Merulius

She was born to Guardian dragons who lived within a plague clan that consisted of mixed dragon species, her family was high in rank and had many expectations that came with their luxury way of living. She grew up learning history, politics, leadership, and many things that she was expected to learn and master by the time she became an adult. She would receive praise from her elders for being a quick learner, quiet, and well behaved, unlike the other hatchlings she had grown up alongside with, while it was nice to receive this praise, it also meant that she would be held to high standards for the future her parents destined for her. She was told she was destined for a bright future, that she would carry on the history of her clan and bring them strength and greatness. She continued to follow the path that her elders led her down, she was a hatchling prodigy that was destined for greatness.

She had learned that this destiny that her parents had pathed for her was to be wedded to the clan leader’s son, her parents had arranged marriage to strengthen their power within the clan, the moment she hatched was the moment her life was already decided for her. She discovered this after she woke up from her parents arguing. Her mother begging her father to cancel the arrangement, her father refusing and telling her mother maybe she should have laid more eggs if she didn’t want this to happen. She tried to go back to sleep, hoping that she was just having a bad dream, but as she watched the sun peak through her blinds, she came to accept reality. She didn’t want to accept it, but she learned to accept that her destiny was never hers to choose. She never wanted to learn what she was forced to learn, she never got to play with the other hatchlings when she was still young, her wants didn’t matter, she was ready to accept her fate. Until it was the next day she was declared a full grown dragon, as she looked out at the horizon, she felt a pull, she felt as if something was calling out to her.

The day of her destiny was approaching, her fear growing as it got closer. Her parents finally told her about it now that she was an adult, pretending she didn’t know but accepted that she would be married off. Night had come, and she was met with a knock on the bedroom door from her mother. Her mother carried some things into the room with her and made sure to close the door behind her. Her mother looked at her with sorrow in her eyes as she handed the things. “Run far from here” her mother whispered, “I refuse to let you live like this”. She tried to reassure her mother that she was fine with what was to come, but her mother told her; “I grew up the same way you did, I was arranged to marry your father. I have been nothing but miserable, I can’t leave, but you still have a chance”. Her mother kept her father distracted while she snuck out, this was her chance to follow whatever was calling her. Once she was outside, she spread her wings and took flight into the sky, the cold air flowing against her wings. She took one look back at her clan village, and prayed that her mother would stay safe.