Creative Corner

Written for: DarkYaten's Lead.

---

Lead was one of the first hatchlings of the Clan born into the Viridian Labyrinth, one of the first hatchlings to be born in the aftermath of Sulmara’s attack. As such, he was one of the new dragons, one of those who did not have any memory or scar to remind them of the darker days where Sulmara caused so much destruction and discord in the Clan.

However, growing up watching the rest of his Clanmates recovering from the attack was enough to hint to him how devastating Sulmara’s attack had been. Lishana never stopped thinking about the very day her mate left her side forever, and she was never the same after that. Triad, one of their strongest warriors, was gravely wounded in the battle, and the healers barely managed to save him.

Lead saw their scars, faint on healing scales but definitely still there. He saw how they struggled to cope with the loss of loved ones, with the last memories still haunting their minds. He also heard stories from other hatchlings older than he was, and from old friends of his Clanmates. He knew that however horrifying he imagined Sulmara as, she was a lot worse than that.

He knew Sulmara was already gone, not to be seen again. In this new, lush and green home, they were safe from the trickery and wrath of Sulmara. But for how long? And he also knew that even though Sulmara was gone, the effects of her presence and actions still showed strongly on the Clan. And he did not like it.

— — —

“Going for extra training again, Lead?” His good friend, Spectre, called as he was just heading to the training grounds. Lead nodded.

Grinning, Spectre walked towards him, Vidre following close after. Spectre patted him on the shoulder in a friendly gesture, “Always working so hard. Alright, we’ll have dinner together another day.”

Lead nodded. “You got it!” With a flurry of wings, he flew out of the camp.

Only a few dragons knew him well enough to know why he was so bent on being a good warrior, the best warrior, the best of the era. He did not want dragons like Sulmara to destroy this peace and tranquillity his Clan has struggled so hard to build. He did not want their wounds to hurt any more and wanted to try his best to heal the scars that time had left upon them.

He was Lead, and he was going to be the best warrior of the era.

Written for: DarkYaten's Stranglethorne.

---

Stranglethorne opened his eyes, stirring in his den. He poked his head out of his sleeping area to find the sun barely above the horizon, the eastern edges tinted with the telltale orange of a rising dawn. Looking around the quiet camp, he shifted his wings, unable to go back to sleep anymore. Deciding to fly to his favourite tall spot, he flared his wings and flew up to the giant rock.

The rock was still wet with the morning dew, but he simply brushed them off and sat down comfortably to watch the sunrise. As he was mesmerized by the sunshine, he recalled the times he had watched the sunrise with another dragon he loved.

-- -- --

“My young Stranglethorne, look at the sun rising before you. Do you see it?” The older Spiral, Helios, asked as he carried his three-day-old son to the bay to watch the sunrise. Stranglethorne nodded.

“Watch the sun as it climbs the sky and bathes the world around it in a fiery shade,” Helios continued. “You, my son, you will become the greatest warrior the Sunbeam Ruins has ever known. You will rise like the son and your influence will spread far and wide across Sornieth.”

Eyes wide, the younger Spiral, his scales the shade of gold, nodded.

-- -- --

Stranglethorne sat on the grass, a Mirror and a Coatl beside him. They sat in silence, watching the horizon as the first traces of light reached up to the sky. The females were Obsidian and Kessla, his mates. Neither cared that she was only one of Stranglethorne’s mates, they did not mind.

Today, however, would be the last day they spent together. As the sun finally climbed up the horizon, Stranglethorne hoisted his pack onto his shoulder and stood up. “It’s time for me to go,” he said quietly.

Obsidian and Kessla nodded in understanding, their eyes shadowed with grief and sadness. Stranglethorne did not feel any less painful, as he was finally going to leave the two dragons he had loved so much and the family they had built together.

The final embrace was filled with sadness, but also of priceless love and well-wishes for his journey ahead. As he flapped his wings and turned around to see his old home for the last time, his heart felt like it was going to break. But he had a purpose, and he already knew that for every gain there had to be a sacrifice.

-- -- --

Stranglethorne dripped some more water into his son Aiphanes’s throat, along with some herb mixtures. His other son, Ailanto, watched with worry. This was not the first time Aiphanes had gotten ill in their journey, but this time, his son was weaker than before.

Stranglethorne knew Aiphanes probably did not have much time left. Gesturing at Ailanto to carry his brother, he led the way to the top of the tallest tree around. The night was just ending, and both Stranglethorne and Ailanto were weary after staying up the entire night. But seeing the first threads of sunlight shine through the clouds seemed to lift their spirits.

