Long live the pioneers
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Rebels and mutineers
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Go forth and have no fear
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Come close and lend an ear

There are things well outside the realms of gods and dragons. He would know, from personal experience...But what else was he supposed to do? Other dragons had hunted those like him down, just for the rare skills they possessed, no matter whether they were using them for good or just to hurt others. Abominations, they were called, for seeking and using magic outside the weak, watered-down versions that the gods gave them...They were told that they didn't deserve to live, and that the injustices visited upon them were deserved, just because of the circumstances of their births.

Of course he would have called upon something to help right those wrongs. Of course he wouldn't have particularly cared whether it was god or Shade or something entirely other. He had been able to stop their tormentors with that power, and for a long time, that was all that had mattered. Even when his own anger and hatred had corrupted it into a force of Vengeance instead of Justice, it hadn't mattered, as long as he could stop their persecutors...

But even that had come to an end. He won't speak of what happened in the Sunbeam Ruins that day, and likely never will, but he has since settled down in this strange clan that took him in, without any complaint. The fact that Garrett is here possibly has something to do with that, of course, but regardless of his reasons, he still stays gladly. What he does varies wildly from day to day--sometimes keeping track of the clan's hatchlings, sometimes checking up on his cats, other times just doing whatever is needed of him--but he remains a constant presence here, and he and the dragon Garrett are nigh inseparable, to say the very least. Regardless of his twisted past, he's a steadfast clanmate and a caring companion, always eager to help and fix whatever he actually can fix.

He won't, however, go back to what he was before. As far as he's concerned, that chapter in his life is long over, and even if he still burns to right the wrongs of this world, he can't abandon everyone all over again to do what he did before. Now, with what he has here...that would be cruel, and he can't be that dragon anymore.

~Bio by DariikSnake~

On warm afternoons that spread light over the Plague clan’s home, an odd sort of gentle happiness spreads amongst the dragons residing there. Such days are few and far between, and they seem to remind Anders of better, more innocent times. Before all the issues with necromancers and “righteous” knights, before he felt darkness creep into his heart. Of course, just as lighter times are long past, so are his quarrelling days, and as he sits sunbathing on a rock’s edge his mate, Garrett, walks up to lay beside him.

“Please tell me you’re not brooding again, you’re the one who wanted to settle down here in the first place,” Garrett remarks, although purely with humor, and Anders smiles softly.

“Just enjoying the sunlight, love, and thinking of much earlier days.”

The pearlcatcher male chuckles at that, and simply moves closer to his mate, now snuggling up to his side. A couple years ago Anders would have been surprised at such a fond act, but then again a lot can change in that amount of time. Even still, when he wakes up in the middle of the night or just looks over at Garrett throughout the day, Anders is surprised that he’s been so fortunate. His life was filled with Vengeance and Justice, but now he’s found more thanks to the one dragon he thought he would surely turn away.

Although they shared a couple moments of simple peace in the sunlight the skydancer is not surprised when Garrett breaks the quiet. “After all that happened...with the spirits, at the Sunbeam Ruins, everything...we both thought this was over. But in my head I kept thinking that if I lost you, because of all of that, then I didn’t try hard enough. That I didn’t show you I loved you and that our love could save you. That there was more than...” The pearlcatcher stops, feeling a tightness grow in his throat. There’s always been a silence between them since those days, an unspoken vow that what happened was over with, and that there was nothing to say or do about it. But Anders would still see Garrett looking at him sometimes with such confusion, such conflict, that it was easy to tell what was on his mind.

“There’s never been a day where I regret that I didn’t involve you, love. It was my business alone, what I did,” there’s a pause, one Garrett knows not to interrupt, “but it wasn’t fair how I broke your heart for my cause. Not after all of your devotion, your commitment. But I was selfish. Your love, our love, made me feel grounded. Made me smile in the morning instead of just think of all that bothered me in the world. I wouldn’t change what I did, because I’m still selfish, and I wouldn’t have wanted to have never known your love. But every second, every time I draw breath, I’m grateful that your devotion did not end that day at the Sunbeam Ruins.”

Garrett’s eyes soften, something that only happens when he’s truly touched, and he nuzzles his mate earnestly, saying all that he can in the act. Then there’s a soft laugh, one that surprises Anders only slightly (he’s still getting use to how unique Garrett is). The carmine pearlcatcher notices the surprise automatically, being use to having to explain his odd reactions to his mate. “Whenever you speak of me and how we were then, it’s as if I’m a gift to you. As if my love was out of nowhere, and something you don’t deserve. But there’s a lot more to you, Anders, than you really see. I saw it within our first days together, and I see it still. When you’re watching over the clan’s hatchlings, albeit sometimes nervously. When you respond to everyone’s kindness with your graceful smiles, but there’s a slight twitch, a slight moment that you worry. It’s in the past now, Anders, you need to grasp that. Everything from then, except my love, is done.” There’s one more perfect, gentle smile on Garrett’s lips, before he adds, “you’ve always been more important than you’ve ever thought.”

The skydancer blinked, not sure what to say, if there even is anything to say to such words. He realizes there really isn’t, not at least for him, and settles for more nuzzling, more signs of affection. The day goes on, as it would have regardless, and the two dragons remain there moving between moments of chitchat and silence for many hours.

~Story by LazyLilith~

Art by RubeOfCubic