The three star dragons are Lisianthus, Galena, and Cercis. I'm only including pictures of the first two because I want to use a picture of the enthralled Nocturne later, but I'm putting in links at least! These three are one of the November Nightfall Sanctuary's adventuring teams, and they are returning to find the castle in an unusual state.
"Dears, you need to sleep. It is so, so late. So dark. So cold." The
lavender elder Coatl's eyes were different, and so was her voice, both bearing and eerie greenish tinge. There was no chill wind flowing through the Sanctuary's grand main hall, yet the beautiful new gossamer gown that Opal wore drifted as if some soundless ethereal breeze were localized to her own space and no other.
She approached over the velvet floor, her steps slow but aggressive, bearing down on the trio of dragons - Lisianthus, Galena, and Cercis. "You've traveled so long, it's time to rest, dears. You're so tired."
Her words were not untrue, but they grew sinister when the three companions' eyes fell upon the many softly breathing shapes of silent, sleeping dragons and beastfolk, nestled into the cushions that served as the hall's seats, swathed in blankets and scarves that all seemed far too wide awake.
"Sleep, please. Sleep."
Her magic was stronger than their wills, and even as they tried to back away from her, their feet wouldn't move. The fluttering of their hearts lifted to their eyelids, and their heads began to nod. Some of the silks that were hung as decorations began swaying in the impalpable breeze.
Just as they were almost lost to the magical sleep, a silver serpentine shape crackled into existence in front of them, blinking bright pink eyes along it's entire twisting form. "Ssssstay awake, run!"
Selenite hissed. "The Sssanctuary iss under an enchantment that I know not the sssource of. You may yet find it, but you mussst leave. Run! The
Nocturne, Dicentra escaped to the Lighthouse, I have an inkling he may have an inkling about what'sss going on."
Pink light sparked, and the three were suddenly wide awake again. "Selenite, you would betray me like this? Don't you remember who I am?" Opal's voice was an icy purr, but even more shocking was that she would try to leverage her position in such a way. Selenite's form crackled as he tried to escape between realms, but the fractures left his form and he was whole, something the dragons had never once seen. Every single eye widened, and he gazed at Opal with them. Then they began to drift close and his erratic form started to become still.
"But why?" Cercis said, crestfallen at seeing one of her heroes trying to do harm to the Sanctuary's denizens. Lisianthus opened his dark wings to usher the others towards the door. "you heard Selenite,
run."
~~~
"So, Shadowsong said that the Nocturnes were responsible. We don't have a lot of Nocturnes in the Sanctuary, do we?" Lisianthus said.
"Bergamot used to be one!" Cercis piped up. "But he would never,"
"I'm pretty sure I saw him asleep on a pile of scrolls in there."
"You did?! Oh dear." Cercis began to twist herself up in concern. "We need to stop this. We need to. I may never see him again if we don't."
"Well, that only leaves Amaranth." Lisianthus mused, and glanced back at Galena, who was gazing quietly out at the sea beyond the lighthouse. They didn't even make it all the way there before the very serious Dicentra swooped in, and began
laughing, pointing at his decadent new silk scarf. He's asleep now too, just like everyone else. Lisianthus couldn't help but wonder if Opal was, in some strange uncharacteristic way, trying to help. She had to think she was doing the right thing -- even in a compromised state he couldn't imagine her harming a soul without good reason.
"Then we find Amaranth!" Cercis squeaked, barely able to talk amidst her tangled fear. Lisianthus isn't used to seeing her afraid, but to be fair, they're all used to fighting monsters, not their friends. Or dealing with enchantments.
Cercis dashed off to Galena, said something, and dashed back past Lisianthus with the Tundra following. Lisianthus tried to follow as well, but something was wrong. When he tried to move his legs, the fabric of his new suit -- the gorgeous white coat Amaranth had made for him right before he left on his most recent quest with the other two -- tightened around the arms, and the threads felt like daggers. Oh no. He watched Cercis and Galena move into the forest mist, and tried to call out to them, but his voice wouldn't come to him. Try as he might, he couldn't move or shout for help. His vision started swimming in front of him.
Cercis and Galena noticed almost right away that their comrade wasn't with them, but it was too late. They both ran back to where they last saw him, but the elegant Pearlcatcher was nowhere to be found. They called out his name, searched for an hour or two, but there weren't even footprints to follow past the place he was last standing.
"Oh no oh no oh no oh no" Cercis couldn't stop saying it, and found her tail knotted up in worry and tripped over it. "Oh no,"
"It's okay Cercis," Galena said, but she wasn't sure she was convinced herself. "Lisianthus can take care of himself, I'm sure he's fine." "Oh no," "Please, just take a few breaths, we have to stay calm to handle this. I can carry you if you need to rest a bit?"
Cercis looked at the jagged shards of ice that covered her fur, and rapidly shook her head. "No offense, but you're spiky. It's okay. I'm okay. We can do this."
"No offense taken." Galena replied in her frigid, but friendly, calm. They both looked towards the looming shape of the Sanctuary's castle. Knowing that Opal had the entryway locked down, they moved towards the back, but stopped when they saw glowing eyes in the greenhouse. It could be a friend, but who could tell between friend and foe when the entire Sanctuary is acting odd? "No worries," Galena said. "I know a secret way in, through the tunnels." Galena turned towards the mountains, and Cercis followed as the flightless Tundra led the Spiral through her underground network. Once in the castle, they slinked silently by the form of Opal, whose eyes were closed and head bowed as if in prayer. Her cloak still drifted, though the air was still.
