Karyu

Though the riot of rot is a celebration, that doesn't make it safe. It is, after all, still a celebration of the plague flight. This was learned far too well by clan starlight after their first clan celebration of the holiday nearly ended in disaster.

It had started without issue the expedition having flown to the festival grounds and been welcomed warmly. For the first day all was well, and through the second the discomfort was minor enough, but come the morning of the third day of the celebration it was clear enough - the light flight clan was not prepared for the diseases of plague. Scale rot and nasty sores certainly put a damper on the festivities.

While the adults who had made the journey had strong enough magical cores to be able to recover fairly quickly, this was not true of the one hatchling that had been able to make the trip with his parents. Karyu continued to get worse even as his clanmates got better. It was clear that without aid he was not going to get better, but neither was he in fit condition to fly.

Not even Alexa herself knows what she would have chosen on her own, but insight from Harris's gift of divination had them choosing together to bring Karyu home, rather than try to fight his sickness within the domain of the plague flight.

Jade, as the healthiest of the clan's imperials, was the one chosen to fly Karyu home. No one knows when during that day of desperate flight above the sea of a thousand currents a strange miracle occurred, but happen it did.

Almost never would plants growing on a dragon's hide be a good thing, and even less so if that dragon was already deathly ill, but the tainted plants that bloomed from the extra humidity managed to help stabilize Karyu, being absorbed by his magic, which had been seeking any power it could to replace what was lost.

The changes where permanent, but overall he seems to be stronger for his magical symbiosis. In the time since it his become clear that while he might not be as strong as his mother, he is certainly difficult to harm.

He has subsequently found his charge in guarding and tending a small garden of these strange magic lilies, and the chance that other dragons on the brink of death might be offered a possible salvation.