In all honesty, Jinx did not really know her parents. She knew Of them, what they were at their base, or at least what was said of them -- darkness, turmoil, fear; things that came from the Shade, things that were Power, things that were Forbidden. She could feel it, in a way, but it wasn't a lull that was strong enough to sway her. Jinx hatched with "to dragons on her shoulders", really, each one whispering to her to try and bring her to its side. Jinx was never very good at making committed decisions for big things when 'someone else' was trying to persuade her, and much preferred just to let the chatter rattle around in the back of her head, useless for now.
She was gone quickly from her nest, not lingering or living alongside her Imperial nest mates, or even the Coatls that sat at the fringes of this strange family that had come together so briefly in time. No, she was curious in the ways of the world, because there had to be something out there that wasn't the echo of this darkness that trailed behind her, the darkness that reigned in her blood.
Jinx was drawn to a feeling of power in lands not too far away, a clash of sorts. It reminded her of the strange warring voices in her own head, the tiny invisible dragons on her shoulders that only she could hear apparently. She traveled, she observed.
How funny that these siblings, one older and one newer, should war the way they were. What point did it serve? They were two sides of the same coin, couldn't they even see that? How stupid. It was laughable. She laughed, audibly, at their plight.
But the more she watched, the more she realized that they just did not understand. Maybe she could help them see. Maybe these two fools were the fools on her shoulders, and she should speak up finally and tell them how stupid they were?
But which one to start with... which one to approach... hm...
Whisper had placed scouts at the edge of her territory, and Mara's recon groups brought back word daily of their activity. Whisper knew, but he did not advance. He could steadily see the growth of her own army, wherein once was it small, now had grown in considerable size.
Mara lay atop a rock, watching out in the direction the scouts were said to be in waiting.
"Are they sure...?" She asked the small fae near her, her eyes holding sorrow.
"Yes, my Queen; Abyss is among them. I fear what would happen if we --"
"No, it's all right." Mara slowly got to her feet, turning her head toward the scout. "Let them know that I do not want them advancing. It's too dangerous. If Whisper's forces come closer, we will relocate. It is not time to face them yet. We are still growing, and training."
"Yes, my Queen." The scout said.
"We --" Mara began, but a shrill voice from her left caused her to stop, turning her head with surprise.
"MY QUEEN!" A young pearlcatcher ran over, eyes wide, tail curled tightly around their glittering pearl. "You must come quickly! Salix has come, said she's found.. she's found your..."
"My what?" Mara moved closer, anxiety rising. "What did she find?"
"Your firstborn!"
Mara was off like a shot, following the pearlcatcher.
It couldn't be, could it? After so long? So many years? How was it even possible? She thought they'd all be destroyed by now, or succumbed to the Darkness. Had Pixel... No. There was .. it wasn't possible..
She flew faster, and eventually she could see the wildclaw standing over a small form.
"Hey! Look! Heh, I found your --"
There was an awestruck expression on Mara's face.
"...Noomi...?"
She watched as the fae male gave in to unconsciousness, however. Mara looked quickly to her gathered comrades, and gestured with a claw.
"Here, take him. Help him to rest. Use my nest if you cannot find another spot for him. Be gentle. He looks to have had a hard time of things."
"Yes, My Queen." Were the collective responses.
Noomi was helped away, and Mara turned her eyes to Salix, who grinned at her widely.
"Where did--"
"He can't hide very well." The wildclaw leaned and ruffed up Mara's crests with one clawed hand before heading off. Mara blinked at her younger sibling, watching her go.
Noomi was home.
Time moved forward, and Mara rallied her forces. Those that stood strong with her, took arms by her side, she kept close. Over the weeks, the numbers grew and grew, and she was steadily becoming more and more confident in herself.
Though some feared how her changing colours echoed the Gatekeeper of the past, a Queen of Shadows, others denounced that, and cried forth that Mara was a Queen of Light. She was not Naomi, she embodied brilliance, not darkness. Mara stood proudly before them, and claimed neither Light nor Darkness, but a complex mixture of both.
She could not deny her heritage, but she would not yield to it, either. Mara wanted good things for the Clan, even those that had stood against her alongside Whisper. Some had done so out of fear, she would say, and some did so because they were compelled. She could not fault them, only love them, and try to keep them true.
From the crowd gathered to hear her rose an unfamiliar voice, however, and many dragons separated to the sides. A large imperial female came forward, her expression a little smug, but somewhat playful, and her eyes twinkled with mischief.
"I do not recognize you -- " Mara began, but she could easily feel a force radiating off the stranger. Familiarity. Power. "You are not of our Clan...?" It was a question. She wasn't certain.
"Oh. No, I wasn't. But, I think I am now." The female moved forward, grinning widely. "I had a choice to make, and I think .. yeah.. yeah, this is the one." She lifted her head, red eyes sliding around to the new faces before moving back to Mara. "I'm Jinx. Hello, Sister."
