Eurys

Art by Stormdragon

Seekers are there to wander. They are to search, discover, and entrap. It is a quiet job. One that requires no words, no discussion, and little to no emotion. Only a strong wing and a fair strike are required to eliminate any enemy, Shade or otherwise, which would threaten the Icewarden. This is what Eurys Icefang was born as, and for a long time, it appeared to be destiny. For the Gaoler, such a vocation was an honor. Days could be stretched from morning to evening and Eurys’ only company would be the icy tundra around him and the cold spruce forests, time spent searching for Shade under the unforgiving sky, the sight of which was often obscured by his magnificent mane of fur. This thick fur, in tones of pearlescent white, baby blue undertones and lilac highlights did well to blend in with the snow, who by the Lightweaver’s wonder would match the pastel tones of his pelt when beams of light bounced off the morning’s snowfall, projecting soft colour across the icy land.

Thus, Eurys excelled at his work. Color such as his allowed for near-perfect camouflage, and it took very little effort to conceal himself in the deep rolling hills of snow, whenever a jet-black Shade would roll through the territory, eerie black curls of aetheric ebony smoke trailing behind them like beacons. Eurys knew that although the job was a brilliant way to enjoy his own company among wonderful vistas, he was dedicated to his role; and that role was mainly capturing Shade. Such efficiency and success in his line of work brought a certain form of renown among the other Gaolers in the Fortress of Ends. This quiet and reserved brute was soon becoming well known for being more efficient that most other seekers; and promotions were soon showered upon him, calling out for him to be a sentry. All these, he denied without regret. A seeker he was and a seeker he would stay, for there was nothing that the Gaoler valued more than the peace of the frosty morning matched with servitude to a deity. The morning light reflecting off the gentle snowfall was, to Eurys, enchanting as an Arcanist’s spell.

The more the Gaoler walked upon the ice, the more the beams of light which heralded the dawn were enticing. He would alter his course to walk among the ice-fields at the crack of dawn, watching the ice glow in tones of fiery oranges, marigolds and lemon-yellows as the Sun made her presence known and rose in the sky. Such warmth and clarity was brought with these soft beams of light, such peace and reserve. Such a peaceful call was the one the Lightweaver echoed into Eurys’ ears. It was the first time within the Gaoler’s life that he had even considered wandering beyond the realms of the Icewarden. It was a call that was not to be refused.

A dragon such as Eurys was not one that the other Gaolers would expect to leave without a reason. Thus, when they found a large pair of shed Gaoler antlers buried in deep and unforgiving snow, ones that had belonged to the seeker himself, they assumed the poor brute as dead; and searched no further. With antlers shed and freedom taken, Eurys went North. A great many issues met him on his way, such as crossing angry rivers and deep seas, or navigating through lands swarmed with Beastclan mercenaries. Somehow, along the way, he managed to discover two Gaolers, the parents of whom had left the territories of the Icewarden long ago. Immediately, his heart was captured by Umbra, a dark-pelted female who smouldered with energy and life. Her zeal was magnetic to Eurys, distracting him from his pilgrimage to the Lightweaver for a fair amount of time; as pure energy and charisma captured the two into a deep love affair, their light and dark pelts intermingling as one. Though distracted, Eurys would not stray from the path he had chosen.

A night shrouded in secrecy took him away from Umbra, as the two parted ways under the cover of the Shadow’s dark embrace. Soon, another female caught the Gaoler’s eyes, this time, a wonderful peppered dame, her head graced by ashen Gnarlhorns. Her red eyes suggested the malice and pestilence of the Plaguebringer, yet her words were just as soft and gentle as Eurys’. The pair matched like gloves, their gentle personalities allowed them both to travel side by side, often in silence or in whispered conversation. Another step of the journey brought another love for Eurys, as his gentle heart slowly yet powerfully unravelled to Cadence. The two were able to bumble their way through the harsh landscape quite well, despite their size and foreign relation to the mainland. Cadence had very little interest in serving the light, but she would follow Eurys wherever he chose to go.

They had been travelling together for what seemed like months when they both grew hungry. Food became scarce, as their large bodies became too large and hulking to hunt the tiny field mice or skittering reptiles which would run from between their claws. The plants too, were never enough, and the shrubs which were edible were few and far between. Both dragons lost their stature and their grand build, their coats slowly paling and their limbs growing weaker. Eventually, both would have withered if they had not decided to split ways. Eurys left Cadence with a promise – He would come back for her, whether it be in a fortnight or a decade.

The Gaoler ended up collapsing on the very edge of the Light territories. He would have died there, baked in soft light, had it not been for Astraed and Eloisa, who pulled him into a clearing and fed him sweet berries, sharing their small hoards with him. He would be forever grateful to the service which they had done for him, and from that moment on he swore to stay within their company. He had travelled to find the Light and the Light had embraced him with open arms, gracing his spotted pelt each day and basking him in magnificence. There, he forged his Home, and stayed within it, content.

Written by vultureblood, 2020.