Barney

Barney's life has been long and extended. He hailed from a Clan that honored the Shadowbinder, though he was born among the children of the Arcanist. But it was in the Clan of the Shadowbinder that he met his beloved Terror.
And yet, despite the happiness he felt with her, he felt that the Shadowbinder was not where he belonged. The Arcanist's home seemed far distant to him as well, and over the years, he became unhappy with his life, despite his family that he loved so much.
So, when Terror told him that she wished to leave their Clan behind, he agreed that it was time to go.
Their children had grown and been exalted and moved, and he no longer felt tied to the Clan that had raised him.
His parents, gone, his siblings, gone, his children, gone.
It was time he and Terror go too.



The day that Terror confessed her desire to leave, Barney began sorting preparations for their journey.
Due to his high-strung and anxious nature, he was constantly recounting his lists and going over everything they'd need.
Food for the road, in case they ended up in a situation where they had none.
Potions of healing in case they came across beasts that tried to overpower them.
Apparel in case they found themselves cold, and of course a familiar to keep them company!
"Barney," Terror's voice had caught him off guard as he began to pack their bags, and he turned to her.
"Yes?"
"We do not need such trinkets and items."
The comment confused him, as he held the bags closer to his chest.
"B-but what if-"
"We're dragons, my sweet," Terror cooed. "We're travelling through dragon territory, no where near the Beast Clans. And I doubt the cold or heat will get to us too hard. The territory in which we travel supports countless dragons, so clearly there's food..."
She looked to the over stuffed bags.
"All of that... It will simply remind us of this place. Of those we've lost. I want to move on, not remember. I want to... start anew."
Barney paused, staring down at the bags.
For a brief moment, he nods, and places the bags to the side, pulling out one small trinket;

Shadowbinder Onyx Idol

Trinkets

A razor-sharp onyx idol fashioned to resemble the Shadowbinder. The chiseled surface appears to completely absorb and obscure light.

105

"I know you wish to start anew," Barney said, turning to his beloved mate. "But at least let us keep this; a reminder of who we are and where we hail. A reminder of our children who were exalted to the Shadowbinder, and those who were raised within the walls of their home."
Terror could only smile, before she nodded.
"That, I agree with."
The spiral dragon nodded, holding the idol with a gentle touch.
"I may not love this place as I once did," he murmured to Terror's listening ears. "But this place was once what I considered home, and I'd like to remember the good memories."
The snapper dragon looked to him warmly, before gently butting his head with her own.
"The good memories, are oft the best," she agreed. "Now let us rest; we have a long journey ahead of us."
Barney agreed, and the two settled down to rest for the final time in the Clan they once called home.



When Barney and Terror set off, they didn't know where they'd go first.
But Terror had family in the Virdian Labyrinth, so they headed there first, seeking out her mother.
As they travelled, Barney tried to imagine what he wanted from a Clan.
He knew he wanted a kind Clan Leader; someone he got along with and someone he could care for. He wanted dragons he could get along with; dragons that could put up with his high-strung and anxious nature.
But overall, he wanted to feel needed.
His role within his previous Clan was minimal at best. He and Terror's greatest achievements were bringing forth young dragons for the Clan, but never did he feel that impact.
He never felt that he had something to do, and while he loved each of his children, he desired more in his life; a purpose that made sense.
Whether Terror felt the same, he did not know.
These were the thoughts, however, that echoed in his mind when they sought out Terror's mother.
But her mother's Clan was closed off, not allowing anyone within to stay for even a moment, and so the two dragons went to the Sunbeam Ruins in search of her father.
And yet they were met with the same restrictions; an unavailable Clan that they couldn't enter or seek refuge in.
Without a place to go, Barney found Terror staring out at the entrance of the Shifting Expanse.
"Do you think we may find a place there?" The spiral asked his beloved mate, concern dwelling in his heart for her.
"I do not know, Barney," she said. "I was hoping that having direction from either of my parents would help, but I suppose I was wrong. Your parents are serving their Gods, correct?"
"Yes," Barney mused. "They were exalted after I was born. I cannot reach out to any of my kin, sadly. But nonetheless, this is our choice, right?"
"You're correct," Terror responds. "And it is a choice that we must stay with. I doubt our Clan would allow us to return, anyway. So, how will we do this?"
Barney floated higher in the air, his gaze flickering over the horizon, where he could see the expanses of Sornieth.
Past the Shifting Expanse, he could see the tip of the Great Furnace of the Ashfall Waste, and even further beyond that, he could see the beginnings of the ocean.
And there, on the tip of the horizon, was what looked to be the beginning of the Southern Icefields.
Unlike most of the other realms of Sornieth, the Icefields stayed secluded. Parted from the mainland of Sornieth by a wide ocean, it was mostly only available to those who were prepared for long distance flight...
But Barney knew, from his past, that the Starfall Isles held a path to the Icefields for those who did not desire to fly for days on end.
"Terror, my dearest," he says. "This is what we will do; we will scour all of Sornieth for a place to call our own. And we will begin in the Shifting Expanse."



