#aseare

His sister felt wrong. That much was easy to tell. Her former easy laughter was now strained and echoed in all of the wrong ways. Her body shifted, dyed new hues by the change she had gone through. Fylstan no longer recognized Aseare.  

He finally knew why.

It was hard for the skydancer to accept but that fateful day when he had purged the taint of the Shade from their land it seemed he hadn’t gotten all of it. He kept his concerns close to his breast even as the murmurs about his sister grew within the clan. He was not blind to Tanhlyta’s…controlling nature, her manipulative desire to keep him to herself. Sometimes he wondered at the sincerity of her affections but even if he was just being used he held affection for her all the same. Fylstan knew if she discovered his intentions he would lose his sister forever – he was well aware of the risk to himself and he knew the seer wouldn’t let his actions pass.

The dark skydancer carefully uncurled himself from around Tacen – his wonderful little miracle of a daughter – so as not to disturb her slumber. She was so young yet, barely out of the hatchling caverns, and he regretted that she may wake alone in the world. Tanhlyta was hardly involved in her daughter’s life though she did occasionally gift her with wondrous little trinkets. Fylstan nuzzled his star-touched daughter before he slipped out of his lair.

The hallways of the lair weren’t cool by any stretch of the imagination – Fire lairs never were – but the heat was more bearable at night and danced along his hide pleasantly. His lair was fairly close to the common areas of the clan and he navigated the maze-like structure of the clan’s lair with practiced ease to reach his destination.

He had heard rumours that Aseare was being sent out to the west to deal with a problem. It should have been him going to deal with it but Aseare had taken on more and more of his work, her powers growing exponentially and confounding the clan as to the cause. In a way he was proud of her but he was also scared for her. Power like that came not from herself but from that which was infecting her. The more she gave in to it the more possessed she became and Fylstan feared that it might already be too late.

Fylstan stepped out onto the rock shelf that served as the clan’s entrance and prepared himself to take flight when a shudder coursed through him and his gaze whipped to his right.

Darkness. It rolled off of Aseare sinisterly as she stepped out of the shadows at the very edge of the rock shelf. She seemed perfectly at home in it and when she spoke Fylstan understood why.

“If it isn’t brother dearest,” she hissed, a dark echo accompanying her voice.

“You’re not Aseare,” he accused quickly, taking a step back despite himself.

“How astute! I knew you had figured us out. Clever, clever Fylstan. Heroic, too, wanting to save her. But does she really need saving? She wanted this, you know. Power. To protect you, as I recall.”

“Give her back,” Fylstan demanded, undaunted by the thing’s taunting.

“Hmm…no. I don’t think so. We’ve been looking for a compatible host for too long. Are you going to fight us on this? She doesn’t want you hurt but we will defend ourselves.”

Fylstan’s whole body began to glow in answer and the thing in Aseare sighed.

“Very well. Don’t say we didn’t try to be reasonable,” they said.

Fire and light clashed with the roiling darkness, the two spellcasters flinging magic at each other ferociously. The dull roar of Fylstan’s magic was swallowed up endlessly by Aseare’s silence. The commotion caught the eye of a sentinel and the clan was alerted and Fylstan growled through clamped fangs. He had been trying not to tap into too much of himself but if he didn’t finish the fight soon Tanhlyta would arrive and he would lose his chance.

Fylstan dug deep into his essence to pull out his full strength. He could tell the Shade in Aseare realized it was outmatched when he did so but it was too late for it to do anything. He hooked his magic deep into Aseare’s being and found the root of the Shade’s infection. There was a roaring in his ears as he wrapped his being around the Shade and yanked it right out of Aseare and into himself.

His magic trickled away and he realized the roaring in his ears had been himself.

What have you done to us!? This body is fading! We don’t want to go, let us out! The Shade screamed in his mind but he just locked it down farther and smiled grimly. Fylstan could see his sister’s crumpled but breathing form, meaning he had kept his promise to protect her.

Shapes around him began blurring but he was able to make out the sleepy form of Tacen being held back by other members of the clan even as his own mother and the healers rushed to his side.

