HECATE

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"I knew my innocence was lost when I realized I was no longer afraid of the darkness surrounding me. Instead, I discovered I fear the darkness that hides inside me."

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The sea was storming that night. Water that normally was a sparkling bright blue was now an angry, frothing darkness charging at the rocks below Hecate’s home. Such conditions worried her, for her Fae mate had been left alone to tend to their brood while she went out to hunt. Peering through the salty spray, the guardian saw that the cave was dark, much darker than she had left it. The only sign of life she could see from the opening was a dim flicker from what must have been a single torch. The young mother steeled herself and went in after it, hoping that her family would be gathered around it’s warm light.

What she discovered in the cave that day was far too unspeakable for Hecate to fathom. Her mate Favin lay twitching on the rock floor underneath the firelight. His eyes were wide like the full moon and the froth at his mouth resembled the seafoam the little ones loved to splash in on warm days. The children, to their mother’s dismay, were nowhere to be found. It wasn’t until the deranged Fae shot his head up to acknowledge her presence, that Hecate noticed the necklace of bones clattering at his neck. The bones were much too small to be that of a fellow dragon, but the ice that settled into her stomach caused the guardian’s skin to crawl and prickle with fear.

The manic laughter that burst from her mate’s throat at the realization of her discovery broke the white noise of the waves. “They’ve gone to do well for the clan! They have made honored martyrs of themselves! They have!” the Fae crooned. Swirls of black and red crowded Hecate’s vision as she stumbled to regain her balance at her shock. Every muscle in her body screamed in response to her anguish, and built a fire in her blood as she charged the retched creature. His death was swift and was quickly forgotten as she tore the cave apart in search of her children. There was no evidence of the horrendous crime he spoke of, though the cold desperation that crept into her heart was no comfort.




It was decided. She would not rest until she brought them home, even if she had to search to the ends of the earth to find them. She prayed to Tidelord to give her some guidance; but the only fortification she had was in her love for those she had lost. Vowing to never return to the damp dark she used to call home, the young guardian took off in search of her family.

It had to have been months of travel before Hecate collapsed in her grief, no longer able to make it through another day of disappointment. The hopelessness she felt was no match for the pang of longing that hitched itself in her throat. Once having a full life of family and hope, and having it ripped away by such malevolence took a toll on the guardian and her sanity. She missed the warmth of loved ones and the sound of the waves. This was her drive as she headed toward the nearest sea in search of a new home. She needed rest and somewhere to reconcile with her broken heart. It took a few more weeks on the road, but she soon found a series of caves perched atop the most beautiful beach; an inviting and most charming woodland behind them. The land was gorgeous, much more so than that of her former residence, and Hecate’s eyes welled with happy tears for the first time in what felt like millennia.

Becoming a mother again was never her intention, but stumbling upon lost souls whilst recruiting for her new clan had brought new hope to the guardian’s life. She took in those needing a home most, and began raising them as her own. Hearing the soothing noise of surf paired with the sounds of hatchling laughter warmed Hecate to her very core. She began to see the workings of a true family beginning to form among the personalities she welcomed into her home, and it couldn’t have made her happier. She became a teacher, schooling the hatchlings in diplomacy and teamwork whenever she could. The little ones were learning fast and growing right before her eyes. It was when they were just shy of adulthood that Hecate began grooming them to take on specific roles, using her love and everything useful she knew to do so. Her clan was her pride, and she cherished the warmth it radiated.

As her adopted offspring became more self-sufficient and adept at their new places, Hecate couldn’t help but feel a familiar pang. She wished to stay with her new family, though she knew she was not as needed as she once was. She had told stories of her prior plight to her clan once they became old enough to understand, but those memories lingered with her once more. She felt a painful pull back to the search, and back to the unnamed babes she had lost. She had found one family, yet there was still a piece missing, and that void threatened to consume her. Hecate wasted no time in beginning preparations for her departure, pushing herself past the teary eyes of those she would be leaving behind.



Whether she truly expected to find her hatchlings or if she simply searched for answers, she did not know. Hecate could only hope to burn away the cold that climbed and coiled itself back into her veins. She told herself that she had not abandoned those she had saved, and that she would return to them once she was able. She said a silent prayer that she indeed would be so in the future.

Where there is strong will, there is strong magic. Darkness shall always creep, but bursts of light always shatter through. A dismal and futile predicament emits an energy like no other. It is a nasty energy, but an energy all the same. Just as waves on a shore, the energy has the capability to be both soothing and scarring, it is just a matter of change in the wind.

“Menagerie of Mystics. I quite like that name.” The guardian peered at the Queen beneath the torchlights, her wing twitching with discomfort.

The royal gave Hecate a longing look, drawing Hecate’s eye with the way her gold silks shimmered even in the dimmest light. BloodDiamond had rushed her mother into her chambers the moment she had received word from the guard that there had been a bloodstained guardian of gold wing lurking outside the borders. Besides the Knight who had made the discovery, no one else in the clan had any knowledge of Hecate’s presence. There was a cloud about the once friendly and maternal Guardian that worried the Queen, and she pressed silence until she was sure all was safe.

“It warms my heart to see you home mother.” The ruby encrusted Skydancer comforted. “I am worried that you are not well. Your spirit is not as I remember, and nor is your form.” The Queen’s concerned only grew as she watched her mother’s eyes grow dark in response. “You are ill. I will have my elder witch Aradia have a look at you. She and my oracles must already have sensed a danger. Until then I will board you and tend to your sickness in private. You needn’t worry Mother. My clan and I will take good care of you.”

Hecate fought off the dark that swirled at her temples as she listened to her daughter’s words. She did feel ill, though it was not an illness such as marsh fever, that you could cure with rest and mana root. This sickness was much deeper. Its murk tainted everything in her, and she wondered if she would ever know another day without it.

“I wish to be welcome here, and live out whatever days I may have left.” The Guardian hoped to show some reassurance. “I will not interfere with clan life, I just wish to live among you in solace. I am aware that I am ill, but it will not become a burden to you and yours I assure you. I am glad to see you’ve grown so well into your role little one. It is a fine Queen that you have become.” Hecate hoped her testimony would be convincing enough. She was sure that being with her family was what she needed to become well again, if only long enough to pass on in peace.

BloodDiamond agreed to welcome Hecate back into the clan with open, if not discreet, arms. The Queen herself had been through much, and felt in the way of reminiscing, for it would not be long before she would be seeking to retire. For a moment, the dark that seemed to slink at Hecate’s heels had been almost forgotten. Almost.

"I buried my worries beneath the cold earth, hoping they would not rise to haunt me. But in the middle of the night they found me in my bed, dragging me to the dark place underneath the world where dreams can't speak and demons taunt, as they play twisted games with my soul."- C. Martine