Alabaster
(#21065162)
A broken mirror only shows as best it can | she/her
Familiar
Clouddancer
Click or tap to view this dragon in Predict Morphology.
Energy: 50/50
This dragon’s natural inborn element is Shadow.
Female Imperial
This dragon is hibernating.
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Personal Style
Apparel
Skin
Scene
Measurements
Length
22.09 m
Wingspan
19.79 m
Weight
6238.65 kg
Genetics
Silver
Iridescent
Iridescent
Silver
Shimmer
Shimmer
White
Thylacine
Thylacine
Hatchday
Breed
Eye Type
Level 1 Imperial
EXP: 0 / 245
STR
6
AGI
6
DEF
6
QCK
5
INT
8
VIT
8
MND
6
Biography
|
 ALABASTER 
BARGHEST LORE AND LINEAGE PROJECT
GENERATION 1 FOUNDER 
"You close my eyes and soothe my ears
You heal my wounds and dry my tears On the inside of this marble house I grow And the seeds I sow will grow up prisoners too. . ." W ord reaches Father Herald of a young princess gone missing in the night. . . leaving behind only shattered mirrors in her wake. This is the tale of the Barghest, Alabaster. |
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"I am worried about my sister”. The words were written in dark ink, scrawled by a shaky hand on weathered parchment. Father Herald mused over the note, his brow furrowed as he stroked his beard in contemplation. “Something wrong?” Inghinn’s voice chimed from behind, “you’ve been frowning at that letter for the past hour, father”. The priest sighed, looking up through his glasses to meet his assistant’s gaze, “here, tell me what you think”. Nimble claws grasped the letter, Inghinn’s eyes falling down to meet the scrawling cursive. Some of the words were badly smeared amidst a smattering of ink blotches. A few also appeared to be crossed out in haste, the paper beneath damaged from where a quill had been scraped across it. Still, Inghinn could make out fragmented sentences. . . and so, she began to read. “Dearest ---, I hope this letter finds you well. Tonight, I write with concern. . . You see, I am worried about my sister. It all started a few weeks back. As you know, we are isolated here, our palace the last standing of civilization between the foothills and the heights of the Cloudscrape Crags. Past us looms the mountains. . . an unknown from which none return. At least, we thought. We found someone wandering down from the peaks - nearly frozen.” Inghinn squinted, the writing growing less legible as she continued to read. “S-e brought some-ing down from the mountains with her. We found it on her, wrapped into her robes. It was a —, but when we asked about where she found it, she w— speak. She didn’t survive until morning. K— has it now. I fear the worst. I pray to the Icewarden to bring my sister back to me, but she is ob-essed with i—. If you’re reading this, please come quickly. We will be at 27.9881° N, 86.9250° E until the next turn of the moon. Yours, - K——“ Inghinn flipped the letter over, noticing a crimson seal that had been broken open. “Father, where did you say this came from?” Inghinn’s claws traced the broken wax. “The town elder gave it to me. Said it was left behind by a guest who passed through a week ago. Said he was headed to the Southern Icefields. . . to Moondoore”. Moondoore. Herald reminisced over the name, eyes pensive as he stared into the fire. There were a great many tales about the castle. It was built as an outpost to protect the Southern Icefields against whatever loomed high within the mountains. Its recruits were outcasts and prisoners sworn into the service of the royal mages who ruled over the palace. “Father?” Inghinn’s voice chimed once more, “pardon me for interrupting your thoughts but. . . what is Moondoore?” The priest continued to gaze into the hearth, “it’s a place for those with no where else to go.” There was a silent accord between them as Herald spoke, “Alert Rowan, we leave at first light”. Dawn broke with a pale light as Inghinn and Rowan finished securing the final straps on their packing harnesses, their breath opaque upon the winter air. Herald kneeled down, extending a wing to allow his assistants access to his back. “I’m sure we can handle the distance flying on our own, father” Rowan grumbled as he and Inghinn clamored up the priest’s outstretched wing and seated themselves amidst the mane of fur running down his back. “Perhaps, but the winter brings additional hardships and I need someone to navigate”. Inghinn nodded, pulling a compass from her robes. Once they were settled, Herald leapt upwards, tucking his limbs against his body as several powerful wingbeats brought them airborne. The surrounding conifers bent in their wake as Herald pulled above the tree line, allowing his wings to snap open into a glide as he coasted on the air currents. The town of Arrowstone and its red river faded away into a patchwork