Naira

Naira
She/her | The Disparaged Mother
Mate: N/A

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Naira came to the Icefields to be with the one she loved.
She came to garner a family, to live happier than she ever would in the Wastelands, to spend the harsh winters in a warm home, surrounded by loved ones.

She couldn't have known his intentions were foul. She couldn't have known his words were empty.
Not until it was too late, that is. When she was expecting eggs, his children; and in a fearful act selfishness, he fled into the night.
Leaving her stranded in the Icefields, far from the town, carrying eggs that would not survive this cold. She doubted she would survive this cold.

To her even greater misfortune, her wailing caught the attention of a witch. A vengeful, angry spirit of the mountains; she saw the betrayed, expectant mother, and took very little pity on her.
Wisp, the witch, struck a deal with Naira. She would curse her in a manner that would keep her alive, so she could return to the safety of the town, but Naira would have to hand over her children once they hatched. If Naira refused, Wisp would leave her and her eggs to die in the coming snowstorm.

Helpless, yet not wanting to bargain the lives of her children, Naira agreed. It was then that ice burst from her scales, crawling along the outside of her skin, leaving her screaming in agony as it progressed.
Once the horrors had passed, Naira was left covered head to tail in hard ice crystals.
Wisp explained that, while she could not change Naira's element to withstand the Icefields, she could offer protection through her ice magic.
She didn't particularly seem to care that this was a painful process.

Naira then limped to town, weeping for her decision, yet grateful that this would ensure the survival of her eggs.
That is, until she arrived to town, settled comfortably in one of the inns, and realized something terrible.
While two of her eggs were healthy, one had frozen solid in the snow. The hatchling inside surely could never survive such a thing.
Naira sobbed well into the night, alone and uncomforted.

As the weeks passed, the two healthy eggs hatched. Eyes as blue as the ice around them due to their birthplace. They would survive here now.
Naira could not allow herself time with them. She couldn't allow the pain in giving them up to be any worse than it already would be.
Once she was certain they would survive, she took them back out into the snow, wandering with her head held down back to the witch's home. She forfeited her two children to Wisp, unable to hide her heartache, before tearing herself away to go back home.

When she arrived home, prepared to grieve her loss away, she was startled by the sound of a hatchling's cries.
She never rid of the frozen egg. She probably should have, so not to have it as a constant reminder, but she always held out hope for it. Even in the most dire of times.
It seemed her hope had pulled through. The last egg had hatched. Late, for certain; but the child was alive.
And the witch did not know of a third child.

Overjoyed, Naira embraced her son, naming him Brutius, and swore to protect him; swore to make up for how she failed her other sons. The witch would never hear of him. He would be safe in the town. He would grow happy and healthy.

...Surely.