Critias

Time tot(mother side)/Deciple of Anubis(fathers side)

"I am sending both you and Zetsu to the border. There have been a few tribes of beast clans hanging a little too close to our hunting ground for my liking." Kodama's sharp blue eyes pasted over the two in front of him.
"Do not engage unless necessary. Do you understand me?"
"Yes sir!" The both said as they stood a bit taller.
The doors to the meeting room slammed open and to Kodama's irritation, Timaeus came in. His eyes lit with furry and anger. His eyes landed on the two dragons standing before his
commander and eyes narrowed.
"I do not approve of your disruption."
"Cut the crap! You are not sending my son out on a mission! I forbid it!" He roared.
"YOU do not command me 'Ti'. He does have a voice of his own you know. Critias?"
"Yes sir?" Critias said meekly as all eyes turned to him.
"Do you think you're incapable of going on this mission? Please voice your opinion. Speak freely"
He looked between the two mighty dragons in front of him and he felt his stomach roll. Zetsu looked at him from the side, his eyes filled with pity. Timaeus glared down at his son with much anger. His whiskers flicked slightly at his agitation.
"N-no sir. I think I am capable of this mission. I only need the chance to prove myself."
“You only think? Do you not believe in your own ability? What if you pass into a time you know nothing of?"
"I do believe in my abilities and that would never happen. For I have learned from the best."
Kodama smirked as he turned to Timaeus who's eyes softened slightly at his son's words.
"I still do not want him to go, send someone else. Or better yet I will go instead." Timaeus' growled as he looked back to Kodama who had the most amused smirk on his face. Which irritated him even more.
"What is so funny oh great commander? What would you do if I sent your son out on a mission like this?!"
Kodama sighed and rolled his eyes. It was a very interesting experience to watch the Commander and his captain argue. Kodama was cool and collected while Timaeus was explosive with emotions. A ying and a yang of the clan.
"I would trust your judgement. For I would believe in my sons abilities to complete the mission without fail. Timaeus, you must let him do this. He is not an hatchling anymore! Do not dwell in the past for those times were much harder and I know you are holding him back cause you think you are protecting him. Which in actuality you are holding him back from growing. What does his mother have to say? I bet you anything she would agree with me. Not because I am the commander but because I am right."
Kodama's stern but comforting words filled each and every one in the room with hope and comfort. For this reminded them why he was their commander. Fierce when needed and gentle when the situation arises.
"Father I can do this! I will prove to you that I can. That I have control over the rifts. I will spar you. I am not afraid."
Kodama whipped his eyes to the young dragon, eyes filled the surprise but was soon replaced with worry.
"Cri you don't need to do that! You know your father will not hold back anything if it means keeping you here! Zetsu whispered harshly as Timaeus turned to his son.
"Timaeus you can't be really thinking of doing this? How petty are you to not let your son go?" Kodama hissed his tail flicking in irritation.
"I will not back down from this, I will prove I am ready!"
"Hmm you sound like some stubborn dragon I know really well." His golden eyes flickered and his armor made a musical chiming noise as he approached his son. Critias narrowed his sapphire eyes at his fathers golden ones.
Zetsu backed away from the aura that the captain was resonating off of him. It was meant to make the weak willed crumble under its pressure. But Critias stood strong not flinching back from the force that was his father.
"Are you sure you are ready? I will not hold back. I promise you that." Timaeus' voice rumbled as he stood right in front of his son.
"I will not back down. I know the risks of this battle."
"I hope you do.... For your sake."
Kodama walked down between the two and looked between each. Timaeus' golden eyes burned into his as he nodded his head, accepting the challenge. He then turned his eyes to Critias. His eyes showed much fear but was determined to keep his word.
"A battle between clan mates means that each must recite the words. You both know them and I will be a witness along with Zetsu. May your claws be sharp and your movement swift." He nodded to both. Timaeus stared down his son and then they both started to recite the words.

"We are a clan of dragons who have the powers of many youkai and spirits. They are a part of us and make us a strong warrior clan. We call upon their powers to assist us in battle and in times of need. Together we are strong and we dance to the sounds of the darkening sky. We sing to the moonless nights and become one with the shadows. We are the Night parade of one hundred demon dragons."

