Likan

"Wherever you go, always watch the skies. Always look behind you. For I am the hunter, the predator. I am the wind, the gale that cuts like a knife and hows like a wolf. When I come, I strike first and hard. You cannot run. There is no escape"

Likan is one to beware, truly. As a wind flight dragon, he is exceptionally fast and agile; as a nocturne, he excels at predicting the enemyś next move.
He was born to a pack of Mirrors, so hunting and fighting is his primal instinct, his nature. His parents and siblings were derisive of his difference from them and taught him survival the hard way; cobras in nests and poisoned food were daily threats.
Once strong enough, he left the hunt only to be captured by an enemy clan known as the Bloodhounds and held in a detention facility for what he later learned were seven years. He refuses to share what happened within the stone walls with anyone but his most trusted companions, proving that it was truly terrifying. It was there that he met Cindia, just a hatchling at the time, and took her in his care. While the fae dragon still has nightmares of this traumatizing experience, Likan grew resistant to the guard’s all but savage treatment. He is well known for protecting the innocent dragos and eventually leading a very successful breakout, the first ever known to happen. But victory is never without consequences. Likan may have recovered physically, but the scars to his soul were never seen. In his time at the Bloodhound’s prison, he grew strong, swift and experienced, but also aggressive, defensive and brutal. He hated this change, but could do nothing to reverse it, and so swore revenge on the Bloodhounds.
Once free he joined a band of mercenaries and in time rose to become its leader. This group’s professions were diverse, but mostly illegal, such as trafficking, smuggling, assassinations, robbery, sabotage etc. They were, however, not completely corrupt, as any lost wanderers or orphans would be accepted and cared for. Likan’s group fought battles against the Bloodhounds multiple times, on one occasion even allowing the nocturne to prove himself to his former adoptive parents, but most of them went well. Mutineers were far too common, however, and after a particularly great loss Likan was driven out of the group. He continued his wanderings alone except for Cindia and Feline, his loyal King Parda companion, fighting to keep the three of them alive, until that fateful day when he stumbled into the Nocturnal Predator’s territory...
Likan struggled through the knee-deep snow as best he could. He could hardly see in the halflight cast by the crescent moon and phosphorescent plants. Then again, here, in the Tangled Wood, there didn’t seem to be much difference between night and day, so thick were the trees.
Cindia whimpered softly in her sleep. Yesterday, the fae’s fever has gotten much worse, and now she could hardly stay conscious long enough to eat and drink. He was worried the poor thing wouldn’t make it. But she would, he knew. She had to.
Feline looked exhausted, but she gave him a ‘I’ll be fine’ look, and he stayed silent.
Likan stumbled, the blood from his various scratches staining the snow around him. Just now, a flock of death Seekers had caught him by surprise while hunting, and he was beginning to weaken. He was about to rest when Feline started growling at the forest. Then he heard it too.
Crunch. Crunch. Sliiither.
Dragons.
Likan ran. His wings were too badly damaged to fly, but they probably would’ve been useless in the forest anyway. He pelted through the woods, hearing the soft swishes of beings streaking through the undergrowth. Cindia was awake now, and between breaths he told her: “Run. Get out of here and don’t wait for me. Find somebody to care for you and I will find you. I promise.” Cindia nodded. Likan stopped suddenly and threw the fae as hard as he could into the air. She took to the sky and was gone. Feline snarled warningly. Likan spun to face his attacker and found himself facing only one: a mirror, slightly older than he was and perfectly blending into the shadows. She was a bit smaller than him and didn’t look very strong, yet something about her made him hesitate to attack her.
“Who are you?” she asked, not accusing, but rather curious. “My name is Likan. I do not mean to violate your borders, but I could not find my way out of the forest.” Likan shifted and winced involuntarily as the flow of blood strengthened. The mirror noticed immediately. “Come with me,” she murmured, “and have no fear. My name is Python, and I am a friend.”
It took a while for Likan and Feline to settle in. The clan was still small, only about six members strong, but they made up for it with spirit and courage. Likan helped welcome new members into the fold and found out a lot, including, to his surprise, that they often had to protect themselves against invading Bloodhounds and did so rather successfully. A few weeks after their arrival Cindia was found, unharmed but terrified. She was welcomed warmly and cared for by the whole clan. Likan fought in battles. He hunted for and protected his new family.
Yet some scars cannot be healed. Most are not aware of the nocturne´s tragic history. He would often be seen comforting Cindia, speaking softly, and if one listened hard they might make out words like "free" and "safety", leading to speculation and rumors. Eventually he learned to trust Python enough to tell her his story, and she quieted the rumors with her social skills.
Likan has difficulty with the whole ¨emotions¨ thing. His emotional receptiveness is fairly weak, so he does not have a mate, although he has fathered a few nests. His love is for Cindia, his loyalty to his clan and their leaders.
There have been a few incidents in his name, however. One time, an alien entity took control over his actions, forcing him to give out information to the Bloodhounds, who took over the territory in the process. A peace was enacted with the creature, which was discovered to have given birth to offspring, and now it lives in the heart of the forest, with its children nestling in other clan territories via transfer of hatchlings…
Now he lives happy and mostly at peace with himself, though memories tend to surface and cause trouble. He has written this scroll to share his past before it causes more trouble than it already has and hopes others will learn from his mistakes. Of course, he has many stories to tell, including one involving a strange mammalian creature that calls its species "Human"… but that´s a story for another time! For now, let us settle with the fact that his skill is to be envied; his past is not.