of land beneath them. Inghinn had to shout to make herself heard over the roaring wind, “redirect, 20 degrees to the left, we’re headed south!” Trails of vapor whirled around Herald’s wings as he broke through a bank of clouds, the ground no longer visible beneath them. “We’re reaching altitude, should be passing over the southern sea shortly” Inghin called. They had stopped once, at the edge of the Windswept Plateau to rest and restock on supplies before facing a two day flight over the open ocean. It was a brutal place to fly and Herald braced himself as a powerful air current slammed into him from the side, his wings straining to stay on course. The majority of the currents here were in disarray and could easily fatigue even the strongest of flyers, but there was a trick to making the voyage by air. “Just a little higher, the Zephyr Stream should be just above us” Rowan’s voice called through the wind as the Skydancer gripped Herald’s fur tightly. With a final beat of his wings, the Imperial burst into the winding airstream that spanned the oceanic airspace between the Twisting Crescendo and the Southern Icefield. Herald spread his flight feathers wide, catching the draft of the Zephyr Stream as it carried them towards their destination. Golden claws scraped across the ice as Herald landed. The farther into the Icefields they ventured, the more dangerous it became to travel by flight and the trio had only made it as far as the Snowsquall Tundra before turbulent conditions forced them down. “It looks like a storm’s brewing” Herald said with a glance back up towards the sky. “We should find shelter for the night and continue on foot in the morning”. Inghinn and Rowan nodded their agreement. “There are no major clans on our map of this area” Inghinn mused, “but let’s head towards the tree line, we’re bound to run into something there”. Snow crunched underfoot as the trio wandered onwards, their path finally colliding with a small village nestled amidst a dense swath of conifers. “Pinebarren” Rowan stated as he scraped the snow from an old sign at the edge of the clan, “never heard of it”. Herald inspected the sign in turn, taking in the worn letters carved into decaying wood, “neither have I. Still, it’s our best option. Let’s see if they can accommodate us for the night”. Aside from the gentle rustle of branches in the wind, Pinebarren was silent. The village had the marks of an old logging community, stacks of felled trees surrounding the perimeter while a series of run down cabins rested at the heart of the town. Still, the wooden structures buckled beneath heavy ice-laden roofs and several feet of snow obstructed the majority of the windows and doors. “This place looks abandoned” Rowan scoffed as he attempted to peer into a partially obscured window. Indeed, nobody had been in or out of the cabins for several weeks and many of the roofs had already collapsed without regular clearings of the snowfall. “If there’s no one here, then there’s no one to mind if we make use of the shelter” Herald mused. He selected a cabin with minimal structural damage, “come, help me clear the door”. Once the snow had been shoveled away, the cabin door swung open with a resistant groan. Inside, the structure was dark and musty. Its interior consisted of a pile of heavy pelts heaped into a circular nest along with a stone hearth and a massive stack of firewood piled nearly to the ceiling. Inghinn and Rowan began arranging logs in the hearth, eager to start a fire as Herald inspected the remainder of the structure. An old taxidermy deer’s head hung from the stone wall beside a row of axes. Herald brushed an empty set of hooks on the wall where he presumed a third axe once rested. His thoughts were interrupted by the unmistakable crunch of glass underfoot. The priest looked down to find several reflective shards scatted across the floor, many of them spattered with dark stains. “Something wrong?” Inghinn called as she approached, “we’ve got the fire stared- oh, is that a broken mirror?” Herald picked up one of the shards, turning it in his hand as he inspected the dark stain that marred its reflective surface. It was old and dry, but the metallic scent was unmistakable. “Indeed” Herald replied quietly, “a broken mirror and blood”. Herald barely slept that night, his thoughts restless as he stared into the fire. Inghinn and Rowan curled under his wings and he pulled them close, his feathers forming a blanket around their sleeping forms. Outside, the wind howled, rapping against the cabin’s walls as the storm raged on. It wasn’t until the fire burned itself down to glowing coals that Herald finally closed his eyes and fell into a fitful slumber. He dreamed about a princess. Her scales were ashen and her clothing reduced to mangled and