Yana

Yana's Tale

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~1~

An ancient dragon, one of the first created, Yana traded clan life centuries ago to follow a nomadic lifestyle.
He does not mingle with his own kind, and rarely keeps company with other species, only sticking around for a short time.

While his ancestry flows from the Lightweaver themself, Yana swears allegiance to Shadowbinder, as she offered him a chance to be hidden and manipulate shadows to his will. Such a skill sounded very useful to the nomad, so an oath was struck. He would serve under Shadowbinder and be furthermore blessed by the dark, so long as he devotes his descendants to exaltation. Imperials so rarely follow Shadowbinder, and she was eager for any opportunity to have such a strong following. Yana agreed without much thought, believing he would never father children, and if he did they would be easily given.

The years passed with this deal kept intact. Truly Yana would reach his grave before he turns his back on his Lady. For decades he would sleep soundly, unknowing of the fact that he would regect his nomadic lifestyle twice, and father a great many children before his passing.

~2~

Yana had met a lovely Guardian and they traveled together for many months. The Guardian had in her company a Painted Centaur, orphaned as a fawn and raised as a Charge by the Guardian. Yana developed a strong friendship with the Centaur as well as the Guardian. This was not the first mate he'd had, nor the first to birth a clutch, but she was the first he ever truly cared for.

True to his promise with Shadowbinder, every hatchling would stay with Yana until they were ready, and would then be exalted. His previous mates never stuck around, they weren't overly fond of how he exalted his children, but he never wavered in his loyalty. The Guardian delivered a clutch of four eggs in the forest bordering the Sunbeam Ruins and the Tangled Wood. There they decided to rest for a time, to allow the eggs to hatch and the hatchlings to grow. It was a lovely area for children. In the afternoon rays of golden light shone through the branches of the tall trees and meadows rolled for miles, dotted with colourful flowers. As night fell the wildlife of the Tangled Wood would come alive, with plentiful and easy game for any hungry young dragon. Separating the two domains was a crystalline river, perfectly clear and fresh, reflecting light back like a dazzle of gold.

Yana would hunt and meditate in the Tangled Wood, where he felt closest to Shadowbinder. The Guardian would rest near her eggs while the Centaur would wander the meadows. It was on one such night when Yana was meditating when he was pulled out of his calm by a not so distant roar, followed by many others in response. He hurried back to the nest as quickly as he could, sprinting through the intertwined brambles with great desperation.

(Graphic Violence Warning!)
The scene he entered into is not one he'll easily forget; a pack of Wildclaws was tearing through the little meadow they called home, shredding their few belongings and ravaging the space. Two had fallen already to the Centaur and the Guardian was viciously attacking a group of three that were trying to get at the nest. An egg lay smashed nearby. The Guardian's roars were thick with grief and fury, the Wildclaws' screeches that echoed were filled with mockeries. She rushed the trio, ripping through the chest of the closest and landing with her front legs on the throats of the other two, crushing their spines under the weight. They were already dead, but that didn't stop her from sadistically adorning the monsters with countless lacerations, as she slashed and bit at any area of exposed flesh. The once peaceful meadow was now speckled with arterial spray, and the river was laced with ribbons of crimson. Covered in blood, the Guardian finally took notice of Yana, still standing at the edge of the meadow, frozen. She seemed to remember herself then, and began to shake, pulling herself to the shattered egg. Her silence was broken as shocked sobs pushed from within, and she was racked with hoarse cries. She didn't even move as a previously unnoticed Wildclaw began to circle her. With a cry Yana raced towards his broken wife, bitterly weeping over her dead child, when the Wildclaw leapt forward and shredded her jugular in one fluid movement. She didn't move. Nobody moved. To Yana it seemed as if time itself ceased it's familiar pattern of existence. She shuddered, and with a final wet breath, she collapsed, her own blood mingling now with the fluid spilled from the egg. The Wildclaw shrieked, and turned towards the nest. Yana was on it before it could take a step, and removed it's head from it's shoulders. He felt cold. Looking to the eggs ('no,' he thought, 'my children. My children,') he noticed that some of the pack had made off with another one of the eggs. Only two of his children remained. A hand was on his shoulder, and he suddenly remembered the presence of the Centaur. He couldn't speak the dragon tounge, but his eyes expressed what his words could not. Here was grief and purpose. Finally, Yana began to weep.

