Cedrela

Lore

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He was programmed for this.

Literally or not, it didn’t matter.

Cid, known by the entirety of Sornieth as the finest mercenary and hunter around: Ace, did as he was asked by each and every client. Hunted down every bounty, followed through with every kill. Much like a machine designed to do nothing more…

A machine.

He had to be more than that. He just had to be.

Not a day went by that he found any sort of pride, fulfillment, or satisfaction in his work. In fact, he hated most every moment of it. But the weight of the world’s expectations for him were heavy. So heavy that carrying them left him exhausted, run down. In constant need of repair… repair he was often denied because so many dragons feared him. Cid did not ask for the life he was granted, and yet, day after day, he lived it.

Dragons for miles around would reach out to him with targets and offers. Promises of fortunes if he would do just one last job for them. Each time, he’d say yes. And each time, which skill and precision, he would carry out the task. The best around, they called him. And it was true.

Cid was resting after a particularly nasty run in with one of his targets- a band of nomadic pirates that had been stirring up trouble across the Sea of a Thousand Currents. He’d gone to the tavern for the day- he didn’t drink, but just being there offered the solace of a peaceful mind. At least he could tune out his own thoughts with the drunken ramblings of strangers.

No sooner, however, than he’d settled down by the bar, did a snow white coatl approach him. She was adorned in silver jewelry, and she carried with her an unusual amount of coin pouches. A heavy burlap sack was tossed to the ground in front of him, gold threatening to burst its seams. She dipped her head with a cruel smile.

“I have a job for you,” she said, her voice as cold as the icy color of her eyes.

“Not interested,” Cid turned his head away and pretended to signal the barkeep for another drink. The bartender knew better, of course, and paid him no mind.

“You do seem rather tired…” she observed. “I will give you enough of a fortune that you will never have to do this again. Do we have a deal?”

Now, the prospect of leaving this life behind was such a tempting one that Cid let out a tired sigh and accepted the coin. “Very well. Give me details, and I’ll see it done within the week.”

“Excellent.”

From there, the coatl sketched out the location and details of his next mark. He reluctantly accepted the job and packed his things that night. With powerful wings, he was able to reach the Southern Icefield by morning, landing in the snow not too far from the shore. He grunted at the cold beneath his talons. He was not fond of the cold. In fact, some part of him held a great disdain for it.

Cid would be eliminating the coatl’s brother. A pompous prince who’d stolen the heritage that was rightfully hers. He hadn’t asked for the details, but the spoiled princess had been all too keen to share them. Typical royalty. Always thinking they were the ones who had the hardest end of the deal.

The imperial traipsed through the snow to where he’d been promised the prince would take his afternoon walk. As he was told, there the gray coatl was, padding along without a care in the world. The promise of a fortune to keep him from having to do this again was the motivation when he brought his blade down. But the promise fulfilled did not justify the crimson stained snow. And per usual, Cid wished so deeply for another life. Not this one.

But the deed was done, and he collected his bounty. It was the fortune he was promised. And while he should have felt nothing but relief, the imperial was too tired to hope for a better future. He needed a place to stay.

Many days passed. Flying hundreds of miles across Sornieth. But no place really called to him, and even the ones that seemed halfway tolerable openly rejected him, saying they had no place for a hunter. Even the places he’d done jobs for, they had no interest in taking him in.

Cid eventually returned to the Southern Icefield, and while he wasn’t sure why exactly he would go back to the frigid wastes, something deep within him thought that he might find answers there. Maybe even find a home.

Instead, on Reclaimer’s Glacier, he found Wave. The ridgeback met his gaze only once, and yet he felt as if he’d known them forever. There was a spike of what could only be called familiarity. It was unclear whether the ridgeback felt the same way, but the two of them were fast friends. So fast, in fact, that it truly was like they’d known one another for decades.

Cid is certain he’ll never find an explanation for this mysterious connection to Wave, but he’s made peace with that. After all, he loves them here and now. What came before, even if he would remember it, makes no difference. Wave shortly after meeting him took him to Glasis, a clan among the icefield they called home. Cid finally found the place he would stay, and even despite his disdain for the frigid weather, there was a newfound warmth in his heart. One that melted away the darkness that had been threatening to overtake him just months before.

For the first time in a long time, Cid remembered what it was to be happy. In a new home and with a new life and new friends, he allowed himself to feel it again.

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