Riptide

Element Flag Items/Apparel Familiar (i.e. Nature Sprite = )

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Riptide and Marva, by Cebelrai

Riptide sat alone in his den, trying to piece together the events that led him here. He had fallen in love with a ruthless matriarch. That was his first mistake. His second, was believing that she loved him back.

He had met Marva many turns ago, before she had founded her own clan. Even back then, she had been bloodthirsty and obsessed with power. But Riptide sensed something else underneath all that, a kindness that had been twisted by a life of hardship.

He remembered their first meeting well. He had been grazing on the seaweed that grew in the shallows of the Sea of a Thousand Currents. All of a sudden, a giant, mulberry dragon crashed into the water a few yards away. Riptide froze, the waves from the dragon swamping him up to his shoulders. A moment later, a female guardian surfaced, dragging a small whale up on shore, where she began to tear into it.

Riptide was entranced. She held herself with such grace and confidence. Before he realized what he was doing, Riptide began to wade over to her. When she noticed him, she stiffened and shifted herself to be between the Tundra and her kill. “What do you want, plant-eater?” she growled once he was in earshot.

“It’s just, you’re the most beautiful dragon I’ve ever seen,” Riptide answered shyly. Did he really just say that? His eyes took in her purple scales, still dripping with sea water, just as her maw was dripping with fresh blood. Her deep green wings were spread slightly in order to intimidate him. Her hide was crisscrossed with scars, both old and new. But what he had said was true. He truly had never seen a more beautiful dragon.

Marva’s posture changed. She was still tense, but she showed just a hint of uncertainty. She licked the blood from her jaws and pulled her wings close to her body. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave me alone,” she said. It wasn’t a threat. Riptide sensed loneliness behind her words.

“I don’t think I believe that,” Riptide said boldly.

Marva gave an annoyed growl. “I killed the last dragon who interrupted my dinner.”

Riptide was a little taken aback. He wasn’t quite sure he believed her, but there was no hint of jest in her voice. “You said it yourself,” he finally replied. “I’m a ‘plant-eater.’ Your dinner is safe from me.”

She growled again and turned back to her meal. Riptide stayed where he was, but he resumed his grazing. He noticed Marva glancing at him frequently. While he ate, Riptide began to see visions of the future. They were vague, but he saw himself by Marva’s side as she began to build a clan. He sensed movement and looked up. Marva had finished her meal and looked like she was about to take off.

“Wait,” he said quietly.

She paused, but stood with her back to him. “I told you, Tundra. You would be better off if you left me alone.”

“You have great things ahead of you,” he said.

She turned to glare at him over her shoulder. “I have seen my own future,” she growled, almost annoyed.

“I’ve seen my future too,” Riptide whispered. “I am to be by your side, as you ascend to greatness.”
Marva turned her whole body to face Riptide now. “You know nothing about me,” she said. “You don’t know what I’ve done. You don’t know what I plan to do.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Riptide said. “I just know that I’m supposed to be there with you.”

And he was. He accompanied Marva in her travels. He stood by as she fought and killed dragons over territory, food, and honor. Eventually they found a defensive area that had hunting grounds teeming with prey, fields of succulent plants, and rich deposits of ore and minerals. Marva decided that she wanted to settle here, and start her clan.

But the territory had already been claimed by a small family. Riptide, who’s visions were stronger than Marva’s, saw that she would win the fight, if she took them by surprise. He helped her find the perfect ambush point, and she was able to slaughter the leaders. Some of the younger dragons were sparred, and allowed to join Marva’s new clan.

Marva ruled with an iron claw, not allowing her clan to put one toe out of line. She required absolute obedience from her subjects. Many dragons felt the sting of her claw after rousing her ire. But she also attracted many dragons seeking the safety and power that comes from living under such a leader.

Riptide was the only one who ever saw her softer side. Not even one of their twenty-two offspring ever felt the love of their mother. To Riptide’s dismay, this led to all of them seeking homes elsewhere, many even choosing to serve various deities instead of opening themselves up and seeking new families. But as long as Marva still loved him, he was happy.

But everything changed the day Kyros wandered into the clan’s territory. He was an Ice dragon in search of a new home. When the purple Guardian was escorted in by two of the dragons guarding the border, Riptide didn’t think anything of it. Many dragons came to the border wanting to meet with Marva about joining the clan. Only those deemed strong enough were allowed to stay.

Several hours later, Riptide had nearly forgotten the stranger until he saw him by Marva’s side. That was strange. Once she allowed a dragon to join the clan, she had little social interaction with them.

“Riptide,” she said coldly. “I regret to inform you that our partnership is over.”

Riptide was blindsided. “I-I-I don’t u-u-understand,” he stammered.

“Kyros here is much more fit to be my mate,” she stated. With that she began to turn away.

“Hold on,” Riptide said, rage taking the place of his shock. “I’ve been with you for turns! I stayed by your side as you killed dragon after dragon in your quest for power. All because I knew there was good inside of you. And this is how it ends? What makes this brute more fit than me?”

“His coloring is more desirable. None of our children had the right look. Kyros and my offspring will be much closer in looks to myself. Besides, he is of my species. I do not want any more Tundra hatchlings.”

“But, I thought that you loved me,” Riptide said quietly.

“I did,” Marva answered. “But it’s time to think of the clan. With Kyros as my mate, the clan will grow stronger. Our offspring will be the next generation of leaders. I will send them to expand my territory.”

And with that, she walked away, and Riptide let her go. Kyros hadn’t said anything, hadn’t even looked at Riptide. He knew that Marva’s charge had always been to guard her own power by growing her clan. He wondered if Kyros’ charge was Marva. The way he followed her so closely, orienting himself around her almost as a moon orbits a planet.

Riptide’s thoughts returned to the present. Kyros had been there several moons now. It still hurt when he saw them together. He had been allowed to stay in the clan. His visions had proven useful to Marva in the past, so she wished to keep him close. Riptide half wondered if he was a masochist, staying there. There was no way his heart could heal while he stayed near. Yet he was afraid it would hurt even more to leave.