Oathbound

Dystopia

---

Oathbound regrets his age-old oath. Despite how much he wishes, it is such an oath that can never be broken, lest he along with any descendants and relations will be forever cursed.

It feels like a lifetime ago when he took the oath to forever honor and serve Plaguebringer. It was a time when it was an honor to serve the deity before aberrations were betrayed by her. In this old age, he took this oath since it was the thing to do as every child does their best to please their parents.

It was quite tempting to break this very oath, which he almost did. It was an intense romance with the infamous Ruby. Oathbound found her traveling with an old caravan that was a bit younger than the first days but still quite old. Her vile reputation did her justice as her thirst for vengeance was just as strong, if not stronger than the rumors described. This intrigued him so before he knew it, they had a nest together with three beautiful rotten-looking eggs.

Once the three hatchlings were born, Ruby asked him to be her general. Oathbreaker kindly declined in which she chased him far from the rickety caravan but not before grazing his side. It didn't hurt physically due to his tough crystal-plated hide. However, it did pain him to leave the Scarred Wasteland as he knew that if he stayed, he would either have to honor his oath to Plaguebringer and stop the traitor or break his oath and assist in treason.
It had been days that Oathbound wandered the skies, unsure of where he was going; all he had was his reasoning, nothing but death and broken promises were left for him in the land he called home after all. The stress of the situation drew his minds away from the world around him, eyes locked on the skies as the stars grew brighter and the haze of the Scarred Wasteland was left far behind him.

Both sides of his attention were too divided, each distracted by the views around him and the events that recently transpired. It was the perfect opportunity for a rogue shard of Crystalspine to lazily drift in his flight path. The impact was immediate, dulled by his tough crystal hide, but sending him plummeting into the purple and pink hues of the Starfall Isles. Upon hitting the ground, everything went dark.

Upon waking up, he was met by what he initially believed to be four dragons surrounding him. Though coming to, he saw one of them was an Aberration not unlike himself if not a bit more unusual in appearance. In the company of his kin was a Skydancer of pure white including their vacant eyes, and a deep purple Coatl accented in gold.

The pair of modern dragons explained how they found him, sprawled out unconscious in the space their former lair resided, while his own Aberrant kin continued to eye him up and down. The duo of heads seemed to act independently and on their own accord, different than how he and others he had known before typically behaved; this wasn't to even begin remarking on their appearance.

Gathering himself and regaining his composure, he agreed to follow the strange dragons back to their lair within the Astrolodome, promising him protection from the wrath of his former mate in turn for his assistance with happenings around the clan. Little did he know how stranger things would get, allowing himself to be inducted into the Temporal Clan even with some chagrin.

The other Aberrant, Memento and Mori, had explained how they were drawn to him, sensing his near-death experience and wishing to help him to connect to his roots within the Scarred Wasteland. While his home now was within the unusual rift within the Starfall Isles, his heart and undying oath remained in the heart of the Wyrmwound.

"Explain to me your motives for keeping such a close eye on me. I have a hard time believing our ideals align."

"In a way, I suppose they do, but matching minds isn't really important now is it?"

"You're here for a reason, just like us! Kinda weird that you're speaking in unison though, huh? Never seen one of us like that before."

"I can tell you haven't seen many of 'us' as it is then, you two... are a curiosity in yourselves. What is this reasoning you speak of for my presence here?"

"There's two of us!"

"Yes...?"

"There are two versions of us existing simultaneously, more than one of us not just two of us sharing a body."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"Your past follows you like a ghost, as does ours, just more physical. We need your help just like you need ours."

"Don't be disappointed that I've begun to doubt your abilities in helping me."

"You want to fulfill your oath, perhaps gain retribution to the one who caused you to wind up here? Weird things happen within the Rift."

"Talk to the right folks around here and anything can happen."

"Anything?"

"Anything. The timelines are becoming crossed, before us lies infinite possibilities."

"Before us lies impossible odds, endless futures."

"Before us lies a fathomless Oblivion."

"The clock is still ticking regardless, however."

"Time marches ever onwards."

"We must make the most of this with the precious moments we still have."

"Then show me what must be done."