Nereus

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Nereus --- Voice of Eyes, Nereus of the First and Honoured Wave of Eyes His Story To see the beginning of Nereus and Thalassa's story check out Thalassa's bio! It was the visions. Visions of a young pearlcatcher, always with a pained expression. Iridescent blue hide and black wings. He could never quite see her eyes. No matter what he looked for in his pearl he always saw her, and the visions haunted him even when he wasn’t looking for anything at all. He knew very little about her when the visions started, but one thing had always been perfectly clear every time he saw her. She needed help; his help. The visions drove him from a happy home. They promised that if he didn’t find her and help her no one else would. She needed him and he had to find her. As a hatchling, Nereus named himself. Around the time he regurgitated his eggshell as a shifting, shining pearl larger than himself he announced his name to surprised, and amused, parents. They called it his first vision. He was a hatchling who always knew things he shouldn’t and announced the future to anyone who would listen. Many enjoyed his presence, and some came to rely on his skills. He apprenticed as a seer as soon as his parents located one willing to take on a young protege. And as soon as he was satisfied with his own abilities he readied himself to leave. He patched together information about the dragon he knew was named, or would be named, Thalassa. She became his singular obsession, decorating his eyelids at night and appearing before him, ever troubled, everywhere he went. The scenery she interacted with was definitely the Shifting Expanse, and somewhere on the south-eastern border he thought, perhaps near the Ashfall Waste. He couldn’t pinpoint where she was, but he found a spell which, when cast, lent him a feeling. A pull towards her direction that he could follow. He left the Sea of a Thousand Currents and followed that pull all the to her. Many friendly dragons came to his aid along his journey and each step and every wingbeat made the pull stronger and he never worried about what he would find. As long as he found her. At long last, he did find her. Without the welcome he was expecting. She looked down on him from a great height snarled in his direction and sent him to her “Father”’s holding cells. As two dragons, two surprisingly taut and strong spirals, tossed him inside an electrified enclosure he wished he had thought his approach through a little better. She definitely needed him, but she either couldn’t admit it or couldn’t trust him. It had seemed a bit of both. And she was not the forlorn, abandoned dragoness he had assumed her to be. As lonely as he knew she felt, she was surrounded by dragons and she sat in a seat of power. He curled himself around his pearl and whispered to himself, trying to narrow his thoughts into a sharper focus. A question usually helped him see clearer. What help does she need from me? He asked himself. And then he aimed the thought into the recesses of his pearl and watched the forming shapes closely. They came close to an answer and it seemed for a few long heartbeats that he would finally know. But it didn’t solidify. She needed… something from inside of him. Something abstract and without shape. Something strong and strangely emotional. The question made him feel hopeful, excited, and… perhaps a bit wary. It made him feel as though his future was secure now, and it wasn’t bad at all. But none of that answered the question. Why does helping her make me feel hopeful? He didn’t need his pearl to answer that. Why excited? Well. Not a difficult one either, he thought. Why do I feel wary? He did phrase this question into his pearl and got a very clear, strong answer. A face. The cruel, calculating face of a striped blue spiral. His gifts were telling him exactly what to be wary of. At last, something concrete. Relief that he still possessed his gift was quickly snuffed by what he saw next. Something grew in the spiral’s eye that guaranteed he was a monster, a killer. As it did his slowed out of focus and a hundred faces appeared behind it. His children, Nereus knew, his devout. His supporters. Be wary of them too. Suddenly he saw her too, behind her Father, then at his right hand. She was unhappy, frightened and angry all in turns, but she was there. What can I do for her then? He asked again. And all the other faces faded, leaving only hers. And she stared at him through his pearl, looking desperate. A thought, louder and brighter, like a great urge, shook him and he realized he had his answer. No longer did she need his help. Now she needed his protection. After the dark of night settled over the Expanse and the sparking blue light surrounding him were all that he could see he heard wings above him. A small arrow of lightning whispered out of the dragon above and touched, gently, the fence. A forcefield he had not seen above his head, designed to stop him from flying away, dissolved. And she dropped to the ground beside him. “How did you get here?” She asked in a whisper, settling her smaller pearl on the ground very near his own. He grinned. “I walked some, I flew some. I knew you needed me. Now what can I do to help you?” “I’ll ask the questions,” she said. “If you don’t much mind.” “What do you want to know?” “Do you have battle experience?” “Not much, but I can hold my own against little things.” Her eyes widened. “And I can cast a wicked healing spell.” “What about the war?” “What war?” “The great war. The Father and my brothers who have seen it say it is a terrible thing, eating up the energy of the land. Electricity itself is dying in places not so far from here. And - they say - and it’s getting closer to us here.” To his credit he did not laugh. “There is no war. Have you ever thought that your “Father” might not be telling you the whole truth?” She did not answer. “Look into your pearl and try to see a war.” “I have no skill.” “You must have some!” “They say all Water dragons are seers and magic-workers. I am not from the water.” “And who is “they”? Your Father?” “I suppose. Is it not true?” “No. Many Water dragons do not have the gift. And many others do.” “I’ve often wanted to see things in my pearl or in my dreams. I want to see things other than what is here. If the— the— he lies about some things he told me the truth about this life. It is never easy. Why… Why did you call me Thalassa?” “If that is not your name it will be soon.” “No,” she said. “I’ve never heard it. My name is Ellone.” “Did your father name you?” “Yes, he did.” “I named myself. You could do the same.” “I couldn’t…” “Life isn’t always easy, but it should be good, at least. If life is too hard for Ellone than become Thalassa. She might have a better life.” “Her life would be the same as mine. I would not change only by changing my name!” “Then change your life too.” “What?” She scratched her pearl, only to rub at the scratch with a soft finger pad. “Why did you come here?” “To help you.” “Stop saying that! I mean, why? Why are you sure I need help? How can you help me?” “I’ve had visions of you for a long time, I knew you needed something from me. Maybe it was simply this conversation.” “Maybe,” she echoed. They sat in silence in the dark and the quiet. “If there is no war what is there outside this lair?” “Have you never been out?” “Not out of the Father’s land. It is too dangerous, except for a few of my brothers who have training from the Father it is too dangerous for anyone to go far. So I was told.” “It’s not dangerous. Not very.” He paused. “I could help you.” “You can help me,” she said and he smiled. She turned the name over in her mouth, "Thalassa...."

Bio/lore plans to work on: Nereus is a charmer who can come across very sweet and sincere, but is actually much smarter than he looks and can twist any situation to his advantage. His social intelligence is heavily leaned on by Arethusa and the government of the clan, and he has been an essential part of cultural and manner teachings to some younger dragons who join the minds and the hearts. He seems unassuming and quite harmless, but has overcome incredible obstacles and defeated many bigger and stronger foes than he, mostly due to the fact that all were dumber than him as well. As a water dragon he does have some magical talent, but the biggest accomplishment his magic has seen was his finding Thalassa. She beleaguered his dreams until he hunted her down, rescued her, and saw her safe into the ranks of a clan that was strong enough and willing to protect her. That remains his primary objective, to keep her safe and this has led to him going to great lengths for her, including taking credit (or blame) for her powerful predictions and warnings, with the leaderships of two factions of the clan involved in keeping and guarding the secret of her identity and lengths of his protection of her. Flashing his water-blue eyes and acting too unassuming and bland to be suspicious has kept both of them very safe for a long time. Perhaps both of them are letting their guard down a little too often these days...