Shade

Uh-oh, looks like this tired little wildclaw wandered a little too far from his home lair (JustNobody546, #393568 or Prescott #136580), and now she's off to see the world! If ever you feel the need to exalt, she'd really appreciate it if you could just return her to the home lair, or to the 'Dragons Off To See The World' thread, here. This is not necessary, but she would be very grateful!



Owners I've Had:

Prescott #136580
Abysea, #137206

(put your lair/username here)

Luggage

None

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The Forgotten Clan #136580

Little Shade barely got a chance to meet his father or his sibling. His mother, Windheart, was determined to make her most ambitiuous steal yet - one of her own children. Shade doesn't appear to be particularly perturbed by this. After all, he's getting to go on an adventure!

He's still young, so his own desires have yet to surface. But he's sure that he'll discover them along the way....

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The Idyllic Isles #137206

Shade slipped carefully down the alleyway. He eyed his brightly humming purse of objects and baubles he had managed to snatch for the day and hoped it would be enough to secure dinner. He had been running into that Stained Guardian (Trinket) more and more frequently which worried him endlessly. She stalked the markets at the same times that Shade left the bundle of crates he called a nest. She never threatened the wildclaw but Shade had been forced into giving up his findings more than once to the bigger, scarier dragoness.

He hoped mother hadn't come up with another plan for him again.

The thieving dragoness who claimed to be his parent had been coming up with more and more elaborate schemes lately. Sneak into parties, woo unsuspecting high profile guests, steal all their riches and run! These had been wild and fun events when Shade was a hatchling, but lately they had been harder to bare.

His heart stopped when he saw the ominous form of Okeanos looming in the marketplace. Shade tucked his head down and prayed the pirate wouldn't see him sneak by but the menacing pearlcatcher merely spotted Shade and begun to tail him slowly, like a slug. Shade watched with fear in his eyes as the sea of shoppers wafted to the sides where Okeanos walked by. No stranger would stand for Shade this time.

Characteristically the pirate extended a hand towards Shade expectantly. He grunted softly to reinforce his point, his scarred fingers twitching slightly as his palm remained empty. Begrudgingly Shade reached into his electrical purse and picked what he figured was the most valuable of items he had gathered before forking it over to the restless pirate. He stared helplessly at Okeanos. Would this satisfy him?

The pearlcatcher wore a helmet which meant that Shade could merely guess that he was examining the offering he was handed. Several seconds passed with bated breath as Okeanos twirled the trinket with a surprising amount of gentleness. He seemed appeased for he turned and left the market swiftly after this exchange. Shade released a burning sigh from his chest in relief. That was too many close encounters for one day!

He hurried faster, spotting a slightly ajar crate glimmering with polished goods and pocketed one as he made for his 'home'.

Within the confines of a borrowed basement he heard dreadful chuckling of his mother as she no doubt was bowling fits of laughter over her latest flawless plan.

"Ah- Shade! Come in, quick!" His mother seemed to be sporting a new cabinet of silks. This did not faze Shade. It was normal to come to wherever their home currently was and see her adorn in something completely new.

"This him? A pale coatl asked almost dejectedly. Shade recognized the coatl from around the isles but no specific memory came to mind. He was just some shopkeeper the duo had likely stolen from before and then on to the next target. Shade tapped his metal-purse in thought. His mother did not keep friends, who was this?

Windheart had a big smile on her face and was- rather forcefully- beckoning for Shade to sit in a little semi-broken cushion chair. "We're going to play a game with Meirion here."

"A game?" He was doubtful. Something else was afoot here. "Two-tails? Kitsune's foot?"

His mother shook her head.

"Much more exciting." She giggled in joy and then proceeded to hide her face behind some kind of prop. Meirion placed down a deck of cards that made Shade recoil in disgust. He had of course smelled magic before (it was kind of hard not to living on the isles) but this was too much. It was obviously enchanted. Who would even bother to play with them?!

"It's called Soul Trap." Meirion explained. "It's ah… Not for everyone." He explained in some detail it was originally not a casual bar game but a shadow flight training exercise. But he did not venture to explain the rules. Apparently Windheart was already familiar with them.