Fylstan gently nosed the lone egg sitting in the shallow pool of lava. Most of his clan left nest tending to Niehsta but the skydancer could no easier leave the raising of his child to another than he could abandon his sister. Even if he was currently at odds with her. She had been distant and snappish ever since he began his training with Tanhlyta and she had only grown worse when the two had entered an actual relationship of sorts.

Tanhlyta herself was a fairly emotionally distant dragon, Fylstan had come to know. Not emotionless entirely but he understood why she didn’t fit in so well with the rest of the clan. Well, that and her genuine madness. He would have to be a fool not to notice it – or her far darker arts – and wonder sometimes if she only wanted to use him. There was something about her though that had him trusting her.

The clan still didn’t, probably never would…and he was all too aware no one really approved of his interactions with her. They had made that abundantly clear with their whispers and avoidance. Fylstan cared little for their opinions anymore. All they had wanted from him was his abilities, even if it cost him his life. If they wanted to continue relying on his power they were just going to have to accept his choices.

-

Fylstan awoke many days later to a splash of magma in his face and the sharp sound of a crack. The excited skydancer slipped his way into the nest to curl around his hatching egg. He had a flitting idea to send for Tanhlyta but considering the pearlcatcher’s unique talents he was willing to bet she already knew. If she cared to show up, she would.

As the pieces of the fire-infused egg fell away the visage of his daughter was revealed. Fylstan cooed at the newborn pearlcatcher as he gathered the shards of her egg in front of her. He was awed at the instinctive hunger she had for her shell for she dug right into the shards when they were put before her.

The Flamecaller had truly blessed them, for she had a coat of starlight that blazed as bright as her eyes. She truly was a-

“Marvel,” Tanhlyta uttered smoothly, slipping into the moment seamlessly. “Her name, that is. Tacen, with the meaning of ‘marvel.’ Truly fitting for one born of us, wouldn’t you say?”

“Tacen. It suits her,” Fylstan responded, voice warmed with the presence of mate and daughter. “She’s as beautiful as her mother.”

“Ha! He flatters the wrong one. The wee marvel outstrips us both, at least in looks. Too early to tell if she has any of our…gifts, as it were. Can’t see her future.” The elder pearlcatcher sounded displeased about that particular fact which had Fylstan chuckling.

“Sometimes some things are best left as surprises,” he said.

“Quite so, brother.”

Tanhylta blinked in surprise and inclined her head to get a look at the entrance to their nesting area while Fylstan gave a very visible start at the cold voice of his sister. Voices? Her voice seemed to carry an echo to it – though perhaps that could be blamed on the acoustics of the cavern based on her position. Aseare smiled at the pair of them and then at the oblivious hatchling in the center of it all.

“Who knew you’d hatch such a cutie, brother? And here I thought the mother would have more influence but your daughter seems to have inherited your dear old dad’s shine,” the nocturne continued, voice biting bitterly.

“Asa? What…are you alright?” Fylstan faltered over his words. He was overcome with shock by his sister’s seeming transformation. He knew her as a happy, if easily annoyed, dragon…not this harsh being keen on tearing others down with words.

“Better than you, I dare say. You look exhausted Fylstan. Been using magic too much lately?” She asked knowingly.

Fylstan’s antennae very nearly twitched at all the negative energy radiating off his sister. Fear, loneliness, pride, anticipation - all coagulating together and warping each other. Why did some part of her seem…pleased that he was so weakened? That despite his training with Tanhlyta he only seemed to be delaying the inevitable – not stopping it?

“Well, take care of young – Tacen, was it? – and her favourite auntie ever will get her the best present ever,” Aseare added cryptically before sweeping out of the cavern, seemingly taking some of the shadows with her as she left.

“Fylstan…?” Tanhlyta intoned, oddly hesitant. The problem with Aseare was crystal clear to the more experienced pearlcatcher and she knew the bond the two held. If Fylstan – clever, powerful, her Fylstan – had realized what was wrong…she dreaded to think of the consequences. He was note one to sit back and watch as one he loved was destroyed, least of all in a misguided attempt to protect him.

