Thalissi

Bio credit for the story goes to ArcaneShadows and can be found at her shop here by clicking this link

Name: Thalissi (thah-lih-ssee)

Personality traits: Proud, tall, clever yet fierce. Like there's a fire inside her. Bit serious, but can relax once she's familiar with the dragons around her. Very loyal.

(Storie by ArcaneShadows[over all part 3])

Thalissi stared at the scroll in front of her. The numbers and letters danced before her eyes, shrinking and growing flipping backwards and forwards. They danced off the paper in a frantic spiral like ants crawling down an ant hill. Thalissi's tears stained the yellowed parchment, big, salty tears that leaked from her eyes like a faucet.
Hastily, the Ridgeback rubbed tears from her face and sniffled, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed. But all of the other dragons had their heads in their scrolls, and many were easily scribbling notes on a parchment beside them. Thalissi looked at her own parchment. Blank.
Aghhhh! Why did my parents send me to this stupid school in the first place! Everybody else knows what to do, and how school works, and I'm stuck staring at a dumb scroll that I can't even read!
She banged her head angrily on the maghony wood table. All around the room, dragons looked up, their eyes curious and surprised about why their reading had been interrupted. Miss Arila, Thalissi's teacher, sighed and got up from the desk. She was a elegant young Skydancer with a pretty face. Miss Arila tilted Thalissi's head until it met her own, and Thalissi's nose came close to poking the one of the Skydancer's golden eyes.
"Honey, Thalissi, what's the problem?" She asked sweetly.
"I can't read!" Thalissi blurted. "So I can't do this stupid assignment. I can't go to school. I can't make any friends. I CAN'T DO THIS HORRIBLE THING CALLED LEARNING!"

The Ridgeback gasped for breath, and then ducked her face to look away from the other students as murmurs broke out. Thalissi could only hear snippets of conversation, but she didn't like what she heard.

"Can't read?" Someone questioned. "Why did she go to school then?" Another dragon whispered.
"Probably to learn, silly." A fae answered the second dragon's question.

"Silence." Miss Arila said authoritatively. Conversations faded, and then died out altogether.
"Oh Thalissi." She turned to the crying Ridgeback. "It's okay. It's gonna be okay."

~~~

"If you're calm and collected on the outside, I won't care if there's a war waging inside of you. What you show is what matters." Thalissi stood perfectly still as her mother lectured her, knowing that if she moved even a muscle she would be beaten.

"Yes mother." She said, cheeks hot with embarrassment.
"Now usually I wouldn't have time to wisely lecture one of my many daughters, but-"
Without thinking, Thalissi cut her off.

"-I know, you have a special liking for me." Or for beating me anyways.

"Was that sarcasm?!" Mother said jeeringly. "Hatchlings should show respect to their elders.

"Nnn..no Mother." I bowed my head.
"No what?" The older Ridgeback hissed, unsheathing a curved, sharp claw.

Fear flashing in her eyes, Thalissi spread her wings and leaped into the sky, buffeting air currents as she winged away, away, away from this terrible dragon. Mother shrieked in anger, Thalissi could hear her wings thudding close behind, she could hear a voice whispering in her ear, "I will find you again." And then Mother was gone.

~~~


Thalissi carefully caressed the book's spine. She was crying, again. She flipped it over and traced her fingers over the title. She knew it by heart, even though she couldn't read. The Ugly Duckling. It proclaimed.

It was a book from a strange and different world. There were no ducklings in Sornieth. Thalissi flipped hesitantly through the pages, her face obscured in the broken mirror that lay before her. She read the words in a cracked, sad voice.

Thalissi knew them by heart for that book was the one her father read to her. He was a very busy dragon, traveling all around the world, so he had little time for one of his many daughters. But when he was home, he read to her. He was the one comfort in Thalissi's horrible life, the one good spirit helping her live through her experience. He read The Ugly Duckling to Thalissi every time he was home, but one day he was just gone. He never came back to read to the poor Ridgeback. Thalissi didn't know what to think of it. So she kept the book in memory of her father, who was now swept from her miserable life.

