Sapphire

Sapphire sings low, mournful songs whilst sitting alongside the riverbank.
She gently plucks her Silverstring Harp’s strings. Shimmer flutters her wings, creating a soft tinkle.

The river running alongside her glows slightly silver, and the grass beside her is a shade of silver.

She lets out a tear, glistening a gentle silver, dropping onto the grass below.
The green grass blades the teardrop landed on shimmer and begin to change colour, becoming silver like the surrounding grass.

Sapphire is a minor goddess, and leaves a trail of silver everywhere she goes.

Lore story still in writing


NO LOOK

still not sure how to write what happens with sapphire.. like the shade. i think it has to be rewritten a little. hmm lemme think. basically take some inspiration from parasitic wasps? ugh writing is hard

---

It had been a week, at least he thought it had been a week, since his mother, Sapphire, had disappeared. Dragons were out searching, day and night but to no avail.
Spine clutched his head and groaned. His head was pounding so hard it felt as if his skull might split apart.
He had hardly slept since she disappeared, and any sleep he had was restless and fraught with nightmares. He and his mother lived in the Mossy Glade, the center of the clan, it was noisy here, it had never bothered him before, but he desperately wanted some quiet to collect his thoughts.
He could go to his father’s place, it was on the outskirts, but for good reason. Valeri was always running scientific experiments, and one such experiment blew up the previous medical centre and lab, which was nearby where Spine was now. He didn’t like to think about that day.
He didn’t want to be on the outskirts anyways he thought, he wanted to get news of his mum as soon as possible, and to see her immediately if she returned. If she returned. Spine choked back a sob at that thought.

---

The noise was getting louder, much louder than usual. Was there a festival going on? He had lost track of the date. How could they celebrate when his mum was missing? He felt another wave of distress wash over him. He shakily moved to the bucket beside his nest and vomited. This was his second meal since Sapphire had disappeared, and he was unable to keep either down. He curled up in a ball and sobbed. His thoughts began to spiral mercilessly.
She would be so disappointed that he wasn't eating or taking care of himself.
If she ever came back she'd be so disappointed she'd be so disappointed she'd be so disappoi-


"...Sapphire?..." He heard a voice call out, alongside some other muffled words, but those words didn't matter, not to Spine in that moment.

Spine's thoughts froze right there. Perhaps his mother was back, a gleaming ray of hope within the abyss of his mind.
Spine rushed to his feet, not taking even a moment to steady himself, despite his spinning head and his clouded vision. He dashed to the door and clumsily yanked it open, not hearing the creaking protest from the old wooden door over over the loud ringing in his ears.

Squinting against the sunlight, he could several silhouettes of dragons, disregarding any that were too large or too small, he quickly spotted one that was almost certainly his mother.

As he began to rush over, an Imperial suddenly blocked his path, wings spread wide.
Upset, he looked up and saw it was Draxxor. "Spine. Stay back." Draxxor spoke quietly, very gently pushing the wildclaw back. Spine disregarded Draxxor, not even noticing the grave expression on the older imperials usually jovial face. "MUM, MUUUM, OVER HERE!" he called out, beginning to flap his wings to fly to her. The imperial again, blocked Spine, this time with more force.



"Kid. She needs to be seen by the medical crew, you aren't going to be able to help." His voice lower than before and grim.
Spine scrambled and darted under Draxxor's wings, he always was rather agile.

Gazing upon the sight Draxxor had hidden from him, Spine felt his stomach plummet.
Spine let out a sound, somewhere between a scream of horror and a sob, sagging to the ground.

The telling tear on her right wing was all Spine could use to identify her.
Her body was covered by a swirling dark mass, her movements mechanical as if she was a puppet on strings.

She trudged forwards, towards one group dragons attacking her, her head partially lulled to one side, in a way that could've been mistaken for weariness.
As one after another of elemental bolts barraged her body, the dark mass simply rippled and re-formed. The shade.


Upon hearing the sound Spine had let out, the being that inhabited his mother's body, swung her head in the direction of the two dragons. Spine began to shake violently. A creature of the shade had taken over his mother's body, and it was coming towards them.