dirty shreds of fabric slung around her form. Alone and confused in the darkness, Herald strained to hear her words. “He- please. Some-ne! He-l p! Can any-ne hear me?” Her voice echoed and Herald tried to reach out towards her, finding an invisible barrier standing between them, “where are you?” Herald attempted to ask. “I d-n’t kno-w. Pl-eas she’- comin- back.” With that the princess’ image shifted until the priest found himself staring only at his own reflection. He became aware of something howling with the wind, the sound of a beast approaching through the snow and- He started awake as the cabin’s door flung open. Herald was up in an instant, wings flared as he prepared for an attack. “Gunther? Did you retur- Oi! Who are you!?” A voice snarled as another Imperial stepped through the doorway. He was dressed in a heavy wolf pelt that covered the majority of his head and shoulders, tattered scraps of cloth concealing the remainder of his body. “Ah, a priest” the stranger scoffed as he eyed Herald’s robes, “never thought I’d see your kind breaking and entering”. Herald remained tense, “Indeed, we thought this village was abandoned. Who are you?” The Imperial laughed, “right. Name’s Baltimore, but most people just call me ‘Balto’ for short. Welcome to what’s left of Pinebarren, I suppose. Used to be a great little logging juncture we had going here, ‘till everyone up and left all’ve sudden. I saw the smoke coming up from the chimney and thought someone might’ve returned”. Balto finally shut the cabin door, scuffing his feet against the floor as he leaned against the wall with crossed arms. “So, what brings servants of the Lightweaver so far from home?” “We found a letter” Herald replied, earning a raised brow from the other Imperial. “Really?” Herald pulled the crumpled parchment free from his robes, offering it as Balto leaned forward from the wall and snatched the letter with a swipe of his arm. Dark eyes gazed over the cursive as Balto frowned. “Interesting. I suppose you’re looking for Moondoore then? The castle docked in the foothills a few weeks back. It’s not far from here, I can take you in the morning”. Herald nodded, “that would be appreciated, certainly we could use a guide. Still, Pinebarren’s abandonment concerns me as well - can you tell me anything more about what happened here?” Balto sighed, leaning against the wall once more. “Happened on the last new moon when I was off scouting the woods. I must’ve left around nightfall; came back in the morning and found everything abandoned. Tried to track’em down - find out where everyone had gone, but there’s nothing to track. Only things I found were a few doors left open and broken glass inside most of the cabins.” The next morning, Balto led the trio up towards the mountains. The sky was bright, sunlight shining down and illuminating the crystalline landscape as the four travelers trudged on through the snow. Their breath left them in thick clouds of condensation as they scrambled up the rocky inclines of the foothills, finally reaching a plateau on the mountainside. It was nearly dark by the time they neared their destination, the last rays of sunlight casting pale shadows upon the ground. “Castle is just up ahead” Balto huffed, “this is where I leave you, followers of the Lightweaver. I hope you find the answers you seek”. Before they could ask him any additional questions, Balto’s dark form was already darting down from the cliffs and disappearing once more into the snow-capped forest below. “Didn’t even have a chance to thank him” Inghinn muttered before turning back towards their path, “we should continue, the castle should be right around the c-“ Inghinn stopped short as they rounded a bend in the mountainside and stared up at a palace of white stone. Glittering spires of ice rose up from the bastions and frosted stained glass windows shimmered in the evening light. Several long flights of stairs led up to an old drawbridge style door that stood proudly at the entrance, decorative spirals of iron riveted to the wood. The travelers stood in awe, beholding the structure before something cold and sharp pressed against the side of their necks. “Who goes there?” A voice rang out as an Imperial stepped from behind the trio. She was dressed in royal blue and silver, a scepter clutched in her claws as several swords floated around her, their blades gleaming as they rotated once more to point at Herald and his assistants. The priest raised his arms in surrender, “a-apologies, my name is Father Herald and these are my assistants, Inghinn and Rowan. We received word that you might be in trouble here”. The blade pressed against Herald’s scales as he fumbled to pull the letter free from his robes once more, allowing it to float out of his grasp when the Imperial’s