Time had passed, and Whisper drew more to his new clan. Darkness swirled around them, swiftly moving through the territory he now possessed. Those drawn to his power, or coerced by his Will, were offered space within the clan. Those that couldn't be swayed, were killed. Svikari seemed to be uncaring of anything except Exodus and her own children now, and Whisper drew his own mates close.
His scouts were sent to find the remaining clan members that had left with Mara, and though some were found and killed, others were turned to his Will as well. Where was Mara, he would ask them in harsh whispers of the mind. It was strange that none of them could remember, none of them would give her up, even under his Influence. Why? Why wasn't he able to slither his way into that part of them, the part that held the key to Mara's conversion, or her destruction?
Days turned to weeks, and without sign of her, Whisper began to wonder if his sister was dead, succumbing to the wounds she'd been dealt?
But a scout returned with news on day near sunset. Mara had been found! The scout seemed somewhat unsure, though, as they delivered the news.
"Why are you unsure?" Xaveria had asked, annoyed at the way the scout seemed to hesitate with their news.
"She is different." Was the reply.
Whisper looked at Xaveria, two eyes where once four had been. The mirror was gone, and in its place was a large, heavy wildclaw, changed by the influx of dark power he had taken from others. There was a seemingly silent exchange, and then Whisper hissed at the scout.
"What do you mean different?" Xaveria flitted closer, her wings moving quick. "Different like your King?" Insinuating that perhaps Mara had altered her body in some way, become another breed in order to evade detection!
"N-No! No.. she.. she looks like.." There was a nervousness in the scout, and they backed up slowly.
"Like what?!" Xaveria snapped, zipping forward and taking a swat at the scout's face with her small claws.
"Naomi!" Was the pain-filled, shouted response as the scout fled several feet back, cowering toward the ground. "Naomi. She looks like Naomi..!"
Whisper and Xaveria met eyes, and the wildclaw scowled. Turning, Whisper began to run, and then beat his great wings and took flight, heading in the direction that the scout had said before that Mara had been seen within.
Impossible.
Naomi? Tch.
Impossible...
Mara had woke some time later, in darkness. Everything hurt, and she buried herself into the warmth around her, trying to hide from her own pain. She smelled and tasted blood. But she also smelled ---
"Saeladiir..?" Mara asked weakly in the darkness.
"I am here." Was the gentle response.
The small fae realized the warmth around her was Saeladiir's fur. There was comfort in it. She soon drifted off to sleep again.
----
Days had turned to weeks, and Mara healed, though slowly. What members of the clan were loyal to her remained by her side, though they hide near the far fringes of their former territory. Whisper amassed troops through lies and deception, but there were also others that came solely due to his blood, due to the nature of the Shade that he used to blind them. Mara felt defeated, and at a loss of how to reclaim everything. What was the point? They wanted to follow him, right? Exodus... Abyss...?
Mara sat on a collection of rocks, her wings tucked against herself, and her long neck curled so she could nestle her snout into the crook of her arm. She heard the shuffle of foot steps, and slid her eyes to the side.
"... what?" She asked Saeladiir, who came to sit near her.
"More clans have come to offer their best warriors to you, my Queen. They come to help you reclaim your territory from your younger brother." The tundra moved his head, tilting it to try and catch the fae's gaze, but she just looked away.
"Tell them to save themselves, and go home." She curled up into a little ball, but Saeladiir was already moving a front paw to pluck her up from the rocks. Mara flailed a little, and then just hung there meekly as he brought her up to eye level. "... not funny." She said, deadpan.
"You give yourself little credit. Anyone would have been caught off guard for something like that."
"I should have felt him, I should have been able to tell." Mara's tail flicked, her angry growing again before she just sighed, and hung there, looking to the side.
"Lick your wounds, little Queen. Realize that you have others that believe in you. Those that were once outcasts, those that were of the dark, but wanted more.. those that believe in your power."
"No one belie--"
"Stop!" Saeladiir snapped angrily at the little fae, whose eyes snapped open and moved quickly toward the tundra. "You are better than this. Stop cowering. This was once MY Clan, and I stepped down when I knew that a new power could rule. Nacht and Lang gave us many, prosperous years. Abyss came and destroyed us, but you calmed his fury. We have been peaceful and content as we could be while in this darkness that swelled between the two of you."
"Saeladiir--" Mara said quietly, but trailed off, because he kept talking.
"You are our Queen. Whatever is in you, you have held at bay. You have held Abyss at bay. You have pulled brightness from the hearts of those who were pulled into the depths... and you are of Naomi... yet not consumed by what she was, what her lineage is. You have strength. But no ruler was strength only within themselves, they rely on their Clan."
Mara's crest lifted slightly.
"Rely on us, Mara." Saeladiir lifted her up, and plopped her on his head between his horns, in the mass of fur there.
Once plopped down, it was instinct for Mara to bury herself back into the fur. It reminded her of Abyss, nestled between horns. She half-closed her eyes, and drew in a breath, the scent of Saeladiir.
