Irritum

I r r i t u m

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[First Section: received before joining Clan Kidash]

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Born a small, timid and physically weak Nocturne in the Southern Icefield meant that his death was all but certain, so when he heard rumors of a mushroom deep in the Tangled Wood that could help him become stronger, he vowed to find the fabled mushroom. What Irritum had failed to take into account was how to find the mushroom, and he ended up wandering into the territory of a notorious warrior clan who cared only of treasure and the thrill of battle. The clan, who was in desperate need of amusement, had agreed to help Irritum find the mushroom he sought. Despite his gut feeling telling him that something was wrong, Irritum accepted the warrior clan's help. With the Shadow clan's help, they tracked down the mushroom within a week, and they urged Irritum to eat it- they claimed that that was the only way to obtain power. And so, Irritum did eat the strange mushroom. His last conscious moments were spent screaming. And the warrior clan had just laughed as the mushroom took over Irritum's body, and the clan had taken their newest servant back to their cave. If there was any part of Irritum that was still him left, no one would have known. It was just the mushroom. The mushroom of eternal servitude.

The warrior clan abandoned him. They changed him, they used him, they eventually grew tired of him, and then they abandoned him. And so he was left, impossibly scared and impossibly alone, in the very heart of the Tangled Wood, with no one to guide him. His weak cries, mimicking various voices from within the clan- they had loved when he would mimic voices and put on shows with them!- attracted attention. First, insects and birds flew away in a hurry, believing a troupe of dragons was on their way. Then, some of the larger creatures poked their heads about, looking for the source of the noise. And finally, a small, glowing creature. A Gloomwillow Guide. It beckoned Irritum to follow it, and Irritum could not refuse. He longed to serve anything... His old masters in the clan that abandoned him, they were gone now. The Gloomwillow Guide floated and danced about him, bringing him further and further into the lands of the Tangled Wood, and eventually to it's very edges. For what seemed like weeks, it was just Irritum and his Gloomwillow Guide, wandering the darkest parts of the Shadowbinder's territory, occasionally foraging for food or burrowing for shelter from rain, until the Sunbeam Ruins came into view. The Gloomwillow Guide turned south, and followed the border between the two territories. Irritum followed. Right into a new clan. Clan Kidash.

The Benefactor was distraught. This little Nocturne, fooled into becoming a servant, and then left to fend for himself once he had outstayed his welcome. Takaska thanked the Gloomwillow Guide for bringing him to the clan, expecting it to head back to the Shadowbinder. However, the little creature had grown fond of Irritum, and stayed with him as he settled into his new home. Irritum became an invaluable asset to Jalo, the Tundra scientist. She was more energetic than most Tundras, and her experiments were sometimes a bit strange. As soon as she saw Irritum, and the state he was in, she swore to take the best care of him that she possibly could, and promised to him that she would find a way to restore him back to his old self. Days dragged into weeks, which dragged into months. Jalo studied Irritum, making notes on how the mushroom had affected him. She sent letters to scientists and alchemists alike, and no one seemed to know how to reverse the effects of the mushroom. One day, she received a list of ingredients from a friend of hers, and went into a scientific frenzy trying to recreate whatever had been in the letter. After several trial and errors, Jalo slumped over onto her bed. "I'm sorry, Irritum. I let myself get distracted by something new, and I've got nothing to even show for it..." "... What can I do to help?" he asked. "Oh, Irri..." Jalo sighed. "It's alright. I can clean that up later." The Nocturne looked at her, and then at the mess and nodded to himself. 'I will help.' he thought to himself. Right before Jalo's coat was flung in the direction of himself, and her cauldron.

Like the lightning strike boiled Baldwin's potion, the electricity from Jalo's coat struck the recreation, and made it bubble up as had never happened with the others.

Irritum was caught in the splash zone, and sent flying out of the door.

"Irri!" Jalo frantically called, running after him. Aya and Skylar poked their heads out of the clinic, and once they saw Irritum dazed several meters away, they rushed to his side as well.

"Oh, oh Irri I am so so sorry!!" Jalo cried, nudging him upright as Aya immediately began checking his wings for signs of injury. The liquid had already sunk into his scales, though none of the dragons seemed to notice.

"What happened?!" Skylar demanded of Jalo.

"We- I- in my lab- and my coat shocked the cauldron-"

"Relax, child." Aya gently interrupted. "Just a few bruises on the boy, I think. How do you feel, Irritum? Does anything hurt?"

"...Tingly." He said after a moment. His form started to waver, slightly, and expand.

Skylar pulled Aya away as Jalo backpedaled slightly, and the three watched as the little Nocturne began to morph... into a Bogsneak.

"I... Irri?" Jalo breathed once the transformation was done.

"... Jalo?" he said, looking back at her. "Jalo! It worked!"

"Worked? What do you-" her question was interrupted as the new dragon bowled into her.

"I'm myself again! The mushroom isn't affecting me anymore!" He laughed, and the other dragons cheered him on as he stretched his new limbs.

"Oh, Irri! I'm so, so glad it worked! I mean, that wasn't what I was going for- but! But it's a side effect I never considered!" Jalo perked up.

"I can never thank you enough for helping me... Jalo, I'm not under anything's effect any longer, but I'd love to keep working with you!" Irritum smiled

"After all that?" Skylar scoffed, and Aya gently flicked his hide with her tail.

"It is good to hear you will stay with us, Irritum," the Guardian smiled.

"Of course I shall. I don't need to be strong to stay here, and I don't need to be a mindless drone. I can just... be myself." He breathed, choking up slightly on the last few words.

"Yes, you can, Irri. You'll always be my best friend!" Jalo said, nudging his newly elongated neck with her snout.