magic tugged it from him. “I see”. She said shortly, willing the swords to fall back into alignment at her side as she glanced at the letter with a quick nod of recognition. “Indeed, my sister went missing several days ago. This letter was not meant for you though, how did you come across it?” Rowan brushed the side of his neck, smoothing several scales that had been misplaced by the mage’s sword, “found it at a tavern - the town’s elder said she was worried about whoever passed through with it several days prior. We’ve come to help”. The mage scoffed. “I think that Moondoore can handle its own matters, but since you are already here. . . Please, follow me.” “And you are?” Inghinn questioned with a quizzical brow. “I am lady Kurra, princess and ruler to the throne of Moondoore.” Footsteps echoed on the frozen marble floors as Herald and his assistants followed Kurra into the palace. The inside consisted of an expansive entry hall, twin arching staircases connecting to an upper floor while a set of massive wooden doors rested straight ahead, opening on their own as Kurra walked toward them. The space beyond was a circular throne room, reflections shimmering in a number of mirror-like panels that lined the walls as they entered. An enormous stone orb rested in an indent at the center of the room and the sky above was visible through an open ceiling. Inghinn glanced up, noting that there was no glass covering the port. Still, she presumed it was enchanted, watching as several snowflakes fell towards it, disappearing before they entered the palace. Herald took a moment to glance at the stone orb, noting the continent-like markings etched into its surface. A globe. “I’ve heard stories about these” he said slowly, glancing up at Lady Kuura. “Indeed. You’re looking at one of the last Star Scryers”. She tapped it once with a curved claw, flickers of light blossoming across the grey stone as it began to rotate, levitating from the ground. Inghinn gasped as she saw the light explode outwards from the globe, casting a map of the heavens across the reflective walls of the throne room. Kuura continued willing the globe to rotate, watching as the constellations it cast slowly changed, reflections of landscapes appearing and fading in the mirrors. “The Scryer will be fully charged in three days. Moondoore has important business in this region that we will attend to before the castle moves, but you are welcome to stay until then”. Herald frowned, “what matters brought you here to begin with?” Kuura narrowed her eyes, “As you know, Priest, Moondoore was established to protect this realm from threats. We received reports of a beast lurking in the woods here and tracked it back to the logging town at the base of the mountains. We intend to capture and neutralize the threat. It disguises itself as an Imperial - covering its form in a wolf pelt to hide its true nature. . .” She paused for a moment, eyeing Herald suspiciously. “You haven’t seen anything, have you, Priest?” “Why did you lie, father?” Inghinn’s voice was a hushed whisper as the trio exited Lady Kurra’s throne room, following an escort upstairs to an enormous guest suite. “Something isn’t right here," the priest muttered, "I am uncertain what to believe, but while we’re here for the next three days, we might as well investigate the princess’ disappearance. Rowan?” The Skydancer stepped forward, clearing his throat as he opened a journal of notes. “Right, according to the stories, Moondoore is typically ruled over by the twin mages - Kurra and Kiuru, who are the only two capable of moving the castle using the Star Scryer. It is unknown how many others occupy Moondoore currently, but we will need to figure that out if we are to avoid detection”. Herald nodded, “right, we can add the maiden who showed us to the guest wing to that list”. Rowan nodded, scribbling several notes about the pale Imperial called Isolde. “We will also need to find out how to access Kiuru’s chambers; if she disappeared from the castle, perhaps there are clues there”. The room fell silent before Inghinn spoke once more. “Do you think it’s another one of them, father?” “That’s why we’re here. . . but we know so little, it’s hard to tell. Certainly, I’ve started having the dreams again, but the Lightweaver’s gift of insight often acts in mysterious ways. . .” Dreams brought Herald back to the darkness. The princess he had previously encountered was nowhere to be found, but something shiny caught the priest’s eye. He leaned down, golden claws grasping something in the darkness. It was smooth and cold, gleaming dully despite the lack of light. The priest recognized it as a silver hand mirror as he brought it towards his face. An image of Lady Kuura suddenly came into view in front of him, her back turned