"... okay." She said, closing her eyes the rest of the way.
---
Time moved onward, and she stayed with her clan. She built relationships with them, helped them through this darkness, and even developed feelings for Saeladiir that led to two nests. Though her oldest with him stayed by her side, the rest would go out into the world and hopefully spread the same light they hoped to keep alive.
Mara didn't notice, but as she worked with her clan and those that had joined them, planning on how to take back their territory, her body's scales lightened in colour. Her wings took on a blue hue. And though her accent colour was dark, it was also blue. She was an echo of Naomi in appearance, though somewhat different.
She was the embodiment of Light with her maize coloured self. She was also Darkness, that which lingered in her and could not truly be pushed aside. She would not rest until Whisper paid for what he did, subjugated under her and those that wanted the Light. She would not kill him, despite the fact he had killed others.
She would do with him as she had done with Abyss; She would bring forth, and cultivate only the Good. Or at least, she would make the attempt...
Soon.
Dragons had come to his side, defecting primarily because of his Influence, and Svikari's silver-tongued spreading of doubt to those that Whisper could not Reach. Some had come from older in their bloodline, and Whisper continued to try and influence them, but it was difficult, as they were stronger.
"If you take away her King," Svikari had said to him as they regarded the clan from a distance, "Then you take away a lot of her Power. Her happiness lies with him, the cornerstone of her Light. She has been doubting herself for a long time, and removing him from the equation would tip the scales."
Svikari preened a little on the rock she rested upon, and Whisper watched from the hollowed eyes of the skull he wore. Svikari was considerably annoying as of late, but she had her uses. Whisper turned his eyes back toward the direction he knew Mara was, as he could feel the power in her. If he could find a way to change her heart, bring her to Darkness, what Power could he bring to the Shade? How pleased would his brother, Erroneous, be with him?
I will take the Imperial. Whisper decided.
---
Days had passed, and Whisper spent hours reaching out to mentally influence Abyss. The Imperial was strong-willed, but yielded so easily to Mara. But there was Doubt in the Imperial's heart, put there due to Exodus' existing in Mara's life, and reinforced by Mara's own paranoia and her own doubt in herself, and in the clan. It took time, but Whisper wormed his way into that Doubt, and broke it apart, then strung it back together with his own dark power.
Abyss was his.
---
The day came when the Clan had mostly abandoned her, and Whisper moved his forces forward. Using Abyss as an ambush attack on Mara, he almost had her! But in the end, her own forces managed to save her. Someone had either known, deduced his plan, or he had a traitor in his midst! But it did not matter.
Whisper licked his teeth, tasting blood on them as he watched Saeladiir, the former King before Abyss, before Lang even, fly away with an unconscious Mara held in his jaws. Whisper looked back at Abyss, who stood nearby, a blank expression on his face, and then toward Exodus, who held a similar expression. Both were ensnared in his Power of Influence.
"I want him." Svikari said, landing her slight fae frame on Exodus' head, glaring down at Whisper.
Take him, then. Whisper was turning away, as Xaveria flew over near him, landing next to him and walking alongside him. Several bodies of Mara's forces littered the ground around them, and he walked past them all, heading toward the den where Mara and Abyss had once ruled from.
This wasn't over. He would have her. But for now, he had many of her bloodline, and that would do.
Mara is a 3rd Generation Naomi Descendant, the oldest living/active dragon out of Willow, the first born of her nest, and the first of her kin born in the Wyrmwood. She felt the darkness stirring in her at a young age, and spent many days longing for something out of reach of the Plague lands she lived within. Eventually, the yearning of Something More sent her fleeing into the wilds. Her wings carried her toward the realm of the Lightweaver, and there, she found Pixel, a water flight fae that had also come to take up residence within the Light.
Her life there seemed fine, simplistic, and her time with Pixel produced fifteen offspring. But there was the always this fear present in her, knowing what the darkness at the edge of her vision could represent, the feelings in her heart. She didn't want to tell Pixel that the Shade could reach her, work through her, that she was a descendant of Naomi, the Gatekeeper. That all their children together were likely to carry the same attachment to this Curse inside of her. In the end, she abandoned them. If they could have a chance at happiness, she should let them try.
But she would not leave this Land of Light, for while she had spent time there, it had seem to push back the darkness more so than how she had felt during her time in the Wyrmwood. So, she began to wander. The more time she spent alone, the more she began to forget her time with Pixel, the happiness she had felt through the fear that ultimately made her decide to leave. Everything became a routine of waking, eating, sleeping, but the darkness was held at bay. Though her memory of these happier times faded, her Light did not.
Within the Hewn City, Mara found Abyss, and the recovering Night-Star Clan that he had forcefully overtaken. She was drawn to his Darkness, though in her mind, she would Calm it, so that he could reign as King of Clan in a more peaceful fashion. There was warmth here, and she embraced it. He was drawn to her because of her Darkness, but also her Light. She drew contentment from him, and she was as happy as she had ever been, as she could ever Remember being...