Draxxor let out a string of curses. "KID. We need to go!"

Spine had made up his mind. He was going to save her, or die trying.
His mother was now an abomination, a being that would kill and taint the land.


They would surely slay her. As far as anyone else was concerned, she wasn't Sapphire anymore.



"I need to try Draxxor. Please."
He pushed away from Draxxor, the imperial watching as Spine sprinted towards his mother. Draxxor shook his head sadly, there was no convincing him otherwise. He knew that look in Spine's eyes. He'd seen it many times before on the battlefield. There was no stopping them once they had that look.


There had to be something he could do. He couldn't lose her. He was a fool to charge forward without even having a plan.

A stray bolt of plague aimed for Sapphire struck him in the chest, and Spine stumbled forwards, towards Sapphire. He turned to retreat, but the puppet lunged forth and snapped its jaws at Spines tail and yanking out a clump of feathers. The pain coursing through his tail was nullified by the adrenaline in his system.

Think. THINK. Dredged up from the depths of his mind, a murky memory resurfaced. The heart. "If one were to damage the Shade's so called 'heart', it would loosen its hold." Maizy looked around the group of young dragons. "Though in order to do that, one would have to get close enough to risk being taken over themselves. Even then if the heart is destroyed, it leaves an ever lasting mark on the victim. Their mind could be completely gone. Their will to survive shattered. You see how dangerous the shade is, no?"


The Valkyrie blade at his hip felt heavier than ever. Unsheathing it, he held it awkwardly, it had been passed down through his family for generations, though specially designed for Wildclaws, Spine still struggled with it.



He was terrified. Of losing his mother, of dying. His head spun.
The shade lunged at him, and he leapt back.

A swath of blooming flowers sprang up from the earth below, wrapping their roots and stems around her, immobilising Sapphire.
Someone was helping him. He couldn't tear his eyes away to see who.
He scanned the swirling mass of shade, looking for where the heart could be. A spot on her chest had a denser patch of shade on it.


Rika struggled to keep the plants in place, her breath was rapidly depleting, the vines beginning to wilt.

Draxxor narrowed his eyes at the sight. Spine might have a chance.
"Spine, you need to strike NOW. The vines won't hold much longer."

Spine took in a shaking breath. He now knew where to aim.


It was now or never.

---

The creature let out an ear piercing shriek.
A blinding silver light burst forth from the junction of Sapphire and the Valkyrie blade.

When the light faded, the shade, the flowers and the Valkyrie blade were gone.

---

yada yada
maybe the blade is like special and enchanted and an heirloom passed down in sapphires family and it like.. fuses with her, giving her the silver thingy that makes the silver springs silver? also the flowers fused with her too because i like flowers

---

Sapphire couldn't see, her whole body ached. Her memories were scattered and faint, but the last thing she remembered was hearing a hauntingly beautiful song within the woods, by the riverside.
She tried to move, but felt sluggish. Her chest ached.


Spine lay slumped at her side.

Sapphire leaned over and placed a hand on his forehead. He was breathing. Alive. She let out a shaky breath, a breath she had not known she was holding.
He was battered and bruised, but she knew he wasn't gravely injured. She gently pulled him in for a hug and silently wept.


She heard erratic wingbeats above and peered up, Cheeky flew down and settled anxiously a few paces away.

"Ah! Sapphire. You- Uh, we.. Glad to- to have you back- I- Gladekeeper, we need healers. Is Nova around?"
The clan's leader always stumbled over his words when nervous, but more so when Rika wasn't by his side.

A light voice carried down paired with wingbeats "I'm here, don't concern yourself."
Nova settled and began a brief assessment of Spine.

"Could you recount what happened?" Sapphire looked at Cheeky, who nervously fidgeted with his claws. Rika wearily walked over, much to Cheeky's relief.

Cheeky rapidly spoke something to Rika, who nodded in return.

rika speaks for cheeky ; "I'll explain. He's overwhelmed."

rika recounts the stuff from before but dont summarise it just say that she recounted it

rika comments on her changed appearance " never the less, i must ask, how are you? " shake of her head and a gesture with a wing.

