Spears

╭━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━╮ Dragon Name the title/occupation ╰━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━╯ gender - pronouns - status » trait ; trait ; trait » trait ; trait ; trait "Insert a quote here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit" Book of Urban Legends Trinkets Tales of dubious validity. Hatchlings can't seem to get enough of them. 37 Historical Text Trinkets A long, storied history of the rise of the Serthis is scrawled on this parchment, written from the perspective of a Serthis too young to fight. 41 Multi-Lens Magnifier Trinkets Toymaker dragons often use devices like this to carve or paint intricate details onto dolls and figurines. 45 Weathered Grimoire Trinkets If holding just one of these makes you feel knowledgable, imagine how wise you'd be if you had a hoard filled with them! 35

S U M M A R Y Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. T R I V I A » Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, » sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. » Ut enim ad minim veniam,

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History:
Spears has strange, strange memories. Memories of carved ice and trapped dragons, of whispers and magic, all blurred together. He remembers tall columns of clear ice and carpets of dusty snow. He remembers racing up those columns and burying beneath the snow with Holly. And he remembers the sudden, biting cold as he was placed outside into the world, near a clan.
After that, his mind's grasp on his past grows suddenly sharper, as if something was affecting his memories before he was discovered by the clan. He can still name the dragon that held him in her arms as she rushed back to safety, and even remembers the exact words she muttered to herself before taking flight: "What in the Icewarden's name were these two hatchlings doing out here?"
Suffice it to say that Spears has an incredibly powerful memory. The only thing he cannot recall is his time before his first clan. He always blamed it on his lack of a pearl, ignoring the fact that Holly could not remember anything before the clan either, despite owning a pearl. He made sure that everyone knew that it was the pearl's fault, and not his own, that he could not remember certain events.
And, although it bothered him as he grew, he came to care less and less about his strangely obscured memories. However, the dragon he appeared with, Holly, became increasingly more important to him. He found himself staring longingly after her as she flitted from clanmate to clanmate, giving and receiving gifts. When he thought about her, his tail would twitch nervously and his heart would start racing. It took him awhile, but he soon realized that he loved Holly.
The moment he figured out his feelings, he gathered enough yarn to wrap around his whole body three times and a few sprigs of lavender. Over the course of three weeks, he lovingly knit the mass of yarn into a simple, beautiful scarf, and attached glass orbs to the ends.
The time finally came to gift her his present. When the two met, Holly insisted on giving her present first. She bounced excitedly as she extracted a silver-wrapped hunk of what felt like a rock from under her wing. Spears took it in his hands warily and began to shred the edges gently, careful to preserve the expensive wrapping. As bits of the gift were exposed, he felt his breath leave his body, his hands quivering as he held the bit of Holly's pearl in his claws.
Memories flooded over him. Holly's thoughts, emotions, what made Holly Holly washed into his mind. Images of himself paired with feelings indescribable to the draconic language gripped him.
As he drew back to the world of the living, he felt wetness on his cheeks and realized that he had been crying. A little embarrassed, he swiped at his eyes and whispered, "Thank you." He chuckled softly, saying,"My gift doesn't quite compare, but..."
He gave it to her, and it draped over her claws elegantly, the ends dancing slightly in the breeze. She stared at it, wordless, as she inspected it in her claws. Spears's heart gave a little jump of fear as he quickly interjected, "Like I said, it isn't much."
She looked at it for a heartbeat longer before turning to lock eyes with Spears. "It's beautiful. I love it so, so much."
And the season concluded with Spears adding his first layer to his new pearl.
Although he never said it aloud, one thing about Holly's gift did bother Spears. He had always dreamed that if he had a pearl, he would be able to finally realize his washy memories. Yet, the pearl did not assist in the slightest in that manner.
With his frustration clouding his judgment, Spears didn't notice Holly's mounting uneasiness. She wore holes in her scarf, which he lovingly but mindlessly mended, and paced about their shared cave incessantly.
Finally, one day, Holly tried to convince Spears to go to the mainland with her. She said that she wanted to leave the clan because no one wanted anything anymore, and that she wanted to find her long-lost parents. He was shocked that she would propose such a thing, so he came up with as many reasons on the spot as to why they shouldn't leave. Truthfully, Spears wanted to stay because he wanted to figure out his memories.
But as she continued to beg for him to come with her, he realized that life wasn't only about him--if Holly truly wanted to go to the mainland, he would come with her. So he finally agreed, trying not to show how eager he was to visit all the other flights as she was.
Their clan was excited to give them provisions for the way, for both Holly and Spears were kind-hearted dragons that had graced the clan with their many gifts. The entire clan, even the newborn hatchlings, saw them off, waving goodbye to the two dragons that had become so important to everyone.
As the two flew through the night, disaster struck. A freak snowstorm separated him and Holly. No matter how hard Spears fought, he was never able to gain an inch on the force of nature, and it pulled them farther and farther apart. Finally, it discarded him unceremoniously on an iceberg. The hard ice bruised his side and cracked two ribs. His bag, which had been holding the provisions, was opened and its contents were cast across the floe. He could do nothing but sit there, shell-shocked, as he registered what had happened. Pure despair washed over him as he realized that he was separated from the only dragon he had loved.
