Atticus

by Cordially

LORE

Blurb- Atticus is an ancient warrior from the dark ages, born of pure light colliding with dragonkind. He is immortal, and lives a lonely and reserved life. He’s a wanderer, a vagabond who travels from place to place. A very secretive dragon, he won’t share information about himself willingly. He works very hard to not get attached- to anything or anyone. Despite this rule, he has very slowly begun to open up his heart to the kurokage clan, letting himself care for the others around him.

Personality- Hesitant, Careful, gentle, smart. He has vast amounts of wisdom, but rarely speaks. Though he is a warrior, he doesn’t relish killing, he only does so when he has to. He is incredibly powerful with a strange ability to create light. He can use it as a weapon, or for simply lighting up his surroundings. He is very reluctant to use his powers, especially as a weapon, since he has done much harm to others without meaning to.

Backstory- Once, many many years ago, when ancients ruled the land, a star fell from the heavens, colliding with the earth in a searing explosion of light and heat. Destroying over a mile of thickly wooded forest, the light consumed everything it touched, leaving a scarred wasteland of scorched rocks and black earth. However, one small, fragile thing remained, touched by the burning light, yet not destroyed.

Abandoned days before, the tiny life form inside the once crackling lightning egg had grown cold, and no breath or heart beat could be found. No one knows why, but for some strange reason, when the star collided with earth, the dragon inside stirred to life. Untouched by the heat and light, it brought to life that which was no more. Instead of blue lightning pulsing around the egg, it was a small ball of heat, light and energy, all combined. The dragon inside began to grow stronger, and two weeks later, the egg began to crack. Feeling confined in the bonds of his egg, he fought, struggling against the tough shell to claw his way to freedom.

Finally, after struggling for hours, the tiny wildclaw poked his head out, squinting at the bright glare that greeted his eyes. Struggling, he shrugged off the broken pieces of shell and placed his feet on the ground. Taking a minute to catch his breath, he looked around as his surroundings. A circle of light surrounded him, disappearing into the thick blackness of night the enveloped the land. Holding his front claws out in front of him, he gazed in wonder as they illuminated light. Looking around him, he realized that the circle of light came from him. He was light, he created it from his skin, from his very inmost being. Blinking, he suddenly realized how tired he was. Stumbling over to his broken egg, he curled up and fell fast asleep.

He awoke the next morning to the sun high in the sky, beating down on his back. Stretching, he looked around the barren wasteland he found himself standing in. He felt a growl in his stomach, and instinct told him he needed to fix that. Sniffing the air, he smelled interesting things coming from a nearby forest. Standing up uncertainly on shaky legs, he took his first steps.

For months the little dragon lived in that forest, eating whatever little creatures he could catch, and growing stronger and stronger each day. As the time passed, he began to become curious about the world outside of the forest. So, striking out on his own, he journeyed beyond his forest home into the unknown.

After about a week of travelling, he came upon a village perched precariously upon a cliff overlooking a wide river. Striding down the center street of ramshackle huts and shelters, he looked curiously at these strange creatures. They walked on two legs like he did, however they had pale skin and wore odd fabrics all over their bodies. They stared at him in shock and terror. Most dashed into their buildings and slammed the doors behind them. Others hurriedly gathered their livestock and children, and a few brave souls took up sharp pieces of metal and cautiously approached him. He watched them approach with interest, and waited, wondering what they wanted.

One drew his hand back, a long pointy stick perched above his shoulder, and then all of the sudden he tossed it. The stick flew through the air and struck him hard on the leg. He jumped, giving out a soft yelp of pain, and stared at the bright red liquid running down his glowing leg. Looking back at the people around him, he realized more were ready to do what the first man did. Suddenly he felt very afraid of these creatures. Although he couldn’t yet take flight, he mustered up his strength and took off running as fast as he could, putting as much distance as he could between them. Exhausted, he finally stopped running and dropped to the ground.

