Dellinger

After much coaxing from Styx, Dellinger has chosen to reveal his past and how he came to be a co-founder of Clan Pineapple: Dellinger was born near the Beacon of the Radiant Eye. He never knew his parents and being a tiny fae, he went unnoticed throughout his childhood. Although Dellinger's tiny size made him lonely, there were certain advantages to his small stature, especially when it came to sneaking into libraries. Dellinger loved books, and being homeless, he loved libraries for the shelter they provided. Once he found his meal of the day (luckily, fae do not need much food), Dellinger would enter the Great Library of the Lightweaver. There, he would read every book that his tiny fae body could manage to lift. He would stay in the library until late in the evening, devouring text after text, right up until closing time. At closing time, Dellinger would hide between books or behind shelves, so that the librarian would close the library with him inside. Once the library was closed, Dellinger would continue reading until he grew sleepy and then would climb between two sheets of paper and fall asleep.

This is how Dellinger become one of the best-educated dragons in all of the Light's domain. As he grew older, Dellinger applied to work at the library. He saw working in the library as his calling, the work he was born to do. His interview went well enough, as there was no dragon more knowledgeable about the contents of the library, but then the pearlcatcher in charge gave him the bad news,
"You're very well-educated and very passionate, but you're just too small. There's no way you can carry heavy books to top shelves, and sorting even a single shelf will likely wear you out."

Dellinger argued that he would get stronger, that he would manage the work, but the old pearlcatcher just shook her head in response. Distraught, Dellinger left, disappointed that his dream would never come true. He flew and flew, hoping that flying would make him feel less purposeless and less alone. Eventually, though, he grew tired and he stopped to rest on what seemed like polished white stone. He curled up on the white stone and was about to close his eyes and get some rest, when it suddenly moved, "Are you here to steal my mom?"

Dellinger jumped up, shocked that the stone was not only alive, but also talking. It took him a moment that he had unwittingly landed on top of a Guardian. "No, of course not - I don't even know who your mom is. And how could a tiny dragon like me steal anything from a huge dragon like you?"

The guardian narrowed her eyes at him and then laughed, "Yes, I guess you are too small to steal my mom." She then stretched out her body, revealing that she'd been holding a pineapple. "This is my mom. She doesn't talk much. And I'm Reneze."

Dellinger was puzzled by the strange guardian, but then he realized he was looking at an orphan, just like himself. "Reneze... want to be friends?" he asked her. He was all alone in this world, and save for a pineapple (who he didn't really think was her mother), she was alone too. And with those words, a wonderful friendship began, a friendship that would lead to the founding of a clan.

Over time, others joined their ragtag clan, and both Dellinger and Reneze became known as the progenitors of the clan. He was the brains, she was the brawn. Still, Dellinger loathed his tiny form. Even within his own clan, he would often be sat on or overlooked. One day, he went for a short swim in the riverbank, when suddenly, he was captured! A wildclaw swam up from the depths of the river, grabbed him, and put him in a bottle! This wildclaw, was, of course, Styx.

She dragged him to a cove, where she placed his bottle on a fine flat stone and announced that he was her mate. Dellinger argued that he was too small to be her mate, but she did not seem concerned with this at all. She just let him out of his bottle and gave him a big, wet kiss. Then, he tried to escape, but found that while the cove had air, to get anywhere else, he would have to swim a gigantic distance, far longer than a fae could manage. So, he had no choice but to play along with Styx, in the hopes that she would eventually free him.

This was how Dellinger become the captive of a river-dwelling wildclaw. As the days went on, he spoke with her. He told her of books he had read and she told him of things and dragons she had seen. Eventually, he began to develop feelings for the wildclaw who had captured him, but this did not prevent him from wanting his freedom. So, he persuaded Styx to come visit Clan Pineapple and meet the dragons he lived with. After all, as his mate, she was part of his clan. Styx was more an observer than a participant, and did not like to come very close to other dragons, but eventually, she relented and brought both of them back to the surface. Dellinger led her to Clan Pineapple, where he knew the massive dragons could protect him from being recaptured.

When he reached his clan, he was embraced by dragons who had been worried about his long disappearance. Dellinger hugged one and then another, as Styx stood there, awkwardly, waiting to be introduced. To Styx's great surprise, when Dellinger finally introduced her, he introduced her as his captor, not his mate.

Immediately, Reneze was in pursuit of her, roaring and chasing the blue wildclaw, who ran for her life. Styx managed to escape underwater, but nothing could help her broken heart. Meanwhile, back at Clan Pineapple, Dellinger felt guilty for what he had done. Yes, this wildclaw had stolen him, but she'd also been nothing but loving to him. And he'd led her right into a trap. For well over a month, the guilt ate away at him, until Reneze finally told him, "Something bothers you - go fix it."

And so, he did. He went to the riverbank, and called Styx's name. She didn't come out at first - after all, what if it was a trap? When she heard the tone of desperation in his voice, however, her heart softened and she emerged, "What do you want? Do you want your guardian to chase me some more?" "No," he told her, "I am so sorry I did that. I wanted to be free, and I ended up hurting you. It was wrong." "And?" she asked, not satisfied with just that, "And I'm sorry, and I am asking you to forgive me," "And?" "And I would be lucky to be your mate," "And?" "And I'll be your mate, as long as it's okay if we stay with my clan rather than in that cove."

Styx contemplated his proposal for a minute, then picked Dellinger up, and squeezed him to herself, "You're so lucky I love you." "I am," he told her, "I am. And I'm sorry I won't be able to give you little ones - Styx - I'm just too small to actually mate with you."

Styx looked at him oddly, quirking her head to the side. "...well, that's an easy fix," she told him, before diving underwater and returning with a chest. She unlocked the chest and took out a scroll, "This is a wildclaw scroll. It's a magic spell that can make a dragon of any breed a wildclaw. Although for the record, I like you just fine as a fae."

"This is a priceless artifact!" Dellinger exclaimed. "How did you get it?" he asked her. "Let's just say it fell off a pirate ship." Dellinger opened up the scroll and read the spell on it. And as soon as the last word was said, his body began to change and he began to grow. Soon enough, Dellinger was as large as Styx and he looked over himself, shocked at the change, "...I'm a wildclaw," he said.

"No, you're my wildclaw," Styx announced. And from that day, the couple would be together - two wildclaws, brought together in the oddest of ways.


Contact Faustien if vip babies, robsypi if any babies.