#l: Skelston

[webwingalpha]

Unaffiliated Stories: Onward

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The Skydancer’s clawed feet padded softly over the short grass as he made his way southwards. He had no particular destination in mind, nowhere he planned to go; he just needed to keep moving. Away from wavy and goldenrod grass that felt soft underneath his feet, away from the nearly-always cloudless sky and fluffy, warm-coloured trees. And especially… especially away from the towering and pale gold ruins and buildings that he saw at nearly every turn. He honestly couldn’t do this anymore.

The Sunbeam Ruins were just a mess of bad memories to Skelston now. He couldn’t stay. Just about everything reminded him of something he didn’t want to keep remembering. His previous kingdom and its fall, being in hiding for years upon years underground, the clan who took him in when he re-emerged getting destroyed by the very same thing that destroyed his previous home, and then, the great and foul-smelling beast that resulted in him fleeing further north. It was not rare for one of those memories to show up behind his eyelids when he slept each night.

In fact, the foul beast rampaging over the lands was a reason why he refused to take to the skies, even if it would make his journey faster. It didn’t feel safe. Even if it was miles and miles away now; he could still occasionally hear distant roars, or see elemental blasts streak through the air when he glanced backwards. Neither of those failed to get him to increase his pace for a while. Skelston had never expected to ever see the fabled “emperor” he had heard of in stories over the years, and he really wished he hadn’t.

It had been days since Skelston had begun traveling, and he was finally feeling like he was getting at least somewhat close to out of the light-kissed land entirely. It was only midday, so there were several hours of travel left, and he was able to see the top of the largest buildings that resided in the Hewn City on the horizon. Good. He was going to skirt around it, for there was absolutely no way he was wandering into that cursed place again, but it was a good sign. After all, they were located at the southernmost part of the Sunbeam Ruins, along a lot of the southern border. He was close. He was going to get out of here. Hopefully sooner than later.

Skelston kept traveling, opting not to sleep that night in order to get there faster; it was doubtful he’d be able to sleep for long anyways. He made a longer berth around the City than he originally planned, not wanting to be that close to it when nightfall inevitably hit. He had been told since he was a mere hatchling that it was a very bad idea to be near it at night, after all, and he was not risking it even now. It felt like he didn’t have good luck, all things considered, and going closer was just a disaster waiting to happen.

Roughly two days later, his claws hit the dry, cracked grounds of the Expanse as he landed from a short flight across the divide between the two territories, and after a quick check to ensure that the pearl of one of his former mates that he had managed to retrieve from the ruins of his kingdom before he started his journey was still safe in the bag around his shoulders, Skelston was off again. He still had no idea where he wanted to go or what he planned to do, just that he wanted the Ruins far behind him. That was the only important thing.

And thus, he resumed his travels. As he continued on, Skelston kept to himself, avoiding obvious clans and staying as far away from other traveling dragons as he could. Thankfully, in this harsh, arid desert, sightings of other dragons were few and far between. He didn’t mind the heat, being a fire dragon, so he also kept to traveling during the day for the most part when he did decide to sleep, and that also likely helped keep his sightings of other dragons to a minimum.

Going on this long journey alone gave him a lot of time to think and reminisce, especially considering the fact he wasn’t able to sleep much at times thanks to either a nightmare or just the inability to fall asleep to begin with. His mind was on both things past and present. How did he become the ruler of a kingdom for years to… this? Run out of two homes by the Shade, Tainted, lost, and with no home to call his own, no friends or allies to spend time with. He had no idea where he wanted to go, even if it might look that way to others observing him; he was just wandering aimlessly. He had managed to leave the Ruins, away from bad memories and monsters, but what was he going to do next? He hadn’t traveled in Sornieth in a long, long time. He had no idea what things were like now.

Not to mention he had no interest in joining a clan at this point in time. He wasn’t just going to allow another clan to fall to the Shade; after two times of having to flee a clan due to the Shade overtaking everything, it felt like he was cursed. And what if he was? He wasn’t going to put that burden on another clan and cause even more dragons to die. Too many dragons had died due to him and he didn’t need any more blood on his hands.

It was still so strange though, going from a ruler, surrounded by his people, to this. Isolated, alone. A stark contrast, and it was likely he’d never get used to it. He would just have to cope, though, at least for the time being.

Skelston finally made it to the top of the next dune, one that was significantly larger than the last few, stopping to catch his breath. Traveling was not something he was used to, at least not by foot, and there wasn’t any way he was flying while he was in the Expanse; it wasn’t safe with the territory’s tendency to get storms. His front leg with the old shoulder scars burned from the journey so far, his back leg ached due to yet another storm on the horizon, and he let his gaze wander that direction briefly to see how close it really was. He wasn’t a fan of how chaotic this place was; he couldn’t wait until he was free from worrying about the nearly constant storms of the Expanse.

He really needed to figure out where to go and what to do. He couldn’t wander aimlessly like this forever. He felt so lost after all the things that had happened, like he had lost all purpose. He needed a purpose, he needed something to occupy his mind, and most of all, he needed to find out where he belonged now. 