Aiphanes watched the sunrise with blank eyes, but Stranglethorne knew his little son was looking, drinking in the sunshine, taking in every detail of the dawn. As he watched, a smile formed on the sickly Spiral’s face.

That was the last sunrise Aiphanes ever got to see.

-- -- --

A yell from the camp grounds below jerked Stranglethorne back into reality. The sun had already risen into the sky, and the camp was already a hive of bustling activity. Looking down, he spotted his student, Lead. The darker-colored Spiral zipped up to him, calling, “Master Stranglethorne! It’s time for training!”

Stranglethorne smiled a little, collecting his emotions before standing up. “Alright. Time for training!”

Written for: LadyNancy's LittleClaw.

---

“LittleClaw, I told you not to mess with the ink and the scrolls!” Harvey, the tall Imperial, huffed as LittleClaw knocked the third ink bottle over. LittleClaw watched in dismay as the ink spilled and spread across the parchment.

“Alright, LittleClaw. I’ve had enough of you messing up my stacks of papers. Go back to your room or make yourself useful elsewhere,” Harvey snapped.

Nodding shamefully, LittleClaw the Spiral slinked out of the room and into the dusty corridor. She entered the room and flopped onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She sighed heavily.

Why can’t I just be more careful? Why can’t I just seem to be the talented scribe that Mom and Dad want me to be? Why? I just don’t seem to be good enough, never!

-- -- --

A knock came at the door and LittleClaw called half-heartedly, “Come in.” The door opened and a Guardian peeked in, before flapping her wings and flying to LittleClaw’s bedside.

“I’m here, LittleClaw! Get up!” The Guardian chimed, purple eyes shining with enthusiasm at seeing her good friend again. “I have lots more scrolls I brought to share with you!”


LittleClaw sighed, pushing herself off the bed. “Not scrolls. Anything but scrolls, Lavender.”

Lavender, the Guardian, tilted her head, putting her bag of scrolls on the floor. “What happened, LittleClaw?” she asked, voice full of concern at seeing her best friend so sad and downcast.

After LittleClaw reluctantly told Lavender about how she messed up again, Lavender sat back, chin in her claws. LittleClaw sighed a little. She knew she was not good at what Light dragons were supposed to be good at, and somehow she felt she was not made to be a philosopher or scribe. But then what was she good for?

“Try sorcery!” Lavender chirped, as if reading LittleClaw’s mind. “Sorcery is fun. We get to do magic and spells, and no one cares about ruined scrolls because magic can fix that! Maybe a bit of magic can fix your problem!”

It was worth a try, but could magic really solve LittleClaw’s problems?

-- -- --

“Set the crystals over there, LittleClaw,” Zhihao, the kindly Imperial Oracle, instructed as LittleClaw staggered across the room with a large pile of magical crystals in her claws. Carefully, she set the pile down and arranged the crystals according to their shape and color. After she was done, she stood up to admire the arrangement.

“Alright, LittleClaw. Take this spell book and look at the script as I’m chanting,” Zhihao said.

Excitedly, LittleClaw took the book and opened to the right page. She read the title and her eyes followed the scribbled lines as her teacher chanted out the spell.

I have to learn these spells well to be a good oracle! I may not be the best scribe but I will try my best to be the best oracle I can be!

Written for: Pastelbvtt's Lucivar.

---

The first time Lucivar met his mate, Cassandra, was when she was taken in by the Clan after being abandoned by her own Clan. She was only three days older than he was, but when they met they were already well into their teenage years. When Lucivar saw Cassandra’s bright eyes and glimmering scales, something inside him told him she was going to be his mate.

When they had grown up and spent lots of years together, Lucivar finally mustered the courage to ask Cassandra - and to that question she agreed. The two of them became officially mates, and never left each other’s side. Both of them were training as mages, and Cassandra was one of the most powerful in the Clan. If one went to their Clan, it would be full of rumours of how Lucivar and Cassandra were like a match made in heaven - a match too good to be true.

-- -- --

“Lucivar and Cassandra. Garon has found a sample of a shade sphere in our territory. It’s a sphere filled with essence of the Shade - be careful with it. Your objective is to find a way to release the sphere’s contents back where it belongs without any stray shades coming out. Understood?” The head mage, Arthur, asked.