As time passed, he ventured into villages from time to time, trying to learn about the various creatures that lived there. He realized that there were other creatures like him, dragons as they seemed to be called. However, they weren’t chased away like he was. After a time, he came to the conclusion it was due to his glow. Although there were dragons that looked like him, never had he found another creature that glowed like he did. So, he focused on learning how to diminish his glow, and with time, he figured out how to hide it completely.

Now that he was no longer so different, he was able to mingle amongst others in the towns and cities he came across. In time, he learned their languages, and their customs. They did many things that seemed odd to him. Some plucked instruments and made wild noises with their throats- music he was told. Others wielded sharp pointy sticks and fought each other, but they didn’t seem to be actually trying to harm each other, just playing a strange sort of game. They also danced, and laughed, and created some pretty amazing food.

He also found out that humans and dragonkind alike had something called a name. These were words that they used to identify themselves. It was the first question anyone he talked to asked him, and the first information most gave about themselves. He was puzzled at first as to how they got these names. But the more he learned about them, he realized that most were born to a family. They had a mother, a father, brothers and sisters. It was the parents that gave their kids a name.

While he was watching a fight between two wildclaws, he was in awe with their power and agility. One in particular, colored similarly to himself, was very strong. He swiftly took out his opponent, claiming victory over the match. After his win, as he took up his prize money, the crowd around cheered, shouting his name- Atticus. Then Atticus suddenly transformed into a human. No longer did he look like the massive wildclaw warrior. He now looked just like a normal human.

This puzzled the young wildclaw. If that dragon could turn into a human, could all dragons do such a thing? Could he? He looked up, searching for Atticus. He found his head in the dispersing crowd, and followed it. As the people cleared he continued to follow the man until he suddenly stopped, and turned around. Raising an eyebrow, the tall man studied the young wildclaw before him.
“Do you need something, kid?” Atticus said, gruffly, but not totally unkind.

“Um, well,” He searched for the right response, finally mustering up the courage to ask his question. “I saw you turn into a human, but you were a wildclaw a moment before. Can humans turn into dragons, or dragons into humans?”

Atticus looked surprised at the question. “How do you not know this kid? You are a dragon after all. Well, in answer to your question, dragons can turn into humans. Most are born with the ability, however, it does take some learning to be able to do it. Some are never quite able to master it. You're still quite young, we usually can’t until we are fully grown. Give it some time.”

With that, he turned and strode away, disappearing amongst the other humans, leaving the little wildclaw staring after him, a strange mix of awe and longing lingering on his little face. As he exited the bustling city and headed for the peace and quiet of a wild forest, he was deep in thought when a ball flew out of nowhere, striking him on the head. Tumbling backward, he grunted as he landed hard on the ground.

Running over, a group of young dragons surrounded him. The largest leaned over him curiously. “Are you ok buddy?” He said, holding out a clawed hand.

He looked up suspiciously at the others, and studied the hand in front of his face.

The other dragon snickered. “I’m not gonna bite.” Sticking his hand closer, he raised an eyebrow, giving a friendly grin.

Finally after another moment of consideration, he raised his own hand and let the bigger dragon pull him to his feet.

“Sorry we hit you with the ball there. I didn’t see ya until it was too late. Hope you're ok! Anyway, I haven’t seen you around here. What’s your name?”

There it was, everyone always asked for a name. He stared at the expectant face before him. He had never had much dealings with others his age. He suddenly had a longing to learn this ball game they were playing. To have some fun, rather than just focusing on surviving. Swallowing, he finally spoke.

“Atticus.”

**************

As Atticus grew, so too did his power. It got harder and harder to control, the fiery light within him wanting to break free. Yet, he continued to fight it, to not let it surface. Despite the fight for control, now that he was fully grown, he had figured out how to shift into his human form. He much preferred dealing with others in this form. It drew much less attention than a full sized dragon walking the streets, and he was able to easily interact with others. An interesting thing he noted however, was his eyes. Whenever he was in his human form, they glowed a pale gold, a hint as to the power that lurked within.

