Briathos

A prophet in training is not a common occurrence. It happens seldom that a hatchling gets any kind of clear message through the deities, and when it does, it's usually for war, exaltation or a call to priesthood. This dragon, however, was brought to the world with a golden feeling of kindness. In words that could not be written on paper, or spoken aloud, it was a sense of purpose. The instant feeling that she should not bring harm, and that those who make the air foul shall be purified. With no way to explain this to anyone, she kept the feeling inside, until it blossomed and started making sense to her growing mind. Kentariel is well versed to the signs of the Lightweaver, and thus brought the hatchling with her to the clan. Proclaiming her a child prophet, they made the adjustments to place her among the higher ranking dragons in the clan. The downside then was of course, that she had little to no contact with dragons her own age.

Briathos and Occasus had three children. All of whom were hatched without much fuss.
As they grew up, their mannerisms weren't very different from their mother's.
Serene, almost with a detached sense of calmness.

Curiously, Ares watched as the children were stumbling about, stretching their wings and making small sounds of enjoyment.
They reminded him strongly of Briathos in her youth, and though they played like children do, the oldest and the youngest never tested limits or bit too hard while play fighting.
As if already knowing the social cues and necessary strength.
It was a bit unsettling, the way they never seemed to make mistakes.

The middle-child, Azrael, was of a more curious nature. He seemed to take after Occasus, and though also accompanied by a settling feeling, he seemed to push it a bit further, use his curiosity to figure out what's too much and what's ok.
Due to this, Ares took more of a liking to him.
He acted more like a stumbling child than the others did.

When the children became of age, Azrael moved to clan nidhogg.
"We're living, but are we evolving?" He asked Briathos when she wondered why he wanted to leave.
Occasus didn't want his son to go, but Briathos assured him it would be fine.
"He's very adaptable, quick learner," she said. "He can handle it."
The two remaining siblings stayed in Solis Occasus.
Both Briathos and Ares had been allowed into the clan a long time ago, no longer needed to stay coped up with the older dragons by the tower.

This way, the next generation grew up in a more natural environment than Briathos had done.

Ares had never planned on being anything else than a guiding, peaceful wandered. His tribe had suffered countless attacks from dragons, but a new threat had arisen. The emperor attack had changed the status quo, and opened up negotiations and partnership that could not have been predicted in the slightest. It unified the beastclans and the dragons in peculiar ways, and made them join hands in the most trying of times. It was a wonder to behold, and kept blossoming from the fear of the great Emperor; more than a dragon, less than a God, but an absolute fearful enemy to the Faun clans. After the beast went to sleep, and most had evacuated the hewn city, the remaining clans and dragons never parted ways. Some stayed as companions and helpful scholars among the dragon clans, while a few others went into the forests to hide, looking for a new place to reside.

His tribe moved to the Mirrorlight promenade, arguably the most cheerful and beautiful place in all of the Sunbeam Ruins.
Everyone were frightened and wounded, and very few had living families after the tragedy in The Hewn city.
And yet, instead of filling themselves with vengeful thought and cursing the dragon race for their own destruction, the head of the tribe, Diac, chose to react differently.


"We are to form relations with our beastly successors. No more wars and bloodshed, we must make their friends and allies, get the protection we need to strive, and give the knowledge they need to understand.
We are all children of Sornieth, and as such, we must work together to take care of what is ours."


Peaceful ambassadors were sent out into the sunbeam ruins, to gather allies and initiate trade and friendship.
Ares volunteered to be a luminous ambassador, to walk among the dragons and hopefully not get killed by their ignorance.
It was trying work, but it felt nice and right to help his tribe.

He had many successful wanderings. And he always returned with news of new clans and knowledge.
In leu of his success they sent him into the guarded Radiant Eye.
The gates had been opened for travel, and had stayed that way to ensure that the refugees from The Hewn City had a safe place to go.
There were still gatherings of dragons without homes along his path to the tower.
Small camps littered the forests, and he walked by many who looked less off in the world.
Ares tried stopping by most of them, to bring them some hope, and friendly stories to tell their children.

The older dragons appreciated his work, and told him about their previous professions and interest, until they with grief told him about the attack, where they were and what they had seen.
He realized that he'd unofficially become some sort of counselor. They saw hope in him and thought it natural to tell him about their heartaches and problems. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but if it helped the tribe it must be right.


Ares came to a clan at the edge of the last forest before the radiant eye tower.
He had not planned to stay there, but as he negotiated with their prophet, and was wished good luck with a last meal in their tavern, his little orb of light started insistently trying to leave him.
He watched perplexed as it, almost with a will of its own, started to float away, before being tugged back by his own magnetic pull to it.
Ares’ clan leader, Diac, had made such a light ball to all the ambassadors, it would guide them where they needed to go, and was a manifestation of the magic light that some dragons kept within them.

It had never acted out before. It was not a conscious thing and should stay by him remotely always.
Yet when the tugging and barrier-butting started to annoying him too much, he followed it outside.
It continued to act off, as if pulled by another magnetic pole, and he indulged it by continuing to follow it's persistent floating.

"Had mother seen me now she would think I've been by myself too much," he murmured, but kept walking.
All the way the Prophet's house.

He knocked on the door as the little orb kept insitingly floating forwards.

