Hawks
(#63745038)
Level 1 Skydancer
Takami
Phoenix
Click or tap to view this dragon in Predict Morphology.
Energy: 50/50
This dragon’s natural inborn element is Fire.
Female Skydancer
This dragon is hibernating.
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Personal Style
Apparel
Skin
Scene
Measurements
Length
4.99 m
Wingspan
6.83 m
Weight
777.78 kg
Genetics
Antique
Iridescent
Iridescent
Vermilion
Alloy
Alloy
Banana
Runes
Runes
Hatchday
Breed
Eye Type
Level 1 Skydancer
EXP: 0 / 245
STR
4
AGI
5
DEF
4
QCK
9
INT
9
VIT
4
MND
9
Biography
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". . ." ╰━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━╯ There are many dragons in Sornieth who care for familiars. For some, the bond runs deeper: They can share thoughts with their animal companions, and even see through their eyes. Hawks, a child of the Dune Singer clan, was one of these talented individuals. Nearly all of the clan’s children were expected to develop this skill. They all dreamed of setting out into the wild and returning with an animal companion. Hawks had been no exception. He remembered the elders looking down at him, had felt the warmth of their approval: He had inherited the talent, and he would find a companion of his own. That had been many years ago. He was fully grown now, and had already set out on his journey. He’d left his clan just a few days before, and he still remembered their smiling faces, the words of encouragement echoing behind him as he’d flown away. Out here, far away from them, the isolation of the desert took some getting used to. Hawks had trained diligently before leaving, though, so he weathered these new difficulties with resilience. The entire time, he continued searching for a creature that might bond with him. The agreement had to be mutual: The creature had to choose him just as much as he chose it. They would share each other’s thoughts and strengths until one of them perished; binding oneself to another being was not an endeavor lightly undertaken. And so he wandered through the Shifting Expanse, carefully reaching out with his mind to the creatures that approached him. Their thoughts flitted around his like fluttering moths: Danger? Rival? Maybe food? On the fifth day, instead, he heard music. Amidst the silence of the desert, the sound seemed downright alien. But Hawks also felt drawn towards it, and so he spread his wings and flew towards its source. The sun was halfway below the horizon by the time he saw it: Several great, colorful tents had sprouted upon the sand like gigantic mushrooms. And Hawks wasn’t the only one who’d been drawn here. There were many other dragons about, evidently waiting for something to happen. He approached a friendly-looking Obelisk. “What’s going on here?” “Nothing much—yet! The Night Circus is just setting up, and then we’ll have ourselves a treat! Several treats, if the stories are to be believed.” “Night Circus?” Out of the corner of his eye, Hawks saw a small form turn. It bustled quickly over to him and shoved a flier into his grasp. He tried to look at the figure more closely, but they’d already vanished into the crowd. All that could be ascertained was that they were diminutive and draped in colorful cloth. So he focused on the flier instead. The Night Circus was written at the top in flowing letters. Below that were short but colorful descriptions of their star acts: Houdini, Mistress of Mirage...Tibia, Shadowy Contortionist...Dabi, Flame-Wielding Dancer... Beyond the gathering crowd, two tall torches suddenly came alight. The...dragons (he felt he had to call them that, even though something about them suggested otherwise) who’d lit them now beckoned the visitors onward. Hawks found himself swept along by the crowd, and was soon at the entrance. A grinning, sharp-toothed face popped up next to his, one paw held out. “Sorry, I don’t think I have enough money...” “Do you? Don’t worry, love, we’ll sort it out later.” Suddenly the paw was clutching a ticket. This was pressed into Hawks’ palm, and he was shunted onto the circus grounds. The tents loomed around him, and from within their silken interiors emanated perfumed smoke, laughter and music. He caught glints of jewels and magic—or eyes, perhaps, staring curiously out at him? “Lost, darlin’? Maybe you’d like somethin’ to eat?” “No, thank you,” Hawks wanted to say. But his stomach growled, and the wamble turned into different words: “Yeah, sure.” He was about to dip into his money pouch, but a grub kebab was flourished at him like a wand. “Ya got a ticket, darlin’! We’ll worry ’bout payment later.” A huge, bright eye winked at him through the smoke. Hawks tried to get a closer look, but the seller barked, “Next!” and he had to step aside to make room for a hungry Guardian. Still slightly bemused, he bit into the kebab. The outer shell crunched in his jaws, giving way to a soft, warm interior. “Delicious!” he thought, and was suddenly glad for the vendor’s pushiness. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until now... “And how starved of fun you are!” a little voice that wasn’t entirely his tittered inside his head. (Or was it right outside his ears?) “Look around, enjoy the sights! Such wonder doesn’t come to the desert every day...” After the discomfort of the desert, Hawks decided that it would be nice to stay longer. In the back of his mind, the sellers’ words sat uncomfortably, like a lead weight, but there were so many wonders clamoring for his attention.... Scents danced past his nostrils, sounds whirled past his ears. The orb upon his brow pulsed as it sifted through waves of excitement, anticipation, and awe. Hawks found himself drifting from one part of the circus to another, dreamily watching the performers. It seemed his claws were never empty, that something was always pushed into his grasp. A bouquet of edible flowers, a drink that glittered like stars... He had a brief moment of lucidity when a passerby jostled his drink from his grasp. Tiny ice sculptures scattered over his scales. He gasped from the cold shock of it, the sudden brightness—and through the smoke twining lazily overhead, he thought he could see...sunbeams? How long had it been since—? “Enjoying the performances, friend?” The Skydancer turned. A beautifully dressed Coatl was nearby, hovering without any obvious effort. He seemed friendly—it was difficult to be sure since his face was shadowed by his top hat. “Y...Yeah,” Hawks mumbled. He tried to spread his wings. “I’ve stayed too long. I have to...” “You’re a first-time visitor, you should be having fun! Stay a little longer...” Behind his glasses, the Coatl’s eyes were piercing. Hawks could feel that he was being studied, assessed, analyzed.... “Yes.” The hum had a firmer note to it, as if the Coatl had arrived at a decision. “You’ll be staying a while longer.” He flicked his wings, and the smoke closed up around them again. Hawks did not remember transitioning from spectator to performer in the Night Circus. It seemed he went to sleep one night as a visitor, and then the next time he became aware, he was standing by a stage, waiting to make his entrance. “And here, hailing from the desert! The magnificent, the indefatigable Hawks...” “That’s me!” he realized. He stepped onto the stage as the crowd’s cheer broke over him like a wave, and he was magnificent, gliding together with the trapeze artists, dancing among illusions, juggling balls of fire... It seemed he could do anything here—but he didn’t want to. Always at the back of his mind was that part of him that stubbornly remained Hawks, and it told him, “This isn’t right, this isn’t what you came here for. You must find a way out.” That lucidity grew stronger as time passed. Perhaps it was because the circus thought it’d already ensnared him completely, and was becoming complacent. He could feel the drowsing enchantments slipping away...though as he found out, there were other enchantments in place. It was afternoon...somewhere. The Night Circus was setting up for a week’s performance, and Hawks drifted idly around, wondering if he should warm up for the next show. A gap between the tents caught his eye. He could see rocky crags...the veldt...freedom! He had to make a dash for it. Everyone nearby was preoccupied, and it was so close. Surely he would make it! And then...a dark curtain dropped over the world. When Hawks came to, he was sprawled in the middle of the circus, his wings crumpled beneath him. He winced as something sharp prodded his leg. A Wildclaw was poking him with one foot, frowning down at him. “Hey, could you move? I’m setting up my stage here later on.” Hawks recognized him: Dabi, the circus’ fire spinner. He seemed a bit annoyed, but not hostile, so maybe...? “Listen, you have to help me.” “Look, I’m kind of busy...” “Just listen to me! I need to leave—” “What?” The Wildclaw blinked incredulously at him. Hawks, about to explain further, stopped cold as his antennae twitched. A dreadful suspicion began percolating in his mind. “If you need something