They made their way into the Sanctuary's upper floor, towards Amaranth's Costume Parlor. The curtains in the parlor's doorway were drawn aside, tied up by a sparkling ribbon, welcoming them in. They walked through the accomodating, brightly lit threshhold, trying to be as stealthy as possible. They saw Amaranth at her sewing table across the room, lifting up a horrifying hooded cloak that looked similar to the odd cape she was wearing over her own shoulders.
"This is the best one yet," The shining rose Nocturne croons in a whispered, sing-song voice as she holds up the eerie garment. Cercis wanted to object, but she couldn't help but admit that there was some otherworldly beauty in the evil-looking thing. The fabric shimmered with a swirling pattern, and was set with glittering jewels. But something about it was wrong. It seemed to be looking at her.
Galena couldn't stop herself from speaking; "Amaranth?"
Cercis waved at her to be quiet, but it was too late. Amaranth whipped around with a gasp, and the invisibility spell seemed to have broken when Galena spoke.
"Oh! I didn't even seen you come in! I've been so busy... Welcome, welcome, to my Parlor my friend!" She bowed. Her tone was perhaps a little more shimmery and giddy than usual, but otherwise she was acting just as she always had. "Do you need help with anything? Oh, Galena, you really should wear some clothes. Ice and chains are only in style at the Fortress of Ends."
Galena scoffed. "You always say that." And that's what was weird - that the Nocturne wasn't acting weird. "Are you aware of what's going on right now?"
"Aware? Aware of what? Nothing is happening. I've just been in here all day, working on my latest masterpiece." Amaranth hummed. "And I dare say, it's my best yet, inspired by my most recent acquisition." The Nocturne twirled to show off her violet cape, which took a little too long to float back down and rest back in place when she stopped. It was tied with a silver rope, and the golden gems on the collar seemed to follow the two newcomers. Galena shivered, and it wasn't the cold. Galena was the one who brought back that cape and gifted it to the bright young tailor.
"Oh, Galena, you should try this on! Since you're the one who gave me the inspiration!" Amaranth beamed as she held up her creation.
"No, no I won't." Galena said, and it wrenched her heart to see the rosy Nocturne's face fall when she said it. "I can't. There's something wrong, and that cloak may be to blame. Perhaps you should give the one you're wearing back to me."
"What? What's wrong with you? Why would you ask that? You're the one acting odd!" The Nocturne's voice was still bright, but beginning to fill with fear. "I've cherished nothing in my life like I've cherished this cloak. Nobody has ever given me a better gift. And you want to take it back?" As tears sparkled in the corners of Amaranth's eyes, Galena couldn't be more sure that the mimic to blame was wrapped around her friend's shoulders.
"Amaranth, you have to understand, the Sanctuary's been cursed and nobody is acting like themselves. Opal's put almost everyone to sleep downstairs. Lisianthus disappeared. Dicentra tried to kill me! We were told by a Nocturne named Shadowsong that there is a mimic manipulating one of our Nocturnes, and it's not Dicentra, he's asleep too."
"No, no, it cannot be. You say nobody is acting like themselves, how do I know you aren't cursed yourself?" Amaranth's voice trembled. Galena sighed and looked at Cercis. The spiral, in response, darted immediately towards the cord at Amaranth's throat. The Nocturned screamed in terror as the still invisible spiral tugged at the strings around her throat.
And in that moment, the shadows lurking outside of the Parlor's doorway leaped in. They were dressed in white stripes and a white tuxedo.
"Lisianthus!" Galena shouted in joy, but that joy turned to horror as Lisianthus lunged at her with a blood-curdling, dry roar. "Leave her alone, you beasts!" He shouted. His eyes were wide but clouded, his pupils large and dark, and his voice hoarse. "Leave the Sanctuary, mimic!" As he growled, Amaranth's eyes flicked to him. His spell was broken as well.
Galena was frozen in shock. Mimic? She wasn't the mimic! She didn't know how to react when Lisianthus, her friend, coated his claws with icy breath and slashed at her. "Galena, no!" Cercis cried out, and left her attempts to recover the mimic cape to help the despondent Tundra. Lisianthus bared frenzied teeth at her and hissed. His suit split open into several toothy grins of its own.
Amaranth had grown silent. She couldn't believe her eyes, watching one of her starry models lose his decorum like this. She didn't know if that was weirder than watching her own work smile at her as he did it. She watched Galena wince as frozen teeth clamped down, and watched Cercis try in vain to pull the brawny Pearlcatcher away.
Amaranth trusted her friends. She trusted her friends. They wouldn't lie to her.
But they attack each other, a disembodied voice whispered in her ear.
She trusts her friends. They're the ones who have always been there for her. She trusts them. Shaking claws rose to the cape's silver ties.
No.... don't leave me. They don't care for you like I do.
No, it can't be true. Even when they are not themselves, it was just to protect her. She heard what Lisianthus said. Galena's not a mimic. Her hands faltered. She couldn't do it, she couldn't harm this treasure, this treasured gift from Galena... perhaps this isn't actually Galena?
As her hands drifted back down, she suddenly heard a beautiful song float through her head, words like the plucked strings of a harp. Amaranth listened to this celestial song for a long moment as time seemed to freeze. The strength to pull the cape off welled up in her with the crescendo of notes. She struggled to undo the cape, and it fought against her, tried to cover her eyes and wrest her hands away, but eventually she tore it off and threw it to the side.
No..... The cape's voice caused an immense feeling of loss to wash over her, but she stood stalwart against the wave of emotion. She watched the cape float up. So did the one she made. No, it can't be, she didn't weave any enchantments into it....
Did she?
She looked at the cape, and then at her embattled friends. She knew what she had to do. There's no one who can get the best of clothes like a tailor can.
~~~