Over the course of the night, Yana and the centaur cleaned and garnished the Guardian, draping her in fine silk. They buried her in the meadow, and planted over her grave a bed of Black Tulips. The Centaur muttered a prayer, or perhaps a blessing over her, in the unfamiliar language of his people. They then gathered up the salvageable materials, and fashioned a sling out of thick fabric, in which his children could sit. Loading food onto the back of the Centaur, they set off deeper into the Tangled Wood.

~3~

The time for the eggs to hatch was drawing near, forcing the duo to set up camp where they were. Yana set the Centaur to guard his offspring while he hunted, though this time he never strayed too far. As he was out in the Wood, he once again her the roar of a dragon, followed by shouting in the Centaurs foreign language. Fear stopped his heart, and he quickly returned to camp. What he saw this time was the Centaur with his spear poised to attack a Skydancer standing in front of him, though the Skydancer only showed a wary sort of defense. With closer inspection, Yana noticed a tiny Fae perched upon his head.

Yana approached, cautious but outwardly displaying his aggression. The Fae seemed to see inside of him, and Yana suddenly felt very very vulnerable. She crawled forward to perch on the nose of the Skydancer, and they simply stared at each other for a few moments. She then returned to her position on his head, and the Skydancer began to speak.

"We mean you no harm," he said, his voice suggesting a quiet intellect, "My Matron had taken notice of your young, and we had incorrectly assumed they were abandoned. The mistake is ours."

"What kind of father would I be, to abandon a nest so close to hatching?"

"Please sir, we mean no disrespect to your person. Many abandoned eggs have been found in this Wood before, and my Matron does not allow for children to die."

Yana relaxed his defensive position, and motioned for the Centaur to lower his weapon. During their conversation, the Fae dragon, who he supposed was The Matron, had never taken her eyes from him.

"My Matron offers Sanctuary, for you and your kin. You would be safe there, and would have no obligation to stay after your children hatch, if you so desire," the Skydancer remarked. His eyes were curious and showed defensiveness of their own. The Matron's eyes could not be read.

Yana pondered this. He was a very solitary dragon, and disliked clan life, but the offer of protection and care was far too sweet to refuse. "I'll go with you," he said, "though I will not stay."

"We appreciate your company nonetheless. We'll leave as soon as you are prepared to travel. Welcome to the clan."

~4~

Yana's arrival in Shimmermist Grove was greeted with great kindness. Many introduced themselves and offered gifts of welcome. Others were not so sociable, but Yana liked that just fine. He discovered many dragons here had their own familiars, giving him a sense of ease about the Centaur's presence. His eggs were placed in their own section of the Hatchery, separate from the others. Yana felt pure peace in the Grove, silently revoking his promise to leave.

The eggs hatched two days later. From one came a Guardian, speckled gold with soft blue wings. She was born ill, and didn't survive the night. The second was an Imperial, black as the shadows, and silent as the night. His son made him uneasy, though he wasn't sure why. He felt as if this dragon was in no way the spawn of his late love, though such a thing was surely impossible. Wasn't it?

As soon as the young Imperial, named Mazath, was able to walk, Yana set off to exalt him. He arrived at the Forum of the Obscured Crescent, and offered his son to the great dragon lounging upon a pile of her treasures. With words felt rather than heard, she turned down the child.

"But why? For years I have given you my offspring, they've served you well, haven't they? What makes this boy different from them," he questioned.

Shadowbinder crawled down from her heap till she stood before him, still several times larger than he.

'I will not take him because I sent him,' she whispered.