After the last word was said they quickly parted. Critias used a small time rift to jump ahead of his father a few seconds. He was soon looming above his father reading to dive down at him.
Timaeus had shot into the air almost at the same time but his wing took him much higher than anticipated . He launched fire at his son which made him dive down again to avoid the heat of the flames. He focused hard and stopped time around the flames giving him a reprieve from the onslaught. Though he wasn't quite fast enough when he stopped his magic and his fetlocks of his hind legs got singed. He dropped back to the ground but slowly caught the raging winds from the sea. Critias winced slightly before adjusting himself and shooting back up into the air with a quick kick off from the ground as he passed by. Timaeus took his chance to dive down back at him as his son grabbed for more height with his wings.
“Your little time tricks can work for only so long!”
He was soon upon him whipping his wings out hard and stretching his hind claws to grab onto Critias which led to him digging his claws into his son's side . Critias quickly flipped around shooting flames into his father's face. He almost felt bad but then he remembered what type of battle this was and puffed another wave of flames to join the rest. Then to his horror his father appeared through the flames right in front of him. Critias panic and activated his powers.
Time slowed between the two but he could feel the strain of magic draining him. Timaeus was frozen in the air in front of his talons outstretched. The strain almost made Critias drop from the sky as it pulled at his reserves.
“Stupid! Using the time rift so quick after another is a death wish!” Critias chastised himself.
He flapped his wings only to have his muscles scream at him making him lose focus. The time rift on Timaeus stopped and he continued ramming into Critias sending him spiraling into the ground below.
He could feel the strain on his wings as he tried to correct himself but he could feel his right wing having a hard time. He snapped his wings to his sides to rebalance himself. Using his magic made him feel super drained and had no energy to correct himself properly. Soon the ground became very close and he knew he would crash into it so with one flap he directed himself to the nearby sea. He hit the wave with a heavy crash as he sunk into the waves. His wings bent back forcefully making him cry out under the water which led to him taking in water. He tried to swim but the bulkiness of his damaged wing dragged him down even more. His eyes started to feel heavy. His armor was working against him dragging him farther down into the depths.
Was this the end? Was he going to drown in his element? How humiliating.... Maybe he shouldn't have challenged his father to this dual. He seemed to be proving him right on all fronts. He wasn't ready. He could feel his consciousness fading as he sunk, it was surreal as he looked around at the vast waters and then everything went dark, like a blanket covering his eyes and he knew nothing.


Timaeus soared slowly over the area his son had dove under the waves but he had yet to surface. The dark water's made it impossible to tell where he was. Is he waiting to ambush him? Drag him under into his element? He glanced over to the cliff side and Kodama's frantic eye's searched the waters. His eyes glowing intensely along with Zetsu as they scanned the sea for any signs of Critias. Then to Timaeus' horror Kodama's eyes snapped to him with panic before he heard him yell.
"Timaeus! Something is wrong! He should have come up by now!" Kodama had already started to stripe his armor and started for the cliff side. Timaeus' eyes widening as he frantically scanned the water's surface for any sign of his son and to his fear he saw nothing. Without thinking for his own safety he dove into the harsh waters, still wearing all of his armor.
Ti! No!" Kodama had reached the edge and dove in not long after he saw Timaeus disappear under the waves. It was his element so he could manipulate the water to help him swim faster and he caught up to Timaeus, who moved slowly through the water with his armor. He signaled for him to surface but Timaeus refused and kept swimming. Soon a glistening of golden color caught their eye and they saw Critias slowly sinking. Kodama was first to reach him wrapping around Critias to assess the situation. Timaeus arrived quickly and was already pulling him to the surface with Kodamas' help. They breach the surface and Zetsu was hovering as best he could above the waves. As they surfaced Zetsu reached down and grabbed Critas from the other two and with his unnatural strength few him back up to the cliff side. Timaeus and Kodama swam for the beach.
“Critias! Wake up!” Zetsu nudged him harshly and to his relief Critias coughed and water came flooding out.
“I can’t believe you did that.” Zetsu’s voice was a mixture of awe, gratitude and, above all else, worry.
“YOU scared me! Just wait until your father and the commander get up here.”

“Can’t believe I did either,” Critias muttered and slowly stood up. Shaking off the water and wobbling to the side. Zetsu was there in seconds to support him.

