Orion

Backstory: Once every year when the moon was full and bright, Callora would remove the separation spell she had cast on Yin and Yang just for night. Once the morning sun rose the spell would reset and Yin and Yang would return from the watery depths. After the first of these special nights, Yin returned with four beautiful eggs. Yin and Yang were overjoyed to have children, but terrified at the same time about what children of a former emperor dragon might become. When the eggs hatched, Hammel, Psychra, Orion and Sunnis were born.

Right off the bat, Yin and Yang noticed something odd about their son, Orion. He had one water eye and one arcane eye. As Orion grew up, Yin and Yang learned that the young imperial could control of both arcane and water magic. Orion spent long vigorous hours practicing with his magic. At first, Yin and Yang were proud that their son was training so hard to master his powers...until they realized their son was training so he could one day join the Tidelord’s army.

Yin feared that the Tidelord would figure out that Orion was the son of the Yinyang and imprision the young imperial in the Leviathan Trench just like he had imprisioned Yin so she forbid her son from exalting himself. Now, Orion had dreamt about serving the Tidelord since he was a hatchling so the imperial dragon was both hurt and confused by his mother’s orders. He asked his parents why they didn’t want him to serve the Tidelord. Yin and Yang couldn’t give their son a strait answer. Orion could tell his parents were hiding something from him and he was offended by the how little his parents seemed to trust him.

The next day, Orion went to help his volunteer crew collect shells for the Aquafire Clan’s new castle. The members of his volunteer crew (Zecro, NeoJr, Asia and North) could tell that something was bugging Orion. When the six volunteer dragons had finished loading the their crate with massive shells for the construction volunteers, Asia walked back with Orion to the Aquafire Clan’s lair. Asia assumed that Orion was on edge because he didn’t get out enough so she talked Orion into going on date with Nimura before the imperial dragon even realized what he had just agreed to.

Neither Orion nor Nimura wanted to go on a date, but they still met up at a restaurant since Asia had ordered asked them to. Once the wildclaw and the imperial dragon had sat down, they tried to make small talk, but both of them felt out of place in a fancy restaurant.

After roughly five awkward pauses of silence, Nimura grew stir crazy and suggested that they practice their battling techniques by fighting each other. Since Orion was a well seasoned warrior who loved to improve his skills, he jumped at the chance to battle against Nimura.

After sparing for roughly ten minutes, the two dragons soon realized that they were virtually equal to one another in terms of strength and skill. Both of them moved with such graze and efficiency as they attempted to strike each other. They almost looked as if they were dancing.

During their fight, Nimura and Orion started feel a little more comfortable with each other as they slashed at each other’s throats. Nimura confessed that her father had was making plans to go on a grizzly bear hunting expedition with her next year and she was worried about failing him. Orion, in turn, opened up to Nimura about how his parents wouldn’t let him serve the Tidelord and how he was hurt by the little trust they had in him.

“Why don’t you just go to Tidelord and do the exaltation ritual?” Nimura suggested as she made another infuriatingly unsuccessful attempt to knock Orion off his feet. “Your parents wouldn’t be able to take you back after the external binding is complete.”

Orion let out a sigh.

“I doubt they’d let me leave the Aquafire Clan.” He admitted as he swung a clawed fist at Nimura’s head. The wildclaw swiftly dodged. Gods, she was fast, Orion thought to himself

“What if snuck past the border with out them knowing?” Nimura asked as devious grin blooming on her snout.

Orion raised an eyebrow at the wildclaw as he dogded her attacks.

She had to be joking.

She wasn’t joking.

After narrowly beating in him the fight they referred to as a date to get Asia off their backs, she had set out to help sneak Orion over the Aquafire Clan’s borders without being seen. Since the Aquafire Clan’s border was heavily guarded by the clan’s strongest warriors, such a bold attempt required weeks of planning. Orion and Nimura met daily to spar and discuss their plans.

The two claimed that they were “dating” so they didn’t appear suspicious. Although, they really weren’t. Orion and Nimura were not the romantic types. Or at least, that was Orion kept telling himself...

Orion wasn’t sure how Nimura had convinced him to do something that felt so criminal. The imperial had always been a firm believer of following the rules, but when she looked at him with those beautiful shadow eyes...gods, he couldn’t say no.

As the weeks past, Orion found himself enjoying his time with Nimura more and more. More than he liked to admit. However, the imperial realized pretty quickly that his feelings couldn’t possibly be mutual. After all, Nimura was working to smuggle Orion out of the Aquafire Clan to be exalted so the thought of never seeing him again couldn’t possibly make her heart ache with sadness. No, she had to be okay with Orion leaving forever. She probably didn’t care what happened to him once he was past the border.

With those thoughts in the back of Orion’s mind, the imperial dragon ignored the way his heart fluttered when Nimura was with him and shallowed all the other feelings because he wasn’t in love, just distracted. That was all.

The final week before Orion’s planned escape caught the imperial dragon off guard. The imperial dragon tried to make up the most ridiculous excuses to just to spend time Nimura on the days leading up to his departure. Although, Nimura always seemed to be abnormally busy whenever he asked the wildclaw if she wanted to battle with him. Nimura seemed oddly distant whenever her schedule did allow her to spend some time with Orion.

Orion was starting to wonder if perhaps Nimura had never really liked being around the imperial and this gigantic scheme had all been an attempt to rid herself of an annoyance...

The final day Orion would spend in the Aquafire Clan came crashing down the imperial dragon. This would be his last day with Nimura. The thought crushed him, but deep down he knew it was for the best. The feelings between them weren’t mutual so it wouldn’t be right to stay.