as she sat at a desk. Herald attempted to walk closer, finding yet another invisible barrier separating him from the remainder of the dream. The princess appeared to be talking to herself in a hand mirror identical to the one that Herald now held. “I’ve failed my sister. . . I should have seen the signs sooner, should have trusted those warnings. I just want to be with her again, please.” A single tear trailed down Kuura's face before she suddenly slammed the mirror down. “H-hello? Is someone there?” She got up quickly, glancing around the room with wild eyes as the dream faded and the room started shaking. “Herald?” “Herald?!” The priest awoke in a cold sweat as Inghinn and Rowan shook him awake. “Was that another one of your dreams? You looked like you were having a seizure for a moment an- and then. . .” Inghinn trailed off, glancing over at a mirror that had been hanging on the wall of the guest room. The frame was now empty, shattered glass laying haphazardly across the floor. “D-did that break on its own?” He questioned, still short of breath. “Y-yes. . . except”. “What?” Inghinn was silent for a moment, whittling her thumbs nervously. “I thought I saw something in the mirror right before it broke a-and then this flew out of it along with the glass”. The Pearlcatcher held something up, a bloodied axe clutched tightly in her hand. It was identical to the two others that Herald had seen previously hanging on the cabin wall in Pinebarren. Dawn brought with it a commotion that consumed the castle. “What’s going on?” Herald asked when the maiden Isolde came to inform them of breakfast. “O-oh” she started nervously, “another one of our warriors went missing last night. . . I-I can’t say more, but I’m sure there will be talk of it during breakfast. I heard you came to investigate Lady Kiuru’s disappearance. Everyone has been on edge since she vanished. . . Lady Kuura is distraught with her absence. I hope that you find her”. Herald nodded solemnly, following Isolde back down the arching staircase to the first floor. He could already hear a commotion of voices coming from the dining hall, waiting outside for a moment as Inghinn and Rowan caught up before the trio entered. The doors opened into an enormous room laden with crystalline chandeliers that hung over a massive oaken table. The room’s northern wall was comprised of a series of glass panes that offered a view of the tundra and surrounding forest. Lady Kuura was absent, but three other Imperials huddled around the table. “Things have been chaos ever since we came to this location. We need to find that Moonbeast before he takes another from us.” “I agree with Beowulf! First that entire village vanished, then Lady Kiuru, Selene, and now Nadir! We have never hunted a creature like this before, but if we do not succeed, it is only a matter of time befo-“ The dark Imperial stopped short as Lady Kuura joined them, emerging from an entrance opposite the one that Herald and his assistants currently stood in. “Lady Kuura” the Imperial said curtly, all three of them bowing in her presence. Kuura graced them with a nod before glancing towards Herald, “please, take a seat, guests are welcome to join us”. The warriors of Moondoore turned to face the trio as well, embarrassed that they had not realized the guests’ presence sooner”. “As our Lady says, please join! We seldom get visitors in these parts. I am Ash and these” one of the Imperials said, gesturing to her comrades, “are my fellow warriors, Beowulf and Undine. I see you’ve already met Isolde as well.” Undine was next to speak, “apologies that you were privy to our conversation earlier - we are all on edge right now as two of our warriors and Lady Kiuru have already vanished thanks to the Moonbeast we are hunting.” Beowulf only grunted in agreement as Isolde returned from the kitchen with several platters of food. “Thank you, Isolde” Kuura added, “your cooking is fantastic, as always”. Rowan glanced down as Isolde set a plate before him - a hearty stew filling the bowl to the brim. He was quick to spoon several heaps into his mouth, closing his eyes in bliss. “Hmm habnt hab hot food in shooo lomng”. Inghinn looked at him with disgust, “don’t speak with your mouth full, brother”. Their antics urned a soft chuckle from Lady Kuura. “So, what progress have you all made in tracking the beast?” Beowulf stood from the table as she spoke. “As you’re all aware, we came here three weeks ago to track it and found it escaping from the logging town of Pinebarren right after the mass disappearance of the townsfolk. We have not been able to locate any bodies associated with the disappearance, but a total of eight dragons are currently unaccounted for including three of our own”. Undine chimed in next, continuing where her comrade