Heiying

The magic is strong in this one.

Yes, yes, we can use her.

The Shade will...

"What is the Shade?"

The other two dragons looked sharply at the young tundra.

She can already read thoughts!

Perhaps even stronger than we thought...

We must continue this discussion elsewhere.

---

The dream had been coming to her more often ever since She came. Terrible things being done to her. Intense pain and sadness. It had to do with her past, she knew, but some dragon, or some thing had made her forget. But now the memories were coming back, sharper and more clearly than ever before. It was because of Her. Something to do with Her, Heiying knew. But what? Heiying knew that she would have to talk to the dark Skydancer at some point. She had been putting it off. Why? Because I don't want to know. I don't want to dig up the past. Better left buried. Heiying shook her head. She was never one to run from things. But this. Heiying didn't know if she was strong enough for this...

---

They were in a new Flight. The Sand dragons had pulled through and saved the clan. They were off in a ship to Water. The ship could both fly in the air and float on the Sea.

Heiying knew it was time. Something was coming to a head soon, and it all centered around Her. She had to go talk to Her. Her space was near the front of the boat, in a little nook. Most dragons stayed away from this area, as it got rocked around the most by the waves, and most of the dragons had not earned their sea legs yet. It was oddly still this time, though. Heiying hadn't spied Her yet in her nook. Then she saw Her eyes glowing from the darkness.

I've been waiting for you.

I know, replied Heiying in her thoughts. But I've been afraid.

I know what it is you are afraid of. They took me, too.

Wh..who are they?

They are the servants of the Shade.

At that name, Heiying shivered.

But what did It want with me? With you?

It was the Archanist that called the Shade, that let It into our world. The Shade is looking for powerful Arcanes to do it once again. It was trying to bend us to Its will, but we escaped it, somehow.

The memories came flooding back to Heiying. The experiments, the restraints, the pain. Heiying shuddered again. She looked back into those piercing eyes, eyes the same color as hers.

What should we do?

For some reason I can't quite see, they don't know about you. I think it is your old friend, Mheras, that is protecting you, she is sheilding you somehow.

Mheras..?

Heiying's oldest and dearest friend. How was she caught up in all this? Heiying was an arcane dragon, well versed in the magic arts. But Mheras had always confounded her. She had a magic that was unlike anything Heiying had ever known. Mheras was protecting her?

---

Ohayo approached Heiying one day shortly after dragons started noticing that familiars were disappearing.

"I know you can speak with Her. Most dragons don't know, but I do. You have to ask Her what She is doing with the familiars." Ohayo was demanding. She obviously did not like the fact that Heiying seemed to be close with the Unnamed Skydancer, or at least as close as you can be with a dragon that doesn't speak in conventional ways.

Heiying sighed. She had heard the rumors, of course. No alarms in her mental perimeter had been going off, so she didn't think too much of it. But the other dragons were getting worried.

"Ok, I'll go talk with her. But I can't promise that I will get any answers."

The tundra approached the area of the ship where the Skydancer had Her keep. She sent out mental tendrils carefully, not wanting to surprise the recluse.

I know why you are here. You do not need to be worried, She said, dismissively.

I'm not, but the others are. They think you are killing familiars, Heiying replied, gently, but pushing.

Pieces. I am only using pieces, and then I let them go. They cannot go back with the others after having been with me.

Heiying pondered this. A pause, then, Would you like to see what I am doing?

So Heiying entered Her inner sanctum to see the alchemal magic She was working. To what end, Heiying didn't ask.