-------------------
Abyss remained as her primary mate, and Mara loved him over all those present in the Clan. She did not dabble in nests with others, as she had no reason to, no need in her heart for such things. But as she lingered in the Hewn City with her new Clan, Queen to his King, she drew others to the darkness she worked so hard to keep hidden, to keep at bay. Abyss' darkness. Her darkness. And as she hatched offspring, and some of them stayed, the darkness of those individuals as well.
It was not always darkness drawn from outside, either, but rather drawn to the surface of her children. Svikari held such hate within her, and at every chance, she would work against Mara's positive goals. Somehow, Svikari just Knew what they were, deep inside, without needing to be told. And she spread the information through the Clan, bolstering the fear that had been there during Abyss' earlier reign, before Mara. Only it was a different kind of fear, a different kind of Darkness that held their terror.
The Clan began to question the actions of their leaders, despite the fact that they prospered. Svikari whispered in so many ears, and many of the Night-Star Clan either left the clan territory, or moved to its edges to dig new dens where they could live, separated but still a part of those that they had spent so long with. Mara's doubt began to grow, and Svikari lingered at the edges of the territory, waiting, biding her time for the day when she could overthrow Mara.
When Exodus arrived, a guardian drawn to the shared bloodline between himself and Mara, she was content to have him by her side. The Clan grew, and they moved forward, but the creeping darkness that had been held at bay so long was edging its way back into her mind, into her heart. Could a descendant of Naomi truly be happy? She felt happy. Was it a lie? Was she fooling herself? Was the Light something they were forbidden to have, being of the blood that they were? Doubts grew heavier and heavier over time.
Then, one day, during the change of autumn to winter, she felt the dissonance of the Clan exceptionally heavy, and she began to show signs of anxiety, of panic. Though Abyss tried to console her, she would not listen. She demanded they gather the Clan, though to her surprise, less than half of them showed their faces. How Dare they disobey her! The anger in her grew, and with it, the rise of darkness.
On the lands at the edge of the territory there came a stranger. One who lurked, one who whispered to those he found, one who ensnared the attention of the blind fae that worked against her mother. The doubt and anxiety grew into fear, and Mara watched as many of the clan that had supported her throughout her years as Queen, began to turn their backs on her, joining the others that would no longer support her, despite the way she had convinced Abyss not to slay them all.
Her emotions pushed back the Light, and no matter how much she wanted to hold onto it, the Darkness in her was coming to the foreground.
"We could have killed them all, and we did not!" Mara snapped angrily from atop her perch on Abyss' head as they watched another group of dragons head toward the edge of the territory where the one known as Whisper was taking up residence.
Abyss let out a low rumbling sound, his eyes narrowed as he looked in the same direction as his mate.
"I saved them!" Mara hissed, her ears pinning back and her crest laying flat.
Abyss let another low rumble out, his eyes rolling up as if to look at the small fae that rested on his head, even though he could not possibly see her from where she stood.
"All of these years we have protected them! All of these years--" Mara's tirade was cut off because Abyss moved his head quite suddenly, trying to throw the fae off, and snap his massive jaws at her. Only her quickness gifted to her by her small form saved her, giving her the dexterity to avoid this sudden, unexpected attack from the one that had been her mate for many years.
"Abyss!" She barked at him angrily, but the surprise on her face spoke volumes. She could see it only then, a faint hint of red around his eyes that had not been there before. She beat her wings against, quickly darting away from another bite. Her confusion thrust all of her anger away. Why? Why would he turn on her like this? She had only ever offered him love and acceptance, embracing his darkness as he embraced hers?!
Stepping up on a nearby rock, a mirror draped in feathers and torn cloth, a skull adorning his head, a bright red fae flitting around near him. Mara could see him, saw the smirk, and could feel the darkness eminating from him like a rolling thundercloud, sweeping outward and over them without any trace. Power. Familiar Power.
A massive claw struck Mara from the sky, sending her tumbling through the dirt many feet away. The imperial began to stalk toward her, and the mirror hopped down onto the ground, stepping right up to the dazed, fallen Mara.
"Sweet, pathetic older Sister..."
Mara could hear a voice, but it was like a honeyed whisper through her mind rather than words around her. She turned her head to look with blurred vision as the mirror, Whisper, was advancing her. The red fae had landed behind him on the rock, watching.
"What--?" Mara started to ask, but the mirror had advanced quickly, knocking her backward. She rolled cross the ground, and found herself pinned under Abyss' claws, held in place as Whisper closed the distance. She clenched her eyes shut, preparing for the worst.
"Mara!" A familiar voice rang through the area, and she snapped her eyes open as Exodus, her Guardian, raced up and drew his sword, slashing against Abyss' large foot. The Imperial roared angrily, and in pain, pulling up and away from the tiny, pinned fae.
