The Doctor will see you now

Doctor was a quiet hatchling. He much preferred staying in his parent's den rather than go out and wreak havoc with loud, boisterous play and pranks like the majority of hatchlings were wont to do. His parents never minded, and would entertain him with stories and myths of the gods and dragon history. His favorite stories were about the vicious emperors, and how they would force the gods to leave their homes and fight. He seemed fascinated by the destructive power of the beasts, but his parents(thinking he was scared of one rising and hurting his friends and family) assured him that it was very unlikely that one would come about. And certainly the gods would take care of it before it became a huge problem. He would quiet after their assurances, settling into thought, and his parents would smile, certain that their son was comforted.

Soon after, Doctor had picked up some peculiar habits. He would pick at the meat that hunters would bring home, despite not eating it, as it wasn't part of his breed's diet. Once he was old enough, he joined the clan's hunting group, but the food he brought back would be torn to shreds. He was politely told to leave the group, as it was frowned upon to play with one's own food, but to play with others' was downright rude. He took the rejection with grace, but he would still hunt for himself when he had downtime. The things he had hunted for himself were merely for research purposes, as the clan would see him carefully cutting apart his latest kill. As such, it was hardly a surprise when Doctor declared he wanted to be a healer and physician for the clan. He left for a brief period to train under a different clan's healer, and when he returned, he insisted on being called "Doctor". He claimed it was because he put so much work into earning the title, and wanted that work recognized. The clan thought it was strange, but they complied, and soon his original name was all but forgotten(His parents remember, of course, but they respect his wishes and keep his name a secret. They tell curious dragons that if he wanted his name known, he'd tell it himself).

On the front, Doctor is just a peculiar healer for the clan. Strange, but well meaning. He treats the clan well, and if a traveller comes across the clan and needs help, he is happy to oblige. However, his work has a sinister side that he keeps hidden. The stories of emperors that he'd heard in his hatchlinghood inspired him. He wonders if that kind of power can be dragonmade and harnessed. Unknown to the clan, Doctor has branched out his dissections from just common creatures to dragons. He never kills them himself(he's not a brute, and even he has morals), but rather tracks down burial grounds used by other clans and exhumes bodies, all in the dead of night. Sometimes he dissects the body there and reburies it when he's done, other times he'll drag it to his secret "medical" den for a more in-depth study. His favorite subjects are imperials, as he dreams of unearthing the secrets of creating an emperor.

He does dissect regular creatures too though, and he doesn't keep those studies a secret. He always says it's so he can treat the clan's familiars as well as its dragon inhabitants. However, hatchlings spread rumors that he is mad. They even like to say that he created his own familiar from parts of other animals, frankenstein-style. They never realize how close to the truth they are.


By Ruude