Lucivar gulped and nodded. Cassandra nodded confidently. Lucivar felt both honoured and scared to receive this assignment. Dealing with the Shade was a dangerous job, reserved only for the best of mages. He could only hope nothing would go wrong with their spells.

-- -- --

“Lucivar!”

Hearing his mate’s call, Lucivar scrambled up from his desk and ran in the direction of Cassandra’s voice. He leaped out of his office and rushed to Cassandra’s laboratory.

“LUCIVAR!”

He tripped over a stray tree trunk, but righted himself in time to rush into the laboratory before Cassandra could yell again.

He stopped short, eyes wide.

Cassandra writhed on the ground, twisting and struggling. The Shade had punched a hole in the sphere and sprung out, wrapping itself around his mate. As he watched, its grip grew tighter until it was practically strangling Cassandra.

“No!” Lucivar roared ferociously, leaping forward and clawing at the Shade. Of course, since it was not substantial, his claws had barely any effect on it. He could only grab at black wisps and lunge at air. He could not see anything except for the Shade. It was one big mass, and all he knew was that it would be the cause of Cassandra’s death. He leaped and swiped, but all of his efforts were in vain. The Shade slowly won the battle against Cassandra’s life.

As the light faded from his mate’s eyes and her last breath escaped with a sigh, the Shade slipped into her mouth. He could only watch as it filled her, her veins now seemingly pulsing with a dark presence. Lucivar knew how this happened, how the Shade took over their kills and went on massacres using that dragon as a mere puppet.

He tried to convince himself that the dragon now convulsing before him was not Cassandra, but the Shade. He tried to convince himself that Cassandra was alright, safe in a better place, and this was just her body. Nevertheless, as he plunged the dagger into the dragon’s body, tears still streamed down his face. Uncontrollable, hot tears of pain and regret.

He roared in rage and anguish, thrashing around the laboratory. The sphere dropped from the table and crashed to the ground, smashed into a million tiny shards.

Just like his heart.

-- -- --

Those were Lucivar’s thoughts as he drifted in the dark. He could not feel, see, hear or smell anything here. Is this death? He wondered. Would I get to see Cassandra again?

His heart tightened at the mention of his beloved mate. His brows furrowed and a single tear streaked down his cheek, more following after it.

I can’t let any others suffer at the hands of the Shade. I can’t let any others die just like Cassandra did. I can’t let their loved ones mourn their death with a painful heart. I can’t let this happen again.

And thus he came to purgatory.

Written for: StarsAndMoon's Esther.

---

She’s an all-around brat. She’s Esther, the troublemaker and traitor of the Clan.

She hefted a helmet off the rack, examining it all over for scratches and blemishes. It was clean, nothing tainting its shiny surface. Good. This helmet would replace the one she currently had, the one that was broken and scratched beyond repair. She held the helmet to her chest and walked out of the armoury.

Who cared if she stole it? The Clan could easily get more, anyway.

She flapped her wings and flew back to her den, setting the helmet in a secluded corner. She had to make sure that if she had any visitors they would not question about her possession of the helmet just yet. Not now, but later she would let them know what she took from the armoury.

A Death Seeker swooped into her den, a message scroll clutched in its claws. She held out her claw and the familiar dropped the scroll into her claws. She unrolled the scroll and read, “Esther. We hear you are a sneaky warrior, quick on your feet and eager to serve. I have a proposition for you. Meet me at your Clan borders tonight.”

Esther smirked, tearing up the scroll and dumping it in the fireplace. Quick on her feet yes. Eager to serve? Not much. She only did jobs when other dragons paid her well. Even when the jobs involved sabotaging her Clan. As far as Esther was concerned, the “Clan” was nothing more than just a place to stay in, and she had no emotional or spiritual ties to any of the dragons she resided with.

At night time, she headed to the borders on schedule. She saw the dragons from afar - a towering Ridgeback and his Guardian companion. She put on her helmet and twirled her axe around, at the alert in case any of them chose to do anything funny.

The Ridgeback turned as he arrived, eyes flashing in recognition. Esther huffed smugly. Was she really that popular among the rogue and raiders? Now that every rogue knew who she was?

The Ridgeback nodded at the Guardian, and the bearded dragon came forward with a scroll. As she took it, the Ridgeback said in a low voice, “I am Gustblade of the Southern Cult. Tell no one of your link and relations to me in your mission, or you will not live to see another day.”

