Cassiel

Cassiel is a dragon in constant mourning. She and her sister used to be amazing fighters— they would constantly compete with their peers in tournaments and often came out on top. That was until they were challenged by a strange fae. He had a quiet confidence that unnerved them. Siel thought they should refuse the fight, wary of this odd opponent. But Cas was brave and rash. She insisted they fight, believing and trusting in their ability to win against any opponent.

The fight lasted almost an hour. The fae was quick and powerful. When Siel would fire magic at him, he would easily knock the spells aside. When Cas attempted to grab him in her maw, he would slip away, his small form allowing him space to dodge. Both sisters were exhausted. They had long worn themselves out attempting to fight this fae who evaded every one of their attacks. So they landed and began to discuss if they should surrender or not. Cas hated the idea but trusted her sister to know what was best. As she opened her mouth to utter the words, a magic arrow shot through the air, piercing Siel through her third eye.

The fae did not make it out of that arena.

Healers examined Siel, and Cas could only watch on in horror as they backed away to have a private conversation. When they returned, they spoke only to Cas, ignoring her sister completely.

“We have only heard of this happening before— it is incredibly rare,” the head healer stated, “It has never been documented in an Aberration before, so there is no way to know exactly what will happen but, as far as we can tell, your sister is gone.”

Cas does not remember the rest of that conversation. Later she would ask another healer to explain again what had happened. The full story did not make it better. Her sister was gone— her mind shattered by the arrow— but her body persisted. Usually, dragons would die when this happened, unable to care for their bodies any longer. But Cas was “lucky”. She could continue on with her sisters living corpse attached to her for the rest of her days.

Cas never returned to the arena. It took her months to relearn how to fly and walk, her shared body not used to being controlled alone. As soon as she could, she flew off, determined to find someone who could restore her sister. She was desperate, chasing rumors across the continents. She met the best mages, the best healers, the best necromancers, but they all said the same: her sister was gone. Her last hope, a cursed witch who lived inside an emperor, even refused her.

“As a healer, I cannot, for she is gone. As a necromancer, I cannot because she is not dead. As a mage, the best I could offer is to remove her from your body.”

Cas left the witch, her last hope, in shambles. She wanted her sister back, not erased. Not… removed. She did not know where she was going, wandering aimlessly through the forest. Eventually she stumbled upon a plant-covered tundra. The kind dragon led her back to their clan. The healer there said she was in shock. Cas didn’t know what that meant but she was allowed to stay and told how to care for her sister so her body wouldn’t fall ill.

Even after years Cas is still lost. She has tried to find a new career, build a new life for herself, but every time she does she can’t help but think about her sister and how Siel would react to this.