Another dragon was there as well, a blur of dulled red colouration, shaggy winter coat getting spattered with blood as they struck against Whisper, tearing with teeth and talons. There was a ruckus then, the cries of many dragons as a small battle ensued. Those rallied Against Whisper, those rallied For Whisper, all moving forward quite suddenly. Mara did not understand what was going on, or how it had even come to this. Hadn't everyone left? Hadn't they left her behind..?
Exodus swept Mara up with a wing, trying to keep her safe as they fled the onslaught of clan dragon against clan dragon.
"But they can't--" Mara was trying to say, but darkness crept to the edge of her vision. She cried out alongside Exodus as both of them went tumbling across the ground. Svikari was smirking from the air, her head lifted. She had never needed true sight. She had the Darkness to guide her, after all. Dark energy swirled around her like a mist, and she had used the power to strike Exodus and Mara to the ground. Exodus rose quickly, turning his blade toward her, but a deep, rich red colour swirled near his eyes, and the blade was dropped, his expression slackening...
Mara lifted her head, looking toward Exodus who slowly turned angry eyes toward her.
"Ex.. Exodus.." She pleaded, her heart breaking to see him overtaken the way he was. He was already advancing her, lashing out with his claws, but she was grabbed roughly by some teeth and yanked from his reach. The mouth on her was gentle, though she had expected something harsh.
It took her a moment to realize that Saeladiir, who had previously attacked Whisper, was trying to run with her to safety. She flopped in his jaws a little, and looked behind her as her Clan warred with themselves. Tears streamed down her bloodied face, and she shut her eyes tightly as Saeladiir took to the sky. The darkness claimed her, and she fell unconscious....
Whisper is a 3rd Generation Naomi Descendant, and also a dragon of Plague living in the Lands of the Lightweaver. He is drawn to all things related to his power, to the Shade, and those that are surrounded by darkness.
He is a creature of manipulation, and deception. Alongside Xaveria, and Spirit, his plans for the future lay on the dark horizon.
His familiar is a Spirit of Plague, a rat with a dark heart, loyal only to Whisper himself. This spirit rat's name is Fable.
Whisper does not speak often. He is a selective mute, though given how little he does actually speak, most just assume he has no voice at all, that perhaps he has no tongue, or maybe he was cursed into silence. But his voice has Power, and it is best used only when necessary.
He does possess an ability called Influence, where he can Whisper across someone's Mind, and suggest that they do or say certain things. It works easier on weak-minded dragons, not very well on Beast Clan creatures, and almost not at all on base-level familiars.
----------
The Spreading Shadow
A dragon of darkness, malicious and devious, Whisper embraces everything about his world, his innate power, the bloodline that others call cursed.
Lulled away from his nest, he never looked back. It was easy to convince him to follow the Cult of the Living Shadow.
After spending time listening to Erroneous and Evermore, it was decided that Whisper would lurk around the territory of the Night-Star Clan, where Mara was rumoured to have taken up residence.
After finding Xaveria, who seemed to have been drawn to the area, and professed to have been 'waiting for him', Whisper made a small den of his own just outside Abyss and Mara's territory. Only a short time later, Spirit, a bestial imperial tied to the line of Ignis, emerged. He claimed both females, and waited.
In time, Whisper was found by Svikari. After a fierce battle between the two, Whisper emerged victorious. Svikari's pride was hurt more than her body, and Whisper Suggested that she Stay Awhile, inviting her to spend time with him and his mates. Svikari was only somewhat susceptible to his Influence, but was intrigued by his invitation. After several days of discussion, Svikari realized that Whisper was of the Bloodline, on the same level as her own mother, whom she sought to overthrow.
Svikari and Whisper joined forces with the ultimate goal of corrupting Mara, who tread too long on the path of Light. If they could break Abyss free of her positive influence, perhaps the creature who was an Aspect of the Shade would continue his path of destruction? Or perhaps bend more easily to Whisper's Influence?
"I will see what I can do." The blind fae smirked before leaving Whisper's side, and making her way back into the Night-Star territory.
As Whisper waited, he noticed others of the Bloodline arriving in the area. He did not approach them, but he already knew that they would pose a problem if they found Mara, and were swayed to the Light. For now, they were all enemies. How many would come, he wondered? And which ones could he get to first...
((This post contains all of Svikari’s Bio/Lore information pre December 2019))
Svikari was born blind. She was born smaller than her siblings. Such a disadvantage she had coming into the world. But oh the power. Oh the fury.
She was quiet, but she was not defenseless. She trained herself, and honed her skill. She wrapped herself into the dark power within her. So much anger kept carefully in check. The jealous nature she carried from the beginning. She should have been humble, for oh the weight she carried.
But there were whispers in her heart, her mind... something deeper, and darker than any of her nest mates, any of her brood...
Exodus' arrival sparked a fury in her, but also a desire. She yearned for him to be her mate, the song within her blood calling for him like a siren to a passing ship in the night. But his eyes were for his Charge. All eyes were always for the one she knew as Mother.