left off. “Recently, we’ve spotted the Moonbeast lurking around the forest and town, but we’ve been unable to track its den. Granted our proximity to the new moon, it is gaining strength and continues to evade our attacks. Attempts to lure it into a trap have been unsuccessful.” Kuura contempleted the report. “Which of you last engaged with this beast?” “I saw it last four days ago stalking around Pinebarren” Beowulf added in a gruff voice. "Followed it into one of the cabins and nearly lost an arm when it attacked me with an axe. Smashed one of the mirrors before it disappeared". There was a moment of silence before Herald finally spoke up. “We. . . saw the beast yesterday. It guided us up the mountain and disappeared before we reached the castle. . . though I do wonder why it didn't attack us sooner.” Kuura’s eyes narrowed at the remark. “And what makes you so willing to share this information now, priest?” Herald flinched at the princess’s scathing tone. “We. . . found this last night in the guest room," he said, pulling the old axe from his robes, "and I believe we know how to trap him”. It was not until nightfall that the warriors set their trap for the Moonbeast, returning the following morning with the creature ensnared in a massive silver cage. “Exactly as you said, priest” Beowulf called, “just lit a fire in one of the cabins and he ran straight inside - right into the cage.” With the new moon approaching later that evening, and the beast’s form had doubled in size from when Herald had seen him last. He now stood nearly three times the height of an adult Imperial, his claws elongated into ebony scythes and the pelt he wore previously had been discarded - too small to cover him. Still, the beast barely needed it as his own head had taken on the form of an enormous wolf, his lips parting into a snarl as the cage was carted into Moondoore’s throne room. “Good work” Kuura remarked as she inspected the beast, prodding him with the tip of her scepter through the silver bars. “Now, beast. Where is my sister?” Baltimore yelped as Kuura clenched her fist, an unseen magic wrapping around him and forcing him down onto the floor of the cage. He paddled his legs wildly as he struggled against her, thrashing himself against the bars. His words were slow and slurred, his form making speech difficult. “I did not. . . take her”. Kuura glared furiously. “No. Your kind can make dragons disappear without leaving a trace! You've already attacked my warriors, devoured an entire village. . . You will admit to your sins, beast! How many have you killed? Tell me NOW!” Baltimore fell silent, and despite Kuura’s prodding, he refused to speak more. Still, the princess continued her assault, drawing blood from the beast, which now stained the cage’s silver floor. Herald couldn’t stomach the torture, guilt eating away at him for helping to catch Baltimore. “P-please excuse me, princess. . .” His words were lost as Kuura’s rage grew and she barely registered the priest’s departure. Only Baltimore’s eyes followed him as he left. Father Herald climbed the stairs with a heavy sigh. Something felt horribly wrong and he barely reached the second floor when the sound of shattering glass echoed from the hallway. Curious, Herald turned left at the top of the stairs, venturing past several rooms before he came to a set of twin doors at the end of the hall. One of the doors was already ajar and Herald pushed it open, the room inside a massive circular space, its far wall constructed similarly to the dining hall with a series of glass panels that looked out onto the mountainside. The floor was a mess of shattered glass, a mirror on the wall broken to pieces, several of the dangling shards still falling loose from the frame. Herald peered inside, his eyes landing on the massive bed that sat opposite to the door, heavy drapes hanging from the canopy and something dark curled atop the nest of blankets and pelts. The form shifted and Herald recognized its clothing, the same tattered garments that princess Kiuru had been wearing in his dream except. . . it was too late. The beast lifted its massive head, white teeth gleaming as it snarled and slunk from the bed. Long dark fur hung from its body, vacant white eyes locking onto the priest as he backed away. “Father?” A voice came from behind and the beast shied at the sound. It leapt from the bed and darted towards the broken mirror, shards levitating from the floor and reforming the reflective surface as the beast vanished through the glass. “Father? What are you doing here?!” Heart pounding, Herald turned to see Isolde standing behind him. “Guests are not allowed in the mages’ rooms.” “I- apologies. I heard something and-“ Isolde lifted an eyebrow quizzically. “The beast has been captured, Father. Soon, we