. Maybe we should leave.

But before they could make their escape, the Aberration approached them -- casual in gait, but their eyes were intense.

"What are you?" asked one of the heads in a masculine voice.

Callica took a step back. "A wildclaw," Kara said tersely.

The two heads of the Aberration were unblinking. They glanced at each other as if sharing some secret message. "One head," said the other head, the one with a birdskull dangling from her swept-back horns. "One head, but..."

"Two minds," replied the other.

Kara glanced around cautiously as her body tensed; Callica said, "I don't know what you're talking about" with an awkward shrug of her wings.

"We're not going to hurt you," said the feminine voice.

"We're just curious," continued the masculine one. "Never met anyone like you two before."

Callica was panicking. How did this Aberration know? What if someone overheard? They had tried so hard, for so long, to build up this façade of normalcy... And yet here it is, crashing down. I guess we built it on sand, remarked Kara wordlessly.

This isn't-- this isn't right, we need to go. I'm scared, replied Callica. She tried to turn the body to leave, but Kara held firm.

Look at them. They're not gonna hurt us. And I'll protect you if they try. I just want to hear what they have to say.

...Okay, thought Callica with a sigh.

"Are you... okay?" asked the Aberration's feminine voice, waving a claw in front of their eyes. "You totally zoned out for a minute there."

"Sorry," said Kara. She took a breath. "What do you want?"

"Like I said, we were just curious," replied the masculine head. "Never knew other dragons could be like us. We'll leave you alone if you want."

"No, wait." Kara hesitated. "...What's it like? Being... like you?"

The masculine head chuckled. The feminine one answered with a smile, "that's a big question. But to give you one of the many possible answers: it's nice. We're never alone. Always have someone to bounce ideas off. Someone for comfort. You know how that is, I'm sure."

"Must be hard, sharing a head," said the masculine one. "So what, you pretend to just be one person? Sounds exhausting."

"It is," said Callica before she could stop herself.

"Well," the feminine one said. "You have a place among us. We know our own. Doesn't matter what your breed is, or even your flight -- nobody really cares. You've proven your strength just by making it this far."

"The other... Aberrations, as they call us? They'll accept you. Just like we accept you," said the masculine one.

"It was nice meeting you," the feminine head said, and with that the Aberration turned to leave.

Callica and Kara watched for a moment, then in one voice yelled, "WAIT!"

The Aberration looked back at them expectantly.

"Can we come with you? We don't... nobody gets it. Nobody understands. We've been alone for so long..." It was hard to tell who was speaking. Maybe it was both of them.

Both heads of the Aberration smiled. "We lead a small clan," the feminine one said. "On the outskirts of the Wyrmwound," said the other. "There's room for you if you want to join."

Maybe it was reckless, maybe impulsive... but they agreed. They followed Irich and Tyr away from the Wyrmwound, away from the built up towns around the cauldron. A few other Aberrations joined the group as they travelled, greeting Irichtyr with familiarity, and looking inquisitively at Callica and Kara.

They settled in fast. They had never realised how much of a burden it had been, living their little lie. Now they were free, and finally, they were happy.

When the Wyrmwound festival came around again, they followed Irichtyr back to the cauldron. This time, the whole clan came along too, and on the edge of a quiet shore of the cauldron they gathered to say a prayer to the Plaguebringer as Callica and Kara entered the vibrant goo.

They thought it would hurt. It didn't.

When they emerged, they stumbled, not knowing exactly how to walk on all fours. "Oops," said Kara, as Callica let out a yelp.

Then they looked at each other. For the first time in their lives, they saw each others faces.

They laughed. Then they cried. And then, after many tearful hugs from their many clanmates... they went home.


















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