The two travelled for many days and nights. They travelled through the Shifting Expanse, but quickly left after a vicious quarrel with several mirror dragons... Not to mention Barney nearly getting electrocuted by one of the towering lightning rods that he had wandered too close to. They travelled to the Sea of a Thousand Currents, only for Terror to nearly drown. They quickly hurried to the Ashfall Waste, only to find the heat and the passion of the dragons there was a little too much. They tried the Windswept Delta, only to find that Terror was not the most comfortable there. They scurried towards the Scarred Wasteland, but quickly left there, as well.
It felt like nowhere would take them.
When their clawed feet fell on the earthen soil of Dragonhome, they finally found rest. A small band of dragons held them a home, and Barney found himself relaxing in their presence.
He and Terror ate well that day, and as the small Clan fell asleep, Barney turned to his beloved mate.
"Do you think this is our new home?" He queried.
"Perhaps it is," she cooed.

In the morning, Barney awoke to the dragons of this Clan rustling through his bag.
"Um, excuse me," he queried, moving forward. "Those are mine, would you do me a kind favor and refrain from looking through my belongings?"
"Oh, of course!" One of the dragons replied. "But if you want to join our Clan, we've got to ensure that you don't have any dangerous items in here." They lifted the Shadowbinder's Onyx Idol. "See? This is dangerous. The Shadowbinder isn't our God, and I don't want any semblance of other Gods here."
"But that is—" Barney could hardly speak before the dragon tossed the idol towards the ground. Barney lunged for it, his heart breaking as he waited for the cracking of the precious gem. He may not belong to Shadowbinder, but he couldn't just abandon those memories...
Terror's heavy trunked claws grab onto the idol before it could reach the ground, it's shimmering appearance held in tact.
"I'm sorry," she rumbled, her voice edged with warning. "But if that is how you treat our belongings, then we will leave."
"What?!" One of the dragons snapped. "But we fed you! And we need hatchlings for the Earthshaker!"
Terror handed Barney the idol, turning to the other dragons as he began to quickly gathered the scattered remains of the items that they had so carelessly tossed aside. Their long-collected rations that they had gathered due to hostile conditions had been diminished, covered in mud and dirt and now inedible. However, the apparel they had scavenged for the colder temperaments (that did, in fact, affect them) were thankfully in tact, and he carefully tucked the idol within their soft fabrics.
"You destroyed our rations," he said flatly, stepping forward with narrowed eyes. "We wanted no harm, but you took it upon yourselves to trample down whatever it was that we needed or wanted. We have no home here."
"You can't leave though!" The Pearlcatcher leader of the dragons sniffed, strutting forward, his long whiskers drifting over his pearl. "You have no food!"
"You will be providing that which you destroyed," Barney retorted coldly.
"We will do no such thing; you owe us for shelter."
Barney's gaze darkened, and he stretched out his wings.
"As you did with our things, we will help ourselves to your food." He nodded to Terror, who straightened herself and marched over to the Clan's small stock of reserves. She began to pull meat and plants from the stock of food, much to the dismay of the other dragons.
"You can't do this!"
"Then stop us," Barney challenged, glaring down the Pearlcatcher that he had once considered as a potential Clan Leader.
Silence permeated the area, the only noise being the rustling of Barney's mate as she moved the rations towards their only pack. Even he could see that she was being light with what she took. Though these dragons acted cruelly, they both knew they couldn't just take what they wanted.
She only was taking what they needed.
The Pearlcatcher backed down, snarling quietly to himself as Terror motioned to Barney that she was finished.
"Thank you for your hospitality," Barney commented, lifting his head high. Together, he and Terror took off, the dragons in the distance watching them leave with frustration in their eyes.
Terror looked towards Barney, her gentle gaze soft with worry.
"Are you alright?" She cooed gently. "I know how important that idol is. It was the only thing we had brought with us from the Tangled Wood."
"I am," he replied. "I just... Is there no place for us in this world, Terror? Is there no place that will welcome us for who we are, and give us the place we desire?"
Terror fell silent, her green gaze reaching out towards the horizon.
"We have two more places to search," she replied after a small moment. "Two more possible homes."
"And if we don't find what we're searching for...?" He whispered.
"Then we will make what we're searching for," she replied.



Much to their dismay, the majority of the Starfall Isles' Clans were shut off. They were at max capacity or weren't looking for new members.
Barney dropped his head, sorrow filling his stomach.
How could this happen?
He had been sure that, at the very least, the Arcanes would welcome them here...
Terror gently tucked into his side.
"Fear not," she cooed. "There is still the Southern Icefields."
He nodded, though doubt clouded his mind.
He had heard stories of many of the different lands; the passionate dragons of the Ashfall Waste, the viciousness of the dragons within the Scarred Wasteland, the contempt of the dragons in the Shifting Expanse.
They had all been right.
So, when he thought of the Southern Icefields, he thought of cold, quiet dragons, calculating and silent as they desperately fought for food within the cold winter biome.
If the other Clans wouldn't welcome them, then there was a high chance that the Clans of the Southern Icefield wouldn't welcome them either.
But in the pursuit of what he and Terror sought, they continued forward on the shattering landmass of the Starfall Isles, moving from "island" to "island" until the "islands" turned to floes, and the cold began to permeate the air.
Shivering together, Terror and Barney moved forward, their breaths clouding their vision during the cold days and the frosty nights.
For months, they wandered the Frozen Floes, confused to where they were going, lost in a place were dragons shouldn't be lost.
When Terror collapsed, Barney was at a loss to what to do. Their rations had all but dried up, and on this wasteland, there was no food to be found.
So what was he supposed to do?
Curling up around his mate, he felt his heart squeeze in pain.
"I'm sorry, Terror," he whispered. "I wish I hadn't been so picky... You deserved... Better."
And then... He fell asleep.



