Tarquin

A Seedling Born

Some dragons are born to fight.

Tarquin was created from nothing, this special little Fae
woven from bright flowers that told of the sea and the
sky, and the earth that blossomed between the
marriage. Created by the Gladekeeper herself, Tarquin
feels a special connection to her mother, and wants to
follow in her nurturing, leading ways. Always growing,
always learning, wanting a culture as diverse as the
fauna around her. She wandered for a time, after leaving
a fae clan whose territory could no longer support so
many. In her wanderings she came across Pluto. The
Mirror male was injured, and could not keep up with his
own clan, leading him to hide in the sanctuary of the green.
The two of them decided to make a clan of their own in the
shelter of the Everbloom Gardens, and Tarquin quickly
made a nest of her own with him. Two eggs, and she was
happy. And Pluto stayed with her, guarding her and her
eggs.

A Seedling Grows

Not because they are strong or brave.

Tarquin knew her clan was weak and vulnerable to
attack. They were too few, just a mated couple and
their two eggs. While Pluto kept the little ones warm,
she went out to find other dragons to join them, to
mutually protect each other. She met the water dragon,
Elderon, while searching for the sea, which she'd
always wanted to visit beyond the constricting vines
of her nest.
He was easy enough to convince. A nervous dragon
who was tired of always running, Elderon wanted
a home of his own. He had served the Tidelord for
many a year, and now wanted his prophecies to
serve of some use.
She found Entei next as she traversed up and down
the beach. The ice skydancer was fleeing her home, and
had gotten caught in the storm traversing the Shifting
Expanse. She'd been too exhausted to continue, and
fallen onto the beach. She'd jumped at the chance for
shelter, and thus the clan began to grow.
This was when Tarquin and Pluto decided to name
their little group 'Garigill'. They felt like a real clan,
with a warrior (Pluto), a leader, (Tarquin) a Prophet
(Elderon), and a look-out (Entei). And Tarquin and
Pluto's clutch of eggs.
The two eggs hatched, one fae female, and one
mirror female. Tarquin adored them both, and
tried not to show favoritism, though Hades, her
Fae daughter, was easier to communicate with.
Tarquin already had grandiose dreams of training
her to become her predecessor. The Fae leader
felt quite good about her skills in negotiating with
others, so when a Centaur group moved in, Tarquin
was not worried. After all, Dunhoof centaurs were
known to be allies to dragons.
Or, so she thought.

A Seedling Wilts

Because the universe has decided to test their mettle.

She didn't notice until it was too late.
The centaurs used their dunhoof cousin's
peace with the Gladekeeper to surround
her clan, not allowing them to leave for food,
for help, a siege to kill them slowly. Anytime
Tarquin tried to fly for help, she was shot down.
It was never enough to kill her, no, but it was
enough to cripple her. They even blocked her
relationship with her creator, something that
Tarquin treasured above all else. Tarquin and her
clan were utterly stranded to the whim of the cruel Centaurs.
And, once they'd eaten every growing thing in their
sanctuary, it was time to wait for starvation.
Not that they didn't try to fight back. Tarquin, Pluto,
and Elderon all worked together, trying to bring them down.
But when they felled one Centaur, three more would
take it's place. As starvation gripped the clan, they grew
too weak to fight. Hope faded as they succumbed to their
fate.
Tarquin still tried to pray to the Gladekeeper, begging
for a savior. GladeKeeper heard the desperate mother's
pleas, and sent them a plague dragon from the
far west.
But he came too late to save Tarquin's little Fae,
and Hades succumbed to starvation just hours
before help arrived.
Esmalur soon appeared, having slain a centaur,
and brought back one of the bodies to prove his intent
to protect for them. Tarquin had no choice but to
agree to the handsome imperial's terms to join
them, even if he was a plague dragon.
The two of them, sustained on the meat of the centaurs,
worked together to destroy their enemies, and in
the end, she and Esmalur became mates.

A Seedling Still Lives

This dragon was born to fight.

Her former mate, Pluto, was not pleased when
she and Esmalur made a nest together. (and why would
he be?) Tarquin hoped the clan would be more accepting
of their new plague brethren once he was integrated
into the society. Only one of their eggs survived, just as
only one of Tarquin's previous children survived, and
some believed it to be a bad omen.
But if losing her children was a sign of things to come,
what could possibly be worse than what had already
happened?