Always for Mara, never for Svikari....
Well.... we'll have to see about that....
((This post contains all of Abyss’ Lore pre December 2019))
The Shade, an incarnation of the remains of the pre-creation darkness and nothingness, is an unrelenting, never-ending representation of destruction, of desolation. Despite attempts to destroy, or even seal away this entity's bleak existence, it finds a way back. It will always find a way back...
The lands of light have always been my home. There was never a time where my feet have tread on unfamiliar ground, never a moment that my wings carried me from the Sunbeam Ruins, not once had I gone from the touch of the Lightweaver... Though I was born the darkest of dark, my eyes had shone with the truth of my hatching, the Light that should have guided me.
That light has dimmed over time, driven away by the residual feelings of darkness, emptiness, the Beyond. Shade-Touched, they called it.
He wasn't so sure. Maybe if he had known more of his mother, of Luna, he could understand, as she was a Reaper. He did not bear the intensity of her world, only the edge of it. Only enough to drive him toward anger, his vicious nature budding and blossoming, his cruelty rising to the surface, a means of lashing out through his pain, into the world he did not understand.
I've found myself alone. There is no place for me, no clan to call my own. Outcast. The lure of the Hewn City is enough for me, I suppose. Amid its skeletal landscape, I find peace. In its vast emptiness, I find solace. Fear may grip the common, weak fools... but I know better. I know the darkness here cannot hurt me. I AM Darkness.
*~*~*~*~*~*
It has been a considerable time, and the loneliness has returned. Has it ever left? It is quiet. I feel the pull of others nearby, briefly, then it is gone. They've fled. Fools. Can't they see that the shadows here among the light are all right? They are all the Lightweaver. WE are all the Lightweaver! My eyes shine the brightest at night, as if to push back the darkness... or to be among the Darkness. I am... I was... the Darkness...
I feel as if that is all I will ever be.
*~*~*~*~*~*
They've braved the ruins to find me, as if I were the cause of their problems, their fears. I did not bring this darkness! Did I? The Hewn City was like this before I was hatched, how could it possibly be me?!
*~*~*~*~*~*
Leaving the Hewn City was not an option, it was the only place he felt he could stay. But the strangers came, and they felt they were justified trying to drive him away, the dark nameless one that lingered among the shadows that gripped the lands, baffling so many. If they drove him away, they could feel at peace! Surely the shadows would go if he, nearly a shadow himself, were gone as well! They succeeded in driving him away for a time, but when he reached the edge of the only place he knew as home, anger took him over.
Why should HE have to leave?! This was HIS home, HIS territory!
He turned on them, lashing out with claw and fang. He was much larger than they, and amid the darkness of the area, his movements were hard to detect. A demon, they called him. A devil! An evil creature of the night as vicious and ruthless as the Shade itself, and dark as the Abyss!
*~*~*~*~*~*
I'm glad they're all dead. Every last heart left unbeating, all the bodies upon the ground. They should serve as a warning. They WILL be a warning. This is my home... MY darkness... I will suffer no trespass... I will kill them all..
-----------------
-----------------
Though his resolve to slaughter them was heavy in him, he did eventually take a mate. A female nocturne who had come to find her own Aloneness in the Hewn City, her name being Bleak, had joined him.
However, in time, he lashed out to her as well. After a time, he could no longer suffer their company... Bleak was slain by Abyss, along with one of their children, Rosea. The other offspring managed to get away, and Abyss did not follow him. Where that offspring is now, Abyss couldn't care less.
-----------------
-----------------
The Night-Star Clan settled close to the Hewn City, their nomadic ways coming to an end. It was calm there, and they were not afraid of the stories, the rumours. They had scouted for weeks before approaching, and the process of their digging began, to settle into the stone tunnels they loved so much. The Hewn City is a vast area, so many secrets it can hide. Amongst them, the great obsidian Imperial that had taken the name Abyss... and called himself an Aspect of the Shade... He watched them settle just outside of his territory. He watched them go about their lives. He watched them as they fed, as they tinkered, as they nested...
And one dark night, when the moon was only a sliver above, he descended upon them. He slaughtered half of the clan, mostly the young and the weak, before the others even knew what was happening. The Patron Lang, a strong Nocturne, with Nacht, the Clan Matron and Lang's mate, took lead of the battle. They descended upon Abyss, sure that their strength in numbers would be enough at that point, but he was massive, and they were not. He tore through them, nearly killing the two Nocturnes and their comrades, before he decided he had a better idea than killing them all.
He would not kill them, no... he would force them to suffer his rule. He subjugated the remaining members of the Night-Star Clan, and they cowered beneath him. There would be no Lightweaver here now.. no... only Abyss, the Imperial whose blood and body would match the Shade. Whose life was Darkness, and brutality. They would endure him.