When Barney woke, he awoke to warmth and the smell of meat and insects. His jaws opened as saliva dribbled down his chin, and he lifted his head, searching for the source of the scent.
"You got the plants, right Tovald?" The gentle voice that entered Barney's ears came from a soft looking Tundra, her claws sorting through an assortment of meats and bugs. "If we're low, you can always give her some of the fish we've caught. We might also have squid."
"We're fresh out of squid," A voice replied. "But we have plenty of fish. Barney's gaze flickered over to a towering Guardian dragon, his pinkish scales glowing in the dim light of a fire. Turning his gaze, he realized that they were in an icy-ish cavern.
And there, near the Guardian, was Terror.
"Terror!" Barney cried suddenly, moving towards her only to crumple as hunger stabbed his gut. "Terror, are you okay?" The snapper was fast asleep, but he could see the rise and fall of her flank.
"Hush now," cooed the gentle Tundra dragon, moving over by his side. "She's alright. She'll have plenty to eat when she wakes." Barney's gaze turned towards the blue-toned Tundra, who shoved a large rabbit towards his maw. "Eat! You must be famished."
Without a second thought, he scarfed down the thick meat, hardly breathing as he inhaled it as quickly as possible.
It was richer than he had thought; filling and delicious despite only a brief moment of food.
"How did you... Find that?" He breathed, feeling his stomach settle as his meal began to digest. "These frozen lands... They're so barren."
"Only if you don't know where to search," the Tundra teased gently. She turned away, and Barney could hear the clinking of items. His gaze turned to see her carefully searching through his small bag of their belongings.
"Wai-" He was cut off as she lifted the Shadowbinder idol out of the bag.
She carefully inspected it, and Barney held his breath.
"Oh good," she murmured. "It's not broken. We found you right as a hailstorm rolled in, and I was worried your items might've been damaged." She gently slid the idol towards him. "Here, I'll check the rest of your things, but that seems to be the most valuable."
Carefully, Barney took it, holding it closely as he looked over the precious stone.
"Thank you," he said tentatively.
Was this an Ice dragon? The Flight so known for their cold cruelty?
He paused, blinking up at her as she carefully and neatly folded the clothes that they had scavenged for the cold nights that had pierced them in the Windswept Delta. Tovald, the Guardian, was sorting through a pile of food, his eyes dark but kind.
"You two," Barney murmured. "Where is your Clan?"
Silence fell, and Shavira shifted, before her gaze brightened.
"We are our Clan," she said. "It's just us, for now! But, we'll get more soon." She looked to Tovald. "We have a fresh nest set. Our very own." Tovald looked towards her with a loving gaze, leaning over and gently rubbing his head against hers.
"You... Are alone?" Barney queried.
"Well... We're only alone without each other," she replied. "But I've been alone before. That's why I made my Clan."
"You made this Clan," Barney sat up, blinking. "You've shown Terror and I a gentle kindness... I didn't quite expect it from an Ice dragon."
Shavira huffed, rolling her eyes.
"We may be snappish during the colder seasons, but smart Ice dragons who save aren't as rude. We have the room and the food for you, so we won't hoard it for ourselves. We're not desperate for food right now." She smiled brightly. "You can stay as long as you need."
Barney fell quiet, watching Shavira with a shimmering gaze.
For ages, he had feared this land. He had always imagined that they would've found a home somewhere else.
But as he peered into the gazes of the two dragons who saved them; who treated their objects with care, and only worried for his and Terror's safety...
He knew they had found their new home.

Barney is an awkward, anxious, and strict spiral dragon. Ever since he and Terror found themselves in this Clan, he was given the role to oversee the organization and filtering of the Hoard of the Clan of Hayle. He has seen countless items be brought in from the Coliseum, and has carefully constructed strict regiments of what can be sold and what must be kept.
Though some see him as an arbitrary member—surely the Clan leaders can do this?—Shavira and Tovald often trust him tremendously. His role as Hoard Keeper has tied him closely with the work of his mate, Terror, who is the Familiar Keeper of the Clan, and one may often see them sharing a smile and a laugh as they try to herd Hainus into their corrals.
He cares deeply for all of the creatures of the Clan, as well as the Dragons that he calls his family. He holds close his friendships with Ilubik and Milo, and cherishes his times he had spent in the Coliseum with Seafoam and Athame. When asked if he or Terror would ever finally rest, he declined, personally stating that he had much to do and far too much love for this Clan to leave it just yet. Terror seems to agree.