Trickster
(May edit occasionally over the week)
The Scholar
Yui, a young and curious student under resident Arcane mage Freyja, frequents the Observatory to partake in her studies on astral magic and the universe's vast collection of unknown energies, entities, and magic. Her newfound knowledge of
Singer magic recently discovered with the arrival of the mysterious Night of the Nocturne, as well as her quick learning skills and training under Freyja, makes her a formidable foe to trickery and mimicry.
The Healer
Long-time friend of Yui and a fellow practitioner of magic, Noxious is the clan expert on all things medicinal and herbal. Her ancient remedies and new-age tonics are popularly used to heal the wounded and sick of the clan, and her revolutionary enhancement potions and discoveries in the field of regeneration and partial ressurection make her a vital part of any adventure or battle.
The Shadow Mage
Lilura's innate knowledge of Nocturne culture and
Singer magic makes her a valuable companion when travelling within the murky brambles of the Tangled Wood. Her shadow magic also provides a strong defense against mimics and other creatures of the dark and dreary, and her dark appearance and plethora of invisibility and cloaking spells keep her hidden from enemy sight and well informed on their movement throughout the wood.
"How was your first independent research trip in the Tangled Wood?"
The two mages, curled at their respective desks, calmly gazed at the winded scholar, taking no mind of her frantic breathing and wide eyes. Yui slammed the door of the study - which was barely on its hinges due to this frequent action - and collapsed to the ground. Her wings were sore from the returning flight from the Tangled Wood, and her mind was overwhelmed with the impending doom of Thana and her wicked mimics.
The Nocturne, clothed in a deep purple reminiscent of her distant Shadow heritage, slipped from her desk and moved toward the flustered Imperial.
"What did you see there? Did you find anything about
Singer magic?" Lilura questioned, her eyes twinkling with a thirst for knowledge. Yui knew she wouldn't let her alone until she heard every detail; after all, she knew much about the old Nocturne ways of her ancestors, but had never seen evidence of its existence.
The scholar lifted herself off of the ground with the assistance of the Nocturne, and limped over to her seat at her own desk. "Well, yes, but -"
Lilura lit up with excitement.
"Oh! You must tell me everything, Yui! Don't leave anything out!"
"Well, what I was saying," replied the weary Imperial, "was that I had learned
way more than I had initially prepared for."
The Nocturne returned a puzzled look. "What do you mean? More knowledge is
good knowledge, right?"
As Yui was about to reply, the two dragons heard the shifting of the eldest mage. They turned to face Noxious as she left her desk and began towards them, her various cobwebs and plant adornments cascading gracefully behind her like an elegant cloak. She stopped before them, towering over the younger mages.
"You know well enough that knowing too much can be dangerous, Lilura, especially in your field of study."
Lilura bowed her head, embarrassed. Noxious turned to Yui, a look of concern engraved on her face.
"This knowledge you have acquired - is it dangerous?" the Imperial asked, a subtle note of urgency in her voice.
"Well," Yui began as she attempted to compose herself, "I met a Nocturne in the Wood today. Like, a real one, from the old clans. She claimed I was an
imposter because I could detect their magic -"
Lilura let out a cry. "
Singer magic! Only the old Nocturnes and their mimic enemies could detect it." Noxious shot an irritated look towards the Nocturne.
Yui cleared her throat. "- and then she asked about someone named Thana. The Nocturne, Shadowsong; Thana's her sister. Then she started talking about two Singer hatchlings and mimics and all sorts of troubling things!"
The two mages exchanged looks of confusion and consternation. Yui continued.
"She asked for my help - she said I have to stop her. She's a Singer, she's allied herself against the Nocturnes, stole the Singer hatchlings, and attacked her own clan. I'm their only hope."
The scholar slumped into her seat. "But I can't do this on my own. Sure, Freyja's training was incredibly valuable, but is it really enough to stop someone as strong and archaic as Thana?"
"I'll help you."
Yui glanced up at the sound of Lilura's voice. The Nocturne looked anxious, but her eyes glistened with determination. "I want to help my kind, even though we're distantly related. I've dedicated my whole life to the study of my history - their history - and I won't see it destroyed."
Lilura shifted her eyes to Noxious, who was deep in thought. She nudged the elder mage and cleared her throat. Noxious fixed her hat in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.
"I suppose I'll go as well. Someone needs to keep you two out of trouble and in healthy condition."
The scholar beamed; she wasn't going to face this threat alone after all. Her friends extended their hands to her, and she took them.
"All right, let's get ready."
Days had passed since the trio had adventured into the Tangled Wood, but no sign of Thana nor the hatchlings had appeared. Lilura's enchantments had warded off a large number of mimics, but the mere suffocating atmosphere of the wood had taken its toll on the band of mages. At the end of the fifth night in the brambles the trio made camp once again.
Lilura slumped down beside the freshly-made fire, exhausted from the exuberant amount of magic she had been using. She lazily poked at the embers as Noxious placed crudely-made insect kebabs over the flames. The sounds of the woods around them grew louder as what little daylight they had faded. Lilura grumbled.
"If I can't get some decent food or a wink of sleep I won't be able to keep this up," she groaned, curling up closer to the fire's warmth. "I wish we had some
real food. I never thought I'd miss eating satin mice!"
Yui nodded in agreement, staring at the kebabs in disgust. Her stomach growled.
"Well, you're welcome to catch some mice if you'd like, but you're going to have to prepare it yourself!" Noxious scolded, irritated. She lifted the kebabs off of the flame and passed them around. "Careful, they're hot."
Lilura scarfed down her portions eagerly, and reached for two more as she finished chewing her first. Yui carefully picked apart the kebab, making sure to miss the plants Noxious had surrounded the insects with. Noxious smirked as she took a bite of her measly meal.