"Just watch me sweetie." Windheart batted Shade's arm. She did that a lot. "Watch from me dearie, then you won't need an explanation." Shade crossed his tiny wildclaw arms and watched with disinterest as the game progressed. He became faintly worried every time his mother squealed with delight but he reminded himself she had chosen this house as a hideout herself. Nobody would think twice to look for them here."

Suddenly the room was engulfed in a thick purple smog and Miriron vanished. Alarm filled Shade's senses but his mother merely howled with delight and clapped her hands in amusement. "What on Sornieth-"

A much less noticeable cloud of smog drifted out of the card deck and Miriron manifested in the chair he had been sitting in. He bowed his head in defeat. "You win."

Shade took a moment to process what he was seeing. A card game where the goal was to not get trapped? "Alright, alright, now it's your turn!" His mother was beaming at him with hatchling like excitement. She motioned for the duo to switch seats and whispered ominously in his ear "don't get caught."

Shade was bad at the game. He learned this the hard way by losing multiple times. It was scary at first, going into a card and then having to wait to be let out, but by the end he was just frustrated. Why was Miriron so good at this?!

The worst part Shade decided was that there was no room for cheating. The game was painfully simple. You either won or you didn't.

A resounding bang on the door to the house signalled to the group to stop playing for the night. The owner had returned. It was time to sneak out.

The night air of the isles was colder tonight then it had been in many months. Snowflakes dotted the ground before quickly vanishing and the air held a chill that made Shade cling to his metal purse as it purred for warmth.

Windheart stretched her wings eagerly. She seemed euphoric. Like everything was aligning exactly as she had planned. Shade didn't quite get it. Especially since they had just narrowly run away before being caught.

"Mum, shouldn't we-"

"Hush! Don't speak darling mummy's got a lovely tale for you!" Oh boy. She only talked like that mid-scheme. Shade didn't even realize he was apart of an ongoing scheme. He made a mental note to keep a better eye out.

"I want his cards." She whispered, wrapping her stolen silks tighter against her scales. "I needed to see if they were real or not, but thanks to you I've confirmed it."

Shade didn't fancy having been used as a sort of bait. Mother had forced him to be bait way too many times as a young hatchling. He recalled having told her to quit using him like that.

"Let's see… When and where to take them?"

"Mum." Shade tried again. She cast an emerald eye in his direction filled with fury over being interrupted. "Okeanos stopped me again." This was seemingly unimportant as she brushed his concerns off. What would a pirate dare to do in a demigod town? There was a reason they had stayed here the vast majority of Shade's hatchlinghood you know. Blah, Blah, Blah. Shade begrudgingly shut his trap like a good little boy and listened absently to Windheart's newest plan.

The two eventually swindled their way into a nice family house to hole up for the evening. Although Windheart was slightly upset over this. She tore up her nice silks to sell the part of the homeless, unfortunate dragons.

When Shade awoke he politely inquired where his mother had gone and the house-hosts told him she had left without him. Ah. Figured.

It wouldn't take long to find her. She left special tracks or signs for Shade to track her. It was just a matter of keeping his mind focused to look for them.

In the meantime, he decided to get breakfast. In the form of a sneaky trip into one of the indoor gardens the isles residents had cultivated. It felt divine to taste a crisp peach next to a "stop feeding the rats!" sign in the personal garden. He checked his whirring purse and noted his spoils. He'd need to sell them soon. But he hated going to the dealer without more substantial pickings and so held off for the moment.

The isles were busy today. A perfect opportunity for an aspiring pickpocket. It didn't take long for Shade to fill his metal purse with baubles and small coins and he smiled in spite of himself with pride at his efficiency.

A shadow loomed over him. The wildclaw turned to examine who wished to pass by, but to his horror it was Balterossa. Far, far worse then Okeanos. "Shade." The great gaoler smirked. He looked beyond her to see what menacing crew she had brought but it was nobody worth mentioning. "Where happens to be yerr mam?" She asked with a growl. "We've business."