Nova finished her assessment of Spine and began to check over Sapphire.

rika gave a thin (or wry idk which word to use) smile. th

rika as k to touch flower on sapphire, she agree
rika quietly ask cheeky to help check if the flower alive saying he is better at it than her, cheeky confirms flowers alive and thriving; turns out these flowers succ energy out of the shade within her body, keeping it neutralised. maybe i should make an accent hrrrrrrrm..

carry spine to medical centre ruins

on a stretcher nearby sapphire spotted someone; a deep sapphire blue mirror. aquam.
his breathing was ragged and shallow.

aquam gave a weak, wry smile

sapphire looked in horror at the dragon laid out before her, covered in wounds and scuffs.

i.. i; no, i did that you you?

aquam let out a wheeze. not you, the shade.

shooting a confused look, before sapphire could ask who told him the mirror responded blankly; avil

here, let me try help you,, i healed draxxors arm..

(she tries)
tentatively placing a hand upon the mirrors flank, she let her mind search him. pain coursed through her nerves as she experienced what aquam was going through.

she tried to heal, but nothing shifted or reacted to her

sapphire, i'ma goner. the mirror looked away, his eyes having lost more of their sheen from before.



the meaning behind those words crashed against sapphire.
a crushing weight settled upon her.
the shade, the rot.. it permeated his entire being.


i'm so sorry. i know it wasn't me,, but,, i cant help but feel responsible,,

he winced; sapphire, please, it wasn't your fault. you've always been so kind to me. i truly care about you..

is there.. sapphire paused briefly.. anything i can do to make you feel more comfortable?

please.. could you sing for me?

sapphire begins to sing

a small smile graced aquams face, he began to drift to sleep.
"you know... sapphire..? i'll be back.. i just know it.. i'll come back here.. i'll.. see you again. just.. wait for me.. okay?"

sapphire gently held his hand. of course. i will.

as the minutes passed, his breathing slowed.

nova sat beside sapphire, gazing sadly at aquam.

a sob wracked sapphires body .. nova comforts her, pulling her into a tight hug, the wildclaws head nestled in the crook of nova neck. as her silver toned tears spilled out and ran down the skydancer's soft caramel scales on her belly, they gained a soft purplish hue, more akin to a platinum colour.

as sapphire pulled away, she froze and stared at nova. her belly had completely changed, now a platinum colour, appearing to be the capsule gene.

nova,, i ,, your belly..

nova looks down. a gentle smile graces her face ; incredible.. not one tertiary gene has ever worked upon me, and then.. she shook her head lightly.
today has been a long day. you need rest sapphire. i will watch over aquam. he most likely won't regain consciousness.

aquam passed away that night/ but when i get a gen 1 shadow sapphire fog HE WILL RETURN!!!

and then we cut to a bit later, when spine has awoken
`consult thingy foster with spine and then foster and sapphire speak to eachother


foster raised and spread his claws in a gesture of uncertainty.

i suspect he might develop ptsd. this event was highly traumatic. i will do what i can in terms of therapy.
his claws went back to their rhythmic tapping on his pearl, the furrow in his brows deepening slightly,
however, this i am certain, he is not out of the woods as of yet.
foster sighed.


Spine was an anxious wreck. He panicked anytime he saw another dragon other than Sapphire.
She and Spine moved to the riverside, the riverside where she had been lured and drowned, upon the outskirts, after all, no one dared go near there, for fear of the shade, even though it seemed to be a lone being, no one wanted to risk it. The water had changed to a silver colour. Sapphires powers had changed everything to be silver.

---

As time went on, Sapphire helped some dragons with her abilities, Astrape, Achleous, The Unnamed and Aestus.. and Spine has grown used to them.

It's taken a long time, but after 6 long years, things are going back to normal. His old friends are visiting and he's finally smiling again. He spends most of his time now going around the clan, helping out with supplying water to the clan from the well and river. He still has occasional panic attacks, but he's happy, and that's what's most important to Sapphire.

---

everyone in the story
Sapphire
Draxxor
Avil
Nova
Aquam


notes:
if my lore is problematic in any way, let me know! please! i don't wanna make people uncomfortable.