Esther grinned, snatching the scroll from the Guardian. “Don’t you know who I am? I am Esther. I do not make mistakes and I do not leave any tracks. There is no reason for you to doubt me.” She swished her axe to emphasize her point, then stalked away.

Once she returned to her den, she unfurled the scroll and read the text.

“There is something your Clan owes me. If you can steal thirty Gilded Chests from your Clan Vault and deposit them by the pond at the border, I will give you one third of what I get from the chests.”

Esther smirked in anticipation. Raising a claw, she called for her henchman. “Asira! Where are you? Get here now!”

The other smaller Bogsneak rushed into the den, asking, “Yes, Esther?”

Esther held out the scroll. “I’ve gotten a new mission. Prepare our supplies. We will begin at sunrise.”

Written for: Shadowbrook's Jester.

---

The first sight Jester remembered was the delighted look on her parents’ faces as she clawed her way out of the egg, trampling the shell to a hundred pieces in the process. She remembered hearing them comment that she was a ferocious and strong hatchling, and would serve One well once she grew up and had the best training.

As she grew and flourished under the strict and careful teachings of her parents, Jester began to know more about the Clan she was born in. The leader, the deity of the Clan, was a dragon named One. One is a robotic entity, a mechanical Fae. Though small, the terrifying dragon’s influence spread far and wide, with hundreds of cultists under her command. The old Clan that was vanquished under One’s rule was trapped and held hostage in their own camp.

Jester quickly learned that her parents were devoted and faithful cultists, and she would soon become like them. She was quick to understand that she was above all of the prisoners, and never hesitated to make their lives a misery when she could. Other cultists began to whisper about her, about Jester, daughter of Bonewraith and Enchantress, and had the savageness of both her parents combined.

-- -- --

“Jester, One wishes to see you,” Sentinel Four approached her as she was hunting. With a curt nod, the Skydancer headed back to camp, wondering what the deity needed her for.

One’s red eyes glowed with such menace and ferocity, any other dragon would have collapsed on the spot, shivering with fear. But Jester did not know fear. She kept her head raised as she approached her deity, a sign that she was not in the least fazed by One.

She bowed her head in greeting.

One moved its mechanical joints and purred in a voice not unlike gears rolling across each other, “I see you have come, Jester.”

Jester nodded, her heart thumping in anticipation for what was to come.

One swooped down from its perch and dived at Jester. She ducked and swiped, but her claws did not catch the fast robotic Fae. One regained altitude and turned to face Jester, her eyes seemingly glowing with approval.

“Jester. I have assigned to you a mission.”

Jester breathed in excitement. A mission from her deity itself? What could be better?

“As you must have learned from your parents, I conquered the Clan of Shadowbrook and brought it to its knees. But that is not enough. I wish to know of other Clans around Sornieth. I want to know how other Clans function.” One’s eyes glowed brighter. “I want to conquer them all.”

One flew down to Jester’s level of sight and ordered, “I want you, Jester, to travel the world. Assume the role of a traveler, but I want you to send me reports of each Clan you go to. Tell me how many dragons they have, who is their leader, and how they treat you while you are there. Tell me everything. Understood?”

Jester nodded, answering, “Yes, One. I will do as you say.”

One flew back to its throne, concluding, “Go and prepare. I expect you to leave on your mission by tomorrow morning.”

-- -- --

Jester approached the Clan borders, her eyes shining as she saw a patrol approaching. The head of the patrol, a tall Ridgeback, noticed her first.

“A traveller, I see?” he asked in a gruff voice.

Jester nodded.

“Well, come with us. You must be weary,” he answered, turning to lead the way.

Jester could barely contain her anticipation as she entered the camp of this new Clan. Smirking to herself, she thought, Enjoy what you have now, fools. Before long, my presence will bring about your doom. Once One knows about you, she will never forget you.

Written for: L1BR4's Opal.

---

Sparks flapped his wings, flying across the Cairnstone Rest. His claws were held out before him to stabilise flight, and his long tentacles swayed with the wind, detecting stray electric current signals.

He was a lonely sprite, left behind in the Cairnstone Rest after his old bonded dragon, an old Pearlcatcher, passed away of old age. Since then, he roamed around the territory, trying to find a new dragon who would take him as a familiar. So far, none of the dragons he had met gave him the feeling and intuition that that dragon was the one.

