Raiza

The son of a Starborn and a witch, and partially raised by a mechanic, Raiza had never been normal. Despite this, however, he never felt that he really fit into the Apolkyrfas. The clan of wild and magical dragons made his heritage and powers almost seem tame, after all, and the prideful Pearlcatcher couldn't really accept this. He and his siblings agreed to leave the clan after they reached adulthood, to journey and find their own place in the world.

Raiza was the last of the trio to depart, but despite this, his parents let him go without much fuss. They knew that his siblings were successful, after all, and that he was capable. Right as Raiza was preparing to go, however, Dusk swooped down in front of him. The violet-hued Skydancer watched him coolly through the scales of her worn helmet for a while.

Finally, she spoke, murmuring only, "Remember the Squalls," before disappearing again. Confused but no less determined, the Pearlcatcher left the Apolkyrfas behind.

His journey was not difficult at first, with the radioactivity and magic-infused land around Focal Point keeping most hostile creatures out, but the further away he got from the Starfall Isles, the more dangerous his enemies became. Here, the skills he had learned from his mother in potion-making became useful, as the Shade-infested monsters were still foolish enough to fall for his traps of acids. Plants were also plentiful enough that he kept a good store of health potions on him at all times, in case he ever grew weak.

As he flew over Windstar Bay, a tornado peeled off of the Twisting Crescendo and quite literally blew Raiza off course. Beating his wings frantically to get away from the storm, the Pearlcatcher inadvertently flew over the Wyrmwound, and the fumes from the infernal cauldron assaulted his already weakened body. Exhausted and barely able to keep his eyes open, Raiza drifted down, down, down, until he slid under the surface of one of the puddles of infection that had bubbled over from the Wound.

Raiza shouldn't have woken up at all, but he did. And he was changed. He crawled out of the festering pit, wings dripping, but body and mind strangely empty of any apparent wounds. The Pearlcatcher looked around, disoriented. Something was off. Something...vital.

His pearl was gone, lost in the pool of disease, and when he reached for his father's gift of moonlight magic to heal himself, he found it blackened and twisted. Charcoal black markings twisted across his body and wings, and his eyes seemed to glow black in the infernal light given off by the Wyrmwound.

Unsettled, but strangely empty, instead of despairing, Raiza continued. He didn't think to use his wings as he walked on, wandering, hollow.

He walked for what seemed like years before he halted before the familiar Reedcleft Ascent. His dark eyes brightened momentarily in recognition. In the back of his mind, he could faintly recall excursions to visit the Summer Squalls, as part of one of the many parties shuttled back and forth between the two clans. Something felt right, now. Something had clicked into place, as nothing seemed to after his accident in the Wyrmwound.

Raiza knew where he was going now.

"Remember the Squalls."

"The Acolytes will be glad to have you, Imona," the blue and grey imperial told his pearlcatcher companion as the pair flew south over the Sea of a Thousand Currents.
"The Acolytes do have to share with Gale Force, Aster. I'm the best mage in the Squalls and Gale Force needs me right now," the pale pearlcatcher replied.
Aster shook his head. "You're too good for those hack-and-slashers," he said with a sigh. "Too smart."
The open plains of the Plateau spread out beneath them and Imona scanned the ground quickly.
"Aster, look at that."
Below them, a small shape crawling along the ground attracted the two drakes' attention and they swooped lower to investigate. A lone pearlcatcher plodded along in a perfectly straight line with his head down. Blood and ooze dripped from his wings and he didn't respond when either Aster or Imona called a greeting.
The pair landed alongside the silent pearlcatcher and walked a few paces with him. After a moment, Imona said what both drakes were thinking.
"Something is seriously wrong here."

Imona staggered out of the sick bay late that night and collapsed against a wall. He and Opacare had spent hours with the strange pearlcatcher, trying desperately to keep the young dragon alive. Now it seemed he was out of the woods and Opacare had insisted that Imona go and get some rest.
Aster, having been banished from the sick bay, scooped up his smaller friend and carried him back to the room they shared.
"How is he?" the imperial asked. Imona murmured an answer to the effect that the foundling was alive. After a second, he rallied himself and put together a proper answer.
"He's going to be a long process," Imona sighed. "Something's wrong with him beyond his wounds. Something's wrong with his... His.." Imona took a deep breath, searching for the word he wanted. "Soul."
"His soul," Aster repeated dully.
"The lights are on and nobody's home," Imona muttered. "Opacare and I aren't sure what's wrong with him. For now we're just hoping he heals with time."
Aster took Imona back to the room and settled the pearlcatcher drake in an empty nest. "Get some sleep," he said to his already drowsing friend and turned to head back to the sick bay. He found Opacare there, silently watching the strange pearlcatcher. The coatl dragoness looked up and gave Aster a tired smile.
"Hello, Aster. Quite the puzzle you've brought in."
"How is he, Opa?"
"Honestly, I don't like his chances," Opa said, stretching out on one side. "Once his body heals, he'll just wander off again, I think. It's like he's looking for something. Looking is the only thing he knows or remembers." She sighed. "It's a drive that will keep him moving until he dies, I think. Or until something changes in his mind."
Aster studied the drake and said, "I'll take care of him."
Opacare hummed slightly to herself and whistled something in Coatl. "Yes," she added in Common Draconic. "I think that would work."

Aster had spent the last few days taking care of the odd pearlcatcher the way he would with a new familiar. He took the pearlcatcher out for walks and tried to talk to the other drake, but Aster received nothing for his troubles. Nothing until the day Neiya walked in on the pair by accident.
A soft voice that Aster had to strain to hear drifted in from the doorway."Aster, I need to borrow..." The wildclaw dragoness froze in the doorway. "This is our visitor?" she asked.
"He is," Aster agreed. "Who did you need?"
"It's not anything that can't wait," Neiya said in the same barely audible whisper. "What's wrong with him?"
"He lacks the ability to respond to outside stimuli. Imona says that he's lost his soul," Aster replied, shifting his tail fro the door so that Neiya could enter.
Neiya studdied the pearlcatcher for a moment before offering a half grin to Aster. "And what's so bad about that? Looks to me like the real problem is that his soul was stolen rather than being traded or given away."
Aster said nothing for a long moment, just stared at Neiya. "Which you would know because..."