'He is your gift, after so many years of service,' she was cooing now, softly soothing yet mildly scolding.

'But, he is also my eyes. I don't want another incident of dead children, and he will watch to see if any more of my soldiers are denied from me.'

After her final words, Yana froze. He had not considered that his offspring dying before being gifted would be considered breaking the promise. Silent now, he turned, thanked Shadowbinder, and left, young Mazath in tow.

~5~

Time passed but Yana never grew comfortable with his son. Eager to win back his Lady's affections, he knew he would need a new Mate, one who would offer up many desirable offspring. He told the Matron of his plan and set off. Strangely, Mazath did not follow him this time, almost as if he was aware what his presence would do to prevent any courting.

Yana left the Tangled Wood for the first time in what seemed like an age. The sun was warm and momentarily blinding, but as his eyes adjusted he found he was looking upon a rolling meadow, spotted with flowers and bathing in the sun. Off to the side was a crystal clear river, flowing peacefully through the green. In the center of this beauty was a thick bed of black tulips. He didn't recognize the clearing, instead just took in its beauty, before he took to the skies, never to see it again.

Travelling north, Yana reached the Viridian Labyrinth, a forest so unlike the one he now calls home. He entered the trees, his senses bombarded by colourful fauna and sweet smelling fruits and flowers. Golden light shone through the branches, and Yana felt himself missing the familiar trees he was raised in. He remembered exploring these very jungles as a young dragon, filled with excitement when he would successfully catch a manticore to bring back to the lair... He couldn't remember where that was. It was so long ago. Brushing the thoughts away, he pushed deeper into the trees.

As he went further in, the trees became taller and denser, and the wildlife louder. A memory again demanded it be known, and he recognized the area to be the Shrieking Wilds. He became comfortable in the cool dark, like a balance between his current and previous dwellings. A glint of gold caught his eye, shining and reflecting what little light there was. He approached to discover a Pearlcatcher, cleaning and preparing meat which she presumably had just caught. Yana shined with a similar light, so he was quickly noticed.

The Pearlcatcher, by the name of Mara, shared with him her spoils, and they began to speak over the meal. She was alone, having left her clan hoping to find something better. She came to the Shrieking Wilds because she felt at ease in the dark. Mara told him how she had hoped to one day reach the Tangled Wood, though she felt uneasy leaving the forest she had known her whole life. After brief discussion, she agreed to travel in the company of Yana.

In the time it took for the duo to get to the Tangled Wood, they had fallen in love. To Mara, it was like Yana was heaven sent, which, in a sense, he was. Lana felt as if he had found someone who knew him. Here was a woman who's ancestry can be traced back to Lightweaver, her grandmother being a Light-Woven soldier, like Yana was himself, and yet she too was drawn more to the shadows then the Light.

Mara agreed to be Yana's mate, ecstatic in how well leaving the Labyrinth was doing for her. Surely she and her Love would live a long happy life.

~6~

Yana's time with Mara was bountiful and joyous. He had never spent as much time with anyone as he did with them, and he had all but forgotten about the Guardian he killed for. The Painted Centaur was in no means eager to remind him.

With the love he had for Mara came also a love for their children. For the first time in his long life, Yana began to doubt the vows he had sworn. He broke them for the first time in a cool evening when Mara's first eggs were hatching. They had borne three eggs, but on that night only two hatched, the other sat still and lifeless. Mazath watched from the shadows as two cooing golden warriors to be broke from their shells, disappearing into the shadows to report to the Shadowbinder. Mazath was long gone when the previously thought dead egg began to quiver.

The tough membrane splintered, and out came a screeching and stunted little boy. Yana considered venturing to the Obscured Crescent himself to announce the unexpected arrival yet stopped short. Here was a boy, his son, unseen by the Shadowbinder and her little eyes. Together, Mara and Yana smuggled the boy out of the Tangled Wood where he would never be safe, placing him in the care of an allied clan, the Endless Hunt. When they returned to the Sanctuary, no one had even noticed they'd been gone. It seems they were successful.

