Autonomy
(#64735262)
Chapter Three
Click or tap to view this dragon in Predict Morphology.
Energy: 50/50
This dragon’s natural inborn element is Ice.
Male Tundra
This dragon is hibernating.
Expand the dragon details section.
Collapse the dragon details section.
Personal Style
Apparel
Skin
Scene
Measurements
Length
3.25 m
Wingspan
3.44 m
Weight
323.64 kg
Genetics
Grey
Tapir
Tapir
White
Constellation
Constellation
Abyss
Smirch
Smirch
Hatchday
Breed
Eye Type
Level 1 Tundra
EXP: 0 / 245
STR
5
AGI
9
DEF
5
QCK
8
INT
6
VIT
6
MND
6
Biography
The wind in the south of Wandering Contagion is always putrid. It brings all the scents of The Scarred Wasteland, sometimes it sprinkles the humid soil with dust from the north, sometimes it scorches it dry.
The denizens of Southern Orcaosite Town shield from the misty, boiling sky with anything they can scavenge. Usually that is bone and leather shelters, with several floors dug deep down beneath, and connected with elaborate tunnels and canals. The town is busy, top streets always covered in swarms of travelling mirrors and visitors, deeper levels habitated by hard working ridgebacks.
Sparrow noticed the last time he got to see this place, all what was born here had a specific pink coloration. This apparently occurred due to the local mined rock called orcaosite - after which the location got named.
Only one structure stands out sharply. The pit, as everyone calls it. This construction site has yet unknown purpose, all that is known is that it is a top secret.
,,Ya think we should worry about it?"
Sigrid chirped, leaning over Sparrow's shoulder.
She was a highly honored monarch in this area now. At first, such position made her unsure, as she wondered what could The Filthiest Council require her for. Wandering Contagion was nothing she was used to. She grew up in a quarantine zone, among highly educated scholars. These dragons, who formed pacts with beastclans, were just miners and scavengers. No elites. Until she took command, of course.
,,More like we should worry about who's building it. I don't like those science folks Siri."
Sparrow grew a good few inches since he moved back in. In length, he was nowhere near an average tundra, more like nearing a gaoler. He no longer shivered in Sigrid's shadow, although his confidence did still stay behind.
,,Well, they say they have orders directly from Wyrmwund. I cannot argue with that, you know."
She replied reassuringly, but neither of them faced this situation with certainty. This strange coalition of different elements came to Orcaosite along with Sigird, Sparrow and their guest, the mysterious prisoner who introduced himself as Arpaad. And they have been sniffing around ever since, not explaining a word about their actions. They were highly suspicious.
• • •
The sun was rising above Orcaosite coldly, slowly awakening everyday hecticness. Sigird spread her wings in its soft rays and routinely organized her feathers.
Her lair, dug in a nearby rocky hill, was a strategic location. She observed her town wake up, mirrors take off to gather resources, serthis get up for a hunt or open markets and ridgebacks toss around materials for their handcraft.
Wind chimes made of bones and beads rang in the amber breeze along with the melody of birds singing their dawn serenades. Then suddenly a non harmonic clinging stopped their song, as someone behind her sneaked underneath the decoration.
She gasped, turned around and to her shock spotted two bogsneaks of an unusual appearance, accompanied by her guard imperials. They were not local, and not welcomed without her permission.
,,Madam, we come in a diplomatic manner. We suggest you comply."
The duo explained their invasion, Sigrid's biggest worries came true. The Chaos Alliance is taking over her town, and they have commands from Wyrmwund. There isn't much she can do.
• • •
Sparrow was charging through the wild streets in panic. Everyone was freaking out, running from place to place, shouting messages to each other that got more and more distorted the further they got. Ridgebacks were flapping their shining pink wings to shoo smaller creatures away from their dangerous scales, some were even straight up fighting their way through the crowds. Mirrors were slipping between their legs and over their heads, while most beastmen just stayed covered somewhere away from the overwhelming giants.
