Athena was barely an adolescent when the city of Everseau fell apart. She doesn't really know what happened very well, but everyone had to leave. Dragons fled in all different directions. Athena wasn't sure she would have made it out, amidst the panicked dragons and dust, but Melian came to her rescue. The little nocturne guided her out, and together they tried to find a new home.

The journey, however, wasn't entirely peaceful. There were all manner of dangerous beasts who didn't hesitate to attack them without provocation, and even plenty of dragons who would happily do them harm. Athena, naive child that she was, nearly got them into danger on multiple occasions, only staying away when Melian assured her they radiated malice. She defended them from most of the beasts and some besides, but Melian was far from the most skilled fighter, and Athena herself was delicate and frail, never having had to fight before, and her health wasn't exactly the best besides.

So it was of course Athena that nearly got them killed. She'd slipped away while her companion slept, thinking maybe she could surprise her with a nice breakfast. She wasn't going to go far. It should have been fine. But she hadn't noticed the thieves lurking in the shadows, a mistake Melian wouldn't have made. They jumped her, and wouldn't accept that such a pretty and dainty dragon didn't have anything to give. Melian came when she cried for help, but there was only so much the little nocturne could do against such imposing enemies.

Athena let out a shrill cry when her companion was knocked to the ground, and moved to shield her the only way she could. Melian had protected her all this time. She had to try something....

Cowering in fear, she only looked up when she heard a sickening crack. One of the bandits hung limply from the jaw of another skydancer, her teeth sunk deep into the assailant's neck. Athena could do nothing but stare as blood ran down the skydancer's feather's, and dripped onto the ground.

She dropped the lifeless body, and turned towards the others. Athena had never seen someone move so fast. She'd never seen so much blood. She let out another squeak when the dragon who'd seemingly saved them turned towards her and stalked over. Something about her patterning and the orange jewels on her body seemed familiar, but Athena's panicked mind couldn't place it. She tried to look threatening, defending her friend, but the skydancer just raised an eyebrow at her.

"Up," she commanded. Athena blinked. It took her a few moments to realize that this stranger couldn't want to kill her if she'd saved them just now, and wasn't attacking any more. Hesitantly, she got up, and stepped aside. The skydancer picked up Melian with surprising care. "Come," she said simply, and started walking off. Athena could do nothing but follow, still stunned and confused.

They came to a shabby little camp, but Athena had to admit it was better than what her and Melian had. The blue skydancer laid Melian down, and pulled out some herbs that she crushed, and put on the wounds. Carefully, she wrapped them, and only then did she look back at Athena. "What are you doing out here, pampered little princess?" she practically hissed.

Athena stepped back. "We-- we didn't have a home anymore. We had to leave." She would've stayed if she'd had a choice. Of course she would have, even if something had been off about the city.

"You always had the choice to settle with others. Why keep wandering?"

"I-- I--" Athena started, trying to find her words. Why hadn't they ever settled down somewhere? They'd come across a few clans in their travels. She looked down, and sat as she thought. It had always been Melian making the decisions. "...Melian would always say, there was something wrong. That we should keep moving. I don't know why. Although she did say she wanted to get as far from possible from the remains of Everseau."

"Trust that paranoid nocturne to always find something wrong." She shook her head.

Athena tilted her head. "Wait... do you two know each other?"

"Something like that." How helpful. "Get some rest. You'll need your strength." She stood up and moved to her hastily made shelter, before stretching out on the ground.

Athena shifted, but the skydancer didn't seem to have anything else to say. Actually, she simply fell asleep. Reluctantly, she got up from her spot and walked over, looking around the area. After pacing around a bit and debating about her choices, she settled next to her unconscious friend, and let herself fall into nightmares.

When morning came, Athena learned from Melian that the two did know each other. In fact, the skydancer was also from Everseau, which explained why Athena had thought she seemed familiar. A nameless skydancer who'd lurked around the outer edges of the city, and who had been given the simple name of "Killer", for her fierce temperament and her often lethal fighting style. She never spoke much, but she was more than willing to dispose of any dragon who got on her bad side, and had never been known to lose a fight.

And it was Killer who took over leadership of their little group. She guided their travels, and killed anything that gave them trouble. Athena found herself initially disliking her and how she always pushed them and didn't seem to care when they were tired and hurting. Melian certainly didn't seem to get on well with the skydancer, but admitted a grudging sort of respect for her. And neither of them could deny they were safer travelling together.

It took a while for Athena to start to understand Killer better. It wasn't that she didn't care. It was that she wanted them to be stronger. She did care. She just showed it a little differently. Which became especially obviously when she insisted Athena learn how to fight. Melian was entirely against the idea, saying that Athena was far too fragile to fight. She'd snap like a twig. She'd wear herself out and get sick. Anything and everything that could go wrong would. But Killer wasn't deterred. And really, neither was Athena. If Killer was willing to teach her, she was willing to try to learn.

And she did try. She often got hurt, but she just as soon got back up to try again. Athena was still haunted by her memories, and the thought of being so powerless and vulnerable again terrified her even more than the mental image of that thief's limp body, more than the blood splattered on the grass and trees. It was Melian's battered, beaten body that made her keep getting up, even when it hurt. Even when she felt ready to collapse.

But despite her resolve, her body was still weak. It gave Melian excuse to tell Athena to stop, to just let her and Killer handle the fighting. Athena had even made herself sick from pushing too hard, despite them both telling her to rest. She wanted to be strong... but Melian seemed sure she'd kill herself trying. And that wouldn't do anyone any good.

Athena cursed herself for being too weak to go much past the basics. Why did she have to be so weak? In a bout of frustration, [to be continued and fixed up]

By MordareMarkie