Tidecaller

Amist a large collection of eggs, strewn out among the shifting currents of the warm, shallow pools, one tiny egg begins to stir. A beautiful iridescent egg, almost the color of the teal tropical waters that surround it begins to crack. One tiny claw pokes out into the open waters, as the drake begins to hatch.

An abnormally small, teal drake covered in a wispy pattern that resembles the currents of the waters around her slithers out of the egg, collapsing quite clumsily into the sands. Exhausted from the effort of her hatching, she wearily lifts her head and looks around her. Dozens of eggs in all different colors surround her, with no other dragons in sight.

"M-mama? Papa?" She calls out weakly. There is no response other than the shifting currents.
"Mama! Papa!" She yells, her voice gathering gusto, panic consuming her and overriding the exhaustion she felt only moments before.

The tiny drake scrambles to use her new limbs, legs giving way underneath her. She falls into the sand over and over, but continues to make her way in the first direction she tumbled towards. Panicked and scared, with no other drakes in sight, she wondered where her parents were. What was this field of lonely eggs, and why was she left here? Newly hatched and defenseless, her head snapped every which way, looking for potential predators as she continued to call out for her mother and father.

"MAMA, PAP-" She started another hopeless cry, only to be cut off by the sound of a violent hiss.

"I SSSSSSEE ONE!" The shrill voice of a Maren scout rings out. "DON'T LET HER GET AWAY!"

A hoard of Maren ambushers decend onto the hatchling
"ANOTHER ONE TO BE SSSSSERVED FOR A MEAL, ALTHOUGH NOT MUCH OF A MEAL WILL THISSSS ONE MAKE!"

"NO!" A mighty voice with the force of the raging sea bellows out, resounding and echoing off in every direction. A strong torrent of water sweeps over the Maren, shattering every bone and tearing them apart, claiming their lives as it sends their bodies somewhere beyond the flats.

"YOU SHALL NOT HARM ONE OF MY FLIGHT, VILE LEECHES!"

The immense figure turns toward the cowering hatchling, now sobbing and whining uncontrollably.

"Little one." The warm voice murmurs

The hatchling lifts her head to look at the being. There floats the Tidelord, behemoth in size, staring down at the runt of a dragon beneath him.

"Are you alone?" The concern in his voice apparent. The hatchling nods, tears beginning to well up in her eyes again

"You are one of my own, orphaned or not. You are a Guardian, little one. Fierce, noble, an prideful! You are of my very own image! Do not fear, for you are one with the currents that surround you!" The Tidelord murmurs forcefully, but lovingly.

"But I....I am s-so small...." The hatchling wimpers.

At the present moment you are, yes, little one. But you will grow. You will grow with my blessing, into the fiercest of warriors and most talented of prophets." the Tidelord fixes his gaze intently on the tiny Guardian. "Hear my words and remember this day. You must journey further into the Tsunami Flats and find a clan that will keep you safe. This area is under my protection, but I cannot safeguard you forever as I have many duties I must attend to. Go now, go with my blessing as I have given it to you."

A mark of the water flight manifests on the drakes forehead

"Serve your flight well and attune yourself with the magics deep within you. You have a gift, young one. A gift to divine truths from these waters of your homeland." The Tidelord gestures to the east with a large, formidable claw.

"Make your way now, hatchling!" He nods his head, exhaling a stream of bubbles and with a mighty flick of his tail, he turns, and is gone.

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"H-hello...?" A tiny voice squeaks from behind where I am gathering my harvest for the evening.

A considerably small but unmistakably beautiful Guardian hatchling peeks out from behind the coral. The familiar blue eyes of a water dragon gaze up at me. Something is different about this one, however. This hatchling bears the mark of the Tidelord on her forehead.

"The T-Tidelord t-told me to seek out a clan....I....you....are you the l-leader of a c-clan....?" Her voice getting weaker and more discouraged as she finishes her question. Her eyes dropping to the sandy floor, tears welling in them.

I look down at the hatchling who seems to be crumpling under the weight of her own tiny body and despair.

"Aeon!" I call out. I hear the shuffling of wings and feel the water around me stir as a large, purple Guardian swims up beside me. He surveys the small drake, blue eyes softening as he realizes what he is looking at; another Guardian, only this one resembles the great Tidelord himself. He approaches the cowering form, crouching down as low as he can get his giant form, gently draping a leathery, midnight wing over the tiny Guardian and pulling her close. He looks up at me with a loving smile, nodding in affirmation.

"I think we have some extra room, wouldn't you say, Aeon?" I say and wink at the form nestled under my partners wing.

"Y-you...! Really?!" the drake squeaks excitedly as she blinks the tears from her eyes.

"Yes, really. But of course I can't take in a dragon with no name, can I?" I playfully tease the obviously weary but now glowing Guardian hatchling.

"I.....I am...." She closes her eyes, going somewhere else, deep into thought for a long moment, seeing a truth that I cannot. "I have the Tidelords blessing. I am.....Tidecaller."

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