He ousted the rulers that night, and through the weeks, they did his bidding; hunting for him, bringing him trinkets, forging and brewing, patrolling for intruders... the last nests would be hatched soon, and they all knew he would slay the hatchlings. He would force them to watch. He was waiting. Watching. Wanting them to fight back. They never did. Their fear kept them from rising against him, as did their grief, the memories of those they had lost when he had overtaken them.
Some of the dragons were even being swayed to believe he was their retribution, the one to give them penance for their misdeeds in life thus far. They would follow him. They would be cruel for him... They would be his dark soldiers.
-----
-----
Why has she come here? Who is she? I've never seen something so small, yet so powerful. She is like a tiny star of pure darkness. But there is a kindness to her. I do not understand. Where have you been? Have you come for me? I must have her. I must make her understand that this clan ... MY clan... it is her Clan now, if she wants it. No. She must want it. She must stay. I need her. I have to have her.
*~*~*~*~*
Mara had left her old Clan, and wandered. She was not safe to be around, her power unpredictable. Though she bore a beaded adornment to keep it in check, she did not understand it enough to be around others. At least, that was what she thought. She had trained, yes, and understood a little more, but it was still unpredictable, and there was always the fear.
Abyss had come to Mara as she drifted through the Hewn City. At first she had been afraid of him, but he lured her closer with sweet words. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she stayed. She could feel a Darkness in him, something terrifying, and yet she did not embrace the fear she should have. She did not want to fear him as others had feared her. Her acceptance and lack of fear had Abyss taken aback! How could she, such a small thing, interact with him so easily, so willingly, without cowering in fear? It was better than he had ever hoped! He bid her stay within the ruins for a time, and he would bring her gifts. She had never had gifts before, not really, and before long... she realized.. he was not just being her friend, he was courting her! She didn't even want to consider the possibility, because she knew what she was, but she felt his darkness.. and as he was lured to her, she was drawn to him as well.
But as is the way of all things that seem good, the terrible aspects showed themselves soon thereafter. She met a Tundra from the nearby clan. Abyss' true nature was revealed! When confronted about it, at first he denied it, but then when she pointed out the Tundra had no reason to lie to her, a stranger, Abyss flew into a rage. He left in search of the Tundra, to kill it, but Mara followed.
Her actions to save the stranger dragon brought her the respect of the Clan. Her actions to be at Abyss' side, to curb his rage, brought her the continued interest of Abyss. She tamed his anger, showed him that there was more to life than what he thought, more to the darkness inside either of them. She finds it hard to keep him from killing intruders, but the Clan no longer suffers.
The hatchlings will come soon... and despite their growing trust in Mara and Abyss as their leaders, there is worry.
---------
---------
"I've wronged them." Abyss said quietly to the little fae that rested between his horns. The night was bright with the light of the moon, and they both lay lazily over some crumbling stones on a structure that used to be a building of some kind, its use long forgotten. "But they will see... when the nests come. They will see that I can be useful instead of cruel."
"You have a unkind heart, my beloved." Mara said quietly, leaning her head closer toward the Imperial's ear, her long neck craning. "Because it has always known unkindness. They are trying. I believe in you, that you can show them. But do not lose the darkness in yourself. You will need it to stay strong, to defend us."
Abyss growled deep in his throat, rolling his eyes up as if he could see the little fae. But, of course, he couldn't. "I will kill th--"
"You will not. You will let them try. You will do nothing to the hatchlings, and you will let the clan Try. I am sure that they will lose their fear eventually. You took from them. You stole from them the lives of their young. It takes time." Mara smoothed her little claws through Abyss' mane, then rolled over, her wings crumpling a little under her small body. "It is all right to have darkness, and to live peacefully with them."
"... as you do." Abyss said quietly.
"As I do. As YOU will, in time."
They watched the moon cross the sky, and the sun came. Despite the light, the shadows still lingered in the Hewn City, as they always would.
((This post contains all Mara’s Bio/Lore information Pre December 2019))
Mara cannot remember much of her past. She knew there was darkness, and that she had roamed through multiple lairs, but before Abyss? It was getting harder and harder to remember. She had left her previous clan because she knew of her power, and it was unsafe to be around her. She never had any intention of remaining with that blasted Imperial, but her adoration grew, and then it was all but impossible to be separated from him. She calmed his rage. He brightened her darkness. It was a trade that she was willing to accept. This clan had taken to her, and before long, they were not cowering before Abyss or Mara, but rather embracing them.
They could not forget what Abyss had done to them, but they could forgive. It took time. It took effort. Mara helped. But they were not aware of How she helped... and she would keep it that way.
Before long, another had come into their Clan. The pull she felt from the very core of him rattled her. It was the same darkness as hers, the same ethereal quiver. She was drawn to him, and he confessed his draw to her.
Abyss had fought the concept of Mara, head of the Night-Star Clan, having two mates! It was absurd, and an usurper would not unthrone him! But... in time, and after several battles between Exodus and Abyss, the Guardian was allowed to stay. He was allowed to be her mate, though Abyss would not tolerate more than the occasional nest.
