Cardinal

b i r t h


When a little, muscle-bound Gaoler is first born among the glades of the Viridian Labyrinth, no one expects it to spring up and take flight.

b a c k s t o r y


Cardinal was full of energy from a young age. He was full of life the moment he was born, going so far as to spread his wings and spring from his egg--and even glide for a bit. Considering it was so difficult for even adult Gaolers to fly at all, the adults who witnessed his hatching were shocked, understandably so.

He grew up maintaining this energy. He was a challenge for his parents to keep up with, his ability to fly growing with him. Weaving between the trees of the Labyrinth and feeling the wind ruffle his fur, nothing felt more exciting or freeing. The colorful birds of his home caught his curious eyes, and just when his parents thought they could get him to settle down and stay still, a pretty bird would fly by and he'd be gone again.

Growing older and more socially aware was when Cardinal began to realize he was "different". He didn't consider that to be a bad thing, but a thing that was fact nonetheless. No other Gaoler dragons around him could fly, or were even as fast-moving--but mostly, it came back to his flight. Gaolers didn't do that. It never bothered Cardinal, at least, not much. Though he did feel a bit of the social isolation that came out of being an oddball, but that just pushed him into his hobbies and fascination with feathered creatures even more. He grew up known as a problem child, not a malicious kind, but one who had trouble talking, listening, and was too scattered and distant to connect with.

So, he was isolated, not soley by the other Gaolers around him, but by himself, too.

Make no mistake, Cardinal was no idiot. He was distant, definitely a bit airheaded, but he was plenty aware. To him, isolation was just an easier choice. It was freedom, and he didn't miss the worries from the elders or the hushed whispers calling him "such a puzzle", or a "poor thing".

He followed the birds instead. He became excellent at bird calls, and that was all he needed to communicate. From a simple hobbyist to a clear obsession, leaving his home behind, birds were all he knew. He'd fly after kinds he'd never seen, or whistle the calls of birds familiar to him. And with his massive horns, he was undoubtedly popular among the birds, who could use them as a safe and easy perch. It is hard to know how long Cardinal had been out there, with only the birds to keep him company.

Months? Years? Decades? Who knew. Cardinal certainly didn't. His old life was all but forgotten--here, away from the judgement of other dragons, he could fly as long as his wings could handle, chase the pretty birds all day long, and spend time close to his feathered friends as a part of their lives. He became so close with many kinds of birds, a sparrow family even nested in his mane! He'd whistle his sparrow calls all day long, honored to be trusted with the eggs and overjoyed when they finally hatched. Seeing them fly away for the first time, he hardly cared about all the knots they left in his mane. He'd had a claw in raising such wonderful creatures.

Avoiding well-traveled roads and living a nomadic life, Cardinal intentionally and successfully avoided contact with other dragons. It wasn't that he hated the rest of dragonkind, or even feared them--but as distant as he grew from his family as a growing hatchling, he didn't see any point in making connections when he'd always be looked at with pity for being "strange" or "slow".

It was why, given the path he walked, running into some dragons on his travels was all the more surprising.

He was walking through the Tangled Wood at the time, weaving between trees with the utmost care, covered in nocturnal birds of all colors and stripes. With the moon high in the sky, and so far off the beaten path, the voices of other dragons were the last thing he was expecting. But just as he heard what sounded like arguing from somewhere nearby, the dragons he heard crossed paths with him. It was a small group of strange folk, dressed in strange clothes with vibrant scales in a rainbow across them all. And even more Gaolers! Cardinal had been in shock. He hadn't seen other dragons in so long, and certainly not a colorful and strange bunch like this.

All the dragons stared blankly at one another until one of the Gaolers, looking fascinated, stepped forward. "That's quite the menagerie you've got there!" Of course, at that, all the birds flew away in a flurry of feathers.

The other Gaoler apologized profusely and one by one, the group introduced themselves. Roving performers. And they were impressed! By his swarm of feathered friends, that is. The conversation was difficult, given Cardinal did not need to speak to any dragons for so long before. But at one point, discussing his interests and travels, Cardinal additionally revealed his ability of flight, which had the group in awe he hadn't expected.

"We would be really interested in working with a dragon like you. Would you care to come back to our lair with us?"

Cardinal was hesitant, but agreed at the promise he would be able to work with his bird friends much more, and even introduce the wonders of the avian world to other dragons.

p r e s e n t


Cardinal works among the traveling performers as a sort of sideshow attraction. He interacts with the audience much more than the other performers, calling his bird friends to visit and socialize with the crowd. Sometimes he does feel like a bit of a prop or an obejct, someone just meant to be stared at... but the dragons in the troup are all so warm to him, and after a show full of wowing the crowd with his bird-whispering, he's always being peppered with compliments about how amazing he looked or how fun his presentation was this time.

So even if he has his doubts, and occasional intrusive thoughts that he might be taken advantage of, the open communication among all the performers is decently reassuring. Even if his ability to speak is severely stunted, the ever-dedicated leader that is Astaroth is patient with him and wants to make sure he feels comfortable in what he is doing. Cardinal does not know if and when he will return to his nomadic living--on his own, that is. He's gotten to do much traveling with the troup, but he bounces between thinking of settling down here permanently, or eventually leaving things behind and moving on.

He delights seeing dragons' eyes sparkle in wonder when he shows them the beauty and fascination of his feathered friends. It's the most connection he's had with dragons in a long time. He doesn't hate it, actually.

r e l a t i o n s h i p s