The opening to an old mine caught his eye, and he fluttered down, curious to see what would be inside. He shivered a little at the musky, humid air, but kept venturing forward. He stopped when his leg bumped against something. He was about to dismiss it as an inconveniently-placed stone, but he felt the electric charge.

He looked down, and the faint firelight from the lamps lining the walls illuminated the stone by his feet. If he had not been careful, he would not have noticed the egg. He flew down and sat by the egg, watching it curiously. He placed his claw on the surface, which was covered in lightning, and felt it throbbing with a heartbeat of an unborn dragon.

He wondered why the parents would leave their egg so unprotected in this old mine, where it could get crushed by accident. Deciding not to take any chances, Spark decided to stay with the egg.

-- -- --

Crack!

A splitting sound jerked Spark from his slumber, and he scrambled up, looking around. Seeing the dimly lit interior of the mine, the day’s events rushed back into his mind. Turning to look at the egg beside him, he was stunned to find a long jagged crack running along its surface.

Spark was at a loss of what to do. He was no expert in dragon egg hatching, and did not know how he should react. Should he wait for the hatchling to find its own way out, or should he try to help? What if he scratched the hatchling by accident? Wringing his claws nervously, Spark sat next to the egg, waiting.

After a good while of clawing and stabbing, a small dragon clambered out of the egg. The lightning sparks around the egg slowly died down. Spark turned to the newborn, a female Wildclaw. At this stage, it was barely his size. Its eyes blinked open, revealing beautiful cyan irises. Seeing him, it let out a surprised peep.

Spark could only watch in amazement and shock as the Wildclaw scampered around the mine, picking up the abandoned precious stones and playing with them. So now he had a baby dragon with him, and he did not even know who or where its parents were. Noticing her playing with a few pieces of opal, he called, “Opal, that’s your name. Opal, come here!”

Opal raised her head and scampered over, a claw laden with precious stones. Looking at her collection, he noticed most of them were opals and amethysts, commonly used in magic. Opal’s eyes sparkled and she let out an excited peep.

Spark pushed himself up. There seemed to be a voice telling him that this dragon would be his charge, and he would serve her as a familiar. And he was to bring her to the Starwood Strand to learn magic. Gesturing for Opal to follow him, Spark started to walk out of the mine.

-- -- --

Opal concentrated on the spell, a pair of sapphires floating in the air above her, buoyed by magic. Spark watched from her shoulder. Now, in a few mere months, she had grown so fast he was only a small figure on her shoulder. As the spell ended and the crystals formed a rune, Opal yelled in triumph.

Spark smiled to himself, thinking back of the days where Opal was a mere a baby and they had met in the mine. Both of them had progressed so far since then, and as Spark reached out to touch the floating sapphires, he felt a spurt of nostalgia run through him.

Written for: aternika's Helia.

---

The eclipse had come just as predicted. As evening dawned upon Sornieth, thousands of dragons gathered to watch - looking through telescopes, camping on the large plains in the Windswept Plateau and even standing at the peak of the Great Furnace. Eclipses were very rare in Sornieth and it was considered immensely lucky if a dragon could see an eclipse once in their long lifetime.

In the Sunbeam Ruins, the Clan was gathered, like all others in the Light territory, at the Beacon of the Radiant Eye. The Beacon was large and tall and positioned at the edge of the bay, giving the dragons a wide and unobstructed view of the solar eclipse.

As the time ticked closer to the time of a full eclipse, the entire population seemed to be holding their breath. When the moon finally covered the sun such that it looked like a black hole with light spilling from its edges, there was much jubilation.

Then the glowing dot appeared, growing larger with each second of a full eclipse. Slowly, as the dragons watched, it grew, and gradually morphed into the shape of a small Fae. The Fae-like dragon glowed with the light from the sun and in fact, she seemed to be like the sun itself.

This phenomenon had been reported happening for a long time already. Every time an eclipse occured, the princess of firmament would appear - a figment of the sun itself. No one knew who she was, what her name was, they just knew she appeared on Sornieth with a regal air and and her movements were so graceful she seemed like a holy angel.

And once again, just like the tales that had been passed down across generations, the princess leaped down to Sornieth, her halo glowing so brightly the passing dragons had to advert their eyes. There was an intense silence around her, as if the quietness and serenity of all of space had come down to Sornieth along with her. As she flew across the various territories and leaving a bright trail like a fallen comet, a single word was whispered and passed around:

“Helia.” “Helia.” “Helia.”

