Onyx

Eurfryn's fate
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Eurfryn came to the clan without the intention of staying long. Then several nests later he found himself growing more and more attached to the dragon in the Clan of Death. He made friends there and even found a position that needed to be filled: the beast tamer's. Ramil, the old Wildclaw who had since died, never had a successor lined up and no one else in the clan seemed interested. So the imperial took up the mantle for himself. No one cared, why would they? Eurfryn was pulling his weight with the job and he was pretty good at it, especially considering his size and strength helped a lot with the larger creatures.

However, times changed and the prophesied second in command was born and arrived in the clan. Eurfryn- like the other dragons- thought he was adorable as a hatchling and hoped his young wings would be able to handle the weight of the position he'd already been granted. It wasn't long before the grown Lucifi officially took his place and was given the secondary camp to look over. However, the tundra had more plans for the clan than he let on and sought out dragons who he didn't see worthy enough to be wasting resources. Eurfryn was among the first three he took aside to test. After all, he'd never really earned his position and it was about time he did. Eurfryn could do anything but agree, as Lucifi had his young son ready to throw into the mix if needed.

In this hard time Eurfryn watched as dragons died before him. The first had been his most recent mate: Brindisi. Then came the others, young dragons from a 'legacy experiment' sent to fight until only one remained, his other half children- one of which he regretfully admitted to killing himself while she was - while the other died fighting alongside him and her mother, Pomaria. He'd never liked the bogsneak and their daughter never knew he was her father but the death brought them to an understanding... It didn't last long for Pomaria was also struck down at a later battle.

Still he pushed himself. Eurfryn wanted to end this nonsense whether he ended up a Beast Tamer or not at this point. The deaths all felt like they were on him even if he had no control over what had happened. Once his son joined the stakes rose even higher. He had to fight and protect Onyx now that they weren't even allowed on clan territory anymore. But that was were his ending came. It was a hunting mission with him and the skydancer, Verzeihen. She was falling behind on healing him after a brutal fight left her with a low reserve of magic... even the few potions they had left weren't enough to save his life and he died soon after getting back to the makeshift camp.



Onyx's fate
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Onyx didn't know his parents or siblings for long. For most of his young life he grew up stuck in a cave under watch by Lucifi and his Royal Guard. As a hatchling it wasn't so bad. He had no idea that this was abnormal other than the fits he'd have when told he couldn't see his parents. Still, he always had a way to distract himself from the growing resentment after the disappointments of being refused time and time again. The den had plenty of room for him to scamper around in and occasionally the guard known as Thanatos would be there and bring objects for him to play with. For the most part, the hatchling didn't feel like a prisoner... not completely.

As he grew up and the den grew more cramped however he began to understand more of the situation. He'd been used to get his parents to go through brutal trials. He himself was at risk if he didn't obey Lucifi. Onyx longed to leave the cave and bask in the sun like other dragons; to stretch his wings, to make friends, and of course save his parents. It wasn't until he saw them bring his mother's body back that he finally began taking action. Regretfully, Onyx wasn't very good at it and with each passing day his worry that they'd bring his father's body back grew stronger. He could tell his father was growing weary of the trials but was relieved each time he saw the gem like scales arriving home.

Eventually however, things changed again. Lucifi grew impatient and fed up with Onyx's actions against him. Soon the young imperial found himself fighting alongside the others- though his inexperience nearly cost him his life several times already. Like his father though he wanted to become stronger and better, perhaps even follow in his father's footsteps and become a beast tamer as well? Onyx wasn't quite sure... the world was still strange to him and all he knew was captivity, fighting, and of course death. When they were sent outside clan territory it had only gotten worse.

The first day out Onyx and the fae, Eeli, were attacked while setting up a makeshift camp. They made it out alive that time. The imperial was proud they had managed to defend their 'camp' while the other two were out hunting but this pride didn't last long. It was a few days later that his father staggered back into the camp and collapsed to the ground where he died soon after. Onyx didn't know what to do and numbly- foolishly- dug a grave and buried the large imperial. A few days later Eeli died as did he soon after, leaving the skydancer, Verzeihen, the only one to make it out of the trials alive.



Unknown's fate
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An Earth dragon so far from home was a rare sight indeed. Yet there was a large, pale brown imperial travelling through Plaguebringer's lands. Where exactly was she from? The old imperial's mind was too foggy to recall. To where was this great dragon headed and why? No one would ever know for her destination was never reached and she traveled alone.

It was being alone that made the large old dragon vulnerable. She tired easily and without a strong breeze could not just glide on the winds and was forced to land in the abandoned area of the Boneyard. The female imperial rested for a long time; days and nights passing by as she slept and regained her energy. Being as old as she was left her exhausted and the trip so far had pushed her past her limits. Perhaps in her youth it would have been better. Then again, why she'd ever leave her homeland was a mystery lost to the bones and diseased sand where she lay.

