Esmeralda

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Lvl 1 Gaoler Abyss Shaggy Abyss Streak Aqua Weathered Ice Unusual

FAMILY: UNDERTOW
Parents: Undertow and WhelkieAbyssarra
Grandparents: Current and Flo, Erindormu and Fulgurimi
Mate: Gabriel (Calypso)
Offspring: Raenice, Alegria and Shanaya (Calypso)

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I was born in an ancient lair locked within the Fortress of Ends. My parents were descended from Seekers who had gone off to the Sunbeam Ruins, and as such, were Light dragons. However, generations had passed, and the Shade had touched them as it has touched the rest of Sornieth.

Expecting to be welcomed home with open arms, they were instead imprisoned, shackled, and chained. My father was frozen over immediately, but they allowed my mother to lay her eggs first. Out of my siblings, I was the only one allowed to live. For some reason, though my siblings all carried the taint of the Shade, I did not.

I was raised as an orphan, and received my education from the Keepers and the Overseers, with whom I spent most of my time. They never failed to remind me how lucky I was to be alive and Ice-blessed, and when I was old enough to join an Order, I chose the Sentinels.

It was my way of repaying the Icewarden's kindness to me, to guard him and our Fragment, but secretly, I hoped that by proving myself worthy and earning the trust of the Icewarden and the other Gaolers, I might be able to negotiate for my parents' freedom.

I worked my way up the ranks, soon finding myself second to Asmund himself, the Sentinel-Warden. However, despite my accomplishments, I was afraid to bring my petition to the Icewarden. A part of me worried that I would find myself locked away with them, preserved in ice until the end of time. The timing just never seemed right, and then...

They started to arrive. First, the young Ridgeback we caught trying to make off with some of our valuable fossils and artifacts, followed soon after by his two friends, a Tundra and a Skydancer. All three Ice-blessed, yes, but Shade-touched as well. It was unheard of. How could the Gaolers have failed so badly to protect their own domain? How had the Icewarden himself allowed this?

Then, the Gaolers began to arrive. Von and Ren, from the Viridian Labyrinth; Jaeger and Thora from the Shifting Expanse. And they just kept coming, from all over Sornieth. Water, Wind, Light, and then lastly, Arcane.

When Gabriel stood in front of the Glacial Assembly for the first time, calmly meeting our icy gazes with those warm, pinkish-violet eyes, I felt something shift inside of me. My heart began to beat faster within my chest. He was by no means the first of the Outsiders, but there was something different about him, about the passion of his plea.

Here was no young whelp looking to make a name for himself. Here was the very spirit of the Gaolers itself, the kind of heart that, quite frankly, had been lacking for some time even among the wardens. Arcane or not, Shade-touched or not, I felt suddenly certain that the Icewarden would want to meet him.

My suggestion was met with outrage. Worst of all, was the look of sheer disgust in Asmund's eyes that I would even think of such a thing. It was put to a vote, as all such things are, and it was no surprise to see the idea dismissed. I was humiliated, I was angry.

Weren't we all concerned with the reinstatement of the Seekers, and the filling of the obvious gaps left in the other Orders? How could we turn away those who would volunteer willingly?

The answer was obvious enough. It was the same reason that I had grown up an orphan. As usual, the Ice Flight had its priorities all wrong. We had lost our focus. We had gone from fighting to protect Sornieth to fighting to preserve ourselves. It wasn't about right or wrong anymore. It was elitism.

In my anger, I made my choice. I waited for some time until I was certain that the matter had been forgotten, and then sought Gabriel.

Out of the three eggs, only one of our hatchlings survived. History repeats itself I suppose, or perhaps this was a judgment upon us. Regardless, we named the female Shanaya. We have managed to keep her parentage a secret, but now that she is of age, she has chosen to join the Seekers.

I fear that our secret may be out at last, for better or for worse.