An astronomer and his apprentice sat on the roof of the observatory, looking through the telescope just as the wave of murmurs reached their ears.

“The princess of the firmament...Helia?” asked the younger dragon.

“Helia, meaning the sun,” his teacher answered.

“Where did she come from?”

“I think it’s a very long story. I think it has something to do with comets and the sun and the moon.”

Yes. A calm, soft whisper, breaking the conversation between the astronomer and his apprentice. They looked up and the glow was right before them - the princess of firmament, embodiment of the sun, right before their very eyes.

The Fae swished her long silks in a hypnotic pattern, her yellow eyes blinking slowly. When she spoke, her mouth barely moved, and her voice seemed cool, soft and curious all at the same time.

I was born when the a comet collided with the sun, she whispered, her eyes facing forward but looking into the distance, as if recalling a distant memory. The comet formed my body and the sun cast its power and light onto me. Thus I was born, and I come every eclipse to take the sun’s place while it is covered by the moon.

Then, with a swish of her silks, she was gone, racing to the sky where she belonged. A dim trail of golden sparkles were the only sign that she had been here.

As the timer ran out at the full eclipse ended, the silhouette of the princess appeared for the final time on the moon, then the glow winked out, and the night was silent again.

Written for: Pastelbvtts's Death.

---

“What are we going to do with this egg, Terrowin? Do we just leave it here or bring it back to the Clan?” The male Coatl, Anubis, asked his fellow companion. He glanced down at the Plague egg lying on the ground, glowing a pale green.

Terrowin surveyed the egg. “I think we should bring it back,” he answered. “I don’t know where its parents are, but if it’s left alone here, it’s best if we bring it back to camp. It will at least be safe there. Leaving it here will mean leaving it at the danger of BeastClans.”

Anubis nodded and picked up the egg a little reluctantly, as Plague eggs were not his most favoured thing to hold. To his surprise, the egg seemed pretty heavy for a newly laid egg, as if there was something more than just one hatchling in there. The two Coatls made their way back to their camp.

-- -- --

“An abandoned egg, you say?” Cypress, the small but witty founder of the Clan, asked, fluttering around the unhatched baby. “Well. You can take it to the nesting grounds. We can raise it there.”

“But,” Anubis spoke up, a little doubtful. “It’s a Plague egg. Are you sure we can hatch it in a Shadow nest?”

“Other Clans of different elements have hatched Shadow eggs in their territory,” Cypress replied confidently. “Anyway, it is our duty to care for and protect this orphaned baby. Take it to the nesting grounds.”

Nodding, Anubis picked up the egg and hurried to the nesting grounds. The egg was giving him a very dreadful premonition, and he wanted to get it out of the way as soon as possible.

-- -- --

Anubis watched worriedly as the Plague rocked back and forth. Cypress, along with her mate Apep, and Terrowin, were all watching. They were all curious about what dragon would hatch out of that egg.

A spiderweb crack wound its way across the surface of the egg, breaking the glowing orb effect. As Anubis looked, a claw stretched out and pushed the two halves of the shell apart. And within a few seconds, the newborn was sitting up in the nest, red eyes wide and watching its new “parents”.

“Uh…” Anubis opened his mouth, but something about the strangely chilling stare of the Guardian made him stop.

To their astonishment, the newborn opened her mouth and spoke in perfect Dragonese, with an undertone of menace and glee, “Well, hello, my new hosts. Glad to make your acquaintance. I’ve been given authority, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth. I am one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. ”

Anubis’s breath caught in his throat. No, no, not possible…

“I am Death.”

Written for: Gurepu's Bordeux.

---

From young, Bordeux knew she was different from the other hatchlings in the Clan. While the others could play and laugh their childhood away, Bordeux was constantly seeing visions of death. Not just any death, but death of her Clanmates. For example, she knew that old scavenging Skydancer would die of a viper bite, and her warrior sister would one day be defeated in the Coliseum and be too wounded to live.

And those visions haunted her.

Is there a way to stop these visions? The young Bordeux thought every day. However, as much as she wanted to stop seeing the visions, she did not dare voice them out, for fear that she would be branded a Shade hatchling and cast out. Thus, throughout her childhood, she quietly suffered the visions and did not utter a single word.

-- -- --

After she grew into a powerful teenage Imperial and opened her eyes to the world beyond her home Clan, he thought of ways to stop the visions. Since the visions were of death, if she prevented the death of those dragons, she would stop having those visions, would he not?