At one point many dragons probably sought the great dragon's wisdom but in the Wasteland where no clan yet resided to offer safety she was merely a lump of flesh. In her rest the great imperial was unaware of the Shattered Serpents slithering towards her; sensing the warmth radiating from her scales. The sand rippled and thrashed like a chaotic ocean made of sand as they surrounded and attacked the elder dragon. Fang tore and ripped at hard scales and dry leather wings until the flesh below was exposed.

The old imperial woke with an earth-shaking bellow; her brown eyes wide and furious but her attempts to stand were useless. The sandy earth beneath her was unsteady and ever moving as the serpents burrowed around and under her. Her great wings were torn too much to catch the air. Her magic attacks saved her precious time and her still powerful jaws and sharp claws took out any serpent that came too close. It wasn't enough however. For every serpent she took out several more took one's place and soon the elder dragon was drowned underneath them and the sand. Once they had finished the body that remained was left and forgotten by all. In time even the bits of bone and limbs that stuck out of the ground were buried by the sands of time.



Nameless' fate
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A naive Wind dragon flew over the Abiding Boneyard. Her delivery was important and she was determined to make it back to her home despite getting herself lost. However, the pale scaled imperial had no idea of the disease she'd picked up after drinking contaminated water at the edges of Plaguebringer's lands. This mistake would be her last, as she finally began feeling the effects of the plague take hold.

First, her scales began turning a sickly green in coloration. Then these began rotting down and into her very skin. Soon her feet became numb and then sections of her wings, tail, neck and face did as well. The imperial was forced to land and crashed into the ground, unable to hold her weight on unresponsive legs. She cried out but the only clan around had been one of few dragons way back near the border of Plague and Shadow and it went unheard. Soon, the infection threatened to take her sight and her pale green eyes grew blurred while her mind itself began feeling spacey and listless as well.

Eventually the infection solidified and came to a stop. Feeling in her limbs was still abnormally numb but her sight began coming back. Hope flared in the foolish dragon's mind and she began walking, too weak from her days of laying there without food or water to fly- not that she expected she could; her wings felt like rocks weighed them down. Perhaps if she'd waited to continue recovering the young imperial could've survived the disease that had begun fading away but as it was... She pushed herself too far and the weakening traveler soon collapsed once more.

That was where she stayed. Her cargo long forgotten and her clan never able to find her. The plague she'd contracted soon reached her brain, dissolving her memories of home little by little and breaking down her ability to function more than fevered, sluggish movements. The agony as it finally reached her heart made her eyes roll back into her skull and her parched throat rasped out a near silent. pleading cry for help. The small imperial shuddered as her heart finally gave out and the disease took its victory over her now cooling body.



The emperor's rise
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The Clan of Death had no idea two dead imperials lay just beyond their border. How could they? The two had been dead of years before their territory had expanded that far into Plague and beyond. Yet... their mistake came from the one prophesied to bring chaos or greater power to the clan. Lucifi sent two imperials among other dragons outside the clan neither side knowing the consequences but it was he who was at fault non the less for It's birth.

Eurfryn's body was enough to start the process of the imperial's combining but once Onyx's body merged as well the Emperor grew all the more fiercer as it was created and began awakening. The ground shook and broke as it was born; sand rolled off the monsters back and wings as they were unfurled to allow the light to shine upon their tattered and decaying forms once more. One by one the heads opened their eyes. Brown, pale green, purple, and red. Each head gave low growls as their senses came back. Everything was confusing, bright, felt strange, clouded, and above all... they felt hungry.

The one of bone clattered and creaked as its large neck swiveled to search, earthy eyes finally taking in the small beings standing before it. The infected one's nearly sightless eyes leaned down closer. Rotten breath that reeked of sickness rolled over the small figures as they coward back. It would be so easy to snap them up as a small snack. But the crystal blue head butted it aside and gave a more violent growl. His memories were still sharper. These weren't food. These were enemies that had gotten him... where? Dead? It didn't matter, his instinct told him to kill and the youngest, one that shared the middle with the ancient one agreed.

It was difficult to move. All of them wanted to take control at once but their body didn't respond and the parts that did got tied up and knocked back by others. The confusion was back as the four beings- no as he? It?- tried to move. The small beings below quickly took advantage of the still uncoordinated Emperors and magic enhanced vines began wrapping around and containing the beast. Its heads howled and body thrashed as they ripped at the vines that leeched at their energy and grew a shade of red with their blood as the attachments were completed.

The Emperor snarled as one fluffy being dared step in front of the two younger, blue scaled heads. The words were lost in the fury and chaos of voices in Its minds but one name was clear: Onyx. The youngest head stilled in the chaos, recognizing the name of some past experience. He- they. It- was Onyx. The four dragons they had met with upon being born from the Boneyard sand flew off without another word. The Emperor roared in response one last time before the vines closed their mouths. He'd get free eventually. Magic wouldn't hold them down forever....