“You used your rifts too close to each other. If you weren’t careful you could have sent your father to a different time all together!”
Zetsu's eyes glowed slightly as his emotions took over for a moment. Critias winced at the look his friend was giving him.
“I know. He knew that too when I froze him for a few seconds. Pretty sure I failed this sp-”
“Holy sh—” Zetsu exclaimed. Still, the action had Critias pivoting, brow creased. “Critias! You’re hurt!”
Critias blinked.
“No I’m not,” he denied, even as he glanced down.
There was a deep gash on his side, crimson dripping down his side and staining the ground even darker.
Oh.
He had apparently been slashed pretty good.
It seemed his armor wasn’t as durable as his fathers armor.
It was like his body was waiting for him to realize it as now it was all he could think about and his side was a ball of fire and his front leg was aching too. Apparently adrenaline had kept him going for as long as it had because it hadn’t even hurt but now it really, really did and when had he gotten slashed he didn’t even remember but—

Critias’s knees buckled beneath him and a short gasp was torn from his throat.

Zetsu was there within half the span of a second, arm wrapped tight about his shoulders and guiding Critias from the freefall to lay on his good side.

“Easy, easy, buddy,” Zetsu murmured.

“Zetsu,” Critias said, the word echoing about as though it wasn’t actually him speaking it. “I got hit.”

“Yeah, you did.”

Everything was going blurry. His whole world was spinning.

“Critias,” Zetsu’s hand squeezed his shoulder. “Critias.”

He let out a low groan in answer.

“Buddy, I need you to stay awake, okay?
Critias hummed.
He nodded as he laid his head down on the rocky cliff side. Keeping his eyes cracked open.
“Good job, buddy, you did good.”

Zetsu sounded like he was speaking from the end of a tunnel now, or maybe from the bottom of a cliff, words a gentle murmur now.

“You’re gonna be all right, it’s gonna be fine,” Zetsu kept up his litany that was growing softer and softer in Critias’s ears.

He managed a small smile even around the pain that was giving way to a detached numbness but that was okay too.

“—be okay. Critias, buddy hang on—”

Critias’s eyes slipped closed.

“—tias, please—”
He was so tired.
“CRITIAS!”
Then a voice boomed into his ears making him open his eyes wide. He looked up and saw his father dripping wet and breathing hard. His golden eyes filled with worry. His helmet was missing which was a strange sight for him. He felt cold wet palms on the side of his face.
"Thank the tidelord! I thought you were leaving us.”
“Im… ok father. I-”
“Do not apologize. The fault is mine. I should have never pushed you as hard as I did.”
Kodama leaned over and started checking the gash. He hissed slightly, his hair bristled before he turned his glowing gaze to Timaeus.
"There is something called restraint Timaeus. You slashed him all the way down to his ribs! We can't move him until I heal part of it before he bleeds out."
Timaeus flinched and almost shrunk upon his commander's anger. Critias had never seen his father so meek and emotional.
"Many first today it seems." Critias chuckled to himself.
He felt the commanders palms lay against his ripped side. Critias flinched and cried out.
"Ko careful!"
"You are the last dragon I want to hear that from." He hissed not looking at him.
His palms glowed with cold fire and it burned like any flame. Critias cried out even louder and Timaeus shook with rage. Not at Kodama but at himself.
"Father… I'm….fine. Don't….worry." Critias said between gasps.
Kodama was done almost as soon as he began. He checked over his quick healing job before nodding to Zetsu, who quickly took to the sky heading back to the clan.
“I sent for Asra, she will be here soon. Rest child.”
Kodama moved away and Timaeus watched him go and hung his head.
I should have never made you do this spar. I know you don’t have a very good handle on your powers. Your mother never was good at explaining things before she went back to her clan. I should contact her. You need to know your origins and what you are part of.”
Father I do know parts of it. She told me when I was younger when I was the last one left in the nest. I was weak but she would tell me stories of her grandmother's adventures of fighting for freedom and death. That time is important and that I must not dwell on the past or I might change something unintentionally.”Critias said, adjusting above a whisper, losing his fight with exhaustion.
“Rest Cri, I will be there when you awaken.”
Darkness took him but happy dreams met his descent. Dreams about his mother and all her stories of time travel and the temporal rifters.