will uncover the fate of our kin. . . If that was not your intent, then why are you here?” At that Father Herald glanced down nervously, “we really did come to help after finding the letter that Kuura sent. . . I just don’t know if we trapped the right beast”. Herald pulled the note from his robes once more, passing it to Isolde whose frown deepened as she read. “Father. This letter. It was not written by Lady Kuura. . . this is Kiuru’s penmanship. She must have written it before she disappeared.” Herald stared down at the words in silence. In dread. If the one who had already been turned into a beast had written this then. . . “I am worried about my sister”. Herald swore as he raced back to the guest wing, calling to Rowan and Inghinn. "Pack now, we need to leave". The palace had fallen into an eerie silence by the time they emerged, and not even Isolde could be found. They snuck down the stairs, Inghinn pressing against the main door, but it refused to budge without the influence of the mage’s magic. The only other door that remained unlocked was that of the throne room. Herald could hear whispering coming from within, hesitating with dread before he pushed against the twin doors. Night had fallen, starlight sparkling down through the open ceiling. The Moonbeast, Baltimore, still laid inside the silver cage, his breathing ragged and his fur soaked in a pool of his own blood that shimmered darkly. The Star Scryer now glowed, casting constellations against the mirror-like walls. The three warriors were nowhere to be seen and only princess Kuura remained, bent over as she muttered to herself. Herald gestured for his assistants to stay back, but he had only to take a few steps forward before he realized that Kuura was speaking to something clutched tightly in her claws. It was a mirror that glinted ominously under the light. “I’ve done all that you’ve asked. I-I’ve-“ Something whispered in return and Herald watched in horror as the princess’s reflection shifted into that of a beast - pristine white fur framing its dark eyes. "Yes. You've done well and now. . . you belong to me too. Our bond. . . is. . . complete". Kuura cried out suddenly, crumpling to the floor with a sob of pain. She thrashed against the cold marble, her body shifting and contorting as it reshaped itself. A mane of white fur spilled from Kuura’s scales, an additional row of jagged teeth erupting between her jaws as her flesh and bones reknit. She dropped the mirror then, glass shattering as it fell to the floor. And then she stood, her form now dwarfing even that of the Moonbeast. Opaque eyes locked onto Herald and the beast roared. “Father!” Inghinn and Rowan yelled, darting into the room as the beast's gaze shot in their direction, the doors slamming shut behind the two assistants. The princess's claws tapped against the ground as she stalked towards the priest, mouth open in a toothy grin as her voice reverberated through the room. Except, she was no longer Kuura. “Ah. Father. It has been. . . quite a while. . . has it not? I see that no one has bitten you yet either. . . but I shall remedy this tonight. It is, after all. . . Godmother’s wish”. Herald snarled, pulling a sword free from its scabbard beneath his cloak as the beast lunged. Teeth snapped against iron and the monster grinned around the sword in her mouth, ice crackling across its surface as the blade began to freeze in her grasp. The priest grimaced as the cold reached his hands, now burning where they touched the hilt. “Alabaster” he grunted, the beast smiling as he spoke her name before she tossed her head, lifting Herald and flinging him against the wall. One of the massive mirrors cracked upon impact and Herald barely had time to right himself before he cried out, something cutting deep into his shoulder. The head of another beast had formed from the mirror shards, its teeth spears of glass embedded deep into Herald’s flesh. “Herald!” Inghinn called nervously as she glanced at the mirrors. An entire pack of the creatures flashed by inside the reflective surface and Herald ducked lower as the reflection of another beast ran towards the mirror, glass shattering as it burst through the surface. Alabaster’s voice shook the room. “You are. . . outnumbered father” she teased. Herald could see eyes watching him from the glass. . . he recognized some of them as the warriors of Moondoore, the groundskeeper, Isolde, and the princess Kiuru, all of them now lost to the curse. Another beast broke through the mirror, shards of glass coalescing and merging to create its form before it leapt towards the priest. Herald was forced to drop his sword as another set of glass jaws clamped around his arm. Alabaster stared at him for a moment, his form held still within the jaws of her pack. She