Ancilla

'Approached and appreciated for only mere pigments,
Ancilla left her clan and stood upon the mantle
She was seen as strong, needed.
The Plaguebringer would be glad.
A road straight to the heart of The Behemoth
Taint it.
Taint it all.

“Beware of the quick eye of Vidya,”
“See to it that Astridaire sees nothing,”
“Astor is not worthy, choose another.”

Inner turmoil.
Astor was everything.
The Behemoth forgotten.'

---

'To sit upon a rotting empire of broken teeth and fractured bone
Our toil everlasting, our potential endless. We tear the seams of order and drag the carcass
There is no solace within the weak;
the brawn without wit or the intelligent without strength
We are the existence that has nothing to do with gentle fate
Tried-and-true, survival is our only acclaim. You will hear us and you will fear us.
Cry to your Deities for we bring harsher tests of worth and nothing more. Thank our kind for we make yours strong.
Tremble beneath our might. Our dominion expands across your plains, your skies and your oceans. You will hear us and we will not stop until the world itself is our prize.
We are of Plague and we welcome you to the cesspools of defeat.'

---

Hatchlings hatched and squealed over their food.
By blood they were bound
But the eldest stank of the weak soul
Lazy, arrogant, stained.
She belonged to the Oblivion
She did not belong here.

Ancilla prodded the eldest to move.
Scorned and ignored, the eldest continued to feast upon the spoils of others.
She was not worthy.
Colours of pride would not be squandered.
Ancilla decided then, upon the moonlight.
Stormy weather stung deep as she travelled.

Deep within the realms Ancilla never thought to return.
Stolen was her youth and life.
In her death the eldest learnt only to accept she was too weak to choose.

A lesson Ancilla taught her kin. The eldest would serve as a lesson for all of the Jadewings.

The first lesson Apolline learnt was her last.
The first lesson Ancilla taught was her secret.

Morning arose and they question her.
They doubt her.
But Ancilla is sure of her loyalty.
She weaved her lies and told of tales that she twists for her needs.
Some believe her. She only needs time to heal the distrust.

Their suspicious fall when born Ancilla teaches her children to fight in honour of the first: Apolline.

"Do not be like her," she whispers, "for she was weak and was given the world. You will take the world, remember this. If you ever act like Apolline, know your fate is sealed."