Alister

B I O G R A P H Y

Shrike’s family died soon after she was born, and she was taken in by a clan nearby. There she discovered that she had powerful magic, and there she vowed she would be strong, as strong as she could be. As a hatchling, the vow was harmless, but as she grew it became an obsession. She rocketed ahead of the other mages, always hungry for more and more power.

Until the hunger became literal, magic eating away at her wings and face, until she found a way to keep it at bay:

Eat the magic of others...and sometimes the others themselves.

B I O G R A P H Y
The magic was clear - it wasn’t him that she’d sensed back in Arcane’s land, but it was something related to him. She was on her best behavior with the Mirror and the Guardian, but with Bloodbane she found a kindred soul, a broken monster forced to hide their true nature. Together, under Tindog’s ever-watchful eye, they began to train hatchlings for the Windsinger’s ranks. It took years, but with each new clan member that joined Tindog’s clan, Shrike felt the instinct growing stronger. Talibenth's arrival a l m o s t made her think the time had come, but something held her off from attacking the Guardian, the two forging a strange friendship of sorts…

And then Shinwoo brought home Jinyoung.

It took all her strength not to slay the Pearlcatcher as he slept in his drugged coma; his magic was so strong, so pure Shrike felt she could have drank it from his blood alone- but he was too protected. Shinwoo wouldn’t let his guard down, even for a moment, and so Shrike waited...and waited….and waited….

And soon realized that Jinyoung was Wrong. Something, everything about him, screamed that he didn’t belong here. That he didn’t belong Now. The ghosts and spirits he began to attract made Shrike realize that this could be used to her advantage. Some, Sundrop bound - she daren’t touch those; it would give her away too easily. Besides, Babylon is interesting to talk to, and Albatross is refreshingly vicious-

But he doesn’t catch all of them. She gets quite a few - usually young; too small to be a threat, but their life force still strong as a result. Jinyoung doesn’t even realize he’s attracting the ghosts of the hatchlings, but Shrike does, and every day she grows stronger.

With Jinyoung providing the souls (and their magic), he’s unwittingly bought his life from the power-hungry Wildclaw, but, well. If one of the ghosts manages to break free and end the anomaly's life, well.

She’ll be more than happy to eat what remains.