One cloudy day, Atticus was passing through a small village. It bustled with activity. Children weaved through the numerous shops that lined the street, catering to the residents and the many travellers who passed by this road. Atticus stopped by a booth selling every kind of smoked meat you might imagine. Joking easily with the pretty girl behind the counter, he purchased a few bundles for his travels. Continuing down the street, he accidentally bumped into a man. Saying sorry quickly, he continued down the street a few steps when he suddenly felt an intense burning in his side. Stumbling, he placed a hand on the pain and his hand felt the slick warm blood blooming on his shirt. Things suddenly went blurry. Crying out, he fell to his knees, clutching his side, and he felt inside the writhing light, trying to get out. Not able to hold it back, the light within him burst forth. In a blinding flash exploding in every direction, it illuminated the cloudy day. All atticus saw was light, before his world went dark.

Coughing, Atticus blinked awake. Looking around, he stared in shock and horror at the scene that met his eyes. The village he had been walking through was gone. Completely gone. He had incinerated everything in sight, leaving only a black scar on the earth. Tears filled his eyes. He had never killed before, and he didn’t want to. Fleeing into the desolate mountains nearby, he lived there for many years in solitude, not daring to go near others for fear he would hurt them.

The years continued to pass. Atticus learned more and more how to control his powers, and what triggered them. He found that if he practiced using them, it was less of a struggle to control and contain them. As he got more comfortable with his powers, he began venturing out and learning about the world around him more and more. However, there were a few rules he kept over the years. No getting close to others, and never stay in one place too long. These two rules he kept over the decades. He loved learning, reading, and speaking to others, and learned how to fight, mostly out of necessity. He became a great warrior, even without the deadly power he carried inside.

***************

One day, Atticus was travelling through the plagueland. He wasn’t very fond of plague territory. The terrain was desolate, and a strange stink filled the air. Disease and death abounded, and he tried to get through as quickly as possible. Stumbling over an immovable pile of sand, Atticus looked back when he heard a soft moan. The pile moved slightly before going still once more. Curious, he leaned over the shape, and gently brushed the sand from the still form. Lying before him was a young gray imperial dragon. Her beautiful scales were covered in scratches and bruises, and her breathing was shallow. Sighing, Atticus set down his packs and began looking for scrub brush to make a fire. Looking carefully over the fellow dragon, he did his best to treat her wounds with what few medical supplies he had.

As he treated her, he realized that she had both a broken wing, and a broken leg. That was more serious than he had the supplies to deal with. So, the next morning, shifting into his dragon form, he lifted the young dragon, and set off, hoping to find a dragon clan nearby. All day he wandered. Using his nose, he managed to catch a scent of dragon, and he followed it as far as he could. But as he neared rockrot rim, the stench of decay was so strong, he wasn’t able to follow the scent any longer. He continued to search the area the rest of the day. Night was quickly upon them, and Atticus sank down, tired and worried for his young companion. He tried to find fuel to make a fire, but nothing grew in the rock mountainous area he found himself in.

Suddenly, out of the darkness a shape appeared. She was a wildclaw, like him. Blood red scales were offset with beautiful golden garb. She leaned over him. Her face was tough, weathered, but not unkind. “Your companion seems injured. Do you guys need any help? I live in a clan nearby. You are welcome if you would like to come.”

Atticus studied the dragon for a moment. Finally, he answered. “Yes, she is in bad shape it seems. I would gladly take you up on your offer.”

Lifting the imperial, he followed the dragon. Winding through passages and tunnels, they finally came upon a massive gate carved into the side of the mountain. Knocking, the door swung open with a creaking groan. They entered, and a huge imperial pulled it shut after them.

“Follow me,” the red dragon said. “I will take you to our healers room.”

Atticus followed, and passed many intriguing rooms, and interesting looking human dragons, most of whom greeted them warmly as they passed. In all his many travels, Atticus had never seen a clan such as this. The lair was such a stark difference from the festering rot outside it’s walls. Light, airy, and clean. It was beautiful. And as they passed the greenhouse, Atticus was blown away. Never had he seen such a paradise, certainly never in the plague territories.

