Van

Van's life changed the day he stepped foot into that cave. Just a young dragon, and still a Fae, his curiosity drove him to enter the foreboding chamber. He'd never noticed it before. On his many travels in his fiery homeland he'd never seen this lair before, if thats what it was. It smelled unlike any lair he'd seem before, more like the rot and decay from that of a plauge dragon than the sweet smell of home. He called out, tying to keep his voice strong, but there was no answer. Just as he was sure the cave couldn't get much smaller and it was going to end soon it opened up, lightning filling the room.

Van paused, taking a few steps back, trying to blink the sudden light from his eyes. Where was it coming from? He was still underground, and there was no holes for light to enter. After his vision adjusted to the light he saw the shimmering water. He cautiously walked forward until he could see his reflection in the dazzling blue liquid. It was not like the lava of his land, but a bright and crisp blue pool. He could almost feel the cool air surrounding his nose as he bend his head down to inspect it. How could it be so cold when everything else was so hot here? Even the ground felt chilly beneath his feet. A sudden thirst overcame him, the cool water becoming so tempting to drink. Just as he was about to part his jaws and plunge his face into the chilly pool, his reflection shimmered and changed and he could see something staring back at him. A face of a dragon, /his face/ but with it's features peeled back, raw muscle and bone showing through. He could feel a pressure fill his mind, it was a warning. The ground under his feet shifter and an ear piercing noise shattered the quiet room. He backed up a few feet, frightened of the reflection and the noise. He looked up, and as he did his eyes dilated at what he saw. The wall, as if carved by the sharp nail of a dragon was etched into, words spelled out across the stone's face.

"By this water you shall consume, a wish is granted in thy tomb."

The surface of the water was no longer a bright and happy color but the color of deep, dark and sticky blood. The room of the cave had become unbearably warm by now but the young Fae didn't need any more reason to want to leave and was already running down the long winding tunnel out of the cave.

The day came when he left his home to find a new family, and his experience in the cave was put to the back of his mind. He ended up settling down with a family on the highland scrub in the Lightning flight. The place fascinated him and he grew to like it here, slowly forgetting the cave or the message on the wall. It wasn't until the day of the gathering that he realized how incomplete and empty his life was. His family had a long running truce with that of the lair of Castor and Seasoneh and a gathering happened when one of the two clans had important news. It is this day that he meet Adanyte. She was no to her Flight in the land of wind and the gathering was to welcome her. He was smitten. But how would he ever be noticed by a dragon like her? She was the most gorgeous Imperial, and he a lowly Fae. He attempted to be friendly with her and was even able to make her laugh at a few jokes. She was so easy to talk to, although a little distracted with so many new dragons to talk to.

The first couple of days after the gathering he mustered up the courage to go and see her. After he had traveled to the howling plains he noticed that the Progens of his clan and Ada's clan were talking. Overhearing her name he crept closer. They were discussing the many dragons they could choose to be the fair Imperial's mate. Wildclaws and Imperials.... that was what they were looking for, what /she/ was looking for, not a Fae....

Disgusted with himself he left his clan for a few days and went on a walk. He wasn't sure where he was going exactly, he just kept on flying until he recognized where he was. Where he grew up. Not thinking twice he shifted his direction and kept flying, until he landed outside of the cave. The one he had seen not long before. It looked undisturbed, just as he had left. He walked down the dark tunnel, feeling the air grow lighter and cooler around him. It was as he found the cave, untouched by strange carvings or bloody water. It had said something about a wish.... maybe this was the way to make his dreams come true, and even if the worst did happen... well its not like they'd miss him anyways.

Ignoring the voice in the back of his mind, telling him how stupid of an idea it was, and how he was going to get killed and that Ada could love him despite his breed, he plunged his snout into the water and drank deeply from the water. His eyes, which had been closed a moment before, flew open as he felt the sharp coldness of the water enter his body. It felt as it the cold had pierced his heart, and began to spread over his body. As he looked down he could see a face in the water, the same scared and torn face from before. Van quickly jerked his head back but before he could run this time, a clawed hand grabbed him by the snout and grabbed his neck. He could feel himself being pulled forward, the creature much stronger than him. With a short struggle, wings flailing and feet scrabbling, he was pulled under the surface of the water.

Ice. Cold.

His whole body felt dead.

All I ever wanted was to be someone she could love

What seemed like an endless and frigid state, he awoke. Gasping for air, he rolled over onto his stomach....Earth? Warm... ground? He opened his eyes, but it was pitch dark. Something felt different about him but it was hard to tell what it was in the sightless darkness. He tried to stand up but his head rammed into the ceiling. Van blew out a fiery breath of air, quickly gathering where he was while the light lasted. It was the cave, which looked like it had been caved in, and also looked much much smaller. After the few seconds of light faded he was left back to the shadow's hold.

Van began to dig at the rocks, clawing them away until he was free. Scared of what had just happened, and the foreign feeling of his own body. He rushed over to the closest hot spring, and gazing down at the reflection. He skittered backwards at what he saw shaking his head and trying to pretend it wasn't real. His face was destroyed, the flesh torn away, and scarred, his eyes just pits of fire in a dark and twisted mass of flesh. So horrified by his looks he hardly had the chance to celebrate his new form. He had finally become a Wildclaw... but he was hideous. How would ada ever choose him now?

Lost for what to do or where to turn he headed deep into the lightning territory, disappearing like a shadow. Unsure of weather to turn back to his old clan or to make a new life, he finally chose to keep to himself in the shadows of the spires.

TL:DR
A lonely dragon, born a Fae, is transformed upon a drinking from the waters of a mystical cave. In return for granting his wish and becoming a Wildclaw, he looses half of his face and can't bear to show himself to his clan. Instead he chooses to haunt the shadows of the scrub.