It was for the greater cause of Power. Darkness. Abyss could tolerate Exodus because of the Darkness that reigned within Mara's essence.
Mara had her true mate, Abyss.
Mara had her Bloodline Guardian, Exodus.
She thought she was happy.
But could a Naomi descendant truly be happy?
------
((Story from the Halloween 2019 hatchling auction))
Time and time again, Mara rolled through the strange waters that pulled different hues into her scales. Each time the waters washed over her and slid down her body, a new colour was left behind, and she would look down at her reflection, wondering if this was the truth of her now. Was this who she was? So many blues, yellows, purples, and greens... why did none of them feel Right?
She laid in the water for a little while, wondering if these were the only colours she would be allowed to possess? Colours mostly darker, colours that reminded her of the darker nature of her birth...
Mara emerged at last from the strange waters, and looked at her reflection. Her dark eyes widened, and she stared at the strange, pinkish hue strewn across her scales. A low-toned, rolling laugh came from nearby, and she looked quickly behind her to see Abyss, the massive imperial that was her patron mate, giving her a wide, toothy smirk that was the only lighter colours besides his brilliant eyes against his obsidian scales.
"You look foolish." He said to her. "Like a real child of the Arcane."
Mara Was a child of the Arcane, though! Her ancestor, Naomi, was the root of it all, stemming from the Arcane itself. Though Mara's heart and eyes sang from the Plaguebringer, through her mother, the origin of her darkness was always Arcane. The Arcanist, the one that called down the Shade and shattered the pillar, was the truth of her real beginning.
"I do not look Foolish." Mara snapped at the larger dragon, then looked back at her reflection again. She was tired of being afraid of her own darkness. She angled her head, looking at the way the pinks and blues played over her scales, her fins, her wings... "I Do look like a Real Child of the Arcane. A Child of Naomi..."
Abyss moved closer to her, lowering his head to look at her with a familiar glint in his eyes.
"... your Plaguebringer's festival is upon us..." He said to her, looking at her directly, and then looking at her reflection so their eyes met.
Mara blinked at his reflection, then turned her head to look at him.
"... and the night of the Soul's Harvest is coming..."
Mara smirked, and hopped closer to his large head, reaching up to grab at his fur with her smaller claws.
"We should dress up." She said.
"And what would you be?" Abyss asked, lifting his head, and bringing the clinging Mara with him.
She scrabbled up through his fur to find a seat between his horns, her usual perch. The little fae thought about it. What would she be? Nestled on Abyss' head as he walked slowly back toward the den, Mara thought about it.
"A Queen." She finally said as they slipped into the dark entrance of their personal den. A slow smirk formed at her mouth. "A Queen that celebrates the Arcanist, and the Origin, Naomi."
Abyss was giving a mischievous expression of his own, even as his tail was the last thing to disappear into the darkness of the cave.
"Very well, your Majesty..."
Mara, in full royal regalia, crooned over her nest. This clutch she would not let slip away so easily. As the eggs cracked, and her hatchlings came forth, she grinned to herself over them, a dark glint in her eye.
These ones she would keep close in the beginning, teaching them about their origin, and everything that came Before. And then? Then, she would send them out into the world, her dark little messengers... But to whom shall she send them...? Which lairs would they best fit within...? Perhaps those that came Seeking the Darkness....? Those that offered Tribute to her, a Queen for a Day...
Hm... which ones....
----
----
((Continuing on: ))
Something on the wind, a whisper. Change was coming, she could tell, but why did she have this feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach...?
"I.. I want to gather the clan." Mara said in barely a whisper, her voice uncertain. She slid back a little into Abyss' mane, shrinking down a bit between his horns.
Abyss rolled his eyes upward, though he could not see the tiny, currently-pink fae.
"Whatever for?" The imperial's voice rumbled out, and he lifted his snout a little, as if that could somehow help him see her, even though they both knew he couldn't.
"... something is wrong..." Mara's crest lay flat, and she turned her head a little. There was something there, she was sure of it. Something low-toned, dangerous. But what was it?? "Please, just call them..."
Abyss regarded her with a flick of his tail, and then gave a heavy sigh.
"Very well." The massive imperial got to his feet, and turned, carrying his small mate with him. Mara had grown more paranoid as of late, and he wasn't entirely sure why. After her bright colours had come, she had seemed so jovial. But now? It was as if all of the brilliance was fading.
It was only a matter of time now...
Hello, and welcome to the Tumblr of the Night-Star Clan, a clan of dragons on Flight Rising, owned by the user AntiFerret #58586.
Primarily speaking, this blog will be IN CHARACTER except if the title denotes “OOC”, which then that post is Out Of Character.
Any and all art used in this blog is copyright the creator. Some art might be found on a free-for-use (no credit required) site/thread, and others will have credits added to them. Please support the artists!
That being said, let’s go ahead and wrap this up, and get into the lore, shall we?