As they prepared for bed, Yui felt suddenly anxious. She sensed something -
Singer magic? - and stared hard into the darkness.
The healer took note of this odd behavior. "What seems to be troubling you, Yui?"
The scholar shook her head. "Yes, but I can't tell exactly what it is. It's coming from
that direction."
Yui pointed straight into the darkness.
Lilura - who was asleep - opened her eyes, alarm crossing her face. She ran to meet the two dragons at the edge of the camp, locking her gaze onto the dark brambles ahead.
"Do you think it could be Thana?" Lilura questioned, her voice trembling. "I hope it's not Thana. I'm not strong enough -"
Her voice trailed off as a whispy light appeared before them. It danced, beckoning them forward. Yui slowly advanced towards the light, but was stopped by a firm paw on her arm. She turned to face a terrified Noxious.
"Are you really going to follow that
thing? What if it's a trap?" the Imperial quaked. Yui shifted her gaze back to the whisp.
"Either way, we'll find what we came here for."
Noxious nodded solemnly. She pulled out three small potions, handing one to both Yui and Lilura. "Drink this. It will restore your energy long enough to sustain you in battle."
Lilura raised her bottle. "To the Nocturnes!"
Taking a swig, the trio began forward towards the whisp, and the darkness began to swallow them. Soon the last remaining light was that of their Guide.
"I'm going to have to lower my defenses. It's the only way to ensure a strong connection between you and the Singer," Lilura whispered, tapping Yui on the shoulder. "But I promise I'll put them back up if things go crazy."
"Stay strong, friends," the healer muttered, already straining to keep the oppressive forces of the Tangled Wood at bay.
The Guide faded as they approached a dim, eerie light, and the wood grew silent; they had found her.
Before them stood a blood-red Nocturne adorned in regal, haunting attire. She paid no attention to the intruders, conjuring up dark, dancing figures for the two hatchlings that lay before her. Yui's chest tightened as the overwhelming presence of Thana's magic bore down on her.
"What brings you to my lair, travelers?" the Singer questioned, the words rolling off her tongue like a sweet poison. Her deep violet eyes glowed with interest as she gazed at her new playthings. She quickly silenced Yui, who was about to speak.
"There's no need to tell me. You're here for
these darlings, aren't you?"
The Singer gracefully gestured to the hatchlings, slumbering within a cage of brambles.
"We're here to -"
Thana laughed. "
Please don't tell me Shadowsong sent you. She's so pathetic! Perhaps she's jealous of the immense power that the mimics hold."
As the Nocturne turned away to pat the hatchlings, Lilura nudged Yui. She winked and, just as Thana began to turn back around, disappeared. Yui could sense her moving towards the hatchlings.
"If you're going to fight me," Thana began, startling Yui from her thoughts, "then let's get it over with."
The scholar, now filled with panic, fumbled as the Singer approached her. She began firing off a random assortment of spells, dodging and reflecting incoming attacks but never hitting her target. Thana persisted, pushing Yui into a corner, and was about to strike when she was dragged to the ground.
"
What is this?!" she screamed, clawing at the newly formed roots and brambles that had surrounded her body. Noxious approached from the shadows, her staff glowing as she manipulated the constricting brambles. She rushed to Yui and began tending to her injuries.
"Where
were you?" Yui cried. "I can't handle her on my own!"
"She's much stronger than we thought. Shadowsong underestimated her power; a Singer is powerful enough on their own, but a Singer that has control over the creatures of this murk? I don't think she fully realized how corrupted her sister has become."
Thana screeched once again, breaking free of her thorny ensnarement. Noxious and Yui charged forward, relentlessly attacking the weakened Singer. The Nocturne, enraged by her inability to counter their attacks, took flight into the sky. She called upon her mimics and impostors to attack while she recuperated.
The two Imperials struggled to hold off the seemingly endless waves of enemies, but were saved by a sudden blast of energy that pushed back the hordes of materializing beasts. Lilura reappeared in front of them.
"We came here for the hatchlings, right?" she asked. "Well, I got 'em."
From beneath her cloak crawled the two wide-eyed hatchlings.
"Noxious, Yui, take them back to camp. I'll follow you when I take care of these monsters."
The Imperials grunted in acknowledgement, grabbing the hatchlings and fleeing in the direction of their camp. Lilura cast another barrier and scurried after them, neglecting the mimics and imposters who now stood perfectly still at the edge of the clearing.
Two violet eyes glared from the thick foliage.
The next morning, Shadowsong arrived at the camp. The hatchlings ran towards her, happy to see a familiar friendly face, and she took them in an embrace. The trio approached the reunited Nocturnes, their minds and hearts at ease. They told her about the entire event.
"I can't thank you enough for returning Nightsong and Voidsong to me," Shadowsong said warmly. "They will be much safer under the care of our clan."
"But Thana - she's still out there. We didn't -" Yui began.
"Thana is a threat. To us, to the hatchlings, and now to you," Shadowsong replied, "but if what you told me is true, it's highly likely that Thana isn't a Singer after all. She fled instead of holding her own, and she relies heavily on her minions to do her dirty deeds."
"But what if she
is a Singer?" Lilura asked, concerned. Shadowsong gazed off into the wood in thought.
"All we can do is protect and raise these hatchlings. They're our future," the Singer replied, patting the hatchlings. "But we can always count on you to come back, right?"
The mages glanced at each other. Yui laughed.
"Well, we'll need to prepare ourselves for next time. We were in
way over our heads!"
Shadowsong smiled, gathering the hatchlings under her arms in preparation of their departure. The trio waved as the Nocturne took off into the deep black sea of trees, and began preparing for their own journey home.