from out there”—and Dabi spoke those last two words with disdain—“just send someone to get it for you. Dunno why you’d wanna do that; everything we need is here.” “If you say so.” Dabi’s blue eyes narrowed. “You weren’t thinking of leaving, were you?” “I was just...wondering...” Hawks trailed off weakly. He was still reeling—from his failure, from the unpleasant realization that maybe other dragons didn’t want to leave the circus. And if they didn’t want to leave, they probably wouldn’t want to help him escape either.... He would have to be very careful about whom he spoke with. “See you later, Dabi. I’d better go prepare now. Good luck.” “Hah! I’m not the one who needs it,” the Wildclaw said with a smirk. Hawks wasn’t offended by that—he would need all the luck he could get. The circus treated Hawks well, but he was fully aware now that he was a prisoner, and he knew that jailkeepers didn’t look kindly upon would-be escapees. He tried toeing the invisible boundary a couple of times, stepping beyond the circus’ brightly colored bunting. A brief rush of darkness later, he’d find himself back among the tents, everybody else bustling around him as though nothing had happened. “Is there anyone here I can trust?” Hawks maintained his distance from the other dragons, electing to spend more time around the animals. They reminded him of home, and he also thought it would be good to provide them with company. Most performers stayed away from them, save for Denebola, who handled the beast-taming acts. But she wasn’t always around. The beasts raised their heads as Hawks carefully approached. Serpents rattled in their baskets; a golden idol looked boredly at him before settling down for a nap. Hawks was about to veer away when something caught his eye: a flash of orange so vibrant, he briefly thought the tent had come aflame. He gasped in awe when he saw what it was: In a cage of pure magic, there was a phoenix, a creature of living fire. It was hunched down, as if trying to hide. But when he drew nearer, it began to pulse from within, an ember awakened. The brilliant eyes locked onto him. Hawks felt the same heat flow through him. He felt the creature’s curiosity, the power burning deep inside. He knew and understood its fierce and awful need to be free... ...and he knew that at last, against all odds, he’d found the creature who was meant to be his companion. He felt a great stab of regret. Normally, at this point, he would guide the creature back to his clan, where they would both be welcomed. The elders would conduct the congratulatory ceremony, and his friend would be accepted among the Dune Singers as well. But here, in this accursed circus, it was just the two of them. “And the two of us it’ll have to be, if we are to escape,” Hawks thought. He felt the phoenix’s approval flow through him, and they crowed in affirmation. More time passed, during which Hawks carefully studied the circus’ perimeter and the enchantments that enclosed it. The spells were generated by the circus itself: It was a sentient being with a mind of its own, and he and its people were simply living upon it like lice upon a cow. He pushed the disturbing image out of his mind and thought, as always, of escape. His phoenix friend would be the key. Denebola had several assistants who minded her beasts while she wasn’t with the circus. They had noticed Hawks’ skill with the animals and allowed him to help care for them. During this time, he and his phoenix had bonded more closely, and he now knew their name: Takami. He had also figured out how to open the locks on the animals’ cages. They put the plan into action one dawn. The goblins were just motioning the last few visitors towards the exit when the cry went up: “Fire!” The goblins hurried towards where the conflagration was starting: on the west side of the grounds, where some crates were piled. They could do without these supplies, but heaven forbid that the fire should touch one of the tents...! Hawks watched the goblins go. He’d taken Takami out of their cage earlier, and the phoenix had been only too glad to sacrifice a bit of their flame. Panic spread among the goblins—and soon the circus would feel it as well. It would try to tamp down the terror—and hopefully would be too distracted to maintain the barriers around itself. “We have to try!” Hawks threw off his cloak. Takami erupted from beneath it, blazing like a star. In unison, the two of them spread their wings. They flew towards the brightening east, their eyes firmly fixed on the