hummed as a gnarled ebony claw tapped against the Star Scryer and Herald’s eyes widened when he realized her intent. The globe lifted once more into the air, glowing bright as it cast constellations against the walls. “Now now, father. Stay still.” Alabaster crooned, stalking closer. “This will be the end of the great Father Herald! I will take. . . everything from you. . . and you will gut your own assistants. . . before bowing before me.” She snarled, parting her jaws wide. Herald struggled, but Alabaster’s mirror servants held him in place. A flash of white lunged toward him just as a clatter sounded and something dark crashed into Alabaster’s form. The white beast turned and snapped, jaws colliding with those of the Moonbeast that now stood, fighting against her. Under the new moon, Baltimore’s form was feral and massive, his strength surging with enough force to break free from the silver cage. The beasts snarled and snapped, their bodies entangling as they fought. Herald felt the jaws of Alabaster’s servants release him as they joined the fight, clamoring atop Baltimore who shook them away with a roar. “Father! Inghinn shouted, we need to leave now!” Her eyes were wild as she took in the scene, Baltimore growling as his massive claws struck one of the servants, its form shattering into glass before reforming and lunging to attack him once more. He yelped as Alabaster sunk fangs deep into the side of his neck, coming away bloodied as she snarled. “T-the doors are locked” Rowan cried as he pushed against them. “W-we’re stuck here”! Herald limped towards them, leaning feebly against the wood. The castle around them was taking on a lucency, stone and glass beginning to fade as the Star Scryer spun faster, its magic engulfing the castle as it prepared to move the structure to a new location. Baltimore's tail swung, smashing several mirrors as he grappled with Alabaster. They had only moments before the castle moved and Herald dreaded where it would take them - likely somewhere high within the Cloudscrape Craigs where escape would be impossible. Finally, Baltimore slammed the white beast down, leaping away as he barreled towards the door. Under his weight, the wooden panels splintered before giving way and he managed to grab hold of the priest and his assistants before leaping towards the exit. Alabaster laughed eerily as she watched the priest depart. “You can run. . . Father. . . but you will never. . . escape”. Herald and his assistants tumbled from Moondoore’s entrance in Baltimore's embrace, falling into the snow as the castle flickered transparently before vanishing all together. Silence met them, broken only by shaky, uneven breaths, and the pounding of their own hearts. Finally Baltimore released them, righting himself and shaking snow from his form. The Moonbeast appeared uninjured, his wounds healing rapidly with the influence of the new moon. Still, there was a considerable amount of blood staining the snow around them. “F-father” Rowan called with concern, “you’re hurt”. Herald winced as he attempted to stand, blood pooling from the bites littered across his wings and arms. Still the only thing that mattered was. . . Herald pressed a hand to the side of his neck, coming away red where Alabaster’s fangs had grazed his flesh. He was silent, the beast’s words repeating over and over in his mind. “You cannot. . . escape”. Baltimore stood quietly before gazing up at the mountains and beginning to walk away. "Where will you go?" Herald questioned as he watched the Moonbeast depart. "I will find them again". "Are you not afraid of the mountains?" Inghinn chimed, "of what lurks there?" At that, Baltimore smiled, a toothy grin. "Am I not such a creature meant to lurk there? I am accepted nowhere else save for the logging town that once took me in. My family is lost in these mountains. I will find them". The beast sauntered away, turning back to the priest once more. "I forgive you, Father. You know, that princess asked me how many I have killed. . . I may be cursed, but never have I taken a life." With that, the Moonbeast wandered away, darting upwards before his dark form disappeared high into the mountains. The castle of Moondoore no longer stands to protect the Southern Icefields, but those who climb into the mountains sometimes report seeing a palace resting somewhere high amidst the peaks of the Cloudscrape Craigs. Over time, new rumors sprouted in the villages as well. “Always cover your mirror at night” a mother scolds, tucking her child into bed. “Least the monsters find you while you sleep and steal you away in the night. Pray to the Moonbeast that he may protect our village from harm. . . for there are a great many things that lurk in the darkness”.
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