~7~

In the satisfaction of his victory against the Queen of Lies, Yana grew cocky and over-confident. He conceived more and more children, each time a fraction being saved from the Shadowbinder's grasp. He had even begun to feel himself better, wiser, stronger. He compared himself to Shadowbinder in an almost treasonous manner. After the splitting of the Clan into two factions, he became secure enough in this belief that his son, Alaric, would even be able to visit. And that he did, and they still were not discovered. Mara had come to believe that the Shadowbinder had lost interest in them, as Gods that dwell on eternity so often do.

The fall began when two of their children made the decision to stay in their Birth Clan. They had fallen in love with dragons that lived there, one in the Sanctuary and one in the Moonlit Realm, so they stayed with them when they came of age. Mazath hadn't taken notice of these acts, he hadn't noticed anything in quite a while. Mazath had been breaking his own vows, gallivanting across Sornieth with a Wildclaw whom he had fallen in love with. It shouldn't have been a surprise that the Lady found out, but it was. They had forgotten her.

Yana awoke with the Insubstantial Illusionist staring him in the face, it's form constantly shifting and fading. Yana felt his heart drop, but knew a summoning when he saw one. He followed the Illusionist into the dark.

When he arrived at the Crescent, Mazath was there too, looking just as nervous. Yana had been thinking Mazath had sold him out, though now he doubted his assumptions. The Shadowbinder was not on her perch, and was nowhere to be found, but she was there. They could feel her.

You disappoint me. Both of you.

Yana spared a glance at his given son, noticing with surprise how he wouldn't look her in the eye. He cleared his mind, devoting his full focus back to the God.

"My Lady, to ask forgiveness would be an insult to you. I failed you. I- I didn't think- I never thought I-"

Sssh, relax. I understand, you never thought you could love. I knew this day would come eventually. Though I must admit, I never expected such behavior from you, Mazath.

He dipped his head lower, puffing a feather from his mane when he did so.

"Mother, I-"

SILENCE. You dare speak to me after your actions? You who were sewn from my very flesh? No. You shall never speak to me again.

Mazath was shaking, his eyes wide and terrified. This was the only time he had ever seen Mazath display any emotion. Shadowbinder's outburst distracted him from the realization that those two words were also the only time he had heard him speak.

Yana, your time has come to fulfill the end of your agreement. You needn't give up another child you bear, for you shall bear no others. You will join me on this day, alongside your son, and will serve in my army for the reminder of your lives. If you have anything you wish to say to those you are leaving behind, my acolyte will deliver the message.

The truth rang in his ears. He was exalted. He would never see Mara, Alaric, Ayame, Yaari, Farha, Shakeer... Any of them, ever again! This was his only chance to speak with them ever again, and he wouldn't even be able to speak face to face. He had no idea Mazath was having identical in his own mind. They both gave their messages to the Illusionist and watched it dissipate into nothingness, and then they went side by side to join an eternity with their Lady.

~

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Relationships |Name| |Position| |Name| |Position| Items Granny Smith Apple Plant While the apples are sweet, Granny Smith herself was a bitter dragon. 50 5 Morganite Minerals & Ores This pinkish beryl is pulverized and pulped with other materials to create the parchment used in Eternal Youth scrolls. Exposure to the stone alone will not reverse aging, though some create jewelry out of it and wear it in hopes of living a long life. 45 Glowing Pocket Mouse Familiar The happier it is, the brighter it glows. This one seems to like you. 1550 Project Breed Change: Snapper Specialty Items Changes the breed of one dragon to Snapper. Snapper dragons are a common breed with a 20-day breeding cooldown. 32500 Secondary Gene: Shimmer Specialty Items A scroll that will change the secondary gene of one dragon to Shimmer. This item can only be used once and will disappear after it has been applied. 0 Tertiary Gene: Circuit Specialty Items A scroll that will change the tertiary gene of one dragon to Circuit. This item can only be used once and will disappear after it has been applied. 0

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