In all of this mess, a wide space cleared out before him, where he could finally gain some orientation. There, he saw him. The easiest recognizable beast in all of Sornieth, marching in the middle of the alley with guards pushing away every dragon and hatchling in their path. Arpaad… that sleazy snake. Is he behind this?
Arpaad, throwing around his third set of limbs authoritatively, shouted orders left right, fueling the havoc. By his side, behind the guard who Sparrow recognized was originally Sigird's, followed dragons of all shapes and eye colors, clothed in white coats and armor.
Sparrow couldn't believe his eyes. That traitor. They took him in with pity, gave him a chance for freedom. Now he commanded their town around like he owned the place.
• • •
Finally reunited with Sigird, Sparrow and all of their denizens were gathered before a tall skyscraper, just like the ones he saw back in Wyrmwund. On a podium in front of this build, stood the gathering of dragons he saw earlier with Arpaad, and then the villain himself. The whole town was awaiting their speech.
,,Town of Orcaosite, hear carefully. We are the Chaos Alliance, elite science team sent directly from Wyrmwund. We have simple orders, and you will follow. Resistance is futile."
The crowd howled and growled, but the slim, pitch black bogsneak with sparkling arcane eyes followed.
,,You will now work in the name of Chaos Alliance, your people will be in the command of Arpaad the ridgoler, our superior project. Speak, my child."
The silky maned creature stepped in front of the group and explained his orders.
It was not looking good for the locals.
The Filthiest Council has commanded the town will be turned into a quarantine zone, and the cloud reaching build behind them was going to be the main research facility. Citizens will all be hired to work in the name of "null research", or be banished from the territory. He also demanded cooperation from Sigrid and her right hand, Sparrow. But there was no way that was happening. Right?
,,You and me, we are not so different, you know?"
Arpaad whispered deceitfully and ripped his gaze off of Sparrow's back. The nasty beast has been sniffing around too close lately, demanding the tundra's attention.
Sparrow knew not to fall for his tricks. But the whole town, even Sigird… they all jumped as Arpaad whistled. The people of Orcaosite followed him like their chosen leader. Maybe it was fear, maybe some magical charm. After all, Arpaad was not a dragon.
,,Are you insulting me?"
The tundra growled with such disgust, even the guard outside his door fell silent. Terrible stillness filled the tent. One could only hear the breeze and grass brush against the hemp walls.
,,Ouch."
Arpaad's voice dropped and he hid his sight into one of the room's corners. The lantern light was too dim to illuminate his face, yet Sparrow noticed an emotional response. As if the beast actually felt something.
,,I will need your unit of mirrors ready before tomorrow's dawn. I will march them to the rest myself."
He continued speaking, without lifting eyes. His voice trembled. Sparrow almost began worrying if he perhaps said something wrong.
,,You're going to slaughter a bunch of good dragons. They were raised to bring glory to Plaguebringer, not your crew of good for nothing pseudo-scientists."
Sparrow growled again, fur on the back of his neck fluffed up like an angry wolf. The longer this group of researchers and their doubtful craft has been sticking around, the hungrier his anger grew. And the longer this hairy punk talked, the more he wanted to test how well it can fight. If at all…
The beast inhaled deeply, but his voice shook too hard to let out a word. Soft, yellow light danced on the waves of his fur as he shook nervously, his gaoler-like wings clenched and ears disappeared in the soft mane.
Not even the weeks of built up fury could block out Sparrow's sense for empathy. He felt the ice elemental analyst in him whisper he's doing a mistake, but he was willing to risk it. Is this is how Arpaad will manipulate him after all?
He stepped towards the distressed creature and stretched his wing out to his back. But before he could speak, the skin contact made the beast jump back and snap out.
Snooty as ever, Arpaad flicked to his perfectly unbearable bossy persona, pushed out his chest and posed to appear as tall as such creation can be. His worried tremble was gone in an instant and all what was left was the horrible manipulator Sparrow got used to. He barked a few orders Sparrow's way and rushed out of his tent without waiting for a confirmation.