Nimura didn’t want to fight Orion. She wouldn’t even open her bedroom door when he came to ask her if she wanted to battle. Fortunately though, Nimura still met up with Orion on the shoreline at midnight like they had planned.

The wildclaw didn’t turn her head when she heard the sand shifting under Orion’s paws. She just kept her eyes fixed on the horizon line that separated the sea from the stars. Once Orion vanished beyond that horizon line, he’d be bound to the Tidelord’s army. He’d never be able to have a mate or any children. He’d be lucky if was ever allowed to return to the Aquafire Clan...

But She didn’t care. No, she wouldn’t miss the way he fiddled with his talons when he was nervous or the bright gleaming smile he always seemed to have when she entered a room or the way he intently listened to her as if her measly words meant the world to him. No, she wouldn’t miss it.

She couldn’t because if she allowed herself to it would kill her.

“The nightshade I slipped into the guards’ food worked. They are all asleep.” She told him as her gaze remained fixed ahead.

Orion shifted his weight uneasily between his paws and started to do adorable talon-fiddling thing. Tidelord, spare me, she thought.

“Nimura,” his voice was hoarse when he spoke. “I need to—”

“Go.” She ordered as her lip began to tremble. He was really still about to leave, which meant there couldn’t be anything he cared about enough to keep him back. He probably couldn’t wait to join the Tidelord’s army and leave everything behind. Every. Single. Precious. Moment.

“Nimura.” Orion muttered again. Just the sound of her name on his lips made her heart ache. “I can’t—“

“I KNOW YOU CAN’T STAY SO JUST LEAVE ALREADY!” Nimura practically screamed as tears burned in her eyes.

The imperial dragon jumped back with wide eyes.

“Y-you’d miss me?” His voice was nothing more than a whisper.

Nimura forced herself to look into his sapphire blue eye and dazzling magenta eye. She intended to shriek the word no at the top her lungs so Orion wouldn’t have anything holding him back from his dream, but when she looked into those majestic mismatching eyes that were full of hurt and confusion she couldn’t make herself. She just burst into sobs right before the imperial dragon.

Orion rushed towards the wildclaw and pulled her into a tight embrace. Nimura just buried her head into his shoulder and let her ragged tears flow.

“Nimura,” Orion said, softly as he wrapped his wings around her. “I can’t leave.”

The wildclaw went completely still. Even her heart seemed to stop beating.

“Because I fell love with this dragon.” He continued. With her mouth hanging agape, Nimura looked up at the imperial dragon. He was grinning. Grinning at her.

“She’s the best hunter and fighter in the whole clan and by far the brightest dragon I know and I’ve finally realized that I can’t live without her.” He explained with a light flickering in his eyes.

Nimura promptly started bawling again. Orion just held the wildclaw tighter in his arms and brought his snout to her ear.

“I love you, Nimura.” He whispered.

Nimura sliently swore she’s tell him the same thing once she regained her composure.

Personality: Orion is very loyal dragon and what many would define as “legal beagle.” He truly values hard work and never skimps on his training. Orion is also known for having a timid nature and practically worries himself to death over the dragons he loves. Although even though Orion has many fears, he is still very brave.

Clan Position: Guard/Warrior

Soul Mate: Nimura (Obviously)

Familiar: Orion first ran into his familiar after Nimura and her familiar, Ester, had returned from a hunting expedition one fateful day. Orion noticed that a Fungalhoof Qiriq had been trailing them. Orion met up with the creature before he follow Ester and Nimura any longer.

“What were following my mate for?” Orion growled.

The fungalhoof qiriq nostrils flared.

“You’ll pay for whatever horrible things you did to Ester.” He threatened and then, charged at the imperial dragon.

Instantly, the fungalhoof qiriq and the imperial dragon were engaged in a fiercesome battle. Fortunately, Ester and Nimura heard the fighting and quickly darted back to the place where they had been only moments ago to see what was going on. Ester jumped between the imperial dragon and the fungalhoof qiriq.

“Enough!” The maned cerdae yelled and looked into the eyes of the fungalhoof qiriq. “Ramhorn...is that you?”

Ramhorn solemnly nodded.

With eyes that were welling up with tears, the cerdae ran towards the qiriq and rubbed her head against his. After a long and emotional reunion, Ester explained to Orion and Nimura that this qiriq was her childhood friend and she had thought he had perished when her home had been attacked by dragons. Then, Ester told to Ramhorn that the dragons in the Aquafire Clan had taken her in when she had no where else to go and had gained her trust. Since Ramhorn had some terrible experiences with dragons in the past, he was very reluctant to believe Ester, but he did in the end.

The qiriq decided to stay in the Aquafire Clan for a while to spend some time catching up with Ester before he traveled on to some new territory. However, Orion could tell by the fungalhoof qiriq at Ester that he wanted to spend much more time with the cerdae than he led on. Ester seemed painfully unaware of the qiriq’s feelings for her.

Orion tried his best not to get involved in the relationship between the cerdae and the qiriq, but he truly emphasized Ramhorn and could tell he desperately needed help so Orion gradually became Ramhorn’s wing man. The qiriq and the imperial set up elaborate schemes to get Ester to fall for Ramhorn and by some Tidelord sent miracle it actually worked.

Ester and Ramhorn became boyfriend and girlfriend and later on, they became mates. The unlikely friendship between Orion and Ramhorn also grew strong enough to last a lifetime.