He couldn't make himself move, even as thirst began to scrape at his throat, even as hunger slashed his stomach. Food was mere feet away, lying in the sun. He would stare at it blankly, knowing that it would temporarily take the edge off his pain. Yet, he was unwilling to move, to ease the suffering that was his last connection to his lost mate. Soon, birds circled and picked off the food, and Spears did nothing to stop them. The only point at which Spears made any movement was when a bird hopped onto his pearl. He transformed instantly from a lethargic dragon to a killing machine, snapping at the birds and startling them off his iceberg. Once they were gone, he curled up around his pearl and cried.
At times, he felt his survival instinct kick in and encourage him to move. It would scream at him to get up and find something to eat, to drink, but he could barely lift a claw, his sadness was so heavy. These moments passed, and he lapsed back into his crippling sorrow.
One day passed, then two, then three. Death began to rap softly at his door, and then knocked insistently. He did nothing to encourage or turn it away. His head would pound and his sides would ache, but he held onto his pain, trying to preserve the bond between him and Holly.
But on the fourth day, a mirage landed on his iceberg. He couldn't believe his eyes as he took in her striped horn, bleached white antlers, and heavy winter coat.
He questioned if she was real. With the way her mouth quirked upwards, Spears knew the answer before she confirmed it. He rocketed into her, his weak, emaciated wings wrapping around her. The iceberg rocked, and Spears's tail dipped into the frigid water, but he didn't care, because he was finally reunited with the love of his life and he was going to live.
Luckily, Holly had plenty of food and water with her. He tried to pace himself, knowing that his body probably wouldn't be able to handle the sudden onslaught of nutrition, but he lost any semblance of control the instant the first drop of water hit his parched lips.
After filling himself, they exchanged stories. Holly told of her arrival at the fortress of ends, the strange dream that the priestess of her discovered clan had, and her swift flight to him. Spears replied with his tale of crushing sadness and the unwillingness to go on anymore without her. As a tear slipped down his cheek, she embraced him tightly.
Then, they did a thing that neither of them had seen done before. They swapped pearls. With Pearlcatchers being notoriously stingy with handing over their pearls, this alone was a strange occurrence. But they didn't just swap, they did something unheard of; they added their own layer to the other's pearl.
Spears was meticulous with his addition to Holly's pearl. He carefully wove in every emotion, every passing thought, even the incident with the birds, into his part of her pearl. When he returned it to her, he could tell he had done a good job by the way her body shuddered slightly under the onslaught of emotions.
He touched her softly, and her eyes cleared. "Holly, let's leave. Now. I can see now that this is what we are meant to do."
She seemed dubious, but, just as she managed to convince him to go to the mainland, he wore her down and made her see the situation the way he viewed it. He spread his wings, trying to ignore the popping snaps of unused muscles, and launched into the air, displaying that he was healthy and ready to go. Holly seemed to believe his show, chasing after him heartily.
The land flew under the two, their shadows dipping and rippling against the snow-laden ground. Holly and Spears laughed and talked as they made their way to the edge of the Southern Icefield. And, although he tried to ignore it, he couldn't quite shake an eerily familiar sensation of something watching him.
Holly suddenly dipped towards the ground, and Spears quickly followed suit. Last minute, the two snapped open their wings, slowing their descent in mere seconds to land lightly on the edge of their home. If Spears squinted his eyes, he could see the haze of smoke in the distance.
Holly was the first to take off. As she flew towards the new landmass, Spears heard a branch crack from behind them. He whipped around, and for a split second, icy blue eyes stared at him. He blinked in shock, in confusion, and then they were gone.
But already, his memories were flooding back. He could scarcely believe his mind as the gaps in his past were filled. He saw the Icewarden and his palace, the guards and Holly. Finally, he had the full story.
"What's taking you so long Spears?" Holly asked, dipping close to him.
"Nothing," he said. His eyes were still trained on the spot that, for a split second, he had seen a god. "I just thought that I saw something... Nevermind. It's nothing. Let's go." He smiled reassuringly at her, and she mirrored the gesture, though Spears could see the skepticism in her eyes, clear as day.
Rather than feeling at peace now that he knew his past, he was reeling. During the entire trip, Spears couldn't get a hold of his racing thoughts. Holly barely gave Spears a moment for just a word in their conversation, with all her talking. This was fine with him, since he was able to attempt to work out what had just happened in his mind.
And yet, when he landed on the shores of the mainland, he was forced to abandon his pursuit so he could focus on not accidentally wandering into a pool of lava and dying.
They left the Ashfall Waste as soon as they could--the temperature of the air was downright oppressive, leaving their sweat-slicked bodies prone to catching the drifting ashes. Since their original plan was to search for Holly's parents, they traveled to the Sunbeam Ruins.
Although they did not find her mother or father, they discovered something even better. A clan perfect for the two of them, large and always fluctuating. And, best of all, they were able to introduce their old clan's holiday of giving, Christmas, to the clan, since none of the dragons there had ever heard of it before. With the two of them so busy, Spears forgot all about his encounter with the Icewarden and his unlocked memories.