For the tundra, it remained a sleepless night. He was afraid for his people. For the future of this town. For Sigird, who took her ridgebacks south, following the orders of Chaos Alliance. And now… even for the monster that was terrorizing them. He couldn't let his mind off of the memory of this interaction for weeks. He truly believed he saw Arpaad's honest side. And it was so different... Was that the wrong thing to feel?
Sparrow flapped his wings and his lungs filled with sharp, freezing breeze he once recognized as a memory of long lost home. Now it felt like the air is turning into sharp shards of ice inside of his chest, slowly freezing over his struggling heart, that shriveled not only with cold, but also anticipation for an upcoming battle. Their boat was sailing slowly through the glacier filled seas of the south, buying time for mages clearing the path from ice.
Clacking of chitin armor approached him from behind and a short chirp of a familiar scientific experiment politely greeted him. The wind gently played with the beast’s glistening hair as he settled besides the tundra. Dressed in fuzzy coats enriched by armor plates of chitin, bones and strongest metals forged in the heart of Ashfull Waste, Arpaad stood taller and prouder than ever.
Perhaps the gaoler blood within his veins awakened upon facing the lands of ice for the first time, Sparrow thought. He wasn't mistaken when he recognized the ancient breed of Icewarden's in his expression. After Sparrow managed to persuade the alliance commander to take him along to witness the siege, they got to spend a lot of time side by side. He learned a lot about his origins- the title "ridgoler" meant a combination of a ridgeback and a gaoler. He was an attempt at creation of a new, non elemental breed. But Arpaad believed the Chaos Alliance failed their project. Although just like Sparrow, he never showed any magic abilities and both of their eyes were so pale, one could barely recognize their elemental alignment.
,,What if we lose?’’ Sparrow whispered, leaving his worried words to the wind.
,,Those who defeat us win.’’ Arpaad rumbled.
Sparrow gazed emptily into the sparkling icebergs before them. He wasn’t scared, but he wished, as always, to think through every possibility his mind could unravel. Maybe a little scared.
,,We’re dying out here aren’t we?’’
,,The circle of life and death, Little Lion. If we die, the stronger live. If we live, the weaker die.’’
Arpaad took a breath so deep, Sparrow could hear the frozen wind echo in his lungs just like in the tunnels their armies are digging below the sea they are sailing.
,,We are the wandering contagion.’’
Sparrow snickered, locked sight with Arpaad and left his usual aura of confidence and comfort flow through him, guiding him to focus only and solely on the quest ahead.
,,We are dead.’’ He smiled.
,,I told ya not to fall for its lies, are you really that forgetful ya little dusty rag?!"
Sigird rose her voice so high it cracked. She hissed like a startled cobra, her feathers flickered and eyes sparkled, but Sparrow didn't back up an inch.
,,And I told you you need to listen to me. He's not what you assume he is, have some respect."
Sparrow felt some fur get pulled out as the ridgoler clumsily stepped on his tail, while attempting to hide his about twice as big body behind the tundra's spread out wings.
,,This is no place to have such discussion. We have a heist to ace."
Sigird hissed and flipped her head towards the tunnel opening before them. In just a few days, her skilled ridgebacks dug up an impressive system under the ice fields of Fortress of Ends. Their target, one of the prison complexes ancient gaolers have been guarding for years, was silently turned into a deadly trap, ready to be triggered.
Arpaad crawled from behind the tundra and unhinged an unsure smile only in a way a ridgeback's face can. Despite popular belief, neither of the three commanders present were aware of the purpose they were fighting for today, but they knew the goal - release the imprisoned. The Chaos Alliance orders were clear, but the execution was up to them. And they were going to ensure a show.
• • •
Frore wind squalled off of crystal clear walls of ice. The length of tunnels stretching underneath the fortress couldn't stop the pressuring winds of the south.
