Flyte

As loyal as would be expected of one of his species, Flyte has been a member of this clan from the moment he hatched. Even when his parents left to serve the Deities, Flyte had remained loyal to his clan and refused to go. It was seen as an honor, to go and serve the Shadowbinder (or, in his father’s case, the Tidelord), to serve their deity and protect their lands from the Beastclans, but it was an honor that Flyte willingly and repeatedly refused. It was his right, of course, but it did garner no end of questions from dragons who only stopped by the clan for the purpose of joining the Shadowbinder’s ranks. Many were from different flights entirely, coming to Shadow because they would rather serve the Shadowbinder than any other deity and thus were entirely confused when one of her own was so openly opposed.

Flyte, instead, chose to serve his flight in a different way. He was blessed when he hatched with a unique gift, his eyes dripped shadows in the same way that the Shadowbinder’s did. With that gift came another, an ability to control the dreams of others. The clan’s medic had tried, for weeks, to understand how he came to possess this gift, even branching out to do similar tests on others with the same eye type as he had. Theirs was the biggest flight, so she had no end of Shadow dragons to question about this phenomenon. Flyte, for his part, didn’t care much about how he had gotten the ability, caring only for what he could do with it. He soothed hatchlings’ nightmares, helped ensure a peaceful night’s sleep for any of their Coliseum battlers who were haunted by what they’d seen, and also practiced to be ready for if their home was ever attacked.

With how young he is, it is perhaps understandable that Flyte hasn’t considered mating yet. He spends most of his days practicing with his gift and otherwise helping out around the clan. He is fond of everyone belonging to their clan, of course, but he has yet to find the dragon who he feels is ‘the one’. He enjoys spending time with the hatchlings, helping out the dragons who work in the nesting grounds and providing sweet dreams for each hatchlings. There have been several occasions where the dreams Flyte provided had inadvertently caused the hatchlings to decide on their calling. One hatchling had gone to the sea after dreaming for several days about the oceans where the Water dragons lived, pirates and plunder and all other manner of nautical adventures. Another ended up moving back to the Southern Icefield, entranced by the dreams of snow and ice, of hardy dragons using only their wits and determination to survive. So, truly, when he could have so much of an impact in his own lair, was it any wonder that he would rather stay with friends and family instead of going to serve his deity?
Written by beargirl1393 (February 2020 Water Foddart: LEAP)

Your Reality

Dreams are simply reflections of another dragon's reality. Their fantasies and aspiration, their desires and their fears. In that liminal space where reality frays at the edges, the creatures of the mind take shape. They are both benign and horrifying, but they are all ultimately a part of the dragon themselves. Nobody knew this as well as Flyte, the Nightwalker.

He had made it his duty to tame the nocturnal beasts of sleep. He whispered in their ears, to quell their rage. He coaxed the gentle ones out with soft, practiced movements. In that way, the minds of his clanmates were kept clear, and idyllic. Their reality would remain.

One night, wandering the nighttime void, there was nothing. Walking in any direction opened into more darkness. There was no thrilling imagination of adventure, no peaceful fields of idyllic green. There was not even the roar of nightmares roaming the halls. Silence echoed in the emptiness, enveloping and embracing the lone wanderer.

Flyte sat down on his paws, maintaining his vigil. He had no one to accompany but himself. He was not unfamiliar with the darkness, but it was jarring, having roamed from dream to dream the night before. As he sat in quiet contemplation, his mind began to drift.

What was his reality? The simple answer was anything that he wanted it to be. Yet, there was nothing here to control, nothing to bend and shape with his paws. The minds of others were filled with their many desires and aspirations, that which he pulled upon to sweeten their dreams.

In the dream of the hatchling, he was the wise mentor, shifting worlds to where their heart lay. To the warrior, he was the companion, the one to soothe their sorrow and lay horror to rest. He would play those roles dutifully, as they became master of the compact stories in their head. However, he had no story of his own. To him, he was just him, waiting to be called upon again.

It might have been an eternity, or only a feel seconds, before Flyte decided to walk. A bit of movement might clear his doubt. He picked a direction and paced off, wandering into the dark. As he kept moving, the void began to feel almost comforting. In the world where right could become left and yes could become no, a constant was a nice change of pace.

It was only in the silence that he realized. Nothingness was his gift, for only in shadow can one see the light. Dreams glimmer like wisps in the void, caught, then vanishing again. His mind was empty, to be filled with the worlds of others. Infinity can only spring from nothingness.

He would soon wake, but he would not forget. He would return to this void, again and again, when all were blessed with dreamless sleep. Every world he had walked, every fear, every hope, they were a part of him now. His duty, his desire were his reality. And it would remain, as stalwart as the void that never sleeps.
Written by Joywing (March 2020 Wind Foddart: Noodle-Dad's Doodle-Pad!)


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