"Father." Thalissi whimpered, and then turned to the mirror, which she had stolen as one brave action from her mother. Another keepsake, but not necessarily a good reminder. Thalissi stroked the book, which had just about fallen apart. She was sitting alone on a rock ledge, wondering what to do now that she had run away. She missed home, but she missed her home with her father. Thalissi was falling apart, just like the book.

~~~


A dragon was here. Thalissi looked up from her meal, creating a masked face that would not show her sadness.
"Hello." She said in a voice without emotion.
The dragon studied her. He had a serious face, but was handsome all the same. The dragon was a metallic pink Guardian, with shadowscale armour and a fierce looking sword. He opened his mouth to speak and then began a speech that he had obviously been rehearsing.
"Fellow dragon. I ask you to fulfil my quest to find a mate. I believe you are the perfect dragon for me. Will you become my mate?"

Thalissi looked at him, her face revealing a bit of her shock. "Well…"

"Sorry if I sound sudden. I've just, been watching you recently, and you seem so lonely. I was wondering, if..I could take you into my clan?"

"You mean you're a stalker?!"

"No!" The Guardian cried. He sounded a little too desperate. I might want to fly right now. He could be dangerous. But Thalissi held herself back.

"Please. My name is Sarz." Thalissi tilted her head.
"I'm Thalissi." She replied. "You seem like a nice dragon. Father was a nice dragon."
Sarz looked confused at this, but then he nodded.
"I am a nice dragon." He replied.

"You look like you need a clan to take care of you. Come with me?" It was more of a question. Not a statement.

"Okay." Thalissi nodded. They launched into the sky, flying for a very long time. Thalissi didn't want to complain, but her wings ached from flying so long. Finally, they spiraled down into a cave sparkling with hanging crystals and treasure. Sarz dove under a stalagmite and then settled himself into a heap of treasures. All of the sudden, two heads popped out from another room. It was a Nocturne and a Skydancer. Male and female. Maybe they were sharing a space with Sarz. But the male Nocturne came up and curled his tail around Sarz's, chatting eagerly.Their eyes met, and Thalissi realized she had only ever seen that look in her father's eyes. It was love. Sharp, bright, beautiful love. There's another dragon. She thought resentfully. Sarz has another dragon.
She turned away. How foolish of her to think Sarz would love her and her alone. She had only just met him. She sighed, knowing she would be competing for love once again. At least you have someone. You're not alone in this dark, dark world.

(Storie by ArcaneShadows)

(part 2 storie by ArcaneShadows[over all part 5])

You're not alone in this dark, dark world.

Sarz turned to her and said in his deep, gravelly voice, "Thalissi, this is Araizar."
"Hello." Thalissi nodded to him, struggling to keep her voice emotionless.
Araizar was a sky blue Nocturne with white circuit patterns running across his entire body. Beside him stood the Skydancer, who was an iridescent cobalt color with striking cerulean eyes and matching circuits with her mate. Together they looked like a shimmering blue sky streaked with odd-looking clouds. Thalissi looked over at Sarz. He looked nothing like her, with metallic pink colors, a glinting silver sword hanging from a pouch by his side, and shadowy armor that reflected in his dark, unfathomable eyes. Thalissi considered herself a bright red with opal colors beneath her scales that seemed to look pasted onto her body, delicate streaks of rainbow that would flutter off at the slightest movement. Sarz was heavily built and looked sturdy enough to put a boulder on top of, while Thalissi was fragile and skinny enough to look almost 2D. While the Skydancer and Araizar went together like peas in a pod, Thalissi and Sarz looked like an elephant and and a mouse trying to fit in with each other.

"This is Verisal." Araizar announced proudly. Oh great, she's even got a better name then me. Thalissi thought.

Verisal waved shyly, but Thalissi could see her eyes darted to Sarz in an expression of pure hatred. I wonder what that's about. Thalissi edged a little closer to her mate, although she knew that she wouldn't be able to protect him. Then she remembered that sparking jealousy she felt for Araizar, and she realized Verisal must feel the same about Sarz. She's jealous of their relationship, just like me.

Verisal raised her head and swept out of the room majestically, beckoning with her tail for Thalissi to follow. Thalissi stumbled after her, crashing into jewel studded tables and knocking over enormous mounds of gems. So much for a dramatic exit.

The sharp blue eyes of the Skydancer fixed themselves on Thalissi, darting over her clumsy talons, delicate opal rips in her scales, her over large snout, and her questioning eyes. Finally, Verisal spoke.
"I hope you came here for the same reason as me." The blue dragon's voice was clear and cold, with a hint of a hiss to it. Her expression was one of pure, unheld back fury. "What reason?" Thalissi asked fearfully. Verisal snorted. "To get rid of Araizar."
"No." The Ridgeback replied tentatively. This was a dragon one must tread carefully around. "Why would you think that?"

All of the sudden, Verisal began speaking rapidly. "I thought he loved me. He said he loved me. And then he told me there was another dragon. I didn't understand at first. Why he would have cheated on me. But then I saw Sarz, how he and Araizar fit together. How he told me he loved me just so I would bear his eggs. He tricked me. Just like Sarz tricked you. We should hate them. Vow never to love them again for what they did to us. But I can't. I guess you can't either. Maybe there's just something, in all the wrongness, some tiny thing that feels right."

She stopped, out of breath, looking at Thalissi as if expecting her to confirm everything she had just said.
Thalissi nodded. It was the best she could do for this poor, confused dragon now showing outside of a perfect, emotionless body. All of the sudden Araizar and Sarz barged into the room. From their faces Thalissi could instantly tell they had overheard the whole thing. Araizar spoke first. "I didn't...didn't think you would see it this way Verisal. I thought you would understand sharing my love." Meanwhile, Sarz narrowed his eyes to glare at me. "You've been conspiring."

Verisal raised her head. "You've been spying on private conversations." She shot back with a snarl edging her voice. Sarz unsheathed his claws, looking ready to fight. To her surprise, Thalissi stepped between them and shouted "Stop!"

She looked down at her own legs and told them to get out of this dangerous situation. Her legs said too bad. "I think...we can all do this great thing called get along." Thalissi said, trying to make her voice as sarcastic as possible. It sounded a bit wavery, but oh well.

Verisal and Sarz both looked at her in surprise. Araizar looked faintly amused, and under his breath she heard him say, "Didn't know she had sarcasm in her." It kind of made Thalissi want to bite his head off, but she restrained herself.

"Well." Sarz said. "Okay then."

"Me and Verisal both agree that what you guys did is wrong," Thalissi explained, glancing at Verisal to see her nod. "But we're ready to give you a second chance, if you can prove that you love us just as much as you love each other." Here Sarz and Araizar exchanged looks.

"Is it a test?" Araizar asked.

"No." Verisal spoke up. "Just an agreement."

Araizar was the first to speak. "I agree that I love Verisal just as much as I love Sarz."
Sarz was silent for a while, his brow furrowed. And then he too, made the agreement.
"I agree that I love Thalissi just as much as I love Araizar."

Thalissi cleared her throat. "Then it's settled."

"Settled." They all agreed.

And now Sarz can get back to loving me again. Thalissi thought to herself.

(part 2 storie by ArcaneShadows)