Beliseph

Plague of the Ice Fields, ruthless killer of any who dare cross her path.

This dragon is an extremely manipulative and cruel being, showing no mercy to those she encounters. The laws of the land, as enforced by the previous kings and queens of the Southern Icefields, stated that all dragons must share their food and not hunt the wildlife during the harsh winter months, as this would lead to even further food shortages. Beliseph did not adhere to these laws, viewing them as pointless and only promoting weakness. Of course one dragon could not destroy an ecosystem on its own, her crimes went beyond that. She decided the best source of food was other dragons. She would steal from nests, eat hatchlings right infront of their parents, and even attack other hunting dragons and make a meal out of them. These crimes were her most heinous, and what lead to her being hunted down by the Royal Guard, and some bounty hunters hoping to gain the rights to hunt during the winter in exchange for her head.

She once wreaked havoc on the ice fields for years, before being captured by the Royal Guard, who were instructed to bring her back alive. She was taken before the king and his queen and sentenced to be held in the Fortress of Ends for all eternity.

This is where she met one of the prision guards, Purgatorius. She often talked to him, though most of the time he stayed quiet, but this never dissuaded her. Beliseph was persistent, she had a talent of being able to read other dragons. Purgatorius was easy to read, his weak constitution was an obvious weakness for her to exploit.
Firstly, she attempted pseudo-friendliness, but this tactic was one even the most dull of criminals would try use, so even someone as mentally weak as Purgatorius was immune.
Next she tried to woo him with false promises and ideologies that went against the laws of the land. Promises of freedom and being able to hunt whatever, and whoever, they liked without consequence. Ignoring the "unfair" system of ensuring all got fed in the harsh tundra. These promises seemed to grab Purgatorius' attention, not many criminals in the Fortress of Ends had thought to use their own crimes as a weapon, turning them into a form of propaganda to entice others. This is when Beliseph plotted to plan her escape.

Over the next months, Purgatorius very rarely strayed far from Beliseph's cell, as he enjoyed listening to her stories of freedom and the joys of hunting rare game. It wasn't long before he was enthralled by her and clinging to her every word. This is when Beliseph started to plant seeds of escape and rebellion. She never outright asked to be let go, not at the start. She would feign excitement, and express how she wished to go hunt with Purgatorius, only to then suddenly become disappointed as she was trapped behind bars.

Beliseph got impatient of waiting for Purgatorius to suggest letting her go, so she simply suggested to him that they run away together, into the forests and be free. That the Royal Guard would never be able to catch both of them, not with his talent and her smarts. This is all it took for Purgatorius to let her out of her cell.
She never quite understood why she didn't immediately kill him once she had the chance, something about him was attractive, so she ended up growing quite fond of him.

Their escape was simple, and was not met with much resistance. Beliseph knew it was pure dumb luck that a Usurper opted to assault the throne at the time of their escape, while Purgatorius took it as a sign from the gods that this was meant to be. Beliseph was smart enough to not correct him, knowing his beliefs will only help her keep him close to her.



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