“I thought the requests had become less frequent. She’s the reason, isn’t she? She’s been taking things on instead of me so I would-“ Fylstan halted himself, his dark feathers ruffling in displeasure. “Asa’s not herself. I’ll figure this out…and don’t give me that look, I’ll do it with or without your help, Tanhlyta.”

“Oh my, the student’s talking back to the teacher! Whatever shall I do? Assist him, perhaps?” Tanhlyta spoke as if to herself, tone borderline teasing if not for the opportunity ‘assisting’ presented. If she could divert him just enough…

Multiple dragons landed nearby the two fallen siblings, concerned voices calling out their names to no avail. A female skydancer stepped forward and hovered a glowing paw over Fylstan’s face. “They will not be awakening any time soon,” Eadgiefa announced gravely as she gently caressed the side of her son’s face. “Let’s get them back to Brimstream so he can look them over.”

-

That was three days ago. Fylstan and Aseare remained in the infirmary. The former had regained consciousness but the latter remained in a fitful sleep from which she could not wake from. The obsidian skydancer watched over her sleep as he slowly recovered from the effects his magic had taken on his body. He was tempted to try and soothe her with his own magic, combat whatever darkness was haunting her, but the healer had advised against it. Fylstan cursed his own weakness.

“Keep frowning like that, dear Fylstan, and you will find yourself aged beyond your years,” a lilting voice broke the silence. Fylstan looked up from his position in the soft furs of the infirmary to see Tanhlyta. “Well, by nature of what you are I’m afraid aging at all is enough of a miracle.”

The skydancer narrowed his eyes a bit at the pearlcatcher’s statement. She was well known – if not well liked – in the clan for her cryptic statements and strong powers of precognition. It was always hard to tell if what she spoke of was her messing with someone or a prediction of the future. He didn’t much like what her words implied if it was to be his future.

He was startled out of his thoughts by her loud laughter. “Relax, dear one. Your thoughts really are far too transparent for your own good. What death I see is not set in stone,” Tanhlyta announced. “And what good is the ability to see the future if not to mess with fate occasionally, hm? Let’s see what this humble seer can do for you.”

Tanhlyta approached him slowly and sat before him. She set her pearl to one side and her tail curled around it protectively. Fylstan eyed the inky pearl for a moment before asking, “Why would you help me, Tanhlyta?”

Tanhlyta broke into slightly hysterical giggles. “Oh my! Perhaps I have over-estimated your intellect,” she cried out in amusement, “Fylstan does not even recognize his own worth!”

“Enough,” the skydancer sighed out, too exhausted still to play whatever games she had.

“Ah, ah, don’t sulk now. Your question is fair – you know your worth to clan and sister but that doesn’t explain your worth to little old Tany, does it now? Yes, I see your confusion. Simply put, you are magnificent,” Tanhlyta explained.

Fylstan took a moment to digest her statement before he started spluttering in confusion. “I- wha- you find me m-mag-magnificent!?”

Tanhlyta cackled at his reaction and bared her teeth in a sly smirk. “Why, Fylstan, you’re so easy to fluster! Your power, yes, is magnificent. Though now that you have me thinking about it…” The pearlcatcher gave him a very obvious once over and hummed thoughtfully. “Yes, the sight of you is quite pleasing, too.”

She pressed a paw to his chest gently as her lids slowly closed. Fylstan could do little more than watch in befuddlement as he felt her magic rise up around him. It was unpleasant, to say the least. Her magic was a cold, choking thing. He felt it catch on something within him and for a moment he couldn’t breathe, felt broken in a different way than usual, before it was gone.

“I see,” Tanhlyta said, her paw slipping down across his chest before dropping entirely. She seemed oddly sad to Fylstan, in those two words. “It seems I was mistaken. I can’t redirect your magic from using your life as its source without utterly destroying it and you in the process. However, you have the capacity to draw from other sources when you use lesser magics and I can teach you how to do that much, at least.”

“Other sources, you say. You can’t expect me to use others to…” Fylstan trailed off, his horror at the thought of using another in such a way choking his words.

