Alanna

Alanna knew that gembond was a sickness. Her mother had it, and her mother before her, and her mother's mother had it as well. Even her brothers had gembond as well. None of them felt that it was a burden, but Alanna could feel it, the sickness in her body. It weighed her down, made her weak. Everyday, she trained herself to make herself stronger, to somehow find a way to combat the disease. She thought, she wouldn't burden her clan with her sickness, but it was all for naught.

She could still remember the day clearly, bright and sunny, not a cloud in the skies. The breeze was cool, blowing from the Southern Icefields. At first, she didn't understand why she was being taken to the market place, but soon more and more dragons came, sizing her up and down. She was being sold! Her family saw her as nothing but a burden! The thought weighed down on her greatly and she prepared to escape. Well, that is until a Shadowy coatl approached her.

He gave Alanna a bright smile, red eyes glittering like jewels in the sun. He said hello and that she looked lonely. Alanna didn't understand what that meant, but then he told her that he'd give her a home. She watched flabbergasted as the Shadowy coatl (who had introduced himself as Azzie) handed a small pouch of gems over to her clan leader. Next thing she knew, Alanna was following Azzie all the way to Ashfall Waste.

In that blazing hot lair, Alanna saw hope for the first time. The clan leader, Avangarde--although a little upset at Azzie for bringing home another dragon--welcomed her with open arms. She was a little wary of him, however, she decided to tell him (and his mate as they were never apart) her situation. The way she's always struggling with her sickness, the emotions of it bearing down on her, her own weakness at being unable to live with her disease--she told them everything....and they listened quietly.

Eventually, Kineala (the Alpha's mate) had told her there was a way she could take off her gembond. It was expensive, and perhaps a little terrifying, but it was a way. She explained to Alanna that there were dragons in the lair that could take away her gembond and change it to a different tertiary, but the gene itself must be apparent in her bloodline. She wasn't a first generation like Avangarde, who could change his genes without consequences. She had a history and the magic could cause problems, but Alanna was willing to take the risk.

A week later, she no longer had her sickness and in exchange for what was done to her, she promised to protect this clan who gave her hope and a new family.