Olpreeneath

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It was a strangely cold day in the Blooming Grove, rain pouring down from the cloudy skies. Sephial grumbled as they moved through the undergrowth, their mane sopping wet. This was not their ideal day, but they had to do their patrols of their territory regardless. Not much happened in their little corner, as it was out of the way of most dragon trails (or other beastclans for that matter). Dragons, they snorted at the thought. Hulking beasts with no true respect for nature. Sephial had once observed a group near the edge of their territory, a massive beast accompanied by two smaller dragons. Though Sephial could understand basic draconic, the words never seemed right. Garbled and horrid, an affront to the clean air of the Grove.

They shook their head, no time to focus on such unpleasant thoughts. They had a duty to perform.

It was now noon, and so far nothing uneventful had occurred. The plico were skittering, tortoises lumbering, if not a bit more sluggishly from the cold. Sephial felt content, their grotto was safe for another day. They turned to head back to their den, when suddenly a strange cry pierced the air. At first Sephial jumped behind some shrubs, other creatures scattering. It was not the sound of a cheeky Astrolomeria Fox, or the cry of a Zalis, it was foreign and strange. Sephial's instincts told them to run, but they knew it was their duty to protect this grotto. Mustering their courage, they crept silently through the underbrush, towards the sound of the call.

They blended in perfectly with the bushes and flowers, sniffing the air. Smoke..? Was there a fire? They moved closer, looking about. Well, there was no sign of visible smoke, but the smell was still present. They heard the cry again, closer. They took a deep breath, before pressing their head through the bushes. They expected maybe a campfire from some lazy fauns, or perhaps an estranged Smoke Gyre, but instead, laying in the clearing...

... was a small, pitiful dragon hatchling.

All their hackles spiked up, snorting and pawing at the ground. Their first instinct was to attack, to rid their grotto of this danger. As the hatchling's eyes opened, their fear was reinforced, as the eyes of the hatchling showed its inborn element was fire. Two major threats in one. Sephial approached the hatchling with caution, knowing even a baby dragon could still inflict lasting damage. As they closed in, the hatchling raised its head, looking up at them pitifully. Sephial paused, standing over it stoically, just staring it down. The hatchling stared back, a moment of silence, before it spoke.

"H.. Hello...?"

"Hello. Why are you here?" Sephial's voice was cold, regarding the hatchling with little evident sympathy.

"I... I don't know." The hatchling's voice wheezed, and it did not take long for Sephial to realize that it was sick.

"Where are your parents?"

"I don't know... I woke up here.."

Sephial felt a twinge of something in their hardened heart, sniffing the hatchling and putting two and two together. This hatchling was sick and dying, and instead of the parents staying by their side, they left it to die alone. The cerdae stood over them for a time, mind turning over. If they left, nature would take its course, and the hatchling would no longer pose a threat. But... as a guardian of nature and life, what right did they have to snuff out a new seed before it could blossom? If they did that, they would be no better than the beasts they loathed. There was a choice to be made, and they knew deep down what the right decision was.

"Little one." Their voice seemed slightly less cold now, almost gentle. "I can save you, but you must promise me something."

The hatchling coughed again, looking up at Sephial, nodding. "O-Okay."

"You must always use your powers to protect the life around you, never to destroy unless no option remains. This is the promise I made, will you make the same?"

"I... I will, I promise."

"Good." Sephial touched their horn to the ground, summoning a seed from the fertile earth. "Swallow this. It may hurt at first, but it will save you." The hatchling nodded, moving over and swallowing it whole, shuddering.

"Your name is now Olpreeneath, and I will care for you."

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After many years in the Viridian Labyrinth, Olpreeneath felt a pull towards the Tangled Wood. Not knowing why or how he followed the pull, coming upon an ancient temple deep within the wood. There he found great gods of creation, ancient beings that had not seen the light of day in millennia.

Titan, the largest and oldest, noticed the small creature that had happened upon their resting place. “Hello, little one.”

Preena, intimidated but not willing to back down, replied simply, “Hello.”

“I can sense a deep connection to nature within you. Little one, not dragon, nor animal, will you care for the forest surrounding our home? Nature has overcome the stone while we slept and we do not wish to disturb it.”

“I have always vowed to protect the life around me, no matter where I am. This is the oath I’ve sworn.”

The Bringer of the Cosmos smiled down at him. “Welcome home.”

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