"I wouldn't know." Shade purposely avoided eye contact. "Why don't you ask around for her?" He attempted, fruitlessly, to leave but Balterossa's goons stopped him.

"Ay, I can do that." She nodded sagely. "But I be asking yer there, aren't I be?"

Shade evaluated his options. He decided on shoving the pirate and running away. This of course, did not go well. It was hard not to be caught when a hulking Gaoler of all dragons was pursuing you.

"Over 'ere!" He heard a distant caw. Shade slipped away down an alley and then watched as the pirates seemed distracted by the distant voice and meagered back the way they had come. Mother. Mum. They were after her!

Shade looked for Windheart's markings and followed her trail. Up around the shops, down by the beach stalls and-

He felt his heart sink when he saw her being lead by Okeanos into a tavern. Of divines no!

Shade tried to think of what to do. He drummed his thumbs against his metal purse, the tang tang noise aiding his thoughts. Wait was that?

He noticed a familiar pale coatl taking out the trash of a nearby coffee shop. Well. Mother had said she wanted his cards, right?

He was in too much a rush to try a bartering option. He entered the store and snuck his way around where the lockers would be. Bingo. Clutching the cards Shade flew rather than dashed his way to the tavern. He was slightly out of breath when he opened the doors.

Windheart was wedged between a rather frightening looking guardian and gilded skydancer with Balte having her back facing the door. Shade had half a mind to try and knock the gaoler over but decided against it.

"I -um." He was making a terrible first impression. "I'm here for my mum. We… The theater showing starts soon." His very brave speech was met with a mixture of disgust, laughter and disbelief.

"Mm. Very nice. So sweet to take yerr mam to a show." Balt clicked her tongue. "Now. We be speakin on our deal you see? You ain't doing nothin till we done 'ere." Shade watched as his mother danced her eyes from one dragon to the next with a fearful expression.

"What if we play a game?!" Shade proposed. "You… Like games, right?"

This seemed penultimate amusing to Balt as she couldn't contain her laughter. "Aye. I fancy games."

"Then…" He approached the table cautiously. He glanced around to make the pirates interested in his unique cards. "let's play Soul Tear."

"If yer insist." Balt seemed fixed on the cards. The swirl of magic permanented throughout the bar. The jaguar patterned gaoler summoned over a lackey. "Win three of 'em and I play yer." She demanded.

By some miracle Shade won the first round. The pirates seemed intrigued by the capturing aspect of the game, giddily talking it over. Shade lost the second match, but made up for it by winning the third. By the fourth he was on a roll and finally Balt moved herself over for her turn.

Shade was feeling confident and shuffled the deck merrily before being startled as Balt slammed a hand on the table. "Fer this round… Hows bout this? 'oever loses stays in that card?"

The yellow wildclaw flinched but accepted. After all, who was he to go against Balte's idea?

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"Yer lose."

Shade was always terrible at card games.

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"Yer play th' f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c actress Windy." Balterossa chuckled, stressing her words.

"That's high flattery." Windheart bowed. "I take it you're willing to take me up on my deal then?"

"Aye. We be doing that." She eyed her new card, containing a dragon's soul, and slipped in into her coat pocket. Scylla would find it interesting, Anoushka would find it trite. This is what Balterossa decided on. The pirate snapped her fingers rapidly, many times over until her followers of low ranking brought over a shimmering chest of gold.

With much effort Balterossa stood. She was used to traveling in a wisp form. Being a solid, tangible dragon was becoming taxing. She did however note the slight pressure on her pocket as Windheart embraced her for a farewell. "I be need'n that back my girl." Windheart feigned ignorance. What was she speaking of? But Balte knew well. This was a hilariously near daily occurrence for her. "I won't be askin again." She opened her palms, akin to Okeanos and waited. The wildclaw dejectedly handed over the card she had ventured to steal.

"You best cook up a new plan fer taking 'im back." She laughed, prompting her followers to laugh along with her. The palpable nervousness in their voices disgusted her and she snarled, barking at them to clam up.

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