Personality
Spears's every action reveals years he has yet to acquire. His face seems worn by time; the wrinkles around his eyes are proof of his happiness and his eyes seem to have softened over the years. However, his mind shows none of the deterioration that usually comes with age. His words are smart and sharp, his manner clipped and precise. He holds a certain air of dignity about himself, his head always held aloft by a proud and arching neck.
The only thing that can make him lose his appearance is when Holly is in trouble, sick, or missing. He ditches his image to better care for his mate, whether that be through righteous anger, tender care, or persistent searching. He has learned from his experience with the blizzard. He shouldn't let sadness stop him from reuniting himself with those he loves.
He enjoys his job. It keeps him busy and invested in his clan. His favorite thing is when he gathers all of the dragons in the clan to completely revamp the wishlist. The day is filled with laughter and candy canes and spoken dreams. It can be exhausting work, but, knowing that one dragon is a little bit happier is enough to keep him going.
His life is at its most joyful when he's around Holly. Although between both of their jobs, they have very little free time, they make sure to savor every moment they spend together. From cool, midnight flights to sunning at noon, they try to enjoy themselves.
Spears is the balancing counterpart to his mate. He tempers her wild ideas with his logic, and soon enough, they can manage to marry the two into something amazing. He works behind the scenes for her massive giveaways and carefully planned gift exchanges.
Christmas is a time of majesty and beauty for Spears. The days turn into crisp, cool ones, quick to darkness and slow to light. The sun dims and the stars shine brighter than ever before. It's strange--the world seems almost inverted in winter.
Every once in awhile, in the heart of winter, fluffy flakes of snow will drift from the Light sky. Most dragons board themselves up inside when it begins to snow, but Spears throws himself into the winter storm, enjoying the tug and pull of wind and the sting of snow on his scales.
Spears's most prized possession is his pearl, but not just because it is the one thing that makes him a valid Pearlcatcher. The memories it holds and its place of origin have made it dear to Spears's heart, and he can't imagine living without it. To him, it would feel like his soul had been torn from him.
Although Spears does remember everything now, he barely thinks about his past anymore. He hasn't told Holly and he doesn't plan to. Just leave history in its grave. Better to let her look forward to her future rather than tangle herself in the roots of her past.


History Snippet The wind whistled under Spears's wings, rippling against their edges to produce a gentle, flapping sound. He closed his eyes serenely, enjoying the cool bite of the morning air on his snout. The easy wingbeats of his mate reassured him of their safety.
They had been flying for two days. Spears hadn't ever truly appreciated how empty the Southern Icefield was. He knew that, compared to the other flights, they had a fairly normal population, but the sheer size of their territory made it almost impossible to come across any other dragons. The most interesting thing that they had spotted was a wolf pack chasing after a skinny rabbit, which Holly insisted on saving. Other than that, Spears had a sense of peace that was impossible to maintain in a large clan, and he was bent on enjoying every minute of it.
"Spears," Holly said, poking him with a claw. He cracked one eye open to see her worried expression. "I think a storm is rolling in."
Spears opened his other eye, turning to inspect the horizon. Storm clouds were gathering, although they seemed too far away to be of any consequence. "We're not heading in that direction, right?" At Holly's head shake, he continued, "Then, I don't think we have to be worried. It's too far off."
"Alright," Holly said, trusting Spears.
The two went back to coasting, but barely a minute later, Holly tapped Spears again. "Spears," she said urgently. "This storm is unnaturally fast. Look."
A little disgruntled at being disturbed, twice, Spears once again opened his eyes to assess the risk of the inclement weather. His jaw dropped as he realized the distance that the storm had crossed in such a short amount of time. It was only a mile or so away now. "We need to get down to the ground," he said, halting his flight to hover in the air. "We need to go find a cave. NOW!"
But it was too late. The storm slammed into them, tearing Spears away from Holly. "HOLLY!" Spears screamed as air filled his wings and snow stung his eyes. "WHERE ARE YOU?"
A faint scream echoed in the storm, but no words accompanied it. Spears howled into the wind, yelling for his mate, but to no avail. Helplessly, Spears was separated from Holly, screaming for her and at himself for being too content with his peace to be worried.
And he was carried away into the heart of the storm.


"By the Icewarden, Holly! Did you do all this?"
"Twisted memories and flashing ice, this is the land of my birth."
"I am strange; with antlers of ebony, a scarlet coat, and a pearl that is not my own."
"Which is better, my child? Life without your true love or death with them? My answer is clear."