Essex

Essex's steampunk apparel isn't just for fanciness. She has been disabled ever since she was a child, but she hardly cares about it. Her disability made her unable to walk, swim, run, or fly. But there was a story behind the injury. Essex's mother was running from the wrath of the Stormcatcher. She had promised her eggs to be exalted to him, but there was one egg which she couldn't let go of, and that was Essex's egg. As her mother was fleeing the shifting expanse and Stormcatcher's rage, a lightning bolt shot out of the sky and landed right on the egg as it was hatching. The hatchling inside was paralyzed, but with the help of some healers from the Mirrorlight Promenade, she was able to do her activities with the apparel. Never doubt the disabled.

The Shifting Expanse was hardly a place for Wind dragons. Idun had realized that once her mate, Heimdall, had moved their lair to the Stormcatcher's domain. A week later, Idun had caught him working against the Stormcatcher. The Stormcatcher himself destroyed the clan and lair, but let Idun live under one condition: when the eggs hatched, they would be exalted to him. She agreed, fearing the flashes that had turned her classmates to ashes. Now she was standing in front of the dragon himself, his wings and eyes racing with lightning. "So," he murmured looking at the eggs she placed in front of him. In perfect health. Yet I cannot shake the feeling that you are hiding something from me, Idun. I have spared you and this is what you do in return?" Idun gulped, realizing that her plan had failed. There was an egg curled in her wings, hidden from the Storm's view. "You cannot hide anything from me, dragon," he hissed. "Where is the last egg you promised me?" She widened her eyes, knowing that she couldn't possibly escape from a dragon, let alone a large living Storm itself. Without thinking, she fled, sliding the egg into her front claws. Rather than following her himself, the Stormcatcher conjured up a storm to follow her, slowly edging its way up in the sky. She ran as fast as her legs could take her, panting and crying as she sprinted to safety. She wouldn't fail her last child. As the storm raged right above her, lightning suddenly stuck the area around her, causing the cacti to flare into large bonfires. She flew above them, her body covered in dirt, wet, and blood. Lightning struck right between her arms, hitting part of her right eye as well. She panted, praising the Lord that the shell didn't break before she could get back to her home flight's territory. As she met the edge of the shifting expanse, she looked left and right. Fire of water? Fire would surely melt them, while water could be able to wash them off. As another flare of lightning struck behind her tail, she limped to the Sea of a Thousand Currents, the salt water stinging at her scratches. Idun bit her lip, her eyes were full of blood and tears, causing her to barely be able to see. She swam no matter what fish bit at her feet, or what crawled onto her back, even if it was just kelp. As the morning light grew, she swam to the edge of Wind's territory, where the Windsinger lay curled up onto a rock, watching her suffer. She grew angry watching him. Why wasn't he helping? He shook his head, and she realized that he was unable to pass the territory without a dispute. She used the arm without her egg to paddle up to the edge, where she placed the egg at the Windsinger's feet. "Please," she choked. "Take care of it." The long dragon's eyes met hers and he nodded. She closed her eyes and sank into the salty water of the Tidelord's territory. Beneath the water, she could see the egg hatchling, and a beautiful, female Coatl trying to climb out to see her mother sink into the unforgiving waves.

The eyes of a long, mint and aqua dragon were the first thing she saw as Idun's hatchling tried to crawl out of her shell. She couldn't feel her wings or legs. Slowly turning around, she saw her mother sink into the waves of blue. She turned her head and looked at the other dragon, feeling that he was of somewhat importance. "W-where..." He smiled at her. It wasn't a cruel smile, nor a smile of mockery, but a kind, loving smile. "She..is sleeping, young one," he murmured, examining her body. "Can you move?" She blinked, surprised at such a question. "Of course I can-" she took a step forward and immediately collapsed on the grass. He sighed and murmured, "I thought not." She looked up at him. "You...I...who am I?" He smiled once more. "You are...Essex, Essex of the Windswept Plateau. Do not worry child, we will bring you to the Lightweaver." He frowned. "Perhaps I will bring you alone. "She nodded and let the dragon place her on his back. Her eyes drooped as she tried to recall all that had happened since her birth. An hour had passed, and she woke up in a large, golden hall, with a beautiful dragon almost as large as the Windsinger. She smiled at her. "We can certainly fix her. It would be a lot easier with the Stormcatcher's help, but in this case...." she clapped her front claws together, and golden dragons and goblins and sprites came to the young dragon's aid. "Carry her to the..." she looked around nervously before whispering something to the small sprite, who was trying to lift up her left wing. The small golden sprite nodded quickly, and whispered something to the others carrying her. Somehow she was unable to hear what they had to say. She looked back to see the Lightweaver examining her carefully as she was carried into a room where she was put to sleep for the next couple of hours. She woke up, the air misty. She looked around and nearly fell off the marble table she was placed on. She had apparel on, apparel of a strange kind. It was gold and white, and she stood up, realizing that she was able to actually move. "What..." A voice behind her whispered. "The Embrace of Light, accept your new life."