Tanhlyta laughed at his concern though her eyes were deadpan as she assured him, “My reputation of being a necromancer is, apparently, spreading. What fun. No, there are many energies in this world, not just that of life and death. Now, if you plan on sticking around to protect sister dearest over there, you might want to consider taking my offer.”

The pearlcatcher stood and her jewelry tinkled almost menacingly as she moved. “Little ol’ me will come visit again tomorrow. Do think about it, pet.” With her parting comments she slipped out of the infirmary with a wink, a large shadow trailing after her silently.

Fylstan shuddered and hoped she didn’t literally think of him as her pet. The way she treated her guardian pet was horrific.

-

The choice was rather obvious in the end. Pulling energy out of fire or light was certainly much easier on him than he would have thought. Tanhlyta, for all her madness, was a surprisingly good teacher and the longer he spent in her company the more Fylstan could see past her facades. It wasn’t hard to learn to read her - even if only superficially - over the course of a couple days.

“M’kay, let’s see what the student has learned, hmm?” Tanhlyta asked. “Try to overwhelm me.”

“You want me to attack you? Really?” Fylstan wasn’t sure if he understood her correctly. He didn’t want to hurt her, either. He’d grown fond of her since she spent most of his waking hours drilling a different kind of magic into his head.

The pearlcatcher rolled her blue eyes at him. “Not with your full strength of course, you thick skull. I solemnly swear you can’t do me any harm with what I’ve taught you alone.”

Tanhlyta met Fylstan’s concerned stare with one of deadpan boredom. With a soft sigh Fylstan began gathering energy from the flames illuminating his area in the infirmary. They flickered and dimmed, a couple even going out entirely with a soft sound, as he drew in external energy before flinging it at Tanhlyta.

The pearlcatcher’s eyes widened and she tried to throw up an energy shield against the unexpectedly large amount of power behind Fylstan’s attack. Only half formed, the shield buckled under the strength of the attack though it served to protect Tanhlyta from any actual harm.

She was still knocked onto her back and she giggled with amusement as her attacker rushed over to her. His uncoordinated haste led him to tripping and falling half onto her with a squawk. “You’re as clumsy as a newborn,” Tanhlyta laughed, pawing at the groaning Fylstan.

“Is this what I get for being worried about you?” The skydancer asked grumpily, flicking her with his tail as he raised his head above hers.

Tanhlyta laughed a little more and raised a paw to rest on his jaw. “I’m more worried you’ll never be able to fully hold back your superpowers, o’ apprentice of mine,” she said softly.

Fylstan could almost feel the genuine concern through his antennae and stared down at her in surprise. He opened his mouth to say something but another voice cut in.

“What in the Arcanist’s name is going on?” Aseare snapped.

Fylstan scrambled to all four feet as he took in his sister finally awake and out of her infirmary bed. Tanhlyta rolled over onto her stomach nonchalantly and curled her tail tight around her pearl as the whole of the infirmary seemed to vibrate with the energy Aseare was letting off.

“Asa…” Fylstan said, unconsciously using his own magic to counteract his sister’s.

Aseare let out a derisive sniff and refused to answer before storming out of the infirmary.

A repetitive chirping woke Fylstan from his sleep. He gently disentangled himself from his adoptive sister Aseare just enough to peer around for the source of the sound. He blinked sleepy orange eyes as another chirp brought his attention to Hrietian’s parda companion. The skydancer noticed the message scroll at her feet and he nodded. Miwa chirped one more time before turning and bounding away, no doubt back to Hrietian’s side.

Fylstan tried to escape the clutches of his sleeping sister but she was practically fused to him. With a sigh he flopped pitifully against the fur-lined ground. Fylstan had a hunch what was in the scroll and he hadn’t wanted to worry Aseare with it but it looked like he would have little choice but to wake her.

“Asa. Asa wake up,” he crooned softly at the sleeping nocturne. He stroked over her head gently with his paw. She was always so grumpy unless she was woken gently and Fylstan already knew he was in for trouble without her being grumpy too. He smiled indulgently as Aseare began to mumble and shift with his ministrations. She slowly opened her eyes to peer up at him. With a small laugh Fylstan said, “Come on, sleepy head. Time to start the day.”