Skelston closed his eyes, feeling the wind whip his mane around as he stood there, contemplating on what he should do next. At the very least, he needed a destination. He was not staying here; this was most certainly not a place he wanted to stay in the long term.

After a moment, he let his eyes open, his gaze trailing to the south. Just past the grey sands and dark clouds was lava and black rock: The Ashfall Waste. Where he had been born eons ago, a place he didn’t spend much time in before he was whisked off with his father to the Ruins because their original home wasn’t safe anymore. It had been so long since he had even set his eyes upon it.

And now that he was not on the move or sleeping, Skelston could swear he was feeling a pull towards it. Maybe that could be his destination; it sounded right. It sounded perfect, actually.

He would figure out what to do from there. Traveling and wandering, yes, since clans were a no-go for now. He was not risking the life of another clan. Not again. He had seen so much death over the years. It was not a thing he was fond of.

Wait.

That’s what he could do. He could start targeting the Shade, himself. He had heard of Shade Hunters; dragons who specifically train to hunt down and kill Shade creatures. He liked that idea; hitting them first instead of letting them attack clans. He could help keep clans safe from the dark, lurking shadows.

So that was it then. He had a purpose. He would strike the Shade down himself, keeping them from being able to hurt any other dragons. Sure, this would mean he’d likely not stay in the Ashfall Waste in the long run, but it still was a start, a destination.

Feeling renewed with a strong purpose, Skelston slowly made his way down the large dune after glancing towards the next impending storm. It felt nice to know what he wanted to do now; he just needed to get to the Waste first. Hopefully it wasn’t too much farther.

He wasn’t going to avoid the Shade any longer. He was going to confront it head on, straight for the throat. Sure, he couldn’t eliminate it entirely by himself; he was likely never going to make a dent in the population, but hell, he was tired of hiding. No more.

[webwingalpha]

Also another thing I felt warranted its own post.

Due to all that had happened, Skelston also, on the inside, has some serious doubts on if he was a good king or not. Sure yes, they did well for a long time, but to him, it also felt like the Kingdom fell so easily. Was he really a good ruler when he wasn’t able to keep his Kingdom from falling in the end?

Feels like he failed everyone by being unable to prevent that from happening.

It’s a doubt that he keeps within, one he wants to keep to himself, deep inside (along with the fact he still feels like a coward at times for fleeing instead of fighting, even if it was a lost cause at that point). It’s not exactly something he wants others to know about.

[webwingalpha]

Reason I posted that dude next, I have decided that he and Skelston do know each other. They’re both old, and were allies/worked together when the Kingdom of Embers was still around, though Coro wasn’t an actual member of the Kingdom.

And right now, Coro also does not know that Skelston is alive. He wasn’t there when the Kingdom truly fell, for a reason I haven’t decided on next, though perhaps he was helping elsewhere, so he had no idea what happened to the Skydancer. He hopes he’s still alive out there, but he can’t be sure. For all he knows, Skelston perished with the rest.

[webwingalpha]

Alright though, since I did say I’d ramble about Skelston.

- First off, he’s a son of The Flamecaller. Due to how old he is, it’s speculated he’s one of Her first, though it’s not known for sure. - He used to be a King, many many years ago. It was known as The Kingdom of Embers, located near the Beacon of the Radiant Eye, and it was quite big and flourishing. - The Kingdom ended up falling, due to a war involving the Shade in some way, possibly some nasty Shade beast was involved and had a huge following, perhaps something related to the Shade Nadja tamed. - He lost just about everyone, and nearly ended up captured, himself. If it hadn’t been for one of his royal guards screaming at him to leave, he probably would have been captured. At that time he was stressed, not sleeping well, and had a broken leg from getting hit by a Shade attack while he was in the air. - That Shade attack left him obviously Shade tainted. His hair/wings used to be a brilliant shade of red before the taint left it dark blue and black with only vague hints of red. - He went into hiding for years and years, after he had managed to flee, staying underground in the Hewn City, often staying hidden in the Waterway. He stayed in his draconic form for the most part while down there. - That broken leg healed badly due to lack of care, and he stayed off of it when he could, since it hurt if he walked too much on it and it slowed him down. - Yes, the eclipse is what brought him out, and the same day, he managed to find somewhere to live in, a Kingdom his had been allied with back when it was around, Ajela’ar. - It was there that he got his leg fixed up, and he’s very, very thankful he can walk properly again. - Scratch the thing that was here, no one survived besides him as far as he knows, and due to that, due to losing everyone, including his two mates, have left a huge hole in his heart that he’s not sure will ever heal or be filled. It certainly doesn’t help his doubts. One thing that crosses his mind every day is doubt. Doubt that he was a good king or a good leader. Doubt that he even deserves to be alive, for he had failed. Failed everyone. He only survived because he was urged to flee. He should have stayed, died like the rest instead of running like a coward. He’s ashamed, doubtful, and not as confident anymore due to all of it. - Little does he know, there is a relative of two that lived in the kingdom still running around. A single Pearlcatcher child of a pair of powerful mates who had managed to escape and flee to live in a small town in Dragonhome for years. They ended up dying in battle defending the town, one of the only ways they could have died due to them both being immortal, but their kid still remains, unaware of his relation so far, for his egg hatched years after they had died. Odd thing really, an egg not hatching for years and years, not a common occurrence at all.