"Kentariel are you in?” He leaned against the door to hear better, and the orb tried to float through it.
The sound of scrapping furniture came from the inside, and Kentariel opened the door.
The little orb tried to fly in, but kept bumping into the edge of Ares’ barrier.
They both looked at it, Kentariel with curiousity and Ares with annoyance.

"Well, well, I see someone is in a hurry. Come in come in," Kentariel opened the door and he stepped inside.
A small dragon child sat at a large wooden table, eating what seemed to be mushed bugs. The orb bumped against the barrier persistently, and his hooves made a clicking sound across the wooden boards.
As he came closer to the dragon child, it looked at him, a strange little glint in her eyes.
It was gone as soon as it came, and the orb started shining obnoxiously.
He closed his eyes, the white light sharp and uncomfortable.

As soon as it began, the light started fading again, and he tried blinking away circles from his eyelids.
The dragon opened her eyes as well, blinking away the imprint of the orb.
The little dragon and Ares stared mesmerized as his orb had... duplicated. A similar orb, of a more golden honey color, floated out of his own, and hovered over the smaller dragon.

"Ares, it seems your duties are a bit extended," Kentariel commented with fascination.
6 pair of eyes kept looking at the two orbs, floating peacefully side by side.
As if they hadn’t changed everything.
And possibly ruined Ares' peaceful life.

Kentariel shook her head and went over to the stove to gather more beetles. She filled another little bowl, and placed it on the other side of the table.
"Please have something to eat. Looks like you’ve had a dragon chosen out for you, or what do you think Briathos?” She smiled at the small dragon, who kept eating her beetles, still staring at the floating lights.

Ares eyes widened and he took a step back from his orb. It floated by him, uncaring.
"What?"

"That is the beginning of a familiar- dragon relationships as far as I know. It's quite a light show. Though the floating aura is a surprise."

Ares sat down at the table, and looked at the child- Briathos. Of course some of his kind chose dragon companionship but.. there was always the underlining choice.
This didn't seem much of a choice to him.


Briathos continued to eat from her bowl, still blinking against the light she'd seen.
“I.. I didn’t expect this. I don’t know what to do about it,” he admitted, feeling a little lost. Kentariel, with the patience of a saint sat the bowl in front of him. The light in his orb shone greatly still, but seemed to leave a faint glow around the head of the child, while a slow simmer continued to shine from his hands.
He stared confusedly at his hands. Briathos made a curious noise. “It’s nothing to fear, I’m sure your clan will understand. Briathos is my prophet in training, and as such your duties are still on line. Who knows, she might be a wandering prophet, and then you can continue your goal together.”

Ares frowned. “That’s not how it works for us. Familiars are a part of the dragon clan, that’s how it is,” he sighed. He had never planned to be anything other than continue as a wandering ambassador, and was quite content with his work. Being a familiar didn’t exactly feel beneath him, he’d admit that it had certain perks. However, it wasn’t something he’d aspired to do, and if he did, he’d want to become attached to someone he knew, a friend in the least. Briathos he knew nothing about. Except she seemed… very calm for a child.

“Doors close and open on whims, but I believe there’s a reason for everything. Briathos needs the guidance, and you’re a great asset in guiding her peacefully I’m sure,” Kentariel smiled.
Ares looked down at his mashed beetle dish. “Perhaps. I don’t feel very ready for what that might entail.” Kentariel made a noise of agreement. “We’ll help you along the way.”

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Briathos and Ares were both homeschooled.
Ares had knowledge from his home clan, whom he frequently sent letters to, while Briathos was unfortunate enough to not have many her age to play with. She was patient for her age, not exactly mature but, he didn’t recognize her as a normal child. At least foals from his home used to tease each other, run around and create havoc, sometimes pushing too far and making each other upset. But such was the lessons for the young ones, learning boundaries and what to do and what not to do.

Briathos wasn’t like that.

She didn’t push boundaries to their limit, nor did she tease too much. Sure she loved running, and sure she would mess up papers and vials of different things but.. she didn’t have anyone her age, like he’d mentioned, and the prophet and other elders who took care of her never let her spread her wings much. Not that it seemed she’d want to. They were ever patient, but she just didn’t seem to have the urge to test her limits. She was content with her life, which was unusual. But, she was a joy to be around.

Serene and peaceful, and that’s more than what can be said for most little dragons. Even older dragons.
The patience of a meditator and peacemaker, though she was neither. The empathic knowledge of a healer, though she was none. Not too smart academically, a lot to learn. But Ares found it strange how she seemed so calm. No fuss after hours of teaching, and no fuss after hours of quiet time, as they called it.


She grew alongside him, and he came to care for her very much.
“You’re always looking at people like you know something they don’t,” Ares said as they were relaxing in the garden.
“I don’t mean to,” she answered with a smile.
“I know. But do you know something we don’t?” He teased.
She lay on her back in the grass, frolicking in the sun. It hit the pearl in her head in a peculiar way, recreating the faint glow that could sometimes be seen from around her head.
“Maybe. What don’t you know?”
Ares shrugged, studying his glowing hands again. “You sometimes seem like you’re above it all. It used to creep me out to be honest. Not so much now, guess it’s just your striking personality.”
“Very striking,” she nodded indulgingly. “As striking as the rays of the sun.”
There was some truth there.

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