“No,” she whined, pressing her nose into his shoulder. She was every bit the petulant child in that moment as she tightened her coil around Fylstan.

 “Asa,” Fylstan started sternly, “I have work to do.”

At that, Aseare flinched and she reared back to glare at her most-definitely-younger brother. “All the more reason not to. You’re still not feeling better from yesterday. Just say no and let them all rot-“

“Aseare!” Fylstan snapped. A low rumble built in his chest and Aseare had the grace to look sheepish. He sighed before continuing, “You know they wouldn’t call on me unless it was serious. Mother – Eadgiefa – is usually capable of handling it.”

The nocturne was thoroughly chastened and she recoiled from her brother in a sulk. Fylstan shook his head and moved to read the scroll that Miwa had left behind. His careful paws unfurled the scroll and he read through the contents with a heavy heart. “There’s a taint at the east border. Engellice says it ripped through the barrier like it was paper.”

“Fylstan, please, don’t go,” Aseare begged in a wavering voice.

“I have to. If not for the others, then for you,” was Fylstan’s answer.

The skydancer set the scroll aside and stood. There was not much time to combat the Shade if it had already broken through the clan’s barrier. He was halfway out of his shared lair space with his sister when Aseare tackled him, sending him sprawling on the ground and triggering a painful coughing fit.

“I’m sorry! Oh, Arcanist, I’m sorry,” Aseare cried. She helped her brother regain his footing even as he continued coughing. “I just…I want to come with you, if I can’t stop you.”

“Asa-“His words were broken by more coughing and she shushed him gently.

“I can guess you want to say no but I’ll just follow you anyway. Not like anyone here could stop me either and you can’t waste the energy to bind me here if you’re going to face something that strong. So. I’m coming and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Fylstan acknowledged her argument by wheezing out a sigh and holding back his protests. Aseare’s magic was wild and rarely controllable but it was strong and besides him there was no one else who could hope to contain her. He led the way out of the clan’s lair and into the overcast morning air. He knew he could have lost her in the air since he was the faster flier…but now that they were out of the protection of the lair he didn’t want her alone while Shade infected their territory.

They soared towards the eastern border with a wary eye out for the decay Shade brought with it. It wasn’t particularly hard to spot considering it was a large, billowing cloud of shadowy tendrils. The pair watched it for a few minutes to determine in which direction it was travelling before landing in its intended path.

Fylstan wavered as he landed, breaths coming in gasps from the exertion on his weak body. Aseare glanced at him in concern while she could see the darkness encroaching on their territory from the corner of her eye. Making a decision, Aseare walked forward determinedly and began to gather the arcane element under the Shade. The magical energy drew the Shade’s foul attention to the caster and the faces in the darkness snapped their teeth and screeched at her. Startled and with little control to begin with, Aseare’s grasp on the magic slipped and the gathered arcane energy shot out randomly. Some of it damaged the Shade but the mass seemed more amused by the attempt than hurt.

Darkness launched itself at Aseare and she squawked fearfully while trying to flee from it. A particularly determined tendril snagged her left hind leg, sending her crashing to the ground. Weak. Pathetic. Can’t even save your own brother. Useless. Eyesore. The poisonous words whispering through her mind made her breath catch on a sob. Her vision blurred with tears even as shadows danced gleefully at the edges.

“Asa!” The shout cleared Aseare’s mind a little and the Shade screamed at the interruption. Light erupted from the previously ignored skydancer, painting his dark feathers and hide with a brilliant gold. The Shade writhed and attempted to fight back but fire was already consuming it. Fylstan’s glow began to extend out from him to repair the damage wrought by the Shade on the land even as his fire burned the source away.

As the last tendril of Shade that had anchored itself to Aseare’s ankle was burned away leaving her unharmed Fylstan collapsed to the ground. His feathers lost their glow as he coughed weakly into the dirt. He lost consciousness as blood began to trickle out of his nostrils.

Aseare watched her brother tearfully, unable to move, and replayed the Shade’s final words before she too passed out.