When they arrived at the hospital, two pretty girls who looked basically identical, rushed over. While they spoke to the red wildclaw- Ragna they called her, he laid the imperial down on a large platform and took a look around the spacious healers room. It was brimming with jars full of salves and herbs, and plants filled the space, giving off a pleasant aroma. The sisters had already gotten to work on the imperial, assessing the damages and pulling various healing potions off the shelves.

“Come,” Ragna said. “All newcomers must meet our leaders.”

Silently he obeyed, following her down the long halls. He met with the leaders, Specter and Sapphire, and was welcomed with open arms.

Uncomfortable with how friendly they were, he spoke up “I don’t mean to stick around. I just needed someone to help out that young imperial I found. I will be leaving if that’s ok.”

Sapphire looked at him with motherly concern. “A storm is brewing, where are you headed.”

“Uhh,” Atticus answered, trying to come up with a good excuse. “Not anywhere in particular. I am a traveller. I never really stay in one place long.”

Sapphire smiled warmly. “Well, since you have nowhere in particular to go, I insist you stay. The storm will be nasty. Stay at least until it passes.”

Not able to think up a good excuse, he finally relented. Ragna smiled briefly, and led him to a room. “You can stay here. We all eat meals together at noon and 6pm. Let anyone know if you need anything.”

With that she left. Taking off his packs, he shifted back into his human form and sat down. The room was spacious and comfy, and he was pleased that he got his own space. Settling down, he drifted off into a deep sleep.

The next morning, he woke. It was late, he realized. Nearly noon. Although he didn’t particularly relish the thought of eating with the clan, his growling stomach couldn’t be ignored. Slipping out of the warm bed, he dressed and made his way toward the dining hall and the smells of food. Many others were already gathered around the tables spread around the spacious room. Plates were piled with all kinds of tasty looking foods. Going to the end of the room, he cautiously grabbed a plate, and filled it with food.

Looking around shyly, he spotted a table in the corner with no others. He sat down and began eating, but was soon joined by others. They introduced themselves and sat eating and laughing. He didn’t join in, but watched quietly. After he ate, he made his way down to the healers room, to see how the imperial was doing. To his surprise, she was awake and shakily drinking broth with the help of one of the twins. She looked up at him with bright eyes. “You're the one who brought me here, right?”

Shifting uncomfortably, he studied her. “Yeah. Glad to see you up and about.” Turning quickly, he exited the healers room, and went to the greenhouse.

In the days that followed, he spent a lot of time in the greenhouse. Despite his best efforts, he enjoyed the clan. He began to even enjoy the company of the other dragons. He had never spent as much time with his own kind, and he enjoyed the banter, and mock fights, and the sense of family here in this ragtag bunch of misfits.

The storm passed, and yet he found himself not hastening to leave, but rather lingering. One day, Sapphire tracked him down in the greenhouse. Serene and peaceful as ever, she gracefully sat next to him. “It seems you are lingering my friend. Has our clan grown on you? Maybe you would even like to stay?”

“I can stay?” He questioned without thinking. Realizing he said that outloud, he quickly recovered and followed “I mean, uh, I was just curious. I plan to leave. Soon.”

Chuckling, Sapphire looked at him knowingly. “We’d love for you to stay Atticus.”

Atticus looked into her kind eyes. Turning, he looked around him, seeing the other dragons of the clan going about their daily business. Inside, he felt things he had never felt. He realized with shock, that he cared about this clan. Never before had he truly cared about others, because he never let himself. Turning back to Sapphire, who sat patiently next to him, he took a deep breath.

“Yeah, I suppose I will stay.” He tried to sound nonchalant, but he had a feeling Sapphire saw right through him.

She grinned. “We are happy to have you Atticus. We will announce your decision at dinner tonight!”

Before Atticus could protest, she stood and swept away gracefully, most likely to go tell Specter the news. Staring after her, a rare smile formed on his lips. He felt peaceful, and for the first time in his life, he felt like he was home.