light creeping across the horizon.... And Hawks nearly wept when, at long last, he felt the wind flow through his feathers. They’d done it! They were out of the Night Circus’ grasp! They’d left its diabolical enchantments behind— And then Takami screamed in pure terror, and he looked back. His heart nearly stopped cold: Darkness was swirling up from the circus. Not smoke, but a darkly twinkling fog that moved towards them with sinister intent. Getting closer...and closer... “Faster, Takami! Faster!” The phoenix screamed again, loud and piercing, as the fog engulfed them. Hawks refused to stop, however. He urged his companion onwards, staring longingly towards the dawn— —and suddenly sunlight was blazing down upon him, and he could see again. He could see! Hawks wobbled to his feet...and there was Takami, too, perched on a nearby rock! The phoenix squawked at him, a sound brimming with exultation and relief... ...but also terrible confusion. There was no sign of the Night Circus, but Hawks didn’t recognize where he was. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do next or where he ought to go—and, he realized with fresh horror, he couldn’t recall anything before the moment he’d had the accursed ticket shoved into his hand. “We’ll sort it out later, love.” The Night Circus had taken their memories. Hawks and Takami had no choice but to make their way through this strange new wilderness. They found themselves even more grateful for each other’s company, for the land was completely alien to them. Crumbling ruins shone in the sunlight or loomed out of the early-morning fog. The days were bright, but the nights were of deepest darkness, so different from the dazzling circus that had ensnared them. The circus...Fearful as they were of it, the pair agreed that their memories had to be retrieved. Hawks had maintained some of his survivalist skills, and by questioning the dragons and creatures they encountered, they found some evidence of the Night Circus’ passage. And so they pursued it, all the while discussing how they might wrest their memories from it—and escape intact this time. The trail did not lead them back to the Night Circus, however. Instead, in the hazy glow of a new dawn, Hawks and Takami found themselves standing before a great cathedral door. While they considered whether to knock or leave, the doors cracked open. The dragon who peered out at them, scarlet eyes blazing in an obsidian-dark face, did not look friendly. “You reek of goblins,” the doorkeeper rumbled, “yet you are not entirely theirs...and more importantly, you bear no invitation.” He flowed out in one sinuous movement, the fog eddying around him—and the pair saw to their horror that he’d snaked his tail behind them. He was encircling them now, his dreadful jaws opening wide. The rose in his mouth was completely overshadowed by his cruel teeth... Then, seemingly from the Cathedral itself, a voice spoke. “...and that was how we came...here.” Soleil, a skilled storyteller, understands that the tale has come to an end—for now. She nods politely, her pen scratching out those final few words. Across from her, Hawks patiently waits for any questions. Takami, as always, is perched nearby, their brilliance outshone only by the hearth. The star scrier is quiescent, but still softly aglow, resonating with the story Hawks has just shared. “Who was this voice?” “It was Cipher.” Hawks frowns as he recalls his first meeting with the golden demon, the unfathomable eyes staring deep into his soul. He feared the demon would demand it—they had lost so much already.... “It said we could stay here. I guess we should be grateful. We have places to sleep and eat. And we can hear other people’s tales....I’m hoping those will give us some clues to our past.” The star scrier pulses in acknowledgment. Soleil queries, “What of the Night Circus?” As one, Hawks and Takami shiver. The Skydancer explains, “Since coming here, we’ve heard...many things about it. Maybe it’d be better to avoid it, now that we have a safer option.” Takami croons, and Hawks cracks a rare smile. “Definitely better to stay near the warmth and the light. No matter what the circus thinks, we don’t belong to the night.” Soleil inclines her head. She thanks the storytellers for their time and wishes them well. And there she leaves them, by the firepit, staring reflectively into the glow. Waiting...listening...for the magic words that will conjure up their pasts. |
I N V E N T O R Y
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