She began seeing a lot of visions of her sister, Star’s death, and was determined to save her sister from the death in the Coliseum. She tagged along the team as they fought in the Arena. Apart from her sister, the other two dragons were a tall Ridgeback, Dash, the best warrior in the Clan; and Raisha, a young dragon training to be a warrior along with them.

As an Undying Featherback appeared to challenge them, Dash hurriedly commanded, “Raisha! Go to the back with Bordeux. Stay with her no matter what. Stay out of this battle. Bosses are too dangerous for you!” As he spoke, Star got into a battle ready position.

Bordeux and Raisha huddled in the shadows and watched two of the best warriors tackle the Featherback. She watched Star’s motions carefully, in case this was the battle where she had the vision of her getting really wounded in.

She saw the attack before Star did. As the Featherback threw Dash off its head, it was disoriented, and charged blindly. Star was focused on trying to get to Dash, and did not see the Featherback charging into her path.

No!

Bordeux leaped out of the bush and rushed forward, and pushed Star forward and out of the charging beast’s path. The two siblings sprawled on the ground, and Bordeux was about to flash a smile of victory when a bone-chilling scream echoed throughout the Arena.

She felt her blood turn to ice, and turning around, she saw Raisha lying limply on the ground, blood pouring from a gash in her side. She could see that Raisha was barely breathing. The Undying Featherback had had enough of fighting and was already gone.

Bordeux remembered what Dash had told Raisha. Stay with her no matter what. He felt his knees buckle beneath him. She followed me out of hiding. I thought I had gotten Star out of the way but Raisha was still there!

Dash and Star did not question what happened, but it was clear they thought she was in some way responsible for the death of the young warrior.

-- -- --

This is how it works, isn’t it? Bordeux asked herself, looking up at the stars that no longer seemed so bright anymore. I defy fate and save a dragon, and another dragon dies in their place. A dragon who does not deserve to die, instead dies in their place.

Bordeux sighed. I cannot let anymore dragons die when they aren’t supposed to! She gritted her teeth. No matter what, I’ll deal with the visions if I have to do so for eternity! I cannot let anymore dragons die when they aren’t supposed to!

-- -- --

She could see how dragons died.

He could see when dragons died.

The two of them, together.

-- -- --

“Haru!” Bordeux’s voice came towards him through the foliage of the jungle. “It came again.” The female slipped into the clearing her mate was in, her eyes wide.

“What is it?” Haru asked, not as worried as his mate because he had been in this situation many times before, just like Bordeux. But this time she seemed a little more worried and scared than usual.

“You’re going to die,” she gasped, clutching his arm. “I saw a forest. Identical to this one. And there was a horde of BeastClans that attacked. Its leader slashed your throat and you fell from the air. I couldn’t save you in that vision.”

4.31pm. 7th October.

“I had a vision, too,” he answered. “In three hours, today. You’re going to die. This means we are probably going to die today, together.”

Bordeux was shaking her head. “No. I don’t want to die.” Her eyes now brimmed with tears, and she looked up fearfully at him. “Do you think...We can somehow alter the events such that we won’t die?”

-- -- --

Bordeux stood as still as possible, watching the dragon decoy’s leaf wings flutter in the faint breeze. Above her, somewhere high up in the canopy, Haru was lying in ambush, waiting to launch an all-out aerial attack from above the moment the BeastClans headed towards the decoy dragon. And here, Bordeux was going to use her magic to shield the both of them, and also launch magical attacks whenever she could. This way, the Beasts would not kill them.

“ARGHH!”

The war cry of the Harpy echoed throughout the forest and she hurriedly chanted a shielding spell. An invisible dome of magic covered and camouflaged her against enemies that used scent or heat to detect dragons. The next moment, the Harpy flock dove down into the clearing, sharp spears aimed at the decoy.

Bordeux used her magic to move the decoy a little, and even made it fight back. She had to distract the Harpies while Haru set up an attack above. These magic took a little strain on her mental energy, and just as she thought she could not hold on anymore, there was a whistle and several ice bolts shot down at the Harpies. Within seconds, they were eliminated.

With a satisfied smile, Bordeux stopped her spells and flew out just as Haru swooped down from above. They high-fived each other and smiled at each other.

“Good job,” Haru murmured, hugging her tightly. “We did it!”

-- -- --

She could see how dragons died.

He could see when dragons died.

The two of them, together.

A pair that cheated death.