[webwingalpha]

Eclipse pt.2: The Return

pinglist snipped because this was originally on the other post. 

Reposting this one after deleting it off the other since I want to bring more focus to this one (will be rambling about him soon). If you wanted to be added to my lore pinglist let me know!

Previous (happens on the same day) |

Orange and black eyes gazed up through a big crack in the stone above, focused on the phenomenon above. The eyes belonged to a large male Skydancer, the majority of his body hidden in shadow, his tail lashing in anticipation as he watched, unable to take his gaze off of it for long, though he was careful not to stare at it directly. An eclipse. An event so rare that there were likely very few dragons still alive who had witnessed one. Until now.

He felt lucky to be able to witness such a thing. It was most certainly a highlight, what with him being confined to the underground for many, many years now, so watching it was a welcome distraction from the dreary underbelly of the Hewn City. It was nice, having something like this happen out of the blue, since otherwise, every day was so similar they seemed to run together, especially when he really had no idea when it was night or day at times. Areas where sunlight filtered through, like this spot, were few and far between.

But yet.

It felt like the only reason he was even made aware of this was due to the fact that he was somehow drawn to the area. He didn't know how, or why, or anything else, but he had felt a pull of sorts, something he felt like he had to follow and not ignore. Following the pull had brought him up, out of the Waterway, closer to the surface, to this very spot, a way to the surface that gave him a good view of the eclipse, which had just started when he found the spot he was located now.

And oddly, even though the feeling had died down for the most part once he had reached here, he still felt the urge to go further, up out of the crevice and above ground. It wasn't really a pull anymore, not like that, more like an urge now. His mind, his whole body in fact, wanted him to go back into the light, out of the darkness he had been hiding in for a long, long time. He didn't know why; in all his time down here, he had never gotten an urge to do this, at least, not one that was this strong. Not until today.

Was something trying to tell him something, that he needed to come back? And if so, why? Why now? Did the eclipse mean something?

Perhaps... Lady Lightweaver was calling to him in a way? That didn't sound impossible. She was known to be distant and vague; something he know well due to being a devout follower of Hers. This did sound like something She'd do.

But still he didn't move from where he was standing, didn't succumb to the urge as he continued watching the eclipse. He kept alert, his feathered crest twitching every once in a while to show that, along with his tense form and lashing tail, to make up for his eyes being settled elsewhere. As the eclipse became closer to total coverage, he became aware of the urge within growing slightly stronger, egging him to go further upwards. It wasn't overwhelming, though now he was getting the feeling that he really should give in. That it was a really good idea for him to return to the surface.

Finally, once the moon completely covered the sun, resulting in full totality, he gave in. Claws scraped the ground as he ascended, climbing up the crumbled wall that led to the uneven gap in the ceiling. It was difficult and a bit slow, especially considering the fact that one of his back legs was twisted and therefore useless to him at the moment, but that didn't keep him from going. No. He wasn't going to turn back now, not when he was being called by an unknown force.

By the time he reached the large crack, scratching and squeezing himself through it, for once thankful of his currently underweight frame, the eclipse had moved on, revealing bits of the sun behind it as continued on its way. His gaze returned to it as he stepped away from the crack in the ground, the tip of his tail twitching as he did so. The urge in his body was gone now, having dissipated as soon as he emerged from the dark underground, proof that this was where he had been called to go. And now that it had disappeared, he wasn't sure where he was supposed to go next. Now what?

After all, there had to be a reason for it. Something like that wouldn't just pop up for no reason, right?

He didn't move away any further from the area, keeping his head tilted upwards, until the sun wasn't blocked by the moon anymore, not wanting to stray away until the eclipse was done and over, his body quivering with exhaustion, tail drooping enough to be on the ground. He had wanted to watch the rest of it before he moved on, wanted to witness and take in the whole event without missing a minute. Hell, he had even kept it in his line of sight as he had scrambled up the broken wall.

And now it was over. He shifted his weight, lowering his head as he looked around left and right, watchful eyes combing over his surroundings. The Hewn City had certainly not changed, looking the same even after his many years in self-inflicted exile. It was relieving, though also unnerving, how it was still shockingly recognizable. Sure, he wasn't going into unknown territory, but still, its unchanged appearance sent a chill down his spine.

Coughing, the gold and red Skydancer started moving, tense and alert, in the direction that felt most right to him. Sure, he was now back under the sun, but that didn't mean there weren't dangers underfoot. He needed to find a place to stay, before it got dark, before anything nasty and nocturnal awoke. Before being alone and helpless would be even more of a detriment than it was now. And not only that, his likely need to shift to his Homin form once he reached a safer place to do that would make him even more vulnerable, especially with his bad leg.

Perhaps one of the clans he knew years ago were still around. He would be lucky if that was true. Either way, he needed to search for a new home. The sooner, the better.