A pair of overseers carefully stepped down the opening of a tunnel they didn't recognize. Even louder than these frigid gusts, a wondrous voice echoed in the back of their massive skulls. Reinforcements were already on the way, but they couldn't resist not to go investigate. It was luring them in.
Shards of ice were cracking under their feet, but in the abberancy of that beautiful melody, they didn't even notice the cracking around them.
Just a little further down the hole, their friends must be right behind them anyway. They could even see a silhouette projecting onto the glacial wall before them. They were so close, they could almost reach behind the corner and…
,,NOW!"
The angelic voice turned sharp, and the silhouette shaped into a recognizable imperial.
,,Intruders!!"
The gaolers shouted, darting towards the dragoness.
Earth shaking crack froze their movement in a shock, as the wall before them shattered in a single blow. A wooden device dashed through the glassy barrier and burrowed the guard in shards. Along with the sound of shifting ice, swooshing snaps of ropes rang through the chambers. A series of loud bangs released a roaring ancient terror from its cell. An amalgamation of the darkest fears cut its way through the ceiling with ease.
Sigird's voice gained in ferociousness and her magical lure switched to a battle chant, which shaped the monster's flight as she wished.
Like in a very wicked dance, the imperial flew by the side of the dark horror all the way to the surface. Chaos ensued at the top as gaolers rallied for defense. Sigird got the pleasure of witnessing their surprised sights, before she released the monstrosity into the skies with a single roar. And the entertainment of watching them panic, as her swarm of mirrors emerged from the ground below them.
,,The imperial! They are controlling the prisoners-"
An experienced looking gaoler was probably going to order his recruits with that sentence, if they weren't struck to the ground by a shadowy creature before they could finish it.
• • •
Sparrow watched the rampage from the balconies of the fortress, while nonchalantly exploring the chambers. Ridgebacks cleared the way before him and melted chains with their breaths. The monstrosities they released today weren't always corrupted shades, and some of them even showed thankfulness before they scattered into the cold horizon. They wouldn't hurt them today. Under the influence of Sigird's alluring song, they fought on their side. Sparrow only feared tomorrow, the day all of Sornieth should dread.
• • •
Arpaad couldn't do much but grin at the view. It felt twisted to smile in this context. He knew they are unleashing terrible horrors, which will bring nothing but death. But in the reflection of Sigrid's scales, he felt free. For a moment, there was no Chaos Alliance, no oppression from his creators. And here, he was in power. This operation is his work, and everything is perfectly going as planned. Nothing ever felt this way before.
Frigid squeal dashed close by his face, reminding him to focus. Not even the most frantic battlefield of the century was enough to stop his strong day dreaming habit. Right behind the fledgling shade followed flapping of the golden imperial's wings. Sigrid chased the dark spirits around like cattle, herding any individuals who resisted her battle cry with sharp beams of light, with her warrior dragons deflecting gaolers trying to fight them off.
Dreamily, he stared into the raw clash of elements. This might not be the right side to be fighting on, or the right cause to be fighting for... but war is what he knew the best. Maybe one day the plagueling in him will grow tired of battling and find a peaceful place to rest with his friends. Not today, certainly. There is still a lot of work to do. And a bunch of walls to smash.
Click or tap a food type to individually feed this dragon only. The other dragons in your lair will not have their energy replenished.
This dragon doesn't eat Insects.
This dragon doesn't eat Meat.
This dragon doesn't eat Seafood.
Feed this dragon Plants.
You can share this dragon on the forums by either copying the browser URL manually, or using bbcode!
Exalting Autonomy to the service of the Plaguebringer will remove them from your lair forever. They will leave behind a small sum of riches that they have accumulated. This action is irreversible.
Do you wish to continue?
- Names must be longer than 2 characters.
- Names must be no longer than 16 characters.
- Names can only contain letters.
- Names must be no longer than 16 characters.
- Names can only contain letters.